#Hell maybe this potential character could be the person that brings Tails in as a source for his research!

[mathewryf]

That would be HILARIOUS

finding out how competitive the scientific field is is so funny. i wish there were more scientist characters in sonic. i wish there was one scientist in particular who hated eggman's guts and just wanted to be better than him. who submitted all his findings for peer review, went thru the legit avenues, and got all the recognition in the field of robotics. not out of genuine love for the science but out of spite. he sees eggman committing all these ethical transgressions and just goes "man, fuck this guy. i'm gonna show him how it's done." and ends up winning a nobel prize. and eggman is SO mad. he's furious. this isn't like starline who sucks up to eggman. no. this guy wants eggman's credibility to burn. "can he REALLY be a genius if he's never gotten a paper published in a reputable journal? :/c" type shit. it's so petty. i think that would be SO FUNNY

[celtrist]

Re: https://www.tumblr.com/celtrist/767361059814309888/controversial-opinion-voxs-design

- Big Agree, Vox should have a 50s anchorman tie, it would really bring out the manic capitalism in his eyes

- Potentially unpopular opinion Alastor would look neat with a 20s arrow collar, the detachable kind that you can mix and match with shirts. Maybe he already wears one and we’ll never know. But I guess he fancies himself more as an entertainer so chose the bow tie instead of a long one because that’s Too Business

- One pro of a bow tie is that it’s short and can’t get loose and dangle into the mess of stabbing someone to death, or get snagged on rubble or grabbed by a victim/opponent. And yet both Alastor and Vox insist on long-tailed coats. I feel like Edna Mode.

- Maybe bow ties have just been The Fashion in Hell. The fashion industry could be 50% bow tie and 50% lingerie for all we know ;_; Some 19th century fashion tycoon has an obsessive death grip on the bow tie market I guess. If they sell they sell

- Crack theory: Alastor and Vox both used to wear regular ties, then later each individually decided they wanted to distance themselves from the other, show they’d moved on to new things etc, and changed to bow ties. Only to see each other at the next overlord meeting and realise they both still had matching ties, and they’ve been in a game of spite-fuelled chicken as to who will cave and change their tie first

Wow, the real-life Edna Mode dropped into my inbox Yeah, I don't see people pointing out that Vox having a tie would just make more sense for his character as being a capitalist business man. The bowtie works with Alastor because he's about entertainment and likes to be an entertainer, and bowties are dapper but also can give a sense of "looseness" to a person. Ties, adversely, are more for business people, people with a head on their shoulders. And Vox is clearly a businessman before he's an entertainer. At least that's how those two pieces of attire read to me from a character design perspective. The wifi symbol on Vox's shirt just feels so randomly placed, putting a tie there to have that wifi symbol would make it look more intentional and clean looking. It'd also just make more sense. I don't understand that wifi symbol. Why is it there? Is his shirt not a button up? It's not like that spot would've looked distractingly empty, I don't even know if people remember that thing being there all the time. Just- why???

Definitely love that crack theory and could totally see it being a thing if they were around each other for a long time when they were friends. And I suppose that COULD make sense with the bowtie not getting tangled compared to a tie, but that reason would work for Alastor rather than Vox. As far as we're concerned, Vox isn't really one to do stabbings and such. He lets other people do his dirty work and prefers mind games over violence. He's honestly probably in his tower all the time not torturing anyone (maybe casualties but he's not having torture sessions like Alastor and his radio segments).

While I would say I generally like the designs in Hazbin, I actually don't think they're very good designs if that makes sense? At the least I have gripes. Like I'm not a fan of the argument that characters don't look like the era they're from, because characters like Angel and Vox are meant to be keeping up with the times not staying stuck in the past. However, I do think nods (like Valentino's look and Niffty's poodle skirt) wouldn't hurt and add a lot to varying the wardrobe.

That's where I actually have a big issue with Alastor's appearance. Don't get me wrong, I really like his design, but it makes 0 sense for his character in universe. Considering he's supposed to stand out like a sore thumb in being stuck in his ways in the 20s to 30s, he doesn't look from that era at all. At least nothing about his design really indicates that era aside from MAYBE the pinstripe? Like, a person who has no clue what a Hazbin is isn't gonna look at Alastor and be like "oh, that guy looks like he's from the 20s". But the hair being more of the 1920s-30s male hairstyle would honestly help a lot and I would imagine something HE'D want to keep. Again, I like his design but for someone who wants to stay in the past, his appearance doesn't really reflect that all too much. The rest of the cannibal colony has that idea more down than Alastor. Having his hair reflected as a popular 20s or 30s hairstyle in the Creole culture would also add to reflecting his heritage better too, and I say that not personally liking the hairstyles. The collar idea is neat, but personally (and this is headcanon territory) I like to think Alastor being covered up head to toe is in part because he doesn't like people touching him. Also, let's be real, he's more than likely a bit of a prude haha (and he's seen the people in Hell). But it's a good thought with the collar and I like where your headspace is at! I will say I do just generally agree that Alastor should have fashion more akin to the 20s and 30s considering he doesn't seem to much care for eras past that.

He also doesn't look like a radio demon. I'm sorry, I HAVE to call Alastor out on that. Colors don't matter I'd argue if only because his media of choice is radio, so it's all about sound. His colors could do with something OUTSIDE of red, but y'know, there's been characters with predominantly one color in their design before. I just think the overwhelming red (technically it's pink but whatever) isn't helped that the rest of the pride ring is that same color so Alastor isn't standing out against the background very well sometimes. But considering Vox's design, Alastor being called "the radio demon" seems silly. The only motif to radio, visually, is his staff that could be mistaken as a normal staff. And when he's in a more monstrous form, it's just with his radio-dial eyes. Again, I like Alastor's design, but Vox looks like "the TV demon". Alastor looks like a wolf kemonomimi (his ears are honestly more wolfish than deer-like and his antlers, while I get why they're small animation-wise, some people don't notice them).

And on the deer front, I'm honestly not a fan of making him a full anthro deer. Granted, I'm not sure if I would change anything like his ears and stuff to be more deer-like as I do still personally think what he has now works, BUT I CAN STILL POINT IT OUT. The only reason I like that he's not a full deer anthro is because we have a lot of anthropomorphic characters that are furries just because with no relation to their death (as far as we know, but I don't know how a cat murdered Husk). Alastor, supposedly as this may no longer be canon but considering his forehead mark we can assume it probably is, was MISTAKEN as a deer. So it would make sense if his sinner form reflected not Alastor as a deer but as a man who could be mistaken as one. Like, Alastor only has the parts of a deer the hunter saw and mistook Alastor as a deer for. There's a lot of anthro sinners and characters, but Alastor is unique in being a kemonomimi for lack of a better term. Thus, I think he works better as being a mix of human and deer rather than just deer.

But to finish up with the radio thing, my favorite idea someone had was by @/cholvoq. They probably have my favorite Hazbin designs (like I love the idea that Vox's consciousness is still in his old head that's now used as his chest). And I really fell in love with the idea that Alastor has a radio in his chest. Just- it makes so much sense. It'd at least give him more of a reason to be called "the radio demon", but it'd also kind of give a sense that radio is so much a part of him that it's LITERALLY A PART OF HIM. Like it's practically his blood life, his beating heart, it just works so well and I fell so hard for the idea! The downside is no fluffy chest if you're a "fluffy Alastor" fan.

We were talking about Vox but just got onto a whole thing with Alastor's design, whoops. I mean, I like both their designs all the same, but I think Vox's works a lot better both for his character, story and design than Alastor's does. AND I LIKE HIS STUPID BOBCUT. MAKES NO SENSE WHY HE HAS IT (unless you subscribe to my best reasoning for why on earth he'd have it. A funnier reason I thought of since the whole S2 debacle is it's not by choice that he has it and it's because he's seen like a kid to someone. Trying to be vague to not make it too obvious because spoilers, but if you know you know), BUT I LIKE IT. But it's an interesting idea concerning the fashion in Hell thing. And I imagine at some point they'll honestly make a joke about everyone wearing a bowtie. Just seems like something they'd do. But I will say, going that route, then I'm not entirely sure ALASTOR would wear a bowtie seeing as he's not interested in following trends. Then again, I can see him wearing it just cuz he wants to, nothing more. Husk on the other hand still wouldn't make sense for this. Maybe when he was an overlord, but he's a washed-up, 60s to 70s-year-old alcoholic who doesn't seem interested in staying trendy.

[misc-obeyme]

hello again grey asmo here

Finally found here some mutuals to talk and simp, im so happy cuz my fandom is small, and a lot of people are into the show more than the books (book nerd here)

Anyway..i can stop bringing my rant too one of my fav bloggers about that one asshole of a prince of hell (we dont talk about that)

**hugs**

NSFW OM content (drank 4 cups of coffee today, and read 4 books)

Also Barbatos would totally have a two dicks, and also his tail is slimy so you know it probably be easy right... (im not a smut person, more of an angst person)

But Barbatos/Simeon this ship is soooo precious and so cute... i wanna hold them

Also wouldnt MC kinda change, like devildom air probably affect their cells make them immune to diseases in hell, and also make their eyesight better in the dark, and imagine going back to earth and eating and it taste weird.. like MC being in hell for almost 2 years..would earth go faster or slower, probably faster on earth and hell would seem slow (torture the souls)

Hello, grey Asmo!

I'm so glad you found some mutuals to talk to about your fandom! I certainly don't mind you talking about it with me, but I know it's different when the other person is in the same fandom! I hope you're able to discuss about that character at length, he sounds like trouble lol.

So okay the two dick thing... I know people have said the same about Levi... is it a tail thing? A reptile-like tail thing, anyway? Do reptiles have two dicks?! I don't know and I'm afraid to look it up lol. I'm just wondering if this concept is based on something or if it's more like those characters just give people two dick vibes.

I definitely have a ~thing~ for tails in general, though. I really go in phases with smut, like sometimes I'm obsessed and other times I don't care at all, but if I ever come across some that involves a tail, all bets are off. Especially with Barbatos because I love him so much, but yes I think the sliminess of it could definitely act as lubricant lol.

Simeon in general is another underrated character, in my opinion! As such, his ships are also underrated. But I think the Barbatos/Simeon ship certainly has fans! The thing about them is that they both like to take care of people and they each have a little found family that they care for in which there is some overlap. And at first I thought they might have a thing where they kind of compete to take care of each other, but then I realized that they would both realize they could trust the other one. I think both Simeon and Barbatos like to take care of things partly because they know they'll do it best. But then they come to see that they can rely on each other just as well and maybe they start taking breaks finally.

Oh I have thought about what would happen to MC after living the Devildom for an extended period of time.

The fact is, humans need sunlight. So they would need to at least take some kind of Vitamin D supplement. I also think it has the potential to mess up their sleep cycles, which are also dependent on the sun (unless you're me and have a sleep disorder, but you know generally speaking). I would think that if there are diseases in the Devildom that don't exist in the human world, MC would probably get a lot of them at first until their immune system built up resistance to them.

I definitely think the eyesight would be a thing. I mean think about what it'd be like if you lived underground for years and then went outside in the sun. Sometimes just going outside after being inside all day is enough to make my eyes sensitive to sunlight!

I also think it's likely that their tastes would change... or at the very least, they'd have foods from the Devildom that they miss. Or similar things in the Devildom that they think taste better than the human world equivalent.

Just more reasons why MC probably doesn't want to leave the Devildom. All these things start to make it feel more like home than the human world...

And oh I hadn't considered the time speed? I wonder if the Devildom has time zones? Or Daylight Savings Time?!? Please, no. I would lose my mind. I already exist in two different time zones, I just want a break lol.

Anyway, it's lovely as always to hear from you, grey Asmo! I hope you're having a nice day!

[local-pokesimp]

For the character ask game: Colress

Damn I don't talk about Colress enough...

favorite thing about them

The silly internet explorer hair! I like how it swirls around his head... Also I like to think that it has a mind of its own and wags like it's a tail lol

least favorite thing about them

Whatever the hell he was wearing when he was in Alola. Colress why are you wearing a whole ass trench coat in the tropics?

favorite line

Predictable? Maybe. But it's funny and I like it. Lots of memetic potential

Also this:

"It's so frustrating! If only we could talk to Pokémon in order to bring out their power! But there's no way a person like that could ever exist! Well then, <player>, I hope to see you again sometime."

Colress. Are you fr? Are you fr right now?

brOTP

Colress doesn't have any sort of attachments towards anyone so...

OTP

Still none.

nOTP

Ghetsis. And anyone underaged. Just no.

random headcanon

Bro can't cook for shit. Scientific genius, yes. But a cook? Lmao no

unpopular opinion

This is implying that there are popular opinions about Colress that I've yet to see

song i associate with them

The only songs that I know are from Ensemble Stars, some music from the 2010s, and some obscure songs from the 70s that I don't know the titles of....

favorite picture of them

Gives me confusing emotions. I like it

[pearl-blue-musings]

Perchance to Meet pt. 4

Hi again! 

Back at it again with anotha one. I didn’t put it on the other ones, my bad, but it is a fem reader. I apologize if that makes anyone uncomfortable!

Warnings: language, suggestive language, angst, you’ll probably hate me at the end but oh well 

  Part 5 

Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After that night, Aizawa tried his best to do what was best for him and his girlfriend. Regardless of what that enailed, he would do it. By no means did that mean he worked any less, he did what any over zealous workaholic does.

He began to stretch himself too thin.

On top of his teaching, patrolling, and keeping (Y/n) safe, the pro-hero barely had time for himself. He felt it was worth it, so long as work and personal life never interfered with each other or her work life for that matter, things were fine.

He did his best to believe his own façade until an early on staff meeting. He sent his love a quick text letting her know that he’d be late to her store because of a staff meeting. That’s alright, she responded, I’ve had some extra stuff come up at the shop with the café portion. Be safe baby uwu

Aizawa rolled his eyes, if you ever say that again I’m not picking up sweets on the way home.

Uwu uwu??

You’re lucky I love you

Uwu! 

The man chuckled and put his phone down, preparing himself for the meeting. So far the school year had gone pretty smoothly regardless of his attempts to expel students from the first week. The meeting at hand was just a normal staff meeting, going over the upcoming calendar for the whole school and going into smaller details like who would be at the USJ in the upcoming two weeks. He doesn’t show it, but he’s very excited for his kids to begin training at the USJ and with All Might and Thirteen there they are sure going to learn and grow in the right way.

After the meeting ended, everyone was rounding up their belongings and having idle chit chat. Aizawa is so close to tasting the sweet relief of the end of the day when he’s stopped by a couple teachers.

He’s met with whimsical sapphire eyes that match a grin on the ravenette’s face. “So, when am I going to meet the mystery woman that’s clearly stolen your heart.”

“Nemuri,” Aizawa sighs, “it’s not appropriate to talk about personal relationships during school hours.”

Ruby lips frown and pout, “Aw come on Aizawa! You’ve been together for almost a year now! Why haven’t you brought her to any of the staff outings?”

“Maybe because she’s busy too? I don’t wanna get into it.”

“It’s true!” The loud voice interrupting can only belong to one obnoxious blond. “She runs her own bookstore and bartends to make money for said bookstore! She’s a workaholic just like him. A match made in heaven!”

Upon his arrival, Present Mic had wrapped his arm around his friends shoulders to bring the three of them closer as they walk out of the room. As much as he wants to shove the arm off of his body he doesn’t feel the need to.

“Oh,” Midnight surmises, “so that’s why I haven’t met her! Stop hiding her from us Eraser we want to meet her.”

“You will, eventually.”

Nemuri scoffs, “Eventually?! You’ve been saying that for months.”

“Ah but what if he’s keeping her a secret on purpose?”

A new voice shocks the trio as they turn around to see Principal Nezu walking with a frailer looking All Might. All Might shakes his head and points to Nezu. “I mean, Eraserhead is a very busy man who puts his life on the line for his students and community. Who’s to say he’s not doing it for her safety?”

That makes the three teachers stop and think, but Aizawa’s train of thought isn’t exactly the same as his peers. The principal has a point. Up to this point, he hadn’t been able to bring her because of their crazy schedule and diligence to their respective jobs; granted they always made time for each other. But what if that’s a big part of it? Now that the number one hero is at the school he teaches, having a close connection to his class he might add, doesn’t that put a bigger target on his back for villains?

He’s tried not to think too much about the increase in villain activity since All Might’s presence, however it is now unavoidable. There’s always the possibility of an attack, the press made that pretty obvious, but Aizawa wouldn’t put it past any villain to do their research. Has he been safe enough when he’s been out with (Y/n)? Were they being tailed or followed by anyone on their many dates? Shit, has she gotten any new customers that might be a problem?

How could he have been so stupid and blind to not see the potential danger she’s in just by being with him? He had never felt like this before; never been so pulled into one person. He had avoided dating for this reason but how could she make him forget all of those reasons?

“It’s clear to me you love her and that you have a lot to think about Aizawa,” Nezu finishes, “but you always know what to do! I may not know her but I wish the two of you happiness!”

*****************************

(Y/n) tried her best to hold back her anger and frustration, but it was inevitable. Even with the addition of the café and a couple extra workers, she still needed to pull hours at the club. The struggle was indeed real. She desperately wants to slam her head on her desk but she knows that it’ll only upset Aizawa to see her physically hurt. So she keeps her head up with her arm and continues to look through the books for the last month.

No one had been stealing, everyone was working hard, hell even Kona had taken extra hours to help ease her stress over keeping the business running. But it wasn’t enough. No matter what she did, it wasn’t enough to keep working like this. Her tired eyes bore into the calendar knowing she can’t take much time off soon regardless of how much she wants to. Her time off will come in the form of a conference she’s been invited to attend and hold a small lecture. It’ll talk about how running a business you love while using your quirk for good is still considered heroic in its own right. I mean, she and all her friends knew that but there are still so many people in this society who feel less than because their quirks aren’t heroic…

Her mind begins to wander to her friends, Aizawa, one of her older favorite customers…

Ah yes, she hadn’t seen them in the last couple of years. She couldn’t remember the moms name, but her child always came in with another daycare every now and then, Eri. She had the prettiest white hair and red eyes, and the cutest little horn that was on her head. (Y/n) really missed her, but she assumed because of something with her quirk she stopped showing up, or maybe they moved; they would always come around the same time as if on some schedule.

A deep exhale escapes her mouth as she attempts to focus on the task at hand. She was finally making some headway in organizing the schedule and financial books when she hears an abrupt knock on the window. In a daze, (Y/n) leaves her office to walk toward the front, staring at the turned off ‘Open’ sign in frustration. But who is she to deny someone who might need help?

“Sir,” she yawns, “I’m sorry but we’re closed right now.”

The man in front of her has a menacing look that sends a chill down her spine. The mask covering his face makes it hard to distinguish his figures, and she notices the gloves over his hands. “Are you not (Y/f/n)?”

“Uh, yes? And may I ask who wants to know?”

The man chuckles, “I have a request from someone you may know.” He hands her a piece of paper and she hesitantly takes it. All that is on it are a few words that she is able to identify as a particular book in a children’s fantasy, her quirk coming to her aide. “I have the money already if that’s what you’re concerned about.”

Unsteadiness rises in the young woman. She searches his eyes for any kind of familiarity but fails to find any. “Ah, well sir I have the right book in mind. Could you wait right here?”

