#and rouge still remained the best damn character

[idatenjumpfanatic]

Idaten Jump x DnD Moral Alignment Chart

Surprisingly this was more fun to make than I anticipated.

If you want to read through all my lines of reasoning, feel free to read under the cut. Feel free to add more to the discussion!

Also, I used this article to pinpoint each character in their alignment, but I'll pick a few lines that best describes the alignment under the cut.

Lawful Good "They seek to eliminate evil, and are willing to forego their own comfort or safety to protect others."

Sho Yamato - Sho is the textbook definition of a superhero in terms of morale. He refuses to sit idly and is very much willing to go out his way to bring justice to every wrong he comes across. That's his very character.

Miss Yuki - Yuki, much like Sho, goes out of her way to help out. Even before she found out about Sho as the owner of an Idaten Bike, she was quick to assist them to make sure he doesn't caught in a bad place. This behavior is recurring, and her compassion extends to even to the likes of Gabu despite what the kid did.

Ayumu Yamato - Much like his brother, Ayumu is very willing to help out deal with situations. He's empathic, and is willing to take the extra mile to help or thank people (ex. meeting Kiku). He doesn't like to stand to the side, but is still an obedient kid considering how much he respects Sho and the "no riding" rule early into the Team X arc.

Neutral Good "Those under this alignment are willing to recognize unjust laws, and are open to bending the rules if it helps more people."

Kyoichi Shido - I initially put him under true neutral considering his behavior earlier on, but for the entire show it seemed more fitting that he'd be put in neutral good. He's a lot less willing to go out his way compared to Sho, but will step up and help someone out if need be. That doesn't mean he's all goody-two-shoes though, as he will go against the rules if it meant for the better good (ex. rescuing Takuma from the volcano eruption despite Idaten Battle rules stating no riders should interfere with a race). A more prominent example though is that he's more than willing to omit information and even say hurtful things to Sho and co. if it meant helping the team improve.

Kakeru Sakamaki - Kakeru wasn't given enough screen time by the show compared to Sho and Makoto, but given how he responds to situations he has a very strong sense of right and wrong. He's quick to call out Shark Tooth in episode 1 how the race's winning conditions were unfair and is even willing to compromise for the training grounds, but he doesn't have enough driving force to push through what he says.

Chaotic Good "They don't care much for rules or regulations, but a strong sense of right and wrong remains rooted in the hearts of Chaotic Good characters."

Makoto Shido - Girlypop is very willing to throw hands against every antagonist in the show. - But for real though, Makoto, much like Sho, is very willing to step up and deal against injustice, but unlike her friend who'd do it through races, Makoto is very much willing to forego those formalities to get the point across (throwing a metal basin against one of the rouge gang members in ep. 10, consequences be damned, and she even has a wrench ready for round 2). She's also very vocal about injustices towards her as a female, and although her fighting against is has a notion beyond herself. She's belittled constantly because of her gender (and Japan IRL is very patriarchal), but yet she proves time and time again that she's just as capable as the rest of them, and by extension proving that girls are equal to their male peers.

Lawful Neutral "Lawful Neutrals believe in organization. Many are devoted to law and order, believing that their nation or faction would collapse without it."

Arthur - Predictably as a knight, Arthur has a very rigid moral code. Although he could've fallen more in Chaotic Good during his disguised era, with his fake reckless/clumsy acts causing mayhem, my defense is that his people, his royalty were the ruling organization before Shark Tooth, hence he's only doing what he can to restore that rulership while he's by himself. The reason why he falls under neutral instead of good is because he's more rigid with his morales, hardly considering Gabu an ally while battling against Team X, unlike Yuki who has the patience to console Gabu despite it all. Another reason why I consider him more neutral is because of his response to Imperial Knights and possessed Kyoichi: he may mourn that they were possessed by the Dark Emblems, but he doesn't let that hinder him from accomplishing the responsibilities assigned to him.

True Neutral "...are often characterized as survivors, doing whatever they have to do in order to keep themselves or their loved ones alive and thriving."

Koei & Kiku - It makes sense that these siblings are more likely to look after each other first before anything, considering that they're financially struggling. Koei was a pickpocketer prior to being hired by Gabu, and even then he chose to work under Shark Tooth as a means to fund his sister's medical needs rather than going for an honest job. - Kiku could've been put in the Chaotic Neutral aspect, since she desperately yearns for her own freedom and disobeyed Koei and the hospital staff for it, but considering how quickly she was to try and protect Ayumu after she befriended him this alignment seemed to suit her better. She's quick to defend her loved ones on their behalf, going out of her way to defend Koei's honor not only to strangers but to Sho as well. However, maybe it's because she's physically ill but we've never seen her go out of her way to help out people she didn't know, so she fails to be in the Good alignments because of that.

Chaotic Neutral "...chaotic neutral characters value their freedom above all else." "Chaotic Neutrals are individualists first and last." (note: the initial candidates for this category was Yoko and Rika because it's so hard to find recurring characters under this alignment, but after watching through some eps I found the best candidate for it)

Hosuke - Since most of Hosuke's screen time is dedicated to his character as an amnesiac owl, this is how I based him. In a literal sense, episode 2 his introductory lines is literally begging for the group to free him, but overall as a character Hosuke tends to put his wants first, even so much as to throw the kids under the bus when he felt neglected in favor of women flaunting over him in episode 7 (side note: a character trait of his that I absolutely despised, and im thankful they toned it down much much later on in the show) and demanding more food from the Four Kings in episode 38 without regards of whether they had more or not. He his selfish yes, but what keeps him from being categorized under the evil alignments is that he wouldn't go out to cause unnecessary harm, and is willing to accept the consequences of his transgressions (sometimes). If something is not going his way, he will very much be vocal about it.

Lawful Evil "...are capable of vicious cruelty and plenty of illegal deeds — but they follow a strict internal code, and thus often believe they are doing what is right or honorable." - Putting it out now, "lawful" doesn't mean the laws of the land or ethics as a whole, but rather a character's capability of adhering to a set of rules. Tyrants, fanatics, and extremists are best examples of this alignment, but the reason why Gabu isn't on here will be explained later on

Taiga Samejima - Despite the examples given, I consider Taiga to be in this alignment is because of the definition of following a strict internal code. Yes, he's willing to put heinous henchmen out there to hinder the protagonists, or for the benefit of Shark Tooth, but still he believes in playing fair during Idaten Battles. Outside that though is a far different topic (in episode 11 he had no qualms about Captain Jackal deserting Sho and co. in an abandoned island, but scolded him and the crew for violating the rules of Idaten Battle). He followed and assisted Gabu without complaints, only trying to step in and interfere when he realized that his brother was going too far. Yes, he's capable of harm, and yes he will do it if need be, but only if it doesn't go against his own code.

Neutral Evil "They have goals to accomplish, and they're certainly not going to stand in their own way."

Gabu Samejima - It's like this alignment was meant for him. Gabu will do whatever it takes to become the strongest out there and hold the power for himself. What makes him different from Lawful Evil is that he doesn't care; if you're in his way, he will take you out. He has an eye for theatrics through intimidation, and gains satisfaction from it. He's self-serving and willing to blackmail and manipulate people to get what he wants, but he's meticulous about it as well. He's impulsive, sure, but he won't go out of his way to cause unnecessary collateral (and yes, during the Team X arc sabotaging plans and wanting to abandon the group multiple times was necessary collateral for him; he knew he couldn't get Imperial X by himself, despite what he says). He hardly holds remorse for his actions, since he could really care less about what the others think of him.

The Four Kings - As Gabu's loyal henchmen, they'll do whatever they needed in order to give Gabu the upper hand—moral code be damned (hence why they fall in this category and not in Lawful Evil). Although there are times they question Gabu, in the end they'll still bend their backs for him.

Chaotic Evil "These characters often take pride in causing suffering, and pursue destruction for its own sake."

Takeshi Yamato (possessed) - Takeshi himself is not an evil man, but under the possession of the dark energy he aims for nothing else but mass destruction. He's willing to not take down but to obliterate anyone for this cause, without any regards for anyone or anything (he let Sho fall hundreds of feet off the air for the sake of winning). Chaotic Evils are the most dangerous and destructive out of all the alignments, so it also stood to reason that the biggest threat of the show falls here.

[crusherthedoctor]

Your hottest Sonic takes?

Most of these are ones you'll already know, but here goes. I'll number them in no real order because bullet points always get lumped together when I use them no matter how I space them, which bothers me lol. And as always, these are just the ones that come immediately to mind, as I'm sure to have plenty more (I'm not a contrarian for contrarian's sake, I swear D:).

