#I just love AG for reasons that we'll get to later and. not yet.

[torchickentacos]

AG Watchthrough Episode 1: Get the Show on the Road! AG001. Long Post, I promise they won't all be this long, this is AG commentary georg, outlier.

Well. Outlier until contest episodes. I won't apologize for who I become once we hit those. Anyways, RE: above. There's usually not TOO MUCH of a plot in AG eps to even comment on, hence this post as an outlier for the pilot episode. So! Starting a full AG watch. I have never fully watched all of AG by sitting down with the intent of watching all of it. I have seen all of it, but not in a directed, intentional, in-order way. Changing that today to really see how it holds up as a whole outside of the episodes I tend to gravitate towards! I don't think I'll realistically follow through with this for more than a week. Going to be honest. BUT I HOPE TO! We'll see. The plan is to watch episodes in bulk but schedule posts once a day. Posts will likely get pretty long for some episodes, short for others, because AG is wildly varying in 'things to talk about' episode to episode. Anyways, episode 1: Get the Show on the Road! AG001.

Side note. I think I will put this in relevant character tags if I have any commentary on specific characters. One, so I can find my own posts. But two, I know as someone who likes characters who don't always get a whole lot, it's SO EXCITING to see people talking about them, so on the off chance there's, like, a Morrison fan out there, I think I should put it there??? Like, I'll read Hoenn Coordinator commentary from 2013 to feel something, so I want to be able to provide that on my end, too. I'd be heartbroken if someone did an in depth ep-by-ep analysis on them but didn't tag it so nobody could see it. ANYWAYS!!! I'll play it by ear and do it when it feels relevant and not just 'yeah this person showed up, I guess'. I don't want to be annoying but also you can just block the #ag watchthrough tag. Or just block me, I guess lmao.

So, the episode opens where the last episode of Master Quest left off (OS274, Hoenn Alone). Basically, Pikachu has electric rabies and May is getting her first pokemon.

The episode opens with May giving her internal monologue/narration about starting her journey. She hits her head on a tree, which may explain some of her decisions later in the series (/joke), but she's on her way to Birch Lab to get her first pokemon. Does she want to? Not really, but she DOES want to travel and this is a way to accomplish that. This is instance one of what I'm dubbing 'Early AG Girlboss May'. (Basically, in Early AG May was more of a go-getter. Or rather, she had more agency and opportunities to get her own way. Early AG May is far more... frankly, shown to be intelligent, which drops off rather quickly in favor of big of heart, dumb of ass May [whom I do love dearly]. I think it's largely done to emphasize Ash's mentor role and her student role, but I digress). I can and will make a separate post on this if anyone wants my thoughts on her character inconsistencies. But for now, just know she's not a fan of pokemon but will deal with it to have a chance to travel the world. She has a goal, she will get it done and use what's at her disposal. Anyways, behold. A girlboss in her natural habitat.

Now, we switch to Ash and Pikachu, alone and Brock and Misty-less (well, until the mirage special. I'll... get to that when the time comes, I guess...sigh).

We also find out Jessie's been to Littleroot before. I, uh, don't know if that was ever expanded upon??????? WAIT same thing after iirc spontaneous combusken where she makes some comment about young love and heartache and stuff. Jessie has some weird backstory in Hoenn (well, SC is Kanto but yk) that I don't remember ever hearing more about? Huh. Anyways. You'll notice a pattern of this in AG, of random interesting details being brought up and immediately forgotten.

Back to Ash. No pokemon center in the town, so he's headed to the Lab, where May's headed too. Birch is 'out conducting an experiment', so Ash just hangs around until he can go to the lab.

IN COMES BIRCH WITH THE JEEP!!! Ash's uber is here.

After giving Pikachu a quick look-over, Birch explains that Pikachu can't release its electricity regularly so it's all building up and getting a bit explodey. Apparently it's due to magnetic field exposure, and I won't question the science or lack thereof. Birch, fascinatingly, doesn't question when Ash explains that Pikachu was strapped to a magnet. Anyways, Birch's driving remains amusing to me.

Look at him go. This is fine and normal. Average Maryland driver.

Anyways, they get to the lab and hook Pikachu up to, quote, 'A device that will rid Pikachu of all its trapped electricity'. It goes bad. Another pattern you'll notice in AG- lots of explosions. Not just Team Rocket blasting off (solarbeam, go), either, just... lots of general, everyday explosions.

So, Pikachu quite literally blows a hole in the side of the lab and escapes in a frenzied state. Ash runs after Pikachu with no other pokemon, Birch follows Ash with the three Hoenn starters, and Joshua the lab assistant is like "WAIT what about that girl we're going to give her first pokemon to- oh, okay bye I'll figure that out myself then".

Team Rocket's... here, I guess. Another AG pattern we'll notice. They show up. they blast off. they leave. rinse and repeat. Jessie is depressed this time around I guess.

Anyways, says Pikachu could explode at any sudden disturbance, so that's a hell of a way to start off here. New season with the beloved mascot? Yeah, he's about to explode. Sorry about that. So, Ash and Birch split up to look for the imminently detonative rodent.

Switching over to May now, who shows up at the lab. Joshua explains that Birch has an emergency in the mountains to deal with and asks May to wait there.

May does not wait there ("I've never been much good at waiting! Bye!"). Joshua uses one of his, like, four lines to complain about kids these days. Instance two of Early AG Girlboss May, having, uh, an actual choice that she can make that isn't just travelling with the group in the back until a contest episode and then going back to travelling with the group in the back. Brock and Max get this FAR worse, though, a topic for a few episodes later.

SO. Birch and Ash are split up looking for Pikachu still. Birch slips and falls and we get a reference to the opening of RS(E, but E has Zigzagoon iirc), with Birch being bullied by puppies. Take note of May's bike in the back. Last we'll be seeing of it. I wonder if she got a new one in the johto arc that we never got to see. Sigh.

We aren't quite halfway done with the episode yet.

Anyways, Birch asks her to help him out and to choose a pokeball. She chooses Mudkip, who promptly water guns her in the face. I guess Mudkip is like a horse or something, it can sense fear. Or rather, it can sense dry apathy and mild dislike. Birch directs Mudkip to use watergun on the Poochyena, which it does.

Ash finds Pikachu and is promptly electrocuted. Badly. But he's fine.

...He's fine, right?

Birch and May see the thunderbolt and rush on over. We get this line from Birch, which admittedly did make me laugh.

"Pikachu. It might explode."

LIKE. OKAY THEN! Way to tell it like it is, bud. Then, seeing Ash, he yells, "PIKACHU COULD EXPLODE AT ANY MOMENT!" So, things are going absolutely perfectly great here. Pikachu panics at the noises and runs right off of a cliff, and Ash dives right after it.

We are interrupted by who's that pokemon.

It's Lanturn. 👍

Ash is falling, he catches Pikachu and a branch and is dangling. Birch and May get a rope and pull him up. Pikachu bites Ash and feels bad about it. Ash doesn't really acknowledge the random person there (May) but to be fair, he's got other stuff going on.

Team Rocket shows up. Pikachu blasts them off and releases electricity that way. Get REALLY USED to the team rocket portions being blown through like this. Just trust me on this, I'm doing us all a favor here. AG TR is REALLY FUNNY when they're funny!!! But... all the great one liners can't make up for the repetition of AG TR. Moving on. Pikachu feels better now (well, he passed out but isn't sick anymore), and....

Yep. Bike barbecue'd. 2 for 2 now, we all saw it coming, there it is!!!

They go back to the lab. May eavesdrops on Birch, Ash, and Joshua, and knocks over a flowerpot, alerting them to her presence. She introduces herself and Birch asks May to choose her first pokemon. Ash asks if Treecko is a water type. It is not. May chooses Torchic!!!!! Birch tells May that if she works hard, she can be an even better trainer than her father. I'm sure we all know who that is but it's meant to be a mystery at this point so let's all act intrigued.

I'm going to expedite the end of the episode. May inspects her bike, it's dead, she goes in and sees Ash asleep next to Pikachu and seems to think their bond is nice, even if she herself doesn't care for pokemon. She just watches them through the cracked door, slightly weird but go off queen, and she attempts to bond with Torchic.

NOW. TAKE A LOOK AT THIS. THIS IS GOING TO BE A RECURRING THEME. MAY IS TALLER THAN ASH IN THIS EPISODE. ALL THROUGHOUT AG, THE HEIGHTS ARE HILARIOUSLY DIFFERENT. I will be pointing out amusing examples of this. AG001: May is tallest. I am making a spreadsheet and keeping track. This gets far funnier when Morrison and Drew come into the picture and we get to just watch it wildly vary every single episode.

Now, Ash AND May are sent off to register for the Hoenn League in Oldale.

SO, this is interesting and another instance of Early AG Girlboss May. May doesn't want to go alone on foot, and her bike is ruined. So, she plays this pretensive game of "oh, my bike is ruined (thanks to you), and I don't want to travel alone on foot, if only there was some solution- OH I KNOW! Let's go together, I happen to know the way, it's no trouble at all, shall we?". This interests me because it shows... manipulation is the wrong word here, but again, like, it shows pretense?? that May generally lacks once her characterization firms up a bit. They're still figuring out writing her at this point, I guess, and we see her be more calculated and thinking and using things and situations and people to achieve her goals. Again, this does drop off into dumbass territory before too long, but it is interesting to see and to think about. When writing May I try to strike a balance- more emotionally intuitive and more of a go-getter like early ag, but not in that premeditated sort of way. She's interesting with the amount of wiggle room you have in her personality, because it simply isn't the most consistent. You get to pick and choose a bit more.

But the episode ends, and May and Ash head on over to Oldale town to register for the league.

End of episode metrics:

Height ranking: May > Ash.

More metrics will be added as we go on. I considered an explosion counter but I would lose track. We're already at like, six /not joking, deadass.

[theabigailthorn]

Have you considered moving to america? you know there are a lot of blond americans in america, and most of them would be absolutely enchanted by a tall lady with a fancy-pants british accent

I've thought about it, for career reasons rather than romance!

It's a difficult question. If I were to move to the US, right now L.A. would be the place to go: I have contacts there and I'm developing projects there. It's likely I'd be able to have a better standard of living out there too. There's also the political angle: if the Conservatives win the next British election there's a nonzero chance I'll have to leave the country because if they pass a national bathroom law and I can't use a women's toilet, I can't go to work on a set or in a theatre! I know the US is worse in a lot of places, but at least over there some politicians are standing up for trans people, some politicians are trans, some cities are refusing to comply with discriminatory laws... There seems to be a better line of defence over there, in some places? The sorts of places I would be going to live anyway. It feels like in the US the extremes are more extreme: some states are worse than Britain, but some are actually better. I think the US entertainment industry is in some ways ahead of the UK on trans issues - I've had British people straight up refuse to work with me cause I'm trans even though that's illegal, and string me along for ages cause they think I'll be a diversity checkbox for them. Whereas in my (admittedly limited) experience American producers are more willing to give me a shot and don't see my transness as an obstacle. The producers of [SUPER REDACTED] are American and they gave me that role even though the character is written as cis and cis women auditioned alongside me! I thanked one of them like, "Hey, this sort of thing has never been done and it's not the sort of thing trans people are usually allowed anywhere near!" and she was like, "Bwuh? You nailed the audition, why wouldn't we give it to you?" I said to her at the wrap party, "The idea that a trans woman could be a [PERFORMER OF THIS TYPE] has not yet entered the minds of anyone outside this room, and when it does it's going to be a gamechanger for all of us." See also Nebula! I pitched Dracula's Ex-Girlfriend to them and they greenlit it 15 days later. Contrastingly, I emailed a pitch deck and pilot episode for a trans-led TV series to a bunch of British production companies back in August and a lot of them haven't even read it yet. I like working for Americans because they just seem to get it on a level that a lot of Brits don't, yet.

