#Would have had one on my main team if younger me figured out how reviving fossils worked

[pleafyistired]

I knew if I sent that on anon I would lose the post and have to dig into dash for 5000 years /silly. Can you tell me more about your ocs perhaps perchance - 🕶

You gotta be more specific my friend i haveeee… symbolismss, main story, characters personality, side characters, the Antagonist, designs, weapons and battle styleee etc etc /sillyy

But uhh i think ill start out with the prologue/backstory that kicks the whole story off… :3 buckle up, its a bit long! :3

DISCLAIMERR everything is all under construction and might change!! Im sorry if i just randomly one day change shit up lol, but for now heres the shit ive cooked up.

undercut cause kinda Long.

Okayyyy SO! We first start out with Chris :3 hes born in a royal family thing and even though hes a younger child, after proving to everyone hes clearly superior in Everything* compare to his older brother whos unluckily* wasnt born mutated with dragons features and powers (super rare since like dragons are basically consider extinct at that point in the world after being hunted down and erased by people). The older brother was kind and compassionate compare to the confident killer machine that is his brother, so Chris is basically on the throne now on account of his parents being pretty old now and them pushing most of the work to their sons and fuck away to vacations. During this time of chris’s ruling, the next door kingdom has a single king with no heirs. These two kingdom, chris’s and this other dude’s, are the two most powerful nation in the world and is basically fighting the other for more control over Everything. That king didnt quite seem to care about the fact hes old and have no heirs tho, as he was more concerned with having as much control over everything as possible. Chris took offense to this cause HEY controlling and taking over the world- I MEANN ruling over everyone is HIS JOB! so they fought a lot until one day the old king died right at his desk, and it was rumored he was assassinated but theres no time to figure that all out now, cause that kingdom immediately crumbled without the iron fist control freak ruler to run everything, everything went to shit! and long story short, Chris basically took over that kingdom and punish anyone that were in support of the past king and all is well! Now he rule everything yippie!

Spoiler alert! it Doesnt cause as it turns out, the old king actually secretly had a team of scientist that was researching how to revive a dragon from ice cause the king figure hey. if that young brat is so proud of its stupid dragon might, ill have my OWN dragon son to kick his stupid ass. And he succeeded! So he raised his dragon son in secret for years until womp womp hes dead. The dragon guy went into hiding and finally is now planning to emerge with the single goal of avenging his dead father! and thats Eric :3

Thats BASICALLY. Keyword BASIC. Introduction of the two. Cause shit are much Much more complicated and as the plot unfolded, so so much more happened… escalated much more from simple personal drama to the sake of the world, to having to deal with what being alive is and what living for yourself means, that being the paragon hero isnt VERY GOOD and Not in the way youre thinking of which is “ohh im too worried about others to thibk about themselves.” Yes thats also a part, but being the perfect paragon hero can escalate to something so so much more dark and just GAHHH THATS 0.1% OF IT. I HAVENT EVEN SCRATCH THE SURFACE.

also if youre wondering what a paragon hero is btw, heres an explaination, but the simple relevant explaination for my story is that someone who will do good for the SAKE of doing good, the classic typical hero who will never give up on what is good and will do anything for it. Think superman or batman! ^_^

ANYWAYS yeah thats the Prologue, and lemme know if you want to know anything else lol <3 THANKS FOR ASKING BTW I APPRECIATE IT ❤️❤️❤️

[just-a-gamer-daydeamer-girl]

So I love the concept of eyes of heaven. A multi part crossover of the Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure. But the game is lacking in a lot of departments i should know, I love video games and studying game design after all. Also I platinumed the game on the PlayStation. The UI is a nightmare, all the fighting moves are Jojo references/ quotes, sure the “Ora Ora” that Jotaro has is a given but excuse me for not remembering what “the hell is your problem” does for Josuke 8 in the middle of battle. The button maping is just horrible for some characters, mainly old Joseph he has a whole button that isn’t used and in order to use hamon breathing you need to hold down two other buttons. There are terrible tutorials, an unskipable one always acures when you open the game…

But one of my biggest gripes is with the story. I know that Jjba is mostly focused on fights and the crazy powers, but I would like the story to be more then just: our companions are being revived and being turned against us! Save them using a corpse Time travel to another part! Find and team up with the jojo, fight the characters of that part! Find a new corpse part, get in the Turtle. repeat until all the Jojo’s are here with corpse parts, oops! Have to reclaim them all again! Fight the remaining enemies, free our last allies, fight Dio over heaven, everyone in the Turtle gets brainwashed! Fight your allies again, it’s a trap, Jotaro and Jolyne fight Dio over heaven with des ex machina powers! Finally use the info from Funny Valentine! Win! Everything is better now.

I am oversimplifying the whole thing, it did have some great moments, with Jotaro and Jolyne, old Joseph in part 2, and the part 5 crew reacting to part 3 Polnareff. I do recommend checking it out. But I kinda wanted more….

So I came up with my own reimagining of the story! I would make a whole fan comic about it! But I have collage, other projects, and I keep shifting from thing to thing, I may be into Jojo now but in a few months I’ll be back focusing on something else. But it might happen! For now I have made a bullet point list of stuff I want to happen in the story.

Anyway here have some unorganized bullets on what will probably happen in the story:

An in depth look on what exactly happened in the reality where Dio won

An unclear beginning where no one knows what’s happening and no clear way to travel between time and other realitys, sure they will learn that time space is screwy but they will have a time figuring out how and why

OC’s; will they be new enemies or allies?

Every main jojo having a moment with each other

The world over Heaven redesign, Dio over heaven is cool but his stand is just an alt color palette of his original stand. When Puchi achieved heaven his stand changed to look completely different, why should Dio be spared a stand makeover?

Cameos from other fan works (Jota, Blood sun vendetta, but really really fast, Nathali monet (oc), Crimson Jungle, City living, the 7th stand user, ect)

Characters getting more dellvement/expanded backstory’s

Unlikely friendships

The zeppills bonding

(Mostly) Everyone getting one badass moment

Corpse parts are focused much less on. Seriously since when ever did they help travel though time in the main series? I mean I guess D4C and love train is sorta it. But that doesn’t make sense to work in this situation.

Dual heat attacks

Horror elements

Poses

Talking

Jonathan meeting old erna

Old man Joseph revealing why he had an affair to his younger self

Jotaro(part 3) getting hit by his future selfs (part 4 and part 6)

Josuke being a sweetheart and dealing with all the drama

Giorno not telling anyone about his relationship with Dio. He probably would be suspicious of his relationship with the Jostars after seeing their birthmark. That boy will definitely be skeptical after what he went though with the bio family he grew up with. He probably keep his linage a secret while trying to figure out where he was on the family tree. It will be revealed eventually.

Joylne bonding with the other characters(and tormenting part 6 jotaro about the stuff she learned from the part 3 gang mostly from their jotaro) as well as learning new tricks

Johnny meeting his future wife.

Johnny singing

Josuke8 doing something (I haven’t fished part 8 just yet…) but mostly being him self and hanging out with part4josuke

Part 9 somehow being involved (not enough story yet for me to make something solid)

More shenanigans

Fun with traveling ✈️

The hero characters will have to fight different opponents from what they already fought. We already saw heroes part 4 vs part 4 villains, swap it up! Put them in new situations. Already I have Old Joseph vs Naracha and Johnny vs wheel of fortune fight in mind, if they are an opponent the hero has fought before, they either have a new trick or in a different circumstance.

Jobros appreciation 👊🏻

A sacrifice so hope can live

New unseen threats

The Noble ones over heaven being the ultimate big bad. Dio wasn’t the only one who has the power over heaven, he would need some help rewriting reality entirely. He would reward the ones who were the most loyal to him. His right had man Pucci, and his stand White Snake Over Heaven will send down his commands down the line of nobles.

Bonding with family and friends 💕

Jokes

Dio over heaven being a different person from Part 3 Dio

The birthmark⭐️

Victorian England Sucking

Redemption

A$$es getting absolutely kicked

Feels 🥹

Over heaven squad being an active threat, always working towards something. As well as some serious messed up stuff not even the power of overwriting will fix.

“You are way Out of your league…. And that is just a gross oversimplification.”

Legends, myths and fairytales 📖

AU’s

Kids being kids and people just having a good time

Hair insults, roasts and more.

Alcohol 🍻

Trivia

⭐️EYES OF HEAVEN ⭐️

Anyway, that’s probably it for now…. I could honestly keep writing on this list, got a lot of story beets and the ending in mind already. I ultimately would love and see this be the ultimate tribute to JJBA and its community. Hope you got some good ideas from this. Feel free to let me know what you think/what you would like to see in something like this. It’s still a big project that I may not even start but I wanted to share this idea with all of you. Have a great day/night or whatever.

[firestormmaidenanddragon]

Oh, hey, it's a bunch of character head-canons I've forgotten. - (Part One? Master List?)

Even though they're not complicated to make, George struggles with instant-foods, like packet noodles with flavour packets.

The Arthur family line has freckles, with Skarloey, they are very faint, while Marie and Arthur Scarlet's are visible.

Like actual bats, the Vampir-Copil being bat faunus would likely have them hibernate or sleep longer in Winter periods.

My idea for Oz & Salem being at odds with each other in the Chibi sketches I did would have had a comedic reason we'd flashback to, like Ozpin forgetting tog et the chicken out the freezer

Because of how he was built, Oliver lacks an Aura of his own, unlike Penny who has some of Pietro's, and (RWBY) Dash who would have some of Ironwood's so Pietro was not straining his body.

Casper ends up with a Grimm dragon as a pet called Torch, likewise, his later younger sister Alice would get a Grimm house-cat, though if I was to play him, Hazel would have had a Grimm mouse called Buttons as company.

A quirk of Alice was her being unintentionally scary, like being caught saying she "can't to see you burn", only for it to be she's making toast or roasted marshmallows.

Jess & Shinobu don't like dogs much, Jess had a nasty scare as a child by an aggressive dog, while Shinobu is like Blake in that being a cat faunus, the reaction is more normal.

Casper & Veronica's daughter is called Victoria, but it's not know what she inherits from her father and his abilities.

Eventually, when working with the heroes, Casper would stop using his "human" appearance guise with blond hair and blue eyes, since the only reason to keep it up is to help get around places without questions of why he looks like that.

Sunny & Angel are supposed to have accents but I've never settled on which, at most, Sunny would have been Australian, while Angel was tied between French and German.

Sunny being barefoot most of the time is mostly due to where she was born and raised being a beach town where questions about a lack of shoes are less of a thing, though her schools had them required as part of the uniform, and didn't allow sandals for things like science or workshop classes where it'd be stupid-dangerous.

Linda is asthmatic, and used to wear braces around two years before she'd end up at Beacon.

Ichigo's designs are based on past lead Kamen Riders in that they're what they'd look like if you took them and made them into clothing pieces, so for his main look, he resembles Kamen Rider 1gou.

Casper would have maybe learned he is not Salem's first child at some point after finding a painting of his mother, Ozma, and their daughters, this would have likely played into his defection.

BluBerry was an android OC who I would have revived to be an assistant to Ironwood, they are effectively non-binary/genderfluid as they composed of the twin AIs, the male Blu, and the female Berry, I would have likely updated the spelling to be BlueBerry proper too.

Venus was originally a villainess and head-villain of her kind, but I ended up liking her being a kind motherly-type, so she was made good, and later, the mother to Casper & Alice in the Mythril universe.

Likewise, Chrome was intended as a dubious-evil character, but the idea with the Authors then became to have them be mostly neutral figures as Mythril's gods.

Had my story been done a little better and not been playing catch up, Oliver as part of Team Salem likely would see him beefing with Tyrian, though for Chibi sketches, it's more Oliver and Tyrian having comedic moments of trying to set the other up into being punished by Salem.

Being androids, Penny, Dash, Rusty, and Oliver can switch off their hearing and sight if they wish.

George's usual pairs of socks have bunnies on them.

In her younger years, Alice would have dressed up Salem and pretended to be a mini-me of her for teddy bear parties.

[waterasart]

Had these guys bebopping around in my head. One of my favorite fossils.

[joemerl]

OC-Tober 2021, Day 5: "Throne"

OC/WIP: Tristan and friends from "Old Fantasy Novel Series That I Haven't Gotten Around to Renaming Yet"

Strap in, because I'm about to bare the stupidity of my teenage years.

So, around age fourteen, I started working on a series of fantasy novels. (Heck, I even wrote them out! Then tried to rewrite them, rework them, etc.) It was about a kid named Tristan, who lives with an abusive foster family and knows nothing of his birth parents. He's sucked into a magical world that's currently in a state of civil war, ever since the king's evil brother killed him, his wife and infant son. The weird magical medallion that Tristan has always had turns out to be a magical relic of this royal family, and will occasionally do Deus Ex Machina things, even though nobody except the true King of Fantasy Land should be able to use it. He also discovers and is able to use the royal family's magical sword, which is also supposed to be unusable to anyone but the true king.

Now...hold on, you're not gonna believe it...it turns out that Tristan is actually that infant prince who everyone thought was dead! Yeah, I know! Who could have seen that coming? Obviously nobody, until it was dramatically revealed at the end of the sixth book. I did plant some subtle clues though, like Tristan looking exactly like the dead king's portrait.

You can perhaps understand why, upon reaching adulthood, I decided to pursue other projects and put this one on indefinite hiatus.

But these characters still live rent-free in my brain, and every so often I think of how I might revive this into something not only readable, but maybe even decent and not the most obvious trash heap of clichés ever. So here's a brief summary of Tristan and his group of companions and vague ideas of what they'd be like in the revised version.

MAIN CHARACTERS

Tristan: The old Tristan was your "vaguely geeky and unpopular, mostly generic kid" sort of character; since he was supposed to eventually become a king, I did try to make him a good leader of his little group, mostly in the sense of being the diplomatic one when they fought. In the new version I want to both up his geekiness but also his charm, so we see that he's really popular at school and has a lot of friends.

One change that I think could be interesting is that Tristan also came to our world when he was a toddler rather than an infant; as such, he actually remembers the murder of his birth family, if only in vague and terrifying terms. Nobody knows his origin, but he's been in therapy long enough to believe that the "monsters" he remembers were surely ho-hum human murderers distorted by trauma, and anything that sounds like a castle or magic are also probably imaginary. He really, really would prefer to believe that, but the plot isn't going to let him.

When he finally winds up in Fantasy World The Name of Which I Need to Change, he is decidedly not going to want to take the throne. Whether or not he does anyway is undecided at this point.

Erasmus: Tristan's foster/adoptive brother (biological cousin in the old version), of approximately the same age. Timid and shy, he's both very close to Tristan and maybe a bit resentful at how much more outgoing and popular he is. There's a bit of irony there: Tristan comes off as happy and well-adjusted to most people, but "Raz" knows that Tristan also has a mysterious, traumatic past, which also means that Tristan can be at least a little vulnerable around him.

I think he's an albino, for reasons that relate the old version but I don't even want to get into right now. And hey, disability rep.

E(d)ric: In the new version he's probably, like...a football player or something? He's supposed to be a big guy and the best "normal" fighter. He's reserved and grouchy but extremely loyal to people he cares about. Reading this over, I feel like I need something to make him more interesting.

Cynthia: Hmm...in the old version she was a witch, but since I'm reimagining all of the main characters as being from our world, I'm not sure how that would carry over. Maybe she gains/has magic in the fantasy world for some reason? She's tough, sarcastic and smart. Erasmus has a crush on her. I swear she wasn't the only female character in the old version, but apparently she was the only one important enough for me to list here.

Pythian the magical snake, Bast(et?) the cat, That Baby Hippogriff Whose Name I Don't Even Remember: There were way too many team pets in the old version.

OTHERS

The Guide: Merlin knockoff. Actually, I think in my earliest draft he was Merlin, somehow, and I don't even know how fourteen-year-old me justified that. He may have been the one who sent Tristan to our world, but then stayed in Fantasy World to help fight the villains. Maybe he's more involved here? Hmm.

Jay: He was Tristan's younger foster brother in the old version (so his and Erasmus' here?), who witnessed him getting sucked into Fantasy World and wanted to figure out what the frick happened to him. I think that concept is interesting, but I'm not sure where it goes, exactly.

Connor: E(d)ric's younger brother. Looking back, pretty much everything I had planned for him in the old version was stupid or would work better for other characters. Not sure what to do with you, Connor. Maybe he's Jay's friend.

[gross-gal]

yo!! i dont know jackshit about Darkstalkers!! What's it about?? What do you like about it?? What do you NOT like about it?? Tell me alll!!!! (@gamer-gremlin-gf-ships)

AAAAAA THANK YOU @gamer-gremlin-gf-ships​

SO. I’LL PUT THIS UNDER READ MORE BECAUSE THERE’S A LOT.

Darkstalkers is a fighting game developed by Capcom. The main gimmick is that, most of, the fighters are based off of horror archetypes. So ya got vampires, zombies, frankensteins, fishmen, ghosts, all that shit.

There isn’t really much story wise I can elaborate on since, fighting games don’t usually have that much of a story to begin with. BUT, in Darkstalkers 1 and 2, main story is that this big bad dude named Pyron kinda wants to determine if the Earth is worthy to be ruled under him or if he’ll destroy it. Pyron is a shape shifting alien dude from the planet, Hellstorm and he’s really looking for a good brawl so he goes and fights the most powerful Darkstalker, which is whoever you choose to play as.

Now then, to avoid confusion, Darkstalkers 1 and 2 (or Vampire Hunter/Night Warriors: Darkstalkers’ Revenge) are basically the same game. 2 is more of an updated version of 1, has two new characters, better gameplay, and it also changes some part of the story because Demitri (the vampire dude) actually was the one who originally started the whole tournment thing in determining who was the most powerful and I think? Pyron kinda ends up in the way. In 2, it basically is changed to Pyron is the one that starts the tournament, and that’s the canonical version.

So 2 isn’t really that much of a sequel, while Darkstalkers 3 (or Vampire Savior) is an actual sequel to the series. This introduces the antagonist, Jedah Dohma, whose plot is that he wants to collect all the powerful darkstalker souls and put them into this big demon baby, which then be used as a vessel for him. Jedah’s whole thing is that he’s basically disappointed in what has become of the demon world (makai world) and decides that he’s going to annihilate both the demons and humans. He sees himself as a savior, and while there really isn’t a protag, Jedah kind of is considered to be one in 3.

NOW. WHAT IS A DARKSTALKER? It’s literally just...fucking monster? I guess? There really isn’t a specific definition but just know, everyone, besides B.B. Hood because she’s the only true human in the series, is a Darkstalker.

Just gonna get my problems out of the way. Obviously, the series has some sexual stuff, which is fine but it can get uncomfortable. Demitri is a pretty big example since he literally has an ability that just involves transforming the opponent into a younger, more desirable person so that he can drain their blood? I won’t go to into it since it’s gross but yeah. Then of course there’s Lilith and yeah...REALLY WISH THEY DIDN’T MAKE HER LOOK LIKE THAT BECAUSE SHE’S A PRETTY COOL CHARACTER.

Darkstalkers also doesn’t offer much as far as a story, this is sort of good because it offers a lot of freedom as far as writing, but to be honest? A lot of stuff which tries to elaborate on the Darkstalkers lore or whatever, KIND OF SUCKS. I myself, am not into the Udon comics or the mangas, the OVA also doesn’t offer much of a great story. Which is a shame because Darkstalkers has a lot of potential but so many attempts, just kinda fail because they miss the point in the series. Udon and the Vampire Savior manga in particular because they take the series way too seriously or just characterize really strangely? The OVA probably offers the best in terms of story but it’s not even much because the only actual good and satisfying one, is Donovan’s story. His is the only one that actually has a conclusion. Otherwise, the OVA suffers from poor pacing, lots of exposition, or just OOC moments. LIKE??? REALLY DOESN’T MAKE SENSE AS TO WHY FELICIA GETS ALONG WITH ZABEL OR MORRIGAN ENDING UP WITH DEMITRI?

And then I guess a more minor complaint. Darkstalkers has a very specific style, I really think the series look best in the first two games and in the OVA. I personally am not a big fan of the character art in 3 jdskal

NOW FOR THE POSITIVES.

I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW MUCH I ADORE THE ART AND ANIMATION IN THE SERIES????

The main artists for the series are Bengus (Gouda Cheese) and Daigo Ikeno. Bengus really fucking nailed how the series should look. It’s got that perfect balance of the gothic, sensual aesthetic with exaggeration and fuckin weirdness of the series. Darkstalkers is a series that completely embraces it’s wacky side and just how campy it’s influences are. I mostly love Bengus’ earlier works from 1 and 2. Daigo’s stuff is much more casual and less elaborate compared to Bengus’ works but I kinda love that, he’s really great at showing off the characters in more casual situations and showing off their goofier sides. I’ll share some of my favorite pieces at the end.

OH GOD. AND HOW CAN I NOT BRING UP THE ANIMATION???

While I wouldn’t say it’s as fluent as Street Fighter Alpha 3′s sprites, because Darkstalkers is able to be more creative with it’s moves, the results are some super wacky and fun animation. Darkstalkers animators heavily referenced old Looney Tunes and Hanna Barbera cartoons when it came to animating. I really don’t know a whole lot of fighting games, especially from Capcom, that look the way Darkstalkers looks. And a lot of that comes from the fact that Darkstalkers isn’t very limited. Characters can launch missles, fireballs, fucking blood?. Characters can extend or manipulate their body. Or just do weird shit like transform characters into basketballs, make characters perform in a rhythm game?, A CHARACTER STRAIGHT UP USES HIS ASS CHEEKS TO GRAB YOU AND SUMMON LIGHTNING?? Everything is super fucking wild and that’s what makes the series.

A lot of people say Darkstalkers needs to be gorey and sexual but that’s really not what the series is about. Yes, Darkstalkers is def sensual but it also really doesn’t take itself seriously. That’s what so many people miss. And honestly? Even though it was terrible, the American cartoon ends up being the most accurate to the source material because it gives no fucks and so much weird shit just happens.

Another thing I love about Darkstalkers is how much it subverts it’s characters and just how creative they got. You have an Australian zombie rockstar, a catlady that’s also an idol and a nun??, a demon possessed samurai ghost armor guy. The character design is genuinely fucking brillant and not at all what you’d expect to get when given the idea for monster characters. I would talk about the characters but you see how long this post is starting to get.

And I haven’t talked that much about gameplay but Darkstalkers feels fucking great. If you’re curious about which game to get into, absolutely go with 3/Vampire Savior. It feels great, combo inputs are relatively simple, you can straight up beat the game just by button mashing, and no character really feels too similar. It’s also a very fast game too, if you ever watch tournaments, they go by so fast and when you play it, you’re very much engaged. It’s a game that requires a lot of attention and I enjoy that. I also have to mention this but, pretty much every character has their own unfair, bullshit tactic that, if you plan on getting good, will require you to figure out how to avoid depending on what character you use. There’s a sorta popular joke with the game that, it’s balanced if all the characters are broken. I’ll admit, probably not the best game for someone like me that sucks as far as remembering stuff and being able to plan ahead, but I still have lots of fun with the game!

I really didn’t expect to become as engaged in the series as I did but there is a lot to appreciate about Darkstalkers. It’s unfortunate to because, sadly, Darkstalkers likely will never get another game.

While the series is technically popular, it’s still way too niche compared to most fighting games. It just never had the same impact as other fighting games, and ultimately, no matter how good those games feel to play, there’s always shit like Marvel vs Capcom that just is more well known and features more stuff that just is what people prefer going to. I think Capcom will pretty much stick with having Darkstalkers characters appear in crossover games vs actually giving the franchise another game

They tries reviving it with Resurrection, which was a re-release of the games on Xbox and Playstation, but it hardly even sold that many copies. Which is where the phrase “Darkstalkers are not Dead” originated from, a phrase that has become a joke now in the fighting game community. Even if they were to revive the series, it’d be difficult recapturing that same vibe since most of the original crew are working on completely separate projects. There’s also a part of me that does fear the idea of another game because of how it’ll be handled. I’ve heard people mention possibly having the Skullgirls team develop or maybe Arc Systems, I just don’t want a lot of the charm to be lost in a sequel.

Since a fighting game isn’t really possible, I do hope for maybe a show or comic series that explores the characters and story more.

My brain is kinda blanking rn but yeah. I just fucking love this series a lot. I hope maybe someday I can contribute something great to this franchise and I hope you listened to me ramble about it.

[myownsuperintendent]

2019 Fic Masterpost

Here’s an updated masterpost of my fic, divided into my usual fairly arbitrary categories (plus a new one, crossover).  I didn’t write a ton this year, but those fics are in bold.

AU (Canon Divergent):

“Always Something New”–On William’s prom night, Scully tells Mulder a story from her own.  Rated T.

“Better Late Than Never”– Mulder is plotting a surprise for Scully.  Rated G.  Set in Season 8.  (Birthday gift for @xv12.)

“A Day Out”– Scully, Mulder, and Emily spend a day at the beach.  Rated G.  Very fluffy.

“Family”–Along with their three children, Mulder and Scully celebrate Scully’s sixtieth birthday.  Post-series AU.  Rated G.  112% fluff.

“In My Dreams”– She knows it’s not going to go anywhere–but Monica can’t help having feelings for Dana Scully.  Rated G.  Set during Seasons 8 and 9 and post-IWTB.  Largely canon compliant but ignores Season 10.

“Marry Me”--Mulder and Scully decide to get married.  Season 8 AU. Rated T.

“Nightmare”– Mulder tries to console Emily, who is worried about the incipient arrival of her new sibling. AU, set in the Season Eight era.   Rated G.

“No Secrets”– After he’s returned from his abduction, Mulder and Scully have a talk about their relationship.  Rated G.  Set in Season 8.

“Support System”–It’s Dana’s decision, but Monica wants to at least give her the space to make it.  Rated G.  Set in Season 9.

“A Tale of Two Nosebleeds”– Even family life can sometimes lead to accidents. Set in a universe in which all three of Scully’s kids lived.  Rated G.  Fluff, but warning for blood.

“Tell Me”--In prison, Mulder wants to hear about William.  AU in which Scully did not give up William, set during "The Truth." Rated G.

“Time and Again”– 1973 and 2010–two boys look out for their younger sisters.  Rated G.

“Stomach Flu”--Emily brings home the stomach flu from kindergarten.  Soon Scully catches it too--or does she? Rated G.

“Visions and Voyages”– When danger threatens, the Mulder-Scully family goes on the run together. AU set in the Season 9 era.  Rated G.

“You Know Your Mama Was Born To Die”– After the invasion, a woman and her son try to make their way in Washington, D.C.  Rated T.

…

Crossover:

“Take Me To Your Leader” (part two here)--It's 2037, and Leslie Knope has just been sworn in as President of the United States, only to find her inaugural address followed by an alien invasion.  For help, she and Ben call on two experts--retired FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully--and the four team up to defeat the alien threat. Parks and Recreation crossover. Rated T.

...

Episode Specific:

“Across the Country”– During “Anasazi,” Scully drives across the country with an unconscious Mulder in the back seat.  Rated G.

“In the Open”–After the events of “Small Potatoes,” Mulder and Scully reflect.  Rated G.

“It’s the Job”– During “4-D,” Reyes and Scully discuss being a woman in the FBI.  Rated T.  References to sexual violence.