1. Just because I take faithfulness to the game canon seriously - hence my disapproval for adaptations that change shit for the sake of changing shit out of a misplaced sense of superiority - doesn't mean I think the game canon is perfect. Putting aside the obvious questionable quality of certain installments, there are also certain traditions in the games that I don't exactly appreciate, and refuse to tolerate them just because I'm apparently expected to (ie: the friends standing around being cheerleaders while Super Sonic does his thing, Eggman being usurped and/or forced to team up with Sonic so damn often, characters having a limited range of interactions with other characters, certain characters being rather obnoxiously OP, etc).

2. IDW Sonic is still a holier than thou asswipe whose actions and overall behaviour don't line up with how great and virtuous he supposedly is. Prime Sonic is still an unbearable dumbass, and the show and characters are grilling him for the completely wrong reasons.

3. If your only idea for redeeming Tails is making him a yes-man for Sonic, then I don't think you actually care about Tails aside from how good he makes Sonic look.

4. Shadow coming back after his not-death doesn't undermine SA2's ending. But him coming back so soon afterwards kind of does. They should have waited a lot longer before bringing him back.

5. Rouge is not a villain. Rouge is not a villain. Rouge is not a villain. And outside of her jewel obsession, she's not even that majorly anti-heroic after SA2.

6. Eggman is a villain. Eggman is a villain. Eggman is a villain. And you can flesh him out without softening him up. Pre-Frontiers games already did it FFS.

7. Just because Cream is a little girl, and acts appropriately for the most part compared to Tails, doesn't mean she should be infantilized by the other characters and by the writing. She's more capable than she's given credit for.

8. Merlina isn't that amazing. Better than the Mephiles-tier villains of course, but she still fell short of her unique concept.

9. Erazor Djinn AKA Qui-Gon Djinn AKA Tonic Djinn AKA Other Djinn Pun is the best villain who isn't Eggman, an Eggman robot, affiliated with Eggman, or Chaos.

10. I've made my apathy for Silver well known during the last few days cause of all the IDW Silver discourse, but I'll take it one spicier step further: when people defend him by saying he earned his place, I think "...Did he?"

Make no mistake, he absolutely does not deserve to be treated like garbage by the IDW crew either way, but compared to other recurring game characters, including similarly divisive ones like Shadow, I've always felt as though he was shoehorned into later games because he was already set to as the hot new character of the initially anticipated '06, rather than earning his place more organically if you get me. And when people say how awesome it was that he almost killed Sonic effortlessly twice in '06, I ask myself when Sonic getting textbook Worf'd in a game with his name on it was considered a good thing. I mean, is that the level of '06 stanning we're at now?

Or maybe I'm just letting my bitterness at (IMO) better characters remaining one-offs do the talking. I'm willing to admit that I am indeed bitter about that. :P (Also, I'd like to apologise to Silver fans for harping on about him like this a lot as of late. I really have nothing against his level-headed fans, and I still sympathise with them on his poor treatment in the comics despite my apathy towards him.)

11. Forces is one of Eggman's best showings despite the underutilized premise. That fans' only idea for "fixing" the game is usurping him with Infinite and/or the Phantom Ruby says a lot about how much they want him to be out of the way.

12. I don't understand why the in-game racing banter in TSR is taken so seriously. Speaking as someone who otherwise takes characterization very seriously, this is like if people started shitting on Mario Kart because of Luigi's death stare.

13. Other games are objectively worse (like '06 and Chronicles), but Frontiers is my personal least favourite Sonic game for... well, nearly everything about it. And neither Sage or The End are as deep or as fans make them out to be.

14. At this point, I separate the IDW characters into two categories. The first category consists of the characters who I just hate or find lame full stop (Surge and Kit, Rough and Tumble, Mimic). The second category consists of the characters that I think could have had potential if it weren't for the awful writing, that I begrudgingly feel somewhat bad for as a result, and as such would be willing to attempt to redeem if I could (Tangle, Whisper, Lanolin, Starline before he got turned into Toothpaste Snively).

15. I respect Daniel Barnes, his work and understanding of Sonic's character in particular is certainly of a higher quality than that of Flynn and Stanley, and he also has more integrity to be sure. But I can't currently buy into the full hype since I wasn't that interested in Scrapnik Island, and since I'm very cautious of the golden pedestal mentality, since that's how people like Flynn got as far as they have in the first place, I really wish the fans who are as tired of Flynn and Co's antics as I am would keep that in mind.

16. I prefer What I'm Made Of over Live & Learn.

17. I'm not a literal "Classic Good, Modern Bad" type of fan, but the things that I appreciate most about Sonic games tend to be associated more in the public consciousness - at least in terms of gameplay, use of playable characters, and aesthetics - with classic and classic-in-spirit games.

18. AoStH is better than SatAM because it had Long John Baldry. *dab* And SatAM was the first serious split in the franchise, and the influence of said split continues to this day with the Freedom Fighter stans and their desire to make everything like SatAM/Archie, meaning I wholeheartedly wish this show never existed. *double dab*

19. I don't have a guilty pleasure, because that would imply I feel any guilt for enjoying them. I enjoy 3D Blast as a fun little time waster without any shame, and I have ironic enjoyment for ShtH, also without any shame.

20. If you use mandates as an excuse for bad writing, I officially cannot trust anything you have to say on the writing, the characters, and probably the entire franchise.

[god-wept]

epitome of sin ﹐ vessel of evil.

s. ynopsis ; mortality is a weakness, fragile mounds of flesh—built of egotism &̲&̲ cursed with vanity. unfortunately, you were a darling of naivety. wavered by the deceit of accursed children of the night.

❛ ﹠> caution! dead dove do not eat; death, gore, religious imagery.

author speaks! — short drabble, supposed to be an itoshi rin fic but with its ambiguous description of the character's features, could also be seen as any pairing you so wish to envision with this. I hope it's to your liking, thanks for reading!

daylight carves your face, honeydew glimmer rousing you from a slumber that felt as sweet as the month of may. 

the air was touched with sugary florescence, warmed as the sun caressed your idle form, laid atop silk sheets and velvety cushions.

oh, how you wished your story started with mornings from cliche romance novels—or, perhaps, it should've been what happened.

perhaps.

if only you had been good, obeyed your parents instead of letting curiosity get the best of you. had you not let yourself be swayed by the devilish guise of fanged creatures, would you have still been a character that lived in solace beside your precious family.

if only you had played the part and worn the facade of a docile child, you wouldn't have been a mangled mess of guts and torn flesh. you wouldn't have been crumbled to a mere sight of carmine carnage, not stained with the grotesque vermillion of sanguine ; as red as the rouge that hued the beauty you once held before becoming a corpse waiting for the hands of glory—end to take your soul from the land of the damned.

your brittle skeleton, your bones—he promised, would a cathedral be built around the remains of your existence. as his devotion becomes violent, ecstasy is painted across his ivory face, stardust of your crumbled core imbue the air ; remnants of hearth, it seared your corpse, phantom of a hug so disgustingly sweet around your body devoid of vitality.

and this was the creature of blood—lust's oath.

twisted romance, ardor—frenzied ; you were but unfortunate prey who, by fate's hands, stepped into the tangled mess of a trap.

by god, only the flash of your life's cherished moments crossed your mind, leaving a bitter taste of regret at the tip of your tongue. lament, mourn, and weep for the person you once were.

@god-wept! do not plagiarize, repost, or translate.

[strawsoldier]

Winter 2024 Anime-Round Up

New year, new anime folks. Though unfortunately, this is one of the weaker anime seasons. Thankfully, Spring season is much stronger (for better and for worse). So without further ado

Anime of the Season: The Apothecary Diaries (Second Cour)

Best Opening: Bling-Bang-Bang-Born (Mashle 2nd Season)

Best Ending: Anytime Anywhere (Frieren: Beyond Journey's End)

Drops: Bucchigiri & Metallic Rouge

Plan to Watch at a later date: Undead Unluck, The Dangers In My Heart, Ninja Kamui

Completed:

Frieren: Beyond Journey's End - (9.5/10)

Not much I can say about this show that hasn't been said already. Probably the only instance of an anime premiere being over 2 hours and my only thought after was "I want more". I was planning to read the manga but if there's ever a sequel with the same staff, I'd rather be an anime-only. I love Bocchi but I'm praying that Saitou stays on this.

Ubel >>>>

Blue Exorcist: Shimane Illuminati Saga - (5/10)

I'm tired of complaining about Aniplex's handling of my favorite manga. I'm just tired...

The Apothecary Diaries - (10/10)

my fucking god what a good anime this. A beautiful series that was blessed with a fantastic adaption. Maomao is a strong contender for my favorite MC of all time. Episode #04 was the highlight of the show and a strong contender for Episode of the Year. SEASON 2 CONFIRMED BABY!!!!!

