#Sorry forgot to break the news in the correct format

[rabidpocketmonster]

[professionalsimpfor2dboys]

If your requests aren't open you can ignore me, but imagine mc playing around and just doing the classic 90s anime vilian stance while yelling "SILENCE BOTTOM!"

hahaha, oh the boys’ reactions would be very diverse. I hope ya don’t mind me doing some short headcannons for the oldest four brothers because I don’t wanna be too repetitive + I feel like I’m taking too long to answer your ask haha sorry about that 😅

Some are implied nsfw ;) haha

“SILENCE BOTTOM!” Brothers’ Reactions

Lucifer

The brothers and MC were having their usual biweekly game night in MC’s room when said human thought it would be a good idea to bring out their stash of alcohol smuggled in from the human world (much to Lucifer’s disappointment) but failed to realize demons aren’t affected by human alcohol...which left only MC drunk out of their mind.

Of course, to be fair, Asmo brought in a bottle of demonus for the seven of them to pass around but it was too small of an amount to leave anyone more than a little tipsy.

With every shot MC took, their face reddened more and their volume increased as everything sent them into a fit of giggles, which the boys found cute. They wrapped their arms around Mammon’s neck and blew into his ear teasingly as said demon’s face became ruddy.

“O-Oi, what are ya doin’?” He protested, but didn’t push them away.

“What? Can’t I hug my ‘first’ demon?~” MC laughed before falling over, basically body-checking Mammon to the floor along with them as he yelped out of surprise.

“Alright, that’s enough. They’re obviously inebriated,” Lucifer said, standing up. “Time for bed,” he continued, ushering the others to hurry up and leave. The others began cleaning up, getting ready to leave but MC was quick to get off Mammon and stand up with wobbly legs.

“You jealous, Luci?” They giggled as the brothers looked at them with small smiles.

Lucifer ignored them as he continued commanding his brothers to clean up faster. Beginning to berate them for letting his human become so drunk. “You know humans are frail beings! The fact that you didn’t listen to me when I told all of you to stop giving them more shots is completely-“ his scoldings were giving MC a headache so they were quick to shut him up.

Posing so quickly and suddenly that they saw stars in their eyes for a bit, MC opened their mouth with a glint in their eye before shouting: “SILENCE BOTTOM! MUAHAHAHA” successfully shutting up the eldest brother.

Everyone was silent. MC stood still in their pose before doubling over from laughter as Lucifer watched with widened eyes.

“Everyone out, now,” Lucifer ordered, waving towards the door which they were quick to oblige but right as the door closed he heard quickened footsteps down the hall before an uproar of laughter resounded from his brothers. He’d deal with them later.

Sighing as he picked the human up from the floor, who’s laughter had eventually died down as sleepiness fit them full on, he laid them on their bed before brushing aside their askew hair accompanied with a chuckle. “That was a surprise, love, but I’m sure you know I’m far from what you call a bottom,” he chuckled, tucking them in. MC had long since passed out, mouth slack and cheeks still red. “You’re definitely a strange one, but mine nonetheless. I hope you know you’ll be facing the consequences of your words in the morning,~” he whispered in their ear, making them shift, before he kissed their forehead and shuffled beside them for cuddles.

Slight revenge sex in the morning once they’re sober for embarrassing him in front of his little brothers since he is the avatar of pride after all.

Mammon + Levi

these boyos scream switch to me soo you might know where I’m going with this

after a day at R.A.D, MC had walked with Levi and Mammon back to the House of Lamentation and they started another one of their arguments yet again.

“Mammon, you literally stole money from me last night after putting a bookcase on top of the door to my tank and watching me panic! What kind of older brother watches their younger brother almost drown???” Levi screeched, clasping at his neck dramatically.

“Wait, you can drown? I thought you were some weird sea monster thing,” Mammon retorted with a laugh as they entered into the living room. MC just face-palmed.

“Does it look like I have gills to you?? Ughh, you can just be so infuriating sometimes!” Levi groaned, running his hands through his hair in a frustrated manner.

MC shuffled to his side, whilst rubbing circles on his back as they cooed:” aw, it’s alright Levi-Chan~how about we go have a marathon of Ruri-Chan’s limited edition dvds you got in the mail the other day?”

Levi’s face lit up with both excitement and embarrassment. “You’re right! I almost forgot about that! Let’s go!” He exclaimed, grabbing ahold of their hand before pulling them towards his room but Mammon was quick to grab MC’s other hand and pull them the opposite way.

“Nuh-uh, where do ya think you’re goin’ with my human, huh? They’ll be staying with me because I ain’t watchin’ no Riri-Chan DVD’s,” Mammon shook his head, pulling MC closer but Levi countered it with a tug of his own.

“It’s Ruri-Chan, thank you very much and MC offered so it’s not your call whether they go or not, numbskull,” he retorted as MC was losing their patience being pulled around.

“Ha! If you think I’m gonna let ya get your hands on my human then you got another thing comin-“ it was in that moment a cheeky grin appeared on MC’s face before they ripped themselves from both of the demons’ grasps and posed dramatically.

“SILENCE BOTTOMS!” They bellowed, leaving the two speechless before faces turned red quickly. MC got a good laugh at their reactions before Levi spoke up.

“Th-that was kind of t-tantalizing! P-please do more! I’ve only heard it in animes and thought it was funny before this...” He begged, pushing both his pointer fingers together sheepishly.

“H-huh? What do ya mean tantalizing?” Mammon stuttered out, equally as embarrassed. He enjoyed it too, but wouldn’t be caught dead admitting it.

Well, looks like they found out something new about themselves.

Satan

Oh boy, calling this man a bottom? hmm possibly

MC was helping him study human culture for a test that was coming up and decided to take a short break.

“So, how about we talk about some things that won’t be on the test?” Satan suggested, looking up at MC from his book.

“Like?” MC questioned.

“Hm, I would like to learn some human slang in order to use it for confusing my brothers,” he replied, a hand on his chin as he thought. “All I know of is the dance phenomenon called the dab? Levi was quite interested in doing it at every given second for a fleeting period of time,” he continued, deep in thought which made MC laugh.

“Well, lemme think,” they began before one popped up in their mind. “Ooh! Do ya know what a DILF is?”

“Oh, come on, you can do better than that. Of course demons know what DILFs and MILFs as well,” he replied, chuckling which made MC pout.

“Well, do ya know Lucifer is a total DILF to me?” MC retaliated, knowing that would rile up Satan. He visibly gagged at her words before slamming his book shut.

“Please never say those words again,” he hissed, closing his eyes.

MC chuckled at his reaction before another idea popped up in their mind. “Ooh, how about...” they began before bolting up and waiting.

After anticipating for a bit, he cocked his head at their silence. “How about what-“ he was quickly cut off with a loud “SILENCE BOTTOM!” From MC which he jumped at.

MC watched his reaction before bursting in a fit of laughter. “Pretty funny, right? It’s a thing humans do as a joke-“ Satan wasn’t listening as he closed the space between them with rosy cheeks.

“I would be lying if I said I’ve never thought about it before~” he whispered closely, hot breath tickling MC’s face as they looked at his lidded eyes.

“HUHH??” MC blurted out making Satan looked at them in a confused manner.

“You were implying you wanted me to try being submissive during sex, were you not?” He questioned, assuming he was correct.

“W-what? No! It’s a joke in the human world!” They were quick to reply, still a bit frazzled. It was Satan’s turn to be embarrassed.

He backed away quickly, cheeks blushed red for a different reason now as he rubbed the back of his neck. “O-oh!” Was all he said before quieting down. An awkward silence settling over them before MC spoke up quietly.

“W-what did you have in mind?” they asked, hesitant.

“Huh?” Satan turned to look at her.

“I-I would be lying too if I said I never thought about having you under me...so what did you have in mind exactly,” they replied shyly, not meeting his eyes.

A smile spread across Satan’s face as only four words left his mouth: “Me wearing cat ears,”

😏 ;)

Did ya notice I’m trying a new format?

[be-ready-when-i-say-go]

Here’s a half formed thought about Calum going back to school at the same time as you during the crazy ass pandemic. Enjoy. 

Reader insert. No race or gender. 

********************

You were always going back to school. When you ran into Calum last year--though it really wasn’t you running into Calum; he was doing his grocery shopping and you checked him out--you knew being a clerk at the grocery store wasn’t the end all be all for you. 

What you had noticed over the couple of months is that whenever Calum seemed to be doing his grocery shopping, he always came through your line. It didn’t matter if you were the only line opened or on the weekends one of the several lines open, Calum was there. He started with small talk, asking you how your day was going. And you asked about his. He shocked you the first time he used your name. But you forgot that it was on your name tag. “Well if you know my name it’s only fair I know yours,” you teased. 

“Calum,” he returned easily, taking the brown paper bags after you carefully packed them. 

Sometimes you noticed his dog in the cart and asked about them. You learned his name is Duke and that he’s been affectionately dubbed Baby Grandpa by Calum. And eventually, though you hadn’t really meant to, you noticed things he bought frequently and whenever you happened across his path while walking to or from back break, you’d let him know if there was a sale going on. 

And thought it was only just friendly chat while you were on the clock, you were out pumping gas on your way to lunch with your friends when you heard your name. As you turned, there was Calum, walking out of the gas station, waving as he pushed his sunglasses back to cover his eyes. 

“Fancy meeting you here,” you laughed, waving in return. What you hadn’t expected as Calum walked across the lot to the pumps is that he would chat until the question of a date fell off from his lips. And sure Calum was attractive, and sure the conversation over the weeks while you checked out his items had turned a little flirty but you hadn’t expected that Calum felt anything remotely serious about you to ask you on a date. 

But you accepted. And there you were able to talk over a nice picnic that excluded Duke, but at your explicit disappointment at not seeing the old dog, Calum promised that next time, he would make sure to include Duke. That picnic lead to a movie, which lead to dinner, which lead to a date shopping for Duke because of the upcoming holidays, which lead to dinner at his place, and then hanging out with his friends for a quick drink one night, which lead to movie nights at each others place. 

And somewhere in all of it, you were dating Calum. He called when you had the closing shift at work to make sure you got home safely. Or if you spent the night, he’d make you breakfast, and he soothed your back as you hunched in front of your laptop to paid for applications for grad school. And he listened to the way you talked about knowing you couldn’t stay in this spot forever and he encouraged you go back to school. You could feel out that school was something that Calum was considering but he hadn’t been too serious about it. Not the band, the tours, the in the studio’s late--just never felt like he had the time.

Occasionally, you talked about some of the online courses you saw the schools had. But Calum hadn’t fully budged. By the time you got news about you going back to school, with funding, and sorting that news out with your job, Calum asked you if you thought he should give a crack at school. You told him the truth, that if he wanted to go for it, he should. And soon, things crumbled globally with the pandemic. And locked in the house most of the time, you dropped subtle and not so subtle hints that making those online classes might be closer and closer to coming true. 

Now you’re here, sitting at the dining room table, your printed out readings and books scattered in front of you. Calum’s on the couch. His notes on the coffee table. You’re in class, listening to the lecture headphones in and you look over to Calum, his class ended just as yours started. His fingers are working over the keys. 

He’s only in a couple of classes. And though you’re in one more class than him, there’s the added struggle of the work you do too. It’s administrative, but there’s meetings once a week and you still find yourself being offloaded onto with lots of small annoying data tracking tasks. It’s paying for school, so you do it with minimal complaints, but a few nonetheless. 

You’re so lost watching Calum working that you don’t even realize that the class you’re in is preparing for small breakout rooms until someone calls your name. You blink and turn back to the screen. “Sorry, zoned out. We’re discussing the reading, yeah?”

Your group nods and you manage to get back on track until the end of your class. Just as you’re closing down the Zoom app, at least for the half hour before your meeting for work, Calum calls out. “Class done?”

You nod, popping out the earbuds. “Yeah. Got that meeting for work soon though.”

He hums, glancing up from the screen. He seems tired. Most of your nights both of you are up kinda late. Though, you make sure to turn it in early and practically drag Calum to bed a couple hours later. He’ll get caught up, work way too late into the night and then have to be up early for band meetings too. “Want me to fix dinner tonight then?”

“It’s my night. I can still do it.” 

“You sure. I know you’ve got to fix that spreadsheet too and do your readings for the week.”

You shake your head. “I can still cook. Might even start during our meeting.”

Calum laughs, remembering the other times you turned off your camera and shuffled around the kitchen to cook in meetings or in classes too. “Nonsense. Almost done with this paper, so I’ll cook. But as an exchange, if you don’t mind, could you read over this? It’s only a response to a reading and it’s not super long or anything. But this instructor’s a fucking hardass.”

You nod. You’ve read over his papers before. Most of the times it’s just making sure he has correct citations and you might make a note about needing a thesis statement or needing more of his analysis between his evidence. But it’s not much that you ever feel like you need to mention on his papers. You’ve found, most often, what Calum needs is just someone to listen to his ideas so he can sort them out loud and then all you do is take down the notes of what he said. Listening to him talk about this philosophy class and Literature class is awe inspiring. He always has more questions than answers, but it’s those questions that always lead him to some pretty amazing places in his writing. 

“Is this the professor that got on you about the spacing on that first paper?”

Calum nods, pushing the laptop to the coffee table on top of his notes. “Yes! Even you couldn’t see what was wrong, so I still don’t understand what they got on me about. And I formatted the second outline in the exact same way and didn’t get any points taken off, so I really don’t understand.”

“Well, it could’ve been Google Docs. When you downloaded it into Pages, the formatting might’ve gotten wonky? But even the Pages document looked fine, so I really don’t know what happened there. But you’re doing it all in Pages now and then exporting to a PDF when you submit correct?”

“Yeah, I am. Thanks for that tip though. I didn’t realize Pages wouldn’t work in the submission center.” His shuffle into the kitchen is paired by the click of Duke’s paws on the floor. Calum presses a quick kiss to the top of your head. “Spaghetti?”

Holding onto his forearm draped around your chest, you nod. “Spaghetti sounds lovely.”

“I saw you staring at me while you were in class,” he whispers close to your ear. 

“What? You’re hot. Sue me.”

His chuckle is soft, a rumble in his chest that you feel through your back. “Most definitely can’t sue you over that. But don’t make me go in the office. I need you to pass these classes.”

“I appreciate the concern, dear. But I think I’m doing pretty good. Besides, I’m signed up for a random art history class. I can say you’re a piece of art I needed to analyze.”

The laughter’s not soft now, he full on giggles--a bit of it getting cut off as he inhales into the sound. “You’re ridiculous.” His lips are soft against your temple as he stands back up. “So spaghetti. Garlic bread is a must. Salad?”

“Ugh, I guess I do need veggies.”

“Yes, yes you do.” He continues into the kitchen, the clinking of pots hitting the isle’s of the stove and bowls, boxes, and jars setting onto the counter. 

“How’s the other class going? You guys starting your novels yet?”

“19th Century Lit is well, 19th Century Lit.” Calum seemed intrigued by the Evil Children’s class you told him you saw. But it had filled by the time Calum got his work schedule sorted out. He turned to 19th Century Lit as his backup, and so far, it appeared to be going well. “We’re spending the first part on poetry. And that’s the most interesting. The rest of the books sound a little boring.”

You hum, nodding even though he can’t see you. “Hopefully the class picks up. I took a look at the spring classes. If you want to focus more on poetry there’s a Modern Poetry post 1930′s class.”

The glance is quick, but his brows are pulled upwards, in a slight intrigue. “I’d consider it for sure.”

The alarm on your phone goes off, letting you know you have ten minutes until the meeting. You turn back to your computer and start logging into the meeting. “You haven’t had an assignment for that class yet have you?”

“No. The midterm’s coming up soon though and I don’t even know how to begin to study for it.”

You pop one earbud in making sure your mic is muted. “You know I got you, babe.”

“Yeah, but you’ve got your classes too. I-I might stop by the professors office hours and ask for help.”

“That’s always a good idea. Do you know when they are?”

“Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s.” You know he doubled checked them because he probably wouldn’t have that readily available from the first day of classes. “Gonna go tomorrow.”

Popping up from the chair, you press a kiss to his cheek, as the pan sizzles just a little and the pot of water not showing signs of bubbles just yet. “Love you.”

“Love you too,” Calum returns, pulling you fully into his chest for a swift kiss. “Now, go! You’ve got a meeting.”

“Meeting schmeeting. Would rather kiss you.” You kiss him one last time before ducking back into the chair and turning the camera on. You notice just faintly in the background Calum’s visible as he shuffles between pans and pots. Duke walks up to you, standing up to get attention. 

“Oh, you know I can’t say no,” you mutter, setting him in your lap.

“Is that Duke?” your supervisor asks. He’s crashed a couple meetings before. 

You unmute and hold him better for everyone to see. “Yeah. His pops is cooking us dinner and that lack of attention just won’t do.” 

“Hey, you say that like I don’t love him,” Calum retorts, threatening the back of your head with a spatula. You giggle before muting yourself and place Duke back into your lap, digging up the word document you’ve started for all the meeting notes. 

Your supervisor laughs. “Well I think he’s getting plenty of attention in the chat.” There are some more dings as people join the meeting. “Looks like we have everyone, so let’s begin.”

tagging @calumscalm because you might still be taking that exam, love. 

and @5-secondsofcolor bc sunday reads bubs. 

[marinaaniseed]

Ribbons and leaves

Song: Ribbons and leaves from the album Happiness in magazine by Graham Coxon.

Summary: Bucky finds you after 80 years.

Pairing: Female reader x Bucky Barnes

Length: 1,984 words

Warnings: Some old fashioned attitudes to sex and sexuality, traumatic events in Bucky’s past (including at the hands of HYDRA) and I guess spoilers if you’ve not seen the Captain America films. This one might hurt.

A/N: This was written for @lancsnerd‘s #Lancsnerd1kchallenge. So happy for you, you deserve every follower! I’ve combined it with a songshot, so for clarity, stuff in bold are the lyrics, stuff that’s underlined is my prompt, anything sans formatting is just me. I made myself cry while writing this, so be warned again, this one might hurt. See here for what this is all about.

***

In an old house, in an old street, Bucky finds you. You’re old too, of course, exactly as he should be.

Sitting in front of the TV, your son lets Bucky in. James, he said his name was. A good name, Bucky thinks, even if he hates it when people call him that.

Bucky’s surprised by the lack of surprise when he appears on your doorstep, like somehow your son was expecting him. He supposes that you told James about him, after the world found out that Bucky Barnes and the Winter Soldier were one and the same.

Tea is brought through on a tray, and James excuses himself, leaving the two of you to talk.

“Took you long enough to find me,” you tell him, turning the TV off and turning to look at him. Time and circumstances have weathered him a little, but essentially he’s still the same man you said goodbye to, back in the 1940s.

“I’m sorry,” Bucky mumbles, because he is. But he’s glad you’re still alive, that he’s found you before it’s too late.

“You’re here now. Better late than never,” you observe. “Got your old cap and tobacco tin, you can finally have them back.”

He’d forgotten about those. It hurts his heart to hear how you kept those things, that you never forgot him, even though he was forced to forget you. It seems you never quite moved on, despite the photos that line the walls.

“I see you have a beautiful family,” Bucky says, looking around the room. He can’t see your husband in any, just two children at various ages, and eventually grandchildren and even great-grandchildren too.

“So do you,” you say softly.

“No, I never settled down,” Bucky notes. But if he had, he would’ve liked it to have been you.

“James, who you met, is named after his father. He and his sister were born eight months after I last saw you,” you state, not sure what else to say.

You can pinpoint the exact moment that it finally dawns on Bucky. His eyes go wide, skin goes deathly pale, and he opens and shuts his mouth several times, failing to make any noises.

“I have a son? And a daughter? Do they know? Did James know?” he eventually stutters.

“They’ve always known, I never hid from them who their father was,” you tell Bucky. “James has my late husband’s surname, but he always knew you were his father.”

“That’s why he wasn’t surprised to see me,” Bucky surmises, kicking himself for not finding you sooner.

“Correct. When I found out, I wrote to you. My letters went unanswered and I got in contact with your sister, trying to find out what was wrong. How we prayed for you to come on home. Eventually, we got the news that you’d fallen to your death,” you explain.

Bucky shudders at the memory. In a lot of ways, it would’ve been better if he had died that day, instead of enduring what HYDRA put him through.

“My soldier, my dead prince. You can understand the predicament I was in. An unwed mother to be. Marriage was the solution for me and for my husband. He was a queer fella, a friend, needed a wife so that the navy didn’t find out what he really liked. A practical solution for all,” you note. “He died in Europe, too, but at least I got to play the part of the honourable widow, with two young children, instead of the stigma of having two bastards.”