“Wild Romance”–It’ll be sixty years next week, but she still remembers that strange night in 1939.  Rated G.  Set (sixty years) post-“Triangle.”

…

Humorous:

“Fugue for Fish”–Mulder’s fish become enamored with Scully’s tattoo.  Rated G.  Crack pairing.

“Lipstick on Your Collar”– The FBI has many cases to solve.  One of the biggest mysteries is the status of the relationship between Agents Mulder and Scully–and like in any case, it’s important to have evidence before jumping to conclusions.  Rated G.  

“Nose Implants Just Have That Richer Feel”–Some aliens are perfectly content using neck implants, but some are nostalgic for the past.  Rated G.

“Yes, Dana, There is a Santa Claus”– Mulder believes in a lot of strange things–but when he suggests that Santa Claus is the culprit for a series of strange murders, Scully doesn’t know what to think.  The case, along with the stresses of the season and her unconfessed feelings for her partner, makes for a very complicated Christmas.  Rated T.  Casefile.

…

Part of a Series:

1960s AU: “How to Expand Your Mind”– In 1966, college student Dana Scully makes a new acquaintance–Fox Mulder–in the process of tracking down her sister among New York’s hippie scene.  Rated T.   “While She Was Somewhere Being Free”–More than anything, Samantha doesn’t want to be trapped again.  Rated T. “I Can’t Go Back There Anymore”– When Diana Fowley returns to New York’s hippie scene after selling out and moving away, Melissa Scully is happy to have her best friend back. But the complications Diana brings into the burgeoning relationship between Melissa’s sister Dana and Fox Mulder force Melissa to examine her own feelings for Diana.  Rated T. “Summers of Love”– During the summers of 1966, 1967, and 1968, Mulder and Scully, spending time apart, communicate and build their relationship by letter. Rated M. “The First Few Friends I Had”–Diana arrives in New York, ready to live a new life.  Set prior to the other fics in the series.  Rated T. “Old and New”--When Monica meets John Doggett, she wants to know him better, even though he's different from most of her friends.  Their relationship, however, brings many complications. Rated G. “Reunions”--After summers spent apart, Mulder and Scully reunite. Rated M. “Five Times Someone Walked in on Starchild and Byers (and One Time They Walked in on Someone Else”--Byers and Susanne have a fraught but passionate relationship, as their friends witness at first hand. Rated M.

A Different Place series (“Herrenvolk” AU): “A Different Place”– Herrenvolk AU. When Mulder successfully brings one of the Samantha clones back from the farm with him, she must learn to adapt to a different life.  Rated G. “No-Fail Chicken Soup”– Samantha just wants to help Scully, but it’s not as easy as she hopes.  Rated G.  Cancer arc. “Real Ghosts”– Samantha doesn’t care for Halloween, but she finds that it has its attractions. Set in 2000.  Rated G. “Five Times Samantha Was Different (And One Time It Didn’t Matter)”--Even as she adapts to a new life, there’s a lot that’s strange to Samantha. Rated G.

See the USA series (post-season 9 AU): “See the USA”– Life as a family on the run brings some joys and some challenges for Mulder, Scully, and William.  Rated T. “Here Now”–On their third night on the run, Mulder spends some time with his son.  Set prior to “See the USA.”  Rated G.

Signs Series (Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language AU): “Signs”–On Martha’s Vineyard in the nineteenth century, deafness is common.  But for the Mulder family, interaction with the world on the mainland poses new challenges.  Rated G. “Communications”– In this installment, after a broken arm lands him in the hospital, Mulder meets a nurse who knows sign language and perhaps can help him on his quest to find his sister.  Rated G.

Welcome series (based on Season 11 Emily casting rumors): “Welcome”– In Wyoming, they spend the first morning with Emily.  Rated G. “Conversations”–Emily tries to come to terms with the presence of Scully and Mulder in her life.  Rated G. “At the House”– Some months after the events of “Conversations,” Mulder, Scully, Emily, and William return to the unremarkable house and continue to build their relationships.  Rated G. “Moving”– With the help of Mulder and Scully, William moves into his dorm room.  Rated G. “Next Year”--In the year following their reunion as a family, Mulder, Scully, Emily, and William navigate their relationships. Rated T.

…

Post Season Eleven:

“Baby Books”–Scully has a baby book for each of her children.  Set from seasons 5 to post season 11.  Rated G.

“Camping Trip”--Scully takes her daughter on a Girl Scout camping trip. Rated G.

“Looking Forward”–Scully tries to cope with her feelings as she and Mulder prepare for the new baby.  Rated T.

“Renewal”– After Scully has a difficult birth with her third child, Jackson comes back to the Unremarkable House to help care for his sister.  Rated G.   Warning for childbirth complications.

“Return”–On a walk with their daughter, Mulder and Scully meet their son.  Rated G.

“Snow Globe”– After their daughter is born, Mulder and Scully receive an unexpected gift. Post-season 11.  Rated G.

“Two Evenings”–Mulder and Scully’s grown daughter spends one evening with her brother and another with her parents.  Rated G.

…

Set Within Canon:

“Dirty Talk”–Mulder loves the way Scully talks.  Rated T.

“Eligible”– Charlie tries to help his sister out during her break-up. Set between IWTB and the revival.  Rated T.

“Five Times Scully Talked To William (And One Time They Talked To Each Other)”–There were moments when she was able to talk to her son.  Rated G.  Set in Seasons 8 and 9 and post-Season 10.

“Mappable Territory”–When Scully travels, she thinks of her father.  Rated G.

“Missed You”--Mulder and Scully are happy to be together again.  Set in late season 11. Rated M.

“Now I‘m Sane (But I Would Rather Be Gaga)”– Scully wants to get back out there after the breakup, but it’s not that easy.  Rated G.  Scully/other with past MSR.

“Slow”--Mulder and Scully decide to take their reunion slow, but that doesn’t last too long. Rated M.

“Take Two”–Along with Mulder, Scully takes a second vacation to Maine.  Set post-IWTB, pre-revival.  Rated T.

“Three Scully Children Who Went Incommunicado (And One Who Didn’t)”–It’s not that they don’t care about their family.  But there were reasons they had to get away.  Rated T.

…

Smutty:

“After All These Years”– Mulder and Scully have been together for a long time now, but sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same.  Rated M.  Set mid-Season 10.

“Dining Etiquette”–Is it ever okay to eat in bed?  Rated M.  

“If At First You Don’t Succeed”– After long anticipation, Mulder and Scully’s first time together doesn’t go exactly as planned.  As they work a case together, they find this getting in the way of their relationship and must figure out how to navigate this new stage.  Rated M.  Set during “Syzygy.”

“Just Be”– After “Paper Clip,” Mulder and Scully try to make a moment away from grief.  Rated M.

“Massachusetts After Midnight”– After an irritating case, Mulder and Scully make the best of their night. The post-“Teso dos Bichos” smut you’ve always wanted.  The Massachusetts entry in the “A Map of Us” challenge.  Rated M.

“Refuge”– When they’re in bed together, they can put her illness out of their minds–at least for a little while.  Rated M.  Cancer arc.

“Six Ways to Warm Up a Cold Basement”– It’s February, and the heat in the X Files office is broken.  Mulder and Scully try to find ways to deal with the problem.  Rated M.  My first fic in the fandom!

“You’re the Only One I Trust (To Slap My Ass)”– Sharing one’s sexual desires with a partner can take a lot of trust. Fortunately, Mulder and Scully have plenty of that. Rated E.

[voicesfromthelight]

My Dance Guru Pays Me A  Visit from Spirit

In connection with my post on astral party-crashers, I recently gave an example or two of how Spirit can use social media to let us know they are with us, or convey messages through synchronicity. Last night, I was blessed with a very special instance of this, and would like to share it with you to show how portentous these little nudges from Spirit can be, if we keep our feelers out and our eyes open.

To fully convey the emotional impact of this experience, I will need to frame this story with a little bit about my background.

For many years of my early life, starting around the age of five, I developed an inexplicably intense fascination with Indian and Hindu culture. This was accompanied by a feeling of longing so deep, I felt like I belonged there, and had been born in the wrong place - as if I had been there in a past life, and was still somewhat stuck in that previous identity.

One of the outlets I eventually found for this longing was through studying the classical Indian dance form, Bharata Natyam, starting at the age of eight. I was lucky enough to be instructed by a woman named Indrani Rahman - whom I knew simply as Indrani. The reverence I felt for Indrani cannot be overstated. She was my guru. Her mother, known as Ragini Devi, American by birth, had been one of the pioneers of classical Indian dance in the West, and had also helped to revive the art form in India itself during her lifetime. Years later, I was to learn that Indrani, in addition to being a highly respected dancer, had also been crowned Miss India in 1952, but my childhood self could hardly have been more in awe of her had she been the actual Hindu goddess whose name she bore.

The way in which I parted ways with Indrani left a profound mark on me. Throughout the year that I studied with her, in between dancing, Indrani would hint at the cultural stringencies inherent in the teacher-disciple relationship in classical Indian traditions. The comment that always stayed with me was this: “You know, Emily, in India, if you insult your guru, and they throw you out, you can come back crawling on your hands and knees, and they won’t have you back.” Little did I know what it foreshadowed.

After a year of studying with her in New York City, my mother and I were about to move to Finland. I had one last lesson left. Bharata Natyam is a dance form that incorporates pantomime into its storytelling, and I was in the process of learning a dance about a woman who asks a parrot to deliver a love letter to Kartikeya, son of Shiva and Parvati. At the end of the second-to-last lesson I was to have, my mother, Indrani, and I were on our way out of the dance studio we had been working in, in an elevator. I was anxious to learn the end of the dance we had been working on before leaving, and expressed to my mother how urgently I wanted to learn it. My mother responded something to the effect of “Don’t be too impatient,” and I, with my child’s impetuousness, retorted with something silly along the lines of “Why are you always criticizing me?!”. My mother and I laughed it off. Indrani said nothing.

The next evening, the phone rang. My mother was in the other room, and I picked it up. It was Indrani. In a calm, deliberate tone, she expressed to me how horrified she had been with how disrespectfully I had spoken to my mother the previous night, and unceremoniously announced that she was canceling the last lesson. I was blindsided, and utterly mortified. On my subsequent trips back to the US, Indrani refused to teach me, referring me, through my parents, to a younger teacher (whom I would also come to adore.) We didn’t speak again for almost ten years, and I would break down sobbing every time the subject came up, for years to come. We never spoke of her rejection of me. It was one of the most painful experiences of my childhood. 

The sting eventually dulled, and I drifted away from the world of classical Indian art, but never completely forgot my experiences with Indrani. In all the years I spent moving back and forth between Finland and the U.S, I never lost my first set of ankle bells, which she had brought me from a trip to India during the year I had studied with her. They remained with me, a relic of what felt like a past life in an almost literal sense.

Indrani passed away in 1999.

Dance remained an important part of my life, albeit one that felt like a passionate but unrequited love. I continued studying Bharata Natyam for a total of six years, but when my new teacher, Arundhati, moved back to India, I never found anyone to replace her. I loved ballet, but didn’t have the build of a ballet dancer. I fell into an obsession with Argentine tango at 16, and danced it on and off in an amateur capacity for decades, but always felt a bit like an outsider. I always had my finger in many different kinds of artistic pies, and eventually, it was music and film-making that won out as my main forms of professional, artistic expression.

That is, until last spring.

Last April, I took up Argentine tango again in a serious way, dancing for hours on end, nearly daily, within a matter of weeks of returning to it. Around this time, my usual work in the film industry had become somewhat harder to find than before, and my spirit guides went so far as to straight up ask me if I was sure I was in the right career. Wouldn’t a musical setting be better for me? Working through an emotional healing process after losing a fiancé, I found myself unmotivated to do much else than dance tango and give psychic readings. Things started getting tight, financially, and I eventually asked to be sent a new spirit guide to help me find the right job. The guide presented itself the next day, and my spiritual team informed me that they were cooking up something good.

In July, after a year-long wait, I had a chance to get a reading from one of the best psychic mediums I have ever had the pleasure of working with, Medium Fleur, from Los Angeles. As she looked into my energy field, she expressed concern about my finances, but said that she saw me being offered a job, working in an office environment, part-time, receiving a salary from a corporation, through people who had known me for a while. Having been a freelancer all my life, this seemed like a huge departure from anything I had done before. However, knowing the accuracy of her second sight, I trusted her.

Around mid-September, the following popped up in a channeling session with my spirit guides: “Your professional life is predicted to grow very busy. Everyone will benefit better from your work when you have the energy to give back to the things you love. Don’t grow poor! Desire a job. Give a grand reception in which you teach messages of inspiration to your community." A couple of weeks later, a new friend of mine from the tango community - a professional ballroom dancer and Argentine tango champion - asked me to event-manage a pair of big fundraising galas he was putting together for his non-profit organization, which teaches ballroom dancing to underserved school children around the country. Applying my film-producing skills to the events, I managed to pull off the feat with a week to spare, and the evening was deemed a great success. Seeing the children perform at the galas, and the respect with which they treated each other, inspired by the dance, I was moved to tears of happiness.

A couple of days after the galas, I was rummaging through a bag of items my father had passed on to me during a move to his new apartment. There, I found a small bronze statue I hadn’t looked at for years: A figure of Shiva Nataraja - the Hindu god, Shiva, in his creative form, as Lord of The Dance. We had acquired this statue around the time I had been studying with Indrani, and the very first dance I had learned with her had been “Natanam Adinar” - a dance that brought the image engraved in that statue to life. As much as my spiritual proclivities had changed since that time in my childhood, placing the statue of Shiva Nataraja, Lord of The Dance, near a window, next to my houseplants, felt reassuring, like a small piece of my soul had been reclaimed.

Yesterday, the organization for which I had event-managed the fundraising galas officially hired me on an on-going, part-time basis, to work for them in an administrative capacity. I was thrilled to be offered a job working with friends to further a mission that brought healing to so many young people through the joy of dance. I was also thrilled that both Fleur’s and my guides’ predictions were coming true.

My new boss and I celebrated by dancing a few tangos at an event put on by another friend. I arrived home late at night, tired but content. As I was walking up the stairs to my apartment, my phone suddenly flashed. I looked down, and saw that it was exactly 1:11AM.  I’ve found myself intuitively checking the time at repetitive “angel number” times quite a bit, of late, but this particular one felt more significant than usual. I sent a mental “Hello and thank you!” to my guides.

My feet ached badly from dancing, and I decided I needed to put on a pair of silicone toe-spreaders for the night. I had lost them a week earlier, and had to push myself to muster up the energy to look for them.

Rummaging through a desk drawer in my tiny work room, my eyes were suddenly drawn to something familiar. A lone ankle bell. My gift from Indrani. I had never really noticed it there before, but I felt a strange emotional pull to it. In that moment, I had a fleeting thought: “It still hurts a little bit to think about Indrani, but see, she loved me enough to give me those ankle bells, when I was just a little girl, as a symbol of passing on her tradition, and her dance, to me. Their significance is profound.” I closed the drawer.

A few minutes later, having mercifully located my toe-spreaders on  a night-stand, I climbed into bed, and out of habit, checked Facebook one last time.

And all at once, there it was: Indrani’s beautiful face, smiling at me.

About 40 minutes earlier, Indrani’s son, Ram, whom I have never met in my life, and am not linked up with on social media, had posted a photo of his mother as a young woman, clothed in a white sari, standing next to the illustrious sitar player, Ravi Shankar.  For reasons that were not readily apparent, he had tagged Arundhati, my other teacher, in the photo, which was why I could see it.

I truly feel that Indrani was looking down on me at that moment, letting me know that for all the pain I associated with our parting, she was proud of me for contributing to the world through dance in a positive way. I wouldn’t be surprised if she had lent my guides a hand in putting me on my current path! I also feel that in the afterlife, perhaps in her life review, she may have realized how deep an effect the harshness of her disposition had had on me, and this was her way of showing up for me one more time, as my dance guru again, in a kind of reconciliation. I feel an immense sense of healing from this moment.

Have your departed loved ones ever shown up for you at important moments, communicating through synchronicities? How did it happen? How did you feel? Let me know!

[littlemisssquiggles]

Squiggles, would you happen to have any predictions or theories for v7?

Hmm at the moment, not much anon-chan. The onlytheories I have for V7 are what I’ve been repeating mostly since the end of V6.My hunch is that V7 will focusheavily on Weiss’ side of the story with her family affairs. As hinted with the reveal of Adam’s scar, there is definitelysomething fishy up with the SDC regarding their treatment of their employed Faunuslabour; among other things.

Not to mention that if I recall correctly,Jacques told Weiss back in V4 that she doesn’t know the lengths he had to go throughjust to keep their family business afloat. Throughout RWBY, darker implications regarding the SDCsince Jacques’ rise to power has been subtly dropped. There is no doubt in mymind that there are unspokencrimes regarding Jacques and the SDC that need to beuncovered.

Beyond that, there is still the mystery of what happened to Nicholas Schnee. Where is he? All that was said was that he was forced to retire early and hand thereigns over to Jacques due to body ailments as a result of over exposure todust working in the dust mines. Other than implying that Nicholas returned tohis family who missed him, there has been no further indication to suggest thatNick is deceased. And if NicholasSchnee, the legit original founder of the SDC isstill alive then perhaps part of Weiss’ story for V7 will involve Weisssearching for her grandfather and meeting him for the first time.

And this is a good titbit since I believethat the location of St. Nick rests inthe hands of Weiss’ alcoholic mother whose beenmissing from the story up until this point. I think this fact could involveWeiss finally confronting her mother for answers about her grandfather whichcould lead to their opposition. Beyond mentioning the possibility of herfighting with their father, not much is known about Weiss and her relationshipwith her mother. We haven’t even seen Mama Schnee in the flesh as yet and I’minterested in seeing how coming to face to face with her mother again willimpact Weiss.

And don’t even get me started on the untold story of Weiss’ former relationship with heryounger brother Whitley. Apart from the SDC, thereis still a lot of stuff we don’t know regarding Weiss and her family. All themore reason for me to believe that that’s a storyline that deserves its ownvolume, perhaps even two.

The SchneeFamily Affairs and the Crimes of SDC is what I’mexpecting to be the main focus ofV7. I’m also curious to learn more about the connection between the Schnees andGeneral Ironwood. I used to believe that Ironwood only sharedclose affiliation with the Schnees due to Winter but…I can’t help but feel thatmaybe it’s the other way around. There seems to be an untold history between Ironwood and Jacques.

I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s through herfather how Winter was first introduced to Ironwood. There is definitely more to be exploredbetween the ties with Ironwood and Jacques which is great.

The Schnee Family Affairs and the Crimes ofthe SDC also tying into the heroes’ reunion with Ironwood would be nice sinceit wouldn’t have to a separate plot on its own. If everything connects to eachseamlessly then that will eliminate the Atlas Trilogy making the same mistakeas Mistral. But that’s just me.

Another thing I’m curious with V7 is if we’llget to see our heroesexposed to what it’s like to study at Atlas Academy. One of the disappointments I had with the Mistral Arc is that ourheroes never got to experience what’s like to train at another huntsmen academy.

I figured once RNJR got to Haven Academy, wewould get to see them reuniting with familiar faces who are known students ofHaven (like oh I dunno…the remaining three members of Team SSSN perhaps) aswell as see what the teaching culture was like at Haven. What kind of colourful huntsmen and huntresseswere employed as teachers at Haven and what were their teaching methods like compared to that of our known teachers from Beacon like Professor Port and Dr. Oobleck?

This was what was missing for me from the Mistral Arc.Despite being in a newkingdom and exposed to a differentculture, we never saw our heroes experiencing that cultural change. According to Nora in V6, they never left the house. We never got to seethem actually exploring Mistral and by the time we got to V6, we had to saysayonara to Mistral for good.     

I’m praying the CRWBY Writers learnt from theMistral Arc and will make up for this in Atlas. ForV7, I want to see our heroes enrolled temporarily at Atlas Academy to continuetheir huntsmen training. Atlas is our chance forour heroes to be under a school setting for the first time since Beacon so it’dbe interesting to see how our heroes would feel being exposed to the Atlas school culture. What is the Atlas schoolculture and howdifferent is it from Beacon? Whoare the people employed as professors at Atlas? What are their backgrounds? Howdifferent are they from Beacon’s professors or will they be Atlesian counterparts who willremind our heroes, such RWBY and JNR of certain professors they remember fromBeacon?

Picture an Atlesian version of Professor Port or a gender bentAtlesian version of Dr. Oobleck?

How will our Beacon students and our theirrepresentative from Mistral (meaning Oscar) fair under the boot camp setting ofthe Atlas Academy?

Speaking of which, if the heroes attend Atlas then thiswill be Oscar’s first time enrolledat a huntsmen academy! For all the Pineheads with their StudentOscar headcanons and AUs, this could be your goldenopportunity to see it become canon! Picture Oscar Pine in an Atlas Academy uniform!

We can even have a Jaundice parallelbetween Jaune and Oscar where Oscar is struggling at Atlas. Mostly in the practical combat-related subjects. In the academicpart, Oscar shows an impressive knowledge of his historyfor all kingdoms including Atlas; not from Ozpin’s memory archive but mainlyfrom his days of reading up a lot on everything thanks to his aunt’s library ofbooks back on the farm. I’m still sticking to my guns on my Pinehead headcanon of Oscar havinga photographic memory that makes him an exceptional scholar sincehe’s able to retain and recite everything he reads.

So when it comes to books, Oscar is neargenius level giving Weiss a run for her money. However Oscar is still not that confidentin his fighting skills and this is the part where we can have Jaune offer to coach Oscar and help him out with his combat skills similar to how Pyrhha helped himout.

This also presents the potential for Ruby to offer to have private practice sessions withOscar, just like Pyrhha did for Jaune which can opena leeway for our Rosebuds to bond more. I mean we have seen these two traintogether. Speaking of which, why did V5 make such a deal about Ruby needing tohone her hand to hand combat skills yet we never see her actually use it likeat all after V5? She didn’t even use it for V5 (and no, her head-buttingMercury mimicking Ozpin’s cheap shot doesn’t really count). I would definitelylove more Rosebud bonding momentsover training together for V7 because it candefinitely parallel Jaune and Pyrhha bonding during their sessions.

Either can work for me but I definitely wishto see Oscar bond with Jaune more because it will definitely help their relationshipas potential teammates. I’m still gunning for that JNPR Revivalwith Oscar. Still holding out for that and I think V7will be the volume that finally does it.

Apart from attending Atlas, another thing I’mhoping for with V7 is our heroes exploringAtlas. It is for this reason why I’m awaiting Team FNKI’s glorious return. Who else are going to help ourfish out of water heroes get into the groove at Atlas Academy? Not to mention, who else isgoing to take our heroes exploring the fun parts of the city? I am definitely banking on FNKI beingour team’s tour guides of Atlas. At least the fun parts of Atlas thatWeiss may not know about because I doubt she would have been allowed to go toplaces like that under her father’s authoritarian control.

Neon promised for her and Flynt to take theheroes partying sometime so that’s another thing I’m holding this series to.Seriously having the heroescontinue their training at Atlas Academy will be perfectincentive to have them reunite withTeam FNKI which can lead to them going partying in Atlas.

Not to mention that having Weiss reunite with Flynt again could tie into heraffairs with the SDC. Back in V2, Flynt told Weiss that his dadowned a cosy little dust shop until the SDC ran him out of business. I’mcurious to know if Flynt’s dad still owns his dust business or at least did hisbest to retain it despite the SDC giving him a hard time.

In the World of Remnant episode on the SDC,it was noted that the SDC eliminates its competition so I’m curious to know what kind of methods the SDC adopt to chase away their competitors. Perhaps through Flynt, Weissbegins her own mission that leads to her uncovering all the underhanded waysher father incorporated to keep the SDC afloat; including threatening their competition.Imagine Flynt informing Weiss about her father still trying to keep hisbusiness open but lately the SDC has been giving him the stink eye.

Like imagine Flynt’s dad being the stubborntype to still keep his shop open despite the fact that the SDC has taken away mostof his customers, all except for FNKI and some students of the Atlas Academywho use the Cole family as their main dust suppliers. Picture Flynt’s fatherbeing threatened by the SDC and it reaches to the point that they stage break-insand arson attacks against the shop, an incident that truly opens Weiss’ eyes tothe company’s actions---her father’s actions.

And this in turn sparks a thread for Weiss tounravel about the true crimes of the SDC. Perhaps this is something that Weiss pulls all of her friends into helping heruncover including FNKI. Speaking of FNKI, I can’t wait to see whothe K and I characters are in FNKI.

Do you knowwhat would be interesting? If Flynt is the sole human member and leader of a dominantlyFaunus huntsmen team. So far we’ve seen huntsmen teams with eitherone or two Faunus members. It’d be a cool twist if allof Flynt’s teammates are Faunus. A part of mealso wants Flynt andNeon to be dating to give me that interracial,interspecies love. I definitely loved the dynamic betweenFlynt and Neon in V2.

Loved their teamwork so it wouldn’t surpriseme if they’re either super close best friends or…a couple or…super close best friends who secretly want to be a couple but stickto being friends for other politicalreasons. Maybe the racial divide between humans andFaunus is more hostile in Atlas to the point that it affects Flynt and Neon’s relationshipespecially when they’re out in public. Imagine there are people in Atlas whofrown upon a human romantically involved with a Faunus despite science provingthat humans and Faunus are compatible are capable of having healthyrelationship just as much as same species relationships.

Now that I think about it. Interspecies love between humans and Faunus is a topic that yet to be discussed in the Faunus politics so perhapsAtlas could be the setting for that and it could start with Neon and Flynt,maybe?

Maybe they are couple and have to deal with people’sprejudice or Maybe they want to be a couple but one of them is afraid to pursueit beyond friendship because of the prejudice. Do these two even have a shipname? What is the name of theFlynt and Neon ship? These are the questions Iask, okay.

I actually want the Schnee Family Affairsside of Atlas to be stretched for 2 volumes or at least done in a way where itleads cleverly into another important side of the story. There is so much stuffto cover in Atlas that I am curious to see how the Writers are going to handle all of it. For Atlasthere’s:

What did Ruby buy for everyone at the thriftshop at the Mistral Train Station (we never got to know what that was?)

The Schnee Family Affairs

The Crimes of SDC

Meeting Penny’s Father/Creator

The Relic of Creation

The Vault of the Winter Maiden

The Identity of the Winter Maiden or thecandidate to become the Winter Maiden

The Return of Penny Polendina

Watts and Tyrian and what’s they’re up to inAtlas

Cinder and Neo and what their story is goingto be like in Atlas

The Kingdom Mantle---will the heroes get tovisit it?

Where in the world is Nicholas Schnee?

Maria’s Eyes and who is her tinker that shegoes to every 10 years to get her eyes checked? (Would actually be pretty coolif the same person Maria goes to check her eyes is the same inventor who madePenny)

More Silver Eyes training for Ruby becauseall things considered, she hasn’t mastered her eyes as yet!