On the other hand!

The entire US entertainment industry is about to move to Britain! So, maybe the smart career move is to stay. My family are here, my home is here, and despite everything I do love this country. I would be sad to leave. But we'll see. The next few years are likely to be a little... unusual. My plan right now is to have one foot in both countries, and then perhaps at some point the acting industry will make the decision for me.

[dazaiandhislovelybandages]

No Commitments {Kishibe}

A/n: okay so... can someone tell me why I see Kishibe as something more than just someone who is there to fuck you? Am I sick? Depraved? I am not going to say anything else. Just enjoy this

Pairings: Kishibe x f!eader

Warnings: age gap (reader is in her very early 20s and Kishibe is in his 50s), mentions of death, implied sexual activities, mentions of drinking, mentions of virginity loss

Work was tough. You both knew it. Being a devil hunter was not easy.

You had no idea how the two of you had ended up working together especially since you had joined the organisation just two months ago. But you were good and you had ended up climbing the ranks, quickly gaining respect from your coworkers.

Meeting Kishibe had felt like meeting a legend. Everyone talked about him as if he was some sort of god and you understood why as soon as you saw him in the battlefield.

The very same night the squad that had been sent to that mission went out for drinks to celebrate the fact that no one died. Everyone ended up going in seperate ways but aparently you and Kishibe lived towards the same direction.

Long story short the two of you ended up making out. The excuse was simple: both of you drunk too much. But it was a lie. You had had only three shots of sake and Kishibe had only downed two glasses of whiskey.

The sexual tension became stronger as time passed by and soon enough you ended up in his bed.

But you had had an agreement with him that day: it's not a relationship, it's not exclusive and it was simply because you were too bored to find someone else, both of you. It wasn't even friends with benefits.

"We'll get caught." You breathed out, your back pushed against the wall of one of the very few secluded spots in the work building. Kishibe's mouth left your neck in a matter of seconds as the two of you heard footsteps.

Ten minutes later you had to leave for a mission in which he wasn't included.

Of course the mission went well, thankfully there were no casualties amongst the demon hunters and you returned to your apartment after completing the necessary paperwork, having received the weekend off.

The rest of the day passed with you sitting at the balcony of your apartment, a bottle of wine placed on the table. Old school rock could be heard from inside your apartment, coming from the long forgotten laptop on the couch.

You just sat there, enjoying the view of the setting sun, occasionally taking a sip from your glass of wine. It was really a scene out of a book on second guess, your feet on the chair across from the one you were sitting on, your head thrown back enjoying those sad love songs from your playlist.

It was peaceful. Like life should be but the world was too fucked up.

It was really peaceful.

Until there was banging on your door. At first it had been the doorbell but you hadn't even heard it with all the music. So when the banging intensified, you quickly stood up, heading back inside and answering the door.

"You have a phone for a reason." Kishibe entered your apartment with an angry expression on his face. It wasn't like him to show emotion.

"It was a tough day." You mumble and sit down on the couch.

"The fuck I care. Three teams were sent on missions today and two of them didn't make it." It was weird. Having him scolding you for something you didn't even know yet had certainly not been on your bucket list. Even the way he was standing, looking down at you, a cigarette between his pointer and middle fingers, was odd and so unlike him.

"I am sorry?" You really were. Hearing that some of your coworkers would never return home crushed your heart everytime but you had slowly and cruely gotten used to it.

"Listen, kid, I have been a devil hunter for god only knows how many years and not once have I ran to look at the diceased list like I did today."

Your lips parted slightly at the sound of that. "Are you drunk?" You couldn't help but ask. Kishibe never acted like that. He had never been worried for you all this time you two knew each other. Or at least that was what he showed you. There was always this bored expression on his face, a pained one as well, with the wrinkles near his expressionless black eyes and the scar across his cheek showing exactly what he had been through and why he didn't even care anymore.

"Wish I was." The tone of his voice was harsh and that was why your words shouldn't have had that teasing tone.

"Why? Were you worried?"

Next thing you knew you were naked in your bed. You had to give it to him though. For a man his age, he had an excellent stamina.

"You should find someone better." He exhaled the smoke, turning his head slightly so you wouldn't have to smell it, the window of your room, open.

"There's better?" You mumbled, completely fucked out and still in a slight bliss.

Kishibe chuckled, putting out his cigarette in the tray on your nightstand and for the first time since the two of you had started having sex, he caressed your hair. It felt as if he was pressing your head further against his scarred chest.

"Someone who isn't an old pervert."

"Why do you care old man?" You lifted your head slightly to look at him. "It's not like we are together. We're just fucking."

You didn't want to say those words. Maybe because sex with Kishibe never felt like 'just fucking'. Or maybe you had been delusional and crazy to think that there could be even the slightest sign of emotion in his actions. He was a sick old pervert after all.

Had you been this naive? You had given your virginity to this man.

But then again... you were simply repeating what he would always say to you.

"You're right kid." He mumbled, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. He had caught his breath quicker than you which was impressive on its own. "I don't even know why I am here."

"It's just fucking." You hadn't meant to say it out loud but those words just kept repeating in your head. You were trying to convince yourself that you didn't have feelings for this man.

"Is it?"

"You said you didn't like commitments."

"I don't."

"But?"

"There's no but." Maybe not looking at each other was for the best. "Shame on you, kid. Shame on you for thinking that an old pervert like me could keep our agreement after giving me even the slightest sign that you care if I am dead or not."

"I never said I care." It really was a shame. It was a shame because you thought he would have never seen past the cold and snobbish act you put on when around him. As if Kishibe was blind.

"Stop lying to yourself."

A long pause followed. You didn't know what to say. You knew that one of you could die in the very next mission so what would be the point of getting in a relationship just to lose one another someday?

"I don't like labels." Kishibe finally said, reaching out his hand to grab the lighter from the nightstand to light the cigarette between his lips. That was when you decided it was time one of you actually initiated eye contact. "So let's just say that I want to be the only one who gets to see you like this."

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for being a ....homewrecker? (🏝 for later)

I'm not sure that's the right word, but whatever. Basically, I (FtM) met this guy (cis M, we'll call him M) over a year ago and we hit it off pretty quick. It was under extremely unusual circumstances, but for the sake of anonymity, I'll be vague and just say: it was 3 AM, Denny's, T.E Lawrence was involved. Now, I'm pretty wary of most guys who go to my school, given I'm trans and unfit to defend myself for various would-break-anonymity reasons, but M is just the best and is incredibly sweet. Days are easier when he's around, even if it's just through a Discord call playing video games. I started harboring feelings for him pretty much immediately, but didn't plan on acting on them for two reasons:

1) I've yet to be in an actual committed relationship (nobody's wanted to stick around, or we both realized quickly we weren't dating material) and I'm terrified of fucking anything up. 2) ....M has a girlfriend. A super long-term one, at that. Like, they met when they were kids, he's been romancing her for ages, they're going to get married and both openly agree they'd be shells of people without each other. Soulmate shit. She's awesome. She's the sweetest, too. Very thoughtful, and soft-spoken, and so so smart. So, no, I didn't plan on doing anything about my feelings. I'm not the type to hide who I am, so I wasn't going to hide anything, but I certainly wasn't going to DO anything either. That's not my place.

Until, one school break, M comes to me and admits he has feelings. And he's wrecked about it. Tells me I'm the only other person he's really had this for, because it's always been his girlfriend. He's a mess. I thought we communicated pretty well, and we'd both made it clear that nothing was going to happen unless Girlfriend knew about it and approved, because she comes first above all else. (I was the one to say this before him, and he was relieved that I understood.) She is priority. She will always be priority, and I totally get that. I'm just some guy, you know? But the conversation ended with me telling him he should probably let her know about this, regardless of how scary that was, because he's an incredibly touchy-feely guy and if I was her I'd like if this was on my radar. New player: M's best friend. very by the book christian guy. Not at all stuck up, but he abstains from worldly pleasures or something like that! He's cool, we're cool.

Except after break, M's best friend makes a few confusing comments, and suddenly, there's now never been a time when just me and M have hung out since. Girlfriend hasn't acted any differently and is still incredibly warm and wonderful, so I'm pretty sure she still doesn't know. I'm a very giving person and like to shower my friends in gifts, so I was undeterred in giving them both valentine's gifts I had bought them months in advance (extra hand wringing on my part.) Girlfriend was ecstatic, loved her gift, and M loved his too. But then he left to go Cry??? Because he hadn't gotten her anything (I'm the only one with a min $ job). I'm not sure where I stand with him or with either of them, and i'm just so confused. I'm 🤷‍♂️ about poly, but with the way they were raised (see M's best friend for reference), their feelings are more muddy about it. I want to talk to M, but being alone in the same room is impossible. I don't know if M has been intentionally making sure we're never alone together, I don't know if Girlfriend knows, or what M wants, what Girlfriend would want or even what I want, because I don't know what's on the table. I don't even know if we're in the same restaurant. Girlfriend is going to find out. M is way too touchy feely even with "supervision". (Granted, he is with everyone, I'm pretty sure I'm just the only person who lets him get away with it.) At this rate, somethings going to give, and i'm honestly just waiting for it to happen now. 🤷‍♂️

[genshingorlsrevengeance]

(Genshin Impact) Ayaka, Ei, Yae, and Lisa with an author S/O

Ayaka understands S/O penning their name anonymously.

Having that much attention on you is potentially dangerous, but most of all it's just tiring. Ayaka honors her vow of silence to not tell anyone who writes one of the best selling light novels.

Ayaka doesn't get to read for pleasure often, so out of curiosity she picks up their light novels.

She's usually the first one who gets rough drafts of S/O's current works. Ayaka is quite the fan!

Though sometimes, she can tell S/O wrote a character after her likeness, which gets her all kind of red in the face.

But it's strange. They produce some of the best works, yet are always lazing around, not doing anything.

(Ayaka) "S/O, are you not writing tonight?"

(S/O) "Eh. Maybe later."

That's the usual answer she gets. Perhaps writing motivation comes in bursts?

At this point she suspects that the reason they stay anonymous is so they don't have to exert more energy than they have to.

S/O uses the excuse of cuddling with her and falling asleep, which she doesn't hate, but it's not exactly the most productive thing they could be doing.

Ei is quite curious about S/O's writing. Not only is it her lover's light novel, but it's also a glimpse of what the people of Inazuma are currently into.

She doesn't quite understand why S/O wants to remain anonymous. Wouldn't you want everyone to read your works?

Ei won't bring it up if S/O doesn't.

She always has S/O close by to explain the things she doesn't understand.

(Ei) "Why are so many people interested in being transported elsewhere?"

Ei also notices S/O tends to stick with her a lot longer when they have something to write.

