#They seemed to full of potential at first; I didn't expect to be disappointed so much.

[itsnothingofinterest]

So chapter 390 thoughts: it was a cool action scene and all, an impressive feat from Shoto to use his quirk like that with his family, and I’m sure it’ll look very cool in the anime. Oh, and I loved Toga’s scene and her words for Dabi too, that was genuinely just great. But as a resolution to the Todoroki plotline, if it really is their final resolution...well be warned that I’m about to get a bit negative about a chapter people seem to really like. Sorry.

I guess on Shoto’s end, it was an okay conclusion to his arc. Because his arc was about becoming a hero who puts people at ease, and shutting down a bomb right as he arrives...meets that criteria I guess. But it also feels kind of a rushed conclusion to his arc this way; as ironic as that may sound when he’s been flying here for 4 chapters. I mean I knew he’d stop the bomb easy; but did anyone else think there’d be more after to do or was it just me?

Endeavor’s conclusion kind of just sucks. He spent his whole arc talking about how he’d make things up to his family; not through empty words, just watch his actions! And then in the end all he does is apologize before passing out. That and “I don’t want to watch you die” being the only nice things he says or does for Touya and that’s it, that was his whole contribution to saving Dabi. Why did we spend all that time with him?

And on Dabi’s end...full disclosure: after this post, I’m likely to go into denial that he’s really down for the count like after 352 because this was possibly everything I ever actually feared for his conclusion. Now that he’s been saved from the intimidate threat of explosion that Shoto was well equipped to easily handle; Touya’s just over it. Never mind his words from the last chapter; he loves his family now*. And seemingly now they’re gonna do the hard part, talking through their emotions and coming to an actual resolution, off-screen as we move on to the next fight. ‘Cause that’s what being a hero is all about: saving that day from physical threat in as big & flashy a way as possible by overwhelming it with numbers & power, then skipping over the hard part violence can’t easily fix.

Man, I almost envy the people who were worried Dabi could die that can just be satisfied that he didn’t. (Unless they’re caught up in the debate about how he will die actually. Even after Shoto saved him. This might be the pot calling the kettle back but man there’s no convincing some people, huh?)

*Early scans tell that he said hated his family; but as I understand, he did that thing in the written japanese language where he said one thing but meant another. Dabi does this a lot.

Although I can’t find the post the claims this anymore and don’t know enough japanese to confirm it myself so maybe I’m wrong? I’d be happy if I was, all the more reason to hope this isn’t the end of the Todoroki plot that way.

[nqmonarch]

Genuinely wanna hear more regarding the No Wish SAHSRAU (Is that how it's spelled?) especially with all the new events that's happened.

Including the Dr Ratio that slid into our DMs.

First, apologies for the wait I took a while doing this request and then also decided not to post anything during the Palestine strike period because free Palestine.

And man, I don't know how it's spelled. I'd assume that's right it's so long though. Also YES Dr. Ratio sliding into our DMs except bro waltzes in and calls us an idiot ;-;

But first! Let's catch up with some of the current crew who is currently in Penacony!

Warning Penacony Spoilers

For the Trailblazer Penacony's been rough... Shortly after the death of their new closest friend, they'd been coerced into talking with Aventurine, and now had to make a decision without consulting any of the Astral Express beforehand. Sure, they were a seasoned adventurer with two missions under their belt but they still have no idea about their past or if they could trust such sketchy people.

"Aventurine, that little rat..." Their ears perked up when they suddenly heard the voice of this presumed Aeon. "I want to knock my fist against his forehead and see if there's a brain in there." The Trailblazer wouldn't try that.

But if you were acting like this maybe Aventurine and Black Swan could be trusted. The Trailblazer forced themselves to relax and tried to show confidence in their eyes. They could do this. It was good you were still by their side in the dreamscape, otherwise... what would they do?

Herta has found it's more difficult to communicate with you than the Aeons. While the Aeons simply didn't want to communicate it was as if there was some sort of wall separating her from you. It was beyond fascinating but it irked her, she wanted to get into contact with you right away. Then, as she was working to implement a simulated version of you into the simulated universe as an Aeon she had a revelation. What if... this was all a game?

Natasha had done it. Recently the eyes glanced off her more often, something she couldn't help but feel disappointed at. But upon one instance when they glanced upon her, she'd taken their warmth in full, and decided to set out. It seemed when these eyes were on her, she improved in nearly every aspect, so maybe her luck would improve as well? Even though it had been a dead end many times before she investigated Vache's worn down laboratory covered by snow searching for research. Except this time, she found something. This Aeon... was strangely benevolent and caring towards mortals.

That's all the updates we have for now on the current characters, in terms of progress. Herta is one smart cookie but who else is one smart cookie? Dr. Ratio!!! That man I love him so much. Sampo is also a potential worrying addition.

Given in the current event you can get either Sampo, Guinaifen, Asta, or Yukong for free, so let's see how they react.

Dr. Ratio

...This was interesting. The plot unfurling behind the scenes of Penacony was to be expected, Aventurine was being a pain in his ass also to be expected, but an Aeon looking at him? A smart Aeon. One who also must hope to purge the world of ignorance! A noble pursuit. Or perhaps, they'd realized their own ignorance and sought to rectify it some of the Aeons were rather lackluster in this manner after all. But they'd likely never change in their ways.

And you're no longer looking at him, that's fine. Is it a bit more chilly in here or is it just him? An interesting side effect of your gaze then, the feeling of warmth. He wondered why that happened, the look of Nanook was dangerous and suffocating, near fatal for any mortal. That of Yaoshi's was said to be sickeningly sweet and suffocating as well. Nous' was cold and calculating, judging your every asset and whether or not you had potential. Everyone had potential, they just had to choose to rid themselves of their ignorance. If the gaze wasn't suffocating maybe... you were a weak Aeon? One that had just formed or had been thought to have died.

Interesting. Aeons, the topic no scholar knew completely about. Herta was researching deeply into them, Dr. Ratio supposed he could always ask her yet he didn't want to feed into her ego. There were other ways to get the information though.

Guinaifen

"Hello, hello! Can you all hear me? Good morning fam! And welcome to Little Gui's stream!"

It was then when Guinaifen suddenly felt warmth wash over her. Oh, maybe it was because this stream was her first normal one after all the ghost catching business but she found herself getting flustered...? Flattered...? She wasn't sure exactly how to describe it yet she felt even more energetic than usual! As if she could go on for hours! When she ended her stream, the warmth was still there and she still felt as if she was being watched.

Wait-- wasn't this how people said they felt when they were being watched by an Aeon? Something similar to this right?! If even an Aeon was watching her, she was definitely going to be famous! When Guinaifen went to tell Sushang about this news, she found Sushang had run into the same thing! Weren't the two of them an impressive pair? :)

E1 Asta

Research had been going smoothly, partly thanks to the eyes always observing Asta. With them came the warmth that brought confidence and innovation she felt she wouldn't feel otherwise. But, she could feel the warmth all the time now. She doubted an Aeon would be able to watch her all of the time so had she been blessed? That was good, she was able to focus on all the stars and her research more now and learn more in less time!

But... why did she feel so forlorn? As if she had been deserted? Had you just blessed her and moved on your way? Herta... Herta knew a lot about Aeons maybe she would know something about what had happened to her, maybe she would know if you're still around.

E1 Yukong

Even after it all Yukong wished to return to the skies. Despite failing her comrades, despite all those around her who she'd cared for yet failed to stop their death, despite the burning wreckage she'd had to painstakingly crawl out of. Yukong wished to fly. In this long life where even the things she'd once loved had dulled, the longing to fly was forever there.

The warmth was on her constantly now, she completed her paperwork faster, she created ingenious plans, but what did it matter?

"I want to go back," Yukong had spoken one day out to the silence of the world and when the warmth remained she realized, perhaps she could go back and fly. Maybe... it would be okay. But for now her fear remained, albeit comforted by the sight of an Aeon.

What a strange Aeon, to care so much for a mortal.

Sampo (spoiler warning for Black Swan quest, although I was kind of confused the whole time so some information may be incorrect)

Now this would be fun! Sampo had known he was right, this was only another clue in the right direction! And this Aeon, watcher, player, reader, whomever you were appeared at the perfect time! Whenever your gaze fell upon him, he could feel his speed increase as well as the rest of, if this were to be a game, his "stats." He knew he wasn't crazy, of course he'd never had that idea in the first place! He'd be able to retrieve his mask much easier now, he could deal with you later.

It wouldn't be anything bad, don't worry, Sampo Koski is always happy to have a new business partner and friend :) !

If there's anything else you wanna hear about it I'd be more than happy for ideas cause I love these little guys (the characters) . It's just them living their life except they're stronger and feel as if they can enact their dreams! And maybe they gain a friend or a small crush on the way but hey that doesn't mean anything until Penacony comes out with some tech they worked on with Herta that allows you to visit in your dreams but no way something like that will happen, right?

Also trailblazer is genuinely so stressed like imagine having to make the decisions to save an ENTIRE FUCKING PLANET and you don't even know who the you are or what you've been through, you're genuinely so lost but hey you're alive, somehow.

[keepingeahalive]

Miss Rosabella Beauty: The Queen of Wasted Potential

Okay, I'll admit it. I do ship her and Daring. I'm a sucker for Beauty and the Beast, and I couldn't help myself. That said, objectively, this ship and Rosabella's character.... yeah, it kinda sucks.

Maybe I didn't want to admit it because Beauty and the Beast is my favorite fairytale. But the more I look into her character, the more I realize she embodies virtues that contradict her own story. Epic Winter was more about "fixing" Daring's supposed selfishness than addressing the real elephant in the room, and Rosabella was a plot device to push that narrative. I think she could have been an interesting character with flaws and a lot of depth. But she wasn't, and I am very very disappointed.

Her Character

The first time I saw her, I was really rooting for her. She's an animal rights and monster activist. She could have been great friends with Cerise for that reason. She could have even had interactions with Ramona in the past. But she comes off as self-righteous and preachy.

I get she's an activist and that's the joke; activists are inherently self-righteous. But this is Ever After High. Where's the nuance? She could be an animal and monster activist because she's experienced prejudice herself. She's the daughter of Beauty and The Beast. Look me in the eye and tell me she doesn't have any Beast genes. I dare you!

It's canon that Beauty and the Beast is considered a bad destiny story, with the stigma of the heroine falling in love with a creature most fairytales would pin as the villain, and a handsome prince carrying the stigma of being of being a beast even after the curse is gone. She should understand that better than anyone. And yet, this kindness and compassion she tries to convey comes off as condescending. She inserts herself into situations because she feels she's needed when nobody has asked for her help.

2. DARABELLA

Rosabella was only introduced in one minisode and suddenly gets a big role in Epic Winter? She and Daring hadn't had a meaningful conversation up until that point. Really, she barely knows Daring.

For the daughter of Beauty and the Beast, she's so .... judgmental. She's supposed to have the ability to see people's true intentions, but why does she get it so wrong? She immediately assumes Daring is self-centered and narcissistic. On the surface, I can see where she's coming from. But, that's only on the surface.

Daring is more complex than she made him out to be, and Epic Winter wanted the audience to think she was in the right. We know this isn't true. Daring loves being a hero and saving people. He loves his siblings and does what he thinks is best for them. He certainly cared about Lizzie enough to respect her wishes. He's chivalrous to a fault!

Daring is clearly going through some things, and it doesn't seem like anyone's paying attention to what's really bothering him: He has no purpose anymore. He's been brought up his whole life thinking he would be King of Ever After, and now his world is shattered. He's not coping well. And Rosabella thinks he's full of himself when she's barely met this guy.

Having him become the Beast from Beauty and the Beast felt natural to me in the story progression, but Rosabella's inclusion felt forced. She gives him the same old advice from her original story when she should be hinting at something greater. This should be the turning point in Daring that destiny is malarky, and he can break away from the expectations his family and peers put on him. But she doesn't understand that. She only sees that he's obsessed with his looks because his main form of coping is gone.

He's not really upset about his looks. He's upset that his destiny is gone, and either that's not as important to her as him getting over his looks or she doesn't know him well enough to know what's been put on him. Assuming it's the latter, why wouldn't she try to find the root of the problem instead of fixing what she thinks needs fixing?

Daring is the victim here, even if he has issues to work out. And it doesn't seem like she's really listening to him.

3. The Cousins No One Talks About

Yeah. Rosabella and Briar are cousins. And there is very. little. BACKSTORY!!

We know their dads don't get along. Briar's is a monster hunter. Rosa's is The Beast. Their moms are sisters. That's all we know. What's her relationship with Briar? Is it a tragic sisterly bond? Or did the two drift apart/fall out because of their family conflict? Rosa's mom is likely the black sheep of the family, so do she and Sleeping Beauty still talk anymore?

How does Briar feel about all this? Does she have time to feel anything about it at all? She has her own family and her own destiny to worry about. What kind of influence did Briar's parents have on her views on beasts? She hadn't even been to Rosa's home until they were both well into high school. How much do they even know about each other?

We know so little about their dynamic. Family conflict shapes a child, and both of them probably have some deep-seated trauma relating to their families. But did the writers forget that they're cousins?

4. How I Would Write Rosabella (and maybe Daring)

First, give her the ability to transform into a beast. It's not hard.