The man waits for her as he watches her go inside the store. So this is the place that good for nothing woman would go to? Hmm, it has appeal and he can see why his subject enjoyed it. Anything to put his plan into motion and keep it within his reach.

“Here you are, and may I get your name?”

Upon receiving the book, he exchanges the money and politely bows. “Chisaki Kai.

“And Eri says hello.”

********************************

The drive to the airport was filled with content silence, as (Y/n) leans her head onto Aizawa’s in the car they shared. It was early in the morning so the pro-hero was already adjusted to being up at this hour, however his girlfriend wasn’t. He had debated about escorting her to the airport, Nezu’s words still in his head two weeks later, but figured she’d be happier and more at ease having him see her off. It’s not everyday someone he knows and loves gets invited to talk about something they’re very passionate about.

He’s overly ecstatic about it and is upset he can’t be there for her. But he knows that he’ll do his best to stream her talk when it’s available.

This is what he loves, this equal give and take they have for their relationship. He’s met some of her friends and family, albeit on a tight schedule, and vice versa; minus the pro-heroes. They both have a strong respect for what they do and when they do it. Even though this will be the most time they’ll have together, he’s glad he can see her sleep so peacefully on his shoulder. A content grin adorns his face as he does another thing out of character and snaps a picture of her.

Damn, he really is in love with her. Once he sees the airport in sight, he softly nudges her, “Hey, princess. We’re almost there.”

“Unngg, no…”

Aizawa chuckles at her whining and lightly kisses her forehead. “I wanted a couple extra minutes of you awake before you get out and-“

“Sh, sh,” she interrupts. “You act like I don’t get it,” her words are slurred from being too tired. “You do a lot for me, love. We gotta be safe I understand; gossip is so bad.”

He loves how extra snuggly she is when she’s too tired to function. “You know I’d walk you to the gate if I could,” his voice rumbles huskily that ends up making her mewl.

“I hate when you talk like that.”

“Oh don’t worry, I’ll be sure to call you tonight and talk just like this.”

“Oh sure! Just forget that I’m in the car! Now hurry up your students have a big day coming up!”

The couple giggles at Hizashi’s words, despite their truth. His friend rolls his eyes as he sees where they parked. It’s a bit of a walk to the airport but this gives them privacy from any prying eyes, especially of the villain nature. The two of them step out of the car and gather her overnight luggage from the trunk.

“I’ll only be gone for the night, I’ll be back tomorrow evening.” She leans up to kiss him.

“I know,” he kisses her back, “I just wanted you to finally meet my students and see them in action.”

Her eyes widen at his words, and so did some golden ones at that. “You..? What?”

“Heh, I figured it was way past time I let you into more of my world. I know I’m not the most open person, but I want to keep you safe and where else to do that than at U.A. with other heroes? They’re going to be working on rescues, and since you’ve shared so much of yourself with me, well it’s about time.”

Tears threatened to spill in his girlfriend’s eyes at his words. “Are you sure? I understand we kept our relationship a secret for our safety but, are you sure? I’m content knowing only your family and Yamada and- mmph!”

He silences her with a kiss and chuckles into it. “It’s dangerous yes, but you’re worth it.”

*******************************

The flight back wasn’t as enjoyable as the tired woman had predicted. Since her presentation went well, she was on a high until midway through her flight. Poor (Y/n) got stuck in the middle seat surrounded by the most unbearable people on the planet. She couldn’t wait to get back to Aizawa and just let him ravish her.

Once she had collected her luggage and turned on her phone, she tried to find the raven haired man and his loud blond friend. But after ten minutes of waiting and searching she came up empty handed. “What the hell,” she muttered to herself. She had no missed calls or texts from Shouta so what was up? He promised he’d pick her up but she’s been in the airport for almost an hour now and no such luck.

Getting frustrated she ended up hailing a random taxi and input her address. No matter, he could have had something come up at school which is entirely possible. She wasn’t going to let that get in her way of returning to the man she’s absolutely head over heels for. It might have been just one night away, but it felt like an eternity. Despite all her work, all his work, the world pretty much telling them no they found a way. Sure they had their fair sure of arguments but what couple didn’t? At the end of the day, they loved each other and that’s what was important.

She suddenly began to feel her phone buzz and pouts at the caller I.D. “Yamada, I have half a mind to come to your place and demand you drive me around for the hell of it! I thought you were supposed to pick me up!”

“(Y/n).”

The laugh that was in her throat retreated when she noticed his serious tone. This wasn’t like him. Damn, what happened?

“Hizashi, you’re scaring me,” her voice trembles, “where’s Shouta?”

She can hear him take a deep breath and his voice is not as boisterous as it typically is. “Answer me!” She’s clutching her phone as tears threaten to fall, “where is he?!”

“(Y/n), dear, I’m so sorry. There was an attack yesterday during the training, and he’s injured. Really badly.”

He’s met with silence on the other end and slowly continues. “He’s at the hospital. I’ll send you the address.”

With that he hung up. (Y/n) felt her jaw go slack. Her heart begins to pound faster than before as her breathing increases. The urge to vomit overwhelms her senses as the feeling in her stomach is one she’s never felt. Nothing makes sense. Why? Why didn’t he tell you immediately? Or why didn’t Present Mic tell you earlier? It’s almost 5 pm school ended hours ago, this makes no sense he would’ve told her, he would have he would have-

Her phone lights up with a text from the blond man Here’s the address. I did this for him. Please go to him.

The rest of the ride is a blur after she tells the driver to switch addresses. Her conference didn’t matter, her shitty flight didn’t matter, her new found knowledge didn’t matter… Shouta needed her and fuck why can’t this person drive faster!

She barely recollects paying her driver as she pulls up to the hospital. She runs in with her bags up to the front desk and politely yet frantically asks for her boyfriend. The nurse up front is apprehensive but relaxes upon seeing her stressed out face and Hizashi coming up to vouch for her. He glances into her eyes and gives her a hug in solidarity and apology. The pair of them pass by rooms, quickly going to the elevator to find Aizawa’a room. Along the way, she assumes she passes some of his students as the blond man pushes them out of the way.

Hizashi holds her luggage as she makes her way inside. In the room, she finally sees him and falls to her knees. Her presence is finally announced as an older nurse and a frail looking man turn to her. His face is completely covered in bandages and his arm is clearly broken. It takes everything in her to not wail at the sight.

“Who is it?”

The voice is soft and muffled but she’s able to make out who said it. The elderly looking nurse comes to his side and removes some of the bandages on his face in order for his eyes to be revealed.

It had been a few hours since he had been able to see, but what he was greeted with confirmed his newfound resolve. The sight of his girlfriend’s face covered in tears for him was almost too much.

“Sh-Shouta, why? What happened?”

“Why are you here?”

That sentence alone stunned everyone in the room, including Hizashi who had just walked in.

“What are you talking about? You got attacked! Why else would I be here?”

“You shouldn’t be here,” he coughs out. “This isn’t a place for you.”

Confusion crosses her features at his words. “I don’t? I don’t understand, I thought you wanted me to be part of your life.”

“Present Mic told you I was here didn’t he? I told him not to.” He sighs and tries to lay back down. “Recovery Girl, could you cover me back up?”

“Whoa, whoa wait! I come back from a conference and I find out that you are severely injured and you don’t want me here?! What the hell happened to everything we spoke about literally yesterday? Why didn’t you tell me, or at least have him tell me you were okay or something!

“You’ve been like this for a whole fucking day and if I’m correct, you weren’t planning on telling me?”

He lowers his voice from the yelling and mutters loud enough for her to hear, “this is why pro-heroes don’t date.”

Gasps were heard around the room and Present Mic is most surprised, “Eraserhead come on,” he breathes. “Don’t do this, man. And you need to take a break! You can’t just go back to work like everything is fine!”

“He’s what!?”

Aizawa puts up his in broken hand to silence them, “no she needs to hear this.” He points to the now confused and angry woman in front of him. “You don’t understand that this is my life and I will get hurt.”

(Y/n) shakes her head, “I know that! But you need to rest, I’ve missed you and I’m sure your students would understand. You saved them!”

He interrupts, “I can’t stop being a hero and a teacher because of some injuries. My kids need me.”

“I need you too.”

“But you’re not putting your life on the line every day are you? You just sell books and make drinks, how is that helping people?”

Her heart sank at those words. How could he say something like that? She can slowly but surely feel her heart be torn and repaired by thorny weeds holding it together. She can’t even look at him, knowing that he was aiming to hurt her intentionally with those words. Those words were why she does what she does and he just mocked her. After all this time, it seems his true colors were finally showing. This is why he never let her in, because he’s a coward. A coward too afraid to let anyone come close. It’s a miracle to her now that he has friends.

The silence is deafening after his last questions as all eyes on are on her. (Y/n) straightens her posture and begins to head out of the room. She stops briefly to whip out her keychain. She removes the key to his apartment, struggling to get it off and finally throws it on the ground, the clanking of the metal against the tiles louder than anyone thought. And through her gritted teeth she spat,

“Fuck you Aizawa.”

She grabs her luggage from an unusually quiet Hizashi and storms out, tears cascading down her face.

Once she was out of earshot, Mic turns to his friend and takes a deep breath. “What the hell was that!? That wasn’t what we practiced!”

He’s greeted by silence from his injured and heartbroken friend. Aizawa knew what he was supposed to say, but the attack on his students left him feeling some kind of way. Even though the villains were after All Might, they attacked his students and he couldn’t have that. He told no one of that trip and feared that someone may have overheard him talking to her at the airport. He knew these villains were ruthless and as he said, he would do anything to protect her at all costs.

Aizawa sighs, the weight of his words and actions falling onto him. “It was the right thing. These villains are crazy, attacking students and teachers in broad daylight. Who knows what else they know about us? I can’t get her involved in that.”

The blond shakes his head in disappointment. “No you don’t get it. (Y/n) loves you and would do anything for you. I understand you want to keep her safe but breaking her heart like that…”

Aizawa knows this too well as he speaks to his friend again. “It’s better if she’s not in my life. I don’t want her connected to this and you know she’d throw herself into this to support and be there for me. I can’t have my students and my girlfriend with targets on their backs.

“What kind of hero would I be if I can’t save the ones I care for?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

taglist!: @kiribaku-queen @cupcake-rogue @shinsouskitten @prk-pyo @therealwalmartjesus 

[valeriethepussycats]

Assemble

Chapter 2

Pairing- Loki x Reader x Steve (one side)

Warning- cursing 

Your thoughts and other characters are in italics.

Flashback in Bold.

At night, a slum in India it attacked by a sickness. A little girl runs into the middle of a makeshift hospital in someone's home, pushing through the crowd frantically. She runs up the steps inside to greet the only doctor, Bruce Banner.

“What are you doing here?! Get out! You shouldn't be here.”  The Women scolded.

“I have to see the doctor. It's my father.” The little Girl explained.

“Calm down. What's wrong?” Bruce Asked.

“My father...” she looks to the other sick people, laying down and moaning in pain.

“Is he like them?” Bruce wondered.

The little girl holds out money, crumpled and looking desperate. “Please.”

Banner and the little girl run quickly to the edge of town. She leads him quickly through narrow passageways, and is proving too fast to keep up with. Banner spots a nice car, and looks around, worried. He runs into the girls house, when she leaves through a window, untraceable.

“Should have gotten paid up front, Banner.” Bruce scoffed.

Natasha entering the room behind him, making Banner turn around. “You know, for a man who's supposed to be avoiding stress, you picked a hell of a place to settle.”

“Avoiding stress isn't the secret.” Bruce started.

“Then, what is it? Yoga?” Natasha said sounding unduly curious.

“You brought me to the edge of the city, smart. I uh... assume the whole place is surrounded?” Bruce wondered.

“Just you and me.” Natasha say trying to convince Bruce.

“And your actress buddy, is she a spy too? Do they start that young?” Bruce  wondered.

“I did.”

“Who are you?”

“Natasha Romanoff.”

“Are you here to kill me, Miss Romanoff? Because that's not gonna work out for everyone.” Bruce explained.

“No. No. Of course not. I'm here on behalf of Shield.” Natasha replied

“Shield. How did they find me?” Bruce questioned.

“We never lost you, doctor. We've kept our distance, even helped keep some other interested parties off your scent.”

“Why?”

“Nick Fury seems to trust you. But now I need you to come in.”

“What if I said no?” Bruce stated.

“I'll persuade you.” Natasha said in a voice soft.

“And what if the... other guy says no?” Bruce said uncertainly

“You’ve been more than a year without an incident. I don't think you wanna break that streak.” Natasha replied.

Bruce gently pushing a cradle. “I don't always get what I want.”

“Doctor, we're facing a potential global catastrophe.” Natasha commented.

“Well, those I actively try to avoid.” Bruce mumbled.

“This is the Tesseract. It has the potential energy to wipe out the planet.” She shows him a photo of the Tesseract on her cell phone. Banner takes a closer look.

“What does Fury want me to do? Swallow it? Bruce said in a sarcastic voice.

“Well, he wants you to find it. It's been taken. It emits a gamma signature that's too weak for us to trace. There's no one that knows gamma radiation like you do. If there was, that's where I'd be.” Natasha explained.

“So Fury isn't after the monster? Bruce hesitated.

“Not that he's told me.” Natasha replied.

“And he tells you everything?” Bruce queried

“Talk to Fury, he needs you on this.”

“He needs me in a cage?”

“No one's gonna put you in a...”

“STOP LYING TO ME!” Banner slams his fists onto the table.

Natasha grabs a gun hidden under the table, pointing it at him. Banner stays still, grinning.

“I'm sorry, that was mean. I just wanted to see what you'd do. Why don't we do this the easy way, where you don't use that, and the other guy doesn't make a mess? Okay? Natasha...”

Natasha, still wary, doesn't lower her gun. She lowers her gun and speaks into her earpiece.

“Stand down. We're good here.”

Dozens of soldiers armed to the teeth have surrounded the small house, but at her signal they back off a bit.

Bruce smiles back at Natasha. “Just you and me?”

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

This isn’t real that’s all Y/n could think about as she walked home. The rain hammered against the roof of a nerdy houses, thunder rumbled as The dark sky was lit up by lightning flashing across.All she wanted to do was believe that Magneto was lying but she knew he was telling the truth. She knew it her mother is alive, has been this entire time.

Get it under control calm down. Come on remember what Gambit said “don’t let it control you you control it.”

Y/n was slowly starting to lose control. She was starting to hear what everyone around her was thinking and then Y/n starts to hear a ringing noise. Can deal with a sound Y/n place her hands around her head in a way to stop the voices.

“Excuse me, Miss are you alright?” Someone asked Y/n as he gently grab her on the shoulders.

Y/n looks up to the person in front of her and see red eyes. “Remy?”

“Is that someone I can call for you?” The man that looks like Remy asked.

Y/n finally comes to she realizes that the man in front of her is not with me not even trying to hide her disappointment she nods no, then walks away then her phone begins to ringing and vibrate in her pocket. She fishes her phone out of her pocket and then pushes answer.

“Hello?”

“Where are you because I know you’re not in Sydney, Australia.” Said Coulson.

“Walking home.” Y/n answered  honestly. “Why?”

“There’s someone I need you to pick up tomorrow. Is that some thing you can do?” Coulson voiced.

“I’ll be bright eyed and bushy tail.” Y/n said Tightly.

“I’ll send you all the information.”  Coulson replied. “Is something wrong?”

“You’re supposed to ask questions because I’m an agent and you’re my superior officer.” Y/n said in a dry tone.

“I’m asking this question as a person who’ve known you since you were ten.” Coulson replied.

“No it’s not.” Y/n answered. “But um..I’m gonna go home and watch some Y/t until I fall asleep.”

“Ok i’ll see you tomorrow.”

Y/n hangs up the phone.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Inside a Shield analytical room, filled with monitors of partially silhouetted people. Fury stands in the middle, frowning. They make up the World Security Council.

“This is out of line, Director. You're dealing with forces you can't control.” Council Member 1 commented.

“You ever been in a war, Councilman? In a firefight? Did you feel an overabundance of control?”  Nick said in a level tone.

“You saying that this Asgard has declared war on our planet?” Council Member 1  wondered.

“Not Asgard, Loki.” Nick corrected

“He can't be working alone. What about the other one? His brother.” Council Member 2 Chimed in.

“Our intelligence says, Thor is not a hostile. But he's worlds away, we can't depend on him to help. It's up to us.” Nick answered.

“Which is why you should be focusing on phase 2, it was designed for exactly...” Council Member 1 trailed off.

“PHASE 2 isn't ready, our enemy is. We need a response team.” Nick stressed.

“The Avengers Initiative was shut down.” Council Member 1 told Nick Fury.

“This isn't about The Avengers.” Nick Remarked.

“We're running the world's greatest covert security network and you're gonna leave the fate of human race to a handful of freaks.”

“I'm not leaving anything to anyone. We need a response team. These people maybe isolated, unbalanced even, but I believe with the right push they can be exactly what we need.”

“You believe?” Council Member 2 Chimed in.

“War isn't won by sentiment, Director.” Council Member 1 noted.

“No, it's won by soldiers.”  Nick replied.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

A brooklyn gym at night. Occupied by one man, beating a punching bag in the gym lights, alone in the floor, lost in the fight. The gym is old, as old as the man inside, Steve Rogers. Steve punched the bag, easily a hundred pounds, across the room with one swing snapping the metal chain and pummeling it back a dozen feet, sand spilling out from where he cracked the fabric. He stands up, breathing hard, and grabs another bag, resuming a more normal routine. Fury walks in.

“Trouble sleeping?” Nick Announced.

“I slept for seventy years, sir. I think I've had my fill.” Steve answered.

“Then you should be out, celebrating, seeing the world.” Nick replied.

Steve stops punching and walks over to the bench, unraveling the tape off his hands. He sits down.

“I went under, the world was at war, I wake up, they say we won. They didn't say what we lost.” Steve explained.

“We've made some mistakes along the way. Some very recently.” Nick commented.

“You here with a mission, sir?” Steve wondered.

“I am.”

“Trying to get me back in the world?” Steve supposed

“Trying to save it.”  Fury hands Steve a file on the Tesseract, along with other files on Hydra’s  projects.

“Hydra's secret weapon.” Steve disclosed.

“Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean when he was looking for you. He thought what we think, the Tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy. That's something the world sorely needs.” Nick explained.

“Who took it from you?” Steve wondered.

“He's called Loki. He's not from around here. There's a lot we'll have to bring you up to speed on if you're in. The world has gotten even stranger than you already know.” Nick shared.

“At this point, I doubt anything would surprise me.”  Steve put forth.

“Ten bucks says you're wrong. There's a debriefing package waiting for you back at your apartment.” Nick started.

Steve turns and picks up a punching bag. Fury starts walking out of the gym.

“Is there anything you can tell us about the Tesseract that we ought to know now?” Nick finished

Steve without missing a beat. “You should have left it in the ocean.”

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Out in the Atlantic Ocean, Tony Stark, in his Iron Man suit, is cutting a pipeline transport with a laser cutter coming from his hand. He then places a Stark Energy Reactor. It lights up. Iron Man rockets out of the water and flies towards Stark Tower.

“You're good on this end. The rest is up to you.”

Pepper Potts on the other line. “You disconnected the transition lines? Are we off the grid?”

“Stark Tower is about to become a beacon of self-sustaining clean energy.” Tony grinned.