Mashle: Second Season - (7/10)

Mashle is back and still as dumb as ever. But it seems to have found it's groove and still remains very enjoyable. Also that OP >>>>

Solo Leveling - (8/10)

Webtoon have not had the greatest luck getting good adaptions. They've either been really bad or just downright forgettable (sometimes both). Solo-Leveling wasn't the case though. Yeah the story and characters are about as thin as paper, BUT HOT DAMN THOSE FIGHT SCENES SLAPPED!!!! Fans of this series have no shame in saying that all this series has going for it is it's fights, and the team at A-1 heard it loud and clear. Shame all the production couldn't go into S3 of Blue exorcist (last complaint, I promise)

We will be seated for Season Two.

The Witch and The Beast - (7/10)

Sitting along side Blue Exorcist S3 (I lied) for "I wish you were better" is The Witch and The Beast. A last minute addition to my seasonal solely due to how appealing the character designs were. The story and fights were pretty cool but the animation could not keep up and most the show looked extremely janky. May have to check out the manga for this one.

[srhunt]

Thoughts on Shadow the Hedgehog (2005)

Shadow has been my favorite Sonic character for years. My earliest exposure to Shadow was at my local Boys & Girls Club. We had a GameCube where kids would take turns playing games. I distinctly remember watching several kids try to beat the final boss of Sonic Adventure 2, though I didn’t fully click with it at the time. My first real exposure to him was through cutscenes posted to YouTube in the early 2000s because I didn’t have a gaming console growing up. I would watch Sonic X when I was able, specifically seeking out the episodes with Shadow. When I finally got a PS2, I got Shadow the Hedgehog because, well, Shadow.

I was not great at it. I struggled a lot because of the slippery controls, flying off stages, and bombardment of bullets. I maybe got through one ending if that.

And for the longest time, that’s all I really had. I got a PS2 towards the end of its lifecycle, the PS3 was already out and I struggled to find other titles.

I had other Sonic games like Sonic Unleashed, Sonic Colors, Sonic and the Black Knight, but outside of party games like Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and Sonic & SEGA All Stars Racing, Shadow the Hedgehog is still the only story driven game I own where Shadow is playable*.

So, when the recent news about Sonic the Hedgehog 3 and Sonic x Shadow Generations dropped, I decided to finally beat Shadow the Hedgehog after all these years.

Over the course of 4 days, I worked my way through the 8 remaining endings I had left (having completed the true hero path and the semi hero path a few years prior). And after a decade of owning the game, I beat it.

So what are my thoughts?

While I can acknowledge the game’s flaws…I still don’t hate it.

I’ve watched several videos that explain why this game is terrible, from the mechanics to the butchering of Shadow’s character. And I agree.

Chaos Controls

The game is hard to control, I recognized this even growing up, but I mainly chalked that up to “I’m bad at Sonic games”, which is also true.

Until I beat Shadow, I’d never beaten a Sonic game because I lacked the reaction time. We’ve come close, we’re at Eggmanland on Sonic Unleashed, but I had never beaten a Sonic game.

I even tried to play Radical Highway on my friend’s copy of Sonic Adventure 2, and I struggled hard with the controls.

Shadow’s controls are indeed wonky. Multiple times my homing attack would send me flying off the stage, Shadow wouldn’t aim at the enemy right in front of him, and I’d miss jumps because Shadow would stagger on the edge of a platform.

After I learned how to better manage these flaws, the game became much easier. I began to slow down my homing attacks so I wouldn’t fly away, and started jumping before the edge of the platform. This didn’t erase these problems, I still fell off the stage from time to time, but they didn’t happen as frequently. I got so good that I got A Ranks on the neutral paths for Westopolis and Prison Island.

Shadow’s air shoes make him slippery to control, but I feel like all Sonic games are slippery? Maybe that’s just me, but even with Adventure 2 and Unleashed, I felt like I was slipping and sliding all over the place. So, with Shadow, I’d slow down a bit if I felt like I was going out of control. Granted, this is still a Sonic title where speed is key, so the advice to “slow down” is not really the best if you’re going for all A Ranks.

I Think You’re the Fake Hedgehog Around Here

This is the game where Shadow gains his “Edgy Hedgie” status.

He has guns!

He says “damn”!

He hates humans for killing Maria! (Even though…that’s not what Maria wanted)

He wants to learn the truth about his past cause amnesia’s a bitch! (Even though…he already learned hakuna matata in Sonic Heroes, apparently)

Yea, I admit this game is a huge step backwards for Shadow’s development. Post-SA2 Shadow cares deeply for his closest friends, mainly Rouge and Omega, but is reserved around others. He’s a hedgehog of few words. He has respect for Sonic, a little bit of a rivalry, but it’s not to the extreme where Shadow hates him. He doesn’t hate humans, but if push comes to shove, he will defend himself if they attack him first. This side of him is well illustrated in the cutscenes for Sonic Heroes and, yes, even Sonic ‘06.

However, this is not the Shadow we see in his titular game. Shadow’s cold towards Sonic, he sounds annoyed anytime he shows up. Depending on the path you take, he becomes downright cruel. He never really talks to many of the other characters outside of the ones in cutscenes. And when he does speak to them, it just feels out of character most of the time. Shadow has a distain for humanity, commenting how they’re pathetic and he doesn’t have time to for them when the Black Arms begin destroying Westopolis.

However, there are a handful of parts where the Shadow of Sonic Adventure 2 and Sonic Heroes can be seen.

Any level where Maria is your companion is a good example. Especially the cutscene before Lost Impact.

Cryptic Castle Hero, you help save Cream and Cheese, afterwards he heeds them to stay away from Doctor Eggman, showing he does care about them.

The Pure Hero path is probably the closest you get to Shadow’s true character, even though there’s still a few moments that feel off. “This is like taking candy from a baby, which is fine by me” is probably the most out of character line, and you’ll only hear it by doing Hero missions.

Apparently this line still relevant to Shadow, as he steals popcorn from a Chao in an official Sonic Team Racing animation.

This might be a hot take, but the Dark Path on Final Haunt didn’t feel like a sudden betrayal to me? The way Sonic talks during and after the fight makes me feel like he saw it more like a friendly competition. Especially when you compare his dialogue to the other endings where you fight Sonic.

Final Haunt Dark Path

(Before the Boss)

Sonic: “Shadow! Why are you siding with those black creatures?”

Shadow: “Siding with them? You’re joking, right? I’m just siding with whoever goes against you! This time you’re going down, Sonic!”

Sonic: “hehehe, if that’s how it’s gonna be, Shadow, then bring it on!”

(Start Boss Fight)

Sonic: “Alright. Ready to do this? Come on!”

(After the Boss)

Sonic: “…Man…I didn’t think ya had it in ya…”

Sonic’s delivery makes it feel like he’s not angry with Shadow, but that he’s impressed. At least that’s how I read it anyway. He doesn’t sound distraught or scared like he does in the Pure Dark Path, he just sounds exhausted cause Shadow put up a good fight.

Sonic even offers Shadow a “friendly competition” if you do the Hero Path in Westopolis, but Shadow declines because he’s got other priorities at the time. He still doesn’t agree with Black Doom’s mission, he just wants to take Sonic up on his earlier offer.

Regardless, this game has had a lasting effect on Shadow’s character that he’s still trying to shake off. He went from a solemn hero who cared deeply for his closest friends, to an angsty anti-hero who only cares about himself.

Thankfully, it seems like he’s starting to get back to his old self in Sonic Prime (I’ve only seen season 1 and a handful of clips from the recent seasons, haven’t been able to get caught up, so correct me if I’m wrong).

Let’s hope Sonic 3 and Sonic x Shadow Generations continue to repair the damage.

In His World, Your Choices Don’t Matter

Shadow’s gameplay has three paths you can take; Hero, Dark or Neutral, with 10 possible endings. You can mix and match these paths however you please. You can start Dark then redeem yourself, turn on your friends in an act of betrayal, or just say “nah, imma do my own thing”. This freedom of choice was a massive selling point for the game. Do you want Shadow to be a “black-hearted evil” or “brave-hearted hero”?

This freedom of choice is present in a handful of my favorite games, like Epic Mickey and Undertale.

But, Shadow fails at this “choose your own adventure” format. Yes, your choices impact which of the 10 endings you get, but none of these 10 endings are the true ending.

This is apparently left over from the Sonic Adventure-style games where you had to play everyone’s storyline to unlock the last story, where all the characters join together and fight the Final Boss.

However, this format does not work when we follow one character for the entire game.

In order to unlock the true ending, you have to complete all 10 endings. And if you’re someone like me who always goes for the good endings because being mean makes you feel bad, then this will be a hard pill to swallow.

