#and it also makes sense why i'm so much more invested now that he's back
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
13eyond13 · 2 days ago
Note
why does l say that he wanted light to be kira/ that he wouldn’t be satisfied unless light was kira?
i thought it was an ego thing bc he wants his deductions to be right but is that the only interpretation?
Hi anon! Thanks for the old school "interpretation of Death Note canon" ask, I appreciate you making me dust off my analysis skills. Took a dive back into my blog to see if i could find any posts I'd made about this moment in the past, and reblogged a handful of posts before this just in case anything on there is of interest to you as well.
(Disclaimer that I haven't read/watched Death Note in a long time now so my takes are not the freshest, that I could possibly be forgetting some things from canon, and also that my posts are always just my own personal opinion, etc.)
Tumblr media
So the way I personally interpret this moment is that L actually IS being honest about it to Light here. I think he DOES want Light specifically to be Kira, meaning that as he's worked on this case over time he has come to want this particular thing to be true. And I think he possibly just realized that it's true himself in that moment, and then decided to share that revelation with Light.
I think L would have multiple reasons for genuinely wanting Light to be Kira and also telling Light this, such as:
A. as you said, he can't stand being wrong and wants to prove himself right about the biggest hunch he has in this entire case. He's had a VERY strong intuition about Light being Kira based on the investigating he'd done thus far and the strong similarities he sensed between himself and Light's and Kira's personalities and manner of thinking, and he hasn't exactly been shy about voicing this to everybody all along either. L has a lot of pride wrapped up in proving himself correct and winning at this game! Being proven wrong about this hunch in particular would be a huge blow to his confidence and his ego and somewhat taint his spotless record as the best detective there ever was.
B. because he likes opposing Light in particular. I think Light actually IS special to L in a weird way. In the manga L is introduced as a detective who can solve any case, but who only takes on cases that personally interest and entertain and challenge him, and Light's been a very clever and mysterious and cheeky and tricky opponent for him so far. Probably the most interesting and challenging one he's ever had yet. And on some level L is genuinely enjoying the cat-and-mouse games and the intellectual company and rivalry that Light provides him. This is the FIRST TIME EVER L has ever had to go so far as to reveal himself in person, after all. By this point L has likely become more personally involved in this case and made himself more vulnerable to the other investigators and the suspects than any other one he's ever worked on. It would be very difficult for him to completely refrain from getting emotionally invested at all, and also pretty jarring for him to suddenly have to pivot completely to chasing somebody else after getting in so deep and putting so much on the line!
C. because he might be trying to antagonize Light on purpose by saying something that he knows will probably piss him off badly and then watching how he reacts (and indeed, in the manga we see L having some surprisingly chill musings about this very stuff even as Light is punching him in the face, lol). I think L sometimes just likes pissing Light off or testing him or goading him into a reaction whenever he's in a particularly combative mood...
There's also the possibility that maybe L was just being super oblivious/unsympathetic and didn't 100% think through how that statement might come off to a suspect before he said it (but I'm inclined to believe that he did think it through, given the way he muses about it as he's getting punched).
19 notes · View notes
fairymonk · 6 months ago
Text
man i really loved dorian 2 seconds into exu and was so valid and right for that
29 notes · View notes
bloodibambiidoll · 7 months ago
Note
I'm asking waayyy too much BUT ITS THE LAST ONE I PINKY PROMISE( for today. . .)
Anyyywaayyssss, okay so what if weird girl!reader was hanging around n climbing trees or something (bc I do that-) and JJ sees her and he's like "girl wtf r u doing up there" and blah blah blah it's there first time meeting too (it would be fun if rafe sees this and they're not dating yet n he gets a lil jelly hehe)
VERY RANDOM BUT MY HEAD JUST WORKS LIKE THATTT
Ty bb🪽🫀
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Omg yes!! This is such a cutie idea!! I actually had this pic saved on her Pinterest board bc she absolutely climbs trees. Sometimes she just climbs a little too high… Jealous!Rafe, fluff, lovesick!Rafe 18+MNDI!
(Also in another world Jj & Weird!girl would be so cute actually)
Tumblr media
“What’re you doing up there?” The sound of someone’s voice nearly has you falling off the tree branch you’re perched on as your hand flies to chest and a surprised gasp leaves you. You look below you to see a head of messy blonde hair and ocean blue eyes squinting up at you through the sun. You’ve never met him, but recognize him of course, it’s not like the island is particularly big so you’ve seen everyone at least once. Jj Maybank, he’s from the cut so it makes sense that you’ve never really crossed paths. He’s cute though.
“Umm… I’m doing pretty much exactly what it looks like I’m doing, sitting in a tree.” You let out a little small chuckle as you look down at him. “What are you doing down there?”
“Well, I’m exactly what it looks like I’m doing, walking on the ground.” You snort at that, giving him a playful roll of your eyes. “I know, I’m hilarious. I was just makin’ sure you weren’t stuck up there or anything.”
“I mean, I wouldn’t say stuck. I’d say I may have flown too close to the sun climbing up this high.” You shrug as you kick your dangling feet back and forth.
“Soooo… you’re stuck then?” Jj smirks up at you as he adjusts the cap on his head so it’s facing backwards. It gives you a better view of his face, he’s cute. Maybe if you weren’t already so invested in Rafe you would definitely be interested in him.
“I mean, mentally? Yes. Physically? No. I could get down whenever I want, actually.” Your voice is sickly sweet and Jj wonders why he’s never talked to you before. He’s seen you around and he’s always thought you were hot. That whole semi creepy but still angelic vibe you give off really does it for him.
“Yeah? You need some help?” He chuckles and leans his hand against the trunk of the tree, out stretching his neck and accentuating his jaw. He looks like he’d be nice to bite.
“She’s good, Maybank.” Your head whips around to see Rafe walking down the dirt path with a stone cold look set on his face. “I can help my girl. You can fuck off now.”
“Rafey! Hi!” You smile wide as you wave down at him enthusiastically. You sent him a picture of you up in the tree telling him you might need a little help getting down and he immediately dropped everything to come to your rescue.
“Rafey, huh? That’s adorable, truly.” Jj smirks at Rafe and it has him breathing out hard through his nostrils. He’s been trying really hard not to beat every man who looks at you to a pulp but seeing fucking Jj Maybank smirking up at you while you giggle is making him see red.
“Shut the fuck up, Pogue. Didn’t I tell you to fuck off? I suggest you do before we have an actual problem.” Rafe takes a few steps towards him, his eyes are like blue fire as he glares at Jj like he wants to burn him alive. It’s kind of hot. If you’re being honest with yourself.
“Okaaaay, I think that’s enough. I’m good Jj, thank you for offering to help me, you’re sweet.” You give him a saccharine smile and it makes him swoon just a little. You are so cute that if he wasn’t trying to stay off the cops radar he would probably stand here and fuck with Rafe even more.
“Yeah, no problem, sweetheart. See ya around, let me know if pretty boy over here decides to fuck you over, I don’t mind being your rebound.” Jj bites his lip as he winks at you before turning to walk off. Rafe wants to chase after him and wipe that smug ass look off his face by shoving it into the dirt.
“Raaaafe.” You snap your fingers to get his attention and it pulls him out of his rage filled trance. He looks up at you, smiling down at him so sweetly and he almost forgets who Jj Maybank even is. Almost. He still wants to kick his fucking ass.
“Hmm? Yeah baby?”
“Can you help me get down now?” He giggle and Rafe swears it’s his favorite sound other than when you scream for him while you fall apart in his cock.
“Oh shit, yeah. C’mere.” Rafe moves so he’s directly under you with his arms outstretched. “Jump down, I’ll catch you.”
“I don’t know, Rafe. I’m pretty high up.” Your expression turns nervous so Rafe leans up so he can hit the bottom of your shoe with the tips of his fingers.
“You’re not even that high, see? Just fuckin’ jump. Promise I won’t let you fall.” He shakes his hands above his head and gives you that semi goofy, reassuring smile that’s reserved only for you.
“Okay. Fine.” You let out a dramatic sigh before bracing your hands on the branch so you can push yourself down into Rafe’s arms. A little squeal leaves you when he grips onto your hips and pulls you against his chest. You wrap your arms around his neck so you can plant a messy smooch on his lips. “My savior!! How will I ever repay you, fair knight?”
“Pft. You’re so fuckin’ dramatic.” Rafe snorts as he lightly sets you down on the ground.
“I’m dramatic? You were about to beat Jj’s ass for trying to help me!” You laugh, jokingly pushing your hand into his shoulder.
“Nah, he was doing more than just trynna help you.” Rafe grabs onto your hand so he can pull you closer against his chest. “He was fucking flirting with you and you’re mine.”
“Yours, huh? Guess I missed the letter in the mail that said we were official.”
“Oh my god, you’re so dumb.” Rafe throws his head back with a groan but you can see the smile painted across your lips. “I thought I made it pretty fuckin’ clear that you’re my girl.”
“Hmmm… I don’t know, might need you to spell it out for me.” Your giggle makes butterflies erupt in his stomach and Rafe never believed in that butterflies in your tummy bullshit until he met you.
“Ugh. You’re a brat, you know that?” You shrug, letting out a satisfied hum. “Fine. Be my girlfriend?”
“Uh, duh, I already am.” He rolls his eyes and you give him a satisfied smile. “Just wanted to hear you say it.”
“You’re sooo in for it when we get back to my place. Brat.” He grips onto your neck, pulling your lips against his in a rough kiss. “Car. Let’s go.”
“Okay, okay, sooo bosssy.” He smacks your ass and you yelp, running full speed toward his truck.
“Oh hell nah! Get your lil ass back here!!”
Tumblr media
Taglist: @babygorewhore @strawberrydolly333 @starkeysprincess @sturnioloshacker @nemesyaaa @rafeinterlude @loserboysandlithium
All things Rafe & his weird!girl here
Divider is @strangergraphics
491 notes · View notes
lurkingshan · 6 months ago
Text
Japanese QL Corner
Another week chock full of Japanese ql. I am officially dropping a currently airing show from QL Corner--let us never speak of it again. Of the other six shows still airing now, five are streaming weekly on Gaga and the other is available via fansub.
Takara's Treasure
Tumblr media
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite things airing—it gets better every week, and it's been good from the start! This story is a great example of the way tension and depth of feeling in a great romance can build. I was delighted to have Takara confirm Taishin's confession and coax him into dating this early on because it means we are going to actually spend some time with them figuring out how to work as a couple. And I don't expect it will be smooth sailing, because these two have some incompatible issues that are going to exacerbate each other.
