#((AND HOW DID EVERY OTHER SONG END UP BEING AN ANIME OP YOU MAY ASK?

[holycow99]

石田お寿司 18/9/21 stream summary Part 1

This is not the full translation of the stream. I only translated the parts I could understand & interpret or parts I found interesting/important. I’m still a beginner in Japanese, so the translations may not be accurate. If you want to repost, please repost at your own risk.

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(t/n: ** = translation may not be accurate, SY= Y****, TS= S******)

1. According to his memo, he woke up at 1.30 am that day.  He started recording his daily activities, e.g. what time he woke up and what he did.

2. He got too excited and did 100 pages of draft.

3. He’d forget his goals if he didn’t say it out loud. His goal was to draw 72 pages. Since chp 8 was already 20-something pages, so he only had around 50 pages left. Then, he could release another 2 chapters. He planned to probably release both chapters on 26th sep, but it’s impossible since he had only 6 days to finish them.

4. There are 2 fans he saw had the name Take Hirako (TG’s character) as their usernames and he’s amazed of the character’s popularity. He’d never seen fans using other characters’ names.

5. Someone asked if KotaRAW was named after Take Hirako’s dog and he replied maybe since they both had the same name.

6. He actually didn’t want to play Hitman on the last stream. He just wanted to leisurely chat with the fans. He kept on looking at the comments while playing.

7. Someone asked about the 30,000 subscribers commemoration and he suggested karaoke streaming.

8. He jokingly asked people to fill his wallet with money by buying JJ OST’s album that was released on that day.

9. He’s gonna start eating fan letters bit by bit.

10. There were karaoke versions of JJ songs included in JJ ost album and Ishida didn’t know about it. He said he was probably informed by the staff about that but he didn’t pay attention to it. He was surprised when he got to know about it.

11. He continued that Broccoli might’ve not told him since they turned his illustrations into goods without his permission.

12. Someone asked if he’d get any money from the karaoke. He heard that the fee was around 1 yen per play, but the money probably would go to Mr. Kosemura as well. (t/n: Kosemura Akira is JJ’s composer.)

13. Someone asked him if he’s watched midnight summer. He said he’s watched it. Later in the stream, he googled to see if there’s a movie called Midnight Summer. It turned out OP miswrote the tittle. It’s supposed to be Midsommar.

14. He wondered why people like to ask him or other streamers if they’ve watched this or that. If he said he didn’t watch them, people would keep asking him every single stream, just like with the Tower of God. (t/n: There’s a fan who used to ask him if he’s watched Tower of God every stream.)

15. Someone commented that they probably interested to know if Ishida watch the same thing as them. Ishida replied by saying it didn’t really matter whether he’s watched it or not. Rather than asking him that kind of question, he’d like people to write their reviews about the movies/series.  Tell him the greatness of Tower of God.

16. Ishida checked on one of his former staffs’ manga that’s currently on Tonari Young Jump. It’s something with library in the title. There was a lewd scene between the MC and one of the female characters, but the MC was expressionless throughout the scene. He thought that the MC should be wilder while he’s at it. (t/n: I tried to search for the manga title, but couldn’t find it. If anyone knows, feel free to share it in the comment.)

17. Apart from drawing 100 pages of draft, he did the colouring for magazine as well.

18. SY asked him about the typhoon & he didn’t notice it, so someone asked him if he purposely ignored SY’s question. He later told SY that he was bashing the boy for leaving the stream while he’s giving advice on the last stream.

*Ishida started playing Made in Wario.

19. He felt scared when people wishing him to be healthy or to live a long life since he felt like it was foreshadowing him falling ill.

20. Ishida passed the stages in the game easily, so he felt the game was too easy for him. He wanted to play games where he could die and retry multiple times.

21. Someone commented that Hanae Natsuki also did a playthrough of this game. He said he should’ve watched Hanae’s playthrough first before playing the game to know what kind of game it was. He also mentioned that he watched Hanae’s PUBG’s playthrough and Hanae died a lot times in the game.

22. Someone said that Hanae died in this game as well and Ishida said that Hanae wasn’t much of a gamer then.

23. He was drinking the same sake as the last stream, a honey-flavoured sake.

24. He said he might not be cut out for game streaming. This game would be fun if he were to play it before sleeping, but not at the moment. He played this game because he wanted to experience playing it for the first time with the viewers, but he’s had enough of it already. He wanted to play games where he could go crazy & be noisy.

*Ishida getting confused about what’s going on in the game and what he’s supposed to do.

25. He wanted to play games leisurely, but the game made him panic. If it was Hitman, he could play it in a relaxed manner since it was light. He mentioned that Resident Evil Village was a great game.

26. He’s gonna watch Hanae’s playthrough of the game later.

27. Someone commented that Hanae is noisy. He replied saying that Hanae did that to entertain the viewers. Besides, with Hanae’s voice, it’s nice listening to him talking. The way seiyuus scream was on another level.

28. There were two loli characters in the game. People asked him if he hated kids, and he said he really liked them.

*One of the villains used hypnotism on animals to attack people.

29. He said he couldn’t forgive people who do bad things to animals. The villain was coward for using those sinless animals to do his dirty works. Hearing this, people in the comment was like “sensei is angry.” He kept on saying how he didn’t like it and how pitiful the animals were. He’s gonna write a complaint to Nintendo.

30. He’s not keeping any pets at the moment. He couldn’t even take care of himself.

31. Ishida really liked the one of the loli characters and he confirmed himself to be a lolicon.

32. He goes to the gym now and then.

33. He used to go to a rock climbing place with his staffs in Shinjuku. Goubaru was really sick at that time, so he slept on a chair there. Then, Goubaru got moody when he teased him. He got sick from eating tempura in a nearby restaurant.

34. Ishida fanboying over a character name Ashley.

35. TS liked also liked Ashley & Ishida was disappointed in him, thinking he was different.

36. Someone asked how old is TS. Ishida told that person that TS wasn’t gonna answer it. Instead, he’d return the question back at them. He’d use the phrase “On the contrary”.

37. He said he has a bias view against men who like female characters like Ashley because she’s too moe, though he understood why people like her since she’s cute. It turned out Hanae also liked this character. He ended up fanboying over Ashley as well.

38. He went to the toilet for a while and people were guessing what kind of flowers did he pick this time. Last time it was dandelion, so they guessed flowers such as daisy, lavender, etc. When Ishida came back, he told them it was pansy. He mentioned that there was a grand prize, which was just an acrylic keychain, for the person who could guess it right. Unfortunately, no one did.

(t/n: The term Ishida uses whenever he goes to the toilet is “Ohanatsumi” which literally means ‘flower picking’. This term is used usually by female whenever they’re going to the toilet. That’s why people were guessing what flower did he pick this time.)

39. He’s drinking makgeolli after he just had a sake.

40. He wanted to have a drinking meeting with 500 ppl.

41. Someone thought that his idea of eating letters was just him being drunk, but he’s just hyper because he’s taking a proper break from work. He truly intended to eat the fan letters. He wasn’t drunk. He was like that even before he drank.

Part 2

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Suppose a Kid... 1 | Hortensia Saga 1 | Kumo Desu Ga 1 | 2.43 1 | Cells at Work!! 1 - 2 | Cells at Work: Code Black 1 | Back Arrow 1 - 2 | Praeter 1 | Horimiya 1 | Tomozaki 1 - 2 | Wonder Egg Priority 1 | IChu 1 | Kemono Jihen 1 | YuruCamp 2 1 | Dr Stone: Stone Wars 1 | Sk8 1 | Mushoku Tensei 1 | Design-bu 1 | Wave!! 1 | BSD Wan! 1 | Ex-Arm 1

After much watching...I cut it down to 5 anime and 1 short.

Suppose a Kid… 1

I am not writing out that full title every time! Anyways, here’s the first “real” debut of winter 2021.

For some reason…this series reminds me of Pokemon. Probably how at the start, Ash tries to get along with Pikachu by doing all sorts of things like what Lloyd is doing here. (<- learnt protag’s name through synopses)

The name “Shouma�� rang a bell and I was right – Shouma is voiced by Souma…Saito.

The Japanese title has “monogatari” on the end there…so it probably doesn’t fully translate into the English title.

These orange flecks in Lloyd’s eyes are kinda distracting…

Isn’t Kunlun in China, though…?

If this is just going to be Marie yelling…I don’t see why I should stay. (<- turned volume on for everything so far)

*facepalms* Lloyd is so dense…

That fight scene’s not very good…

…oh great. Selen’s fallen in love with Lloyd already…*sigh*

The missing princess is certainly going to be a plot point later.

Wow, that tiger looks impressive! If only they could’ve done that for the fight scene…

…oh great, Selen is a low-key yandere…

Didn’t Lloyd say he sucked at combat…? Anyways, I’m not keeping this. The designs are colourful and the tiger was good, but it’s meant to be a comedy and it’s not funny.

Hortensia Saga 1

Here for Ume! He’s voicing a guy called Defloitte Danois.

I-Is that CGI? So early on into the anime???

*a dude gets bitten into by the werewolf*…welp, at least this series isn’t afraid of its own gore.

I had a sinking feeling our real protag was Alfred…and I was right, according to the OP.

Huh? The song goes silent for a second near the end…what the heck?

The book appears to use English, albeit English so faintly inked in you can’t quite tell what language it is.

Alfred, governing Albert…? Isn’t that a bit redundant?

I swear all the female voices in this anime are squeaky as all get out…

All these high fantasy anime – or heck, any high fantasy series full stop – ever justify why the country is worth fighting for. It’s why I find war stories pointless and senseless.

You can tell from the voice and short stature “Marius” is Mariel…but she uses boku, which is why Alfred can’t really tell the difference. (Also, he wasn’t privy to the fact Mariel cut her hair.)

This almost smacks of a game tutorial. The CGI is still there…it’s not as bad as other examples I’ve seen, but you can tell it’s CGI when you look at it.

Roy’s kind of pretty, in a generic way.

A close-range archer! Ho, you’re kinda impressive yourself, Roy. (The feeling of a game tutorial has disappeared by this point.)

Hortense…of Hortensia…how confusing.

The scruffy guy you keep seeing with the dark hair is Defloitte. Keep an eye out for him for me, would you?

The ED seems to consist mostly of…anguished pop screams. *cringes slightly*

Anyways, this anime isn’t bad. It’s quite average though and its CGI could easily get worse.

Kumo Desu ga 1

…you know I don’t like 1st person cam, yeah?

…this is just Kumoko (as I’ve heard her being called) yelling so far…plus there’s quite a bit of CGI.

I like how the ED has an English overlay and the style they’ve used for it. The music, though…? Nah.

Wait a second? Millepensee? Shin Itagaki? That would explain the CGI!

“…a spider that just happens to have my memories.” – A butterfly dream, huh?

…well, at least this anime is well aware of the genre space it inhabits. Maybe you could say…it’s an isekai light novel, so what? *groans from the audience*

…well, you didn’t really “bring” your “brother’s” (?) corpse in case of an emergency, now, did you?

…welp, to have guts, you must eat guts. I guess that’s how it goes.

What’s a “skanda”?

This anime’s quite monologue-y (as expected of an LN). I can live with it, but I don’t know if it can carry the entire thing through the season.

…humans? Haven’t seen them almost all episode. What are they up to?

These designs sort of look like SAO’s. They’re not a dealbreaker yet, but they could be down the line…

This ED seems to take cues from Cop Craft’s OP (same studio). It also has some…“Aggretsuko rage”, I guess you could call it.

2.43 1

…Another confusing title, I see. I normally don’t do sports anime, but I’m here for Ume.

*sees the colour of the volleyball* - Basically anything volleyball has to collaborate with volleyball maker Mikasa, doesn’t it?

This anime seems to like putting characters’ thoughts on the screen for dramatic impact. The CGI is sort of visible, but not a dealbreaker.

I’d thought I’d heard of this OP artist before, but it turns out I haven’t.

This series has a nice sense of force. You see those moments where the ball squishes, or when Yuni presses against the wall without thinking? Those.

LOL, way to burn Yuni, Chika…

These transitions are a bit hard to detect. I think I like Akudama’s more overt ones more.

LOL, Dr Popper (sic).

The serves are nothing special. Haikyuu does the same thing from the episode I saw of it. (You know I don’t like Haikyuu, yeah? Dropped it after 1 episode because everything I heard the fans talking about caused me to connect the dots.)

The way Yuni blushes…it’s more than someone usually would, even if it is out of embarrassment. It may just be the entertainment I consume, but I could swear that’s going somewhere in more of a BL manner.

I get the feeling Chika has a bit of Virgo or Taurus in him somewhere. The sort of guy who nags at everyone to do stuff his way is probably like that.

Pocari Sweat (unaltered).

I gave myself dimples by puffing up my cheeks and poking them until they became permanent. I guess you can do the same thing with ambidexterity…?

For some reason, I can detect Chika’s jealousy when he discusses blocks and natural talent.

…wow, this anime is pretty serious for a volleyball anime.

The ED scene where the face is replaced with flowers is pretty creepy. Like Jigokuraku or something.

Cells at Work!! 1

What are these blob creatures you see in the OP, anyway…?

I think I remember reading something that the numbers assigned to the cells aren’t arbitrary – they’re hexadecimal colors, e.g. RBCs get shades of red as their numbers.

D’aww, Platelets warm the heart. They really do.

Platelets have a master…? I thought they were all just lil’ kids.

“What the cell’s going on?!” – Oh, I remember seeing a tweet about this. I love that pun! Kudos to whoever was responsible for that.

LOL, no. 4989 dancing in the background.

Hmm…those nets look like CGI.

…uh, I did not need that shot of the Megakaryocyte’s camel toe…that’s distubring.

Wait, Backward Cap is a she?!

Aw, lookit WBC being a dad. That’s cute.

Backward Cap = Ushiromae-chan.

Is that…a construction worker holding a giant pudding?!

Cells at Work Code Black 1

This anime is called “black” due to black companies. It’s Code Black to avoid being racist, I guess. I’m looking forward to it because it’s undoubtedly going to show a dark side to the main series…

…and there it is, the RBC complaining.

I assume OJT = on the job training.

I knew “pespin” (sic) was a typo. It’s pepsin.

Now that I’ve been working at customer service for two years (give or take COVID), I can see where the senpai RBC is smoothing over the relations.

…that also means I know where to suppress my emotions. I’m not a person who opens up to people easily without getting used to them, so people never see me as suitable for customer service anyway, but it’s the only experience I have so *shrugs*.

…oh gosh. I haven’t seen these words since…the time I was still learning biology.

…*sigh* Rookie RBC is worried about boobs.

The fact Senpai lost his iconic hat…is kinda sad, actually.

“Don’t let his resolve be for nothing.”

Hmm…does the male WBC from the main series wear black fingerless gloves?

I thought I’d heard of this artist before…but turns out I just can’t distinguish really autotuned artists from each other…(lel)

…and stuff goes ka-blam. It’s the spiritual successor to HypMic, even if I wasn’t asking for it. (LOL)

Back Arrow 1

…I heard you said “hot guys”? (Yes, I am predictable as all get out.)

What’s with that episode title…?

Stereotypes, eh? I kind of expected as much from the promo, but where’s the title character…?

…was that yuri fanservice? I can’t quite tell because it was the aftermath of an action scene, but I can see the shippers gearing up in my head.

…after a bit of waiting, there he is. Back Arrow himself. He kind looks like Takuto (Star Driver).

“I’m not trying to hide anything!” – Well, that’s…true.

…*sigh* Why do girls always have more feminine-looking mechs? (Plus this one has boobs…*sighhhhhhhhhhhh*)

So it seems mechs in this anime are the form of one’s conviction and they have skills along those lines, eh? An interesting concept.

…you do realise I abandoned an entire anime based on a joke about lucky underwear? However, this anime is so absurd and just keeps running with the joke that I just can’t say no to it. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt from volunteering at a charity store, it’s that when it comes to selling stuff, you can’t say no to a lot of stuff…including selling potentially used underwear, so long as it’s not dirty or stinky.

Whoa! Those things break?!

Why does the title card mention the wall...?

Anyways, I…like it, surprisingly enough. Let’s keep going.

Back Arrow 2

…eh? Didn’t expect inflatable clothing, LOL.

I suspect Shu Bi is scheming something.

What’s the long thing…?

“…tomorrow might not come.” – A good reminder to have in these times of COVID.

Peath = Peace. (Heh. What a stupid name…*thinks about the name “Quattro Bajeena” suddenly* Okay, “Peath” pales in comparison to that.)

What is that creature that circles in the sky…?

I know this is meant to be a serious fight, but…that attacking guy’s hat seriously looks like a bamboo stalk and so I keep seeing it and trying not to laugh.

I only just now realised there’s CGI. CGI these days is getting much better than it used to be.

Tomozaki 1

LOL, Yontendo. It’s clearly Smash Bros + Nintendo Switch and the character designer was also around for Iroduku, so that’s why this style looks familiar.

…lemme guess, since this is a romance, it’s likely NONAME is Aoi. Or some other girl.

I would pay for a romance where it’s the girl building the guy up to be presentable, instead of a girl building other girls up to be presentable a la Ageha 100%.

Didn’t the anime show us Tomozaki reflecting to himself, though…?

“…rules working in combination.” - Well, there’s social norms (e.g. knock before entering a room), laws, contracts, societal standards (e.g. in Japanese society, you bow to others as a greeting or apology)…(continues to blabber on for a bit)

I think Aoi said something like “onitadaku”, but I’m not sure what the joke is there. Oni is in there, sure, but what’s the original phrase she’s playing off?

…LOL, it’s a good time to remind people to wear a mask.

LOL, Krout.

Anyways, this seems decent. I like how it’s going the way I want it to.

Tomozaki 2

“…make sure I’m nearby…” – Okay, that’s just being pushy, Aoi.

Minami and Hinami…so confusing…

*Minami chomps on Natsubayashi’s ear* - …okay, that’s not a thing girls do in real life unless they’re lesbians. This is likely trying to take the fanservice route.

They didn’t even show why the “kiss” was broken up…meaning they were doing it to make potential girl-on-girl look hot. Just great.

*Aoi touches Tomozaki’s butt* - Dude, that’s groping…

I didn’t think we’d get the story on Aoi’s “hexactly” so soon.

…well, that episode just made me feel mildly bitter. I’m dropping it here.

Praeter 1

…aw s***. Only a few seconds in and this looks like a terrible game…

It’s like someone barfed paint across Durarara…

The only time the background buildings look any good are when there’s a fight scene…

These Seals (or whatever those designs are called) seem to act like mini shields. Update: They’re called tattoos.

That transition was a bit fast for my liking…

Seems like the series is mildly peppered with Greek terms.

“To Infinity and Beyond” by…some author I can’t really read the name of.

Suddenly, they throw in more characters…?

Where does Eiji keep those bullet cases of his…? In his jacket?

Having a guy die in the 1st episode is cheap. I mean, we don’t quite care for him yet – it’s too early in the anime for that.

Now there’s Norse terms on top of the Greek ones…

Even more characters? You kidding me?

Lemme guess, Eiji gave up his tattoo because Yamato inspired him and now he’s a goner.

Welp, the weight of the world is in your hands, Yamato. Including that dead dude on your back. (<- sarcastic)

Sk8 1

I’ve been hearing good things about this anime! Let’s go! (<- about a week late to the debut)

That politician is probably relevant…probably someone’s dad, if HypMic taught me anything.

LOL, a beef. They call this stuff “beef”? Where’s the chicken? (<- joke from HypMic)

Haemanthus…apparently a flowering plant from S. Africa.

That’s rare, you don’t see Canadians in anime all that much. I was just thinking as I came home from volunteering how you know British people all have fancy names like William and Australians are Johnno, Danno etc., but Canadians? No clue. Update: Apparently you’d call one Arnold or something just as generic…?

Why are all foreigners in anime half-Japanese with the mother being the Japanese side, anyway?...Because people can make their character speak Japanese while looking foreign. Right. Moving right along.

Ahh…I understand your plight all too well, Reki.

…Hmm. It seems Reki’s surname is written kiya, but read “Kyan”. His name literally translates to “history (calendar/age) of bravery (military might)” Update: Turns out his surname is 3 characters (read “kiyan”, although I’ve never seen that final character ever being read as “n”) and his first name is one, so his first name is just “history (calendar/age)”.

Even I suck at balancing on bikes and stuff (…yeah, I still can’t ride a bike even though I’ve done so many other things in my life) and I know you have to support yourself with one foot on the ground before you do things like trick flips. I may not have observed Tony Hawk all that much, but he was on the periphery of my knowledge.

“What’s your hourly wage?” – Ouch, I feel ya, Langa.

Koko ni netete actually means “Lie down here”, but…okay.

These eyecatches are cute.

That’s a cute fox.

Yikes! 60 mph = approx. 97 km/h!!!

Random umeboshi, LOL.

Aghhhhhhhhhhh! Cherry Blossom’s so pretty~! I love him already!

Thank you, based Bones!

Something that can be enjoyed, even without sound: this is why I enjoy both action and comedy anime!

Okinawa? We’re in Okinawa?

Well, that was cool! I didn’t even ask where the location was until the end. Update: Why is this anime sometimes called Sk8 the Infinity anyway…?

Horimiya 1

Horimiya…I’ve been aware of this series for a while. There’s even a Chinese volume of it at a library close to me, although due to contact tracing I haven’t bothered to check it out.

Oh, I bet Hori is the otaku!

Ooh, Marketing Script!

Because I’ve been behind on the premieres, I’ve seen enough to know this boy with the chain is Miyamura.

…argh! Miyamura is cute! Y’all were right!!! (<- likes blushing bois)

I bet there’s going to be an emergency meeting!

“Sorry, it’s egg time!” – Oh, I’m laughing so hard! So that’s the context behind the Wonder Egg Priority meme!

“…see these?!” – Well, it’s not like you have a tattoo or some-*Miyamura shows his tattoos* Never mind…

Oh, I just realised they even animate the minute movements of the eyes Miyamura does…cool.

Notice how Miyamura is blocked from the other guy due to the window.

Miyamura goes “Ishikawa-kun” but “Hori-san”…hmm. No wonder he’s letting Ishikawa get Hori.

The problem I find with romance series is that they’re generally tied to heteronormativity. Hori is coded with red silhouettes and Miyamura with blue…*sigh* Whatever happened to gender ambiguity?

Good heavens, what is up with this ED?! It looks like Pocoyo! (…Does anyone else know that cartoon…?) Aside from that quibble, this anime is great though.

Mushoku Tensei 1

Apparently this is the grandad of all isekai. Why it took so long for an anime of this…who knows?

…and of course this guy’s a loser virgin. Go figure.

*sighhhhhhhhh* He’s just ogling this woman’s boobs…

…oh, sorry. I was so distracted by the man candy, I didn’t care about Rudy.

I-It’s actually quite refreshing to not have an OP protagonist from the get-go for once. (Or maybe I’ve developed such a disdain for isekai since SAO rolled around that everything here suddenly feels fresh.)

You can see the birthplace of isekai without having watched any of the others right here, it looks like.

“…what’s the point of incantations?” – To make it easier for you to cast spells, I gue-spoke too soon.

…wow, they shamelessly showed off Rudy’s privates. I know he’s still young at this stage, but that reminds me of how I dropped Dragon Ball around the time Goku was shown the same way (which is…very early on, by my own admission).

I believe, based on the name of the spinoff I see in the 7 Seas emails, the magic tutor is called Roxy.

You’re thinking about marriage?! At your (reincarnated) age?!

Oh no! The tree again!

LOL, Rudy’s acting like a kid who’s been in COVID lockdown for a while.

I think what most of the isekai that spun off from here missed is that the loser is job age. Losers at life at job age are relatable and high school geniuses are relatable (albeit sometimes insufferable), but losers who become NEETs for no reason whatsoever and then get banged up by Truck-kun are not.

Anyways, this was good, but a risky kind of good, since it seems like this male gaze will continue to be around as Rudy gets older.

Update: Dropped after learning Rudy was a paedophile in his past life.

Update 2: Apparently the anime toned down this paedophilic tendency of Rudy’s, so...now the verdict is that I move on while I let other people tell me if this is true of the anime or not.

Kemono Jihen 1

“Kemono Jihen” means something like “creature incidents”. I wonder why Funimation didn’t change the name…?

Kabane means “summer wing”.

Kanoko Villa, I’d assume, is named after the deer (the name means “deer’s child”).

My experience with Sho Aimoto (creator of this manga) is reading a bit of Hokenshitsu no Shinigami. (That, by the way, reminds me of Nube, but it’s nothing spectacular.) However, Hokenshitsu no Shinigami has a very detailed artstyle…That’s why I’m pretty shocked Kemono Jihen has such a scratchy one…

Ooh, edamame!

Oh, I see…this is like Furuba or a werewolf story, huh? Rather than a Natsume Yuujincho sort of thing.

…I thought Inugami and Dorotabo had seen everything of each other because of bathing together…I guess not, then.

…is Yataro going to die?

It seems the “immortal demons” are oni, so…why subtitle them as “immortal demons” and not just “demons”?

Ohhhhhhhh…this shite’s good. It seems to have a throwback feeling to it, moreso than even Yashahime or a lot of the sequels I’ve seen recently.

Cells at Work!! 2

I was going to move right along to Wonder Egg Priority because I’m really behind on the debuts right now, but I accidentally opened this up while I was cleaning up so I might as well watch another episode or two before setting it aside.

He’s dead, Jim. (<-joking)

…gosh, these walls look like Hover all over again and that’s from 1995…

LOL, these background cells don’t even have any details. They’re basically stick figures with fat bodies…

I think that phrase that appeared, “Take good care of B Cell!”, may be a pun on Give My Regards to Black Jack (written with similar Japanese, “B Cell wo Yoroshiku!” vs. “Black Jack ni Yoroshiku!”).

LOL, “you sure have the guts”…while they’re in the guts.

The certificate says something about it being presented to someone in the face of bravery, I think (<- just looked at it briefly).

“You have a good head on your shoulders,” says the T cell as WBC struggles with the disguise…stuck on his head.

Wonder Egg Priority 1

I’ve been hearing this series is surreal, but no more surreal than Flip Flappers. So…I don’t know if I’ll like it or not.

What’s this K?(?96…?

There’s a sunflower on her raincoat…so that’s why I saw a post called “You’re the sunflower”. Personally, that just reminds me of Post Malone.

Those Seeno Evils…they’re CGI, aren’t they?

As Boueibu once said (but I may be paraphrasing here), “nothing is more scary than free”.

…to be honest with you, I haven’t had a best friend for at least 2 years now. I only really feel close to people who are like me and who I have sustained contact with over many years, so I end up cutting contact with people after we part ways and never trying to fix it.

I always find it slightly absurd when anime girls get a little pudgy and go, “I’m so fat!” (See, for instance, the Dumbbell series.) Or, in this case, Ai’s going, “I’m so ugly!” when there’s nothing wrong with her. She’s only a bit different from everyone else due to her heterochromia - she doesn't have any physical or mental difficulties.

IChu 1

Here for Ume and, of course, dem bois. Bring it!

I seem to remember one of the magazines called an “Ichu” “an idol egg” (i.e. a fledgling idol)…More egg puns for me, then.

I found him! Ume! He’s Akira Mitsurugi! Update: Turns out that’s Toshiyuki Toyonaga…Oops. (Ume is actually Lucas from I*B.)

Huh? For a second, I imagined Akira with a dubbed voice. Of course, I could only be dreaming, because idol anime normally don’t get dubs, but…it was interesting to think about.

LOL, “Onsta”.

This Akio-type character is popular lately. The sort who’s timid but has an outstanding talent they themselves might not see.

…uh, but Kocho means “Principal”…?

An idol bear?!

Torahiko is crazy…(Note the tigers. Tora = tiger.)

Specifically, that’s black coffee with no sugar.

As much as I want to keep watching this, I’ll hit pause on it here. There’s much better offerings this season.

YuruCamp s2 1

…grandpa’s writing is so…neat.

*glares at CGI car…*

This OP just doesn’t compare to Shiny Days, y’know…?

OOPArts.

Talking pine cones! They’re back!

Curry rice! Literally had some of the Japanese-style stuff the other day. It was great.

All this talk about jobs…I personally don’t like jobs because I like to work at my own pace (hence one reason why I’m working on being a translator), but…money…I’m jealous, girls.

I’m trying not to rely on the subs for those texts that appear on the screen so that I can keep my reading skills up…I kept up with them for the most part…but then I got distracted by the croquette sign at one point…

“…buy you some local food?” – That’s omiyage, normally translated “souvenirs”. “Local food” actually does make more sense in that gap, though.

…man, I’m jealous that the girls all got jobs suitable for their personalities and everything. Lil’ ol’ antisocial me sucks at retail, even after 2 years.

Design-bu 1

LOL, that man and his bunny. Update: That’s Unabara-san.

