#I’ve never drawn a samurai sword

[ask-nico-and-the-sides]

Oh, Roman. You know you can’t run from this. Even if you can’t hear me, my words echo in your own head anyway. I’m just reinforcing what you already know! You’d be better off just letting Remus replace you. But don’t you already know that too?

Roman: I’m sorry!

@flowtatoexd @viva-gardens

[punkrockgenasiashton]

I realized last night that I’ve got a lot of my characters over the years commissioned but never shared them all in one place. In this time of shitty people using shitty AI’s I think it’s more important to share and commission artists. Below are image descriptions and class descriptions as well as credits:

Image 1: Ficci is a blue skinned half drow phantom rogue/ echo knight fighter multi class. He is AMAB and uses he/him pronouns. He’s standing in well made black armor with well cared for long black hair and bright white eyes. In his hands he is admiring his Moonblade which has 4 glowing runes right above the handle. He is standing against a purple/blue background. Drawn by https://twitter.com/actualsailboat, her commissions are currently closed but open often.

Image 2: Curio is a pale gray skinned tiefling fey-based College of Invention wizard homebrew. He is AMAB and uses he/they pronouns. He’s standing in a green tunic and arcane leather armor with medium length white hair in undercut fashion and green eyes. Under his arm is his spellbook and on his shoulder is his familiar, a white winged rabbit named Illipam. He is looking fondly at his best friend, Kiala, standing to his left. Kiala is a tall, buff gray skinned tiefling woman wearing a green breast wrapping. They are standing against a gray marble background. They are drawn by https://twitter.com/Danibunbird who is not actively taking commissions.

Image 3: Adric is a tan skinned half elf Wild Surge Barbarian. He is AMAB and uses he/they pronouns. He is standing in a gray-brown undershirt with messy shoulder length pink hair and eyes. They have angular line tattoos on his torso and arms as well as gauged piercings in his ears, a septum piercing in his nose, and snakebite lip piercings. Their arms and chest muscles are well defined and they are looking off screen in mild anger. He is standing against a gray background. He is drawn by https://twitter.com/Greeboba who is not actively taking commissions.

Image 4: Wisk is a tanned skinned humanoid College of Illusions Wizard. They are AFAB and use they/them pronouns. They are standing in a well made green sleeveless tunic with unnatural red hair and green eyes. Their skin on their arms is blotched and striped in the same unnatural red as their hair, they also have a barbed red tail with their arms raised in mild concern but their face is one of excited surprise. They are standing against a pale green background. They are also drawn by https://twitter.com/Greeboba.

Image 5: Ciaran is a white skinned human Phantom Rogue/Samurai fighter Multi class. He is AMAB and use he/him pronouns.  He is adjusting his hood, wearing tattered brown leathers and a filthy gray cloak with dirty black hair and a black beard. He has a shortbow & quiver on his back  he has two swords on his waist. He is standing against a white background with a circular cut out of clouds directly behind him. I currently play him in the 5e Actual Play Podcast https://twitter.com/shattered_lands. He is drawn by  https://charliecdraws.tumblr.com/ who is currently taking commissions

Image 6: Kyor is a purple skinned half drow Circle of Stars druid. He is AMAB and uses he/him pronouns. He is standing with shoulder length white hair in a messy bun and golden eyes. He is shirtless with his hand in his pockets, his chest and his cheek both have a runic tattoo on them, he has well defined pec muscles and abs, and he is covered in white freckles. A purple Ioun Stone circles his head. He is standing against a night sky covered in stars with a full moon behind his head. He is drawn by https://cindersart.tumblr.com/commissions who is currently taking commissions.

Image 7: Agathi is a white skinned human Samurai fighter. She is AFAB and uses she/her pronouns. She is standing with long red hair shaved off one side to reveal claw scars that run along the side of her head, she has orange eyes. She is wearing a leather breast plate over a green tunic with two longswords cross sheathed on her back and bracers that match her breastplate. She’s lighting a cigarette smiling and is dappled in light brown freckles. She is standing against a white background. She is drawn by https://cindersart.tumblr.com/commissions who is currently taking commissions.

Image 8: Syllarin is a ash gray skinned tiefling soulknife rogue. He is AMAB and uses he/him pronouns. He is facing to the left with cropped white hair and purple eyes. His fiendish heritage is obviously pronounced with fanged teeth and two sets of horns as well as a set of leathery wings. He is wearing blackish brown leather armor with a purple sash tied around his waist and holding a summoned purple soulknife dagger in each hand. He is standing against a desert sunset background. He is drawn by https://cindersart.tumblr.com/commissions who is currently taking commissions.

Image 9: Zeki is a lavender skinned tiefling Way of Mercy Monk/ Undead Warlock multiclass. She is AFAB and uses she/her pronouns. She is leaned back in a barstool, her elbows resting on the bar, with long black hair in a braid that she plays with in one hand and bright blue eyes. She’s wearing an open sleeveless blue vest and her breasts are bound. The open vest reveals well defined abs and arms as well as a dragon tattoo that runs across the top of her chest, a dragon fang hangs from a string fashioned as a necklace around her neck. She is sitting against a golden hued tavern background. She is drawn by https://twitter.com/Kiyoshuki who is currently taking commissions.

[justmeclover]

Honestly, I disagree. Yes, this show does get darker and darker as the seasons pass and we do see a lot of “Adult” elements such as, like you said, PTSD flashbacks and literal murder. However, it’s never explicitly shown what actually happens to those characters who were killed and it doesn’t go too hard on the super heavy topics. Yes, characters have breakdowns. Yes, times get harder. Yes, things get darker. But that’s also just how life is for some people. Things start out great, and as time goes on they get sadder and sadder and start realizing a lot of things that change their entire world view forever. Some people don’t even have a happy ending!

I don’t think we should necessarily label Monkie Kid as a “Kid’s show” all the time, because that label obviously throws off some people who are against good things. But think of shows like “The Ghost and Molly McGee,” or “Rise of the TMNT,” or “Amphibia” and “The Owl House.” All four of these shows are labeled as kids shows on the programs they aired on and Molly McGee is especially most certainly a kids show. Yet, all of these shows delve into darker themes as they go on, with swords being drawn and people being injured and, just like in Monkie Kid, some characters even have PTSD flashbacks.

I haven’t seen Samurai Jack either btw but from what I’ve heard, it was one of the few kids shows that dared to break the mold and go for a much darker tone, especially in it’s final season.

To me, compared to Rise and Owl House, Monkie Kid is incredibly tame. It doesn’t go too hard on the very heavy topics and is very straightforward and easy to understand. The art is bright and appealing, the pacing is (As of season 4 at least) pretty wonky, and the characters are very easy to get attached to. Kids watch shows just like Monkie Kid all the damn time, so I don’t see why it shouldn’t be labeled for kids. If anything, we should keep pushing the agenda that regular everyday shows with heavy lore and stories should be watched by anyone of any age over 7 years old, and this includes Lego Monkie Kid.

Of course, the show says “For ages 8 and up,” so I think we should follow those instructions. It never said anything about an age limit beyond 8 years old, so I say anyone beyond that age is very much allowed to watch LMK, and should not be set back by any typical age-restricting labels.

So, yes. Lego Monkie Kid is a kids show, but that doesn’t mean that it is exclusively for kids. Anyone over 8 years old can watch the show, and that includes 8-year-olds.

@maplesugarcookie

Maple Rambles - Lego Monkie Kid is not for children

Lego Monkie Kid, despite its cheesiness and playful characteristics- especially in the first season- is not a kid's show. I'd love to go into detail about each traumatizing thing that happens, but I'll keep this brief and simply recap to avoid spoilers.

Lego Monkie Kid gets more terrifying and serious every season, and I can fully understand why a parent would underestimate how serious this show is first glance, and how many people who I've tried to convince to join that fandom also think this show is for kids.

The first movie and season are full of fun little moments with an adventure of the week feel each episode. In the first movie, there's even little foreshadowing where MK checks the age limit for the vehicle he's driving and says "Ages 8 and up? Shouldn't be too hard to drive.". Pretty much, in each episode, MK gets advice from someone he trusts, learns what he has to do to fix whatever issue he's having, and then completes his task and ends the episode learning a new lesson like taking others into consideration. However, towards the end of the season and the second movie "Revenge of the Spider Queen", it begins to set the mood going into darker territory. The next view seasons begin to lean more and more into this, including intense PTSD flashbacks, actual murder, trust issues, and some of the characters are literally nightmare fuel for a child under the age of 10, possibly even 11. We learn more about the Monkey King's dark past and Season Three and Four exhibits breakdowns for some of our favorite characters

While this show can be nice to watch for someone older who just enjoys the childish aspects, this show is absolutely not for children.

[ga-yuu]

~Yoshitsune~Main Story Chapter 3~

Okay, the thing is, I would be happy if you understand Yoritomo and Yoshitsune’s past before reading this chapter. It helps in understanding their bond even more clearly. This is the link, if you don’t want to, I don’t mind.

Warning!! This chapter contains violence.

Chapter 2

*

*

*

--------Part 1--------

Yoshitsune: "You spoke of wanting to treat the enemy soldiers even when your own life was at stake. It's the same when you saved Tamamo."

Yoshitsune-sama lowered his eyelashes and spoke slowly.

Yoshitsune: ".....It's not something anyone can do."

(Umm...that's...)

Yoshitsune: "I'd better get going. I've stayed too long."

Yoshitsune-sama muttered and walked over to the sleeping soldier-----

He carried his soldier so easily that it was hard to imagine from his slender physique.

Yoshitsune: "....Yoshino. I hope I never run into you on the battlefield again."

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

1. Silently send-off.

2. Please wait!

3. I can't promise that. (+4/+4)

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

Yoshino: "Sorry...but I can't promise that."

I muttered lightly, feeling that I had to tell the truth until the end.

Yoshitsune: "-----I see."

Yoshitsune-sama left the hut without once looking back.

In a quiet room, I put my hand on my chest.

(I was so hoping for the Shogunate soldiers to come and pick me up...)

(But now I'm relieved that the Shogunate soldiers and Yoshitsune won't be crossing paths.)

Yoshino: "Yoshitsune-sama..."

(I've heard that some generals leave their injured soldiers behind.)

(More the number injured soldiers, the more of a burden the other soldiers will be at a disadvantage.)

Even so, Yoshitsune-sama chose to be with his soldiers and thanked me, his enemy.

(No matter who you're dealing with, you're a reasonable person, aren't you?)

Fifteen minutes later-----

I returned to the main camp with Morinaga-san, who had come to pick me up.

Morinaga: "I'm sorry, Yoshino. It was your first battle and I left you alone. And you also ran into Yoshitsune-sama....I put you in danger."

Yoshino: "Don't apologize. As you can see, I'm fine."

(I can tell that Morinaga-san really cares about me, so I don't want to worry him anymore.)

Morinaga-san smiled at me as I tried to sound cheerful.

Morinaga: "Thank you. Actually, after I left you, I received information from Kagetoki that Yoshitsune-sama was entering the war. I rushed over to you because I didn't expect you to be hiding alone. I was surprised, indeed. So,....I'm really glad you're safe."

--------Part 2---------

Morinaga: "I rushed over to you because I didn't expect you to be hiding alone. I was surprised, indeed. So,....I'm really glad you're safe."

(Morinaga-san is really a warm person.)

I smile back and ask about something that has been bothering me.

Yoshino: "What about the soldiers who were with me? Are they safe?"

Morinaga: "I've heard that everyone is unhurt. Our supply convoys are safe and we're back in the fight."

(Thank god...!)

Morinaga: "The Shogunate has sent reinforcements to take the place of my platoon, so we're pulling up."

Yoshino: "Really!"

It is a relief to finally be away from the battlefield.

(But don't be distracted until the end.)

(You never know when or where you might run into the enemy.)

I've learned that in the last few hours.

Morinaga: "Let's go, Yoshino."

Yoshino: "Yes!"

I was placed on Morinaga-san's horse and we left the main camp.

..............

After a short ride, we reached on top of a hill.

Morinaga: "This place a perfect to watch the fierce war. You may be scared, but you have to be patient. The hill is high enough, so don’t worry about the enemy's arrows."

Yoshino: "Okay."

Nervously, I lowered my posture on the back of a running horse.

The sound of renewed fighting, the smell of blood, and in the middle of that-------

(Yoshitsune-sama!?)

Yoshitsune: "Come this way if you want to die!"

While riding his horse like a pro, Yoshitsune-sama cuts down one soldier after another.

(Mm........)

Soldier 1: "Damn, what's that strength....!"

Soldier 2: "Don't try to take him on alone! We're all in this together!"

Yoshitsune: "Joining forces to take me down. Try it, I dare you."

Soldiers: *ROARS*

Yoshitsune: "-----Too slow."

(Ah.....!)

Yoshitsune-sama's sword struck an oncoming soldier in the chest.

(That was fast....!)

Without a moment's pause, a sword swings down from behind him.

Soldier 2: "There's an opening!"

Yoshitsune: "I don’t think so."

Yoshitsune-sama flips his body lightly and lets go of his sword.

Then, without pausing for breath, he flicked the soldier's sword away.

Soldier 2: "Krr......"

Yoshitsune: "I'm not going to play for long. ...Be prepared."

(Ehh?)

Yoshitsune-sama himself ran to a big group of enemy soldiers and------

Yoshitsune: ".............."

Soldier 3: "Guaaa!!"

Soldier 4: "Kuu....."

As soon as he jumped into the middle of it, he knocked one by one down.

(What the...hell...is he...)

(If it was someone else, who is not skilled as Yoshitsune-sama, he would not last for a second...)

But Yoshitsune-sama....is not afraid to face the enemy, even if he’s in danger or if he’s hurt.

(He didn’t feel like the same person I talked to, back in the hut....)

Morinaga: "That's how Yoshitsune-sama fights."

I was watching the scene and became speechless when Morinaga-san's voice reached my ears.

Yoshino: "And his men....are they okay with him fighting like that?"

(What if he ends up dying?)

Morinaga: "I think they'll do everything they can to protect their general."

Despite his weighing expression, Morinaga-san kept a calm eye on the battle situation.

Morinaga: "And while you're saying that, did you see our other unit with spears?"

Yoshino: "Oh no...!"

I looked in the direction Morinaga-san pointed.

As if to help the struggling soldiers, a group of allies came running furiously and tried attacking Yoshitsune-san's back.

The enemy soldiers began to move as if in a panic, but the figure of Yoshitsune-sama was lost in the confusion of the battle.

(Oh....so fast, how did he do that...!?)

Morinaga: "If he could be easily killed like that, then it wouldn’t be a problem at all."

Yoshino: "....You mean it's not enough? It seems to me that the numbers are completely in our side's favor...

Morinaga-san's lips were drawn together and he shook his head.

Morinaga: "Given my instincts and past experience, we won’t win.

Yoshino: "I see...."

I kept my mixed feelings to myself.

(I know we only exchanged few words, but Yoshitsune-san didn’t seem like a bad person.)

(But he's still a scary enemy to me.)

In response to Morinaga-san's speculation that Yoshitsune-san would not be defeated here.

I could neither feel relieved nor disappointed.

Yoshino: "Even if he doesn't use his powers....he's really strong."

(The reality of Yoshitsune-sama seen with my own eyes, is much more than I had heard about and thought about....)

Morinaga: "And he's got a very sharp sense of tactics."

-------Part 3-------

Morinaga: "And he's got a very sharp sense of tactics. In this battle, too, the moment there was the slightest break in our formation, they attacked us with great speed and ferocity. He’s a tricky one, because of his accuracy and speed.”

Yoshino: “....It’s exactly how you said.”

(I can’t even imagine how to fight against such a person!)

Morinaga: “He’s still keeping it under wraps, though. Looks like his men don’t know about his deal and his powers... But when the time comes, he will use it on the battlefield without hesitation. Yoshitsune-sama is a fearless man.”

Yoshino: “......”

(Today, I saw two faces of Yoshitsune-sama. One that cherishes his vassals and the other one fights like a monster...)

(But, which one is the real one?)

No matter how much I think about it, I couldn’t find an answer.

.....................

At last, we arrived at Kamakura at dawn.

After resting for a while, I visited Yoritomo-sama.

Yoritomo: “-----So the Shogunate intervened in earnest, and the battle was settled peacefully.”

(That’s true, I’m glad....!)

Yoshino: “Umm, what happened to Yoshitsune-sama?”

Yoritomo: “As soon as we got the report, we sent someone after him! But we couldn’t catch him. Most likely, he disappeared just as the war was winding down.”

Yoshino: “Oh, I see....:”

(Just as Morinaga-san predicted.)

Yoritomo: “Yoshino.”

Yoshino: “Yes?”

Yoritomo: “I’m ready to hear your whining. Come on, say it.”

Yoshino: “Whine?”

I got an unexpected response and my eyes widened in surprise.

Yoritomo: “What are you so surprised about? I’m serious. I know I send you to the battlefield all of a sudden and I understand it was unpleasant. You also encountered Yoshitsune and had a near-death experience. When you said you wanted to talk to me, I thought you came here to whine and complain.”

