#THEY HAVE A WHOLE ARC WHERE HER BROTHER PRESSURES HER TO PUT ON A DRESS TO OFFICIATE THE WEDDING

[chintzwife]

selma greene stunting in a suit . . . serving old butch realness. u would never know she's the first wife of a polygamous mob boss

that's her husband. here she is threatening a man for a letter proving that the mormon church never meant to outlaw polygamy. in the next shot her goons strangle him with a belt

[danger-xylophones]

A New Chapter (Echo x reader)

{masterlist}

Warnings: It’s implied that the reader has depression, some angst sprinkled in

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

When Rex commed you to come to Anaxes on the next medical transport - you’d expected the worst. You were trying to prepare yourself to hear more bad news. You’d expected to be told that Rex had lost another one of his closest brothers and one of your dearest friends. You’d already lost so many...Echo, Hardcase, Tup, Fives..Echo’s death destroyed you first and left room for every following death to slowly chip away at your resolve. You feared that hearing you’d lost Kix, Jesse, or Cody might just do you in before you could begin to be there for Rex.

So, you frantically scrambled to steel yourself before the transport landed - keeping a death grip on the handle by your head to keep your self grounded. You knew that your fellow medics, clone and nat-born alike, were silently questioning you. As the head nurse you were expected to be composed, cool-headed, great under pressure, and a genuine calming presence. For you to be nervous enough for it to be reflected in your shifting stance and death grip was disconcerting. 

As the transport initiated its landing sequence you took in one long steadying breath and braced yourself for whatever news awaited you beyond the doors. They opened with a hiss and your fellow medics immediately sprung into action unloading supplies and gurneys while you waded through the sea of activity in search of a certain captain. He was waiting for you by the entrance to the barracks. With his helmet on, it was harder to discern what he was feeling but for the most part he stood tall and proud in a perfect soldier stance with his hands clasped behind his back. He was busily conversing with someone you couldn’t see. You were confused now - you’d seen Rex after a heavy loss. His shoulders always sagged, his whole form took on a heaviness to it that was only ever abated with time and the comfort of some good wine you’d often smuggle in for him. He was never this...normal. Rounding a few stacked crates revealed to you that the person Rex was talking to was actually three people consisting of Jesse (thank the maker) and two clones you barely recognized as clones. 

After a loud clearing of your throat you called out to him. Rex turned to you and removed his helmet in one fluid motion and you were surprised to see him beaming at you. “Vod’ika!” He chirped and started walking towards you with Jesse in tow whilst ignoring the intrigued looks of the other two clones - one had really long hair and a headband wrapped around his crown and the other, significantly shorter, peered at you with large eyes hidden behind a pair of blocky glasses. You met Rex in the middle and he quickly pulled you into a one armed hug that you barely returned thanks to being caught so off guard. “Glad you’re here.” He muttered next to your ear before retreating so Jesse could also pull you into a quick hug. 

“I’d say I’m glad to be here,” you began as you pulled away from the arc trooper, “but I don’t know why I am.” You finished with a pointed look at Rex that told him to start explaining. 

His smile fell a bit, though it didn’t completely disappear, “It’s...a long story and it’s better to just show you. C’mon.” He swung his arm for you to follow him, already walking towards the barracks. You hesitated, casting a confused look at Jesse who just offered you an impish grin in reply before strutting after the captain. With a steadying sigh you followed after the two kama wearing clones. 

You passed many troopers as the captain and arc trooper led you further inside the barracks, most from the 501st, some from the 212th, a lot from the 187th, and at least two who you couldn’t identify as being from any legion but they were wearing the same armor as the other two who had been talking to Rex and Jesse when you arrived. The taller of the two (the much taller of the two - was he even a clone? Or was he a Natborn that vaguely resembled the millions of brothers?) watched you walk away with his one functioning eye and a poorly hidden whisper to his friend. “’Think that’s the gal he’s been askin’ about?” 

“Looks like ‘er.” The smaller of the duo answered in a grating voice. 

Your brow furrowed - a lot of clones tended to ask about you given your tendency to move between legions and battalions but it was rare that they talked about you to the extent that someone who’d never met you could recognize you. If you were honest, it was a little unnerving. But, despite your best effort to keep the thoughts at bay, you were briefly reminded of a conversation you’d once had with Fives. 

“He talks abou’ you a lot, y’know.” The newly promoted arc trooper slurred as he heavily leaned against you. He vaguely gestured in the direction of his aforementioned brother where he leaned against the bar, armor glinting in the low lighting, after he timidly offered to get you a new drink. You’d protested, telling him it was his big night, you’d get the drinks but he took off before you could even get to your feet. “Just too shy to do anything but that.” 

“What does he say?” You asked the drunken trooper quietly as your pulse began to speed up. You, admittedly, hadn’t taken much interest in Echo at first - you thought him boring and stiff - but recently he’d been challenging your perception of him. And you’d be a liar if you said you hadn’t started to admire the capable, quick-witted, snippy, but kind, sensitive, and charming soldier. 

“Says ‘e likes you, wish he could work up the nerve to talk to you, thinks you’re the prettiest damn medic in the GAR, thinks you’re a kriffin’ genius...and, ‘m pretty sure he’s in love with you.” Fives took another hearty swig of his drink, shutting up for the first time in what seemed like hours, which gave you enough time to consider his words. While you didn’t want to put all your faith in the drunken mess of an explanation Fives had given you - he did know his twin the best and he’d never lied to you. Maybe - you took another good long look at Echo - just maybe, - you saw him take a deep breath as the bartender handed him your drinks, almost like he was trying to psych himself up - you’d take a chance. You met Echo’s gaze as he turned around, sending him a fond smile that he sheepishly returned. 

Rex led you to a separated part of the med bay primarily meant for rehabilitation where he finally came to a halt just before the door. “Now,” he began as he turned to you, Jesse stopped at your side with crossed arms and a strange, conspiring smile on his face, “I want you to walk between Jesse and I.” Rex ordered quietly as if scared of being overheard. 

Your brow furrowed immediately. “Why?” 

“In case ya faint.” Jesse answered back. 

With a roll of your eyes that could rival the likes of Wolffe’s, you turned to the ARC trooper. “Jesse, I’m a field medic whose spent most of her career on the front lines dealing with a menagerie of injuries. I’m sure whatever it is, I can handle it.” 

“Be prepared to eat those words.” Jesse muttered under his breath in retort but you elected not to respond, instead, you turned your attention back to Rex who was staring at you uncertainly. 

“All the same, let me go in first and make sure he’s ready.” Rex offered gently with a softly placed hand on your shoulder. He had an odd look in his eyes - somewhere between apprehensive, compassionate, and elated - as he looked at you. 

“You’re the captain...” You muttered, suddenly feeling on edge. Jesse must have noticed your tense form for he softly grabbed your hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Rex nodded to Jesse then to you before strolling in to the room. The door slid into place behind him leaving you and Jesse for a few minutes. The ARC trooper didn’t let go of your hand till Rex came back and gestured with a nod of his head for the two of you to come in. Rex went back in first, followed by Jesse, with you taking up the rear. The air was strangely tense as you followed behind the two clone troopers so you couldn’t stop your mind from preparing itself to see the worst. While not uncommon for you to visit patients in the middle of rehabilitation it wasn’t why you were part of the GAR. It was just something you’d started doing after serving with the clone forces for so long. But never before had you been nervous. Without warning, Jesse stopped right in front of you causing you to bump into his back. Instead of laughing at you like you thought he would, Jesse angled his body enough for you step in front of him and gently encouraged you to do so with a hand between your shoulder blades. 

You came to a halt in front of him and the ARC trooper kept his hand where it was as if trying to steady you. Seriously, why were they being so weird? You still couldn’t see very far into the room - only the equipment shoved against the walls closest to the door - thanks to Rex who stood in front of you. There was no talking. Rex dipped his head at whoever was in the room and stepped to the side. 

Before you was a trooper dressed in red fatigues. His frame was thin, cheeks sunken in, and his skin unnaturally pale. And he was missing an arm which had been replaced with a computer interface arm one would expect to see on an R-series. His head had also been shaved which revealed small, port like protrusions out of his skull. And upon glancing your eyes downward, you noticed that the trooper’s legs had been replaced with mechanical ones. Not to be flippant but he looked like he’d been through hell and back. 

With a deep breath, you let a mollifying smile slip onto your lips and a sympathetic look fill your eyes. “Hello,” you kept your voice soft too, just in case the trooper was nervous, “My name is Dr. L/n. What’s yours?” 

His brow furrowed and it was only now, after his expression had changed, that you noticed that it had once been almost hopeful. Now, he looked confused. Or more accurately, conflicted. His pale brown eyes were frantically darting back and forth as if searching your face for an answer to a question that was left unasked. “I-it’s me.” He finally spoke in a frail voice. You cocked your head to the side. That was adimttedly an odd name but who were you to judge? Just as you were opening your mouth to speak, he continued. “Cyare, it’s me.” Your mouth clamped shut as the first word slipped from him as the instinct to snap briefly took over. Only one person got to call you that. 

“Trooper, forgive my bluntness but-” 

“Meshurok.” Hearing that word made it feel as though ice had been injected into your body. Shivers ran up and down your spine and goose bumps formed all over. No one had called you that since...Echo. 

“How...?” You felt your body start to fall back only to be stopped by a hand between your shoulder blades. Jesse was still there and Rex was standing just off to the side. They were both real. But was he...?

“When I first worked up the nerve to ask you out, you were wearing a necklace with a kyanite pendant. I asked you where you’d gotten it and what it was.” The trooper took a careful step forward and you felt your heart begin to speed. “You told me it was gifted to you by a young Twi’lek girl you helped when you were on Ryloth with the 187th.” He took another step. “She’d gifted it to you and told you that it was it represented new beginnings.” You took a step forward, eyes wide. “I asked if I could be a part of your new beginnings.” You took another step forward. 

“And I said ‘only if I get to be a part of yours’.” Your voice was wispy, choked with old ghosts. “Echo...” Before you knew it, you were wrapped in his arms. “Echo.” You didn’t care that your voice trembled with barely restrained sobs or that Jesse and Rex were barely three feet away. All you cared about was how familiar he felt - familiar and safe. Home, your mind supplied. “I-I, but the citadel and the ship - I...you...oh god.” You pulled back, almost giving yourself whiplash in the process as your instincts took over. Your hands reached up to gently hold the sides of his face while you reevaluated his appearance. “How did you survive the ship?” Your fingers were busily skimming all the alterations that had most likely been forced onto your cyar’ika. You noticed that his eyelids fluttered closed at the sensation of your fingers on his skin and it made your heart squeeze in both affection and the need to protect him. 

“I don’t really know, mesh’la. I just remember trying to take the ship, it exploding, and then waking up being dragged.” Echo whispered, keeping his hand stubbornly fixed on your waist. Behind you there was the sound of the door sliding closed which you guessed was Rex and Jesse making their exit. 

“Kriffing droids, how dare they touch you,” At some point in your speedy assessment you started to mutter, “I should go there and tear each one to scraps with my bare hands.” 

Echo chuckled and it was enough to bring tears to your eyes, your hand paused just above the computer interface arm. “Who did this to you?” Although it was whispered, Echo heard you clear as day. 

He sighed and gently rested his head against yours, “Seps, techno union - they don’t matter.” 

“They hurt you - I’m going to find them and kill them myself.” 

“I thought your whole thing was ‘do no harm’.” Echo quipped and the smile that followed, though no where near as wide as you were used to, was warm and genuine and enough to pacify you for now. 

“I can make exceptions.” You muttered but the fire had died down. Another puff of air brushed against your face - another reminder that Echo really was here. 

“Later then.” He pressed his lips against your forehead and drew you closer. You sighed and melted against him, the happiest you’d been in a long time as the first few words of another new chapter formed before your very eyes. 

Taglist: @apocalypticwafflekitten / @cherryxcyarika / @pinkiemme / @justalittlecloud 

[oneisallallisone]

All I Know, All I Know Greedling x Reader fic Chapter 4

In a land ruled by alchemy, there are some who would call you a sorcerer. You intend to understand what this means. Along your journey you end up getting mixed up with two strange brothers, a military conspiracy, a potentially world-ending event, and the avarice of something more than human.

Previous

Chapter 1

Read on AO3

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All I Know, All I Know

Chapter 4: Drained 

tw: descriptions of violence and blood 

It was almost like a dance; Ed darting in to slash at Number 48 with his automail blade then pivoting away, allowing you to take aim and send bolt after violet bolt at the suit of armor. The amount of exertion was unlike anything you had ever felt. Sweat trickled down your brow, your limbs shook from the effort. You never seemed able to catch your breath. 

This will drain you, a tiny voice said in the back of your head. A louder voice in the back of your head snapped at yourself to shut up. You couldn’t allow yourself to stop your barrage here. Not when Ed was starting to bleed so badly. 

A few moments ago you saw him stumble backwards after blocking Slicer’s sword. The alchemist’s eyes widened and he rolled his right shoulder—his automail shoulder—a few times. Number 48 had advanced on him again, so you took it as your cue to intervene. Two arcs of purple energy hit the knight in both his knees, knocking him off his feet for a few moments. But it was enough time for Ed to regroup and decidedly shift back into a defensive stance. 

That was the exact moment from which the fight started to get worse. 

Ed’s attacks became sloppy. Your shaking limbs caused more of your attacks to miss. Number 48 had landed a fair amount of hits on the alchemist and now Ed was losing blood fast. There were particularly concerning wounds on his upper left arm and the side of his head. 

“Ed!” you called, “I really think we should—”

“End this fast, I know!” 

Despite his injuries, Ed seemed determined to fight on. 

“If we die here I’m gonna kick your ass in hell!” you screamed. 

Ed’s only response was a grimace as he parried another swing from Slicer’s blade. He back flipped out of the way and you moved in to take a shot. But your hands were shaking, your whole arm was shaking, and instead of sending the purple blast of vitality into Number 48 it soared wide and impacted the ceiling above you. A chunk of cement fell free and landed inches from Ed. 

“Hey!” the alchemist called. “Watch it! You’re supposed to be attacking him, not me!” 

“I’ve never exerted this much of my power before!” you yelled back. “My body can’t keep up with controlling what I demand from it!” 

“How courteous of you to admit your exhaustion, child,” Number 48 droned. “The swift end I’ll deliver you shall be a mercy.” 

The guard charged you. Sword poised to stab right through your chest. Your feet shifted back a few steps as if to run, but you felt your arms raising themselves up to produce your shield again. If you were going to die, it might as well be standing your ground. 

The impact never came. Ed dashed over to put himself between you and Slicer, grunting under the strain of blocking the guard’s sword with his automail. But within moments the alchemist’s strength failed. 

Number 48 knocked both you and Ed aside with a great, sweeping kick. The two of you tumbled across the ground and crashed against each other in a tangle of limbs. When your momentum stopped, you were flat on your stomach, looking up at your looming death approaching. Ed was on his knees next to you. 

Slicer approached slow, savoring his victory. 

You looked up at Ed. The blood streamed down the side of his face and you could see the clear pain in his eyes. But there still existed an unrelenting determination behind them. He turned his gaze back up at Slicer. Then you watched his eyes flicker to the threshold of the empty hallway across the room. The one behind the guard’s back. 

“Now, Al!” Ed yelled. 

Number 48 did not know the hallway was empty. When he turned to face the supposed new combatant, Ed leapt from his knees and knocked Slicer’s head from his body with one clean strike. The metal helmet clanged to the floor, and Ed stood catching his breath. 

“That was dirty!” Number 48 yelled. 

“There’s no such thing as dirty in a fight!” Ed shot back. 

You hauled yourself to your feet and walked over to where Ed was currently holding Number 48’s helmet by the hair. “There’s something I need to ask you about.” 

“The Philosopher's Stone?” the guard asked, his words almost laced with boredom. 

“Yes. Tell me everything you know about it.” 

“Sorry. Can’t.” 

“Oh come on,” Ed argued. “It’s only fair. I’ve beaten you at your own game, afterall.” 

“That’s where you are wrong. I’m not beaten yet.” 

You heard the shifting metal only after it was far too late. A quick, piercing sensation ripped through your skin. You looked down to see the tip of a sword jutting out from your lower abdomen, close to the right side of your body. 

Your eyes locked with Ed’s before you fell to your knees. 

“I forgot to mention something about the mass murderer Slicer,” Number 48’s head said. 

A new voice spoke from the armored body that was moving once again. “His crimes were committed by a pair of brothers.” 

Ed screamed and charged at the second brother. 

You collapsed forward onto your hands. This is bad this is bad this is bad—  

A red pool formed below you. Your arms were screaming for you to let them give out, just let yourself lie down, close your eyes. For a moment you thought you might. But then Ed cried out in pain again. 

You’d already won against one of these guard dogs. It’d be a shame if that was all for nothing. 

Your right hand found the bleeding in your lower abdomen. The warm fluid leaked fast and seeped through your fingers in a matter of seconds; pressure from your hand alone wasn’t going to be enough to stop the bleeding. Taking your hand away from the wound, you ripped one of the sleeves off your shirt and rolled the fabric into a plug that matched the width of the gash. Steeling yourself for the pain, you stuffed it underneath your skin. 

Returning your hand to the wound and applying pressure whilst the fabric of your shirt was soaking up some of the blood yielded slightly better results than pressure from your hand alone. Slightly. 

Shifting your gaze back to the wider room, you saw Ed slumped against a pillar. He was also holding his side tightly, a look of pain and exhaustion in his eyes. But the body of armor that had once been moving was on the ground in pieces. Low voices filled the air, and you stumbled your way over to the injured alchemist. 

“Aren’t you going to kill us?” Number 48’s head asked as you leaned on the pillar next to Ed. 

“No,” the fullmetal alchemist stated firmly. “I will not take the life of another human. And I know that my brother is a human being, so that means you guys are human too. I will not kill you.” 

The head laughed. “My brother and I have been lying, cheating, stealing, and killing for as long as we can remember. And now that we have these forms, we’re being treated more like humans than we ever have. For that, boy, I’ll give you a parting gift. I’ll tell you everything. The Stone—”

Razor sharp darkness leapt from the shadows across the room. Two obsidian spearheads punctured Number 48’s head, ripping through his blood-seal and killing him in a heartbeat. Ed gasped beside you, and you felt your heart rate quicken from a new sense of fear, or the toll your injuries were taking, or both. 

“My, that was a close call,” a feminine voice said. 

Two figures emerged from the threshold of the hallway; one of them wore a black off-the-shoulder dress, and the other was in an equally dark crop top and skort. The one in the dress had long, wavy black hair, pale skin, and eyes like wine. The other one had equally pale skin, black hair that hung in strands around their body, and eyes of the dullest, darkest purple. 

“Number 48, you should know better than to talk about things that don’t concern you,” the girl in the black dress continued. She retracted the spearheads that had pierced Number 48’s helmet, and, only when the sharp points settled, you realized with horror that she wasn’t carrying a weapon at all. The extendable and retractable blades were her fingertips. You wondered briefly if your loss of blood was causing you to hallucinate. 

But Ed’s gaze was just as fixed on these newcomers too. It had to be real. The one standing just slightly behind the girl grinned smugly and caught Ed’s eyes. “Well, well, would you look at that, what’s the fullmetal pipsqueak doing here?” 

Ed didn’t even shout back at being called a pipsqueak. 

“Such a troublesome boy,” the girl with the pointed fingernails sighed. “How did you find out about this place? And oh, who is this?” Her eyes landed on you. “Well this certainly throws a wrench in things.” 

“(y/n), run,” Ed whispered to you. 

You snapped your head towards him. “You can’t be serious.” 

“Go!” he hissed. “Your powers were as good as drained by the end of the last fight. If these guys are looking for trouble…”   

He didn’t need to finish his sentence. Dark spots were starting to dance at the edge of your vision now. But there’s no way you could walk out of here without Ed. 

As the girl shattered Number 48’s helmet in half, strangled cries erupted from the rest of the armor. “Brother? Brother! No! Brother!”