Speaking of Silver Eyes, Ruby’s real trial by fire that involves her rematch with Cinder/Neo

Atlas Academy

Team FNKI Reunion

General Ironwood and his rising PTSD/Fearfollowing the Fall of Beacon and Ozpin’s death

How Ozpin’s death affected Ironwood

General Ironwood and his relationship/historywith Jacques

General Ironwood and his relationship/historywith Jacques that involves Winter

Winter Schnee

Winter Schnee’s reunion with Qrow

Winter’s history with Qrow

Team JNPR Revival with Oscar

Heroes meeting Jacques Schnee

Heroes meeting Whitley Schnee

Heroes meeting Klein and Mama Schnee

Weiss’ confrontation with Mama Schnee

Oscar’s actual Character Development

Ozpin Forgiveness

Oscar’s Deep Dive into his Mind to find Ozpin

Oscar’s Past

Oscar’s relationship with Ruby and how thatis going to grow before the inevitable kidnapping

Oscar getting kidnapped

Ruby getting kidnapped

Oscar and Ruby getting kidnapped

The Flying Beringels

Salem…possibly showing up in Atlas

The Fall of Atlas

Atlas Aura Experiments!

Atlas Aura Experiments that might involveOscar and Ozpin

…and the list goes on! This is just off thetop of my head and already you see there is a plethora of things the CRWBYWriters have to cover in Atlas.

I just hope they do a better job at structuringeverything this time so it feels like a solid cohesive trilogy like Beacon asopposed to a disjointed mess that sadly fell flat in the middle like Mistral. Butagain this is just my opinion.

But yeah, basically all of this are my theories and hunches for V7. That’s my answer. I hope I actually answered you well enoughanon-chan.

~LittleMissSquiggles(2019)

[theprodigypenguin]

Thicker Than Water

Ao3 Link

Pairings: none

Summary: James Sirius Potter loves his family, and he isn’t shy about announcing it. He’ll say it to their faces and say it to whoever is listening, that he loves his parents and his amazing sister, his cousins, aunts and uncles, even his ever frustrating younger brother, Albus. Difficult he may be to talk to sometimes, James still loves him, even if he struggles to make Albus understand that; but when Albus disappears not once, but three times, before the first term back at school is even halfway over, James starts to wonder, maybe he didn’t tell Albus he loved him nearly enough, and worries if he didn’t start saying it sooner, he’d lose his chance to entirely. {{Takes place during and after the events of “The Cursed Child”]]

Words: 15529

Warnings: angst (I think that’s it)

Notes: I just wanted to say that I’m honestly really proud of this fic. I managed to type it all out with my stupid thumbs and my lil phone screen because I broke my finger and can’t type normally on my laptop. I wrote over 15k words just with my phone holy shit. I really love family bonds, especially sibling bonds or bonds with really GOOD father figures, so me writing James being the best fucking big brother ever was honestly inevitable, and I’m really happy with it. My only hope is that I got his characterization right. There is no real romantic relationship written about, but there are vague calls to Scorbus, Jeddy (or Je T'aime), and Tedoire, so you can interpret it however you guys want. The main theme, though, is brotherhood, and James’ relationship with Albus. I hope you enjoy it! - Amelia

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James Sirius Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts started off fantastic. It would be his second year as captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, of which his cousin was part of, acting as a Chaser. It would be exciting when trials came up, because his little sister, Lily Luna, and younger cousin, Hugo, would be trying out for positions on the team alongside he and Rose. With their family's history with Quidditch in their blood, he was certain they'd both make it onto the team. It would be the greatest Quidditch team the school had seen since his father played Seeker so many years ago.

Of course, he would have preferred his brother to join their top notch team, he'd make an excellent Beater, but unfortunately Albus was Slytherin, and seemed to detest Quidditch and everything about it. That was fine, though. Things were still looking up.

James was an excellent student, Transfiguration was his best subject, Charms and Potions were fun enough to keep his attention, he was a favorite of the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, and he even had a good time in his Divination and Muggle Studies classes. He didn't have much luck in his Care of Magical Creatures class, but he tried his hardest if only for Hagrid's approval.

On paper he was excellent, but face to face with the magical beasts that Rubeus Hagrid loved so much, and James had absolutely no idea what to do. Even in classes he wasn't good with, he excelled with the professors, and enjoyed the work. He was well liked by the majority of the school in fact, made friends with anyone under the castle roof, and was usually the one laughing loudest in the Great Hall during meal times, or making others laugh if he wasn't.

Everything was going great, he had fun on the train, discussing his summer with his friends, looking through their schedules and planning their next trip to Hogsmede, but things began spiraling quickly downwards, even before they'd reached Hogwarts.

The old Trolley Witch was a quiet one, so when she started carting her way down the aisle at top speed, shrieking about train jumpers, eyes wild, James had to note it.

"What's that about?" he'd asked aloud, leaning towards the door of the compartment as his friend hummed, twisting something between his hands.

"Woman's finally gone mad you figure, all those years dealing with kids."

"She said something about train jumping?"

"Sounds fun if you ask me."

It definitely did, but James didn't think that was allowed, otherwise he absolutely would have tried. The strange occurrence faded from his mind, until he stepped from the train out onto the platform that lead to the school.

It was a habit now, to peer over the shorter heads until he spotted bright red decorated with bows, sifting through the sea of students until he'd reached his sister, who was bouncing on her heels next to Hugo and and his older sister Rose, who didn't look too excited.

"I tried to talk to Al," she said without looking at James, her keen eyes panning around the platform, "Didn't get far with it."

"Mum or dad owled you?" James asked, feeling his mouth dry up at the memory of what happened between Albus and their father, just hours ago it seemed.

Standing in front of the bathroom mirror lamenting over his hair when the voices of his father and brother echoed through the house, ending with Albus storming down the hallway, as their arguments usually did. James had quickly stepped out of the bathroom to cut his brother off, hands up and a smile on his face.

The expression that Albus was wearing, green eyes like poison snapping to James' face, stole his voice, and he had absolutely no idea what to say to make him stop from storming out of the house. Albus fought and argued with their father all the time, but James had never seen that look on his face before. He didn't know what to say, to do, to make his brother smile.

Honestly speaking, he hadn't been able to really make him smile for years now. As a last resort, his father had written his aunt and uncle, asking if Rose would try talking to Albus on the train, but it clearly hadn't gone well. The two of them had been inseparable once upon a time, but that friendship had ended when that between Albus and Scorpius Malfoy started.

James didn't dislike Scorpius, really. They talked in passing at times, usually when Albus wasn't around, and the young Malfoy seemed to be a very kind hearted and deeply gentle soul. Sometimes James wondered how the Sorting Hat could have possibly placed him in Slytherin of all houses.

Still, he couldn't argue that these severe problems between Albus and their father had only started after Scorpius Malfoy was introduced. Sometimes James got the idea that maybe their father just didn't like that Albus was in Slytherin, and used Scorpius Malfoy as an excuse to argue about Albus' acting up, but was Harry Potter really that bias?

James set a hand on Rose's shoulder and smiled at her when she looked up at him, "Don't worry too much over it, Rosie, Al is difficult, but things always work out in the end without too many problems."

"This is different, James," Rose said in almost a hiss, "Al's face... there was something going on in his head, I could see something reckless in his eyes."

"He is a Slytherin remember, he always looks like that. I know he appreciates you worrying, even if he doesn't say it."

"Sure he does."

"Let me talk to him," James decided, dropping a hand onto Lily's head and ruffling her hair, messing up the bows tied up in her red braids, "He's my little brother so he's my responsibility."

"I definitely don't envy you," Rose stated, looking to her left where Hugo was yanking on her arm, trying to get her to move towards the carriages, "This is the worst I ever have to deal with."

"We'll join you in a minute," James promised, turning and pushing Lily to follow Rose, before starting his search for his brother.

Instead of looking for Albus directly, he searched for the platinum blond of Scorpius Malfoy's hair, as they were always next to each other (and frankly his hair was easier to spot in a crowd than Albus'), but after several sweeps of his eyes over the bustling crowd of students, he hadn't found either Slytherin, and after a moment, he was alone on the train platform, fingertips buzzing and something sour in his mouth.

"There you are!" the short Charms professor chided at James when he stepped through the gates at last, holding a clipboard and waving a quill, "State your name!"

"You've known me for six years professor," James argued, before shaking his head, "Never mind. Is my brother on there?"

"Your brother?" Professor Flitwick looked at his clipboard, flipping through the pages before his nose scrunched up, "No Albus Potter," he said, and James felt his blood run cold as things seemed to click into place.

The argument between Albus and their father, the Trolley Witch yelling about train jumpers, Rose's uneasy statement about Albus being reckless, and the absence of both Albus and Scorpius. They were gone, missing, runaways, but the more James prodded for answers, the more questions he had.

It was days before James heard anything new. His father was in a panic, the school was tense, students whispered behind their hands about Albus Potter and Scorpius Malfoy running away.

"Doing dark magic you see?"

"Couple years they'll come back as Dark Wizards."

James was on edge the entire time, going so far as to insist he walk Lily to her classes, just to be safe. He was already missing one little sibling, he didn't want to miss another.

When Albus finally turned up, it was at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, unconscious with Scorpius Malfoy cradling him, trying to revive him, his arm at a broken angle. James wouldn't soon wipe from his memory the sight of his father carrying Albus, rushing through the corridors towards the hospital, looking pale white.

James had no idea what had happened, and whenever he tried to ask Albus about it after he'd been released from hospital, Albus just turned his back to him. He was rarely in the Gryffindor common room these days (and wait, where did James get the idea that Albus was a Slytherin?), so James had to search hard for him whenever he wanted to talk to him.

He sat next to Albus at every meal, but Albus would always stare speechless at his plate, picking the food on it, taking a nibble and dropping his fork as if the feast was terrible, his face contorting. He would scratch at the red on his tie, mutter and pull at his robes, pick at the Gryffindor crest on the chest of his robes. He'd torn off two crests from two sets of robes, and was working on a third before James was able to catch him and scold him about it.

Scorpius, James noticed, was suffering silently as well. He hadn't spoken to Albus since the Forbidden Forest, and James felt a knot forming in his throat every time he saw them pass each other. Scorpius and Albus would lock eyes, look hopeful, then duck their heads and pass each other. Why? They were such good friends before, weren't they? Albus was so miserable... and Scorpius...

The harassment from the other students seemed to have gotten worse, like Scorpius alone made them bolder. James caught Ravenclaw's dumping ink across his books, Gryffindor's shoving Scorpius against the corridor walls and knocking his books from his hands, Hufflepuff's whispering loudly behind their hands, just enough so Scorpius was clearly able to hear their scathing insults.

Scorpius had always been a target for cruel words and actions, but they'd always been subdued, and it was dizzying in a way to realize that Albus' presence around Scorpius was what had prevented the bullying to escalate. As if two targets were harder to get at.

As if the bullies were afraid to go at Scorpius when Albus Potter was around.

Then, of course, the worst came again, when Albus disappeared a second time. James only remembered his father, Aunt Hermione, the Headmistress, and Draco Malfoy tearing down the hall, Harry clinging to a withered old piece of parchment. James had wanted to follow, knowing this was obviously about Albus, but was dragged on to his next class by a friend.

He heard from a Slytherin, James recognized him as Craig Bowker Jr, that both Albus and Scorpius had gotten into a boat of trouble, that the Headmistress had essentially bled the Slytherin house points dry and taken away the boy's Christmas break, in addition to giving them detentions for the rest of the year.

"Whatever mess they got themselves into, I'm surprised they weren't expelled."

"Do you know what happened?" it was Polly Chapman who asked.

"No one's saying anything," Craig admitted, "but Draco Malfoy, he's that ex-death eater see, Harry Potter, of course we know him, and even the Minister of Magic are here! They did something really bad I think."

James felt that tingle in his fingertips again, and soon as he was free he went in search of his brother, finding him standing with Scorpius tugging his robes, looking far more comfortable than he had before. James decided he looked much more natural in green than red (those were Slytherin robes, right? Merlin did his head ache... was his brother jumping houses? Why did he have such distinct memories of Albus being a Gryffindor when he knew he wasn't? It must have been a very vivid dream).

Scorpius was beaming as he swayed on his feet flipping through a book, and before James could approach them, a door opened in front of them and out came Madam Pomfrey.

"Both along now, let me look you boys over before I send you back to your common room."

"At the hospital twice in just a few weeks," Albus droned to Scorpius, whose smile twitched down a fraction, "I didn't even get hurt this time."

"Better safe to check than to be sorry later on."

James decided to let them go for now, getting a check up was important after all, and instead went in search of his father, whom he found talking with Draco Malfoy, both somewhat stiff and anxious.

"Dad?" Harry's head turned so he could look at James, "Sorry for interrupting... is Albus okay? I mean he's disappeared twice now."

"Don't worry about it, James," Harry assured, "It's fixed now, I hope."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, son."

"But do you know why he ran off like he did? I mean, I know Al is spontaneous and impulsive, but it's not like him to-."

"James, I said not to worry," Harry interrupted, "I'll be talking to Albus later to get the full story, but what I do know...," he seemed to pale a bit, "It isn't the business of the school to know these things. Alright?"

"But I'm not the school, I'm his brother, shouldn't I know?"

"Maybe he should," Draco offered, and Harry shook his head at him before looking back at James.

"It's late, I'm returning home in just a bit, I'd like you to get back to your dorm and sleep. It's been a stressful first few weeks of school I imagine, but everything is fine now."

James opened his mouth to protest, but ended up sighing and turning around, "Goodnight."

"Your mother and I will write you. Oh and James, son... don't bother your brother about this."

James didn't say anything in response. Those words, it was like his father just told him not to be a brother. It was in his job description to bother Albus, that's what brothers did. Whatever was going on, James really didn't like it, and with every intention of talking to Albus the next morning, whether he wanted to talk or not, he went to bed.

Only to wake up to the news that his brother, his stupid, stupid brother, was yet again, missing, along with Scorpius Malfoy.

The entire school enlisted to find them, James was one shock away from a heart attack it felt, one arm tightly wrapped around Lily as Professor Longbottom yelled out corridors and castle sections for groups of four and five to check over. He looked in clear distress, but not unusual, he cared deeply for Albus after all, for all of the Potter's, so for one of them to go missing not once, but three times, before the first term had even ended? It was heart wrenching, and James was teetering on the edge of terror.

"I'm checking the Quidditch pitch," Craig Bowker Jr decided with a confident stride towards the door, "Potter, you know your brother, where would he be?"

"Not the Quidditch pitch," James stated, "I'll check the edge of the forest, that's where they were last time. Someone check the edge of the lake!"

"This is stupid," Polly Chapman said, "just let them run away."

"We don't need them here anyway."

"A little less muck out of Hogwarts."

James ignored them, ordered Lily to stay with Professor Longbottom, then took off towards the edge of the forest, riding his broom there to make the search faster.

Hovering high off the ground, he tried to spot something he recognized, the green of Albus' robes, the pale platinum of Scorpius' hair, but nothing caught his eye, until a sudden flash of green seemed to strike into the air from the Quidditch pitch.

James stared in confusing, assessing in his mind that Craig had gone that way, and turned the end of his broom towards the pitch. He froze, hands squeezing the broomstick so tight he felt the wood splinter into his hands, as a gut wrenching, blood curdling scream, seemed to fill and consume the air around him.

Once loudly, long, then a pause, followed by a second scream. From the Quidditch pitch. James shot towards it, holding with one hand as he brandished his wand with the other, but when he passed over the stands at last and started to lower, there was no one to be seen.

The only one there was Craig, lying in the grass on his side. At first, James was furious, his little brother was missing and Craig was taking a nap, but as he jumped off his broom and snatched it from the sky, stomping towards the boy's form, his steps faltered.

Black eyes, listless and clouded, stared at him, the Slytherin turned awkwardly on his side with his arms twisted, face white like parchment.

The broom fell from James' hand, tumbled to the grass, and he inched forward, slowly getting to his knee and reaching a trembling hand to feel Craig's neck. Still, silent, he didn't breathe, didn't blink. Lifeless.

But where was Albus? Who had screamed?

"James!" His head lifted at the call, to see Professor Longbottom tearing across the field, wide eyed with other students and teachers behind him.

James pulled his hand away from Craig, eyes locked on the teachers as they stopped in a half circle around them.

"Gone," he said, "He's...," his head shook, "Where's my brother? Why is this happening, Professor? Where is my brother?"

He felt his voice raising, eyes finding Lily, Rose, and Hugo trying to push through the crowd. Lily couldn't see this, see a corpse...

James stood, with some trouble, leaving his broom and passing the professors, going right to Lily and hugging her, hiding her so she couldn't see Craig.

"James, is it Al, did we find him?" Lily gasped out, whacking a hand against him as he started to lead her backwards out of the crowd, "Stop that, where's Albus? What's going on? James? James where's Albus?"

"Don't go over there Lily," James croaked, squeezing her, "It's not Al... don't look over there."

"But where's Al!"

James didn't know, and not knowing terrified him, he couldn't seem to let go of Lily, who was kicking at his feet in a wild attempt at being released. He only let her go when they were in the castle and Ginny was coming towards them, eyes misty and arms out. She took Lily into her embrace, James stepped back, holding his right hand as if he wanted to rub away the clammy feeling of Craig's cold skin.

"I saw this green flash," James was explaining to the teachers, to his father, "Over by the Quidditch pitch. I flew for it, but I heard screaming just after."

"After? You heard it after?"

"After, yes."

"You're certain?"

"Yes," James grit the word out, Neville looked at Harry with pursed lips.

"That light..."

"How he died," Harry finished, "The killing curse..."

James felt dizzy, hands curling into fists, "That's forbidden dark magic! Who in this decade would use it?!"

"James-."

"You're not thinking Al would-?!"

"No!" Harry snapped, "Al is missing, Scorpius Malfoy is missing, something happened to them, and we are going to find out what! Until then, you will stay within the castle, you will not leave."

"Dad, I wanna help!"

"You'll help by staying put, watching over your sister, do you understand?"

James didn't argue that, he couldn't argue when Lily was involved, but he still felt sick, "What about Al?"

"We'll find him," Harry said simply.

How long it took, James didn't know. Suddenly it was Halloween, and the next morning, Albus was at breakfast, sitting with Scorpius as if nothing had happened. They shrugged when people asked them where they'd been, Scorpius paled and Albus went rigid when they were asked about Craig.

They walked closer to each other than usual, heads bowed towards each other and whispering in low voices so no one else could hear them, lost in their own world.

The rumors had gotten more extravagant, people were spreading around that Scorpius had killed Craig, that he and Albus had killed him together, then successfully covered it up. James didn't believe it, neither did Lily or Hugo.

"Bloody ridiculous!" James had exclaimed, and Rose had just stared at him, looking as if she wanted to add her input, but deciding against it.

After Halloween, everything seemed to return to normal. Albus didn't disappear again, he and Scorpius were present for every meal and every class, lead to and from their dorm by Professor Slughorn, lead to and from classes by Professor Longbottom.

The rumors continued, the whispers, snide comments, and sniggers. People still pushed Scorpius in the halls, messed with his homework, they still snarled insults at Albus that had James burning in anger, but while before now, both would react miserably, Albus flinging himself into a fight and Scorpius ducking his head, now they simply stared at whoever had spurred the bullying, then looked at each other before laughing.

Laughing, of all things. As if the bullies that had harassed them for the past four years weren't that big of a deal anymore.

In fact, they seemed to have gotten bolder, more confident in a way. Scorpius especially, though Rose certainly didn't look happy about the young Malfoy's sudden boost of bravery.

"He asked me out," she said when James asked her what was wrong, her face cold and eyes dark and steely, "Scorpius Malfoy asked me out."

"Oh!" James breathed the word, "What did you say?"

"I told him no," Rose answered, "Why would I go out with him, James? Do you know what kind of person he is? The things people say about him?"

James frowned at that, "People say Al isn't my brother, but we both know he is. They call him a Squib, and he's clearly not. People start a lot of rumors, don't you think maybe, just maybe, they're untrue?"

"I overheard my mum talking," Rose said, sitting on a bench outside and staring at a closed book in her lap, "her and your dad. They were talking about Time Turners, illegal Time Turners."

"So?"

"What do you mean so?" Rose glared at him, "People think the Malfoy's couldn't have kids, so Draco Malfoy sent his wife into the past using a Time Turner, where she... you know... with You-Know-Who... and that's how Scorpius was born."

"Merlin I have ALWAYS hated that rumor!" James snapped, "First of all, you've seen photos of Tom Riddle, yea? You put his genes with Astoria Greengrass and you don't get a pale eyed platinum blonde. He looks exactly like Draco! Second, why would he send his ill wife back in time to sleep with the Dark Lord who ruined his life? Do you really think that lowly of the Malfoy's? Third, where the devil would they even get a Time Turner?"

"I have read a lot, James," Rose stood up, "Books, newspapers, first hand accounts of the war; I've researched forever, I know the Malfoy family, I know their reputation, and I do not want to associate with the son of Voldemort!"

"Book research leaves a lot to desire against first hand association," James said simply, "I like Scorpius, and I don't believe those rumors; never did and never will, and you shouldn't either. Rosie you're the smartest person I know, surely you understand how ridiculous the rumors are?!"

"He killed a boy from his own house, you saw the light!"

"I saw light, I didn't see Scorpius murdering anyone!" James threw his arms up, "Merlin's sake, Rose! I'm not asking you to marry him! Just give him a chance, he's a good kid!"

"Why do you like him so much, then?" Rose demanded, "Exactly how well do you know him?"

"Better than you it seems!" James scoffed, then sighed, shoulders sagging, "Look, give him the benefit of the doubt. Scorpius Malfoy has never done a single thing to hurt you, or me, or Albus, or anyone for that matter. Would you be more willing to befriend him if he was a Hufflepuff or a Ravenclaw, or does your bias of the Malfoy name reach beyond Hogwarts houses?"

Rose grit her teeth and looked away. James folded his arms, standing a little straighter and staring up at the gray sky. Flakes of snow were drifting down to blanket the castle in a beautiful sheet of white.

"Give him a chance, Rosie. If not for his sake, then for the sake of knowledge," this seemed to pique her interest, eyeing James, "You heard me. Who better to discover the truth about Scorpius Malfoy than Rose Granger-Weasley, the brightest witch to attend Hogwarts since her own mother? Be nice to him. I'm not telling you to jump his bones, just be civilized and try to get along. He's Al's best friend, Rosie. What in this world makes him smile aside from Scorpius?"

Rose just huffed through her nose and turned away, hugging her book to her chest, "For the sake of knowledge, fine; and for the sake of Albus, I guess."

"Thank you," James felt so relieved that the argument was over that his shoulders sagged heavily, until Rose glanced sideways at him.

"Have you talked to Albus about what happened yet?"

"I've tried, but I can never get to him before he's ushered to classes, meals, or his dorm."

"Mum and dad won't tell me anything," Rose admitted, pulling a curly strand of hair that had fallen into her face, shaken from her ponytail, "Have you heard anything?"

"Not a peep from my parents, but I've seen dad and Mister Malfoy passing the halls together sometimes, like they're checking on the boys. Headmistress McGonagall won't say anything either."

"Tried Hagrid? He might let something slip."

"He doesn't know any more than us."

"Professor Longbottom?"

"Suppose I could try, but I get the feeling he won't have anything to say either. You know... Scorpius might say something," Rose turned a glare on him again, and he held his hands up, "Never mind, I'll just see if I can get Al alone."

Of course, even for the amazing James Sirius Potter, it was a challenge to so much as greet his brother for the next few weeks. He was always getting escorted, watched by dutiful teachers, and it was starting to both annoy and panic James. Why were the professors keeping such a close eye on Albus anyway? Did they think he'd run off again? That he was dangerous? Or in danger himself, Merlin forbid?

James had no idea, and he didn't get a break in his struggles until one day before Christmas break, where he found Albus and Scorpius in the back of the library. Albus was leaning over a recent copy of the Daily Prophet flattened on the table, while Scorpius scratched away in a notebook bound in black leather. Most likely notes.

"I can't sodding believe this!" Albus hissed out, hands curled into shaking fists that wrinkled the edges of the newspaper, "You'd think there'd be some article, at least a paragraph, of a murderous dark witch being sent to Azkaban, but no!"

James felt himself blanch, ducking behind the closest row of books before either could see him, pushing copies of "Hogwarts: A History" and "Dragon Keeping for Dummies" aside so he could peer at the table just as Scorpius looked up, brow drawn, looking back and forth before leaning over the table to get closer to Albus.

"Are you that surprised?" He asked in a quiet voice, "Albus if the wizarding world actually learned about her... about who she is... they could fall into a panic."

"She's in Azkaban, what harm could she do now?"

"A lot," Scorpius closed his book and pushed it aside, "There are still a lot of dark wizards out there, ex-death-eaters who are still loyal to Voldemort. Revealing her existence will just give them hope, give them power. They could start recruiting again, try to bust her out. Let's face it, Azkaban isn't the most secure of prisons. They boast of being the best, but look at their track record. Barty Crouch Jr, Sirius Black, the break out of 1996."

"Matters of circumstance. Del- the Augery," he spit the name, "has no power where she is."

"But if we reveal her identity, then she will have power. Fear, people will be afraid of her, a lot of people, and that's what she wants. She wants the publicity to strengthen her own prowess, to collect supporters, to bring about eternal darkness... the eternal darkness that I saw..."

"I'm not afraid of her," Albus said, eyes narrowed, and Scorpius narrowed his lips into a thin line, "She can't do anything to us anymore, Scorpius. Aren't you supposed to be the Unbothered now?"

"I mean... I'm unbothered by bullies now," Scorpius argued, "Gryffindor's locking me in closets is a lot less scary than a dark witch torturing me and making it so my best friend never existed."

Albus leaned back, head falling back with a heavy sigh as Scorpius reached out to close the Prophet.

"Listen, it is over right now, but who knows what might happen in the next few weeks, or months, or years? Voldemort didn't return until your dad was fourteen."

"You think this monster is going to come back?"

Scorpius folded his hands and twirled his thumbs, staring down, "Think of it this way. There are a lot of dark wizards, dangerous, evil wizards, locked up in Azkaban. We can keep the wizarding world from learning of her existence, but the only leverage she has in prison is her blood, her birthright. She is going to use that birthright to her advantage, no doubt about that, and if she was able to manipulate us, she's going to be able to manipulate Azkaban prisoners who've been stuck in a cell for the past who knows how many years.

"And that's not the scariest part, Al," his voice dropped quieter, "The world that I saw... dark wizards can learn to control Dementors. They obeyed Voldemort, they might obey... the Augery. She can fly without a broom, we've seen how strong she is, the only reason she lost this time is because so many stronger wizards were fighting her down. Harry Potter, my dad, the Minister of Magic, former Auror Ron Granger-Weasley, your mom; you and I didn't help much I imagine but every bit counts. She was greatly overwhelmed by overpowered wizards and witches, she's young and she never attended a wizarding school. Yet she managed to hold her own against the most powerful magicians of the age for a long time, so just bloody think about this! If she was given the time and schooling, the training, then none of us would have stood a chance against her!"

"Alright I get it!" Albus breathed quickly, leaning against the table again, "I still don't see why we should worry, or why they shouldn't at least warn everyone! If she's going to get out and come back, we should be ready for it!"

"Like I said, it would send out a massive panic. People are still recovering from the last war, we don't need them readying for the next one."

"There's always gonna be another war, Scorpius," Albus mumbled, "and there's always gonna be a Potter stuck in it. Sometimes I think my family is cursed."

"How do you think I feel?"

"That's another thing," Albus pointed, "The rumors are getting even worse now! What they're saying about you, and me, they would stop if people just knew the bloody truth! About Craig's death, about the Augery, it would all go away!"

