#Akira I believe was the second one I made?

[magic-swords]

Happy birthday to my first created cos character

[yume-fanfare]

when im done with 1.5 i should read last mission

[salmalin]

My sincerest apologies and warmest welcome to my rant about FF7: Crisis Core. Or, as I like to call it,

Propaganda: The Video Game

I say this with the utmost affection. Crisis Core ranks really high up there in my favorite Final Fantasy 7 installments. I played it when it first came out, borrowing it from a friend to play on a borrowed PSP. And, the more I learn about the game and the more I replay it, the more everything lines up.

This game is not about Zack Fair.

This game is about how Capitalistic Propaganda can sink into every aspect of life to the point where it is entirely indistinguishable from reality. And it’s very overt about it. So…

Here we go.

My treatise on Propaganda’s starring role in Crisis Core.

Part One: The Timeline

Something that a lot of people gloss over due to decades of Child Heroes in media—Japanese Shonen and Shoujo series in particular—is how young these protagonists are. We’ll hand-wave a lot of stuff in non-live-action series with just a little bit of suspension of disbelief. And that’s honestly just accepted these days. But here’s the thing about those hand-waves.

Final Fantasy 7 doesn’t do that.

Now, FF7 hand-waves a lot of stuff. For example, how far you can travel in a day by foot, the distance a man weighing approximately 165lbs can jump after being genetically fused with what might as well be a cocaine demon (Jenova), and how much hairspray one can reasonably carry on a cross-country journey while on the run from the feds.

Age is not one of them.

Exhibit A: Yuffie Kisaragi.

Do I really need to say more? She acts her age. So does Zack. And Aerith, even. Most of the characters in the original lineup were over twenty for a good reason. We see several kids in the series, and they all act their age, too—both the OG and the remake. Age is not a thing that FF7 really grapples with. It’s something they take relatively seriously.

Now, to the point.

Zack is 16 when Crisis Core starts…

… and he was 13 when he ran away from home without his parents’ knowledge to join the military.

Which accepted him.

At 13.

Without a parental permission slip.

Think about that for a second.

… Or for the next several parts of this breakdown.

Part Two: The Main Character

As I mentioned in the introduction, Zack is not the main character of the events of Crisis Core. Instead, he is the focal point of the second person POV. This is not the first time Square has done this. It was done most notably with FF9, FF10, and FF12. (I’m not going to go on an Akira Kurosawa rant right now, but please check out his film “The Hidden Fortress”. FF12 and Star Wars episodes 4-6 borrow heavily from this film.) The purpose and position of this character is such that they might best witness the effects the other characters make on the world as their stories unfold, usually in the role of a love interest. For Akira Kurosawa, it may have been told this way because these people are most effected by the decisions being made.

“Well, then, Sal,” you may be asking, “who would you say is the main character? Would that be Aerith, since she’s the love interest, like in the other games?”

No, actually.

It’s the antagonist.

And by that, I mean Genesis.

Hear me out. I used to hate Genesis, for I was once young, full of judgement for flamboyancy (thanks, internalized homophobia), and was led by the narrative to believe he was mean to his friends. Then I met my Lovely beta who loved him, so I wrote a fic for her as a gift. So for that I kinda just… read stuff. Because that’s the thing about Propaganda—you gotta read stuff to navigate it. I read the in-game emails. I re-watched all the scenes I could get my hands on with him. I read his wiki and tried to track down more information about him. Then I watched the scenes in Japanese and gained a better understanding of not just Genesis, but Sephiroth’s character. And I realized that Genesis was put on this road from the start. In fact, a big part of the fact that he’s seen the way he is in Canon—only at his most hostile and lowest points—is because the story is told through Zack’s point of view.

So before we get into the breakdown, here’s the hard facts about Genesis.

1. He was a test tube baby who may or may not technically be Angeal’s fraternal twin brother, which we are not going to unpack right now.

2. He was adopted by a relatively rich family.

3. He was a child genius (which requires not only resources, but drive to achieve), and at a tender young age of like… ten or something? He decided to mess around and literally invented pasteurization. Which is incredible, and really speaks to his knowledge of the world and ability to grasp complex concepts even at a young age. But, again, this is not the time or place to unpack that.

4. He was best friends with Angeal, who might as well have been the sweetest, kindest boy to ever walk the Planet. (I’m biased. I love him.)

5. As a teenager, he became fixated on Sephiroth, who had gained national acclaim as a SOLDIER despite them being the same age. (Please see part 1 and think about that for a second.) He then goes to join SOLDIER and brings Angeal with him. And Angeal brings his step-father’s puritanical “hard work is honorable” mindset with him. (On that note, Angeal and his father’s arc really are a wonderfully scathing letter to companies that overwork their employees and how toxic/unhealthy that line of thinking is. But. Again. We are not unpacking that right now.)

6. At one point he became consumed with LOVELESS, a series of poems with heavy prose and symbolism thicker than syrup. It got to the point where he was so well known for it that there was an entire fanclub dedicated to both him and analyzing the text.

7. While he was in SOLDIER, he repeatedly had his achievements publicly accredited… to Sephiroth.

Over and over and over again.

Everyone did, really. They mention it in the beginning of the game. Sephiroth even got public credit for Zack’s raid on the castle when he wasn’t even there. How much of his legacy is real? How much of it is made up? How much of it was faked? We don’t know. No one knows. But he keeps getting credit, anyways. And when Genesis confronts him about it, Sephiroth doesn’t care. In the Japanese version of their fight scene, you could even say he indirectly implies that he wants Genesis to take his place as the “hero”. In the English, Sephiroth’s line is, “Come and try.” But in the Japanese the line is closer to, “Wouldn’t that be nice?” Which, depending on how you take his tone, can mean wildly different things—from mocking, to earnest, or even admiration—which is especially to tell because he might be annoyed with Genesis at the moment.

Fun Fact: In Ever Crisis, Sephiroth explicitly says they are making up his achievements in the press to target boys his age for recruitment. (Thus why they accepted Zack at age 13.)

My theory on this line is that he is being cynical; that Genesis doesn't understand just how harrowing and even humiliating his experience has been. This only enforces my theory that the "come and try" translation in the English not only does a disservice to a line as wonderfully heavy as, "Wouldn't that be nice?", but fundamentally misunderstands Sephiroth as a character.

8. Genesis then took the fight to Shin-Ra. Inspiring a good chunk of their staff to leave the company, he then staged multiple attacks on facilities, staff, and the main building—which also spilled out into the city of Midgar. He murdered his parents, buried them, killed everyone in town, and… Yeah. It wasn’t pretty. A lot of innocent people died simply because they were vaguely associated with Shin-Ra. These are the actions of a villain. What’s more, this is clearly a sign that he has been acclimatized to death and violence by Shin-Ra to the point where he doesn’t even consider taking hostages.

Except.

Except the entire town was a Shin-Ra town.

Banora, canonically, was a Shin-Ra built town, which means everyone there was basically an employee of the company. No one was safe. Everyone was a threat. And that…

That was how he was raised. And he finally knew the truth—that every moment of his life was touched, controlled by Shin-Ra, all the way down to his very conception. He has never known freedom. He has never known his own identity. And now that very cage was killing him, slowly and painfully, and turning him into something that couldn’t even be recognized as human. He was watching himself rot in the mirror, and it was all because of Shin-Ra’s greed. And as he searched for salvation, he sunk into LOVELESS as he always had, hinging his entire life on Minerva’s Gift because he knew he was dying and that was all he had.

9. And then he died…

10. … but then it turned out LOVELESS was actually kind of a blueprint, and he did meet the Goddess, and he did get reborn without his degradation so he was rewarded for his journey in the end.

So why wasn’t Genesis the main character of the game?

Simple.

His actions challenge the status quo without being about the status quo. It’s a story about revenge. It’s a story about retribution. It’s a story about answering mass violence with mass violence and ultimately being rewarded by it. And while, yes, the series is an action-based violence simulator, the violence in the original FF7 was a guided, tactical effort. (For all that the characters aren’t the brightest bulbs in the sun lamps.) But the biggest, most obvious shift in the narrative happened when they realized their role as terrorists—bringing mass violence to the company via bombing and open aggression—was just resulting in increasing levels of retaliation against uninvolved people. They might as well have been a child beating the ankles of a giant. The goals and themes of the game fundamentally change when they realize that answering mass-scale societal violence with mass-scale physical violence was not only unsustainable, but also wasn’t going to solve their problem.

FF7 is about change and learning when violence—and what kind of violence—is appropriate in the face of different threats.

Genesis’ arc undermines all of that, and making him the main character would contradict the very heart of the OG game.

So, instead, we are positioned as Zack, connected to him through a mutual friend. From there we see all the damage and horror this vengeance brings to those living under the status quo.

But also, that plotline’s a major downer in a lot of ways, so they needed to lighten things up a bit to keep audience involved. And that’s why Zack is, well…

Part Three: Zack is a Himbo

Please, for the love of all that is holy, keep in mind that everything I say here is with the utmost affection.

Zack is dumb as a rock.

He is a charismatic, enthusiastic sixteen year old jock who ran away from home at thirteen years old to join the military. Which, please know, why I say “military” I mean “private security guard force with a standard-issue Death Baton and a license to kill”. The first scene in the game is him being excited that he gets to murder a bunch of people in a simulation, which he is immediately scolded for by his mentor. He is a glorified, souped up private security guard who is canonically only in it for the glory at first. He wants to be a “hero”, but doesn’t seem to fundamentally know what that means. And, over the course of the story, the definition of that clearly changes for him.

Which tracks, because the story takes place over a period of time with high stress.

Occasionally I see people saying they wish that Zack had more complexity to him, and honestly? The game. Would be. SO. BAD.

Full Disclosure: I am not the biggest fan of Zack specifically because he lacks a lot of nuance. I wish he was a bit more complex, too. But I also know that would break the game. What’s worse, if he was still on Shin-Ra’s side because he understood Shin-Ra’s mission… Well… That would make him a villain, or a cog at best. That’s not main character material. It would make the ending more messed up, though.

Anywho, Zack was thirteen when he left home. He had no formal education. He didn’t tell anyone what he was doing. He even joined without a permission slip from his parents. This means that Shin-Ra was accepting thirteen, possibly fourteen year olds into the military. (Some people will say this tracks because you can get a job at fourteen in many parts of Japan. But, and this is important, you aren’t allowed to be a security guard until you’re quite a bit older, and you need a specific license for it, much like in the US.) Clearly they didn’t teach this boy critical thinking skills. Not because he’s a himbo, but because having their Super-Powered Private Security Force With A License To Kill think independently would explicitly go against their interests. (EX: Genesis.)

Shin-Ra needs SOLDIERs to follow orders or the company would no longer be able to function. Seconds and Thirds aren’t even allowed to reject missions. (One could argue that sending certain someone on back-to-back missions would be a good way for them to eliminate undesirables within the ranks by sending them to their deaths, which… would make an incredible fic idea, actually.) We already know that First, Second, and Third Class rank assignments do not actually reflect the power of the SOLDIER. This is canon. I would instead argue that those who make the rank of First Class aren’t necessarily the most powerful, but are instead the most visible in the media, thus the easiest to market, and/or the easiest to manipulate and control. (For a great example of this, see The Umbrella Academy.)

The point is, Zack may have been elevated to his position as a first specifically because he is malleable and single-minded. Even after all he saw with Genesis, he stuck by the company to the very end, with the exception of the time Sephiroth was literally guiding him to fail a mission. Zack allowed himself to take Shin-Ra’s side every time, taking down their enemies and following their orders, preserving his “honor as SOLDIER” as he had been taught. The only thing that made him stop…

… was literally getting put in a jar.

It was when he was no longer a SOLDIER.

Part Four: Honor

There is no such thing as SOLDIER Honor.

I repeat: There is no such thing as SOLDIER Honor.

It is a fictional thing that is borne of an ideology based around hard work. It only has power because it is believed in. It is an intangible social construct similar to the law, mathematical order of operations, and gender roles. So why are Angeal and Zack obsessed with it?

Pretty simple.

Angeal’s step-father followed it.

Now, we know three things about Angeal’s step-father.

1. He was chill with the fact that Gillian was already pregnant when they started dating.

2. He was a very good father.

3. He worked himself to death trying to pay off the sword he bought Angeal.

This, of course, says a lot about Angeal considering he rarely uses the sword. He essentially sees that sword as the symbol of his step-father’s life. Everything he uses it for, he sees as more important than his step-father’s life. That thing is usually Zack.

Zack, who is the child who joined the military based on stories of heroes.

Zack, who rises against Angeal in the name of his own step-father’s ideology and tries to talk him down, even at the very end. But Zack fails because he fundamentally doesn’t understand what’s going on, partially because “Soldier Honor” is just one more aspect of this narrative he was given. It is a narrative that Angeal has had to step away from, even though he doesn’t want to leave the memory of his step-father behind. He was a good man. He was a good, hardworking man.

And that is why he died.

Corporations will use you up until there is nothing left, then honor your memory/sacrifice. Shin-Ra was doing the exact same thing the company his step-father worked for did; using up SOLDIERs until they outlived their usefulness. And Angeal was horrified to realize that his “SOLDIER Honor” wasn’t honor at all.

It was willingly submitting to control.

But, unlike Angeal, over time, this meaning changed for Zack. Partially because he didn't understand it fully in the first place. It became about acting with integrity. It became about helping people. It became about not lying down and watching the abuse Shin-Ra handed out in exchange for literal money; for maintaining the status quo.

At the very end, Zack understood what it meant to be a hero.

Part Five: The Conclusion

To sum up, Zack believed in and idolized the propaganda spread by Shin-Ra at such a young age, and was so convinced by it, that he ran away from home at thirteen to join the military.

He was their target demographic, so they happily took him into their ranks. What’s more, people think this is normal enough that we see no one opposing this, because the only people who oppose Shin-Ra are “extremists” or “violent terrorists”.

Zack then became their loyal puppy, groomed to fill his role as super-powered attack dog to sick on anyone they deemed appropriate, and he filled the role. He believed he was doing good. He didn’t think they were invading another country, because that’s not what he was told.

He went after Genesis, because that’s what he was told, and he wouldn’t let Genesis’ actions shake his faith in the company.

Then he went after Angeal, hoping to get answers, only to become more confused. Angeal taught him about SOLDIER honor. He taught him about a higher calling. He was the one who made Zack truly loyal to the company. This challenged everything Zack knew.

He went with Sephiroth, planning a small rebellion of their own (a white lie on paperwork) to get answers, only to find things he wasn’t ready for and couldn’t fully understand.

Zack is shaken by each of these events. Horribly. At times, we even watch him grieve. But time and time again, he doesn’t leave the company. He sees the damage they do first hand, and he doesn’t leave the company. The company isn’t the problem, to him. He reads their emails, does their dirty work, and “maintains his SOLDIER honor”.

Zack swallows what they give him right up until what they give him is torture.

Zack swallows what they give him until he becomes their victim.

Every step of the way, Zack is fed a story of how the world is. He was raised on it. He lived it. He became part of it. He was paid peanuts to enforce the status quo Shin-Ra installed in the world by force, and he was proud of it because it was, to him, something to be proud of.

Zack believes the propaganda whole-sale, and we get to watch, from the point of view of an outsider, as it slowly destroys his life before killing him.

Propaganda has the power to make suffering normal. Propaganda has the power to make murder righteous. Propaganda has the power to take a thirteen year old boy out of his home so they can give him a sword, and when they point him in the direction of their enemies he charges of his own volition, because they made him believe in their cause. And he believes in their cause because he believes that it makes life better for everyone.

But that’s not what’s actually happening.

That’s just what he was told.

Crisis Core is about propaganda, and the depths to which it can affect our lives. It changes our belief systems. It changes our perceptions of reality. And when it’s torn down around our eyes, it can make us go insane. It can make us violent and unreasonable as we realize just how much violence is being forced upon us—violence other people just plain do not see. It's just a a piece of paper. It's just a law. It's just a job.

It's just a war.

Final Fantasy 7 was about Fascism.

Crisis Core is about the propaganda that built it. It is told from the point of view of a boy, then a man, steeped in it. He watches until the people suffering around him—Sephiroth, Genesis, and Angeal—are twisted into villains by the truths and lies around them. Genesis and Angeal are tortured by truths, Sephiroth is transformed by lies, and Zack is subsequently hunted down to conceal them.