The one in the crop top sauntered over and picked up Number 48’s sword. They drove it through the blood-seal drawn on the neck of the armor again and again and again. “Quit your blubbering, you idiot!” they scolded the dying brother. “You were trying to kill one of our most important sacrifices! You could have messed up the entire plan! What would we have done then? Huh?” 

But the armored brother could not respond, as his twitching had ceased. 

“Go get Al,” Ed whispered to you in an urgent voice. “Please, (y/n). I’ll be fine. Just hurry.”

As the two figures in black stepped closer, you saw that on each of them was a tattoo: A red dragon eating its own tail. The girl with the wavy hair and wine colored eyes still had her gaze set on you. “We don’t need this other one. Only the fullmetal boy is required. Would you make it quick, Envy?” 

The one carrying the sword grinned and turned to face you. “Why, I’d be happy to, Lust.” 

Envy, as they were called, stepped over and pulled you close to them, holding the tip of the blade to your throat. You swore you caught a glimpse of your fearful face reflected in their dark pupils. The grin on Envy’s lips twisted wider. 

“(y/n)!” Ed shouted. 

You focused on your energy. If there was even a scrap of your power left over, you had to claw it out now or this would be it. You dug down, down down, and felt an inkling of something trying to flicker to the surface. 

When it erupted, it sent Envy flying across the room. 

The girl, Lust, looked back in shock as Envy hit the wall. Their back slammed hard into the concrete, and they were just barely able to catch themself on their hands before crumpling completely. “You brat!” their voice ripped through the air. 

“Go! (y/n), go!” Ed was practically pleading at this point. 

You aimed another blast at the ceiling between Ed and Lust, hoping that the falling cement would slow her and her companion down. With the roof on the far side of the room beginning to crumble, you limped back into the hallway you came in from. 

Al was staring back and forth between officers Ross and Brosh, and the other armored individual that called himself Barry. He had been surprised to learn that Barry was like him, a hollow suit of armor with a soul bonded to it, but this commonality hadn’t stopped Barry from trying to kill him. The arrival of Ross and Brosh was the only thing that gave Barry pause. 

In the relent of Barry’s attacks, Al turned his attention back towards the Fifth Laboratory just in time to hear a faint voice call out from the other side of the boarded-up front entrance. 

“Al,” your voice carried weakly. “Al, are you there?” 

The young armored boy startled and he rushed over to the boards. “(y/n)? Is that you?” 

“Yes. I can’t get through. Please…” 

With the wavering of your voice and the Central guard already having been killed by Barry, Al wasted no time creating a hole in the wall with his alchemy. Once there was an opening, you collapsed through it and fell onto the lawn. Blood seeped into the soft grass below you. 

“(y/n)?” Al said cautiously. 

“Ed…” you whispered. “In trouble. Go.” You attempted to stand as you pointed to the opening behind you. 

Al helped you up as gently as a suit of armor could, and then turned back to the officers. “Lietenant Ross, please look after her.” 

The woman stepped closer to Al, keeping her gun trained on Barry but nodding at Al’s request. 

“Of cou—” 

She was cut off by an explosion from the laboratory. Fractures ran up the sides of the building, large pieces broke off and crumpled to the ground. Al pulled you away as the windows burst, and Ross shouted for Brosh to take cover. 

“No…” you mumbled as Al shielded you. “No no no no no, this wasn’t…I didn’t… ” You couldn’t help but replay over and over the last thing you did before leaving Ed alone with those people: blasting the ceiling so a few pieces of it would collapse, just a few pieces to act as a shield for him. You’d never intended for this. And now Ed was— 

Being carried out by Envy? 

Past Al’s torso, through your ever-darkening vision, you saw them emerge from a hole in the wall. Envy had Ed slung over one of their shoulders and practically dropped him at Al’s feet. “Here you are! I brought a little present for you.” 

“Brother!” Al cried, crouching down to inspect him while still keeping you supported. 

“He’s not dead, but he has lost a lot of blood so I suggest you get him to a hospital as soon as you can.” Envy smiled. “Oh, and maybe start keeping a better eye on him too? He is a precious resource, afterall.” 

Maria rushed over and pulled Ed into her arms. “Who exactly are you?” 

Envy ignored her. Instead they grinned down at you. “And you…well, I’ll see you around.” 

The last thing you saw before passing out in Al’s arms was Envy’s twisted smile.

[kindred-is-obsessed]

Reasons you should be watching Craig of the Creek

Not enough people are watching this wonderful show, so I thought I’d do my best to introduce people to it. It’s made by former Steven Universe crew Ben Levin and Matt Burnett, so if you’re missing Steven Universe while it’s on hiatus this is a great way to keep away the hiatus blues, or if you just enjoy in cartoons. It’s great for a whole list of reasons, which broadly fall into the two categories of great representation and great storytelling:

Canonical queer representation

-       The witches premiere in the episode The Curse. If you aren’t sure if you want to watch this whole show definitely watch this one at least! It’s my absolute favourite not least of all because it’s about teen goth girls in love. It has a sequel The Last Kid in The Creek which is also wonderful, and the witches cameo throughout the series. I don’t want to spoil too much but The Curse is essentially about the two not wanting to be separated and struggling to admit their feelings for each other. (Spoilers: they do and walk off alone, blushing, staring at each other lovingly, while the kids aww at them)

-       Bernard and his girlfriend watch a cooking show hosted by a gay couple.

-       Other cameos, hints and coded queer kids such as JP’s sister (who has fancy dinner reservations with Kat, a woman with a shaved head who compliments Kelsey’s fake sword). There’s also Raj and Shaun (two very close friends), as well as several very boyish tomboys, including Handlebarb and Turner.

-       All public bathrooms I’ve spotted in the show have gender neutral signs on them which is nice.

POC representation

-       Craig, the main character, is black and has a loving family explored in depth, including an activist grandmother working for the council, a wise and fun grandfather, a supportive fun dad who loves his amazing wife, an adorable assertive little sister, and an angsty overachieving older brother who just wants to be a good grownup who loves his family and girlfriend.  

-       There are MANY characters of colour. There are black and brown characters, Raj is Indian, Stacks is Hispanic (and it’s implied she is an immigrant), there are several Asian characters, Kelsey is Hungarian and Jewish, a persistent background character wears a hijab (I’m pretty sure she was named at some point but I can’t find her name anywhere. She definitely has lines at one point). I’m sure there are others I have missed. No one is a stereotype as far as I am aware.

Subtle neurodivergent representation

-       JP is possibly on the autism spectrum. I’d love neurodivergent people’s opinions on this, but while the representation isn’t canonical or obvious I think it’s good that while JP is represented as having different thought processes from his friends, he isn’t made fun of for it, at least not by them. It’s noteworthy I think that he’s the eldest of the core trio, probably because he finds it easier to relate to younger people who still share his imagination and care less about his unique way of thinking. His neurodivergence is explored most explicitly in the episode Jextra Perrestrial, so if you’re interested in this kind of representation definitely check that episode out.

Non-nuclear family representation

-       While the main character is a member of the typical nuclear family you see on TV (except black, and actually interesting) most of the other families we see are not.

-       JP is raised by his mother and older sister. His father is never mentioned and their house is definitely in worse condition than the others we see. His family works hard to take care of each other. His sister is a nurse and both her and her mother are away a lot of the time, but they both love JP very much. JP’s sister also happens to be really openly body positive. I love them a lot.

-       Kelsey’s father is an only parent. There’s still a lot of mystery surrounding how Kelsey’s mother passed away. It’s a very subtle but important part of Kelsey’s character and comes through in really bittersweet adorable ways (not limited to Kelsey using her “half-orphan”ness to guilt trip a man into giving her money)

-       Other kinds of families are scattered throughout the show, including families that move around a lot, a home-school kid with a strict mother, and more.

Unique approach to fantasy and sci-fi

-       You know how most kids show will take a kid’s fantasy and bring it to reality? Well Craig of the Creek keeps the fantastical and nostalgic element of that line of thinking but never confirms or denies whether the kids fantasies are real or in their heads. And not in a Scooby Doo way where the fantastical elements are explained away, but are hinted as a possibility right at the very end. Instead, two perspectives (the fantastical perspective and the realistic perspective) are woven into every episode.

-       This means there are two ways to interpret every episode. You can view the witches as real witches, or as goth teenagers. You can view Helen as a kid from another dimension, or a home-school kid who is never at the creek at the same time as the other kids. You can view Deltron as a cyborg from the future, or as an imaginative kid from a big city.

-       This is super unique and fun to watch. They come up with so many new ideas and its always fun to figure out what’s actually happening, while still getting to relive childhood fantastical nostalgia.

-       Almost all of these episodes use this to talk about an issue, but these issues can get quite complex and are definitely not shoved down your throat.

Overarching mystery plot about a colonialist kingdom / cult

-       Love the slow burn storytelling of Steven Universe’s Diamond Authority? Love putting together the mysteries of Gravity Falls? Then you’ll love this plot about colonialism, classism, bullying, peer pressure and more and its mysterious build up including cryptic graffiti art and flower symbolism.

-       Even before this arc properly begins, Craig of The Creek primarily centers around the microcosm of the Creek. Many of the episodes have a lot of commentary on society, politics and how different factions of people form and interact.

-       The show is over 50 episodes in and this arc is only just starting to kick off so now is the time to catch up and watch.

-       Fun complex villain(s)

Complex relatable characters

-       Want commentary and nostalgia about horse girls, children’s tea parties, weird kids, angsty teens, young weebs, dweebs and more!? Every childhood obsession is represented in this show.

-       Adults! All the parents and older teens in this show are just as rich and complex as the kids. They are all so interesting and fun.  

-       Want characters with arcs, aims, fun relationships and complexity!? Look no further! Redemption arcs! Revelations! Found family! It’s all here!

Great art and soundtrack

-       Cute background and character designs that make you nostalgic as hell and are also beautiful and well thought out.

-       Sometimes the art design is changed up for a particular episode to portray a certain fantastical / sci fi element. It’s very fun and engaging. 

-       An opening song that’s fun to sing along to, bittersweet ending song that makes me want to cry, a couple of musical episodes including a super fun rap musical episode, and a great OST

Queer headcanons

-       There are tons of ways to interpret the show but here’s some of my head canons just to get an idea.

-       (Note that despite my headcanons I use the pronouns for the kids that they use in the show cause I’m not certain about any of it and they’re kids who haven’t come out yet and also for clarity and consistency’s sake – I’m not saying trans people are not their genders. Don’t worry I’m nonbinary)

-       I headcanon that all the main trio grow up to realise they are queer. They strike me as that weird group of friends that doesn’t fit in with the other kids and aren’t quite sure how they all came to be friends, only to later realise they all showed early signs of breaking gender roles and that’s why they stuck together.

-       Craig definitely grows up to realise he’s gay, bisexual or queer. His admiration for characters like Deltron and Green Poncho are definitely crushes that he mistakes for a strong sudden and eager desire for friendship.

-       Kelsey probably grows up to realise she is nonbinary, a trans boy or a WLW. I mostly headcanon this because I relate to her a lot and I’m nonbinary and queer so I said so. She reminds me a lot of myself as a kid. She throws herself into books, mostly fantasy for escapism. She fantasises and writes a lot for the same reasons. She dresses like a tomboy (She always wears her hair up in the same bun which strongly reminds me of my own childhood hair dysphoria) and she hangs out solely with male friends.

-       JP gives me strong trans lesbian vibes, or to a lesser extent nonbinary vibes. (I know his sister is WLW coded but take it from me there can be more than one queer in a family). He is interested in girls, specifically Maney the horse girl (he even joined the horse girls for one episode). He wears a long V-neck shirt that is essentially a dress ALL the time. He’s aware that he’s different and while self conscious sometimes, mostly just wants to express himself the way he wants to. He also chooses to go by initials JP over his very gendered name Johnathan Paul (In a recent episode he names a ship after himself, calling it “The SS Johnathon Paulina”).

-       (Sidenote if you do start watching this show and I see any nasty shipping of these characters in non puppy-love fashion so help me god)

 Other reasons

-       The show is at times very intertextual and references Princess Mononoke, Super Smash Brothers, Sailor Moon, Lord of the Rings, and a billion other things. It also has some fun cameos, including background images of the Tres Horny Boys from The Adventure Zone, a TARDIS from Doctor Who, and a Cookie Cat from Steven Universe.

-       Honestly, this post hasn’t done the best job explaining why I love this show so much. You honestly just have to watch an episode to understand fully what I’m talking about, so give it a go! Watch The Curse at least, it only goes for 10 minutes.

[multifandomaddictedfangirl]

When you think about it, Octavia’s arc actually makes a lot of sense.

Octavia has always been an antisocial girl and an insecure young woman. She grew up hidding under the floor on the Ark, with no human/social interactions (except her mom and her brother) for 16 years. Her mother died when she was very young (btw she was floated for having Octavia, try not to feel guilty for the rest of your life after that...) so the main person Octavia’s been talking to is Bellamy. She never left her bedroom except for that one time where she got arrested and put in a prison cell. She was sentenced to death just for being born.

When the Hundreds were sent to the ground, not only she had to learn to survive; she also had to learn how to socialise. How to belong in a group and be a part of something bigger than herself. A society. For the first time.

For someone who basically had no soft skills (communication skills, for instance) that must have been pretty hard. And pretty scary. My theory is Octavia has always felt very insecure about not fitting in, not being good enough for people to like and appreciate her, not finding a home on Earth. My guess is she was terrified her life on Earth would be like on the Ark: that she would end up isolated, scared and alone.

And that’s why she had to find something that would make her unique. When she met Lincoln, she learnt that she could fight. And that she was quite good at it - especially compared to the Hundreds. That’s what made her valuable. Suddenly she was a hero, someone that the Hundreds needed in order to survive. Her fighting skills made her special.

But then she became... too special. Too much like a Grounder. And Grounders were the enemy back then. She was judged for being too close to Lincoln, even by her own friends. Her loyalty was questioned by her peers. People suddenly looked down on her for the way she dressed, talked and acted. Even her fighting style became a problem: she wouldn’t use guns... just like the Grounders. Even Bellamy, her own brother, didn’t like it.

She didn’t belong with the Hundreds anymore. She knew she couldn’t stay with them. But then again, she wasn’t a true Grounder either. Not really. And she knew she would never be looked at as anything else than a sky person - no matter how hard Lincoln would try to educate her and teach her their way of living.

Octavia didn’t belong anywhere again.

Maybe if she had agreed to follow Lincoln when he suggested they ran away together to avoid war... She could have found her peace then. Lincoln had always been her home. He made her feel safe. She belonged with him and she had never been happier than when she was with him.

She felt so honored when she became Indra’s second. In s5 she even says it was the happiest day of her life. Finally, she had found a place in this world and a person who understood and respected her skills. It must have felt so good. Truth is Octavia really, truly, deeply liked being a warrior. It was a role she could assume easily and where she felt like she was needed. ´Warrior’ is a title she learnt to look up to, and value a lot. Lincoln and Indra were both warriors and they were both the two people Octavia respected and loved the most.

Being called a warrior made her feel strong, confident and powerful. No more insecurities. No more fears. She was no longer the girl hidden under the floor, or the lost delinquent trying to find her place on Earth. Now, she was a well respected member of a community. I believe she chose to define herself as a warrior, because it was the only thing that made her feel good about herself : like she had some honorable value whatsoever.

When Lincoln died, Octavia lost everything. For the first time in a long long time, she was vulnerable. She couldn’t feel safe or strong or powerful anymore. All she could feel was her sadness, her loss, her pain. It was too much for her, she was scared that without Lincoln, she wouldn’t be worth anything. She couldn’t face these feelings, so she built up a wall inside of her. I believe that’s why she turned the word ‘warrior’ into her whole identity. That’s why she acted so tough during s3 and s4. She used it like a shield to protect herself from her pain and misery. To fill the void inside of her left by Lincoln’s death because she couldn’t grieve.

A good example of that is her relationship with Illian. She almost killed herself in the black rain, just to avoid these painful feelings. She begged him to make her feel something else. Something else than pain. And then, even after they had sex, all she could think about was the war happening and how she wasn’t in it... She was so broken at this point. Lincoln’s death destroyed her completely. The only way for her to move on is to take on what she thought was Lincoln’s legacy and keep fighting.

And so, she had to rebuild herself. That’s why she choose to go to Polis and fight in the Conclave: to honor Lincoln. Her face paint was a good representation of that. In her mind, Lincoln was brave, he was a warrior. And so she had to be one too. She had to fight, because Lincoln never stopped fighting. And if Lincoln never stopped fighting, there must be hope at the end of the line. Even for her.

And hope she brought, by uniting all the clans. She offered a place in a bunker to a 100 people of the 12 different clans. Salvation for everyone (including herself). She created Wonkru (first) as a tribute to Lincoln. Because that’s what he would have done. Because he believed in peace. Because he wanted to bring people together, even during his last days on Earth. Octavia wanted to commemorate that.

The problem is... So far, Octavia strickly and only defined herself as a warrior, not as a leader. She refused that role for a long time, doubting herself, fearing people wouldn’t follow her, thinking she couldn’t do it. Which makes sense considering what she’d been through on the Ark and her vision of leadership. Her chancellor floated her mother, one of the two people she ever knew and loved. Plus, her experience with leadership on the ground wasn’t exactly the best example either : Bellamy (we do whatever the hell we want, killing the firt boy she ever kissed and had a crush on, torturing Lincoln...), Jaha (besides from floating her mom, bringing the city of light into Arkadia and Polis and forcing people to take a chip to be manipulated by an AI), Pike (hating all grounders alike, organising a massacre resulting in 300 Grounder deaths, and executing Lincoln)...

But now, by winning the Conclave and creating Wonkru, she became the leader of the last surviving people of the human race. And first of all, that’s a lot of pressure for a deeply insecure, messed-up, broken, still mourning, inexperienced young woman.

But most of all, Octavia was no Clarke. And she knew it. Cause let’s be real. Throughout the show, no matter who was the chancellor/commander/leader, Clarke was really in charge.

Except Clarke had learnt how to lead by now. Lexa even said Clarke was born to lead. Since s1 se automatically took control of things because it’s in her nature to care about others and to be in charge. What made her a good leader is that she knew how to make impossible choices and take tough decisions if needed to (the big attack at the dropship in s1, Mount Weather in s2, destroying the city of life in s3, etc.). But Clarke never lost her hope, her moral values and most of all her humanity in the process. Despite everything, Clarke was always trying to avoid the worst outcome, trying to save as many people as she could. She would always study all of her options beforehand, and almost always she would try to find a non-violent solution first (in Mount Weather, for instance, her first plan was a rescue mission with Lexa; then she tried to negociate with Wallace for the release of her people, and when there was no other option, she pulled the trigger). She generally values peace and will try to avoid war as much as possible (she met with Anya on the bridge, she proposed a truce to Lexa, she made an alliance with Roan...). She could sometimes spare a life, even a life of a traitor or an enemy (Emerson, for instance!). She took risks herself in order to save everyone (besides from sacrifying herself so that her friend could go to space, she also didn’t hesitate to inject herself nightblood bone marrow instead of just using emori). Now, let me be clear. She ain’t perfect, that’s for sure. She screwed up more than once, who hasn’t ? But in such a terrible setting, being faced with impossible choices, she always tried to do her best and to chose the "best option" available (considering the context, the information she had at the time, etc.)

Besides, even at the end, she could still draw a line between the good and the bad. It doesn’t mean she never crossed that line. She did. But at least she was aware of the cruelty, the violence and the consequences of her actions. It was never easy for her to take any of these decisions. And she still feels guilty about it now, to the point she hates herself, but she knows it was her job to "bear it so they don’t have to". To be the bad guy sometimes so that her people could live. To make hard choices - even if it meant being hated by people she cared about - so that her people could have a clear conscience in the end. As a good leader should.

In a word, Clarke didn’t sacrifice herself, her sanity or her humanity, in order to be able to lead her people. Octavia did.

