#I’m not mad or sad even because as far as I’m concerned I don’t have a mother just a spawn point

[seabeck]

My spawn point is having a normal one.

[ilikekidsshows]

did you see the spoilers for ml season 6 where there’s a new girl with a prosthetic leg and that leg ends up broken and marinette’s involved somehow? honestly i’m gonna give marinette the benefit of the doubt for now and just assume this is either a huge misunderstanding/accident or extremely misleading spoiler just because this is a serious thing, like I was super disappointed with how her character’s written in season 4 and 5 but I just don’t want to believe the writers would come up with something like this when this would easily be one of the worst things she’s ever done (if she’s actually responsible). I saw the spoiler on TikTok and there’s several explanations I’ve seen in the comments:

the new girl (idr her name) is lila/cerise in disguise and she wants to ruin marinette’s reputation (iirc the writers said she’s nice and not a villain but maybe they just don’t want to spoil the plot for obvious reasons)

marinette didn’t have bad intentions/it was an accident/misunderstanding/spoilers are too misleading/not enough information yet

and my least favorite explanation…the new girl was trying to get with adrien (some fans are saying this to say this is all part of her scheme to get adrien to break up with marinette and date her instead but some are saying this to justify marinette if she was actually at fault for this)

I think my main concern is how the writers are going to address this. What if they try to justify it if marinette really was at fault? Or what if it’s all a misunderstanding but then they put the new girl to the side to focus on how sad this is for marinette? Are they going to be able to address this in a way that doesn’t come across as ableist while also not making their protagonist look like a bad person? What do you think?

---

I just saw the leak, but at first I couldn't find it, so I’d already written a response before that, so here's me describing the possible nightmare scenarios before the writers proved me right about their priorities:

Like, hot take, but it doesn’t matter what the new girl is doing, messing with her mobility aid would still be absolutely unforgivable. Even if it’s Lila in disguise, Marinette has already exhibited so much ableism in trying to prove her disabilities aren’t real that I would just say that the writers shouldn’t be allowed to as much as mention any disability ever again. “A person claiming they’re disabled could be lying to get special considerations, so make sure to check any claims of disability, no matter how awful you come across for doing it,” is not a lesson that has any place in a children’s cartoon, even accidentally. And that’s exactly what any scenario with a girl faking a disability / using their disability to get closer to Adrien would entail as well, the idea that we should be suspicious of disabled people trying to “cheat” their way to things that “belong” to us.

But, like, even if it actually is going to be aiming to be an actual lesson in disabilities where it’s all a misunderstanding/mistake, the thing is that, lately, I’ve been looking back at the “lessons” in this show, even in the earlier seasons, and I just don’t have faith in these writers’ ability to deliver any kind of moral to kids in a consistent way, unless they’re going to have a character directly talk to the screen to explain what the moral is.

Let’s use ‘The Mime’ as an example. The scenario in this episode is that Marinette, through her clumsiness, deletes the most important video Alya had filmed so far, and then spends the rest of the episode trying to recreate the video in order to cover up for her mistake. In the end, it turns out there was no problem because Alya had already saved a copy of the video because she expected something like Marinette deleting it to happen, so she was never even mad or disappointed, but Marinette still sets up Alya to get a one-on-one interview with Ladybug. What did Marinette learn in this episode exactly?

The most good faith interpretation of the episode is that the point is that you own up and make up for your mistakes, hence Marinette setting Alya up to get an interview with Ladybug. But this message is muddled up by the fact that, even before the retool, the writers didn’t want Marinette suffering any real consequences for messing up, or to show her messing up in a way that couldn’t be “fixed”, so the video was actually safe and no irreparable damage was done. Alya had foreseen that Marinette would mess up and planned accordingly. This takes the wind out of the sails of the lesson because of course Marinette would do something nice for Alya, who’s such a considerate friend who never gets mad at her and plans around Marinette’s flaws. It’s a pretty different thing to go out of your way to apologise or make things up to someone who is actually mad at you for a good reason, and it requires a lot more courage. The situation in ‘The Mime’ is the easiest version of this situation imaginable for Marinette, but completely unrealistic for anyone facing this kind of situation in real life.

So, with this kind of previous showing back when I still had faith in this show, how would I expect them to deal with Marinette accidentally messing with someone’s mobility aid post-retool? I’d expect a lot of focus on how upsette Marinette is, because that’s the show’s number one priority outside of the love quest, with the show going out of it’s way to make it very clear that Marinette didn’t mean to, she feels really bad about it and she’s scared of how the new girl will react. At the end of the episode she would gather her courage and face the music, and it turns out the new girl was actually getting a new mobility aid that very same day and she wouldn’t have needed the old one any longer anyway. And then Marinette will maybe make some gesture of friendship that the new girl gladly accepts, no hard feelings. Any normal person would still be pissed about their expensive mobility aid being messed with, but the writers of this show never have characters react normally when the normal thing to do is not instantly forgive Marinette. So this scenario would be making things easy for Marinette, but completely unrealistic for the viewing audience.

Simply put, I really, really really hope the sneak preview is purposefully misleading, as they tend to be, and the crew doesn’t try to tackle the topic of physical disabilities with their tendency to favor the perspective of their coddled, able-bodied protagonist.

—

After seeing the leak:

So, like, fucking hell, way to further sully the idea that Marinette ever took her job as Ladybug seriously. Just to make herself look like the victim when she’s caught stalking someone (something she insisted last season she’d stopped doing), she goes so far as faking being Akumatized, transforming into Ladybug and jumping right in the middle of the field, of this girl's path, to scream about an Akuma attack. Like, the reveal that Sublime knew there was actually no Akuma and that Tomoe apparently made the leg less sturdy on purpose doesn’t make it better when Marinette got Sublime slippery and then startled her enough to make her slip. People break perfectly fine legs from slipping, it's why anti-skid devices sell so well in winter. All of this being an accident doesn’t make it okay, and Marinette sure as hell didn’t have anything close to those “good intentions” her stans love to attribute to her.

But, of course, her victim is going to be a perfect flawless angel who wasn't even upset about the stalking, instead defending Marinette to Ladybug, just in case saying: “this girl I know pretended to be Akumatized because she was caught stalking me” might make Marinette look bad to the audience. She also instantly reassures Ladybug, the one who actually caused her to slip, who hasn't done anything more than stare at her slack-jawed, because god forbid anyone ever say anything about Marinette that isn't validation or praise while she's too busy freaking out about herself.

Like, Marinette causes Sublime to break her leg, and we instantly see the victim in this situation go: “I’m okay, I’m not hurt”, while Marinette just stands there having her personal little panic attack. Like, a girl lost her leg, and the writers still try to sell Marinette as the injured party by having the victim insist she's okay while Marinette is having another one of her manipulative, please-feel-sorry-for-me-audience emotional breakdowns. The writers seriously made Marinette’s victim prioritize reassuring her over anything else.

I knew the writers were going to have Marinette be instantly forgiven, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so instant that she didn’t even get to finish processing her fuck-up. Or to go so out of their way to make Marinette seem less at fault because, like, Tomoe messing with the leg on purpose isn't a villain scheme, it was just to make Marinette look better in comparison.

The writers have this ability where, when I write down what I think would be a very likely way for one of their stories to go very badly, they do just that while still managing to make it worse.

[twopoppies]

https://www.tumblr.com/twopoppies/764506338035400704/httpsxcomallthistimexostatus1846266632651657?source=share

i've been having mixed feelings ever since that interview honestly, because it makes me think "if they don't need us anymore, why still be here?" like ever since 2015 i'm here supporting them bc i believe in their relationship and it makes me both sad and mad they can't be out and all, but these kind of things make me wonder if me being here it's even worth

Well, I think, probably since around the time of Covid, their needs and goals seem to have changed as far as our side of the fandom is concerned.

If you’re only here hoping for a coming out or to be loud about their relationship, I have to say, I really don’t think it’s helping them. At this point I do think they know they have support, and of course they want our support…but not in the same way.

That is, I don’t think assigning meaning to every single thing they do is helpful to them. Commenting blue and green hearts on the posts of all their friends and associates isn’t helpful. I’m not a huge fan of Larry signs at concerts, although I know they’ve interacted with them on occasion.

Obviously, everyone can do as they please. Personally, I’m here for them and their music as individual artists. And I believe they’re in a relationship with each other, but I don’t think making masterposts of signals and hints they’ve given alluding to that relationship is where my energy is wanted these days. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[writingpromptsworld]

Prompt #61

If the hero was angry previously, they were furious now. They had gotten to the place where the villain had planned to fight them, on a rooftop of some burned looking building. It wasn’t what the villain went for usually, because in their opinion, it was more “fun” to damage the skyscrapers. But that’s not the reason the hero is mad. They are mad because the villain still hasn’t arrived. It has been two hours, almost three in less than 15 minutes. Honestly, where were they?!

They gazed at the empty sky that was darkening by the passing seconds. They were about to get off the floor, and leave, when they heard footsteps behind them. They stopped, their expression hardening as they frowned determinedly. They were going to make sure the villain knew that they didn’t have all day for them. They turned around, and their frowned fell just as quickly as it appeared as they saw the villain.

The villain was in no condition to fight, in fact, they looked like they might pass out the next minute. The hero’s eyes faltered and they quickly went to the villain’s side. The villain grimaced, their right hand clutching their left arm. They were breathing heavily, and the hero swore they could hear their heartbeat. Their eyebrows knitted in concern and confusion. “What happened?” They asked, willing the villain to sit down slowly. The villain winced at the uncomfortable movement, and sat down.

The villain could barely make out the words, as they whispered it: "Your fellow hero friends took the liberty of hunting me down, and beating me to death." They mumbled, the left side of their lip a little bruised, and pinkish red.

The hero's eyebrows pinched together in concentration. “Why didn’t you fight back?-” The hero started, tracing circles on the villain’s back in a gentle motion. The villain glared in response, their eyes like burning out fire, barely there, but the hero could see it. They flinched.

“Because I thought you’d come. I tried to fight back, I tried. But, then I couldn’t. And I waited and waited for you but you never came to save me.”

“I didn’t know.” The hero replied, now frowning in somewhat of a fury of their own. How could the villain blame them? They had done nothing wrong, they didn’t even know the villain was being tortured by those heroes.

“That’s not the point! You knew where my hideout was, you could have! Besides, how did the other heroes find me? Only you knew of my location…oh my god, please don’t tell me you gave them my location.” The villain’s furious face was now turning into one of a sad and terrified. The realization that the hero could have betrayed them makes them want to die right then and there. Of course, it was an assumption, but that made it all the worse. The fact that they could even think as far as that.

The hero’s eyes widened in disbelief that the villain could ever think of such a thing of them. They would never do that. “I would never. Why would I do that? I didn’t do it. I promise.” They said, softly.