She's advocating for people like her to exist. She wants people to see both sides of her and those like her to be seen as more than monsters. But she's had her fair share of prejudice, even within her own family. Her uncle is a monster hunter, so a half-beast niece would be considered an abomination. Because of this, she suppresses her anger to better the image of beasts. She doesn't want to, but she feels like she has to, for her own safety and to make herself more palatable in society. However, the more anger she holds in, the less control she has over herself. Her judgment becomes clouded, and this makes her jump to conclusions about people's behavior. She wants things to be fair so much that she gets in trouble for it. She wants to be understanding and patient, but having a hair-trigger temper gets in the way of her goals.

Give her a backstory with Cerise and the Hood-Badwolf family. Her family would know more than anyone the hardships that a human-beast family goes through, and they should be very good friends because of that. Her growing up around Cerise and Ramona would give her more of a reason to protect the beast population.

If any sort of relationship with Daring were to work, they would both have to learn from each other. Daring would learn to let go of people's expectations of him, and Rosabella would learn to let her anger out in a healthy way and pick her battles. Daring can't be the only one learning from her, and Rosa shouldn't see anything to fix in him. She needs to accept him for who he really is, not just preaching about appearances.

She should be embodying both Beauty and the Beast, all the kindness and grief that comes with it. She's not meant to be a paragon, and the writers should not have portrayed her as such. She needed to be a character with her own development. She needed to be portrayed just as in the wrong as Daring was when they met, not about appearance but about each other. She needs to admit her mistakes and acknowledge she is not always right about everyone. Or, at the very least, have her see right through Daring's facade about looks and realize there's something deeper going on.

The writer's dropped the ball on this ship, and they did Daring so dirty here. But they also did Rosabella a disservice by making her so two-dimensional and preachy, almost not even her own character. There are so many routes they could have taken with her. She could have been great, but she wasn't.

[luimagines]

Congarts on the two year old blog!

If it's fine, can I request a FD sky in the royal au; just getting to know reader, flustering them at every turn and being a genuine menace to them

-🍄

YEEEEEEEEEESSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!

Masterlist

Content under the cut!

You didn't know what to do with the man that sat across from you.

If you could even call him a man.

His hair was stark white, perfectly accented by the bright red feathers in his hair as it draped over his shoulders. He had a pearlescent cape with a design of the country's emblem on the back. His clothes were about as casual as you could get when speaking to the King.

He's wearing black pants at least but his shirt holds the regality of the royal family. It's also white with stars and moons embroidered in golds around the edges with swirls that connect from one side of the tapestry to the next. It looks almost like a story was woven directly into the fabric. You're tempted to read it, but you don't want to be seen openly ogling the King in his own house.

His eyes were just as white as his hair with no sign of which direction he would be looking in, but it was clear to every hair that stood up at the back of your neck that he was very much watching you. More so than you were watching him.

A shaky hand reaches for the tea cup he's order to be served to you. You're not sure why you're here or what he wants with you, but he seems relaxed at least.

But you don't know what that means for you, so you're still a nervous wreck.

"I hear that your bakery is the best in my kingdom." He says after a beat once you set your tea cup back on the little saucer. You try to focus on that instead of the booming voice that threatened to pour into your very veins.

The cup has a beautiful floral pattern. It looks like porcelain but you could be wrong. The beautiful forget-me-not pattern echoes on the saucer below. the swirling flowers are beautifully painted.

But you feel dizzy and nauseous in an instant.

You put the cup away.

"Thank you... Your Majesty." You finally answer him. "I wouldn't personally say it's the best. but business has been good and your people have treated me nicely."

"My people?" There's an up tilt to his words and you have the slightest suspicion that there's humor in his words, but you struggle to read him.

"Yes." You answer calmly. "Your people."

"Are you not one of my people?" He picks up his own tea cup and takes a sip. You feel like running away.

"I'm not originally from here." You bite your lip and grip the seat beneath you. Every fiber in your being is telling you to run for it. But you're rooted to the spot.

The king nods and tilts his head as if in thought. "I suppose your accent would check out in that regard."

He says nothing as he takes another sip of his tea. Can't you just go home already?

"I'm having a party." He says at last. "I was hoping you'd be willing to cater it."

You feel your heart stop as relief threatens to melt you into a puddle. It's just business. You can do business. "O-oh... is that all?"

He nods once more. "I'd like a list of your menu and potential skills outside of your typical armory. I'm sure it goes without saying that you should bring the best of your accomplishments."

You can feel your nerves stealing in you as he speaks. You'll show him. These will be the best of the best. "Of course. I've never disappointed a costumer. I don't plan on starting now."

This time he actually smiles. "Perfect. May I ask for the estimate? I plan on giving a hefty down payment first-"

"No. For free." You cross your arms, ignoring the tea.

He stills, clearly not expecting that. His eyes don't obviously dart to you but the energy changes. The hair on the back of your neck stand up once more but you're not willing to budge on this.

"...I don't think so." He says calmly. "I pay for the full deal. I don't accept handouts."

"It's not handouts." You try to not glare at him. "It's exposure. The business that would result from this would payback tenfold the amount it would take to cater your party."

He frowns and stares at you as if you've said something dumb. "...I'm paying."

"No, you're not." You cross a leg to emphasize the point.

The King tilts his head. "Yes. I am. End of discussion."

"No you're not." You feel it in yourself to be indignant.

"Yes." He's smiling but you're not sure what to think about it. "I will pay the full price one way or another. I've enjoyed our chat but I'm afraid I've got other matters to attend to."

"That's a shame." You shrug. "Because this conversation isn't over until you let me do this for free."

The King of the land stops as he gets to his feet and kisses your cheek. "Then I suppose I'll simply have to invite you again, my dear. I'll see you soon."

You freeze and stay rooted to the spot once more as he leaves the room.

Your tea has gone cold by the time you're escorted out of the castle. This wasn't exactly what you had in mind- nor are you confident in yourself to keep surviving interactions with this powerful man.

Why couldn't he just have dropped it?

[goingbuggy]

Good morrow my shuggy liege!

I was pondering if I should or shouldn’t ask but I hope it will not be too much bother to answer

It’s about one of your metas about the love and sacrifice Beautifully written I must say but reading through it again made me wondering how does buggy fall into the sacrifice themes of one piece?

It pains me to admit that once I’ve read 1082 I had many different feelings and one of them thought of buggy sacrifice as quite selfish in a way? Don’t get me wrong I’m sure came from him believing in shanks and the love he had for the boy! It just it felt in a way like he was burdening shanks with his own dreams

I’m happy he finally got the courage to follow his own path It’s beautiful and inspiring I just wonder if my interpretation is coming from anxiety or is actually true? Thank you and I’m sorry to sending this on anon

Hello, anon! Thank you for your kind words about my metas. Before I answer your question about where Buggy might fit into the wider themes of One Piece -- like sacrifice -- I think I should address your interpretation of 1082's events and compare them with mine.

I can understand why someone might conclude that Buggy's faith in Shanks is a burden of sorts, and ultimately selfish; after all, Shanks never asked for the weight of Buggy's expectations, and you could argue that Buggy's plan was to live out his dreams vicariously through Shanks. However, I think that there are some key points which entirely re-frame the situation.

Buggy didn't actually tell Shanks about what he did.

This isn't explicitly confirmed by the manga, but based on 1082's events and Shanks/Buggy's relationship timeline going forward, I can definitely make a strong case for their miscommunication in this regard.

Although we have Buggy's narration in 1082 to guide us through his flashback and enlighten us with his true feelings about Shanks, remember -- it's an internal monologue. The only thing Shanks knows is what Buggy tells him, and what Buggy tells him is not the full story. Look at this series of panels to see what I mean.

We have a very important contrast here -- Buggy's thoughts ("You're not the next generation's king?! I misjudged you, Shanks!" / "Don't you care about following in Captain Roger's footsteps?!"), versus what he actually says. ("You coward!" / "It's your fault I lost that treasure map!")

In classic Buggy fashion, we see him deflect from the truth; instead of explaining how much he believed in Shanks' potential, he brings up a petty grudge and insults Shanks out of disappointment, hurt, and anger/frustration. Nowhere do we see Buggy explicitly tell Shanks what/why he gave up. And this miscommunication is not only the heart of Buggy's sacrifice, but the exact reason why they split in the first place: Shanks did not tell Buggy what made him change his mind about going to Laughtale, and Buggy did not tell Shanks about his decision/dream.

I think this is key to understanding the way they navigate their interactions later down the line, in Marineford. Remember: Shanks believes that they split due to the whole map ordeal, which is not only a relatively lighthearted grudge to hold, but also very confusing from Shanks' perspective.

I love the curt answer he gives here, because it really reflects Shanks' limited understanding of what actually transpired between them that fateful day at Loguetown. Thus, it's also understandable why Shanks acts the way he does at Marineford. I highly doubt Shanks would be so casual if he knew Buggy's real reasons for parting ways. Hell, their split was so important to Shanks that he still remembers Buggy's gripe about the map 20+ years later -- and even uses the promise of one to draw Buggy back into rehashing things between them. (The anime expands on Shanks' confusion/limited understanding even more, but because we're dealing with the manga only, I'm not going to reference those added scenes.)

This interaction can seem quite confusing, but place it in the wider context I've just proposed, and it makes a lot more sense. Something fundamental has permanently shifted between them, but Shanks does not understand the gravity -- nor the real reason -- behind that change. And yet again, Buggy perpetuates this cycle of miscommunication by not telling him.

So, now that I've argued why I believe Buggy didn't tell Shanks about his true dream/decision to give up on said dream, why is it so important?

Well, this leads to my second point.

2. Buggy is a character primarily motivated by greed.

This statement does not need to be argued; it's as explicit as can be, because it has been well-established by Oda. In fact, it's very likely to be what people remember best about Buggy's character, in the midst of the massive narrative that One Piece has become. (I will touch upon this later, because this is exactly why I view Buggy's sacrifice as so impactful to the reader.)

Now, my last point:

3. Buggy is terrible at hiding his true intentions.

Buggy usually makes it quite obvious what he's hiding through blatant lies which hint to the truth, or even a direct slip of the tongue, like in Impel Down. This is partially for the sake of comedy/divulging necessary information to readers, but it's also a genuine aspect of his character which reinforces the comedy. Buggy's intentions are comically apparent to readers, so it's ridiculous to see his followers fall for his schemes.

These three points, in tandem, are exactly what makes 1082's reveal so impactful. Oda uproots everything we thought we knew about Buggy's character in order to give us the missing puzzle piece -- the reason why he is the way he is. This exact decision.

Buggy is a character motivated by greed, but he gave up on his dream, a pillar of freedom and existence in the One Piece world. He is self-absorbed, and yet he de-centered himself from the narrative. And for who, of all people? Shanks, the very man he claimed to despise in his first introduction. Are you starting to see the groundwork Oda's laying down here?

Buggy is notoriously bad at hiding the truth when he lies, and yet readers are blindsided by this reveal, over a thousand chapters after his first appearance. He kept it a secret, not just from Shanks, but from us. 1082 subverted our expectations and further developed Buggy's character in the process. It's a great display of what I love most about Oda's writing.

Before 1082, it would be difficult to claim where Buggy lies in One Piece's themes of sacrifice or dreams. But post-1082, it's a lot clearer. Oda has shown us that Shanks is just as important to Buggy as Buggy is to Shanks, and he's done it in the most effective way for a greedy character: by showing us that even Buggy is capable of sacrifice, when it's for someone he cares about. And what did he give up? His dream -- one of the most important things people have in One Piece.

Sure, it's possible to dismiss Buggy's decision as selfish, but remember: he didn't tell Shanks. He didn't expect anything in return. In a way, he has actually spared Shanks from feeling burdened; Shanks doesn't know the truth, and so he has no opportunity to feel guilt or responsibility for Buggy's decision. For a character like Shanks, who is defined by responsibility, this is also massively significant. Buggy's choice is not Shanks' fault, and by deflecting to trivial matters like the map, Buggy has -- intentionally or not -- lifted a possible weight from Shanks' shoulders. Shanks still feels the loss of their relationship, but instead of potential guilt, there is confusion and miscommunication.

So, no, I don't view Buggy's sacrifice as selfish. He did what he did because he truly believed in Shanks. He was willing to let Shanks become king and live out his dream, all without burdening Shanks with the truth. It's the antithesis of everything we've known about Buggy up until this point -- a decision without his greed, egomania, and overt schemes at the forefront. And if that's not a selfless act from Buggy, then I don't know what is.

[gofancyninjaworld]

OPM Manga chapters 193-4 Review

Introduction

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, and before you know it, a year has gone by.

I have been putting off writing reviews about One Punch Man, and currently, I believe my last review was Heroes, which was chapter 192. That was a while ago. I have been waiting to see how this now intricate story was going to develop, and it has not disappointed me. However, I need to start or be forever buried, so while it isn't perfect, I am starting with chapters 193, and 194, 'Worlds I know nothing about' and 'Right away', respectively.

Summary

In brief, it starts with Saitama dealing with the sort of situation only he can: a dire, potentially world-ending threat that would take the greatest of heroes many sacrifices to counter. And he does it without breaking a sweat. Indeed, then he gets out of it to have a bit of fun chasing after artefacts as if he is in an Anime series.

While recounting the story to King, a knock at the door interrupted him. The knocker turned out to be Flashy Flash, and Saitama shut the door on him, remarking to King that the visitor seemed annoying.