Crisis Core is Propaganda: The Video Game.

[lizardsfromspace]

Okay, Matrix plagiarism case postscript

One thing I didn't answer is how she got the Wachowski's timeline wrong. I still don't know, but it appears she essentially shifted their lives back a decade

She says less than a decade ago they were running a construction business, but actually, working at a construction company is what they were doing in 1986. In 1976 Lana and Lilly were eleven and nine years old respectively. I can't explain why she messed this up, beyond having to age them up a decade for the story to work

But this screencap also brings up another thing she mentions repeatedly that I didn't mention - the smoking gun in her claim is that...the Matrix ripped off her words verbatim for its opening crawl. The opening crawl...to The Matrix.

Huh?

So her story is - and unsurprisingly the timeline here is jumbled, for instance, citing production interviews from 1997 when the film wouldn't enter production until 1998 - the original version of The Matrix contained a Star Wars-style opening crawl, and this was the most directly plagiarized part of the film.

She claims this opening crawl was, in fact, in the theatrical release of The Matrix and only removed when it came to home media, because she. Because she called the FBI on the Wachowskis for stealing the idea of opening crawls from her

The theatrical cut does differ from later versions slightly - most infamously the Wachowskis made the green color filter much more green in the second DVD release, to make it consistent with the style of the sequels - but if there was a opening crawl mandated by the studio, nobody but her has mentioned it, and I find it hard to believe critics wouldn't mention it.

Because this is Dark City. She's clearly confused The Matrix with stories about the studio's meddling with the 1998 film Dark City.

Dark City was the dystopian sci-fi film that had a opening narration explaining the whole plot foisted on it by the studio, and critics mentioned it. Basically every review mentioned it (some even suggest covering your ears or muting the film the first time you see it, at least until the Director's Cut removed it). Meanwhile, reviews of The Matrix praised its opening from the very beginning: how it drops you right into things and lets you find out about its world as Neo does. It's just not possible that the theatrical release has a opening crawl no one mentioned when I can pull up full comparisons of theatrical vs first DVD vs second DVD vs Bluray. Whatever story she read either was about Dark City, or was a Wachowski saying in passing "yeah the studio wanted us to add one but we didn't".

Another thing I didn't touch on is just how much it hypes her up as a untouchable genius of cinema. For instance, she claims to have come up with the effects of The Matrix in 1983 too

(one funny part is how little she brings up The Terminator at all? She just threw it in as a bonus I guess)

I looked up how they did the bullet time effect in particular and...it would have been impossible in 1983. It's not just high speed photography; it's entire banks of cameras, placed in the right place by computer previsualization, their sequence programmed, and with all the elements composited together by CGI. Even stylistically - the true creator of the effects cited Akira as a influence, and Akira the movie didn't exist in 1983. Neither did the type of Hong Kong action film that heavily influenced it. I guess it would be possible to write down "someone goes really fast and we depict it like they slowed down time", concepts of a plan etc

But like.

She's destined to be one of the most profound master writers of the 21st century. This is a book proving she's never written anything. It has a pitch for The Third Eye, it has a second film treatment tacked on at the end, and it has copyright registrations for her sequels to Terminator and The Matrix. M. Night Shyamalan's character in Lady in the Water was destined to be a great writer too, but he actually wrote a book. He didn't put out a book with a decades-old synposis that was never finished & reams of legal documents and a bio saying, I'm one of the greatest authors of all time. Because who needs writing when you have destiny, God, and the ancient superrace living in the Pyramids on your side?

This is my for real last post on this since I ended up just depressed about it in the end. I think the worst part is, she knows she lost. But she still goes to the press telling a story she knows isn't true, and people believe her. Some of it is transphobic - "stop saying it's a trans allegory when they stole it"; some of it runs with the Christian oppression narrative (full disclosure, I was inspired to look for her book again bc while looking up another crank, I saw an interview with her in the sidebar of a religious website); but a lot of it is just people who innocently want it to be true.

One of the few pieces debunking her story is on a website called Black Excellence - it doesn't even have a byline - said this:

"There are many people, especially Black people, who wanted the story to be true. It symbolized a Black person, especially a Black woman, finally winning against the system. When Sophia Stewart spoke about how mainstream media would not give her the time of day because almost all of them were owned by Warner Brothers, some Black media embraced her. Blogs spread her story, especially the initial story on Globe that contained errors about the case.

"But the story is not true. Sophia Stewart did not become the richest Black person in the country. But that did not deter her from going on several shows and publications to tell her story."

She took advantage of people's urge to root for the underdog against a corporation - and seized on a lack of mainstream coverage to claim her story was being suppressed. But it just isn't true. Also yeah she ridiculously claims that Warner Bros owns every news website and newspaper and that's kind of funny I guess. Well, that's it. I'm never doing this again

[theredcuyo]

Actually

Persona 5 Arena idea i might make one day

Someone does the same thing Maruki did and covers the spot left of a god again, whoever it was we can think about later, but they change the characters cognitions of each other, literally, make them not know who everyone is (until after the fight), hate or fear each other (Fight or fly responses)

They alter their memories and perception of reality

You can run with it, but we know i made this to talk about Akechi and Akira

Akira is afraid of him, he tries to scape as he should upon sight, he calls him a monster, as he is, a killer, a soulless existence, a puppet without a master anymore, a-

... He knows that's not something the real Akira will say, deep down, he knows it, he didn't even believe in it for a second, even if he wanted to

Akira's cognition of Akechi is a zombie, it has a bullet trhu the head and one on the heart, he keeps saying "This is what i wanted"

And then the fight is over, and they can see each other again and

And Akechi is expecting him to still be afraid but instead Akira rushes to him and starts checking his injuries, and vitals, and-

[smokingasters]

I watched some parts of First Inspector after Providence and a lot of stuff made sense. One was Sibyl's dialogue with Shindo and Asusawa about the criminally asymptomatic.

Sibyl is comprised of asymptomatic, who can either be saints or psychos. This was what Arata's dad Atsushi was hoping in Providence. Instead of becoming a part of Sibyl, Arata would choose to live on and work for the Ministry. Providence explains that Atsushi and Homura's father had placed bets and that Atsushi was an old player of Round Robin who essentially didn't just bet on Arata, but perhaps also Kei, Maiko, and Akira as well? It would make sense why Akira was displeased when he met Atsushi. Also clears up why Atsushi had to die, since Akira, the person he bet on died, Atsushi could not rejoin Round Robin to enlist Arata and it was Homura Shizuka who bet on Arata instead, won and dissolved Bifrost through the Sibyl System. It also makes sense why Kogami said this to Kei before beating him up (more under the cut)

It's because Akane said it to him. That they were a team and that he shouldn't try to do things alone. It also makes sense why Kogami worried that Akane should have not borne the 'crime' of killing Chief Kasei. (who makes an appearance in FI) in the FES Live Reading Drama. The strangest thing though, is Akane's clothes in FI.

Remind you of something?

Yeah. For some reason, this detail made me uneasy. Also in Providence I noted that Kasei did not flinch at all when Akane aimed the gun to kill her. She did not seem surprised, as though Chief had foreknowledge that Akane would do this.

In the Genesis (3-4) novels, the first Kasei Joshuu was made from two brains. Two criminally asymptomatic individuals, an Inspector who wanted to protect people and believed that humans would find a way to escape the bloodthirsty nature of Sibyl, and the second brain was of an ex-member of a terrorist group, who was the only successful case of being an artificially introduced criminal asymptomatic (not born asymptomatic but created through intensive experiments), who died respecting the Inspector's beliefs that some people found peace and happiness under the Sibyl System and did not destroy it. The two individual brains were fused into a single unit but they lost their sense of identity to form the Chief of the PSB.

This is the main reason Akane is favoured by Kasei Joshuu, because she reflects the combined ideals of these brains. Akane is allowed to return to the PSB as a statutory Enforcer and I think she will be assisting Homura, the new chief. S4 may have them working together, while Kogami continues working for the SAD in Dejima. Shizuka Homura is mysterious as heck, he's also kind of creepy, and his goals are unclear, so forgive me if I cannot trust him, yet. He risked his life to play Round Robin and its thanks to him that Akane is back, but is relationship with Sibyl makes me uneasy.

Homura's words eerily echo Akane's employment, as a statutory Enforcer. So she's 'free' but not really. But who the heck is completely free under Sibyl? I suppose, Akane's position is better because she's favoured by Sibyl and the System needs her to provide more upgrades. Akane is still persistent that the Law should exist, because she believes that its the Law that shall also protect Sibyl.

Does this mean S4 shall be the finale? Or do we have much more to go? Again, I only watched a few clips of FI, so my theory might be completely wrong, I shall have to rewatch S3 and FI entirely to make sense of how it connects to Providence. Your additions are welcome ❤️ and thank you for reading.

[sapphire-weapon]

my first fictional crush was goku at age maybe 6.

the first fanfiction i ever wrote was FF7. the second one was DBZ. the third was a crossover between them both. i was like. 8 or 9.

in 5th grade, i got in trouble in school for passing handwritten DBZ fanfiction back and forth with the boy who sat front of me in class, and my mom refused to yell at me for it because she was glad that i was doing something creative.

DBZ was one of the things that my brother and i actually did together as kids. we were never close because he's 6 years older than me, but i have distinct memories of coming home from school and he'd be waiting with the next 3 or 4 DBZ episodes he'd downloaded from the internet, japanese fansubbed in english because the english dub hadn't released past the frieza saga yet. so i knew how the series went before any of my friends did. he would also go to chinatown in NYC and come home with bootleg fansubbed VHS tapes of DBZ movies. this was like circa 1999-2001. i still have them at my mom's house.

before i knew that cosplay was a thing that people actually did, i went as pan from DBGT for halloween when i was 12.

when i did find out what cosplay was, i was too afraid to do it properly, so when i went to my first convention at 17 with a boyfriend who did not want to go with me but i made him go anyway (it was AnimeNEXT 2007), i threw together a closet cosplay of a genderbent mirai trunks. and i actually found the fucking picture i took of it in the bathroom at my mom's house.

(that's the closest you're ever going to get to a proper face reveal btw lmao a 17 year old picture of me where you can see more of my tits than my face.)

i then went on to properly redo my pan cosplay, and i cosplayed chichi as well. took a picture at a con with a lil baby like 3 year old who was dressed up as goku. can't find it right now though.

in 2011, i went to anime boston with @feelboss and @theggning and drunkenly ran into sean schemmel (the english voice of goku) and somehow ended up on stage with him later that night, still wasted, at the hentai dubbing panel. faked an orgasm on stage for goku in front of about 200 people. my first fictional crush. probably the most iconic moment of my con-going days. i was 21.

the very first time i was able to use analysis of a character's arc to accurately predict their future portrayal in canon was mirai trunks. when his db super arc aired, i remember just being totally floored like, "i can't believe i actually called so much of this" -- especially considering the fact that DB never really had much of a reputation of being consistent.

i just have so many memories of staying up late with @godtier watching DB and shitposting and RPing bardock and raditz and trolling the fuck out of each other, and just

man DB was such a huge part of my life and just... felt like it was always there for me.

i don't normally mourn celebrity deaths, but i feel like i've spent the last 30 years of my life with akira toriyama. losing him hurts so much. it feels like the world has had a little bit of hope fade away from it. i have a headache from crying.

i know that i would always meme on you for forgetting your own characters, but... thank you, toriyama-san. for everything.

[cainluvr69]

Main Story 2 Chapter 22 - The Days I've Spent Alongside Wizards (Second Half)

Previous Chapter

7 - At the Center of Their Cheers

Oz: <Vox Nox>

Flying Battleship Airman: Wah…! Wasn't I just on the airship…?! You've saved us…!

Mithra: We only made it in time thanks to my doors.

Oz: We did not make it in time.

Riquet: I wasn't able to purify the entire area, but I can purify everyone individually. <Sunrotea Edif>

Cortes Citizen: …ah, I can…I can breathe again… Thank you so much…

Cain: That ship… (Is that the same one as that engineer we met on a mission here in Western Country made? Benjamin…) (I'd heard that the one he'd made that went crazy and got destroyed was the only one made, but…) (They must've been building more somewhere he wasn't aware of. There might be even more…) (If they were made by the Magical Technology Corps, there's probably more than just airships…)

Oz: If we do not make haste, night shall fall. The source of the miasma is before us.

Cain: …! The airship crashed…!

Owen: Is that that flying battleship thing? There's a ton of mana stones aboard.

Cain: The mana stones are what make it move. …?! The green mist is covering the fallen airship…!

Owen: If that monster eats all of those mana stones…

Cortes Citizen: Kyaaa…!

Cortes Citizen: It's an earthquake… The earth is shaking…!

Cain: No… That's… The sound of footsteps…

✦✧☾✧✦

The sun was silently sinking behind the horizon line. Darkness encroached, leaving us with only the light of the moon…

And a monster the size of a castle was bathed in that light… Looking down at us.

Cain: … …The walking Hell…

✦✧☾✧✦

Candles around the base of the goddess statue in the plaza of the City of Fortune were lit as a prayer for Western Country's growth and harmony. That was how the lighting ceremony began. The plaza had swarmed with people hoping to catch a glimpse of their young queen, the talk of the town. Standing next to her meant that I, too, had hundreds of eyes on me, and I was so nervous I could hear my heart in my ears. But I had Arthur with me, and I was able to keep my calm thanks to all the practice I'd done in front of the Sage's Lattice.

✦✧☾✧✦

Arthur: Standing in front of a crowd is something that will always be nervewracking on your first attempt. But you'll enjoy it more as you get used to it. It's fun in the same way that having a conversation with them would be.

Akira: A conversation… But I'm not going to be actually talking with them, right?

Arthur: Correct. But standing before them will still tell you how they're feeling. Like "this is kind of boring," or "they're getting excited!", or "this is the best!" That kind of thing. It's especially easy to tell if they respond to the movements you make with your hands. I love the way that everyone moves in concert, like friends would.

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: (I wonder if I'll be able to tell how they're feeling as well as he can…)

✦✧☾✧✦

Murr: Shylock! This way, this way!

Shylock: Shh, Murr. We'll be noticed.

Chloe: Well? It sounds like General Barnett isn't going to be anywhere near her tonight…

Shylock: … …I believe she may be human. If she is truly a wizard, she must be extremely skilled at hiding herself… Or she must have been presenting herself as a human very thoroughly for a very long period of time.

Chloe: What do you think, Murr…?

Murr: I'm with Shylock on this one! But if she's transformed herself, there should still be something out of place somewhere.

Chloe: I heard about how she's got a habit of playing with her hair from Gregory, but hair quality can change pretty easily…

Shylock: Let us observe her, as earnestly as if she were our true love.

✦✧☾✧✦

Western Official: …And that concludes her Majesty Queen Liliana's words of gratitude.

Queen Liliana made a small bow, and the plaza erupted in wild cheers.

Western Citizen: Praise Queen Liliana!

Western Citizen: Praise her Majesty!

Western Official: Silence! We would now like be bestowed the honor of hearing the Master Sage's address.

The plaza fell silent, and everyone's attention turned to me. It was an overwhelming sight. I felt like I might be crushed. I felt my cheeks started heating up, blushing brightly in front of the audience. My heart was pounding in my throat. I need to calm down. I need to calm down. I could feel myself getting worked up, but on the edge of my vision, I saw Arthur wink. "Everything is going to be okay," the shard of Murr in my pocket whispered to me. Figaro smiled gently at me and nodded encouragingly. I smiled back, and took a deep breath.

Akira: I'm so happy to be able to participate in the lighting ceremony with not only her Majesty, but with her beloved people as well.

I could feel my nerves starting to settle, bit by little bit, as I spoke. My heart was still going a mile a minute, but not so much that my mind was blank. Thanks to the Western people's curiosity and appreciation of me, I was getting a good reaction. I saw nothing but smiles. I think I love the people of the West as much as I love the people of Central.

Akira: Queen Liliana is a woman who treasures her people very dearly. I've been wondering if she had any interesting hobbies or interests, actually.

Liliana: …

Akira: So I decided to speak with one of the servants who had been in attendance at Cortes Palace while Queen Liliana still lived there.

I spoke of the Liliana that Gregory had told me about. About her skill in singing. About how she would pick berries alongside her townspeople. As I spoke, episode by episode, the audience's eyes on Liliana softened, gazing at her with an almost familial sense of pride and affection.