That explained why your husband was missing from all of the photos.

“And you never remarried?” Bucky asks. He imagines how he feels right now is comparable to the shock Steve must’ve felt when he realised that Bucky was still alive.

“Never,” you note. “I married for practical reasons, the only way I’d do it again was for love, and the man I love was gone.”

It doesn’t escape Bucky’s notice that you said love, not loved. He moves to sit next to you, taking your hands in his. So small and delicate in comparison.

“I love you,” he says, blinking back tears. “I’m sorry you lived all of this without me. I’m sorry you never knew that I was still alive.”

“It’s ok, you’re here now,” you tell him, handing him a tissue from the box on the table. “You’re here now, it’s not too late. Everyone will be so excited to meet you.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, doll. I’m the thing that monsters have nightmares about. Or I was,” Bucky says, gnawing on his lip. “I don’t want to intrude into your lives or cause any bother.”

There’s a soft knock on the door, and James enters, a tiny sleeping baby in his arms.

You give him a smile and a nod to let him know that it’s ok, that Bucky knows.

“So, uh, dad,” James starts softly with a smile, so like Bucky’s own that he can see that this is definitely his son. Tears start rolling down Bucky’s face, moistening his facial hair. He never thought anyone would call him dad, and now here is this man, who looks old enough to be his father, calling him dad.

“Since you never got to hold any of us when we were small, I wondered if you wanted to hold Samantha? She’s my first granddaughter. We brought her round to see mum today,” James says, stepping towards them with the baby.

It’s all too much. Bucky’s heart shatters at the thought of all that he’s missed. His own son is here, in the twilight of his life, and Bucky’s missed it all. He sobs softly and you put your arm around him. James sits down on the other side of him, holding the still sleeping baby.

“Are you sure?” Bucky asks, voice breaking. “Are you sure you trust me? You know what I’ve done.”

“Of course I trust you, you’re my dad,” James observes, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Even when we found out about the Winter Soldier, about you, mum never believed it was really you doing those things.”

“The man I knew wouldn’t, couldn’t do those things,” you tell Bucky. “They took the gentlest man in the world and turned him into a machine. I’m glad they couldn’t erase all of you.”

One day, maybe, he’ll sit down and tell you, tell James, everything that happened, everything he can remember. It’ll take time, because there’s so much he needs to know, so much he wants to catch up on and understand.

Carefully, James places the baby in Bucky’s arms. Her hair is so dark and chocolatey, just like his. She stirs slowly, but doesn’t cry, blinking open big eyes. They’re the same shade as yours. Even so many generations down the line, parts of you and parts of Bucky are still evident. Samantha tries to focus on Bucky and her mouth forms a small smile. Bucky smiles back, trying not to cry again.

It’s been so long since he held a baby, probably not since his sister.

“Did you ever meet my sister?” Bucky asks James.

“Aunt Beccy was the only real family we had,” James answers. “Albert’s family, mum’s husband’s family, lost touch with us after he died. Moved away to Hawaii. We didn’t have any cousins, so Beccy treated us like her own. I’m sorry she died without knowing you were alive.”

“It’s ok, it’s better that she didn’t know what I did,” Bucky insists.

A tiny hand grips his vibranium thumb. Something so beautiful, tiny, and innocent, unwittingly grasping a weapon.

No, that’s wrong. He’s not a weapon anymore, he’s not the Asset.

Bucky’s so lost, staring at his smiling great-granddaughter that he doesn’t notice more people have joined them.

A small boy, probably just around school age, stops in front of you.

“Happy birthday, grandnan,” he says cheerfully to you, holding out a handmade card covered in glitter and stickers.

“Thank you, Tristan,” you tell him with a smile. “Is this why I wasn’t allowed in the kitchen until you were done?”

The boy nods, hair flopping forwards. While your hair is white now, the colour Bucky remembers lives on with this small boy.

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry,” Bucky mumbles, cheeks heating up. “I completely forgot it was your birthday.”

“I’d prefer to forget it,” you reassure him. “But apparently, when you get to our kind of age, every birthday is a big one. Does that mean I’m older than you now?”

“You’ll always be my baby girl,” he says. “Looks can be deceiving, but you can’t change facts.”

“Do you know who this is?” you ask Tristan, gesturing towards Bucky.

He looks between you, James, and Bucky, trying to make the connection.

“Granddad's dad?” he ventures.

“Yeah, that’s right honey bun. Granddad's dad,” you explain.

“Why isn’t he old like you and granddad?” he asks, and Bucky’s glad when he hears you laugh, even though James tries to tell him that’s not a polite question.

“You remember at school when you learned about Captain America? Something similar happened,” you answer, to Bucky’s relief. That’s not a story he wants to tell a small child.

“You were frozen?”

“Yeah,” Bucky says, because that’s not exactly a lie.

“Why is your arm made of metal?”

James tries to shush him again, but Bucky understands. The kid is curious. He would’ve been exactly the same at that age.

“I lost it in an accident,” Bucky says. “I can take it off if it’s scaring you.”

“You can take off your arm? That’s so cool, I wanna see!”

“Sorry about that,” a man with a moustache says, trying to steer the kid away. “He doesn’t quite understand that some questions are impolite.”

“I don’t mind,” Bucky reassures him. “I’d have a lot of questions if I was him.”

The kid could be standing on his balls and he’d still be over the moon.

“This is my son Michael and his wife Jessica,” James tells Bucky. “You already know, but this is my dad, James.”

“Bucky,” he says instinctively.

“Nice to meet you,” Bucky’s grandson and wife say in unison.

“Thank you for letting me hold your daughter,” he says, handing Samantha back to her wary mother.

Your hand strokes Bucky’s hair. It’s even softer than you remember it being. A shiver runs up his spine as he recalls that last night you spent together, how you’d stroked his hair then.

As soon as there’s space, Tristan clambers into Bucky’s lap, determined to monopolise the attention of this strange man with a metal arm.

“Metal granddad,” Tristan tells him, making Bucky laugh.

“Sure, you can call me that. Or you can call me Bucky,” he says, not really sure what the kid should call him. He’s still getting his head around James calling him dad.

Tristan tries to hug him in his tiny arms, face buried into Bucky’s chest.

“I love you, metal granddad,” he says.

“I love you too,” Bucky replies. It’s been decades since he’s heard those words said to him.

But now he sits surrounded by a small portion of his family, a family he never knew he had. Bucky’s overwhelmed by all these faces, so happy to see him at last. Now that he’s taken this first small step, he can’t wait to meet the others.

Even when he didn’t know who he was, he was loved.

“Mum never stopped loving you, none of us did,” James mumbles next to him, as if he can hear Bucky’s thoughts.

“I can see that,�� he says with a smile, still cuddling Tristan.

“I guess you didn’t either,” James continues, “because you finally found us.”

If the monsters could see him now, they wouldn’t have nightmares about him. It’s a thought that makes Bucky very glad indeed.

[of-fishnets-and-black-lace]

True Love is a Lie pt. II

Request: Can I please have a part two to “True Love is a Lie”? The first one was so good! Can I have it where it’s been a couple of months and you’re dating Sam and Lucifer comes and asks you to take a walk through the woods while Sam and Dean follow behind, just in case, and you tell him that you’re pregnant with Sam’s child and can you name the child Diana from Wonder Woman and also include the young Diana Prince?

Read Part 1 here!

Word Count: 1892

Warnings: Angst, pregnancy, fluff, cursing, terrible writing, idk what else since it has been too long since I’ve read this, the format got messed up when i posted this from my google docs

Pairing: Sam Winchester x Reader, Past Lucifer x Reader

A/N: I’m baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack. Shit has been so crazy the past few months/years but I’ve got my mojo back! It has been so long since I’ve done anything but I am hoping that with this pandemic I can finally post and write all the requests I have been getting, sequels to my other stories, as well as new stuff I’ve been working on. I am still not taking any requests until I have finished those in my inbox. I love you all and I am so happy to be writing again!

A year went by since your last heartwrenching encounter with Lucifer.  You nearly forgot about it because of your new life with Sam.  Sam always made sure to be attentive and by your side at a moment’s notice.  He made you trust in people again after your confrontation with Lucifer.  He knew after that experience you’d be broken, so he made sure to be there to mend the pieces.   

You did not want to dwell in the past and think yourself into a  depressive mood, especially with the Winchester boys and your new best friend, Jack, gone on a hunt.  You would’ve went with them had you not felt so nauseous and tired.  It was a typical salt-n-burn so you weren’t exactly missing out on anything important.  Nevertheless, Sam hated leaving you, especially with Lucifer still out there, but you were safe. 

Just as the thought of the moose enters your mind, your phone buzzes.

Sam: Hey baby girl, we’re on our way back.  Need anything?

You: Just some warm cuddles from my moose. 

You: Actually, I need oranges like right now. Not joking, I feel like I’ll die without oranges.

Sam: Is everything ok? You’ve never asked for oranges and I’ve never even seen you eat oranges since I’ve known you.

You: Yeah I’m fine, just a bit nauseous.  Also I’ve just been having a weird craving for oranges for some reason.  Oh well.

Sam: Hmm, I’m no doctor but maybe you should get checked out.  I worry about you, honey.

You: I know sweetie, but the doctor is expensive. It’s probably just the stomach flu or something.  Btw, how much longer?

Sam: Probably an hour, give or take 15 minutes.

You: Ok, Love you! See you soon!

Sam: Love you too! Can’t wait!

“Ok, so I have about an hour or so to check and see if my suspicions are correct.” You say aloud to yourself.

“What suspicions?” Cas suddenly appears out of nowhere, scaring you half to death.

“What the hell Cas?!” You all but screamed.

“Sorry, I thought you were praying to me.” Cas was never any good at lying to you.

“Umm, no I wasn’t just tell me why are you here?”

“I heard something on angel radio, and I needed to know if it is true.” He places a hand on your stomach.  “So it is true.”

“What? What is wrong with me?”

“(Y/N), your suspicions are right.  You’re six weeks pregnant.”

“How is that possible? Sam and I were so careful! What will he think or say? No, I can’t tell him. Not yet.”

With Sam and Dean still not home, you made Cas get a pregnancy test.  You trusted the angel’s words, but you needed concrete evidence.  You made Cas leave for a few days; you knew for sure that Cas wouldn’t be able to keep the secret.  The plus sign emerged with seconds to spare as Sam’s heavy footsteps could be heard approaching your shared room.

“(Y/N) I’m home!” Sam yelled as he collapsed onto the bed. You run out from the bathroom, pounce on him, and kiss all over his face.

“I missed you, Moose.”

“I missed you too, sweetheart.  I got the oranges you asked for.” 

“Thank you, baby…” You said as you chewed on the inside of your cheek.

“What’s wrong, baby girl?”

“Sam, have you ever thought about having kids?”

“Well yeah of course but… Isn’t it a little dangerous given our profession?”

“Yeah that’s true, but we’ve got out once, we can do it again.  Besides, I know I am safe when I’m with you and when I’m here in the bunker.”

“Enough with the chit chat, we have company.” Dean interrupts 

You and Sam follow Dean to the lighted table, sitting there was God himself, dressed oh so casually and a look of nervousness graced his face.  He twiddled his thumbs and a small smile made its way to his features as his eyes locked with yours.  

“Uh hehe, hey (Y/N), Sam, Dean, Jack.”

“What’s up, Chuck?” You said, holding onto Sam.

“Um, Lucifer asked me to tell you that he’s outside and would like to speak with you.” You grabbed onto Sam a little tighter.  

“I’ll talk to him, but I want Sam and Dean to stay close to me.  Jack should stay behind since it’s his father.”  

“He knows, he said that they could.”

You make your way outside and there he is, dressed in a nice suit and tie with a bouquet of (f/c) (f/f) in his right hand, but one thing was different: you couldn’t see his wings.  Your heart felt like it was going to beat out of your chest, but Sam gave a reassuring squeeze to your hand.  You began walking toward Lucifer, Sam and Dean close behind.  Lucifer handed you the bouquet of flowers and gave a quick peck to your knuckles.  This apparently didn’t sit well with Sam as he cleared his throat with anger. 

“Will you join me for a walk through the woods, (Y/N)?” Lucifer asked and you look to Sam and Dean. “Don’t worry, they can follow behind.”  

You all walk to the edge of the woods in silence, your heart beat faster with every step closer to the treeline.  Through your peripheral vision, you could see Sam clench and unclench his jaw.  He was just as nervous as you were, if not more so.  You and Lucifer finally enter the woods. Sam and Dean follow a minute behind to give you some form of privacy, while still able to barely make out your conversations.  

“First of all, I want to say I’m so sorry for what I did to you.  I should have asked for your permission and talked it through with you.” Lucifer says, breaking the silence.  

“It’s alright I guess. I did some research and I now understand that I would not have survived through labour.  However, that does not justify your actions, what you did really hurt me.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry.  I never meant to hurt my soulmate.”

“Soulmate?”

“Yes, you were my soulmate.  That’s why you were able to see my wings.”

“Then why can’t I see them now?”

“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk about.”  There was a pained expression on his face, you’ve never seen the devil quite like this before.  “I had God make Sam your soulmate after what I had done to you.”

“This isn’t like you Lucifer, why would you do this?”

“I have to prove to you that I will always love you and do what’s best for you, even if it meant letting you go.” He sighed and placed a hand on your stomach. You could hear Dean hold Sam back as he spewed threats if Lucifer were to harm you.  

“Hurt the baby and I will not hesitate to pluck every feather from your wings.”

“I swear on my Father that I will protect yours and Sam’s child. It’s the least I could do to make up for everything.” He said as he kisses your forehead. “Name her Diana.” With that he disappears.

Sam finally breaks away from his brother and runs straight to you. He sees you place a hand protectively over your stomach and smile to it.The words of Lucifer finally make sense to him as he asks “You’re pregnant?”

You shake your head and smile, afraid to say anything.

“I am going to be a father!” Sam shouted with excitement as he picks you up and spins you around.  Tears of joy threaten to spill from both you and Sam as you lock eyes.  As he goes in for a kiss, you both are interrupted by Dean, yelling incoherently and excitedly about him being an uncle. You and Sam look at each other and giggle. It’s not a perfect family, but you can’t live without them.

Time Skip to Wedding Day (3 years later)

You look at your engagement ring then to your flower girl, Diana Prince Winchester, waddling down the aisle leaving flower petals in her wake.  She looked so adorable in her little white dress and you couldn’t help but to tear up.  The audience gasp and awe as they watch your daughter.

The wedding was surprisingly large for a pair of hunters.  Hordes of hunters (friends and some you’ve never seen before), the Winchesters’ monster “friends”, a few angels, and some family came from all over to see you two get married.  With God sponsoring your wedding, you expected something extravagant like a wedding at the Vatican. However, this was not the case.  The ceremony was held in a beautiful meadow that somehow matched your (f/c) wedding theme. The icing on top of the cake was Chuck himself officiating the wedding.  

The wedding march began and Gabriel walks you down the aisle.  Sam couldn't help but let a few tears slip as he watches his two beautiful girls in white.  Dean, the best man, elbows him slightly but he too couldn't help the tears.  Cas, Lucifer, and Jack all smile at you and then to Sam.  They know you two are perfect for each other.  You weren't phased by Sam asking Lucifer to be a groomsman. Besides, it was your idea to have him as Diana's godfather.  You finally reach the altar, and neither of you seem to care about the sniffling and hiccuping. You were finally marrying each other so let the waterworks happen. 

You were hardly paying attention until you hear Chuck say it's time to share your vows.  Sam clears his throat and begins: 

“Y/N, I've known you for as long as I can remember.  We've been fighting side by side since we were little and our dads would go on hunting trips together.  I would always tell myself, that one way or another I will marry this girl and protect her from any and every monsters.  You may have not been my soulmate then, but you are my soulmate now. And as your soulmate, I'm never letting you go.” There was a slight pause and an awkward cough from Lucifer. “I will love you until the end of time.” 

He slips the ring on your finger as you begin:  “I’d never thought I would be standing here with the infamous Sam Winchester, yet here I am with a ring on my finger.  You were my first best friend and my first crush and my first protector.  you’ve saved me from being broken in more ways than one, and for that I owe you my life.  While it is true we were not soulmates before, we are soulmates now and that’s all that matters.  I will love you forever until the end of time.” 

After the expression of the “I Dos,” you hear the words you’ve been dying to hear since you made it to the altar: “You may kiss the bride.” Sam grabs you by the waste and pulls you to him.  With the passion of a thousand suns, he kisses you and everything melts away.  It was just like the first time you two kissed.  

In the back of your mind, you could hear Lucifer whisper “I will always love you” but that didn’t matter to you anymore. You are Sam’s and he is yours.  Nothing will change that.

[nikatyler]

My evening just took an unexpected turn because the friend I crushed on in kindergarten and elementary school and briefly in high school (long story) just texted me and I’m freaking out and my best friend and I are trying to figure out if it’s destiny or just coincidence. I smell inspiration for a legacy storyline. Just saying. Lol anyway...

I just wanted to do replies again. And I know I might have said that I would reply directly under the posts like everyone else but to be fair, I really do like this format more.

fataleromeo replied to your photoset “Sunset: “So…are you sure they’ll keep quiet after this?” Dawn:...”

Lol she has a bit of her father in her after all ��

Yeahhh...just a little bit...nothing to worry about haha

dandylion240 replied to your photoset “I’m not mad at you for wanting to live forever. Everyone with a...”

I kind of like the idea ��

tiny-tany-thaanos replied to your photoset “I’m not mad at you for wanting to live forever. Everyone with a...”

they are... beautiful

I love them together ;-;

I keep playing with this idea. I love it, I actually developed it even further, deeper into Caleb’s past actually, but that’s a story for another day. At the same time, I’m asking myself if it isn’t too much. I don’t know. Not that I hate the idea of soulmates, but wouldn’t this be too cheesy?

elisabettasims replied to your post “hey there! how's life with new (okay maybe not that new) hairstyle is...”

I went super short for the first time in years earlier this year and LOVE it. It's shaved on the sides (but a longer shave, not bare skin) and a little longer on top. I also dye my hair fun colors. It's currently fall shades of reds, oranges and some yellow. The sides are not dyed.

Omg that sounds so fun! I would love to do that too. But with how things are developing, I’m most likely going to end up with badly bleached hair and/or badly cut bangs sooner or later...I’m fairly sure I’ll be THAT girl...

fataleromeo replied to your photoset “If you followed me on Twitter and remember my rants where I defended...”

Lol not gonna lie, i never liked caleb's original hair. �� He's been out of it a long time in my game lolol (but then, he's over 200 in the story he's in). Though I might have once said he was embarrassed by his old fashioned sense ����

la-simulacio replied to your photoset “If you followed me on Twitter and remember my rants where I defended...”

I love the thought you put into this! Change his hair if you like. You're allowed to change your mind!

autistichatkid replied to your photoset “If you followed me on Twitter and remember my rants where I defended...”

i like 4 and 5 the best!!!

Yeah I put WAY too much thought into this lol

Anyway, yeah, to be fair, I’ve never liked this hair either. I never put it on any sims. But I like it on him. It’s just...him. But now, with how far I am in the NSB, I think he has to be sick of it :D I mean, I let my hair grow long for like three years and I got sick of it, he’s had this for what, over a hundred years technically?? The change is inevitable.

And yes, I’ll probably be deciding between 4 and 5. They’re the best.

fataleromeo replied to your post “The sim I always think of when I think of you is Ross. Usually him and...”

Ahh the problems following up an iconic generation, how well I'm learning these struggles.....

It’s very hard to top it. It happened to me in both my big legacies. The yellow gen was fun, but when I look at it...it just won’t be as cool as the rose gen. I have hopes for the grey gen though. Things might be a little wilder here...which is exactly what I like. Chaos. Pure chaos. *evil laughter*

fataleromeo replied to your photoset “Dawn: “What do you think you’re doing?” Sunset: “I just went to space...”

Ok, stop doing this! You're making me very nervous!

Stop doing what? 😇

plushpixels replied to your post “List 5 facts about your most favorite Sim of yours and send this to 10...”