The Last Way begins with Shadow already in possession of all 7 Chaos Emeralds, we have no idea how he got them, so basically every path you spent hours playing mean nothing. They’re not canon. Only a few parts here and there are still relevant past this point.

No matter what you did, Shadow will always turn on Black Doom, destroy the Black Comet with the Eclipse Cannon, and save the world. Which kinda negates the whole “choose your own adventure” gameplay.

Epic Mickey’s ending is also the same no matter what you do, Mickey still defeats the Blot and frees Wasteland. However, you’re still shown how your actions impacted the residents of Wasteland. For example, if you choose to paint the Clocktower boss, you see it happily playing with some Gremlins. But if you destroy it by thinning its arms, you see it lying in ruin.

Shadow’s endings are more like the ending from Clue.

The only parts that remain canon are the Chaotix story, and conversations Eggman had with Shadow on the Neutral path.

Throughout the game, the Chaotix are digging into old files. Charmy is looking for secret disks on Prison Island, Vector is looking for the notorious computer room on the ARK, and all three were hacking into Eggman’s computer before Digital Circut. The data they found contained a video message from Professor Gerald addressed to Shadow. Gerald explains the purpose of the Eclipse Cannon, and we’re shown it was recorded before Maria’s death, as she pops in at the end.

That is one revelation that enhances Sonic Adventure 2’s story, in my opinion. Professor Gerald created the Eclipse Cannon to destroy the Black Comet when it returns in 50 years, only using it against humanity after Maria was killed.

If you battle Devil Doom past the 9 minute mark (which I did a handful of times because I’m a terrible shot), Eggman will tell Shadow he lied about him being an android and that he rescued Shadow at the end of Sonic Adventure 2, and he is, in fact, the real Shadow. Which…I feel like was obvious because our Shadow had more polygons than the androids.

Also the Sonic Heroes manual straight up says that he is the real Shadow and he survived the events of Sonic Adventure 2, so…

Where There is Shadow, There Must Also Be Light

I’m the type of person who always tries to find the good, even in the worst things. So here’s some things about Shadow that I did love.

The pre-rendered cutscenes look amazing. Almost 20 years later, and they still hold up.

By the way, guess who worked on these amazing cutscenes? After watching the credits 11 times, I noticed a couple names in the credits, Jeff Fowler and Tim Miller. Not ringing any bells? Well, Fowler went on to direct the live-action Sonic movies, and Miller was a producer on them. This is their only Sonic credit outside of those movies, so I think it’s safe to say we wouldn’t have these awesome movies if it weren’t for Shadow.

The soundtrack is also great. “I Am…All of Me” is still one of my favorite Sonic and Crush 40 songs, “Never Turn Back” struck a cord with me, and the rest of the lyrical songs had me vibing while I took a breather during the credits.

It might just be because I had to replay the levels multiple times, but I’ve had a handful of those tracks stuck in my head for years. Circus Park, Sky Troops, Lava Shelter and Cosmic Fall are a few that stick out. “Vengeance is Mine” from Sonic Adventure 2 returns as the soundtrack for the 2P Battle Mode. Yes, it took me a long time to realize it was the same song. Even when Sonic games are “bad”, they never slack on the soundtrack.

Goodbye Forever, Shadow the Hedgehog

I consider Shadow the Hedgehog to be one of my guilty pleasures. I recognize there’s a lot of things that don’t work. Shadow’s character took a drastic turn that he’s still trying to recover from, the controls feel like roller skating on ice, the “choose your own adventure” gameplay forgot about the “choose your own” part, and it’s so edgy you can slice your hand open just by touching it.

But despite all of this…I still enjoy it? Even though I was annoyed and exhausted by the game, I still had fun. The good parts are still good enough that I unironically enjoy them. And the bad parts at least can get a laugh out of me with how dumb they are. “Where’s that damn FOURTH Chaos Emerald?” and “Find the Computer Room!” are classic Sonic memes.

Do I recommend beating Shadow? Oh hell no. Not unless you’re a serious Shadow stan or a masochist. I’d say play as much as you can tolerate.

*in the time since I wrote this, I got a copy of Sonic Heroes. Currently stuck on the Power Plant level with Team Dark. HOW DO I GET PAST THE LAVA??? 😭

[socksoinabox]

[ganymedesclock]

Ooh ooh ooh, how about your version of Sonic for the powers thing?

You see, Sonic is fast, because if he doesn't keep ahead of his problems, he'll have to actually think about them, and then he'll have a crisis.

This is partially a fun opener joke and it's also not. I'll let you decide how much of each it is. In the meantime, I'm going to talk about what my reads of various canons inspire in me, and how that informs Worlds AU, a bit more than talking about Worlds AU itself.

So Sonic in the initial game canon, started out with an extremely simple conceit. You can see this mirrored across all of the non-Amy classic characters: Sonic runs, that's his thing; Tails flies, Knuckles punches, Eggman makes robots and also problems, which sort of condenses into one thing considering the role robots have in the classic games.

(that damn caterkiller has cost me SO many attempts at a chaos emerald...)

This sort of got to be a problem as the games advanced. In particular, the Sonic game I started on was Sonic Adventure 2, which pitted Sonic very prominently off of Shadow. At this point, character concepts are no longer about simple capabilities, and every other member of the cast has grown up. (even Amy... though not too much. sorry Amy). Tails is now building robots to go with how his flight allows him to reach unconventional 'tricky' routes; Knuckles is now more of an adventurer, explorer, and even a mystic given his history and relationship with the emeralds. This earthly pugilist sense grounds him in a more versatile skill-set.

Sonic... basically his gimmick was remaining true to the classic formula- he was still the one going fast, popping those shuttle loops, and tumbling through a chaotic universe. Yes, they absolutely polished this and put flourishes on it- now he's grinding rails and flipping on poles, this sense of street-smart parkour that carries him cheekily through any environment...

But he's played off Shadow, where the thing about Shadow, especially in the first game, is Shadow is a person who suppresses most of his personality for his context. Not in an inorganic or badly written sense, mind- but he outright says to Rouge at one point that it doesn't matter if anything he remembers is fake- in essence, that it's more real than he is, and a dead person's wish is more important than his life.

Shadow is a soldier, is an alien, is a bioweapon, is a teleporter and he shoots lasers. We are beyond the days of simple conceits; if he was conceived in the classic era, he'd have probably been either only a jet-skater or a teleporter, and that one conceit about how he moved through the world would've been through everything.

Sonic picks up the chaos control from Shadow- in direct reaction to Shadow- and this is commented on. In this scene, Sonic not only rejects Shadow's unhealthy obsession with context- that where he came from was everything- but mirrors it with an attitude that, frankly, to me, rings just as unbalanced- Sonic basically denies having a backstory whatsoever.

"What you see is what you get!" he says.

And that flew in the classic era. We didn't really have a consistent or strongly-drawn backstory over why Sonic was fast. Most continuities around that era point it to either an accident or a happenstance synergy with an outside force. But we didn't really need a story over why Tails can fly or why Knuckles had spurs on his fists.

But in the modern era... there's context. Many characters have superpowers. And more and more, there was a sense that those superpowers had context and history, whether the outright spelled, like Shadow (he was engineered to be capable of this; if you look at him, he has most of the abilities you'd expect of a boss fight in Resident Evil, minus the squelchy, infectious sorts and the Black Arms imply he could well have those and just not use them)

...or the simply alluded, such as Blaze's ominous comment that her flames are the reason she was always alone.

Sonic... clearly has powers. He's been reframed to keep up with he setting as it changes. But that exchange between him and Shadow- where Shadow looks at what Sonic is capable of, looks at him, and asks, verbatim, "what are you," and Sonic delivers a non-answer so naked and so certain that there's not really anything to say to that.

To this end, while I think it's highly intuitive that they picked the wind as the motif to spice Sonic up to- with its sense of freedom, and with its association with speed- I think there's also something about air in general that connects to Sonic.

Air is... omnipresent. It has an extremely complex seething system high overhead. Enormous paths and belts and spirals of wind curl over us all the time, pushing clouds the size of entire states around like it's nothing. When you look at the sky, it looks stationary. But wait, squint- it's actually moving. It's actually moving really fast.

One of my absolute favorite characterizing moments of Sonic is in Archie Comics, specifically the post-reboot series. To keep context minimal, Tails confides in Sonic that he's losing his memory of a certain incident that affected both of them, and he's worried; Sonic reassures him, typical hero big brother best friend, and gives him a big hug. The scene is warmly lit.

The very next panel is literally in the shadows, over Tails' shoulder and behind his back. And Sonic's expression is... troubled. Telling. We immediately understand from that alone he just lied, and has no ability to 'just remember for Tails'.

