#a miracle I daresay

[sugaredparchment]

Paris Paloma 3/8/25 in dc

[omiangelic]

shared moments (dabi)

a handful of shared moments between you and your maybe more than friend, touya todoroki, the flame villain.

this is a prequel to the first fic i posted, pheonix, but it could be read as a standalone !

wc: 2.8k

reader is not described but is implied to have a quirk that makes them colder. i also imply that they're a nurse who frequently works with burn patients, including dabi's victims.

cw: 18+ ONLY !!! no smut, just kissing, grinding, and shirts come off but it ends pretty quickly after that. dabi accidentally wounds reader (a small burn from trying to wake him from a nightmare), mentions of abuse, murder, dying, and nausea. soft yet emotionally stunted and avoidant dabi

playlist: maybe by flower face, zombie by everglow, voidstar and longlegs by grim salvo

He’s shaking, head in your lap. You think he might be crying, but his hands are covering his face as he curls up as tight as he can. Dabi didn’t usually spend the night, but on rare occasion you can wrangle him into sleeping a few hours before running off who knows where. Tonight had been fun, daresay cozy, watching bad movies under a blanket so you could use him as a space heater and he could use you as an icepack.

It’s near four in the morning, far past when he usually sneaks out of your tiny apartment, when you awoke to his distress. He’d been squirming on his side of your too-small bed, mumbling and whimpering unconsciously. Even now, you don’t think he’s realized the small burn on your arm from trying to wake him, but you don’t move to soothe it; you’re too busy trying to soothe him. You rub his side over his shirt and pet a hand through his spiky hair even though he’s long since stopped shaking. You pretend you don’t care you have work in a few hours.

Now, he’s completely motionless, arms fallen to the cushion of the mattress. His voice is raspier than normal when he finally speaks, “…Sorry about that.”

“’S okay. I’ve seen worse.”

You both know he’s caused your ‘worse’.

“Do you wanna tell me what’s going on up here?” You tap your fingers softly against his temple. It’s a miracle he hasn’t moved yet.

“Don’t think that’s something you’d wanna hear about.”

“You can tell me anyways,” you can practically hear him go over the notion in his head. You met almost a year and you hardly know anything about the man besides his preferred snacks and the types of movies he likes to make fun of.

He thinks for a bit before stating, “you’ve never asked about my scars.”

You hum in agreement. The healed tissue is naturally textured but worsened from insufficient aftercare. The skin grafts look like they were done by someone with medical experience, at least. “Were you dreaming about when you got them?” The scar tissue on his face always made it look like the flames had tried to take him in its hands; like it wanted to soothe him. Console him. You want to do the same.

“Kinda,” he says after another long pause, like he’s trying to find the words, “maybe more like ‘why’.”

He can’t see you frown at that. You don’t like the implication it carries.

He’s quiet for a long time while you brush through his hair. It’s gotten longer- you think you can see blonde roots peak through the inky black.

“My old man…real shit guy,” he takes in a shaky breath and subtly curls deeper into your lap, “I’m gonna kill him one day.”

(You didn’t think he was serious, then.)

“All he cares about is power. He bought my ma so he could create a child more powerful than him. I’m the oldest of four- and his biggest failure,” you wince at the way he chuckles, “It’s funny. He got what he wanted. My youngest brother is a prodigy. He’s one of the top students at U.A.,” Dabi stops again, like he has to prepare himself for what he’s about to say, “I hated that kid for so long. Tried to kill him when he was a toddler, wanted to prove I was better than him. When I was twelve or thirteen I told dear old dad I got stronger,” another pause “He didn’t care,” another pause, like he’s debating telling you the rest at all, “I burned down half a forest, woke up three years later. The fucker who fixed me up showed me pictures of my funeral and everything. Ma got institutionalized not long after…but I gave myself a new name, since I died that day.”

“What was his name?” You ask impulsively. You wish you could take those words back, stuff them in your mouth and swallow them down

“Who’s?” He looks up.

“The boy who died.”

Dabi looks away again, contemplates before relenting, “Touya. Touya Todoroki”

“Touya sounds like a sweet kid. I hope he’s resting easy.”

It’s like the words flipped a switch in him. He shoots to sit up straight. His eyes are angry. Scared.

“You don’t know shit about him.”

“That’s not the point.”

He gets up, paces the length of the bed a few times, stops, looks at the ground, “You don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t know shit about me.”

“And whose fault is that?” You really need to learn when to shut your stupid mouth.

He looks up. Sees you fully for the first time since waking. He can see the welt he caused on your arm in his post-nightmare panic. His anger dies. His eyes widen. You reach to slap your hand over it to shield it from view, but he has his jeans on and his jacket and boots in hand before you can find words to say. He’s out the door before you can ask him not to leave.

(You call out of work that day. You won’t hear from him for three weeks.)

Later that day, the search results for Touya Todoroki hurt as bad as you expected them to. There aren’t many paparazzi pictures of him, only a handful of him with his dad at award ceremonies.

His dad. Pro hero Endeavor.

The news coverage of his son’s death is minimal, and it’s mostly about Endeavor taking a leave of absence from hero duties to grieve with his family, but the obituary is public. The white haired boy in the picture looks so young. It’s not very detailed aside from denoting that his funeral was a private ceremony.

You open a new tab and search for fire related quirk malfunctions or natural disasters from around the same time. Its not hard to narrow down that the forest fire that destroyed Sekoto Peak was Dabi’s doing. The flames had been massive and unnaturally hot, nearly impossible to contain. There was barely anything left besides charred bone fragments from wildlife and the partial jawbone of the only human casualty they could find. The victim is unnamed, but it says the police were able to identify them through dental records and bring closure to the family.

There’s a handful of pictures of Endeavor at the scene. They make your stomach churn.

A third tab. Endeavor. There are news articles about his most recent achievements and a few about his youngest son, Shoto, who recently passed the entrance exams into U.A., just like Dabi said.

You feel nauseous.

It’s so comfy laying here wrapped around him like a koala. He’s cold and hot at the same time. There’s one hand cradling the back of your head to his chest while the other rubs your back over the blanket he draped over you.

You don’t usually let him in when work gets you like this. He’s usually the cause, being the most prolific fire quirked villain in the country, but you felt like you needed him today. A little boy had come in with his parents after his first quirk manifestation. All you could see was a young Touya Todoroki when you looked at him. Now all you feel is the pain you feel for the real thing who has you cradled in his arms like you’re more than maybe a friend.

Dabi is prickly when it comes to touch- despite the nerve damage, his scars are sensitive- but for you, he makes exceptions, especially since this is his first time seeing you since his meltdown last month. When he woke up in his dingy-ass apartment today, he knew he had to see you, knew something was wrong. His gut was right. You practically collapsed crying in his arms when you opened the door.

You’ve barely said anything since he’s settled the two of you down on your bed. Every time he thinks about saying something, you burrow impossibly closer into his chest like if you try hard enough you can crawl in his ribs and clean out all the ash and soot that make him up.

He wants to apologize for how he left. He wants to tell you he was scared, that he’s still scared, because he’s never let anyone get close the way you have, and he doesn’t know why he yearns for you to be closer. It’s the only time he ever wishes things had gone differently. If he was closer to a normal guy, less of one of the most wanted villains in the country, maybe he’d let himself be happy to be known by you.

But the only thing Dabi can do is destroy. He burns too hot to be anyone’s light.

Dabi is ruthless. He’s a monster, a villain, a killer; there’s nothing that could clean the blood from his hands.

That doesn’t stop him from pretending things are different, even if just for a moment. You’re naturally cooler to the touch and he finds it hard to imagine ever choosing to be anywhere but in your arms. It’s such an unfamiliar feeling.

Dabi’s never had to comfort someone before. He’s never really wanted to, either.

He isn’t one to be soft or kind or comforting. It’s all so confusing. How do you drag this out of him? Why is he so content with this moment? Something about you makes him different. He doesn’t know what to do with that.

He’s scared. He’s angry. He’s unhappy.

You pull yourself away from him completely, scooting to lay on your back on the other side of your bed.

“Sorry,” you mumble, “you can go now. That was probably really uncomfortable for you. You can leave now, if you want.”

Your eyes are so empty. He’s never seen you like this. He doesn’t know what to do. He thinks he wants to stay, make his last visit up to you with more time tonight, but would you rather he go? Should he ask about what upset you? This is so new to him.

He leaves.

The next time he’s over, you pretend to not notice the tension in the air. You move around in your usual sync, gathering snacks and scrolling through the worst rated movies you can find. You feign obliviousness to the way his eyes linger on you for longer than usual and curl up on the opposite side of the choice from him, like the months of slowly shifting closer to each other didn’t happen.

The jokes are bored and the laughs are empty.

He doesn’t spend the night. You don’t ask him to. He doesn’t know why he feels so hollowed out when he leaves.

A few weeks later, after watching movies and ignoring elephants in rooms, you fall asleep. Dabi waits, lets whatever’s playing continue to run while he watches you breathe in and out at a steady rhythm.

The credits roll. He turns off the T.V. and welcomes the darkness lit only by the city as he gets up to lay you down on your little couch. He’s never done this for you before- he doesn’t know why he’s doing it now. Your eyes flutter open as he kisses your forehead and tucks you into your blanket you keep out here.

(He did it without thinking, like it was natural, a habit. He was a big brother, once. He hadn’t realized that part of him survived.)

You look up at him as he stares down at you, eyebrows furrowed at his surprised expression. His eyes flicker to your lips without his permission. He’s already leaning over you, it’d be so easy to crawl on top of you, kiss you, wherever and however you want.

He doesn’t know what possesses him to do it. Maybe it’s Himiko’s insistence he grow up and take the risk, maybe it’s a moment of weakness where he allows himself to forget who and what he is, but he’s pressing a soft kiss to your lips without realizing. The contact makes your head jerk back, eyes wide in shock, surprise, wonder. You look at him like there’s something worthy of being looked at. His mouth moves to apologize, but you’re shooting your hands to hold his scarred cheeks and pressing you lips to his before he can try. Your skin is so cold against his had surprised at the lack of steam. He thinks you’re the prettiest thing he’s ever seen.

He doesn’t reciprocate in his shock. His response is even further delayed by the fact that he’s never done this before. He feels like a teenager- or what he imagines what being a teenager under more normal circumstances would allow him. As you move to pull away, afraid you’ve somehow overstepped, Dabi is snapped out of his shock, and he’s pulling you back in. His kiss is messy, wet, spit slick as his tongue licks into your mouth with no hesitation. The taste of his urgency is unexpected but he feels so incredible you can hardly stand it. You revel in the way his dull nails bite into your skin when you whimper at the sensation.

His hands are heavy as they make their way down your body, nearly pushing like he needs a constant reminder that this is real. Before you know it, he’s on the couch, on top of you, pushing at your shirt and you’re pulling it over your head in compliance. Dabi takes the moment to yank off his own; his torso is a marble of normal and scarred skin with a shiny barbell through each nipple. You wonder briefly if the metal is hot like the rest of his skin as his lips crash back into yours. One hand in your hair, the other on your waist- he’s pushing you down, pulling you in, until he's all but crushing you in his desperation.

You moan when he lets up, “Dabi-“

“No, no- don’t call me that. I don’t want to feel like a villain with you,” he’s equally breathless, practically heaving above you.

“…Touya?”

Your uncertainty is immediately discarded when he fully moans at the sound of his given name on your lips, “yes, yes, thank you-“ and he’s kissing you again, cradling your face like you’re porcelain but grinding down like you’re the farthest thing from fragile.

His grip tightens when the pressure of his hips makes you moan.

The weight of his body makes you dizzy. His lips and hands move down your neck, licking, biting, and sucking at all the skin newly exposed to him and it feels so good you don’t now what to do with yourself. You decide on shoving your hands in his hair; you’re pulling it at the root when he bites down next, and he’s moaning into your throat like it might kill him to be quiet.

