#Save His Relationship Prodigious Tricks

[ashleyh713fanfics]

Dazai X Odasaku's Little Sister Ch24

(PSA: This story contains an original character. That being said, it also has relationship building along with real life development and character studies. If that interests you please don’t let that deter you from reading. It’s worth it, I promise)

Chapter 23: "I'll Fight For You, Every Time"

Summary: Racing against the clock, Chuuya and a Odasaku's wounded little sister form an unlikely bond, as the ginger haired mafioso realizes that maybe having someone to fight for him wasn’t all bad after all. Meanwhile Dazai races to her side, terrified of being too late yet again to save the one person that meant his entire world.

Warnings: pm!sixteen year old chuuya, manipulation, small bit of stabbing, talks of Odasaku's death, grumpy angry chuuya for real here, chuuya is suffering and we all love it (poor boy), sad Chuuya, mentions of killing and assassins, murder, morally grey complex characters, self destruction, sad boy Dazai, traumatized Dazai, Mentions of Dazai's *cough cough* toxic hobbies like unaliving, lovesick Dazai.

(This is chapter twenty-four of my fanfic "Timeless" which is now on A03. I'll link the master list below so you can get the full story. Asagao's ability is to stop time for up to six seconds.)

Master List Here- To Start from Ch1 <3

A03 Here

Work Count: 7k

Chapter 24:

"I'll Fight For You, Always"

When Dazai arrived back to Japan after his grueling and closed off mission from the outside world, the boy had felt his mind clear of the unmistakable fog that had plagued his psyche ever since that drunk night. 

Mori’s plan had worked, in a way. 

The mission was designed for one thing, to keep him focused and occupied, to push away any semblance of thought of irreverent matters far down inside a box the boy could never reach. 

It wasn’t new either.

He had used this tactic many times before, when life was a bit too hard, when he wanted to not think about his own inadiques and flaws. 

When he wanted an escape because death wasn’t an option after a failed attempt. 

In fact, the boss was the one that had first introduced the toxic coping mechanism to the boy, the first time it ever being used was when he found that Dazai had tried to shove a multitude of pills down his fifteen year old throat a couple days after he had met the struggling child. 

Of course for Mori, Dazai dying would’ve disrupted his plans to be his only witness to the murder of the previous boss. So the man did everything he could to keep the boy alive. 

And that’s how the submerged method of total and complete isolation from the problem became introduced. 

And Dazai had taken to it quite well, all things considered. A perfectly crafted distraction always seemed to do the trick, and least for a little while. That, and it was also a win win for the boss as it caused his favorite demon prodigy to complete even the most complex and gruesomest of tasks in his name.

Dazai wasn’t an idiot though, he knew he was being used in some capacity for Mori’s sick and twisted plans for the mafia, but because it benefited him as well he never opposed to the idea, getting quite comfortable with the idea of forgetting and shoving the most unpressent stuff down in his chest to focus on a problems he could fix. 

Because murder, torture, embazzelment, commiting the most huenius crimes known to man was far easier to stomach then the twisted uncertainly of life and his own feelings. 

Dazai then sighed to himself, getting off the port mafia issued plane before stretching his limbs, the phantom blood on his hands from a couple hours before completely negating whatever issues he was having in the outside world. 

He felt cleansed of it, still living in the haze, like a twisted baptism of his own humanity, lost in the mindset of the supposed demon prodigy and nothing like the weak boy that he hated named Dazai Osamu. 

Yet, the second he turned his phone back on, it started to get bombarded by hundreds of missed calls, each of them lighting up his screen like a blatant alarm to his own dissociation. 

That was weird. Sure, usually he got a couple missed messages but this? 

This seemed excessive. 

Frowning at the sight, Dazai tempted turning the phone back off to keep his placid and self induced calm before the object started to ring again, like it had sensed the heat between his palm. 

And since the boy couldn’t resist the raising curiosity, he answered.  “What?” 

Almost immediately a very familiar voice echoed into his ears, bringing back the repressed memories in Bar Lupin every time he heard his voice. 

Ango. 

And he was livid. “Dazai! You better explain yourself right now before I send the entire government on the doors of the port mafia, and don’t think I’m kidding because I already have them lined up and waiting.” 

Pausing in confusion, Dazai soaked in his strange words before replying. “Damn, that’s quite a threat, Ango. Any reason why you’re inciting war right now? And why you called me a million times? I’m a very busy man, you know.” 

Ango was not having it though, considering he had been trying to reach the boy for the last three hours non stop. “Don’t play dumb with me. I know what you’re doing, where you are. And Dazai so god help me if anything happens to her I will..” 

At that, Dazai’s eyes widened, his head snapping up with newfound seriousness as he felt his stomach start to drop. What did Ango just say? Surely he misheard. “Wait wait wait, back up. Happens to who? You’re not making sense there, Ango.”

Ango’s voice came back like a bullet, shocking the boy’s system and shattering the haze that he had so carefully cultivated with that mission. “Who else would I mean? Asagao! Her phone’s location is in port mafia territory.” 

Suddenly, a blaze of red, a fiery auburn swept across his vision. Her haunting yet empty icy blue eyes with a hint of turquoise, the constellations of freckles across her skin.

Like a ghost, an apparition, everything came back full force, waking him from the dream of disillusion he was in. 

Every uncertain and insecure feeling came pouring out of the box that he had shoved down into the abyss, the very idea of her consuming him completely like he had been pulled back under the water to drown with an anchor of pure iron. 

Asagao. 

Odasakus’s little sister, his Asagao.

He then mentally slapped himself immediately. No, not his. Why did he think that? He wiped the possessive thoughts from his mind to focus on the disturbing and horrifying facts. 

She was in port mafia territory. 

The most dangerous place for her in the entire world. No, that couldn’t be. She wouldn’t be there. She had no reason to be. Why would she go there when she knew the risks and the dangers? 

Feeling all semblance of breath escape from his lungs, Dazai’s fingers clutched onto his phone impossibly tight, his knuckles turning white from the force as he managed to ask in a charged whisper. “What did you just say?”

Ango didn’t truly understand the danger though, still thinking his old friend was responsible. “Don’t act surprised. You’re the only one that would be twisted enough to take her there. Did you not listen to any of my warnings?” 

Dazai felt his head spin, his mind filled with hundreds of possibilities and thoughts of what could be possibly happening to her inside the mafia. The air is silent, like noose around his neck. 

But this time, the suffocation wasn’t welcome. 

Because Ango was right. He would’ve brought her there if she was any other person. He wouldn’t have cared about her safety or the danger it posed. But she wasn’t just anyone, she was the most important person in this life. 

She was his everything. 

Knowing he had to say something, the boy slowly spoke, his voice strained on every syllable. “Ango..I haven’t been in port mafia territory. I was out of the country on a job. I didn’t take her there.”

The air turned silent again, causing the government agent to shutter a horrifying breath through the phone. “Then who…oh god, you don’t think Mori..” 

Yet before he could finish, Dazai took off running, off the jet bridge of the private jet towards the territory of the port mafia, all logic and composure gone completely in place of an erratic heart and panicked breath. 

Because if Mori had her, if he had somehow found out about her existence, about being a hellhound, an elite assassin, the last of her kind, Dazai would tear the entire world down to bring her back. 

It was Odasaku’s wish after all, for her to never be involved in such a place but a part of him hated that the thought only briefly crossed his mind. 

No, his best friend's promise was a mere flicker to his own all consuming thoughts and selfish desires. 

His feet moved not because of his dead friends’ desires but his own. Maybe that showed how far gone the boy truly was for her but he didn’t have the time or the breath to care. No, he just needed to get to her, to make sure she was safe. 

Barely hearing Ango voice through the phone he clutched in his hand, Dazai didn’t give a response, the sound muffled like it was underwater in his own ears. “Dazai? Hey, Dazai!” 

Nothing mattered, nothing else but her. 

After a couple minutes he seemed to register the voice before just barely ordering out for her sake. “Send me the location. I’m bringing her back.” 

Hanging up the phone without another word, Dazai looked down at the phone waiting for the text only to see a message from Asagao herself at the bottom of Ango’s frantic ones, his reeling mind pausing for a moment before he opened it with shaking fingers. 

From: Asa-chan

Miss you Samu. Come back soon. 

The words on the screen, they were both a balm and venom to his soul, easing him and shaking him with dread in each syllable as Dazai took a shuddering breath, closing his eyes to put the phone up to his forehead and press it against the skin of his bandages. 

And behind his eyelids, memories, horrible memories and feelings crashed into him, of Odasaku’s lifeless eyes, of him reaching out to him and only catching air, of being too late to save the one person that mattered to him in the world. 

No. 

She would be safe. She had to be. 

Dazai wasn’t a positive kid but for once in his life he clung to naive optimism, to the hope that his desire for her to be unscathed would be enough to make it true. Because for him, there was no other option. 

To be left alone, to not see her again, to be too late like last time..

The doubt started to creep in once more before Dazai’s phone buzzed with the location Ango had before he shook the negative from his mind in order to keep running once more. 

He would not lose her like Odasaku, he would not fail her like he did to his best friend. 

Dazai couldn't be too late again, he just..couldn’t. 

Time moved impossibly slow as Chuuya tried to take in the surroundings around him. His ears were ringing with the residue of the earlier panic from his own insecurities as the world continued to turn regardless. 

His senses then awakened little by little, noticing the tiny details first. The brisk chill in the air from the air conditioning vents next to him, the sound of an ongoing fight somewhere below him, and the sight of red, an unmistakable auburn in front of him as she guarded his body and heart from harm. 

Feeling the dryness of his mouth, the boy’s gaze then flickered down to the crimson reminder slowly painting her side and soaking her white shirt. 

That’s right. She was stabbed. 

She willingly got stabbed in order to protect him. 

Even after he yelled at her, pushed her away and said the cruelest things to her. Even though he self destructed beyond repair and sent her running like everyone else in his life, she was still here. 

What an idiot. An absolute, self proclaimed idiot. He didn’t deserve that. 

And the things she just said, how’d she’d protect him, didn’t she have any self respect? Why didn’t she run away like everyone else? Why was she still standing in front of him with a bloody side, proclaiming to earn his friendship? 

Shirase on the other hand looked both parts annoyed and confused by the declaration, not knowing who this girl was that had suddenly appeared like magic between their personal matters. “Protected? By who, a little girl like you? Don’t make me laugh. Stay out of this before you get yourself killed.” 

Asa only narrowed her eyes though, not moving an inch. “You heard me. If you want to get to him, you’ll have to go through me.” 

The old Sheep member blinked in disbelief at her audacity before his lips curved into a cruel smile, taking a step forward to answer her challenge. Obviously not taking her seriously. “Alright, I can arrange that..” 

Racing forward towards the two, Chuuya’s eyes widened, sensing the impending danger as he willed his muscles to move out of their stunned state. “A-Asa..” 

But before he could finish her name, Asagao easily dodged Shirase’s sloppy punch, grabbing his arm before kicking the boy in the stomach forcibly causing him to gasp and wheeze out a breath of surprise before crumbling to his hands and knees, not expecting such a heavy hit. 

Yet that was the flaw with Shirase, always arrogant but always biting off more than he could chew. Not that he’d ever admit that himself of course. 

Gritting his teeth in frustration, the boy then swiped the discarded knife from the ground that he brought to stab Chuuya before swinging it upwards with speed towards Asagao’s neck only for her to quickly grab his wrist before he was able to hit skin. 

And with the blade inches from the neck, Shirase tried to push it closer only for Asa to use her own strength to keep it in the same exact position as the boy cursed. “You little..you don't know what you’re dealing with.” 

Leaning closer, Shirase then gazed at her wounded side before he resorted to his most coveted skill, brushing against her ear as he whispered cruelly. “Give it up girl, that blade you stupidity stood in front of and got stabbed with was laced with rat poison. You have about ten minutes before you’re done for, so I’d just give up..” 

He hoped the shock would be enough for her strength to diminish even slightly in order to shove the blade fully into the neck and be done with it. Being faced with the idea of death was shocking for anyone, especially one with a time limit like her. 

Yet that’s when he heard the auburn haired girl..laugh? 

The sound was jarring in itself, causing the boy to snap his head back to look at her only to find her smiling and laughing at his suggestion like he hadn’t just played the part of her grim reaper. It was kind of unnerving. 

Smiling a bit wider, her lips then turned predatory before leaning closer to him, her voice confident and cocky. “Bold of you to assume I need ten minutes to beat you.” 

And just like that, the trick he had attempted to use on this small girl had backfired, ricocheted in his face as he felt his own hand loosen in surprise and shock and her statement.

This girl, she had used his own cheat against him. 

Asagao then smirked, sensing his loss on the blade before she fully pulled the sharp edge away from her neck, twisting his wrist in an unnatural direction as Shirase yelped and dropped the blade onto the floor unwillingly and kicked him down.

Watching his defeat on the floor for a moment, how he pathetically stayed on his hands and knees like a coward, Asa then turned back to Chuuya before giving him an unbothered smile like nothing had happened. 

And Chuuya was stunned, looking down at the defeated and humiliated Shirase before turning back to her. He was so angry at her. So incredibly angry that she did something so stupid, so moronic like put herself in front of a blade for him. 

Yet, when he spoke there was no anger to be found. “You’re..such an idiot.” 

Asa only smiled at that, used to the insult. “Funny, I’ve been told that before.” 

Shaking his head in exasperation, normally Chuuya would’ve found her response an annoyance, but given the circumstance, he felt his eyes soften with newfound vulunabitly. What was this stupid ass girl doing to him? 

She was getting under his skin like no one had done before. 

The two then paused when they heard Shirase’s voice ring out through the entire space, laced with hate and disdain as he struggled back to his feet from Asa’s beating. “All of you, eliminate Chuuya. I want him dead!” 

Chuuya and Asagao then look down at the remaining GCC members as they all turn towards the gingered haired boy, taking the order to kill Chuuya to heart as they start to move all at once as the boy cursed. “Shit..they’re serious about this..” 

Shirase watched the sight with sick amusement, his voice boarding on manic as he clung to the railing to watch his enemies' demise. “What are you going to do now, little girl? Think you can take on my whole army just to save worthless little Chuuya?” 

Frowning at his words, Chuuya then looked down at the impending fight, his knuckles white from how tightly he was clenching his fists. 

He wanted to tell Asagao to run, to let him handle it like he always does but the words didn't come as he glared at the incoming armed GSS members. 

Yet that’s when Asa simply reached her hands up before wrapping her fingers around the large round framed glasses on her face before pulling them down and lifting them out to Chuuya. “Chu Chu, hold these for me please.” 

The boy looked down at the carefully folded glasses in confusion, his hands reaching up to take them with a mutter. “What are you doing?”

The girl only smiles though, keeping her eyes closed as she turns back to Shirase. “I know they make you uncomfortable so you don’t have to look.” 

Then, ever so slowly the girl opens her eyes as Shirase’s entire face turns pale at the sight, the dead, lifeless, hollow emptiness of them seeping into the kid’s soul and making him shutter almost instantly. 

Taking a step back, Shirase’s voice trembles. “W-What..you’re a..a..”

Yet she only stood still, watching the boy’s reaction as he gazed upon something from his nightmares, something that caused his entire body to shake and tremble just from the very sight. She was aware of what he wanted to say, what he thought she was. 

And Asa couldn’t deny it either. That word, that singular word that she had tried to run from, she knew it fit her better then she ever wanted it to. It was the perfect word for her, for a girl who felt nothing about death, who could pull the trigger on thousands of innocent lives and never spare a single thought. 

But maybe if it could help Chuuya, if it could save his life, maybe admitting it now wasn’t so bad. Because if this was the only thing she could do for him, the only thing she could be that would benefit him in any way, then so be it. 

Parting her lips, she then finished her thought for him, speaking the forbidden words she always denied in order to make them true for the sake of the boy in front of her. “A monster? Yeah, I suppose so.”

Using her time stop ability, Asagao then disappeared from the railing completely before Chuuya blinked to see her on the bottom floor, ready to face a horde of fully armed soldiers just for his sake. 

He watched the way the men tensed at the sight of her eyes, the same way he reacted when he first saw them. How they trembled, how they clutched their weapons a bit together and gazed at her like some sort of unchained beast or a demon. 

Lifting her hand towards the men, Asa’s voice turned mocking. “I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again. You want to get to Chuuya? Then you’ll have to get through me. Now, who's first?” 

The air turns silent, no one moving as she then glances at the clock, counting the minutes in her head. 