Sonic is not a vacuous person. He's not empty, he's not innocent, and he's certainly not just your same good nostalgic friend who never changed or got complicated so you don't have to reevaluate all of those things- the guy you can always count on, just like the sky is always there- but he sure pretends to be all of those things, and tries to keep the stormy weather as far away from other people as possible.

This is given another heroic-sounding-but-actually-concerning context in Sonic Unleashed, one of several games in which Sonic shows a maybe suspicious but profound aptitude for darkness where he guzzles and serves as a very powerful conduit for the energy of Dark Gaia, who is strongly connoted with rage, despair, denial, and other states considered bad for your health.

Sonic asks Chip- who he's just found out is Dark Gaia's counterpart- if it was his protection that kept him from losing his mind the entire time. Chip denies this, and states instead it's that "you never let the darkness win."

The thing is... anger and sadness are actually pretty important to feel. And it's actually not true that Sonic as a character doesn't feel anger- there's a few rather notable scenes in which he really loses his cool, some of them within Sonic Unleashed itself (he actually scares Eggman at the culmination of the Egg Dragoon fight) and in the game Sonic and the Secret Rings he actually achieves a super form powered by negative emotions- and that game also ends on a surprisingly melancholy note, where Shahra, when leaving Sonic, specifically gives him a bunch of tissues, a nod to how they met, and specifically "So you can cry as much as you need to."

Sonic is a good person. But Sonic is also... kind of a liar. He has this powerful connection to these highly destructive and dangerous entities- Dark Gaia, Chaos- and this is a thing he, pointedly, doesn't wonder about. And it's not arrogance, or an inability to consider the possibilities- in Sonic Colors he is very real with himself that he can't outrun a black hole, but only admits that once Tails is out of earshot on the one safe ride away from it- and while gearing up to try to do so anyway.

Wind is a contradictory thing. In the sky, we consider the possibility of ultimate freedom; flight and wings are often depicted as symbols of enormous power and efficacy because the very notion of being able to go wherever you want to captivates us.

On the other hand, though, a state of freefall is terrifying. In the unparalleled freedom of the sky, absolutely nothing can catch you if you fall.

(you know, except Tails, if you're fighting Eggman in Marble Garden- I'll leave)

We can talk about a bolt from the blue, a sudden storm or a just-as-sudden clear blue sky... the mechanisms of the air around us are often very hard to perceive for their superficial simplicity. And on sunny days when the wind lazes slowly through the leaves, it's hard to think of it as capable of hurricane forces.

I guess the note I want to leave this on is, it's pretty interesting how Sonic genuinely likes running, but he also tends to either outrun or fight anything that stresses him out- and "what he is" and "what he's capable of" is something he really doesn't like talking about even if he's happy to show or compete it.

[kumkaniudaku]

Understanding

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17

Recommended Listening: Understanding x Xscape, Purple Emoji (ft. J. Cole) x Ty Dolla $ign, My World x Asian

Word Count: 2,137 

If you were going to win an award that afternoon, it’d be for attire, not confidence. Your expertly crafted golf outfit was the only thing willing your feet forward once you parked your car in front of Senior’s golf course.

Black women and men dressed like modern Jet magazine ads waltzed in and out of the clubhouse while you scanned the area for your party. You’d been to your fair share of golf courses, but none as exquisite as The National. Marble accents complemented modern brass finishes and unbeatable views of the city. The desire to take photos for your father was almost too much to shake, but you managed to play it cool. Acting out of place was surely some type of faux pas for the wealthy.

Across the way, Senior sat at the bar sipping a glass of water while thumbing through a newspaper. His furrowed brow was identical to Yahya’s whenever he was knee-deep in work or a good book. The mental comparison made you smile before ushering in a tinge of sadness. For two people so undeniably similar, they were miles apart physically and mentally.

You navigated through groups of young and old alike on the way to the bar.

“You made it on time,” Senior spoke without looking up from a story on education budget cuts.

“I made it with time to spare.”

“You don’t get praise for doing what’s right.”

“Think of how much better things would be if we did.”

Senior paused his reading to take a deep breath and shake his head. You mentally berated yourself for overstepping so soon. Not even five minutes into the outing and you had already committed an avoidable infraction

Yahya I prolonged the unbearable silence as he continued to read through another article, reading each line painstakingly slow while you watched in agony.

“I apologize. That was unnecessary.”

“I’ll ask you again,” he spoke, finally looking away from the newspaper to study your face. “Let’s leave the character right here. We’re here for a purpose, so grab your clubs and follow me to the first hole. I hope your game is as good as you are at running your mouth.” Taking his retort in stride, you quickly grabbed your set of clubs and followed with no objections. “After you.”

Senior found himself immediately impressed though he wouldn’t verbalize his feelings. He watched you breeze through each hole with near expert precision, opening a series of questions at hole 5 during casual small talk.

“Where’d you say you were from again?”

“A tiny town in South Carolina that you probably wouldn’t know.”

“Try me,” he answered while taking stock of his position on the fairway.

“Anderson, South Carolina. Home of Larry Nance and the great Chadwick Boseman.”

“Can’t forget James Kennedy, Young Lady.”

You cocked your head back in surprise. “What you know about Radio? I mean outside of what the movie says?”

Senior remained quiet long enough to take a hard swing. The loud “whiff” of his driver slicing through crisp, clean air didn’t match the stroke’s output. Both of you watch the golf ball sail high into the air before making a landing well short of the intended destination. Senior shook his head at the miscalculation before turning to answer your question.

“Black folks from all over are connected, even without all that Snapgram and Facebook foolishness.”

“I could argue it’s helped, right? How else would you be able to share your granddaughter’s first steps with the whole family?”

“In photo albums. You might not remember those, but they did us just fine.”

“Yeah, but it’s instantaneous conversation and information. Who wouldn’t want that?”

“Maybe instantaneous conversation is the problem. We aren’t making enough time to stop and really think about what we’re saying to each other.”

“Mm.” You let the conversation naturally taper before following Senior to his golf cart. The rolling hills provided enough scenery to keep you interested while you sorted the words in your head.

“I think we may have started off on the wrong foot.” You spoke once the cart came to a full stop. Senior trailed behind in silence, gathering a new club while watching you examine the other golfers in the area.

“You’re rather observant.”

You chuckled and plucked a club from your bag. “I’ve been told. Yahya calls me Eagle Eye when I catch something he’s already talked about ten minutes ago.”

“It’s what his Big Mama used to call his Pop-Pop for the same thing. That man was notoriously late to the punchline.” The nostalgia in Yahya I’s voice caught you off guard though he didn’t see your minor fumble. Something in his retelling appealed to your sense of compassion in a way that you considered long gone when it came to him.

“Let’s not beat around the bush. You have an issue with my presence that we should discuss. Because I can assure you, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Bold,” Senior responded with a sarcastic laugh. He gestured to nothing in particular as you squared up to take a swing and nodded. “And direct. Continue.”

You took a moment to hit a line drive toward the green in the distance, using the movement as an outlet for the unexpected nerves churning your stomach. Both of you quietly watch the golf ball for its final resting place before you turned to speak.

“You are extremely hard to please, and it is literally ruining your family. Yahya does everything in his power, and, excuse my French, you don’t seem to give a fuck. Why is that?”

“What makes you think that my love isn’t what makes me push him to be the best that he can? It may not be the fluff and frills you’re used to in your home, but it’s what he needs to get him to his potential.”

“Did it help you?”

Senior mistakenly allowed a quick moment of confusion to take over his features. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“You tell me. When’s the last time you enjoyed a laugh with your family or felt like you could just...be? You’re carrying a weight that is crushing the people around you, and you don’t even see it.”

“You don’t…” Senior caught his words and bottled them behind his lips. He took a deep breath as he approached his golf ball and took a half-hearted swing. Noticing his misstep, he shook his head. “I’m from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My father, Yahya’s Pop-Pop, moved my mother and me to a shotgun shack to find work when things weren’t quite shaking out back home. He was in and out of trouble and such. Couldn’t get right, but he had a natural knack for building and design.”

A nearby group of golfers erupted into laughter, helping to break up some tension.

“So architecture’s been in the family for a while,” you asked. Yahya I curled the corner of his lips into a far-off smile.

“A long, long time. It got us out of that shack when my siblings came along and into a house with our own rooms and a backyard. But, my father was a hard man. Hard to please, you know,” he laughed, making a reference to your earlier words. “He wanted the best from me, and he made damn sure he got it. I needed that to get my head out of the clouds.”

“You also needed some reassurance.”

“Perhaps. But, what’s done is done. I look at what I’ve built with no complaints, especially when it comes to my boys. I couldn’t be more proud of the men they’ve become.”

Senior’s proud smile almost looked foreign on his face. You’d never seen more than an indifferent expression or the slight twinge of anger smoldering behind his eyes.

