#Honor Magic 2 features

[psyche-hero]

Reasons FNC should be canon, chronologically, sort of, by me, someone who is very slowly writing a mostly canon compliant soulmate au (yes i am reading between the lines for some of these)

1. Chip pulls Gillion out of the sea, Gillion, instantly acquires a new favorite color, the color of Chips eyes.

2. When Chip thinks he is going to die in the casino, he grabs Gillion and holds on, confessing all the wrong things he did to him because he does feel bad.

3. Episode 15 and 16

4. But fr, Gillion gets his honor back because Chip partakes in a cultural custom of his, then Gillion cheers Chip up by participating in a prank for Chip.

5. Chip INVENTING HIS OWN SHIPNAME

6. They shared a kiss that was loving enough that it opened a magic door (listen two nat 20s for a kiss, that is fucking true loves kiss, you just know Chip is thinking about the best kiss of his life constantly)

7. The rings during the BLOCK arc, like idc if it was practical, that’s gay.

8. Chip being so worried that Gillion would choose the undersea over him.

9. One of the few people we see Chip showing explicit attraction towards being someone who looks very similar to Gillion (Eden)

10. Chip basically loosing it after loosing Gil in the feywild

11. Chip like unlocking his magic potential via Gillions sword

12. Chip standing up on a rowboat in the middle of a raging storm prepared to get struck by lightning to bring Gil back

13. Gillion offering to help Chip with magic

14. Chip building an arena and begging to fight Gil because he lied and hurt Gil’s honor again

15. Them having matching scars cus of Kuba Kenta

16. Chip offering to wear a mind reading bracelet to try and fight off Gillions horrible nightmares

17. (I might be misremembering but one of Gillions nightmares primary features being him being unable to save Chip??)

18. Chip being so willing to believe that the person he was seeing was Gillion safe and alive that he fell right into Dopple Gillys trap.

That’s all I can think of. Do let me know more!!

[nightisawkward]

"Another challenger… it has been ages. Perhaps you have forgotten how this game is played. Allow me to remind you."

Happy halloween fellas!!! Hermitcraft/Life SMP inscryption AU ft. Boatem gang I cooked up awhile ago but never got around to posting B-) Wild life smp has reminded me how mentally ill I am about putting these Guys in Situations so here I am

Mild to major inscryption spoilers under the cut!

For those familiar with the game, the general roles are:

Luke Carter - "Challenger"/Grian

In this AU Grian is still a trading card-based youtuber who's recording all this nonsense going down real time as in canon, but has closer ties to the GameFuna company equivalent, named "WatcherCorp". His old college roommate/best mate Jimmy went to work for them, but mysteriously passed away in a fire at their headquarters. He found the Inscryption cards in Jimmy's leftover personal belongings a few years after his death, and decided that the best way to honor him would be to make a video featuring the project he put his heart and soul into... in more ways than one.

Key difference from canon Inscryption: Grian's mind is sucked into the game of Inscryption whenever he is playing. He is able to enter and leave the game at will, but he doesn't realize this until he first dies to Leshy/Pearl and ejects himself unconsciously out of fear of dying. The only reason he realizes he isn't hallucinating is because his camcorder footage proves he actually enters the game. He obtains the "Watcher's Eye" during Act 1, which he keeps for all future acts and allows him to see things he shouldn't see as a Challenger.

P03 - "Scarred Stoat"/Scar

Despite being the one who convinces Grian and the other Scrybes to stand up against Pearl, no one seems eager to spend any more time with the conniving conman than absolutely necessary. This may have something to do with Scar's history of backstabbing and cheating both Scybes and Challengers whenever it benefits him most. Which makes it rather unfortunate that Grian is must spend time with Scar in order to gather as much information as possible.

In the beginning, Scar and Grian do not get along in the slightest. Grian finds Scar's attitude too "fake", while Scar finds Grian's "cowardice" to be irritating. At some point, the two go from passive-aggressive fighting, to a grudging truce, to more friendly, lighthearted banter. Neither person seems to trust the other, but it doesn't seem to stop the two from being ✨saddled with unnecessary feelings✨. Scar's Act 3 world is much like Leshy's Act 1 world, with much more emphasis put on environmental storytelling and general Vibes than actual gameplay. Even if his game is a smokescreen for his true goal of Ascension, he feels strangely obligated to give Grian his best shot.

Scar in his proper Scrybe form appears more steampunk than canon P03. Think of a Grumbot with Scar's boatem base aesthetic and tons of missing nuts and bolts. P03's bastardous tendencies+ Scar's steampunk base made this role perfect for him.

Magnificus - "Horned Wolf"/Impulse

Impulse is a talented artist and an even more talented programmer. His future sight stems from his literal sight: His eyes are able to see read the code veil behind Inscryption, allowing him to predict likely futures based on what code is running. He often laments his status as an NPC, claiming that if he were given administrative privileges and the actual ability to modify source code he would have been able to escape Inscryption long ago.

He is rather absent in Act 2, focusing on finishing his "artwork" as soon as possible. He uses his brush to create a menagerie magical creatures with strange abilities in hopes that using one in battle might trigger a unfixable bug, allowing him to rip a hole through the source code. It is unclear whether he was able to accomplish his goal before Act 3 roles around, but it seems like Scar's method of Ascension seems awfully similar to Impulse's... perhaps a sneaky spy was able to steal Impulse's information?

As a proper Scrybe, he resembles a walking mop or a yak with overgrown fur. Most of his features are indistinguishable, save for his small horns and his glowing goat eyes.

Lemora - "Distinguished Stinkbug"/Mumbo

Mumbo is by far the most easygoing Scrybe in the cast. While he would greatly prefer an eternal slumber over yet another temporary ceasefire amongst the Scrybes, he is willing to work with the others in Act 1 simply because he finds his stinkbug form too uncomfortable to sleep in. Mumbo's goal is simple: to delete the game of Inscryption, and therefore himself, and finally rest. However, finds the constant power struggles in the world of Inscryption rather tiring and simply can't be bothered to make a grab for power himself to achieve this goal. This hasn't stopped him from asking Grian to destroy floppy disk of Inscryption. Unfortunately for him, the temptation of the o̷l̵d̷ ̶d̸a̶t̷ [REDACTED] mysteries within Inscryption are simply too powerful for Grian to resist.

As a proper Scrybe, he looks almost exactly like Mumbo's minecraft skin: A pale, mustached man with blood red eyes who resembles a vampire. Mumbo denies all vampire allegations. While he is the most "normal" looking Scrybe, Grian would still hesitate to call him "human" ...there's just something slightly off about his appearance that sets him on edge.

Leshy - "Game Master"/Pearl

Pearl is an unforgiving gamemaster that puts more emphasis on providing the player a challenge than her canon counterpart. After her self-proclaimed "tutorial", there is no more handholding and she gives Grian an absolute hellish time. Grian is only able to get a slight edge when he discovers all of the Scrybes, who provide him with stategy help to even the playing field. It is unclear whether Pearl actually enjoys running her Act 1 game or not: she seems to derive an animalistic pleasure from defeating Grian, but there are times where she seems tired and fed up with the endless gameplay loop and intentionally throws during key fights. She switches between manic and depressed at the drop of a hat.

During Act 2, she barely even tries to give Grian a challenge, allowing him to progress straight to her boss fight without any side quests to "get it over with quicker". She seems to hold a deep grudge against Scar for some reason, which is the only thing that motivates her to take action to stop him during Act 3.

Mysteriously, Grian finds a burned and unusable Unicorn card within her Act 1 cabin. Upon discovery, Scar immediately suggests that Grian leave it where he found it. Some things are best left forgotten, after all...

[sorcerersseestars]

LIMERENCE (II)

Gojo Satoru x gn!reader

part i here

summary: Gojo is uncharacteristically insecure and unsure to the point of double guessing himself—something practically unheard of for the self-proclaimed Honored One. Meanwhile, the ever-feared blood-laden flowers make an unwelcome appearance.

word count: 6.7k

warnings: mentions of sickness and blood, descriptions of vomiting (caution to fellow ppl with emetophobia), characters are anxious and stressed!, cussing (obvs), use of (Y/N), kidnapping!

genre: hanahaki disease au, hurt/comfort, DRAMA

a/n: Here is part 2 (finally lol)! It is a whole 6.7k words (😫) to make up for not updating until now haha. This chapter features serious!Gojo and worried!Gojo 😳. It seems out of character but it’s intentional (or so I claim). Also, I kinda make a pun out of Utahime’s name—hime (姫) means princess in Japanese! Two last notes: for clarification—I use italics to emphasize things, but also for characters’ thoughts. Geto is still alive (still excommunicated tho) in this timeline. More notes at the end of the chapter!

“Hey, ‘Hime, when’s your lunch break today?”

He hears a scoff that hardly conceals the crackly laugh that follows through his speakers. Her laugh is delicate and bright, even over the phone.

“Don’t call me that, Gojo. Never been into the princess thing.”

“We’ve been over this, it’s Satoru. And what should I call you then? Hime is perfect, it’s literally in your name.”

“I’ll call you Satoru if you call me by my real name: Utahime.”

“You’re so boringgg! Come on!” He whines, pretending to pout.

Utahime breathes in sharply at his words, “Satoru…you shouldn’t say things like that.”

Gojo stops walking. His brow creases in confusion: this is how he has always behaved, with obviously facetious and playful words. Even the people that claim they can’t stand him the most, like Shoko and Nanami, recognize when his words are intentionally over the top or ridiculous. Utahime also knows this: he has not concealed this aspect of his personality from her.

He can’t stop his next words from being spoken with a twinge of annoyance. “I was kidding, you know. Is something wrong?”

Utahime sighs, “No, no. Sorry, I’m just a bit stressed since the higher-ups asked for a meeting with me. Have no idea what it’s about…”

“They did? So, you’re not free for lunch? Please say you are…”

His words feel unnatural and stilted, but he brushes the feeling aside. He’s probably just nervous since it’s her, right?

“Yeah, I’m going to my meeting in a few, but I should be able to make it. Could you get the reservation for us?” Utahime asks, tone leaning on snippy.

“Mm, maybe. What’s the magic word?” He teases with a playful tone, trying to lighten her mood. This should work, it should make her feel better. He has experience with this.

“C’mon Gojo, not now,” She groans, apparently disgruntled. “But, fine, could you please make the reservation?”

He frowns. Not exactly the reaction he anticipated.

“Okay, but next time you gotta call me Satoru,” He says with a small awkward chuckle, this time easing up a bit on his teasing tone. “I’ll let you off the hook this time, though.”

“Sure,” She snorts, but not in the way that she would if she thought it was funny. It’s a sardonic snort, rather, and he would bet money that her eyes are rolling.

A loud click signals the end of conversation, but his phone remains pressed to his ear. He lowers it slowly, a strange feeling swirling in his chest. It’s an uneasy, heavy feeling from deep down, but he can’t discern what exactly it means.

“Why would I expect that to work?” He mutters to himself. “That’s so annoying, who would tolerate that?”

Suddenly, an image flashes under his eyelids, almost making him flinch at how intensely it conjures itself. A vivid apparition of you doubled over in laughter appears in his mind. It’s a memory, he realizes: you’re leaning on him as tears part from your eyes, unable to catch your breath due to how hard you’re laughing at one of his horrible, stupid jokes.

He remembers this moment well. You had been crying for real before—quietly sniffling, trying to hide it from him. He knew that you hated crying in front of others—trying to always appear strong, he knew this feeling well—so he started direct attention away from it with the corniest jokes he could make. That’s when your tears, first full of the hurt that he could clearly see in your crumpled expression, turned into ones of relief and joy. Your eyes had sparkled with some other emotion he couldn’t identify—something familiar, something that made him feel warm in the chest, but also made him feel so, so scared.

He never did figure out what it was. Or, rather, he has tried not to dwell on it. Every time it pops into his head, he pushes it down, the fear rising in him each time he comes closer to the answer.

Utahime never made him feel like that. That must be better. He never feels scared like that when he thinks of his feelings for her. That must be better, it has to be.

He enjoys talking to Utahime. He likes that he can get under her skin with little effort, likes how easily he can get a rise out of her: and most of the time, she’s amused by it, giggling and slapping his arm. He’s never scared with Utahime, but…why does something feel wrong?

His fingers, typing in his name for the reservation, pause and begin to tremble when he sees what he typed. He typed your name. His eyes widen beneath his blindfold—he’s grateful it helps to conceal his expression, even if nobody he knows is around. In truth, this is partly why he seldom removes it; he masks his true emotions more often than not. Not that anyone suspects it, though, too convinced by his saccharine smiles and forever jocular personality.

The blue horizontal line blinks in and out of existence as his fingers hover over his keyboard. Your name, though written in normal text, appears bolded to him: it sucks his attention away from anything else on his screen. He begins to break out in a sweat.

Sweating just from their name? How pathetic…

He shakes his head, frantically backspacing, trying to erase all traces of you from his mind. He’s been trying to do this for months, ever since he began to distance himself from you. There is a legitimate reason he has been giving you the cold shoulder, but it feels like an excuse to drive away this fear that grips him when he thinks of that warmth, that sparkle in your eyes.

Fuck. Now he can’t get that image of you out of his mind—his chest aches, his breathing comes quicker, but he does not know why.

He walks almost endlessly in the town he booked the restaurant in, in a pace-like fashion. His large stature and height make the brisk pace he walks at look absurdly hurried to passerbys: they stare at him unabashedly and he barely notices.

It’s only when he checks his phone that he realizes how much time has passed since he called Utahime. His reservation is soon: he will be late if he doesn’t start walking there now. Shit.

His breath comes heavy when he finally reaches the restaurant. It’s a casual yet nice ramen place—something familiar yet suitable for a lunch date. He’s wearing a baby blue button down shirt, nice slacks, and trades in his blindfold for heavily shaded sunglasses: also suitable for a lunch date.

A date. Yes, that’s what he’s on. A nice lunch date with a girl whom he kissed before the first date. A bit untraditional, not that he would be one to mind.

He approaches the hostess, about to ask for a table for two, but then he spots a familiar red ribbon perfectly adorning the dark strands of hair she always pulls back. She’s already here, sitting alone in the corner.

Gojo sighs. Fuck, ‘messed up again.

He hurriedly stumbles over to Utahime, probably looking a bit disheveled. She gives him a questioning glance at his appearance—Gojo laughs and immediately plasters on an easy smile.

“Hey,” He says nonchalantly, slowly lowering himself into the chair opposite her.

“Hey. You’re late,” She notes, but she doesn’t sound as bothered as he thought she would. “Did something happen? You look…like something happened.”

He goes along with it, sighing dramatically, “How’d you know? Yeah, Yaga was bothering me about some mission stuff. Dumb paperwork I’m supposed to do and whatever.”

She smiles, but it’s tight lipped, “Of course. But that doesn’t explain why you’re all sweaty.”

“I am?” He questions, feigning confusion, but his next words are partly true. “Ah, well, I realized I was gonna be late since he was pestering me so much. Guess I walked too fast.”

“Hmm,” Is all she says. She stirs the tea in front of her with a small spoon, expression blank as she does so.

Once he realizes she isn’t going to initiate talking further, he takes it upon himself, “How did the meeting go?”

She stops stirring. She sets down the spoon more harshly than she means to: it clangs loudly on the tea tray.

“I have some questions,” She says seriously.

“Questions? About what?” He asks.

Her dark, stormy eyes meet his. “…About you.”

He gulps, “Sure! What type of questions? You know, people ask me a lot of stuff. I’m sure I can handle anything.”

He winks at her, his usual smirk spreading across his face. Maybe if he jokes he can diffuse this god-awful tension. Not that it worked before, but he can try.

Utahime blinks slowly, exhaling deeply, as if attempting to calm herself down. He can see the fire in her eyes between blinks.

“How about that the higher-ups were asking me about my relation to you, when they believed you to only show interest in someone else?”

No. They can’t still believe that.

Terror strikes Gojo’s heart, electrifying his nerves, but he tries to play it off. He breathes out a chuckle and a few weak words, “That wasn’t a question.”

“For once in your life, be serious! We’ve only been dating for 3 weeks and I–” She inhales deeply. “I don’t think it’s a good sign that you’re intentionally avoiding answering me about this.”

“I’m not, I just don’t know what you’re talking about. Who did they even ask about? I can’t think of anyone they could say that about.” He’s lying through his teeth. Alarm bells are ringing through his head, and he dreads her answer.

She narrows her eyes, but seems convinced enough at his alleged cluelessness.

“They were asking about (Y/N). Asking about…your relationship with them. About how close you are. Asking if it’s changed.”

Gojo takes a sip from his glass, avoiding her eyes.“Well, did they say why? Seems awfully strange to ask you about it.”

She’s silent for a few seconds, mulling over her next words. They end up making Gojo bristle. “Satoru, you know I couldn’t tell you even if they did.”

His tone is abruptly serious. “The hell does that mean?”

She blinks at him slowly, with anger flashing in her dark eyes. “Gakuganji is very involved with them. If I told you, it would definitely get back to him. Who knows how he would punish me.”

"So you'd rather possibly endanger (Y/N)?" Gojo scoffs.

“Who said anything about danger?” Utahime says lowly, suspicion clear in her voice.

“Well, when the higher ups ask questions about my life, it usually isn’t just for fun,” Gojo says with a shrewd smile. “I don’t know what the hell they’re thinking so I can only assume the worst.”

“Does this really matter right now? (Y/N) is capable enough if it does turn out like that, and besides, I sorted it all out. Told them that your ‘relationship’ is fine and dandy and yada yada.”

Gojo sucks in a breath, nerves beginning to turn in his stomach. No. No! That’s not what I wanted…

Utahime doesn’t seem to notice his discomfort and continues, “You two have always been close…didn’t you have a thing for each other in high school? They have always had these eyes for you.”

Her tone is strange, gushing and gossipy yet also jealous.

“What?” Gojo says more loudly than intended as he takes in all of the information Utahime just casually dropped.

“You know, I even told them that you two were meant to be together,” She chuckles. “Funny how things work out—or, rather, don’t work out.”

Gojo’s stomach twists painfully at her insinuation—even though it shouldn’t. He likes Utahime, he’s with Utahime. Not with you. He’s not with you, he has never been with you.

“Gojo,” Utahime says suddenly. He blinks rapidly in surprise, eyes finally landing on hers. “Can we agree to be honest with each other?”

“Of course. What do you mean?” He says easily, nervously.

“That’s exactly what I mean,” She shakes her head. “You’re deflecting at every question I ask. You’re not as slick as you think you are.”

Gojo lets himself sigh this time.

He studies her expression. She’s beautiful, he has to admit. She’s beautiful, but she’s not you.

“Utahime…what is this all about?” He asks slowly.

“I should be asking you that,” She counters. “Why did you ask me out if you won’t actively participate in our relationship?”

“What do you mean? I’m here, aren’t I?” Gojo responds carefully.

“But you mind isn’t,” Utahime sighs. “You’re miles away, Satoru. You always are. When you’re with me, you’re not thinking of me, are you?”

The question is so accurate that it seems rhetorical to Gojo, to the point of him not responding for many moments before he realizes she is genuinely asking him.

It’s so true and yet he physically cannot bring himself to admit to it. “I mean, I think about the higher-ups and work related stuff a lot. I’m sorry I haven’t been that present on dates and stuff, but–”

“That’s not what I meant, and you know it, Gojo!” Utahime hisses out, tone bordering on venomous. “You’re always thinking about them. You make decisions thinking of them. I bet even when you kiss me, you think about them. Are you going to deny that?”

“Utahime…” He says softly, guilt constricting his vocal chords.

“I don’t understand you, Gojo. You asked me out and have taken me on fancy dates as if you want a committed relationship, but then your mind is always wandering away. I know that you still care for them, but then I heard from Shoko that you’ve been ignoring them for months. And then the fucking higher-ups ask me your relationship with them. Why would they ask me that and why would they even care? Something isn’t adding up. What’s really going on here?”

Gojo blinks in surprise at the depth of concern in her voice. It’s like she has already moved on from her jealousy towards you, and now is worried for you.

He must look surprised, because she adds on, “Just so you know, I’m not that sad. You’re kind of a shithead for doing this to me, but this wasn’t that serious for me. Obviously not for you, either.”

Gojo winces. Everything she has said so far has been true, but he wishes it wasn’t.

“Iori, I’m sorry. For everything. I didn’t even realize that…that I was doing that,” Gojo sighs. “And to answer your question—I didn’t want to tell anyone, but I think I owe it to you. I don’t know what’s going on either, and that’s what scares me. I have no idea what they want or what they’re plotting, but it can’t be anything good.”

Utahime sits there with a small smirk on her face. When he raises an eyebrow at her expression, she just chuckles and shakes her head. “You can’t even say their name. Just how much denial are you in?”

He can’t even answer. He just sits there, a hand brushing his cheeks in order the cover the warmth the rises at the mention of the depth of his denial concerning his feelings for you.

When she realizes he isn’t going to answer, Utahime rises out of her seat. “Well, I guess I can say I’m officially breaking up with you, not that you or I really care. Just…if you need help with this, just know I’m in your corner, yeah? Unless it’s something to do with Gakuganji, and in that case my hands would be tied. Otherwise, just ask. You know, I wasn’t joking when I said I rooted for you guys in high school. That’s a fact and I can’t deny it.

You should really figure this out—for their sake. It sounds like they’re not having the best time with it. And besides, as much as it pains me to say it, you owe it to yourself after fighting against whatever feelings you have had for them for so many years.”

He doesn’t interrupt her even once, instead quietly absorbing her advice. He fidgets at the mention of his feelings for you, still uncomfortable even at the thought of them. Still scared.

“Goodbye for now, Satoru. I hope you figure all this shit out. Have a nice lunch,” She says coldly as she readies her things. Her coldness stings a bit, but what else could he expect?

“Oh, one last thing,” Utahime pauses. “I’m surprised you didn’t ask me this, but I guess you’re too in over to head right now to think straight. I think I might know partly why they have taken an interest in (Y/N).”

Gojo’s gaze turns to her sharply, blue eyes bright with curiosity behind his shades. “Why? How do you know?”

“I think the higher-ups must have asked Yaga about them. I forgot until now, but they were asking me if I knew anything about (Y/N)‘s identity. And who would know better than anyone? Your nosey principal who digs deep on everyone,” She rolls her eyes, huffing out a small but humorless laugh. “Well, that should be it then. Bye, ex-boyfriend.”

She gives him one last look, then struts away with her head held high. He sincerely hopes she isn’t hurting too much, despite her very “okay with it” façade.

So it has to do with your identity? In Satoru’s view, you have somewhat of an average identity for a sorcerer. A grade one sorcerer who comes from a sorcerer family. You had not inherited your clan’s special innate technique, but you are still pretty strong regardless. There’s nothing unusual about your background, or at least to the best of his knowledge.

And yet this sickening feeling has begun to creep into his stomach, that feeling that something is horribly wrong. What he does not know is what he cannot control, and each heartbeat and breath of his feels tortured with the knowledge that you may not be safe.

Shoko won’t stop texting you, almost on the hour, despite your radio silence. It’s strange when you think about it—she has always hated texting, always grumbling that it’s going to give her carpal tunnel someday. And yet here she is, blowing up your phone with notifications.

You haven’t been to school in weeks, taking mission after mission instead. It’s very obvious that you’ve been avoiding Shoko and Gojo, but you won’t admit that.

The missions have been grueling and gruesome—your stomach turns when the curses you exorcised spring to mind. They were ghastly and frankly were some of the most mentally scarring curses you’ve encountered. So, you’ve decided to take a break.

You feel your skin crawl when you’re sitting at home doing nothing—the curses come to mind much more easily, and also thoughts of him—so you abandon being cozy for the sake of your mind. It’s cold outside, so cold that your breath greets you in a cloud with every puff of air you release. Winter has arrived, and it nips at your cheeks and numbs your extremities just to remind you.

You haven’t been coping well, and you know it. Avoiding thoughts of Gojo has not been working very well, even after physically avoiding him. You try to forget what you heard that day, but it won’t escape your mind no matter how much you distract yourself. You think of Utahime: her beauty, her quiet strength, of how she always seems so calm and collected and yet somehow always makes her voice heard. She has everything that you lack.

The skin of your face burns with envy when you think about her. And when you picture her with Gojo—her dark eyes looking into his pooling blue depths, her leaning forward and up to kiss him—your chest crumbles in on itself.

It hurts. Right now, everything surrounding Gojo Satoru hurts.

But today, you will change that. This will definitely help. You’ve taken yourself out of your apartment and straight into a place that has always lifted your spirits—the local florist.

You scour the aisles, wincing at the very romantic red roses and the bright yellow daffodils. But then something catches your eye: an array of festive bouquets.

You end up picking out a bouquet fit for the season: it features a string of cranberries, enveloped by branches of pine and pinecones, with a striped garland draped around it all. Despite all of your poisonous feelings inside, you crack a small smile at the sight.

You take it home, putting care into the beautiful and yet flowerless bouquet. You carefully mix the plant food into a vase full of cool water, cut the ends of the stems under running water, then submerge the bouquet.

It brings a sense of homeliness that you’ve been desperately missing ever since you’ve starting living on your own. It almost soothes the ache in your chest.

But, as always, reality swoops in to remind you that you cannot run from your feelings within. Within only minutes of arranging the new bouquet, you accidentally swipe at the vase. It crashes to the floor, the glass shattering everywhere, glinting beautifully as it spins through the air. The cranberries begin to bleed into the water, the impact too much for them to tolerate.

You bend down, slowly processing the collision. When you stare into the expanding pool of water, you see wild eyes brimming with pain. Brimming with heartache. It is then that you are painfully reminded what cranberries represent: a cure for heartache.

The irony is not lost on you. You begin to howl in laughter, and the voice that reverberates back to you sounds crazed.

Then, it begins. You abruptly stop breathing; you are choked, silenced, almost as if something is blocking your airway. And then your throat begins to convulse, an instinctual reaction to choking, and you have no choice but to obey your body. You stumble through the shards of glass and collapse at the foot of your toilet. You heave and heave—whatever is lodged in your throat is large, making it difficult and painful to retch up.

When you finally use enough force to hack up the offending object, you freeze at the sight in front of you. Vibrant hydrangeas the same color as his eyes float in a murky red cloud. Blue hydrangeas: a symbol of rejection and regret.

Your chest bursts in pain at the realization. You are in love with Gojo Satoru, and he doesn’t love you back.

You feel another bloom emerging from within. You shudder in fear, knowing that you have little time left. Once the flowers present themselves, death is almost always imminent.

You spend the next few hours by the toilet, conjuring a newer, more painful bouquet than the one that lays in shattered remains in your living room.

“You told them what?” Gojo exhales deeply, a sigh following his exasperated words. He pinches the bridge of his nose—a gesture uncharacteristic for someone as self-assured as him.

“That (Y/N) is important to you,” Yaga Masamichi states calmly. “Satoru, there is no reason to fret. Their intentions concerning this matter are pure.”

“Do you even hear yourself right now? The higher-ups intentions are anything but pure.”

“I can sense that you are agitated,” He observes, eyebrows beginning to furrow. “But you are blinded by your bias. They first and foremost protect our community. (Y/N) is of no threat to Jujutsu society, thus they should be in no danger.”

“You don’t understand,” Gojo shakes his head. He is clearly angry, but now his nerves are showing through more: his voice is uneven and his tone has an air of desperation. “The higher-ups are out to get them. I don’t have any answers for that, even though I’ve been searching for months. I’ve had to show indifference towards (Y/N) to convince them that there is nothing between us, and it was starting to work. Why did you tell them this without consulting me first?”