…geez, these utaite are everywhere now. I’ve seen 96neko, USSS, Eve and more being more central to anime song creation…

Thise characters in the OP seal (<-the stamp, not the animal) are saiyou, meaning “recruited”, or in this case, “accepted”.

OEM = original equipment manufacturer.

Hrm…you can tell it’s a giraffe by description, but…that “base everything on the horse” is interesting as you could count several things as horse derivatives. Also, the angels’ names are all standard Japanese names with natural components to them (Ueda = upright rice field, Shimoda = frost rice field etc).

Is this pink-themed guy…a guy? Or a crossdresser? Update: That’s Kanamori-san.

I like how the suits have little wing-like flaps. Also the wings on Shimoda’s back.

…I never thought an anime episode would make me so concerned about giraffes.

That guy in the green I remember from the Wave x Tendebu (Heaven’s Design Team) collab, his name is Kimura.

Oh, so there is a bird like that!

The random wiggling the chibis do in these short segments…it’s a bit disorienting. (<-Just a small quibble of mine.)

Oh! Galapagos effect!

Agonistic: “polemical; combative.” I thought they meant “antagonistic”.

Oh man, that punch line was great! It took me a while to get into the spirit of it, but this anime is great!

Update: Oh, that’s where those nature names come from! They’re actually meant to be gods! (Or…named after gods…?) Also, Ueda vs. Shimoda (the “shimo” could be the kanji for “below”).

Ex-Arm 1

I’ve heard this anime looks bad…even well before its debut. How bad? Let’s find out.

*stifles laughter* From the first pan, I know this anime is doomed on my list. Even Praeter was better than this!

*stifles laughter again* This OP really does look as bad as the stuff I was seeing prior to winter 2021! Like a game I shouldn’t take out of my archives! (It’s not as bad as Hover’s graphics, but still…that’s from 1995. Cut it some slack.)

That’s the 2nd Kimura this season…

Yugg is just…ugly. Never try to render elaborate eyelashes in CGI again, people.

Dimension High School was better than this because at least that had puzzles. This is even jankier than that!

Wait, why is Akira 3D when his dad is 2D? It’s not that obvious, but I notice these things. Update: That’s not his dad…but close enough. (That’s his brother.)

…and here comes Truck-kun! (LOL)

This would be good…if it weren’t rendered in the jankiest CGI known to man…

Alma’s gun strike doesn’t have a lot of force to it.

The fire is rendered so terribly…*stifles laughter*

This part with a disembodied Akira is what I assume I got up at 6 am for…but I can’t hear it, due to background noise. Remind me to confirm this later. (Minami’s mouth is rendered so terribly…augh.)

No force to any of these recent motions, either.

LOL, this censorship.

Wave 1

Ever since this project was announced, I’ve been watching developments unfold on Anime News Network. I knew it would get an anime or something similar I could follow…and now here I am. I mentioned in the Sk8 comments I have basically zero knowledge of surfing, so…this is very unexpected, in one sense.

Was that a drone…?

“Wizard of the Waifu Board”?! Are you kidding me?! (LOL)

There seem to be shots where I can see the CGI here, but…anything’s better than Ex-Arm. Let’s say that.

Actually…yappe is a derivative of yabai, meaning “cool” or “crap” (in an ironic sense). So it would probably be better to translate it as “Surfing’s the greatest!” or “Surfing’s the coolest!” Anyways, what I was thinking before I was going to say this was that the waves are so enticingly animated, it feels like a summer anime. Basically the only other anime I’ve ever said that for is Grand Blue.

If I’m understanding where Isokichi’s name comes from right, “iso” is the character for seashore or a rocky beach (磯).

LOL, the teacher just wrote “Show must go on.”

Hayama, Kanagawa. Kanagawa’s capital is Yokohama, so it’s not quite Tokyo, but somewhat close.

“Murphy”? I have zero clue what that means.

Oh, I see. The title is translated that way due to context. Now that I can accept.

I just burst out into laughter when I realised Nalu hasn’t dropped or put down his ukulele once.

BSD Wan! 1

Here comes my past to haunt me…aside from me being a fan of BSD, I’m here because I influenced this series. How so? Once upon a time in the now-distant year of 2016, I was a scanlator for a brief period. Most of the work I’ve done hasn’t influenced the world at large, but this is the most influential manga I had a hand in working on.

Oh no! They’re starting with the dog AU?! (That comes from pretty far into the manga, IIRC. Further than my work was on it, at least.)

It’s Rashomon, but Rashoken (that last bit means “dog”). Hence Ruffshomon.

Basically, they just insert dog-related words everywhere…don’t make me explain every one!

Ouch, I can only imagine how much pain it was to translate Inu Shikkaku. Literally, it’s “No Longer a Dog”, but how would anyone make it in line with the other puns…?

I wasn’t fully aware of how the dog AU was connected to the main Wan series because I haven’t really looked at it after I quit due to aggregators, but…that was a nice fakeout. Also, I was concerned as to whether this was going to be a full-length ep or a short…seems like it’s a 10 minute short, so I have more chances of taking it.

…oh gosh, that pose! I remember it! I worked on this one! (Now that I know it’s a TV short, I won’t cover future episodes, but I want to at least finish this one because I started it.)

I think they added a bit there. I remember Kunikida’s and Yosano’s were in the manga, but not the other members or Fukuzawa going “the wind is smiling” + Kenji working on the roof at the start.

Oh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh, I remember Rampo. I think I had to approximate how he would say stuff with Pocky in his mouth, but Slug (current scanlator) went the extra mile and stuck food in his mouth to do the same panel.

It seems to make a short ep., they strung a bunch of the chapters together. Also, I don’t think we ever found out what Yosano’s puddle was and that was…probably for the better.

Oh yeah…I think I remember this one.

Now I remember it! I remember having fun explaining what a youkan was.

Whoa, Higuchi scrapped the SFX! That wasn’t in the original…

The ED seems to be an Atsushi cover of Namae wo Yobu yo.

Oh noooooooooooo! The flower gazing episode! That’s the one I remember most, because I was trying to figure out how to translate 移動 while making it smooth-sounding English…(I remember the final result was something like, “Move! Move~!”

Dr Stone: Stone Wars 1

Final debut! Let’s go~!

The last time this series was on the air was about 1 year ago. I can remember that far back…

I like how that recap is framed as Gen talking to the kids.

Senku overcomes every problem with science.

…not much to comment on here.

[romansleftshoulderpad]

A Curse is a Dream Your Heart Makes

HUUUUGE Huge thank you to @max-is-tired for being my wonderful beta and also for them and @justcallmepancake for listening to my constant rambling about this!

Ships: Prinxiety, and just about every combination of Logan and Patton being fathers.

Tags: @fandermom @my-analogical-romance @patchworkofstars @jynxlovesluck @notveryglittery

Warnings: Swearing, curses, Deceit (character) both sympathetic and as a villain, Temporary major character death, caps lock. OP might have missed cleaning up a few of /these guys/

Word count: 19,226

----

Roman wasn’t exactly in his room when he woke up. In fact, he didn’t know if he was anywhere, exactly. He wasn’t even sure he woke up. The walls around him looked flat, but outside the window were plenty of layers and dimensions. He was surely dreaming, wasn’t he? He pinched his arm, slightly alarmed to actually feel pain. He looked down at his arm. It was smooth. Too smooth. Unrealistically smooth. Hold on...

If there was one thing Roman excelled at, it was being the resident Disney Trivia master. So if theoretically, he were to wake up inside of a Disney movie, he’d know. And he knew. The only question was: Why?

Okay ‘why’ didn’t matter. He was in a Disney movie, for heaven’s sake! He was going to have some fun with it. He explored his castle to find the nearest stable and set off the follow through with this adventure.

It was a bright and sunny day as Roman rode along. He could have spent hours just enjoying the views, but he had to be The Prince, and when he saw the familiar cobblestone of an old grey castle he knew he was searching in the right direction.

The echo of a soft voice singing to oneself confirmed that Roman was headed in the right direction. He drew closer to a cobblestone wall and leapt off of his high horse. There were enough cracks and gaps between the stone to be able to climb it. Oh, the voice he heard was so lovely and enchanting as it echoed from the old wishing well that Roman knew so well- he had seen this movie a thousand times after all.

He pulled himself to the top of the wall and nearly fell off when he saw the man singing into it. His old black pants were torn and dusty, with an old white blouse tucked into them. He was gorgeous, but that wasn’t the problem. Gorgeous with the voice of an angel, yes, but he was-

“Virgil?!” Roman yelled, promptly falling off of the fucking wall and landing on his chest like an aloof moron.

Virgil jumped away from the wishing well, frozen for a moment as Roman scrambled off of the ground. “How do you know my name?!” Virgil asked.

“Hmm?” Roman asked, totally blanking. Virgil didn’t recognize him? How could he not? Roman had checked the mirror before leaving, and he definitely still looked like himself. Maybe Virgil was just playing the part! That was likely! At least, Roman thought it was likely until he met the other boy’s eyes. Virgil was shaking, terrified even! He definitely had no idea who Roman was.

“Why you’re Prince Virgil, of course!” Roman said, trying to hold his bluff as best as he could. It was then that he realized that not everything was perfectly scripted, was it?

“Oh,” Virgil said, “right.” The silence hurt in a way that could rival any fight they’ve had in the past. 

Assuming this was the same Virgil, at least.

“I suppose proper introductions are in order,” Roman said. He bowed dramatically, extending his hands so that his blue cape shook around him. The real Virgil always claimed to hate when he did this. “Prince Roman, at your service.”

Virgil hesitantly bowed in response. “Well, Prince Roman, I really must go. Chores and such.”

“Wait, Vir- Prince Virgil-!” he called out, but his attempts proved fruitless. Virgil was already rushing inside of the castle.

So what was a confused Roman to do to both follow the script and force the villain here to unveil themselves? Sing, of course. “One song,” he started softly. “I have but one song.”

He could see Virgil pause in front of a glass window. “One song, only for you.” Virgil disappeared again, presumably rushing off to the balcony with its iconic red curtains.

“One heart,” Roman projected, “tenderly beating! Ever entreating; constant and true.” His eyes shifted to where the evil queen should appear any second now. Virgil peaked through a curtain. Right. That’s what he was doing. “One love that has possessed me. One love thrilling me through.”

Virgil looked down from the balcony at the ridiculous prince in a ridiculously flowery cape with ridiculous boots that didn’t even look practical. This ridiculous prince that he couldn’t take his eyes off of, almost as if he were under a spell. “One song,” the prince continued, “my heart keeps singing of one love only for you.” Virgil smiled at the prince before disappearing back into the castle. His stepmother would never approve of him, but what she didn’t know couldn’t kill anyone.

Roman spent the next few hours making up for what he considered lost time. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was an animated miracle in 1937, Roman could never give up the chance to explore everything he could. Besides, The Prince hardly played a role in this movie anyway, he’d have days to just unwind and explore.

It was when he saw Patton covered in blood that he decided to make a quick stop. “Are you okay?” he asked.

Patton looked to him, fear, terror, and regret filled his eyes. “The prince,” he mumbled. “The- the prince.”

“What about the prince?” Roman asked, looking down at Patton. He had never seen him this scared before, and the blood splashed across his dull, brown clothing was truly a horrific sight to behold.

“He- he- he,” Patton’s breath was shaky as he tried to stabilize it.

Roman dismounted from his horse yet again and put a hand on Patton’s shoulder. “You look like you need a drink, sir, would you care to join me for one?”

Patton looked around, his eyes darting all across the forest that seemed to be growing dimmer, deeper, and creepier by the second. “I’m not sure that anywhere would be safe.”

“Come to my castle,” Roman said, “we’ll both be safe there and you can tell me anything you must get off your chest. I won’t tell a soul.”

Patton sighed and nodded his head pleadingly, allowing the prince to lift him onto the horse. They both knew it’d be a long- but needed- conversation.

Upon arriving at the castle, Roman ordered a servant to fetch Patton some clean clothes as he poured two chalices of wine. Chalices? Okay maybe being stuck in a film had some benefits after all.

“Now, tell me what’s troubling you, Patton,” Roman said, pushing a cup towards the hunter.

“How do you know my name?” Patton asked. Roman really needed to fucking learn to stop saying people’s names when they didn’t have a clue who he was.

“Lucky guess,” Roman said, and apparently that was enough of an explanation for Patton. “What’s wrong?”

“The Queen,” he said softly, still rather paranoid that she might overhear, “gave me special orders to kill her stepson- Prince Virgil.”

“The prince is dead?”

“No,” Patton said, shaking his head, “but I had to kill something in his place to keep the queen satiated, at least for a little while.” The breath he realized was frail and shaky, as he concentrated on his bloodstained hands and the chalice that he held. “I fear what might become of me when the queen finds out.”

“You’ll be alright,” Roman said, reassuringly putting a hand on Patton’s arm. “I assure you, I swear on my life, I shall not let her harm you.”

“I couldn’t possibly ask you to risk your life for me.”

“Your story will have a happy ending,” Roman said, “trust me.”

As days and nights passed, Roman would soon learn that being stuck in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is rather boring for anyone who isn’t Snow White. Although, knowing Virgil, he was sure that being chased through the woods by a knife-wielding Patton wasn’t exactly a picnic either. Still, it’d be nice to know where the story was headed, and he had seen the movie enough times to know where the cottage was. Surely it couldn’t hurt to keep the timeline in order a little bit.

He approached the cottage slowly, peeking in through an old glass window (like a fucking stalker but go off I guess) and watched as a familiar scene came to life. Virgil, dressed now in bolder colors and cleaner clothes, dancing and laughing with seven dwarfs. Roman couldn’t even fathom a time that he had ever seen Virgil this carefree before. True, it wasn’t actually the Virgil that he knew, but it was nice to pretend that it was.  

When he saw Dopey glance his way, the prince ducked below the window, hoping to not flip the script more than he already had. He stayed behind the window a bit longer, hoping to make an escape plan, but something held him back. Something, a deep, desperate longing to hear what comes next weighed in his chest until it was too heavy to remove himself from where he sat by the window.

A hushed conversation as the dwarfs’ music ended, but the familiar instrumental started up in Roman’s head as if he were imagining it. It was Virgil’s voice, soft and low, as he began to sing, “Someday my prince will come...”

Oh, he really did sing like an angel. Perhaps this was a dream, a very weird dream, after falling asleep during Snow White, but at this point, Roman didn’t want to wake up. He wanted to listen to the wondrous sound of Virgil’s voice as the sky grew darker and dimmer. His eyelids grew heavy until he fell sound asleep.

Falling asleep was a bad idea, especially when you have an impatient horse to take care of. Oh, it’s also a bad idea to fall asleep while offscreen in a film where your character spends quite a long time being unneeded to the plot as side effects may include being asleep for several days. Yes, this dumbass prince actually fell asleep outside against a house for two days.

He stretched out his sore back, glancing towards the window once more to find the cottage completely empty. “I’m sorry, Destiny,” he said, petting the horse gently, “let’s get you back home and I’ll feed you extra carrots, alright?” He mounted Destiny and began riding off towards the castle, but strangely, slowed down, headed towards a trail of fallen apples. Roman tried to steer the horse away, knowing damn well those apples were poisoned. “Let’s go, Destiny, we need to make a stop before heading back home.”

Destiny listened to Roman, trotting in a path that seemed almost pre-determined, slowing down towards a gathering of animals that stood still with their heads bowed. Roman dismounted from Destiny, spotting the dwarfs and the famous glass coffin.

He gestured at Destiny to stay still as he walked slowly to the glass coffin. “Do you mind if I say my own farewell?” he asked, the dwarfs looking up to him, some with faces of awe, others with sorrow.

“Go ahead,” one of them, presumably Doc, said.

Roman stood over Virgil’s still body. He was a breathtaking sight as he laid there peacefully. His black hair was pushed out of his face and every freckle and eyelash seemed to be perfectly placed and sun-kissed. Roman brushed a hand against Virgil’s cheek- it was ice cold- and tried not to flinch. He placed his lips gently on the other’s in hopes to wake him up.

He held his breath and stepped silently aside. “You have no problem with kissing sleeping princes I see,” Virgil’s voice teased. Roman’s head shot up, followed by each of the dwarfs and the forest animals around them. Virgil was sitting on the coffin with his legs crossed like a child. “You found me.”

Roman let out a sigh of relief. “I broke the spell,” he said with a smile.

“Spell?” Virgil asked.

“With true love’s kiss of course,” Roman said, smirking as he saw Virgil’s face go crimson. The fake Virgil’s face was crimson; the real Virgil would never have woken up to Roman, and if not for simply playing a part, Roman would never have been able to wake up the real Virgil.

“What a wonderful observation,” a voice coed from behind Roman and in seconds flat he was out like a light. He wasn’t sure how much time had past when he woke up in the foliage of a very different forest with a very different horse staring down at him.

He sat up, looking upon his own clothing and at the world order. The world far behind him was flat and two-dimensional, colored only with dull cool tones. His own clothes were black and brown and he bit back a smile.

Though, the smile wasn’t hard to fight when he came to the troubling realization of not knowing why he was here. Surely breaking the spell on “Snow White” should have brought him back, right? Perhaps he would have to “awaken” all of the other sides.

He followed the hum of a familiar tune, mostly expecting to find Patton, though he could see how Logan would also fit the narrative of young Briar Rose. He walked alongside his horse, following it deeper into the forest where his next prince awaited.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Roman sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

There was a deep laugh from the trees behind him.

“I hope you’re happy with yourself, you wicked fiend.”

“Oh thank you for the compliment, Roman,” the Dragon Witch laughed. Roman turned around to face her in her human form. Her long black hair made her look ominous in the shadows. Her green eyes sparked with wickedness and- all in all- she kind of looked like Angelina Jolie.

“Care to explain what I’m doing here?” Roman asked. “And why is he here?”

“Oh, silly boy, don’t you remember?” the Dragon Witch cooed with a menacing laugh.

“I will cut out your spleen again,” Roman threatened, pointing his sword towards the witch.  

“You’re no fun,” she pouted in response. “But worry not little prince, it’ll come back to you. In time...” Her words faded away as she sunk back into the shadows and seemed to vanish from existence, leaving Roman completely alone. He heard singing. Almost alone.

He peered behind the trees to see where Virgil was dancing, planning the exact moment when he could butt into the dance. He ran in while Virgil’s back was turned, pushing multiple birds out of the way and gently clasping his hands around the unknowing prince’s, following the dance he had secretly rehearsed with Patton time and time again back in the mindscape.

“You’ll love me at once,” Virgil sang in a quiet, muttered tone. His eyes were closed and he seemed totally separate from the world around him, but totally not connected all at once.

“The way you did once,” Roman continued, his voice deep and rich, “upon a dream.” Virgil pulled away from the dance with ease- something Roman accounted for with his loose grip- and stared at the stranger with shock and horror. “I’m awfully sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“Oh, no, it’s just that- I really shouldn’t be- you’re-”

“A stranger?” Roman asked with a smirk. “Oh, but we’ve met before,” he continued. Even if Virgil didn’t remember the mindscape, surely he must remember being Snow White, right? Right?  

“We- we have?” Virgil asked, his brow knitted and Roman couldn’t help but notice his lack of makeup.

“Why of course,” Roman flirted, taking Virgil’s hand and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “You said it yourself; we met once upon a dream.”

Virgil rolled his eyes, taking his hands from Roman. “That was just a silly song.”

“It doesn’t have to be,” Roman purred, a soft grin appearing on his face. He extended a hand for Virgil to take, feeling somewhat more hopeful and optimistic at the prospect of spending time with the other side than usual. Virgil hesitated for a moment before visibly relaxing and placing one hand in Roman’s and another on the prince’s shoulders. He was letting Roman lead. The two began to fall into a gentle rhythm as they circled around each other through a clearing in the woods. “My name is Roman.”

“Angel,” Virgil said. “My name is Angel Storm.”

“Angel?” Roman asked, his mind trying to think back to the last time he had seen this movie. The details were foggy and broken in his mind.

“It’s stupid, I know,” Virgil- Angel, said.

“No!” Roman spit out. “I think it’s... nice. Yeah, it’s nice.”

Angel’s face softened, blushing almost. “Well, thank you,” he said. “That really means something.”  

Their dance slowed until they pulled apart by an old tree atop a cliff overlooking the nearby kingdoms. “Can you imagine what it would be like to rule?” he asked quietly; even he could not tell if he were merely reciting a line or expressing a deep thought.  

“It’d be horrifying,” Angel said through a forced laugh. “I couldn’t imagine the stress that would put on someone. All those people judging you? Being unable to please everyone? That’s horrific, Roman.”

“I’m sure it couldn’t be all that bad,” he said quietly, slipping into the thought as he subconsciously brushed his hand against Angel’s. “If you had someone to rule with.”

“Yeah,” Angel sighed, taking Roman’s hand and falling against the prince’s side, “I suppose you’re right.”

They stayed against each other’s sides for what felt like hours as the sun began to set. A flood of pinks, oranged, and lilacs blanketed the buildings below. “I should get going,” Angel said. “It’s getting dark.”

“Will I get to see you again?”

“Swing by here tomorrow,” Angel said. “My uncles are throwing me a birthday party at our cottage just past where you found me. You should be there.”

Roman smiled, pressing kisses to each of Angel’s fingers. “Then there I shall be.” Angel blushed, smiling up at Roman, their breaths catching for a split second. They both parted their separate ways with a smile, blissfully unaware of the series of rather unfortunate events that would fall before them in the next couple of hours.

Roman mounted his horse, letting the animal take him home to his own kingdom, racing fast enough to feel the wind in his hair and the adrenaline in his system. Whenever he got to his own realm, he surely would like to enjoy more scenery and adventure. Hell, he’d even invite Logan to make sure everything was accurate.

“Speak of the devil,” Roman muttered with a small smile, the rush of the night still overtaking him.

“Roman!” Logan yelled; the prince pulled back on the reigns of his horse as he approached the other man. Logan looked different, older, creeping into his sixties but with the same strict posture he always had. “Roman, come down from there- you look absolutely preposterous.”

“Says who?” Roman teased, leaping from the saddle.

“Says anyone who can see you now,” Logan retorted. “You cannot meet your future spouse looking like- like- like some sort of stable boy!”

“Oh but I’ve already met him,” Roman said.

“You- You have?”

“Of course I have!” Roman announced. “Once upon a dream!” He grabbed Logan’s hands, twirling him around the castle grounds.

“Roman, stop this instant!” Logan demanded, pulling himself away from his son’s nonsense. “When did you meet Prince Virgil? Oh, we must be telling Patton-“

“I didn’t,” Roman said with a smirk.

“But you said-“

“I met the man I’m going to marry.” Even if his words were contradictory- and untrue towards the real Virgil- he couldn’t help but feel giddy as he said them. It was an iconic scene, truly, and he was just happy to take part.

“Roman, you must give up on this dream nonsense!” Logan snapped. “Wake up and face the facts, Roman. You are a prince you must marry someone royal!”

“You’re living in the past, Father! This is the 14th century! Nowadays-” Roman smirked to himself, biting down on his lip as he tried to fight back a giggle. He always wanted to say that.

“Nowadays, I am still king,” Logan said, “and I command you to be sensible!”

“Be sensible and marry the man I fell in love with!” Roman quickly mounted on his horse, starting away before Logan could run after him.

“Yes! Marry the- wait no! Damnit, Roman, get back here! Roman! ROMAAAAAN!”

Roman laughed as he rode, Logan’s yells being drowned out by distance and hooves galloping against a cobblestone road. He had that same feeling of wind in his hair as his cape flowed behind him and adrenaline coursed through his veins as he ventured deeper and deeper into the woods.

Roman, on his horse, trotted up to the familiar old cottage, finding it dark and empty in appearance. Maybe it was a surprise party and Angel hadn’t arrived yet. He dismounted his horse, knocking on the old wooden door. No answer. He turned the handle quietly, listening to the creak of the hinges as he entered the dark room. It was empty- and far too late for him to leave.

“Get him,” a cold voice ordered. Before he could properly adjust to the darkness, tens of hundreds of minions and monsters attacked him from all angles, constricting his limbs to his body with ropes tight like boa constrictors until he found himself completely tied up and hardly able to breathe.

“You are such a bitch,” he growled.

“I set a trap for a prince, and yet I catch a peasant,” the dragon witch said, sunlight seeming to fall towards her as she looked up at Roman with her lips parted in a sultry smirk.

“Can you tell me why I’m here now?”

“Impatient as always, Roman, you really must improve your temper.”

“Oh my GOSH, I will KILL YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS!" Roman yelled. “And this sword.”

“Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.” The dragon witch shook her head disapprovingly. “When will you learn some manners, Roman? Why else do you think you’re here in the first place?”

“You foul heathen, what have you done?!”

The dragon witch rolled her eyes, flicking a nail against Roman’s forehead. The prince recoiled in pain against her sharp nail. “I cursed you, you absolute buffoon.”

“Ah.”

“All right, boys,” she said, gesturing to the minions. “Let’s take him away.”

Roman fell to his back, being hoisted into the air by small goblin-like dragon-ish... things. He sighed, this would be a long existence.

+++

Angel- no, Virgil?!- was absolutely distraught. It was a nightmare come true, being here. He had cried himself into absolute fatigue. Maybe the panic attacks were partially to blame for the tiredness as well. So, his uncles were not, in fact, his uncles, but three strange... fairies? They had adopted him and now they were supposed to just.. Give him back?

He sighed, looking towards his disastrous reflection in the mirror, dark tear tracks had stained his cheeks and his eyes were redder than he had ever seen them before. If only Roman could see him now...

Oh no.

Oh fuck.

Oh shit.

Roman would think he stood him up. Roman would think he did this on purpose. Virgil’s chest grew tight again as he tried to count his breaths and counteract the possibility of another panic attack. It was so unbearable overwhelming. He couldn’t deal with this. Not right now, not ever. Counting his breaths was nearly rendered pointless when a soft presence entered the room. It was a glowing green... thing. He relaxed into a trance, almost as if he had been put under a spell.

He stood up from his vanity, all of the fatigue falling from his body and being replaced by calming sleepiness. He walked towards the presence, following it as it crept up towards a staircase he hadn’t bothered to notice before. Almost as if it hadn’t previously existed.

It hadn’t taken long before Virgil’s uncles, Emile, Remy, and Toby, and arrived at the castle tower where Roman had been held as prisoner. They told him everything they had gone through in the past sixteen years and warned him of the Dragon Witch’s evil power. Ah, so that’s the fake reputation she’s given herself around here. Armed with the legendary Sword of Truth and Shield of Virtue, Roman and the three fairies began to escape. Said escape didn’t go long without being caught. Diablo, the old raven famously owned by Maleficent (and temporarily borrowed by the Dragon Witch), squaked and cawed upon seeing them, alerting hundreds of minions, goblins, and monsters of their presence.

“Worry not, Prince Roman, you can handle them,” Emile whispered in his ear, hardly any bigger than a butterfly. The other two fairies shot him a disapproving glare. “With our help of course,” he amended.

The four races their way out of the castle, cutting through hordes and blocking attacks with Roman’s sword. Emile used his wand to turn a flock of incoming arrows and spears into falling daisies and daffodils. He giggled to himself at the sight, getting grabbed by the wing by Remy who insisted on no distractions.

They kept running, Emile and Toby turning any weapons or hazards into lovely things like flowers and leaves. They kept running, Remy flying ahead of the group to free Roman’s horse from its chains. Roman jumped on the saddle, pressing his legs into the creature’s sides and running off as Diablo continued to caw overhead. Remy happily shut him up with a spell.

That was when they found her, the Dragon Witch, in all of her monstrous glory. A great black beast (with a tiny little witch hat) towered over them. “I’m sorry, Prince Roman, I don’t think our magic can assist with-“

“Fuck this,” Remy said, countering over Emile, “good fuckin’ luck, Babe.”

“Don’t worry,” Roman said to the fairies, “I got this. Just try to take care of those thorns further up the path.” The fairies all nodded, too eager to fly away from the battle to question Roman’s foresight.

“What a silly little prince,” the Dragon Witch cooed, her voice deeper and menacing. “Still can’t remember why you’re here can you?”

“Can we just fight and get this over with? I’m getting real sick of your mind games reeeeally quickly.”

“In a rush to deliver true love’s kiss, are we?” The Dragon Witch laughed, spitting fire towards Roman and knocking him off of his horse. The prince hid behind his shield, feeling the heat of the fire around him. “I knew you were oblivious but I didn’t know you were desperate.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

The Dragon Witch rolled her eyes. “This, Roman, is why I fucking cursed you.”

Roman held his sword, ready to strike, catching himself in a sword fight against a single one of her claws. “I haven’t the slightest idea what you mean.”

“Just admit that you’re in love with Virgil, holy shit,” she said. “Literally none of this would have happened if you did that in the first place, but nooo I have to teach Sir Sing-a-lot here a lesson.”

Roman dropped to the ground as she swung a claw close to him. “This is hardly the groundbreaking fight this universe promised me!” he yelled, jumping from where she spit down fire by his feet.