She doesn't mind, but it's a little weird.

(Ei) "S/O, should you not be writing?"

(S/O) "I can do that later. I need to answer all your questions after all."

(Ei) "Very well."

Maybe this is how authors this day and age act. How considerate.

Yae completely understands wanting to not deal with the people of the Light Novel community while being low energy at all times.

She lets S/O loiter around to keep her company and talk about whatever new series has come out recently to poke fun or talk its praises about.

Her publishing house of course publishes their novels. But not because S/O is her lover, but because they actually deserve to get published.

If their works falter even in the slightest in quality, she refuses to put the rubbish out there. But she does find it really funny though.

It depends on her mood if she indulges S/O or gets them off their butt to actually write their current work.

(Yae) "Have you noticed this transporting to another world genre has been on the rise lately? I know fads come and go, but it is remarkably stubborn this year..."

(S/O) "Frankly, I don't get the appeal."

(Yae) "But you don't normally see the appeal of most things, S/O. Working for instance.-"

(S/O) "Shush."

Lisa loves reading, so when S/O told her that they wrote light novels, she was ecstatic to read them.

She had read pretty much everything in the Library, so adding a few new ones to the shelf was a welcome change!

Something she's quick to notice is how tired S/O is, and they usually try to sidestep doing their work.

Lisa half gets it though. Why do it today when you can do it tomorrow?

She'll try to lightly encourage S/O to get the novel over with so they can get back to relaxing faster. It's what she does when she has work after all.

But sometimes it can't be helped. She'll get a chair and cup of tea ready to let S/O procastinate in the library.

(Lisa) "Oh, look at that, it's raining. You don't want to get the pages wet, right dear? How about you keep me company for a while?"

(S/O) "It'll be raining all day."

(Lisa) "Then looks like we'll be together all day. A shame."

(S/O) "Hah, what a shame indeed. Pass the sugar?"

[dreamywriter143]

Nga Yawne Lu Oer

Title: Nga Yawne Lu Oer

Genre: Fluff, Slow-Burn, Unrequited love, Love-Triangle/Square?, Angst, SFW, NSFW (like one chapter later on, MDI), Romance.

Status: Ongoing

Warnings: Depictions of battles, blood/weapons, NSFW (later on) and it’s NOT incest. (That will also be revealed, much later on) Also, all the characters are AGED-UP (Neteyam and Ao’nung are the eldest being 18 etc…..)

Parings: Neteyam X Reader, Lo’ak X Reader, Ao’nung X Reader

Summary: Y/N, the twin sister of Tsireya and eldest daughter of Ronal and Tonowari is faced with new challenges and obstacles as the Sully’s arrive to Awa'atlu. Y/N cant help but be amazed by the new Na’vi, who intrigue her as well as raise a sense of connection within them. What will she do when lives are in danger? When the RDA attack? Or more Importantly, when her heart is torn between the two brothers who steal her breathe away upon first contact?

Word count: 3.1k

Chapter Five: Breathing Exercises

________________________________

~Third Person's POV~

"I love her already!!" Tuk squeals in delight at the baby Iiu. She chirped happily leaning into the girls touches. Y/N giggles petting the baby as they decide on feeding her one more fish. It wasn't every day you'd meet a baby Iiu.

Neteyam stood a few feet away, his eyes trailing over to the duo. He caught himself staring at the H/C girl. He caught himself doing that lot actually. She had peaked his interest the moment he laid his eyes in her , for what reason he didn't quite understand.

Was is curiosity? Was he trying to be extra cautious? Was he worried she would turn out to be like the other Metkayina, who hated them. They're stares alone spoke volumes.

He knew his duty was to his family, protect them and keep him safe. Was he just feeling uncomfortable with how close she's gotten to his family? How easily she accepted them? She welcomed them with open arms, is that even normal?

His gaze remained on the girl who seemed to be having fun with his baby sister. He couldn't help but smile at the scene, Tuk seemed to have started to enjoy her time here. It was good that she hasn't caught the lingering unwelcomed glances from time to time from the villagers. Watching her smile is what made him want to get the hang of daily life here, maybe gain the respect of the villagers so they wouldn't feel like outsiders.

"Pretty cute, isn't she?" Tsireya pipes up from behind Neteyam. "Yes" Neteyam replies automatically, in a daze. As soon as he realizes what he had said and where Tsireya was looking at he clears his throat awkwardly.

"I-I uh, I j-just meant-" he begins to say, stuttering miserably. Tsireya laughs, covering her mouth. "Relax, I meant the Iiu" she says in a teasing tone. Neteyam feels his body relax, deciding to simply nod. Not trusting his voice. They were standing in the shallows waiting for the girls to finish feeding the Iiu.

"Tuk!" They hear someone call from the beach, Turning over the brothers tense up to see Neytiri waving at her youngest daughter.

It is at this moment they realize how late it has gotten. The sun seems to have started to set. 'How was it that late already? We've barley even started' Neteyam frowns.

"Come to me, my dear!" She calls out. Y/N nods towards Tuk, helping the girl towards shore. Lo'ak swims up to Neteyam and Tsireya, standing beside them. Watching his sister run in to their mothers arms. Y/N turns towards the rocks, she didn't seem to come towards them as the stood in the shallows.

"Are we going as well?" Lo'ak asks timidly, he didn't want to leave yet. He was beginning to get the hang of riding his Iiu, and for once he wanted to try harder on succeeding. Neteyam silently agreed with his baby brother, it felt too early to call it a day.

"Not yet, Y/N, Roxto and I wanted to try some breathing exercises. If you're not tired?" Tsireya asks as Kiri and Roxto joins them. Neteyam quickly shakes his head, "No! We'll definitely join!" He says looking towards shore.

He sees Y/N waving towards them, jumping up and down to get their attention. Kiri chuckles at her childish antics.

Once Y/N  has caught everyone's attention she points towards a  rocky part of the shore. A perfect place to sit and practice in her opinion.

Getting the memo Tsireya looks to the group gesturing them to follow, as they swim towards the rocks.

Once they reach the rocks and they climb up, only to see  Y/N already sitting down, crossed legged. She was humming a tune quietly to herself but stops when she hears them come up from behind her. Looking up she smirks at the group.

"Took you long enough, slowpokes"  she teases as Kiri takes a seat next to Y/N. Kiri couldn't explain it, but everything about Y/N made her feel at ease. She couldn't seem to stay away. It was a comfort she only found within her family and Spider. It felt so homey, comfortable, and she felt protected.

Y/N smiles softly at Kiri, acknowledging her presence. Neteyam's eyes wonder to the other spot next to Y/N, putting more effort into the climb, he  manages to snag the seat. Much to Lo'ak's dismay.

As Neteyam sits down beside her, Y/N turns to him.

"Hi" she says softly, her smile reaching her eyes. Neteyam couldn't help but stare, almost forgetting to respond.

"Hey"

Y/N looks around seeing Roxto sit beside Kiri, Lo'ak and Tsireya being the slowest amongst them. "How was the Iiu lessons? I heard you did great" Y/N asks leaning her head back to get a better view of Neteyam. He lets out a throaty chuckle. "It was great, they are magnificent creatures. I'll need more practice but I've learned a lot today. Thanks to your brother and sister" he explains,  making Y/N nod.

He didn't want to give Ao'nung any credit, but wanting to prove him wrong was what motivated him to succeed. "Tsireya is a great teacher, you'll be learning from the best! She teaches all of the young due to her patient nature. Ao'nung is also very good at teaching , a little rough around the edges but once he gets to know you,  he'll do his best to help you out" Y/N praises her siblings.

She was so proud of Tsireya, and happy that Ao'nung tried to make an effort today. So much improvement in one day,  tomorrow could be only be better! A part of her wished she could have been there to help, but she was glad in a different sense being she seemed to have bonded with Kiri in replacement of that.

Neteyam watches her eyes soften at the mention of her siblings. He could see how much she loved and cared for her family. It was the same feeling he felt towards his. This made his stomach flip in happiness. They seemed to share a lot of similarities.

"How about you? Are you a good teacher?" Neteyam asks unknowingly leaning in towards her. He desperately wanted her to be at the lesson today. But he was kind of thankful she wasn't there, he didn't want her to see the few times he did loose his footing and looked ridiculous.

When Y/N looks up she holds back a gasp at how close he has gotten to her. They were a mere inches away. She could feel his breath against her lips, and he could smell her lovely scent at this close proximity. It filled and dulled his senses. The scent seemed to put him in a trance like state, it was overwhelming.

"I still haven't learned anything about the finger-talk-" Neteyam mummers, getting lost in her eyes. Y/N laughs softly, maintaining the eye contact. "It's called Metkayinan sign language, and that I can definitely teach" she says.

She watches how he licks his lips slowly, his eyes taking in every part of her being. She felt hot all over, like his gaze alone was searing through her.  She even caught how his eyes glanced down to her lips, an action that was surprising but not unwelcome.

"I would like some lessons as well!" A voice pipes up, rather loudly. The sudden intrusion caused the two to jolt away from each other.

Y/n flushes bright purple, she was embarrassed to have forgotten about her audience. Neteyam clears his throat, his eyes catching those of Lo'ak's.

Everyone else had either a smirk or a small smile. Lo'ak was the only one slightly frowning, seeming agitated. "Don't fret, Y/N is the best at sign language. She'll teach everyone" Tsireya assures Lo’ak softly. Y/N nods, avoiding eye contact with Neteyam.

'What was that about?!?' The H/C  girl internally screams to her self as Tsireya begins the exercise.

Everyone turns to look at Tsireya as she focuses, looking at Roxto and Y/N for there aid in the lesson. "Firstly, Breathe in-" she says demonstrating a deep breath in. Roxto also follows suit, using his hands to show the deep breath he is taking in. The group collectively following.

"-breathe out" she instructs looking at everyone to see them breathe out. Y/N notices the boys breathing weavers a bit, she looks at Tsireya making her know who was struggling. Kiri already seems to have it down.

"Imagine flickering a flame" she says softly, "You must slow down your heartbeat" Y/N adds softly as they take another collective deep breath in, breathing out after holding for a few seconds. Noticing that Kiri was doing fine Y/N focuses on the boys, especially to the boy closest to her. Tsireya nods at her, indicating for Y/N to take care of Neteyam as she takes care of Lo'ak who was beside her.

Tsireya leans towards Lo'ak first, he seems startled when her hands touch his body. He feels nervous, his eyes glancing towards her. She smiles reassuringly "breathe in" she instructs, Lo'ak follows taking a deep breath in. Tsireya's hand slides down to his stomach "-breathe from down here, breath out slowly-" she instructs. Lo'ak does so, slightly mesmerized at how she looked up close.

'Both sisters are just so....beautiful. They must have great genes' he marvels staring at her. Hearing silent laughter around him, he looks up, seeing Roxto and Neteyam share a knowing look. He tries to keep his eyes from rolling in annoyance.

He then turns to Y/N. A childish grin adorned her features. She seemed to be suppressing in laughter as well much to his dismay. When their eyes meet she giggles softly making the younger boy's heart soar. She looked adorable, and sounded to sweet.

"Lo'ak-" Tsireya calls, grabbing the boys attention back to her, her hand on his chest. "-you're heartbeat is fast."  she says peering up at him. Feeling flustered by getting caught he mutters a quick "sorry". Tsireya nods in understanding, continuing.

