#I'd rather have them continue working to be a hero

[casual-praxis]

Thinking about a canon-divergent AU where one of the only changes is that Blue and Vio switched places...

I know it's been done a few times already, but I've mostly been thinking about it from the angle of "how can I change as few things as possible while also giving it a unique spin??"

I did end up changing some things anyway, but most of what I've envisioned are minor personality tweaks that only slightly change some dynamics, like Green using humor to cope with stress or Red being more direct in trying to keep everyone from fighting. Vio gravitates towards Red early on to set up for when the group is separated, conflicting with Blue more due to Blue's tendency to swat at Red.

Once separated, Blue still ends up in the snowy area, but instead of being completely frozen, he's only partially trapped, allowing Shadow to pop in and ask if he's "cooled off a little?" The recruitment speech occurs here, but altered to appeal to Blue rather than Vio. I like to think Blue would initially accept because he's pissed at the others but quickly realize he's in over his head (he doesn't really want anything bad to happen to anyone, anger just tends to cloud one's judgment).

He goes along with trying to trick Vio and Red at the Temple of Darkness, but his poker face is way less perfected than Vio's, so Vio clocks something is wrong fairly quick. Blue doesn't stick around to see what happens to them, not trusting he can continue to fool them, but also confident that Vio will keep Red safe (probably, anyway - he's still going to worry).

I like to think the connection Blue forms with Shadow is less backstabby, and more genuine on both sides. Blue isn't playing the long con here, he just isn't sure how to get out of it without getting himself or the others killed, and now Shadow factors in as well. If I put more thought into it, I'd like to see a scenario where the betrayal doesn't happen, and Blue convinces Shadow to join the hero's side (Shadow still probably breaks the mirror, but he'd be with them for at least a little while before that).

On Vio's side of things, he probably just wandered the Lost Woods until he ran into Red, and the two of them continued on looking for Blue and Green with the help of the fairy. I like to think that due to the constant conflict between him and Blue leading up to it, Vio would firmly be on the warpath to put down Blue (as logic dictates him as a threat to the group), but Red is trying desperately to keep him in line.

So during the Blue vs Green confrontation in this scenario, Vio would decide to just start taking potshots at Blue once it looks like Green is on the backfoot. He misses a fatal shot, but still gets an arrow lodged in Blue's shoulder. This results in Shadow and Blue retreating, and sicking the hinox's on the group, who also have to flee using the fairy.

The two of them reconcile at some point either before the Tower of Winds or during it. Blue's a little bitter about the arrow thing, but Vio chalks it up as revenge for Blue always hitting Red (to which Red chimes in that it's not equivalent and to not drag him into this).

Did this whole idea spawn from me attempting to inject Bludow and Vired into the canon story? Yea. Did it work? Not really, but it's fun to think about and that's all that matters probably.

Green during this whole thing has just been quietly goin' through it, but he's happy to be reunited at least. He missed everyone more than he thought he would.

I'm gonna keep rotating this idea around in my head for a bit, but it's on a backburner for now.

[villainousauthor]

Hero stares down at the paper in front of them with mounting dread. Their stomach is all tied in knots, and they feel a cold sweat at the back of their neck.

"You know, you don't have to do this if you truly don't want, I'm not forcing you." Villain purrs behind Hero, voice against their ear. The threat is unspoken. If Hero doesn't sign, they'll continue with their rampage. Continue killing, destroying, maiming.

The pen shakes in Hero's hand as they continue staring down at the paper. It's just a piece of paper, made of thick cardstock, cream white. Yet Hero has been staring at it for fifteen minutes, as if it'll bite them.

Certificate of Marriage

The font is too pretty, all stately and official looking. Hero feels as if they may throw up any minute.

"I don't understand why.." Hero finally finds their voice, asking the question that's been bouncing around in their mind since Villain first pulled the paper out as they suggested a truce.

"You already know my terms. In exchange for leaving your hero friends unharmed, for leaving the civilians of the city unharmed, I want you." Villain's voice is something possessive, filled with fire and heat. "This just makes it more official. More binding."

Hero shudders, and they feel as Villain steps closer behind them, a dark shadow looming over them. They know this goes beyond simply wanting to make their agreement more binding and they both know it.

"You know it's not legitimate- it's not legally binding without an officator." Hero stumbles over their words, not even sure if that's true.

Villain snorts, not usually one to be worried about legality of course. They put a hand to Hero's shoulder, warm and rough.

"I can find a priest to threaten. No one needs to know how and when we signed. Unless you'd rather make a big ceremony of this." Villain's tone is now teasing, amused by the idea of a wedding. "That could certainly be done if you prefer."

Flushing hot, Hero shakes their head quickly. No, they would not prefer that. This is already nerve-wracking and humiliating as is. A part of them wants to outright refuse, to tear the paper the shreds, and throw it in their face, but Hero knows this is the chance to get Villain to back down.

"I wouldn't be unkind to you." Villain says, voice suddenly softer and more serious. They lean forward, face resting against Hero's neck. The most terrible part is that Hero knows they mean it. They wouldn't be unkind or cruel, and that makes this all the more difficult. "You'd belong to me, but I'd take care of you."

Hero already knows there's no choice. They knew from the beginning that there was no other option. They have to do what is best for everyone else. Shakily, they finally nod.

"So selfless, so sacrificial to others." Villain says as they place a feather light kiss against the shell of their ear. "We'll have to work on that once you're with me."

They take Hero's hand currently holding the pen in their own, their grasp strong, as they lift it to the paper.

[zwolfgames]

Idk, but I think bg3 reader would try to leave the group, if they know about their yandere personalities, lol. Please, your bg3 works are so good. I expect the new one

(So, not a continuation of the last drabble. This is hypothetical for now. Also it deleted my answer the first time :( so this is try two, it may seem a bit rushed. And I got a bit off track, woops.)

Warnings: mentions of yandere stuff I suppose.

Y/N in this au (aka teen tav) really isn't stupid, sure they grew up in a village with just their mother and pulled random spells out of their ass like a true sorcerer, but they're not stupid.

The party started with variable reactions to a minor in the group. Act 1 doesn't showcase a lot of Yan tendencies due to everything still going kind of fine and everyone getting to know each other.

The yandere part really starts in act 2 when they enter the Shadow cursed lands. Unlike the normal region of act 1 are the Shadowlands riddled with danger.

The party quickly gets their wake-up call after things like Kar'niss (who gets his little momemt) and the other bosses and dangers. Katherine Thorm, being a threat, also doesn't help ease the party's feelings.

The group would go from silly to way more protective in act 2. But Y/N can't do anything about that yet. The shadows would eat them alive, or someone else could get them. Better left with unease rather than dead, right?

I've purposefully mentioned Y/N's mother in the drabbles to show the main goal of the reader, which is to return to their mother. This goal is being held back by a party of people who no longer seem intent to part ways with you once this is over.

Sure, Y/N wanted their cool adventure with heroes like Wyll Ravenguard, but staying with them permanently? Haha... no.

So after the wake-up call of act 2, Y/N would take their chances at escape in Baldur Gate. The thing is, though, Y/N isn't from Baldurs Gate. They don't know the alleys like the back of their hand in the same manner that Astarion does. They didn't grow up playing in the secret passageways like Karlach...

This is a dangerous game you're playing. The more you wiggle, the tighter their hold. It's just how it goes with people who have faced enough to lose it.

They handle you in different ways, of course.

Wyll, Gale, and Halsin strike me as the type to have wanted to protect this poor kid from the start, so their resolve just strengthens to unnecessary levels. You wouldn't mind just being carried to bed by a bear man, would you? He knows some good elvish lullabies.

Lae'zel is her own separate category, she's a githyanki, they have very diffrent ways then most folk on faerun. I'm basing her motherly ability on the prologue where she raises the gith egg. She may not be affectionate, but she does not want you out of sight. Expect training.

Karlach and Astarion surprisingly go together here. They don't seem like the parental type. More of an aunt/uncle. Would try and stay your friend. Guiltripping from Karlach that she may or not be aware of herself, and straight up manipulation from Astarion. They both had a bad past. You can stay, right? As a little gift from the gods?

Shadowheart didn't like you from the start, not a fan of kids. Her yandere strikes a lot later. First, she had only been worried about your health as a cleric. After her arc at the end of the shadow cursed lands (freeing Dame Aylin etc) she gets a bit of that parental feeling nonsense too. Though I'd say she shows it the least. You'd be tricked easily into thinking she's the only normal one in the party.

Minthara, I'm unsure if I can find a good way to let her join, but she'd be similar to Lae'zel, just crueler and definitely bot secretive about her want for your stay. If you ask her directly, she'd just plain out and say that if she catches you, you're getting bound.

Jaheira, natural mom, she's got kids, protected the kids. Don't expect her to be sweet, but you're definitely not going out of sight.

Minsc joins in Act 3, so really, he doesn't have the time to get to know you, he's funny, you're funny. Friends. Not that the rest appreciates the time you spent with him. They're scared you're gonna make up a talking animal next.

All in all, Y/N would try and escape. It just isn't very likely to succeed. If you get far... well, there are other beings out there still after you, you know?

Just forget your mom. Aren't they better family now? Your mom didn't teach you spells, did she? Or swordplay? Maybe how to make balms?

Cmon, they're the best option. Stay.

Just an answer lol, hope i didn't make anyone too OOC with just this. Xd.

[zylasweetbean]

All Might is a First Year Teacher

All Might gets a LOT of flack for being a bad teacher.

Ignoring the fact that the whole school is a lawsuit waiting to happen, and ALL the teachers (yes, including Aizawa) do things that range from illegal to highly questionable, I'd argue that All Might isn't a bad teacher.

He's a first-year teacher.

And honestly, a good first-year teacher at that.

If you look at his very first lesson, the "Battle Trials," you will see several things he does that first-year teachers struggle with but works to overcome them.

When he gives instructions, the class gets a little out of hand, and he has to try to calm them down.

This happens ALL THE TIME! And not even to just new teachers. Learning how to manage a class is a process even veteran teachers can struggle with. Students are easily distracted and will yell out answers or talk to friends, and you see the same happen with All Might. However, he actually manages to get the class back under control, which isn't easy.

2. He needs to use flashcards to remember the scenario.

It's really tricky to always remember everything that needs to be said for an activity or lesson to work. And if you haven't taught the lesson before, it's even trickier. It's common for first-year teachers to use things like sticky notes to keep track of key information. Sometimes you can even use PowerPoint. All Might didn't have that, so he used flashcards. Now, while it might not look great, it's arguably more important that he remembers everything that needs to be said for the battle trial to work rather than forgetting and trying to explain it later. (Which happens and is messy).