What does he want from me? The question crashes through your brain like a bullet. You don’t know if you want to actually ask. Would it be so bad to let this happen, just to have him close like this? Is the burden of wanting from afar easier to carry than having him halfway? Yes. Of course it is.

Your sudden unresponsiveness stills him. He pulls away to find your eyes distant and face neutral.

“Touya?” You ask after a silent minute filled with his thumbs rubbing circles in your waist, “what did that mean? To you, for us?”

He gulps, “I don’t know.”

He hadn’t thought this far ahead. He hadn’t thought at all.

“You don’t know,” you echo.

He’s off you before you can decide what to make of his answer.

“Sorry, don’t know why I did that- sorry,” you think you hear as he fumbles around for his coat and his boots. You don’t say anything. You don’t even look at him. Instead, you focus on the ceiling it’s almost too dark to see. You think you hear him pause at your door, but your head is so loud and intelligible you aren’t paying attention.

The static doesn’t block out the sound of your front door shutting, though.

(Neither of you realize he left his shirt behind until after he’s already out the door. You pretend you resist the urge to cuddle it to catch his scent on it, and he will pretend he doesn’t imagine you doing just that.)

Ever the coward, Touya runs. He throws up his shame once he’s in his own apartment. He knows he shouldn’t have left. He didn’t want to- but he didn’t know how to stay either.

He hates himself more than he has in a long time for tonight.

His burner buzzes in his pocket. It’s Shigaraki. plans in motion.

He doesn’t think you’ll forgive him for doing this, but it’s been building since before he met you. It’s not like he has any sort of life or future to look forward to anyways. It’s not like he gives you much to miss anyways.

Soon. Endeavor’s head. Soon.

dividers by @/issysh3ll and @/thecutestgrotto

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[meimi-haneoka]

Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Chapter 79: Comments + JP-ENG translation differences

Welcome back to our monthly appointment, CCS fans! This chapter comes right after this month's full moon, the Hunter Moon! (lol yes I will feature the name of the relative full moon till the end of the story). And speaking of the end of the story, I will start this analysis and translation post from the end of the chapter, where I found the confirmation to the rumour that had been going on for hours before the official release on Comic Days:

yes, dear readers, this is not a drill, Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card Arc will end with chapter 80, after 7 years of serialization! 🎉✨ When *the last chapter* is announced, there's no turning back! No more sudden announcements of extensions! 🥹 But at the moment of writing this post, no mentions have been given about any "epilogue" or extra chapters that might be serialized in the upcoming months leading to the big release of volume 16 on April 1st!

On the translation side, I have to sigh in relief because no major misunderstandings happened in the ENG version, just some minor inaccuracies! I was kinda scared because this chapter is pretty important and complex in itself.

And let me say that what happened in this chapter 79 definitely marks the end of the climax, so I can totally see it ending in next chapter. The chapter tackled some very important thematics regarding the presence of "evil" in this series, that I will talk about extensively in my analysis.

The announcement today made me already a bit nostalgic and sad, but I want to strive hard to accompany myself and all of you towards the end of this arc with excitement and a smile, therefore I won't let myself be prey of the sadness yet and introduce you immediately to the gif of this month, because there's a lot we need to talk about and analyze and we can't waste time!!

This is entirely dedicated to our protagonist and heroine Sakura-chan, because damn, she really slayed this chapter!!! Under the cut to see what miracles she made happen!

The Color Page

My dear readers, after years of countless pleas on my social media, after being let down month after month, CLAMP FINALLY GRANTED ME A COLOR PAGE SOLELY DEDICATED TO KAITO AND AKIHO TOGETHER ON THE SECOND-TO-LAST CHAPTER!! Yaaaay!! Excuse me while I celebrate this event here in my little corner, especially after having a rough month! 🎉🎉🎉 I hope my followers thought of me when they saw it? Like "finally she'll stop asking for it" (breaking news, I'll keep asking for more even after the series is over) 😂 It took them 79 chapters to do so and honestly I'm laughing because....yes, I admit it, I expected another vibe for such an important color page coming after such an important emotional scene in chapter 78, but honestly the first thing I thought when I saw it was "....they had to wait 79 chapters for this? 😧" 😂because it's very very "regular", I think it would've been ok for this to come out long ago. LOL I'm being brutally honest here, I hope no one gets offended, especially because that pet peeve aside, OF COURSE I love this precious color page to bits, and I know under its "normalcy", its got a very important meaning to the both of them.

Akiho and Kaito are depicted together clearly during one of their travels....but the question is, is this from the past? Or the near future? I'd daresay they look the same age they are now, so this might probably be a foreshadowing for the future...? They'll keep travelling the world? But seeing the content of the chapter, this might also be just a call-back to their memories together and everything that they experienced during those travels, tightening their bond. Travelling the world is, after all, really their thing, their element. I really like Kaito's expression, with his usual smile that almost turns into a smirk, he gives off a vibe of being finally free to express his emotions. He looks carefree, and that's really something for him. Akiho, on the other hand, is always so much more expressive than him and you can literally feel the joy and excitement emanating from her delighted expression. Travelling with him makes her happy, so yes, should this be what awaits them in the finale, it's fine by me as long as they're happy (I'm rooting for the other option though, the "stay in Tomoeda with your newfound support network" route).

But as you know, I always have to analyze the color pages a bit deeper, especially when they're about these two. And since I had to keep myself distracted, I made a bit of research. Other than the "travelling" vibe, this illustration gives off also kind of a "vintage" vibe (which is another strong element to Akiho and Kaito). It seems Akiho is dressed in a sleeveless coat with cape and wearing a bonnet fully inspired by those worn by children in the second half of the 1800s, in the Victorian era.

(pic courtesy of Etsy) This is a model from 1896, for example. When I pinpointed the period, I immediately thought "uh, the Victorian era is also the period when Alice in Wonderland came out", although that was more towards the 1860s. I found it really interesting and a nice touch for this illustration with a retro flavor (the suitcase and purse also look kinda vintage).

But another thing that immediately caught my eyes were those cute birds landing on Kaito's shoulder and Akiho's bonnet. I immediately tried to look what kind of birds they are, and it seems like they could really be eastern bluebirds, typical of North America. Searching further, I found out that in several cultures bluebirds are harbinger of happiness and symbols of hope. I couldn't honestly have thought for a more fitting symbolism, for these two. Especially cause birds often are associated with an imagery of freedom, and this is something else that these two need, after being hunted by evil people for so long. They really do look free, in this color page. Also, the presence of the birds in this color page immediately brought me back to the color page of chapter 62, where we can see baby Kaito in a wintery setting, sitting on a lamppost, extending his little hand to a swallow coming to him. Swallows are a symbol of hope and bring a message of "spring is coming", and continuing from that message of hope, of "spring is coming for you too", we can finally see here in chapter 79 our Kaito with his true happiness, symbolized literally by the birds most associated with happiness. Another thing that caught my eyes is of course the lily depicted on the cover of the book Akiho is holding, a nice callback to Akiho's mother and Kaito's torment, Lilie. She's always going to be with them ❤️

The Japanese editorial text over the picture is an excerpt of what Momo was musing to herself in chapter 39, while imagining to talk to Kaito: "You traveled with her, and spent time together with her". I think CLAMP chose to feature this line to indicate an important thing that will be restored at the end of this chapter.

Everyone Is Doing Their Best

The chapter starts with a panel showing some light coming off Yukito's house, and we find out that even Touya fainted, exhausted by the effort to keep time stopped as much as possible. Ruby Moon is cradling his head on her lap trying to assist him and "recharge" his magical power, in hope to be able to maintain time "stopped" a bit more. In fact, if you notice, the "black covering" that symbolizes the time-stopping spell isn't completely destroyed yet, but only riddled with "holes", an indication that the spell is still somehow active, even if feebly. I imagine this might "slow down" the attacks, which are still coming but probably not at full speed like they would if the spell came undone completely. I have to point out immediately a mild inaccuracy in the ENG version, that I want to specify in order to dispel extreme theories before they're born: no, Ruby Moon didn't give up all of her powers to Touya, the verb used here is simply 補える, "can replenish (your magic)", not "give all".

Touya doesn't lose his sense of humor even in a dire situation like this, and comments sarcastically "What are you, a battery?", a clear recall to the whole "batteries" matter that came out in the un-rewritten world. Touya isn't supposed to remember about that, and he probably doesn't, but this is just a way from CLAMP to show that even in a situation where memories have been rewritten, some things will be unconsciously said again, because they're just meant to happen.

Ruby Moon calls for assistance from her "brother" Spinel Sun (love how even in these true forms, she still calls him "Suppy"), whom rejects the appellative of "battery" but agrees to give her a hand with "recharging" Touya to keep the spell up a bit longer. Everyone looks outside, only one thought in their minds, which is voiced clearly by a serious Tomoyo: "Sakura and everyone else are fighting with all they've got". I have to point out a typo here in the Japanese version (nothing serious, it can happen and will be surely fixed in the tankobon version): Tomoyo calls Sakura "Sakura-san". I loved the "sparkles" around Tomoyo's eyes, as if indicating that her extraordinary intuition is "at work" and just telling her that, even if they can't see them because they're quite far away, Sakura and the others are doing whatever they can to stop these attacks. And the fact they can see the attacks, but not their friends and their condition, must be really hard to witness, for all of them. But no worries, there's Touya nii-chan who's always ready to lighten the mood even in this challenging situation, joking that "If they don't get back before the curfew, they won't be getting their snacks tomorrow!". Here the ENG adds "squirt" to make Touya refer specifically to Sakura, but truth to be told, in the JP there's no subject, so he might be referring to everyone. It's amazing how he's able to keep his spirit up and be sarcastic even in this situation....he really believes in his little sister so much!

I'll Make Them Forget About You

Back where our heroes are, the attacks keep coming relentlessly, countered by Syaoran, Yue and Kero in tandem. Sakura reflects on the fact that the only transparent Cards she's got left are these two she's holding in her hands (Time and Rewind) and Flight. This statement leads me to believe that when Record transformed into that crystal that entered her, that meant that the Card completed its duty and disappeared inside of her. But Sakura isn't worried at all, because she knows that she can create more Cards. Yessss, this development that I've been anticipating since quite some time is finally here! ✨🎉 Sakura seems to finally have a concrete plan, but before proceeding, she needs to ascertain something. She asks directly to Kaito: "The people who are using these spells were trying to hurt you, right?". Kaito, with a pensive face, answers affirmatively.

But it's when Sakura asks again "Were they trying to hurt Akiho too?" that his expression turns really painful, the background after him portraying well his raging emotions and, while Mokona-sensei chose to leave Akiho hidden by Kaito's black wings in the previous panels, now she finally shows how both she and Kaito are holding onto eachother, while our boy answers with a "...Yes" dripping with sorrow. It really squeezed my heart with pain, this scene. Because as long as Sakura was asking about him, his expression was pensive but almost as if it's something he's used to, that didn't shake him too much. But when Sakura mentions Akiho, god, that wrecked him. Any mention, any reminescence of what those bastards did to her and how they were chasing after her to put their filthy hands on her again wrecks him even now, and it's like Mokona with her visual skills is showing how Kaito seems to be holding Akiho a little bit tighter, while he answers Sakura's question. I also have to point out something that I had noticed already from last chapter, but a panel tricked me into believing I was just seeing things: CLAMP here use a dark screentone for Kaito's eyes, that he never had before (actually, no other character in CCS got this effect in their eyes). This effect will be used on him for the entire chapter.

And it seems like it's the very same screentone that was used for the dragon. I think this might be an indication that the wings aren't the only reminescence of his dragon appearance!

Sakura shows once again an incredible empathy that allows her to go right to the heart of the issue without investigating much. If Kaito rewrote an entire world, and if it's true that Akiho in the previous world didn't have all the love and familiar support she's got now, it means that she was probably in danger too. And seeing as these people are attacking them now because they freed Kaito from his "punishment", Sakura doesn't really need much to make 2+2 and understand the situation. Sakura believes in Akiho, therefore she believes in Kaito too, and knows that if he came to this point it's because they were in a desperate and dangerous situation.

