#also rui i need to talk about that purple man

[xiomeebo]

I think i should talk more about tsukasa on here tbh

[the-way-astray]

“ask box is finally open” ok write an essay on fintan. go.

no, thanks. i think you got that covered. how about i give you random, assorted fintan thoughts, fanfic ideas, and headcanons instead:

thinking about that moment in everblaze during the healing scene where he says "his identity dies with me" about the pyrokinetic he's protecting right before the entire building goes up in flames. was he planning on killing himself to protect brant? everblaze harms pyrokinetics, so he knew that it would harm him. the other option, of course, is that he was willing to take the risk of everblaze to try to kill someone else so that he could escape. everyone was canonically wearing fire-resistant clothing, so he couldn't have done any damage to them with regular fire.

how did he even actually escape oblivimyre? he couldn't have had a leaping crystal on him, or someone would've found it. did the neverseen hide a crystal in eternalia somewhere for emergency scenarios?

this post by quil inspired an au idea where bronte is a telepath, and is responsible for shattering fintan's sanity instead of alden, and fintan is just horny for him the whole time he's doing it and it makes bronte super uncomfortable.

HIS CIRCLET COLOR WAS BLUE. THE SAME BLUE AS HIS EYES, WHICH IS SKY BLUE. also fintan loves cool colors. he dresses in them frequently.

there's a very good chance that he's one of the councillors that threw vespera in the dungeon, since he knows about her existence, and he also knows all the secrets in his cache. so there's some tension between the two of them, even though it was his plan that ultimately set her free. it's kind of like him supporting the pyrokinesis ban, but also being the one that'll likely get it unbanned (indirectly through marella). he's all about breaking cycles that he himself started. something about guilt and admitting you're wrong to yourself, but being too proud to admit it to everyone else.

he served at the same time as fallon vacker, and was present during the story bronte told in neverseen about meeting king gowg. this means he was councillor while bronte was emissary. i think this is how they met, and how their "long history" started.

he was messing with keefe the entire time he was with the neverseen, like pretending to be drunk to mislead him. there were easier, better, safer ways to lead keefe down the wrong path than pretending to be drunk, but this is fintan, and he's dramatic.

alden had a celebrity crush on him. i don't make the rules here.

HIS HAIR IS LONG. IT'S SHOULDER BLADE-LENGTH. PLEASE, I BEG.

he wears lots and lots of jewelry. all the time. he's so extra like that. also all the jewelry is blue/green/purple because he's a cool colors guy.

fintan seems to regret his time as a councillor, not just what he did to get pyrokinesis banned. in neverseen, he says that when he was a councillor, all he did was sit back and do nothing. so there's a possibility that he might've written off important things as nothing or something along those lines. people might've come to him with appeals to reform exillium or exile, or fix the separation between the talentless and the talented, and he might've refused. either way, there's something else he regrets. it might be in his cache.

what's your beef with ruy, man? there's something there canonically. i need to know. it's so juicy. gethen also hired ruy to the neverseen, so i imagine he's more partial to ruy, which means fintan may or may not also have beef with gethen.

he talks to himself in the mirror. shut up. i know he does.

when he faked his death, he wanted to immediately reveal himself as alive again, and it was only the collective cooperation of the other neverseen members that stopped him for so long.

HE HAS A FLAT FUCKING ASS. FLAT AS A FUCKING PANCAKE THAT GOT FLATTENED EVEN MORE. IT ISN'T CONCAVE, IT ISN'T BULBOUS. IT IS FLAT.

he wears heels to make himself feel taller, because even though he's tall (6'2"), he wants to be towering.

he probably found vespera's journals somehow. but how? did lady gisela show them to him? is that how she got her acceptance into the neverseen? vespera's main philosophy is ruthlessness, which fintan would agree with, but in a less intense way than vespera, i feel.

he probably heard brant gush about jolie a lot. i bet that was funny, since he was probably utterly disinterested. "so, it's about time you learned to summon bigger balls of everblaze. here's how t-" "FINTAN. JOLIE CALLED ME PRETTY TODAY" "wow. i would've never known . . . "

how did brant even reach out to him about manifesting? probably he hailed him or something. but remember, fintan's an ancient. so i doubt brant would've been able to properly get ahold of him (like how fallon wouldn't open the door for alden in nightfall). so did brant like burn down his door and scream ALRIGHT BITCH I NEED SOME LESSONS to get fintan's attention or something?

or was it the opposite? did fintan somehow know that brant was a pyrokinetic and reach out to him? if so, how? maybe he keeps tabs on everyone who's considered "talentless" and checks up on them to make sure they aren't exhibiting signs of being a pyrokinetic or something? if so, that's kind of sweet, not gonna lie.

it isn't an essay, but i hope i satisfied your greedy little fintan heart

[seirooo0]

I fucking lost it

Type: Drabble (??????????)

Synopsis: You, a robot. Rui, your creator

Content warnings: GN!Reader as usual : 3, probably angst if I can write angst good enough; Uhhhhhhh you got abandoned yaur hahhahahahaha

C. Note: I've lost it, have this content before I disappear for the next few months again <3 love you guys fr fr — Thing under cut!!

For as long as you remember, you were created for the purpose of accompanying someone..

That someone was your creator.

You were created to be with him, to cater his needs—particularly the need for a friend. Despite the fact you don't quite show the enthusiasm when he rambles about his little inventions or when he has a new show idea, you still show that you're listening to him regardless of your inability to feel emotions or express yourself. "So this one brings you anything you need or want, just say its name and the thing you want it to bring to you!" Exclaimed Rui, showing off a robot in his hands. You nodded, your face painting a rather blank look as you clapped with your metallic hands "That sounds amazing." Spoken with a monotone voice. Rui's expression slowly falters as he smiles rather sadly. The concept of emotions was an alien to you, that you, subconsciously, tilted your head in mere confusion. Confused, as to why he looked sad, confused as to how you made him sad. Question after question popped in your head but before you could even ask, the purple haired man shook his head. "No, it's nothing. Sorry, I just remembered something." He immediately answered, even though you haven't asked the question yet.

Of course, he knew what you were thinking—or at least assumed and got the correct answer—he made you after all. Programmed the way you think, behave, move, speak, everything. That's why it's not a wonder how he knows almost everything you're about to say even though you haven't opened your mouth yet.

Truly, truly, you knew you cannot replace a real human, someone to accompany Rui; your creator. You cannot replace the warm feeling of talking to a human being. You cannot replicate the emotions and the enthusiasm one would have when talking with someone. You cannot emphasize, you cannot replace whatever every human has. You are made of metal after all—pure metal—and some computer programming shenanigans. Even though you are unaware of some things, this one you are fully aware of. And because of that awareness, rather than feeling a tiny bit of relief that you are able to at least alleviate the pain of loneliness, you felt pity. Not only towards him, but also towards yourself. The you whose only sole purpose was to accompany Rui and make his days less dreadful and yet you brought nothing more but a sole reminder of the boy's loneliness.

You wished for the best for him, you encouraged him to talk to others thanks to your advancing AI knowledge. After all, he programmed you to be an AI who learns based on experience. So from all the research and data gathering you did—even though you barely understood emotional needs, you couldn't really make your heads or tails on the topic—you brought out the best in you to help your creator. That overtime, to Rui, you felt like a real human; a real friend to him. He considered and saw you as an actual human being, not a robot he created to cope with his loneliness. Rui considered you one of his closests friends aside from Nene and Mizuki.

Time flew by rather quickly for you, or perhaps it's because you don't really have a sense of time. But now you watch as the once young middle schooler slowly grows in his second year of highschool. You couldn't always be there for him, since they never allowed a (almost) human-like robot to be a student nor a visitor there (they banned Rui from bringing you to school for a reasonable purpose). So seeing him make more friends and even reconnected with his childhood friend and a friend from middle school made your heart—albeit non-existent—feel warm. Oftentimes, he'd tell you about his troupe; how he blew this friend of his, Tsukasa, out of a canon again and up in the skies; how Emu gave him another amazing show idea— or the way Nene would profusely groan everytime Tsukasa would proclaim yet another 'poetic' speech from how Rui described it— it was rather heartwarming. Really. You couldn't be any more happier for him if you could even feel.

One day, he introduced you to his troupe, the one he always mentions day by day after school. And the first comment one of them made—Tsukasa was the name, was it?— It was quite amusing to say the least.

"You're friends with a robot, Rui?! Did you make this?"

And you watch as Rui answers with enthusiasm, answering questions while you watch Tsukasa who has a dumbfounded expression on his face. You very rarely speak, so hearing a voice out of your metallic body further shooked the duo (excluding Nene, Rui had introduced her to you first before the other two anyway). Tsukasa kept making comments about how it was possible that Rui made this, you being a robot. Something a 5-year-old child would fawn over. Similar situation with Emu, however she complimented you more than anything, and that made you smile—or at least, you think you smiled. You couldn't really tell.

"Is it right to call it a 'friend' rather than your creation, though? I mean, aren't robots incapable of feeling anything?"

Tsukasa absentmindedly commented, which brought you back to painful reality.

You were never human. Right.

Watching as Rui talked more with his friends, even saying along the lines of "How cruel Tsukasa-kun! My friend here may be a robot but they accompanied me throughout my earlier years!" although maybe more dramatically. Tsukasa apologized to you, but you don't really understand why there was a need for it. Nevertheless, you never dared to ask.

Throughout the conversation, you felt rather… for a lack of better words; alienated. Sure, you're aware that you're not human. But having it pointed out made it… how would you call it.. awkward on your side, perhaps.

But of course, like any other time. You didn't mind. You're not programmed to think about complicated things after all.

However, watching him slowly drift away from you was something you expected from the beginning. But nevertheless, you were happy for him.

At least, you think you do.

But now that you've thought about it, you constantly refer to this weird thing as 'feel', 'feeling', any other synonym it has. From all the research you've done after your dilemma over this issue, you came to a conclusion that indeed; you are feeling emotions. And perhaps, one of the biggest flaws as a continuously learning AI robot is slowly learning what they are. You felt happy for Rui, but you knew that his slow yet painful detachment to you was overpowering your happiness. However as a creation whom Rui believed to be flawless, you refuse to speak about this out loud. You knew that as much as Rui made you this advanced, he never intended to give you any emotions. He never intended, because he doesn't know how to. And also maybe to avoid making you feel sadness. After all, happiness will never be without sadness, the same as dark cannot exist if there's no light.

So here you are, finding that you are more and more in a 'shutdown' state. Usually, it was automatic as a way of resting and recharging your battery. However, Rui reprogrammed you to be powered off manually now, and you never dared to ask why.

Now, you're here. Finding yourself sitting down on the floor absentmindedly as Rui looked at you with a rather melancholic look before approaching you leisurely. Muttering a silent gratitude, you watch as he reaches for your power button. You couldn't quite see his face clearly, but you assumed he wore a sad smile; the same smile you remembered he always wore back in middle school. Watching with a blurry vision, Rui puts you inside the closet, keeping you locked away until the next time he uses you. You wished that you could be used again— to see his face again and tell you about his new invention, or his new show idea. But now, it feels like a faraway dream as you slowly slip out of consciousness.

The last image you had seen was his face, slowly disappearing as he closed the closet door.

It was enough to make you cry, but you couldn't.

Silently, you wished you could.

————————————————————————————————————————————

Footnote: We eating good tonight

[echantedtoon]

Demon Bride Ch56 Demon's Are Strange P2

(Warnings: Douma IS his own warning. Possibly some innuendos. Mentioning of him being poisoned. Mentioning of death.

Alternate chapter name being 'Y/n Becomes Babysitter To Douma, A Mother To Three Children, And A Big Sister All In One Day'. Also Kokushibo needs reading glasses cuz I said so.

Author's Note: I don't know when Rui was turned into a demon in the original canon so for all I know he could've been way older than Tanjiro. Just for this story I'm going to say that Rui atm is 10 years old about to turn eleven and the twins are both currently 11 almost 12. Muichiro retains his optimistic personality since the traumatic incident in cannon with the demon does not happen in this particular au/timeline and Yuichiro is alive because I say so. So the ages of all the kiddos are-

Rui: 10 yrs old

Muichiro and Yuichiro: 11 yrs old 

Zohakuten: 14 yrs old)

Jade.

Older sister to Sakura and ex-possible lover of Douma. She became the head woman of the family since their mother ran away with another man seventy four years ago. Since Sakura was arrested and confined to prison nearly two months ago, their family has faced harsh ridicule and Jade and their father has tried to arrange a meeting with Douma to most likely try to talk him into releasing Sakura or at least probably lessen her punishment. But Douma refused any and all attempts at contact with them and Akaza (for his short few days of ruling in Douma's place-) had also refused after learning what happened between you and Sakura. 

And Douma had blatantly said Jade was the one responsible for your murder attempt.

Or at least he believed so. Which you had to admit, made a bit of sense. Jade was Sakura's sister and that was motive enough right there. But you also were technically engaged to Douma which was the person Jade attempted to seduce in order to gain more power, and that was the reason Sakura attempted to get rid of you in the first place. However Akaza was not going to make any accusations against her just yet. You didn't know if it was because Jade was a woman or because there technically wasn't any proof of her doing it yet, but there wasn't anything really too much to worry about. Kokushibo would be returning tomorrow and he would decide what to do about both Sakura and Jade.

There was nothing you could do about it either other than to wait and see what would happen tomorrow when Kokushibo arrived. It was only a matter of-

"MOTHER!!"

Something big jumped on your stomach and in an instant you both woke up and wheezed as all the air left your lungs. Rui excitedly jumped up and down on your futon while harshly shaking your shoulder.

"Mother! Mother! Mom, Mom, Mom!! Mother! Wake up, Mother! Wake up!!" Purple eyes blinked tiredly before a head emerged from the blankets hair all a mess as Rui smiled widely down at you. "Father's coming! Get up! Get up!"

...You groaned before flopping your head back making Rui shake you again. "Ok. Ok. I'm up."

"No you're not! You're still lying down!! Stand up!"

"Uuuuhhhh. Alright!" A hand smooshed against Rui's cheek and moved him away as you sat up. "Give me a chance to get ready."

"Hurry up! We don't have all day!" 

He crawled off your futon and headed towards his own room leaving you there... before groaning and tossing the blankets aside. Another day, another parenting Rui adventure. Sigh. With no other choice you dragged yourself out of bed and into the bathroom. A cold bath and half an hour later, you were straightening out your hair when Rui tugged on your sleeve.

"Why are you taking so lllooong?," he whined Arachnid sleeping in his arms. "I wanna go now. "

You sighed. "Rui, your whining isn't going to make Akaza show up any faster-"

KNOCK, KNOCK,KNOCK!!

Both of you turned to the door-

"Father!" You winced at how loud Rui was. The door was thrown open and Rui's excited face gasped at the figure on the other side throwing his arms up! "FATHER!! YOU'RE BACK!!"

You turned just in time to see Rui get lifted off the ground and into the air by blue fingered hands. "You've gotten bigger since the last time I saw you!" Akaza smiled at the laughing boy he held. "How old are you now?"

"I'm going to be eleven in two more months!'

"Well then. I'll have to take you hunting for your birthday. We'll catch a really big buck!"

"Yes! Look!" The STILL sleeping puppy was held up to him. "I GOT A PUPPY!! SHE'S GOING TO HELP ME HUNT TIGERS!!" The puppy only yawned before flopping her head over in boredom again.

Akaza chuckled. "I'm sure she'll be a great hunting dog when she gets older. But right now you and your mother have to come with me to an important meeting today, so I'm afraid your puppy is going to have to wait here."

"Ah. Ok." Rui gave a small pout as he was out back down and looked at his puppy. "Sorry Arachnid. But Father seems to be very serious about this. You stay here and guard my toys from the maid." The pup yawned. "I knew I could count on you."

You both chuckled before Akaza looked at you with a smile. "I'm sorry for coming like this so early but Kokushibo requested both yourself and Rui comes to the meeting he's holding."

At this you looked confused. "Rui? I understand if he wants to see me, but why does Rui need to go?"

Akaza shrugged. "I'm not sure myself but if it's important enough to warrant his presence then I think he should come. Besides this will be a good chance for Rui to experience what Kizuki work is! Very educational. Education is good for children!"

You chuckled at him and nodded. "Sure. I guess that'll be good for him as long as he behaves himself."

Long story short Akaza escorted both yourself and Rui down a few hallways to a part of the Dwell you've never been to or seen before but it was certainly just as cleanly, polished, and fancy looking as the rest of the Dwell. A few servants were already walking around working and bowed as you both walked past them all. You still weren't used to that along with your new royalty status but you couldn't help that now. Rui happily was walking between you two although his face was went back to that serious blank stare he always had while looking at everyone. Probably trying to mirror Akaza's serious face as he also walked briskly. He lead you this way and that before eventually stopped in a place that..Was completely empty. Literally. It was eerily quiet and silent as you three were the only ones standing there.  No servants or anyone else in sight. Although for some reason you smelt the heavy scents of...food? Like smoked pork and sweet cakes and freshly baked bread being a few of them. Was someone cooking around here? You looked at Akaza for an answer. Akaza then held up a hand and knocked on the sliding door in front of him. For a moment there was silence and then someone on the other side spoke.