3. He gets a little flustered when Yaoyorozu answers a question really well.

Students constantly surprise their teachers. Sometimes, you ask a question, and they know nothing. And sometimes, they give you a perfect, insightful answer. All Might gets a bit tongue-tied when Yaoyorozu gives a great answer, but what I love about him is that he recognizes she did a great job! He doesn't try to add something to prove that he knows best, but he recognizes and acknowledges her input.

4. He recognizes the needs of his students (even if he doesn't address it perfectly)

During the battle trial, All Might recognizes that Midoriya desperately needed to continue the fight with Bakugou in order to work through some things. Should he have? Probably not, but new teachers regularly try and struggle to know how to best support their students. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

Then after the battle trial, he notices that Bakugou is upset over how it went and tries to offer words of encouragement. In this instance it doesn't work, and Bakugou storms off angry. However, the point remains that he saw the need and tried to address it.

5. He let the fight between Midoriya and Bakugou last too long and get dangerous.

First off, UA let a bunch of teenagers try to attack massive robots as their entrance exams! The battle trial was far from the most dangerous thing UA had already thrown at them, so All Might deserves some slack.

Also, as a first-year teacher, it's difficult to know when to step into a situation and when to back off. All Might tried to give multiple warnings, which Bakugou ignored. Usually, that's enough, but in this case, it wasn't. However, he was still aware of the situation and tried to mediate it, even if, in retrospect, it should have been handled differently.

AND ALL OF THIS WAS HIS FIRST LESSON!

In conclusion, All Might isn't a bad teacher. He is a first-year teacher who is clearly learning but who cares deeply. You can tell by how he supports and interacts with his students; he wants to be there for them and help them become heroes, even if he struggles along the way.

As someone who recently finished their first year of teaching, All Might remind me how challenging teaching can be, but that you don't have to be perfect at it. You just have to keep trying to improve every day, plus ultra style.

[yandere-daydreams]

For context, imma give you a little Spider-Man 2099 fact from the Spider-Man comics if you didn’t know about it already.

Before becoming Spider-Man, Miguel was injected by this drug called Rapture, a super addictive drug with really bad withdrawal symptoms, like you will feel like dying without taking it constantly symptoms. He was the top geneticist for Alchemax and he wanted to quit but the cooperation wouldn’t allow that, so they injected him so that he would have no choice but to be reliant on them and continue to work for them since they were the only ones that were distributing rapture. (It was actually due to him getting his spider abilities that he was cure; he had his DNA rewritten with spider DNA so he’s technically genetically half spider).

So basically Miguel injects you with rapture. So predictably you become more and more difficult, as he puts it. One day he offhandedly shows you a little vial in his lab that was used to turn him into Spider-Man, he drops little hints here and there that it’s what cured him of rapture. So it’s no surprise to him that you start acting so docile and pleasant soon after, your attempt to lower his guard are welcomed when he gets to cuddle you. So he lets you sneak into his lab when you think he’s away on a mission. It’s when you take the vail and inject yourself do your hopes for freedom start to dwindle when you feel a broad chest on your back and a pair of fans in you neck the next second. While the contents in the vail cured you of rapture, he also made it so that it acts as an aphrodisiac when it’s mixed with DNA; (injections of any sort are the fastest way to get anything going through your system, so the Miguel-activated-aphrodisiac binds with your cells really fast when you first inject it into your system), so whenever he bites you, your cells react almost immediately to his DNA and it turns into any season is mating season, Aka Miguel never beating the vampire allegations.

Ah sorry for the messy writing, English isn’t really my strong suite but you get the picture.

tw - dub//con, unhealthy relationships, obsessive behavior, manipulation through drug addiction.

oof,,, miguel knows first-hand how devastating rapture can be, so i'd like to think that he injected you with it in a moment of desperation, just thinking about the high and the wanting and how badly he needs you to give into him, even if he knows you'll be twice as difficult once the withdrawal hits. his plan to splice your dna, to cure you the only way he knows someone can be cured of a rapture addiction is an act of mercy in his mind, too. he can't keep you high and strung out forever, so he lets you believe there's an antidote, lets you think that he doesn't suspect anything when you suddenly start behaving and treating him like the hero he wants to be, rather than the captor he is, lets you sneak out of his bedroom in the middle of the night and into his lab, where his 'rapture cure' was conveniently left in plain-sight beside a syringe gun already prepared for injection. he lets you think that your alright, now, that you've escaped the worst thing he's ever done.

and then, he drives his fangs into your neck, holding you close as you go through the motions, as you realize that your body's reaction to him isn't something you can drown out with terror and loathing and fear, anymore. you haven't been cured, he just replaced one addiction with another and now, you're as reliant on him as he is on you. it's not love, but it feels close enough as you claw at his chest and pant against his neck, as you promise to behave and to follow his rules and to do whatever he wants, as long as he takes care of you. as you promise to love him, as long as he takes care of you.

[rainbowsillz]

Hi, I really loved your overblot!riddle fox and I was wondering if you would write something similar for another dorm leader

Maybe Vil, Malleus or Leona

(Also i love your writing, so glad I found your blog)

“ I'd rather be hated than allow for you to go. ”

FT. Yan! Overblot Malleus X GN! Reader.

Tags: Delusional behavior, obsession, toxic, etc.

CW: Yandere.

You can't return to Earth, not when he denied you of this.

Your open-mindedness was what welcoming, for you— who radiated like the sun itself to him.

Malleus was fond of you and that's no secret.

For a magicless student, you were bold, granted that you didn't know who he was. He can tell, it wouldn't be what deterred you away from him.

You were quick-witted, determined, nobody can frighten you. You don't let anyone stomp over you. And you cherished his friendship with you!

It was surreal.

This feels.. more of a mirage.

He'd give the universe to you had you asked him, his passion extends than you'd imagine it.

You had become what he cannot live without.

I mean if I were him, I wouldn't want you to choose your home too, so it sits on his chest, billion of thoughts visiting inside his head.

And like a blade through his heart, it's undoubtedly that you'll pick your family.

Twisted Wonderland wasn't a place where you'll reside forever at, and you trusted him too much that you told him of what you planned to do once the headmaster could send you back over.

He looked calm externally.

You noticed the shift in the atmosphere and decided that you shouldn't have said that.

For a close acquaintance, he'll probably be affected by this, so you didn't bring it up twice.

Hopefully, he'll forget about that.

Malleus didn't. Why would a housewarden like him wouldn't recall this? That's ridiculous.

After that, nothing changed in your relationship and he didn't say anything that indicated about it. Time was fleeting, it continues on, despite the heaviness and the graveness it was for him..

Maybe he was childish because he was hurt.

And a lot of months flew by.

So— karma happened to you it seems.

It started out like any other until this.

It was sudden, for a person who managed to turn the tide around every time where overblots came, this was impossible. Attempts met with reality of him snuffing out everyone's work.

It didn't take an hour, it didn't last for long, thorns wriggled across marble floors, if you turn to the window you'd see that outside weren't much different from the interior carved in.

A prison by yours truly.

You were awake, not because you were a superhuman or that you have an immunity.

It was due to Malleus has to speak to you.

You were a nervous wreck, weren't you? You should be, considering the things he do.

How curious.

Malleus has read stories that good always prevailed, while evil served to make them more memorable and beloved in society's eyes.

So, if you were the hero, what's to be his role?

When you didn't response to him, he wasn't offended by that, an attentive smile fixated on.

“Why do you resist? ..I have neither intention of harming you nor anyone in our college.”

And he was true to his word.

“Jesus Christ, Tsunotarou, this is crazy, you are out of your mind. You can't use magic at us!”

Well, he can but that wasn't your point, okay?

“Crazy? I am that for you, aren't I?”

He mumbled to himself, having him in front of you was less reassuring than you anticipated.

“....Yeah.”

What does he expect you to say?

His hand, tainted with ink, takes hold your chin.

Green pupils misted with turbulence, there was no malice in him, to your surprise, there was sorrow. Malleus was in grief, you assumed.

“Whether it's you or Lilia, I'll be left alone again. Isn't this how I should have it be?”

Your mouth was dry, unable to reply.

He can convince you, he shall, and until then? A slumber was what would befallen upon you.

[utilitycaster]

Bells Hells Level 11!

As always: are there errors or major omissions? Let me know! Your preferred feat or spell isn't listed? That's because it's not my preferred feat or spell, and you should make your own post for your own preferences! Additionally, because level-ups are no longer done at the end of sessions but are rather their own separate videos, I now include speculation for the next level(s) since there's often very little time to speculate on the current level.

Chetney: Level 10 in Blood Hunter means Dark Augmentation and a 3rd blood curse. Dark Augmentation increases his speed by 5 feet/round and grants him a +3 (his Int modifier) to all physical saves. As for blood curses...they're fighting mages, so Muddled Mind is looking pretty nice, but Eyeless is also useful and Binding is very versatile. Looking forward: if he continues to level in Blood Hunter, his hemocraft die goes up to a d8, his strikes in his wolf form go up to a d8 and get +2 instead of +1 and he can use his wolf form twice between rests and he regenerates a small amount when he's below half-health. 11 Blood Hunter: It's a big level up, folks.

Laudna: She leveled up in sorcerer and took her ASI to max out charisma, which I support as someone who always respects a main stat boost. She gets a new spell and I would advise leaning into utility and taking Dimension Door, personally. Looking forward: I think I've made my feelings on the concept/multiclass clear in the past, but practically speaking, if you're progressing in sorcerer, it's probably wiser mechanically to keep doing so. Level 9 grants 5th level spells.

FCG: Begone Thot Destroy Undead improvement, and 6th level spells! I mentioned before that I'm really looking forward to Heroes' Feast. He also gets some big utility spells, notably Heal, True Seeing, and Word of Recall. Looking forward: 12 is an ASI and oh buddy please up your WIS score. A feat that does +1 to WIS is a valid choice, just...bring it to +4, please? For me? Observant would be fun if not super necessary since Orym's got that covered; skill expert could also be fun. But as stated with Laudna, straight ASI in your main stat is always a solid choice.