Showing an incredible insight, Sakura shocks both Kaito and Akiho by asking:

Sakura, JP: "In that case, can I make those people forget about you both?"

Because our girl needs to make sure that the plan she came up with won't have any undesired consequences. But most importantly, she needs to have their consent. She reiterates this once again, actually she will make sure to ask Kaito and Akiho's consent 3 times in total. She says: JP, lit. "If going back to before the world was rewritten will put you through hardships once again, then, can I just make them forget?" Kaito is even more shocked, because he finally understands Sakura's intent. A generous, selfless intent born from a loving heart. Our girl wants to make sure that these two will be safe and sound once she fixes this situation. She can't take risks, because their happiness is all she's really caring for right now. And in his shocked expression, I can also see some kind of "omg YES, PLEASE" vibe. Because probably, having those terrible people forgetting all about them is everything he ever wished, but couldn't achieve. And I think it's really funny how we berated Kaito so much in the past chapters for making Akiho and the others forget facts that happened before and forgetting about him, but here Sakura just takes "inspiration" from him and actually decides to use that same "trick" in the right way. Because it's not fair that it should be them, the abused people, to forget about their most important person, in order to achieve a happy life for at least one of them. It isn't fair and it isn't right that Kaito was driven into making all the mess that he made, pushed by desperation. The abusers, that clan and Association of magicians, should be the ones forgetting.

But this is Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card's finale, and Sakura definitely hasn't finished with being amazing yet, she actually just started. Her very strong power at this point allows her not only to see things that were difficult before, but also to connect the dots more easily thanks to that renowned instinct that I've always talked to you about, and that she learned to finally listen to.

As if she were seeing through him with X-rays, she confidently affirms that there's a book inside of him, a white book where you can inscribe magic on. And she also knows that that same book was inside Akiho, once. I guess this might be even coming from past memories of the unrewritten world (do you remember when, before the play started, Sakura said that she could feel something inside Akiho?). Akiho of course is shocked to hear that, and from her expression you can almost feel the chill that went down her spine in that moment. Sakura affirms that this book knows both Akiho and Kaito (thanks to the fact that it was inside both of them - something that I've always found painfully heartbreaking but also quite moving, for my ship), and it's got a very strong power inside of it. These will be two crucial things for Sakura's plan. In fact, our heroine is hellbent in attempting something pretty arduous: utilizing that artifact's power to create a new Card. For impartiality, I have to point out that the ENG added (completely on their whim) a "you, her special person" that isn't there in the JP version! Of course it's all the better for me, since they repeat (finally with the right adjective) that Kaito is Akiho's special person, but it's kinda funny that they messed it up so much in the previous chapters, and now they're adding it where there isn't any mention of it!

Sakura will be using a tool that knows the both of them, therefore she is sure that her plan will succeed, because the Card will know what it will need to erase. Sakura asks for Kaito and Akiho's agreement one last time. After hearing how those people wanted to hurt them both and even implanted the same magical artifact inside of her, Akiho is quite resolute and doesn't have any doubt: on with the wiping off! It doesn't matter who those people are, they've tried to harm her most important person and her too, so she doesn't really seem to give a damn about proceeding with this plan. Kaito, on the other hand, seems to be giving a more lackluster affirmative reply, but it's not that he's uncertain: he's just still riddled with guilt for all the mess that he's done, and he's probably realizing that now Sakura will need to put herself on the line in order to fix this and protect both of them, hence his sad face.

Still surfing the confidence wave, Sakura guesses that once those people have forgotten about Akiho and Kaito, then the magic arrows will stop too, and Kaito confirms that: forgetting about the person who had the Seal of D enforced on him will be equal to "undo" both the activation of the Seal itself (when Kaito removed the book from Akiho) and also the rescission of it (what Sakura did when she freed Kaito from the cage). This will therefore stop the arrows too, because the Seal wouldn't have been triggered in the first place. However, Kaito warns her that, although time is still barely "stopped" (because the time-stopping spell is still weakly on), it's necessary an enormous amount of power in order to do what Sakura wants to do. I have to point out another inaccuracy in the ENG translation in this part, which makes Kaito say "before things could get worse" and I have the feeling they misunderstood the word 辛うじて, "barely" or "narrowly", which is also written with the kanji of 辛い, "hard" or "tough". So Kaito isn't saying "before things could get worse" but actually meaning "although time is barely stopped".

Sakura doesn't seem to be scared by Kaito's warning, and activates her wand without a second thought, and immediately we can see that her task wil NOT be easy, as she can feel the strain almost right away.

Here we go with another inaccuracy of the ENG translation:

Sakura, ENG: "Great book, please show yourself! My power alone won't be enough...!" Sakura, JP: "The book....doesn't want to come out. (it's too difficult to pull it out) with just my power..."

Basically, Sakura isn't begging the book to "show itself", she's actually actively trying to pull it out of Kaito, and she's aware that it's opposing a lot of resistance, and her power alone isn't enough to take this damn book out. Sakura refuses to give up, because everyone else is doing their best too. Yes, everyone else.

And that's when CLAMP decided to bring us a big surprise for this finale.

A pair of hands seem to be appearing next to Sakura's, as if a spirit is hugging her from behind. We can see the famous fan that we learned to recognize so well ever since her first appearance in Movie 1. Sakura feels immediately the same magical power of Syaoran surrounding her, and with her instinct she finally recognizes her: it's Syaoran's mother, YELAN!!! We can see her, sweating and all, in her sacred chinese pavilion, lending her power to help in this difficult task.

What a great, welcome surprise for this finale!! You might have heard me saying on Twitter that Clear Card is really a celebration of motherhood, with this constant presence of mothers and mother figures who try to help these kids growing up without removing their right to choose for themselves. And since Yelan is the only mother figure who can concretely help Sakura in this moment, with her immense power, I really loved to see how this woman didn't hesitate to assist her future daugher in law. For any SyaoSaku fan, this scene here is a huge thing. We have seen in the anime how Yelan doted on Sakura ever since she met her in Movie 1, even before her own son realized his feelings for this girl. Yelan and Sakura haven't met in the manga yet (and hello, CLAMP, now this is a good chance for letting that happen, after the madness is over), but the woman didn't hesitate a moment to lend her power. I can really imagine how along these two will get, in the future. ❤️

Sakura thanks her aloud, while her eyes show that she's really really tired. Yelan's assistance is finally effective in summoning the artifact book out of Kaito, and we see again those countless book pages that we saw both when Akiho used to go "berserk", and also in the most heartbreaking scene of chapter 70. Kaito, still holding onto a worried Akiho, seems to suffer physically from this removal, and I can't understand if it's because removing something magical from inside is naturally painful (we've been shown something like that before, Syaoran crouching to the ground in pain while the Sakura Cards were being removed from inside of him) OR if the removal of the artifact also triggered his poor health conditions in which we left him, before he disappeared in chapter 70.

Sakura tries with all she's got and finally manages to turn the artifact into its "true form": a book filled with countless of spells written in strange magic runes.

You have spotted it, right? ☝️ I haven't seen many fandom reactions yet, but I guess this "cameo" made more than one person scream: it's Fay D. Fluorite's tattoo, yes! This page of the "book" is probably describing the procedure to cast that tattoo (which was also a kind of "seal", if I remember correctly). So that spells exists in this CCS world too! 😅 The magic Sakura is weaving starts "working" on the book, literally removing the spells from its pages and turning them back to their original form of magical books (remember that the Squids used to say that they would inscribe "magic books" and their power onto Akiho?).

Then, solemnly, we hear probably for the last time ever the magical incantation that accompanied us in the beginning of the story, used by Sakura to secure the strange manifestations of power into a transparent Card:

ENG: "Force without master, heed the call of my Staff of Dreams and become my power! SECURE!"

The countless of books and all this tremendous amount of power get secured into the birth of a new Card: BLANK!!!

Blank got the human appearance of Akiho, but also the protective wings of Kaito. The girl is holding a book (of course, how perfect for her) which is the representation of the artifact that was inside both Kaito and Akiho. This card is really so meaningful for someone like me who loves Akiho and Kaito. It's representing them united in their suffering (the artifact) but also in the hope for a better future (Akiho is smiling and the Card will be used to grant them safety, away from their abusers). I've always imagined that one of the last Cards Sakura might have produced would have Akiho and Kaito's elements, and here it is.

Also, how AWESOME is that Sakura managed to dispose of that damn artifact and succeeded to use it for Kaito and Akiho's sake, and turned it against the monsters who created it??? HOW. AWESOME. IS. THAT!!!!

Producing the very first consciously created transparent Card sucked almost all of Sakura's power and strength, and she's close to fainting, under the terrified eyes of Akiho, who lets go of Kaito for a moment in a gesture of going towards her "sister". But Sakura isn't done yet, no. She can't give up yet because her job isn't done.

And I Will Make Them Remember About You

Sakura wants for Akiho and the people who care about her (the ENG decided to translate this with "the people SHE holds dear") to remember who Akiho really is. She wants basically to "undo" what the rewriting of the world caused on the people who know Akiho, making them believe that she was born into the Kinomoto family and that she was Sakura and Touya's sister.

After pondering for a while and discussing with my friends over at my Discord server, I decided I'm not gonna go out on a limb and assume things from this decision, because I definitely NEED to read the next chapter to see how much Sakura intends people to remember, with this move. It's really not clear at all, as of now.

Anyway, other translation inaccuracy incoming!

Sakura, ENG: "I'm going to make another new card for that...and I might not have the power to do it alone" Sakura, JP: "It might probably be really difficult to create one more new card with my power, right now..."

As you can see, the nuance is different, because Sakura in the JP addresses how it's almost impossible for her to create another new card in the situation she is in right now, exhausted and all.

That's why, very cleverly, she's going to do something different. (My gosh how proud I am of this girl!!)

Saying "But these two Cards will surely help me", Sakura skillfully manages to merge Time and Rewind to create a new Card, not from scratch (which requires more power) but using what she's already got: and that's how the REMIND Card is born!!! The name of the Card originated by just replacing the "W" of Rewind with the "M" of Time. Ingenious, isn't it???

And as the two Cards merge, they give us lots of flashbacks, like the "effect" used here resembles a lot the one that used to happen when Sakura was changing the Clow Cards into the Sakura Cards back in the old arcs, or how the merging of two Cards seems to also be a callback to how the "card without name" and the "Nothing" merged to create HOPE in the very last minutes of Movie 2! What a nostalgic trip down the memories lane!

And the appearance of this Card is even more touching, because it features Syaoran (with his current age) holding Nadeshiko's pendant watch. I found that so sweet, especially coupled with Yelan's assistance to Sakura in this chapter. Yelan associated with Sakura, and Syaoran associated with Nadeshiko. How sweet. And when you think that even Lilie, Akiho's mother, was associated with Kaito, you really can realize that this is some kind of "theme" that CLAMP seemed to be wanting to portray in this story.

I Can't Be On Everyone's Side

And now, the scene that I think is worth the whole chapter, but probably the whole Clear Card Arc in its entirety. As usual, with important scenes, I'll use the literal translation from Japanese:

Sakura, JP: "It might not be right that there'll be people who will forget things (after this), but....I can't be everyone's friend/ally/can't be on everyone's side. So I won't go back...but actually, along with the people important to me... I WANT TO GO ON"

Wow. Let that sink in.

Sakura, of Cardcaptor Sakura, just came to the realization and spelled out clearly that she cannot be on everyone's side. That she cannot be "everyone's friend", like in a cheesy fairytale.

And I really, really, want to thank CLAMP-sensei for this scene and this line because for a period, long time ago, I was worried that this story would go down the "let's be friends" or "let's show sympathy to them" route. But as the chapters continued and the things CLAMP told us about the Association and the Squids were more and more cruel, and they made me more and more sick, I started to realize that there was simply no way CLAMP could've had Sakura try to justify or compromise with them. Because when cruelty is real, there's no compromise to be made.