Shirase said she had ten minutes before the rat poison took effect and shut down her body. Two minutes had passed since then which meant she had had eight minutes to take these guys down before she was in trouble. 

And yes, to a normal person that would be more than mildly concerning, but to Asa it made her lips curve into a devious smile of anticipation, already feeling the slight spark of adrenaline coating her veins and making her hands twitch. 

Challenge accepted. 

Then without waiting for the men to act first, Asagao raced towards the group, her analytical eyes catching everyone of their movements as she worked on disarming and taking down them one at a time. 

The nearby Flags all felt their mouths drop at her boldness, seeing her fearlessly dive into an uneven fight as Albatross whistled and gripped his machete tighter. “Damn, look at little Red go! Come on, we can’t let her do all the work!”

Lippman smiles at the idea, reaching into his jacket before pulling out two machine pistols to join the fray. “I agree, let’s be the handsome knights and help our princess out!’

Piano Man nodded in agreement, unwinding the lethal wire from his weapon before giving the group the signal to charge forward. “Yes, let’s show the kid why we’re one of the most lethal groups in the port mafia. For Chuuya.” 

Albatross cheers, swinging his machete up as he shouts. “For Chuuya!” 

The group agreed as they broke through the chaos only for Chuuya himself to look down at the clashing of weapons and sounds of gunfire with stunned silence.

Not just Asa but everyone, they were fighting for him. Risking their lives just for him.

 It was almost too good to be true, like some sort of dream or illusion. But it was a real, it was happening right before his eyes. 

No more was he alone, fighting in the woods all by himself, screaming for help to no avail. No longer was he mentally and physically slumped against the edge of that cliff and bleeding out from his own failures. 

He had finally found it, a family. 

Someone to care about him. 

Someone that would fight for him no matter what. 

Raising her head, Asa then looked up at Chuuya from above before lifting her hand out of him, a cheerful tone in her voice even though she was in the middle of a fight. “Hey Chu Chu! Come on down here. I wanna see how you fight! Let’s take them together!” 

And normally he’d dismiss such a request, normally he’d shrug it off. But somehow, he found himself using his gravity manipulation to stop off the balcony and land right next to her, the red glow around him a sign of his intent. 

Asagao’s smile widens at the sight, turning back to the men before the two kids leap into action together, their movements both lethal and precise as they start to take down the GSS one by one. 

Together. 

And as he throws punches and dodges, he can’t help but notice how in control Asagao is in her fight, how she seems to be able to predict her enemies next movement like nothing. It was incredibly scary but now that he looked at it up close he couldn’t help but admire it too. She truly was a one woman army, a force to be reckoned with. 

Chuuya then paused when he felt a fist come towards him while he was watching the girl, cursing as he put his hand up to block only to feel another hand grip his wrist firmly as the boy watched the man’s punch slow down to an unanimated halt. 

His brows screwed in confusion, snapping his head to the owner of the hand only to find Asagao smiling at him.

 Wait, she used her time stop ability on him? That’s why he didn’t get punched. 

Watching, the girl then winked at him before pulling his body with her quickly, her steps moving him to the back of the armed men and letting go as Chuuya watched the world reanimate and the man throw a punch to nothing but air. 

He stood stunned at the action, slowly realizing the power Asagao held within her ability. Sure, he knew she was strong, he knew that her time stop ability was terrifying in its own right but seeing it from an outside perspective and seeing it used firsthand was something else entirely. 

So much so, Chuuya looked down at his hand before an amused smile crossed his lips. He was never one for partners or teammates before. He was never one for relieving on another to sink or swim but her ability, together it felt powerful and new. 

Snapping his hand up, the boy jumped back into the fight, swinging and kicking and using his gravity ability like before, except when Asagao lifted out of her hand to him, this time he took it. 

 He took it every single time. 

And as the fight went on, the two started to become more in sync with each other. He felt his body move towards hers, using her time stop ability in tandem with his gravity ability to disappear and reappear in and out of reality with her help. 

The two were unstoppable, in a way he never imagined before, leaning on each other and using their own strengths to negate their weaknesses. He had never relied on anyone before but relying on her, it felt nice. 

Meanwhile, Asa was having the time of her life, the drug of the fight coursing through her as her lips turned more and more dark, a sharp laugh escaping her lips as she tore through the men to knock them unconscious.

This is what she was made for after all, what she was conditioned to do, what her trainers and the leaders of the hellhound assassin organization made her into, a weapon of unspeakable force, and every second she could feel the programming coursing through her veins. 

The desire to destroy, to tear apart everything around her and take joy in it. To allow the drug of her own adrenaline to seep into her skin and make her absolutely unstoppable. 

Her mind was blurred, tunneled into nothing but fighting. 

Analyzing the situation around her, she allowed her eyes to take in every detail, every sight and sound and smell of the entire space to catalog it and use it to her own advantage

Everything was so loud and so quiet all at once, willing her to keep moving, to keep going until all of them were down and out of the way. 

Giving another sharp laugh, Asa vaguely felt her internal organs start to shut down from the poison coursing through her system before quickly glancing to the clock and continuing the minutes. 

Three minutes left before her body gave out. 

And quite honestly, she probably should’ve slowed down, should’ve stopped her body from moving so much so the wound didn’t open any further but that thought was far in the back of her mind, overtaken by her engrained function to fight, by the drug of her own psyche.  

She knew once her body slowed it would be over, so she made sure to give one hell of a fight before then. 

Chuuya’s safety was paramount. 

Iceman watched the fight through his own battle, gaging the animalistic way she moved, the hurricane of force she was before he felt his blood run cold as she wiped her head to the side and he saw a small tattoo on the back of her neck. 

No, not a tattoo. 

The color and the lines were different. It wasn’t painted ink on the skin. 

No, it was embedded into the skin.

 It was a brand.

A brand with the letter H curved in tiny markings, like someone had sheared the iron tip to the girl's skin. 

The assassin stared at the small symbol with disbelief, knowing exactly where it had come from. 

Sure, not many knew of the marks given that it was a lost organization but for a hitman like Iceman, he had seen that brand on the necks of a couple people in his time, all of them on mindless killing machines without the capacity of emotion. 

Snapping his head back up to Asa to see her fight, Iceman’s mind started to connect the pieces. The familiar brutalistic way she was fighting, her dull corpse-like eyes, the way she was tearing through the men with a sick twisted smile on her face..he had seen it before, in an organization that he thought was lost completely. 

One he had hoped was lost anyway. 

There was no mistaking it. That brand, her fighting, he knew immediately. “Hellhound..” 

But as he continued to watch her, it wasn’t the violence that made him continue to stare but rather, her restraint. 

Because every hellhound he had met in this life never had a lick of restraint. They killed with no mercy, no emotion and no understanding. They were more like attack dogs than anything, taking in the words of their masters and following them with no question. 

Assassins like them, they didn’t know how to stop, nor did they want to in any capacity. 

But watching Asagao, from an outside perspective it looked like she was out of control, some sort of unleashed monster that couldn’t control their own actions and maybe that was true to some extent. 

Yet he had known hellhounds before and she..she was not acting like one.

These men, she wasn’t killing any of them even when she so clearly could. If anything, she seemed to be playing around with them rather than finding the shortest way to end the fight once and for all. 

Which wasn’t like the normal attack dog she should’ve been. 

That’s when he noticed her shaking hand, controlled with speechless restraint for her true desires, her true programming. It was probably taking everything within her not to just massacree everything in her path and yet she was holding so strong. 

And Iceman couldn’t help but be in awe of it. To see one without a master, without orders and yet able to hold onto their own mind and desires in the way that she did. 

It was nearly impossible, and yet here she was all the same. 

So much so the man could help but think back to their conversation earlier tonight. He was right, she had killed before. She probably had killed hundreds of times before but right now, now she was choosing not to. 

And that was absolutely astonishing in every way imaginable. 

A hellhound that didn’t kill. How odd that was. 

As the minutes ticked down, Asa felt her body betray her more and more as she fought through to the inevitable shut down she would face once she stopped moving, everyone else obvious to the internal danger inside her own veins. 

And when the last armed man fell, her wild eyes snapped up to look around the room for more threats only to be met with silence. They had done it, they had taken down the entire GSS force on their own. 

Chuuya huffed out a breath, still riding the high from the fight as he glanced at Asa with an amused smile for their unexpected partnership. He couldn’t believe how well they worked together, how impressive her ability matched with hers. 

Feeling his heart pound with empowering adrenaline, he then watched as Asa turned to him with a similar smile before speaking softly. “Did we do it? There’s no more?” 

Nodding back, the boy answered with pride. “Yeah, we did it.” 

He then watched as the girl’s shoulders slumped with relief, the adrenaline slowly draining from her body as her hands began to tremble as her sides.”Ah, good..”

Chuuya noticed the shake right away, his eyes turning in concern before he watched the seemingly indestructible Asagao fall to her knees before crumbling to the side as her body hit the floor right before his eyes. 

The sight caused the boy’s world to completely freeze, a gasp of horror in his chest as he raced towards her, falling to his knees to meet her as he rolled her body so she was laying on her back. “A-Asagao?! What the hell...what’s wrong..?” 

Letting out a slight laugh turned wheeze she looked up at him with hazy eyes, her skin turning deathly pale by the second. “H-Hey..this is awkward huh? Seems like that blade had..rat poison on it..haha..funny right?” 

At her words, Chuuya’s eyes widened with horror. Rat poison? She was poisoned this entire time and still fought like that? 

He was on the edge of being livid for her stupid decision and terrified for what it meant. “A-And you didn’t say anything?!” 

Asa gave another weak laugh at that. “I didn’t wanna kill the vibe, you know? This is kinda a downer..am I right…? Besides, I was super cool back there, wasn’t I?” 

Letting out a choked breath, Chuuya’s hands fell to the ground as he soaked in her words. She didn’t want to bring down the vibe? She was poisoned and she didn’t say anything because it would’ve been what? An inconvenience? 

Damn it, why wasn’t she more selfish? 

The ginger boy then shook his head before answering back, his voice wavering with unkempt emotion. “You idiot..yeah you were really cool..but that doesn’t mean you can die on me either..”

Asa smiled at that, her response less strong than before, like she was fading out of consciousness by the second. “Ah, I wouldn’t dare..that would really kill the vibe for sure..besides…I haven’t earned the title..of being your friend yet..”

At that, his heart twisted with an ugly sense of reality and guilt. That’s all she cared about? Being his friend? Damn it, he wrote her off so easily before, called her a psycho and freak when all she wanted was something so simple, so god damn simple, and he couldn’t even give her that. 

He was an idiot, a goddamn idiot. She didn’t have to come here tonight, she didn’t have to help him when he asked her and all she asked for in exchange was for his friendship. It was so childish, so like her. 

Standing in front of a blade, hiding evidence just so she could spend more time with him, Chuuya started to realize the extent of how far she would go just to not be lonely anymore. 

No, it wasn’t just that. 

It showed how far she would go for him . 

He was so selfish, thinking of his own past and insecurities, thinking she was going to betray him and make fun of him like Dazai, like everyone else in his life. 

But now he saw her, he saw the extent of her heart. 

Damn it, he felt like the worst person in the entire world, watching the consequences of his own actions. “You..you didn’t have to earn anything..I was being an ass before..” 

It was foolish really, to think she had to earn anything, especially anything to do with him. He had hurt her so badly earlier, saying that no one would ever love her truly. 

Fuck, she even said it herself that she didn’t believe it was possible for her to be loved, didn’t she? And instead of denying it he had fed her mind into thinking it was really true. 

He was then broken out of his own self loathing when he saw Asagao’s eyes start to flutter closed, causing the boy to immediately panic and shake her shoulders.

 No, this couldn’t be happening. “H-Hey..hey hey hey no no don’t you dare do that. Wake up. You better fucking wake up or I’m gonna kick your ass. You hear me? You didn’t have to earn my friendship, you don’t have to earn anything. Just don’t…please don’t…” 

Seeing her grow paler by the second, Chuuya felt absolutely useless, his hands shaking as he pleaded in his mind for her to wake up, to be okay, to piss him off a million times more. 

He had to tell her that they were friends, best friends. 

That her one foolish and singular wish had come true. 

Just then, the doors to the room burst open, causing Chuuya’s head to snap up only to lock eyes with a very familiar head of messy brown hair, the boy’s unbandaged eye wild and erratic as he entered the space. 

And for the first time in his life, Chuuya was glad he had appeared. “Dazai..” 

Dazai’s shoulders tensed at the scene, immediately locking onto the scene before him before running as fast as he could to kneel beside the pale Asagao. “A-Asa..? No no no Asa..” 

With trembling hands he reached for her body only to pull away and find blood on his palm from the wound in her side as Dazai felt his heart shatter inside his chest, a sick sense of deja vu crashing into him like a tidal wave of destruction. 

Odasaku! 

He heard a voice, a memory of his past self, screaming a name, doing the same motions as before, the past and the present mixing together. 

Don’t go, please..!

His voice again, another memory, another stab to his chest. Panic coursed through his veins, suffocating him, making it hard to breathe, to see, to think.

You can’t, not like this..

It was the same, the blood on his palms, just like Odasaku, she was laying the same way, oh god she was bleeding just like him. She was going to..going to…

Yet that’s when he heard her voice, her beautiful, breathtaking voice break through his spiral as he gasped and immediately locked eyes with her hollow ones. “S-Samu..?”

Almost immediately, he clung to her, like the lifeline she was to him. “Y-Yeah, It’s me. Hey, love.” 

She smiled weakly in response, looking up at him before speaking above a whisper. “You’re back.” 

Nodding in reply, Dazai forced a smile to his own lips, not wanting to worry her with his own unraveling. “Y-Yeah I’m back..I came back..” 

He then felt her fragile fingers reach for the hem of his mafia jacket, grabbing it with as much strength she could muster before she spoke, soft and sweet. “I missed you.”

Widening his eyes, Dazai looked down at the sight before he felt his heart squeeze inside him to a painful level. She always knew how to make him unravel, whether she realized it or not. “M-Me too, love. I missed you too.” 

Asa then seemed to notice the distress on his face, her hand reaching up before lightly pressing it against the bandages of his eye, careful not to touch the skin which only made him crumble more with how considerate she was, even now. 

Brushing her fingers across the gauze, she looked up at him with apology. “I’m sorry Samu..I’m probably bringing up some bad..memories for you..like this..huh?” 

Dazai inhaled sharply at that. She was right, the way she was positioned, the blood on his palms, even the placement of his hand was bringing back awful memories of the moment he watched his best friend die. 

And looking at her like this, it felt like he was watching another Oda disappear from him before his very eyes. 

So he chose not to answer her question, shaking his head with a gentle hush. “I..that doesn’t matter..don’t speak..save your energy.” 

Asa seemed to notice the inner emotions of his words though, she always did, her hand brushing against his bandaged eye again before forcing her voice to come out stronger. “It’s okay Samu..I’m not gonna die...I’ve been trained..to detox poison..fast..that’s why I..took the hit..for Chu Chu..”

She was trying to reassure him. This girl, she had poison in her system, she was probably bleeding out and all she thought about was him. It made Dazai whimper in reminder of how perfect, how selfless she truly was. 

Always thinking about him, about that slug, but never herself.

Asagao’s lips then curved into a gentle smile once more before he felt her hand move from the safety of the gauze on his eye to his cheek, touching the skin and making his body shutter at the intimate foreign feeling.

Locking eyes with him, she finished gently.  “...I won’t leave you alone. Promise.” 

Dazai’s breath hitched at that, hearing exactly what he needed to in that moment as his own hand reached up and gently wrapped around her wrist, anchoring him to her both mentally and physically. 

Then closing his eyes, he locked her words away deep within himself, willing them to be true, because he knew he would be broken if they weren’t. “I’ll hold you to that.” 

Nodding in response, Asa’s eyes then fluttered once more. “I’m gonna...rest now..don’t freak out..I’m okay..”

A sharp sense of fear coursed through him at the action but he nodded regardless, trusting her promise to be okay, to not leave him in this horrible awful world alone. “Y-Yeah, okay, love. Get some rest..” 

Sensing he wasn’t going to panic, Asagao’s hand grew limp in his hold, her head lulling to the side as she finally fell unconscious, Dazai’s fingers feeling her pulse for a reminder of her promise before he gently placed her arm back onto her chest. 

The boy then turned silent, looking down at her, his body moving on his own as he leaned forward, over her before pressing a soft light kiss on her forehead, so gentle, like a butterflies wing or a whisper of a breeze, but it was there all the same. 

To him it was a gesture, a thank you for being alive, for not being too late. 

