#(its cuz of his line of work being very dangerous and he can die at any moment) but he still gets so lovey dovey

[aria0fgold]

I'm so bored that I'm gonna answer ask game questions about OCs like a questionnaire to be filled cuz I miss my OCs (they're literally always on my mind) and I wanna write something about them but my brain is too sleepy to think of stuff on its own so ask game questions it'll be.

[carb0n-m0n0xid3]

Mouthvasihng Yap

because my stupid brain wont let me live without this, im gonna make a recap (and other stuffs) of everything in mouthwashing. PLEASE tell me if i get anything wrong.

[color-coded to cure my autism :3]

CHARACTERS •Anya- beloved nurse (Top left) •Daisuke- optimistic intern (Top middle) •Swansea- mechanic of the ship (Top right) •Curly- the captain (Before: bottom left. After: bottom middle) •Jimmy- co-captain (or captain in command I believe) (Bottom right) So basically the entire game is set off because of Jimmy. You do play as him anyways. He does a very bad thing to Anya [he rapes and impregnates her], so she decides it would be best to tell the captain himself, which she does. Curly then decides he should talk to Jimmy. •QUOTE THAT MAKES ME CRY :D "I'll talk to him"

[THIS REPRESENTS JIMBUS(right) AND CURLY(left)!!] Jimmy does not want to take RESPONSIBILITY (key point in the game) for his actions, for what he did to Anya. He'd rather die than face the consequences. So Jimmy decides to crash the ship into an oncoming asteroid, thinking to save only himself.

(keep in mind on what Anya said as well) I believe Jimmy locked Curly in the cockpit. I am not certain, but it is a possibility. He wanted him to die. He wanted to have no witnesses so he wouldn't be charged of what he did.

But as of now, the entire Tulpar crew is stuck on the ship, just surviving. Anya is the one to care for Curly, giving him painkillers. She doesn't like the job much, becoming uneasy at his moans of pain and overall state of being.

Once, though, she asked Jimmy to give Curly his meds. Jimmy was fed up, but decided to do it. Unfortunately the cruel bum decided to beat him.. After that dialogue you can even hear Curly crying.

Really quick, I just wanna say that this dialogue with Anya and Curly is very interesting. She seems to be the one staring at the pixel, saying "In the back of my mind, it's always there." But Curly, on the other hand, seems not to care much. "I don't think it ruins the illusion though. It's peaceful. But maybe I'm just used to looking at the bigger picture." Interesting that word he says... illusion.

Jimmy just made life miserable on the Tulpar, bringing Anya to her fate. She decided it would be best to just end it all, to rid herself of Jimmy and the burden given to her from him..

Daisuke manages to find out she's "stuck" in medical when actually she locked the door.

IM SORRY, SHE JUST MAKES ME SO SAD D: But anyways, I'm gonna condense the story line a bit now. So in short, Jimbus basically manipulates Daisuke into going into the vents, despite their danger, to save Curly (except he didn't really care, i think).

•QUOTE THAT MAKES ME CRY :D "Anya...? ...what d-did you do?" So Daisuke goes into the vents, proving their danger... He returns bloody and scarred all over his body from the vents. Jimmy decided it was "best" to disinfect the wounds with mouthwash (cuz they "remove 99.99% of germs"), only making them worse. This probably symbolizes the entire Tulpar situation: something really bad happened, so Jimmy tries to FIX IT with something, only making everything worse for everyone. Swansea decides to do the best thing for Daisuke, and uses the emergency fire ax to kill him, essentially putting him out of his misery.

•"It's alright Daisuke. Calm down. ...This line of work. You could never have become like ol' Swansea. What a tragedy." ... •"I thought you were dumber than a can of paint, always just chewing my ear off about nothing. Useless ray of goddamn sunshine." ... •"You coulda taught an old fool like me alot. ..." ... •"Close your eyes, Daisuke." I love Swansea's "speech" to Daisuke, but it makes me so sad :( ANYWAYS, Jimmy goes completely bonkers at the fact that he killed Daisuke. It was a mercy kill, but all he saw was another crew member dead.

Long story short, he decides to kill Swansea. Swansea gives a beautiful speech before dying to him, and I REALLY wanna pick at that, but its quite long.. I might reblog this for it cuz this is already very long. But Jimbus shoots Swansea and returns to Curly (who is somehow still alive). (I am going to skip talking about some scenes)

"We fixed it..." "I... fixed it..."

Jimbo basically takes poor ol' Curly to the utility room and puts him into the cryopod thingy. He says his farewell and shoots himself before Curly is ejected into space, frozen and traveling throughout, lost and unfound.

[kkpaaw]

SPOILERS FOR THE VIDEO GAME "PROCESS OF ELIMINATION" CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK

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This game was amazing! It had me on the edge the entire time I was playing it! And then ending??? When It was revealed that my precious Doleful was the Quartering Duke? I felt...SO betrayed you don't understand.

I was prepared for him to like end up as a potential victim, like maybe his luck in surviving close calls would rum out and we would have to figure out how he got killed despite his danger magnet ability. I was preparing myself for that potential outcome but I was NOT prepared for this.

The ending was SO good but In truth i wish we got more of a follow up ngl. Like Incompetents last line before the epilogue implied that they were gonna do to Doleful what the did with Renegade? Like making him use his abilities for good? At least that's what i got from it?

I could be absolutely wrong because He did get apprehended on the ship but hey, I would like to imagine that they made him useful like that cuz, despite everything his ability is VERY helpful and useful to solving cases (and im just biased as hell and would hate to see him locked up) Dunno how they would force him to help since the little collar Renegade wore wouldn't work because of his invincibility, but hey maybe he can become a permenant partner to Incompetent who would be able to foresee any potential killings he might try and do. Maybe help him turn that mindset he has around. (Also because I ship them two so badly, I swear every alone moment between them was screaming romantic tension)

Also can we talk about this image of my boi??

I was in so much denial up until i saw this and had to give in that he was the Quartering Duke. The music it this scene is also so amazing and eerie. Fits perfectly!

Tho the ending line for the game very much confused me. I honestly have no idea what the line implies but it kinda worries me? Especially considering we were brought to the island for the Detective Elimination Project by Senior (who was working with/for Doleful AKA the Duke). So to have the name of our future project be called that exact same thing? Deeply weird ngl. What exactly are they planning on doing? If anyone who played the game knows what that ending entails please do tell me cuz I'm completely confused.

Workaholic turning out to be Diabolic who was the one who kidnapped us? Wasn't expecting that either. Tho that made him immediately climb up to my top three favorite characters cuz he became SO much more interesting and made me wanna know more about him after that everytime he showed up after? Ya homegirl got hella happy and excited. Was very sad when he died THO i was expecting him too. People who follow the trope he did usually end up being killed so I'm not surprised he died tho i was very sad.

I wasn't expecting Renegade to die tho frfr. Thought he would survive till the end so his murder was unexpected for sure!

Overall I loved the game and I hope more people play it and enjoy it so I can talk to more people about it! I know it gets compared to Danganronpa ALOT (Doesn't help that Wato looks alot like Shuichi) but I fr think it's definitely capable of standing on its own.

My top fav 5 characters

1. Doleful (which is why his truth hurt so much ahshs)

2. Incompetent

3. Workaholic

4. Mystic

5. Bookworm

Alright that's all I got ahsjs

Credit to BAI GAMING on YouTube for the screenshots. Was too lazy to open my copy of the game for them so I got them from him!

[maijobi]

a thin line

dabi x reader

summary: dabi always seemed to work against your plans so you decided to confront him not knowing what he’d actually after the argument..

a/n: this is make-up for my last fic cuz i was most definitely not proud of that one shxjsjch.. anyways hope you enjoy this one bc I think I actually like the outcome even though it was a bit stressful to come up with the idea.

also,, the ending is an idea I found off of instagram and I was excited to use it here

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“why don’t we just infiltrate friday at the ball?”, dabi asked shigaraki as he was looking at the plan in front of him.

“because that’d be too much of a risk”, you said, glaring at him and pointing out the obvious.

“a little bit of risks couldn’t hurt you once in a while” dabi snapped at you with a grin.

“alright sir know it all, just about how do you think to get past all the people and guards that’ll literally be standing in front of every door?”, you asked raising one eyebrow. 

“we’ll figure out a way”, he said.

“you don’t even know how you’ll do it, so I say let’s not go for the uncertain. I say we do it during the auction. the guards will be located around the auction area and not the main hall that leads to the big office, where we need to be. if we can get someone to hack the system, getting in will be a piece of cake. I figured out this’ll have a 99% of success based on the analytics we have made till now”, you said confidently. “plus I think I can do the actual infiltration so I can take that job on me. after all i’m the only one that’ll actually get the job done uncaught. “

“sounds too boring. where is the killing? where is the fun?”, dabi said with a bored face. 

“no killing is needed unless someone gets in our way. not everyone needs to actually die in order for us to get to the point we want dabi”, you said irritated at his constant counteraction. 

“alright let’s just take a break for now”, shigaraki said. “for now let’s figure out a detailed plan for both and we’ll choose the one that’ll work out best.”

“but-”, you said.

“if it means you’ll both stop bickering out of hate for once around me I wanna put a pause on this for now. we’ll talk about it tomorrow”, shigaraki said.

“hate? oh no I love her so much”, he teasingly said, making you roll your eyes.

“such a thin line between your love and hate. I give you guys till tomorrow to work your plan out better”, shigaraki said while sighing and taking his leave.

“ugh, this is all your fault”, you said to dabi wile turning away from him and walking to the door after shigaraki was completely out of sight.

“hold on, hold on”, he said confused as he stopped you by turning you around from your shoulder. “how is this suddenly my fault?”

“suggesting plans that dont even make sense?”, you said.

“shigaraki asked us to give him ideas and I did? I don’t see the issue here”, he said not giving in.

“you’re just suggesting your plan because you don’t want mine to work out. it’s literally so obvious, I don’t get why you’re always up in my business and trying to make my plans look bad in front of shigaraki”, you spat, actually getting pissed at him.

“because if your plan gets chosen it’ll put you in danger most”, he suddenly said. you felt taken aback.

“why do you care so much about my so called well being when in reality you don’t even like me?”, you asked. 

“who said I didn’t like you? you just decided that on your own because you didn’t like the idea of me joining your little gang”, he said.

“thats not true”, you said.

“then why is it that you assumed i’d hate you the same way you hate me”, he asked looking at you with his lips pressed against each other and his eyebrows raised.

“you always work against me?”, you said pointing the obvious.

“you might be right there”, he said,”but I have my reasons.”

“these reasons being my so called well being?”, you asked uninterested.

“yes.”

the determination in his voice made you silent for a second. you were slightly shocked at how pure and genuine his words felt. you weren’t sure how to answer on that. but even the slight shyness you felt because of his concern, was overpowered by your anger.

“very nice of you, but I didn’t ask you to care for me. i’m capable of taking care of myself. look out for yourself next time and don’t interrupt my ideas for the sake of your selfish desires. we’re adults, so act like it”, you said walking away for real this time.

“so my sincere words mean literally nothing to you?”, he asked in a slightly angry tone while following you to the common room.

“why are you following me?”, you asked, getting annoyed at his pushy behaviour. 

“cuz i’m trying to get a point across here. it’d be nice if you considered other’s feelings here once in a while”, he said.

you stopped when you were in the center of the room. you were facing him with your back, but turned around with a very annoyed and angry face. “let’s get one thing straight”, you said taking a step closer to him”, no one is here to actually create a family bond. we’re here to interfere and shake up the hero world that failed to be actual heroes to us. I do what’s best for me, but has an actual good outcome for the others too. so don’t go around telling me to consider other’s feelings when all you do is care for your own selfish desires”, you bitterly said. “just when I thought you might have actually cared, you showed just how selfish you are. just when i thought you might not be that bad of a person”, you said rather disappointed instead of angry.

when he spoke no word you decided to take your leave again, walking past him. but before you could actually get to the door you heard his footsteps and before you knew it he was holding your wrist and stopping you from walking even an inch further.

“why won’t you just leave me alone”, you frustratingly said.

he turned you around and pulled you close to him. he bent over you and was almost touching his forehead with yours. “you know why”, he whispered. “because of this.”

he crashed his lips against yours and there was absolutely nothing soft about it. it was rough and messy, yet passionate. it made you feel hot inside, not the fuzzy and warm type of hot, but a burning sensation you felt all over your body. it was as if he was lighting you on fire. 

but it felt good.

so good, that you forgot about why you were even mad, but the furiousness lingered and made the tension even bigger. you let him devour every piece of you and you didn’t care about the bite marks he’d leave on your lips. lips moving open mouthed and tongues dancing together. you were feeling almost every part of him and he’d groan in between, sending shivers down your spine.

when the both of you parted he looked in your eyes, as if he was staring through your soul. you were searching his face, waiting for a sign that he’d speak.

but instead he kissed you again. but this time softer, warmer. the one that made you feel fuzzy and warm inside. something you never knew he was capable of doing. he was still holding your wrist with one hand and the other made its way to your back. he pulled you closer, slowly and softly. he’d kiss you ever so gently that it felt like he had become a totally different person than only a few seconds ago. but you were not complaining at all. 

he slowly parted away from you and when you looked at him you saw his red cheeks and closed eyes. and when he slowly opened them you could see a version of dabi which you’d never seen before. that soft look no one had ever seen, all the hatred and anger you were feeling a few minutes ago all gone, overshadowed by the soft look he was giving.

“I thought you hated me”, he teased, caressing your cheeks while giving you a soft smile.

“things change...”, you muttered.

“you’re cute when you don’t want to admit things aloud, you know. Go on, just say that you like me”, he said while stopping his movements on your cheeks and making sure you were looking at him and only him.

you should have seen it coming. him making you feel this way. you always said your personalities clashed, but they clashed so much, that you actually overlooked just how fitting they actually were. the polar opposites, yet the same. you weren’t completely sure how to describe it, but it was something you had never experienced before. it could be a challenge coming up your way, but you figured it was something worth battling for. 

because after all, there was only a thin line between the hate and love you felt for each other.

[lilover131]

Chapter 56 Analysis+Theories

AHHHHHH CHAPTER 56 AHHHHHH!!! <--Chrissy every time a chapter comes out

I wasn’t as hyped up about this one as I was for the last one thankfully, seeing as we didn’t have a super long wait, but I certainly don’t want to diminish in any way the importance of this chapter!!!

I won’t waste any time and will get right to it, so buckle in, cuz’ the theory train is coming! More under the cut!

 So I’ll start by saying that when I first read the chapter, it was 2 AM where I was. I had been sleeping and just kinda magically woke up right when the chapter just came out, so I like to think there was some fate there. But when I opened that chapter on my phone and the first thing I saw was that Syaoran color spread, I audibly gasped and instantly woke up a bit.

 I woke up not because it was absolutely stunning to look at, or even at the fact that we haven’t had Syaoran in a color page for a while. No, the thing that caught my attention was the serious atmosphere it contained and the tone that it seemingly set. To me, this was one of CLAMP’s subtle ways of saying “Prepare for the final battle”. I could be reading into it too much, but I was right about what I believed the Syaoran and Kaito color page insinuated, so I’m gonna stick to my guns here.

 We start off the chapter without a moment’s pause where we left off last time. It continues right from the last point of the conversation where Sakura dropped the bombshell that she had seen Kaito use magic. She seems to think that they may not believe her at first, but Syaoran interrupts her to affirm that he 100% believes her and that he even already knew. Sakura is naturally confused by this, but he finally FINALLY gets to tell her what he’s been dealing with this whole time, and it definitely seems to be an uncomfortable topic for him. But at least this time he got to tell Sakura truthfully that he hadn’t ever intended on keeping this from her but was physically not able to. Despite not needing to feel guilty about this, Syaoran seems uncomfortable for the simple fact that someone else had that much control over him, and he was unable to do a thing to stop it. It’s also important to keep in mind that Kero and Suppi were hearing this for the first time themselves as well (about the silencing at least).