This scene also shows how Sakura realizes for the first time ever that in her world, contrary to what we all believed previously, evil exists. It might not touch her or her "entourage" directly (and she's really blessed for that), but it exists out there and it's hurting people, people who can also become really important to her. And she decides to not stand idly by, blessed as she is with the luck of not experiencing that evilness, but actually using whatever it is in her power to bring those suffering people to safety.

Sakura cannot fight those people on equal terms. She's just 13, and although her power is very strong, she's still inexperienced. Moreover, she cannot really bring herself to deny her current nature and use violence on other human beings. That's not Sakura. I want you guys to reflect on this because I know that one of the favorite things expected for this finale was to have a direct magical confrontation with the true villains of this arc, defeating them and restablishing the peace. And I am sincere when I say that I would've wished for the same too, because you know how much I love Kaito and Akiho, and how much I was disgusted to read about what they did to them. I've spread my "burn the squids" gifs all over the fandom. I wanted someone to vindicate them. But not here. Not in this manga. I realized that after the initial satisfaction, I would've probably felt like the series would've been "defiled". And that's exactly what happens when you answer to violence with more violence.

Sakura just could not go hunting those bastards down and defeat them in a magical battle. Because, powerful and corrupted in their greed as they are, the only way to "fix" this situation would've been to exterminate them. I just could not picture this story to cross that boundary, no matter how much the bar had already been raised well over what we initially thought.

So, if someone out there is disappointed by this outcome, I'm sorry for you, but it was just not meant to be and I'm actually really glad that this series kept true to its fundamental values. Of course it would, CLAMP really do care about this series and they know very well how far to push the plot, and when to actually stop.

So what is the role of Akiho's clan and the Magic Association in this story, especially considering that we never saw their faces at all? Talking with lots of fans in these years, especially Japanese, I've come to the conclusion that they are not in this story to fill the "villain that needs to be deafeated" role, but actually they're a representation of abusive families that smother and suffocate their children with expectations, completely disregarding those children's natural inclinations, and abuse them when they do not meet such expectations, but also the society as a whole, that looks at you only basing on how it can take advantage of you. Which is exactly what happened to Akiho and Kaito, driving them to very dark places. The absence of faces for those characters makes it possible for the readers to see the Squids and the Association as the representation of whatever environment they relate the most to. It can be family, society, school, workplace etc... It also helps us focusing on their actions, rather than their faces, and not attribute any prejudice to them (because of religion, race, skin color, or whatever other attribute they could have).

Seeing as the story treats them more like a concept, than an actual entity, it's basically impossible for Sakura to defeat them (and their great power is an indication of that impossibility). Just like in real life, darkness will always exist, along with light. Good and evil will always be side by side. It's bigger than any of us. Then, what can we do, in a situation like this? What Sakura is choosing to do, here, is not to confront directly with violence these people who are way out of her league, and not even to sit back and look, but actually finding a way to make them forget about her friends and keeping her friends safe, granting them the possibility of living a happy life, finally away from the darkness of the past, healing the wounds on their souls together with the people they love and who love them back. Because even if you've been abused in the past, you can still hope for a happy life.

The focus here is all on helping the abused people. And Sakura, in order to do that, is okay with coming to terms with the fact that she can't be on everyone's side, and she needs to choose. In the end, the thing that really matters the most is to GO ON with your most important people. Not going back to what is lost, but going forward. And I know that this is such a CLAMP theme, and I'm glad that they reiterated it in this arc. When I say that Clear Card brought Sakura so much more closer to what's usual for CLAMP, I mean this.

The panel with Sakura raising her staff and shouting she wants to go on is absolutely beautiful, with those wings growing so big and unleashing Sakura's power in a storm of cherry blossom petals.

Sakura is exhausted, she finally reached her limit by using her ultimate magic. As she faints, her eyes just make it in time to catch a glimpse of her prince, the love of her life grabbing tightly his girlfriend's hand, to not let her fall, while the watch of Remind and the book of Blank do their job in the background. And I really loved this spread too, because even if it's not a conventional romantic scene made of physical display of love, this in my opinion is even more powerful. Many were reminded of Tsubasa, but I was also reminded of the long time those two spent unable to touch one another, and this scene here seems like a catharsis for that hardship they went through. Syaoran will always catch Sakura everytime she falls, he will always be there to grab her hand, no matter if he can really touch her or not. Cause his love is stronger than any kind of impediment. He will always be by her side, no matter what. When she's exhausted by her heroine's duties, she knows that she can always count on him to support her.

And speaking of "always be by her side", I just can't avoid mentioning how Akiho and Kaito stayed "glued" to eachother for the entire duration of this chapter, protecting and supporting one another. Kaito, in particular, kept holding Akiho even as Sakura's magic was hurting him like hell, because it was extracting the book from him. Even in excruciating pain, he did not let go of Akiho, intent in protecting her and keeping her safe in his hold. Akiho let go of him just for a moment when she was scared out of her mind for Sakura, but went back to him when she saw that her "sister" was hellbent in completing her task no matter what. Kaito, as the good "moon boy" he is, is someone who shows his feelings through his actions rather than words, just like Syaoran. And his constant grip on Akiho in this chapter, such an opposite act compared to how he used to stop his hand everytime it started reaching out to her, told me all that I needed to know about him: she's his most important person, and he will never let go of her, ever again.

Sakura wakes up in her bed. The scene is a direct parallel with an almost identical scene in chapter 3, as you can see here:

Kero is next to her and is relieved to see her awake, so he goes to shout in the hallway, directed to Touya, that Sakura is finally awake. Sakura seems a bit surprised to see Kero talking so nonchalantly with her brother, and he tells her that he chatted with him back at Yukito's house, together with Suppy, so I guess now he finds it "natural" to talk to her brother too! 😂 I'm kinda glad to know that, I like this "change of relationship", compared to the old series (and it was also kinda long overdue).

Sakura opens the palm of her hands and she finds the Dream Key, still intact and all. She also asks about Remind and Blank, and Kero confirms to her that she was able to use them successfully! Sakura is absolutely delighted to hear that, and says "We were able to go on!"

And thaaaaaaat's how the second-to-last chapter of Cardcaptor Sakura Clear Card ends! Solving a lot of the pending situations, but still leaving some secondary questions that will surely find a (more or less) detailed explanation in the final, next chapter. And well, we also have to prepare to not have ALL the answers to ALL the questions we might have. This is usual for CLAMP, and especially in their Spaces they never made it a secret that they love for their fans to wreck their brains over theories and imagining the characters' future after a series is over. They love for the fans to give their interpretations to things, they encourage that a lot (also because it creates more long-lasting engagement with their series).

Alas, I expect they'll leave something in particular to everyone's interpretation, but we'll see. 😅

Overall, I really loved this chapter and it was really emotional for me. I think it's fitting for a "climax". Sakura was ABSOLUTELY running the show and after this I dare anyone to say that she isn't the main character of her story. She pushed her limits, and even questioned her own morality in doing so. What a wonderful thing. She reminded me so much of Sakura-hime when she shooted all those monsters in order to take the precious egg, back in the Acid Tokyo arc of Tsubasa. She knew she was doing something bad, but her wish to do everything needed in order to "have him back" was stronger than anything else. And she made her own choice. Here, Sakura, on a smaller scale, made her own choice too.

Now, I hope in the last chapter we'll be granted the possibility to delve a bit more into Kaito and his thoughts, I need to see his character development, I need to see that he learned something from this. That he -at least- started to interrogate himself over the nature of his feelings for Akiho. I know it's reasonable to think that with him, things will take looooong time, but as least show me the signs. Because I need to know that Akiho will be truly happy with him (I know she will!), and she can only be if he's learned to be honest with himself. And learned what Lilie meant with the last conversation we saw between them.

Also, WHERE'S MOMO, I NEED TO SEE MOMO BEFORE THIS ENDS!!

Okay, this is probably the longest post I ever did but I think as the second-to-last chapter it deserved to have some big thematics explored in depth, because they're very important. I'm still pondering if I should divide the post of the final chapter in two because, in addition to even more pages, I expect there'll be soooooooooo much to talk about (cross your fingers with me that there won't be any translation mistake).

I also hope there'll be room for an epilogue or a couple of extra chapters, to help us coping with the separation in a more gradual way, cause after 7 years it's quite hard. I was curious to see the end, of course, but also not entirely ready to let this wonderful story go. I really, really enjoyed it and I say this from the bottom of my heart. I don't care what everyone else thinks, I can only be grateful to CLAMP for Clear Card Arc. 🙏

Chapter 80, along with all the tears that will come with it, is expected to be uploaded on November 29th on CLAMP's Youtube channel. Yes, it's less than a month away! I also expect some news about the anime (BLESS THE ANIME!! Something to cling onto when the manga is over 😭).

Well, see you at the end of November (please come to hold my hand cause I cannot do this alone, lol) !!!

[dragons-clause]

The Dragon's Clause

Sabo x Fem Reader CW: Forced marriage, intrigue, character death, fantasy violence, blood, magic, language, smut, 18+ mdni

Tag List: @mfreedomstuff @manachiichan

Chapter 13: Bet

The next four weeks passed with far more speed than you had expected, but you and Sabo both were very busy. You’d moved from checking his work to assisting him with it, but that work had near to doubled with preparations for the engagement party, and subsequent wedding afterward. Added to that you had bridal lessons, dancing lessons, dress fittings, and all while honing your magic and swordplay skills.

There was hardly time to eat or address one another outside of time spent working together.

As far as working together, that was going well for both of you. At least as far as you could tell. Since you weren’t just checking Sabo’s work anymore, you had a few things that were entirely your responsibility. Koala would review things for both of you when she could, but the express time line had everyone busy.

“In a couple weeks we’ll start to receive guests.�� Sabo says, after finishing up the last of his paperwork for the day. You nod, not looking away from what you’re focused on.

“Isn’t that a little early?”

“Decidedly.” He agrees, the smile in his voice floats into your ears and warms you. The mischievousness was a welcome emotion, and a good sign. “But it’ll avoid any interference from my parents. Especially for Ace and Luffy. The others will likely wait another week before arriving.”

“That explains why Koala and Hack have been so busy lately.”

“And you?” He questions, coming over and sitting down on the couch across from the desk you were working at. You look up and meet his gaze as he settles in, grateful for the smile that had been more and more relaxed over the last month. “You’ve been working more than all of us.”

“It’s hardly work.” You insist, looking back down to your paperwork before deciding you could safely be done with it for the day. “I enjoy… most of it.” You admit, coming around and sitting across from him, nothing more than the small tea table between you.

“The bridal lessons?” He prompts and you laugh.

“I said most of it.” You reiterate. “But no, it’s not that bad. It’s… I mean.” Clearing your throat lightly you look away from him. “It’s comfortable here. I find I rather like it.”

“Good.” He muses, leaning back and letting his neck and back crack against the sofa. Slowly but surely the etiquette between you both was easing up. The marks of ‘Lady’ and ‘Duke’ in his speech and yours had ebbed as your words had become more familiar.

The change had been noticed by both of you, you were certain. The Duke was entirely too observant to be unaware, and even if he was by some miracle, you had little doubt that Koala would be sure to point things out to him. She likely was doing so regardless.

“Despite the series of events that brought you here, I’m relieved that you’re finding it to be a good home.” He adds. You start to say something but a knock at the door interrupts your train of thought as Hack announces himself.

“Ah, you’re both done for the evening I see.” He muses, bringing in a tray of hot tea and light snacks. “I was worried I was going to need to pry you both from your desks again.”

“There’s a lot to be done,” Sabo insists as Hack sets out cups and pours you both something to drink. “Though, I daresay we seem to be making good progress.”

“Indeed, we should have sufficient man power to guide Prince Luffy with care while he’s here.” Hack agrees and you tilt your head at the statement.

“Guide?”