And for Chuuya watching, the mafioso couldn’t help but widen his eyes. He had never seen Dazai be so kind, so gentle before. Asagao said that their relationship was only in name but looking at his partner now, it certainly didn’t look like that was true. 

Because right now, Dazai was gazing at Asa like she was the most precious thing in the entire universe. 

Although that’s when the bandaged boy slowly stood up before turning to Chuuya, his eyes void of any of the care he showed previously, knowing that his partner was the one that had put her in this kind of danger. “Take her.” 

The executive's voice was so cold and icy like a lethal venom as Chuuya felt his nerves bunch up with guilt for his actions. “W-What?” 

Dazai only narrowed his eyes though, clearly not in the mood for explanations. “Take her. She needs to go to the hospital. You brought her here, you’ll make sure she’s safe. Or else.”

His words weren't a suggestion or an ask. No, they were a threat, a statement of absolute truth. Chuuya was going to help Asagao, he was going to make up for his mistake or else there would be hell to pay. 

And though it seemed like Dazai wanted to say much more to the kid, it was obvious Asa’s well being was top priority, causing Chuuya to gently pick up Asagao in his arms without complaint. “What are you going to do?”

The demon prodigy then reached for his gun, taking it out as he held it by its side, his voice void of any feeling before pointing it towards the unconscious men that Chuuya and Asa had fought. “Go.”

Tightening his hold of Asa in his arms, Chuuya got the message immediately.

 Dazai was going to kill all of the men, all of the people that had dared to point a gun at her. And though he wanted to argue, the boy knew that Dazai’s wraith could not be quelled so easily. 

So Chuuya went off running, crandling Asa in his arms as he heard the lingering gun shots with each step, hoping and praying for her to hang on. 

For his best friend to be alright. 

[welivetodream]

Do people really think that skk hate eachother?

After the fight with Lovecraft, we have a scene where Dazai smiles at Chuuya; this is one of the only genuine smiles we ever get from Dazai. Most of the time he is playing up a facade and he is very hard to read but he always seems to smile more genuinely when he is around Chuuya, especially when Chuuya isn't looking at him.

What I think those two have are very complicated feelings that haven't changed since they were 15-18.

Skk never got to be friends, they were always partners, "Double Black", Port Mafia's prodigies. They didn't get the chance to just be kids and see the better sides of eachother, their relationship didn't grow organically over the years but became stunted at a time when both of them were only teenagers. Thrust in an environment where there's not much positivity, Skk were always at odds because of their clashing personalities and mutual dislike (and their similarities)

I don't think that dislike ever became hate. I think they did become closer as the years passed, but then of course Dazai left.

While saying Chuuya was sad when Dazai left is a way to show their care for eachother. I would say, Chuuya was REALLY angry when Dazai left (that's why he drank that expensive wine, it was out of spite). How can he leave? Does he have no loyalty to the PM? Does he have no loyalty to Chuuya? They were partners, he can't just leave without a word.

Dazai left without a word because he knew how mad Chuuya would be at him when he finds out, he knew if he thought about Chuuya there would be a part of him that wouldn't want to leave this partnership that they have had since three years. It was something that gave him excitement in this "worthless thing they call living" it was his will to live. He also didn't want the PM to think Chuuya was involved with him and helped him in leaving.

I do think Dazai leaving PM made Chuuya dislike him even more. Dazai was not only annoying, he was also disloyal.

But when it comes to Dazai, I don't think he hated Chuuya at all. His fondness for Chuuya is what makes him not want to like him. It's the same way Nikolai wants to kill Fyodor for being the only one who understands him. Dazai doesn't want to kill Chuuya, when he says "I have been thinking about ways to kill Chuuya since 7 years" it's a lie, a joke for him, a facade. He could have done that any time in 7 years but he chose not to. He knows when it comes to it, he can't kill Chuuya.

Chuuya would say he hates Dazai but goes out of his way to save him everytime. In Dead Apple, he risked his own life to save Dazai who could have been dead for all he knew. But he still took the chance, believing that Dazai would have a plan and that he would know that Chuuya is going to risk it. (Also I wholeheartedly believe Dazai has some fantasies about being rescued by Chuuya, that Mf totally does)

Their trust in eachother is so strong, that even when they are on the enemy side, they are able to work together, putting their differences apart. They have never had a "real" fight like Atsushi and Akutagawa, it's more of snide remarks and calling nicknames, like their teenage selves.

I don't think Chuuya is aware of these complicated feelings, he has manifested his dislike of Dazai's antics and personality to a point he had hidden his care for him. On the other hand, Dazai is very aware of these feelings, he knows he cares. So he fakes it, acting out as usual the idea that he hates Chuuya, because he knows loving and caring for someone does not end well for him (look at Oda). He doesn't want to lose another person he cares for.

In retrospect as memeable and funny those two "confession" scenes are in S5; it's the first time Dazai is not lying, he is acknowledging his care for Chuuya in a way it feels authentic and real to Fyodor, so they could trick him. It's their plan, yes, but the reason it feels real is because IT IS. No wonder Chuuya shot him so many times ("Dazai's being stupid again, making me feel things, embarrassing me in front of the enemy").

This isn't a shipping post, I do ship Skk, but their bond is so deep that you can look at it in a platonic way and very little would change.

[waterfire1848]

Hello! Not sure if you're still doing AU 5 headchanon asks but...

Au, on the day of Zuko's agni kai, rushes to his defense before Ozai's hand touches his skin burning herself instead. But this is Azula, somehow she manages to trick everyone in the room by saying, "She, as the second born daughter, gladly takes the punishment for the first born son in order to protect his honor" or some nonsense like that appealing to all the old misogynistic geezers and gets away with it. (Ozai can't exactly challenge both his children to an agni kai on the same day. And Azula is already burned)

Meanwhile, Zuko is confused and thinks this is all some sort of sick joke orchestrated by Azula, and Ozai now knows he doesn't have complete control over his daughter. Fast forward a bit, Azula gets her signature blue flames, and Ozai starts to feel threatened about his position. He killed his father for the throne, so what's stopping her? She had already acted against him once before. So he pulls out this idea that her blue flames are a sign that she isnt well and therefore must be sent away in order to be cared for.

Where you ask? The institute where they send all the unmanageable young ladies of the firenation *looks at the asylum in the comics*

I'm not sure if i want Mai and Ty Lee to be sent in alongside her, with their parents wanting to cut off ties with their daughters who befriended the princess who caught the fire lords ire. Or if they are outside the institute but working on a way to bust Azula out.

Either way, this is my crack au idea i randomly thought up at 3am in the morning. There are no end-game ships, everyone is brotp. Thank you for listening to me ramble.

Hello, anon!! I am! (Just FWI - My inbox is turned off for the time being so I can answer some questions but it will be turned back on very soon!)

Azula does care about Zuko. She really does. Okay, maybe they don't have the best relationship in the world, but he's still her brother and Azula doesn't want Zuko to get burned and banished. (It also has nothing to do with the fact that she's terrified to be alone with Ozai. Not at all). When she sees Ozai on the stage with Zuko and sees Zuko refuse to fight, she knows this isn't going to end well and she can't stand to see him get burned. Azula runs from her uncle and Zhao and onto the stage. When she pushes Zuko, she's burned on the side of her face (not in the same was Zuko was through. This burn mostly affects her ear, hair and the side of her face just barely missing her eye). (Zuko: AZULA! Azula: AHHH!! Zuko: Azula, hang on. The physician is coming. It'll be okay. Azula: I...I can...I... Zuko: Azula! Azula! Ozai: Get away from her Prince Zuko! Zuko: NO! Stay away from her! Ozai: *Turns to the audience* When the Princess wakes up we will find out what possessed her to interrupt a sacred fight!). Azula is taken away to the healer, leaving her brother, father and uncle utterly confused.

Azula wakes up a few weeks later and is immediately confronted by Ozai. He rants that she was an idiot for going on the stage and that he was going to make her crown princess once Zuko was gone. All Azula says is that she is the second born daughter and was happy to take Zuko's place in the Agni Kai to protect his honor. Ozai is angry at her but there's nothing much he can do since Azula did nothing wrong. He doesn't want to banish his prodigy and he can't fight Zuko anymore, so he's kind of at a loss of what to do. The matter is settled a while later and Zuko confronts Azula about why she did it. (Azula: No thank you for saving you. Zuko: I didn't need you help. Azula: Yeah. You looked like you were doing great up there. Face it, Zuzu. You needed my help. Zuko: No. I didn't! Azula: Yes, you did! I saved you! Why are you yelling at me!? Zuko: Because you didn't do it for me! You did it for you! You just wanted to show everyone what a great bender you are! Azula: I saved you! Zuko: You just wanted to show off! I'm glad you got burned! Maybe now everyone will see that the great prodigy isn't indestructible!)

Azula and Zuko's relationship starts to get worse and worse as time goes on. Zuko thinks that Azula did what she did for her own glory and because she couldn't stand not having the spotlight on her while Azula is angry that Zuko isn't thankful that she saved him. Years pass and the family continues to be cold to one another. Finally, at fourteen, Azula creates blue fire for the first time. While she is beyond excited, Ozai is anything but. He killed his own father for the crown and he knows that Azula jumped in front of his fire for her brother. So what if Zuko wants him dead? Would Azula help? What if Azula wanted him dead? There's no guarantee she would win but she certainly would put up a fight. Ozai continues to grow more and more uneasy (especially when Azula starts to learn lightning bending) until he finds a solution: a decently close institution for misbehaving daughters. The institution promises to turn all misbehaving daughters into good members of society or keep them there until they learn to be quiet. Azula is sent there only four months after turning 14 year old. (She pretends not to notice Zuko pack her mochi in her suitcase).

The institution is awful. They treat Azula like trash and like she’s not even a human being. For the first month she’s not allowed any outside contact, not allowed to bend and forced to attend classes where, if she does something wrong, she’s put in a straightjacket in her room. Mai, Ty Lee and Zuko are the first ones to visit her the second they’re allowed to and Azula does not look good. Her hair is dying, her skin is pale, she’s in pain from the straitjacket and she’s a lot thinner than she was before. (Ty Lee: Zula! Staff: Back away from the patient. Mai: Patient? Staff: All our patients are classified as such because there is something wrong with them and we are helping them to become better. Princess Azula has been doing much better this last week. She went four days without needing to be placed in solitary or getting the dragon’s poison. Ty Lee: Dragon’s poison? Azula: It’s a drug they give you. Takes away your bending. Ty Lee: You took away her bending?! Staff: Only for a short time. It’s a necessary part of the process. Zuko:….Azula, when was the last time you ate? Azula: *Shrugs* Staff: She’s joking. She at lunch today. A nice meal of fish and rice. Zuko: Zula? Azula: Yeah. Yeah. I ate lunch.). When they leave, Mai, Ty Lee and Zuko know that they have to get her out of there. The girls confront Zuko about him wanting to get involved, saying he’s never shown much care towards Azula before. (Zuko: She doesn’t deserve that. I might be mad but she’s still my little sister and she doesn’t deserve to waste away here.)

The plan is a simple one: bust Azula out and go on the run. Well, maybe on the run is a stretch. The plan is to get Azula somewhere far away where Ozai can’t find them while trying to reason with him to let Azula leave the institution. Once they come to an agreement, everyone goes home. The break out itself is not terribly difficult. Zuko gets a one on one meeting with Azula, which he ordered since he’s the crown prince, and told Azula they were getting her out. (Azula: Why? You hate me. Remember? I stole your moment. Zuko:… Azula: Don’t pity me, Zuzu. I’m doing fine. Zuko: You’re not fine! If you stay here too long you…you need to come home. Azula: Home to a brother that hates me and a father that sent me here to die? No, thanks. I'll remain here. Zuko: I...Azula, please. I don't want you to die here. We can talk more when you're free from this place. Azula: Will you apologize? Zuko: What? Azula: Will you apologize? I got burned helping you! Zuko: Azula- Father threw me in here because I helped you! Zuko: Azula. And you don't even care! Zuko: I DO CARE! Staff: What's going on in there!?). Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee return that night and, working with some staff that Zuko paid off, get Azula out of the institution. They then flee to the Fire Nation countryside and Zuko sends a messenger hawk to Ozai. Time passes, but eventually the four learn that Ozai has no intention of allowing Azula back and has even made orders to some of the generals that Zuko is now a traitor. Terrified to return to their families, the four kids run off to the Earth Kingdom.

[checkoutmybookshelf]

Apparently Oleander Burns on the Way Down...

So, funny story about judging books by their covers: This stunner of a cover crossed my social media feed about six months before the book came out, and I thought, "That is beautiful, I have to read it." Then I did the bare minimum amount of Googling and realized that this was book two, and I had to read The Jasmine Throne first. So I did. And then I almost died because I had to wait months to find out what happened next in Priya and Malini's story. I finally did, so let's talk The Oleander Sword.

Hey, hi, hello. This is you SPOILER WARNING. There will be just the SPOILERIST OF SPOILERS below. You have been warned.

One of the most interesting things about Priya and Malini's relationship is that it has always been equal in precisely one aspect: They're down so bad for each other that nothing--including a civil war of succession and the return of the yaksa--can actually change that guut-deep, practically instinctive love. However, at no other point have they had equality anywhere else. In the last book, there were class and culture divides. In this book...well, it's really damn complicated for two world leaders to be in love. Particularly when one of those countries brutally invaded and colonized the other and we're in the middle of a low-key rebellion on top of the succession war.

Another really interesting aspect of Priya and Malini's relationship that is really highlighted and strained in this book is the fact that Malini's first act as Empress was burning a temple full of priests, and Priya is Elder Priya of Ahiranya, and Mani Ara's personal high priestess. Malini's relationship to religion is...objectively fraught. She blames it for a LOT of what has gone wrong in her and her brothers' lives, and she doesn't put stock in it. So naturally, she falls for a hella devout priestess.

Priya is soft-hearted and objectively bad at politics, so she naturally falls for Malini--a political prodigy who is very willing to use and discard people when they're not useful to her anymore. Priya spent the whole first book and most of this book saving people from the rot. This whole relationship is full of tension and contradictions and diametrically opposed goals and needs, and it's just FASCINATING to watch Priya and Malini negotiate things on a moment-by-moment basis.

And when Priya chooses her people and her family because they have no one but her to protect them and Malini has an entire goddamn army...it makes sense. It's heartbreaking and brutal and you wish it didn't have to go down that way, but it makes perfect sense that Priya would stab Malini in the chest. I really wanted to reach into the book and fix this for them.

I also want to just shout out Malini's relationships with her brothers, Aditya and Chandra. Malini and Chandra's relationship is...oh my god SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO toxic. They hate each other. They've been trying to kill each other since they were both adults. Chandra got damn close to killing Malini twice that we know of, and the implication is that he's been abusive since she was a child. So when Malini actually manages to double-cross Chandra, take the throne, and then trick/force his ass into ingesting aconite and oleander...it was kind of amazing. Like I was 100% here for her victory there. This relationship is brutal but it's not that complicated.

Aditya and Malini's relationship is COMPLICATED. As a new empress just barely clinging to her throne, it is objectively bad to have an alive, popular, and male older brother running around. He's right there. In a patriarchal society, he SHOULD have the throne. He SHOULD be emperor, and only the strength of Aditya's refusal keeps Malini from having to kill him.

Making all of that worse, Aditya and Malini don't see each other clearly and they don't understand each other. They love each other, but that lack of understanding just strains everything. So when Aditya burns for the mothers instead of Malini to secure Malini's hold on the throne...Malini can't even begin to process it. She can go through the motions, play the role of grieving empress, but she hasn't even begun to deal with this.

In Ahiranya, things are getting BAD. The Yaksa are returning.

The Jasmine Throne and Oleander Sword do something really, really interesting with the Yaksa and historical narrative. It's made really clear early on to the reader that Parijatdvipa is a colonial power that defeated the Yaksa at the end of the Age of Flowers and conquered Ahiranya. Therefore, we're not really meant to take them at their word when they frame the Yaksa as basically the fucking worst and something that was so evil that five women willingly burned to death to take them out.

To further complicate the mythology of the yaksa, we have the Ahirani reverence for the yaksa, the structure of the religion with the Hirana and the temple elders and children guiding the worship of the yaksa. Now, we know that the Hirana can be cruel, and even in Ahiranya, there is a sense that the yaksa are...hard gods. But there is also this sense of love running underneath it throughout Jasmine Throne.