A frown etches Masamichi’s stony features. Behind his shaded glasses, his eyes rake over his former student, taking in his state. Gojo isn’t one to openly show fear or anxiety, yet his breathing is audibly shaky and his fingers twitch by his side.

“I see I have made a mistake,” Masamichi concedes. “But why are you so convinced the higher-ups have ill intentions toward them?”

Gojo begins to pace back and forth in front of Yaga’s desk—also very unlike him.

“They called me to meet them a few months ago, asking what my relationship with (Y/N) is. I brushed it off at first and basically told them to stop sticking their nose into my business, but then I started to notice something.”

Gojo pauses by a window. The light streams down onto his face, illuminating his rather uncommonly stoic portrait.

“They started assigning (Y/N) missions that were labeled as second or first grade, but actually turned out to be special grade. And it can’t be coincidental—the incident rate of this happening is much higher for (Y/N)’s assignments than any other person.”

“That does seem to be true,” Masamichi comments, thinking back to reports he’s reviewed.

“No, not seem,” Gojo snaps. “That is the reality of this situation. Ever since I realized that, I’ve acted coldly towards (Y/N), distancing myself as much as possible. And guess what? No more special grade missions. Less injuries. And—”

“Satoru!” Masamichi raises his voice, pulling Gojo out of his frantic spiel. He blinks in surprise; he didn’t even realize how much or how fast he has been speaking.

“I don’t know what they are thinking or planning, but stressing like this will not help the situation. This is our world; this is how they operate,” Masamichi says, leaning forward and resting his chin on steepled fingers. “We will find a way around this.”

“It shouldn’t be like this,” Gojo says, voice rumbling deep and low, dangerously quiet.

“They are resistant to change,” Masamichi counters. “We can’t directly influence their decisions.”

“Not if they can’t make them anymore,” Satoru snorts, a dark and bitter smirk curling his lips.

“That is completely out of the question,” Yaga says firmly in a warning tone.

“Their thinking is antiquated,” Gojo argues. “I think we need a complete refresh.”

“And yours is too radical and rash. No, Gojo. I will not even entertain your idea.” Yaga says with a note of finality.

“Won’t you let me have my fun?” Gojo sighs, exaggerating his disappointment. “You’re such a drag, old man.”

Yaga almost smiles. He’s back to his normal antics.

“So, there is nothing that you can think of that would cause the higher-ups to go after them like this? I know you looked into all of your students closely even before you became principal. You must know something.”

Yaga frowns. You were his student and, as Gojo claims, he did thoroughly look into your background. But—how can you truly be thorough when the information presented is so little?

“There was little to nothing on them,” Yaga says. “Even when I tried digging further, I didn’t find much. However…there are rumors that they have made a Binding Vow.”

“A Binding Vow?” Gojo echoes back. “That’s very vague. That can mean practically anything.”

“But it’s still interesting, is it not?” Yaga says with a wry smile. “If the higher-ups have heard, we can only assume that the Binding Vow is with another entity, not with themselves. Otherwise, why would they be interested? That is assuming this is true, of course.”

“Who did you hear this from?” Gojo asks. “Someone credible?”

“I’m not sure about their credibility. And you can’t really go out and interrogate them, even if you wanted to. If you did, there would be another expectation for your visit.”

Gojo grows suspicious from his obvious attempt at a non-answer, “Yaga, who?”

He sighs, “Geto Suguru.”

There’s silence. Then, Gojo cackles—it’s a bitter and sardonic laugh, slightly crazed as well—and shakes his head.

“Of course. Of course it was from him,” Gojo continues laughing, a hand covering his face this time. “Guess you’re right—there’s no avenue for conversation there. In that case, I’ve gotta go. See ya, old man.”

Yaga bristles at the nickname, but does not attempt chastise Gojo as he walks away without waiting for Yaga’s response. It simply doesn’t work, so why waste his breath?

Gojo walks out, digging his cell phone out of his pocket. He opens his text conversation with you, fingers twitching over the keyboard. But what would he even say? The last texts are all from you, scattered over a few weeks from literal months ago. He didn’t respond to any of them. He feels the need to contact you, but how would he even start that? ‘Hey, I know I’ve been ignoring you for months, but I heard that you might have told Geto that you made a Binding Vow and I think the higher-ups know about it.’

Nope. That’s not gonna work. He swipes the texting app out of existence, then locks his phone and puts it back in his pocket.

He leans back on the pillar, resting his head while he closes his eyes. Why does everything surrounding you have to be so complicated? Then, a series of hurried footsteps meets his ears, and he doesn’t need to open his eyes to know who it is. Gojo is ambushed by someone he hasn’t seen for a few days—your mutual friend, Shoko.

“I heard what happened from Utahime,” She says immediately.

Gojo exhales loudly, not even trying to conceal his annoyance, “Shoko, I really don’t have time for this right now.”

“No. Tell me what’s going on.” She says firmly, her tone hard.

“What? We broke up. What’s more to say?” Gojo says dismissively.

“No, Gojo. That’s not all there is. Things have been going on. She told me that she’s concerned for (Y/N) but wouldn’t tell me more. And it just so happens that I have been texting them just about every day for weeks and have heard nothing back. Tell me there’s ‘nothing more to say’ again! Because obviously something is going on.”

Gojo inhales sharply, his breath suspended at her words. He shifts his weight forward, finally leaning away from the pillar. Shoko takes notice of his surprise.

She sighs, deciding to clarify one detail, “They’ve still been taking missions so I assume that they’re fine…but they’ve never ghosted me like this. Even back then, when Geto…they didn’t…agh. Well, you know what I’m saying. I don’t know what they’re thinking.”

He only really gathered one thing from that. So you’re safe for now. Gojo recovers, his expression evening out into something more normal.

“Shoko, I don’t want to complicate things further,” Gojo sighs. “Too many people are already involved in this, ones I had no intention of involving. I’m sorry, but I don’t know if I should say anything.”

“You ass!” She shouts at him, making his eyes widen under his blindfold. Shoko never blows up like this—she’s always indifferent and sort of passive. “They’re my friend too, and I want to know what’s going on!”

“I don’t know what’s going on!” Gojo blurts out. Shoko blinks rapidly, shocked by the volume of his voice. He hates getting emotional like this, but he can’t help it when he’s so fucking worried. “I don’t know, Shoko. The higher-ups have been probing into my life, but this time– this time it’s about them, and I don’t know why they want to know. I don’t know what they’re looking for. I’m just praying every day that they stop, but then somebody else in our circle tells me that the higher-ups keep mentioning them. I don’t know what’s going on, but it can’t be good.”

She looks at him, finally noticing how…un-Gojo-like he looks and sounds. Worrying about others isn’t something that Gojo does, or at least not something he ever speaks about. He never has his brow creased like he does right now. He doesn’t bite his lip in worry, either, so why is he biting down so hard he’s almost pulling blood?

“Okay,” Shoko yields. “Okay. I believe you. I didn’t realize…I didn’t believe that you still cared so much.”

“You don’t even know,” He mutters under his breath, but Shoko still hears it. She acts like she doesn’t.

“Well, if you hear anything, tell me, okay?” Shoko asks him with a low exhale. “They’re really stressing me out.”

She pulls out a lighter and a cigarette, prepared to light up. The blinks, and the cigarette now lays on the ground, mysteriously absent from her grip.

“Fuck you,” She grumbles. “You know, that’s littering.”

She hates to say it, but her chest, heavy with worry, lightens a bit as his regular smirk spreads across his face. She feels a bit more hopeful as Gojo disappears in front of her, the wind from the teleportation blowing her hair and lab coat around furiously.

“If only you two weren’t idiots, this mess might have solved itself ages ago,” She chuckles to herself. “The densest people I know.”

Your lungs ache. You wheeze with each breath. You blink blearily, rubbing your eyes with one hand. You’ve been drifting in and out of sleep while you’ve been laying on the cold tile in your bathroom. The air is tinged with iron—the smell of your own blood curdles your stomach.

“What time is it?” You mutter to yourself, and jolt at the sound of your own voice. It’s raspy and weak; you almost don’t recognize it as being your own.

Your hands skate across the smooth tile as you try to locate your phone. When you finally do, you grab it and bring it close to your face. Your eyes, barely cracked open, ache at the bright light of your screen.

The time reads as 3:31 AM. You’ve really been here for that long? Under the time, a plethora of texts from Shoko appear. You groan and slam your phone back down on the ground, ignoring the guilt that rises from how long you’ve been flat out ignoring your friend.

I’m being just like Gojo. Your lips curl down at the realization.

You feel a wave of weakness wash over you, and you are forced to lay back down on the ground. You are half conscious, vision swimming half through dream and half through reality. You can barely think, barely process your own actions.

You feel cold metal in your hands, smooth glass under your fingers. You are tapping randomly, the light blinding you so much that you can’t open your eyes to see what exactly you’re doing.

All you hear is your own horrible breath. And then you hear a voice.

“(Y/N)? You called me?”

You blink blankly in confusion. Did you? You can only assume that you did.

“‘Guess so,” You try to say, but you can barely get it out with how sore your throat is. “Who…who is it?”

“What do you mean? You called me, silly.” They say with a small chuckle. “It’s like 3 am. Are you drunk or something?”

Why can’t you recognize their voice? Their voice sounds underwater to you. Your head is spinning so much and your ears begin to ring. Your feel yourself slipping from reality.

You hear yourself saying words, but you don’t remember thinking them.

“No…gonna pass out. Or die. Can’t tell.”

“What? (Y/N), what’s going on? Tell me where you are, I’ll come get you right now.”

You swear you know that voice. It’s deep and smooth, but filled with so much worry that you barely recognize it. He’s never sounded this scared before.

“Oh, you’re…you’re Satoru,” You wheeze out. “Why? Why you?”

You’re not making much sense, you don’t think. But you can’t, not with how far from reality you are right now.

You called him? It’s just too painful, too cruel a fate, that you accidentally called the man you’re in love with and who doesn’t love you back while you’re knocking on death’s door. You cough violently and choke on the bloody petals that rise to your throat. You wince in pain and struggle to breathe.

He is bordering on panic now, but he fights to keep it out of his voice. “It’s okay, (Y/N), just tell me where you are. You’re on a mission, r-right? I’ll come get you. Just hold on.”

Confusion floods your brain. A mission? Are you on a mission? Is that why the scent of blood is clogging your nose?

Your heart beat pounds in your head, faster and faster. It’s scary just how confused you are—how do you not know where you are?

“I don’t know,” You choke out. You didn’t even realize you were crying. “I don’t know where I am.”

“It’s okay, c-can you check your phone for me? It’ll tell you your location. Just open it and–” His breathing is fast. “And check in your maps. Please. Please (Y/N), I need you to do this for me. Then–then everything will be okay. Okay?”

“Okay,” You answer softly. “How do–”

You startle at the sound of a loud bang, your own gasp cutting off your words.

The door to your bathroom—that’s where you are—is knocked down, nearly missing your form where you lay on the tile.

Satoru is calling your name desperately, his voice louder with each repetition of your name. You can’t decipher any other words, but you know he’s shouting things, trying to get you to say something, to say anything so that he knows you’re okay.

A dark shape towers over you. You can’t make out who it is with your blurry vision and with how dark it is—but you are immediately intimidated by their large, broad frame.

“There you are,” They snarl. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this to happen. I’m surprised it didn’t happen sooner.”

You scramble to get up, grabbing your phone while you unsteadily rise on your shaky legs. You are an inch away from passing out and you fight the feeling with every ounce of your strength.

“Not looking too good, are we?” He says, tutting mockingly. “That’s perfect. Remember what we agreed on, my dear (Y/N)?”

You stare at him blankly, no recognition in your eyes.

“Silly me! Of course you don’t remember. That was intentional, you know. A good move on my part,” He chuckles, and it’s a soft sound that juxtaposes his words. “While you’re the one who has to suffer. Don’t blame me too much, though…this is all situational. It’s not like I ever disliked you or anything. It just has to be like this.”

You hear Satoru’s voice again, and this time it sounds dangerous, “Who the fuck is that?”

Anger runs through the man’s features, and he strikes the hand that carries your phone harshly. You yelp loudly both in surprise and in pain. Your phone clatters to the ground, instantly silenced. Probably broken beyond repair.

His words are chastising and almost playful, but he is furious. “You shouldn’t talk to him anymore, (Y/N). That’s not part of our agreement.”

Then he grabs hold of you and begins dragging you out of the room. You scream loudly, kicking and punching him as much as you can as you’re moved against your will. You are a strong sorcerer, but all of your cursed energy and strength has been sapped away by this horrible disease that afflicts you. You are powerless to stop this man.

There’s one thing you were mistaken about. With the crunch your phone made as it shattered against the ground, you assumed it was completely broken. That’s only partly true: the speakers were damaged, no sound coming out, but your phone actually survived. Your microphone continued to pick up every scream and cry you made as you were dragged against your will—kidnapped. He heard every whimper of pain and every plea of yours for the man to stop! and to let you go!

Even in this state, your heart would ache if you had heard the unadulterated fear that gripped his voice as he shouted and screamed for you through his phone.

Even if you didn’t recognize the man who manhandled you out of your apartment, Gojo Satoru has no doubts about who it was. It makes his blood boil thinking about it—he’s never going to forgive him for this, even if they used to be best friends.

next part

a/n 2: Thank you so much for reading, it means a lot!! This got a bit out of my hands, I will admit…I ended up writing some details I hadn’t planned on (and a lot more lol) 😅 But I think it actually makes it more interesting!

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[chukys-mouthguard]

Kinda Tempting pt. 2

Featuring: matt rempe x female reader x mat barzal

Genre: fluff, angst, little bit of smut

Note: i tried my best to refer to rempe as matthew to limit possible confusion of the guys…this was rewritten like 6 times, not entirely happy with it but I know y’all have been asking for part 2 😅🫶🏼 tried to make it so this could continue and we could see both sides of this story

Part 1

“Mmmmm.” 

The sun was shining just enough in your eyes to wake you up, immediately making you regret not remembering to close the blinds before going to bed. Though you were a bit preoccupied to remember, chuckling to yourself as you looked at the 6 foot 8 sleeping giant next to you. Now taking notice of his cut up knuckles from yesterday's fight, lightly tracing your fingers over the marks. Earning a soft groan from Matthew. 

His eyes fluttering open as he smiled at you, “good morning sunshine,” he stretched as he rolled onto his side, “good morning to you pretty lady.” A smile now on his face as he curled up with his pillow, looking up at you and studying the conflicted look on your face. 

“What is it?” 

Shaking your head you got up with a sigh, searching for a hoodie to throw on before rejoining him on your bed. “I’m just, thinking.” 

“Let me guess….you regret last night?” His words came out with a playful tone, though his face showed a bit of sadness as he sat up and rested his back against your headboard. “Look if I convinced you to do something you didn’t really want to do, and I stirred up a bunch of shit now for you to deal with. I’m sorry, I truly didn’t mean for any of that to happen I just-“

“No, that’s the thing. I don’t regret it. But I feel bad for not regretting it. Am I a shitty person for that?” Matthew laughed along with you as he shrugged. 

“I mean, I don’t think you’re a shitty person. I think you’re just, conflicted. I think you’re an amazing girl who is being strung along by her boyfriend, not knowing what the fuck the deal is. Waiting for the day he somehow magically turns back into the guy she fell in love with. But I don’t think that day is coming unfortunately.” 

His fingers now entangling with yours as you took in his thoughts. 

“I think, you’re unsure what to do. I think your head is telling you one thing, and your heart another. Personally, I don’t know the reason why you won’t leave him. And maybe that’s not for me to know. But I think you deserve so much more. I think you could do better, be happier, be with someone who isn’t gonna be another Mat Barzal.” 

“And that’s you?” 

Your tone catching him off guard a bit, but he laughed it off. “I’m not saying that, and I’m not saying any of this to try and get you to leave Mat for me. I’m sure you might be thinking I’m that kind of guy right now, especially after last night, but I’m not. I simply am saying this as a guy who thinks it would be an honor to call you his girlfriend. A guy who would take every opportunity to show you how amazing you are. To never make you feel the way you do right now being with Mat. But by no means am I trying to get you to leave him for me. Because I don’t think I need to convince you to do that.” 

Just as you opened your mouth to challenge his cocky statement, your phone buzzed on the bed. 

“It’s him…” Matthew gesturing for you to answer the call as he got up to get dressed. 

“Hello?” 

“Hey, sorry about yesterday. Just, wasn’t a good day. You know how it is. But um, I kind of realize I’ve not been the best boyfriend lately. And, I feel like I need to make it up to you.” 

While you wanted to believe that he was being genuine, you’d heard this from Mat before. He’d apologize, be a better guy for a few days, then things would end up right back where they were. 

“Let’s go grab lunch, maybe do some shopping. Spend the day together and make up for the last few months we’ve been apart.” 

Matthew was mouthing the words go for it, and you rolled your eyes at him. His words still on your mind, not sure why you were still going to entertain fixing things with Mat if you just fucked another guy behind his back. 

“Um, yeah sure.” 

“Yeah? Great! I’ll be at your place in like an hour?”

“Sounds good. See you soon.” 

Hanging up the phone you flopped down on your bed face first. “What’s the matter now?” Matthew laughed as he belly flopped onto the bed next to you, trying his best to make you laugh or smile. 

“What the fuck do I do? He wants to make up for being absent and everything, and you’re over here telling me I shouldn’t entertain it!” 

Matthew put his hands up in protest, “now wait a minute i didn’t say don’t entertain it. I simply am saying to be cautious and look out for yourself. Because, after the way you two interacted yesterday, I just think he’s full of it. But I could be wrong, and this lunch date could change everything. I don’t know. I simply am speaking as someone who cares. I want the best for you, and if that’s him, then great. I’ll still be here for the days you need to cry, or vent, or need to have some fun.” 

He shot you a wink as his signature cocky grin found its place on his lips and you shook your head. “Matthew Rempe, you are not going to be some side piece for me while I figure out my relationship.” Standing up you headed to the bathroom to start getting ready for your date with Mat. 

“And why’s that?” He called after you, leaning in the doorway as you pulled your makeup bag out from under your sink. “Because, you’re a human being, you have feelings. And I’m not just going to use you like that.” 

He stepped in front of you, stealing your attention as he brushed your hair from your face. “But what if I’m okay with it?” 

“You are really something else you know that?” 

He shrugged as he stole a kiss from your lips. 

“Well you make it really easy for me to make bad decisions.” He winked at you, stealing another kiss before heading to the kitchen to grab his keys. 

“So you’re saying this is a bad decision?” You gestured to the two of you with your makeup brush. “Maybe, call me after lunch and tell me if you think so.” 

He closed the door behind him and you let out a groan, not enjoying the position you were in at all. On one hand, your boyfriend of 2 years who was your first love. But who has checked out and left you feeling like it was time to walk away. Then on the flip side, a younger and wild Rempe, who knew what he wanted and didn’t hide it. Which you appreciated, and found quite hot. But how do you just up and leave Mat, and did you want to? None of this was fair to him, but then again, the way you’ve been strung along all these months not knowing where the two of you stand wasn’t fair either. 

“Hey babe.” 

Mat smiled at you as you climbed into his BMW. “Hey,” You flashed a smile as he leaned in to give you a kiss, “don’t you look handsome.” 

He shrugged, “wanted to look good for you I guess. So what are we feeling, Italian? Mexican? A burger and fries?” Buckling your seatbelt you told yourself to listen to Matthew, let this date happen how it’s meant to happen. Don’t force anything one way or the other, let whatever the hell is gonna happen, happen. “Well we both know you’re always in the mood for Italian.” 

“I’m a sucker for the carbs what can i say. Plus a glass of wine doesn’t sound too awful right now.” 

His hand resting on the gear shift as he pulled out of the parking garage. The drive to the restaurant quiet, the result of you two being apart for so long that it was almost awkward between you two. 

So far, your brain was telling you this wasn’t a good sign that this date was magically going to fix things. 

“So, how late did you stay up doing your stuff last night?” Mat asking from behind his wine glass as you chuckled. “Um my job? I was up pretty late doing that stuff. Couldn’t even tell you how long I edited for last night.” Your voice trailing off as you sipped your wine, your palms sweaty just thinking about the secret you were hiding from him. 

“I believe it, probably had a ton of footage to sift through.” He didn’t even make eye content when talking to you, glancing over the menu as you rested your chin on your fist with a sigh. “Plus I had extra clips to edit of Matt Rempe since it was his debut and everything.” 

Mat laughed as he nodded, “Yeah that kid is something else. A fight his first shift, probably gonna end up with more penalty minutes than minutes on ice this season. That is if he lasts.” You were a bit surprised by his comments, Mat never the type to shit talk other guys in the league. “Hey, he earned his spot yesterday and he’s gonna keep working hard to stay up here. He’s a great guy. I personally think you’d like him, if you got to know him versus judging him…” 

Your voice trailed off as your server brought your food. “Okay, no more hockey talk. Where shall I take you shopping? Need a new purse? Some shoes? I know you never turn down shoes.” He smiled at you as he wiped the pasta sauce from his chin. 

This was always Mat’s way of fixing things. He loved to shop, both for you and for himself. So anytime he felt like he’d fucked up, his solution was to buy you everything you wanted without checking a price tag. But the material things never actually addressing the root of the problem that was there to begin with. Simply covering it up with new shoes, a new jacket, or purse. 

“I don’t care, wherever is fine. Nothing I really need if I’m honest.” Your tone caught him off guard, at this point you were over this lunch date. Wishing you hadn’t even thought for a second that things were going to get better. “Okay, do you want to just go home and watch a movie or something? Since shopping doesn’t seem to be a good idea today.” 

“Sure, a movie is fine.” 

Mat decided for the two of you to head back to his place, due to traffic being crazy heading in the direction of your apartment. The car ride once again quiet, Mat a bit unsure what to talk about. He’d offended you when talking about your job and judging Rempe. Shopping normally be something you liked to do with him, but that too seemed to be a bad idea. 

It wasn’t that he was on oblivious to the fact that things between you two were different, he just didn’t know why or how he could fix it. Feeling like it was a battle he’d already lost in your eyes. And no matter how hard he might try to prove to you he was still willing to fight, you’d just blow him off. Already moved on in your mind. 

“Wow, someone has been decorating. Who helped you with this?” You looked around his apartment shocked, never knowing Mat to be a good decorator. “Well thanks, I didn’t think I sucked that bad at interior design. I maybe had a little help, but for the most part it was all me.” 

He smiled proud as he grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses. 

“So, what movie are you thinking?” 

Taking your glass you shrugged, “surprise me? You’re better at picking movies than me.” Mat laughing as he placed the stopper back in the bottle. “This is true, let me take a quick look at our options.” 

Subconsciously you had practically chugged your glass of wine, your nerves rampant as you didn’t know what the hell you were doing. Clearly you were unhappy, this date not going at all how you hoped. You still were holding out hope, but the more and more Mat didn’t talk to you or kept conversation short, the more your thoughts were racing. 

“Do you still love me?” 

Mat snapped his head to you, almost laughing as he couldn’t believe you’d asked such a thing. Almost shocked a bit yourself at your boldness to just come right out and say that. “Um, yes? Why would you even ask that?” 

“When’s the last time you said it? Do you realize what I’ve been going through these last few months? Hell let’s just say the whole last year. I barely see you! We barely speak, and lord knows we haven’t had sex in months. Not that it matters that much, but we both know you like sex. So the fact we haven’t even done that…Like, are you just waiting for me to breakup with you? Or am I supposed to just wait around for you to start acting like the man I fell in love with again?” 

He set his wine glass down, trying to figure out what to say. Feeling like no matter what he said at this point it would probably come across like an excuse. 

“I, I don’t know what to say. Because, I don’t have a good enough reason for why I’ve been acting this way. And, you’re right. You don’t deserve this. Maybe, you should’ve given up on me a long time ago. I don’t know y/n, I can’t lie to you and say I don’t notice that it’s different. But I also don’t know what to do to fix it.” 

“Kiss me! Hold me! Tell me you love me. Get excited to see me after months of hardly talking. There’s plenty of things you could do. The answer isn’t to treat me to lunch and take me shopping. I don’t need food and clothes, I need my boyfriend. I need to feel like you love me. Like you miss me.”

“And you don’t think I feel that way?”

His tone coming out hurt, his hands running through his hair as he tried to think of a response. 

“Notice how you haven’t said it once. Even when I point it out, you say yes and agree, but you haven’t once said it to me. And that speaks volumes.” 

Grabbing your phone and purse you headed for the door, Mat quickly running to stop you. “Now wait a minute, I get I’ve been absent and not the same guy I used to be, but I’ve never been the type to let you walk out like this. Please, talk to me. Help me understand what you need from me so we can make things work.” 

Retreating to the couch, you sat down with a sigh, not sure what to say. “Mat, I shouldn’t have to tell you what I need. You’re my boyfriend. We’ve been together long enough that you should know me better than this. If you’ve fallen out of love with me, then tell me. If you’ve been seeing other people, then tell me. But please don’t keep stringing me along when it’s clear this isn’t working for us right now.” 

He looked at you shocked, the assumption he was cheating hitting him like a train in his chest. “You’re joking? You think I’ve been cheating on you? Please y/n, that’s ridiculous. Where is all of this coming from? You say that I’m no longer the guy you fell in love with, but you’re starting to give me the same energy. I’ve never heard you talk like this…maybe you’re the one seeing other people?” 

Stopping in your tracks you looked at him shocked, a slight chuckle leaving his lips as you tried to formulate a thought. “Yeah, doesn’t feel good being accused of that does it?” 

“Of course not! No one ever wants to be accused of something like that. You know I love you, I’ve stuck by your side through so much. And I’m sorry if I’ve felt shut out or neglected. But I don’t understand what’s changed, why you won’t make time for me and prove to me that this relationship isn’t lost?”

Mat looked to the floor as he shook his head, acknowledging the things you’d said. Realizing that you were right, things had changed. And maybe he was too focused on his job that he refused to believe he’d dropped the ball. 

The two of you stood in silence for a moment, you sniffled as he walked toward you, wrapping you in a hug. Your body completely relaxing in his embrace, this hug was just like you’d remembered. It was what you needed, to feel him hold you tight and reassure you things were okay. 

He took your face in his hands, resting his forehead on yours as he softly kissed you. “I fucking love you, and I don’t want to be with anyone else. I don’t want to lose you. I will do whatever I have to, to prove to you that you’re it for me y/n. I’m sorry you’ve felt like I don’t care or don’t love you.” 

Your hands anxiously pulling at the hem of his shirt, this was what you’d wanted, needed to hear from him. But at the same time, a part of you wished he would’ve said the opposite. Despite Matthew wanting you to try and make things work with Mat, you knew deep down he wanted things to end. He wanted to be with you, but his heart wasn’t going to let him come between you and another man. That wasn’t the type of guy he was, despite his willingness to see you behind closed doors while you figured your shit out. 

“Please, just don’t walk out on me tonight. Stay with me, let me make this right between us.” 

Simply nodding your head, Mat had convinced you. His lips crashing to yours as he lifted you off your feet, carrying you down the hall to his bedroom before tossing you on the bed. 

He gazed down at you as he pulled his shirt off with a cocky grin, before lowering himself on top of you to bring your lips back to his. “I fucking missed you baby.” 

Arching your back against him you moaned into the kiss, your skin practically on fire from his touch. Something you’d been deprived of for so long. 

“God I missed you Mat.” 

Your thoughts racing as you tried your best to just focus on the moment, ignoring any doubts or worries about Matthew. Mat was your boyfriend, this was the man you loved. 