"Try to focus" she states, making Lo'ak nod. He looks forward, ignoring how the laughter had increased due to this. He tries to focus on the water behind them, to calm down. "Breath in. And breath out, let your mind go clear" she says softly noticing his heart beat relax a bit.

Neteyam glances at Roxto as they share silent laughter. As soon as Y/N recovers she turns to Neteyam, gaining the males attention. His ears twitch nervously, his tail swishing from side to side.  "Now that you're done laughing at your brother, let's see if you've understood it?" She says with a chuckle.

Neteyam feels the pressure build noticing everyone looking his way. Even Tsireya and Lo'ak who have finished their lesson to observe him "Why don't you check on Kiri first?" He suggests, his voice hoarse. He was feeling more nervous with her this close to him. How was he supposed to focus?

Y/N shakes her head, her hair moves along with her movements. "Nope, Kiri is doing fine. She is doing great, better then you guys!" She praises, sending Kiri a wink. Kiri smiles back at the girl, then turns her gaze to Neteyam, sticking out her tongue mockingly.

Feeling a spark of competitiveness Neteyam let's out a sigh. "Fine" he grumbles looking forward. From the corner of his eye he can see Y/N lean closer to him. "Ok, take a deep breath in and focus on holding it" she whispers next to him. His ears twitch towards her direction.

Neteyam chooses to close his eyes. Not trusting himself to get distracted. He takes a deep breath in and lets it out. But even he realized his mistake, he realized the moment his breath hitched and wavered. When he felt a smaller, delicate warm hand touch his chest.

Snapping his eyes wide open he glances down to see Y/N's hand on his chest. She looks at him encouragingly, "Take a deep breath with me?" She asks, slightly tilting her head. Neteyam gulps, and nods back a reply.

Placing another hand on his stomach she takes in a deep breath with Neteyam. He looks at her watching how her chest moves along with her breaths, trying to copy it.

"Neteyam, your heartbeat of beating wildly" Y/N whispers worriedly.

Even through Y/N tried being quiet, everyone was able to hear it, as they were equally invested in the current training. Lo'ak scoffs at the scene, looking away. "Are you nervous?" Y/N adds sitting back down, her hands leaving his body.

A part of Neteyam wanted to snatch her hands back, hold them against his chest to feel her warmth. Another irrational part of him wanted to feel how it would be to touch her, her stomach as she took a deep breath in. Her skin looked so smooth and inviting. he cursed himself for having these kind of thoughts.

And the only rational part of his brain wished that he could get this over with, so he couldn't make a fool of himself.

"Neteyam?" Kiri calls, as he hasn't responded for a while. His eyes widening as he looks around, realizing he hasn't answered Y/N's question. "Y-yes. I'm kind of nervous" he says quietly.

The girls look at him sympathetic, waiting for him to continue. "It's just that, it's been a lot. And I'm worried I cannot learn everything I want to at the pace I would like it to be" he lies, well more like half-lies.

Yes this was a main concern for the male Na'vi. Everything they've tried to learn today was a just another reminder how much harder life will be like. How much harder it'll be to adjust to this new way of life, the way of water.

But that wasn't what had distracted him from his thoughts just now. He really didn't want to admit that having Y/N that close, touching him, teaching him. Was doing things to him he couldn't quite explain. Tsireya nods sadly, "I'm sorry, it's a lot to take in. We should take it easy so you'll be able to take in everything. There is no need to rush" she says looking at the Sully's smiling warmly.

They smile back, seeming relieved.

All of a sudden Y/N stands up, gasping loudly. "Y-Y/N???" Tsireya calls concerned. She felt a pang of fear watching her sisters face contort from worry to fear and anxiety. 'Could it be? A vision?' She wonders fearful. Where was Ao'nung when you needed him??!

Seeing the distress on her expression Neteyam is the first to stand, the others following. He gently grabs one of her shoulder, trying to get a better look at her face. "Y/N? Are you alright?!" He asks worriedly, he looks around seeing everyone equally worried.

He catches the look on Kiri's face. She looked horrified. As if this was something she had witnessed? She looked at her in a different way. Remembering to question her about it later,  Neteyam turns back to Y/N.

"T-Tsakarem" she whispers looking around.

"What??" Lo'ak asks confused. "I missed my Tsakarem training!!" She gasps in fear. Kiri let's out a breath she had been holding, Neteyam and Lo'ak feel their tense shoulders relax. Letting go of her shoulder, Neteyam chuckles. "You've missed your Tsahik training? That's what you're worried about?" Lo'ak asks slightly teasing to lighten up the mood.

Y/N looks at Lo'ak, her expression not changing. "You don't understand, mother will be furious!!" She whines slapping her forehead in anguish. Tsireya gulps in fear. "I-it can't be that bad. Are you sure mother was in charge of your training today?" Tsireya asks stepping forward towards her sister.

Y/N looks at her, letting out a sigh. "It wasn't a lesson today...it is; in her words 'a test day'....." Y/N explains sheepishly. Maybe she was freaking out over nothing? It was a simple test really, she had to show what she had learned to mother. That's all...right?

Tsireya accidentally lets out a gasp, making everyone turn to her. She too held a fearful expression. "Y/N-" she calls making her older sister look at her. "I'll pray to Ewya for you" she says apologetically.

"C'mon. It isn't going to be that bad, you're freaking her out!" Lo'ak cuts in seeing Tsireya shake her head. "You've seen mother, met her. Now imagine that, but towards her own kids. Who she has disciplined in ways unimaginable" Tsireya explains making Y/N groan.

"That's it, I'm gone" Y/N exclaims, getting ready to leave, she stops midway to turn towards the Sully's "Tsireya, wrap things up. And I'll see you guys soon-" she says hurriedly, lastly making eye contact with Neteyam. "-I'll let you know when we can start the sign lessons" she says before she scurries away in a panic.

"Hopefully Ronal is in a good mood?" Roxto offers trying to lighten up the tense atmosphere. Tsireya shakes her head, "I highly doubt it. She been in a sour mood since yesterday" she says softly. The Sully's frown, that basically meant she has been sour since their arrival.

Shaking her head, not to worry to much Tsireya turns to the Sully's. "Let's call it a day! It's getting late and soon we should be preparing for dinner. I'll come by tomorrow around the same time!" She informs.

As they all bid farewell, Neteyam looks back to where the girl had run off too. He still didn't get to thank her, and now he is worried that their presence would cause unintentional aggression from Ronal towards Y/N. he couldn't help but frown, he needed to hurry and learn everything fast. If Ronal accepted them, maybe that would make life that much easier.

________________________________ The timeline will be a bit different. It's going to follow the movie but at a slower pace, and with all the side stories it will also make it seem like the movie is being stretched our for the sake of this fan faction. So please bare with me!! Thank you. - Author

Tag List:

@blushsage @avatar4life

[sailor-aviator]

Do you know what? I've been thinking again, and I would love to read about Jake's previous frenzies. What were they like? How did he feel? How does it all happen? I don't mean to force you to do this, though, especially if you are already planning on including them or more about the frenzy in the series, so no pressure, only if you want to.

Ooooooooo there you go thinking again! (I love it)

So, at the risk of revealing too much, I will give a few snippets into what the frenzy is/what it's like.

So the concept of the frenzy is actually based around a lot of aspects of A/B/O fanfic (I know, I know lol Please don't judge). The frenzy happens once every five years. Individuals "present" as mermaids/sirens/sea people when their first frenzy hits. This is usually in their mid to late teens (So anywhere from 14-19), but the most common age of presentation is about 16.

The frenzy is what I would call a combination of rut and heat in A/B/O. If you aren't familiar with the concept, essentially what that means is there are specific times when the need to mate/breed/whatever becomes SUPER intense, and this can drive an individual kind of crazy with need. I know I mentioned in the fic that there's a "mating season" every year during the summer, but a person's frenzy year is when they're most likely to take a mate.

Now, while it's not....unheard of to take a mate during your first frenzy, it's definitely NOT encouraged for obvious reasons. However, most people take a mate before or during their second frenzy. The frenzy becomes more intense with each one a person has without a mate. But, the frenzy also takes on a component of how heats work in A/B/O. It's dangerous to go too long without a mate.

Now, there are two different kinds of bites. One, is obvious - the claiming bite. This is to bond your chosen mate to you for life. It cannot be undone once it's given. The second, is what Jake has given Skipper. It's an intention bite, meaning that Jake has essentially called "dibs" on Skipper in Chapter Two. This bite isn't permanent, and it can be replaced by a claiming bite from anyone. In fact, if Jake doesn't choose Skipper after a couple of months, then it will fade as if it was never there. You don't have to have an intention bite in order to claim. The intention bite is to let other mermaids/sirens/sea people know that the person with the bite is being courted.

The intention bite changes someone smell as well, which helps let other sea people know to back off (back in the day it was often ignored and fights would break out over it).

Now, we've already seen a little bit of the courting already. Can you guess what it was?

Now, I'm going to write a blurb, but there are a couple of reasons why the squad is upset with Jake right now. 1. They don't know that Jake and Skipper are true mates yet. 2. With the expectations surrounding him, Jake is (for all intents and purposes) "engaged" to two different people at the moment. There's also a secret third thing that we'll get into at a later time in the fic itself.

There's also a whole ritual that goes into the claiming bite, but we'll also be getting more into that during the story. But for now, just think of how sirens got their bad reputations. There's always some truth to myth...

Hope that explained some things!!

[nalyra-dreaming]

Hi! Love your blog :)

Do you think Louis being pimp will be brought up? Because I felt like it was forgotten by both the show and fandom. We had iconic confession scene done incredibly by Jacob where he acknowledges his faults against women, then he gets turned and proceeds to be a pimp.

I always felt like this and Louis at the present being billionaire in Dubai and both of these aspects being swept under rug in Louis' narration is extremely important thing that will be addressed in further seasons. Do you think Claudia knows that Louis was pimp? I can't imagine Louis sharing it with her on his own.

With her being aged up and being object of desire of no one but teens and perverts and of course being survivor of SA, her being orphan, Louis exploiting women sexually paints even more stark contrast.

Thank you for answers!

Hey!

Glad you like :)

I don't think that it's been forgotten, tbh (though it is not often brought up in fandom, granted).

But the show will surely come back to this before all is said and done. Dubai, built on slave labor and gold, is definitely not a coincidence as being chosen for the modern part of the show. And what Louis may wish to hide from Claudia (because I agree, he probably wished to keep that part of his past from her) could soon become a moot point when there will be a whole coven of vampires who can just read his mind.(*)

I'm not sure though if that past will be actually used against him next season, but it will still come up, of that I'm very sure. Because Armand's past will call back to this... and Claudia's SA will call back to Lestat's. And Louis still pays "whores" in Dubai... blood whores, to put it plainly. Daniel did call himself his whore as well, which is also no coincidence, and, given some events of the Devil's Minion arc might yet call back there, too. And who knows what "The Farm" actually is... We'll see.