I really like your alien baby canon, it's an interesting view ��

Thanks! I tried to keep it short, so I hope it somewhat still makes sense.

tashsim replied to your post “Sure, breaking down to tears sucks, but I have the opposite problem...”

hey, so sorry u had a hard time. Know the feeling exactly, remember my classes during the first year at uni, cried during classes, exams, etc. And used to be overdramatic about it, when it's not. I mean, you feel things, and that's fine. ... forgot where I was going with this. just wanted to cheer you up and say that I feel u on that ��

Thank you...this week really was the worst so far. I’m starting to feel like I made a mistake and that I don’t belong here. It’s not so bad during the Czech classes (well...I do feel stupid after every Theory of Literature and I have no idea how to write the assigned essay but that’s the least of my problems), but the History ones...I love history, but I’m finding out that I don’t know that much about it and it makes me wonder how the hell did I get here. What happened that they accepted me. I thought I was a history nerd, but there are people who are SO into it, I’m nothing compared to them. They know so much, it almost makes you think they were there to live through those times they’re talking about. I thought that was the kind of knowledge we would get here. Clearly not. And now...idk. I’m kind of paralyzed now. I want to catch up, but I can’t. Yay.

Sorry to be so negative, I just need to vent. I’m not doing too great.

dandylion240 replied to your post “Which one of my legacies is your favourite?”

I love all your legacies but my heart belongs to the Roses. At least with Tyler and Caleb’s generation. I think that’s when I started following you. I fell in love with them��

Thank you ;-; ♥ This is so sweet. They have a special place in my heart too. (I mean, that’s already obvious.) I’m glad I’m not the only one. I can’t get over them and I don’t even want to.

fataleromeo replied to your photoset “Family goals: When your dad suddenly forms out of thin air in front of...”

Omg why is this just so him ��

Right? :D I know I just stared at him and thought the same thing.

dandylion240 replied to your photoset “Sunset: “I’d lie if I said I’m not happy to see you. What happened to...”

He can always go back to red

That is...correct. 👀

[initiala]

Hook-Echo (6/9)

Summary:  They’re in a rut. That’s what Deputy Emma Swan tells herself over and over again as her boyfriend, Killian Jones, grows more and more distant, and more frustrated, due to complications with his dissertation research on tornado formation. But storm season’s more than halfway over and this dry spell is doing nothing to make things easier for him–or their relationship. Will everything blow over, or is there a greater storm on the horizon?

Rating: E

Content warnings:  Graphic depictions of injury resulting from natural disasters, minor character death

I’m sorry. That’s all.

Thanks again to @optomisticgirl, @spartanguard, and @idoltina for all they did on this.

This is also on AO3 or FF.Net if that’s how you wanna roll.

There'd been more than a couple of times in Emma's life when she'd felt like she was preparing herself for war: her first day at the police academy, when she'd been outnumbered almost ten to one by the men; the first day of school in a new school district; every day she told her social workers about the abuse and neglect from various foster parents; the day she thought Ingrid was sending her back, only to have the whole day turned on its head when she was told about the adoption papers. She wasn't a stranger to conflict, and while her armor was a little rusty, it wasn't completely out of use.

However, she didn't like feeling like she had to prepare for war with Killian.

She'd gone to bed the night before and turned over all the usual self-pitying thoughts: what did I do? Why is he mad at me? Why didn't he call? What did I say? What, what, what. Why, why, why. She'd tossed and turned and made the sheets too hot and the pillow felt too warm to be comfortable, and when sleep finally claimed her, it was fitful and full of unsettling but ultimately forgotten dreams.

So going downstairs in the morning, she was tired, she was hurt, and she was pissed off.

"You painted," was Killian's mumbled greeting from the couch.

Emma stood in the doorway, her hands going to her hips as she tried to figure out if that remark would be the last straw or not. He lay prone on his back, one arm thrown over his face to block out the light from the windows over which she hadn't hung the curtains back up.

She didn't really feel bad about that.

"I did," she said. "Didn't really have anything else to do, what with all the last minute change of plans and all."

He sighed, heavily, and sat up with what seemed like an enormous amount of effort. He also looked like he'd been run over by a tractor, which gave her some kind of schadenfreude after how bad she'd felt for almost all of last night. "I did tell you-"

"No," she said, interrupting him. The last of her patience evaporated in that moment, gone over the last week of worrying about him and not hearing anything except for the national news, over a bad night of sleep and missing him terribly, over his fucking brother putting awful ideas into her head. "Do you know who told me you were just going to high-tail it out of here for a week or more? Your advisor. Dr. Bhavsar called me after you left to give me the head's up, because he thought you'd be too, what did he call it - forgetful about what was really important. And because I love you, I didn't say a word about it when you called me from Nebraska-"

"Kansas," Killian said quietly.

"Whatever. You were hundreds of miles away before you even thought to call me." Her eyes burned and she didn't know if she was just tired or if she was actually going to angry-cry over this. "Did you think I was going to stop you?"

"I don't know."

"Killian, I want you to be done just as much as you want to be done. You don't-"

"Do you?"

Emma blinked as he got to his feet, a hard look on his face as he stared at her. "What? Of course I do! I see how frustrated you are, how it affects us."

His hands flexed and she saw the silvery scars on his left hand standing out against pale skin. "If you really wanted me to be done, you'd take your ridiculous restrictions off of me-"

"Ridiculous? You could have died!"

He laughed without humor, holding up his hand. "But clearly I didn't, with only some scars and stiffness to prove anything happened. No, you just want to keep me coddled and tucked away, while the real professionals are out there at all hours to save lives."

Hot anger was giving way to cold rage and Emma tried to keep a handle on her temper, or else she'd say something she was going to regret. "First, if you want to save lives so much, become a first responder. We need that kind of help. Second, you don't have time to be out at all hours to save lives, because whenever you're not out chasing, Liam has you working yourself half to death at the bar."

Killian snorted. "You really think he doesn't want me to be done with this, that he'd rather I waste away at his dive bar for the rest of my life?"

"I think he's a little blind when it comes to you," she said, trying to remember what Ingrid had said. "And I think he wants to protect you, because that's what he's always done, and he can't protect you if you're out there throwing yourself into a vortex of death."

He scoffed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Liam's not the one chaining me to the back porch like a dog who might run off after the slightest noise. Liam actually wants me to complete my program, to focus on what's important."

If she'd felt cold rage before, now her blood was turning to ice. "Oh right, I forgot. Liam knows what's best. Liam, who never wastes any time correcting me or talking down to me or treating me badly for no other reason than I'm dating you. Liam, who wouldn't raise a goddamn finger to help me if my car rolled over into a ditch."

"Don't you dare question what he would or wouldn't do-"

"He as good as called me a whore, Killian!" she shouted. "He calls me a whore and all you get is a slap on the wrist, because he's fucking blind when it comes to you. He just wants you to stop fucking some hussy and finish your degree, like the fact that I love you has nothing to do with it or the fact that I have no goddamn control over when the weather happens and it's fucking sucked this year! You and him are the same, you're both taking out all your anger about your fucking program on me, when I can't do a goddamn thing about any of it!"

"You could let me go!" Killian shouted, stalking up to her. Emma didn't flinch away, not now, not when she felt so cold she might actually break if he touched her. "I could have been done weeks ago if you weren't so selfish, that storm had an actual formation-"

"Selfish?" Emma asked. "Selfish? I'm selfish because you almost died? I'm selfish because I don't want to pay for your funeral?"

"Well at least one of us has the money to do it if I did die," Killian snarled, and her heart plummeted into her stomach. "You think I like living like this, waiting around and twiddling my thumbs because I can't contribute to anything? Because I'm constantly scraping to get by and paying for everything on bar tips and photos? You just went and painted our fucking house, Emma. You didn't ask, you just did it, because it was your money and you'd have the final say anyway."

"We talked about this!" she cried. "I didn't do it to throw money in your face, you know how tight our budget is anyway! We've been talking about getting rid of that stupid wallpaper, and I had nothing else to do while you were off doing fuck-all across the goddamn country, because my friends either work or are about to have a baby, and I'm not going to face your stupid brother when he's insulted me and you don't even have the balls to stand up to him for me."

His face was dark, his eyes like ice under his heavy brows. "Well I'm sorry that I'm all the entertainment you have," he said, his voice heavily layered in sarcasm. "I didn't realize I was your only plaything, seeing as how all of your friends seem to actually have their lives together. As for Liam, I did, as you say, have the balls to stand up to him - I told him to piss off about whatever we did together, that he had no right to speak to you as he did. And he reminded me that the last time I was this involved with someone, it ended badly then too."

She was trembling with rage and fear and dread, but she refused to look away from him. "Well I'm sorry you hate living here so much," she said coolly. "What with me flinging my paycheck around in your face and all, and dreading the day you don't come home because a chase went badly. If I knew that me caring about you at all was causing you so much pain, I would have told you to get out."

His eyes flashed, and in another moment he was stalking towards the door. "A fine idea that is," he snarled, grabbing his keys from the hook and slamming the front door behind him.

To her own credit, Emma managed to wait until she reached the couch, hearing the rumble of the TIV disappearing down the street, before she quite thoroughly went to pieces.

How she was able to pick herself back up, get ready for the day, and stomach any food, she didn't know. All she kept doing was replaying the fight in her mind over and over, like she was half asleep on the couch after watching a DVD and the start menu was playing on repeat again and again and she couldn't wake up enough to turn it off.

But she was awake. She couldn't turn off her brain. All she could do was kick herself for letting her temper get the better of her, for lashing out, for telling him to leave.

Remembering the look on his face as he'd left was like a dagger of ice in her heart.

"Emma?"

Graham was trying to get her attention, but Emma shook her head. "I'm fine."

He leaned against the door, arms crossed and a worried look on his face. "Sure, and I'm Bono. Just forgot me sunglasses. Did something happen?"

The word 'yes' stuck in her throat - admitting it to someone else made it real, made it not some kind of nightmare that she could shrug off and pretend never happened. So she stayed silent and just shook her head again, not even really aware of what she was writing at her desk. "Do you need to take some time off today?" he asked.

"No."

"Emma-"

"I'm fine, chief. I'll do patrol today, I need to go do something," she mumbled, and went to grab the keys to the cruiser before Philip, the usual patrolman, could.

She drove around town at random - Storybrooke wasn't that big, after all, so it's not like she had a really set area to stick to. She did have to make herself avoid Foxglove Lane - Killian would have no doubt gone back to his brother's place, and as much as she wanted to find him and try to make up with him, she also didn't know what to say to him.

Weirdly, all she really wanted to do was call him and tell him she'd had a fight with him.

Was that strange? Emma had several people she could call or go and see - Ingrid, Ruby, Mary Margaret, her cousins Anna and Elsa who lived in Missoula, any number of the people who have taken her in as their own over the years - people she could vent to and cry on their shoulders. But the only person she wanted to talk to was Killian.

Killian, who she told everything to. Killian, her best friend. Killian, who always made her feel better.

Except this time, Killian had been the one to make her feel this way.

She parked the cruiser near the edge of the road on its way out of town and watched for speeders, but this time of year and this time of day held little promise for anything interesting to happen. The fastest thing to cross her path was a squirrel, but even then it stopped a few times in its lazy hops across the road and she mentally scolded it to keep going in case a car actually went by.

She played with her phone for something to do with her hands as she watched clouds scuttle by above - puffy cumulus clouds, white and wispy at the top and carrying no sign of any rain that might wash away some of the dry dust that always seemed to settle over everything this time of year. She didn't know if she'd feel better if it was supposed to rain; at least a chance of rain might bring a chance for Killian to get another chase in, a chance to get the data he needed and be done with all of this.

Emma sighed, resting her head on her hand, her elbow propped up on the door. Even if, by some miracle, he did get everything he needed, would he still be mad at her? Would he forgive her for what she said?

Would he ask for forgiveness?

Would she even give it?

Her eyes blurred again and it stung, the skin around her eyes sore enough as it was, and she hated feeling this way. Blinking back tears, she threw the car into drive and headed for her mom's shop; it was the middle of the day, but Ingrid would put everything aside if Emma came in the way she looked right now.

Luckily, there was someone else helping at the front counter when Emma went in, the little bell above the door signaling her arrival. Ingrid smiled at first when she saw her, but the smile vanished into worry when she got a good look at her daughter's face. Without a word, Emma was bustled into the back room, the door to the front closed firmly behind them, and she fell into her mother's arms just as she started crying again.

Ingrid soothed her, drawing the story of what had happened out of her a little at a time; Emma was made to sit and given a bottle of water while she talked, and then she was given a milkshake that was made with rocky road and far more chocolate syrup mixed in than anyone was ever served out front.

She tried not to think about cliches and ice cream and things that soothed a broken heart.

They weren't broken up, they were just...

Broken.

"Oh my sweet girl, I'm so sorry," Ingrid said, holding her again and stroking her hair.

Emma leaned against her; her entire face hurt from crying so much in one day, how was that even possible? "I don't know what to do," she mumbled.

"You don't need to do anything right now. You both need space and distance from it before you can do anything rational."

"All I want to do is call him and tell him about it," Emma whispered. "Like when he's gone, we'll call and talk about our day, and all I want to do is be like 'hey, so I got in a huge fight with my boyfriend and it sucks' and talk it out with him, but he's the one I got into a fight with and he knows."

"I know, sweetheart."

"And he just looked so mad. He was so mad at me and I don't even know why."

Ingrid paused in her gentle ministrations for a moment. "I think he was mad about a lot of things and it just came out wrong. Same as you."

She thought back to that morning, wondering what the final straw would be, and thought maybe Ingrid was right. "I'm just... I'm just tired, Mom. I'm tired of missing him all the time when he's right there, I'm tired of feeling like it's my fault he's not done yet, I'm tired of feeling like I'm always putting him first and not getting anything in return. And I'm tired of Liam."

She felt Ingrid sigh more than she heard it. "I don't know what to tell you about Liam, other than you can pick who you love but you can't pick who they're related to. As for the rest... I can't fix any of it for you and I wish that I could. I'd like nothing more than to march over there and shake that boy until his teeth fell out for treating you so badly."

An immediate protest lept to the tip of her tongue - that Killian didn't treat her badly - but she stopped to consider her mother's words. If she were in someone else's shoes, looking at this, would she think the same way?

She was taught in school to look at a case from all the different angles, to try and distance herself from anything that might make her biased. She tried that now, looking over things as her mother might see it, as Ruby might see it.

They'd had their slips and rough spots before, but nothing that any normal couple hadn't faced. They'd talked and made up and compromised and worked together to make things better. And that had held true until the last several weeks.

Over the winter, as they'd gotten settled into the house, Killian had talked eagerly about the coming spring. He'd anticipated a wet spring with plenty of tornadic activity, his grant from the university to be renewed to continue chasing outside of the state, finishing his research and starting work on finalizing his dissertation. "This is it," he'd said one night as they lay together under the blankets of their bed. It wasn't even a proper bed at that point, they just had the mattress on the floor while they waited for the bedframe to be delivered. "This will be the last spring I'll need to finish everything, and then I'll be done. This is the start of something wonderful in our lives, Swan, I can feel it."

"There's probably something poetic in there about spring and new beginnings and whatever," she'd teased, her foot hooking around his calf and bringing his leg between hers.

"Probably and whatever," he'd agreed, and he'd kissed her, the sex that night giddy and full of hope.

But one wrong thing after another - the grant fell through, a dry spring, another delay on his work - and the stress started to grate on him. She understood and they'd still worked together to make do with what they could, but there was only so much she could do to support him, and she thought he'd understood that.

But maybe he did? "It's been a rough couple of months for him," Emma said finally. "I think it's like you said - he's mad about a lot of things and it came out wrong."

She wasn't angry anymore, not after spilling the whole story. She was hurting, yes - God, her chest ached and she missed him and she just wanted to sit down and talk with him. And she was hurt over some of the things he'd said, and she felt guilty about what she'd said in return, both of them spitting daggers before realizing they weren't actually mad at each other - they were just angry at the world and the things they had no control over and the final straw hadn't just broken the camel's back, it had caused the whole camel to shatter under pressure.

Okay, maybe she was a little mad at him about some things. Like he could have called. And he could do more to stick up for her to Liam.

But neither of those things were worth destroying everything they'd built together.

Ingrid pulled away, getting a paper towel and wetting it before coming to kneel in front of her, dabbing gently at Emma's cheeks. "I know you, sweetheart; you've already forgiven him, haven't you?" she asked softly, wiping away what was probably the worst raccoon eyes Emma had ever had in her life.

"No," she said, surprising herself. "But I'm open to the idea, if we talk first."

Ingrid smiled. "Look at you. You've grown so much in all the time I've known you."

Emma pushed herself off the chair and threw her arms around Ingrid's neck. "Thank you," she whispered. Not for today, though that helped; no, her mom knew what she'd been like for years, she'd commented on it just last week. Emma came to her a broken girl, hardened by the world, and it had taken a lot of patience and a lot of love from this woman to make her able to even consider having this kind of conversation with Killian in the future. "For everything, Mom."

She told herself she was imagining the little sniffle she heard, but she knew it was a lie as Ingrid's arms came around her and held her tight. "You're very welcome, my darling girl."

Three years ago…

To his credit, Graham did not, in fact, laugh her out of his office when she broached the subject of going out with Killian, but the look on his face said that he dearly wanted to. Emma would have been offended, except that she knew she was being overly cautious and ridiculous and, if she was being honest with herself, a little bit classically-Emma in trying to find a way out of entangling herself with another person romantically. Which was also why it had taken her two weeks to gather the courage to even ask in the first place. So instead of laughing at her (chuckling didn't count), she and Graham wound up having a very interesting discussion about how cops and criminals walked very fine lines around each other, how easy it was to befriend someone on the other side as long as they kept business out of it, and how this could easily wind up with cops turning dirty.

Most importantly, he told her that a simple spot check did not a criminal make, and if she really wanted to go on a date with Killian, she was allowed to.

"Now, if it turns out you break my bartender's heart, I might have a thing or two to say about that, but-" This time Graham did laugh as Emma reached across the desk to swat at him, her cheeks burning red.

"One dinner doesn't make or break anything," she huffed, sitting back down and avoiding looking at him.

He sounded odd as he responded, "One dinner can make or break anything, Emma."

She glanced up and was struck by the wistful look on his face; his gaze wasn't directed at her, instead looking off towards something she couldn't see. "Graham?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing. I think we've spent enough of the morning gabbing, let's get on with the business of the day."

By the time she got home, had dinner with Ingrid, and got up to her room, Emma had mostly forgotten the conversation she'd had with Graham that morning. She showered and got into her pajamas; it was early for bed, but she was just tired of wearing real pants and a bra. She was halfway through an episode of the show she was binging on Netflix before she remembered.

Hey. You busy?

She didn't think that blurting it out without knowing he could respond would help the cloud of butterflies that had erupted in her stomach. If he was working and it was a busy night at the bar, she didn't want to tell him and then sit there waiting and wondering and maybe he'd decided it wasn't worth it and he wasn't interested anymore and she wasn't worth it or -

Her phone buzzed. Got some time. How goes, Swan?

Emma swallowed, her mouth suddenly very dry. Okay. You?

Keeping busy.

Cool.

A pause.

So I talked to Graham.

Another pause.

He said it's ok. He didn't laugh at me, but he wanted to.

Still no response.

For the dinner or whatever you'd asked me about.

Another minute ticked by.

My answer is yes, if it wasn't clear.

More silence.

I know I'm ridiculous, by the way.

Now when there wasn't a response she started to get worried. No, it wasn't worry, it was outright nausea. Emma fought the urge to just throw her phone across the room and ignore it and keep watching her show, and now she'd missed like ten minutes of the plot and she had no idea what was going on and -

Bloody hell, sorry, Liam has the worst timing. As do I, apparently. I'm very glad to hear you want to go to dinner and that there are no restrictions on it. And I will take you to a proper dinner, but it's going to have to wait a few weeks.

What happened?

I'm leaving tomorrow on a chase, I'll be gone at least a week. Maybe more, if another system crops up. My grant got approved so I have time/money to get more research done before the opportunities drop off.

Her stomach was now somewhere under her bed. Now Emma wanted to throw her phone across the room for another reason, mostly so she could pretend this conversation had never happened and she could ignore reality for a while. Oh, she typed back, not sure what else to say.

She set her phone aside and skipped back a bit on her show to pick up where she'd missed things, but as she settled back down on her bed, her heart wasn't really in it. She curled up with her pillow and tried not to beat herself up about it; if she'd talked to Graham earlier, if she'd just ignored her worries and said yes like she'd wanted to, maybe they wouldn't have to wait - or maybe it wouldn't feel like some kind of contrived excuse for blowing her off. Maybe she really had waited too long. After all, she hadn't gone to the bar since he'd asked her out, not wanting to give him hope or give him the chance to talk about it when she hadn't actually checked to make sure it was okay. So really, there were plenty of reasons why he may have changed his mind, thought it wasn't worth waiting around for her.