“Wow. So maybe our reactor takes over, and it actually works?” Pepper supposed.

Inside the Suit, Pepper appears on his hud Monitor.

“I assume. Light her up.” Iron Man flies to the Stark Tower Building, the power is switched on the Stark sign lights up.

“How does it look?” Pepper asked.

“Like Christmas, but with more... me.” Tony answered.

“Gotta go wider on the public awareness campaign. You need to do some press. I'm in DC tomorrow. I'm working on the zoning for the next three buildings.” Pepper revealed.

“Pepper, you're killing me. Remember the moment? Enjoy the moment.” Tony proclaimed.

“Then get in here and I will.” Pepper requested.

Tony arrives at his skyscraper penthouse and is in the process of taking off his Iron Man suit through a hi-tech gauntlet of gadgets.

“Sir, Agent Coulson of Shield is on the line.” Jarvis informed Tony.

“I'm not in. I'm actually out.” Tony remarked.

“Sir, I'm afraid he's insisting.” Jarvis stressed.

“Grow a spine, Jarvis. I got a date.”  Tony teased.

Pepper Potts stares up at the monitors of the reactor device. “Levels are holding steady... I think.”

“Of course they are, I was directly involved. Which brings me to my next question: how does it feel to be a genius?”  Tony asked.

“Well, ha, I really wouldn't know now, would I?” Pepper replied.

“What do you mean? All this came from you.”

“No. All this came from that.” Pepper Said Pointing to the energy in his chest plate.

“Give yourself some credit, please. Stark Tower is your baby. Give yourself... twelve percent of the credit.” Tony disclosed.

“Twelve percent?” Pepper voiced.

“An argument can be made for fifteen.” Tony pointed out.

“Twelve percent? Of my baby?”

“Well, I did do all the heavy lifting. Literally, I lifted the heavy things. And sorry, but the security snafu? That was on you.”

“Oooooh.”

“My private elevator...”

“You mean our elevator?”

“Was steaming with sweaty workmen. I'm going to pay for that comment about percentages in some subtle way later, aren't I?” Tony wondered.

Pepper pours herself and Tony a glass of

champagne. “Not gonna be that subtle.”

“I'll tell you what. Next building's gonna say 'Potts' on the tower.” Tony disclosed.

“On the lease.” Pepper murmured.

“Call your mom, can you bunk over?” Tony asked.

“Sir, the telephone. I'm afraid my protocols are being overwritten.” Jarvis stuttered.

“Stark, we need to talk.” Coulson Announced.

Tony picks up his phone and looks into it at Coulson. “You have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark, please leave a message.”

“This is urgent.”

“Then leave it urgently.” At that moment the elevator door opens and Coulson appears. “Security breach.” Tony turns and looks a Pepper “That's on you.”

“Mr. Stark” Coulson started.

“Phil! Come in.”  Pepper beamed.

“Phil? Uh, his first name is Agent.” Tony remarked

“Come on in, we're celebrating.” Pepper

“I can't stay.” Coulson told Pepper.

“Which is why he can't stay.” Tony agreed with Coulson.

“We need you to look this over.”  Coulson said as he holds out a file towards Tony. “Soon as possible.”

“I don't like being handed things.” Tony voiced.

“That's alright, 'cause I love to be handed things. So, let's trade.” Pepper said as She pases her glass of champagne to Coulson, takes the file from him, then takes Tony's glass of champagne while passing the file over to Tony. “Thank you.”

“Official consulting hours are between eight and five every other Thursday.” Tony disclosed.

“This isn't a consultation.” Coulson replied.

“Is this about The Avengers? Which I...I know nothing about.” Pepper lied.

“The Avengers Initiative was scrapped, I thought. And I didn't even qualify.”  Tony pointed out.

“I didn't know that either.” Pepper lied. Again.

“Yeah, apparently I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others.” Tony explained

“That I did know.” Pepper commented.

“This isn't about personality profiles anymore.” Coulson stated.

“Whatever. Miss Potts, got a minute?” Pepper walks over to Tony who places the files into his own databases. “You know, I thought we were having a moment.”

“I was having twelve percent of a moment. This seems serious, Phil's pretty shaken.” Pepper replied.

“How did you notice? Why is he Phil?” Tony questioned.

“What is all of this?” Pepper asked ignoring Tony’s previous question.

“This is, uh....” Tony expands his arms and different profiles appear in holographic form floating in the air in front of Tony and Pepper.

Screens appear of Captain America in action, the Hulk roaring as he attacks the army at Culver University, and Thor and Y/n fighting the Destroyer in New Mexico. Another is of Loki and the Tesseract to which Tony and Pepper look at in awe.

“I'm going to take the jet to DC tonight.” Pepper Announced

“Tomorrow.”  

“You've got homework. You've got a lot of homework.”

“Well, what if I didn't?”

“If you didn't?”

“Yeah.”

“You mean if you finished?” Pepper asked and Tony nods his head. “Well, um...then.” Pepper whispers something into Tony’s ear making him gasps. While Coulson looks away in embarrassment.

“Square deal. It's the last date.” Tony answered.

Pepper kisses him.”Work hard.”

As Pepper leaves with Agent Coulson, Tony grabs the Tesseract in holograph form, worried.

part 3

[rey-of-luke]

🌠 + Emily?

Send me 🌠+ an oc and I’ll tell you about an AU for them

OKAY OKAY SO as anyone who knows me might know, I ADORE AUs, crossovers, and fandom fusions. Like it's a problem most likely at this point. Naturally this also extended to all my OCs, including some weird universe where they're all stuck in a house together for whatever reason and have to put up with each other. BUT this is about Emily. Putting under the cut because per usual this got WAY too long and rambley.

Most people have probably pieced together just taking a jaunty stroll through my blog that Sam is... probably one of my favorite Supernatural characters. Always has been and probably always will be. There are sooo many potential storylines that just... got dropped where my boi is concerned.

Which leads to one of my own favorite personal AUs in the Supernatural fandom: Boy King!Sam. Because I felt like that potential storyline and the one with his powers just... got dropped and buried.

I probably haven't developed Emily enough on here to really show it, but of her two brothers, she is without a doubt far closer to Sam. They're literally twins.

I mean, when the sibling trio first learned that apparently Sam was supposed to rule over Hell (before he actually did so) Emily even straight up said: "You could literally be the anti christ or Satan himself and I'd still love you." (that last bit would turn out to be in poor taste a few short years later)

So I imagine her being... weirdly kind of supportive??? Like yeah, Hell's bad and everything, but honestly there are WORST candidates. At least, at first. Depending upon how the AU goes, either Sam still has some semblance of morals or has fully embraced 'fuck it'.

If it's the latter (and why not because angst), then Emily finds herself basically forced to choose between her brothers: Dean, who is determined to stop Sam and bring him back to the 'light' if possible and Sam, who who's basically 'fuck this ungrateful world, i'll burn it down and dance in the ashes'. And I can see her eventually siding the Dean, after trying to run away and avoid making a decision for as long as possible. It wouldn't be easy and would feel like being ripped in two, but she also just... can't go along with Sam's 'kill everyone' ideology. There is still good that exists, after all. I imagine this would end similarly to the Boy King!AU we saw in the show: Sam killing Dean. And honestly, really thinking about this version of Sam, I think he would also kill her. Or at least attempt to; Chuck, the damn bastard, would probably just yeet her into his pocket dimension at the last second - fuck, no, now I'm imagining a full storyline about this no, bad Hannah, bad. Either because he is incapable of giving a damn anymore or because she 'betrayed' him by going back on her word.

If Sam still has morals and is basically like later seasons Crowley or Rowena, then I can totally see her completely supporting him, even if it really gets annoying being tailed constantly by a few demons. Maybe includes Mark of Cain!Dean also going 'fuck it' and becoming Sam's right hand?? And Emily is just... living her best life up on Earth, continuing on the family business but mostly using the Bunker as a resource cache for hunters. Probably having awkward family dinners with Castiel, Meg (because fuck it, she lives in this au and is happy with cas), and Chuck.

"An angel, a demon, a hunter, and literal God... it sounds like the setup to some bad joke." - Emily "Sunshine, your life IS a bad joke, when you really think about it." - Meg "Which I am not responsible for. Mostly." - Chuck "Funny, I remember the alcoholic prophet looking JUST like you." - Emily Cas has flown off by this point, probably popped down to visit Sam and Dean in Hell. Meg is just enjoying the uncomfortable atmosphere. I feel like Chuck is questioning why he can't bring himself to kill this one annoying human, even if she was an intriguing experimental wildcard created by him. Emily... has no time for Chucks' bullshit.

[crimsonfluidessence]

Prompt 19: Where The Heart Is (Dubiety, Reprise)

Esredes’ pace as he came home was quicker than usual. He opened the door and shut and locked it behind him as if he were in a hurry, pulling curtains over the window and hanging his coat and bag on the wall rack, then immediately going for that hidden compartment inside his desk. He pulled out a piece of paper that at first looked blank, but sure enough, the ink slowly revealed itself on the page, written in that old time code his faction had used throughout the war. Esredes rushed up the stairs with the paper, and sparked the fireplace to life, standing back as it slowly roared to life. And yet, once the fire got going, his hands didn’t move from his side to throw it in. They just stood glued there as reality settled back in around him. I can’t. Today had been such a good day- it was one of those rare days where everything went right. He had gone to Drachenhome to read up for his upcoming job offer and Silvestre and Breandan had been nice and kind to him, Silvestre with that infectious optimistic gentle giant demeanor that made him feel ready for the upcoming, and Breandan with his usual quiet and relaxed personality that Esredes had come to find comfortable. He linkpearled with Hilda about upcoming plans, and was reminded of how far they had come since they had first met, how much she seemed to genuinely trust him now after being afraid of seeing him in public for so long. Ferrant had linkpearled him about an hour later to talk about plans for work tomorrow, but he and the ever so kind lord had also ended up talking about their mutual gratitude towards each other for all they had done for one another. Fiona had found him on the street and given him a cupcake. How nice of the lovely little disguised dragon, he almost always liked seeing her appear in her cute little default outfit with that eternally present cheery demeanor. Then while he was doing his Crozier shopping, he had run into Raine, Adriaux, and Alaice all together, and had a pleasant conversation about baked goods with them as he continued his shopping. Once he was past the Crozier, he ran into Aramis out and about- for what he had no idea, but most times these two encountered each other Aramis had a few questions to ask immediately about what he was up to and how things had been, questions from the former investigator that had lost their level of discomfort for Esredes they had previously held. So he was content to stop and talk with the man for a few minutes as if talking to a friend before saying goodbye and moving on. He had been invited to dinner with Lisette and Trystan at their manor, so that was his next stop. An hour and a half of good food and conversation left him feeling satisfied once he left, but halfway through his walk home, the sudden urge of anxiety kicked in, and brought him to where he was now. He had overdosed on that light feeling. That warm feeling that made him feel whole, that tried to shrink the black matter in his heart. What else could make him so anxious as to get this close to burning the list of names? Burn it, one side of him said. You know you can’t keep doing this forever. People will find out you’re giving out names to Dark Knights. You’ll be dragged off to an Inquisitor’s chamber so they can open up the treasure trove of information you have in you, and all these people who believe in you will turn on you. You’ll lose everything. Just stop. But if you burn it, who will protect you…? Who will further your goals? The other side reminded him as it brought him back to reality. He did not just write down any names on this list— this was a list of threats. People who could destroy him, and all of his people, and everything he worked for, if they found out what he was. One way or another, they had to be routinely dealt with, shoved out of the picture so they could continue to live their daily lives, or else his progress could be undone. Yes, if he destroyed it, who could protect him? It wasn’t Ferrant. He couldn’t resort to underhanded tactics. It wasn’t Raine, she had a reputation to uphold. Breandan was too neutral and questionable in his choices of people to befriend. Hilda was a Chasseur, that would be ruining her entire career. Alaice was not a fighter or a being capable of doing such things, he would never force that on her, and neither was Lisette. And Adriaux? He wasn’t sure about that one yet, but he doubted it would go over well. Fiona would probably tell him to do something peaceful or find another way, or stop showing up to meetings entirely. Trystan he already had an awkward enough relationship with- no way was he destroying the image he had built up with him of being a good and reasonable person after he had nearly killed him during the war and given him that scar on his abdomen. Silvestre believed in peace- and there was no way in hell he was asking his potential employer. Maybe Aramis would agree to it, he would find a way to do it that had no one hurt. But even then, he had just gotten him to accept that Esredes might be a good person. The investigator- the Arbiter who had killed his kind before- would absolutely figure out what he had already done, and all of that would go down the drain. No, for as much as he loved all of them, this was something he couldn’t ask of them. Esredes put out the fire. After he put it back in its compartment, he ended up just sitting there in front of the fire with his arms wrapped around his knees, staring into the flame that was not there. That was close. That was too close. Never before had he gotten this close to burning the paper before he had given it out. Sure, over all the time he’d been back, that anxiety had only become more and more prominent when there had just been anger and apathy over the consequences before, but never had so much happened at once. And as the overdose wore off, reality was hitting even harder. You forgot, he told himself. You forgot for a second that you weren’t like them. You forgot that they’re the virtuous ones, and you’re the one who’s pretending to be like them. Even the monsters, even the ones who have something to atone for- how did they manage to still become such a way? And here he was, still the same person as always, still the man with a persistently black heart, built for a specific role and incapable of change. Even all their good will combined could do nothing to clear his mind and his heart, to make all those thoughts go away. Corpses in the snow, blades and spears ripping his flesh apart, the vulnerable and broken eyes of those discarded by the city- His heart kept beating. They were believing in nothing. He could shapeshift into the perfect heretic all he wanted, but it didn’t change that their forgiveness was given on a form that wasn’t real. Oh, how many of them would turn away if they saw his true form…? He needed them just as much as his own people- but his own people needed him too. And so that was that. He could never burn the list. He always had to exist in both worlds- crossing over to one permanently wasn’t an option. Yes, of course. Esredes laid down on the wooden floor and stretched his legs out, his arms following suit above his head. Which hell is a doomed creature like yourself going to? He asked himself, much as he had many times before. How many of your companions will join you? How many will be forgiven enough to escape? Could they come up with something worse than the Inquisitors or even myself could have to punish me? And how many people will escape punishment because you took it for them? His tail sprouted into existence, creeping out from under his pants and rising up from the floor, flicking that black diamond on the end of it around. Black horns manifested out of his forehead. His skin turned red, and his fingernails blackened and lengthened into claws. Esredes closed his eyes and began laughing there on the floor. Ah, come back to me, my miserable reality. What is it we have to do by the end of the week, yes? There is always so much to do, and oh, does work never stop when you’re a harrier. Bring me into your embrace, and plunge me back into the cold, icy waves I’ve made my home. The work won’t stop until I finally burn away, and succumb to the fate of all creatures like me.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Characters mentioned in this one: @heartofthefury @the-masked-knight-xiv​ @syerraffxiv​ @gatheredfates​ @future-exalt​ @alanari​ @loadedmemory​ @dragons-ire​  @floating-city-of-nem​

[sw4gg1e4life]

Yu Yu Hakusho (Reviewing 25 years later)

This anime is like a forgotten gem. It doesn’t come to mind as #1 first but when mentioned everyone goes oh yea that was like one of the best anime’s of all time. I feel like most anime’s don’t have the same level of action, adventure, comedy, drama, and growth that this show offered. Whether you watch it as a kid for action & childish humor or as an adult for the deeper drama, life lessons and adult humor, it’s great across generations and across time whether you watched it as a kid in the 90s/00s or now in 2021. 

Let me simplify it because there’s so much in-depth analysis I could go into.

Ratings per Arc/Saga:

Spirit Detective - 8/10

Dark Tournament - 10/10

Chapter Black - 8/10

Three Kings - 7/10

Deeper Analysis:

Spirit Detective - Honestly this arc had amazing parts to it, introducing the main characters, slowly improving enemies, and setting up for the Dark Tournament. I love the intro and how Yusuke has to undergo his ordeal showing his relationship with Kuwabara, Keiko, his mother, Boton, Koenma and everyone else around him. We’re introduced to a brat who doesn’t really belong but slowly finds his place and purpose starting here as Spirit Detective. I loved the deeper stories with introducing Hiei and Kurama. The introduction of Genkai was amazing, it showed there’s different aspects of growing and trying to master spirit energy. I only wish that section was a bit longer, maybe just 2-3 episodes of more unique competitors. The Spirit Beasts section is what made it a tad lackluster. This is their first real mission to spirit world and the abilities of the 4 spirit beasts just felt somewhat limited to me. Especially the fire-tiger beast, his tenacity just became annoying at some point. This is what dropped the Spirit Detective Saga to an 8 for me or else I would’ve made it a 9. The final part is amazing, it brings some backstory to Hiei by introducing her sister and most importantly the Toguro brothers leading to the Dark Tournament. 

All together, it’s probably one of the best intro sagas to any anime I’ve seen at least. There’s simplicity but also complexity at the same time depending on how deep you look into it. They didn’t just half ass the action like many of my other favorite action-packed anime (DBZ, Fairy Tail). There’s a lot of mystery, dark moments, and strategy for a supposed kids cartoon for the haters out there. 

Dark Tournament - This has to be the best saga in any ever because of the different strategies, emotions, growth, and somehow comedy still added in. I can’t help but re-watch this saga again and again every few years. We start with a mystery question: how much did the main characters grow in strength, abilities, and strategies? Now as a teen then now adult, the masked fighter is obviously Genkai because of the height, outfit and abilities, but as a kid, she was such a mystery for me haha. Anyways we go into the tournament and the committee seems hell bent on pitting everything against Yusuke & friends. I like that though Yusuke’s team comes out on top at the end of each fight, they do lose some individual matches for multiple different reasons. Instead of mindless matches purely on the fighting, we actually learn some backstory about many enemies and our main characters. It didn’t take long either; there wasn’t a ridiculous amount of episodes spent per backstory like Naruto or Fairy Tail. Genkai showed even more wisdom but also understanding of humanity as she knows her time is ending so she passes on her power abilities and most importantly wisdom to her favorite dim-wit. And throughout the story, we get to know more about Genkai and Toguro’s backstory and how power, morals and unfortunate events can change one’s future. The part that most people forget is the final episodes of the Dark Tournament: Toguro has been and wants to continue punishing himself. He actually does care for Genkai and Yusuke. He knows Yusuke has greater potential to grow into something great but needs proper and sometimes drastic measures and guidance to do so.

This saga had an amazing start, several related series of actions in the middle and a proper explanation at the end for many questions we had. On top of all that we’re left clues to the next arc, subtle clues you don’t realize until the next arc comes around. Episode 66, was shocking, Koenma actually granted Yusuke’s wish for his mentor and friend to be revived to live until the end of her life in peace as much as possible. 