Flashy Flash had mentioned the magic word disciple, and this word quickly brought Genus out of his apartment. He challenged Flashy to explain why he was at Saitama's door, and when the latter refused, a fight broke out. Saitama rushed out and asked Genos to desist before he broke his new apartment, much to Flashy Flash's disdain and amusement. Flashy was much less amused when it turned out that Saitama didn't remember his name, calling him Shoulder Blade Crush after much mind-racking.

Or Clavicle Smash. Close enough.

Nevertheless, he invited himself into the apartment and started to explain his business. He wanted Saitama to join him in finding Manako and to become his disciple, as he saw the bald man as a person full of potential in need of training. Genos wasn't done, though: he had been listening through a tunnel that he had dug between their apartments. He refused to permit Saitama to become Flash's disciple and invited himself in, stating that he knew all about the God affair, which was true.

Saitama tricked Flash into leaving the apartment by pretending to follow him, and an enraged Flash kicked down the door and challenged Saitama to a fight.

The next chapter carries on where the last one left off. We find ourselves in a training room where Flash explains the terms of the bout. If Saitama can land a blow on him within 30 minutes, then he will leave him alone. No sooner does he say 'begin' than Saitama is already in his face. Realizing that he has no hope of winning if he holds back, Flash unleashes his best moves only to fight himself, quickly cornered and about to see his light knocked out.

He is rescued by Genos, who has been checking his phone while this bout has been going on. There's been a monster alert, and he'd interrupted to let Saitama know that it was close by, so they might as well attend to it. A shaken Flashy Flash tags along, trying to cover up his fear with bravado.

Over in E-City, the situation turns out to be quite The Party. We see three heroes try to do their best against three Monsters but they assume overcome and kicked away. Sonic is first to the party. He urges the monsters to ignore him as he is waiting for the guest of honour. The monsters do not like this but before they can attack, Saitama, Genos, and Flashy Flash arrive. Saitama Sonic expected, but Flash he did not. Before he can digest this, more partygoers arrive: Gale Wind and Hellfire Flame. They urge Sonic to join them in eliminating Flashy, to which he refuses, saying that the cell that they gave him was rotten.

Getting crowded...

While all this backchat is going on, the monsters get increasingly impatient at being ignored and try to attack all: a lethal mistake as they are shortly killed. Sonic goes to attack Saitama, Flash goes to attack the ninjas, and Genos ends the monsters, punching them to pieces and then burning their corpses up before the pieces have finished hitting the ground. The ninjas flee after leaving a decoy for Flash to dismember, and we see that Sonic has been smacked into a hole in the ground.

After all the excitement, Saitama asks to be left in peace to find Manako on his own. He says that he does not want to be a teacher, disciple, or a rival to anyone. Unfortunately, the trio misunderstand him and try to encourage him to have confidence in himself in their own ways. Saitama texts King to come over and play video games. While playing, he asks King if he has seen a monster that looks like the sketch Flashy Flash showed him, and King says that it looks familiar. They head to the place where King had seen Manako earlier and successfully trap her using a plate of curry rice. She is all too glad to be brought back to civilization and fed, much to both Genos's and Flash's surprises.

Flash, realising that she doesn't actually know much about 'God', decides that it's probably best if they consult Blast. He, Saitama, and Manako head off to see Sicchi about seeking an audience with Blast, only to find that the great man himself is already there.

Meta

Small things

Saitama really is a misplaced One Piece character: the world of fantastic adventures, treasures to collect, monsters to summon, and companions to travel with that he desperately wants to inhabit is all around him. He's just so strong that it all bounces off his head. Literally, in some cases.

Nice to see that some heroes have been rewarded with promotions. Heavy Kong has been promoted from A-Class Rank 34 to 33, and Peach Terry from A Rank 30 to 29. Bone has had the best bump: he's gone from B-Class 77 to 57. Guess that full-body fracture wasn't in vain! [Also, damn, how fast do heroes HEAL?]

It's interesting that Genos hasn't spammed rocket-boosted anything since his return. Today, he's practising his punches, and for once, he's not solely head-hunting! Progress at last.

Saitama being able to stop Genos at a single word: neat but not surprising. Genos being able to stop Saitama with a single well-timed 'Sensei!': more surprising. Those two have each other's ear.

The number of defeats Sonic has suffered at Saitama's hands. Three is right if you're counting what we've seen on screen. Six if you're also accounting for bonus material, that time Sonic slipped on dogshit, and audio books. Fourteen? Well, Sonic can't be faulted for lack of determination!

Manako is indeed not a regular monster: she nearly starved out there. Her dependence on cooked food is pretty human -- like termites and some species of ants, humans are unable to sustain themselves off raw food and need to process it to extract enough energy from food to survive.

More substantial things

This is where the first set of our major long-running threads starts to twist together to form a rope. I had wondered back in chapter 173 (Secret Intel) if the payoff for seeing the heroes sharing what intelligence they had on 'God' would be so long paying off that we'd need a major flashback to recall it. I needn't have feared! The links between the cubes Blast collected, the Ninja Village, and 'God' start to become clearer.

Like a name almost recalled, something had been nagging at Flashy Flash since the discussion at the secret meeting. He'd tried to recruit Saitama to help him find Manako, who he hoped would help him piece together the story. That wasn't too useful, but the ninja duo helped him place where he'd seen the cube before, and now things are falling into place. With Blast having conveniently shown up, he's now in a position to clarify things.

Yeah, yeah, the 'God' character in the webcomic appears rather indolent, content to wait his turn as the end-of-story villain. The guy in the manga is much more impatient. Gotta problem with that? Tough. He's in a hurry to deal with the problem of Saitama.

Hehe, the ninja duo truly never had a chance. I start to understand why they took monster cells in hopes of slaying Flashy Flash. Poor turkeys.

Now that I'm reading this with the benefit of time passing, I'm looking forward to rereading and reviewing the next couple of chapters. This is coming together nicely.

[the-skull-breaker]

MCL New Gen ep 4 spoliers !

alright alright ! the new episode is out for VIPs, and just like the previous one I got to play Roy's route early, I'll play Thomas' once the ep releases for everyone !

without further ado, click on "keep reading" to see my full opinion !

so first we got to go to the Cosy Bear for potentially meet Castiel serving, but sadly we've arrived late and didn't get to actually meet him, we did get to see Lynn however, tho I understand how Castiel's fans must be disappointed, like I would have loved o see how mister rockstar deals with serving customers, it could be really funny !

then Lynn and Thomas have a small discussion and Thomas just casually told her he was in love with her in he past (I will not go into details about him because, again, I'll make another post about his route later) which led to the topic of romantic relationships. now there was a quick scene with Brune before going to the cafe about her relationship with Roy and the bet the night before, and honestly I was kinda worried about it with the way she approached us but it turns out she's not mad about the kiss, so that was a relief.

to go back at the cafe discussion we got to know each characters' relationship statues and, surely, we got to Roy and Brune's, and while I did expect them to not have an actual serious relationship, I was surprised by how honest they were about their true feelings, and I was ESPECIALLY surprised by the fact that THEY DID NOT EVEN KISS. so anyway they ended up breaking up in a calm and mature way, which I did no expect but honestly ? as uncomfortable as the whole thing was I'm glad it turned that way instead of being messy, however it seemed like both Thomas and Devon were pretty disappointed with the lack of drama which is hilarious.

now we get to Candy's relationship with her ex and we've got the choice to got into details or not, I've chosen the first option which raised my LOM with Roy and as much as I should have expected this I did NOT expect how nice our coworkers were, especially Roy and Devon ! first Roy saying that he hopes karma will get to our ex is the sweetest thing, I'm even more in love with him ! then Devon who says they will not make business with our ex-workplace which is so awesome from him, couldn't ask for a better boss than him !

then we see Jason and the topic of why he's our enemy is brought up and honestly ? I hate him even more... basically his company is just to spite the fact he was disqualified to the contest because... he cheated... and took the opportunity of working with the city hall so he could copy Devon's project... good job, dickhead, you've played yourself ! now I want even more to mess with his plans and drive him to ruin ! *insert maniacal laugh*. now about his past relationships is none of my business, he can have many conquests I don't care, I'm definitely not into him anyway. (anyway sorry for those who do like him, nothing against you, I just don' like him at all)

and FINALLY we get to the illus scene which in the case of Roy happens in the bus and wow, I do wish I was in the place of Candy there ! the way he holds us close to him so we wouldn't fall while potentially not thinking much about it just because he might think it's just normal I just... aaaaaahhhh I love him ! then we discuss more about our expectations in a relationship and it's clear he would be such a good partner, I wish I had one like him...

and here you go, many people may think nothing much happened but remember that we're still in an introduction state, this episode was clearly about learning the LIs' view on relationship, and from what I see on the preview it seems like the next episode might make things more serious in terms of story, so hold on, be patient, it could still be great !

anyway, that's all for me, have a nice day !

[sebstanaddict]

Too Good To Be True

Sebastian Stan x Reader Story

Summary: A romantic comedy story where Sebastian Stan falls in love with reader but she is not who he thinks she is.

Despite Sebastian's insistence in coming back with her, reader reluctantly had to break up with Sebastian in order to fulfill Aurora's obligation to her parents to marry Adam. But what Adam said during dinner with Aurora's parents sparks and idea in her head and she might just find a way out of this nightmare.

Pairings : Sebastian Stan x Female!Reader

Chapters : 23/28 (Might add more)

Chapter list >

Warning : just some sexual reference a litlle, nothing vulgar

Word count : 4.9k words

---

Chapter 23 - A Heart Worn Thin

That morning, Y/n woke up feeling a spark of hope, a small light flickering at the end of a long, dark tunnel. Last night's conversation with Aurora's father had planted a seed—a chance to escape this twisted arrangement with Adam if she could prove herself worthy of running his company. It was a daunting task, but it was also her lifeline. If she succeeded, she could end the engagement, walk away, and perhaps... just maybe... find her way back to Sebastian.

Yet that hope was tempered by a gnawing sadness. The last encounter with Sebastian lingered in her mind, the hurt in his eyes haunting her. She wanted so badly to tell him about her plan, about the potential way out. But there was no guarantee she'd succeed, and she didn't want to risk raising his hopes—only to dash them if she failed.

That morning they were scheduled to shoot another scene for Pumping Black. One that happened before the horrible stabbing to Aurora's character, Celeste, happened.

When she arrived on set, her heart skipped as she spotted Sebastian across the room. But the moment he looked at her, her stomach sank. His expression was cold, his posture distant, a wall firmly in place where warmth had once been. He didn't say a word, didn't ask questions or attempt to break the tension. For the first time, it seemed as though he'd stopped fighting for her, resigned to letting her go. The realization hurt more than she'd expected.

They took their positions for the scene, a climactic argument between their characters. It was intense, full of betrayal and anger—exactly the kind of tension that mirrored what simmered between them. But neither of them could focus, and each take was worse than the last.

"Cut!" Maya's voice rang out, frustration lacing her tone. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Guys, I need more than this. There's too much tension, but it's the wrong kind. If you can't get on the same page, we're going to be here all day."

Y/n felt Sebastian's eyes on her, his gaze as cold as ever. They both knew they had to get past whatever was holding them back if they were going to get through the day. He gestured for her to follow him, and they stepped off to a quiet corner away from the others.

He crossed his arms, his face a mixture of bitterness and disappointment. "If we're going to keep doing this, we have to put whatever's between us aside," he said, voice flat. "I'm not here to drag things out any longer."

His tone was harsh, but she knew he was right. Fighting back tears, she nodded. "You're right. I don't want to keep holding you back."

For a long moment, they stared at each other, an unspoken understanding passing between them. Whatever they'd had was slipping further away, and it felt like sand slipping through her fingers, but she had no choice. Not yet. She had to stay focused on her plan.

"Alright," she whispered. "Let's do this."

They returned to set, and this time, as the camera rolled, they poured everything into the scene. The anger, the hurt, the betrayal—it all flowed into their characters, heightening each line and glance. When Maya finally called "cut," the crew erupted into applause, the scene charged with a raw energy that felt as real as anything they'd shared off-camera.

But the moment the applause faded, Sebastian turned away, grabbing his things without a word and walking off set. Y/n watched him leave, her heart breaking all over again. This time, it felt final—as if she was truly losing him, inch by inch, with every secret and every lie.

As she stood there alone, she couldn't help but wonder if her plan would be enough. Because even if she escaped Adam, there was no guarantee she hadn't already lost the one person she was doing it all for.

—

The next morning, Y/n found herself sitting in Aurora's office at the hedge fund company, staring at a sea of financial data on the screen in front of her. She didn't have any shoot scheduled for that day so she planned to maximize the day to work at the hedge fund company.

Despite the plush, luxurious surroundings, the pressure of the task at hand weighed heavily on her. Aurora's father had given her a small but crucial project, one that could prove her competence — or see her thrown back into the clutches of an unwanted marriage with Adam.

The project was no small task. Aurora's father had asked her to create an algorithm that would optimize their stock trading strategy. The hedge fund was heavily invested in technology, and Y/n's background as a software engineer was going to be the key to unlocking its potential.

She had to create an automated trading algorithm that could analyze large volumes of data — historical prices, market trends, and real-time news — to make predictions and execute trades with minimal human intervention. It was a high-stakes task, but one she was surprisingly excited about.

Aurora's father was skeptical at first that she could do it, knowing Aurora had no background at all in software engineering, but she assured him that she would be working closely with her personal assistant to create the algorithm. She even gave him her CV so he could see her background. Once he studied her CV he was more confident and allowed her to start working to create the algorithm.