Cosmetic Playlover
Tumblr media
This show is gorgeous, but it all feels pretty empty. Thank you to @usertoxicyaoi for confirming that the show is racing through the plot so it can cover the whole arc of the manga. I'm glad to understand why it's doing this, but it doesn't help with my total emotional disconnect from the story, because the show is rushing through and not letting us actually experience this relationship. They tell us they like each other, then that they're in love, then that they're established and struggling, but I can't feel it because they haven't brought us along for any of that. This week featured an interesting plot about their professional growth and how it challenges their relationship, but I was frustrated because I have no investment in said relationship to give the plot stakes. I may just have to accept that this one will stay a treat for the eyes but lacking in depth for me.
I Hear the Sunspot
Tumblr media
We back! After a bit of a miscalibrated installment last week, this episode felt more characteristic and we finally got our boys back on track. Maya was less egregiously mean to people this week and her interference was treated as more comedic than sinister, which is a much better fit for the tone of this show. And once Kohei got around her, he finally talked properly with Taichi and asked him to stay on as his notetaker, reaffirming their friendship in the process. Despite Maya's efforts to convince him otherwise, Kohei has not wavered and his firm declaration that he doesn't want anyone but Taichi taking his notes or eating his food had me gasping. For his part, Taichi is getting better at keeping his cool and finding words when Kohei lets his feelings slip, and he's clearly thinking a lot about his own feelings and whether their connection is really about friendship.
Ayaka is in Love with Hiroko
Tumblr media
Oh man, this show has really gotten itself into a muddle. We finally got a kiss, but it hardly felt like a triumph. This episode was a bit of a return to form, with Ayaka back to her relentless pursuit of Hiroko, but the way the story diverged to change the conflict midstream has mucked it all up. For the first half the conflict was about Hiroko believing Ayaka is straight, and then suddenly it was about a different work-related closet trauma that did not connect to that. Now it’s touching on both but in a way that makes Hiroko seem inconsistent, because now that she knows Ayaka is a lesbian it doesn't track that she would continue to patronize and dismiss her, and it also sucks that Ayaka is harassing Hiroko at work despite knowing she doesn't want to be out. It feels like the story is invalidating Hiroko’s fears about being out in a way we know is not consistent with reality. This would all work better if the backstory had been about Hiroko falling for a woman who succumbed to comphet and we kept up the misunderstanding and comedy about Ayaka being straight. As it is, I feel like our heroine no longer makes sense and our couple still hasn't formed a real connection, and with only one episode to go it’s unlikely they’ll land the plane.
Mr. Mitsuya's Planned Feeding
Tumblr media
I just love everything about this show and its mature perspective on relationships. In the aftermath of Ishida's hasty confession (and his attempt to walk it back, which I love that Mitsuya did not fall for), we take a beat for Mitsuya to consider the two men circling him and what he wants from his life. I loved that he took the time he needed to process and end his relationship with Noguchi on his own terms this time, and to consider whether he has the desire and the energy to try again with someone new. When he said he has his home and his work and his Frito and that's enough for him, I felt that. But Ishida has already gotten to him, and as Shige wisely pointed out, Mitsuya must care about him quite a bit to be considering this deeply before making a move. I'm not sure he's ready to dive in, but he doesn't have much will to fight it, either. You can go here for the files to watch this episode, with big thanks to @isaksbestpillow and @nicks-den.
Tagging @bengiyo to add this week's anime update.
210 notes · View notes
covenha · 2 months ago
Text
Shame | JWY
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Synopsis: Wooyoung can't stop thinking about you (and what he wants to do to you ;) Pairings: Jung Wooyoung x fem!reader Genre: smut (+18), mdni WC: 1010 Warnings: this contains smut so if you don't like what please click away! reader ovulates, wooyoung having major pervy thoughts a/n: I wrote this all in one sitting after doing so much math for a booth making competition so there's probably grammatical errors and this might be all over the place woops, but at least I'm back from the dead! formatting for this one is non-existent but I don't have the time (or energy) to stretch this into a proper fic so this will have to do. I cannot stress enough how this is FICTION and this definitely is not telling of how the characters in this story are irl. And as always, feel free to leave your feedbacks in the comments or request something, they are much appreciated. Enjoy!
Tumblr media
So imagine this, you get a notification from your period tracking app that today you are ovulating but you don’t pay it much attention
You haven’t been having such a great day so far, the coffee machine broke for reasons unknown so you haven’t had your daily dose of caffeine, you misplaced one of your bluetooth earphones so now you have to survive a day with ½ of your music fix, and to top it all off, because you were busy looking for your missing earphone you lose track of time and miss the school bus leaving you no choice but to walk to school 
On your way to school you pass by one of your upper classman’s house, Jung Wooyoung , vice-president of the radio broadcast club who’s in charge of school announcements 
You give him a polite smile and walk on your way, but you slow down when he shouts at you to wait up
He suggests you guys walk to school together since it “just makes sense”, the introvert in you is dying to say no but the people pleaser in you just nods along to his suggestion 
As he’s busy yapping about the festivities at your school’s upcoming founder’s week, you feel a weird sensation start to rise in your body
Unbeknownst to you, Wooyoung happens to have a black cat that he so lovingly calls “toothless”, an animal whose fur you happen to be very allergic to
You start sneezing every now and then, interrupting Wooyoung’s monologue on how the school should be investing better speakers for the football field, the first few times he just shrugs it off to some cool morning air sniffles but as the sneezes get a tad bit more aggressive he starts to feel concern for you
He asks if you’re okay, to which you just say that “it’s probably pollen or something” and he just nods at your reason
But as the sneezing doesn’t stop, a few blocks away from your school, he asks again “Are you really okay?” and then he puts a hand on your forehead to check if your temperature is up 
He feels your skin is a little warm and offers to walk you to the nurse’s clinic to which you repeat what you said about it probably just being allergies
But he relents and brings up how you feel like you might be coming up with a fever 
You sigh at this. because how were you supposed to bring up that your elevated temperature was probably just because it was this time of the month?
As Wooyoung continues to urge you to at least ask for some medicine from the clinic you just decided, you know what? I’ll just tell him, he definitely won’t stop until I tell him. So you cut him off and say “It’s because I’m ovulating.” 
Then comes a pregnant pause (I intended this joke okay please laugh)
“Oh.” is all he has to say. He feels the blood rushing up to his cheeks (but also down there if ykw I’m sayin)
“Yeah. That’s why I’m a little warm today.” You just give him a tight smile as the both of you enter school premises. 
He doesn’t have much to say as you guys walk into the hallways, I mean how could he even talk to you after that? 
He had the fattest crush on you since you signed up for the photography club last fall, and boy was he smitten. He was so excited to see you walk past his house this morning that he basically yelled at you to stop in your tracks. (This was not one of his proudest moments but he’ll just have to move on and rant about it to toothless later when he gets home.)
You had the prettiest smile, an infectious laugh, and you had a humor that just had him in a chokehold. So when you said so straightforwardly that you were ovulating, he didn’t know how to react. 
He liked to think that he was better than to fantasize about you in a sexual way, I mean, you barely knew him. Up until this point, he was probably just the Junior Social Sciences student who yelled at you to walk to school with him. 
But the way you looked when you were focused on taking the best shot, with your camera all adjusted and moving to get the best angle. He was weak to his body’s primal desires. 
Even as you both exchanged pleasantries as you parted ways, you were still on his mind. He was so unusually silent that even his friends started wondering if something wrong was going on with him. 
It was midway through a psychology lecture that he just couldn’t stop thinking about you. How soft your skin was, even from the few seconds that he put his hand on you. He bets the rest of your body is just as soft…. Soft and supple and aching for him to take a bite out of. 
He wonders if your moans are soft and breathy during foreplay, then he imagines your noises getting more whiney and drawn out. You’d look so cute all teary with your eyes squeezed shut as he kept hitting that special spot in you. 
He wonders if he could make you beg… to go harder? For more? To stop? Who knows what's going on in his brain. He just knows that he desperately wants to know how you sound when he angles his thrusts to hit nice and deep. 
But most of all, he wants to know just how much you can take. I mean it would be such a shame for you to not be pleasured when your body is at its prime. 
That night, he jacks off to the thought of you. And as he lays there on his bed watching his cum drip down his softening tip, he thinks to himself how it's such a shame that it be wasted like this.
Because he would rather it be dripping out of you. 
143 notes · View notes
basu-shokikita · 5 months ago
Text
About Depths of Humanity
So, I talked about The Duel some time back and I thought, why not do the same for this song too? It's actually one of my underrated faves from Doomstar Requiem.
This more of a rant than a strict analysis though, I just really enjoy thinking about the implications of this song and what it means in regard to Skwisgaar.
Let's start with Ishnifus' warning. He claims that inside lies danger, the ghosts of their pasts and their fears. He cautions them to stay alert and Dethklok brave forward, even if scared.
Tumblr media
Inside, they encounter their old manager, old groupies and Skwisgaar's old guitar teacher, in that order. As promised by Ishnifus', they're all people from their past, coming back to haunt them.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Immediately, these people start recriminating Dethklok for not having paid them back after how much they helped them. In short, they're jealous of Dethklok's fame and money.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
The band is clearly affected by the plaints, quickly forgetting what they were here to do. Except Skwisgaar, who reminds them all they have to find clues about Toki's whereabouts. It does not seem like they're listening to him, though.
Now up to here, I want to point out 2 things:
That Nathan and Pickles seem the most upset by these confrontations.
That, while Skwisgaar is disturbed, he still has their goal in mind.
About Nathan and Pickles, I think it makes sense, they are the leaders of the band, they're most conscious of its tremendous success. They also know they're extremely talented musicians, meaning, they're aware of their value. They know they're far from being these miserable pricks demanding rewards. Nathan had a nurturing family while Pickles used to be in a huge band, previously to Dethklok. They're both people that have been inherently helped by other people, which is why being confronted is actually uncomfortable.
Skwisgaar is certainly a different case. I have to say, I was pretty surprised to find out that he had a guitar teacher. Based on the flashbacks in Fatherklok, I assumed he had been self taught. Skwisgaar himself has admitted he was pretty poor in his childhood so it's hard to believe Servetta would've invested in his music education. Plus, he can't read music which I think would be hardly the case if he had gotten classes.
But anyway, I'll play along. This teacher is speaking English and he doesn't make any mistakes so I'm guessing he's american. Meaning, Skwisgaar took classes when he went to America, which was later in his life. To strengthen his game and/or learn the technical bits he might have missed before? Maybe? And if this was the case, then Skwisgaar would've felt less obligated to indulge to other people in his life, when he learned to be independent from a really young age. He doesn't feel like he owes shit to other people, because other people didn't give him shit. Thus, the Depths of Humanity effect is not that strong in him.
You could also argue that the loss of Toki is a far more terrifying prospect than these bitter acquaintances from their past but I'll elaborate on that further in this post.