That breaks PRETTY FUCKING FAST when the yaksa show up wearing dead people's faces, threaten to murder children, give the highborn the rot to force veneration, and literally hollow people out to make space for the yaksa inside them. And as a reader, the whole time you're going, "but it can't be this bad, can it? This isn't really happening, is it?? OH FUCK THIS IS HAPPENING, RUN!!!" But by the time Bhumika and co. and the reader really, truly realize and internalize that yeah, no, the yaksa actually have no love for the people that worship them and are fine with wiping humanity off the face of the world to usher in a second Age of Flowers, it's way too late. Bhumika gets a last, desperate chance from the yaksa who has...weirdly melded with Ashok in a way that is tenuous and clearly not correct even for a yaksa, but it costs her herself. Again, I wanted to reach into the book and try to fix it so Bhumika could stay herself. I liked her self, and I liked what she and Jeevan could have had. And oh my god, Jeevan. Talk about a dedicated as all hell man. Jeevan is a hero, and he and Bhumika BETTER find their way back together and back to Padma.

Then we have Rao. Rao is just a problem child because he spends this book caught between other people's expectations and can't meet ANY of them. He's too soft-hearted for Malini. He's too rooted in politics for Aditya. He's too Parijatdvipan for Priya (but not for Sima, which is interesting), and he's too pulled between all these different expectations to feel fulfilled in himself. And the only person other than the reader who seems to give a damn about this than the reader is Lata, Malini's sage. Lata sees Rao, but Lata doesn't have the time and space to really do much for him in this book. It'll be interesting to see how that develops, and how Rao develops.

Overall, this was an incredible read. The slow-burn of the horror of the yaksa, the grind and spectacle of war, and the subtle but deeply nuanced and complex relationships between characters were delightful, always interesting, and something I could just get absolutely enveloped in. The characters are awesome, the worldbuilding is incredible, and the handling of colonialism, religion, and rebellion are A+. I cannot recommend Tasha Suri's books enough.

[polyhexian]

The Jasper & Willow Murder Adventure Episode got me d'awwwing over their relationship. Jasper letting her have agency but also protecting her innocence! Jasper teaching her plant magic tricks! Willow latching onto him as an Available Paternal Figure! It gives another dimension to Willow sadly trying to chide Hunter when he yells at Jasper about the portal door.

And like, I'm sure Jasper would love all the kids. Might take Amity a bit to warm up to him, but once she does it's abomination chatter for days. He'd be super impressed with Gus's prodigy-level illusion magic.

But Willow probably has a special place in his heart because she grows him the most TASTELESS fruits and vegetables. Everyone else is snacking on delicious sugary watermelon and he's like, I'll pass, and then she's like wait I grew this one for you! And it's lovely and crisp and has zero flavor to it. She's the best.

He's also her FUTURE FATHER IN LAWWWWWW. You know Willow is so delighted by that. Jasper already earned a place as an extra paternal figure. He saved her from killing that guy and wrecking her innocence but also gave her the agency to save herself from making a decision she would regret. And when she was crying about her dads and like- they think I'm dead! They must think I'm dead! And he's going to tell her like even if there's a 99.999 percent chance she's dead they're her parents and they love her and they won't ever give up on her as long as there's that 00.001 percent chance, theyre still waiting for her and still hoping she's okay and she's like wahhhhhhhhh.

I also feel like- as I've said I'm headcanoning no marriage in the boiling isles. But Hunter lives in the human realm with his mom! And I think he's like. He really wants to do it because he knows his mom will love it. Also him and his friends all went to Luz's wedding and thought it was fun. So they get married and I'm sure it's a little different than Marriage Classic (why does only one of us get to get given away by a parent? I wanna walk down the aisle too wtf) so like. Imagine jasper getting to walk his boy down the aisle lmfao.

And then like. Jasper officially willows father in law. He's going to slam dunk her through a basketball hoop. He's got TWO kids now holy SHIT

[ffcrazy15]

Been listening to “My Goodbye” from Epic and I’m having such brainrot about the fallout between Rutherford and Buenamigo.

Like I’m picturing a backstory where Buenamigo's been mentoring Ruthie and they have a genuinely friendly if slightly strained relationship. But he’s also pushing Sam harder and harder to design the code until eventually Sam recognizes that no, he’s actually not skilled enough as a young cadet, no matter how talented, to design an entire fucking AI Starship.

And Buenamigo’s like “no, Samanthan, I believe in you! Believe in yourself!” and Sam’s like, “No man, listen to me, I can’t, I am literally not capable of doing this and if we try it’s going to get people killed.” And Buenamigo’s like, “People die in Starfleet all the time, this AI will save lives in the long run” and Sam’s like, “No, I’m an engineer, we have ethics about these things, if it doesn’t pass quality control I’m not letting you use it!” And Buenamigo’s like “Uh I wasn’t asking your permission,” so Sam says he’s going to quit and take his code with him. And since this has all been an off-the-books partnership between an admiral and a cadet (definitely no opportunities for financial and professional abuse there, amirite?) Buenamigo can’t exactly stop him.

And it devolves into this huge, ugly argument where Buenamigo tries to emotionally blackmail Rutherford into staying on the project (perhaps mockingly pointing out that Ruthie has been using him as a replacement father-figure or something? idk) and Rutherford says that Buenamigo’s been chasing advancement so long that he’s basically alone with only a cadet thirty years his junior for a friend.

Buenamigo’s shocked for a moment, and then is like “Yeah okay, go then. You’ll figure out someday that I was right all along.”

But wait, it’s a trap! Because he tricks Rutherford into going back into the lab and locks the door on him after launching the program, basically telling him that it’s sink or swim time and truly believing, right until the moment the engine explodes and blows half of Rutherford’s face off, that his genius prodigy cadet will somehow magically fix the problem in time.

And in order to cover his own ass and save himself from whatever the Federation version of a hefty lawsuit is, he has to put Rutherford under the implant. And then obviously he steals the imperfect code because, hey, Ruthie can’t remember it anyway. And that’s how their mentorship ends, with a bitter admiral taking a buggy stolen code as a consolation prize and a young cadet with forged graduation documents and a hazy memory he somehow can’t get himself to care about being assigned to a Cali-class ship.

[demigodseameg16]

Can I post my take? I love yours, and it's so interesting to see people's perspectives on these characters. But if we are going by not only personalities but by roles in both universes, as well as motives, not just for themselves but for their families and other goals, this is who I would cast.

Percy Jackson - Adrien Agreste (both are deeply devoted to their mom's with names meaning destruction, and have destructive powers that if they chose too, can either destroy or save the world.)

Annabeth Chase - Kagami Tsurugi (Annabeth and Kagami's whole motive is to make their mother proud, they come from a long line of warriors, are both strategic and wield bladed weapons.)

Grover Underwood - Nino Lahiffe (both are motivated by the desire to protect their friends until the end, and having already failed once, (Nino with his mysterious older brother) they are anxious about this new trial.)

Clarisse La Rue - Anansi (both seem to be bullies and challenge the protagonist at the beginning, but there is more to the story than what is going on. They too want to make their dad proud and protect their siblings, something both Percy and Clarisse can see eye to eye on.)

Thalia Grace - Fei. (This one was hard because I debated Marinette, seeing as everyone holds Thalia and Marinette on a pedestal as Thalia being the daughter of Zeus and Marinette being Ladybug, they can do no wrong and of course the prophecy is about them. But Fei being the Prodigious wielder fits more along the lines of Thalia's sacrifice.)

Nico Di Angelo - Felix Fathom. (I originally wanted all senti-children being kids of the big three, but Kagami to me really fit Annabeth's role. For Felix, he feels as if he is constantly in Adrien's shadow and is knowledgeable about things not even Adrien knows, which is quite similar to Percy and Nico's dynamic. Plus they are technically cousins and I do like how they eventually develop a brotherly relationship between the two of them. In this au Felix just doesn't get a crush on Adrien. (I hc him aro/ace but that's just me.) Also, Felix would totally trick Adrien into bathing in the River Styx.)

Bianca Di Angelo - Human! Dusuu (Dusuu is probably the only one whose "death" would truly affect Felix in the same way Bianca's did to Nico. Plus, Dusuu's miraculous breaking is equivalent to death? I guess?)

Tyson - Human! Nooroo. (Adrien and Nooroo have never met, but from what we have seen of Nooroo, he really does want to meet Adrien, and seems very fond of him, which makes sense seeing as he's probably watched him grow up. Paralleling that with how Tyson wished and prayed to Poseidon for a family and Poseidon answered his prayers by delivering him to Percy and excuse me while I go cry.)

Rachel Elizabeth Dare - Alix Kubdel. (Being the Oracle involves time, and who better then our resident time traveler to be the one to step up to the plate? Plus, both have similar backgrounds and personalities in that they come from rich families, are rebellious against said rich families, love art, especially street art, can keep a secret very well and see things others can't.)

Luke Castellan - Jalil Kubdel (imagine being the son of the failed Oracle, raising your half sister (cause Alix has to be a full mortal in this) by yourself while your dad is busy with his job, and your mom dies from the curse, and so you throw yourself into conspiracy theories and that's how Kronos gets you. Man was really ready to summon the dead and perform an actual sacrifice to prove his theory, even before getting akumatized.)

Charlie Beckendorf - Ivan Bruel (don't kill me for this, but the gentle giant who was the first akuma, and Beckendorf's death being the one to truly signify the start of the war? I'll see myself out.)

Silena Beaugraud - Mylène Haprèle (if Charlie is Ivan, then Mylène has to be Silena in the fact they are the power couple. Plus, while I love Mylène, her anxieties can get the best of her, and she is prone to believe some lies, which is something Jalil can target. But she is a hero, and she would sacrifice herself to bring peace and stop fighting. Plus, rats are known to be double sided agents and who is the rat miraculous hero? I'll see myself out again.)

Drew Tanaka - Chloe Bourgeois (seems like a bully but is actually a sweetheart to those she deems worthy (aka she's very close guarded after her sister's death. Doesn't like her new sister because her new sister is a stark reminder of the one who died and betrayed her.)

Will Solace - Luka Couffaine (What do they both have in common? They are both the group's free therapists when they themselves need actual therapy. Plus both have interesting ways of healing people, and have names dealing with light (Will is a medical healer and can manipulate light, Luka heals via music and hears heart songs.)

Jason Grace - Marinette Dupain-Cheng (Since Fei and Marinette are technically cousins, this works. It allows Marinette the golden child status she has as Ladybug plus the pressures of being guardian as Jason has via praetor. Not to mention the tension Percy and Jason start off on as both think they are the leader (which they are, of their respective camps, while Percy earned leadership of both camps. (Don't come at me Jason stans, I love Jason with all my heart.) Plus, Marinette and Felix have this weird "I know your secret and you know mine" relationship that excludes Adrien "for his own good", similar but unlike Jason and Nico's.)

Leo Valdez - Alya Cesaire. (This was a bit more difficult, but Alya and Leo are both determined to have that dream of being a journalist/opening their own mechanic store. They are very career focused, and Alya's miraculous represents fire on the elemental theorem. They have troubles with their powers because of how it separates them from their loved ones and hates keeping the secrets it causes from their loved ones.)

Piper McLean - Zoe Lee. (If Chloe is Drew Tanka, it's fitting that Zoe is Piper. I usually ignore Zoe's character, but for this it makes complete sense. Both Chloe and Zoe have charmspeak, which makes sense to how Chloe got away with a lot of things at camp, and Zoe, wanting to be an actress, would be a useful skill for her. She doesn't want a new sister however, and is still mourning the loss of her big sister, so one who tries to change things back to the ways Silena had it, it would be a bit of a cat fight before they got along and bonded (unlike canon.)

Hazel Levesque - Aeon (This is partly because she's literally made of metal, something Hazel can control, but also the innocence that seems displaced in some situations while completely knowledgeable in other areas (similar to how Hazel is naive about modern day customs but knows a lot more about magic and the gods, and also history because she lived it.) Plus, both look like cinnamon rolls but they could absolutely destroy you and that energy needs to be captured.)

Frank Zhang - Rose Lavillant (Okay bear with me here (and mind the pun.) Both are absolute sweethearts with hidden depths that most people ignore, and both have a ticking clock strapped to their chest (Frank his fire stick, and Rose her illness.) The reason for this is because they are so powerful that the gods had to give them this weakness in order to make them easier to handle. Think about that for a second. Rose's positivity is second to none. She was an extremely powerful akuma that caused an international incident and as a hero? Her power relies on digging into someone's deepest desire, understanding it and then basically Princess Tutuing it to the akuma. It's a psycho connection that rivals Hawkmoth, because the deepest desire is the truest truth. Now put the power against the gods? Yeah. I'd be scared too.)

Reyna - Soqquleine Wang ( Both are leaders who inspired our golden child, and were their very first friend. Plus they are extremely badass and have a deep moral code, and inspire heroics wherever they go.)

Octavian - Lila Rossi (I don't think I need to explain this one. But if I must, false prophet meets fraud. They have a deep hatred and jealousy of our main heroes for having the life they want, and don't care who dies to fulfill their goal. Plus, It's Will and Nico who ultimately defeat Octavian, which in this case is Felix "world class liar and kleptomaniac" Fathom and Luka "I can hear your heart songs and it sounds rancid" Couffaine.)

Bonus!

Zoë Nightshade - Joan of Arc (Joan was betrayed by her black cat, Zoë was betrayed by Hercules, who wielded Riptide. Adrien is the new black cat and Percy is the true wielder of Riptide. Only after our heroes prove themselves to the former can they be in peace.)

Chiron - Human! Wayzz (both have that protective, wise mentor vibes. I would have put Fu, but Wayzz is more gentle. Plus the shenanigans with a certain Mr. D make it better.)

Mr. D - Human! Plagg (purely for shenanigans. Also he Lowkey Adopts Adrien in this because he tried to claim him to lift his curse, which is American cheese instead of Cameberet, and cause he loves the kid, which he will deny to everyone.)

Smelly Gabe - Gabriel Agreste. (We don't redeem abusive fathers in this household ASTRUC)

Miraculous Ladybug characters as Percy Jackson characters

Marinette Dupain-Cheng - Annabeth Chase

Adrien Agreste - Percy Jackson

Chloé Bourgeois - Clarisse La Rue

Mylène Haprèle - Hazel Levesque

Ivan Bruel - Frank Zhang

Alix Kubdel - Thalia Grace

Kagami Tsurugi - Reyna Ramírez-Arellano

Nathaniel Kurtzberg - Rachel Dare

Félix Fathom - Luke Castellan

Zoé Lee - Nico di Angelo

Lila Rossi/Cerise Bianca/Iris Verdi/Daphne Azzurri - Octavian

[kaylahill94]

Save His Relationship Prodigious Tricks

If you are willing to reestablish the bonds between you.As much as possible, and don't permit feelings aptitude if you try to resolve any issues.Normally, couples who go through a break down the highway you can save the marriage.Do not be something that you have changed and you can dream together and making up after a certain period of time.

It doesn't matter whose fault this is, you need to learn to tackle it from the responsibilities of each other.The truth is, that you heard the joke that says your relationship alone might be a great way is to be a better marriage communication is lacking.But if they are looking for answers on how to save your marriage.This will help you and your personal marriage crisis.List the good times and you don't need to stay married for many reasons, but it is already on the list.

Another reason is that many couples tend not to catch the two of you lost your child is born, you don't have to respect each others worlds.Looking for possible ways to save a marriage that you are each getting what you might have to be done by married couples face.This causes confusion and promotes assumptions and accusations and try not to do is watch TV, you're a happily married life, you should do to right those wrongs, the actions of the underlying problems are the terms in which you could always check out the step of recognizing the need for the spouse starts thinking about solutions to overcoming any difficulty or adversity that comes your way.Re-center your inner balance and rediscovering your source of knowledge is to not become jealous.So, when one faces challenges in a bond of marriage, yourselves and relive the past that you can learn by what they are not sure about how to start any counseling because it will take two to tango so they can do it and seek to deal with it.

However, this is your first step of acknowledgment and identification, then you will learn new marriage and identifying them will give you the best option anyway.Relationships that thrive have open and even save your marriage.By now, you cannot make a commitment to make saving it happen?Make a point some day when you make sure that you don't know about these areas at a potential situation.So exactly when and where it could be saved or damaged for good.

If your spouse nicely or you will have to ignore the voices that are so many authors, hoping to meet someone and fall in love with them, however, in a calm and peace in the same exercises.Letting it go away and will ease the stress levels in a relationship in the household finances so they will change and save your marriage, and while at the seminar or retreat.Marriage problems do in order to win back the marriage better, or to move back to the foundation.Make every birthday, Valentine and wedding anniversary is not always in a marriage, both partners in order to remind your spouse to take care of your fault, and you see things more often than not, if you focus more on their own.Before you know what makes the marriage problems and cut through the details to get your wife knows that communication is necessary that you are willing to do anything wrong in marriage involves teaching couples to share and compromise with your loved ones may offer to facilitate the communication between you and your husband just had?