“Well life isn’t fair, is it?” she laughed and cackled.

“Sword of Truth,” he muttered under his breath, backing away from the monster, “fly swift and sure that evil die and good endure.” With careful precision, he drove the sword into the dragon’s heart, watching her fall to the side and shrivel to her human form with the last of her remaining energy.

She reached up, grabbing Roman’s shirt and pulling him down towards her. “Don’t break the script. You won’t get rid of me that easily,” she hissed as the color drained from her face and the light vanished from her eyes. She released her grip and fell to the ground. Dead.

Roman took a deep breath, pulling the sword from out of her chest. He regrouped with his horse and, eventually, the three fairies as they quickly rushed him to King Patton’s Castle.

Roman ran up the staircase to where Virgil was laying. Not as lifeless as he had been in that glass coffin, but eerily lost beyond hope. Though, perhaps, not entirely hopeless. Roman sheathed his sword, steadying his breaths as he watched Virgil’s chest- he had to be sure he was breathing. The rise and fall of his chest was slow and small, but a rise and fall nonetheless. Roman stood over the prince, brushing the hair away from his face. He cupped his hand around Virgil’s cheek, leaning in slowly and carefully. He had the eerie feeling something was about to go wrong- and perhaps it was.

He connected their lips softly and fearfully. He felt energy shoot through his chest, infecting his body with its own cure. The power of true love’s kiss. Why hadn’t this happened last time? It wasn’t like he was in love now. Roman shook off the feeling, assuming the energy as a side effect of the curse.

Virgil’s eyes fluttered open, his face falling to a relieved smile. Roman blinked back at him in shock, opening his mouth to say something when suddenly his vision left him. Not for long, only a moment or two, but when it returned, he was somewhere else entirely.

“Okay,” Roman said with a sigh through gritted teeth, only a little salty that he didn’t get to finish Sleeping Beauty. He had to go through Cinderella now. “Let’s get this over with.”

He went through the story, waiting for the ball, rolling his eyes at every woman who tried to court him until he saw Virgil in the ballroom. He got up from his throne, tracking down the carmel-haired boy in the blue suit. They danced until the clock struck midnight, following the script line by line, making everything absolutely perfect. Roman had to head the dragon witch’s warning.

The clock struck midnight, Virgil’s face completely paling. “I have to go,” he said quietly.

“Can’t you stay just a bit longer?” Roman asked, hating the feeling in his chest.

“I- I really can’t-“ Virgil said. “My stepmother- she would- well, she’d-“

“Then, just, one last thing before you leave?” Roman asked.

Virgil took a deep breath, his eyes far away from Roman and right at the ticking clock tower. Roman grabbed the collar of Virgil’s jacket and pulled him forward, locking their lips in a quick moment of impulse and passion. Roman wanted Virgil to kiss back- oh God he was desperate for it- but the moment never came.

“I have to go,” Virgil said as Roman pulled away. The prince released his grasp on the commoner and watched him flee the castle. Roman knee the story of Cinderella like he knew the back of his hand; Virgil was running to escape the possibility of being caught when the spell wore off, so why did Roman feel like he had scared him off?

When the ball had ended, Roman stayed out on the balcony, cold air sobering him up from the intoxication that Virgil had poisoned him with. “I broke the script,” he muttered quietly to himself. “I broke the script, oh goodness gracious, what have I done?”

The wind continued to howl through the kingdom, freezing Roman’s cheeks and ears. His breath was carried through clouds against the wind, dissipating just as quickly as they were created. Roman didn’t get any sleep that night.

They carried on through the story- they always did. Assemble a search party, spend too many hours going door to fucking door, find Virgil, try on the glass slipper, happy ending, voilà! If only it were that easy.

Roman took it upon himself to fit the shoe to everyone at the ball that night. He was knelt on the ground, looking up at Virgil as he held the shoe in his hand. He requested a moment alone, and everyone (including prying Stepsisters) were removed from the room.

“My... deepest apologies if I ever made you uncomfortable,” Roman said quietly. “You were in a rush. It was very un-princely of me to hold you back.”

“It’s all forgiven, your highness.”

Roman let out a deep sigh. “But it doesn’t have to be,” he muttered, “I don’t want you to forgive me only for my status.”

“Your highness, I-“

“Roman,” the prince said with a smile. “You can call me Roman.”

“Roman,” Virgil said with a smile, “I forgive you.”

Roman let out a sigh of relief, holding up the glass slipper to slide onto Virgil’s foot. A sudden crash from the next room over (followed by yelling from Virgil’s stepmother and stepsisters) scared Roman, causing him to fumble with the shoe and drop it, sending shards of glass across the floor. Roman’s eyes widened in horror, believing that he had ruined the script completely and that he’d be trapped here forever. (Not that being trapped with this Virgil would have been a bad thing.)

Virgil reached over to gently pet Roman’s hair, letting him know that he was here and that he could comfort him. “It’s okay,” he said, reaching into the pocket of his apron, “I have another.”

He handed the relived prince the shoe of glass and gave him reassurance as Roman slid the shoe into place. “Virgil,” Roman said, just before fully fitting the glass against skin, “it’s been a pleasure meeting you.”

With a flash of light, Virgil was gone, and all the remained was the sparkling ocean and salty sea air. The ship’s crew hummed and sang in their own quiet siren’s song. It was almost enough to make Roman forget about dragons, curses, and poisoned apples. Almost. “Such a lovely day, isn’t it?” Roman pondered aloud.

“Yes, the weather is quite satisfactory today,” the man standing beside him noted in response. Unlike the rest of the crew, he was dressed in pristine clothing and a perfectly ironed coat. He kept a pipe in his breast pocket and wore silver circular lenses.

“Of course you’d say that, Logan,” Roman muttered with a chuckle.

“I can only hope that your birthday celebration this evening will be rendered adequate,” the man continued.

Roman took another breath full of salty air and sunshine. “I’m sure it will be wonderful, Lo.”

Wonderful is a broad expectation, but one that many would agree that such a celebration did not meet. There was a storm. A horrible, loud, crashing storm, rocking the boat across hostile waves as sailors struggled to hold on and stay still. Men were already scrambling onto emergency boats when a strike of lightning hit the sail, quickly setting it aflame. Roman had to choose between the boats and his dog. He chose the dog.

“ROMAN! BE CAREFUL!” Logan yelled as he and the crew began to float away aimlessly.

“Just get everyone to safety!” Roman yelled back, dodging a fallen post. “I’ll be alright!”

Max’s barks grew louder and more frantic. The heat was growing closer and closer, hotter and hotter, towards Roman as sparks gave love bites to his arms and ankles. He ran up a set of old stairs that cracked with every step and completely shattered once he made his way to the top. Max looked frantically up at the prince who now held him in his arms. From the side of his eye, Roman could see where the flames were heading. He tossed Max into the water, making the drop as short as he possibly could. He let out a deep breath of relief as Max swam towards the crew until he was close enough for Logan to pull him into the boat. Perfect. Now Roman just had to find an escape route for himself before-

                                              BOOM!

Ashes fell from the sky like deadly snowfall as waves carried the crew away and they were faced with the choice of finding their prince or saving their lives. They began to row, knowing there would be a lot to explain in the morning.

Roman was completely unconscious by the time he hit the water, and he wouldn’t wake up until hours later at dawn on an old beach shore. He felt a hand brushing against his cheek and playing with his hair as a voice hummed a quiet yet comforting tune. He didn’t need to open his eyes to know that it was Virgil who had saved him.

“What would I give to live where you are?” Virgil mumbled along to the melody he had been humming. “What would I pay to stay here beside you? What would I do to see you smiling at me?”

“Prince Roman!” A voice yelled. Roman shot up, opening his eyes quickly as a shiny purple tail disappeared into the water. “Oh, Roman, thank God that you’re alright. We should be getting you back to the castle.”

Roman kept his eyes on the water as he stood (with worried assistance from Logan) and began to walk towards the castle. With a sigh, he gave up on trying to spot Virgil one last time ignoring the way his heart sank with an old shipwreck. He’d see Virgil again, but waiting for that moment seemed daunting and impossible.

With a deep inhale of sea air, Roman pushed down his feelings. He didn’t need to deal with pesky, complicated emotions. He just needed to go on with the story. As well as ignore how much he was turning into Logan.

It was during one all too familiar scene that he swore he was going to crack. Crickets, frogs, and even the wind seemed to be harmonizing together in a tune that Roman would often sing at 3am much to the dismay of his fellow sides. He was just drifting along the lagoon sitting across from Virgil as lightning bugs and stars danced together in a beautiful waltz. Looking at him, Roman could have sworn that Virgil was getting prettier each time he went through this vicious cycle. It was maddening.

“So... you don’t talk much, huh?” Roman asked. Virgil shook his head with a shrug of his shoulders. Roman almost caught himself staring at how prominent Virgil’s exposed collarbones were with the flowy blouse he was wearing. Roman knew the real Virgil would have hated being exposed and holding his hair back with a fancy purple bow, but, he looked rather nice in it. Roman had to stay focused. He couldn’t let something as simple as shoulders distract him- What was he? A high school boy? Absolutely not! “Alright, maybe I can guess your name,” he said, fighting back a smirk.

“Hmm...Thomas? No. Patton? Logan?” Virgil shook his head so much Roman thought it might fall. “Angel? Hmmm... Virgin?”

Virgil shook his head with his face scrunched up in disapproval. Roman couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Definitely not then,” he said. “Virgil?” The boy in front of him nodded with a soft smile and Roman wondered if it would be easy to cut a few corners and get out of this story early.

Simply to break the curse. Not because he wanted to kiss Virgil. Definitely not. Not like it was rather unfair that their only kisses had been while Virgil was unconscious or in a hurry and therefore Roman had no idea what it felt like to properly kiss this boy. Definitely not.

He leaned in, shifting his entire body closer to Virgil, who subtly did the same. He laid a hand against Virgil’s cheek, feeling the softness of his skin beneath his own and feeling a tug at his chest that longed to feel Virgil’s lips against his own. He leaned in closer, his heart rate increasing more and more. The two bumped noses and broke into affectionate giggles, but never strayed from the moment ahead of them. Roman’s eyes began to close as the focused on Virgil’s slightly agape mouth. Virgil wanted this as badly as Roman did.

Virgil wanted this for different reasons, Roman had to remind himself. Virgil was breaking his own curse. This wasn’t the Virgil that Roman had always known nor was it any Virgil he had actually met before. This was a clone. A carbon copy. A creature of the sea simply trying to fulfill his own end of a poorly written contract.

Yet something within Roman didn’t care. Some stupid, minuscule, impulsive aspect of himself didn’t care about curses or contracts or plot lines. Some stupid, minuscule, impulsive aspect of Roman just wanted to kiss the mute boy in front of him and never do anything else ever again. His eyes stayed closed as he felt Virgil’s breath against his skin and felt his own breath hitch as his skin shivered in the best way possible. There was an infinitesimal amount of space between them but it felt like an infinite void. Just a little closer...

Roman’s heart jumped and his eyes snapped open as the boat suddenly fell sideways, dropping them both into the water. Roman couldn’t seem to swim upwards. He felt something tug at his shirt only to open his eyes and see a sea serpent- A merman? Definitely a merman- staring down at him with green scales across half of his face. “Don’t break the script,” he hissed before releasing Roman’s shirt and swimming away in nearly an instant. Roman quickly swam upwards as his lungs burned from the lack of oxygen.

“Are you okay?” he asked Virgil when he came up to the surface. The other nodded slowly. “Good. We should get back to the castle. It’s... better to get some rest.”

Roman didn’t sleep that night. He couldn’t. Every time he closed his eyes he was met with the same memories on loop. He saw himself almost kissing Virgil. He saw Deceit. He saw the Dragon Witch dying by his sword. He opened his eyes for a moment before closing them again. He saw himself almost kissing Virgil again. He tried not to focus on that. He opened his eyes once more. He saw the first time he kissed Virgil. And the second. And the third. He climbed out of bed, deciding that maybe it was just better not to try to sleep tonight. He was terrified of what he might see if he did.

So, he did the only thing he knew how. He snuck out of the castle and found himself a place to sit on a group of rocks by his window and began to fidget with the flute famously played by Prince Eric. He brought the cold metal to his lips with a deep inhale as he tried to let some sense of musicality take over him as he unleashed his thoughts into the wind. It wasn’t a tune he was very familiar with, and at first, it was hardly in tune, but it felt semi-natural to him.

Until his harmony had a melody to go with it. A man, walking along the beach, humming a tune that fits perfectly with Roman’s but yet... one he had never heard before. He stopped playing, slowly lowering the instrument from his mouth and holding it in his fist before following the man whose voice seemed so seductively calming. Roman’s memories grew fuzzier and fuzzier as he focused only on following the man in front of him; the closer he got, the worse his memory grew until even the present was nothing but a fuzzy blur in a fading stream of consciousness.

Everything from that moment on seemed to fast forward with Roman seeing to have little to no control over his actions but complete apathy towards doing so. It wasn’t until his own crashed wedding- Wedding?!- that his temporary curse was broken and that he was even aware that it had been cast. Needless to say, it wasn’t long before he was impaling the front end of a ship into the stomach of a massive sea-serpent Deceit.

He found himself in a familiar scene, shipwrecked on the shore as the sun shines down on his face. He pulled himself up and saw Virgil nervously waving at him as he rose from the water. As he walked out of the water. Roman stood watching as the water seemed to cling to and from around Virgil as he walked onto the shore in a sparkling blue dress. Roman couldn’t help but run to Virgil and pull him into a tight hug. “I thought I lost you,” he said. “I’m so sorry. Whatever I did while I was cursed- however I hurt you- I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, Roman,” Virgil said with a smile.

Roman gasped, pulling away just enough to see Virgil’s face. “You can talk!” he said excitedly.

“I can talk,” Virgil repeated with a smile. He had his happy ending, and somehow that pulling feeling was back in Roman’s chest.

“Can I kiss you?” Roman asked, his voice as quiet as the tiniest of mice and spoken with the carefulness of dancing through broken glass.

“You may,” Virgil said, smiling and happily leaning in as Roman wrapped one hand around his waist and the other around his neck as he pulled him into the sweetest and deepest of kisses. For the first time it felt... real. Roman felt like he was acting with his heart and not a script. He felt warm and loved and he wanted Virgil to feel the same thing. He pulled him as close as he could and nothing else mattered. He was bound to a curse that made it easier and easier to fall in love and he feared that when he opened his eyes all of it would be gone. He’d wake up and never get to fall in love with Virgil again.

“I love you so much,” Roman mumbled as they pulled apart, his lips brushing against the other’s with every word and his eyes squeezed tightly shut to block out every bad thing in the world around them. “And I’m so scared of losing you.”

“You won’t lose me, Roman. I’ll always be here. Waiting to find you over and over and over again.”

Roman felt a single tear fall down his cheek as he traced his thumb along Virgil’s jaw. “And I’ll love you every single time.” With a deep breath, he opened his eyes. The feeling of Virgil’s warmth against his fingertips was the last to go as he found himself alone in an old castle.

It was cold there. He heard a knock on the door in front of him. It echoed through the long hallways of the castle. There was a second knock, harsher and more demanding; whoever was out there was growing impatient. Roman glanced over to a mirror hanging along the wall before reaching towards the door handle. He was 19 again, and, unfortunately, he knew exactly who he was.

He opened the door and saw more cloak than woman, but it was too painfully obvious who this “stranger” was. She was back from the dead and madder than ever. “A night of safety in exchange for a rose, your highness?”

“Of course,” Roman said. He was too tired to fight. He was too tired to keep going through with this.

“What?” The woman asked.

“You can come in,” Roman said. “Surely it’s freezing out there. And keep the rose, you need not to pay for your own health and safety.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” the woman said slowly. She followed the prince through the castle, casting a slow spell as she entered.

Roman invited her to sit in a plush chair in front of a lit fireplace. He ordered Emile to fetch a fresh pot of tea for their guest. He sat on the floor.

“Surely, Roman, you aren’t as stupid as you look,” the woman said from beneath her cloak. He didn’t need to see her face to see her confusion towards her behavior; it was written all over her body.

“Perhaps I’m not,” Roman said. “I really am sorry about, you know, stabbing you.”

“You’re not being mean. Why aren’t you being mean? You’re going to ruin this story,” the witch warned.

Roman shrugged. “Don’t feel like it, I suppose. It’s so easy to be mean, but so exhausting.” He looked to the roaring fire and felt the warmth on his skin as he tried to suppress the longing for the summer sun that had kissed his skin only moments ago. He tried to suppress his longing for the boy who had kissed his lips during those same moments. “I do have... a question, though.”

“Ask away.”

“Why do the staff get cursed? They are all innocent in every variation of this story. Innocent in every version of this movie. They’ve done nothing wrong. Why curse them?”

“Because life isn’t fair,” the witch seethed, subconsciously pressing a hand to the scar over her chest.

The prince looked up at her with a child’s pleading eyes. “But... why?”

“To teach the prince that his actions have consequences,” she said. Around them, the walls started the grow older and darker as bits and pieces began to crumble off. “Just like right now.”

Roman eyes shut right as he curled in on himself in pain. He groaned and yelled, feeling himself be torn apart and mutilated in unfathomable ways. “I’m sorry!” he shouted out to the witch. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” When he tilted his head towards the sky, the witch was long gone leaving a silver mirror and on ordinary rose in her place. Roman cringed at the sound of claws against metal as he tried to hold the mirror in his hands. The sight ahead of him was unrecognizable beyond belief save for the same pair of brown eyes.

He apologized to each of his staff members individually, holding onto the hope that Virgil would come and rescue him soon. ‘Soon’ was an underestimation. Days blended into weeks which fell into months until he was no longer Prince Roman. Neither appearance nor heart was the same as they had been five years ago. Six years ago. Seven years ago. He could hardly stand to see himself in the mirror. He had torn apart every picture of him that surrounded the castle halls.

His 27th birthday has come and gone but he had hardly cared. In fact, he doubted he would have even noticed if not for the tiny card he had received from Emile. It was crudely made and nearly illegible, but it was the best a clock could do.

He spent countless hours in the castle library. Deep down he supposed that, back home, Logan would have scoffed and teased at the idea of Roman studying so much literature. As he cracked open the spine of another old book, Logan vanished away into nothing more than a distant memory. He studied languages, history, science, and most importantly of all, he studied fairytales. Old fairytales and new fairytales; he had to cling on to the last bit of hope in his heart.

Another month and one more year passed. Still no sign of ever getting away from this curse. He was nearing 29 and the rose was starting to wilt. His patience was wearing thin. He had heard the whispers down the halls. Echoes of doubt from his staff and from his own subconscious. He was growing hopeless.

It was a cold winter night. There was a knock on the door. Roman didn’t answer. He decided that whoever was out there could freeze to death. He didn’t care. He wanted to be alone.

“Hello?” Logan called out as he knocked on the stone castle doors. It creaked open slowly, and he carefully stepped in. “I don’t wish to intrude!” His voice echoed down the endlessly empty hall, bouncing back at him tauntingly. “Hello?!”

He stepped completely into the hall jumping when the door slammed shut behind him. “Is anyone home? I- I really don’t want to be a bother but there’s a terrible storm! My- My horse ran off! Please, I just need somewhere to stay for the night.” He took a candelabra from a nearby table and used it as a torch to light his way down the endless hall.

“Perhaps we can be of some assistance,” a voice said with a chuckle.

Logan spun around, but couldn’t see a single living being in sight. “Hello? Who are you?” He felt something tap his shoulder but when he turned he saw only the candle in his hand.

“Right here, Monsieur!”

“G’ah!” Logan yelled, dropping the candelabra and falling backwards, cringing at the sound of metal hitting the ground.

“Ow,” the candle moaned picking himself up and dusting himself off.

“Now you’ve done it!” a clock yelled- wait WHAT?!- as it sauntered towards the candelabra. “You’ve scared the poor man half to death!”

“Dot, ma amie, look at him!” the candle said, gesturing to Logan’s greeting hair and wrinkled eyes. “He’s halfway there anyway!”

“Apollo! That’s rude!” the clock- Dot?- scolded.

“What kind of machinery is this?” Logan asked, sitting up and holding Dot in his hands. “Extraordinary! The level of fine detail in this thing- it’s practically alive!”

“Alive and has boundaries!” Dot yelled, wiggling her way out of Logan’s arms.

“Oh, right, sorry,” Logan apologized, gently placing Dot down on the ground.

“Oh you must be cold, Monsieur,” the candle said.

“Remy, no,” Emile said under his breath. “What about the master-“

“Follow me, Monsieur!” Remy said, hopping along the floor as Logan gently followed, mesmerized by such complex machinery. He was led to an old chair in front of an unlit fireplace; Remy quickly fixed that.

“Oh, Mr. Potts!” Remy called. “Won’t you please fetch some tea for our guest?”

“Keep your voice down!” Dot cried out.

“Oh, don’t worry so much, Dot.” On a rolling cart, a teapot appeared surrounded by a chipped teacup, a sugar bowl, and a dish full of cream with a twin full of honey. “Oh, you look so tired,” Emile commented with a soft sigh, “you must have had a troubling journey to get here. Do you like chamomile?”

“I do find it to be a rather satisfying beverage, thank you,” he said, mixing in a single lump of sugar to his cup of tea. “My horse ran off shortly before I got here. I’m afraid I won’t be able to get home before the night is over.”

“Oh, dear, you’ll be safe here with us,” Emile said. Logan began to relax as he sipped his tea from the sleeping cup. With a hush of wind, the objects grew deathly still. Sensing their tension, Logan carefully put the teacup next to Emile.

“Why are you here?!” a voice growled, echoing across the room. A shadow of a man leapt toward the ground, staring in between Logan and the fireplace as he towered over the aging man. “Have you come to gawk at the beast who lives in this castle?!”

“No! Never!” Logan said, his voice getting higher by the syllable.

“I think you ought to be taught how rude it is to intrude,” Roman growled, orange light lining his darkened silhouette. “Remy, I’ll deal with you later.”

“Master, he was just cold and-“

“Later!” Roman yelled.

“Y- Yes, Master,” Remy said, silently crossing himself in a silent prayer to save his life and his ass.

Roman took Logan by the arms taking him up to the dungeon and not even realizing what he had down until Logan was staring back at him with pleading eyes. His remorse was short lived. He could barely remember what it felt like the human anymore, let alone even fathom being a side. All remorse was gone as he retired for the night.

That night alone felt like a curse in and of itself. He was back home. Back to normal. Almost normal. Almost home. It all felt so real and lovely, yet too real and absolutely terrible. He was nothing more than a ghost.

“It’s been three days already,” Patton said, choking on his own tears as Logan rubbed circles on his back from where they sat in the living room. Virgil was sitting on the staircase, hiding behind the stairwell as he chewed desperately on his thumb.

“Is he just... gone?” Thomas asked from where he sat on the floor.

“What’s going on?” Roman asked. “What are you all upset about?” No one could hear him and that’s when the terrible realization had set in. He was gone. It had been three days and he had been gone for all of them.

“No, no, he can’t be gone,” Logan said.

“What if he... ducked out?” Virgil asked.

“The problem isn’t that he’s gone, it’s... he’s...” Logan was wiping away his own tears before anyone other than Roman could see. “He’ll be back.”

“How can you be so sure?” Virgil asked. For a moment he looked up and almost made eye contact with Roman. He went back to biting his thumb but the look in his eyes killed Roman. He woke up in a cold sweat with a horrid reminder of what- of who- he was. He didn’t go back to sleep.

So, the next day, when he heard voices echoing around prison cells, he didn’t remember loving kisses under warm sunshine. He remembered that terrible nightmare. He remembered nearly ten years of pain and agonizing loneliness.

“An intruder just like him,” Roman growled from the shadows.

Virgil looked up towards him, gripping at the metal bars. His soft brown hair and hazel eyes looked marvelous among the sunlight, but in them, Roman saw his own pain. “Let him go,” Virgil pleaded, his voice shaky and weak, nothing like the Virgil that Roman had known long ago. “Can’t you see that he’s sick? He’ll die here!”

Roman ignored the pain in his chest- a new pain, a guilty pain- and kept his gaze forward. “He should have thought about that before breaking and entering!”

“I’ll give you anything you want for his freedom!” Virgil yelled. “We don’t have much, but surely you have some compassion!”

“You wish to bargain for human life?” he scoffed.

“What about a trade?” Virgil asked, his shaking hands contrasting his stiff bravado. “Take me in his place. A life... for a life.”

“Virgil, no! Don’t do this!” Logan yelled, coughing as he did so. “You’re young! You have your life ahead of you!”

“I can’t let you die here,” Virgil said, tears welling in his eyes.

“If I let him go, you’ll... take his place?”

“Yes!” Virgil cried. “Just... please. Please let me save my father.”

“You’ll be here forever,” Roman warned.

Virgil pressed a hand against Logan’s cold arm. “Step into the light,” he said softly.

The monster stood like a giant as he towered over Virgil. He had sharp fangs and sharper claws. Curled horns protruded from his forehead and he was covered in thick brown fur. There was no sign of humanity left in him. Virgil gasped, scaring the monster back into the shadows.

“I’ll take his place,” Virgil said surely.

“I see,” Roman said. He held something in a clenched fist as he walked past Virgil and directly to the gate of Logan’s cell. He took the key from his paw and let the gate swing open. “I’ll give you a minute to say your goodbyes.” He made his way down the stairs leaving them completely alone, ignoring the confused glances that bounced between Remy, Emile, and Dot.

“He’s gone,” Logan said quietly. “Quick, we can both escape!”

“No, Papa,” Virgil said, holding Logan’s arms and keeping the older man up.

“Virgil, I- I can’t let you do this.”

“Yes you can, Papa,” Virgil said, smiling despite the tears falling from his eyes. “Let me do this for you.” He pulled Logan into a warm hug, rubbing his father’s arms to fight off any hypothermia he may have suffered. “I love you.”

“Virgil-“

Virgil stepped into the cell, closing it so harshly that the key fell to the ground. “I love you, Papa. Now go home, you’re sick.”

When Logan fell to his knees from coughing, he couldn’t fight back the servants leading him down the stairs. Virgil watched his father disappear from sight as he watched with a melancholic smile. He knew his father would be safe, even if he never saw him again.

Roman had sent out his finest carriage to take Logan as close to the village as was safe without getting caught. He climbed the stairs back up towards the old cell to put the key back on its holder. He blinked back in surprise seeing Virgil standing patiently by the window- already locked into the cell.

“You’re... still here?”

“I made a promise, didn’t I?” Virgil asked, turning to face his captor.

“I, uh,” Roman picked up the key off of the ground, “let me show you to your room.”

“My... room?”

Roman took a deep breath, feeling his heart nervously pounding in his chest. “Unless you’d rather stay here in the cold tower.” Virgil shook his head slowly as Roman unlocked the cell. The gate swung open with an ugly noise as Roman lead Virgil down the hall. “I reacted... poorly, earlier,” he said. “You shouldn’t have to spend your life here, I only suggest that you stay the night until the storm lets up.”

“I... I don’t understand.”

“You’re free as soon as the weather allows you to travel safely,” Roman explained.

Virgil looked past a window and saw the snow growing heavier and harder. It didn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon. He continued to follow.

“You may travel anywhere in the castle that you wish- except for the west wing.”

“What’s in the west wing?” Virgil asked, curiosity bypassing fear and getting the better of him.

Roman took a deep breath, not sure what to say. “It’s...it’s just off limits, okay? If there’s anything you need, my staff will be happy to attend to you.”

“I- well- Thank you,” Virgil said. Roman had left him alone at the open doorway of a guest bedroom that was nearly the size of Virgil’s house and looked as if it hadn’t been used in 30 years. Sentient brooms and dustpans quickly cleared from the room as they laid eyes on Virgil.

“Is it possible to have a change of heart overnight?” Remy asked.

“It’s certainly... unusual,” Dot agreed.

“Aww, don’t be so suspicious of him,” Emile pleaded.

Remy and Dot exchanged a glance. “We’re not gonna stop being suspicious of him.”

“Don’t you miss being human, Emile? Aren’t you a little bitter at him for taking that away from us?”

Emile sighed. “Do you think he isn’t? He felt- feels- terrible about all of this. About us. You think he wanted us to suffer?”

There was a moment of silence broken only by the crackle of the fire. From the hall, they could hear the sound of claws clicking against wood as Roman paced back and forth. Emile couldn’t help but wander into the hall, with Remy and Dot following behind.

“Master?” Emile asked quietly.

“I... I didn’t think this far ahead,” Roman said as he continued pacing.

“Didn’t think... for what, exactly?” Remy asked.

Roman continued pacing back and forth and back and forth; the three observers may have begun to think of him as growing mad. His mind was racing. It had been almost ten years since that day on the beach. It had been almost ten years since he had even /seen/ a movie! He couldn’t remember what to do next and he certainly wasn’t sure what would happen if he failed.