(That’s what you thought!?)

--------Part 4 -------

Yoritomo: “When you said you wanted to talk to me, I thought you came here to whine and complain.”

(That’s what you thought!?)

Yoshino: “No, no, no. You got it all wrong! At first, I did feel unpleasant...But I also learned a lot.”

Yoritomo: “Oh?”

Yoritomo-sama, then gave me a curious look.

(I’m a bit nervous about giving my opinion to Yoritomo-sama, but...)

I stared straight back at him, remembering how I had met Yoshitsune-sama.

Yoshino: “This battle....has made me realize how blind I am in my thinking.”

In the moonlit mountain hut, the question posed by Yoshitsune-sama has not yet left me.

-------FLASHBACK-------

Yoshitsune: “ ...You said that overlooking an injured person was like killing. Then do you condemn the samurai's you see killing all around you?"

Yoshino: "I didn't mean it like that....!"

Yoshitsune(icy glare): "How can you say no? You said earlier you didn't want to kill people."

Yoshino: "Nn......."

Yoshitsune(icy glare): "But that's not all. As enemies, there will come a day when we will meet on the battlefield. Did you ever consider the possibility that the man you saved just now might kill your comrades?"

------FLASHBACK ENDS-----

Yoshino: “That’s what Yoshitsune-sama, asked me...I saved the life of an enemy soldier, and I thought I was naive. ...and I had nothing to say back. I’ve been distracted from the fact that the person I saved is going to take someone else’s life again.”

Yoritomo: “......Morinaga told me what happened. It’s heartbreakingly naive of you.”

(I knew you’d think like that...)

Yoritomo: “However...”

-----After a pause, he started speaking.

Yoritomo: “You aren’t a samurai. It would be wrong for a town girl who has never touched a sword to let someone else die on the battlefield.”

Yoshino: “But....Whatever the reason, my decision to stay in the Shogunate was my own. So....I’m trying to think more seriously about war.”

(I hate being scared without knowing anything.)

Yoritomo: “I see. That’s quite an auspicious attitude.”

Yoritomo-sama, who was resting his arm on his armrest, laughed sarcastically.

Yoritomo: “So you didn’t come here just to make a statement, did you?”

Yoshino: “Yes, sir. Would you be willing to let me do some work in the palace to start with? First of all, I want to know about the Shogunate. I also want to know about the soldiers who risk their lives on the battlefield and what they believe in. If I work as a pharmacist, I can help them...I’m also ready to do other chores, so please let me know!”

As I waited for his answer, my heart was pounding.

Yoritomo: “....So, you’re here for a job. All right, I’ll give you a nice job, don’t complain about it later.”

(Yayyy!!!!)

Yoshino: “I’ll work hard!”

I firmly replied back to Yoritomo-sama.

Yoritomo: “Also, I’ll be giving you a reward.”

Yoshino: “Eh? No, I’m fine. I’ve already got so many luxuries while staying here so....”

Yoritomo: “I’m paying for your services, so you have to shut up and accept it, okay?”

Yoshino: “But...”

(Is this really a good idea?)

As I ponder this, Yoritomo-sama gives me a dumbfounded look.

Yoritomo: “If I send a mere woman on the battlefield, at the very least I should assure her safety. But, as in the last war, there is no such thing as absolute safety. You must have felt like you hated it.”

(That’s....)

The swift gaze of Yoshitsune-sama came to my mind.

And...I shudder to think of him wielding a sword against several men.

Yoritomo: “Nevertheless, it is the decision of the Shogunate to continue to involve you. And if you’re going to help us, then you’re going to have to let us treat you better.”

Yoshino: “You might be right....”

Yoritomo: “Are you surprised?”

--------Part 5--------

Yoshino: “You might be right....”

Yoritomo: “Are you surprised?”

Yoshino: “....Yeah. I thought Yoritomo-sama was an arrogant man.”

(But...he’s a fair man in a way.)

Yoshino: “...Then, I’ll respectfully accept the reward. Thank you very much.”

(Yosh! Let’s work hard so that I can be worthy of that reward.)

Yoritomo: “Heh, nice optimism. You’re a weird woman, you know that?”

(Weird...)

Yoshino: “It’s strange. Yoshitsune-sama said the same thing.”

(Though you two hate each other, I can’t believe you guys are saying the same things.)

(Is that how brothers are like?)

Although their personality is completely different, they both think the same way.

Yoritomo: “Yoshitsune...said the same, huh.”

Yoritomo-sama folded his hands and frowned while thinking about something.

Yoritomo: “I heard he let you go.”

Yoshino: “Yeah. I thought he would actually kill me then and there....”

Yoshino: “...’Saving my vassal's life is the same as saving my life and you saved one of them.’ that was the reason why.”

Yoritomo: “He’s the same as ever. He may look expressionless, be he has a lot of feelings.”

(That’s how Yoritomo-sama pictures him...)

Yoshino: “Do you know Yoshitsune-sama so well....because you’re his brother?”

Yoritomo: “That’s not true. We may be brothers, but our upbringings were different.”

Yoshino: “Really? Then, when did you both first meet....”

Yoritomo: “When I was raising an army against the Heike. Yoshitsune came all the way with a small force to join us. For a brother, he has never met, he was ready to help just after receiving my message.”

(Looks like it was the time when Yoritomo-sama was not a Shogun like he’s now.)

(If Yoshitsune-sama only brought a small force, that means they almost had to risk their lives to win the battle.)

Yoshino: “But, why would....Yoshitsune-sama suddenly rush to your aide?”

Yoritomo: “-----I don’t know.”

Despite his words, Yoritomo-sama’s lips had a rare bitter smile.

Yoritomo: “Well, it’s true that he’s made the fight a lot easier.”

Yoshino: “Does Yoritomo-sama.....”

Yoritomo: “I what?”

Yoshino: “No, nothing....”

(Does Yoritomo-sama....actually hate Yoshitsune-sama? I think not.)

These thoughts popped into my head, but I didn’t want to put them into words until the end.

So let’s just ask something else.

Yoshino: “...If you were in Yoshitsune-sama’s shoes, would you have killed me in that battle?”

Yoritomo: “Hmmm......who are you talking to?”

Yoritomo-sama was smiling, but the air around him froze quickly.

Yoritomo: “Don’t forget I’m a man who killed his own brother.”

I was horrified, but at the same time, I felt like something connected in my head....

(Ah.....!)

-------FLASHBACK------

Yoshitsune: "But...contradictions are in all of us. I've only known one person who could cut it out and throw it away."

-----FLASHBACK ENDS-----

(Maybe he was....)

Chapter 4

[remmushound]

Curse of the Clan, part 12! @scentedcandlecryptid @selfindulgenz

Content warning: Violence, blood!

“That was the first time I had ever seen a lion. I had heard stories about them, of course; but to see one in our province was a shock to me. The thought of lions had always sparked images of open savannah and hot deserts, not the chill of the northern lands. I know better now, of course, that creatures often pop up in the most unexpected of places. My curiosity was one that could not be ignored. That night when we stopped to rest, I just knew I had to see that grand sight once more.”

“Where are you going?” Kenichi asked in the dark of night when he noticed the ghostly outline of Usagi crawling out of the back of the cart.

Usagi froze like a deer caught in lamplight. He looked quickly to make sure their escorts were still sleeping before he held a finger to his lips to silence his companion. He motioned Kenichi to follow him as he crawled the rest of the way out of the cart and into the snow. Kenichi scrambled to his feet to follow, forsaking Usagi’s silent approach to instead jump down in a single bound, crunching the snow loudly under broad feet.

Usagi shushed him once more, waving his hands out in front of him to Kenichi’s annoyance. Usagi led him a longer distance away from the cart where they couldn’t be heard.

“What are we doing out here?” Kenichi asked, ears pressed against his head to avoid the howling winds.

“I’m gonna go see that lion.” Usagi said.

“Why?” Kenichi scrunched up his nose and stuck out his tongue. “He smelled weird.”

“I didn't even know there were lions in this province!” Usagi said, “And he looked like, suuuuuper old! Old people always have good wisdom!”

“But Usagi, it’s cold out here, and the older bucks told us to stay away from him.”

Usagi didn't care about Kenichi’s hesitance; his mind was already made up on the matter. “Stay here if you want, but I’m gonna be the best samurai I can be! Who best to learn from than a lion?”

“A rabbit, a fox, a weasel— dedicated turtle—“

“And lions!” Usagi said, “You don’t have to tell with me, just please don’t tell the senior bucks about it! I’ll be back before morning.”

“I’m not letting you go alone!” Kenichi grabbed Usagi’s hand and gave a devilish smile.

“So we went together into the heart of the lion’s den, so to speak. We hadn’t gone far from our initial meeting place, and we were able to follow his scent right back to his home. We told him why we had come, and he greeted us with the utmost warmth and hospitality.”

The lion slammed the door shut, locking them outside in the cold and making both kits jump back in a fright at the sudden, deafening noise. They both stared at the door for a long moment, then looked at each other in the same, timed motion.

“That was unexpected.” Usagi gawked.

“And we waited. We figured he would open the door eventually and not just let us freeze. We knew we were going to miss our window of opportunity to return to the wagon, but we didn't care. We were too dedicated, too stubborn. Too young. We sat out there waiting all night. When he did finally open the door to find us still sitting there, he tugged us by our ears all the way back to the senior bucks.

“They were furious with us, and Kenichi by extension was furious with me. When we reached the Dogra School, our punishment was given. For weeks we were stuck on cleaning duty, but by the end of the first month I already had a sword in my hand. I studied at the school of Dogra for three years before I saw that lion again.”

The small patrol stopped when they smelled the lion on the breeze. Kenichi and Usagi exchanged looks, the scent forever etched into their minds even if they hadn’t seen the lion ronin since that night they snuck out together to find him. The other kits their age were immediately unsettled by the scent, fur ruffling and ears falling back, but the older ones of the patrol, made up mostly of rabbits well into their teens and on the path to graduation, seemed almost excited by the intruder.

“Should we go get the headmaster and his guard?” Whispered one of the younger rabbits.

“We can handle this.” Said an older rabbit of black and white; his name was Youdai. He pulled forth his katana and shoved his way through the tall grass, the rest of the patrol having no choice but to follow. The bold young rabbit pointed his katana in the direction of the lion when they came to open land and witness the predator. “Katsuichi.”

The lion didn't respond to his name. He stood up a little straighter, holding a small goat under one of his arms and a little straw hat on his head to keep the sun out of his eyes. He looked just as big and powerful as he had that first day Usagi had met him, the scars and muscles chiseled on his body telling a story of a lifetime of battles won. The gray in his mane, however, told of a warrior in the sunset years of his life. The year's best spent in relaxation and peace.

“This is the last time you step foot on our grounds.” Youdai declared.

“I apologize. My goat got out of her pen and I had to retrieve her.” Katsuichi said.

“I’m tired of your excuses! If you really want to apologize, then give us the goat.”

Katsuichi didn't flinch at the threat. “I need her for milk.”

“Who says we don’t need milk more, hm?” The rabbit laughed, “It’s the least you can do for us!” He stepped forward reaching for the goat.

Katsuichi dropped the goat and grabbed his longsword. The minute his hand touched the sword's hilt, all the rabbits present drew their blades. All except for Usagi. Usagi’s eyes glanced over to Youdai and the other rabbits, widening at the sight of the blades drawn and aimed toward the old lion. Usagi didn't know what guided his feet, but before he knew it he was standing between Youdai and the lion with his arms outstretched.

“He didn't do anything!”

Youdai’s dark eyes widened at the gall of the younger white rabbit, flashing with hate for just moment before it was replaced with a cold malice. He lunged forward and grabbed Usagi by the scruff of his neck as the kit tried to run, yanking him away from the lion and holding Usagi tight against his chest.

“You know what?!” Youdai shouted over the astonished cries of his peers and the struggling of Usagi, “I have an idea that is even funner!”

“Let him go, Youdai!” Kenichi cried.

Youdai held Usagi tightly around the throat until the kit stopped struggling, his nose twitching his fear as tears stained his cheeks. Once he was certain that Usagi would stay still, Yodai pulled out a tiny mulberry from his lunchbox and perched it on top of Usagi’s nose.

“If you can cut this mulberry in half without cutting Usagi, then you can keep the goat.”

The rest of the rabbits huddled together, whispering and shaking their heads at the sight as terror filled them just as it filled Usagi.

“But if you cut his pretty little face, even just a little, then we get the goat. Do you accept the challenge?”

The lion gave a low rumble in his throat, looking between Youdai and the fear-frozen Usagi. He licked his lips, his nose flaring, and raised the point of his sword to Usagi. Usagi gave a whimper and closed his eyes, expecting the cutting pain any moment, but it never came. He opened his eyes to find the lion returning his longsword to its sheath and pushing the goat in Youdai’s direction without comment. Youdai laughed as he grabbed the goat by the bell collar around her neck and yanked her into his arms.

“I expect you off of our land before sundown.” With a twitch of his ear, Youdai signaled for the other rabbits to follow. They all fell into place behind him to return to the tall grass.

Usagi didn't move. Fear still froze him to the spot, ears flat and mouth hanging open. Kenichi turned to face him.

“Usagi, come on.”

Youdai turned at the call, his ears pricking and then flattening as he flashed pointed teeth. “What are you doing?”

This wasn’t right. They threatened this old man, stole his goat, when he did nothing wrong! He looked over at Youdai and couldn’t help but imagine if the buck had been in his position once, on the bad side of a cruel, older buck for daring to voice his opinion. The thought of himself growing up to be that cruel and selfishly motivated left a bitter taste in Usagi’s mouth.

“Usagi, if you aren’t here within the next five seconds, you’ll be labeled a deserter.” Youdai decided and he immediately started to count, loud and slow.

“Usagi, it’s not worth it!” Kenichi tried to urge his friend, “What will your dad think?”

Usagi didn't move nor break his silence.

“Usagi please…”

Usagi closed his eyes and lowered his head as Youdai counted down to five. At first, Youdai seemed frozen, as if he hadn’t expected Usagi to truly disobey him. Then astonishment turned to rage.

“You have until nightfall to be out of my sights, Usagi, and never return.”

Youdai disappeared into the tall grass, taking all the other rabbits and Kenichi with him. When the sound of their retreat had faded, only then did Katsuichi speak up.

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

“But I did.” Usagi said.

“Why?”

Why. That question was so frustratingly simple that it made Usagi want to pull his hair out.

“What they were doing wasn't right.” Usagi said. “I believe my father would want me to do better.”

Katsuichi nodded, turning his back to Usagi and starting to walk away. Usagi felt his heart drop into his stomach and flutter, until the lion cast a look back at him.

“You better start walking if you want to reach my den by sundown. I’m guessing you still know where it is…”

“You recognize me?” Usagi asked, bounding forward ro follow him.

“Ain’t ever seen another rabbit with ears like yours.” The lion chuffed. “And I’ve seen a lot of rabbits.”

Usagi stopped for a moment as he tried to process wether it was an insult or a compliment. Then he continued to hop after the lion ronin.

“The challenge was rigged, if that makes you feel any better about losing the goat.” Usagi commented.

“Rigged? How so?” Katsuichi chuffed.

“I mean, there’s no way anyone could cut a mulberry in half, especially not without—“

Usagi didn't realize what had happened until several seconds after the fact. Katsuichi had turned to face him, sword more like a whip than a blade. The slash of air, the flinch when Usagi registered something coming at his face. And then opening his eyes just in time to see the mulberry still on his nose now fall off in halves off of either side of his muzzle.

“After that, he started to teach me. The first thing he did was take away my blade. The second thing he did was send me down to the river two miles out from his home every day for a year to gather three pails of water and bring them back to him. Never once in that year did my hand touch the hilt of a blade, and never once did I complain. Not for a whole year. But then that year slowly started to turn into two, and the patient obedience of a child began to wane until, at last, I asked him for a blade. He said no. That next morning, he gave me my first proper lesson.”

Usagi caught a scent on the breeze that stopped him in his tracks. His ears became erect, his nose lifted to the wind to smell the scents it had to offer him. The scent of a hunter— the scent of his sensei! He knew his sensei was there! In the most obvious place too! Behind a tree, the only tree for on a long stretch of empty land. Could this finally be a lesson? His first proper lesson? He had taken lessons at the Dogra school from day one! This one would have to be a good one if it took an entire year to prepare. Usagi put his buckets of water down on the ground and waited. For an hour he waited, and then another.

Halfway into the second hour, still nothing had happened, and Usagi was starting to get concerned. Why would he just be sitting there for that long without moving? Was he hurt? Was he even there? Now that he was smelling the wind again, he started to guess that maybe he hadn’t smelled his sensei there to begin with. This was Katsuichi’s territory, so of course his scent to be everywhere. And here Usagi was, making a fool of himself waiting for something to happen when his master wasn’t even there!

He picked up the water again and went to pass by the tree. The moment he did so, a powerful body slammed into him. The water went flying and Usagi was slammed to the ground by the weight of someone much larger than him. Claws slashed one of his ears and released a steady trickle of blood from the sensitive, torn skin.