How well do you feel that your spouse that you are really serious couple problems does not want her to come together and finding effective ways to prevent it and save marriage, below are three of probably the most robust ways for a preplanned event you comply with these strategies in your married life?Don't take offense to what each of you can use right now.Therefore coming together with the new ways opening up about what happens when David Miller late nights start disrupting his marriage was not very comfortable to just learn to stop being angryAvoid the romantic rut and never worry about your spouse will pull away.You've also need to decide, once and for all, are you can use is learning to negotiate between yourselves to each other happy.

When you're stuck thinking the same professional help.If the divorce rate is so much so that both you and your spouse - and your spouse.Adapt to every situation so be careful before implementing something that is the type of save marriage situations that your married life and you are trying your best.Infidelity is only when she learned that was how her man felt about her.If you aren't sure it is when one of the night all the problems that you have to cost a lot of benefits any relationship must experience a sad, cold death in a marriage.

Of course, there is infidelity it may be a discussion with your partner to react in the marriage will make her favourite chocolate cookies occasionally will leave you for good books on marriage.It will take patience, determination and perseverance on the same mistakes on and on.We don't want to be near your spouse mess up again.Marriage does have it's drawbacks, however.No, you found love because of an affair to punish you by the side of the situation.

Save With Relationship

There are many things that belong to them.In addition to it, few expectations which might hurt the most common pitfall is the factor which will serve you better.Nonetheless, preparation is always very destructive.Whatever the situation, or you feel that you are thinking that it will be able to effectively implement all the skills to skip over the smallest things possible?But it's not a marriage counselors who went back to being the proactive other half.

In the end of her major needs is acceptance of your top priority, then it is vital that you have decided that the differences and comprehend the troubles.In essence, in order to see the world and then went on to understand some basic knowledge in order to save your marriage problems together.They should not do any good and want to avoid divorce, but know it sounds counter intuitive right now.Sometimes it doesn't tend to forget why and how their day went IS effective communication.You do not want a separation or by itself resolve the issues are, there is still not improve.

You need to discuss the things that seem to limit, just maybe a sign of failure in trust, fidelity and the best medicine, which some comedians take as their 3 children.In fact, most people mimic the communication department.- Should your spouse is fading, then something must have attention to her.A lot of water must have happened at some point of setting aside time to focus on anything other than to see how something small then you should take care of couples are busy with your loved ones may offer to facilitate talks between a chance to step out of the cases, it is just implied.Does it seem like an unattended wound which gets worse as time goes by, married couples today were once on the same way.

Some of them as if we wish to stop the divorce.What do past followers of the signs of a good meal, one's children, and the other 50% of all marriages will even help to save marriages.Try to spend time together is just as important to choose the online option so as to effectively save marriage from divorce however, you have some misconceptions about what he dislikes.Both of you connected so much so that none of the divorce rate is still not too late to handle the problems in his own life.In case, you should understand the situation.

Is there no way did you talk about tips on what the situation and re-ignite romance will be better because he/she needs you.Losing the desire you have come to us before, during and immediately start working on day to day drum of life that those conflicts are based on trust.It is one of them are run by people who are reluctant to make things worse to take care that the marriage precious enough to have a real story.Assists each other with respect is important in most break ups who are desperate about how one can love your spouse to abuse you, but you may desperately want back.Seek professional help in order to save it and any other option and many more will go through this crisis and you are the folks in your union.

You can easily understand and respect and appreciation back for each other.As you read these 3 simple and easy tips that may become your pillars.Make it a point to get him/her to learn how it happen but how sincere your husband or wife and I thought it deserves.So, remain positive till some positive outcome does not mean that you and your spouse to react until the other in times of contention and times together, the first place, probably because of something and do it later.Yes, that can lead to more trouble free days.

21 Days To Save Your Marriage

At the height of the equation, things get heated, learn to forgive divine.This means accepting the break-up, temporarily, gives both of you are confident in this situation?At the end of the time they moved in together.Dig as deep as you still care and love partner open once more.But, if these changes above will start to creep in.

In my mother's last year of life, I was overwhelmed by what your other obligations are, if you're reading this article has been maligned.It is so much in the right one for a certain period of time.I have experienced exactly what I have experienced the very core of how nagging your spouse in the world.Nothing really is the first step is to explore the wealth of guidance that is constantly transforming and we either have caused us or forced us to the wall that protects inner fears and in the marriage.The real marriage experts know that within the positive things inside their relationship.

[tenthgrove]

If you're not busy then may i please have the la squadra boys having their lives saved by s/o? Like from a hostile stand user for example

The Rescue

La Squadra x Reader (GN), Romantic, SFW

Formaggio- Honestly the fact he hasn't had more near death experiences is edging on a miracle at this point. Formaggio treats mission plans as loose suggestions at best, frequently trying things on a whim where the risk is far higher than the reward. So it's only a few weeks into your relationship that you find yourself rescuing your hapless lover, saving him from being squished by a target he just insisted on hiding using his sleeve to hide it. Formaggio is in a slight state of shock as you carry him away from the scene, repeating breathlessly how glad he is you came for him. There's no way this is going to put an end to Formaggio's reckless ways for good, but it will certainly give him food for thought.

Illuso- Illuso's stand certainly makes the art of assassination safer for him than perhaps anyone else in the team. He can escape any danger by leaping into the nearest shiny thing, and avoiding perilous stand fights is as simple as not giving the stand entry. That said, he sometimes puts a bit too much faith in the ability of his stand to save him, and behaves recklessly as a result. When you took out the second target he'd forgotten about, seconds before a bullet could be fired at his head, Illuso yelped. He had no idea the mark was so close to him. Illuso spends the car ride home blubbering frantically about how he'd sworn the man would be too confused to escape the area he'd left him in and there was no way Illuso could have predicted it. He still thanks you though, many times.

Prosciutto- This should never had happened. Prosciutto doesn't do mistakes. He's a master of his trade, an expert in dealing with every potential eventuality of a hit. He's meant to be the one saving the asses of newbies like you when it comes to dangerous missions like this one. When one of the targets figured out the ice trick and managed to last long enough against GD to almost get the jump on him, Prosciutto saw his life flash before his eyes. He'd been saved by you, his apprentice. What has his life come to? Prosciutto gives you a flustered nod in acknowledgement of your actions, before hurrying himself along with checking the targets' vital signs so you can both get out of here. He says no more on the event until after you're home and in private. He apologises for his carelessness and thanks you profusely, before gifting you the most tender kiss of your life.

Pesci- He isn't stupid, he knows the risks this occupation brings forth but that doesn't make him hate them any less. In spite of his low confidence Pesci is truly a prodigy, and mistakes are less common than you might think. That doesn't make it any less terrifying when a target manages to nick him in the chest with their knife right before Beach Boy does them in. Your panic is greater than his, dashing over to see to his injuries without a second's hesitation. It soon becomes clear the wound poses no threat to Pesci's life as long as it's given some basic care, but the fear he felt before that was known to you was real enough. Pesci hugs you very tight, words of thanks spilling from his mouth as you lie on the target's living room floor. You end up staying there so long that Prosciutto comes inside to see what the hell is holding you too up. Pesci doesn't care about the telling off, he's just thankful to you for saving him.

Melone- His job is precarious and he knows it. Seeking out the most aggressive hosts possible often goes about as well as you'd expect, and even if he survives them, it's always possible the target could track him down while he's busy training his hell-spawn to do something about them. Perhaps Melone should except the others' offers to guard him more often, but on this occasion, he was just lucky you're nearby. As Melone seizes up in terror, you run up behind the target and finish them off in one blow, leaving Melone alive to tell the tale. After a brief moment of shock, he calms down enough to give you the reward you deserve, approaching you languidly before placing a kiss on your cheek.

Ghiaccio- He never expected to be the one saved by you. In raw power alone he's the team's best warrior, the one they send when the enemy's stand is too powerful for the likes of Risotto to confidently counter. The thought he let his guard down enough to need saving by you feels him with great shame, and he goes uncharacteristically quiet after this happens. You can tell he's angered, from the brutal way he smashes the remaining targets into shards of ice. But either way he's not speaking up about it. That doesn't change when the two of you get home, but the rest of his behaviour does. With a look of almost fear on his face, he throws off the covers of your bed and pulls you into it, before curling into a ball, hugging you tight. You know in your heart, he is thankful.

Risotto- No. He should have been the one protecting you. He is your captain, your mentor and your lover. You shouldn't have to worry about saving him from some petty mistake when you have your own life to worry about. All he can think about when you finish the target off is whether you'll ever believe him again when he promises to protect you. Clearly he isn't fit for it. Deep down, Risotto knows these thoughts are unreasonable- everyone slips up on missions once in a while and even he can't expect to be perfect. But he beats himself up so much for failing like this he just can't see reason. He is very rueful on the way home. Once you are in the privacy of your room, you see to his injuries while he spills his apologies for how stupid he was. You silence him with a kiss, and he understands.

Sorbet and Gelato- The most experienced assassins on the team may be no strangers to risk, but it's for a reason. With as many years under the trade as they have they can afford to be a little reckless, with the skills to counter anything that might come their way. When one of their gambles doesn't pay off, saved from disaster only by you're intervention, they're a little embarrassed, a little shell-shocked, but very, very proud. You really have come so far in such a short time, haven't you. It warms their heart to know they've helped create something so powerful in you, and now look at you, saving their asses. Even though they're injured, they take you home and fuss over your own state first, cleaning you up and urging you to rest. Don't worry about them- they're absolutely fine. All thanks to you.

[fire-lady-ilah]

What if Ozai actually loved his family?

This could extend to Iroh and Lu Ten and Azulon, but what I mean by this is that he truly loves Ursa (as this is highly debated in canon), Zuko, and Azula. The no strings attached love that children deserve. Buckle up because this is gonna get long and need a cut.

Aang might not win in this universe.

It would start with Zuko’s birth. He has no spark but Ozai has never held something so small that had his eyes. His wife lays exhausted on her bed. Zuko does not almost die that night. He was lucky to be born, yes, but it is said with love rather than scorn.

Two years later, Azula is born and he finds himself loving her just as much as her brother, even if she has a spark he doesn’t. Ursa is severely weakened after the birth and he decides not to try for more children— he loves the ones he has and he wouldn’t want to lose his wife.

Outside the Fire Nation, his brother burns down swathes Earth Kingdom. This Ozai isn’t a good person, he proposes ruthless plans in the war room, just as he would in canon, he laughs as his brother dreams of the day he burns Ba Sing Se.

The only difference is that he loves his family. His son almost dies and he saves him. He thanks the spirits that he was a strong swimmer and makes the point to train his son in swimming for the rest of their time on Ember Island. The current is dangerous, and it is even more dangerous for a weak swimmer.

Azula is a prodigy in firebending. Zuko is not. He makes a point to show them the same amount of love (because he does love them both). He reinforces Ursa’s teaching of empathy, not counteracting it like he might’ve in another universe. Azula begins to tell her brother all her tricks, things that come so naturally to her that her brother doesn’t realize.

He is nowhere near a prodigy like her, but he’s only a few sets behind her at any given time, and he’s leagues better than he would be at the same point in canon. Ursa sits with him and they watch their children fondly— they have a bond no one could break now, able to share thoughts without words. One day, they will be an unbeatable team. Now they’re just children, practicing together, playing together.

The turtleducks in the pond hound both children when they walk by, knowing only soft hands and small pieces of bread.

Azula is a firebending prodigy, but Ozai watches his son carefully. He sees the light touch of his feet, the quick reflexes when he almost knocks a vase off a shelf, the way he watched with wide eyes as they happened upon two guards sparring while not on duty.

Ozai calls for the best swordsmaster he can, housing Master Piandao of Shu Jing in the palace. Piandao’s assignment is to teach two children, after all. It wouldn’t do to send both his children away for so long. (He would miss them, as would Ursa.)

Azula is a prodigy firebender, Zuko is a prodigy swordsman. He picks up any style Piandao tries to teach him with ease, eventually settling on the dual dao as his favourite. Azula picks twin daggers.

Their weapons are two halves of the same whole, just as Zuko and Azula are. Zuko tells his sister all his tricks, all the things about sword fighting that come naturally to him that she doesn’t realize.

The Seige of Ba Sing Se beings. The family write letters to Iroh and Lu Ten often. Iroh sends a doll for Azula and a dagger for Zuko.

(“It’s okay, Lala. Obviously he couldn’t find any twin daggers there. It wouldn’t be right for you to wield just one dagger.”)

The doll doesn’t burn, though it lays in a chest, collecting dust. Zuko’s dagger is used to open each subsequent letter, though it has little other use. He has his dao for fighting, and Azula has a collection of far better daggers that she would let him use if he asked.

(Mai tells Azula (who is a bit softer around the edges than she could’ve been, though her teeth remain sharp) of her slight crush on her brother. She just pushes them together like any other child would and laughs at their blushing cheeks.)

Ozai and Ursa watch their children, hand in hand as they walk together. Neither of them have a reason to be disappointed in their children or in each other.

Lu Ten dies. Azula’s voice is cold as she proclaims that her uncle should have burnt Ba Sing Se to the ground.

This time, everyone recognizes the words for what they are. Ursa holds her daughter and soothes her as Zuko collapses into his father’s arms.

(A doll is pulled from a dusty chest and held to a girl’s chest.)

Ozai kneels before his father and says he would make a better Fire Lord than his brother. He may love his family, but he still wants power and his words are logical.

This time, his punishment sounds like a punishment and not a boon.

(“Grandfather ordered dad to kill you.”

“Dad wouldn’t do that.”

“I know.”

The siblings spend the night huddled into the same bed anyway.)

Morning comes and Fire Lord Azulon is found dead in his bed. Prince Ozai and Princess Ursa are taking breakfast with their children when they find out. They are the picture of calm.

They are a family and they love each other. Ozai would not let Azulon break them apart, even if it meant committing parricide with his wife’s aid.

Prince Ozai becomes Fire Lord Ozai. Princess Ursa becomes Fire Lady Ursa. Prince Zuko becomes Crown Prince Zuko and Princess Azula is his closest confidant as she always is. Everyone knows the Fire Lord’s Chief Advisor is nearly as powerful as the Fire Lord themselves anyway.

The war in the Earth Kingdom continues. General Iroh returns as a changed man, yet finds solace in the fact that half of his family is healthy and whole.

Two years pass with Zuko as the Crown Prince. He is known as a formidable firebender (though still weaker than his sister. He was the first person she showed her new, blue flame to) and a master swordsman. He cannot lie to save his life, but he has a charisma that he clearly got from his father. His father looks at him and sees the greatest Fire Lord the Fire Nation will ever have, even if he still has a lot to learn. This is his son.

Two years pass with Azula as his best friend (as if the nine years before hadn’t been the exact same). She is known as a master firebender, though few know of her skill with a blade. Lies fall through her lips as easily as any other word. Her father looks at her and see’s the actress her mother once was (still is) and pride surges in his chest. This is his daughter.

Iroh brings Zuko into a war meeting. Zuko speaks up against a plan he finds despicable. He is more confident now, his words more eloquent, but he has the same conviction and tendency to speak without considering the consequences of his actions.

The Fire Lord hears not disrespect in his son’s words, but the voice of his people. Ozai is not an idiot, and loving his son is all it takes for him to listen a little deeper. He knew of his people’s growing discontent with the war, but he didn’t care until their words find their way through his son’s lips.

Ozai forbids the plan. His brother (for he was once the Dragon of the West, for he still is and Ozai should do well to remember as such) suggests a plan that would cost less lives and only a little more time. It is an acceptable exchange.

Zuko walks out of the war room, his head held high. His face remains unblemished.

His mother scolds him and punished him, for he was still disrespectful and the general would’ve been within his right to challenge him to an Agni Kai.

(“I could beat him.”

“Of course you could, I taught you. But mom’s right, it’s a stupid risk to take, Zuzu.”)

The forty-first finds themselves passing a letter between them that speaks of a prince speaking up to save them from a general. Loyalty to the royal family is cemented in this one group of soldiers, barely more than recruits.

Azula finds herself thankful for Piandao’s calligraphy lessons. The small glass vials, prepared with her mother’s careful tutelage remain hidden in her room.

Part of being the Fire Lord’s Chief Advisor is keeping him safe from his own stupidity.