 Not much time passes after this before Kero and Suppi fess up to also knowing about Kaito, but they admit that theirs was a conscious decision rather than force, but that they believe they too would have been silenced like Syaoran was had they attempted to speak. One could say that since they didn’t know Syaoran was silenced in the way he was that this is not entirely truthful or was just a bad decision, but in reality it still makes perfect sense why they thought to be more careful. They saw Kaito’s magic first hand violently take down Eriol, and if he could shut down a magician of that caliber from halfway across the world, then he could easily do the same or worse to the guardians. And since they also weren’t yet aware of his true intentions with Sakura, it would have been likely seen as dangerous to provoke him and possibly put Sakura in harm’s way. I guess the only thing that doesn’t make much sense to me is why Syaoran and the guardians didn’t collaborate and put together what they knew sooner. Even when Yue went to Syaoran’s apartment, the topic of Kaito or Eriol never came up, and since they both clearly had Sakura’s best interest in mind, I’m not sure specifically why they chose to keep their information to themselves when they both knew they had the same goal. This, I would say, was actually a bad decision on their part, but when it comes down to it, they’re not perfect and everyone makes mistakes (I think Cinzia made the same point here, so I apologize if it seems like I’m copying here! I just also agree when it comes to this).

 I’m actually going to pull in a little thing I learned from my counselor not long ago when I felt guilt over a particular decision I had made long ago, and that is that you can only work based on the emotions and information you have at the time. And because we don’t know the future, it is not possible to always make the right decisions, but there is also no telling if our decisions would have changed things for the better, so it is best not to dwell on them. I believe truly that based on what they knew at the time and through the experiences they had, they were likely only trying to protect each other, but missed that they could have probably helped each other. It’s easy to miss things when you’re on the defensive.

 What I love about Sakura after this is that she forgives them immediately. This is not the first time she’s had things hidden from her for her protection, and naturally it’s upsetting to not feel like you can be trusted to deal with the serious information. When Syaoran told her how he’d been hiding what he knew before, she was upset but more because she thought he suffered as a result. This time around though, they concealed things from her not because they were worried about how she’d handle it, but rather out of fear from what Kaito would do if they tried, so it’s a completely different reason and much easier to forgive. Sakura is able to differentiate this, because she is a very emotionally intelligent girl and a lot more observant than she gets credit for when it comes to reading people. She’s grown a lot and isn’t as ‘dense’ as she was in Elementary School.

 Then we get a precious gift of seeing Syaoran show off how smart he is, working out how Kaito managed to make them forget about said confrontation at the botanical garden. He’s probably thought about it a lot already, considering he mentioned before that he felt like someone made him forget something. But this time, he had additional information that Sakura was able to provide, and this was the final piece of the puzzle he needed. The most important detail that Sakura gave him was the location in particular, the botanical garden. He knew that that was where they intended to go, but that they had yet to go there. This prompted him to check his phone and see how much time might have passed without them realizing, and because he knew what time he had arranged to meet Sakura, 9:30 AM, he was able to observe that it was impossible for them to meet, go to the botanical garden, have this encounter with Kaito, and both get back to their houses in only 16 minutes. This meant it was not just a mere meddling of memories but rather time magic as it was the only explanation for the time discrepancy issue and memory loss. I can’t say how freaking proud I was of Syaoran for working this out. He’s such a smart boy, but I know that Sakura also would have been able to come to the same conclusion had she had more knowledge about the magical world. Sakura is running on pure instinct right now, which is super strong, but Syaoran really helps fill in those gaps where things don’t make sense for her, making them the perfect magical team!  

 The scene changes to Momo, who appears to be keeping tabs on the conversation (though it’s unclear if Kaito is aware while they are under Siege). And this part is perhaps the most worrying of the entire chapter, and I’m not talking about the line where the English translation says “Into the final act of your story”. That line in particular is a gross mistranslation cleared up by @meimi-haneoka​, who graciously gives us translation notes each month in comparison to the Japanese version. The actual line in fact says “Into the final act of THE story”. This changes the entire tone of that page as the first translation implies it is leading to Kaito’s death, whereas the Japanese translation actually more implies that we’re nearing the climax of the story. Momo’s facial expressions also match the wording of the Japanese translation better, as we know she does not seem to want Kaito to die, so she would certainly look more upset here if she were speaking of such a thing. Also, I have to speak up about how pretttyyyy Kaito looks in that panel. The way CLAMP designed that page is just stunning as always.

 HOWEVER

 Back to what I was saying before! The most concerning part of the chapter for me is the page right before that, where Momo says “Once a spell’s been seen for what it is, it all comes crumbling down. Particularly, where time magic is concerned. And that’s to say nothing of your target’s considerable power. Now everything you’d turned back time to undo. Everything you’ve succeeded in freezing…is beginning to move again”. So here comes Chrissy’s big crazy theory and possible overthinking, but bear with me here!

I think…that what they are saying here is that these moments that were frozen in time and turned back were cut off from the timeline and now floating in a separate space. And now these scenes, which were all intense in their own way and incredibly frustrating for us, are about to move forward.

….all of them….

….at the same time….

This concept isn’t exactly new in CLAMP series. It happened with Tsubasa where Syaoran turned back time to go back to a moment where he could take Sakura’s hand and keep her from being cursed, and to keep that moment ready until he could return, it was in its own separate dimension, cut off from the rest of the universe. Eventually, once he got there, time started to move forward again. Turning back time is a taboo in the magical world for a reason, and Kaito has done this over and over and over again. But also, wouldn’t it be so like CLAMP to say “Hey, we know you’ve been frustrated that all these scenes were seemingly amping up to a big confrontation, but then Kaito rewound time over and over, so how about we give those back….ALL AT THE SAME TIMMMMEE?”. Can you even imagine the consequences of such a thing? At least three of the occasions where Kaito turned back time, Akiho went into what I call ‘book-mode’, where she is no longer herself and tries to absorb Sakura along with her magic (and even succeeds on one occasion). Then there is also Syaoran and Kaito’s battle and Syaoran having his outburst about Kaito being a magician right in front of Akiho. It would be absolute utter chaos, and honestly I’d be living for it. Lmao.

If you believe that this line Momo said was simply to state that his time magic won’t work anymore and that things will continue to progress in this timeline, that would make perfect sense as well, so I don’t want to discount that. I’m just throwing out theories here based on what I know about CLAMP and concepts that are not out of the realm of possibility.

The scenes from here on out bounce a little bit back and forth from a continuation of the conversation with Syaoran and the guardians and present time with Akiho at school. I kinda like the way they did the transitions here, and it didn’t really feel awkward at any point but rather pulled up the relevant information when it was needed.

When Akiho comes in to the classroom, Sakura recalls how the topic of Akiho came up in the conversation from the day before. It’s natural for everyone to question at this point what she knows and if she is someone to be concerned about too. Syaoran mentions that he can’t detect any magic from her, which was something he had looked into from the very first day Akiho arrived at Tomoeda Middle (he knew literally nothing about her, but you know how transfer students go in this town. Lmao). Sakura drops another bombshell here by saying that she actually senses something in Akiho, but she is unclear of what that is and why she feels that way. It’s completely likely that she’s strong enough now to sense the suppressed magic spell the association and her clan put on her. I also noticed Syaoran seemed to tense up when Sakura said this, and I’m sure that this new information probably made him feel very uneasy. Sakura’s instincts are never wrong, and if she feels something, that means there is something, but to think that it’s something even Syaoran can’t sense would definitely be concerning.

 It is then that Syaoran decides to approach the idea of addressing Akiho directly about Kaito’s magic to see what she knows. Maybe at this point in time he is thinking “If she possibly has some sort of magic in her, then she might know already about Kaito”, but like Sakura, he has seen Akiho’s behavior as a person and probably believes that she is not doing anything malicious of her own accord. Perhaps he thinks that Akiho might be able to talk some sense into Kaito and put a stop to things. But the way he goes about it doesn’t push Sakura, but rather just offers it as a suggestion as something a bit more direct.

 Before we see Sakura’s response to this, we are back to Akiho in the classroom and she is very cheerful from having gone out with Kaito the day prior, and OMG CAN I JUST GUSH FOR A MOMENT ABOUT HOW FREAKING PRECIOUS SHE IS? She is seriously adorable, and the more I see her smile, the more it makes me want to burn her whole clan down to the ground for being so awful to her. But also, it reminds me how strong she is to have gone through everything she did and still smile and hold no hatred in her heart. I can’t honestly say I would be the same in her shoes, so it’s really admirable. For those My Hero Academia fans out there, remember Eri’s smile? You know the one I’m talking about. That’s how I feel every time Akiho smiles.

Anyways, back to Sakura’s response. She decides, in a very Sakura-like fashion, to avoid the subject with Akiho for now. It is true that they don’t fully understand who Kaito is and what his intentions are, but the one thing she does know is that he is considered precious to Akiho, and that at least says something about his character. Akiho herself also isn’t an idiot and is perceptive to Kaito’s feelings. Even when he’s smiling, she can tell when he’s actually hurting inside, so if he had bad intentions at all, that likely wouldn’t go unseen either, so Sakura decides that she’ll wait for Akiho to come to her first if the discussion between them needs to happen. I think this is a very mature decision on her part but also continues to show how much she considers the people around her and cares for them.

Back in the present, Akiho apologizes for talking so much, and Sakura tells her that she doesn’t mind and will listen to whatever she has to say. More than just trying to show good will as a friend, I think this is also her way of opening up the door to tell her “If you want to talk about more serious things, I’m here to listen as well”. That way, when the time comes, Akiho will feel comfortable having that conversation with her.

The scene moves on to Yukito’s home where all the guardians are having a nice little get together in their true forms. It’s not entirely necessary for all but Yue to do this, but I love it as we haven’t gotten to see much of them in these forms in the series so far, especially Spinel and Ruby Moon. Ruby Moon is surprised that they decided to go along with what Sakura said, which I suppose makes sense considering they’ve been kinda doing their own thing up until now. But it turns out that it was Syaoran who made the final decision, and the others just took his lead.

 I love that Syaoran was so comfortable just trusting Sakura and realizing that this time, they needed to let her make some choices, especially since it concerned her the most. Moreover, I love that Kero, Suppi, and Yue just basically caved when Syaoran agreed. This shows how much they respect the opinion of not just Sakura, but Syaoran too. They could have easily gone off and continued to work secretly without Sakura, but they didn’t do that. It obviously didn’t work well for them before anyways.

 I cracked up when Ruby Moon mentioned how much Syaoran has grown a lot and used to be a ‘pouty brat’ back when they were in Japan the last time (in his defense, Eriol was screwing with him a lot, so he had a lot of good reasons for the bratty attitude. Lmao). But Kero and Yue’s responses are just precious. They both have the same expression initially, but their actual responses seem to differ quite a bit. Kero states that he will always be a brat to him and that he’s only grown ‘a little’. This is classic Kero essentially saying he agrees that he’s grown a lot, but he won’t admit it yet, hence why Spinel calls him childish. Hahahaha.

Yue’s response however makes me absolutely melt. He states he’s not upset about the mention of Syaoran’s growth, but that that he doesn’t think they “should be in such a hurry to grow up”. He sounds just like a freaking dad here who is happy to see his children grow up, but is also wanting to them to slow down and stay children simultaneously. I am absolutely living for it, and I love seeing how soft he gets when it comes to them. -squeals-

Despite how lighthearted this scene is, I’m gonna put out another theory here that might seem like I’m overthinking and perhaps makes this appear a bit darker than possibly intended. My thought was “Why did CLAMP put such focus on this subject right now?”. They could have simply stated that they decided to go along with Sakura and been done with it, but the made a point to talk about the children’s growth as human beings, particularly Syaoran. Now where am I going with this you ask? Perhaps it’s the Tsubasa PTSD speaking, but when CLAMP has dialogue like this, it usually it done quite purposely at times, because it is meant to enhance our emotions when a particular moment comes later on. So when I thought “Now, why would they be talking so much about how Syaoran’s grown emotionally and how much Kero and Yue care about him?”. I think they are trying to emphasize how much people in general care about him. CLAMP showed it again recently with Touya, who threatened Kaito and purposely included Syaoran in his statement, and again when Kaito pointed his staff at Syaoran and Sakura reacted. CLAMP is pointing out right now how much people care about Syaoran, and I think this is once again a signal that something bad is going to happen to Syaoran, and I think it’s going to be soon.

 Now, Cinzia actually recently found my reaction to spoilers of chapter 1 of Clear Card (that’s right, chapter 1 from all the way back in 2016), and from the very beginning, I have been screaming at the top of my lungs that I had the worst feeling that something bad was going to happen to Syaoran. I imagine some of you are probably tiring of hearing it from me. Lmao. So here we are, 55 chapters and numerous bad dreams later, and I finally feel like that time is really really close. I’m calling it right now that it will probably happen within the next 4-5 chapters, and if I’m wrong, I will eat my words, but them even putting Syaoran on the color page all by himself for this chapter gives me more reason to think that “that time” is approaching.

 That is a good transition for me to talk about the last part of this chapter. We are finally getting some progress on this play Naoko has been writing, and the moment she mentioned it was about “Twin Alices”, I thought to myself “this is going to be where the climax happens”. The pieces are coming together for it, and we’ve finally gotten to hear the premise of this play. We all knew Naoko would ask Sakura and Akiho to play the main roles, but it’s unclear what the role she wants for Syaoran will be when she inevitably peer pressures him into it. Lol. But I’m telling you, I really think this play is where shit is going to hit the fan and we’ll finally get some real answers.

I can’t wait to see what happens from here on out, but it’s very clear to me that things are just going to get more and more intense from here on out!!

[kangaroo-sniper-imagine]

Red + Blu = Purple

- these dorks i swear-

Medic

If Ludwig has fallen in love with someone on the Blu team, congrats you’re never going to die again. Ludwig shows his love for you by healing you even if it’s only a minor scrape

Sometimes the two of you sneak to a better hidden part of the field to either kiss or to catch a breather. Neither of you made your relationship a secret, so you two aren’t exactly afraid of getting walked in on fraternizing

The two of you do not see it as a star crossed lovers situation, more like two people who work for adjacent businesses dating. Even though you have to kill him sometimes, Ludwig is still extremely smitten with you

Spy

Jacque, as mentioned, is a bit of a bastard on the battlefield. Even to you, his darling s/o. You both know your jobs, and both know you can’t avoid certain altercations.

Jacque’s favorite pastime during a fight is to disguise himself as one of your teammates and goes to flirt with you. You clock him almost instantly and he LOVES that even in disguise you know its him, even if you kill him almost right after

The two of you shout out how many times you killed each other while you kill each other. Sometimes its how many kisses you’ve sneaked in kissing each other right before someone pins the other to the closest flat surface to make out

Heavy

while Mikhail takes his job seriously, he can’t seem to bring himself to kill you after the two of you become serious. It’s not that he doesn’t see you as a threat that doesn’t deserve to have bullets wasted on, it’s just that he never wants to be a cause of pain for you ever

Sometimes the two of you protect each other on the field, discreetly of course. Misha might say something to insinuate that you are in a completely different area than you really are; or you convince your team that your Heavy isn’t as big as a threat as they make him out to be

No PDA on the field. Strict rule. AFTER the battle however, y’all are so soft to each other, checking for injuries and purposely talking about anything other than work. Misha feels a little guilty for dating the enemy, only a little though

Scout

tries to show off to you but ends up hurting himself which leads you to having to discreetly healing him. Tries to brag about his kill count and you agree its impressive, and you politely not tell him your higher kill count.

Tells his team that he’s going to “take care of you” and when he get you cornered, he jut drops a lame pick up line and the two of you make out.

Your relationship is a poorly kept secret, but the two of you think you’re so great at hiding it. Spy has to beg his son to be more discreet cuz you to are so bad at lying

Demo

Honor is a big thing to Tavish, and he feels kind of bad for seeing a member of the enemy’s team romantically. His solution? No dating during a fight, but after you two can be as gross as you want

It’s an eggshell relationship, hidden from others and never addressed out loud. On the job the two of you act like you don’t even know each other and it hurts the both of you a little bit but you know its necessary.

Off the clock the two of you are so soft to each other, meeting in secret and practically waxing poetry to each other. Tavish can be quite the romantic when he wants to be. You two both lament about how you’re enemies and how you can’t do anything about the situation, but being with each other in secret is enough to sate the both of you (grab a tissue cuz y’all are sappy)

Sniper

THE DRAMA OF IT ALL!!!! Mick takes his profession so serious the fact he is dating the person he was hired to kill is almost laughable. He won’t even admit you’re seeing each other, it’s just an unspoken agreement that you two are exclusively screwing each other

On the field, it's all business, but this part isn’t about the field, this is about off the field, where your relationship TORMENTS him. Where he hates himself for agreeing to meet up with you at out of the way bars and motels, and how he doesn’t shoot you on sight when you shyly approach him at his camper after hours.

Absolutely no one knows about the two of you. Mick feels like it’s eating him up inside, betraying his team and simultaneously betraying your feelings. But he’s a slave to his own desires and he can’t quit you. (Deadass, you want drama? This is the one for you)

Pyro

Pyro doesn’t give a shit about what side you’re on. To them, everything is already a world of rainbows and glitter with brief moment of reality, the color of your shirt means nothing.