"Yea... about that...," Scorpius seemed to shuffle his loose papers around, collecting them into a neat pile and fixing the books stacked around him so they were perfectly parallel, "I... was thinking through it just now, that's what I was writing down, my family tree."

"Okay?"

"It really wouldn't matter if people knew the truth about the Augery, and were finally convinced I am not Voldemort's son," Scorpius was explaining this in a slow voice, and James pushed the books further to hear and see better, "my grandmother, Narcissa Malfoy, married into the Malfoy family. She was the second born of the Black sisters. You know, like Sirius and Regulus Black? She was their cousin."

"That's kind of cool."

"Right, and the youngest sister was Andromeda Tonks, that's Teddy Lupin's grandmother; he and I are blood related, cousins."

"I know that."

"Uh-huh, but the oldest sister, first born before Narcissa and Andromeda, was Bellatrix Lestrange," he pushed around his quill, "and the Augery... I mean... if she wasn't lying, and I don't think she was, that makes her more Black than Lestrange..."

"... oh... oh no...," Albus looked sick, and Scorpius nodded, "Tha-that doesn't mean you're related to Voldemort at all! You just have a really messed up family tree!"

"Can you even imagine how annoyed Sirius Black would be? Learning about Delphini?" Scorpius asked, picking his quill up again, "He would be disgusted I think. Might not like me much either, but I think I'm proud to be of blood relation to him, and to Regulus Black too."

"Scorpius..."

"Teddy Lupin and Delphini Riddle are both related to me by blood," Scorpius said, head bowed, the feather of his quill wiggling, "they're my cousins and there's nothing I can do about that. That makes me, and Teddy, Sirius and Regulus Black, related to Voldemort, by a twisted, unfair branch of fate and neanderthal instinct. That's just fact. I was so caught up in the situation I never stopped to think about my relation to her... do you think she knew?"

"No," Albus almost croaked, "She was sheltered by Lestrange, I don't think she knew anything about her family aside from her mother and father's names. You weren't the one she manipulated, you're smart enough to have known she was bad news from the get go. I should have listened to you."

"Well, yea."

"I put you in so much danger, Scorpius," Albus looked tortured, sinking into his seat, green eyes a darker shade of emerald as tears of exhaustion swam but didn't fall, "This is my fault. Why am I such an idiot? You don't deserve any of this."

"Calm down a little Al, I never said I was mad at you or anything," Scorpius chided, not looking up from his book, "I think my family is a really good example of how good and bad can come from anywhere. The Black, Malfoy, and Lestrange families, for decades, have been very notably on the darker side of history, but every now and then someone breaks through it all and shines a little bit of far too brilliant light. Sirius, Andromeda, even Regulus. Those little lights help pave a better path for new generations, like me, and Teddy. We don't have to look back and see inherent evil as the only option to our future. We can look at the lights and realize how easy it is to make choices, because that's really all that separates me from the darker sides of my family. Being good is up to me, not my family or the history of my family.

"I... I feel really sorry for Delphini. She was an orphan. She never got to meet her parents, and she was never given a positive structure while growing up. Her only friend was a bird. Maybe if she'd been given the same role models as me, or as Teddy, then she would've grown up different, nicer."

"Some people are just born evil."

"I don't believe that for a second, Albus."

James could see Scorpius smiling softly where he was leaning over his book, which James was suddenly very interested in seeing the contents of. Everything they were discussing made his head spin, and honestly James didn't know if he should reveal himself or leave to try and talk to Albus another day.

They were discussing quite a bit it seemed, in very hushed, secretive tones, so James had a hunch he might learn exactly what happened if he stayed just a bit longer, carefully pulling a few books off the shelves before returning to peering through the small hole he'd opened in the book case.

Albus was staring at the Daily Prophet, eventually looking down at his lap, arms folded and clinging to his robes, knuckles white.

"I keep seeing it," Albus said slowly, he looked humiliated, "hearing it..."

"Me too," Scorpius admitted after a quiet moment between them, closing his book after a minute and giving a sigh, "If you wanna talk about-."

"What, my feelings? I don't talk about my feelings."

"No, you would never," Scorpius droned, "You and I are the only ones who got caught up in this, we're the only ones who know what happened. The only people we can talk to about it is each other. We're the only ones who really understand it."

"You don't have to twist me, you're the only one I ever talk to anyway," Albus said, the corner of his lips twisting upwards into a smirk.

Scorpius gave out a laugh that sounded like a heavy exhale, breathy like a gust of wind, "It'll be okay. If we managed to live through that, we can do anything; and if we get in another situation like that, and we die, well, at least we'll be together."

Albus snorted at that, reaching up to pick at the green Slytherin crest sewn into the chest of his robes, "You really happy to die with me? What about your endeavor to marry Rose?"

Scorpius responded with a blank expression, but his face lit up in realization after a moment, "Oh, Merlin! I asked out Rose Granger-Weasley!"

"And she still said no," Albus laughed out, "How did you forget that?"

Scorpius pulled one of the books from the stack beside him absently, "I've been busy, Albus. We're taking our O.W.Ls next year remember. We both have a lot of studying to do."

"Scorpius it's December."

"Never too early to start."

"Merlin's sake..."

"Besides, asking her out was kind of spontaneous, I think I was just high off the adrenaline of almost dying and figured it was now or never, I don't really know what I was expecting her to say. I know she absolutely hates me."

"I'm sorry, Scorp," Albus said, "but hey, don't give up that easily. There's definitely still hope. Imagine how impressed she'll be when you smoke her in the O.W.Ls! When she finds out you pretty much helped save the world as we know it! You saved her life especially! You gave up an alternate reality where you basically ran the school, no bullies, no harassment, no getting locked in closets, no Ravenclaw's staining your notes in ink or tearing up your textbooks, because that world was a world where she never existed! Scorpius, you're a catch, she'll be crazy not to say yes to a date eventually! Just give her some time, okay? Don't give up so soon."

Scorpius flicked the edge of his book, staring down, "I didn't... I didn't give it up for Rose," he said, and Albus frowned, "That world, one of eternal darkness, ruled by Voldemort and the Augery. I wasn't a good person in that world... my father wasn't the man he is now, and that was scary. People were afraid of me. I don't care that I wasn't getting bullied, that people were nice to me, it wasn't worth it. Being friends with the entire school wasn't worth sacrificing you... or your family. You're the only friend I need at school. Even if I spend the next three years getting locked in closets and hexed because of an untrue rumor that started just because my father wanted to protect me from this world, just because the Ministry is too afraid to publicize the truth about Delphini, I don't much mind it. So long as I have you."

James could feel his heart seizing, again he was left so entirely confused as to how anyone could hate this kid. Across from him, Albus was watching Scorpius closely, not much emotion on his face itself, but a storm in his eyes that James, honestly, felt a bit afraid of. He couldn't tell what Albus was thinking, but the way he was watching Scorpius was intense in a way James hadn't been expecting.

The duo was quiet just long enough for James to realize why the expression was so familiar; because he'd definitely seen it before, on their mother. It was the same way she'd look at their father when he did something particularly odd.

Messing up while baking and getting covered in flour, Ginny walking into the room to find her husband trying to clean the mess, standing and waiting for a lecture about the kitchen only for Ginny to step over and hold his face between her hands, kissing him.

Oh.

That's right.

That intensely powerful expression was what Ginny gave Harry when she wanted to kiss him.

James really didn't know what to do now. If Albus reached over to try and kiss Scorpius, James might just pass out. Or freeze up like a statue.

Instead, Albus simply said, "Me too," and James almost audibly sighed in relief.

Scorpius was smiling softly down at his hands, "We were surrounded by Dementors, trying to get to the Black Lake. Severus Snape and I. Your aunt and uncle... they, um... but... okay we were surrounded, and Snape told me to think of something happy, something powerful enough to keep the Dementors from killing me. I tried to think of my mum, but it didn't work. I think... probably because I'm still miserable over her death? So, instead... he told me to think of why I was giving up that universe, where I was a king with a kingdom. He told me to think of you, and it kept the Dementors away, long enough for me to get to the lake and fix everything. If... if that makes sense..."

"Oh..."

"Yea... it was really scary," Scorpius flipped open his book, "Now shut up and let me study."

"If you study during the Christmas break I'm taking your books away."

"We're going to be stuck here for Christmas break, Albus, we forfeited our right to go home this year because of the mess we got ourselves into."

"Yea," Albus held his hands out, "Mate we've got the run of the castle, that never happens. We're gonna have so much fun!"

Scorpius smiled and shook his head, "Then let me finish my work now so I don't have anything during break. You too, study, finish your homework, because you know I will force you during Christmas if you don't do it all now."

"Why are you so mean to me?"

"Don't be so dramatic."

Albus sighed and dragged his bag up from the floor and onto the table, pulling out books and parchment looking none too happy about being hoodwinked into doing his homework.

"In the other world," Scorpius was saying as Albus opened his bottle of ink, "I never did any of my homework. I came into the library at one point, looking for answers as to what happened to Cedric Diggory, and you, and I found Craig Bowker in here. He was startled when he saw me and said he hadn't finished my essay yet. That was really horrible."

"Because he was scared of you?"

"Because I wasn't doing my own work," Scorpius looked anxiously at Albus, "I love working! A universe where I don't like homework is not a universe I want to be in!"

"Merlin bless, you're a special one alright," Albus chuckled, smoothing out his parchment, "I'm glad you like doing your work. One of us has to be motivated at least to get anything done between the two of us."

"Suppose you're right."

"We have detention again in a few hours," Albus murmured, and Scorpius smiled.

"Let's see if you can finish your Divination homework before then."

Albus was muttering something about prophecies being bullshit as someone walked up to the table, setting down their bag. James was stunned when he realized it was Rose, and Scorpius' eyes were wide.

"Oh, hello!"

Albus looked up, saw Rose, and sighed, dropping his head, "Of course the minute I decide to do some work someone else shows up."

"You're too easily distracted," Rose noted, pulling out the chair in front of her and sitting down, beginning to pull out her books with Albus and Scorpius just staring at her in confusion.

James felt incredibly proud, though. He felt as though his talk with Rose had really gotten through to her, and beamed through the little gap in the book case as Scorpius cleared his throat a few times.

"Um-."

"What did I say about making things awkward?"

Scorpius flushed, "I-I'm absolutely sorry."

"Don't apologize, Scorp," Albus said to him, then looked at his cousin, "What are you doing interrupting us?"

"My apologies, I didn't realize you owned this section of the library," Albus bristled, but Rose continued before he could respond, "There were no other seats."

"So go work outside," Albus snapped, and James felt physical pain at the way Scorpius seemed to deflate at her excuse.

"It's snowing."

"Wear a hat."

"Hey, it's totally fine!" Scorpius decided, "We don't mind! We're just finishing up our homework!"

"Yea, you missed quite a few classes," Rose noted, and Scorpius winced like she'd physically smacked him, "What are you doing for your History of Magic essay? We're supposed to pick a witch or wizard of importance from the last century."

"Ugh," Albus ran his hands over his face, but Scorpius simply lit up.

"I have a whole list of people I want to write about!"

"For the sake of Merlin and my sanity, do not write an essay on my father," Albus said, smacking the table with his hand, "The other year, everyone wrote an essay on Harry Potter, the poor Professor got so fed up he actually contacted my dad to help grade them."

"I'm not gonna write about him, don't worry," Scorpius laughed, lips in a thin line again, "I don't think he'd be very amused even if I did. No, I might do Regulus Black."

"You're picking a dead person?" Rose asked, and Scorpius frowned, "Professor Binns said that it would probably be better to pick someone alive, unless we know if there's a ghost roaming around. Otherwise it'll be more difficult to research. Not to mention how little is still known of Regulus Black."

"Well...," Scorpius trailed off, suddenly looking disheartened, and Albus snorted.

"Who are you writing about then?"

"My mum of course," Rose seemed to swell in pride, "The first known Muggle born witch to ever make Minister of Magic? Who else would I pick?"

"Huh," Albus looked at Scorpius, "Slughorn knew Regulus personally, remember? You could ask about him. I think it would be good to write about him. If you don't, I'll do it."

Scorpius laughed nervously, "Well, I mean, the essay isn't due till next year. Summer homework and all. I have time."

"I've already got my outline," Rose pulled out a thick scroll, "of course I've been adding a lot as I remember it."

"Is bragging over your essay the only reason you sat down?" Albus asked defensively, and Rose gave him a look.

"There were no other seats, I already said so."

"Well, then we're leaving," Albus stood, shoving all his books and parchment into his back, securing his ink before tossing that in last, "Come on, Scorpius, let's go talk to Slughorn."

"Oh. Oh! Yea!" Scorpius hopped to his feet, "Yea, he's got pictures too! Do you think he'd let me borrow some?"

"Course he will."

They walked off, leaving Rose at the table, glaring after them. James huffed through his nose in disappointment. That had been a pretty big disaster, but at least Rose tried, she had to be given credit for that. She'd just have to try again later.

James backed away, quietly replacing the books he'd taken down and creeping from the library to wander the halls.

It had been and interesting interaction to say the least, James thought he learned quite a bit just from listening and watching as the two Slytherin fourth years talked, and even after Rose joined them. James didn't know who "Delphini Riddle" or "the Augery" were, but he was smart enough to connect that they must have been involved in Albus disappearing those three times. With that simple fact known, James decided he didn't like her.

He wished he could talk to someone about it all, but he got the feeling bringing it up to his father would have the same effect as before.

"Don't bother your brother over it. It's not the school's business," blah, blah, blah.

In addition to their whispers of Delphini, their expressions and actions were also incredibly intriguing. The way Scorpius was sitting comfortably relaxed but tensed in his seat when Rose showed up, greeting her so enthusiastically but deflating the way he did when she implied she was there as a last resort.

Of course, because she would never sit with the son of Voldemort in any other situation.

Then the way Albus grew tense and defensive the minute Scorpius began to shrink, like he was trying to make up for his friend's fading self esteem; he lashed at Rose like he was defending Scorpius, protecting him. Fascinating, watching them interact.

Albus was an entirely different person with Scorpius than he was with everyone else, including his family. Not in a bad way of course.

Still, James wanted to talk to him, needed to, but every time he managed to get Albus alone, he'd dodge James' questions like a pro and sneak off the second James looked away. Then suddenly it was Christmas break, Albus was staying at Hogwarts with Scorpius, while James was hustled onto the train with the rest of his cousins and Lily, heading home for the holidays.

He didn't even try talking to his father about Albus, and tried to enjoy his time off from school without worrying too much, tucked into the Burrow with his largely extended family and slouched on one of the couches in the living area as the youngest of his cousins joined Lily and Hugo in chasing a flying toy that one of his uncle's had given them.

James was being much quieter than he usually was, especially on the holidays, and of course everyone, the adults mostly, noticed something must have been wrong with him. Not that he could help it. He'd been like this since he got off the train and realized Albus wasn't with them. Was it that strange to worry about his brother?

"This is the quietest I have literally ever seen you in my entire life," a sudden familiar voice said, and James flinched from where he'd been slouching against the arm of the couch, looking to the left to watch Teddy Lupin fall onto the couch just beside him.

"Hey, you made it!" James greeted, one of his usual smiles taking to his lips but falling rapidly, "Am I being quiet?"

"Everyone's noticed," Teddy revealed, and James leaned his head into his hand, keeping his elbow propped on the arm of the couch so he could watch Teddy with the least amount of work as the older boy talked, "Gran and I just got here, Harry says you've been sitting here sulking for the past three hours."

"Three hours? Felt shorter than that," James half joked at that, but the humor didn't seem to reach his voice.

Teddy seemed to notice, not surprising (he noticed everything), and his brows knit together above eyes that were currently a swirl of green and gold, flecked with flashes of silver and red. Like he'd decided to morph his eyes into the most Christmassy color he could think of. His hair, on the other hand, was his signature blue with a softer pastel blue frosting the tips.

"I'm fine, Teds," James tried to assure the expression of concern off Teddy's face, but it didn't work, and he just leaned closer to James so their shoulders were touching and their head's bowed close.

"It's Albus, right?" Teddy asked, and James let out a frustrated sigh, "Harry told me. It was a pretty big deal around the Ministry."

"Why?" James asked, "That's what's bothering me, I have no clue what even happened!" he kept his voice as low as he could so only Teddy could hear, grateful for the ruckus the rest of the family was making in their festivities.

Teddy was rubbing his neck, looking awkwardly off to the side, "Well... look, honestly you'd probably be even more worried if you knew. That's likely why you haven't been told yet. Your dad doesn't want to worry you or Lily."

James turned to face Teddy, leaning into his space, "I'm already worried, Lupin, tell me what happened to my brother."

Teddy exhaled through his nose and looked at the door to the kitchen, "I told your dad I was just going to talk to you, let you confide in me, never said anything about telling you Ministry secrets."

"Like you've never done that before," James threw in a blasé manner, "Look, I overheard Al and Scorpius talking in the library the other day."

"You were eavesdropping?"

"Teddy you prick, I was spying, that's much more sophisticated," James stated with a finger in Teddy's face, "I overheard them say a bunch of stuff, but it's like they gave me a bunch of puzzle pieces without telling me what the final piece was supposed to look like. They were talking about the Daily Prophet withholding information, death eaters, Azkaban, Voldemort, someone called the Augery; what's an Augery by the way? You heard a kid died? People have been spreading that Al and Scorpius killed him. I was there, I didn't see anyone, just-just Craig; a flash of green light. I heard someone screaming, and after some time and thought I think it was Scorpius Malfoy who was screaming."

Teddy seemed taken aback by that, the red flecks in his eyes engulfing the rest of his iris before they morphed back into the holiday swirl of colors.

"I didn't know that."

"Well what do you know? Listen, Scorpius was talking about some weird stuff in the library, wording out his family tree and concluding that he wasn't the son of You-Know-Who, but that he was distantly sodding related to him, which sounds like the worst damn family reunion I've ever heard of frankly."

"Alright, I'll tell you what I know, but you can't mention that you actually have this information, because I'm not allowed to talk about it."

"Will you get fired if they find out."

"I think Harry might just ground me."

"No one cares, tell me what happened."

Teddy glanced over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening before leaning closer to James, close enough that their foreheads were touching so he could whisper as lowly as he could.

"A few months ago, Amos Diggory stopped at your house with his niece and caretaker, a young girl about my age calling herself Delphini Diggory."

"Delphini. Scorpius and Al said that name. They didn't call her Diggory though. Isn't that the name of the Hufflepuff who died during the last Triwizard Tournament?"

"That's right, he was murdered by Voldemort because he was in the way of your dad."

"Oh..."

"Amos was his father. The past half year, the Aurors have been raiding the homes of known dark wizards and dark magic enthusiasts, searching for Time Turners and destroying them. Hermione made them illegal see, so we had to enforce the law by confiscating the Time Turners, destroying them, giving the witches and wizards found with them a trial and imprisoning them if the evidence called for it. We found one in the possession of Theodore Nott, but instead of destroying it immediately, it was kept. Somehow Amos Diggory learned of it and came calling your father demanding he use it to bring back his son."

"Merlin..."

"Using time magic like that is illegal for a reason, it's dangerous and can have catastrophic consequences. I think Albus did what he did with good intentions, he fought with your father and ran away, thinking he could right all of Harry's wrongs, or at least one of them. Maybe to gain his approval, I'm not sure, his mind works very differently than yours or mine does. He and Scorpius jumped the Express and went to the home Amos was living in, enlisted Delphini's help, and using polyjuice potion, infiltrated the ministry posing as your dad, Hermione, and Ron. They found the Time Turner in your aunt's office and took it. Standing at the edge of the forest at Hogwarts, they went back in time, trying to save Cedric's life."

"You've got to be kidding me. It's cool they jumped the train and successfully infiltrated the ministry, but is my brother really that dumb?"

"Is that a question?" Teddy asked, then continued, "The first try, from what I understand, failed, but there were still consequences. Five minutes in the past put Albus in Gryffindor house instead of Slytherin, and Harry forbid him from speaking to Scorpius. Dumb move in my opinion, as if they wouldn't find a way past that, which they did. They tried again to save Cedric, succeeded the second time, but... with catastrophic consequences. Scorpius only gave foot notes on the situation, but when he returned to the present, Albus wasn't with him. He returned to a world run by death eaters."

"Oh Merlin..."

"He fixed it, fixed everything, made it so Cedric had died so he could bring back Albus and the way the world is now, safe from Voldemort, but it didn't end there. They were going to destroy the Time Turner, not trusting the Ministry to do it since they failed in it the first time. Albus, unfortunately, made the mistake of contacting Delphini for her input, and instead of helping them, she took the Time Turner and kidnapped them, snapped their wands and brought them to the Quidditch pitch."

"Where Craig died..."

"Hit with the killing curse cast by Delphini."

"Who the hell is she? She kidnapped Al and Scorpius, killed an innocent kid?"

"Harry didn't believe what she claimed at first, until she showed a fraction of her power and flew without the use of a broom," Teddy said grimly, "The daughter of Tom Riddle and Bellatrix Lestrange."

James felt sick, his mouth drying as he opened it attempting to speak, "You've gotta be kidding."

Teddy shook his head, "She went back to Halloween day, the day your grandparents were murdered. Her intention was to stop her father, so he wouldn't lose his powers to your father in an attempt to kill him. To stop the prophecy of the Chosen One from ever existing. Al and Scorpius were stuck in time, but luckily they managed to send a message to the present. Your father, mother, aunt and uncle, and Draco Malfoy, used another Time Turner to find the boys, managed to stop Delphini, and brought her back to the present, sending her to Azkaban, where she is currently."

"That's what they were talking about in the library then," James said, staring down, "but the Ministry is keeping her existence under wraps they said. There's been no reports of Voldemort's daughter existing at all, let alone that she kidnapped the boys and killed Craig Bowker Jr."

Teddy sighed and looked at the door again before turning back to James, "I know. It was a long and annoying delegation, but after discussion, Hermione and the rest decided to keep her existence from the eyes of the public, for now at least. There's too much at stake they claim-."

"Scorpius said that," James admitted, "That a confirmed child of the Dark Lord would just give his supporters more power to rise up and start another war, with her at the helm of it all."

"Scorpius is right...," Teddy trailed, running a hand through his hair, "not that I enjoy the secrecy. I think it's ridiculous. I'm worried it might come out later, in the worst way possible, and what are people going to think of the Ministry then? Keeping something so important a secret?"

"Not like there's anything we can do about it," James murmured, arms folded, sighing and dropping his shoulders, "Merlin, I can't believe this. Damn it all, Albus. Why's he gotta get himself into this kind of bind?"

"It's done with now, Jamie."

"But the fact it happened in the first place," James argued, "I heard their argument, before term started, it was... it was really bad, Teddy. They both said some awful things to each other."

"They didn't mean it. Your dad is a good man, and Albus is just young and confused about himself."

"I should've done something," James said miserably, running a hand over his face, "I can't believe one wrong move and my brother could've been dead. Poof, gone, just like that. I should've tried harder to talk to him. I was so busy with my stupid hair..."

"None of this is your fault," Teddy scolded, "Things happen."

"It could've been avoided."

"Maybe," Teddy agreed loosely, "but at this point, just be happy he's alive and safe. In a messed up way, I think the experience was good for him. It's unfair a boy was killed, that will never be fair, but Albus will surely grow from it. He's got a lot of potential, he just doesn't know it yet. Not to mention his self confidence is shot from the way he's treated at school."

"I should've tried harder to stop that, too," James said, staring at his hands, "I know some people from my house, from my year even, are some of the people who target him, and Scorpius. I should try harder to stop them."

"You've still got time, Jamie," Teddy assured, "The rest of this year, and next year."

"Then I'm graduated and gone, unable to help him."

"It will never be too late to be his brother," Teddy corrected with a naturally crooked smile, messing up James' hair with a hand, "It'll be alright now. Everything's settled down."

"Yea...," James said, but it didn't quite sound like he actually believed it, so Teddy tugged at his hair.

"Mate I think there's still some pink in your hair."

"What?!" James shot back and grabbed his head, eyes wide, "I thought I got it all!"

"Aw, Jamie, don't worry so much, I think pink looks great on you!" Teddy said, the blue in his hair rapidly shifting color until it was a bright, almost insulting shade of pink, "Very punk rock."

"Merlin you are so fucking gay."

Teddy gave a clearly exaggerated wink, playing right along to James' smile, "Don't tell Vic, she'll be devastated."

"No I won't be," Victoire shot down as she passed through the room carrying extra dishes, and Teddy turned to her with his hands held up as James curled forward laughing.

Talking with Teddy always made him feel better. He was the only one who seemed to know James well enough to know exactly what to say in order to make him smile, to bring his self confidence back.

His spirits were a lot higher than they were before, and he felt more motivated to talk to Albus as soon as they returned to Hogwarts for their next term.

He continued to replay Teddy's words in his head as he got on the train, insisting he, Lily, Rose, and Hugo all share a compartment together ("We'll see our friends in a few hours, let's have some more family time!"), but sat silently with his knee bouncing as he planned what he would say to Albus.

There were still a few more days till classes started up again, but James wanted to get Albus alone as soon as possible, so they could talk, then have a few days just to spend together bonding. James could practically see the face Albus would give him when he recommended they "bond". He tried not to think about it though.

Teddy said it would never be too late to be a brother to Albus, but after such a close call, James didn't want to wait any longer. The fact he waited this long was atrocious. It just wasn't acceptable.

"You know I love you, right Lils?" He asked his sister when they were on the platform, Hogwarts castle silhouetting the slowly darkening sky in the distance.

Lily just gave him a strange look, one eyebrow curved, "I know you love me, thick head, it's very obvious."

"Oh, good," he threw an arm around Rose, "I love you too, you know?"

Rose narrowed her eyes, watching James grab the back of Hugo's shirt to drag him closer, hugging him tightly from behind.

"I love my little Beater too!"

"Ge' offa me!"

"What's the matter with you today?" Rose asked as James ruffled Hugo's ginger head of hair, "Extra family time, confessing your love for us, which we already know."

"You can never say it too much, Rosie!" James exclaimed, squeezing her cheeks between his hands, "Always tell your family you love them! Always, always!"

Rose rubbed her cheeks and stared after James with an uncertain look in her eyes, like she figured he was ill.

"James has gone mad," Hugo said, eyes wide, and Lily laughed softly as she pushed him by his shoulders from behind.

"He's always been that way! I kind of like how straight forward he is, you know? I love you too, James!"

Rose couldn't help smiling a crooked smile at that, watching James spin around to walk backwards and wave, "Me too, James! Kind of!"

"I don't," Hugo decided, "Why are girls so weird?"

"You think James is the coolest big cousin ever though, don't you?" Rose asked, and Hugo frowned.

"No I don't."

"He does," Lily assured, "He told me so."

"No I didn't!"

James had his priorities set when he stepped into the castle, heading straight for the Great Hall where that night's supper would be finishing up. Only a couple handfuls of students had returned, so it was nearly empty, most kids huddled at the Gryffindor or Ravenclaw tables, having condensed the seating just for the holidays and blending houses.

Slytherin table, however, did have a few people sitting at it, small groups huddled together, casting suspicious glances at the end nearest the door, where Albus and Scorpius were sitting alone.

James was going to walk right over to talk to them, no more interruptions, until something did interrupt him, in the form of three familiar seventh year Gryffindor's. James knew their names, but didn't care to address them by such as they exited the Great Hall and into the corridor beyond, shoving each other and laughing.