"Enter."

You recognized the deep voice instantly. The door was pushed open widely as you looked inside and Rui leaned over to peer from behind Akaza's legs. A rather large polished oak table sat there in the center of a beautifully decorated room. Fluffy pillows were stationed all around it and you found the source of the smells as you saw a large amount of food sat on top of the wooden surface. At the head of the table sat a demon with his back towards you, a purple and black coat drapped over his shoulders and a deadly katana set to his side. The head turned waving a waterfall of cascading mahogany hair and thee half lidded eyes looked at the three of you.

"I have been... expecting you all."

"Kokushibo," you politely greeted with a small bow. "It's certainly been awhile since I last saw you."

His eyes momentarily closed as he nodded his head back to you. "Yes. It has. It also seems to be.... that you have been up to.....things as well..from what I've heard." His eyes opened back up and stared at you. "Attacking Kizuki....and making quite a... ruckus of... yourself." You froze staring at him. "I will let it...all slide this...once as you didn't mean...to cause trouble...but further trouble won't be... tolerated."

"Uh..Good to know. Thanks I guess?"

"Come sit. We have much to discuss."

It was only then as you all were walking in did you notice that Kokushibo wasn't alone in the room. There was five other people in here with him. You stared at Mr. Hantengu and Zohakuten of all demons also looking confused your way, Douma sat propped up in some kind of chair pillow combo at the very end of the table away from you and waved at you. Oh. That's why you weren't annoyed by Douma's yelling from his room this morning, he still looked completely sick however. And then there was two figures that were both sat on Kokushibo's right side. You stopped cold. Purple eyes widened. 

THERE WAS TWO HUMANS SITTING AT THE TABLE.

Two very young humans. CHILDREN. Kokushibo had CHILDREN sitting next to him. They also stared at you with bright turquoise eyes and looked like they had been stuffing their faces with the food before you all walked in.  They both looked so young. They couldn't have been older than twelve tops. You three just stood there staring at one another in surprise before one of the boys scowled and turned away sharply. What were human children doing here in the Infinity Castle? You hadn't seen any other children here except for Ms. Rei. 

"Now we...shall begin this meeting." You were gently tugged into sitting down the closest to Kokushibo by Akaza right across from the two boys, and you were very aware of the way Akaza was glaring down both  Kokushibo and Douma with anger- "Akaza..You shall refrain from violence....in front of the children..'' 

Said pink demon looked angry but just scoffed again. "If we're speaking of matters that needs to be taken cared of, then who's going to be undoing everything Douma put his hands on?"

"Douma has done adequately...in running the castle...in our absence." Kokushibo paid Akaza no mind as the pink haired demon paused and Douma chuckled from the far end of the table, and picked up a few pieces of papers. All six eyes reading over the ink scribbled on them. "However...there are some concerns... with budget expenses..." his top pair of eyes looked right up to Douma and squinted. "Daily trips...to the spa? Dresses. Jewelry...Daki had unlimited access to that money."

Douma chuckled and Akaza gave a facepalm loud enough to make the children jump. "W-What can I say? I've got a weak spot f-for my favorite pupils."

"This is why I said NOT to leave him in charge," Akaza hissed with a growl straining from his mouth through clenched fangs.

Kokushibo's brow rose higher. "Amongst the expenses are...also toys, books, and other items...that you personally purchased for...a certain woman." His eyes clicked to you as you quickly turned your eyes away. "...From now on..no one but myself will have access to the Kizuki budget... unless given permission. I expect..you all to follow that. Douma..you shall fork over.. some of your own money..from your cult to make up for the full amount...Daki and yourself spent so carelessly on."

"Oh. You all are so mean to me-*COUGH COUGH*" Douma turned his head to cough his lungs out and Akaza smirked at the sight.

"On the subject of your cult...Your head priest has been informed about the.. situation and will continue to...take care of things until you are able again... However you shall remain here, until you get better...Akaza." Said demon looked at Kokushibo. "I don't like leaving my fiance...alone considering the circumstances...So for now...you will also remain in the.. Infinity Castle until our investigation is..concluded and..Douma can resume his place."

"What about our regular duties?"

"I will...split them up between the...other upper moons. Sekido and Urogi...shall assume your regular duties amongst the humans...while I dispatch Gyutaro to...keep a monitoring eye within ...the Eternal Paradise compound..."

"Ooh! What a wonderful idea! I know Gyutaro won't l-let me down!"

Kokushibo only hummed and removed the first paper to read the next. "Very well then...As for the obvious problem in the room...The investigation of the poisoning is under way...Jade has been imprisoned and held..until proven innocent."

"Don't you think you should prove she's guilty first before she's arrested?"

"She's not arrested.. she's simply being held on suspicion...Until evidence is provided then they both...shall stay there." All six eyes narrowed at Akaza. "Or would you rather risk...HER life?" Akaza froze. Looking from Kokushibo to you and giving you a long frightened look.. before deflating in defeat. "Thought as much...Now if no one else has anymore grievances about ...that particular situation...I will be addressing the reason I called the chikdren all here."

You were wondering that too. It made sense for Douma and Akaza to be here and you to an extent. But why were so many other people here? Why Rui? Why Mr. Hantengu and Zohakuten? And why these two strange young boys? Human boys at that! None of it made any sense.

"The main reason I have... called them here is because there...are important changes that will be made concerning their livelihoods." 

You then watched as his left hand left the papers to reach into his hoari coat and pull out a pair of... glasses. No. Three pairs of glasses?  No. One pair of glasses that when he nudged it, popped up a second and third pair to easily fit over his face as he simply kept staring at the papers. You've never seen such a contraption before. 

"SRK?!"

Your head turned to one of the human boys, the one whom scowled at you before, had snorted before turning his face aside. His snort was followed by a look from his brother and his shoulders lightly shaking.

"Yuichiro. Is there... something you want to say?" Kokushibo's eyes glanced at them but the boy shook his head without looking at him. "Hmm...Then let us begin." The paper was held up for him to look at closer. "The first order of business...is to address the new noble titles three of you...have gotten."

"Who?"

"He's referring to Rui." You looked at Akaza. "As you obtained a noble title by the defeat of Sakura, that title also applies to any children or spouse you have. So that would make Rui a young Lord."

Immediately Rui looked at Akaza starry eyed. "I'm royalty now?"

"That also applies to the two in front of you, but only because of their adoption by a lord-"

"Akaza...I can surely explain myself."  Akaza went silent as Kokushibo stared at him harshly. "As I was saying...There shall be two permanent... residents to the Dwell. The two before you...Are My children."

You whipped back to Kokushibo wife eyed. Children? Did he say HIS children?! But they didn't look demon at all- Oh wait. Akaza mentioned adoption right? You turned back to the boys as the older demon quickly gestured at them both before moving on.

"They'll be... staying in the Dwell until adulthood... Starting next week..They start school." Your held tilted at the boy whom still didn't look at anyone. "Grade Rank Two...Treat them as such. Zohakuten-"

"What's your name?" 

Everything. Fell. Silent 

Akaza sharply turned to you wife eyed as you DARED to interrupt Kokushibo. Hantengu whimpered ducking his head and covering his face. Douma tilted his head interested- Before coughing again. Kokushibo himself had gone eerily silent. Lowering the papers and slowly turning to stare as you happily smiled at the boys. 

"My name's Y/n," you said gesturing to yourself with a smile. "What's your name?" You asked smiling sweetly and gesturing to the boys.

The one boy whom still looked away didn't look at you but the other one did, blinking widely before speaking. " Muichiro..T-Tokito."

"Muichiro?" You giggled making him flinched as you smiled. "What a cute name! And you both have such pretty eyes!" 

"H-HUH?!" His face spotted an embarrassed pink as whom you assumed was his brother finally bothered to peek at you.

"I've never seen someone with eyes like yours. They're so pretty and they match your hair so nicely!" Both boys just...stared. Muichiro red in seeming embarrassment and his identical brother with narrowed eyes. 

"U-Um...T-Thank you. I-I've never seen someone quite look like you too. You're very pretty."

"Muichiro." The boy jumped and snapped to the other that scowled at him. "You don't even know her! Stop saying useless flatteries!" 

"I don't think they're useless." Both looked back to you and you rose a brow at the scowling one. "And you shouldn't be so rude to your brother like that." The other seemed taken aback when you called him out so bluntly. "Don't do that again. Now...What's your name?"

He gave you a frown and you were reminded of Rui whenever he pouted. "... Yuichiro. Not that it's any of your business-"

"Yuichiro."  Said boy froze as Kokushibo addressed him. "You forget your place....I brought you here to...better yourself...Do not show disrespect to my kindness...by acting disobedient and spoiled."

Yuichiro clenched his fists on his knees and frowned hard at the table but didn't say anything more. Muichiro gave his brother a worried look before he also looked down. You looked at them before at Kokushibo.

"Don't be so hard on them. They're new here, so They'll be needing some time to adjust. Children need guidance sometimes that's more than just scolding."

Kokushibo continued to stare at you half lidded thinking of something behind those eyes, before slowly nodding. "I will take your words...into consideration going forward." Both twins looked surprised at him then at one another. "As I was saying... Zohakuten. Your results from school are severely slipping... Your rank shall be stripped later this day."

"WHAT?!", the loud voice of the teenager raged as he stared at the top moon slamming his hands down on the table. "THAT'S UNREASONABLE AND YOU KNOW THAT!!"

"You are currently yelling...at someone whom could easily...defeat you. Obviously...you are not mature enough to realize that....If you can't keep up simple grades like...other children your age and showing... constant disrespect to your superiors....Then you are unfit for the position. And .. proving you are nothing but a... disgrace to not only the entire Kizuki but your family and even... yourself." The teenager instantly looked like someone slapped him...his body going limp. "Is there anything else you...want to say and shame yourself further?".... Zohakuten silently sat down and stared at the table. "At last you learn something...Douma..You shall stay stationed in the room you are in. I ...do not want anyone... getting any ideas.. while you're sickened."

You stared at Kokushibo and then at Zohakuten whom just stared at the table hard enough to almost burst it into flames. ... Before you looked back to Kokushibo. And an idea formed in your mind.

"Kokushibo." He hummed but didn't look up from the papers. "I have a question concerning the Kizuki."

"Ask."

"Will you and Akaza and...Douma have your chance to court me soon? So far you three are the only ones that haven't done so yet." 

Akaza immediately looked like he wanted to smack himself and Douma looked interested tilting his head at you. However Kokushibo nodded again without looking up still.

"Of course...Those two may do so... while they're here. I...have much work to do and ...will do it when I have time."

"Agreed! But...you promised you'd give me a proper courting gift once you got back." He paused looking up at you. Ok. You had his full attention now. "For my gift, I don't want anything physical. I want you to grant Zohakuten a second chance to prove himself." This time EVERYONE looked at you in some form of shock but you only smiled. "If he's having trouble then he needs suitable tutors. Get him some."

He continued to stare at you... before humming. "Interesting...You seem to believe my ruling is wrong."

"There's a place for discipline. But there's also a place for understanding and guidance. You can't grow a tree by just planting the seed, they need help from the rain and sun to grow a strong trunk. I doubt yourself was a natural born Kizuki without someone that helped you."

He continued to stare at you with lidded eyes before just looking back at the papers. You frowned. Did it not work-

"A few months.." You blinked. "He has until the very end of the year...to show improvement in BOTH...his attitude and schooling....And it must be both. Not just one....If he meets my expectations..by the end of the year....then he may keep his Kizuki position. Your gift....is granted."

You blinked at him.. before smiling widely and clasping your hands. "Oh thank you!!" And before Akaza could stop you, you leaned up and easily threw your arms around Kokushibo whom froze completely off guard as you hugged him tightly. AKAZA held up his hands but didn't touch you as you pressed a kiss into the multi-eyed demon's cheek. "MWAH!! YOU'RE THE BEST!!" You then let go of him and sat back and smiled.

He sat there looking at nothing in the silence as everyone else stared in shock... before he slowly reached up a hand and fixed his crooked glasses and ignored the lipstick kiss marks on his face. "Now...As I was saying...Akaza...I was informed by Rui's tutors that they want ....to have him skip a grade Rank...and settle into Rank Four next year...as he is rather intelligent for...his age...Do you and the mother wish...to do that?"

"Uh...."Golden blue eyes continued to stare at the lipstick on his cheek before slowly nodding. "Sure. That sounds great. He'll get a great bump to his education."

"Well...Sure. Only if Rui' thinks he can handle it."

"I can!" Rui threw a hand up and puffed up his chest. "I can handle anything."

Kokushibo nodded. "Then the arrangements will be made...The children and Douma will be mostly in care of the one...whom can handle them best. ...I will also make...those arrangements in the Dwell..."

You smiled proudly at yourself and patted Rui's head. Things WERE starting to look up for you all. 

Douma coughed again. "I-Is there anything else W-We need to discuss while we're here, Kokushibo-dono?"

Kokushibo turned to the last page. "Ah yes...The new system in place ...for keeping out anymore...human brides from the Eastern mountain border."

....This might be a long night after all.

The meeting went on for another two and a half hours as you sat there and ate until Kokushibo FINALLY called the meeting to an end going on about some kind of system to distribute water to a certain irrigation system on the human plain. Something about farmers needing it in some drought? You weren't sure. The first thing Akaza did was pick up Rui whom laughed and held him with one arm.

"Now that I'm off work, what do you wanna do?"

"Come play with me!," Rui excited tugged on him, "I can show you my new toys!"

"Ah. So that's where the toy expenses went." You embarrassly covered your face as a strong arm wrapped around your shoulders. "Come on. It'll be nice to have you both around me once more."

"Akaza-dono!! Don't I get to come too!?"

"You're only going back where Nakime sends you!! The last thing I need is you giving Rui any ideas!'

"Boo. You wound me so- *COUGH COUGH*"

You sighed as Akaza steered you away from the room and could only wonder if Akaza remembered that Douma was literally right across from you. With the day coming to a close Akaza spent what was left of it just sitting down and allowing Rui to babble on and show him the multiple toys he'd gotten overtime before insisting on Rui go to bed and just leaving but not before praising you and in turning you giving him a massive kiss leaving him with a red lips and lovestruck smile as he left making you giggle. However there was some sort of peace now. Only now there was a few more problems loomed in the background which you wouldn't find out until the next morning-

"YYYYYYY/NNNNNNN!!!!!" Purple eyes blinked open as a shrill cry left the air. "HEEEEELP MEEEE!! I CAN'T GET ANY FOOOOD!!!"

And so on and so forth until you dragged yourself out of bed and out into the hall where you found a tray with a large amount of food just left in front of Douma's door...which you opened and found Douma sitting there 'happily' smiled at you. 

"My darling! Thank goodness you answered my pleas for help! I was helplessly sitting here without anything else to eat." He pressed a hand to his forehead. "How tragic."

"Why didn't they just bring it in to you?," you asked annoyed leaning down to pick up the slightly heavy tray, "You're too weak to walk still."

"Oh. Well they're afraid to catch my illness so they made arrangements for you to care for me.~" he smirked and you blinked... before scowling.

"What?! I didn't agree to this!'' You marched in and just harshly sat the tray down in the blonde Demon's lap as he chuckled. "When did everyone decide I would be your sitter?!"

"Since Kokushibo assured them it would be alright to have you help if they or I needed it.". 

Your eyes widened before they narrowed. "Of course he would. Ugh!" You facepalmed and grumbled. "I'll need to have a talk with him later."

"Well he did say we'd be able to court you while we're here." A book was shoved at you and he smiled wider. "Why don't you read to me some more while you're here? After all we're going to spend a lot of time together."

You deadpanned before grabbing the book from his hand and pointed it at him. "I'll make sure you regret this."

He chuckled- Which turned into another round of coughing and him pounding his chest. This was going to be a long day.

"Also I've noticed that out of everyone that's courting you, I-Im the only one who hasn't gotten a kiss." A glass shattering sound went off in your head. "So may I kiss you?"

"...What?!"

"May I kiss you please?"

You deadpanned again. "Oh. Of cccoooouurrsse."

"Really?!"

"No!" You firmly say down just outside of his reach and opened the book. "Now be silent and keep your voice down or I'll leave. Eat your food and be quiet."

"Feisty this morning aren't we?"

"Only when you're involved. Now where was I?" Your eyes scanned the pages until you reached where you last left off. "Oh yes. The darkness of the night hugged her close as she-"

BANG!!

You yelped and fell over in fright as the sliding door slammed open with a woman and man standing there panting and teary eyed and clinging to the door hard enough to leave claw marks in the wood. 

The woman stared right at Douma... before letting her eyes go more teary and whining louder. "DDDOOOOUUUMMMAAAA!!!"