As she worked, her fingers flew across the keyboard, the familiarity of coding bringing her a sense of calm amidst the storm of her life. This was something she could control, something she could solve. Her mind raced with logic and numbers, allowing her to momentarily escape the chaotic mess of pretending to be Aurora and dealing with Adam and Sebastian's emotions.

She spent two weeks coding, testing and refining the algorithm. When she was scheduled for a shoot, she spent the day doing shooting and the night working at home until dawn. When she had no shoot scheduled she would come to the office and work from morning until night. It was taxing and she was exhausted.

Each day, Y/n felt like she was being pulled in a hundred directions at once, struggling to keep everything from unraveling. Between the long hours of shooting Pumping Black and the sleepless nights spent working on Aurora's father's algorithm, she was running on little more than sheer will. But it wasn't just exhaustion that weighed on her. It was Sebastian—the growing distance between them that left an ache she couldn't seem to shake.

She often caught him watching her, his gaze soft yet searching, as if he was silently begging her to open up. She longed to tell him everything, to ease the tension between them, but the stakes were too high. If she couldn't pull off this plan with Aurora's father, she risked not only disappointing Sebastian but keeping herself trapped in the unwanted future looming over her. So she kept it to herself, even as she felt the space between them widening with each day.

One evening on set, Y/n sat with her script, exhaustion weighing down her every movement. Footsteps approached, and she didn't need to look up to know it was him. The air shifted in a way it only ever did when he was close. "Aurora..are you okay?" Sebastian's voice was a soft brush of concern, and hearing it nearly unraveled her.

She managed a tired smile. "I'm fine, Sebastian. Just...a lot going on." She tried to sound casual, to reassure him with words she barely believed herself.

But his expression remained unconvinced. There was a deep worry in his blue eyes as he studied her. "Fine?" he repeated, skepticism coloring his tone. "You look exhausted. You don't have to push yourself this hard...whatever it is, it can wait."

Y/n's heart clenched. She wanted so badly to tell him why she was doing this, to let him understand the reason behind her late nights and weary mornings. But instead, she shook her head. "I can handle it, Sebastian. Really."

His gaze hardened, disappointment crossing his face as he looked away, jaw tight. "I just don't understand why you won't tell me what's really going on," he said, his voice laced with hurt. "Why can't you be honest with me?"

Her own gaze dropped, the weight of his words pressing on her. How she wanted to be honest, to confide in him and ease the guilt gnawing at her. But she couldn't bring herself to risk it. "It's...complicated, Sebastian," she whispered, wishing he could somehow read the apology in her eyes. "I wish I could explain, but it's just...something I have to figure out on my own."

He nodded slowly, but the distance was already etched into his features. "Alright. Just...take care of yourself," he murmured, his tone colder, more distant than she'd ever heard it. And as he turned to walk away, a hollow ache settled in her chest.

The sadness lingered in his eyes whenever their paths crossed after that, mirroring her own guilt and regret. Each look, each silence, seemed to carve the chasm between them a little deeper, until she feared she'd never be able to bridge it again.

Despite the situation with Sebastian and everything else, somehow, she felt an invisible power and energy pushing her through it all. The motivation to escape Adam's clutches became her fuel and she knew she couldn't rest until she succeeded.

Every day, Aurora's father would check in on her progress, though always from a distance. He didn't hover or micromanage — it seemed that once he had given her the project, he trusted her to handle it. But she knew he was watching closely, waiting for her to either rise to the challenge or fail spectacularly.

By the end of the second week, Y/n had developed the algorithm's core structure. It could sift through mountains of data in seconds, analyze market trends, and predict which stocks would rise or fall. She was confident it would work — but she still needed to prove it in action.

With her final tests done, she scheduled a meeting with Aurora's father for a demonstration.

---

The day of the presentation arrived, and Y/n felt a mixture of excitement and nerves. This was it — her chance to prove to Aurora's father that she was capable of running the company, that she didn't need Adam, or anyone else, to succeed.

Aurora's father sat across from her in the sleek, modern conference room, his expression neutral but his eyes sharp. He hadn't been one to give away much during their interactions, but Y/n could sense that he was deeply invested in the outcome of this project.

"Let's see what you've come up with," Aurora's father said, gesturing to the screen where Y/n had her algorithm ready for the demonstration.

Y/n took a deep breath and began walking him through the system. She explained how the algorithm processed data, its predictive model, and how it was capable of identifying high-potential stocks with impressive accuracy. Then she showed him a live demonstration, running the algorithm in real-time as it made a series of small trades.

Aurora's father leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he watched the results flash on the screen. For several minutes, he said nothing, simply observing the algorithm's performance. Y/n's heart raced, but she kept her composure, explaining each step in detail.

When the demo was over, there was a long pause. Aurora's father sat back in his chair, his hands steepled as he considered what he had just seen.

"You've done well," he said finally, his voice steady. "This could be a real asset to the firm."

Relief flooded through Y/n, but she kept her expression neutral. She wasn't done yet.

"Thank you," she said. "But there's something more I want to discuss."

Aurora's father raised an eyebrow, but nodded for her to continue.

"I know you want Adam to take over the company," Y/n began, choosing her words carefully. "But as you have known from our last dinner with him, he doesn't fully understand the intricacies of the business. His lack of knowledge could be dangerous, especially in such a volatile market. I know this company means a lot to you — it's your legacy. And I believe I'm capable of preserving that legacy without the need for this marriage."

Aurora's father's expression remained impassive, but Y/n could see the gears turning in his mind.

"I'm not just saying this as your daughter," she continued, knowing she had to speak as Aurora in this moment. "I've proven myself capable of handling complex challenges, and I want to be the one to lead the company into the future. If you give me a chance, I believe I can do it — and you won't need to tie me to Adam to secure the company's future. And.." She hesitated, choosing her words carefully, then finally said, "I know you want the best for me, and I respect that. But... Adam isn't the right person for me. He forced himself on me. I managed to push him away, but... I don't think a man like that should be a part of this family."

As Aurora's father processed Y/n's revelation, his usually stern face softened just slightly. He looked at her with an intensity that spoke of both concern and re-evaluation.

"Adam forced himself on you?" he asked quietly, anger simmering beneath his controlled tone. His voice softened only to let her speak, but she could see the fury in his gaze.

Y/n swallowed hard and nodded, willing herself to stay composed. "Yes. I...I managed to push him away, but the way he acted, his anger..." She trailed off, feeling the weight of the moment as Aurora's father looked away, jaw clenched.

For a long moment, he said nothing, his expression hardening as he stared into the distance. Finally, he turned back to her, his voice resolute. "I had no idea Adam was capable of something like that. I thought he was... well, clearly I was wrong. I don't want a man like him in this family. No daughter of mine should be forced into a marriage like that."

Y/n exhaled, a profound sense of relief washing over her. "Thank you. I never wanted to disappoint you, but I know this isn't the life I want."

Aurora's father nodded, his gaze steady as he looked at her. "I appreciate your honesty, Aurora. And for that, I'm willing to give you a chance. You've impressed me today." He gestured at the screen, his expression softening, albeit slightly. "That program is the kind of work I'd expect from someone serious about running the company."

Y/n felt her heart lift. Here was her opportunity—not only to escape the marriage but to build something meaningful, something she could truly call her own. "I'm ready to prove myself, Dad. Just give me the chance."

He sighed, giving her a rare, approving look. "I will. I'll call off the engagement, effective immediately. But my expectations remain. This program was a good start, but if you're serious about the company, you need to come back once your filming is done. I want you working directly under me, handling real accounts and projects. If you prove yourself capable, the company is yours." He paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "If not, I'll hand it over to Edith."

Y/n nodded, determination coursing through her veins. "Understood. I won't let you down."

He smiled, a hint of pride in his gaze. "Good. Show me that I haven't misplaced my faith."

As she gathered her things, she took one last look at Aurora's father, who was watching her with an intensity she hadn't seen before. The hard lines of his face softened ever so slightly, and for the first time, she thought she saw something almost close to admiration.

"I'll make arrangements to cut Adam out as quickly as possible," Aurora's father added, his tone businesslike once more. "But, Aurora... don't make me regret this."

Y/n smiled, a genuine smile, feeling like she could finally breathe. "I won't. I promise."

Aurora's father gave a single nod, his expression shifting back to his usual stoicism. "Very well. You're dismissed."

Y/n walked out of his office, feeling lighter than she had in weeks. There was still a long road ahead, but for the first time, she had real hope. And she can't wait to tell Sebastian about it. But first she needed to tell Aurora and so she did that just as she arrived home.

"Aurora, you won't believe what just happened!" She said enthusiastically into her cellphone.

*What?" Aurora's voice, well, her voice, drawled at the other end.

"I got us out of the arranged marriage with Adam!" She gushed.

"What?! How?" Aurora asked, surprise in her voice.

She proceeded to tell her about what has been happening and how her father offered her to work closely with him to manage the company. She expected Aurora to be happy about it but her response was not what she expected.

"Are you stupid?" Aurora protested.

Her heart felt like it has been stabbed as she heard Aurora. "What?!"

"I know nothing about running a hedge fund company, I know nothing about software engineering. I'm just going to look so stupid when we switch back. You should resign. Tell my dad that you changed your mind and would like to just marry Adam or anyone else my dad deems worthy."

She knew Aurora had a point but she couldn't give up. "Aurora, there is no way I'm marrying Adam or anyone else for that matter.. I mean.. I love Sebastian, okay? I can't marry someone else."

"I know you do but I don't. I know he's kind and all that but he's not the man my mom or my dad wants me to be with. It's not just about the company." Aurora sighed.

"Then what is it about, Aurora?" She asked.

"I just.. I just want to make them happy. My parents. Especially my mom. She.. she sees Edith as a better daughter than me. If I don't marry Adam like she wants, I'm just going to disappoint her even further and I don't want that."

She took a deep breath as she listened to Aurora and tried to see her point of view. "Okay, okay, I get it. But can't you see that if you.. I mean me.. succeed in doing this, it would make your mom proud? She can see you as someone capable like Edith. Isn't that what you want?"

Aurora didn't respond immediately, it seemed like she was deep in thought.

"Besides, Adam forced himself on me but I managed to get away and he was so angry. You wouldn't want to be stuck in a marriage like that, Aurora. I told your father too and he agreed, he doesn't want someone like Adam to be his son in law."

"My dad said that?" Aurora asked slowly.

"Yeah, he did. He called off the engagement immediately." She replied.

For a while Aurora didn't say anything but she could hear her breathing at the other end.

"Aurora, are you still there?" She asked.

"Yeah.. yeah. You know I can't believe I'm saying this but, you're right, if you succeed it could make my mother proud." Aurora finally said and she couldn't believe her ears.

"Yeah, exactly." She replied.

"And I know Adam has been a jerk so I'm glad you managed to cut him out of our lives. But if we switch back, I don't know if I can run the company.." Aurora trailed.

"I'll help you. I'll continue to help you. You can call or text me anytime." She offered.

Aurora took a deep breath and she waited patiently for her response. "Okay. Thank you." Aurora finally said and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're welcome. How is my mom by the way?" She asked carefully, her heart ached at not being able to be with her.

"She's.. managing.." Aurora trailed.

"Aurora, is she okay? Tell me everything." She insisted as her stomach twisted in knots.

"Well, she started her new treatment yesterday with new drugs. She has become weaker and more lethargic after that. But the doctors are still monitoring her closely. They say it's a normal effect of the new drugs. We won't know for sure how it would affect her until the whole series of the treatment is done. Which will take about a month." Aurora explained and her heart dropped to her stomach.

"Oh.. is she able to be at home or is she staying at the clinic?" She asked, worry gnawed in her heart.

"She's staying at the clinic. The doctors need to monitor her very closely. Your father and I, we take turns sleeping at the clinic to accompany her. You don't need to worry about that." Aurora said and she sighed.

"Thank you, Aurora. I really appreciate what you have done for us so far."

"Yeah, no problem. I like your mom and dad. They're really cool." Aurora said and she smiled.

"Yeah, they.. they are cool." She chuckled.

"By the way, I know I'm supposed to be back to LA before you leave for Paris. But, if you want, I can stay here longer. I.. I want to make sure she's okay throughout this new treatment session." Aurora said and her jaw dropped.

"Really? You would do that for me?" She asked, touched that Aurora would think that way.

"I'm doing this for your mom. She needs her daughter close by throughout this whole ordeal. I don't have the heart to leave when she needs me.. I mean.. you.. most."

She felt tears slipping from her eyes as she heard Aurora. "Wow, that's really thoughtful of you, Aurora. I really appreciate it. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

They ended the call with a much better understanding of each other. She never thought Aurora could change so much but apparently, with the right people and circumstances, they could change. And she was glad that Aurora could change and become a much better person. As for her, she had spent her life thinking that having physical beauty is an advantage in life. But her experiences so far proved otherwise and now she knew that what was most important was what was on the inside. She just wished that someday, maybe, she could find out if Sebastian feels the same way. She couldn't wait to tell him the good news. But she felt she couldn't just straight up tell him. The distance and coldness between them needed to be bridged and she made plans to do just that.

—

Y/n's heart pounded in her chest as she parked her car in Sebastian's building later that week. She took a deep breath and said a silent prayer that he would still forgive her and accept her back into his life.