The two of you couldn’t get enough of each other, hands grazing every inch of one another as you both were short of breath. It was as if it were the first time you two were having sex, having to learn what each other liked, explore each other features again. 

Mat normally loving to tease you and make you beg, but not tonight. Tonight he needed to show you how much he loved you, how much he cared, how sorry he was for being such an asshole to you. Yet you stuck by his side, and he’d loved you so much for that. 

You’d tried to get Mat on his back so you could take some control, but he playfully pinned your arms above your head. “Not tonight baby girl, let me take care of you.” 

His words sending shivers down your spine as he sat up, undoing his belt buckle then forcing his pants and briefs down in one motion. You’re gaze not leaving his as his hands traced up your legs, fingers hooking into the waistband of your leggings, pulling them off and tossing them across the room along with your panties. 

“Mat, hurry up. A girl has gone months without this, I can’t wait much longer.” 

Smirking down at you, he stroked himself as he teased your slit, groaning at how wet you already were. “Fuck baby, I missed how wet you get for me.” Without warning he thrusts into you, the two of you moaning at the feeling, expletives leaving your lips as you feel yourself adjusting to him. Wrapping your legs around him as he slowly began picking up the pace, your nails digging into the skin of his back as your lips longed for his. The kisses not deep enough, thrusts not hard enough, the two of you needing even more. 

“Baby, I’m not going to last much longer. You feel so fucking good.” 

“Cum for me Mat, please. I’m so close.” 

His thrusts quick and sloppy, his breaths shorter as he cursed against your skin. A low groan leaving his lips as he came, the two of you sweaty and exhausted as you tried to collect yourselves. 

“Fuck…now tell me why we haven’t done that in months?” 

Mat smirked at you as he stood up, leaving to go start the shower before coming back and lifting you off the bed. “Alright, now let’s get you cleaned up.” He pressed a kiss to your lips as he carried you bridal style into the bathroom. The two of you rinsing off before climbing back into bed. 

You threw on one of Mat’s t-shirts as he pulled on a pair of sweats. Laying down and holding his arm out for you to find your spot next to him. Fingers intertwining with yours as you lay your head on his chest. 

“I missed this, so much.” 

You felt him smile at your words, kissing your head as he agreed. “Me too baby girl. And I’m sorry you ever thought I didn’t want this with you anymore.”

The room fell silent as you were content just enjoying feeling normal again, like you’d finally gotten back to where you’d been needing to be. In your head, thanking Matthew for convincing you to even go out on the date with Mat to begin with. For convincing you to see what would happen. 

Though a part of you knew it would hurt him to know you were back on good terms. Despite him saying he hoped things would work out, you knew he would still be heartbroken to know you and Mat were making it work. 

“Y/n?” 

The tone is Mat’s voice slightly changing, catching you off guard as you hummed a response, letting him know you were listening. 

“I really am going to be better. Make more of an effort, whether that be calls, or driving to see you more often. I’m going to be better. I don’t want you to ever have to wonder if I’m missing you, if I still love you, or god forbid if I’m cheating on you.” 

Your heart sinking at having accused him of the very thing you’d done just the night before. When here he was, trying to prove to you he’d just been distant, but he never lost his love for you. 

“I know, I hear everything you’re saying. And I appreciate it, more than you know.” 

He’d gone silent for a moment once again, you could sense he was thinking, hearing his heart racing as you laid on his chest. Soon enough, he shot up, moving to sit in front of you. Catching you off guard as you looked at him confused. 

“What is it?” 

Mat took your hands in his, practically choking on his own tongue as he couldn’t get his words out. 

“You’re gonna think I’m crazy, but just hear me out.” Staring at him you were unsure of what you should be expecting him to say. Already happy enough with the fact that you’d, fingers crossed, gotten your boyfriend back. What else could he say now? 

“I have loved you from the first day you’d found me at the rink, and shoved your phone in my face asking me to be a part of one of those dumb Tik Tok challenges. You didn’t give a fuck about who I was, just doing your job. And to be honest, that made me want to chase you even harder. Because you weren’t one of those girls who wanted me because of my looks. Or because I was a hockey player. You got to know me for who I was, and you took the time to see me for more than Mat Barzal of the New York Islanders.”

He smiled at you as he continued on, your mind and heart both racing as you couldn’t foresee the end of his sudden heartfelt moment. 

“It breaks my heart you’ve felt alone for the last year. That you felt I had fallen out of love with you. But I promise, there would never be anything that could make me fall out of love with you y/n. And, I know you’re going to think I’m crazy when I ask this, but I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” 

He briefly looked down at your hands in his, taking a deep breath as if to gain the confidence to finally spit out the words he’d been stalling from saying. 

“Will you make me the happiest man in the world, and marry me?” 

[mjjune]

TWTR: A COMIC SANS INTRO

as requested/voted on for my 1k follower celebration! thank you so much to everyone who voted and who cares enough about this story to want to know more 💕

artists featured: check them out!!!

@neapaulatan, @ichimakesart, @littlestpersimmon, @akiwitch, @vacantgodling

below the cut is a full image description and twtr's taglist! reply here or message me if you want to be added ✨

[Image Description:

A Comic Sans WIP intro of 9 slides with dark gray background and various images.

Slide 1: Title page with a dark background of green leaves with the title "TWTR: a comic sans wip intro as requested by my followers <3"

Slide 2: "So WTF is TWTR?" with an image of illustrated art of a forest scene with a tree growing through a cottage in the background, a silvery ax with a dragon design sticking out of the earth in the foreground. The slide reads, "a retelling, sorta, more of a sequel ! the prologue is a little red riding hood retelling, and the rest of the novel is the aftermath. red is not so little anymore. the wolf is back for blood and the woodsman has to finish what he started 6 years ago." In smaller font, a note in parentheses says, "and no i will not tell you what twtr stands for. it’s an ongoing joke now that half my betas still didn’t know what it meant even though it was on the signup sheet 🫠"

Slide 3: The Story. Has an illustrated gif image of the woodsman facing away from the audience, his cape blowing in the wind. He has an ax in his left hand, a raven sitting on his right shoulder in the woods. the slide reads: "the woodsman, an outsider, saves a little girl from a legendary beast, only to find out that she’s?? whoops?? the nearby kingdom’s princess and only heir??? so naturally, if you were the queen, and some strange outsider dude pops out of the evil magical forest with your 10yo daughter claiming he saved her from The Wolf™ ... uh, yeah, that’s sus. he’s arrested and has to prove (via dark shit i won’t go into) that he’s magic-free before he can join kingdom society."

Slide 4: Yikes, then what? Has a banner image of the woods with a cloaked figure in the center, fog rising from the bottom, with a raven with glowing eyes in the corner. The slide reads: "over the years, he works his way up to become red’s personal guard. he has his first real friend of his entire life?? 🥺 until the wolf shows back up, working its way through the kingdom devouring people. avery must kill the beast once and for all before it gets to red. as he tracks it, though, he uncovers lies that go deep not only within the kingdom, but his own past. he finds The Wolf™ in the woods, where it offers him a deal: the truth, for red. which will avery choose??? 👀"

Slide 5: Wait so who are these people?? Has 3 icon images of the main characters. First is "Avery, The Woodsman. known for being short, baby-faced, and a man of few words; mysterious past prior to saving red and joining the kingdom." His icon is an illustrated profile view of a short dark-haired tan-skinned man with freckles and a bit of scruff and a serious expression. Second is "Red, Princess Anara. the spirited heir to the throne; angry that she’s not included in royal affairs and wants to learn everything." Her icon is illustrated art of a young girl with blue eyes, red hair in a braid, wearing a dark hooded cloak looking at the audience. Last is "The Wolf™, a monster of legend, rumored to be immortal that lives in the dark forest surrounding the kingdom; the size of a room and devours people whole :P yum yum." Its icon is a dark image of a wolf with glowing white eyes looking at the audience.

Slide 6: Surely there are other characters, MJ??? Slide is plain with a bulleted list of info, which reads: "Honorable Mentions: MAGNUS, the elite guardsman who trains avery and has a complicated history (an unintentional fan favorite); QUEEN ETIENNE, the queen of the kingdom and red’s mom; "GRANDMA", an elderly woman who red liked to visit (secretly) in the woods and was devoured by The Wolf™."

Slide 7: Also Featuring. Slide reads "a badass ax, hand-crafted by avery’s long-deceased parents; giant trees the size of houses; giant burrowing lizards; religious coercion :); magic metal; magic plagues; magic soup; intimate platonic hair braiding; cute child cameos; southern hemisphere world (aka the north is warm and the south is cold)". To the right is an illustration of avery's ax, a dark handle with silvery ax with an etched dragon design.

Slide 8: Ok, but is it gay? with small parentheses note: "how dare you ask me this honestly." Bullet points read: "unfortunately this is classified :) (tbf even in the book i keep it loose and open to interpretation), but here are some themes which may or may not be queer: “(unconscious) true love’s kiss breaks the spell” except does it tho???; princess “uninterested in courting”; handsome shy wallflower guy gets asked to dance by 100 girls and declines them all (think cullen from dragon age lmao); shapeshifting as a metaphor for... things :); found family / family doesn’t have to be blood / adoption; lights vs. dark not being a clear-cut good vs. evil, nuanced morality etc.

Slide 9: Art credits! Slide reads: "a HUGE thank you to all the artists i’ve commissioned! they’re all linked below! check them out! in order of appearance: dark forest scene by neapaulatan; avery cape gif by ichimakesart; foggy banner and wolf icon (fan-made); avery icon by littlestpersimmon; red icon by akiwitch; avery’s ax by vacantgodling. Below the credits, it reads, "Thanks for reading! and as a reminder, all my works have a taglist! if you want a notif every time i post about this wip let me know :)"

End Image Description]

@aether-wasteland-s @annetilney @artbyeloquent @ashirisu @bebewrites

@cljordan-imperium @dogmomwrites @dustylovelyrun @elijahrichardwrites @eventideintrigue

@faithfire-writes @flowerprose @forthesanityofstorytellers @ghafasinej @helioscenic

@isabellebissonrouthier @jamieanovels @lexiklecksi @little-mouse-gardens @marlowethelibrarian

@marrowwife @mr-writes @macabremoons @perasperaadastrawriting @phantomnations

@tate-lin @thyroidhormones @verba-writing @vsnotresponding @wildswrites

[holylulusworld]

Broken Rose (2)

Summary: He may have stolen your kingdom and freedom – but he’ll never own your heart. Right?

Pairing: Alpha!Geralt of Rivia x Queen(Omega)!Reader

Warnings: angst, mentions of forced/arranged marriage trope, a/b/o, magic, mentions of character’s death

Broken Rose masterlist

Broken Rose (1)

“You won’t walk away from me like that, omega!” Geralt calls after you. He’s walking faster to catch up with you. “I told you to stop.”

“You conquered these lands, and the castle, but I am still the queen of this kingdom. Someone must look out for the people who are not under your spell! The knights only listen to your command and don’t care for my people any longer.”

“I did not say that.” Geralt’s features darken. “Your knights follow their usual routine. The only difference is that I forced them to accept me as their king and alpha.”

“You promised me to free them!” You twirl around to glare at Geralt. “You lied! Just like back then, you lied!”

“I did not lie back then!” He yells back. “I wanted to court you! I asked your father for your hand, and the honor to claim you. I wasn’t good enough!”

“You’re a liar! I know you left to whore around with that witch,” you sneer at him. “What was her name?”

“This doesn’t…” He grits his teeth. “I was with her to gain more powers. It was the only way! She meant nothing to me!”

“She meant enough to you to fuck her!” You raise your voice, and walls start to shake. “Do not lie to me!”

“What are you doing?” Geralt watches you with darkened eyes. “Stop this! I will force you into submission if you don’t stop angering me.”

“Yennefer, that was her name,” you step closer to Geralt to run your hand over his chest. He follows the motion, wondering what you are up to. “Did you never question her disappearance?”

You laugh darkly when his stoic mask slips for a moment. Worry flashes in his eyes for a second. “Y/N, stop talking about the past.”

“Did she mean so little to you that you don’t care if she’s dead or alive?” You coo the words, a smile on your lips. “Did you not call her your love too?” You lean closer to whisper in his ear. “Or did you lie to her too?”

“How’d you find out about Yennefer?” He watches you walk around the room, fingertips sliding over the bust of your father. “Y/N! How did you find out about her?”

Geralt raises his voice. Yennefer was close to winning his heart over. He almost forgot about his plan to get you back and take over your kingdom.

She was a sly witch. Yennefer enchanted him with her beauty and magic, almost breaking his resolve to never give his heart to anyone else. 

“Father,” you place your hand onto the bust, tapping your fingers. “I pleaded with him. One last time I tried to convince him that a bond between you and me would strengthen our kingdom.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I can be very convincing,” you push the bust off its rightful place, watching it crack into two halves. “Father was almost convinced.” You dip your head and smirk. “That was, of course, until he found out about your wench.”

“I—” He swallows thickly. Geralt you can be hard, and unforgiving. “What did you do?”

“I accepted a bond with his friend’s son, a prince,” you walk toward the next bust showing your father at a younger age. “A nasty man who only wanted one thing.” This time you punch the bust, making it tumble and fall to the ground. 

“Let me guess,” Geralt steps toward the next bust. He gently runs his hand over it, admiring the handiwork. “He wanted to tame you.”

“All men want to tame a woman,” you step next to Geralt to look at the bust of your younger self. “He’s not alone.”

“…and they failed. One, after another,” Gerald muses. “Like your knights when they tried to stop me. They fell. One, by one, by one.”

“They didn’t fall,” you snap and turn your attention toward the last bust. The one they made shortly before your father passed away. “You used your magic. This has nothing to do with strength or talent.” 

“Strength, talent, magic,” he shrugs while circling you like prey. “It doesn’t matter, Y/N. In the end, they were weak and let it happen. You on the other hand,” his eyes glow when he looks at you again. “Still nothing. I cannot enchant you with my powers. Even if I wanted to.”

You cock your head, mirroring his smirk. “Did you ever wonder why?”

“Your will is too strong,” he replies. “You inherit a different kind of magic deep within your soul. A magic so strong that it cannot be broken by my powers. 

“Back to your lover,” you push against the last bust, watching it shatter on the ground. “Do you miss her?” 

“Y/N let’s not talk about the past. We have a future to build. I want these lands to grow and blossom. At the moment, it’s rotten and not fruitful.”

“Like your seed,” you smirk darkly, knowing about the price Geralt paid for his powers. “It’s rotten, just like your wench’s womb. Isn’t it?”

“What happened to her?” Geralt watches you caress your mother’s bust. “Y/N, what happened to her?”

“She paid the price for conspiring with my father to make me forget about you,” you chuckle darkly. “Imagine her surprise when her powers did nothing for her. She was powerless while facing me.”

“She conspired with your father. This cannot be true,” he shakes his head. Geralt is proud of his sharp mind, and his talent to see through any lie. “No.”

You kiss your mother’s bust and sigh. While she was still around, your father was a different man. He would’ve never tricked you into marrying another man than Geralt.

“I was surprised too, Geralt. I heard rumors and believed you simply found a better mate,” your voice cracks. “Imagine my surprise when the very same woman came to collect on my wedding day.”

“Wedding day?” Geralt gasps. “No. You’re not married! You’re my queen, no one else’s!”

“I didn’t say I got married,” you chuckle darkly as you grab his hand to place it onto your heart. “Can you feel this? This heart got broken one too many times. I’ve had enough and took matters into my hands.”

“Y/N, what did you do?” 

“What had to be done,” you hold his hand in a tight grip. “He denied me my future so…”

“So…” Geralt furrows his brows, already knowing he answer.

“I took his…”

Tags in reblog.

[twst-kumi]

Weeping Maiden's dorm part 1

Here we go, the first part of the RSA dorm and its members. I will post the last three dorms and the staff after Chapter 2.

If you have any questions about any characters, feel free to ask. I would be happy to answer it.

Royaldawn Dormitory :

[Name] Yamada, she has similar feature from her brother but is seen as the pretty siblings. She was a child actor in her childhood to middle school.

Flora, she is Royaldawn Dormitory's self designated housekeeper. She love [Name] greatly as she remind her of her godchild Briar rose. She is obsessed with pink.

Apple Red :

Dorm leader

Neige Leblanche

17

Sophomore

Unique magic: True love kiss

Homeland: Shaftland

Vice leader

Ash Blueglass

18

Junior

Unique magic: midnight clock

Homeland: Shaftland

Belle-rose :

Dormleader

Henry Beaumont

19

Senior

Unique magic: Tale as old as time

Homeland: Fleur city

Vice leader

Candle Jr Rocktail

19

Senior

Unique magic: Showtime

Homeland: Fleur city

Dorm members :

Endy Stirling

17

Sophomore

Unique magic: Make-believe

Homeland: Clock town

Aurelius Dreamscape

16

Freshman

Unique magic: Once upon a dream

Homeland: Briar Valley

Whitecourt

Dormleader

Chess White

19

Senior

Unique magic: Wishful thinking

Homeland: Queendom of rose

Vice leader

Mercury Hat

20

Senior

Unique magic: 10/6

Homeland: Queendom of rose

Dorm members:

Jack Rabbit

18

Junior

Unique magic: Tick-tock clock

Homeland: Queendom of rose

Che'nya

18

Junior

Unique magic: Sneaky cat

Homeland: Queendom of rose

Alexis Lewis

16

Freshman

Unique magic: Eat me, drink me

Homeland: Queendom of rose

Kingsword

Dormleader:

Zhen YongWei

19

Senior

Unique magic: For our honor

Homeland: Empire of the Dragon (Far East)

Vice leader:

Mu Chen

215

Senior

Unique magic: Dancing dragon

Homeland: Empire of the Dragon (Far East)

Dorm members:

Heric Jupiter

17

Sophomore

Unique magic: Beyond the distance

Homeland: Island of hope

[thenerdyindividual]

Want stories featuring queer characters in fantasy, science fiction, or horror settings, where being queer is central to the character but not the only thing they have going on? Let me introduce you to my list of podcasts!

To start we have Welcome to Night Vale. You’ve likely heard of it thanks to the tumblr sexy man poll, or if you’re old school tumblr like I am. It’s a classic for a reason, it kicked off the fiction podcast renaissance and was queer from the jump.

Welcome to Night Vale is an episodic podcast taking the form of radio broadcasts from a strange desert town called Night Vale that appears to be in a parallel universe to ours. It follows the bizarre occurrences within the town and the oppressive government’s clumsy attempts to cover them up.

How is it queer? The show also follows the personal life of radio show host Cecil Palmer who met new-to-town scientist Carlos, and “fell in love instantly”. Not only are they now married, they’ve adopted a child together.

Alice Isn’t Dead

From the creators of Welcome to Night Vale, Alice Isn’t Dead is a horror fiction podcast that follows Keisha, a woman who became a long haul truck driver to go in search of the wife (Alice) she thought was dead, but discovered was alive. In the process she uncovers monsters lurking among us and a massive government conspiracy trying to hide the truth.

How is it queer? As stated, the inciting incident is that Keisha discovers that her wife is secretly alive.

Dimension 20: Fantasy High

A dungeons and dragons actual play show. This season is set in a 1980s John Hughes-esque fantasy high school called the Arthur Aguefort Adventuring Academy. It follows six high schoolers starting their first day of freshman year as they form their adventuring party and try to uncover the mystery of why girls at their school keep going missing.

How is it queer? Kristen Applebees is the cleric of the party, and most of her arc in the first season is based in the struggle between honoring her religious upbringing and the god that gave her her magic, and realizing she’s a lesbian. Fig Faeth (the bard of the group) does not have a romance arc in this season, however in season 2 she does end up in a romantic relationship with another woman, and much of her arc in that relationship is based around the insecurities hidden behind her rock and roll persona. Riz Gukgak (the rogue of the group) does not use the term asexual on screen, however it is clear in a conversation in season 2 where he discusses feeling awkward about not being horny when all his other friends are. He was later confirmed as asexual by dungeon master Brennan Lee Mulligan.

Dimension 20: The Unsleeping City

Another story with the same players as Fantasy High. This story takes place in a fantastical New York City where the waking world intersects with the world of dream and magic. The story follows six adventurers as they struggle to keep the two worlds in balance with each other, and prevent the big bad from ruining the world of dreams forever. It’s Brennan’s love letter to New York.

How is it queer? Pete Conlan (the sorcerer of the group) is a bit of a dirt bag drug dealer who is struggling to learn to take on the responsibility of being the voice for the dreams. He is also a trans man. His awakening into the magical New York occurs because his dad attempts to deadname him, and he uses his magic powers to fill his dad’s mouth with bubbles and blast him away.

Not Another D&D Podcast Campaign 1

This is another dungeons and dragons actual play set in a more traditional D&D world. It follows the story of three adventurers living in the shadows of the saviors of Bahumia that came before them. Only to realize one of those saviors might not have retired, and is up to no good. They will have to save Bahumia from one of its saviors.

How is it queer? Beverly Toegold The Fifth (Paladin of the group) is the fantasy equivalent of a Boy Scout and ends up in a romantic relationship with another boy from his troop. (They’re both meant to be 16 by the end of the campaign I believe.) Moonshine Cybin (the Druid of the group) is just generally horny for everyone and anyone that impresses her, but she does also spend her last night before the final battle hooking up with Hardwon’s (the third party member) sister in law.

Not Another D&D Podcast Campaign 2

This story is set in the world of Eldermourne which delves heavily into the aesthetic of gothic horror. It follows three adventurers as they go in search of a missing witch that will help them protect Eldermourne from the conflicting factions of gods and religious extremists each trying to take the world and remake it in the way that suits them.

How is it queer? A major thrust of the story is that Fia Boginya (the wizard and cleric multiclass of the group) once saved her dear friend Irina from execution, but they end up needing Irina’s magic to protect the world. The party goes in search of her, and Fia admits to having always been in love with Irina, even when they were just children.

The Adventure Zone: Balance

Another D&D actual play. This one is set in a fantasy world that draws heavily on both fantasy and other aesthetics. The three adventurers encounter an extremely powerful and destructive magical object, and manage to capture it. In doing so they are inducted into the organization called the Bureau of Balance, and are sent on missions to recover the other objects of power that have been scattered across the land. There is more to the characters than even they know.

How is it queer? Taako the Wizard (one of the adventurers) ends up in a romantic relationship with the Grim Reaper who in this world is a man. There is also a romantic relationship between two women who are also members of the Bureau of Balance that hangs out in the background of the story. A trans woman is also prevalent in the story, but explaining anything else about her reveals major spoilers for the campaign, but trust me she is narratively important.

The Adventure Zone: Amnesty

This is another actual play show, but it uses the Monster of the Week system that was created using shows like Scooby Doo, X-Files, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is set in the fictional town of Kepler, West Virginia and the Monongahela National Forest. Cryptids are real and they all hang out in Kepler. Three friends band together to stop monsters with ill intent from destroying the town, and learn more about the world that parallels theirs. It is Dungeon Master Griffin McElroy’s love letter to the West Virginia town he and his brothers grew up in.

How is it queer? Aubrey Little is the magic user of the group and identifies as bisexual. She ends up in a romantic relationship with a vampire girl in town.

Campaign Skyjacks

It is another role playing game actual play. I’m not entirely clear on what system they are using, as a lot of it is the creation of the game master. It is set in a fantasy world where crossing the oceans has become too treacherous, so pirates, privateers, and sailors alike have all taken to the sky in airships. The story follows four crew members of the ship the Uhuru as they try to make the ship profitable all while trying to hide from the rest of the crew that the captain has long since died and the doctor has been puppet-ing his corpse for weeks now.

How is it queer? I am still in the early stages of the podcast so there may be more queer characters later, but off the bat there is Gable who is the quarter master of the ship. Gable is non-binary.

These are not the only podcasts that fit the bill, but these are the ones I listen to. I’d also like to give a special mention to most other seasons of Dimension 20. There are a ton more, and you’re likely to get at least one queer character per season. However, I wanted to keep it to things you could find for free. Fantasy High and The Unsleeping City are both free on YouTube, but all other Dimension 20 seasons are on the streaming service dropout tv (which I do recommend getting because they do a lot of other good shows too.)

Feel free to add more shows in your reblogs!

[missjomarch]

Plz write me the fluffiest Nico you can!

✨ imagine ✨ like sick cuddles or sleepy morning smooches and falling back to sleep 🥰

No because I was so sick last weekend and my own personal Nico Hischier definitely would've fixed me right up. Using my favorite ladylooch trademark Nico nickname (sweets) in honor of you requesting this.

You felt fine when you left for work this morning, but as the day progressed the pounding in your head and the aches in your body only got worse. All it took was one look from your boss and you were being sent home to rest.

The drive to the house was only 10 minutes, but you honestly weren't sure you'd make it. You were completely out of it. It hadn't even occurred to you that you should probably text Nico, your boyfriend, that you had left work early and were headed home.

You left all of your work things in the car, barely managing to drag your own self up the stairs to the front door. When you opened the door, Nico was folding laundry on the couch. The domesticity of the action would've warmed your heart had you not been actively fighting a wave of nausea. His head whipped in your direction, clearly not expecting anyone to be entering his house unannounced at this time of day.

Confusion washed over his features when his eyes found you standing in the door way, and he picked up his phone to check the time. When he confirmed that 5 o'clock hadn't magically arrived without his notice, he returned his gaze to you.

"Babe? What're you doing home so early?" He's making his way towards you as he's speaking. You take two steps forward before deciding that it might be best to just let him come to you. A look of concern is growing on his face as he nears you, but he chooses not to mention your pallid complexion. Instead he wraps you in his arms, placing soft kisses to your hairline.

"Work sent me home, don't feel good," You manage to mumble.

"What's wrong, baby?" His chest rumbles as he speaks, lulling you momentarily. You close your eyes against the spinning room, willing the nausea to stop. Bad idea. Suddenly your yanking out of Nico's hold and sprinting to the half bath down the hallway.

You barely make it to the toilet before you're emptying your stomach. Apparently Nico wasn't far behind you because you can soon feel his hands pulling your hair back.

"Let it out, baby," he soothes, hand rubbing comforting circles on your back. When you're done, Nico leaves your side for a moment only to return with a cold washcloth. You take it from him and press it to your face, the coolness alleviating some of your discomfort.

"Sorry," you mumble, not exactly sure what you're apologizing for. You just know you don't love the idea of your boyfriend watching you hurl your guts up.

Nico shakes his head, "don't apologize. If I knew you didn't feel good I would've picked you up from work."

"I just thought I had a headache."

"Do you feel better now?" Nico's hand returned to tracing shapes on your back.

"Nope." Your stomach was still churning, your head was still pounding, and you still felt like you were on the verge of puking. You felt Nico place a soft kiss to the top of your head before watching him leave the bathroom again, mumbling that he'd be back in 2 minutes. Halfway through those two minutes you were vomiting again, and Nico came rushing back to the bathroom.

"Breathe, sweets." Nico coaxed as you gasped.

"Okay, now I feel a bit better." You sighed once you were done.

"Let's go lay down, yeah?" You nodded, wanting nothing more than to pass out in Nico's hold. He helped you get cleaned up before carrying you to your shared bedroom. He had already moved a plastic trashcan beside the bed and a new washcloth and water bottle were waiting on the nightstand.

Nico was sat against the headboard with you between his legs. The position kept you mostly upright in an attempt to keep the sickness at bay. Nico's right arm wrapped around your waist while his other hand ran through your hair.

"Thank you," you whispered, "I know this is gross." You could hear Nico's scoff lightly at your comment.