"Hey," James called to them, and the three stopped simultaneously to grin in his direction, knowing him as the captain of their house Quidditch team and Harry Potter's oldest son; they liked him, but most of the time James got the feeling they were only nice to him because of who he was related to.

Their shared house also played into that, as these three had never been too good to hurl insults at Albus whenever they passed him in the halls. James knew about that, and about the shoving and the fighting that left Albus with a busted lip he lied about ("Care of Magical Creatures class, mum, I need to be more careful." James knew it was a lie because Albus was phenomenal in Hagrid's class).

"Potter! Have a good Christmas, yea?"

"Uh-huh. You didn't go home?"

"Wanted to stay back for once, see what Hogwarts on Christmas was like."

"Hope you haven't been messing around my brother."

It was something James hadn't said before, something he was disappointed in himself for not saying before. The three older boys just stared at him blankly, then snorted in different tones and volumes; the shorter of the three practically guffawed at it.

"You're funny, Potter!"

"I mean it," James quickly tried to clear his point so they would understand, "Stay away from my brother."

They didn't look amused anymore, scowling at James, who'd never been in a fist fight before, but was readying himself just in case, hands in fists at his sides and eyes narrowed.

Instead of fighting him, they just turned, "Whatever, James. Not our problem if you've turned into a snake lover. Completely disregard the fact they're all death eaters and murderers."

"They're not," James snapped, but he was ignored. It gave him the sense that the rest of the year might not be so fantastic for him, but he pushed the thought aside and just walked into the Great Hall to join Albus.

To say his brother was surprised at his appearance would be an understatement, because the moment James dropped himself onto the bench beside him, he froze with a forkful of cake halfway in his mouth, looked at James from the corner of his eyes, and stuffed the dessert into his mouth while mumbling around the utensil.

"He said what are you doing here," Scorpius translated, and James gaped at him.

"You understood that?"

"Well, he used a couple more words, but I decided not to repeat those."

Albus dropped the fork onto his plate and turned his head just enough to stare at James, "Isn't your table across the room?"

"But it's Christmas."

"No it's not."

"Classes don't start for another four days."

"I don't care."

"Gryffindor table is too crowded right now."

"I'm sure they'll make room for Mister James Quidditch Captain Potter."

"I wanted to sit with you though," James lifted the bag he'd been carrying on him, the rest of his luggage had probably been taken upstairs already, and dipped his hand into it, "Brought you something!"

"I don't want it."

"You don't even know what it is yet."

"Don't care."

"It could be cool."

"Doubt it."

"I'm giving it to you anyway," James set the gift on the table in front of Albus, who growled lowly, which was almost disheartening, but Scorpius was watching the interaction between them from Albus' other side, absolutely beaming.

"Got something for you too!" James said, and Scorpius' smile fell as his already pale features seemed to get whiter in shock; maybe that was fear though.

"Don't accept it, Scorp, he coulda cursed something."

"I don't even know any curses."

"That's a lie and you know it."

"It's just a book," James lifted the hardcover and Albus turned away with a hiss.

"His only weakness," he whispered under his breath as Scorpius reached out to take the book from James.

"What's this for?" he asked.

"Oh, Rose told me, uh, she met you two in the library before Christmas break. You mentioned wanting to write about Regulus Black for your History of Magic essay due over the summer."

"Oh," Scorpius slumped his shoulders, looking at the velvet cover of 'Black Family Through the Ages', which James had bought for himself a while back.

"I wrote my essay on Sirius, that's why I bought that. Course it's not as good as getting information straight from his mouth, but with that book and some first hand accounts from my dad and other people who knew him, I was able to write a good sized essay! It shouldn't matter if the person you choose to write about is dead or not. Actually I think those are the people who need to be written about the most! The dead don't have voices of their own! Unless they're ghosts of course, but I don't think Regulus Black is a ghost."

"Wow, um...," Scorpius seemed completely at a loss for words, staring at the book before looking at James, seemingly awestruck and clearly touched by the gesture, "Thank you."

"Ugh," Albus made a face and went back to leaning over his dessert as James talked over his head.

"Maybe you can talk to our dad about him! I don't think he knows that much, but you could also try Slughorn, McGonagall, Madam Pomfrey or Professor Sprout, Hagrid or Binns. Hey, you could come with us to Grimmauld Place this summer and try to talk with Kreacher!" James ignored the sound of Albus choking on his cake, "That's the old house elf who lives there, he's taken care of the Black family house for generations! He knew Regulus Black better than anyone! He's hard to talk to, a little snappish and sour, but you get along fine with Albus so dealing with Kreacher should be a walk in the park!"

Albus was red faced, James didn't know if it was because he was choking on his food, he was angry, or embarrassed, but Scorpius was smiling crookedly. He didn't accept or deny the invitation, just looked back down at the book, while James turned to Albus, who was downing his goblet of Pumpkin Juice like he'd been in the desert for weeks.

"Open yours now," James insisted, and Albus set his goblet down with a thud before glaring at James.

"I don't want anything, James," he said simply, pushing the parcel wrapped neatly in brown paper in front of James, "Why didn't you just send it with an owl if you're so insistent?"

"I wanted to watch you open it," James said, pushing the parcel back.

Albus smacked a hand on top of it to stop it from getting closer, then pushed it back towards James, "No thank you. Give it to someone else. Rose or Lily or Hugo maybe."

"But it's yours," James emphasized the word 'yours' with a shove against the package, forcing it closer to Albus.

They were facing each other now, both hands on either side of the present and struggling to shove it away and towards the other.

"I don't want your charity, James."

"It's not charity, it's love!"

"Merlin, I'd rather take charity!"

"Come on, you two, people are staring," Scorpius chided, looking around at the other three tables and the dozen or so sets of eyes staring over at them.

"Only cuz mister perfect Gryffindor here has infiltrated Slytherin," Albus grunted against his struggle to deny the present.

"I can sit here if I want, there are Ravenclaws sitting at my table, it's allowed before term starts."

"You're bloody annoying!"

"Open it!"

"Sod off!"

"Okay!" Scorpius stood up and plucked the wrapped parcel from between them, then stepped away from the bench and held it up, one hand on his hip, "Confiscated! You're making a scene! It was funny at first but now you're getting on my nerves! James, you came here for a reason, right?"

"I go to school here."

"No, that's not what I-," Scorpius paused and rolled his eyes, "I meant you sat at our table for a different reason, not just to give us Christmas presents."

"Oh! Yea I did!" He turned to Albus, "I gotta talk to you."

"No," Albus turned back to his plate, which had been cleared of food, leaving him gaping in disappointment before glaring at James, "You've ruined my night yet again, James. My chocolate cake is gone forever."

"I'll bake you some later."

"No."

"Al, remember earlier you asked me to get the new password from Professor Slughorn?"

Albus looked at Scorpius, "So?"

"So if you don't have a civil conversation with your brother I'm not telling you what it is."

"What? That's not fair. I'll just ask him myself."

"He's gone to bed already."

"I'll ask someone from our dorm."

"You think they'd tell you?"

Albus ground his teeth together before giving a groan and hoisting himself to his feet, "Bloody- Merlin- Sod awful- get the hell up, James, before everyone starts filing to their dorms."

James grinned at Scorpius, who just offered a smug, very Slytherin smile in return, and hurried after Albus as he made his way out of the Great Hall and down the darkest corridor. Likely because it was the one least likely to be interrupted down.

They didn't stop until they were several twists and turns away from the Great Hall, standing by a set of open windows carved into the gray stone, showing the courtyard below, dark but lit up by moonlight.

"So? What do you want? What was so important you lost me my chocolate cake to tell me?"

James found himself hesitating for some reason, looking up and down the hall to make sure no one, student or otherwise, was listening, because clearly this topic wasn't one that should be discussed; especially within the school.

"I talked to Teddy about what happened," he started, careful of how he worded his sentences, "You know, how you disappeared from the trai-."

"Stop," Albus slapped a hand over his mouth, then looked down the hall, dropping his hand and grabbing James by the tie so he could drag him further down the hall, out into the courtyard, releasing James only when they were next to the fountain.

"There, now no one can hear us," he said, and James stared at him, somewhat impressed, before shaking his head and continuing.

"I talked to Teddy about you and Scorpius disappearing those three times. You had everyone worried, you know? Dad wouldn't even let me see you when he found you the first time. He said you hurt your arm?"

Albus just sat down on the wall around the fountain, arms folded, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I know everything that happened, Al, Teddy told me. Jumping off the train, Amos Diggory, breaking into the Ministry and stealing the Time Turner, Delphini."

"Don't say that name," Albus snapped, bristling, his green eyes like tar against the darkness of the courtyard.

"What do you want me to call her then? That one bitch? Sorry, I meant witch," he barely saw Albus' lips twitch into a smile he disguised as a scowl, and sat down next to his brother, facing him, "Bottom line is I know what happened, okay? Teddy wasn't supposed to tell me, he said the Ministry is keeping a lid on it to keep the magical world from going chaotic over the existence of... well, her."

"And?" Albus snapped, "What do you want, a fuckin medal? You know what happened, congratulations, five points to Gryffindor, what do you want me to say, huh?"

"Nothing, I just-!" James sighed, "Look I was really worried about you! Why didn't you tell me what was going on? I could've helped!"

"Are you mad? Why the hell would I tell you anything?!"

"Because I'm your brother!"

"Yea and Harry Potter is my dad, but I didn't tell him either!"

"That's a little different," James argued, "Is it that hard to believe you could've confided in me?"

"Kind of?" Albus scoffed, turning away, "Doesn't matter that you know what happened. I imagine what you got were the cliff notes, you don't know what I saw."

"Well... so what?" James felt somewhat desperate, "Tell me then."

"No thanks."

"Why?"

"Aside from the fact this is the first time you've sought me out at school to talk to me about something other than Quidditch, our parents, or the fact I'm in Slytherin house?"

".... yea, aside from that."

"You fucked up my dessert."

"That's petty."

"I'm a Slytherin."

"Being Slytherin doesn't mean you have to be petty- okay stop distracting me. I'm being serious here."

"Sirius is your middle name."

"Stop it," James said, and he must have spoken in an authoritative tone, because Albus went rigid, staring at him with the same silent defiance he'd give their father.

James found himself sighing again, leaning over his knees with his arms folded against them, staring at the castle and the lights flickering in the windows. They wouldn't be able to stay out much longer, it was already nearly pitch dark out, a professor would probably be along to chide them inside soon.

"I'm sorry," the apology slipped out without James thinking about it, but Albus didn't say anything in return, so he continued, desperately, "Just from what Teddy said... it sounded like it was really scary. I saw the light that flashed from her killing curse. I was on my broom by the forest edge looking for you, and that green light just lit the sky over the Quidditch pitch, so I flew over, saw Craig just lying there..."

"... you're the one who found him?"

"Yea," James tapped his fingers together, "I was really scared. You were missing, a kid was dead, I thought... you know, I thought the worst."

"Thought Scorpius and I had killed him?"

"What? No," James sat straighter to look at him, "I thought you were dead, too."

For some reason, Albus looked surprised at his admission, like he never expected James to worry for his safety.

"That witch, Delphini, blood of one of the most dangerous Dark Wizards of our history... she came after you like You-Know-Who came after dad. Like the Potter's are cursed... like he cursed our entire family when he killed our grandparents. She manipulated you and nearly killed you, you would've been lost in time, I never would have seen you again."

"Is that such a tragedy?"

"Don't bloody say that!" James snapped, and Albus leaned back, pushed by the raise in volume, "Why is it so hard to get it through your head that I care about you?! You're my brother! You're the only one I got and I don't want to lose you just because you're moody and reckless! Talk to me, damn it! Give me a chance to help you! No one can help you if you don't reach out!"

"I don't need your help, James!"

"That's too bad cuz here I am; I'm not going anywhere!"

"You're annoying!"

"I'm supposed to be!"

"Who's out there?!" James and Albus both froze at the sound of Filch's voice, staring at the lantern bobbing towards the courtyard, "Past curfew! Students out of bed!"

James grabbed Albus and dragged him up, around the fountain and down the far hall that lead onto the grassy hill beyond that lead to the Black Lake, the forest, and Hagrid's hut. They ducked behind the stone structures just beyond the arching doorway, watching the bobbing lantern in the distance before it disappeared back into the castle.

James sighed in relief and Albus muttered under his breath, "I'm expelled if they find me out here..."

"I've got my cloak, don't worry, I won't let you get expelled," James assured, turning and sitting in the grass, staring down at Hagrid's hut, where a single window was lit up.

Albus sat beside him, unable to do much else now. He couldn't just walk into the castle by himself without getting in trouble, so he had to just sit with James until he decided to pull out the cloak and sneak them both back inside.

"I was scared...," James muttered again, and Albus dragged his feet closer, lifting his knees and folding his arms over them, "I'm just sorry, okay? I've been a really bad brother, especially at school. I could've been more supportive of you, but I never tried hard enough. Always teasing you and making jokes about being in Slytherin house."

"That's how you express yourself, by making jokes," Albus muttered, "I don't know how you got it into your head that people wouldn't like you unless you made stupid jokes."

"I don't think that."

"Are you sure?"

James didn't reply, staring up at the stars as he considered it. Those three seventh year Gryffindor's, he recalled, laughing with them about Slytherin students and about Albus and Scorpius, selling his soul to a damaging joke just to be liked and accepted. He wanted to be something other than a Potter.

The first time he ever spoke seriously against those three, defended Albus instead of laughing at him, they scoffed at him. They wanted nothing to do with James Potter unless he was willing to hate Slytherin as much as they did. Maybe... maybe Albus was right.

"What the shit is wrong with me?" He asked, and Albus rolled his head to look at him.

"Get it finally?"

"I'm... sorry."

"It's not my life you're dragging around, it's yours. Look," Albus leaned forward, "I don't care that you laugh at me behind my back, I don't care that ninety percent of the school hates me while nine percent don't give a shit about me. Wanna know why?"

"Why?"

"At least I have a real friend," Albus was staring at the sky, "Even if it's just one, even if he's from a family dad hates... Scorpius saved my life. We saved Cedric Diggory, but it lead to dad dying, Neville dying, and me, you, Lily, never existing. Saving Cedric Diggory by humiliating him turned him, and he became a death eater, murdered Neville, dad was killed in a raid on the school, Voldemort ran the wizarding world with Delphini as the Augery beside him. Scorpius was a king in that alternate reality, ran the school because of his name, because people were either afraid of him or worshiped him, but he gave it up to save me and bring me back.

"My only friend did that for me, James. I couldn't care less about the rest of this school so long as I keep that friend. So go ahead and laugh at me behind my back, I honestly don't care. I've got Scorpius, you've got your jokes, we both win."

"I'd rather have my brother," James decided, hands clenched together, "Scorpius really did that for you?" Albus shrugged, "I should've given him more than a book... I need to thank him..."

"Don't talk to him."

"Why not?"

"Cuz if you make him upset I'll have to kill you."

James barked a laugh, then frowned, "Wait are you serious?"

"He's been through enough," Albus muttered, and James furrowed his brow.

"I heard... I heard someone scream, after I saw that light. It sounded like... Scorpius... what happened to him? After Delphini killed Craig? What did she do to you? To Scorpius?"

"Aside from kidnapping us?" Albus asked, staring at the grass around his shoes, "She was going to torture me."

"Wh- the cruciatus curse?"

"Yea?"

"Merlin... she didn't-."

"No, she didn't, but I would've preferred it."

"Al!"

"I can handle physical pain, James, but I'm not strong enough to watch it happen to my best friend."

James felt himself choke on his own breath, but felt stupid for not realizing that's what happened sooner. Of course a dark witch born of Voldemort would kidnap two innocent kids and torture one of them to manipulate the second into doing what she wanted. James was furious, but felt somehow proud.

"You went with her so she would stop hurting Scorpius..."

"He told me not to," Albus croaked, "Said not to bother, that it was fine, but I couldn't... he's my best friend, I couldn't... let him die..."

James reached out to wrap an arm around Albus, pulling him closer and hugging him with both arms wound around his shoulders and chest. He expected Albus to jerk away or fight the embrace like he usually did, but instead he slumped into it, head on James' shoulder.

"All the rumors, all the history of Slytherin students... you and Scorpius are the least Slytherin-like Slytherins I've ever met."

"No we're not," Albus mumbled, "We're what Slytherin are supposed to be."

James laughed at that, hugging Albus tighter, "Yea, I like that better," he squeezed his brother, "You did a good job, Al. Keeping him safe; keeping each other safe. I... wish I had a friendship like that."

"You can't have Scorpius," Albus said, voice muffled, it sounded like he was crying, and James grinned.

"Maybe we can share him?"

"Fuck off."

James just laughed again, softer this time, and continued to hold Albus until he'd calmed down, pulling out of James' embrace and turning his back to him, rubbing his eyes and sniffing.

James reached into his bag and pulled out the invisibility cloak, rising to his feet, "Hey, Al."

"What now?"

"Remember you can talk to me, okay? Don't ever do something this reckless again. I don't ever want to be scared of you never coming back," he reached his hand down, and Albus took it reluctantly, standing, "We're brothers, remember. We have a special bond."

"That sounds gross."

"Sorry about your cake by the way."

"Whatever."

"I'll make it up to you, promise. Come on, duck under, I'll make sure you don't get caught."

Albus muttered but obeyed, squeezing against James' side beneath the cloak and struggling to walk in tune with his older brother as they snuck back into the castle.

"Stop," Albus hissed, "That's the way to Gryffindor common room."

"Well, what do you expect me to do?"

"Help me down to Slytherin, then sneak back to Gryffindor."

"I thought you didn't know the password?"

"I bloody don't but Scorpius is probably already in bed!"

"Just come with me."

"That fat painting isn't gonna let me in, you know that! Even if she did I do not want to spend the night in Gryffindor tower with the majority of my bullies!"

"I'll beat 'em all up for you, don't worry."

"James you've never been in a fight in your life!"

"Who's there?" A voice echoed down the hall, and James exchanged a panicked look with Albus before jerking out from under the cloak, ensuring it was still covering Albus before spinning on his heel, seconds before a wand lit up in his face.

"James?"

"Oh! Hello Professor Longbottom! What are you doing wandering the halls this late? That's not allowed, you know."

Neville stared blankly at him for a moment, "I am a teacher, you know. I was patrolling. Ever since your brother started popping in and out..."

"Ah, making sure the kiddos are safe? Good man," James reached out to pat him on the shoulder, "Well, I should be off to my room now."

"What are you doing wandering the halls in the first place?" Neville asked, glancing at the space beside James where Albus was probably still standing.

"Just... enjoying the fresh air a moment. I... couldn't remember the password to the portal."

"Mandrake."

"Ah! Yes! Of course! Thank you, Professor!"

"Lacewing."

"Pardon?"

"You can come out, Albus," Neville said, pointing his wand at where Albus was, "I'm not dumb, I went to school with your father. Come on."

The air seemed to ripple as Albus peeled the cloak off, looking sheepishly off to the side as he handed it back to James and Neville set one hand against his hip, brow curved up towards his hairline.

"Honestly."

"We're sorry Professor," James quickly said, "It's my fault, I bullied him out of the Great Hall and outside, I wanted to talk to him about... everything he missed out at Christmas back at home."

Neville eyed him before looking closely at Albus, and maybe he noticed the glassy sheen of his eyes, or the red around them, the streaks of tears dried to his cheeks, but the Godfather in him must have won out over the Professor, because he huffed through his nose and glanced at James.

"The password to Gryffindor common room is Mandrake."

"Yes, sir."

"And Lacewing is the password to Slytherin," he said this to Albus, who glanced at him before looking back at the stone floor, "Both of you run on now, get to bed."

"Yes, sir."

"Thanks," Albus muttered, turning around with James, only a few steps away before Neville called out again.

"Al, come see me tomorrow."

Albus walked backwards to look back at him, "Am I in trouble?"

"No," Neville smiled, "Thought you and I could have tea."

Neville might not have seen it, but James was close enough to see the way Albus' lips curled in a small smile.

"Sounds cool."

"Bring Scorpius if you wish."

"Thank you, sir."

"Now bed, go on."

"Lucky," James said as they turned a corner, "You get your Godfather right next door for tea, and to get you out of trouble."

"I think he's just trying to make me feel better," Albus admitted stopping at the fork in the castle, left hall leading to Slytherin common room and the right leading up to Gryffindor tower, "Thanks, I guess."

"Anytime," James smiled, grabbing Albus as he turned and hugging him from the side, "I love you, Al."

"Let me go before I bind your legs and make you crawl to your bed."

James just laughed, ruffling Albus' hair as he pulled back and turned, his back to Albus so he didn't see the smile on his brother's face.

[icameheretowinry]

Ed for character ask, if you want! Have a nice day ❤️

If I want? If I want??? If I want?!?!?! OF COURSE I WANT TO. Ed ruined my life in the best possible way and I will ramble about him forever. LET’S. DO. THIS. 

How I feel about this character:

Obviously, you guys know that Edward Elric is not only my favorite character in the fma universe, but probably my favorite character in general. He’s excellently written, deeply representative of the nature of humanity, and endures beautifully subtle development over the course of his story. I’ve done several character analyses of Ed, but I tend to ramble. Here, I really want to take my time, and talk about specific aspects of his character I think are the most worthy of note. This might get l o n g, so grab some snacks and settle in. Let’s talk about the Fullmetal Alchemist!

One of most defining and well-written characteristics of Ed is his tragic backstory. The consequences of attempting to revive their mother follow Ed and Al years after it occurs, and forms one the main backbone of their story. While the immediate aftermath tends to define a large part of Ed’s personality in the beginning, what makes him so fascinating is that he eventually learns that using his personal tragedies as an excuse for his shortcomings with get him nowhere. Instead, he learns to use his suffering as a springboard to make sure no one else ever has to feel the way he and his brother did. The awful things that happen to Nina are a major setback, but instead of collapsing further in on himself, Ed, mostly thanks to Al, realizes that not only is it ok to start by trying to save himself, but with that effort, he can become stronger, and by extension, do more to help others. So, instead of using tragedy as an excuse for his weaknesses, Ed faces them to make himself stronger, and throughout his journey, use them as markers of his progress, or as checks to his humility. 

Ed is also incredibly well-written to reflect his age. Sure, your average twelve-year-old is not an alchemic prodigy serving in the military, but I’m talking about how Ed reacts to his circumstances as a boy who’s just trying to piece he and his brother’s lives back together. Ed can play up the adult facade as much as he wants, but Arakawa also wrote him to be what he is; a kid. In the early stages of his story, Ed reacts to many inconveniences with fits of frustration, triumphs with unabashed cockiness, and authority or criticism with an upturned nose. Most of these immature reactions lessen or die out as his story progresses, as it does when someone starts to grow up. I can say that after living with a younger brother at ages 12, 13, 14, etc., Arakawa did a spectacular job of not only capturing those years with deadly accuracy, but applying them to an extraordinary individual like Ed in a way that felt effortless. While on a quest that eventually would determine the fate of the world as they knew it, he also gets nervous over a crush, and deals with the ups and downs of teenage friendships. (I mean, 99.9% of people’s best friends in high school don’t give up control of their body to an immortal being but there’s a metaphor I’m getting at here.) 

Another super interesting aspect of Ed’s character is his guilt complex. For someone who so acts his age, he still takes on blame for many things that legitimately weren’t his fault. He blames himself for the loss of Al’s body, though there was no way he could’ve know what Truth would’ve taken from him, or that Truth would’ve intervened at all. He chastises himself for not being useful in dire situations when Winry stepped up to deliver Dominic’s grandchild in Rush Valley. It wasn’t his area of expertise, while Winry, he acknowledges, grew up with doctors for parents and reading medical textbooks. He feels helpless, but how could he know he would find himself in such a situation? He even holds himself responsible as a culprit in Hughes’ death for getting him involved in their research of philosophers’ stones. What Hughes discovered about the nationwide transmutation circle was, ultimately, his own doing. In addition, besides blaming himself for the loss of Al’s body, a guilt that Ed carries to the end of his story was his inability to save Nina. Just because he was the first person to put all the pieces together, he thought that if he realized Shou Tucker’s true intentions that much sooner, she would still be alive. Yet, realistically, no one else had figured it out either. He was just in the wrong place at the right(?) time. Yet, all of this being said, the moments during which Ed overcomes some of his guilt are some of the most powerful in the entire story. (Learning that Al didn’t blame him for the loss of his body is a prime example.)

As I’ve mentioned in other recent character analyses, a complex personality is key to a strong and likable character, and my god, does Ed have one. Ed has many traits that make him just fascinating to watch. While his early cynicism of humanity fades away, he remains cocky, stubborn, abrasive, short-tempered, sarcastic, occasionally hostile to figures of authority, and not one above stroking his own ego. Yet, a lot of those aspects of his personality veer towards superficial. He views every human life (in all forms) as sacred, and something he is painfully reluctantly to use to further his own goals. To those who earn his respect, he is endlessly loyal, selfless, and fights for those who can’t fight for themselves. His personality also takes on a different tint (like a real person) when he interacts with different people. He fights to see the Ling within Greed, but ultimately respects Greed as a member of his team. He’s in awe, yet honest with Riza. He’s sarcastic with Roy, but when in danger, is his greatest ally. He’s level-headed, firm, and forgiving with Al. He’s uniquely gentle and compassionate to Winry. In short, he’s beautifully and painfully human. 

Finally, Ed is an excellent foil to the character of Father. While the latter tried to make himself a perfect being by ridding himself of humanity’s seven deadly sins (an idea I remember someone, though I can’t remember who, likening his goal to the idea of Nietzsche’s “Übermensch,” which is basically a form of superior man who could rise above traditional Christian values to impose his own. That sounds pretty accurate to me, but I’m no expert in this corner of philosophy.), Ed actively embraced all of his flaws, guilt, and well, sins, to ultimately become a more compassionate individual who is able to ultimately triumph over evil. (As a side note, Greed’s aid in this final battle really adds extra emphasis to his earlier explanation to Ed that “everyone wants something they cannot have.” The fact that Greed sacrifices himself in this moment to assure Father’s defeat proves that point several times over, which just makes those final sequences of the battle that much cooler [and heartbreaking]). The fact that Ed, who is riddled with what Father considers the ultimate faults of humanity, still overcomes him, proves that the rejection of own’s own humanity is a greater evil than the sum of it’s parts. As a huge characterization nerd, that’s pretty freaking cool. 

All the people I ship romantically with this character:

Edwin is easily one of my top five OTPs, and I honestly don’t see shipping Ed with anyone else. Like Roy and Riza, Ed and Winry’s relationship is built on years of trust, respect, friendship, and tragedy. While they sometimes struggle with communicating their feelings, whether its about each other or the circumstances they’re facing, they always manage to get their feelings across when the moment demands it. It seems that their respective obsessions confuse or annoy each other, yet, they each possess huge admiration for the other’s accomplishments and passions. They understand the harsh burden of losing their parents, and Winry never judges Ed for attempting to revive his mother, likely because she had the same kind of longing. In addition, each of them are deeply concerned for the safety of the other, with Ed especially going to great lengths to ensure Winry is unaffected with his involvement in the military. Sadness of one pains the other, and they’re both hellbent on making sure the other is, in the end, happy. Talk about the makings of a great relationship! Also, at the most basic level, they’re SO DAMN ADORABLE.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: 

I have to go with Al here. (Also apparently this got too long to add more gifs so rip to that idea…) These two have been through so much together, balance the weight of their varying personalities, and as a result, are the ultimate allies. Besides the deep care these brothers share, the most interesting aspect about them is how their personalities contrast and support one another. Ed is typically hot-headed and impulsive. Al is calmer and leans more towards logic. Ed has a big ego and is sarcastic. While Al has his moments, he’s unflinchingly kindhearted. However, their mutual passion for alchemy, humanity, and completing their quest are unmatched. The story is about brotherhood, and these two are the ultimate protagonists. Al’s superior battle sense, levelheadedness, and gentle personality are the perfect balance to Ed. He brings him back down to earth, yet encourages him to race to the ends of it. They joke and argue, but you know they would sacrifice everything for the other. 