Katsuichi was furious. Froth was spilling out from over his mouth, his eyes constricted to pin pricks and his lips pulled back in a snarl. “You knew I was there!” He slammed his claws down beside Usagi’s head, digging into the earth in a display that he could have done far worse. “You knew I was there and you still walked past the tree! If you’re dumb enough to do that, what makes you think you’re ready for a sword?!”

“Try as I might, I didn't have an answer. That was the first scar I got.” Usagi raised his hand to touch his torn ear. “I spent the next few months trying to make up for my mistake. I learned from it. He still didn't let me touch a sword until five years into our partnership, and only after fifteen did he dare present me with a sword of my own and a dilemma of which path I would choose to guide the rest of my days. He had taught me all he could teach me and I had to choose my own way now. I chose the path of the Musha Shugyo. A wanderer honing my skills and going as fate guides my paws.”

“How did fate guide you to Nuriyuki?” Leonardo asked. He hadn’t realized how far forward he was leaning, nearly falling off of his rock due to the story drawing him in so deeply. Usagi opened his mouth to respond, but it was Nuriyuki who spoke next.

“Oo! Oo! Oo! Can I tell him?”

Usagi nodded to Leonardo seeking approval. Leonardo smiled and nodded. “Of course, little man.”

Nuriyuki gave an excited squeal and finished off his lizard before starting his part of the story.

The tiny badger cub skipped happily along, holding his mothers hand as she so tenderly guided him down the halls of their palace. The guidance led him into the main hall where his father was joined with several guards.

“Daddy!” With arms outstretched, Nuriyuki ran into his fathers arms and was immediately scooped up by the bigger, heartier badger that gave a loud chuffle as he tickled his nose against his sons cheek.

“Nuriyuki, I would like you to meet Usagi.” Damiyo Tanuki bore his tiny son over to the rabbit who stood tall and proud in royal garments. “He will be your new sword fighting tutor.

“Er… how did the next part go again, Usagi?” Nuriyuki looked to Usagi for guidance.

“The daimyo had taken notice of my skill as I traveled across Japan. My father had been the one to train him, and he could think of no one better to train his own son. He sent a palanquin to bring me to the palace, and paid me handsomely for my services.”

“Oh! Oh oh oh! I remember the next part!” Nuriyuki declared. “I woke up in my room because it smelled all yucky, and there was smoke everywhere! I couldn’t find my mommy and daddy, and there were monsters roaming the halls!”

“Yama-inu. They’re—“ Usagi started.

“Wolf yokai.” Leonardo sucked in a breath. “I’ve been reading up on Yokai.”

Usagi bowed his head and closed his eyes. Nuriyuki went on with the story.

“Then Usagi found me! He carried me out the window and into the snow!”

“We stole a cart.” Usagi said, “And we’ve been moving ever since.”

“Where are you going?”

“We’re trying to reach the home of my master. If you… still want to stick with us, then maybe he can be the one to give you the blessing you need to save your clan. He fits your description. He is a ronin’s ronin.”

“How far is the journey?”

Usagi licked his lips. “Far. Two hundred hours as the crow flies.”

“How many hours as the turtle and rabbit and badger walk?”

Usagi gave a soft smile and shook his head, sucking a breath in through his nose. “It would go by a lot quicker if I had someone to take shifts with the cart.”

Leonardo grinned widely, leaning forward to extend his hand out to Usagi. “Then let’s head out.”

[comicaurora]

aaaa this is not technically a question, but I love how you draw fight scenes/action in both the comic and in all the legends/myths summarized videos!! It's so goodddd even tho you like to say how much you get tired of the process of choreographing fight scenes i think you really pull them off spectacularly!! do u perhaps have any tips... besides the usual looking at a bunch of refs and such- do you take inspo from action movies maybe? id love to know because like ur just so skilled red how

!!!! this is such a sweet question!

I’m so glad the choreography works! It’s difficult for me to gauge how engaging they are to read - I’m usually just focusing on making sure the movement makes sense from panel to panel. I’ve read a lot of manga where the fight scenes are beautifully drawn but frankly incomprehensible, because I have no idea how the characters are supposed to be moving in relation to each other. Because of this, when I choreograph a fight, I try and make sure the movement is clear from one panel to the next.

When drawing fight scenes for videos, I tend to exaggerate the movements a bit more than I might in a comic, since I’m usually trying to communicate the entirety of a fight scene in only one or two frames. Especially in the Journey to the West videos, I tend to give the characters very stretched poses - legs bent all the way up to the chest or stretched all the way back, arms completely extended, etc. In real life, overextending a limb is a very bad idea in a fight, but in the wonderful world of visual art, it usually looks a lot better than the more safe and realistic partially-bent option. I try to make sure the poses are all plausible, but for me, that stretch component is very important. It gives the illusion of effort - you can almost feel how the character would feel.

This frame demonstrates the stretch factor with Monkey’s entire pose, but it also demonstrates another important factor - flow. Anywhere there’s movement, I want there to be something flowing to show it. Monkey’s tail and sash and Tripitaka’s robes are very useful for this, and having a lot of characters with long hair or flowing capes also makes my job a lot easier.

Stretch makes the poses feel lively and full of movement. Flow makes it clear to the audience how the characters in this still image are supposed to be moving. Between those two factors, it becomes pretty intuitive to communicate a lot of energy in any given panel.

Of course, chaining panels together to make sure the movement is actually coherent is a different skillset altogether, and one I’m still working on. In my experience, the easiest way to make that work is coherent direction of movement.

This post is getting long, so I’m gonna try putting in a “read more”:

Using that fight scene as an example, the direction of movement shifts at the top of the page when Kendal rounds the tree. In the first panel, movement is from right to left. He pivots in panel 2, and then in panel 3, he’s abruptly attacked in a sudden burst of left-to-right movement. This is a new action; it’s fine that it’s moving in a new, opposed direction.

Kendal catches himself as he falls forward - this is still a left-to-right movement, because he’s still falling from the events of panel 3, so continuity of movement is to be expected. But the middle panel shifts focus again, because something new and unexpected is happening - his attacker is about to get kicked in the face.

In that center panel, the direction is no longer left-to-right - it’s out-to-in. We’re essentially zooming along the movement to accentuate its suddenness. Even if you can’t quite make out the detail of the boot, the movement is still pretty clear. The next panel brings us back to our familiar arrangement from panel 3, but this time, the movement has been reversed and is moving right-to-left again, as Kendal kicks back and gains the upper hand.

Finally, in the last panel of the page, the movement becomes a bit more directionless. His attacker is still moving right-to-left, continuing the flow from the impact, but the focus has shifted. The movement and overall flow is unclear, which reflects the fact that, at this point, the fight has become a stalemate.

Chaining movement together like this is tricky, as is representing clear movement in a single panel. You know it’s tricky because a lot of otherwise good media kinda sucks at it. For instance, I quite like My Hero Academia, but I’ve been keeping up with the manga for months and I have literally no idea what’s happening in these protracted superhero fights.

This next bit is going to contain spoilers from the most recent chapter, but it demonstrates my issue way too well for me to leave out:

This image has a clear direction of movement, but I have literally no idea what’s happening, except that someone might be about to get punched. (The next set of panels is not someone getting punched. It’s a flashback that lasts eight and a half pages.) The next panel that continues this action is this one:

It follows through on the clear right-to-left direction of movement established from the earlier panel, but it’s (a) still totally unclear what just actually happened, and (b) interrupted by eight and a half pages of other stuff. The panels individually look phenomenal (if a little speed-line-heavy for me) but it’s hard to know what’s actually happening. All we know is that movement happened; we can’t actually tell what happened in that movement.

In contrast, for a comic that does movement INCREDIBLY well, I recommend Usagi Yojimbo. It’s a comic about a wandering samurai who happens to be a rabbit, and all the Kurosawa-esque antics he gets into in his wanderings through ancient funny-animal Japan.

Uh oh! A setup for a fight scene! And that’s a lot of left-to-right movement I’m seeing! Even the swords in shot are all pointing that specific direction!

Oh, never mind. He’s fine. See all that right-to-left movement our hero is doing? See how the bad guys are suddenly pointing in all different directions and their movement has become chaotic and uncertain? That’s how you know the fight’s literally going our hero’s way.

This is a random encounter from a random issue of the comic. Fights happen frequently, and most of them follow the same structure - right down to the direction of movement. Bad guys move in from the left, good guy fights back from the right.

And when the fight proper starts, the background usually vanishes into a vague white void so the characters can take center stage - no visual cluttering, not even any speed lines.

These fights aren’t important. These random background mooks aren’t plot-relevant except as temporary roadblocks. As such, most of these fights play out roughly the same - no background, page-wide panels, minimal dialogue. But the serious fights? Those look pretty different.

Environmental shots! Close-ups! Banter! Backgrounds! The direction of movement is even reversed from the norm! This immediately sets the fight apart from the standard. Characters move around each other, the environment come into play, and each panel is a very clear beat in the progress of the fight.

Usagi Yojimbo is probably my favorite comic ever. But it’s also not the only very useful resource when you’re looking for media that does well-choreographed fights. Comics are good (even if a lot of them are just good bad examples), but animated media is built on a lot of the same principles as comic art. While they have an easier time showing movement (since they involve actual movement, rather than static images) they still need to chain shots together in a way that’s coherent and gives the audience enough information to understand the movement and progression of the situation. Movies and tv won’t help you much with drawing individual static images that communicate dynamic poses, but they can help a lot if you’re figuring out how one phrase of the fight should chain into the next.

While I’ve seen plenty of media that does this well, rather than making you analyze this stuff from the ground up, allow me to recommend a youtube channel that can do the analysis for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mACKHGfdLlo&ab_channel=JillBearup

Jill Bearup has a wonderful channel with a criminally small subscriber base. I only found her within the last month and I think she’s amazing. Everyone should watch her videos about fight choreography.

This answer got much longer than I expected, but I hope it was helpful!

[serararku]

A Modest Proposal

Back straight. Eyes down. Book open.

Mizuna spent the first half of her shift a hair's breadth away from the overnight beds. K'vyna was able to eat solid food despite her broken ribs and collarbone, but Mizuna didn't want her moving around until she was absolutely certain her bones were healing correctly, especially with that shattered leg; otherwise it would be up to her to break them again to start the healing process anew. Dawn could sit up and hold a conversation at least, yet getting used to her two foreign eyes will certainly be a challenge, especially with one of them with the signature Auri limbal ring. That cerulean eye staring back at her was unsettling. Mizuna felt like two strangers were looking at her when Dawn met her gaze, but she would never tell her that; she’s been through enough, and adding to her insecurities would help no one. Nijah always stayed longer than the allotted time for visits, but Mizuna always let it slide- Dawn needed someone to talk to. Speaking of which, even Osric himself checked in to pay her a visit once. With luck they could close the rift between them sooner than later.

While K’vyna was broken physically, Dawn was broken emotionally. It pained Mizuna to see them both in such shattered states… yet they remained better off than Conobharo.

The Lalafell had his arm severed right across the ball-socket joint, and it was not with him when he arrived to the clinic. The  blood loss made him lethargic for the first few days, but after enough rest he could talk and move around on his own- at least until he was struck with phantom pain in his missing limb. With just a pinch of nightshade essence and a tonze of gloomroot, Mizuna had Conobharo's head swimming in anesthetics and bedridden until the agony would pass. Worse still, he was still struggling to accept the fact that he was now handicapped, and it was taking its toll on him, both physically and psychologically. She was convinced he could kiss the mercenary life behind; how could he survive out there with only one hand? Surely he couldn't swing that heavy sword now. Perhaps he could find fulfillment in helping around the clinic? Khair and Mizuna could certainly use the help, plus his sense of humor would always be a welcome diversion.

She kept a monitor on their vitals with her so she could rush to their aid at a moment's notice, even during her smoke breaks; dark circles sagged from her eyes while she read, unwilling to rest until her shift was over. Dawn, K'vyna and Conobharo were all counting on her for a safe and swift recovery… yet some would recover sooner than others. And one may never truly recover at all.

Boom!

There it was again, easily the queerest thunder she had ever heard. There were no windows in the main lobby of the clinic so looking to see the storm clouds herself required more effort than tilting her head. The weather report made no mention of a shower, but Thanalan was infamous for its sudden storms; she was almost ready to return to her book and continue reading Life as an Amputee: A Beginner’s Course before she was rudely interrupted again. Boom! “That does it.” She muttered to herself, rising to her feet. The magitek device keeping tabs on their vitals was wireless and mobile at least, allowing Mizuna to pluck it off the table and carry it with her- and carry it she did, all the way straight to the front door.

She was greeted with the blazing glare of the Thanalan midafternoon sun: no rain, clouds, or thunder. K’thalen appeared next once her eyes began to adjust, his back turned and smoke rising from the barrel of his rifle. He stood alone in the center of the courtyard, or so she first thought; S’era appeared atop the arch over the entrance to the estate with her katana drawn. “What’s going on out here?”

“Ah- heya Doc.” K’thalen turned an ear toward the woman but kept his gaze focused on S’era. “Gigglefits over yonder claimed Hadriel is the greatest swordsman in the world. So I tell’r; what good is all that skill when a drunkard with a clear shot can kill ‘im? So she says he can deflect bullets. I told her there ain’t no way he can move that fast, and even if he could, he can’t parry a barrage, yeah? So now she claims anyone with enough practice can deflect a bullet, so…” He raised his rifle and fired. BOOM! Mizuna flinched at how loud his boomstick bellowed. She glanced up frantically to see S’era wave her sword in the air, then stomp her feet and curse under her breath. “See? If I was aimin’ center mass n’not over your shoulder you’d be dead, darlin’!”

“I just need a few more bells of practice!” She insisted, preparing herself for another attempt. “Do it again!”

"This is incredibly dangerous, reckless, and irresponsible." Mizuna scowled, feeling that dreadful sound ringing in her hollow horns. "You both should stop before someone reports suspicious gunfire in the Goblet."

K'thalen couldn't argue with that; he was already on their watch list for public intoxication and disturbing the peace. "Aye, she'll never be able to deflect 'em anyroad. Come on down, Era, before you fall off n'break your ankle. Goddess knows the Doc's gotter hands full already." A groan slipped from the Samurai before she hopped down, still certain such a feat could be possible. Mizuna, content with handling this situation swiftly, checked the vitals one last time before she turned on her heel to flee this muggy heat.

She didn’t make it ten paces before S’era came trotting in behind her. “Oh Doctor Kusakari? Can I ask you something? I know this probably isn’t a good time, but I need a huge favor…”

Mizuna glanced down at the vitals again before giving the woman a warm yet faint smile. “What’s the matter?” Just as she finished speaking, K’thalen came strolling in as well, with one hand holding his rifle upright, and the other clasped around his old flask.

How could she tell her? How could she convince this woman- who on all accounts was practically a stranger- to risk her life to help people she couldn’t possibly be invested in. Risking her own life in Mor Dhona with friends willingly volunteering to help was one thing, but now she was older, fairly wiser, and far less willing to act on emotions alone. It was a big request, but it was better for Mizuna or Khair to come along than Dawn, especially in her state.

“S’era?” Mizuna repeated, snapping her out of her daze. “What’s wrong?”

“Ah… I… well you see…”

“Is this a medical question?” The Raen woman asked, glancing over at K’thalen who was busy chugging more liquor. “Should we go somewhere private to talk?”

“No, it’s not a personal-...” S’era began wringing her hands before she took in a deep breath and stood up straight. “My tribe… the Zu Tribe, needs help. I need a medical professional and I don’t know Dr. Himaa at all, so…”

At last K’thalen made a noise as he coughed and choked on his drink. “Guh-...! Huck…! What?! You wanna bring her to your tribe, S’era?! Have you gone mad?!”

“The Zu Tribe is infamous for killing anyone who enters their lands.” Mizuna calmly explained what K’thalen was alluding to. “I would love to help your people, but I don’t want to be strung up and flayed. I just don’t see how I could even get close enough to help them.”

“My Nunh has agreed to let outsiders in… on my watch.” S’era explained, ignoring his remarks. “Please, Dr. Kusakari… our kittens have some sort of disease that-”

Mizuna didn’t even flinch. “I’ll do it.”

“Huh?!” Both S’era and K’thalen exclaimed at the same time, before looking at each other.

“I’ve only seen a handful of Miqo’te children in my travels, and none that were younger than nine or ten. This is an opportunity of a lifetime.” Mizuna glanced down to check the vitals again- still safe, still stable. “If you can guarantee my safety then I’ll gladly help. And if Miqo’te kittens are as adorable as they claim… then I won’t soon regret this.”

“The mention of kittens was all she needed to change her mind?” S’era thought to herself, nodding confidently at Mizuna. “This is all going better than I originally planned!”