They forget they’re fighting, or supposed to be fighting, so during battles its pretty common that PDA occurs. Random hugs, the pressing of the gas mask to your cheek, them trying to hold your hand and then drag you over to show you something they think is cool.

You can’t kill each other. You just can’t. Pyro is too sweet to you all the time to do them dirty like that. And Pyro can’t bring themselves to hurt you, even when they're in pyroland

Soldier

HAAAAA he sees it as a competition. Who can get the more kills, the better kills, who can kill the other more times. On the field, Jane says you’re “bitter enemies” but when the match is over or its a cease fire, he’s such a cute dork for you.

He brags about you so much its ridiculous. Both teams know of your relationship but it’s too cute to hate on. He gifts you wild flowers through the chain link fence that separates your bases and flirts with you like you’re a stranger every time, saying you look like the most gorgeous person to ever break a man’s neck

He’s so kind and sweet to you, laying on the charm thick every time you meet. He’s so smitten with you

Engineer

Likewise, Dell is a professional; and he is very good at keeping his work and play separated. Before you two even got into a relationship, he made it clear that during a fight, you weren’t going to get special treatment. You told him the same thing. It lasts maybe two weeks

Let's be real you two rarely interact on the field so on the off chance you do meet up you kinda just… nod and leave the area. You both try not to flirt but Dell can’t help the “darling” that slips at the end of every threat makes it sound more like a dangerous flirt.

Its sweet and kind of bumbling, kind of adorable. Both teams try to keep you two separated because if you two interact, you both end up blushing stuttering messes that get nothing done for the rest of the match

[ninbayphua]

八三夭 《盗墓笔记》 官方主题曲 《所信非神》 That In Which I Believe In Is Not God - ENG SUBS

So this is the first time I've actually properly translated and subtitled a song 😂 I tried to keep to the original wording as much as I could but there are few places where it's kinda vague or where the wording is just too awkward so I went with meaning or my own interpretation of the lyrics instead. 👀

List of Interpretations

1. 与宿命论个主臣 in a word for word translation would be "debating with Fate who is the master and who is the servant" which basically means they're fighting over superiority.

2. 当自己不死之身 is a really interesting one because 当 has 2 different meanings depending on which intonation is being used and this isn't always clear in songs cuz intonations get kinda murky in singing. Anyways, 'dāng' means to pretend whereas 'dàng' means to pawn. Since I interpreted this song as both from Wu Xie's and Xiao Ge's POV I decided to include both potential interpretation in my subtitling. So it can either mean "pawning my immortality" in Xiao Ge's POV or "pretending I have an immortal body" in Wu Xie's case.

Song Overview (Wu Xie's & Xiao Ge's POV):

Ok I read the song as being from BOTH Wu Xie's and Xiao Ge's POV instead of just one but that's my personal interpretation @thosch3i covered most of Wu Xie's POV and my own interpretation of the lyrics are pretty similar so I'll elaborate from there. This is how the song goes for me:

I give you a look with lost innocence of days past and gone that's tucked away in forgetfulness. (This is without question Wu Xie speaking because of the play on words - Tian Zhen)

Let the sound of raindrops gloss over the unsolved questions, let the sharpest blade be sealed away for safekeeping in this instant when life is at its most peaceful (OK, this could be either Wu Xie or Xiao Ge speaking to the other because both of them have a lot of unsolved questions: Wu Xie still doesn't know what happened to his San Shu and Xiao Ge is still looking for answers to his past. Both Xiao Ge and Wu Xie have been referred to as the sharpest blade of the Nine Gates. In Wu Xie's case, it's when he lost his innocence and became 邪帝 in the Sha Hai era. Xiao Ge was shaped to be a weapon ever since he was a baby stolen from his mother so it goes without saying he is the sharpest blade of the Nine Gates. (There's a saying that Wu Xie ended up becoming like Xiao Ge and Li Cu becoming like Wu Xie during his Tian Zhen era which I think is a pretty accurate reading but a discussion for another time.) Basically, regardless of which of them that's speaking they're telling the other to let go of all the questions tormenting them and sealing away the past and the way they've been conditioned to become a weapon for the Nine Gates and just live peacefully in Rain Village from now on - I'm assuming this is post Sha Hai.

My death, my life, it's not up to the ghosts and gods to intervene (Honestly, this can be either Wu Xie or Xiao Ge depending. Both are very stubborn and don't believe in leaving things up to fate.)

a wait of ten years, I've long since stopped smiling, stopped crying, stopped feeling pain, challenging fate to see who is superior (This could be Xiao Ge but I read it as more Wu Xie because of Qin Hao's line in Sha Hai when Hei Ye said "I still feel a bit of pain from time to time" and Wu Xie just straight up said "I've stopped feeling pain a long time ago".)

Pawning my immortality / Pretending I have an immortal body, to leave for you a gateway of life, this life was not in vain. (This is probably my favourite line of the song because is so freakin beautifully written? The reason there's an either or translation for the line I've explained above so we're just gonna do meta here. OK so in Xiao Ge's POV he went to guard the Bronze Gates in Wu Xie's stead to protect him so he could live a happy life. Essentially he is exchanging his immortality for Wu Xie's life because it was initially Wu Xie's fate to guard the Bronze Gates and he'd probably die in the process. Xiao Ge's immortality for Wu Xie having a life of happiness and innocence is worth it to him. He is using his immortality in exchange for a way for Wu Xie to live by going behind those gates. Remember that line: 用我一生换你十年天真无邪 my life in exchange for ten years of your innocence? That's basically what I think they're referring to. The reversed applies. It's Xiao Ge's responsibility to keep the Wang clan in check. Since Xiao Ge sacrificed himself so Wu Xie could live the life he wanted, Wu Xie decided to do the same for Xiao Ge by getting rid of the Wangs completely so Xiao Ge could be free to live the life he wanted when he exited the gates. Wu Xie wasn't trained like Xiao Ge nor did he have an immortal body like the Zhangs or had their self healing and magical qilin blood but he will pretend that he has all of those and take on the Wangs , wiping them out to give Xiao Ge a way out of being used by the Nine Gates again when he exits the gates, giving him a chance to live the life he wants. Even if he knows he could potentially die doing this, it's still worth it to him. Remember that line after Xiao Ge's: 只愿尽我一世无邪换你百载浅笑无忧 emptying all of my entire life's innocence in exchange for a hundred years of your easy smiles and lack of worries? That's what I think the song is referring to.)

Not even for a day in my entire life have I ever believed in ghosts or gods, but I spent ten years believing in one person. Even if the world is too cold, there is still your lingering warmth in my heart, I'll still rush into the journey, no matter how unfathomable the wasteland or perilous the path, never questioning whether it's fortune or calamity. Honestly, in my entire life, I've never believed in gods, only believed in them. (This can be both Xiao Ge and Wu Xie because the only person Xiao Ge believes in is Wu Xie - and Pang Zi. Vice versa, the only person Wu Xie believes in is Xiao Ge - and Pang Zi. None of them believe in fate or ghosts or gods but they believe in each other and only each other. Wu Xie is Xiao Ge's only connection in the world - thus the lingering warmth in my hear bit - and I'm pretty sure Xiao Ge also holds a special spot in Wu Xie's heart during the Sha Hai era when he becomes a hardened man. We see that flash of Tian Zhen softness when he's talking to Li Cu about Xiao Ge and Pang Zi. He even admits at the time that he has an obsession: to pick up Xiao Ge when he exits the Bronze Gates and take him home. Also, PingXie is constantly rushing head first into danger for one another? Even Pang Zi made a comment on this in Ultimate Note after the sword gifting ceremony that when Xiao Ge lost his memories, Wu Xie accompanies him on his journey and helps him look for his lost memories; when Wu Xie is in danger or gets into trouble in his obsessive search for answers and his San Shu, Xiao Ge comes to his rescue. Even in Reunion, Xiao Ge says he'll follow Wu Xie on his journey to Thunder City in search of answers and his San Shu. Neither of them ever question whether it is fortune or calamity that will befall them on these journeys. They'll go through hell fire and high waters for each other regardless of consequences.)

Exchanging gazes, in it are new sprouts of innocence, all old hatred tossed and tucked away in forgetfulness. (Xiao Ge talking about Wu Xie - post Sha Hai, now that Xiao Ge is back and Wu Xie isn't emo anymore, we see a bit of his Tian Zhen coming back, Xiao Ge can probably see it too. The edges aren't gone but there are now some softness growing back. There are new sprouts of innocence in Wu Xie's eyes again.)

But there are still spirits to drink together, and extra cigarettes enough to share, if there's us and the rest of our lives, then it is the greatest of good dreams. That in which I believe in is not a god. Entrusting my life and soul to you with a smile on the wretched battlefield, even the gods of death themselves must submit under the sword, the world has too many uncertainties, only this is the sole surety. But even the sharpest blade is also mere flesh and blood, I wish to give him affection and to let him rest and recuperate. (This can be either Wu Xie or Xiao Ge referring to their retired life in Rain Village that having just us - the iron triangle - as well as the rest of our lives then it's the best dream come true they could wish for. Also, Wu Xie and Xiao Ge's only belief is in each other but neither sees the other as a god. Wu Xie is unarguably human and Wu Xie sees Xiao Ge as human instead of a weapon or a god so it works both ways. Both Wu Xie and Xiao Ge are considered to be the sharpest blades of the Nine Gates with a tendency to go against fate and death. In Xiao Ge's case even death must bow its head under his sword and abide by his rule whereas in Wu Xie's case he himself is the sword so to speak and that he has defied death so many times as well as planned the death of the Wangs that in a way, death is under his control and has to do this bidding. I think it's also referring to the saying 麒麟一笑，阎王绕道；天真一笑，麒麟开道 when the qilin - a.k.a Xiao Ge - smiles even the lord of the underworld will make a detour to avoid his path; a smile of innocence - when Tian Zhen a.k.a Wu Xie smiles - the qilin clears the way. Not sure if this was in the original books or if it's just a comment made by fans online or by NPSS during interviews but it's pretty legit interpretation in my opinion. PingXie is each other's only constant in a world of uncertainties and they see the other as a human, not a god or weapon/blade to be used for the Nine Gates. I think after Sha Hai when Xiao Ge exits the Bronze Gates both are so wounded and scarred that they want to do is to give the other affection and for them to rest and recuperate from what they've suffered in those 10 years and more.)

Even a lifetime as a god, there can also be a moment, a minute of being an ordinary human. (Wu Xie referring to Xiao Ge that even though he has lived as a god for his entire life, there are still brief moments where he too can be an ordinary human. Xiao Ge is just an ordinary human, just like Wu Xie and Pang Zi.)

Anyways, sorry about the long post but that's about it I think. I'll add on if I ever think about anything in the future. Hope this post was helpful 😂

[kazeofthemagun]

Kaze - Character Tropes

[A thing I compiled for fun for my portrayal of Kaze and all my headcanons. There is so much stuff on TVTropes that I may keep adding as I go. He does have a page on it but it's lackluster for my taste XD but here it is.]

[Putting all this crap under a read more cuz that is long.]

Purpose-Driven Immortality / Regenerative Immortality - as long as the prophecy holds and Chaos still exists, Kaze cannot die. When his body is killed, he comes back through regeneration, centered on the Magun.

Soul Jar - the Magun, specifically, his heart that had been transplanted into it and bound him to the Gun Dragon sealed in the Demon Weapon. The vial is warded by very potent magic - supposedly, only another Unlimited has the power to break it.

Touched by Vorlons - granted immortality by Bahamut, the Gun Dragon, upon being accepted as Magun's prophecized perfect wielder - Unlimited.

Cybernetic Mythical Beast - the Gun Dragon and how he came to be - made from the slain Bahamut's corpse and infused with tech, animated by his still-living soul. As such, all Summon Spirits that come from the Gun Dragon and his Magun are also biomechanical in nature.

Dracolich - Gun Dragon is technically undead, while also reinforced with machinery to create a "perfect Weapon". He's forged from parts of his own corpse, bones showing through such as the arms, legs, exposed spine.

Draconic Abomination - Gun Dragon.

Dragons are Divine - Gun Dragon as the Windarian God of Destruction - the title gets passed on to Kaze as his chosen and vessel. Also War God.

BFG - Magun is fucking massive.

Bling-Bling-Bang! - Magun seems to be made of gold, but is really composed of an unidentified alien metal. Shiny tho.

He Who Hunts Monsters - fanatical levels of obsession with hunting everything Chaotic. (His title of choice being literally the Hunter of Chaos, Hunter for friends.) Definitely partially a personal vendetta - his whole world was devoured and his own mind was ripped nigh to shreds - but also a purpose felt strongly through the connection with Magun/Gun Dragon, a Demon Weapon forged specifically to combat Chaos that activates only at its scent, pre-repaired verse. Almost leads to a Van Helsing Hate Crime against Ai and Yu - luckily, Kaze is not that merciless and spares the kids for wanting to live as humans and not demons. All in all, Kaze/Gun Dragon are a cosmic force that opposes Chaos till the end of time. Also Married To The Job.

Collateral Damage - piss him off and you're gonna go. Alongside everything in approximately a 5 mile radius of where you're standing. (Thankfully he learns more restraint with time, attempting to minimize casualties where possible. Still, if ending Chaos requires sacrifices.. so be it.) Probably also Inferred Holo//caust in FFU. He had blown up huge chunks of land to end his foes. Likely killed people or at least animals :/

The Stoic - His personality archetype.

Weak to Magic - Blue Elenium, a special type of water magic that corrupts Soil. As an extension, Kaze is harmed more by water magic in general, seeing as the energy messes with Soil flow.

Trauma Button - having his hand held/touched suddenly. It brings painful memories of his sister, Aura, who died holding his hand. Under Chaos' influence, it was one of the only memories Kaze still had of her, rendering the trigger particularly intense and sending him into dissociative episodes. Furthermore, a fear of Gaudian flowers - the blue phantom flowers that herald the arrival of Chaos. Suffers from visions and nightmares of a very gory nature that involve said flowers.

Shell-Shocked Veteran - of the War with Chaos.

Loners are Freaks - he is an introvert born to a society that abhors weakness as disgraceful and sinful. Has trouble connecting with people - but he also (mostly) doesn't need to. Due to the nature of his quest, accepts his fate as the one who will never fit in anymore. "I am the monster who hunts monsters so that you may sleep at night human. It is a thankless job."

Beware the Quiet Ones - his silence precedes a storm. When he speaks, his words boom as thunder - be they a roar or a whisper. This man wastes no words.

Aloof Ally - self-explanatory.

Tranquil Fury - most of the time. Also, Rage Breaking Point applies when facing Kumo mid-show. Except Kumo promptly wrecks him, without much effort involved. It is only later (After-series) that Kaze recovers most of his power and sanity, and gains equal footing to his rival.

Firing One-Handed - can only do so this way. Only has one hand 99% of the time, the other is bound to the Magun and is reformed only to fire it.

Guns vs Swords - him and Kumo - Demon Gunman vs Demon Swordsman. Gun Dragon vs Sword Dragons.

Hand Cannon - Magun, to a lesser degree Orthrus.

I call it "Vera" - with Orthrus, named after the patron shepherd dog spirit of the sun's blood-haired children.

Improbable Aiming Skills - especially with the Gun Demon sight.

Overheating - the Magun when too many summonings are performed too quickly. As an extension of it, Kaze himself. May result in a death via Spontaneous Human Combustion.

Sawed-off Shotgun - Orthrus, double barreled.

Sniper Pistol - Orthrus.

Trigger Happy - self-explanatory.

Ancestral Weapon - the Magun, passed down the line of the Windarian summoner prodigies.

Made of Indestructium - the Magun, which cannot be broken by anyone short of another Unlimited.

Living Weapon - the Magun. Also, Legendary Weapon.

Shapeshifter Weapon - the Magun, a part of Kaze's body - gauntlet, windmill, gun. Replaces his right arm.

Only the Chosen May Wield - the Magun.

They Call Him "Sword" - except, gun. Kaze views himself as more of a weapon than a person at times. Makes sense, considering he is one - his true body is the Magun, which houses his heart, binds his soul and consciousness, and serves as the core from which his regenerative immortalitysets to work.

Nemesis Weapon - Kaze's Magun to Kumo's Maken. While forged for the same purpose, they govern conflicting energies. Also, Sword vs Gun.

Weapon Wields You - the Magun to Kaze with its funky laser-guided teleportation, always going after Chaos. Oh, Chaos' signature is underneath the ocean? Too bad.