"Oh Daki. My sweet, beautiful child." He smiled at the two visitors he received and held his arms out. "Aw. Don't cry. I'm alright." Daki's response was to whine louder and instantly go to hug the older demon. Douma patting her back as she messily sniffled and ugly cried into his shoulder. "Oh Gyutaro. You're here too! I always knew you had a soft spot for dear old men.~"

"Uh...Yeah. Here." A random handful of flowers was just dropped on Douma's legs. "Get better soon...and stuff." It was then that a familiar green haired demon looked at your deadpanned face staring at the ceiling. "What the hell are you doing on the floor?"

"Admiring the ceiling." You then sat up onto your elbows to look at Gyutaro. "What are you two doing here? I thought you guys were doing stuff for Kokushibo."

Gyutaro grunted. "Was. Came as soon as someone told us someone was sick." He must've been referring to Kokushibo telling Gyutaro what to do with Douma sick. "Didn't know you'd be here too."

"Yeah. Someone has to look after the giant baby. Nice of you to drop by though."

"We're not staying for long. Too much work to do. I'll wait until my sister's done crying."

You glanced at Douma half hugging half patting Daki's crying head. "How long will that take?"

"No idea."

It was a long day after all. It was almost forever waiting for Daki to stop crying and eventually Gyutaro had to rip off his sister and throw her over his shoulder to leave as work couldn't wait, and they only stopped by briefly to make sure Douma would be alright. It was actually kinda sweet of them. However Douma would not be less annoying. Half the time he babbled your head off with useless topics and half the other time he just dead ass stared at you and no where else. It was creepy. You were finally able to leave with the excuse Rui would be home from school soon.

"YYYY/NNNN!!! I'M BBBBOOOORRRDDD!!", He whined as you stood in the doorway with a blank face. "I'm sorry I called you my little wife. I just wanted attention!"

"And how many times did you call me your wife despite us barely being engaged?"

"Twenty seven!," he happily chirped. Your answer was to just close the door in his face. "Y/N?!" 

''JUST READ ONE OF THE BOOKS I GAVE YOU!!"

'YYYYY/NNNNN-"

"WHAT?!"

"You didn't say good night!~"

"UUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHH!!!" You glared at the door as he laughed before starting another coughing fit before turning around and stamping off across the hall to your room. Not even bothering to knock on it, you just threw it open. And paused as four pairs of eyes stared back at you. "...Akaza?"

Said linked haired demon stared at you from his criss crossed position on the floor and surrounding him was Rui and the two twins you had seen just the other day. In their hands were papers and books. And what looked like the remains of a dinner. All of them stared at you and Akaza raised a hand in the middle of drinking something.

"Hey. Was wondering when you would get back. How's the baby?"

"Um... Douma's fine. What are all of you doing here?"

"Watching the children as they study. I would've gone to fetch you.." A few veins popped up along his arm as he restrained himself not to outright rage in front of the young children. "But Kokushibo said that I'm not to interfere with Douma's courting of you. He wants you to chose without outside persuasion."

"Oh. Well that's kind of him." Speaking of Kokushibo, you needed to have a talk with him later. "How's the studying going?...And why are Kokushibo's children here?"

"Fine. All three children are rather clever.  Kokushibo is unable to tend to them right now and is tending to things in the Master's place, so I took the liberty of looking out for them while I remain here."

You smiled at him. Aw! That was so cute of him! "That's so nice of you!" You then tilted your head at Muichiro. "And how are you two doing?"

He smiled and nodded. He looked so sweet smiling. "Your son showed us his puppy! She's very sweet!"

"Just you wait! Once Arachnid is old enough to not need anymore puppy naps, Father and I are going to train her to be a hunting dog!," Rui exclaimed with a determined face, "I plan on getting lots of big game! Aren't we father?"

Akaza chuckled as Rui looked at him. "Absolutely. But not until you're a little stronger. Next year I'm going to start training you. You'll learn how to fight and use your demon arts with perfection."

"Wow." Muichiro was practically staring starry eyed at them both. "We train too!" He happily exclaimed holding up his hands. "He's been training us on how to use swords since we were seven! He says soon we'll be able to learn a breathing technique like him or another one of his students!"

Breathing technique?...Does he mean like the one Kaigaku was able to weild? Did Kokushibo also posses the ability to use breathing techniques? You've only seen a few people able to use the special abilities some warriors use to fight against one another and others. Kaigaku was the only demon you knew that could utilize such a skill. You'd definitely have to speak to Kokushibo.

"Hmph. He spends so much time with his duties and training us, that we barely get to do anything else with our lives," Yuichiro spoke with a sour expression. "The only reason why we're even here is because he said we need an education on top of training!  As is we don't have enough to worry about!"

You gave Yuichiro a curious look as he just scowled down at his books.. before an idea popped into your mind. "Hm. Well ...You all get a day off in three days from school, and I know a really cool looking toy store nearby." Both boys looked at you although Yuichiro was slower to turn his head to you. "Or a bookstore if you'd rather read, and this a few places outside the Infinity Castle like a big meadow with a pond or an entire mountain side of cherry blossoms. If you boys can keep your grades up and behave then I'll start taking you both and Rui there with me! What do you think?"

Both twins stared at you then at each other but Rui was instant in his reaction. "Yes! I want to go fishing again without that green eyed pervert bothering us!!"

"I've always wanted to visit one of those places!" Muichiro practically lit up like a bright candle. 

"Hmph. ...Fine. But it's not like I asked." Yuichiro mumbled nudging a page over. 

"Then it's settled. I'll take you all to see some cherry blossoms soon!"

"This is going to be great!" Muichiro looked at you brightly. "I knew I was right when you'd be a great mother!"

"*CHOKE* PFFFFTTTT?!"

"That's disgusting!!," Yuichiro yelled out as Akaza choked and spat out his drink.

Akaza proceeded to pound his fist against his chest and went into a coughing fit. You stared jaw dropped in shock. Douma loudly laughed from a room over. Yuichiro stared in disgust where Akaza spat as Muichiro stared happily. And Rui stared in awe at Muichiro before throwing his hands up.

"I FINALLY HAVE BROTHERS!!"

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

The air was getting oddly warmer and he wasn't sure he liked that or not. He often didn't even feel warm just a dull numbing cold. The cold usually didn't bother him either. In fact he relished it very much. His senses were also dulled to a very uncomfortable degree. He couldn't sense figures from fair away anymore and he often felt his ears and nose was clogged like being underwater only not and being light headed. And he discovered a very good observation.

BEING SICK SUCKED!! 

And even his best friend wouldn't visit him. Boo. At least his little prodigies were so kind enough to visit him. Speaking of visitors-

"My senses might be dulled, but I can still sense you.~" Rainbow irises turned to stare at six eyes and smiled widely. "Im so happy you decided to visit me, Kokushibo-dono."

"Still your tongue." A menacing figure walked from around his left and into view beside him. "Your body is.... starting to recover already."

"Oh yes! Two days ago I couldn't feel my legs, but now not only can I feel them I can also move them now..*cough cough cough*....Oh. Excuse me. My lungs still burn when I breathe."

"Hmm...Do not... attempt to walk just yet. You need to still... heal a great deal."

"Will do!" He held a hand up. "But what brings you to visit me so late at night? Akaza-dono mentioned that you were very busy."

"I'm contemplating something but need....your confirmation on a few details...to make a decision." Douma tilted his head with a curious 'oh' leaving his mouth as he stared at him as glassy eyed as a goldfish. "What did the woman do to warrant....you visiting her that first time?"

"Oh you must mean Sakura!" He happily nodded. "Well for whatever reason she had gotten it into her pretty head that it would be a good idea to challenge our darling little lotus and not only that, but attacked my sweet little Daki as well. *sigh* You should've seen the poor dear so distressed. Of course I only let Sakura off with a warning!  After all girls will be girls and petty arguments happen, but then she tried to off our darling when she confronted her. Naturally as the caring person I am, I was going to let her go find her own eternal paradise... Bbbbuuutt Darling convinced me to arrest her instead and leave her to you to deal with."

"And of her...sister?"

"Oh now THAT'S a much more boring tale." Douma waved him off with a few coughs. "Didn't show much emotion. Very cold woman that one. Never would've worked between us as she insulted my sweet Daki's capabilities. That is all I needs to know to make my decision. Why do you ask me of the sisters?"

"The one whom had those....flowers delivered to the Dwell...was a human florist on the surface...A servant of their...house placed the order thinking it... wouldn't be traced to them...If not directly by them."

"Oh I see. Jade paid off a servant to deliver the poison from an outside source. Very clever."

"Could she be... capable of doing that?"

"Jade? Without a doubt. She's definitely clever enough and would definitely do that on her sister's behalf." His head tilted more. "What are you thinking about now?"

"....Treason... attempted murder of someone whom is...off limits....Attacks on the Kizuki...poisoning.... Illegal possession of wysteria and a love potion... destruction of the Infinity Castle....My choice is clear...I shall contact Lower Moon Three and inform Hairou that...they shall both be executed immediately."

Douma hummed brows rising. "Would that be for the crimes they committed? Or... because of a certain lady?~"

"....My statement stands....Get well and back to your duties."

[localgirlbecomesobsessed]

Thinking about how Cathrine would react during episode 10.

Spoilers ahead!

Doing it by pairings cause easier~

Also this latest chapter was so good so angsty

Cathrine

100% knows it’s shady but a vacation sounds very very needed and she wanted to spend time with obscuary, especially after Samhain.

Also wants an excuse to look cute in a maid outfit and is hoping it’ll be a chill mission.

Cathrine x Ed

Genuinely buzzing to go somewhere different with Ed and getting the oppourtunity to see him in a butler outfit.

Was as disappointed as he was that the maid outfit wasn’t shorter. (Definitely makes plans to buy a shorter one as a surprise.)

The flirting was 10X worse and they would both shoot their shot with Rui much to his fluster and dismay.

Laid down with Ed under the tree and half assed the cleaning job, it’s meant to be a mini vacay so she’s gonna take the op to chill out with Ed.

When they see the girl in the window and go to explore she is weirdly excited, it’s just like a story her gran used to tell her about a haunted mansion.

Sees the black magic and is immediately 1000x more excited, she tries to get a closer look but fails after getting caught.

Is itching for a cigarette the whole time but can’t after the head butler and Lady Hobgoblin complained about someone smelling of cigarettes.

At night when she’s doing the sheets and Ed comes along, she was about to jump at the chance of eternity but once she noticed the purple mist she was filled with rage as she felt that choice was being taken away which obviously causes a rift. She’s furious with Ed and Ed is reacting how he did in the episode and as he disappears she debates what she should do.

In the library she steals the books there’s no way about it 😭she is collecting and asking Ed what’s useful and what’s not and Ed is trying his best not to be extremely amused by her actions. They’re being awkward with eachother still, but try and fight through it.

They talk about theories and they do actually talk about what happened that night and she’s like ask again without the mist and we’ll see where it takes us ;)

Ed loves the fact he has her to himself during this mission but is also subtlety pushing his Rui x Ed x Cathrine agenda, but only if both want to (he says it throughout the mission and neither Rui or Cathrine can tell when he’s joking or when he’s being serious…he’s being both.)

When everything went down Cathrine was swooning a bit, if she wasn’t being strangled by the hobgoblin she wouldve had to restrain herself from jumping Ed. When the crowd comes she tries to hide Lyca behind her and get the crowd to calm, which obviously didn’t work…

They all watched over Lyca on the way back and tried to give him space.

With the bar scene she walks in like oh? Am I interrupting something? Ed just hums and calls her over kissing the back of hand and grinning at a flustered Rui. It’s all the same except she doesn’t flinch when handing the docs to Rui but Rui flinches at her.

Also pls do we think Ed kiss-nipped-or licked Rui’s neck cause what •_•

———————————————————

Cathrine x Rui

It’s an episode of heart eyes Cathrine x rizz king Rui.

Gave it her all to convince him and even promised to share a room with him if he went on the trip, ed and her teaming up was unfair for poor Rui.

Tried to sit next to him on the coach but the man of will stood for half the journey.

Took a picture of Rui in his glasses & fit and immediately set it as her lock screen, she’s head over heels.

He also takes a picture of her in her maid dress and they both do half a heart so when their phones are together it looks like a full one 🫶🏼sorry it’s sappy happy hours.

Over dramatic at having to part with Rui when split into twos and begrudgingly does the work so she can spend time investigate with Rui about what’s going on.

Got a tinsey bit jealous at Rui’s flirting with the maids but she was also flirting with the maids so they were both being sillies.

Their cake date was so cute, a moment of them both pretending to be normal as they chattered away. Until Cathrine got called away, which also ruined their plans of sharing a room, much to both of their disappointments.

The whole thing with Ed still goes as it does as shown in his pairing, they are besties regardless of romance. So using the purple mist is still a betrayal to her, when she goes back to bed she doesnt sneak into Rui’s room or let him know she’s finished and instead ruminates about what could happen if she took Ed’s offer…

The next day she steals the books and any books that Rui might like, her and Ed easily make up but she doesn’t tell him she’s down for his offer still (she is), but she needs to think about it still.

Before the battle commences she tries to flirt with the hobgoblin and when asked about the cake she hastily made up an Italian brand failing to convince the enemy as she senses something terrible is about to happen…which of course it does.

After Ed makes a stance and the battle commences, Cathrine’s eyes are sparkling in intrigue as she watches Lyca and Rui. That is until the crowd comes in and she turns into a beast that bares her teeth as she shuts down the crowd, Ed using the mist to stop everything before it gets too much.

The ride home was quiet, Cathrine trying to sit with Rui who obviously wasn’t so talkative so she wrote down her notes. Rui and Cathrine sat in silence, sharing headphones as they soaked in the events, Ed laid next to Lyca both feigning sleep as Ed tried to comfort him in his own way.

The bar events play the same, Cathrine trying to cover her hurt as Rui flinched away, all that built up confidence between them, all that closeness had quickly dissolved by the cruel words and looks of the naive crowd from earlier.

(She’s also lowkey jealous that Ed got to have a taste of Rui.)

Don’t worry gang I’m sure they’ll later be back to where they were.

———————————————————

Cathrine x Lyca (I see them as platonic)

She would literally die for Lyca and tells him a worrying amount of times before Lyca forces her to stop.

Menace behaviour where they’re both pestering Rui, she and him excitedly bounce between the different seats, Cathrine unable to sit in one place for too long without something to focus on and Lyca just excited and following Cathrine’s lead.

Lyca’s number one cheerleader throughout the day, checking in when she can to make sure he’s doing okay.

That’s her little brother ladies and gentlemen.

Everything else happens the same and she is insanely gleefull when she sees Lyca in a half werewolf form and does her best to back him up.

When the crowd came she felt something in her snap as she saw Lyca’s heartbroken look…

In the aftermath on the train home, she tended to his wounds and murmured sweet words. They were hidden in the corner, Lyca laying his head on her lap as she brushed a hand through his hair in an attempt to soothe him.

After the bar…

She wanted to check in on him but he wouldn’t open the door, so she left some snacks outside his door-made by Sho in an effort to help cheer him up…even if it’s just a little bit.

[currywaifu]

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝟔𝟔𝟔 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬!

𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞: july 01, 2020 [10:12 pm]… yes I delayed making this for nearly two weeks

𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: the filo discord (actually I have a feeling they’ll be the only ones to get a full grasp of… this), especially eri @tsum-uwu-gi , manfuck-chan neko @mankai-fuckhouse​, and taku @takumipineapplexd - the birth of this is 75% your faults. also mentioning rui and sel from twt, their edits inspired me uwu

𝐰𝐜: 900+ words of pure dumb and cursed

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: yes, this is cursed. this could have been more cursed, but i literally couldn’t muster up the will to write anything more TT

You initially hated it— your parents dragging you to a farm over the summer to help out some family friend of theirs you’d only ever heard of in passing conversations during the drawl of dinner time. You were an adult now, if they wanted to visit their friend so badly why can’t they go by themselves?

But they had pleaded with you, statements like “it’s just two weeks, surely you can spend that much time with us?” and “ever since you graduated uni you’ve been so busy,” made it hard for you to refuse.

“Takato Farm, huh…” you murmured to yourself as you read the wooden entrance sign, before quickly catching up with your parents as you greeted who you presumed to be the owners.

You did your job well, playing the role of the good and caring child in front of them, polite pleasantries exchanging between you and the chatty woman before she piped up with, “aren’t you about the same age as our son? Ah, where is that boy? We told him we’d have guests arriving…”

“He’s probably by the eggplants right now,” her husband chimed in.

Beside you, your mother’s smile suddenly stretched tenfold. Uh oh. You knew that smile, she always made that exact expression when—

“Fufufu~ dear, why don’t you go look for him and introduce yourself! Surely you can’t get lost in a farm, right?”

The other woman mirrored your mother’s expression, clapping her hands together in delight.

“Well, that settles it! I’m sure you two would get along well~”

As you trudged your way towards wherever this mystery man was you could still hear the faint but scheming cackles of the two women.

You weren’t paying attention to your surroundings at all— too distracted by the heat, your choice of footwear, what your mother clearly wanted to be a match-up to make up for your life of singleness.

Seriously, who knew what this guy was even like? And why was it taking so long for you to find him? Like, just how big was this fucking farm—

You felt your feet come into contact with metal, and before you could fully register what was happening you couldn’t save yourself from tripping over a tool left unattended on the ground…

but somebody else would.