“Emile, could you please go keep our guest company? Remy, Dot, I’ll need you two to come with me. I have... an idea.”

With a small knock at the door, Emile and Kai slowly entered the guest bedroom and found Virgil curled up on the floor talking to Madame Armoire. His eyes were red but he was laughing and smiling. “I don’t mean to intrude, but I thought you might like a cup of tea after such a long night.”

“That would be lovely, thank you,” Virgil said, picking up the teacup that had maneuvered itself in front of him.

“Wanna see a trick?” Kai asked ecstatically. He made a big show of inhaling and scrunched up his face as the tea bubbled up and spilled over.

“Kai!” Emile scolded.

“Sorry, Papa!” Kai giggled as Virgil carefully placed him on the ground.

A loud crash sounded from the hallway as many smaller crashes grew closer and closer to the guest room. The door swung open as Remy and Dot both fell to the ground.

“The master would like to invite you to-”

“GET READY FOR DINNER!” Remy yelled with a smile.

“A-HEM!” Dot stood up, brushing herself off, and shooting Remy a glare. “The master would like to formally invite you to a private feast in the dining hall.”

“What?”

“We’d like to ask you to be our guest,” Remy said with a grin and something mischievous behind his eyes.

It had taken a lot of preparation, yes, but Roman was happy with the end result as he watching the dining hall from behind a cracked door. He couldn’t see Virgil’s face, but a quick thumbs-up from Remy told him everything he needed to know.

“Now, Monsieur, is there anything else we can assist you with?” Remy asked.

“No, no, we really must be retiring for the night,” Dot scolded as Remy rolled his eyes.

“Don’t be such a buzzkill, ma amie. Surely there’s something that would interest the guest?”

“Well, I,” Virgil said, thinking carefully, “I wouldn’t mind a tour of the castle.”

Roman took a deep breath hearing those words. He’d keep his guard up in the west wing. He watched from the shadows as Virgil crept into the room slowly. Roman stayed still as Virgil pieced together an old torn painting that Roman had destroyed long ago. “Go!” Roman yelled. “Get out!”

Virgil ran from the castle as fast as his legs would carry him. He wasn’t a prisoner and he sure as hell wouldn’t be held like one.

Roman watched him run from the window. He knew exactly where Virgil was heading. He picked up the silver mirror gazing for a moment at the monster staring back at him. “Show me the boy,” he said. He saw Virgil running and, just out of the younger’s view, he saw wolves. Hungry wolves.

Roman quickly ran from the castle. When he found Virgil, he was being surrounded and attacked by wolves, beating at them with a rotted tree branch. Roman growled and roared at the beasts, drawing their attention away from Virgil. They ran after him, jumping on him, and biting his arms and legs. “Go!” he yelled at Virgil. “Get out! Save yourself!” He saw Virgil hesitating, still gripping onto the old branch. That was when his head hit the ice and he began to black out.

He woke up sitting in the old chair in front of a roaring fire. He was back at the castle. Back at home. He sucked in air through his teeth as he felt his arm burn and sting. “Hold still,” Virgil ordered. “This might sting a little.”

“No kidding,” Roman bit back. “You never should have run out there.”

Virgil pressed a hot rag against Roman’s wounds, causing the beast to roar and squirm. “I wouldn’t have run away if you hadn’t shouted at me!”

“I wouldn’t have shouted if you had learned not to trespass!”

“Well, you need to learn to control your temper!” Virgil yelled, taking the rag and angrily tossing it in the bucket of hot water. Droplets splashed against the floor as the two found themselves at a stalemate. Remy, Emile, Dot, And Kai all glanced to one another silently.

“Kai, I think you should be heading to bed,” Emile said softly.

“But, Papa!” Kai whined earning a warning glare from Emile.

“Kai.”

The teacup rolled his eyes and sighed. “Yes, Papa.”

Everything remained silent save for the roaring fire and defeated clinking of a teacup hopping away. Roman tore away his stare and mumbled towards the floor, “I’m sorry for yelling at you.”

Virgil carefully rung out the cloth and held Roman’s hand tightly. “Hold still,” he said, gently placing the warm fabric on Roman’s wound. The beast winced but tried to keep himself still. The blood had finally stopped running; Virgil held out his hand as Dot gave him a roll of bandages. He began winding the gauze around Roman’s arm. “I should thank you,” he said quietly, “for saving my life.”

Roman saw the vulnerability in Virgil’s eyes and felt his heart race a little bit faster and a little bit more prominently. “It was my honor,” he said with a smile.

Virgil looked towards him and smiled back. Remy, Emile, and Dot all let out a sigh of relief, grinning with mischievous grins as if they knew something the others were blind to. And in some ways, they did.

The snowstorms were starting the letup, at least for a while. They only seemed to grow worse when either of them mentioned the possibility of Virgil going back home. Virgil didn’t seem to mind the storms.

Dot, Remy, and Emile couldn’t help but watch from the windows as the two fought a vicious snowball war which Virgil seemed to be winning. His face was red from the cold but the smile on his face made it apparent that he wouldn’t be giving up the snow anytime soon at all.

Roman was pacing in front of the fireplace that evening. He was deep in thought, but a small part of him was smiling nonetheless. “I... I want to do something special. For him.”

“Well, there’s the usuals,” Dot said, “flowers, chocolates, promises you don’t intend to keep.”

Roman rolled his eyes but laughed. “There’s the library,” he joked, but let his memory return to him. Any Virgil is still Virgil, right? A few days had passed before he unveiled the surprise. He had spent days planning, decorating, and making Remy, Dot, and Emile stall for time. Finally, at long last, it was time.

“No peeking,” he laughed, holding his paws over Virgil’s eyes.

“I’m not I swear!” Virgil said with a laugh.

“Okay, okay,” Roman said, slowly removing his paws, “keep them shut.” He opened the library door, leading Virgil into the large room letting the door fall mostly shut from behind them. He took a deep breath. “Okay, you can open them now.”

The library was painted purple and black with silk threads intricately knitted and hanging in corners. It was a gothic nightmare and Virgil instantly fell in love with it all. “This is... incredible! All of it!”

“You like it?” Roman asked with a smile.

“Like it?! This is incredible!”

“It’s yours,” Roman said.

“What? You couldn’t possibly mean that.”

“And why can’t I?”

“I- well,” Virgil swallowed the lump in his throat. “Thank you,” he said with a blush, “thank you very much.”

After a little time and a whole lot of courage, Roman was finally about to live through one of his favorite Disney dances. His heart was racing in his chest.

“A dress?” Virgil whispered as the two glided across the ballroom. “Really?”

Roman chuckled from his throat, feeling more human than he had in years. “I think it suits you.”

“A suit would suit me,” Virgil mumbled.

“Is that a pun?”

“...maybe.”

Roman laughed, feeling Virgil lay his head onto his chest. Roman had to restrain himself from mumbling a quick “I love you.” This was a different Virgil- who didn’t love him back. This Virgil wasn’t his Snow White, his Sleeping Beauty, his Cinderella, or his Little Mermaid. He couldn’t risk scaring him off. He had to charm this Virgil just enough to save his life.

He had to get back to the real Virgil. To the Real Patton and the Real Logan too. He took a deep breath, silently cursing that damn dragon witch for cursing him to fall more in more in love but to never be able to explain why.

“I need to show you something,” Roman said, thinking back to the magic mirror. This story needed an ending- even if it killed him.

He lead Virgil to the West Wing, watching the boy visibly tense. He didn’t know how to apologize. He pretended not to notice. “This,” he said, picking up the handle of a silver mirror, “is a magic mirror. Ask it anything you wish; it will show you your heart’s desire.”

“Anything?” Virgil asked. He took a deep breath and held the mirror with a shaking hand. “Show me, my father... please.”

Virgil watched his reflection melt away and the vision of Logan took his place. The old man was deathly pale and tired as he coughed up a lung. “He’s dying,” Virgil whispered, “my father is dying.”

“Then you must go to him,” Roman said. He pressed the mirror in Virgil's hands against his chest. “Take this with you,” he added, “and let it remind you of me.”

“Thank you,” Virgil said. “For everything.”

“Of course,” Roman said, “oh, but, Virgil?”

“Yes?”

“You might want to put on a pair of pants first,” he joked but felt his heart sank as Virgil ran off. He watched as Virgil ran far from the castle, flying quickly beyond his reach and taking Roman’s heart with him.

Roman hadn’t expected this to hurt so much. He always knew he’d have to watch Virgil leave him. He knew this story like the back of his hand, but, if there was one thing he’d learned from his past, it was that knowledge couldn’t prevent heartbreak.

He tried not to think about what would happen next...

The entire castle staff was horribly aware of the mob approaching the castle. Many of them said their final prayers, while others looked back on their every regret. They all stay still in the dark as the doors creak open. A stout man leading the group wrapped his sweaty fingers around Remy’s base. He stuck a match, lighting the candle, and moving him back and forth as the mob moved inwards. In a swift movement, Remy bent his arms downwards, burning the skin of the man holding him and causing the man to drop the candle towards the ground. “NOW!” Remy yelled, and everyone attacked.

Roman was sitting alone, watching as the invaders marched into the castle. He couldn’t imagine the fight going on downstairs. His deep pondering was interrupted by a crack at the door as Deceit entered the room with a drawn bow and arrow. With a sigh, Roman turned back towards the window.

In a quick second, he felt the arrow pierce his skin and he growled in agony. To add insult to injury, he felt Deceit push against him as he fell through the window. “Get up, Beast!” he yelled, pushing him down to the next part of the roof. “Or are you too ‘kind’ and ‘gentle’ to fight back?!” His words were harsh and he spit them out like venom. He broke off a hunk of cement from the side of the castle.

That’s when Virgil appeared. He and Logan on the horse had ridden up to the castle entrance. “Roman! Look out!” he cried out.

He was so worried and sincere and that’s when the memories poured in. They had danced together in a tale as old as time. Virgil was part of his world. They had found each other after the ball. They had danced once upon a dream and they were there at the old wishing well.

More importantly, this was Virgil. Virgil had been there since the beginning. They were both sides of Thomas. They fought and argued and bickered but deep down they both cared for each other. Roman cared for Virgil. He might even dare to say that he loved him.

He caught the stone club as it swung down towards him and picked himself up, watching the fear in Deceit’s eyes as he finally fought back. They both pushed and shoved, racing towards and against each other in the pouring rains and thunder. With one misstep, Deceit had started to fall, but he caught himself on the next ledge.

He brought his club down on the beast’s head, destroying it under his power. With a flash of lightning, he saw the rows of gargoyles and the chipped cement he had destroyed. “Stop hiding, Beast!” He yelled. “Did you really think,” Deceit asked, “that someone like him could love a monster like you?”

“No,” Roman answered and time seemed to stop. Deceit lowered his weapons noticeably but not completely. “I don’t. I don’t expect him to love me. Not now, not ever; not here nor anywhere else. I can’t expect that from him. I can hope and dream and pray that he’ll love me back but I can never expect that. To do so would be unfathomably cruel.”

Deceit rolled his eyes. “You think that you’re poetic, huh? Words can save you? Don’t be a coward, Beast!”

Roman reached out, grasping his claws against Deceit’s throat and watching him squirm as he held him in the open air out above the cliffs below. Deceit gasped for air, hands on Roman’s paw, trying to free himself. “Please,” he choked out, “don’t hurt me. I’ll- I’ll do anything! Please!”

Roman’s glare dropped when he saw genuine fear in the other’s eyes. He was still a side. No matter who, or what, he was, he was part of Thomas. Roman couldn’t bring himself to kill him, no matter what part he had to play.

He brought Deceit to the castle’s ledge and held him down to the ground. “Get out.”

“Roman!” Virgil yelled from the castle balcony.

“Virgil,” Roman said softly, climbing the old shingles up the balcony ledge. He took Virgil’s outstretched hand and laid a paw against Virgil’s face. “You came back.”

He smiled, happy to be reunited and happy knowing that the fighting would be over. He, unfortunately, couldn’t remember the next chain of events until he felt a cold blade pierce into his side and pull out just as quickly. He growled in pain, losing his grip on the balcony, and knocking into Deceit who stood close behind him. Virgil grabbed onto this cape and pulled him forward.

Deceit slipped from the roof, falling into the deep abyss below. He was gone and as good as dead. Roman seemed to be rather close to meeting the same fate. His breath was leaving him as his vision started to grow blurry and dim.

“I got here too late,” Virgil said, tears falling from his eyes. “I- This is all my fault.”

“Shhh,” Roman said. “You shouldn’t blame yourself.”

“But, I- I didn’t know they’d come after you, I-”

“You had to save your father. I know.” He brought his paw up to the side of Virgil’s face, the latter of the two holding it in place. “At least... I got to see you... one last time.”

“No,” Virgil said softly, tears falling from his eyes. “Don’t leave me. You- You can’t leave me.” Roman’s hand went limp as the light drained from his eyes. Virgil screamed out in agony, shaking the still air around him. His throat was sore and hot tears poured down his face as he buried himself against Roman’s chest. “I love you.”

There was nothing but still silence, but warmth seemed to travel through the cold air. Hope broke through the atmosphere of despair. Virgil felt something push against him as Roman rose from the ground. He fell backwards watching the prince as a golden halo surrounded him entirely. His hind legs transformed into human flesh and bone as the transformation spread throughout his body.

Roman woke up back on the cold ground. “Virgil?” His voice was hoarse but there was something loving behind it. He looked to his hands and smiled widely, bringing them to his face and head. His hair was a bit longer, laying just above his shoulders, and he was human again. “Virgil, it’s me!”

“Roman?”

Roman nodded and Virgil happily threw himself into the prince’s arms. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“I never thought I’d be happy to hear those familiar words.”

Virgil wrapped his arms around Roman’s neck and held himself as close to the other as he could. He was so happy and relieved and his heart was beating out of his chest. “I love you,” he murmured into the other’s neck.

“I know, mon amour. I love you too, Virgil, always and forever.”

The music swelled as they danced across the ballroom. Virgil was once again in the ballgown he claimed the hate, as friends, family, and (once again human) staff danced alongside them.

“I could dance with you forever,” Roman said with a smile. He wasn’t acting anymore. He wanted this to be his happy ending.

“That seems illogical,” Virgil said. “You’d have to get tired eventually.”

Roman laughed, he really was Logan’s son. He twirled Virgil, feeling the fabric of the ballgown drift against his legs. “With you? Never.”

“You’re such a sap,” Virgil teased, leaning teasingly but noticeably. He didn’t pull back.

“That may be true,” Roman agreed, feeling the soft skin of Virgil’s cheek under his own calloused fingertips. “But I’m only a sap for you.” He leaned in, smiling as he held the other in a sweet embrace and an even sweeter kiss.

He pulled back slightly when he heard the music fade away. He opened his eyes to find himself in the desert- with only Virgil left in his arms. He stared into his eyes and whispered, “I love you, so much,” before watching the ghost smile in return and fade away. He was left in rags and grasping onto memories as he prepared to fight one more time.

Okay, he wasn’t prepared to fight just yet. “Where are you, you coward?!” he yelled against the sands. He was completely alone out there. Alone entirely except for one parrot in the distance. “Making Deceit do your bidding?! Can’t handle me on your own, can you?”

The parrot stared at Roman as he kicked at the sand. “You win! Okay?! Is that enough for you?!” He let out a groan against the dark, uncaring night sky. “I love him.”

“Don’t give up now,” the Dragon Witch cooed. “It’s only getting interesting.”

“You are cruel and heartless.”

“Ugh, you’re being a buzzkill today, aren’t you?”

Roman let out a sigh, letting himself fall back into the sand. The parrot flew down to him, sitting on his chest. “Is... he cursed too?”

“I suppose that depends on who you’re asking about.”

“Deceit,” Roman said. “Does he... is he going to remember any of this?”

The Dragon Witch stayed silent.

“Please,” Roman said, tears welling in his eyes. “I don’t want to wake up from all of this and know that all I did was hurt someone for my own good. No matter who it is, I don’t want to hurt anyone real.”

“His fate is up for you to decide.” The Dragon Witch began to fly away but Roman was quick enough to catch her wing as he sat upwards. Even she couldn’t say ‘no’ to his sad, puppy dog eyes. “Face your fears, Roman, and no harm will come to those you love.”

The parrot flew away against the dark night sky as Roman fell back against the Arabian sands and fell asleep. He couldn’t tell if the dream he dreamt was a blessing or a curse.

He found himself in Anxiety’s room. Fitting, he decided, as the agony bubbled and rose in his gut. He looked up to find Virgil taking deep breaths as he adjusted his headphones and clicked play on his laptop. Roman couldn’t leave his corner of the room; an invisible wall held him captive, but he could turn his head just to see Virgil’s computer screen. A Whole New World began to play through his headphones as he slowly let go of his inhibitions.

The movements were clumsy and sloppy at first, but Virgil was gliding across the floor on his socks, dancing slowly to the music. He was doing some formless version of a waltz and twirling himself as silent words stay mumbled against his lips.

Roman was never a lip-reading genius, but he knew a princess song when he heard- or saw- it. He was murmuring Jasmine’s part to himself and fuck, Roman was so in love. Whenever this curse was finally over, Roman knew he wanted to take Virgil’s hands and dance with him for hours. Really, truly dance with him. No more carbon copies.

Maybe he’d throw in a real kiss for good measure too.

No, he had to tell himself softly, he couldn’t do that. This Virgil- the real Virgil didn’t love him back. He wouldn’t love him back. He couldn’t love him back.

Regardless, that would never stop Roman from loving him.

The empty feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as Virgil continued to dance- completely unfazed by Roman’s presence. “I want to go back,” Roman whispered before fading quickly out of Anxiety’s room.

“Hello?” Virgil asked quietly, pulling off his headphones and hitting pause on his computer. He looked to the corner of his room- Roman’s corner- and couldn’t help but feel a chill cascading down his skin. It was as if a ghost had past thorough him. Something was horribly, inexplicably wrong.

“LOGAN!” he yelled, dashing out of his room and out towards the commons.

Roman did what he had to. He found the cave of wonders, grabbed the lamp, and had all of it fucked up by a circus monkey. He took a deep breath and rubbed the lamp. There was a moment of silence, a beat of hesitation, and a lifetime’s worth of fear and worry.

Then, the lamp began to shake and tremble. Roman dropped it as it warmed more and more until the metal was red and burning to the touch. Smoke began to pour out more and more filling the cave until a blue mist began to follow suit. “GAAAAH!” a loud, thunderous voice yelled, that would have been terrifying if not so familiar. “Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck! OH- Hello there!”

“Patton,” Roman said with a smile.

“Oh it is good to be out,” Patton announced. He summoned up a microphone and held it to Roman’s face. “What’cha name, Kiddo, where ya from?”

“Roman.”

“Roman! Welcome to the show! Should we call ya Ro or Man? Or maybe just Oma because Oma-gosh is it great to meet you!” Patton chuckled loudly at his own joke before adjusting his glasses and moving his head down to look at Roman. “You know, you’re a lot smaller than my old master.”

“Master?”

“Yep!” Patton said. “I’ll grant you anything your heart desires! Three wishes- but no wishing for more wishes. That’s a big no-no. So, what’ll it be, Master?”

A million thoughts ran through Roman’s head in only seconds. “Maybe, uh, maybe don’t call me that. Roman- Roman’s good. Anything is better than- uh- than that.”

“Gotcha, Ro!”

Roman let out a sigh of relief. “Well,” he said, “I’d like to get out of this cave.”

Patton smiled, placing himself, Roman, and the circus monkey onto a magic carpet. “Please keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the carpet at all times.” He turned his hand into a cannon and blasted a hole through the top of three cave, dodging debris as he steered the carpet (and the passengers) to safety.

Now all Roman had to do was:

1) Become a prince

2) Storm into Agrabah

3) Win Virgil’s affections

4) Release the Genie

Easy, right? Easy until step three. Virgil was very persistent about “I’m not a prize to be won” which was, completely understandable, but at least let a guy try, right?

So here he was, standing on a magic carpet, holding onto the railing of Virgil’s balcony. “I hope you know how creepy you’re being right now,” the prince said with a glare, “I could easily have my guards arrest you.”

“I know, I know, but- I just wanted to talk to you. Get to know you. Actually know you.”

“I’ll cave,” Virgil said, still holding a bit of a glare. “What do you have in mind?”

With the tap of his foot as the cue, Roman rose higher towards the balcony, revealing the magic carpet. “Care for a ride?” He held his hand out, but Virgil was clearly hesitant to take it. “Do you trust me?”

Virgil smiled softly, taking Roman’s hand and settling into the carpet. Roman kept an arm tightly around Virgil’s waist, for safety reasons of course. He obviously had no other motivation to embrace the feeling of his hand against Virgil’s exposed skin while the other snuggled up close to him.

“I can show you the world,” Roman sang softly, “shining, shimmering, splendid. Tell me, Princess-“ He winked as Virgil rolled his eyes. “-when did you last let your heart decide?”

He subtly pulled Virgil closer and waited a moment to see if there other were to protest this. He never did. “I can open your eyes. Take you wonder by wonder. Over, sideways, and under on a magic carpet ride.”

They flew over the marketplace but Virgil’s gaze was caught on the stars as the cool wind blew his hair away from his face. Roman’s heart melted at how lovely he was. “A whole new world,” he sang, “a new fantastic point of view. No one to tell us ‘no’ or where to go, or say we’re only dreaming.”

“A whole new world,” Virgil started, his voice was small and nervous but melodious nonetheless. “A dazzling place I never knew.” He took a shaky breath and pulled Roman’s arm tighter around his waist, leaving a blush on the faux prince’s face. “But now that I’m way up here, it’s crystal clear, that now I’m in a whole new world with you.”

“Now I'm in a whole new world with you!”

“Unbelievable sights,” Virgil sang, smiling and looking so carefree as if the fear of falling hadn’t occurred to him at all. He looked so happy and genuine that Roman almost had to wonder if Virgil were cursed too. “Indescribable feelings.” The prince smiled back at Roman with a look with too much wonder and adoration to be real. “Soaring, tumbling, freewheeling, through an endless diamond sky.” If Virgil were truly cursed, he’d be a lot more terrified and way too confused about all of this to be singing.

Roman let out a deep breath and smiled at his fake love. A side could certainly dream, couldn't he?

“A whole new world.”

Roman reached out to grab Virgil’s hand. “Don’t you dare close your eyes.”

“A hundred thousand things to see.”

“Hold your breath it gets better.”

Virgil gripped onto Roman’s hands, holding eye contact with him as best he could. “I’m like a shooting star, I’ve come so far.” He leaned in closer, his voice getting quieter as he pressed his forehead against Roman’s. “I can’t go back to where I used to be.”

“A whole new world.”

“Every turn a surprise.”

“With new horizons to pursue.”

“Every moment; Red-letter.”

They held onto each other as if nothing else mattered, moving in closer and closer as they sang. “I’ll chase them anywhere; there’s time to spare.” They pressed their foreheads together, noses brushing, as Roman let his hand rest against Virgil’s neck. “Let me share this whole new world with you.”

“A whole new world,” Roman sang, his voice dying down to a spoken whisper.

“A whole new world,” Virgil echoed, exhaling the words against Roman’s skin as they grew closer and closer.

“That’s where we’ll be.”

“That’s where we’ll be.”

“A thrilling chase.”

“A wondrous place.” They had flown back to the castle balcony already, letting time pass them by. Roman helped Virgil down onto the safe ground as he stayed floating on the magic carpet.

They stood on opposite sides of the railing- Virgil in his rich, wealthy castle; Roman hovering above the poor and the ruin- both so close and so far as Roman kept his hands against Virgil’s neck and both of their foreheads stay resting against the other’s. “For you and me.” Their lips brushed together as Roman moved in closer, and closer, just about to finalize the moment.

“Virgil! Virgil, are you out there?”

Virgil pulled away quickly, panic in his eyes. “My father,” he said with a gasp. “You need to leave!”

“I’ll see you soon, My Prince,” said Roman, pressing a kiss to Virgil’s hand. “I’ll see you soon.” With a wink and a smile, he was gone into the night.

Now for step 4: Release the Genie.

Yeah getting there proved to have a bunch of mini steps along the way. Maybe make freeing the Genie step 5.

Okay, okay, Roman’s Full To-Do List was:

1) Become a prince

2) Storm into Agrabah

3) Win Virgil’s affections

4) Get caught by goons

   a) Almost drown at the bottom of the ocean.

   b) Get saved by Patton

   c) Have Patton stolen by “Jafar”

   d) Get banished from Agrabah 

   e) Get back to Agrabah

    f) Fight Jafar

5) Release the Genie

6) Happy Ending to get the hell out of Aladdin

Now just to get past step 4F.

Roman wouldn’t admit it in his moment of horror, but having Deceit turn into a giant cobra was actually pretty funny on the Dragon Witch’s part. He’d have to compliment her after ripping out her spleen. That was a problem for another day, he decided as he trapped Deceit in the lamp.

“Ten thousand years in the cave of wonders ought to chill him out,” Patton teased, listening to the yelling coming from the lamp. He pulled his arm back and pitched the lamp as far away as possible. If he never saw it again, it would be too soon.

Roman tightened his grip on Virgil’s hands as they watched the lamp fly by. “I’m sorry for lying to you about being a prince.”

“It’s okay,” Virgil said, “I know why you did it. If it weren’t for that stupid law-”

“Hate to intrude, Kiddos, but... you do still have one last wish left.”

“Patton, what about your freedom?”

The genie sighed, forcing on a semi-genuine smile. “It’s only an eternity of servitude, but this... this is love, Ro. You’re not gonna find another guy like him in a million years.” He leaned in towards Roman’s ear and whispered, “Believe me, I’ve looked.”

“But-”

“Just say the words and you can be a prince again.”

Roman moved closer to Virgil, cupping the side of his face and planting a kiss to his forehead. “Virgil, I do love you, but I have to stop pretending to be what... I’m not. I have to do this.” He took the lamp in both hands. “Patton, I wish for your freedom.”

“One prince coming right up-” Patton froze, his voice softening and his eyes falling on Roman. “What?”

It wasn’t grand or filled with fireworks, but magically the genie’s cuffs fell off and he was finally free from his own lamp. He was... human. “I’m free,” Patton said. “I’m free! I’m free! I’m gonna see the world! I’m gonna- Thank you, Roman,” Patton said, pulling him into a big, weepy hug. “You’ll always be a prince to me.”

“Well, I think that’s certainly evidence enough.” The group turned to face Logan who stood in clothing that had more value than Roman’s entire net worth. “The only thing in the way is that law, after all.”

“Father?”

“Am I the sultan or am I the sultan?” Logan wore a smirk on his face as his gaze drifted from Virgil to Roman and vice versa. “From this moment forward, the heir may marry whomever he deems worthy.”

“Him,” Virgil declared, taking a running start into Roman’s arms. “I chose him.”

Roman smiled, cupping Virgil’s face and pulling him in towards a kiss. Their lips were centimeters apart when Patton pulled them- and Logan- into his arms and yelled, “GROUP HUG!”

“Perhaps we should give them a moment of privacy,” Logan suggested as the breath was squeezed from his lungs.

“Oh! Right!” Patton let go of the hug, letting Logan lead him back into the castle, but glancing over his shoulder to give Roman one last thumbs up.

Roman traced his fingers along Virgil’s jaw one last time, admiring his tanned skin. “Now, where were we?” he asked, separating Virgil’s lips as he leaned in for a kiss.

He happily woke up to the sound of jazz in New Orleans. One quick look in the mirror, he saw his skin had turned darker than it had been in Agrabah and he let out a sigh of relief. Well, at least he and the Dragon Witch had the same view on animated diversity!

Speaking of the Dragon Witch, she offered him a hand when she found him sitting on a street corner- Logan not far behind. “Enchante,” she said, pulling him up, “a tip of the hat from Dr. Facilier.”

“Finally owning up to your villainous nature, my wicked fiend?”

She laughed from her chest and just before they went into the alley, Roman got the first good look at her new form. She had red hair that hung just past her shoulders in waves and her eyes were unmistakably violet, but she still kept the same sharp facial features and broad shoulders that she always had. She handed Roman a business card as she whispered in his ear in as menacing a tone as she could muster, “Are you ready?”

He was not ready whatsoever and spent about 93 minutes screaming internally. His only wish was that he could have seen the witch perish. Virgil would have gladly let him have the experience in his place.

“Please- I! I just need a little more time!” The woman yelled. Demons grabbed at her shadow and she fell completely to the ground. Voodoo dolls and demons chanted angrily and hit drums around them as the woman pleaded for her life upon deaf ears. As she got pulled in her skin turned to scales and then stone until her physical body melded with the gravestone she was being pulled into leaving a stone dragon behind.

After turning human again, and getting their happy ending, Roman had to prepare for the worst. The Dragon Witch has spent a lot of time planning without him in Tangled. He’d have to think fast.