The villain swallowed, and looked down. This was all getting to their head right now. The injuries, the wounds, the pain. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking…of course you wouldn’t.” They said, meeting the villain’s eyes again, but this time with more calmness and understanding.

The hero nodded slowly, even though the villain could trace hints of sadness in their eyes at the assumption the villain made. The villain gently cradled the hero’s cheek. “I’m so sorry.” They whispered again. The hero nodded, smiling slightly.

“Let’s get your injuries treated.” They said, and lifted the villain up in their arms.

[my-castles-crumbling]

Hi! I don’t know what to think of my parents anymore, they berate me, insult my body, blame me for things out of my control, my dad LEGIT shook with anger because my room was a little messy, and they finish my mental health and act like them yelling at me whenever I’m sad healed my ADHD, Autism, anxiety, and depression.

But then they turn around and act all kind and sweet and funny and try to hang out with me and I’ll feel guilty for being mad at them. (Also I’m pretty sure my dad’s cheating on my mom and I have no way to prove it but I see his deleted text messages sometimes and he’s flirting with the same woman)

What do I do? I can’t move out since I just started highschool, and I don’t know how to handle my parents hot and cold personalities and I don’t know how to deal with the cheating and I don’t know how to deal with my parents

I love them, and they “love” me, but they don’t like/love who “I’ve become” (a person who gets messy sometimes and doesn’t talk as much anymore)

I am… *so* done, and I just needed to tell someone. Thank you

Hi!

I definitely understand why you feel that way. If they're the type of parents who might be willing to talk about it, I'd try that. But if not, it might just be that you need to remind yourself that their moods are not your responsibility. You're doing the best you can and it sounds like they have some things to work on. Parents are human and have faults, and it looks like sadly, their faults are negatively affecting you. If you don't feel like you can go to them about it, you can remind yourself that you're doing the best you can, and their anger doesn't make you a bad kid.

As far as the cheating, that is NOT your concern. I'm not saying that because you're a kid, I'm saying that because trust me, you don't want to get involved. It'll just end up in you getting even more hurt. If your dad is making shit decisions, let him make them and deal with the consequences.

Naming you midnights anon!

[imeanwhynotbruv]

Hi! I saw your Soldier Boy AU and I really liked the concept! You mentioned that Spider wouldn't know how to not act like a solider. I'm curious as to how do you imagine this would crop up? It's such a sad thing for a child to go through, and I wonder how the revelation that this kid doesn't know how to be a kid would strike the other kids and adults. I also wonder if Spider even recognizes his upbringing as something abnormal, as kids who grow up in abusive situations typically don't know something is wrong until they find a point of comparison or someone to explain to them.

I look forward to seeing what you do with this AU concept! It's so interesting! :)

Soldier boy Spider Au

AAAAA! I’m so happy you liked it! Im also looking forward to how this au will change but here’s what I think the answers would be so far

I don’t think the other adults would really realise it at first when Spider is still technically their captive. Like they know he’s a bit of a weird kid but they assume it’s just him being worried after practically being kidnapped.

I love Jake, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think he’d notice it right away even when Spiders is interacting with his kids, he’s probably just assume Spider was a well behaved kid (which he’s not really, he’s just scared to get into trouble because they’ve all been really nice to him for the most part) he’s also really busy with his duties as Olo'eyktan and doesn’t have as much time as he’d like even with his own kids, let alone Spider.

I think it would take Neytiri to notice and point it out to him, like she wouldn’t want to notice because she doesn’t want to like this kid, but she just can’t help it. She sees the way Spider won’t hesitate to do what he’s been told even if he clearly didn’t want to, even if he’s doing something else. She watches the way he gets nervous when he hasn’t been given exact, to the point, instructions or how worried he gets when he can’t figure out something that would be simple.

Neteyam would definitely notice, his big brother instincts just on overdrive all the time with his siblings, and because Spider now spends so much time with them that extends to him as well. He sees the way Spider can go from smiling and laughing to cold and professional when an adult (especially his parents) try talking to him.

Kiri would notice and just decide that yeah, she’s going to drown him in her friendship and there’s nothing anyone can do about that.

Lo’ak wouldn’t notice at first, or at least he doesn’t know why Spider acts the way he does. I can definitely see him not liking Spider at first (something he later feels guilty for) especially when after they let Spider outside, Jake is like “why can’t you listen to me like Spider?” “Why can’t you just behave like Spider” Jake doesn’t mean to but he causes a bit of a strain between the two of them in the beginning mainly because Lo’ak thinks Spider is trying to make him look worse, and Spider doesn’t know what he’s doing to make Lo’ak mad and that makes him mad to.

Tuk definitely gets attached to Spider quickly, he’s always willing to indulge her and play with her. However she quickly realised Spider doesn’t really know how to play anything, even hide and seek to her horror, so she takes it upon herself to teach Spider all the games she loves. So she doesn’t know why Spider is the way he is, but she definitely wants to make him happy and by making him play with her, she’s accidentally giving him everything he’d missed out on and he doesn’t understand why he’s enjoying it so much.

Ronal notices almost instantly that Spider is weird, but at first she just try’s to pass it off as a human thing. The more she watches Spider sound the village the more concerned she gets. Spider is too willing to do tasks and not willing enough to ask for help. Maybe he hides and injury (because he’s not aloud to be a problem)or something and she decides enough is enough and talks to Tonowari.

Tonowari also notices quickly, he’s too much of a protective dad not to notice, like Ronal he thinks it’s a human thing but when his wife comes to him to compare notes they realise it’s quite a problem so he decides to talk to Jake.

Jake and Tonowari then have to give a very confused Spider a ‘your not a soldier’ talk, at first he doesn’t understand but they don’t let him leave until he does.

Spider definitely didn’t know his upbringing wasn’t normal, he didn’t have other kids for reference with until the Sullys and a lot of the adults wouldn’t talk to him. Spider is definitely worried the first time he sees Lo’ak talk back, when Tuk throws a tantrum, he doesn’t understand that what happened to him wasn’t just the norm.

He doesn’t understand the strange looks he gets when he asks them weird questions he thought were normal. He’d definitely shocked when he’s woken from a nightmare by Neytiri and comforted, when Jake doesn’t get mad at him because he can’t master the bow immediately, when Ronal explains to him that yes, even a scratch (it’s really not a scratch) deserves to be looked at, when Tonowari doesn’t get mad at him for being tried from work and instead encourages him to take breaks.

He’s shocked at the reactions of other kids when they look at him horrified when he’d talk about his childhood. How their stories are so much different to his own.

He definitely has a good cry when Tonowari and Jake really explain that no, that was not normal and was not his fault.

•••

Anyway those are some of my ideas!

Thank you for asking!

Let me know if you have any suggestions/request/questions I’d love to answer them!

I hope you enjoyed❤️

[alarrytale]

Sometimes, I feel like I’m ready to unstan H. Of course I never do, but damn, what is he giving back to his fans at this point? Nothing, as far as I’m concerned. He doesn’t give any happy little videos to say ‘hi’, he doesn’t comment on anything whether it be an art piece, new music or a fashion item - things he supposedly loves. When he’s out exploring the city streets he seems angry and especially upset if fans approach him. He’s mostly telling them not to take pictures, or he’s scowling in them. If we see him, according to him, he’s working, so why be so mad at the fans being so excited to see him? When else do they have a chance?

I just don’t get it. In the last couple of years he’s really isolated himself and we only see him when he wants to sell something. Nothing is organic and meaningful anymore and it’s really sad. Everyone will say he’s ‘happy’ on stage. I thought that too. But the last year or so of LOT he was definitely phoning it in - the same exact concert every night. That didn’t used to be the case, he was always so spontaneous and fun.

Who knows what his goal is - does he just want to be done being a famous singer and he can’t because of the contracts? I’ve been a die hard fan for so long and it’s getting harder these days because of how he’s been presenting himself and treating his loyal fan base. I’m so sad writing this, but it’s the truth.

Hi, anon 💛

I'm so sorry you're sad. Harry's image is so controlled, nothing is organic and everything is planned. It's how it is when you're such a huge artist with so much potential as H has. There is so much money at stake. I think H is trying to push for what he wants while having to do things he wants to do. Ultimately, even though how much you love your job, it's work. Hard work. Some days work feels like work. I think H loves his job, but some days he's just going through the motions like the rest of us.

I think H's perfect image is starting to show some cracks. He's become more detached from fandom, less relatable and he's been showing us some not good sides. People are starting to question him and not just blindly idolise him. It will be interesting to see how he's chosing to present himself when he's ready to launch his new album, and how the fandom (and the gp responds).

[fairytalewonders]

Cat Guessing Game

This is just something I wanted to do for fun - cat’s have been assigned different stereotypes about their coats of fur and what personality traits they have as such, so I want to see if people can guess the color of my cat’s fur based off of the descriptions I give of their personality or unique quirks. And there’s one secret lizard thrown in for the fun of it.

I’ll reply and if they get any right, but I won’t say how many. In a week’s time I’ll reboot with all of the correct answers. Let’s see how many correct guesses people get.

First up:

Apple Pie (Male)

Called Apple for short

A huge talker

Stubborn

Passive Aggressive

One of the smartest animals I’ve ever seen (We had to change all of the door handle to door knobs because he learned how to open the doors. He still knows how to open the door knobs but can’t because he doesn’t have thumbs.)

When he wants to sit on you, he will sit on you, you have no choice

Half-a-tail (The vet thinks the mother licked it off when cleaning him. No obvious signs of wounds. But I remember him having a full tail when he was born?)

Quote from mom - “I saw him leading a crusade into your room.”

Binx (Male)

A sweet himbo

Very vain (I can’t express to you how vain he is)

Likes to go for car rides

likes to eat bread, doesn’t want the meat with any sandwiches though. Just the bread.

Equal opportunist.

Gets sad if you don’t at least say hi when you walk past him.

Quote from mom - “He’s…. Special.”

Cheshire (Male)

Super sweet

The chilliest animal ever (will just let you pick him up and tote him around everywhere, but my mom says I get special privileges.)

A secret sadist (has tormented the Binx.)

Has the biggest eyes I have ever seen. (My brother says he looks like a crack addict.)

Causes mischief as a fun past time when bored

Chirps?

Quote from mom - “he can’t be the one tormenting Binx, look at his face.”

Mushu (Male - probably)

I have never gotten more attitude from an animal in my entire life. Which is saying something.

Lots of side-eye

Very chill

Doesn’t like loud noises

Lazy

Quote from mom - “I have more pictures of him than I do of my own kids.” (We haven’t even had him for a full year.)

Batsy (Female)

Runt of the litter, super tiny

Will launch herself at you without a second thought

Doesn’t like big cats

Super affectionate

Quote from mom - “She’s like a flying squirrel.”