A strong grip on your shoulders held you back from falling forwards, your back meeting with someone’s chest.

“Are you okay?” tilting your head upwards, your eyes met with purple looking down at you. Holy shit, why didn’t anyone warn you that he was attractive?

Your time at the farm had ended up more enjoyable than expected. You were able to learn and appreciate more things about agriculture— it didn’t help that someone very… ahem… easy on the eyes was serving as your teacher.

… so easy on the eyes was a very tame way to put it, because he was so fucking hot you could die of heatstroke. What the fuck, you didn’t give him the consent to attack your mind and heart like this? Can he stop?

Besides how handsome he was, he was actually fun to talk with. Sure, he wasn’t the best at communicating, but there wasn’t a day where you didn’t find yourself learning something new.

“You know, I think eggplants might become my favourite veggie now,” you joked while helping Tasuku tend to one of the crops.

“Eggplants are fruits, though,” he said it so nonchalantly you nearly dropped your watering can as you turned to look at him incredulously.

“Tasuku-kun, what the fuck—“

“It’s a berry, actually.”

You let out a deep sigh.

“This… is like when I first found out tomatoes were fruits.”

“Eggplants and tomatoes are related—“

“Tasuku-kun, you can’t just drop those bombshells on me!”

Still, even as the two of you developed a friendship, you had a feeling there was something significant he was hiding from you.

It was past midnight. You’d already adjusted to sleeping early and waking up early recently, but tonight was just… different. There was something keeping you up, and you couldn’t piece together what it was for the life of you. You left the guest bedroom and headed to the kitchen. Maybe you needed a glass of water or something?

Upon entering the room, you immediately noticed a white towel on the floor. How out of place. You found yourself crouching to pick it up, only to notice something was in between the folds.

As you unwrapped it, you found yourself face to face with an… eggplant. The common long and purple variant found on the farm. What- what the fuck. Why the fuck would an eggplant be inside a towel? On a kitchen floor? Past midnight?

After a few moments of simply staring at it in confusion, you brought it nearer to your face to… stare at it some more, but closer this time. However, the moment your fingertips brushed against the purple skin, a bright glow seemed to emit and surround the vegetable… er, fruit.

What the fuck! No matter how many things Tasuku taught you about eggplants, they shouldn’t be glowing, right? You dropped the crop both due to shock and the blinding brightness, but somehow you couldn’t move from your spot, sat on the floor.

You watched the silhouette behind the rays of light grow larger and— wait, shit, you would fucking recognise those muscular arms anywhere, considering how often you stared at them.

“T-tasuku-kun?”

The moment you regained your vision and found yourself face to face with the farmer, you froze, the only movement coming from you being your beating heart and the red creeping up your face.

An amalgamation of different things muddled up your mind— like, why the fuck did that eggplant become Tasuku? Why the fuck did Tasuku become an eggplant? Why did the eggplant become Tasuku the moment you touched it?

Out of all the possible questions and exclamations that could have been said by you, the first thing that comes out of your mouth is a shriek, followed by—

“Tasuku-kun! The towel! Before anything, please put it on…”

okay i legit can’t write anymore of this huhuhuhu... basically, tasuku turns into an eggplant after midnight because of a curse, and he can only turn back into human either when the sun rises or his soulmate touches his eggplant form uwu~ 

i’m so sorry tasuku, i love you. i’ll make it up to you soon TT

eri, taku, neko- are you happy now?

[luckyjak]

fic: Lover (1/3)

Sixteen years he’s gone without a lover, and it hasn’t really bothered him all that much. Now that he and Essek have started fooling around, however, he finds it difficult to go on for too long without touching him. A story about intimacy, trust, and the process it takes to care about someone again. Shadowgast. AO3 Link

A/N: This story was brought to you by Taylor Swift’s Lover on repeat for three days straight. It was also inspired by the fact that a lot of Shadowgast fic is mostly about them boning, and while their sexual tension is in fact breath-taking, some folks need time before taking that step, and I wanted to see what that looked like in fiction with these two idiots.

But then, of course, the plot fucking grew, as plots are likely to do, and so we have this rather large fic of mine. There are three chapters (maybe four--chapter three is *long*) but it’s all already complete: it just needs editing. My goal is to have all of it up by Thursday so it can be immediately jossed, but I make no promises.

Comments are incredibly encouraging.

Sixteen years.

Sixteen years, seven months, twenty-three days, to be more exact. Sometimes his eidetic memory was more of a curse than a gift. That’s how long it had been since he last saw Astrid, had last kissed her, had last been with another person, physically.

And he had been fine. Really. Sure, there had been lonely nights here and there, days when he longed to have companionship of a different sort, not better or worse, more physical than Nott’s constant friendship, Caduecus’s quiet company, Fjord’s charm, Jester’s warmth and laughter, and Beau’s cunning wit.

He had a right hand and a perfect memory: he could make due alone, to take care of any physical need he might have. He might’ve missed the afterglow, the intimacy of having someone close by afterwards to hold on to, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t live without. He was adaptable. Besides, he highly doubted he would ever have another lover again, anyway, given everything that had happened in his life.

Who could ever want someone like him?

Except he was wrong, of course, because the past three times he’d seen Essek Thelyss in the past two weeks, they’d ended up exactly like this: pressed up against one another, trading hot kisses, exploratory hands caressing against cloth and skin.

He wasn’t even sure how it had even started: they had been studying together, talking quietly about-- something. It had been important, he was sure, but then they were kissing , like kissing-kissing, like Caleb-on-the-floor-with-Essek-on-top-of-him kissing. Caleb hadn’t wanted to stop, but eventually Essek pulled off of him with a sheepish smile and a dark purple flush on his face, and said he’d have to see him again soon, and left.

And Caleb could have came right then, harder than he’d been in years and left wanting on the library floor in the Xhorhaus, but he pulled himself up and managed to make it to his bedroom, where he spent the evening thinking of little else besides the dark purple color of Essek’s face and the way his body had felt pressed against his own.

He slept well that night. Better than he had in a long time, deeply and fully, to the point that Nott had to wake him the next morning when his internal clock failed him.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had wanted so much. Being with Essek was like turning his brain off in the best way possible--better than polymorph, even, because all he could think about was tongue and mouth and lips and skin.

The next time they met had been at an official affair, a meeting with the Bright Queen with Essek in attendance, cool and formal and every bit the perfectly poised professional. He would have thought he might’ve just imagined their earlier entanglement entirely, if Essek hadn’t grabbed him after the meeting and shoved him into a nearby coat closet.

He then proceeded to have a rather excellent ten minutes, and would have gladly spent even more time with him, trading lips and tongue and touch, if Beau hadn’t come looking for him, forcing him to quickly try and detangle Essek’s mantle from where it had gotten hooked into Caleb’s mythril shirt.

He had insisted on a private bath in the hot tub that night, away from the others, with the door locked tight.

Their latest encounter was a more formal occasion. An invitation, sent via a rather beautiful raven, inviting him to an unknown location that must have been Essek’s home, in order to “continue the discussion they had before.”

He didn’t quite know what that meant; they hadn’t discussed anything the last few times they’d been together, unless you counted the way they immediately gravitated towards one another, their magnetism more powerful than any spell Caleb knew.

They hadn’t had sex yet. They had, however, made out furiously, every time they’d been alone in a room together.

Which meant that when Essek invited him over, Caleb showered, shaved, bought another new coat, and very seriously considered asking his companions for advice before deciding against it.

Gods, but he wanted him badly. He’d masturbated more this past week than he had in the past decade, or so it felt like.

He had barely made it into Essek’s house before he found himself draped across Essek’s lap, the drow either unaware of or uncaring about the weight of Caleb’s bony ass pressed against his thighs. Essek had one hand snaked around Caleb’s waist while the other had a deathgrip on his thigh, squeezing and massaging and trending ever higher up Caleb’s body. Caleb, for his part, was busy concerning himself with Essek’s neck, and how sensitive his ears were, and what lovely little noises he was making, and wondering just how dark a color he could make his skin go if he kept biting his neck, and--

He felt the cold of the alarm spell wave over him before he heard it. He groaned, loudly, and his only consolation was the fact that Essek groaned, too, before pulling away from him.

“No,” he moaned, trying to pull Essek closer to him, even as the drow protested despite Caleb’s mouth on his chin. It had only been--

An hour? Really? It hadn’t felt like it.

“Sorry,” Essek apologized, pressing several fast kisses against Caleb’s face. “I thought we’d have more time before I was summoned to the Council.”

“When will I see you again?”

“I don’t know. I’ll come by this evening, if I can get away.”

He hadn’t come back that evening. Or the evening after that. The day after that, Caleb was the busy one, stuck out in the Xhorassian wilderness trying to find some Cobalt Soul artifact for Dairon and Beau that had been abandoned centuries ago.

Which was fine, really. He didn’t mind helping Beau--gods know she had done enough for him and the rest of the group so far.

What he did mind was the cold, and the lack of privacy in the dome, and the Storm Giants, and the fact that he could not get Essek out of his mind, and he was pretty sure if he didn’t have sex with that man soon he might actually physically die.

Which was stupid. He’d gone sixteen years without sex before. He could do it again. Despite all evidence to the contrary, he wasn’t a hormone-induced teenager. He could, in fact, wait. Patience was a virtue, or so they said.

...The fact that he convinced the group to return to Rosohna for a few days of rest before heading to Traveler-Con was something of a victory, however. Convincing Jester to cast Sending on Essek to find out if he was available that evening was even moreso. And by the blessing of some god Caleb didn’t really believe in, Essek was both available and had extended an invitation for Caleb to come over as soon as he got back.

Jester teased him horribly about it the whole evening, but it was fine. He’d endure whatever sort of teasing he’d get from Jester if it meant he got to see Essek again.

A quick shave and a change of clothes later, he made his way to Essek’s home, where he was invited in, led to the study, and then promptly had the door shut in his face.

“Wha--Essek?” He tried the door handle, but it was locked. A sense of panic began swelling in his stomach. Was this a trap? A trick of some sort? What if this was all a plot by Ikithon to get him to lower his guard and--

“I’m sorry!” The drow’s voice was muffled through the door, but it was still Essek’s voice. There was no mistaking his accent. “I just--I keep meaning to talk to you, but every time we’re in the same room together we end up kissing instead of talking, and it’s important that I talk to you. So...A door between us. So that we might converse.”

Caleb couldn’t help but laugh, the anxiety in his stomach lifting as he leaned against the door frame. “A bit of an overreaction, don’t you think? We’re both adults. We can--we can handle a conversation without kissing.”

“Oh, really?” Essek’s voice was smug to the point of pretentiousness. “So if I were to open this door right now, you wouldn’t kiss me senseless, despite not seeing each other for a week? How disappointing.”

There was a small click, and Caleb knew Essek had unlocked the door, but hadn’t opened it, instead leaving the hypothetical ball in Caleb’s hypothetical court.

A delicate situation: if he opened the door, he would inevitably want to kiss Essek senseless, thus proving him right for locking the door in the first place. On the other hand, not opening the door also proved him right, about neither of them having the strength to resist one another physically.

Clever man.

With a defeated sigh, Caleb turned around so that his back was leaning against the doorframe before he slid down it, so that he sat leaned against the door on the carpeted ground. “You may have a point,” he confessed, his head leaned against the door, his knees tucked under his arms. “You might’ve written a letter.” He offered, wishing that they had talked about whatever Essek wanted to speak about earlier, and not wasted the little time they had together by talking. Especially since talking verbally meant Caleb would have ample opportunities to put his foot in his mouth and ruin everything.

“I considered it,” Essek said. “But I wanted to hear what you had to say.”

That was intriguing. “What is it that you wanted to talk about?”

He could hear the hesitation in Essek’s voice as he took the time to carefully consider his words. “What--what are we, Caleb Widogast? Are we dating? Are we--are we just kissing for fun? Are you interested in me? Are you--Luxon above, are you courting me? I tried to do some research on Imperial courting practices but I didn’t get very far. Information about the Empire is...scarce, even for me.”

A fair question. One that Caleb might’ve thought to ask himself, if he had managed to think about anything beyond his libido for the past week.  “I--I don’t know what we are,” Caleb confessed, running a hand through his auburn hair, a few loose curls coming out of his hair tie. “We never talked about it. What--what do you want to be?”

A small chuckle. “I believe I asked you first, Widogast.”

He considered being pedantic and pointing out that Essek merely asked for clarification, not a specific desire, but after thinking about it, he realized he did eventually want to kiss him again, and arguing about something ridiculous like this wasn’t likely to lead to that situation. “I suppose I want whatever you want,” Caleb confessed, feeling small pressed against the dark wood of Essek’s home. “I--I enjoy spending time with you, Essek. If you wish to have a--a relationship, I’m open to the idea. If you just want to kiss again without changing things between us, I’m okay with that. And if you want to stop--whatever this is, between us, I--would respect your decision.”

He would hate it, but he would accept it, if that’s what Essek wanted.

(Gods, he hoped that wasn’t what Essek wanted!)

“Hmph. A diplomatic answer.”

“What do you want, Essek?” Caleb turned the question back on him, a little frustrated that his own answer wasn’t apparently good enough. “Do you want a relationship? Do you just want a--a friend with benefits? What do you want?”

“I want,” the dark elf sighed dramatically. “I don’t want a--what did you call it? A friend with benefits? I can serve my own needs, thank you.  If--if that’s all you are interested in, then I don’t see this working out, I’m sorry. And I think I’m too young to be courted seriously, especially by someone so--so different from me. At least right now,” Essek breathed in deeply, and while Caleb couldn’t see him, he could imagine that Essek was just a bit flustered as he spoke. “And I don’t want to stop kissing you, because despite all common sense and evidence to the contrary, I do rather like you, Widogast.”

“I can’t imagine why.” He said, in a dry tone of voice that could be taken as either a joke or seriously, depending. He meant it as a joke, but now that he said it, he was curious what Essek had to say in response.

“Is it so ridiculous to think that someone might like you, Caleb?” Essek questioned; Caleb didn’t have a response, feeling small and ridiculous. It took Essek a moment to continue. “I--you make me laugh, Caleb. And you treat me like a person, not just someone in a position of authority. And you’re so smart. I could talk to you about magic all the time and never get bored,” There was a slight pause as it sounded like Essek was readjusting himself. “And I suppose I find you very handsome as well.”

Caleb smiled warmly, a rush of butterflies filling his chest in a way it hadn’t since he was a teenager. “I like you too, Essek,” he confessed, surprising himself with his own honesty. He did like Essek: it wasn’t a lie or a ploy or a manipulation: just a genuine fact. The fact that they had kissed the last few times they had been together was just a bonus that came on top of a general appreciation for Essek’s company. “You’re charming and smart,” he toyed with the amulet he always kept around his neck, the one that kept him safe from scrying. “You’re always kind, to--to me, and to the rest of the Nein. That means so much to me. Most people in my life and in my past haven’t been very kind. And you are,” he breathed in deeply. “Incredibly attractive. I can’t even believe you would like someone like me.”

“What’s not to like?”

“I’m human? From the Empire? And there are so many more attractive men out there. Like, look at Fjord, he’s--”

“Not you.” Essek assured him, his voice soft and kind but solid, impossible to argue with. “And I like you , Caleb Widogast.”

He felt himself blush in the empty room. “I--I like you too, Essek.”

“Sounds like we like each other,” Essek teased through the door, causing Caleb to let loose a chuckle, the nervous swell in his stomach releasing. “I suppose we should date one another, then.”

“I suppose so,” Caleb agreed, moving his head off of the door, turning instead so that he was facing the door handle. He wanted to kiss him again. “Can we open the door now?”

“Just--one more thing. Two more things, actually.” Essek breathed deeply. “I don’t think I’ll get in trouble with the Dynasty for dating you, but I also don’t want to risk endangering my job. Does--will it bother you if we keep things subtle, while we’re in public?”

Caleb shook his head, then remembered that Essek couldn’t see him. “That’s fine. I can keep a secret. Can we tell my companions, or would you prefer to keep them in the dark?”

“I don’t mind if they know. It might be fun to keep them guessing, though. I’ll leave that decision up to you to tell them if you’d like.” Essek breathed in deeply, and Caleb could tell that he was about to ask something he was nervous about. “The second thing: I don’t want to have sex.”

That caused Caleb to pause. “...Like, ever?”

“No. Well, um, not for a while, I guess,” Essek laughed hesitantly, a fake sort of laugh that came mostly from nervousness. “It’s just the last two relationships I had, they both went--went too fast, and I ended up getting really hurt, emotionally, and I just--I want to take it slower, with you. Because I really, really like you, and if I end up fucking things up with you I’ll probably still have to work with you, because I’m the Nein’s liaison, and I don’t want to ruin things like I have in the past. And if that’s a deal breaker for you--”

“It’s not,” Caleb assured him, surprising himself with his own honesty. For all that he had touched himself since he and Essek had started-- this --he found he didn’t mind the thought of waiting, if that’s what his partner wanted. “We can take things as slowly as we need to. It’s--” he paused, playing with his necklace again. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been with someone, romantically or sexually. Taking things slow is probably a smart idea for both of us.”