“Luffy is… unique.” Sabo says, the smile on his face belying his word choice. “Ace will be here to keep him in line, so it won’t be as bad as it could be, but it is best to keep an eye on him.”

“Perhaps he will be interested in making a new friend.” Hack offers as he and Sabo look toward you.

“This feels like a test of some kind.” You shift your focus between the two. “If the good Lady of Lulusia befriends the unique prince of a nation she has had no direct interaction with, perhaps she will earn a reward.” You smile as you speak, and make a show of slightly exaggerated etiquette as you lift your tea cup, so they know there’s no hostility in your words.

Hack keeps a straight face, and Sabo smiles. “… Perhaps. Is there a reward the Good Lady of Lulusia would like?”

Your facade breaks and you consider things for a moment. “A favor, I think.” You answer honestly, setting your cup down. “The degree of the favor can be left to match the degree of success.”

“Very prudent, my lady.” He muses. “Barring an utter failure, you will win yourself a favor regardless.”

“And sometimes what seems a disaster can be made into an opportunity.” You add. “I feel like I am being asked to guide a storm. If he levels the city that would be a loss, but if he levels some trees and the amount of farmland expands as needed, then what an opportunity that would be.”

Sabo and Hack exchange glances. “Are you certain you haven’t met the young prince already?” Hack questions and you nearly choke.

“No I was… I was exaggerating.” You stammer, concern settling into your muscles as neither one of them is reassuring you the young prince is not actually that destructive. “Oh.”

“If you would like to back out now…” Sabo prompts and you chuckle nervously.

“Ah, I should, but I won’t. I have to admit I’m more curious to meet him now.” You glance at Sabo and give him a bright smile once you catch his gaze. “Plus I’m already thinking what kind of favor I could ask of the kind Grand Duke if I manage any manner of success.”

You see him flinch before he lets out his own nervous chuckle. “I see.”

“Perhaps you could,” you pause a moment, considering your word choice. “Regale me with stories about the young prince? And the crown prince as well, I would prefer to avoid insulting either one while they’re here. Given they’re important guests.”

“In the face of a wager that’s already stacked against me, I don’t see why I should assist you further.” Sabo replies with a mischievous grin on his face.

“Well, you can tell me what you like, your grace, or I can tell Koala about our wager and I’m certain-.”

“Alright!” Sabo interrupts, concern far more blatant on his face than you imagine he wanted. Lowering his head he sighs and clutches his hand into a fist. “I surrender, Lady Lulusia. I’ll tell you about Ace and Luffy.”

Sabo began to speak of his time with Luffy and Ace. He spoke of a chance meeting during their childhood, and how he and Ace had hit it off but it had taken a moment for them to really accept Luffy. Not that Luffy gave them much choice in the matter.

He spoke of how Luffy seemed to make friends with everyone he met, and perhaps even more than that, friend was a title that fell a bit short of what bond was truly forged. Sabo admitted that there were treaties and inter-kingdom-deals that had lived or died based on Luffy, and he had no idea how far the depths of his declarations had gone.

But such was his manner, and so trustworthy were his decisions, that it was hard to ignore them.

Sabo had barely cleared their time at the academy when he was escorting you to your room, the evening having gotten too late for his stories to continue. You weren’t sure if knowing all of this was going to actually help you, but the expressions on the Duke’s face, and the tone in his voice, were such that you wished he could continue talking straight into the dawn.

“Ah, my apologies.” Sabo says, as you both reach the doors to your room. “That was, perhaps, a bit much to take in, in one go.” He admits, clearing his throat.

“Not at all,” you assure him. “It was a delight to hear you speak of your, er, brothers. Is it alright to call them that? I assume only when there aren’t others around.”

“They certainly won’t mind. Luffy doesn’t tend to mind regardless of who is or isn’t around, but Ace and I try to keep the other nobles from gossiping too much.” He clarifies.

“Noted.” You smile as Sabo opens the door to your room, and you hesitate for a second.

 You don’t want the evening to end, and not for the first time, you find yourself reluctant to retire. Working all the long hours lately was easy because you weren’t alone. But there was nothing you could say or do to prolong things at this point.

Rest was every bit as important as work, and he probably needed it even more than you.

“Thank you.” You say as you step into your room, giving him a brief glance and a smile. “I look forward to hearing even more tomorrow, your grace.”

“More?” His tone and brows raise in mock surprise. “I would have imagined the Good Lady Lulusia was tired of my voice by this point.” He teases.

As you begin to close the turn, you look up at him, smiling shyly as your gaze holds his for a little longer than before. “I cannot imagine tiring of hearing you speak.” You admit, watching pink dust his cheeks, and genuine surprise stutter his thoughts, before you have mercy on the both of you and close the door.

Leaning against the door, you stay still for several minutes until you finally hear the soft click of boots step away from your room. It feels safe to breathe, but you’re barely doing that, for fear of simply screaming due to the rush of oddly conflicting emotions roiling within you.

You flirted with the duke.

Putting your hands over your mouth you step away from the door. Eyes wide, your mind spinning far too quickly for you to keep up, you do your best to get ready for bed. It takes far longer than usual because your own mind keeps distracting you.

You flirted with the duke. You - just like that - you just went and complimented his voice. Beyond a simple compliment you basically implied you could listen to him talk for hours. That you would enjoy his words and time and attention and-.

You put both of your hands over your mouth again and dampen the embarrassed sound you couldn’t fully suppress. It was impossible for it to have been heard outside your room, but you had no idea how you were going to face him at breakfast.

Taking a deep breath you try for a third time to undo the bodice of your house dress, forcing yourself to focus on the simple laces. You didn’t need assistance getting dressed in the general daily wear of the estate, and so Koala wasn’t going to arrive to help.

Such was a small blessing at this point.

You absolutely did not want assistance from Koala right now. She would know. She would know the second she got a good look at your face and you’d never hear the end of it.

Even after you managed to get undressed and into your night clothes you paced in your room for nearly thirty more minutes. You’d been up all day. Sword practice, bridal lessons, and work in the evening. Despite all that you were wound entirely too tight to sleep. Pacing helped, however, and eventually even your legs began to ache from the hurried circles you were walking in your room.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, you lay back, staring up at the canopy and at all of the beautiful and intricate details of the art work etched into the wood. Hack had explained them to you, the point of symbols and pictures, the history behind it, it was as rich as the work itself, but none of that was connecting with your brain right now.

You could barely even see any of it. Just him. His eyes. The shock on his face. The pink on his cheeks. The momentary pause between you both. If only you had said something more.

Done something more.

Letting your fingers slip across your lips, the ticklish shiver that dances against your skin makes you realize what you’d really wanted.

“I wanted to kiss him.” You murmur into the air.

Gods save you, you’re falling in love.

[ritzy-reminiscence]

─♣️─ Lackadaisy : Lacka-Lacy !

⸝⸝ tl;dr : lacy hardt has been on my mind recently, and after trying and failing to draw her properly i decided to make some general headcanons for her instead !

Despite being Wick's coffee fairy, Lacy doesn't like coffee at all. Or, well, she used to, but after drinking too much coffee after running on no sleep for ages and then suffering a day's worth of being locked in the bathroom,, let's just say she doesn't really want to drink coffee on a regular anymore. And if ever she does drink coffee, she prefers it with lots of milk and as sweet as she could take. And she'd want some cookies nearby as well, to munch on between sips.

She likes tea, actually ! Lemon tea, specifically, with honey in it. Or if that's not available, just plain water with lemon slices in it. She's not against sipping on lemonade during her breaks, either.

Speaking of,,, Lacy feel like a citrus girlie to me. I feel like she'd like anything with citrus in it. Especially lemons. Oh yeah, she loves lemons. Lemon cake, lemon cookies, lemon pie, the whole shtick. I daresay she likes to snack on lemons too, without juicing it or anything. She hates grapefruit though. She'd rather be held hostage than eat a single grapefruit. She says it's because of how messy it gets, but really I think she just hates the taste :skull:

And adding on to the point above ! I feel like she likes the color yellow (surprise, surprise). And turquoise. To her it's a really pretty color combination, and it reminds her of summertime,,, with freshly cut oranges in a cold metal bowl,,, and lemonade,,, and lounging on a chair in the backyard with the yard just mown.. (now i want lemon and oranges too)

I think her and Mordecai would get along if they knew each other. Not because of the whole "we both have bosses that drink alcohol and directly support the bootlegging business" thing, but more of the "we both like to keep things tidy and organized" thing. They wouldn't even talk to each other. They'd have eye contact for like, 0.5 seconds and they just understand.

Ironically though, Lacy's workspace always looks like a bomb had been dropped on it. There's books and sheets everywhere, half-sharpened pencils and pens devoid of ink spilling from the upturned plastic cup she uses to hold her writing materials. It's a miracle that Lacy manages to find her way around her desk without losing any important documents.

Oh, Lacy tries, believe me. Every morning and every afternoon before she goes home, she organizes her stuff by color, size, function, the whole nine yards. She's even got labels for everything! But sometime in high noon where everything starts getting so busy she couldn't tell left from right and up from down,,, well, let's just say that her current schedule doesn't really leave any free time for being neat.

She lives in a shared apartment ! As much as she wants to know her roommate, the circumstances of her work and the situations she gets herself into doesn't leave much room for socializing.

No sleep for Lacy. None .

Well, there's a bit of sleep for her, but it usually occurs in the late late late hours of the evening, where she has to open the door to her shared apartment as quietly as she can and then tiptoe across the room so that she wouldn't wake her roommate up. And even then it takes a while for her to sleep -

She keeps small potted plants by her windowsill ! Sure, she doesn't have the time to actually care for them, but she still strives to water them every now and then and give them air and keep them in a place where the sun shines.

Compared to her workspace, Lacy's house is,, actually pretty tidy? Well, her side of the apartment, anyways. When she has free time, Lacy would sweep the floors and reach under the sofa and bed to get rid of any dust bunnies. And although her roommate cleans up after themselves pretty well, Lacy couldn't resist washing their dishes or make their beds. It's gotten to the point that in the rare moments where she and her roommate do talk to one another, they quipped about Lacy being a cleaning fairy.

Lacy left their dishes rotting in the sink for about a week after that little joke, even though it's her turn to wash the dishes. :skull:

(And this isn't even a headcanon but like,, the name 'Lacy' just suits her so well ?? Like I look at her character design and then I look at her name and I'm like "Yup. That looks like a Lacy, alright.")

Oh, and one last thing -- being Wick's babysitter personal secretary had pretty much trained her to clean up after messes and follow up on meals and just,, pretty much be a maid ..

Whether she's conscious about it or not, she'd be cooking healthy meals for her roommate or leaving notes that remind them to take care of themselves. Of course, the roommate would love to tease Lacy for this, but considering what happened the last time they did that ,, keeping quiet seems like the better option -

[rhosmeinir]

Fictober 2023 #16

Prompt #16 - "Do you know a way out of here?"

Fanfiction: Good Omens

Rating: G

Warnings: None

Pairing: Ineffable Husbands/Aziracrow

Other Notes: Edinburgh, 1827. In which Crowley is not sucked down to Hell, Hell does not appreciate this, and Aziraphale does something about it. 1167 words!

The earth gave way beneath Crowley with cavernous roar, and the yell of shock left his mouth before he’d even realized what happened. Slightly ahead, Aziraphale had turned a split second before to remark on the creaking underfoot. Without pausing to think, he threw himself bodily at Crowley, and just managed to clasp his fingers around the demon’s wrist before he disappeared into the chasm. Aziraphale gritted his teeth as Crowley’s weight jerked at his shoulder, but focused on keeping his grip intact.

“Crowley!” Aziraphale shouted, “Don’t let go!”

“Aye,” Crowley replied bemusedly, tightening his fingers against the angel’s wrist as his laudanum-soaked mind struggled to process what was happening, “Gonnae no dae that.” With a hiss of effort, Aziraphale flung his other arm over the edge of the hole to grab Crowley’s arm as well. With a monumental heave, digging his heels into the graveyard earth, Aziraphale pulled Crowley’s upper body back over the edge.