Chapter Black - This saga was great. You really don’t know what it is until it’s fully explained. We all know there were stronger demons deeper in spirit world. But something deeper darker is coming and it’s crazy because after 66 episodes we realized we never wondered about a previous Spirit Detective. What happened to that one? Now we get a trio of test spiritually aware humans just to test Yusuke & Kuwabara, but the really interesting part is when Sensui and his team is brought in. A few abilities were obvious but others were so mysterious with a constant ominous presence and heartbeat music looming over. What is each unique opponent’s abilities and what is Sensui’s background and end goal? His multiple personalities each containing yet even more unique abilities with his desire for an open tunnel into the depths of Spirit World for A/S class demons is insane. It seems impossible for Yusuke to win here even with Kuwabara’s sacrifice again. But wow what a reveal that he does have a secret demon king lineage in his blood. I both love and hate this at the same time. It feels like a cop-out but also explains everything at the same time. It’s like Super Saiyan in DBZ but different because at least here it took until the 3rd Saga and several arcs to reveal it. I guess in the overall scheme of things it’s like having Dragonball before Dragonball Z. Anyways the ending is amazing as we see them fight and find out just why Sensui wanted this all along as well as his gay partner’s obsession over him. 

This was a great saga with a truly ominous back story and I love it. The only reason I keep it rated at 8/10 is unfortunately it happens right after the best saga ever in the Dark Tournament. At this point, power scaling and the use of demon king lineage in Yusuke just unfortunately puts the rating here. And we already know what the next saga is about for sure. There’s nothing left to really explore.

Three Kings - Here we go, the finale of Yu Yu Hakusho. We know Yusuke is of demon king lineage so of course he’s going to go train in Demon World. Hiei and Kurama obviously would follow along. Now with everything being obvious, why is it still interesting? Somehow the writers/producers of Yu Yu Hakusho find a way to bring even more back story in appropriate timing without it becoming filler. Learning about the deep ancient history of Raizen vs Yomi vs Mukuro shows how even as demons they have a human aspect: Raizen who ended up loving a human, Yomi who had a child and history with Kurama, and Mukuro with her tragic backstory that led to an odd relationship with Hiei. The ending is great with yet another tournament. As a kid, I wished they had a full tournament arc, but decades later I realized how much sense it makes that they didn’t show us the whole tournament, just key battles and how no one in our main crew won. Yusuke, Kurama and Hiei still has much to learn and grow. Yomi and Mukuro’s time has passed. A new brighter future awaits the demon world. Yusuke finally gets his happy ending with Keiko. 

This final saga unfortunately because of its timing and closure gets a rating of 7/10. For an ending it’s great and I’m not sure how to improve it. That’s why I’m not a producer/writer haha. But it is definitely amazing and I appreciate it. Yusuke went from a kid/teen to a young adult. The story we came to know and love is over and he did NOT end up obsessed like Toguro. He didn’t choose the demon life. He also didn’t choose a psychic path like Genkai. He chose his own path with his friends in the human world continuing as spirit detective but living as close to a normal life as possible. I love this ending, The ending and whole narrative makes me give this show a 10/10. Yes I know they released 2 specials in 2018 but why not that’s a small treat for us fans. They can do specials maybe every decade or so. I don’t actually want them to do a new continued series like Dragonball Super. Let the original show be what it is and be remembered in history as one of the most unique shows with catchy theme songs. Also the Eng dub is actually good haha. Listen carefully for the adult humor hidden in the show if you’re re-watching it. You likely didn’t understand every NSFW joke as a kid. I know I didn’t haha. 

[eat-the-richard]

Sonic’s 30th: What it could be and what it won’t be

Well folks, it's about that time again. Our beloved Sonic thee Hedgehog is turning the big three-oh this year.

I say that time “again” because, y’know, it seems like we just went through this. The last mainline Sonic releases, Sonic Mania and Sonic Forces, were both revealed as part of Sonic’s 25th anniversary. In a sense, that’s all us fans really have to look forward to anymore. Waiting for about five-or-so rotations around the sun to pass until SEGA can slap that big number next to Sonic’s mug to usher out as much celebratory marketing material as they can, all for the chance to get a smidgen of new video games to get our hands on.

This anniversary feels... different, though. Last anniversary SEGA had an absolute winner on their hands in Sonic Mania. There was no way the team behind that one could possibly mess up. And even if Sonic Forces turned out like... that, it at least made sense from SEGA’s perspective to greenlight a game like it during that time. But the five years since those games were announced have done little to assuage my worries about what exactly is planned for this year’s big game.

You see, Sonic has kind of vanished. He’s lost. M.I.A.. Which feels strange. Even during the supposed “dark age” of Sonic, he never really went anywhere. New games were still being produced like clockwork for a whole host of gaming systems. From mainline titles to spinoffs, dedicated Sonic fans had a lot to sink their teeth into back then. Since the release of Forces, all we really have to show for ourselves is a (personally) insignificant expansion to Sonic Mania and a new racing title which, frankly, didn’t set the world on fire when it was released. I suppose there’s a whole host of mobile titles that I didn’t mention but it’s difficult to get excited over yet another Sonic auto-runner. Perhaps most bafflingly, there haven’t even been many ports of older Sonic titles to modern hardware. If the mid-2000s were the dark ages of Sonic, perhaps right now we’re living in the “silent age,” where basically nothing is even happening and the franchise is at an eternal standstill.

The sole exception to this self-titled silent era was the Sonic movie, which I don’t think anyone anticipated being as big of a success as it was. Including the studio behind it. And especially including SEGA. It was utterly baffling to me that, upon the film’s release, there was nothing in the way of a tie-in game. Nothing directly associated with the movie. Nothing separate to release alongside the movie. Nothing. Some have speculated that SEGA was supremely unconfident in the film and it's hard to argue otherwise. It seems that, in a sense, the movie was a success in spite of the company the IP is linked with.

That’s why this anniversary feels more peculiar than the last one. At least Sonic was doing something in the early 2010s. Perhaps nothing groundbreaking, but he was at least around. If it hadn’t been for the movie, how in the world would the series be attracting new fans? This anniversary needs to be big. It needs to be the explosive re-emergence of Sonic to not only please the jaded oldies but the next generation of kids. And… I just don’t anticipate anything of the sort.

To me, Sonic Team has about four directions they could take the 30th anniversary game. Here they are, listed in descending order of likelihood.

4. A new “boost” game. Sonic Team ain’t opening that can of worms again.

3. A new “classic Sonic” game. While Christian Whitehead’s new studio has been deafeningly silent since forming, I believe that we’d have a bit more information about a Sonic Mania sequel by now if that was indeed in development.

2. Something entirely different.

1. Sonic Adventure 3 (or comparable analog).

Now, your reaction to that list may differ depending on your preferences and the year you were born. To me, something evoking nostalgia to the two Sonic Adventures is the safest and most likely choice for SEGA and Sonic Team. Just as classic nostalgia permeated through the 2010s, Adventure nostalgia will trailblaze full force through the 2020s. There are a lot of people whose only exposure to Sonic at all is playing Sonic Adventure 2 Battle on their GameCube. And the only way those people could potentially get funneled back into the series is through a proper Sonic Adventure 3, or at least something like it.

This, of course, says nothing about the overall quality of what this new Adventure title would be. And really, this is my main concern with the 30th anniversary. Can I even trust Sonic Team anymore to put out a good game?

Regardless of style, I’m unconfident to say the least. The staff that worked on the Adventure titles are not at SEGA anymore. The staff that spearheaded the “boost trilogy” of Unleashed, Colors, and Generations are not at SEGA anymore. And modern-day Sonic Team’s idea of something entirely different is, well, unappealing. Sonic Lost World proved that trying to change the core of the series for its own sake leads to a bland and uninspiring experience. And Forces? Oh… Forces.

Really, Forces is the main reason why I’m so disillusioned. Maybe it was that I was excited for the grand return of the boost. Maybe it was that I loved Generations so much that a proper sequel to it couldn’t possibly be bad. Instead of being a sequel to Generations, though, it tries to be everything at once. A game to appeal to the classic fans, the Adventure fans, the boost fans, those whole love complicated narratives, those who love the many characters this series has, and, obviously, the Original Character Artists™. Jack of all trades, master of nothing. A directionless, soulless game that in some instances is seemingly artificially-generated.

If this spectacular 30th anniversary Sonic game is something entirely different, it had to break an astounding amount of new ground. It had to rethink and reshape the series so drastically that, honestly, I don’t think it's very likely. I don’t think Sonic Team has even the slightest clue about what makes their flagship IP so appealing to so many people. If the nostalgia-fueled 2010s are any indication, SEGA only understands what makes Sonic so popular on a superficial level. 

They know we liked the 2D games, so now EVERY game has 2D in it! Oh, they didn’t like that Sonic has green eyes. Well, let’s bring back the CLASSIC version of Sonic. Let’s actually make him his own character who will also appear in every game! 

New zone ideas? LMAO how about we reuse the same set of classic levels over and over! Green Hill? YES! Chemical Plant? Of course! Let’s make an entire game that has both Sonics running around in a bunch of old zones. Wait, didn’t we just do that idea last year for Sonic 4 Episode 1? And aren’t we going to do that idea NEXT year for Sonic 4 Episode 2? WAIT DID SOMEONE SAY CHECKERBOARD PATTERNS IN WINDY HILL ZONE!???!!!! 

Oh wait, Christian Whitehead just pitched to us a brand new 2D Sonic game with classic physics and new levels? We’ll let him do it, but ONLY if it is ANOTHER nostalgia game that reuses old zones! 

Let’s inundate our fans with the same images of their childhood to activate their dopamine receptors! 

I can hardly wait for what this team’s idea of Sonic Adventure nostalgia looks like. Hope you really like City Escape.

Really, while such appeals to nostalgia are welcome the first few times, after a while it starts to get grating. Sonic Team leaning so hard into it during the 2010s reeks to me of desperation. As if the constant callbacks are the only thing the team knows how to do to link new games with the rest of the series. 

In actuality, fans don’t like Sonic because of the classic design or 2D-platforming or Green Hill Zone. They may like those things, but it isn’t why they continue to support the series. Fans love Sonic so fervently because, when he hits on all cylinders, he really hits. His games play in a supremely rewarding way where skill mastery is key. The better you are at Sonic, the better you feel while playing it. The personalities and designs of all of the different characters, from Sonic to Tails to Vector the freakin’ Crocodile, are not only distinct from each other but bleed through into gameplay in the way that they control and in how they are animated. Sonic’s best stories are ones that people can really relate to, dealing with a whole host of themes such as environmentalism, resisting fascism, surpassing expectations, and even the concept of free will among nonhuman entities. Not especially deep, but certainly thought provoking, especially for kids. All tied together with top notch visual and audio design that will stand the test of time. I’d posit that, while people like Sonic for a whole host of reasons, their starting point lies somewhere in the above explanation.

Hopefully, Sonic Team has realized by now that nostalgia will only get them so far. While a Sonic Adventure 3 would turn heads, it wouldn’t push the series forward. While a proper sequel to Sonic Mania would be a critical darling, it would continue to keep Sonic’s feet firmly planted in 1991. Sonic needs to evolve. He needs to change. And it seems like a change is happening. Roger Craig Smith, the voice of Sonic for the last 10 years, is no longer working with the series. The new TV series, Sonic Prime, is set to take place in a “strange new multiverse.” Even the Sonic movie refuses to lean on nostalgia too hard. 

So maybe the future will be set in unfamiliar waters. But if this is the case, I don’t want SEGA to half ass it. I want them to boldly step into that abyss with a vision of Sonic that appeals to the heart of the fandom. Because, even if it's been down recently, that heart is still beating, and after the abuse it's already taken, it’s going to take a hell of a lot to get it to stop. And if SEGA can get this heart pumping to its full extreme as it had in years past, we may have something legendary to look forward to.

They could also just release a bunch of old Sonic games on Switch. I’d like that too.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: Hol Horse

(WARNING! This analysis contains SPOILERS!)

So last year I thought it was a good idea to try and review all of the enemy Stand users in Stardust Crusaders in a totally random order. The results were… mixed. Some of them I think came out okay, but others? Not so much. One of them was just an entire backhanded attack against some guy who decided to say “No one likes your analyses” because I think ProJared was a creep. It was, quite frankly, a mess, and I never bothered to revisit it and never thought I would, even though I still hadn’t covered the glorious, wonderful human being who is Hol Horse.

Well, now, after playing Heritage for the Future and All-Star Battle as well as just becoming a bit more knowledgeable on JJBA, I’ve decided to not only give Hol Horse his dues, but also at least briefly go back over or cover the other Stand users and give them a rating or an updated rating, as the case may be. So buckle in, this is gonna be a long one, and it’s all gonna start with everyone’s favorite incompetent henchman.

Hol Horse is probably one of the most amazing characters Araki has ever created. Hol Horse is in possession of a powerful Stand, The Emperor, which is literally a magical gun that fires bullets he can control the trajectory of. By all accounts, Hol Horse should be the single most dangerous foe that the Crusaders face, more than even Vanilla Ice. This guy should be able to shoot them all dead without a second thought! There’s just one tiny little caveat:

Hol Horse is a fucking moron.

This man is cowardly, incompetent, and just the punching bag of cruel misfortune as all his plans constantly go awry and he is constantly knocked on his ass. And yet, Hol Horse is still the most beloved enemy Stand User of Stardust Crusaders, and it’s not hard to see why. Because despite all of his bumbling, Hol Horse just oozes a sort of cool you just don’t see every day.

(For best results, listen to this the whole time while reading the following).

Motivation/Goals: Hol Horse is one of the few henchmen of DIO who is motivated purely by his own greed… at least, at first. Eventually he has his ass handed to him one too many times, and he decides to try and assassinate DIO. This goes about as well as you’d expect, and Hol Horse – not just part of it, the ENTIRE Horse – is so scared out of his mind that he decides, yep, loyalty to DIO is the way to go! It doesn’t work out, but hey, he tried, right?

Performance: Imami Williams gives Hol Horse that raspy, American charm he needs in the anime adaptation. With his voice and the animation combined, we get to see our favorite smarmy sharpshooter who can’t shoot for shit shoot his shot and miss every time, and it is simply glorious.

Final Fate: Hol Horse kidnaps Boingo and forces him to work with him to finally get his revenge! With the prophetic skills of Thoth and the raw damage that can be done with Emperor, there’s no way they could lose! And yet, as is always the case with Thoth, things go horrendously awry and Hol Horse, despite having the ability to control the trajectory of his bullets, ends up shooting himself and knocking him out of part 3 for good.

Best Scene: Really, just the entirety of the episodes where he teams up with Boingo, especially when he tries holding up Polnareff. Considering what comes after and what came before it, it’s just the dose of lighthearted fun needed before you watch all of your favorite characters get brutally murdered by DIO and Vanilla Ice,. 

Best Quote: There is only one line it could be, and it’s Hol Horse’s response to Thoth’s suggestion he kick a woman in the neck: “Listen, Boingo... I am the nicest man in the world. I have girlfriends everywhere. I might lie to a woman, but I'll never hit them! It doesn't matter how ugly they are! Because I respect women!”

That’s right, everyone. Hol Horse drinks Respect Women Juice.

Final Thoughts & Score: Hol Horse is simply astounding. The character is such a colossal screwup that he shouldn’t be as good as he is… yet he is. The dude is gifted with the most incredible power imaginable, and yet somehow he is never able to do a goddamn thing with that power! You control where the bullets go, dude! How can you not hit anything?! It’s interesting how his cowardice and lack of motivation makes him a perfect representation of the inverted Emperor tarot card, but hey, tarot motifs are par for the course with the Stand users.

But there’s something charming to how pathetic Hol Horse is. He’s always plying second banana, he’s a dirty coward who turns tail and runs when things aren’t looking good for him, he never wins a single battle, he didn’t even kill the one guy it seemed like he killed… but throughout it all he still has this sort of smarmy charisma to him that makes him impossible to hate. It’s no wonder this guy has girls all over the world, because he is a world-class charmer. There’s also how Hol Horse is just a character who really, really lives by his own personal philosophy – that is to say, he always likes to be #2, never going into a fight without backup. It’s kind of refreshing to see him always stick by this, even to his own detriment; it’s hard to hate a man who’s principled to that degree. And, of course, this man respects women. Good on him.

It helps that Hol Horse’s inexplicable popularity has led to him getting his time to shine in outside media. Heritage for the Future has two versions of him, his regular form and one that partners him with Boingo, and in skilled hands his Emperor finally gets to live up to its deadly potential. And he’s no slouch in his return appearance in All-Star Battle, and what’s more impressive is in that game he is part of the base roster while Joseph and Iggy, two of the main heroes, are relegated to DLC! You heard me right: the bumbling cowboy who did not win a single fight or even come close to it and spent a lot of time shooting himself managed to beat out out two iconic heroes from the same part onto the roster! Horsey Man must be doing something right.

As this video shows, Hol Horse is one of the most influential characters in the JJBA franchise, having helped to shape the franchise going forward and helped to inspire the traits that made beloved characters like Guido Mista, Gyro Zeppeli, and Yoshikage Kira as legendary as they are. Hell, Hol Horse is just so awesome he almost got to be a protagonist, but Araki decided that Horsey was too similar to my favorite big-titty Frenchman, Polnareff. This means Hol Horse never got his time to shine as a hero, and so stayed a villain til the end… but hey, can he really be that sad if he gets a 10/10 on Psycho Analysis?

Actually, maybe he wouldn’t like that. He likes to play second fiddle to others, after all. But I guess that’s just the curse with these JoJo villains who want to not stand out; they always end up being the best and most memorable characters.

Anyway, now that we’ve got the best of the best out of the way, it’s time for...

Psycho Analysis: DIO’s Other Henchmen

I’m just gonna give my brief thoughts on these guys. Most of them are pretty one-note oneshots, but there are a few who rise above that and manage to be something else entirely. These guys were a learning experience for Araki, and his enemy Stand users of the week definitely improved with later parts, with Vento Aureo really cranking it up to 11. 

But for now, we’re stuck with these guys.

Gray Fly: I actually stand by my opinion from my original review of him; he’s nothing incredibly memorable, but he’s a solid start to the adventure and he is directly responsible for diverting the journey onto the course it ended up going on. Without him, things would have likely played out far differently. A 5/10 is still a good score for him.

Fake Captain Tenille: He actually gets bumped down to a 2/10, due to my changes in how things are scored. He’s not amusing enough to be in the “So bad it’s good” category of the other 3s, he’s just really lame and forgettable, and he still somehow manages to lose when he has the advantage. What a dweeb.

Forever: If you think the monkey boat fight is dropping in score, you’re mistaken. Forever remains at an 8/10 for being such a delightfully weird curveball that helps set the tone for the franchise to follow.

Devo: One of the weirder playable character choices from Heritage for the Future, and certainly not one I like too much; he’s also a random event that is pretty useful in All-Star Battle’s online campaign, so that’s a good mark for him. If nothing else, he gave a good showing of Polnareff’s skills when under pressure, so… yeah. I think a 5/10 is good enough.

Rubber Soul: This review I regret because I was backhandedly responding to that guy who weirdly decided to bring up my distaste for ProJared in a review of Arabia Fats and Kenny G. I do mostly stand by what I said; Rubber Soul is one of the more amusing minor foes, if only because of his ridiculous performance as Kakyoin. Still, it really sucks he was just a clone character in Heritage for the Future… put he gets points for  having the iconic cherry-licking as a taunt. 6/10 is where he remains.

J. Geil: Again, my opinion hasn’t changed: J. Geil is a mountain of wasted potential, but at the very least he makes for a good antagonist for his brief appearance and hey, he’s the one who helped bring us the beautiful hunk of man that is Hol Horse, so I’d feel bad giving him less than a 7/10.