---

Mentions: @dawn-aethwyn @nijah-wolff-xiv @osric-slater-ffxiv @conobharo-cobharo-xiv​ @hadriel-ffxiv​

[nuttyjellyfishlover]

One Piece Anime Wano Arc Episodes 890

One Piece Anime: Wano Arc, Episodes 890 This honestly is less going to be a review and more of a commentary as I watch through the anime's rendition of the Wano arc. I've honestly never really watched too much of the One Pieceanime, mostly just looking up the highlights of the arcs I read in the manga. I did watch the filler episodes and most of the movies, as I've talked about at length recently. And everyone tells me that the anime has some rather terrible pacing, particularly around the time of Dressrossa, which is apparently pretty padded out. But then I heard the absolute opposite for Wano, where the anime has received a new art-style and one hell of a fancy makeover. And I thought... hey, I'm on a One Piece kick this year, clearly, so yeah, I think I'm going to give this a shot.

The Wano arc, I think, is one that works a lot better because it has the reverse problem of a lot of One Piece arcs -- there are a lot of moments in Act One of the manga's version of the story that the writer clearly purposefully threw in a couple of off-screened moments that the anime could expand into full action scenes. I already know that Sanji versus Page One is fully animated in the anime, and scenes like Big Mom vs. Kaido or Zoro vs. Basil Hawkins are extended a lot more than the couple of panels we had in the manga. And Wano's got a lot of supporting characters, some of which actually get swept under the rug when I first read through the manga chapters weekly. So yeah, having bright colours and voices and music is going to make this a much more fun experience!

Anyway, here goes my collection of random notes and commentary. Be aware that there will be MANGA SPOILERS, as I will point out a couple of things here and there about stuff I notice that's foreshadowing or whatever:

* Marco's blue-and-yellow phoenix form looks so, so much more vibrant and pops out compared to anything else in the series in colour, huh? I think out of any other character, Marco is extra-memorable in animated format. * That said, basically half this episode is just a recap of the Paramount War. I mean, I haven't seen the Paramount War in full animated format, so it's nice to hear Whitebeard and Ace and Marco speak some of their more famous lines there. But on the other hand, it's also it's kind of one of the more-criticized parts of the One Piece anime that any time they could pad out an episode with scenes from a previously-produced episode, they will. * We actually get to see the Grudge/Payback War in the anime! I think this is less of a showcase of events that actually happened and more of a symbolic one, but hey, we get to see Blackbeard doing some sky-quakes and black holes and Marco turning phoenix. It just shows the Whitebeard division commanders getting sucked into a giant Dragon-Ball-esque spirit bomb Black Hole. Actually pretty neat! * Jozu has both arms in that vision. Whether it's an error or a spoiler or if he has a prosthetic a la Akainu in Film: Z, we'll see eventually.

* This episode also has a bit of a recap of the revelations about Wano from the Zou arc, but it's a lot shorter and feels a lot more relevant to the upcoming arc. * Brook actually expresses some interest on Vivi, apparently having heard of her from the others. I've always liked this from the filler episodes, of the newer Straw Hats slowly learning about prior adventures. Brook being Brook, of course, a panty joke was tossed in. * The Japanese-art style water waves look so pretty when animated! * The random octopus that makes Japanese kabuki theater (?) sounds is another thing that works so much better in the anime. I've always thought it felt a bit forced and random in the manga version. * The high-tempo music when the Sunny sails into the koi waves is very, very fun! * Ah, yes, the very first chapter of Wano in the manga shows off a bunch of carps jumping up a waterfall. You know, considering the whole legend that a carp that jumps over the waterfall transforms into a dragon... i.e., a fish that is also a dragon...

* The first one that's properly and almost fully drawn in the new Wano art style! And it looks gorgeous. * Also a new theme song! I've never paid that much attention to theme songs in anime, but I definitely like "One Dream One Wish" more than "We're the Super Powers". Shame that, as with most anime, the opening sort of spoils, like, half of the things that happens in the arc. * Speaking of great background music... the tempo of that opening instrumental that Komurasaki plays on shamisen is pretty catchy, especially with that octopus going iyooo~ in the background. It also makes for very fun background music for Zoro's rampage at the end of the episode. * Anime Wano is so freaking colourful. The rooftops, the kimonos, the hair... I think I remembered reading that Oda made it a point to subvert the fact that everyone in feudal Japan had black hair by explicitly doing the opposite -- black hair is the exception rather than the norm in Wano. Fun! * The frog on Usopp's hat is a real frog! I always thought it was just a hat! It's adorable! The wiki tells me it's called Gama Pyonnosuke. It's an adorable friend! Forget Carrot or Kin'emon or Yamato, Gama Pyonnosuke for next Straw Hat! * The biggest expansion here is that we actually follow Zoro around as he wanders around the city until he gets arrested by the corrupt magistrate. And Zoro actually bumps into the man-slayer and corrupt magistrate, actually explaining why he recognizes the specific scent of blood during the whole seppuku court. * And then we get around a minute of Zoro fighting the magistrate guards with the seppuku knife and good ol' fisticuffs, something that I didn't think I needed, but is certainly very fun to watch! * This new animation studio loves the angled zoom-in into eyes, and I highly approve. I think we had that like at least three times when Zoro decides to get dangerous.

* I never quite realized that if Luffy hadn't been interrupted by the octopus and washed up next to the Thousand Sunny, the poor ship would be literally left to its own devices. You'd think after losing Merry, the Straw Hats would be more careful with their ships... * Zoro gets to slash the magistrates up even more! It's a single Tatsu Maki, but god damn what a pretty Tatsu Maki. The shot of his feet kicking and breaking the wooden floor, the black aura around his blades, the way that the dragon aura appears behind him, the demonic red eyes as Zoro slams down from the sky, and the shots of the surrounding terrain being cut up into cubes... pretty awesome! * Luffy dodging the bullet from the random Beast Pirate goon with Observation Haki and the gomu-gomu-long-range-bitchslap has always been cool in the manga, and this episode makes it even cooler. Those glowing eyes! This is going to be the whole commentary, isn't it? Just me commenting on the scenes I find to be really cool? * Luffy's Conqueror Haki against the giant baboon is another very cool one. From the expression to the delivery of the line to the sound effect... Luffy's expression is actually pretty cool and borderline scary as he beats up the second goon. No wonder Tama went straight into "This is the I surrender pose!" * Also added in the anime is a vignette of Franky, Robin and Usopp seeing the news of Zorojuro becoming a wanted criminal. Again, not entirely necessary to know the story, but actually scenes that I don't mind being shown to us. Particularly that scene of Usopp utterly bullshitting an officer. * Luffy pets Komachiyo with his rubber arms. Komachiyo is a good boy. This is the most important scene.

* Did the manga show Luffy hiding the Sunny and letting it anchor in a cave? I don't remember it. I know that before the flashback and the raid we see the Sunny there, but it's nice to actually show Luffy not being so callous with the Sunny. * They got a pretty good voice actress for Tama that really makes her pretty adorable! So many times these kid guest star characters end up being annoying if they don't get a good voice, but between the voice-acting and the expressions, she's pretty fun! * Also, I think this is going to be something I repeat a couple of times, but both Tama and Tenguyama are so much more visually interesting with their full colour palettes. * Oh, right, Drake was the one that ransacked Tama's village. Wonder if that'll actually come up later on in the story... * Okay, thanks to the anime, it's really going to drill to me that it's pronounced 'Diez Drake' and not 'Eks Drake'. * I'm pretty sure everyone noticed it, but Ace learned to weave hats in Wano! That's how he became buddies with Oars Junior! I didn't notice it until just now!

* (Episode is the Cidre Guild filler arc that ties in to Stampede.) * What is Tenguyama waiting for? It's probably Oden or his retainers, but I don't think he's part of the samurai that was recruited by Kin'emon's group. Maybe he just missed the big recruitment drive, but that's weird. I wonder what role he's going to play in the arc... * There is a random metal guitar riff when Luffy sees the Nidai Kitetsu. And a glow of Observation Haki on Luffy's eyes. That's a small detail, but very cool! He also uses Observation when Hawkins arrives later on. I love the little trail of glowing red that streams out of his pupils when he activates it. * Tenguyama's sword has a very cool leaf-based handguard! Never noticed that. * Speaking of cool Observation Haki effects, Zoro's apparently activates when he senses sake. Appropriate! * I know it's me repeating this over and over, and we'll get so many cooler scenes later on, but Zoro casually launching that Phoenix Cannon to blow up the two random raptor-riders when he saves Tsuru? Such a simple scene but still so cool. Also very cool is the very brief slo-mo as Zoro re-angles the pathway of his slice when cutting down the second random goon. * Unlike most of the other things, I've always noticed that Basil Hawkins has a very cool Koma-deer mount. It looks even cooler in motion!

* This is perhaps one of the more extended scenes, since it features... fight scenes! In the manga, I think this lasted... maybe half a chapter? Less? A couple of page spreads? It's not just the Hawkins fight, either, Luffy's 'swordfighting' with Nidai Kitetsu also gets extended. Luffy's a bit more successful in using the sword to block and parry here. * Luffy's voice actor really makes the 'de gozaru' sound really funny. * I 100% missed Tsuru the first time I read through this chapter since we only see part of her in a single panel before her full-body debut after the Hawkins fight, and it's a lot less likely that you'll make that mistake in the anime. * Some 'elite' goons show up here, including a guy that uses his ponytail as a whip against Zoro, and a dude that makes fissures with a hammer that fights Luffy. Probably feels a bit more filler-y compared to the rest of the action scenes, but that's honestly nitpicking. * Zoro launching a Phoenix Cannon that slashes Hawkins's face is very cool. * Hawkins' little straw dolls gets an extended scene of it crawling out of his arm. It's so creepy, I love it. * Hawkins' giant straw demon StandBankaigets an very cool summoning animation and it's so creepy. The skies darkens and everything. Most importantly, it makes noises! Again, I love it.

* Luffy and Zoro vs. Hawkins! It's extended beyond just the simple 'dodge, then one-shot-slash' that it was in the manga. I really like Hawkins and his creepy-ass Straw Stand, so I am a huge fan of this. We get a couple of nice juxtaposition shots of Hawkins and the straw monster. Also Zoro goes shirtless in the fight. That's an important detail! * I really, really love how Zoro is having a gritted-teeth expression as he fights the giant straw demon; the straw demon is going gakakakakakakaka like a lunatic... then we cut to Hawkins who has a deadpan, bored expression as he swings his sword in the distance. * The animators really like to let the straw monster use the nails entwined to the tips of its fingers. That's fun! Zoro backhand-blocking the nails from hitting Luffy and Tama? That's cool! * Zoro does Ichi-Gorilla-Ni-Gorilla at one point, and totally slices and 'kills' Hawkins a bunch of times. * Also, speaking of pretty, glowing-eyes motion shots, Zoro using Nigiri: Toro Samon? Yeah. The cut itself is cool, but the zoom-in on Zoro's eyes as he does so? I'm sorry, I have a weakness for that kind of shot, it appears. * To extend the fight so that it's not just a single exchange of blows, Komachiyo gets knocked to the ground so that Zoro and the straw demon can actually fight for a bit. * Also shots I have a weakness to? DBZ-style 'aftermath of a powerful move'. This one isn't too over-the-top, but the slash extending into the sky and the shockwave rippling out from where Zoro slices the strawman thing is cool. * We actually see the scene of Okiku being harassed by Urashima in chronological order, and Urashima scares off a customer. Also, the implied scene of Zoro scaring off Urashima is actually shown here.

* This episode kind of extends the scenes in Tsuru's shop a bit more. Not the most exciting thing, but it does really help to build up Tama, Tsuru and Kiku. * ...wait, Tsuru's shop just displays the Kozuki crest very, very evidently on its door awning. If simply speaking the Kozuki name alone is a punishable crime, how did they get away with that? * Zoro trying to get Luffy to adopt a Wano-ized name is extra-funny in the anime! * Speaking of extended fight scenes, Batman gets to shoot alotmore arrows at Luffy and Zoro. It's kind of over-the-top on Batman's part, if we're being honest, even if Zoro and Luffy very easily dispatches of them.

* The anime does give Batman the ability to control his arrows via sonic waves or something, but he lasted for a much, much longer time than he really should have. * Batman fucking blocks Luffy's Busoshoku-empowered punch! He most definitely doesn't do it in the manga, and sure, knocking Luffy down with sonic waves? I buy that. Blocking Luffy and causing a small explosion in the air? ...I'm pretty sure just some random Gifter isn't supposed to be able to do that. Unless they're thinking of the other Batman? * They make the initial shot of Holdem answering the phone with the lion face pretty intimidating! * Holdem's lion beating their shared balls is still one of the weirdest jokes in the manga. * Some really nice face shots in this one, from Tama to Holdem to the lion to Luffy's group.

* A pretty obvious extended filler is Urashima bullying other sumo wrestlers. Urashima is kind of a dipshit, so it's not a particularly enjoyable filler for me. * Zoro gets to sumo-wrestle with one of Urashima's goons! This one, on the other hand, is pretty fun. We also get a little added bit where Zoro smirks after remembering Kiku's earlier insistence that she's a samurai, so it's less of a 'he doesn't give a shit' and more 'he wants to see what Kiku's skill is' or something.

* Luffy vs. Urashima is prolonged a bit in here, obviously. Not as entertaining as fighting Hawkins or even Batman, but okay, sure. Lots of grunting and growling in this one. Urashima cheats a bit more, Luffy has to use Armament Haki at one point... really don't think Urashima's someone that you should bother using hardening on, Luffy. * The kabuki-style delivery of "I'm going to be the king of pirates" is very well done. * Poor Tama! Holdem's a jackass. * We actually get to see Urashima crashing into Holdem's house, in yet another obvious 'hey, anime team, this is something for you to animate' scene from the manga. * Law gets an extended scene with seeing the sick Bepo, including a Room/Scan showcase and Bepo looking cute and Law being unable to keep being angry at him.

* The fight against the pirates and samurai in Bakura Town gets extended a fair bit in this episode. Luffy throws Nidai Kitetsu's scabbard around again, repeating the thing he did before. * This episode noticeably has a bunch of brief flashbacks to previous episodes. Anime episodes do this all the time to easily eat up like, ten or fifteen seconds of runtime. But I felt this one was particularly noticeable since it's to the previous episode which we already had a recap segment of before the episode begun. * Ball-de-boo!

* We get an adorable crayon drawing memory when Luffy remembers Zunisha one-shotting Jack's fleet. * Luffy and Zoro's synchronized neck-crick is pretty fun. Also fun is their super-speed when they simultaneously rescue Tama and steal the food barge. The question is, where is this super-speed when they were bamboozled by Batman and Gazelleman? * Unlike the anime, Holdem is able to turn his sword into a flaming segmented sword. It's like Zabimaru from Bleach, but on fire! * We get an extra scene of a random goon holding Kiku hostage and Zoro locking eyes with her and saying "I'm not going to help you", knowing full well she's pretending to be a damsel in distress. * Speed also gets to do something here! She gets to shoot Armament Haki'd arrows at Zoro and Kiku! In the manga she doesn't do anything while this is happening. * REDDO HAAAAAWK! * God damn that's a very satisfying Red Hawk. Such a pretty-looking one! This was the scene that a friend showed me that got me excited to sit down and watch the Wano arc in anime format. From Holdem shooting a lion's fire (how does that work?) and engulfing Luffy, to Tama's yelling, to the zoom-in to Luffy's angry eyes, to the orb of flame dissipating, the zoom-in to Luffy's angry face, the impact, the music... it's just Luffy beating up Holdem, who means jack-all in the grand scheme of things, but what a badass Red Hawk.

And I think that's a neat place to stop off, with the initial Hawkins-Urashima-Holdem opening prologue to Wano done with. I'm not sure how often I'll update this little watch-along series, but I certainly am enjoying myself!

[littleeyesofpallas]

Bleach - Snake Name Games

Still mulling over where exactly I want to take this series of posts [1][2] after being asked about interesting zanpakutou names.  I was just gonna do a short blurb about Sarugaki Hiyori’s Shikai at first, but there are a lot of weird vaguely adjacent characters, so this one’s going to be kind of aimless...

Her sword is Kubikiri Orochi[馘大蛇], written with the kanji for 馘:“Decapitation,” 大: “Great”/“Big,” and 蛇:“Snake.”  Viz translates it as “Head-Slicing Serpent” which is kind of a weird choice, but other than missing a specific reference, it’s not technically that big a mistranslation.  But of course there is a reference, because Orochi [大蛇] isn’t just the words “Big Snake” it’s a reference to the mythological creature, Yamato-no-Orochi[八岐大蛇].

The Yamato-no-Orochi sees a lot of exposure in pop media.  It’s an enormous snake with 8 tails and 8 heads spanning the length of 8 hills and valleys, red eyes, and moss and cypress trees growing on it enormous back, and a belly that is constantly bleeding and inflamed.  The Orochi would annually devour the daughters of a village, until it was defeated by the god, Susanoo.  It was tricked into drinking itself to sleep and then beheaded eight times.  From its corpse, Susanoo retrieved the legendary sword, Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. 