Liliana: …

Maybe it was just my imagination, but I think that Liliana too, behind her noble smile… Had the smile of a big-hearted girl raised in a peaceful providence.

✦✧☾✧✦

Shylock: …She's a wizard.

Chloe: Huh?

Shylock: Queen Liliana is a wizard. It was only for a moment and only in a trivial way, but she altered herself. By alteration, I mean regarding the image she's built up. The illusion within herself manifesting externally. Thanks to Master Sage's speech, the image of Liliana within the witch who has taken her form has changed somewhat. It was only a slight change, but still, she adjusted herself. She is a wizard.

Chloe: Then, is she…?

Shylock: I cannot say for sure. But if we are to believe Kelvin's story, then it would be best to not say her name aloud. For those who know of her secret…

Chloe: …But I can't just ignore Rustica like this. Let's go back to the manor.

Murr: But if Rustica leaves the tower, he's gonna turn into feathers. Well, he turns into feathers in the tower, too.

Chloe: I'm going to talk to him. And then I'm going to save him from that tower, the way he once saved me. Can we go to the tower? Murr, Shylock.

Murr: Yeah!

Shylock: Of course. Let us depart at once.

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: …And that concludes my speech. Thank you very much for listening.

Western Citizen: Praise the Sage!

Western Citizen: Praise Master Akira! I came to see her Majesty, but I've fallen for the Sage, too!

Western Citizen: Same here! They had nothing but good things to say about her Majesty and us! That, and they've cleaned up all sorts of weird incidents around our country! I want to hear all about what sorts of things they've seen!

Western Citizen: Same here, same here! Both her Majesty and the Sage are so wonderful! And the Central prince is smiling so brightly and waving at us! I'm so happy! I was expecting that Southern doctor to be just an uncivilized bumpkin, but he seems quite intelligent! I thought wizards were all a dangerous sort, but… The Sage's wizards must all be of a special breed!

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: Haah… …I was so nervous…

Arthur: Very well done, Master Sage. That was absolutely marvelous!

Akira: Thank you so much. Do you think this will make everything work out okay?

Figaro: It definitely will. Even if the effects aren't immediately obvious, we'll still see them, slowly but surely. Even if you were a vile villain, those who know of you would still try to protect your honor after today. Their very existence, small though it may be, places restraints on the Queen. The bonds that had so distressed you have now been laid at her feet. Well done.

Akira: Will we be able to return to the Central manor?

Murr: We will. Should an incident occur, if it is our now beloved Sage who settles it, you'll be able to return all the faster. Speaking of, you mentioned that something serious is happening at Cortes, is it not?

Akira: That's right! I need to make a report to her Majesty.

Figaro: To the Queen?

Akira: I feel like the Queen would want to know about anything major happening in her country. And… If we can settle this incident by working together, it'll make it look like we're getting along even better.

Figaro: Ahaha! You certainly are a fascinating one. You've got a good heart, but you're still calculating under the surface.

Murr: Well then, shall we be off? Our production continues.

Arthur: Production?

Murr: We'll be presenting the Sage's wizards as even more dashing, spectacular, and beloved than ever before. With one Chloe Collins's outfits.

Arthur: I see! We're going to dress up in the outfits Chloe made for us again. Oh… Speak of the devil. There's Chloe and the other Western wizards.

Figaro: They must've caught sight of the lighting ceremony while flying back through town. Let's catch up with them.

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain: Mithra! Can you help the people who've collapsed get to safety?!

Mithra: Ask me later! I need to find Mitile and Rutile. <Arthim>

Riquet: I can help, Cain. Oz, please wait somewhere safe as well.

Oz: This monster breathes miasma. It is not something the two of you alone can…

Riquet: We will be fine. Cain. There are many people all wearing the same clothing coming diagonally from the right. They're the ones Oz saved just a short while ago.

Cain: The people manning the airship. Riquet, take Oz somewhere away from here.

Riquet: Just Oz? Understood.

Flying Battleship Airman: What's going on here?! How dare that monster do that to our ship… Is there anything we can do to help?!

Cain: I'm Cain, a wizard from Central. Good to work with you.

Flying Battleship Airman: You were on the ship just earlier! You really saved our bacon… Oh, I've seen your portrait before!

Cain: (He's seen me. So he's definitely a Western soldier.) (If he's seen my portrait, that means he'd be able to pick Oz out of a crowd, too.) (It'd be bad if they found out Oz can't use his magic right now.) The miasma that monster's making weakens you the more contact you have with it. There are a lot of people who can't stand because of it. Can you carry as many of them as you can out of here and up that hill? You all watch yourselves, too.

Flying Battleship Airman: Got it. You keep your eyes out, too.

Cain: … Oz, Riquet!

Riquet: Have you finished your business with them? Then let's begin our rescue operations.

Cain: Yeah. But first, Oz. We can't let them find out about your nighttime condition. Can you try watching over us like a mentor or a coach or something? Put on a good act for them.

Oz: I have no experience in such performances.

Riquet: Yes, you do. You learned proper and friendly behavior to blend in with average people on the street from Cain alongside Arthur. You did quite well. I am sure you will do well this time, too.

Oz: I see.

Cain: How should we go about trying to take that thing down?

Oz: Attacking it will simply cause it to produce more miasma. Overcoming it with magic strength prior to its miasma overtaking you should be possible.

Cain: But the miasma is getting everywhere. The people on the ground would get caught up in it like that.

Oz: Such is unavoidable. This area is a price to be paid in exchange for felling such a large monster.

Cain: So this place is going to get to the point where nothing can grow here at all?

Oz: I imagine it will recover in several centuries.

Cain: … If you're going to lead me down a path that would upset the people… I'll try to become a decoy first.

Oz: Leave that to the Northern wizards.

Cain: If it attacks, the land will die. I can't imagine how horrible the residents' grief would be to lose their hometown. I need to do something. So I'm off!

Oz: Cain!

Riquet: I will guide as many people as I can to safety. Oz, you be sure to stay away from anywhere dangerous, too!

Oz: …

✦✧☾✧✦

Heathcliff: Shino! Lennox…!

Shino: …gh…Heath… Just stay where you are.

Heathcliff: You look terrible… Did you get caught up in the miasma? …I'll take you to Mr. Faust. Where's Nero?

Shino: He's carrying people who've collapsed…

Heathcliff: …How could a monster that big show up somewhere people live…

✦✧☾✧✦

Mithra: Rutile! Mitile! …The miasma is so thick I can barely sense them… Rutile! Mitile!

Mitile: <Scintilla>!

Mithra: … …It's been so long since I heard that…

Mitile: I took care of the fallen tree! Everyone, please follow this road!

Cortes Citizen: …uu… Thank you, Mister wizard…

Mithra: Mitile.

Mitile: Mithra…

Mithra: You're using her spell.

Mitile: …I am…! <Scintilla>!

Mithra: …Haha…

Mitile: Hehe…

Mithra: That's a relief to hear. How's Rutile?

Mitile: My brother is…oh no, that's right! My brother is hurt bad!

Mithra: He is?!

Mitile: Yes! I'm trying to find Faust!

Mithra: I'll take you there. <Arthim>

✦✧☾✧✦

Owen: <Cure Memini>

Owen: Think you can handle it? …Cough. If we had the time, I know my dog could deal with you. I think the land here is going to die completely. Is that okay? Well, not that I care. <Cuare Mori…>

Cain: Owen!

Owen: … What is it, Sir Knight? You should stay away, you know.

Cain: I can't do that. Attacking that thing just makes it gush more miasma.

Owen: Sure seems like it.

Cain: Could you help me lead it somewhere out of town? I'll act as the decoy.

Owen: How? It's not going to follow you. And I won't follow you, either. That's what the Western wizards are for, aren't they? They specialize in charming everything around them.

Cain: They definitely do… But none of them are in town right now.

Owen: Huh. Too bad.

Cain: …! What's with those weird movements…?

Owen: Is it going to attack? No… The meat is falling out…?

✦✧☾✧✦

Officer: General Barnett!

Gilles: What.

Officer: A report has just come in! A flying battleship has just crashed in Cortes…!

Gilles: It crashed? What was the cause? Or was it shot down? Is the crew dead or alive?

Officer: The cause and number of deaths are both unknown. We are collecting information as fast as we can.

Gilles: There's no need to collect any information. A crashed airship is a major incident. Residents of the area will likely have lost their lives as well. I will organize and lead a rescue operation at once. The initial response is crucial. If they are unhurt, then that would be ideal--that's all.

Officer: Sir…!

Gilles: I can only hope there's no major damage.

Nova: Gilles.

Gilles: What do you want, Nova?

Nova: I will accompany you to Cortes. I want you to give me personnel to assist in collecting data.

Gilles: Data?

Nova: The airship crashed because of a subspecies of artificial wizard. Halitus Mortifer. I used a resurrected ancient magical creature as the basis, and built onto it. I haven't yet perfected it, but things have gotten quite interesting thanks to its escape.

Gilles: …Interesting? You've likely killed my soldiers.

Nova: My experiments are more useful than your soldiers. This has done nothing but prove that conjecture.

Gilles: … You will not be joining me on an airship, and I have no men to collect your data for you.

Nova: I was fairly certain your Queen had ordered you to assist me in my research.

Liliana: That I did, Gilles.

Gilles: Your Majesty…

Liliana: I shall also board your ship. We are leaving for Cortes by airship immediately.

Gilles: …As you wish.

Liliana: Nova. You will take responsibility for this, but not now.

Nova: I'm well aware.

8 - Final Words and an Endless Rain

Painting Snow: The sun has finished its descent…

Painting White: At the very least, we can still step out from within this frame, but…

Lennox: …gh…ugh…

Faust: …! Leno…!

Painting Snow: Those wounds look terrible!

Painting White: Faust! Leave the barrier to us, and go to him!

Painting Snow: Shino, Nero! You shall aid us.

Nero: Got it!

Shino: On it! I studied for this.

Snow & White: Lovely to hear it. <Noscomnia>

Faust: …I'm sorry. <Salliuqnart Mulcredo> Leno, pull yourself together. I just cast healing magic…

Lennox: …You don't need to do that. You should be saving your magic for more important things… Please…

Faust: But…!

Lennox: …I attacked the monster's head and dealt a good amount of damage, but it was able to recover as time passed. Even if you attack its head, dealing a fatal wound will be…difficult… …But I did notice something odd while I was fighting it. There was something in its ribs… I saw what looked like the shining of a mana stone under its skin…

Faust: A mana stone in its ribs… Like with the artificial wizards…?

Lennox: If you attack that, you might be able to deal the beast a fatal blow… But dealing that blow while facing its miasma head on, and without using magic to deal it… …Is something I couldn't do… The miasma from its mouth and claws is especially thick. If one could avoid it and destroy the mana stone-like thing inside its abdomen… It's possible…that we could fell the beast…

Faust: …A mana stone in its body. Got it. I'll let everyone know. You shouldn't try to talk any more, Leno…

Lennox: …Please, Lord Faust…

Faust: Shh… If there's something you want from me, I'll hear it later. You'll open your eyes again. You can tell me then.

Lennox: Haha… Too bad. It's something I want you to hear right now…

Faust: I'll hear you out later. No matter what it is.

Lennox: …No… …

Faust: Leno? Lennox…! …Snow, White!

Snow: What is it?!

White: Is something wrong?!

Faust: I need you to look after Lennox for me. I need to tell the Northern wizards the monster's weak point…

Mithra: Rutile… Rutile…!

Mitile: Rutile…! …! Even Leno's been hurt…!

Faust: Mithra… Mitile!

Mithra: Is that man dead? When did he lose consciousness?

Mitile: No… Rutile! Leno…!

Snow: Both of you, calm yourselves! We're doing everything we can!

White: Should we be able to keep them in this condition, we will be able to heal them with no lasting effects, but should they once again be exposed to a great quantity of miasma…

Mithra: …Hah… <Arthim>

Snow & White: Where are you going?!

Mithra: I'm going to get Figaro. Faust.

Faust: What.

Mithra: He's in danger too, isn't he?

Snow: (Oho?)

White: (Who could have imagined the day would come when Mithra would worry about Lennox's health?)

Faust: …He is. Can I leave him in your hands?

Mithra: I will be back momentarily. Please ensure Rutile doesn't die.

✦✧☾✧✦

Isaac: <Animum Vexat>!

Bradley: Tch…! <Adnopotensum>!

Isaac: …gh, gahhh…!

Bradley: C'mon, don't back down. How's Eva supposed to be happy with this? That's what eatin' a stone means, y'know.

Isaac: …Damn…! <Animum Vexat>!

Bradley: <Adnopotensum>!

Isaac: …Uuugh…! I cannot lose to you! I ate Eva's stone! I can't…!

Bradley: Is that right? Then why are you dyin' over there? <Adnopotensum>!

Isaac: Ahhhh! Gh…uu…!

Bradley: You shouldn't try to move. I missed all your vitals on purpose. Start fixin' how you talk about Eva.

Isaac: …uu…

Bradley: Don't you dare disgrace death. Even you deserve a proper end.

Isaac: Hah… Hah… … …Haha… …I understand… I surrender, Bradley.

Bradley: …

Isaac: Come here… I'll tell you what Eva's last words were. She said…

Bradley: Don't need to hear them.

Isaac: Wai--!

Bradley: <Adnopotensum>!

Isaac: Gh…!

Bradley: …

Cortes Citizen: …Mister Isaac…!

Bradley: …

Cortes Citizen: How could you…! What did he ever do to you?! He saved my son…he was a kind person…!

Bradley: That's why he died.

Cortes Citizen: …

Bradley: Hold out your hand.

Cortes Citizen: What…?

Bradley: It's that guy's stone. It's good quality. Lotta value. He was a strong Northern wizard. And it's yours.

Cortes Citizen: …

Bradley: Don't stop here. Get yourself to that magic circle up the hill.

Cortes Citizen: … …I'll never forgive you…!

Bradley: … Didn't ask you to.

✦✧☾✧✦

The door opened. Chloe was paying me a nice visit. Chloe. He seemed like he might've been someone I loved very dearly, but I couldn't quite recall. Chloe said the word, "Rustica". Rustica, let's go outside. I looked around the room. I wanted to help Chloe find this "Rustica" he was looking for.

Chloe: Rustica is Rustica. Rustica is you. Rustica is my precious teacher. Rustica is the person who swept me from my home and took me with him when I was all on my own. And then he showed me so many amazing sights, and told me so many wonderful things… You've given me an infinite amount of things, Rustica.

But Rustica did not respond. I decided to make a suggestion to Chloe. Maybe it'd come out if he put out some of its favorite food? Chloe smiled.

Chloe: Rustica's favorite food? That's syrup-covered savarin.

Rustica: That is very delicious.

Chloe: I do think I'm a bit grown up, but I don't think I can substitute for savarin. So I'll need another way to get Rustica to come out of this room.

Rustica: How intriguing. What do you propose?

Chloe's eyes, the color of violets, met mine. The face he'd had when he was young was layered over the face he had now. The face he'd had when he'd been hidden in the depths of a tailor's shop. The face he'd had when his eyes had sparkled as he stared around a shop full of bright colors. The face he'd had when he'd stared in wonder at the meteor shower above.

Chloe: You're crying, Rustica.

Rustica: …

I hesitated. I hadn't realized I was. The possibility hadn't even crossed my mind. How long had I been shrouded in happiness? I had very little experience with tears rolling down my cheeks. So once they did begin to flow… They became an endless rain. I was crying so many tears that it frightened me.

Rustica: I'm not sure I can approve. Are you sure I can't have any savarin? Perhaps with a nice, warm cup of tea.

Chloe shook his head. He took my hands in his own, hands that were very skilled at needlework. I'd been very startled when I first met Chloe. He cried very often, you see. The tears that spilled down his cheeks were as beautiful as rain rolling down a window.

Rustica: Thank you, Chloe. But I'll be fine without it.

Chloe: I won't be fine without it, Rustica. Let me see the expression you make when you cry. Don't worry. I'll stay right next to you until you're done crying, and I'll dry your tears as many times as I need to. Here, I can wipe them with that embroidered scarf you told me you liked. Do you remember that? My bluebird of happiness will open the cage door to let you fly free as many times as you need.