Oh boy, she really did. And I think it’s because Octavia knew that she couldn’t be like Clarke. She knew she couldn’t be tough, take hard decisions and still keep her moral compass. She knew she couldn’t be strong enough to lead 12 clans of grounders (without the legitimacy of the flame!) and remain the same Octavia that she was before going to that bunker. She knew she couldn’t keep her humanity because the guilt would kill her off. Besides, in 5x11 (i think?) we see her taking a piece of glass and almost cut her wrist because she can’t take it anymore, but at the last time she changes her mind. It wasn’t the first time she did that, in my opinion. She knew that if she was gonna be a ruler, she had to go all in. She had to become absolutely ruthless; otherwise she wouldn’t be able to take the hard decisions. She had to throw away her moral values, she had to shut down that part of herself who cared, who loved, who felt things. She couldn’t allow the little girl she was to come back and compromise the survival of the human race. She couldn’t allow herself to be weak, the stakes were too high.

So she created Blodreina. A ruthless leader. A persona that could lead strongly, take the hard decisions, and show no mercy. Not even for Indra or Kane. Someone who could do all of these horrible things without feeling guilty. And years after years, Octavia disappeared a bit more. And Blodreina grew stronger.

And, so, this dictator ruled Wonkru for 6 years. That’s how long Blodreina reigned and slowly took control over Octavia. The real problem with Octavia in s5 isn’t what she did during the Dark Year; it’s what she did after that.

First of all, cannibalism wasn’t even her idea. It was Abby’s. Octavia never wanted this, she tried to fight it but Abby pushed it, saying it was the only thing to do in order to survive. And when some people refused to eat, Abby (again!) was the one saying she should punish by death the one who wouldn’t follow her order.

Second of all, in that context, it probably was the only option for them. At that point, they believed they were the last humans on Earth. They had to survive, it made sense that, as a leader, Octavia had to consider every option available. And there was only one, as terrible as it sounded. Taking away people’s choice in that matter was the limit Octavia should have never crossed. But Abby insisted and said not forcing people to eat would be the worst choice possible to make and would lead them all to starvation... So in a way, there, Blodreina was useful. She avoided the worst scenario possible. And it sort of made sense back then.

Third of all, no one stood by her during that time : not Kane, not Abby, not even Indra. They were with her, they advised her, they followed her, they ate, sure. But who actually had to create and impose that rule? Octavia. Who had to look like the bad guy in front of her people? Octavia. Who had to eat first? Octavia. Who had to kill those who wouldn’t obey? Octavia. Who had to organise, watch and regulate the fights in the arena? Octavia. Who had to stay strong no matter how horrifying their everyday life was? Octavia. Abby didn’t move a finger (while it was all her idea). Kane ended up by obeying but made it clear he was against the idea. Indra didn’t talk about it. It was a burden she had to carry alone (at least Clarke had Bellamy!). She would have needed emotional support, someone to share the weight of her choices with, someone to talk to about her feelings, etc. But she didn’t have that.

So I don’t blame Octavia for what happened in the Dark Year. She did what she had to, there was no other option. She didn’t like it, she didn’t want it, and she had to bear that choice on her own because no one else supported her like they should have. The fighting pit, which was at the beginning what looked like a (sort of) fair way to bring justice, became a source of food, a tool, a way to survive.

But after the Dark Year, not only Octavia kept the fighting pit (which was no longer needed now that Wonkru faithfully followed her and that the Dark Year had passed) but she increased the number of fights. She gave herself the power to judge the fights and condamn people to fight again before earning their freedom. The deal wasn’t fair anymore for the fighters. She even threw in people she knew were innocent (Kane, for instance). So much for justice. The opinion of Wonkru as spectators became very important: if people weren’t satisfied with the fight, Blodreina would force people to fight anyway. Indra warned Bellamy: being the last person standing wasn’t enough. They had to make a show, they had to perform.

Octavia turned the fighting pit into sports, as Kane said. As a way of entertainment.

Octavia impersonated Blodreina when Wonkru needed a strong, ruthless leader who could carry them into the dark... But then, Blodreina took control for so long that Octavia forgot who she was. She played the ruthless ruler card too much that she lost her humanity in the process. And when she got out of the bunker, she didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know how to move on from the horror she inflicted. She didn’t know how to get back to "normal".

Shallow Valley became her salvation. The justification she needed all along for all of her terrible actions in that bunker. The one thing that would make everything okay again. If she could only get her people to that safe eden, then everything she had done to survice would make sense. She was so focused on that goal that she blinded herself.

That scene with Indra, before the battle for Shallow Valley, is so heartbreaking. When she says, "When we get to that valley, everything will make sense. Everything we did to survive will be worth it", you can see that it’s actually Octavia talking (not Blodreina). She is telling Indra : please, let’s trust Blodreina just one more time, and then it will all be over. I think that she (Octavia) wants peace, deep down. She keeps repeating that, but she’s still afraid of leading Wonkru as Octavia. She has only earned their respect with Blodreina. Blodreina kept them alive during the Dark Year. Blodreina truly united Wonkru. Octavia still doesn’t think she can lead by herself, without that persona.

So Octavia shuts herself down to let Blodreina lead them again. And Blodreina wants war more than anything else. She would never surrender. And most importantly, she decides to take away people’s choice again, except this time she didn’t need to (like when she burnt the hydrofarm for instance). But that makes sense, because she only cares about one thing: winning the war, no matter what.

To conclude: Octavia’s journey is really hard to rewatch. Especially when you see her in s1 so young, happy and playful... But it makes sense. Yes, Octavia became a ruthless dictator who took away people’s will. Blodreina is the villain of the story in s5 (at least one of them). Her actions are beyond cruel and insensitive. A lot of people will die because of her decisions. She’s acting like a maniac half the time and she is (clearly) very mentally messed-up. i’m not standing by her side, saying I approve what she did or even that I find her likeable in her own way. I don’t even know if redemption is possible at this point. She might be gone too far.

But I just think her story is interesting in the sense that she has been falling down ever since Lincoln’s death and the persona she created, Blodreina, seems to be a result of her deep trauma, her pain, and her insecurities. She’s a broken, traumatised girl who has been put in a very hard position as an inexperienced and self-doubting leader in (possibly) the worst circonstances ever. Yeah, I’m not really surprised that it turned out this way.

Plus, now the valley is lost forever. Everything Octavia did (in the bunker and outside in s5) was for nothing. People died for nothing. And, unfortunately for her, she was wrong when she was talking to Indra before the battle : no, everything was not worth it... nothing makes sense. I doubt she will be able to get over that. She needed this win to be able to move on, to justify her actions, to find her peace. Without it, she’s just very susceptible to fall into old patterns of self-destruction. Plus, Bellamy really doesn’t seem ready to give her forgiveness (the one thing that might save her... at least that’d be a good start). And she’s not ready to receive it, either. Sadly, she might never be ready to really accept it.

[efrmellifer]

Wondrous Tails Twelve

Prompt: Alpha and Omega/Going Into a Heat (NS.FW), 2,174 words (...whoops)

Etien rolled onto her side, stretching, and when she felt the twinge, deflated with a sighing “oh, gods.”

“Is aught amiss, kitten?” Aymeric asked her, pulling her closer by her middle. “Oh, you’re positively burning.”

“Let me go for a moment, please,” she answered, voice low in pitch and volume.

He drew his arms back and Etien scooted away, sitting up on the edge of the bed, running her fingers through her hair to gather it all back toward her frayed braid.

Her whole body was too sensitive, and her skin was hot, like Aymeric had said.

She had been dreading this moment. How she had avoided it in the autumn, when it should have happened, she had no idea.

Maybe it was because there had been no “autumn,” because there weren’t really seasons in this part of the world.

Either way, it was happening now. She flopped back onto her side of the bed, star-fishing as much as she could so her limbs didn’t touch, or touch Aymeric.

He sat up, leaned over her. “Etien?”

Gods, she loved looking at him. He was so… beautiful. She wanted to kiss him, to hold him, to have him hold her, pressing her against him until she whined because she--

She blinked, snapping herself out of it. “Don’t touch me. I’m not mad, just… don’t touch me.”

“Are you well?”

“I’m a healthy female Miqo’te of breeding age,” she said by way of answer. “I’m perfectly fine, but ‘well’ is not the word I would use for how I am right now.” She rolled away so she stopped looking at him, curling up into a ball. “I know you’re about to put your hand on my shoulder. Please… don’t.”

He pulled it back as if he’d been burnt. “Etien. This is beginning to worry me. Are you sure you are well?”

She rolled onto her back again, flinging her arm over her eyes. “Go to work, Aymeric. We can talk about this when you get home.”

He couldn’t stop himself from running a finger along the edge of her face, and she leaned into it the way she might a stream of warm water or a particularly pleasant patch of sunshine. “Do you think you should be better by then?”

“Even if I’m not, I’ll at least be more prepared to explain myself.”

He sighed, just a little. “If something is wrong, I would rather--”

Her voice was soft when she told him “Later. Go. I love you.”

He sat back, slid from the bed. Eventually, he got ready for the day and left.

When Etien heard the door close, she rose from bed, stretching her arms above her head, her tail out behind her, rolling her neck as she lengthened her body and limbs as much as she could, joints cracking.

She shook her head, trying to clear what little fog there was still floating around in it.

It was completely understandable, but still strange to her, that once he was gone, she was able to focus better.

But honestly, why wouldn’t it be that way? When she couldn’t see him, his thick, gently curling hair falling into those beautiful blue eyes, couldn’t hear his wonderful voice that could get her to do anything, smell that wonderful mix of vanillin and birch syrup, and those things she couldn’t name that made up his scent, couldn’t feel that soft skin so near and begging to be touched and bitten and—she was going to work herself into a lather again. She cleared her throat, even though no one was there to see her flushing cheeks and shifting hips and tried to get on with her day.

She put on her least exciting dress and started drifting around the house, trying to keep her mind on bland things.

She knew it wasn’t going to work, but it was worth a shot. If she stayed away from the bedroom, she wouldn’t think about making it the perfect den of love. She could deny the nesting instincts, the call of some vague sense of motherhood, if she didn’t stay put, if she read and cooked and made tea, and-- she needed some cold air in her lungs. She put on an outer thick enough she wouldn’t get sick or die of exposure, but that she would feel the wind’s bite as she walked, and she set out. She didn’t make it as far as she might have wanted, having passed Dzemael Manor with the requisite polite wave, raised a shaky hand to the people outside the Athenaeum Astrologicum, scurrying along the stones until she got to Fortemps Manor.

She had intended to speed up, to keep going and hopefully make it to Saint Reymanaud’s before she was spotted, but it was already too late.

“Mistress Mellifer!” The knight called. She wanted to ignore him, but if she didn’t turn around-- “Lady Borel!” Gods damn it.

Even worse was apparently all three Fortemps men had heard the knight shouting and now Edmont was looking out the window, Emmanellain was in the doorway, and Artoirel was already coming to her side.

“Etien, you may catch your death of cold, so unsuitably attired,” he chastised her gently.

All she could think was oh thank the Twelve, I really do see him as my brother, which wasn’t the most helpful thing to run through her mind when she was being lectured on not endangering herself in such frivolous ways, and “What would we ever do without you? Eorzea losing her hero, and us our sweet little Etien—think of Aymeric, won’t you?” but it could have been so much worse.

“I had to run a quick errand,” she fibbed, though now she wondered if there might be herbs at the Crozier to help her, “I’ll do it and run right home for a bath, Artoirel.”

“Good.” He rubbed her arms and let her go.

When she’d returned from the Crozier, it was mostly empty-handed, though one merchant who had just come from the border of Coerthas and the Twelveswood had some calming herbal blend.

Etien recognized it, from days in her youth, so at least she knew it was safe and effective, and now she was settling into a hot bath full of the stuff.

It wasn’t going to make the fire go away, but at least… it would keep her calmer until Aymeric got home.

She luxuriated in the tub as the frustration began to melt away, but even so, she was wishing a certain someone was enjoying the water with her.

She didn’t wash her hair, though she did rub a little soap into the thick fur of her tail, being careful to avoid too much pressure on the base, lest she make this whole soothing ritual be all for nothing, and then, the door opened.

She was dried and dressed before Aymeric had made it all the way to the back of the house, a little more attractively dressed than she had been in the morning, ready to greet him (and hoping to plant an idea in his mind).

She gave him a chaste kiss, and he practically collapsed in relief.

“You had me afraid I would never again get so sweet a kiss, my dearest.”

“Oh, you can have more than that.”

Aymeric cocked his head, curious but unwilling to press.

“...how much do you remember of your research about Miqo’te, Aymeric?”

He blinked. “A fair amount.” A hand came to his mouth, almost as if he were going to chew his nails. “Am I… not pleasing you? I wish you had spoken up, you deserve nothing but sheer rapture at every--”

“Aymeric. Aymeric.”

“...yes?”

“You’re doing, uh, fine. Better than. More like,” she huffed quietly, shoulders deflating when she realized subtlety wouldn’t get the job done. “Do you remember reading anything about heats?”

His eyes widened. “I thought those were usually in the autumn.”

Etien shrugged. “Well, yes.”

“Ah. Did the eternal frosts…?” His eyebrows rose now.

Almost blushing, Etien nodded. “Also yes.”

“You could have said!”

Now she looked away, hugging her arms to herself. “I could have. But if you had given me an ilm this morning, I would have taken a malm.”

“Take all of me you need, my dearest.”

Her hands balled to fists in the front of his shirt as she pulled him to her for a much more passionate kiss.

“Am I to assume--”

“Shh,” she soothed as she started heading back toward the bedroom.

“So what do I do?” Aymeric asked when he was more suitably undressed. “I am more than eager to help you, my love, but I remain as clueless now as I was the day we met.”

Etien laughed, flopping onto the bed unceremoniously, her skirt rising up her legs as she did. She beckoned him closer. “This is more like our days in the Shroud than the nights we spend here, do you understand?”

At the recollection of the memory, Aymeric nodded, swallowing thickly. “Are you sure?”

The fiery look in Etien’s eyes cooled to a soft glow. “Darling. Yes. I wouldn’t trust anyone but you to do with me as we did, as I’m asking you to do.”

“Well…”

“Please,” she pleaded, and the desperate tone spurred him to action.

“Guide me,” he begged. “I want to do this correctly.”

Etien took a deep breath, rising from where she reclined and getting into a more… usual position on her hands and knees, skirt lifted and then the whole dress gone. “The only instruction I have for you is to act like you want me bearing your kits by your nameday.”

Aymeric tried to stifle his shock, grabbing her hips as if he were any kind of prepared for this (but oh, he did want to help her, to please her).

He pulled her closer, pressing himself against her and feeling her spine straighten, then feeling her press back even further. Oh, the poor thing. Had she been like this all day? No wonder she hadn’t wanted to be touched. “Have you no more instructions for me?”

She nodded once. “If you feel the urge to bite me, do it.”

He sank into her like it was the only place he belonged, and the way she arced under his hands, her voice turning to a caterwaul the likes of which he had never heard had him stilling in worry until she said, breathlessly, “oh, all day, I’ve wanted you here, wanted us like this.” That gave him the assurance he needed, and what had been hesitant motions turned to an unrelenting yet smooth rhythm.

No moan after that first ever fully left her throat, and Aymeric was worried that was somehow his doing, that perhaps he was doing this wrong. However, when he ran a hand down her back, curling it around her tail with just enough pressure, he pulled the first fully-realized sound from her.

The second came just as easily on its heels. He bent, covering Etien more fully, and bit her like she had asked, just near the junction of her shoulder and neck (close to the same place, now that he thought about it, as he had last time they had done this), and got an emphatic, “gods, yes,” from her.

“How… how does this usually end?” he asked her, feeling that coil within him ready to snap, but worried she wasn’t quite so near to fulfillment.

“If you’re close, good,” she panted. “You should rest.”

“Not until you have been satisfied.”

“Oh, Aymeric, you sweet thing. We don’t have that kind of time.”

He withdrew from her. “Can I at least… see you during this?”

“Would it please you?” She asked, already turning around.

He laid a hand on her cheek, and she leaned into it, starting to purr. “I’m not your Nuhn, dear-heart. I’m your husband.”

Etien lay back against the pillows, completely open to him and gleeful when he dove into her arms, kissing along her collarbone and nipping at the spot where the swell of her breasts began.

His hand trailed down her stomach, lower and over her mons veneris, until he pressed against the bundle of nerves below. He wanted to ask if that was any good for her, but he didn’t have the words.

He was astounded at his own sudden bashfulness.

Luckily, Etien let out a soft moan that encouraged him, and he kept at that until her breathing was hitching in that way he loved.

When she had settled, when he had pulled her close to him and the covers over both of them, she sighed. “Well, we survived day one.”

“Shh,” he soothed. “I will be here to ease you through however many more follow.”

She gave a sleepy smile. “I know. This is the first time I’ve--” she yawned-- “looked forward to this.”

“I pray you will whenever it next comes as well,” he murmured, petting her hair, “because I will take this much care of you every time.”

[ladylilithium]

Hans’ Redemption Arc PART 2: Rebuilding the True Self

Part 1 here

 4) The Shadow of a man that could have been.

“Listen my friend,” said the shadow to the learned man; “now that I am as fortunate and as powerful as any man can be, I will do something unusually good for you. You shall live in my palace, drive with me in the royal carriage, and have a hundred thousand dollars a year; but you must allow everyone to call you a shadow, and never venture to say that you have been a man. And once a year, when I sit in my balcony in the sunshine, you must lie at my feet as becomes a shadow to do; for I must tell you I am going to marry the princess, and our wedding will take place this evening.”

“Now, really, this is too ridiculous,” said the learned man. “I cannot, and will not, submit to such folly. It would be cheating the whole country, and the princess also. I will disclose everything, and say that I am the man, and that you are only a shadow dressed up in men’s clothes.”

“No one would believe you,” said the shadow; “be reasonable, now, or I will call the guards.”

“I will go straight to the princess,” said the learned man.

“But I shall be there first,” replied the shadow, “and you will be sent to prison.” And so it turned out, for the guards readily obeyed him, as they knew he was going to marry the king’s daughter.

“You tremble,” said the princess, when the shadow appeared before her. “Has anything happened? You must not be ill to-day, for this evening our wedding will take place.”

“I have gone through the most terrible affair that could possibly happen,” said the shadow; “only imagine, my shadow has gone mad; I suppose such a poor, shallow brain, could not bear much; he fancies that he has become a real man, and that I am his shadow.”

“How very terrible,” cried the princess; “is he locked up?”

“Oh yes, certainly; for I fear he will never recover.”

“Poor shadow!” said the princess; “it is very unfortunate for him; it would really be a good deed to free him from his frail existence; and, indeed, when I think how often people take the part of the lower class against the higher, in these days, it would be policy to put him out of the way quietly.”

“It is certainly rather hard upon him, for he was a faithful servant,” said the shadow; and he pretended to sigh.

“Yours is a noble character,” said the princess, and bowed herself before him.

In the evening the whole town was illuminated, and cannons fired “boom,” and the soldiers presented arms. It was indeed a grand wedding. The princess and the shadow stepped out on the balcony to show themselves, and to receive one cheer more. But the learned man heard nothing of all these festivities, for he had already been executed.

—Hans Christian Andersen, The Shadow.

[SIDENOTE; To read the complete story here]

When I was reading some of HCA stories, I stumbled with one called “The Shadow”, and I found it incredibly fascinating and relatable to our Prince Hans, somehow. I associate this story with Hans in particular, because both Mirror!Hans 

and the Shadow

are the distorted figures of a real man, hidden under superfluous appearances (that’s how I interpreted the Shadow story, at least). Regardless of the various interpretations that we can come up with this story, the comparison is still valid: 

Both “characters” are charming and very influential.

They start the story as humble and likeable, and by the end of it, they end up deceiving the other protagonist.

 Interestingly enough, both characters seduced and lied to a princess, who she believes they have a good of heart.

Both are prideful and entitled for their desires.

Both are very intelligent and educated.

I think is still coincidence, but nonetheless is very interesting to denote the parallels and imagine what Hans could have been if he actually ended up marrying Anna. Would he have still planned to kill Elsa? Would he still be playing them as Mirror!Hans? I think that the answer is yes. And as The Shadow story ends, the Man dies, and only the Shadow lives. If Hans actually achieved to kill Elsa, he would’ve also killed himself: no more Real!Hans, but only the reflection of what people perceive of him. No true identity whatsoever.