"You, my love, could never be gross. I just want to make you feel better." Your heart warmed at his genuine disheartened tone, clearly upset he couldn't magically cure your illness. Though you had no doubt he'd be the first to attempt it if he had the means.

"I love you, Hisch." The sentiment is mumbled, but Nico hears it loud and clear.

"I love you more, sweets. Get some rest."

[elavoria]

OC in Fifteen

Tagged by @dirty-bosmer and @sylvienerevarine to share 15 lines or less more of dialogue that showcases my OC’s personality. This was fun, thank you! <3 I tag @nostalgic-breton-girl, @sheirukitriesfandom, and @1helios1~

I couldn’t choose between Isanna and Amaryllia, so I’ve put them both under the cut… with a bonus set for Regill, too, because I couldn’t resist—he may not be an OC, but the lines I’ve given him are much more suited to this sort of thing.

I may have gotten a little carried away, aha…

Isanna

1. “I would love to stay here with you,” she said, “but I must prepare for the day, otherwise Irabeth and Anevia are going to start wondering if you murdered me in my sleep.”

2. “I am an inquisitor,” she declared, “not a cleric or a paladin. If the goddess sees fit to take away my divine magic, you’ll be among the first to know.”

3. “You are aware, my dear count, that killing people on behalf of the goddess of mercy is part of my job description?” She paused to let that sink in, then explained, “A swift death at the end of a sharp blade is the only mercy some deserve. That is especially true here in the Worldwound.”

4. “Regill,” Isanna interrupted as she made her way to the table. She leaned heavily against the back of her chair, wincing from the effort, before staring a little too hard, a little too wide-eyed at Anevia. “Bring him here.”

5. “Bleeding again,” she murmured, frowning at the scarlet drops. “That won’t do.”

6. She shook her head and shifted her hand back to his face before answering, “I look at you, and I see the iron will born of your discipline, the depths of your wisdom and the sharpness of your wit in your eyes, the stern and stately set of your features, the lines and shadows that mark your years and experience…” She stared deeply into his eyes, then finished just above a whisper, “And I don’t want to lose you.”

7. “In the event I am… incapacitated in such a way, I want you to lead the crusade in my stead. I understand the army might be averse to following the person who killed their former commander, which is why I wrote my last wishes very explicitly, to clarify the situation and dispel their doubts, and legitimize your position as my successor. That document is what you will find in the cache, should you need it.”

8. “I would love to show you my Magnimar,” she said warmly. “And there’s so much to see there. It isn’t called the City of Monuments for nothing, after all. I—” She broke off with a blush as her thoughts of traveling for pleasure alone with the paralictor tumbled over themselves and dropped her gaze to her lap. “I’d be happy to go anywhere with you,” she said quietly, meeting his eyes again with a small, somewhat apologetic smile. “I’m even glad to be here with you. I’m, ah… I’m just glad you’re here.”

9. “I’ve tasted enough,” she said indignantly, then took another sip and felt it go to straight to her head. “I’ve tasted wine from all over Avistan in my travels.”

10. “You honor me,” she said with a gracious dip of her head. “As for your assessment…” He raised an eyebrow, and her smile turned mischievous. “Your test administration skills leave something to be desired. However, the test did accomplish your objective, and furthermore, it was a very amusing diversion, so I believe that can be overlooked.”

11. “Sarenrae’s patience isn’t infinite,” she said with careful deliberation, “and neither is mine.”

12. “Is this what you wanted from me, Dawnflower?” she whispered, gripping the carved symbol of her goddess a little too tightly. “Did you know my soul was corrupted when you sent me to Kenabres?” The silence was deafening, but she continued anyway. “Should I have heeded Iomedae’s words and purged the corruption from my soul?” She sighed and shook her head at the thought. “I can serve you and Golarion better with this power. I have made it my own, forged it into something good and righteous. And even if I hadn’t, you yourself once worked alongside the powers of evil in service to good.”

13. “This power I have,” she explained, letting go of one of his hands to rest it where her wound appeared. “If taken further, it… who knows what it might be able to do? It should be able to rival even the gods.” The passion in her eyes turned to a desperate fervor, and he stared back at her uncertainly. “I’ll find a way to keep you alive. I promise you.” She moved her hand to his face and twined her fingers through his hair, holding him as if he might slip through her fingers at any moment. “Regill… I love you more than anything in this world. I would do anything for you—and I will.”

14. “I promise,” she muttered aloud, fingers clutching weakly at the ground for something to hold on to. Finding nothing, her hands closed into fists and she trembled helplessly. “I promise…”

15. “Everything is going to change,” she said, “no matter what we do.” They sat with the thought in silence, and she added, “I want to change it for the better.”

15… 2. “You know I didn’t ascend to become a god,” she said quietly.

Amaryllia

1. “I will do no such thing,” she said, perhaps a little too fiercely. “I’m going to get you out of here, Chantry be damned. How long have you been here, anyway?”

2. “I am trusting you not to lose control again. I ask that you extend the same trust to me.” She paused again as the intensity of his gaze caused her to become aware of her heartbeat. “Can we do that?” she asked, almost in a whisper. “Can we trust each other?”

3. “He is not,” the warden hissed under her breath, “a traitorous bastard.”

4. “I am going to save everyone who can possibly be saved,” she said, her voice soft but resolute.

5. “There are some here who would call me too gracious,” she said quietly. “But… I don’t think there is anything wrong with mercy… or compassion, and understanding.”

6. “Oh, I very much doubt that,” she said smoothly. “I think you will forgive me far more readily if I do die.”

7. “I appreciate your concern, Wynne,” Amaryllia returned, her tone unusually short, “but I would prefer not to have a breakdown in front of the people I am supposed to be leading. And if I have to stay in this wretched city a moment longer, I am liable to explode.”

8. “I never considered you the real enemy,” she went on, meeting his eyes with a small, tired smile. “You are but a man, and can be reasoned with.” She stifled a sudden sob and stopped walking. “Not that I could even reason with my own friend.” Fighting back tears, she gripped her staff with both hands and let it support her. “I’m usually so good at that,” she said in a small whimper. “How did it go so wrong?”

9. “Do you think if I asked Greagoir very nicely,” she began with a slow playfulness, “he would let me cast a big lightning bolt in the chapel again?” To Loghain she added, “We fought a revenant in the chapel at Kinloch. I thought it had killed Sten, so I, ah… annihilated it.”

10. “You are not a burden,” she assured him, this time properly authoritative. “Besides, I… enjoy your company.”

11. “It is no matter, now, what might have happened,” she said. “We are here together, alive and well, as we should be.”

12. “Well, they are very… admirable, are they not?” she returned self-consciously, blushing despite her best efforts. “Gleaming plate and the occasional lush fabric…”

13. “Sometimes,” she said quietly, eyes still trained on the darkspawn, “I wish I could resurrect Uldred just to kill him again. But that wouldn’t make Cullen stop hurting, and it wouldn’t bring any of them back.”

14. “If I could share the source of it, I would,” she assured him, pleased but self-conscious. “As it is, I do what I can.” She thought for a moment, then added, “That is all any of us can do. If there were a little more graciousness in the world, a little more kindness…”

15. “Make no mistake, ser knight,” she said, and although she still spoke lightly enough, her words took on a grave undertone. “My charm was honed as a means of survival as much as anything.”

16. “Where would any of us be, without love?” She paused in reflection, then continued, “Is it not the only thing we have left, here at the end of the world? And is it not the most important thing of all? What are we fighting for, if not for love?” She looked back to Zevran and finished, “I would never pass up the opportunity to revel in the love I have found, the love I have made—literally or otherwise—when to-morrow is not promised.”

17. “I don’t blame you for that, or for anything, Greagoir. You trusted me; you showed me kindness when you need not have, and now I am doing the same for you.” She smiled, then added, “Besides, I don’t want you to die. There has been more than enough death lately, don’t you think?”

18. “I love your age,” she said gently as she wiped his tears away. “I love that you have so much life experience with which to guide me. I love how the years have shaped you into such a handsome and capable man.” He gave her an unsteady smile that she returned with an encouraging one, and she continued, “You cannot change the past, beloved. All we can do is learn from it and do better.”

19. “I suppose you’ll have to ravish me,” she said, turning her head to face him with a mischievous smile.

20. “Thank you,” she breathed. “I look forward to speaking with him—a man of good intentions and horrible decisions. He reminds me of… well, nevermind.”

21. “He’s too visceral a reminder of the fate you might have had,” she said. He nodded and hung his head, and she let go of him and moved up a step in order to take his face in her hands. “It hurts, and it’s frightening, but… darling,” she said gently, pausing until he reluctantly met her eyes, “if that were you, do you think I’d love you any less? If you fell that far, do you think you’d be unworthy of love and forgiveness, of a guiding hand to lead you back into the light?”

22. “It’s one thing to read about a person’s actions.” The locked clicked into place, and she dispelled her light and turned to face him. “It’s another to hear about their intentions, their regrets, why they did what they did and how they feel about it.”

23. “A year of you doing nothing but treating him like he’s beyond help, and now he believes it,” she said in grave accusation. “You’ve let your biases blind you to his potential, to his pain. If you approached him with respect—or simply any amount of decency—”

24. “Deserve?” she interrupted. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t keep her derision out of her tone or her mana under control. “He doesn’t deserve! Listen to yourself! Don’t tell me what he deserves!” She discharged her mana as lightning directed toward the floor, and the crack that rent the air was immediately followed by another as dust and stone chips flew into the air. Cullen flinched, and startled into silence, they both stared at the damaged stone, then at each other. “Sorry about your floor,” she said in a carefully calm voice, “but that’s your problem. He’s a person with a beating heart—of course he deserves decency.”

25. “We are all victims of the Chantry, here,” she said softly, looking seriously into his eyes. “Mage and templar… we are not so unalike, ultimately. No one deserves to suffer so. I only wish to help heal where I am able, and… well. Former templars hold a special place in my heart, as I am sure you know well. I wasn’t able to be there for Cullen in his darkest times, but the rest of you… I will do my best.”

Regill

1. “You are… a most curious individual,” he remarked with equal parts awe and consternation.

2. “Yes,” he agreed, “and in so doing, you put yourself at needless risk. The crusade cannot be left without its commander. Your survival is vital. The survival of individual soldiers—” he gave her a piercing, meaningful look that cut her to her core—“is not.”

3. “Admiration of the flesh?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “A frivolous pursuit.”

4. “It’s… fine,” he said hesitantly. “The gold is—” his eyes flicked back down to the pendant and darted about her torso before returning to hers “—nice.”

5. “No?” he asked in such a smug tone that she couldn’t tell if she was smiling more indignantly or out of enjoyment. “Then consider this a trial. One of many.”

6. “Yes,” he said vaguely. “Good morning.” He sat up with a grimace and added, “It will be a better morning once we’re away from this accursed place.”

7. “I’m holding them to perfectly reasonable standards,” he insisted, “and we will all be better off for it. Society—and even more so, our crusade against the Abyss—cannot survive mercy.” She recoiled as if he had slapped her, and he added bitterly, “What did you expect? I’m a Hellknight. An officer. You didn’t really think I was any different, did you?”

8. “This will make us a more effective unit,” he remarked in a dispassionate tone that was completely at odds with how flustered she had become.

9. “Not going to take the word of an angel from your precious Heaven, Prelate?”

10. He frowned slightly, then said, “I had no intention of killing someone who means so much to you, even if I cannot understand what it is you see in him. His current state does not warrant death. Not yet. I will further admit that I do, however, have several contingency plans in place should that change.”

11. “You’re very perceptive,” he remarked with a touch of affectionate annoyance. “One of the many things I love about you.”

12. “Perhaps I shouldn’t say that too often, after all,” he said with an uncertain little smile. “If it’s going to make you cry…”

13. “I don’t consider myself to have fallen,” he said. “In fact, I consider this an improvement by all standards.”

14. “I think I can excuse their lack of discipline under the circumstances,” he said with a smirk that soon turned into a smile. “Besides, I’ve learned how important cheer and good hope can be for morale—so long as it is built upon a sturdy foundation of discipline.”

15. The Hellknight fixed him with a look that could kill, and while his words were directed at Isanna, he remained staring at Billiver as he said through gritted teeth, “You may lie with this creature of chaos if you so desire. I, however, will have no part in it.”

[amorest-viesse]

[Ringing the Bell of Blessings With You] - Chloe SSR Card Story Translation

Ft. Arthur and Akira (Western wizards mentioned)

Bonds Tied With a Ribbon - Chapter 1

[Estate Courtyard]

Akira: I’m glad the wedding ceremony was a success.

Arthur: I agree. Things were a bit rough in the middle, but everything came together in the end. The ceremony itself was absolutely gorgeous.

Chloe: The decorations up at the venue and all around town were beautiful as well… Not to mention the bride and groom’s attire! Their outfits really brought out their best features!

Chloe: Gosh, I hope I can make an outfit like that someday, one as bright and beautiful as the person wearing it.

Arthur: I’m certain you will. Even the outfits we have on now are perfect.

Arthur: You know Chloe, if I were to ever marry, and I’m allowed to choose my own tailor, could I leave my wedding suit to you?

Chloe: Huh!? For real!? Like, for real for real!?

Akira: That sounds like a wonderful idea! Wearing something made by a friend would make your special day even more special.

Chloe: It’d be such an honor…! I wonder how it should look?

Chloe: Arthur works well with a traditional style, but maybe I should go for something a little more personal and out-of-the-box!

Chloe: Ohh, I just can’t decide, but if there’s one thing it needs, it’s gotta be ribbons!

Akira: That sounds like a good start! I’m sure it’ll look lovely.

Arthur: There are ribbons on these outfits too. Do they mean anything?

Chloe: Yep! I learned about this while traveling through the Western Country…

Chloe: In one of the towns we stopped in, ribbons were used in a ceremony meant to strengthen bonds as a symbol of tying people together.

Chloe: I thought that’d be perfect for you since you’re always working hard to improve the relationship between humans and wizards!

Arthur: Chloe…

Arthur: Thank you so much…! I truly appreciate how much thought you put into this.

Akira: Ribbons as a symbol of strong bonds… What a lovely idea.

Chloe: Right? Actually, they became a trend among Western wizards for a while…

Chloe: Even now there’s a bar game related to it!

Akira: Ohh, is that what the Western wizards were doing with all those ribbons the other day?

Chloe: Yep!

Chloe: The rules are everyone takes turns professing their love, and at the end of the round, we vote for whomever had the best lines by tying a ribbon around their pinky finger.

Chloe: The person with the most ribbons at the end wins the game.

Akira: Well that explains why you all had so many! Who ended up winning?

Chloe: About that… We got a little carried away with tying the ribbons, and lost count of the actual score.

Arthur: Ah, so that’s why Murr was somersaulting through the dining hall the other day yelling something about a ribbon from Shylock.

Arthur: What an interesting game. It seems like a good way to improve your relationships with others too.

Chloe: Right? That’s why it became so popular in the first place.

Chloe: …Hey since today is all about celebrating bonds, why don’t we play it too?

Akira: I’d love to!

Arthur: Count me in as well. I would never pass up an opportunity to get to know someone better.

Chloe: Yippee! I’ll get everything setup then!

Opening his magical sewing kit, Chloe took out a handful of ribbons from inside.

Arthur: These work perfectly for the game.

Akira: We’re supposed to profess our feelings, right? I’m getting nervous, but I’ll do my best…!

Chloe: I can’t wait to hear what you’ll say! Alright, since it looks like we’re all ready, I’ll go first!

Bonds Tied With a Ribbon - Chapter 2

Chloe: I’ll go first!

Chloe: “I can’t help but feel envious whenever you wear clothes made by someone else.”

Chloe: “Forgive me, but could you only wear my designs from now on?”

Chloe: Ehehe, how’d I do?

Arthur: I could really feel the passion in your words. If it were me, I’d probably end up saying yes.

Akira: You were a lot bolder than usual too. It really got my heart racing.

Chloe: To let you in on a secret, Rustica and Shylock helped me with that one.

Chloe: Although they told me that using someone’s name and addressing them directly would make it even more effective. 

Arthur: It’ll be hard for me to beat the three of you combined, but I’ll definitely give it a try. Ahem…

Arthur: “Didn’t you know, darling? You’re mine, all mine. I’m holding you tight and never letting go.”

Akira: Whoa…! Hearing you act all possessive is making me flustered!

Arthur: I wanted to go for a “gap moe” approach like the former Sage taught me and decided to use one of Bradley’s pick-up lines.

Chloe: Way to go, Arthur! You really played into your strengths there!

Chloe: I bet you could give Rustica some real competition in the “I Love You” game!

Akira: The two of you did that so easily… Is there a trick to it?

Chloe: Hmm… Well, what would make you happy to hear? Whatever it is, I’m sure it’d work on us too!

Akira: (What I'd like to hear…?)

Keeping Chloe’s words in mind, I opened my mouth.

Akira: When I first came to this world, I had no idea what was happening, but the two of you reached out to me anyway. Thanks to that, we can have fun just like we're doing now. I love you guys.

Akira: …Was that alright?

I hesitantly watched the two of them for a reaction. They looked at each other for a second, then burst into laughter as if someone had tickled them, before taking my hands.

Chloe: That was amazing…! I love you too, Master Sage!

Arthur: Just as Chloe said, I owe you my thanks for always thinking of us.

Akira: Thank goodness… I was so nervous, but I’m glad my message got through to you.

Overcome with relief, I began to laugh as well, and now it was Arthur and Chloe’s turn to look sheepish.

Chloe: That’s everyone then. Who will be the winner of this round...

Arthur: I’ve already decided.

Chloe: Me too!

Akira: That was quick! Who managed to steal your hearts?

Chloe: Well… <<Suisipicibo Voitingoc>>

Arthur: <<Pernoctant Nixzo>>

The two of them cast their spells and…

In the next moment, a red and a blue ribbon tied themselves around my pinky finger.

Chloe: Our winner is you, Master Sage!

Akira: M- Me!? But why…?

Arthur: It didn’t matter who we were talking to. Our lines had a fair chance of making anyone swoon.

Akira: Oh, I get it now… The difference is that I addressed the two of you specifically.

Chloe: Which made me really happy!

Chloe: Hey, can we play again? I wanna say something to you guys too!

Arthur: I agree. There are several things I’d like to say.

Akira: Ahaha, I wish I could be as forward as you two, but I’ll keep doing my best! 

Bonds Tied With a Ribbon - Chapter 3

Chloe: I had so much fun playing that game!

Akira: We probably could’ve kept going forever too if Figaro hadn’t called Arthur over. It’s funny how we all tied in the end.

Chloe and I walked through the gardens, laughing as we talked about the game. 

Akira: You two could’ve given me a heart attack with how intense your lines were.

Chloe: Ehehe, I felt the same way. It was giving me goosebumps.

Akira: I absolutely understand what people mean now when they say the game strengthens your relationships.

Akira: Didn’t you say it originated from a ceremony in the West…?

Akira: Does that one involve exchanging passionate confessions too?

Chloe: Umm, that one’s a little different. It goes something more like this…

Akira: …!

Chloe suddenly kneeled before me, the long hem of his jacket fluttering in the wind before it hit the ground.

As I froze in shock, he reached out with a white-gloved hand and grasped mine, his violet gaze meeting my eyes.

Chloe: Master Sage. Thank you for always keeping me in your thoughts.

Chloe: Because of this precious bond you’ve forged between us, like tying a ribbon around our hearts, all of us can spend each day in happiness with one another.

Akira: Chloe…

Chloe: I want to stay with you forever.

Chloe: To ensure our bond never falls apart… I’ll gift this red ribbon to you.

Akira: Ah…

Taking a glossy red ribbon, Chloe tied it around my pinky finger.

His eyes glimmered with happiness as he pulled the bow taut and leaned his forehead in.

Chloe: …Ehehe, that was a little embarrassing, but I wanted to show you what the real ceremony was like.

Akira: I- I see…! That certainly got my heart racing…

Chloe: Right?

Chloe: Rustica was the one who taught me about this…

Chloe: I was on the receiving end that time, and it was super nerve wracking. I was sure my chest would explode.

Akira: I really appreciated hearing your thoughts though…

Akira: I’d love to tie a bond with someone too... Although I’m sure I’ll be just as nervous on the giving end.

Chloe: Do you have someone you’d like to gift a ribbon to?

Akira: Of course! I’d love to give one to every single one of you!

Chloe: All of us!? I’d love that!

Chloe: I’m always happy to receive something from you! And when that time comes…

Chloe gently held up the ribbon tied around my pinky and blushed.

Chloe: Could you start with me? I want your very first ribbon, Akira.

 Akira: …! Of course! I’d be happy to!

Chloe: Ehehe, thank you so much! I was so worried you would say no, but I’m glad I asked!

With his cheeks still a rosy red, Chloe smiled.

Seeing the expression on his face, I knew that this was a bond I wanted to last forever.

Beware of Western Games - Card Episode

Akira: Afternoon, Chloe. I found this ribbon on the floor of the common room. Is it yours?

Chloe: Oh wow, thanks for finding it! I’ve been looking everywhere for it since I noticed it was missing earlier.

Akira: It’s no problem at all. This brings back memories of that game we played the other day.

Chloe: Right? All of us were pretty fired up about winning, but that’s what made it fun.

Akira: Are there any other bar games that Western wizards play?

Chloe: Several actually! The one I remember most is “Tryst of Numbers”. We played it at Bar Bennett with some of the other guests.

Akira: What’s that?

Chloe: Typically the game is played with a deck of enchanted cards that are laid out on a table facedown, and you have to match the pairs…

Akira: (My world has similar memory games doesn’t it…?)

Chloe: If you guess wrong, the numbers will levitate off the card and attack you.

Akira: Wait… Attack you!?

Chloe: Oh, don’t worry! It’s only a prick, so it doesn’t hurt.

Akira: (That doesn’t reassure me in the slightest…)

Chloe: What you really need to watch out for is the penalty if you lose…

Akira: W- What does that entail…?

Chloe: Well…

Chloe: No, it’s too much, I can’t say! I’m sorry!

Chloe: You won’t have to worry about us…

Chloe: But if any other Western wizard invites you to play, tell me right away! I’ll take your place!

Akira: O- Okay! I’ll keep that in mind.

Akira: (What in the world could they be doing…)

Home Screen Voice Line

“Rutile told me that in the Southern Country, people often swear their love beneath the open sky…! Since most weddings in the West are held indoors, I wonder what an outdoor one would be like. I’d love to know more about wedding traditions from other countries, especially since we have representatives from all over at the manor. Someday, I'd want my wedding to be the best of the best for my beloved.”

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Mod Talks #2: Ranking the Danganronpa Series:

//So this ranking list might be a bit confusing to some people, since the title of it isn't exactly a dead giveaway at what I'm going to be talking about here.

//So let me just explain.

//Since the first game released in Japan in 2010, Danganronpa has become an absolutely huge franchise, spawning a fair few sequels, countless media, even more countless fan-projects, and there's so much more to it's name. Even after 14 years or so of it's lifespan, and with the series not really getting anything else lately since Kodaka left Chunsoft to form his own company with Uchikoshi, Danganronpa is still a much beloved franchise by many.

//Which is what causes all the fan-related projects like this blog to pop up. Because people cannot get enough of these characters.

//So in this ranking post, I'll be ranking each and every installment in the main series, as well as a few notable spinoffs, adaptations, and fan-projects featured on this blog. My rankings will be based on my own personal opinions first and foremost, but I'll mainly be judging these on factors like story quality, character writing, and the overall impact it had not just on me, but on the series.

//This is also going to be classified as a Mod Talks because I'm going to go more in depth than I normally do with these rankings. Beyond just a few paragraphs, I'm going to be analyzing basically everything that I possibly can.

//Let's break it down a little bit more.

This list WILL include:

Each of the mainline games - From DR1 to DRV3

The End of Hope's Peak Academy Anime - Both arcs will be counted as one.

Every Fanganronpa featured in the blog - None outside of that though, so don't expect to see Despair Time or anything like that pop up here.

All the Light Novels and Official Manga - Such as IF, Zero, and Kirigiri.

This list WILL NOT include:

Kirigirisou - I haven't played it, and so few people know what it actually is that I don't think anyone will care if I leave it out. I'll gladly give it an honorable mention though.

Magical Miracle Girl Monomi - It's a bonus minigame that adds no substance.

Danganronpa: The Animation - I understand that the DR anime adaptation is unpopular, but since it's a brief retelling of the story of Danganronpa 1 with the same characters, I decided not to include it since I'll already be covering them.

The Manga Anthologies - These are short stories written by a variety of different creators that each interpret the characters differently. I cannot judge them as a collective.

Master Detective Archives: Rain Code - Yes, it is another game by Kodaka. Yes, it has similar designs and mechanics to DR. And yes, the characters of the game are featured on the blog. But Rain Code is NOT a Danganronpa game, so I am not accounting for it.

Danganronpa Survivor, or any other Danganronpa Ask Blog that frequently gets mentioned here - This goes without saying. I'm not including the blog itself on the list because 1 - Personal bias to my own work, and 2 - It's not official enough to be classified under the content.

//Also, as one last thing, official content in the Danganronpa series will be marked orange in the title. Fan/Unofficial content will be marked purple.

//That should be everything, so let's take a despair-filled dive into the world of Danganronpa and see which titles rise to the top.

#20 - Danganronpa: Togami

//So going into this, I'm willing to reckon that a lot of you thought that I was going to put Danganronpa 3 right smack dab at the bottom of this list. Especially since I shit-talk it so much, and for good reason.

//But the true crime is that I don't talk about the Danganronpa: Togami light novel series enough, and just how much of a fucking shitshow it is.

//Now, this series isn't widely known to every fan of the series, so let me quickly summarize what this is. Danganronpa: Togami is a series of light novels written by Yuya Sato, that centres on Byakuya and his experiences with the Ultimate Despair in the Czech Republic, during his first year at Hope's Peak Academy, and prior to The Tragedy. It is unclearly canonical because it is not mentioned directly in canonical material. The Yuya Sato series saw the publication of three volumes.

//Given that Byakuya has one of the most interesting backstories in the Danganronpa series in my opinion, you'd think that a light novel that sort of shows that off, and how some of the events prior to DR1 truly played out would be really cool, and worth reading to help suck on that juicy lore.

//Well, it's not. Not even slightly.

//I've only read these novels once, having to read a fan-translation of it online, and believe me, I have no intention of revisiting them. The plot of the novels are convoluted and confusing, and even though Danganronpa CAN get very confusing in it's main storylines, it's still usually coherent enough to enjoy. But this just isn't.

//The fact that Yuji Sato truly has no idea how to write in a sane manner is one of the main problems with his work. Sato is only dimly acquainted with the idea of "making sense" and has no idea what "going overboard" entails.

//Remember how during the Death Battle event we hosted on this blog, I mentioned that Mukuro and Sakura were fast enough to instantly run from Japan to Prague in a couple seconds? This mad fucker came up with that, and Kodaka just let him.

//It also includes a lot of themes and scenes that I find...kind of disturbing? When the books get violent, they get REALLY violent. There's also a LOT of incest (which is unfortunately very common in Danganronpa) and a fair bit of suicide and fatphobia on top of that. And while Danganronpa has done all of these before, for the Togami novel series, it's just insanely gratuitous in the way that it's portrayed.

//Danganronpa isn't afraid to touch on darker themes, and that's fine. It's a series about high-schoolers killing each other. You can't really downplay that too much, so you might as well run with it. However, this novel's shift in tone is TOO dark. Too dark to the point that it feels like it's trying WAY to hard to be edgy.