“You could help out,” he panted, and Crowley obligingly maneuvered his free arm onto the ground, where he clawed and contorted his body in a wormlike fashion as Aziraphale continued to pull. What was only a matter of seconds —but felt like an eternity to the angel— later, Crowley was fully above ground again. But their troubles weren’t over yet: the disappointed howls of angered demons drifted up from the hold even as it began to seal itself, and Crowley grimaced.

“Haud yer wheesht!” the demon bellowed, shaking his fist at the still faintly glowing ground, “An lea’z alane! Ah’ll gie ye a skelpit—”

Not normally one to lose patience or to impose his will on others, Aziraphale recognized the urgency of the situation and made a decision. Standing quickly, he brushed the dirt from his trousers, then strode up behind Crowley (who was still grubbing about on the ground), and gestured. As he called down the miracle, the angel’s hands concluded their path by clamping on to both sides of Crowley’s head, where it promptly took effect, leeching the laudanum from his system. The demon froze, then contorted, then groaned, and toppled slowly over.

“Crowley?” Aziraphale said anxiously, leaning down to turn his face upward, flapping his hand to rapidly pat Crowley’s cheek. “Crowley!”

“Uuugh… was that really necessary, Angel?” Crowley, unpleasantly sober now, laid the back of a hand dramatically on his forehead.

“Yes, I daresay it was. You’ve just narrowly escaped a violent summons by Hell, in case you’d forgotten, and I imagine they don’t like that,” Aziraphale glanced over his shoulder, where the ground was still vaguely angry. Crowley pushed himself up, and held out a hand. Aziraphale grasped it as he straightened, and helped Crowley to his feet. The demon put his hands on the small of his back and stretched, twisting his torso from side to side.

“Ooh. Let me tell you, a sudden sober-up from laudanum is not—” Mid-sentence, Crowley froze, and sniffed hard. “Uh oh.”

“Uh oh?” Aziraphale retorted sharply, “What do you mean, uh oh?”

“Hellhound,” Crowley replied, now stretching his neck, “Looks like you were right about Hell not liking this situation, Angel.” Whether by Hellish intent or merely the typically cantankerous Edinburgh weather, the light fog that had spread over the graveyard when the pair had entered it had now coalesced into a thick, dense atmospheric mass that reduced visibility to near zero.

“Crowley, do you know a way out of here?” The demon looked about, then shook his head.

“Nope. Not in this mess, and besides, we won’t outrun a hound anyway.”

“Well then, what do we do?”

“Wait til it shows up and hope dogs still like me, I suppose.”

“You’re not going to try to reason with a hellhound,” Aziraphale stared at Crowley aghast, but his companion shrugged helplessly.

“Not much else we can do besides scratch its ears and feed it a few corpses.”

Further argument was forestalled by a sudden movement in the fog: a sweeping circle around angel and demon rippled, and both spun about to try and catch sight of its source. The temperature around them dropped several degrees, and a low, rumbling growl sounded out of the floating morass. Aziraphale clutched Crowley’s arm. 

“Where is it?” he whispered, and Crowley pointed.

“There.” No sooner had he said it than a pair of glowing red eyes emerged from the gloom, exactly where he had indicated. An enormous black shape was attached to the eyes, its edges blurred and formless, but nonetheless obviously the beast they were expecting. Crowley took a deep breath. “I’ll deal with this. It’s after me, so if I have to let it take me, just make sure you get out of here, ok A—”

Before Crowley could finish, Aziraphale stepped in front of him. But it was not plump, mild-mannered, bookshop-keeper Aziraphale: with a blinding flash of light, the angel burst into his true form. A whirling colossus of eyes and wings surrounding the beacon of his Heavenly body, Aziraphale towered high above the graves, the demon, and the hound. Crowley threw up his hands to shield himself, but the light did not singe him, and from behind his sunglasses, he saw the awful Aziraphale stretch out a hand.

“AVAUNT,” the angel said in a terrible voice, and a flame of light jetted from his hand. The hellhound shrieked and screamed, writhing upon the ground until it disintegrated into a crumbling pile of ash. As suddenly as it had come, the blinding light diminished, and when it had gone, Aziraphale stood upon the wind-blown grass, hair mussed, examining his sleeves. 

“…absolutely ruined the cuffs!” was the first thing Crowley heard after the ringing left his ears. Rapidly recovering from his slack-jawed shock, the demon staggered over to Aziraphale.

“Since when have you been able to do that?!” he gawped, and Aziraphale blushed.

“Oh, well, I wasn’t entirely sure I could. But trying seemed preferable to the alternative.”

“And what about the people??” Aziraphale looked about guiltily. 

“They’ll write it off as a Divine Happening, I suppose. We’d better find out way out of here though, in case anyone comes looking.”

Together they picked their way through the graves, in what they vaguely thought might be the direction of a gate out of the cemetery. Crowley was still not satisfied.

“And what about Heaven? Won’t you be in trouble?”

“Well, it wasn’t exactly a miracle, was it?” Aziraphale said cagily, “I mean, that’s just something I can do in that form. So I don’t think it’ll have registered. And,” he went on, warming to the idea he’d just had, “Hell won’t know it was me either! So they’ll just think you managed to destroy their hound and leave you alone, right?”

Crowley wasn’t so sure, but it seemed like a good enough conclusion for the moment. And, deep in his demonic heart, he really was touched at the risk Aziraphale had taken to save him from being dragged to Hell. And so, he gave in.

“Thanks, Angel.”

[neonponders]

For @billyhargrovebingo​ ​

~ read on ao3 ~

C1 - Android

• • •

A hospital was a strange place for quality time. Mostly, it was the carpool journeys there, since everyone needed regular visits after Starcourt. Tinnitus, concussions, and blood tests were just a few of the situations they were all dealing with.

And if Steve wasn’t available, it’s because he was already at the hospital. Max had a newly instated VIP seat in his car, much to the annoyance of Dustin (who wanted Steve’s time and attention) and Lucas (who couldn’t help but feel cast aside).

Max couldn’t really blame them for not caring about her brother. Hell, she didn’t understand her own depths of affection for him until recently. The shrinks of the hospital kept talking about the Five Stages of Grief as if she were supposed to give a shit about five processes.

Max was thoroughly stuck in the bargaining phase. And she’d stay there until whatever god finally delivered his side of the bargain.

Turns out, it did. Billy Hargrove was alive, and after a long surgery where Steve Harrington of all people held Max’s hand and gripped her shoulder during her erratic mood swings of crying, Billy woke up.

A pacemaker. The god keeping her brother alive was a little, man-made, battery powered device making sure the rhythm of his heart kept time with the right music.

Max could barely make out what the doctors were saying in the hallway. It was a load of information for her mom and stepfather - two people who seemed radically different after July fourth. Neil Hargrove was...just a man. A man who had been humbled down to his knees when he learned that his son was alive, but with a caveat. And her mom...Max could see her visibly overwhelmed with the steep learning curve for taking care of an intense trauma victim.

The device will need to be replace every five to seven years, but that’s routine procedure, nothing to worry about. I daresay, he’ll be able to live a normal life - so long as he stays away from cigarettes and anything more chemically advanced than food. He’s going to be a walking miracle. Four stomach pumps, almost a dozen blood transfusions, a scattering of fractures...that young man has a hell of an angel on his side. While the bones are recovering, I want weekly x-rays and monthly MRI’s. The physical stuff we can handle, but as for his psychological wellfare, that will be a tougher, longer journey...

Max blinked stupidly, because with the doctor’s voice droning out the background hospital noise, it was hard not to focus on Steve Harrington laying a big fat kiss on her brother’s mouth.

It was desperate, like Billy was his water in a desert...but gentle, like Billy were made of tissue paper and Steve was terrified of leaving a dent or wrinkle.

Max peeked at the window, worried her mom and stepfather might notice, but they were entrenched in the crash course for Billy’s new instruction manual -

“You don’t get to die,” Steve croaked. For some reason, witnessing Steve crying shook Max’s core more than her own parents’ tears. The guy just...didn’t do that. It was a little too easy to ignore an anchor like that until his rock was lying in bed with more injuries than a fresh eighteen year old had any right to have.

Steve’s hand cradled the junction of Billy’s skull and neck. Blue eyes blinked up at him, not fully conscious, but also not interested in anything other than a sky of big, doe eyes. “Not with a battery in your chest, you damn robot.”

The next day, Dustin chimed, “So he’s like Ironman?”

Lucas frowned at him. “It’s not a pacemaker in Tony Stark’s chest, dude.”

“But it’s protecting his heart. It’s kind of like a pacemaker.”

“It sounds more like a built-in defibrillator.”

“What the hell is that?” Dustin exclaimed.

Lucas pantomimed rubbing his fists together and then connecting them to Dustin’s torso with a jolt of his body. Dustin understood and nodded, “Oh, those medical electrocution things...Where are you going?”

Max sighed as she shouldered her backpack and swung her skateboard underneath her arm. “Turns out, the hospital has the best parking lots for skateboarding. Later, nerds.”

Under her breath, she remarked, “I’d rather watch two idiots make out than whatever this is.”

For better and worse, she got her bargain.

[omennatural]

Coffee theory & the hate it elicits

I recently saw someone discuss coffee theory and had literally come to the conclusion that it's a disservice to Aziraphale as a character, minimizing his complexity. Their words, a bit shortened, but still.

(If you don't know what coffee theory is, girl where have you been? Take a look here, you're in for a treat. Or Aziraphale was, maybe. )

I, wholeheartedly, disagree with this. We can debate coffee theory's validity as far as whether it happened or not, I certainly will get into that, but when has vulnerability cheapened the complexity of a character? I daresay it adds complexity? And I don't think you can separate the conversation of Aziraphale's complexity in relation to coffee theory without talking about what happened there. On the assumption now that his coffee was miracled, I don't think that was all it was. The Metatron manipulated Aziraphale, the link goes into the different ways in which they bridge the gap between rank, importance, status, to include not just Aziraphale, but Crowley, making Aziraphale more comfortable, more receptive, and the things they said to him.

And if coffee theory is wrong, I have two things to say, one being that Aziraphale was so heavily manipulated, The Metatron pulled his strings in such a way that was clearly very effective and that it worked to where we see him doing the very things he was literally willing to kill a child over in the first season (there's no sugar-coating that, he pulled the trigger on the thundergun and was intending to kill Adam Young to prevent armageddon), and if that's not vulnerability then I don't know what is. And secondly, what the fuck was the point of the coffee for? The show only has six episodes, Neil isn't just putting emphasis on "does anyone ask for death" and the specifics of a coffee, the insistence he drink the coffee, for fucking funsies. There's a reason.

The question is just, was it miracled, or was it a physical sweetener to bridge the gap between himself, an angel so important that what is said to him is said to God, and an angel labeled as a traitor.

I'm describing what happens to Aziraphale as vulnerability because I really think that's what it is. He's vulnerable because he's a victim of Heaven, of the morally gray acts carried out in God's name (Job, I'm lookin at you buddy), he lies to thwart the will of God because he knows what God commanded wasn't right, not in his moral compass. He's vulnerable to manipulation, most people are. I mean look at how Shax coaxed a semi-confirmation of Gabriel's whereabouts out of him in Edinburgh. A strong character, someone who is only strong, who cannot fail or fall short, is flat. One dimensional. But Aziraphale makes mistakes, sways one way and sways back the other way, he learns from (some) of his mistakes. He's so complex, an angel whose been fraternizing with a demon for a millennia because he's the only kindred spirit, because this demon isn't the black to the white, he's also gray, he's flawed and a little bit at heart a good person despite being cast from Heaven and deemed unforgivable in God's eyes. He's selfish, charitable, pissy but kind, he's withdrawn yet completely open, he's gluttonous, he covets, he judges and lies and he tempts humans when Crowley can't be bothered to do it himself. Aziraphale is the absolute most hypocritical character this show has simply because he's what we get most of, the most of his supposed virtues and his real sins. And I love him so dearly much. So yeah, being vulnerable to just base manipulation from The Metatron wouldn't be surprising, he gave Aziraphale a lot of big headlines in his new job title, made the gig sound too sweet to pass up, hoping he couldn't see the fine print. And he knew Crowley would, he knew no matter what that Crowley would refuse. He knew what would happen and he wanted to separate them, because if Aziraphale separates from Crowley, he's that much easier to sink the claws of Heaven into.