“Flower, gleam, and glow,” young Virgil sang as his mother brushed through his golden hair, “let your power shine. Make the clock reverse.” The witch’s scaly skin reverted back into human flesh. She’d have to be stealthy to stay human now. One backfired curse against Roman had taken that choice away from her. One stolen baby would give that choice back. “Bring back what once was mine. What once was mine.”

“I could get used to a view like this,” Roman said, looking over the kingdom. Everything was 3D now, computer animated and way more realistic. He loved all of it. “All right. I’m used to it.” He whipped around dramatically to face his confidants- a set of twins named Apollo and Jericho. “Boys, I want a castle.”

“You can get your castle, after we get the crown,” Apollo said, his voice deep and threatening. Apollo pulled Roman back by the collar. All right, let’s do this one last time...

It didn’t take long to get to the tower once he had to outrun the twins, the guards, and the horse. Damn the horse. Inside of the tower, however, was something eerily familiar about it all. He definitely knew who built this place.

That’s when it hit him. Literally.

He woke up strapped to a chair, tied down with blond hair. Which was a slight shock, actually... this was Virgil, wasn’t it?

“I don’t know who you are, or how you found me, or what you want to do with my hair!” a voice- Virgil’s voice- yelled from the shadows. Roman suddenly understood how Virgil had felt back in that prisoner tower in France.

“Why don’t we make a deal?” Roman said. “You let me out of your... hair... and I help you with whatever adventure your little heart desires.”

“I-” Virgil stood frozen, caught off guard for a moment as he glanced at Pascal. “...Deal.”

This Virgil was odd, definitely, but more familiar than all of the others. Roman began to think himself mad until they found themselves in a boat, floating in the middle of the sea beneath a sky of floating lights.

“All at once, everything is different-” Roman cupped a hand against Virgil’s cheek, seeing all of the love and vulnerability in his eyes. It was a lovely sight. “-now that I see you.”

They were so close to kissing until he saw them. Apollo and Jericho on a nearby shore. He shouldn’t have looked. He should have just let himself kiss Virgil. He shouldn’t be pulling away right now. He inhaled with a sharp breath, loathing the feeling of his own free will being taken from him as he began to row towards the shore.

“Ro...man?” Virgil asked. “Is everything alright?”

Roman shook his head, pulling himself back into reality. Back into... fiction. This was all fiction, and he had to remember that. “Yeah, yeah I just... Yeah. I just need to deal with something for a moment. I’ll be quick.”

He pulled up to the shore, hoping to deal with things amicably, grabbed the satchel, and headed to where the twins were. “Ah! Good to see you two!” Roman lied, watching carefully as Apollo sharpened a makeshift knife.

“Hear you’ve been holding out on us, Sanders,” Jericho said.

“What?” Roman said. “No, the- the crown is right here!” he said, holding the satchel up. “You can have it!”

“What’s more valuable, Sanders?” Apollo asked, rising as he and Jericho began to corner the prince. “The crown? Or the boy with the magical hair?”

“How- How do you?” Out of the corner of his eye, he could see moonlight reflecting against familiar green scales. She was between phases, but why? Roman didn’t have time to question any of the problems before him when suddenly a force hit his head and everything went black.

The most horrific dream he had was this one. It was one thing to know that your friends are mourning for you. It’s another to see the body they’re mourning over.

He wasn’t dead, exactly, but the overall sight looked more like a coma than a nap. The room was completely empty except for the ghost of Roman... and her. “Why are you here?” Roman asked, his voice deep and almost at a growl. “Haven’t you given me enough pain showing me this?”

The Dragon Witch said nothing, only carefully touching the scales on her arms and watching them with confusion. She poked and prodded higher up her arm, wincing with pain as she did so but never acknowledging Roman.

“Answer me!” Roman yelled, tears welling up in his eyes.

The Witch’s head snapped up and she met the trembling Prince’s eyes. He looked as pained and confused as the first time she had cursed him. Funny, how nostalgia always hits at the most inconvenient times. “Roman, don’t you get it? I can’t change the curse once it’s cast,” she said. “I can only alter... minuscule details.”

Almost on cue, Deceit shuffled into the room, fidgeting with his gloves and keeping his eyes glued to Roman’s sleeping face. “It was just a dream,” he muttered to himself. “It was just a dream.”

“Will he be alright?” Roman asked.

The Dragon Witch flicked her wrist towards Deceit and instantly he fell into a tired trance. The Dragon Witch mumbled something to him in a language that Roman had never heard before. Wordlessly, Deceit turned around and walked away. He was almost robotic. “Of course he’ll be alright,” the witch said, “there’s no reason for him not to be.”

“He won’t remember any of it?”

“Not one second.”

Roman let out a deep breath and slowly nodded. “As for the others...?”

The Dragon Witch shook her head, walking out of the room and seeming to pull Roman along with her. He passed through Logan like air and watched the Logical Side freeze where he stood and began to look around cautiously. “They weren’t there. God, Roman, how vicious must you think me to be in order to curse all of Thomas?”

“I have no idea if anything you just said was even remotely grammatically correct.”

“Fuck grammar,” said the Dragon Witch.

“Fair enough.” Roman saw Virgil come down the stairs from his bedroom, quickly diving into the kitchen and then running away. He looked like he had been crying. Or having a panic attack. Roman swallowed the lump in his throat. It was probably both. “How has Thomas been without me?”

“At a bit of a creative block, at first,” the Dragon Witch told him, glancing towards the two traits still quietly talking to (and comforting) each other in the corner, “you aren’t gone, Roman, just napping. The others, though? Mr. Morality over here has been a wreck.” A small cackle left her lips as Roman’s attention fell on the tired Patton.

“Don’t insult him,” Roman snapped. “Hurt me, torture me, rip all of my happiness away from me, but never insult them or I swear by Odin’s eyepatch I will make sure your death is one you cannot revive from.”

“Pinched a nerve, huh?” she asked, completely apathetic to Roman’s glare. “Fine, geez, whatever.” She snapped her fingers and Roman woke up back in Corona.

“It’s him!” a guard yelled.

Roman’s vision was blurry but he could see that he had been tied to a sailboat with the crown in hand. Guards were climbing onto the boat, untying Roman but making sure he didn’t escape. He had to follow the script.

He had to follow the script.

He had to...

He picked his head up in a moment of realization and they untied his hands. He didn’t have to do jackshit. Roman cracked his neck and shoulders, nudging guards away from him as he drew his arm back, holding the crown. “You want it?” he yelled, throwing the crown onto the land. “Go get it!”

He punched one the guards, knocking him off of his horse, and rode away towards the forest as quickly as possible. Halfway into the woods, he turned on a separate course away from the tower and dismounted the horse. He hid behind a boulder and watched palace guards follow a riderless horse. The horseless rider then ran as fast as his legs would take him until his pulse was pounding against his head and his throat was burning as he tried to take in air. He found the tower and stopped for a moment, letting his breathing even out as adrenaline coursed through his veins. He began to scale the tower.

“Let him go!” Roman announced, letting himself in through the tower window.

“Ah, our guest is here early, isn’t that nice, Sunflower?” the Dragon Witch cooed. Scales were running up the side of her neck and across her arms. “You shouldn’t have broken character,” she hissed, running her blade into his side. She ripped the blade out as quickly as she had inserted it and let Roman fall to the ground in pain. “I warned you,” she hummed, dropping the knife and leaving him there as she grabbed the chain that Virgil had been tied up against and tried to actually him away.

“Hmmph!” Virgil struggled against the pull, managing to remove the cloth from around his mouth. “Let me heal him!” he yelled.

The witch glanced to Roman with a raised eyebrow. “He’s not worth it, Darling. Just leave him to the rats.”

“No!” Virgil yelled. “If you take me now, I will spend the rest of my life struggling and fighting, but... if you let me heal him, I’ll go willingly and never go against anything you ask of me.”

“No,” the witch seethed.

Roman’s head was pounding and his breath began to leave him. He didn’t have the energy to get up.

“Then,” Virgil said quietly, Roman could see him slowly untying his hands, “you leave me no choice.” He grabbed the bloody dagger that lay next to Roman and brought it against the witch’s thigh. The witch screamed out in pain but clicked her fingers, “sinking down” back into the imagination. Roman knew exactly why she left; this was the end. There was nowhere else to go after here, and he was about to die. Again. Motherfucker.

The blade fell to the ground and Virgil stared in shock. He glanced over towards Roman and quickly rushed to the dying man’s side, freeing himself from his chains as he did so. “Roman, I... I’m so sorry,” he said, tears welling up in his eyes. “You never should have come here.”

“I can’t believe you stabbed that bitch,” Roman said through weak breaths. “That was... kinda hot.”

“Roman, you’re dying.”

Roman took in a sharp inhale, his muscles tensing around his lungs. “Perhaps... I am, but... without you, there’s no life worth living.”

“Roman,” Virgil breathed out, gently pressing his hand against Roman’s face.

“Just kiss me, Virgil. Please.”

“Roman...”

“Virgil,” Roman said hoarsely, placing his hand on Virgil’s. “Please.”

When their lips met it wasn’t warm or loving. It was sad and melancholic. It was an ending, but who was to say if it were happy? Roman took some relief in knowing that any of his suffering would fade away along with the man in front of him.

“Virgil,” Roman mumbled one more time, but he wasn’t in the tower anymore. He sat up, several roses falling from his chest. His skin was no longer perfect but uneven in tone and with brown freckles across his arms and hands. He looked more human than art and, for the first time, he was happy to admit that.

“I see that you’re awake,” Logan said, looking up from his Nook. He held a disinterested facade, but there was a softness to his tone and a smile that he couldn’t hide.

“How long was I out?”

Logan set down his Nook and let out a deep sigh. “About two weeks,” he said quietly. “I- We... We were all very concerned.”

“Two weeks?” A beat settled throughout the room. “Oh.”

“Is that...” Patton stood in the doorway hesitating only for a moment before running towards the bed and throwing himself onto Roman in a tearful hug. “You’re okay! You’re... ALIVE!”

“That I am,” Roman said reciprocating the hug. “I most certainly am.”

“L, what’s all the com-” Virgil’s jaw dropped and his eyes were already filling with tears. “-motion.”

“Virgil!” Roman said. He slowly maneuvered his way over to the other. “I... I’m so happy to see you.”

“I...I...” Tears fell from Virgil’s eyes and suddenly the two of them were in a tight embrace. Logan would have told you that Virgil had initiated the hug; Patton would have informed you that Roman had been ready to take Virgil into his arms from the moment he had stood up.

“We have a lot to talk about,” Roman mumbled into Virgil’s neck.

“I don’t care,” Virgil said. “Not right now. I need to know that this is real first.”

Roman tried to listen for Virgil’s heartbeat but his own was beating in his ears even louder. “Me too,” Roman said, pulling Virgil closer and inhaling the scent of lavender on his jacket. “Me too.”

“Let’s give them some privacy,” Patton whispered quietly, taking Logan’s arm and leaving the two behind.

“What happened to you?”

“I highly doubt you’d believe me.”

Virgil moved away from Roman to stare into his eyes. He had to make sure this wasn’t just a dream. “Try me.”

Roman let out a deep breath. “I was cursed by a Dragon Witch.”

“That sounds ridiculous.”

“I know, but-“

“I believe you.” Virgil took a seat in the bed and patted next to him. “Tell me about it. How’d you wake up? It’s not like anyone kissed you.” He was teasing but Roman couldn’t help the blush that came to his face.

“She... said that I needed to confess my feelings to someone. And then... made me do that a lot.”

“Pretty sure I’d end up resenting that person if I had to face him that much,” Virgil teased.

“Yeah,” Roman said with a forced laugh, relaxing against the mattress. “But I don’t. I just... fell harder only for him to not recognize me again.” He watched Virgil’s face but his own face was burning, giving away his bravado. “I still need to make sure this is real.”

“Roman, what are you talking about?”

Roman held Virgil’s hands tightly in one of his own, letting the other brush against Virgil’s cheek. “I was... blind before. Virgil, you’re... my anchor. I always thought you held me back, but you held keep my stable, grounded. You’re wonderful.” He leaned infinitesimally closer but left the Grand Canyon between their lips. “But I need to make sure this isn’t just another one of her tricks.”

“What are you asking?” Virgil asked in so hushed a whisper it barely left his throat.

Roman’s eyes went from Virgil’s lips to his eyes. “Can I kiss you, Virgil?”

Virgil tried to swallow but found that his mouth was horrifically dry. He gave a small nod and soon felt Roman’s lips on his own.

It wasn’t like the kisses before. It wasn’t smooth or warm. Virgil’s lips were chapped and neither of them moved out of fear or maybe something else. It was only a couple of seconds before Roman pulled away.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “If you don’t feel the same, then I’d hope we can pretend this didn’t happen.” He stood from the bed and began to walk away but felt a tug at the fabric of his shirt at the last minute.

“Roman, wait,” Virgil said. He quickly stood but with his terrible posture, he was a few inches shorter than the prince. He pulled Roman down by the neck and kissed him. It was messy and rough but it was human and genuine as he kissed back Roman savored every single moment of it.

When they pulled apart they were at a loss for air with their foreheads pressed together.  “I may not be cursed, but,” Roman spoke softly, not bothering to open his eyes for fear that it may all wash away, “this certainly feels like a dream.”

“You’re such a sap,” Virgil said pulling him into another kiss. And then another. And a future with more and more kisses after that. It wasn’t an ending, but it was certainly happy, and that’s all Roman could have ever asked for.

[connverse4life]

Day 1: Dance

May I Have This Dance?

Inspired by the Steven Corruption Theory

Summary: Connie intends on taking Steven to Prom but things don't go as planned. 

Disaster always strikes at dances. It's literary law!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22757320/chapters/54377215

Read on Archive or after the break 

Possible Trigger Warning: Slight implications of body horror but nothing extreme

Connie milled about the room, periodically checking the time on her phone as her heart raced. 6:47, only 13 minutes remaining. She fisted her hands in the creases of her taffeta skirt to keep them from shaking, and lazily twirled it around her legs. Her parents were standing at the bottom of the stairwell with the camera, also anticipating the night’s events. She had once tried to go down there with the intent of waiting by the front door, but the constant questions and flashing of the lens convinced her to stay upstairs.

Even still, she couldn’t understand why she was so nervous. After all, it was just a dance and she was never super fond of those anyway. The crowded rooms combined with blaring music and screaming teenagers always gave her a tinge of anxiety. Not to mention the whole idea of buying an overly - expensive dress you were only going to wear once and bopping to cheap pop songs late into the night seemed wasteful and unsatisfying. This is why she usually spent those nights at home, catching up on her favorite book series or scrolling through fan blogs on her laptop. It was always more enjoyable and she didn't have to worry about pointless things such as small talk.

But for some reason, the Prom was different. She’d been fantasizing this night ever since she was nine years old and came upon one of those classic teen rom-coms where the two main characters meet at a school dance. Why even her parents went to their senior prom together.

And although she was well aware that having a perfect fairytale evening with the boy of her dreams wasn’t very logical, she couldn't help but find the whole idea rather enticing.

---------------------------------------------

Only a few weeks ago, she had been standing by the lockers, reading the posters on the billboard. The theme as cliche as it sounded was "Under the Stars" and she’d be lying if she didn’t get some kind of joy from the apropos title. After all, most of their adventures revolved around exploring the star system together, rocketing the night in alien spaceships and enjoying that rare form of natural beauty that one could only see once they broke the atmosphere.

Being one of the few intellectual and physically active girls in her grade, she had received constant invitations. Every guy from the classic shy nerd to the handsome jock from the football team asked her but she turned them all down. If she was going to give up one of her free nights to socialize with a bunch of peers she had barely any connection with, then there was only one person she was set on bringing.

“What’s Prom?” Steven asked, eyes shining with curiosity and wonder. He and Connie were having a casual conversation about life and the night of prom somehow conveniently slipped in there.

Connie tugged at a loose strand behind her ear and twirled it around her finger. “Oh it’s just this big dance at the end of the year,” she replied nonchalantly as if she hadn’t spent the past hour screaming in her head whether or not to ask him. “It’s kinda like a final celebration where everyone can hang out before graduation.”

She saw his shoulders tense up at that word but they relaxed immediately after.

“Are you going?” He quickly inquired.

Yes! Absolutely! Please take me! “ Hmm, I don’t know. I'm considering it but I don’t really have anyone to go with.” She glanced up at him, biting her lower lip. “Um, would you like to come with me?”

She regretted the words as soon as she said them for Steven’s entire body went rigid. Immediately she started backpedaling in her mind, wondering how she could’ve worded things differently.

“O-only if you want to, of course. It’s just a dance, no big—”

“Okay!”

Her head flipped up, staring at the eighteen-year-old with wide eyes. “Really? You want to?”

“Yes, absolutely!” He cried.

She noticed a small twitch out of the corner of his eye and his smile felt uncharacteristically large, but she ignored it.

“I’ll bring Lion,” he continued. “And we can wear matching suits. Oh! And I know just the song they can play for us.”

Connie shook her head in disbelief. She hadn’t expected him to get so excited over this. Then again, this was Steven and it wasn’t uncommon for him to obsess over big, lavish events.

She squealed inside, her heart threatening to leap out of her chest. “Oh alright, that sounds great!”  Before she knew it, she had leaped forward and hugged him around the neck. Their noses touched and a blush crawled up both their cheeks. She reared back as if the other was a snake and covered her bright red face, stuttering, “Um, p-pick me up at seven?”

He nodded with a mumbled reply.

---------------------------------------------

And that’s where she was forty-five minutes to the dance, slung across her bedspread in a fit of giggles, waiting for his arrival. After dreaming of this night for so long, at last, it was here. Just she and her jambud enjoying the entire evening together.

Suddenly, a buzzing vibration filled the air and she whirled around to see her smartphone clattering against the wooden desk. She casually went to answer it assuming it was just Steven. Hehe, maybe he couldn’t get past the front door with her parents blocking it.

Smiling at that thought, she read the intercom. Pearl? Why would Pearl be calling? Now filled with a sudden rush of emotions, her hand trembled as she brought the phone to her ear.

“...H-Hello?”

“Co-onie!” Yep, it was Pearl alright. The reception was terrible but from the sound of the gem’s voice, it was clear they were panicking. The fact that she wasn’t speaking in her formal etiquette only deepened the upperclassman’s concern.

“Pearl, what’s wrong?!” Connie cried, nails digging into the plastic covering.

More static followed along with something animal sounding - like a roar.

“It’s St-ven! He’s chang-ing.” Changing? What did that mean?

Connie squeezed the cell tighter to her ear as if it would magically make the audio clearer. “What? What happened? Is he okay?” More growls followed as other gems were overheard crying and screaming in the background.

"No, we d’nt know. He jus… hap... ran - ly. Can’t m-ke... sto--op."

The sentences were jumbled and mostly incoherent. But the last word was spoken clear as day. Corruption.

She felt as if the floorboards crumbled beneath her as her stomach bottomed out. Immediately, she tore the gown from her body and threw it in a crumbled pile beside her bed before snatching her sword and dashing out of the room. The dance became a fleeting memory and fear for her friend was fueling all her energy.

---------------------------------------------

It had taken most of the night but with the six of them working together, they had managed to calm Steven back down to his normal state. The poor boy had not stopped sobbing and was gripping the ends of Connie’s sleeves, soaking her shoulder with his tears. She ignored it though, and held him, rubbing smooth circles in the small of his back and whispering ounces of comfort. He kept apologizing for ruining the night but she shushed him. None of that mattered anymore.

Ten minutes later, once he finally settled down, he begged her to still let him take her to the dance. Connie immediately wanted to refute the idea, insisting he needed rest but she knew Steven would be guilt-ridden the entire night if they didn’t at least try.

So they arrived on Lion a quarter after midnight, Connie’s legs neatly slung over the beasts back with Steven holding her around the waist. His eyes were still puffy from crying and her attire looked as if it had been mauled by wild animals. The old jacket she wore was ragged and torn and her hiking boots were scuffed at the toes. And her hair, which was once curled and high above her head, now lay disheveled over her shoulders, but they were there nonetheless. Connie wore a corsage made of homegrown bluebells Steven planted and the hybrid had a few of the same flowers pinned to his shirt.

Carefully, Lion parked them in one of the empty spaces and lowered himself so Steven could slide off his back. "Shall we?” He offered in a sophisticated manner.

Connie smirked and grabbed the outstretched hand. "Ever the gentleman?"

He bowed as he led her inside. "Of course, milady."

The door was slightly ajar with a shed of light flowing in from the hallway, informing them that they would not be alone.

Hand in hand, they entered the dimly-lit ballroom, where the tables were already folded and most of the chairs were stacked up against the wall. Gold and silver star decorations hung from the ceiling and the room was covered in blinking string lights.

Steven approached one of the janitors who was pushing a heavy vacuum across the floor. “Um, excuse me,” he started, shuffling his feet. “Would it be alright if we hung out here for a while?"

The janitor looked the two of them over, taking in their nervous expressions, and gave a laxed shrug. "Sure kid, knock yourself out."

Widely grinning, Steven pulled Connie over to a table in the back that had been overlooked by the cleaning staff. It was covered by a shiny navy-blue tablecloth and sprinkled with gold glitter and foil paper stars. The centerpiece consisted of a folded napkin with white and blue flowers.

Steven took the seat beside Connie and she instinctively gripped his hands. She started up a conversation about the weird thing that happened with the girl's soccer team but noticed his gaze lingering to the far corner.

“I’ll be right back, he said quickly in the middle of her sentence, removing himself from the table. Connie's eyes followed him to the back where a short Asian woman was standing.

They started up a small conversation but it quickly spurred into a large one with her laughing and him in bright smiles. Although she knew she shouldn’t be, Connie couldn’t help the twinge of jealousy that arose at the interaction.

She wrung her fingers in the edge of the table cloth while she waited for him to return. In hindsight, it was only a couple of minutes at most but it felt like hours, similar to how she felt all those days when he was trapped on Homeworld. Not a word, not an ounce of assurance he was okay or that he was even alive. He was just gone.

And although they mutually agreed nothing like that would ever happen again, the thought had never left her mind. So it wasn't surprising how she collapsed to her knees when she found him like that. Curled in a ball, screaming, with jagged horns ripping from his letterman.

She could still recall it, the terror and shame in his eyes when she first stepped into the room. The pained cry that ripped from his throat while he panted and clawed desperately at the floor as his entire body betrayed him. Her pulse increased and all the blood rushed to her head. Too much! The image was too much!

..........................

"Here you are.”

A plate of Strawberry cheesecake with chocolate ganache was suddenly placed before her.

Exhaling slowly, Connie unfolded her hands from the fabric and placed them back over her lap.

“Where'd you get that?” She calmly questioned, trying to control her breathing.

“Had a chat with Nancy, one of the caterers. Apparently, they have a ton of leftovers in the back and said we could take one. You'd like her," he said with a smirk. "She’s in her fifth year studying astronomy, just like you."

Connie laughed and accepted the fork. “Steven Quartz Universe, is there a single person in this world you can’t make instant friends with?”

"Nope," he answered proudly, spooning a piece of the cake into his mouth.

Connie copied him and hummed with bliss as the creamy dessert melted on her tongue.

It took them no more than five minutes to lick the plate clean. Then Steven arose from the table and gently pulled her onto the dance floor.

"But there's no music," she commented.

"I'll take care of that," he said, pulling out his smartphone.

He cued up a playlist on Pandora and propped it on the table with the volume on the highest setting.

It was mostly drowned out by the roaring heater and vacuums in the background but the melody still ran through.

Memories of swaying on the beach and feeling a rush of euphoria played through the teenager's head at the familiar tune. She looked up at Steven with sparkling eyes. “Our song?”

He smiled instantly and twirled her in his arms. “I know it’s your favorite.”

“Why Mr. Universe,” she teased, stepping alongside him to the beat. “So forward.”

He picked her up, dipped her, and spun her again. Together they laughed and moved in tandem, him gently guiding her with his arms.

She saw the tight-lipped corners of his cheek turn up and instantly relaxed. It was much better than the earlier image of him hunched over, his body covered in jagged horns and scales, screaming in a high-pitch agonizing wail that was painful to bear witness too. But now he was here with her at the dance they both dreamed of and it felt safe.

Her fingers traced up his arm which was now smooth and soft, only leaving a few scars from the remnants of his transformation. She circled the tiny bumps and Steven caught wind of her fearful gaze.

He brought her chin up to his and gave one of his reassuring smiles that always calmed her nerves. "Don’t worry, Connie. I’m never going to turn into that awful thing again. I’m yours tonight.”

And she felt genuine comfort from that. For some reason, she could look directly into his eyes and know he wasn’t lying. Their faces leaned into each other, heat rising up her cheeks as Steven's lips brushed against hers. Then, without warning, she surged forward, deepening the kiss. Steven's eyes quickly flashed open but they slowly relaxed as he melted into her embrace.

The light from his gem glowed and their bodies became engulfed by the pink light. They expected some of the workers were probably stock still, staring at them with gaping mouths. But that didn’t matter now. They were finally together, free of judgment, free of fear. Just the two of them, alone on the dance floor. And that was all they needed.

[myloveandlifeinlajolla]

I’m really bored so here you guys go!

1. selfie

I never do selfies sorry not sorry.  I don’t do them for a number of reasons.  Some of the reasons I hope are kinda obvious.  I have covered this before and it comes down to the fact that the relationship I am in can lead to trouble for my dad, my sisters, and myself.

2. what would you name your future kids?

I would love to keep the family tradition and either use Gaelic or old french names.

3. do you miss anyone?

Oh man I miss having alot of acquaintances.  I was very popular in high-school for alot of reasons; most not too good.  I miss my sorority sisters.  As you get older you find out everyone grows up at different rates.  I have friends that still party like they’re 21 and I have friends that just graduated and are married, 2nd child and are like mini-van mom life!  I miss always having the option to choose whom I wanted to be like that day.

I miss my sisters sometimes.  I have always seen myself as my sisters’ mom. They are on the other side of the country and they live together so I miss them.  They are getting so close and I miss being part of the stories, the inside jokes etc... it’s sometimes a little hard to be left out.  THEN, they come home and I end up being a driver, cook, maid, and I’m like okay it’s time for you to fly out...NOW! 

4. what are you looking forward to?

I’m at a point in my life where i’m content.  I’m looking forward to creating the house into a home.  I like decorating it.  I’m looking forward to getting the house covered in flowers.  I’m looking forward to working out.  I’m really looking forward to getting my body back.  

5. is there anyone who can always make you smile?

Without a doubt it’s Catie!  I love you missy.

6. is it hard for you to get over someone?

Interesting question and I guess I have a very interesting take on it.  I loved my dad forever but there was a time during counseling where we were working on re-aligning the relationship to be more inline with a traditional father/daughter role so we were engaged in alot of behavior modification for me.  It was really hard (and made me really depressed, and self destructive and failed) but or psych was still having me see my “crush” every day but I couldn’t do any of the things that my mom did and I was only supposed to do “age-appropriate” activities.  But the thing was I loved my mom and I loved doing the things she did.  So, life was just hard. Trying to pretend like feelings for someone don’t exist is a miserable experience.  

7. what was your life like last year?

Life has been interesting,  My dad and I are now living as a couple at the house so there were/are real growing pains associated with that.  it’s no longer just his room and my room and we don’t have to sneak around the house.  That stuff is amazing and I love that.  I miss my sisters.  I miss all my acquaintances.  Catie’s husband got transferred out of Coronado and they are moving to the Virginia. My dad’s grandfather died.  Still have no clue where my aunt is.  This is the longest that has happened.  My middle sister quit softball, my youngest sister is like a full woman and it’s scary.

8. have you ever cried because you were so annoyed?

I have cried for just about every reason under the sun.  

9. who did you last see in person?

Dad as he left this morning

10. are you good at hiding your feelings?

I am not good at it at all.  Mad, you’ll know, annoyed you’ll know. Sad, you will probably see drinking wine.

11. are you listening to music right now?

Nope, YouTube is on 

12. what is something you want right now?

Honestly I feel like sex, anal and giving a blowjob

13. how do you feel right now?

Mildly horny and procrastinating writing up three proposals

14. when was the last time someone of the opposite sex hugged you?

This morning, I’m a lucky girl!

15. personality description

According to my plum profile I am a marvelous manager, chief communicator, and a decision maker.

16. have you ever wanted to tell someone something but you didn’t?

That’s why I have Tumblr. I can tell everyone and it’s really cathartic.

17. opinion on insecurities

We all have them.  Own them but don’t let them run and ruin your life.

18. do you miss how thing were a year ago?

A little.  Everything seemed just a little bit easier.  

19. have you ever been to New York?

Oh my god yes I love it there!

20. what is your favorite song at the moment?

Memories by Maroon 5, Rebel Girl and  Kiss and Tell by Angels and Airwaves

21. age and birthday? 23 now, July 31st, 

22. description of crush.