Nena: I honestly think Nena is one of the most boring Stand users of the part, which is sad because her episode gives Joseph the spotlight. She’s just really gross and uninteresting, and you’ll likely forget her after her episode is over. 2/10.

ZZ: ZZ is not particularly great, and his design is just there to be a joke, but it’s hard to totally hate a guy who manages to roll references to Christine, Duel, and the album cover for Eliminator by his namesake into one. I think he’s more of a 4/10, but probably on the higher end there. He’s not great, but he has enough going for him to keep me from hating him.

Enya: So if I thought that J. Geil was a waste of potential, I feel this even more so for his mother Enya. Despite being hyped up as this big, intimidating right-hand woman to DIO early on, she gets one appearance where her Stand is defeated by Star Platinum pulling a power out his ass and then is unceremoniously killed by Steely Dan of all people. I will give her this: her interactions with Polnareff are absolutely hilarious. But when all you have going for is some jokes, don’t be surprised when you end up with a 6/10, which you’re pretty much only getting because even despite the mountains of wasted potential you’re really not that bad.

She do be looking hot in the OVA tho.

Steely Dan: My opinion is unchanged; he’s a solid 7/10 oneshot douchebag. Nothing more, nothing less. His level in the PS1 game seriously blows, though.

Arabia Fats: I was too hard on this guy. While I meant everything I said, and his episode is boring filler, does it really make him a bottom of the barrel all-time worst villain? No. It just makes him a crappy joke character. 2/10.

Mannish Boy: I regret not getting to this guy last time, because aside from Forever he’s probably one of the most insane Stand user of the part, seeing as he is an infant. Like, he’s just an evil baby who can kill people in their dreams. And he gets defeated by being force fed his own crap. Much like Forever, it’s fun to speculate where exactly DIO found this guy; did he just go to a nursery and start jabbing babies with the Stand arrow? Did he meet this guy at a Cairo night club? What exactly is Mannish Boy’s origin? He’s just so utterly and hilariously inexplicable. He’s definitely a 7/10; he doesn’t quite have the shock factor that Forever did before him, but let’s not pretend an evil talking baby Stand user isn’t one hell of a weird twist.

Cameo: This guy really lives up to his name; his Stand is the one that gets the most screentime, with the actual Stand user being relegated to a – you guessed it – cameo appearance at the end of the fight. Thankfully, his Stand is an enjoyable take on jerkass genies and gives a pretty sad and disturbing episode that not only features my man Polnareff, but also marks the point where Avdol returns and brings “Hell 2 U!” I think he deserves at least a 7/10, even if this is mainly for Judgment. Still, a Stand is a representation of the user’s soul, so I think it works out.

Here’s the Stand:

And here’s the man behind it:

Midler: Midler is one of the single most interesting characters from the pre-Egypt half of Stardust Crusaders, and is the point where Stand users really started to get interesting. Her Stand, High Priestess, has a really funky and unique design, and her battle serves as the final roadblock before the Crusaders arrive in Egypt. Despite never appearing onscreen, with only her unconscious body being shown at the end of the fight in a way that obscures her, she got to appear in Heritage for the Future with an awesome sexy belly dancer design and a badass moveset that makes her a really fun character to play as. Taking everything into account, I think she just barely scrapes into the bottom of the 8/10 pool, though really this is mainly for her playable appearance.

N’Doul: My opinions really haven’t changed on him. He’s still an 8/10.

Oingo & Boingo: These guys are, in a word, hilarious. In between the grueling, brutal fight with N’Doul and the later fights in the part, these guys bring some much needed levity to the proceedings. Oingo gets an entire episode where he just completely bumbles about as he attempts to impersonate Jotaro to assassinate the Crusaders, failing at every turn and only managing to blow himself up in the end. Boingo fares a little better, eventually getting roped in to Hol Horse’s scheme to get some revenge, which leads to one of the funniest episodes of the entire series as Hol Horse and Oingo hold up Polnareff. I think they collectively get an 8/10 for being two of the funniest Stand users in the part. They even get their own unique end credits in the anime (with Hol Horse joining in on the fun when he teams up with Boingo)!

Anubis: Again, my opinion is unchanged, though I must say him having technically three playable appearances in Heritage for the Future does make me have at least a little more fondness for him. Black Polnareff, Chaka, and Khan are all amusing characters to play as and all have some awesome theme music. Introducing the concept of Stands being able to exist independently of their Original user is pretty neat, as well as the idea of a Stand that can switch users like it does. 7/10 is still what I’d give it, but I think that it’s pretty telling that this is probably the “weakest” character in the Egypt arcs in terms of being a villain, and yet he’s still pretty cool.

Mariah: Completely unchanged. She still deserves an 8/10, because her episode is hilarious, her playable appearance in Heritage for the Future is a blast, and she’s just really frikkin’ hot. I’m not gonna lie, she’s probably my second favorite enemy Stand user out of the Egyptian ones. I may or may not want her to step on me.

Alessi: I’m going to be honest here: Alessi is my favorite of the Egyptian Stand users. He’s an ax crazy coward with pedophile undertones who is just an utterly demented and sick individual with a seriously intriguing Stand that de-ages its victims. It’s a damn shame he never crossed paths with Joseph and de-aged him, but when he’s just such a hilarious and hateable lunatic with an incredibly fun playable appearance in Heritage for the Future (complete with awesomely creepy theme music!) it’s hard for me to give Alessi anything less than a 9/10. Attaboy!

Daniel J. D’Arby: My opinion is honestly unchanged, but I think I’d bump him down to an 8/10.

Pet Shop: Again, unchanged really. It’s hard to give a character as busted as he is in Heritage for the Future anything less than a 9/10 any way you slice it.

Telence T. D’Arby: Opinion unchanged, 8/10. I don’t have much else to say here, besides Xander Mobus rocks.

Kenny G: See Arabia Fats above. I got irrationally mad over a dumb joke character. He’s not going above a 2/10, but he’s not worth really getting mad about.

Vanilla Ice: I still think he’s the only enemy Stand user besides Hol Horse who deserves his 10/10. My opinion of him remains unchanged, but I would like to say he’s easily one of my favorite characters to play as in All-Star Battle.

Nukesaku: Ok, he’s not an enemy Stand user, he’s just some weird vampire… zombie… thing. Still, I feel he’s at least worth briefly mentioning, if only because he’s probably the only easily-defeated joke villain Araki did from the first three parts who is particularly memorable. Wired Beck and Doobie are really not all that memorable, but Nukesaku at least elicits a few chuckles – he even gets cameos in Heritage for the Future as well as getting to be a stage hazard in All-Star Battle. For what he is, I think he deserves a 5/10.

And with all these enemies taken care of, that just leaves one more Stand user to talk about.. one whose Psycho Analysis has been sitting in my drafts for a year now...

[cryptocism]

So since pretty much everyone agrees that Tim needs a name change, and I think most people dislike the first two RR costumes (I dislike the pretty much Robin one too, because it seems like he hasn’t accept losing Robin, when I feel a lot of his comics right after Bruce W died was about that?) which leads me to: What do you think Tim’s costume would look like if he got a good outfit, and what name?

o yeah i was not a fan of the cowl. and the n52 design is just… so busy and excessively accessorised (excessorised???) - i drew it a couple times for this project im workin on and the whole process was me squinting at reference panels and whispering softly but passionately “what the fuck” - and i agree on the rebirth RR design, it looks more derivative of dick and jasons retconned robin costumes than inspired by tims og 80s design (however. the unternet costume - its simple and appealing and clearly nightwing-inspired and i am a fan, also the giant scythe/halberd/mace thing was so ridiculous i loved it)

which is why i thank pat gleason for my life bc tims new outfit is such a good modernisation of his original robin design. so i mean to answer ur question i think tim has a p good design right now (although not for long i guess since they announced hed get a new look/codename soon) BUT if i were in charge of debuting a new design and name… hm……….

whatever his new name is, it’d preferably have something to do with wherever his personal storyline is headed, which i dont know, and for all my complaining abt how red robin is a shit name i dont actually have great alternatives lol. i did see somewhere the suggestion for the name “Cardinal” which i dont hate, so ill use that as a placeholder for now (although “Halcyon” is an interesting option)

tangentially, my personal preference for his robin graduation would be a miniseries featuring tim and damian both as robin, begrudgingly having to work together to fight some greater enemy and becoming true brothers along the way. ending with tim giving damian his blessing to be robin (a post-mantle blessing but still) with the first amicable passing on of the robin title literally ever

as for Look: his new design should a) accurately reflect his character b) mesh well with whatever tone his personal storyline is going for c) be a natural progression of gleasons newest iteration while still d) able to stand as its own iconic look

i always thought tim would do really well in a more grounded noir-style detective story, both using and especially subverting the tropes of the genre (for instance tim befriends every femme fatale and romances absolutely zero of them. theyre pals and have weekly movie nights or smthn) obvs using some of the mystery elements to springboard into classic comic wild times etc etc. theres also a great opportunity to include some more cyberpunk aesthetics to the look and feel ofthe story

i.e. tim is part of the waynetech r&d teams, working with them to develop new technologies, and proceeding to test out some of the prototypes while doing vigilante work (bc terry had to get his rocket boots from somewhere ok). gotham is still gotham, but its starting to see some of that neo-futuristic/blade runner flavour from batman beyond.

so. cyberpunk detective story starring cha boy tim drake. im not gonna draw it rn but lemme just gather some ref elements here in case i ever do

first off - motorcycle, obviously. redbird is back babey and this time its a two-wheeler. all his gear would be modded the hell out of, but the motorcycle itself would be an approximate balance of 70% ducati and 30% tron lightcycle situation. a speedy bike with ample room for the edgy overkill batfam aesthetic, with maybe a little akira in there who knows

same goes for helmet; 70/30 on this modern/cyberpunk situation. heres a quickly photoshopped “cardinal” helmet lol 

although theres totally room for some daft-punk leds in there. serving as a heads up display AND a fun neon aesthetic. I really want to play into that John Wick neo-noir situation.

besides that… ive got a preference for street style over the superhero spandex, so… detective jacket. every detective has a good jacket. norm breyfogle made a comment on his early tim robin designs that itd be pretty either/or on jacket vs cape, merging the two looked a little silly. for robin they probably decided on cape to keep things classic, but for cardinal i can do what i want

and i want to bring back some of this popped collar.

which i basically did for that other tim design i drew, which i still like, so this one would probably be at least a lil borrowed from that. 

attempting to merge cape/jacket might end up smthn like these:

which admittedly i like. 

admittedly… i do also like the concept of wings introduced in tims n52 design, i just think they couldve been hidden/incorporated better

greig rapson had a sweet robin design that had a sort of flight-suit (which dove into the actual mechanics??? i love) and since id want to dive into tim testing out waynetech prototypes, its a pretty good natural progression from him to terrys glider thing

the whole ensemble would be fairly understated however - enough to semi blend in with any crowd, hero or civilian. after all the story focus would be just as much about solving the mystery as it is punching the bad guy

the various interchangeable gadgets would be both prototypes of terrys eventual batsuit, and also all the failed prototypes that never managed to get off the ground. just to add an element of tension/plot devices wherein tims gear could break or malfunction pretty much anytime.

im fixated on this rocket boot situation though so itd be a paired down version of terrys eventual seamless/invisible design. still noticable and clunky, but working with the sleek modernish style outlined by gleason

smthn almost similar to the prowler actually from spiderverse - as in: Clearly Rocketboots, and clearly diy’d the shit out of, but still working with that Aesthetic

(most of the screencaps of prowler are dark af so im taking this from jesus alonso iglesias concept art) 

im debating on the addition of more overtly birdlike/cyberpunk elements, so ill add this here cause its dope as fuck (from ahmet atil akar). 

and a lot of batclan capes tend to end with that concave spiked look, which works great for bats but not really for birds. a tailcoat might emulate the bird tail, but it also might evoke Penguin a lil too much idk.

also in the interest of keeping everything within the same sort of design language, i would Love to see some new villains emulating deconstructionist/architectural kawakubo fashion:

like could you imagine the supervillain potential

so uhhh yeah. budding cyberpunk detective story with a little noir and a little technological advancement progressing in fits and starts. taking from the gleason foundation with heavy black featuring brighter coloured accents and modern sleekness, made a little dorky via prototype technology, with some extra neon blade runner shit thrown in there.

depending on how much i love or hate the new codename/design reveal i might draw this via inspired motivation or spiteful motivation lol

[marshmallowprotection]

Petunia

Assistant Lila AU!

Link: AO3 

Pairing: Choi Saeran/Original Female Character(s)

Description: Unknown always wanted to have his own assistant. One that is bathed in wisteria and petunias, covering their throat until they suffocate or give in. There are some things that he can’t do by showing his face and that’s where someone who was very much his equal in sense of the word would be able to help him achieve the goals of Paradise. He’s got his eyes set on somebody and surely, with her, the success of Mint Eye is ensured.

Based on the Prologue’s Bad Ending. A standalone fic that can read without reading any of the other stories in the series.

Surprise. Judas and Minji make their debut. 

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three

4: You Should See Me In A Crown

“Guess who?” 

No response. 

“Hahaha… look at your face. I missed that. Surprised to see me, huh? Honestly, oh, really, Unknown, you know I can withstand anything they throw at me. After all, that’s why I told you I loved Wisteria so much way back when. No matter what you do to destroy it and get rid of it, it just keeps coming back.”

What a compromising position. Unknown sprawled back on the couch as he gazed up at Wisteria with a cheery smile on her face that did not reach her eyes. It was great to see him again, though. Wisteria had been so damn giddy from the instant that she had been set loose from her prison that finally seeing what was hers made her happy! 

She wasn’t sure what it was, or why she felt so great, but she did. 

Maybe it was the fact that everyone that got a glimpse of the look in her eyes turned tail and got the hell out of her way, or perhaps it was how exhilarating it felt to be able to do as she wanted. The Savior had been rather gracious, believe it or not. She was given her own room, her own space, and everything else that she could have ever wanted to have in her possession.

No one would quite be able to describe the excitement she felt when she realized her entire wardrobe was filled to the brim with ribbon, lace, and frills. She felt quite at home once she was able to take a hot shower and slip into something more comfortable. 

It took a little bit to do herself up, touching up her makeup, brushing and curling her hair, and tweaking little things here and there. By the time she was finished, the green coordinate that she delicately put on made her look like a real force to be reckoned with. 

At the first glimpse, you would look and see what you thought was a sweet girl. 

Her smile was seemingly sincere and the way that she walked almost as if she were gliding on air. 

You might have never suspected that she was anything more than a girl with a bubbly attitude. Upon further speculation, you would realize that her look did not reach her eyes. Something so sweet could never be so tainted… right? 

Like a poison apple, sweet until you take a bite. 

It’s that lingering and haunting question that made people not want to find out the real answer for themselves. Perhaps that’s why every person that took the path that crossed her own took a second look and then hurried out of the way in the fear of what may happen. 

There was something to be said about the power that came from those who used their dispositions to their advantage. Nobody wants to believe anything innocent can be twisted. It’s that failure to be aware of the surroundings that would force them down to their knees and to plead for mercy. This is the power that only Wisteria could have. 

Her weakness was an asset. 

That’s why the Savior let her lean into it. 

That’s why she whispered in her ear and pushed her forward to take action on what she needed. This was the way that she was supposed to be all along. It just took a lot of pain to find this out. Now that she knew what she was capable of, and that nobody was going to stand in her way to get there, life could work to the ideal. 

It was one thing to become who you were meant to be. 

It was another entirely to get to the life you were meant to be leading. 

Unknown had been right after all when he said that it was only a matter of time until everything just clicked. 

She hadn’t been too sure of him, but now, she had no doubts about it. That might have been why her heart was pounding against her chest when she went to see him. She wanted to show him that she had realized his devotion. 

When she entered his workspace, she found him in one of his rarer positions. He was fast asleep.

He often worked himself hard and harder than that, but when he did take the time to rest he always looked so adorable. Oh, how she wanted him to lay back against her lap so she could run her fingers through his messy locks. It reminded her of all those times when he wouldn’t listen to a word of her advice at all and take care of himself.

Well, he wouldn’t be telling her no from now on, would he? 

Wisteria took a seat next to him, and let out a little wistful longing. How dare he be asleep when he knew that she was free from her chains? After all this time that she had been gone from him, she would have assumed that he would be more excited. Well, if he didn’t know that she would be coming for him, then it wasn’t all his fault. 

She thought that the Savior had told him to be expecting her company very soon. Either he hadn’t heard her words or he wanted to be left in a vulnerable state. Well, it wasn’t that much of a bad thing for him... surprises were fun! She had to stop the giggles from leaving the back of her throat at the thought. 

It would get mighty boring if he didn’t know that she was back. This simply wouldn’t do! What was royalty without their loyal subjects? 

Wisteria wasted no time after that thought came to mind. The back of her hand brushed against his cheek and she shook him until he began to stir awake. 

It took a moment, but he got the picture and opened his eyes. The room was a bit dark without the monitors on and the hum of the gears turning in the background made it hauntingly quiet. He didn’t react at first, but when she began to speak to him, her shoulders went tense. 

He was so startled with delight that he didn’t know how to respond! 

Wisteria couldn’t stop the giggles this time, “Cat got your tongue, huh? That’s okay. I understand it must be a lot to take in since I’ve finally come into my own. You don’t have to say anything. I already know what you’re going to say to me, Unknown! But honestly, I bet you’re just happy that you get to be in my presence again! You’re lucky, y’know? You’re the only person worth anything in this place and I want you.”

Her mint eyes sparkled as Unknown finally met her gaze. There was no sign of fear or trepidation in his mint eyes at this time. He just looked upon her with the weight of the world in his hands, like she was the entire world, the only thing that mattered. 

It brought that wicked grin back to her face that had been wiped away for so long.

The hint of surprise that had been written all over his face when he realized that she was with him again was now long but gone. 

The way that his eyes are so filled to the brim with infatuation and obsession is beautiful. He can only look at her in this way.  She wouldn’t stand for anything otherwise. After all, that was the way that she felt about him. 

She brushed her hand against his cheek, “I’m sorry I was gone for such a long time… but, it’s perfect now. I finally understand what I was lacking all this time. The Savior helped me put it into perspective while I was away. Lila was a crybaby do-gooder who would have done anything to please others, even if it wasn’t things that she wanted to do. Her flaw was that she was too scared to fight for what she loved. There was no way that that thinking would have ever survived in paradise. So… I had to erase her from my mind.”

It was a pity, or really, it wasn’t at all. 

If you wanted to survive, you had to realize what you were lacking. It took some time but she figured it out. Unknown had made sense in the end, but it wasn’t until she was put through real pain that she was able to reach such a conclusion. She had potential and she just couldn’t see it until she was ripped away from him. 

“There’s no power in fear… why be afraid when you were the one that chose me? You saw something in me that nobody else ever did. You were right, I didn’t know what was good for me. But, now I do… I see it now, I see the beautiful future you envisioned for us,” there was a laugh at her lips. “I’ll do anything to ensure it… anything… just ask me for it, and I’ll do it. It doesn’t matter what it is. I’ll bind them until they can’t move. I’ll bring them to their knees for you. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Her smile grew, “Like a lamb to the slaughter, one by one, I’ll destroy all of them. Anybody that gets in your way, our way, my way. I’ll make them wish they never set their eyes on me. Isn’t that lovely? The last thing they would ever suspect is a pretty princess to be the one that makes them bleed. The best flowers that people cultivate are covered in thorns, after all.” 