Peaches (Male)

Super sweet

Quiet

Chill

Super affectionate

(Don’t know much about him yet, I kidnapped him from outside. He’s still recovering, super skinny, can count his ribs. But we’re working on it!)

Quote from mom - “No, I haven’t seen the stray cat recently.”

Now for this next section, this section is sadly for my babies that have already passed on, but I can’t do this and in good conscious leave them out

Crookshanks (Female)

Had asthma (Did not stop her from stealing other cats kittens [as far as she was concerned they were also her children, no matter what they looked like] and occasionally picking fights and somehow winning?)

Super sweet

Also the chilliest animal ever (It may be a competition between her and Cheshire)

Passive aggressive - (Whenever she was mad at me she would put her butt in my face because she knew I didn’t like it.)

Quote from mom - “Sarah, come get your cat! She’s still the other cats kittens again!”

Tiger (Male)

Blind

Super long for a cat

Skittish

Demanding when it comes to food (he stole my fries)

Vocal when it comes to asking for attention

Would always seek me out and follow me around even though he couldn’t really see me

Gypsy (Female) (My mom named her after our Romanian heritage. I wanted something Halloween based, but after she started called her that, she responded to it.)

Also a runt

Super quiet - loved her personal space

Follower me around everywhere

Didn’t like being held

(Didn’t live very long due to health issues)

Quote from mom - “Well, she lets you hold her longer than anyone else, even if it is just for three seconds.”

Anyways, this is just for fun. I’m curious to see as to what people will answer. By the way, here’s a hint, none of these cats are purebreds.

[zooophagous]

Strauss sat slightly curled in the passenger’s seat of the dirty pick up. He was very pointedly staring out the window, away from the driver, watching the reflective markers by the road fly past in a yellow blur like shooting stars. Sylvain was grinning, seemingly at nothing. She wasn’t apparently concerned with Strauss’ refusal to look at her. She was too busy. Too busy haphazardly steering with one hand while fucking with the radio with the other.

“Ugh, country music. I can’t stand this twangy shit. How about you? You got a preference?” She craned her head to look at his tee-shirt, which bore the band emblem of The Rolling Stones. 

“Classic rock fan? We can do that. You at least have good taste, Lu.”

“Where are we going?” He asked without turning his head. 

“Like I said, we’re gonna have a little fun. Seems like something you’re out of practice on.”

“I am concerned that your idea of fun will not mesh with mine.” 

“Oh come off it. I do have other interests beyond tormenting mortals you know.” She rolled her eyes. “You aren’t still MAD at me, are you?”

“You tried to kill a friend of mine and in saving him I managed to shatter my femur and be confined to bed rest.” Strauss replied flatly. “I loathe bed rest.”

“Come on. That was weeks ago!” Sylvain protested in a mock whiny voice. “You were barely on bed rest for two weeks, if that, I’m sure. I know you didn’t take long to heal. A drop in the bucket, for someone as long lived as you. Practically a minor inconvenience.”

“It is less minor for Mr. Samuel, who nearly lost his life.”

“Look, I had no idea he was as gung ho about dying as he was, ok?” She huffed. “Fine. You win. I’m sorry I almost killed Mr. Samuel by using my advanced powers of psychic suggestion to convince him to commit suicide. That’s as much of an apology as you’re going to get. Now will you try and look at me when I’m talking?”

Strauss inhaled deeply, and did as she asked, finally forcing himself to look at her. She felt so much larger than him, even though the opposite was true. She was nearly too short to reach the pedals of the obnoxiously large truck. Her claw rested casually on the steering wheel, the other tapped along in time to the music on the car door out the open window. 

He harbored a multitude of regrets. This was supposed to be an expedition in information gathering. Doing so would be nigh impossible if he couldn’t look at her, much less talk to her. 

“Forgive me. I am being rude. It is just… very new and strange for me, to be in the presence of another immortal like this. I am used to it being a bit more combative. It is not as if our previous meetings have been enjoyable.”

“Oh, I don’t know. I enjoyed them just fine. But! Apology accepted, Lu. We may as well start fresh and make nice. We have more in common than not, I’m sure.”

“Beyond both of us being dead, you mean?”

“Both of us being captives- excuse me, FORMER captives of the Van Helsings? Both of us being occult researchers?”

“How about both of us being wanted murderers?”

“Speak for yourself, Lu. You’re the one with the record. I’ve been keeping my claws clean.” 

“Is that because you’ve been good, or because you know how to avoid detection?”

“You’re so clever, Lu. Funny guy. I knew there was a reason I liked you.”

“Like me, do you?” He raised an eyebrow. “I heard quite the opposite. I was told you had a hit list of vampires to dispose of, and my name was on it.”

“Told you about that, did they? Color me impressed. They must like you, if they’re that honest with you. No hard feelings about it Lu. I can call you Lu, right? Anyway, believe it or not, I didn’t actually want to ‘dispose’ of you.”

“No?”

“Nope. You were my thesis project for graduation. Harmless little old German man. When they told me your number was up, I was actually sad about it. Sad to see you slip up, you know? That’s why I put you at the bottom of the hit list.” 

“How touching.”

“As far as I could tell, the victim in the killing that got you your murder record had it coming. But then, you did go on to kill again after that, didn’t you?”

“In self defense, yes. A Mr. Elliot Lane. Was he a colleague of yours?”

“At one point, yeah. He was a moron. Always felt like he had to prove himself. Be better than everyone else. He was a trophy hunter. It’s funny, I always knew he’d die at work. I just didn’t think I’d ever be buddy-buddy with the monster that took him down.”

“Both of those statements are false. I am not a monster, and we are not buddies.”

“Aww, don’t hurt my feelings now Lu. After all the effort I’m putting in to give you a night on the town?”

“You still have not told me where we are going.” 

“Well, I know enough about you to know you’re a biologist at heart. I also know enough about the Van Helsing Institute to know your mind is going to complete waste there. I said we’d have fun, and I meant it. Consider this a peace offering, yeah? You’ll like this place.”

“What is it?”

“We’re going to the zoo.”

“The zoo?” Strauss raised his eyebrows and turned to finally face her directly. “The zoological gardens where they keep wild animals?”

“That’s the one.”

“Why?”

“Two reasons. First, because I know you’ve never seen one and it’s pertinent to your interests. Second, because they have a petting zoo with goats, and I don’t want you to get peckish.”

She grinned evilly. Strauss grunted in reply. At least she wasn’t expecting him to join her in hunting humans just yet. “This facility is surely not open after midnight.”

“Doesn’t need to be. We can get in and out easy. Besides, it will be a nice quiet place to talk. That’s what you wanted, right? To talk? You still haven’t told me what about.”

“Yes. I am… building my courage to speak of it.” He swallowed hard. “It is a difficult topic to broach. I worry it may… trigger your temper.”

“Are you scared of me?”

He hesitated before answering. “Yes.”

“Good.”

Strauss returned his gaze to the roads. He rested his head on the window. The cool of the glass was comforting, even though the heavy rumble of the truck was off putting. The road slowly became the city. He had been here often enough to recognize parts of it now. There was the path that led to the bar, and further down, the road to Mr. Samuel’s house.

He winced inwardly at the thought. With any luck, she’d forget about wanting to hurt Sam. If she tried again he may have to break his promise to Artemis not to fight with her. She seemed content to sing along to “Paint it Black” on the radio until it faded into an obnoxious car dealership commercial that played several decibels louder than the music. 

Strauss frowned, and abruptly shut off the radio. 

“Not feelin’ the tunes, Lu?”

“If I have to listen to one more moment of commercials I will lose my composure. Are we close? I wish to get out of the car.”

Or at least, he wished not to be trapped in a small moving object mere feet away from her while she subtly mocked him.

“It’s right up this way. We’ll have to park and walk. If we climb the fence in the back corner here, there won’t be any alarms.”

“You talk as if you’ve done this before.”

“Of course. Many times.”

She parked the truck and hopped out of it eagerly. Strauss meekly trailed after her. This was already taking far too long. He’d allowed her to call the shots and get him to a secondary location. He was just along for the ride at this point. He absentmindedly stuck his claws into his pockets and felt the smart watch still there.

He gripped it momentarily. That watch was a lifeline. So long as Artemis was on the other side of it, he wasn’t completely alone with Sylvain. Not that Artemis could help very quickly. He almost missed Frau Harker. 

“Y’know Lu. Before I got into the vampire killing biz I wanted to be an exotic veterinarian? Graduated with a biology degree and everything.”

“You must like animals. I suppose we have that in common as well.”

“More than I like people.”

“How did you come to join the Institute?”

“Some of my exotic animal research led me to some interesting places. Namely, old records of vampirism in animals. One of my advisors had ties to the institute, so I wasn’t exactly discouraged from learning more from there.”

“And they convinced you that these unique new specimens you’d just discovered needed killing?”

He followed her in the dark down a tree lined path. He could smell hot compost and dung- no doubt the dumping grounds of the large animal waste. Sylvain was the one not looking at him, now. She scanned the fence line for an entry point.

“It’s something they teach you when you learn about wild animals, Lu. Large predators and humans have conflict. Large predators need careful management.”

She found her spot on the fence and made the climb. She looked not unlike a squirrel, or rodent, scaling the sheer face of tall wooden slats. 

“If people are in conflict with large predators, and someone doesn’t remove the problem predators, then the people feel unsafe, and they retaliate. They retaliate hard. If a problem wolf isn’t shot, a ranger might poison the entire pack. If a problem vampire isn’t dealt with, then every vampire loses their veil of secrecy, and all of them are in danger.”

“So your venture into the murder of our kind was done out of some desire to save us?” He tilted his head. “It was for our own good?”

“I’m not saying it doesn’t sound stupid in hindsight. You want the answer? You got it.” 

She disappeared over the fence. Strauss gripped the top of the fenceline and slowly pulled himself up. Chin ups were arduous, but he cleared the obstacle easily, and lowered slowly to the tall grass of the other side. 

“Is that it?”

“Is what it?” She led the way down the gravel path of the staff areas. 

“I suppose I was expecting a renowned slayer to have some deeply personal reasons for collecting such a body count. I thought perhaps some vampire had wronged you, planted a desire for revenge, I did not expect your interests in us to be so academic.”

“Not every bad person has the luxury of a good reason for being that way.” 

Strauss followed her slowly. His head was on a swivel, taking in the grounds. He could feel many eyes tracking him, and many excited heartbeats in his ears, but none of them human. No doubt the animal denizens of the facility were not used to seeing visitors at this hour. He worried one might sound the alarm, somehow, like a guard dog. No such alarm came.

“I suppose our paths aren’t terribly different. I too took an interest in vampires from the perspective of the biologist. I was more interested in medicine than zoology, however.”