She picked up the picnic basket she had prepared earlier, containing all his favorite food and drinks and walked towards the entrance. She put a wide smile as she approached the security desk.

"Oh hey Miss Watson, long time no see. How are you?" Michael the security officer greeted her.

"I'm good, Michael, how are you?" She asked, placing the picnic basket on the desk in front of him.

"I'm good as well, thank you Miss for asking." He smiled and she smiled back.

"Is he home?" She asked, gesturing her head up.

"Yes, he is. Come, follow me." Michael said as he picked up the picnic basket and guided her to the special elevator that would take her straight into Sebastian's penthouse. He scanned his access key card and the elevator opened and she immediately went in as Michael handed her the picnic basket.

"Thank you, Michael." She said as she accepted the picnic basket from him and he saluted then winked at her.

The elevator closed leaving her alone with her thoughts. Her heart beat faster and faster as the elevator ascended, her mind rehearsing the words she was going to say to him.

When the elevator finally stopped at the topmost floor and opened Y/n felt a surge of anticipation, hope flickering in her heart as she walked in with her picnic basket. The living room was dimly lit, and she found him stretched out on the couch, watching Blue Valentine. The melancholy glow from the screen cast shadows across his face, mirroring the sadness she'd left behind.

When he looked up and saw her, surprise flashed across his face, quickly replaced by something unreadable. For a fleeting moment, his eyes softened with what looked like relief, but the hurt she'd caused was evident as he quickly reined in his expression, letting his guard return. "Aurora," he said, his voice low and guarded as he stood up and cautiously approached her. "What are you doing here?"

She took a steadying breath, put the picnic basket down near her feet then pulled out a slip of paper from her pocket. Without preamble, she began to read:

"I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)

I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling)

I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)

I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you."

Her voice trembled, her heart in every word. When she reached the end, she met his gaze, her eyes pleading. His expression softened, his guarded exterior cracking as he walked closer to her. His hand reached out, brushing his thumb gently across her cheek.

"Do you mean that?" he asked, his voice a barely-there whisper, as if he was afraid to hope.

"More than anything," she replied, her voice catching. "Sebastian, I...I came to tell you that I'm free. The engagement with Adam...it's over. I went to my father and convinced him to call off the engagement. I convinced him that I can run his company without Adam and I told him how Adam.. how he tried to force himself on me.." Her voice wavered with relief as she finally released the burden she'd been carrying.

Sebastian's expression turned dark, his eyes flashing with anger. "He what?" His fists clenched, and he took a sharp breath, struggling to control the anger simmering just beneath the surface. "If he ever comes near you again..." His voice was tight with fury, but his hand on her cheek remained gentle. "I should have been there. If I'd known, I'd never have let him near you."

"It's over, Sebastian," she said softly, her hand resting atop his. "It's okay, it's finally over."

He exhaled deeply, his gaze softening as he looked at her with a mixture of relief and admiration. "You...you really went to your father and convinced him?" His voice was filled with awe, as if seeing her in a new light. "I always knew you were strong, but this...convincing a man like him to break off an engagement and give you a shot at his company... I didn't know you had it in you."

She smiled, a bit shyly. "I think I owe it to Y/n..., you know? She taught me so much about strategy and confidence. She helped me realize that maybe I was capable of more than I thought."

He chuckled softly, his hand brushing back a strand of her hair. "Well, if Y/n was behind all that, remind me to thank her someday. But I'm serious. I'm so proud of you. You're amazing."

A tear slipped down her cheek, her heart swelling as he wrapped her in a tender embrace. For the first time in weeks, she felt the weight lift, his admiration and pride filling the space once occupied by fear.

Then, unable to hold back any longer, he released her and looked down, closing the distance between them, he captured her lips in a kiss filled with longing and relief. She responded in kind, her hands curling into his shirt as they lost themselves in the moment, the barriers between them finally shattered.

When they finally pulled away, they laughed softly, leaning against each other. 

"I love you.." He whispered, making her heart flutter.

"I love you too.." She whispered back, making him smile.

"What do you have for me here?" He asked moments later, releasing her and glancing at the picnic basket at her feet.

"All your favorites." She replied as she picked up the picnic basket and brought it to the table in the living room. She opened the picnic basket, laying out his favorite Rubirosa-like pizza that she baked herself, the peanut butter and chocolate cupcakes, and two smoothies that Rosa had made.

"You really brought all my favorites," he said, his eyes soft as he looked at her, a warmth radiating from him she hadn't seen in so long. "You remembered."

"I remember everything," she replied, her hand reaching for his. "I never stopped thinking about you."

As they shared the food, their conversation was filled with laughter and soft exchanges, both of them slowly letting go of the pain of the past few weeks. When he reached for the remote, he made a face, realizing the screen was still paused on Blue Valentine. "I think we need something a little less heartbreaking," he said, his fingers lacing through hers.

She smiled. "How about something romantic?"

He chose his favorite romcom, Notting Hill, and they settled in, her head resting on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her as they laughed and exchanged smiles, letting the movie bring them back to a place of pure happiness.

When the credits rolled, he turned to her, his gaze filled with a newfound determination. "Stay with me tonight, mi reina," he whispered.

Her heart fluttered as she heard him call her with the endearing nickname again. She didn't realize how much she missed hearing him call her that.

"I'm not going anywhere, mi rey." She nodded and he smiled.

With that he swept her into his arms, carrying her toward the bedroom with laughter and kisses, each moment a celebration of the love that had endured. Their reunion was tender and filled with joy, each touch and kiss reaffirming the promises they'd made in their hearts.

Later, they lay together, content and entwined, the silence between them one of peace and fulfillment. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, his voice soft. "This time, I'm not letting you go."

She smiled but couldn't help feeling a tug in her heart, her fingers tracing his face. Oh how much she wished she would never have to leave him. But if somehow she and Aurora switched bodies again, she wouldn't have a choice but to leave him.

A flicker of sadness passed her eyes and Sebastian noticed.

"Mi reina, what's wrong?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Nothing.. I'm just happy we're together. I.. umm.. I had a flashback now of the nights I spent without you. They were unbearable." She said, her voice shook and his eyes softened.

"Well, I'm here now, mi reina, and like I said, I will never let you go again." He said, reaching up to stroke her cheek gently.

"I'm glad you said that." She smiled, wishing she could say more but for now she thought it was enough. Whatever the future brings, whether or not she would ever switch back to her own body, the most important thing was that she was back in his arms for the moment, and she just wanted to savor the feeling for as long as she could.

Taglist

@dhoruwolfie @kandis-mom

[tetsunabouquet]

Just asking, do you write for nash gold jr? If you do could you do some nsfw headcanons or a scenario?

Also I hate how shallow they made jabberwock in the movies, I know they're meant to be like the typical antagonist but I personally don't think nash is as shallow as he seems

A/N: Here is a Nash Gold Jr X Reader one-shot considering the lack of Jabberwock content! Considering there wasn't any specification about the reader's gender or the scenario being an NSFW, I wrote it female coded and non-NSFW.

Nash Gold Jr's hands were aching. After the game they lost in Japan, they had left back for the US. Silver had been rageful the entire time, and didn't seem to calm down until he beat Nash Gold Jr. Nash Gold Jr fought him, knowing he needed to vent. This wasn't the first time Silver would beat someone up, nor, would it be his last. Unless Silver were to work on his anger issues, and Nash Gold Jr did not see Silver do such a thing in the near future. So Nash Gold Jr drifted alone on the streets, preparing what to say to his mother, who undoubtedly was extremely worried for his emotional state and had probably been baking like a madwoman. She had a tendency to keep baking cakes for him to the point where the entire kitchen was bursting with an abundance of cake whenever he was sad. It was a habit she had developped ever since his father's disappearance. His father was a proud soldier who had gone missing last year. He had been sent to the conflict in Afghanistan, and neither his mother or himself, even knew whether he was still alive or not. As he reached his house, he could see your bike parked in their tiny small garden. 'Great, I should have known y/n was here to pester us.' Nash Gold Jr sighed. It had been this way too, for a while. You were his long-time study buddy. You had saved his grades countless of times. You'd noticed his mother's unstable emotional state after his father had went missing and would often help her with things around the house Even now the two of you had graduated, you had remained a pesky presence, always making sure his mother was okay. He wanted to be grateful for you, but you snapping about the risks he always put himself in was frankly annoying. 'She really should stop offering me help all the god damn time. Doesn't she have her own life?' Nash Gold Jr sighed as he went up the steps, unlocking the door with ease. "Mother, Y/n, I am home." He lazily called out as a greeting. You entered the hallway, carrying balloons in your hand and a sour, disappointed expression on your face. "We wanted to surprise you!" You whined, and Nash Gold Jr slightly melted. His mother stood in the doorway of the living room and said, "We had planned a party for you. We thought it was important to celebrate your first competition abroad, even if the second one didn't went so well." Nash Gold Jr couldn't help but smile ever so slightly. Probably your idea, to turn his mother's baking obsession into a operation. He chuckled and ruffled your hair, and as you pouted he greeted his mother, glancing into the living room to see even more balloons, decorations and a plethora of cakes, but not as many as his mother would have baked otherwise. He held his mother tightly to himself, whether to reassure her, or himself, he had no idea. "I will admit, there's some foreign potential, alright." He omitted another small sigh, and felt your hand slapping him across the back. "Well, now you know what to expect and how to prepare, right?" You asked enthusiasitcally, and Nash's slip of smile broke way for a bigger one. You always did this, you were always there to pump hope into his veins. "I hope you haven't stuffed yourself full with too many cakes already, because you're totally helping me with those," Nash said instead of telling you how much he appreciated you, but he figured you knew anyways. You always seemed to know the question to every answer. "Of course I haven't, I figured you needed my assistance. I gave any cake your mother tried feeding me over the past days to my own family so I could spare my stomach." You declared, ever so knowingly. Sometimes, when Nash dared to allow himself to think about his growing feelings for you, he couldn't help but think; 'If I am the Magician, Y/n is my Oracle.' Perhaps someday he'd say them out loud, but not now. Now, he would eat cake with you and his mom and celebrate his first opportunity to basketball overseas. His mother started blasting one of his childhood favorite songs, and began dancing in the living room as you cheered her on and Nash did feel grateful for what he had indeed.

[reds-skull]

Revenant Side Stories

Story VII: Roba | Void’s Child

[Konchar] [Graves] [Gaz] [Price] [Novikov] [Farah] [AO3]

This one is pretty short, because spoilers but Simon does kill Roba in less than a minute so he didn't time to think about it really :/

There's one more story (that I might even post today because it's so short), and from then on I'll be working on the comic only for part two! Started up uni again so I won't even try to predict when that's gonna be finished lol

English disappointed him.

It was a shame, since Manuel could see how much potential the kid had. Stronger body and mind than his now broken superiors, somehow able to withstand months of torture. It was curious, how it seemed the more the Corporal’s situation seems hopeless, the more he resisted.

That is not to say the rest of his team was better. His fellow Sergeant died about two weeks in, to an infection. The Captain, shot after trying to escape. That would’ve impressed him, if the man got any further than the hallway outside his cell.

So while yes, Riley did last remarkably long, he was disappointing. Such men are no use to Manuel, if they do not learn to obey.

He ordered two of his men to dispose of him, put him alongside Vernon. No need to waste time digging another grave, after all.

There are still a few prisoners left for him to toy with. None as riveting as Riley, of course, some Mexican Special Forces soldiers who started crying for their mother not two hours into their first session. Manuel sighs, letting out a stream of cigar smoke from his lips.

He wonders, briefly, if perhaps killing Riley here would’ve been more beneficial. They’ve all heard tales of revenants, and Reapers, of how certain men will simply refuse to die.

How would he kill him then? Suffocation, while easy, would’ve likely brought on a boring result.

Immolation seemed far more fascinating, but as far as Manuel knows, it would’ve just made the man fire-proof. Nothing you can’t do with extra gear.

No, truly powerful revenants must die in battle, where only supernatural strengths could save them. Ah, if he had a revenant of that capability… one revenant like that equals a hundred men. Then again, he’d need to have a short leash on a revenant like that.

And English proved time and time again, no one is able to leash him.

What a waste.

 A knock on his office door pulls him away from his ruminations, and he watches the men he sent to deal with the subject of his introspection enter the room.

“I assume he’s been dealt with?” Manuel drags his eyes down to the men’s arms, which are covered in dirt.

They nod, “yes, sir. But…”

“What is it?”

“English woke up on transport.”

Oh? He was awake for it?

Manuel waves his hand, dismissing them, “no matter. I’m sure he won’t stay awake for long, if you’ve done your jobs right.”

The men leave, not fast enough for Manuel to miss the glint of fear in their eyes. It mellows out the frustration built up over thinking about the Corporal.

Buried alive… what kind of revenant would that bring? Well, Manuel supposes it is similar enough to suffocation.

He really should consider acquiring some revenants. If not to employ, to at least interrogate. To borrow into the mind of those who have seen death and returned alive… what kind of things could Manuel extract from them?

The possibilities are endless.

For now, he’ll make do with the prisoners he does have. Manuel extinguishes the cigar and places it back in its case, locking the drawer and the door as he leaves the office. His steps are accompanied by sounds of screams and agony. If the soldiers are already reacting like this from the ‘warm-up’ his men are giving them, Manuel truly doesn’t expect they’ll last until next week.