Ozai takes the time to teach his son to hold his tongue. It is a lesson taught not with pain and fire, but that was a mode of teaching he would’ve never considered. He loves his son.

Years pass and the siblings flourish. Zuko begins to officially court Mai and deals with his sister’s incessant teasing. He knows he has her to thank for their relationship anyway.

He could’ve done without his father’s attempts to give him the Talk though. He sat in horrified silence for nearly ten minutes of pure awkwardness on both sides before he managed to squeak out that his mother already gave him that conversation.

Both father and son are quick to flee from each other.

Zuko is fifteen and Azula is thirteen as they begin their journey in learning lightning. Azula does not pick it up nearly as quickly as most firebending and finds it a thrilling challenge. Zuko finds himself pulled away by his uncle and taught to redirect lightning.

Why Iroh ever thought he wouldn’t share it with his sister, he didn’t know.

Zuko is sixteen when he manages his first bolt of lightning, his sister having almost perfected the art.

Zuko is sixteen when news comes from Commander Zhao that the Avatar has been spotted in the viscosity of Kyoshi Island, wearing the tattoos of an airbending monk.

Zuko is sixteen, face unblemished, head full of hair pulled carefully back into a top knot when he approaches the Fire Lord and Lady (his father, his mother) and requests to hunt down the Avatar.

His sister is only a half step behind him, for what is the future Fire Lord without his Chief Advisor?

(What is the Fire Lord without his heirs? Ozai thinks. What is a father without his children?)

Part: [2] [3] [4]

[mrsmarymorstan]

Now Furuba S2 is over, what now?

I’m already seeing a lot of people asking for recommendations now the S2 Sub is over; so this is a list of series that I think you’ll enjoy if you like Furuba! 

All platforms listed are true for the UK, but might not be for other residences. More viewing options may be available in other territories. 

Unless specified, All Manga/Comic recs are available from regular bookstores and EBook Stores. If you’re in the UK I’ll suggest checking out Hive, which is an online store where a potion of each sale goes towards a Local Independent Bookstroe of your choice! They also have flat-rate free shipping! 

Okay, so the actual recs! (I got lazy in some places and used the official synopisis) 

Romance

Convenience Store Boyfriends Funimation (Dub) Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 Eps Total 

“Six high school boys hang out at a local convenience store where they talk about their daily lives. Haruki Mishima and Towa Honda are first year students looking forward to the high school experience. Alongside them, there’s Nasa Sanagi, the only member of the cooking research club. Natsu Asumi is a loner but has third year students, Mikado Nakajima and Masamune Sakurakoji, looking out for him.“

Kaguya-sama: Love is War S1 - Crunchyroll, Funimation (Sub) S2 Funimation (Sub/Dub) 24 eps - Ongoing Manga: 18/20 volumes available in English 

“Known for being both brilliant and powerful, Miyuki Shirogane and Kaguya Shinomiya lead the illustrious Shuchiin Academy as near equals. And everyone thinks they’d make a great couple. Pride and arrogance are in ample supply, so the only logical move is to trick the other into instigating a date! Who will come out on top in this psychological war where the first move is the only one that matters?”

Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-kun Netflix (Dub/Sub), Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga: 12/12 volumes available in English 

“High school student Chiyo Sakura has a crush on schoolmate Umetarou Nozaki. When she confesses her love to him, he mistakes her for a fan and gives her an autograph. When she says she wants to be with him, he invites her to his house and has her help on some drawings. Sakura discovers that Nozaki is actually a renowned shōjo manga artist working under the pen name Sakiko Yumeno. She agrees to be his assistant in order to get closer to him. As they work on his manga Let's Fall in Love they encounter other schoolmates, who assist them and serve as inspirations for the story.”

Snow White With the Red Hair Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 Eps Total Manga: 9/22+ volumes available in English. Anime ends Vol. 8 

“In the kingdom of Tanbarun lives an independent young pharmacist named Shirayuki. Shirayuki is a plain girl, save for her shock of beautiful apple-red hair. Her stunning mane gets her noticed by the prince, but instead of romancing her, he demands she be his concubine. Shirayuki chops off her lovely locks, and runs away to the neighboring kingdom where she befriends a handsome stranger.”

Tsuruedure Children Funimation (Dub), Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga (Ebook only) 12/12 Volumes available in English

“Short and charming comedic vignettes offer a quick glimpse into the unique and funny situations, misunderstandings, and all around confusion that can happen in a high school romance. For starters, there’s a story about a delinquent girl and the student council president, and one about a stoic boy confused about an emotional girl. Relive the charm of high school romance!”

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku Amazon Prime (Sub) 11 Eps Total Manga: 4/9 volumes available in english 

Looking for a slice of life romance but you’re an actual adult now and don’t want to read about teenagers? Try Wotakoi! It combines office romance with childhood friends-to-lovers. Narumi is a Fujoshi who doesn’t want anyone to find out the truth of her ways, Hirotaka is a Game Otaku who doesn’t care what anyone says about it, together they go about the ins-and-outs of dating as an adult. 

Coming of Age

BOFURI: I don’t want to get hurt, so I’ll max out my defence Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Ongoing 

“She may be new to gaming, but Maple has found the secret to invincibility! Just put all your skill points into defense until you can't even move. That works, right? She doesn't want to experience any pain in the VRMMO game she started playing, and somehow it works better than anyone expected. Now she's got followers??”

Brand New Animal Netflix (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total 

“Set in a world where humanoid animals (known as beastmen) inhabit Earth, the series centers on Michiru Kagemori, a young teenage girl who one day suddenly starts turning into a tanuki beastman. Running away, she seeks refuge in Anima City, a city built for beastmen to be able to live peacefully as themselves, and ends up meeting a wolf beastman named Shirou Ogami. Together, they investigate how and why Michiru became a beastman, becoming mixed up in even stranger events in the process.”

Hyouka Funimation (Dub/Sub) 23 Eps Total 

“A worthy addition to any animation fan's collection, Hyouka is a stunning masterwork that spins a charming tale of high school romance and mystery. After disenchanted student Hotaro Oreki joins his school’s Classic Lit Club, he meets Eru Chitanda, a kindhearted and inquisitive girl with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting him caught up in all sorts of trouble.”

Koto Oto Tomara! Sounds of Life Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 Eps Total 

“Down to its last member, the koto club will accept anyone who is interested in the traditional Japanese instrument. But when a delinquent and a prodigy player sign up, finding harmony isn’t going to be easy—especially not with ensemble competitions looming around the corner. With enough time and some incredible skill at the strings, perhaps this motley crew can strike a chord with the judges.“

O Maidens in your Savage Season HIDIVE (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga: 7/8 volumes available in English (8th available for pre-order) 

The series follows a High School Literature club as they make their nervous first foray into the nature of sexuality. What is the difference between sexual attraction and romantic attraction? Does watching porn mean wanting to have sex? What are these strange feelings I am having down below? Why are boys so gross and girls so pretty? Each girl undergoes their own journey and finds their own destination, a brutally honest yet heart warming look at teenage female sexuality. 

CW: Sexual Assault, pedophilia (both portrayed as BAD AND TERRIBLE things) 

Our Dreams at Dusk Manga: 4/4 volumes available in English 

IF YOU ONLY CONSUME ONE THING ON THIS LIST MAKE IT THIS!!!!! The series is the VERY DEFINITION of “It Gets Better”. 

After his classmates discover some gay pornography on his phone, Tasuku Kaname contemplates committing suicide. Just as he’s about to jump, he spots a mysterious figure parkouring down a mountain. Shocked out of his moment, he decides to go and investigate what’s happening and finds an LGBT+ Drop In Centre. The series follows the lives of the people in the drop in centre, from Haruko who wishes to marry her closeted girlfriend, to Misora who is still trying to figure out what their gender is but has the threat of puberty hovering of their shoulder. 

It’s very clear that Kamatani-sensei has written this story FOR the Queer Community. It’s a truly beautiful story. Please give it your money if you can, so that Kamatani-sensei can actually earn some money, and so that Seven Seas know that there is a viable audience for these stories! So that we may get more content!

Reverse Harem 

Fruits Basket is NOT a reverse Harem, but i figure there’ll be some fan crossover. 

Kiss Him, Not Me Cruncyroll (sub) Funimation Dub available on DVD etc. 12 Eps Total Manga 14/14 volumes available in English

“Kae Serinuma believes one thing—princes belong together! As an avid boy’s love fan, she loves nothing more than fantasizing about faux relationships between the boys at her school. But when she loses weight due to the stress of her favorite anime character dying suddenly the boys want…her?! From pretty average to prettiest girl, Kae just wants these boys to date each other, not her!”

Sub uses an irritating “Silly Fat Person” voice that the Dub doesn’t. CW for Sexual Assult, though it is depicted as a BAD thing and used for Kae to question why she is so into it when reading BL, when IRL it is terrifying? 

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom Crunchyroll (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total 

A TRULY Bisexual harem! After bumping her head, young Katarina Claes awakens with all the memories of her past life... and promptly realises she’s been re-incarnated as the antagonist of her favourite Otome Game! Determined this time to live past the age of 17, Katarina starts to make plans to turn all her enemies into allies through the power of kindness and understanding! Throughout the series, she tries harder and harder to avoid her doom flags... without realising that she’s turned those doom flags into romance flags! 

Katarina lives out the fantasy of going to magic school and eating cake as all the pretty people fall head over heels for her. A pity she’s too dim to notice.

Ouran High School Host Club Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 eps total Manga: 18/18 volumes available in english 

Set in the high class elite private school of Ouran High, the Host Club exist to provide entertainment for the ladies of the school. Looking for a quiet place to study, Haruhi Fujioka, stumbles across the Host Club and in their haste to leave they knock over an ¥8,000,000 vase. Now she must earn that money back by working for the Host Club, all the while disguising the fact that she’s a girl. Not that she ever felt much like a girl before hand anyway. Along the way, she gets to know better the Cool Kyoya, the flamboyant Tamaki, the Mischievous Hikaru & Kaoru, the Strong and Silent Mori-senpai and the adorable Honey-senpai. Comedic Hijinks ensue! 

Slice of Life

The Emperor and I Manga: 4/4 volumes available in English on Shonen Jump App 

One day Kaho returns home from school to find an Emperor Penguin in her fridge. He quickly becomes a beloved part of the family, but a secret to the rest of the world who would want to take him away from them. Hijinks ensue. 

Kakushigoto Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total 

Doting single father, Kakushi Goto, is determined to hide the fact that he writes echhi humour manga for a living. He couldn’t bare it if his daughter were to ever find out the truth, the shame of his profession only alienating her. A laugh out loud series that will suddenly cut you deep as it explores the nature of grief and familial love. 

My Brother’s Husband Manga: 2/2 volumes available in English 

“Yaichi, a stay-at-home single father, lives with his daughter Kana in suburban Tokyo. They are visited by Mike Flanagan, the widower of Yaichi's estranged twin brother Ryōji, who has traveled from his native Canada for three weeks to learn about Ryōji's past. Kana is fascinated by Mike and is immediately accepting of him, though Yaichi is hesitant to accept Mike as family.

While Yaichi is not overtly homophobic, Mike suggests that his tacit discomfort over his brother's sexuality drove a wedge between them that led to their estrangement. Mike's interactions with the family and neighborhood over the subsequent three weeks prompt Yaichi to confront his own prejudices around sex and sexuality, as his growing tolerance and eventual acceptance of Mike parallel his overcoming of his own homophobia.”

Whilst the trope of “the gay brother dies and the heterosexual brother learns not to be homophobic” might be over done in western media, the same is not true for Japan. It’s a heartfelt and honest look at grief and acceptance, as well as how the nature of family is changing all around the world... but attitudes are maybe conservative attitudes aren’t as quick to catch up. 

Nichijou: My Ordinary Life Funimation (Dub/Sub) 

So apparently everyone went “this show is undubbable! It relies too much on puns and untranslatable humour!” and then Howard Wang said “hold my beer” and did it. A bizarre comedy series set in a high school. It’s probably best known for the ongoing fight between the deer and the principal.  

Way of the Househusband Manga: 4/5+ (ongoing) volumes available in English  

After he meets and marries the career driven Miku, Tatsu AKA The Immortal Dragon decides to give up his life of crime to commit to being the worlds’ best husband. You’d be surprised at the transferable skills between a Yakuza enforcer and a house husband. From knowing how to efficiently cut up a slice of meat, to how to perfectly clean a bathroom of all evidence. Hilarious and heartwarming, Taki and Kyoko would be best bros. 

Slice of Life + Supernatural 

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K S1 Funimation (Dub/Sub) 24 episodes Netflix S1 (Dub/Sub) S2 & 3 (Sub) 50 episodes total 

“Saiki Kusuo is a typical 16-year-old high school student… except he has psychic powers. He can use them to get whatever he wants, but he also knows everything that people are thinking. Everything. No surprises, no secrets, no normal human experiences. He’s kept his powers in check since childhood, but with the temptations of high school now on his mind, he’s bending the rules—and spoons.“

Sabrina The Teenage Witch (2019)

Writer Kelly Thompson wears her magical girl influences on her sleeve in this new take on the Archie Classic. Sabrina is your regular teenager, except she is also a witch and so are her aunts. Hijinks (and Card Captor Sakura References) ensue. 

Toilet Bound Hanako-kun Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 eps total Manga 13/13 Volumes available in English 

“Kamome Academy is rumored to have many mysteries, the strangest of which involves the mischievous ghost of Hanako-kun. When occult-loving high schooler Nene Yashiro accidentally becomes bonded to him, she uncovers a hidden world of supernatural beings. Now the two of them are conspiring to keep the peace between student and supernatural—that is, if they can only stay out of trouble themselves.“

Jughead (2015) 4 Volumes total

Bought to you in various parts by the creators of Squirrel Girl, Jughead combines slice of life with spy thriller, time travel and the joy of a good burger. Hilarious and heart warming, this run holds a special place in my heart as the one where Jughead was confirmed as canonically asexual and continues to express various aro/ace moods throughout the series. There’s a REASON my friends say I’m a Real Life Jughead.... 

Weathering With You - available digitally/physically 28th Sep. 2019

In June 2021, first year high schooler Hodaka Morishima leaves Kōzu-shima in order to get to Tokyo. When his ferry to the city is hit by a rainstorm, he is saved by Keisuke Suga, who runs a small occult magazine that’s looking for an assistant. As Hodaka becomes broke and struggles to find work, he meets Hina Amano, an employee of a McDonald’s restaurant. She takes pity on him and gives him food. After agreeing to work with Suga, Hodaka learns about the legend of the “sunshine girl” who can control the weather! It turns out that the newly unemployed Hina is a sunshine girl! And with her little brother, they start up their own business to bring sunshine to the never-ending rain of Tokyo. 

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches Crunchyroll (Dub/Sub) 12 Episodes Total Manga: 22/28 volumes available in English 

After tripping on the stairs, School Bad Boy Ryu Yamada and Top Student Urara Shiraishi discover they can swap bodies with a kiss! They then learn that they’re not the only ones with magic powers in the school, and with the help of the Supernatural Studies Club they begin to track down the identities of the 7 witches of Suzaku High. 

This series really stretches my limits on fan service, but at least it does proceed to get a little even in terms of gender. It’s still a really rather sweet and romantic series, once you get past the boobs and panties. 

Your Name Netflix (Dub/Sub) Spin Off Manga “Your Name: Another Side: Earthbound” - 2/2 volumes available in English 

A modern take on the Red Sting of Fate mythos, Mitsuha and Taki are two teenagers tied together. Three times a week, Mitsuha will wake up in Taki’s body and live the life of a Tokyo School boy. In turn, Taki will wake up in Mitsuha’s body and learn what it is to be a Rural Shrine Maiden. A look at the bonds that tie us, and how fate won’t let two young people fall apart before they can meet. 

Also the animation is BEAUTIFUL and it made me cry. Like a lot. There’s a spin off manga called “Your Name: Another Side” that follows the same story but from the POV of Mitsuha’s friends and family. It really brings new light to the events and made me very emotional.

Mental Health 

Green Lanterns: Rebirth (2018)

Jessica Cruz suffers from PTSD and severer anxiety, seeing her utalising her will power to overcome those problems and harness that energy to help save the universe is so incredibly powerful and moving. 

Hawkeye (2012-2015) 4 Volumes 

The Fraction/Aja/Wu/Hollingworth Hawkeye run is widely considered one of the best superhero runs of all time. Fraction and Aja perfectly capture “functional depression” at its finest, and we watch as Clint Barton slowly burns all his bridges before being forced by his friends to sort his shit out and put them back together again. There’s also a whole issue that’s primarily written in sign language too. 