“Interesting, ain’t it? I ended up joining the hunters, and you ended up joining the wolves. Interesting choice on your part too, Lu.”

“I did not go by choice.” He replied flatly. “I thought perhaps, given your research into my life, you might know that.”

“You had more of a choice than I did.” 

“You and I both walked willingly into the tiger’s den.”

“Wrong. I walked in to kill a tiger. You walked in because one promised you something and you believed it. Maybe you should think twice about questioning my background when you’re the one taking candy from strangers.”

Strauss shut up abruptly. Her anger was still dangerous, despite the attempts at familiarity. 

“Forgive me. I did not intend to upset you.”

“Relax, Lu. You didn’t make me mad. When I’m mad, you’ll know.” She turned to face him with aggressive eye contact. He felt himself falter even further behind her. “Besides, all that’s water under the bridge now. We ended up on the same team.”

“Same team, are we?”

“Sure. Vampires should stick together. We’re a rare breed. We won’t get a lot of people who understand us. Doesn’t make sense to fight.”

“Why then, in our previous meetings, were you so keen to intimidate me?”

“Large predators have a hierarchy, Lu.” She lingered slowly by the fence line as a pack of captive wolves approached the chain link with hungry curiosity. 

“I had to be the one calling the shots. I needed you to know in no uncertain terms who was in charge. I didn’t want it to even be a question. So, a little vulgar display of power here and there. I figured your curiosity would bring you out even if I was kind of a bitch.” She grinned.

“Why is it important for me to be brought out?”

“I already said I didn’t want to kill you.” She leaned over the guardrail to look at the gathering wolves more closely. “I still don’t. I didn’t really think that you deserved it. I also know that most vampire research subjects at the Van Helsing Institute are kept there in jars, not in dorms.” 

She crossed her arms with a sigh. “You’re doomed there, you know. They want to pretend to be your friend but you’re just an exotic pet, and soon enough you’d be another skull in a cabinet. I wanted better for you. I wanted to… I don’t know. Release you back into the wild.”

“The fact that I can tell you that I am happy and well cared for notwithstanding?”

“A psychological cage is still a cage.” 

The wolves dispersed along the fence line. The novelty of the visitors had worn off. Sylvain followed the pack with her eyes till they were hidden from sight. 

"It's a bit late to try and just put you back, unfortunately. Whatever worked for you before back home is gone now. If you're going to survive now you're going to have to adapt. And I know you're bad at adapting."

She started down the path again. Strauss wandered after her. "What makes you think I'm bad at adapting?"

"If you were any good at it you'd have done it on your own. You lived in a hole underground slowly starving to death. Don't take this the wrong way Lu. Most large predators aren't very good at adapting. Especially adapting to a bigger predator. They don't know how to cope with it. I get the feeling that it was all downhill for you once bloodletting started becoming less common for illnesses. Am I right?"

"I admit, yes. The advancement of modern medicine was beneficial to humanity, but the loss of that treatment did leave me very hungry."

"Damn shame isn't it. But you know, Lu. Even if donations run dry, you can still keep a clear conscience if you just stick to those who have it coming." She flashed her awful shark toothed grin at him, almost more like an animal baring its teeth than a person making a smile.

"Is that what you do, Frau Pietra?"

"Accusatory tone much? Besides, I know you've done it." She hand-waved him away as she strode down a path labeled "Asia." 

"Yes, I have. But if you remember, that one was practically forced on me. It wasn't my original idea."

"Sure, the dead child molester wasn't your idea." She shrugged. "But I know he wasn't the first time you cleaned up the streets a little in the name of a hot meal. Maybe it didn't make it to your file, but I have a hunch, Lu. You can tell me. I won't blab to Ursula over it."

"If you must know, I have lived through two world wars, and I admit that yes… perhaps I did take advantage of the fact that so many people simply disappear into the fog of war. A dead Nazi here or there was not terribly missed. Is this sort of thing what you do often? Do you hunt, Frau Pietra?"

"Shhh. Hey. Look." Sylvain stopped and pointed at a fence. There was a panel built into it made of glass, for the viewing pleasure of the public. Strauss approached the glass slowly.

On the other side of the fence stood an apex predator. It was long, longer in body than Strauss was tall, and it weighed more than three of him. Its fangs likewise envied his own. Strauss ran his fingers along the raised letters of the bronze plaque that gave the beast its name.

PANTHERA TIGRIS ALTAICA

The Amur tiger. Small yellowish dots of reflected light glinted in its eyes. It stood not but five feet beyond the glass, regarding its audience with cool indifference. Strauss made eye contact with the animal, and felt that for a moment he could actually hold that eye contact comfortably.

The tiger blinked slowly, and began to pad silently past the glass, treating the pair to the full spectacle of its size and striped coat.

"That is a tiger. A real one."

"Yeah. Pretty fella, isn't he? Hard to believe they get that big."

"I've never seen a real tiger before." 

"That one's not a real tiger. Not all the way. It has the fangs and the claws, sure. But it's not a hunter. It won't ever kill a deer or defend a territory. It will only ever eat and sleep and mate as its handlers allow it to."

"The sign says it is an endangered species. Perhaps places like this keep it safe."

"Safe is different from whole."

Sylvain walked off down the path again. Strauss lingered a moment to watch the tiger. It looked like a real enough tiger.

"I am sure it is quite real enough to humble anyone who tries to tangle with it."

"That's true. That's one thing I like about this place, you know? I don't even think a vampire is a sure winner against a tiger. Puts me in perspective. There's always a bigger fish."

"That is a cat, not a fish."

"Shut up." 

"How much longer do you wish to linger here?"

"So impatient. How about this. Let me go feed the ducks in the koi pond and then we'll leave. We can talk more there. Maybe I can give you some pointers."

"Pointers on what?"

"How to be a real tiger, Lu. I feel like that's what you're really curious about anyway. I'd be happy to give you a little lesson."

"Lesson?"

He asked, though the answer was obvious. 

"Of course. Before the sun rises, I'm going to need a snack. You're going to help me get it."

"I'll do no such thing."

"I wasn't asking."

She produced a quarter from her pocket, and fed it to a coin slot machine that spit out a small handful of crumbling brown pellets.

"Here. Feed the ducks."

She forced the feed into his hands. It left an unpleasant residue. He helplessly tossed the feed to the waiting waterfowl and watched it sink and be devoured. 

[vermillion71401]

MY REVIEW ON PSYCHO PASS PROVIDENCE

Disclaimer: I’ve been Psycho Pass fans since (roughly) 9 years ago. I’ve never want to write any reviews on the series until now because I NEED THIS TO GET OUT OFF MY HEAD, and there’s some things I don’t understand. Still, I’m just a fan, this review is based on my opinion only. After I finish this so called essay, I found more question than answer, so if you don’t want extra headache, don’t read it. Also if you’re not Kouaka shipper, pass it, you’ll find me annoying.

Apologize beforehand if there’s any typo or any missed info. I hope you understand my write (English isn’t my first language, so I struggled a lot.)

This post consist on four part; review, my opinion on character, relationship, and my irregular thoughts throughout scene.

BEWARE OF THE SPOILERS.

..

STORY, CHARACTER

PPP occur after Kougami’s return to Japan. Shorty after, Peacebreaker make their way to steal Stronskaya Paper for their gain, terrorize everyone that blocked their plan. Akane can’t stay still after witnessing horrible acts of this group and their leader, determine to arrest them along with division 1 and SAD team.

Overall story is pretty straightforward, which I like. They make a new storyline and new interesting character and villain, makes it compelling. A new system like General is a fresh idea, rather than just stick with Sybil System. We actually can relate to villain, learn through his trauma and backstory, eventually we feel sympathy for him. Not to mention some cool stunt and action.

Aside from storyline, what makes this more interesting is we get to see relationship development between Kougami, Akane and Ginoza before S3. The three OG character since s1, and how they see each other now.

Akane, as a main character can finally have some development also in the end of the movie. I wish they explore it more.

MUSIC, VISUAL & ANIMATON

The music director did a good job on this. The music match with the atmosphere of the scene so well, so we, as an audience totally immerse in the story. Some soundtrack even take samples from season 1, create nostalgic feeling into it.

Production I.G did it again for visual animation! Texture detail, smooth animation and background image is top tier. I have no right to complain anything.

OVERALL CONCLUSION (7.5/10)

This is what movie should be. Action, good plot, good character development. I had so much fun than I expected to be and recommend to every anime fan to watch it.

..

MY OPINION ON CHARACTERS:

Kougami

Kougami being Kougami again. Ever since SS3, I think we truly knows what kind of person he is, and he’s never change. That might be the reason why he didn’t regret what he’s done. Some people care for his well being though, like Prof. Saiga and Akane, she’s concern he might be used as violence tool only, that’s why she actually wanted to bring him back to CID.

In this movie, aside from being agent, it’s refreshing to see him being a detective mode even for a little moment, like the scene he had with Shion, because apparently he has brain too :/

2. Akane

Some thing never change, Akane and her unshakeable trust to the system. Like I mention before, I wish they explore more the moment before she took the action.

Throughout the film, she seems more emotional than usual. Her explosive anger remind me of s2 Akane so much.

After the incident, I was speechless of how brave she is to let it all go. Imagine your flawless, peaceful, secure life suddenly take turns and now all people will label you as unhinged. She earn my respect.

3. Ginoza

He’s truly MVP, along with Sugo. He basically carried everyone, especially how he help Sugo and Frederica.

His interaction with Kougami at first is amusing and predictable. He only mad for awhile, before he finally accept him again. At the end, his face shown frustrated for Akane’s decision, leaving everything that she achieve so far. I wonder if he feel failed again to ‘save’ his friend.

4. Frederica

She’s the perfect example of good subordinate, I think. She’s the type who obedient to her boss, not judging or question Yabuki’s decision. The contrast between her and Akane in this aspect made me laugh and make me realize that Akane is such a rebel, (lol). But she wouldn’t rebel if Sybil wasn’t an asshole.

5. Akira

Sad tool to Yabuki and Shindo :’( Seriously, he remind me so much of Kougami. Akira is selfless, willing to sacrifice himself as undercover agent for MoFA. Not to mention he even beat Kougami and Sugo in close fight, state how strong he is. If it’s not because of his kindness to spare Kougami on that scene with Tonami possessing Yabuki, Kougami would be dead by now. I think that’s why Kougami make frustrated face when he die. Seriously, his death is such a shame. He also makes me think that Kougami wouldn’t end up like Tonami, but more like him, because until PP3, the man doesn’t have ambition.

..