//And the key difference is that even when the main series gets dark, the humor and eccentricity of the writing kind of balances it out. But we have absolutely none of that here. It's just gore, rape, death, blah!

//Sato, I'm sorry, but this isn't what "Graphic Novel" means.

//But all of this is completely putting aside what I consider to be the absolute worst part of this series of novels: The complete BUTCHERING of Byakuya's character.

//Byakuya is one of the most stand-out characters in the series. He's appeared at least once in basically every mainline iteration of the series, and because of that, he's the character who has seen the most development. He never betrays who he is, and remains a smug asshole to the end, but he still cooperates more with his peers and doesn't put himself on a pedestal above them. Even at the beginning, though he does a lot of conniving bullshit in DR1, he still holds himself to high standards.

//But the novel says balls to all of that.

//In the novel series, there are many times that Byakuya is portrayed as more vulnerable and less composed. If this took place in a time when he was VERY young, then this would make more sense, but this story takes place like A YEAR before the first game. His interactions with other characters can also be more emotional and impulsive, whereas Byakuya has always been famous for being reserved, cold, and strategic.

//Alongside all the other edgy shit that infects this series, the novels try to explore the darker side of Byakuya's character, sometimes pushing him into morally ambiguous or outright negative situations. For example, there's a point in the book where he gaslights a young girl into falling in love with him so that she'll writ his autobiography for him, and several scenes where he engages, or at least complicit in, extreme brutality.

//Not only is this the most OOC thing Byakuya has ever done, but it completely undermines the complex character that the series built him up to be. Despite his cold demeanor, he's not a violent person.

//All in all, if you do get a chance to read this novel, I personally suggest that you let it slip by. It's really not worth the read, and I'm willing to bet that almost any other fanfic writer on the internet could completely redo this.

//But now you see that even with it's stupid writing and many flaws, why DR3 didn't fall this far down, because this is somehow a billion times worse.

//But we're gonna talk about it now, right?

//Well...

#19 - Danganronpa Gaiden: Killer Killer

//Killer Killer fucking sucks.

//There's no sugarcoating it, it's just insanely bad. And it's honestly so disappointing because this could have been something great.

//Danganronpa Gaiden: Killer Killer, more commonly just called Killer Killer, is a bit more well-known than the Togami light novels. And this is mainly because it is actually an important part of the Danganronpa timeline.

//Somehow...

//According to the official chronology, the events of this manga take place before those of Danganronpa 2 and after those of Ultra Despair Girls. The main story revolves around Misaki Asano, a recent hire who works as a special investigator for the Special Investigations Unit of Future Foundation Branch 6; a division tasked with cracking the most unusual and difficult murder cases. One case at a time, she and her partner Takumi Hijirihara work to overcome hopelessness; the most difficult case they have is that of the enigmatic Killer Killer, a strange serial killer who preys on other murderers.

//You get three guesses as to who the Killer Killer actually is.

//Killer Killer ironically suffers from a problem that is both similar to that of the Togami novels, but also the complete opposite problem. It's easily one of the more darker parts of the Danganronpa Timeline, but even at it's darkest, Danganronpa is well-known for balancing these moments with its unique humor and over-the-top situations.

//Unlike the previous entry, Killer Killer does have these moments, but they are balanced HORRIBLY. Most of the manga focuses heavily on gore and psychological horror, which is off-putting on it's own, but even more so when you randomly throw in a stupid fucking gag in there.

//The key one I feel being Takumi Hijirihara's weird quirk where he pulls a Zenitsu and falls in love with every pretty woman he meets. Even when they're the killer.

//Speaking of Hijirihara, HE FUCKING SUCKS.

//A lot of people think the protagonist of this manga is cool because he's different, and I do agree that he's easily the furthest cry of the main protags in the series. He shares absolutely nothing in common with Makoto, or Hajime, or Kaede and Shuichi, or Komaru and Toko.

//Okay, he shares a LITTLE bit with Toko, but Toko of bearable. He isn't.

//While moral ambiguity can make a character, especially a protagonist, a lot more interesting, Hijirihara's isn't handled well. His actions are often portrayed as justified within the narrative, even though most of the time, they're questionable at best and outright unethical at worst.

//And I know how that sounds coming from the guy who wrote Kuripa Kurafto, but I should remind you that even though he is violent and rotten, Kuripa DOES believe that people can be redeemed. It's only those who don't try and relish in their homicide that deserve to be put to bed forever.

//Asano is okay, but her personality and quirks are things that Danganronpa has already done before, AND better. Though I do like that she and Hijirihara have something of a romantic connection.

//Actually, speaking of which, if Kuripa was in this novel, then he'd probably murder all the killers featured in it too. Because that's exactly what they are. Murderous psychopaths and nothing else.

//Danganronpa's two biggest strengths across the whole series are the mystery, and the characters. And the big problem with Killer Killer is that it's severely lacking in both core aspects.

//Almost every chapter of Killer Killer goes the same in that somebody dies, and Asano and Hijirihara are on the scene to investigate. But before any investigating can be done, Hijirihara figures out the culprit immediately, and every time, without fail, the culprit goes all hobo-murder-crazy, tries to kill Hijirihara, only for this guy and his unexplained insane strength and precision to humor them with an instant kill.

//There is absolutely no sense of mystery since Hijirihara solves the cases FOR the audience before any evidence can be given, and there is absolutely no complex character writing either. I don't remember a single character's name from this manga besides Asano and Hijirihara themselves; as well as the characters who are also featured in DR3, like Munakata and Kyoko.

//I even made sprites for A Student Out of Time for the girl who was super into leeches once, and I STILL don't remember her fucking name.

//(I think it's Shimizu or something?)

//Even when the format breaks, there is nothing compelling whatsoever about the plot of this manga. It lacks any sense of intrigue and it lacks and sense of depth, and to make matters worse, the writing and pacing is wholly inconsistent.

//Killer Killer is completely unessential to the Danganronpa series, even though it's portrayed otherwise. Danganronpa 3 still has the merit of at least expanding the lore of the series both before and after the addition of the Future Foundation, but in Killer Killer's case, instead of enriching the existing universe, it feels like a side project that adds no meaningful value or new perspectives to an already established narrative.

#18 - Makoto Naegi Secret File

//Yes, we're STILL not at Danganronpa 3. Crazy right?

//Turns out the anime is better than most of us expected to.

//Okay, so what can I say about this one? Well, this addition to the series is still relatively unknown, so I guess I should start by explaining what it is.

//The Makoto Naegi Secret File; sometimes referred to as "Makoto Naegi's Worst Day Ever" or something similar; is a short 25-page novella penned by Kazutaka Kodaka that describes the events leading up to Makoto Naegi's admission to Hope's Peak Academy. The first DVD/BD volume of Danganronpa: The Animation came packaged with the booklet.

//And it is basically exactly what it says on the tin. It's a story about Makoto randomly getting stuck in a hostage situation after a conga line of bad luck, where he accidently exposes and catches a jewel thief. It's a frankly ridiculous and hilarious story that you can't help but feel bad for the Lucky Student with.

//And in all fairness, the story itself is Danganronpa's cuckoo writing at it's finest. The fact that the story is a mini-precursor to the events of the first game is cool, and the direct relevance to the core narrative makes it appealing.

//So god tell me Mod! Why is it so low!?

//Well, first off, I can't really hold the Secret File in HIGH regard because it's a 25-page bonus booklet that not many people would have read, and even if they had, it hardly makes much of a difference to people's experience with the anime/game. But the major problem, which loosely ties into this, is pretty obvious.

//It's redundant.

//What tends to make the novels and side material like Zero and Kirigiri so great is that it expands on the lore of characters who you really want to know more about. Junko, Mukuro, Kyoko; they're all characters that you want to learn more about. Their backstories. Who they really are. Why they became the way they did. And yeah, Danganronpa: Togami completely failed to do that for Byakuya, but it doesn't change the fact that it's something you'd like to see.

//But...you don't NEED that for Makoto.

//Makoto Naegi is THE Danganronpa Protagonist. He appears at least once in every game, and even when he doesn't, his influence is everywhere! You play as him in the first game, and he's the one who defeated Junko Enoshima. He's a living legend across the entire franchise and a fondly remembered character from the very beginning of the franchise.

//A story like this is completely unnecessary since it doesn't teach you anything about Makoto that you either don't already know, or that is interesting or new information. Makoto's lucky being sucky is nothing new, and all the Secret File does is rehash information that we already know from the games without adding any substantial new insights.

//The story simply doesn't provide enough new or significant information to justify its existence. No major revelations about the original hero, or impactful additions to his character. And as someone who does really like Makoto, that's disappointing to me.

//Also, just like the previous two entries, this story also suffers the problem of an imperfect balance between the angst and the humor. Although in this case, it's more on the other end of the spectrum from Togami and Killer Killer, where it's too goofy and not hectic or scary enough.

//And as one last little qualm, the file focuses way to heavily on specific aspects of Makoto's character, like his talent and his backstory, neglecting other elements that I find a lot more important.

//And therefore, it detracts from my enjoyment a bit.

#17 - Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope's Peak Academy

//We're finally here. At what is surprisingly not the worst thing Danganronpa has put out, but easily my least favorite canonical mainline installment of the series.

//Sit down for a bit if you're not already, because I do have a fair bit to say about this one. But my concerns with it are mostly the same as everyone else's.

//Believe it or not, the reason why Danganronpa 3 didn't end up smack dab at the bottom of this list isn't for the easy reason that "I just liked those other one's less." Actually, Danganronpa 3 isn't wholly irredeemable. There are some stuff about it that I like.

//But both parts of this anime, the Despair Arc and the Future Arc, suffer from the same problems. So I've chosen not to separate them, and I'll try and go through all of my major issues with this show one at a time.

//With that being said, first things first...It's plot is pretty terrible.

//Danganronpa 3's storyline is weird, incoherent, and rushed, especially in Future Arc. And this is something you'll notice as we work our way down the list of reasons, but it feels like DR3 suffers way more than it should through the simple fact that it's an anime and not another game like one and two.

//The game's would not have this problem because there'd be more time to divvy out, but for the anime, it feels like they introduced numerous storylines and character arcs, then spent a lot of the series, especially the latter parts, trying to wrap them up. Which of course, leads to a lack of depth and development for any of the characters, and an overall unsatisfying conclusion.

//The duel arcs of Future Arc and Despair Arc are also unnecessarily complex and confusing. Especially since they're two separate storylines, but you're also supposed to watch then alternately?

//One of the biggest offenders, as I'm sure everyone is already well familiar with, is the birth of the Ultimate Despair at the end of Despair Arc, when the 77th Class, AKA. The Class of Danganronpa 2, are turned into Junko's subservient despair minions.

//What we could have gotten was a show seeing this class slowly devolve and drown in despair as their lives progressively get worse and worse.

//What we got was Chiaki dying, and a brainwashing video.

//Lazy.

//Lazy.

//Lazy.

//There is no other word for it.

//Speaking of which, one of my biggest problems with DR3 and why I hate it so much is because I absolutely despise the main cast.

//Everybody in the Future Foundation is a complete dickwad at first, and most of them remain that way throughout the entire story. As I said before, I grew to really like Seiko Kimura, and I liked Koichi Kizakura and the Great Gozu too. But DR3's new characters in general are either underdeveloped, or they're written in a way that makes me absolutely despise them. I think Juzo Sakakura is the worst offender of this.

//And it's not just the new characters either. The anime also features the casts of Danganronpa 1 AND 2, and SOMEHOW BOTH GROUPS are treated really poorly, with their story and character arcs either being completely ignored, or concluded in unsatisfying ways. Again, the brainwashing at the end of Despair Arc is the worst offender of this.

//The anime also seems to prioritize fanservice of all kinds over actual coherent storytelling. Like a pandering attempt to please the fans, and massively failing, since they aren't delivering anything substantial.

//But the thing that bothers me the most is that despite being marketed as the conclusion to the Hope's Peak saga, and literally EXISTING for the purpose of wrapping up a lot of the plot points from the first 3 games, Danganronpa 3 leaves quite a few plot points unresolved or poorly explained.

//For example, what happened to the Remnants of Despair after they took the fall for the Future Foundation? How did the Remnants account for Nagito after everything he did to them in virtual Jabberwock Island? What happened to the Future Foundation after the Final Killing Game, and how did they fix the mess that Tengan and Yukizome left behind? What's going on with Makoto now that he's randomly the headmaster of Hope's Peak? What happened with Ryota, and is he ever gonna psychologically recover after he tried to brainwash the whole world?

//The blatant lack of closure on a lot of the aspects I've listed above, AND more, is just so damn frustrating. It's not a definitive end to the story; not to mention that the anime introduces changes and elements that don't align with the game; such as Chiaki randomly being a human now even though she was just an AI originally.

//To put it simply, Danganronpa 3 just...fails. It fails to live up to the standards of the games that came before it, and it fails to provide a satisfying conclusion to the storyline.

//So here's the question. Is it really all that bad?

//Actually no. There are some pearls hidden in this pile of dirt.

//When the anime really tries, it can deliver really powerful emotional punches to the gut when it wants to. In my view, the last episode, also known as the Hope Arc, which marked the conclusion of Makoto and Hajime's parallel tales and marked a crossover between the two arcs, was truly outstanding. And that's not even mentioning the emotional rollercoaster that is real Chiaki's execution. It's such a terrifying and morbid scene in the franchise that really just sticks with you.

//Speaking of which, while I do feel that the cast get done dirty a lot in the show, I can't claim the same for the main pairings of each arc. That's Kyoko and Makoto for Future Arc, and Hajime and Chiaki for Despair Arc.

//Anime Chiaki is very different from game Chiaki, but she's an equally fun and entertaining character. I would argue even more than the original, though I know that's an unpopular opinion. A lot of people think that Chiaki is a Mary Sue in the anime, but I think the anime actually shows off the imperfections with Chiaki's character more than DR2 did. She exemplifies genuine kindness and unwavering dedication to her friends, making her a compassionate and likeable character.

//Hajime even more so is handled well I think. His complex emotional journey and growth from a confused, despair-ridden individual into a determined and empathetic person who seeks to redeem his actions is enthralling, and honestly, if it weren't for the little touches that DR3 gave him, I might like him half as much as I do now.

//And Kyoko playing less of an active role in the narrative actually works to her benefit. Especially since whatever scenes she has are usually interesting, and casually reminds you that "Yes, I am the most badass female character in the series." And the compassion and care that she shows for Makoto, despite how cold and distant she is to everyone. Ship fuel aside, it's great.

//If I can give the anime one last plus, it's that I think it has one of the best soundtracks in the series. The songs in the anime aren't as well known because I think a lot of them used to be copyrighted/are copyrighted, but listen to the soundtracks of both DR3 arcs and you'll see what I mean.

//So yeah. Danganronpa 3. Bad? Yes. Completely irredeemable? No way.

#16 - Danganronpa ReBirth/DanganRebirth Voices

//Honestly, I was actually this close to putting ReBirth below DR3. I didn't quite realize how much I didn't care for it until now.

//A lot of you might be surprised to see this one on the lower levels of the list. I've mentioned before that three of my favourite characters in the blog are Akira, Narumi, and Ayumu, all three of whom come from this project. So why is it this far down the list?

//Let me give you a little bit of background on the origins of this Fangan.

//For the sake of pulling an April Fool's Day joke, online content creator and game designer Miwashiba spent 1.5 months creating and developing Danganronpa ReBirth. Miwashiba declared that there would be no intentions to develop this game beyond what had been provided once the joke ended. But after getting so much interest in their novel, they eventually started posting the prologue and first chapter in text format on their blog.

//On April 1, 2017, the official website went live along with "in-game" videos that included character graphics, music, and a fully voiced cast. Because the artwork, graphics, and website design were so similar to the Danganronpa aesthetic, there was a lot of conjecture online about whether the game was real or just a practical joke being pulled by Spike Chunsoft, especially among English-speaking fans who did not have access to the untranslated website.

//But Miwashiba retained their stance on not making a full game out of it. However, that eventually led to the creation of DanganRebirth Voices.

//Now I should clarify that Danganronpa ReBirth and DanganRebirth Voices are two completely different fan projects that use the same characters and plot points. And instead of a game, it was instead an animated web-series featuring a lot of famous Fangan voices actors that are still active in the community today.

//In order to avoid possible legal action that Miwashiba may face if Spike Chunsoft found someone creating unofficial Danganronpa works for financial gain, Miwashiba had initially agreed to allow the team to use their creations' name, characters, and materials on the understanding that it would be entirely non-profit.

//However, later on, The Voices team revealed that they were organizing a stream to generate money for a team member's cat's veterinary expenses, despite their agreement with Miwashiba. The goal of the stream was to entice viewers to give by offering a Q&A session with the team, providing voice acting requests from the ReBirth Voicescharacters, and featuring additional content that included the Danganronpa ReBirth moniker and Miwashiba's original characters.

//Although they had been able to work out a compromise and negotiate their way out of problems with Miwashiba in the past, the team explained in their public statement about the project's cancellation that the stream had been the "last straw" in a list of concerns that Miwashiba had had since the project's inception. As a result, they felt that in order to respect Miwashiba's wishes and avoid legal issues, they had to cancel the project.

//I remember being pretty bummed and annoyed when I first heard about it, but looking back, I don't blame Miwashiba. ReBirth was always meant to exist as a joke, and Chunsoft's legal action team was fierce back in the day. But the fact that this never got a solid conclusion and only two incomplete projects knocks it down by quite a bit for me.

//While I do love the characters I listed above, my interpretation of them is only loosely based on ReBirth Voices original outline for them. They share only a few things in common; for example, the reason why Narumi and Akira are bad guys is because they were confirmed to be a pair of Mastermind's in ReBirth Voices. And I kept Ayumu's gender politics as part of his character, but downplayed them massively.

//However, even outside of that, I have quite a few issues with the ReBirth games. For one, the writing in both versions is pretty subpar, and whatever nuanced storytelling and engaging dialogue they're trying to get across to me, they're failing to do so.

//The second big issue is that a lot of what DanganRebirth does is recycled concepts from previous entries without offering new or innovative elements, taking away any sense of freshness.

//Not only that, but it typically tends to do these concepts worse. In both versions, Ayumu's gender politics plot point is treated with disrespect, in a way that Kodaka would never have done for Chihiro in the original game.

//And as a last fault, the quality of the voice acting in ReBirth Voices is wholly inconsistent.

//On the one hand, bblackroses as Narumi, and HarenaVA as Kazuomi are pretty on point and good for the characters; but in contrast, something like Kel as Ayumu and Bostoboy as Akira don't really do it for me.

//Rebirth is good because it showed what was possible, and what the community were capable of with just a bit of effort. Something that we'll be sure to go over with the rest of the fangames on this list.

#15 - Danganronpa Blowback

//Blowback is unfortunately not one of those.

//In all honesty, a lot of what I said about ReBirth is equally as true for Blowback.

//For one, Blowback never got finished before the team behind it disbanded, and we only managed to get two full chapters out of it before it went goodbye forever.

//Unlike ReBirth though, this one suffers from being an exclusively Korean fangame with translations for it being really hard to come across. I definitely found one and played it, but I cannot find that original link or play it anymore, so most people don't even know this game exists.

//One of the things that I really liked about Blowbakc is how official the sprites look. Genuinely, if you put a character like Akeru, or Mai in front of me, I genuinely would believe that Komatsuzaki made them.

//And there are quite a few characters in the game, namely the likes of Kana Ise and Akeru Yozora who I think are really fun and I really enjoy.

//But beyond that, there are some problems. And they mainly have to do with the same characters and the story. And that's that this game feels less like it's own fangame, and more like a retelling of Danganronpa 1.

//In the original game, Seina Datenashi is a prim and proper pretty girl who's also a bit of a gadfly, just like Sayaka was in the first game. However, she ends up being the killer, so her trial feels like what COULD have happened if Sayaka had successfully killed Leon in the first chapter of the first game.

//Secondly, the second killer, Mikihiko, in the original game, is a boy who wears clothes that make him appear effeminate. Which is exactly like Chihiro, except in a more cynical format, since he was forced to wear those clothes by his sisters. So it's really a killer-victim swap there as well, imagining Chihiro WAS desperate enough to hide the secret.

//Third, the "rival" character in the game is Shozo Asayoru. And in almost every way, he is exactly like Byakuya, from his sprites to his attitude, to his expressions.

//For me, that spells a lack of originality. Even though it does have it's own original plot points and characters that I really like, Blowback relies too heavily on already existing Danganronpa content without introducing any meaningful elements or ideas.

//Unlike ReBirth however, I really would have liked to see this one to the end, even if just to see how far we got with it, and what they could have changed it up to be.

#14 - Hyper! Danganronpa H20: Abandon All Hope

//It was always my intention to introduce Maya Canzanilla and her friends from this game into the blog because I really enjoyed her and her content, but for those who were around when Into the Ocean first released, you may remember that prior to the arc starting, I made a full length post explaining why I was adding these characters, where I've never really done that before for any other Fangan featured here.

//There was a reason for that. Several in fact.

//I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but for the uninitiated, I will have to explain a few key points about this game to give you a better idea as to why my choice to add it was controversial.

//English-language fangame Hyper! Danganronpa H20: Abandon All Hope, also referred to as Hyper! Danganronpa H20 and HDRH20, was made by US developer Milkpunches. This game was the first fully functional English fan game that had ever been published by an developer.

//It's also the most controversial and widely despised Fanganronpa.

//And for reasons that I think are pretty justified, despite how much I've come to care for Maya. What are those reasons?

//First off, the character writing is incredibly shallow. I like the character designs a lot, but unlike most Fangans, you cannot tell what each characters Ultimate Talents are based on their appearance. This Fangan was originally based on a roleplay, but in the execution of the game, somehow, they come across as less developed than Danganronpa 3.

//One one end of the spectrum, you have Maya, Ashe, August, Four, Hunter, Kokona, Oliver, and Victoria. All of whom are varying degrees of douchebag.

//On the other end, you have Chet, Kami, Kouji, Leona, Marie, and Ricardio, all of whom are varying degrees of nice.

//And then meshing about in the middle, you have Tamako who is just weird and creepy, and Cesar who...has NO personality for most of the game.

//And that's about it.

//A lot of the characters don't change, which for me has always been alright because the MAIN one's that I actually give a shit about do. But it's still a qualm that needs to be covered.

//Speaking of qualms, another big issue is that the trials, cases, and gameplay of this fangame suck total ass.

//HDRH20 was made in OHRRPGCE; an extremely dated game design software, that clearly does not cater well to Fanganronpa's AT ALL.

//The "Trials", if they can even be called that, are garbage, you can't view the Truth Bullets (or at least the game never explains how to do so), and the endless debates are similar to Ace Attorney but far less thrilling because you have to go through the text instead of picking a bullet and shooting it.

//Not to add the annoying mess that appears—once—as Hangman's Labyrinth. Throughout the entire game. You only play the minigame once, and it's in the first trial. The creator just forgot about the minigame between chapters.

//Speaking of the creator, Milkpunches, while I won't go into specifics, is, or rather was, a notoriously toxic person back when they were making HDRH20. And this is by far my biggest issue with this game, and what the creator was trying to do with it.

//Now, what I'm about to say could potentially come across as offensive to some parties, but given how relevant it is, it needs to be said. I'm not trying to go out of my way to make anyone feel attacked for their identity or their likes. We don't do that here.

//The reason I bring this up is because I want to make an observation, in that every character in this game falls somewhere on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. And this game was written and created with the intention of basically forcing pride ideas into the player's heads.

//This is what is known as "Tokenism." If LGBTQ+ characters are included just to fulfil a diversity quota without meaningful development or integration into the story, it can come off as superficial or insincere.

//Tokenism can undermine the authenticity or representation and fail to contribute to a compelling narrative. And relying on sterotypes or cliches when portraying characters who are gay, or trans, or lesbian, or bi, etc. can be harmful and reductive. It creates one-dimensional characters that don't reflect the complexity of real individuals and can perpetuate harmful misconceptions.

//Which is exactly what the cast of HDRH20 are.

//Focusing solely on a characters queer identity without exploring other aspects of their personality or role in the story can limit their depth. A well-rounded charater should have a multifaceted identity, where their LGBTQ+ status is just one of many elements.

//Don't take my words out of context: Pride representation itself is not detrimental to storytelling. It just needs to be approached with care to ensure that it adds to the narrative in a meaningful and respectful way, and here it just...doesn't. The ideas are forcefully shoved down your throat in a toxic way.

//And as for Milkpunches themselves, they attack anybody who criticizes them in the way that I've just done, so I'm not touching that with a 10 foot pole.

//But regardless, I still really like Hyper Danganronpa, and here's a few reasons why.

//For one, the character designs and art style are cool even if they're not wholly "Danganronpa-like." And even if the personalities are sorted into two basic sets, unlike a certain other fangan that we'll get to, these characters DO develop and change.

//One of the biggest criticisms people have for this game is that Maya as a protagonist is so unlikeable and annoying. But I think she's only like this for the prologue at least and Chapter 1 at most. Over time, she changes and becomes less stand-offish, and opens up to Hunter and Four.

//And it's not like the characters are completely one-dimensional. They have well-written backstories, and honestly, a lot of the storytelling is only held back by the game engine, not the actual writing.

//As abundant as the pride inclusion is, some of it, especially with Four, is detailed and handled well.

//And I do generally think that once you seperate content from creator, Hyper Danganronpa H20 has it's own charms. The problems are still there and still need to be accounted for, but looking past them, this is something special at its sweet center.

#13 - Super Danganronpa Another 2 ~The Moon of Hope and Sun of Despair~

//I've personally always seen DRA and SDRA2 as so in-line with the original Danganronpa, that I've subconsciously considered them as Danganronpa 5 and 6.

//Or I guess it would be 6 and 7 if we're forming a timeline.

//If you got into the Danganronpa fanbase and started to peruse the fanmade content, there's a pretty high chance that the first major project you came across was this Korean fangame by creator LINUJ; with it's own original theme of Process and Result.

//This is by far the most famous fangame in the entire fanbase, and chances are you've played it if you were able to get your hands on a translation.

//I think SDRA2 is probably the most solid Fanganronpa out there, and it's easily the most recognizable AND recommendable. As time has passed, it's become much easier for Western audiences to get their hands on, though still not easy by any means, and it's a good experience for any fans of the Danganronpa series, new, or old.

//It does the enjoyable thing of realizing what it is and messing with your expectations at every step, all the while remaining satisfying and not catching you off guard.

//Most of the challenges and riddles you solve in each chapter rank among the best of the entire series. Especially compared to the cases of DRV3.

//So the question is why is it so low?

//The first of the reasons is that Utsuroshima is hardly an original concept for a setting.

//Yes, it does different things than Jabberwock Island, such as the snowy island, but it's still a tropical island inside a virtual reality that everyone is trapped in.

//Secondly, the actual story of SDRA2 is poorly paced. Maybe I'm missing a couple of stuff, but you don't actually figure out any of the major plot points until you get to CHAPTER 5, with a few hints to it in Chapter 4.

//Danganronpa has always had an issue with pacing, but fangames are made to fix the mistakes that Kodaka and the team keep making, and the fact that this game doesn't is very annoying.

//The third and main reason is that while this might be a hot take, I actually don't like most of this game's cast.

//At their most basic, I can't stand characters like Nikei, Yuri, Syobai, and a few of the others. And compared to the cast of the previous game LINUJ made, most of them are easily passable for me. In fact, the only three who I know aren't are Sora, Setsuka, and Yoruko.

//Sora, I even admitted, is my favorite Danganronpa/Fanganronpa protagonist, and I still stand by that.