But, why not physically, too? On the basis of coffee theory being true, why can't Aziraphale being literally vulnerable to a miracle of Heaven? We see miracles being performed on angels a few times. For the love of God, Aziraphale and Crowley literally put up a no-Gabe blocker that clearly worked on every single occult and ethereal being it came across. Crowley getting up on the chair to touch the border seemed to signify it was a physical thing localized to the bookshop premises (outside included, for the Gabe giving himself up to Shax point), that Gabe needed to be in there. I wonder if he left, would it have still worked? Or if not localized to the bookshop, is the forcefield on him?That seems like a good inbox question for Neil. But the point is, the miracle, though a large one popping off at 25 Lazarii (forgive me if that's off, I'm referencing my brain and am not going back to check), but it worked on everyone. Is it because it was so powerful? As The Metatron, I would his miracles could be that powerful, to affect Aziraphale in a sort of drugged, made compliant and receptive manner to ideas/The Metatron's will. Which, that, is a whole other post.

But no, being vulnerable physically or emotionally isn't a disservice to a character, it adds to their complexity. Because yes, Aziraphale could make the bad decision to go to Heaven on his own, no miracle influence needed, realize how wrong it was and fix it, but he made the choice to drink the coffee anyway without any help. In a way without the miracle, he fucked up. He shouldn't have taken the coffee, he shouldn't have assumed it was harmless. Heaven has done enough up to this point, he said he'd made his position very clear, but immediately took a step toward a line of relatability by taking the damn coffee. That in itself was The Metatron manipulating Aziraphale, the beginnings of "oh, I've ingested things too, it's alright, it's not as bad as you think it is" and he fell for it. He began giving Aziraphale the thing he's wanted for thousands of years–that the way he is isn't bad, it's not worthy of falling, that he's right, not to belong on the side of Hell because Aziraphale still believes in goodness and love and everything Heaven is supposed to be, and what Aziraphale wants is to not be worth falling, while still making morally correct choices to help and bless humanity. He wants to be right for himself, but the only person he sees himself in is Crowley and that scares him, scared the hell out of him after Job, didn't it?

He doesn't have to make the mistake of Heaven on his own to be complex, he's hitting his low, all good characters have them–a point where they're making all the bad choices. And wouldn't it be something for his character arc to have to be strong to fight whatever that could be becausse he's not got Crowley by his side. He hit a low with Job, but what's lower than being so foolish as to accept Metatron's offer simply because Heaven, the archangels, The Metatron, they can't be trusted and Aziraphale thinks that The Metatron, the angel whose existence seems to be intertwined with God, would surely know God's will and him behind the wheel would be a big chance for change, and we all know Heaven dearly needs it. This is a new low, a low without friends surrounded by falsities and being manipulated. He's gotten himself into a bad situation, or he's been scooted along into it. Either way, he's gonna have to grow and dig his way out of it.

Do I believe in coffee theory? I like to think so yes, but also no.

I think the cup matters too much to be ignored, the sound, it being in the title sequence.

But I also think what if it was just a manipulation tactic.

But it almost seems as though Aziraphale almost says no before he leaves the bookshop, like he's taking his decision to go back.

But then I remember how Michael almost seemed to recognize Gabriel under the cloaking miracle and how everyone got a heavy dose of Jane Austen at the ball, but Nina seemed to wonder what the fuck was happening more than anyone else, like some powerful/strong wills can resist miracles more than other.

And I think of how easily he tried to leave the bookshop behind before Crowley kissed him and left and he had to face actually leaving, the same guy who was going to shoot a brick at a child and kill them so he could continue eating sushi and pretending he wasn't in love with a demon in a shop with painted walls the same color as those demon's eyes.

I may need more time on whether or not I believe in it or not, but I certainly don't agree with the opinion that it's a disservice to Aziraphale, to take away his choice.

Heaven doesn't give you choices.

Not when you're acting on the will of God.

[evilasiangenius]

Crowley scowled as he came in, shaking off the snow. The ends of his himation were frozen stiff, and ice crusted the cloth where he had wrapped it around his face. If there weren’t humans all around, he would have miracled it all off, but instead he walked over to a nearby brazier to try to warm up. Sure, this was a fire, but it wasn’t much of a fire; it was too drafty in this hallway. With a scowl he headed toward the inner palace.

There were some ladies of the court standing outside of Asmodeus' chambers when Crowley returned, but he thought nothing of it, it wasn't like he hadn't seen something like this before. The door was open, so Crowley went inside without a thought.

“Sorry to come barging in like this, lord, but it is quite literally snowing sideways outside right now and I thought I’d come in to warm uhhh?!” Crowley paused, mid-step as he realized Asmodeus was not alone. “Erm, oh. Sorry! Sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry! Didn’t mean to interrupt-”

“It’s all right. Come in, dear Akakios,” Asmodeus said, and Crowley’s eyes darted from the disguised Prince of Hell to the human that was sitting with him by the desk covered with astrological scrolls.

A young woman sat swathed a himation of fine wool but the fibula was made with a fortune in gems and gold, and just the bracelet on her wrist could have probably fed Athens for a week and Crowley’s eyes widened; he was almost completely certain that this was the Queen.

“Erm. I uh, didn’t realize you had company,” Crowley stammered. “D-did you want me to go?”

“It’s all right. I’ve heard many good things about you,” Olympias said, gesturing graciously.

Unsure what to do or what to do with himself, Crowley did the most reasonable thing and sat down immediately upon a nearby stool, trying not to tip over as he sat down. Like most human furniture it was too short, and so Crowley ended up with his knees almost by his ears, and he struggled for a minute to settle his chiton and himation in a way that looked properly dignified instead of awkward and uncomfortable, nearly hissing when the cold frozen edge of the himation passed over a bit of bare flesh where the chiton had ridden up.

Crowley looked up and realized that both Asmodeus and Olympias were staring at him.

"Oh erm, greetings your majesty," Crowley said, realizing he should bow or something and then trying to do that as he sat awkwardly on this too-short stool.

"Akakios, brother of Akakios the children’s nanny. How interesting that your parents gave the two of you the same name.”

“Yeah, well. You know. Parents. They erm, uh. Make decisions.”

“Hmm, you look very much like her. Neither of you have aged a day since the first day I saw her among my women, how fortunate.”

“Ah…”

“I would daresay that if we put you in her clothes, you and she would look exactly the same.”

“Well, yes, you know how twins are. Look the same except when they don’t-”

“How very interesting. Especially since I have never seen either you or your twin together in the same place,” Olympias smiled in a way that seemed as if the all the knives were being gently swathed in a pretty piece of silk, possibly in a way that would polish the knives into a brighter, shinier edge before the cutting began.

“Oh well, that would be silly wouldn’t it? Akakios – er, my sister, she’s totally a different person and not me at all, in fact half the reason that we weren’t in the same company was because you know, as a woman it would be untoward-”

“And yet a person might almost think you were the same person. And doesn’t one of my son’s tutors look just like you too? The literature tutor, the one with the little beard.”

“Erm, a c-cousin, on my mother’s side. You could say Mother’s influence was er, heavy-handed to say the least-”

“Then it’s a good thing that your sister did not have your mother’s personality. She was kind and well-spoken of by our children. They miss her company. I hope she's happy now that she's married?"

"Oh yes, quite.” Crowley breathed a sigh of relief as Olympias changed the subject and if he didn’t know any better, it seemed as if she had chosen to be merciful and not press the issue when she could have easily continued. “G-good dowry, good husband. Back in Ionia...erm, with this uh, rich merchant, nice guy. I hear she’s got some kids now too? Haven’t seen them yet. And uh, she thanks you for the opportunity..."

x

[crossdressingdeath]

In this year, 950 DR, there can hardly be a more prosperous and fortunate town than Phandalin! Phandelver's Pact has brought prosperity to this land, splitting the wonders of Wave Echo Cave between gnomes and dwarves. The town now boasts thriving communities of both peoples, living and working together in harmony. We have also tempted human spellweavers from all across the north to our town, who are happy to work side-by-side with the allies of Phandelver's Pact. Mayor Alderleaf invites you to come and witness this miracle yourself. See the powers being uncovered in the Forge of Spells and the prosperity this power brings! I daresay Neverwinter will soon have a new rival for the title of 'Jewel of the North'.

Things that are wild to read having just been listening to TAZ Balance. For a moment I was legitimately like "Wait, but didn't Phandalin get destroyed?" and then I remembered that that was in fact from. a podcast. and is not Forgotten Realms canon.

[not-bcring]

✩ 「 @heartheaded​ 」 ✩ - Continued from ★

「 ☆ 」 Ryota doesn't spare Ai a glance after their initial command that he stop moving, not even a verbal hum to show that the other's words made it through to the artist. But they must have, since Ryota's posture relaxes as they sink back into their work. However, stylus abruptly stops in the midst of striking a few lines when Ai's expression changes. As if Ryota sensed the movement. Shoulders tensing once more, it's a subtle shift in their reserved demeanor, the tip of their pen hitting the tablet's screen with a light tap.

❝ I can feel you judging me. ❞ They dryly complain, quiet voice sounding more annoyed than offended. As if this was yet another inconvenience they'd have to contend with instead of a mark against them as a person. It's understandable they'd be viewed poorly for how they live. Besides, they've been accustomed to judgment even before their habits became so abysmal. Perhaps, were they more inclined to take better care of themself, they could avoid being viewed QUITE as harshly. Soft, daresay attractive features veiled by layers of neglect ( both from the world and themself ) and utter disregard... But there's no point to it.

Beneath a clean appearance lies a personality and interests and social skills that provide more than enough reason for ridicule... The only thing worthwhile is their art. So, that's where Ryota must put all their effort.

Eyes narrowing slightly, lips tighten in a frustrated frown as Ryota finally looks back at their subject. Golden hues glinting as they study Ai, even their expression doesn't betray any PERSONAL stake in the matter. More reminiscent of an artist examining their tools, trying to figure out the best way to work with what they have.

Flitting down from Ai's face to his form, Ryota's own features scrunch in disgust as they huff to themself, ❝ No, that won't work. I can't even focus on your body when your face is like that... You're too tense. It's clear that everything is off. ❞ Whether others would agree, it's hard to say. But Ryota's keen eye can't get past the discomfort crawling on Ai's skin, tainting what is supposed to be a pure study of their subject. Feeling a similar itch within themself, stemmed from the task at hand instead of the unsanitary conditions they are meant to perform it in, Ryota rests their tablet on their lap and complains, ❝ Look, I know it's not exactly pleasant in here, but I can't do my job if you can't shove down your disgust for a bit longer. ❞

Technically a ❛ BIT ❜ is a stretch. With the pace things have been going, it'd be a miracle if they managed to keep it under an hour or two at best. But admitting that hardly feels like any way to get Ai to calm down... Although, Ryota doubts the other isn't aware. Still, they consider it common courtesy not to vocalize the unfortunate truth when it's not necessary. 「 ☆ 」

[cr0ws-cha0t1c-c0llect10n]

i love the reversed part of the mind electric because it's like a cool brain reset before u get BOMBARDED by how EPIC the song is

[ozmatippetarius]

for everybody who totally believes Francis's story and thinks he's a victim who's tragically in love with somebody who doesn't appreciate him and uses him for sex, can you give me your honest read on the following scene? Because I think it's pretty clear confirmation that Francis was lying and has been abusing Charles's substance addiction to extort him for sex for years.