RELATIONSHIP OPINION:

Kougami and Akane

Idk if some people see this relationship is sink, or whatever. For me it’s actually the opposite. Akane FINALLY understand Kougami a little more. Even inspired by him. I don’t know exactly what she see in Kougami that inspire her to shot Kasei, is it because despite his CC, he actually have conscience, and ‘certain’ reason to commit crime, thus leads to make people questions (and debate) his justice?

(I’m an idiot to not know this, lol).

Akane care for him. I know the official denied romance between them, but she clearly care for him. She doesn’t want him to work like a bloodthirst hound, and value his life. At the same time I can also see what writers planning to do with him since Desmond Rutaganda address him in PP movie. 

I also notice they cut down their screen time together, even some scene that usually involve in face zooming, now they don’t. They could make their reunion so much more friendly, but they choose not to. (My guess is because they’re main characters, they can’t become lovers, that could potentially mislead the genre.) Honestly, this is so sad. If they can’t make them canon, why bother making such a great dynamic between them. Male and female can’t be friends, if you ask me. It’s too late for sudden change between them.

It’s a shame because I miss them being a partner again. Fight side by side.

Anyway, probably the only person who support her deeds is just Kougami. Regarding the convo these 2 have after he shot Tonami will address later.

2. Ginoza and Akane

Ginoza intention to become shield for her is honestly so pure. His reasoning sounds like personal feelings rather than fulfilling his duty as enforcer. Other than that, I’m more curious about his feelings after the incident. From what I see through his frustrated face and kind of ‘resentment’ face in PP3, my guess he’s somewhat angry to her for sacrifice her life (and angry at himself). I wonder what kind of face he’d make if he knew Kougami inspired her (lol, rip Kougami.)

3. Kougami and Frederica

Not so much thought, beside Kougami actually look angry at her when he lied to the team and professor. Though only angry for a second, he quickly being professional again when Akane mad at Frederica. (and look at Akane face, she’s shock and somewhat feel distance because her ex-enforcer standing up to his new boss.) Poor choice of words, Kougami.

My thoughts and issues will have another post.

[mystery-talks-chaos]

Yippee new story!

(Staring Tails and Amy! Why? Because we needd more for the two!)

Word count: 1835

Tails turned around as he heard Amy sigh from beside him.

 

“Are you alright?” He asked, tilting his head in a way Amy can only describe as adorable. 

 

“Yeah, I’m fine…” Amy said, looking down at the basket she was picking. It was slightly over half-way full, which was more than Tails could say considering his wasn’t even quarter way full.

 

It was on of those, quite moments, Amy enjoyed having around Tails. The two would go out doing an activity, spending time together, without saying anything... Just enjoying the other's company. 

 

True, it was weird sometimes, wanting to say something to fill the silence; however, at moments like these, the silence was something that fit.

 

The two of them were there picking strawberries for Amy to make her infamous strawberry cake. (Which wasn't really infamous considering Tails claimed to have not tasted it once. Something Amy refused to let past!)

 

“We should do things like this more often,” Amy said with a small smile, looking at the young fox beside her.

 

“Yeah! We should!” Tails exclaimed, raising a fist to the air. “I love doing things like this with you! I wish we could always do things like this together! Too bad we are always stuck trying to stop Eggman…” Tails said, mumbling the last part.

 

Unbeknownst to Tails, Amy actually heard it, and was truthfully thinking the same thing.

 

Amy always wondered how her life would have been if she hadn’t met Sonic on Mushroom Island, and if she didn’t follow him…

 

Would she have been living a normal life? A life like all the girls her age?

 

It was a weird thought she concluded. Sometimes, she was sad that she gave up her chance to live a normal peaceful life… One where she didn’t have to worry about fighting, or about what next robot Eggman would bring next. Nor about whether they would be able to succeed in stopping Eggman’s next plan. Nor about whether this would be the last time she would see her friends laughing in front of her…

 

Other times, however, she was glad that she left it! If she hadn’t followed Sonic, she would never have been able to meet all her friends, or meet out with them, like she was now with Tails…

 

Speaking of the kit, she wondered how it was for him… 

 

He was Sonic’s side-kick… Sonic’s right hand… Sonic’s partner in crime…

 

But… he was still a kid. 

 

Even younger than Amy! 

 

Only seven years old… 

 

He hasn’t even reached his double digits…

 

If it was this hard for Amy, how hard was it for him?

 

Seeing all the kids his age play in playgrounds, and whine over having candy, or because they are forced to do a chore…

 

Tails never got that privilege, as far as Amy was concerned…

 

Amy might not know too much about the kid’s past; however, it was clearly obvious that he wasn’t half as privileged as the other kids his age!

 

Like, this seven (SEVEN) year old goes to fight huge robots, which scare even the bravest of people, without a second thought. And he’s been doing it for so long that it seems to have just become a habit to him… Like it was nothing out of the ordinary…

 

Amy wondered how he felt… 

 

Does he regret staying with Sonic? Giving up his chance of a normal life, to fight against a mad man on a weekly basis at least…

 

“Not really…” Tails whispered, looking down at the tiny strawberry in his hand. 

 

Amy’s head snapped to the kit beside her. Had she said that out loud?

 

“Really? Like… you don’t regret it at all?” Amy asked, hesitating a bit when asking.

 

“Like I said, I don’t think I regret it,” Tails said, finally popping the tiny strawberry he was holding into his mouth. “I mean think about it! If I hadn’t stayed with Sonic, then I wouldn’t have met Knuckles, or Shadow, or Cream, or Charmy, or Vector, or any one else! I wouldn’t have met you! How can I regret meeting you?!”

 

Amy chuckled a bit at his response, before opening her mouth. “But don't you regret giving up your chance of having a normal life? Like, you could have been living with your family if you didn’t stay with Sonic! You could have a lot more friends! A lot more friends your age! You could be stressing about a test, or what you will have for lunch tomorrow rather than what Eggman’s next plan is!”

 

Amy knew she said something wrong when Tails’ ear folded back and his eyes glanced down at the floor.

 

“I wouldn’t be living like that if I hadn’t met Sonic,” Tails whispered, his voice wavering in a way Amy has never heard before.

 

 True, Amy might have known Tails for a long time, but she has never seen him this vulnerable. His feet shifting against each other, hands tightening against the basket he was holding… Tails might not have the same enthusiasm as Sonic when fighting; however, he never ever backed away from a fight, no matter how outnumbered he was. Amy and the group often referred to this as one of the many things he has got from Sonic, much to the youngsters embarrassment.

 

Back on topic, Amy didn’t know what he meant when he said that…

 

What did he mean that he wouldn’t have lived like that? Did he not have parents? Then again, him not having parents would make sense as he lives with Sonic as Sonic’s younger brother, and as far as she was aware they had no parents?

 

Was Tails an orphan? Was that what he was coming at?

 

From experience, Amy knew that the best way to get information and to get people to warm up was to listen. So that’s what she would do.

 

“What do you mean?” Amy asked quietly.

 

“If… I hadn’t met Sonic… I… I wouldn’t be… half as happy as I am now…” Tails said, his eyes glued to the floor, as tears threatened to spill.

 

Amy couldn’t do anything but stare at the kit in front of her. His legs were shaking as they struggled to hold his weight, and his eyes were shut tight in an attempt to block out tears from flooding out. 

 

After using a second to regain her senses, Amy quickly put a hand on Tails' shoulder in comfort.

 

What she didn’t expect, however, was for Tails to flinch, hard, and take a step back in fear, before tripping over his basket, and falling on the ground. Tails then pulled his legs to his stomach and used his Tails as some sort of shield.

 

Amy could hear Tails’ small whimpers, which broke her heart, and made her regret thinking about the whole thing in the first place.

 

“P-P-Please! Pl-please d-don’t hurt m-me! I-I wo-won’t do it ag-again! Pr-Promise!” A meek voice said. It took Amy a second to notice that it was no other than Tails pleaing.

 

Amy immediately went down to her knees, hoping she could help her young friend out.

 

“Hey, Tails, its just me… Don’t worry… I’m here… No one’s going to hurt you!” Sadly, though, Amy’s attempts to calm Tails down were in vain, as the young fox started pleaing louder.

 

Amy then remembered something her parents used to do to her when she was younger…

 

Slowly, and carefully, Amy placed her hand on top of the tiny kit, and slowly moved it back and forth. After a few seconds, Amy could hear his cries quieting down, and she slowly pulled the little kit to her lap, whispering words of comfort. 

 

“Shh… It’s fine… It’s alright… No one’s going to hurt you…” Amy mumbled into the fox’s ear, knowing very well that he could hear her…

 

The little fox just kept crying, though it was in a more hushed tone. As he slowly loosened up, Amy could see his face, which was stained with tears, his eyes barely open, as though to glance at the person holding him.

 

Once Tails realized it was Amy, he quickly wiped off his tears, and hopped out of Amy’s lap, looking at the floor with embarrassed eyes. 

 

“I-I’m su-super s-sorry, A-Amy!” Tails stuttered through gasps, “I-I didn’t me-mean to cr-cry on you! I’m so-sorry for ge-getting your dr-dress w-wet!”

 

Amy stared at Tails for a good second, trying to get a grasp of what was happening. 

 

Tails… was apologizing… for having a breakdown… Although, it was Amy’s fault for bringing it up, without warning. In all honesty, she shouldn’t have boughten the subject up so randomly.

 

“Why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong!” Amy said, making sure her voice was softer than normal. The last thing she needed was Tails being scared by her loud voice.

 

Tails continued rubbing his eyes harshly, before opening his mouth and trying to form some sentences.

 

“I-I ru-ruined it! I ruined yo-your day! It- It was su-supp-osed t-to b-be a fu-fun d-day straw- strawb-berry p-picking! A-and I ru-ruined i-it! A-and no-now your dr-dress i-is w-wet t-too! A-and its a-all my f-fault f-for cry-crying!” Tails said, looking as though he was about to have another breakdown. 

 

Thankfully, he didn’t. Instead he stood there, hands pulling on the fur of his Tails…

 

“Hey… Hey… None of that now!” Amy said, guiding Tails’ hands away from his fur, “You don’t have to be sorry! You did nothing wrong! I’m the one who should be sorry! I never should have said anything!”

 

Tails looked up at Amy with wide, questioning eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, only to be shushed by Amy who took on the job of patting his head.

 

The two sat like that for sometime, enjoying the others’ company. Tails slowly leaned in to Amy pushing his head into her chest snuggling into her warmth. 

 

Amy could feel Tails slowly relax in her arms as she slowly placed her chin on top of his furry head.

 

What could have happened to Tails to make him react so bad to that question?

 

What happened in Tails’ past?

 

Just how much does Sonic mean to Tails?

 

What would have happened to Tails if he never met Sonic?

Amy sighed, those were questions for another day… One thing at a time…

 

When the sun started to set, the two friends decided to head back to Sonic and Tails’ place for the night.