Her phone buzzed on the bed - not a text tone, but an incoming call.

Emma's brow furrowed as she picked it up. "Killian?"

"Love, I am not doing this over texts, it's far too easy to misunderstand intent. Please don't take this as an excuse, it's not. This is the first good system I've had a chance to chase in weeks, and the opportunity exists for more. I need to get more research in this season or else I get another delay on my dissertation and graduation. I very much would like to take you out this weekend, but unless you can spring for a surprise week vacation and prefer eating at whatever fast food establishment I can find in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming, I'm afraid we have to wait."

She reached over and paused her show; if she'd heard him right, he somehow had gotten into her head in the last ten minutes. "How the hell did you know that's what I was thinking?" she asked.

"You're something of an open book, Swan."

Emma made a face. "Not something a cop likes to hear."

"Well, maybe your tough policewoman act works better on the seedy underbelly of Storybrooke, but not on me."

She had to laugh at his phrasing and his half-smug, half-provocative tone. "Don't forget, I had to make sure you didn't count as one of those seedy underbelly people."

"Ah, but who's to say I'm not? Maybe you just haven't found that side of me yet. Please, though, just inform me beforehand if you have to do a strip search so I'll be sure to have on clean boxers."

Emma snorted and covered her face. He really was ridiculous. "Didn't picture you as a boxers guy," she said.

"What, picturing me as more of a Calvin Klein man?"

She bit her lip at the image that brought to mind. They'd definitely be an improvement over the tighty-whities she'd seen him in that first time. Still, she'd gone there and she was only giving as good as she got. "Actually, I pictured you as more of a commando kind of guy."

There was an odd noise on the other end, and then it sounded like he dropped the phone altogether. Emma blinked. "Killian?"

"Uh - yeah," he said, his voice sounding oddly high, then he cleared his throat. He stumbled over the start of another sentence and she raised an eyebrow, her amusement growing at how flustered he sounded. Giving him a taste of his own medicine seemed to be working out amazingly. "So - dinner. As soon as it can be managed. Two weeks?"

She settled back against her pillows. It was a bummer that they couldn't get together before then, but at least she wasn't feeling as low about it as she did before. "Are you going to be back by then?"

"Swan, after what you just told me, I'll put some damned wings on the TIV if I need to."

Emma laughed, her stomach resettling in her abdomen and the leaden feeling leaving her as he charmed and flirted her bad mood away.

They kept in touch over text when they could over the next week or so. He didn't have good signal that often and she was often out on patrol for work, so sometimes an hour or more would pass between exchanges.

So, tell me more about how I go commando?

That one came just after she'd gotten into the patrol car to start her morning shift. She replied after she parked on the edge of town to watch for speeders.

Says the guy who made his first impression in some tighty-whities.

Nothing came until she got to the school to help with the pre-school year safety checks.

Intimate details, Swan, I want intimate details.

Unfortunately for him, she had to let him sweat it out while going over the new safety rules and school safety officer schedules with the district's principals and superintendent. After that came a long discussion on how to handle the sports schedules and the station's plans for the football season, and she only managed to reply just as her shift was ending.

Imagine, I could be telling you those intimate details in person if we were on a date right now.

In fact, since telling him in jest, she'd definitely had a few thoughts about the matter and could probably offer a few intimate details. But given the circumstances, and his interesting reaction to the comment in the first place, she wanted to see what he'd do if she actually did tell him in person.

His reply to that came as she was getting into bed that night, and it made her smile wryly.

You know how to cut a man deep, love.

She kept glancing at the clock, her leg bouncing so much that it was causing the pens and miscellaneous knick-knacks covering her desk to rattle around. Ruby kept giving her a Look whenever she happened to walk by and hear the minor racket she was causing, and one of the deputies, Arthur, had complained about noise earlier until Graham had told him to shut it. Arthur had continued to grumble under his breath, just loud enough for Emma to hear, but Graham had to threaten to send him out on patrol duty unless he knocked it off.

No one really liked either of Graham's deputies, but Arthur was easily the most disliked.

Towards the end of the day, Graham sauntered over and perched on the edge of her desk, his added weight offsetting the relentless bounce of her leg and quieting the rattling. "Officer Swan, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were nervous."

"Shut up," she said, finishing up a report.

"Is that how you talk to your boss?"

"Shut up, sir."

He laughed, then pretended to think. "Now, why is it that you might be nervous? Do you by chance have something important happening tonight? A date, maybe?"

Emma glared up at him. Sometimes it was hard for her to balance the two sides of him that she knew: Chief Humbert was a sensible man, good-natured, but able to make you jump to attention with a single look. Graham, meanwhile, could be sillier than a basket of puppies and she'd been in a field of wildflowers with more sense than he had in his head. And God help her when the two occasionally mixed. "Did you need something, sir?" she asked pointedly.

"Nothing really, just checking to make sure you have the permission slip I gave you for your excursion tonight."

She groaned, dropping her head down on the desk between her arms. "God, shut up."

He chuckled somewhere above her. "You have to admit, Emma, it was a bit ridiculous."

"Like you didn't make any stupid mistakes when you were a rookie," she grumbled. She sat up and finished saving her report, moving the file to the shared drive and shutting down her computer. "I'm out for the evening."

Graham moved in her way before she could leave. "Seriously, though, have a good time," he said. "You deserve a bit of happiness, Emma, and I think he could do you a world of good in that regard."

She felt her face heat up; she never would have expected something like that to come from her boss. From Mary Margaret, sure, or even her mother, but Graham? "I - thanks," she said, her tongue feeling thick and clumsy over the word.

He let her pass and she went out to her car, still silently shaking her head over the exchange.

As she got ready, she kept second-guessing every single one of her decisions: did she really need to go out and buy this pink dress? Did it make her look too girly? Her hair - she'd curled it and then decided she wanted to wear it up, but would he like her hair in a ponytail like that? Should she go for false lashes? Did she really want to wear those shoes? Would they make her taller than him - come to think of it, there weren't many times when she'd seen him not behind the bar, and she couldn't remember how much taller he really was.

At some point she sat down on her bed in disgust and wondered if it was too late to call the whole thing off.

Then she remembered how she'd felt when he'd had to postpone everything, and thought better of it.

But the whole effort was worth it when she went to answer the door and his mouth fell open at the sight of her. "You look stunning, Swan," Killian said.

Emma's eyebrows rose as she took in the sight of him; she'd never seen him outside of a Pour House t-shirt and some worn out jeans - the first time in his underwear didn't count - so this well-dressed Killian was a treat in and of itself: tight black jeans, short-sleeved button-down shirt that brought out the color of his eyes, black vest. "You… look…"

He shrugged, an easy grin on his face. "I know." He pulled one hand from behind his back and offered her a single red rose. Emma took it, her face warm; she couldn't remember the last time, if ever, anyone had bought her flowers. "Shall we?" he asked, offering his arm.

Emma grabbed her purse and locked up behind them; Ingrid was working that night, after being sworn not to make a big deal about one date. She took his offered arm and he walked her down to a car she knew wasn't his; he'd told her about how he'd turned his truck into the TIV and hadn't bothered getting a second car.. "Liam's," Killian said, opening the door for her. "Only indulgence he allows himself, this old muscle car."

She knew nothing about cars past how to keep her vintage Bug in working order, so she just made what she hoped was an appreciative noise as she slid in and he closed the door behind her.

They were both oddly quiet on the drive to the restaurant; Emma fiddled with the hem of her dress, caught between wanting to talk and feeling like she had nothing interesting to say. Killian didn't seem too perturbed by it, opening the door for her and leading her in without pressing her about it; he'd made a reservation and they were seated almost immediately, and he even pulled her chair out for her. "Such a gentleman," she said finally, grateful for something to say.

"I'm always a gentleman," he told her, sitting across from her with a wink.

"I've seen you toss out disruptive patrons; the look on your face could hardly be described as 'gentlemanly'."

"Aye, well, ensuring the continued atmosphere and content of my patrons certainly is."

"Always worried about the atmosphere."

She wasn't sure at all how he managed to grin at her in such a pleased yet sultry way, but he managed to make it work, and from there the evening continued without any of the earlier awkwardness.

They decided to take a walk after dinner, continuing their conversation from dinner about her career plans, her hand grasped firmly in his. Privately, Emma thought they were just looking for an excuse to continue their time together, but waiting for some of the wine they'd had over dinner to work its way out of their system was as good an excuse as any. They meandered through the downtown area before slipping onto some of the side streets, the late-summer cicadas providing a soundtrack to their talk as it shifted to books. She wasn't as much of a reader as she used to be - she just didn't have the time - but she was able to hold her own when he started talking older books.

And she trounced him in Harry Potter trivia, which she delighted in teasing him about.

"I did move here when I was quite young, you know," he grumbled as they turned a corner.

"Doesn't matter, it was a global thing. You should at least know your House."

The street they'd turned down was less inhabited, or at least most of the houses on the block looked dark; after all the patrols she'd done and all the calls she'd gone on through town, she knew the area fairly well - retirees, empty nesters, no one who really went out past nine if they didn't have to. So when Killian turned her and pressed her back up against a tree, Emma felt quite reasonably assured that no one would be peeping on them at this point. She wet her lips, her heart racing as she looked up at his face - too close to hers to be thinking about doing anything other than what she hoped he was thinking - and in the dim light she saw his eyes flick down to her lips briefly before looking at her again. "You're kind of a geek, Swan," he told her softly.

"Says the giant science nerd who built a giant armored science tank."

"Then I'd say it takes one to know one," he breathed, his lips brushing hers, and a moment later he was kissing her fully.

She'd been kissed before. She'd had kisses that made her weak in the knees, kisses that stole her breath, kisses that made her forget her name. But never, before now, a kiss that did all three and then some. His hands came up to cup her face, his palms rough on her cheeks. She shivered as they moved down her neck, skimming her shoulders and down her arms. His lips were as gentle as his touch, dipping in once, twice, three times at different angles and with varying degrees of pressure. His hands settled on her hips and she felt intensely aware of every point where their bodies touched, but none more so than the feeling of his tongue tentatively tracing the seam of her lips.

She opened for him, eager for more; her arms went up around his neck and she groaned into his mouth as his tongue slid against hers. Her fingers slid through his silky hair and she was filled with the urge to grab on tight and use it as leverage to take this to the next level. She felt drunk, her skin tingling at every touch, dizzy and muddled and like she could do anything as long as he just kept kissing her.

She rose up on her toes, pushing off the tree, and he stumbled backwards a little; his hands slipped, her skirt bunching up, and she whimpered at the feeling of his fingers on her thighs. He made a questioning noise and she sighed an assent and her pulse quickened when he let the fabric slide over the hands that rose up to tease the edges of her lacy panties.

She actually squirmed when the tip of one finger caught under the edge and traced the line of her panties back and forth. There was a fire building between her legs and he was only stoking it higher and higher and she was definitely, definitely going to have to do something about this if he kept going -

A dog started barking down the street, distant enough that they weren't the cause but still close enough to make them jerk apart. Absurdly, she felt cold as soon as Killian stepped away from her, despite the warmth of the evening and how flushed she felt. "We should - we should head back," he said and she really, really liked how thoroughly wrecked he sounded.

He held out his hand and she took it, following him on legs that felt far too wobbly for some kissing and light petting. "I might not make it that far," Emma admitted sheepishly.

He just smiled at her. "I'll carry you if I have to."

But they made it back to the restaurant without having to resort to that, though she did entertain quite a few thoughts about how that might feel, and he drove her home without further incident. No driving down to the outskirts of town to go parking. Or kissing. Or hands where they shouldn't be.

Which was really disappointing.

He did insist on walking her to her door, though, and Emma claimed another kiss from him. This one was more chaste, with his fingers entwined with hers and her foot popping up precariously from sheer bliss. "Will you go out with me again?" Killian asked hoarsely, his nose brushing against hers and the question spoken against her lips.

She kissed him again instead of answering, squeezing their fingers together. "Text me."

Emma half expected her mother to turn on the porch light, they stood there so long lingering in each other's spaces, but Killian was the first to break, taking a reluctant step back. She moved to unlock the door, knowing if she didn't move now, she never would. "Good night, Killian," she whispered.

"Good night," she heard him reply, and then she slipped inside, closing the door behind her and leaning against it with a happy, yet a little overwhelmed sigh.

She was so, so fucked.

[shamchoices]

A Midnight Escapade: Part 1 (Priya x Kamilah)

Summary: This takes place moments after the 5th portrait diamond scene in the 1920′s after Gaius reveals his plans to enslave the human population and take over the world as vampire overlords. The vampires discuss what they have to do. Kamilah and the feisty new member of their exclusive group, Priya, get to know each other for the first time.

Pairing: Priya x Kamilah

Rating: PG

Word Count: 2,083 words

Warnings: Alcohol, Language 

Notes: I would like to apologize in advance at how terribly the 1920′s slang is written. It’s canon that Priya speaks in the lingo, and I like staying as close to the story as possible. But, that being said, I tried my best! Also, I understand a lot of people hate Priya, but this story is a telling of how she became the way she is in Bloodbound Book One (so please don’t hate me, and give the story a chance.) FEEDBACK IS WELCOMED AND ENCOURAGED. 

Tagged: @ihavenoeffort , @ovoxotilweoverdose , (not sure, if you guys wanted to be tagged, but let me know if you don’t and I’ll untag), @kamilahspet

𝐼 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝓎𝓅𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓌𝑜𝓂𝑒𝓃 𝓌𝒽𝑜 𝒸𝒶𝓃 𝓌𝒶𝓁𝓀 𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒶 𝓂𝒶𝓃, 𝐼 𝓂𝑒𝒶𝓃 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝒶 𝑔𝑜𝒹 𝒹𝒶𝓂𝓃 𝓂𝒶𝓇𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒷𝒶𝓃𝒹

As Gaius left the room with his new bodyguard, the remaining vampires looked uneasily at each other. Kamilah, Adrian, Vega, Lester, and Priya stood in a circle all of them pondering what the others thoughts were. Kamilah’s thoughts dwelled on how she had sensed the darkness brewing in Gaius even more than usual, but treating the humans as livestock was a line she couldn’t cross. It was hard to remember sometimes, but they were all mortals once.

Adrian was the first to speak up, after the tense silence in the room, “We can’t let this happen.”

“Not now, brother.” Kamilah replied hastily, her eyes shooting an ice cold glare his way. Despite how conflicted she felt, she owed so much to Gaius. It felt impossible to choose sides, even though deep down she knew Adrian was correct in the matter.

Lester, Vega, and Adrian glance among each other, Adrian again being the first to speak up, “If not now, then when?” His voice twitched slightly in desperation, making Kamilah’s heart drop lower in her chest than it was before, “When all the humans are dead? When Gaius destroys the entire planet for unlimited power? We can’t let that happen.”

“He seems a bit coo-coo, if ya’ ask me.” Priya cooed close to Kamilah’s side, it startled her for a second, as she didn’t notice just how close this new vampire was to her. She took a reflective step back, her eyebrows twisted in confusion at her new formation of the English language. Of course, she has heard all the ways that language has changed over the years, but the way Priya spoke still was one of her least favorite iterations, “That sap was givin’ quite an earful. We should probably take him for a ride, he shouldn’t have to be sittin’ pretty anymore. We could take his place easy.”

Priya gives Kamilah a playful nudge, which she returns with an even more desperately lost look, “I’m sorry, can someone translate what on earth she’s saying?”

Vega and Lester give a short chuckle, but Adrian seems to pay the comment no mind. His eyes on the floor, arms folded, concentration brewing on his features. Priya puffs her cheeks a bit, her face becoming less playful, “I’m just sayin’ we could take him out.”

“I’m not sure if you all recall, who brought us here or not. Who fed us, taught us how to live, gave us everything we could ever ask for. But, Gaius is our king, and I won’t forget all he’s done for us...” Kamilah’s words came out in a less than inspiring matter, every word straining her morals. The others all eyed each other nervously, but they could tell her heart wasn’t in the statement she gave, “Nonetheless... do you think any of you are strong enough to take out someone as powerful as him? Your blood runs in his veins, and you’re all but tiny fractions of his age!”

“You’re not.” Adrian replied hastily, “You’re powerful enough to take him out single-handedly. He trusts you... he loves you.”

Kamilah’s eyes widened, Adrian had never spoke to her in such a defiant manner before, “This is treason.”

“This is the right thing to do.” He scoffed, not giving her a chance to rebuttal, “Kamilah we need you on our side.”

She looked to each pair of eyes staring her down, and began to doubt her side of the argument, “Are you all in favor of overthrowing Gaius...?”

They all looked anxious to make their thoughts known to her, and with good reason,  but Vega was the first to step forward. He seemed the most calm, but she could sense that underneath his exterior he was just as scared as the rest of them, “I’m tired of being told what to do, Kamilah. It’s rough hiding in the shadows, but I can’t let this stand.”

“Yeah! Do you know how demeaning it is to bow to a person?” Lester chimes in, arms wide out in defiance before letting them rest on his hips, “We live in America, land of the free, and we worship a KING.”

“The founding fathers would laugh at us.” Vega replied.

“Not so long ago, you wanted those founding fathers dead, Vega.” Kamilah rolled her eyes at his statement, “Or have you already forgot your days as a conquistador.”

“I admit, I wasn’t a fan.” Vega pulled his arms up, a small chuckle leaving his lips. His friendly demeanor was, as always, a farce, disappearing at the slightly inconvenience, “But, this whole freedom thing has grown on me.”

“You should be a politician with the way you change your opinions in your favor. You have absolutely no morals.” The corrupted officials running each city was something Kamilah despised, just about as much as Vega’s seedy behavior.

Vega obviously didn’t take her statement as an insult, instead a wide, devious grin consumed his face, “You know what, I think I would be a great politician.”

Fuming, Kamilah’s eyes flashed red, her hands balling into fists, “I think you are all forgetting who you’re speaking to.”

Vega’s smile dropped as he noticed how tense the situation had gotten. Adrian had a strong pout on his lips, a spark of disappointment in his eyes. Meanwhile, still by her side, Priya looked at her with a bewildered smile seeming to be absolutely fascinated with how intense Kamilah was.

But, to make the situation worse, Lester stepped forward with a shit-eating grin and a bellowing laugh, “Did you really think his perfect, almighty Queen would be on our side? Her whole life revolves around him, I mean, she’s nothing without him.”

“Lester!” Adrian scowled, his face twisted with anger.

But, Kamilah only let out a tight lipped scoff. Lester’s expression immediately turned to one of regret, as Vega stared at him with his mouth slightly ajar. A cool smile came across Kamilah’s face, as Priya seemed to burst of excitement next to her.

“Yes!” Priya cheered, placing a hand on her shoulder in encouragement, “Kick his ass!”

“Oh, I’m gonna do more than that.” She replied, Lester’s expression now one of complete horror.

“Wait! I didn’t mean it, I swear!” But, it was too late, Kamilah’s lightning fast movement put her in front of him in less than a second. He let out a high pitch scream that echoed off the walls around them. His eyes were tightly shut closed, his body twisted in a way to prepare for whatever was about to happen to him.

But, after a few seconds of nothing happening, his eyes slowly peaked open, only to see Kamilah inches from his face with a wide smirk. She let out a loud laugh, before stepping back, “That’s what I thought... Remember how scared you are of me when you speak to me next.”

He shook his head feebly, as a loud groan left Priya’s lips from behind them, “Aw come on! Bump him off!”

Kamilah turned around, her smile dispersing, “I’m assuming you’re asking me to kill him...” Priya nodded enthusiastically in return, “That’s not my style... I don’t kill my brethren, not without a good reason.”

“Are you saying we don’t have a reason to kill Gaius, Kamilah?” Adrian spoke again, with a deep frown, “We have to stop him.”

“I’m tired of this conversation, I need some air.” She replied, giving one last nod to the vampires around her before walking towards the exit.

“Kamilah...” Adrian spoke weakly, but she continued her hasty, frustrated gait not looking back, “Kamilah!”

The desperation in his final yell was almost enough to break her heart, but she needed to think. It was a terrible situation, one she wished to not be in. But she kept walking until she felt the cool night air against her skin. She slumped her body against the wall, a deep sigh leaving her lips.

It wasn’t long before she heard a pair of distant footsteps approaching. She wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone, but when she saw the cheery face of the babbling, young vampire she let go of the anger she felt. It was odd, but the girl’s gentle, devious smile put her mind at ease if only for a second.

“You are really something.” She spoke softly now, taking a place next to her on the wall, “The bee’s knees, even.”