My unpopular opinion about this character:

*sigh* The Ed being really short joke did eventually get old… 

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:

As is the case with many fma characters in my book, I want to see more! Knowing Ed, there’s no way this kid would peak at 18. I want to see his adventures after the promised day. I want to see him with Winry and his kids, being a great father, but I also want to see him traveling, discovering, and maybe getting himself into a bit of trouble here and there! At the end of years of struggling and hardship, I want to see the next crazy step in his journey. There’s no way he’d sit still for long. The sky’s barely the limit for Ed, and i want to see how far he flies. 

Send me a character, if you dare. 

[blueskittlesart]

My hot take on vld season 6

Because I’ve seen a lot of discourse about this season so I figured I’d do my opinions in an episode-by-episode breakdown. It’s pretty log sooo:

Episode 1: Omega Shield

Okay. So upon first seeing this episode I was MAD. (Mostly because of how close Lotor and Allura seemed to be) But I get now why that had to be done and I actually like the direction they chose to go with Lotor, but I’ll get to that later.

I’m a bit annoyed that this seems to be the “Hunk development” we were told we were getting. (Heads up, vld, one episode does NOT count as full development.) However, it was really refreshing to see him be the focus of an episode, and we really got to see the growth that’s been going on for him in the background these past few seasons. Like, at the beginning of the show he was this timid little teenager who couldn’t fly without getting motion sick, constantly tried to take the easy way out, and generally avoided confrontation at all costs, not because he was cowardly, but because he was, understandably, really fucking scared of space. (And I don’t blame him. Space is huge and terrifying.) But now, we get to see him being a commanding force. We see him take charge of a situation and whip others into shape, using his capacity to learn new material (arguably his most important trait) as a weapon to get his job done. It was amazing to see that side of Hunk, even if it was just for one episode.

And then of course we have Lance just fucking dying. As much as my allurance heart wants to appreciate that scene, I can’t entirely ignore the fact that Voltron continued its pattern of having a life-changing, traumatic event happen to a character (other examples include Lance almost getting sucked out into space through the airlock in season 2(?) and Keith being ready to sacrifice himself for the greater good in season 4(?)) and then never address it or the trauma it may have caused again. Lance died. He fucking DIED, and two scenes later we see him smiling in the background as if nothing happened. Maybe they’ll use it for some angst in the future, but it honestly just feels like bad, neglectful writing to me at this point. They want dramatic scenes without having to address the way those scenes will impact the characters and the story. 

Episode 2: Razor’s Edge

Finally, the Keith and Krolia development we’ve been waiting for!! There’s very little for me to complain about in this episode. I loved the subtle details, like the way Keith’s dad wore the jacket that was later given to Shiro. I think Keith’s parents’ backstory was done really well, and I’m really happy that he gets to reunite with his mom again.

Honestly the second they saw that giant space fish thing I thought “lion turtle.” A huge animal with a forest on its back where the characters get trapped for a while?? Come on. I’m glad Keith and Krolia got that time to bond, even though it hasn’t really been addressed yet. Also I’m in love with Keith's dog (I had him pegged as a cat person but hey, at least I know Shiro is still on my side.)

Plus we finally!! got!! the “boy from Cuba” line!!! and yeah, it was in reference to Allura, but it suggests a lot more Lance in the seasons to come, especially since they’re going back to Earth soon. That line, at least to me, seems to really put a lot of emphasis on how connected Lance is to his Earthen heritage, and I really, really hope that will be explored more in the coming seasons. 

Also side note, but that Lance scene where he knocks over the metal thing (tool of some sort?) and just kind of stares at it as it clatters to the ground was so fucking funny?? That was one of the top comedic moments of this season, not gonna lie.

Overall I was really happy with this episode. It was plot-driven and interesting, and everything seemed to fit really well.

Episode 3: Monsters & Mana

I have never once played D&D in my life, and I’m just gonna state that now so no one comes after me for this section

I’ve seen some complaints that this was a filler episode, and yeah, maybe you’re right. But it was a GOOD filler episode. It was engaging, realistic given the timeline and story, and provided a lot of subtle foreshadowing in an interesting way. 

It makes sense that everyone on the team would need a fucking break after all this excitement. At that time in the story, they were relatively inactive, since they were working with Lotor and all that. They couldn’t have been working on the castle at every waking moment, and playing a game like M&M is a great way to pass their time. 

I’m gonna get into some elements of the characters that I found interesting here too. Namely, Shiro and Hunk’s backstories. Shiro’s “master” in his little cutscene had one messed up eye, dare i say Iverson? yeah, we don’t know much about Shiro’s life on Earth before Voltron. But the parallels from what we DO know suggest to me that there’s correlation between the M&M character backstories and the main-story character backstories. Which bring me to Hunk. His character Block’s backstory was that his “village was turned to stone by an evil sorcerer.” I don’t know what this means, but I have a few speculations:

1. Hunk’s hometown was ravaged by some sort of natural disaster while he was in space (we know he’s a Pacific Islander, right? So I don’t think this is too far off base)

2. If the Earth has already been invaded by hostile aliens (Sendak’s “I know your weakness: you value the lives of others”) Hunk’s family or home were directly impacted (this one seems to be the most logical to me, since Block’s quest is to “save” his village, which Hunk could easily do by defeating the Galra/other hostile aliens on Earth)

3. Some other form of disaster has and/or will affect Hunk’s family/home and he’ll have to either save them or deal with the after-effects of it 

Either way it’ll be interesting to see how next season plays out back on earth!

As for some of the other foreshadowing, I take you all now to the way Shiro keeps fucking dying. Shiro’s “twin brother” was played off like a joke in this episode, but thinking about it, I see it as a subtle reference to the whole clone Shiro ordeal. the original Shiro, now dead, was the clone Keith killed, and “Gyro” (his “twin brother”) is the Shiro who was revived at the end of this season. And judging by the big role he played in defeating the boss at the end of the episode, the newly-revived Shiro will be extremely important in upcoming seasons.

Episode 4: The Colony

“But even if they do reach the quintessence field, then what? The last time anyone got in there, it turned Zarkon evil.” THIS IS WHY YOU FUCKING LISTEN TO LANCE.

I honestly really, really love the direction they decided to go with Lotor. they totally brought him back around into the interesting, dynamic villain I knew he could be and I’m so happy about that.

On to what specifically I noticed about the plot of this episode. One big thing for me is the revelation that quintessence can, in fact, be extracted from other beings. This only brings up more questions, though: What did Lotor want the quintessence for? The Galra Empire already seems to have plenty of fuel. How was he harvesting the Alteans’ quintessence? Did he have druids helping him, or did he discover another way to do it? Did anyone else in the Galra Empire know about this? The whole operation raises more questions than it answers.

And when Allura found out and just fucking YEETED Lotor across the room? I may have watched it at 3 am but I was still screaming at the top of my goddamn lungs, at least on the inside. She gave him exactly what he deserved with no goddamn hesitation and I love it.

Shiro going full clone was crazy, but we all expected it. I’ll admit that his being used to steal Lotor was not what I would have guessed, though. It kinda turned out to be a pointless use of him in the end though since Lotor escaped immediately

Another thing about Lotor’s plot that stuck out to me: He knew that there were living Alteans. He knew how much Allura wished she could have her planet and her people back, and how much it hurt her that she’d never be able to see them again. And he still kept this place secret from her. He still took her people and exploited them for his plan, and then was stupid enough to think she’d see that he was doing it “for the greater good?” Even if it WASN’T such a despicable fucking thing to do, those are Allura’s people. She’s wanted nothing but to see more Alteans for the past year at least. She’s not ever going to see things his way. 

another side note: i want romelle to snap my neck

Episode 5: The Black Paladins

Holy mcfuck is there a lot in this episode. First off, as an artist and animator I really need to take a moment to appreciate how fucking beautiful everything was in this episode. The shadows, the movement, the colors, the cinematography, everything about this episode was artistically stunning. The animators really outdid themselves with this one. 

Okay, since there’s so much to talk about with this episode, I’m gonna break it up. We’ll start with what happened on the castle.

Pidge... is fucking amazing. That’s all I can even say about this kid. This is a fifteen year old girl, she’s literally a couple months younger than I am, and she’s dealing with all this shit and pulling through. That’s amazing. She has literal adults looking to her for help in a life-or-death situation, she had to be under insane stress during this episode, knowing that what she does could mean the difference between life or death for all of them. And she pulls through. Pidge Holt is so fucking strong and I love her with all of my heart. Someone get this kid a peanut butter cookie.

It’s interesting to me that not only did she instantly recognize the code from Shiro’s arm, but also had a program ready to destroy it. It reminds me of that Voltron comic where she’s able to take down her fellow paladins because she observes them and knows their weaknesses. She watches, She listens, and she prepares for every possible contingency, no matter how badly she wants to believe they’ll never happen. And that’s why she’s dangerous. 

Okay. now for all the mess that happened with Shiro.

Mother of god, I am SHOOK. Even the SETTING of the damn thing was so goddamn thought out and interesting I don’t know where to start.

There were so many other clone Shiros. Why were there so many other clone Shiros??? Were they planning to release more at the same time, or were they backups in case the original clone was compromised? Were they tests? What???? Were???? They??? For???????

And that Galra form Keith. Is that something he discovered in the two years he spent with Krolia? Something he can consciously activate? Or did it just happen to come out because he was in a moment of high emotion and adrenaline? It also seemed to give him a boost of strength, because Shiro was only able to push him off after the form deactivated. I hope we’ll get to see him use it again!

“I should have abandoned you just like your parents did. They saw that you were broken. Worthless. I should have seen it, too.”

Holy fuck clone Shiro is MEAN. I can’t even begin to imagine what it must’ve felt like for Keith to hear that from Shiro, who’s basically the one person he’s been able to rely on dependably for his whole life. In his vlog he even said that his trust issues are BECAUSE Krolia left him, and having his older-brother figure, who he looks up to and trusts like no one else, reaffirm those doubts he already has must have been devastating, even if he learned later it wasn’t really Shiro. I doubt that’s an image he’ll be able to get out of his head quickly.

All those flashbacks of little Keith... he had that mullet his whole life I guess (I mean he probably learned how to cut his hair from Shiro so like. is anyone surprised). But in all seriousness, does the Garrison take middle school aged students too? because he looked way too young to be a high schooler. (Side note: Are they letting the middle schoolers fly the goddamn spaceships?? Who the fuck decided this program was a good idea??)

Keith also told Shiro he should “send [Keith] back to the home already.” By “the home” did he mean the shack his parents lived in? That’s doubtful, since without Shiro he’d be living there alone. I would assume Keith was put in foster care of some kind, most likely an orphanage, which is probably what he meant by “the home.” It’s a minor detail, and just something I noticed, but I figured I’d point it out anyway. 

I really, really loved this episode. It’s probably one of my favorites in the whole series. 

Episode 6: All Good Things

(My klance obsessed ass feels the need to point out that the blue and red stars are still in the astral plane, and were shown in the very first scene of the episode. Just saying.)

So did this episode just confirm that when a paladin dies in their lion, their consciousness stays within the lion? Because damn, that sets the stage for a LOT of angst fic. (Fic writers, get on this.) 

Lance supporting Allura is my goddamn aesthetic honestly. Friends, lovers, siblings, I don’t care, but I’m happy their relationship is getting development!

KEITH GOT A STRONGER CONNECTION WITH THE BLACK LION!! HE CAN USE ITS WINGS!! This gives me so much hope for black paladin Keith again in season 7 because he’s clearly got such a strong connection with Black... he deserves this. also black deserves a paladin thats a real fucking person and not a fake bitch

Coran development?? In my Voltron?? It’s more likely than you think

Then of course, we have Lotor going full Azula. I said this before, but I am so, so, so fucking happy they chose to make him a villain in the end after all. I was so worried after last season that they’d throw away all his potential as a villain in order to go for a shitty redemption plot, and I was completely fooled up until the last second, just like the paladins. And that’s a big part of what I love about it. We were in the paladin’s shoes. We didn’t know what to believe, we either liked Lotor or were suspicious, but most people truly believed the plan was for him to be redeemed. The writers really did a great job of making us feel the way the paladins did, seeing Lotor’s betrayal and eventual descent into madness, and that’s truly the kind of thing that makes me love Voltron. 

anyway lotortron (aka whoretron) is fucking ugly and im glad its stuck in the quintessence feild for all eternity

Episode 7: Defender of all Universes

Beautiful fight scenes, insane dialog, wonderful storyline. All in all, it was a perfect conclusion to the season. 

The fight in the quintessence field? Absolutely beautifully done. Suspense, beautiful cinematography, and it all tied back to the show’s underlying theme of teamwork in the best way. I have no complaints in the slightest about how this was done. Honest to god, I loved this whole fight. (I am curious about what will happen to Lotor, though. will he be literally destroyed in the quintessence field when the power gets to be too much for him, or will he just kind of stay there festering until someone manages to travel in there again? Maybe the paladins will go back and get him later in the series.)

The castle is gone now I guess?? rip (More Coran development?? in my Voltron???? It’s more likely than you think) BUT ALSO if they do plan to make another ship like they said, they’re gonna need another Balmeran crystal to power it, which means more Shay!!

So now... that scene at the end. Shiro’s revival.

When Lance started crying, so did I. Literally, I saw his tears and I just fucking broke... my Lance stan heart couldn't take it...

and finally shiro’s white hair is ugly as fuck lmao

so TL;DR: This season was a big win in my opinion. I can’t remeber feeling this good about Voltron since maybe season two. I’m 100% ready to see some Lance and Hunk-centered storylines in season 7 if my predictions are right, and to hopefully see some main villain Haggar (FINALLY)

Thanks for reading!

[lovepmd]

my PMD stories/memories

Blue Rescue Team: i don't remember the exact year i played this game, my memory of a lot of things is pretty bad lol. i just remember this was the first game i was really interested in and wanted to play myself. before this, my brother played a lot of video games and i would watch. i would play once in a while if i thought i could or wanted to try, but blue rescue team was the first game i played on my own 100% and beat on my own. i don't completely remember, but i believe the very first time i had that i ended up beating the game with was pikachu and eevee. i'm pretty sure eevee was the hero and pikachu was the partner. i don't remember what their names were or what their team name was. i had to restart this game so many times, figuring out how to play it well was quite a learning experience for me lol. this was the first game i took seriously and wanted to beat on my own, it just took a few tries to finally do it. i was soooo happy when i finally beat the game, and sad of course cuz of the ending, but still. it was the first game i played and beat on my own and back then that was a big deal. there are still things i do in video games that are a big deal lol, mostly cuz i couldn't do them when i was younger. after that first time, i remember restarting the game several times and using different teams. i think i only beat the game with a couple more teams after the first one though, either it again got too hard for me or i got bored. i remember there was even a point during that first playthru i full on quit cuz i was so frustrated. i THINK i was stuck at sinister woods....i just remember something about team meanies, could've been a later point. i did eventually go back and continue playing and finally got past that point and kept going. i'm so happy i got into mystery dungeon and that blue rescue team was my first game. while looking back at it the gameplay and some mechanics aren't that great, it still helped me get into this series and buy every game after it when they came out.

Explorers of Darkness: i remember getting this one next instead of time cuz i was one of those kids that liked goth/dark stuff. yeah, it's lame i know lol. there's not a whole lot i remember about playing this one, but i do know/remember that i only played it thru once and never reset it. it's still Blaze the hero cyndaquil and Lagoon the partner piplup of team reliance...i have 133 hours in the game apparently lol. i did evolve them fully as well i remember doing a lot of crying, and i remember loving grovyle SO much. it definitely became one of my favorite games at the time, and despite restarting rescue team a few times, i just couldn't let go of this original team

Explorers of Sky: now uh, with this one it's interesting. i remember preordering it at my local gamestop and when i went to pick it up, i also got the animated special dvd, which they didn't tell me i would get when i preordered? so that was a nice surprise also i ended up being a little overconfident when playing this the first few times. once i knew it was the same story as time/darkness, i thought i'd be able to breeze right thru it...i was very wrong lol. i got stuck so many times and restarted SO many times and i tried with so many different teams, and my main problem was that i was trying to rush thru it as fast as possible...which i obviously couldn't do. i ran out of items super fast, i wasn't grinding for levels, and i suffered for it. i remember i got as far as palkia's spacial rift in one playthru as a vulpix and shinx team, but i had no more reviver seeds...you can imagine what happened. i had to quit for a while after that. finally FINALLY i used a team of a totodile and charmander, and i played VERY carefully and gathered up so many items and everything, and i FINALLY beat the game and did all the special episodes. it took wayyy longer than it should've for me to do that. and that was the last team i reset over in order to make team key

Gates to Infinity: i remember this game being hard for me for a while simply cuz of the change from 2D to 3D graphics, it was a little jarring at the time. my first team in there was a snivy and oshawott, and i loved them both dearly. interestingly enough, one of my brother's friends was trying out the demo of the game for a bit and even got the game and got as far as umbreon's appearance and going to find espeon. i don't think he continued after that, mostly cuz he got busy with other things, like being an adult. he was though, the first person i actually knew that also played the game, and while he never finished it, the fact that he played it at all made me very happy. i also remember seeing the the munna twist coming, or at least having one of those "that was too easy, something's wrong" feelings (i had a similar one back in darkness when grovyle was caught) there was a lot i liked about the game and i only restarted once in order to make team cali

Super: so i've technically played this game 3 times, only twice did i beat it. the first time i played it, i was rushing a little, and i wasn't really playing it well/carefully enough. i got as far as the fight with entei, and i BARELY beat him. so i decided after that the best option was to restart and play more carefully the second time around i did much better and manage to beat the game. my original team was a chespin and fennekin i remember when i beat the game and fennekin disappeared, i curled up on my bed and cried for a while. i was SO heartbroken about the switch around twist, it got to me hard and that one moment post game...even doing it as team fate i cried. when you go try to get mew back and hero has a moment where they flashback to watching partner disappear, that moment REALLY gets to me fun fact though, during that entei fight when the scarves first activate and you see the tree of life for a couple moments, i told my friend about that part cuz it was so amazing to me about the evolving thing lol, and when i mentioned the tree, she IMMEDIATELY said "oh, i bet that's xerneas" and i was kinda "uh, ok, sure" and moved on so imagine my face later about that lol

[missstormcaller]

CAN’T FEAR YOUR OWN WORLD Part 3 Full Translation.

TN: When this third part was released on the Bleach/Jump+ app, Narita tweeted that “main house” was written in place of “branch house” in one line, I’ve spotted that line and made those amendments in my translation below already. He apologised for any confusion and has stated this will be corrected in the printed book version.

 Chapter 2

Several days later - Rukongai.

Hisagi Shūhei is engaged in two different occupations at the same time.

One of those occupations is his professional duties as Squad 9 Vice Captain, which everyone knows.

The other is being the editor-in-chief of the Seireitei Communication.

Seireitei Communication is a public institution magazine which is circulated throughout Seireitei and occasionally as far as some parts of the Rukongai, it is basically under the management of the 9th Division.

Naturally, it ought to be treated as equal occupations, but because the nature of the work differs too greatly from primary Shinigami duties, it was, in effect, perceived by society as something akin to a side job.

Until a few hundred years ago, this was a simple proclamation issued to the general public which could be referred to as tile block print, but from the period when Tōsen Kaname became Captain, that format would come to develop rapidly in accordance with the printing techniques of the Human World.

Perhaps due to Tōsen's serious disposition, the Captain himself began serving as an editor, it was now being spread throughout Seireitei as one large informational magazine, published with many running stories, or essays and novels and so forth, penned by the Captains themselves.

After Tōsen had left Soul Society, Hisagi, who was his Vice Captain, became responsible for that role.

By all rights, Muguruma Kensei who had returned to his post as Captain, should have been the one to become editor-in-chief, but the man himself entrusted all the decision making to Hisagi saying "during my time, I left it up to the troops…. Frankly, It just doesn’t suit me", even now Hisagi continues editorial duties as the responsible editor.

"So? The editor-in-chief of Seireitei communication has come all the way out here, what can he possibly want with me?"

The quizzical voice of a woman resounded from the doorway of a certain residence.

"What do you mean, I’m collecting information for an article of course."

The other party whom Hisagi replied to is Shiba Kūkaku, a pyrotechnician who could be described as a person of clear influence within the vast expanse of the Rukongai.

"What is it? Is it about my new objet d'art? I give up. Jeez, it’s not meant to be an exhibition you know."

With a boastful expression that was contradictory to her words, she shifted her attention to the item of artwork, stone statues holding up a banner which Hisagi had just passed under a moment ago.

Two huge statues imitating stern looking men stood side-by-side, they held up a banner with the words "welcome to Shiba Kūkaku’s residence" painted on it whilst striking an odd pose.

"No… I mean, it certainly became a popular topic of conversation among some people."

"In that case, I suppose you want to use it for the front cover in the next issue of Seireitei Communication?"

"…Well, I'll just make a note of that proposal for now."

Having returned an innocuous reply, Shūhei begins to broach the real issue at hand almost like he was half dodging the subject.

"I would like Kūkaku san’s cooperation in documenting a memoir of the Protection of the Soul King Great War."

"Huh? A memoir you say… hasn't it only been, like, half a year since then?"

"That's precisely why, you see, I want to keep an accurate record now while I still have the chance."

Shiba Kūkaku is both a pyrotechnist on the surface as well as behind the scenes, all involvement with Squad Zero and such were declared "side jobs". It is for this reason, that there exists a curious big-shot like air about her, even if Hisagi, as Vice Captain of Squad 9, ranked higher in terms of station; many among the Vice Captains view her with a sense of respect.

In fact, although they are currently a fallen house, the Shiba clan is a respectable family that once produced a number of seated officers and Captain ranks, they were a family of good social standing to the degree that they were known as one of the "Five Great Noble Clans" alongside the likes of the Kuchiki and Shihōin clans.

For that matter, Shiba Kūkaku herself, who is standing before him, is also a considerably powerful person.

He has heard that she struck down one of the mighty gatekeepers of the Seireitei with Kidō alone; in Hisagi's eyes, she wasn’t merely a pyrotechnician, but a figure of great influence hidden in the depths of Soul Society.

That he had called on such a woman, it was for the purpose of obtaining an interview on behalf of Seireitei Communication just as he described.

Although Seireitei Communication has currently suspended publication due to problems with its publishing systems, a small circulation of a simplified version is being distributed in various places in order to extensively report on the state of postwar reconstruction to the general public. With the target of officially getting it back into print on the first anniversary of the postwar period, it was gradually gaining a secure foothold.

Then, in anticipation for the upcoming first reissue, he started receiving requests from many readers asking for details regarding the "Protection of the Soul King Great War" to be addressed in his own segment called "Teach Me! Shūhei Sensei!!"

"Teach Me! Shūhei Sensei!!" has featured in Seireitei Communication for a long time, it is a page for his project in which Shūhei answers the questions of the readers.

Nevertheless, it's popularity is shaky and although​ it may be revived whenever there is demand, it is an unstable project which is often discontinued after only a few runs following its resumption.

Even so, the people of the Seireitei still had yet to grasp the full picture surrounding the war, it seems they were seized by a sense of anxiety about whether or not the war had truly ended, or whether such a thing would never happen again, and they looked to the public institution magazine that is Seireitei Communication to dispel those fears.

In fact, not limited to "Teach me! Shūhei Sensei!!", the standpoint of many with regard to the magazine itself is a desire to receive an explanation detailing all the particulars of the war, and Shūhei has decided to handle it all as a necessity for his own column.

This is a huge task imposed upon Seireitei Communication. It couldn't all be left up to the ordinary squad members. Given that the form is a come-back series of "Teach me! Shūhei Sensei!!" which coincides with the first reissue of Seireitei communication, it is he who must clutch the reins of information himself.

With that kind of motivation spurring him on, Hisagi had spent his days running around to personally interview the likes of the Visuals Department, the Department of Research and Development, and Squad 4's Special Relief Team, but he did not gather as much information as he had initially expected.

It seems there was virtually no one who was able to observe the entirety of the war from a bird's eye view. Just how many people's stories would he have to piece together before getting any closer to its domain?

Such misgivings crossed Hisagi's mind.

The man who presumably had the most extensive view of the battlefield, Yhwach, had already been buried at the hands of Kurosaki Ichigo. 

That being the case, he would have no choice but to take it upon himself to pick up and assemble the pieces of war.

If it could be spread far and wide how the Shinigami battled and triumphed in various places, then it’s bound to become hope for the people who were dealing with the restoration efforts.

The Soul Society has now entered a new battle known as post-war recovery.

It is during such times that people simply desire "information" which is able to put them at ease.

"…In other words, it's what you'd call a battle that only I can fight from here onward!"

In response to Hisagi who had explained the situation after getting himself all fired up, Kūkaku returned an answer as she folded her arms.

"I'm sorry to break it to you, even when you're sparkling those rugged sanpaku eyes at me, but there's hardly anything I'm able to speak of you know? I mean, all I did was launch up that lot from Squad Zero along with Ichigo's group."

It was a coarse manner of speaking belonging to a woman of mannish character, yet an oddly firm tone of voice.

With that alone, Hisagi had somehow or other come to the conclusion that "yeah, I guess this truly is a matter she can hardly comment on." Rather than being unwilling to speak of the past, she merely exudes a sort of atmosphere which accepted it all as part of everyday life, thinking "I did what I had to do."

"Well, I guess that means I’ll just be giving you my greetings for today, I’ll visit another time."

"It's nothing but a bother if you plan to keep coming back, and it makes no sense for me to even have a right to say anything about you Shinigami and your squabbles, if you want a story then ask my younger brother Ganju. That guy marched all the way up to the Soul King Palace together with Ichigo and his gang, I suppose he'd be able to tell you at least something."

"…He went up to the Soul King Palace?"

Speaking of Shiba Ganju, he is the man who once appeared as a Ryoka along with Ichigo and the others during the time of Kuchiki Rukia’s execution scandal. Why did a man from Rukongai go up to the Soul King Palace? Having been decommissioned from the front lines at the final stage of the war, this is the first time Hisagi is hearing of this fact.

—— Come to think of it, I still haven’t covered what happened around Kurosaki and his group….

Naturally, Ichigo’s group who were the most deeply involved by the end of the war should probably be interviewed. However, they are inhabitants of the Human World, not Soul Society. In order to travel expressly to the Human World for interviews, he must obtain the permission of the Captain Commander.

—— I think I’ll be able to receive the Captain commander’s permission, but I wonder if Kurosaki would give his full cooperation in this sort of thing…. I can’t see that guy talking about himself in much detail at all.