A guard opens the door to the first torture room, where he finds a bleeding man stare up at him with wide eyes full of horror. It takes Manuel back to one of the last sessions he had with Riley.

His hand hurts from the force of the slap, but it is worth just to see the way Riley’s head snaps to the side, his face swollen from hours of beating.

Manuel takes hold of a fistful of dirty blond hair and makes English look at him in the eye.

“Look at you. You don’t even fight back anymore, do you? Just a sickly little dog under my boot. I wonder, would your father even recognized you if I sent him your body?” Manuel goads, a sharp grin on his lips as he asks him with mock concern.

He waits for the spitting, or the tears, even complete apathy is expected at this point, but English doesn’t do any of that.

No, he stares at Manuel for a long moment, something lighting in his eyes for the first time in weeks, and he opens his bloody mouth to laugh.

It takes Manual by surprise, so much so that he doesn’t react for a while, watching Riley choke on his own laughter, the sound turning to wheezing as it finally dies down. Riley smiles somewhat maniacally, and with a croaky voice says, “should I give you his address? Make it easier for the both of us.”

Manuel opens his mouth to ask what the fuck is wrong with him, but English continues, “heard of Agecroft Cemetery and Crematorium? Nice place. Made sure to buy the plot nearest to the dumpster on the other side of the fence for him. It smells like he did when he was alive”

It’s odd, how this is the most he’s heard Riley talk since he got him in this chair. Perhaps he’s finally cracking, god knows it took him far longer than any other soldier he’s worked on before.

“Good to see you still got a sense of humor, English.” Manuel lets go of Riley’s hair, and his head falls, “seeing you’re in a good mood, might be time to start listening to me, eh?”

Riley’s shoulders shake with a silent laugh, and he raises his head to give him a joyless grin, his teeth stained red, “think you didn’t understand last time I told ya mate - Fuck. You. Want that in Spanish? Vete a la mierda, cabrón”

Manuel feels a surge of anger rush forth, and he kicks English in the chest, making the man groan in pain and erasing that fucking smile. He wraps his hands around Riley’s throat, feeling his heartbeat spike.

“You think you’re getting out of this alive, fucker?! Think is anyone coming to save you?!!!”

Riley gasps, his torso contorting as he tries to get away, as if he’s not tied to the steel chair. “N-no.” He chokes out.

“Then why are you still fucking resisting?! You know it will do nothing!!!”

The skin under his fingertips starts to bruise, English’s eyes bulging out when he snarls, “makes… you… m-mad… don’t it?”

Manuel tightens his hold, and English loses consciousness, his eyes rolling up into his skull. He huffs out, anger still simmering within him.

“Marcus!” he calls to the guard beyond the room’s door, “get English to the pit, fucker needs to learn a lesson.”

The guard enters, wordlessly untying Riley and dragging his body out. Manuel’s hand itches for a cigar, maybe something he can sink his teeth into and tear apart. Something that would look at him with fear, the light in its eyes broken, knowing they’re truly doomed.

Not unbridled mirth.

Riley is broken, that much is clear. But he’s not broken the way Manuel intended, not broken in a way he can use.

And things he has no use for? They get discarded, as they should.

Their little dance is coming to an end.

Manuel leaves the room with bloodied fists and an unsatisfied smile. Such pathetic excuses of soldiers don’t deserve a shred of his attention or time, and yet they keep falling into his hands.

If only English… no, best not to think of another failure.

He wipes his hands on a scratchy towel, throwing it at a passing guard with barks of orders. He really needs that fucking cigar.

The office door shuts violently behind him, the hinges creaking. Manuel lets out a loud sigh as he drops to his chair, and after a few moments of simply breathing, he pulls out a cigar and his lighter.

The metal lid is flipped open, and it lights on the third attempt. Manuel brings it closer to the cigar, only for the flame to be extinguished by a sudden gust of wind. He frowns and turns around, has he left the window behind him open?

No, the window is closed. How odd. Manuel turns back.

… Why is it that he still feels cold?

A far off scream makes Manuel’s hand drop the lighter and reach for the pistol at his hip. His mind fires off explanations one by one, as the screaming gets closer, and closer…

Have they been compromised? Are the special forces finally getting revenge on their fallen soldiers? A rival cartel, perhaps?

He doesn’t reach an answer, in the seconds before it all goes dark.

Somewhere in his brain, Manuel can feel none of them were correct.

It hits the office like a wave, drags him into an empty world. Lightless, lifeless, barring a single man.

Uncaring for the howling men at his feet, his guards and prisoners alike succumbing to a dark, inky matter, a man stands. He is encircled by white light, his eyes glow as they unnervingly stare at him.

That… thing is staring at… him.

“ROBA…..”

The voice is distorted, like a hand took claws to the thing’s throat, but Manuel would recognize that voice in any condition.

When it is tinted with rage. When it is bloody and bruised. When it is full of mirth.

His hands shake, their grip on the pistol slipping, his heart beating hard enough that he thinks anything left alive in this realm can hear it.

“E-English?”

Riley, or whatever’s left of him, doesn’t answer. He raises his arm, the fingernails torn like he clawed his way out of that grave, and points to Manuel.

The men on the ground stop squirming. As one, they turn their head to Riley, their gaze following the pointed finger, until their gaze meets him. Their eyes, soulless.

It hits him, then. Riley’s a fucking revenant.

“KILL HIM.”

Hundreds of hands scrape a bottomless void, teeth black and yearning for untainted flesh, feet tugging at darkness materialized, they all rush towards Manuel.

At that moment, he is no longer disappointed. He sees now, that English surpassed anything he could have ever molded him into. 

As the void overcomes him, Manuel Roba feels content.

He was right. He should’ve killed Riley himself.

Manuel laughs at the face of death, not with mirth but with utter horror, tears pulled from his eyes only to freeze, and the last thing he truly sees is a brilliant light, of a man not even death could force to kneel.

What a wonderful monster has he created.

He’s dead.

Simon blinks, and Limbo recedes. He feels… cold. Like the realm never left. It is not uncomfortable, not after the grave.

He tilts his head skyward, his breath fogging up in the Mexican night air, stars twinkling their greetings to him. Everything is finally, blessedly, quiet. He can’t even feel his wounds.

He can’t feel much of anything, anymore. Simon looks down, at his hands. Bloody, dirty, months of torture scarring them beyond recognition.

Are those really his hands?

He’s dead. There’s nothing he can do to him now, locked forever in his Limbo. It will protect him. It will never allow anything to hurt him again.

…What now?

Simon looks to the horizon, no signs of civilization in any direction. He must’ve memorised a map of the area at one point, known where the nearest city was, before that information was replaced by unending hunger and bloodshed.

With nothing but the stars to guide him, Simon chooses to walk in the opposite direction of Roba’s complex. Nothing will stop him now, since he’s dead, and the faster he can rid himself of the sight of that wretched place, the better.

It’s alright, though. Because he is dead.

He is dead.

He…

Simon collapses to the ground, his shoulders shaking, not with sobs, but with muted laughter. He is dead.

Simon is dead. Roba can’t hurt him anymore, death can’t touch him anymore. You cannot kill what has already been slain.

You cannot kill a ghost.

[hopeymchope]

Dominic in "Rain Code" - As both representation and bizarrely unused potential red herring.

As a follow-up to this post I made weeks ago about Servan from Master Detective Archives: Rain Code, I wanted to note a couple of things in regards to Dominic Fulltank.

Until @gunthatshootsennui (great name btw) said this, I literally didn't realize that Dominic was a black man. Because he looks So heavily artificial and covered in bullshit that I legit thought he was wearing some kind of full-face leather mask instead of having any visible skin???

"Dominic Fulltank" sounds like an early-development WIP name for Dom from Fast & Furious. Dom Fulltank, a criminal street racer being investigated by undercover cop Brian Gaspedal.

Yeah, idk wtf I was smoking there. Maybe the big logo stamped on his head threw me off. But... yeah, he's clearly just a black guy. And @gunthatshootsennui is 100% right that Dominic makes for pretty shitty representation seeing as he's a near-mute big dumb hulk of a man. :( Servan is far better, frankly — yes, even considering his donut lips.

However, there's something ELSE about Dominic that really bothered me: Why the hell didn't Yuma ever look into or even ASK what the hell Dominic's deal was??

I have to get into RAIN CODE STORY SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT to explain what I mean and why it drives me so crazy.

By the time our hero meets Dominic in the game, he's mostly trying to learn more about "homunculi." But by this point, Yuma knows nothing about them EXCEPT:

Homunculi are artificially made people.

Amaterasu Corporation has supposedly/maybe secretly created some of them in Kanai Ward.

And it is in THAT fucking context when suddenly Yuma is introduced to a super-strong cybernetic Darth Vader-lookin' motherfucker who obediently follows the orders of an Amaterasu Corporation peacekeeper.

....do you see what I'm getting at here? Is it obvious enough??

I was absolutely SCREAMING at Yuma at this point. He should 100% be like "Hey wait — is that dude one of the 'homunculi'?! Because like, he's an artificial man? Who works for Amaterasu and seems to be controlled by them?!?!"

Based on the knowledge he has, that is THE MOST LOGICAL CONCLUSION ANYONE WOULD REACH upon seeing this fucking freak for the first time. And I know what you're thinking: Dominic is hardly what one would envision when one things of the mythical concept of a homunculus as WE understand it. WE'D never immediately expect a homunculus to be some kind of part-robot creature, right? But remember: When "homunculi" are first brought up, Yuma acts as though he's never heard the term (or perhaps he just has no memory of it due to his amnesia). He is given a very limited definition at that point. And by that definition, he should ABSOLUTELY mention the possibility here... right?

This is the ONE time I can remember feeling clearly disappointed by the writing in MDA.

Of course, in reality, Dominic's "artificial-ness" wasn't supposed to ever be any kind of hint towards the homunculi, because the writing team had an entirely different vision of what "homunculus" meant to them in this universe. And their definition would ultimately be much more based on our existing mythological meaning of the term. And because of that, maybe it never occurred to them how well our crabby Fulltank-Kun fit the provided clues. But it sure seems like it should've been noticed by some member of the dev team at SOME point. You feel?

[districtxii]

Coriolanus and Rationalizing Evil

This post is sort of reading/listening journal for my consumption of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes in audiobook form. It focuses on my growing understanding of Coriolanus as a character and how it differs from my expectations going in. I'm not finished with the audiobook yet, but it contains potential spoilers up the 9 hour in mark.

So, I've been distracted by work and a few other fandoms for my attention, but I got back to the audiobook of TBOSAS today as someone who watched the movie first. (I read the original trilogy before the movies back in college, but being an adult, I'm far less patient for books. Furthermore, because of unstable living circumstances, I don't particularly want the extra weight of having books to bring, though a part of me misses having a lot of books. In that way, the audiobook has been a lifesaver.)

Anyway, from YouTube and tumblr comments, I was anticipating that the books would twist my stomach at how terrible and psychopathic Coriolanus would be. People kept saying in various clickbait articles that the movie adaptation "ruined" his character by not allowing the audience to see the internal, wicked machinations of Coriolanus from the narration.

To my surprise, that's not the case at all for me.

For reference, I've most recently paused at 9:21:24 in the audiobook. Coriolanus is dejected at the fact that Mr. Plinth didn't offer him money as a reward for saving Sejanus.

What I am noticing, rather than someone who was born broken and beyond help (as I find is the case with many 'psychopathic' people from true crime podcasts that I often listen to), I find that Coriolanus is someone who is deeply traumatized and trying to rationalize his way into the callousness of psychopathy/sociopathy/simple apathy, or whatever you want to call it.

(Another side-note to come back to: I was absolutely stunned and fascinated by the revelation that Dr. Gaul started out as a medical doctor in obstetrics. I wonder if the narrative will loop back around to that, because damn. I want to know if she started out as a sort of ~angel of death~ medical practitioner, as serial killers in the medical profession are often dubbed, or if something broke her about the war. I want to know!!! Btw broad strokes spoilers for things I haven't read yet don't bother me! But if no one tells me, I guess I'll find out if it comes up again.)

Tigris, of course, seems to see the best in people, but more than once she has commented on how from her perspective Coriolanus wouldn't hurt a fly as a child. She seems to have admired his mother and disliked his father, and she is trying to encourage him to be the best version of himself.

Even back in the original trilogy, I notice that Collins seems to use parents less as full people than as humanoid Symbols for different influences of society. Katniss and Peeta's mothers are the most human-seeming of the parents, but even they exist as sorts of dichotomies and push-pull between two different aspects of society and their overlap through love triangles and disappointed desires. Katniss's mother is a pretty good image of depression and abuse-by-neglect-without-malice, which is a complex human condition, but the way the narratives treat them makes them seem more distant than the younger characters.

If we take it that Tigris isn't totally making up any innate reluctance toward harm that one might consider "good" or even "natural" in people before they are pushed to their breaking points, and I think we should assume that because of Coriolanus's own internal struggles with himself, then I do not see a boy/young man who does not care about other people, either on the macro level or the interpersonal level.

