#and Nico's many... many stages of grief

[yonemurishiroku]

(hope you don’t mind this ask but your posts abt jason made me realize that) honestly my biggest issue with how RR handles jason (both in and out of universe) is he just brings it up randomly just to be like “remember him? fuck you he’s dead” and then glossed over everything else (and this isn’t even getting into my issues with the whole story to begin with and it just being unnecessary bloodbath for the sake of it) and it just feels so mean that i’m just like “is this really what makes me disown your damn books?”

I'm fighting Rick for Jason's custody you're not alone buddy.

[gabugabs]

that's reality tv babeeeyyy /// @infamous-if

[jankwritten]

JASICO WEEK DAY 3: Angst/Comfort

CW: major character death, grief

Nico runs his brush over the lettering on the face of the headstone, delicate despite the dirt worked into the cracks. He should be harder with it, he knows -  it’s not like he’ll be able to break it. The headstone is too new for that, not worn down with age like the others in the cemetery. The dirt around the grave is so fresh, weeds haven’t even begun to grow over it, not that Nico would let them. He’s gotten good at weeding. Pruning flowers. Anything, to take care of this spot. 

Jason Grace, the headstone reads. Beneath that, his rank, and years of service. The date he died. 

Nico brushes his thumb over the curves which mark Jason as seventeen on his day of death. One of the eldest in the graveyard. 

Back when he first heard, when Nico first felt the impact of Jason’s death like a saw blade through his gut, Nico couldn’t come visit the grave at all. Every reminder of Jason being gone was too much, the weight of loss sitting in him in a way Nico hadn’t felt since he was ten years old. He didn’t know what to do with himself, with his grief, except to cry, and cry, and cry. 

He’s glad to be past that stage. His heart still aches, every day is still hard, but Nico can breathe through it, now. He can clean the gravestone, and talk to Jason even if Jason doesn’t talk back. He can make sure this site is as respected as the man it honors. 

Nico adjusts the flowers Hazel brought last night, a bouquet of blue and purple and white. Jason would think they’re pretty. The smell would make him sneeze. 

His favorite color was yellow, though. Nobody ever brings Jason yellow flowers. Always blue, like his eyes, like the sky, like his father. 

Daffodils. Nico will have to bring him some daffodils tomorrow. And irises, and carnations. Maybe Persephone will help him put together a bouquet. She always had a soft spot for Jason, not that she’d ever admit to liking one of Nico’s friends. Whenever Nico would talk about Jason with her, she would listen with this look on her face, like Nico was saying the most interesting things. It felt good to know someone appreciated Jason in the same way Nico did. 

Maybe not the same way. But as close as someone else could get. 

“It’s been a good day today,” Nico says. He runs the brush over the crown of the stone again, gentle as before. “Things have been slow. Father hasn’t given me as many jobs this week, and there’s finally been a lull in attacks near the borders. Hazel and Frank are introducing a new bill to the senate tomorrow, which…well, I’ll tell you how it goes, then. I don’t want to jinx it for them.” 

A breeze blows through the valley. Nico leans back, tilts his chin up into it. 

He closes his eyes. He can almost imagine the wind in his hair is Jason’s hand, ruffling in a way nobody else has ever been brave enough. Easily affectionate, despite all the ways Nico threatened him, kept him at a distance. Jason was just like that, always eager to be there, to hold, to comfort. 

Gods, Nico wishes he could’ve accepted one more hug. Had one more conversation. 

It’s starting to rain. The temperature drops and the sky darkens and Nico can smell it, the dampness in the air. The first drops splatter across his cheeks and his nose, his lips. He doesn’t flinch. He’s used to sitting out in storms, now. 

“I love you,” he tells the sky. 

In return, the rain pelts harder, quickly turning from a drizzle to an outright downpour, soaking Nico’s hair to the root in seconds. His clothes stick to his skin. 

He still doesn’t move. 

“Don’t cry with me.” It’s silly, to act like the rain is Jason’s doing. Still. It helps Nico cope. Sometimes, if he imagines hard enough, he can still see memories of Jason’s grin, that scar on his lip, the tilt of his nose while the skies opened up around them, a display of power, a force of nature.

Nico never saw Jason cry. He supposes Jason never saw him cry, either. Just another thing they’ll never get to share. Another thing they missed. “You’re going to drown your flowers, at this rate.” 

The deluge does not die down. 

It’s enough to almost make him laugh, the sudden mental image of Jason scowling down at the flowers he doesn’t really like at all, the ones that make him sneeze and itch. Jason Grace, mighty son of Jupiter, champion of Hera, using all of his power to destroy a few flowers that have wronged him. 

Nico didn’t get to know that side of Jason very long, the side of him that was a young boy, the side of him who was a person. But gods, of everything they did get together, that is what he’s happiest to have had. The truth. Not the son of Jupiter, not the champion, not the praetor. Just the boy. 

Nico smiles, even as he cries, leaning back in a graveyard during a near-biblical rain storm. Nico smiles. 

Every day, it gets a little easier to. Every day, he hopes Jason is smiling back, from wherever he is. 

[punisheye]

The light in Wolfwood's hands shows him a few things through the perspective of a little boy:

Nighttime, crying alone on a rooftop with only the moons as his witness. The sound of small footsteps approaching him, a grunt of, Oh, here you are.

The other boy is a little older than him, with messy, dark hair and brown eyes that regard him with an odd sense of casualness (Wolfwood knows this face. It's like looking in a tiny mirror). Then he hears him run off, slip, cry out in alarm, and the boy whose eyes he sees through runs to help him to find him dangling there by his legs, entirely unbothered, before he swings himself back onto the roof.

He holds his hand out and smiles, The name's Nicholas D. Wolfwood.

Another little memory of the two of them in the tomas pen, scattering feed for the chicks.

You're finally smiling, crybaby Livio.

Smoking worm legs on the rooftop, exhaling and coughing on pink smoke, laughing when Miss Melanie comes to chase them away, running hand-in-hand.

Memories of that little dark-haired boy hugging him when he was sad, curling up together for a nap in the middle of the day, shirking chores to go play. Nico showed this little boy lighter tricks.

And then one day, Nico was gone.

Livio wanted to follow him.

This is your little brother, no?

A man that looks too big to be little Livio's brother (but looks alarmingly like himself; how many people's memories will he have to see his own face?) is hunched on floor, on his elbows and knees, clothes torn from bullets and stained with blood. There should be a flood of alarm, grief, confusion, but he feels hollow. Like he's not in his own body, like something else is there in his head.

I hear he volunteered himself to follow after you.

This blue-haired freak Wolfwood recognizes— the differences are there, but he'd know Bluesummers anywhere.

What beautiful brotherly love.

The man on the floor in front of him goes through rapid stages of shock, alarm, distress, shouting until he's forced into the floor, thrown to the ceiling, back down to the floor, the surfaces cracking, breaking, and all the Wolfwood of now can do is watch this through a young child's distant eyes.

Things are starting to feel staticky, hazy, like something else is trying to take hold as he watches. As the scientist approaches, as the doors shut.

And then Wolfwood is thrust back into his own body, back into the present, and he's holding that light data in his hand and gawking at it. His stomach turns, his teeth grind, and he digs out his phone, scrolling through the names until he finds the one he's looking for, the Livio lacking a star beside his name that keeps him at the top of his contacts.

Into the speaker he practically barks, "I'm outside the mall. Get yer ass over here. I have somethin' for ya. Now."

@doublefanged

[higgity-diggity-dummy]

These Strings that Bind Us

Synopsis:

Nico’s story (*cough* but really just the solangelo parts *cough*) in the “string tied to your soulmate” AU but with my own spin on it.

Strings are formed from any strong or irreversible bond (platonic or romantic, positive or negative) and people can have many of them. They can also fade over time and change to reflect the relationship itself. Strings are only visible to the person with the strong ties to the other person, so for something like unrequited love, only the one person would see the strong.

The soulmate string can be platonic or romantic, and you aren’t born with it. You can get the string by meeting your soulmate and spending a lot of time with them, bumping into them on the street, or when fate decides you should have a way to find your soulmate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 1:

The strings tied to Nico’s fingers reminded him of wedding bands. A commitment he that he couldn’t run away from. Not that he didn’t try. It was only by leaving it behind that the loss and tragedy would finally leave him alone, right? But his demons never failed to catch up with him. Whether it be his grief, his sins, or his regret, they found their way back to him. 

~~~

The first string Nico  had was with him since birth. A bright yellow, tired on one end to his index finger, and on the other to Bianca’s. 

He remembered how comforting it was to have that string. He knew that no matter what happened, they would always be connected. And he really needed that. That connection. 

He was so dependent when he was a little kid. When their mother died, Nico clung to Bianca like a child to their mom’s leg. The string gave him comfort with the knowledge that she would always be there to care for him. Even when she left him for the hunters, he steadied himself with dim light of the yellow string tied to his finger. 

She will come back, he thought. She can’t leave me behind forever. We’re linked. 

Then, one day, while she was gone, the string turned gray. 

As he watched the string fade in hue and felt his sister leave this world, he shut down. He stared at his index finger, head completely empty. Like the gods had turned the channel to static. Like Bianca was the only one who could keep the channel from being anything but static. And she was gone. And the rest of the world faded away. 

It Nico found himself caught in the denial stage of his grief. He couldn’t cry for her, because if he did then that would mean really accepting that she’s dead; that the comforting glow of the string attached to his finger would never be seen again. That it would now and forever be eerily glowing a grim gray. 

This brought him frustration. He blocked out the feelings of grief that crept in and replaced them with this anger. How dare this bond be ruined! Why would anyone make him deal with this? Whoever did this needs to pay for ruining his life.

~~~

By the time Percy had returned from the quest, Nico was looking for any reason to believe that his sister was still alive. And hey, if Percy was alive, then she must be too, right? So he decided to face it with a smile on his face, ignoring the dim light cast by the rotten string. 

But… when Nico heard those words come tumbling out of Percy’s mouth — “She fought to the very end” … “she loved you so much” … “she’s dead”—

She’s gone. 

And it was real. And the emotions that came with it couldn’t be contained within Nico.

He knew that Percy didn’t bring the skeletons to attack him. Just like he knew deep down that he wasn’t responsible for Bianca’s death. But he needed someone to blame. He needed a villain. 

“You’re trying to kill me!” Nico concluded. “You brought these… these things?” 

But the guilty look on Percy’s face and the explanation on his tongue only made Nico feel worse. And when the skeletons started to attack him…

He didn’t want Percy to die. 

He couldn’t let Percy die. 

More emotions came to fight the old ones. The ground split open. Nico didn’t know how any of this was happening, but he knew it was because of him. He could save Percy…

There was something on his hand…

Deep and dark red. Like dirty blood. On his middle finger…

Percy didn’t see it. He didn’t share these feelings. He didn’t… he… 

Nico shoved all logical thoughts and interpretations of this away. Percy was ruining his life. There’s nothing more to it. 

“Go away!” Nico screamed at him. “I wish you were dead!”

~~~

Nico didn’t realize how badly he needed Hazel until she had come into his life. Maybe he had brought her back from the dead, but without her… well, Nico had a pretty good idea of where he would be. 

It was weird for them to have to go from strangers to siblings. Nico had to keep reminding himself to not treat Hazel like the “new Bianca”. He told himself that nobody could ever replace her after all, but he so desperately needed to fill the gaping hole in his life that Bianca left behind. 

They had difficulties letting the other into their life. Too many people they loved left their lives, so they learned to not let anyone in, in the first place. With time though, the walls they built around themselves started to break down, or at the very least time to open their doors. They learned to do this together, as they talked about their past and their lives and eventually grew to not even needing to talk in order to enjoy the other’s presence. 

As time passed and trust was built, Nico started seeing a faint glow of a pastel yellow string tied to his pinkie. A sibling bond, different from the first. He had first fully noticed this when the two of them were sitting on the roof of Pluto’s shrine. He pointed it out and almost instantly regretted it, fearing that it was another one sided connection. However, when Hazel looked down to her own pinkie and saw the string tied to it, she smiled. And Nico smiled back.

It wasn’t a hole in his life that Bianca left him. It was a scar. And this scar couldn’t be removed or fixed by another person, but it could become a less and less important part of the whole. Hazel pulled Nico out of the swamp of his grief and depression to help him see this. She reminded him of true connection and love, and that they were possible, even for him. 