Fearne: Fearne took a second level in rogue, which grants her cunning action (dash, hide, or disengage as a bonus action) which is quite useful if she ends up in combat, especially since, despite a good HP roll this level, she's a touch squishier following her time with Novos. I actually support this, both because Ashley has a strong vision for Fearne and also because I think keeping the party dependent on the Staff of Dark Odyssey is good for the story - let's wait a bit longer until we get Transport via Plants! Let's take the scenic route! Looking forward: L10 druid is a good level - the Cauterizing Flames feature, which is a bit niche but extremely cool, is one I'm looking forward to. I'm not opposed to her moving forward with rogue, per se; I think if she does, Thief is the obvious (and correct) choice. However, Cauterizing Flames is really very good and I would like to see it.

Imogen: I mentioned Chain Lightning and True Seeing as some fun options for her. She also gets access to Disintegrate, which would be very fun to cast on, say, Otohan. Or Ludinus. Or her mom. Fuck them Vanguard. Looking forward: sorry got distracted by the idea of disintegrating the Vanguard members...12 is an ASI and honestly I'd just take the +1 to INT and WIS. Imogen's got so many feats, and I really think having better mental stats would be a great sign of growth, she's done the character work to deserve it, and it never hurts to roll a little better on a wisdom save (I say as a known dumper of WIS).

Orym: He can attack 3 times per round. This is why fighters are great. If you do not think fighters are great you can catch three attacks in six seconds from these hands. Looking forward: yes! it's yet another ASI/Feat. And once again, I think a stats boost is best. Tank better with a +3 to con, and then he can either get smarter, or get more charismatic if he's considering paladin (note: I like the idea of Orym remaining a pure fighter more, but I do not control the Liam, and he's a reliably thoughtful player mechanically so I'm interested in what he does. As always this is me saying opinions and not being prescriptive). He gets another ASI at 14 (fighters! best pure battle class!) while everyone else is getting class features so that's when I'd take a feat.

Ashton: Relentless rage - keep raging while unconscious! Very punk rock. Looking forward: Level 12 is an ASI and yes not to sound like a broken record, but max out that strength. It's up to you and Chetney, and who knows how much longer he'll be around.

[pluckyredhead]

Did I just read your Super Sons primer from 2020 at 3 am on a Monday morning because I'm having a real normal one? Maybe?! I'm wondering how you feel about how they and their relationship has developed since then. IMO it's... Pretty bleak. 😩

I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT IT. (Also here's the primer for anyone who missed it.)

So I will say that 95% of everything Jon has been in since he got aged up has been hot garbage, but I do think the exception is when Damian is around. But let's take it from the top!

First of all, I don't necessarily think they should de-age him again. Generally speaking I think it's better storytelling to focus on fixing things moving forward, rather than undoing things moving back. Sure, if DC came up with some big cosmic event that reset Jon to 11, I certainly wouldn't complain, but I'd rather see them, uh...do literally anything with Teen Jon that doesn't suck.

But yeah, aging Jon up to begin with still makes me livid because:

I want my baby to have had a childhood.

It's fully character assassination for Lois and Clark. They would NEVER let their 11-year-old go to outer space with a supervillain. Lois would NEVER just abandon him out there, and Clark would NEVER respond with "Well, I'm sure he's fine, wanna have marathon sex?" I honestly have no idea what Bendis or his editor were thinking.

They have not done a single interesting with him since!!!

Putting this behind a cut because it got LONG. Also spoilers for Beast World in there.

I've said this before, but I have to assume that Bendis wanted to age Jon up because he wanted to write a Legion book. But he also in his wisdom decided to bring Kon back into continuity at exactly the same time, which means we have two nearly identical Superboys that DC didn't and still doesn't know what to do with. Kon clearly couldn't have joined the LOSH because he already had a team, but you know what Super teen was available, and not 11, and who has a history with the Legion that goes back almost as long as Clark's? KARA. But I will save that rant for another day.

And honestly, Kara dodged a bullet, because that Legion book was unreadable. Bendis at his most Bendis-y wall of text interrupt-y conversations and no plot. If I give Tom Taylor any credit it's that the second he got his hands on Jon, he torpedoed Jon/Imra as a ship. GOOD.

And when the LOSH book finally went out with a whimper (that JLA/LOSH miniseries! what was that!!!), we entered the Taylor Era. Taylor's quirks are less stylistic and more narrative than Bendis's. You can spot Bendisian dialogue at twenty paces, but a Taylor comic tips its hand when it sets up a really interesting premise or a really high stakes threat and then immediately undercuts it with a little wet fart noise of nothing. To wit:

Jon's starting college! This will be an interesting challenge for him to readjust to normal life after six years in a torture-volcano and an indeterminate amount of time in the future, and also considering he never graduated from sixth grade. I wonder what will - oh no he dropped out after three pages. (He has done NOTHING in his civilian identity since, btw. I guess he's too busy hovering just behind Dick at all times to work on his GED or whatever.)

Jon is going to confront Ultraman! Finally the comics will have to engage with all the trauma he must have - oh no Ultraman's dead.

Jon is trapped in the Injustice Universe! This is a really dangerous universe that might make him question everything he knows about - oh he just lectured everyone and flounced off home.

Beast World is a perfect example. Taylor seems to think that having a hero effortlessly solve a problem makes them look badass, but it's actually the effort that makes them look badass. So like, we spent five months keeping the Kryptonians and other A-class heroes away from the spores because the spores are attracted to power and if a Super got spore'd everyone would be in big trouble...but then in the last issue, they just have Jon fly up to everyone with a spore in them, wait for the spore to jump at him, and catch it? That doesn't make the Titans look smart or Jon look tough. It makes all of them look like idiots because it it was that easy, why didn't they do that in the first place?

On top of that, Taylor doesn't ever really earn relationships. Jon and Jay is the obvious one. Jay has no personality. There's no chemistry between the two characters. Jon might as well be dating a cardboard cutout labeled "Proof of Queerness." (Or "Bernard." Ahem.) But we're supposed to be like, yes, give Tom Taylor a GLAAD award for using queer characters as props, when he's going to turn around and kiss Chuck Dixon's ass on social for being homophobic about Jon? UGH.

Honestly worse for me though is the Jon and Dick relationship. Because Taylor is writing both characters, we're supposed to believe that there's this close mentor-mentee bond there? I don't think they EVER interacted before the Taylor era. (And don't even look at me with that retconned-in scene of Dick finding lost baby Jon. You're telling me that Superman, with his X-ray and telescopic vision, needs to call Bruce and Dick for help finding his own son? Fuck off.)

Anyway it all combines to make basically every Jon appearance for the past three years profoundly unsatisfying. Even the stuff that isn't by Taylor never goes anywhere. Remember when he was jealous of the Super Twins for two panels? And then everyone forgot about it forever? SIGH.

HOWEVER.

However.

If there is one thing that Bendis and Taylor and every other writer got right, it's that Jon is crazy bonkers in love with Damian always and forever. Jon has been written like shit since 2019, but he has also not wavered in his devotion for even one single solitary second.

THE EVIDENCE:

This is the first thing Jon does when he gets back to Earth:

He then tells Damian he's contemplating not joining the Legion because he'll have to leave Damian behind. Damian tells him to go and then come get him if it's cool.

Turns out the Legion is cool. Jon comes and gets Damian. The Legion isn't happy about it and Jon threatens to leave if Damian can't stay, while gazing adoringly at Damian's unconscious body cradled in his arms:

Eventually LOSH is canceled and Jon comes home and starts following Damian around by listening for his heartbeat. LIKE PALS DO!

Then Damian gives him a pep talk!

Then there's this ABSOLUTE CUDDLE:

The way Damian nuzzles into Jon's shoulder! Can you even stand it!

And then there's this:

The climax of Son of Kal-El, btw, is one of the several times Jon is saved by Damian and confides in Damian and turns to Damian for comfort or advice...and Jay is just sort of standing there off to the side. I am fully aware I have ship goggles on but the degree of emotional investment Jon has in these relationships is not the same.

Then they had a special issue teamup:

Then we got Dark Crisis, and I actually love this interaction between them, because they are very different people with very different upbringings and this feels extremely in character to me for how they would both handle the loss of their fathers:

But even when they disagree, they still instantly support each other. Jon comes back with information? Damian makes a plan:

Also, we got the 2022 Pride issue where Jon, Jay, and Damian go to Pride together. I know that story is...contentious...but leave me here with Damian sulking while Jon and Jay kiss, okay?

Then we get Adventures of Superman, which is objectively awful, but Jon does spend his whole time in the Injustice universe thinking about Damian like the seagulls in Finding Nemo saying "Mine? Mine? Mine?"

This whole arc is truly hilarious. Jon finds out that Damian accidentally killed Dick and his response is to a) go find Batman and yell at him for not supporting Damian enough for accidentally killing Dick, and then b) go find Damian to be like "Wow, that must have been really hard for you (accidentally killing Dick)." There's being ride or die for your BFF, and then there's whatever the fuck Jon has going on.

(Meanwhile there's an incredibly uncomfortable scene with him and Injustice Jay where Jay "tests" him by trying to get Jon to cheat on regular Jay. So. That happens.)

And then just this past month we got Nightwing #110, where we learn that Jon is still listening to Damian's heart:

He completely freaks out watching Damian in danger, and immediately intervenes when it looks like Damian is about to kill someone because he knows what matters the most to Damian. Also, this happens:

YOU WIN THIS ONE, TAYLOR.

AND THEN THEY BICKER I LOVE IT WHEN THEY BICKER:

AND THEN DAMIAN LETS HIMSELF BE VULNERABLE BY ASKING JON IF HE HURT ANYONE WHILE HE WAS A KITTY, AND JON GIVES YET ANOTHER SPEECH ABOUT HOW DAMIAN HAS NEVER DONE ANYTHING WRONG EVER, IN HIS LIFE, AND DAMIAN STAGGERS OFF, LEANING ON JON.

This isn't even getting into the Trinity backup stories in Wonder Woman, which, like...Tom King is not valid but Jon and Damian are such an old married couple in them? It's truly incredible?

It took me like 45 minutes to parse Jon's line here as the general 'you" and not specifically Jon saying Damian wasn't straight. But like..."That's for straight people, which has nothing to do with us" is a hell of a thing to say, Jonathan.

I ALSO haven't even talked about DCeased because it's a different universe, but! Jon sitting with Damian while he dies??? MY HEART.

IN CONCLUSION:

Yes, they should never have aged up Jon.

Yes, most of his appearances since have been terrible and bland.

But OH BOY, do he and Damian remain in love.

[doodlegirl1998]

This is pretty much my reaction to the BNHA 430 leaks.