(*) I agree that Claudia's fate shines a very painful light on Louis' previous occupation, but I feel like she probably knew about it. Like... New Orleans might be a big city, but Louis was an institution. For a while. He already told her that she came after his part of Storyville burning, and Claudia, being this clever and inquisitive girl that she was then, most surely went and investigated. We see later how she educates herself, chooses to learn languages, read up on things. There is no reason to suspect she didn't dig into finding out the truth about her parents, her guardians, too.

And I mean, given the later diary entries (that will still come to be) she grew to hate them both.

Given the changes the show made and that you refer to here - that can very well be a big part of it, too. Some of it bleeds through, imho, when she leaves in ep5, she throws it into Louis' face then, but that was before the assault. I bet the bitterness after was quite a different thing then.

Abuse - including sexual abuse - will be a continuous thing throughout the show.

In the books Lestat has been raped into darkness, Armand was sold as a sex slave. Both of these events have been already hinted at in season 1.

Louis being a pimp fits into that very well in a really uncomfortable way. I said it in another post, he still owned people, profited of them, and as @cbrownjc reminded me of, the show even gave him the background of actually being descendant of the plantation owners.

I absolutely believe that the show will hook into this aspect and the inherent abuse aspect for all characters.

Louis' might have been... let's say put aside for now, but I would pay real money that it has not been forgotten, because ultimately vampires maim and rape their prey, right? To death.

I think they will address this, again and again, over all the season. And it will be very uncomfortable and harrowing at times.

[eshtaresht]

holy. fuckin'. DAMN. I was pretty good at predicting the plot so far, but this episode proved that stampede is going in a whole new direction for real. spoilers for ep 9!!! (and manga a bit)

first of all, we still haven't got a full story of the great fall, but I think it's something they'll reveal in this season, probably during confrontation with knives. and still no scar reveal!! I'm angy but it's something that could be relevant to the standoff with knives, hope we'll get it

the piano scene... oh we're eating GOOD, it's just so wholesome but goes to confirm my theory that twins weren't completely fine on the ship. vash feeling useless because he can't do cool plant shit, knives envying vash for being good at human shit.... oh it's great

so glad knives is getting proper characterization and not just "he evil because he evil"! the fear, the hurt, the genuine care for vash, but then frustration with him �� it's right there and I'm eating it up so yummy

the way they recontextualized vash's arm loss is GORGEOUS! I've seen ppl reading this scene differently, but to me it was an act of care from naï. he looks really scared for a reason: we see that the gate consumed all matter, including the hand. vash couldn't control it, so it would only grow bigger and destroy him. NAÏ REALIZED THIS AND SAVED VASH THE ONLY WAY HE COULD

he didn't want to fight him, this was not an act of anger, like in previous versions. all he cared about in that moment was saving his twin..... and what did he get in return? a gun pointed to his face. a gun he gave vash to kill human scum. oh, the DRAMA

ahem, now to the less intense stuff

homeboy has so much trauma, like, damn... how is he gonna fit any more from his impending epic brother fight...... I'm quite curious on how they're gonna characterize him in the next season. concidering that we're taking off earlier than previous versions, he might end up with the same unhinged vibe 98' vash had, as a coping mechanism (if depression didn't work, try dissociation and silliness). but then it would be even more interesting to see meryl's and wolfwood's reactions: they knew him before the accident and saw the big sad

vash has sense in the prosthetic arm, so it must've hurt when he damaged it... probably it hurts less than the real one, and it's clearly painless to take off. but the hand seems to be rather sensitive and fic writers are gonna go crazy for this

age reveal! also brad and luida being in cryosleep makes sense, I was racking my brain on how they're still alive. seems like they're using much more plant power tho... both for cryo and the vegetation, while in manga they tried to keep it as low as possible and send signals to earth

saw someone say that they're probably not doing that here because the earth is destroyed... could be that they decided to go the hard way. but in the manga the earth was still fucked, and it wasn't clear if they communicated with the ppl left on the planet or the fleet that was in some new place. what I'm saying is, there is a possibility that they are looking for help in stampede, we just don't know it yet

meryl was so cute! go off, comedy relief goofy girl, while you can, there is more trauma coming your way :3 yeah, enjoy roberto calling you by your first name... oh it would be such a shame if he gave you his derringer before his untimely death..........

pretty weird that nobody knows why they fell on no man's land, but ppl probably were too ashamed of their past and 150 years later the new generation is oblivious. also so funny that luida has to explain what vegies are..... they have so many plants but haven't see any plants

tbh I wasn't expecting the zazie twist at all, but I'm excited! they are SO gender in stampede, might be the best redesign in the series, love me a genderless bug creature with bold fashion choices. really cool to see that storyline adapted, it was barely touched upon in the last volumes of trimax

btw the multiple bullets story about a plant, worm and human who went around figuring out if their species could coexist and just.... creating this foud family and then building a town there all were equal...... that's my favorite mb story for sure

wolfwood saying "I'm not your friend"... I know what you are. and we got a "you'll have to decide one day"... oh oh the misery, but the context was lacking. it just doesn't hit the same when he isn't daring vash to shoot him in the most homoerotic way possible. on and he looks so goofy trying to ride with his cross

in the last ep's rant I assumed that luida lied about rem saving everybody for some reason?? but no, she actually saved them, I just got a bit confused

so, as I predicted, the gang separated (tho not because of vash) and by the end of the next episode vash'll be in july and meet naï. the poster, man.... that gorgeous futuristic city is getting obliterated for sure

btw vash's gate being opposite to knives and sort of a black hole is nothing new. but there are new layers to this, like vash willingly giving away energy, but destroying things against his will, and knives with the opposite of this. ying yan twins go brrrr

[kerubimcrepin]

Episode 9: The Legendary Unikron

The post where I finally make the naming format of this blog more sane

This is the same place as the one, where in the episode "Heads for no Tails" it will be revealed that Kerubim obtained the legendary, life-draining Heads for no Tails restraint while pissdrunk. Y'know. The one meant for an Ondine created by Djaul to trick the dragon Aguabrial into creating a Dofus.

Yeah, I will not think too much about the fact that it is flipped. To me, they're The Same Place. I guess he's been drinking here for decades. Kind of cute.

And yeah I guess it means the Ondine named Ondine, from the episode Like a Snapper in the Water is literally just named "Siren the Siren". I guess her mermaid parents weren't very creative. I'll mention this when I liveblog that episode too, but I would feel bad, if I didn't mention this here too.

We will talk about my feelings on Kerubim leaving the legendary demon-killing life-draining shackles somewhere Joris, in his shelf-climbing corridor-running wisdom, could reach, later.

We'll get there when we get there.

Glad to know there's a reason Kerubim and Joris live in a bad neighborhood. And that reason is that Kerubim wouldn't be tolerated anywhere else.

Love his scary and off-putting behaviours.

Okay, rant incoming:

Firstly, this is a customary french drink bowl, to stop any wondering from the non-french aware readers. It's normal for French people to drink coffee, milk, and tea from a bowl, soup-style, in the morning and in the evening. So this part is normal.

Now onto more sillywhacky part of this: What the fuck is Joris doing here, exactly?

As we can see, his Bowl of Liquid is steaming even before he starts pouring the chocolate milk into it. Is he adding chocolate milk to hot milk? Is he adding chocolate milk to cocoa or hot chocolate? (I will fight people who don't differentiate between them, they're two different things, you heathens.)

Is he, mayhaps, adding it... to tea?

We will never know, yet the question is haunting.

Interestingly, it seems that one of Simone's jobs around the house is polishing swords. Also, her being here so late means that, quite predictably, she is a live-in maid.

(You can see that like, 50% of this blog is me paying to random details that could only be useful in like, extremely faithful fanfiction, and 50% getting whacky with this show's storytelling.)

I love Simone so, so much. Truly, she is Joris's cooler aunt.

No comment besides this image.

Joking. I do have a comment, actually. Imagine me putting on a tinfoil hat here, btw.

I think it's kinda telling that Joris's main fear, the one that re-occurs a multiple times during the show, and always, without fail, makes him break down in tears, is Kerubim dying.

The facts that are important to keep in mind are: They've been living together alone for Joris's entire life, Joris knows he's adopted, and Kerubim himself is an orphan, which he doesn't really hide.

Which leads to multiple conclusions, which all coexist:

1. Joris is a kid who's very aware of the mortality of parents/guardians, and that, above everything else, that he is lucky to have a home and a semblance of family. That if Kerubim wasn't there, he may not have had that.

Which is uh... a pretty stressful thing for a kid his age to know, I suppose!

Especially considering the fact that Kerubim is an old man riddled with back pains, and for 7 years had such a level of post-lou-divorce post-battle-with-julith depression that he could not figure out how to get them into a clean, non-shitty non-hazardous home.

And now that their home IS clean, still can't make it non-hazardous.

2. Joris and Kerubim are much closer than most parents and children, because they literally have no other relatives, and Kerubim has pushed away most people who would consider him a friend in the past. Only relying on one another isn't the best or healthiest idea, but what choice do they have?

You can't just show up at home, be like "i would be dead, if it wasn't for you giving me water, my jojo <3" and not expect to inflict some eldritch horror levels of psychic damage onto your son.

Especially considering the fact, that he KNOWS, from your own shitty stories, that when you're gone, and it IS a when, because you're an old man who's constantly complaining about his health, he's going to be fending for himself all alone.

It's pretty obvious, then, why Joris would put Kerubim on a very high pedestal and, as will be shown later, prioritize the man's feelings over his own. Kerubim is his best friend, his role model, provider, guardian, AND the only one family member he has.

Besides depending on him, Joris knows papycha is a very, very lonely and sad person, — and who is he, not to try and make the life of the one person, who's most important to him, better?

If Kerubim isn't always happy, both in general and with Joris, then that's the worst thing ever, and if Kerubim isn't amazing, all-capable, and Not Going To Die Within The Next Couple Of Years Due To Being Old As Fuck, then their life is Over.

So Joris has to put in a lot of work.

This analysis isn't even picking apart the nitty-gritty of Kerubim being an orphan and having abandonment issues, or the way those things make him latch onto Joris the same way Joris latches onto him — as if this child is his Only Hope and Savior, Who Won't Leave Him Like All The Others.

And how that might lead to him REALLY liking Joris idealizing and putting him on a pedestal, despite the guilt he might feel knowing that that's kind of a... not-good parenting tactic.

...Man this post isn't even a rewatch liveblog anymore, it's just an analysis post, innit? 💀

[descendinginto-madness]

your first and final chance.

word count: 618

content warnings: injury & death, description of a death scene (mild gore)

summary: welt yang is a smart man. sometimes, it does him more harm than good.

both the story and the author's note contain spoilers for 2.1 hsr update!

author's note: ookay. so. oh my god. ummm 😋 welt x gallagher gone terribly wrong! "ship so good they kill each other" to quote my friend. though! here we just have an implied past relationship. but i'll write something nice for them idk man i just!! can see them together!! idk what i'm doing though!! idk man. i'm sorry if they're ooc once i have more time i might take this fic and make it longer and uh. also here. my assumption is that welt guessed something's wrong abt gallagher (we all know there is) and yaaaaaa idk man.idk!! i love rambling fr

“I'll give you one chance to surrender, Mr. Yang.”

Welt looks at Gallagher when he speaks; the man’s smile is all the same, just like before, but there's a hint of something else in his eyes. Something… Dangerous - though not enough to scare Welt; there are few things that would actually manage to do that. 