~~~

Connection and love… why are those feelings so terrifying, yet enticing? And it’s not like he could ever feel them, for all they had to offer. He knew what he was, and he knew the world didn’t want him like that. But still… he couldn’t help but yearn for that type of relationship…

~~~

The son of Apollo had surprised Nico. He had never paid much attention to him before, but he certainly didn’t expect Will to be such a stupidly optimistic and stubborn brat. He definitely didn’t expect him to make such easy conversation either. To make such easy conversation with him, Nico. And gods, was he not prepared for the joy that came out of that first interaction they shared. As much as he tried to make himself hate it, the butterflies rising in his belly were too much to ignore. 

The boy found a bad excuse to touch Nico, and that touch of a hand lit the fuse. A soft glow. Rose gold and tied to his left ring finger.

Nico stared at the string, distancing himself from all possible emotions and thoughts in a futile attempt to not have to face this. To be able to run away. Like how he brute forced himself out of all other situations he didn’t want. 

So he put on his mask. He rebuilt his walls and fortifications. 

He met Will’s eyes and silently communicated “don’t say a word” to the boy who shared his string. 

Will have a slight nod. Nico yanked his hand back coldly. 

He would not let Will through his barriers.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author’s Notes:

Thank you so much for reading!!! I can’t promise frequent or consistent updates, but I do plan on finishing this one day. Plus school is killing me slowly right now and I want to crawl under a rock and decompose, so these next few chapters will probably take a while to crank out.

Also maybe don’t get attached to this writing style. It’s honestly been changing faster than a goth girl will change hair colors lol.

Any notes would be greatly appreciated and might pressure me to write faster so win-win <3

next chapter

[iatethepomegranate]

We are not alone in the dark with our demons, Chapter 35

After Aeor, Caleb buys a house in Rexxentrum with Beau and Yasha, becomes a professor, learns to be a person separate from the trauma that shaped his life for so long, and begins the arduous process of preventing what happened to him from happening to anyone else. It gets far more personal than even he could have anticipated.

Chapter content warnings: general references to grief, loss of parents, Trent's child abuse, related trauma

Chapter summary:  The dust settles and life continues.

Chapter notes: Chapter title from Atom 2 by Sleeping at Last. Happy Mighty Nein oneshot, everybody. No oneshot spoilers here.

***

Chapter 35: And make infinite room for hope and oxygen

Things were better in the morning. Caleb busied himself with calculations for the language enchantment alongside Essek. He did, however, take a break in the afternoon to find Yasha and Caduceus working alongside Nico in the garden. The anxious animal inside Caleb quieted at the sight. He was not an optimist by any means, but he let himself hope both he and Nico would be okay in time.

Caduceus handed him a trowel. The calculations would keep.

He re-cast the Tower when it faded, quietly factoring in the new enchantment. He sat with Nico in the garden, drinking tea, and tried not to fret over it. Nico wasn’t talking much. That was okay. Caleb didn’t feel like talking, either.

Caleb used the quiet to get his thoughts in order. The biggest immediate hurdle had passed. Next up would be the intermediate students at Soltryce; Astrid had yet to fully confirm, but it was possible there would be Volstrucker students in the class… if their parents were convinced not to pull them out. It had been some time since Caleb had dealt with students at that stage of the process, not since his own time as a student. They would have been with Trent for a few months at most, but that was more than enough to cause problems. Trent had this down to a fine art. Those children probably still thought they were going to live glorious lives serving the empire. He wondered if they would resent him for taking away that imagined future.

Then, the support group. Besides Wulf and Astrid, Caleb hadn’t spent a lot of time around the Volstrucker who had completed the program. He was not convinced they would take him seriously, or if many would even show up. Maybe this had been a bad idea. The more stubborn part of him, however, did not want to give up without evidence to support a hypothesis in either direction. If it didn’t work, he would have a bit of egg in his face… but what would he really lose? If no one showed, all he had lost was some time, and perhaps a little dignity. He didn’t have much of the latter anyway. If people showed up and it was a disaster, well, at least they would know what not to do, and whether or not it was worth trying again. But if it went well…

Caleb was under no illusion that the fully-initiated Volstrucker would think much of him. He was, after all, a failure. That said, he knew so little about what his old friends and their colleagues had experienced; Beauregard had tried to shield him from that aspect of Astrid and Wulf’s testimonies, though he’d put some pieces together over time. There had to be other points where Volstrucker failed, fatally or non-fatally. The young woman in the Dungeon of Penance had been so ready to die. Eager, even.

And, maybe, there was a part of Caleb who hoped someone would… get it. Astrid and Wulf had eleven years of experience on him, plus the five-or-so additional years before breaking free of the man who turned them into monsters. They worked for Trent that whole time, while Caleb was insensate for over a decade, and then on the run. Maybe it was overly optimistic to hope he would find someone with an even remotely similar experience. He was not sure he’d know what to do even if he did.

The closest he knew, frankly, was Nico. But Caleb was the adult. The one with experience. The living proof that life went on. But, gods, if he didn’t feel lonely sometimes, even among people who loved him. Except Yasha, but even then…

He was definitely still a little fucked up from yesterday, thinking like this.

A light pressure on his shoulder pulled Caleb from his thoughts; Nico had dropped his head onto Caleb’s shoulder. They sipped their tea and watched a handful of honey bees hover around the cornflowers Yasha had planted. Caleb used to collect them in the fields as a boy; Una used to weave them into his hair, and Leofric into hers.

Over time, the weight on his shoulder grew heavier, until Nico was softly snoring. Understandable. Caleb was tempted to do the same, if not for the risk of disturbing him.

A quiet sort of day.

***

With the week wrapping up, Caleb was well into preparations for the intermediate students’ return to Soltryce. As planned, he would assist with the intermediate Transmutation class. As things currently stood, Alphira mostly taught the beginners in Evocation and occasionally assisted in teaching the upper levels as needed, but, honestly, many of the senior professors were close to retirement, so it was likely she would start taking on additional responsibilities soon enough. Caleb was fine not teaching higher level Evocation at this point; he probably needed more time before he could handle that.

Caleb met with Astrid, Bettina and Alphira at the end of the week. Hopped up on excessive amounts of coffee, the four of them were sifting through last year’s report cards and other assorted notes related to the intermediate students, who were to arrive over the next couple of days.

Astrid had separated the files related to the students who had been plucked out for the Volstrucker program and pushed them to Caleb. “These three spent a few months with Trent, before you distracted him.”

Caleb speed-read the files. Two boys and a girl. “What have your dealings been with them?”

“Lately? Speaking to their parents.”

“And?”

“This one.” Astrid pulled the girl’s file. “Annike. Her parents have been convinced to allow her back to class. She is a quiet one. She will need time to warm up to you.”

“We can give her that. What do any of you know of her interests?”

“She has shown some aptitude for Divination and dabbles in tarot card readings… sometimes during class time,” said Bettina. “I believe she grew up in a circus before her parents settled in Yrrosa.”

“Probably not by choice,” added Astrid. “Intel from the area suggests the circus fell into debt with the Myriad. Annike is not close to her parents, so she won’t relate to any family talk.”

“Circuses seem to find trouble in the Empire,” Caleb remarked, thinking back to Trostenwald.

“You want to have fun? Go to the Menagerie Coast. Speaking of…” Astrid pulled another file. “Eric’s family has moved to Port Damali and have refused all attempts to contact them. It is unlikely he will return to class. The Cobalt Soul have been notified and will keep an eye on him. There is not much we can do at the moment.”

Caleb couldn’t fault the boy’s parents for their decision. Hopefully the Cobalt Soul could prevent any magical incidents, maybe take him under their wing eventually. Or at the very least, they had books. Eric was still a wizard, after all.

“A shame,” said Bettina. “He was showing interest in Transmutation.”

Astrid pulled the third file. “This is Kaspar, a young half-elf from Bysaes Tyl. He is likely to return to class, but his parents are coming with him at the beginning of next week and wish to speak to you, Bren.”

Caleb knew enough about Bysaes Tyl–elven-ruled, reluctantly agreed to join the Empire in exchange for limited cultural autonomy, ruled by three elven elders alongside a Crown-appointed starosta–to suspect they were likely less than pleased to learn the intended future for one of their people.

“Anything I should know?”

“He has shown some interest in Evocation,” said Alphira. “He used to hang out in my office before Trent got a hold of him.”

“And the three of them as a group?”

“They were close, of course,” said Astrid. “They usually are.” She raised an eyebrow at him. “I am not sure how they will fare without Eric. Report back to me what they are like in class.”

“Ja, of course.”

***

Nico had a bit of insight about the youngest crop. He seemed unsurprised that Eric’s parents had taken him away from everything.

“Eric is very close to his family,” Nico said that evening over snickerdoodles and some kind of spiced tea from Marquet that Jester had brought from the Nicodranas markets. “He wrote to them constantly. They’ll take good care of him; he’ll be all right. He will probably find his way to the Cobalt Soul on his own.”

That was comforting. “Did you spend much time with them?”

“Not much, but enough.” Nico broke off a soft piece of cookie and dunked it. “Trent was relying on us a lot in those last few months to teach the young ones the basics. It was babysitting, really. Many of his most trusted Volstrucker died in the war, and he was distracted. By you, I assume.”

“I did annoy him quite a bit eventually, ja.” The invasive Sendings had nearly sent him back to the madhouse, it felt at the time. But, in hindsight, it was a little gratifying that he had finally managed to get under Trent’s skin. “What else did you pick up about these three?”

“I assume Professors Weber and Winterheart already told you about Annike’s tarot cards,” said Nico. “She sometimes prefers to communicate with them instead of speaking plainly. Her parents seem like a pain in the ass. She is difficult to rattle, except when she is, if that makes sense. Eric was the only person who could talk sense into her on the rare occasion something got to her, so… good luck.”

Jester popped in, ostensibly to check on the batch of cookies in the oven. “Did somebody say tarot cards?”

“One of Trent's younger students grew up in a circus,” Caleb told her.

“Ooh, you should show her Molly’s cards.”

“We’ll see,” Caleb replied. Getting a look at Annike’s deck seemed like a good place to start, before introducing any other variables. “Do you have any insights about Kaspar?”

Jester checked the cookies and bounced out of the kitchen, flapping her hands in farewell. They both returned the gesture and then continued conversing as if nothing had happened.

“I’m pretty sure his mother is someone important back home,” said Nico. “He’s a weird choice for the program, unless Trent assumed the Empire wouldn’t care about pissing off Bysaes Tyl that much.”

“Or perhaps he had a reason to want her off the chessboard in a few years,” added Caleb.

“Ja, maybe. Kaspar gets anxious about his father’s health sometimes; I’m not sure if it’s just because he’s human, or if he’s ill. So, it might not have been a difficult prospect to take him out, and make losing both of them less suspicious.” Nico paused, and then pushed his empty plate away. “I need to stop making myself nauseous.”

“Ja, I think that’s more than enough. Thank you.” Caleb drained the last of his tea. “Yasha told me the market is strung up with new lights. Shall we take a walk?”

“Ja, bitte.”

***

Caleb spent the next couple of days ferrying the Nein back to their respective homes. Veth, of course, insisted Caleb and Essek stay at her place overnight. Luc spent the day running around and shooting things with his mother, so he was well and truly tuckered out by bedtime.

Caleb, as usual, allowed Essek to braid his hair before bed. He let one light globule bob lazily throughout the space, as Essek needed very little light to see. However, he did like seeing Caleb’s colours, which was not possible in the dark.

Essek kissed Caleb’s shoulder where his shirt had slipped; it had once belonged to Fjord before the Wildmother gave him muscles. So, a little large on Caleb, but not ridiculously so. A few more kisses followed the first, never quite in the same place. Caleb turned his head to kiss Essek’s temple.

“Freckles,” Essek murmured, his cheeks darkening. He straightened, cleared his throat, and finished off the braid. Caleb captured his fingers before they could retreat, and pressed a kiss on each knuckle… all fourteen of them on the one hand, counted, of course.

Essek chuckled. “Ridiculous man.”

“Were you not just counting my freckles?”

“...quietly.”

“So?”

Essek grabbed his face and kissed him. Caleb strongly considered casting the Tower to remove any possibility of someone walking in on them; he and Essek had split the teleportation spells between them today, and thus still had access to most of their more powerful spells. Wound as tightly as he had been of late, it felt like forever since they had last been physically intimate.

Essek was now in his lap, and Caleb made up his mind before all the blood in his body could travel south… as soon as he had a chance to move. Right now, though, Essek had drastically increased his density and there was no way Caleb was getting anywhere short of telekinetically moving the man bite-sucking a hickey on his neck, just low enough that his scarf would cover it.

Coming up for air, Essek said, “You are doing much better.”

“I will be, if you let me cast the Tower.”

Essek hummed thoughtfully. “In a moment, dear.”

[ryqoshay]

Putting on Hairs: Post Production - Hiraeth of a Wolf and Ghost

Primary Pairing: N/A Starring: Ryo and Shizuku Also Starring: Chika, Setsuna, Kasumi Secondary Pairing: ShizuKasu Words: 655 Rating: G AU: Theater, Monsters Fandom: several LL gens, including an N girl from SIF Time Frame: Sometime during the main story Prompt: Hiraeth

---------