Murderface? Well, Murderface has low esteem and is the less popular member in the band, so of course he can't fall victim to guilt-tripping. Because that would mean acknowledging he feels like he's in a better place than others, it would mean that he actually believes himself superior than others. But he doesn't, Murderface is convinced he's worth nothing, so this whole charade is more grating than anything. Which brings us to the next moment.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
The way Murderface is coaxed by the Depths of Humanity crew, is when a seemingly fan approaches him and starts praising him, claiming he's the best one. And then, is when Murderface is hypnotized by the attention. He's already such a negative person, of course more negativity isn't going to get to him. But positivism? That's another deal.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Skwisgaar once again insists that they have to find a clue on how to find Toki but it falls on deaf ears. Nathan is grabbing his head in despair while Pickles clutches his chest in what seems to be an impending panic attack.
Now I really like the wording 'I'll look if you do, too' from Skwisgaar. It almost feels like, even in this situation, he's trying to sound cool about it. He doesn't want to be the only one caring this much about Toki, he doesn't want to be the one leading this operation. He's not a leader, he's never been a leader, even less when it comes to emotional stuff, which is the implicit purpose of this search. They care about Toki, and that's why they're looking for him. But is Skwisgaar seems to be unconsciously rejecting this fact. This attachment.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
However, his bandmates aren't listening, too self-absorbed in their anguish to do so. Skwisgaar continues the search and is quick to point out at something on the wall. It's a flyer that he grabs and, immediately, seems to connect the dots about. In an unusual display of leadership, he tells Nathan to grab Murderface so they can leave. Their purpose has been fulfilled and they can finally escape this horrid place.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Okay, so this is my favorite bit, obviously. Once they're outside, Nathan and Pickles keep complaining about what they were just subjected to, and Skwisgaar stops them to show his discovery. It's the same flyer he just grabbed, and it features the place where Toki had his audition. Also known as the place where they all met Toki for the first time and Skwisgaar and him had the legendary duel.
We don't have a precise Dethklok timeline but it's been a long time since Toki joined the band. Several years, at the very least. And this building is nothing but a far away memory, from when they were a lesser band. From when they weren't the big rockstars they are now. So, it really begs to question that not only did Skwisgaar remember the place, but he did so at once, when he hadn't seen or heard of it in years.
...Unless, he had been thinking about it recently?
We know, thanks to the beautiful central section of the movie, that Toki had been thinking of his audition, of joining Dethklok, as a means to cope with the devastating reality he was faced with. We know reminiscing of his dazzling battle with Skwisgaar and the happiness he found within the band gave Toki strength to carry on. But what about Skwisgaar?
For someone who considered himself much better than other guitarists, to the point he didn't want to play with another one, to actually find an equal, someone that challenged him, it couldn't have been anything short of extraordinary for Skwisgaar.
The summit is for the very best only, yet it's quite lonely too, and Skwisgaar had been basking in that isolation his whole life. Until he played with Toki, then the idea of sharing his field no longer felt like an insult, but potential instead. He found someone that could improve his own playing, someone that could compliment his guitar, take it to even higher heights.
And so, Skwisgaar was the one to invite Toki to the band, more specifically, to tell him he wanted him in the band. While we can't factually know how the rest of the members joined Dethklok, we know for sure that Skwisgaar was the sole responsible for making Toki join, as the rest were already bidding him farewell for failing to keep up with Skwisgaar.
So, when the one person that challenged Skwisgaar's playing was taken away, it wouldn't be a stretch for Skwisgaar to look back on how it all happened. To ponder about the circumstances that lead them to the current situation. It's clear the whole band loves Toki and, unable to deal with their own sadness, drank and fucked to oblivion. This also applies to Skwisgaar, except that with him it's especially complex, given that he's the one that brought Toki to his world to begin with. Given that Toki and Skwisgaar share the same instrument. (Fun fact: you don't actually see Skwisgaar fiddling with his guitar in Doomstar Requiem, just puttings dat out theres.)
Obviously, this is a bunch of mumbo-jumbo but as any Pepe-Silvia-scene impersonator that respects themselves, I want to point out how interesting of a coincidence it is that, less than 2 songs later, Skwisgaar is saying this:
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Right before they head in to rescue Toki and Abigail, Skwisgaar imparts some reflection of his. He's been wondering if maybe it wouldn't be better to go back to being a one-guitar band. Toki has been in Dethklok for a long time now, so it's interesting Skwisgaar has been thinking about this...
...Except, that's exactly what his mentality used to be like, before meeting Toki. Right when he was trying to convince Pickles that they didn't need a rhythm guitar, he spoke these words exactly. One-guitar band.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
It's almost like Skwisgaar is trying to do some self-preservation by returning to his aloof roots. He made Toki join the band, now Toki's gone and in danger, and maybe this wouldn't have happened if they had stuck with Skwisgaar's original plan. Because they attempted to replace Magnus is why this came to be. The revenge Magnus promised did arrive.
I just wanna be clear. I don't think Skwisgaar believes he's the sole to responsible for this, I'm sure he knows Magnus is the main perpetrator here. But the facts remain the facts, and had they all stayed as they were, then they wouldn't be risking their lives now to save their fifth member.
Like this, it seems entirely logical that Skwisgaar would be thinking of his former reluctance, of the Duel, of everything. It's all fresh in his mind once again, because Toki's kidnapping has forced him to realize they're not actually untouchable. Their mortality is back on the table, and so are their bonds.
In short, Skwisgaar had been repressing all his emotions about Toki's disappearance, but from the Depths of Humanity onward, he can't help but show them. He can't help but admit to himself and others, that he wants Toki back. So much, that a bunch of angry and entitled people can't affect him enough to forget it. So much that it's making him remember how distant he used to be, before Toki. So much that it's making him realize how different he is now.
121 notes · View notes
afurtivecake · 8 months ago
Text
One thing I've been wondering is how much did Riko really see Kevin as a brother and how much did he see him as a possession? (And is there really a distinction between the two in Riko's eyes?) Because, I don't think Kevin was ever meant to be Riko's brother or Riko's equal on the court. I think Tetsuji took Kevin in as an investment, nothing more:
"Tetsuji never formally adopted Kevin. Do you know why? Moriyamas don't believe in outsiders or equals. Tetsuji took Kevin in and took over his training, but he also gave Kevin to Riko—literally. Kevin isn't human to them. He's a project. He's a pet, and it's Riko's name on his leash. Sakavic, Nora. The Foxhole Court (All for the Game Book 1) (p. 88).
To the outside world, Tetsuji taking custody over both Riko and Kevin would have looked like him adopting them and making them brothers, but "Moriyamas don't believe in outsiders or equals" so what reason would he have had to lead Riko to believe that Kevin would be his brother? A brother implies a level of equality. He probably thought this will be a learning experience for Riko: give him something to be responsible for, something that he has to learn to control because he's a Moriyama and it's about time he learned how dominate lesser beings. He probably imagined Kevin to be something like Jean was: an obedient servant who can take being beaten within and inch of his life semi-regularly, no sense of autonomy, blindly submissive, and still able to be one of the top players in his position. A valuable right-hand man perhaps, but nothing worth kicking up a fuss over.
I think (and this might just be me wanting a good story) that the whole "brothers" thing came from Riko. A neglected kid with nothing and no one to call him 'family' receives a boy, who doesn't have anyone to call him family either, and is told, "This is yours now. This is yours to mind. Do whatever you want with him but make sure he knows his place and knows how to obey the right people." To a kid who's longing for something to call his own and someone to recognize him as family, that could easily have sounded like, "This is yours now, your person, to be by your side always. Yours to tend, yours to keep, yours." I think Tetsuji said "possession" and Riko heard, "brother". And if that's not what a brother actually is, well, who's going to tell him that? It's not as if there's a single example of a normal family relationship to be found among the Ravens.
I think Riko made Kevin his brother because he wanted something more than a possession. He wanted an ally, someone who always has his back and would never leave him. Riko making Kevin his brother instead of just a pet as was intended, gave Kevin a degree a freedom that Tetsuji probably wouldn't have allowed otherwise: travelling outside of the country with Riko, not always being stuck inside Evermore, studying what he wanted...he even got to have interests and to enjoy exy even when he wasn't playing (being a Trojans fan) and he managed to have friends outside of Evermore (Jeremy). Ravens don't have family or an identity outside of being a Raven, but Riko made Kevin his brother and gave him the chance to become his own person.
If Riko considers Kevin a brother, how can he turn around and hurt Kevin like he's nothing more than a possession, you ask? Well, I'm not sure he sees any conflict between the two. To Riko, beating Kevin up isn't outside of what Riko understands as "family" and doting on Kevin as a brother doesn't go against what Riko sees as ownership. To Tetsuji, ownership might only include being able to treat a person like shit without consequence. But for Riko, allowing Kevin freedom and indulging his "whims" probably feels as much like ownership as hurting Kevin without recourse does.
It seems impossible and stupid for their relationship to be anything other than toxic and deeply fucked up, but I think Riko selfishly believed that so long as he kept things in check, so long as Kevin stayed exactly where he was, he'd get to keep him. Even when Riko starts suspecting that other people are starting to see that Kevin might be better than him, even when being brothers is no longer useful to him if he wants to prove that he's really a Moriyama, Riko can't let go of their brotherhood. He doesn't give Kevin up until the very end. He can't. No matter how angry he gets at Kevin, no matter how much he comes to enjoy seeing Kevin hurt and sorry, there are lines he can't quite bring himself to cross. Because Kevin is still his brother. Because for better or for worse, he made Kevin mean something more to him than a possession when he made him his brother.
I don't think Tetsuji expected Riko to cling on to Kevin as though Kevin was actually important. He didn't think that by partnering the two, by giving them a common goal and a common enemy, that it would create a bond between them. But they did and maybe, in some ways, their dysfunctional relationship both saved them and doomed them.
162 notes · View notes
devilstruly · 9 months ago
Text
TRUE BEAUTY
pairing - kuroo tetsuro x gn. reader
includes - mutual pining, not really confessing but also not being very subtle about it either, late night talking, commenting on the plot of a kdrama. y/n mentioned once but i promise i had a good reason
a/n - this is mostly inspired by my internal monologue while watching the show, ergo the reader is rooting for seo-jun (i'm biased sorry). also reader is ticklish. i know it's another kuroo one i'm sorry but this man is so ugh
1.14 am
‘That's fucking adorable! Fuckkkk, why is he so cute! Oh my god!’ 
You found yourself snuggled into Kuroo's side comfortably, with his arm draped over the back of the couch and a blanket shared between the two of you. 
‘What the fuck is cute about that?!’ He rolled his eyes at your reaction, his arm flailing around to emphasize his words.
‘He's making up rumors about them dating!’
‘Yeah because he likes her! He just doesn't know how to express his feelings, okay? He's traumatized.’ 
‘Everyone is traumatized, that's not an excuse. Plus, don't you always say it's best to be upfront about things?’