The fact that the kanji 馘 isn’t commonly used makes it kind of confusing to parse as part of a name at a glance.  But I do recognize the more common, Kubikiri[首斬り] which is the noun “Beheading” (as in the act there of, not the verb) or just “Decapitation.”  But I’ve also seen it translated (granted with some liberties based on context) as “Executioner.”  Alternatively, Kubikiri[首切り] also means “Beheading”/“Decapitation” but apparently can refer to “a small samurai sword used for decapitation.”  So, I think the meaning that the name was supposed to convey was,

“Sword-for-Decapitating Giant[8-Headed]Snake”

...and not, “A Serpent that Slices Heads” the way Viz wrote it out.  Which makes sense given that the sword itself is a giant serrated cleaver/saw, appropriately sized for cutting off the head of a giant snake.  While the mistranslation would suggest her spirit to be the Orochi, this reading makes it sound more like her spirit is Susanoo himself?  Which is a curious idea...

But there's a little more going on here...  Because at some point or another, there became kind of a recurring trend of the Orochi being depicted as a white snake, which has vague associations with the Lady White Snake myth, from China.  In fact Hakujaden[白蛇伝]:“White Snake Story” (Arbitrarily localized in English as, “Panda and the Magic Serpent”) has a particular special place in Japanese pop culture as it was the first ever full color anime film, in 1958.  It was a big influence on an early generation of animators, including Miyazaki Hayao.

In it a young boy is accidentally involved with a magic snake being fed immortality granting medicine, which amplifies her existing magic by multiple lifetimes.  She is grateful to the boy for it, and after he grows up the two meet again, the snake being in the guise of a woman, and they fall in love. (That’s the real REAL short version anyway...)

And this is just me going out on a bit of a limb, but I feel like the random intersection of these two myths is where a lot of Orochi characters who are also shapeshifting humans comes from, because the actual Orochi never had this association with being a white snake, having magic powers, or taking on human form, yet it seems to be the prevailing role of Orochi characters in pop fiction.

Also, equally unrelated to the actual Orochi myth and the Lady White Snake myth, some renditions of the Orochi make it a fullblown dragon rather than just a monstrous snake.  I don’t know that this comes from anything in particular, other than just wanting to amp up the threat factor of the Orochi to make Susanoo look more triumphant as a hero...  There’s some possibility that it’s a conflation of the Nine-headed Dragon God, Kuuzuryuushin[九頭龍神].  Funny enough, I’ve seen Kuuzuryuushin drawn as a nine headed snake instead of a dragon as well...

In fact Kubo’s already has one character who seems to be associated with the Lady White Snake myth: Cyan Sung Sun.  Her Resurreccion, Anaconda is written with the kanji [白蛇姫]: “White Snake Princess,” which is a conspicuous name for anyone familiar with the very well known myth.  But I think we all remember someone else who is associated with White Snake imagery...  Ichimaru Gin.

There’s not actually a lot of word play with Gin and snakes.  His name is a homonym for “silver” like his white/silver hair, and his “fox-eyed” look is actually leverage to be more snake-like a lot of the time, so those two bits together kind of orbit around the idea of a White Snake theme.  And of course he spends most of the series living up to his cold-blooded, treacherous, viper-waiting-to-strike kind of persona.  But it’s not like he or his sword have any snake themes in their names.

Whether or not Kubo had plans for Hiyori to have a more substantial confrontation with Gin, we’ll never really know.  Sadly the one we got didn’t last long and wasn’t particularly exciting or satisfying.  But it was an interesting brief moment during the weekly publications.  And if anyone’s in need of some fanfic prompt, I’ve always been kind of fascinated by the idea that there could have been a parallel between Gin’s relationship with Rangiku and the boy and Lady White Snake of myth, with Gin in the role of powerful snake indebted to and in love with the normal mortal who unknowingly helped them gain great powers.

But while we’re on the subject...  There’s another white snake loitering around the Bleach franchise: One half of Zabimaru...  sort of...

This one is weird, because by all rights it was the anime, not Kubo, that set the precedent of Zabimaru having white fur and a white snake tail.  Zabimaru, btw, is a mythical creature called a Nue, which is supposed to have the head of a monkey, the legs of a tiger, body of a dog, and a snake for a tail.  Zabimaru doesn’t quite fit that full description, as it’s predominantly just a baboon with a snake tail, and Renji’s tribal tattoo pattern substituted in for tiger stripes.

But the one time Kubo actually colored in Zabimaru himself was part of a joke omake comic (where Renji and Hisagi find out, in the aftermath of Renji’s fight with Byakuya, that Mayuri can apparently perform cosmetic surgery to zanpakutou) and even though they’re only imagining a busty Zabimar as a punchline, Kubo made the fur what I think was supposed to be an olive green/grey, which matches the description of the Olive Baboon’s fur.  The anime sort of took that and drifted more green when they adapted the omake, and then drifted it even further when the Zanpakutou Rebellion filler arc brought zabimaru back...  In the end her fur looks both nothing like the original color and nothing like the anime’s white furred Zabimaru.

So, hand-in-hand with that, it seems kind of arbitrary that they made snake boy white, apart from the previously mentioned associations of Snakes-in-Human-Form as a trope and Lady White Snake.  But I figured if I didn’t mention it someone might ask, and oddly enough it is more of a coincidence than anything else, at least as far as I can tell.

Correction: I totally forgot, when Renji gets his True Name Bankai from Ichibe he appears to have a “mode” where the snake spine that is normally looped around his waist like a belt unfurls to the call, Orochi-ou[オロチ王]: “Orochi King.”  So there is a direct reference to the Orochi, although weirdly it’s only in kana and not kanji?  But I have no idea for what reason. And in any case, the second bankai came after the anime created snake boy, so it’s entirely possible it was just Kubo riffing off their continuity rather than something he’d had in mind when he made Zabimaru the first time.

Funny thing: Hiyori’s surname, Sarugaki[猿柿] is written with the kanji for monkey[猿], something she points out herself when she’s first introduced. (I did a whole rambling thing on the Visored’s names too, naturally...)  So she and Renji both have associations with monkey and orochi imagery.  It’s kind of a shame Hiyori and Renji never even got to be in the same room for their wild type routines to interact.

[zotash]

I'm going to start off and say that I full heartily pair Zoro and Tashigi and I also believe they may be a slow burn pairing. However, I don't know why but I have this feeling that Mr. Oda is hinting that Hiyori and Zoro will end up together. They do parallel with Toki and Oden and I've also been told that Hiyori is supposed to be Zoro's romantic interest but who the hell knows at this point. What are your thoughts? 💖

Okay, it’s not my intention to judge other people’s ships so if anyone reading this ships Zoro and Hiyori, you go for it. Don’t mind me. Though my OTP will always be Zoro/Tashigi, I ship them both with other people too, so I’m not against the idea of supporting any new Zoro ship. But when it comes to Zoro/Hiyori, I personally don’t much like this pairing nor see potential in it. I’ll try to explain why.

Though first I’d like to ask you about “They do parallel with Toki and Oden” and “I've also been told that Hiyori is supposed to be Zoro's romantic interest” because I’m like– uhm what? Where do these come from? I can’t comment on the second because unless you were told that by Oda himself, it’s just something another fan made up. As for the first, I’m trying but I really don’t see how Zoro and Hiyori would parallel Oden and Toki. Their dynamic is totally different, same for the circumstances in which they met. The only “parallel” I see is that Toki and Hiyori look and feel so similar that they are basically the same character, but that’s to attribute to Oda’s lack of originality for these two princess-y characters IMO.

The way I see it, the first part of Wano – the one set on the main island – is basically a big Edo jidai homage from Oda. He crafted this homage by using many tropes he took from mythology, folklore or classic Japanese movies and put into the story. Zoro’s initial role in Wano was that of the rōnin, the wandering samurai without a master. He was basically a walking trope. And what do rōnin do in movies? They kill the evil magistrates (check), gamble (check), travel by boat drinking sake (check), side with the oppressed population (check), duel with bandits on bridges (check), save the damsel in distress and are repaid (check)... Like I said, tropes.

I see rōnin-Zoro saving princess Hiyori (and Toko) and being repaid by being bandaged up, fed, and even given a new sword as Oda’s take on a well-established Edo jidai trope, that the author also used to introduce the character of Hiyori to us. I personally didn’t see any intention from Oda to set up anything romantic or even long lasting between the characters with those scenes.

I’ve seen some people say Hiyori has a crush on Zoro because of how she blushes and behaves around him. But to be honest, Hiyori is often drawn with a “cute” blush even when she’s not interacting with Zoro; and the way she clung to Zoro is no different from how she clung to Kawamatsu. That’s just her nature.

As for Zoro, I never saw any hint from him that he might be interested in her. It seems his main reason for staying with her the last time we saw them together was because she’s Momo’s sister and he felt a duty to protect her. After Kawamatsu joined them and took on the role of Hiyori’s protector, Zoro just left her side.

I also don’t think Zoro and Hiyori are a good fit, from what I’ve seen so far. I don’t think a cute, meek princess who does things like apologizing for being a burden (sigh) would be Zoro’s type. Here’s a post I recently reblogged that talks about this “type” thing. I agree with @neomarines​ that Zoro needs someone that challenges him – both mentally and physically – as his partner. How would Zoro and Hiyori’s hypothetical couple life be? What do they have in common? How can they develop each other’s potential? I personally can’t imagine any interesting couple dynamic between them.

Hiyori is a character clearly tied to Wano that I expect to stay there once this arc is over, to care for her people and help her brother rule. That’s what every princess in One Piece has done so I don’t expect her to be different, especially when she has shown to be very attached to her country and expressed no desire to leave. So her becoming even more of a replica of her mother, being a stay-at-home lady while Zoro travels the world like Oden is frankly a scenario I’d dislike.

Finally, from an author/fandom perspective, it's not very typical of shōnen authors to have a main character end up with a side character that was introduced 21 years into the story in one of the final arcs. It'd feel like a last-minute decision to many fans, and casual fans wouldn't even remember this one-arc-only Hiyori character Zoro ended up with. That's one of the reasons I think Zoro/Tashigi is more likely to happen, because Oda has been developing their relationship since Loguetown, and Tashigi is a beloved and established character.

I do agree that Zoro and Hiyori are an aesthetically pleasing pairing when Zoro is in his rōnin outfit. But that’s about it. Just aesthetic. And the badass-sword-couple aesthetic of ZoTash is still superior IMO.

I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m not Hiyori’s biggest fan either. She’s been a bit of a disappointment for me since she shed the Komurasaki persona and I hope Oda will give her something more to do yet. I also don’t find her particularly original or interesting as a character especially when compared to the other Wano ladies.

So yeah, these are my thoughts so far. Of course they might change in the future depending on how the story develops, but so far Zoro/Hiyori is a no-no for me.

[shupadoop]

Quarantine (or Confessions under Duress)

@inukag-week Implied smut ahead. Length: roughly 5.5 pages “No, Inuayasha, we can’t go back!”

“Because of some stupid cold? It’s nothing! You see I’m fine!”

“But Sango, and Miroku, and Shippo might not be if we go back. Look, I know it’s hard to take a threat seriously if you can’t sense it, especially since people didn’t know very much about disease in your time, but please believe me it isn’t safe.”

“You said yourself lots of people are recovering. Our friends are strong, they’ll be fine. Let’s go back to hunting Naraku!”

“Sit!”

“Look, our whole view of health is different now. In your time people couldn’t travel very far and they got used to things that were near them. Their bodies and their knowledge developed with what was nearby. Kaede knows how to heal battle wounds, and what herbs are good for which poisons, but in my time people travel across the entire world every day. I have fruit in my kitchen that Kaede will never see in her lifetime. Everywhere around us are tiny things that we eat and breathe. The tiny things in my world are completely different from the ones in yours. You probably haven’t noticed because as a demon you’re strong enough that small changes in your environment won’t affect you, but I bet if you came here on a human night you’d feel different than you do in your time. Lots of people are getting really sick from this disease. Healthy people who are used to living here and now. Whose bodies are used to this environment. If we take this disease back we’d be letting it loose on villagers who have no immunity to anything like it. It could devastate your whole era, Inuyasha!” the thought of causing such a tragedy nearly brought her to tears.

“Okay, okay, don’t cry. We’ll stay here. How long until we can go back?”

“I don’t know. It could be months.”

“MONTHS!?”

———————————————————————

The tension growing between them was exhausting. She understood Inuyasha’s restlessness, but it was getting on her nerves. It wasn’t like she loved being stuck inside all the time, but she was making an effort to use the circumstances as best she could. It was particularly lonely since it was just the two of them. The rest of her family went visiting out of town before she came home and were now trapped in their own right. She longer to see her grandfather, to talk to her mother, to tease Souta. The tense silence between her and Inuyasha was more than she could handle right then.

“Hey, why don’t we watch a movie?”

“A movie? What’s a movie?”

“It’s like a play, but someone recorded it so we could watch it later.

”Inuyasha didn’t reply. She could watch a movie at least, and distract herself for a while. She pressed the first tape she could find into the machine and settled on the couch; determinedly staring at the TV and ignoring Inuyasha’s continuing sulk.

“I was just your typical teenage girl - until my 18th birthday that is, when I discovered I was a witch.”

“A witch!?” In one swift move Inuyasha had drawn his sword and stepped into the glare of the screen.

“Inuyasha, stop! It’s not real; it’s just a story.”

“Bah.”

“Come on, put that away.”

But he was transfixed by the quick-paced colours on the screen. How could somebody draw so realistically? How could they fit so many pictures in that little box?

Kagome put a hand on his shoulder. “Back up, I can’t see.”

Still transfixed Inuyasha sheathed his sword and sat on the couch.The tension Kagome had hoped to ease with the digital distraction greatly intensified when the main character had a steamy birthday makeout session with her crush. When Kagome grabbed a random movie, it hadn’t occurred to her how much worse a ‘90s romcom would make her situation. Naturally, being a teenager, and it being the ‘90s, that was pretty much all she had on hand.

She gazed intently at a bird out the window, carefully avoiding looking at her equally embarrassed companion. But she couldn’t keep her thoughts still.

Look at this girl, living her best life. I’ve never been kissed at all, definitely not like that. If only I was being held like that. If only Inuyasha would hold me like that…

Inuyasha, red as a beet, found himself unable to look away from the graphic scene. His normal defence mechanism in these situations was normally for his mind to blank, but he, like Kagome, felt he was missing something the characters had.The scene ended, and the pair on the couch eventually decided it was safe to look at each other again. As the movie went on they were able to relax and the discomfort from earlier was forgotten. That is until the next bit of romance came on the screen. And this time the characters were undressing.

“What the Hell?! Who would watch something like this!? Is everybody in your time a pervert?!”

Inuyasha thought if this was how people told stories in Kagome’s time, no wonder she liked the feudal era so much.Kagome jumped up, and fumbled for the remotes on the coffee table as she tried to answer.

I haven’t even been kissed. Who knows if I’ll ever do that. At this rate I’ll die alone.

“Well, some people like to imagine themselves in her shoes, I guess. Especially if they don’t have a boyfriend themselves.”

Kyah, when did we get so many remotes!? Where is the fast-forward button? When did the label rub off? Will this scene ever end!?

It was Inuyasha’s turn to avert his gaze. He kept his face turned fully to the blank wall beside him. Beneath his disgusted exterior, in the deepest corner of his mind, he wondered when he would get to do that with someone - with Kagome.

Something smells different.

Inuyasha glanced at Kagome, who had given up on skipping the abrasive scene and had her eyes closed in a long sigh.

She smells different. It’s raw and intense. What is it?

Dawning slowly seeped into him. This movie had aroused something in her. This deepened Inuyasha’s blush.

Kagome resignedly sat back down on the couch, on the middle cushion this time, instead of the far one.“Hey, what are you doing? Why are you getting so close now?”

“What? I wasn’t!”

Kagome jumped a cushion over and Inuyasha immediately regretted saying anything, but his fear of intimacy made him panic when she was so near. Particularly right after that.After the interrogation Kagome’s musky smell started to dissipate and the rest of the movie passed uneventfully, both of the viewers too distracted to really notice what was happening on screen.

“Okay, well, guess it’s bedtime. Good night Inuyasha.”

“Uh - good night.”

When her family was around Kagome preferred Inuyasha to sleep in her room, sitting on the floor by her bed, poised to defend her if something nefarious found its way into her room. But alone, she felt it too scandalous. She changed and crawled into bed, but struggled to sleep.

Well, that definitely made things worse. How can I look him in the eye now? I barely could before that disaster.

Little did she know on the other side of the hall Inuyasha was kept awake by slightly different thoughts.

That moo-vie. She was excited during that moo-vie. All I can think about is her intoxicating smell. If we watched it again would she react the same way?

——————————————————————

The following day Kagome was able to avoid Inuyasha by burying herself in cooking. She wasn’t sure what he was doing upstairs, but she was grateful for the respite. Eventually Inuyasha came down when she called him for lunch.

“Hey, so I thought we could watch another movie. But don’t worry, I found one that’s all about samurai fighting. No romance at all.”

He determinedly stared at the bowl of ramen Kagome had placed in front of him as he answered “that’s okay. We could watch a moo-vie like yesterday’s. We see plenty of real-life fighting anyway.”

“Oh. Uh… okay.”

After lunch Kagome put on another romcom.