Leaning on your club, you kept your eyes forward to gaze out over the course.

“Yahya would love to hear that. I don’t know if you know this, but he is desperately searching for your approval. There is not enough praise from me or anyone else that could replace knowing that you’re proud of him. Yet, as much as he would like to tell you these things himself, he’s afraid that you’ll think less of him for being vulnerable.”

“I could never think less of the boy. Tough love is still love.”

“Maybe for you,” you added, shrugging. “But, what good is continuing this cycle if it’s hurting the children you claim to love and the grandchildren after them?”

Senior dropped his head in thought before looking up with an unreadable expression. “Deuce will be fine. He’s all the best parts of his mother. I...I’m confident he’ll figure out fatherhood on his own despite my shortcomings. We raised him well.”

“Forgive me if I’m overstepping -”

“That has never stopped you before, young lady.” His light-hearted chuckle invited you to follow suit.

“Fair point,” you laughed. “So, let me cut to the chase. Allowing Yahya to just ‘figure things out’ is a passive existence. Yahya says you’re constantly reminding him to take things into his own hands. Sounds like you should take your own advice. Be the parts of your father that you needed at 33.”

Instead of acknowledging your advice, Senior twirled his club in his hand on the way to the golf cart. He maintained an impenetrable poker face that even the most skilled readers couldn’t interpret. You silently hoped that at least some of your words had made it through his thick skull, but you chose to let the discussion meet a natural end.

As he started the cart, Senior turned to you and smiled. “How the hell you learn to swing like that? I know it wasn’t in Anderson.”

“Hey, we play a little golf here and there!”

“Where? Out in the woods?”

“No, out in the Bayou like you did.”

A small smirk crept across your face as Yahya I chuckled at your joke. He sounded identical to Yahya, full of mirth and beautiful melodies.

“The ole Bayou,” he repeated in a thick accent. “You ain’t seen a place more beautiful in your life.”

“Maybe Yahya and I could visit one day.”

He quickly looked over and shrugged. “Maybe. For now, you focus on defending this lead. I think I’m getting back into my rhythm.”

Senior couldn’t make a convincing comeback, but he did show glimpses of a softer, more personable disposition. He cracked jokes on occasion and asked questions that turned the conversation from a therapy session to banter between associates. Your mind traveled to the possibility of civil family dinners or vacations during the ride home. Though it seemed silly to create imaginary scenarios after one conversation, you couldn’t help the urge to see a better future.

Your happiness helped you float into your shared apartment, making Yahya smile when he caught a glimpse of your wide grin and short skirt.

“Damn, girl,” he hollered from the couch with Leche cradled in his arms. “If Tiger was out there cheeked up like that, I might’ve paid a little more attention to the golf network.”

“Oh, really?”

Your raised eyebrow made Yahya kiss his teeth once he caught on to the joke. “You know what I meant. Where you been anyway?”

“Oh, I was just out doing a little golfing...with your dad.”

“Right. That was today, huh?”

Even Yahya’s best attempt at feigning interest, his question came out in a flat drone typically used on annoying coworkers. You dropped your purse and keys against a nearby barstool on the way to his spot on the couch.

“It was today. I think we had a good time,” you answered as you slid your arms around his neck from behind, placing a gentle kiss behind his ear. “He didn’t yell at me.”

“You must’ve kissed his ass the entire time.”

“No. We talked about how great I am at golf. I mean, I kicked his ass.”

“Good on you, baby girl. Bring honor to our house.” In a surprise maneuver, Yahya pulled you over the couch and into the space beside him. “Is that all?”

Silence blanketed the room, allowing the college basketball game in the background to have center stage. You considered your options carefully, weighing the pros of a potential argument against a peaceful Saturday indoors. Yahya turned his attention back to the television as he waited for a response.

“Did you hear me, baby? He didn’t say anything rude to you, did he?”

“No!” You blurted. Taking a deep breath, you slowly slid the remote off the coffee table and pressed the power button. Yahya blinked twice at his reflection on the black television screen before turning to you for answers. Your fingers danced across his thighs to interlock with his long digits.

“I think...I think we need to have a real talk about your dad.”

----

A/N: I hope this is better late than never. Only two more chapters left! Really striving to have those to y’all by the end of the month.

Let me know if you want to be tagged or untagged!

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[yurimother]

LGBTQ Manga Review – Syrup: A Yuri Anthology Vol. 1

Shakaijin Yuri, stories featuring love between adult women who have left school, is a well-established corner in the Japanese Yuri market. Over the past few months, the scene started to pick up its full force in the West. English audiences are experiencing new Shakaijin series, both contemporary like Still Sick and older such as The Conditions of Paradise. For me, there are few works so prolific and intrinsic to the Shakaijin boom as Syrup. In Japanese, the subtitle reads Shakaijin Yuri Anthology. While the English release drops the subgenre's label, the content remains the same, an anthology dedicated to nothing but Yuri love stories featuring adult women from some of the Yuri industries best. However, Syrup's focus on mature and workplace stories more than piqued my interest. However, readers will likely be disappointed with this inconsistent and often forgettable anthology that is just as sour as sweet.

One of Syrup's main draws is its contributors. Some of the best in the Yuri world touched this manga, and even Western Yurijin will likely recognize a few of the names like Yukiko (Futaribeya), Itou Hachi (Kindred Spirits on the Roof), and of course Morinaga Milk (Girl Friends). It is always exciting to read a story from one of your favorites. Even I, who cares rather little for authorship, was happy to see Ohi Pikachi, who wrote the incredible Our Teachers are Dating, among the list. It also provides readers with a chance to familiarize themselves with unfamiliar creators like Amano Shuninta and Kurogane Ken, who grace the anthology with some of its best chapters.

Another benefit of having such a variety of contributors is the plethora of different art styles in the anthology. There is such a stark yet fun contrast between more mature or sensuous styles like Matsuzaki Natsumi and Ito Hachi's bubble moe characters. The manga spans almost every point between these two styles, and just flipping through the pages to look at the artwork can be a fun experience. Of course, some are more polished than others. Mochi_Au_Lait's simplistic and flat style stands as an unfortunate outlier among some other fabulous artists. However, their story, "The Cram School Teachers," is one of the funniest in the anthology. Not every story's aesthetics will suit all readers, but that is the point of a collection, to sample a wide array of talents. Fly's beautiful cover illustration wraps the fantastic art within, standing as a crown jewel of Yuri manga covers.

Unfortunately, the plot and characters are not nearly as enjoyable as the art. While a mixture of aesthetics can add to a work, different story styles often feel inconsistent. For this reason, I usually prefer collections of a single author's short stories, like Rouge Nagashiro's Eve and Eve and Morishima Akiko's The Conditions of Paradise. However, a unifying theme can often correct this issue. Sadly, a few too many of the stories seem to revel in the more "adult" allowances of adult characters and ironically created some of the most immature entries in the anthology.

Before diving too deep into the weeds of mediocrity, there are some chapters in Syrup worthy of highlight. Two of the best chapters, Shioya Teruko's "Promise" and Kurogane Kenn's "Rose Quartz" feature women in established relationships taking the next step in their relationship. Reading about these women celebrate their feelings for each other is wholesome, charming, and even sensual. The latter of the two stories is also one of the few to use adult content in a way that feels more mature. It clarifies the characters' love and attraction for each other, rather than just flashing a panel of exposed breasts for fanservice. It is great to see artists use their allowance to show a little more in profound ways while not letting it run away from them. It demonstrates admirable restraint and thoughtful writing that respects its characters.

Other interesting chapters include "Mama X Mom," which is less about the sexual relationship between two women and focuses on the character's emotional bonds in a unique situation. Ito Hachi's "First Grown-Up Love" perhaps lives up to the Syrup title the most, as it is an adorably sweet and fluffy tale of first love at adulthood. As one of the longer stories, it also has a bit more time for subtly and, thus, it includes some of the stronger and more interesting characters.

Sadly, most of the stories in Syrup are incredibly mediocre. Telling a compelling narrative with interesting characters in such a brief form, in some cases as short as six pages, is a daunting task that most chapters fail to overcome. They are utterly dull and forgetful, with characters designed with little more than maybe a job and the fact that they are interested in a woman in mind. They leave little impression, and even in the moment of reading, one finds themselves tired and wishing for the passage to end. A few tales show some modicum of potential, like Kodama Naoko's "Daily Smile," but they often end before they can get going.

A few dull chapters are acceptable, as tastes will vary, and many will enjoy some of the stories that left me utterly unenthused. However, where Syrup struggles are in its weak chapters. Some, like Yoshimura Kana's "Coward Queen," a confusing and offputting depiction of two women making a pornographic movie, and Matsuzaki Natsumi's "My Femme Fatale" revel far too much in displaying as much nudity as they can get away with before being labeled as porn. The former of these portray a lust for sadism that clashes with the rest of the primarily mundane anthology. It might even spoiler the next several chapters, as it is one of the first stories and leaves readers with immense displeasure.