Author's Note: Bonus 2nd entry for the 8th that I forgot to post before the primary for the 9th

Summary: Ryo and Shizuku both may suffer from a form of hiraeth

---------

“Yes, Aikawa-san?”

“Ryo, please.”

Chika smiled. “Alright, Ryo-chan. Did you have a question about your character?”

“Indeed. I am curious as to Gwyndolyn’s motivation.”

The main roles of Putting on Hairs had been assigned and now the actors had gathered with the playwright and the director to go over some preliminary things before lines would be practiced and rehearsals started.

“She hates werewolves.” Chika explained.

“Yes, I saw that.” Ryo nodded. “However, there must be a reason for such burning hatred, and for her to take such extreme actions as she does. And I must know these motivations for me to truly understand the character and become her on stage.”

“Uhm…” Chika pursed her lips.

“If I may make a suggestion?” Shizuku spoke up.

“Mm?”

“Gwyndolyn’s name comes from Gwyn ap Nudd, I am correct?”

Chika grinned. “I’m happy someone caught that. I had a lot of fun looking up things for this play.”

“Then you know the name is of Welsh origin.”

“Yup! And associated with the Wild Hunt. And that’s why I made her a Hunter.”

Shizuku nodded. “Then perhaps her motivation could be <hiraeth>?”

“Hee-rye-th?” Chika sounded out the unfamiliar word.

“Oh!” Setsuna suddenly perked up. “A deep sense of longing or yearning for that which has passed. Gwendoln longs for a time when werewolves did not plague her lands!”

“Yes, that was what I had in mind.” Shizuku confirmed. “Perhaps someone she knows or loved was harmed by a werewolf. Or she perceives an imbalance in nature by their existence.”

“Or perhaps she regrets being turned…” Ryo murmured.

“That wasn’t exactly what I was going for…” Shizuku admitted.

Nico bit her tongue, unsure of what to make of her fellow werewolf’s statement.

“Please do not misunderstand me, Shizuku-san.” Ryo bowed slightly. “I am grateful for your observation and believe I have a better understanding of the character I am to play.”

“Right.” Chika spoke up. “I’m gonna add this heerythe thing to the script. Uhm… how do you spell it?”

---------

“Shizuku seemed to have a better understanding of that hearee thing than she let on.” Kasumi observed as she and her girlfriend made their way home.

“Mm…” Shizuku responded neutrally.

Of course Kasumi would be the one to notice. The little gremlin could be clueless about many things, but she often lived up to her proclamation of knowing everything about Shizuku. It was an endearing trait Shizuku loved about her girlfriend, even if it meant situations like this.

“<Hirgaeth.>” Shizuku repeated the term. “My guardians taught me the idea years ago to help me work through my own feelings of longing, loss and grief. I cannot return to the life I once had. The world cannot return to the way it once was. But I can move forward in the world I am in now.”

“And you can resolve your regret and pass on…”

“Well, I cannot exactly die of old age anymore.” The ghost said, perhaps a bit too cheerfully, considering the topic. “But I did promise my Kasumi-chan that I would not pass on without her.” She slipped an arm through her girlfriend’s. “For she is one of my main reasons to stay here.”

“One of?” Kasumi furrowed her brow. “Not the main reason?”

Shizuku smiled. Kasumi pouted. Shizuku laughed.

“Of course Kasumi-chan is the main reason.” Shizuku decided to stop teasing.

“Hmph. Keep that up and Kasumin won’t be making her super special dinner for Shizuko tonight.”

“That’s alright, I don’t need to eat if I discorporate my body.” Maybe the teasing wasn’t done after all.

“He~y! That’s no fair!”

Shizuku laughed again. “Alright, then perhaps I will make dinner instead?”

Kasumi considered the offer for a moment. “No, as much as Kasumin loves Shizuko’s cooking, I already have everything planned for tonight.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“You’d better.”

Yet again Shizuku couldn’t help laughing. Happily, she pulled her girlfriend closer as they approached their apartment.

---------

Author's Note Continued: I was trying to think about a second entry for the prompt when I remembered that I have a Welsh named character in one of the plays in PoH, specifically the namesake play. Add in some prior existing thoughts about Shizuku's longing or homesickness for a place lost to time and... other events, and I got this.

I will probably rework a few things when I get around to adding this into the PoH:PP collection. Perhaps mention Maki at some point, as she is playing one of the leads. Maybe give Nico an actual line or two, and Kasumi as well during the character discussion. And since Shizuku is an understudy here, I would want to include Hanayo, the other as well. We'll see.

[pyreneese]

Stolen beauty?

Heh this is actually my only original work in my wip folder. The rest is death note XD. It's a supernatural/urban fantasy romance told through the pov of a 4,000 year old shapeshifter. The story's going to be going back and forth between her early life and the present. It was a short story I had to write for my Creative Writing course but I've been really wanting to expand it into a full novel. It's still in the super early development stage though lmao

Snippet:

If I could just go back… usually the beer helped with that. But for some reason, I was staying stubbornly anchored to the present. My lips pursed. After so many years, one would think I’d be over it at this point. Humans seemed to deal with grief much more effectively. 

Maybe because dying was all a part of life for them. 

But Nico had been the first human I didn’t want to die. The first I would’ve moved Heaven and Earth for. It’d been a wonderful life, for sure. Seventy years together of bliss. For him, it must’ve been paradise. An ideal life with a bow neatly tied around it. 

A microcosm of perfection.

(x)

[bebepac]

A Piece of Heaven on Earth: Part 4

AN1: So I thought I could finish this in four parts, but I was wrong.  This story really seems to almost write itself.  I originally thought three parts would work, but now I think I’m splitting this last part up. There will be 5 parts and an Epilogue. I think this works the best.  This is part 4 of A Piece of Heaven on Earth, to catch up on what you’ve been missing, please check out:  A Piece of Heaven on Earth

The Book:  TRR (no royals) Pairing:  Liam x Riley Word Count:  3225 Warnings and Ratings Profanity, sexual innuendo, mention of character death: Teen Summary:  Liam makes a choice that could impact both his and Riley’s lives. Song Inspiration: Make You feel My Love by Adele Movie Inspiration:  Just Like Heaven

Original Post:  03/29/22 at 3:59PM EST

A/N 2:  This is very special to me.  So please be kind.  I’m writing this as a tribute story to my Riley FC, the late Cheslie Kryst, in a way to deal with my grief which has almost been consuming my life.  I started following her in 2019 when I was watching the Miss USA pageant.  I rooted for her immediately.  Not only was she from my home state, but she was just this bright twinkling light on stage, she was a minority, like me. So when I came to the fandom in January 2020 and started writing stories for TRR I picked her as my Riley FC because she embodied what I wanted my “Riley” character to be.  Even in her untimely passing, I am still finding out more about her life and I have written her pretty accurately, even down to having depression.  So I will say it again.  If you need help please reach out.

Three Years Ago

RILEY

When they had all got back to the apartment they shared at 4AM, she had thought they really should have tried to get a few hours of sleep before rounds, but they listened to Nico instead.

His idea was to just stay up, go to the corner diner and get breakfast, and roll into work, on no sleep and as much coffee as they could drink.  

Just so we’re clear.....It was not a good idea.  

At 7:45AM when they should have been preparing to start rounds, Riley was waking up after she had face planted on the table at the diner. Still groggy from lack of sleep, she realized that they hadn’t even ordered breakfast, but the waitress just let them sleep.  Tracie, the usual waitress there,  had seen many of the interns come into the restaurant over the years.  

“God Nico, you actually drooled on the table.”  

“Um at least I don’t have a quarter stuck to my face.”  He plucked the quarter free that was lodged to Riley’s  left cheek.  

“This was your worst idea yet Nico.”  

“At least we’re going to be at work on time.  Shit we’re fucking late!!!”

They put cash for a tip for Tracie on the table  and ran across the street to Mount Sinai.  They hid at the corner, and when their group of interns  walked by.

 They tried to seemingly incorporate themselves in like they weren’t almost a half an hour late for rounds, mingling in the back.

Dr. Ramsey noticed immediately.  

“You four are late.”

“We’ve been here the whole time.”

Dr. Ramsey side glanced at Nico.

“Are you wearing women’s scrubs Karahalios?”  

“I knew these felt too big.”  Riley adjusted her top.  

“Because they’re mine, Riley.”  

“How do you know they’re yours?”

“Because my name is written in them!”

He pulled the back so he could see the collar. Riley twisted the top so she could see his name written on the collar in black permanent marker.

“What are you, five?  Then why did you not put on the scrubs with your name in them, Nico?”

“Because they weren’t in the dryer!!! You got dressed first remember!!!!  But these do wonders for my figure. Damn RB1, I get why you twitch in these.

 My hips don’t lie.”

There was a light dusting of laughter from Nico’s comment which infuriated Dr. Ramsey.

“You four over here now!”

“I’m putting you on morgue duty for the rest of the week.  If you don’t want to take this seriously, you don’t need to be here.  Coming in a half hour late for rounds wearing each other's scrubs, is bad but this conversation that ensued after  is down right ridiculous.  You four were accepted into this program because you showed promise.  You four are like the Harry, Ron, and Hermione  of your class.”  

“That’s really a compliment, because we win it all in the end though.”  

“Nico, shut up. Not helping!”  Hana whispered, shaking her head.

“Get your shit together you four.”  

Over the next few days they had prepared many bodies to take to the morgue.  Mostly older people, which you can always say lived a full life.   The trip to the kids’ cancer ward was sad.  Even though all the children knew but shouldn’t have known at their tender ages  what death truly was, all the children’s doors had been closed and the shades pulled tight so they couldn’t see the Morgue crew bringing the body of another child out of the cancer ward, because they lost their battle with cancer.

On the last day, it was her.

“How do you think she died?”  

“Don’t know, don’t care.”  

“Nico don’t be an ass.”

“I’m not, we are morgue crew this week, it’s not our job to care, about what happened to them. We are  just here to bag ‘em and tag ‘em.”

“She  has no bruises so, it wasn’t in an accident.”

“And she’s still wearing her pajamas from home.”

“So it had to be something quick, they didn’t get a chance to even take her out of her clothes. Maybe an aneurysm or something.  Possibly anaphylaxis or an asthma attack.  She looks too young and healthy for some sort of cardiac event. She was DOA on arrival most likely.”

Riley stared at the woman with a fair complexion with long crimson locks.  

“The husband  was a mess.”

“You saw him, Bryce?”

“Leaving yes.  I don’t think I’m ever going to get completely used to watching people cry after we deliver bad news.”  

Riley again looked at the  young woman with the scarlet hair in sadness.

“I couldn’t imagine starting the day with someone you love, and before the end  of the day, you lose them. It must have been difficult, for the both of you.” She whispered to her.

When Riley went to wash her face, she felt the equivalent of what felt like an electric shock to her body, and during it she was sure she could hear someone whisper, but she couldn’t make out the words.  It really scared Riley.

“Can we hurry up guys?”  The uneasiness was evident in her voice.

Nico laughed.

“Are you scared Riley?  Come over here, I’ll protect you.” Nico flexed his muscles.

“Ugh never mind Nico.”  

“Come over here girl! I mean it’s only a formality now as we’ve already been in each other’s pants.  We mine as well, make it official.” He winked at her.

“I’m not putting those scrubs on again until you wash them.  There’s no telling what’s going to jump off you onto my lady garden.”

“So we’re clear, is it a garden that is well trimmed, or a jungle safari?”

Hana gasped.

“And the next body the morgue crew is picking up is....”  Bryce whispered.

“Hey now I didn’t say I wasn’t down.  I’m definitely down, and go down. I’m just saying I need to know what kind of tools do I need to bring on the first ever RB1 expedition.”  

The group roared in laughter at the two of them.  He actually had calmed Riley down quite a bit.

That night was the first time she had a dream of his garden.

Riley felt the need to straighten out her clothes as the woman approached her.  

“This must be strange for you isn’t it?”  She asked.

“I don’t know what this is.”  

“Isn’t this garden beautiful?”

“It is.  I’ve never seen anything like it before.”  

“He’s very creative, you know. The way he manipulates flowers, is the way artists use paint on a canvas. Make sure he continues to share his gift with the world.”  

“Who?”

“You showed me kindness and were empathetic for me, for us  when you didn’t even know us. A trait I don’t have,  that the both of you share. That’s how I know.”

“Know what?”  

“This whole situation is going to change who he is, and make him grumpy, sarcastic, and possibly a bit mean, but I think you’ll be able to still see past all of that to see him for who he really truly is.  I think in another place, another world, you and I could have been good friends."

She paused for a moment.

Actually knowing me probably not.”  

She laughed.  

“I don’t understand.”

“I know you want answers to your questions Riley, but that’s not what I’m here for.  You will get all the answers you seek in time.  Just know, fortune smiles on the kindhearted and empathetic, and that’s what’s going to bring the two of you together.”

The  Present

LIAM and RILEY

“Wow.  Liv came to you in a dream after her death basically giving you her blessing for now?”

“Looks like it.”  

“So we’ve been connected through her all this time?”  

“Yes, it appears so.”  

“It’s almost unbelievable.”  

Liam was so flabbergasted, he didn’t even hear his phone ringing.

“Liam your phone.”  

He jolted back into reality glancing at the caller ID.

“It’s Taylor, I’m going to put it on speaker.”  

“Hi Liam.  Is  Riley with you?”  

“Hey Taylor.  She is.”  

“I’m sorry Riley.  They don’t believe me.”   She burst into tears on the phone.  

“I feel like if it was you telling them they would believe you. They think this is a scam, and Liam is trying to scam us.   I even told them about Chance.  I’m so sorry.  I don’t know what to do!!!!”

“It’s okay Taylor.”

“Is she angry with me Liam?”  

“No Taylor,  she’s not angry with you.  Riley loves you and she always will.”

“Riley, I wanted to tell you in case, this is the last time I get to talk to you, and for you to hear me.  We don’t know the baby’s gender yet, but I already decided, since the name Riley can go both ways. I’m naming the baby Riley after you. Max is completely okay with it.”