Equippable Ally - Kaze, after reducing himself to the Magun and having Kumo and Lisa wield him to bring out the Gun Dragon.

Human Weapon - Kaze, literally.

Become Your Weapon - Kaze with the Magun.

This is a Drill - the Magun's Soil engine that activates Soil through spiral motion. Combined with a wholeass windmill.

Spectacular Spinning - the Magun's windmill. Plainly put, Spin to Deflect Stuff. Also, Blow You Away applies due to the Tornado Move.

Deadly Rotary Fan - the Magun's windmill used offensively.

Swirling Dust - Soil Spiral on the winds generated by the Magun.

Transformation Is A Free Action - seems to be the case in the series. May not be the case always.

Mechanical Lifeforms - Gun Dragon and all its summons.

Badass Cape - of course.

When Things Spin, Science Happens - the Magun's spinning shenanigans empower Soil.

Stock Footage - the summonings. He is become budget, Destroyer of Chaos. Also Transformation Sequence. Guy has a routine.

Running Gag - his spontaneous appearances, seemingly from nowhere.

Emergency Transformation - soul reforged into a Soil bullet, summoning himself as the Gun Dragon.

Elemental Powers - all the summon spirits.

Soul Power - Soil.

Soul-Powered Engine - the Magun/Gun Dragon.

Merger of Souls - Kaze with all of Magun's leftover Soil, as well as Bahamut's soul that animates Gun Dragon. Also Many Spirits Inside Of One - Endless White as the confluence of all the colors.

Emphatic Weapon - the Magun has a mind of its own, considering it is a vessel for the Gun Dragon.

Shoot the Hostage Taker - with Soljashy. Goddammit, Lisa.

Theme Music Power Up - Demon Gun Dissolve and Demon Gun Shot.

Black Blood - Kaze's blood, corrupted by the Magun's smoke. His earring, made of his own red blood mixed with tree sap, is a reminder of when he was still fully human. Technically also Machine Blood - it serves as a coolant for Magun and catalyst for Soil. Furthermore, My Blood Runs Hot - whenever Magun malfunctions. May be dangerous, as already mentioned.

Important Haircut - Kaze wears his hair long specifically as a "fuck you" to Windarian folk beliefs related to the blood hair curse.

Dark-Skinned Redhead - self-explanatory.

Death Glare - his usual go-to method of communication.

Icy Blue Eyes - a cold stare.

Eyes Do Not Belong There - Gun Dragon, with four eyes on the chest and one on the belly in addition to the four already on its head, also, many other summons, such as Phoenix or Raiden.

Glowing Eyes of Doom - Kaze's special Gun Demon crosshairs eyes, for when the time comes to be particularly scary.

True Sight - Kaze is capable of seeing through most basic illusions due to an extremely sharp spirit sense. Can see certain types of ghosts. Also Supernatural Sensitivity.

Cool Shades - wears a dark lens over his left eye to minimize distraction via Orthtus' muzzle flash. Also, Sunglasses At Night.

Megane - lol.

Lean And Mean - also lol.

Jerkass - he is. Sometimes Jerk With A Heart Of Gold.

Facial Markings - the wave on his nose and the solar marks under his eye.

Power Tattoo - the Embrace (Gun Dragon's claws upon the shoulders.)

Fingerless Gloves - wears an archery glove that covers the pointing finger and thumb only.

Eccentric Artist - also outside of battle. Primarily a poet, draws sometimes.

Being Tortured Makes You Evil - by Chaos, after being possessed. Returned to being good-aligned after some time.

Brainwashed And Crazy - by Chaos, to obsessively hunt Kumo. Now recovered. Also Mind Rape.

Laser-Guided Amnesia - his memory loss and subsequent insane pursuit of Kumo mid-show.

Curse - according to his people's folklore, the unusual color of his hair.

Stress-Induced Mental Voices - happens a lot, bothin hallucinations and the Soil speaking.

Heroic Willpower - to stand strong against Chaos.

Dark and Troubled Past - everything about him. Everything. Also Born Unlucky - cursed from the start.

Sole Survivor - of Windaria's fall.

Last of His Kind - last Windarian.

Meaningful Name - Black Wind.

Rite Of Passage Name Change - from the nickname "Wolf" to his current name, as granted by his clan.

Driven to Madness - first somewhat by his pursuit of power, then more so by Chaos.

No Medication For Me - good luck getting him to medicate for his issues. Chances are it would not work anyway due to his altered nature.

There Are No Therapists - on Windaria.

Good Thing You Can Heal - gets injured or killed multiple times during his quest. Good thing he's immortal, right?

I Can Still Fight! - frequently, especially when Kumo is somehow involved.

Organ Dodge - his heart is no longer in his chest.

Wound That Will Not Heal - still feels a type of phantom pain where his heart once was - the surgery scar is the only scar that refuses to heal.

An Arm And A Leg - the Magun essentially removed his right arm below the elbow.

Arm Cannon - the Magun.

Artificial Limbs - the Magun, replacing Kaze's right arm.

Handicapped Badass - despite possessing only one hand (when Magun not thawed).

Don't You Dare Pity Me! - Kaze and most of the Wind Warriors' culture in general.

All Are Equal In Death - as Soil.

Anti-Hero - also Pragmatic Hero.

The Cynic - self-explanatory.

Badass Creed - “From the Glory of Death, for the Glory of Life.”

Battle Cry - “Soil is my power!” Also Catchphrase and Calling Your Attacks.

Pre-Asskicking One-Liner - sometimes. "What is the matter with the Magun? Why won't you use it?"

Giving Someone the Pointer Finger - “The Soil Charge Triad to use on you has been decided!”

Big Brother Instinct - around Aura.

Parental Abandonment - never knew his parents, grew up on the streets as an orphan.

Summon Magic - Soil-Adherents train in Soil summonings - the Magun allows Kaze control over all summons, except ones of Mist.

Summoning Ritual - the Soil Charge Triad.

Offscreen Teleportation - played for comedic value. Is actually Soil Spiral teleportation, though.

Forced Sleep - induced by Kumo, causing Kaze to slumber for twelve years. Sleep, bitch!

Mage Marksman - self-explanatory.

Warrior Poet - "The gilding of a blood indomitable... True Sanguine."

Religion is Magic - the Soil poetry is sacred to Windarian summoners.

Dark Messiah - as the Dark Unlimited, Hunter of Chaos.

Duelling Messiahs - him and Kumo, who fits the light end of the spectrum. But will Makenshi's purity serve him? Hmm...

In Love With Your Carnage - You can kill efficiently and potentially kick his ass? Hot. Also Power is Sexy.

Magitek - the Magun and all its summons.

Human Alien - Windarians, Kaze's species. Also Proud Warrior Race.

Martyrdom Culture - the Missionary caste Soil-martyring for the Adherents.

[stusbunker]

AGA: Cornered

A Supernatural AU Series

Featuring: Dean Winchester/ Benny LaFitte​

Other Characters: Sam, Bobby, Mick, Ash, Castiel

Written for: @thoughtslikeaminefield​

Word Count: ~2700

A/N: No kink square this chapter, just backstory and bowling. Mention of drug use. General flirty banter. xoxo

    The crack and rumble of balls striking pins rang throughout the bowling alley; the consistent soundtrack of Dean’s Wednesday nights. He had gotten there early, just after six, to claim their alley and get himself dinner before the rest of the team arrived. Dean shrugged into the simple black and red collared Singer’s Slingers bowling shirt with his name on his left pec. As he sipped his beer and waited for his burger basket, he wondered how late Sam would be this week.

    Ash and Bobby showed up just as Dean had a greasy mouthful. He managed to murmur his greetings as they bypassed the bar for the row of vinyl chairs, changing out of their street shoes. They were followed shortly by Mick, who always seemed to swagger in, no matter how ill fitted his bowling shirt. Dean continued to devour his burger and fries as the team ordered their drinks one after the other. It was 6:25 and the other team were toweling off their balls, eyeing them while glancing at their watches. 

    “C’mon Sam,” Dean urged under his breath.

    “Sam, I expect, but where the hell is Cas?” Bobby wondered, squinting towards the entrance.

    “Told you, you should have asked someone else to take the old man’s spot,” Dean smiled smugly, before popping another fry in his mouth.

    “Yeah, well, most my friends are too old or too tired for this shit. Can you imagine Rufus out here each week?” Bobby sighed, shaking his head before taking a sip of his whiskey.

    “Bobby, can I ask you something?” Dean started. “Are you still bowling because you enjoy it or because it’s a night out of the house?”

    “You work with your wife for twenty years and tell me if you wouldn’t be out here every chance you got.” Bobby eyed Dean like he was slow. A burning grin pulled across Dean’s face, he almost choked on his last bite he was laughing so hard. Dean took a swig of his beer and Bobby rolled his eyes.

     “Singer! Let’s go!” Roy Wilkinson called from down on the lane.

     “What a jackass,” Bobby whispered to Dean, before turning to the opposing team’s captain. “Yeah, I’m getting there.”

     It was 6:31.

      Dean had learned by now to place Sam last in the line up, but Cas usually went second. With a quick scramble, Dean adjusted their bowling order and sent Cas and Sam their own personalized texts of annoyance. It shouldn’t be that much of a deal, but he was embarrassed. Plus, Dean didn’t want to see Bobby continue to take shit for their tardiness.

    At 6:44, a sheepish Castiel and an annoyed Sam walked into the alley together. Sam still had his suit on, his bowling bag slung over his shoulder. 

    “Dude, what the hell?” Dean asked once his brother sat down to swap shoes.

    “The hoopty bit it, Cas called me because he figured I was closest,” Sam explained, knowing that would have been Dean’s next question.

    “Did he hit anybody or did it just die?” Dean asked, eyes raking over Cas’s body for signs of injury.

    “It killed while he was driving. Not sure if it’s electrical or if he just ran out of fucking gas,” Sam whispered, frustration evident.

    “Well, you guys missed the first frame, but you got yourself a hot minute to catch your breath and grab a beer,” Ash butt in. Mick came back from picking up a spare and the story got told all over again.

    “I’m really sorry, Bobby,” Cas explained.

    “You bowl for a mechanic’s team, boy. You shouldn’t have let it get that bad in the first place,” Bobby dismissed the clueless man as he made his way to the ball return.

    “Dean?” Cas asked, leaning over Dean’s shoulder at the now useless scorer keeper’s spot.

    “Yeah?” Dean replied.

    “Do you think, could you give me a ride to the bar? And home after I do my nightly paperwork?” Cas explained, his blue eyes beseeching and all too familiar.

    Dean groaned and closed his eyes. “How late? I’ve got a day job I need to be at, too, man.”

    “Wednesday’s are Ladies’ Night, so it could be awhile,” Cas pondered aloud. “But you don’t have to stay, I can ask at the bar, maybe Ana wouldn’t mind.”

    Dean’s stomach instantly knotted with guilt, knowing how the waitress would feel to be trapped with Cas duty after a long shift. He shouldn’t have been so short with him, his car problems probably weren’t his fault. 

    “Nah, man, I got you. Let’s just bowl, get out of here as soon as possible,” Dean suggested, chin jutting out toward the lanes. Cas was up.

    “You’re a lifesaver,” Cas grinned in relief. Dean swallowed and nodded, biting back the smile that crept up whenever Cas looked at him like that. A sour taste settled in the back of his throat as he watched Cas barely clip the 6 and 10 pins. Ignoring the rest of the frame, Dean went back for another drink before it was his turn.

    Losing the first game was inevitable, but the Winchester brothers had a reputation to uphold and they rallied the team for the final two games. Together, they gave the opposing team some much deserved karma. Dean racked seven strikes in a row, but missed the 7 pin on his last ball. Sam, looking utterly ridiculous in his dress shirt and bowling shoes, followed up his tenth frame with a shaky spare. Then he pulled a strike out of thin air with the third ball.

    The lane erupted.

     Mick and Ash hooted and bumped chests. Dean jumped at his brother, nearly tackling him, before lifting him off the floor by his waist in celebration. Bobby, proud as ever, gave everyone a high five before he shook hands with the now salty Roy. Then Bobby ensured his team followed suit, as a sign of good sportsmanship, even if their faces didn’t hide the smugness of victory.

    The champion’s high was short lived for Dean, because reality reared its ugly head when Cas awkwardly started to shadow him as they cleaned up their equipment. Dean towelled off his ball and slipped it into his bag, trying not to let the disappointment of missing out on a drink with the team to cart Cas’s ass across town show. Or the phantom nervousness of being alone with him that Dean had to tell himself to shake.

    Cas was just his friend. He had only ever been his friend. No matter how many times Dean craved to be alone with him, it had never meant anything more than friendship to Cas.

    Dean had nothing to feel guilty about. But when Cas dropped onto the bench seat beside him in the impala, Dean’s heart started to race. He felt like he was walking a dangerous line between ambiguity and cheating.

    “Thanks again, Dean,” Cas’s deep voice croaked.

    Plastering on a company smile, Dean brushed him off. “It was only a matter of time for that jalopy anyway, now if you just trust me and sell the damned thing, maybe you could get a reliable set of wheels.”

    “Ash says he can have it at the shop by tomorrow afternoon,” Cas threw out there tentatively. 

    Dean gave Cas the side eye. “You’re calling Ellen first thing and BEGGING her to work you in, cuz I am no good at weaseling somebody onto the schedule.”

    “I know, Bobby warned me. And Ash.”Cas squinted in thought. “And Mick, now that I think about it.” 

     Dean told himself to keep his eyes on the road. And to ignore the suddenly crushing weight of his phone against his thigh. He felt like he should be letting Benny know what he was doing, somehow. Like if he didn’t tell Benny where he was and with who, then he was asking to get dumped. 

    Dean, no stranger to self-sabotage, overthought until his head hurt. He couldn’t cheat if they weren’t dating. Driving a friend home wasn’t cheating. It didn’t matter that he had had feelings for Cas for as long as he could remember. Benny wasn’t his boyfriend. Officially. Right?

    Cas turned to look at Dean. “You’re awfully quiet tonight.”

    Again with the inopportune observations.

    “Just got a lot on my mind,” Dean dismissed Cas’s concern and leaned over to turn on the radio, close enough that Dean got a whiff of Cas’s familiar cologne. The scent flooded Dean’s senses with bittersweet memories and he had to clear his throat to clear the haze of desire that was always associated with it, with Cas himself. Dean drummed his thumb against the steering wheel and held onto the music for as long as he could.

    They arrived at The Pearly Gates just before ten, cars and suvs filled the small parking lot and spilled over onto the narrow side street. Dean cursed and backed into the narrow alley, unwilling to risk his paint job among the other vehicles.    

    “Alright, I’ll wait here, go do your busy work.” Dean cranked the car into park.

    Cas gave Dean a cautious look before he crawled out of the passenger seat, mindful of the space between the building and his door. Dean didn’t want to think about whatever Cas thought was going on with him. And Dean really didn’t need him prying all of the sudden.

    Dean thought about how oblivious Cas used to be and how much he had changed since they’d been friends. He was still Cas, but he wasn’t the same.

    They’d met at a party on campus, which Dean always seemed to find despite not attending. A very drunk Cas had been locked out of his house by his asshole roommates, which were mostly his brother Gabe’s friends. Dean sat on a half-broken picnic table in the backyard toking, as Cas yelled to be let in. It was barely above freezing, but Dean didn’t want to share with the asshole college crowd he’d seen so far.

     Cas was in black jeans and a tee shirt, shivering.

    “Hey buddy?” Dean called out. “Look, give me a sec and I’ll pick the lock for ya, alright? Cool it.”

    “What?” Cas looked at him like he had three heads.

    Dean chuckled. “Stop yelling. I’ll get you in. Just let me finish my joint.”

    Cas walked over, rubbing his arms with his hands before he started blowing on his hands. Dean had stared, the buzz slowed his thoughts. He just took in the details of Cas’s hands and the way his meaty lips probably looked as the hot air left them. 

    “You want a hit before I pinch it off?” Dean offered, hand extended in selfish offering.

    “I’m good.” Cas waved him off, smiling without teeth. A good kid, Dean thought, or a dweeb.

    Dean sucked in the last puff of smoke and carried it in his chest as he crossed the lawn to the backdoor. As he squatted, he exhaled, letting himself completely relax before he dug for his small set of tools. 

    “I’m sorry, but my roommates are---,” Cas started.

    “Dicks?” Dean guessed.

    Cas sighed in agreement, and that moment Dean probably will never forget as long as he lives. Dean looked up to see Cas in the yellow glow from the porch light, his blue eyes distinguishable for the first time.