Would he have learnt to love Anna in time? Probably, but their relationship would still be founded in lies and manipulation. Also he wouldn’t have gotten away for far too long, as his actions were somewhat desperate, something that he even recognizes in A Frozen Heart novel. He’s smart, but his desperation for power and fear made him lose control over his scheming and emotions. Anna at some moment would’ve realized about his plans.

And here it comes into discussion if whether or not Hans has a True Self.

5) Break the Mirror to free the Man.

I really believe that if we took time to know the “Real Hans” instead of the Mirror Hans, we would find a hollow, empty person, uncertain of what to be or what role to play in life. The lack of self-identity, and the pressure that his family pushes in his mentality of becoming someone important, can be something very harmful.

What I mean by breaking the Mirror, is that there must be a certain point of defeat, the lowest point of Hans, where he’ll have two options to pick: give up and accept his misery, that he cannot change and be a shitty person forever. Or… tear apart his mirror persona. Learn. Grow. Fight against what’s conditioned onto him. Fight against that fear he has for honesty, to become a new man, a better man.

To become the Real Hans.

I want to see him suffer, I want to see him working hard to achieve forgiveness, to extract all the poison inside him. That’s how it is in real life, that’s what people do. That’s how it feels. that’s how Elsa should’ve been portrayed .🤷‍♀️

Here’s Hans in his redemption arc, 100% real no fake! 👇🏼😝

There’s an old German proverb that it says something like this: “What Hansel doesn't learn, Hans will never learn." Hansel is a variant German name, which means “little Hans.” The meaning of this proverb is that if we don’t learn something when we are children, we will never learn it once we are adults. But we are not here to agree with that proverb. We are here to call that proverb BULLSHIT! A person –Hans in our case- can always learn, if they are willing to do it.

6) Forgiveness and Hard-work: Valuing Love, and finding a new role in life.

If I could start again A million miles away I would keep myself I would find a way.

—Hurt by Nine Inch Nails.

[SIDENOTE 3: Or if you preffer Johnny Cash. Both versions are great]

As the movie implies -and extra sources of information-, Hans lives in an abusive and toxic environment, a similar situation as Elsa and Anna, but not quite. Both Anna and Elsa had the love and support from their parents, and while Elsa was distant with Anna, they still exchanged a silent support every time they could. Whereas Hans only had a limited support from his mother and Lars, the only brother that didn’t treat him horribly, it was still not enough. Hans not only was neglected, but also abused physically, and psychologically. Even body-shamed. How often do we see body shaming in men? I’m honestly asking, because I can’t come across any example of a movie or any media🤔

Anyways.

Showing Hans trying to understand, questioning with honesty the sisterly bond between Anna and Elsa would a step forward in his Redemption Arc. Being genuinely confused, since from his perspective, Elsa almost killed Anna. Perhaps a conversation between Hans and Olaf (the physical manifestation of the love between Anna and Elsa) will help him out to see life in a different light, in a more emotional level rather than materialistic. And also because it would be very cute and hilarious! 

Though I don’t want him to become 100% a passive goody two-shoes boy. Nope. He still has to have his jerkish, prideful, Draco Malfoyish attitude, that’s what makes him stand out from the rest of the cast in the first place! I have my priorities right, shut up.

His main goal and ambition would still be the same; being recognized and appreciated. Finding a place where he could belong, a place where his attributes and talents can be taken seriously and admired. Maybe a Queen’s Guard, or becoming part of Arendelle’s royal navy? An admiral, perhaps? Or maybe finding peace in other place that is not The Southern Isles or Arendelle, adventuring alone to find himself. That’s a bittersweet take, but could be possible… and I kinda like it.

7) Societal expectations of a man: A potential social commentary/critique.

“Srong. Female. Characters.” Such an overused statement, don’t you think? Now, now! Don’t crucify me just yet. I love strong female characters, I really do. And Disney certainly has their roster of strong female characters that are independent and loving, defiant of societal expectations like Merida, Mulan, Vanelope, Tiana, Belle, even Ariel (though sadly most of her independence and curiosity is overlooked and misinterpreted by a lazy GA). But what about male characters? True we have Aladdin, but that’s more the story of an underdog. Or Ralph? Hmm, could be, but not exactly.

What about telling a story of an apparently wealthy young man –a prince- that is mocked and belittled all his life for not achieving greater things? For not being as aggressive or masculine, as he is expected to be? Just think about it, all the stakes has been settled for a story like this. Besides the story of escaping an abusive family, is would also be useful a social critique about masculinity, in general.

What makes a man “man” for the Westergaards?

A father that values archetypical masculine strength: cruelty, violence, coldness, ambition, power, pride, social status, fear.

A mother that is undermined for being a woman and reduced to a baby factory. The same goes for the wives of the other princes.

Older brothers that abuse and pick on the smallest one for not being as strong as them.

Hans being mocked for being close to him mom, a typical approach to mock other men’s masculinity.

Hans want his father’s approval so much, even to a point where the only way to get it, is by harming others.

For the Westergaards, social status is seen as more important than love or affection.

Hans is body shamed for not being as big or strong as his other brothers.

These guys along with Hans’ father are the fathers of the year!

We as society reinforce those traits, even though is slowly changing now, the stigma is still there, and men are as much of victims of sexism as we are. Hans could be the perfect character to use and to point out these kind of “toxic masculinity” traits that we as society reinforce, and that we should change for better. 

Hans’ development would be about reconnecting with his feelings, instead of trying to fit a toxic archetype of masculinity that his father and brothers represent. His story not only would be about forgiveness, but also about a man reconnecting with his “feminine side”, his emotions and identity as a whole.

I know that this dialogue is played as funny or not taken seriously (that’s how I take it by the tone of it :_), but imagine an emotional scene of a male character manifesting his feelings with tears on screen. Maybe is just my wish-fulfillment of seeing Hans miserable and being pardoned (uhm... yeah… basically), but even still, it would also provide a new unexplored trait in him. And since we didn’t get to know him completely, I don’t think it would be too OOC. It just depends of how is delivered. And yeah! I WANT TO SEE A MALE CHARACTER CRY! And not played as a joke, but for real! ignore me.

PS: Part 3 will be the last one, and it will touch ships from a narrative POV, and character archetypes that could be used for Hans arc.

[toonstarterz]

BECAUSE I’M NOT POPULAR, I’LL READ WATAMOTE: CHAPTER #143

So in keeping with the recent trend of bringing back older characters, Watamote goes for a throwback and puts the OG trio into the spotlight. With Kii-chan, we got to experience how Tomoko managed to rekindle a previously strained relationship (somewhat). Will the Tomoko-Yuu-Komiyama team finally become a true circle? Or is it destined to exist as an awkwardly shaped, but cohesive oval? 

Chapter 143: Because I’m Not Popular, The Three Of Us Will Study Together

As always, Komi’s looking damn fine with her patented punk/goth style. Those open-shouldered skull shirt, slick choker, asymmetrical skirt, and striped leggings all come together to make her look like a total rockstar. It’s delightfully contrasted by the fact that’s she’s a pervert with a baseball obsession, but being fashion-conscious does help to round out her..unsavory side.

But, Yuu, sweetheart, as much as a skater dress looks good on you, you could do without the spikes. Granted, I’m hardly an authority on fashion, and in some circles, I’m sure it looks great. But it’s doesn’t seem as...flashy as she usually presents herself. Perhaps it’s because she’s with Tomoko and Komiyama that she doesn’t feel the pressure to be overtly stylish, and is more comfortable with something more subdued.

Man, the throwbacks just keep on comin’. What’s next, are they going to find Tomoko’s Yandere Boys Verbal Abuse CD hiding in her room?   

Friendly reminder that Tomoko is, was, and will always be a piece of shit.

That said, Tomoko isn’t the type to be mean just for the heck of it. Her usual targets like Komiyama and Yoshida are only targeted because it’s been made apparent that they can handle it. With Komi-something, Tomoko knows that she’s not utterly irredeemable, which is why she takes any opportunity she can to milk Komi’s indecency. Because otherwise, she’ll be the bitch, and that’s a line even Tomoko won’t cross.

This chapter should be titled, “-the four of us will study.”

Speaking of which, Yuu and Komiyama have never seen Tomoko’s big plushie before, right? They probably think that it’s evident of Tomoko’s hidden cute side but if they ever found out about all the questionable things Tomoko does to the poor thing, that idea is sure to be shattered.

I suppose I should address the elephant in the room and ask what the hell is it with Yuu and her incessant sweating? Not even down her face or anything, but it flies off her body. Could this be her unique way of expressing hidden anxiety? That’s a scary possibility, to be sure.

No, there’s supposed to be beer cans everywhere with inebriated kids playing footsie under the table that quickly escalated into necking and–oh, wait, this is reality. My bad.

Ah, so these are the friends that Yuu-chan often brings up but we’ve never really seen before. They certainly look like a lively bunch, though that’s really all one can say from a single panel. Granted, if Yuu's school does have relatively inferior academics, then I imagine there’s a bit more goofing off going on here than actual studying.

Same here. That’s the reason yours truly goes off to work at the local cafe rather work at home. Too many distractions and external stimuli at your abode, and no one to hold you accountable for slacking off.

Not entirely sure if this is a joke lost in translation, but apparently Komiyama is humming a ditty about the Chiba Lotte Marines, namely infielder Nakamura Shougo. That’s actually kinda cute.

Got nothin’ to say. Itou just looks adorable here. 

This, however, is decidedly NOT cute.

As the series’ resident purevert, Komiyama’s crush on Tomoki has always fluctuated between two extremes: innocent, schoolgirl affection and disturbingly fetishistic lust, and this line about, um...licking Tomoki’s eye circles falls way into the latter. For the record, I’m generally nonjudgmental about one’s unharmful sexual preferences–to each their own, you know–but given Komiyama’s history, I’m genuinely concerned for Tomoki’s wellbeing should the girl ever get her paws on him. 

Itou is canonically the strongest character in the whole series. Those powers of perception were gained through unfathomable amounts of mental destruction. 

Self-awareness? What self-awareness?

Is this going to be running gag now–Yuu innocently “complimenting” Komiyama with a between-the-lines insult?

I dig it.

Some may call it slacking, I call it strategic half-assery.

Ah, so Tomoko is officially aiming for a liberal arts school. For a girl who used to have zero prospects after high school, it’s uplifting to see Tomoko with an actual long-term goal in mind. It really is the only thing she’s reasonably passionate about, and the “starving artist” lifestyle actually fits pretty well with Tomoko’s approach to the world, so good for her.

Poor Yuu is never going to make it in the “real world”, is she?

Checking out the play-by-play when you’re supposed to be studying? Sometimes I forget that Komiyama actually has a cute side.

You know, given all the times when Tomoko and Komiyama are shitting at each other, these little bits of politeness between them are much more poignant. Sure, they’re being conscientious about it since Yuu’s there, but I can see this happening even if she wasn’t. See, Tomoko and Komiyama tend to mirror each other–insults are reciprocated with insults, and friendliness is reciprocated with friendliness. Even when they swing far on one side, something always pulls them back into equilibrium.

This would’ve been a good spot to put a gag here, with Komi expecting a strikeout only to explode with joy in front of her friends when the Lotte’s make an unexpected comeback. Instead, Nico Tanigawa goes for realism, validating the more pessimistic side of Komiyama. As for why they chose this route, I actually believe its to set up a little arc for Komi. As of now, baseball and Tomoko are her saving graces, and neither is looking good right now. Ultimately, this could lead to Komi facing the reality that dreams don’t always come true, and learning to accept that.

Yuu was definitely fishing for an answer to Nemo and Katou, and the fact that Tomoko doesn’t tell her right away is actually a good sign. Back in the old days, Tomoko would jump at the chance to “brag” about Yuu, her then-only friend because she was so insecure about their friendship falling apart. Since then, she’s made a number of meaningful friends, so that need to brag is long gone. 

I love seeing characters describe other characters they’ve barely interacted with. Komi does see Nemo as a girl in the “sorta-in-crowd” so it makes sense that she would see her as “flashy”.

Says the girl who also dresses super fashionably.

Shocked, but not resentful. It’s uplighting to see Komiyama take Tomoko’s relative popularity in stride, and it’s a feeling that’s been there since the Kyoto Field Trip Arc. Despite having very few friends herself, she’s never thought poorly of Tomoko when the girl gained more friendships. If anything, it made Komiyama see her in a slightly better light now that she knows Tomoko isn’t completely irredeemable. 

I could almost swear that Komi is doing that on purpose.

Cuties.

Everybody’s Golf is that PS4 game, correct? Good taste, this girl.

Shit, Tomoko, at least take her out to dinner first.

But it actually makes sense for why Tomoko brings it up like that. She knows that she’s at that stage in her relationship with Yuu that she just can’t casually molest her anymore (not that she should have been doing that in the first place, but still). Tomoko, the perv that she is, still has those shitty desires, but she’s more tactical about it. Like a politician. 

Lol! Tomoko is such a jokester!

...right?

This harks back to those times when Tomoko fantasized about being an arms dealer/mercenary. Naturally, that’s a far cry from wanting to be a golfer, which is much more grounded in reality. Even Tomoko’s reasons about the payload and being a woman carries merit. Sure, it’s ultimately a fleeting interest, but at least her dreams aren’t so...how should I say, destructive anymore.

Even deeper into the realm of reality is her interest in being an esports streamer. Being a millennial, it’s a perfectly understandable desire that fits into Tomoko’s work ethic and personality. Sure, her last experience as a streamer was an utter failure, but now she’s got a good grasp on what it really takes to be one. My guess about Komiyama doubts stem from her thinking that female streamers become popular largely on their sex appeal, which Tomoko evidently does not have by most accounts. 

Tomokitis (noun) – a rare disease characterized by an irrational lust for little brothers with baggy eyes named Tomoki. Prolonged exposure to Tomoki will worsen the lust to the point where mere proximity will trigger it. Those afflicted are forever hopeless.

As freaky as Komiyama is, I’m more impressed that her thirst for Tomoki overrides any disgust she may have at the possibility of being related to Tomoko. Well, Tomoki is basically a drug for her at this point, and junkies have accepted far worse to gain their fix.

Sploosh.

In the rare possibility that the universe decides to hook up Tomoki and Komiyama, Tomoko is going to make one hell of a cockblocker. 

Shoot, even the cat gets a return appearance. Nico Tanigawa are really putting out all the stops lately with the nostalgia, ain’t they? 

If memory serves, there isn’t a scene in the manga that shows Yuu being particularly interested in cats, so this was actually pulled straight from the anime. You know, that scene in the last episode where Yuu chases down a mentally broken Tomoko only to suddenly stop and pet a kitty? If they're willing to reference anime-original moments like that, then Nico Tanigawa must have fond memories of their anime adaptation.  

Is Yuu taking about the dog or Yoshida? :p 

Okay, so the dog. Wonder how she’d take to being compared to a pig?

First Pineapple-chan, and now Yuu-chan. It seems pretty mandatory that anybody outside of the loop would think that Yoshida was bullying Tomoko. Of course, once you realize that Tomoko has done things that would get her on the front page of a #MeeToo article, all bets are off.

Has Tomoko ever been this upfront about how she harasses Yuu? It was always my assumption that this was an unspoken reoccurrence between the two of them. At least the physical stuff anyway, as Tomoko is known for making “jokes” about getting Yuu knocked up. The poor girl really is too sweet for her own good.

While Yuu may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, that doesn’t mean she’s clueless about the sexual world (she supposedly lost her virginity after all). I’m sure she’s aware that most people wouldn’t tolerate Tomoko “accidental” groping, hence why she questions how someone could not bully her for that. 

It’s pretty ironic how even though Yoshida is probably the most transparent character in the series, Tomoko still can’t figure out if she’s friends with her. That might be Tomoko’s fault somewhat as she’s the type who needs things spelled out to her, and given that Yoshida is more of an “actions speak louder than words” girl, you can see the barrier there. At some point, one of them’s going to have to take that first step and say it to the other’s face if this friendship is going to go places.  

Poor Yuu. The first friend of the series is the last friend to see Tomoko’s growth.

This has been a headcanon of mine since the very beginning of the series, but I’ve always felt that Yuu Naruse had this inner sadness to her. That underneath her beautiful looks and kind personality was a girl who suffers more than she lets on. Remember, Yuu’s personality is fundamentally the same as it was in middle school, despite all the outwardly changes she made in high school. What Tomoko once called a “debut” could have actually been a survival tactic. Yuu never likes to be a bother, and her way of hiding her emotions isn’t always healthy, whether it’s holding back tears about a terrible beach, or making her friends sing for an hour at karaoke. And heaven forbid her breakup with her ex-boyfriend was uglier than she let on. Worse yet, Yuu knows her weaknesses, which only makes her self-deprecating moments hurt even more.

Perhaps I’m talking out of my ass, but hey, Yuu deserves an overcomplicated character analysis just like all the others.  

And as always, Yuu, the angel she is, always puts Tomoko before herself...

I find it admirable that Komiyama is so secure about her social life. Her tiny circle of friends and lack of some Tomoki lovin’ have never truly brought her down, and she can even make fun of herself for it. It’s much different from Tomoko’s rampant self-consciousness of the earlier days, Some may argue it’s a lack of shame as opposed to self-confidence, but Komi is clearly making the best out of it.

Hikari, eh? Other than reminding me of a certain Pokêmon character, I wonder if that’s a joke about how Itou “lights up” when she unleashes her powers of observation.

...

...

...

So, um...fujoshi anyone?

The prices one pays to be a friend to Kotomi Komiyama. 

All in all, this was a fairly easygoing chapter, as most chapters with the OG trio are. With the emotional rollercoaster that Golden Week had provided us, it’s nice to wind down a bit and reflect on the past. That’s not to say that this is a “recap” chapter by any means. Simply that this self-reflection exists to guide our heroines into the next stage of their young lives. It may be as simple as making a new friend over a perverted Skype call, but if there’s only one thing this series has taught us, it’s that the simple things are just the start of something greater.

[real-life-pine-tree]

Rehabilitation: Standard Issues (9/?)

Side effects may include a loss of self-identity and individuality, frequent nightmares, questioning your own existence, severe mental trauma, constant panic attacks, spontaneous crying at random moments, and a strong desire to stay with loved ones at all cost. Co-written with @violetganache42​​​​​​. Takes place between Chapters 6 and 7 of Arc-V Aftermath.

"Whatever. I'm gonna go see what Yuya's up to. Hopefully it's a lot more interesting than snobby rich stuff."

Zarc left Yuto’s mind because his XYZ reincarnation hadn’t told Lulu about how he was still lingering around; heck, even he knows Ray has the same ability as he does now, only she can only do it with the Bracelet Girls. Not only that, but after spending the morning in the Obsidian residence, from the discussion of how wealthy people live their lives far differently than what he expected to Yuto’s amusing hair mishap, he needed someone else to talk to after witnessing this rich stuff fiasco. Hopefully, seeing what Yuya was up to can help concentrate on something else instead of this, especially because it’s not like the American cartoons he has seen.

As he whisked away from the city’s Heartland quarter, he traveled into the Paradise section where the morning was taking place; as of matter of fact, the morning rush was happening in all four corridors, with everyone busy with their own schedules for the day, so he wanted to see how Yuya was doing for today after attending the Faire. Unfortunately, as he entered into his mind, he was unaware—for a short time—of the fact his Pendulum reincarnation was in a pickle about something. What could he be so focused on that made him feel stressed, pressured, and unsure?

"Uh... Hi, Yuya?"

Even though he was awake, Yuya hasn’t gotten out of bed to have his mother’s pancakes for breakfast yet because he has been staring at his deck for a while, shuffling and scanning through his Performapals, his signature ace Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, and the dragon’s current variations as his thoughts dragged him away into his own mental conscious…that is until Zarc’s arrival caused him to snap back into reality and jump up from his bed.

"Wow, you're awake and still in your pajamas? Something must be on your mind."

Yuya let out a groan as he stood up. "Morning Zarc," he said.

"So what's bothering you?"

"Oh, nothing," Yuya lied. "Just trying to figure out how these new Magician cards can work with my deck."

"Yeah, I'm not falling for that. You're technically a part of me, so I can tell you're upset about something."