It is striking to me that Tigris and Coriolanus and others frequently use the world "children" when talking about the Capitol teenagers, and sometimes about the District "kids," but the teenagers -- even in the Capitol -- have some degree of adult responsibility placed on their shoulders. Well, I guess that's mostly true for Coriolanus due to his lack of parents and experience of poverty. However, it is still strange that this is juxtaposed with the way someone like Lucy Gray obviously isn't seen as a child, particularly by Coriolanus's grandmother. There is the ongoing suggestion that, especially as women, Lucy Gray and/or Tigris may have needed to engage in some sort of sex work to survive, though this is never made explicit. Furthermore, Grandma'am specifically says that Lucy Gray hasn't been a child for a long time. Furthermore, I think the weight of Lucy Gray using the word "lover" to refer to her past with Billy Taupe is intended to drive this reality home without ever needing to spell it out in black and white.

Coriolanus tries to think of himself as a child when he is in a state of high distress. Furthermore, he often thinks of his classmates' calling out for or waiting for their parents in times of need. Something he cannot do.

Coriolanus demonstrates a capable intellect, and he has been using it to mask poverty, suffering, and disadvantage for most of his life. However, he seems to genuinely care for most of his classmates as friends.

When I read others' meta analyses of the book or others comparisons of the book to the movie, I was expecting that Coriolanus would be someone who was unable to view other people as real people. I was expecting to read about someone who struggled to convince themselves that they had the emotions that are experienced by others. Someone who was, as I said earlier, born broken.

That is not what I find at all.

Instead, as I think I've read in other posts, Coriolanus reminds me a little bit of Katniss. They are both people who are dealing with dissociation and suspicion toward other people as the result of trauma, post-traumatic stress, and a lack of the safety nets that others may take for granted even in the midst of poverty and deprivation.

Of course, knowing how it ends, Coriolanus finally finds a way to "let the dark side win," or whatever. The devil of Dr. Gaul talking into his ear about the nature of humanity is something that he finally comes to embrace. I haven't gotten there yet.

But the thing is, Coriolanus's callous nature most demonstrates itself in the way that he views Sejanus. He calls his demonstrations of "civility" toward Sejanus just that and nothing more. It is obvious that he does this because he resents certain things about who Sejanus is. However, he has been taught to resent the fact that he is from the Districts and rising above his station while Coriolanus's family is falling from their birthright of grace.

What I feel there is an undercurrent of, however, is that Coriolanus distances himself from Sejanus with his rational mind while his emotions tend to cause himself to align himself with Sejanus. This is not a particular statement of shippy feelings, though I don't blame people who see it that way, and if you can use my thoughts to further your shipping manifesto/justification, knock yourselves out!

I was just really stricken with how Coriolanus handled the realization that everything Sejanus chooses to do, even things Coriolanus things are embarrassing, risky, and dangerous, are motivated by doing the right thing.

Early on in the book, Coriolanus indicates that he began to treat Sejanus with civility because it was beneath the dignity of a Snow to treat him as lesser and with disdain simply because he was from the Districts. However, later in the book, it is obvious that Coriolanus's father would not have held the same sentiment. His father was a "District-hating" man, and even with his spotty memories of his father, he is aware of this description as part of his character.

Rather, it seems like Sejanus is the stage for Coriolanus's internal morality play.

He is drawn to doing the right thing. He enjoys the shining silver lining that people could want to be good, even when it doesn't benefit them. Even when choosing to be good would disadvantage them. However, he is terrified of his prospect because the veil of seeming to be more privileged than he is is like a form of armor for Coriolanus.

Drawing back to the parallels between Katniss and Coriolanus, I remember that Katniss went to great lengths to mask her mother's neglect because, apparently, even out in District 12 there was something like social services that may have taken Katniss and Prim away from their mother had the neglect and starvation been apparent enough. However, Katniss considered the Capitol's administration of "child protection" to have been worse than remaining in the Seam and dealing with living on the knife's edge of poverty and starvation on her own.

Coriolanus is much the same, even in a less obviously dangerous position. In fact, his motivation to hide the danger he is in is even greater because he has "more to lose" in some ways. Not only would be lose his position in society and access to food and opportunity for a better life, but he would also lose his sense of identity. In some ways, it's hard to say which one is worse. Katniss, on the other hand, has a hard time defining her sense of self and self worth, but that's a different post.

In some ways, Sejanus's opportunities and the idea that he is "replacing" Coriolanus in terms of station in society is a natural source of envy for Coriolanus. However, he rarely directly acknowledges this envy. Rather, he tries to find ways to pity Sejanus without allowing (or admitting?) any sense of emotional attachment to him.

But, as the saying goes, sometimes actions speak louder than words.

It seems to me that Coriolanus is, at least thus far in the book, drawn into acting in ways that align himself morally with Sejanus. However, he resents this, because his life thus far has taught him the propaganda of the Capitol about the people of the Districts and the cold pragmatism that, in theory, best assures survival. He resents how opening up toward other people, especially people like Sejanus, makes him vulnerable.

People, especially traumatized people, hate being vulnerable.

But Sejanus is like the siren song of having a less Hobbesian view of human nature. Sejanus represents the belief that treating other humans with dignity and decency is the baseline for a functioning society. He holds this view openly while people like Highbottom can only suggest this in ways that confuse and anger Coriolanus because he perceives their presentation as a resentment of and threat toward him.

Again, actions speak louder than words.

Another thing that makes me think this is an accurate reading of what Coriolanus is going through is the way he participates in Sejanus's laughter when he is sent in to get him in the Arena. Of course, Coriolanus has plenty of internal justifications for why he is doing what he is doing. He is, of course, motivated to survive. He is making pragmatic decisions that Sejanus himself refuses to make. Given the chance, he wouldn't have gone in after him, because Coriolanus is, at minimum at this point, not as good a person as Sejanus is (though I could write more on how guilt and self-destruction are not necessarily demonstrations of moral character). It is not necessarily evil not to be totally self-sacrificial. However, when he is given no choice but to go in and do this, he doesn't take the quickest path of least resistance. He rationalizes his way through it, as he's trying to rationalize his way through everything, but when Sejanus comments on how Coriolanus can't stop saving him, he laughs.

There is no narrative detail to indicate that this is a forced laugh or a calculated response, as so many of Coriolanus's demonstrations of emotion or lack thereof are. Instead, he laughs, and it's just a description of basic action, and this indicates that, perhaps, he is not being honest with himself about who or what Sejanus is to him, rather than that we should take it as absolute truth that he does not care about him at this point in the narrative.

I could be proven wrong by finishing the book, but as I said... actions sometimes speak louder than words.

[theglitterypages]

✨Fairy and Feathers✨

Summary: After All Might's resignation, the crime rate in Japan got higher, the government asked for the aid of some Pro Heroes overseas. A hero with fairy like powers was sent to work under Hawks' agency.

Pairings: Oc fem! Character x Hawks/Keigo Takami

Chapter 2: Old Wounds

Endeavor received a call about a Nomu, so he rushed to fight it and just like what he expected, it was a strong one. It was fortunate that no civilians were hurt but the properties damaged by the Nomu was quite pricey.

"This one's not interested in hurting civilians. Unlike the ones I've used to encounter." Endeavor told Shoto, Bakugo and Izuku who are currently under his care, he has to do his best to train them and make them reach their full potential so that they could rise once the previous generstion of heroes have fallen.

"Father, there's an article saying there's another Nomu attack near Hawks' agency. It was taken down by the new hero from US." Shoto scrolled through his phone and showed some photos taken from the scene to his father.

Endeavor took his phone and examined it closely. His brows furrowed as he recognize Hawks near an unknown hero. "Hmm, that one's a little smaller than this one." He observed. Even if that Nomu was smaller, Endeavor knew that Nomus don't really base strengths in size, it's the quirks that they wield that makes them terrifying and dangerous.

"Endeavor! There's an emergency meeting for Heroes nearby, you're invited to join. Multiple Nomus are released in different parts and your statement is needed for investigation."

Endeavor ordered the teens to stay alert in the areas nearby just in case there'll be more attacks while he went to attend the meeting. He hopes that they won't pull off anything but he'll never know, heroes these days have a lot of enemies that are lurking beyond the shadows.

Coincidentally, Fae and Hawks arrived at the same time that Endeavor did, the winged hero immediately noticed his senior. "Oh, Endeavor-san! Don't tell me you've caught one too?!" Hawks walked towards the number one hero while the latter just narrowed his eyes at him. "I did." He answered simply before stepping inside the elevator, Hawks looked back at Fae and motioned her to follow, but the latter shook her head, her face pale as she ran and fly toward the stairs.

Hawks was left in awe, now, he knew that Fae is timid and shy but she was never rude, so why would she be running off without saying any word to him or to Endeavor?

"So she decided to work for you huh?" Endeavor commented. Now that he saw her upcllse, Endeavor realized that she was the hero who was supposed to work with him but he was told that she refused to.

He was disappointed, he wanted her in the agency to give his interns some new perspective, the differences of system from country to country would also be a good subject for study.

Fae folded her wings on her back when she finally reached the floor. She noticed that she arrived at the floor first and she sighed in relief, she didn't mean to be rude but her instincts just told her to run off the moment she saw Endeavor.

She took a deep breath to calm her nerves just to be disturbed by an unfamiliar voice.

"Oh you must be Fae! Your wings are gorgeous! And tell me where you get your hair done, I love the color!"

Fae turner to her left and saw another female hero walking towards her with a smile, she seems so excited considering she's meeting Fae for the first time. Fae awkwardly waved back at her.

"Good morning, I don't get my hair done. It's my natural color." She said before she was held by the female hero and they sat down in a vacant seat, while looking remaining vacant seat for other heroes that are yet to come.

"Oh? That's awesome! So is it connected to your quirk or anything?"

Fae opened her mouth to speak but her eyes were caughr by the people who entered the room. She met Hawks' gaze, she was expecting a glare or a firm look on his face but she saw the opposite, Hawks was smiling in relief upon seeing her in the room.

Hawks looked for Fae before anything else, he couldn't reach her in time earlier because the elevator has closed already but he was worried of her face expression after seeing Endeavor.

He saw her awkwardly talking to other heroes, as she sat down beside Mount Lady, and he just knew he has to take Fae away from her so she won't get overwhelmed. He knew she doesn't love too much attention.

Hawks has observed that she is indeed an introvert who prefers to have her own space but because she's the new one here, it's only natural that they'll be all over her.

"Alright, alright folks let's settle down. Mount Lady is it alrighr for you to sit beside Kamui Woods?" Hawks walked towards Fae and Mount Lady, the latter pouted and glared at the red winged hero before she let go of Fae's arms.

"Fine, I'll call you later or add you in your Socials! We need to talk about your beauty routines!" She said before standing up to go to Kamui Woods.

Hawks sat beside Fae, he bumped her shoulders and her icy blue eyes met his gold ones. "What happened to you earlier?" He whispered but she just smiled awkwardly and turned her head to the front where the head of investigations for Nomus stood.

"We all know that multiple Nomus are released today. We'd like to get your statements about the Nomus you've all encountered. Hawks, would you like to begin?"

Hawks shook his head and placed his arms around Fae gently, he felt her tremble underneath his touch. Which is why he slowly removed his hands off of her. "Fae is the one who defeated that Nomu. You should listen to her, and before we begin maybe you can introduce yourself Fae?" Fae held onto the hem of Hawks' jacket, a silent plea to not let her be the center of the attention of every heroes in the room. But Hawks gently took her hands off of him and whispered, "You gotta show them what you're capable of, Sparksfly. I'll take over if it gets too much." Hawks reassured her, as much as he wants her to stay in her comfort zone, it's better for her to gain the trust of other heroes and build connections since she might need to work with them in the future, he squeezed her hands gently and he gave her a small smile to reassure her that he'll be there to back her up and that's when she stood up, her knees trembling for a bit.

"Hi, I'm Fae. I'm the new hero from US. I'd like to share my thoughts about my encounter with a Nomu earlier..." She cleared her throat, looking around at the room, all of their eyes are on her and she disracted herself by looking at the cork bord with sticky notes attached into it, yes, she shouldn't think that they're all watching, she should pretend that it's nothing. "It didn't take me much effort to knock him down and that's what I find strange..." She reached for the laptop near her and typed something before showing the screen to everyone.

"So...my quirk allows me to extract harmful substances in trees and other plants. I turn them into pixie dusts and I used them against the Nomu. The problem with the Nomu I've fought is that he was knocked down almost immediately after one blow of handful of my pixie. And there are only three possibilities as to why he was knocked down that fast."

A small smile made its way across Hawks' lips. He knew that Fae only needed a little push to come out of her shell and show everyone how smart she is and how capable she is as a hero.

"First, it could be because of the fact that Nomus don't have a strong will and strong mentality due to the fact that they've been biologically altered and my pixie dust is the worst match for people who don't have the will to break free from it."

"So does this mean that you can take down stronger Nomus despiter their quirks? If all of them don't have this will?" Aizawa asked curiously.

Fae bit her lower lip, trying to find a right way to answer. "I still have to see if that's how this works. Plus every Nomu are different so we can't be certain about that." She smiled, Aizawa nods and gestured his hand to tell her to go on.

"Now for the Second one, this weak Nomu could be a mere distraction to keep our eyes away from something bigger or it must've escaped from their facility too earlier for its true potential to be shown."

The heroes nodded and they agree to most of Fae's observations, "Though this would only apply for the Nomu that I fought, I wouldn't know the difference in power of the ones you've encountered." She added before sitting down.

"So do you guys agree that most Nomus sent are weaker?" Asks the head of the investigation team.

"Yes." The heroes answered.

They're definitely weaker, not as strong as the ones that Endeavor fought, if they were as strong they're all doomed.