“She says thank you. Your husband’s name is Max?” Liam asked.

“Yes Max, short for Maxwell.”  

“Maxwell Beaumont?”

“Yes….”

Liam slammed on the breaks.  Riley flinched, her whole body drawing up in fear.

“I’m sorry Riley I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m so sorry.”  

“You’re saying Maxwell Beaumont is your husband?”

“Yes.  What is it Liam?”  

“Three months ago my brother  called me to see if I would be interested to go on a blind date with one of Maxwell's friends but dinner was canceled.”  

Realization hit Liam like a ton of bricks.  

“I was going to meet you that night Riley.”

“But I got into a car accident.”  

“The BMW SUV, was your vehicle wasn’t it?”

“It was.”  

“You’re DOG MOM!!!!”

“I am.”  

“I wondered about what happened to you.  I saw your vehicle. How did you survive that?”  

“Nico saved my life.”  

“Did you leave flowers in our door Liam?”  

“I did. They were for my blind date.  For you Riley.  There are so many coincidences that put us together. This is not how this is going to end.  I refuse to let things end like this for us Riley.  Taylor, we’ll figure this out.  We’re down but we’re not out yet.  There’s still time.”

After he hung up with Taylor, he glanced over at Riley.  Her head was hung, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Talk to me Riley.”

“I don’t want to die, Liam.”

Liam bit his lip trying not to cry as Riley sobbed in the car next to him.  

“I know.”  He whispered.

“But I believe my parents think they are doing the right thing, given what they know about science, my odds for recovery, which are nonexistent at this point, and my current physical condition.”

She took a few deep breaths trying to control her crying and relax a bit.  

“If this is really going to be my last day on Earth, I don’t want it to be a sad one Liam.  So can we go somewhere special?  I want to see one of your gardens.”

“Okay, we’ll go, but know Riley, this is not me giving up on us.”  

It took a little over ninety minutes to get there, and Riley was shocked.

“I’ve been here before,  this was the one in my dream that I had about  Olivia.”  

“This was Liv’s favorite garden.  It was my first one.  I…. proposed to her here.  Is that weird I brought you here?  I’m sorry if it is.”  

“She was right, you are so talented. Why aren’t you doing this anymore?”  

“Because I lost my muse, and my love for it.  Losing her changed me.”  

“And you say I’m Casper the Cranky Ghost, but you’re actually living your life as a ghost Liam, but you can’t even call it living. You have a chance to just live Liam, and I need you to do that.”

“I NEED YOU TO LIVE TOO RILEY!!!”

“I don’t know if that’s possible.  But I promise, I will be here with you as long as I can. And you might not always be able to see me, but know my heart is with you.  Let’s just walk around for a bit, and enjoy the evening together.”  

They walked around the gardens in silence.  

“You know, I can smell the flowers.  I don’t remember smelling anything before when I was with you.   Even when you had pizza, and Liam I love pizza.”  

“Yeah, I like it myself, probably eat a little too much more of it than I probably should.”  

“But that’s life though.  It’s all about balance.  Breakfast, an egg white, spinach and cheese omelet, lunch a grilled chicken salad with almonds and arugula   but for dinner, a double bacon monster burger  with chili cheese fries from Ruby’s a large chocolate milkshake and a brownie sundae.”

“That’s a very specific example Riley.”  

“I’m a very specific person Liam.”  She winked at him.  

“You have a gift; a gift you should be sharing with the world.  The world needs more of this beauty.  Please stop hiding.  Get back out there.”

“All I’ve known is loss.  Everyone I love leaves me.”  

“That’s not true. You still have your brother, and you love him.  There is love all around you Liam, you just have to grab hold of it. Promise me, you’ll try Liam.”  

“I promise.”  

“If there is such a thing as unfinished business, I think I’m here for you Liam.  

That night three months ago changed so many people’s lives, but you’ve been stuck in a day from over three years ago, and it’s time to let that go. And I believe that’s what Olivia would want, and I know it’s what I want for you.  It’s time for you to start living again.”  

“Why?”

“That answer is so simple.  Because you can. You owe it to yourself and  to the people that you have loved and lost  to live your life to the fullest, and after tomorrow, I might be on that list too, and I'm really sorry for that.”

Riley wiped her eyes, and gave him a weak smile.

"Let's watch the sunset together, it looks like it's going to be a beautiful one."

They watched the sunset in silence.  

“Are your feet hurting?”  

“What would you do if they were, if I was your girlfriend?”  

“I’d carry you Riley.”

“What do you think it would have been like if we would have met that night?”  

“I wouldn’t have been able to take my eyes off you, in that dress.  Just like now.”

“I wish it would have happened like that.”  

"It's okay though we still met Riley. We were fated to meet."

“You're right. We were. Are you hungry? We’ve been gone all day and you haven’t eaten.  It’s getting late, we should head back.”

Liam stopped at Ruby’s and got a double bacon monster burger and chili cheese fries.

“You talked it up Riley you know I had to get it.  I’m going to eat it in a little bit, though.”

He rummaged through his pockets.  

“What’s wrong?”  

“I guess I locked myself out.  My key must be in the apartment.”  

“I keep a spare under the fire hydrant over there.”

When Liam moved the fire hydrant there was the spare apartment key with a red tip, the same color red that matched Riley’s door.

Forty-five minutes later Liam was putting his plate on the table, he had reheated his food, and when he brought out his drink Riley smiled.

Liam  had put his last Tahitian Treat he had bought in the freezer and was taking it out, and Riley saw it had frozen a bit.

“You did say letting it get slushy was the best way to drink it.”  

“I did….. I know what you’re doing Liam.”  

“This isn’t me saying goodbye to you Riley.  It’s not.  Because we’re not.  We need more time and we’re going to get it.”

“How?”  

“They can’t pull the plug on you if you’re not there for them to pull the plug… Is it an actual plug Riley?”

“It’s a machine, you turn it off, and how am I not going to be there?  We tried putting me back together and I wouldn’t stick.”  

“I’m going to steal your body from the hospital.”

Riley laughed.

“I’m serious Riley.”  

Riley abruptly stopped laughing.

“Okay Liam, let’s board the bus back from Crazy Town.  You can’t do that.  They could put you in jail. You could get arrested.”

“I don’t care!  It would give us more time together to figure this out.”

“There would be so many things to consider. Do you know how many things you would need to sustain the life of a person that is in a coma?”

“Well you’re a doctor, you can tell me, and it would only be temporary until we could get you back together. This could work, Riley.  You just have to tell me what to do. We could do this. It could work.”

Riley thought for a few moments.

“First we are going to need a van, and someone you trust that has a proclivity to be a little bit morally gray.”

“I need to make two calls.”

First Liam called his friend Drake.

“Drake do you still have your white serial killer murder van, and can I borrow it tomorrow?”

Liam gave a thumbs up to Riley.  The second call was to his brother.

“Leo I need you to come over, I need your help.”  

Leo showed up a little while later.  Liam explained  the whole situation to Leo.

“So you’re telling me she’s like a ghost but not, and you want to steal her body from the hospital, because you care?  Tell her to stand behind me. Ghost chick!  Tell Liam how many fingers am I holding up behind my back.”  

“Three…..  Five….. Two…. three….. None….. now three again….Hey, are you giving her the finger right now?!?!?!”

Leo turned around to look for her,  but he couldn’t see her.

"That's some crazy shit, and you can see her behind me  right now. RIGHT NOW?"

"Yes, she’s standing right behind you.  She's actually giving you the finger back."

"I like you Ghost Chick. My bad maybe I should be more PC. Would you prefer the term Lady Spirit?"

"She's good with Ghost Chick. Or you could not be a dick and call her by her given name which is Riley. Those are her words."

"Okay now I really like you…. Riley."

“So what are you thinking Leo? Will you help us?”

“We ride at dawn Bitches!!!!!!"

“And.....Morally gray?  Check.”

"Dawn is too early. More like 10:30AM."

"We ride at 10:30AM BITCHES!!!"

After Leo left  he looked at Riley.  “Please stay with me tonight.”  

“I wasn’t going anywhere.”

Liam talked to Riley as long as he could  until she could tell he was starting to fall asleep. Half asleep he whispered the words to her.

“I will do everything in my power to make sure you’re still here, this time tomorrow Riley.”  

“I know you will. I believe in you.”  

The next morning when Liam woke Riley was not next to him.  

“RILEY!!!”  

“I’m right here. I’m still here.”  She was sitting in the lounge across from the bed.

“I thought you left!!!”

“No. not yet.  Did you take this?”  

She pointed to the picture beside the bed.  The photo of Riley from New York.

“Yeah.  I thought I might never see you again when I left you with…. You.  And I wanted something to remember you by.  I’ve never been to New York; I’ve always wanted to go and see the Statue of Liberty in real life.”  

“Then promise me you’ll go.”  

“I want to go with you.”  

“I don’t know that I can.”  

“Promise me Riley. Please.”  

“I want to, but I can’t.”  

Riley burst into tears.

“Riley don’t lose faith in me. You said you believed in me.” 

Riley put a smile on her face for Liam.  

“Okay, we’re going to go together. We’ll make plans for it soon.”  she whispered.

There was an urgent knock on the front door. When Liam opened it, there stood Leo and he dangled a set of keys adjusting a pair of dark sunglasses.

“It’s go time. Let’s go save your lady love.”

CLICK HERE FOR PART 5 OF THIS TRIBUTE PIECE

[thefinalcinderella]

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru Chapter 8 - Winter Comes Again (Part 5)

Hakone finally starts in the next chapter, which is like, 80 pages long

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

1. Kamaboko is a type of fish cake and Odawara is well known for its high quality Kamaboko

2. Zouni is a type of soup that contains rice cakes and is usually eaten on New Year’s Day

Previous | Next

That night, Kiyose was planning to explain the Hakone Ekiden entries as well as hold a drinking party. After training and jogging, the residents gathered one after another in the twins’ room.

Kiyose had gone off somewhere after training. Nico-chan and Jouta were in charge of cooking; they were probably making something to serve as an accompaniment to the drinks. Thinking he should help, Kakeru was just about to leave the twins’ room and go down to the kitchen when his phone rang. It was his home phone number in Sendai.

His parents hadn’t contacted him once since he had moved to Tokyo. He had sent them a postcard with Chikusei-sou’s address, but that was it; just transferring the money for school fees and minimal living expenses into his bank account was enough for him. His parents had wanted him to go to university on a track recommendation because they had had high hopes for their son as a well-mannered track athlete.

When he pressed the button to answer the call, he heard the nostalgic voice of his mother say, “Kakeru?”

“Mm.”

“You were written up in a magazine, weren’t you? We told you so many times not to do anything that would make you stand out. Your father is very angry with you. Are you listening?”

“Mm, sorry.”

“Please put yourself in our shoes, living here. Okay?”

“Yes.”

“What are you doing for the New Year’s holiday? Are you coming back?”

“No, I’m going to be in Hakone, so I don’t think I have time to come home.”

“Ah, yes,” his mother’s voice took on a distinct note of relief. “Okay, then. Take care.”

Clutching his now-silent phone, Kakeru stood in the middle of the stairs for a while. In a daze, he belatedly noticed Yuki’s presence at the door.

“Oh, sorry,” Yuki said. “I didn’t intend to eavesdrop.”

Yuki was holding a bag from a record store in Shimokitazawa. No matter how busy he got, he never lacked music in his life. “No problem,” Kakeru answered, and walked down the stairs to stand in the hallway with him.

“Was that a call from home?”

“Yes. They got angry at me for standing out.”

“You’re the man of the hour, after all,” Yuki laughed. If it was Yuki, he might be able to tell him—Yuki was so far the only one not happy about being interviewed. He wanted someone to hear out his painful feelings, so Kakeru deliberately confided in him as though it was no big deal.

“I don’t get along well with my parents.”

Yuki was silent for a minute.

“I see. It’s the same for me,” he said. “In my case, I guess you can call it being overprotective. My mom remarried. The guy’s not a bad person, and I have a little sister who’s a lot younger than me, and she’s pretty cute, I guess, but… It bothers me when I’m told 'we’re your new family now' and get fussed over a lot. To be honest, I don’t want to get too close to them.”

“How old is your little sister?”

“Five.”

“Eh, so she’s more than fifteen years younger than you, Yuki-senpai?”

“Yeah. My mom’s doing her best,” Yuki pushed his glasses up as though to say, Good grief. “It’s a given that family members would bother you. You have to not expect too much from them and keep a reasonable distance.”

Yuki walked towards his room—it seemed that he had given his advice. “Okay,” Kakeru answered, and then went to peek in the kitchen, which had been noisy with the sound of running water and pots falling from a short time ago. Then, Yuki returned to the hallway.

“That’s right, Kakeru,” he said. He beckoned him to a corner of the hallway. “When I was coming back, I saw Haiji at Seijo Station.”

Is he doing some shopping? Although it was a station where express trains stopped, Kakeru and the others didn’t go to Seijou that often. If anything, they usually went to Soshigaya-Okura Station, which had a folksy and mixed atmosphere.

“He went into an orthopedics clinic in front of Seijo Station.”

Kakeru jerked in surprise. There was an old scar on Kiyose’s right shin; even after the qualifiers, he had looked like he was having a hard time. Kakeru had completely forgotten about it in the commotion of training and interviews.

“I don’t know much about the injuries of track athletes.” Yuki knitted his brows. “But maybe Kiyose’s isn’t completely healed.”

In any sport, the best athletes all had some sort of injury, and track and field was no exception. Hard training and risk had always gone hand in hand with each other—the more you trained, the sharper and more delicate your body became.

“If he’s seeing a doctor, they’ll stop him if he gets too reckless, so that actually makes me relieved, but…”

“Would Haiji listen to the doctor? Especially at this time.”

That’s true, Kakeru thought. The fact that he had gone to the doctor meant that he must be feeling some kind of discomfort, maybe even distinct pain. Even if he requested a prescription to suppress the pain, Kakeru had a feeling that Kiyose would not listen to the doctor’s advice.

“I understand. I’ll ask Haiji-san later,” Kakeru assured Yuki.

Kiyose returned to Chikusei-sou before they knew it. Kakeru carefully twitched his nose around Kiyose to see if he could smell a poultice, but he couldn’t find any evidence.