"I told you, I'm fine," Yuya insisted. "It's not like I feel empty about the whole separation thing and I don't deserve to be a pro anymore." He let out an obviously fake laugh.

Zarc simply stood beside Yuya’s bed with his arms crossed, giving him an expression that clearly reads he wasn’t buying it, complete with an eyebrow raised upward. He knew what Yuya said was exactly what’s been bothering him: ever since Leo performed the blood separation, he has been feeling empty without his counterparts around and he feels like he isn’t an actual Pro Duelist because of that emptiness.

"You can drop the act. I know you miss the other dragons."

Yuya sighed sadly. "I became a pro thanks to Dark Rebellion, Clear Wing, and Starving Venom. But now..." He fanned out his Extra Deck. "...even their Odd-Eyes upgrades are gone. My deck feels incomplete."

"So you're short a few cards. Big deal. Can't you go to a card shop and get new ones?"

"It's not that simple," Yuya explained. "When I accepted myself as you, I felt complete. I finally discovered my dueling identity-"

"Yuya, please shut up for once. You're not me, you bozo! You're you! You have goofy circus pets in your deck instead of just mystical Magicians and Sorcerers! Heck, before I gave into peer pressure, my Dueltaining mimicked basic gymnastics. So basically, you are NOTHING like me!"

"But-" Yuya started to say.

"But nothing. I'll even help you get started. Take out your pendant and put it next to Tuning Magician."

"Why?" Yuya asked.

"Trust me on this one. You'll thank me later."

He shuffled through his cards and stopped when he found Tuning Magician somewhere in the middle of his deck. He pulled the card out and placed it in front of him before putting the rest of his cards on top of his bureau where his pendant rested. With his left hand, he grabbed onto the string that held the pendant and lied it down next to Tuning Magician to see if there would be some kind of reaction. So far, there seems to be no results from this and he was questioning exactly why Zarc wanted him to do this and if he knew what he was doing. Just then, the pendant started to glow blue-green, the same color that coincides with the Synchro Dimension, whether it was from Yugo when he Awakened, Rin, or the aura of the dimension itself.

"Wh-What's going on?!" Yuya asked.

"It's the true power of your pendant. It can transform any plain old monster card and unlock its hidden Pendulum abilities, kind of like when it gave Odd-Eyes, your first two Magician cards, and a good chunk of your Performapals much-needed Pendulum makeovers."

Yuya was left mesmerized by this small yet amazing performance. The green energy from the pendant synchronized with the Tuning Magician card and it began glowing the same color before changing it to light blue, the same color as the pendant. As the card glowed, energy ascended from the bottom of the card, unlocking Tuning Magician’s Pendulum abilities and transforming her into Harmonizing Magician, a Scale 8 Level 4 DARK Spellcaster-Type Pendulum-Tuner monster with 0 ATK and DEF. Her monster effects prohibit her from being special summoned from the Extra Deck and used as Fusion, Synchro, or XYZ Material unless all the Materials are Pendulum Magicians. Additionally, if she was Pendulum Summoned from the hand, a Pendulum Magician monster—except herself—can be special summoned in defense position with their effects negated and can be banished when it leaves the field, but this can be done only once per turn. Her newly awakened Pendulum effect allows her to give every monster Yuya controls 100 ATK and DEF for every face-up Pendulum Magician on the field.

Yuya was at a loss of words and his mouth was left ajar from what he witnessed. His pendant didn’t just awaken Tuning Magician’s Pendulum abilities like it did with most of his monsters… It caused her to undergo a metamorphosis! He wasn’t sure if this was actually her Pendulum counterpart and if she could switch between herself and Harmonizing Magician, much like how he and Zuzu switched between their dimensional counterparts when their souls all harbored an individually respective body.

"Zarc, was Tuning Magician originally one of your cards?" Yuya asked after he regained his voice.

"Nah, I never had that card in my deck. But I must say, that's a much better look for her. Maybe all that love and care you gave her caused her to evolve into that new form."

Yuya’s eyebrows rose up in epiphany because what Zarc said could be true. He picked up Harmonizing Magician’s card and was locked into a deep stare with it, reminiscing the monster’s past. Jack Atlas did find Tuning Magician when he was a child and wanted to return her to her original owner, but he could only do that by becoming a strong Duelist, which inspired him to take part in the Friendship Cup and become the Master of Faster and New Domino City’s Duel King. When he handed her to Sam, the latter interpreted his statement of her being more suitable for him as being a weak monster, which was why he gave that card to Yuya. Even if that wasn’t the actual interpretation of what Jack said, he was glad to incorporate her into his deck; with Harmonizing Magician, he might have to rethink his Synchro strategies a little.

He then heard a knock on the door and rose his head up to see who it was, only for him to greeted by Sora, who wanted to see what his adopted older brother was up to. There was no way they were going to miss out on Yoko’s pancakes for breakfast.

"Geez, you're still in your pajamas?" Sora asked. "What's up with you?"

"Sora, do you know any card shops?" Yuya asked in response, taking Zarc's advice of getting new cards.

"'Course I do," Sora answered. "Before this whole dimension war thing started, the Professor would treat his best students for a field trip to Domino City. One of the best hangout spots was Card Craze, a local card shop."

"That's perfect!" Yuya suddenly exclaimed as he rushed over to his closet. "Contact Zuzu while you're at it!"

"Well someone is unusually cheerful," Sora noticed.

Yuya started to rummage through his closet. "Why wouldn't I be?" he asked. "I need to come up with brand new strategies with new cards!"

"Oh, right," Sora remembered. "You're now a pro-"

"Who cares about that?" Yuya asked. "I'll talk to Declan about my new dueling status later." He took out a maroon t-shirt. "For now, it's time I regain my identity as an individual!"

Identity? Why would he focus on regaining his individuality instead of starting his new life as Pro Duelist? Sora pondered on why Yuya was concentrated on figuring himself out, but he didn’t mind it; as long as he gets to check out Card Craze, that’s fine with him. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if Zuzu wanted to join them, so he notified Yuya he’ll be downstairs, which was responded with an “okay” as he pulled out a pair of blue jeans, a white, short-sleeved hoodie with the hood and pockets bearing an orange hue, a plain black chocker, and his usual pair of sneakers. He knew having a different attire would help himself show his individuality during his personal mission.

After he got dressed, he ran towards the firepole and leapt towards it, holding onto it firmly with his right hand and his legs wrapped around it, leading to him sliding down to the first floor. Even before he landed on the floor, he could smell the essence of his mom’s pancakes coming from the kitchen and couldn’t wait to have some. What slowed him down, however, were some of the family’s pets greeting him, including En, Core, Kilo, and Watt.

"Good morning," Yuya cheerfully said as he knelt down to scratch En's belly as the corgi laid on his back. "It's great to see all of you!"

"Yuya, breakfast is ready!" Yoko called out from the kitchen.

"Coming!" Yuya replied as he stood to his full height.

He scurried into the dining room, with the pets following him from behind, where he saw Yusho and Sora already at the table and Yoko cooking some pancakes for them. Sora was just about done contacting Zuzu to see if she had any plans for today and if she wanted to come with him and Yuya to Card Craze.

Yuya sat next to Sora at the table and started helping himself to pancakes. "Uh, Yuya?" the Frightfur user asked. "I'm not sure Zuzu is coming."

"Mmm?" Yuya asked, already eating his breakfast.

"She said she hasn't been interested in dueling lately," Sora explained. "Ever since the separation procedure, she's been feeling indifferent about her Melodious cards. Almost like they feel foreign to her."

Yuya swallowed his mouthful of pancake. "What?!" he asked.

"That's what she just told me," Sora continued. "She wants to focus more on her dreams of being a music composer. In fact, she was apparently writing a new violin piece when I called her."

"I know that bit," Yuya recalled. "Ever since we were little, she has always dreamt of playing a grand symphony to everyone in the world."

Zuzu had always enjoyed orchestras and symphonies when she was a child, even before the grand opening of You Show Duel School. Just watching people play their assigned sheets of music depending on if they’re part of the woodwinds, brass, percussions, or strings group fascinated her because of how coordinated and well-timed each group member plays thanks to the conductor. She even did a well-researched essay on Tchaikovsky as part of a history assignment and gave a copy of it to her music teacher, so why would she not be interested in dueling anymore? Her Melodious monsters emphasize her love for orchestras, from their names referencing famous composers to their regal designs that resemble musical notes or musical-related objects.

"Wait, so she really has a violin?" Sora asked.

"Well yeah," Yuya confirmed. "She writes and performs her own original music. She's so good at performing that it's why she joined the school band."

"That's a relief," Sora remarked. "But I don't like how she apparently abandoned dueling."

"Me neither," Yuya agreed after swallowing another mouthful of pancake. "I hope she's feeling alright."

Meanwhile, at the Boyle residence, Zuzu adjusted a few sheets of paper with musical notes onto a stand to help her see what notes to play. She took a few steps away to pick up a small case from the floor and placed it on her bed, opening it up to reveal her violin and bow. Taking them out of the case and holding the violin in her left hand and the bow in her right, she walked back to her stand where her newest and original piece rested. She really was going to practice performing her song, and after everything that had happened up to the blood separation, this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

"'The Enchanting Nightingale'? Is this one of your original works?"

Zuzu raised her head up a little and had a subtle yet noticeable surprised look on her face. Standing in front of her was an apparition of her incarnation Ray, who was browsing through the sheet music; although Zuzu wasn’t expecting to have some company, this wasn’t the first time this has happened to her.

"...It is," Zuzu finally answered.

"I take it that you're surprised by my appearance."

"I am," Zuzu confirmed. "I thought you were spending the day in Rin's mind."

"I did earlier today, but ever since she and Yugo started dating, I thought it might be best to give them some privacy. So with Celina busy getting a school uniform for Paradise Prep and Lulu unaware of my presence, I figured I might as well hang out with you. So what's with this particular song?"

"It's something I wrote shortly after I was revived," Zuzu explained. "The song's story is about a guardian angel that takes the form of a little bird."

"So that stuff you told Sora is true? You're feeling a bit bothered because of me?"

"No!" Zuzu blurted out. She calmed down a bit. "Having you in my head is great, but that's not what's bothering me."

"Does it have to do with those special lessons with-"

"Shh!" Zuzu blurted out. "I want to surprise Yuya. He can't know about..." She took out two cards from her deck. "...this."

These two cards were Opheli the Melodious Operetta and Beetho the Melodious Songstress, which were both created by Declan. Having their cards based on Pendulumstatues White Flower and White Butterfly respectively, they’re both LIGHT Fairy-Type Pendulum monsters, but Opheli is a Scale 9 Level 4 monster with 400 ATK and DEF while Beetho is a Scale 1 Level 10 monster with 1000 ATK and DEF. They also have effects that work in a similar manner in different circumstances given the types of cards they’re specifically targeted towards: Beetho’s Pendulum effect gives all the Melodious Divas and Melodious Maestras that Zuzu controls 200 ATK once per turn and her monster effect permits her owner to add a Melodious Spell card from her deck to her hand if she was special summoned; likewise, Opheli’s Pendulum effect increases all the Melodious Choirs that Zuzu controls 200 ATK once per turn and her monster effect allows a Fusion Spell card to be added from the deck to the hand if she was special summoned.

"Ah, so you want to surprise your boyfriend with new summoning techniques."

Zuzu blushed heavily. "Yuya isn't my boyfriend," she denied. "He's just a friend with pretty eyes and very soft hair." But Ray let out a laugh in response.

"You can't hide your feelings from me. Lulu might have all my love and affection, but even I know you have a crush on Yuya Sakaki."

Ray was right; despite acting like the straight man in all of Yuya’s acts of buffoonery, Zuzu has developed a crush on him over the years. Even before and during their involvement in the Interdimensional War, she had shown evident signs of him harboring feelings for him, and overtime, he had soon realized his true emotions for her in his desperate mission to rescue her. Zuzu, however, tried her darnest to deny this obvious speculation despite knowing it was true.

"I don't have time to think about this," Zuzu said, attempting to change topics. She got into position for playing her violin. "I need to see if I got rusty after all these weeks."

As she held onto the violin, her fingers pressed down on specific areas of the strings and slid the bow across to create the sound of the first note. Its pitch was exactly how it was depicted on the first page of the sheet music. No problems so far. She then moved onto the next few notes, swiftly shifting her fingers to different places and sliding the bow back and forth, capturing the varying tones. So far, so good. She proceeded to go through the page to tackle all the notes in her musical number, only stopping to flip it to the back side to continue. This was admittedly a minor nitpick for Zuzu; she enjoyed playing the violin and writing all her compositions, but if there was one thing about practicing, it’s pausing in order to get to the next couple pages. It didn’t bother her back then, but she hasn’t played the violin in what felt like forever. Even though she has the techniques memorized, she wished she could practice “The Enchanting Nightingale” straight through without dealing with the hassle of turning the pages.

As Zuzu continued her violin practice, a voice interrupted her concentration. "Zuzu, Yuya and Sora are here!" Skip called out.

"Tell them I'm busy!" Zuzu replied, not breaking concentration from her music.

A few seconds later, Skip called out again. "They still want to speak to you!" he said.

"I told you, I'm busy!" Zuzu insisted.

Unfortunately for her, Yuya and Sora still went to her bedroom because they were worried about why she suddenly became disinterested in Duel Monsters after regaining her body. As for Zuzu, her predicament did involve dueling but not what her friends were thinking; she didn’t want to spoil her surprise for Yuya about her new Pendulum monsters and something else she has been practicing.

"Alright Zuzu, start talking!" Yuya demanded.

However, Zuzu didn't respond, wanting to concentrate on her music.

"Sora said you lost interest in Duel Monsters!" Yuya continued. "Is it because of Ray?"

"It has nothing to do with Ray," Zuzu replied as she continued her song.

"Does it have to do with that 'world symphony' Yuya mentioned?" Sora asked.

"If you mean my dreams of being a professional music composure, then yes," Zuzu answered. "It's more important to me than being a Dueltainer. I've been focusing on dueling for so long that I lost track of my true dream."

"What, so you're just gonna abandon dueling all together?" Yuya asked, starting to get annoyed.

"It's only temporary," Zuzu clarified. "I'll get back interested in dueling once I perfect my violin skills."

How long will that take exactly? Surely, she can’t spend so much time devoted to her dream career. She has already shown to be a great violinist during her time at Paradise Prep and she has easily managed the tasks of going to two schools, one for education and one for dueling, so if it wasn’t Ray that led her to abruptly stop dueling, then was it the war itself? Yuya’s irritation at the thought of her decision began to gradually boil; he does respect her dream for the future, but why would she do this to him? Sora spotted Yuya’s pacing change in emotion and stepped off to the side in worry while gesturing his head at Zuzu to have her see what’s going on.

Zuzu stopped practicing her song and carefully placed her violin on her bed. "Yuya...?" she asked, sounding concern.

"Please don't leave me..." Yuya begged, his eyes glowing red. "I beg of you, please don't leave me..."

Zuzu was surprised by the sudden mood swing. "I'm not going to leave you-"

"Do you even know what happened to me during the Interdimensional War?" Yuya interrupted. "When you faded in that green light...I lost control of myself." A desperate look appeared on his face. "I need to be with you, Zuzu Boyle. You complete me."

The green light… She knew this has recently become a trigger for them, but did it mentally hurt him that bad? Having her transferred into ARC-V against her will was the scariest thing that happened to him; it was even worse when all the dimension hopping in his dire rescue mission was nearly all for nothing because he was extremely close to losing her for good, especially when the Standard Dimension became the Pendulum Dimension. With everyone starting their new chapters of their lives, Yuya was hoping he would do the same thing with her. Now that she thought about it, she was certain this Card Craze place would have something that helps suit her surprise for him.

Zuzu let out a sigh of defeat. "Alright," she said. "If you really want me to come to Card Craze with you, I'll come." She started to put her violin and bow back in the case and her sheet music in a nearby folder.

"Great!" Yuya happily said, almost like his irritation never happened. "I've never been to this Card Craze place before, but Sora said it's a hangout spot for Duel Academy students."

"Just leave all the talking to me," Sora informed.

"How come?" Zuzu asked.

"Rumor had it that the store was once operated by the Rare Hunters, a group of rogue card thieves led by dueling cheat Keith Howard," Sora explained. "They kinda disappeared after the whole dimension crisis, but I suspect they're still hiding in Domino City."

"Rare Hunters...?" Yuya mused to himself.

Where did he hear that phrase before? He couldn’t help but ponder on who this group is because he felt like he should know who they are. Maybe in another life? That could be it because he could picture in his head what appeared to be Domino City but looked more like an actual Japanese city instead of the one he and his friends were used to. All around him were dozens, hundreds, maybe even thousands of Duelists battling each other and receiving these transparent cards with portions of a full picture called Locator Cards. Was some kind of tournament going on? From the look of things, it was, especially when kept hearing what the name of it was: Battle City.

From within his memories, his surroundings weren’t the only thing he remembers. He seemed to know what took place at the time because he just so happened to be one of the many Duelists taking part in Battle City, which was weird considering he only participated in only two tournaments. Maybe this was his alternate self? Who knows. He did perceive the fact he only attended because he wanted to stop the Rare Hunters and their leader from getting their hands on the three Egyptian God Cards. This was peculiar because the Rare Hunters appeared to be more of a larger threat than the ones Sora explained; they even had a different leader who went by the name Marik Ishtar. Although a handful of them are willing to do his bidding, he would brainwash or deceive others into joining him, such as a former stage magician who became sadistic and insane as he challenged the alternate Yuya on who was the true Dark Magician master.

"Uh, Yuya?" Sora asked. "You feeling alright?"

"Huh?" Yuya muttered, snapping back to reality. "Oh, I'm fine." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, mussing up his fluffy hair in the process. "Let's just get to Card Craze already."

Sora led the way as Yuya and Zuzu went downstairs and out of the house to the nearest bus stop. According to the bus schedule that was displayed online through Sora’s Duel Disk, the earliest bus they can from Paradise to Domino will be arriving in less than ten minutes for its 10 AM departure. It was rather shocking that there were already buses that traveled through all four sections of the main city shortly after the Original Dimension returned; then again, this must be practice for them to get adapted to driving through a much bigger city.

A bus soon pulled up in front of the trio to pick them up and they all went through the open door; they then sat down in a few seats that were in between the front and middle portions of the bus before leaving the neighborhood. As the scenery transformed from Paradise’s modern city structures to Domino’s Venice-esque landscape, Yuya couldn’t shake off the feeling of this Arkana person he was suddenly “remembering.” This was his first time hearing about the Rare Hunters yet he felt like he has known about them for a long time; the ones Sora recalled sounded less notorious than their alternate selves, but nonetheless, they still weren’t to be treated lightly.

"Hey Sora, you mentioned someone named Keith Howard," Yuya recalled. "Who is he?"

"The biggest cheat in dueling history," Sora answered. "He cheated his way through professional tournaments, but his methods were usually overlooked. However, during the final round of the Intercontinental Championship tournament a few years ago, his opponent caught him pulling spare cards from underneath his wristbands, specifically countless 7 Completeds. He was instantly disqualified for not only sneaking in more cards despite the 40-card deck limit, but also having more than three copies of a single card. He was banned from taking part in future tournaments since then, officially earning the nickname 'the Bandit'."

"Is that why he joined the Rare Hunters?" Zuzu asked.

"He didn't just join the Rare Hunters," Sora continued. "Rumor has it he founded that group out of spite. Now he makes a living hunting Duelists for their rare cards."

That didn’t sound good at all yet he had a couple questions. If this was because Keith has so much spite against those that banned him, why was he searching for rare cards specifically? For that matter, how come no one in Domino has actually brought it up to the public? Was it because they view him and the Rare Hunters as a minor threat? Yuya just somehow could tell the danger they actually pose even though he has never interacted with them before.

"Alright passengers, we've arrived at Domino City, Building 134 in Block 75," the bus driver announced. "Remember to take all your belongings before leaving the bus."