Rustica: …

I felt something stopping up my throat, and my vision grew blurry. I shook my head in a panic, not wanting to see this endless sorrow of mine. After all, I knew nothing but the warmth of the sun's rays. And yet, the falling rain did not stop. What should I do…

Chloe: It's okay. You don't need to be afraid. Remember that day with the big storm? The rain was so loud, and there were puddles all over town. But after that, the cheery white clouds started spreading out, and we got greeted with a beautiful blue sky.

A beautiful blue sky was a wonderful thing. I could picture it clearly.

✦✧☾✧✦

I had lost something very dear to me. I had misplaced my wonderful tomorrow. It was a wish that should have been granted. It was a pair of people who should have been happy.

✦✧☾✧✦

Chloe had cupped my cheeks as I'd been thinking. His palms were warm and kind and filled with grief. Something deep in my heart was shaking. I felt so helpless. My chest hurt so badly I couldn't stand it. I was scared to find out how many cracks had been made in its surface. And yet…

Chloe: It's okay, Rustica. Remember, I'm good at sewing… I'll give you the sun and the moon and more. If your heart's been ripped up, I'll sew it back together and give you a new one.

My eyelids responded to his gentle invitation and opened, though I'm not sure when I closed them. And when I blinked, my tears began to overflow.

Rustica: …uu…

And I cried.

Chloe: It's okay… It's okay. It must have been so hard… You must be so sad, Rustica. But it's all going to be okay now.

Rustica: …uu…sniff…uuu…

Chloe: Because I know all about it.

Rustica: …uu…wahhh…! …wahhhh…!

✦✧☾✧✦

That is the story of how I left that room, filled with tears. Though I cannot recall most of the things that happened within it…

✦✧☾✧✦

Rustica: Why, I'm feeling quite refreshed.

Chloe: I know, right? Crying's great for that kind of thing. I'm a real crybaby, so I know all about it.

Rustica: Is that right?

Shylock: Rustica. I'm so glad you're feeling better. Please, give me a hug.

Rustica: Of course. I'm glad you're doing well, too.

Shylock: How do you feel?

Rustica: I'm not exactly certain, but to be doing better is certainly a good thing, yes?

Murr: That's right! I'm happy Rustica's all better, too!

Rustica: As am I, Murr.

There were more than just the Western wizards celebrating my feeling better. There was also the bird, Gregory…

Gregory: Murr, Shylock! I saw you returning on your brooms. My, is there something you're celebrating?

Murr: Rustica's all better!

Gregory: That's wonderful to hear! 'Tis a wonderful thing to be better. Arguably one of the most important things.

Master Sage, and Prince Arthur, and Dr. Figaro, and the shard of Murr's soul were all thrilled with my recovery as well.

Akira: I'm really…really so happy you're okay now.

Rustica: I feel the same. It seems everyone present feels the same, in fact.

Arthur: Ahaha! How like you to say that, Rustica.

Figaro: Let us know if you still feel off anywhere. I am a doctor, so…

Mithra: <Arthim>

Figaro: Mithra.

Mithra: Figaro. Come with me. Rutile and Lennox are dying.

Akira: …?!

Figaro: Tell me what happened.

Arthur: Something must have happened at Cortes. Let's hurry! Master Sage!

My, what a startling turn of events. The people who had been happily celebrating my recovery had been replaced with people thinking many painful thoughts. In the time it had taken them to say those words, however, Mithra had opened a door through space.

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain: The meat is falling out…? What meat?

Owen: Guts. Look, the guts are coming out.

Cain: My guts?

Owen: … …Are you even looking at it?! Why would your guts be coming out right now?!

Cain: Oh, sorry. What am I apologizing for…? So you meant the monster's guts. Ah… Oh, you're right…!

Owen: They're oozing out from under its arm, like cream. I think they'll fall all the way out soon.

Cain: Is it damage from an injury someone inflicted on it?

Owen: It's moving around, but it's like a corpse.

Cain: …A corpse…

Owen: How weak… Did you already get affected by the miasma?

Cain: …No, I'm good.

Owen: Then don't back down.

Bradley: Owen, Cain!

Cain: Bradley.

Bradley: We need to recoordinate. The Western wizards are here.

Owen: What?

Bradley: Look, just come here.

✦✧☾✧✦

Figaro: <Possideo>

Rutile: …uu… …

Mitile: Rutile…!

Rutile: Mitile… Dr. Figaro… Mithra's here, too…

Mithra: …Thank goodness…

Rutile: …I'm sorry…I made you all worry… Even though I know that if anything happened to me…it'd upset Mithra…

Mithra: Well, that is true…

Figaro: That has nothing to do with you yourself, Rutile. You don't need to apologize to anyone when you're feeling this weak.

Rutile: Thank you…

Mithra: … It was that thing that made you like this, right? I'm going to kill it now.

Rutile: …

Mithra: Where's my "thank you"…?

Rutile: I don't want you to get hurt like Leno did… …But I'm sure you'll be able to defeat it, Mithra.

Mithra: Exactly. Just sit here and wait.

Mitile: I--I'll go, too!

Rutile: Mitile…

Mitile: Please take me with you, Mithra! I can go with you, can't I?

Figaro: Mitile. No matter how strong you are, you're still…

Mithra: Sure.

Figaro: …

Mithra: You'll be with me, but I'm sending you back if it gets dangerous. Let's go.

Mitile: Yessss!

Rutile: Mitile! …I hope he'll be okay.

Figaro: Well, probably.

Rutile: …I'm feeling a lot better thanks to you, Dr. Figaro…

Figaro: As for you. You might be in a better state, but try not to push it.

Rutile: Okay… I'll just do what I can.

Lennox: …Me, too.

Figaro: Leno.

Lennox: Don't worry… I won't strain myself. Let's join up with everyone else.

9 - This Battle Shall Connect Our Hearts

Akira: That monster's so big…ah…

Bradley: Woah, you good?

Akira: …Sorry, I'm feeling a little dizzy…

Bradley: Stay right next to me. I'll put up a barrier.

I nodded, even though it made my head swim even more, and took a step closer to him. The monster was so big I had to crane my neck to see it in full, and its noxious body was swaying back and forth, its movements unsteady.

Bradley: Look at that.

Akira: …! It's spewing out green mist… Is that the miasma?

Bradley: Yeah. But…

Bradley stowed his gun and held out one hand towards the Halitus Mortifer.

Bradley: <Adnopotensum> Mithra and Mitile were the ones who noticed first, but if you freeze it in place first, it won't make more miasma. That said, you can't hurt it, either. But you can still stop its movements. According to the curseworker, there's no point in attacking its head. It's got a fake mana stone in its abdomen. He said that's what we need to crush. So we freeze it, and while it can't move, use non-magical attacks to break the stone. Good plan, yeah?

Akira: Bradley…

Bradley: What, you fall for me?

Akira: Honestly, that's basically how I feel, yes! I had no idea what we could possibly do to deal with this massive monster and the miasma it's making. But thanks to you, I feel like we really can win against it! Let's try it!

Bradley: Hell yeah. Let's get started.

✦✧☾✧✦

Bradley: You get the plan, Northern wizards? When that monster…

Murr: Halitus Mortifer!

Bradley: Yeah, when that thing gets attacked with magic, it absorbs the magic and converts it into miasma. To keep things simple, what I'm saying is if we just go at it with wild abandon, all the humans around here and even the land itself are gonna die.

Akira: So what our plan is, is to start by leading the Halitus Mortifer away from the castle and more towards the Royal Botanical Gardens. The Western wizards will be the ones to lead the way. I know it's a dangerous task, but please, we can't do it without you.

Rustica: It's a wonderful idea. Please leave it to us, Master Sage.

Shylock: I shall entice it to the best of my ability to lead it to a place with as few people as possible.

Chloe: But… Will a monster that big even notice us, much less follow us?

Shylock: Given it's a monster born in the West, it will be naturally attracted to Western magic, and thus to us.

Rustica: I'm sure it loves the thrill of things being a bit dangerous as much as everyone else in the West does.

Murr: Let's dance with Halitus Mortifer!

Chloe: We'll do our very best! But first, could I get everyone's attention?

Heathcliff: What is it?

Chloe <Suispicibo Voitengok>

Riquet: Wah…!

Arthur: Our outfits for the investiture ceremony!

Cain: Yeah! From the night when we saved the Central capital.

Oz: We donned these only a few days ago as well.

Shylock: Clad in this, I do feel more at home. Like a proper Sage's wizard.

Rustica: I just adore the epaulettes and the cloth you used for this jacket. It's simply lovely, Chloe.

Chloe: Thank you! I wanted everyone to go to battle in these outfits!

Murr: What about the me who isn't here?

Faust: I wouldn't have thought I'd be doing battle in these clothes again…

Nero: Well, it's our very own tailor's pride and joy. I'll make sure to not get it dirty this time.

Shino: Heath, let's show the Westerners what we're best at.

Heathcliff: Yes, let's. Let's put our plan into effect as soon as possible so no one else gets hurt.

Figaro: You three better not push yourselves.

Rutile: We won't, Dr. Figaro. We'll be too busy making sure we're supporting everyone from the sidelines.

Mitile: I'll be fine! I'll work hard enough to count for the two of you!

Lennox: That's good to hear. But my stoutness is worth something, too. I'll be working hard right alongside you.

Snow: Yes, yes! This outfit was the first time we all matched. We love to match, you know.

White: Matching makes you feel as one, like we'll all win or lose together.

Mithra: Does it?

Owen: No, it doesn't.

Bradley: Maybe that's how it works for you twins. …Sage, you're looking pretty damn dapper in that, too.

Akira: Yes…! Thank you! Let's get back to the topic at hand. The Western wizards will be leading the Halitus Mortifer away from here… And the Northern wizards will be using ice magic to freeze it in place and immobilize it. And that's when we'll have someone use non-magical attacks to destroy the mana stone-like thing in its abdomen…

Oz: This will successfully subdue the Halitus Mortifer.

Akira: That's right. This should let us take care of it while minimizing collateral damage as much as possible.

Faust: How are we going to go about launching a non-magical attack? It's going to be a pain as it is making it to that thing's ribcage without magic.

Akira: That's true…

Arthur: I'd like to volunteer Cain.

Cain: …

Cain's eyes grew wide. But before he could say anything, Bradley spoke first.

Bradley: I think the knight's a good choice, too. You spent a long time actin' as a knight without usin' any magic, yeah?

Cain: Yeah.

Bradley: That's exactly what we need. If you were any more experienced with your magic, you'd be using it on instinct.

Shino: Leno said something similar to me. I think Cain's a good pick.

Lennox: …Me, too.

Arthur: Are you willing, Cain? It's a dangerous mission, and I don't want to force you into anything, so answer me sincerely.

Cain blinked, once, twice, three times. Riquet, on the other hand, looked so happy he could hardly stand it, clasping his hands in front of his chest. Cain took a deep breath, his expression stiff.

Cain: I… Of course I will. On my honor as a knight.

Riquet: Cain, it's so wonderful you've been chosen for this! I'm proud of you as a fellow Central wizard!

Riquet's enthusiasm made Cain smile. It wasn't a simple and innocent smile, one of someone who had never been hurt. It was the smile of someone who had rejected the title of wizard and acted as a human for a long time, working his way to the position of Captain of the Knights… I wonder if that's something that weighs heavy on Cain's conscience, given his bright, straightforward personality. He had a bit of a handicap, as well. Cain had the least amount of experience using magic out of anyone here. But the day that such things were needed had finally come.

Cain: I'll do it. I'll make sure to. With all my might.

Cain clenched his fists tightly. Next to him, Oz bit into one of his own fingers. He wordlessly took Cain's hand and drew a magic circle on his palm. Cain's eyes widened, and he glanced back and forth in disbelief between the palm of his hand and Oz's face.

Oz: It will not last. There are many who seek to use my blood or hair as a medium. However, I have faith in you.

Cain: Oz…

Bradley shrugged his shoulders and plucked a single hair from his head.

Bradley: Y'got a point. This guy's weirdly trustworthy. I'll give you a medium, too. But it'd be pretty bad if someone stole it from you while you're busy with the monster. If that happens I'll have to shoot you right through the heart to avoid my own personal Calamity. If you're good with that, then gimme your hand.

Cain: Ah…

Cain's determination set in stone, he extended his hand. Owen grinned and grabbed it before Bradley could.

Cain: …?!

Owen: Bradley's intro took too long.

Cain: Owen.

Owen: I guess there's nothing else for me to do, Sir Knight. Well, it's just that it'd be terrible if you failed at such a troublesome task. And if you're trying to plot anything, like Bradley was saying, I'll kill you anytime, anywhere. But if it'll raise your chances of success even a little…

Mithra: Your intro's also taking too long. I'll give you one, too. Give me the hand Oz's circle isn't drawn on.

Cain: Uwah… I'm feeling stronger already…

Mithra: I haven't even done anything yet.

Owen: Excuse me, Mithra, we're in the middle of something right now.

Snow: We will also offer you our protection.

White: May you grasp victory.

Faust: Cain. May fortune lead you.

Shylock: Be sure to show me how cool you are, you naughty child.

Figaro: Well, I guess I can throw my hat into the ring, too.

All the wizards, young and old, had words of encouragement for him. Cain nodded with vigor, smiling. Sometimes, he looked like he was on the verge of tears.

Cain: Thank you, all of you… I'm so grateful. I'll be sure to meet your expectations. I'll definitely…definitely succeed.

Bradley: Hell yeah.

Arthur: I know you can do it, Cain. I'm leaving it to you.

Cain: Arthur…

Riquet: Please do your best!

Oz: We will be watching over you.

Cain: Thank you! Ah…

Owen: What.

Cain: Weren't you going to give me something, too?

Owen: It was just on a whim. I'm not going to give you anything now.

Cain: No? Well, I guess I got something from everyone else, so I'm pretty well off either way.

Owen: Yeah, you are.

Cain: But…

Owen: …

Cain: C'mon, you were the one who taught me about what the words in my spell mean, and other stuff, too.

Owen: Hmph… Are you stupid? I'm not giving you anything.

Cain: Alright. Then… I'll wait for the day when you do.

✦✧☾✧✦

And then our operation began.

Shylock: Let us depart. You're up, Rustica.

Rustica: Yes, just leave it to me. <Amores Viesse>

Rustica recited his spell, and a violin appeared in his hands. He drew the bow across the strings, and played a comforting, heartening song. Shylock put his pipe to his lips, breathed in, and then exhaled white smoke. The smoke shined like a comet in the night sky and circled around Rustica's violin.

Shylock: <Inviebelle>

The next moment, Rustica's playing was imbued with an additional timbre that played on my heartstrings, reverberating far into the night sky. The massive monster turned to face him.

Murr: C'mon! Let's play! <Eanul Lambru>

Murr chanted his spell, and then swapped off with Rustica behind him, who swapped off with Chloe, who swapped off with Shylock. They took to the sky on their brooms, a line of four Western wizards. It looked to be more fun than anything else in the world. The winding, meandering music and their swaying, fluttering dance had turned the night sky into a ballroom floor.

Chloe: <Suispicibo Voitengok>

With Chloe's spell, the tracks their brooms left behind them began to flutter like ribbons amongst the stars. The Halitus Mortifer stumbled after them. It was now moving in the opposite direction of the town with the castle at its center. And there were wizards following in the Halitus Mortifer's wake, too. It was Riquet, Arthur, Mitile, and Figaro. The Eastern wizards were bolstering the magic circle to protect the people who'd collapsed from the miasma. The injured Rutile and Lennox stayed with them. And finally, with all the dignity and grace of the world's strongest wizard, was Oz, watching over them.

Figaro: It seems like the Halitus Mortifer can make miasma regardless of if it gets attacked or not. If we see anyone who's been hurt, we need to rush to their aid at once.

Arthur & Mitile & Riquet: Okay!

I was riding on the back of Arthur's broom, and wiggled myself around so that I could see them all. Their teamwork was impeccable; they quickly located and treated anyone who needed it. Their back and forth was… Not something they would've been able to do when the four of them had first met. It wasn't something that was possible because of one person's efforts or as a test of endurance… But because of the time that they'd spent together, getting to know one another. They knew how each other smiled, how they worried, how they triumphed. And I knew, too, because I knew them just as well. Even with the golden moon above and the dark around them that threatened to swallow them whole, they still… Connected their hearts to one another, bit by little bit.