    “Uh?” Cas squinted in confusion.

    “Right.” Dean sighed and shook his head, fitting the pick into the lock.

    “You’re sure you can do this?” Cas continued, disbelief clung to every syllable.

    But Dean didn’t have to answer, because just then Dean cackled in triumph, “Yahtzee!” and the door swung open. 

    Cas marched past him and into the warmth of the overpacked house. He turned just before he got swallowed by the crowd and nodded his thanks, eyes deep enough for Dean to get lost in.

    Dean couldn’t remember much else from that specific party, but meeting Cas. They weren’t friends until a few more chance encounters and a flat tire, but it was their beginning. 

     Dean hadn’t told Benny about Cas, other than he was a friend that he helped out. He didn’t have labels for what Cas meant to him, he’d never let it solidify from thought and feeling into word or definition. There had been something there and if he wasn’t careful, Dean could get lost in the familiarity, the lingering hope of perpetual possibility.

     Dean probably should say something, eventually.

     The car had gotten cold while he waited for Cas to finish the deposit. Dean had turned off the engine to save the gas, but was starting to regret it when his phone rang. 

     “Heya, gorgeous, how’d ya bowl?” Benny drawled before Dean could finish his greeting.

    “Alright, just around my average, but I tanked the last game. You off work already?” Dean asked, knowing Benny usually worked well past mall hours if he was in the middle of something. 

    “Yeah, leaving it for another day. You at home?” Benny continued.

    “No, at the bar, killing time,” Dean inaccurately summarized. “Why? You miss me?”

    “Well not if you’re gonna be like that, I don’t,” Benny teased.

    “What days are you off again?” Dean sidestepped.

    “Tomorrow and Sunday. You wanna come over?” Benny asked.

    “I do, but I can’t, I’m wiped. Six am is early enough on a good night,” Dean apologized. “I can roll in after my shift at the bar on Saturday though, if you don’t mind me showing up close to three.”

    “That could work. I’ve gotta be somewhere at eleven, but you’re welcome to join me,” Benny offered.

    “That depends, is it a church service? I need to prepare myself for the smiting showing up after a night with you,” Dean countered.

    Benny laughed, “Not a’tall. Me and some buddies do brunch every week.”

    Dean sobered up, but he couldn’t stop the snark. “You do brunch?”

    “Yeah?” Benny replied, not giving Dean anything more. Dean licked his lips and gaped at the offer. Benny wanted to introduce him to his friends. “You alright, cher?”

    “Yeah, just got distracted, sorry,” Dean lied horribly. “I don’t want to crash your plans. We’ll see, alright?”

    Benny inhaled audibly. “Yeah, I understand. You’ll still stay over though?”

    “Yeah, I’ll be there.” Dean agreed.

    “Hey, maybe, if you don’t mind I could slip in for a drink after my shift Friday?” Benny suggested.

    Dean smiled. “That’d be great. Gives me something to look forward to on a double shift.”

    “You alright?” Benny almost whispered.

    “Yeah, just tired, sorry, not my usual charismatic self,” Dean huffed.

    “Nothing to be sorry for, sugar. Just checkin’ in on ya,” Benny soothed. Dean closed his eyes and relished in the sound of Benny’s calming voice.

    “Tell me something,” Dean asked, not wanting to end the conversation.

    “What do you want to know?” Benny chuckled, deep and genuine.

    “I don’t know, just keep talking. What were you working on tonight?” Dean said.

    “A pair of saddle bags for a custom bike,” Benny started. “Real nice ones too. Sturdy, but soft. Got some staining to do then the branding. But I got everything cut and measured for now. You ride?”

     Dean hummed, then remembered he was asked a question. “Sorry, on occasion, I don’t have a bike of my own anymore. Do you?”

     “Well, they don’t call me a leather daddy just for my outfits, cher,” Benny teased. “Before it snows, I’ll see if we can get the bike out for a spin.”

     “Now I’ve got that visual burning through my thoughts,” Dean murmured suggestively. 

     “Happy to oblige,” Benny goads. 

     “I’m sure you would,” Dean huffs. “Thanks, it was just nice to hear your voice.”

     “Anytime, Dean, all you have to do is call. You know that right?” Benny pressed.

     “Yeah, I know, I know.” Dean agreed, when an extra blast of cold air hit his side. Cas was back. “I better go. I’ll see you soon.”

      “Dean?” Cas interrupted.

      “Okay, well, enjoy the bar,” Benny sounded like he’d heard Cas. “Bye, darlin’.”

     “Night,” Dean ended the call.

     “Who was that?” Cas asked, tugging at his trenchcoat to get the seatbelt on.

Tagging: @flamencodiva​​ @dolphincliffs​​ @dontshootmespence​​​ @fookinghelljensensthighs​​​ @fangirlxwritesx67​ @dawnie1988​ @mrswhozeewhatsis​​​ @cosicas-cuquis​​​ @foxyjwls007​ @tumbler-tidbits​ @wingedcatninja​​​ @defenderrosetyler​​​ @ericaprice2008​  @crashdevlin​​  @mylovelydame21 @cajunquandary​ @itmighthavebeenintentional

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Series Masterlist

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Awesome bowling logo made by @there-must-be-a-lock​

Part 6: Loose Lips Sink Ships

[kibybun]

The Feeling is Mutual

Yandere Hawks x Yandere + Tsundere reader

Tw: yandere, obsession, stalking, cussing, violence, murder

Enjoy!

----------------------------------------------------------------

You were currently running for your life. Why? Because you're a badass. But really, a sleazy pervert thought he had the right to touch you. Too bad, you punch quite hard.

"Get back here you little bitch!" The pervert was definitely strong due to his muscular build but you were definitely fast.

Thundering footsteps take the quiet alley by storm as you start to pull ahead of him.

"Go suck a dick, you bag of cat piss!" You look back to mock him but your feet disapprove. Your face scrapes against the lose gravel along with your hands and knees. "Fuck...."

"Wanna repeat yourself?" He comes to a stop at your side, bends down, and yanks you up by your hair.

"You disgusting bag of cat piss!" Once again you're too cocky for your own good. You spit in his face and he throws you against the wall.

"Little bitch!" He wipes his face before grabbing your throat, pinning you to the wall, and raising his fist.

"Do it, you bag of cat piss!"

His face fumes red as he tries to hit you, only to be stopped by vivid red feathers.

"What the hell?" His grip on you loosens so you take the opportunity to kick him in his precious no-no square. He collapses in pain and grovels on the ground.

"Hehe do I get a thanks for saving that pretty face of yours?" You instantly feel your blood boil but as you look at your "savior" the only thing you feel heat up are your cheeks.

His whole appearance was absolutely delicious but what caught you most was how god damn beautiful his wings are.

"Hehe what's wrong, like what you see?" This over grow chicken then takes it upon himself to flex his arms and wings.

You scoff. "Nope." 'What. The. Fuck. What's wrong with you me!?!' You turn to hide your blushing face to help imply your unimpressed demeanor.

"Owwww you wound me! Anyway why were you running from that guy, doll?" You choke on the air, trying to register the pet name he gave you.

"Pfft doll? Try coming up with something more original, stranger." As you make your witty remark, both of you fail to notice the pervert silently escaping. It wasnt like he mattered anyway.

"Fair point, angel. Name's Hawks." He holds out a hand for you to shake. Somehow this name was even more cheesy but you loved it.

"As if that's better..." 'Shut the hell up with your sass!'

You go to shake Hawks' hand but before you can grab his, he grabs yours. He swiftly but gently pulls your hand to his lips to place a kiss atop of it. You snatched your hand away at mock speed.

Embarrassed and flustered to manage to stutter out, "H-hey! That's disgusting! I still have no idea who the hell you are!" But you loved it oh so much.

He merely laughs. "Well you can trust me, plus I dont know who you are so, what's your name?"

"What do you mean 'you can trust me'?"

"Awe, ignoring my question? Anyway what I mean by that is I'm pretty trustworthy. Being number 2. hero and all." Hawks leisurely puts his hands behind his head.

All you felt was utter shock. Not only did the number 2. hero come and "rescue" you but he has been FLIRTING with you.

"So? I still dont know who you are." 'Oh my god, you absolute idiot you have no hope.' But he just laughs it off.

"Still a valid point so let's make a deal. I give you my first name and you give me yours plus your number." You have to stop yourself from gagging at how adorable and cheesy that was.

You give him a deer in the headlights look.

"Oh c'mon! I'm basically putting my whole identity on the line and all I'm asking is for your digits plus a name."

"But why?" 'Stop questioning it and take it!'

"Why not?" You give a final scoff before mumbling something. "Can you repeat that a little louder angel?"

"(y/n)."

"(y/n). (y/n).(y/n).(y/n).(y/n).(y/n).(y/n).(y/n).(y/n)."

"What the hell are you doing? Stop saying my name." 'No, please keep saying it.'

"I'm saying it eight times so I never forget it. Cuz, ya know, eight on its side is the infinity symbol." He smiles the most innocent and pure smile anyone could make.

Your heart squeezes as you cant handle this. "That's dumb..."

"Maybe but you still need to give me your number."

"Name first."

"Ooo assertive, I like!" He steps closer causing you to step back.

'Please come closer.'

Very quickly your back hits the wall and Hawks brings his face dangerously close to your ear.

"Keigo." His voice was deep and had the effect of honey in your ear. It happened slowly leaving the sound stuck in your ear yet still traveling through your body.

As quickly as it happened, Keigo had pulled away and passed you his phone.

"Keep my name a secret, 'kay?" He smiles and winks only causeing you to function less and less.

"Whatever..." You put in your number and name, passing the phone back to Keigo.

"Thanks angel! I'd love to text you right away but I'm still on patrol so be sure to look out for my text later!" He swoops up your hand again to give it another kiss before flying off.

"Hey!" His response was laughter. As you begin to walk back towards your destination your face cools and you hold your hand close.

'He's suck a dummy but he's my dummy.'

Around 6:30 pm you receive a text from an unknown number.

'Hey angel.'

'Hey over grown chicken.' "Why the hell are you being so mean?!"

'lol are you calling me big?'

'Nope, tiny with succulent wings.'

'So you're only using me for my wings?! 😭'

'Yup!'

'Daw you dont need to lie to me angel.'

'But lying is so fun~'

'So you were lying!'

'....shit.'

'Ha! I knew I was irresistible.'

'Irresistible to carnivores.'

'You're an omnivore.'

'I have amazing self control.'

'Oh? prove it.'

'Pfft how?"

You leave the kitchen with your snack and plop on your bed. You were too engrossed in your conversation with Keigo that you didnt notice him peering through your window.

He simply adored how you try to contain how happy you become when you get a message from him.

Now was the test to see if you truely had amazing self control. Your phone buzzes and you quickly switch to your messages only to nearly die.

Inches from your face was the sexiest abb picture you've ever seen. His body was so well toned and to add to the picture his wings make up most of the background with very little blue sky poking through.

You were too distracted oogling and drooling over a simple picture it took a moment before you noticed his next texts.

'How's that self control treating ya?'

'I bet you're drooling over me.'

You pout, send a reply, and set your phone down.

'I think I'm a vegan now.'

After a second Keigo can notice the panic on your face as a faint "was that too mean?" was heard.

'Then I guess I'm the forbidden fruit.'

You bite your lip as you switch over to social media. Before your little banter started you were stalking his accounts. You didnt follow him or like any of his posts so he wouldnt be given that satisfaction but you truely did like them.

The only thing you disliked was how there were other girls who thought they could ever get with YOUR Hawks. He asked YOUR number and gave YOU his name. Clearly he was yours.

'Hey, you still there?'

'I like forbiden fruit. I have to shower. I'll text you in the morning, sweet dreams❤'

Keigo's heart flutters at the simple message. He flies home to shower as well.

While in the shower you slowly think of ways to eliminate the girls who think they can look at your Darling.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Two weeks have passed and have you been a little busy bee. You had to work to sustain life but you made it to every event your beloved was at. You made it to every meet and greet, interview, photoshoot, villain attack, his window at night. It really helped that you have a stealth quirk, so that way you wont be entirely in debt!

It wasnt like Keigo to not notice he was being followed, he knew exactly what you were doing, but he felt too endeared that his angel was watching out for him. He was also quite impressed on how you were able to sneak into his interviews and photoshoots.

Keigo felt guilty not being able to give you the attention you deserve but he tries to make up for it by watching you on his patrols and after you leave his house to go to sleep.

Tonight was no different as Keigo was perched on your apartment balcony. You liked to sleep with the curtains drawn back so you can see the stars but you always forgot to lock that door. Did you ever lock it?

Keigo silently fusses over how dangerous that is as he opens the door and kneels down at the side of your bed. His left hand holds on of yours as his right cups your face.

He was addicted to watching your sleeping face. So innocent. Plus he got a break from your adorable tsundere additude. Dont get him wrong, he loved it just he desires affection too.

He slowly retracts his hands to pull out his phone to take a picture. He probably had hundreds of pictures of your sleeping face but he needed to document everything. Tonight you must be having a bad dream, evident by the fact your eyebrows were scrunched and you sticking your tongue out ever so slightly.

"You need to stop being so adorable angel." He takes his pictures and kisses you forehead.

He wanted nothing more than to cuddle you but he had an extra early patrol. He slides the door to your balcony closed and flies off.

When you wake up with your mouth dryer than a desert. "Blah..." You grab your phone and text Keigo.

'Goodmorning early bird.'

You knew he'd be awake. You had memorized his schedule. Today after patrol he had a meet and greet then a photoshoot.

'Morning beautiful.'

You truely cant help smiling and blushing at all the cute things he says to you.

'How'd you sleep?'

'What's this? Concern????'

You roll your eyes at his teasing continue to eat your breakfast.

'Keep teasing me and it wont happen again.'

'lol sorry angel, I slept ok but it would've been better with you~'

Did he just say that? Oh my god he just said that.

(y/n). exe has stopped working. As your brain starts to reboot, your phone pings.

'How'd you sleep?'

The witty comments part of your brain was still rebooting, preventing the tsundere in you to actually work.

'Maybe if we spent the night together we'd sleep better.'

Now this caught Keigo off guard. He expected to be called a pervert or weirdo. Not for you to agree.

'Do you maybe wanna watch a movie tonight?'

He gotta shoot his shot sometime. Why not now?

Your brain could not comprehend what was happening. Were you dreaming? No, your sure you're awake. Was he joking? No, he didn't seem like the type to jokingly ask that. Maybe the world was just rewarding you for being so dedicated and loyal. That's probably it.

'Where and when?'

Keigo does a few flips in the sky to try and ease his excitement. Too bad that fails. "Its a date!"

'6 @ my place?'

'You better pick me up on time and have dinner prepared.'

'Anything for you angel!'

"Oh my fucking god it's a date." You jump up and down excited, running to your closet to pick out your outfit.

Since it wasnt a fancy restaurant or anything you decide to go more casual. A cute sundress maybe? Either way you put on your outfit and head out the door to go to your darling's meet and greet. It wasnt too far from your apartment so you were able to take a leisurely stroll there.

As you arrive you see the big crowd already forming. You didnt want to get your outfit dirty so you decide to stay more towards the back. A peppy blonde girl pushes you slightly to the side.

"Bitch.." you mumbled under your breath.

"Uh what did you just say?"

Not wanting to embarrass Keigo or have him have to separate a girl fight you decide to step down. "Nothing."

"Good choice bitch."

As the two of you reach the middle of the crowd, the girl takes out her phone. It was hard not to ease drop when she is purposely talking in your ear.

"Hawks is so hot. I bet he has a big dick too. Maybe after this he'll let me take some of that stress off of him~!" She puffs her chest out trying to get a reaction from you.

On the outside you're calm and collected but inside all hell was breaking lose. You wanted to snap her neck, pull out her fingernails, and slice off her tits.

Seeing as you're unfazed she continues. "I bet he'd be screaming how good I make him feel. He'd ask for my number and I'd break his heart. He is just a hunky of meat after all."

That's it.

You activate your stealth quirk and she questions where you went. You pull out a knife you always have on you, just in case, and glide it against her throat in a swift but silent manner. She collapses to the ground and a shrill scream sounds, alerting everyone near.

Before you run, you look at Keigo. His eyes meet yours. You know he can see you even if you were invisible. You know he knows you just killed her. His face holds disbelief but his eyes shimmer and smile for him.

You run from the crime scene and wash the blood from your hands.

Six o-clock slowly arrives and there was a knock on your door. You know its Keigo but you dont know how he found your adress. Opening the door you see him smiling so brightly.

"My little angel shed her white wings!" He traps you in a hug. You gladly hug him back.