There are some questionable attitudes towards boundaries and crossing lines, even outside the more salacious and exploitative stories. Depictions or descriptions of actions like staring at a woman's underwear or breasts, or awkwardly splurting out "I'm a virgin," are tossed out casually, often portrayed as romantic. Now, this manga is a work of fiction and can be enjoyed even with some more questionable aspects, as they usually are not deal breakers here. However, the dated attitudes feel like something out of an '80s comedy, not in a manga that, in all else, appears to at least attempt to hold an air of realism. This pervasive element at best makes an already struggling story worse, but it can add unpleasant notes to otherwise delightful offerings.

There is no better example of potentially compelling work squandered by its unsavory elements than Morinaga Milks "Working with an Angel." It starts pretty well, introducing readers to an entertainment agency manager with a forbidden otaku friendship with a model. However, instead of taking a more intelligent or realistic approach of the two trying to keep their growing relationship secret or a heroic, "consequences be damned," declaration of love, the story turns sleazy. The model wants to show her naked body off to the manager as the latter admits that she spies on the models while they change. Off-putting is the most generous review of this final chapter.

While Syrup: A Yuri Anthology has a few bright offerings of sweet and compelling relationship between adult women, it is incredibly bogged down by forgettable and mediocre stories. Few stories can present more than a weak premise and characters best described as "female" within their short page count. More objectionable, with a few notable exceptions, Syrup muddles its attempts to show how grown-up Yuri can by mistaking boobs and fanservice for maturity. Yes, Shakaijin stories, tales of adult women can be sexy. In fact, they should be more than willing to describe inelegance and lust; after all, for many people, that is what love is. Still, too often, Syrup forgets the heart, affection, and emotion, substituting them for cheap, uninspired story beats and characters. There are some chapters worth readers' time, but unless you are a hardcore fan of a contributor, this is an easy skip 

It is challenging to award ratings for Syrup, as each story's merits vary. Some are a comfortable 8 or 9 and others a measly 2 or 3. However, the majority of the book was unobjectionable yet poorly constructed fluff, as respected in the scores below.

Ratings: Story – 5 Characters – 3 Art – 8 LGBTQ – 6 Sexual Content – 8 Final – 5

Review copy provided by Seven Seas Entertainment

Purchase Syrup: A Yuri Anthology Vol. 1 digitally in print: https://amzn.to/39ObT5F

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[kaeyas-beloved]

The Emperor’s Daughter in Wonderland

This is an IkeVamp/IkeRev crossover inspired by this post... I couldn’t resist myself.

I had this long note (this is still long though) about how I lost confidence because I read the notes on the original post and I thought I skipped over some huge points with the armies growing suspicious and some other things. Like there wouldn’t have been any real plot holes or anything but I still panicked for a moment (cause I thought people wouldn’t like what I wrote). But to sum up I think I fixed it and basically I focused more on the MC/Reader being the daughter of a suitor and the ‘it all goes down hill from there’ part of the original post - letting MC have the spot light because of that...And I also still tried to sprinkle in some general suitor romance (not a lot though cause it wasn’t the main focus) There are some dad!Napoleon moments too cause who doesn’t like it when the residents are dads

Still I hope who ever reads this still likes it! (Sorry if this isn’t good and I hyped you up for nothing...)