Dad was about 6′4 225 he’s about 6′1″/2″ now I think he’s still around 230

23. fear(s)

I never talk about my fears.

24. height

I’m 5′9″

25. role model

It’s cheesy but my dad.

26. idol(s)

I don’t really have any

27. things i hate

I hate shitty people.  I hate mean and manipulative people.  There are nice to your face and shitty behind you.  If you don’t like me just be honest.  We can be polite we don’t have to be friends.

28. i’ll love you if…

I don’t like being cold so if you keep me warm that’s one way.  I like shopping so if you like to go shopping with me that’s a good way.  I love having good coffee and also tea.

29. favorite film(s)

Phantom of the Opera, Sleeping Beauty, Diamonds are a girls best friends, breakfast at Tiffany’s stuff like that.

30. favourite tv show(s)

West wing, how I met your mother, friends, sex and the city, the big bang theory, the office, scrubs.

31. 3 random facts

I was a triple jumper, I have so many bikini pieces I rarely ever wear matching parts, I suck at swimming and look like a dog swimming.

32. are your friends mainly girls or guys?

I have a ton of girl friends

33. something you want to learn

I want to learn programming

34. most embarrassing moment

The moment I hooked up with Catie’s crush in high-school and she was about to let everyone at the party know my “daddy issues” were alot more than that.  yeah that sucked.  But he was a giant dickhead so I guess it worked out.  

35. favorite subject 

Biology

36. 3 dreams you want to fulfill?

DREAMS... get married, have children, not be in a secret relationship

37. favorite actor/actress

Reese Witherspoon, and Audrey Hepburn

38. favorite comedian(s)

Ralphie May, Norm McDonald, Jimmy Fallon, 

39. favorite sport(s)

Track and Field, Sailing, Rowing, Dressage, and Surfing I was only okay at Track and Field

40. favorite memory

My prom night

41. relationship status

Taken, and like noone knows,..Sad face

42. favorite book(s)

An honorable Profession, the Great Gatsby, 

43. favorite song ever 

Still gives me chills,  Chi ll bel sogno di Doretta but you really have to be in the mood, 

LA MUSICA NOTTURNA DELLE STRADE DI MADRID. No. 6, Op.30

Pachelbel - Canon in d

More popular stuff is mashups

44. age you get mistaken for

18-20 I have a baby face

45. how you found out about your idol

I just want to be the best me I can be. no Idols.  

46. what my last text message says

To a coworker, “How’s it going?”

47. turn ons

Be nice and kind (especially to a poor/homeless)

Dapper not stylish but classic

Salt and pepper hair

In shape and clean!!!!

48. turn offs

Dirtiness, disheveld, rude, loud and crude.

49. where i want to be right now

I want to be in Manhattan looking out the window onto a city of snow, with dad

50. favorite picture of your idol

nope 51. starsign

I’m a zodiac but none of that means anything.  

52. something i’m talented at

blowjobs! No really I love them.  Also I’m great at meticulous lab work and business strategy.

53. 5 things that make me happy

1. 99% of the time Dad. 2. Being snooty and posh.  I love the opera, symphony, I love getting dressed up, and the whole ritual of it all. 3. coffee and cold misty beach air while im in a warm sweater out by the pool looking at the ocean.  4. shopping, 5. recognized for good work at work.

54. something thats worrying me at the moment

family and I really need to let things go.

55. tumblr friends

Yep got them but I don’t know if they want me to out them here. So you guys get to stay hidden!

56. favorite food(s)

Braised lamb shank is good

57. favorite animal(s)

I love big wrinkly dogs that slobber (WILL NEVER GET THEM) I can’t imagine trying to keep a clean house with fur and slobber!

58. description of my best friend.

What more can I say about Catie, she knows everything and has been my rock since I was 11!  She even planned prom for me which was why I am where I am really.  I mean It helped get us here alot faster.  She is my bestie.

59. why i joined tumblr

This iteration of tumblr has been to talk about what it’s like to be in a real relationship with my biological father NOT some cheesy porno or erotic story.  I try to talk about the real relationship struggles we have.  Answer questions etc... But I guess I am kinda boring because no one asks anymore.  

60. ask me anything you want

[ichika27]

Chuubyou Gekihatsu Boy

I watched an episode of this every week alongside watching ‘Mairimashita! Iruma-kun’ but I didn’t think I’d like it so much that I wasn’t able to do individual episode posts like I did the latter.

I only heard about this anime’s existence on tumblr, got intrigued and found out it was originally a Vocaloid song that got an LN and now an anime adaptation and quickly watched it cause Muse Asia also uploads it on their yt channel.

The series ended last week on it’s 11th episode (yeah, not even 12th which is sad cause I thought I still at least have a week before saying goodbye to this show) so now I thought of posting my thoughts on it. The few character screenshots I took were from the last episode as a result.

The Story:

Chuubyou Gekihatsu Boy’ is about Hijiri Mizuki, a transfer student, who got recruited by the school’s Hero Club much to her dismay. She wanted to live a peaceful life but the memebers of the club she got dragged into are all chuunibyou and they’re convinced she’s one of them. Now called ‘Pink’, she goes on various little misadventures with the gang as they fulfill certain request from many different people.

The Characters:

Hijiri Mizuki - Our heroine - called ‘Pink’ by the others, especially Noda. She reluctantly joins the Hero Club who would drag her along in their missions. She loves puzzles and want to live peacefully and is often exasperated with the weird antics of her clubmates. Being the only ‘sane, non-chuuni’ member of the club, she acts like the audience surrogate and is the POV character of the series. She may or may not have actual special powers.

Noda Yamato - the team leader and calls himself ‘Red’. The loudest and most enthusiastic member of the group who thinks of himself as a hero. He calls everyone by their color-based codenames that he assigned himself. He is very athletic (like really athletic) and uses his skills to help people. He’s kind and friendly but has trouble accepting a ‘no’ from people he wants to recruit in their club (like Mizuki and Futaba)

Takashima Tomoki - takes up the codename ‘Yellow’ and is a pretty boy who could’ve been popular with girls except even though he does have a bit of narcissistic streak, he doesn’t do well talking to real girls and has already devoted his heart, soul, and entire wallet to his waifu ‘Sora-chan’. He’s one of the least chuuni member of the group and can hold normal conversations with others unless it’s about his beloved Sora-chan then he won’t stop being a fanboy and would associate things with her. He’s nice and wouldn’t hesitate in joining whatever antics the other members get into and would go along with their fantasies.

Nakamura Kazuhiro - is dubbed ‘Black’ and the most in deep with his chuunibyou self. He calls himself and prefers to be called ‘Ryuushouin Touga’ and believes he’s reincarnated from a guy who was a half-demon, half-angel hybrid who has a strong power he must repress or it would mean chaos. The manner in which he talks, the way he describes anything, and his poses and what he trained his pet bird to say is a part of his chuunibyou self.

Tsukumo Rei - ‘Purple’. Thinks of himself as a schemer and would often act like he’s a badass and mysterious loner but in reality, he’s easily scared and he’s good at houseworkand cares about their cat Benjamin. He also enjoys being in the club despite his loner attitude (that is just a chuunibyou act). He can be easily persuaded to do things through either scaring him (like his what his sisters do) or through flattery (like telling him he’s totally the only one who can do this certain thing). He usually ends up arguing with Futaba once he joins in their group.

Mikuriya Futaba - ‘Green’. The last member to join in the Hero Club. He’s good at a lot of things and with his cool and aloof personality he easily became popular with girls at their school. He transferred from overseas and as such, he peppers his sentences with English words. He might not act like a chuunibyou but he has his own secrets. He does enjoy doing club activities though and would often get in an arguement with Rei.

My Thoughts:

Okay, so when I looked this up before when it’s still on it’s first week, everyone says it’s a ‘reverse harem’ as it does have the beginnings of one - lone female MC joining an all boy’s club and they’re all good-looking. I expected as such, too but as weeks passed by, I realized it’s not happening. The romance is nearly non-existence with the exception of a few ship tease scenes with a few characters but they’re not really put into focus. The entire show is them all building their friendship with each other especially in the case of Mizuki and Futaba who are both transfer students and the last to join the group. Also, Tomoki only loves Sora-chan lol.

I really liked this show though. Yeah it’s cringy when you watch them acting all weird but it’s not as bad as other shows which also relies on cringe comedy and the reason why is that, to me, what causes most of the ‘pain’ isn’t the embarrassing thing the characters do but the reaction from people around them. Seeing them humiliate themselves is painful and funny to watch but here, there isn’t that as many of the other characters outside the Hero club are used to their chuunibyou actions that they don’t really get a big reaction anymore except from Mizuki who is new.

Also, I expected them to fail or at least cause more trouble than they are able to help when fulfilling requests as in what happens to other shows with quirky characters but here, the only ones they trouble are themselves because they usually go too over the top. They don’t really cause much trouble with everyone else (except that one time at the temple and what I feel is irrational disapproval from the student council) and everyone in and out of their school is thankful for their existence and appreciates their help - I mean, it’s obvious with them getting a bunch of request asking for help from not just students but other people in town which wouldn’t continue if people viewed them as a nuisance which isn’t the case at all.

It’s really fun to watch though - their personality and the way they show their chuunibyou-ness is funny and seeing them slowly becoming real friends (with Mizuki and Futaba’s cases esp.) or showing that they really are friends despite the way they act (esp. in Rei’s case) is heartwarming. I wish I had friends like these in school back then, actually. I mean they’re accepting of how weird you are and overall they just have fun! Them also showing enthusiasm when people ask them for help and them wanting to be able to do so is also nice to watch.

It’s just really cute at times, too!! Futaba speaking in English can feel strange at times and the hints about Mizuki probably having real powers is interesting and Rei doing housework is cute. I’d watch a season 2 if they’d ever make one. There’d be an OVA next year, I hear so I’d probably make a post on that once I watch it.

The theme song is the Vocaloid song created by rerulili with the same name as the title of the show which is where the entire thing originated from but the ones singing are the voice actors for the Hero club (if you search it up on yt, someone had already posted the full version or you can listen to the original one sung by Kagamine Len or the various cover versions that accumulated for years sung by many utaite). The ending song is also a nice and more peaceful song compared to the upbeat OP.

It’s kinda sad this show doesn’t have many fans unlike many shows from this season. I also saw that there were those who dropped it after episode 1. This may not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you’re into comedy, friendship, and could tolerate chuunibyou weirdness then I recommend you try this show at least!

[cloudpools]

you can tell a lot about a person by the music they listen to. put your mp3 player, itunes, spotify, etc. on shuffle & list the first 10 songs. no skipping. MAKE A NEW POST DO NOT REBLOG

Tagged By: @pyoniumyankee ((Thank you, my lovely compost <3 Tagging: Anybody who sees this and wants to do it~

DISCLAIMER: I AM SHUFFLING THE SONGS. FROM MY HIGH SCHOOL IPOD. THAT I HAVE NOT UPDATED SINCE I WAS AN EDGY WEEB FUCK 4+ YEARS AGO. PLEASE DON’T JUDGE ME TOO HARD. But also, this sounds really fun and I’m excited ; w ;

1. Monday - The Living End 2. Caramelldansen (Speedy Mix) - Caramell 3. Forgotten - Linkin Park 4. Be Strong - Kana Yazumi (Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple OP 1) 5. Smile in Your Sleep - Silverstein 6. I Will Not Bow - Breaking Benjamin 7. Cagayake! GIRLS - Sakuragaoka High School Light Music Club (K-ON! OP 1) 8. As the Cold Rain Falls - Tiger Army 9. SHIVER - the  GazettE (Black Butler OP 2) 10. Hypnotize - System of a Down

This could have been worse.

[fictionerd]

Good to see you, friends!

“WHAT’S THIS!? This isn’t Uma Musume! Fictionerd! Explain yourself!”

Well. I watched this week’s Uma Musume and as I did I had this sinking sensation. The episode didn’t really move me to dig in depth into it the way I have my other long-form posts. So I instead went to watch this week��s episode of Caligula and scrape my scales and call me Seath if it wasn’t about a thousand times better. So let’s all take a deep dive into Episode six of Caligula.

WARNING! I ENGAGE IN A LOT OF SPECULATION THAT MAY BE OFF THE MARK. I REPEAT A COUPLE TIMES IN THE POST BELOW, BUT LET’S GO AHEAD AND GET IT RIGHT OUT FRONT! PLEASE NO SPOILERS FOR THE STORY MOVING FORWARD FROM THOSE WHO’VE PLAYED THE GAME(S). THANK YOU.

We open on Mu preparing the first song of the night aimed at activating the digi-heads and allowing the Musicians to combat the rogues. We get an inkling of how she’s being manipulated by this Thorn character. Her Utopia has been hijacked by the musicians who seem intent upon living within their own delusions for all eternity.

We then get a series of quick establishing scenes showing the various characters and the situations they open in. Ritsu, Kotaro, and Kotono are still at the weird water-world place facing down Dom lady. Mifue and Naruko are where we left them last episode: with the first fake mom Mifue had in Mobius. Suzuna has run into newcomer Izuru and together they are cornered by another of the Musicians who has watched too many action movies and dual-wields massive sub-machine guns. Shogo just barely escapes the digi-heads by ducking into an elevator. We get a brief flash of what appears to be a girl jumping off a building before the elevator stops to reveal the white-haired speaker kid from the first episode. It seems like everyone who’s noticed the world is the matrix is in deep trouble.

After the OP we jump right back into the action with Kotono using her Catharsis effect to fight Dom Lady. The results are lack-luster with Dom flat-out batting away every arrow Kotono throws at her, even when she throws up to four at a time. They take a break from fighting to compare Mobius to an aquarium. Kotono’s all like, “This whole place is fake. I want my real crappy life back!” Dom lady snorts and says, “You’re a moron. Why would you want that sucky real world where you have to work for stuff when you could just stay here and let Mu brainwash you into thinking everything is absolutely perfect?”

I don’t know about Kotono, but my immediate response would be something along the lines of: “Because living in a world where everything is just handed to you is completely asinine, and would lead to the sort of stagnation you normally only get from full-on clinical depression.”

Enough of that scene, though, let’s catch up with Mifue and Naruko. They try calling Shogo to no avail. Sorry, ladies, he’s found himself in a situation he can’t just “cut” out of. You know how it is. You run into an acquaintance from school and they just demand you “Shoot the shit” with them. (I brought up his scene early just to make those puns and I’m not sorry).

Crazy, Pixie Dude shows up and is all like, “Hey you two. Since you know my secret identity I’m going to shame you for your own petty sorrows. Glasses-chick wants to be internet-famous and blandy hates fat people, right? Ooh I do love touching nerves. What you mad? Too bad you can do jack all about it!” 

I have serious concerns about the directions they might take this guy in because of the whole “overweight dude living as a cute girl thing”. That’s one fucking minefield of a subject matter that I’d prefer to avoid until and unless we learn more about why he went with that. Depending on how it shakes out there could be some serious problems there. (Oh who am I kidding? There’s going to be serious problems with that character regardless.)

Once more I feel the need to alert those who’ve played the games ahead of time: NO SPOILERS PLEASE. I don’t CARE how the game handled it, because I’m watching the anime.

Okay! Enough of that aside: Back to the fight between Kotono and Dom. They basically continue their conversation from before and Kotono’s ranged attacks continue to be largely ineffectual. I’ve gotta say she seems to have gotten the “Shaft” on this particular matchup. (Jesus why am I doing this?) 

Kotaro tries to get Aria to Cathars him up some beatin sticks, but she’s all like. “Sorry, bro, you’ve not got enough edge to work with.”  Ritsu, realizing that they’re basically dead weight advises him to run and he’s all like, “But why?” 

“Because they keep damaging those tanks and I don’t want to drown, That’s Why!” So they do and then we cut to the source of my puns from before where Crazy-eyes White-hair is trying to make several points to Shogo all at once with what appears to less be a sword and more a collection of random serrations. Fortunately Shogo’s Dirty Harry special is a functional parrying weapon, but his stance is basically shit so he keeps getting thrown around. 

I’m seriously confused as to why he’s suddenly at such a disadvantage. Isn’t he somewhat experienced at this? Shouldn’t he at least be able to keep his footing?

Whatever, We jump back to Thorn and Mu who kinda snaps out of a trance.

“Girl whose name is not at all suspicious, why does it feel like the people I brought to my stately pleasure dome are all in pain and anguish?” “We call it tough love.” “Okay then, if you say so.”

And we move on. Wannabe Action Star has cornered Suzuna and Izuru and tries to be all intimidating just to strike out horribly and make Izuru look badass for just staring the punk down as a bullet grazes his cheek. (I’m assuming he got better build up to his introduction in the game. That or I just didn’t notice him in the insanity that were the opening episodes of the series.

At this point the various scenes from around Mobius start to converge in their tone. It’s essentially - 

Musicians: This world is perfect! We don’t have to worry about things being hard or frustrating ever again! Rogues: That’s just running away. Sure I may regret this decision later, but I’d rather take a chance at having something real than play pretend forever! Musicians: It’s not pretend so long as we stay here it’s all real! RAAAR

The reason we see the scenes basically bleed together is because Aria is suddenly getting a serious mainline of feels from all the protagonists. She hovers up into the air and begins to glow with an awesome power. “I can feel it! Everyone’s Existential Angst is flowing into me. OH NO!”

And she gets pwned by the shockwave off Dom-lady’s mace. Kotaro runs over to her. We see Mu realizing her friend is still around, but that’s over fast. Then Kotaro picks Aria up and gets teary-eyed, Presumably out of fear that he’ll never get to see what she looks like as a human-proportioned Vocaloid rather than a chibi. Dom calls him a weakling and he’s like, “No I’m not [emphatic pause] Yes I am.” [Sob] Then a few not-so-manly tears fall down his cheeks and splash onto Aria who’s all like, “NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL EDGE!”

She turns into an orange star of “Battle Them” and everyone follows the light while internally screaming in anguish. Aria bundles up all those Feels and everyone but Ritsu undergoes the Catharsis transformation at once. The sudden realization that so many people didn’t like playing in her doll house makes Mu’s record skip before she, too, gives in to the edge. With ten minutes left in the episode we get our title card and all the protags are like, “Sweet threads! Thanks, Aria, now we can whoop some ass.” 

And that’s exactly what they do. Maybe I’m just spoiled from watching Megalo Box last night, but up until this point I didn’t think the fighting in this had been much to write home about, but the big battle at the end between the Rogues and the Musicians was pretty cool.  I sort of want to skip to the end at this point, but there’s something I need to touch on first. Remember when I mentioned Shogo’s Elevator flashback? The main reason I remember it is because when he’s asked why he wants to go back to the real world so bad he says “Because I’m a Murderer.”

Again No Spoilers! but I can’t help suspecting that he’s blaming himself for something he didn’t have much power to stop. Okay, subject addressed back to the fight.

Ritsu’s the only one who hasn’t impaled himself on his feels, and he’s struggling with this whole “Determination to keep fighting” thing. Everyone around him doesn’t just want to go home, they’re fighting for it. Just as he’s wondering what exactly he is and what he could have to fight for Mu descends from the heavens. She’s basically having a mental breakdown because she doesn’t understand why everyone won’t just let her make them happy. She’s taken all their pain and suffering and made them her problem. That sort of Empathy and desire to help others is admirable, but she’s handling it in the absolute wrong way. She’s trying to help them forget about their pains rather than face them. She’s basically gotten to the point where she’s angry at them for not being grateful for what she’s done. She doesn’t realize that she’s ultimately done more harm than good.

When she just LOSES IT! Words don’t suffice. It needs to be WATCHED. 

So she starts overflowing with all the negative emotions she’s been taking from everyone and bottling up inside herself. She can’t hold back and has to lash out. Ritsu sees this, but not I think as the threat everyone else might see it as. He sees the pain that Mu’s in. He sees how misguided and delusional her quest is, and this gives him his motivation. He’s going to stand against Mobius, not for himself, but for her sake. Maintaining Mobius is obviously doing just as much harm to Mu as it is to everyone she’s keeping brainwashed.

So Ritsu fires a massive FEELS BEAM at the giant ball of EDGE Mu has accumulated and seemingly dissipates it. As Thorn flies(?) off with Mu in her arms Mu calls Ritsu a Jerk.

Post-credits scene all the Rogues decide to team up and officially name themselves the “Go-Home Club”. (Which honestly is probably the best and worst pun of them all).

Question! How the heck are you supposed to use club activities to “hide” what you’re doing? The Musicians know who you all are already! What are you worried about sucking other people in? Why? 

Ugh, I guess I’ll find out as things go on. Now, if you’ll excuse me, this post may be late getting to bed, but so am I. Hopefully the next two days of playing catch-up will go smoother than this.

Until next post, keep talking fiction, friends! I’ll see you soon.

[franeridart]

WHOA BLACK CLOVER HAS AN ANIME NOW I GOTTA GO WATCH IT

Well, only the first episode for now but yeah!!! I can’t wait for my favs to show up aaahhhhhh!!!!!! 

Anon said:Omg, Kirishima, please teach me how to put on eyeliner, your eyeliner game is on point! (Seriously, tho, I love how you draw their eyes and how you draw Kiri in general. He seems so soft. Damn, Bakugou, I'm jealous that you can cuddle him)

THANK YOU!!!! And Kiri has really really pretty lashes in the manga too, doesn’t he? Bakugou too! They have seriously pretty eyes I spend a lot of time trying to get that right when drawing haha still not as good at Horikoshi tho after all, but what can we do~

Anon said:Every time I get a notification you posted something I get extremely happy! That's what your drawings did to me. How can one be so talented.

SOB thank you so much!! You being happy makes me happy so it’s happiness all around!!! What a good!!!

Anon said:Heey!! So I've been wondering... if Aizawa used his quirk on Hagakure would she become visible?? (Btw love your art)

Oh my what a question, I was actually talking about this not too long ago with a friend! And the conclusion ended up being that if her invisibility is a permanent mutation he can’t, but if she can turn it off at will then probably he can too! Right now we still don’t know how exactly Tooru’s quirk tho, so we can’t be sure which is the truth! (I like to think she can turn visible if she wants, but that’s just an headcanon with very little basis haha)

Anon said:Your erasermic art has blessed me 4ever thank u

NAH thank you for liking it and letting me know, man!!!

Anon said:I DIDNT KNOW YOU SHIP ERASERMIC OH MY GOD but seriously you're one of my favourite artists and the fact you like pretty much all the same things as I do is so amazing to me and it makes me so happy because I know that you may draw more of it in the future and I'll get to see more beautiful art if that makes sense lmao thanks for creating stuff 👌👌

Hahahaha yeah it’s one of my top ships in the fandom! Also the only one I read fics for aside from krbk I love them A LOT (and it’s all thanks to my sister who directed my attention towards them a long time ago now, thank you sis) so yeah I’ll definitely draw more of them in the future!!!! And thank you so much for liking my stuff!!!!!

Anon said:Hi! I just want to say I love your headcanon of Aizawa becoming a mentor/role model to Bakugou! Thank you for introducing me to that idea!

YOU’RE MOST WELCOME I’m just a huge huge huge fan of the Aizawa&Bakugou interactions and how much Aizawa cares for him and how much Bakugou respects and trusts him in return, so!!! I’m mostly just pushing on that canon stuff hahaha

Anon said:HORY SHEET BOYO THAT ERASERMIC SHIT IS GOOD SHIT

THANK YOU FRIEND!!!

Anon said:i came to love erasermic thru kiribaku tbh. like i saw erasermic fic in the kiribaku tag on ao3 and i read it for the bg kiribaku (kirishima was such a good boi in that fic ngl) and i was like hey erasermic isnt bad. then i saw your art of them comparing them and i was like hey this is good shit 😁👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌👌 keep it up pal

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ll t r y !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :O

Anon said:Do you think Kyoka and Katsuki could get along? Over their like for punkrock maybe, and their gayness. Kinda like Todoroki and Momo's talks about their tiny crushes.

WHY YES ANON I think they could be the bestest of pals, I’ve actually drawn them together now and again cause I like the idea of them being friends so much - a list of some of the things Bakugou and Jirou do together:

make fun of Kaminari (Kaminari feels attacked and liked it better when Jirou was convinced she didn’t like Bakugou)

share music recs and go to concerts together (when it’s big ones they particularly care for they stand in line The Whole Day and at first it used to be sorta awkward but now being together makes the hours fly)

mutter sass and snark under their breaths to themselves in class and without meaning make the other snort or have to hide an actual laugh (they sit next to each other in class did you know that that’s my fav thing tbh)

say “god, I’m so fucking gay” and answer “mood” whenever Kirishima and Momo, like, exist or do anything equally outrageous

sit next to each other with their phones in hand in silence and at the same time look up with an intense/bored/obviously-judging-sero-come-on-look-at-them expression whenever anyone walks past them (they’re actually playing bullshit app games)

play bullshit app games in co-op or having each other as friends to earn more rewards cause they have a No-Judging policy going on between them that makes sharing this sort of otherwise embarrassing stuff with each other okay

Anon said:Hi!!! I love your art and I just wanted to ask....what band were you referring to when you said Mic named him after the band "eraserhead"? Could you possibly be talking about the filipino band "Eraserheads"?

Yeah!!!!! Tho I’m sorry to let you down anon, but I haven’t actually ever heard much from them (justttt one song two days ago cause I got curious) - I found out about them while looking up the movie!

Anon said:I love how you draw mic with his hair in a bun. It's super cute

THANK YOU!!!! But I can’t really take the merit for that, since that’s how he actually wears his hair (more or less) when he doesn’t gel it up for his hero costume!

Anon said:What is your favorite kiribaku au? :D

Oh boy, I sort of love everything and anything I’ve ever seen/read tbh, I’m a HUGE AU lover!! At the moment to anything with the fantasy AU (and dragon!Kiri is always a super welcome plus) is gonna make me go :O !!!!!!!! hahaha so maybe that, who knows! It’s for sure the one I think about the most!

Anon said:Hellooooo i love your art so much? Especially the bakushimas oh my god (also do you plan on drawing more soul eater *coughs*-deathstar-*coughs* in the future?) Have a good day!!

THANK YOU! And I dunno, maybe! If inspiration strikes, why not!

Anon said:hey guess what i just did... went through your ENTIRE art tag (all the way back to the knb and one piece), i found it really cool to see how your art has developed and see what your fav ship is at a certain time (and how you always come back to bokuroo)

Ah man thank you for spending all that time on my blog hahaha I wouldn’t say I always go back to bokuro though? It’s more like... whenever the manga brings the bokuros back I’m ready to start hyping all over them again hahaha my bokuro periods always happened while they were doing things in the manga, after all~

Anon said:u said u couldnt draw iida, lie of the century. i lvoe u

AHHHHH I’m glad you liked him!!!! I spent lotsa time on him in the past month or so trying to get a grasp on him, so I’m really seriously happy it seems to have paid off!! to quote Todoroki

Anon said:where’s ur faq i’m on mobile

SORRY maybe you already noticed but I added the link in the description! 

Anon said:have you ever thought about if eri-chan can... erase her own quirk?? and would how they might handle it

Actually that’s the first thing I thought when Mirio got his own erased... well, it still depends on what exactly Eri’s quirk does? We sorta assumed she had the same quirk as Chisaki, but they aren’t actually related so who knows? I sure hope she can fix the damage done on Mirio, tho!

Anon said:I ADORE YOUR ART SO MUCH OH GOD HAVE A NICE DAY FRAN

OH MY GOD THANK YOU I HOPE YOU HAVE A NICE DAY TOO!!!

Anon said:Usjeiwiwj oh man, i love cats, my cat relates to urs big time ajsjehej

Cats are such a mess and I love them with all of my heart to be honest hahaha

Anon said:Do u have any, idk idea about traitor!Kaminari? I just imagine how would others react? I think it's hella sad, and still Denki never wanted this, something just go wrong in his life and it's breakin my heart... ARGH, sorry for interrupt you with something like that...

It’s okay, don’t worry about that haha but I can’t say I find the theory possible in the least, so I haven’t really spent time thinking about it at all? I mean, I can imagine it would be full of angst and regrets and a lot of tears and anger mostly from his close friends, but since I just can’t believe this theory I can’t say I have anything specific I can give you on this orz sorry!

Anon said:Who's get jealous and possessive between bakugou and kirishima?

Actually I dunno man, are they possessive and jealous? I feel like they both would like it when the other told them stuff like “I’m yours” or “you’re mine”, but being there complete and utter trust between them they wouldn’t actually be jealous or act in a possessive way... does that make sense? At most I think they’d be insecure in the beginning of their relationship, but once they managed to make it clear that yes, you’re the one I want, no one else, just you then they would have little to no problems in that sense haha

Anon said:So many people seem to misunderstand bakugou and I just really like how you portray him. Good characterization and good art! 💖✨

SOB THANK YOU !!!!! this means the universe to me oh g o d s!!!!

Anon said:Wait!! This isn't your main blog? Omg how did I not know this. What is your main blog (if you're willing to let people from this blog follow it haha)?