‘He is being upfront about it! She's just oblivious!’ 
'Like you would know.'
Kuroo turned his head to the side slightly so he could mumble a response, quietly enough so that you couldn't pick up on it.
‘What was that?’ 
‘Nothing. I just can't believe you're making excuses for that asshole.’ 
Hadn't it been for you being very deeply invested into the drama as well, you would definitely giggle at Kuroo's persistence.
But alas, that wasn't the case. 
‘That's because he has a bike and good fashion sense.’ 
Kuroo huffed. ‘What's with you and bikes?’
While stating your answer, you shifted your position slightly so you'd be more comfortable, and in addition, almost naturally, Kuroo's arm wrapped around your shoulder to pull you closer.
‘They're cool.’ You replied with a grin, to which Kuroo huffed again. ‘Oh and, I like his eyes too. They're similar to yours.’
Not thinking much of your words, you continued to watch the show unfold, head resting on Kuroo's chest. You had almost forgotten about what you said, but Kuroo finally broke the silence after a while.
‘You like my eyes?’  
Barely paying attention to the television, he now faced you fully, thankful to the darkness of the room for hiding his blush. 
‘Hm? Oh yeah.’ As you finally acknowledged the proximity when you lifted your head, you could feel a blush of your own starting to creep up on your neck.
‘They're really pretty.’ You added after not being able to look away from the golden hues for god knows which time.
With a small smile you went back to your initial position, pulling the blanket tighter around yourself whilst Kuroo tried his best to process the newly received information. 
2.01 am
‘No! No, you dumb fuck! Ugh!’ 
A loud groan echoed in the room before you covered your face with your hands in agony. Kuroo's hand was patting your back gently, though not very sincerely since he was wearing a satisfied expression as he watched the screen. 
‘There there.’ 
‘Fuck off, you like this!’ 
With a huff you untangled yourself from Kuroo's limbs, scooting all the way to the other end of the couch. 
‘I just think it works better!’ Kuroo himself raised his hands in defense, but his smile remained. 
‘Bullshit! He is clearly the better option! He treats her so much better!’ 
‘But they're already dating and she loves her boyfriend. Besides, nothing's wrong with him either.’
‘No it's not, but Seo-jun is simply better.’ 
‘You're just biased because he has a bike.’
‘I'm not! I mean yeah that's a plus, but not that important! He even gave her the keys, come on!’ 
‘Oh so if it were you, you'd dump Soo-ho?’
You immediately recognized the sly undertone in Kuroo's voice and huffed whilst you turned to face him.
‘That's not what I'm saying. And she shouldn't dump him. She shouldn't be with him in the first place. Ugh, this is why relationships are dumb.’
This seemed to get the man's attention, and he readjusted his position on the couch, now barely looking at the TV. 
‘You don't want a relationship?’ His tone became much softer than the previous question, which to you was a clear indicator that the conversation had suddenly become serious. 
You chose to write the change off as the late hour delirium. 
‘I mean…it's not that I don't want it, it's just like- not right now. I don't know. I mean if the person I like is - um - will be someone I can't imagine my life without, then I'd drop this…way of thinking.’
‘Oh.’ 
The one syllable Kuroo managed to get out had you turning your head towards him in confusion, only to be met with the sight of him mumbling something under his breath. 
Opting not to point it out at the moment, you tried to distract him instead. 
‘And you?’ His head shot up in an instant. ‘What's your take on relationships?’ 
Suddenly looking anywhere but you, Kuroo shifted uncomfortably in his seat, making you raise your eyebrows as a silent way of urging him to reply. 
‘Uh…I don't- well- that's a lot of work that I don't have time for. But I think they're…great.’ 
He mentally cursed himself for his choice of words. 
‘So…’ You began, a dangerously serious expression on your face. ‘...If you were to like someone that liked you back…what would you do?’ 
Patiently waiting for an answer, you hugged your knees to your chest and rested your cheek on top of them. Unable to formulate a reply, Kuroo blinked a couple of times before taking a deep breath and slowly letting the words leave his mouth. 
‘I suppose…I would ask them out.’ 
‘Oh? Good to know.’ Your eyes widened in surprise, and a teasing smile graced your features before you turned your attention back towards the television. 
On the contrary, Kuroo still sat frozen in place, eyes glued to your side profile. 
‘Wh- what do you mean good to know?! For what?!’ 
‘Shhhh, I'm watching my husband.’ 
‘Nuh uh. Explain.’
Your attempts to distract your friend proved futile and with a frustrated sigh you defended yourself.
‘There's nothing to explain!’
‘Yes there is.’
‘Not.’ 
‘y/n.’ 
‘Tetsuro.’ 
‘Oh so we're on Tetsuro now?’ 
The sudden change in Kuroo's tone was drastic enough to cause you to tense, not turning to face him for the sake of saving youtself from a heart attack. 
‘I- forget I said that.’ You blurted out once you finally mustered up the courage to look at him. As quickly as you said that you turned your head back around, failing to notice an idea flash across Kuroo's face. 
Shuffling sounds reached your ears but you paid them no mind, until you felt a pair of hands tickling your sides. On instinct you squealed and flinched away, but with the man's quick reflexes it made no difference. 
‘Wait wait- stop! Kuroo!’ You managed to get out between tears of laughter and uncontrollable shaking, much to Kuroo's entertainment. 
‘I'll stop when you explain yourself.’ The smile on his face kept growing by each passing moment whilst your cries became louder. 
‘I will! Just- stop- please!’ Your words were barely audible by this point, but Kuroo decided to be generous and simply flopped on top of you. 
With his ear right above your heart, he could feel the rapid thumps and the heavy breathing whilst you tried to calm down. 
It was once you finally managed to get your senses back that you became aware of your position, and so your heart rate remained quick as it was. 
‘Kuroo?’ 
‘Hm?’ 
‘What are you doing?’ 
‘Me? Nothing ~’ 
Even though it was hard to see, you could practically feel the smile on his face growing. However, not minding the situation much, your hands threaded through his hair curiously and in return Kuroo became more at ease. 
3.46 am
‘Kuroo.’ 
‘I'm sleeping.’ 
‘Then go to bed.’ 
‘Just one more episode.’ 
The drowsiness started enveloping him progressively, yet he made no effort to acknowledge it - and neither did you. 
‘Fine.’ 
156 notes · View notes
impactrueno · 4 months ago
Text
(thread i posted on twitter copypaste)
i think musical bj and lydia have the most interesting dynamic of the three…they go toe to toe, seem to be in perfect sync without even trying, she managed to turn his marriage threat on its head by tricking HIM back, and then a mini redemption arc? we love to see it but this also means it's hard for me to think of interesting things for them, because they already said everything that needed to be said in the musical. perfect closure too. what else is there even to tell?
thinking about this again since i've been rewatching the musical over and over. the emotional resolution and closure they had was so satisfying after offering what is probably the best (subjectively) and most balanced (objectively) dynamic of the three iterations
over at tumblr i've been talking about how cartoon bj and lydia's friendship isn't as perfect as it seems, especially in the later episodes. it's so sad to see but i'm also invested in their potential downfall and how that would go down…it's interesting to think about
but hey at least they're not movie bj and lydia lol. what….a mess of a dynamic those two have now with the sequel. it could've been handled so much better. they obviously wanted us to root for bj a little in this one, but the cool things he does amount to nothing, pretty much.
feels weird sympathizing with THIS beetleguy of all three but wow not even a reluctant "thanks i guess" or anything? idk feels like something was missing there. just one of the many things that feel like they're setting up for a third installment
thinking so hard about this because when i write them i gotta think about their motivations, feelings and why they feel that way, etc and bj saving astrid's life and exposing rory as a fraud and abuser (in an incredibly satisfying way) definitely tipped the scales in his favor.
so i'm still figuring out how lydia would feel about all that. i have this scene stuck in my head of her and astrid talking about bj. and astrid, who's really only seen him do good things, goes "…really mom?" and now i'm going "welp she's kinda got a point, lydia" NOW WHAT.
if i were in her shoes, me personally, that would've won me over or at the VERY least i would've forgiven him since he made up for the bad stuff. and i keep seeing people who feel the same way… then again, the ending does show he's still messing with her so idk. mixed feelings
trying my hardest to work with what canon gave us if you couldn't tell lol. sloppy as it was. i will try to make sense of it so i can do my stupid little comics
i guess at least she let him down easy lmao. as sarcastic her "look i'm sorry things didn't work out between us but the 600 year gap is a little much for me" line was. but he's not gonna give up that easily, is he? of course not. he's beetlejuice. he's gonna be annoying forever.
none of this would be such an issue if they had given them more screentime together to let their dynamic cook a bit and actually see how they get along 😑 hmph
anyway thanks for coming to my ted talk im done now
72 notes · View notes
blueishspace · 3 months ago
Text
Hero Villain God 6
(Prev) (Next) (First)
Chapter 2
*Grian's pov*
It was Mumbo to suggest putting Ariana Griande online, something about the internet having more reach. He even offered to provide you with equipment... you know he's hoping to use your income to fund his villany... you don't really care for money but you find it weird he's investing so much on your "career", did the song you sang to him really entranced him that much?
Technically you know how it works, the internet is ripe for your domain. Phisically though? You are the god of chaos ...not technology and you never really cared to learn too much about it before this moment... You though it would be like making that meme of HotGuy but no... Video and Audio Editing is so extremely tedious.
You also finally build the persona of Ariana Griande, by telling Mumbo you are her you have limited your form to a variation of "Grian" ... Still you have fun with it and Mumbo looks like he's having a great time looking at her too.
Your first video as Ariana is nothing worth talking about, just the cover of soldier poet king that you have already sung to Mumbo a few days ago... It gets 5 views by the end of the day... You could push it along with a bit of divinity but that's not nearly as fun as letting the channel grow organically. You do get one comment: "Oh lord, your voice is divine!" which is very ironic... And amusing.
Your second Ariana Griande video is another cover, at this point an orginal song wouldn't make sense. It doesn't do much better but Mumbo seems to enjoy it... Perhaps you did put too much divinity in it because Mumbo takes a minute to recover after listening in... hopefully the effects will be less intense when viewing the video at a later date.
You distract yourself from the channel for a moment as Mumbo interrupts you. He is as anxious as ever and stumbles on his words but you can understand the gist of what he's trying to say. He's going somewhere and was wondering if you wanted to join in, you don't have much to do right now anyway so you easily accept.
The coffe shop he brings you is pretty small but it surely has a certain cosiness to it... It isn't that which attracts your attention though. There is a familiar presence here, you can feel it. Hotguy is here, what are the chances?
You get up under the excuse of going to the bathroom and walk toward the man that your divinity tells you is Hotguy... without his uniform yes, but it's him nonetheless. You approach and- he turns suddenly and accidentally spills his coffee on you...
...