"I've seen you leave the top down in the rain before," said Charles curtly. He was at the counter, his back to Francis, pouring himself a drink. His hair was plastered to his head and a small puddle was forming round him on the linoleum. "What," said Francis, through his teeth. "I never." "Yes you have," said Charles, without turning around. "Name one time." "Okay. What about that afternoon you and I were in Manchester, and it was about two weeks before school started, and we decided to go to the Equinox House for-" "That was a summer afternoon. It was sprinkling." "It was not. It was raining hard. You just don't want to talk about that now because that was the afternoon you tried to get me to-" "You're crazy," said Francis. "That doesn't have anything to do with this. It's dark as hell and pouring rain and you're drunk out of your skull. It's a miracle you didn't kill somebody. Where the hell did you go for those cigarettes, anyway? There's not a store around here for-" "I'm not drunk." "Ha, ha. Tell me. Where'd you get those cigarettes? I'd like to know. I bet-" "I said I'm not drunk." "Yeah, sure. I bet you didn't even buy any cigarettes. If you did, they must be soaking wet. Where are they, anyway?" "Leave me alone." "No. Really. Show them to me. I'd like to see these famous-" Charles slammed down his glass and spun around. "Leave me alone," he hissed.

To my eyes, this scene pretty clearly belies Francis's claim that Charles has been having 100% consensual sex with him and then pretending to forget it later but what are you guys seeing?

Very soon after this we get this scene:

Charles and Francis, who weren't speaking before the service, had managed somehow to make up during the course of it. After the final amen, in silent, perfect sympathy, they ducked into an empty corridor off the side aisle. I caught a glimpse of them speeding wordlessly down it before they turned into the men's room, Francis stopping for one last nervous glance behind and already reaching in his coat pocket for what I knew was there- the flat pint bottle of something or other I'd seen him take from the glove compartment.

So less than 24 hours after we have Francis using Charles's alcoholism to gaslight him, we have him exchanging alcohol for sex again.

Francis admits to this exploitation himself! These are his own words!

"Who's he been to bed with?" He brought up his glass and took a big drink. "Me for one," he said. "That shouldn't surprise you. If you drank as much as he does, I daresay I would have been to bed with you, too."

This is after we've already seen Francis try to have sex with Richard while he's high out of his mind and actively resisting, so we know he's not bluffing.

Just to be clear, I do love Francis as a character; I find him fascinating and funny and deeply flawed, like every other character in the novel. I just find the fandom treatment of him, the tendency to infantalize him and make him a victim, bewildering. Where are y'all coming from, exactly?

[pineyw00dsshesquatch]

I'd be ok with some Gotham overlap if the show gets to really breathe over a few seasons. However, in this corpo-cancel environment where every episode is a GD miracle, It needs to stay focused on Clark and co. Especially as we're taking our time letting Clark grow into Superman and learning about krypton at a different pace than usual. We need to know Superman in this iteration a helluva lot better before anyone begs for Batsy.

The frustration is definitely justified cuz the Batman focus from DC and many of it's fans is what makes MAWS such a breath of fresh air to wholeheartedly focus on Superman. I daresay Batman has gradually absorbed more and more focus from audiences and the media itself as our culture trends shifted and the ideal hero Superman is became less "appealing" despite how much his aspirational optimism used to ensure his wild success.

I think it's a big lame that Superman fell out of favor, I was even one of em derriding Supes in the aughts for the usual dipshit nerd reasons till I really started watching the 90's Superman and then MAWS just stole my heart. I grew up under a rock, man, I got here a quick as I could to adore MAWS and begin to understand Superman.

I'm afraid I'm just a big ol sucker for Batman and Superman together. I Especially love annoyed Bruce, and I'd be admittedly interested to see how MAWS could handle their meeting at these young points in their careers when we usually see them after years of knowing each other. ONLY IF we get a healthy amount of seasons. As it stands, I'm starving on 10 ep seasons so 'healthy' is like 4-5.

Batman should absolutely not be required or needed for MAWS, I agree it's way lame trying to steal such a welcome focus on Clark.

As something of an authority on not shutting up about the bat family, if I see one more person asking "when are they gonna put Batman in My Adventures with Superman" I'm going to go bald and dedicate my life to destroying you all with mad science. Stop. Shut up. Batman is not the main character of the goddamn universe. We are not all waiting around for him to descend from his holy batpole on high to validate Superman's cool new show with his blessed seal of approval.

[secretsofblackthornhall]

The Very Secret Diary of Miss Tatiana Lightwood

6:00 p.m.

Dear Diary, I am inconsolable. As planned, I importuned Papa to beg him for mercy. It was my last-ditch attempt to be permitted to stay home tonight rather than to attend the ball at the Institute. It was a bad plan, I recognize now. He was in his private study, and he hates to be interrupted there; when I came in he had only an unfriendly look for me, and I should have retreated right then. Lessons learned, I suppose.

The upshot is that I, quote, must, unquote, attend the ball at the Institute tonight, as—so I am told—the Name of the Lightwoods depends upon it. I told him that if Gabriel attended — as Gideon has abandoned us for Spain — this would surely be enough to show the Lightwood flag. But he only shook his head, muttered something about how “tongues would wag,” and waved me away. I suggested that I could be reported to be unable to attend due to temporary illness of a non-specified womanly nature. For that suggestion I was cast out of the study immediately, of course.

The name of the Lightwoods! What care I for the name of the Lightwoods? What good has the name of the Lightwoods ever done for me? My only purpose in life, after all, is meant to be to find a better last name to replace it with. And what a grand entrance I will make at this party towards that purpose, attending the ball on the arms of my disgusting brothers, my escorts of last resort.

Not that I will find any sympathy in this house. Gabriel seems perfectly happy to attend the ball without escorting any lady besides his sister. He does not understand, being soft of brain and even softer of heart, that the favor of our father is bestowed easily, carelessly, upon him, because he is a boy, whereas I must work ten times as hard for less than one-tenth the approval. By the Angel…Gideon abandoned the family to drink wine and sun himself in Spain, and Papa still treats him better than me. His travel year! As though it is some unbreachable commandment handed down by Raziel himself. It is tradition and tradition is happily broken for the sake of family. We need Gideon here—Papa needs Gideon here. I will never forgive him for having left us, the great lummox.

Gabriel, of course, only grows worse in the absence of his personal hero Hideous Gideon. He wishes to be taken seriously now and so he acts like Father, and it is like watching a dog try to walk on its hind legs. An embarrassment of pomposity and egomania the like of which is, I daresay, a black mark on the Lightwood name far worse than any harm I could do by staying home from a party.

I go now to dress for the ball, weighed down by the burden of my fate.

Midnight

Dear Diary, I know I am not in the habit of writing more than once in a day but I had to take you up immediately upon returning from the party because a miracle has occurred. I have met a boy—no, a man, a wonderful man. His name is Rupert Blackthorn — though he is not one of the tedious Blackthorns from the Cornwall Institute. He usually lives in Leeds, but he is here visiting family friends. He is the most beautiful man ever to have lived. His hair is deep black as midnight, and his eyes are emerald orbs that gaze into one’s soul. Every girl in the Institute was watching him, hoping he would give them a dance, and he came right to me, without hesitation, and smiled at me and asked me. And I danced with him and it was glorious. Even better yet, he had no interest in anyone at the party but me. I do believe he even gave Gabriel the cut direct when Gabriel tried to start talking about himself, at one point. I am not entirely sure; it was quite loud and he might only not have heard. But I choose to believe it was a deliberate snub. From the most desirable boy in the whole detestable building.

When I wrote earlier I was the lowest of the low in this house, but now I am raised up triumphant. I danced with a beautiful dark-haired man who said my name as though it were poetry. The name of the Lightwoods indeed! Take that, Will Herondale!

[londonfog-chan]

Malleus Draconia x Encanto!Reader

You can absolutely thank @thefiasco-onyourblock for constantly posting Twisted Wonderland content enough for me to become intrigued by “Who is that hunk with Maleficent’s horns?”.

While it is absolutely valid for every Latino who watched Encanto to enjoy the happy ending of the toxic ass family actually apologizing, this set of smol headcanons is for the Latino kids who have gone no contact with their family.

I see the Twisted Wonderland Encanto realm is the same, however you aren’t necessarily a Madrigal in name, but your family is Twisted Wonderland’s variant.

Yet you are very much the Mirabel of the story, in that you are the only member of your family who has no gift of magic.

The world you live in exists in this strange realm of being knowledgeable of places like Night Raven College existing, but still largely ignorant of other magical customs and cultures.

But it works out fine for your family. Since they’re the only people of your world with a gift, they enjoy the status.

You were not given a gift, and your life has been hell for it. Abuse and neglect are familiar to you.

Anything goes wrong, often you bear the brunt of things beyond your control.

This is obvious by your reactions in Night Raven College. You will often overreact to the most minor of things, or stress to the point of doing things like pulling out your hair, picking and scratching at blemishes on your skin, or overeating/not eating enough.

Your cousins, the golden grandchildren with gifts, stole the spotlight often. Even the younger ones who showed you kindness once will inevitably be influenced to see you as a pariah for not having a gift. It hurts to see that eventually they’re the ones who actually start rumors of your jealousy when you notice the casita begin to fracture and crack.

It comes to a head one day when you’re the one blamed for trying to help your cousins see past their insecurities and find the goodness and individuality inside. Instead you’re accused of ruining the family and causing the foundations of bonds to fall apart. All this for teaching your cousins that they’re more than their gift.

Wild accusations fly through the air like daggers at your head, your grandmother accusing you of not caring for the family, of wanting to see it’s destruction.

That precise moment is when the casita begins to visibly fracture and break. You leave everything behind, taking nothing with you except the wounds left by your family’s harsh words.

Next you know, you’re being removed from a coffin and have found yourself in a place where it seems everyone has been blessed with a gift. Even this weird cat creature has power you were not aware could be bestowed.

Bitterly, when the mirror declares you empty, you realize that perhaps your cousins would have flourished here in your stead. As usual, you’re the only one without a gift at the table.

However, throughout your interactions at Night Raven, the others wonder aloud if you really do have a gift.

Your ability to bring students together, the life you’ve given to Ramshackle Dorm, it has to be a gift your friends insist.

No one is more convinced than Malleus Draconia. You’ve found a friend, and daresay a new love, in this mysterious fae mage.

For the first time you’ve found someone who recognizes you and the gift you truly are. Malleus never fails to remind you of your worth whenever the scars of your past begin to hurt afresh.

He will be the first to point out when you’ve done something amazing. It could be something as simple as learning a new dish or resolving a conflict with two students with nothing more than a plateful of arepas con queso and a listening ear.

(His favorite dish that you’ve ever made for him is bandeja paisa by the way.)

It’s actually Malleus who proposes to you, making sure to let you know that you are a blessing to have arrived in his life.

“O Child of Man, know that your family asked for a gift of a miracle, yet in their hubris were willfully blind to the truth: the gift is you. Gifts of the fae are not to be abused or taken lightly. Be not afraid, for in my arms I will nurture and assist you in finding your light once more.”

You have to cry. Never has such a kindness been spoken to you before.

Whatever promises he makes, Malleus Draconia keeps his word. He will defend you, nurture your spirit, encourage you, but he will also help you if he notices you going down a path of destructive behavior.

He is always there for you. Even when times are hard and you cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. Malleus is a gift in of himself.

You feel very lucky to have such a gift.

Needless to say, after telling him of the things that have happened in your family, he will never let you set foot there again.

If your guilty conscience takes control, he will reluctantly allow you to see your family again, but rest assured the minute he hears any accusation against you it’s time to leave.

He admittedly is actually satisfied with how your family has seemed to fall apart without you.

For a moment your casita is alive with your visit, and it seems everyone briefly regains their power, but it’s hard to say whether or not they still blame your departure as the cause for the candle going out.

Which in a sense they’re right, but Malleus in true Dark Fairy fashion can’t help but drop the truth bomb.

“Those who should squander a gift of the fae should show no surprise when it is reclaimed.”