Following that, I don't actually hate the idea of Izuku becoming a teacher to inspire the next generation but the way Hori and the other writers go about it is poorly executed (what a SHOCKER, am I right?). It feels so forced to make Izuku all sad and lonely that he can't be a hero anymore. But like...there are examples of characters who either have weak Quirks or Quirks they can't rely heavily on and they can fight.

Aizawa-This discount version Kakashi and Kalego (from Iruma) can fight off villains and Nomus with his magic scarf even when he can't erase their Quirks.

Little Aizawa Jr. (aka: Shinso)-The only student that Aizawa took the effort to train properly because we all know Shinso before that, he relied heavily on his Quirk. After a few months, he can use the magic cloth just like Aizawa.

Stain-Yeah, he's technically a villain but the point still stands due to his reputation of killing several Pro Heroes. His Quirk allows him to temporarily paralyze enemies by licking their blood but you know, you gotta be able to fight to even do that.

Himiko Toga-Another villain but still worth mentioning, this discount Mystique can only transform into a person physically by drinking their blood (only able to copy the Quirks of those she has a strong connection with) but she is shown to be good at knife combat, being able to beat a Pro Hero (though we don't know how strong Rock Lock really is).

There's probably more but the biggest one I'd like to mention is known other than Knuckleduster. He is literally in the same position as Izuku (having lost his Quirk) but he still remains a hero despite this, his sense of justice not wavering. Heck, KD is basically what Izuku should've been, both in the beginning and in this epilogue (just not as violent and tactical).

Just imagine seeing adult Izuku (an ACTUAL adult-looking Izuku) in class teaching his students and encouraging Dai and after the day is done, we see him in a new costume fighting some petty criminals off the streets. He then monologues (INTROSPECTIVE, a word the writers kinda forgot about for Izuku), saying that despite losing his Quirk, his drive to help people has not gone. He's continued to work out, gaining about 5-12% Full Cowl levels of strength as well as support gear from Mei (honestly, I'd rather see these two together over Ochako. Or even Melissa. They would have Izuku's back far more than his classmates).

Hi @ultimateemerl 👋

That was my reaction to the final chapter too.

Also I agree, I would have loved to have seen Izuku as a Knuckleduster-esque hero (using support gear from Mei and Melissa' support Industries) doing teaching alongside this to show that even after losing OFA, he can be a hero.

Having Izuku waiting on All Might (and Bakugou 🤢) to save the day with the Iron Izuku suit felt OOC and forced. At the beginning of MHA, Izuku would have found a way to act as a hero himself rather than wait on outside help.

Speaking of that, how and why did none of Class 1A act to help Izuku during this time? Especially when Momo, Iida, and Shoto have the funds to do so, and Momo has her creation quirk?

How did Izuku seriously get left in the dust for six years by his classmates and friends (aside from the odd text) because they're "so busy" when now there's a bloating of heroes and a decrease in villains? I sense some fake friends who left Izuku in the dust as soon as he could be of no further use to them.

So yes, I would also prefer to see Izuku working with Mei and Melissa over Class 1A as a collective at this point.

[beth--b]

The day started out normal enough.

Steve drove Robin to school, then went and did the open shift at Family Video.

Keith was a dick, the morning dragged on and Steve was counting down the minutes until he could clock out.

At least it was Friday.

As the day minutes and hours slowly crept by, Steve began to feel off.

He wasn't quite sure what was wrong exactly, he just knew he didn't feel quite right.

Nevertheless he continued on with his shift, watching the minutes tick by on the clock.

Finally he was done.

Pushing his sweaty hair off his face Steve clocked out, waved absently to Keith, and walked out into the warm Summer air.

Maybe that was the issue, he was too warm. Wouldn't be that surprising if Keith had turned down the air conditioning in the store just to be an asshole. That would explain why he was so warm, would explain the weird feeling in his stomach too.

Deciding that was the problem Steve headed to his car so he could go pick Robin up from school.

The drive to the high school was uneventful and Steve pulled into the parking lot just as the bell rang and students starting pouring out.

He rubbed at his eyes, he was wrecked but he had Robin, Eddie and the rest of the party coming over for movie night so after he picked Robin up they had to run past the store to grab snacks.

"Hey dingus, I see you survived the day at work without me,” Robin said as she practically threw herself into the passenger seat, throwing her bag onto the backseat.

"Hey Robs, sure did. I wasn't even mean to Keith once.”

"Holy shit that is impressive. Eddie wanted me to tell you he'd be ‘round with the kids about 5. We getting snacks now or later?”

"Now. Once I'm home I'd rather not go out again.”

"Sure thing, Melvad's it is then.”

Steve just nodded, putting the car in drive and pulling out of the school parking lot.

Robin started chatting away about what happened at school that day while Steve mostly just hummed every now and then and nodded when it seemed appropriate.

Honestly as long as people were leaving Robin, Eddie and the kids alone, Steve couldn’t care less about who was dating who and who was going to what college. Robin and Eddie, not to mention Nancy, were all about to graduate in a few short weeks. Eddie had been granted an exception on his absences while healing in the hospital and would finally graduate as the ‘hero of Hawkins’ after the feds spun a story that painted Eddie as the good guy who rescued Max from a serial killer.

He’d only been back at school a week and thankfully nobody had bothered him. After all the shit that had happened just a few short months ago Steve was nothing but happy for the guy. Their newfound relationship status might have something to do with that happiness as well.

Right now he wasn’t feeling very happy. Honestly that weird off feeling he had earlier was getting worse. His stomach was aching, nothing too terrible just enough to be uncomfortable, and he still felt too warm. Not to mention the fact he felt like he could happily pull over and have a nap in the middle of the afternoon. He didn’t know what was wrong with him today but he couldn’t let it ruin the night.

They all needed a night to just hang out and relax and he wasn’t going to let that fact that he was feeling a little out of sorts stop ruin the night.

He let Robin steer them through Melvad’s when they made it there, followed her lead on snacks and threw in just a few of the others favourite things, Max’s favourite chips and Eddie’s favourite chocolate bar.

Before he was really aware of it they were getting back in the car, Steve wincing as he sat back down.

Of course Robin would notice.

“You alright there dingus?” The words seemed normal enough, but he could see the concern in her eyes when he turned to look at her. He hated to see Robin worry, so Steve decided he needed to reassure her.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m alright, just moved wrong I guess.”

She looked doubtful for a brief moment before rolling her eyes. “Turning into an old man before my very eyes.”

“Hardy har har. Laugh it up. You’ll be a high school graduate soon too, and then you’ll be seen as a boring old adult just like me.”

She smacked his shoulder, “You take that back! I will not be boring or old! Anyway I’ll always be younger than you!”

The drive back to his place was short enough and soon they were getting out of the car and taking the snacks into the house. He’d already stocked up on beer for him and Eddie, Robin too if she wanted and grabbed some soda for the kids. They just needed to order some pizzas later and they’d be set.

They settled on the couch and turned on the TV, Robin rifling through the movie selection and picking one at random. She put it into the VRC and pressed play before moving back to sit on the couch.

By this point Seve was feeling quite sore. His side was hurting in a dull but persistent way and he would honestly have gone and climbed into bed if he could.

He needed to wake himself up before Eddie and the kids arrived.

“Hey Robbie, I’m gonna go take a shower before everyone else gets here. You good here?”

She nodded absently, caught up in whatever movie she’d put on. Steve honestly had no idea what they were even watching. He’d been paying no attention at all.

Standing up proved to be a bigger chore than it should have been and he found himself holding his side as he hauled himself off the couch.

Robin glanced at him, but before she could say anything Steve managed to get himself up and quickly headed out of the room and upstairs. He wasn't sure what was wrong but he was starting to wonder if there was more to it than he first thought.

xxxx

Steve took his time in the shower. By the time he'd made it up the stairs and to his room he felt nauseous and his side was throbbing. He really hoped he wasn't getting a stomach bug.

So in hopes that a nice long shower would help ease the pain he stayed under the warm spray far longer than he normally would if Robin was over. He was tempted to sit down on the floor but he was just a little worried he wouldn't be able to get back up again.

Eventually he convinced himself to turn the water off. Eddie would be there soon, which meant the kids would also be there soon. He needed to get the snacks organised, and grab some extra pillows and blankets so everyone could get comfortable while they watched movies.

He stepped out of the shower, wincing as he bent down to dry his lower body.

Seriously, what the hell was wrong with him today?

He threw on the easiest to manage sweatpants he could find, pairing it with a worn out shirt of Eddie's that had been left behind at some point in the past. Dressed, though still feeling like shit, he made his way back downstairs.

As he reached the last step he had to pause, holding his side trying to ease the pain, he stood for a moment just trying to breathe through the pain.

"Finally!” Robin called. I was starting to think I'd need to send out a search party. What took you so long? Actually, on second thought, don't answer that.”

He couldn't bring himself to answer, instead focusing on walking to the living room while his side ached and throbbed.

As soon as he made it to the couch he all but collapsed onto the seat.

Robin had looked ready to make another joke about how long he had taken until she actually looked at him.

"Ok Steve, what the fuck is going on with you? I thought you'd just had a bad day, but there's something else. Spill.”

Knowing there was no point lying, and feeling too awful to even try, he settled for a version of the truth.

"Just feeling a bit off. Maybe I should just go to bed and then you, Eds and the kids can watch movies without me. I don't want to get anyone sick”

Robin frowned before leaning closer and pressing the back of her hand to his forehead.

"Hmm, you do feel kinda warm.”

Before she could say anything else they heard the front door opening, followed immediately by Dustin loudly arguing with Mike about whether or not pineapple belonged on pizza.

Momentarily given an out, Steve stood and headed to the front door.

At least he tried.

The pain when he stood was enough to take his breath away, leaving him gasping as he pushed a hand against his right side. Robin quickly stood as well hovering nearby, hands out as though she wanted to touch but was too scared to do so.

Dustin, Mike, Lucas and Will all walked in to see Steve pale and grasping his right side while Robin looked ready to burst into tears.

The four younger teens all stopped in their tracks causing Eddie, who had been the last through the door, to run into Will's back.

"What the hell baby Byers? Why'd you-”

"Steve!” Dustin cried out, cutting Eddie off.

"Steve? Shit, Steve!” Eddie shoved the kids out of the way, rushing to Steve's side and wrapping an arm around him. Eddie helped Steve back onto the lounge before kneeling in front of him. With Steve still trying to get his breathing under control he turned to Robin for answers. "Robin. What the fuck is wrong with Steve?”