"You're not mad?"

"Of course not! You did it for me didnt you?" You look up at him and nod. "Then its perfectly fine." He smiles at you before picking you up bridal style and closing your door.

"We better hurry, dinner is getting cold."

Loosely based on my Stalker x Stalker headcanons! Thank you so much for reading, have an amazing day!

Kiby~💚

[6blackfilin9]

Just decided to show that I'm still alive over here

So guess it's LongShitpost Time

A very long post about The Batman's (2004) Penguin

And well, I've been thinking about making it for about a year, so.. here we are, watching me behaving like an easily surprised kid babbling about Oswald and how much I admire him and why

Actually nothin' important or highly moral here. If you still wanna read then just forget it's talk about a character from a kids show, I take this sh🐧t seriously and barely speak English

I like to take a lot of screenshots but can't use here all of them uuUUuUuuUUUUUGH

It's all about the 1st episode of 2nd season of The Batman (mostly, I also mention other my two fav episodes with Oswald)

I like it so much cuz this all just starts with "cat-mouse play" kind of cooperation which leads to "well guess you two will be chillin' in jail in pure mammalian harmony" and ends up with "oh no no no, this is your thievish girl, so you take her back"

"— You two pointy-ears make such a cute couple: his and hers."

"— Hm, made for each other."

I just crack up at this plot line so much

But well, being more serious, this episode unveils some of Oswald's personality traits quite vividly.

Going back to the first episode when he appeared, from the first sight it looked like the most of the time he acts like a mindlessly arrogant jerk who has no clue about what he’s doing, as most of kid-show villains, and tends to lose his temper fast , but if you look closer you’ll see that huge amount of his conduct lines are just a part of the games he plays

Like, he came to the Bruce's party just to take the damn list of guests, that’s the goal

But because of his behavior in public's eyes he wasn't the "strange quiet guy who's been looking around for all the time, than took the list of rich guests from butler and than left while there are robberies of rich people occurring in the city". He was "arrogant snobbish freak who thinks he's some sort of royalty (despite his family lost its place at the top of Gotham's society) so he acts around them as if they were peasants", so, for everyone it looks like the only thing he came for was attention, plus, influenced by negative emotions, people didn't notice such a potty movements as putting some paper in his jacket. I mean none even managed to notice that he stole the motherf🐧cking tray

(Well, for sure Oswald's quite snobbish about his family and it's "blue blood", can’t deny that, though he doesn’t behave that defiantly all the time and the only time when he completely loses it, cracks and explodes about this was when he became enraged hearing Alfred's words whom he took hostage in Bruce's house. That was a very bad day for him)

And come on, Oswald had patience and intelligence to figure out how to teach different predatory birds like ravens and owls, who actually tend to be wayward and even agressive time to time, to steal damn stuff from houses and how to make those f🐧cking badass high-tech umbrellas himself

So, cool man

If that episode showed his enormous arrogance, devotion to his family, resourcefulness, intelligence and hidden potential, this one shows how cunning, selfish, cold, ruthless and at some point insightful he can be

Back to the episode, it literally opens with the start of the strategy competition between Oswald and Selina

First they meet they start with a direct verbal flight for the Cat statue, which Oswald wins. So Selina, willing to get what she wants, desides to get down on a more manipulative subtle level playing love interest

So, of course Oswald gets stunned at first, I guess not every girl treats him this way every day, but he effectively uses this state to figure out his following plan and actions, and immediately starts behaving as a school boy in love.

So the man literally changed his tactics in a couple of seconds and figured out the new plan with the new “puppet” involved. Selina didn’t even notice anything thinking that she managed to hook him up easily so she now can manipulate him as she wants.

(guess Bruce was right, these two are worth each other: both prideful as heck)

So later their game enters the new fervent phase: they both play love interest in front of each other, and Oswald nailes his role just perfectly, making Selina even more convinced of his naivety so she reduces her alertness completely.

But guess he enjoyed this at some point. Like, Selina is a charming beautiful woman able to maintain a pleasant conversation with couple of dry sarcastic notes, so, I think this shade of sincerity helped him to play his part

And well, for quite huge amount of time Oswald makes that devil face with crooked grin which makes him look like a f🐧cking Satan, or just beings grumpy hardened journalist who had seen some shit which makes him look like he's about to have a severe breakdown, but here as he is around Selina in the first part of the episode he's completely calm like a damn fat cat, serious, focused and straight-faced, that's just gorgeous

He cracks up a bit ahead of time just once, when she manages to get the Bird statue

But as it goes to the showdown he doesn’t show even a hint of genuine sympathy or regret, he’s just like “well get reked Selina” and takes English leave

Well, I know it’s a kids show, Bruce saves the day and stuff, but Oz did literally put the bomb in the f🐧cking handcuffs so in case one of the two tries to put them off before the police arrive they actually f🐧cking die. I mean, that's kinda rough. But at the other hand it’s quite nobly but shortsighted of him to leave his enemies alive having a chance to interfere him later

And well, maybe Oswald isn’t good at etiquette, but he have never beaten Selina or any other lady if it came to close fight, while Batman did. Ozzie is a gentleman, shame on ya Bruce

And just to be said, the motherf🐧ucker didn’t even blink when the f🐧king half of his god damn umbrella was cut off right in front of his f🐧cking face. And oh my god, how f🐧cking firm Oswald's grip is that the hella heavy umbrella all made of f🐧cking metal didn't even swayed from the impact in the most stout place. Badass.

And just for a second, Oswald managed to dig to the bottom of that legend about the Bird and Cat statues and started putting the plan into action only after he had found all the necessary information about it (which he had to translate himself from ancient Egyptian), so that the first time he used it, it didn't turn out that he missed something and summoned some ancient shit so now the whole world is in danger (as it happens with villains in movies sometimes).

(The saddest part is that the only single thing that prevented the shit from happening was immense amount of luck. mean Bruce has all kinds of gadgets for literally any situation and knows literally everything just in case. Like, it was very useful of Bruce to study ancient Egyptian just in case someone decides to use egyptian artifacts for evil stuff. And they were so f🐧king lucky the the birds weren’t hungry and didn’t try to peck their faces off while they were climbing the god damn lighthouse which is already hella dangerous even without the maniac birds trying to knock you down)

Well, what do we have so far

Even if Oswald does have some temper issues, he's capable of making some keen psychological tricks, making strategies and keep his head above water, the only thing that actually hampers him is his own pride (like in the episode with Team Penguin. He does have some leadership qualities but he turns from leader into boss quite quickly thinking of himself only)

And, importantly, he is being at some level realistic and objective realizing that none actually takes him seriously.

He understands that for most of the people he’s just a deformed and depraved man with a funny voice, who’s also a descendant of the aristocratic family which ran out of money and lost former authority.

And he uses it for his own good. He couldn't if he didn't, otherwise he'd choose way less twisted ways of behavior

He knew what would the people at the party see in him, so he could predict what behavior would cause the result he needed.

He understood Selina wouldn’t take him as a serious opponent, seeing him as a lonely slow-witted man or whatever, being sure that she can hook him as any other in such an unpretentious way she thought she would be able to make him do all the work instead of her. His awareness made her plans all exposed and clear

But all this negligence combined with his pride does hurt him though, no doubt. There’s a whole episode about it, when he occupied Bruce’s house.

He has his own reasons to envy and hate Bruce, by the way. They both are from rich families, both intelligent, strong and talented, but Bruce is more young and handsome, plus, his family business remained successful. At this point he is much more luckier than Oswald

I mean even if it gets to falling Bruse safely falls on tent and Oswald falls on the dirty ground through hell, fire and high boiling water (I don't give a shit that it had been made for the comedy matters)

Basically, the only thing Oswald is doing is trying to restore not only the family’s honor, but also his own with help of money and growth of his authority. Maybe even to show others and himself that he’s something more than just a garbage. That he's something more than he seems to be at the first sight

But as far as I can see Oswald has never been that type of poor kid with low self esteem crying in a shower with the lights off and who then starts to hide behind the wall of arrogance as he grows up. I mean right in this episode he says that his mother had always told him that he was a handsome one, so I think his parents loved him, maybe even spoiled at some point, and gave him confidence and warmth he needed.

Though well, to be fair, children are cruel, and of course they would react to the child who lookes like a victim of a crazy geneticist's experiment in a very specific way. Some would avoid him no matter what it takes, for sure some would get used to him and communicate normally, but some would mock and bully him severely. So of course he would start to protect himself

But sadly he went in wrong direction, since his confidence became arrogance and his ways became much more twisted and radical

Even as an adult he’ve chosen a really slippery slope, though. He could've chosen a different path, but (as I guess) he couldn't overcome his sense of injustice and his resentment towards people around him, who actually neglected and loathed him. So he just sank in his negative experience and sharpened himself as the lone survivalist, which made him egotistical to the point when he doesn't care about the others and can actually stumble in some situations, being sure he can't be wrong

His actions can't be justified, but they can be explained. Oswald is really very understandable character

So

There is actually no moral of the post

Just me coming to conclusion that The Batman's Oswald appears to be quite deep in the first seasons

Yes, I just wasted about 5 minutes of your life, and you can't take those back

But I can leave you with a question besides frustration

Why in the bloody hell are they holding each other?!

I mean come on

Few hours ago they revealed mutual betrayal, he almost killed her, dropped her on the froor so she couldn't run away with the thing he needed, and now they hold each other flying away on a jet-umbrella

And don’t f🐧cking tell me they do this because of the fear that if one of them falls the other will too

No f🐧cking way

Just imagine flying on the f🐧cking jet-umbrella, you will cling to it so tightly that one day you will take it into your grave with yourself because you will not be able to unclench your f🐧cking fingers after a single flight, but instead of holding the motherf🐧cking umbrella they hold each other

So is it a weird joke or a very thick hint?

Who knows

[bigskydreaming]

More info on my Valkyrie changeling! Her name is Alessia. She's 18-19, of African American + Puerto Rican descent. She has a lifelong background in martial arts, from kickboxing to wushu to muay Thai to Krav maga. She moved around a lot growing up due to being an army brat. When she returned from wherever those faerie bastards took her, she discovered she now had huge feathery wings that are a deep golden brown. The first person she "elevated" as a valkyrie had been mortally wounded protecting someone from a mugger/harasser and she happened to be passing or has a new sixth sense that draws her towards death. She quickly learned she could only turn humans into valkyries. She owns a dojo in Faetown where she teaches martial arts and self defense, and hosts competitions. Theo tried her one (1) time, coveting her wings and she broke his nose and had him slammed + pinned on the ground in 2 seconds. He barely got a glimpse of her "warrior face" with her eyes glowing and features towing the line between beautiful and terrifying. Her "flock" of valkyries includes all genders and they help her run the dojo. They *could* live at the Aerie, as they can all fly with their wings, but choose not to. They're ride or die for Alessia, not just for saving them but because she's a great leader and compassionate. She's good friends with Rose, my Anansi changeling, and Scott.

Yesssssss. Love all of this. So her usual change is just her wings but when she calls up her magic she undergoes a further transformation with a warrior face that makes her even more otherworldly? Niiiice. I’m assuming of course that only she can make more valkyries because that’s her magic, but do the valkyries she makes just have the physical change of wings or do they have their own magic as well? 

I know the Valkyries in Lost Girl could send people running in fear with just a look, but in Norse myths the focus is less on what they do once Valkyries and how they’re made or chosen......hmm. I’m wondering.....can Alessia make anyone a Valkyrie, or is she drawn to certain people who have a potential, like they look different to her or are singled out somehow, or is it more that they have to have done something heroic or to protect someone before her magic can work on them and change them, like its a ‘save’ that only changes someone if they’re badly injured and only works on people who’ve been injured protecting others or acting as guardians?

Cuz if valkyries all have their own magic, ‘activated’ by Alessia turning them, there’s a lot of possibilities between magic oriented around saving people versus magic oriented towards being drawn to death. So there’s a whole spectrum between there you could play around with. Like maybe valkyries are empowered by people being in danger, like if they gain strength and invulnerability when acting to protect someone until the danger passes....versus something like they can pass some kind of protective boon onto people they sense death is near for, so they have some kind of magical protection until the threat of death passes....or anything in between. Like there’s a lot of possibilities there and I think the aspect of Alessia changing people who are acting as guardians specifically like, opens up a lot of very interesting avenues to explore.

And lololol I love this ongoing thread we have of Theo really fucking wanting wings but every time he goes after a changeling with wings they’re like lololol nice try.

[letterstothemidnightsociety]

Here we are at the end of October, in the Year of Our Troubles, 2020. And here I am, continuing my journey to avoid reality by looking for meaning in nostalgia and TV Hunks. It’s Supernatural!

Alright so we’ve made it to my (possibly/probably) all time favorite quartet of the entire series - Disc 3, Season 1, episodes 9 - 12. For the last few discs, I’ve been keeping things pretty technical in terms of television production and broadcast. But frankly, this sh*t is my jam. All that gooey emotion, all that sweet sweet lore, throw in some man tears and *chef kissy fingers* c'est magnifique! 

Now I’ll backtrack for a hot second here to talk about the filler vs. self-contained argument that I...probably jumbled in my last post. In shows like this, I tend to use “filler” to describe every episode that isn’t arc, but honestly, that’s not fair to a number of Supernatural episodes. The main difference being, is this episode meant to pad out your season or is it simply an episode that can stand on its own two feet? I’d say that’s the case for this entire disc.

First up, it’s Home. Guys, I think I cheered when I turned this episode on. We take our Winchesters, give them some small victories, build up their confidence, and then totally break them down again by sending them back to the beginning. This is not listed as the “official” return to the arc episodes, but I’d argue that Home is where we see a return to the Main Quest. Oh yeah, and Sam finally admits that he can see...what? What do we call these? Death Omens? I think Sam calls them premonitions? Either way, it’s…*shrugs* sure, do what you want. The premonitions do become important later and they’re basically the catalyst for the whole second season and that resolution takes us into the main conflict for the third season, and so on and so on, it’s a whole thing. It just seems like a hecking lot this go around, ok? But he finally admits it to Dean and that’s probably some kind of growth. Dean going back into that house again is also some kind of growth. Of course, he was like, 4 when he swore he’d never go back to that house again? Whatever, I didn’t care. I get too distracted by the fact that DEAN IS CRYING GUYS! LOOK! HE’S CRYING!!

Oh, and one more tie to the season arc - Hecking John Winchester shows up. I mean, he’s all over the episode and I think the most shocking thing we find out about him is that he was, at one point, a business owner?? But also it ends with conclusive proof that John Winchester is a massive dick who refuses to talk to his children. And I’m sorry, I don’t buy your “have to finish it first” excuse, I just don’t. To be clear, I’m not mad at the storytelling choice to do that, I’m mad at the character, which I guess is where it should be. 

I like that this episode builds out more of the world that the Winchesters live in with Missouri Mosely (Not the State!). I like that we see they’re not alone in this very literal fight against evil. She checks back in later in the series and honestly, I love Loretta Devine so I would have watched a whole spinoff show about this character. 

Two things I don’t like about this episode? #1 What genius decided that Mary’s ghost would just be on fire for 20 years? Like, cuz that’s what I am understanding about this ghost. That she is just constantly on fire. And that’s...unkind. 

Mary, who did this to you??

#2 Only a man could have written this episode because no single mom is just gonna LET two rando dudes into her home. 

Listen boys, you’re cute, but I’m a woman with two small children. Hell no you’re not coming into my house. 

Next up is Asylum and this is so good at walking the line between creepy and Spooky. UNlike the Bloody Mary episode, I do not need to hide my face from the screen at any point during this episode. 

Hey look, it’s like they’re brothers or something!

This one is another episode that does a good job building character and the world the Winchesters live in. Like any good procedural, it uses the main conflict to bring out the more important conflict. In this case, it literally brings it out, cuz the ghost is a psychiatrist who makes Same confront all his Daddy Issues. And by confront we mean, take it out on his brother who is the saddest-motherf*cker-I’ve-ever-seen BUT HEY! Salting and burning a body finally works for once in their lives! I love all the cringing that Jensen Ackles does in that scene because they clearly hadn’t figured out what that effect was supposed to look like yet. 

It must have been a real surprise to find out the ghost didn’t light on fire.

Oh and then there’s the phone call! And man, this must have been a bitch of a mid-season finale, cuz this episode aired in November of 2005 and the next episode doesn’t come back until January of 2006 and so you’re just WAITING to hear what John has to say. 

Now wait for two months to find out what he says. 