“If you must speak to me, can you at least speak normally?” Her tone was one of complete exhaustion, and it seemed to get the point across.

“I can try.” She chuckled softly as a comfortable silence enveloped them. The wind hollowed slightly as they rested against the rough concrete wall. The country landscape reached towards the mountains where you could just make out the lights of a bustling city.

As Kamilah stared off into the distance, thinking over her predicament, Priya lifted her skirt slightly to reveal a strap that attached a flask to her leg. Kamilah stared in amusement, as Priya knocked back a good amount of the substance in the shining silver tin.

“Do you want some?” She offered, extending her arm towards Kamilah, a kind smile in her lips.

“Now, I can really tell how young you are.” She let out a laugh, as she slightly shook her head, “To take the edge off, I need a lot more than that.”

“How old are you exactly?” Priya asked curiously, her eyebrows raising.

“Has Vega not told you anything?”

“Nah, he sees me as arm candy.” She shook her head in disappointment, taking another swing of the substance in her flask before hiding it up her skirt once again, “I don’t mind it, most of the time, but I’m more than a doll with a pair of nice gams, ya know?”

“I absolutely do not know.” Kamilah eyebrows crossed, but her smile was yet to leave her lips.

Priya chuckled, realizing her mistake, “I mean, I’m more than a pretty face. Not to toot my own horn, but I’m talented.”

Kamilah nodded slowly, “What makes you talented then?”

“I design clothes, I have a natural eye for art.” She smiled wide, a light blush coming to her cheeks as she spoke of something she was passionate about. Priya grabs the sides of her dress, twirling it slightly so she could see all the details, “I made this.”

“Really?” Kamilah turned her body towards Priya now, admiring the dress, but also giving the woman a good look over. She was beautiful and the dress was perfectly catered to her body. Her hands reached up to the sleeve of the dress, feeling the fabric. She could hear Priya’s breath hitch slightly as her hand slightly grazed her skin, “That’s… impressive.”

“Thanks.” She smiled from ear to ear, her eyes sparking as she looked deeply into Kamilah’s eyes, “You know what, you’ve inspired me.”

Kamilah chuckled, letting go of her sleeve, but keeping the intimate distance the same, “Did I?”

“Well, I told you... I have a natural eye for art.” Her smile turned into a sly smirk that Kamilah returned. It seemed as though this new vampire had taken quite the interest in her, and she didn’t seem to mind, “I was having a bit of a drought with my ideas, but just looking at you long enough has given me the perfect idea. Can I see you later this week?”

“I don’t see why not.” Kamilah replied, “I could use something to take my mind off things.”

“Don’t I know it.” As Priya spoke, Vega stopped out of the nearby doorway, an expression showing that he was on the prowl.

“Oh! There you are.” Vega practically shouted before noticing who Priya was standing next to, “With Kamilah, of course.”

He cleared his throat, before offering his arm for Priya, “Come on, we’re leaving.”

“I suppose.” She groaned, stepping forward and interlacing her arm with Vega’s, “I’ll see you around, muse.”

A flash of concern took over Vega’s features before he walked away hastily, “Let’s go.”

Priya turned back and gave one final wave, leaving Kamilah alone watching her leave in a car with Vega. As she pulled out of view, she noticed that she was still smiling. It had been a while since she felt as if someone was trying to woo her. Gaius might’ve at some point, but he was a tale of the past. One that might be ending very soon.

As the thought of her King came to mind, her smile disappeared. Her mind was once again consumed by the situation at hand. A miserable sense of dread consuming her.

[smilingperformer]

SM074 - Thoughts

Holy cow... that was some tough ride. First it makes you laugh, then it crushes you, then it rekindles your inner light. So to speak. If you ask me, I’d say this was an episode well executed. Ula’Ula Arc continues on strong!

Satoshi is finally on Ula’Ula island Territory, and we get some others news during the scene before opening song kicks in: Alola League is being set up and both Kaki and Satoshi are fired up! We don’t have to argue about Alola League possibility anymore! : D

(Warning, I went quite analysive on this post, specifically about Sakaki and Kuchinashi. Be prepared for a really long post. lol)

I won’t like, it kinda feels hard to figure out where to start. So, why don’t we start with Rocket Gang, because well, the classmates aren’t here, and our only shots of them was from the beginning where Alola League was confirmed by Kukui, who then asked everyone to help out with setting it up. I wonder when it’ll be up for attendance!

Anyway, Rocket Gang!

While their role in this episode was more of a sideplot and to foreshadow future events, their scenes were very enjoyable and each episode of Sun & Moon makes me love them more and more. Musashi is daydreaming about Mimikkyu-Z move, and Kojiro & Nyarth are just a bit farther looking at the overjoyed Musashi, a bit bummed? Apparently she’s not letting the Z-ring up lol. Typical Musashi. When they see Satoshi the Brat Boy come to Ula Ula via Ship (this kinda reminds me of how they always used to following him on the same ship, esp. at the start of both Hoenn and Sinnoh.), they notice no classmates and immediately realise they might have a chance at winning against him. While we all know they’re doomed to fail (because they really are, nothing is confirmed but I find it hard to believe they’d win, as much as I want them to), I wish them luck! :3

We then cut to Kuchinashi, who seems to be sleepy, and wants to go take a nap somewhere else than the Police Station. It seems like he’s actually an active policeman in Pokeani. Was he in the games? Local Junsa calls him out in slacking, tho he pretends he’s on patrol and then heads back to Police Station, claiming he forgot something.

Looks like he was just trying to avoid his over a dozen Alolan Nyarth who keep on asking for food. I’m not cat owner, but apparently this is very relatable. :D This was a cute scene and all, but the next scene is the most intriquing one.

Kuchinashi receives as call, and while he tries to avoid answering it at first, hoping whoever is phoning him would give up, he eventually picks it up and oh guess who’s there:

Had I not seen the preview, I’d have been more suprised! But I did gasp at the scene while seeing it live thou.

And Sakaki is addressing Kuchinashi as an old friend? What is their deal here? I mean, SM073 already explained that the two know each other, but it looks like their relationship is deeper (And I mean more mysterious by it). Sakaki doesn’t seem to be aware of Kuchinashi being both Island King and police officer thou so... did they know each other before Kuchinashi became Island King or before he even became a police officer? Is Kuchinashi in Pokeani actually an ex-con who turned to the right side of the law? There’s more to this dialogue that makes me really curious. After small talk, Sakaki says that “he now gets it”. Get’s what exactly? He then tries to pry info out of Kuchinashi about “Kagayaki-sama“, which we localisation fans know as The Blinding One (see what’s being foreshadowed?). I didn’t know what exactly this was until later during the episode when I watched it live, but I had a hunch he might be asking about it. And I was correct. This is the first hint of an incoming arc about Necrozma, and with Sakaki being involved, a possible Rainbow Rocket arc!  I am beyond stoked and excited!

The way Kuchinashi reacts to the question is really interesting as well. I bet he does know, as we later know it is part of another legend told on Alola. But he seems certain on not letting Sakaki know, telling him he's never heard of it (the man keeps on lying to everyone, pffffft). So, I doubt he’s in league with Rocket Gang but, he might have had some past with them before. More specifically with Sakaki. What kind thou? Guess we’ll find out later this... summer? Autumn? Winter? This arc specifically? I’m finding it hard to predict future stuff for Sun & Moon, it always suprises me in different ways.

Sakaki expected a lousy answer from Kuchinashi, but like, this line has me so curious? Just what is Sakaki planning? I think he’s gonna have a big part in Necrozma arc, and Pokeani might try doing something original with merging ideas of Rainbow Rocket, Necrozma and the post-game stuff from Sun & Moon games (NOT Ultra ones, since Ultra replaced the Post Game from original games to Rainbow Rocket). Anyway, this quite intense Phone Call is finally hung up (Sakaki didn’t seem too pleased, calling his name just when Kuchinashi says he’s hanging up. He didn’t sound mad or anything, it was quite a calm and collective voice, but it was like he was trying to intimidate him? Idk) after Satoshi starts shouting outside, looking for the Island King himself. I guess our depressed Nyarth cop got off the hook, so to say? At least for now.

Maybe I should have put this part of this post as a seperate one, but... I’m not sure how to format it. If people want me to put it seperately, I can do so. But, moving on!

Well, before we move on with the plot of this episode, Satoshi gets piled up with Kuchinashi’s Nyarth, and Bevenom causes bit of chaos by shooting some... stuff, at them. Then Bevenom provokes the cats and a fight between Satoshi’s friends and Alolan Nyarth occurs. The cats won. lol Poor Satoshi. Rought start for this Island Pilgrimare.

And once again, when Kuchinashi gets asked himself as an Island King, he lies, saying Kuchinashi is his co-worker and currently on a patrol. Pfffft. He’s got some tough nerves to keep on lying to strangers. On top of it all, he tricks Satoshi into keeping company to the Alolan Nyarth “until Kuchinashi comes back“. Ruuuuude! He seems to be quite fed up with life. : D But this keeps his character interesting, he’s totally my fav Kahuna now. Sorry Lychee.

Kuchinashi does take note to Lugarugan and Bevenom specifically before tricking Satoshi into playing with the Nyarth thou. Doing a good job as Island King :)

So... Satoshi is dead from keeping company before the break time. Poor thing. These Alolan Nyarth sure are attention-hungry. (The Commercial Breaktime part is announced by Sakaki and somehow it gives me shivers lol)

After showing how exhausted Satoshi is, which is possibly because of playing with the cats for hours, Acerola shows up, searching for Uncle Kuchinashi. I have to say, the way she’s animated during this scene is so cute and gorgeus at the same time? She’s absolutely beautiful in Pokeani, they nailed here so well ♥

Well, after Satoshi explains Kuchinashi isn’t here and how he’s staying there until the “other officer“ comes back, Acerola blows the old man’s cover. Satoshi’s reaction is a lot calmer compared to Rocket Gan Trio’s, but you can see he’s a bit suprised. He’s also quite calm about Mimi-tan being a ghost. The pictures Rotom took were quite spooky... Acerola then offers Satoshi to take him to Kuchinashi, as if knowing she’ll know how to find him. This girl knows this man well, huh?

And just look at this animation, it’s perfection. The leg movement, the pose, the cuteness, the gorgeusness! That’s it, she’s my fav Pokeani character now. I’m gonna be sad when Ula Ula Arc is over I’m so sad she’s not a classmate ;_; She better appear more later on!

Back on topic, they head to the library Acerola works at, and after a small introduction to the place, Acerola brings up a book about a local legend, to which Bevenom seems to show being curious on. And so am I!

To explain it shortly, legend is about The Blinding One (Ultra Necrozma), Lunala and Solgaleo bringing light to a newly founded Alola Region, which was without a light at the time. If you want a full recap, I’ll point you to this post.

So, we now know some lore about Alola in Pokeaniverse! I love lore, and I was stoked to learn about Pokeani’s version of the Necrozma legend. It’s a bit different to the game one, where the Blinding One is a legend told in Ultra Megaopolis instead of Alola, and it’s actually about Necrozma itself instead of Ultra Necrozma. I wonder how they’ll showcase the hostile, incomplete Necrozma, who’s supposed to be in constant pain unless it fuses with Lunala/Solgaleo... hmmmmm. I’m worrying over Hoshigumo/Nebby now. Because of the Pokedex entries.

Acerola then informs Satoshi that Uncle Kuchinashi believes The Blinding One to be an Ultra beast. This bit also confirms Kuchinashi knows about the legend, and lied to Sakaki about. XD Ofc, the mafia boss didn’t believe him.

Well, what we didn’t see until the last second of the scene is that Rocket Gang is back to tailing Satoshi, and they have now learned about the tale of The Blinding One. They don’t know that Sakaki knows about it already, because they want to go and inform him right away. Weeell, they get scolded by Matori later in the episode for not bringing in new info anyway. Poor buffoons.

Small bits I like about this episode: How Mokuroh is absolutely adorable throughout it (I want to see the part where Satoshi feeds Mokuroh giffed it’s so CUTE) and Mimi-tan actually fancying Pikachu, unlike some other Mimikyu we know :))

I gotta say, the dynamic between Satoshi and Acerola is quite enjoyable. Satoshi is shown a bit restless here, wanting to go search for Kuchinashi at the Police Station, while Acerola just with proudness claims that there’s no need. Because she’s got the ultimate weapon for getting him to her: the hostage! Of his Kendama toy.

She’s adorable. How did Kuchinashi end up becoming her carer. That’s it this is my new Discord avatar. Welp. Her hostage works, because Kuchinashi comes right to her house.

I think this line confirmes Satoshi is gonna do another trial before SM077, and I think it’ll be the Ghost Trial. Maybe it’s a bit different to the games, since SM076 is gonna be Musashi’s Mimikyu VS Satoshi’s Pikachu. And they’re hyping it with different summaries, a lot. We’ll see, I’m not really having any ideas how they could portray Totem Mimikyu in the same episode. But I can see him getting the Ghost-Z Crystal. Anyway, let’s move on.

Kuchinashi denies Satoshi’s challenge, stating he can already see that he’s not strong enough to challenge them. He even tells him to go back to Melemele. Kinda harsh. Acerola convinces him to give the boy a try thou (by giving him glares and claming Kuchinashi is just finding his job a pain), so they’re gonna do a Pre-Trial for Trials. : D Which btw, is the highlight of this episode. I love how Kuchinashi seems to be unable to say no to Acerola. What a duo they are.

So, Kuchinashi uses Waruvial with the Intimidate Ability, while Satoshi uses Lugarugan, who showed interest in fighing earlier. However, we can see Lugarugan getting intimidated by this ability, and as we know, he’s got anger issues.

Btw, Kuchinashi doesn’t show a single interest in this fight. He looks bored. He knows he’s gonna win.

Well, each time Lugarugan gets intimidated by Waruvial, it gets angrier, and Satoshi notices this. He tries to calm Lugarugan, and well, so far it’s still listening, but...

None of Lugarugan’s move have an effect on Waruvial, and Kuchinashi manages to get Lugarugan trapped in a Sand Tomb. And well, this is where things get really serious.

Red-Eyed Lugarugan is back, and it’s not because of dirt, but because of not being able to control his own anger. I feel bad for thinking it was due to dirt. SM069 already kinda showed that it wasn’t related to dirt, because Lugarugan was dirty there. But let’s continue. Because this is where I start feeling ache in my heart.

Honestly, Satoshi looks terrified here. He knows what’s gonna happen. He knows already he won’t be able to control him! And he’s right!

The fight turns into Lugarugan not listening to any words Satoshi says, and it just keeps on biting Waruvial like a wild raging dog. It’s scary. It’s terrifying. And Satoshi has every right to be scared. But Kuchinashi?

He’s just being rude ass here, like he’s enjoying this scenario here. He seems so savage during this whole scene. Like he’s toying with the boy. And I sort of want to slap Kuchinashi for this, but then again, I love what Pokeani is doing with him here! We haven’t had Gym Leaders like him before, and to top it all, this is the first Dark-Type specialist Satoshi has to beat. Acerola is scared at Lugarugan here.

Kuchinashi does creepy smiles here while waiting for the right moment to counter enraged Lugarugan. You can see he’s a dark-type specialist. It sort of flows around him. Once the following scenes happens thou...

Cue the screenshot that starts breaking me. Seriously. We haven’t seen him look like this in whole Alola! He’s breaking!

And when Kuchinashi orders Waruvial to use Crunch, and it lands on Lugarugan perfectly...

Cue the most heartbreaking scene I have ever seen of Satoshi. I mean it. This is what breaks my heart! XYZ’s loss against Wurfic wasn’t enough, thou it was close! And I just had to see this similar shot of someone else in another show, so to see it this soon in Pokeani, with Satoshi, hurts so god damn much!

Lugarugan falls down, and the fight is over.

With Satoshi in disbelief. Seriously. I started crying few moments ago already. He looks so devastated. He’s lost before. But somehow this loss hurt so much more than other losses.

When he goes to Lugarugan and asks him if it’s alright, seriously, he looks like he’s about to cry. He’s at the line of the breaking point.

And he’s certainly keeping it in! He’s about to cry! ;_; And so am I hold on. I have to point out that Rica Matsumoto’s performance in this scene, and the next, is absolutely beautiful and I applaud her for a job well done.

Kuchinashi just straight up tells Satoshi that he should go back to Melemele Island. But the way Satoshi says the following line?

He’s saying it with the kind of voice that implicates that he’s so ready to cry and he’s determined on not giving up! I love this boy, and due to how impactful this scene is, I love the whole sequence of the scene, from start of the fight to the finish of this scene, whole lot!

This is the Satoshi we’ve learned to love. Determined to never give up. Determined to stay on the Island and train to become stronger, to be able to beat Kuchinashi. It’s admirable, inspiring, and I was once again reminded why this boy is such a golden one. I can’t believe I used to think lousy stuff about him years ago. I feel awful.

Anyway, Kuchinashi then tells him to do as he pleases. We then have another foreshadowing from Rocket Gang for the SM076, and I kinda explained the scene before, so, moving on! (Sorry Rocket Gang you know I love them D:)

The final scene is a good one as well. Lugarugan is sulking alone about the loss, and Satoshi goes to him, talking about how he’s frustrated, and how they weren’t able to do anything during the battle. It was very one-sided after all. He’s clearly disappointed. But then he apologizes to Lugarugan, like he seems to believe it’s his fault he can’t control Lugarugan’s anger issues. And well. He’d never blame his Pokemon. His friends. He then asks Acerola about where he could train on Ula’Ula Island, and Acerola suggests on meeting with Kapu-Bulul. Which is next week’s episode!

The end of SM074! I don’t know why I went such detail on this one. I’m blaming it on plot elements, creating my new favourite scene in Pokeani, making me love Acerola and Kuchinashi more, etc etc etc. If you guys managed to read this all, I applaud you. And sorry for sucha long post. :’D

Pokeproblem of the episode is stunning. Kuchinashi loves teasing his Nyarth.

While the preview talks about Island Kings resembling the Island Deityes by their personalities (bless the preview dialogues), we’ll be heading to the Ruins of Abudance, where Kapu-Bulul resides. And they’ll be crossing the desert to get there! Time for some slacker training!

Kapu-Bulul! Intense Slacker Training! Cya all next week!

[furinjuru]

Our Sea Of Today - Chapter 9 - Preparation

Rating: T Word Count: 4,000~ Previous Chapters: Links will be added! A/N: Decided to use a new format for my stories! Previous chapters will be updated with this new format. Also, I know almost nothing about actual sewing other than from what I learned in school and research. Also, there’s more YouHane friendship in this chapter.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The sound of the clock continues to grate on You’s ears as she waits silently in the living room. On the table is a towel and a pair of clothes she thinks would fit Yoshiko. Her eyes go from the items to the front door. It had been a while since Yoshiko went to buy the materials for the costume, and You hadn’t heard from her since. The rain’s still coming down hard.

Fortunately, You won’t have to wait much longer. Breaking through the sound of raindrops hitting the ground, she hears a knock on the door and opens it without hesitation. Standing in front of her is Yoshiko, drenched from the feet up. She’s clutching her bag tightly in front of her, protecting it from getting too wet. Conveniently, it also covers the front of her uniform, which You doesn’t doubt is at least semi-transparent thanks to the rain.

 “I-I’m b-back.” She says, visibly shivering as she steps into the house, kicking off her shoes before taking off her socks as well. “G-got the fabric....”

 “That’s not important right now!” When she finishes taking off her footwear and goes into the living room (You made sure to turn up the heater), she takes the towel and clothes and gives them to the soaked girl. “You’ll really get a cold at this rate. Go take a shower and get changed. Use the bathroom.”

 Despite her stutter, Yoshiko is able to laugh at the statement. “A-a bit too late for that, I think....” Regardless, she takes the items gratefully, handing her bag to You. You makes sure to respectfully avert her gaze as she leads Yoshiko to the bathroom. She then places the bag in her bedroom before going to the kitchen, preparing a warm bowl of soup and a cup of tea for Yoshiko.

 Seriously, how reckless can you be? It doesn’t make sense. Chika is normally cheerful, so it doesn’t take a lot to make her happy, but why does Yoshiko try so hard to please Dia? Risking sickness for someone who’s not her family is something You would think twice about before doing, but Yoshiko just did it. The only time she ever did something similar was when she got sick from playing in the rain. But she was 6 at the time. She was younger and dumber. And rather than getting sick for Chika and Kanan, she got sick with them. They all got sick from playing together, which invoked feelings of friendship and unity. It’s different than getting rained on alone for someone who might not even know how much effort she put in, like Yoshiko did.