“It’s been a while for me, too,” Essek confessed. “And please, don’t think that it’s not that I don’t want you, because that couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s just, I want to do things right , with you.”

“Me too,” Caleb confessed. “Can I kiss you now?”

“ Yes ,” Essek laughed, opening the door behind Caleb. He was hovering at full height while Caleb sat on the floor, but he wasted no time lowering himself into Caleb’s lap, kissing him deeply but quickly. “Then you can take me to dinner, khalir. ”

--

They did make it to dinner eventually, though a bit later that they meant to. Kissing had taken longer than they meant it to, and when they had pried themselves off of one another it had taken a bit to straighten themselves out. They decided to disguise themselves while going out, and that had been its own moment of silliness as they discussed the pros and cons of various disguises. Essek had turned himself into another drow, a less attractive version of himself with longer hair, while Caleb adopted his blue tiefling disguise, looking very much like himself, if he had been born Jester’s twin.

They talked freely when they were out, holding each other’s hands and talking, getting to know one another in ways they hadn’t previously. He learned that Essek was the youngest of four siblings, and the only one of them that wasn’t a consecrated soul at birth. He learned that Essek wasn’t born into Den Thelyss, but had been adopted into it after they realized he had a talent for magic. Essek, likewise, learned that the last time Caleb had dated someone had been sixteen years ago; that Caleb liked the rice they’d had with dinner but greatly preferred bread, and that he’d only traveled with the Mighty Nein for less than a year, now, but that he considered them his family.

When Essek walked him home after dinner, they kissed on the front porch for twenty minutes, until Darion came out and shooed Essek away, like a parent might to a teenager who had stayed out past curfew.

The two days they were in Rosohna before Traveler-con, Caleb spent as much time as possible with Essek, which wasn’t nearly as much time as Caleb would like, because Essek still unfortunately had to work. But they had dinner together each night, and kissed for several hours afterwards, and talked almost as much as they kissed, and Caleb found he enjoyed both activities equally well.

Before the Nein left for the island, Essek had given him a gift. A notebook, blue leather bound, but sparked with the scent of the arcane. “It’s a messenger book,” Essek explained over Caleb’s puzzled look. “You write something in your copy, and it’ll appear in my copy,” he lifted his own book, a twin to the journal Caleb had. “It’s a way for us to keep in contact without using spell-slots.”

Like Jester’s sending spell, but written down, and something he could keep private, without the rest of the group nosing their way into his business. “I love it,” Caleb said, and then kissed his boyfriend, because he could. “I’ll write in it every night.”

“I hope you do. I want to hear about all of your adventures,” Essek kissed him back swiftly, before pulling away. “Am I teleporting you guys to this...island, right?”

“If you don’t mind.”

“Oh, I mind. But,” he squeezed Caleb’s hand, letting their hands swing together between them. “I suppose I mind less now than I did previously.”

[ty-talks-comics]

Best of Marvel: Week of October 2nd, 2019

Best of this Week: The Immortal Hulk #24 (Legacy #741) - Al Ewing, Joe Bennet, Ruy Jose, Belardino Brabo, Marc Deering, Roberto Poggi, Paul Mounts and Cory Petit

There are two people in every mirror.

The central theme of The Immortal Hulk has been the reconciliation between the two sides of oneself. For Bruce Banner, it’s himself and the many other personalities that reside inside his mind and body, most notably that of the Devil Hulk. Banner, knowing that because of The Hulk and his connection to the Green Door to Hell he’ll never be able to die or find true peace, has given himself all in to The Devil Hulk’s plan of ending the world as they know it. The Devil Hulk himself is a dark and menacing entity that has some kind of good intention, but a myriad of evil hidden under it.

With an unkillable Hulk and a massive ego, some people are trying to do whatever they can to bring Hulk down and save humanity. One such man is General Reg Fortean. Over the course of this series, Fortean has observed Hulk, taken measures to contain or defeat him time after time. His most recent effort of using Rick Jones’s body to resurrect that of Abomination seemed to work until Banner ripped Jones out of the Abomination shell, saving his old friend. Fortean, however, get s it back and transplants himself into the body of the villain.

This was his biggest mistake. There's something about peering into The Green Door that corrupts the soul and Fortean cast himself into that rabbit hole with reckless abandon. 

This book begins with an amazing shot of the end of all things, potentially the first. We see Galan of Taa, the future Galactus, bathed in the green glow of the Cosmos, the first sign that The Green Door has always been there and that at one point it was wide open. Soon after we cut to the accident that gave Bruce Banner his Hulk powers with the caption of there being two faces in the mirror, “the one you think you know...and the other one.”

Paul Mounts colors each of these of these pages with varying levels of green. The first of Galan with bright shots of green offset by other colors, most notably Galan’s signature purple, echoing back to his origin by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Banner’s accident, in the form of a double page spread, is drawn and coated in an overwhelming Green tint while the rest of the book keeps the sinister Green relegated to Hulk and several backgrounds. It gives off a dark feeling that the Hulk and the presence of the Green Door in general is always lurking about, Mounts does his best to sow that feeling of uncomfortability throughout the book with darkly vibrant colors.

Joe Bennett doesn’t let those colors go to waste as his pencils are as amazing as they have been for the entire run of this story. His art has been instrumental for the success of the story with its focus on body horror, general gore and the extreme sense of scale that makes you feel like intense weights are bearing down on you in every instance. Every shot of the Hulk talking with half of his face ripped off is terrifying as Cory Petit letter it perfectly, emphasizing that at the moment, Hulk has no lips to speak of. It’s fleshy and gross and made even worse as Hulk throws his removed face at another soldier and it sizzles, burning him. 

Fortean also goes about using his Abomination bodies abilities to try and spit acid at Hulk. It splashes forth in all of its frothy, bright green goodness. Hulk dodges, it hits reinforcement soldiers and turns them into gross masses of boils, blood and bones as they scream, unable to stop what’s happening to them. Bennet makes you feel the pain and terror by drawing their mouths agape, teeth bared and eyes wide open in pain. Their blood is overpowered by the green of the acid spit and they just melt away.

By this point, Shadow Base’s second-in-command, Doctor Charlene Gowan reconciles with who she is and what she’s done in all of her efforts to contain The Hulk. she realizes that she’s enabled Fortean to become this monster and that she had many opportunities to stop him. She felt the need to serve under Fortean when her obligation to him was the fact that he got her out of prison, gave her a second chance, but that’s changed. His obsession had taken him over and he’s killed his own men and allowed himself to become the monster that he hates. She tells the other personnel to stand down, leaving only Fortean and Hulk to fight it out.

Fortean sort of manges to get the upper hand with a mean right cross and acid directly in the face, but Hulk plunges a finger into Fortean’s eye and ultimately his brain, killing him. They end up in the Below-Place, the realm of The One Below All and Fortean sees the error of his obsession. He sees the hellscape that his soul would be damned to every time he died and he panics. He is terrified, but there’s no time for him to correct what he’s done as Joe Fixit snaps his neck, killing his soul and any chance of him coming back to life.

It’s nihilistic. It’s dark. It’s a sign that once you cross that threshold, there’s nothing left for you but a hellish wasteland. Even at the end of all things, once everything has died and the new world is supposed to begin...there’s a flicker of green and a post credit sequence that spells doom for the future of the Marvel Universe, hell - every Marvel Universe, if The Green Door isn’t closed.

Al Ewing, Joe Bennett and the rest of this creative team have forged something evil. Something dark and twisted that Marvel hasn’t quite seen in years. I gleefully anticipate every issue of the Hulk to see just how dark things will get. There’s this cold certainty to every word that The Devil Hulk says and Banner’s father being the main demon of the Below-Place has this awful feeling of depraved destiny, that maybe the world was right to fear Hulk. Bruce Banner and his alter egos will end the world and it can’t be pretty. It will be violent, bloody and ultimately hopeless.

The other person in the mirror is the one you don’t want to see.

[inazumafocus]

Tagged by the sweet sweet @shawn-and-aiden-frost-9 thank you dear❤️

Nickname: Nene! I’m Nene everywhere, even in real life, because my brother started calling me that when he was little and it’s usually the nick for the name Irene

Height: *deep sigh* 1.56cm yeah I am 22 and very smol, yeah, they usually think I’m 14 and I know I should be happy but IM NOT WHEN I WANT TO WATCH UNDERAGE MOVIES AND THE ASK IF I’M ABOVE 14!!

Time: 01:20

Favourite song/band: gosh mmhh well one song that is forever in my fave list is “Amsterdam” by Imagine Dragons and rn I love the Måneskin, go check them out they’re italian but sing in english too and DAMN THEY’RE GOOD! But my fave artist EVER is Adam Lambert❤️

Song stuck in my head: “Royal Doulton Music Hall” from Mary Poppins Returns. That movie was sssso good and the songs were amazing and so damn catchy yo! Plus “Zero” by Imagine Dragons from the new Wreck It Ralph movie!

Last movie I watched: well when I started this test it was SPIDERMAN INTO THE SPIDERVERSE! (GO. WATCH IT. NOW. A masterpiece of animation, a diverse cast, a really good plot and awesome characters! Gogogo) but rn is the new Wreck It Ralph which is also super amazing with a RAD DESIGN AND REALLY DELICATE THEMES TREATED FUCKING WELL CHECK THAT OUT TOO MAN!

Last thing I googled: “blue screen of death 85” because I needed THAT as a reaction gif LMAO

Other blogs: ugh I have so many but I’m gonna tag my ask blogs @asktheb4andafuro @askinazumastuckanddigizuma  and my aesthetic one @extranaestheticinjection (pls go check that one out if you want/have time🙏🏻💕)

Do I get asks: mmmhh yeah I have some affectionate but only when I do an “ask thingy” I don’t really get asks outside of it and it’s a bit of a bummer because I LOVE to talk!

Why did I choose this url: because, as I mentioned before, I love to talk and I wanted a blog to do that but everything would’ve been about Inazuma. Therefore Inazuma (theme) + focus (as in “a focus only on Inazuma). Plus a funny thing: my bro runs a secondary blog about a video game and its called @fablefocus  so I just went and said “yo what if I made a focus blog just like you!” But I’m not serious like her, I love to create memes and shitposts and those are a focus on Inazuma as well ahahaha

Following: ...58. Look I’m kinda picky but I love everyone really

Dream trips: Japan, Oregon (and other places in America as well) and Cornwall but I really just want to travel ALLLL over the world, it’s my big dream

Favourite food: everything that has fish in it. Gods do I love fish mmmm- plus donuts!!

Instruments: uuhh kinda did piano when I was a kid but never stuck to it 🤷🏻‍♀️ so none

Hair colour: original was a dark blonde(?) but I dye it black bc I love it

Languages: italian and english!

Most iconic songs: mh for me? This is kinda dumb but the one song that really always makes me sing and dance is the Digimon Adventure Opening, the italian one ahahah, it will forever be part of me since it’s mu childhood

Random fact: I tend to get more depressed during winter, that’s why I don’t fancy those cold cold months...

Zodiac: Virgo (but I have so few things in common with my Sun ugh, I feel much more alike to my Moon in Scorpio)

Nationality: Iiiitaaaaliiiaaaannnnn, from Rome to be even more specific~

Favourite fruit: apricot and melon, gotta love those sweet summer delights

Seasons: SUMMER FOR THE REASON UNDER “random fact” also then I can wear shorts and CROP TOPS ARE MY L I F E plus vacation and the sea and summer nights and HHHHHH I LOVE

Scent: rain, any body of water, the air before and after the rain, delicate vanilla, delicate cinnamon, books (they really have to be mild scents or my nose will die! I can’t even pass by the detergents’ sector at the supermarket or entering a Home Decore shop and Lush is just an agony when I need a bathbomb ;u;)

Colour: black, purple, used blue jeans(?), ALL THE PASTELS, ALL OF ‘EM, but also neon lime and neon fucsia bc I’m a walking paradox

Animal: uuhm dogs and really all the animals? But not insects. Never the bugs. Only bumble bees are cute.

Coffee, tea or hot cocoa: ehm none- I don’t really drink many stuff, just water, coke and some fruit juice heh

Average hours of sleep: ...five at best? Six at times, eight/ten only on vacations- listen I have a fucked up sleep schedule

Favourite fictional characters: AAAAAAAAAAAA SO MANY!! Kidou Yuuto, Fudou Akio, Kaemaru Ichirouta and Afuro Terumi from Inazuma Eleven; Agon, Rui, Jumonji and Hiruma from Eyeshield21; Nabiki Tendo from Ranma 1/2; Nico di Angelo and Reina from Percy Jackson; Monoma Neito and Iida Tenya from BNHA; Yamato, Sora, Taichi and Ken from Digimon AAAAA LETS STOP I LOVE AND ADOPT TOO MANY KIDS I DONT WANT TO CHOOSE

Year in which this blog was created: few months ago tbh, 2018 :’)

Hogwarts house: Slytherin, the real kind not the stereotype thank you very much. I’m kind and friendly but sneaky as well and I’d kill for my friends FUCK STEREOTYPES

Favourite artists: uuhhhh too many tbh, just gonna tag some I’m friends with hejdkdkwlsk bc I don’t wanna annoy anybody @reaversgloriousmanbutt-art @ygreczed @zibiremu-ert @xxlovelyrose95xxartbook PLUS I LOVE VAN GOGH AND BOLDINI

aaand taaggiiing @reaversgloriousmanbutt @zibiremu @miyabinopenguin @midorikawawas @funips @des-det-fo if yall want ofc <3

[wynndygoon]

How I Met A Zoroark- Story

Noma was flipping through records at an entertainment shop at the mall in her city. Looking through the records helped keep her mind off of the breakup with Elise. It wasn’t really a breakup per se, because they are still good friends and there is no hatred towards each other, but they decided to end the relationship because both of their jobs were too demanding and conflicting with each other’s schedules. By the time that Noma would get home, Elise would have to head in to work. The only time they really got to see each other was whenever Elise had to come to Noma to pick up shipments that they had ready, and they figured why not just end the relationship and remain friends.

Noma agreed and while it could have been worse, she was still upset that the first real relationship she had and the first girlfriend she ever had was now just her friend.

‘Maybe I fell too hard for her.’ She thought as she was skimming the tops of the records with her fingers. ‘It’s probably something I did.’ She shook these thoughts away when she shook her head and tried to regain focus on finding the Nico Vega record she wanted and had been searching for for a while. As she moved from record aisle to record aisle and bin to bin, she never really paid much attention to what was going on around her because she was caught off guard when an employee came up and tapped her on the shoulder to ask if she needed any help looking for something.

“No, no. I’m fi- actually, yeah, no, I do need some help. I’ve been looking for the ‘Fury Oh Fury’ album by Nico Vega for months now. You wouldn’t happen to have it somewhere? I swear I’ve looked everywhere else but here and I’m hoping that you all would have it.” She asked with a smile and moving the hair out of her face.

“Oh man, that IS a tough one to find since they aren’t the most well known group around. Let me check our computer to see if it we have it!” The Exploud said as he walked back to the counter and started typing away.

Noma kept looking through the records to pass the time and see if she could find it herself and save him the trouble. After a few minutes of flipping through, she heard the Exploud say the he didn’t have it logged in the computer, but that he could check in the back.

“Oh, you don’t have to, it’s no big deal.” Noma replied with a smile.

“Eh, you seem like you’ve been looking for a while, I really don’t mind to check!” he said as he disappeared into the back storeroom.

Noma smiled and decided to go and look at the best selling aisle and see if there were any that she didn’t already have. As she was standing in the aisle, looking through the covers, she heard her name being called from outside of the store in the mall.

“Noma? Noma Kindling?!” A small, purple Zoroark was standing out in the mall in front of the store waving her hand up in the air towards the Blaziken. By now, the Zoroark was making her way to Noma, all the while she was trying to think of the fox’s name.

“Ayla?” Noma asked.

“In the fur! How long have you been here? It has been forever since you moved away for college!”

“Well, I went to college here at Castelia University, so I moved her when I left home.”

“I never expected you to move to the biggest city in all of Unova. It doesn’t seem like you would enjoy it all that much.” Ayla replied, shifting her shopping bags around.

“I could say the same for you!” Noma laughed. “And besides, I live on the outskirts of town, away from all the noise and busyness.”

“Well I came up here because my boss said that there may be a bar that one of his old friends was selling and that I may be able to get it for a pretty cheap price, so I decided that I would come up here and check it out.” Ayla explained.

“How long are you here for?” Noma asked curiously. She noticed that Ayla’s clothes looked a little bit worn down like she had been sleeping in them for a couple of days.

“Who knows? I’m just looking for a cheap hotel or apartment complex to stay in since I’m tired of sleeping in my car like I have been for the past few days. I also came by here to pick up some new clothes,” motioning to her bags that she had on her arm, “and just trying to get by until I can meet with the owners.”