Of course, it’s already clear to him this won't be a peaceful conversation, as Gallagher has initially promised— he expected it much earlier, the moment the Hound requested they talk. He's confident in his own abilities, though; even going against something the nature of he doesn't necessarily fully understand. 

If the others were here with him - if he'd allow them to accompany him in the first place - he’d likely feel different. He'd be more cautious. But he's alone right now, and that means that he doesn't have to pay that too much mind - for now, at least.

So, to Gallagher’s words, he only raises his eyebrows slightly. 

“Is this the real reason why you wanted to see me?”

Gallagher laughs quietly. 

“Yes and no. You're a bit too observant, Mr. Yang.” He steps closer, but Welt doesn't move; his grip on his cane only tightens a little bit. “I won't lie, I'm impressed, but I can't just allow you to run around with this knowledge, risking that you’ll expose me, can I?” He raises his hand, and his thumb brushes against Welt's cheek gently. A while ago, perhaps he'd like to lean into this touch. Right now, it's not comforting, but rather feels… filthy. He doesn't let anything of that show, though; he's letting Gallagher talk. “The thought of having to get rid of you is pretty upsetting, though. I thought I'll invite you here, and maybe we'll be able to come to an agreement.”

Welt frowns at these words.

“I won't negotiate with you,” he says. His voice is calm, but cold. “Nor join forces with you.”

“Ah.” The Hound looks at him with a thoughtful smile, before taking a step back, his hand falling back to his side. “I see. I thought you might be willing to, since you came here, and confronted me about what you had discovered before sharing it with your trusted companions– but I guess I was wrong.”

There's warmth coming to Welt's face, a slightest hint of red on his cheeks, barely noticeable but still there - embarrassment, perhaps. It is true; he chose to settle this privately first, for a reason not particularly clear even to him. He knows he has misplaced his trust once again, and yet something stopped him from exposing Gallagher as the murderer first thing.

He doesn't want to dwell on it too much right now. He will have time later. 

“But that means I don't really have a choice,” Gallagher adds. Perhaps he'd scare someone else with such a statement; Welt doesn't feel much, though.

“What makes you think that it'll be easy to get rid of me, Mr. Gallagher?” he asks.

The other man just laughs.

“It might be much easier than you think, Mr. Yang.”

Welt opens his mouth to reply, but then a shadow appears behind him.

Despite his age his reflexes are still well, his body still quite agile, but the Death is faster; he barely has any time to react, to even process what's happening, before something pierces through his body. It's accompanied by a blood-curdling screech and tears through his body, ripping his flesh, crushing the bones in its way. Blood splatters around the room when Gallagher's silhouette fades as his vision becomes blurry and then goes entirely dark.

“...What a shame,” Gallagher says, looking at the pool of blood on the floor, and laughs. 

divider by @/cafekitsune

[lumine-no-hikari]

Dear Sephiroth: (a letter to a fictional character, because why not) #119

…I didn't have the energy to make the thing today.

This morning, I maybe got out of bed later than I should have, given that I'm supposed to go to talk therapy on Tuesdays. I'm supposed to leave the house by 9:30, but I didn't even get out of bed until 9:20. I regret nothing that occurred, but nonetheless, I somehow had to squeeze both a shower and getting dressed and out the door in only 10 minutes. I was successful, but I have zero clues as to how. Perhaps it's best not to look gift horses in mouths…

OH. Right. You don't know that phrase because… well. Your world doesn't have horses. Uhh… So, a long time ago, when people bought horses, they used to look at the horse's teeth as an indicator of its age; longer teeth means an older horse, I guess. And back when horses were more commonplace (it's mostly only fabulously wealthy people who can afford to keep them now), I guess it was seen as rude to try to evaluate the age of a horse that was given as a gift by looking into its mouth. So now the phrase means, "it's best to just accept good things without thinking too much about it." Or it can also be taken to mean, "it's impolite to criticize a gift." This phrase has a few interpretations, actually… I imagine it'd be easier for you to understand it if you spent a while in my world. If you do that, lemme know; you can stay at my house, and no one is gonna ogle you or get weird at you or bother you if you don't wanna be bothered. We'll just make you sandwiches and tea. We are an introverted and neurodivergent house; we know how it goes.

Had a lot to say at therapy today. Suppose I'm having a bit of an existential crisis, regarding myself and my role in my home and how much I mean to the people around me. It's likely all just baseless anxiety and insecurity - growing pains as a result of the various changes in my immediate social circle. Old memories and wounds from the past that I've not yet had a compelling reason to resolve are now coming to the forefront, calling, "yo, what up, homie!" and dancing around my periphery. I suppose it's just as well; this is what happens when we pretend like our various hurts don't exist. If we don't take care of the self-effacing beliefs that we pick up during childhood, they bite us in the ass later. I just gotta remember that the fact that they're in the forefront means that I can actually observe them, and if they're observable, then they're resolvable, with enough time and effort.

Essentially, it's like this: We get knocked down. We yell, "FUCK!" really loudly. We reassemble ourselves if we break from the fall. Then we get back up. We brush ourselves off. And we move forward, stronger than before.

…I have thoughts of you that give me the strength to withstand this process over and over again. No matter how many times I get knocked down, I will get back up, because by your influence, I am unbreakable, no matter how many times I must shatter and be reassembled. It's just like the bowl I repaired some number of letters ago; remember? So don't worry. I've got this. I've done this lots of times before, with much more difficult stuff, and with less support than what I have now. All I have to do is learn to love and appreciate myself in the same way that I can love and appreciate literally anyone else who isn't me. Compared to the various horrors I've lived through, this should be a piece of cake. Easy peasy. Barely even an inconvenience. And in my mind, it sounds like this:

On the way home from therapy, I came across a very beautiful tree. I thought for sure that you'd like it, so I made it a point to stop and take pictures. Here's how they turned out:

I was surprised by how docile the bees were, and by how closely they allowed me to put my cell phone camera. Also, I laid down under the tree and looked up to get some of these. I wish you could have been next to me to see the view of the sky through the petals for yourself. Alas...

J and I were out and about, doing separate activities today. Even he saw pictures he thought you might like, so he took them for you, and then sent them to me so that I could put them here. Here's how they turned out:

While J was out and about, I hung out with my best friend B and her fiancé, N. In preparation for their wedding, we went and tried the available foods. I can't give you the tasty snacks, but I can take pictures...

This is a Caesar salad. It's supposed to be pronounced, "Kai-sarr", but everyone says "Seezer" for reasons I don't understand. Caesar was a leader of a place called Greece in my world, hundreds of years ago. He, like most leaders, was a giant asshole, and now he's a stinky dead guy, so I have no idea why a salad is named after him. It's made of romaine lettuce, croutons, parmesan cheese, and a creamy dressing flavored with anchovies and other spices.

Here are some long slices of eggplant rolled around melted cheese and covered in marinara sauce:

This is steak, caramelized onions, mashed potatoes, and some carrots and broccoli. I just took a picture of my plate, because the main plate was cut into before I could snap a photo:

This was some kind of chicken seasoned with rosemary and lemons, with rice and veggies:

This one was lobster ravioli with mushrooms in some kind of sherry cream sauce. It's certainly not pasta pescatore, but I wonder if you might have liked this:

Finally, this is lamb with roasted tomatoes and garlic, along with veggies and mashed taters.

...This one was probably my favorite. I especially liked the part where I got to try to gnaw the cartilage from the ends of the bones, because my body craves sources of collagen literally all the time (thanks, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome... 🙄). I'm really lucky that B and N don't seem to mind my various weird quirks; they've been friends of mine long enough to have a general understanding of how I roll, and they just let me do my thing. Today, the fact that I will generally "do my thing" in a variety of respects was pointed out as one of the reasons they like me so much, I guess; that was a nice thing to hear...

There were four available spaces for trying the foods, but it was just the three of us; it is immensely painful that the best I can do for you from here is show you these pictures and wish that you could have been in the empty seat, with us…

Sephiroth. Regardless of what your brain tries to tell you about what you're worth, you are VERY loved. You're not a monster. You were modified against your will, used like a tool and viciously abused, and you made mistakes in the throes of that, yes, but SO WHAT? You're here now, and you can do amazing things, and you NEVER have to go back to being with people who will abuse you ever again, because not everyone is like the people you were raised by. Yes, you're different from the standard definition of "normal", but you can belong anyway, because the world is absolutely BRIMMING with people who don't fit the definition of "normal"! Just take a look at me! Or if you don't wanna look at me, then take a look at anyone who lives with a genetic difference, or anyone who lives with a different number of limbs, or anyone with a non-standard life story, or any number of things that make a human being not "normal". Normal is overrated! Diversity is in! Lives that exist outside of the bell curve are still beautiful, meaningful, and worth living!

…And so I show you my life, because I am trying desperately to prove these things to you. I've spent the bulk of my life being viciously abused because the people who brought me into living didn't want me. I was brought into a physical vessel that is genetically defective in a variety of respects. My neurodivergence practically guarantees that I will NEVER fit into ordinary social circles. I struggle every single day with the weight of the memories I carry from having been used, abused, exploited, and generally mistreated. And yet here I stand, thriving and flourishing in a way that works for me, even if it does not fit the typical definition of those words. My version of "normal" is just as beautiful as the typical version. "Different" does not have to mean "less" if YOU become strong enough to decide for yourself that those two words are not the same, no matter who tries to tell you otherwise!

So please look at the beauty of my existence - the beauty of taking joy in small things, the beauty of rising up from one's knees even if it's on shaky legs, the beauty of finally using one's voice again after years of being forced to believe that silence is safer, the beauty of loving yourself and the people around you enough to refuse to let fear get the better of you when you interact with yourself and the world, the beauty of failing down, getting up, and trying again, the beauty of learning, growing, changing, and walking away from destructive ideals that serve no one, no matter for how long you might have been forced in the past to choke them down. Please look at it, and understand that you can have this for yourself - ALL of it - if you decide to take steps towards it! Your whole scenery can change if you want it to, and all you have to do is take a single step in a different direction.

There is still life after trauma. There is still life after mistakes. There is still life for those who are different. The pain doesn't have to be permanent. So come on; my hand is outstretched to you. And if you don't want to take mine, then there are countless other hands outstretched to you that maybe you'd like a little better. You don't have to do it alone.

Anyhoot. I've probably prattled on for long enough. I hope somehow you can see what I've written. I hope that if you do get a chance to see it, you might take some of my words seriously.

I love you. I'll write again tomorrow. Please be kind to yourself and keep yourself safe.

Your friend, Lumine

[buriedalienfma]

This week saw the release of episode 5 of 'My Adventures with Superman', and as usual I wanted to share my thoughts on it. I feel like the writing in this episode was a lot stronger than the previous episodes, and a couple of things that I nitpicked in those episodes have been improved this time around. The show is slowly starting to build on the plot threads that its been setting up, and that made this episode very exciting to watch.

And with the obligatory spoiler warning, here's my thoughts on Episode 5:

- It's nice that this episode places a little bit more focus on Jimmy Olsen and how he feels like a bit of a third wheel in the main trio. It makes it seem like the lack of focus on him in the previous episodes was intentional. Jimmy being a conspiracy nut is a funny take on the character, but I have to point out that some of things that Jimmy talks about as part of his conspiracies - the existence of Atlantis, the psychic Starfish, etc - are all things that are well established in the DC Comics. This gives me even more hope that this show will take inspiration from the Silver Age Jimmy Olsen comics or the 2019 Jimmy Olsen series by Matt Fraction.