Fae slowly raised her hand to add something once again, "If that's the case, it might be because of the fact that they've caught on to the fact that there are investigations about Nomus and their origins. They must be trying to throw us off the investigation by keeping us busy." Fae knows how villains brain might work, they'd love to throw them off their game to escape and get away but they must make sure that they won't.

"My son, Shoto, Bakugo and Deku were able to help me with ease in defeating the Nomu I've encountered. If they're weak Nomus can we be confident that most students can handle them so we can focus more in dangerous works?" Endeavor asked.

Fae shook her head, trying to make an eye contact with the number one hero even if she's nervous. "No, we can't. I have a feeling that they wouldn't just be using weak Nomus, it could be a trick that they're trying to make us confident and comfortable with our power level and then they'll send the strong ones to beat us." If there's one thing thay they need to prioritize other than civilians, the students shouldn't get involved. They're the future, if the students would fall before they reach their full potential that'd be more chaotic and more favorable for villains.

The heroes clenched their fists, they're already short handed in the society as bad as it sounds they really need the students to do some grunt work despite their age, they have no choice but to give all they have because lives are at stake and worse? The whole hero society is at risk. And there's also the bitter possibility that some heroes are traitors and it led to them keeping small numbers of heroes to handle top secret missions to ensure its triumph.

"Also, none of the Nomus who attacked were focused on hurting civilians, they were more focused in destroying properties. This would cause the government to compensate for damages done and people might end up complaining that their safety shouldn't be the only thing to take care of." the heroes focused more upon hearing Fae's observation. Now that she mentioned it, no civilians were hurt badly. Some were held hostages but that's it.

"They're playing a long term plan, making us exhausted by fighting numerous Nomus here and there and destroying properties to tick people off until it accumulates and blows up."

Fae's hands covered her mouth when she realized that she's been talking non stop and Hawks tapped her knee, "You're fine, you did great." He whispered. Fae must've been excited to share her thoughts at some point, because the heroes are kind enough to not interrupt her speech.

"Thanks..." She whispered.

---

The meeting ended and because of Fae's short speech, she was officially added to the team assigned to take care of Nomus. She had no complains and she felt satisfied that she did great in her first day, though she knows she should overcome her fear of speaking in front of too many people.

Hawks closely observed Fae, she seemed to be over of whatever caused her to run away from Endeavor.

Well that's what he thought.

"Hawks.."

Fae froze upon hearing Endeavor's voice behind her and Hawks immediately noticed, her wings folded and he looked at the taller man.

"Endeavor-san, sorry but let's talk over the phone later. Fae and I need to go."

Fae was polite enough to bow down as a goodbye to Endeavor before they flew together. Hawks didn't say anything as they fly up. Fae decides to observe him from his back, his red fierce wings flapping magnificently.

"H-Hawks san."

Hawks slowed down his pace and matched Fae's speed, trying to observe her face closely. "Why? Do you want to turn down the offer to be the new hero to lead the investigation team for Nomus?" He was afraid that she was too scared to say no, he could volunteer to do it, he's sure he can find time for it if he'll want to.

Fae shook her head and smiled, her wings sparkled even more as her face lit up. "No, I actually love it. I just want to apologize for looking rude in front of Endeavor-san..." She apologized, her lips pursed.

"It's nothing. Plus, Inoticed that you looked uneasy. But I bet he didn't, he's not one to care about those kind of things, don't worry about it." Hawks told her with a smile. Endeavor is not really the type to notice if someone acts differently around him, unless it's his youngest son and Hawks know it, witnessing the number one hero's small tantrums every now and then whenever Shoto doesn't respond to his texts ot calls.

Fae is trying to reason with herself, it's her first day in this job and she doesn't know who to trust, but her heart tells her that this man is worth trusting because her hear knows that this man is also hiding something, she doesn't know what it is but there's definitely something that they both share.

"I-I don't get along well with fire quirks. I-I encountered a villain when I was a student and my wings were burned..." She couldn't continue, the memories were too disturbing and dark, she's afraid she'll break down.

Hawks stopped mid air. He was not expecting her to open up about it, it takes a lot of courage to do so, especially to someone she just met and he felt privileged to be the one to know about this for some reason. And as a fellow hero who have wings, Hawks value this part of him, he owes his speed and most of his abilities with his wings and he can't imagine how Fae must've felt when she had her wings burned. As winged heroes, their wings somehow equates to their own identity and losing it must've felt like losing your own self.

He looked at her body language and Hawks can see that she hasn't get over of it yet. She's still shaking, her eyes were unfocused as she tries to find the right words to say. Her wings turned a shade dull.

"I know that Endeavor is a hero but I just can't help it. I know that another time may come for me to face someone that may do the same but I'll do my best to overcome it. I promise, I won't slow you down." Fae bit her lower lip as she meets Hawks' gaze. She knows she has to overcome it, she needs to. And she's hoping that she'll get over it before it's too late.

Hawks didn't let her add anything to that, instead, Hawks encircled his wings around her as if protecting her, trying to make her feel relaxed inside the safety of his wings. It's not enough to erase the memory of her almost losing a part of her but he hopes that she'll feel safe at least, safe enough for it not to happen ever again.

She was shaking when she started talking about her past and even if she probably didn't notice he saw the tears were streaming down her cheeks. He embraced her with his wings, a part of him that she can relate to, to tell her that he's here and he understands her, to make her feel that she's protected.

"You didn't have to tell me that but I promise to keep your secret." Hawks whispered, still letting her relaxed in the safety that his wings offers.

Prev <--> Next

Story Masterlist

Taglist:

@angelaevangelion

@justagirl-with-aphone

[mysterypigeon]

hey sorry I was scrolling through the crane wives tags on tumblr and saw that post that you then reblogged about the seven potential new songs. I don't have any crane wives enjoyer friends so I'm leaving my thoughts with you instead...

before the pandemic happened they were talking about songs like nobody, volta, high horse etc (basically all the songs that are currently released as singles) all being on their next album, and they seemed very sure of it in some recordings I've seen

unfortunately then the pandemic happened and the new album never got finished :/ but I wonder if they're still holding true to that original plan, at least somewhat

on one hand I think getting the non-live versions of some of the singles would be hype. it would mean they'd get to play around more with arrangements, extra instruments and various sounds

on the other hand it'd also mean we get less new music which I would be ok with but admittedly would be *mildly* disappointed

or maybe they could just do another set of sister albums like they did with coyote stories and foxlore lmao

idk just some thoughts that I've been thinkin'

THANK YOU FOR THE ASK!!! god i wish my inbox was full of crane wives asks all the time

okay so first off yes sister albums would be ideal for maximum crane wives music. that would also be so funny to pull when no one expects it

i do have some bad news. i went to their april 4th concert, and before playing Nobody, they said "We're releasing an album in the fall. [crowd screamed] This next song won't be on it. But- yeah, I know. I didn't want to set expectations in case. Yeah... We are intro-ing it like it will be on the album. Sorry to disappoint you. But there will be, like, brand new music, which is good."

however! Nobody was one of the songs that got a Dogtown recording. you mentioned Volta and High Horse, but while Volta did, High Horse never got that kind of recording. others like Daydreamer, Here I Am, Hollow Moon, Taking Turns, Drown You Out, Empty Page and Sowing Seeds didn't either. it could be that some of those will show up on the album

still, i think it's going to be the seven we know about (Arcturus Beaming, Bitter Medicine, Mad Dog, More Time, Say It, Scars, and The Well) plus maybe five more secret songs (their albums are usually twelve). if Mad Dog and More Time don't make it i'll be quietly devastated, but the others are definitely on the album.

or maybe they will release a thirty-song album with every song they've written since 2016. we can only hope

thank you :)

[ceruleanmusings]

TyHil Love Countdown Week 1 - Dawn

It's back again, my favorite beyblade event over at @takaoxhiromi! I'm going to do things a little different this time because my entries are (hopefully) all going to be on the shorter side. I'll post the whole entry here and also give links to FFN and Ao3 if you prefer to read them there. I'm also doing this because FFN currently has an issue where no alerts are being emailed out at all and I don't want people potentially missing my updates. Enjoy! (Ao3 | FFN)

Their breaths collided, curling and twisting in the crisp air of dawn.

He'd never appreciated it, the stillness before the world woke up. How time became suspended, creating infinities between the passing seconds. How the light of the waking sky extended and stretched in slow increments, allowing a peaceful transfer between tranquility and liveliness.

She kept asking him why he chose that time of day, even going so far as suggesting he wanted to hide her. That comment ruffled but the look in her eye hurt. She held her chin up, as assured as always, but he'd always been able to see past the sheen in her ruby eyes. The doubt hidden behind the bolster.

Uncertainty didn't fit her; it sat like a thick, cumbersome shawl, pulling her shoulders down and bundling her tight. She needed more room to take up space, breathe, and exist.

Which, incidentally, was part of the reason he chose the early morning for their sessions.

It took time for her to unfurl, to uncross her arms and relax enough to get sucked into his teachings. Her initial huffs and rolls of her eyes faded way to a quiet concentration he'd seen plenty when she studied or took an exam or…did this. Tried something new, tried to get an understanding of it to make it all fit in her world, tried to get him.

Admittedly, he wasn't that complicated. He lived his life like he floated on the wind, moving along where the day took him. And yet that was still something she didn't understand, couldn't seem to wrap her head around, or so he guessed with all the ways she'd criticized him over the years or shook her head at his antics. It was easier to show her and show her he did.

That's why he chose this time. That's why he chose the dewy drips of dawn. Because it was no one else but him and her, no expectations, no judgment, no pressure, no disappointment. They could be Tyson and Hilary; they could exist and breathe.

"Almost." She shivered against him and he hid the grin threatening to bloom across his face, lest he'd wanted to receive an elbow to his chest. After all, they couldn't mix business and pleasure could they? Or so she claimed. Still he couldn't resist, turning his head so his mouth just barely touched her ear. She shivered against and he let out a low chuckle. She stepped backwards a touch at the sound, pressing her back fully against his front. He closed his eyes, focusing on the heat seeping from her to the delicious floral scent clinging to her neck. Cheater.

His hands cupped her shoulders, gently lowering them down from her ears. "Just breathe," he said. Her body rose and fell beneath his grasp. "Good." He slid his hands down her shoulders, over her arms, and rested them on her extended hands, one finger curled around the plastic loop attached to the launcher in her opposite hand. "If you hold your breath, you won't get the right pull. Everything needs to work together for the launch."

She looked at him out the corner of her eye, lips pursing just slightly. The gloss applied caught the first beam of sunlight and, damn, did she deserve that spotlight. It was as if stardust had been thrown at her and she caught it in her mouth. He'd travel to the heavens to get a taste of it if he had to. Thankfully, he had a full constellation in his arms.

Tyson adjusted her grip a touch, allowing his fingers to drag across her wrists before placing his hands to her hips. She sucked in a breath, the air hissing inwards between her teeth when he twisted her a little to the right, whooshing back out when the tips of his fingers slipped just beneath the hem of her blouse and met with her warm skin.

"Okay." His breath floated out past her cheek, mingling with her short puffs. "Whenever you're ready, let it rip."

She gave a wry smile. "Ha ha."

He also smiled, though it beamed with satisfaction. "That wasn't meant to be a pun but…"

"It's fitting."

Her face relaxed and that look came back. He saw the gears turning in her head, the rapid strings of her putting all the information he'd given her moving into place, figuring it all out. Her grip tightened. Her chest rose and fell with her deep breaths. And her lisp pressed together, tightening, stopping her breath, only for it come out with a soft groan when Tyson pressed a kiss to the junction between her neck and collar bone.

The launcher landed in the grass; its thud softened by the lush blades. Her hand, now empty, reached back and lay atop of his, fingers slotting between when he squeezed her hips.

"That's not fair," she whispered, though he heard the smile in her voice.

He parted his lips just enough to let his tongue drag a quick stripe across her warm skin. "Oh well." He lifted his head and pressed another kiss to the side of her neck, this time beneath her chin. "Means we'll have to train longer."

Humming, she turned in his arms and loosely wrapped hers around his neck, lifting to brush her nose against his. "Unfortunately."

She'd barely finished the word when he ducked his head, trapping it between their eager lips, getting a taste of heaven and of her as they bathed in the light of dawn.

[cursedvibes]

If Kenjaku didn't have a child to create a vessel for his plan, I have a feeling he would have one just to be able to teach and infodump all their knowledge and special interests. Like with Mahito and even Choso his disappointment first kid, who they still took time to create a full on PowerPoint and monologue for.

Definitely. The reason Kenjaku has children in the first place is because they want to create something/someone who can surpass them and their expectation. Someone who can show them something truly new. After all their past failures they don't seem too optimistic anymore, they straight up say in Shibuya they can't give birth to something that can exceed their own potential, but I still think that they have hopes for Yuuji. Sukuna is just one step in his development.

The merger curse can count as well. It will be born from them and Tengen and they are very excited and confident it will truly surprise them this time, contradicting what they said in Shibuya. Not to push my agenda, but Kenjaku took Tengen from the womb of the tree (see the yonic hole she was lying in), swallowed her like a seed and after an incubation period will let her free aka give birth to her in her new evolved state. They also described the creation of the curse as Tengen becoming pregnant with the cursed energy of the non-sorcerers of Japan. So, no matter what, Kenjaku was hoping to have a monster baby (or two) and I for one am just as excited as them to finally see it.