 

(Tails argued that they didn’t get nearly half the amount of strawberries Amy needed for her cake; however, Amy quoted him, saying that they would always come back another day to get some more, and that her recipe would work with the amount they have.)

 

With that the two headed off, keeping the other company…

 

One thing Amy knew was that she was going to find out what was going on with her young friend…

 

(After all, she going to have to know everything about him, if he’s going to be her future brother in law~)

[im-out-of-it]

I agree with your Kit post so sad to see him done dirty thankfully I found some fanfics where he gets a proper storyline

and what about gabriel not even reacting to his baby being seconds away to die? Why did only Will and James said anything during that moment in the ball?

THANK YOU SO FUCKING MUCH!!!!!!!! I’ll warn ya, this turns into a rant and it’s hella long. just cautioning ya 🥹 if you find some fanfics, please send them my way if you can 🥰 in my head, kit is alive and well and gets treated like the beautifully intelligent science 🧬 sweet man he is 😭

it’s so sad and shitty that we don’t even get to see Gabriel and Cecily knowing about it!!!!! like they just don’t know about it? and I hate that cc always makes the herondales her top priority. having Will go on about James WHO IS VERY MUCH ALIVE is insane. I get he’s concerned but KIT IS DEAD AND ITS ALMOST LIKE NO ONE EXCEPT THOMAS ANNA AND GRACE CARE

OH MY GOD YOURE TALKING ABOUT LITTLE ALEXANDER AND HERE I AM BITCHING IM SORRY 😭

yes it’s so ridiculous that James and Will basically take over that interaction. you’re telling me that Gideon has lost a daughter because of his sister and Gabriel is about to almost lose a son because of his sister and THEY DONT REALLY DO ANYTHING? and I really hate that CC has Gideon being like “this is ridiculous, Tessa is a warlock and she’s bound to have a demon father but it doesn’t mean she is in league with him.” BRO YOUR SISTER HAS YOUR NEPHEW HELD HOSTAGE. like why did they have to make this whole thing be about Tessa?

you’ve just reignited my hatred for that storyline so thank you so much 👏🏼😌 and what amazes me the most is that Alexander is what three years old and basically gets tortured during this whole time and then they go back to making it all about Will and Tessa? it’s unreal. if I’m Gideon and my sister is stealing my nephew, I’m raising hell. I’ll never get through to her but I’m doing all I can to protect my nephew. like all the shadowhunters there and that’s what they’re going to focus on? ridiculous.

it’s focused on James and will because CC has always focused on the herondales. watch how all the herondales are usually all main characters or at least love interests. the only ones not as much in TDA but jace is still heavily in that series, at least it felt that way to me. instead of making this about you know Gabriel’s toddler being kidnapped and used as leverage, cc makes it all about Tessa being a warlock and being “in league” with belial.

I’ve noticed that CC has an habit of having an idea (Kit dying, Alexander being kidnapped, kit in the first book almost dying) but using another storyline or idea to overlap that and make it a priority over the original idea. aka- James being in Hell and making that the focus, Tessa being in supposed league with a prince of hell, James going to Hell to fight Belial.) I don’t know maybe it’s not as drastic as I make it seem but it always seems like instead of focusing on one idea, cc uses something else and then BAM suddenly theres a new focus and takes more precedence

I think all in all, the fact that Tatiana’s crimes are constantly being overlooked and that it’s never stated she had a hand in Barbara being killed and the fact her brothers are dealing with all this grief and losing a child because of her is wasted potential and material. Tatiana has made hell for her brothers and it’s never really mentioned?????

Tatiana is so mad with revenge that she’s built these thoughts in her head that Gabriel and Gideon are responsible for her grief. she’s so far gone that she thinks it’s an eye for an eye. but she’s the one that had a hand in murdering her own son. I’m sorry but trusting dark warlocks? girl you made your own bed. she should be mad at her father for being a shit father and not training her. it’s not Gideon or Gabriel’s fault that he died or that he killed your husband. a husband who turns out can’t even stand you lmao

I like TLH as a series but I hate how it’s handled. because there are so many characters and storylines we missed out on. I always wanted this series more focused on Thomas and Alastair, and more heavily on the lightwoods because I think they’re more interesting. I feel that there’s a lot that could’ve been done with this storyline. there’s many complex characters but they don’t really get a focus. just so many missed opportunities in my opinion

thanks for letting me vent 💀 I didn’t mean to slightly go off but the writing irritates me so much. but I definitely agree with your statements ✨

[rashomonss]

hi!! i've followed around since ch4 of a humans wrath and i am so proud of you for coming this far in your journey!!! your writing is so heart wrenching and it's so comforting in a way that it's such a good material to come to if i want a good cry!!!

so i've come forward to please request "You can't even look me in the eyes, can you?" with beel and it's like trauma of ch16 with them being twins and all.

it's fine if you don't accept it!! i just want to show my appreciation for your writing as it's rlly rlly good!!!

omg you’ve followed me for a good while, i feel so honored that you still enjoy my work!! ♡

I’m so glad you think that honestly, it just makes me so happy, I’m crying rn anon, if I knew who you were I’d follow you back rn bc you’re so sweet (╥﹏╥)

ily sm and I just want you to know I’m so thankful for your support, truly, I hope you continue to enjoy my work as well as a humans wrath! ( ˊᵕˋ )♡

also you meant lesson 16 in nightbringer right?? because i was a bit confused for a second, bc im a bit dumb, but anyways i did enjoy writing this quite a bit so i hope you do enjoy! (also I was being feeling nice so this one ended with comfort)

love ya! ♡

warnings: possible nightbringer lesson 16 spoilers

“please don’t blame yourself”

You had canceled the summoning spell in Lucifer’s office and thankfully the banshee was nowhere to be found. However the trouble didn’t end there, in fact it had only just begun.

Belphie rushed over to his twin and asked profusely if he was okay, due to him looking as if he was going to fall over from sheer stress.

Beel nodded and stayed silent as Satan explained to the rest of his brothers the two different circumstances in which you hear a banshee cry. This caused an uproar and Belphie began to question his brother with a concerned expression.

Beel answered every question his twin had, but not once did he dare to look at him. And as he finished the story of what had happened, he could feel Belphie’s eyes burn a hole in his head due to how much he was staring at him.

“So you’ve heard one cry before…you’ve never mentioned anything about that…” Belphie said, stepping closer to his twin.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to keep it from you, I don’t want you to be upset”

“Beel, you misunderstand! I’m not mad at you at all, none of this was your fau-“

“If I had known what that was then I could’ve told Lucifer and maybe we wouldn’t have lost Lilith…” Beel had said.

You heard the strain in his voice as he spoke to his twin, each word that left his mouth was laced with regret and guilt…but why was that? It wasn’t his fault.

“Beel it wasn’t your fault, you couldn’t have know-“ Belphie pleaded.

Beel cut his twin off mid sentence and raised his voice slightly. “But I should’ve. It’s all my fault Belphie, I could’ve prevented this.”

“No you couldn’t have!”

“Yes I could’ve! Maybe then we all wouldn’t be down here, maybe then we’d still be happily up in the Celestial Realm with Lilith. If I had known we all could’ve seen her smile again. She’d be here with us now, instead of facing a cruel death”

Beel’s voice echoed through Lucifer’s study as all his brothers looked at him with mixed reactions. None of them had ever heard him raise his voice in such a way, and it shocked most of them into silence, including his twin.

Asmo, Mammon, and Levi looked to you for assistance after his outburst, while Satan looked at Beel with an expression that held a mixture of hurt and resentment.

Belphie finally looked at Beel with a sad expression and furrowed his eyebrows slightly. “Beel, you need to understand that none of this was your fault. It was never your fault to begin with.”

“You don’t understand. I had the chance to change things but I didn’t. I didn’t come through for you when you needed me, now because of that all of you have to suffer because I never said anything. I caused this Belphie”

“Beel..” his twin said with such sorrow.

You’ve heard the twins talk about things and slightly argue with each other before, but they always end up getting over it or solving the situation before it gets worse. This time you're not so sure.

The dejected atmosphere that engulfed Lucifer’s study was so thick you began to feel suffocated. And you could tell you weren’t the only one; as the rest of the brothers watched the twins speak, each began to slowly back away towards you for reassurance.

“Ever since the night of the dinner party and what Lucifer said, I keep thinking about what happened…and I wish I could go back and change things, so that this never happened in the first place.”

“Beel..!”

“We wouldn’t have lost Lilith, Belphie…and you wouldn’t have had to suffer so much.”

“What do you mean..?” Belphie asked softly as he looked at his twin with an uneasy expression.

“I know you feel guilty because you survived and she didn’t…”

At this point Belphie stood there in silence as he looked at the ground for an answer, but nothing came to mind. This throat ran dry.

“Beel please look at me…” Belphie asked, stepping closer to his twin. He realized that during their whole conversation Beel hadn’t looked him in the eyes once.

Beel however took a few weary steps back as Belphie approached him. His gaze continued to be locked on the floor as he stood there silently avoiding his twin.

“Beel, please just look at me, that’s all I’m asking right now. Please.” Belphie pleaded.

Beel shook his head as his gaze reminded on the floor. You swore you could see tears begin form in his eyes.

You watched the youngest demon brother completely break down in front of you when his twin continued to ignore his pleads. You had never seen Belphie like that…ever. This was a new side of him you were now experiencing, but you can’t say you exactly like the broken expression he was currently wearing.

“You can’t even look me in the eyes can you?”

“I’m sorry Belphie…it should have been me, not Lilith-“

“Shut up! Don’t you dare say that again. Don’t you dare think that ever, you hear me, Lilith decided to fight that day because she wanted to, just like all of us. So don’t you ever give me that crap you hear!” Belphie screamed.

Beel’s eyes widened slightly and he finally looked up to see his twin with an upset expression as tears streamed down his face.

“Belphie-“

“Enough Beel…all that matters as of right now is that you’re here with all of us okay?”

After Belphie spoke, you then added to his statement and reassured the Avatar of Gluttony, as tears streamed down his face when you spoke to him softly.

The rest of his brothers, including Satan, assured him that what happened was meant to happen, and that all that matters right now in the “present” is that they all have each other. Belphie smiled and hugged Beel, claiming he wouldn’t trade anything in the world for him as Beel tightly hugged him back while a few stray tears fell down his cheeks.

Soon all of you joined the group hug and smiled happily as Beel wiped the tears from his eyes and thanked everyone.

[toujokaname]

Princess Kaguya / Epilogue 3

Author: Kino Seitaro with Akira

Characters: Hiyori, Arashi, Kanata, Hokuto, Tatsumi

"Of course, it'll be a lavish party. This day also has some wonderful weather...☆"

← Previous ✧ Directory

Location: S TV Station

Season: Winter

Time: After the recording. In front of S TV.