...
..Calm down, Grian. Do not smite the mortal. Do not smite the mortal. Do not-
"Oh! I'm so so sorry! Are you ok?!"
"I- *breathe in breathe out* yes. Just didn't expect it"
And that is true, you didn't... somehow.
"Do you need something to clean yourself with-"
"No no, calm down, It's fine"
You say it to Hotguy as much as you say it to yourself...
"Are you sure -uh...?"
"It's... Grian" Then you remember about human identity, you are leaning. "... He/Him"
"Oh! Well Uh I'm so sorry about this Grian, uh wait, I should introduce myself too! I'm Scar! Uh- He/Him Nice to meet you... Well not nice since I dropped my coffee on you but-"
Oh you can't stay angry at him if he's going to act like that. You just can't.
"It's not your fault...and It's nice to meet you too"
This too isn't a lie, after all you still don't know how you managed to not notice the coffee was going to fall on you.
You turn to Mumbo, he must have seen what happened because he looks like he doesn't know wether he should get up and help or to stay in place and mind his own buisness...he's just kind of half standing?
You'll have to cut this meeting short but perhaps...
"I have to go now but if you really want to make it up to me you can buy me coffee sometime in the future"
You put your hand in your pocket and generate a piece of paper with your number on it. You then take it out and offer it to him before going back to Mumbo.
"Grian?"
"Yeah?"
"Why did you fllirt with the guy who spilled coffee on you?"
Uh? Did you? You don't think so at least.
"I have no idea what you are talking about mister Mumbo Jumbolio"
"... That isn't my full name??"
"Are you sure?"
"Y-Yeah???"
"If you say so Mimbo Jimbo."
54 notes · View notes
writingdevil · 2 months ago
Text
Tongues and Teeth PT.5 (STP)
(Broken is the second voice I'm afraid I'll write incredibly wrong,more so than Cold,and I'm so sorry for that.Also,I apologize if the sneak peek in chapter 3 made anyone think it was Skeptic with Stubborn with the line 'listen to reason'.I didn't think about how that was more of a Skeptic than Hunted response.Sorry about that and I'll try not to mess up again.)
*
"This is bullshit!"
"You just need to think about it logically-"
"This isn't what we're here for."
"Alright,fellows,let's calm down now-"
"Fuck that!"Cheated exclaimed,grinding his teeth as he glared at a composed Skeptic.The inquisitive one had his hands on his hips,frustrated with Cheated but still somehow keeping a level of collected calmness about him,sharp eyes that glowed brighter than the stars now in the sky.
"Look!I'm just as worried about Hero as the rest of you,but we saw Stubborn chasing Hunted,so shouldn't we follow them first?"
Skeptic sighed,as they had had this conversation a million times since finding each other in the forest. He gestured with his hands as he spoke,"No, because they're not going to give us the answers we need."
"The answers to what?"
Skeptic started counting on his fingers."Why are we here?Where is here?What happened to the Long Quiet and the Shifting Mound?What are those monsters?How-"
"How can we get back to our beloved Princess?" Smitten dramatically cut in,and Skeptic sighed,but nodded."Yes,that as well.Hero is who will give us those answers,not the others.You and I both know that he was the closer voice to Him,so if anybody knows what's going on,it'll be him."
"Yeah,but we shouldn't ditch the others just because of that!"Cheated argued,"Hunted looked terrified back there."
Smitten smiled at him in reassurance,one hand motioning theatrically about, while the other was busy petting Broken,who was pressed against Smitten's chest."We shouldn't worry about Hunted-I have faith in our most resilient friend and his abilities."
"Yes,Hunted will be fine,"Skeptic said,only making Cheated roll his eyes."The others all have a means of survival-"
"You think Contrarian has survival skills?"
"That's not the point.The point is,we should be focusing on what's really important-"
Cheated groaned in frustration,which grew into a full on yell.He glared at Skeptic as he snapped,"He isn't fucking here right now!There has not been a single Princess in sight!I want to understand what's going on as much as you,but I also want to find our flock,because they're the only thing that makes sense right now!"
Smitten's soft and loving smile finally dropped,and his feathers that puffed up around him and made him look more large and eye-catching seemed to wilt with his mood."Do not say that,"Smitten quietly pleaded,"do not say such harsh things about the love of our life.She was the only one that was with us to the end.What could be more important than reuniting with her?"
"Literally anything else,"Cheated bluntly said,not missing the flash of hurt in Smitten's shiny eyes,but he couldn't help it."Do you know who else was with Him until the bitter end?We were.We were there in His head,every step of the way,through whatever crap was thrown at us.But we're not in His head anymore,so-"
"Yes,but why is that?"Skeptic interrupted,only looking to get more invested the more questions were left unanswered."There has to be a reason for it all!"
"Who knows!"Cheated threw his hands up in the air,"Maybe one of the others know a thing or two. Let's go ask them."
"We just need to ask Hero.He'll know what to do."
"Yes,"Smitten added,his dramatic flare back in his voice,if a little softer now."Our chivalrous knight will be able to lead us back to our beloved."
Cheated sighed,giving both of them a heavy look of irritation.He could understand wanting to know what happened and where He went,but Cheated just didn't like the thought of simply abandoning the others for the sake of answers.
He looked down at Smitten's chest,then softly nudged Broken."Hey,what about you?What do you have to say about all this?"
Broken twisted his head just enough so that Cheated could see half his face,with an eye shining with disbelief,and Broken opened his mouth to speak,but then Smitten gasped loudly,wrapping his arms around Broken's head and shoving his face back into his chest.
"How dare you!Of course he wants to find the Princess just as much as we do!There was no one more devoted to her than him!"
"Yeah,I'd like to hear that from his own mouth," Cheated said,and motioned for Smitten to release him.Smitten only eased up on his hold,letting Broken take a step back,but keeping his arms slung over his shoulders.
Broken looked down at the ground,smaller than all three of them.His voice was low yet firm as he finally said,"She's not here anymore.She doesn't need us anymore."Cheated wasn't expecting this, but he was happy to hear the other's thoughts. Smitten and Skeptic though,looked less pleased.
"We're not worthy to be around her anymore," Broken shook his head to himself,"so who's going to protect us now?"
"Are you saying that...you don't want go find Hero?" Cheated asked,and Smitten looked appauled at the notion,trying to bring Broken closer as he said,"But what of the Princess?Don't you miss her?"and Broken actually glared into Smitten's chest,before firmly shoving himself off of him.
Broken ducked his head low,refusing to look anyone in the eye."I loved the Princess because I loved her power.I miss the safety.She chose the Decider over us,so I want to choose what will protect me the most now."
Cheated hadn't expected this response,but he's glad he asked now.He sent Skeptic a triumphant smirk,who just frowned at Cheated with a disapproving look in his eyes.
"See?"Cheated pointed out,"Not everyone cares about what the happy couple are up to now.Some of us just want to see our flock again."
Skeptic rolled his eyes."Neither of you are thinking about the biggest picture."
"Oh fuck your bigger picture!"Cheated snapped, taking a step towards the taller bird.Broken flinched,and Smitten reached out to embrace him again,but Broken stepped away from his grasp, hugging himself and inching closer to Cheated.
"All you two care about is getting back to what you used to know,and not the people around you who actually care about you,and that's not fair on them! So have fun chasing nothing-we're going to find our flock."
With that,he turned to Broken,nodding his head towards the distance as he said,"Come on little guy, let's get outta here."He turned around,marching away from Smitten and Skeptic,feeling Broken keep close as they walked,almost pressing up against Cheated's too small wings.
He felt Broken try to grab his elbow and he stopped,looking down at him softly.Broken tried not to look him in the eye,and Cheated held back his words of comfort,knowing that would only piss him off after the way Smitten coddled him.
Instead,he sighed and glanced over at Broken's wings,or lack of,he should say.The appendages were missing the majority of its feathers,leaving them bony and naked,and with Broken unable to fly.
"Would it make you feel more safe if I carried you?So that I can get us both out of danger if something happens?"Because Cheated couldn't fly either,because what was more unfair than just not having wings?Having wings that were too small to actually carry you.
Broken looked up at him in surprise,then seemed to be deep in thought about it for a few minutes, before asking,"I won't weigh you down?"
Cheated smiled."You could never weigh me down."
Broken quickly ducked his head again,but then nodded in acceptance,and Cheated easily hoisted him onto his back,giving him a piggyback ride.
Cheated didn't miss how Broken melted against him or how tightly he clung to him,but he didn't mention that.Instead,he said,"Great,now let's go find our flock."
*
"Hey Jitters,long time no see."
Jitters smiled tiredly as Opportunist approached, sitting down next to him on the makeshift beds that Hunted made.
After Hunted had calmed down,he was quick to fall back into his instincts and habits.He suggested that they make camp here for the night,and nobody objected to that,too tired after the events of today. Soon enough,they had a fire going,and beds made of grass and leaves to sleep on.
Opportunist's gaze wandered around the camp. Hunted was crouched low,staring into the fire,but whenever someone moved,his head was instantly turning in that direction,alert written all over his face.
Cold,who Opportunist hadn't expected to stick around-but when Jitters had come out of his chant, he gave Cold an almost defeated look and said, "Well,I suppose you'll leave,now that you've seen it." But Cold merely shook his head and replied with, "No.I don't think I want to right now."
Opportunist had no fucking clue what they were on about,but at least Cold was with them now.
The icy bird had merely looked at his bed in boredom,and was lying down,limbs and wings glued to his sides,and if you didn't know who he was,you'd think he was dead.
Contrarian was on the other side of the camp,using his bed as a place to rest only his head,as he was sleeping upside down,his body leaning against a tree.Opportunist had no idea how he was comfortable,or how he could possibly be sleeping in that position,but he hoped he got dizzy from all the blood going to his head.That would show him.
He still hadn't forgotten how Contrarian pushed him out of the way as Hunted and Stubborn ran past them.His brain had stopped working,and all he could manage to think about was the fact that Contrarian helped him.He could've let Stubborn run him over,but he didn't,and that scared Opportunist because he had no idea what that meant.
He understood the meaning behind Jitters trusting him-he showed him his true self,for only a few minutes,and they both came to an understanding that finding everyone was the top priority.Did Contrarian see that as well?Or was this entire thing a joke to him?
"Hey,"Jitters whispered,nudging him with his wing and bringing him back to reality."What are you thinking about?"
"Contrarian."
"Wha-Why?"
"He told an awful pun,so now he has to die."
"Ah,understandable."
They both caught each other's gaze,and then they suddenly burst out into quiet giggles,careful not to wake the other two up.
It felt-nice,to just sit and laugh about nothing serious for once.Opportunist wasn't used to it,not familiar with talking without a motive or a reason behind it,just-chatting.
Was this why Contrarian talked such nonsense?Was this why he said that terrible pun?To make everything not be so heavy?