As he considered questioning Inoue or Sado about the subject when the need arose, both of whom apparently reside in Ichigo’s neighbourhood, Hisagi decided to leave the Shiba residence for now.

"Understood, then I'll listen to what your younger brother has to say first."

"Alright, if you want Ganju, he’s probably mounted on his wild boar, wandering around West Rukongai again. Even if you do a half-assed job of looking for him, I think you'd be able to find him right away? He’s a loud moron so you should be able to recognise him at a single glance."

"Right, it’s okay though, I’ve caught sight of his face every now and then whenever a disturbance occurs."

Having received the advice on this dynamic manhunt, Hisagi bows to Kūkaku before leaving the house equipped with a fireworks launch pad.

 Then, when he came closer​ to his vehicle which was parked a little further up the roadside, Hisagi noticed something.

A few men had gathered around 'that vehicle’ which Hisagi had gone to the trouble of ordering from the Human World after it had undergone Reishification. And, he also noticed that these men carry within them a Reiatsu so dense that they could not be mistaken for any ordinary inhabitant of Rukongai, on top of that, the nature of the Reiatsu is different to that of a Shinigami’s or Quincy’s.

"…What? Why is there a Kawasaki Z-II in a place like this?"

At the words of the man who had swept back hair that extended around his shoulders, the tall figure of a young man who was standing beside him shrugged. 

"Who knows?"

What stood before the men's eyes, is a motorbike originating from the Human World and characterised by its deep crimson paintwork.

For those who have died and arrived in the Rukongai, the surrounding standards of culture will have caused them to assimilate to the atmosphere, said to range from the Heian era to Edo period. Perhaps it was because of the fact that no major cultural reformation had occurred when compared to the Human World, that there are many things which almost causes one to feel its antiquity from the clothes to the buildings, and since coming to Soul Society, they have never seen automobiles of this kind until this very moment.

Then, standing behind them, a fellow befitting a gentleman with a black linen eyepatch covering his right eye, stared at this motorbike with great interest as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Hmm… regardless of the fact that we are Fullbringers who can manipulate the souls of matter, things that can be brought to this place through Konsō are only the clothes and articles that can be said to be part of our person, although… Perhaps there is someone who loved two-wheeled vehicles at a level that can only be described as unity of rider and horse."

"What about such things as gasoline?"

"It's said that Soul Society essentially produces no oil. Apparently, most of whatever becomes fuel in its place is sent around to the Technological Department or nobles of the Seireitei."

"So does that mean, this motorbike is just some noble’s plaything?"

Listening to these descriptions of Soul Society narrated by the youthful man, the man with the swept back hair clouded his face ever so slightly.

From behind him, words that denied such speculation were thrown out to them.

"I've been saving my wages up to buy that thing. Well, if you want to call it my plaything however, I guess I can't deny that."

Turning to look in Hisagi's​ direction - the newcomer that had just appeared - the man with the swept back hair narrows his eyes in a smiling expression.

"…Oh. I came to check things out after I thought I heard the sound of a motorbike which is rare in these parts, but I would never have guessed that I'd come face-to-face with a Shinigami as a result."

Observing the face of the man who had turned to look at him, Hisagi knit his eyebrows in unease.

That face closely resembled the profile of a criminal which, not too long ago, had been circulated many times over among ​the Gotei 13 as a "dangerous character who kills Shinigami".

Hisagi has never seen him in person, but his corpse, after being defeated by Ichigo in the Human World, happened to exist in Soul society.

"Ginjō Kūgo…"

The man who is the first substitute Shinigami, and later estranged, a man who slaughtered a number of Shinigami who were in pursuit of him.

The corpse was buried in the Human World at the request of Kurosaki Ichigo, but naturally, souls are a different matter.

Since they were also human beings who lived in the Human World, their souls which had slipped out of their dead bodies would have drifted into the Rukongai.

"Oh my, this is an honour. I'm surprised that a guy with a lieutenant's armband knows my face."

Hisagi’s Shihakushō is sleeveless, but when going out to a public place, he fastens his armband, putting it on display around his exposed arm.

In response to Ginjō who smiles boldly while looking at said armband, Hisagi lowers his voice.

"I’ve heard rumours that you didn’t fall into the depths of hell… but what are you doing in a place like this?"

"Dear me, you shouldn’t glare like that on our first meeting, wouldn't you agree? Have I done something to you?"

"Playing dumb all of a sudden huh… don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what you did to the Shinigami and Kurosaki.

As his eyes narrowed, Hisagi fixed a glare at the man who was once a substitute Shinigami.

Then, Ginjō also narrows his eyes once more, smiling fearlessly in Hisagi's​ direction.

"So what? Do you mean to say that I should get down on my knees and apologise? For your information, I have an obligation to Kurosaki Ichigo, but I’ve never planned on becoming a friend to you Shinigami lot, and I don’t regret being turned into an enemy."

"You bastard… what are you planning?"

"Ha. Does it look like I’m planning something? If that’s the case, what are you going to do to me?"

Ginjō laughed scornfully, at the same time, the tall young man who was standing next to him, closed the book he was holding and took out a bookmark from its crevice.

"Stop it, Tsukishima."

"Are you sure? But he's got a look that says he's going to come at us with a sword any minute now?"

The man called Tsukishima spoke with a cool visage.

Hearing that name, Hisagi heightens his sense of vigilance even more.

"Tsukishima… if I’m not mistaken, you were the asshole that messed up Kurosaki’s past."

The man in question, Tsukishima, looked at Hisagi with a cynical​ smile cast on his face.

"That’s a cruel manner of speaking. The past of the person himself hasn’t changed. Oh, although that last time, I helped with a little maintenance on his sword."

"……?"

Unable to comprehend the meaning behind Tsukishima’s words, Hisagi looked at him in puzzlement.

Having observed the situation, the gentleman with the eyepatch opened his mouth to speak as he heaved a sigh.

 "Ginjō san, it appears he has no knowledge of the fact that the two of you assisted Kurosaki Ichigo."

"You assisted?"

—— Come to think of it, I feel like Renji said something along the lines of "there was an unexpected helping hand"….

—— Tch. Should I have covered what happened there first?

During these past six months, Hisagi has continued to work his fingers to the bone as acting Captain of Squad 9 in place of Muguruma who was undergoing medical treatment for his zombified state.

Therefore, until Muguruma returned, he couldn’t get around to conducting detailed interviews.

Hisagi regrets his own decision to postpone interviews with those concerned on the mere basis that it could be done at any time, meanwhile Ginjō looked bored as he spoke to the gentleman with the eyepatch.

"Assisting him was no big deal. I only paid back a small debt."

Watching the three people engage in conversation with their placidity still on show, Hisagi thinks.

—— Can I take all three of these guys down by myself?

—— I don’t know this eyepatch guy, but he’s probably Ginjō’s comrade.

—— I’m not sure about his abilities… although, I've heard the stories about this other guy from Madarame and Captain Hitsugaya….

Having heard the rumours, could it possibly be this very man who is the "opponent cut down with a single strike by Zaraki Kenpachi"?

Hisagi thought as much, but he is not stupid enough to conclude that this man was weak just because Zaraki Kenpachi was able to defeat him in one blow. Because Hisagi knows well that there is not much difference between a wolf and a puppy before the presence known as Kenpachi.

However, at any rate, what is before his eyes, is the 'enemy’ who once butchered members of the Gotei 13.

Kurosaki Ichigo may have forgiven them, but this is a different​ story, as one among the Shinigami, they are by no means opponents that he can​ overlook.

Coming to that conclusion, Hisagi decided that, for now, he would keep the opponent talking whilst tightening his guard in order to probe into their intentions.

"The Shinigami…Ukitake san, why did you betray them?"

Then, the darkness that was dwelling at the back of Ginjō’s eyes faded away for an instant, he opened his mouth to speak as surprise and amazement intermingled on his face.

"…What a surprise. A Shinigami would ask me that now after such a long time?"

"That's right, I heard that Captain Ukitake used a substitute badge to monitor you. Though, was that alone enough to turn every member of the Gotei 13 into an enemy? I'm sure that was unpleasant, but it’s merely a matter of objecting against Ukitake san once you’ve noticed it don't you think?"

"…Once I’ve noticed it, huh?"

As Ginjō murmurs that, a silence falls over him for a moment.

In the next instant, he broke out into a laugh as if he had just witnessed a humorous circus trick.

"HA… is that so. It doesn't seem like you're trying to play the fool. Does that mean, even at Vice Captain level, your awareness of the facts only amounts to that much?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying I finally get it now. I get that you know nothing at all."

At that point his smile had disappeared and he began to fiddle with the cross shaped pendant that was suspended over his chest.

Hisagi sensed​ some kind of unpleasant Reiatsu fluctuating in that pendant; taking a step back, Hisagi reached his hand to his own Zanpakutō.

As they maintained their distance from each other, the air of an explosive situation fills the surroundings ——

In the next moment, that atmosphere was shattered to pieces by the squeals of a beast and the trembling of the ground.

When they turned their attention to the squeals, a huge wild boar as big as a Kei car, came careening from the direction of a neighbouring village before plunging towards the confrontation between Hisagi and Ginjō's group.

The wild boar rapidly eased up on its speed in front of them, and as a result, 'he’ who was riding on the back of the boar was thrust headfirst into the grassland between Hisagi and Ginjō.

"Buhhoo-…!?

The man who had crashed into the ground whilst issuing a comical shriek, staggered to his feet, he then gave a thumbs up towards the boar he was just riding as he raised his voice.

"Heh… that's my girl. Your​ style was so cool today too Bonnie-chan!"

As if ignoring the man who had just spoken, the wild boar galloped away in the opposite direction with momentum that was as swift as the wind.

With Hisagi watching the sudden comedy routine in round-eyed wonder, the man who had followed the wild boar with his eyes until it was out of sight then turned to face them and began to speak with a high-spirited voice.

"Hey, hey, hey! What's up with you guys? Is there some kind of trouble here?"

"It’s nothing, Ganju. I was just poking a bit of fun at this Shinigami who is ignorant of the ways​ of the world."

Hisagi looked at the stern face of the man who Ginjō had called "Ganju".

"Have you gotten into a dispute with the Shinigami? Jeez, I can understand your poor opinion towards the Shinigami, but you don’t need to raise a riot! Look I can't say let bygones be bygones, but it's not cool to all of a sudden go picking fights right in the open."

Having heard that, the gentleman with the eyepatch inclined his head as he posed a question.

"Is that so? But In Kūkaku dono’s stories, I heard that when you and Kurosaki san met, you got into a childish scuffle with him."

"Guh…! Big sister talks too much!"

The man, who had a face identical to the banner-bearing statues Hisagi had seen only a short while earlier, pulled a wry expression after remarking as such.

Confronted, beyond a shadow of a doubt, with Shiba Ganju —— the very man he was searching for, Hisagi knit his eyebrows together in bewilderment.

"I can't tell if your timing is good or bad…"

"Huuhh!? What's​ that you jerk!? ……Oh you're… if I’m not mistaken… you’re the Vice Captain of some squad… Vice Captain… Hi… Hisa…."

"……"

After an awkward silence, Ganju gives a firm nod, and with the same grin he had flashed towards his wild boar earlier, Ganju presents Hisagi with a thumbs up.

"Long time no see! Vice Captain! Vice Captain who is an acquaintance of Kuchiki Rukia!"

"Oh come on it’s only one more character! It’s Hisagi! Of the 9th Division! Hisagi Shūhei!"

To the side of a shouting Hisagi, Ginjō breathed a sigh as he released the pendant from the grip of his fingers.

"What's​ this, you guys know each other?"

Perhaps having confirmed that the tense atmosphere was now completely ruptured, Tsukishima also opens his book once again and turns his attention towards that.

"…Oi, Shiba Ganju, what’s the meaning of this? Do you and Kūkaku san know what kind of people these guys are?"

"Isn't that a given? Of course we know, these guys are the freeloaders big sis found and brought back with her."

"Freeloaders…?"

While Hisagi was unable to make heads or tails of it, Ginjō and the others were trying to leave this place a step ahead.

However, the sharp sighted Ganju who detected this, stops them in their tracks with that enigmatic, overbearing manner of his. 

"Hey, wait a minute! Where are you guys going!? I don’t know what happened between you and this Vice Captain brother here, but while I'm still around, I won't allow any fishy grudges between the Shinigami and friends of the Shiba to be left hanging."

Faced with Ginjō's group who had turned around, appearing to find the situation irksome, as well as Hisagi who wore a befuddled expression, Ganju spoke sonorously of his solution with a face that was brimming with self-confidence.

"Don't sweat it, I won't let you down. Leave it up to this self-proclaimed 'crimson bullet of West Rukongai’, the number one self-proclaimed but 'universally acknowledged boss of West Rukongai’ for 17 consecutive years! And finally, the self-proclaimed 'former number one Shinigami hater’, Ganju sama!"

Ganju was the only one in high spirits.

Unable to decipher how he should respond to the man who had just issued a speech on his puzzling self-introductions towards Ginjō and the others, all of whom were already acquainted with him, Hisagi's eyes closed half way as he just barely managed to produce a coherent sentence.

"That last one… It’s not exactly necessary to go by that title if it’s 'former’ don't ya think…?"

And thus the experience of being a Shinigami for many long years, causes his mind to procure a sense of foreboding.

—— This is bad.

—— I mean, I’m not being dragged into some troublesome course of events am I?

A few hours later - Seireitei - Squad 1 Barracks.

"This is a troublesome turn of events huh, very much so."

In response to these words issued from the mouth of Captain Commander Kyōraku, the two Vice Captains who were before him —— Ise Nanao and Okikiba Genshirō, exchanged a quick glance.

The words Kyōraku had spoken has half become a habitual saying, but from his tone of voice, the Vice Captains Nanao and Okikiba could sense that something​ was up.

Although it is a level of difference that can only be understood by those who are accustomed to hearing it, the Captain Commander's​ mutterings at present was in a tone of voice that was used only when something truly unpleasant had happened.

"What’s the matter, Captain Commander?"

At Nanao’s words, Kyōraku releases a heavy sigh.

"Ah, sorry, did I make you anxious? You can run into my arms if you want to stop your trembling, you know?"

"I’m asking you seriously, Captain Commander."

"…Yes, well then. A short while ago, before Nanao chan's arrival here, Nayura chan came to me with an escort. There was an official notice and a request from Central 46."

"Amakado Nayura sama, came to you in person?"

Nanao also knows about Nayura.

In Soul Society, the highest judicial branch that guides the Shinigami as the mouthpiece for the Soul King and occasionally hands down judgement, is the Central 46.

Amakado Nayura is the youngest amongst its constituent members, a small girl who only looks to be around 10 years of age in terms of appearance.

However, her shrewdness which has existed long beyond what meets the eye, is acknowledged by both Kyōraku and Nanao; with her as the pivot, the central 46 who prioritised nobility, were gradually changing.

There is a conscious disparity that exists between the status quo of the Shinigami and the Central 46, but that gap is slowly being filled through the pressure and encouragement of both her and Kyōraku. At least Nanao felt so, and although there was the question of balance, she was hoping that the administration of justice would settle things in good form for the nobles in their current state and the position of the Shinigami, or perhaps the commoners and every inhabitant of Rukongai.

From Nanao's point of view, kyōraku needed to refrain from addressing a member of the Central 46 with "chan" attached to their name, but because she often socialised with Nayura who would sometimes come to visit posing as a commoner, she also found herself inadvertently coming close to calling her "Nayura san".

Uttering the name of that young girl from the Central 46, Kyōraku breathed a sigh with a slight look of melancholy cast over his face.

"The other day, a rather troubling incident occurred among the Four Great Noble Clans. Though I think you’ve already heard about it."

"Yes. It’s regarding the assassins who invaded​ the Tsunayashiro clan and murdered their family head isn’t it?"

The fact that one of the heads of the four great noble clans and their household members had all been massacred, this is a major incident that would shake the very foundations of the Seireitei under normal circumstances. However, given that it's bad enough that the post-war turmoil has not yet settled down, the official story was declared in the form of - "their health came to harm from wartime anxieties, and it's an epidemic that took their lives". 

It is for this reason that the particulars of the case are known only to some of the top brass; those who have a handle on the course of events among the Gotei 13 amounts to only a small number of people including Captain Commander Kyōraku and his Vice Captains, as well as the commander-in-chief of the Onmitsukidō - Soifon.

"Well, I suppose Captain Kurotsuchi and Yoruichi chan would know about it through their own independent channels huh. Rather, following these events, they probably knew about it before I did."

"…Does this mean, there is some issue with the subsequent​ succession of the clan head?"

"I heard the general details from Nayura chan, but the strife among members of nobility is out of our jurisdiction after all. This falls within the jurisdiction of the Kinin* (*Golden seal) Noble Assembly, not the Gotei 13.… At least, for now."

In response to Kyōraku who uttered words with a hint of hidden meaning, Nanao narrows her eyes after understanding his intentions.

"For now? Does that mean this will develop into a situation that will involve the Gotei 13 later on?"

"I hope it doesn’t come to that."

After answering with a somewhat distressed expression, Kyōraku continued speaking as he gazed upon the official notice from the Central 46.

"Ah, also, won’t you summon Muguruma kun and Hisagi kun for me?"

"Squad 9?"

"It would be fine even if it was Hisagi kun alone. But given the circumstances, I think it's better to have the Captain grasp the situation too, just in case."

Meanwhile at Shiba Kūkaku’s residence.

"And then! No sooner than those stone statues or whatever had stopped springing up on us without a damn warning, that Ichigo asshole appears from behind us! 'sorry, we ended up moving down below earlier, so we're here to pick you up now' he says! And to think that my humble self and Chad got all fired up in order to 'prepare the way back for Ichigo'! The way back and all had already moved down to the Seireitei a step ahead, what's the meaning of that!?"

The guest room in the basement of Kūkaku’s house.

At the centre, was the figure of Ganju who was making Hisagi listen to his complaints as he gulped down his sake.

"Is he for real!? That guy Chad said 'Ichigo sees nothing but the path forward'! But, I'd never have guessed that it would be thrown in my face in that kind of way damn it!"

"Yeah… I guess, that must have been difficult for you huh."

"That Chad dude is just as bad too! The first thing he says to Ichigo in a situation like that is 'I see… it's over then' with a great big smile on his face. I mean if he's gonna put it like that, doesn't it make me look like some narrow minded oaf who whines too much-Gahhh!?"

Midway through his speech, Ganju received a firm kick from behind and was planted face first into the ground.

Kūkaku, the person who had dealt that kick, spoke as she trampled on her fallen brother’s back.

"Quit your infernal yapping! Your so-called guts was probably pathetic in action!"

"It hurts and that's uncalled for! But, big sis!"

"No ifs or buts! You punk… I spent years training you up so that you'd be able to fight on the front lines until the bitter end, and yet you lost sight of your companions and manage to lose your way on the road, what the hell am I supposed to make of that…?" 

"From whom did you hear that I got lost!? I bet it was Ichigo that jerk yeow-tetetetete! Will you cut that out big sis!? My spine will become sand! It’s going to become sand!"

Ganju wailed as Kūkaku continues to relentlessly trample on her brother.

Unable to comprehend how to deal with two such people, Hisagi, seemingly at a loss, took a swig of his drink for himself.

In the midst of doing so, Hisagi shifts his attention to Ginjō who was sitting at the very corner of his field of vision.

Earlier, Hisagi had been shown into this guest room by forceful invitation of Ganju who said "drinking sake will wash your grudges away", but at any rate, he enquired about the relationship between Ginjō's group and Ganju, and before he knew it, Hisagi wound up being made to listen to the idle complaints of Ganju who had become tipsy.

Incidentally, Tsukishima proceeded to read his book whilst leaning against a wall at the corner of the room without partaking in the drinking party; while en route here, the man with the cloth eyepatch who introduced himself as Kutsuzawa Giriko, retreated into the Shiba clan's kitchen saying "allow me to prepare some snacks."

"I mean, Both Ginjō and Tsukishima are fishy too, you know!? According to what I heard, they managed to skip right over us and get to Ichigo's location, how the heck do you explain that!? Isn't that unfair!? Hey, don't you think that's unfair!?"

Ganju, who was released from his sister’s foot, changed the subject of his complaints to Ginjō.

Dismissing Ganju's​ words with a nonchalant air, Ginjō drinks his sake in a refined manner whilst shrugging his shoulders.

"That’s because we travelled there directly through Yukio and Riruka’s abilities. Our end was running a fair amount of risk in our own way too you know?"

"Yukio and Riruka?"

At Hisagi's muttering, Ginjō opens his mouth to speak as he turns his eyes away.

"Oh, I used to hang out with those guys in the Human World. Unlike us, they’re not dead, but they came all the way up here to help Ichigo.”

"To help Kurosaki…?"

As an editor of Seireitei Communication, he wanted to explore these matters thoroughly, but his wariness towards Ginjō did not readily allow that.

At that point, Kūkaku who had observed the situation with Hisagi, now raised her voice.

"Will you quit trying to drink with that mean look on your face. Didn't we already tell you earlier? Ganju and I have accepted those freeloaders. Even if we got cut up from behind, we would bear no grudge." 

"But, those guys are…!"

"Even Ukitake agreed."

"Huh…?"

In response to Hisagi who choked back a voice of protest in the back of his throat, Kūkaku continued.

"Well, now that things have come to this pass, he can’t even attest to that."

"…Wait a moment. So, has Ginjō also met Ukitake san?"

When Hisagi cast his eyes in Ginjō's direction, he spoke whilst turning the empty sake cup in his hand.

"I didn't meet him. Honestly, I did not intend to meet him until I imposed upon this place."

"You mean things are different now?"

"Can't say. Even if we had met, we probably would have ended up killing each other don't ya think?"

"So, why go that far to-…"

What exactly happened between Ukitake and Ginjō, the first substitute Shinigami?

It's not like he could dispel his vigilance without understanding the matter even a little bit.

No, no matter what the reason may be, the fact remains unchanged, that the man before his eyes is the very menace who murdered Shinigami. 

"However", Hisagi thinks to himself whilst entertaining a small amount of doubt in his chest —— or perhaps, fear.

Assuming that he was able to kill Ginjō after simply crossing blades with him, would it be possible to say he had struck down an enemy of the Shinigami out of duty to the Gotei 13? Having attempted to put a stop to Captain Tōsen's vengeance, is it not a mistake to rely on emotions to swing one's blade?

Aizen’s words from six months ago are called back to Hisagi’s mind.

 —— What you are harbouring is not hatred. It is merely sentimentality for your lost Tōsen Kaname and the impression he left behind.

This choice of words may be correct in a sense.

If he were to ask himself whether or not he carried even the slightest fragment of emotion in his blade, then he would probably answer "no".

Nevertheless, he can't very well turn a blind eye to Ginjō here. Being misled by the likes of Aizen’s words, and even losing sight of how to use his own blade would be putting the cart before the horse.

Perceiving the indecision and fear within himself, Hisagi regains his presence of mind instead.

Erasing the traces of emotion from his countenance, as a member of the Gotei 13 who must assess threats to the Seireitei, he turned to face the man named Ginjō Kūgo once again.

"……Forget it, you were right, I don’t know anything. For this reason, please enlighten me. What did the Shinigami… what did we do against you, the first substitute Shinigami?"

Having observed the situation, Ginjō raises one eyebrow in slight astonishment, he places his sake cup upon the table before replying.

"I see, sure enough, it's not like you're seated as vice Captain for nothing."

Though he smiled with great interest, Ginjō paused for a brief moment before slowly shaking his head left and right.

"…I appreciate that you're willing to confront me about this seriously. But, no matter what comes out of my mouth, you just can't bring yourself to digest the words of a 'dangerous character', can you? Why not ask your Captain Commander?"

"I reckon that wouldn't be fair in it's own way. The Captain Commander isn’t the kind of person who would tell lies, but so far as it goes, I am a journalist. It's not really impartial unless I listen to both sides of the story."

"I didn't expect that a word like 'journalist' would fly out of a Shinigami's mouth. Besides, there are no rules that say journalists must be fair in the first place."

"Fairness is the number one priority, it is a policy I carry on from the previous editor-in-chief."

Hearing those words, Ginjō chuckles.

"You’re a strange guy. At first glance, you looked like nothing more than an ordinary Shinigami with your typical Shinigami ways."

"I’ll take that latter half as a compliment."

"So, then what? Supposing I revealed the reason for my betrayal and I was unable to convince you, what would you do?"

"I think you know. In that case I'll——"

The voice of Kūkaku, who had remained silent up till now, interrupted Hisagi’s speech just as he was about to respond with some resolve.

"Look, I don't mean to poke my nose into this discord between the freeloader and the Shinigami. But if you're gonna cross swords, do it outside, got it?"

"…Understood."

"Alright I got it, we won’t cause any trouble for you."

Hisagi nods obediently while Ginjō shrugs and accepts these terms.

The air which had grown tense fluctuated, and after several seconds of silence, Ginjō opened his mouth to speak.

"I guess I ended up deceiving Kurosaki Ichigo."

"…? Ah, so I've heard."

"I personally had Tsukishima alter my own past…. In that past, there was a half Shinigami human who was willing to cooperate with us in order to eliminate the Hollow power from us Fullbringers…. That half Shinigami and my old friends were killed by Tsukishima, that's how things supposedly went down."

Something all Fullbringers like Ginjō have in common is that they each have a parent who was attacked by a Hollow.

It is for this reason that they are born mixed with Hollow powers, and Hisagi has also heard that it manifests as a unique ability called Fullbring.

"So, having come back to my senses again, you might be wondering what it was like in my original past…. There was no such half Shinigami like Ichigo. Suffice it to say that I was the one who was undertaking the role of substitute Shinigami. Well then, who killed my old companions who were in those memories?"

"…Wait, if all of that was just down to Tsukishima's modified past too then…"

"Tsukishima’s ability… "Book of the End" allows Tsukishima to insert himself into another person’s past. Although things such as 'memories’ and 'outcomes’ where Tsukishima was concerned can be inserted, as far as inserting​ people who don’t even exist, that’s impossible. By the way, the guy who I believed was the half Shinigami was actually one of the Shinigami I killed in a fit of rage."

"…It can't be."

Getting an unpleasant feeling, Hisagi gulped.

Tsukishima, who was at the corner of the room, lifts his eyes​ up from his book to glance at the scene between Hisagi and Ginjō.

Perhaps having discerned that it was not the kind of atmosphere where he could cut in, even Ganju quietly strained his ears to the conversation of the other two; Kūkaku wore an expression that said "it’s no concern of mine", but she gulped down her sake in a silence that was quite out of the ordinary for her.

An uncomfortable silence dominates the space around Hisagi.

And it was the words of a dark eyed Ginjō that killed this silence.

"The ones who killed the friends from my past… are Shinigami. Though, they were a bunch of guys who are all strangers to me."

Silence and cold air tries to fill the scene once more.

However, Hisagi, who decided that he couldn't stomach that statement, shook his head as he rose to his feet.

"Hold on…. So, do you mean to say that Ukitake san made them do it!?"

"Hell if I know. But, by that time I had noticed the secret of the Substitute Badge. As for the rest, I guess you can figure it out even without me saying anything right?"

"Uh…"

In his mind, Hisagi recalls the conversation from a little earlier.

—— It’s merely a matter of objecting against Ukitake san once you’ve noticed it don't you think?