Hiyori: ...Phew. We've finished the job! I'm so relieved we finished the recording without a hitch!

That concludes my "last job". Mhm, mhm, such good weather...☆

Arashi: But, you're retiring now, aren't you? Is there nothing we can do about it?

Hiyori: Yup. My parents seem to be very determined—or, so I'd like to say.

Kanata: Ohisama-san... Do you have any "regrets"?

Hiyori: Eh? Yeah... about that...

Kanata: Uu. I will be lonely without "Ohisama"-san in the "dorm"... At the very least, I will name the tropical fish I am purchasing "Hiyori".

That way, I can be with "Ohisama"-san forever...

Hiyori: Ummm, I said, about that! Listen carefully to what people say!

About me saying that I was going to retire, that was—

Hokuto: A lie... That's what you want to say.

Hiyori: Right, right. That's it! You've got it right, Hokuto-kun. When did you become aware of it?

Hokuto: After the reading, when we were singing Moonlight Disco.

Tomoe-senpai's performance was so thorough that I couldn't recognize the lie until then. It was as if he was fooling even himself.

Hiyori: Fufu. Was my acting ability good enough to deceive Hokuto-kun? Good job, me ♪

Kanata & Arashi: .........

Hiyori: ...Wait, huh? What's the matter, you two? This is the part where you rejoice!

My retirement is canceled! Nothing could make you happier than that, right?

Arashi: A lie—then, when you said you'd retire... You've been deceiving us since then!

Kanata: How awful, "Ohisama"-san. Even though I was so sad...

Tatsumi: Well, everyone, please calm down. It was a statement born out of concern for the Shuffle Unit—

Without Hiyori-san's lie, Getto Spectacle might have broken up part way through. That's how much of a desperate lie it was.

Hiyori: Mhm, mhm. That means you were saved by my quick thinking! Sorry I lied to you, but I'd rather you be grateful to me, okay?

Tatsumi: Wait, Hiyori-san? In situations like this, you should be humble—

Hokuto: Asking for gratitude is awfully presumptuous.

Good grief. Even if it was for the sake of our unity, you've been manipulating people far too much. You'd do well to reflect on that.

Hiyori: Fufufu. I don't want to!

If you had more respect for others from the beginning, this wouldn't have happened. Shouldn't you follow Tatsumi-kun's example more?

Tatsumi: Aah, jeez. This is a predicament...

Everyone. Please listen to me. It is true that Getto Spectacle was brought together after Hiyori-san announced his retirement, isn't it?

If so, then it can be said that this lie was intended to make your "wishes" come true.

It may be true that he deceived you, but I think he also deserves your devotion. So, if you're going to throw stones at Hiyori-san, I'll take his punishment, too—

Kanata: Tatsumi. We are not "idiots", you know?

Tatsumi: ...Oh?

Arashi: For crying out loud. Even we think it's a good thing that he lied about his retirement.

But I'm still mad at him for making me worry—I mean, just the thought of Tomoe-senpai no longer being an idol brings tears to my eyes!

Kanata: That is right. We were angry because the thought of "retirement" made us sad.

Please do not say that, ever "again".

Hiyori: Everyone...

Tatsumi: Hiyori-san. Isn't it about time for you to tell the truth? If you confess with honesty, the Lord will surely forgive you.

Though perhaps in this case, confessing to the wonderful Moon shining upon us would be more appropriate...♪

Hiyori: Well then, I won't lie to the wonderful Moon.

At first I thought pretending to retire was too much. But considering the role, I thought it'd be a good idea to seriously consider such feelings—

And yet, the more I lied, the more I felt like I was telling the truth.

When we were playing at the amusement park, I really felt as if I was going to retire—

The truth is, I wanted to withdraw before the performance. But I really wanted to go into the show with my feelings as they were.

Tatsumi: So it's as I thought.

When I first heard about it, I was distraught because it came out of nowhere. I thought it was very strange.

Hiyori: So when you were alone with me on the balcony, you were trying to trick me into telling the truth?

Tatsumi: Yes. I was certain that Hiyori-san would have made working with Eden his most important priority. That's how deeply he loves his companions.

Hiyori-san's parents interfering with his idol activities being the cause... is probably not true.

The reason why you frequently left due to phone calls was to make sure that Anzu-san and Eden kept their stories straight, wasn't it?

Hiyori: Of course. Because my parents respect individuality!

First of all, my brother has promised to take over the household. There's no way I can retire, right?

Hokuto: Is that so...

It's aggravating to be lied to, but if it was the result of a sincere effort to do your job, I can't blame you for your decision.

It's just... I know. After being manipulated so much, we deserve something in return, don't we?

Arashi: Then I wanna go to the great quiche place that Tomoe-senpai mentioned ♪

So how about that? If you treat us to a quiche, we'll call it even this time.

Kanata: That would be good~♪ I want to try the recommended "quiche" too ♪

Tatsumi: ...And so it seems that's that. Hiyori-san, will you also agree?

Hiyori: ...Fufu. That's a small price to pay, isn't it?

Hiyori: Then it's settled! Let's rent out the restaurant and have a party!

To commemorate the continuation of my idol life and the success of Getto Spectacle—

Of course, it'll be a lavish party. This day also has some wonderful weather...☆

← Previous ✧ Directory

[raccoon-eyed-rebel]

Part 22 - Geralt

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Part 21 -- Part 23

Summary: The guys throw a New Years Eve party at 179th Crescent Street...

Warnings: Drugs (weed and alcohol), senslry issues.

Word count: 2.1k

A/N: Geralt is up! It's a shorter chapter than the other ones, because he didn't have a lot to say... I'm also happy to announce that all the NYE chapters are finished as of right this g'damn second! So: YAY ME! Enjoy!

Let me know what you think! 🥰

@deandoesthingstome @geralts-yenn @summersong69 @peaches1958 @fvckinghenrycavill @keanureevesisbae @livisss @sillyrabbit81 @ellethespaceunicorn @ylva-syverson @poledancingdinos

I’m barely aware of the things that are happening in the kitchen, going on auto-pilot, until Leon asks where Sherlock is. 

“In his room,” Mike replies, “he wouldn’t last five minutes tonight if he had to deal with all of this, too.” He’s not the only one. For starters, it’s not ideal for Mike, either. 

“We’ve got it from here,” I say. As far as I’m concerned, he’s done his part in setting up for tonight by getting the internet to work. My words come out harsher than intended. Fuck. I know he’s not mad - he’s Mike. It would take a lot more to upset him, and he knows as well as I do that I’ll be running on reserves, too, before the evening is over. 

Unlike Mike, I don’t envy Sherlock. Hiding from the fuss surrounding these preparations wouldn’t do me any good. I’d still hear everything, and I somehow find it easier to ignore a noise I can see the source of. My eyes involuntarily move to the little plastic bag on the table. At least I’ll be able to sleep. Sol follows my gaze, and her eyes go wide when she sees what I’m looking at. We’ve had a few long conversations - at above average volume - about the fact that I occasionally get stoned - or, as she’d rather call it; ‘my drug use’. The last of these arguments happened while she was holding a glass of wine. She didn’t appreciate my pointing out that alcohol is a hard drug. No one ever does. With time, she’s grown used to it, but she isn’t exactly comfortable with how open we are about it here. I still don’t understand the fuss. It’s not like we’re doing anything illegal. 

The hand on my back belongs to Sol. I don’t have to look to know that. I don’t even have to think about it. I just know. That knowledge doesn’t stop me from shaking it off nearly immediately. Usually, her touch calms me down, but not tonight - not right now, at least. It’s just another sensation to overwhelm me even further. There just isn’t anything she can do for me right now. When she looks at me, there’s a sliver of sadness in her eyes - a sadness I don’t immediately connect to my instinctive rejection of her touch, and with that, her intentions to comfort me. Until I do connect the dots, and end up feeling worse 

“It’s just a bit much,” I say, unsure of who I’m trying to convince I’m alright, her or myself. “I’ll be alright.” 

That last part isn’t a lie. No matter how exhausting this can be, it hasn’t killed me yet. At this point, after all this time, I think it’s safe to say that it won’t. 

When Sherlock steps into the kitchen with Elena, he looks just about as miserable as I probably do - and he hasn’t spent a second downstairs yet. Thanks to the noise downstairs, I couldn’t be completely sure about why they’re so late, but I can make an educated guess. Sol is still standing next to me. I know she feels bad because she can’t help me, which means it’s time for me to suck it up and at least try to have a good time here until she can help me. I take her hand and pull her along to where August and Sherlock are standing. At least I can reasonably count on them enjoying this nonsense as much - or as little - as I do. 

“Should I be glad Elena gets along with Anjelica so well?” Sherlock asks August while side-eyeing the girls and their animated conversation. The benefits of this party being so tremendously noisy is that everything turns to white noise nearly automatically. Normally, it would be a chore to tune out a conversation taking place so close to me, but right now, I don’t have to hear what the girls are talking about at all. Sol joins the conversation without too much effort, and I can see a faint smile on her lips when she sees me with the guys.

“Oh, we don’t get a say in these things.” I manage to very slightly startle August when I come up behind him. It’s never my goal, but always a nice bonus. He’s perceptive, tough to sneak up on, and his reflexes are insane. It’s what makes him a good boxer. A very good boxer. “I’m fairly sure we’re already doomed.”

Sherlock raises an eyebrow, clearly confused by my words. As much as I think we shouldn’t laugh or make fun of him because of it, his lack of experience can be quite endearing. “What do you mean?”

“I heard that they’re planning a girls night.” Gossiping isn’t something I enjoy doing, but I think the poor man deserves to know at least a little of what is about to hit him. August groans so softly I almost miss it. He’s damn right to, honestly. I like to think Sol isn’t the gossiping type, either, but I know better. When in Rome… 

I’ve accidentally overheard plenty of these conversations between women. They’re completely exhausting to listen to, and that’s only in part due to the fact that during a twenty-minute conversation, there’s maybe a total of three finished sentences. What continues to surprise me most, however, is the amount of detail these discussions contain. I know very few men who would be as specific. Sure, the jokes around the house can be… somewhat graphic, but they’re absolutely far less informative. Something I’ve always found striking about these conversations is that there doesn’t always seem to be a clear point to them besides purely the exchange of information - no problem to solve, no question to answer, nothing to gain from these talks other than curbing their annoyingly insatiable curiosity. Women. I’m sure I’ll never come to understand them. And I promise it’s not for lack of trying. 

“That usually means that all of them are going to be told every minute intimate detail of your relationship, so they can… I don’t know why they do it, just that they do.” August seems to be as lost on the reasons behind this interesting yet insufferable ritual. 