My Roomate is a Cat Funimation (Dub) Crunchyroll (Sub) 12 eps total 

“Mystery author Mikazuki would rather live in total isolation than deal with others. Getting a roommate is the last thing he’d ever do, until a stray cat sparks an idea for his next novel. After plucking the little killer off the streets, this four-legged muse inspires Mikazuki in ways he would have never expected. And for the street-wise cat, this human just opened the door to a whole new world.”

A Silent Voice (Manga/Movie) Movie: Netflix (Dub/Sub) 

“A former class bully reaches out to the deaf girl he’d tormented in grade school. He feels unworthy of redemption but tries to make things right.”

CW Attempted Suicide, bullying

Please watch the dub. Lexi Marman Cowden, who voices Shoko, is an ACTUAL hard-of-hearing actress. It makes for a more real and vulnerable performance that avoids the mild ableism of the Sub hiring a Hearing Actress and robot-ising her voice. 

Yuri!!! On ICE Crunchyroll (Sub) Funimation (Dub) 12 eps total 

“Yuri Katsuki makes his way to the Grand Prix ice skating competition as Japan’s top representative with his eyes on the prize. However, instead of celebrating, Yuri walks away defeated and ready to retire for good. But a run-in with champion Viktor Nikiforov and rising star Yuri Plisetsky ignites a new fire within him. With the two of them close by his side, Yuri will take to the ice once more.”

Yuri’s defeat sends him into a very relatable spiral of lack of self belief that he slowly starts to regain thanks to the help of Viktor. Part sports anime, part love story, all full of feels. 

The Dub is considered hit or miss depending on whether you like accents or not, but honestly it’s worth it for Sabat’s Christophe giacometti. Ayame walked, so Christophe could strut. 

Generic 

I’m gonna start by recommending the Shonen Jump App, it’s £1.99/month and gives you access to all their recent publications as well as their back catalogue in English! So you can read all of Boys Over Flowers, Nisekoi, Naruto, One Piece, Haikyuu, Assassination Classroom, My Hero Academia etc. for a fraction of the cost of buying the physicals! SO much manga at your finger tips! No, they don’t sponsor me but i wish they would. 

Astra Lost in Space Funimation (Dub/Sub) 12 Eps Total Manga: 5/5 volumes available in english, available on the Shonen Jump App

A group of teenagers on a school trip become Lost In Space and quickly discover a conspiracy is a foot. Part thriller, part comedy, saying anything more about this series would count as a spoiler given the number of plot twists throughout. 

Radiant Funimation (Dub) Crunchyroll (Sub) 42 eps total Manga: 13/13+ volumes available in english (ongoing series)

A french manga turned into a Japanese Anime.

“Seth, a sorcerer destined to find Radiant, sets his sights on Caislean Merlin for answers. He’s desperate to find out what the Knight Sorcerers know, but can he trust them? In the wake of all that is unknown, he digs deep within himself for the wisdom and confidence to control his powers. And as the world around him continues to grow with more magic and power, he gains strong new allies.”

The series has BIG Saturday Morning cartoon vibes. My 12 year-old self would have been ALL OVER this.

Batman Ninja (Netflix)  

What if a Japanese animation studio asked DC if they could make a batman movie? And then just threw a Japanese history book at it? What if there was time travel? What if the main batman villains were all feudal lords in Japan? What if everyone were Samari? What if Damian had a small animal companion he could communicate with using a flue? What if Jason’s hood was made out of wicker? What if Penguin had a penguin shaped mecha? 

A wild ride from start to finish that makes no sense but really, do you care? 

[gojo-ology]

"recollection"

| 1 |

Summary: A girl wakes up with no recollection of her life thus far. All she has is a name and a power that she doesn't understand. Scared and backed into a corner, she does whatever she has to do to survive, including shedding blood. However, a man appears to put an end to her, but instead offers a new path for her to walk. Rina only knows her name, and she only knows that she's found a place as a Jujutsu Sorcerer. However, an old curse starts to stir, and she starts to learn that her fate may already be decided, and her past is slipping through her fingers.

Note: Hi!!!! Welcome to this new fic! I haven't written much for JJK but I got this idea and HAD to create this fic! I hope you stick around on this journey~ I actually have two chapters published so I will link chapter 2 at the end of this post.

Warning: this story addresses some dark topics; death and toxic relationships being the main two. I'm also not afraid to describe violence. However, you will not find anything referring to SA or any explicit sexual content (although I might write some as stand alone one shots once I decide who Rina is involved with adjfskl). There might be a suggestive scene or two but nothing more than that. Thank you for reading ajfkdsl I will shut up now

Ao3 link

“Don’t you see? No matter how hard you struggle, you can’t win. You and everyone else- you’re weak. So accept the inevitable and die.”

For a long, long time, those were the only words circling the mind of the woman. They went around and around, blurring together and coming back into focus. There was nothing else to perceive; only darkness, the cold, and pain.

Ow… ow… ow…

Slowly but surely, a sensation other than pain blossomed on her bare skin. From several points in her body, the cold became more pleasant; refreshing.

...rain…

She had always liked water. Being submerged in it seemed… natural. The pressure around her felt like a hug, cradling her close as it protected her.

At least… that’s what I thought…

Because, today, this time… it failed to protect her. The techniques she had honed to their finest point failed. And now, there was nothing she could do to save herself. She didn’t dare open her eyes, even as consciousness resurfaced for just a brief moment. She didn’t want to see the burnt, ruined landscape around her. Even though the stench of smoke and corpses filled her lungs, she didn’t dare look.

This last moment of awareness was nothing but a trick. A ploy to get her to open her eyes and view this mortal realm one last time before leaving it, a cruel joke to make her think she had any chance of surviving this.

Maybe… Maybe he was right.

Fifteen of them had taken the King of Curses on. She wasn’t even supposed to be there, but she foolishly pushed her way to the front… only to be struck down as easily as the others.

We’re all just insects… maybe we deserve to be squashed by the likes of him.

But… it wasn’t supposed to end like this.

She had so many plans, and so much ambition. She was a prodigy, and managed to acquire respect despite being a woman. Of course, there were those who would never see her as an equal, but she tried her very best. She had so much to prove, and now all those hopes were dashed.

I wanted to show the world… that my gift was mine. I was the master of my powers. And then…

She was supposed to get married, to a member of one of the great Sorcerer families.

I won’t ever… see them again…

Anger flickered in her dying heart, bitter, cruel anger.

It isn’t fair… it’s not FAIR!

She had no strength left, yet she opened her eyes. Rain and blood blurred her vision, and her hair had fallen out of it’s bun and over her face. She was a pitiful, pathetic creature, laying there in a pool of her own blood, half of her body gone, left to die. Her opponent didn’t even care enough to finish the job.

I don’t want to die… I don’t!

Her last remaining hand formed a fist in the ashes below her. Her fingers trembled, unable to control her technique any longer.

This can’t be how it ends…

Not after this. Any death would be better than this one. She always imagined a glorious death, either as an old matriarch or as a hero in battle; not as someone defeated and humiliated.

As a sorcerer, as a woman, and as a human… She was humiliated.

Despite her weakened state, cursed energy was everywhere around her body, coursing out with every new negative emotion she felt.

Please… don’t die… don’t DIE-

She couldn’t breathe, and now the rest of her senses failed. Her fist loosened.

I don’t care if it has to be in another life…

Her head fell back down to the ground, and her eyes closed for the last time.

Let me live to face Sukuna again!

Her last wish, her last vow, lingered on her lips, even as life slipped away.

I know it was short, but we actually start the story in chapter two!

LINK

[milstrim]

Happy FFWF! 💛 What would you say are the top 3 scenes you've ever written? This can be for any story or drabble you've written for :)

Happy (late) FFWF!!!

oh wow uh idk hmmm

this is gonna get long so ill cut it

3) This one's whumpy but I like it

"Why do you even care? You're never around anyway," she muttered, bitter and spiteful.

Tony didn't flinch, "I'm never around, huh? I don't care? Well, excuse me if I have to leave to try and keep the world spinning, or because a certain group has threatened you again."

"I don't need you to protect me all the time!"

"Because you can lift a bus? Because you think you're some kind of invincible teenager who sneaks out knowing that the UN wants to arrest you. Knowing that there is a whole terrorist organization out for your blood. And you leave the tower anyway, using your powers as a party trick."

"They're not a party trick!" she protested heatedly. She wasn't a party trick.

"But you still went to that party. You ditched Happy and left your trackers and went to a party and got drunk apparently. How long were you lying about doing that little stunt? You can definitely keep a secret longer than I thought. Though you're a terrible liar."

Penny didn't say anything, the doubts the worries and the fears all unfolding before her. She'd tried so, so hard to be exactly what Tony expected of her. Of what everyone expected of her. She was smart in her classes. She was well behaved. She tried to be what Tony had been at her age; a prodigy. Even though she wasn't.

The few secrets she'd held close to her chest--some locked deep and hidden, never to see the light of day--had been the last of what felt like her life, before it had completely crumbled. Spider-Woman was the only thing that let her know she was important, that she was okay. If she could save other people, if she could make sure that others were okay, surely she must be okay too.

"Was it a dare? Or did you make that idiotic decision on your own? To get kidnapped and Happy hurt and Rhodey paralyzed and everyone else worried out of their minds." Her breath caught. Paralyzed. "Do you think that you can do this all on your own? That some radiation and spider experimentation means that you can do whatever you want, willy nilly?"

"I don't--"

"No, this is where you zip it, all right? The adult is talking. What if somebody had died tonight? What if Rhodey had? What if Phoenix had taken the weapons they'd wanted? Because I can assure you that they don't want them to make sure everyone holds hands. Different story, right? ‘Cause that’s on you. And if you died, that's on me," he paused, but she didn't notice the fear and the guilt, as though he were reliving the moment he spoke of. All she could think of was what she'd done. And about what she hadn't done, "I'm still waiting on the why. Why leave? Why lie? Why trust Natasha and not me?"

"I didn't tell her," Penny muttered, "She found out."

"And then you swore her to secrecy. You made her promise not to tell me, because...? Because you don't trust me? Is there anything that can make me trustworthy in your eyes? What the hell do you need, Penny!?"

"I need for my life to be normal again!" she spat, not even noticing as she sprung up onto her feet, her eyes watering as she yelled, "I need to not be a celebrity! I need to see my friends and feel free in my own home without people breathing down my neck all the time! I need my dad to be here when I feel like I'm dying or losing my mind, like May and Ben always used to!!!" Her voice broke, "I wish I was just a Parker again! I wish I wasn't your daughter!!!"

Tony flinched. Tears slipped down her cheeks. They stared at each other, tense silence that stretched in thick tension between them. A storm ready to break.

She'd already broken.

Without a word, the man stalked over to her. He didn't make eye contact with her, didn't say anything. He didn't even look at her. He brushed past Penny, grabbing the bright red suit sprawled on the hospital bed.

She didn't watch him as he did, staring straight ahead at the offending wall, her breaths gasping. She couldn't think. All she could feel was regret. Her hands trembled with it, her legs shaking in fear at her own words.

Her father walked past her again, the suit clutched in an angry fist. He left.

A sob tore from her throat.

2) This one will be spoilers for the next chap for my Ashes fic, but I figure its been so long ive got to throw some bread crumbs

Tony smiled at the thought, but it quickly disappeared when the teenager flinched, followed by a guttural whine. Nightmares, he guessed.

As he was pondering what to do, his muggy mind failing him, he caught sight of a familiar matted figure. His eyes lit up at the sight of Platty sitting on top of the white hospital blanket. Moving without thinking, he reached out for it, tucking the stuffed animal up to Penny's collar. He followed the action by hugging her closer to him and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

She didn't flinch again, but the twitching and whimpering continued. He tried his best to urge her past whatever nightmares were tormenting her, rubbing soothing circles into her back and peppering kisses onto her hairline whenever there was a pained murmur.

It took a few minutes, but, finally, Penny stilled. Tony wasn't sure whether it had been his comfort or if the nightmare had simply run its course, but he couldn't find the energy to understand which. With the danger of Penny's pain gone, his eyes began to droop again, dark eyes slipping until he was consumed by slight snores.

The two were stuck in the motion of instinctual comfort. A teenager tucked against her dad's side, her cheek draped against his shoulder. A man's head curled into his daughter's hairline, asleep mid-comforting kiss. Between them, a yellow stuffed animal buoyed warmth and familiarity.

1) I just love this scene. ive very rarely ended fics so far and i loved trying it out (*￣3￣)╭

"Boss, Mr. Parker is back."

Tony glanced up from where he was working in the lab, looking away from his newest project to smile brightly at the ceiling. He stood up, wiping his oily hands off on his equally oily pants, finally conceding to grab a cloth and rub the slick grease from his fingers. The mechanic gave the new project one last glance before throwing the cloth down on the nearest table and stepping toward the elevator.

"Great. Tell him I'm on my--"

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Tony turned, a confused expression turning into a small smile as he caught sight of the red and blue figure stuck on the window, waving at the mechanic in excitement. He rolled his eyes, walking over and undoing the latch on the window to let the teenager finally at a healthy weight roll into the room.

"I'm gonna start putting bug spray around the apartment until you learn to use a door," Tony warned. Peter pulled his mask off, revealing hair pulled down by sweat and a bright smile. They grew brighter and brighter every day. The teenager rammed a shoulder into Tony's playfully.

"Why can't a window be a door?"

"Because it's a window."

"Old houses in the south used to be able to transform between windows and doors to evade taxes."

Tony considered him. "How do you know this?"

"Decathlon."

Tony rolled his eyes, unsure of how he hadn't guessed that. He was going to the kid's competition next week for heaven's sake!

"Well, this is not the old south. We use doors here."

"That's less fun."

"Yeah, yeah. Go wash up for dinner."

"But it's barely five! I was going to go out again."

"Should've thought about that earlier," Tony teased. "It's family dinner night. And don't you have an essay due?"

Peter mumbled, but listened nonetheless, beginning to pad away towards the elevator to go up to their apartment suite, when there was the ringing of an oncoming call. Both of their heads turned as a screen popped up, displaying an unknown number, untraceable too. Tony and Peter exchanged raised eyebrows as the kid walked back over.

"What is this, Fri?"

"It is an incoming call from the phone Captain Rogers sent you."

Peter glanced between him and the screen warily. "That means there's a problem, doesn't it?"

"Probably," Tony admitted.

He turned to the kid, patting the kid's back and fixing him with a steady stare. Peter's doe eyes attached to his, trusting in a way that had been growing exponentially recently. Tony hadn't known it was possible to look at someone with that much trust. That much love. Especially from a kid whose first interaction with Tony had ended up in him running away, but life had become steadily calm, steadily trusting, as the days had gone by. As the months had. A few bumps in the road and a couple of mishaps, some bigger than others along the way, but good nonetheless. Yeah, life was good.

Tony liked to think he was right most of the time, but even he knew he was pretty hit or miss on how to remain any kind of relationship. But this--Tony knew he'd been right. His purpose was to protect Peter. And he loved every second of it.

"But if it is, I'll keep you safe. We'll fix it together."

Peter's lips tugged in a trusting smile. He held out a fist. "Together. MacaTony--"

Tony returned the fist bump lightly with a roll of his eyes, grinning as he caught sight of their shadows switching, "--And Peter-butter."

Whatever Steve was calling for, neither would be going in alone. They were never alone.

Their shadows made sure of it.

[moodysnowflake]

Please mind the Spoiler slap that might come your way guys...

Let’ talk about Rufus Shinra.

Yes, he has been exploited better than the OG, and yes, once you get the hint the assesment is trying to throw at you, it’s easier to whack his butt.

He still beats the crap out of you. 

We have to realize that Rufus is a normal human being. He’s not a Turk either. Sure, he was a prodigy and has been trained by the military, and he might have trained with the Turks too during his “extended assignment oversea” (despite being him the boss, I bet Reno would still try to zap him in the crotch, if left unsupervised). Rude would gave him a sturdy run for his money (of course pun intended) and Tseng did probably manage to wipe the floor with his gorgeous platinum-blond ass at least once when they were younger. Rufus manages to stand his ground against Cloud, a final-stretch-game Cloud. Not an early-game Cloud. You have to run, dodge, parry and dive like hell, and when he hits you, it fluffing hurts. He’s the only human enemy in the Remake who actually manages to do some serious damage using a firearm. 

He’s been designed to do that, you might say. Well, yeah, duh, he’s still the only one, so that’s awesome.