And of course, it’s nothing. We come back in January to Scarecrow and John has nothing to say cuz he’s a massive dick. Just calling 6 months in to your nationwide search for me to let you know that I’m not dead, but also, I’m only here to send you on another assignment and cause tension. And so the show continues to break down our dynamic duo because the fight they have over whether they should listen to dad or not literally splits them apart. They also introduce Meg as a new and more involved villain for the series. I mean, sort of. We don’t see her again for like, another five episodes. And then again another five episodes after that. So like, I don’t really...know that introducing her as an antagonist...really had the effect they were hoping for?

Is she evil cuz she’s a demon or just because she’s blonde???

Here’s some issues I have with Meg, the first recurring female character who isn’t dead - she’s the first recurring female character who isn’t dead and also, I immediately hated her. I remember watching the episode the first time and as soon as I saw her I was like, oh she’s a ruiner. It was almost a relief to find out she was a bad guy at the end because it was like I was allowed to hate her? To be fair to me, Meg comes on hella strong trying to keep Sam from going back to his brother, so we’re not supposed to like her, but looking back on it now I feel like the perpetrator of some real girl-on-girl crime. Does Meg actually do anything wrong? Aside from leaning real hard on some indie-style manic-pixie bohemian free spirit nonsense, she doesn’t do...anything that should make me hate her? Until, of course, she actively acts as a wedge between our dream team, but before then, I don’t...think she does? Honestly, it could just be me, but I do think that TV has gotten much better at writing/directing/presenting female characters in a way that doesn’t feel like they’re literally shoe-horning in a third wheel. And again, ultimately we are supposed to hate her, I just can’t decide if I was picking up on signals that were intentional or not. I remember having similar feelings when they introduced Joe in season 2, but that’s still far ahead.

I am willing to admit that this might be just me. I will not take back the things I’ve said about Emma Watson though, those are justified. 

And I think introducing more characters is important. It acts the same way introducing Missouri did -it broadens the world. For half a season, our only constants are the brothers. They’re these lone cowboys in a weird, mystical, dangerous wasteland and the villains are more obstacles than actual villains. When the story you’re telling needs to feel bigger than that, you need to do some world building and sometimes that starts with adding more characters. I will say, I hated Meg less this watch than I did on the first one. Or rather, I hated her cuz I knew she was The Worst, not because I felt like adding her to the show was a threat to the storytelling. 

OH! ALSO! The first mention of Dean and Pie! My heart grew three sizes that day! 

The hecking diner won’t serve him so he never finds out!!!

And finally, to cap it all off, we have Faith which is...a surprisingly rough episode? Ok, listen, Dean just resignedly accepting his own demise is like, ugh. UGH. ugh. Buddy. Buddy you are NOT Ok. Like, Dean is so intent on keeping everyone else in his family alive but does not seem as concerned about his own health and well-being and that...just...ughghghghg...I have a lot of feelings about that. 

Listen, some day I will talk about Sam, but it is NOT THIS DAY.

Like, I get that Rev. Jerry Gergich Roy Le Grange is not actually healing people, but he literally tells Dean that Dean has a purpose and he was saved from an untimely death for a reason, and he’s kind of not wrong? But then he spends the rest of the episode stopping Roy from healing anyone else and feeling overwhelmingly guilty that he was saved over someone else. I think out of everything that season 1 has presented up to this episode, this is the most philosophical and thematically complex. There’s the question of faith vs skepticism - can we ever just blindly believe in a good turn? The fact that Dean can’t says a lot about him as a human. Then there’s the question of who gets to decide who lives and who dies? Who’s worthy of salvation and who isn’t? Why do bad things happen to good people and why do good things happen to Dean? I mean, when Dean sees the Reaper coming for him at the end, he knows that it’s in exchange for Layla’s life and he’s just...Ok with that? He doesn’t try to run or fight it, and it’s only because of Sam that he doesn’t bite it. And the end of this episode is just a real bitch slap to the feels because Layla, our Very Special Extra, knows she’s going to die and she knows she missed out on her chance to be healed because Dean was an Ass with a capital A and took her turn (probably). And she’s also just ok with that and it kills me a little bit on the inside. 

Also, Layla is played by Julie Benze from Roswell and Buffy and Dexter and she’s always A+. And Roy was in Snakes on a Plane!

So yeah, not exactly “filler” in the true sense, but ties to the season arc are not as strong as in other episodes. And watching these episodes again I realize just how important they are to the series as a whole. I mentioned Helstrom last week and since then, I’ve finished the season. It’s only 10 episodes, and while I definitely enjoyed it, none of the emotional climaxes felt earned. 

Is how I feel. About the Emotions in Helstrom. That doesn’t mean I won’t watch a season 2. 

When you focus solely on the main arc in every single episode, you miss these little moments to develop character and relationships. When you get to the end of the season where the Winchesters are finally all in the same room taking on the Big Bad, there’s this feeling of satisfaction - you’ve been waiting for this moment. You’ve been waiting for Sam to reconcile with his father. You’ve been waiting for the guys to finally take on this thing that killed Mary Winchester. You’ve been waiting to see what will happen when the quest is over. That’s what makes the character decisions in the finale feel so big and so important, because they’ve been built up and built up for 22 episodes - 7 months in broadcast time. I think it’s harder to have the sort of weight that Supernatural builds in a show that stays so focused on the arc because its season is only 8 - 10 eps. There’s no room for sidetracking to build on the relationships in the show. You don’t have time for it, so you either have to keep character moments smaller (I’d argue MUCH smaller) or you end up with a finale that doesn’t resonate with the same gravitas as you want it to. 

Don’t get me wrong - I know it sounds like I’m ragging on short seasons, but I think a short season can be very effective when it’s done right. I also think a full season of 22 - 24 episodes can be very effective when it’s done right. But I think there’s a fundamental difference in how you tell the story when you have a short vs. a long season. I think TV is still figuring that out as it goes, as writers who are accustomed to long seasons shift gears to tell their stories with fewer installments. But I hope that TV doesn’t completely do away with the more procedural-style/self-contained episodes since those can be a powerful way to connect with your characters. That’s why I’m here in the first place. 

[fairydust-stuff]

Bosses of China Town

Banana Fish has a lot of awesome characters but I want to talk about the China Town gang bosses. I was originally going to talk about just Shorter, but he’s one of those characters who took a back seat until shortly before his own death. So I figured I could talk about Sing as well just to extend things a bit. Also I strongly disagree with the Sing is just another Shorter Wong, argument because these two have very different mindsets.

Shorter Wong is first introduced in the Short story “Angel Eyes” the first shot we get of him is Shorter writing his sister Nadia a letter. Ash is brought to the juvenile detention center and Shorter is assigned the responsibility of watching him. “That’s why I wanna put him in Block A with you. You got things under control over there” (pg. 45). This line from the guy in charge tells us Shorter has some authority over the other guys and deals with situations before things get out of hand. From the get go Shorter is presented as a leader who handles things before they get out of control.

Shorter’s first impulse is to try to be friendly towards Ash showing him around while warning the other guys not to try anything when they cat call Ash. “I’m supposed to look after you here, so you need any help with stuff or whatever shoot” (pg. 51). This shows that Shorter takes his responsibility towards Ash very seriously. It’s also kind of interesting how Shorter doesn’t like him at first referring to Ash as a brat in his head and even feeling wary of him. When two guys get into a fight over who gets to claim Ash. Shorter ends the fight by saying “You can duke it out with me Frankie” judging by the fact the guys back off, Shorter is not the kind of guy you want to fight. He also mentions Frankie tried to sexually assault him but Shorter fought him off emphasizing that he’s a good fighter.

There’s also a bit of a duel personality since Shorter tells Ash to let Frankie rape him but thinks about how practical or not this is awful advice and feels ashamed of saying this. “But his eyes said if you can’t or won’t help me, keep your big mouth shut and leave me alone!”(pg. 67). Shorter’s ability to realize Ash is a rape victim show he’s perceptive and suggests he has been exposed to these kinds of stories numerous times. Shorter even casually asks if Ash was arrested for child prostitution. He also tells off the guys for trying to obtain Ash even though he told Ash to just let it happen. This shows Shorter can’t bring himself to let Ash get raped again. Later Ash challenges Frankie and defeats him easily later he tells Shorter he got the idea to challenge the other guy because of him “I didn’t decide to go easy on him but I know how thanks to you” (pg. 83). Ash informs Shorter. This causes Shorter to become rather scared of Ash.

Later its revealed Ash faked sexual interest in one of the other juvie boys to find out if Frankie was actually an assassin sent to kill him. Shorter calls him out for being a user to which Ash gets testy and reminds the other boy Ricardo wanted to use him for sex. Shorter retorts with “Don’t play games with people’s feelings! Cuz if you do that- you’re no different from those assholes you hate!” (108). this seems to be something Ash kind of forgets later on, but this exchange causes Ash to reveal his honest feelings about being objectified, which Shorter listen’s to. I know fans get wrapped in how special Eiji is to Ash and I’m not denying that however Eiji was not the first person to treat Ash with kindness, it was actually Shorter who was the first person to treat Ash like a person. Shorter was the first guy who listened to Ash and dared call him out.

“Angel Eyes” characterizes Shorter as the kind of guy who tries to be practical, but due to his compassion often goes against what makes sense in favor of what he believes is right. This trait of Shorter’s shows up again in Banana Fish vol 4. It’s revealed here that Shorter works under the Chinese Mafia. Hua lee asks Shorter to spy on Ash and his group. “Forget it Ash is my friend and I don’t stab my friends in the back!” (146 pg.) he declares. However, Shorter does agree to work with the Lee’s because Hua gets in his head. “Beautiful words but remember Ash is a white punk and you and I share the same proud heritage” (146). This is important because it seems to imply Shorter’s has a misplaced sense of nationalism.

This is further elaborated on in a conversation between Yut Lung and Shorter, where Yut reminds Shorter of the bloody history of the Chinese families in power. “Often of their own relatives their own children our ancestors in the ruling family of the Ching Dynasty committed murder and assassination” (153). As I stated in my previous piece “The Flying Boy and the Snake” Yut often acts as a guide that encourages other characters to look at the less pleasant aspects of their situation. This suggests that Shorter views his own cultural heritage and the Chinese Mafia in an idealized way. He does not see the complexities of a very complicated cultural history with both good and bad points. Shorter’s idealization is further emphasized by him telling Yut they like Eiji “Because he’s innocent and honest” which is actually a really simplistic view of who Eiji is as a person.

Shorter’s reaction is to pull a knife on Yut because once he finds out the Lee’s are working for Dino his image of them shatters. “I was raised to respect you! To look up to the Lee family” (180). It’s implied that Shorter and his family as American immigrants wanted to view someone as being on their side. “It’s because of the Lee Family that we can be safe here. That we can live and put down roots in this feign soil because the Lee’s are here to protect us” Shorter laments. Though Shorter, Banana Fish seems to express a kind of wary ness towards the idea of complete loyalty to one’s own kind at the expense of everyone else. The Mob is the mob and cultural heritage doesn’t erase that Banana Fish argues. “You’re no better than Papa Dino! Just another Mob! Leeches who live off the blood of others” (181) Shorter declares. These are the kinds of loyalties that bind gangs and mafia together blood, and where you come from your ethnicity from are often manipulation tactics used by those in power to control and use others to their benefit.

Shorter despite dying horribly does so because he goes against what he was taught for the first time in his life. “I’ll protect Eiji with my own life. I won’t let them hurt him”(pg. 31) Shorter declares in vol 5. Trying to protect Eiji no matter how fruit ness it seems is all he can do at this point. While he ultimately fails to shelter Eiji and has him forcefully snatched from his arms. This does show that Shorter has learned the hard way to place friendship above nationalism.

Though unintentionally or not there’s still kind of a flawed ideology in the fact Shorter vows to an unconscious Eiji he’ll kill him to preserve his innocence. “If Dino tries to make you into his pet I’ll take you out before you know what’s happening” (69). Shorter has more traditional values and maybe that’s the point. Shorter’s death maybe a symbolic representation of older pro mafia attitudes rooted in nationalism and blood ties dying out.

After a couple of re watches and rereads of the manga, I realized Sing had to be brought in because despite being Shorter’s successor. Sing Soo ling does things differently from Shorter. Sing offers to team up with Ash’s former gang members to take Dino’s manor. “Our suits did a deal with Dino Golzine but that’s got nothing to do with us” (pg. 179). While Shorter idealized the Lee’s, Sing refers to them as the suits viewing them as a kind of beaurcracy whose dealings are far removed from his gang.

He also shows himself to be more practical then Shorter wanting to actually make a plan before attacking Golzine’s manor. “We’re here to rescue our respective bosses. If we don’t know where we can attack from and how to get out we’ll just die like dogs. And I sure as hell don’t plan on committing mass suicide with you guys” (pg. 50). Sing informs them. Later when he’s told Ash killed Shorter, Sing wants to wait to hear Ash out and receive an explanation. When Ash won’t give him one Sing reverts to rules of the street and tries to take him out.

Later when Sing joins Yut in his helicopter he admits they only reason he put up with the Lee’s bossing them around was out of respect for Shorter. “Because we’re sick and tired of em that’s why! The old guys and all their deals (172). In contrast to Shorter who in Yut’s own words respected his elders. Sing has a disgust for a traditional older generation who he finds oppressive due to their backroom deals that screw people like him and Shorter over.

It’s also of note how Sing behaves towards Yut in contrast to Shorter. While Shorter agreed to obey Yut because of his name and showed subservience towards him at first. His protégée flat out questions Yut a lot. “Or do you just think the lower class doesn’t need know?”(128). In Vol 9 Sing tells Yut “Look I know you saved before but that doesn’t mean you can tell me what to do with it (Pg. 74). Sing is fine working with Yut but he doesn’t want to be his lackey and makes that very clear. When Yut is taken hostage by Eiji in vol 10. Sing goes after them in contrast to Yut’s bodyguard who yells that he’s going against master’s orders. Sing chooses to save rather than obey by going after them. “In case you never noticed I don’t take orders from him!”(pg. 18).

However Sing shares Shorter’s sense of compassion when he realizes Yut wants Eiji to shoot him he tries to communicate with him only to be shut out and told to leave. Sing responds by saying “Easy to say, harder to do” (pg. 31). This implies he doesn’t want to leave Yut but realizes that Eiji is running around a dangerous neighborhood at night and that takes priority. Sing saves Eiji from attempted rapists and nurses him back to health, giving him a safe place to stay. He also saves Yut again later on from an assassin even after he’s cut ties with him.

In vol 13 Sing later follows in Shorter’s footsteps by going against Yut when he finds out he’s working with Golzine. “ If your going to keep up this little partnership of yours- I might end up giving that Japanese kid some backup”(pg. 95). However, it’s not so much a sense of morals it’s more of a street code. If Yut wasn’t working with the guys who killed Shorter I honestly doubt Sing would care. “ Golzine’s the one who was giving Arthur orders and he’s the one who gave Shorter that drug”(pg. 95) Sing emphasizes. I just want to point out it’s not a conflict of morality but one of interests between the two of them. Sing likes Yut but he has obligations as boss to avenge Shorter. Sing’s role as boss often conflicts with his personal feelings. He is obligated to fight Ash to avenge Shorter in the eyes of his gang and must perform this function. Yet its clear Sing does not want to fight Ash not only because he doesn’t want to die but as Sing tells Lao in vol 14 “ The only one who can keep a lid on the downtown turf is Ash got that!” (pg. 53). Sing is the out of all the main bosses the one who thinks of the bigger picture beyond revenge and basic power plays.

Sing is much more concerned with the safety of his gang. Later in vol 15 he wakes up at Ash’s hideout and his first concern is his guys even though Sing himself is injured. “ Because it ain’t your buddies that’re gonna be skinned alive!”(pg. 117). This takes priority for him over who has the most power or pursuit of revenge. Unlike the Lee’s Sing cares about his own people even though it’s never at the expense of other individuals. This is what turns him aginst Yut since the other boy targets others out of jealousy. However unlike Ash, Sing does not pursue revenge in the end. As depicted in vol 16, when Ash gives Sing an out not to fight him Sing takes it. He also can’t bring himself to shoot Yut lung in vol 18 despite his betrayal. “ Cuz your hurt your soul’s bleeding even now”(174) Sing says.