✦✧☾✧✦

Kelvin: Something's coming… …Is that a huge monster…?! Ah… Lord Rustica…!

✦✧☾✧✦

Rustica: This should be far enough away. The floor is yours, Northern gentlemen.

The music rang to a halt, and then five shining stars appeared above the Halitus Mortifer's head. They weren't really stars, of course--they were the five most troublesome, fascinating wizards in the world.

Snow: Well then, that's our cue.

White: Oh, yes. Are you all ready?

Bradley: That's what I should be sayin'. Remember, do not use any magic but ice magic. You'll turn our knight in shining armor to stone.

Owen: Hmph. If he turns to stone while armed with all those mediums, I'm going to laugh at him.

Mithra: Look. Its guts have fallen out. They must have gotten pulled out while it was walking over here. I can see something that looks like a mana stone in its ribs.

Bradley: Goddamn. It's just like in the artificial wizards. Let's get this over with already. <Adnopotensum>

Snow & White: <Noscomnia>

Mithra: <Arthim>

Owen: <Cuare Morito>

The Northern wizards' magic froze the beast in its tracks. Its limbs and back were frozen in place, and it tried to breathe out more of the green mist, but its body just shuddered in place. Its entire body was wrapped in ice, trapping the mist beneath it. And then Bradley saw what was underfoot and shouted.

Bradley: Go for it, Cain! You got this!

Cain: Yeah…!

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain: (I need to climb this thing's body.) (I'll need to be careful. They said it's probable its whole body is covered in poison.) (Though they also said that all the charms and mediums I got should keep me safe…) …Hah…hah… Uwah…!

Owen: <Cure Memini>

Cain: …You saved me… (I've learned at least a little about magic, and I know that a wizard's blood and hair are both vitally precious.) (And everyone gave me some, even though my magic's weak, and I have almost no experience…) (I'm proud of that more than any battles I've won or medals I've earned.) (It isn't about what I won…) (It's about them seeing who I am.) (I was so desperate for recognition I did things I never should have.) (But they helped me see that.) (They judged my worth despite that and found it in them to believe in me.) (Nothing could make me happier.) (Please, please…let me live up to their expectations.) (I want to commit myself to what those expectations mean!) …! …uurgh…

Bradley: <Adnopotensum>!

Cain: (I only breathed in the miasma for a moment, but my head is spinning and I feel like I'm going to puke…) (This is bad. My head is pounding. My limbs are shaking…) (Please, let me make it…!) …!

Mithra: <Arthim>

Cain: …If I do it now…!

10 - Uniting Our Strength

Cain: …hah… I made it inside its ribs…! Now I just need to destroy that rock…

✦✧☾✧✦

Owen: Cain's in its ribs!

Mithra: Now he needs to crush that rock as hard as he can, right.

Bradley: Yep. It's all on him now.

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: Cain…

Arthur: You've got this, Cain!

Riquet: Cain, do your best!

Mitile: Please do your best…!

Figaro: He will. …Ah… There's another airship coming from over there…

✦✧☾✧✦

Shino: Is that another airship…?

Heathcliff: Western craftsmanship is amazing…

Oz: …

Nero: Hope Mister Knight's okay.

Faust: Cain will succeed.

Lennox: Yes, he will…

Rutile: I'm sure of it…

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain: …Let's do this… I only need one hit…! …Haaah…!

Cain: … Did it work…?!

✦✧☾✧✦

Snow: The stone has been broken…!

White: All together, now!

Snow & White: <Noscomnia>

Mithra: <Arthim>

Owen: <Cuare Morito>

Bradley: <Adnopotensum>

A rain of mana stones fell scattered upon the earth. The Northern wizards exchanged glances, all of them looking in a good mood. Cain had avoided their assault very narrowly, and he was waving at them with big motions. Arthur's group was converging on their location, shouting in delight.

Arthur: You did it, Cain! The Northern wizards, too!

Riquet: That was an amazing display, fit for a disciple of God!

Mitile: I'm glad everyone's okay!

Figaro: Good work, everyone.

The Western wizards were still flying airily through the sky, celebrating our victory all the while.

Shylock: Congratulations!

Murr: Congats!

Rustica: That's "congrats", Murr.

Chloe: Great job, everyone~!

The gentle blue of dawn was beginning to light up the horizon. And in the interstice of land and sky flew another airship.

✦✧☾✧✦

Liliana: …

Flying Battleship Airman: They did it…! Praise the Sage!

Flying Battleship Airman: The Sage's wizards are amazing! Between the Sage's wizards and we of the Magical Technology Corps, we've got nothing to fear from <the Great Calamity>!

Flying Battleship Airman: Yeahhhh…!

✦✧☾✧✦

Cortes Citizen: Excuse me, have you seen my family?

Lennox: Did you get separated? Come with me.

Shino: Hey, is there anyone else who can't move? I'll give you a hand.

Cortes Citizen: Oh, please… My head is spinning so much I can't stand…

Faust: I'll purify you. Face me and close your eyes.

Cortes Citizen: I can't hear the monster's roars anymore… Did the Sage's wizards defeat it…? Or did they…

Nero: It's almost dawn. They'll be back before you know it.

Heathcliff: …Mr. Faust! Master Sage's group has returned.

Faust: Good…

Rutile: He's riding back on his broom… You did so well, Mitile!

Shino: They're being escorted by an airship…

Oz: …

Cortes Citizen: Heeeey, Master Saaaage! Thank you so much, Master Sage! Oh my god, they just waved at me! They're so kind! Master Sage! Master Sage!

✦✧☾✧✦

Kelvin: Lord Rustica… You've reunited with Chloe, haven't you? …I'm so glad… It's been so long since I heard your music… …Ah… …The sun is rising…

✦✧☾✧✦

Lord: Master Sage. Master Sage's wizards. I am truly so grateful towards you all for saving Cortes from this crisis.

Akira: No, of course we would. I'm glad everyone's going to be okay.

Lord: My people, my daughter Liliana, and I are all safe thanks to your efforts. Isn't that right, Liliana…

Liliana: Master Sage.

Akira: …

Liliana: Just like the one we have seen this night, terrible events are constantly lurking just out of sight in this world of ours. Let us join hands and protect the people of Western Country together.

Akira: It would be my pleasure.

Cortes Citizens: Yeahhhh…! Praise her Majesty! Praise the Sage!

Liliana: Do you hear their cheers? You, Master Sage, your wizards, and I, shall align ourselves…

Akira: I'll be working hard alongside the people of this country.

Cortes Citizens: Yeahhhh…!!

Akira: And, just as I will here, I want to work alongside the people of Central, of the East, of the North, and of the South.

Cortes Citizens: …

Akira: (I'm sorry I can't be exclusive with you…) (No, I can't apologize, I need to give them something!) (I need to pump up the vibes…!) To the people of the West, who greet everyone they meet with a bright and cheerful smile! I'm always so, so grateful for everything you've done for me during my stay here! You've done so much for me even today!

Arthur: (Master Sage is pumping their fist in the air.) (I'll join them!) …

Gilles: (Both Master Sage and Prince Arthur are making that gesture with their fists. Is this a salute from the other world?) (Then I shall do the same…) …

Lord: (General Barnett is making the same salute?!) (Then, I as well…) …

Cortes Citizen: (Both Master Sage and the lord of the castle are pumping their fists in the air?!) (Then, I guess we should too…?)

Heathcliff: (What… Huh… Should we be doing this too…?)

Shino: (Let's do it.)

Riquet: (Yes, let's.)

Cain: (Aren't we supposed to do this when they're like "Yeahhhh!"?)

Riquet: (Yeahhhh!)

Lennox: (Yeahhhh!)

Mitile: (Oh, everyone else is doing it too. Yeahhhh!)

Figaro: (Is this some sort of local custom?)

Nero: (Sage, you totally missed the timing to put your fist back down…)

Faust: (I'm not doing that…)

Chloe: (Woah, what's this? It looks fun! I'll do it too!)

Rustica: (I shall join you.)

Shylock: (I shall not.)

Murr: (I'll use just my pointer finger!)

Liliana: (…! Lord Rustica has raised his fist in this strange gesture as well.) (Then, I will too…)

Cortes Citizen: (Her Majesty joined them?! Then I need to, too!) (I've got to!)

Mithra: (Huh, what's this?)

Owen: (What is this?)

Bradley: (What's up with this?)

Snow & White: (Looks fuuuun!)

Oz: (…Hm?)

Akira: (Oh gosh, I've started something big. What should I do?) Just like the warm welcome the people of Western Country gave me… I want to cooperate with the people of other countries exactly as I do with you. We'll be returning to our manor in Central, but… I'll always be happy to see you again, no matter where we should meet.

Cortes Citizens: Yeahhhh…!!!!

Cortes Citizen: Come visit us again anytime you want!

Cortes Citizen: I've got family in Central! Give them a visit if you have the chance!

Akira: Thank you, all of you. And I'm looking forward to continuing to work with you too, your Majesty.

Liliana: … Western Country shall welcome you should you ever choose to return to her warm and safe embrace.

Arthur: Please do not worry, your Majesty. I shall protect the Sage both as a Sage's wizard and as the prince of Central Country.

Cortes Citizen: Prince?!

Cortes Citizen: He said he's the prince of Central!

Liliana: … …I see. Please use the Western manor when the time comes that you should stay with us again. It shall be waiting for you, as will the Sage's Lattice.

Figaro: Thank you for providing such wonderful accommodations for us, your Majesty. We will take you up on your kind offer should the opportunity arise.

Liliana: … I ask that you all stay safe.

✦✧☾✧✦

I think it's probable that Queen Liliana's true identity is that of the witch Zara. There's some kind of link between the Western queen and Nova. There's still a lot to learn about the artificial wizards and the shards of Murr's soul. Not to mention the whereabouts of the real Liliana. It feels like I'm facing nothing but mystery after mystery. I think it's a bit too early to decisively say Queen Liliana's true identity… A single misstep could end up getting a huge amount of people caught up in another overly complicated disaster, just like what happened this time. It'd be nice if everything worked out so that there's no friction between Central and the West, but… I wonder what her Majesty is thinking?

✦✧☾✧✦

Gregory decided to stay in the City of Fortune.

Akira: Are you sure? You said the Queen tried to kill you…

Gregory: I am certain everything will work out as long as I don't get found. I need to search for where Liliana herself is. She must be terrified out of her wits.

Akira: We're going to be returning to the manor in Central now, but we'll still help you out however we can.

Gregory: Thank you kindly. Feel free to call upon me when you return to Western Country. I'm looking forward to working with you, Master Sage.

✦✧☾✧✦

And so, we finally returned to the manor.

Akira: Wahh! We're hoooome! It's been so loooong!

Canaria: Welcome home, Master Sage!

Akira: Miss Canaria!

Canaria: You've been working hard! Do you want to eat something, or should I let you rest first?

Cock Robin: Master Sage!

Drummond: Master Sage! Prince Arthur!

Akira: Cock Robin! Drummond!

Drummond: Welcome back! We were quite worried for you, you know!

Cock Robin: You battled a huge monster, right? I'd love to hear all the details.

Canaria: Cock Robin, that comes later. First everyone needs a chance to take it easy.

Hearing Canaria say that lifted a weight I hadn't really been aware of off of my shoulders. Now that I was relaxed, I could better soak up the feeling of being home, taking in the familiar sights and sounds. The sound of footsteps running up the stairs. The quiet sound of someone softly closing a door. The tell-tale glow of someone using magic. Laughter. Someone calling someone else's name. Lighthearted small talk, only-so-serious provocations, displays of emotion, words of thanks. We'd come home to the same place we'd left, but something felt a little bit different now.

✦✧☾✧✦

Akira: Ohh, this is so nice… Saku-chan, come take a nap with meeee. I've always wanted to. Siiiigh… The breeze and my bed and the sunshine all feel so good… …I love this place…

✦✧☾✧✦

Cain: But y'know, I really am so happy you volunteered me, Arthur. I wanted you to acknowledge me. That was how I felt.

Arthur: That's surprisingly cute of you. I just thought you'd be able to do it, so I recommended you. I knew you had both the strength and the will to carry it out.

Riquet: Exactly. You were so cool! Like a storybook character!

Arthur: Yes, you were so cool!

Riquet: You thought so too, right, Oz?

Oz: … Yes.

Cain: Ahaha. Thanks! I feel like all of this has saved me a little bit…from the lies I once told, and from Nicholas's memory… I want to become even stronger than this before the battle with <the Great Calamity>. I will become stronger!

✦✧☾✧✦

Figaro: I see. So Isaac…

Lennox: Yes. You'll have to ask Bradley for all the details, but…

Figaro: No… No need. I still don't know what the right answer to the question he asked me is. How should one attain happiness…

Mitile: <Scintilla>

Rutile: Wah, that was amazing!

Figaro: …

Rutile: You've gotten so much better with your magic! Have you decided to use Mother's spell permanently?

Mitile: That's, umm…

Figaro: …

Mitile: …I'm still thinking about it!

✦✧☾✧✦

Shino: We're finally back. Now we can train in peace.

Heathcliff: Did you tell us to come to the classroom so that we could get started on classwork immediately, Mr. Faust?

Faust: No… …

Nero: If there's something y'don't wanna say, y'don't have to say it.

Faust: It's not that I don't want to talk about it. I've already told Shino, and I imagine the two of you have already figured it out, as well. My name is Faust Lavinia. I was once a Central wizard, and I knew Alec, the progenitor of the Granvelle dynasty… He was my friend.

Heathcliff: Mr. Faust…

Nero: …

Faust: I haven't achieved any of the glory that people attribute to me. I was a fool of a leader who led my subordinates to their deaths. But… I won't let any of you die.

✦✧☾✧✦

Murr: Do you really not remember anything, Rustica?

Rustica: It seems I do not. I apologize for my forgetfulness. But I do remember Chloe bringing me savarin.

Chloe: Hehe. I didn't bring you any savarin. You just really wanted to eat some.

Shylock: Sweets do the tired heart good. It's no wonder he wanted it.

Murr: Castella made with a strong alcohol as its base is good, too.

Murr: Why is this me still heeeere?!

Chloe: Master Sage asked me to repair the breast pocket they keep his shard in.

Rustica: A small Murr is also lovely.

Murr: Why, thank you. A featherless you is lovely as well. It was worth trying to woo you all those centuries ago.

Rustica: My, what a marvelously unique turn of phrase… You must be my bride. <Amores Viesse>

Murr: Wai…

Chloe: Now he's a bird.

Shylock: A songbird shard of Murr's soul, I see.

Chloe: Okay, is there anything else? Is there anything else you remember…?

Rustica: I do… I remember watching the meteor shower with you, Chloe. You came up only this high on me, and it moved you so deeply.

Chloe: … Haha… Thank you for not forgetting about that. I love you, Rustica.

Rustica: I love you, too.

✦✧☾✧✦

Snow: Wonderful work, everyone!

White: You all did your very best! We're sure to be recorded in Western Country's folklore.

Mithra: Sigh.

Owen: I don't care.

Bradley: Whatever.

Snow: Woah, rancid vibes here!

White: We're giving you praise, so you should get more excited about it!

Mithra: But it's rather… Don't you think we've all turned weird?

Bradley & Owen: …

Mithra: How to put it… Like something's starting to pile up in us… It's somewhat difficult to put in words…

Snow: Could it be because you don't have much experience with expressing your emotions?

White: Perhaps it is from staying in Western Country for so long. Perhaps the natural temperament is driving you mad.

Owen: That's it?

Mithra: I should've just killed that swarm of people that kept surrounding Master Sage… But I didn't do anything for some reason…which isn't very Northern of me. Owen, can I kill you?

Owen: Why me… You should kill Bradley.

Mithra: Can't Bradley only die once?

Snow: My…how kind.

White: 'Tis a wonderful thing we bear witness to this moment.

Bradley: … Is it?

✦✧☾✧✦

Bradley: Nero.

Nero: …

Bradley: We need to talk. Come with me.

✦✧☾✧✦

Bradley: (Findin' somethin' irreplaceable will lead to your death.) (I need to punish the person who betrayed me for the sake of those who used to be with me.) (The wizard of the North, Bradley, should be followin' those precepts as a matter of course.) (I know that, Eva.) (But those beloved principles of yours are just tyin' me down.) (I'm fine dyin' because of my own pride, but I refuse to die a captive.) (I'm the one in charge of my destiny.) (If the thing lockin' me up is me myself, then I'll just run away from that cage.) (Let's have some fun.) (Even if my chosen dance partner leads me to oblivion.)