"Good job on getting Cold on board,"he whispered to Jitters,"I'm honestly surprised he's still here."
Jitters shrugged,looking over at the bird in question,watching as the icy breath left his mouth. "I'm just as surprised as you are,but I guess I just had something he wanted."
Jitters looked back at him and said,"I take it everything went okay with the monster?"He nodded,and Jitters smiled,but now he was hugging himself and nervously glancing around them."Do you think more will show up?"
"I don't know,but I'm pretty sure Stubborn is the only pain we have to worry about."But that didn't satisfy Jitters though,who kept fearfully looking around him,hugging himself tightly.
Opportunist sighed,scooting closer so that he could drape his wing over Jitters,who froze,but didn't freak out at the touch.Opportunist quickly looked at the fire in front of them,so that Jitters couldn't see the nervous look in his own eyes as he said,"You should give us more credit,Jitters.Hunted alone could probably protect us from ten of those things,and hey-that clown and I managed to escape without a scratch.So I dunno,just-have faith in us."
He knew that advice like that was rich coming from him,but he wasn't used to comforting someone and trying to mean it.Usually,all he had to do was reassure the Decider that what he was doing was the correct choice,and in the end,it didn't really matter.
Opportunist had no experience with trying to make someone feel better because he wanted to,but judging from the way Jitters relaxed under his touch,he must've done something right.
They sat there in a comfortable silence,just watching the fire glow in front of them,until Hunted caught Opportunist's attention again.This whole time,he had been scurrying around,making sure the fire had enough sticks to keep it going,and that Cold and Contrarian were okay.Although Hunted's face did scrunch up in confusion at Contrarian's sleeping position.
But then Hunted silently walked over to Cold again, and he just stared down at him for a few seconds, before leaning down to rub his face against Cold's neck.
Jitters stiffened underneath his wing,and Opportunist just shared a look of bafflement with him,as Hunted gently rubbed Cold's neck,who did nothing but lazily reach a hand up to ruffle Hunted's head.
"What's he doing?"Opportunist asked,but Jitters just shrugged with an incredulous smile,watching as Hunted then went over to Contrarian.He actually looked a little bit hesitant at first,before ultimately deciding to cautiously rub his nose against his face.
Contrarian giggled,and soon enough,he was falling over,making Hunted jump back in surprise.But as Contrarian flopped to the ground,he grinned up at Hunted,reaching his arms out,as if inviting him for a hug.Opportunist saw the way Hunted's eyes lit up,and then he instantly flew into his arms,holding the other bird tight and rubbing his face all over his neck,face and chest.
Jitters giggled at the two,while Opportunist was just trying to figure out what was going on.When Hunted finished doing whatever it was,Opportunist lifted a hand up and whispered,"Psst!Hunty!"
Instantly,Hunted stood up,body alert and in a defensive position,until he realised that it was just Opportunist talking,and he pinned him with a gaze so powerful that Opportunist actually felt a little in danger.
"Hunted,what are you doing?"Jitters asked,but Hunted continued to stare at Opportunist,until the next thing he knew-Hunted was running straight for him.
Opportunist scrambled on the spot,but there was no escaping Hunted and his speed,and he let a loud,"Oof!"out as Hunted tackled him to the ground,followed by the cackling of Contrarian and even the light chuckling of Cold.
But Opportunist couldn't focus on any of that right now.
Because Hunted was gripping him by the shoulders,rubbing his face against his neck,not rough,just firm enough that Opportunist's head was being moved slightly from the action,and he sighed deeply,as if he had been waiting for this.
"Need to scent you,"Hunted whispered,rubbing his cheek against him and softly petting the feathers that Opportunist tried so hard to keep in place,but he could feel them all puffing up now and sticking out."Flock needs to be scented-so I know where you are-and you know that you are not alone."
Opportunist couldn't think.His whole body was frozen,while still heating up at the physical affection,and he stared up at the stars in the sky with wide eyes.
His body was shaking and his mind was full of mush,and there was no sweet talking or charming that could get him out of this-and a tiny part of him secretly wished it never end.
His breath hitched as Hunted rubbed closer to his neck,and he felt Hunted whisper against his skin, "Good-you're good here."
Opportunist has never felt anything like this before. He's never felt this warmth that was blazing beneath his feathers,setting every nerve alight,as if his body had been starving for something like this. For what,touch?Was he that pathetic that a single bit of affection felt this good to him?It felt like an explosion of heat and sweetness was whirling around in his brain,and all he could do was crave more.
Warm.Everything was so warm and soft and oh God he's never felt like this before-
A giggle pulled his out of his spiral for a single second.
Jitters was gazing down at him,a fond look in his eyes as he simply said,"Cute."and that was when Opportunist truly knew he was fucked.
He didn't have a mask on.Everything that he was actually feeling was just on display for the world to see.There was too much warmth to even think about putting on an act,or pretending that this wasn't affecting him.Opportunist was stripped bare of his weapons.
What was wrong with him?First he was laughing at Contrarian's jokes,and now he was getting overwhelmed from some cuddling.This was not how this was supposed to go.This is not the way he should be acting,or how to get people to trust him. Back in the cabins with the Decider,there was no line that he wouldn't cross if it meant keeping Him safe.He would deceive and lie and take control, because that was what he was all about-taking advantage to gain the upper hand,because that would keep them all safe.
But the Decider wasn't here anymore,and all that's left is Opportunist,and he doesn't know whether that's a good thing or not.
35 notes · View notes
jilyydoe · 5 months ago
Text
You guys.
I need an au harry-never-went-to-hogwarts
-age old argument between ron and ginny about her most recent (ex)boyfriend because some things never change
-"choose someone better next time"
-"if your such a love guru then why don't you pick someone for me and we'll see how that goes" (bonus points for a Hermione barb thrown in)
-ginny bringing up this non existent person to ron everytime they see each other trying to prove that his standards are so high they are unrealistic
-harry shows up unexpectedly to rons flat (when ginny is over) excited about a break through in the case they're working on (they're partners) and he couldn't wait to show ron because he's a big dork and gets too invested and Ron's feels more like a best friend than just a partner but Ron's suddenly shoving the files to the side and smiling at him broadly and clapping him on the back and pulling him to the dining room table because Ron's a genius and an excellent love guru if he does say so himself
-Ginny is fuming because ron is smiling smugly at her and she refuses to let him win even if harry is fit and smart and funny and brave and loves quidditch and no. No. No. No.
-harry is baffled because Ron keeps talking to him loudly about all the cases they've solved (but not about their current case) and how he's a holy head harpies fan (except he's a puddlemere united fan) and about a joke he once made (he's pretty sure that was actually Seamus finnegan)
-and the bushy haired brunette girl keeps glancing awkwardly between ron and his sister halfway between amused and nervous
-and the pretty redhead woman sitting next to him turning redder by the minute and glaring at ron but harry can't help but stare at her and how her freckles still managed to stand out against the pretty blush on her cheeks and how her eyes blazed with wickedness before she sent a clever retort back at ron and Harry marveled at how someone could simultaneously have such soft full lips while biting out a sharp witted remark
-and before he knew what was happening Ron was pushing him and ginny out the door with directions to the ice cream shop down the street claiming they forgot about dessert (even though harry could see the apple pie on the kitchen counter)
-and now it's too quiet in the hallway outside the flat and harry nervously ruffles his hair because he not quite sure what happened, what's happening now or what he's supposed to do..
- and ginny is rolling her eyes at the door and sending it once last glare (they're both sure rons just behind with his ear pressed against the wood) before turning to harry embarrassed and apologetic and tells him he's free to go about his evening without visiting the ice cream shop
-and even though two seconds ago harry wasn't sure what he was supposed to do he's also just as sure now that he's not quite ready to part with her yet so
-" well to be honest I'm not a big fan of ice cream anyway..."
-and there's a flash of something behind her eyes that was gone so fast he barely had time to register it
"But I do know a pub that makes a decent treacle tart...if you're up for it"
- and he almost regrets asking as he can sense the brief hesitation and her small smile seemed unsure and harry felt his heart sink before her smile smile broadened much like the one ron shared with him earlier (except rons smile didn't make his stomach flutter and his chest feel warm)
-they get to the pub and harry orders treacle tart for himself and she orders chocolate cake because cake is by far the most superior dessert and when he refuses to change his mind she quips that she should have known better about his preferences (after all he prefers puddlemere to harpies) and he willing sought out Ron For friendship
-and when he tells her he has excellent taste excuse me very much "I just happen to be partial to red heads"
"Unfortunately, Ron's heart is taken by Hermione even if he's too daft to realize it. Sorry, you'll just have to find someone else"
- and "I'm heartbroken, how will I ever find another smart, funny, quidditch loving gorgeous red head?"
-"I may just know someone who happens to check all those boxes you know"
-"Yeah? Think they'd be willing to go on a date with me?"
-"Well... if Fred isn't willing, then I've got 4 more brothers after him..."
44 notes · View notes
diminuel · 1 month ago
Note
Happy new years 🎉 I wish you a great 2025
Ok with that outta the way, I made the horrific mistake of continuing my rewatch of op yesterday afternoon and finished marineford which is not a great way to spend the last day of the year with but that's on me
I usually am passive with the whole crocomom/dad theory with croc cuz I thought it was only based of that one iva line and thought haha let's add another potential mom to the list(mind you I first heard this theory when I was in wci so memories of marineford was spotty at that time)
Now on my rewatch when I'm not too focused on the anxiety and mourning of ace I'm now realized how ooc croc was after sengoku announced Luffy parentage
I just went ????!?!? HUH WHAT WHAT WHAT ARE YOU DOING THIS FOR I DONT TRUST YOU WHAT
There's legit zero reason for him to kill the executioners much less help the whitebeards with akainu like zero reason
You couldn't even play off it's a 'pirate's pride' with croc like he said when he went to help the whitebeards and not letting the navy hunt down the pirate CUZ HE WAS A FORMER WARLORD HE DOESN'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK ABOUT PIRATE PRIDE WHATSOEVER
And you couldn't even argue about it paying back a debt to Luffy cuz he technically did so already in impel down
It's just, it doesn't make any sense unless he has a very strong connection regarding Luffy parentage (regardless it's because he is mom or he owe someTHING to the revs)
Ughhhh my goddd, I don't even think it's a theory anymore, I truly believe crocomom is real now andjshfjsnfj
A happy New Year and a great 2025 to you too!
Crocodile's out of the ordinary behavior during the battle of Marineford is what many people who are aware of Crocodad cite as a main reason for why there could be some truth to the theory! I did read this "live" when it was released in but I didn't like Crocodile at that time so I don't remember what I thought about his motivations. I think the most surface level one is to just accept that what he says is true but it leaves a lot of questions because he goes above and beyond what is necessary to not let the marines win.