Robin bit her bottom lip, glancing between Eddie and Steve.

"I don't know. He said he was feeling a little off and he felt like he might have had a temperature, but I don't really know anything more.”

"Ok. Ok, Steve? Stevie? You with me now?”

Steve gave a low groan, looking up at Eddie through the hair that fallen over his face.

Eddie took in Steve's flushed cheeks and otherwise pale face. He took note of where Steve was clutching at his right side. He was pretty sure he knew the problem, had his own scar to remind him, faded and pink years after the surgery. But he remembered how he felt before Wayne had taken him to the hospital. Before he had his appendix out. Decision made he pressed a kiss to Steve's clammy forehead before standing back up and heading to the house phone in the kitchen.

He ignored the kids' worried chattering and called the only adult he really trusted.

The phone rang once, twice before Wayne's familiar voice answered.

"Hey Wayne, I gotta be quick but I think Steve has appendicitis. I just want to check I'm remembering right.”

Wayne cursed before telling Eddie to list the symptoms.

"I just got here, but he's holding his right side and can hardly move from the pain, he's feverish and Robin said he mentioned he wasn't feeling well.”

"Yep son, sounds about right. You gonna be alright to get 'im to the hospital? I can meet you there.”

Eddie nodded before remembering Wayne couldn't see him. "Yeah, yeah. I'll get him there. We'll leave soon. Thanks Wayne.”

Eddie put the phone back in its cradle, pushed past the gaggle of worried teenage boys, plus Robin, and went straight back to Steve's side.

"Steve, baby, I'm about 99% sure you have appendicitis. We gotta get you to the hospital alright?”

Steve moaned and shook his head but Eddie just sat beside him and wrapped an arm around his waist, careful to avoid the area Steve was still holding.

"Sorry sweetheart, not up for negotiation.” Without looking away from Steve, Eddie called out to the kids. "Dustin, call your Mom. let her know I'm taking Steve to the hospital and ask her to come take you lot home. Robin, I assume you're coming with me?”

"Of course,” she replied as Dustin rushed from the room.

He appeared moments later and confirmed his Mom was on her way and he'd lock up so Eddie could leave. “Just look after Steve please Eddie.”

"Thanks Dustin. Children listen to Mrs Henderson and be good. I gotta go get your babysitter seen to.”

With much coaxing Eddie and Robin managed to get Steve to his feet and slowly made their way to Eddie's van, Lucas running ahead to open doors for them.

By the time they got Steve into the van, with a pit stop to throw up in the bushes on the way, Steve was sweaty and struggling to stay upright.

Robin jumped in the back and Eddie into the driver's seat and they were off. They passed Mrs Henderson on the way down the street and Eddie idly wondered how long until Dustin was waiting at the hospital with them.

By the time they reached Hawkins General, Steve was quietly crying while holding on to Eddie's hand whenever he didn't need it for driving. It seemed that Wayne had made it there first because he'd only just jumped out of the driver’s side door when a nurse came out with a wheelchair.

"Eddie Munson with Steve Harrington?” she questioned.

"Yes, thank you.”

She turned and opened the passenger door, asking Steve some questions and probing at his abdomen. He cried out as she reached his right side and she nodded to herself.

"Alright Eddie, we need to get your friend out of the car. Can you help?”

"Of course, just tell me what to do.”

Between the two of them they get Steve out of the car and into the wheelchair. The nurse had sent Robin inside to start to help Wayne with the paperwork and then once Steve was situated they followed her inside.

Thankfully it wasn't too busy and Steve was taken straight to triage.

They got him into a bed quickly and gave him some morphine for the pain. A cannula was put into the back of Steve's hand and then he was briefly taken away for an ultrasound. Eddie paced nervously the whole time and wondered if Robin knew what was going on out in the waiting room.

Finally a doctor came and confirmed that Steve did have appendicitis and would be headed to surgery shortly.

Once the doctor was gone Eddie pulled the curtain closed and pulled Steve into a careful hug.

"See you after surgery sweetheart. I love you.”

With the morphine working to relieve the pain Steve was able to hug Eddie back, pressing slightly uncoordinated kisses to Eddie's cheek.

"Hmm love you too Eds. Will you be here when I wake up?”

"Course I will. Me and Robbie. I'll let her know what's happening and we will see you a little later.”

Eddie pressed a soft kiss to Steve's lips, then another, before he pulled away.

Then somebody came to transfer Steve to another bed, Eddie gave him a wave goodbye and went out to the waiting room.

"Is Steve ok? What's happening?” Robin grabbed his arm and pulled him over to where she’d been sitting as soon as he had walked through the door.

"He will be. He's gone for surgery. We'll see him in a few hours. Just one rogue organ down.”

Robin practically collapsed back into one of the hard plastic chairs that seemed to grace every hospital in the country. “Oh holy shit I was so scared. How did you know what was wrong?”

Eddie just pulled his shirt up, revealing his own appendectomy scar. “Been there and done that Rob.” Eddie sat down beside Robin and she lay her head on his shoulder. The two of them settled in for a long wait.

XXX

The next few hours passed fairly uneventfully. Wayne called Claudia Henderson and gave her an update, letting her know Eddie would call when Steve was out of surgery and could have visitors. They bought a few snacks from the vending machine but mostly they just sat and waited.

When Steve was finally out of recovery and in a room Eddie and Robin were allowed to sit in there and wait for him to wake properly. He had apparently woken once in recovery but had fallen asleep again soon after.

Trading in one set of uncomfortable chairs for another, the pair settled in to wait for Steve to wake up.

After what felt like an age, but had probably only bene another half hour or so, Steve’s eyes blinked open.

“Hey sleepy head,” Eddie said, moving to Steve’s side and kissing his cheek.

“Eds? Hi,” Steve still sounded half asleep but Eddie was honestly just happy to see him awake.

Robin moved around to Steve’s other side and gave him a light punch on the arm, ignoring Steve’s ‘ow’ and instead leaning over to hug him. “Don’t scare me like that again dingus!”

“Ok Robs. I’ll try.”

Robin rolled her eyes and hugged him again before pulling back.

“Ok I’ll go update Henderson and your other children. Behave while I’m gone!” She turned and left the room leaving Steve and Eddie alone.

“Hey baby how are you feeling?” Eddie brushed Steve’s hair back off his forehead, before bringing his hand back down and clutching at Steve’s own.

“Not sure. Sore I think, can't really tell yet. Mm tired still.”

“Ok Stevie, get some sleep. Love you.”

“Love you too Eds.”

[skyward-floored]

Of course I'd love to hear more about Courage of Ages! How do the Links meet? Which Links meet and what're they like in your story?

Aaah yes of course!! I’ll start with the how they all get stuck together:

This was all thought up before totk was anything more than singular teaser trailer so it likely doesn’t fit in with all of that, but it all starts with the Yiga. After the events of botw they’re believed to be mostly just a group of stragglers, and not much of a threat in anyone’s eyes. But they’re actually just underground, united by a new leader who wants revenge.

Link killed both their old leader and the calamity, and the Yiga want to take him out more than anything. But this new leader is smarter than Master Kohga was, and even more ambitious, and after finding some old records, has the brilliant idea that instead of taking out just this Link, they’ll take out every Link all across history.

It’ll be revenge for the countless times the hero defeated the one they worship and serve, his continued defense of the princess and protection of the land. All the Yiga need is a way to do this, and after a long and extensive search, the clan finally locates the Harp of Ages.

Which, combined with the spell they use to track Link, are going to use to forcibly bring all the heroes of courage throughout history to their time, then wipe them out all in one blow in honor and revenge for their old master and the Calamity. (Maybe even a sacrifice of that magnitude could bring him back!!)

...Problem is, the yiga kinda suck at figuring out how the harp works, and making it and their spell work together.

So instead of just bringing in all the Links in one go, the heroes are being yanked around to different times, pulled to each other like magnets, trying to figure out what’s going on and also Not Die. There are a few smaller Link groups that get formed before they all wind up together (...and then get snapped apart again), and those are the main dynamics that get formed. But they switch around a fair amount.

As for which Links? ...Pretty much all of the game ones haha. I have 13, or 14 I think? I wanted to play with a big group, and add in some Links that aren’t always in this kind of au.

Here’s a list of them all and some stuff about them :)

...

Cloud is skyward sword Link, he’s generally pretty chill and nice, but is really really annoyed he got dragged on this quest. He was in the middle of his honeymoon for Hylia’s sake. Has some white streaks in his hair from Demise’s lightning, the others say it’s because he’s old and refuse to drop it even after hearing the correct explanation.

Mini is minish cap Link, he’s the youngest out of everyone here. Gives off big innocent vibes, but he’s as fierce as anyone else in the group. Really nice and sweet, it’s surprising to everyone how good of a fighter he is. Doesn’t care too much about being seen as a kid, so long as it doesn’t cause any problems...

Kaleidoscope (Kal) is four swords Link, he’s one of the quietest of the group. He suffers some weird effects from using the four sword on his adventure, where his brain gets confused and thinks it’s running around in multiple bodies again. It usually doesn’t cause any issues. Usually. Also really good at sewing, which comes in handy quite a lot.

Sprite is ocarina of time/majora’s mask Link, and he is not happy to be here. He’s in the 12-13 range and it’s rather obvious. He thought he was done with time travel ever since that dumb war (hw) he got sucked into, and he doesn’t want to be here. At all. Especially since it seems like (at first) the one Link he wants to see again isn’t even here.

Gloam is twilight princess Link, he was the first Link to be sucked into this. Affectionately refers to anyone younger than him as puppy (which is most of the group), and sometimes has trouble not being in constant big-brother mode. Has a strange sadness about him sometimes. Worries a fair amount. Can also turn into a wolf, and while doesn’t stress about keeping it secret, he also doesn’t come out and just tell everyone. This gets confusing.

Light is four sword adventures Link, he’s a slight mix of the game and manga. He’s got a quick tongue and is seen as one of the more annoying of the group, but he’s determined to stop this threat, and one of the few actually good at working on a team. Also suffers some strange effects from the four sword, though his are more emotion-based than Kal’s. Sometimes his shadow looks weird.

Windy is windwaker/phantom hourglass Link, and he’s kind of just rolling with all of this. He already got plunked into an alternate world one time, this is kinda like that. Makes fast friends with pretty much all the others, especially Light (they’re besties lol), and can usually keep his big-brothering to a manageable level. Really good at navigation.