✦✧☾✧✦

Bradley: Here.

Nero: A mana stone… Is it Eva's?

Bradley: Nah, it's the guy who ate her. …Haha, you don't need this kinda thing, do you.

Nero: No… I'll take it.

Bradley: Yeah. You should. Eva always liked you, y'know.

Nero: (You were the one she liked…) (She was always goin' on about rules and manners, so she was always glarin' at me.) (But you've always been an idiot about these kinds of things, no matter how smart you are…) You're lonely, aren't you… You were pretty close with her.

Bradley: I'm used to it.

Nero: … (He's pretty upset, ain't he…)

Bradley: Hey, Nero.

Nero: Yeah…

Bradley: Why'd you run?

Nero: … I was tired of bein' with you. Because I couldn't be what you wanted me to be.

Bradley: …

Nero: But that ain't your fault… I was the one in the wrong. I just couldn't live the Northern way.

Bradley: That ain't true.

Nero: Yeah, it is. Anyone can tell just lookin' at me. You're the only one who can't.

Bradley: Haha, harsh.

Nero: I loved you. Even now, I'd still die for you. Though I bet you don't believe that.

Bradley: …

Nero: I've been a lot of places, but I never found anyone else like you.

Bradley: That's 'cause you never came to visit me in jail.

Nero: …When are you gettin' out?

Bradley: Who knows.

Nero: …I see… They let anyone start livin' in the manor, like Oz and Mithra.

Bradley: Yeah.

Nero: Livin' with 'em's pretty scary, but I've started thinkin' they ain't really such terrible people after all. So why are you the only one in a cell?

Bradley: …

Nero: …But… (If I say I'm the one who should be in a cell instead, he'll totally kill me…) (He loves freedom more than anything.)

Bradley: Nero.

Nero: Mm?

Bradley: You said I can kill you after we fight off <the Great Calamity>.

Nero: … Yeah.

Bradley: If I'm the one who's gonna turn you to stone either way, then that means I can use your life how I want, yeah?

Nero: …What's that mean?

Bradley: When <the Great Calamity> attacks, I wanna get Figaro and the twins. And I want you by my side for it, partner.

Nero: … Gotcha.

✦✧☾✧✦

The moon outside my window was as unnaturally huge and beautiful as it always was. I was thinking about a day that hadn't been very long ago. The wind had been howling, the cats had been yowling, and the moon had been full on the night I came to this world. I've built up a relationship with the wizards here, in this world where wizards and humans live side-by-side, and connected our hearts… A bond so formless may be a delicate, ephemeral thing, but I still know it exists between us. Between me and my brave, noble, cheerful, prudent, gentle wizards. My irreplaceable friends. At some point during the days we've spent laughing and crying together, I've come to think of this manor as my home. A place I can return to. But then, I thought. This isn't going to last forever. I wish my days living alongside these wizards could last forever, but… How long will they?

Next Chapter

[katsona-the-katsequel]

ALRIGHT, BOIS HERE WE GO! WHO WILL BE THE LUCKY CHARACTER TO GET THE SPOTLIGHT???

Fate has spoken. Today we will have a Character Spotlight for...

Hifumi Togo

Story Summary

Hifumi was born to Mitsuyo Togo and an unnamed father. Her name has the following meanings:

東 -> "east, oriental, tokyo."

郷 -> "village, hometown, rural area."

一 -> "one, single, alone."

二 -> "two, second."

三 -> "three, third, threefold."

Hifumi's father was a pro shogi player (more on that in the following section). He taught Hifumi how to play ever since she was little, using image training to help her learn the rules. This would later make Hifumi act like the queen of a kingdom whenever she played. Mitsuyo was a local TV announcer, but after her husband fell ill with an unnamed illness, she had to quit to take care of him. Mitsuyo began working at a nightclub (or someplace similar) to support her family, resenting shogi for the role it played in pushing her husband to the edge and ruining her own career.

Around the same time, Hifumi won a grade school shogi competition, making Mitsuyo realize that she could fulfill her dreams of fame and success through her daughter. Hifumi agreed only to help with the family finances. Mitsuyo began arranging photoshoots and interviews, as well as fixing matches, all to rise Hifumi's star higher. It was Mitsuyo's plans to slowly transition Hifumi from shogi to an idol career to gain more fame and prevent her from ending up like her husband. Hifumi was well aware of this, and had more than one fight with her mother.

With the help of her fixed matches, Hifumi won the female shogi league (possibly the Women's Meijin). This would lead to resentment from her fellow players, though believed to be because of jealousy, would be because they knew of the fixed matches. No one would want to play with Hifumi after that, and since her father's condition had worsened to the point he was unable to play, Hifumi was left only with a friendly priest as her shogi partner.

Enter Akira, who became Hifumi's student and second playing partner. Around this time, Mitsuyo arranged an exhibition match with an actual pro, telling her to lose to gain sympathy points from other women. Basically, she wanted to go for the "yass, girl!" route when Hifumi made her eventual comeback. Hifumi refused, having another fight with her mother.

After the Phantom Thieves changed Mitsuyo's heart, she told Hifumi about the fixed matches. Hifumi confessed the truth to the media before her exhibition match, and realized her true skill level when she got annihilated by her opponent. She was good, but she wasn't that good.

Hifumi made the decision to quit the Ladies Professional Shogi-players' Association and start over as an amateur.

Lost in Translation

JAPANESE CHESS?

How do you play shogi anyways? Is it like chess? Well...

Unlike chess, Black moves first. This also lets us know which "color" Hifumi favors, since she starts the game when Akira first meets her. You win by capturing the opponent's King. Each player gets 20 pieces which can be divided in stepping pieces (those that only move one square at a time), ranging pieces (can move any number of unobstructed squares in a line), and jumping pieces (can jump over other pieces to reach their destination). For those familiar with chess, we could assign the pawn as an example of a stepping piece, the rook as a ranging piece, and the knight as a jumping piece.

With shogi, the pieces are named as follows:

King: can move one square in any horizontal, vertical, or diagonal direction.

Rook: can move any number of squares in a horizontal or vertical direction. It can be promoted to a Dragon King, in which case it can move one square in any diagonal direction. That is one cool name for a piece.

Bishop: can move any number of squares in a diagonal direction. Can be promoted to a Dragon Horse, which then can move one square in any horizontal or vertical direction. I want to see a dragon horse.

Gold General: can move one square in any horizontal or vertical direction, or one square in a forward diagonal direction.

Silver General: can move one square in any diagonal direction, or one square straight forward. It can be promoted to a Gold General (see above).

Knight: can move one square straight forward followed by one square to either forward diagonal. It can also be promoted to a Gold General.

Lance: can move any number of squares straight forward. Another piece that can be promoted to Gold General.

Pawn: can move one square straight forward. Unlike in chess, it doesn't capture pieces by moving diagonally, only forwards. Can also promote to a Gold General, in which case the piece is called a "Tokin".

Any pieces you capture become yours, and can be "dropped" back into the board. This is wild. Imagine you're about to win a match when a random piece appears between yours and the opposing King. I would flip the board.

PROFESSIONAL SHOGI

Professional shogi is more intense and harder to get into than one might imagine. Chess relies on a ranking system depending on how many games you win or lose. Ranking in shogi starts at 15 kyu (basically a beginner). After that, one can ascend to 14 kyu, then 13 kyu, and so on until you reach 1 kyu. Then you can ascend to 1 dan, then 2 dan, and so on until you reach 6 dan. At this moment you stop being considered an amateur. Pros have their own rankings, allowing them to climb through their own dans up to 9 dan. In other words, a pro 1 dan would wipe the floor with an amateur 1 dan.

There are many titles in professional shogi, but the most important one is that of Meijin. There are preliminary tournaments one must win to compete for the Meijin title. A player must be at least 15 years old and have had excellent results in amateur tournaments to qualify to take the exam to enter the Shogi Association. Said exam consists of different matches against other candidates, a match against a Shogi Association member, an essay, and an interview. Before 2021 you also needed to do a written exam. After all of that, the final decision on your admittance depends on a board of directors.

As of 2024, no woman has ever become an official pro player. Its because of reasons like these that the Ladies Professional Shogi-players' Association was founded, which Hifumi used to be a part of. I suppose now you understand how big her decision of starting over as an amateur truly was. Especially since Hifumi aims to become the first female pro player.

Shogi has been declining in popularity over the years (follow the blue line). Nowadays there are less players than fans, which would explain why one of Hifumi's reasons for going along with her mother's plans was to help shogi become more popular.

Art Imitates Life

HIFUMI KATŌ

The inspiration for Hifumi's name, Katō is a retired pro shogi player who achieved the title of Meijin during his career. Katō is also a Catholic, which would explain why Hifumi usually hangs out at the church.

MANAO KAGAWA

Kagawa is a woman's 4 dan shogi player who began her pro shogi career when she was 15 years old. Some consider that a great part of Kagawa's fame is due to her beauty, without considering her high rankings as a female shogi player.

SŌTA FUJII

Though he gained fame after Persona 5 came out, Fujii is added to the list due to his amazing feats at such a young age. He became a pro at 14, won his first 29 games as a pro (breaking a new record), current holder of at least seven titles, and just last month became a Lifetime Kisei at 21. In fact, he defeated Katō in his debut game as a professional, which was huge news, considering Katō was one of the shogi players. Hifumi Togo might not be real, but at least a young player with a fiery passion for the game did help bring back some interest for shogi in Japan.

The Cards Will Tell

XVII. THE STAR

Hifumi shares an Arcana with Ulala, Rea, Mamoru, Akihiko, and Teddie. Hope is the main force behind this card. No Star will be winning any "social expert" prizes anytime soon, but their relentless spirit gets them through. The main purpose of the protagonist is to help the Stars figure out what they truly want in life, which reflects on Hifumi's conflict over her shogi career. Does she really like shogi or is it just a way for her to earn money? Should she continue playing shogi or should she get a job to support her family? Is she any good at shogi at all?

Hifumi decides to set her sights on the title of Meijin, and with renewed hope for the future, shoots for the stars. Hifumi rejects any façades and deceptions by revealing the truth of her fixed matches, showing everyone her true skills during the exhibition match. In a way, the entire match was a way to say "this is who I really am".

Hifumi even confesses that if she'd gone with her mother's vision, she would have started to resent shogi, becoming disengaged and basically becoming a Reversed Star. Akira had to help her reconnect with her passion and remind Hifumi why she liked it in the first place.

Favorite Moments

Whenever Hifumi began to get intense while playing shogi. I would love to see an entire shogi match with Hifumi talking through it.

Not shown onscreen, but when Hifumi chose to reveal the truth of the fixed matches. Doing something like that takes a FUCK TON of guts. Especially before an important match.

Personal Headcanons

The reason Hifumi is fond of a specific katsu curry from a specific restaurant is that it was the place her father used to take her to celebrate whenever she won a match. This would parallel with the hotel buffet Mitsuyo usually takes her to which Hifumi doesn't like all that much

Hifumi is the one in charge of cooking in her house, since her father is too ill and her mother never learned. She's not that good, but she gets by. Whenever she can't cook due to shogi matches, they order takeout.

Hifumi really enjoyed teaching Akira, so she decided to start shogi classes for little kids and expand the game's popularity. The kids love her due to her chunibyo tendencies. Whenever she's playing against them, Hifumi is the definition of "almost threw hands with a 13 year old".

Further Reading

GNU Shogi Manual. https://www.gnu.org/software/gnushogi/manual/Index.html#SEC_Contents

Japan Shogi Association. Female Shogi Player Database. https://www.shogi.or.jp/player/lady/40.html

Monthly News. (2004) The Girl Who Hopes to Become a Professional Shogi Player. https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/archives/news/04-12/shogi.html https://web-japan.org/kidsweb/archives/news/04-12/shogi.html

Sensei's Library. (2024). Meijin. https://senseis.xmp.net/?Meijin

The Guardian. (2017). Japan's love of shogi reignited thanks to 14-year-old record-breaker. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/27/japans-love-of-shogi-reignited-thanks-to-14-year-old-record-breaker

The Japan Times. (2016). Boy, 14, breaks record for youngest pro ‘shogi’ player. https://web.archive.org/web/20160905133404/http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/09/04/national/boy-14-breaks-record-youngest-pro-shogi-player/#.V810V3bgozY

[heroloverangel]

Sunrise

Tamaki lovers come get your dinner

What were you ever worried about?

It was only an hour ago that you were panicking in your hospital bed, but now that feels like an entirely different version of yourself. You can barely even remember the pain of your contractions or the agonizing waiting game you were playing all night. None of that matters anymore, not when you’re staring down at the face of your new baby in your arms.

You glance at Tamaki, who’s been glued to your side for every second in the delivery room. He’s gazing at his child with a look of pure wide-eyed amazement as if he’s not entirely sure this is all real. “Hey, you okay?”

He nods slowly and moves to sit on the edge of your bed. “Yeah. It’s just hard to believe he’s here, after everything.” He reaches over to run a finger along the baby’s cheek, and the little boy squirms faintly at the contact. “You were great. Is it weird to be proud of you for having a baby?”

You can’t help but laugh, even as exhaustion creeps into every bone of your body. “No, I’m pretty proud of both of us for getting through it. I was a little worried you were gonna faint when you looked down there.”

“I almost did! There was just a whole head sticking out of you!” You don’t know if Tamaki’s ever smiled that wide before. “I’m glad I watched him come out, but I never want to see that again.”

You can agree to that. “Don’t worry, I think we’ll have plenty of time before we think about another one.” The two of you fall into a happy silence, both of you enamored with every tiny feature of your son’s existence. He’s completely bald, so his hair color will remain a mystery for the moment, but those pointed ears are adorable and unmistakable. You were already made aware that your newborn would look like a weird little alien, but you didn’t expect he’d still be this cute.

“We’re really parents now,” Tamaki murmurs, and you’re not sure if he’s talking to you or thinking out loud. You look at him curiously, and it warms your heart that he’s still grinning at the idea. “This is gonna be so amazing.” Your baby yawns, and you pass him over to his father to rest your tired arms. “I thought I’d be freaking out about everything, but it doesn’t seem scary. It all kind of just feels…right, I guess. Does that make sense?”

“I think it does, but I’m pretty zoned out between the pain meds and the whole labor thing.” You play with one of your baby’s hands. “What about you? What do you think, Yuto?” Both of you pause. You’d picked out the name weeks ago and it seemed perfect at the time. Looking at your son now, though, something about it just doesn’t seem to fit. “Hey, Tamaki?”

“Yeah?”

You squint your tired eyes to take a closer look at the baby. “I don’t think that’s his name.”

He runs a hand through his messy hair and gives a small nod. “I wasn’t gonna say anything because you loved it so much before. What should we call him, then?”

You were planning on getting a nice nap in after the birth. Instead, you find yourself in an endless marathon of announcing a name only to discard it immediately. None of them seem to be a match for him no matter how many you try. It’ll be hilarious later that this is your first major stumble as parents, but neither of you are laughing. You’re both on the verge of tears, actually. 

“Akira?”

“Riku?”

“Daiki?”

You’re rapidly approaching the point where you settle on Fatgum Jr just to move on and call it a day when your husband makes one more suggestion. “Taiyo?” As if answering, your son stretches one tiny hand up and shifts in his arms.

“Taiyo,” you repeat, and something finally clicks into place. The two of you look at each other and break out into matching smiles. “You’re really incredible, Taiyo. Did you know that?”

Tamaki’s forehead bumps affectionately against yours. “He gets it from you.”

[amorest-viesse]

[A Touch of Magic for the Model] - Chloe SSR Card Story Translation

Ft. Faust and Akira

For Future Reference - Chapter 1

[Dressing Room]

Akira: (It was a tough journey to get here, but I’m glad everything turned out fine for Chloe in the end…)

As I made my way to the dressing room, I reflected on our experience with “The Amoire’s Diadem,” the premier fashion contest in the West. It was the stage all designers strived for...

Faust & Chloe: …

Faust and Chloe were already inside when I got there, sitting in front of a mountain of papers with worried looks on their faces.

Akira: Faust, Chloe, is something the matter?