“How intimate?” Sherlock asks. As previously mentioned, I believe we shouldn’t make fun of his inexperience, which makes me hell-bent on controlling my face upon hearing the alarm and astonishment in Sherlock’s voice, and all the more glad that August does the smirking for me. 

“Yes, that intimate,” I answer, my voice significantly more strained than I had initially planned on, both from my efforts to keep my composure as well as my own mild terror at the thought of having my sex life painstakingly dissected by a group of girls. 

“We’re not looking forward to it, either,” August adds. 

“Not looking forward to what?” Elena asks as she wraps her arms around Sherlock. I can’t help but smile when I see it. They’re good together. 

“Nothing,” the three of us say at the same time. It’s suspicious to say the least, but I doubt we’ll hear much more of it. 

Something happens in the living room that we decide to ignore. Things settle down quickly, there’s no need for us to get involved in that. My head is pounding from the noise so badly that I barely notice Sherlock and Elena taking off. Good for them. Part of me wishes I could call it a day as well, but I can’t bear to spend time without Sol yet, and she’s still having a good time catching up with Anjelica. I know we won’t last much past midnight, so I just have to make it until then - a task that might just be made much easier by Ange’s discovery of what Mike has been up to in the living room. Solveig doesn’t even roll her eyes when she says it, either because it’s worse when I get high than when others do it, or because she realizes I could use a little peace and quiet. 

The cold and fresh air help tremendously, and although the windows are hardly enough of a barrier to completely block the sounds from inside the house, they drown out enough to make it more manageable. Sol stays close, which I appreciate now that I’m not ambushed by a hundred sensations per second. She’s not cold - she’s used to harsher winters than the ones we get here. It doesn’t stop her nose, hands or feet from freezing. It just doesn’t bother her. Bothers me, though. It’s like sharing a bed with an icicle. 

“Did you guys step outside when you saw me leave the living room?” Mike asks. August, Anjelica and I shrug - a clear admission of guilt. We know him a little. If one of us had so much as for a second suspected that our intended leeching would piss him off, we would have stayed inside. But it’s Mike. He grumbles something semi-annoyed while handing a joint to Dani and sits down to get to work on another one. 

“Thanks, Mikey.” It’s always Ange. Mikey and Anjelica have something in common I can’t put my finger on, exactly. A certain way of understanding each other that’s very difficult to explain. Something so innately platonic that even August isn’t threatened by it - which is quite rare. She sounds tired, I notice, and she does a very good job of not looking the part. Anjelica thrives around people. Pressure. Pain. Although I completely understand why Sy questions the nature of Ange and August’s relationship, I  never did. It makes perfect sense, it always has. In a way, they remind me of me and Solveig, though we have a more flexible dynamic. For a short moment, my thoughts jump to Sherlock. He had the same control issues we do. August and I. Part of me wonders if his preferences will turn out anything like ours, and I briefly wish I could be a fly on the wall during that girls night… I dismiss the thought instantly. Gossip. Despicable habit. 

Mike hands me a joint, which I take from him gratefully. If I can just get my thoughts to calm down, the noise may become manageable enough to sleep later. I’m only vaguely aware of the conversation about the unrest in the living room earlier. There seems to be quite a lot of guilt there that Mike can’t seem to shake. It’s understandable, but I feel it isn’t necessary. Danielle seems to understand what he’s like better than anyone I’ve ever met - including us, and we’ve been living with him for a year and a half at this point. I hope they make it. 

The six of us barely make it twenty minutes past midnight before we decide to call it quits. Mike makes a break for the stairs, leaving Dani with me and Sol. When we step into the hallway, Mike is already halfway up the stairs. 

“Where is he?” It’s tough to be sure from the side, but it looks like Peter, Marshall’s best friend. “Mike, I swear, get the fuck out of my way.”

I can’t say I appreciate the amount of drama I’m getting caught up in tonight. Charles - of all people, ironically - would likely suggest we leave these things to the girls, because they’re better at it than we are. After tonight, I am inclined to believe that both sexist and - as it turns out - a lie. Men are more than capable of causing a scene. Sol is standing next to me, Dani is right in front of me. I can see August, but not Anjelica. I’ll just have to trust that she’s okay. Knowing her, that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. I hear footsteps on the stairs that belong to Marshall - clearly the person Peter is looking for to begin with. Despite the alcohol and weed - maybe even due to them - I’m alert. Tense. This probably isn’t a fight I want to get caught up in. Marshall wouldn’t want any of us to, anyway. 

“Peter, leave him alone.” Mike tries to stop Marshall as he walks down the stairs, stubbornly staying exactly where he is. It’s clear he trusts Peter about as far as he can throw him right now. We’ve all met him multiple times, and he’s a good guy, but we’ve never seen him angry. And those hockey guys can fight… “Mike, it’s okay. He’s after me, not looking for trouble. It’s cool, back off.” 

[questionablepastries]

Wahoo I beat armored core (just now now!) thoughts below (and spoilers of course)

I can’t believe they made me fight an upgraded balteus lmao but what balteus wasn’t ready for was an upgraded ME 😈

Good game! Visually very very pretty to look at, mentally I’m clapping a lot at the credits rn lol

And the choices the game made me do lol aaaaaghhh. I almost considered putting the game down for the day when it asked me to betray carla. Same thing with eliminating G1 Michigan, only because I thought VIII Pater was my friend (turns out he’s sick in da head!! Scary guy. Really lives up to his AC name “dual nature” whew) less messed up arquebus members the better. In the end I went with ayre all the way but not because I like ayre but because of 2 things

1) carla she did try to kill me once (she made up for it by saving my ass out of prison tho)

2) (the more important reason why I sided with Ayres idea) — who knows what the ecosystem of the planet would be like with the complete removal of coral, not to mention coral is semi sentient so it’d be like super massacre if I went with Carla (and Walters) idea of destroying it all. ALSO, the destruction of the giant space ship crashing into that coral harvesting place, like what would life be like for the rubiconians? Even worse? Nobody has their interests in minds bc as far as they’re concerned they’re always caught in the middle of some corporation war, so if I sided with Carla it’d be adding fuel to that corporation war fire :(

Like ayre says at the end though, I’m sure we can avoid a fires of ibis situation 2.0 if we work really hard together. 621 is a human that didn’t lose their mind completely after contact with coral voices and maybe it has to do with the fact that they’re a fourth generation human (since the later generations worked out the kinks of not having to hear coral anymore)

Also. During the very sad heartbreaking (for me) killing carla mission, do u know how excited I was to beat the shit out of snail lmao

After reading that his augmentations were only perfected thanks to who knows how many innocent deaths, and his mind re-education shenanigans I’ve hated his ass since DAY ONE. Even IF he’s a sassy funny guy

Ok the ps just told me the trophy for this ending is called liberator of rubricon. Whatever ending that is lol idk what ppl are calling it

God I already miss Walter why’d they make me kill him too lol

ON THAT NOTE I MISS RUSTY I THINK WALTER MAY HAVE KILLED HIM. I’m gonna stick to anime rules for this one and that’s “no body seen no death” yup rusty is still out there (<- copium)

Oh wow ok I guess NG+ just starts like that huh, that’s ok w me I’ll do a NG+ run just to see the other endings, they better not make me actually kill rusty tho that’d break my heart more than it did to take out carla and chatty : (

Also pvp is fun but I’m ok at it lol I keep losing a ton but I’ve had a couple of close matches and won like 4 matches so far

Oh right about snail tho, back in the Carla mission? I was talking mad shit while fighting him like “I ALREADY BEAT YOUR DATA IN THE ARENA YOU THINK YOURE HOT SHIT??” that sorta thing. And u know how dissapointed I was that I didn’t kill him right then and there? His ass escaped that ass beating. Don’t matter tho I terminated his ass for good when he was riding that toddler ass upgraded baby chair balteus 2.0

Idk how from soft does it but they keep making these super super climatic boss fights and super fucking awesome attack patterns that are both visually appealing and difficult to evade/survive but when you do it’s like you’re really in the fight in that moment it’s awesome :) this happened with balteus, balteus 2 purple laser moment, and the fuckinnggggg icewormmmm, malenia elden ring comes to mind (alongside demon souls king of storm)

And I can’t believe they got me with the sekiro monkey “it’s not dead! It’s getting up again!” Moment too god damn that flying boss whew, sad the game wouldn’t let me use that boss’ sweet ass wings as a part to equip :(

Rusty really warmed up to me, initially I was a hater because his ass was always setting me up with these missions that always had an extra lil spice in them meant to kill me or set me up in some way (probably arquebus’ fault) but he…. Waghhhggg………”the first to join” ok cool….ty for being so eager to reunite with me rusty…I honestly thought he was dead after the ice worm mission….and the fucking line he says “there’s only one person who can keep up with me” with 621 in on the comm to listen in on….what are we…….(we’re buddies…)

Great game. And amazing cast of characters, like maybe it’s the voice acting that really nailed it but for me to care about a bunch of people (g1 Michigan…..) that you never actually see in game and only hear is wild lol

I do not care for ayre tho. I’m sorry I’m a hater, she always said some common sense stuff like “remember to dodge” baby we been on how many missions together now please. If she was a deep voiced lady I would’ve been on my hands and knees tho, and if she had a male voice I’d be even worse lol

Cortana ass!!!! Anyways cutest ayre moment was 621 and her watching these giant nuke missles hit a massive structure and she’s like (cutely) “they’re really like fireworks” & I had to laugh and be like we gotta get u some real fireworks ayre they don’t look like this gsvdvdvd

Right and do u know how much I was pogging when the fake raven or Rather the Real Raven showed up??? Damn what was that guys situation about and their handler too? Hmmmmm (dlc potential?)

Fun ass game! Slow start but momentum wise it keeps speeding up and then the end is like WHAM did ya like it and I gotta be like YEAH. I DID. Now I have the urge to play the other endings in ng+ since my AC is geared the fuck up to handle anything I feel like. Kinda wish the pacing at the start stayed the whole way as in slow pacing the entire game with the game letting me kill more shounen protagonist types lol (although that would mean killing ppl like Rusty hmmm my sadism for wanting more murder of naive protagonist types and love for rusty is like oil and water when it comes to that idea lol)

One complaint tho just one, the ost can be somewhat lacking. It has its moments tho!! There’s like 3 tracks that really kill it, and they’re at important moments too. Iceworm, balteus 2.0/snail showdown, and Carla fight are good. The rest went over my head tho sowwy

Now that I’ve achieved credits in this game im a certified armored core fan (even tho this is my first one) and I’m glad this game is getting attention! I really hope they release more AC games bc this kicked ass, maybe they can take a break before taking that on though, because every single mission is pretty breath taking visually, and MASSIVE in terms of sheer size sometimes like damn. Lots of love!