//Mod Bubbles from ASooT explains this better, but LINUJ as a writer is a very cynical person. Throughout SDRA2, there are many segway's in the writing process where it feels like prime opportunity for a character to emotionally develop. To reflect on their mistakes, and to become stronger.

//Kodaka does this a lot in the original games. Characters like Byakuya, Fuyuhiko, Komaru, Shuichi, and many others are completely different by the end of their games than they are at the start, and the progression tends to feel natural.

//But LINUJ's characters never seem to be able to take the first step, and remain the way they are. And for a lot of them who are scummy shitheads, this is to their unyielding detriment.

//While I'm more aware as to why things the way they are with this game, a writer's outlook on life can help or hinder a character's development in several ways. A lot of the characters in SDRA2 especially are overly negative, and prevents them from being well-rounded and enjoyable people with good motives and potential for growth.

//It also makes me wonder how LINUJ can even empathize with his own characters. If you have a character, especially one that's on the good side, that nobody can relate or connect to, then that's a bad thing.

//Since the writer seems to believe that people are inherently flawed or incapable of change, that in turn makes a lot of this game's cast static, and stops them from experiencing meaningful development, or necessary redemption arcs.

//As one last little slight, SDRA2 may be more accessible to people these days, but DRA1 isn't. And in order to get the full experience out of this game, you kind of have to know the plot of game 1 first.

#12 - Ultra Despair Hagakure

//Yasuhiro Hagakure is my least favourite character from the original trilogy of Danganronpa games.

//Had it not been for the likes of Haiji Towa and similarly fuckwad characters existing, he'd be my least favourite in the series.

//His constant laid back demeanor and frequent use of nonsensical or absurd statements. The fact that he's easily the most unhelpful and useless character in the main series. His repeated cowardice. How out of touch he is with everything else that's going on in the game.

//There are so many reasons why I loathe this guy, so when I found out there was a novella centered around him exploring Towa City just as Komaru and Toko did throughout Ultra Despair Girls, suffice to say, I was not happy to hear it.

//So what did I think of it?

//...It was actually alright.

//I'll say right out of the gate that what I think is the absolute coolest part of this little story is how Hiro's journey through it mirrors the journey of Komaru and Toko in UDG. Ultra Despair Girls is a story about a cowardly main character who gets stuck in Towa City, surrounded by danger, and finds an unlikely companion in a perverse and strange, yet powerful ally. The two butt heads occassionally, but their bond remains strong enough to fight through the turmoil so that they may escape and see the sun tomorrow.

//Toko and Komaru's dynamic is almost the exact same as Hiro and Kanon's, and I think that's actually pretty clever.

//However, another thing I'll say right out of the gate is that if you're expecting to get any good character development out of Hiro with this story, then be prepared to be disappointed.

//It really shows the moral difference between the characters when Toko and Hiro go through the same experience, and one of them grows from it and the other doesn't.

//Toko originally aids Komaru because she wants to rescue Byakuya, but her goals change after she spends time with Komaru and becomes a true friend with her, wanting to protect her too.

//Hiro originally aids Kanon because he hopes that her rich father will handsomely compensate him, and he still believes that in the final chapters of the story.

//This just goes back to what I was saying about the cast of SDRA2. Hiro may be a comic relief character, but it annoys the everloving fuck out of me that he just WON'T change, no matter what hell he's put through, he never learns a scrap of humility for his scamming and bargaining.

//Unfortunately, Kanon isn't exactly the right character to teach him it either.

//Kanon is...fine. She's fine. There's nothing outwardly wrong with her besides her creepy weird lust for her dead cousin in the story.

//But as far as I'm aware, love rules in Japan are lenient with cousins, plus Kanon didn't know that Leon was dead, so...

//The reason why Ultra Despair Hagakure is this high is because even though it features two characters that I'm...at best, very on the fence about, the way they interact is a fun time, and the fact that they make just as good a team as Tokomaru makes it even more fun.

//Also, while Hiro, again, doesn't change from the events in the story, this is the best example in the series that shows he CAN step up and be brave if he needs to, which is why he's less of a coward in Survivor as a result.

//This one for me is the middle ground for the novels. It's not as bad or as mundane as Byakuya's and Makoto's, and it's still not wholly necessary, but it's an enjoyable read.

#11 - Danganronpa: Kirigiri

//Kyoko is one of the most outstanding characters in the entire Danganronpa series. Like Makoto and Byakuya, her partners in crime, she's one of the most commonly appearing and influential faces in the series and franchise.

//Like Byakuya, she also had an interesting backstory shrouded in mystery, but unlike Byakuya, her own novel series portrayed it in a really unique fashion.

//Danganronpa: Kirigiri is the benchmark for me, and the definition of what the DR light novels should be. As I said before, Makoto and Hiro, while there was nothing outwardly wrong with their stories, didn't really need to happen since a lot of the information shown in the stories is stuff that was already known. For Byakuya, it was backstory stuff that was interesting and should have elaborated on the mysterious past of the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, but failed to do so in a meaningful and fun way.

//But when you have a character as elusive and mysterious as Kyoko Kirigiri, who remains that way throughout the entire main series, these novels really shine. Bonus material like this SHOULD be giving more lore and information on elusive characters like Kyoko, and while the others I think do it better than hers, she's still the low bar, and that means something.

//Takekuni Kitayama is the author of the light novel series, which centers on Detective Library members Kyoko Kirigiri and her history with colleague investigator Yui Samidare as they investigate the Duel Noir cases. Kitayama joined the series as a co-writer starting with V3, and his novel ran for seven years, in seven volumes.

//Unlike Killer Killer, the stories shown in these novels continue the DR series tradition of making intricate mysteries and thrills. Where Killer Killer failed to build up their crimes and make anything meaningful of the story, Kirigiri is able to maintain the suspense and psychological intrigue that the fans of the series appreciate.

//And it's especially interesting to see a younger, more starry-eyed Kyoko solving the cases. Even as a kid, she's the perfect protagonist for this kind of story.

//Also, surprisingly, Yui, Kyoko's sidekick and the main protagonist for this story, is a pretty well written character in her own right.

//Her existence in the story shows me that Kitayama understood the assignment. Even while younger, Kyoko's aloof and elusive nature makes her hard to connect with for general audiences, so he wrote Yui as the main heroine to fix that issue.

//However, even with the relatability aspect playing a huge part, Yui is a multi-dimensional character with a good blend of strength and vulnerability shown through her actions. Her interactions with the other characters, especially with Kyoko, adds richness to the narrative that really helps it move along.

//Also, the way that these novels casually make the Danganronpa universe bigger, even if some of it isn't all that relevant, is pretty impressive. And unlike the Togami novels, these one's are well-written with a fun narrative style that complements the existing series.

//With all that said, I definitely have my issues with the Kirigiri light novels, and ironically, a lot of them are shared with Killer Killer.

//Like Killer Killer, the only characters in this story who I remember the names of are Kyoko, Yui, Licorne, and Fuhito. Every other character is so irrelevant to me, I just block them out of my mind.

//Furthermore, as interesting and brain-wracking as the novels are, the plotlines can sometimes be too complicated, and the mystery elements can be challenging to follow, especially for readers who aren't as familiar with the Danganronpa style as long-time fans.

//And again, it's hard to find these novels in English.

#10 - Danganronpa Zero

//Like I said in the previous entry, Kyoko was one of the biggest characters, at least in the first game, who really benefitted from having her own light novel series to better explore the intricacies of her character. But she is one of three characters in the first game who are in this boat.

//ANOTHER one was JUNKO.

//As a prequel to Danganronpa 1, and by extension the entire series, Danganronpa Zero provides a deeper understanding of the series lore in a way that ACTUALLY WORKS, particularly the origins of the first Killing Game, the science behind it, and the backstory of one of it's most key characters.

//Junko is the main antagonist of the Danganronpa franchise, and just like her arch-nemesis Makoto, her influence is EVVEERRRYYYWHEEEEREE across this franchise. Even MORE than Makoto's is, easily.

//So it's amazing to me that she's still such an enigmatic character despite this central role in the storyline. As well-known as she is as the Mastermind of the Killing Game and as the Ultimate Despair, her true motivations are shrouded in mystery.

//While not fully, the Zero light novels help to elaborate on some of it. And they do it in a unique and twisty way too that is really fun to experience. And not just for Junko, but for the DR series as a whole.

//I'll be the first to say that Zero introduces a lot of random ass characters that no one, including me, seems to like very much, and for reasons that I think are fair. But I'm also mostly fine with that, because unlike some stories like Killer Killer, I think Ryoko and Yasuke handle the story well enough on their own.

//The mystery of who Ryoko really is, and the reveal near the end of the story's are masterful. And the fact that it remains such a dramatic and well-built-up mystery is awesome. As a character, she is fairly standard, but her actions and decisions are driven by strong, personal motivations. The depth makes her relatable and fun and her choices more impactful within the narrative.

//Matsuda too. The series has it's fair share of stone-faced snarkers before he showed up, but his character is marked by hidden personal struggles and more emotional depth than he lets on. And his decisions are not always black and white, adding some nuance to the tale.

//Couple all that with the fact that Zero has an actually engaging plotline and set of mysteries that don't overwhelm you as much as they would in Kirigiri, it's quite easy to get invested into this story as you put the pieces together.

#9 - Danganronpa ~Another Despair Academy~

//So I understand that this is a very hot take when it comes to taking a look at the Another series, because there aren't many out there who would put the first game above the second, especially not four spots higher. But let me break down just why I like this one so much.

//For starters, the more colorful character designs appeal to me massively. And personality wise, Another 1 has a much more solid cast of characters than the second game does.

//While Yuki is still a fairly standard protagonist for most of the game, borrowing aspects from both Makoto and Hajime, characters like Tsurugi, and Kakeru, and Satsuki, and quite a few others are one's that I'd never really seen the likes of before. And unlike SDRA2, most of them are likeable to me.

//They aren't perfect of course. There's still traces of LINUJ's pessimistic attitude, but there's less here than there was there for me.

//I also like the mysteries and the class trials more. Even though they are more contained, and borrow some things from the main game, (i.e. the first culprit being the sports jock and the fourth case being a trapped house) I still think the mysteries of this game are enough to stand out, even in the fierce competition.

//I can't comment much on the environment because like Utsuroshima, it's just a recreation of the setting of Danganronpa 1.

//But unlike SDRA2, Another 1 has a lot of the things that I look for in a fangan. It's pacing is well-managed, and the investigations, trials, and character interactions run smoothly and keep players engaged throughout.

//But even with that, there's more of a respect for the source material here than in the sequel. I know that on LINUJ's part that was intentional, and he wanted to set SDRA2 apart, but while innovation is key, I do like it when the tone of the original is respected.

//Now if only we can have an actual not-shitty translation for this.

#8 - Project: Eden's Garden

//This is not only the most recent Fangan to be added to the list, but also the most recent Fangan to be created in general on the list.

//Even though we've only gotten one character from Eden's Garden in the blog so far, I still wanted to include this because I've yet to thoroughly talk about this game.

//My general opinion on it is that I don't fit in with the hype surrounding Eden's Garden, and I'm not as excited for it's production as most other people, but I generally still think this is a really solid fangan.

//Well, I say "fangan" but Eden's Garden isn't explicitly a Danganronpa game. Apparently it's just "inspired."

//Which is a load of horseshit. You're trapped in a location with 15 other students, you all have Ultimate Talents, the bad guy, while not Monokuma, is black and white.

//It's a Danganronpa game, no matter who tells you otherwise.

//That being said, Eden's Garden DOES deserve to stand on it's own merits.

//First of all, even though it's currently just a prologue, the story features a beta Class Trial to show it's player base what's in store for the future, which I think is a clever tactic. Most fangans leave their audiences high and dry while they wait for the first trial to release (still been waiting 3 years for Chapter 1 of Coward's Paradise).

//This beta trial also shows off how Eden's Garden's mysteries and system are unique to itself, and while it has a similar spirit, it does take what Danganronpa laid down and runs with it in a way most fan projects don't.

//Right from the get go, the narrative is compelling to me, and the characters are done very creatively. I like that Damon Maitsu, the protagonist, is an asshole to everybody because he genuinely thinks he's so much better than them. It's like playing Trigger Happy Havoc, but Byakuya is the protagonist instead of Makoto.

//The quality of the game is unbelievable too. Not just the characters themselves, but the backgrounds of this game are absolutely gorgeous, even if they are simplistic. But that's always been the case for Danganronpa as well, and Eden's Garden replicates that simple beauty perfectly.

//One of the biggest selling points for Eden's Garden for me though doesn't actually have to do with the game itself, but the people who are making it. There is nothing more satisfying to me in the universe than a developer team that actively engages with their community.

//I do understand why it's important to make sure you keep your closest fans and followers at arms length. You don't want to get too personal to people who you don't know. But in the case of a project like Eden's Garden, it relieves a lot of my worries about the game's future because the dev's listen to their fanbase, and actively accept the criticism to make sure the final cut of this game turns out exactly as the fanbase wants it to, which is more than I can say for most entries on this list, especially number 14.

//That said, I do have a couple of minor issues that bump the current state of Eden's Garden down a bit. It suffers from a lot of standard problems that fangans tend to, like varying quality at different sections. For example, depending on the version, their might be problems with the quality of voice acting or dialogue. This was a big issue for RebirthVoices.

//For this game in particular, I can narrow my issues down to 3 things.

//One: The game is currently just the prologue. As good as the prologue to this game is, it is not anywhere close to a complete game, therefore I cannot judge it as such.

//Two: While many of the characters are appealing right from the get go, be it for their interesting personalities or the mystery surrounding them, there are one or two that I feel are lacking depth. It's hard to say how I feel about this new group when I have so little to work with.

//And three: my own personal experience of this was detracted from with the numerous technical issues I suffered playing it, like bugs, glitches, and performance problems. I'm sure this is just a me thing because I haven't got a strong enough computer, but the problem is still a problem.

//But these are all ultimately minor qualms, and they don't detract my TOTAL enjoyment of this project. This is something special, and I really hope it goes places.

#7 - DanganFanfic V2: New World Order

//For those who are uninitiated in this entry, this is the game that Mona, Mii-Yu, Eden, and a couple other side characters are from originally.

//As well as, personally, one of the most underrated Fanganronpas ever that doesn't nearly get enough attention and that actually bothers the fuck out of me.

//Okay, so let me get my issues with this out of the way first and foremost. I do have some pretty big critiques for this game, starting with it's gameplay.

//This game was made in the Ren'Py Engine, and for those who don't know, that is the same engine that was used to make Doki Doki Literature Club.

//And unfortunately, it does NOT work well for Danganronpa.

//The gameplay of the Class Trials in this are my biggest issue with this game. Like H20, there are many minigames that you only ever play once, and the one's that you DON'T play once tend to be very annoying and tedious with horrible UI's.

//The Daily Life segments are fine, but as soon as you get into the Deadly Life stuff, that's when the games tend to take a HUGE drop in quality.

//Speaking of, the Daily Life, Investigation, and Class Trial are all split up into separate downloadable files, which means it just fills up your PC unless you delete each file after playing them. Which is what I tend to do.

//The game itself is made by like, three people, so I can't exactly complain, but I feel like it could be better.

//My other huge issue with this is not really any fault of the game's or the developers, but something that gets on my nerves regardless.

//This game, as the 2 in it's title implies, is a sequel to a Danganronpa fanfiction that the creators wrote a short while ago. It was a personal story amongst them and was never released to the public. When they started working on the game, they weren't originally planning on making it a publicly downloadable Fangan, until they "succumbed to the pressure" as they put it.

//The annoying thing is that the original fanfic never got released, and yet the game's plotline is based entirely on the events that happened in that. The reasons why Monokuma is randomly called Killmore Bear, the victims of the game that the new characters all associate with, and so many other things can't be answered because the external lore that answers the plot points is not wholly available. Only brief guidelines are.

//So that frustrates me. But that's basically all the issues I have with this game. Everything else is absolutely stellar.

//First off, these are some of the most creative character designs I've ever seen. All the sprites ARE traced from the original series, but I don't give a shit about that. The game itself is basically made on a budget of zero anyway, and if it works, it works.

//And despite how incomplete the full backstory of the game is, the plot and mystery element of it is fucking fantastic. The Class Trials are written superbly well, even though they stick to the same tropes that the original series have done before, and the psychological drama is so original and interesting.

//A lot of the humor is unfortunately inside jokes that only the developers understand, but once you hear it enough times, you start to make sense of the weird phraseology and it doesn't feel wholly out of place.

//And the character writing, while again, a lot of tropes of the original DR cast are still there (such as Zeke and Kokichi being VERY strikingly similar) the characters in this game are really fun, wacky, and oftentimes reach ABNORMAL levels of silliness and confusing. From a British dictator, so a barista who is usually polite but becomes rude and foul-mouthed when he's on coffee withdrawals, to a missionary that missionaries for EVERY religion.

//A lot of these are blatantly unrealistic and stupid, but that's the charm of this.

//If you haven't had a chance to play DanganFanfic V2, PLEASE give it a go. I promise you, you won't regret it. To this day, I still genuinely believe that it is among the best of the best Fanganronpa's out there.

#6 - Ultimate Talent Development Plan/Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp

//Hoo boy, where do I fucking begin with this one?

//So Danganronpa S is currently the most recent official title in the main series of Danganronpa Video Games, and there are two things I need to clarify first and foremost.

//Firstly, I will be counting the full Danganronpa S game, as well as Ultimate Talent Development Plan from Danganronpa V3, as the same entry. Danganronpa S is an expanded version of the original UTDP game mode, with more features and characters, and on top of that, the game is also part of the same storyline. While Talent Development is a bonus minigame that shows a Non-Despair Alternate Universe of the cast of 1, 2, and V3 being students at Hope's Peak Academy and living out three years there before graduation, Summer Camp is both an expansion and a sequel of the original game mode, taking place at the end of the three years, and showing 50 days of the cast of 1, 2, V3, and now Ultra Despair Girls, living out their lives on Jabberwock Island in the virtual world.

//Secondly, Danganronpa S was released as part of Danganronpa's 10th Anniversary celebrations in 2020, and while it is a spinoff game with a marginally different gameplay focus, it expands on the universe at present by providing additional character integrations, backstories, and scenarios that are officially recognized as part of the series lore.

//Basically, what I'm saying is that even if you disagree, I do count this storyline as an official Danganronpa title, so it gets to be on the list. That said, if you were to include it, and you asked anyone what their favourite game in the series was, chances are high that it would NOT be this one.

//So let's go over all the reasons why this game is widely criticized and outright hated by the Danganronpa audience.

//Exhibit A: The gameplay is notoriously repetitive.

//Sure, being a visual novel series, Danganronpa has never been widely recognized for it's gameplay over it's storytelling, but even so, the gameplay loop of UTDP/DRS is mind-numbingly repetitive, and lacks a clear feel of depth and engagement that all previous titles lacked.

//Speaking personally on the matter, I do not like that it's a basic requirement to make your characters strong enough to fight in the RPG gamemode, using the boardgame mode, where their stats and abilities are mostly delegated to random chance.

//And I know how that sounds coming from someone who plays Hoyoverse games, but even the Hoyoverse games don't REQUIRE you have good artifacts. You only need them if you want to run the endgame dungeons, which I don't.

//For DRS, it is basically a REQUIREMENT, otherwise you can't beat the gamemode.

//Exhibit B: Gacha Mechanics and Microtransactions.

//Okay, so personally speaking, I think this is overblown. Yes, the gacha mechanics are dumb, and the fact that you have to roll for your characters is annoying, but the way the system works means that you're going to get one card at least once with no repeats; at least in DRS.

//But in DRS, the game also features microtransactions where if you're struggling to get a character, you can buy them on the Nintendo EShop.

//Now, this has never bothered me, because one character regardless of rank is less than 45p where I'm from. However, that's not the point.

//Putting gacha elements in any game that isn't a free purchase is frustrating and exploitative. These sorts of mechanics can make progress feel slow and contingent on spending real money, and that detracts a massive amount of enjoyment from an audience.

//Exhibit C: The plot is contrived and ex-machina as fuck.

//Danganronpa S in particular, with it's whole setting on Jabberwock Island in the virtual world, is ridiculous and nonsensical in the way it carries itself, and I feel like it didn't need to happen. The cast could have easily gone to a real island in real life. It would mean that the team didn't have to make ridiculous logical leaps to make the technicalities of it work.

//For example, you can bring souvenirs back from the island because they get 3D printed in the real world after you buy one.

//Why not just buy a real souvenir on a real island!? Because Monokuma needed magic powers to introduce your mcguffin BULLSHIT! This bear has done ridiculous shit in the real world! He doesn't need video game powers to be OP!

//It would have made so much more sense for this to take place on the REAL Jabberwock Island, not just because it avoids these stupid leaps, but because it might give the fans a chance to actually SEE the real world location the Killing Island in DR2 is based on.

//And Exhibit D, which I think is by far the biggest issue: This is not the Danganronpa we wanted.

//Ever since DRS came out, Spike Chunsoft have left Danganronpa as a franchise on the shelf to rot. And for me, this is a MASSIVE missed creative opportunity.

//Danganronpa is one of the biggest fanbases that Spike Chunsoft owns, and there are so many ways the franchise can explore new themes, settings, and gameplay mechanics. But instead, we just get this.

//Expectations for Danganronpa S were high when it first released, mainly due to the popularity and critical acclaim of games like DRV3 before it, but the dramatic shift in gameplay and focus combined with all the factors I've already listed, means this game is just an outright disappointment. And Chunsoft just left it at that.

//By not capitalizing on the potential of this series, regardless of how V3 tried to put it to bed, Spike Chunsoft misses out on the opportunity to expand and evolve Danganronpa in creative ways that could attract both existing fans and new players. Something that I would really like to do with a blog like Survivor.

//With all that being said though, Danganronpa S is up this high for a reason. Personally, even though I acknowledge that the issues are important and need to be addressed...I still like the game a lot.

//Mainly because UTDP/DRS knows exactly what it is and knows exactly what it needs to deliver to be sufficiently enjoying.

//It's a fanservice game.

//It was made to provide fanservice.

//And it gives you, SURPRISINGLY, fanservice!

//Again, I don't like the gameplay loop and the grinding, but that isn't what I'm here for. Even then, as monotonous as the gameplay is, that's okay, because this to me is one of those "fuck off" games where if you literally have nothing better to do in your life, you just sit down and play this for a bit.

//What I'm REALLY here for is the primary appeal of these games. The fact that you can see the main game characters interact with each other in ways that the main series wouldn't allow, while also in an AU where there's nothing bad happening, meaning they can be their truest selves.

//But at the same time, the characters who get development KEEP their development, which is good because I wouldn't like this game half as much if Hajime and Komaru were bitching over everything, and Fuyuhiko was acting all stand-offish.

//This game is the nostalgia punch of the series, and seeing one's favourite characters from a whole franchise interact in new ways is always a plus. As someone who has a strong attachment to this cast, it's a delightful experience seeing them all together.

//Also, these bonus game modes, Summer Camp especially, are designed well and retain the style of the characters throughout, even giving them whole new outfits in Summer Camp. Admittedly some of the swimsuits are better than others, but they all have their own aesthetic charm that I, as a fan, appreciates.

//And as contrived as the virtual Jabberwock Island is, it's still nice to see the island in a not depressing deadly perspective.

//Danganronpa's character driven content has always been the best part of it for me. And these titles deliver it in spades, so I will defend these games despite their flaws.

#5 - Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls

//It was tough deciding which between Ultra Despair Girls and V3 should kick off the top 5, being my two least favorites of the main installments of games, barring Summer Camp. But ultimately, I decided that Ultra Despair Girls fell a little bit shorter.

//Let's explain why.

//First off, unlike every other mainline game in the Danganronpa series, Ultra Despair Girls is not a murder mystery visual novel. It is an action-adventure game with elements of third-person shooter in it.

//This immediately puts it on another plane of existence from the main series because the two genre's are so remarkably different; it doesn't matter that there are similar elements between them like the fact that both focus on using certain types of bullets to defeat certain obstacles. And if there are players out there who played the main series, the discrepancy between it and Ultra Despair Girls is jarring for those who prefer the investigative and narrative-driven style of the main trilogy.

//What do I think of it?

//Well, as I mentioned in previous posts, I really want to see Danganronpa branch out into other genre's, with action-adventure being the main one, and Ultra Despair Girls is by far the most outlandish, while also keeping the character and narrative writing of the previous games intact.

//But...I'd also like those games to be good?

//Personally speaking, Ultra Despair Girls' game mechanics, like the aiming and shooting element, and the puzzle solving stuff, is clunky and repetitive at best, and it's not an enjoyable game to actually PLAY. Not to mention that compared to Rain Code, and now the 100 Line, the animation and 3D models just feel so dated in comparison.

//But the biggest issue is all to do with the narrative.

//There's nothing wrong with Ultra Despair Girls story. It's unique, and that's about all I can say on the matter. But my problems mainly lie in the tone, themes, and character.

//Another Episode is very easily the darkest game in the Danganronpa series; far more graphic than it's predecessors. And if I'm being totally honest, I don't like how the writing brings up ideas like child abuse, pedophilia, and psychological trauma just so casually.

//I'm not opposed to these ideas being in Danganronpa; it adds a touch of darkness to the story to remind you that this franchise is fucked up and it's supposed to be that way. I'd just personally like them to be handled better.

//Especially since Ultra Despair Girls has the weakest cast of the main series by a country mile. Yes, I said that Danganronpa 3 had a weak cast, but the majority of the main cast are characters that have already been shown in the series in DR1 and DR2. Like that, Ultra Despair Girls has characters from the first two games in it (Toko and Nagito being the most prominent examples) but they don't take up the majority of the cast.

//And that majority, all things considered, is pretty weak. Even as the most abused characters in the series, I find it hard to care about most of the Warriors of Hope because their actual personalities are so dry and simple compared to the rest of the main cast of the series. And in general, the characters development is less compelling compared to what was shown possible in DR1 and 2.

//I love Kodaka and his work, don't get me wrong, but his writing has always been pretty hit or miss for me, and the way that a lot of this is handled feels...kind of insensitive? I don't know how best to put it.

//With all that being said, you'd think that Ultra Despair Girls should have fallen a lot lower than it is here, but the truth is that Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls, is an underrated gem as far as Danganronpa is concerned.

//Even though most people regard it as the worst of the main games...

//...which is right...

//that doesn't mean it's bad. It's actually pretty incredible.

//As I said before, my own personal issue with UDG's gameplay is how clunky it is. The actual shift in gameplay is pretty fun honestly, and even though it's not EXACTLY what I want, it's still a step towards it.

//And even though I have some very major qualms with the writing of this game, putting those issues aside, the story itself is pretty great. The way that Komaru and Toko come together to fight this threat, and how they become such tight-knit friends feels so natural.

//Speaking of, while I do generally dislike the underdeveloped cast of this game, Komaru and Toko are not part of that problem.

//For many years, I had my issues with Komaru because I felt her character progression was too slow, and even in the end, I felt it didn't amount to much. But getting to write her in Survivor and Phantom Thieves of Hope, I love this absolute insane gremlin of an MC.

//I understand looking back that what makes Komaru so appealing compared to the other protags is, putting it not so delicately, is that by comparison to Makoto, Hajime, and later Shuichi...She's just so fucking stupid!

//There are times in the story where Komaru shows that she has the same observation skills and eye for detail as her brother, which is cool, but most of the time, when she's not crying her eyes out in the face of absolutely horrible and traumatic imagery, her interactions with Toko range from heartfelt to absolutely goddamn hilarious.