Spirit (Dove) is spirit tracks Link, and he’s... kind of freaked out by all of this. Yeah he can fight pretty well, but trains are really more of his thing and it’s kind of overwhelming getting yanked around through time like this especially since that one guy is the Hero of Winds what— Can also see ghosts, which is... interesting.

Hibiscus (Hib) is a Link to the past/oracle of seasons/ages/Link’s Awakening Link, and is the most experienced person here. He’s the unofficial medic, has a pretty good guess as to how they’re all being pulled through time, is very sensitive to magical changes, keeps a level head, and... kind of never got over Koholint. Looking at him you’d never guess, though. He’s made some incremental progress in that regard, but it’s also pretty hard for him to be around Cloud, who talks about his Zelda a lot. He also gets time-travel sick. Lucky him.

Hue is a link between worlds/tri force heroes Link, and has an outfit for every occasion. Seriously. He’s learning how to be a blacksmith, but he wants to go into enchanted jewelry and other stuff like that someday. Magical items fascinate him, and though he sometimes focuses more on outward appearances then he should, he’s a nice guy. Even if the green hair streaks are a bit weird.

Brownie is the original legend of Zelda/the adventure of Link Link, and he’s just. Really stressed. He went from being hunted by one cult to another, and being in such a large noisy group puts him seriously on-edge. The most skilled with magic out of their group. He tends to keep to himself, but he gravitates towards the other more quiet Links, like Kaleidoscope.

Era is hyrule warriors Link, and due to all of his time shenanigans, he doesn’t join until a bit after everyone else. The oldest of the group, and visibly stressed by the fact that there’s only a handful of adults and he’s one of them. Was really close with Sprite in the war, it was terrible for both of them when it ended. Is also in a bit of a tricky political situation when he gets pulled away, one he really didn’t want to leave in the middle of.

First is the link from the manga in the back of the Hyrule historia (with some tweaks). He is a ghost. He doesn’t know how or why he’s here. Only Spirit and Gloam even know he’s here, they’re the only two who can see him (...that they know of, and Gloam can only do it as a wolf). He can’t physically interact with barely anything, and watching all of this go down is extremely stressful. He wishes he could help.

And Slate is breath of the wild Link, and he’s convinced that this is all his fault. He’s the entire reason the Yiga are screwing with time and dragging all these heroes here (...heroes who didn’t fail...) and he’s desperate to stop them. Aside from the guilt dragging him down, he’s one of the more upbeat Links. He’s the unofficial cook, is often humming something to himself, and is the best archer by a long shot.

[starlight-eclipsed]

Interesting, based on priority ranking it seems like Blue is more inclined to listen to Red more than Green or Vio but he tends to fall in line with Green’s reasoning more so.

I guess that makes sense since strength is categorized by the desire to protect which falls in line with duty so I can understand how Green can mostly get Blue to agree with his plans.

It honestly just makes me curious about the dynamic the Colors have between each other. You’ve explained a bit with the idea fragments for Blue and Red: Red’s the only one emotional aware of how Blue takes failure/defeat and how he works to ensure Blue’s wellbeing. I can see how a Blue and Green dynamic would play out and same for Green and Vio dynamic. I guess the ones I’m uncertain on are Green and Red, Red and Vio, and Blue and Vio.

Based solely on priorities, Blue and Vio are going to argue a lot. Vio doesn’t place a lot of emphasis on Strength or Heart with Heart being in last. So I can see how that leads to him ignoring Red the most. Red has Duty as a last priority so I’m pretty curious about how Green and Red would interact.

I figured that Blue would have slipped up if they continued the confrontation of Wild given how Legato is Four’s friend and injured which falls nicely in his priorities of protection.

I am curious to know how badly Vio’s plan would have been though! I’m sure someone would have noticed eventually that Four was being cold to Wild and Hyrule eventually or either of them would have confronted him before getting Twilight to deal with Wild. But outside of that I can’t imagine just how bad of a situation it would be. This one was already pretty bad but you telling me that it could have been worse is making me really pity Wild.

Also that fragment on how Green is the most insecure broke my heart! Like the explanation on how the town can’t really tell he’s different from original Link and mainly like him because of it is just sad. It’s being shoved in his face that he’s treated more like an imitation of who they used to be rather than as a person. And he is still Four but people change regardless of magical artifacts and it’s like some people can’t accept that. I dunno, Green is just giving me feelings.

AND THE SHADOW STUFF! Being fully conscious in Link’s shadow is messing with me. So close and yet so far from the person you’ve known for your entire life. Yeah, absolutely makes sense that a person who wasn’t able to interact with the world physically would enjoy physical contact. It’s new! He can actually affect and interact with the world now! Love that the cats get to peak into shadows! They’re supernaturally associated animals so them being able to notice Shadow is a nice touch! Please talk to the cats Four (and don’t get hit by them).

Thanks!

I'd say that Green and Vio mostly see Red as someone that needs to be looked after, and Red lets them--everyone expects him to be silly and emotional. Which works for him since he really doesn't have to worry about duty (the parallels are strong in this one).

Onto the not so fun part: Vio's plan. It would've gradually escalated so that most (if not all) of the Chain would've gotten involved. Like a bad game of telephone, each hero would have heard a slightly different version of what went down and reacted accordingly. Which is just...Yikes.

(The whole thing would get resolved when Wind decides to go and ask Legato directly about what happened, and the two of them work together to come up with a brilliant plan to fix things: Legato has to talk to Wild and Hyrule about it. Legato does not like this plan, but likes the thought of everyone being upset with each other even less.)

Yeah, the manga (and as an extension, a lot of fanwork) doesn't really characterize Green much beyond "hero", so I like doubling down on that and making it a problem. Love all the issues that come from him being treated as the default--all the others have their own gimmick in addition to being heroes, but Green is just extra dedicated to it.

Shadow...just Shadow <3

[heybiji]

hi!!! i just wanted to say i really love all of your MASKS stuff. i'm something of a newbie when it comes to the TTRPG community, but MASKS seems to be not very well-known and i think that's a real shame. i'm a huge fan of old-school superhero-adjacent stuff, especially the silver- and bronze-age ones!

by the way, i was wondering if you'd be willing to share some tips for a first-time GM? you don't have to if you'd rather not! i just figured i'd try asking since i was planning on GMing a MASKS campaign for some of my friends later, but despite my decade's worth of roleplaying experience i've never been in a TTRPG campaign nor a GM (or similar) role before

Thank you so much!! I was just lamenting about how I felt bad for the MASKS tag because it is now flooded with all my npc nonsense hahah so this is really nice to hear.

It's awesome you're planning on running a MASKS game for your friends!! There is an indispensable post on twitter I saw that has a LOT of great tips for running MASKS that I recommend checking out. But for my own personal tips that are just me things, here's what I got. Sorry it's gonna be extremely long-winded, it may take a few months to read through it.

(Note: I am also hugely into RP and probably put more into it than what is necessary, especially with MASKS which is meant to be able to be played out of the box. It was definitely not played out of the box in our case because I require a lot out of myself and everyone else to feel good about running something. if anyone else wants to continue seeing me as a normal human being please don't click the Keep Reading)

Since you're running it, make the world interesting to you. If the world runs around themes you're personally interested in then you'll have a much easier time coming up with answers on the fly. For me, themes I'm interested in that lend themselves well to a superhero world: money, power, family, celebrity, media, the 24 hour news cycle and the desensitization of violence. Because I'm interested in this stuff anyway, wrapping a world around them makes it much simpler for me to figure out how the world ticks and thus how the characters fit into it and how the world reacts to them, and I am DESPERATE to find out how the characters react to all the questions and expectations the world is imposing upon them.

Make sure your players have a good grasp of the tone of story so they can make characters that gel well within it. For me the tone is a lil more adult because I'm not personally into younger morality tale stories in tone, it's pretty grounded, and I think comedy and tragedy work hand in hand so I lean into them.

Talk. A lot. Talk about the characters, talk about the world. MASKS is fun because it's a LOT of talking and figuring out the narrative together. It's not a lot of crunchy mechanics, it's all around seeing how the characters react to the world narratively, all hurt and comfort and emotions which (for me) requires people to have a good grasp on their characters and the world. I like to give my players "homework" where I ask them a question involving their characters in some way like "what hero did your character look up to as a child?" so they get to come up with past heroes, or "How does your character feel about _____?" etc etc. The only fans are gonna be your table and fans love to talk so be the biggest fans of the PCs!!

Figure out your framing. I know in MASKS they suggest framing it like a comic book, and basically talking about the frames on screen. For me, because I'm more into movies and tv than comics, I frame it like that. So I have an active "camera" in play during sessions and will ask things like "would anyone like to grab the camera?" to encourage the players to put the character into a scene or "what does the audience see as the camera focuses in on your character in this emotional moment?" There is a LOT of playing up to the camera and framing the sessions as episodes of a show, so it's like, okay, you have several options but what is going to be interesting for the audience to see? I find this encourages the players to have their characters take bigger swings and feel comfortable letting us into how their character is feeling because it all looks GREAT on camera. The camera loves it. The PCs are the story after all.

Because I frame it a show, I also like to play individual ending songs over the "credits" at the end of each episode. So I asked my players to make playlists for their characters so if I feel an episode had a lot of emotional focus on one character in particular, I can play one of their songs at the end of the episode! I also made a general MASKS playlist with a bunch of songs from the era we set it in (2004) to pull from. It's a fun little addition that I really enjoy and that I hope makes it all feel more special.