 As You thinks about it, she arrives at a different conclusion. Maybe this is what love does to people? If so, You thinks that she might not want to fall in love if it means getting sick and making her friends worry so much about her well-being. Maybe she just doesn’t get the appeal. The way Yoshiko seems happier when she talks about her crush makes her want to know what it’s like.

 Once the soup and tea are ready, she puts a serving of each on a tray before returning to the bedroom, waiting again for Yoshiko to finish her bath. While she waits, she redirects her attention to Yoshiko’s soaked bag. She noticed that rather than using it to cover her head like a sane person would do, Yoshiko seemed to be trying to keep it dry. Which meant that either Yoshiko isn’t sane (probable), or it has something really important inside.

 “Hey, You!” She hears a shout from the bathroom, pulling her attention away from the bag. “Get your sewing kit ready, I’ll be out in a bit.”

 “Sure!” She shouts back, before opening her drawer and pulling out all of the necessities. Two pairs of scissors, a pincushion with a few dozen pins, measuring tools, a few marking pens, some needles, colored threads, seam rippers, and a sewing machine. As she looks at the items laid out in front of her, she feels a wave of uncertainty. She can’t shake off the feeling that she’s missing something important, but she can’t put her finger on it.

 “You? Are you ready?” Yoshiko walks into her bedroom with a plastic bag that she assumes contains her uniform, and now that You can hear her it’s pretty obvious that she doesn’t feel well. A look is all she needs to confirm her suspicion. Yoshiko’s nose is bright red, and it even looks a bit runny. At least You’s clothes, a blue t-shirt and a black skirt, is keeping her dry now.

 “Yoshiko-chan....” Sighing, You takes an emergency influenza mask from her desk and offers it to Yoshiko. First Kanan, and now Yoshiko. Looks like everyone’s getting sick today. Yoshiko, embarrassed, takes the mask and puts it on.

 “Sorry. Don’t want to get you sick too.” She laughs before coughing, causing You to flinch. That sounds pretty bad. “So, are we going to get sewing? I don’t think I even know what most of these are....”

 You nods, pulling out her phone to check the designs. While she does that, Yoshiko opens her bag and pulls out a plastic bag, then pulls something else out of the plastic. The materials. “Do you think this will be enough?”

 You looks at everything she bought. Yoshiko is pretty good at judging the exact amount of fabric they would need to make the costumes, but that’s not a very good thing. As it stands, even though it looks like she bought extra, they won’t have enough to make more than one of each design before running out.

 On the other hand, they have an abundance of accessories. Gloves, ribbons, hairpins. Anything they’d need to improve the outfits, it’s there. They have room for creativity, which You is grateful for.

 “Alright, so obviously we need to know what we’re going to make.” She places her phone on the floor in front of them, showing a zoomed-in picture of the design. “We also need measurements. Do you have them?”

 “Y-yeah, I do. Hold on.” Fumbling with her phone, she opens a note and hands it to You. “They made a few requests.”

 “Thanks.” You reads the note, making sure she remembers each specific request. Dia wants her skirt a few inches longer, which is understandable, while Chika wants mikans incorporated into the outfit. Yoshiko herself asked for nothing. “Alright then. Which outfit should we start with first?”

 “I want to make my own outfit, so let’s start with the others.”

 “Chika’s,” You says. It’ll be easier for her, considering she’s made outfits for her before. “Alright. Chika’s is...orange.”

 “Mikan-colored.” Yoshiko corrects, “She said she didn’t want it to be orange, but mikan-colored. So I had to compare it with an actual mikan.”

 “Well, at least that matches her request.” You sighs softly. “Then, I suggest washing it first. While you’re at it, you should wash your uniform.”

 “Got it, got it. I’ll be right back.” The girl picks up the fabrics and her uniform before going out of the room.

 “Do you even know where the washing machine is?” You shouts but doesn’t follow her. Yoshiko might’ve seen it when she went out of the bathroom. Now alone, You opens her closet for a change of clothes. With how concerned she was, she forgot to change out of her uniform. She decides on a green shirt and a pair of white shorts, setting them aside before taking off her uniform. It was fine until she heard a creak coming from the door, just as she’s about to put on her shorts.

 “I just put the clothes-”, which is followed by a slam from the door being closed. You finishes putting on her clothes before opening the door, letting Yoshiko in who seems completely nonchalant about what happened.

 “You could’ve knocked.” You mumbles flatly. Yoshiko shrugs.

 “You could’ve locked the door.”

 “You’re saying that like it’s my fault!”

 “Well, I didn’t mind,” Yoshiko says before stopping, realizing what she said. “U-unless you’re uncomfortable with that. In that case, I’m sorry.”

 “...it’s fine.” She answers upon noticing Yoshiko’s dejected expression. “I guess I’m just not ready? For someone else to see me in just my underwear.”

 “You went to the middle school in Numazu, didn’t you?” You nods, and Yoshiko hums thoughtfully. “Right. It’s co-ed, so I guess you changed in a bathroom stall. Hate to break it to you, but even if you do that in Uranohoshi, you’ll still be getting an eyeful of everyone else.”

 “And everyone’s okay with that?”

 “Kinda. Most of us are gay, but it’s not like we’re ogling each other. It gets boring seeing the same people changing every week for a year, so it’s kind of like...what’s the visual version of ‘white noise’? Whatever that is.”

 She sits on the bed, getting comfortable before continuing. “So, the clothes are being washed. I think we have some time to burn, so let’s do something.”

 You motions towards the tray on the table. “You should eat. It’ll help with your cold.”

 Yoshiko eagerly takes the cup of tea, taking a sip of it while You watches. “...thanks.” She says, placing the cup down before moving towards the bowl of soup, beginning to eat. “While I’m eating, why don’t we talk?”

 “Didn’t your parents tell you that it’s not polite to talk while eating?” Yoshiko shrugs as she continues eating, not seeming to care. “...I guess it can’t hurt.”

 “Awesome!” Yoshiko seems pumped up, already thinking of what to talk about. “Oh, I’m curious. Dia mentioned that you’re in the swimming club.”

 “Well, technically I haven’t done any practices, but Kanan signed me up, so yeah.”

 “Cool. Are you good at it?”

 You blushes, not wanting to sound like she’s bragging. “Kinda. I was a pretty good diver in middle school, but the competition evolves quickly.”

 “That’s so cool!” Yoshiko says, impressed. “So you like swimming. What else do you do for fun?”

 You thinks of what else she likes spending her time on, but doesn’t find anything interesting. “Not a lot. Oh, I like taking pictures. Nothing professional, but they can be pretty good inspiration when I’m thinking of an idea.”

 “Huh. Not exactly the same, but I know a little bit about photography. Lighting, angle, things like that.”

 “You like photography?”

 “No, I stream online.” Her interest piqued, You asks her to explain. “Nothing impressive. I just sometimes...you know, as Yohane. People like that, and I like it too. It’s fun.”

 “Do you mind sharing your stream?” You opens the browser app on her phone

 “It’s so embarrassing though,” she says, but ends up telling You her username anyway. “It’s ‘Datenshi Yohane’. Katakana for ‘Yohane’ and kanji for the rest.”

 Typing in the name in the search bar, You asks another question as the results load. “You write Yohane with katakana?”

 “W-well, I like it! It’s cooler like that. A softer writing simply wouldn’t fit a fallen angel of my caliber.”

 “Yohane is a big softie inside, though!” You smirks as Yoshiko’s face gets progressively redder. “Right? Yohane is a ‘good girl’.”

 “Shut up! Yohane is not soft.” The girl grumbles as You goes back to her phone, checking out the search results. She finds out that Yoshiko has a surprisingly large fan base in the community.

 “Maybe I’ll check it out the next time you stream.” She says, causing Yoshiko to perk up.

 “Really? Then, I’ll send you a text when I’m about to start the next one.” She seems enthusiastic to share her interests, which You admits is kinda cute. If only her interests weren’t so hard to explain in public.

 “Well, I think that’s enough.” You bookmarks the page before closing the browser. “Finish your food, then we’ll check if the fabric’s done.” Yoshiko immediately starts whining.

 “We barely even talked! Come on, You, there’s no harm in getting to know each other.”

 You frowns. “It’s not that. You’re still sick, you know. I’m worried about you. If you stay up too late, you’ll be in even worse shape tomorrow.”

 “Right, right. I get it.” Yoshiko continues eating, alternating spoonfuls of soup with tea until she’s finally done.

 “See? You look better already!” You is pleased when she sees some color returning to Yoshiko’s features. Then she sneezes. “Well, still not good. But better. You’ll be good to go by tomorrow. Either way, let’s check the fabric.”

 Yoshiko sighs, reluctantly standing up. “It hasn’t really been that long. Are you sure they’re done?”

 “It doesn’t take long. Usually.” Walking out of the room with Yoshiko, she feels a sense of doubt when Yoshiko sneezes loudly. “Are you sure you’ll be alright staying up sewing?”

 “Of course I will. It’s like the title of that song...’if you love it, it’s alright’.” She sounds serious in spite of You’s confusion, like she’s supposed to get that reference.

 “I don’t think I get what you’re saying.”

 “Come on, take a guess.” Yoshiko beams at You.

 “Is it a new song I haven’t heard yet?”

 “It’s the title of our new song!” She exclaims proudly. “I’ve read the lyrics, and they’re really good. It’s gonna be a knockout, I guarantee more people will join the club after we sing.”

 “At least one person will, if the song is as good as you say. I did promise, didn’t I?”

 “And that means a lot to us,” Yoshiko says as they walk in front of the washing machine, turning it off. “Even now, I bet we wouldn’t be able to do it without you.”

 “That’s sweet, but I’m not doing much. You can just pay someone else to do the job if you really have to.”

 “We don’t have a budget though. I’m serious, having you help is massive.” Yoshiko waits for it to stop completely before opening it and grabbing the materials and her uniform. “We should dry them first, right?”

 “That’s right.” You answers, helping Yoshiko with the newly-cleaned clothes. “I think they end up better if you dry them naturally, but since we’re in a hurry, just put them in the dryer.”

 “Dryer. Got it.” Yoshiko moves towards the machine beside the previous one, shoving the clothes into it before turning it on. “This is so boring...I wish we can do something else.”

 “Once we start sewing, we won’t be resting anytime soon, so do that now.” With the machine working and nothing else for them to do, You decides for small-talk. “...I noticed that you weren’t with Chika or Dia this afternoon. Did something happen?” She doesn’t think that they wouldn’t fight only a few days before the live, but she wouldn’t have put it past them. Luckily, Yoshiko denies it.

 “It’s nothing like that. Chika’s sisters needed some help, so she went home early. And when I talked to Dia, she said that she had to go home too. So we’re okay, I think.”

“Oh, thank god.” You laughs, relieved. Since it’s just after the holiday rush, there has to be a lot of chores that needs to be done, so maybe Chika was asked to help. That makes sense. As for Dia, she’s probably helping Ruby with her homework. Ruby gets startled easily, so having someone else around would help her focus. With both Dia and Hanamaru accompanying her, she shouldn’t get scared.

 Wait. Something’s not right.

 “I don’t think Dia’s at her house,” You says, “Ruby went home early today with Hanamaru because no one else is at the house. I don’t think Ruby would lie about that.”

 “Oh.” Yoshiko seems depressed at the answer. “Then, I guess Dia’s avoiding me now. Maybe we’re not okay after all.”

 “I don’t think that’s true.” You says, even if it’s just to stop Yoshiko’s mood from dropping any further. “Maybe Dia’s busy, but she can’t tell you what’s going on.”

 “That means she doesn’t trust me. Doesn’t make me feel much better, You.”

 “Then just ask her.” At Yoshiko’s curious stare, she elaborates. “Just say that you’re worried about her and ask her what’s wrong. The worst that can happen is that she’ll say that she’s fine. If you’re lucky, you might find out what’s bothering her.”

 “W-what? But I’m not that worried about her....” She mutters before averting her gaze.

 “Yoshiko-chan,”

 “Yohane!” Yoshiko interrupts.

 “Yohane-chan,” You says softly, like an older sister giving advice, “You’re sad that Dia-chan lied to you, right?” Yoshiko nods quickly. “Then don’t you think it’s only fair that you should be honest? There’s nothing wrong with saying you’re worried.”

 She concedes, “I guess I am worried about her. Just a bit.” Well, it’s progress. As they wait for the clothes to finish drying, You feels a vibration coming from her phone. Checking it, she sees a text from her mom.

 ‘your father and I will be home late. have dinner without us.’

 “Yo...hane-chan, do you want anything to eat?”

 Yoshiko seems surprised that You called her Yohane, silent for a long moment before asking, “Do you have any leftovers from yesterday?”

 “Yeah, I think we do. Just let me heat it up.” Standing up, You goes to the kitchen, taking the steak from the fridge to heat up. She pours some sauce onto it before tossing it in the oven, preparing some rice while it’s heating. As she waits, she takes her phone and sends a message to Ruby, asking her whether or not Dia is with her. She replies ten minutes later, a ‘no’ confirming her thoughts. Somewhere in her mind, she hoped that it was just miscommunication, but now there’s confirmation that Dia had lied to Yoshiko.

 Why would Dia do that? You ponders the question for a few minutes, until the food is finished and she has to think about something else. Without knowing much, she can’t really think of a good reason. But she doesn’t think Dia would lie for no reason, either. She’ll just have to wait for tomorrow, and that’s only if Yoshiko can find out.

 Plating a portion of rice and steak on two plates, she places both on a tray along with a bottle of chili sauce for Yoshiko.Carefully balancing, she goes back to where Yoshiko is waiting, handing one of the plates to her.

 “Thanks.” She smiles as she takes the food along with the sauce, and it takes You everything she has to not judge her friend for the copious amounts of chili sauce she’s using. “This is some good stuff. Can you give me the recipe some time? I want to eat this at home, too.”

 “Yohane-chan, you can cook?” You asks, wondering if she also enjoys cooking.

 “No. I was going to give it to my mom.” Oh. You’s expression must’ve reflected her thoughts, as Yoshiko continues. “Don’t look so disappointed at me. More importantly, you can cook?”

 “Yeah. Kinda.” You replies, “I make my own breakfast. Sometimes my own dinner, too. I like cooking.”

 “Woah, that’s amazing. You’d make a great housewife,” Yoshiko says offhandedly.

 “Is that a-”

 “A compliment.”

 You nods, taking a bite of food as she mulls over her response. She really doesn’t think so. Her competitive spirit runs in her blood, and tossing that away for a more mundane life doesn’t sound very appealing.

 “...like Chika.”

“Huh?” You asks, causing Yoshiko to shove spoonfuls of food into her mouth to stop her from talking. “What did you just say?”

 “Nothing.” She says between spoonfuls.

 “No, I heard you say ‘like Chika’. What do you mean?” Embarrassed, Yoshiko swallows the food in her mouth before saying anything. “I-it’s nothing. I just thought that Chika would make a great housewife too. Since she works at the inn and everything.”

 You grins at her friend’s shy expression. “Yohane-chan, you really are super gay for her.”

 “Don’t just say it like that!”

 Amused, You takes another bite as she asks, “Why the change? You weren’t this...extreme yesterday.”

 Yoshiko shrugs. “I guess it’s just a bit nerve-wracking. I keep thinking about these outfits, so I keep thinking about them. What if they don’t like it, stuff like that. I’ll probably be a nervous wreck tomorrow.” She sighs quietly. “I’ve never really made anything for them, not even for their birthdays. So it’s like, if you buy someone something and they don’t like it, it’s a bit sad but whatever. But if you make them something and they don’t like it, it feels a lot more personal. That’s what I think.”

 “I totally get what you mean.” You gives an encouraging smile. “I always make scarves and mittens and things like that for my family, Chika, and Kanan. So I’m always nervous when I give it to them. But trust me, if you put your heart into making something, they’ll love it even if it’s not the best.”

 “Right, but you can actually sew.” She laughs. “But I guess you have to start from somewhere.”

 “That’s the spirit!” Checking the dryer, You guesses that the fabric must be done drying by now. “Let’s finish eating, then we can start working.”

 “Aye aye.” Yoshiko gives a mock salute, and You bursts out laughing at how ridiculous it is. Yoshiko pouts dramatically, taking offense before returning to shoveling food into her mouth. You follows suit, and it isn’t long until their plates are empty. You offers to take the dirty plates while Yoshiko readies the fabric for sewing, going into You’s room with them in hand. Once they’re all laid out in front of her, You runs back into the room and smiles.

 “Well, let’s get sewing!”

 -----

 After half an hour of sewing, Yoshiko really wishes she can go to sleep. In her hands is Dia’s barely-finished outfit, with Chika’s completed one to her side as an example. Since tomorrow is a school day, You decided to get some rest, but not before telling Yoshiko to wake her up if she needs help. Yoshiko, on the other hand, chose to push through her weariness. With more caution than she would exhibit any other day, Yoshiko pushes the thin needle through the fabric, connecting another part of the outfit.

 As Yoshiko thinks about it, sewing is kind of like a puzzle. She had to put together smaller parts into a bigger part until she ends up with something beautiful. But rather than just putting them together, she has to use a terrifyingly sharp needle to do it, and precision is required. Maybe people wouldn’t care much if the ribbon on the back of the outfit was slightly off-center, but some screw-ups can jeopardize the entire show. Messing up while sewing on the buttons might cause them to come off during the live, which would surely ruin the show and get Yoshiko murdered by Dia. The outfit is also kept in place by the shoulder straps and collar, which makes errors around those areas fatal. Luckily, everyone can try the outfits tomorrow and make sure no malfunctions will occur.

 Yoshiko puts down the sewing tools before sneezing, then picks them back up and continues like nothing happened. Her coughs and sneezes are becoming more frequent as it becomes later in the night, like her body is telling her to cut it out and go to sleep. She ignores it, only stopping briefly to sneeze or get some water before going back to sewing. Her eyelids become progressively heavier, but it’s nothing a splash of cold water can’t fix.

 As Yoshiko begins sewing on the collar, she struggles to push the needle through the thicker fabric. Maybe the needle isn’t as sharp after repeated use. “Come on...get through.” She mutters, using her thumb to push hard on the needle, helping it go through the fabric. It eventually goes through, but hits something else along the way.

 You is awakened by a loud scream. Sitting up on her bed, she faces Yoshiko to find the cause. “What was that?”

 “It’s nothing.” She mutters, staring at the outfit in front of her so she doesn’t have to face You.

 “Yohane-chan, what is it?” You gets up from the bed, moving closer to Yoshiko. “Why did you scream?”

 “I just...messed up a bit. Pushed a bit hard, no problem.” As You stands over Yoshiko, the other girl finally relents, showing her hand. You gasps.

 “You’re bleeding.”

 “Y-yeah, I guess.” You takes the sewing kit away from her, with Yoshiko showing only mild reluctance. “I’m fine, I can keep going.”

 “No, you can’t.” You answers as she examines the injury. It doesn’t seem very deep, thankfully. “I think you can get away with just washing it. Maybe a band-aid if you’re really concerned, but it should be fine.”

 “But...the outfit.” You follows Yoshiko’s gaze towards the red stain on the front of Dia’s outfit. “I ruined it.”

 “Outfits don’t get hurt.” You states simply. “You’re sick and I bet you’re tired, too. If you keep sewing, you’ll be sick and won’t even be able to come in tomorrow, which means you’ll be skipping practice. Think about it. Which is better? The outfits being a day late but still there for the performance, or you not knowing what you’re doing?”

 Yoshiko seems quiet, staring at the outfit in her hands. “I guess...the first one.”

 “Exactly.” Smiling, You takes the unfinished outfit and places it to the side with Chika’s. “You don’t even have to do much. Just add a few finishing touches to this one and then we can do yours, and they’ll be ready to go! We might need to cover up the stain though...or don’t. Dia’s color is red after all.”

 Yoshiko laughs, putting the rest of the unused materials into her bag. “No way, do you want it to look like she just killed someone?”

 “I’m just joking!” The two finish tidying up, You putting the sewing kit back into her drawer while Yoshiko takes both the finished outfit and unfinished outfit with her. “It’s getting pretty late, though. I can walk with you if you’d like.”

 “That will not be necessary. A fallen angel thrives in darkness.” Yoshiko answers, pocketing her phone before standing up. “After all, you’re tired as well. It would be unfit to ask my little demon for assistance.”

 “Little demon or not, it’s not safe walking alone.” You follows her towards the front door. “My dad’s gonna be home soon. He can give you a ride.”