Unknown’s hand reached up and brushed against her own. 

It was a small gesture… not unlike the ones that she used to show him. He was just ensuring that she was there with him. She had often had visions of him thanks to the elixir, and she didn’t mind the feeling that reminded her that he was really in her grasp. 

It lingered, for a long pause. 

At least, until he sat up and caught her in an embrace. It left Wisteria with a sense of glee.

She couldn’t stop that laughter that escaped her lips, “Hahahaha… That makes the thrill of the ending so much more fun, doesn’t it, Unknown? When they think they’re safe and sound, you’ll get to break what’s left until there’s nothing left of them in our castle. I can’t wait… I want to see them scream and cry for mercy.”

Unknown was always strong. There was no doubt in those words. There was no way it could be any other way. He could and would destroy anything or anyone that got into his way and in the way of paradise, no question. It was dangerous but it had to be done, after all. She would be there to take care of him and ensure his safety. 

However, there was only one thing that one may be able to say that his heart was fond of and it was this woman and the power she brought to him the way that she had. It wasn’t that he showed a weaker side with her that nobody else saw that he could see paradise. 

It was that she saw his power and didn’t contribute it to anything but him. 

For him to feel as though he was strong when he spent so long thinking that he wasn’t? Oh, to have somebody address him in a way that his Savior hadn’t. As angry as he had been that his princess had been ripped away from him, now that anger was long gone. 

She was back with him, and despite the small change, her faith was steadfast. 

She was back and she officially saw everything she had been oblivious to beforehand. Something in her eyes had changed, and Unknown wanted to see that look grow. He wanted to show her something that would make her laugh with delight. 

He was going to destroy everything he had set out to and she was going to be his side as it all crumbled down. To hear her speak such vicious words… her eagerness to ruin them all. It made him excited. It ignited a fire inside of him that he wanted to keep burning until the end of time. 

Unknown knew that with her at his side, things would start to work the way that he had always wanted them to. She was perfect before this transformation, but this person was more than happy to kill in his name, to destroy in his name, to do whatever it took all for him. 

It was touching. 

His princess, his thorn, his Wisteria. 

Her fingers quickly grasped at the collar of his shirt as she tugged him closer to her embrace as close as she could get him to be to her body. Her voice was as sweet as honey but the undertone was clear, concise,  and vicious,  ”Your princess is back and she’s not going anywhere you aren’t going to be. You know that, right?”

“I’ll kill them before it happens again,” he whispered. “I’ll get rid of them all and if I find out who the ones that dragged you away like they savages they were… I can’t even say it right now, I’m too fucking excited about their end. The Savior won’t say a word about it, either. You know why?”

The sound of his voice was soft but his anger still lingered towards those that had tried to take her away from him. He had his moments where he seemed as though his knife had dulled, but those were only brief and replaced very fast. 

“Hahaha… I know why,” she said, stopping her giggles. “Because they’re nothing but expendable pawns. Trash, unworthy of the positions they occupy. While they do nothing but comply with orders and stick to their path like cowards, you go above and beyond. They only listen because they’re scared of what will happen if they fight back. While they do nothing and reap the benefit, you’re the one building and securing the success of our paradise.”

Unknown pulled back and revealed the pleased look on his face. 

She had never been stupid. She may have had her moments where her weakness had taken hold but not once had she ever not seen the full picture of his intentions. 

He rewarded her with a kiss, the coveted treasure that she often yearned for but could never put into words, what she had wanted when her fingers grasped at the cuffs of his jacket long ago. 

“Good job, princess,” he praised. “That’s right. They’re nothing but pieces waiting to be sacrificed for the greater good. That’s why the Savior never gives them the tasks she gives to me. I’m the strongest. I’m the only one that’s worthy of her trust. But now, that includes you. I see it written all over your little face, you’ve shown them all how strong you really are, haven’t you? Mmm, I’m almost jealous that they got to see your power without me there to watch it all burn. How does it feel? How does it feel to show them their place?”

Wisteria reveled in his sincere praise. 

Her mint eyes trembled with excitement at the notion that he was happy with her choices. She gazed deeply into those eyes of his, feeling herself getting lost in the sea of green. Her arms splayed over his shoulders and she scooted forward just so that their foreheads would be touching. 

“You know, it’s not my fault people don’t know that the queen is the strongest piece of the set. I didn’t even have to say anything to them,” she murmured. “All I had to do was look at them, and they fucking ran for the hills. Of course, plenty of those idiots got in my way before I found my way back to you, my sweet.”

She glanced over at the countless computers at his disposal, and then looked back over at him with a mischievous glint in her expression. 

“I put on quite the show, I think. I don’t think any of them were ready for a princess. Guess I hoped you were watching me get rid of the common filth. I thought you’d enjoy that. You’ll have to give it a look later, huh? It’s a shame, really, but they should know better than to think they’re worthy of my time. We’re not even on the same level,” Wisteria said. 

“Mhm,” Unknown, of course, would agree with that sentiment. “I’m glad to hear you say that, princess. I bet it was a sight to see. Too bad those idiots can’t appreciate true power. You coming unglued? Now that’s something I’ve been itching to see happen. If they don’t respect you, let me know, I’ll take care of it.” 

Why wouldn’t he do that, though? He was the one who picked her for a higher purpose and he was the one who told her she was better than all of them. It was very true, of course, but she didn’t really find herself believing it until she awoke. 

Wisteria smiled back at him, “Haha… I’m so happy to be your princess. I’m afforded such gracious luxuries. Mmm, I deserve it, of course. I can say the same for you. I’ll hurt anyone who tries to hurt you. If I’m yours, you’re mine, honey. I can’t wait to build our paradise. Let’s burn everything down and build it back up again, you and me… forever.”

Unknown was pleased. 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

“Who do you think you are?” 

“I- I’m very sorry, Wisteria. I didn’t mean to imply…” 

“Oh, you didn’t mean to? You mean you didn’t think at all! Do you have air for brains? You come here to tell me something that I already know? Do you think I don’t know how important this is for the Savior and paradise? Do you think you’re worthy of my time? No, no. You can’t actually and honestly be that stupid, can you? Because if you had a brain, you would know not to bother me! If I had half a mind, then I would send you to the basement myself just for this insubordination.” 

Wisteria was starting to lose her patience. 

She was getting tired of idiots who didn’t know their place and morons who didn’t understand anything.

She had been in the middle of ensuring that Unknown’s tests went through this time and this dumb Believer thought that she could just waltz into this room without addressing her with the appropriately chosen label. 

She narrowed her eyes, almost bored, but still rightfully angry. She tapped her fingers in a row against the armrest of her chair and waited, waited to hear the stupid excuses this Believer had. “Well? What do you have to say for yourself, Believer? Or are you going to stand there like a clown with your mouth open?”

Wisteria watched and waited. 

The girl must have realized the danger she was in at that moment.

 She sank to the ground and bowed her head to beg for forgiveness, as she should have, “Please, no, no, please! I’m sorry! The Savior just insisted I tell you to make sure you knew how important it is to be working right now! She said that you would understand. You and Unknown are doing everything for the Mint Eye, I would never dare think to get in your way.” 

She almost laughed, almost. 

As it should have been, Wisteria thought. 

Only those that respected her power and privilege were worthy of any pity on her part. Nobody deserved her time simply because they thought they could take it from her. 

No, she was gracious enough to give herself to everyone else simply out of the kindness of her heart. It was the same for the Savior, after all. Women such as themselves were put into power for a reason and it was better left unquestioned. 

By all intents and purposes, Wisteria was to be treated like a princess. If anyone dared to do anything less than that…? 

Well, those people were still learning their lesson below the floorboards. 

Wisteria thought about it for a moment, “Mmm, maybe I won’t toss you to the basement since you apologized so nicely.”

The girl almost breathed a sigh of relief but before she could get it out of her mouth, Wisteria stood up from her seat and approached her with a quiet look. 

Wisteria rested her hand against her shoulder with finely tipped nails pointing down in an angle and cocked her head. “Now if you waste my time, or waste Unknown’s precious time with unneeded advice again? Well, I’d hate to be in your shoes if that were the case, hahaha. There are far worse places to be in this castle, trust me. I don’t want to hurt anyone. You know, I want all the subjects of Magenta to be happy. But how can they be happy if it’s most committed members cannot complete their work as needed?”

The Believer swallowed. 

“All I ask for is a little respect,” Wisteria sighed. ”Now, can you tell me where you went wrong? Why I’m so angry with you right now? What should you have done from the start? Well, aside from not bothering such an important person, that is.”

“I… I—” 

Her patience was, after all, thin. 

Wisteria clicked her tongue, clearly in distaste. “Mmm? What was that? I’m sorry, dear, I just can't hear a single word that’s coming out of your pitiful little mouth. Speak up. Or, are you begging me to throw you away?” 

“I’m sorry, I should have spoken to you before I came into the room,” the girl mustered in her weak, but slightly louder voice this time. “I know you and Unknown value your privacy when you’re working but it must have slipped my mind or s-something! I’m sorry. I’m not as great as the two of you. I can’t remember my place. But, I promise I’ll do better next time! I promise! I promise! Just don’t send me back to the basement. I’m sorry to have disturbed you, princess.”

Now that brought a smile to Wisteria’s face. “There we go, now was that so hard? I feel so much better knowing you understand your place. If you think I’m being cruel… or unjust… oh, silly little girl. I’m being nice right now. If the Savior knew that you didn’t respect your place… oh,  I would hate to think what would become of you.” 

Her fingertips were sliding dangerously close to the girl’s throat. Not enough to leave a mark or anything but just enough to make a show of force. 

Why... Wisteria would never stain her hands with a mess. 

She didn’t have to worry about that since Unknown was more than happy to get rid of rift raft but she would if she had to do it. She just didn’t want to waste her time cleaning it up. 

“You know why the Savior thinks so much of me? I make sure that everyone follows their rules and stays where they’re meant to be. It’s simply the order of things. You’re either born royal or not. Some of you just aren’t cut out for these things, and that’s why I’m here to protect you. I would hate to think about how much more trouble people would face if I wasn’t so kind and caring enough to watch out for everyone. The Savior isn’t forgiving of mistakes. Do you think that she would forgive mistakes as easily as I do?” 

The Believer shook her head, desperately. “No. No, she wouldn’t.” 

They both knew the answer to that question. Those that fell out of line and didn’t do what they were meant to do would pay the price. She had paid the price once, but that had been enough to set her on the right path. Really, that’s all it should have taken. Once, and done. If it took more than that was that person even worth the horrible trouble and headaches that they were causing? 

Wisteria couldn’t say that she thought they were. No matter the cost, as long as he was safe, then she would do what had to be done. 

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

“You know, I was thinking...”

“How dangerous.” 

Wisteria leaned forward so that her arms wrapped around his shoulders from behind. She tucked her head against his shoulder and watched his numerous flashes of women splayed across the screen. It consisted of all the different candidates that he had found in his research, and while there was only a handful of them, it was a start. He had been looking for them through the safety of Magenta. 

He wasn’t often out in the field since he had gotten his hands on her and that had gone so well. He didn’t see a need in wasting much of his time when he could apply to other places. 

The application was complete. 

He had finally finished the recreation of the messenger that was damn near identical to the original thing. 

Now it was simply a matter of finding somebody who would be stupid enough to go to the apartment. It wasn’t difficult in theory. 

However, the application of which was frustratingly hard given simply the fact that so many people didn’t trust others. Nobody was acting out of the kindness of their heart, and it would be a waste of time to pick a girl who wouldn’t do what they needed. 

Not everybody was as kind or naive as Lila had been. 

Wisteria rolled her eyes at his tone, but she only laughed it off as she normally would when his tone was begrudgingly sour. “I think you mean to say, how devious, Nowny. How dare you be so rude to your princess when she’s trying to help.”

The clack of his fingers against the keys paused momentarily, “Princess, would you cut to the chase here? You know I love playing games with you but this isn’t the kind of game I prefer when I’m working. Get to the point. What are you thinking about?”

Wisteria smiled. 

She was pleased that he picked up so fast. He would always pretend as though he was irritated with her antics but she knew better than to believe that act. He loved it when she played games, and he liked it when she toyed with him for fun. 

He never had anyone that was on his level before so he ate it up. She would milk it for all it was worth just to see the way his eyes lit up. 

Her vision rested on the monitor.

“Well… we’re only making so much progress doing things this way. You may be able to get into these girl’s online accounts without even trying, but that’s no way to learn if they’re the ideal target for the RFA. After all, you can only learn so much about somebody from what they use online,” she stated, rather matter-of-factly. 

Unknown didn’t react, “...Continue.” 

“Isn’t the whole point in looking for a naive looking girl that can woo the RFA? You can hardly learn what makes them tick if you only go on their online presence and if we don’t choose the right person, then the member they choose is utterly random and we can only gain so much power if they choose the wrong one,” Wisteria pointed out. 

It wasn’t the goal to only get half of what they needed. 

The goal was to win and take everything as soon as possible.

He lifted his hand and rested it against hers. It was small but he never did anything overwhelmingly drastic when he was in the middle of work. Only when she got onto his nerves would he act out and give her something substantial. 

She nuzzled her face against the crook of his neck. “If you ask me if the goal here is to destroy the RFA in one big swing, then we need to hit them where it hits and strike at the center the first time. Strike them where it hurts and hard. We need somebody innocent enough and stupid enough to fall for that redhead and in turn, get him to fall for them in a short period.”

Unknown seemed to be listening intently to this. 

If he didn’t think it was a good idea to seek out then he wouldn’t have even bothered to listen to it in its entirety. She just needed to whisper these sweet nothings into his thoughts and he would simply agree. 

Wisteria wanted them to win. She wanted him to stand on top. She wanted for there to be nothing but paradise ahead and the faster that she took care of this the faster that Unknown would be able to rest and never work another hard day. 

Why would he? 

If he’s the winner… the strongest… no pain could ever come his way again. 

“The minute he lets his guard down… the second he thinks that he can have everything, that’s when you steal the girl from those idiots. If you have her once they care for her, then that redhead is certain to do anything you want, no question. He gives up. You win,” Wisteria purred. Her digits brushed against his cheek. ”Ohohoho, can you imagine that? Our paradise succeeding with one decisive blow? That’s the testament to the faith we’ve been given.”

Unknown chuckled. 

He seemed pleased with that idea, but he wasn’t going to let her get away with something without proving her worth to him. “Tell me, princess, what exactly do you plan to do to find me the ideal target?” 

Wisteria didn’t miss a beat, “Oh, honey… don’t you know? You’ve got the best assistant you could have ever had.  You give me the target, and I make sure they’re the right choice. I go out into the field and interrogate these girls, get into their lives and heads without them being the wiser. What threat does a woman like me give? Nobody would ever think somebody as cute as me is being deceptive. What’s scary about little ol’ me?”

She let go of Unknown and spun around to face away from him. She pressed her hands to her face to stifle some of her giggles at the thoughts of her plan. She had been thinking about this for a while but to hear it spoken into life felt good. 

Unknown seemed so pleased! 

That’s all she wanted. 

She wanted him to be happy with her and this was the way to get that from him every time. She could feel his eyes on her back as she spoke, “The last thing someone would think is a crybaby princess is actually out to use them for the greater good, Nowny. After all, isn’t that why you wanted somebody like me? You wanted somebody cute as a doll but as sharp as a knife. So, use me. Use me to your full advantage. I’m yours. Let me be your sword. I’ll cut them to ribbons.” 

Let her destroy everything that hurts her Unknown. 

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

She was the perfect unwitting target. 

A girl traveling who had no idea how to wrap their head around the area, nor did they know how to handle things. 

Somebody kind, but at the same time, seeking approval from others and looking for a place to fit in. The story sounded all that familiar and for that reason, it was why she was the one chosen.  Someone who was in the wrong place at the right time. Wisteria had done everything right. 

She tricked the girl into giving her phone up one rainy evening and planted the bug as quickly as she could without the girl being any the wiser. She was a bubbly thing and had been so easily tricked. All Wisteria had to do was make up a lie about being a lost foreigner. 

Cho Minji handed over her phone without a second glance. 

Nobody suspected a damn thing from a friendly smile from a girl with a smile from ear to ear like she did. She waved as their target hurried to her home without a care in the world where the message from her partner would come the next day after everything was taken care of. She had done this countless times for Unknown’s sake and it had been child’s play. 

Finding a good candidate wasn’t easy and they had to keep guessing and playing around until the good girl popped up, and Unknown had already dealt with so many failures. She didn’t let him bother with it when she could handle it. 

Minji would have helped anyone who asked, but Wisteria needed to see firsthand what she was to know if that idiot would love her as he should. She was glad to say that the target was the right choice, and her smile was perfect. This was her plan, after all, she had to ensure that the girl did what she said that she would to help her darling. 

Unknown took care of the rest for her and the rest was history as they say. He took matters into his own hands the following day and it worked just as planned.  She walked from the streets and straight into the apartment without even asking any questions about if she should do it or not. 

Unwitting, daft, easy to manipulate, compassionate, romantic, and longing to please someone. All the traits needed to ensnare that redhead.

He wanted someone who would love him without question despite how hard he would try to push them away, Wisteria knew his type, and she knew that this girl was perfect for him. 

Now, all they had to do was watch. 

By the time that Wisteria walked back into their shared office, Unknown was already cutting off every possible angle that that redhead could try to cut through in a matter of seconds. She had stepped out once the girl went into the apartment to get him something to eat for working so hard. She took one look at the screen where the RFA was panicking in their messenger. 

They had taken the bait, hook, line, and sinker. 

It had only been a matter of time until the right candidate came around and sure enough, the scared little girl had proven to be innocent. 

Easy. 

Simple. 

“You made a good choice,” Unknown told her when she took her spot next to him. She rested her arms behind her back and looked at the screens to watch as it all unfolded. The RFA opened their arms wide and let her join, just as simple as that. 

“We made a good choice,” she replied, simply. “I am nothing without you, Unknown. I am just happy to see that the plan is working so well. It’s only a matter of time until you get to destroy them all. I can’t wait to see the happy look on your face as they all crash and burn. The state of happiness that they have now will be for naught very soon.” 

“Paradise will be all the sweeter when we’re the ones satisfied.” 

“Our happiness will be cemented soon enough, my love.”

The green light illuminated the room around them. 

The color of envy.

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

“Cameras are set to loop, boss. Let me know you get to the roof, okay? I want to give you as much time as possible to get her so we don’t have to worry about any funny business from those idiots. I haven’t seen anything to suggest they’re any wiser about it, though.” 

His voice came back from the other end of the receiver, “Heh. Of course not, Wisteria. They’re too distracted with the other traps you set for them.” 

Wisteria stared at the laptop in front of herself and watched as the feeds looped. He was going in alone to take care of everything since it was an easy-in and an easy-out. She had to make sure everything was going smoothly from the car a few blocks away. 

If push came to shove, then they would have to take the necessary precautions to complete the mission no matter the task. The Savior had given them a failsafe if they had to do but it wouldn’t happen at all. It wouldn’t come to that. The Savior had made it very clear what would happen if things did not go the way that they should go, something bad would happen. 

“Duh,” she told him, though there was an odd sensation in her stomach. “As if I wouldn’t give them all something to deal with so we wouldn’t be disturbed. They’re too worried about themselves to even get themselves to think about Minji.” 