At this point, all of Noma’s worries and past issues with her split with Elise were gone, more interested in catching up with her best friend since high school than even looking for the record which just so happened to not be in the store because the Exploud had returned from the back and said that he couldn’t find it there either.

“Well, what happened to your whole plan of joining an orchestra? Didn’t you get a scholarship for your talents on the Saxophone?” Noma asked, walking out into the mall and motioning for Ayla to follow her.

“Well, about that, yes I did get a scholarship, but I still needed money to help pay for college because my fucking bigot parents weren’t going to help out, so I got a job working at a bar. You know the one on Nesbeth Drive, Getting’ Lit?” Ayla asked.

“Yeah, the nightclub?”

“Yep! I worked as a dancer there starting out.” Ayla said proudly.

Noma just about choked in surprise. “Wait what?”

“What?”

“You worked as a dancer at a night club?!” Noma asked again for clarity.

“Uh-huh. It’s not like we were strippers or anything. We were all dressed up in the bar’s uniforms and we were there just to have something for the people who were too socially awkward to dance to watch. Everything was modest and there was nothing sleazy about it because the owner and manager didn’t like women being portrayed that way. And besides, we only danced for certain parts of the night when people would vote on what song which dancer should dance to, and even then, there had to be a majority vote per song per dancer. When we weren’t dancing, we were serving as waitresses and bartenders.”

“Huh, honestly, that kinda sounds like a fun job!” Noma chuckled.

“Oh it was, especially once I moved up and became a manager myself. Eventually we also convinced the owner to let us dancers have our own costumes for when we danced, which was more fun because we really became more individualized then. Since a lot of us decided that we wanted to show some more skin, that’s when a lot more people kept trying to get a bit too touchy and we were told by the manager, who was a Pangoro that if any sick bastard tried anything that we didn’t like to beat the shit out of them or call over security. There were a few people who tried to grab a few of us, but that didn’t last long after people witnessed those people get their teeth knocked in. When I became a manager, I didn’t have to worry about that anymore because I mainly worked as a bartender, but I used my illusions to make it look like I was dancing along with bartending so I was able to mess with some people.” Ayla laughed.

“God, wasn’t that scary people trying to touch you and get in your personal space?”

“Nah, cause we were up on a stage, if someone wanted to get up there, they would have to drag themselves up the front of the stage and by then, we would see them trying to climb up and could just step on their hands. Not only that, but most of the customers who saw anyone trying to get up to us would usually tackle them and knock them out themselves, so we were pretty well protected.”

As the two talked and were getting each other caught up in their lives, they walked to a tea and coffee shop and Noma asked what Ayla wanted to drink.

“Oh, oh no, I can’t let you do that after running into you again. I’d feel awful.”

“Oh nonsense, you’re in the middle of moving and I want to do something nice for you! Besides you were always there for me in high school.” Noma blushed and smiled.

“Alright, but I’m paying you back for it later.” Ayla replied.

“Dude, It’s like 6 bucks, don’t worry about it.” Noma laughed while explaining.

After finally convincing Ayla to let her pay for her drink, Noma bought them both some tea and also got them both a danish and they went and sat outside in one of the picnic tables.

“So, you don’t have a place to stay since you’re looking for a cheap hotel and whatnot?” Noma asked after finishing her danish.

“Yeah man, you know of a good place?” Ayla perked up.

“My house. Completely rent free.” Noma offered.

Ayla just stared forward at Noma and was trying to comprehend what she just heard.

“So? Sound good?” Noma asked trying to confirm.

“Noma, we’re best friends and all and you are really fun to hang out with, but I can’t just mooch off you by living with you, especially for free.” Ayla said still shocked at the offer.

“Ayla, it’s no problem. I fact, I’m kinda lonely and would like to have a roommate again. Had a breakup a few months ago.” Noma said stirring her tea somewhat dismissively.

“I’m sorry sweetie. I hope you’re not too upset over him, you’ll find someone better who deserves you and will treat you like a queen!” Ayla said, reaching out and holding Noma’s hand and reassuring her to try to make her feel better.

Noma just chuckled a bit before she said, “Yeah, except it wasn’t a guy and she did treat me right. Maybe it was just the magic of my first girlfriend and most serious relationship I’ve had yet that made it magical.” Noma trailed off for a few seconds before snapping back to the present.

“Whoa, wait what? Girlfriend? Noma, I never knew you swung that way! That’s, well, amazing.” Ayla exclaimed with visible excitement.

As Noma talked on, Ayla was sitting in awe about what she just found out about Noma. They were friends all through middle school and high school is when they became really close friends and was also when Ayla came out as lesbian. It was difficult for her considering that she was in a relationship with one of her best guy friends at the time that she came out and that she had a lot of her friends that she really wanted to date and thought were pretty. Noma was one of those friends that she thought was attractive but quickly moved past the feelings since they were such good friends and didn’t want to ruin their friendship. It was difficult to not ask the tall Blaziken how she felt about her when they would hang out and when Noma would tell Ayla how pretty she was and how jealous she was of Ayla’s natural markings.

“So Ayla, if you are still on the fence about staying with me, would you at least want to go and check out the house?” Noma offered, hoping she would.

“Sure, why not?” Ayla said, already getting up and gathering her bags. “Where are you parked? I’ll follow you out.”

“Um,” Noma laughed, “I really don’t have a car or truck. This city here is not tall pokemon friendly. One of my friends, an Aggron who was even taller than me doesn’t have a car either because all these stupid dealerships only carry small compact cars. I do know how to drive though, besides, I like the exercise!” Noma said while rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment.

“So you walk everywhere? That’s balls dude. Come on, my car is tall enough for you to ride in.” Ayla grabbed Noma’s hand and led her to the car. “It’s only a two seater sports car, so there will be more than enough leg room, you lanky bastard, but you’ll have to hold the bags unfortunately.”

Noma laughed and said, “Maybe if you didn’t spend your whole paycheck on shirts that you’ll wear once and then never again, then maybe you could fit them more easily in your car.”

They both laughed and they kept digging at each other just as they did when they were in high school. When they finally reached the car, Noma saw that it was bright race red and was very low to the ground. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was a convertible and that the engine was a V-8 Hellcat.

“Holy shit, you’re gonna have to show Joan and my parents this car, they will be so amazed!” Noma said while walking around the car, getting a good look at it.

“Yeah, I’m proud of her, she’s a bitch to keep running though, but gas isn’t all that bad believe it or not.” Ayla said while pressing a button on her key that opened the doors vertically. Noma whistled when she saw this and sat down in the comfy leather seats. Ayla explained some more things about the car as she hopped in and sat the shopping bags down. Noma moved the bags into her lap and looked around the interior of the car and noticed that the entire lower half of the doors and even the section between the seats were filled with speakers.

“Aright, show me where to go!” Ayla said. They left the parking lot of the mall and Noma gave directions to her house. After a good 10 minutes, they pulled in to the driveway and Noma let them both in.

“Well, here it is. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like no problem and no rent!” Noma said while motioning for Ayla to follow. They walked down a hall to their right and then turned to the right again and entered a bedroom. “If you want, here is another bedroom that you can use. It comes complete with its own full bathroom and walk in closet. Unfortunately, we would have to get you some dressers and drawers and stuff, but that shouldn’t be too bad. If anything, I can move the ones out of the guest room to this one.” Noma offered.

“Wait, this isn’t the guest room?” asked Ayla.

“You think I’m gonna let my best friend take a shitty guest room when there is a master bedroom perfectly available? This used to be Joan’s before she moved out, so no one is using it, so feel free to make it your own!” smiled Noma.

Ayla blushed and thanked Noma. Noma said that she’ll be in the kitchen trying to figure out what to do for lunch while Ayla gets moved in. The purple Zoroark moved to the bed and sat her shopping bags down beside her and flopped back on the bed. It felt so good to actually have a bed to just sit on. She looked around the room and saw some photos on the wall and they looked like they were different photos from Noma’s childhood. Ayla got up and moved to look at them. There were a few pictures of her mother and father together, there was one of a very young Noma, who was a Torchic at the time, and Joan, who was a Pawniard, sitting on a swing together with Joan holding Noma in her lap. Ayla couldn’t help but laugh at the thought that Joan was actually taller than Noma at one point. In the next photo she saw another picture of Noma as a Combusken with a giant bow around her neck and an oversized sweater that completely covered her feet. Beside that picture, there was one of Joan and their mom both arm wrestling with Elizzabet looking like she is struggling with all her might to beat Joan and make her feel like she is super strong. Ayla started to tear up looking at all of these sweet pictures of Noma and her family and started thinking back to her own family and how they treated her after she came out to them. While she was deep in thought about her own family, she was snapped out of it by Noma’s voice asking if it was okay if they just ordered some take out.

“Uh- yeah, yeah that, that sounds nice actually.” Ayla stuttered. Placing the picture back on the wall, she walked out in the hall and eventually found her way into the kitchen where Noma was bent over on the counter looking at a menu on her phone.

“Hey, did you get settled in? I know it may be hard to store your stuff without proper furniture, but we’ll get that taken care of right after I place this order. Have you ever had anything from Dragon’s Wings?” Noma asked, still scrolling through the menu.

“Not that I can remember, what all does it have?”

“Well they mainly serve hibachi stuff, but if you would want something different, just let me know, there are plenty of restaurants around here that deliver.”

“Actually, that sounds pretty good right now. I could go for some hibachi steak and some eggrolls right now!” Ayla aid with a smile.

“Okay, I’ll place the order.” Noma said while proceeding to the delivery section of the website. After everything was ordered, Noma clicked on the checkout tab and Ayla laid her hand on Noma’s and said that she would pay, that it was the least she could do to pay Noma back for everything that she has done for her today. It took a lot of convincing, but eventually Noma let her pay.

“Well, if you want, before we move the dressers into your room, we can put all your clothes into the washing machine and get them cleaned while we wait for the food.” Noma suggested.

“Noma, look, we’re good friends and all, but I’m not gonna get naked and-“

“You know I have clothes you can borrow, right? How about this, you gather up all your new and old clothes into the bags and set them in front of the door to your room, I’ll get you some of my clothes that I know will fit you, and you can take a nice shower and get refreshed. I’ll move the dressers and stuff into your room and start the laundry. When you’re done, you can just come and hang out in the living room with me until the food gets here. Sound good?” asked Noma.

“At least let me help you with moving the furniture.”

“Pfft, you kidding? You’re my guest, I can’t have you doing that junk.” Noma said nonchalantly.

“Well…if you don’t mind…I’d like to be your roommate.” Ayla said nervously. At this point, she was overrun by the kindness the red pokemon had shown her and decided that it would be nice to live with one of her lifelong friends. It beats living alone in her car or some dingy cheap hotel any day. “And if I’m your roommate,” Ayla continued, “then I’m gonna pull my weight around here. Besides, I’m not letting you show me up!” She said, nudging the stocky Blaziken.

“Oh yes! I’d love to have you stay here as a roommate! It’d be just like when we would spend the night at each other’s house again! And seriously, don’t worry about helping move the furniture, you’ve had it pretty rough the past couple of days, living in your car and everything, so just let me do this for you.” Noma said, holding up her index finger and winking as she turned to retrieve the dressers.

Ayla stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame and watching Noma as she walked to the other room. If it weren’t for the fact that they had been friends for so long, Ayla would have already asked Noma to go on a date, especially since she found out about Noma’s orientation. She knew the potential for her to mess up such a long friendship and that if they were going to be roommates, then she would rather just suppress the want for a meaningful relationship to keep what they already had. “Well, better go ahead and start that shower.” She said.

Noma had started to lift the dresser up and make her way to Ayla’s room when she forgot that she told the Zoroark to pile her clothes in a hamper and leave it in front of the door and tripped over the hamper causing her to drop the dresser and fall onto the carpet. Obviously, there was a lot of noise, but Noma was hoping that somehow Ayla went deaf just long enough to not hear.

“Oh my God are you okay? What happened?” Ayla said, poking her head out of the bathroom door.

Noma, still lying face down on the ground with the dresser drawers sprawled out everywhere said, “Never better. I forgot I told you to leave your clothes in a basket in front of the door, and I couldn’t see it. But yeah, I’m fine.”

Ayla giggled, “Man, you always were so clumsy. For someone as graceful in appearance, you sure throw people for a loop when you do stuff like that. Here, I’ll help you up.” she said, emerging from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. She crouched next to the Blaziken, who was still lying with her face buried in the carpet who just kept saying she’s fine and that she didn’t need any help. The purple fox ignored Noma’s words and grabbed her by her hand and pulled her up. When Noma was fully sat up, she had a look of indifference and annoyance on her face to which Ayla couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m so sorry, I should have set the basket somewhere else an-“

“Nah, it’s my bad for not paying attention to where I was going. Thanks though, for helping me up.” Noma said while turning to face Ayla. When she finally saw the Zoroark, she quickly looked away as her cheeks flushed up in a brighter shade of red.

“What, you’re not embarrassed to see another woman in a towel are you? Didn’t you play softball and have to use the showers before? Or hell, have you ever been in a locker room?” Ayla asked.

“Oh hush. You want me to move your furniture or not?” said Noma as she stood up, dusting herself off.

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to strike a nerve. I’ll go ahead and start my shower. And…thanks again, for everything. Seriously, you are amazing!” Ayla said while giving a smile.

After Ayla started the water and Noma heard the shower curtain pulled, she started gathering up the drawers and putting them back into the heavy wooden dresser. Once that was done, she set it in the corner near the bathroom so that Ayla could easily get clothes out after she was done showering. Next she made sure to move the hamper out of the way of the door before going back and getting the rest of the furniture that needed to be moved such as a small cabinet nightstand and the T.V cabinet. A few minutes had passed and as Noma finally set the T.V in the spot in the cabinet, she was exhausted and walked into the kitchen to grab herself a bottle of water and relax on the couch in the living room.

________________________________________________________________

Ayla was standing in the shower, letting the warm water hit her back and wash away the worry that she had been carrying around with her about where she was going to stay. Running her claws through her hair and grabbing the shampoo, she was thankful to be able to wash her hair and her fur from the grime and sweat of travel. Rinsing her hair and holding strands of where her black hair blends into purple, she relished in the silky feel her hair now has and then looked for the soap to wash the rest of the body. After she found the bottle of soap, Mane and Tail, and started lathering up her washcloth. Running the cloth down her body and feeling the dirt and stress just run off with the soap was the best feeling she had experienced in a while. Finally, after getting herself washed off, she let the water hit her back once more for another minute or so before finally turning the water off. As she reached for the towel and started drying off, she breathed in the steam and pulled the curtain back. Before stepping out, she lifted one leg up and rested her foot on the lip of the bathtub and ran the towel over the top of her foot and up her leg. When she got to her hip, she switched legs and rand down the other one. Once done, she stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around herself and combed through her hair to straighten it out so that it could air dry quicker. As she put down the comb and opened the door, she saw a large t-shirt, some sweat pants, and underwear lying on her bed. ‘I guess these are the clothes Noma left’ she thought to herself. Dropping her towel to the floor, she reached for the underwear first and tried them on. The boxers fit her alright and were comfortable enough. ‘Kinda weird that Noma wears boxers instead of panties, but whatever.’ Ayla thought about maybe getting her a pair or two before, but now she wasn’t really sure. She liked how comfortable they were, but hated how roomy and loose they felt. Next, she reached for the bra and tried it on. After a solid minute of trying to stretch it behind her to hook it together, but eventually gave up. ‘Damn, I knew Noma was smaller than I was, but shit. I’m outta breath.’ She decided to ditch the bra and folded it back on her bed. She looked at the sweat pants and held them up to her and decided not to wear them as well since the waist came up halfway up her stomach because of the height difference between them. She then picked up the shirt that had a picture of a coffee cup on it with “More Coffee Please?” written on it. Looking at it, she noticed it was designed with a stretched out collar and sleeves and was loose fitting even for Noma, like a shirt that you’d wear on a lazy day where you didn’t care how you looked or who saw you. After slipping it on, Ayla realized that it was a little too big for her since the neck line fell completely off her breasts and back onto the floor. She then put it back on, taking a part of the collar in between her teeth and holding it on her as she took a hairband and tied the back into a bunch. It helped a little but was still slack on her, but hey, at least it covered everything! She picked up her towel and walked into the bathroom to hang it up over the shower rod and take a new towel to dry her hair off some more with before putting it up into a messy bun. Feeling refreshed, she decided to finally go and meet up with Noma in the living room and wait for the food, if it hadn’t gotten there already.

________________________________________________________________

Noma was watching a cooking show and taking notes on the names of the dishes that were shown when she heard Ayla’s claws tapping on the hardwood floor as she walked.

“Feel better?” she said while leaning her head back.

“Yeah! Thanks for letting me use your shower.” The Zoroark replied.

“No problem…also, where are the rest of the clothes I laid out for you?”

“So, uhh, It would seem I’m much smaller than you everywhere but my chest. The boxers fit because of the elastic band, but the sweatpants were too big and kept falling off as well, also, I know your chicken nuggets are smaller than mine, but I never knew it was by that much, and the shirt kinda fits, I had to scrunch it up in the back and tie it because it would just keep falling off, speaking of which, where did you find this style of shirt? I love the loose neck designs but can’t seem to find any.”