Yuya turned his head from the window to where the bus driver was sitting, suddenly getting another feeling of déjà vu. Something about his voice sounded very familiar to him. Could it be? No, it couldn’t, Yuya thought. As he, Zuzu, and Sora got up from their seats, they all departed the bus through the door, where he caught a glimpse of what the driver looked like. He had spiky, black hair with a ponytail in the back and several thin strands on the front sides of his face and a smaller strand over his forehead. His eyes were a piercing emerald green and his skin was darker than a fair skin tone yet lighter than a tan one. What made him stand out to Yuya the most was his six-sided die earring on his left ear and his pendant he wore around his neck. Yuya slightly gasped at the person he saw, and right when he got off the bus, he was still in disbelief at the identity of the bus driver.

"Yuya?" Zuzu asked. "You alright? You seem to space out a lot today."

"I'm not sure..." Yuya admitted.

"Well we can worry about it later," Sora said. He cheerfully grinned. "Time to visit the old hangout spot!"

[thenightling]

If you don't mind my asking, what is it you find so troubling about Nuala going back to her Glamours in spin-offs? To me, her entire arc from the start was about autonomy and the freedom to choose, something she was deprived of between Dream forcing her out of glamours and Titania forcing her into them. Ergo the empowerment for Nuala is not how she looks, but rather the freedom she has to choose her appearance and expression of self, be it as a wee pixie or a stunning glamoured fae.

That’s precisely it.   Nuala had a lot of amazing character growth and it was about her autonomy.  Yes, Morpheus made her take off the glamour when she was made to stay at the castle but in the end she wanted to be without The Glamour.  She wanted to be accepted for being herself.

Glamour spells, by their very nature, are illusions.  They are masks to hide your true self under a thin veneer of magick. It’s good to have the choice but the reasoning for her wearing it again doesn’t sit well for me.

The other faeries didn’t think of her as “pretty enough” so they forced her to wear that glamour.  You realize it was forced upon her when Titania is insulted that she dared show up at the faerie court without it and was insulted by her true appearance.

 When Nuala went back to Faerie she worked up the courage to stand before Titania without the “pretty” glamour because she had learned to see herself as beautiful and wanted to be accepted for who she really was and when they didn’t accept her, and were even insulted by her lack of glamour she decided to leave.

She worked up the strength to leave even though it might mean her death and she didn’t know where she’d go.  That takes a lot of courage.  It was only because Titania found out Morpheus had “died” that Nuala wasn’t severely punished.

And when she had stood there without the glamour in the Faerie Court, if not for her “brother” intervening and pretending she had done it as a “bet” she probably would have been severely punished for “Insulting” Titania by being “too ugly” and standing there without the glamour.  So she chose to leave which almost earned a worse punishment if not for Titania hearing about what happened to Morpheus.

Nuala spent her whole life being told her true form wasn’t good enough, wasn’t “socially acceptable” (She’d be punished if she was seen without the Glamour in front of the royal Faeries) and her true form was even “Insulting” to them.  But Morpheus had not only accepted her true form but preferred it and so she had learned to accept herself and even love herself despite what the other faeries thought.  I think perhaps his wanting her to be in her true form, and even seeming to prefer it was part of why she was infatuated with him (that and he never once gave her an actual order).  He accepted her true self without judgement.   It was the falsehood she had been forced to wear her whole life that he disliked.

And when she was put back under the Glamour when she went home to Faerie she didn’t want the glamour.  She begged her “brother” to take it off later when he had put it back on her to appease the queen. 

Think of it like forcing a trans boy to put on a dress.  It’s just wrong.  She chose to run away from Faerie rather than have to wear that glamour again to make others happy.  She chose to leave.  She decided she wanted to be herself more than be accepted by the other fae.

Morpheus had taught her that- to accept herself despite what her society wanted.  And the spin-off completely undid this growth for the “empowerment” of living under an illusion and disguise, hiding who and what she truly is.  They made conforming to what others expect of you into an “Empowering choice” when she had before bravely embraced her true self despite it being “not not socially acceptable.”

The metaphor is blatant and suddenly she’s forsaken her true self for what IS socially acceptable. 

Nuala going back under the Glamour and suddenly “wanting” it out of the blue was the direct opposite of that growth of accepting herself even though her society had told her that her true self was “wrong” her whole life.

It’s like some idiot saw the Glamour (a beauty illusion spell) as being similar to a trans woman’s makeup and hair products but in reality that glamour was more like trying to force a trans boy to wear a dress and ribbons simply because that’s what people expected of him. 

Yes, choice is important but Nuala’s reason for wanting to be back under that Glamour doesn’t have much logic, does it? And it heartbreakingly undoes her growth and self-acceptance, undoing her moving beyond the faeries forcing her to conform to their standards and ideals of what is ‘acceptable.”   It makes it all for nothing.

Nuala learned to accept herself in Sandman.  To not wear the glamour just because it’s what the faeries expected of her.   She was even starting to see herself as pretty without the glamour.  It was only the other faeries who were “insulted” by her true form.  And when they didn’t accept her she decided to leave rather than wear that glamour again and pretend to be something she’s not.  She was tired of making other people happy and hiding who she really was. She wanted to be loved and accepted for herself, not for an illusion that wasn’t really her. 

That’s the purpose of a glamour, to hide who you really are. That’s literally what a glamour spell means “To hide yourself.”  She learned to not be afraid of the consequences of truly being herself. 

If she wants to hide herself, fine. Yes, the writer can make her want to hide herself and pretend it’s empowering but the reality is having her hide who she truly is under an illusion undoes all the growth and the self-acceptance that came with that growth, learning to love who she truly was under the illusions forced upon her by her society.

It’s heartbreaking that she’s under that Glamour again.  It’s inexcusably terrible. 

Putting her back under the Glamour is a tragedy.

It’s essentially saying:  “Be yourself.  Love yourself.   Except if you can make yourself look the way your society had tried to force on you since you were born all because your true self was ‘wrong’ and not socially acceptable. If that’s the case than you’re better off looking the way your society wanted and expected.  Yup, Conforming will make you happy.”

  Sounds kind of anti-Trans when you pay attention to the metaphors…   Anti-LGBT, Anti-individuality, anti-nonconformity, anti-uniqueness, anti-creativity, anti… everything good… and pro-submission to peer pressure.

Being yourself despite what others want of you.  THAT is empowerment.  Going back under a disguise and conforming to what those people wanted … and convincing yourself you want it too, that’s not…

So what happens in the spin-off?  We get this ugly, fake, empowerment where she conforms to what her society had wanted of her after all, despite her standing up for herself and walking away from all that when they had deemed her true-self to not be socially acceptable. 

Here in the spin-off she’s no longer being herself or accepting herself.  Instead she’s conforming to what the other faeries had wanted of her all along with a feeble explanation.  She’s hiding herself under a mask- a mask that had been deemed “acceptable” by her society because her true form was “wrong” and “inappropriate.”   Can you see how wrong this message is yet?  That it’s better to be what your society forced on you because what you are isn’t acceptable?  This is not okay.

That’s all the glamour spell was, a mask, an illusion of what others wanted of her.  It wasn’t her.  And it wasn’t even who she wanted to be in the end, so pretending it was, making it what she wanted in that spin-off, felt like a slap in the face since The Kindly Ones was still so fresh in my mind when I read this …thing. (I’m trying to maintain politeness here…)

And not only that but poor Nuala only “heals” from the heartbreak of Morpheus’ “death” (uh, huh…) by landing in the arms of Lucien. Because apparently the only way you can show you’ve “moved on” from someone not loving you and then “dying” is to be in a relationship that kind of felt like it had the organic nature of slamming two Barbie dolls together to make them kiss.

This doesn’t seem very empowering to me.  It’s depressing and conforming.

I don’t want to sound like one of the Goths from South Park here but Conformity seems to be the theme behind Nuala suddenly loving that glamour.  I think there was a Twilight Zone episode about this… “Number 12 looks just like you.” 

[alphatalecomic]

Alphatale Arc 1- Chapter 2, Page 22x

{ Alphatale Extra } {Arc 1- Chapter 2, Page 24x} Word Count ~ 2880 -Gore Warning -Sexual Violence Warning

               Though the night wasn’t even half from over, the serene silver glow of the moon had already faded beyond the horizon until only the stars bore light. There was not a cloud in sight, leaving the sky entirely clear. And though the stars proved to be much brighter than most gave them credit for, the night was chill and dark.

               Percival watched the ever-growing town of Tuskfield - candles dimmed or exterminated as the people began to take their rest for the night – from his usual vantage point; a thick branch belonging to a large tree that he could only get to using magic. His position was entirely concealed with leaves, but there was enough space between them that he could see outward perfectly fine. Just as long as he kept his eye lights off, no one would ever know he was there.

               It wasn’t unusual for him to be there, as a hunter, and later as a father, he found a habit in observing and taking note of everything surrounding him and his loved ones. It was almost relaxing, comforting even, to know what was going on. He also thought of it to be an entertaining hobby.

               He found himself to be here more often than usual as of late. Ever since River met with and began spending more time with the sailor, Percival felt the need to watch over her. At an earlier date he reasoned with himself that she could handle herself, she was his older sister after all, but the more he watched, the more he decided that he needed to continue.

               His back was leaned against the trunk of the trustworthy tree as he lounged casually on the branch, his legs crossed and stretching across its length, and his arms folded over his chest. He’d been there since sundown, just after Sans was put to bed nearly five hours ago.

   Earlier, he had seen Jasper convince River to come with him so he could show her a surprise. She hesitated, but reluctantly agreed. That was how things usually were with them. In the past month that they’d been together, Percival couldn’t remember the number of times he watched her submit into doing something she clearly didn’t want to do. He also lost track of the number of times he wanted to jump down from the branch and tell him to get lost. One time, he almost did.

   It didn’t make much sense to him why River was so submissive with the sailor. Growing up, she always went out of her way to be in-charge and place herself into a position of dominance. She was always assertive and decisive. But there’s just something about this, this guy that almost turns her into the opposite. Percival knew that sometimes there’s a difference with how you act and feel when you’re around someone else. After all, he of course doesn’t treat his wife the same way he does his sister, so it made sense to him that she wouldn’t treat her boyfriend as she treated her brother, but still. This is just taking it to a whole different level, and it pisses him off whenever he sees it happen.

   He wished Gaster had stayed longer. He had no doubt that he would have accepted the offer River would have given him to attend dinner with her and a few other friends. All Percival really wanted was to just have the two spend some time together. He’s been watching them for years, and though Gaster’s lived at the Capital for the past several, he could still see how much they cared about – even loved - each other and how much they wanted to spend time together. But Gaster was always wrapped up in his studies and River didn’t want to interrupt him.

   And it pissed Percival off even more that Jasper was the reason Gaster left sooner. In his conversation with his friend that morning, Gaster mostly played it off as ‘having to complete his assignment to the king’, but it was obvious what the real reason was.

When he went to visit River the previous afternoon, he ran into Jasper as well.

And seeing the two together crushed him.

   Since his first introductions with him, Percival didn’t like him very well. He knew there was just something about him that was off. Watching how he treated and manipulated his sister only confirmed it. Percival had tried not to, but as the days go by, the more he can’t help but realize how much he really, truly, hates him.

   It was just past midnight. Percival didn’t know what this surprise was, but he’d taken River out of sight and sound of his vantage point. From the direction he pulled her, it seemed that they were going towards the docks to the south. He knew he was prying and that he should just stay out of all this, but he silently checked to see if there was anybody around to see him. Once he confirmed his secrecy, he climbed down the tree and soundlessly made his way towards where he saw the two of them head off to.

   He stalked from tree to tree, ensuring his eye lights were off so as to remain hidden, not that anyone was even around to see him. Because of that he was also admittedly a little careless with his stealth, but it did make him go faster. He’d slow down and be more discreet once he got closer to his destination.

   The trees along the side of the path became more dispersed and made way for the clearing by the river and the docks leading up to it. No one was there. It was entirely silent and empty, not even a lamp or candle was lit. The only sound was the lazily flowing water of the river, lightly sloshing against the shore and boarding vessels.

   Percival slowed himself as he continued forward, and looked where he was stepping to ensure that he didn’t happen upon a twig or something that would give him away – not that anybody would hear him but it was a helpful habit to maintain anyway. He glanced down at where he was placing his foot and stopped. The dim light of the stars illuminated a rather large pile of what seemed to be loose dirt, but it was too pale in color for that to be it. He crouched down and lightly touched it, rubbing the substance between his forefinger and thumb. It didn’t feel like dirt either, it was too powdery.

   Studying the area surrounding the small mound, he saw what he could only describe as… a struggle? The young, early spring grass that was trying to grow was pressed down to the earth and even some of the moist soil was disturbed in a similar way. Percival looked up a small margin to see a trail - of what looked like something had been dragged - leading to a different tree a little ways off. Out of suspicion and curiosity, Percival walked towards it, a feeling of silent dread creeping up his spine. There was nothing there. Not anywhere at the base of the tree or the area surrounding it.

   And then he looked up.

   He saw a torn, bloodstained shirt stuffed high between two branches, trying to hide. Percival looked around and saw more small mounds, and suddenly he remembered that no one was there. It was a direct order from the king himself that the contact points in the trade routes were supposed to have guards. Horror dawned on him as he realized what the powdery substance was.

   Monster dust.

   The sentries that were supposed to be there were murdered, and their clothes were taken someplace else so it wouldn’t be obvious the mounds of dust were once bodies.

   Percival sprinted to the docks.

   Where is River?

   She’d given up trying to scream several minutes ago, but if felt like hours. She was pressed harshly on her stomach, constantly having someone holding her down. On multiple occasions, she could hear and almost feel her ribs creaking under the pressure. Her dress was torn to shreds, mostly the skirts below her hips, and whatever remained of her attire was strewn about her in every which way as barely more than scraps, or scarcely covering her hurting and violated body. Her hand-knitted shawl had eventually dropped off her face once she stopped struggling, but the shred of her dress that bound her hands together was still there.

   She stared out past one of the crates surrounding her, but refused to see anything more than a blurred picture of darkness, focusing only on her pained and labored breathing. Nothing else.

   Oh please nothing else…

   Someone bellowed out her name at the top of their lungs, and suddenly the men around her stopped, but it was only for a brief moment before they recovered from the shock. Almost immediately afterwards, the crushing pressure on her back ceased and she instinctively took a much-needed deep breath, but refused to move much more than that.

   Only having time to take two full breaths from the released pressure, it came crashing back down on her tenfold. An undeniable crunch sounded under her as her chest fell a few inches. Crushing, unbearable pain shot through her entire body, unable to breath from the sheer excruciating force of the blow, leaving her to scream in hoarse and desperate silence.

   To Percival, it seemed only fitting that he were to demonstrate to the scum the same quantity of mercy that they gave to the sentries, his sister, and any of their other victims in the past.

   None.

   He summoned dozens of weaponized bones and fired them violently at the fleeing cowards, hardly caring about how much damage he dealt to them. He never ceased to sprint, closing in on them much faster than they could get away.

   His attacks met with his targets, striking them and pushing them to the ground, if they were lucky. Otherwise, wherever his bullets hit, they pierced through and cut past flesh. One unfortunate maggot was hit in the shoulder and pinned to a crate.

   Good. Now it can’t get away.

   Gathering more attacks, he struck again, continuously screaming as he ran. More of their blood was spilt as his bullets closed on his targets, immobilizing some of the others that weren’t already, and injuring the rest that still tried to flee. He saw one duck behind one of the many crates that were strewn across the area, and soon another followed in the example and took cover behind a different one as well.

   Percival had entirely caught up to their position and he turned around the crate that before he could only see River’s head peering around, her eyes empty and broken. He only allowed himself a small glimpse of her lying and helpless form on the ground. He first had to focus on stopping the disgusting creatures from escaping. Besides, he wasn’t done with them yet.

   He tapped into his magical energy and focused the output into Blue Magic, and shot the newly created, cyan bones at the scum that were already pinned or struggling to retreat. As long as they didn’t move, the blue bones wouldn’t deal any damage. It was an effective way of ensuring they couldn’t flee.

   His next trick was a difficult one, and he’d neglected practicing this particular spell for several months, but the searing rage and adrenaline coursing through his being was more than enough to make up for it. He reached his arm out towards one of the still-running things and focused on its form, letting his energy surge out and find the creature, attach itself, and activate. All of it taking no more than two seconds.

   Percival closed his hand into a fist and the human’s Soul suddenly appeared visible in front of them, surrounded with a deep blue aura. He gestured his hand harshly to the ground, as if slamming a book on an invisible table, and the human’s body followed the motion, crashing into the ground and hopefully breaking several bones. He lifted his arm and flung it to the side and it forced the Soul to surge out in the direction he indicated, with the host soon following and smashing into one of the crates head-first with enough force to knock it over, splintering some of the outer frame. He paused and once he determined that they were unconsciousness, he released the spell.

   He looked around, sending out more of his power to search for the other humans’ Souls, particularly the ones that ducked behind crates, but it wasn’t an easy feat. They had probably gotten away when he was distracted with the others, or at least got out of his range.

   He reasoned with himself that he’d have to deal with them later. Right now he had to return his focus back to River.

   Percival didn’t realize how much further he still ran after using the Blue Magic, practically chasing after them. He urgently turned around and ran back to River, who was still in the exact position where he had last seen her. He made it to her side then slid onto his knees, and immediately untied her bound wrists then began pulling her up by her shoulders as gently, yet as quickly, as he could.

   Putting his hand underneath her, he flipped her over and pulled her onto his lap. Her eyes were open, but empty. He wasn’t sure she was even breathing. Looking down at her nearly bare abdomen, it made sense why. Her ribcage was crushed and entirely collapsed in on itself. Percival noticed pieces falling off, or having been left behind, quickly dissolving into pale dust and mixing with the puddles of marrow dripping from her shattered bones. He tried not to throw up as he studied the damage, her body limp and lifeless.

   She can’t be… not like this…

   She moved.

   It was subtle but she moved. A little twitch in her hand and after a few seconds her head turned to face him. Her eyes were still empty, but she looked at him, and her chest ever so slightly rose and fell in a short breath. She tapped her finger twice on the ground to get his attention then slowly and shakily made the hand-language signs for O and W. He couldn’t stop the tears that formed at the edges of his sockets.

   “It’s okay.” He whispered, moving his hand gently to caress her face. “You’re going to be okay.” Getting down to business, he moved his arm under her knees to hold her and stood. After glancing back at the pinned humans behind him to double check that they were still stuck there, he ran back towards town. He didn’t know the first thing about healing magic and she was in dire need of medical attention as soon as possible.

   He knew that the running was extremely painful for her but he couldn’t do anything to help it, as much as he desperately wanted to. She made a very small and out-of-breath sound and he looked down at her, still running. Her eye lights were back on and her face twisted in agony and what looked like a desperate plea. She mouthed the word ‘stop’ and he slowed to a brisk walk, though refused to stand still.

   ‘Down’

   “No. I have to get you to a doctor or anyone with healing magic. If I don’t…”

   ‘Stop’, a tear rolled down her cheek.

   “No.” He sped up again to a faster walk, just shy of a jog, and looked up trying to force his own emotions back. She was so broken and hurt and he had to be strong for her right now. All of what he kept bottled up could be dealt with later.

   She tried as hard as she could, but she couldn’t get a sound out. She didn’t have enough air, and it was becoming increasingly impossible to get more. The pain was already unbearable, but with each step Percival took, she felt her strength to endure slipping away. Trying to breathe or stay alive started to sound pointless. It just hurt too much.

   River wanted him to stop, to give up like she was. She knew that he couldn’t get her to someone before she finally couldn’t take it anymore. And something told her he knew it too.

   Percy, please… Just stop. You know I’m not going to make it. Let me go with the peace of mind that you’re not wasting your efforts on me…

   She coughed. It was harsh and excruciating. The fact that she couldn’t get any air made it worse. All it did was expel what little she had, and she couldn’t get it back.

   “Just hang in there.” Percival said desperately, and ignoring her previous request he ran again.

   River looked up at him, tears streaming, and eyelids heavy. If only he would look at her, then he could have seen the apology written in her expression. The pain was just too much. Everything started to fade into darkness. Exhaustion crept into every fiber of her being, overpowering everything she had.

   River closed her eyes.