 “I’ll be fine, You.” She assures one last time as she puts on her shoes. Opening the door, she gives another salute, which You returns this time, before walking out. Looking through the peephole, she waits until Yoshiko is out of sight before locking the door and going back to her room.

 Might as well sleep now, You thinks as she lays down on her bed, hoping to discard the feelings of worry blooming in her mind.

[greyias]

Do any of the fictional kiss prompts for theron because I need the fluff but I also crave the angst ahhhh going to drown in feels on the 22nd

You and me both, Nonny. So much angst and feels incoming I’m not sure if I can take it! In the meantime, I agree, fluff is probably the best cure! I started this with #19 in mind, but I think a few more worked their way in. Mostly fluff as the doctor ordered, but a hint of some future angst may have slipped in. Whoops!

(I blame Theron. As per usual. Thank you for the prompt!)

It was a two fingers of whiskey kind of night. Theron had spent nearly ten hours bent over a data terminal without a break, trying to backtrace a signal he’d picked up from the latest uprising that the Alliance had gotten tangled up in. The new command center for the Fleet wasn’t even complete, and the bottom feeders were already starting to come out of the woodwork. It made sense, there was bound to be skirmishes in a power vacuum, but there was a small portion of him that had wanted more than just a day or two of rest. After everything the Alliance had just gone through, after everything that it’s Commander had been through, a small break from the constant, never-ending battle would have been nice. She of all people deserved a vacation from the unending grind, and he could have tagged along. Maybe.

But the work never stopped, which was good for his boredom — less so for his stress levels. He’d never really been one to take a break, and he’d always used his vacation time at the SIS for other things (usually keeping a certain disreputable Twi’lek alive when she got in too deep, despite her best efforts to make him mind his own business). He frowned and took another sip. It had been a while since he had looked in on Teff’ith. Over eight years had passed since they had struck up their, well, friendship seemed to be a little generous of a term but he had nothing else – and she hadn’t changed much. Maybe she threatened to stick a vibroblade between his ribs a bit less these days, but that was probably because he hadn’t been able to keep as close tabs on her since the start of the Alliance. Who knew what mess she was involved in these days. Not much of a big brother figure, was he?

He’d have to try and make more of an effort to check in. People that he still considered family were in short supply, and it was bad form to not keep in touch. Yeah, he’d do that. Just as soon as he caught a break.

The stream of intelligence on his datapad scrolled on endlessly. A pocket of unrest near Tatooine. The White Maw were getting bolder, spreading from Hoth to more sectors in the Outer Rim. Disturbed murmurings from Port Nowhere about a new criminal organization he’d never heard of. Pockets of violence spread across the Galaxy at random. And yet something about it all didn’t seem completely random. Maybe he’d been staring at a screen too long today, but he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that he was missing something. Something much larger.

The cushions of the couch dipped as someone sat next to him, and the scent of Velanie flowers and juna berries tickled his nose. Hylo had recently swapped out the shampoo they were bringing in, complaining that she was tired of the Trillium soap stinking up her cargo bay. He didn’t mind the change for one. Out of a reflex built on routine, Theron wrapped an arm around the Jedi as she rested her cheek against his shoulder. His eyes never left the screen of the datapad, even as her still-slightly dampened hair soaked into his shirt. Absently he took another sip of whiskey, balancing the datapad at an odd angle as his eyes continued to take in the never ending stream of text. He felt her hand briefly brush against the fingers he had wrapped around his glass.

“Long day?” she asked quietly.

He nodded absently, pulling up a separate intelligence briefing on Tatooine. They had personnel in that area. They probably could handle it — but it wouldn’t hurt to check in. Get a report from someone with eyes on the situation directly. It was late there, though. Probably could wait until morning.

“When was the last time you took a break?”

“This is a break. I don’t drink on the chrono.”

“You’re a horrible liar.”

“I’m a good liar,” he corrected absently. “It’s part of the job description.”

“Not with me.”

“Which is why I’m not lying. If I were working I’d still be at a data terminal.”

She let out a small noise of frustration, but fell quiet again. Most nights she’d have a data pad of her own, them both juggling for a comfortable reading position while still keeping physical contact. Neither of them were very demonstrative by nature, but they’d fallen into a comfortable routine since the formation of the Alliance. Share a cup of caf after meditation most mornings and settle into intelligence reports into the long hours of the night. Her lack of one right now was the closest he could give her to an actual break. Which was starting to seem like a mistake as she squirmed on the couch, unable to get comfortable. He did his best to ignore it, pulling up a different report. 

The situation on Hoth looked like a powder keg ready to blow. He’d need to talk to Aygo, see if they could spare some troops from the relief efforts. As he pored over the details, that nagging feeling cropped up again. He stopped, went back and re-read it again, but nothing jumped off the screen at him. Just a vague sense of unease. He washed it away with another swig of whiskey.

“What are you worried about?”

“What?” he asked absently. “I’m not worried about anything. Just reading.”

The huff she let out this time was much louder and the weight resting against his shoulder disappeared as she sat up. He backed out of the report, pulling up the HoloNet so he could make a quick cross-reference to see if there was anything about this Crimson Fang organization. He was in the midst of typing out his search when he felt a soft kiss press to his cheek. He blinked, pausing as he forgot the next word in his query. The lips pressing against his cheek quirked up into a ghost of a smile, and he felt another soft peck.

His fingers hovered over the keys, trying to regain his train of thought. The cursor blinked up at him, waiting far more patiently than the blonde woman who planted a series of feather soft kisses that traced his jawline. He let the datapad drop to the table and carefully set his glass of whiskey down next to it before turning to face her as gracefully and poised as he could.

“Fine, datapad down. Happy now?”

“I’d be happier if you’d tell me what was bothering you.”

“Nothing is bothering me.” He heaved a sigh that was most definitely not on the dramatic side. “I just got a little sidetracked today and let the reports pile up.”

Her eyes crinkled as she gave him a sad smile, her thumb absently brushing across the deep crease in his brow. “You have twice as much whiskey in that glass as you normally do and are on the way to making this frown permanent.”

“I thought you said wrinkles looked distinguished.”

“You said that. I said I didn’t care if you looked like a shriveled Dressellian prune.”

“You know just what to say to a guy to make him feel sexy.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Her cheeks flushed pink, lips briefly pressing together in consternation. “Theron, you’ve fallen asleep on this couch for the last two nights surrounded by a pile of datapads.”

“So I’m more than just a little behind on reports.”

“Is that all it is?”

He frowned, eyes briefly straying to the discarded datapad on the table, the search field still empty and waiting. The ghost of a notion that he was missing something still lingered in the back of his mind. “I don’t know. It’s probably nothing.”

“What is?”

“I just can’t help but feel I’m not seeing something,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. He stopped mid-motion, seeing that she’d adopted his perturbed expression from earlier. “Forget about it, I’m probably jumping at shadows. Gotten too used to chasing after the next mission.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“Isn’t there? I’m sitting here lost in the HoloNet instead of taking advantage of us being alone, truly alone, for the first time since before we ever even heard the name Zakuul.”

A flicker of a shadow crossed her face at the memory of the unwanted interloper in her head, who had been trying to hollow her out from the inside. Without even thinking about it he reached out, laying a hand on hers and giving it a small squeeze. A small smile chased the shadow away as she dropped her gaze, absently running the fingers of her other hand over his knuckles. He’d forgotten how nice that felt.

“After so long, the quiet in my mind is a little odd. Not unwelcome, but I sometimes don’t know what to do with it.”

“We both kind of got used to working around him,” he admitted quietly. “Do something long enough, you get accustomed to it. Can get too comfortable in a routine, even if it’s not the best one for you.”

“And if you do?”

“Hm?”

“Get too comfortable. Get stuck. What do you do then?”

“Something unexpected.”

“Like what—”

He gave a quick tug to their clasped hands, yanking her off balance so that she was sprawled across his lap and captured her mouth in a breathless kiss. She was still for a brief moment, before she responded in kind, surging forward and pressing her body into him. He wasted no time, scooping her up as he stood, shuffling them both in the direction of the bed.

“Stairs,” she murmured against his lips, moments before they would trip.

“Sorry,” he replied, slowing just enough so they didn’t wind up a tangled mess of limbs on the floor. “Hard to see.”

“You could always stop,” she let out a small gasp as he began to nibble on her ear, “and watch where you’re going.”

“Not a chance,” he muttered. “You use the Force. That’s what it’s for.”

“That’s not an appropriate use of—”

“Live a little,” he said, “we’re being unexpected. Remember?”

“I am not using the Force as a homing beacon for the bed.”

“Fine,” he sighed melodramatically, “you give me no choice then.”

Without warning he scooped her off her feet, eliciting a tiny gasp before she let out a quiet giggle. He flashed her a smirk, quickly crossing the rest of the expanse before unceremoniously tossing her smaller form on the bed. The sound she let out then was far less delighted, and bordered on indignant.

“Oh no, what a tragedy.” He shook his head gravely as she flashed him a look. “If only I had had a map to know where I was going—”

“Oh, shut up,” she said with a roll of her eyes, grabbing him by the belt and pulling him down next to her.

Theron happily complied with her request, as there was far more creative ways to tease her and bring a blush to those cheeks than with sarcasm alone. He nibbled at her throat gently, deciding he liked her tiny gasps to the indignant huff anyway. As he got lost in her arms, whatever had been bothering him was completely forgotten. Along with the datapad, the reports, and the half-drunk glass of whiskey.

[zalrb]

We’re starting to get somewhere {TVD 1x05 Review}

Hi all! Welcome to the fifth review of TVD season 1. Considering that I haven’t like sat down to watch a full episode of the past seasons of TVD in a few years and my memory might not be the greatest I think I will start with my usual disclaimer: I write my thoughts in real time so if I make a mistake at the beginning of this post, it will be corrected by the end. There will be anti-Damon and anti-Delena sentiments (I’m only mentioning these two because it’s the beginning of the series), and in light of recent events I feel the need to say that there may be some anti-Jenna sentiments too. I will probably bring up other shows and call attention to misogynoir, racism, anti-blackness etc. Also I do not have MS Word right now so I wrote this on Kingsoft, which is eh, so some of the formatting might be off. Ready? Let’s go.

1. “In the dark ages, when a vampire’s actions would bring harm or exposure to the entire race, they would face judgement, they sought to reeducate them than to punish them.” So, like, there IS a culture of vampires with certain traditions that Stefan knows but we never ever talk about it, and this line indicates that there is a governing body, which we never explore or hear about ever again. Such a missed opportunity. 

2. “And then in 50 years we’ll reevaluate.” It’s actually a good plan and Stefan is a methodical thinker.

3. LOL I like how Elena is more horrified about what’s happening with Vicki and Jeremy than Jenna. “He could at least be craftier about it, make more of an effort to sneak her in and out.” Like if she’s going to be THAT kind of guardian then she should be proactive about it. Set a place for Vicki at the table, tell them to use condoms, and not sneak her in because if they’re going to have sex she’d at least want to know they’re being safe and they can be all, “Eew! Jenna!” but at least she’s DOING something.

4. I would respect Jenna’s presence a lot more if the show was like “we needed her here so CPS won’t come” except Matt and Vicki are virtually living on their own so Elena and Jeremy could’ve done so as well because Jenna literally serves no purpose #sorrynotsorry

5. I do love Elena mimicking Stefan though because it’s kind of on point. “Hi, uh ... Elena, uh...” LOL SHE IS NOT IMPRESSED and I think it shows how new yet how familiar they are with each other. 

6. “Honestly, I’m not going to be one of those pathetic girls whose world stops spinning because of some guy!” 

Julie Plec:

7. “I hate lying to her, Zach, I’m not GOOD at it” LOL you really aren’t, Stefan. Also Paul looks unbelievably gorgeous, OMG. 

8. “Unbelievable, it’s like nothing happened.” Elena, instead of being lowkey judgemental of Caroline for trying to move on from a traumatic experience, why don’t you TALK to her about it?

9. “I have to be home after school but The Grill, around 4 o’clock?” So when does school end and how long does it take you to get home and then to The Grill from home? Because I finished school at 3:15 so like ... cutting it kind of close, Stefan? At least say 4:30. 

10. I do like that Elena is pissed at Stefan but still wearing the SE, sorry the “DE”, necklace, it’s like when Buffy ws calling Angel a stalker but was still wearing his leather jacket, like OK, girl. 

11. Elena, why would you ask Matt if he’d seen Stefan? That boy is lost in love with you, he done told you he wasn’t give up on you two, like have some tact. 

12. I like how it was supposed to be this huge thing that Elena played pull with Damon in 1x11 but she was playing pool with Matt in 1x05 and he even gets her to stick around by teasing, “I’ll let you break” like you are not special, Damon. 

13. Zach is stupid, Damon is coughing and you go to the cellar, why? 

14. Zach is indulging Damon and I don’t even know why. Like if the coughing was bothering you so much then take a walk. 

15. And see, you get choked out. And I don’t even feel bad. 

16. Also, Elena isn’t talking about Vicki like she’s Matt’s sister. 

17. “How late is it?” “Hitting the hour mark.” Seriously, Stefan, 4:00?

18. So Tiki’s grandfather is all “I know you” to Stefan and Elena turns around to look at Tiki’s grandfather so she’s standing next to Stefan and my God, they’re a gorgeous couple. Like we already knew that but sometimes there’s a moment where Nina and Paul stand next to each other and you’re like WOW, it reminds me of my friend and his boyfriend, like I’d hung out with them many times before but I was coming down the stairs at a party one night, kinda buzzed and I just saw them sitting together and they looked SO hot and I was like holy shit they’re a sexy couple and my other friend came and was like Zal, what’s up and I was like aren’t they a hot couple? And she was like YES and we just spent a good ten minutes with three other people marvelling about how hot they were and that’s how I feel right now. 

19. Although Elena getting upset that an old man thinks he knows Stefan is weird, like the fact that the old man DOES know Stefan aside, Elena doesn’t know he’s a vampire yet, so I don’t think I would be suspicious of that, I’d be like lol ok old man, how many scotches have YOU had?

20. I do think it’s adorable that Elena storms home mad so then Stefan essentially just shows up like “So I’m cooking you dinner” and I love that Jeremy is in on it: “Jeremy told me that chicken parmasean is one of your favourites” because like how did that go? Did Stefan have Jeremy’s number or find him at The Grill somewhere like, I totally screwed up with Elena and I want to make it up to her to apologize, what does she ... I already got her a book, what’s her favourite dish? I can cook!

21. “He claims that he was with her first, I don’t know...” it’s funny because I usually sort of just overlook this line but the fact that Stefan doesn’t know when the timeline with him and Damon and Katherine began is because he was compelled. His memories came back when he turned, yes, but there are still things he wouldn’t know because it was only with Damon whereas Damon knew everything, Damon knew that Stefan was going to be Katherine’s escort to the Founder’s Ball and listened to their conversation in Katherine’s room. Like it’s actually really fucked up that Damon knew everything that was happening and didn’t think to protect Stefan from it. And I would be more ... understanding if there was also a sort of fear with Katherine? If Damon WAS like, he’s just a kid but I’m a man, maybe it should just be you and me and Katherine vamps out on him and chokes him and is like, “My game, my rules, understand?” but nothing like that happens, SO.

22. I really don’t get what it is that Jeremy sees in Vicki. 

23. “But I am no snob” Stefan, honey, you’re a pop culture snob, it’s OK though.

24. These SE smiles, KILL ME. 

25. Something else I just noticed! When Elena cuts her finger and Stefan vamps out, he turns away to hide his face and Elena is trying to get him to turn around and see but he won’t let her:

And in 1x10 the same thing happens except she tells him not to hide from her sohe obliges:

That is called development within the narrative.

26. I also enjoy this scene because it shows the tensions between both of Stefan’s worlds, Elena is getting to know the man Stefan, his interests, his hobbies, they’re vibing but then she cuts her finger and his vampirism springs forward so his other side is always there lurking beneath and he’s battling it to get to know her, to be with her. SE is poetic in a lot of ways, guys, ways in which DE and SC just can’t touch. 

27. I also like that Stefan leans forward to kiss her but stops because he isn’t sure if it’s what she wants and Elena fucking sighs and kisses him like YES YOU IDIOT. 

28. And then she pulls away and Stefan reaches forward for another kiss. Omg they’re adorbz.

29. So how exactly can Damon reach out to Caroline? Is it just because he fed on her? 

30. Seriously, his terrorizing of Caroline just never fucking ends.

31. I do like that she was talking to Tiki about swimsuits because not everything has to be directly related to plot.

32. Omg why do they KEEP going down to the damn basement. Stefan I get that he’s your brother but the whole point is for him to desiccate and you said it would take a week. Come back in a week, fam. Or at least don’t TALK to him. 

33. Lol these dorks trying to get the other to undress. 

34. The Tiki and Bonnie thing still pisses me off. 

35. Jenna and Logan ... Like, I guess. 

36. They could’ve given Candice a better two piece. 

37. I mean this could’ve been a scene where Stefan is topless for longer than 30 seconds but they chose not to and I’m just like but, like, why?

38. Elena is equally bad at lying to Stefan. You two need to try and stop lying to each other because you both see through the other.

39. Jenna, aren’t you supposed to be like a frazzled 26 year old Masters or PhD student but you have time to wait around for an hour for a man you ran away from town because of? I mean, I guess. 

40. Vicki, Jeremy’s parents are dead, do you not think it’s a little disrespectful to take him to a cemetery to get wasted? 

41. “You bit me.” “You liked it, remember?” “Why do I keep remembering the same things but in different ways?” “You remember what I want you to remember.” Oh but Damon didn’t rape Caroline, right? 

42. I completely forgot that Damon chases Caroline throughout the Salvatore house to kill and feed on her but she only got away because he didn’t have his daylight ring. And people ask me to disregard season 1 Daroline?

43. They really shunt Bonnie’s witch storyline to the side until they need her to help Damon and Elena.

44. Vicki’s speech to Jeremy is stupid. I get there is a class difference between them and Vicki would be full of rage because of that and her absentee mom but, like, TVD doesn’t do it well enough for me to think she’s anything more than a brat especially in the context of the speech. Jeremy is rightfully angry because Vicki stole Elena’s pills from his house and they’re getting high in a cemetery which could be triggering to him and he calls the people they’re getting high with waste of space small town lifers and she gets angry like well what am I? But when has Jeremy EVER made her feel like she’s a waste of space? And her saying if she wants to feel like crap she can go back to Tyler is like ... You stole from his house, though. I don’t know, the context is all wrong, at least with Matt and Caroline when she makes a crack about him being a busboy, Matt being upset makes sense. In Friday Night Lights, I felt for Tyra who basically has the same storyline as Vicki and I can’t decide if it’s because of the writing or the acting. 

45. Caroline is SO rude to Liz. And Liz is trying. I get that Caroline is traumatized by what happened but her hostility toward Liz in season 1 is literally something I never got. And please no one say “it’s just a teen thing” because no. 

46. Elena finding out Stefan is a vampire and then immediately going to his house alone being like what are you??? Is like so you must know he won’t hurt you because you’re not being cautious at ALL. 

 OK! That’s all for 1x05 annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd I have 1x06 and 1x07 cued up so when I get home I may or may not review those too!

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Armed Girls Machiavellism 1 | Love Tyrant 1 | Warau Salesman New 1 | Alice to Zouroku 1 | Twin Angel Break 1 | Tsukigakirei 1 | Boku no Hero Academia 15 | Tsugumomo 1

(Armed Girls Machiavellism 1)

I was doubtful about this one because I could never get what was so offputting about it. Maybe I’ll figure it out while I watch.

…bear?

I bet he’s just a hand to hand brawler, that Nomura.

I appreciate the correct English, but “WARNING! Knock out 40+” sounds like a bunch of dot points…or a really bad brand of sunscreen, LOL.

Okay, I know anime has weird names, but “Kirukiru Amo” is a whole ‘nother level of weird. Then again, there’s weirder names out there (like Zolbe from Saiki Kusuo, but he seems to be a bit of a stereotype).

Hey wait, I thought I’d heard of Tenkai Goken (Great Five Swords) before, and it turns out I have! Touken Ranbu’s Juzumaru is one, so is Mikazuki and so is Oodenta (TR’s Oodenta is drawn by the same guy who did character designs for Kiznaiver, to boot)!

You gotta admit the colours in this really pop in a modern sort of way, unlike the somewhat plain Sagrada Reset.

See? Fudo really is a hand to hand brawler! (Then again, I knew that from the ANN stuff, LOL. Sorry I didn’t warn you about that.)

I half expect the pink stuff to be either transformation goo or makeup applying goo.