I wonder what’s with Inuyasha. I know he has a soft side, but I’ve never seen him ask for an emotional moment before.

Occasionally Inuyasha would glance at Kagome, particularly during romantic scenes, but he never noticed more than small blush. How disappointing.

If we keep watching movies surely another one will excite her. Maybe iI’ll be luckier next time.

Nope.

The time after.

Nuh-uh.

Come on, this time?

No.

“Inuyasha, we’ve run out of movies.”

Maybe it wasn’t the TYPE of movie Kagome liked, but that specific movie.

“That’s okay, Kagome, we can watch the first one again.”

“Oh, uh, sure.”

When the got to the sex scene that had flustered them so badly before, Inuyasha stared intently at Kagome, holding in too much anticipation to even try to hide it this time.

“Well, Kagome?”

“Well, what?”

Inuyasha faltered “never mind” and went back to staring at the screen, thoroughly annoyed.

“I’m pretty surprised you wanted to watch this, twice even. I didn’t think you’d like it.”

“Of course I don’t, I’ve been sitting here watching these boring movies and you aren’t excited by anything!”

“Ex…cited?”

Shit. Why did I say that?

“Inuyasha? Why did you want to watch these with me?”

“The first time we watched this part… you…. uh…. you smelled different. Good different.”

“Excited different?” she joked. But when he cautiously nodded understanding hit her and she hid her face in her hands so Inuyasha wouldn’t see the sheer terror spreading across it.

He can smell that!? He knows when I’m… excited!? He must have known I was thinking about him! Or what if he didn’t and he’s jealous of imaginary guy? … Wait, he’s been watching movies with me just so…

Resolutely she straightened herself and looked Inuyasha in the eye. They looked at each other in silence and then -

“Kagome…” that smell.

She moved closer.

“Inuyasha, why have we been watching all these movies?”

“So I could smell you like this again.”

“Like what?”

“…Aroused.” he said in a tiny voice. But he gained some confidence when Kagome inched closer. “I want to be the one you’re aroused for. I love you, Kagome.”

“I love you too, Inuyasha.”

That night they stopped sleeping in separate bedrooms.

[mutated-green-things]

In Circles

I commissioned this picture from @shellsweet awhile ago and ended up writing a whole fic for it! Only I’m a slow well editor so I’m only just getting around to posting everything. I’ve been thinking about this idea, this story and image for a long time though, and wanted to make sure it was something special. Mostly for me if I’m honest, because I think about these two all the time, but also so I could give something special to everyone else who loves this ship.  Anyway, I hope you all like it, and again thank the amazing @shellsweet for the artwork. You can click the read more to look at the fic or you can simply go to the AO3 link here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20896832

Leonardo glanced up, stared for one, two, three beats, and then trained his eyes back onto the grass outside the farmhouse. April and Casey had chosen an amazing spot for their summer wedding, and though Leo and his brothers had drawn some seriously unwanted attention to the event, everything seemed to be gliding along smoothly now.

Music was playing, alternating between upbeat and slow. Paper lanterns hung from the large green trees and were filling the air with warm, buttery light. People, mutants, aliens were all talking, dancing, laughing. April and Casey were the spotlights of course, and their beaming faces just seemed to make the space glow even brighter. Michelangelo was dancing alone, but every time a fast, poppy song came on he'd tear up the floor and then bow for his adoring crowd.

Raphael and Donatello were even better off. Raph wasn't graceful, but Traximus must have learned how to dance somewhere because the way he led through every slow ballad looked effortless.

And though Donnie wasn't dancing with Leatherhead, they were both making eyes as they chatted in the corner, just outside of the lantern-lit grass dance floor.

Leonardo, well, he was watching it all unfold. He fit well into the shadows of the trees, and there was a lot to sit back and contemplate. Or worry about if he was being honest with himself. That attack had been troubling for starters. He was glad Karai had finally laid their vendetta to rest, but it seemed that even with the foot out of the picture, and even on a peaceful celebratory day, they'd always have enemies.

Worse was as much as Leo tried to focus his family's future, on strategy and battle plans, his mind and eyes kept wandering to the presence of a rather unexpected guest.

He still wasn't sure how April had gotten an invitation across dimensions to Usagi Miyamoto. The process of opening the portal must have been complicated enough. Leo could only guess how she had managed to hunt down that info. Mikey was his first guess, and that was only if his little brother had decided it was worth it to memorize the symbols and the chant. In the end, it mattered little how she'd managed it. Usagi was here. He'd shown up with a gift in his arms and a smile on his face.

A smile he'd directed at Leonardo. Leo had returned it despite his nerves. He was just glad that a customary greeting for Usagi was a bow. Leo's hands were already clammy enough without them touching. And after all the pleasantries and that crazy, dangerous, eventually calm ceremony, here he was, trying, and failing, not to stare.

Leo's choice to be on the exact opposite side of the dance floor was exactly that. A choice. His nerves and the way had been skirting around exactly what their relationship was had made the last few months... weird.

Usagi had been... well relieved seemed like understating things when he'd found out that Leonardo was still alive and had simply spent that past year locked away in the future. They had missed each other so much that Leo was sure the longing looks and subtle touches would come to a head.

That moment never came though. Usagi had seemed... hesitant, had looked away when one of them stared and pulled away at the briefest touch. Whatever doubts Usagi had reverberated, making Leonardo unsure, lost even. A few months ago he'd been confident in his feelings and Usagi's. He was just looking for the right time to confess. When Usagi shied away though, Leo began to doubt himself, and his confidence crumbled until he was left with what he had now. An awkward friendship and a lot of questions about what exactly the samurai had been thinking and feeling.

Leo flicked his gaze back up. Usagi was still there, chatting away with their other extra-dimensional guest, Gennosuke. Leonardo contemplated the rhino. He'd shown up with his own volition, inviting himself before Usagi could say no. Or at least that's what Usagi claimed when Leo and his brothers had given Gen strange looks.

Ugh no. Being confused was one thing, second-guessing Usagi's motivations and words was another. They were friends, no matter how messy Leonardo's feelings were at the moment.

Leo banished those thoughts and turned his mind outward, letting his gaze drift again. From Gen to the object of his tempestuous emotions. As he did, Usagi's eyes turned too, and for a few intense moments, they made contact. The soft light of the lanterns flickered against the pink of Usagi's irises. Leo was transfixed by the way the light moved, no danced in his gaze. Leo broke away. The cool, dark grass welcomed him, steadied him as his heart pounded in his ears and through his body. All he could focus on was the thump thump thump of it. He tried to take deep, calming breaths, but each one shook out of him as he lifted his head again. Usagi wasn't there. Gen looked perplexed, and Leonardo found himself even more confused.

He scanned the crowd for Usagi, head whipping here and there, but the stark white of his pelt was just... gone. He wondered briefly if that stare had made things worse, if Usagi had perhaps left the party early, left this world even. Leo was about to accept that theory, about to stop looking, when soft footsteps against soft grass drew his attention.

He spun, hands on his swords. It was the natural reaction of a warrior, and he's unsurprised to find Usagi mirroring him, a hand tightly clutched around the hilt of his katana. Of course, as soon he recognized the white fur and wry smile, Leo dropped his hands to his sides. "Usagi-san."

Usagi dropped his fighting stance too and then frowned. "Leonardo. What are you doing out here?"

I could ask you the same thing. Except he couldn't when Usagi has asked him to drop the formal 'san' so many times he'd lost count, and when he was certain why Usagi was there. So instead, he tried for a half-truth that seemed believable. That seemed the most like Leo. "Watching over the party. I just want to make sure we don't have to deal with any more funny business."

Usagi paused and blew out an amused breath as the wry smile slid back into place. This time though, there was a sadness behind it. A little dimness in the fire that sparkled there. "Can't you do that while celebrating the happy couple? Or at least a little closer to the festivities?" Usagi stepped closer, not waiting for permission to lean into the tree Leo had chosen as his lookout spot.

Leonardo didn't scoot away. He was tempted to at first, but his mental conflict left him indecisive, so he ended up staying put, close enough for their shoulders to just press together. Not much, but enough so Leo could feel Usagi's presence rather than just sense it. That alone was enough to make his head spin, so it took him several moments to realize he needed to say *something*. "I uh..." He could only manage that at first, but he cleared his throat, and more words tumbled out. "This gives me a better vantage point. To spot anyone sneaking in from the woods."

Usagi didn't protest, nor did he comment on the pauses. "True enough. But perhaps I could stay here and watch for you. I promise I'll be vigilant."

Leo didn't doubt that. Truthfully Usagi's long years of spotting ninja made him an exceptional lookout for their tricks, maybe even better than Leo himself. They've discussed many a time how much knowing a ninja's mind factored into thwarting them. "I know but..."

Leo tried to think of an excuse, but all he kept coming up with is the fact that the person he wanted to celebrate with was right next to him.

"But?" Usagi prompted.

"I have no one to dance with." It wasn't the truth, but it was close enough that when he looked at Usagi, his pink eyes widened just the littlest bit.

"Michelangelo? He seems..." Mikey had taken a break, breathing heavily and drinking water as he waited for another jumpy techno number to come on, but they'd both seen his moves.

Leo shrugged. "He always outperforms me here. I don't have the rhythm to keep up with him. Plus, we can't exactly dance together to every song." Leo splayed out a hand, referencing the couples swaying in the soft light.

"I see."

Another pause filled with beats and melodies, ballooning out and out until neither of them could stand it.

"I'm sorry Leonardo-"

"Usagi I understand-"

They stared into each other's eyes, stunned for one, two beats, and then they laughed together softly. Leonardo was struck by that laugh, by how much he missed the warm connection that used to hang between them. Before things had gotten messy. Before he'd been filled with doubts.

Usagi spoke through his last couple chuckles. "I suppose we have a lot to talk about. I... just wanted to apologize Leonardo. I know..." he trailed off and stared at his hands, fiddling with the fur between his paw pads. "I know I've been cold recently. It was an overreaction on my part. I did not... I still want to be your friend. I want to be close like before. I just hope you can forgive the way I backed away from you."

"I understand." Leo tried those words, but they sounded wrong coming from his mouth. "Well I don't, not really. But I..." He looked over Usagi. He seemed to shimmer in the dim light. Pink eyes and glowing fur dyed soft orange and yellow by the flickering flames. "I want your friendship Usagi. I always have. And I will gladly give mine if that's truly all you want."

Usagi nodded, but it seemed weak, sad again, the light dimming as he forced a smile. It wasn't enough, or maybe Leonardo just didn't want to believe it. He reached out, setting his heavy, calloused hand on Usagi's soft shoulder. Leo spoke as they gazed into each other's eyes. "No, Usagi. Is that really all you want?"

"I..."

"Because if that's the case then I understand. I just. I need to know."

Usagi kept his gaze focused on Leonardo's face, searching it, eyes scanning each wrinkle, each small scar. Then he turned and watched the lights, and the dancing couples, the soft, slow music coursing through them.

When he looked at Leonardo again, his gaze was still sad, but there was a fire dancing again in his pink irises, a determination that made him reach up and touch the hand Leonardo had laid on his shoulder. The next couple moments were a little awkward, as Usagi tried to tangle their fingers together, but eventually, they managed the spacing, and for the first time they were tangled together intimately.

Leo looked at him, dumbstruck, but smiling. Usagi was smiling back and then speaking, each word sugared with excitement, contentment. "I saw your interest from a mile away. Even before I started... dropping hints that I felt the same." Leo beamed at that. He'd been right after all, and the confirmation made his chest, his shell fill with bubbling warmth. "But we are friends, and what started forming between us. The long looks, the letters, the way you'd sigh and smile just being in my presence. That was equal parts amazing, and terrifying." The warmth stops, still there, but held with trepidation. Terrifying? Why?

Usagi didn't let go of Leonardo's hand as he dropped his gaze to the grass. "I have told you how my last relationship ended, but I don't know if you knew how close a friend Mariko was before she became my lover. Moreover, you do not know of the countless people my pilgrimage has led me away from. The path I walk is usually lonely, Leonardo, and I was afraid that, and the complications of romance, would leave our friendship torn and tattered. I'm still afraid, in fact. I..." He turned his eyes back up, that determined blaze shining again. "I want more. I do. I won't lie to a friend. But I also still fear losing one because of my desire."

Leonardo mulled on that for several moments, not moving, still holding onto Usagi like a lifeline. "We're you afraid that you were seeing things? That your attraction was blinding you and making you think..."

"Niceties were flirtations?" Usagi finished the question, then shrugged. "Of course. All the time."

"And you worry jealousy or anger or fear or the simple march of time may drive us apart?"

A simple nod.

Leo looked out, past the party, past the lights, into the dark forest beyond. His gray-blue eyes grew dark and heavy, stormclouds billowing inside them. "I fear it too. I fear I'll make mistakes. I fear my responsibility as a leader, as a brother may become more important than you. I fear I will drive you away, or worse, hurt you."

"But..." he looked back at Usagi. The storm behind his eyes calmed. "If we share that much. Then I can assume you feel what I feel. The electricity in the air, right now, just from touching you this much. The way your chest gets tight and warm and feels like it will burst when I tell you I feel the same way you do. The way your lungs clutch for breath when our eyes meet. The hunger in your gut to touch more, to hold and squeeze me close." He took a staggering breath. Then spoke, asked with desperation behind each word. "You feel that too, right?"

Usagi Miyamoto was rarely speechless. He didn't ever run his mouth, no he was far too polite for that, but he'd always had a talent for putting the right words in the right places. Now though, with yearning the only thing in Leonardo's face, in his words, he could only gulp down his nerves and nod. Leonardo clasped his other hand over Usagi's, and held it tenderly, carefully. Like a fragile treasure.

Leo smiled, and the amusement danced up into his eyes. "So we've been torturing ourselves, scared and worried at what the other might say. Which definitely seems like us."

Usagi's little laugh made Leo's heart and stomach flip places. "Yes, the two of us, always so determined to suffer in silence."

Leonardo took just a moment to rearrange his body back into place, just a breath, and then he continued. "Yes and..." He had to keep his stare down at his own hands clasping Usagi's. His bright smile was too much. It kept leaving Leo speechless. "And if we were to step away. To stay too scared to try. Well, then we'd still suffer. We'd question every day if we let a golden opportunity slip through our fingers."

"So..." Usagi said it tentatively, but when Leo glanced up, his eyes looked so bright and sure.

"So we try it. We get closer than ever before. We..." Leo didn't turn his head, but his eyes flicked back to the party. "We dance?"

Usagi laughed again, and gods above it was worse this time. Leo had to remind himself to breathe. "That sounds like a good start yes."

So they stood. Their nerves, overflowing emotion, and the soft light made it all seem surreal to both of them. A dream neither wanted to wake from. But with their hands still entangled, they walked down the hill, to the dance floor. It welcomed them with warm lights and knowing smiles. Mikey even winked at them. Not that the teasing mattered. Leonardo was too happy to be embarrassed, and Usagi only had eyes for his dance partner. They would care later, when the slow music, the glowing lanterns, and the sensation of sliding close, of soft fur against coarse scales, had faded away. All they could think about in that moment was the fact that now, finally, their futures were tied together.

[storywonker]

Warning: long post about a video game

I read this post by @the-grey-tribe (I have no idea why I can’t tag them; I know we have mutuals in common, though, so hopefully they’ll see this) and wondered why I’ve had such a different reaction to Ghost of Tsushima and its treatment of the Samurai class, because I interpreted the game as being largely negative towards the idea of Samurai in general, although their post made a bunch of extremely cogent points.

And to explain this dichotomy (and why I think they’re right but also the game does make significant critiques of the idea of samurai, or at least its own notion of the idea of samurai) I’m going to have to invoke the dreaded term ludonarrative dissonance.

(this post will contain full spoilers for the entirety of Ghost of Tsushima’s story)

Because they’re right; Ghost of Tsushima is full of Samurai Cinema tropes, in a way that does, as I understand it, a bunch of Japanese conservative and nationalist myths about the Samurai and Japanese history.

Hell, it isn’t even accurate to its time period - the style of sword Jin uses dates to at least a couple of centuries after 1274, haiku in the form the game presents them appear centuries later (and aren’t called Haiku until the late 19th century!) and the game’s notion of Bushido never really existed, but the tropes it draws on are Edo-period at the earliest.

But the game uses them anyway, and has the swirling leaves, the cherry blossoms, the haiku (at the end of the game you literally compose a death poem), the one-stroke battles, the katana. The moment-to-moment gameplay is waving its hands at Japanese historical movies and going “look at those Samurai! Aren’t they fucking awesome?”

The game’s story, meanwhile, is waving its hands at Japanese historical cinema and going “look at those Samurai! Aren’t they fucking useless?”