Interestingly enough, Sing claims he too is responsible for the invasion of China Town “ But the bad blood between us created an opening for the Vietnamese and Arbs and I guess that’s my fault as well as yours”(171). This suggests that Banana Fish lays the blame of corruption at the feet of feuding authority figures and that maybe Sing’s rule of the street. As Sing reminds Yut like it or not “ Your still our leader” and convinces the lee heir to help him fix China town since “ China towns gone to the dogs people can’t even walk around safely in broad daylight”(173). These are the reasons it’s Sing and not Shorter who is the one to repair China town. Shorter is a relatively good person, at least by these series standards with a lot of empathy. However he was too willing to bend to the Lee’s whims and never question and challenge anything they did. Even before Shorter is injected with Banana Fish it’s heavily implied he’s given up hope entirely. Thinking the best scenario is for him to kill Eiji and then himself. Shorter exits being used as a tool to get to Ash and anger him being put down like a dog to end his suffering. Sing represents a newer generation that didn’t absorb fully nationalist ideas and loyalty to the mafia. 

While he does still value his own ethnic group and their needs he questions whether the Lee’s are what’s best for the citizens of China Town. Even when he’s willing to work with Yut, Sing makes it clear he’s not going to be a blind lacky. Sing when faced with the messy reality of Chinatown crumbling due to his and Yut’s feud tries to repair the rift between them. He is in the position do something since Sing post phoned and eventually decided not to die because of some honor bound purpose. At the end of the day Sing chooses to survive, repair and unite the different fractions for a common goal. However Sing was very much inspired by and driven by the empathy, sense of responsibility and love he learned from Shorter these are the same lessons Sing teaches Yut. I think both Shorter and Sing have their flaws and both bosses ideologies loyalty to one’s own kind above all else and street code can both be downright be toxic when taken to extremes but I think both are equally well written characters and important to understanding Banana Fish’s theme of unity in the face of oppression.

Citations Yoshida, Akimi. Banana Fish Vol 3. Shogakukan inc,1987 Yoshida,Akimi.Banana Fish Vol 4. Shogakukan inc,1987 Yoshida,Akimi.Banana Fish Vol 5. Shogakukan inc,1987 Yoshida,Akimi. Banana Fish Vol 6. Shogakukan inc,1987 Yoshida, Akimi. Banana Fish Vol 9. Shogakukan inc,1987 Yoshida, Akimi. Banana Fish Vol 10. Shogakukan inc,1987 Yoshida, Akimi.Banana Fish Vol 13. Shogakukan inc, 1987 Yoshida, Akimi. Banana Fish Vol 14. Shogakukan inc,1987 Yoshida,Akimi.Banana Fish Vol 15. Shogakukan inc, 1987 Yoshida,Akimi.Banana Fish Vol 16. Shogakukan inc, 1987 Yoshida,Akimi.Banana Fish Vol 18. Shogakukan inc, 198

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Three Hundred Twenty-Five: A Great Discovery ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina, vulgarity ] [ Verse: Oil and Blood ] [ AO3 Link ]

Ah, the world of body modification. For years now, humans have blurred the line between man and machine, integrating their technology into their very beings. Whether it’s cosmetic mods to alter a person’s appearance, functionality mods like medical equipment, or convenience mods to enhance a person’s everyday life, there are few humans alive today who don’t have some kind of relationship with mods.

It was a great discovery, the ability to merge technology and biology.

But like every great discovery...it has its misuse.

All over the globe, black markets have sprung up for tech. Stolen mods are a hot commodity. People are often beaten or killed to pry the mods from their bodies to be resold and earn the killer a quick dollar. Even the tech itself is often mutilated: torn apart and put back together in ways to circumvent regulations and allow someone with enough cash to wield mods with illegal abilities. Military mods run rampant in gang wars and territorial disputes, as well as fighting over modification stock.

One such gang are those who run under the Uchiha banner. A crime syndicate in Japan that runs tech all over the island nation, and even internationally when they can. Mods aren’t their only business, of course - extortion, kidnapping, gambling, prostitution, and smuggling of anything else Japan considers ‘undesireable’.

Overall...not very morally-upstanding characters. But in the end, they’re suppliers. The world has needs, and they want to be the best at providing. Because that...is the key to making big money.

But of course, being affiliated with a yakuza - being someone the law considers a target for elimination - means having to keep a step ahead of said law...and avoiding many conveniences the typical law-abiding person doesn’t have to think twice about.

...unless you pay off the cops.

The Uchiha are one of the largest Yakuza Japan has to offer, alongside those like the Senju. Like any gang, they have territory - safe zones, so long as they in turn keep paying the right people, just like the ones they extort and earn from.

So when Sasuke decides to keep up his protections for one Hyūga Hinata, he’s glad she happens to fall within said territory. While he can’t completely let down his guard, and it’s still wise to keep his face hidden with a hood, he’s not in nearly as much danger as he would be otherwise walking about in broad daylight.

“...so...you’re still determined to do this?”

“I thought I made that pretty clear,” Sasuke replies, giving the little Hyūga a glance. He keeps forgetting how short she is… “You saved my life. And my attempt to repay you got interrupted by you getting kidnapped by the people who tried to kill me. Who are now going to likely keep fucking with you because they think you’re an Uchiha asset. I’m not out of debt with you yet. So yeah, you’re stuck with me, Hyūga. Or...you could give me something else to do. Up to you, really.”

Hinata heaves a sigh. “I really don’t w-want you to do this -”

“But you need me to. Look...your apartment and work happen to be in Uchiha territory. But that’s not a guarantee that you'll be safe. My father made up his mind: you’re not an asset, so he’s not going to spare anyone else to look after you. So if the Senju get ballsy enough, they wouldn’t have as many obstacles to come knocking. And given they know who you are, it’s a given they’ll know where you live, where you work...anything they want. So, you can keep complaining about having a bodyguard...but I’m probably the only thing keeping you from being scooped up by Tobirama again. And I don’t want that to happen, because I owe you. And letting you die isn’t exactly the way I like to settle my debts.”

She sighs, giving him a glance. “...I didn’t know y-yakuza were so...honorable.”

“We’re a business, in a lot of ways. If you don’t repay your debts, that’s bad form. We do shitty things. We kill people. We smuggle weapons. We steal. But we still know better than to betray someone who’s helped us...unless they betray us first. And I highly doubt you’re about to do that. So yeah, I’m here to help.” He gives her a look in return. “Or you could let me take care of your dad and his bullshit like I keep offering.”

That just earns another sigh, Hinata clearly fighting a weary smile. “Look...I appreciate your concern about how my f-father treats me. And maybe a part of you cares about how t-terrible his business is, morally. But I can’t put out a hit on my father -”

“Hey, I never said I’d kill him. I can be persuasive without it getting that ugly. Just get you your inheritance back. Make it so you don’t have to keep working in that shitty insurance office. Think about it.”

“I have,” she assures him dryly. “I can’t really help but do so given how o-often you bring it up. I don’t want or n-need that money. I...I’m doing okay. And that money comes from a rather shady practice -”

“Like the money you earn now isn’t shady as hell?”

She shoots him a look. “...my father’s company does a lot of good. It does it badly, but medical mods are still important. While I might not oppose a...change in leadership, or whatever, I don’t want the company to go under. They’ve made so many great discoveries in the medical mod field.”

“From what you told me, sounds to me like your cousin needs to be running the show. You and him might’ve had it rough when you were young, but he’s just as big a brain as your dad, if not better given what he accomplished. I bet he could do it,” Sasuke muses.

“...you’re probably right. But after my uncle died, and all the stock went to my father...he’s no longer an heir. My sister is still above him in line to inherit the company.”

“And what does she know about mods?”

“Not much...but she is shrewd. I just worry that our father has molded her into another copy of himself and his practices while I’ve been gone. Hanabi is a good person...but she’s always been our father’s favorite...and I worry what she might convince herself to do to k-keep his approval.”

Sasuke hums in reply. “...never thought I’d know someone with this kind of drama hanging over them.”

That makes her deadpan. “You’re just h-hearing about it...try living it.”

“No thanks. Being a syndicate leader’s son is bad enough. I’ll stick to what I know.”

After a pause, Hinata looks to him curiously. “...you don’t ever think about...doing something else?”

“Not sure I have any choice. Once you’re yakuza...there’s no really leaving it. And I don’t know anything else. Not sure I could ever do anything civilian. It’s just...not my style.”

“...I guess I understand.”

“Why’d you ask?”

“Oh, I don’t know...I guess I just know now how d-dangerous it all is. I’d hate for you to get hurt.”

He looks her over for a moment, expression unreadable. “...I’ve been hurt before. And I will be again. It’s just how things go. I made peace with it a long time ago. You don’t have to worry about me, Hyūga. Besides, you’ve already seen me half-dead.”

“That d-doesn’t mean I want to see it again!”

In spite of himself, Sasuke snickers. “You’re such a civi...it’s almost cute. The only women I’m really used to dealing with at all much are my mother and the doc...and neither of them are like you. It’s kinda...refreshing.”

Hinata’s cheeks puff a bit with a pout. “Do you want me to be like them?”

“Nah...you’re good the way you are, Hyūga. I love my mom, and the doc’s all right. But you’ve got your own charm. You’re a civi, and you should stay that way. Though I guess you’ve gotten a taste or two of yakuza life, haven’t you?”

“...guess I have…”

“...well, it won’t be happening again if I have anything to say about it. Remember, you’ve got priority on my comm mod. Anything happens, you just let me know, and I’ll be there.”

“...thank you, Sasuke-san. I know I g-give you a hard time, but...I really do appreciate what you’re doing for me. I just wish it wasn’t n-necessary.”

“Well...once we finish off the Senju - whenever that’ll be - then you won’t have to worry, right? Just hold tight until then.” Letting his HUD come to life, he glances to the time. “...well, I better report home for a bit to see if I’m needed for any jobs. Try to stay home and safe until then, all right?”

“Okay…”

“Don’t take any unnecessary risks.”

“I won’t…”

After a considering pause, he ruffles her hair, earning a sound of indignation. “Later, Hyūga.”

Doing her best to flatten her hair, Hinata watches him go. It’s so...odd. Just...talking to someone like him. Being aware of what he and people like him do. And yet...she enjoys his company. She…

...well, for now, she’d best huddle up at home until he gets back. Hinata’s always been a bit of a turtle, anyway...it’s not like she has many friends, or family to visit.

So for now...time to binge watch a show and get some takeout.

                                                         .oOo.

     (This is a sequel to days 250, 254, 269, 300, 303, 309, and 313!)       More cyberpunk AU cuz...I really like it =w= And it fit best with the prompt after struggling to think, lol - not much really...happened? But we got more interaction between them, and some commentary about their roles in their society.      I'd say more, but I am WIPED and the next few days are going to be VERY busy, so...I'd best call it a night. Thanks for reading~

[pens-swords-stuff]

How many WIPs are you working on? I’m an official fan rn. XD

Awwww thank you so much ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I think it’s important to note that all of my projects are collaborative, and I’m only responsible for half of all characters, plots and ideas! I can go into more information about who writes for which character later if you’re interested, but my partners are all credited in the title for now since it’s getting a bit long.

As of right now, I mainly write for five main projects: 3 fanfictions, and 2 original works.

WANDERLUST: An original WIP written with @decantae and @autofoebia

“Witches are real. Magic is real. And there is nowhere left for them to hide.”

The year is 2020, and in the good old-fashioned American way, the government has outlawed something that makes other people different, unique and extraordinary. Magic has always existed, but recently drastic measures have been taken by those in higher power in the name of safety for the rest of America: ban all forms of witchcraft and arrest all witches. Five friends have to make a choice: Be captured and burned at the stake for witchcraft, or become fugitives and evade authority for as long as possible. With the help of their trusty magical van, the young witches decide to leave everything they have behind for a flimsy shot at freedom. It’s the road trip they always dreamed of taking; albeit with much higher stakes than they could have ever imagined. 

At the end of the day, the solution to this imminent danger is clear — if they can’t hide, they’ll just have to run.

Wanderlust is an urban fantasy story featuring five teenagers: King, Astrid, Mal, Jess and Aiden. They’re essentially traveling throughout the US, meeting a lot of new people and discovering more about the magical world along the way.

It’s told in an episodic format, with several self-contained  arcs, and there is a massive overarching plot. Not only do they have to deal with non-magical folk’s distrust and the government chasing them, the magical world isn’t necessarily the kindest place either.

It’s a coming-of-age story with a lot of found family themes! Obviously the five of them are stuck together for better or for worse in their van, but they also make a lot of fantastic friends (and enemies) along the way!

Features LGBTQIA+ relationships, a polyamorous trio, teenage angst, heartwarming friendships, road trip AU tropes, with mystery underlying every step of the way.

Oh and magic. Lots of magic.

Wanderlust tag here!

FOR QUEEN AND COUNTRY: An original WIP written with @decantae and @inconsistentlyontime

I don’t have a synopsis written for this yet! I’m hoping to put together a proper WIP page and introduction for this soon…

This is an original urban fantasy story that takes place in London, 2020. The existence of supernatural creatures (vampires, werewolves, fae, witches, etc) known as The Other, were recently revealed to the public, due to a werewolf attack that was publicized. FQAC is a story about The Other and the humans, and how they handle this reveal and the subsequent turmoil, politics and controversy.

FQAC is more of a setting than it is a singular story, and it has several loosely connected and interweaving plots following various characters.

Here’s a summary of some of the main plots we’ve been writing for at the moment! There’s honestly a lot more, but the main ones I’ve talked about so far…

Callimir:  Callisto is an Unseelie fae, an immortal unearthly being sent to the human world in an attempt to fix their damaged reputation. Casimir is a dhampire — a half-human, half-vampire being that is fated to die in the next few years. Dhampires are lucky if they live to see age 35 before they degenerate rapidly into their death, and are wracked with crippling pain throughout their too-short lives. It’s an angsty, tragic love story between an immortal and someone who is close to death, and this romance will become the forefront of a major conflict, one that will threaten to destroy both the dhampires and the fae.

The Media: Specifically, this particular bit followed Blake, a human journalist and an activist, fighting to give the Other a voice and equal rights and Alistair, a mysterious vampire benefactor who decides to give her a hand with her projects. Now that @inconsistentlyontime is free and around to write again, we can now add Colin to the mix. Colin and Blake make up a duo that is very Old Cop and Young Cop™ respectively, and they’re humans that are fighting to give a pro-Other perspective to an extremely anti-Other media narrative.

Hook, Line and Sinker: This is the nickname for a trio of teenage friends consisting of Emma, Simone, and Laurel respectively. Emma was recently turned into a werewolf, Simone is a practicing witch, and Laurel has discovered that he’s a dhampire — but they haven’t told each other. They were extremely close friends, but they’ve started to awkwardly drift apart as they all started to deal with their own demons and troubles. They all care and love each other very much, but it’s unclear whether their friendship will survive their new identities and Other-status.

And honesty these three plots and characters are just barely scratching the surface. There’s a lot more plots specific to each type of creature, etc. This post is getting a bit long, so I’ll stop for now. I think I’ll need to make a FQAC specific group of posts at some point…

FQAC tag here.

MORSMORDRE: A Harry Potter fanfiction written with @decantae

Although the Wizarding War has been raging on for years, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has proven to be one of the last safe havens for muggleborns and half-bloods, a place where they could exist without fear of persecution. It seemed untouchable, and within its walls it was almost possible to forget that war existed outside.

When the Hogwarts Express is attacked, this illusion of safety is shattered. Reeling with shock and fear, four students from four houses are forced together by circumstance into an unlikely, uneasy friendship. Our heroes must learn how to work together and overcome the deep divisions in their society if there is to be any hope of protecting their home from the machinations of the Dark Lord. With his increasing influence on the Ministry of Magic, he finally has the resources to strike against his greatest enemy.

The war has come to Hogwarts, and this is only the beginning.

This is an HP AU fanfiction where Harry was killed as a baby, and thus the first Wizarding War never ended. It follows the lives of four students, people who are fated to eventually end the war once and for all: Caerwyn the Gryffindor, Casimir the Hufflepuff, Clara the Ravenclaw, and Callisto the Slytherin.

(Do their names look familiar? Yeah, that’s cuz they’re all in FQAC as well.This is where they all originated).

It’s very HP-esque in the sense that it follows their years at school starting from fourth year, with a main plot for each year. It’ll also extend beyond their school years, when they start to really fight in the war to secure their future.

Clarwyn have the most extra, and the longest slow burn romance in this and I live.

Morsmordre tag here.

POST-SCRIPT: A Harry Potter fanfiction written with @decantae

I have a WIP intro post for this, so I’m just going to link it here!

FINAL SECRET WIP: A Dragon Age fanfiction written with @decantae 

We’re not ready to share this with the world yet, but it’s coming! We’re currently writing the beginning of it, and I can’t wait until I get to share it with all of you. It’s really good, and I’m extremely excited about it!