Not letting the marines win meant "save Ace, protect Luffy - carry the next generation into the new era". Considering his grudge against Whitebeard, him following his wishes all of a sudden seems strange. But if there was his own interest mixed into making sure Luffy lives... well.
(Sidenote: I like what you say about him not having any pirate pride. I think that's true. Judged by Miss Golden Week's power he still has or at least had dreams to be the king of pirates. But he doesn't do anything to achieve it, so I wonder what being king of pirates even meant to him. (It is Buggy of all people who gives him and Mihawk a lecture about them not being real pirates if I remember correctly.))
Crocodile comes across as a character who makes decisions based on strategic merit, not emotion. But when he saved Luffy, he was clearly upset, even more upset than when he saw WB stabbed by his own crew member. And even that kind of upset surprised a lot of people.
I did write about the specific moment that proceeds Crocodile starting his out of character actions and it is WB's speech about sons, about loving them unconditionally, about doing what it takes to preserve that life. He was talking about Ace and while Crocodile did save Ace, there is way more weight to him saving Luffy - the stakes are higher (it is against Akainu) and Crocodile appears emotionally invested in it as well. "If you want to protect something, do it right." He knows that this is his son/ someone he wants to protect for some reason. He didn't react the moment it was revealed that Dragon was his dad (we didn't see Crocodile's reaction to it, but he also didn't jump into action the second he heard), but only later, when WB made his speech which also seemed to rearrange Crocodile's priorities - he has to let go of the old wounds and old grudges that he's been carrying for decades. Maybe leaving his child behind has also been an old wound, never mind what the realization that he nearly killed him might have done to him. But Luffy's alive, he's here, he needs help and Crocodile is going to provide it.
Ah, I love thinking about this theory!
(Of course he could have other ties or debts to Dragon, or he could just have done it all because he somehow decided to let go of his grudge against WB and stand side by side with the WB pirates because he used to be one of them, but that doesn't bring me as much joy to think about. And while there might have been WB and Croc backstory, the point of revealing that Croc was part of his crew seems to have passed. The WB pirates are no more; they were defeated, we got to see some flashbacks and this chapter seems closed now. Of course Oda could just reveal it in a SBS later as he sometimes does with backstories he knows won't make it into the manga.)
This is quite rambly, my apologies X'D
30 notes · View notes
chibimui · 1 month ago
Text
The Apothecary Diaries LN3 Thoughts - Ch14: His Former Majesty
LN 3: Prologue-ch2 - ch3-5 - ch6-8 - ch9-11 - ch12-13
Are you surprised I dedicated an entire post to one chapter? Well honestly so was I, but chapter 14 drops so much information about the royal family, Jinshi, Anshi, as well as the former Emperor. In hindsight, there is no way I couldn't have a million and one thoughts about this chapter.
It's also extra hard for me not to be extra-invested in Jinshi/royal family focused chapters because we get them so rarely. Jinshi is truly a character we learn about drip by little drip. Especially up to this point, and this chapter gives us basically a whole stream. It's such a gift! If it weren't for the summer retreat chapters later on this would probably have been my most favourite chapter of this volume.
(Warning: These thoughts may contain spoilers from later light novels all the way up until LN15.)
Chapter 14 - His Former Majesty
So, a fun thing with reading in Japanese is there is something called "gikun" (義訓) which is when you have a kanji with an irregular furigana reading attached to it. This creates fun things like how the former Emperor is described as a 幼女趣味 and the furigana reading for it is ロリコン (lolicon).
I don't think there is an actual proper reading for 幼女趣味 so the irregular furigana makes sense, but the characters literally read as "young girl hobby" which... I think most people can understand what that implies. Anyway, the reason for this random tangent? I just want everyone to know, I think it's hilarious that the Emperor is literally called a "lolicon".
ANYWAY. Moving on.
Tumblr media
One of the things I enjoy about all these little court politic details is how much it reveals about each of the characters without actually explicitly saying anything. The implication here is that Gyokuyou is modest, Lihua a bit more ostentatious, but befitting of her rank, and Lady Loulan is just... ridiculous. And then there is Lishu who is trying her best, but gets stuck awkwardly in the middle--not doing enough to befit her rank (presumably), but also not doing so little as to make it seem purposeful so it's obvious she's just kind of floundering. Poor girl.
Tumblr media
No someone please help this poor girl out seriously.
Tumblr media
When I think about future events, I realize this moment is actually quite significant. One of Maomao's stipulations about not wanting a relationship with Jinshi is because she does not want to become enemies with Lady Gyokuyou and I feel like part of that comes from her experience acting as both Jinshi and Lady Gyokuyou's retainer. She hasn't even done anything necessarily wrong and is already getting a small taste of what it would be like should Hongniang even get the smallest inkling that Maomao may have negative intentions towards her lady and it's not great.
We also get this passage a bit later:
Tumblr media
At her core, Maomao doesn't want to hurt anybody nor does she want anyone to be hurt by others. It makes me realize that this shuffling back and forth was probably quite stressful for Maomao.
Tumblr media
This is so cute and I love little character-building details like this. Suiren is very much a side character, but I love how Natsu-sensei still takes the time to let us learn a bit about her.
Okay. This next part. I'm basically just going to screenshot all the pages and highlight what stood out to me because there is so much.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
Besides the introduction chapter to this LN, this is some of the most information we ever get about Jinshi all at once in regards to his past and why he is the way he is.
As far as LN1 we already had snippets and pieces of Jinshi becoming obsessed with his favourite toys, but now we come across actual evidence of just how much Jinshi loved his toys from Maomao's observation. This is a boy who could've literally had any number of toys he wanted, and all he wanted was the thing he already had in this hands (or which were taken out of his hands).
And it's so clear to everyone around Jinshi who his current "favourite toy" is. The thing that really drives me crazy about this specific metaphor is that typically equating people to toys is done so with a negative connotation. This is played straight all the way through LN1 where Jinshi explicitly calls Maomao his new "play piece" and we get confirmation of growth when Gaoshun acknowledges that Jinshi does not see Maomao as "just a toy" anymore. Now though, we get that flipped on its head because we see just how much Jinshi loved his toys and how much of a compliment it is for Maomao to be Jinshi's "favourite"--he's never going to let her go.
At this point in time though, Maomao still doesn't reciprocate and her answer to Suiren's question in this moment is a clear sign of that. She may not see Jinshi negatively, but she certainly is still many, many, steps away from seeing him as anything but her boss, and this is on purpose by Maomao. At this point Maomao has many avenues to become closer to Jinshi if she just allowed herself, but she doesn't--and so I love how Suiren forces the connection a bit by sharing something intimate about Jinshi that Maomao would never think to pry into herself.
And you know what I love most? That when Suiren provides the smallest nugget, Maomao immediately takes the bait and starts asking questions. Because no matter how much Maomao tries to suppress it, she is genuinely curious about Jinshi and we know that Maomao is only curious about things she actually cares about.
Finally, Maomao's last observation about how people treat Jinshi is an interesting one. Even though Maomao does understand Jinshi a bit better now, she clearly still doesn't see the full picture. She still doesn't connect the dots of what it means that she is allowed to see this side of him--because it as an allowance, not just from Jinshi, but from Suiren and Gaoshun. Oh well, it's baby steps for our girl. Truly the teeny-tiniest of baby steps.
Phew. Alright. Moving on to the resolution of the mystery and stuff about the royal family! So we learn the Emperor was an avid painter and basically inhaled so much chemicals he managed to stop his body from decomposing. Wild stuff. Things that stood out to me:
Tumblr media
First, outside of Maomao paying attention to Jinshi, I just personally find Jinshi's reaction quite interesting. I truly wish we had access to Jinshi's thoughts throughout this whole chapter because Maomao clearly doesn't care at all, Anshi clearly has very mixed feelings towards the former Emperor, but Jinshi? Jinshi is a total mystery when it comes to his thoughts on his "father", but it's clear that this new information left him quite unsettled and I want to know why.
I also want to point out, it's interesting that Natsu-sensei decided to make the Emperor's painting hobby be this huge secret because in Chinese history there is the concept of the "four arts" (music, tactics, calligraphy, and art). The mark of a true scholar-intellect was someone who mastered all four, so in my mind I feel like you would actually want people to know he was a great painter--make him look better than he really was. Buuuuut I guess this is just proof that Li is definitely not Ancient China.
Okay - let's talk about Anshi. She doesn't show up much, but the small bit we do learn about her is incredibly revealing.
Tumblr media
This entire opening paragraph from Anshi's POV and then the memory of her first encounter with the Emperor is just...
I feel like this gets across much more in the Japanese - but Anshi sounds so detached when going through her memories. You can feel how she is shutting everything down because if she doesn't she will break down and fall apart knowing what became of her life. Yes--she is the Empress Dowager, but at what cost? Well, we read about the cost. Ugh. It's so dark.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
The description of both herself and the Emperor in this memory is so striking. The way Natsu-sensei framed things so that somehow the Emperor is the one who comes off as more pitiable than the literal 10 year old girl who was sent to him to be used.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Then we switch to feeling her anger as she describes when, how and why she became pregnant with her second son. The utter contempt she holds for this man, not just because of how he actively hurt her or others, but also that he discarded her. How much had she held back all those years of having her life threatened, having assassins sent after her, of being scorned, pitied, and looked down on for having the Emperors only legitimized son, and then to be "forgotten" by the man who did this to her. Oof.
Tumblr media
I cannot believe this piece of info was dropped so casually and then becomes so integral to events that occur later on. I love it. I cannot wait for anime watchers to have their minds blown.
And finally at the end of Anshi's musings I have some uh... corrections/editing to make.
Tumblr media
1) This sentence should be part of the previous paragraph. Anshi is reflecting on the realization that she actually loved her second son. I've seen comments with people presuming Anshi made the switch because she couldn't stand to see her son which was born out of rape, but that's not true. She loved her son regardless of how he had been conceived.
2) The entire paragraph about "there on the wall..." - unfortunately appears to have been interpreted wrongly in the English LN's. I don't blame the translator for this--it's very ambiguous and I feel like I only see the connection now because of what occurs in future chapters. In this paragraph Anshi is actually looking at Jinshi and reflecting on how much he looks like the former Emperor. The last part I underlined should read more like "But that person was gone, and few would still recognize the appearance before them that had once existed decades ago".
All in all, minor things, but I remember being very confused at this part when reading the English LN the first time. I didn't understand what Anshi had "suddenly realized" and what painting was being referenced. My first thought had been Anshi realizing SHE was at the center of the painting. I think it's meant to be a bit ambiguous though as Anshi continues to grapple with just how messed up and twisted her relationship and feelings towards the former Emperor were, and how unaware she was of his thoughts towards her.