When I scoped out the show, the first impression shot that put me off was this one (the one just after the OP). Then again, I was intrigued by how empowering it was for the girls the first time I saw it, and I was put off by it the second time (because I scoped it out twice by looking at the manga website). I think it was Fudo’s face that did it for me, which is a bad sign going forward.

Isn’t it “co-educational”, rather than “co-existence”? Or is that just a very bad pun on the show’s part? Update: It is a bad pun, one on the word kyousei (correct/coexist, different kanji for each).

This is what definitely makes it offputting – the ecchi part. I really shouldn’t have wanted to watch this show, eh?

Nipple wrestling is a thing?! (wut.)

Take out the leg she’s standing on. Then again, if you went for that leg, she’d kick you with her other one…eh, I’m not good at strategy, y’know?

I know this is a battle anime, but since it’s a school anime too, shouldn’t Fudo get that thing disinfected?

Seriously, this show can never decide if it’s one or two parts of Rin’s mask they need on her face at one given time. On that note, I don’t think I’m coming back to this show. While it’s middle-of-the-road in some ways, it’s downright disturbing in others, including the bear.

(Love Tyrant 1)

I can’t remember why I picked some of these up…I was wandering around ANN a lot since I had a bunch of things due before the spring season started…

Well, that’s new. A show that made me cringe before anything really happened. 

Wow. Blatant parody much.

I’m with Seiji re: Guri. The “wait a minute” though? Do they have that on all TV stations in Japan? Plus, ANN says Guri’s a fujoshi…which is vaguely disturbing when she randomly picks the PM and House Speaker…at least pick someone who’ll cause less impact on the world at large and not play that for comedy!!!

Okay…ooooooookkkkkkkkkkayyyyyyyyyyyyyy…not only Gainaxing, but fanservice galore…I think I learnt my lesson from Armed Girls. I’m getting out of here.

(Warau Salesman New 1)

Why do I have this on my list? ANN says it does its job competently, and while I’m not completely a sucker for monkey’s paw stories, seeing another 60s manga revived as an anime…is one odd choice after another for the industry, so hey, why not. Plus it was made by one of the Fujios, which makes it somewhat culturally relevant.

The artstyle might seem outdated, but it’s living up to its premise – there seems to be an uneasy feeling laced throughout the show.

Comic Sans, get out.

Hyper realistic artwork in an anime like this is always a “should that even be there????” factor. It works in the show’s favour though.

I think the intro is fine once per episode or at the start of each episode if the episode is about 5 – 10 minutes long. For a full length, you want to go ???? (in a bad way) at it. It’s different animation, sure, but it’s the same intro text, and that’s bad.

LOL, she looks like Fujiko Mine now. It must be no coinicidence, since it comes from the Lupin III era.

This is strangely well produced for an anime of a time gone by, but it reminds me of a show that creeped me out, updated, mature and Japan-ified. (For reference, this is the show I got creeped out by – Death By Chocolate, which is the one where a girl eats chocolate with a bug egg in it and turns into a bug herself …ugh.) So I’m gonna drop it. (As another reference, I wrote a transformation story – do you remember Melting Chocolate, back in the day? – that may have taken its inspiration from Death by Chocolate.)

(Alice to Zouroku 1)

Apparently the sci-fi part of this is good, so I hope it can live up to expectations.

Alright, I admit I completely forgot this was a double-length first ep. SGRS managed to pull it off (and in a sense, so did Kado), but anything that squanders its chances with such an opportunity is a waste in most senses of the word.

Oh great, this looks like Denpa Kyoushi. Not a good sign.

…giant arms?

Okay, whose idea was it to turn all the cars into CG blocks? It works on just one car or a bunch of cars, but if you do it on the waffle thing (that’s on the side of the road) too, it starts to look clunky.

Faim Mart (sic), LOL. Obviously Family Mart.

Does this count as breaking and entering…?

The more I look at these CGI cars, the more I’m led to believe this is some Very Bad Anime, but the chase scene is actually thrilling to a small degree, so it’s obviously not.

I like this old man already. Meanwhile, I still don’t like Very Bad CGI.

Asahi and Yonaga (yo can mean “night” while asa can mean “day”), LOL.

Kensaku means “search” (as in, kensaku no engin is “search engine”).

Zoroku is the one element that makes this stand out. I mean, I laughed way too hard at him pushing the girl (Sana, right?) down.

It’s this season’s ACCA, LOL.

Okay, that’s a breach of privacy I don’t like. However, unless you’re a psychic, you can’t follow that example…

Xiaochi means “snack” in Chinese.

“I hate crooked stuff.” - So then why’d you work with the yakuza, Zoroku?

The flowers look real! Is that the true power of CG? (Actually, I take that back. Kado’s cube is better than that.)

Phlox. Doesn’t quite look like what its animated version looks like.

Alice to Zoroku has potential, but almost non-existent themes, no real sense of suspense in its action scene and horridly bad CGI. The only real good point is Zoroku, so I’m going to drop it.

Update: I watched this in bits and pieces because I had my mind on other things, but apparently there’s dust on Sanae’s stuff and Zoroku said Sanae was on a school trip? This is one of the times I’ll have to disagree with whoever said that, because I do not recall that one speck.

(Twin Angel Break 1)

I apologise in advance for if I call this Twin Angels Break instead of Twin Angel Break, because there seems to be no particular set name this show is called in that regard. Plus, you already know I’m a fan of magical girls – last time there was a show that could have gone into circulation (Nurse Witch Komugi-chan R), it didn’t make it but considering how brutal I am with my decisions for simulcast commentary these days, this one might just make it! Update: There were actually a few shows after Komugi that could’ve made it, with Flip Flappers notably making it but Magical Girl Raising Project not making it. It’s just that I consider Flip Flappers an Alice in Wonderland show more than a magical girl one.

This is…pretty obviously a commercial…maybe I should take my excitement back…

The only sister school scheme I know that requires grades requires average grades, so I guess I can’t really talk (since I’ve never been on exchange anyway…?).

LOL, selfies. Thought they’d gone out of style at least a half year ago. Even dabbing’s more recent than selfies…

I can feel the yuri…

I feel Yuki’s reveal as a crossdresser was unnecessary.

Those “women” are from a series I was going to watch (Twin Angel Twinkle Paradise). Dangit spoilers – stealth sequels hurt the self-esteem if you don’t remember they’re coming. (I was aware this was a stealth sequel from ANN, but then I forgot about it because I’ve been churning out about 4 premiere entries a day…)

4 cups?! I couldn’t eat that much if I tried! I can almost finish a whole bag of chips on my own though (not the oven-baked, potato-mush-in-middle sort, the other sort).

Shamisenist? Is that a thing? However, this guy’s so camp, it’s hilarious.

Zundar, is that you? LOL, jks.

Why does this hedgehog have non-kawaii eyes? (LOL.)

Gratuitous shaking of the butt means it’s one for the yuri crowd…no wonder it’s a pachinko ad…

Wait, so Miruku is a girl?!

“What is the Tamagawa River?” - I ask the same question Meguru did, John.

How could you not tell, Meguru?! It’s kinda obvious, right? I love magical girls, but this is the sin of all magical girl shows, built into the format.

Welp, it seems like this one gets an OK from me. It’s not particularly groundbreaking, but the flail and naginata bit seems promising. However, the thing about magical girl shows is that they often don’t fare well under the simulcast commentary format so it may not stay on forever.

(Tsukigakirei 1)

Apparently this is decent…but if it’s only decent, I may just shove it aside…Update: Promo material says male protag likes Osamu Dazai, and after Bungou, danggggggg I’m thirsty for more Dazai, LOL.

Already I cringe at the bad CGI…

There was live action in the OP of Kado but this one seems even more out of place with it.

There’s that one guy with pink hair who wouldn’t look out of place in a different anime, but here he stands out since I already know how uptight Japanese schools can be with their rules (it’s a common topic during Japanese study, y’know?).

It says dai dai dai boshuu (basically, they’re trying reallllllll hard to get people to join through words alone) but the bottom line on the bo seems to be a little too long. There’s also the fact someone accidentally wrote “dog” instead of one of the dais, since “dog” and “big” (in this case big = dai) are only one stroke’s difference, but that extra stroke was rubbed out. Either way, there is an error in the recruitment statement, so the typo reflects that…I listened to it again, and the “dog” thing was indeed the case.

Thank you Dazai for such sage advice in describing teenage romance. (semi-sarcastic)

Okay, who describes water as tasty? Unless you’ve flavoured your water, I just don’t see why. Water is flavourless, y’know?

I live close to a shopping centre, so I see people I know working there sometimes and it’s awkward in that sort of way - Tsukigakirei just captured that feeling perfectly.

I left the volume on after checking the dog joke and gosh, that piano music is gorgeous. I’d love to hear this show’s OST when I can.

People in Western countries use Facebook these days, but it’s the same gig, right?

Watching that hand in the corner working that phone…it’s an odd angle.

Taiko no Tetsujin is a play on Taiko no Tatsujin. That’s where the lil’ drum in Osu comes from, and heck, it’s real similar to Osu.

I never quite understood that thing where girls have to go to the bathroom together…maybe it’s because I was raised to be independent? Or because I’m antisocial? Or even both? I get it if they want to chat, but otherwise nope.

I consulted Aozora Bunko, and apparently that line exists in that story.

Yudemen.

The only real supergroups I know are Swedish House Mafia (kinda sorta, they were only real big stars after SHM took off) and Apparatjik (because Coldplay).

“You should read all kinds of books,” LOL.

There was one background with one door and light streaming in that was so lifelike…that took my breath away…

So, despite its awkwardness, this one seems intent on being brutally honest and that’s admirable. It’s a keeper.

(Boku no Hero Academia 15)

It’s interesting to note in the final shot of the OP, Shouto wears a navy suit that looks a lot like his sport uniform. However, Bakugou is clearly wearing his hero outfit and so is everyone else.

Interesting to note All Might’s blood stain stays on the side of his face when he speaks after it spurts out of his mouth. However, that attempt at humour didn’t quite work for me.

“…until the day of.” – The day of…what? The subs didn’t finish the sentence, even though it’s obvious from the context what it’s referring to.

Mineta’s “person” thing is something used to relieve stress – you write the kanji for “person” on your hand (which only needs two strokes) and then you eat it (figuratively speaking).

Ooh. Shouto’s made a real pretty ice sculpture.

Oh. Koseiteki literally, but “Quirky” in English translation. Nice one, subbers. (The title for the next ep is affected by this particular grammar snarl – which I don’t really know how to explain myself – affecting the word for Quirk (kosei). Literally speaking, the title for the next ep is something along the lines of “Everyone’s Good With [Their Own] Quirks, Aren’t They?”)

(Tsugumomo 1)

I wasn’t part of the anime scene in 2007, so I wonder how that’ll impact my view on the show.

Oh man, OP debut queue. It’s kinda hard to keep up with…

I get why people make that eye-shaped window thing, but I’m not a fan of it visuals-wise.

Oh gosh. Why can’t harem protags keep their hands to themselves? Plus, that hand movement Kazuya makes doesn’t make sense if you’re reaching out for the girl (Kiriha, that was her name, right?).

The more I sigh, the more I want to get out of here. I can’t handle 1) jokes about…a man’s area, 2) jokes about peeking at panties and 3) jokes about groping girls, among other things (which have all been ticked off!), so this show has one last chance to prove itself before it gets a bad score and a kick out.

Yeahhhhhhhh. I get why you’re doing that, but...out in the open, you look like a perv, Kazuya.

Don’t say you’re dead when you’re falling…*sigh*

Dang that battle made me change my opinion fast. Good fight scene. Now tone down the harem parts and we have ourselves a deal.

Dang that “Ya-kun, I’ve drawn a bath!” thing reminds me exactly of Masamune-kun’s Revenge. Or Fuuka. Whichever one it was last season with the dude with the multiple sisters who lounge around in their underwear…*rolls eyes*

When Kiriha showed up in bed I half expected either 1) “PERVERT!” *shaking screen* or 2) “YIKES! Why is she in my bed?!” *shaking screen*. If either of those happened, I never registered it (mercifully) because I had the volume off, but luckily the screen didn’t shake...Okay, he screamed. I’m getting outta this cliché fest, see ya.

[anotherler]

So I kinda binge-read LQ’s blog for several hours last night and today and I’m still not back up to the most recent post...there is so much material on his blog...bless. It’s been an emotional journey so far. I can’t really put my feelings into words sometimes and I just read some parts of his blog quietly but my notes capture some of it.

It’s a little odd, if you ask me for both aproach the blog from an analytical standpoint but be really emotionally invested at the same time. Without further ado, heres part 3.

Part 1 / 2 / 3

113. LQ gets defensive about his surroundings…that’s a bit of a red flag, isn’t it?

114. Oh shit. Oh shit. We’re getting to the part where I voiceacted some of LQ’s lines HAHaha. I kinda…know these posts too well after reading through them aloud and listening to my own recordings…oh boy. Kinda tempted to try my hand at voiceacting again.

115. LQ first mentions the possibility of him being cursed. He later calls HQ his curse…just saying.

116. FUCK. LQ IS TOO ADORABLE WITH THAT PEN  IN HIS MOUTH. FR ICK

117. LQ is a butt pervert

118. Oh dear…LQ thinks that being himself and being alone is all in one…oh man.

119. LQ really doesn’t think he’s worthy of anything…but I think he’d certainly want to be.

120. This really hurts.

121. LQ has probably been taking medication for mental reasons as well…maybe. I remember he had a box of medication given to him.

122. He claims his mother doesn’t like people acting “abnormal”…possibly another reason why he’s so hard on himself and why he tries to hide and excuse his emotions.

123. Suddenly he’s very pale.

124. FemLQ! Spot the diff

125. Poor LQ…he’s pretty uncomfortable and weirded out…

126. I’m…laughing about Mori leaning in with the askbox for the “dressup as my OC” answer. That’s the icing on the cake. Also LQ looks really good in that outfit.

127. Take a shot everytime LQ says fake it till you make it…but on a more serious note, it’s important to keep a positive mind but not good to ignore a problem when you have one.

128. Well well well. If it isn’t Static Oncie.

129. How can you feel nostalgic if you’re living the mentioned great time? (He’s not)

130. TBH I had a theory that Static Oncie became HQ but that’s…kinda incorrect and correct because it was confirmed to me that they are not the same BUT HQ DID come from LQ’s mind like static Oncie did so Static Oncie, LQ and HQ are all one in the same probably.

131. LQ repeating his opening speech. It never gets old.

132. Here we are at the waking up event by the way. Buckle down, folks.

133. Here is the second time LQ cannot read his monitor. Frankly, he probably only doesn’t read it cause he doesn’t want to.

134. He manages to forget entirely for a whole day.

135. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! SPOOKY GHOST LQ

136. Omg I voiceacted this whole part…gosh that was fun…poor LQ though

137. HEALTHY LQ. MY HEART HRUTS….like………bro even his hands are okay this is too much

138. Oh man. I get it…being healthy caused his mind to work properly and he started to remember…oh shit.

139. Strange static formations…do they have anything to do with anything?

140. …Looks like LQ couldn’t find his Mom.

141. LQ comes back covered in blood and makes expressions like he killed someone…not suspicious at all.

142. Another side note. I’ve been thinking about LQ’s static. And it’s been explained before but it does really aid LQ when it comes to selective reading and not “seeing” certain things…the thing is, The static builds up between him and the viewer so he doesn’t really notice it (at first that is. He sorta sees it as normal for him). Like many other aspects of his blog, the static is a manipulation of what is seen.

143. Main reason why that comes up is cause he’s found Dr. L’s medicine and the static covers up the words on the box he finds it in. At the last panel he covers himself in static and tells everyone to go away.

144. The static formations behind him look like a face and it appears as though hands are resting on him. I’ve mentioned the possibility of it being HQ or static Oncie at some point but I think that generally it’s a manifestation of how he wants someone there with him but he’s alone.

145. LQ’s sticky note clad monitor. Golly. Really hard to read…and he’s pressed his bloody hand onto the monitor at some point too.

146. I wonder if LQ ever did sum up the courage to look back at his blog posts.

147. LQ has a major aversion to being called cute hehe

148. Oh shit it’s the crawling AMV. Shout out to Mori for making me cry when I hear that song. All thanks to LQ. But it was a good idea to make a shitty AMV…I couldn’t be happier tbh :” ) Also confession back when I watched this the first time I didn’t know this song had a…reputation. So I kinda took it seriously LMAO

…okay I’m not done talking about it uh. The song kinda fits???? And probably the reason why I took it so seriously was because of the subject matter at some points. The crawling AMV is a cinematographic masterpiece. Fucking fight me.

149. Merry Christmas from the year 2012

150. Tax evasion: just say two very simple words in the English language; “I forgot.”

151. Is…LQ blocking out his blush with static? He probably is

152. Also looks like theres static rising up from those papers he dropped…interesting.

153. aesthetic: floating things (Christmas cards in this case)

154: So it seems that LQ has in mind not to work for his company and have people under him manage the tasks for him with his directive…makes a degree of sense but then again I don’t know how companies work. Then again, I can’t help but think that LQ doesn’t do that work because he doesn’t feel that he can.

155. For someone so insecure He also sounds rather full of himself sometimes.

156. On a side note this is one of my favorite parts of the blog as well…for LQ trying to show that he’s working and the pretty colours the static and distorted picture make.

157.  Another major thing I give this blog a lot of credit for is how complex it is. I’ve been trying to figure out a few things definitively the whole time I’ve been making these notes but I’m still unsure. Things add up but not everything happens with clear reason. It’s very interesting.

158. The GIF effects on this blog are top notch tbh

159. Did Static Oncie (LQ’s subconscious) know the truth about LQ being an aftermath? Because everything he said could be taken in that context to some degree although it mainly pertains to part of the valley’s destruction. However, everything has been adding up to this moment. And the clues are abundant.

160. The moment at the end where the static goes off is apparently the moment LQ’s hope dies. Er…static oncie, that is. I think about that a lot. Was static Oncie only there because of LQ’s hope that things could change? Static Oncie was there to cryptically remind him of the truth when LQ wouldn’t look back on it. And though he was rather agresive, he definitely isn’t as aggressive as HQ.

161.  The truffula on LQ’s lapel…I used to think it withered but maybe he actually tore it off.

162. In addition, when static Oncie says unless you see spirals in his eyes. Like the motif of the seed.

163. I really like the perspective of his lurkim in these panels

164. At this point…I think LQ has started to starve himself just…generally neglect himself. You can understand why.

165. RIP.

166. swone. BODY ONCE TOLD ME-

167. Honestly Swone why did you think mr mc lives in a lerkim would have a functioning oven. Surely you had some other options…orrr maybe you didn’t okay Swone. Now I’m also lowkey gonna talk about Swone cause he’s visiting.

168. wow….this is awkward. Talk about breaking and entering.

169. I’m FUCKING LAUGHING AT SWONE’S BLUNTNESs. Apparently LQ isn’t so easy to fool.

170. Was Swone prepared to bring his cleaning supplies or does he just bring them everywhere he goes???

171. Off topic again but goddamn if Once-lers are a pack of weirdos. Litterally you have two of them in one room at like, neither of them is the straight man (figuratively and literally most of the time). They’ve kinda all got issues to iron out. And yeah, these two are no exception. Swone is a fucking weirdo.

172. LQ has pretty much remembered all sorts of things and why would he push his memories of Swone away? Yeah these two had probably never met till then.

173. ……….it’s not Christmas.

174. Stove-ler.

175. LQ’s gloves got all torn up as well….he may have also lied about wearing his bandages underneath his gloves cause I can’t see em.  Hard to believe I didn’t notice until now. They don’t get like that till he’s dishevelled…it’s hard to think that maybe he did that to himself…hrm..

176: He mentions he can’t take them off so he’s likely neglected the care of his arms.

177: Probably was something of a nightmare for Swone to navigate around LQ’s house…and LQ himself. No offense but he was definitely gross.

178. The posts without any dialogue can be very powerful.

179. HOPESPLODE (sorry that was…uh…RIP Static Oncie)

180. TIME FOR PAIN (specific to this but applies to a lot of this blog cause there is a lot of hurt feelings)

181: SELF IMAGE QUALITY JSKGLdkl

182. o mg I remember the post about the “do you like the colour of the sky” post I actually watched Mori stream the drawing for it aaaa good times UuU

183. Poor LQ…..

184.  LQ arguing against his own existence because new cgi movies hurt his eyes. I have nothing so say about that just. Think about that for a second.

185. Super high quality-ler spffpfff I love this blog