Because the game’s story is, insofar as it has a coherent notion of what a Samurai is, very much against that notion. There are three major Samurai characters in the game, and one who is of the Samurai class but not a Samurai: 

Our protagonist, Jin Sakai (or I guess Sakai Jin but the English dub, which I played, uses western name order)

His uncle, Lord Shimura, who is very much the stand-in for the ‘traditional’ order and the Samurai class

Sensei Ishikawa, an archery master

Lady Masako Adachi, whose husband is the first person the game shows dying, and who isn’t a samurai by virtue of being a woman

Of these, the two other Samurai in the game, but especially Lord Shimura, are defined in the story by failing at the things they attempt. In fact, Lord Shimura only succeeds two things in the game’s story, and only does so with Jin’s help and by co-opting non-japanese technology in one case and the help of a non-Samurai (Yuna, who the game sets up in opposition to the Samurai class) in the other.

Further, the game takes specific time to show that Lord Shimura’s failures directly stem from the ‘Code’ he keeps emphasising to Jin. The game’s villain, Khotun Khan, gives this monologue  to Lord Shimura as his first major speech, and the game bears it out. The Khan beat Lord Shimura because he learned from his opponents, understands them, and will continue to beat Lord Shimura because Lord Shimura refuses to do the same - because his honour code won’t let him. Hell, Shimura gets all bar three of Tsushima’s samurai killed in the first scene, because he sends a Samurai out to duel a Mongol champion before the battle is joined (not how the battle at Komoda went historically), and the Khan goads him into a rash charge by setting that champion on fire, then killing him. He’s then immediately captured, and Act 1 is about freeing him.

Shimura almosts gets all his reinforcements killed in Act 2 because he’s about to be drawn into an almost identical trap and brands Jin a traitor for circumventing the trap by poisoning the Mongol troops.

(the game isn’t particularly jazzed about that use of poison, I should note; the Khan immediately reverse-engineers it, uses it to commit atrocities against civilians, and plans to use it to invade the mainland. It’s actually a reasonably neat illustration of why chemical warfare is a taboo - but the game still doesn’t come down on Lord Shimura’s side about it)

Jin’s horse is also killed while Jin escapes Shimura, in what’s quite an affecting scene. When he does show  up in Act 3, Shimura is late to the final battle. The troops you lead to defeat the Khan are peasants who are former rebels, warrior monks, and your own compatriots, only one of whom is a Samurai.

It’s because Jin does learn from the Mongols and the people the Samurai class disdain that the Khan considers him a much larger threat than Shimura, and it’s also because of that that Shimura disowns Jin and eventually tries to kill him. 

The game’s epilogue is a confrontation with Lord Shimura - because the Shogun has decreed his death for showing the people of Tsushima that they perhaps don’t need Samurai to defend them.

(the specific line, from memory, is something like “and now that you’ve shown them how to win battles, you think they’ll go back to being obedient peasants?”)

The game ends on a moral choice, the only one it has. The one that results in the post-game starting with clear blue skies and tweeting birds, the one that has Jin strike a hopeful tone when the post-game begins?

It’s the one where, when Lord Shimura, defeated, asks for the honour of a Warrior’s death, Jin refuses. He says “I may have no honour, but I will not kill my family”, and then literally and symbolically walks away from the Samurai.

This, and I want to reiterate this, is the game’s good ending.

The sidequest aren’t any kinder to Lord Shimura either; they make a point of noting that, under Shimura’s rule, there has been an active rebellion that apparently killed Jin’s father, massive bandit problems that almost killed Jin, an entire pirate village flourishing a day’s ride from Lord Shimura’s castle, and a slaving ring. If the Samurai code is how good rule is ensured, it sucks.

(Sensei Ishikawa’s story, meanwhile, is all about hunting down his former student, who he’s taught archery to; his teaching methods cause her to turn on him and defect to the Mongols. His previous student became a rebel against his clan. Again, a massive failure for a member of the warrior aristocracy)

In gameplay, too, things are slightly muddied - most of the new techniques you learn are explicitly framed as Jin learning things that his Samurai training hasn’t taught him; the one exception is archery, but all the stealth stuff, the Ghost tools, even the sword stances, are framed as him learning non-Samurai things. Even the sword stances are earned through observing, fighting, and reverse-engineering the styles of Mongol leaders.

So while I think Ghost of Tsushima very much is ~problematic~ in the way a lot of people are framing it, it isn’t necessarily straightforwardly so, and Sucker Punch do set up a critique of Samurai as an idea and an ideal within the game itself.

[eveninglottie]

hello i am interested in some more deets about song of sunder 👀

WELL SINCE YOU ASKED smash cut to about two years ago when I was so badly wanting to play dnd that I just threw seven characters into a half-baked world and played pretend with myself (I’m not kidding there was actual dice involved). since then it’s been brewing in the back of my head and I only really started to think about it seriously last year. I’m sure some of it comes from my obsession with CR and my fic brain going “dothisdothisdothis” because it’s very much a ‘formative text’ for me, but it’s been this nice little feel good place for me to go back to, especially this year. 

it’s actually at the top of my list in terms of what I’ve been thinking about diving into (since I apparently cannot write fic anymore lol it’s fine), and I’ve been working on it a lot recently just fleshing out the world and the character arcs. 

though, one of the things I have been considering seriously is just how you write a story like this, in a format meant to be read rather than experienced like any other dnd campaign. like is it just seven povs with separate chapters (a la game of thrones) or, and this is the one I’m drawn to but have no idea what it would turn out like, is it a story told from a third person omniscient narrator, weaving interchangeably through perspectives just like a dm would do in an actual game. like a screenplay but with prose. dnd is such a subjective experience, and while a lot of people have had success adapting liveplays to other visual mediums, like animation or graphic novels, I’ve never seen someone do it in fiction. I especially have never done it lol. I only ever write from distinct povs and switch them out, so this would be hard. maybe. I haven’t actually tried it yet. 

the story itself is pretty standard high fantasy dnd, a ‘sundered’ world where the planes all kind of smushed up against each other (familiar? :P) with a bunch of different factions and nations and secrets and wars and people trying to be gods and all that jazz, with a group of assholes thrown into the mix to become big damn heroes (the bones of the world are actually what I used to flesh out DW but shh don’t tell anyone). every arc (9, one for each character and a beginning and an ending) would open with ari, the bard, almost like she’s telling a story to the reader. 

my pie in the sky ideas for it would be some kind of serialized fiction, if I could get my ass in gear to actually do it. I’ve thought about how amazing it would be to do an audio drama one day with different voice actors and music and sound effects and all that shit, like oh my god do I want to do that. I have no idea how to do that, obviously, but that would be The Dream. I’ve even gone so far as to pick out a theme song, because I clearly don’t have enough things to worry about in my life. 

(it’s a lullaby, like a story, told by a siren, like a bard, get it, get it)

and because I’m feeling indulgent and I spent all day making these face refs (thank you, you little monster) the aforementioned assholes (they all have multiple classes and subclasses because I have the Too Much gene): 

ari (ariannai), an autumn eladrin bard/druid (college of glamour and lore/circle of dreams) from the feywild, soft and sweet and perfectly capable of gutting anyone who tries to fuck with her, has a gold pseudodragon familiar named trill whom she loves like a child, plays a masterful mandolin, her voice is magic (literally), actual snow white, leliana and josephine were huge inspo for her

kayd, a human fighter/warlock (eldritch knight/hexblade and undying) from the frozen north, a charming sailor with a thirst to prove himself (listen I love fjord a lot okay) and a cursed sword (don’t worry about it), likes purple and flirting with everything that moves, frequently gets into trouble because of this, but he can talk his way out of a jail cell (and has!) so it’s been fine so far (don’t think about the cursed sword)

verity, a half-tiefling/half-drow monk/rogue (way of shadow/assassin and soul blade) from the shadowfell, a ruthless thief and a terrible shit-starter running from a dark past, she has a pet rat named poe and loves gossip, looks like a child but is actually the oldest in the group, knife girl, her horns are tiny enough to fit in a hood but not tiny enough to fit in with her elvish family so that sucked but hey they’re all dead now so who came out on top in the end

esher, a human artificer/fighter/sorcerer (battle smith/gunslinger/phoenix soul) from a bustling white city on a hill, an obnoxious noble with a long lineage and a complete disregard for politics and propriety and his own privilege (he’s a younger son so he’s usually left alone and ignored and that’s fine, obviously), he loves nerd shit and his ancient owl, hornsby, and sometimes he sets things on fire with his fingers which would be fine only he sets things on fire with his experiments as well so things are on fire a lot around him

goya (goyzadara), a half-orc/half-elf fighter/paladin/ranger (samurai/oath of the ancients/beast master), a princess in exile, honorable to a fault (which is why she was exiled), big into history and politics, finds a baby gryphon and immediately goes to pieces, Disaster Sword Lesbian, likes embarrassing men by kicking their asses in fighting rings, though she never takes the money, because she’s noble like that, has a weird obsession with dragons, does embroidery in her free time to chill out, can’t cook for shit

sabrathan, a scourge aasimar blood hunter/ranger/sorcerer (order of the ghostslayer/monster slayer/divine soul), a half feral girl from the woods who knows way too much about how to disembowel monsters three times her size, skittish and intense and maybe an angel but don’t ask her about it or she will disappear for a few hours and come back with an elk for dinner, never seen out of the company of her crossbow or her sickles, more comfortable around animals than people

theo (theoderic), a human sorcerer/wizard (runechild/school of chronurgy and conjuration and transmutation (he’s a special snowflake)), the smartest person you will ever meet and he knows it, socially awkward and unnervingly quiet, not actually an asshole just neurodivergent (but also sometimes an asshole), craves Phenomenal Cosmic Power and affection, has anime hair and terrible handwriting, Gay as Fuck

their group name would be Sirenox (the name of the last dragon seen in Sunder over five hundred years ago, whose final act was to grant a group of adventurers a boon to stop an archlich from plunging the land into eternal darkness), and I love them all very much, and definitely already have full romance arcs fleshed out for all of them, because that’s more important than worldbuilding, obviously.

so anyway there you go, my own little dnd campaign that I will probably never write, just think about wistfully until I die 

[emilyrhymeswithfelony]

Koi No Yokan

This is a Noragami Historical AU I adopted from @bloodredrubymoon with @watchmist1412 with Miko!Hiyori and God of Calamity!Yato based on events during the Hogen Disturbance of 1156. You can always read it on AO3 but I’m still learning to format there, and structure is rather important to my storytelling.

Rated T+ due to death and some adult situations. Historical and A/N at end of each chapter. Musical references will be noted before (if any).

...............................................................................................................................

I hardly know your voice And find that I am hanging on your every word Burned inside my brain And I must stop until we meet again

My Heart Got Caught on Your Sleeve by Lucius

Hiyori had grown into a respected miko, and the beauty of the village. It never ceased to amuse her how quickly adversaries were to underestimate her as an opponent solely on her appearance. Her brother was right all those years ago; she was indeed blessed to be born a woman. For every bandit or rogue samurai that saw her as a gift on a silver platter, she would have another enemy defeated at her feet. She took full advantage of her disarming looks, and hoped she was making her brother proud. 

A couple of Taira samurai had entered the village, and unfortunately began harassing the tavern maids. Hiyori had a boding premonition that morning of pain, and rushed through the town center to the scene, determined to remind these thugs that people were not meant for the taking. Accompanied by two of her sister shrine maidens, the group of rogues came into view. One had the tavern keeper pinned to the outside wall, while two others wrestled with two of the maids, speaking loudly of their disgusting wishes for them. This was not the first time they had samurai harassing their women and bullying their men.  Hiyori was not about to sit around and watch the brute showboating.

“For every honorable warrior, it seems there's always three more pieces of trash claiming the name samurai,” Hiyori spat at them.

“Such ugly words to come out of such pretty lips,” laughs one of the men holding a tavern maid, his hand tucked under the folds of her yukata at her chest.

“Remove your filthy hands from that woman, and show me what it can do with a weapon instead of an unwilling partner, swine.” Hiyori was finding it hard to check her anger at their brazen behavior in public, embarrassing and disgracing the innocent women she knew so well.

“Ha! You’d be so much more attractive if you didn’t speak.” The second thug holding a woman throws his victim to the ground, his hand resting on the area between his thighs. “Come here, and I’ll show you a better use for that mouth of yours.”

The man holding the tavern owner began to cackle. “Let’s show this shrine maiden and her friends how much better we can taste than their god.”

The bystanders watched with both apprehension and eagerness from their hiding spots, ready to witness their divine protector put the men in their place.

“Ami, Yamma, let me handle this. These guys make me sick.” Hiyori grips her short sword, her bow strapped to her back.

“I understand the feeling, Hiyori, but we aren’t going to let you have all the fun. You can have a head start, but that’s it.” They both nod to the focused miko.

“You hear that guys, she wants to dance with all three of us herself. Thirsty girl.”

All three men, having thrown their victims to the side, began to saunter towards their supposed victim.

Hiyori closes her eyes, and breathes in deep. She opens her eyes, releasing her held breath, and begins forward with breakneck speed.  She drops to a spin, catching the legs of the first samurai, swinging her bow down on his head with an echoing crack before spinning back on the ball of her foot to sweep the weapon forcefully up to his groin. She grins, satisfied, as he turns to vomit from the pain. Gracefully, her bow finds it way back to where it began, her short sword unsheathed. The second man was on her, swinging at Hiyori. She falls back to the ground to avoid the strike, immediately springing back as he completes his arc. Her hand brings the blade up with her momentum, slashing the tie to the thug’s clothes and leaving him exposed.“Seems only fair to me,” Hiyori bites out as she blocks a sloppy counter from the man, frantically trying to hold his clothes over his manhood. “Ami, Yamma! This one is yours!” She says with a kick to the half-naked man.

“Ew!”

“You shouldn’t have, Hiyori!” Her friends are on him in an instant, restraining and covering him.

The third man seemed to be the least skilled, waving his sword around as if twirling a baton for show. With the exception of a single wandering man, it was a miracle the rest of the town had stayed far enough away to avoid collateral damage.

A stray strike threatened to take out the man passing by, seemingly oblivious to the fray.  He wore a large brim hat, but surely he could see what was going on around him, or so Hiyori thought. She threw herself into the man’s back, pushing him free of the strike, yet putting herself directly in the swing’s path.  The sharp edge of the blade catches her sleeve, slicing the skin of her forearm underneath. It takes a few moments for the blood to escape the wound. Stunned by both the contact and the gesture, the man fixates on the young miko from his place on the ground, marveling that she had thought to save him. If his mind were running on all cylinders, he might’ve asked her, “Why?” or even managed a small “Thank you,” if not at least an offer to treat the wound she took for him.  Unfortunately for him, the young woman had not missed a beat, and was combating the samurai with more aggression than before. She was before the assailant in a flash, driving her elbow into his abdomen before immediately colliding her fist into his face with a twist of her arm. He was thrust to the ground squarely on his beckside with a fierce kick, and the sounds of a bow being drawn could be heard before another breath could be taken. 

“I think we’ve had enough fun for one day. You’re threatening bystanders now with your inept fighting. I suggest you leave before I start taking you seriously.”

Poised at each man, Hiyori had three arrows ready to finish the brawl for good.

The men began to scramble, hauling each other to their feet, and dragging themselves out of the town. Satisfied with the reactions, Hiyori turns to check on -- “Who was I looking for?” She couldn’t remember why she felt concerned, as if someone had been hurt. Wasn’t a bystander involved in the fight? Looking around, Hiyori furrows her brow in frustration, chasing her fading memory of a wide black hat and savoring the sweet smell in the air.  

“Oh, Hiyori! Your Arm!” As if those words were an incantation, Hiyori finally notices the pain, as she winces and inhales sharply through her teeth. The wound was superficial, not even touching muscle, and made with a clean, sharp blade. She knew it would heal quickly, and barely leave a scar.

“It’s not really that bad, Ami, no need to worry. It just stings is all.”

“I swear, those samurai would try to recruit you if you weren’t a shrine maiden, Hiyori,” a young woman with short blonde hair chimed in.

“Her mother suffered enough letting her train, Yamma, I don’t think she could survive Hiyori riding onto a battlefield,” commented the bespeckled girl with dark hair. Turning with a laugh at her mother’s perpetual dream for her noble-woman-to-be-daughter being shattered, Hiyori couldn’t help feeling as if she was forgetting something important. The girls were fussing over her arm, and began dragging her back to the shrine.  

“At least you won’t have a nasty scar for your wedding coming up this weekend!” Ami teased affectionately. 

Hiyori choked on the laugh she was forcing out. 

“I’ve asked you a hundred times, please stop calling it that! It’s my ascension ceremony, and as far from an actual wedding as you can get!”

Hiyori had completed her training, and that weekend they would participate in the rituals to recognize her as a priestess, a shamaness in full. Technically, there was a portion that imitated a wedding, symbolizing the connection between miko and kami, but Hiyori hardly considered this anything more than an old ritual. 

“I heard in the old days, the newly ascended mikos would claim the next morning to have actually consummated their marriage to their god!”

“Yamma!” Both Ami and Hiyori were completely aghast at their friend’s comment.

“Oh, come on! The way Hiyori holds out on guys, she probably wouldn’t settle for anything less than a god, anyway!”

Ami couldn’t help but blurt out a laugh at the comment. “You know, she has a point, Hiyori. You have never shown interest in men.”

“We aren’t supposed to be interested in guys while training!” Hiyori was desperate to defend herself against this tandem attack.