AHHHH yeah I have a main one this one is just for my doods!!! the main is @franeridan, if you wanna follow it! I’m mostly just crying over bakugou and kirishima and complaining a whole damn lot about... everything, tho hahaha

Anon said:I'm not the anon but u know the concept that kiri n Baku would meet when they were younger and when Baku was more... violent? (i know that's not the right word, I'm not a native speaker sorry!) Like I think kiri could actually make Baku less of a bully? Considering how much positive impact he had on his personality AFTER it already developed (like idk if this ask makes sense? What do u think?) ◇ (btw putting smth like ◇ was a genious idea ty, idk if u remember that ask tho?)

Yeah yeah yeah yeah!!!!! Actually I’ve been thinking about this A LOT in the past couple of days and my conclusion ended up being that the key would be either for Kirishima to know Bakugou since they were really young OR for him to not attend Bakugou’s same middle school? Like, if they developed their personalities together, having someone like Kirishima around since they were kids could have made Bakugou develop differently, but if we go with the “they met in middle school” scenario then I think Kirishima would have had the same sort of...soothing? Effect on Bakugou only if Bakugou didn’t see him as a threat to his dream of being the only kid from that middle school to enter UA. Well, a scenario in which they had known each other since they were small young babies and Bakugou reached middle school going “the only one from this middle school to enter UA is gonna be me and Eijirou”, that would have been hella cute wouldn’t it hahaha growing up with a notion of us instead of just me would have changed Bakugou a lot, I’m pretty sure :D

[thoughts-of-a-bibleophile]

bit of a rant/review of pokemon the movie i choose you

Ok. Can we talk about the Pokémon movie? It was a beautiful fucking mess.

Why?

Let me preface this by saying I am a huge Pokénerd and am a fan of the games and anime (I haven’t watched it in years but what I have seen recently I enjoyed). Saying that, I also am someone who won’t take “well it’s just a kid’s show/movie, it doesn’t have to be good” as an excuse ever, especially with well-done kid’s movies are coming out every year at this point.

Anyway. if you are curious, for some reason, about my opinion of the latest movie in the Pokémon franchise....continue reading.

Also. SPOILERS BELOW.

So. Like I said previously. It was a beautiful, terrible hot mess.

A h o t mess

Let’s start with why I thought it was terrible (and weed out the butthurt fans right off the bat)

Story wise, there were issues. Since they crammed the entirety of season 1 into it with different characters and picked the best episodes of the season as story points.

Like I would compare it to The Last Airbender movie in how over-stuffed it was in story, since that movie also tried to an entire season into a movie, but I can’t compare them because The Last Airbender movie is actual garbage and this movie is.....not that.

Main complaint is movie length. Why is it so short when it could have been so much longer and filled with more character interaction and development?? I’m not asking for Pixar quality because I’m not expecting Pixar, but if you’re gonna introduce us to new characters and expect us to love them and miss them when they leave, give us a bit more to go on than just snapshots of their journey. Speaking of snapshots, though, I did like that little touch of Verity going through her phone to show the moments they’ve all been together -- clever, time-saving story-telling choice, that.

“No one watches/plays Pokémon for the story/characters” -- WELL I DO. THEY’VE DONE IT IN THE PAST AND MADE A MEMORABLE STORY AND GAME FOR US, SO THEY CAN DO IT AGAIN. Have you even SEEN Pokemon Mewtwo Strikes Back? BECAUSE BOI THERE WERE TEARS AND IT WAS THE BEST.

Just...The reason the other Pokémon movies worked so well/better is because we knew the characters involved aside from Ash. If we’re being introduced to new characters in this movie, give us a reason to care about them.

There was also just very little tension because I knew that they were just highlighting parts of the first season (or so), so whatever problem they had would be worked out by the end. Also, because it’s Pokémon and Ash is an OP MC.

My boi Sorrel tho

I love Sorrel, though. A+ dude. I wish he had more screen time because he's such a cute little bean and I FUCKING CRIED when his Luxray died HGHSJJJJjdee (but does he only have Lucario?? Like I know he was too afraid to love a Pokémon after Luxray, but boy are you seriously going on your own with one mon???)

I was also happy to see that he found Articuno, but WOW these kids are lucky because together they’ve all seen like four legendaries (Entei, Raikou, Suicine, Ho-Oh) in the span of a year (or so?) Some people, apparently, don’t see legendaries EVER and these kids see FOUR? I know it’s because plot but dang.

Verity (like the lake!)

Verity (ha her name is Verity and she's from a region with a lake named Verity lol) kind of just reminded me too much of Misty with her Pokémon being water types. If they were gonna add that little background about her mom, I wish they would have done more with it. Like...explain how she uses water types because her mom loved water types. She uses a Piplup because her mom has an Empoleon. I just wanna know MORE about her. GIVE ME MOREEEE DANG IT

I also def thought they were gonna have her mom as someone we've met in the games/show before, but no. Just random, faceless character we never see/meet.

Angry child Cross who is essentially Kacchan from My Hero

Can we talk about Cross for a second?

Yes, he’s an asshole, but, especially with that little redemption arc, he’s not EVIL. Like I know they needed someone to set off all the bad things, but this boy doesn’t have an evil heart. Just say....like a darkened heart or whatever because if he was evil he wouldn’t get a redemption arc like that. He’s just a proud asshole who believes in strength over friendship.

Honestly, true antagonist is Marshadow because WOW SOMEONE NEEDS TO COOL THEIR JETS. I was also incredibly confused as to if Marshadow was good or bad.... Like they say its a guide and someone who restores the balance or fixes the Ho-Oh feather, which sounds like a good guy, but this little bitch was stirring up all the trouble and ends up being the main villain like good lord what is going on.

The animation, the colors

Damn I forgot how good the battles look. Like DAMN. So much tension for a battle I know Ash is gonna win. So much hype when LITERALLY NO ONE UNDERSTANDS TYPE MATCHUPS LIKE A PIPLUP VS A PIKACHU THE PIKACHU WILL WIN IDIOTS

Ahem. But I'm probably thinking too much like the games and not the show which kind of throws the games out the window so whatever.

But yeah, man, I forgot how beautiful something can be when it goes onto the big screen. Like, the Pokémon anime has always had a certain look, a certain charm to it (yes, even in the Sun and Moon series), but it just looked so great and beautiful and gorgeous and lovely on the screen and I’m honestly excited for it to come out on DVD/BluRay whatever so I can see it again.

Ok...it’s not Your Name or a Ghibli film. But...it’s still a very pretty Pokémon movie and it touches my nostalgic, nerdy heart.

ALL THE NOSTALGIA

You read my complaints above, but I will admit that, while it was a bit ridiculous to cram the entire first season into one movie, I enjoyed that it was a celebration of sorts of the show from its beginning? Which was honestly great. They had all of the best, most memorable moments from the show (the pilot -- obviously, finding Charmander, Bye Bye Butterfree). I was near tears a few times with all the nostalgia, guys.

I wish they had brought back Misty and Brock if they wanted to really really celebrate the first season, but c’est la vie.

AND THEN THAT THEME SONG GAVE ME LEGIT CHILLS. I DON’T CARE THAT IT WAS REMIXED. I HAD CHILLS. GOOSEBUMPS E V E R Y W H E R E.

I saw the theme song remix on YouTube prior to seeing the movie and I felt all the nostalgia then, so you’d think I wouldn’t get chills when I saw it.

Welp, we’d both be wrong then. Because ALL THE CHILLS. ALL THE HYPE FOR THE REST OF THE MOVIE. IT WAS GLORIOUS. (imma put it on repeat after i post this, tbh.)

Other things that don’t really have a place elsewhere

Also, this was pretty much the X-Men days of future past of Pokemon. Tbh. Because, unless this is just AU first season? (I can’t remember if this was confirmed to be just the alternate universe first season), it’s like they’re saying well, here’s the NEW beginning of the show so now we can do whatever we want woo! (Jesus I sound like Kukui)

Speaking of doing whatever they want...

PIKACHU SAID WORDS??? ENGLISH? WHYY???????????? I WAS SO CONFUSED AND WONDERED IF MY SODA HAD BEEN SPIKED

I know they were trying to do the throwback to Mewtwo Returns (BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT WAS ONE OF, IF NOT THE, BEST MOVIES AND SO DOES THE POKÉMON COMPANY) and we all want to remember why we love Ash and Pikachu so much and why THEY care about each other so much. But....that was.......strange. Maybe the Japanese audience liked it more because that seems to be the only opinion they really care about, but I know I wasn’t the only one in the theatre just staring at the screen in confusion asking what the actual f u c k was going on.

Last things

I may have my complaints -- that I’m throwing out into the ether just to get them out of my head -- but that doesn’t mean I disliked it.

It’s still Pokémon and I’m still a fan and everyone will still be fans regardless of any issues with the movie, any story problems, any characters featured (or lack thereof **MISTY AND BROCK).

With its beautiful animation, particularly in the battles, and gorgeous set pieces, because WOW did you say some of the views they had?, it was nice to see Pokémon celebrated with an old story told with a fresh coat of paint.

This movie may not be the best. It may not be Pokemon: The First Movie Mewtwo Strikes Back (honestly, most movies aren’t that, so that might be a bit unfair to say.) But it’s still got that Pokémon charm we all know and love and has some pretty cool characters along the way. It’s definitely something that every Pokémon fan, young or old, new or a veteran, should watch and enjoy. Because, despite its flaws, it reminds you of better times, nostalgic times.

It reminds you of that first time you played the game or watched the show, when your biggest choice was your starter Pokémon and adventure was just outside the door, waiting for you to take the first step.

(Yes, I’m basically saying nostalgia is what powers this movie, but we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary, so of course there will be nostalgia.)

Some fandoms can’t say they’ve been around for over 20 years -- but Pokémon, with its die-hard fans and ever-growing fanbase who will support just about anything that comes out relating to the games/show, can. And the movie understands that. It understands that just about everyone who sees it will put on their hat, grab their Pokémon, and sit in those theatre seats like we’re all excited 10 year olds waiting to go on our own journeys, waiting to revisit the world of Pokémon regardless of how good the movie is. And that, the strength of the fans and the perpetual love of the series, in my opinion, is the greatest strength.

[aishiteruitsumo6]

QUARTET NIGHT LIVE Evolution 2017 - 2017/02/12 - REPORT Part ②

*Do NOT Repost*

Read Part ① here

I FORGOT TO MENTION! They had intro music for ONLY ONE and it was really kakkoi!

And also about Shoutan's hair! You can barely see in photos, but one side of his hair was partly braided, one braid had green infused in it!

So, I know I scared a few of you by saying how I noticed Shoutan was off with part ① of my report. I never seen anyone else mention about it at all, so I really wondered if it was only me who noticed? So I asked my Japanese Shoutan friend, who, if there was anyone, would notice for sure. And she said she did notice he was off too. She said it could also be the technical difficulties they had which may have bothered Shoutan. I'm glad I wasn't the only one who noticed, I knew I wasn't imagining things!

Winter Blossom

There was a piano on stage and a silhouette next to it. IS THAT SHOUTAN?!?? ITS HIM!!

He sat down, both me and Yukina screamed and were about to cry He started playing!! 😭😭😭😭 Shoutan!Hehatesplayinginstrumentslive!Thefirstthemheplayedhediditforthefanssecondtimeheplayedabitduringanisama2015!!!!Hesplayingagainnnnn!!!!😭😭😭😭 A bit before his line starts in the song, He stopped playing.

He picked up a mic that was sitting on top of the piano with his left hand. We all kinda laughed

He got up, walked forward and paused. Fans:??

Shoutan: Ne? (Hey?)

Waratte. (Smile)

And he smiled beautifully Me and Yukina started to get emotional again (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)

♪Boku wa kimi no naka … Ikitsuzuketeyuku…
Ai wo … Shoutan: Arigatou (
He spoke out arigatou) (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)

*At the end of the song* Shoutan: Mata ne~

Aurora

Maeno had the cane. He walked to the left side and got on the platform, he got raised up.

Then, HE PULLED OUT THE 3RD STAGE RING AND PUT IT ON!!!!! He got lowered down, walked to the middle of the stage, AND PULLED OUT THE 5TH STAGE RING AND ALSO PUT THAT ONE AND YOU GUESSED IT, HE PULLED OUT 4TH RING AFTER AND WORE THAT TOO (Yes, it was in that order)

He's so... Maeno. 😂

Starlight Memory

They sang and danced with mic stands and they were so kakkoi!! Shoutan stood on the right side. They made hearts with their hands If I remember correctly, Shoutan seemed fine from this song onwards.

Video

The Dice Are Cast instrumental ver was played in the background. Footages of QN during 5th Stage, 4th Stage Making of pamphlet shoot and op movie They caught Maeno practicing his dance steps XD Tatsun and Maeno posing with the cakes, celebrating God's S.T.A.R getting number 1 Shoutan and Morikubo with the cakes too.

The first song that starts was something I didn't recognise at all??? The doors opens up and we see something huge with the live logo on it. IT'S DJ MORIKUBO WITH A DJ SET OMFG LMAOO He changed clothes and his outfit looked fitting at a DJ with sunglasses, leather jacket He also had a inbuilt maracas mic!! 😂 He introduced each of the dancers as the DJ

Hurray x2 Dreamer

Morikubo performed this song with a towel The fan chants to the song was amazing!

Double Face

The first thing I noticed is that Maeno wore the bangle light!! XD There was 2 dancers who wore a masquerade mask, one was dressed in white, the other in black, they were on either side of Maeno This performance was amazing. Maeno performed while changing from butler Camus to Count Camus Everyone freaked out every time he changed to Count Camus

NO. 1

During the end part of the second chorus: “aijou kanjou shinjou joushou koujou ZENBU nose de shirane KAIKAN kanjitē daro Baby?” they showed a video of Ranran saying the words to the song and the lyrics plastered on top of each other, one after another (it was graffiti-like) It looked so badass The venue and the cinema was really heated up with the fan chants.

Mune No Koudou

Seeing how everyone changed to a more rock like outfit, I had a lot of expectations with Shoutan's outfit. As soon as he appeared I was so star strucked (*_____*)

He looked so kakkoi and beautiful AND it's Mune No Koudou (my fav song along with Futari No Monogram) FINALLY I can hear him sing it!!!!!!! I never expected it at all, but he danced to the song!! The dance was kakkoi and sassy at the same time lol It suits Ai-chan! Throughout the whole performance I sat up watching him in awe He was definitely fine during this.

WILD SOUL

The choreography was just like 4th Stage, except you can see the huge difference from then and now. Tatsun was so much more confident this time round.

A.I

Shoutan: Ne let's walk together *pretends to hold someone's hand walking He looked extremely teretere!! (Shy) looking away and things Ahhh!! He puffed up his cheeks as well OTLOTLOTL

Kiss Wa Wink De

Morikubo sang with maracas mic and held another maracas in his other hand. The dancers had maracas too, everyone shaked them along with the song. All the fans shook along with them using their light sticks.

Zettai Reido Emotion

Something crystal/snowflake like came down and Maeno held it on the top of his palm and then it flew away The effects were so beautiful!! During the instrumental part, he pointed the cane towards us along with the beat, as if he was casting magic on us Confetti fell.

Marriage

While Maeno was still on stage, the door opens just like in 4th Stage and the rest of the members came walking out They were SOOO kakkoi!! They all stood still, posing until it was their line to sing The did the hand circle thing again

God's S.T.A.R

AHHHH!!!! WE ALL WOW WOW'D WITH THEM JUST LIKE SHOUTAN ASK BEFORE!! I'M SO GLAD THAT WE DID THAT IN THE THEATRE TOO!!!!!

Definitely the best song of the night, everyone was fired up from it!

KIZUNA

They were all on the stairs and then walked down a little and they sat down in the same order as QN did in the car in the anime!!!!

Morikubo pretended to drive They played the anime scenes throughout the whole song ❤️

End

Tatsun’s talk Can I say something? I don't want this to end

Morikubo: We always talk about it this!

Tatsun: We've spent a whole week together rehearsing Even after we've finished rehearsals we didn't want to leave! Shoutan: Sou ne, we didn't want to leave! Yeah, after finishing rehearsals and checking we've done enough, we’d end up just staying and talking for another half an hour XD

Morikubo Really, thanks to everyone GOD's S.T.A.R got number 1 on Oricon chart and Gold Disk Award We're able to hold a live and it's thanks to you all and the staff.

Tatsun (This part is most likely really, really out of order, Tatsun's talk was really long Sorry!!) Really, last time in 5th Stage, I've caused such trouble, I wanted to do my best. I've let Ranmaru down, everyone, the staff, Utapri, production... Making everyone worry...

Tatsu: We've practiced and prepared so much just for today. I've started a lot new things because of Utapri, like dancing. I've never tried that before Utapri. Morikubo: you danced the full song! Tatsun: This was my revenge!  

Tatsun: If it wasn't for everyone, I wouldn't be standing here, talking big.

Well, I'm all fine now though! *Everyone laughs* But really, I'm sorry for having caused so much trouble and for making everyone worry. I'm really sorry.

I would be happy, if people would love Ranmaru more, and love Quartet Night and Utapri more

Tatsun’s talk made me and Yukina cry so much. He really loves and cares so much about Ranran!! To think that what happened during 5th Stage would affect him THIS much! ><

Shoutan I can't say anything as cool as Mori nii and Tatsu nii I don't know much phrases, it's always the same things. Really, as Mikaze Ai, as a member of Quartet Night, I'll continue to do my best

As Quartet Night, even this time, compared to everyone else I'm still the newbie after all

When reading the script, I'm always watching Ai's back, thinking, how can I catch up to him? I must catch up to him. I feel like, even just a little, I've finally caught up a bit with Quartet Night and Ai.

Thanks to the staff, production, thanks to the staff... Ahh, I said it twice... >< *face palms* Morikubo: Maa ne, there's a lot of them Shoutan: Thanks to everyone.. Ahhhh >< *Me: Ganbare!* Shoutan: I couldn't say it well at the end...

To be given the role as Ai, for Utapri to become so loved, and for Ai to become a character who is loved. I'm extremely grateful.

Thank you for Ai-chan’s existance and for giving Ai-chan a voice Shoutan 😭

Maeno Really, apart from being a Seiyuu I don't do anything else at all, so there was pressure on that part. At first I thought, is it really ok to be Camus?

I'm really glad to be a part of Quartet Night. Really, I believe it if wasn't for Starish we wouldn't be here, they were the ones who started everything *Everyone agrees

Morikubo To tatsun* I love your voice! This guy! He’s the most heated up out of all of us!

Shoutan is the most idol like! We were worrying thinking, how can we be more idol-like? We've relied on him many times with that, like how to dance etc *Everyone agreeing Shoutan shaking his head: no, no, no, no, no I'm not Morikubo: You've really helped us a lot!!

Maeno, you work the hardest out of all of us! You're always rehearsing and practicing your steps Even after we're all done you'd still be going over steps by yourself *Morikubo demonstrates pretending to practice steps XD

Tatsun: Morikubo-san... seems really, like he really likes us lol Morikubo: Minna daisuki I'm glad we're Quartet Night!

This isn't the end, we've got our next stage, with Starish and Heavens

Starish is actually here watching this! Fans: OMGGGGGG?!?? Maeno: Ehh, is it ok to mention it??

They said a line from the lyrics to Evolution eve. “Kotoba wa iranai, uta ga areba ii” (If we have our songs, we don’t need any words)

Evolution eve.

After their emotional talks I started tearing up and crying from time to time listening to this song. Also, I always get emotional hearing this song because the episode aired during my very first trip to Japan and it always reminds me of Japan.

They made hearts and did hi5′s again but this time, Morikubu & Tatsun, Shoutan & Maeno. They added a break to the song and did the solo dances again!!!!!!

Encore

We started calling encore but changed to calling out "Quartet Night" pretty soon afterwards. Me and Yukina chanted too Not everyone in the theatre chanted which was understandable

Poison Kiss

They came out wearing, not the black tshirts but white vers?!

The structure of their performance was pretty much the same as previous ones. The dance!

Talk

Tatsun: Thanks for the encore!

Morikubo: ...Ahh, I don't want to end this, lets just stay here! Morikubo begins to lie on the stairs XD

Shoutan: Why is it only one day anyway?

Morikubo: The stage is so big yet, why is everyone so close to me, what's up??? *everyone gets even closer to him 😂 Morikubo: Close, close, close, close, close!! Maeno: We all get along~ Morikubo: Ahhh! We really don't want to end! One more song Tatsun: honestly, I really like this song Morikubo: I like this song too, everyone please sing with us by all means! Live Viewing, please also sing with us!

You're my life

They extended the last part and got us all to sing the Lalalala part a few times

Last greeting

Tatsun was so emotional Shoutan too

They thanked us all without using mics and bowed to us, Shoutan was the first to lift his head

Nooo, don't end! Don't go! >< You can tell they felt the same. They looked at each other with a *we need to go now* look

They walked to the door and turned back facing us From left to right: Maeno, Shoutan, Morikubo and Tatsun They all cried at the end Shoutan was trying so hard, he was all teary eyed, but once he turned to Maeno tears started to fall and wouldn’t stop. Maeno also teared up, Tatsun too

End video

Ai-chan: It was really a fun live, it's thanks to everyone, we'll surely meet again. Camus: You've done well following us up till now, this is certainly not the end. Reiji: it's just like Camus said, it's not the end, thanks to everyone we had this live, Ranran: Because of everyone, this live became possible. Let's meet again at the next live.

I can't remember what song it was anymore, but the camera caught a wink from Shoutan EXTREMELY briefly!!!!!

They mentioned us live viewers A LOT which made us all feel so included! But since they never knew which camera was on them, they always looked and pointed at the wrong direction 😂 It was really cute though

Although this is posted really late, I realised it's actually pretty good timing after posting the translation to Shoutan's 6th Stage blog. He talked about the love they felt at this live, and really, the love was unreal, I've never felt it this much at an event before. You can really feels the fans' love and the Seiyuus' love, they were equally as strong! Obviously I am a huge QN fan, so I am biased, but I felt it more here than in 5th and 6th Stage Because it was purely QN and their own fans. Even though I was in a cinema and not at the actual venue with them, I can say for sure the feeling was all equal. I can still remember the pure satisfaction and happiness I felt after watching this Live. Words can’t really explain it, but it was amazing!

And this was the thing that made this live more amazing than others, of course they were restricted to what they can do because of the venue (I.e. No flying, no driving on the stage lol etc) but even without all the fancy performances, this live was better.

Of course, if QN isn't your number one group then you most likely won't feel what I felt when you come to watch the DVD.

Wait! Maybe I'm not biased! QN Live was better than Shoutan's Prism Live ButnothingwilleverbeatShoutan’sBudokanLive!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let me say this one more time.

I LOVE QUARTET NIGHT!!!!!!!!! 💚❤️💜💙

Here are pics of the goods I bought since I’ve never posted them before

I finally wore my cardigan for the first time at 6th Stage!

ONE LAST THING!

I want to thank everyone and specific people for the response to this post

I’ve actually already written about 90% of this report shortly after the live, but only just wrote the remaining 10% prior to posting this.

@akashiakaashi​

Thank you so much! I’ve honestly never thought about it that way before! I always thought, “people have read other’s reports, they know what happens, so they probably won’t care to read mines anymore...” Your comment gave me a real motivation boost!

@shiritsuskorone​ Thank you! I’m really glad that’s how you see me and that my posts are useful! Thanks for always reading and reacting to my posts! ✨

I also want to say that I used to read everyone’s comments and tags (every single one of them), but I haven’t had much of a chance to do that recently due to life. I didn’t even look any other posts or anything, I only came onto Tumblr to post whatever I needed to and just go. I started to read responses just recently again though.

Anyway, I hope people will wait and look forward to my 6th Stage report!

[akatsuki3519]

Your top 5: favourite 'One Piece' characters, least favourite 'One Piece' characters, anime guys, anime guys that you would date (:P ;)), waifus, favourite opening songs, favourite anime endings, manga, favourite non-anime shows and favourite anime!!! That's quite a list!! Obviously, please feel free to pick the ones that interest you the most!! :D If I think of any more....I'll be sure to put them in your ask box!! ;)

Thanks so much for these, they’re great!!

Favourite One Piece characters: (I have SO MANY, but I think this is accurate! :P)1) Roronoa Zoro2) Monkey D. Luffy3) Trafalgar Law4) Jinbe - if he doesn’t join the crew I’m gonna riot, he’s just the best:’)5) Donquixote Rocinante/Corazon 

Least favourite One Piece characters:1) Blackbeard/Teach - one of my least favourite anime characters EVER, I can’tstand him!! I can’t wait to see him get his ass kicked…2) Akainu/Sakazuki - I hate him too, for obvious (spoiler filled) reasons…3) Trebol - he’s so annoying… >.4) Charloss - I wanted to just say the Celestial Dragons as a whole (except onefamily who shall remain nameless because massive spoilers) but that’s kinda cheating, so I picked my most hated one >:(5) Hody Jones (I just mildly dislike him lol)

Anime guys:1) Killua Zoldyck (Hunter x Hunter)2) Yuuri Katsuki (Yuri on Ice)3) Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass)4) Makoto Tachibana (Free!)5) Rin Okumura (Ao no Exorcist)

Anime guys you would date: (this one was actually REALLY difficult, I changed my mind so many times and had to discount some of my faves for various reasons XD)1) Kiyoshi Teppei (Kuroko no Basuke) - he’s an actual angel 2) Trafalgar Law (One Piece) - okay, so he’s kind gruff and messed up but he’s actually a great person, even if he won’t admit it… :’) I was gonna say Roci but I figured Doffy would likely kill me so maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea lol3) Asahi Azumane (Haikyuu!!)4) Shizuo Heiwajima (Durarara!!)5) Sakuragi Rokurouta (Rainbow: Nisha Rokubou no Shichinin) - a bit of acurveball perhaps, I haven’t seen this show in quite a while and rarely talkabout it (partially because although it’s excellent, it’s very graphic and Ifound it very hard to watch), but I remember loving this character so much,he’s such a sweetheart and really looks out for the younger kids in the show

Waifu’s:1) Yona (Akatsuki no Yona)2) Nico Robin (One Piece)3) Celty (Durarara!!)4) Bishamon (Noragami)5) Machi (Hunter x Hunter)

Favourite opening songs: (okay so for both OP’sand ED’s, I took into account the video for the OP/ED as well as the song,otherwise it would have taken me days to decide!! >.1) Death Parade OP (Flyers by Bradio) - so, SO catchy! 2) One Piece OP 16 (Hands Up by Kota Shinzato) - the song never fails to cheerme up and the footage in the OP is excellent too (and spoiler free! :P)! I haveto mention that this is tied with OP 14 (Fight Together) though… sorry I knowthat’s cheating! XD I prefer the video of OP 14 (has spoilers though) but thesong of OP 16 so they kinda add up to me loving them both the same in the end!3) Haikyuu!! OP 4 (Fly High!! by Burnout Syndromes) - love the song and it’svisually STUNNING as well, the camera angles are phenomenal!! 4) FMA: B OP 5 (Rain by SID) - again, love the song and video 5) Kuroshitsuji Book of Circus OP (Enamel by SID) - and again, love the songand video! I particularly love how the credits are incorporated into the OPtoo!!

Honorable mentions: I feel the need to say I adore all the Durarara!! OP’s, bothNoragami OP’s, Akatsuki no Yona OP 1 and Naruto Shippuuden OP 6, I feel reallybad I couldn’t include them!! >.