// "Kangaroo Meat and Tuna Eyeballs," and "Respeculate your elders," are a few good examples.

//Speaking of Toko...Holy shit, I fucking love Toko.

//As I mentioned before with Ultra Despair Hagakure, Toko and Hiro are in similar positions in their titles. They are the returnee from DR1 who I didn't like very much, and get a chance to have more character development.

//But while I feel Hiro kind of missed the mark, Toko hit it DEAD ON.

//She has one of the most compelling redemption arcs/character development stories in the whole series, to the point where I made an entire essay for it here on the blog.

//But, as to not repeat myself, I'll break it down by saying that I like mainly how Toko becomes more open and communicative without betraying her prickly and sarcastic nature that was developed in the first game; which is also handled far better here. Her interactions with Komaru help her come out of her shell, and she shows signs of caring and forming a genuine friendship, something she struggled with in her previous appearance.

//She's also the perfect character to bring back for a narrative like this, since she's easily the most thoroughly abused character in the first game, and that helps create a connection between her and the experiences the Warriors of Hope went through. They both were hurt as children, and those experiences led to them hurting and killing a lot of innocent people. And knowing she can't just brush off this connection, Toko begins to confront and deal with her past traumas, and her experiences in Ultra Despair Girls push her to acknowledge and work through her issues rather than just repress them. And it works very very well.

//And of course, while her feelings for Byakuya remain, Toko’s obsession diminishes, and she starts to define herself outside of this one-sided relationship. Her growing bond with Komaru helps her find value in herself beyond her fixation on Byakuya.

//This is why I don't mind the poor character writing of Ultra Despair Girls because all the good character writing went into these protagonists and their relationship, and it's excellent.

//As a few other notes on why I like this game, I really like the setting.

//Towa City is one of the most interesting settings for these games because of how open it is. Yeah, it's not exactly an open world, but having the Demon Hunting Game take place in an apocalyptic city is not only a far cry from DR1 and DR2, but it's a much welcome one.

//This is the kind of expansion of universe the series needed, both physically and narratively, providing more background and depth into the events between the first and second game, filling in the gaps and adding some context, and as someone really interested in series lore, this is a really good addition.

//As one last note, Ultra Despair Girls has quite possibly the best soundtrack in the main series as well. A lot of the music Takada made for this game stands out from the others, even the tracks that are remixed from those games.

//Overall, despite it's very big problems, I love this game. It's character development for it's MC's, it's unique gameplay experience, and how far Kodaka branched out for the story are really appealing and underrated as far as I'm concerned.

//Fortunately, Ultra Despair Girls is really the only game in the series that is this divisive!

//Right?

//...

//...Right...?

#4 - Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

//UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHH-

//Danganronpa V3 suffers from what I like to call the "Marmite Effect."

//What is that, you ask?

//Over the course of my life, I've found that most people who have eaten Marmite go one of two ways. Either they love it and have it as much as possible on every slice of toast, or they won't touch it with a 5 foot pole.

//V3 is that for the Danganronpa series. And it's really not hard to see why.

//V3 went back to the series origins with a good ol' tride and true Killing Game, and as expected, people who played the earlier entries in the franchise took a critical look at it to see if it measured up.

//Opinions on whether it did vary, but my personal stand on the matter is...V3 has the worst mystery element of the main trilogy by far.

//The cases and the mysteries themselves are fine, but it's in execution that a lot of them fail for me. Like the rest of the game, there are 6 cases, and a new killer each case, but of those 6 killers, only the first one in the first case interested me.

//It's incredibly disappointing because V3 had such a high bar to jump. Danganronpa's 1 and 2 set that bar, and V3 just failed to jump it for me. As fresh a take on the Killing Game formula it is, what sets it apart is not the big problems with this game.

//So like I did with Summer Camp and Ultra Despair Girls, I will quickly go over everything I don't like about this game, then go over everything that saves it and allows it to get this high on the list. Because despite how much of a Negative Nancy I'm being, I do like V3 a lot.

//First of all let's talk about the characters, since that's the biggest issue for me.

//In Danganronpa 1, I can confidently say that of it's main cast of 16 students, there are 10 characters who I love, 4 characters who I still like but not a lot, and 2 characters who I didn't enjoy at all.

//In Danganronpa 2, I can confidently say that I liked EVERY character in it, regardless of whether I felt more strongly about others.

//Ultra Despair Girls I've already said had a weak cast, but most of those characters are side characters, with Toko and Komaru being the only main two that you need to worry about.

//And V3?

//I like roughly about half of V3's cast, and the rest of them, I either dislike, or find incredibly boring or annoying.

//To name a couple of examples, I like Kaede and Shuichi, the two protagonists, and I also like Kokichi, the antagonist, a lot. I like Kaito, I like Maki, and a few others like them.

//On the other end, you have characters like Keebo, Kirumi, Tenko, Kiyo, Tsumugi, and the rest who all suffer in my bad books.

//And the main reason is because the character writing of V3 is so monotonous and not-thorough than the other games. Every character has a personality that can be summed up by one or two words of dialogue they speak on the regular, and hardly any of them change or develop.

//In fact, of the class trials in this game, I only gave a shit about ONE killer, and that's the first one, mainly because she was a protagonist and that was a pretty good plot twist. Everything that came after just declined in quality for me.

//With a few main exceptions, most of the cast just feel pointless and unsatisfying, and while I can forgive that in UDG, I can't forgive it here, where everyone is supposed to get a chance to shine on their own merits.

//As the third main game in an already established and beloved series, expectations for V3's main cast were high. Many fans had specific hopes for how the characters would be and and how it would tie back into the previous games. When the game took a different direction than it should have, it led to disappointment and backlash from those people who's expectations were not met.

//And following up on this, there are characters in the game, with Ryoma, Rantaro, and Kirumi in my opinion being the three biggest examples, who were developed in ways that made their deaths feel like they shouldn't have happened. Ryoma was geared up for a really cool arc that ended the very minute it started; Rantaro still has barely any lore to his name even with the bonus content, and Kirumi is NOTHING. Just a complete blank sheet of a character that serves no fucking narrative purpose whatsoever other than to be a mcguffin killer in Case 2.

//A lot of the writing is also frankly ridiculous with it's leaps in logic, and there are many things that I take issue with. Kirumi randomly being the President of Japan, Kiyo being in a weird relationship with his sister, who is also dead, and Tsumugi...Holy goddamn fucking hell Tsumugi is such a shitshow of character.

//Speaking of which, as one final point, let's go over one last point, and what I believe is by far the biggest source of controversy for this game and it's general audience.

//The ending.

//Danganronpa games don't always have completely climactic endings, at least not with the main trilogy. They all suffer from the same issues, like being general plot dumps, full of dramatic anime-esque nonsense, and being ridiculously long and difficult.

//But V3 has all these issues in absolute spades upon spades compared to the first two games. And as I said already, it's perhaps the most significant aspect contributing to it's hate.

//The twist reveals that the game's events are part of a reality show, suggesting that everything is fictional, and calling into question the reality of the previous games as well.

//This meta-narrative approach just completely ruins mine and every other fan's emotional investment meaningless, and even if this is a little bit dramatic, it makes me feel frustrated and betrayed by the writers.

//As time has gone on, it's become widely accepted that V3 takes place in a completely separate canon timeline from Danganronpa 1 and 2, and thankfully, that takes the edge off for me. It allowed me to maintain my enjoyment of the previous games, and enjoy V3 as a standalone one, even with the timeline split.

//However, if it hadn't been for the timeline split, I would not have enjoyed Danganronpa as a series as much as I do now, so I still can't exactly forgive it. It undermines the emotional investment I've put into these stories and characters; like the game is making fun of me for having stuck with it for so long.

//I am impressed by it's audacity, but equally as frustrated by it's attempt to negate the series integrity.

//Okay *wipes brow* now let's talk about what makes this game stand out, and why it DOESN'T suck ass.

//As I said before, the characters that I don't hate, I do love a lot. Kaede is my favorite in the whole series, and she, Kokichi, Shuichi, and Kaito are all in my top 10. While V3 has the series most mundane characters in it, it also supports some of it's absolute best.

//V3 I feel is also the major contributing factor to why Danganronpa has such a wide audience. The game's themes and twists generate extensive discussion and debate within it's fan community, and even if the ending is controversial for all good reasons, it's also very bold and creative. It gets people talking about it, and the active engagement and ability to share theories, interpretations, and the emotional responses from it are the very reason why Danganronpa's fandom is still alive today despite this game coming out 7 years ago as of writing this.

//Also, though I admitted I don't like the killers of V3, the Class Trials are very explorative, and an upgrade of logic from the previous titles. The plot twists and turns are intricately managed, and keep you engaged and constantly guessing, and constantly immersed.

//One of the biggest factors of what makes V3 stand out is that it really feels like it's own standalone game. Danganronpa 1 and 2 shared a lot of aspects between each other, like similar styles with UI and characters, and sharing a soundtrack. But V3 throws all of that out the window.

//V3 is easily the most stylized game, possessing a really unique UI as far as VisNov's go, and barely any of the original soundtrack is reused here.

//Speaking of stuff that isn't reused, the established theme of Hope Vs Despair is also foregone for most of the game. They bring it up during the ending, but sort of as a faux way of poking fun at the fanbase, like the rest of the ending does.

//Instead, V3 focuses on different contrasting themes like the value of Truth and Lies, the importance and impact of fiction and reality, and what's more important between the facts or the beliefs.

//Now, these are equally as divisive. For long time fans, they might feel that these themes are poorly executed or overly convoluted, and as mentioned, the meta-physical stuff can be pretentious or unnecessary.

//I don't agree with that. Not fully at least.

//I like that the game is making it's fans experience a different kind of philosophical question other than "should you give up? Yes or nah." And through the characters, this is executed well, especially with Shuichi and his dynamic with Kokichi.

//So despite the controversial ending for this game, the journey through it is filled with emotional highs and lows that put it a tiny bit above Ultra Despair Girls for me, but lower than the other main series entries. It features intense moments, heartfelt scenes, and some pretty awesomely executed revelations. Which leaves us with a rollercoaster of emotions that have a lasting impression on us.

//And the good news is that for every entry above this one, I have basically nothing bad to say about any of them.

#3 - Danganronpa IF: The Button of Hope and the Tragic Warriors of Despair.

//Gonna be honest, I didn't know that IF had such a long title before I made this.

//I talked about the light novel series and the bonus novels of the Danganronpa series before. And I mentioned that one of my biggest wants for these sorts of bonus materials are insight into a characters true nature, and their background that wasn't explicitly stated in the main game.

//So basically, what I want most is lore expansion.

//This is why I liked Danganronpa Kirigiri, and Danganronpa Zero. They gave that lore expansion to Kyoko and Junko; characters who deserved it because of how mysterious and interesting they were.

//But my fucking god, if there was one character that needed that more than anything, it was MUKURO FUCKING IKUSABA, the Ultimate Soldier from the first game.

//Mukuro, widely recognized as the 16th student in the academy, the one they call the Ultimate Despair, exists in the first game as little more than to serve as a narrative twist. One that I think was done well and handled well, but ultimately came with some sacrifices.

//Mukuro was introduced in the first game, but never got to show off her real character. As part of the Mastermind's plan, she masquerades as her sister, Junko, at the start of the game, while the real Junko is manipulating events from behind the scenes, all to throw the other students off her trail.

//But then Mukuro, disguised as Junko, is killed early in the game by Monokuma, who impales her with multiple spears. At the time, it was done to demonstrate the deadly seriousness of the killing game and Monokuma’s control over it, but it’s later revealed that Mukuro’s death was orchestrated by Junko to further her plan and maintain her disguise, at least until that all gets blown open in Cases 5 and 6.

//This is the reason why a light novel that takes this context and adds a "What-If" scenario to it, where Makoto saves Mukuro in the nick of time, is so important.

//Because it single-handedly turned this McGuffin character into, no joke, one of the best characters in the series.

//Mukuro doesn't have the same depth and character development as other characters in Danganronpa because of her short screen time. Less information about her intentions, past, and personality is available to players outside of her function in Junko's schemes. As a result, she comes out as less of a developed character and more of a story device.

//Establishing a connection between characters and the audience requires meaningful screen time. The protagonist and other characters rarely interact with Mukuro, at least not as she is when she's being herself, and not disguised as Junko, trying to play off as her. Therefore it's difficult for players to develop an emotional connection with her. Compared to other characters who possess greater presence and growth, her detached nature renders her less noteworthy and influential.

//Not even UTDP and Summer Camp fix this, since Mukuro's disguised as Junko there too, and for no real reason other than budget.

//They got Komatsuzaki to make swimsuit sprites for her, but couldn't pay him to take off that fucking wig.

//Speaking of things that certainly don't fix the issues with her character, Danganronpa 3 sure as fuck doesn't.

//Mukuro’s portrayal in the anime is easily her worst, and doesn't even align with her established character traits from the game. For instance, her skills as the Ultimate Soldier are not adequately showcased, and her relationship with Junko is...

//Well...

//"Oversimplified" is as nice as I could put it.

//I'm not saying that Mukuro being Junko's dog doesn't make sense given what type of character Junko is, but it completely betrays this stone cold warrior that Mukuro is supposed to be, and lacks nuance on top of that.

//Mukuro's character there is also another big example of how DR3 fails to do what it's supposed to do that I forewent mentioning in it's segment. The anime had the chance to delve into Mukuro’s psyche, her loyalty to Junko, and her own personal struggles, but it largely ignored these aspects. This oversight diminishes the complexity and potential intrigue surrounding her character.

//Aside from that, Mukuro hasn't had any content of her own until recently when she was added to ShiroPro as her own character. That really puts into perspective just how little a shit the DR writers give about this character.

//And it's because it fixes basically all of these things that I've just discussed that is the reason why Danganronpa IF is my third favorite entry in the franchise, despite being bonus material.

//Unlike the other novels/bonus content that expands on the main series lore, IF instead offers a What If scenario where Mukuro survives her execution, and thereby takes her own central role in the story.

//Since this was a bonus story that was released in the pack that contains the first few games, it lets the true fans explore a different narrative path from the main series, and provides fresh insight and excitement on a formula that they've already experienced.

//But it goes beyond that, for several reasons.

//First off, for those who don't know, IF was written by both Kodaka himself, AND Ryōgo Narita.

//For those who do not know who this guy is, he is the man behind two very famous Japanese crime novels: Baccano and Durarara.

//Baccano, by the way, is one of my favorite anime of all time. Please watch it if you get the chance, and watch it dubbed in English too, because they knock it out of the park with that dub.

//So needless to say, this simple bonus novel is on a whole other level of quality than the others, and I love that Narita is also the original Naekusaba shipper.

//IF really highlights WHY Mukuro is the way she is in those because she feels like Junko is all she's got, and the only one she can be comfortable around. And then proceeds to realize that that isn't the case.

//Before I get into the actual story quirks, I want to mainly talk about Mukuro herself and why she's such a stellar lead in this. Since the novel is about her, it gives her more depth and development than she ever has in any of her other appearances. And trust me, there aren't many.

//First and foremost, this novel provides more insight into Mukuro’s background and her relationship with Junko. It delves into her history as the Ultimate Soldier, her experiences in various war zones, and how those experiences shaped her personality and skills.

//This exploration of her background gives her character more depth and makes her actions more understandable; as well as showing off just exactly HOW she managed to survive in war for so long without a single scratch to show for it, and not in a way that feels ridiculous or convoluted for the series like how Hijirihara was in Killer Killer.

//I also love Mukuro's conflict and internal struggle, since it makes a lot of sense. The story explores Mukuro’s internal struggle between her loyalty to Junko and her own moral compass.

//It shows that she is not just a mindless follower but has her own doubts and desires, and above all else, her own CHARACTER. And not just that, but a complex and sympathetic character at that.

//And putting the ship fuel aside, her relationship with Makoto in this story makes perfect sense two.

//Makoto and Junko are two sides of the same coin. In terms of their characters, they cannot be more polar of opposites, but they are both influential and powerful people who advocate, and represent opposing ideals in a similar way.

//Even though she's spent most of her life with Junko, being part of her path of Despair, it doesn't feel unnatural for Mukuro to then be inspired by Makoto and decided to defy Junko to protect the other students. This shift in her actions from antagonist to protector highlights her capacity for change and redemption in a way that few DR characters have shown to this degree.

//Through her interactions with other characters, especially Makoto, Mukuro shows emotional growth. She starts to care about the well-being of the other students and begins to see a life beyond her sister’s influence. This growth makes her more relatable and multidimensional.

//While Mukuro is the absolute highlight of this story, there are other things about IF that put it this high on my list.

//The novel has a lot of features that will appeal to readers who have been following the show for a long time, like going back to see beloved characters and locations and delving into possible futures that have sparked fan theories.

//Kodaka deserves credit on this story too too. Since he has an active involvement in this, it also means that none of the characters in the story deviate too much from their portrayal in the original series. And for that matter, neither does Mukuro. She still exhibits traits she showed in DR1 and DR3, but not to the degree that makes her a blank-slate obedient servant; just someone who cares about her sister despite the fact that she's an evil lunatic.

//And through it's own existence, by offering many outcomes and developing the emotional arcs of well-loved characters, the story evokes strong emotional reactions in me. It's based on an already existing experience that we all would have gone through it we played the main games of DR1 and 2, but it leaves us with a lasting and profound experience nonetheless.

//Mukuro’s journey in Danganronpa IF is one of redemption. By the end of the story, she takes significant risks to help the other students escape the killing game. Her actions demonstrate her desire to atone for her past and protect those she once helped endanger.

//God dammit I'd love to see the DR3 equivalent of this world.

#2 - Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

//What can I say about the original Danganronpa that started it all that hasn't been said already.

//While I don't think it's aged spectacularly, Trigger Happy Havoc deserves more credit than anything because without it, literally nothing on this list would exist.

//Now, the thing is, since this is the first game, I could take a lot of compliments I gave to the other titles and just carry them over, so I kind of want to bullet point this one if possible.

//The other games ran with it, but Trigger Happy Havoc was very unique when it first came out, due to how it first showed the combination of visual novel storytelling with investigation and courtroom drama. Take the gameplay elements of Ace Attorney, and the mystery and context elements of Zero Escape, and you basically get Danganronpa, resulting in a distinctive and captivating experience as you gather evidence, work through riddles, and take part in rigorous class trials.

//This was also the introduction to the widely known narrative that isn't only applicable in Fanganronpa's, but mystery games akin to and inspired by it. The story revolves around a group of high school kids who are imprisoned in a school by Monokuma, a vicious bear. To graduate, they are made to play a deadly game in which they have to kill each other and get away with it. The story delves deeply into the dark themes of Hope vs Despair, trust, and betrayal.

//But these are things we've talked about endlessly, so the real question is this: How does the first game stand out from the rest of the series.

//Besides being the very introduction to the core concepts, Danganronpa 1 is the most true to it's function. There's no gimmicks, no outlandish shit involved in it's narrative, not nearly as many wacky cartoonish antics, etc. It is the most tride and true Killing Game story of everything that's come out of it.

//Also, despite being the first, and the namesake of the series, Hope's Peak Academy is above and beyond one of the most unique settings in the series. I said before how much I liked Ultra Despair Girls open environment of Towa City, but even though Danganronpa 1 is the complete reverse of this, it really helps to work with the darker tone of the story.

//An issue I had with the Ultimate Academy is that it felt TOO open and expansive, especially with it's courtyard. It completely lost the feeling of isolation that Danganronpa 1 had with Hope's Peak. The first game REALLY makes you feel like you're trapped with how claustrophobic and intense the atmosphere of the school is right from the very start.

//It is both a literal AND metaphorical prison.

//THH also has the most important case of characters in it.

//Junko is obviously introduced as the series face of evil and main villain, who appears/is mentioned in in literally every iteration at least once. But you could say the same for Makoto, and Kyoko, and Byakuya.

//These characters set the tone for the entire franchise; every single Killing Game cast that comes after are defined by this game's lineup of characters.

//And of course, there's also Monokuma.

//Monokuma is introduced in the game as a recognizable and terrifying adversary to the main cast. Though he eventually becomes a series main character, and it's mascot, his initial appearance in Trigger Happy Havoc stands out in particular.

//Especially since he no longer has anyone around to help, or rather HINDER, him.

//DR1 is the best Monokuma is in the series, and there are issues with him in every other iteration. He's fine in 2 and V3, but the real issue comes from the introduction of the other mascot characters, Monomi, and the Monokubs.

//I'm not saying Monomi is bad, even though I will openly admit to despising most of the Monokubs, but neither does a lot for the bear in their games. With the presence of other stuffed animals, the narrative of those game's focus is divided. Monokuma's character is less central to the story as these guys bring about their own dynamics and conflicts, diluting the impact of his presence and actions.

//And then in UDG and DR3, he's reduced to just a mindless sentry robot.

//In Danganronpa 1, he suffers no such setbacks. Hence why this is the best appearance he's had in the series.

//The first game is also the pioneer of the series' aestehtic and mechanics. It creates the series' unique visual and aural aesthetic, with its vibrant, exaggerated artwork, chic text and menu display, and unique soundtrack, establishing Danganronpa's distinctive and identifiable brand.

//And While later games introduce more complex mechanics and deeper layers to the narrative, DR1 offers a more straightforward experience. This simplicity allows new players to grasp the core mechanics and themes without being overwhelmed.

//And that's basically all I have to say on this game. It's simplicity as the first game in the series, but it's influence on the world at large, as well as it's many sequels and fan projects is so important.

//Danganronpa 1 is crucial to the series as it lays the foundational elements that define the franchise's identity. As the inaugural title, it introduces the innovative blend of visual novel storytelling, murder mystery investigation, and intense courtroom drama that distinguishes the series.

//Its distinctive art style, memorable characters, and unexpected plot twists set a high standard for narrative complexity and engagement, left a lasting impression on the world and paved the way for the series' subsequent success and expansion.

//...Speaking of which...

#1 - Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair

//How could it NOT be this!?

//Even though Trigger Happy Havoc established the core concept of the series, it only took one more year before evrything that Danganronpa is is perfected and presented in the sequel.

//It takes the premise of the original and introduces a new setting: Jabberwock Island, which provides a fresh and vibrant backdrop compared to the claustrophobic Hope’s Peak Academy. While I do generally think Hope's Peak worked better to make you feel trapped and afraid, this new environment enriches the gameplay and narrative opportunities that were already established for the mystery element.

//It's not nearly as isolated, but the only other entry in this list that tried to do the island setting was SDRA2, and it only did it half as successfully.

//The game also refines and expands upon the gameplay mechanics introduced in the first installment. It adds new elements like the Island Mode and improves the trial system, enhancing the overall experience while maintaining the core gameplay.

//You know... "Improved" Hangman's Gambit notwithstanding.

//Fuck that minigame.

//All my homies hate that minigame.

//Goodbye Despair also builds on the themes of hope and despair with a more intricate storyline, adding layers of psychological depth and surprising twists that keep players engaged. The narrative complexity is heightened by the exploration of new themes and connections to the original game.

//But while it introduces new elements, DR2 effectively ties back to the events of the first game, creating a sense of continuity and expanding the lore of the series. This connection enriches the overall narrative and rewards fans with deeper insights into the series’ overarching plot.

//The sequel refines the pacing of investigations and class trials, making the gameplay smoother and more engaging. The visual and auditory presentation is also polished, enhancing the overall immersive experience.

//Basically, take everything I said about Danganronpa 1, and know Danganronpa 2 did ALL of it better.

//As to not repeat myself, let's talk about the reasons DR2 stands on it's own merits, and why compared to every other Killing Game in this, it's the best one.

//I already talked about the change in setting and how that affected it, but the second game also explores themes of hope and despair with new twists and connections to the original game. Its narrative complexity, including a deeper focus on psychological and existential themes, sets it apart by expanding the series’ lore in innovative ways.

//Especially with the final trial, and what Hajime goes through, but we'll get to that.

//The sequel builds on the narrative foundation of the first game but adds layers of complexity, including connections to the broader lore of the Danganronpa universe. This deeper storytelling and thematic exploration contribute to its standout status.

//And then...there's the cast.

//Oh boy, the cast of this game is fucking fantastic.

//As I said already, the casts of Ultra Despair Girls and V3 were lacking in some departments, even if the latter had some of my favorites. And even though THH's group was solid overall, there were still some I didn't take too kindly to.

//I can't say the same for DR2. I love EVERY SINGLE ONE of these characters!

//Sonia, with her blend of regal charm, intellectual depth, funny dialogue, and genuine empathy leaves an engaging persona to watch.

//Kazuichi, with his endearing clumsiness, earnest ambition, and surprisingly sad underlying depth, adding the main source of humor, but also the emotional resonance.

//Fuyuhiko with his stellar character development and evolution from a tough, abrasive brat to a more vulnerable and honorable soldier, with a good head on his short shoulders.

//Peko, with her unwavering loyalty, yet also an unexpected human side to her stoicism.

//Akane, with her fierce determination and carefree attitude, masking some insecurities and a caring personality.

//Nekomaru with his larger-than-life enthusiasm and kindness, and unyielding commitment to his friends, as well as the comic relief he offers.

//Mikan being such a tragic figure, contributing massively to the emotional complexity of the story.

//Ibuki doing basically the exact opposite of that, lol.

//Hiyoko being an abrasive and snotty bully, yet eventually revealing this vulnerability adds a portrayal of personal growth and social dynamics.

//Gundham, easily one of my favourite's in the series overall, with his dramatic personality, and love for his pets; perfectly balancing eccentricity with genuine depth.

//Teruteru, with his passionate and flamboyant personality, yet carrying underlying struggles and honest motivations, becoming a character that is deeply flawed, but empathetic and entertaining.

//The Ultimate Imposter, and the mystery around his true self, yet the honesty of his motivations and conduct.

//Mahiru, my absolute series best girl, with her blend of practicality, strong sense of responsibility, and her genuine care for others that make such a steadfast character.

//And of course...Hajime, Chiaki, and Nagito.

//Though they lack the interaction potential that was shown with Shuichi, Kaito, and Maki, they are easily the best lead characters in the series proper.

//Hajime is a fantastic protagonist, even though I can't confidently claim if he's better than Makoto, Shuichi, or any of the other protags, because his journey from uncertainty to self-discovery is fascinating, well-handled, and compelling on ideas like identity and growth.

//Chiaki stands out for her combination of quiet kindness and hidden strength, being a comforting presence, a crucial source of support, and a universally loved character in the fanbase.

//And then there's Nagito. A character so interesting that I've never seen or played any other video game that has somebody quite like him. His unpredictability, complex motivations, and his philosophical views on the series themes add a profound and unsettling dimension to the narrative at large that never quite went away.

//As iconic and important as the cast of Game 1 are, the sequel features a fresh cast with memorable and distinctive personalities, each contributing to the story in unique ways. Not to mention this new group of characters offers a different dynamic from those in the first game, providing new kinds of interactions and relationships.

//Danganronpa 2 isn't without issues. No DR game is. It features what is widely considered both the best case and worst case in the series. But in general, I think this game has the most compelling mystery element to it.

//As mentioned already, the trials are a lot more fun than in the first game, because even though the Hangman's Gambit gamemode is absolute dogshit, the rest of the new gamemodes like Rebuttal Showdown and Logic Dive are series staples.

//The actual cases themselves and the mystery element is a lot more complex and layered than the first game too, requiring a lot more critical thinking and analysis, and therefore, more satisfying and rewarding when you finally solve them, which is more than I can say for V3.

//But the best part about it is that they're much longer.