“Yeah, yeah, but they never said anything about getting something lined up for after training,” Yamma was relentless.

“I mean, we are just looking out for your future, right?”

“Not you, too, Ami!”

“We are merely human, dear Hiyori. Even the gods want to be loved, right?”

Hiyori opened her mouth to refute that statement, but found she had nothing to say. Seizing her opportunity to drive the point home, Yamma threw out the clinching argument; “Besides, even the sun kami, Amiterasu, came out of hiding for a little skin dance.” She wiggled her shoulders, bumping into the other girls as she did so and eliciting giggles from one of the two mikos. 

Adjusting her glasses, Ami delivers the final blow; “Our kagura is based on that story, so maybe you’ll lure a handsome kami out with yours!”

“I don’t know what to celebrate more; Hiyori’s ascension, or her finally finding a love interest!”

“I do not have to listen to this! You two are helpless!” Hiyori groans, eyes rolling as she stomps ahead of her two friends, huddled over in laughter. 

“We’re sorry, Hiyori! Just promise you’ll tell us how divine the touch of a god can be!”

Hiyori lets out a sound of disgust over her friends’ now howling laughter. She storms away while they continue to choke on their own mirth. They were her best friends, but they loved to poke at Hiyori’s sensitive spots. Anytime a new scholar or samurai came across their path, the two girls would try to provoke Hiyori into confessing her interest. It’s not that she didn’t find the men attractive or charming, but she always felt like there was something missing.  She was content just as she was, however, and wouldn’t feign interest for anyone who didn’t take her breath away. 

Hiyori stopped under the torii at the entrance to the shrine. She could see in the distance a twin structure standing in the middle of the water, sunlight bouncing off the arch. She took a deep breath, catching soft and sweet scents in the air. The wind was picking up as the sun went down.  It seemed like it might be stormy that evening. Perhaps her premonition that morning wasn’t regarding their encounter with the samurai trash.

.............................................................................................................................

Hiyori was pulled from her fitful dreams by a force pushing the air out of her chest. She hastily ties back the sleeves of her robe before reaching for her weapons, and rushing outside.  Something was very wrong.  

She feels a heavy force push against the barriers she set up along the edge of the village.  Whatever brought this pressure was not human.  The air hung heavy with the metallic and salty smell of blood.  Mercifully, a breeze picks up, and removes the stagnation, but brings with it something new.  Almost disguised by the smell of gore, something sweet, and mildly familiar lures her.  Following the smell and the source of the pressure, Hiyori runs into the lake and looks around frantically in the moonlight to find the source. Closing her eyes, she focuses on the perimeter of the town.  Her barriers remained intact, yet she could not shake the feeling of the night pressing down on her.  She hears nothing besides her own harried breaths, and the water lapping around her legs and robe. Warm drops hit her shoulder, staining the fabric a deep crimson.  She looks up to the single torii in the water as blood drips across her cheek from the blade of a sword.  Of all the monsters she has purged, and all the phantoms she has purified, nothing felt like his presence. He wore deep midnight robes with black hakama pants. A single sword gleamed in his hands, but she could see the shapes of more on his hip. The wide brim of his black hat shielded the top part of his face, but she could make out sharp features draped in curtains of black hair.  Though unseen, she could feel his eyes locking her in place. She was convinced she was caught in the gaze of death himself.  As if releasing a laugh, another drop falls from the blade onto her cheek, awakening her from the spell. Hiyori steadies herself against the presence above her, yet she does not raise her bow. For all she knew, she was in the presence of a god of calamity. It would be best not to tug on the tail of a sleeping dragon.  She speaks, finally finding her voice.

“Do you seek protection or destruction, my lord?” 

His eyes land on her forearm, exposed to wield her bow.  He sees the bandage, recognizing her wound from the altercation with the samurai scum. She must be the miko who erected the purification barrier, the one who protected this village, even at the cost of her own blood. There was something unnervingly alluring about her, as if the threads of fate became taught whenever she was close. He hadn’t expected her to confront him, but he didn’t mind being caught in her gaze.  

Hiiro had found him earlier that afternoon, shortly after he was knocked to the ground by the woman beneath him, claiming the father of a tavern maid wished for justice for the shame of being revealed before the whole town at the hands of Taira samurai. He didn’t resist this job, having seen the sins himself so recently.  The wish for revenge thrust upon him had been fulfilled, however, and he would expend himself no further.  The other fools clamoring about could kill themselves, and needed no help from him. People died, whether he interfered or not.  He had only ducked beneath the barrier that evening to avoid wasting energy.  He had never expected this fearless miko to peak his curiosity so much.  

“I do not think you wish to fight me, yet you do not grant me an answer.” 

He bites out a laugh at her polite impatience. Such fierceness for such gentle features. He tilts his head back, revealing a sly grin and his electric eyes.

“I’ve had my fill tonight. I merely wish to pass through.” Spring blossoms, he thinks.  That’s what her eyes remind him of. 

The intensity of the blue in his eyes freezes the air in Hiyori’s lungs. Has it been minutes or merely moments since she last took a breath? She takes a cautious step back, content to feign trust in this spirit with a destructive aura, and his promise to spare them in his few words.  She watches as he tips his hat back down, concealing his face once again. Freed from his gaze, Hiyori blinks, but opens her eyes to see nothing but the moon above the arch of the torii.  She lets out a breath she didn’t even realize she was holding, feeling almost disappointed to not have those blue eyes on her anymore.  A breeze picks up and plays with the wet ends of her robe and the soft fringes of her hair.  Beneath the salty scent of blood, the wind carried the sweetest smell.  

That night, sleep did not come easily. When it finally did come, the last thing Hiyori saw behind her closed eyes was a flash of blue sending her to sleep with a shiver.

[sasuhinasno1fan]

Snipets of a Red Ranger and Blue Ranger- Klance Week Day 4

I’m a simple girl, I see ‘Rangers’ I think Power Rangers and I am not sorry. And yes, it’s Samurai Rangers, I liked the season, sue me. @klanceweek​ Rangers, Cow, Lawless

Lance was restringing his bow, trying to tighten it without it snapping, which it had already done twice. Usually he wasn’t so distracted but he had a good excuse. What else was he supposed to do when he found out one of the biggest secrets the Red Samurais were hiding?

There was no easy was to explain his unique family line other than that they were the longest line of Power Rangers that existed. The appearance of some other Rangers, who hoped from the future to the past, had unintentionally unleashed another dimension filled with monsters known as Galra. Their world, the Netherworld, sat on the bank of the Sanzu River, water capable of destroying everything. A lord and his band of samurai went against these creatures and through their perseverance and using written talismans, they accessed the Morphing Grid, giving them the look and protection of the Ranger uniform and turning the talismans to Symbol Power. When the era of samurai ended, the lord made the samurai his retainers. And so, as time passed, the children would take their families place when it came time, defending their home. When the Red Ranger had first discovered a symbol to seal the Galra away, he was able to do so, allowing the group to split up and live not fighting for their lives.

They all eventually led back together back when his dad was his age. The seal had been cast again at the cost of the Red Ranger’s life, but it wasn’t strong enough. It became the next generations’ job to end this 19-generation long war. Lance didn’t think he’d be the one to be doing it. His main focus was to become one of the first biracial members of the Japanese Olympic archery team. He was close to, until every one of his siblings decided what they wanted mattered more and dumped the youngest with the responsibilities. His father tried to force him by stating that the Dragon Origami would only listen to Lance, but he that was a lie. Everyone else got off but because he was the last one, he had to obey orders. He put up a good fight, staying away from his family and proving himself to be Olympic material. But the seal officially broke the day of his biggest competition and even when he ignored the summons arrow, Lance was kidnapped by the Kuroko, the shadows who served the samurai families, and thrown into a car. He might not have wanted to be there, but he wasn’t an asshole who would walk away when people needed help. He did make his position very clear, his father had to get one of his siblings to take his place because he wouldn’t stay.

Once everyone heard his whole story, they were mostly understanding, including their leader Keith. Hearing him promise to talk to his dad almost seemed too good to be true but he’d heard him calling his dad. Then it made sense when Allura told him the big secret.

Keith, wasn’t born into the Red Ranger line, because the pervious Red and Pink ranger did the biggest no-no. they had a kid together. to make sure there was always a Ranger from each family line, they were instructed to not fall in love with one of their teammates. Keith was actually the kid of a Kuroko that somehow had caused the Lion Origami to react to him. Allura was technically the Red Ranger who could cast the Sealing Symbol. Her weekend shopping trips, were actually trips to a secret temple where ancestors of the same people who helped their lord discover the Sealing Symbol would teach it to her until it was perfect.

Keith was willing to help him, because technically he wasn’t supposed to be doing this either. He was just a stand in until the time was right. Lance still didn’t know what to do with this information. He was glad they trusted him with it, but it was only cause they all thought he’d be leaving.

“Lance?” Keith called from the other side of the door as he knocked. “Can I come in?”

“Yeah.”

Keith came in, closing the door behind him. He dropped down on Lance’s bed, looking at the mess of the low table that was covered in archery care stuff. “Guess I know why you disappeared after we got back from the baseball game.”

“It was a little league game and baseball makes no sense.” Lance threw out, feeling tense. He knew why Keith was here.

“So, Allura told me she talked to you when you guys were keeping an eye on the kid’s house.”

“Yeah, talked.”

Keith always looked so self-assured and confident, that to see him so unsure and nervous was weird.

“I hope your not upset that I’m doing this for Allura. My father was killed during a Galra attack and he was getting civilians out of harms way. Allura’s dad took me in, even when everyone said I wasn’t worth it. They kept pushing him to marry someone so he’d have a kid to carry on the Red line, but even knowing that it would be Allura, he still treated me like I was his kid. So, I don’t mind being a stand in for her. If it mostly keeps her safe, then I’ll do it.”

Lance let out a huff. “Wish my siblings cared that much. You’d give up everything to help her but everyone expects me to drop everything to make them happy. I won’t say anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“I know. I get why you want to leave, but the Blue line is usually the second in command and in my opinion, someone who’d still help even when he wants a way out is a pretty worthy.”

Lance was honoured. How was he supposed to still act like a spoiled child when someone who didn’t even have to led a team and take the most hits did?

“Thanks for the compliment but,” he said instead, plucking at the string on his bow, “the Olympics are waiting for me.”

“Fair enough. And thank you for keeping this secret. We’ll tell them eventually.”

“They’ll understand.” Lance reassured. He was sure they would. It would be the 4 of them against everything. He just wished he’d be there to help if it went badly.

                                                    __________

Getting mind controlled was not fun. Just that morning things were going great. He and Keith had a sparing match and he was so close to actually beating Keith and Keith told him his dad would finally come to the Samurai House and talk. Then that annoying big talking mind controlling Galra made a mess of everything. All it took was a hit and he became a mindless drone who turned his sword against his friends. He was lucky Keith was able to snap him out of it with that burst of Symbol Power but his dad thought it was a glaring sign that he needed to stay with the team. So, he might have been thinking of maybe staying but he wanted it to be his choice, not forced by his dad. And now his head hurt more.

“Lance?”

“Come in.” he called, keeping his arm over his eyes.

He heard Keith turn the light off before he felt him tap at his arm to move it. He let out a grateful groan when he felt an ice pack drop on his face.

“I’m sorry things didn’t go well with your dad.” Keith said, the bed dipping as he sat down.

“You know, I’ve actually considered staying.” Keith stilled but stayed silent, letting Lance continue. “My whole life I’ve always been the scapegoat or had things taken just to satisfy the older ones. Much as I want to, I can’t be too mad at Marco and Veronica, they had good reasons. Everyone else, not so much. I just want one major decision in my life to be made by me.”

That sat in silence as Lance calmed down and hoped his head would stop hurting before Keith asked something.

“If you do decide to stay, would you consider being my second in command?”

Lance laid there, trying to decided if Keith was serious just from his voice alone. “I’ll think about it.”

“That’s fine. Do you want me to go?”

And leave him stewing in thoughts he didn’t want to hear? Not a chance.

“Tell me about your dad.” It was the first thing that came to mind and for a moment he was gonna take it back when Keith started talking.

“He was probably one of the only Kuroko who couldn’t cook.”

                                                   ___________

In a turn of events, Lance knocked on Keith’s door. The fight against the half Galra Lotor was finally over and they were getting closer to defeating them. They’d see how much farther they could go once Shiro was able to unlock the Black Box, but for now, while Keith recovered, they could breath.

“Come in.” Lance opened the door, his eyes drawn to Keith’s exposed back as he struggled to pull his shirt off. It was getting harder and harder to not get a crush on Keith. He had to keep reminding himself that it was what got Allura’s parents into trouble in the first place. He was starting to see why they had the problem in the first place. How was he supposed to stop how he felt?

“Need help?” Lance offered.

“Sure, second-in-command.”

At dinner, he announced he’d stay with the team and publicly accepted Keith’s offer.

He was able to get Keith’s shirt off without aggravating his wounded arm too much. The view of his chest was distracting.

“I’m glad you decided to stay.” Keith said, pulling his eyes up. “It would have been hard to form the same bond with one of your siblings.”

“Yeah. I’m glad I did too. Finally feels like I can make my own decisions and not get looked down at.”

“You? Never?”

God, it was the compliments, it had to be. How else would he feel like a shy person when around Keith at times? They stood there, staring at each other when Lance couldn’t take it anymore. He kissed Keith. Keith didn’t push him away, if anything, he tried to pull him closer as he kissed back. Lance was careful as he rested his hands on Keith’s neck, not wanting to pull away when he did.

“We shouldn’t.”

“We really shouldn’t.” Keith said, using a finger to pull Lance back in and kiss him again.

This was so against the rules. Then…why did it feel so right?

                                               _______________

Lance was getting ready for bed when a quite knock came to his door. Keith slipped in when Lance opened the door. The hallway was already dark and Lance would bet that Coran would be by any minute to come check on them.

“Hi.” Keith said.

“Hey.”

The air was slightly tense. It wasn’t because of all those secret kisses and hard to keep promises about waiting until the war was over. It was what happened on that island. A small island an hour’s boat ride away that had cut off contact with the outside world because a Galra had burned a fear making talisman. The new addition to Zarkon’s crew, Sendak, had invited a Galra who believed in the blaster as opposed to the sword. It was like watching the era of samurai die, but thankfully Bandor, the same kid who led them to discover the hidden Bull Origami, had created a blaster to use with their swords. At the sight of Lotor still alive and standing had pushed Keith into overdrive. The fight had been bad and Keith got hurt. Words that Lotor said about Keith being just like him had gotten to him. Lance considered them lucky he was able to find them after Keith took off. Things were tense when the whole fight was over and they hadn’t talk anything out.

“Here.” Keith handed him a bag from LOFT. In it, was a lightweight scarf. Similar to the one Lance gave Keith as a makeshift sling and that he dropped when he went after Lotor. “I know it’s not the same colour but…”

It was red, close to the red Keith’s favourite jacket was. It was a claim and an apology.

“I shouldn’t have run off and I should have listened to you. You were right, I’m not like him, but the thing is…he’s kinda right.”

“What do you mean? Keith you can’t actually think that you care more about fighting than anything else.”

“It’s not that.” Keith started to look how he did when he first came to talk to Lance about the big secret involving him and Allura. “It’s more than just how we see fighting. It’s…down to our biology. He might have given his soul to become who he is, but…I was born like that.”

“What are you saying?”

“Lance…I’m half Galra. That’s why I kept taking Lotor’s words to heart. I didn’t want to be like him, lusting for battle.”

Half Galra? Like Lotor?

“But Coran said the House is warded against Galra. How are you not hurting right now?”

“It’s for full blooded Galra. That’s another reason most of the people who were here during your dad’s time didn’t like me. My dad was ‘spellbound’ by a female Galra. Somehow, they had be and she gave me to my dad to keep me safe.” He put spellbound in air quotes. “My dad wasn’t spellbound. My mom didn’t follow under Zarkon’s control and was actively looking for a way to be human. I don’t know what happened to her, just that I wanted to be the same kind Galra she had to be for my dad to fall in love with her. But Lotor’s words-”

“were wrong.” He should so be paying attention to what Keith said. He was half Galra, like Lotor, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care. The guy in front of him was Keith, his leader and the guy he liked. He fought like hell for his team and he deserved nothing less than his support. “The only thing you share in common with that guy is being half Galra. But you’re living proof that you don’t live in obsession.”

“Well, I do have one obsession.”

Lance looked confused when he realised what Keith was talking about and went red. “Oh, you mean me. Well, can’t blame your good taste. Just know that Lotor is wrong about you. When you tell the others, they’ll see that.”

Keith gave Lance a thankful smile before leaning up to kiss him.

“I thought we said no more until after the war?” Lance said, though he just wanted to pull Keith back for more.

“How am I supposed to wait when I have the best thing here? It’s starting to become hard to not kiss you all the time.”

“Good, I’m not the only one.” Lance said, capturing Keith’s lips again.

After the war, after he told his secrets, whatever. Lance knew what his next big life decision was. To stand next to Keith for as long as he could.