The Dino Donut Effect: create landmarks in your world. (OK THIS IS GONNA BE LONG BUT WORK WITH ME HERE) They don't have to be locations, more solid landmarks of the story that the characters can refer back to and lean on to make the world feel more "real." I call it the Dino Donut Effect because in our world the thing that made everything click into place was talking out the backstory of one of the PC's figuring out they had the power negation ability. We were talking one night trying to figure it out; we wanted the character to fall out of a building and be caught by a flying superhero and accidentally turn off their powers, so they toss the kid to another flying supe whose powers also get turned off. But we were like... holy shit what is the height of a building needed that can handle this much action in the air without them hitting the ground in 3 seconds. So after a long night of talking about terminal velocity and looking at Splat Calculators we figured out the height of the building, and we needed them to crash into something that wouldn't fuckin kill them. The first suggestion was a truck full of bananas. Nah. We landed on a giant balloon that could take the impact. And the balloon became a giant T-Rex holding a donut that was the mascot of the city's beloved decades old donut shop Dino Donut. And so we decided that one of the two flying supes grabbed onto the kid and the other and flew into the giant balloon to try and keep them all alive, which destroyed the balloon, which was a city institution, and there was a crowd of children there that day that saw their friend Dino Donut die. Killed by a superhero. The balloon deflated loudly so it sounded like Dino Donut was screaming in agony. All the kids were traumatized (screaming crying throwing up), the city was furious because everyone loved Dino Donut, it was constantly in the news cycle, and it ruined the career of the supe that "killed Dino Donut." AND THEN THEY REPLACED THE DINO DONUT BALLOON WITH A LAME "UPDATED DESIGN" DINO DONUT STATUE which everyone hates and people consider to be a memorial to the old Dino Donut. ANYWAY, the Dino Donut effect is that now all the PCs have one single incident to refer back to that they all have feelings about. A couple of them were there that day and heard Dino Donut scream, one is now the protege of the disgraced superhero that killed Dino Donut so she feels uncomfortable talking about it, there's the kid that was saved that day but was sworn to secrecy by the supe so no one would find out about his power negation ability, and then there's the kid that wasn't there because she's an alien that just arrived to earth and now the kids have to explain the incident to her with all their varying opinions. Now the PCs' meeting spot is at a Dino Donut. Having this one solid incident that is both funny and kind of goes into the themes of the world has been an absolute treat. Creating "landmarks" like that in the world has done so much and now I'm like okay I'm gonna try to do this moving forward with any other thing I run.

anyway these are my extremely specific to me tips. my RP standards are kind of high which makes me a bit of a terror but also when the flowers bloom from it it feels GREAT. i'm not sure if this will help but hopefully there is something there that can be useful!

MASKS is fun and simple once you get the hang of it, though, so I'm sure whatever you do you and your players will have a lot of fun! especially if you're someone who is into RP which is the background I'm coming from too; MASKS is extremely narrative! i'll be looking in the tag for your game hehe

(The Day Dino Donut Died art by JD)

[sepublic]

From Pilot to Canon, Luz and Eda

With my belief that No Tree Left Behind was boarded as part of the pilot continuity (hence Lilith's depiction), I want to bring up that I think there's kind of a subtle difference between Luz in that episode, or 'Pilot Luz', and Canon Luz as we got in the actual animated show.

With Canon Luz, she's a more brash, confident individual, who can get in over her head; King mentions that she smells of overconfidence, plus there's Luz recklessly getting into stuff like in Covention or Enchanting Grom Fright in the heat of the moment. She has this overwhelming energy and enthusiasm that's unstoppable, but as a result she can sometimes forget about the people around her, hence Wing it like Witches.

And a lot of that has to do with Luz's relationship with The Good Witch Azura in canon, because it means that the Boiling Isles is her fantasy!!! It's her chance, it's her adventure, it's what Manny would push her to go for! So she gives it her all. And in the latter half of the show, Luz's willingness to go at any cost, even to her own detriment, borders on self-sacrifice. In a way she's secretly atoning for her own existence, it's like... 'Socially acceptable' self-harm by risking herself.

So there's a difference in Pilot Luz during NTLB, who is much more averse to the martyr idea; She's a lot more scared and reluctant to fight for Arborgeist, and in a moment of crisis admits she doesn't quite get what Eda is so worked up about. And this makes me think of how the in the pilot continuity, there isn't that same relationship with Azura; The pitch bible reveals we would've had an episode where it's revealed to be written by an ex of Eda's about her, so you can guess that Luz drops it afterwards.

And as the pilot even shows us, Luz didn't choose to be in the Boiling Isles! And in lieu of my latest reblog, that feels relevant because Dana mentioned how in the final show, Luz choosing that was so incredibly important; It was a foundational change to the character's storyline. Luz wants to be here, she wants to risk it, this is the adventure and if she gets bruised up, it's okay. Us weirdoes have to stick together, she declares passionately as she rallies a bunch of strangers against Warden Wrath in the first episode. She becomes in canon the kind of passionate, righteous person who will talk your ear off about a thing and she's right about it.

So looking at the difference between first episodes, it tracks that Pilot Luz is much more reluctant and just trying to survive, hence her not 'getting' Arborgeist, in the sense that she doesn't see what's worth potentially dying over. Whereas with Canon Luz, I think she'd be more than willing to deep dive into this culture and play the hero, she's a social activist.

This isn't to trash on Pilot Luz btw, nor canon Luz; I just find it fascinating to consider how her character has changed and developed, how the story has, and how the difference in first episodes alludes to this. First episodes are very important, they can establish a lot of the core themes and ideas and Dana herself confirmed the significance of certain differences from the initial pilot. So it's fascinating seeing that difference in action, shown to us, rather than having to be told, since normally we couldn't watch the pilot storyboards to see for ourselves. Pilot Luz and Canon Luz are different characters with different flaws and circumstances, and they're both beautiful in their own ways for it.

I'd even argue that in a canon episode like WilW, Luz ends up playing the role Eda has in NTLB! And her stepping down after realizing she (might) hurt a loved one who was dragged into this, only for them to understand how much they care and come back to help for that reason... The story beats live on. Canon Luz would probably be thrilled to see Pilot Eda show so much care about something when she normally doesn't; Whereas Canon Eda becomes more of a practical guardian who's reining her kid in out of experience, because she's been hurt herself and is worried, and a tad pessimistic.

It's like the dynamics between Luz and Eda reversed from pilot to canon, with a scared and reluctant kid and her mentor who can push her too much sometimes; And now it's this overconfident, excited kid who wants to try everything and thinks she's invincible, with her jaded mentor who's a realist but also she cares more than you realize and wants to provide a safety net, being surprisingly thoughtful at times.

It makes sense, because again going back to my last reblog, Luz being more enthusiastic about the isles was to also help her foil other characters better, including Eda, and vice-versa. So it's possible Eda was changed to lean more into her pragmatic mentor role -Not that she doesn't still have her irresponsible, reckless moments- while bouncing off of Luz's new enthusiasm, which can lead to conflict like Luz wanting to try the newest magic and Eda not being in the mood, which leads to Luz being a bit reckless (take for example The Intruder).

Eda being more tired and jaded could also tie to the development of her curse as a disability that exhausts her, since in the pilot continuity the curse only made her age more; In canon, it does that AND messes with her magic stores, which leads to more exhaustion! In addition to becoming a beast. And with Eda becoming disillusioned with the isles due to her traumatic experiences, Luz acts as the light in her life to reignite her passion, which leads to Eda taking a more proactive role against Belos in S2!

She believes in her efficacy more because of how Luz changes the isles because of Eda, which makes Eda become more of an agent for social change as she starts to believe she can make a difference again, just as she did as a teen in IFWOT. Maybe Eda's curse isn't something to feel shame over anymore, maybe she shouldn't let it stop her from rallying everyone...!

Thus, there's not just a difference between Pilot and Canon Luz, but also Pilot and Canon Eda in NWLB. Though I imagine Canon Eda would still help to defend the Arborgeist tree, I'm not as sure about her confidence in attempting to rally others to do the same; She's got that loner vibe who assumes she has to do everything on her own because her own family and lover wouldn't support Eda in her defiance to the coven... But now she does have support in Luz. And King. And some of those loved ones are turning around too, no thanks to Luz's arrival inspiring some!

All this helps culminate in the S1 finale with Eda being used as a rallying cry against Belos, signaling the beginning of the end for his regime as she inspires not just a kid like Luz but other youths like Gus and Willow, and even helps chaperone Grom after avoiding Hexside for years; Eda’s really starting to believe again and she admits that Luz has gotten into her head as the cause.

[aipurjopa]

it’s been like 2 weeks since i wrote these down but anyways my thoughts on the parrot farlands uu video…

the allay carrying an emerald which is something that represents Luigi, the allay being unkillable and able to follow parrot literally everywhere, and how despite parrot’s insistence at killing all the other pets, he keeps the allay around… the allay represents Luigi’s death and Luigi himself and how it’s following Parrot. Also the allay, and Luigi’s emerald, being the things that snap Parrot out of his hopelessness in the farlands, Luigi being the thing that keeps Parrot going.

Interestingly, for Parrot’s pov, Proton escape marks the end of the first “arc” in uu (or at least in my opinion). Proton, where Kenadian introduced this question of “would you rather be safe or free?” or rather: would you rather be safe but have to live in fear of breaking rules set for you or would you rather give up your life (and this your safety) for the chance to be free. This theme introduced continues throughout the next episodes from Parrot’s pov (and also Wemmbu’s skyciv video).

Wifies originally in Proton is on the side of being free: how can you be truly safe if you live everyday in constant fear? However, now that things have sort of gone to shit and they’re being hunted every day, Wifies is on the side of being “safe,” which is effectively what Ken had wanted during Proton too. They literally both say something like: “everything I do is in your best interest,” to Parrot at one point. Parrot doesn’t really get Ken’s point in Proton, not fully (as evidenced by the explanation he gives to the rest of the team after he leaves Kenadian behind), and so him not understanding Wifies’ point also makes sense. It’s so interesting how Proton really does sort of set the stage with the main theme the video has… they really should've stayed in that prison.............. (joke)

Anyways, I’ve always said Parrot’s “fatal flaw” i suppose is his selflessness (and also why i joke about him having a hero complex ahaha) and tbh he’s so selfless he becomes selfish. Like he’s ignoring everyone else’s opinions and just hyper focuses on his own mission of getting everyone out. Like, Parrot is literally putting Wifies’ entire life on the line by constantly trying to get all 3 of them (parrot, wifies, dean) to safety. At that point maybe it’s a little bit selfish to keep going that way.

Also i’m like, not really in agreement with Wifies, i think someone needs to ride up against Ash and i think that Parrot (with his ability to rally people) is probably the only person who can do it, but I get his point. I understand it so much. They should’ve stayed in that damn prison. But also in a time where the freedom of everyone is being threatened, every person needs to fight together. or whatever.

i love the contrast between Parrot and Wemmbu… parrot who puts everyone else’s safety above himself while wemmbu puts his own safety above everyone else’s. i think that’s what makes wemmbu leaving everyone in the skyciv so interesting, because he clearly somewhat cares for Wato and Pangi but in a moment where he has to pick between himself and everyone else he goes with himself which directly contrasts with parrot who has repeatedly shown to be a “no person left behind” kind of guy (proton escape being my favorite example of this; parrot refuses to leave until everyone is out and constantly asks if everyone’s ok. he only leaves ken behind because ken literally begs him to go.)