- The dynamic between Steve and Jimmy was pretty entertaining and I like that Steve actually had some insights on the friendship dynamic between the main trio.

- The show follows up on the cliffhanger from the previous episode with Lois trying to prove that Clark Kent is Superman. That's such a classic Superman plot point and I love it. There's some funny gags here, like Clark constantly rushing off everytime he hears a crime on the radio, only for the radio to report on Superman taking care of the situation.

- I also like that Clark is invested in trying to trace the connection between the villains from the previous episodes and the stolen tech that they were using. That's yet another plot point that's followed up on from previous episodes, and that helps to make the writing of this episode feel stronger.

- Through a convoluted series of events, Superman and Lois eventually discover that the villains that they've been fighting in the previous episodes have been kidnapped by a third group of people. That group consists of Slade Wilson, Amanda Waller and a third unknown man who seems to have a grudge against Superman for unknown reasons. Some people have speculated that this man could be Sam Lane, Lois Lane's father. And honestly, I hope that's true. You can get so much drama and interesting stories out of Lois's father being one of Superman's antagonists.

- Slade Wilson and his gang get into a skirmish with Superman and they go all out in trying to capture him. The fight scene in this episode feels a lot more visceral and exciting compared to the previous episodes. It just feels more fast paced, there's more than one enemy involved and Superman is constantly kept on his toes while still getting beat up. I also like that Superman is on the losing end for much of the fight until civilians are put in harms way, at which point he stops pulling his punches and turns the tables. I've said it before, but this show totally gets Superman and what he's all about. He's not just a guy who only exists to punch supervillains. He genuinely wants to help and protect others.

- During the fight scene, Slade Wilson states that they're the good guys while the third unknown man stops the fight when civilians are put in danger. It's clear to me that these antagonists are a part of Task Force X, a morally grey Government organization from the comics. This show hints that the organization has some connection to Clark's past and that the third man might have some personal history with Superman ? We'll have to see where that plot point goes.

- And finally, the biggest plot point in this episode - Lois finds out that Clark is Superman. To be honest, I was hoping that the show might hold off on Lois finding out the secret until later on, but this works for me too. The relationship between the two can be developed a lot more once you get that out of the way. But now that the secrets out, there's a lot more tension between Clark and Lois and they have a bit of a falling out. In fact that's the main theme of this episode which had two main plot threads. The "A" plot focused on the rising conflict between Clark and Lois and while the "B" plot that focused on Jimmy didn't appear to be connected to the "A" plot, there's still a thematic connection with Jimmy starting to resent Clark and Lois for not being there for him which leads to all three members of the trio having a falling out with each other. I like that there's some tension in this group. You can't just have the relationships be wholesome forever, and the group could feel even stronger when they eventually sort out the tension that they have with each other. This is especially true when it comes to the romance between Lois and Clark. It's at its best when the characters have some drama to work through. Hell, that's the premise of one of my favorite short Superman stories, "Glasses" by Jeff Loveness and Tom Grummett. I'm very excited for how the future episodes will deal with this conflict.

So that's episode 5. It's a great episode and an improvement over the previous episodes. I can only hope that the show will continue to improve even more and I can't wait for more episodes. 

[minghaoyoudoin]

Stray Kids As Romantic Tropes

genre: fluff warnings: none

a/n: y'all, I CANNOT get stray kids off my mind 😵‍💫 in an effort to get my brain to stop rotting, here's some fluff. is this an original idea? definitely not, but I wanted to give my two cents on this trend!! please like or reblog if you enjoyed, bye loves! - j

bang chan -> second chance

chan has some of the most comforting energy in the world. maybe you had a bad experience with relationships in the past, or your outlook on romance just wasn't great to begin with, but if there is anyone to change your mind, it's him. he would be so caring in a relationship, he constantly does everything in his power to show you exactly how special you are to him. when you met he intimidated you because of his looks and the way he carried himself, but as you got to know him you realized that he is kind to a fault and will always have your back, no matter what. not to mention, of course, he's a total dork.

rest of the members below the cut!

lee know -> brother's best friend

you were really not supposed to have a crush on your brother's best friend of who knows how many years, but how can anyone blame you when he looks like that? he teased you mercilessly growing up, but as you aged you found that your fake-hate relationship turned into something more. it would probably start with lee know sticking up for you when your brother starts his usual jokes at your expense, which would definitely get a few weird glances in his direction. eventually it turns into late-night adventures, laughing until you pee, pranking your other friends, and hoping with everything you have that your brother isn't mad when he finds out.

seo changbin -> enemies to lovers

we'll put it mildly and say that you and changbin did not like each other when you first met. you were constantly annoyed by everything he did and you agitated him to no end, and you became comfortable in your mutual dislike for one another. that is, until changbin kissed you during a game of truth or dare at a party. you both realized at the same time that, hey, maybe hatred isn't actually what you've been feeling this whole time. it's that push you need to start up a careful friendship, but neither of you can deny the genuine romantic affection that begins to grow between you. and when he finally asks you out officially, he is, without a doubt, the sweetest and most devoted boyfriend you've ever had.

hwang hyunjin -> forbidden love

you were never supposed to love hyunjin. yet no matter what you did, the two of you were drawn together like moths to a flame. you would be constantly terrified of other people finding out about your relationship, but somehow he always manages to put your fears at ease with his genuine kindness. hyunjin is the type of boyfriend to pick you flowers on the side of the road simply because they made him think of you; paint you abstract versions of your eyes or hands just to get you out of his head. a relationship like yours is unavoidable, no matter how hard you try, and you can only hope love will be enough once other people find out.

han jisung -> fake relationship

when he approached you on campus and proposed a scheme to make his ex jealous, you'd laughed in his face. then, for reasons beyond logic, you'd said yes. you would feel so awkward at first, considering jisung was holding your hand and bringing you flowers to keep up appearances, but eventually his charm and humor started to get to you. you would both argue over who actually fell in love first, but it didn't truly matter in the end. eventually, the relationship shifted from forced to destined completely on accident. the fake-dating scheme actually worked on his ex, who approached him at a party a few months later, and jisung cackled in their face. why go back to gold when he'd struck diamond?

lee felix -> soulmates

from the first second you spotted felix, you were done for. the two of you danced around one another for weeks after that, each of you unable to stay away for more than a few days at a time. from day one, being with felix felt like waking up from a very long dream. you would be embarrassed trying to describe your feelings for him out loud but they were still unlike any romantic feelings you'd experienced before. he's sweet and devoted, truly the sunshine in your world full of clouds. your favorite part about him, however, is that you're allowed to see the parts of him no one else can. his sorrows and fears that he reveals only to you. you love him endlessly and have never felt the need to act like anything than what you are with him.

kim seungmin -> school crush

kim seungmin is the coolest kid in school, the boy everyone wants and can't have. when you first met he seemed completely disinterested in romantic relationships, a fact which bothered you more than you liked to admit. you saw him once a day in class, never able to really concentrate because he sat directly behind you and was always cracking jokes with his friends. you were convinced he didn't know you existed, but you couldn't have been more wrong. when seungmin asked you on a date out of nowhere, you thought it had to be a joke. nope. he'd been crushing on you just as hard since the moment he laid eyes on you. your relationship with seungmin is sweeter than honey and full of teasing, late-night karaoke dates, and matching outfits. you couldn't ask for a better first love.

yang jeongin -> childhood best friends to lovers

jeongin lived three houses down the street from you growing up. you walked home from school and every day, without fail, he was always in his driveway shooting hoops (badly, though you'd never tell him that). you had playdates every afternoon until dusk and remained friends all the way through high school. he was your platonic date to every school dance and club function. you never admitted to anyone that every time he got into a new relationship, your heart broke a little more. finally, in college, jeongin reaches his limit and asks you when you're finally going to let him take you out, a question that nearly gives you a heart attack. after that moment, everything changed. jeongin is obsessed with you, to put it mildly, and spends all of his time trying to make you see yourself the way he sees you. relationships, you realize, are effortless when your partner is your best friend.

thank you so much for reading!! if you got this far, please leave a like and/or reblog to show your support :)

masterlist here!

© minghaoyoudoin 2022 - all rights reserved. reposts/translations not allowed. I do not assume to know the personal lives of the idol(s) depicted in this fic, this is for entertainment purposes only!

[skania]

Replies to OnK Asks #2

I have enough for another round of replies, so let's go!

If you sent me an anon message these past two days, the answer should be below the cut! If it isn't then I either missed it or Tumblr ate your message, please don't hesitate to message me again if that's the case

Just in case, there are spoilers for Chapter 123 below the cut!

Hang in there anon! Even if Ruby has grown, Sarina's love for Goro is basically frozen in time. I'm sure that if Sarina had had the chance to grow older, her love for Goro would've naturally transitioned into something more age appropriate. As it is though, it was born within the bubble of her hospital room where Goro was one of the only two good things she had in her life, and then Ruby continued to nurture it through the years by desperately hoping she may come across him again.

For years, Goro has been her romanticized, idealized, impossible first love. So when she finds out that Aqua is Goro, she isn't thinking This is inappropriate, he is my brother! She is instinctively reacting the same way Sarina would've reacted to reuniting with Goro. Ruby needs time to process her feelings.

I also think that Sarina's feelings for Goro were the innocent kind of love where a child is like: This person makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside! I want to be with them forever! We should get married!

So eventually, I'm sure Ruby will realize that being Aqua's sister is perfect, because this way they already are forever bonded to each other.

People are saying that? They're really trying to find every possible reason under the sun to hate on her 😂 I think one valid critique would be to say that Akane made that offer while not being sure of her own feelings/thinking Aqua had no feelings for her, but... how is that worth hating her? If I didn't love Akane, I'd have just felt sad for her—hating her would've never crossed my mind lol

I mean, I'm not sure we can generalize. But from what I've seen, people ship just as hard there as we do over here, it's just that they're better at separating fandom from canon. If the ship they like doesn't happen, they usually won't go on a public tirade against the work—they may criticize it a bit in their own corner, but usually they just continue shipping their thing in peace.

All in all though, Aka doesn't seem like the type to do what people want him to do. I believe he will do whatever he feels works best for the story he wants to tell lol

Ohhh that's interesting! In the few months that Ruby spent on Revenge Mode, she did show more ruthlessness than Aqua would be capable of, so maybe you're right and Crow Girl would've ideally wanted Ruby to be the one carrying it out.

Crow Girl is 100% right though, Aqua just isn't cut for revenge. He is too soft-hearted, too kind. He may be fine with everyone hating him, but he won't be fine with anyone but him suffering, so he is doomed to fail lol

Thank you anon!! You have a good day, too!

Manga Plus!

Off the top of my head: flustered Aqua, whenever he makes Akane pout, Akane trying to feed him, Aqua getting caught-off-guard when Akane can tell he wants to talk about breaking up, the whole do-you-have-that-kind-of-feelings-for-me? talk and Akane teasing him when he comes to pick her up with the umbrella are some of their funniest moments for me 😂

Yes!! You have a very good point anon, Aqua's and Akane's reconciliation is being saved for later. It's just like the next Akane volume cover, the fact that we haven't gotten one yet shows that we will be getting some nice Akane chapters in the future.