He had to go the long way to get into the apartment. 

He had to avoid all of the cameras and scale down from the roof to get to the apartment, and he was in the middle of repelling from the top. She had her eyes on the apartment camera feed that he had hacked into. Minji was just sitting there at the desk working on the party. 

The blonde was pretty, Wisteria would give her that. She had long legs, and her golden eyes could have ensured any man would crumble at her feet. She knew that she would be the girl to get that moron to fall in love and now that he had fallen for her, she was going to be the key to destroying the man that had hurt her Unknown. 

The sounds of Unknown’s breath came from the other end, and she could almost feel him go still against the glass. “Hit the switch, Wisteria,” he said. 

She pressed her finger against the enter key and deactivated the security system’s alarm with one little keystroke. However, it began to blare in the apartment and Minji sprang to her feet, looking around the room as the robotic voice announced the system had come to life. 

That meant their game would begin for real now, and there was no turning back. It quieted for a second and Wisteria figured that it had shut off. 

Wisteria toggled the sound on and sat there for a moment with her eyes on the woman. The window broke with a loud crash and Unknown dusted the stray pieces from his body as he looked over at the girl with that glimmer in his eyes. 

“Gosh… I didn’t plan on making a ruckus, but I guess I failed that one,” he chuckled. “Hey, miss, just stay there. You’ll only get covered in the glass if you try to walk.” 

Minji stared at him, unable to move, as he made his way across the room and got closer and closer to the girl. She may have been taller than he was but she was still frightened of him. Her legs locked against the ground and she tried to look for a way out but the doorway too far away for her to make a break for it. 

“Know who I am?” he asked the girl, feeding off of the look of terror in her eyes. 

“You’re the… hacker, you’re one of the hackers,” she mustered the courage to open her mouth and answer him. 

“Smart lady, huh? Then, this shouldn’t be so hard,” he noted, pulling the mask down from covering his face to reveal himself to Minji. “Heh, you know. It’s strange to see this place in person after we’ve been watching it through the camera. Oh? Did you not know that I was always watching, too? You must be surprised.” 

Minji’s fingers twitched against her sides. “...” 

Unknown stopped just in front of her and gave her the smallest amount of space, “I’ve been watching over you from the start, but you can thank my partner for landing you in this apartment. She was partial to you, I think you reminded her of somebody. No matter, you’ll be meeting her soon… we’re the ones that have been sending all those messages and games for those idiots to worry about. You’ve seen it. How did it look?” 

Minji was trapped like a sitting duck. Her expression said all that needed to be said at that moment. She realized the position that she was in very fast and decided not to fight him, and Wisteria couldn’t have been more pleased. She didn’t want to hurt the party coordinator when they first met so it was good she knew her place! 

“Our paradise, where everyone is happy. Magenta is a place of hope and dreams. I’ve come to take you there, Cho Minji, the RFA is filled with fake hope and liars. The worst of them all? The ones that you call V and Luciel,” his hand reached forward and cupped her cheek. “Don’t worry. I’ll explain all the details when we’re safe.” 

“I’m not going anywhere,” Minji whimpered and tried to hide it under a sigh. “What the heck are you talking about?!” 

“Oh, you don’t get to choose. I’m sorry,” he replied. “You’re with them because of me, and you’ll be leaving because of me. It doesn’t make sense right now, but this is all according to the will of paradise, my dear. You’ll be happy… forever.” 

Minji’s breath had quickened and it was at this point that she tried to push him away but Unknown gripped her arms so tightly and growled. 

“Seven! Help!” she pleaded, hoping that her prince would come and rescue her from danger. That liar would not be here fast enough, Wisteria smirked. 

“I expected you to resist, but… that’s disgusting, yelling out that filthy name in front of me like that is going to make me sick,” he warned her, simply. His eyes had narrowed and he got so close that she could feel his breath against her face. “Why are you yelling his name? He’s not going to come. Even if he realizes, he’s not going to save you. I’m going to cleanse your mind of this false faith in liars, and show you paradise.” 

Minji tried harder to fight back against him but he was angry now, and Wisteria could see that his patience wearing down. “Come willingly, or I will take you the hard way. I’ve made myself clear and I’m not going to repeat myself.” 

The overhead speaker came to life again and announced that the system had sprung to life again and warned them. 

What was happening? 

Wisteria narrowed her eyes and hit the key again and it flickered off before Unknown could scold her for it.

 “What the fuck is this?” she said, mostly to herself as the monitor glitched in front of herself. “Unknown, something isn’t right!”

Her vision quickly scanned the screens for information and then she noted it, the camera feed had stopped looping. There were people in the hallway and they were heading straight for the apartment when they shouldn’t have been.

One of them had black locks that she did not know, and the other was a redhead that she did very much know. The door was supposed to be locked, and the apartment security was supposed to be dead. The redhead typed something into his phone and the laptop in front of her began to fizzle out and their control faded. 

Bad. 

Bad.

This was bad. 

Her precious Unknown was going to be face to face with the man that had gotten him hurt so long again and she wasn’t there to protect him. She could do nothing but stare at the camera feed in horror as she watched. 

“It’s him! Unknown! Seven is outside the apartment!” she clutched the end of the transceiver with sharp fingers. “He screwed with my control of the apartment! You need to get out of there right now, he’s got backup! Now! Get out!” 

Unknown’s eyes widened as he stared at the door as it slammed open. He thought fast on his feet and yanked Minji into his grasp and held her against her as a hostage,  “What? Why didn’t you warn me?!” he practically hissed.

Wisteria’s voice was just as panicked. “They knew or something! I— I fucking don’t know! He tripped and reversed the camera feed so I was getting the fake static instead of him! It doesn’t matter! You have her, use her to get out. You know he won’t fight if you’re touching her! Now, or we’ll have no choice but the Savior’s back up!” 

Her fingers pressed against the keys as she tried to regain control but her knowledge of hacking was shit compared to his. He had taken care of everything all the time, she only knew the basics to back him up when he needed it. 

Seven entered the room with the stranger in question that Wisteria didn’t know, both of them staring at the scene in front of them with wide eyes. Minji looked at both of the men with fear in her golden eyes, “Help!” she managed. 

“You’re not supposed to be here!” Unknown seizes, seeing the face of this man making him start to grow uneasy. “You’re supposed to be in pain because of this girl, but not now, not now! Goddammit.” 

Seven looked at him but he didn’t make the connection because he was looking at Minji the most and that’s when Wisteria knew that for sure that they had the right girl, but he had to throw a wrench in their plans. Her fingers burned the more she tried to type and regain power but her keystrokes got messier and messier by the second. 

“You’re the hacker, then. Guess you’re not shameless since you tried to cover yourself up, but you’re going down. Let’s see, breaking and entering, illicit hacking, and you even smashed the window to get in!” he breathed, and then his eyes met Minji’s. “Don’t struggle, Minji. Judas and I will take care of this.” 

“Let go of the pretty little lady,” the newly named Judas warned. His fingers were pointed resting against his pocket where he was just itching to grab his knife. “He’s been through the worst training known to man and I have been itching to cut someone since I got out of the business. The game’s over, two against one.” 

Unknown grit his teeth, “Even now, you ruin my life.” 

“Do I… know you?” Seven asked, slowly. 

That was when Seven got a really good look at him. It didn’t seem to be clicking. How could he not know? He paused for a moment and then when Unknown cocked his head, he glowered and removed the mask all the way from his face. “You probably don’t even remember, huh? You’ve been trying to throw me away since we were kids.” 

Seven’s eyes widened, and he let out a gasp. Both Minji and Judas were looking at him now with concern in their eyes. 

“You still don’t know?” Unknown taunted him and brandished the trigger from his pocket as a fail-safe. “Figures. I’ll give you a guess since you’re so dumb… the last thing you told me was, I’ll always protect you.” 

“No way…” he breathed, and he took a step back and Judas managed to steady the redhead before he fell on the ground. 

“Seven, who is this guy?” Minji asked him, her eyes shifting from her captor to the two guys that had come from the bunker to protect her from danger. “How do you know him?” 

Judas rested his hands against Seven’s shoulders and frowned, as he had already put the pieces together from just looking at the boy. He didn’t look as frightened as Wisteria wanted him to, she wanted this man to burn and cry for hurting her Unknown. The false look of worry in Seven’s eyes was totally disgusting. 

How dare he pretend to love her Unknown!

“He’s…” 

“I prayed that we wouldn’t meet like this. I knew that seeing you would throw a wrench in my plans and ruin me those pathetic times!” his thumb hovered over the button as he waited for the man to say something to him. “Bastard!” 

“Why are you… why are you here, Saeran? You’re not… you’re supposed to be safe,” he breathed, those golden eyes of his desperate. “They promised me that you would be safe so why… why are you in this apartment?” 

Wisteria jolted against her seat as the man spoke again, and said a name that she did not know or remotely recognize. 

Saeran?

Who was Saeran? 

Unknown’s voice came into her ears not long after that, and she could only shiver at the deadly warning he put out. “Don’t you dare call me that. You don’t deserve to use that name. That boy no longer exists, anyhow. Saeran is dead.” 

Seven clutched at the fabric of his sleeves, “You’re the one that attacked the algorithm? God, how did you learn how to hack? Why did you learn how to hack? Who taught you? What happened when I left you with them?!” 

His words were starting to become too much for Unknown. He needed to get out of that place, plan be damned. His breath was quicken and he lashed out, “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” 

“Rika said that you were…” 

“You… don’t you dare say that name, either!” 

“...What?”

“Traitor! Liar! Idiot! All you do is make excuses and lies for yourself! So, shut up, shut up before I blow this place to kingdom come,” his voice shook but he meant what he was saying to him without a trace of fear to be seen. “Get out of my way and I may let you live!” 

“Unknown,” Wisteria tried again, but he wasn’t responded when she tried to speak to him through the line. “Please, focus. You need to get out of there. We can get the party planner another time, or you can take her now, but you need to get out!” 

Seven tried to take another step closer but that only made Unknown grip the trigger harder, “Saeran… what happened…? What happened to you to make you like this? I don’t understand. Rika would have never lied to me.”

“You’re the liar! You’re the one that hurts others! Shut up, shut up, shut up already! I can tell when you’re doing it, you’ve always done this,” he warned him. 

“I’m not lying!” Seven hastily replied. 

“You’re not? That promise about saving me and protecting me, then? About escaping together and living happily? That was a lie. Why are you still lying right now? Are you trying to save yourself in front of the girl? Too bad, she knows that you’re a liar already,” Unknown used his free hand to push his arm deeper into her throat. 

“I know and remember all of your lies. I know what you are. You changed your name and you’ve been running from me. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten. That’s going to piss me off even more. I’m going to make you remember all of it.” 

Seven shook his head as if it mattered as if his excuse mattered. “No… I have no choice! I can’t explain everything right now, there’s just so much that happened!” 

“What a load of shit! Shut up! Pathetic, you’re pathetic. You had no choice? I’ve never heard a bigger lie in my entire life.” Unknown couldn’t stop himself from laughing, the bitter kind of laugh that only came out when he spoke of this man. “You’ve been covering lies for so long that even you believe what you say! I knew you were lowly. I knew you were daft. My Savior was right!” 

“Saeran… I don’t know know what they told you but I… I thought you were safe and living in happiness,” the redhead tried again. “I even asked Rika to show me proof of that, because I couldn’t go and see you myself. It’s too dangerous. You looked happy. I didn’t know something was wrong. Please, talk to me!” 

“Stop lying! I don’t want to hear anymore!” He spat. 

“Okay,” Seven said, putting his hands up to show that he wasn’t armed. “Let Minji go, and then we can talk. Please, it doesn’t have to be like this. You hate me right now, and I should be the only one that faces punishment.” 

“He’s not going to budge,” Judas said behind him, his voice was sot but it was firm. “Seven, you’re not going to reach him. We have to act. This isn’t working.” 

Unknown only laughed in their faces. “You’ve got this all wrong. I’m the one that brought her here, my partner picked her real special for paradise and she’s coming with me today. She’s always belonged to me from the moment I brought her here.” 

Seven shook his head, and there was something in his eyes that looked concerned. Unknown finally saw the feelings in those golden eyes, and he knew, he knew that this man loved this woman. This was the real chip for them to use against him. 

“Oh? You care about this girl, don’t you? You must love her, huh? That makes it all the more fun to stay that I’m going to take her with me to paradise,” he taunted. “I’m in a bad mood and I’m ready to kill someone. Don’t make this worse.” 

“...Even if I cared, it’s useless,” his voice sounded defeated. 

Unknown nuzzled his face against the top of her head and Minji squirmed against him, “I thought so, Wisteria was right. You can’t lie to me, I can see everything you’re feeling and saying right now. That makes me even happier, I can do whatever I want to this girl and it will make you suffer in ways that I have long craved.” 

“Stop this!” she pleaded with him. “I’ll go, I’ll go with you, just stop it!” 

“Minji, no, he’s not leaving with you!” Judas told her swiftly. He had stepped from Seven was now seemingly ready to make a move. 

“How’s about I play with all of you?” Unknown sneered. “I think I’d like that. That’s the only good all of you will be in paradise, just playthings for the Savior, my partner, and myself. You may get lucky if Wisteria pities you but she wants what I want. The ceremony to join is particularly painful and I can think of no greater pleasure than watching you scream.” 

It seemed like he had them on the ropes but Wisteria was too stunned to do anything as he steadily inched toward the door with the girl. He wouldn’t listen to her pleas and no matter how hard she tried to disengage the bomb, it wouldn’t budge. Unknown didn’t know about the bomb, only she did, as the Savior had told her. 

Unknown thought it was a back-up option. He thought it would kill the lights, and he was bluffing to scare them right now. 

She didn’t want to lose him. 

“Saeran, just take me!” Seven pleaded. 

Wisteria’s fingers pressed against the keys once more but it errored for the last time. She stared, in horror, as the countdown clock began to appear on her monitor. Either it locked her out or the apartment itself knew that there was someone inside that didn’t belong. There was no time for this game, she grabbed her piece, and shouted at him—

“There’s really a bomb, Unknown! You have to get out right now, it’s going to start blaring! I can’t hold it back any longer! Please, I know you can hear me over there! Listen to me, if you don’t get out in the next few minutes, it’s going to kill all of you!” 

“A STRANGER HAS BEEN LOCATED! SECURITY SYSTEM ENGAGED.” 

Unknown whipped his head back to see that Wisteria had been right. He grimaced and realized the situation they were in, and yet, he was too angry to give a fuck.  “What the fuck? She had it locked down. What the fuck do you mean there’s a bomb, Wisteria?!” 

“Seven, you better have been joking about the bomb,” Judas breathed, eyes widening. “This thing is going to blow?!”

“STRANGER LOCATED… STARTING COUNTDOWN.” 

Seven stared at his brother with wide eyes and cursed. “It’s sensing Saeran as a stranger. You need to get out of here, there really is a bomb!” 

“BACKING UP ALL INFORMATION. AFTER THE BACKUP IS COMPLETE, THE BOMB WILL INITIATE. THIRTY SECONDS LEFT.” 

“We’ll all die if we don’t get out of here!” Seven repeated himself. 

Nobody moved, and this shock must have taken Unknown off of his focus. It was like the world had stopped spinning and nobody knew what to do with themself. Minji took the time to bite down on Unknown’s arm and free herself from her grasp, scrambling across the room into Seven’s embrace while Judas launched himself at Unknown. 

He knocked him to the ground just skidded a few feet away from him. Unknown’s breath quickened, and he cursed loudly. 

“TEN SECONDS… NINE SECONDS…” 

Judas rolled onto his feet and turned to face Unknown but he had managed to get to his feet where he looked like a caged animal with three people all around him. He knew that he had no choice but his voice was ragged with curses, “Shit.. shit… shit…!” 

“SEVEN SECONDS… SIX SECONDS…” 

“Unknown! Get out! Get out of there, please! Now!” Wisteria pleaded with him, and at the same time, Seven was doing the same time. They were both telling him what to do and he had no choice. He had no choice in doing what he wanted to do. This was the last thing that he wanted and there was no way for him to do anything else—

“Saeran… please!” Seven echoed the words that Wisteria had told him.

He spared the man that he hated one final look, “I’ll make you pay for everything that you’ve done to me, including what happened here today! Don’t you fucking forget it, that girl will be mine and you will die by my hand!“

Unknown raced out of that room as fast as he could, shoving Judas out of the way and hurrying out of the floor entirely, racing down the stairs floor by floor to get to the bottom. Wisteria redirected her attention back to tripping camera feeds to cover up his tracks from anyone else following him,  but her vision was blurry with hot tears as she worked. 

“SENSING STRANGER’S MOVEMENT… REDIRECTING… REDIRECTING… STRANGER IS GONE. STOPPING COUNTDOWN. THE SECURITY SYSTEM IS NOW IN LOCKDOWN MODE.”

[thankskenpenders]

So there’s this little cartoon you may have heard of...

As I’ve said on this blog before, I’d never watched all of SatAM. This might be shocking to hear from someone who runs a blog dedicated to Archie Sonic and one of the top twenty Bunnie Rabbot fangirls in the world. But it’s true.

SatAM was very difficult to track down compared to other Sonic cartoons when I was a kid, and I just never got around to watching it as an adult. So for the longest time, I had only ever seen the first episode, which I found uploaded in parts on YouTube in 2007. As the one cartoon featuring the characters I liked from the comics, it became sort of this holy grail of Sonic media for me as a kid, especially with people online always talking it up as the best thing ever and petitioning for a revival. Hell, to this day, a lot of people hold it up as this masterpiece and act like the Archie comics were a complete mockery of it

Anyway so I finally got around to watching the whole series with my boyfriend these past couple weeks, and it was pretty good. So instead of covering a comic today, here are some thoughts on the cartoon that started it all

General Thoughts

SatAM is a pretty good show. It isn’t the greatest piece of Sonic media ever, unlike what some older fans will tell you. It might not even be the best Sonic cartoon (you could easily make a case for the Japanese version of Sonic X, or Sonic Boom if you’re looking for something more comedic). It hasn’t aged the most gracefully, in some ways. The animation’s cheap, the stories sometimes bland. But for a DiC-produced video game cartoon from the early ‘90s, it’s really solid

I think that in many ways, SatAM is carried by the strength of its ideas over its actual execution. The darker, more serious tone is a really cool idea, even if at times it can get a little dull, and even if the show actually gets silly as hell pretty often. (This is a show where Snively literally tortures a captive Antoine by preparing French cuisine improperly.) That opening scene of Robotropolis in the first episode actually sets the mood really well and feels like it came straight out of some cyberpunk anime from the ‘80s or ‘90s. The concept of Robotnik turning people into robot slaves is really cool, even if surprisingly little was done with this aside from Uncle Chuck’s storyline. And I think the Freedom Fighters make a great supporting cast for Sonic, even if the writers didn’t use them to their full potential

Interestingly, I’d often heard from fans that season one was the stronger of the two, when I’d say that the opposite is true. Season one episodes were pretty samey, usually involving low stakes missions to Robotropolis with no real continuity, and Sally ended up being a damsel in distress more than I’d like--hell, so did Bunnie in a few episodes. It wasn’t bad, but it was highly repetitive, and I got a little bored at times. Season two had a few real stinkers (the Antoine episodes) and Dulcy was an unwelcome addition, but I thought the heavier focus on continuity gave the season some real momentum and more emotional weight, which made it way more enjoyable overall

Things I Liked

Sonic. I quite liked this version of Sonic, actually! Jaleel White is a great Sonic, and he was written pretty well. At times the extremely tubular ‘90s lingo was grating (I never wanna hear “Gotta juice!” again), but I was surprised to see that this version of Sonic had a lot of heart. He really cared about the well-being of his friends and Uncle Chuck, and they even let him cry a couple times. I thought they struck a good balance between snark and sincerity with him

Sally. I don’t think SatAM Sally was perfect, but I liked her. I’m still of the opinion that she should have been given more ways to defend herself physically (maybe some kind of power of her own) so that Sonic didn’t have to save her as much, but I liked the banter she and Sonic had. Unlike the early Archie comics, Sally doesn’t come off as the bossy girlfriend who ruins Sonic’s fun. Maybe it’s Jaleel White and Kath Soucie’s performances doing most of the work, but they had a fun back and forth dynamic, with Sally’s sarcasm keeping Sonic’s ego in check, but there still being clear chemistry between the two of them

I also liked the greatly reduced emphasis on her being a princess compared to much of Archie’s material. Like yeah, it’s there. Her dad’s the king, and left her some classified info via Nicole. But her status doesn’t really affect things much. They don’t talk about her having this grand destiny and being the next in line to rule. It’s clear that she’s in charge of the Freedom Fighters not because of her status, but because she’s smart, brave, and gets shit done. That’s the Sally I like.