   And let it take her.

---

NEXT PREVIOUS (Gore and Sexual Violence Warning) FIRST

FIRST PAGE / Chapter 1 Arc Cover Chapter Cover

The Artwork belongs to Me AlphaTale belongs to Me Undertale belongs to Toby Fox

[jbuffyangel]

Rebuilt: Arrow 5x22 Review (Missing)

"Missing" was amazing! Emotional and action packed with zinging dialogue. 

What struck me most was how full circle it was. "Missing" sets up the heroes versus villains battle that will come to fruition in the finale, but it also kicks off the basic question Oliver must ask: What makes a hero? What makes a villain? Those concepts are not always rigid. In fact, the very essence of hero and villain is fluid.

Oh... and did I mention there's an Olicity reunion scene?

Let's dig in...

Olicity and OTA

The Throwing Star killer is in prison and Oliver Queen's approval ratings are in the 70th percentile. (That's how you know it's TV. If there's a politician in my lifetime with that high of an approval rating I'm just assuming it's the apocalypse.) Seeing both personas, Oliver and the Green Arrow, get the credit each deserves and Oliver being treated for the hero HE IS makes me want to run up mountains and sing songs.

The battle is won. Let’s party.

Quentin wishes Oliver a happy birthday because heart strings. 

Source:  olivergifs

Did y'all notice the size of that gift? Think about where these men began and where they are now.  What I love about Oliver and Quentin is how similar they are. Both men are hard shells, but once you crack it it's nothing but ooey gooey center. Oliver has earned Quentin's respect, trust and forgiveness. Quentin sees Oliver as the honorable man he is and put a motherf*****bow on it.  IT MAKES ME FEEL THINGS Y'ALL.

Thea and Oliver take a minute to recap her emotional trajectory.  They recall the last time Arrow celebrated a birthday - Thea's 18th birthday. Do you remember? It was a lifetime ago. Thea got a new car, did some Vertigo and crashed it. Good times.

But it led to THIS!!!!!

I miss Roy.

Anyways, Oliver talks about how far Thea has come because he reads my mind. Thea laments that she doesn't think she's come quite far enough. Oh... my sweet honey child. Let the pain go!

I am all ready to give Thea a pep talk, but Oliver "I Am 32 And Emotional Evolved" Queen steps up to the plate.

Source: olivergifs

Tear. 

Oliver Queen, you have been through some shit but you have seen the light my dear boy. This is hard earned character growth. Now go get your girl.

Thea wants to take Oliver out for his birthday. QUEEN SIBILINGS FOREVER. Oliver has plans. Oh? You don't say?

"Please say not Susan Williams."

Thea summed up Susan William's entire character arc for me in a single sentence. And did I almost see a shudder come from Oliver? Perhaps it's wishful thinking, but he at least gave a good awkward stammer.  In fact, no dear sister, dinner is with Felicity Smoak. You know, the human equivalent of a rainbow, forever light of Oliver Queen's life, future mother of his children and your nieces and nephews. That Felicity Smoak. 

As for Susan Williams, come Thea girl, pull up a chair because you have MISSED THINGS. Particularly the glorious break up in which Oliver dumps Susan's ass because, once again, he's not sure he can have a relationship and be the Green Arrow. Meanwhile, Felicity asks him over for dinner and homeboy falls over himself sprinting to the loft, but that's just details. I totally believed him about Susan. It was all concern about safety, balance, blah blah. Nothing to do with the urge to chew his arm off post coitus.

I'm sorry. The snark just flows. I can't stop it.

Thea wants to know if it's a date. 

Source: amanitacaplan

She was always with us fandom. Thea never lost faith.  Check her pocket. I half expected Thea to hand Oliver Moira's ring, slap him on the back and say, "Go get her big fella."  Also, somebody needs to fic this scenario.

Oliver plays it casual. Date? Pfft. What date? It's not a date.

Maybe it's a date.  Could it be a date? Dear God, let it be a date. Oliver is praying to the higher power like Are You There God? It's me, Margaret.

Thea doesn't believe him. Nobody believes you Oliver. You lack zero chill with Felicity. The heart eyes run deep my friend. Just embrace it. You can't change.

Of course, it's the surprise party which leads to Oliver putting Curtis on his back. This never gets old. A+ comedic reactions from everyone involved.

Source:  sharingmyworld

Oliver blows out the candles on his LORD MESA cake. 

Source:  legendsofcomics

The shout out to this man, who is an genius and absolute gift to this fandom, is so freaking earned. I cheered. @lordmesa-art​ brings us all a lot of joy with his artistry. He absolutely needs to be Arrow canon.  I love when Arrow goes meta. There's a Green Arrow with the #6 the arrows in the target - a celebration for their Season 6 renewal of course. Take that haters! Don't bitch at me about ratings. Seriously. Enough. The explanation for the 6 is Felicity ordered the cake for a six year old. She thought a Green Arrow cake for a grown man would raise alarm bells. That... makes a lot of sense actually. Our girl is so smart.

So why is Arrow celebrating Oliver Queen's birthday now after all these years? It's not simply because there's a lull in the action. This is about how far Oliver Queen has come, especially in these last few episodes. When Oliver came home he wanted to keep everyone he loved at arm's length. He shut down the very essence of who he is, his humanity, because Oliver  believed it was required to protect those he loves, save the city and honor his father. In the end, Oliver discovered the exact opposite was required to be the Green Arrow. 

He had to open himself up to family

friendship

and love 

to become someone else... something else. That's how he took the darkness used it for light. 

It hurt. A lot. Oliver has been to hell and back. He's faced the very worst parts of himself and came out the other side. 

Oliver has learned to honor truth over lies, team work over control, love over loneliness and forgiveness over self hatred. These past five years, Oliver has learned how to choose home over the island. He's not just surviving. Oliver Queen is living. I cannot think of a better way to celebrate that evolution than his 32nd birthday. Oliver has been reborn.

Source:  legendsofcomics

Everyone takes a moment to talk about what they are going to do with their summer vacations. Television shows are set up exactly like school. Where is the lie? Diggle wants to go fishing with JJ. Curtis wants to go to Florence. And Felicity... 

Source:  felicitys

The subtle look she shoots Oliver is not so subtle.

If you would like to see a man become a rainbow - this is what it looks like.

As for Oliver, he just wants some socks. 

Source:  bazingagubicorn

Source:  felicitys (I love this gif)

What’s to know people? He's gonna stop at Target, grab some socks and condoms, on the way to a night under the stars with Felicity Smoak.  He's a simple man. What else does Oliver need when he has his whole world looking back at him?

Picking up on the sexual tension/feels overload Team Arrow makes themselves scarce. Well, except for Curtis. He pulls up a chair and grabs a bowl of popcorn. This on top of his epic shipper spiral post party. 

Source:felicityssoliver

Curtis is me on a deeply spiritual level. Ship it hard my brother.

Diggle, Captain of the Olicity ship, actually wants to make this reunion to happen though so he physically removes Curtis.

Source:oliverdant

And we're here.  

Source:  legendsofcomics

When Arrow began Season 4 they had every intention of breaking Oliver and Felicity up. The moment Oliver lied about William to Felicity in 4x08 we knew that's where we were headed. However, I always believed Olicity would find their way back to one another. Arrow has been slowly and steadily rebuilding what they broke. It has been a long and hard road, but they are here. We are here.

Find My Way Back by Eric Arjes

One step closer

Closer to the light

No matter where we're going

I'll be by your side

And everything we used to know

Crashed into the great unknown

One step closer

We're gonna be alright

I love how simple this moment is. Love feels like an inertia out of our control, but the truth is, it is a choice. For those wondering how Olicity could ever get back together, it always boiled down to this: once Oliver and Felicity faced their issues, dug deep and dig the work, then all that remains is the simple choice to begin again. Love isn't always marked by a lot of fan fair. Most of the time, it's the quiet moments that define you. The moments when you look into the eyes of the person you love and say yes. Yes to trying again, to forgiveness, to rebuilding what was broken... one step at a time.

Source: amanitacaplan

Oliver came to the loft, dressed in a suit, hoping this was that moment but uncertain if it was. Felicity acknowledges the ruse and team's desire to give them alone time because of it.  All of Team Arrow just wants them to have all the babies.

I love how bold Oliver is in this moment. My boy gets his flirt on. He wasn't certain what the dinner meant, if it was about alone time for them, so he just... ASKS.  It's so freaking fantastic. There was a time when Oliver would have talked around something like this, or choose not to address it or simply let her go.  Not this time. Not ever again.

Oliver stumbles at the word date, his nerves getting the best of him, and I believe he didn't want to put too much pressure on Felicity. However, this is a man who isn't afraid.  This is open and honest communication. He doesn't hide what he was hoping dinner meant. Oliver is charging through that door Felicity opened in 5x20.

And Felicity, so sweetly and with a gentle little wink, confirms Oliver's hope because it's her hope too.  Felicity says yes  to trying again, but slowly. There's no rush to the altar here. She wants to be sure they are solid, so they never break up again. That means taking things slow. A walk under the stars, hand in hand, one step at a time, together.

This exquisite, beautiful, warm and loving light lives in Oliver Queen and Felicity always harnesses it. I often say Oliver Queen is the sun the other characters revolve around. With Felicity's answer, Oliver becomes pure sunshine.

And there it is. 

The moment David Ramsey promised at HVFF. The moment Marc confirmed we were building towards in July. A simple, quiet, open, honest, forgiving, and most of all loving, yes. This is how you repair what is broken. This is Olicity rebuilt.

I was so happy with 5x20. It was everything I ever wanted from Oliver and Felicity for the past five years. Whatever came after was always just going to be icing on the cake for me. What I love about this moment is how builds off of everything 5x20 established so perfectly. The moment Oliver celebrates his life with his family, he and Felicity decide to start their lives together again. If I'm being honest, it's satisfying AF. This moment is EARNED y'all.

Cause even underneath the waves

I'll be holding on to you

And even if you slip away

I'll be there to fall into the dark

To chase your heart

No distance could ever tear us apart

There's nothing that I wouldn't do

I'll find my way back to you

Felicity senses Oliver isn't quite at ease and questions him about it. 

Oliver immediately leaps to the conclusion that she's talking about them (because that's all he can process right now) and jokes about dating his ex-fiancé. 

THIS CUPCAKE. He's so scared to put an official label on it, but he wants to so desperately.

No Oliver, you love sick fool. It's not hypothetical. This is real. Embrace the joy my friend. She came back to you.

I expect the fandom to abuse this gif.

Source: gothsmoak

Oliver learning how to relax while being the Green Arrow is still a skill he has to master (*cough*fivemonthtimejump*cough*) 

and I love how Felicity encourages him to chillax - bad socks and all. 

So let's talk about the tie loosening. I refuse to see that as anything but Felicity beginning to undress Oliver right then and there. Coupled with night under the stars and eye sex, 

Source:  olicityloyalty

I feel it's pretty clear where Felicity thinks the next step should be.

Alright, it's pretty clear where I think the next step should be.

I'm not going to argue that Oliver doesn't frequently need his bottle uncorked, but he also has great instincts. These instincts kept him alive for the last ten years, they are almost other worldly. They also make him a pain in the ass too, but overall his instinces are helpful. Oliver knows something is up in his gut. It's no different than feeling a rocket a hair trigger before it explodes or someone sneaking up behind him. But he wanted to believe. Oliver wanted to war to be over, to be happy and just live so he let his guard down.  He ignored his gut.

The gun scene was as adorable as I hoped it was, 

but I wasn't anticipating yet another emotional reconnecting moment between Oliver and Felicity. Dinah and Curtis are gone and Felicity is rightly concerned about the League of Assassins. They be crazy. So, our girl is ready to hunker down and operate comms remotely. Oliver's response signals just how far he's come and how much he's grown.

Source:  oliverxfelicity

Felicity stays put. Right next to him. Exactly where he can see her. Didn't you love the part where Oliver reassures bae that Talia Al Ghul and her LOA flunkies can bring it? Oliver will handle business. Felicity doesn't need to be afraid. He won't let anything happen to her. 

Confidence is so sexy in a man.

Oliver knows he needs Felicity by his side if he has any chance of stopping Chase. He's not pushing her away. He's not trying to handle everything on his own. Oliver is admitting he needs Felicity's help. He needs HER.

It seems Oliver isn't the only one looking for a little firmer confirmation on status. Felicity wants to know if Oliver's motivations are simply tactical or is there a little more to it? Girl... you are his lobster. Come on now.

Source:  oliverxfelicity

Oliver immediately tells Felicity the truth which is OF COURSE it's not just tactical. Oliver ignored his gut and not only is his team in danger, but so is his son. 

Source:  klarolicityswan 

I love how William is just an open, honest and natural subject for Olicity now. Felicity tries to reassure him, but Oliver rightly corrects her out that while her assurances are appreciated there's no way either of them can know for certain if William is safe. And since Chase is crazy pants, Oliver feels it's highly unlikely that he is. (Gotta trust those parental instincts Oliver. They are seldom wrong.) Essentially, Oliver is telling Felicity that by allowing those he loves out of his sight made them vulnerable to Chase. He will not make that mistake with her. HE. WILL. NEVER. LET. HER. GO. AGAIN. Y'all I am emotional.

Except... then Quentin and Thea are taken. What follows is yet ANOTHER emotional scene not only with Oliver and Felicity, but with Diggle. Oliver finally realizes that Chase is taking away his strength, his team, to leverage his freedom. Oliver wants Diggle and Felicity to get out of town, which is meant with strong opposition particularly by Diggle. John will not abandon Oliver, but Oliver doesn't look at it that way.  Chase is slowly picking off Team Arrow one by one. Felicity and John are the only two left and they are the foundation of the team. Oliver operates on instinct, but he fears that instinct is what is putting Diggle and Felicity in danger.  Oliver depends on John and Felicity. If Chase threatens them, and he will, Oliver's instinct is to pull Diggle and Felicity close. His instinct was to send Thea, Quentin and William away. His instinct was to allow Curtis, Rene and Dinah to operate business as usual. Every choice, every instinct, Oliver has followed Chase has used against him. So, Oliver is mixing it up. He's going to directly opposite of what his heart tells him to do and send John and Felicity away.

Felicity doesn't want to leave. She's worried about Oliver. So, now it's time for Oliver to reassure her. If he's not worried about her, then he can focus on Chase and finding the others. If Felicity leaves then he'll be safer. This argument proves how well Oliver knows Felicity. She won't put her safety above Oliver's, but she will listen to him if she believes this keeps him safe.

Source:  tinaday3w

But even then, neither of them wants to let go. They hold hands like they've done many times before, 

as circumstance forces them to separate, 

their eyes conveying everything they are feeling in the moment- 

that be apart is the last thing either of them wants.

Source:  gothsmoak

The problem is, Chase wants Oliver to doubt his instincts. He wants him to rethink everything that feels right. As Diggle and Felicity are driving away from the city, Felicity's instincts tell her they were wrong. They've over thought this. They should have never left him alone. SHE should never have left him.

Felicity's right. She's always right. A LOA flunkie shows up with two swords which leads to a hilarious Delicity moment as they recall their encounter with Isobel Rochev. 

Source:  westallenolicitygifs

Emily Bett Rickards and David Ramsey's comedic timing is always stellar. I need more. All the time more.

Unfortunately, car versus murderous woman doesn't go exactly like it did with Isobel Rochev. Diggle and Felicity's car crashes and then IT EXPLODES. Not gonna lie, I screamed many screams. 

DO NOT DO THAT TO ME MARC GUGGENHEIM. THOSE ARE MY CHILDREN. WE DO NOT BLOW UP DIGGLE AND FELICITY'S CAR. THERE ARE RULES ABOUT THAT SORT OF THING.

But they are totes fine, so I could breathe again. I mean... they aren't ever going to kill these two, but I'll never be okay with the threats of it. Unfortunately, Diggle up against several LOA members isn't a fair fight even with those bowling balls for arms. Diggle and Felicty are taken... and Oliver is left to fight Chase and save everyone he loves alone.

Source:  legends-of-today

OR IS HE ALONE?

Malcolm Merlyn

My hatred of Malcolm Merlyn runs deep. 

Primarily because Malcolm sees himself as the hero and not the villain. This began over love for Malcolm. He was once a good and loving husband and father. Losing Rebecca shattered the man Merlyn was and he forged himself into someone else... something else. Love beget grief. Grief beget revenge. Revenge beget a lust for power. At every turn, Merlyn has operated in his own self interest, but firmly believed they were righteous and for the greater good. Merlyn unleashes evil and believes it is love. That's the level of sociopath we are dealing with here.

Merlyn is the reason Robert Queen died. 

He's the reason Oliver ended up on that island. 

He killed Tommy. 

He used his OWN DAUGHTER 

as the weapon to kill Sara Lance. 

Merlyn sent Oliver into a death trap into Season 3 to save his own hide. 

He put Thea in Ra's Al Ghul's cross hairs, which is how she wound up on a ventilator. 

Merlyn served William up to Damien Darhk like cheese and crackers. 

He was an active participate in Laurel's death (I'm not really mad about that though, but let's just add it to the list).

All of these crimes have gone unanswered on Arrow. Essentially unpunished. Sorry folks, a hand doesn't cut it for me. Ha! Cut it. Get it? 

There's a reckoning coming Malcolm Merlyn and it is long past time.

We haven't seen much of Malcolm Merlyn this season and I think it was a wise choice. The character, in my mind, is the new LL and has run his course. If they are bringing him back then it needs to be for an intended purpose and Arrow made that purpose wildly clear.

Merlyn has been busy this year though - on Legends of Tomorrow as part of the Legion of Doom. He partnered with Damien Darhk and Eobard Thawne to alternate time and change the world to their liking. However, I was always struck by what that meant for Malcolm. Both Damien and Eobard were after power essentially, but not Merlyn. His altered reality meant Rebecca and Tommy were alive and Thea adored him. He's still Merlyn though - he got revenge on Nyssa Al Ghul by making her life a closeted life in Ohio. Malcolm admitted to Sara however what he was searching for: a clean slate. He wanted all his mistakes, the pain and the death that came with them, jus wiped away. He didn't care if it wasn't real. What Malcolm wanted is redemption without the sacrifice.

So, this redemption arc was kicked off but if you weren't watching Legends then you didn't see it. Except, what does redemption really mean for Malcolm Merlyn? Is it really achievable? Yes, I think redemption is possible for all characters, but the desire has to be there. The willingness to make a sacrifice is what counts. That's why Merlyn's arc on Legends ultimately failed. He wasn't willing to do what is necessary to really make amends.

What is necessary isn't erasing all that he's done. It's facing it. It's making a different choice. Essentially, that's the only difference separating a hero from a villain - choices. It's why it's such a fluid concept. A hero can become the villain as easily as the villain can become the hero. While I  doubt I will ever be able to call Malcolm Merlyn a hero, I do believe Arrow is setting him up to make a sacrifice. Which is the essence of heroism and what is required for redemption.

Source:  zorro-rita

But first we gots to hash out some issues. Oliver and Merlyn go toe to toe over a lot of things, but first up is William. Oliver is still pretty ticked over Merlyn handing his son over to Damien Darhk. Oliver used his angry voice talking about his son. It felt warm suddenly.

Merlyn's concern is Thea. Malcolm never loved Tommy the way he should have. Tommy was never more important than his revenge. He rejected Tommy in every way. However, Merlyn's arc on Legends finally showed a desire to go back and change that, which we never saw before. Merlyn is prepared to do what is necessary to save his daughter. Even if it means helping his enemy.

And Oliver isn't exactly in a position to refuse his help. I know some may have issues with Oliver teaming up with his enemies like Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson, but I love it. It's incredibly full circle. Oliver has spent years building this family. It's pretty fantastic that to save his family he must work with all the villains who've tried to destroy it over the years.

Oliver and Malcolm have it out giving into Chase's demands. Merlyn is flabbergasted that Chase even needed to take Felicity and Diggle. He felt Thea was sufficient motivation.  He's prepared to do whatever is necessary to save his child - a concept Oliver should be more familiar with now that he has William. However, Oliver's concerns run deeper than Chase not holding up his end of the bargain (something Merlyn is an expert it).  Once again he worries that his personal connections are making him vulnerable. He has to become something else to protect them and he will never be free of it. Oliver will never be free of the darkness.  