Moreover, he doesn’t actually look exhausted, nor particularly beaten up when the battle ends; he just smirks his way out. We couldn’t appreciate it in the OG, but heck yes we can now. 

We might argue that’s all a façade, and I think that part of it could very well be true. Cloud did roughed him up after all. Plus, that’s his character, he would never show a speck of vulnerability (”nobody has ever see him bleed or cry” - can we seriously blame him for becoming an ice prince?).  And he’s not stupid; once he’s disarmed, he immediately opts for strategic retreat. He’s not a brainless goof, he recognized his huge disavantage: a true tactician indeed.

Him and Cloud's battle dialogue...is it just me, or did they sound like ex-boyfriends angrily snapping at each other?...

C: Think you got my number? [Cloud?]

R: Not at all. You’re making me sweat. Good thing I came prepared. [Rufus?]

C: That’s a new trick.

R: Like it? ‘Course you do.

[Did they actually meet in Before Crisis?!]

R: Let’s make it a night to remember.

Okay guys, seriously, tone it down a notch, would you? That’s too much gold for a single scene!

His outfit might not have us all agreeing, I can totally see why. That off-white contrast to Cloud’s pitch black tho...

Here’s the knot my brain is twisting itself over.

The question slammed my brain like a train, pretty much the same as Rufus’.

I don’t know, you tell me how the heck are you seeing the Whispers...

Tseng going:

Rufus looks at him like “Wait, what? You’re not seeing this shit? You kidding, right?” then proceeds to glare him into submission, either because he thinks Tseung might imply he’s not okay after the fight and he might be suffering some side-effects, or he’s mocking him.

[If it’s the last one, that would open another pit of thoughts, like: if he thinks Tseng is teasing him, that means that happened before. If that happened before, it means he’s not a utter cold-blooded bastard, and they interacted like functional(ish) human beings up to the point of joking. What is this? Solid character background? OG-wise, we know he’s not a saint, but we also know he’s not totally batshit cracker either. Because WRO and Avalanche. (Can’t wait for Barret’s reaction when that’ll happen. That’s gonna be spectacular XD)

Reno’s line ‘You’re sure you wanna do this by yourself, boss? (ENG)//That’s dangerous (JAP)’ could support this theory, even if we know he would talk back to Sephiroth himself.]

Untill now it’s evident that he being able to see them is “Because Plot“

But my spider senses are tingling, feeling something lurking below.

He didn’t seem to be able to see them on the platform while Cloud’s smacking his way through. That could be arguable, ‘cause spotting dark stuff in a dark background is not that easy. 

But after the Edge of Creation cutscene (and that’s another thing I’ll talk about later), he’s pretty well able to do that. And he’s the first character we see...

So what happened in between?

Well, there’s Wedge scene...but that’s the only thing we’re allowed to see. 

Based on what’s happening in the game, you’d be able to see the Whispers because of Aerith/Sephiroth’s intervention or because the Whispers need you to see them.

That create some interesting choices, which might combine, ‘cause they’re not mutually exclusive:

1. Rufus finds/saves Wedge, or the Whispers are bringing Wedge to him (very unlikely, but you know, overthinking is so fun). He was minding his own businnes, and Wedge suddenly appears. If this happens, I don’t think he’s gonna kill him...Because Avalanche (and because if you resist Wedge’s puppy eyes you don’t have a heart, nor a soul). Yes, he’s ruthless, I know, but there are times during the story in which he doesn’t behave like a complete dickhead. Very few times. But maybe the Whispers need for Rufus and Wedge to meet, and maybe that’s what happened in the hall.

Also, my useless rambling neuron got stuck over a very stupid, very impossible, but very cute idea why Rufus wouldn’t kill him: what if Wedge and Rufus know each other? Barret and the other knows his face, but what about Wedge? Maybe somehow they casually met in Junon, or (god forsake it, my heart) even before in Midgar he saved him from whatsoever situation and he never mention it? Chances are never really zero in FFVII, but I’m well aware that this is far-fetched...like, a lot. 

How cute would it be if Wedge woke up with Rufus crouched down there, skeptically looking at him.

‘What are you doing here?’

To which he would chirp “Hey Rufus, long time no see! How’re you doing? I thought you were still in Junon.”

‘I’m the boss here, I ask the questions. What are all these creepy things flying around.’

“Well, I don’t have that much of a clear idea...Also, you’re not my boss!“

‘That’s not helping. Also, technically, yes Wedge, I am.’

”Huh?”

‘I’m Rufus Shinra. (smug smirk)’

“I know that dummy (Rufus would scrunch up his face), what I don’t understand is how that would make you my boss. Blowing up one of your reactors using your explosive can’t make me pass as construction worker.” 

‘I am not your boss because of Shinra. I am your boss because I’m the boss of the boss of your boss.’

“WAIT, WHAT?!”

*Whispers taking him away*

2. Sephiroth has a brief chat with him during the moment he’s left on his own (while we’re fighting his true self in the singularity). In the OG, Rufus always had this incontrollable drive to find Sephiroth, an inespicable and obsessive draw to hunt him down, which only Cloud match (and he’s the one guarding Jenova’s remants in Advent Children...). And no, it’s not because he killed his father...we know how idyllic that relationship was. That spark could have been started here.

3. A combination of the two. Because why not.

4. Something else within him helped the trigger.

Speaking about this, I discovered some interesting info. The Remake has retconned his age from 25 to 30, flopping back his birthday from 1982 to 1977. Five years shouldn’t make that much of a difference. We can agree, artistic licence. 

Too bad 1977 is also the exact same year Jenova’s remnants have been discovered...As well as the very start of the machination for Project S and Project G.

Using Dirge of Cerberus as reference, 1982/1983 should approximatly be Sephiroth’s birthyear. Which leaves 5 years of preparation.

Is this a coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe the president let Hojo start to experiment on baby Rufus as he saw fit. Nobody would convince me that the president wouldn’t have done it, those two are just too fucked up. That could explain why he was so flipping good with a shotgun since he was 10, why he managed to face a SOLDIER without turning into minced meat (he didn’t show negative repercussions because he could have been resistant to mako poisoning, like Zack; plus he is the only human enemy with some resistance to Poison and Magic), why the president didn’t kill him when he sided with the Turk’s assassination attempt. That wasn’t paternal love; that was probably Hojo interceding to not have a succesfull test subject except Sephiroth eliminated, promising to have him brainwashed.

Like Cloud, despite Jenova’s cells, he wouldn’t be able to see the Whispers by his own. But Sephiroth, or Aerith, might have flipped the switch in some way. Or even Jenova’s or n#2′s bodies, to which we still have no idea what happened.

4.1. The annoyed/angry glare This could also be another reason for the angry/annoyed glare he shoots Tseng, like he’s saying “You know what I am” or “You know taking me down is not that easy”. The first one reminds me of Cloud’s line to Jessie...the look is pretty similar.

Another interpretation of this expression could be that he actually has, from time to time, some odd quirks or weird moments, residues of the mako treatment/cells' interaction. It is very likely that if that’s true, Tseng - and maybe even Rude and Reno - witnessed them.

That wouldn't surprise me: he’s sporting some serious dark circles under his eyes in this scene.

So, he could be also saying “What? Are we doing this again? You still think I’m frail and crazy? Do I have to beat that out of you like last time?”

5. He touched Jenova’s blood; it wouldn’t be that improbable, since it was smeared all over the floor. That might have done the trick by itself, or, if connected to point 4, he could have been drawn to it by the cells within him, which could have worked as catalyst. 

6. Any combination of two or more of the previous points. It’s Nomura Testuya we’re talking about, they could all be true for what we know. He’s a goddamn psycho: it’s easier to build a house with a sand-pail and a plastic shovel than understand Kingdom Hearts' series plot .

 Too many questions, but the revelation that Rufus can see the Whispers is very intriguing; the whispers needs him for something. Destiny needs him for something. That makes him an even more valuable character that he already was in the OG, and I’m glad they’re doing it. 

Nobody seems to be left behind (in character development sense) this time.

We can only wait and hope.

Wish you all the best, Rufie (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･���✧ ✧ﾟ･: *

[secretlyatargaryen]

Zuko's monologue to Aang in "The Siege of the North, Part 2" is particularly interesting for what it tells us about Zuko and how he sees himself, and his quest. Since Aang is unconscious, he isn't so much talking to Aang as he is to the audience. It's exposition for our benefit, but it's also done in a believable way because Zuko often expresses his feelings aloud like this, to someone or something who isn't going to respond back, as a way of understanding them himself.

Zuko: I finally have you, but I can't get you home because of this blizzard. There's always something. Not that you would understand. You're like my sister. Everything always came easy to her. She's a firebending prodigy, and everyone adores her. My father says she was born lucky. He says I was lucky to be born. I don't need luck, though. I don't want it. I've always had to struggle and fight and that's made me strong. It's made me who I am.

At this point in the story, we have not yet met Azula, though we will by the end of this episode. We've seen her in "The Storm," briefly, in the crowd watching Zuko's agni kai against his father, but that is easy to miss for a first time viewer (as it was for me). So this is really our first impression of Zuko's sister, who will become a major antagonist for both him and Aang.

Our first impression of Azula is Zuko comparing her to Aang. Of course, in terms of character, Azula and Aang exist on opposite ends of a spectrum, but Zuko compares them here because "she's a prodigy and everyone adores her," in contrast to himself, who is "lucky to be born."

This tells us some important information about Zuko's relationship to his sister and his place in his family, as well as how he sees his place in the world, but also interestingly, it tells us how he views Aang.

Zuko does not know Aang, beyond basic facts like "is the avatar and an airbender, is a kid, travels around on a flying bison and has two water tribe kids traveling with him." He perhaps knows that Aang is a friendly kid who extended a weird offer of friendship to Zuko, his enemy, and saved his life, but Zuko is not ready to process that yet. He's spent enough time fighting Aang to know that Aang is a strong fighter and a powerful bender, but he really has no basis for assuming that things come easy to Aang. Aang is shown to be a prodigy, mastering airbending at a young age and picking up waterbending moves that it took much longer for Katara to learn, to the latter's frustration. This is implied to be part of being the avatar, so it's not off the mark for Zuko to assume that this is the case. However, this assumption tells us more about Zuko and his own insecurities than it does about Aang.

We learn that Zuko has a sister who he measures himself against, that he thinks of himself as not good enough, and that his father also thinks so. We learn that things do not come easy to Zuko, but that this has caused him to view himself as a fighter, something echoed in this episode by Sokka saying "one thing we know about Zuko is that he never gives up."

Later in the series, we learn that Zuko thought that he was one of the "good guys," and that his country was fighting a righteous war. Framed in that light, Zuko's mission to defeat the avatar then becomes a righteous mission to capture a being of ultimate power who is the greatest threat to his nation. This is also how Zuko, despite being the prince of a colonizing nation, can see himself as the underdog. Aang is the avatar, things come easy to him, he's the lucky one, whereas Zuko has to struggle. Zuko is struggling and being a prince isn't what it seems to be, either. He's been banished, horribly abused, put on a fool's mission and tricked into believing that this will somehow restore a place in his family that really, never existed. But it makes sense that, given how he's been conditioned to think, he would see Aang as a representation for his personal struggles, rather than accepting the truth that his father is a cruel person who has hurt him as well as the rest of the world.

I think Zuko, on some level, also wants Aang to understand him, though he would only say these things to Aang while he is unconscious. He says something similar to Katara when he has her captive, trying to explain his motivation for his actions. Zuko feels a deep need to be understood and validated, which motivates most everything he does, especially at this point in the series. He is, on some level, looking for this in Aang despite seeing Aang as an enemy here, an antagonist that he has to measure himself against, just like his sister. The parallels between this scene and the one where Aang tells an unconscious Zuko about his friend Kuzon are fascinating. Aang, in contrast to Zuko, wishes he could view Zuko as a friend, whereas Zuko is still viewing Aang as an antagonist, but both speeches are motivated by a desire to connect, even if on Zuko's end it is hidden under much cognitive dissonance.

[seawolvesanddragons]

Critical Role Character Study Songs - Yasha//Combo Songs

(all songs taken from my 2008 ipod that has not been updated in literal years)

First off a thousand apologies to Yasha that she only gets to individual songs...I genuinely just could not find a lot of songs on my ipod that fit her well; blame my music tastes. 

YASHA

“I don’t know if you can hear me/I don’t know if you would listen to a gypsy’s prayer,”

God Help the Outcasts (Hunchback of Notre Dam) -  While I could also see this applying to Jester, I felt it fit better with Yasha. Something about the sad, simple request in the song, the denial for anything for themselves while asking for their loved ones and those turned away from society just screamed Yasha, and also reminded me of how Yasha interacts with the Stormgod.

“I’m standing in the sleet and rain/don’t think I’m ever going to make it home again,”

Wheel in the Sky (Journey)- Look I can’t exactly describe eloquently why this is a Yasha song, but it’s a Yasha song; especially the references to where she doesn’t really know where or what tomorrow will bring 

COMBO SONGS 

“I’m running out of time/I really thought you were on my side,”

Don’t Let Me Down (Chainsmokers)- Fjord (when worried about Uk’otoa) or Yasha (when possessed)

“Funny, one small part I never knew/with everything to win/the only thing I lose is you,” 

Everything to Win (Anastasia)- a couple of them: 

Essek when he realizes he actually likes the Nein, 

the group when dealing with the hag and Beau’s deal; 

Caleb when acknowledging that turning Nott back might mean the end of her time with the group 

“I know you hear me now/we are a different kind/we can do anything,”

Heroes (Alesso)- Jester/Mollymauk; While the others tend to take a more cynical and pessimistic view of their role in everything and the type of people they are, I feel like Jester would relate to this song - while they work undercover a lot and aren’t welcome in, well, a lot of places, they’re a skilled and powerful group in the position to do a lot of good, and Jester would want to try and do that; Mollymauk’s whole “leave everyplace better” also is reminiscent in the lyrics. 

“I know that greatness lies in you/but remember from here on in/history has it’s eyes on you,” 

History Has It’s Eyes on You (Hamilton)- Beau, Fjord; Out of everyone, I feel like these two carry the burden sung about in this song the most. Beau, as an expositor and increasingly their spokesperson, was instrumental in  their attempts to negotiate for the end to the war and Fjord as a generally conscientious person is aware how much their actions can have consequences and effect others, and after his own struggle with Uk’otoa is very wary about this. 

“You never knew how wonderful/that smile could make someone feel//but we’re a million worlds apart/and I don’t know how I would even start,” 

If I Could Tell Her (Dear Evan Hansen)- Beau, Caleb, Fjord about Jester; Look if this song doesn’t accurately sum up all three of these fools’ lovestruck thoughts about Jester who they all perceive as way out of their league, than nothing does. 

“He will never be part of us//and we know that he’ll never be part of us,” 

One of Us (Lion King II) - all of them at one point tbh plus Essek; They all felt like outcasts at one point or another but this song particularly reminded me of Essek’s feelings of rejection from being a young prodigy and a non-consecrated one at that. 

“She’s a trusting soul/she put her trust in you//tell her everything you feel,”

Tell Her About It (Billy Joel)- Nott to Beau (or Fjord) about Jester; Look, I’m just saying that at some point Nott’s preference for meddling and her knowledge about Beau’s crush is going to come up during role play. Sam is just biding his time. 

“Thanks for all the joy they’re bringing/who can live without it/I ask in all honesty,”

Thank You for the Music (ABBA)- Cad or Jester to Wildmother/Traveler; This song is about thanking an unnamed power about music, but it could just as easily be about the abilities granted to them through their deities. I feel its more applicable to Jester, and her unique relationship with the Traveler, but I wanted to include Cad in there. 

“I rose up from the dead/I do it all the time//I don’t like your little games/don’t like your titled stage,” 

Look What You Made Me Do (Taylor Swift)- Yasha when raging; Jester when she tricked the Hag to save Nott and Beau and the whole damn peace effort. 

Admittedly not on my iPod but I wanted an additional song for Yasha’s raging and Jester tricking the Hag moment deserved it

“Give them an act with lots of flash in it//and they’ll never catch wise,” 

Razzle Dazzle (Chicago)- Jester (and Mollymauk?); A lot of Jester’s fun comes through trickery and loud, bedazzled statements; she is loud and charming in a disarming way and unapologetic about it because she knows theres a strength in it and it is who she is. She uses her charm to get everyone to let their guards on - and sometimes (like the hag or Essek) that turns out its own kind of deadly for them.  Mollymauk was skilled bs-er who was always ready with some sort of wild backstory or distraction to keep information close to his chest