“Whoa what the hell do you mean by ‘chicken nuggets’?” Noma asked, furrowing her eyebrows at the fox.

“Aww, don’t be like that. They’re cute! I’m just saying, you can’t fit 40 pounds of stuff in a 10 pound bag.” Replied Ayla while she was taking a seat on the recliner across from the red bird.

Noma just rolled her eyes and gave a chuckle before returning her attention to the T.V. “And for your information, I bought that shirt at Level 21 back in Imann city.”

“Well, it’s very cute and I’m sure it looks great on you.” Said Ayla with a smile.

“Quite your shit, I know you’re just trying to make it up for what you said about my bust, which I am quite happy with, thank you!”

Ayla said something about not taking her too seriously which Noma just waved her hand at dismissively and continued watching her show. She wasn’t mad at Ayla, but just miffed, but she figured she may as well get used to it if they are gonna be roommates. To try and how her that she wasn’t bothered by what Ayla said, the Blaziken turned to her and asked if she wanted to keep the shirt, saying that she didn’t wear it much except for pajamas or if she was really lazy and didn’t want to get dressed for anything.

“Sure, I’d love it! As long as you don’t mind that is.”

“Yeah, have it, at least with it being yours, it’ll actually be worn. Also, what do you wanna watch while we wait? Show’s over.”

“Oh, I uh, don’t watch much T.V. so I don’t know what’s good.” Ayla said.

“Oh, shit, well I’ll pull up Netflix and Hulu and we can find a show that you think you’d be interested in.”

Noma began flipping through the selections of Netflix first and Ayla suggested ‘The Hateful Eight’. So they started it up and Ayla mentioned about how she used to watch Westerns a lot and really enjoyed how cheesy they could be but loved whenever the big shootouts would happen. Noma agreed and mentioned that if she liked Hateful Eight, then they’ll have to watch Magnificent Seven to which Ayla immediately agreed to.

About 30 minutes into the movie, the doorbell rang and Noma answered and came back with food in hand. “Alrighty, let’s dig in!” she yelled from the kitchen.

Ayla came into the kitchen and took her takeout box and flipped open the lid and noticed that she forgot to ask for a fork instead of the chopsticks that normally come with the meals. Noma noticed she looked somewhat annoyed and asked what was wrong.

“Oh no, did I accidentally order the wrong thing?”

“Nah, it’s right, I just forgot to ask for a fork instead. With the way my hand is with these claws, it’s hard to hold them right.”

“Here,” Noma said while opening the drawer she was standing in front of and pulled out two forks, “use this till you find one.” She said with a smile. “I don’t really know how to use them either.”

Noma pulled out her chair and Ayla sat beside her and they both started their meals together. Throughout the time they spent eating, they enjoyed some small talk and the stories that they told each other and Ayla felt stronger in her feelings towards Noma.

Noma was feeling somewhat flustered as well and loved it when Ayla would laugh. She missed hanging our with her throughout their childhood and now it was perfect. She also knew that since they are both out of the closet that it may be awkward at times in the future especially since she was thinking of the possibility of going on a date with her just to see how it would go. Maybe it’s the fact that she was feeling lonely and coincidentally, here came one of her childhood friends who just happened to be lesbian into her life that was swinging her to ask Ayla out. She quickly dispelled these thoughts so as to not blush and make herself awkward like she usually does.

After they finished their meals and were putting things away, Noma said something to an unseen person to play some music. Ayla’s ears perked up when she heard “Hotel California” pop up from somewhere in the kitchen. Noma was humming along when she turned to see Ayla looking around for the source of the sound and her ears trying to focus in to where the music was coming from.

“Confused?”

“Yeah, where is the music coming from?”

“I set up a sound system all throughout the house with a smart home AI installed so I can play music wherever. It was expensive as hell, but so worth it for parties and junk. With the speakers being stored in plain sight, you wouldn’t know where to look. See that cabinet above your head?”

“Yeah?”

“Doubles as a speaker. The back extends into the wall and hold the speaker there. There’s plenty more scattered everywhere.”

They continued with their small amount of cleaning that they needed to do which was over pretty quick. They continued to dance and sing along to the playlist Noma had and just had some fun. As the playlist ended after three more songs, they moved back into the living room to finish the movie.

 _______________________________________________________________

After an hour or so, the credits rolled and it was starting to get late and Noma got up and stretched, arching her back and leaning from side to side. “Well, I’m off to bed. Gotta be up at work early tomorrow to fill a big order I got in. Gotta carve a 300 pound arrow out of a block of steel.”

“Holy shit, really? Can your fire even get that hot to cut through that?”

“Yeah, check it.” Noma cracked her knuckles and finger joints before giving a snap and a bright blue flame appeared at the end of her index finger. “I can even control length and temperature as well.��� She made the flame a deeper blue and extended the reach from about 3 inches to a full foot before extinguishing it again. Ayla looked surprised.

“Well, goodnight! I hope you enjoy it here! It’s been nice to catch up and hang out like old times.” Said the Blaziken, smiling.

“Yeah, it has been fun. I guess I’ll be headed to bed too.” Ayla said, getting up from her seat.

“You don’t have to, if you want to stay and watch T.V or play video games, that’s fine by me. This si your house as well.”

“I’m pretty worn out myself, maybe tomorrow after you get home from work though?” the purple fox asked hopefully.

“Yeah, we can.” Noma said before stretching again. This time she bent back further than before and stretched her arms back as far as they would go which lifted up her tank top a bit to expose her stomach. Ayla noticed and could not take her eyes off of Noma’s abs and how in shape she was. Her face started feeling warm and she turned her head and looked away. When Noma was done stretching she pulled her shirt back down and apologized for her shirt riding up on her. Ayla said it was fine a bit too quick and Noma turned down the hall and started walking to her room.

“Goodnight, sweet dreams!” the lanky bird said.

“Yeah…you too.” Replied a blushing Ayla. As the clicks of Noma’s talons faded down the hall, Ayla soon followed and turned into her room and shut the door. She hopped onto her bed and folded the clothes that Noma laid out for her earlier and decided to go ahead and ask Noma where the washing machine and dryer was. She walked over to Noma’s room to ask and opened the door but quickly realized her mistake as Noma was in the process of getting undressed. They both just stopped and looked at each other for an uncomfortable amount of time before Noma jokingly said to come in. Ayla slowly handed her the clothes back and shut the door and walked back to her room, turned the lights off, and hopped in bed trying to forget about what just happened.

 _______________________________________________________________

The next morning Noma was up and cooking breakfast for both of them and still laughing to herself about the events that took place the night before and how red Ayla’s face got. Admittedly she was a little embarrassed, but stuff like that is gonna happen some time or another with roommates right? She was finishing up with the eggs and toast when she heard Ayla’s door open and her walking down the hall. She watched the Zoroark turn the corner and quickly look to the floor as soon as they made eye contact.

“You don’t have to be embarrassed,” Noma said while laughing, “stuff like that is expected to happen with roommates.” Noma said trying to cheer her up. Ayla didn’t say anything and kept her head down and didn’t look at Noma. After Ayla went back to her room last night, Noma thought more about the possibility of dating Ayla. Sure, it could potentially ruin the friendship they have if everything goes wrong, but it would be a much better relationship if it worked out than what she could have with anyone else. She knew Ayla well and they are close, so it’s not like they would have any trouble getting along or having to spend time getting to know each other, so she figured why not? She did have to admit though, that deciding to ask Ayla out on a date after being seen naked was probably the weirdest time to ask someone out, but nowhere to go but up from there, she reasoned.

“So, uh… last night was…interesting huh?” the fire type asked. Ayla didn’t respond, but she noticed her turn a darker shade of red around her cheeks. “Well, I was thinking that uhm…maybe to try and show you that it wasn’t a big deal, maybe we could…go out on a date, or something?” She finally asked.

Ayla’s ears perked up and she slowly lifted her head and met Noma’s gaze. The Blaziken was smiling softly and was blushing? Ayla couldn’t really tell since Noma was red already. ‘What kind of game is she playing?’ she thought to herself, but decided that she would go along with it. ‘What kind of person asks someone on a date AFTER they were seen naked?’ “Sure, sounds nice, but don’t you have work today?” asked Ayla.

“Well, funny story, there was an accident with the shipping procedures, no one was hurt or anything, but a bunch of shit got misplaced, so they shut down my floor and only the people involved with the shipments that were supposed to go out today are allowed in to help try and sort everything out.” Noma was relieved that Ayla had agreed to go on a date, but she didn’t plan out anything past asking her, so she stalls for time to try and think of an idea.

“Oh, that’s cool…” Ayla trailed off. She was still confused and her head was spinning by everything that happened in the past day. “So, what’s the plan for our date?” she asked cheerfully.

“Why did you have to ask me that? I didn’t plan this far ahead!”

They both laughed and ate their breakfast. With the tension falling away and both of the worries that they had dissolving, they could both look forward to and plan for their date.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

ACCA 2 | Nanbaka 16 | SGRS 16 | Marginal #4 2 | Classicaloid 15 | Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga 2 - 3 | D Gray Man Hallow 1 | ReLIFE 2 - 6

The idea for D Gray Man Hallow from now on: Once all 2016 shows are done (rewatches or not), expect the 2016 ranking.

(ACCA 2)

What in Dante’s Inferno? I’m properly listening to the OP as it was intended in the anime…and it doesn’t quite look like what I expected.

I don’t like tomatoes, so no bread for me.

This is a cute…albeit unconventional way to introduce the series’ core concepts. Also, acorn berets.

Kabocha = pumpkin, while murasaki = purple. That’s made from purple lettuce, so I don’t blame ‘em for calling it that.

Mushroomhead = Rail.

I thought ACCA paid really high if he got cigarettes for free.

Oh no, is Nino going to go against Jean?

Bihinshitsu = equipment room.

2m 22 cm is over 6 foot…wow.

Walnut-topped cake filled with nuts.

The systems managers seem really incompetent…I suspect something’s up.

The guys all deilberately seem to have the same face.

A-hah. As I thought. (Dang you, title spoiler.)

If this ED were to evolve, it would be even better than Yuri on Ice’s OP. (That’s saying something.) Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be happening…

Doesn’t seem like there’ll be any title spoilers next time either.

(Nanbaka 16)

I’m less likely to skip Rin! Rin! Hi! Hi! than some of the other Ops when I’m watching. That does make it slightly unwieldy as a rewatching show, though.

“Wow, he’s trash.” – Dat me.

Samon has a brother?

In a world full of filial piety, the worst one can do is to insult someone else’s family.

I’m not very good with “kept secret” stories, which is why I’m trying to do “Next to Me” well enough…at least to my standards, anyway. My standards are very high, you know.

They must’ve done something to the snacks…

(Showa Genroku: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen 3)

The fireworks are so lifelike in this ep!

Daiku Shirabe…I found out about the story from an ANN article, so I should’ve seen its appearance coming…“Tamaya” is something you yell during fireworks displays. Apparently it was the name of a fireworks company somewhere along the line.

The flattening refers to how Yota had to bow for forgiveness, but I think I kinda explained that already.

“Shinuchissei”…Yota seems to slur the end of his sentences.

I actually went “WHAT?!” at Yota not being fazed by the big daddy boss.

Note for later: The baby (I heard his name was Shinnosuke) was born November 23rd.

The jazz soundtrack really sells this show.

...so this is the rant from Daiku Shirabe. It’s fast (compared to even the usual), but it has lots of heart. Plus the showcasing of the tattoo really did its significance justice.

I think the bridge is called Matsubashi (Pine Bridge).

Yota could’ve fabricated the shaking of his hands.…wow. Yota has such yaoi hands. Just what you’d expect from a former BL artist.

I thought Yakumo was more of a cat person. Whose dog is Hanako?

Aw. I felt sorry for Matsuda, even if I have a suspicion he feigned those tears. Well, regardless, now I know Matsuda has grandkids anyway…so win win.

I knew he was either summoning the master Sukeroku II pissed off or Sukeroku himself.

“Tou-chan” was an unexpected nickname I didn’t think Konatsu would use.

Update: I thought about it, and even Shinnosuke’s name takes after the legacy. Remember? Sukeroku used to be called Shin! 

(Marginal #4 2)

One of the things that makes this show stand out is the space-styled episode titles.

Ooh. Pretty cherry blossoms.

Pan shots. Of course.

I know this isn’t the sort of show that gets too much coverage, and I even think it looks a bit ugly at times (not to mention a bit weird) but when you’re not caught up on most of the other big idol shows, this is the best you can do.

I think game boy (orange twin…er, aka R)’s trying too hard with his terms.

Now that Atom is talking about heart, it really does look like he’s a Toshiki Masuda character through and through, although he doesn’t look very angry when he sounds angry. I’ll chalk that up to the art department.

“Don’t think, feel” seems to be attributed to lots of places, so I don’t know the original source. However, since game boy (um, aka R) cites a movie star, it’s apparently Bruce Lee (if my Google-fu serves me right).

L makes stuff sound deeeeep.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! Rui wasn’t surprised by the juice.

Atom is such a Ryuu sometimes...

…okay, enough with the underwear jokes…The twin jokes are a bit weird. Plus the ships can be smelt from a mile away…but that’s not enough to save a show.

“Ore-sama”? I only just realised Atom uses such a term.

Enough about the lucky underwear! *flips table*

Oh, I saw Ayanokouji in the background at one point.

I’m with Rui most times, including the need for deduction.

I’m still questioning the sanity of someone who wrote an entire episode plot about lucky underwear.

Alright, since I feel brain dead after that, I’m going to drop it, meaning ACCA is the show that forges ahead. Well, I’m lucky I was hoping to watch FLCL to fill in the gap once I’m done with my 3 remaining rewatches at this point in time (ReLIFE, D Gray Man, Morose Mononokean). The latter two will have, from ep 7, fresh impressions, so hopefully you can look forward to them.  

(Classicaloid 15)

Selfies: a worldwide phenomenon…I never got into that stuff, but if I were to analyse ‘em, I’d say they tap into the human need to be self centred.

There’s something sad about seeing someone rejected, eve if that someone is a piece of trash like Sousuke…

The game the Classicaloids are playing appears to be a game of Life.

Unfortunately, Kanae’s right…again. Sad life for you, Sousuke.

Motz literally became a flippin’ Akoya, right down to wearing a dress. Plus, the Amazon brigade came back.

Aw, I really felt for the glasses guy, even if briefly.

“Basics of Programming”? Don’t need that for Garage Band, Sousuke.

Hanted house and cosplay café...

…eh? Tchaiko still calls herself a former member of Cla:Kla?

Oh. I never realised until now, but Hamamatsu + festival (matsuri) = Hamamatsuri.

With that song (Sousuke’s song), it’s a sad blooper reel.

(Blue Exorcist: Kyoto Saga ep 2)

I got a wallpaper of Shima trying not to laugh (it was from the official Blue Exorcist anime page, but only for a period around Shima’s b’day). So this ep is where it comes from.

“Bon” means “young master” anyway, so it doesn’t matter.

“…a herbal tea antidote…”

Kyoto is meant to be the imperial capital…at least around the 1700s, it was the imperial capital.

Mamushi means “pit viper”. She’s not one to mess with.

He’s got some reflexes, that Ryuji.

Uwabami is also a type of snake…I forgot which one though.

Wait, Uwabami’s the man?! Uwabami was a woman in Oumagadoki Zoo…

Seriously, are they all getting drunk on juice…? Oh, okay. So that’s what happened.

(ep 3)

Rin’s shirt says “Sankyu” in goroawase and English, LOL.

Even if you love weeds, please don’t smoke ‘em, kids.

I thought Rin was going to pull a Shaft head tilt out of nowhere when he looked back at Konekomaru.

Update: For efficiency, the tag for this one is “Chesarka watches AoEx”. However, I don’t normally refer to it as such. I’d probably refer to it as “Ao Eku” if I wee speaking (due to the season 1 DVD extras), but “Blue Exorcist” is the shortest mode of the name I’d use in typing format.

(D Gray Man Hallow ep 1)

I am familiar with this source material, so do be aware of that. However, I didn’t finish the anime the first time around, so do be aware of that too.

Sometimes the art style for this anime can be a little off. The noses can be a little too pointy and too close to the eyes, so on and so forth.Allen doesn’t even look like he’s blushing with this art style too…that’s a bit of a disappointment.

Even the golems have it in for each other…LOL.

Johnny has apparently been stealing the spotlight for quite some time, but I haven’t noticed it all that much. Probably because I read volumes 21 – 24 in one go…

I think.Cross Marian looks more like Grelle (Black Butler) than ever in colour.

Why does Lenalee have such a short skirt?

When even the masked guy has a sweatdrop, you know there’s trouble.

(ReLIFE ep 2)

Unfortunately for Kariu, I understand there is no “next time”…

I’ve found out even at 18, people don’t judge two people of different gender sitting together eating lunch…of course, cultural standards notwithstanding.

Stud earrings are fine if you play sports, I think.