And here we go again. 

This is an old tune from Oliver Queen. I won't harp on him too much. Chase did manage to take everyone he loves, so I'm not entirely shocked Oliver has a brief moment in which he reverts to form.

Source: dailydcheroes

This might be the single greatest line Merlyn has ever spoken and one of the truest things ever said about Oliver Queen. My precious big dumb oak tree.

Merlyn: Human connections are what keep us human. It is sad that it's a sociopath who is gonna have to point this out to you. You can't live on an island Oliver. You've already tried. You are always going to have people in your life, Oliver. They will always need you. For better or worse. Baggage and all. And if you can't accept that then your past is going to stay your anchor.

Round. Of. Applause. 

I hate the bastard, but when he's right he's right. It sounds completely out of character for Merlyn, but does make some sense given his arc on Legends. Merlyn pushed away human connection after Rebecca died and he has FINALLY learned the cost for those sins. If Oliver wants to beat Chase, and Merlyn's goal is to beat Chase in order to save Thea, then both of them have to do things differently - but especially Oliver. 

He's tried it the other way before. Oliver tried to go it alone. That "something else" never quite measured up into what was needed until he let people back into his heart. Until he allowed his humanity back in. There will never be a time where Oliver doesn't have people he cares about. He cannot shut off. He cannot isolate himself. He will lose. This much is fact. Nor can he allow the darkness to take the driver's seat. Oliver will lose the part of himself that makes him human - everything Diggle, Felicity, Thea and the team love about him. Then he'll be left alone again. It's a cycle. The only way to break it is to become SOMETHING ELSE. Be different. Embrace his humanity. Hold to those connections. That's how he wins.

And really, nobody knows this better than Malcolm Merlyn because doing the direct opposite is how he lost everything that mattered. Malcolm Merlyn is the one who sent Oliver to the island. So it's fitting that he is finally helping Oliver get off it. All it takes is a different choice and the villain can become a hero.

Even Malcolm Merlyn is rebuilding what he broke, which means... Malcolm Merlyn is going to die. I am absolute on this. They've set it up perfectly, what's more, I believe it needs to happen. Thea is still holding on to the fear that she's a monster - just like her father. What greater gift can Merlyn give Thea than by showing her the monster of her life can choose to do the right thing? Merlyn's death pays the price he's always avoided. It also may be the very thing Thea needs to be free from the past and find hope in herself again.

William

William plays an extremely integral role in "Missing" because, as Oliver explains:

Source: olivergifs

Arrow was never about one thing. It was never just about LL, L*uriver , Olicity or OTA. I think no matter which spectrum of fandom we're on, if we only focus one or two segments of the story then it leaves the potential to miss very important pieces that ultimately feed the segments we care about.

Arrow, at its core, is about family. This story began with a father and a son. We are here because of Robert Queen's sins and because of the love and faith he had in his son. For ten years, Oliver has been struggling with his father's legacy, what his dying wish truly meant and the guilt of Robert's death. Oliver shouldered the weight of Robert's sins while being weighed down by his own.

The next step in Oliver's evolution is to no longer just be the son. He must become the father. The point of the legacy theme is to rebuild what was broken so many years ago. Oliver's mission cannot be only focused on Robert Queen anymore. It has to grow beyond the past and look to the future.

William.

Oliver is right. William is the purest part of him. He retains the innocence Oliver lost all those years ago on the boat. More than anything, Oliver wants his son to keep that innocence. He wants him to be safe and untouched by the darkness both Oliver and Robert have battled. But no matter where William is, he will always be Oliver Queen's son.  He will always be Robert Queen's grandson. William will always be part of this family and part of this cycle. If Oliver wants to break it, if he wants to save William from paying for his sins (like Oliver paid for his father's sins), then he has to become someone else.... something else.

Source: olivergifs

This scene is heartbreaking. Stephen Amell makes me feel all the feels. 

All Oliver wanted was to keep his boy safe. To make sure William never became like him. Chase took that away. So, now William is the one on the boat. He's trapped in a world he doesn't understand and paying for sins that are not his fault. 

Robert tried to stop it. He tried to protect Oliver from his sins. He failed. All Robert could offer Oliver in the end was the chance to survive and to do it better.

This is the another chance to do it differently. To do it better. Maybe the most important chance. Oliver can no longer be mired down in the past. 

Source: olivergifs

Adrian Chase is the dark mirror to Oliver. He is what Oliver can become if he never lets the past go. Every step since 5x17 has been Oliver letting go of the pain, guilt, shame and anger. Every moment has prepared Oliver for this battle. For this choice.

Oliver has to hold onto the lessons he's learned, what he knows to be right and allow his humanity to make the calls. Oliver needs William as much as he needs Felicity. As much as he needs Diggle and Thea. This is the love that pushes Oliver past the dark into the light. This is the love that makes Oliver fight for the future.  Oliver's love for William makes him a better man and a better hero. A man and hero worthy of Felicity Smoak.

Source:  sharingmyworld 

It's why Oliver is willing to work with Malcolm Merlyn and Slade Wilson. The past no longer matters. All that matters is his future and he's willing to whatever it takes to protect it. Oliver also knows to win, to truly save his son and everyone he loves, he has to do it differently this time.

Source:  olivergifs

I think this flashback actually foreshadows Prometheus' demise. Oliver won't kill him, but I don't think Chase will have the stones to face justice. He'll do what Oliver refused to do. Chase will kill himself.

Bl*ck Sir*n and Quentin Lance

Okaaaay she's back. Truthfully? Pretty minimal scenes. She kidnapped Quentin and Thea. The end. 

Although, I do enjoy KC as Bl*ck Sir*n. She plays a good villain. And Paul Blackthorne's reaction to seeing "Laurel" was out of this world. Break me into a thousand pieces sir!

There's certainly an effort to add some layers. BS owes Chase and wants to protect Quentin, so... she kidnaps him? 

The promise is Chase won't hurt Lance. Had me a nice chuckle when Lance called her stupid. BS gets to express some "she's not all villain" emotion. BS says it's equally hard on her to see Quentin as it is for Quentin to see her. So... this probably means Quentin is dead on Earth 2. Okie dokie.

Are we headed for a redemption arc? Eh. I don't know. Honestly, the reason Arrow says they brought KC back was because they enjoyed her performance as BS. I know the LL fandom wants Arrow to turn Laurel 2.0 back into Laurel 1.0 but the reason Laurel 1.0 died is because the character ran her course. So, there's no need to retread that old ground. Also, Laurel 2.0 is not Laurel 1.0 so can we just accept reality? 

The best thing Arrow has going for them with BS is that she is a villain. This plays to Katie's acting strengths and gives Arrow new ground to explore. I truly don't think they are in any rush to evaporate these positives.

Flashbacks

YAO FEI!!!!! Oh Yao Fei how I missed you. I don't even care that you were a manifestation of Oliver's guilt and urged him to commit suicide. I will take some Yao Fei anyway I can get it.

Imaginary torture. Well, that is one way to go Kovar. I'll give the guy credit. He did have Oliver's number. Emotional pain is far more torturous to Oliver than physical pain. This results in a series of flashbacks to remind us all that the past five years were of the suck for Oliver. Yeah, I didn't really forget that.

I like that Kovar gave Oliver a gun to commit suicide. Oliver killing himself is ultimate defeat and that's what Kovar wants. It's also a very nice callback to Oliver's first few days on the island. This isn't the first time he's considered suicide.

But then Oliver hallucinates Laurel. Well look at that. Flashback Ollie actually remembers Laurel! 

Better late than never I guess. They have to connect it with the pilot. Oliver has to give a crap about Laurel again, so Arrow took a break from all the Felicity foreshadowing in the flashbacks.  It's fine. We all know where their "love story" goes.

Oliver envisioning Laurel as his hope and salvation, begging him to come home when in reality he gets this when he does come home 

basically sums up this hot mess of a television relationship for me. 

Those were dark days my friends. Glad they are behind us. Huh. Snark is full on. KC being back might be fun after all.

Stray Thoughts

Lyla has a sister. Huh. Cool. Diggle's reassurance to Oliver (aka US) that Dyla is okay is appreciated.

Kovar nailed the Catholic belief on Purgatory.  Wave to me from heaven y'all because that's where I'll be for awhile.

Oliver's attractiveness in his attractive brown leather jacket is very important to me.

Only Josh Segarra can look threatening in that color of yellow.

Quentin Lance trying to process how messed up it is that LL has a doppelganger is so me.

Malcolm hand jokes never get old.

"Not yet but soon." Josh Segarra added another level to the Chase creepy factor - this sounded exactly like John Doe from Seven Deadly Sins. I still have nightmares about that movie.

Source: kendrasaunders

I've missed this goddess.

Call back to Legends of Tomorrow! Ra's told Nyssa where to find Sara because Sara told Ra's to tell Nyssa where to find her. Let that little time loop simmer on ya for a minute. Although, I'm confused. I thought in S2 Nyssa found Sara in a market place starving. I need a Sara Lance/Nyssa Al Ghul flashback episode like yesterday.

Source: sharingmyworld 

They all arrived by plane. Interesting. Methinks that Chase is planning on eliminating those means on escape. Perhaps, he expects to leave with Oliver after he destroys everything that matters? I also thought it was a little hint to Oliver of where his loved ones were. Things that make you go hmmmm.

"I'll cover you. Really." CLASSIC

I feel like Curtis should never go anywhere without backup. That should be a team rule.

"I thought you would have tagged your pets by now." Malcolm never stops being a supreme dick. It's one of the few things I enjoy about him.

Didn't you love all the preview clips promoting Bl*ck Si*n's return?

Maybe because there were only two scenes they couldn’t release any clips. Hehehe. I jest.

Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me. 5x22 episode gifs credited.

[ecofinisher]

Off to Rust - Chapter 13

Chapter 13

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21137411/chapters/60733426

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13415645/13/Off-to-Rust

https://www.wattpad.com/915065724-off-to-rust-chapter-13

“Oh god, this is so high!” Eveline exclaimed from the racecar-shaped cart looking across the amusement park during their climb on the large roller coaster. Next to her sat Kagami on the edge of the cart and on the other side sat Adrien, while a row behind them sat the twins along with Zeynep and a fourth rider.

“You’re right” Kagami mentioned. “And we really got lucky into being allowed to be in the first row,”

“Be happy, we’re stuck here” Amir complained making Adrien chuckle.

“We offered you the seat, you all refused it” The blonde mentioned.

“But now we regret it, Cappy” Amir replied hitting Adrien on his black-colored cap.

“Why did you buy that cap?” Zeynep asked. “With 40 bucks, you could have bought ten of them”

“I love this car brand,” Adrien said, then he heard Kagami cry as they had reached the top and Adrien looked at Kagami looking down in panic, then Adrien did the same and widened his eyes at the distance. “Woah”

“That’s so steep” Adrien confessed as the cart moved over the arc, then the wagon combination rolled down quick the rail causing all inmates to scream loud at the drop passing by the first curve turning vertically making Kagami scream loud at the feeling she got from the curve, watching in panic the cart go up another climb to roll it down, followed by another arc, which leads on the track of the rollercoaster all over the amusement park with the sight to the parking spots and the arrival area of the park. Adrien held along with Eveline their hands on the safety bar normally, while behind them most of the guests had their hands in the air with the exception of Kagami Tsurugi, which had her arms wrapped around the safety bar along with the movements over the arcs, then the track of the rollercoaster went up on a sharp, vertical curve turning the car sideward shrieking Kagami, which held faster on the bar with the anxiety to fell of the roller coaster.

“Woohoo!” The guests screamed, followed by a few cries in the middle of the crowd, including Kagami’s, which was the loudest one of then.

“THIS IS AMAZINNGGGGGG!” Adrien cried feeling fierce at their ride, which repeated the similar arcs next to the other arcs they passed by after they took a turn on the previous curve.

“What’s up, dudes!” Mohamed shouted from above the coaster as they approached the road, which was a couple of feet under them with people walking by watching them ride on the fastest roller coaster on the amusement park.

“I love thisssssss!” Amir shouted followed by the roller coaster after a long straight line on the track a steep rail rolling down into a lateral curve making the Japanese student cry aloud once again entering into a slalom-like curve which slowed the vehicle down and they approached back at the building, where they started from and their vehicle stopped before it got in to give the front vehicle time to leave.

“This was insane!” Amir shouted excited about their ride making Mohamed, Amir and Zeynep laugh in happiness.

“This ride really is wild” Eveline admitted. “I think I’m done for this week”

“I liked it” Adrien mentioned. “I never felt so alive,” Adrien said looking at the other side to see Kagami inhaling and exhaling a little panicky from the ride, making Adrien look neutral at noticing Kagami’s state.

“I had this whole time the feeling I was about to fall out” Kagami stated, making Adrien sad at the comment.

“I don’t know, but Kagami is right about those curves” Zeynep stated. “I think for a newbie or for someone who’s not very fond of rollercoasters the middle would be a better place to sit”

“If we got time, we should try the sides Mohamed” Amir suggested his brother, which nodded.

“I think this is the first and last time I put my feet on this one” Kagami confessed followed by Adrien, which placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

“Were you the one screaming that loud?” Zeynep asked with a grin, watching Kagami nod at the girl a little abashed.

“Her screaming gave me something I didn’t want to have” Amir pointed out making Mohamed chuckle.

“At least roller coasters make her scream unlike you, man,” Mohamed said shocking his brother, while their group laughed with the absence of Kagami.

“You jerk!”

“I didn’t get the joke” Adrien responded after his laugh. “Does it have something to do with the…..birds and the bees?” The blonde asked earning a nod from the Turkish girl.

“We’re about to get out here” Eveline mentioned nudging the blonde on the shoulder, then the safety bars got unlocked and the guests pulled it up and Kagami climbed out of the wagon a little shaky at the ride and Adrien grabbed Kagami by her shoulders to help her.

“Are you alright?” Adrien asked, then she held him tight on his arm still frightened a little about their ride. “You were pretty brave up there, you know”

“It’s was a little more extreme than I had in mind” Kagami admitted.

“The good thing about the rides are, that we have at least experienced them once. I felt it was great, it felt for me like a car ride on a high way, but in a cabriolet” Adrien stated earning a nod.

“Maybe” Kagami answered.

“This roller coaster only went at 130 kilometers. That’s nothing unlike the fastest one in the world which is around 200!” Amir announced getting between the two friends. “Are you guys all in for the blue fire?”

“Of course!” Zeynep answered.

“I might come too, but I’m not sure how the roller coaster is like” Eveline answered a little unsure about the idea of coming with.

“I’ll come as planned” Mohamed answered.

“Me too” Adrien answered.

“I go too if he is going,” Kagami answered making Adrien smile.

“This time we can sit next to each other and you can hold on me if you want to…...or if it is possible”

“We’ll see it then, lover boy,” Amir said with a wink making Adrien blush at the comment, followed by the female fencing star giggle.

After 90 minutes it was the turn of Adrien’s group to drive on their next ride and they had all boarded the blue-colored cart combination.

“Is the handle measuring my blood pressure?” Adrien asked as he saw the number changing up and down when he held his hands on it.

“Maybe?” Kagami answered as she looked at the small display on their handle. “It probably measures it during the ride,”

“Strange use, but okay” Adrien responded.

“Hey you two, check what I bought before,” Mohamed said passing beside Adrien’s seat out a selfie stick with his smartphone on it and took a picture of them, looking strange on it. “Come on, make a nice face for the picture…..That’s right!” Mohamed complimented taking a picture of the two smiling.

“Please don’t post this on social media or my father will kill me” Adrien warned the boy, which nodded.

“I’ll send it to you two afterward if you liked the picture,” Mohamed answered, then he stuck his stuck away and the staff passed by to check the safety bars, then the twins pulled their bars down to have the man check out the bars without more effort, then he gave the person in the cabin a sign to let the cart combination roll into the tunnel.

“Wow is either is a secret agency office or a mine,” Adrien mentioned earning a nod from Kagami, which take a deep breath and exhaled out, then Adrien looked at her and took his hand away from his handle to place it on Kagami’s, making her wide her eyes and blush. Afterward, she rolled her eyes up at him to see him giving her a gentle smile which gave her a confident feeling and she smiled back at him and looked forward along with the boy as they came along a white-dressed puppet with a helmet on a curve, then a few meters in front of them, there was a door with the light of the clarity of the outside shining through the gap under the door.

“That guy must be an electrician” Amir pointed out earning a nod from his brother.

“And that guy looks like a carpenter” The twin added pointing to the other side of the tunnel. 

“So that’s the end of the road…..or the begin,” Adrien mentioned earning a nod from Kagami, then he grabbed her hand, feeling her tighten on it making him smile softly at her nervous feeling, then he looked at the girl, which had her eyes focused on their rail. “Does it make you feel better?” The French boy asked watching the girl look at him, giving him an enchanting smile, making Adrien smile amorously at her.

“I’ve got 104, no 96” Zeynep stated.

“Mines is at 105 at the moment” Mohamed mentioned,

“What about you two?” Amir asked noticing the two looking at each other, then he smirked along with his brother.

A siren started to ring, distracting Kagami and Adrien from each other making them wonder, what was going on and they gazed at the exit, where they saw a red light blink while in front of the door smoke came from both sides blocking it causing Adrien to furrow his eyebrows in confusion.

“What’s happening?” The blonde asked, followed by Kagami shrugging her shoulders.

“That’s all part of the ride” Zeynep pointed out. “Nothing to worry about”

“Oh” Adrien answered exchanging looks with Kagami, which gazed at him again romantically, then Adrien noticed the door sliding to the side, so they could see a long rail going straight on. “Here we go” Adrien said feeling Kagami’s hand on his getting a little tighter again and the carts got launched forward on a high speed making the inmates scream in excitement.

“YEAH!!!!” Amir and Mohamed shouted at the immediate top speed the coaster earned at the start passing under a stone-made arc rolling the track up in the air at a curve, following it down into a short, dark tunnel leaving the other side entering into a large looping making Adrien scream with joy while Kagami halfway enjoyed the first bit of the ride, but felt a little awkward at being upside down on the loop. The ride followed on a spiral trail moving their cart around passing under a bridge of a wooden roller coaster, following the track up to a short straight line, which leads down into a very short tunnel going up again, while doing a spiral roll again with the inmates yelling throughout all of their route. The route follows on a 160° shaped curve inside a half-open arc made of stone, therefore the trail followed with another spiral move but with larger spaces between the other, entering into an almost vertical curve approaching the previous roller coaster from before meeting on its curve, seconds later meeting with the cart combination passing by from the wooden roller coaster.

“I SAW D’ARGENCOURT!” Zeynep mentioned loud seeing their ride reaching a shorter spiral to make them squeal again. After that they reached the end of the roller coaster taxing slowly next to the entrance, where they saw the large crowd of people waiting for their turn.

“Look at the number of people waiting” Zeynep mentioned from the last seat, then Amir took his smartphone out to take pictures while Mohamed extended the selfie stick with his smartphone to record them all on the cart.

“One of the best rides so far. You guys gotta try it out” Mohamed announced keeping the camera recording them.

“This one is actually funnier to me than the previous one” Adrien stated. “The loopings were my least favorite part, but I find it was well”

“Did you feel better as I held your hand?” Adrien asked earning a nod from the girl.

“Well at the start I did, but now as you asked that I didn’t realize we weren’t holding them anymore”

“I don’t remember when exactly we let each other go, to be honest,” Adrien mentioned. “But hey you felt great, didn’t you?” The blonde asked making Kagami smile and give him a peck on his cheek making him wide his eyes in surprise at her deed. Mohamed and Amir rolled their eyes at each other as they caught the girl kissing the boy on camera, then Adrien pointed at the other side of their roller coaster the same-colored cart combination being launched out of the building the rail along, making Kagami chuckle at the screaming inmates of the train.

“I have to admit, I wouldn’t mind another round here” Kagami mentioned earning a nod from the blonde.

“We can after our last ride at the wooden-made roller coaster, right guys?” Adrien asked earning a nod from one of the twins.