Also tbh I'd love for a "the 3 protagonists are forced to team up and they fucking hate each other's guts and desperately try to find a way to not work together but are forced to in the end."

[mirai-e-jump]

Hero Vision Vol.55 (2015/Winter) Kamen Rider Blade 10th Anniversary Reunion Interviews Discussion on the Blade Drama CD (translations below)

Publication: February 23, 2015

Takayuki Tsubaki (Kazuma Kenzaki/Blade) Ryoji Morimoto (Hajime Aikawa/Chalice) Hironari Amano (Sakuya Tachibana/Garren) Takahiro Hojo (Mutsuki Kamijo/Leangle)

Tsubaki: I know that since Kamen Rider Blade is celebrating its 10th anniversary, the fans have been asking if we could do something for them. It reminded me that this show is still loved by so many people.

Amano: We talked about how it'd be nice if we could do something together. Kindof like how "Ninpu Sentai Hurricaneger" celebrated its 10th anniversary, and released a new project.

Tsubaki: Yeah. Then, we were offered to do a Drama CD. It made me really happy. This is the first of its kind in Kamen Rider history, and I think the only reason such an offer was given, was because the fans, Toei, the sponsors, the staff, and the cast all came together to make it happen.

Amano: For me, at first, I honestly wondered how a 10 year old production would be revived, and whether anyone would buy it.

Morimoto: Yeah. For me, my first impression was that this was a new beginning. Honestly, I was happy, but I was also worried about whether I'd be able to portray the role I played 10 years ago in a convincing way.

Hojo: I felt the same way. However, when I first heard about it, I was more happy than worried. Blade was the work I was most attached to, and had the most vivid memories of during my acting career. Now, in a brand new drama written 10 years later, I was really looking forward to it.

Amano: But, I also thought it was a story that I couldn't accept if all four of us weren't here.

Morimoto: That's the minimum requirement. After all, "Blade" is only possible if we're all together.

Amano: That's why I thought the most important thing was whether Joe (Hojo-san's nickname), who had retired from acting and returned to his hometown Nagoya, would be able to appear in this work. If they said, "He's retired, so just drop it," then there's nothing we can do about it. But, when Joe said he was sure and wanted to continue to be involved with the Kamen Rider series, it was then that I realized for the first time that this story would actually be happening.

Tsubaki: In Joe's case, locating him was quick, but contacting him to finalize the deal was the hard part.

Hojo: Just as we were talking about it, my cell phone died......(laughs)

Tsubaki: It was the first time I saw him in awhile, but he suddenly brought me a box with his new smartphone in it and said, "Baki (Tsubaki-kun's nickname), set it up for me."

Amano: You're better off with a flip phone! (laughs). I sent you an e-mail the other day, but when I asked, "Why didn't you reply?," you said your screen had broke.

Tsubaki: Those kinds of things usually makes me nervous, but it's different when we're working on Blade. The other day, I asked him, "What would you do if you were offered an acting role for something other than Kamen Rider?" He said, "I won't do it. But, if it's Kamen Rider, I'll definitely do it." I'm so happy that Joe still feels that way even after 10 years.

-10 years later, the four of us are just as you imagined-

Morimoto: I was happy to see that the Drama CD was a continuation of the story up to episode 49, which we had performed over the course of a year, all while creating a new story.

Amano: I was happy to see the presence of Kenzaki (Kazuma), how Hajime (Aikawa) had grown as a human, and how Mutsuki (Kamijo) had become an adult.

Morimoto: And also, Tachibana-san is more like a gentleman.

Tsubaki: I think Kenzaki was as I expected. I was told by Director Ishida (Hidenori) in the film "Missing Ace," which takes place 4 years after the show, that, "Kenzaki will not change even after 4 years." I thought that even 10 years later, Kenzaki would still be the same.

Morimoto: It was the exact image I had in mind, or rather, what I wanted him to be like.

Amano: On the flip side, the most unexpected thing was the conversations between Tachibana and Hajime. After 10 years, It seems that Tachibana was now able to talk with Hajime.

Morimoto: That's for sure. At the time, Garren (who Tachibana transforms into) and Chalice (who Hajime transforms into) were enemies.

Amano: Now, Ryo-chan (Morimoto-san) and I are having deep conversations.

Morimoto: Just like me and Amano-kun, I was happy to see that after 10 years, Hajime and Tachibana had developed a strong relationship. That's why I felt that the scene had to be a condensed version of their 10 years together.

Hojo: There's a line from Mutsuki in the TV show, where he says, "I want to protect the smiles and tears of people."……Going along with that, Mutsuki's choice of an event company as a place of employment in order to make people smile had me thinking, "That makes sense." It also makes him happy having junior colleagues. In his mind, Mutsuki's senior is Tachibana-san, but it's not enough to just imitate him. Therefore, I think I was able to play the role of a senior in my own way, although not as strict as Tachibana-san.

Amano: By the way, how are Mutsuki and Nozomi-chan getting along 10 years later? In the Drama CD, it's only brought up alittle bit.

Morimoto: What's more, "Mutsuki," you slurred your words! (laughs)

Amano: I'm very curious. How about in Joe's mind? Do you go for it? Or…..

Hojo: Nozomi……I wonder if we're done.

Amano & Morimoto: What!!? You guys broke up?!

Tsubaki: Nozomi-chan...maybe she married someone else? (laughs) No, no, I'm just joking. What I left out just now, was foreshadowing for the next part.

Morimoto: You left it in!

Tsubaki: I'm sure that in the next part, Nozomi-chan will be in trouble, so Mutsuki, trying to save her, will finally transform into his Jack Form.

Amano: I don't think they (the scriptwriters) put that much though into it!!

-Because we understand each other's roles-

Morimoto: Hajime isn't the type to show his emotions, but during the recording, I was so emotional, that I actually started to cry.

Amano: It was the final scene. When we finished, I said, "This isn't it," and re-recorded it.

Morimoto: Yeah. If Hajime honestly expresses his feelings and becomes 100% human, that's where the story will end. But, after seeing Kenzaki for the first time in such a long time, the thought of never seeing him again made me so emotional. I though, "Hajime should act like this too," but then I realized, "maybe I'm being alittle too feminine." When I asked everyone about it, both Amano-kun and Hojo gave the advice of, "Definitely don't cry." The reason we can share our opinions like that is because we all understand our roles.

Amano: That's right. It's the same for me, I remember other people's roles more than my own.

Morimoto: In a way, it's like looking at it from the Director's point of view. A scene where I tell Amano-kun, "These are the only friends I can trust!," seems strange.

Amano: Now that you mention it, you were very quiet about it at first. But, that scene was also in the TV show, so when I asked Ryo-chan, "What were you doing before?," Ryo-chan remembered it well.

Morimoto: You said I was quite loud at that time

Amano: That's why we re-recorded it. Everyone remembers what Hajime was like, what Mutsuki was like, and what Kenzaki was like.

Tsubaki: When it comes to "that kind of thing" Kenzaki can only speak the "Ondul Language" right? (laughs).

(Everyone laughs)

Morimoto: For better or for worse, the image I have of Kenzaki has never changed. It was the same in the Drama CD. I remembered almost immediately that, "Kenzaki is just like this."

Tsubaki: "Like this," in a good way? (laughs).

Morimoto: Ofcourse. On the other hand, it would be strange if Kenzaki could speak as fluently as (Kenichi) Suzumura-san (laughs).

Tsubaki: Come to think of it, during the dub recording for "Super Hero Taisen," the staff members said, "We have high expectations" So when I asked them, "Which are you expecting?," they said, "Whichever!" Well, from the very beginning, I started chewing as I spoke, and they all started clapping……

Morimoto: You also chewed in the Drama CD (laughs).

Tsubaki: Yeah, I chewed on the first take. Then, a nerve struck in Amano-kun, and he said, "I can't take this anymore…."

Morimoto: Then he left (the recording room).

Hojo: When he came back, he kept laughing like this (he holds his hands over his mouth) (laughs).

Morimoto: It was insanity. I also laughed at the beginning exchange with Kenzaki. In the flashback scene of the main story, he says, "Hajime, you can continue to live among other humans!"

Tsubaki: It came out more, "You can continue to live among other humans….."* (laughs). It's because that scene once traumatized me. *(said slightly slurred towards the end)

Morimoto: Were you actually hurt or something?

Tsubaki: I don't know if it's because people think that my lines with Ondul elements are the correct ones. I was wondering which expectation I should meet, but in the end, I ended up going with Ondul.....

Amano: I was entertained by it though.

Hojo: Another new saying will be born (laughs).

Morimoto: That part of him is what Kenzaki's all about.

Tsubaki: Just so you know, I usually speak very normally. But Kenzaki, he's just different! (laughs)

-We're now eagerly awaiting to visualize it!-

Tsubaki: Thankfully, I heard that the number of pre-orders for the Drama CD exceeded expectations, and Blade, which was broadcast on "Nico Nico Douga" late last year, was also quite popular. So, if we can get a little more support from the fans, I think a video version may be possible.

Amano: I'm glad that we were able to do a Drama CD, and that we were able to appear in Super Hero Taisen with all four of us, but, we mainly did dubbing. Next time I want everyone to appear in a film. By the way, I've confirmed that all four suits of Blade, Chalice, Garren, and Leangle still exist (laughs).

(Everyone laughs)

Tsubaki: Leangle's Jack Form figure is also available!

Amano: No way! I never thought it would actually release….!

Hojo: Come to think of it, at the time of Missing Ace, Baki and Amano-kun lied to me by saying, "I heard Leangle gets his Jack Form……" (laughs)

Amano: Now that it's become a figure, the visualization will also become a reality! So, first of all, we need everyone to support the Drama CD and push for this visualization. It'll be difficult to do something like this in another 5 or 10 years!

Hojo: Kenzaki and Hajime will grow old (laughs).

Morimoto: I'll become a wrinkly Undead! (laughs)

Amano: The Undead don't age, which means we'd have to change the original setting……

Tsubaki: Then it should be within this year. The filming period will be from April to May, and the release will be around August.

Morimoto: That's way too specific! (laughs). If that's the case, we'll have to get a new cards made…..(laughs).

Tsubaki: Talking like this, there's no end to our desires. I still want to make it into a video!

Hojo: When that time comes, I'll come back from Nagoya!

Amano: That's good. I think an adaptation would be fine if Joe actually answered his phone (laughs).

Morimoto: I won't break my cell phone or say that the screen died (laughs). That much is important. But, this year is the anniversary of Blade……so I'd be happy if we could end this year on a good note.