According to Google-sensei, it’s only about $11, my country’s money. It’s not that much if you work…but knowing Japanese standards (which say you should focus on getting into uni before getting a job), it does seem a bit much for someone who doesn’t work and doesn’t get any allowance. So in a weird way, it does make sense to me.

...but you took Kariu’s hand when she offered you the rubber, Arata?

Hey, that joke was in Erased too.

Kazu-kun = Karamatsu…kinda. LOL.

I always seemed to understand Hishiron, and yet also understand Arata to some extent too. Maybe I’m the perfect in-between for these two. Probably because I tend to break off friendships as soon as the year ends, and yet prior friendships are a core part to my social strategy.

Unfortuately, the downside to “minimalistic” is that it’s obvious when it goes off model.

LINE sticker…LOL. LINE’s very popular in Japan.

(ep 3)

I’ve wondered whether Yayoi Sou is a lady or not. Considering the circumstances, it probably is that Sensei is a female.

Hideyo is the dude on the 1000 note, obviously.

Ah…fitness tests. The bane of youth. No one says “stupid loud” though.

Oh. Tamarai’s there around the time of Asaji’s throw.

Lookit that rabbit on Usa-sensei’s shirt. No one says “crazy athletic” either…you outdated subbers.

Akira (Inukai) is kinda like Yurio, come to think of it, eh?

Didn’t you just say it yourself (about you being old) though, Arata?

Yoake literally had a blank face there, LOL.

There appears to be a Sato GP on the way to Aoba. Huh.

Ah…a show’s a real classic if it makes you laugh every time…

(ep 4)

Where’s the guy who does sad interpretations of OPs and EDs? (This guy.)

I know your feels, Kariu. (see the Tumblr debacle for an instance of this)

There appears to be something about whales near the fishtank.

The cityscapes in this are so nice.

There’s a map of Japan on one wall of Kaizaki’s place.

Go forth, young Kariu! Pick up your fallen balls! (teehee)

CGI balls, LOL.

It’s creepy (but also dramatic) when the lights of the eyes are the last to move.

(ep 5)

Sumire! Her name means “violet” (the flower).

There are some nuances lost in translation, like yappari and the levels of formality…but those are typically lost.

This “lecture” is probably the highest point you can get in the show (so far). It’s times like this you can really see an author’s strengths in storytelling.

The piano really sells the Hishiro/Kaizaki meeting.

What a strange angle that “lean to the left” shot is.

I’ve found out swear words have a lot of leeway when it comes to levels of “oh no”. These swar words include yabai and temee. Due to the context of Wan! and the fact it was Chuuya who kept using them, I went with the nastier variants [in my scanlating days] but sometimes a non-swearing variant is enough. However, kirai (to dislike) is pretty nasty if you use it in Japanese.

Kaizaki’s delivery of these lines really sells their comedic effect. The electronic keyboard makes it sound like night, but also makes it sound 1) like night and 2) creepy, for some reason.

Freeter is almost as bad as NEET, Kaizaki.

There appears to be a 100 man (10 thousand) coin bank behind Yoake, which makes that...1000000 yen. (chorus in back: One million yen?!)

(ep 6)

Apparently someone tried to type the same Japanese words into Google and didn’t get the same results, LOL.

Hishiron uses a Mac, LOL.

“Thanks for having us” probably isn’t the right words for it. Ojamashimasu means “sorry for intruding”, but it sounds heavily formal when translated, so I can see why the subbers did what they did though.

*laughs* MDs (minidiscs)? I know what they are, even though they’re meant to be completely dead by now. Apparently they’re a product of the 90s that never caught on..although I admit I’ve never used an MD in my life, let alone held one. It does kinda look like a floppy disc, though. (chorus in back: You poke through old stuff too much, don’t you?)

Those fadeout cups are so cool! I want one.

Ah, maths. The sad thing about my life is that up until a certain point I was good at maths. Then the hard stuff came up and I started to fail.

I thought it was Third Street Oga was talking about, but it’s 3rd chome, sort of like a suburb.

Knowing An, she may have deliberately put Oga out of the way for her own purposes…if you know what I mean.

CGI car just ruined the suspenseful mood, dangit.

Sometimes I just turn off my volume and turn on some music on Spotify. That way, you can make your own soundtrack.

Why did Arata have such a dumb face in the thought bubble?

Wow, she’s a real fujoshi, that one [An].

“Dude”? I cringe so much at her use of it, despite the fact I use it myself. 

You liar, Onoya. Knowing who subject 1 was means that I know they couldn’t have even thought about that part…

[gokinjeespot]

off the rack #1256

Monday April 1, 2019

 Call me an April fool. I thought that the pure joy of comic book collecting was going the way of the Dodo bird but judging from the attendance of yesterday's Capital Comic Book Convention I'm glad to say I am mistaken. No celebrities. No cosplay. No special events. Just a room full of vendors who also love the hobby and collectors looking for unique and fun comics. I want to thank my partner Chris for all his hard work. He made Jee-Riz's booth a standout in the room. "You don't see this sort of stuff very often" was heard more than once.

 Archie #703 - Nick Spencer (writer) Sandy Jarrell (artist) Matt Herms (colours) Jack Morelli (letters). So much going on. We find out who attacks Jughead in the woods and why. I want to be a roadie for Josey and the Pussycats. Betty and Veronica enlists the aid of Cheryl Blossom to ferret out if Archie has a new girlfriend. As long as it's not Betty I'm not jealous of the ginger bonehead.

 Avengers #17/LGY #707 - Jason Aaron (writer) David Marquez (art) Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). This issue has some of the cheesiest dialogue I have ever read. I really hope that the Vampire War is over. This Avengers team is a bit too goody two shoes for me.

 Batman #67 - Tom King (writer) Lee Weeks & Jorge Fornes (art) Lovern Kindzierski (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). Knightmares part 5. Batman's in his Batman: Year One costume chasing a masked killer. You'll feel like you're watching a Roadrunner cartoon. The guy in the mask is William Ernest Coyote. You're in for a shock when Batman unmasks him.

 Savage Sword of Conan #3 - Gerry Duggan (writer) Ron Garney (art) Richard Isanove (colours) VC's Travis Lanham (letters). Conan is captured by the evil wizard Koga Thun but manages to escape to continue his search for treasure. It looks like he's got to fight zombies to get to the treasure. I got all excited when I saw the cover showing Conan fighting alongside Belit but nothing like that happens at all inside. I'm not reading any more of these. I don't like being played for a sucker.

 Immortal Hulk #15 - Al Ewing (writer) Joe Bennett (pencils) Ruy Jose (inks) Paul Mounts (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). I love this couch session with Doc Samson and the Hulk, sans couch. The two talk it out after a sniper shoots Betty and the Hulk. Some of the stuff they talk about is quite insightful. You think they're trying to find Betty but they're not. Their final destination is a surprise.

 Thor #11 - Jason Aaron (writer) Lee Garbett (art) Antonio Fabela (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). Thor goes looking for his best friend thinking he's going to need all the help he can get in the coming War of the Realms. The Lady Freyja has to make her son stop his foolish search. I like the little snippets showing characters we haven't seen in a while and I can't wait to see what their roles are in the war. Get ready true believers, Malekith is about to invade Midgard.

 Avengers LGY #714: No Road Home #7 - Jim Zub, Mark Waid & Al Ewing (writers) Paco Medina (art) Jesus Aburtov (colours) VC's Joe Sabino (letters). This issue features Monica Rambeau/Spectrum. Who better to fight the Queen of Darkness than a being of light. The last page made up for the disappointment I felt reading Savage Sword of Conan #3.

 Heroes in Crisis #7 - Tom King (writer) Clay Mann (art pages 1-6, 11, 17,-19, 23-24) Travis Moore (art pages 8-10, 13, 14-16, 20-21) Jorge Fornes (art pages 7, 12, 22) Tomeu Morey (colours) Clayton Cowles (letters). You could read this one issue and it wouldn't make a lick of sense unless you've read the previous 6. I even had a hard time understanding what's going on and I've read every issue. I think the only reason I'm going to read the last two issues is to find out if anything makes sense in the end.

 Hulkverines #2 - Greg Pak (writer) Guiu Vilanova (art) Morry Hollowell with Chris Sotomayor (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). We go from Hulkverine, the Hulk and Wolverine fighting each other to the three of them teaming up. Meanwhile the Leader and Doctor Alba, who created Hulkverine, do the super villain equivalent of what the three super heroes did. The result is going to be very interesting. This is the first I've seen of Guiu Vilanova's art and I think it's great.

 Ironheart #4 - Eve L. Ewing (writer) Luciano Vecchio (art) Geoffo (layouts) Matt Milla (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). It's a rematch with Midnight's Fire. This new super villain reminds me of Miles's uncle Aaron AKA the Prowler. I hope there isn't too much overlap between these two young super heroes, otherwise I will get bored with one of them.

 The Avant-Guards #3 - Carly Usdin (writer) Noah Hayes (art) Rebecca Nalty (colours) Ed Dukeshire (letters). The team has their first practice and play their first game. Major points to Noah for showing the players following through on their shots. I used to love playing basketball but never made my high school team. So I ended up managing both junior and senior teams and got to practice with them. I would love to find someone my own age to shoot some hoops with right now.

 Black Widow #3 - Jen & Sylvia Soska (writers) Flaviano (art) Veronica Gandini (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Natasha's mission to shut down an online pay-per-view torture site goes horribly wrong. I can't wait to see how she gets out of this predicament.

 Sabrina the teenage witch #1 - Kelly Thompson (writer) Veronica Fish & Andy Fish (art) Jack Morelli (letters). This new comic book is more like the TV show than the gritty ghoulish title that was on the racks a while ago. I liked the old show but haven't seen the new one. I had a crush on Melissa Joan Hart. I really like the writing and art in this so it's going on my "must read" list.

 Dial H for Hero #1 - Sam Humphries (writer) Joe Quinones (art) Dave Sharpe (letters). I mainly bought Marvel comics when I got more spending money and could afford new comic books but I did buy this DC title because I liked the concept. Robby Reed was this nerdy kid who finds a rotary telephone dial that changed him into a different super hero whenever he dialled H-E-R-O. he always had different powers and a different costume. This updated version has a kid named Miguel who is an adrenaline junky. An old timey telephone, the whole thing with handset this time, appears before him as he's plummeting towards certain death and he changes into Monster Truck. The Monster Truck pages are quite Kirbyesque. Throw in a page with Damian/ Robin, Lobo, Snapper Carr, Angel and the Ape, Harley Quinn and Alfred and I am hooked. I liked the town troublemaker Summer too. I am looking forward to seeing their further adventures.

 Doctor Strange #12 - Mark Waid (writer) Barry Kitson (pencils) Scott Koblish (inks) Brian Reber (colours) VC's Cory Petit (letters). Herald Supreme part 1. Stephen Strange is bored but he won't be for long. An alien from a warrior race of mystics comes to Earth to ask Doctor Strange how he defeated Galactus. I guess there's no Marvel comics where this guy is from. Seems the world eater is fixing to eat his planet. The super aggressive Zoloz manages to steal all of Doc Strange's mystical power and banishes Galactus in the Mystic Realms. Read this issue to find out why that's a bad idea. Now it's up to Stephen to keep the big purple planet eater from feeding and destroying our universe too.

 Action Comics #1009 - Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Steve Epting (art) Brad Anderson (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Leviathan Rising part 3. Lois is pissed at Amanda Waller but she reigns in her anger to come up with a plan to find out what Leviathan is. We get to see what Gold Kryptonite does, which is kind of cool. It's fun when something new gets added to a story. Superman's transformation surprised me.

 Sharkey the bounty hunter #2 - Mark Millar (writer) Simone Bianchi (art & colours) Peter Doherty (letters). This one's a fun space romp. The hunter finds his prey but she's not going to come along quietly.

 The Superior Spider-Man #4 - Christos Gage (writer) Mike Hawthorne (pencils) Wade von Grawbadger (inks) Jordie Bellaire (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). I hope this change is permanent but it's going to take some getting used to calling Otto but his new identity Elliot. I like how Anna Maria is the woman behind the man. She teaches him a lesson in humility in this issue. Now I have a craving for Polish sausage.

 Shazam #4 - Geoff Johns (writer) Dale Eaglesham & Marco Santucci (art) Mike Atiyeh (colours) Rob Leigh (letters). Yay, my wish came true. We meet Tawky Tawny the tiger in the first 6 pages. This version is quite dapper. The kids get separated with two in the Wildlands, two in the Gamelands and Mary and Billy in the Funlands, contrary to what the cover shows. Who's going to rescue the Marvel Family? The last page will enlighten you. I'm not excited about the movie hitting theatres on April 5 but if it's as good as this comic book, I might go see it.

 Fantastic Four #8 - Dan Slott (writer) Aaron Kuder, Stefano Caselli, David Marquez & Reilly Brown (art) Matt Yackey (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Did someone forget to tell cover artist Esad Ribic that Victorious was female? Doctor Doom has captured both Galactus and the Fantastic Four. He's siphoning off the former's cosmic power and is going to execute the latter. Reed, Sue, Ben and Johnny are sure in a pickle. I can't wait to see how they get out of it.

 The Amazing Spider-Man #18 - Nick Spencer (writer) Humberto Ramos (pencils) Victor Olazaba (inks) Edgar Delgado & Erick Arciniega (colours) VC's Joe Caramagna (letters). Hunted part 2. There's a spectre of danger hovering over Mary Jane in the side story. That's always a good plot twist to keep a Spider-Man fan hooked.

 Daredevil #3 - Chip Zdarsky (writer) Marco Checchetto (art) Sunny Gho (colours) VC's Clayton Cowles (letters). Know Fear part 3. Daredevil's been shot and is about to be arrested for murder. Detective Cole North aims to bring the suspect in no matter what it takes. I wonder if Canadian Chip Zdarsky picked that name as an inside joke? Just when the "tough-as-nails" ex-Chicago cop is about to succeed, Daredevil is rescued. I chuckled when I saw who it was, and it's not Man-Thing.

 Detective Comics #1000 - Is this worth $9.99 US? You bet your sweet bippy it is. I might even buy one for myself, but which cover to pick? Here are the choices.

 Main cover by Jim Lee (pencils) Scott Williams (inks) & Alex Sinclair (colours)

1930s by Steve Rude (art)

1940s by Bruce Timm (art)

1950s by Michael Cho (art)

1960s by Jim Steranko (art)

1970s by Bernie Wrightson (art) & Alex Sinclair (colours)

1980s by Frank Miller (art) & Alex Sinclair (colours)

1990s by Tim Sale (art) & Brennan Wagner (colours)

2000s by Jock (art)

2010s by Greg Capullo (art) & FCO Plascencia (colours)

 We get 3 pin-ups by:

Mikel Janin (art)

Jason Fabok (art) & Brad Anderson (colours)

Amanda Conner (art) & Paul Mounts (colours)

 Then there's all the terrific stories inside that not only shows Batman as a crime fighter but more importantly for this title as a consummate crime solver. You will find all of Batman's family and rogues gallery in here. I loved how this issue was a feast for the eyes too. I'm just going to list the titles of the stories and their creative teams. If you don't buy a copy for your comic book collection then you're missing out on what will be a classic. With a line up like this you can't lose.

 Longest Case by Scott Snyder (writer) Greg Capullo (pencils) Jonathan Glapion (inks) FCO Plascencia (colours) & Tom Napolitano (letters).

Manufacture for Use by Kevin Smith (writer) Jim Lee (pencils) Scott Williams (inks) & Alex Sinclair (colours) & Todd Klein (letters).

The Legend of Knute Brody by Paul Dini (writer) Dustin Nguyen (pencils) Derek Fridolfs (inks) John Kalisz (colours) & Steve Wands (letters).

The Batman's Design by Warren Ellis (writer) Becky Cloonan (art) Jordie Bellaire (colours) & Simon Bowland (letters).

Return to Crime Alley by Denny O'Neil (writer) Steve Epting (art) Elizabeth Breitweiser (colours) & AndWorld Design (letters).

Heretic by Christopher Priest (writer) Neal Adams (art) Dave Stewart (colours) & Willie Schubert (letters).

I Know by Brian Michael Bendis (writer) Alex Maleev (art & colours) & Josh Reed (letters).

The Last Crime in Gotham by Geoff Johns (writer) Kelley Jones (art) Michelle Madsen (colours) Rob Leigh (letters).

The Precedent by James Tynion IV (writer) Alvaro Martinez-Bueno (pencils) Raul Fernandez (inks) Brad Anderson (colours) & Sal Cipriano (letters).

Batman's Greatest Case by Tom King (writer) Tony S. Daniel & Joelle Jones (art) Tomeu Morey (colours) & Clayton Cowles (letters).

And finally Medieval by Peter J. Tomasi (writer) Doug Mahnke (pencils) Jaime Mendoza & Doug Mahnke (inks) David Baron (colours) & Rob Leigh (letters).

 That last story introduces a new (at least to me) Gotham City crime fighter named the Arkham Knight. His story continues in Detective Comics #1001 and I'm going to snag that issue off the racks to find out who he is.