Chloe: Master Sage! Apparently winning first prize comes with a ton of paperwork to complete.

Chloe: We’ve got a whole pile to knock out.

Much like the fashion competition itself, the documents Chloe showed me were decorated with stylish patterns and accents.

Faust: From what I can tell, these papers address things like legal rights and storage instructions for your design.

Akira: Winners still have it rough after the competition huh…

Chloe: Right? But we’re at the final stretch, so we gotta pull through!

Chloe grabbed a document from off the pile.

Chloe: (W- What does any of this mean? There’s so many complicated terms that I can’t make heads or tails of it…!)

Akira: …Are you alright, Chloe…?

Chloe: T- Totally! Umm, I think this one is saying my outfit is gonna be displayed at some grand hall in the West!

Chloe: If that’s fine with me then I just need to sign here…

Faust: …Hold on a second. There’s some more information here.

Faust: The exhibition will only be open from evening hours until morning in accordance with the theme of the competition… Will this cause any issues?

Chloe: Wow, I can’t believe I almost missed that! Since the text was in cursive along the border, I totally thought it was part of the design!

Akira: It really does blend right into its surroundings… Good catch, Faust.

Faust: It's nothing special. I have to deal with this regularly in the East, so I’m used to it.

Faust: …Would you like some help with the rest of those papers?

Chloe: Huh?

Faust: Judging by your reaction, I assume you’re new to this.

Faust: While it’s good to want to tackle things on your own, it doesn’t hurt to ask for some help either.

Chloe: Faust… Thanks so much for the offer.

Chloe: If you’re willing to help out then… Could I ask you to teach me how to do paperwork too?

Akira: What do you mean?

Chloe: It won’t do me any good in the long run if Faust just does the work for me.

Chloe: I want to learn how to do it myself in case I ever win another competition like this again in the future…

Chloe: Ahaha, I’ve only won this one though, so I’ll stop here before I jinx myself…

Chloe: Anyways, I’m sorry for the hassle! If you don’t want to do it, you definitely don’t have to!

Faust: …It’s not a problem whatsoever.

Faust: If that’s what you want, then I’ll teach you what I know.

For Future Reference - Chapter 2

Faust: First off, I’ll explain how to break down and read a document.

Chloe & Akira: We’re all ears, Master Faust!

Faust: …It’s funny hearing that from the two of you.

As Faust was lecturing, Chloe took down notes with rapt attention. Beside him, I listened in for any useful information.

Faust: …And those should be the basics. Next we’ll try applying them for real.

Faust: The easiest way to learn is by practicing over and over again while familiarizing yourself with the formula. If there’s anything you’re unsure about, please ask.

Chloe: Understood! Now where should I start…

Chloe: “From the Armoire to You: A Ray of Light For the Residents of Fashion Nation Consent Form”?

Akira & Faust: (That’s one heck of a title…)

Chloe: First off, I need to replace difficult words with simpler phrases…

Despite the unfamiliar terminology and Western flair of the documents, Chloe continued to write away.

Sitting beside him, Faust would check over Chloe’s work and give advice while I sorted the papers as they were completed.

Chloe: Sign my name here and… Done! Could you hand me the next one, Master Sage?

Akira: Of course! And with this one, we’re halfway done.

Chloe: Already!? I’m taking so long to read these that I was sure we had more to go.

Akira: Aw, don’t say that! You’re getting faster and faster with every document. It’s genuinely impressive.

Chloe: …Now that you mention it, I’m recognizing more of those stock phrases, so it’s getting easier to read things.

Chloe: This must be what Faust meant by “formula” earlier.

Faust: That’s exactly it.

Faust: However, don’t rush things either. You’ve overlooked a few things here... and here, so take your time and be careful.

Chloe: Really!? I totally wasn’t paying attention there… Thanks for catching that!

Akira: It’s natural for your mind to wander once you’ve been doing the same task long enough.

Akira: At times like these, it’s good to get a little change of pace. For example, you could raise your arms and stretch as high as you can.

Chloe: Ahaha, I do that while working on an outfit too! Taking a break can do wonders.

Chloe & Akira: Stre—tch!

Faust: …The two of you remind me of cats.

And so, we made our way through the pile.

Akira: The next one is the final document!

Faust: This one ought to wrap things up nicely.

Akira: What does it say?

Faust: It concerns the first place prize money. Messing up here could mean not getting paid.

Faust: There are several things to fill out, and it’s the most complex form yet. However, if you apply everything I taught you today, I’m sure you’ll do just fine.

Chloe: Wow, this one’s a wringer…

Chloe: Still, I can’t let everyone’s efforts go to waste! I’ll make sure to get that prize money!

Filled with more motivation than ever, Chloe began to read through the final document with a determined look on his face.

For Future Reference - Chapter 3

As Faust watched over him from behind, Chloe scanned through the document with his class notes in hand.

Chloe: Umm, first, I need to read over the whole thing and make sure I have everything I need to fill it out.

Akira: Is there anything?

Chloe: Um, let me see… Ah! Yes!

Casting his spell, Chloe conjured his sketchbook and flipped to a page filled with neat, round handwriting.

Akira: What’s this?

Chloe: A record of how much I spent to make the outfit.

Chloe: Thankfully, Heath said he’d write that down for me.

Akira: Oh! Nice going, Heath!

Chloe: Next… I need to check if there are any terms or conditions that would disadvantage me.

Akira: Make sure to look for any hidden ones like on that first document.

Chloe: Absolutely… Hmm… This looks fine… This too…

Chloe: Alright! Everything looks good to me!

As Chloe went along, he carefully filled in all the required information. Finally, all that was left to do was sign.

Chloe: We finished!!

Chloe: Wait no, I can’t forget! We gotta check one last time for any errors or oversights!

As Chloe looked over the paperwork, I made my way to him and Faust.

Chloe: Master Faust! Please check over it one more time too!

Faust: Good work, Chloe. I’ll take it from here.

Faust: …

Chloe & Akira: …

Chloe: Ohh, I can’t look! What if I did something wrong…

Akira: …I’m sure it’ll be fine Chloe. You got this.

Chloe: Master Sage…

Akira: After seeing how hard you’ve been working today, there’s no way you could fail now…

Chloe: …Ehehe, thank you. Hearing that makes me feel more confident too.

Faust: …Chloe.

Chloe: Y- yes sir!

Handing back the paperwork, Faust looked up at Chloe and smiled.

Faust: Everything looks perfect. Well done.

Chloe: R- Really!?

Akira: Congratulations, Chloe!

Chloe: Thank goodness… I really appreciate both of you for helping me out today!

Chloe: Thank you for taking a break with me Master Sage, and thank you Faust for teaching me how to navigate all this paperwork…

Chloe: Because of you guys, I had a lot of fun learning something new!

Faust: I’m glad it worked out in the end.

Faust: I’m sure you’ll do great the next time you win a competition.

Chloe: …! Thank you!

Chloe: Alright! I’ll make sure to work even harder from now on to make sure I don’t let these skills go to waste!

Looking at Chloe’s bright smile, I could only imagine where he would go from here.

The thought of it filled me with excitement as he took yet another step towards the future.

Start Where You Can - Card Episode

Akira: You did a great job with all that paperwork, Chloe.

Chloe: Thank you! It was super overwhelming at first since I’d never done anything like it before, but I’m glad everything turned out fine in the end.

Chloe: Eastern Country paperwork must be a completely different beast to tackle though. Have you ever dealt with it?

Akira: I received some from Sir Cock Robin before. They were completely crammed with print from top to bottom.

Chloe: Right!? I was helping Faust carry some Eastern paperwork earlier too, and he showed me a couple pages…

Chloe: Every single one I flipped to looked exactly like that. It was insane.

Akira: If anyone could handle that, it’d be Faust.

Chloe: Right, right? If it were me, I’d probably be knocked out before I knew it!

Akira: Ahaha… It was the same back home.

Akira: Whenever I read something I didn’t understand, I’d just end up spacing out.

Chloe: I totally get that. That’s why I think people who can do that kind of work are incredible.

Chloe: Since Faust took the time to teach me, I’ll definitely do my best to get there… Although, maybe I’ll start with Western style paperwork first!

Home Screen Voice Line

“There are times when Heath comes off as cool and capable, and other times when he’s more reserved, like a cute, younger brother. Either way, isn’t he just the best? Even though Heath tends to hold back, he can be quick to make decisions and show how he really feels when it comes down to it. Wait, is this what you call ‘gap moe’?”

[saber-of-dreams]

Psycho-Pass: Providence - A Review

Well, I just go back from seeing Providence in theaters.

Wow. What an excellent movie. So worth the price of admission and the hour drive each way.

I'll do a more in-depth analysis of the story once it releases for digital and I can re-watch it at my leisure, but I wanted to get my first thoughts down before I get to sleep.

So: Non-spoiler version first.

If you're caught up through all 3 Sinners of the System movies, this movie will be a great segue into the next part of the story. If you've already seen Season 3 and First Inspector, as others have mentioned, this will fill in a LOT of holes.

I think each of our core characters get their moments in the movie, though the lion's share certainly goes to Kogami and Akane. They have a few great conversations in this movie, and I think by the end their relationship is on the most equal footing it has ever been.

Gino also has some wonderful moments. Not a lot of them, but enough that we start to understand who he is and what he is trying to achieve. He and Ko get a few moments to work out their...differences, and by the end, although he fails in his self-appointed goal (he and Ko both), I think it places him in a way that he will grow even further in the future.

Mika took a while to grow on me, but boy has she. I really liked her in this movie. There is one interaction she had with Gino that really made me chuckle, and overall, I really liked how willing she was to step up and move beyond the box she's always put herself in.

Frederica seems very intriguing. I hope we see more of her in future projects.

It was great to get an introduction to Kei and Arata, and to understand where they tie into this story.

Overall the plot was excellent, as always. There were several twists I didn't see coming.

I also have to applaud this series again for its excellent antagonistic characters. Because, in many ways, our antagonist was correct. Providence, indeed.

This series is in a lot of ways reminiscent to me of works like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley or to some degrees Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick, which I believe have both been referenced in this series. But it isn't so much the technological parallels that strike me , as the ability of the authors to understand where society seems to be going, and then writing the story to highlight the realities such changes would bring about.

We are facing this future now. With the rise of (primitive) AI technology in recent months, we're going to have to start considering the BIG questions. And this work is a great what-if scenario of where we could end up and the long-term ramifications of such choices.

Now to the spoiler version. You know the drill.

I really liked that Ko's attention is immediately centered on Akane when everyone is walking in. And his utter willingness to throw himself in front of an explosion to save Akane (again), just really made me love these two so much. The first phone call is great, because Kogami is lying to Akane (and also possibly to himself), and she doesn't put up with his bullshit. The second one shows his utter faith and trust in her. And that letter? God I loved that letter. The parallels. I think of all of them, though, my favorite scene of theirs was in the hospital room. I do very much want this couple to end up together, but I think it is oversimplifying their relationship to want them to romantically involved. There are so many layers to who they are as individuals and to how they interact together and apart that calling them romantic interests doesn't even begin to cover the first page. That all being said, I am really excited to see where this story goes and to how these characters develop.

Saiga's death was a true gut punch for me. He is one of my favorite mentor characters, and that death scene was just...powerful.

The reveal of Akira and the truth of his and Milica's stories was also very heart-breaking. It grounds the characters left behind in reality and propels the story forward, and each of them only get a few minutes and a few dozen lines to convey everything. Great storytelling there.

The final scenes of them watching Akane shoot Kasei, and of her being incarcerated while Ko is let free at the same time...the way Akane falls to the floor sobbing while Ko declares that he will set her free? Those moments are going to live in my head rent free for a long time.

I'm tempted to go and get a premium crunchyroll membership just so that I can watch Season 3 in English dub. Doesn't look like First Inspector is done yet, but hopefully here soon.

Okay, last set of thoughts and then I'm done for the moment.

Every character, from SIbyl to Ko to Gino to Mika, to even Saiga, seemed to put Akane on a pedestal. They commend her for her clear hue, for her sense of justice and morailty, her determination, and on and on. And I think it's interesting, because even after she shoots Kasei at the end, it's clear that those feelings do not change. Akane is not perfect, but she is willing to put everything before her sense of justice, and it makes her very compellig and powerful.

I'll probably do a deeper dive on Akane and Psycho-Pass in general at a later date, but for the moment it's almost midnight and I am tired. But thank you for reading my thought-spew. I'll get to a more polished version eventually.

[toujokaname]

Game master / Episode 14

Author: Akira

Characters: Aira, Kohaku, HiMERU, Hiiro

"Of course, HiMERU doesn't have emotions such as fear."

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[ Read on my site for a better viewing experience using Ois~su ♪ ]

Season: Winter

Location: Mountain Hut

About an hour later. The second checkpoint in the test of courage showdown, an abandoned house.

Aira: Ahhh, no way no way no way.... I didn't become an idol to get scared like this!

I just wanna go home alreadyyy! Munch on some convenience store food, and catch up on idol livestreams from the safety of my couch!

Kohaku: Yeah... I was real excited 'bout the test of courage and feelin' pumped, but now that I'm settlin' down, it's gettin' kinda spooky...

Even though I've got good night vision, it's gettin' too dark to see anythin'.

HiMERU: Thankfully, the weather is good amidst the misfortune, but when you enter places where the starlight doesn't shine through, it's like blindly feeling your way through the dark.

Aira: This place really has those countryside vibes, with no artificial lights at all. It takes me back to visiting my grandma's place in the past.

Hiiro: Aira's grandmother was from a country called France, right?

Aira: Yeah... It's not as rural as the Amagi Village, but all we had around our house were vineyards for making wine.

I remember hearing what seemed like wolf howls back then, it was super scary.

Kohaku: Now that ya mention it, there ain't any signs of wild animals or insects in this Amagi Village.

Though there's a presence within the buildings, it's likely just the villagers.

Aira: The villagers are kinda creepy too...

It's typical of a backward village, but besides that Takashi-kun who's a Hiro-kun lookalike, everyone else is holed up indoors, not even peeking out.

Hiiro: I think everyone's just cautious because outsiders are rare.

But, I was also concerned about what Oukawa-san pointed out.

Kohaku: Bit late for this, but quit callin' me “Oukawa-san," like I'm some stranger. Kohaku's fine.

Hiiro: Umu. I was also concerned about what Kohakucchi—

Kohaku: I didn't allow ya to go that far?

Aira: Stop! Only I can use that nickname! No stealing!

HiMERU: Fufu. It's scarier when people are silent, so it's helpful to talk even about trivial topics.

Of course, HiMERU doesn't have emotions such as fear.

Kohaku: You some kinda robot or somethin', HiMERU-han?

Aira: I have a theory that HiMERU-senpai's the most scared out of all of us... For some reason, he always hangs back where he can use someone else as a shield, never in the front...

HiMERU: Isn't this the most sensible arrangement? Given that HiMERU lacks the night vision of Oukawa or Hiiro-san, wouldn't he be inadequate to lead the way?

Kohaku: You're always so quick to make excuses...

Hiiro: Hehe. Well, it might be that the lack of signs of wildlife is the villagers' consideration. Maybe they've already removed them so we won't get inadvertently attacked.

But what we should be concerned about more than such trivial discomfort is that the ghost story Mayoi-senpai told us is gradually becoming more believable.

Aira: Yeah... I wanted to believe it was just nonsense to freak us out, but...

We're following the exact route they told us to take.

And yet there are still traces of the staff from the paranormal show, who got caught up in the mysterious phenomena.

Though it's probably all set up by Rinne-senpai and the other scarers... Even at the last checkpoint, there was something like a staff member's notes placed there.

HiMERU: Just like the account told in the notes, we stumbled upon vinyl strings and carvings left by the staff as markers.

Aira: Carvings? Were there really?

HiMERU: There were scratches on a tree made with a knife or something similar. It had dates and names presumably belonging to the staff of the paranormal program carved into it.

Naturally, those dates and names matched the ones in the notes.

Since there's no internet connection in this village, we cannot be sure that people with those names were once real and are now missing.

—Along with other facts that cannot be verified.

Aira: S-So, those notes and everything, they're all just made up by the scarers, right?

HiMERU: Who knows... It seems too elaborate for that.

It's not something that can be done overnight, writing lengthy notes and leaving traces exactly as described.