Although he was unaware of the circumstances, Hisagi realised how beside the point his own words were and was seized with a feeling of great shame. 

"I see…. It's not like I can swallow your story just yet… but I'm sorry about earlier."

"I don't give a damn about that. It made me laugh didn't it?"

After mixing in a bit of playful banter, Ginjō takes the conversation further.

"On the day I repaid my debt to Ichigo at the Soul King Palace, I planned to go meet Ukitake. I wondered just how far his orders went, after all, putting me aside whom he didn't trust me from the very onset, why then did my Fullbringer comrades have to be killed? But, it's a funny story. When I went looking for Ukitake all prepared to take his life even if it meant losing my own, by then, that man was no longer in any condition to talk."

"That's…"

Hisagi tries to say something, but words fail him.

In his head, he recalls the moment Tōsen is killed by Aizen.

At the time, Tōsen was indeed able to exchange words with Hisagi in the end. However, just before the paths each chose to follow were about to intersect once more, Tōsen was cruelly murdered at the hands of Aizen —— Hisagi, too, had forever lost the chance to exchange words with his opponent.

Observing the expression on Hisagi who had recollected such a thing, Ginjō heaves a sigh as he clicks his tongue.

"Tch… I've said too much. Those drinks must be catching up to me already dammit."

"Please wait. If that’s true…"

Midway through his sentence, the Denreishinki that was in his pocket produced a noise.

When he took out the device and reviewed it, a familiar notice to convene was displayed on its screen.

"…Sorry. I'm being summoned by Squad 1."

"Getting called in with this kind of timing huh, well I never, are you also being monitored from above?"

Confronted with Ginjō who speaks with bitter irony, Hisagi utters a reply.

"That might be possible if it were Captain Kurotsuchi rather than the Captain Commander…. Still, regardless of whether I'm being watched or whatever, I won't stop until I carry out my duty."

Upon leaving his seat, Hisagi finally speaks to Ginjō in a blunt manner.

"This doesn’t necessarily mean that I take you completely at your word. I am also a Shinigami. I don’t want to believe that my colleagues carried out a massacre in the Human World with no justification…. But, I will definitely investigate the other side of this story too. Because while I am a Shinigami, I am also editor-in-chief of Seireitei Communication. You can count on me."

"……"

"Anyway, we'll talk again soon. And Ganju, please allow me to hear your story next time too. Next time, the drinks are on me."

When he gave a final bow towards Kūkaku, Hisagi departed the Shiba residence. 

Hearing the sound of a motorbike engine echoing from afar, Tsukishima, who had been silent up till then, raised his voice whilst his eyes were turned towards his book.

"That's rare. For Ginjō to actually tell that story to a Shinigami from his own mouth."

"Yeah. I’ve finally lost my edge haven’t I?"

After remarking jokingly, Ginjō stares into space with a serious look on his face.

"Well, he probably just strikes me as a no-nonsense kind of Shinigami. An awful lot like the Gotei 13 huh. I guess I ended up wondering whether or not a guy like that would take my words seriously… nah, maybe I just wanted someone to vent my frustrations at instead of Ukitake who's no longer here."

At that point, Giriko spoke up, having emerged holding a plate.

"Oh. I have the snacks prepared but it seems the Shinigami gentleman has left already?"

"Yeah, I suppose he’s a punctual guy. He was in an awful hurry."

"I see, that is a wonderful thing. After all, the flow of time is an absolute law that remains as unchangeable in the Human World as it is in the Rukongai and Seireitei. If the Shinigami are anything of the 'gods' they claim to be, then it is only natural to abide by it."

Elsewhere from the Fullbringers who were having this conversation, Ganju posed a question to his sister who continued drinking in an unusual silence.

"Say, big sis, what do you actually think?"

"It's none of my damn business. I told you didn’t I? It’s not something we can poke our noses into when we’re not even Shinigami."

"…I wonder if big brother knew something."

This brother he speaks of is Shiba Kaien who served as Ukitake’s lieutenant before the collapse of the Shiba clan.

Although they were ousted from their position as nobles due to his death and the disappearance of Kurosaki Isshin who belonged to a branch of the main house, Ganju still considered his big brother the pride of the Shiba clan even now.

Recalling the face of her older brother who was no more, Kūkaku cast her eyes down to her sake cup whilst forming her words.

"…Who knows. The Shinigami are only alert to external threats all for the sake of protecting Seireitei."

.

.

.

"Just like it was with that Aizen bastard, when it comes to the Shinigami, they may just wind up becoming all kinds of thick-skinned against the scoundrels created by the Seireitei itself."

One hour later - Squad 1 - Head office.

"Hey, you’re late Shūhei. Just how far did you have to travel?"

"My apologies Captain, I went up to Shiba Kūkaku san’s place in West Rukongai to collect some material."

"Kūkaku…? Oh, Kaien’s younger sister…?"

When Hisagi enters the office, the Captain of the 9th division, Muguruma Kensei, is already waiting there; Kyōraku then makes an appearance from the door at the opposite end of the room.

"Dear me, I'm sorry to bother the two of you when you're both so busy."

Seeing Captain Commander Kyōraku raise one hand in greeting with his usual rhythm, Muguruma spoke up. 

"So? What’s going on Captain commander? Is there any special reason as to why it’s only the 9th division that’s been summoned?"

"Yes, you could say that. It’s kind of a matter that involves Seireitei Communication."

"Huh? If that's the case, then why am I here?"

Muguruma is the Captain of squad 9, but he is not involved in the editing of the magazine at all.

Only a few days ago, Muguruma was recuperating in order to treat his zombified flesh, and for a long time he was in no condition to even get a grasp on the current state of Seireitei communication.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I was told in person by the higher-ups that there is something they wish to formally announce in the Seireitei Communication. Therefore, I think it would be better to also run this by you, as the Captain, just in case."

"An announcement? And by higher-ups, do you mean Squad Zero?"

"No, they were from the Central 46. The group of nobles behind the Central 46 to be exact."

Saying that, Kyōraku turns his eyes to Hisagi for only a moment before uttering the rest of the story.

"Actually, it turns out that one of the Four Great Noble Houses is to install a new clan head. The matter has already passed through the governmental district and, as a formality, the new clan head will have been instated by now, but very much at the request of this new clan head, it appears that he wants to publicise news of his own inauguration extensively throughout Soul Society."

"Damn it, so it's just your average self-absorbed noble again huh."

Kensei spoke, looking rather bored.

Although there are exceptions such as Shihōin Yoruichi, basically, he knows only too well that both he and the aristocrats would never hit it off, and given that the subject also concerned Seireitei Communication, Kensei was rapidly losing interest in the matter. Meanwhile, Hisagi continues the discussion with a look that said he doesn't quite understand.

"*sigh*…. Around how many pages will it take? From the onset, the first reissue is still scheduled several months ahead, and it commences with a special feature which looks back on the Protection​ of the Soul King Great War, so having to balance it all against that will…"

"It seems he wants you to produce a special edition extra. He said he wants it to be distributed widely, even as far as the Rukongai."

"S-Special edition extra! If we have to get the publishing systems fully operational right away, we simply won't have the kind of budget for it…."

The inauguration of a new clan head among the Four Great Noble Clans is big news in itself. However, because the highest ranking being is the Soul King, it is rare to go as far to issue special editions involving the Four Great Noble Clans even on auspicious occasions or times of mourning.

Of course, budgets that exceed expectations are sometimes required, and if it is to be widely distributed even up to the Rukongai, then there is also the potential for that alone to bypass the annual budget.

Hisagi pondered how he could possibly get by on that budget whilst groaning in frustration, but Kyōraku placed a hand on his shoulder with a plop and smiled.

"You can rest assured. After all, it appears that the budget will be completely handled by that noble clan."

"Really!?"

If that's the case, he considered that it may be an opportunity to use the special edition extra as a pretext to promote the advance notice of the reissue and subscriptions to the regular edition of the magazine; in Hisagi's mind, he began to weigh up the benefits, the implications of which differed from just a moment ago.

However ——

As if to pull him back to reality, Kyōraku’s smiling face then clouded over.

"And, about the new clan head of said noble family…"

"…? Is something wrong, captain commander?"

"…I'm speaking about Tokinada, of the Tsunayashiro clan… you know who he is, right?"

The blood vessels in Shūhei’s body pulsated frantically.

"Tsunayashiro…Tokinada."

Hisagi knows this name too.

With the objective to bring Tōsen Kaname back to their side after he once strayed onto the wrong path, for a time, Hisagi probed deep into the past of Tōsen in an attempt to learn even a little more about him.

The details of the incident in which Tōsen’s close friend was killed is outrageous, the story goes that her husband at the time considered the idea of imprisonment mere folly, and that he continued to live his life comfortably without even receiving an adequate punishment.

"Hold on a moment. Surely that man is supposed to be in the lowest seat of the branch family…?"

"He has risen to the top. Factors such as the time Aizen massacred the Central 46, and the disorder born out of the last war, all worked to his advantage no doubt. Furthermore, last week the head of the Tsunayashiro clan and the family members around him were murdered by assassins, one by one."

"Captain."

Nanao, who had remained silent beside him up till then, raises her voice.

Martial law had been imposed in response to the turmoil surrounding the Tsunayashiro clan assassinations, Nanao couldn’t imagine it a good idea to carelessly reveal information to Hisagi even though he held the position of Vice Captain.

However, holding out a hand to quell Nanao's​ objection, Kyōraku daringly continues to speak.

"I won’t speak from conjecture. Nevertheless, it was Tsunayashiro Tokinada who completely annihilated those assassins by himself, with that meritorious deed in hand, he was then promoted from the lineage of the branch family. Conveniently, all members of the head house are no more… that's how the story goes."

Contrary to Kyōraku’s opening remark, the suggestion in his words were the kind where anyone could decipher 'the true culprit behind the assassination scandal and his goals', regardless of who was listening to it. Of course Hisagi was no exception and he gradually raised his eyebrows in discomfort during the course of the conversation.

"I know about him too. I think you've already come to realise this, but he is the sort of man who can do that kind of thing without compunction.”

At those words, not only Hisagi but even Nanao and Kensei expressed a little surprise, judging by Okikiba Genshirō who maintained a deep silence, it seems he agreed with Kyōraku’s words too.

Hisagi and Nanao were surprised because those words just now did not seem to reflect the speech and conduct of the usual Kyōraku who seldom speaks poorly of others.

Perhaps having noticed this predicament, Kyōraku let a wry smile laced with self-mockery play on his face before forming his words.

"Come now, not even I, am a man of noble character. It's just a matter of one or two men who I don't see eye to eye with."

Then, Kyōraku’s smile disappeared once again, he threw a question at Hisagi with a serious look in his eye.

"To sum it up, we have been instructed to issue a special edition celebrating his… Tsunayashiro Tokinada’s inauguration. Hisagi kun…… can you do it?"

[tabletopontap]

Top 30 Anticipated at Essen Spiel 2019 (#30-21)

Welcome to my Top 30 list for Essen Spiel! I wanted to do a shorter list than Gen Con, but what can I say? When there are over 1,100 games on the SPIEL ‘19 Preview List (found at www.boardgamegeek.com --thanks to W. Eric Martin for putting the list together!), then it’s no wonder that I couldn’t trim it down. However, since I had more time to put this list together than I did for Gen Con, I’m actually putting games in order from my least-to-most excited about. Keep in mind that I haven't played any of these games before. My impressions are based on information found on BGG and Youtube. All pictures found in this blog post were taken from BGG. Thanks to the people who posted photos of these games. Now, without further ado, let’s take a look at the list.

30. Pangea - Coming from Redimp Games, Aleksander Jagodziński is the designer/graphic artist, joined by Joanna Kwaśniak for the artwork. Speaking of which, the art looks fantastic! Player pieces look like fossils encapsulated in different colored rocks. The player boards feature realistic creatures that could easily pass as some long-forgotten evolutionary species that predate dinosaurs. 

In this game, 1-4 players will spend 1-1.5 hours evolving and migrating their creatures across Earth in an effort to survive the catastrophic event at the end of the game. I believe there are a few different catastrophes, such as a giant meteor, to give the game more variability from play to play. 

Although the game looks beautiful, I have reservations about how much I would enjoy gameplay. I like the sound of researching the time track to try to figure out where on the board the disaster will hit, but the main mechanism is area control. In general, area control isn't my favorite game mechanism. I also worry that the game might be too heavy for my tastes. Boardgamegeek (BGG) weights it at 3.5/5. In the past, I've found that my gaming group always acts interested in heavy games, but then they seldom hit the table. At the end of the day, I'm left wondering if this is a game with cool components but just so-so gameplay for my personal taste.

29. The Aquicorn Cove board game - Based on Katie O'Neill's graphic novel, she's listed as the artist for this board game, which I think is pretty cool. I like it when original content creators get involved with other iterations of their work. The publisher is Renegade Game Studios, and a team of designers worked on it: Ben Eisner, Tim Eisner, Steve Ellis II, and Tyler Tinsley. 

There isn't much information on BGG about this game (for instance, there's no estimated time length or age range listed), but what caught my eye is the environmental theme and the fact that it's co-op. I like that this game is about being good stewards of the earth, highlighting human interaction with an aquatic environment. The main question I have about this game is the audience--is it a family game geared toward younger kids, or is it challenging enough for adults to enjoy, too?

28. Greenville 1989 - Designed by Florian Fay with art by David Sitbon, this looks like a darker version of Mysterium. This game is for 3-6 players in 20-45 min. and is published by Sorry We Are French. I noticed the recommended age group is age 16+, and I believe this rating is due to some graphic game content.

In this cooperative game, players have experienced a supernatural event and must describe their location, so their friends can find them. The card art evokes horror/suspense. 

For example, a card might depict a creepy clown or zombie arms reaching out to grab you. 

Whenever players don't guess the correct location, that character gets pulled closer to the void on the game board. If a character is lost, all players lose because this is a co-op. Together you stand, divided, you fall.

27. Race for the Chinese Zodiac - Designed by Christina Ng Zhen Wei and Yeo Keng Leong with artwork by Ray Toh, this is a racing game for 3-5 players in 40-70 min. There are two publishers listed, Starting Player and Simply Complex. I'm not sure if it's because it's an Asian game and has to go through different distributors to reach a worldwide market. 

I dig the theme here. Players are animals of the Chinese zodiac, racing to be the first to reach the Heavenly Palace. Whoever comes in first will be honored as the first in the twelve-year zodiac cycle. Players simultaneously play 2 cards from their hand in order to make progress in the race. There are a couple of YouTube videos out there to help learn how the game plays (look up Heavy Cardboard and/or Jon Gets Games). 

The main reason this game doesn't rank higher on my list is because my main gaming partner and I have had bad-to-neutral experiences with other popular racing games. I suspect you need higher play counts to properly enjoy most racing games.

26. AVGhost: Paranormal Investigation - Published by Mystical Games, the designers are Beatriz Alvarez and Pablo Miras, and the artists are Henning Ludvigsen, Pablo Miras, Jarrod Owen, and Nicoleta Stavarache. This horror-themed game is for 1-4 cooperative players age 16+ and takes 1.5-3 hours to play. It's a move and explore game that seems similar to Mansions of Madness (2nd ed.), but darker. Again, note the age limit.

The twist is that every character pawn has a flashlight. This game is meant to be played with the lights off. There are different flashlight lenses that will change the light's color. I think to get rid of certain spooks or to find certain clues, you have to have the right colored flashlight equipped. It seems cool, but I worry it might be a gimmick game only to be played once for novelty. Also, I'm not really a fan of horror, despite how many horror/suspense games have made it onto my list this year. What can I say? I can't get enough of co-op, and horror seems to be the popular theme for cooperative games this year. Maybe it's the success of Stranger Things and the revival of It. Who knows? I'd say it's because Essen Spiel falls close to Halloween, but that's true every year.

25. Chakra - Published by Blam! and designed by Luka Krleza with art from Claire Conan, this is going to draw eyes to the table. The gems are so shiny, the player boards are colorful and pretty. This game supports 2-4 players and takes about half an hour to play.

I'm hesitant about this game because respected board game reviewer, Tom Vasel, posted a critical review of this game on YouTube. His main complaint is that you can spend the whole game getting chakras aligned on your player board (ie. getting 3 of the same gem color lined up in a row), just to find out after the fact that the particular chakras you aligned aren't as valuable as another color you could've pursued. This makes winning feel more luck-based than skill-driven. If your opponent happened to get lucky in completing higher-valued chakras than you, you have no way to mitigate that. Despite Tom's valid critique, I would try out this game if I had the opportunity. I'm always looking for eye-catching games with simple rules that I can play with friends who aren't yet familiar with modern board games.

24. 50 Clues: The Pendulum of the Dead - Next up is the first of many "escape room in a box" type of games that made my list. "Escape" puzzle games is a fairly new genre that has taken tabletop enthusiasts by storm! This one appears to be self-published by Jeppe Norsker under Norsker Games. It supports 1-5 players age 16+ and takes about an hour and a half to play. 

This is the first of a trilogy of games that should be played in order. It has adult content that can be very, very dark, so you if you're squeamish about violence, don't pick this one up. I have no experience with the game, but another reviewer on BGG who has played it warns that the content can be too heavy for some people. He wrote, "One of my co-players ended up leaving the table in the middle of playing the second story-box, and they did not want to return for the third. I have never seen this strong of an emotional reaction to a board game (not even playing This War of Mine)" (https://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/2273440/review-escape-room-enthusiast). In case you aren't familiar with it, This War of Mine is about living in a war-torn country, so that should give you an indication of how dark this game can get. I consider myself to be the type of person who doesn't prefer violent/dark/scary content, but because this is an escape game and it has a rich storyline, I'm curious about it. I realize I've been warned, yet I'm still drawn to it!

23. It's a Wonderful World - This card drafting game for 1-5 players is created by Frédéric Guérard, illustrated by Anthony Wolff, and published by La Boîte de Jeu. It takes about 30 min. to an hour to play. I'm guessing it only stretches to an hour with 5 people or one analysis paralysis (AP) prone player. I like card drafting and engine building, although my spouse tends to beat me at this style of gameplay. I like the sound of the campaign mode, but from the BGG description, it sounds like you would have to buy expansions to play it.

22. Skytopia: In the Circle of Time - Published by Cosmodrome Games, designed by Ivan Lashin, and illustrated by Timofey Mazurenk and Andrey Pervukhin, this game supports 2-4 players and takes 40-60 min. to play. 

Honestly, the only reason this game is on my list is because it has a big golem on the cover that reminds me of Century: Golem Edition. Kudos to the artists for grabbing my attention! 

As far as gameplay goes, I don't have enough details, but I know it's a worker placement card game with a clock/rondel that determines cost of the cards. It's hard for me to judge this game because there's so little information. Even in terms of images on BGG, there's only the cover art! I'd be cautious with this one due to lack of information.

21. Rolled West - This is a roll and write game set in the same universe as Gold West. One of the illustrators, Adam P. McIver, is the original artist for Gold West, but this time around he's joined by artist, Ariel Seoane. The publisher is the same, Tasty Minstrel Games (TMG). TMG is known for high production games, such as Orléans, Yokohama, and Chimera Station, but they've had misses, too. They were criticized for the artistic direction they took in the reprinting of Colosseum. The designer for this game is Daniel Newman, who didn't design Gold West. Originally, I was more excited about this game, but I saw mixed reviews from Tantrum House on YouTube (https://youtu.be/zGNnZ40om5s), so I've tempered my enthusiasm.

That concludes my bottom 30. Stay tuned for my next post as I count down to my #1 most anticipated game at Essen Spiel 2019!

[solarbird]

Old Soldiers, Chapter 7: is it good enough for you, still?

This chapter contains events which might end up making me setting a couple of content warnings on this story on AO3. Accordingly, I an putting the story behind a fold, here, as well.

[AO3 link]

"Mockingbird!" exclaimed a new voice in the comms, as she and Gabriel landed.

"Mei? That you, luv? When'd you get here?"

"Just when you started on the outdoor range. I watched from the cameras. That was amazing!"

"Thanks! That's a real compliment coming from you! Did you get my terms?"

"I did. They are fine. But Mercy wants to talk to you again."

"Not surprised. I'll head to the main hall right away."

"She said to come to her office."

"Her office?"

"Her office."

-----

"First," said the doctor, "I have confidentiality papers signed with Lena Oxton, not Mockingbird. Are you Lena Oxton?"

Lena made a face, and stuck out her tongue. She was on Swiss, not Lunar, soil now. The two buildings were separated by only a small, enclosed courtyard, but it made all the legal difference in the world. "Yeh."

"Good." Dr. Ziegler entered a short command on her keyboard, activating medical confidentiality rules, and outside sounds - already quiet - vanished. "This was good enough for you in London. Is it good enough for you, still?"

Venom thought about it for a moment, and idly flipped her suit back to Talon black and violet. Angela had never violated her trust. She was the first of the old school - the first generation of Overwatch - to come onboard the new Overwatch, and most importantly, the one Venom truly wanted onboard.

Well, her, and Mei, but Mei hardly counted as 'older generation,' having been in cryogenic suspension for all those years. Besides, Mei was a real hero. Mercy was also a hero... mostly. Which made her perfect.

If we're ever going to get her to come over to our team, she thought, we're going to have to trust her. "Yeh. It is."

Mercy nodded, once. "Thank you. Now. What the hell is this?!" She brought up the emergency response protocol for blood loss and shock. It showed how to inject the the contents of a venom mine into Mockingbird's thigh or heart. "This is not funny! How can I treat you if you are putting nonsense into the protocols?!"

Venom laughed a little. "It's not a joke, doc. Not one laffer in there. If I'm going into shock, if my heart isn't pumping and I can't get it to start, and I can't do this myself... do it for me."

"You are joking. This is a deadly poison, and a neurotoxin, and it will kill you."

"This," Venom said, "would kill you. Or... well, maybe not you. Definitely not me."

"Lena, what have you done to yourself?! "

"C'mon, doc. You think we want to get killed by our own mines?"

"I have some idea what's in them, you know. From before."

"Yeh, I figured."

"So you lied to Winston."

"I didn't! Well, not so's it matter. Once this is over, I'll come back all rosy-cheeked and brown eyed and faster - and happier - like nothin's ever happened. This isn't me, it's just somethin' I wear, like a spacesuit."

"Except it is part of you." No pretence at that being anything short of a statement. "When?"

Lena grimaced. "'Bout a year ago. We were in a firefight in Jakarta, one of Amé's mines got blown up straight into my face and I was out of jinks."

"Ah, I see," nodded the doctor. "So, not going to let that happen twice."

"Nope. Besides, we can always use another sniper. I wasn't good enough, unmodified."

"And now you are."

"Sure am."

"I'm not sure what to do with this. What you are doing is dangerous and disturbing."

"That's bloody hilarious coming from you, doc. The others may ignore it, but I don't."

Angela froze, just for a moment, and Venom charged ahead.

"You're no more baseline human than I am. Maybe less. Don't take it the wrong way, luv, I think it's brilliant! But you think I don't notice you don't age?"

Angela laughed a little, caught out and knowing it. "I suppose you will not accept that I work out and live a very healthy lifestyle."

"Got that right. S'why I didn't let you touch me before, either."

"I would not have needed to touch you."

Ooh, thought the assassin. Didn't think of that. "Fareeha, too?"

"Not yet. We argue about it."

"I hope you win that fight," Lena said, simply, but sincerely.

"I very much do as well."

A moment's pause from the Talon agent. "You wouldn't have to hide it, with us, y'know."

"Your wife is blue and has a giant spider tattooed on her back. I am not surprised," smirked the Overwatch doctor.

"We have our way, nobody would have to hide any of it."

Angela Ziegler tilted her head a little, and looked wistfully at the Talon assassin in front of her. She had to admit, it was an attractive proposition. It would be wonderful not to have to... no, she thought. Assassins. Maybe on our side, but still, killers.

"If I have to inject this... monstrosity... into your bloodstream, will you turn completely blue? I need to know what to expect."

Venom giggled. "Nah, take a lot more than that! It'll just reset a bunch of systems to baseline, refill my cellular energy reserves, restart my heart... things like that."

"Lena, I am a medical doctor. I do not want to treat you blindly. I know what I agreed to, but I am your doctor. Not Overwatch's. Please, I have to know."

Lena Oxton nodded, thought, in for a penny, in for... not quite a pound, and pulled a stack of very thin, but strong, flimsies from the largest pouch on her costume. "We're takin' a real big risk here, doc. Don't let us down."

"Does Amélie know you're handing me these documents?"

"I did say 'we.'"

"Do I get to to keep them?"

"Nope. You get to read 'em, now, while I'm here. You can take notes, but you can't make copies. Then I take 'em back."

Angela read. The document was intricate, and detailed, and incomplete in certain areas - she was not being completely trusted. It was enough to know how to provide genuinely proper care for a Widowmaker-class assassin - at least, in a conventional sense. But not enough to... I will need that scan.

"This," she said, "must've been very painful to undergo."

Venom shrugged. "Hurt a lot less than the Slipstream. And hurt Amélie more, she went all the way through it."

"And you didn't."

The younger assassin smiled. "I like who I am. I didn't need to..." and she stopped. Dammit.

Angela picked up the sentence, and finished it. "...run from who you were."

"...yeh."

The doctor stood up, and handed back the papers. "I'd love to talk with the researchers who came up with this."

"She'd love to talk with you. She's a big fan."

Angela nodded. "I appreciate that."

"Someday, maybe?"

"Perhaps. But it's not enough. I still need a scan."

"Doc," Venom said, frustration in her voice, "we've been through this."

"No. You don't understand, but you will." She stood up, and straightened her jacket. "I am asking you to trust me in ways you do not want to trust anyone, and that requires a return of that trust, and that requires a demonstration."

Venom looked confused. "What d'ya mean, doc?"

Dr. Ziegler walked to the corner of her office, and picked up a long, metal staff leaned casually against one wall. She tapped it on the floor, and a set of metal hard-light blades popped out from one end. She walked back in front of her patient. "May I borrow one of your pistols? Do they behave normally, now?"

Venom handed one of her twin firearms to the doctor. "Yeh, just point and shoot. I didn't know you had handgun training, though."

"I'm Swiss, we all do." She flipped the safety off, put the pistol to the side of her own neck, and fired a full clip right at her own carotid artery.

Venom shrieked and shot out of hear seat, grabbing Mercy as she slumped down to the floor, staff still in hand, blood and viscera everywhere. "NO! WHAT?! NO! WHY? DOC!"

As the light in her eyes faded, Angela mouthed, silently, "wait"... and then, as she died, she was enveloped in light even as she lay in Venom's arms, light which spread across the floor, and over wherever her blood had spilled, gathering around it all.

Lena jinked back to the far side of the room, in a combination of terror and awe, as the light regathered, formed into the shape of her friend, and vanished... leaving Angela Ziegler, whole and returned.

"Would I have to hide that? " the doctor asked, pointedly.

Lena Oxton fell to the ground, shaking. "Wha... wha... what... you... that was not right..."

Mercy walked over to the young assassin, bent down, and offered her hand. "I am ready to revive everyone in Overwatch this same way, in combat, if needed. Including you - and even Amélie. But I have to know how you work, first. Otherwise..."

"Cor blimey," Venom said, still in shock, taking the Swiss woman's hand. "What are you?"

The much older than she appeared battle medic helped the Talon assassin up off the ground, and smiled. "I am your doctor."