“You’re a strange guy.”

That was all Kiyose said to him.

“There’s been a lot going on lately,” Kiyose said, looking around at everyone gathered in the twins’ room. “Well, don’t worry about it. We’ll get our answers through our running.”

“Haiji-san, you’re so cool!”

“’What do you want with our Kurahara?’”

The twins, who had already been drinking, made fun of him. Ever since the incident with the Shinjitsu Weekly reporter, the twins seemed to have recovered their trust in Kiyose.

“The month of November is finally coming to an end. There’s no time left until the Hakone Ekiden,” Kiyose continued, ignoring the twins. “From now on, taking care of your physical condition will be the most important thing; be careful not to get injured at the last minute.”

At the word “injured,” Kakeru couldn’t help but exchange a glance with Yuki.

“Kakeru, explain the entries for Hakone,” Kiyose said, and Kakeru shook off his worries for now. The gazes of the residents, sitting in a circle, were focused on him.

“The first step is to submit the names of up to sixteen people per team to the organizer on December 10,” Kakeru began to explain. “At this stage, who will run which leg will not be revealed. Next, on December 29, it will be the leg entry, where the sixteen runners will be narrowed down to fourteen, and ten of those people will declare which leg they are running. The remaining four will be treated as alternates. Changes in leg entries are allowed on the day of the Hakone Ekiden. The final runners will be announced before the start times of the outward and return trips. However, once a runner is removed from a leg, they cannot be entered into another leg.”

“I don’t get it. What does that mean?” Jouji asked.

Kakeru thought about it a little, then simplified it. “Suppose Rokudou’s Fujioka was entered into the second leg on December 29. This means that Fujioka cannot be assigned the fifth leg in the final entry change on the day of Hakone. If Fujioka isn’t feeling well on the first day, they have no choice but to put one of the four alternates in the second leg, and even if Fujioka recovers on the second day, he wouldn’t be allowed to run.”

“I see.” Musa nodded. “Conversely, if Fujioka-san is one of the four alternates, can we assume that Rokudou will change its entry on the day of Hakone?”

“That’s exactly right,” Kiyose said. “If there’s a strong competitor in the alternate slot, then they are either not feeling well or they plan on changing the entry of an important leg on the morning of the race as a secret weapon. After seeing the entries for each leg on the 29th, each university will consider its strategy and, trying to read their opponent’s mind, unfold a new strategy.”

“We can’t lose focus even right before the start, can we?” King seemed to feel pressured. “But we only have ten people, so that’s got nothing to do with us. We don’t have strategies or anything.”

“It’s true that we will be showing all our cards on the 29th.”

Feeling uneasy, Kakeru looked at Kiyose; Kansei had no alternates, and once they made their entries, it wouldn’t be possible to switch legs. He wanted to know what Kiyose thought about that.

“We’re not the only ones with a small lineup,” Kiyose said calmly. “Changing your entry on the day of the race can be a good or bad thing. After all, sometimes it won’t go well when you’re suddenly asked to run. In fact, there are many schools that have a policy of not changing the leg entries unless there is a serious problem. Knowing that there’s strategy regarding the entries, it’s better to know early on which leg you’re running so that you can prepare.”

“Haiji, have you already decided which legs we’re going to run?” Yuki asked.

“Yeah,” Kiyose said and straightened his posture. “Of course, if you have any objections, we can discuss it, but I think this is the best we can do for now.”

Kiyose took out a memo from his track pants and laid it out in the center of the circle. Everyone leaned in to take a look and let out cries of surprise.

Hakone Outward Journey (Day 1)

First Leg Otemachi to Tsurumi   Prince

Second Leg   Tsurumi to Totsuka   Musa

Third Leg   Totsuka to Hiratsuka   Jouta

Fourth Leg   Hiratsuka to Odawara   Jouji

Fifth Leg   Odawara to Hakone   Shindou

Hakone Return Journey (Day 2)

Sixth Leg   Hakone to Odawara   Yuki

Seventh Leg   Odawara to Hiratsuka   Nico-chan

Eighth Leg   Hiratsuka to Totsuka   King

Ninth Leg   Totsuka to Tsurumi   Kakeru

Tenth Leg   Tsurumi to Otemachi   Kiyose

 “Me in the second leg? I cannot do it.” Musa was trembling all over. “The second leg is the section for the aces, yes? Why is it not Kakeru then?”

“It’s pretty bold to put Prince-san in the first leg…” Jouji reservedly tilted his head.

Even Prince muttered, “What are you doing throwing the race from the start?”

Kakeru immediately understood what Kiyose was trying to do when he saw the lineup he had planned. Haiji-san is going to try to win the race in the second half. He’s seriously aiming for us to get seeded. No, if the race goes the way Haiji-san thinks it will, it won’t be about seeding—with these placements, we can aim for a much better ranking…!

They were such a weak club that they were in danger of not surviving next year. They were just a bunch of amateurs that had finally managed to crawl up this far, but Kiyose didn’t know the meaning of giving up; he was always looking upward, holding up dreams and goals, and firmly leading the residents of Chikusei-sou. Aiming for the heights of running. Aiming to reach the top of the Hakone Ekiden—the ultimate intermediary between individual and team competitions.

Seeing from the entry form how serious Kiyose was, Kakeru clenched his fists. If he hadn't, he would have gotten so excited that he would have ended up looking like an animal.

“Prince is the only one for the first leg,” Kiyose said gently. “Maybe it’s because you don't have any interest in the 3D world, but you’ve never been scared at the meets or qualifiers; you’re the most suitable person for the first leg, which has the most attention focused on it. You’re also tough enough to have kept up with the training until now even with your very slow times. I’m sure you’ll be able to hold your own in the race.”

He casually said something rude again, Kakeru thought, but Kiyose wasn’t lying about his expectations. Prince must have felt that as well, and a light came into his eyes.

“But in these past few years, the first leg has often been fast paced.” Yuki asked a question based on the data he had collected: “This time too, won’t each school choose a runner for the first leg based on speed?”

“There’s also a chance that it’ll develop at a slow pace in reaction to that. That’s a gamble,” Kiyose readily admitted. “But even if Prince gets separated from the others, he can still make up for it in the first leg. That’s why I chose a solid group of runners for the second to fourth legs, and there’s no one but Shindou who could do the fifth leg’s mountain climb, right? Musa and the twins should be able to steadily make it there.”

“It is too much for me to run in the ace’s leg.” Musa didn’t seem convinced.

“What do you think?” Kiyose turned to Kakeru. “Musa seems to want you to run the second leg.”

“No. I think Musa-san is the perfect fit for it,” Kakeru said with conviction. “Musa-san has been training while pushing aside all sorts of pressures. Even though he never did long-distance before, he can now run ten kilometers in the low 29-minute range. And Musa-san has always encouraged me.”

His effort and personality were second to none. Musa was an ace among aces.

“You are giving me too much credit, Kakeru,” Musa said, embarrassed. But it was unanimously decided that he would run the second leg.

There were no objections to the twins running the third and fourth legs, and they were very enthusiastic about it.

“The third leg is a road that runs along the sea. The scenery’s really nice,” said Jouta.

“Can we buy some kamaboko (1) in Odawara?” said Jouji.

The fifth leg was good with Shindou, but the problem was the sixth leg, which was Yuki’s mountain descent.

“Why am I doing the sixth leg?” Yuki asked Kiyose, looking for an explanation.

“On the trial run the other day, your posture was very stable. Normally, when people run down a steep slope like that, they’d be bent forward,” Kiyose glanced at Yuki’s legs, which were in a cross-legged position. “Also…you have thick legs.”

“What?”

“No, it was a compliment. Anyways, if your legs and loins aren’t solid, the sixth leg is out of the question.”

“It’s like sturdiness is my only good point. You say that, but what would you do if I get hurt?”

“It’s fine, isn’t it? You already passed the bar. You won’t have any opportunities to do serious track and field after graduation.”

“Oi oi, that’s irresponsible and cruel…” Nico-chan said, but Yuki was surprisingly calm and said, “You have a point,” accepting Kiyose’s words. If it made sense, he would swallow any cool-headed opinion. It was a method of persuasion that perfectly grasped Yuki’s character, and Kakeru was once again in awe of Kiyose’s ability to manipulate people.

“About Nico-chan-senpai in the seventh leg and King in the eighth leg,” Kiyose continued, “I think that when you get to this part of the route, the runners will start to break up, and there will be times when you’re running by yourself. You won’t be able to see the runners from the other teams in front or behind you. Even in situations like those, both of you will be able to run at your own pace without panicking or becoming careless. The battle to get seeded will intensify, so this is an unassuming but important section.”

“Are we planning on getting seeded?” Jouji nervously asked.

“Of course,” Kiyose decisively stated. “Now, for the last two legs, I entered Kakeru into the ninth leg, which is also called the ace leg of the return trip. As for the anchor, the tenth leg, I’ll be the one responsible for it, as I was the one who said we’re going to the Hakone Ekiden and got you guys involved.”

Kiyose only gave a brief explanation for himself and Kakeru. However, Kakeru thoroughly sensed Kiyose’s feelings for the Hakone Ekiden, and he also knew what kind of running they would have to show in the ninth and tenth legs.

Kakeru looked at Kiyose. Kiyose was silent, then nodded at him.

“That’s all. Are there any questions or thoughts?”

No one raised their hand. Pulled along by Kiyose’s conviction, everyone was finally thinking about the Hakone Ekiden as something concrete, and their fighting spirit was rising.

“Okay. Until the announcement of the entries for the legs on the 29th, what I told you is of course confidential. I want each of you to do your own image training and study the leg you’ll be running.”

Kiyose picked up his cup full of alcohol and said, Let’s drink. “With this team, it’ll definitely turn out well. Twins.”

Jouta and Jouji looked up when they were called.

“I’ll show you the top. No, we’re going to experience it together. Look forward to it.”

Kiyose smiled like a fearless king.

After the drinking party had reached its climax, Kakeru quietly approached Kiyose.

“Haiji-san, your legs aren’t doing well, are they?”

“Why do you ask?” Kiyose gently countered and poured himself another drink. Kakeru was at a loss for words—there was no way Kiyose was going to complain, however doubts swirled in Kakeru’s chest.

Haiji-san told Yuki-senpai, “You won’t have any opportunities to do serious track and field after graduation.” Isn’t he really talking about himself? Isn’t he going into this Hakone Ekiden with the resolve that he’s not going to be able to run anymore?

He was scared just thinking about it. Not being able to run was the same as dying for Kakeru. He believed it was the same for Kiyose. And yet, he…

“There’s nothing like what you’re worried about.” Kiyose smiled and spoke, “Come on, you drink too.”

Kakeru couldn’t say anything and drank the alcohol Kiyose served him in one go, full of anxiety. Kiyose was wearing that padded kimono jacket with the frayed cuffs. Soon, Kakeru would have spent all four seasons with the residents of Chikusei-sou.

Kakeru recalled the night he met Kiyose for the first time—the night when everything started.

A strange feeling like nostalgia and longing sprouted in his chest.

---

The residents of Chikusei-sou continued to train wholeheartedly even into December and had a quiet New Year’s Eve together in their rundown apartment.

On New Year’s Eve, they went to a nearby shrine to ring the temple bell, and on New Year’s Day, they ate zouni made by Kiyose. (2)

The tension was building minute by minute, but even that felt good. It was because he wasn’t alone; in Chikusei-sou, Kakeru could feel the presence of the people he had been training and living with.

He wasn’t alone—until he started running.

He had comrades who were always, always, waiting for him to start running, to finish running and to come home.

The ekiden was that sort of sport.

---

At last, it was January 2.

The Hakone Ekiden began.

It was the end of the year-long battle the ten of them had been engaged in. At the same time, it was the beginning of the first and last fierce battle of the ten, which would be handed down as long as there was a Hakone Ekiden.

Previous | Next

[canarhys]

blood has too long a memory

me, rereading ‘bloodsport’ by yves olade and still thinking about ‘the old guard’: well time to go bonkers

tw: gore, blood, graphic descriptions of violence

“doesn’t it drive you crazy?”

even as the wound heals, the pain still lingers. leo gives nico an expectant gaze as he cradles his left eye in his hand, the scarlet blood seeping through his fingers and dripping onto his denim jeans. drip, drip. redder than any mortal, trickling down his wrists to the inner side of his jacket and eventually making its way to his elbow. wounds as harsh as these ones — a shattered skull, a snapped neck, a pierced eye — took longer to heal. he could feel his retina stitching itself back together. it was only from the experience of it happening thousands of times before that he can hold back anguished screams.

nico turns to him. he got them out of the scuffle before things would escalate beyond repair, before they would be torn to shreds by those monsters and left as reforming mush. despite that, he still looks like shit. there are scabs along his face and arms, some as deep as a papercut, others that must have reached down to the bone. his right ear was missing, leaving him in suffering in one ear while it repairs itself. it’s a torturous task — but leo’s not that surprised that the most that nico can allow him to see is a grimace.

“living forever,” leo explains when nico gives him a confused look. “the pain, the loneliness, the whole package. doesn’t it drive you mad?”

nico is quiet for a moment. thinking. leo can practically hear the cogs turning in his head.

living for thousands of years, spending eternity in a body too young for his mind, killed over and over again beyond what the mortal mind could process. when leo was a child, he had been told stories of the gods. of how golden ichor flowed through their veins, how their beings were enshrouded in pure light, how their words were wise and their judgement was absolute. he remembers the stories of kronos eating his children, of the curses they placed on medusa and arachne, of the cheating and murdering and constant betrayal. he wonders if those immortals were felt it. he wonders if, like him, they had slowly begun to lose their minds.