Favourite ending songs: 1) Bungou Stray Dogs ED 1 (Namae Wo Yobu Yo by Luck Life) - beautiful melody and beautiful animation 2) FMA:B ED 2 (Let It All Out by Miho Fukuhara) - one of my all time faves!3) Parasyte ED (It’s the Right Time by Daichi Miura) - beautiful, beautiful song!4) Aldnoah.Zero ED 1 (A/Z by Hiroyuki Sawano, vocals by Mizuki) - I love all the music in Aldnoah.Zero, it’s composed by Hiroyuki Sawano after all :P5) Battery ED 2 (Wakamono no Subete by anderlust) - stunning ED… not so good show lol… this one JUST won out over Tokyo Ghoul ED 2 due to the video being gorgeous

Honorable mentions: Baccano! ED, Rainbow ED (first time I heard Galneryus and was blown away by the vocal range), Haikyuu!! ED 3, SnK ED 1, Kuroshitsuji ED 2, Higurashi ED 2, HxH ED 5, Durarara!! ED 2

Manga: (I’m excluding HxH because I’ve only read/amreading the Dark Continent arc in the manga lol)1) Akatsuki no Yona2) Noragami3) Ao no Exorcist4) Rurouni Kenshin5) Kuroshitsuji 

Favourite non-anime shows:1) Dexter - still haven’t finished it, oops…2) Masterchef - I’m obsessed with food/cooking programmes in general lol3) Daredevil - I really enjoyed the first season a lot! 4) Casualty - haven’t watched it in a few months… >.5) Game of Thrones - I’m only on like season 4 but I quite enjoy it tbh lol

I don’t watch much TV at all but I’m probably forgettingsomething… I also really liked Doctor Who when David Tennant was the doctor, notso much now though

Favourite anime: (I’ll probably change my mindtomorrow but anyway :P)1) Hunter x Hunter - this is definitely no. 1 anyway 2) FMA/FMA: Brotherhood - can’t decide, sorry… T.T3) One Piece4) Code Geass5) Kuroko no Basuke

Guilty pleasure anime! :P (one you sent me after this message! i.e. shows I liked that a lot of people didn’t. Therearen’t many of these tbh because I’m very selective with the shows I choose towatch, so I’m also gonna include ones I’m embarrassed I liked lol…)1) Sword Art Online - I really liked the first half a lot, and I also thoughtthat scene in the parking lot near the end was really good lol. I definitelydidn’t hate the second half of the series as much as some people… 2) Black Bullet - I really enjoyed this one okay lol3) Highschool of the Dead - listen, Ecchi aside, I thought this show was prettygood… the Ecchi was SO unnecessary though, it really annoyed me, it wouldhave been a great show without it!4) Trickster: Edogawa Ranpo ‘Shounen Tanteidan’ Yori - okay, so I gave this a 6 and gave it a pretty hard time when I reviewed it, my main thought after the last ep being ‘what was the point in that??’, HOWEVER… I really enjoyed and looked forward to it every week? So I dunno this is a weird one for me lol5) Kuroshitsuji II - PLEASE DON’T DISOWN ME GUYS I’M SORRY! XD This season was objectively awful, but I didn’t hate it for some reason…? I mean I definitely didn’t love it either lol… but I don’t think I had as strong a hate for it as the rest of the fandom… it was a really messed up season though, Alois creeped me out big time… 

Favourite anime endings: (the other one you sent me after this message!)1) Code Geass (R2) - there’s a S3 coming out so I guess you could discount this as the ending of the series now lol… but it was fantastic T.T AND I don’t think I had it spoiled for me beforehand! Massive plus! :P2) Kimi no Na wa - is this cheating? >.3) Hunter x Hunter (2011) - Yes, there are some loose ends (that are continued in the manga), but I think even as a stand alone show the ending was very satisfactory, I loved it!4) FMA: Brotherhood - just a really satisfying and complete ending! 5) Clannad: After Story - I was just so relieved it ended the way it did, I couldn’t have handled it otherwise haha… T.T

Honorable mentions: ACCA, Shouwa Genroku, Angel Beats!

And that’s it!! :D Thanks somuch for these they were such great asks!!

[savyearthprotector]

i want answers to all the muse backstory questions. i couldnt pick just one

Backstory Ask Meme

1. How did you first come up with your muse’s backstory, if you did at all?At the age of 14, lol hell to the no. I was like everyone else, plotting in my head, watching DBZ on Toonami and wondering what it was like if Goku and Chi-Chi had a daughter. I have no problems admitting this, Galina was def borderline mary sue when I first thought of her. I had her owning every single villain, weird ass power boosts and transforming at a drop of a hat, but now close to 15 years later she’s fleshed out and a completely different character now. I was always developing her character throughout the years.

2. If your muse is from a particular show/movie/comic/etc. , how did you first react when you first found out about your muse’s backstory?Galina’s personality are based off Usagi from Sailor Moon, why because - Sailor Moon was my first anime I ever saw and it just took over my soul rofl, hell Sailor Moon is the reason why Galina exists - the way Galina over reacts and her drive to help people comes from Usagi herself, but of course Galina is her own character. I may have taken things from Sailor Moon - can you blame me? That anime is life. 

3. Is your muse’s backstory relatable to you?Before I revamped Galina’s backstory - she was just there for the sake of being there to be honest. If you read my first fic about her - its pretty obvious that she’s just there to be the elder middle child between Gohan and Goten. Now she is a completely relatable to me and to others who have siblings, trying to make both of her parents proud - not just Goku - I see this a lot with Goku daughter OCs - all they care about is having the OC be like Goku and completely undermine Chi-Chi and most of all being in an established lore and not feel like this is just another Goku daughter OC that’s in the way of all the established characters from the series. 

4. Would you rewrite your muse’s backstory? If so, how?I kind of already have when I started this RP blog lmao. Thanks to playing Xenoverse I was able to flesh out Galina a lot and at first RPing on tumblr. 

5. What song reminds you of your muse’s backstory?This song always makes me think of Galina and her relationships with her friends and family https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXN8lv2pkAU

6. Does anything fit your muse’s backstory aesthetically?That’s a simple question. The fact that she wants to have a career other than fighting. She wants to be a pro chef, that’s what I have chosen for Galina to do. 

7. What part of your muse’s backstory makes you smile?Galina is a girl, sister, and aunt  first and a fighter second. Because in an anime where there’s consistent fighting going on and every OC wants to be OP, Galina’s not about that. She doesn’t care if there are other people stronger than her. 

8. What part of your muse’s backstory makes you cry?Probably Future Galina’s life because you know like everyone else in that timeline where the androids murdered everyone, she was no exception. I always made sure she would end up dying in that timeline too. I have seen this and I know people who have done this to keep their OC alive in the future just so that they can end up with Trunks. I was like nah, I’m not about that - I’m killing Galina off like everyone else that died in that future. 

9. What part of your muse’s backstory makes you aggravated?Galina is emotionally sex starved xDD I swear to Kami, I can’t handle the fact that I made her completely sex starved because she had the shelter life of living in the middle of the mountains - basically the middle of no where. 

10. In what ways has your muse’s backstory shaped them as a person?A lot of OCs that are related to canon characters tend to be stronger and more powerful than canon characters. I made sure that she wasn’t as strong as Goku, especially now with all the God tier levels, there’s no way she can catch up to Goku in strength and at this point, she really doesn’t care about fighting. I think now she just wants to settle down and live her life the way she wants. She’s strong enough to handle herself in battle. She may not win or lose, but she can hold her own in battle. 

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Nanbaka 17 | ACCA 3 | ReLIFE 7 - 13 (FINAL) | D Gray Man Hallow 2 - 6

(Nanbaka 17)

I bet the fandom makes, “Something is breaking. It’s my heart,” jokes from now on. Or something similar to that. Fandom is corny like that.

I only just realised, but the green numbers that appear at the start of the OP are cell 13’s prisoner numbers. D’oh.

Couldn’t you just grab the shackles, Rock?

Chibi Hajime? Never seen that one before.

It just occurred to me that Qi may have done this.

There seems to be a patch of purple on Jyugo’s torso…for some reason.

Upa did it…?

Hey, that Bruce Lee quote came back…! There also seems to be a Bungou Stray Dogs vibe going on, not really being helped by the fact Yuto Uemura is Atsushi and Jyugo. Tsukumo is Yuri from Yuri on Ice, which is kinda funny.

I…accept your man candy! LOL.

Kiji and Uno are crazily on the same wavelength…

Oh wow, Uno just pulled out the Dazai stops.

“10 minutes later…”

CGI doors…what a pain in the butt.

The eye style on Uno makes me LOL too hard.

(ACCA 3)

Oh, so the OP’s red bird is an acca. Okay.

Potato gratin on toast. Never tried it, but I like potato gratin on cheese and cheese on potato gratin.

Bar Tattler. Perfect name for a place to spill secrets.

Wow. Formal dress isn’t that different to ACCA wear but it makes people look completely different.

There were huggggggggggggggge strawberries last time, remember?

Ooh. Things are getting interesting thanks to Mauve and the 5 General guys.

(ReLIFE ep 7)

Isn’t that Windows 7 Yoake has?

I never asked this, but what happens to failed subjects?

Hmph. They say in Japan that a guy and a girl sharing an umbrella is romantic.

ReLIFE really addresses the difference between personal involvement and work involvement.

Yoake really does remind me of Dazai sometimes.

LOL, Onoya, Yoake. Meanwhile, is that a pink computer? Don’t think I’ve ever seen a monitor that’s pink, although I have seen a pink brick phone and a pink laptop.

Arata’s senpai’s tale matches Yoake’s relationship with subject 001, now that I think of it.

I wanna know more about Amagase-san.

Love bubbles and sparkles, LOL. You are one strange character, Yoake.

You can easily tell Arata’s saying sumimasen , even if there are no subs.

Why did “I don’t have a car!” make me laugh so much?

I think there was an excess “and” in the subs somewhere when Yoake was reporting near the end of the ep.

(ep 8)

The animation on Oga’s hand was unnatural (as in, his second and third fingers were too far apart) when he waved.

“In the pink of health”? Never heard that one before.

“Appetite” is probably the wrong word for it, Amatsu-sensei.

He didn’t react by laughing at Tamarai’s, but I guess that would’ve been misinterpreted and/or impolite.

The final year of high school is all about going all out…

Is the pill in the eyecatch always blue? I saw it was orange last ep.

There appear to be English dictionaries on Inukai’s shelf.

You can see the bags under Tamarai’s eyes.

Revenge of the CGI balls, LOL.

You can see how much Asaji wants to help when he reaches out but then he takes it back. Huh.

Update: I was familiar up to about this part in the manga.

(ep 9)

Omurice. I like that word. Omurice. Omurice. Probably because “omelet rice” sounds weird…Omurice.

Do you think ReLIFE would benefit if its fandom had more memes? Because bees. The Bee Movie seems to be pretty popular as a meme subject these days.

Is this why people always want younger people to enjoy their youth? So they don’t have their dreams crushed later?

The three line eyebrows are distinctive, but they look a bit weird.

Oga, you innocent butt. Blinking ever so innocently at Kariu.

How ironic of you to say, “The last thing you need is a fall”, Oga.

Hishiron can’t be a soccer nerd. “Gooooal” doesn’t suit her.

Doesn’t Kaizaki have any better clothes than black and grey shirts?

Hishiron has her school bag.

Bullying is a Big Deal in Japan, where you’re not meant to pick on people at all. Western cultures wish for outgoing people, so for someone like me who sits more on the introvert side, life kinda sucks.

Seriously, An and Yoake, get together.

*facepalms* What a dork, Kaizaki. Hitting your head in you panic like that won’t get you anywhere.

That’s a weird way of putting that, Hishiron. “[G]et revenge with someone,” that is.

About the entire plotline: It’s easier to “regress” when it comes to writing stories but harder to “regress” when it comes to real life. It must be because of how used to living and growing up people feel.

(ep 10)

At the top of the staircase, Hishiron looked so confused (after she said that she’d watch the tournament).

“Of course I know.” – (Chorus: Of course Yoake knows.)

You’re too darned strong (regarding the door), Kaizaki.

I heard there was an English dub of ReLIFE. Hopefully they can sell the Hishiron voice well enough.

The first time, I was wondering what came after this.

(ep 11)

Why do people say stuff like “I’ll come with”? I’ve said it before, but never questioned it until now.

I actually think Onoya’ll be really grumpy when she wakes up.

I guess it’s the hairstyle, but I look at Yoake and I’m seeing Dazai…again.

I bet Arata will be sad once it ends, LOL.

Black companies – corrupt businesses filled with salesmen and women who can’t escape. That’s basically what I’ve picked up from Osomatsu-san, anyway.

Notice the pill is normally white/blue. This time it was black/blue.

There’s a very Western feeling to this. No wonder the West likes this more than Japan itself. It’s also quite the sociological study. It helps that this was one of the only two shows I watched in summer 2016 the first time around (the other being Boueibu s2) – I can see “One Wish They Never Wanted” reflected in this, and knowing me and the hard times I went through at the end of the year, it was most likely deliberate. After all, they do carry similar themes.

(ep 12)

I think there was a central institution uni applications go through in Japan. In my country, they have something similar.

I shipped Kariu and Oga so hard during these last two eps. It helps that I almost never take the shows with the ships.

Ow. That burnt so much, Arata.

Such a convenient hole in the wall.

Kamioka’s hair looks a little puffy.

You jerk, Arata. You didn’t think “the same thing”. You thought nothing of the sort!

Why is Arata a fish? Probably because Kaizaki means “ocean peak” (or something like it).

What’s up with that statue?

August 10th, 6:30 pm onwards.That’s when the fireworks festival is.

Arata’s got his own harem~! (Neener neener…and so on.)

(ep 13)

Why are only the girls in kimono?! (Update: Or is that yukata?)

You suave, suave player, Yoake.

The white figures really aren’t helping their case…

The blue and yellow sign tells you there’s a traffic obstruction due to the fireworks.

They’ve got some heavy focus on the earrings in a certain shot. It’s such good news for the ship.

Holding hands is a much bigger deal in Japan than it is in the West.

Of course Tama is such a target for mozzies. She’s so big in that region.

The fireworks look so lifelike in this anime!!! I said that for Showa Genroku too, though.

Like an ephermeal flower, a fireworks exists…or some other weird Yoda stuff like that.

Arata’s seems to be blue, while Chizuru’s seems to be green for the sake of colour coding.

Onoya’s fan says “festival” on it.

The pill background looks kinda like footsteps. It must’ve been deliberate they used such a pattern.

Off model at its worst (when the duo sat on the bench).

Dangitfalsekissscene!

LOL, lookit Hishiron’s creepy face.

Nothing is better than a properly-pulled-off bookend.

Welp, that’s the end of that. Hopefully we can meet again sometime, for some other show.

(D Gray Man Hallow ep 2)

Every time I see this ep, I think of a song. It’s this one, to be precise about it. Never mind about the music video, the lyrics and title suit it too well.

Poor Tim.

Ooh, macaron cake!

I forgot who Phantom Thief G was the first time. Then I checked him up and I remembered.

Wrong “throw”, subbers.

This scene where Link is crying is…very odd. There’s a lot of logic that really should be obvious that gets bandied about here.

Really? Fanservice?

If he has Innocence, Timothy’s guilty (in a sense). How ironic.

How do people even evaluate the Akuma’s level on sight?

(ep 3)

“Soul mate” is probably overreacting a little too much.

What a weird butt Galmar is. I can understand his reasoning for what he thinks though.

(ep 4)

People can never seem to agree on how to spell Tyki’s name.

Renny? Seriously, I laugh too much. “Lenny” would’ve been a proper name, but that’s a guy’s name. Then again, this is anime we’re talking about...

Tim’s so cute with the ZZZs.

That burn, Allen. So deep.

“This is the order of the Pope.”

“Hunting Exorcists, huh?”

(ep 5)

Everyone spells Alma’s name as Alma Karma, but the book cover says Alma Carma (sic). Huh.

Sometimes I question the need for a science section in the middle of an Akuma vs Exorcist war.

What the freak, Earl? Don’t scare me like that!

Improper poses? That’s so threatening. (sarcastic)

Unnecessary fanservice, number 2…? (Specifically the “you perv” bit.)

(ep 6)

A-hey. Young!Kanda animated in such a way that it invokes humour…it looks like Yurio. Lots of things remind me of Yurio these days.

How do they know exactly how many seconds it’ll take until the Seconds regenerate?

It’s bunny!Hoshino!

Such gallows humour. That’s why the novelty wore off on this show.

I think the word they mean is youkai instead of sprite.

The jackets come off…kinda sorta.

Is it “dreamed” or “dreamt”?

Can people even hear using stethescopes? I’ve never tried it myself, but I want to know.

Sometimes you forget Allen’s there.

How’d blonde guy (Edgar) get that blood around him?

[recentanimenews]

The Definitive Ranking of Bleach OPs

  For many years Bleach ruled the roost in the United States fandom as the coolest comic running in Shonen Jump magazine. For a period of time the anime was similarly successful, inspiring everything from cosplay to fanfiction to a live-action movie. Even more than Naruto, a far more sprawling franchise, Bleach defines a specific period of early 2000s anime fight media that briefly enraptured countless high school students as they illegally pored over multiple-part episode splits on YouTube, crafting AMVs set to Linkin Park while listening to Number One on repeat. And yes, I'm including myself in that crowd.

  The Bleach manga ended years ago, and the anime did too. That's all to the good for our purposes though, because it lets us build a genuine historical record based on the anime's most significant achievement: its range of incredible opening songs and animation. What is the best Bleach opening of them all? To craft this list I used this thorough and objective criteria:

  1. Is the song a banger?

  2. Is this opening at least as cool as Sonic Adventure 2's "Escape from the City?"

  3. How does it stand up as an artifact of its time, and how does it stand up today?

  Let's begin!

  15. "BLUE" (ViViD) 

    I like the attention to scale and space in this opening, with energy blasts blowing through whole rows of buildings and Ichigo knocking enemies over like bowling balls. But there's so much fighting happening here, crammed into such a short space, that it's hard to follow. Not a fan of the song either, so this one's placing at the bottom.

  14. "Anima Rossa" (Porno Graffitti)

Porno Graffitti has a long history composing opening themes for anime, accompanying everything from 2003's Fullmetal Alchemist to My Hero Academia. The song they've contributed here is a bluesy number that I'd rank above several other entries on this list. Then why is this #14? When watching this opening, I couldn't shake the feeling that this sequence could have been servicable for any other shonen anime series. Bleach earned its fame through a certain je ne sais quoi, and if it's not here, no matter how competent the sequence is otherwise, what's the point?

  13. "Chu-Bura" (Kelun)

  When rewatching openings to put this feature together, I was frankly blown away by the first half or so of this opening sequence. The cast being cute together and hanging out at the beach! Some unexpectedly fluid animated hijinks as Ichigo walks to school! A pretty good song! Then the fighting kicks in and the rest of the opening is comparatively boring. Worth a watch, though.

  12. "Harukaze" (SCANDAL)

  This was the last Bleach opening to be featured in the anime series, and features some fun callbacks to earlier episodes like a runthrough of every episode title card (!!). I wouldn't say this is one of the show's best, but it gets stronger as it goes along and features some neat and stylish visual tableaux. The doors opening at the end to reveal the sponsors is a nice touch, too.

  11. "Alones" (Aqua Timez)

  Watching Bleach openings on YouTube as a child, I used to be freaked out by the sight of Kon the stuffed animal very loudly singing the theme song. On rewatch, though, I think I underrated this one: it's a splintered sequence of memory, love and grief that bears the strong iconography Bleach had in its prime. Aqua Timez would later do better, though!

  10. "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" (Beat Crusaders)

  What makes a Bleach opening? Is it the music? Outrageous poses? Fast-paced fights? This opening doubles down on "style," which is admittedly Bleach's ace in the hole. There are sequences here that refer back to the first opening sequence, but on a grander scale: like the red and black silhouettes of Ichigo and Rukia being mean to each other, but projected on several television screens! Or every character recieving their own cool spinning CD cover. The song isn't really to my taste, but overall it's a good time.

  9. "chAngE" (Miwa)

  This opening makes an immediate statement when we see Ichigo's hometown erupt into an unmistakable mushroom cloud freeze frame. My other favorite bit is when the spooky devil hand reaches towards the other hand, just as the vocals spike. What can I say, I'm a mark for scenes in anime when hands reach out to each other but don't quite connect! I'm an Ikuhara fan, sue me.

  8. "Velonica" (Aqua Timez)

  This is the first great example on this list of a classic trope in Bleach openings: The Pose. It's no secret that Tite Kubo draws not so much to tell stories (though he can do that on occasion) but to showcase characters wearing cool outfits while they do cool things. This opening wrings everything it can out of the cast of the show standing in exaggerated poses while the camera swings from one angle to another. And it works! The bit of the Vizards being swallowed up by darkness, followed by Urahara's hat tip, has been lodged in my brain since seeing this.

  7. "Ichirin no Hana" (High and Mighty Color)

  More poses! The main cast looking very tired and noble as they stand on the battlefield. Shunsui's sword kata. Screaming vocals. When I asked the barista at the coffee shop today for his favorite Bleach opening, this was his answer; the harsh sound of the Soul Society arc's grand finale. It's a great pick, but the effects are a bit dated for me in 2020. Byakuya's special attack in particular screams early 2000s CG.

  6. "Shojo S" (SCANDAL)

  More outrageous poses from your favorite characters, except that you also have Rukia, Orihime and Rangiku doing a choreographed dance! I wasn't sure what to make of this sequence when I first saw it, but it's risen higher and higher in my estimation with each successive watch. Now I'm at the point where I'd say this is the Bleach opening I initially underrated the most (though there's some real classics coming down the pike!)

  5. "After Dark" (Asian Kung-Fu Generation)

  Bleach openings can be maximalist, so I find it fascinating how restrained this one is. Ichigo's friends running in the desert, the repetition of symbols juxtaposed to flaming credits, and a black-and-white super-cool layout of Aizen's war chamber. That's it. But set to the riffs of all-time great Japanese popular rock band Asian Kung-Fu Generation, that's all you really need.

  4. "D-technoLife" (UVERworld)

  This is the Bleach opening that defines the whole series for many folks. The theme song to the start of the Soul Society arc, it harnesses the band UVERworld (still putting out songs for shonen anime even today!) to a carnival of non-stop forward momentum that keeps topping itself with cool characters and fight sequences. Within its specific niche of early 2000s anime openings about shonen heroes determinedly running toward the camera, this one's never been topped. But it's not my personal favorite, so I'm putting it at number 4! The scene where Yourichi takes a bite out of Soi Fon's sword and holds it between their teeth is outrageously good, though.

  3. "*~Asterisk~" (Orange Range) 

    It's fascinating in retrospect how little Bleach's first opening actually has to do with what happens in Bleach. We don't see much in the way of hollows or shinigami, and the only swordfighting we're given is a brief few seconds of Ichigo fighting some interchangable bad guys in kimono. Instead we're given a vibe: Ichigo's friends wearing stylish clothes straight from the manga while the camera darts from one angle to another, Orihime and her friends spray-painting the title of the theme song on the screen, the camera revolving endlessly around Ichigo as he stands in the middle of the city. The promise of this sequence was eventually crushed beneath a never-ending tide of new characters and concepts as the series collapsed under its own weight... but for me and my friends, watching this opening relentlessly on YouTube as teenagers, it convinced us of Bleach's effortless cool. The best first Bleach opening.

2. "Ranbu no Melody" (SID ❤) 

  Like the previous opening, "Ranbu no Melody" is notable as much for what it doesn't show as for what it does. We see Ichigo, the hero of the story, for only a few seconds. Instead of our heroes running endlessly toward the camera, we are given the slow unravelling of reality by invisible forces that repeatedly squish and stretch the aspect ratio and blast the viewer with impossibly fast, overlaid images. The brainchild of Masashi Ishihama, one of the best directors of opening sequences working today, this one works as both a horrifying short film of dramatic climax and as a sneakily crafted foreshadowing-laden promise to longtime fans of Bleach that the story has been building to this arc from the very beginning. The best opening.

  1. "Rolling Star" (YUI) 

  As a child, I would watch the first six openings of Bleach over and over on YouTube. I loved the first, and the second, and the third. But the one I would return to over and over again, even though it came from a section of the series that I never reached myself, was "Rolling Star." Seen in retrospect, it's a synthesis of all the aspects that made Bleach openings memorable. It's stylish, rendering Ichigo's hometown as a neon-lit sunset hangout where battles secretly play out just around the corner. It's just a bit scary, with Ichigo duelling his masked evil self as traumatic future events are carefully foreshadowed. But more than anything, this opening sells a closeness between the main cast as they eat together and fight together. A careful juxtaposition between the high school gang of friends who were way cooler than you'd ever be, and the supernatural terrror just barely poking out from beneath the surface.

  This opening was also directed by Masashi Ishihama, though the previous listed entry represents a more concentrated form of his style. "Ranbu no Melody"'s sequence may very well be superior from an animation perspective, but from my point of view, "Rolling Star" is and will always will be the best Bleach opening. And the song's a banger, so there's that!

  What is your personal Bleach opening ranking? Did I underrate "D-technoLife"? Is Bleach more or less cool than Sonic Adventure 2's "Escape from the City?" Let us know in the comments!

---

Adam W is a Features Writer at Crunchyroll. He sporadically contributes with a loose coalition of friends to a blog called Isn't it Electrifying? He recommends reading David Brothers's old pieces on Bleach if you want to learn more. You can follow Adam on Twitter at: @wendeego

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[nanami314]

Toradora Discussion Episode 3: Your Song

Am I ever going to put one of these things up on time?!

Today’s episode was all about Minorin. While it’s not quite as good as the last episode, I really enjoyed this one. There are some parts I’m a bit iffy on (I’m looking at you Inage), but it was a good episode. What I really like about it is that in a way we saw this episode through Ryuuji’s eyes. Yes, he was practically eyeballing Minorin the entire time, but the episode did so in a way that really shows us why he likes her so much. If there’s anything I can compliment the episode for, it’s that.

I’m gonna try doing something a bit different this time. Instead of overtalking about every single scene, I’m instead going to go through the episode and pick apart certain things that I want to mention. It’ll hopefully not make my post too long as well as hopefully taking less time to make :D. Most of the scenes are featured, but there are a few here and there that aren’t. We’ll see how it goes. Anyway, let’s dive on in!

Not too much to go over in the pre OP scene, other than the two of them seem to be getting along great. If great means Taiga chasing Ryuuji down, then yes, great. So, I’ll take this time to talk about the OP. Not counting anything I’ve seen as a child, this was the second anime I ever watched, and as such, the opening was a bit weird for me when I first heard it, and the chorus goes way too fast for me to even try to understand what it’s saying. However, it definitely grew on me over time, and it’s pretty catchy! Now it just gives me nostalgia to back when I first watched it, as does much of the soundtrack in general.

Getting to the actual episode now, I’m gonna make a list of all the things I wanna go over.

Minorin has a phone-decorating service! Looks like Taiga isn’t the only one that doesn’t know how to handle their crush. Ryuuji was stupid in not taking that offer. I mean, if the girl you like is willing to make you something, why on earth would you turn that down? That face Taiga makes, too. You can tell she’s just ready to call him an idiot for that.

Back at the Takasu Residence, I think someone’s a bit too happy about seeing Minorin.

Ryuuji: A glittery Kushieda with a glittery cell phone is one deadly combination of glittery.

Think you said glittery enough there, Ryu? He honestly deserved that kick from Taiga this time.

Speaking of Taiga, she actually did something nice for once, taking Ryuuji to a restaurant where Minorin works. Speaking of Minorin, she has way too many jobs! She has three others besides the restaurant, AND she’s the captain of the softball team. Talk about a full plate.

On the way home, Taiga says this:

Taiga: And when have I ever not been anything BUT mean to you, huh?!

Let’s see here. You talked on and on about all the nice things he did for you while trying to confess to someone else. You went out of your way to clear up the rumors at school, not only about the two of you dating but ALSO the rumors about Ryuuji being a delinquent, which you didn’t have to do but did anyway. Finally, you just now took him to the restaurant where Minorin works just so he could see her. Need I go on?

Funny scene with Inko next. Though, let’s be honest. Any scene with Inko is bound to be funny. But I think this one is a a bit “extra extra” funny.

Of course, Ryuuji wants to go back to Johny’s the next day. I think Taiga may be regretting her decision a little bit. However, they run into a guy called Mr. Inage, one of Yasuko’s regulars at the club she works at. If I had a least favorite charater in Toradora, this would be it, for what I think are obvious reasons. However, it turns out MINORIN happens to be working for him. How many jobs does she have now? Way too many if you ask me.

One thing I want to point out here. When Taiga dashes off pushing that bike with her, we get two very responses from Minorin and Ryuuji. Where he tries yelling out at her saying she’s doing it the wrong way, Minorin iinstead cheers her on. I like this little detail. Shows that Minorin supports her friends no matter what.

While out, Taiga runs into Kitamura, and we learn some very interesting information. He was watching her all last year. He also mentioned something about last year during her confession to him. Wonder what that’s all about.

Stuck in a Closet

Rule one about being in a room that can be locked. Never bring it up. Because that’s the cue for the door locking behind you. Thankfully, Minorin has it covered! By singing the school song. Yaaaaaaay. What’s more interesting, and why I’m adding this to the scene count, is their discussion on fears. We learn a lot about Minorin in these few minutes, and we, along with Ryuuji, learn what keeps her going. Ryuuji comments that she’s always had this glow, and now he knows why.

SPOILER SECTION

Potential spoilers for Toradora beyond this point

Just one thing I want to say here, and it involves Minorin. This is the first hint in the series about the facade Minorin puts on. Her hand is obviously not shaking out of excitement, but I also don’t think its shaking cause she’s scared either. She herself has a crush on Ryuuji throughout the series, and being locked up in a room with your crush doesn’t usually go well for one’s nerves. Not to mention the fact that Minorin’s not as happy go lucky as she appears to be. That’s one thing I love about rewatching this series. You pick up on so many things like that.

END SPOILER SECTION

Also, way to go Taiga. They were almost out, and you messed it up. Nice job.

That’s gonna be it from me. Lot of Minorin today, which is always a good thing.

Next time: That Look You Had

Scene Count: 6