And the scarers arrived in this Amagi Village at the same time as us. It's hard to believe they had time to prepare for such a test of courage.

Kohaku: Yeah... After arriving in the Amagi Village, Rinne-han and the others were with us the whole time.

Of course, given Rinne-han's status, he might've ordered these preparations from the villagers.

He's always dead serious 'bout havin' his fun, but why go through all this hassle? And even if he did, what'd be the point?

Aira: D-Did he really wanna freak us out this bad?

I bet Rinne-senpai's out there somewhere, laughing away from behind some bushes even now!

Kohaku: Hmm... Even Rinne-han ain't that nasty deep down— Mm?

Aira: W-What's wrong, Kohakucchi? Don't suddenly stop moving, or you'll startle me?!

Kohaku: My bad... Hmm~ Must've just been my imagination.

(I've been feeling strange gazes for a while now... Even if they're the guys tryna scare us, there's too many of them, no?)

(Maybe the bored villagers get a kick outta watchin' the dumbass idols from the city doin' dumbass things?)

Aira: Ugh~! Can we just get this over with already?

This test of courage showdown's just the fourth match, so Matrix isn't even halfway through, right?

It'd be stupid to use up all our energy and strength being scared here. I wanna wrap up the unpleasant work quickly!

Kohaku: Right. In fact, it'd ruin the atmosphere if it gets light in the mornin'. We gotta get through the checkpoints as soon as possible.

HiMERU: Yes. The Amagi Village is smaller than expected, so it's fortunate that there isn't much distance to cover.

HiMERU: (But even that feels slightly offputting.)

(Based on Rinne's previous remarks, HiMERU had predicted that his hometown would be much larger—the size of a nation, even.)

(Has he been carelessly trusting of Rinne's penchant for grandiosity, overestimating its authenticity?)

[ ☆ ]

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[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

Top 5 characters you disliked/ hated in 2023

Top 5 main couples you were indifferent to in 2023

Hello hello... thank you for these... easy questions 😅 I really needed to think about the second one.

But let me start with 5 characters I disliked/hated in 2023. There were a few that I hated, but where I loved that fact (Hi Boston 💚) and then there were those characters I just couldn't stand.

Beginning the list let me introduce to you the one drunkhead I wish I could punch in his alcohol filled mouth...

Han Ji Yu from All The Liquors

It is the fact that he glorifies alcohol to a really unhealthy amount and the fact that this whole series tried to let us believe, not linking alcohol is something inappropriate just blew my mind. The writing for this series and this character was just not good at all in my opinion.

And of we go to the biggest let down for me this year:

Minato Akira from Minato Shouji Coin Laundry Season 2

I liked him so much in the first season. I adored his awkwardness around Shin and his journey to finally accept his own and Shin's feelings. And the second season took this development away from us and from Minato. He got stuck in denial and being over-emotional. He became unlovable and really annoying. The writers took away his charme and I really couldn't see anymore why Shin loves this man so much. I would have been so fucking frustrated with him after a few weeks. It wasn't quirky or cute. I really couldn't stand him.

And next in line:

Mew from Only Friends

In the beginning, I thought okay, he is inexperienced, but he has his standards. He is a little naiv, but I can like him... yeah... nope. Since he started dating Ray to hurt Top and became a total fuck towards Boston, he lost all his credits with me. I get he was heartbroken that one of his friends betrayed him in that way, but the way he thought only the worst of Boston and never apologized for believing he SAed little Atom is just a no from me. And the way he treated Top and Ray annoyed the fuck out of me. Can't stand him.

Uhkay... next is a character some might defend, but I thought he was just a total selfish asshole:

Lomfon from La Pluie

He might have a little redemption in the end, but too little, too late. He was a selfish prick. Yes, he thought he was in love with Saengtai, but he kissed him without his consent and just tried to interfere with the relationship between Saengtai and Phat. Okay, I really don't care about them that much, but he hurt Saengthian and this was one charcater I liked in this series and I will never forgive Lomfon for it!

At last there is this one character I wanted to scrape out their eyes....

Ye Wan Ying from Stay With Me

I don't have a good gif of her and I truely don't care. She was a manipulative bitch and I wish her the worst! She tried to play SuYu and WuBi off against each other and made WuBi jealous. I don't like when someone hurt my favorites! She was evil. I hate her!

Okay, so far with the first list, let's move on to my top 5 main couples I was indifferent to in 2023.

I start with the one couple that made me drop the whole show:

Suansoon and Ongsa from Absolute Zero

I really liked the first episode. I thought those two were cute together and I was rooting for them. And then the time travel happend and everything became a big mess. I lost interest in their relationship due to the fact that old Suansoon and young Ongsa became a thing and I lost my shit (not in a good way) about it. So I stopped watching it... and never regreted this decision.

On second place come

Joke and Zo from Hidden Agenda

I liked them in the beginning, but at some point in the story I just lost my interest. I don't know why, but they really didn't catch my interest. It was okayish to watch while it was airing, but I have to say, I can't really remember what exactly was happening with them. All I know is I thought the drama was unnecessary.

The next one really made me sad

Win and Team from Between Us

I loved them in Until We Meet Again. They were the best part of this series for me and I really was looking forward to this one. And then these two were...liveless. I don't know. I just couldn't get myself interested in their relationship. They felt so bland and without any surface. I can't really explain right now.

In number four we have

Johnny and HaiYi from HIStory 5

From the start I was a Vincent/Wynn-girl. The main couple was there, but I wouldn't have mind if they just vanished. Okay, in the end I couldn't care less about all of the couples, but those two were just not for me. I think they were boring and the drama was stupid. Time travel in bl really sucks most of the times!

And at last we have a couple I adored in the beginning and just lost interest over the runtime of the show:

Saengtai and Phat from La Pluie

I know this bl is loved my many and I can understand why (most of the times), but in the same way I sober up in seconds whenever a friend of mine is in need of help, I lost interest really fast in these two when the drama just annoyed me. Phat's jealousy, Lomfon's interference, Saengtai's secrecies and in the end Phat's anger and the way he was punching Lomfon, everything made me lose interest in them so fast! And to be honest, Phat became one of my most hated charcaters, when I think about it. I would have left him and never looked back after he punched Lomfon like that. I would never trust him again, that he won't hurt me, when we fight. Such a big red fucking flag for me. And yeah, just like that I lost interest in them.

Thank you very much for this ask!

ASK ME MY TOP 5 OF ANYTHING BL 2023

(I'll answer some more tomorrow... I need some sleep right now 😅)

[twilightmalachite]

Raison d’être - A Premature Burial 11

Author: Akira

Characters: Shu, Mika

Translator: Mika Enstars

"I’d do things such as put on girl’s clothes and try to play forbidden games, dictated by my own interests and whims… Much to my family’s annoyance."

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Winter

Location: The Itsuki's House Cellar

Raffaello: “Regrettably, my mother’s diary was buried along with her at her funeral in her coffin.”

”While it’s not as if we cannot dig it out—that is indeed too disrespectful towards the dead.”

Mika: Ah, so yer Mother’s passed away, Raffaello-san?

Raffaello: “Do you feel sorry for me? Even though she is the affiliated party in Shu-kun’s grandfather’s affair…”

“But at least, you could say she died without any regrets.”

“She had passed away due to old age. While death is always a tragedy, it is not something to be mourned too much.”

Mika: Ahh, talkin’ about an affair had me imaginin’ a young lady this entire time, but she was a grandma, huh? On second thought, that was a given.

But if she’s already passed away, there’s no reason to point fingers at her—

Shu: It has not yet been confirmed that Grandfather had an affair. Stop talking on the assumption that “that” is true, it’s disrespectful.

Raffaello: “Fufu. Anyways, while it is a only guess as we do not dig up my mother’s grave, I would assume there my mother’s diary contained nearly the same content.”

“By reading the text, you can see what had transpired in the past.”

Shu: What would be the point of doing that? Even if it is a relative of mine, I do not wish to do something as shameless as read someone else’s diary.

Raffaello: “Are you afraid, Shu-kun? Of the “truth” behind the grandfather you admire so much.”

Shu: … …

Raffaello: “I believe this story will be of benefit to you guys as well.”

“I had overheard your conversation—In order to mourn the deceased, you must know about the tastes and upbringing of the deceased.”

“Wouldn’t this diary, hidden and sealed from the eyes of your family, be an indispensable item essential for delving into the true image of this deceased?”

Mika: If we are to win the Funeral Contest, it’s important t’know about Grandfather’s past—is what yer sayin’?

But, like Oshi-san said… Readin’ someone else’s diary is a shameless thing t’do.

If Oshi-san finds it distasteful, then we’ll just act as if we’ve never seen this diary—

Shu: No, I’ll read it.

Mika: Nnah?

Shu: I am most certainly intrigued. And I’m not as modest as you might expect me to be.

No, otherwise, I wouldn’t have chosen a line of work that includes acting like a clown in front of others.

That, and, ever since I was a child, I’ve had a strong intellectual curiosity, too. So greedy, I’d astonish even my own family.

I’d do things such as put on girl’s clothes and try to play forbidden games, dictated by my own interests and whims… Much to my family’s annoyance.

The only person who understood me was Grandfather.

Of course, while that stubborn old man would be scolding me with his mouth…

He gave me this cellar, and made any arrangements for anything that I had wanted to do.

So, while his mouth was scolding me to become a man worthy of being the heir to the Itsuki family, he himself was collecting and hoarding strange things he did not understand.

Which one of those was my true grandfather? What is the “truth” behind this old man, irritable with a temper and an irregular personality from age?

I am very intrigued. And as Mr. Raffaello said…I believe it is necessary to do if we are to complete the job we have at hand.

Therefore, I shall touch “it”. Even if it dirties my fingertips with mud.

Mika: Nnah~… If that’s what ya want, Oshi-san, then I’ll go with ya.

But, aside from The Taming of the Shrew, what should we do with the sealed diary here?

We’ll have t’use pliers or somethin’ to force open the lock if we’re gonna see what’s inside, won’t we?

Shu: That also makes me feel like I’ve lost, so I’d rather not.

This is a game of wits set up by my grandfather—I believe only those who have successfully, correctly unlocked it are qualified to read it.

I would like to try and decipher it. Hm, shall I try forming words using the alphabet…? P, E, T, R, U, C, H, I, O…

Mika: …? Where did ya get that word from?

Shu: It is the name of the protagonist from The Taming of the Shrew, the Shakespearean one. Hm… It doesn’t seem to be right, perhaps the female protagonist’s name?

K, A, T, H, E, R, I, N, A… No, the number of characters doesn’t line up.

Oh, that was a strange sound. It sounded like a tangle in the lock was triggered, but…

Shu: Hm! Look at this, Kagehira, a strange piece of metal has come out!

Mika: (Ahaha… Oshi-san sure looks cute, like a child playin’ investedly with a toy he got.)

(Maybe that’s why Grandfather left his diary here, to let his cute grandchild have fun with it. Nah, I’m prob thinkin’ too much into it.

Shu: Non! What are you grinning over? Help think with me!

Look. The piece of metal has something like a hint inscribed on it.

—[To My Beloved Lady]?

Mika: This is…

Shu: … …

Raffaello: “Fufu. What will you do, Shu-kun?”

“Your grandfather’s “Beloved Lady” should have been his wife—In other words, your grandmother.”

“What will you do if you put in her name and the lock did not open?”

Mika: …Shut up fer a moment. Oshi-san’s doin’ his best thinkin’ right now.

Raffaello: “My apologies. In the case your grandmother’s name does not unlock the, you may use my mother’s name first—”

Shu: —I was able to unlock it.

Mika: Ehh!?

T-thank goodness… So ya were able to unlock it with yer grandmother’s name, Oshi-san? Right, there’s no way Grandfather would be unfaithful—

Shu: No. I simply remembered what Grandfather used to say.

He would say he loved and respected all women equally.

In other words, the “Lady” in [To My Beloved Lady] technically refers to “all ladies”.

However, “WOMAN” and “GIRL” do not contain enough letters for the dial lock. So instead, I proposed this—

“MADEMOISELLE”.

Mika: Mademoise… Wha, Mado-nee?

Shu: Fufu, I didn’t expect to have her name come up here. Don’t you feel like it is fate of sorts, Kagehira?

I know it is imprudent of me, but I am getting a little excited.

Raffaello: “… …”

[ ☆ ]

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[manias-wordcount]

Hey!!!! 💕So ramadan is coming up and I randomly thought of this during school lol so I wanted to ask you if you could write a headcanons post on ryuji, ann, joker and akechi (p5) where they basically fast with the reader for a day and then break the fast together at LeBlanc? Ty if ur considering !! 🫶🏼

(Sorry if this goes against any guidelines I couldn‘t find the page where it listed them hhhhh :‘) )

Phantom Thieves During Ramadan HCs (Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, Akira Kurusu, Goro Akechi)

𝗔/𝗡: 𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗦𝗢 𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗗𝗔𝗡 𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗜 𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗘𝗡𝗝𝗢𝗬 𝗘𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗬 𝗛𝗘𝗛𝗘𝗛 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗶 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗳 𝗶 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗲

𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚? ⇒ 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩

𝙟𝙤𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙧?

𝙗𝙪𝙮 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙚?

Ryuji Sakamoto

Almosts breaks his fast multiple times throughout the day by accident

Seriously, if it weren’t for Ann reminding him seconds before he was about to put something in his mouth, he would have failed miserably before first period even started

He tries his absolute hardest though!

Absolutely went out of his way to look up a bunch of different things about fasting during Ramdan to be prepared when you first asked if they would join you for one day

Naturally he forgot it all the day before they all planned to fast with you WHAHAHAH

But it made him really appreciate your culture, faith, and customs by the time you all sat down to break the fast at Leblanc

Just be prepared for enlightened Ryuji to come out from now on- 

Mans was tired and hungry at the end of the day so you know he’s amazed that you’re still able to function like a normal human being for a month like this

So don’t let any teacher, student, stranger, no one mess with you during Ramadan

Or else they’ll get a more than willing Ryuji to fight on your behalf so “you can save your strength” LMAO (bless his little heart)

Ann Takamaki

Ann is a bit better than he is

But she still has a moment where she almost breaks fast too early once or twice LOL

Though she tries really hard to stay on track- it’s just sometimes the snacks are a little too tempting

Even so, she holds through and can make it through the day with only minor bumps!

She knows a bit about Ramadan because she’s been around Muslim people here and there

Even so, you’re probably the first muslim person she’s ever been close to since the muslim population in tokyo is pretty small relative to the overall population

But she was really, really excited all day to come together to break her fast with the rest of you guys

Even though it was really different experience that what she was used to and she was very hungry all day, it brought a warm feeling to her heart

To Ann, it felt like she got to understand a bit more about you and your faith on a more personal level

And also, this was a great excuse to share a very special and very well deserved meal with friends <3

Akira Kurusu

Definitely grew hungry and a bit tired throughout the day

But had no problem keeping it up!

Of course that meant no trips to Mementos (he needed a break anyways)

And it made helping out at Leblanc a little difficult until it was time for him to break his fast

But he survived it!

He knew a little bit about Ramdan and what observing Muslims do during this time so he was able to mentally prepare for it a bit

But what surprised him the most was just how he was able to spend a lot of time thinking and being aware of himself and his surrounded

And naturally, it made him appreciate the effort you put into for something you believe in with all your heart- he thinks its commendable

So of course, you know he had to make the meal for you guys to break the fast with

And you know it was extra delicious and made for you liking as a bit of a thank you for sharing your faith with them <3

Goro Akechi

Out of everyone, he likely knew the most about Ramadan (and Islam in general, really)

It’s likely that Goro went to school with or had a coworker who was Muslim and he was able to pick up a few things here and there

Though knowing about the different populations of people who exist in your country when you’re supposed to be a civil servant helps too

So he was surprised when you invited him to fast with you, but he was honored as well

He knows how seriously Muslims take their religion so he felt like it was a privilege to join one of your customs

He did his very best to make sure he followed all the guidelines and the rules

And even though he felt his hand twitching for a snack in the break room of his workplace, he managed to make it to the very end\

Goro being Goro pulled you aside at the end of the meal and made sure to thank you kindly for the invitation

As a child who grew up in the system, small moments and gestures like this mean the wperorld to him because it makes him feel like he belongs somewhere

So naturally, your boy is going to appreciate you even more than he did already <3