//DR1's trials are good, but they're too short to allow ample opportunity for character development and interaction. But by making the trials longer, the personalities of the new cast are explored in greater depth during the trials, making them more compelling by default.

//And as one last note, I also think Danganronpa 2 has by far the most satisfying story and conclusion.

//As I mentioned before, the final trials of these games always end up sharing the issues of being plot dumps, having a lot of anime bullshit in it, and being massive in length and difficulty. This game's final trial suffers especially with the second one.

//But it is actually raw and awesome as fuck, so I can't complain.

//Goodbye Despair's conclusion, like a lot of the final trials, delves into meta-narrative territory, but not in a way that felt insulting like V3, nor a way that felt anticlimactic like THH. The philosophical approach here in contrast to then is less straightforward and more unique, and the final twists, especially with the Remnants of Despair and Izuru Kamukura is quite possibly the most shocking, heart-crushing, and impressive the series has offered.

//The conclusion also ties together the themes and character arcs of not only this game, but the first game too, in a way that is powerful and thematically coherent. The resolution of the story, and with it, the conclusion of Hajime's very well-crafted character arc, provides closure, while also leaving the audience with just enough questions end reflections about the nature of Hope and Despair.

-Mod

[missbubblesoda]

early in the morning, especially when it rains, and a little before noon. (26)

erwin x fem!reader

chapters: (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | (8) | (9) | (10) | (11) | (12) | (13) | (14) | (15) | (16) | (17) | (18) | (19) | (20) | (21) | (22) | (23) | (24) | (25) | (27)

summary: I basically took Isayama’s work, forced it into a romance story, and made Erwin the love interest. Commander meets cadet and they fall in love (not instantly though)

notes: very berry canonverse (but some events were modified to fit my narrative), wasn’t intended to be this long, but it all is in the details right?

content warnings: smut where it fits (or where I make it fit. Also, reader is NOT underage, so likewise, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT, please.) slow burn (I really mean it. I’m not olympic diving into any form of smut for the first chapters.) no angst. I dislike angst. I would never. I could never. (Although angst can be somewhat subjective so take it with a grain of salt?)

wc: 3k

Perfumed breeze tickled your bare shoulders and sweet wine swayed inside clinking glasses, soft music lured twosomes to the dance floor, and the golden midday sun shone brighter than ever, as if making some sort of grand entrance, stepping into the courtyard like a guest of honor, blinding your eyes until they could no longer see anything around. Only the shadows and the shapes, and the bluest sky painted behind him.

And speaking about the sky, it had evidently dressed to match him that morning, from the cobalt pocket square peeking out of his morning coat to the corresponding silk tie obediently waiting on his chest; without forgetting, of course, about the crystalline sapphires embedded in his face, because in all honesty, who could forget? How could anyone overlook that heavenly blue of his eyes, iridescent at times, dreamily reflecting back all your favorite colors whenever they stared into yours. Just like they were right now, opportunely reminding you of secret moments spent inside some mountain castle down south; and the pleasant warmth that radiated from your chest at the thought made your lips curve into the same kind of smile his were wearing: knowing and conspiratorial. And you wondered if he found it overpowering too, the need to melt into each other’s arms.

His fleshy lips, appetizing as ever, parted slightly at the sight before him, his eyes methodically exploring first your features and then the colorful flowers on your dress, as if counting them, as if you were a coveted treasure seized from an enemy beyond the walls; his chest expanding as he took the type of deep, steadying breath that usually precedes life-altering statements. And then, when a labored ‘wow’ was all that left his lips, an amused chuckle escaped yours. You found it funny, to think those were the same lips that always knew what to say, the authors of the compelling speeches he used to motivate his men out there on the field or secure funds from closefisted aristocrats. And now, those same lips that not too many seasons back, had convinced a bunch of frightened kids to dedicate their hearts to a suicidal cause, had stopped working with nothing but a smile frozen on them. But that wasn’t a problem, given how eloquently his eyes were, instead, delivering the biggest compliments a lady could ever receive.

“Commander Smith.” You smiled teasingly, sending a courteous nod his way as you extended a hand for him to take.

“My lady.” He greeted back, his unusual wording eliciting another chuckle from you, because suddenly, it felt as if you were meeting for the first time again, as if you were the center characters in one of those romance novels your mother kept hidden under her mattress, as if some sort of magical encounter was taking place in the middle of Lord Koch’s garden.

He took the hand you were offering and brought it to his lips, where it remained for what, some would say, way longer than tradition stipulated. And all the while, you could feel him smiling against your fingers, his soothing breath keeping them warm, and the gentle stroke of his thumb against your skin sending a playful shiver straight to your core.

Some would say, probably the same people whose eyes were currently glued to the two of you, that ten thirty in the morning was too early for one’s mind to drift to the kind of inappropriate places yours was; but the thing is, they didn’t know about the wonderful things those lips could do nor the incredible delight those thighs could provide: muscular, well-developed, gift-wrapped in grey silk…or was it wool? If you could touch them, you’d be able to tell. But then again, that would be highly inappropriate for a garden party, wouldn’t it?

When his lips reluctantly let go of your hand, his fingers decided not to, choosing to stay wrapped around yours instead, gentlemanly accompanying them as if to see their safe arrival to your lap.

“Forgive my lips.” He smiled dazedly, eyes still lost in yours. “But it’s in familiar tastes where they find the greatest pleasure.”

That kind of apology suggested that he’d also noticed the inquisitive stares emerging all around you, stares that, at the moment, you didn’t have the mental disposition to concern yourself with, not when his words, as well as the evocative tone used to deliver them, were making your insides bubble in a dangerous cocktail of excitement and pleasure; a pleasure that quickly began to drip from deep within, like champagne spilling from the glass, drowning any other thought until all you could think about was how bad you wanted to pull him to a secret corner, sit on his lap and glide your fingers through that perfectly smooth hair of his, slicked back and neatly combed, desperately asking to be messed up.

“My lady?” He smirked playfully, a gesture that suggested he was probably very aware of the mess he was causing between your legs, a mess you hoped he would be so kind as to take care of later.

“There’s nothing to forgive, Commander Smith.” You replied calmly, your lips curving up in mischief. “At the moment, I feel like overindulging in familiar tastes myself.” You held his gaze boldly, unashamed to acknowledge all the things he could do to your body with his words only.

“Is that so?” He asked enticingly, taking a step closer and then another, his eyes locked so intently on their target as his face came just mere inches away from yours. “My princess shall never have to wait.” His lips whispered softly, only for the two of you to hear. “To indulge in whatever pleasure she craves.” He concluded, his husky voice more animalistic than human, the tantalizing woods and musks of his cologne intoxicating your senses, numbing them, clouding your mind until you could no longer think about anything, at least not anything that wasn’t his lips or the forbidden nights you spent together with them in his office, under the covers of secrecy. Was he about to pull those covers down with a kiss?

The logical part of you was certain he wouldn’t, but logic and rationality were not enough to stop the rest of your body from wishing he would. Especially your lips, they didn’t care that your parents were around somewhere, they didn’t care if they fainted the moment they saw their darling daughter kissing a man she had not been promised to; they didn’t care if, for the following weeks, you became the topic of the conversations all those fine ladies, who were now attentively staring at the two of you, would be enjoying with their afternoon tea. You and your lips cared about none of that.

But you knew he did.

And you knew him too well.

That’s why you weren’t really surprised when his fingers ignored the blushing cheeks he liked to hold when he kissed you, and reached for the back of your head instead, gently hooking the butterfly pin like a crown on a princess’ head. What surprised you, however, was that he knew the exact same spot where your mother had placed it that morning. Almost as if this wasn’t the first time he’d seen you today. And you wondered if that could be the case.

But before your mind could start speculating, he took a step back, a disarming smile painted on his handsome features as he offered you his arm to hold.

“May I?”

You smiled with delight, not hesitating a second to wrap both hands around the hard, unyielding muscles of his arm, letting them guide you to the other end of the courtyard. As you made it past grey-haired gentlemen who nodded back at him and blue-blooded ladies who were trying to exchange discreet glances with each other, you stroked his biceps subtly, eager for everyone to know that you were with him today, and that no, he wasn’t available for discussing work-related matters at the moment, much less dancing with anybody else. The gentlemen would have to wait until he was back at the office on Monday; and the ladies, well…their business would have to wait even longer. Because today, you looked up and smiled back at the man beside you, today he was with you.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite contrarian!” Lord Koch’s exclaimed overjoyed once you reached the north pavilion, his tall frame approaching his friend with open arms. “Erwin! Glad you could make it.”

“Hansel.” The Commander patted his back congratulatory. “Wouldn’t miss an opportunity to celebrate a good friend.”

“My lady.” Lord Koch nodded politely at you once he was done greeting his friend.

“I came to greet you earlier, but Lord Angert told me that you and Madam Augusta were yet to arrive.” The Commander turned to the plush, jovial-looking lady beside his friend, who you assumed to be Mrs. Koch. “Madam Augusta.”

“Erwin! I’m so glad you could join us!” She exclaimed, also overjoyed and using the exact same tone Lord Koch had, albeit a few scales higher. According to your mother, the Kochs had been married since their academy days, and engaged since even before that. No wonder they sounded exactly like each other. “I asked Hansel if you’d be joining us this morning.” She smiled beamingly, taking the Commander’s hand in hers. “I warned him that if he didn’t go deliver the invitation in person, you wouldn’t come. He didn’t want to go at first, but I ma-”

“Augusta.” Lord Koch cleared his throat, flashing an uncomfortable smile at the Commander, who looked at you amusedly, gifting you with one of those light-hearted chuckles that always sounded like honey in your ears, and you giggled back.

“You’re never too busy to visit a friend.” Mrs. Koch said, smiling beamingly and naively, her expressive eyes making you realize she looked exactly like the fairy godmothers they drew on picture books. “Your father knows that very well, dear.” You blinked in confusion, thinking about the Commander’s late father before noticing she was looking at you instead. “He never misses a Wednesday, that conspiracy theory club is going to cause the demise of so many I know.” She squinted her eyes at her husband.

“Augusta.” Lord Koch cleared his throat again.

So the club was still a thing, only they moved it to Wednesdays instead.

“Oh Hansel, please. You don’t believe there is someone, even a single soul, at this party who doesn’t know about that little society of yours. Do you?” She chortled giddily when she saw you nodding in agreement. “Anyhow, it both pleases me and surprises me that someone has at long last managed to conquer this man’s heroically large yet forebodingly rebellious heart.” She said contentedly, smiling at the Commander and then at you.

“Augusta, the lady is his assistant.”

“Oh, my bad!” She feigned embarrassment, her eyes darting from the Commander to you, and then back to him, a knowing smile blossoming on her lips as soon as she caught glance of the comfortable way in which your hands were wrapped around his arm, almost as if they were more than fairly acquainted with his body. “What a shame, her angelic smile and Erwin’s dreamy blues would make for beautiful offspring.” She said with mirth, giggling enthusiastically as her expressive eyes awaited a reaction from you.

But you had nothing for her, at least not anything you could show her without incriminating yourself, so you just lowered your head, looking down at the glossy marble tiles in an attempt to hide both your burning cheeks as well as the little smile that started to take over your lips at the thought of their chubby fingers tugging at your skirt; their angelic blue eyes gleaming with happiness whenever their cute button noses caught a whiff of the little somethings you loved baking for them; their excited little feet making the cabin’s floorboards creak on their way to the front door, your way of knowing that he was back.

No, Mrs. Koch wasn’t the only one. You had thought about it too. Goodness, your pen knew just how much; she remembered about every single time you had forced her to stop right before she could tell your journal about it, because your mother always said that telling your dreams to someone else was the most effective way to curse them into never happening.

“The infamous Nile Dok in the flesh!” Lord Koch’s jovial greeting startled you out of your thoughts, making you raise your head just in time to see Hitch’s boss striding towards you. “Today is really one for the books, isn’t it? It’s not every day you get to see both your favorite commanders together in one place.” He said delightedly, giving the lean, black-whiskered man a welcoming hug, a gesture that showed you just how close they were.

“I just hope Commander Pixis doesn’t find this statement too aggravating.” The Military Police commander said in a monotone voice before turning to Mrs. Koch. “Madam Augusta.”

The feeble smile he had managed to put on for her quickly expired on his lips as soon as he was done shaking her hand, and you couldn’t help but smile when you remembered Hitch’s words: ‘he permanently has the face of someone who hasn’t been able to poop in years.’

“Good to see you, Nile.” Mrs. Koch smiled heartily, her eyes turning into the same crescent moons Leon’s did whenever he smiled, confirming your suspicions that it was indeed a family thing. “Hansel still resents Dot for outsmarting him at the regionals last summer.” She explained amusedly. “A sore ego and a thin skin make it difficult for anyone to forget, never mind forgive.”

“Oh I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. Saw him near the brandy earlier.” Lord Koch motioned with a lazy flick of his hand, the indifference in his otherwise enthused demeanor proving that the hurt ego his wife had mentioned was pretty much there. “Dot did win but I wouldn’t say I was outsmarted. Calling his performance ‘brilliant’, like the press did, would be a stretch.”

“Oh I’m sure this year’s regionals will grant you the rematch that you and your ego so desperately crave. I believe in you, darling.” Madam Augusta rolled her eyes, silently contradicting her words. “Hansel will only accept defeat to this man right here.” She explained, pointing at the Commander, who was now shaking Commander Nile’s hand. “Erwin is truly in a league of his own. Hansel is lucky he doesn’t have the time to compete at the regionals.”

“It is my desire to keep a solid friendship with Hansel what keeps me from playing at the regionals, and not lack of time, Madam.” The Commander said, eliciting joyous laughter from everyone, including Lord Koch himself. “How are Marie and the kids?”

Marie and the-

‘I don’t understand how someone like her ended up marrying my boss.’

Hitch’s voice started ringing somewhere deep inside your head, reminding you of the one thing you’d hoped you could forget.

‘She could have married anyone she wanted.’

She said, the warm spring breeze turning unpleasantly bitter all of a sudden, bringing back memories of that snowy winter afternoon spent with your best friend, not too long ago.

‘Eyes bluer than the summer sky, porcelain skin. A goddess.’

She continued, as if listing the participation requirements for a very prestigious competition, one you really wanted to win, but felt you’d already lost.

‘Gorgeous doesn’t even begin to describe her-’

‘…beautiful falls short-’

‘…stunning doesn’t do her justice.”

Her words grew louder the more she spoke, eventually turning into a sharp hissing that threatened to break your skull into a million pieces.

‘Apparently, they used to be close friends back in the day, all three of them…’

No.

‘Both, your boss and mine..’

No. You didn’t want to remember.

‘…were completely smitten with her.’

The last sentence painfully reverberated in your ears, each word feeling like shards piercing through your eardrums, like an unpleasantly loud and very discordant crowd of cicadas making your ears bleed, as they announced the end of the most beautiful sunset you would ever get to see.

‘Did you know…’

No. You were just fine living in ignorance.

‘…she was this close to…’

No. Please don’t say it.

‘…marrying your boss?’

You held his arm tighter, something similar to a heartbeat violently jolting your entire body, the aftershock sending painful shivers throughout your skin, all the way to the deepest, darkest part of you, where your chest stung and ached in a type of pain you were already growing quite familiar with.

And you wondered if Commander Nile was acquainted with it himself because, although his inexpressive eyes were difficult to read, you could have sworn that you saw them narrow, the mild bags beneath them darkening even more at the mention of his wife’s name.

His wife’s name…

You looked to his right abruptly, your heart racing as if to match the crazed speed of your thoughts.

If Commander Nile was here, then probably his wife…

You looked to his left, and then around; your eyes embarking on a journey of anticipation and uncertainty as they navigated the sea of faces surrounding you, each little glance holding the potential of familiarity for any wistful eyes wishing to spot her, or the dread of recognition, in your very particular case. The dread to discover, among the countless expressions, the telltale features Hitch had so poetically described, the golden hair, the porcelain skin, and the blue eyes that had stolen his heart all those years back.

-

next chapter

buy me a ko-fi?☕️ ^^

taglist: @mysticalnightbeliever @aliasrising @elnyrae @mchlist @apts2000 @angelaevangelion @depitaangeline @ynackerman9499 @afatalheat @pumpkin-toffee @velouria17 @gassytritis @goddessinsweats @nube55 @jeanboyjean @crazychaoticizzy @braunsbabe @erwinawesomeness @lucifers-nipple-piercing @karmabyfernando @thicc101q @shittyprofilebutfuckit @dilfenthusiast-union

[inside0ut-dotnet]

Ready, Set, Pride! Last Minute Celebration Ideas

With only 24 hours left until Pride Month kicks off, it's time to start planning how you're going to celebrate with your fabulous love bugs! Are you hitting up a major pride celebration in a city near you, hosting a virtual pride event, or just keeping it low key with your partner or friends? Whatever your plans may be, get ready to show your pride and spread the love!

Join the Parade or Party

If you're lucky enough to live near a city hosting a major pride celebration, why not join the parade or party? Put on your brightest rainbow outfit, grab some glitter, and get ready to dance the day away with your LGBTQ+ community. It's a time to be loud, proud, and unapologetically yourself!

Mid South Pride (May 2-June 2) in Memphis, Tennessee: A huge celebration including Memphis Pride Fest Weekend, a Drag N Drive event, a Big Gay Dance Party, and a Pride Parade.

Gay Days at Disney World (May 30-June 3) in Orlando, Florida: Over 150,000 LGBTQ+ Disney fans attend this annual event at the Magic Kingdom, featuring parties, a Gay Days Expo, Bear pool parties, and special guest performers.

Provincetown Pride (May 31-June 2) in Provincetown, Massachusetts: Enjoy a Pride festival, Queer Comedy showcase, Feet Over Front Street Pride 5K, and more. This year, there’s also “Reimagining Queer Africa” with art, technology, and outreach from Lagos, Nigeria.

New York City Pride (June 30) in New York, New York: The largest Pride Parade in North America, drawing thousands of participants and spectators in Greenwich Village.

Washington, D.C. Capital Pride (June 8-9): Events throughout the month, including a Night of Queer Expression and a rooftop pool party.

Twin Cities Pride Festival (June 28) in Minnesota: Minnesota’s second-largest festival, featuring LGBTQIA+ entertainment, vendors, and community resources. These events celebrate our collective queer joy, honor LGBTQ+ activists, and provide safe spaces for everyone to express their queerness and sexuality. 🌈✨

Host a Virtual Pride Event

Can't make it to a physical pride celebration? No problem! Host a virtual pride event with your friends and loved ones. Get creative with rainbow-themed decorations, plan some fun activities or games, and don't forget to blast some empowering LGBTQ+ anthems. It's a great way to show your pride from the comfort of your own home!

Pride Summit 2024 by Lesbians Who Tech and Allies:

Date: June 11th - 13th

Description: A week-long virtual summit with thought-provoking discussions, learning experiences, and professional development opportunities.  Speakers include tech luminaries and cultural leaders like Gabrielle Union and Sam Altman.

WorkPride 2024:

Date: June 17th - 21st

Description: A global virtual Pride conference focused on workplace equality. It’s free for professionals, graduates, and inclusive employers.

Brooklyn Pride Virtual Drag Bingo:

Date: June 4th

Remember to check out these events and celebrate Pride Month! 🌈

Keep it Low Key

Not in the mood for a big celebration? That's totally okay! Pride Month is all about celebrating love and acceptance in whatever way feels right for you. Whether you're spending a quiet evening with your partner, having a small gathering with friends, or simply reflecting on what pride means to you, there's no wrong way to celebrate.

Pride Month is a wonderful time to celebrate the beautiful spectrum of gender and sexuality while advocating for equality and justice in the LGBTQ+ community. Here are thoughtful and meaningful ways to celebrate Pride Month at home:

Decorate with LGBTQ+ Art and Decor:

Refresh your home’s interior design by proudly hanging a rainbow flag in your front yard or windows. You can also support LGBTQ+ interior designers by incorporating their art and decor into your living spaces.

Create an Outdoor Cinema:

Set up an outdoor movie night in your backyard or balcony. Choose LGBTQ+ films or documentaries that resonate with you. Invite friends or family (virtually, if needed) to share the experience.

Design a Reading Nook:

Curate a cozy reading corner with books by LGBTQ+ authors. Dive into their stories and explore diverse perspectives. It’s a great way to celebrate Pride while enjoying some quiet time.

Get Creative in the Kitchen:

Use your culinary skills to make festive creations. Bake rainbow-themed cookies, cupcakes, or a colorful cake. Share your delicious treats with loved ones or enjoy them yourself.

So, tell us, how are you planning to celebrate Pride Month this year? No matter how you choose to show your pride, remember that love is love and you are valid, fabulous, and deserving of all the happiness in the world. Happy Pride Month, love bugs!

[shelyue99]

More from Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers, by James Andrew Miller:

ANNE THOMOPOULOS: Richard Winters, who commanded Easy Company, was very reticent about being involved in the project. Richard was very conservative and very suspect of Hollywood. He didn't want to share his life. At the end of our lunch I said, "Regardless of what you decide, I need to thank you because my mother-and father-in-law were married during the war and decided that they wouldn't have children until they knew their children would be okay. My brother-in-law was born in a bombing seven months after you landed on the beach in Normandy. I owe you my life. My daughter is a result of your efforts and she's my greatest joy. Whatever hap-pens, I am eternally grateful." Carmi told me it was because of that that he changed his mind.

MARA MIKIALIAN: I had this idea to pair actors and veterans, so we flew actors to where the veterans were. The one who portrayed Babe Heffron was from Scotland-Robin Laing-and had never even been to America. While Robin is on his way from Scotland to Philadelphia, Babe ends up in the hospital. So Robin landed and I greeted him and said, "Do you want to rest? You want to go see the Liberty Bell? You've never been in America before." He said, "Bring me to Babe." We immediately went to the hospital and of course Bill was there because those two were inseparable. It was important to Babe that Robin and also Frank see their world. Bill basically set out an itinerary for us, drove us all around in his car with his only one leg that he had. We went to the restaurant where they had breakfast every day. We went to the Irish bars. We did that with four other pairings. Honestly, to this day, I think I'm still so proud of that story and how it came out [in People magazine] and how the actors and the veterans felt about it.

TONY TO: A big ingredient of the magic was that the actors were talking to the people they were playing. The spirit was everybody wanted to honor them. You would have a call sheet with the characters who were supposed to be there, but then two or three other actors who had a day off would come and they would be in wardrobe. They would say, "I talked to my guy yesterday. He said, 'I was on that patrol. You don't have to give me any lines, but we want to do right by them. We're going to be here even if we're treated like extras."

ANNE THOMOPOULOS:

To get on that train was really touching, and I realized something about the bond that happens between soldiers that I had never really understood before. They basically said, "We love our wives, our kids, their families. But the love we have for each other is different." These men had faced death over and over again together.

According to Tony To, BoB never used a stunt man, everything was done by the actors.

David Frankel directed and shot Ep 7 The Breaking Point and Ep 9 Why We Fight. It took 55 days of production, for two hours of television. The longest schedule Frankel had on a feature film he has made is 55 days.

Originally BoB had 12 episodes but it’s over the budget so they had to cut out 2 from the bible.

[zorlok-if]

Sharing the the dark theme's mobile UI and what I consider to be one of the cooler features of my Goncharov game jam entry (now called Creating Goncharov).

Early on the game asks you to sign into your work computer. If you input a certain name, well... the game adjusts accordingly.

IDs/transcriptions in alt text and below pictures.

[image 1: A screenshot from Creating Goncharov of a passage designed to look like a computer sign-in screen. The name that's been entered is "Martin Scorsese". /end ID]

[image 2: A screenshot from Creating Goncharov of a passage designed to look like an email. The email is titled "New Assignment" and is being sent from "Boss" to "Martin Scorsese". The body of the email reads: "Good morning, Mr. Scorsese. I have a very exciting opportunity for you. Later today I'll be pitching a new film—specifically a Goncharov remake—to a group of investors and, of course, I've chosen you to put that pitch together. My meeting is at 11:00 so hopefully you've arrived at work early. If, for whatever reason, you don't think you're the right fit for this project, let me know asap. I can easily find someone else for the job, but we don't have any time to waste. We are all very excited to present you with this opportunity and look forward to seeing what you'll do with this project! Let me know your response as soon as you finish" /end ID]

[image 3: A screenshot from Creating Goncharov of a narrative passage. The passage reads "You stare at the computer screen for a long while. "Of course I've chosen you." Why of course? You are a prolific director and any project attached to your name is certain to wow investors, but there's one big problem. You haven't seen Goncharov. You haven't even heard of Goncharov before. Whatever, it doesn't matter. Your Martin Scorsese, you can make a masterpiece out of anything. You'll figure something out. Even if you don't have a good idea for the plot, you can always call up Rob and Al, see if you can get them onboard. No investor would turn down a film with Scorsese, De Niro, and Pacino attached to it. You reply to your boss." /end ID]

[image 4: A screenshot from Creating Goncharov of a passage designed to look like an email. The email is titled "RE: New Assignment" and is being sent from "Martin Scorsese" to "Boss". The body of the email reads: "Good morning to you as well. I'd like to thank you for thinking of me for this project. I can certainly fit it into my busy schedule. You mentioned that you had more details, I urge you to send those along so we can get this ball rolling as soon as possible. This movie won't make itself. Yours, Martin Scorsese" /end ID]

[image 5: A screenshot from Creating Goncharov of a passage designed to look like an email. The email is titled "RE: New Assignment" and is being sent from "Boss" to "Martin Scorsese". "Al B" has been CC'd. The body of the email reads: "Fantastic! And thank you for responding so promptly. The details are as follows: You need to craft a pitch for a 2023 adaptation of your 1973 classic, Goncharov. We aren't asking you to stray too far from the original. Goncharov is already a masterpiece and our audiences already adore it. This is meant to be a celebration more than anything in honor of the upcoming 50th anniversary. We are very excited to see what you will do given the opportunity to remake Goncharov with access to modern technology, new perspectives you've gained over the years, and (if this pitch goes well) a much bigger budget than you would have had at the start of your career." /end ID]

[image 6: The continuation of the last email described. The email continues: "Deepest apologies for only reaching out to you now, but I'll remind you that unfortunately we only have until 11:00. If possible, I'd also like to go over your ideas and thoughts before I present them to the potential investors, so the earlier you can get this pitch to me, the better. Anyways, go work your magic. Not that it'll be difficult; as Roger Ebert said, "Goncharov is the greatest mafia movie ever made." Whatever you do, I'm sure it will be fantastic." /end ID]

[image 7: A screenshot from Creating Goncharov of a narrative passage. The passage reads "Wait. That can't be right. You read the email again. No, you read that correctly. They definitely said that Goncharov was your movie. Is that... possible? Could you really have forgotten about one of your own films. I mean it was 1973, apparently. You aren't as young as you once were and maybe it's been so long that you've somehow... forgot? No, that can't be it. If you made a film that Roger Ebert called "the"—what was it? You check the email again. "The greatest mafia movie ever made," you would definitely remember that. Right? ...Right?" /end ID]

[image 8: A cycling choice from the game Creating Goncharov. It reads "Yeah, you know your own body of work. They must be mistaken somehow or there has to be some kind of miscommunication. You did not make Goncharov. You're 99.99% sure." /end ID]

[image 9: A cycling choice from the game Creating Goncharov. It reads "Maybe... maybe not. They're probably mistaken or there's some kind of miscommunication, but you're 80% sure that you did not make Goncharov." /end ID]

[image 10: A cycling choice from the game Creating Goncharov. It reads "No. You have no idea. That was fifty years ago, it's entirely possible that you made Goncharov and have no memory of it." /end ID]