Plus! In the finale, Sally insisted upon going with Sonic for the final confrontation, and was a crucial part of the climax. Her powering up with Sonic and matching his speed and strength ruled. Compare that to the climactic defeat of Robotnik in Archie, where she was fucking dead

Robotnik. I don’t think much needs to be said here. Jim Cummings rules as Robotnik, like everyone has always said. He’s just so evil and so much fun to watch

Snively??? I’ve never cared for Snively as a character, but Charlie Adler rules and his over-the-top performance made the character way funnier than he should’ve been. Just something about all the little noises he makes, and the way he almost shifts into the Red Guy voice at times

Nicole. It was fun to see Nicole start to get more of a personality in season two, having some banter with Sonic and also picking up some slang from him. It makes the later decision to turn Sally’s computer into a full character (which would have happened in season three, and obviously eventually became a big subplot in the comics) make a lot of sense

King Acorn. While he was only around briefly, I liked that he wasn’t a huge dick, unlike Archie’s King Max

Things I Didn’t Like

The misuse of the other Freedom Fighters. This is, by far, the show’s greatest crime.

I already write approximately 100k words a week on this blog about how I think Bunnie Rabbot is amazing and criminally underused, so I’ll keep this brief, but I was shocked to see how little she was used in this show. People tend to say Dulcy stole her screentime in season two, but she didn’t have much to do in the first season either! We somehow never got a single episode focusing on her. The one where she got temporarily deroboticized focused much more on Uncle Chuck. We never got to learn the story behind her roboticization, or delved into her feelings on the matter much. She mostly just served as a positive, lighthearted supporting member of the team who acts cute and gets some funny lines, but usually stays home

Antoine might have been even worse, honestly. Like, they used him so much! They had multiple episodes focusing entirely on him! And yet I’m not sure he ever really helped. Sonic and Sally kept taking him along, but every single time it felt like it would’ve been a wiser decision to bring Bunnie instead. The jokes about his broken English were just dumb, and god, the way he constantly hits on Sally and starts kissing her hand at the most inappropriate times is just SO fucking creepy. SatAM Antoine is just a horrible, one-dimensional stereotype. There’s a reason why readers of the Archie comics wanted him out of the series until later writers majorly rehabilitated him

Rotor also didn’t get much use, which was a shame, but it at least felt like he was used efficiently. I got the vibe that Rotor was much more bitter about the war with Robotnik than his friends, and it would’ve been interesting to see this explored more. At least we got that one fun episode where he went to space with Sonic

Dulcy. Oh my fucking god. I wanted to like Dulcy! I really did! But most of the time she was just a clutz used for comic relief, and they kept reusing the same joke where she crashed, bumped her head, got dizzy, and thought she was talking to her mom. This happened in almost every episode she was in.

The other miscellaneous Freedom Fighters. Like in the early Archie comics, none of the other miscellaneous Mobians they meet were as interesting as the core cast. They just always felt very bland and I was never as invested in them as the writers wanted me to be. Ari was boring, and that episode where they found the underground city and this other dude started hitting on Sally was a drag. Lupe’s cute though

Rings. This is a common problem in Sonic adaptations, but the fact that rings always serve as Sonic’s instant win button kind of sucks. Basically any time Sonic’s in a pinch, he pulls a ring out of his backpack, powers up, and wins. Not exactly a recipe for suspenseful action

Oh, also, I did kinda find it weird how much Sonic and Sally kissed? Like, all the time? Often while their friends just stand there and stare at them? Not something I’d expect from a Sonic cartoon

Things Archie Did Better

I’ll limit this to the first 50 issues or so, since I don’t think it would be fair to compare two short seasons of SatAM to the highlights of nearly 500 issues of comics

Tails. Tails is okay in SatAM, Archie just used him as Sonic’s sidekick way more. He was barely even in the show. Poor little guy only gets to play dirt hockey all day

Bunnie. Again, Bunnie was underutilized in both series, but the Archie comics did her better. They actually showed the story of how she got roboticized (even if it was a silly story), and they got to flesh her out a bit more. Gallagher showing that she was a carrot farmer before her roboticization and saying she wanted to be a hairdresser was at least something. And as I keep harping on, Rich Koslowski’s backup story in #37 where we find out Bunnie has recurring nightmares about her robot parts taking over and making her a threat to her friends? This single backup story did more to flesh her out than all 26 episodes of SatAM combined

Antoine. Not hard to do better than SatAM here, really. He was really bad early on, serving as little more than Sonic’s punching bag, but eventually they started to set up a romance between him and Bunnie and explored his past a bit, saying that Antoine’s father (his personal role model) was a member of the royal guard who was roboticized in the war. While he still had a long way to go, these were important first steps towards him being a decent character. Hell, these days, being Bunnie’s love interest is one of Antoine’s defining characteristics! And it doesn’t come from the cartoon at all

Roboticization in general. I was surprised how little this came up in the cartoon! In the comics, it’s such a central element. We see more of the heroes’ loved ones turned into robots, and we even got some fun stories where characters like Sonic and Sally were roboticized temporarily. The Freedom Fighters’ efforts to reverse the process was a major part of the plot for quite a while. Bunnie’s fear of losing control is a pretty important part of her character (even if it was only touched on briefly), and after they’re rescued, the rest of the Mobians fear that the “Robians” (including Sonic’s entire family) will turn evil again. It comes up a lot! There are interesting things to discuss here! But SatAM only really talks about Uncle Chuck. We never even see what happened to everyone else

Closing Thoughts

SatAM is not the best show in the world, but it is a solid and enjoyable one. It’s easy to see why people who grew up with it are fond of it, even if I think that it’s long past time certain fans quit acting like it’s the only valid take on the Sonic source material and petitioning for a third season. At the very least, the concepts and characters introduced here are strong ones, and it’s easy to see how they spawned over 20 years of comics exploring said ideas in greater detail. While I’m not sure I could recommend it to non-fans, I think it’s definitely worth checking out for Sonic fans who missed out on it (especially fans of the Archie comics)

Anyway I got to see Bunnie dropkick some Swatbots twice her height so I had fun

[rhalgrs]

4, 19, 32, 40, 45! (Gryphon, Ao, and Schach!)

So this is probably going to be long lol - I’ll go through each question at a time, and skip whatever characters I have nothing for, or nothing applies to. It’s all under a ‘read more’

4. Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

Gryphon-four: 

Four grew up in the city-state of Ala Mhigo. The only thing they remember about Ala Mhigo from their childhood is imperial rule, and their parent’s stories of how it was before. Every day, they saw Garlean soldiers marching the streets, they saw the image of a strong empire that supposedly protected its people, they saw the dwindling supplies of food at home, the shrinking pile of savings, their parents hiding their tears from their child as they tried to figure out how to continue providing safety for their child. The constant incidents shaped their view of the world - a fierce pride and protectiveness of Ala Mhigo, and a blinding hate for anything Garlean. 

The last straw that convinced them to leave for the Ala Mhigan Resistance at merely 17 was being caught stealing a sack of flour, consequently having their pinky cut off on the spot to make an example to everyone, and at that moment their decision to join the Resistance shaped the rest of their life. They’re not shy in telling people about how they used to live and why they joined.

Ao: 

Ao used to be quite the bright and sunny personality, excitable and willing to take on any job as a fresh adventurer, pleased to help anyone and everyone. At one point, he took on a job that brought him to the cold reaches of Coerthas. The job was to slay a creature that had been spotted near an abandoned outpost, as it was causing trouble and potentially nesting there, and the knights and dragoons were busy in areas that were actually strategically important. Ao was confident he could take on it himself - plus, the reward for slaying it was rather appealing. Unused to the cold and snow, however, he was soon caught up in a whiteout of a blizzard, cold biting deep into him, mistakenly assuming the snow would soon cease. So, there he sat, hunched over in the cold, trying to not let the snow settle and bury him, when a wyrm very much bigger than anticipated found him. 

The resulting fight looked like a massacre. Fresh blood splattered across the trampled snow, a broken and bloodied dragon dying with torn wings and maimed tail. Ao lay beside it, clutching its severed talon to his chest as proof of his victory - but wounded. A blow every here and there leaving him with bruises and a general sense of pain, perhaps a broken limb… and crimson staining the ground, flowing from a deep wound in his throat - a misstep leading to him nearly dying. He only survived thanks to a trader and his pack chocobo finding him after passing through and examining the struggle they’d seen from a distance. 

Ultimately, his throat was damaged to the point he could no longer speak without pain, leaving him essentially mute and with scars across his face and down his neck. It was a hell of a reality check to show him he wasn’t invincible. His time recovering led him to be depressed for a while, and once he did get better, he stayed quieter, less flashy, and his instincts caused him to grow more cautious. He tries not to bring it up, and if he’s asked about it, all he’ll be able to manage is telling some half-truths. 

Schach: 

As a young adult just trying to figure out what to do with his life, Schach had no idea what he wanted, jumping around from engineering to music making. One evening, a walk in the nearby forests led Schach to get lost for hours, not realizing he didn’t know where he was until he stumbled across a ranger taking samples by coring trees. After a bit of chatter, he learned what this person was doing, eventually talking about what they’d studied and learning that the ranger had studied forestry. He never realized his passion for the environment and flora could grow into a career, but at that moment he decided that what this park ranger had explained was exactly what he wanted to do, and ultimately went into studying the field of forestry with no doubts.

19. What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

Four: 

They’re too willing to give up literally anything for their job, including relationships - they’ve taught themselves how to not get too attached. A handful of times they’d actually gotten into a relationship, hiding their occupation from their partner, only to abruptly break things off or vanish with no explanation. Mostly, it was simply because they had to move for work, and they claim they don’t really care and that relationships are just a cover for a normal life. Their previous partners really don’t like them because of this. 

Ao: 

He really just doesn’t know what he’s looking for, and he’s a little eccentric in how often he might actually see them, considering how often he travels. He’s a little unstable at this point, too, and would be far too worried about if he’s being a good partner or if his partner even cares for him - at any rate, he just hasn’t found anyone he wants to date yet.

Schach:

Really, the biggest flaw would be how he might get too engrossed in his research and not quite notice if his s/o is in a bad mood or doesn’t want to hear more of it. Their attention is not always quite there, and while he is incredibly caring and gentle, he just is oblivious to how little he might pay attention at times. 

32. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

Ao:

If he’s put into a situation where he can’t solve problems by either fighting or running away, he’ll grow incredibly uncomfortable. Pretty much, he hates being confronted or being insulted without the ability to retaliate in any way. 

Schach:

He definitely likes having groups of people to discuss work with around him, and never minds participating in a bustling academic fair! As soon as he’s in social gatherings around, let’s say, groups of drunk people or others who are only there to mess around with friends and not have conversations with, he gets self-conscious. He really doesn’t know what to talk about to others if they’re not interested in his work, and realizes not everyone cares enough to talk about academic work or field research.

40. How does your character treat people in service jobs?

Four:

They’ll be courteous enough - maybe a bit paranoid with food workers, watching like a hawk what they do with food they’re preparing to make sure it’s not poisoned or anything. 

Ao:

He tries to be nice, and if he could he’d strike up a conversation, but usually his interactions with them are either pointing and gestures, or writing out stuff on paper if need be - the bare minimum of communicating what he needs. 

Schach: 

He’ll definitely just try to chat with them for a minute or two if they’re genuinely nice to him, and has ended up befriending a few vendors he frequents. Aside from that, he also works to help supply lumber to a few merchants, so he knows his way around some rather specific markets quite well. 

45. What does your character believe will happen to them after they die? Does this belief scare them?

Four:

They would like to believe that when they die, their soul is carried into the Halls of the Twelve. They fear that they’ve done too many bad things to ever go there. Thinking about how they might really simply disappear in a burst of aether scares them. 

Ao:

He doesn’t think about it a lot. His attitude is ‘what happens, happens’. His brushes with death made him think how the only thing he cares about is staying alive. 

Schach:

If you ask him what happens, he’ll launch into an incredibly detailed discussion of how your soul will explode into a burst of aether and then re-enter the lifestream, and how your body will decompose and find its way back to the earth. This doesn’t really scare him. Instead, he’ll rather cheerily tell you that he’d like to have a tree planted on his resting place after he dies so he can give back to the environment. 

[princecharmingtobe]

Now that I’ve had a night to mull over it, a less emotional review of what I did and did not like (mostly did not) about Cats 2019. Note these are just my opinions and I am very biased toward the 1998 version because I grew up watching it like every day.

I’m not gonna go too hard on the singing because I’ve come to the conclusion that the audio setup in our theater was just fucked (most obvious during Memory where we literally couldn’t hear her over the music) so I’ll have to watch it again in a different setting to really form an opinion on that.

So, to start with the problem everyone’s been talking about since the first trailer dropped: Looked bad. It would have benefited so much from practical effects for the cats. Face makeup especially, some nose and mouth makeup like that of the stage production would have helped so much. 

See how the nose and mouth give more of a cat-like impression. Something small like that could have made it much more enjoyable to watch. (Mom: They paid a lot for those faces, they don’t want to cover them up) Another issue I think is the size of the cat ears. I understand wanting to animate the ears, I don’t necessarily disagree with that decision, I just think the ears should’ve been bigger. They looked kind of tacked on to the tops of the heads instead of being actual functional parts of them.  And lastly I think we could’ve done with more fluff on a lot of them. Most of them had short fur which ended up often looking like skintight bodysuits and really showed off the human bodies underneath. A little more fluff and variety here and there I think would’ve helped this a little. In the 1998 version most of them have bits of fluff in places to break up their shape a little.

See here how Munkustrap has that fluff around his shoulders, and others would have it on their shoulders, arms, legs, etc. Obviously you wouldn’t do it quite like that in the 2019 movie cause they were trying to go for something more realistic, but just longer fur and longer tufts of it in places I think would’ve helped with the illusion of humanoid cats. And more head fluff! Nothing broke the already weak illusion faster than very human-looking heads. Those with more fluff on their heads like Grizabella, Gus, and Old Deuteronomy looked better in that regard. And again, I think bigger ears would’ve helped as well. I generally liked the tails though I think even those could’ve been a bit bigger. Take it from a furry: When you’re taking an animal and giving it a humanoid form, you really want to play up the animal traits: fur, ears, tail, muzzle, paws if you got ‘em. Those things will really make or break an anthropomorphized animal. 

Ok, straying from appearances, we have the music. Most of the songs and dance numbers were cut short, and what remained often felt rushed along. I think they either should’ve added 30 minutes to the runtime just to slow their songs down a little, or else better managed what they decided to put on the screen in order to make time for them. I think a lot of movies have suffered from that recently: Giving more time to certain scenes than they deserve, thus leaving the important parts feeling rushed.  I also strongly disagree with the decision to have cats sing their own songs who’d previously had others singing about them. Having others singing the songs about them gave the impression of them being these well-respected, beloved figures in the community, and gave some insight into how the other cats viewed them. For example, in the 1998 version when Jellylorum sings about Gus, the way she acts lines like “His name was quite famous, he says, in his time.” gives the impression of not necessarily believing the extent to which he’s hyped himself up, but she still obviously loves and respects him and wants him to get to live a new life.  And on the note of Gus, they really gutted the emotion of his part, making him more of a comedic character when the original could bring you to tears. It was enjoyable watching Ian McKellen pretend to be a cat, but I think he definitely could’ve brought us to tears with a more serious Gus.  Though in terms of cats singing their own songs, I think most people agree Mr. Mistoffelees suffered the most, combined with the change in his personality. When before the song was someone else, more charismatic and respected, singing his praises to convince the others he could do it, this was him awkwardly bumbling through trying to convince himself he could do it, and it was just kind of painful to watch. They could have even gotten away with his changed personality if they’d still had someone else confidently sing his song to hype him up. I also think they could’ve done a little more with Old Deuteronomy’s return. Just having her appear behind everyone was lazy and lacked any flair, especially considering how Macavity’s whisking people away was always accompanied by a visual effect. I get what they were going for with the “Aw, it didn’t work... oh wait yes it did!” but... It just didn’t impress or excite me. And moving to a different musical complaint: Swift sounded pretty good as Bombalurina, I’ll give them that, but that song really works better as a duet, and coming from someone who isn’t supposed to be singing Macavity’s praises. The song was originally supposed to be telling the audience about this community’s bogeyman, making him out to be wicked and loathsome. But here we have lines like “He’s not widely respectable” and “His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed” coming from someone who’s supposed to be building him up as The Jellicle Choice. Hell, it could easily have been done as a way to tell Victoria, the outsider, who Macavity is and why they fear him, and it would’ve worked so much better. Macavity in general was also made more comedic and cartoonish, even pathetic, less scary. I don’t think that was a good choice. 

I wonder if they doubted whether they could get a general audience to invest emotionally in the cats and take their story seriously, so they tried to play up the comedy more like “Haha, look at these silly cat people, so weird and funny!” Which I think really did the whole thing a disservice. Grizabella ended up being the only character with any emotional... oomph. And even that felt kind of glossed over in a way. The scene that always brings me to tears in the 1998 one is Grizabella’s Rejection.

Part of the problem with the 2019 movie is they also made her seem younger, where I think Grizabella’s story works better for someone near the end of their life. Here you see someone who no longer finds joy in the things she used to, who’s become out of touch with her community that’s rejected her, and is struggling with an aging body and the limits that come with it. Where as for a younger character you just have someone who’s fallen from grace socially but could potentially turn things around and get a new start without having to be reborn. Maybe I’m wrong and she is intended to be older in the new movie, in which case they should’ve done more to express that.

So, to sum up my feelings about the movie: Looked bad, felt rushed, felt like a lot of the emotion was cut out of it, and certain choices just didn’t work well. I mean I expect I was never going to love it, as I’ve mentioned I’m very biased toward the 1998 one, but I still expected it to be better than it was, so I’m still disappointed.