they had to. leo wanted them to. it was sick, but he needed to know that the gods were just as exhausted as he was. that nico was as exhausted as he was. forced to endure death over and over again, the reaper clawing at his skin and begging for his soul to be released from its cage. yet his body is defiant, yet it insists on staying alive, for nothing but selfish reasons. it wants leo to keep living, and so leo is forced to endure. when they fight, leo doesn’t endure — to endure is to live despite death, and to leo death is a forgotten memory that comes every now and then.

finally, nico answers. “yeah.”

simple, a single word, yet it fills leo’s aching heart with a sort of relief. the knowledge that he’s not alone, that nico too feels the grief of lost loved ones who left far too soon, the wrath at the gods for causing them to endure the torture of monsters in the dark, the desperation to keep surviving yet the desperation for final sleep. to be immortal is to endure, but do you even endure if it is against your will?

suddenly, a cool hand wraps around his free hand, freckled and stained with blood yet more real than the mortals that pass them everyday or the gods that sit up there in the heavens. soft, gentle, kindly yet calloused. a hand that has held a sword with the grip of pure steel, yet a hand that has leo melting beneath its touch.

leo intertwines their fingers together. on habit, nico scoots closer to him. his scent — blood mixed with old spices and winter’s touch — overshadows the musk of the train car, the manure forgotten beyond their quiet space. leo shifts so that his head rests against nico’s, ignoring the torturous pain of his left eye as it reaches the final stages of repair. he feels the blood begin to fill in the gaps of where it had been split, like the knife lodged into it previously slowly and agonizingly pulling out. he doubts nico is having a more pleasant experience.

still, through the pain, he can forget it and focus on nico’s breathing. soft, as quiet as the footsteps of ghosts, falling to a calm in the empty train car. leo fixates on it — in, out, in, out — and momentarily forgets the outside world for a second. all he does is listen to nico’s heartbeat, flowing steadily, the rage and sadness and horror falling to a dull whimper behind the peace.

immortality is a punishment. it is hard to even comprehend after so many centuries running and hiding. yet maybe leo can fight against it. maybe by enduring, enduring by living, he may be able to combat missing death.

at least with nico by his side, he can endure. with nico, he can live. because madness alone is unbearable — having one to go mad with was enough to steady his aching soul.

leo squeezes their fingers. nico squeezes back. simple, yet powerful. defiant.

“we should rest,” nico announces quietly, barely a sound leaving his lips. leo wants to drown against them forever.

instead, leo nods. “we should.”

neither of them sleep that night.

[coeursetcolores]

What I Would Add/Change About: Dead or Alive 6

Hello internet! As you probably know, I love video games and I would talk about my feelings for the ones I’ve played for hours. Unfortunately, I don’t pay too much attention to the various gameplay and added content mechanics, so I don’t feel as though I’m qualified to give full-on reviews; my focus is usually on the story and characters, but I am learning to keep a more open eye. So, I’ve decided to start this series! On the anniversary of a game I’ve played’s release, I will talk about what I think a game could have included to improve certain elements or what I think they should have just changed all together about something in it. I will make sure to include what I liked about it as well to keep these from getting too negative. 

This is all just my own personal opinion and if you disagree with me, that’s perfectly okay! If you’d like to talk about a point I made, please let me know, but please try to respect my opinion as I respect yours.

Fair warning, I won’t talk about online stuff. I’m not an online gamer, that’s just not me.

Well, with out further ado, let’s get started!

Today is March 1st. Two years ago in 2019, Dead or Alive 6 was released. Bet you guys didn’t know I was fan, did you?

Yes. Yes I am. And there is one thing I love more than that entire series all together.

Kasumi.

I love that woman.

I have yet to see any other woman that I would even consider loving as much as her.

Amazing main, best girl, gripping protagonist, top-tier waifu.

But back to the subject!

Almost seven years since Dead or Alive 5 was released and left it’s audience wanting more, today we ask: Did it live up to seven years of expectations?

For me...

YES! 

...Mostly.

I had a real fun time playing when I could (I didn’t have constant access to the console I played it on, don’t ask) but even with how polished the series has gotten, there were a few things that left a sour taste in my mouth. 

Let’s go over them, shall we?

SPOILERS AHEAD!

To keep a positive spin on this criticism, I’m going to talk first about all the things I absolutely LOVED about the game:

IT’S. STUNNING. The graphics look amazing, and the slow-motion and visible injuries along with DOA5′s sweat and dirt gives the fights such a weight, it’s brutally gorgeous and I love that video games have reached that level of detail. 

Voice acting is good, and I’d have to give best performance to Karen Strassman’s Helena just for her after fight in Kokoro’s story mode because. My gosh. The way she begs Kokoro not to leave her is just heartbreaking, and to do all that while doing an accent is just amazing.

Funniest part of the game was definitely when Zack told Tina she couldn’t be governor. I love how he just shot her down in a whole series of her dad failing to drag her away from her wild dreams through fighting, Zack accomplishes it just by reminding her how the law works.

Kasumi is safe! ...Apart from all the evil clones sent after her. But Ayane is finally leaving her alone!

Helena in the ending. My gosh, the way she just shuts NiCO down and calls her out on failing to move on healthily is a good message about properly dealing with grief and really shows how much she’s grown in the series from the vengeance seeker she started as.

I genuinely liked the addition of Marie Rose. She had a cool design and her character was really charming. The team could easily have made her super annoying, but she was pretty solid, and I appreciate that.

Kokoro’s dress with the beret. It’s just too cute!

I still love kicking opponents off the stage.

Still glad the series hasn’t decided to sink into hyperrealism.

COLORS! ...Those are dying in video games. :( 

The story for the most part is interesting and every character gets to shine in their own special way.

Diego was really cool, I always love the addition of an untrained street fighter keeping up with these professional martial artists, it really goes to show that in a fight anything can happen.

I really loved watching Tina and Bass become a tag team, aww! Tina does love her daddy!

The costumes, as always, are awesome.

Vibrant backgrounds, as expected.

The fact that it happened! I was worried I’d never see my sweet Kasumi again!

Alright! Now that we got all the things I unquestionably loved about the game down, here are some things I feel the game was missing.

ADD:

MORE KASUMI! If she’s your heroine, give her more screen time! (What do you mean I’m biased?!)

Have some more time with Kasumi, Ayane and Hayate, show just how conflicted they are by their tragic circumstances when they have to work together when they all know that they will never be able to go back home together. That ending scene was bittersweet, but I feel like they could have done more.

Bring Bayman into the alliance? I mean, he does want revenge on Phase 4. I get that he kinda works with them, I just think they could use him more.

Have Kasumi have a fight with the main Phase 4? I think it’d be interesting to have this clone weapon, who hates that she hurts people, face off against the original who’s now accepted the brutality of the world and will show no mercy to those who stand in her way. I feel like it’d give Kasumi some introspection and see just how much she’s changed; in a way, Phase 4 is a lot like how Kasumi started: she didn’t want to hurt anyone and make enemies, but she couldn’t do anything about it. The difference is Kasumi became the way she is because of her own choice and beliefs while Phase 4 literally can’t stop herself.

Have Lisa explain herself, geez! What is up with this woman?! What are her goals exactly?! Wait...how is she still alive?! Woman straight up had a building fall on her! Why are we just letting her walk away?! LISA!! GET BACK HERE!! WHAT’S YOUR DEAL WOMAN?!!!

So...I guess we still don’t get to beat the crap out of Donovan? Sigh...guess they’re saving that for 7. Hopefully.

And that’s all I think they could have added. And now, here’s everything I think they should have thought about twice.

CHANGE:

Really? You’re just going to bring Raidou back for the final boss? Really?  Why not use prime Phase 4, that would have been interesting, a final boss who doesn’t WANT to be the final boss? Come on DOA, you’re better than this! You had seven years to make a final boss! If you couldn’t think of one, just go DOA2 and pull something random out! There’s even another tengu you could have used! Who even remembered Raidou at that point?!

LESS. HONOKA. My gosh, she’s annoying! I’m sorry, I’m sure she has fans, but she just irritated me! Not only was she shoehorned into the plot, but she’s also a total Mary Sue! And that voice, AAAAGGGGHHHH! This is not a knock on Kira Buckland, she’s cool and great at her job, but AAAGGGHHHH! With so many three-dimensional and interesting characters, she just falls flat (metaphorically, of course).

Was Nyotengu actually necessary? I get that the tournament itself is just a distraction now, but she honestly bored me.

Why does Helena’s mother need to come back to life? Seriously, what did M.I.S.T. see in reviving one of the mistresses/mothers of their rival? Is this supposed to like torture Helena or something? This was just unnecessary, there was no reason for this. Sorry Maria.

Oh, so Rig’s mind controlled now? Would have been great if they had foreshadowed that in 5. You know, so it wouldn’t have come out of nowhere and helped explain his whole 180 when he was introduced!

Does Jann Lee really need another rival? Just focus on Lei Fang, she’s awesome!

Bit more meta, but did Rig and Christie really need new voice actors? The new ones are fine, but it just seemed unnecessary.

I’m really mixed about how story mode is laid out in modern DOA. On the one hand, putting everyone’s stories in one playthrough really makes it hard to really get attached to one, which I think is a very important aspect of fighting games. On the other, doing it in this style really helps keep the general plot coherent and easier to follow. I think a good way to handle this would be to make different story modes; a campaign to follow the whole vs. Donovan storyline and a different one that has each character’s individual story outside of the main plot.

Alternatively, divide the story between the tournament and the fight against Donovan; ‘cause I don’t think the Mugen Tenshin clan and their allies are going to be in any tournaments anytime soon.

BRING BACK UNLOCKABLE OUTFITS! Outfits may be understandable for DLC, but it’s just so much easier to unlock them all! I’m not made of money!

Even with all these negatives, I still had a great time playing! It was great to see the cast I loved so much (with one in particular) come back and beat the crap out of each other and I can’t wait for the next one!

...In five years.

[basket-of-epiphanies]

Just finished watching Marvel’s Runaways season 2 and I’m telling you every single fucking episode caused me to go through the five stages of grief every second like right when you think something anything is going to be okay, maybe, a little bit BOOM its all shit, everything fucking sucks like you want Gert and Chase to be happy? Okay, you can have that for .0933 seconds now they’re fighting again and Nothing Will Be Okay Again, Ever. You think Karolina and Nico are sweet? Well guess what now Karolina’s fiancé (or something) is coming from a hole in the ground, y’all better be fucking ready to see this or and now Karolina may or may Not Be Eaten and Nico may or may not Fucking Lose It if that happens (okay she definitely will) Also Darius cool nope never mind he’s dead, Tamar and Livvie deserve the world well too bad they will get All The Bad Things oh and all the parents still suck ass except maybe gert’s parents no wait her mom is now possessed false alarm. Also, everyone hates Chase now and refuses to see anything from a different point of view and everyone hates Alex because,,, honestly they hate him for so many reasons and lets be honest nobody hates Molly, we all love her so that’s just a sign something bad is going to happen to her. Also what the fuck is going on with Leslie? Who knows, not me. Is Gert completely done with chase? I mean probably, so all your shipper hearts can go home because It Is Death. Anyways long story short go watch Runaways, it’s a great show, quality content, if not for anything else watch it for Nico and Karolina they’re fucking adorable.

[eddycurrents]

For the week of 2 September 2019

Quick Bits:

Agents of Atlas #2 again seems to focus more on Amadeus Cho and his perspective than the rest of the team, but it’s still very entertaining. Greg Pak, Nico Leon, Pop Mhan, Federico Blee, and Joe Sabino continue to weave together intrigue, superhero action, and romance with a very interesting mystery evolving. 

| Published by Marvel

Animosity #23 is part one of “Rites of Passage” from Marguerite Bennett, Elton Thomasi, Roberto De Latorre, Rob Schwager, and Taylor Esposito. While Jesse and her caravan continue to try to make it out west, her animal friends attempt to plan for her upcoming 13th birthday. Wonderful character moments here and further insight into the horrors that the animals have seen.

| Published by AfterShock

Battlepug #1 brings the web comic to regular monthly print comics from Mike Norton, Allen Passalaqua, and Crank! While it does help to have read the previous adventures, you can pick up and enjoy this humorous take on sword and sorcery fairly easily. Some very nice humour in the “Covfefe” puppet.

| Published by Image

Berserker Unbound #2 is another wonderful issue from Jeff Lemire, Mike Deodato Jr., Frank Martin, and Steve Wands. The art alone from Deodato and Martin is wonderful, deftly mixing the modern and the archaic. It’s also very interesting to see the barbarian trying to navigate our strange modern world and the fact that he can’t understand anything that anyone is saying.

| Published by Dark Horse

Birthright #39 gives us the confrontation with Mastema. Learning that she’s pretty much thoroughly insane and that the entire two worlds are screwed. At least, from her perspective. The colour work here from Adriano Lucas is positively brilliant.

| Published by Image / Skybound

Breaklands #1 is a Comixology digital original from Justin Jordan, Tyasseta, Sarah Stern, and Rachel Deering. It’s different, bloody, and intriguing as to what’s going on. The opening suggests a kind of weird cult, the past gives the impression of post-apocalyptic tribes or gangs. 

| Published by Justin Jordan