Thanks anon, I'm glad you see it too! Maybe I'm jumping the gun, but in all honesty after Chapter 123 I now have a hard time picturing Aqua's feelings for Kana as romantic. Kana's are the wild card, since hers have always been portrayed as romantic. We'll have to wait and see but so far, she seems to be following in Maki's (Kaguya-Sama) steps lol

I'm glad that Akane Kurokawa is Akane Kurokawa. She is one and only.

Well said anon, me too!!

I think the difference is that Kana's "radiance" comes from her genuine feelings. When she feels down, she can't shine. When she is happy, she shines brightly like the sun.

That's indeed the reason why she was only able to shine as an idol while Aqua was there. He was the reason she became an idol in the first place, and he's also the one she performed for; the one she wanted looking at her.

So while Ai (mostly) shone through the character she carefully constructed for herself, Kana shines due to her true feelings.

I do think that some readers aren't particularly interested in understanding him. At the same time, I get it because not everyone is reading OnK with the desire to analyse it. Some people just read it/watch it for fun and without paying much attention, which is perfectly fine although perhaps not exactly the best approach to Aka's writing lol

It's fine though, the person Aqua is will be pretty obvious by the end of the manga, so anyone who has missed it so far will surely get it by then!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, anon! I agree with a lot of what you're saying, and to answer your question:

do you really think Goro like Sarina in a romantic ways?

No, I don't! There's no chance of Goro liking Sarina romantically, he saw her like an innocent child and treated her as such. There's no ambiguity there at all, his "I'll think about it when you're 16" was just a round-about way of turning her down while gently reminding her of their age-gap. They both knew that Sarina likely wouldn't make it to 16, so I believe it was also Goro's way of trying to make both, himself and Sarina, imagine a future where Sarina was still alive. It's so sad 😭

And yes, the fact that Akane is so different is a great thing! She's also the only one that doesn't seem to have family issues, so there's even less for Aqua to project onto her. The obvious exception being when Akane temporarily lost the will to live, since Aqua likely could empathize 😭

You're absolutely right anon! For some people, it's like the Aqua/Akane relationship jumped from Chapter 30 to Chapter 98 with absolutely nothing in between—except for Chapter 81 and 87, but even then, only two panels count. The rest doesn't matter 😂

And it's not like there aren't alternative ways to interpret their relationship without ignoring everything that's happened between them and all their development. Hell, they could even say: yeah Akane almost got him, but failing to understand that Aqua just needed her by her side cemented her loss. She lost her chance—or something, and it would be a perfectly valid take! But some people just can't acknowledge that Aqua and Akane have a genuine, meaningful bond because they either a) want Aqua to be an edgelord b) want Aqua to only have eyes for their girl of choice.

Luckily, this willful denial of Aqua and Akane's bond can't change what's written in the manga lol

[midgardian-witch]

You haven't seen The Mummy?!

Jake hasn't seen The Mummy and Reader realizes things about their feelings towards Layla and the Moon Knight System.

AO3 [MASTERLIST]

tags: fluff | references to The Mummy (1999 - 2008) | light angst | panic attacks

ships: Layla/Reader, MK System/Reader, Layla/MK System/Reader

Disclaimer: I do not have DID so my description of it is based on the show and my own research.

"What do you mean 'Jake hasn't seen The Mummy'?" 

You look at the man in front of you in disbelief and frankly even a bit offended. 

"Well, he didn’t front much before Marc and I knew of him, yeah? Usually just to protect us in a fight. So there wasn't really much opportunity for him I guess?" Steven answers sheepishly. Meanwhile, Layla is watching the exchange from the sidelines, holding back laughter at your comically exaggerated outrage. You jump up from your seat next to Steven and scramble to the bag you had left near the entrance when you arrived at Steven's apartment earlier.

"We'll watch The Mummy right now and I don't care if Jake protests. Because given what you guys do? This should be mandatory for new Avatars to watch!" 

By that point Layla has given up on holding back her amusement. Shaking with laughter she is half draped over Steven, her giggling muffled by his shoulder. Steven too is giggling excitedly as both of them watch you return with your laptop in hand. Steven's electronics are well on their way to being called retro (if they aren't already) so your laptop would have to do. You aren't even sure if any of the men paid for a streaming service. 

"I'll get us some snacks then, yeah?" Steven offers with a soft smile on his face. Layla watches him walk into the kitchen, looks back at you for a moment - a whirlwind of motion as you set everything up - and follows her husband/boyfriend. 

You don't notice them leaving your presence, too focused on finding the right streaming service that actually has the movie you'd like to watch (and not the horrible mess that is the 2017 remake). Just thinking about the way both Layla and Steven will complain about and correct the Ancient Egyptian, how Marc will defend the aged special effects with his life (this man has a soft spot for action-adventure movies and it shows) and how Jake will critique the fight scenes between bites of popcorn, makes you grin. 

The three (or five?) of you hadn't been friends for too long and yet it feels like you had known them for ages. A chance meeting in London had pulled you into their orbit. When you stumbled into them something just clicked. You got to experience Layla and Marc together first - their relationship so full of trust and love (though it had been rocky for a bit as they had told you later) was and still is a beautiful thing to behold. 

You'd learned about Marc's DID much later. Meeting Steven and Jake for the first time made you so nervous you thought about bolting before you had even set up a time and place to actually meet. What if Marc liked you but his alters didn't? What if you didn't make a good first impression? Instead of giving into your anxieties, you spoke about your worries to Layla. She held your hand and reassured you that both Steven and Jake would like you. Maybe they wouldn’t like you the same way Marc did but there was no way they could hate you. “I doubt they’d offer to meet you if they didn’t already like you at least a little bit” Layla reasoned. Talking to her had calmed you down. Meeting Steven and Jake respectively still had you nervous but all worries were forgotten after just a few minutes with each man. They had been so kind and happy to meet you in person themselves, it was hard to remember your fears. 

Since then you had become fast friends and spent as much time together as their chaotic lives as Avatars and your own schedule would allow. Between billionaire philanthropists with high-tech armor, aliens and literal Norse gods walking around, finding out your new friends worked for Ancient Egyptian deities was not that hard to come to terms with. Weirder things have happened after all. 

"All done?" 

You look up from your setup to find Layla looking at you, a soft smile on her lips. It's funny the way your heart feels lighter every time she does that. There were still moments in which you wondered how such a gorgeous woman can even be real and also friends with you. You return her smile and nod your head towards the couch, "Take a seat. Once we got the snacks ready we can start". 

"Already on it!" Carrying a big bowl of popcorn in one arm and a few bags of chips in the other, Marc returns from the kitchen. He places the snacks next to your laptop. Sitting down in the middle of the couch, he pats the spaces next to him. Layla cuddles close to her husband as you stand there for a moment just admiring their intimate moment. They were such a beautiful couple. Catching yourself staring, you turn back around to start the movie. 

Just before your finger can hit play, you hear Layla wonder out loud: "You never told us that this was your favorite movie". 

You tilt your head towards her. "It never came up I guess? To be honest, the main reason I like it so much is that I had a huge crush on the main characters when the movie first came out"

Marc's reaction catches your attention from the corner of your eye, his eyebrow raised and his lips curling into a sly grin. He leans forward and you notice how the way he holds himself changes. 

"Is that so, corazón?" 

You clear your throat, feeling like you have a lump stuck in it from Jake's teasing. 

"Well yeah? I mean what's not to find attractive? Evy is a beautiful woman who knows so much about her specific field of study. She has such a passion for Ancient Egypt, the stories and the language. Yes, she is a bit of a klutz, but it's endearing! And the way she is not just a bookworm but can also kick ass and is adventurous and kind?" 

You stand up straighter, not looking at the other two out of embarrassment as you try to defend yourself. 

"And Rick? Not only is he good looking with a body that could absolutely be sculpted by some gods. He is kind and he cares so much more than he lets on in the beginning of the movie. He is funny and yes, he is also a bit of a dork but again, it's charming. He is adventurous and knows the risks of the jobs he is taking and still does the dangerous thing because he wants to know more about the ancient mysteries and he wants to help Evy. The way he openly shows how smitten he is with her! The way they work together, fight together, a librarian and a mercenary turned adventurer that maybe shouldn't work together as a team or a couple but they do! And it's beautiful to watch and how could you not have a crush on th-"

You stop yourself mid sentence as your brain catches up on what just spilled out of your mouth. Head slowly turning, your gaze meets your friends sitting on the couch before you, their expecting, knowing eyes watching your every move. 

Oh. 

Oh. 

How did you not notice? 

"...them. Have a crush on them," you finish under your breath.

You have a crush on them. On both. All. All of them. Oh God. 

"I- I think I need to. Leave. Go. Go to the uhm somewhere. Yes."

Your legs move faster than you can think as you try to extract yourself from the situation. This situation where you in real time figured out out loud that you had a crush on your friends right in front of them. The embarrassment curling in your gut is making it harder and harder to breathe. Your hands start to shake and your face is heating up. How could you not have noticed you were falling in love? 

"Hey, no, wait a second, yeah? You don't need to be embarrassed, love." Steven gently touches your shoulder, not forcing you to stop walking but asking you to, both with his words and his gestures. His voice cuts through your spiraling thoughts as your body freezes for a second. The warmth of his hand on your shoulder grounds you until you can finally breathe again. 

"No, but this is embarrassing, Steven. I don't even know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. You've pretty much said everything already." Layla’s face fills your vision as she steps in front of you. "And to be honest I am relieved you did. We planned on telling you how we feel about you for weeks and just couldn’t find the right time." Her hands find yours, her warm fingers caressing them gently. 

It takes a second for you to catch up on her words. You look up at Layla, her smile radiant and eyes shining with joy. Steven's thumb is drawing lazy circles along your shoulder blades as he continues. 

"We were a bit nervous. Well, me and Marc were. Jake and Layla were pretty confident about the…uh. Whole confessing bit. Seems like you were a bit faster though, eh?" His nervous chuckle makes your cheeks heat up even more. 

"So you. All of you? You like me too?"

You see Layla nod and hear an affirmative grunt from behind you from who you assume is Marc fronting. The blind panic you were feeling slowly recedes and your limbs start to feel heavy from the loss of adrenalin. 

"We'll start things slow, OK? See how we all fit together. We don't have to decide right away," Layla reassures you and pulls you into a gentle hug. 

You let yourself sink into it, your arms finding their way around her waist. Another set of arms wraps around you from behind. Surrounded and enveloped by the people closest to your heart, Layla’s warmth in front and the solid weight of Marc's chest at your back, makes you feel safer and calmer than you ever felt. Staying like this forever sounds like the best idea ever until you remember what brought all of this on. 

"Starting slow sounds good. But there is one thing we have to do right away."

You reluctantly wiggle out of their embrace and make your way back to the couch, pulling your soon-to-be-lovers with you. The three of you settle down together, Layla and Marc flanking you on each side, staying so close as if they never want to let you go again. 

"We still have to make Jake watch The Mummy," you offer with a sly grin. Jake's answering groan is muffled by Layla's laughter and the beginning sounds of the movie starting.