Finally we hit the end where Jinshi has a brief conversation with Anshi. I've always loved this moment and I wish it was ten pages longer. Mostly because I genuinely find Anshi quite a fascinating character. She's frequently described as "too kind" (and it's often implied in a negative way), but through this chapter we realize she's a woman who is made of reinforced steel. She's a survivor of hell and back and then appears to have made it her goal to stop as much atrocity from happening to others as best she can.
We also get an understanding of just how little direct and open love Jinshi really got growing up, and that it was a purposeful, although regretful, decision. Even with Suiren and Gaoshun in the picture - they are attendants, staff--they can only show him so much love. No wonder why he has such low confidence in himself.
Even so, we understand through Anshi's musings that it's not like she doesn't love Jinshi. In fact, it's clear that son or grandson, she desperately wanted to protect him and keep him safe. And so before they part she gives some final words of advice.
Tumblr media
I love how Anshi's advice speaks to her acknowledgment that taking Jinshi's toys, hiding her feelings from him, did not actually help him the way she had wanted it to. So instead she changes her tactic and advises JInshi that if he is going to have favourites to hide them better lest other people find out and use them against him instead.
Does Jinshi do this? Hilariously, Not. At. All. Everyone and their moms know who Jinshi's favourite is. You can't blame Anshi for trying though.
And that's that for this chapter. Happy new year folks!
[ch15-17]
24 notes · View notes
heretherebedork · 11 days ago
Note
You might want to not tag this one, but I gotta get it out for TH/K writing.
For me, personally, I think the contrast of having such well written characters against not so rounded ones is what undersells them more.
Both Style and Fadel are really well thought, written, and consistent through and throughout, but Kant and Bison? They have their moments, but there's something within them that feels a bit empty. They're compelling characters but only in theory, in practice... I'm not sure what is exactly what they're lacking, but it feels as if they're just written for moments, for scenes between them, but they're just not well developed by themselves.
I'm finding myself enjoying much more the interpretations and afterthoughts the fandom has about them than they themselves, especially with Kant, who's peak of interest for me was at the water boat bit and then it just went nowhere. Well
Ah, welcome to the no tags zone, anon! I will keep this in that area and I respect you for it because I agree.
Kant is, for me, the bigger problem. He feels hollow. His 'fake' love feels the same as his real love and that really removes a lot of the... feelings... in the relationship. We saw Style change as he started to care for Fadel and we saw his momentary fear and then how he got over it and saw every aspect of his love for him as well as how he regained his trust after the betrayal.
But with Kant it's just all been... words. Words, words, words and none of them actually deep or meaningful. None of them feel meaningful. He's just... also there.
I think they made Kant too perfect.
He was a car thief but only for his brother!!! And he was a snitch but only to save his brother!!! The guy who calls him an asshole? Lying!!! He was really the NICEST GUY EVER. And then that just leaves with Kant the Actual Angel who only did anything wrong because he just loved his baby brother SO MUCH that he also said he was gonna abandon him the instant he got out of high school but, you know, that's... that's okay I guess?
He just doesn't feel like a whole, entire character. He feels like someone wrote out the parts of a character they thought mattered to the romance and then just... stopped. He's a really cool tattoo artist who used to steal cars because he had to take care of his little brother and now he's gonna snitch on this hitman and pretend to love him but OOOOO turns out not to be fake!
But there's no depth to any of it. It's all so shallow. The depth is what we give it but the show isn't giving us any of it. The show is as deep as the water Kant reached when he was still experiencing his phobia while we're trying to make it as deep as he reached thirty seconds later when he was suddenly and inexplicably cured of it.
AND because Kant is a Perfect Character who can Do No Wrong he brings down the people around him. And Bison is more complex and multi-faceted but because he has to be played entirely with Kant his depth ends up unable to actually be explored in the relationship because Kant doesn't have the same depth.
It's why, frankly, I found his scene with Fadel and forgiveness to never quite go as far as I needed it to go.
Then again, I still don't trust Kant. I know I have and the show doesn't care but he still feels like he's lying to me. Like, he doesn't feel sincere to me because I feel like he never changed from the part of the story where he was supposedly 'faking' his love.
(Also, fuck the idea that bringing back the safeword in the kidnapping is actually bringing back the BDSM or a good callback because it wasn't, it wasn't deep, it was a callback that didn't make a lot of sense in context and didn't go anywhere in the actual story and apparently that was also all it took to make no more BDSM for Bison, I guess?!?!?!)
Anyway, I love Fadel and Style and they make me very happy and Kant and Bison are also there. I'm more invested in Keen and Nont at this point and Nont is probably, like, tied up under the place Fadel was crying.
But yes, anon. I fully agree that Kant is underdeveloped and I think that underdevelopment has spread to Bison and I think it's weakened them as characters to the point that they cannot carry the plot or the romance... at least for me.
23 notes · View notes
pentition · 4 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
As usual, SPOILERS AHEAD.
Been thinking about some things as I lurk on the My Time/Sandrock Discords and subreddits. It's a blast seeing other Pen fans out in the wild. Actually, it's super comforting. I'm so used to liking niche titles or characters that don't get the love or introspection they deserve, regardless of where they fall on the morality spectrum.
I'm usually lurking. Liking comments or posts because I'm a shy creature on the social front, mixed with low energy all around. But one thing I always appreciate is seeing peoples perspectives and taking time to consider them. It doesn't matter how much or how little I agree/disagree - in the end, my brain incorporates what it views as right. And what it disagrees with, I further want to know about - but also won't be bothered if ideas I have don't match others. Echo chambers are boring. I want to see people take ideas that don't match mine and see if they make them work.
That all being said, I've had something on my mind regarding Pen for a number of weeks now. Between Reddit and Discord, there have been such interesting perspectives on people who want Pen to come back but then get split on him being romanceable in the future.
I've expressed in previous musings on here that I think the Sandrock Builder and Pen's history is something I love, and it wouldn't be the same with another character. But I also kind of failed to elaborate on that. After having some cool exchanges and hearing perspectives from various sides, I think I've settled more on where I am. Not that it matters to anyone but me, but it's a fun thought exercise to write out in regards to Pen's character.
I still believe Pen and the Sandrock Builder's relationship is like, my golden child for three main reasons:
1.) It has conflicting emotions both positive and negative. You get a full range of emotions. It's vague enough to allow people to speculate which also giving enough for people to know there was something serious there. I say serious because even if it was a ruse, it meant something to Pen based on how farewell and what he left behind if you romanced him. While I believe in the symbolism of what was left behind in the chest, I'm also try to take into account on the what-if that it doesn't matter to the devs the way it matters to us.
2.) Imagination is important. When you have a character like Pen, who is so himself but still shrouded in mystery, your mind tries to fill in the blanks and make sense of things. There's what we get, what we perceive and what is mixed up in the middle. Whether it's making things more toxic to making them more sincere, there's so much possibility with a character like Pen. It's appealing and an endless chew toy for my brain.
3.) The potential. This mixes the prior two. But it really comes down to it, the history they have and that potential of what could be is why I adore them. All relationships will encounter bad periods, it's what you do during those bad periods that define the outcome. Potential is always a defining aspect in anything, it's not something that has a moral compass - it just is what it is. Which means it's versatile. Potential is important to me, personally, so when I see a character like Pen who has so much of it... it's hard not to pay attention. And in instances like this where so much plot can exist, it's hard not to get invested.
Because I am not a big brain person and sleep deprived, here's the sentence that shittily segways into the next talking point that'll eventually circle back on the prior.
The diamond ring. What if it wasn't for the Sandrock Builder, but for whatever Builder (or other role) the player will have in a future game? Maybe the reason it dropped for everyone (and not a bug) was a two-fold reason. If the Sandrock Builder romanced Pen, it could be intended for them. If they didn't romance Pen, maybe it was a set up for a future game where Pen is romanceable again.
So, future romance possibilities with Pen. That's the talking point here. I said that the Sandrock Builder and Pen are my ideal because of the reasons above. Interesting history, imaginative with its positives and negatives, so much potential. Of course, I can only be biased because I don't know and haven't yet experienced the possibility of what it's like for Pen to be with another player character.
That being said, and despite my preference, I'd still be okay if Pathea had Pen in a future installment as a romanceable character for another character. Characters should be allowed to develop as characters that don't hinge on the player. And given people don't always play the games in order, it would be kind of sucky/selfish to deprive anyone of a Pentacular (sobad) romance route.
I've run a character and story editor job online since I was fifteen, I've done a lot of work in this area with clients and with my own work. And I've also been a DM/GM for about ten to fifteen years now. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that characters aren't great because of the writers - but because of who they are and can become as characters themselves. Just look at the differences between the Chinese and English versions of Pen. Yet despite the differences all Pen fans have found that same foundation that breaches language barriers and different writing directions. That is incredible core character foundation and it's that potential that has made me so invested in his character.
My ideal is probably so dumb sounding of a compromise. But it would be cool to reintroduce Pen in a future game with a romance rival option like Portia had. As in, if you want to romance Pen then you can. But if you don't, he automatically will seek out the Sandrock Builder. I don't mean up and leave asap, but whenever he is done having a role in that game he'd head out to find them. If Evershine is going to allow the Sandrock Builder to possibly appear, then why not do the same there? Only problem is it would be tricky to do a reunion that way when people have different perspectives of how it would go. Especially depending on how long it has been. It's easy to say, 'just let the player take control!' but the thing is, if players haven't played the previous games before (as in, they are a new player to the series) it wouldn't at all make any sense to do.
And selfishly, I'd totally want to have a game right after that returns to the Sandrock Builder for a Pen return. But then, that's only based on if the Builder was close or romanced Pen. For people who didn't care or go that route, it also wouldn't make sense to do.
So for a Pen and Sandrock Builder reunion that matters, we'd have to play as that Builder again in a future game. Maybe that means the Builder has to leave Sandrock for whatever reason. But it would have to be a reason that makes sense for people who didn't romance or care about Pen, too. It's all just tricky.
Which is why I thought a lot about a Pen romance without the Sandrock Builder. Of course there's potential there. It's not the same, as much as I'd love to explore my duo having a reunion. But it's not terrible either, to me, at least. In any case, Pen needs some time to figure his shit out as a person. If that means he grows and lets go of the past romance, that's okay. If it means he wants to try and see if he can salvage things after his betrayal, that's also okay. I just hope the devs come around to taking their audience seriously, because so far their players that like other characters (like Miguel, Burgess, even Ernest or Venti) aren't treated very respectfully for the characters they/their builder likes.
This is mostly be just airing out thoughts in my head since I wasn't too happy that a prior post or two didn't elaborate that I'd be okay if Pen moved on - even if I really want to see things work out between him and the Sandrock Builder. Both have strong narrative possibilities, but I like the ups and downs of the latter and the potential of it more at this time. Maybe that'll change in the future, whenever that game comes out. Who knows. ^^
34 notes · View notes