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #8 is a prelude to the “Hellmouth” crossover event with Angel, but I’ll say that it is essential to the overall storyline. This issue basically sets up the entire thing, even while still doing prologuey things. Great art from David López and Raúl Angulo. And, despite what Angel (at least that’s who I assume is in that devil mask) and Xander say, the “bat” costume is great, even if it doesn’t make sense.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Conan the Barbarian #9 takes us on a trip through Conan’s hallucinations of monsters he felled in battle as he tries to lead a group of people caught underground in the lair of the Undergod. Incredibly impressive artwork from Mahmud Asrar and Matthew Wilson. As we get a bit of reminiscence here, it feels as though we’re approaching the end of this arc.

| Published by Marvel

Crowded #9 is pretty intense as Vita and Charlie breach a hotel and try to get the information on who set up the Reapr campaign from one of Charlie’s old “friends”. It goes about as well as you’d expect. Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein, Ted Brandt, Tríona Farrell, and Cardinal Rae continue to keep this story on its toes, speeding along as fast as it can.

| Published by Image

Dark Red #6 begins the next arc from Tim Seeley, Corin Howell, Mark Englert, and Carlos Mangual. It tosses more complications into Chip’s life in the form of a “cleaner” enthralled to another vampire and a family of were-jaguars fleeing from an El Salvadoran gang.

| Published by AfterShock

DCeased: A Good Day to Die #1 expands the story a bit further with this one shot featuring a reunion of some of the Bwa-Ha-Ha era of the Justice League and a few other guests. Great art from Laura Braga, Darick Robertson, Richard Friend, Trevor Scott, and Rain Beredo.

| Published by DC Comics

Deathstroke #47 continues “Deathstroke RIP” and it’s going to do your head in a bit. A banged, bruised, beaten-up, and confused Slade shows up with a bad attitude and we’re unsure how he’s back from the dead and acting fairly un-Slade-like. Also, Jericho gets his Doctor Manhattan moment. Priest, Fernando Pasarin, Carlo Pagulayan, Jason Paz, Cam Smith, Wade von Grawbadger, Jeromy Cox, and Willie Schubert are definitely continuing to keep this interesting.

| Published by DC Comics

Die #7 catches up with the other half of the party in Isabelle and Chuck and, well, Chuck is an asshole. Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans, and Clayton Cowles manage to out-bleak the previous issue, but in a way that doesn’t elicit sympathy this time. It’s interesting as to how they build up Chuck, elaborate on his backstory, and make him even more thoroughly unlikeable.

| Published by Image

Doom Patrol: Weight of the Worlds #3 is fairly impressive, with Gerard Way, Jeremy Lambert, Steve Orlando, Doc Shaner, Tamra Bonvillain, and Simon Bowland managing to become even more inventive with the narrative for an already incredibly inventive series. This one takes the convention of a flashforward and presents it as an issue of Doom Patrol in the future, weaving in some hard-boiled narration through a series of novels. Great work here all around.

| Published by DC Comics / Young Animal

Everything #1 is weird. Very weird. This first issue from Christopher Cantwell, INJ Culbard, and Steve Wands feels like it’s mostly about setting up the atmosphere and briefly introducing many of the characters as the new Everything Store opens up in Michigan. Love the art from Culbard.

| Published by Dark Horse / Berger Books

Fallen World #5 concludes what has been an excellent series setting up the next stage of the 4002 AD time period of the Valiant universe from Dan Abnett, Adam Pollina, Ulises Arreola, and Jeff Powell. The art from Pollina and Arreola is gorgeous, really leaning hard into the weird and wonderful of the future.

| Published by Valiant

Fantastic Four #14 kicks off “Point of Origin” celebrating the initial launch of the Fantastic Four’s expedition that turned them into the Fantastic Four. The shifting timeline makes this feel weird, but it’s still an interesting premise. Great art from Paco Medina and Jesus Aburtov.

| Published by Marvel

Future Foundation #2 is more fun from Jeremy Whitley, Will Robson, Paco Diaz, Daniele Orlandini, Greg Menzie, Chris O’Halloran, and Joe Caramagna. Why exactly the kids would mistake a younger looking Maker as their own Reed Richards is anyone’s guess, but this is still an entertaining prison break story building upon loose threads from Secret Wars.

| Published by Marvel

Ghost Spider Annual #1 continues the “Acts of Evil” theme running through this year’s annuals as Gwen takes on Arcade and a host of Spider-Man’s villains and allies. It’s a good story from Vita Ayala, Pere Pérez, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Clayton Cowles that helps Gwen get a sense of place when it comes to some of the differences between Earths-65 and -616/

| Published by Marvel

Giant Days #54 is the end to the series, but there’s one more issue in the story in the Giant Days: As Time Goes By special. Still, John Allison, Max Sarin, Whitney Cogar, and Jim Campbell gives us one last hurrah as Daisy, Esther, and Susan spend the summer together before graduation, tying up some loose ends, before saying goodbye to one another. It’s an emotional end, full of the eccentricities and humour that have been a hallmark of the series.

| Published by Boom Entertainment / BOOM! Box

The Green Lantern #11 continues the multiversal adventure. This is really some of the fun, eccentric science fiction-y superheroics that Grant Morrison really excels at along with gorgeous artwork from Liam Sharp and Steve Oliff. I quite like Sharp’s Neal Adams-esque Batman GL and it’s neat to see the Green Lantern oath’s differences across multiple universes.

| Published by DC Comics

Harley Quinn #65 kind of does an end run around the “Year of the Villain” content, incorporating it as a couple pages of the comic within the comic, while the rest of the issue is devoted to Harley dealing with the grief of the loss of her mother. By kind of ignoring it. Escaping to the Coney Island Volcano Island and getting a bit...rustic. Sam Humphries, Sami Basri, Hi-Fi, and Dave Sharpe also keep Harley’s trials going along nicely.

| Published by DC Comics

Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy #1 follows up on Poison Ivy’s new status after regrowing herself from the death sustained in Heroes in Crisis. Now, I can’t say I exactly liked that series or what happened, but I do think that Jody Houser, Adriano Melo, Mark Morales, Hi-Fi, and Gabriela Downie make the most of it and turn it around into an entertaining start to this new story. Also, a nice pick up on both the broader “Year of the Villain” event (even though there’s no event banner) and on the new developments in Justice League Dark about the Parliament of Flowers and the Floronic Man.

| Published by DC Comics

Immortal Hulk #23 brings the fight to Fortean. It’s absolutely brutal on both sides. Joe Bennett, Ruy José, Belardino Brabo, Paul Mounts, and Matt Milla really do an incredible job with the action here. And the end is stuff of nightmares.

| Published by Marvel

Justice League #31 continues the “Justice/Doom War”. It’s very, very nice to see the Justice Society back in the mainline DC universe. Combined with the Legion of Super-Heroes back, it’s a wonderful time to see these two teams back. Feels good. It also helps that Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Jorge Jimenez, Alejandro Sanchez, and Tom Napolitano have JSA nestled within a great story, flinging the Justice League through the past and future.

| Published by DC Comics

Lois Lane #3 is worth it for the art from Mike Perkins and Paul Mounts by itself. The fight between the two Questions is incredible, beautiful flow of action and energy all through the exchange. Also, we get some follow up on Superman protecting Lois adding complications. There could be an argument made that this story is unfolding at roughly a snail’s pace, but that would overlook the wonderful character moments occurring, the atmosphere, and epic action sequences. 

| Published by DC Comics

Midnight Vista #1 is a wonderful start to this story from Eliot Rahal, Clara Meath, Mark Englert, and Taylor Esposito. It’s an alien abduction story told pretty much straight and its intriguing as to how the disbelievers in this tale are going to deal with, even amid the very real kidnapping and lost time that occurs. I love Meath’s line art here.

| Published by AfterShock

No One Left to Fight #3 hits hard a couple times, first in Winda’s decidedly horrible way of handling rejection and jealousy and then in the Hierophant’s temptation of rebuilding Valé, fixing what ails him. More great work from Aubrey Sitterson, Fico Ossio, Raciel Avila, and Taylor Esposito. This book is a feast.

| Published by Dark Horse

Pretty Deadly: The Rat #1 is a very welcome return of this series, shifting time frame again to ‘30s Los Angeles and adopting a noir style. The artwork from Emma Rios and Jordie Bellaire is drop dead gorgeous, seemingly coming up with new styles and approaches to storytelling. The film stills in particular are very impressive.

| Published by Image

Savage Avengers #5 brings a bloody and brutal “end” to the first arc from Gerry Duggan, Mike Deodato Jr., Frank Martin, and Travis Lanham. It’s not so much a conclusion as a chapter break, ending the bit with the Marrow God, but transitioning into whatever will come next in the war against Kulan Gath.

| Published by Marvel

Sea of Stars #3 is another showcase for Stephen Green and Rico Renzi to just illustrate the hell out of some really cool stuff. This one shifts primary focus back to Kadyn and his interstellar entourage and it’s hilarious. The kid does kid things that drive his space monkey and space whale friends insane. Especially taunting a quarkshark.

| Published by Image

Something is Killing the Children #1 begins a rather disquieting horror series from James Tynion IV, Werther Dell’Edera, Miquel Muerto, and AndWorld Design. It’s brutal, bloody, and filled with all of the terror that you get from a frightened kid who just watched his friends get butchered. This is a visceral horror that punches you right in the gut. Very well done.

| Published by BOOM! Studios

Spawn #300 is not a bad anniversary issue, a fairly hefty book featuring a lead “chapter” with gorgeous artwork from returning long term Spawn line artist Greg Capullo, kicking off with something disturbing, then leading into a combination of the story threads that Todd McFarlane has been weaving for some time now. While there is a foundation on the old, this one also sets up a fair amount of what’s coming. Great art throughout from Todd McFarlane, Greg Capullo, J. Scott Campbell, Jason Shawn Alexander, Jerome Opeña, Jonathan Glapion, FCO Plascencia, Brian Haberlin, Peter Steigerwald, and Matt Hollingsworth.

| Published by Image

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order - Dark Temple #1 is a tie in to the forthcoming video game from Electronic Arts by Matthew Rosenberg, Paolo Villanelli, Arif Prianto, and Joe Sabino. It centres around a padawan who somehow managed to escape Order 66 on a recently-joined Republic world of Ontotho and the mystery of a temple that she was sent to investigate.

| Published by Marvel

Supergirl #33 concludes Kara’s quest and “The House of El: United”, giving her perspective on the founding of the United Planets in Superman #14. It’s a decent end here, opening up new possibilities for what we’ll see next.

| Published by DC Comics

Triage #1 is a very impressive debut from Phillip Sevy and Frank Cvetkovic. Interesting set up of variations on the same woman, Evie, across multiple worlds, and a mystery as to what’s going on. Sevy’s art here is gorgeous.

| Published by Dark Horse

Usagi Yojimbo #4 begins a new two-part arc in “The Hero” as Usagi agrees to escort an author caught in a controlling, loveless marriage to her father. There’s a really nice opening sequence in this one with zombies.

| Published by IDW

Vampirella/Red Sonja #1 is a pretty good start to this series from Jordie Bellaire, Drew Moss, Rebecca Nalty, and Becca Carey. It’s set in 1969 and built around the Dyatlov Pass Incident, which sends Vampirella out there to investigate to potentially find a “friend”. Beautiful art from Moss and Nalty. 

| Published by Dynamite

Web of Black Widow #1 is wonderful. Stephen Mooney was born to draw espionage thrillers, having done so incredibly on his own Half Past Danger as well as The Dead Hand and James Bond 007. He has a style that reminds me of Dave Stevens and it just works perfectly for this kind of story. Add to that Jody Houser, Tríona Farrell, and Cory Petit, throw in a mystery born out of Natasha’s past and continued questioning her own status as her since she was brought back from death, and you’ve got a recipe for a near perfect storm of a debut.

| Published by Marvel

Wyrd #4 concludes what has been an intriguing series from Curt Pires, Antonio Fuso, Stefano Simeone, and Micah Myers.  This has been a rather interesting story of superpowers seemingly gone wrong and it ties up with a Superman analogue as a child going homicidal. It’s dark, but it feels real.

| Published by Dark Horse

Other Highlights: Absolute Carnage: Scream #2, Absolute Carnage: Symbiote Spider-Man #1, Alpha Flight: True North #1, Amazing Spider-Man: Going Big #1, Archie #707, Batman/TMNT III #5, Champions #9, Charlie’s Angels vs. Bionic Woman #3, Curse Words #24, The Death-Defying Devil #2, Descendent #5, The Dreaming #13, The Goon #6, House of X #4, Legion of Super-Heroes: Millennium #1, Marvel Action: Spider-Man #8, Nuclear Winter - Volume 3, Old Man Quill #9, The Punisher #15, Redneck #23, Rick and Morty Present Flesh Curtains #1, Section Zero #6, Space Bandits #3, Star Trek: Discovery - Aftermath #1, Star Wars #71, Superman: Up in the Sky #3, Transformers/Ghostbusters #4, Turok #5, The Wicked + The Divine #45

Recommended Collections: Age of X-Man: Prisoner X, Black Badge - Volume 2, Catwoman - Volume 2: Far From Gotham, Hellboy and the BPRD: 1956, Immortal Hulk - Volume 4: Abomination, Infinite Dark - Volume 2, Outcast - Volume 7, Spider-Gwen: Ghost Spider - Volume 2: Impossible Year, Superb - Volume 4: The Kids aren’t Alright, War of the Realms: New Agents of Atlas, X-Force - Volume 2: Counterfeit King

d. emerson eddy is currently suffering the effects of a very gassy pug.

[topweeklyupdate]

TØP Weekly Update #67: I Don’t Want the World to See Me (10/19/18)

I say “they’re back, they’re really back” every week, but I only say it because it’s true. Our band kicked off the first tour of the Trench Era with gusto this week, and that’s only just scratching the surface.

This Week’s TØPics:

The Bandito Tour Begins

Additional Tour Dates Announced

Jim Dun

More Interviews with the Band

And MORE!

Major News and Announcements:

Again, there’s not an awful lot of “news”, mostly just developments happening in real time. That said, there is one notable piece of intel, as the band added another three dates to the second North American leg of their tour: namely, a second show in Toronto, a concert in Newark to further serve that densely-populated metropolitan area, and a show in San Antonio to show Texas some love. You can register for those tickets now, so get to it!

The Shows:

The Bandito Tour kicked off in Nashville last Tuesday, and it was incredible. Of course, not everyone was totally pleased with it: Some people thought there were too few songs from Trench, while others were heartbroken that too many old favorites were knocked off. For that first point: nine out of fourteen of the new songs made their way onto the setlist, one more than the eight songs from Blurryface that landed on the first headlining show in Australia that era. Granted, those shows were significantly shorter than the current arena shows, but those songs also had much less competition for space. Point is, there’s still plenty of time for “Chlorine” to make it on the setlist, clikkies.

As for the second point... listen, I’m gutted for everyone who didn’t get a chance to sing “Migraine” or “Guns for Hands” this week. But if they could play “Taxi Cab” after five years of acting like it didn’t exist, they can- and will- play those songs again. I promise.

The setlist was comprised of:

Jumpsuit

Levitate

Fairly Local- The first full performance of the song since 2015, complete with a reveal of a scissor lift under Josh’s drum kit and a “Hometown”-disappearing act.

Stressed Out- Introduced by a cute video of a flying red beanie to give Tyler a chance to run back to the stage, culminating in it descending from the sky for Tyler to wear.

Heathens

We Don’t Believe What’s On TV- Complete with Nigel introducing Josh with a romantic poem and Tyler’s now-customary first speech to the crowd.

The Judge

Lane Boy- Josh’s flying drum platform gets an extra light display at the end.

Nico and the Niners- A runway out to the b-stage descends from the heavens and hangs over the crowd; Tyler performs the rap there and finishes at b.

Taxi Cab- Tyler Joseph asks the thousands of people in the audience to sit and listen to this nice piano song his dad likes, causing us to drown in our tears.

Neon Gravestones- A transparent curtain imposes giant ghostly images of the band over the b-stage, while a gorgeous moving light display hangs overhead.

Bandito- The debut of this song was accompanied by another incredible light show and displays of soaring vultures. Notably, the first verse was cut, seemingly just to keep up the pace.

Pet Cheetah- Tyler and Josh head back across the runway to finish the sick beats, the pit drops like nobody’s business.

Iris- The band brings out the openers to play this Goo Goo Dolls classic, infusing it with incredible emotion and a killer uke arrangement. So far, Tyler’s been introducing it as the soundtrack for Josh’s childhood “firsts” (first kiss, first Fun Dip, etc).

Hey Jude- The bands perform one of the greatest songs of all time.

Holding On To You- Now with more pretty stars

Ride- Now without a drum island

My Blood- Now with SKELETON HOODIES and holding on to the crowd harmony conducting from The Complete Diversion.

Morph- Tyler does his best rap thing while Josh busts out his most technical drum island yet.

Car Radio

Leave the City- Replacing “Goner” for the encore, Tyler leans in hard for audience participation.

Trees- Now with imagery reflecting Josh’s tree tattoo. The keyboard is also placed above the car, which rises dramatically from the ground in the middle of the song because Tyler’s just extra like that.

Tyler’s Trees Speech in Nashville was a full one. After acknowledging earlier in the show that he and Josh were really nervous about getting this one right, Tyler thanked the opening crowd for giving him the experience of hearing “Leave the City” sung back at him for the first time, lampshaded how ridiculous the production value of the shows has gotten, gave Nashville-native lighting director Shap some grief, and joked about how he only messed up the second verse from “Morph”, so there’s some room for improvement.

Interviews and Other Shenanigans:

The biggest interview from this week was the band’s feature with The New York Times, which did not go too awfully in-depth in terms of revealing information that we didn’t already know but was still one of the more well-written pieces on the band I’ve seen in some time. The article takes their art and artistry seriously, covering their oft-repeated backstory with reverence fitting a band that has proved themselves time and again to be worth that consideration. The descriptions of Tyler and Josh read as totally on-point to their personalities, and there’s a cool revelation that Tyler’s kept an encouraging voicemail from Chris Martin on his phone since 2016. The highlight for me, though, is the absolutely crushing ending where Tyler responds to a question of his mental health by answering “I’m OK today.” It’s a mature and sobering outlook on his future struggles with his mental health; I hope he stays OK for many years to come.

Oh, and Jim Dun’s Instagram page is now public, so you should definitely go splurge through a year’s worth of cute dog photos featuring Josh, cameos from Brendon Urie, and snarky comments from Mark, Brad, Debby, Jenna, Jordan, Abigail, and friends. Josh even gave a little interview with Global K9 Protection Services talking about his relationship with his pup. Jim will be joining the gang on tour, so we’re sure to get plenty more adorable puppy action in the weeks to come.

Chart Performance:

Well, it looks like my suspicions last week were correct: Trench fell just shy of securing a #1 spot in the States, losing out to A Star Is Born’s soundtrack. But that’s no reason to be gloomy- last week was still the band’s biggest sales week ever, selling 135,000 albums and earning an additional 40,000 equivalent units in streams and other avenues of listening. And hey, they were the #1 album in Australia! That’s pretty cool.

As far as individual songs go, things continue to look pretty rosy. The album release boosted “Jumpsuit” and “Nico and the Niners” back to the Hot 100 at #79 and #95, respectively, while “My Blood” was able to debut at #81 off of the music video. Below the Hot 100, “Morph” and “Chlorine” managed to sneak onto the Bubbling Under chart at #6 and #12 respectively.

The songs impressed more individually down on the Rock Charts. Every single track from the album made it onto the Hot Rock Songs chart, which combines every source of music consumption with a similar formula as the Hot 100. Most of this can be attributed to streaming- nine songs from Trench made their way onto the Rock Streaming chart versus only two new arrivals to Rock Sales. “My Blood” is also continuing to gain radio momentum; we’ll see if that’s enough to keep it around next week.

Upcoming Performances:

With the Bandito Tour fully underway, let’s look to the week ahead to see what communities the band will be sharing their music with and try to determine if we might expect any surprises.

Show 3: Enterprise Center, St Louis, Missouri (10/19)

Capacity: 22,000

Tonight, the band returns to St. Louis, a city they’ve visited many times in the past. They played this venue at their last show here in 2016, albeit when it was under the “Scottrade Center” name.

Show 4: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (10/20)

Capacity: 17,500

Twenty One Pilots have never played this venue before, because it didn’t exist the last time they toured; heck, it didn’t even exist when they announced this one! The brand-new Fiserv Forum, built as the new home for the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, opened just last month with a concert from The Killers and has already hosted a number of other artists. It should make for an incredible show, even more so because it will be the band’s first ever arena show in the city. 

Show 5: XCel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota (10/21)

Capacity: 13,000

The band also played this venue in their last visit back in 2016. Not much else to say, so... moving on!

Show 6: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio (10/23)

Capacity: 20,000

Tuesday’s show in Cleveland will be the closest thing to a hometown show the band will play until their two announced concerts in Columbus next June, nearly nine months from now. As a result, expect to see plenty of family members in attendance (and maybe an on-stage cameo from Zach to perform his verse from “Kitchen Sink”). It’ll definitely be a real special night.

Show 7: Little Caesar’s Arena, Detroit, Michigan (10/24)

Capacity: 22,000

Wrapping things up, Twenty One Pilots will be playing their first show in Detroit proper since 2015, and their first ever arena show in the general region. This is another relatively new facility that only opened in September of last year, the harshest season of the hiatus. Hopefully those Ohio boys put on a good show for my Michigan kin.

-

It was another incredible week. I can’t wait to see how these shows continue to grow and evolve in the weeks and months to come. Let me know when you all get the chance to see them. Until then, power to the local dreamer.

|-/

[ladyherenya]

Books read in November:

Only one audiobook, because it was an especially long one and I didn’t finish it until well into December. And I read two books set in Russia which feature “firebird” in the title -- a total coincidence.

(Longer reviews and ratings are on LibraryThing. And also my Dreamwidth blog.)

Shirley (1849) by Charlotte Brontë (narrated by Georgina Sutton): An odd book. It doesn’t offer a tightly cohesive plot, but it does offer many moments In Which Charlotte Has Opinions, opinions about: politics, social and industrial change, marriage, the church, unrequited love, governesses, society’s expectations of women, family dynamics, illness and grief. I don’t always agree with her, but I enjoy how fiercely passionate she is -- and how fiercely passionate her characters can be. I also enjoyed that the plot twists unexpectedly. The portrayal of a Yorkshire community was interesting, and I liked that at the centre of this novel are two young women who are friends. 

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley: Carrie rents a cottage in Scotland while she writes a novel about her ancestor Sophia during during the 1708 Jacobite rising. The story develops an uncanny life of its own and Carrie finds research keeps supporting things she's already made up and written down. I really enjoyed reading this. It has a lovely, vivid sense of place and time, and the way Carrie and Sophia’s stories echo each other is intriguing. So are the historical details. But it left me with a nagging feeling of dissatisfaction. I wanted more about Sophia’s final decisions, and more ambiguity about the supernatural aspect. 

The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley: From the opening chapters, I was hooked. Nicola works in a gallery. A woman brings in a carving she believes was given to her ancestor by Catherine I of Russia. There’s no evidence …. but Nicola has the ability to glimpse an object’s past when she touches it. An upcoming trip to Russia gives her opportunity to research further. I had no issue with the fantasy element being front-and-centre here. I’m interested in characters actively using their abilities. Bonus points for telepathy! And as a sequel to The Winter Sea, the historical storyline about Sophia’s daughter Anna is unexpectedly satisfying.

Strangers in Company by Jane Aiken Hodge: Marian accepts a job accompanying a younger woman on a tour of Greece. When the tour encounters mishaps -- and then some serious accidents -- Marian suspects something sinister is going on.This does not quite have the vivid sense of place I expect from a holiday thriller/romantic suspense. But as a mystery, this was surprisingly satisfying. There’s a steadily growing sense of foreboding and danger, and twists and revelations I hadn’t guessed. I liked that the tour gives Marian the space to reflect on, and make peace with, her brief marriage. I also liked the friendship she develops with Stella.

The Return of the Word Spy by Ursula Dubosarsky: This sequel to the delightful The Word Spy focuses more on grammar than it on the history and quirks of English. It does so humorously, aiming to be entertaining and accessible for its target audience: namely, children. In this respect, the book is a success. As an adult who is reasonably well-versed in the various parts of speech, it was less engaging. Which is an observation, not a complaint. I was still amused or interested by bits of it.

Runaways: Find Your Way Home by Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka: I borrowed this because of Rainbow Rowell, unaware that it was a sequel-reboot rather than a remake-reboot. A group of teenagers who ran away together after discovering that their parents were super-villains have since gone their separate ways. But then Chase turns up on Nico’s doorstep with Gert, having used a time-machine to rescue her from the past. Although I didn’t know the characters, it was obvious that they know, and care about, each other. That made it easy to become invested in this story about reuniting, dealing with change and working out how to be a team again. I was also curious enough to look for the original comics (see below).

Runaways: Volume 1 Pride & Joy, Volume 2 Teenage Wasteland and Volume 3 The Good Die Young by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona: A group of teenagers discover their parents are super-villains. This was interesting enough that I read until the end of the narrative arc. But even though this is the story of story I like, I didn’t feel a strong attachment to the any of the characters. I think it’s partly the storytelling, which doesn’t allow the characters to convincingly form deep bonds, and partly the artwork style, which doesn’t really appeal to me. If the characters looked more realistic, they’d seem more like people with greater depth and then I might not feel so indifferent. No plans at this stage for reading the next volume.

Firebird by Elizabeth Wein: This YA novella offers a fascinating glimpse into the experiences of Russian women during WWII. Nastia, an instructor at the Leningrad Youth Aeroclub, is determined to sign up to fight -- and fly. I liked how Nastia learns more about the enigmatic Chief, the only other woman working at the club. I’m not sure about the framing narrative -- Nastia is writing to explain why she violated orders by landing behind enemy lines. Although I’m convinced that Nastia isn’t a traitor, I doubt a tribunal would be. But perhaps that uncertainty is fitting. This a short book but not a simple one.

Swordheart by T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon): A fantasy romance/roadtrip told with hope and humour and a dash of horror. (It’s a level of darkness I -- not a horror person -- can deal with.) Halla, a widowed housekeeper, has inherited her great-uncle’s estate and been locked up by his relatives. She discovers an enchanted sword containing an immortal swordsman, Sarkis, who appears whenever the sword is drawn. Together they escape and set off for the city to seek legal assistance. I love the way Kingfisher blends fantasy with reality -- mixing the magical with the mundane, epic with domestic. This is definitely going to be a comfort-reread.

Lady Helen and the Dark Days Deceit by Alison Goodman: The final book in this Regency fantasy trilogy (The Dark Days Club and The Dark Days Pact) is full of twists and tensions. Helen is at Bath, preparing for a wedding -- and for a confrontation with the Grand Deceiver. Dark fantasy is still not quite my thing, but I appreciated the wealth of historical details deftly woven into this story. I was also glad to see the love triangle resolved... although upon reflection, it would have been more interesting if Helen’s choices, rather than other circumstances, had set that in motion. But otherwise, this was a satisfying conclusion.