Warning(s): Descriptions of violence, injures, blood, roughly 5 swear words and potential OOCness because I haven’t finished all the IkeRev routes nor am I fully confident in writing Napo’s character...

~~~

Call it what you’d like, Napoleon could tell something was going to happen. 

Maybe it was just his protective fatherly side coming out for all to see, she is the only remaining family member he has left, his wife (her mother) gone along with his human life, but the ex-emperor knows better. 

It’s a gut feeling, something will happen.

The screech of Jupiter, who sat perched on a tree branch not too far away, alerted him that someone was coming. Looking over his shoulder towards the entrance of the mansion, out walked his daughter, satchel and coat in hand, a smile on her face.

“Finished saying goodbye?” Napoleon asked, stepping back from the horse he was petting. (Y/N) nodded, attaching the bag to the saddle of the horse.

“Yeah. Supposedly they’re all going to miss me? I don’t know why though. Even old man Leo said something about how ‘the passerotta is finally leaving the nest’.” she sighed, exasperated at the nickname the renaissance man used. 

“What have I told you about calling him that?” Her father asked, raising a brow. She turned from the animal to face him.

“To not to?” Napoleon nodded.

“Right.” 

“So I can call Comte ‘old man’ but not Leo?” she asked, raising a brow.

“Exactly.” he smirked and she couldn’t help but sigh again, shaking her head. 

“You don’t make sense sometimes you know that?” Chuckling, Napoleon mussed up her hair, his way of showing her affection. It wasn’t as jovial as it usually was though, or relaxed for that matter, and (Y/N) picked up on it quickly. 

“Stop worrying. Remember, I had you and Uncle Jean teach me how to protect myself. Nothing is going to happen to me...” her attempt to ease her father’s anxieties didn’t go unnoticed, but it also didn’t help that much.

“I’d feel better if you brought your rapier...” 

“I would, really, but I don’t think the townspeople would take too kindly to me having it. It doesn’t help that I’m a woman either, because, you know...” 

“I know... Just, be careful” Had it not been for the way his jade green eyes stared at her, waiting for her to promise that she’d come home in one piece, (Y/N) may have laughed at the way he was acting. It was uncommon to see this underlining anxiousness in his expression. Usually when she was going out he was laid back, dropping the parting words of ‘be safe’ before going on as usual It sounded a little cold but he trusted in her to make the right choices. 

But this time he told her to be careful. Not safe, careful. In a roundabout way it was a sign that he cared and worried for her and didn’t want anything to harm her.

It also showed that something really had him on edge about her trip to London. The best thing to do though is to give him what he wants, which is reassurance.

“I’m only getting ink for Uncle Arthur, but if it eases your mind, I promise to be careful.”

“Thank you.” he mumbled, “Do you have enough Rouge?”

“What did I say about not worrying?” The look he gave her told her to just tell him, “Oui, I do. I even packed more than needed just in case. You never know when your thirst can suddenly be stronger than usual.”

“How much is more exactly?”

“I’m bringing eleven. If I drink half a day every other day I’d have enough for about a mouth plus some”  

“I know I said to be prepared but you really are an overachiever sometimes you know that?”

“Oui oui, I’m aware! Au revivor papa, I’ll see you in a week, alright?” With a smile, the two shared a parting goodbye hug, (Y/N) mounting the awaiting horse. A kick of her foot and she was off at a gallop, waving back one last time before disappearing over the horizon.

The dread in the pit of Napoleon’s stomach didn’t cease, even as he went back into the manor, and when the time was right, it’d be revealed just why that feeling was there.

~

“Damn it...” Oddly enough, in some form of twisted fate, the rapier that she left at home would’ve been beneficial in that moment. 

Honestly, no one thought that she’d fall into some fantasy land, one on the brink of war, obtain the power to break magic spells and then get kidnapped with the intention to be eliminated. By a research center trying to take over the world for themselves no less. 

Scrapes and bruises marked her entire body along with the stains of blood. She’s lost way more than humanly possible for her to still be standing, a large cut running down her arm and a rather deep puncture wound to her abdomen. Yet she continues to fight - she has to. 

Landing a final punch to the last robed disciple, a pounding pain thrummed throughout her entire body, though the one that sourced from her mouth was by far the most painful.

“I-Ignore it...” she told herself, staggering over to a fallen man that was taken care of earlier in the fray of fists and magic. Unhooking the belt, she took the sword from him, stumbling up to one of the horses that the enemy rode in on.

The truth was she wasn’t doing too hot. Turns out, no matter how much you practice or how much stamina you have, deflecting magic attacks takes a lot out of you. On top of that she was exerting herself to defend herself, while bleeding, and it all amounts up to her being on the brink of unconsciousness. 

“Why do you wield your blade?” A conversation she had with her father when she was younger came to mind as she leaned against a tree, the need to catch her breath too strong to brush off.

“Huh?”

“Why do you fight (Y/N)? What’s your reason?” Right... he asked that when she was younger, feeling like a failure for not being able to fight like her dad could. Having been so young she was nearly on the brink of tears, about to give up ever learning the art of the sword.

“T-to protect and save others...” was her frail answer. Her father smiled, liking that her heart was in the right place. 

“Good. Now remember that when you’re about to give up. You can’t achieve that goal if you admit defeat.” 

“O-okay! I won’t ever give up!”

“C’est ma fille...” he said patting her head.

Growing up surrounded by some of the greatest men in history came with it’s perks, a vast knowledge ranging from science thanks to Isaac all the way to piano lessons with Mozart are under her belt. 

Though, if she had to choose, the greatest skill she acquired was how to protect the weak. How to raise a sword to save lives, never to take if at all possible. 

Her new found friends will die if she doesn’t move now. 

“Merci papa...” she whispered, finding the strength to push herself upright once more. Climbing onto the back of the horse a new, burning determination filled her. 

She will save those that have found a place in her heart and, when everything’s said and done, return home to her awaiting family.

~

By time the clearing to the Central Quarter came into view the sun had just started to set, bathing her surroundings in an orange glow. The closer she got to the opening the more she was able to make out, yet the sight wasn’t an uplifting one.

The Chosen Thirteen from both sides lay beaten on the cobblestone ground, exhausted and beat up. Even the kings, strongest among them all, struggled to get back on their feet. Lancelot sat against a wall while Ray was at the foot of the man behind everything - Amon Jabberwock. The other officers weren’t any better, most struggling to grasp their weapons but too drained to do so. 

And in the hands of Amon was a bigger than normal magic crystal, the glow emitting off of it bright, its spell nearly cast.

The sight only fueled the adrenaline that coursed through her veins.

Drawing her blade from its sheath, she was ready to face any foe that may hinder her in helping bring peace to Cradle. Aligning the course the horse is to take, (Y/N) let go of the reins, her voice ringing out. 

“Ray, move!”

The King of Spades did as commanded, rolling back and out of the line path of the stallion. Leaping from it, she barely landed on her feet, the hand free of anything outstretched. Instantly the harsh glow subsided, the gem now nothing more than a useless rock. 

The call of her name mixed with gasps of surprise, and perhaps relief, fell on deaf ears, her (e/c) eyes focused on one man and one man alone. Sweeping his legs out from under him, Amon dropped to his hands and knees, the tip of her rapier pressed against his neck.

“Amon Jabberwock-!” her voice echoed with power and authority, a cold look in her eye. 

Admittedly, it shocked those around her, no clues given during her stay that would allude to her having this hidden side. But the sight of her standing there, a will to fight in her eye, even as copious amounts of blood poured out of her, was astonishing and uplifting enough to repair their morale. 

And had the residents of the mansion been here to hear and see her, they would've remarked how similar it felt to her father when he faced his foes.

“As a temporary member of the Black and Red Army, I hereby arrest you on the count of treason against the country of Cradle!”   

“H-How...?” Amon stuttered, voice laced with anger and on the brink of snapping further into madness, “you should be dead with those wounds!” 

A weak, almost pained sounding laugh left her lips as she pushed the blade a little harder, lips parting, “I’m nothing like the others...” 

“Monster...” he gasped, fear in his eyes as he unsuccessfully tried to scoot away from her. By the way he acted, she could tell that he caught sight of the pointed teeth in her mouth.

“Mm... in a way, maybe I am...”

“You won’t kill me!” The way his voice shook made it sound like he was trying to convince her to not slit this throat right there and now. Fortunately for him, she wasn’t that kind of person. 

“While it’s true that I shouldn’t raise my sword like I am now unless I am willing to take the life that’s in my hands, you would be right, I won’t be ending your life. I learned all I know from my father, one of which was to never take a life, for fear it turns out I can’t live with the consequences. That doesn’t mean I won’t beat you and bring peace to Wonderland” Refusing to let another word be uttered from him, (Y/N) swiftly butted the hilt of the sword to his neck, knocking him out. 

“There she is!”

“Lord Amon!” Shouted more robed men from behind. The disciples reached for, presumably, magic crystals from their pockets but stopped at something she said, the saber pointed their way.

“You can fight me, but I just took down your leader. If you chose to fight me just know that I do not fall easily and I will fight till the bitter end for what is right... So, what will you do?”  

“C-crud, let’s get out of here! I’m not chancing it!” Her words reached them and made it clear that they didn’t stand to win. So, scouring away, the enemy tucked tail and ran. 

“Seems you’re all still alive...” She breathed, turning around to face the army soldiers. All of them smiled at her, glad that she was alright (for the most part) and that this war was over. 

Yet life is no fairy tale, something tragic usually hits in the best of times like these. Wise words from a guy who’s not all there (thanks Shakespeare).

She saw it before the words reached her ears and the next moments were a blur of colour. 

Someone from the shadows raised a sword of their own, the blade about to pierce the one person dearest to her, the one that stole her heart while in this new, unfamiliar world. He was unguarded with nothing to defend himself, about to die should she just stand there and not take action.

Mustering the last bit of energy she had, she parried the attack, the sound of steel on steel ringing in the still evening. The clash lasted less than a minute, the lesser vampire the one to be impaled, unable to block the second strike. Still, if she was to die, he would go down with her at least. 

No, she didn’t kill the attacker, merely used all she had to stab him in the leg, bringing him to the ground, the force and angle of the impact rendering him unconscious.

No one said anything, their minds unable to full register the events that just transpired. The pained words of their friend snapped them out though and all eyes went to her.

“I-I’m glad yo-ou’re safe...” she wheezed, eyes meeting the ones of the man she loves. A sense of calmness overcame her, he was safe, he would live. Maybe, just maybe, she could die a peaceful death knowing that she was able to protect the one she cares about. Her duty was fulfilled.

The only regret she’d bear would be the regret of being unable to say goodbye properly, both to the ones around her and the ones ignorant of what’s going on, as they await her return back in the Land of Reason. 

Something that seemingly won’t be happening now...

This was her bittersweet end.

.

..

…

….

…..

A sharp intake of air. Vision blurry. The smell of antiseptic chemicals and whisky. These invaded her being and briefly, when she was able to at least think, she thought that this was a weird form of Heaven or Hell to be put into.

Though when her sight cleared up some more it was revealed that, no, she wasn’t in an abstract afterlife, she was just in Kyle’s infirmary. 

(Y/N) laid in that oddly comfortable bed for what felt like hours, which were really only minutes, before she found the strength to sit up, if only a little.

A slip of pink paper which rested on the nightstand caught her eye. Picking it up she read the note, relaying that, if she was to wake up, that everyone wanted to let her know that the war is truly over and that her boyfriend was safe, all thanks to her. A breath she didn’t know she was holding was finally let free, muscles relaxing. 

It was some form of a miracle that allowed her to still be here, like the world was telling her it wasn’t time for her to leave just yet. Not that she was complaining or anything, but she couldn’t help the giggle that came with the thought that the similarities between her and her dad are starting to get weird.

The click of the door pulled her from her funny thought, and in walked the last face she saw before blacking out. He really was okay, just like the note said. 

“We have to talk”

“We do, don’t we.” she smiled and he returned it, pulling up a chair. For the rest of the day (assuming based on the light that poured in through the window) the two lovers talked, expressing how glad they were that the other was okay, what happened after she collapsed and what their next steps would be. When everything was done, her boyfriend climbed into the bed with her, mindful of the injuries around her whole body, and with such gentleness pulled her flush against his chest. 

That evening they slept in each other’s arms, calmed by the sound of their mixed breathing and heartbeats, because later that night they’ll have to part again.  

~

“Tell me again what you are?” Kyle rubbed his temple, trying his hardest to wrap his head around her claim. The hangover he had wasn’t helping in this situation either. 

“I’m a vampire, a lesser vampire to be more exact” 

“I get that, but what is that?”

“Don’t worry too much about it, just know that if I was to bite you you wouldn’t turn and I’m not immortal. Now go drink some water. Can’t believe magic is a thing yet you’d get hung up on mythology...” she muttered the last part, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I would just like to go on record and say I knew all along” Edgar piped up, his usual innocent smile on his face. Zero and Jonah scoffed. 

“And how did you exactly?” Zero asked his teacher. The Jack of Hearts smiled just a little wider, fetching something from his pocket. The glass glittered in the moonlight.

“So that’s where my last bottle went! You had it!”

“Indeed. You did well to hide it Alice, but not well enough if I was able to find it” 

“Why do you have it anyway?” 

“I saw our dear Alice drinking it one day. She told me it was wine but by the viscosity I could tell she was lying. It also smelt like blood. So, I did some digging around her room while she was gone.” 

“Of course, only you would be able to smell it and instantly recognize it like that...” Jonah hissed under his breath. The statement went unheard by all except the subject of the comment, who simply continued to smile like he heard nothing. 

“That would explain why ya sometimes left the training grounds all of a sudden too when someone got hurt” Fenrir pointed out, the Black Army nodding along. 

“We just thought you were squeamish...” Luka mumbled.

“That would also explain the report I got saying we had a shortage of blood...” Lancelot spoke up, staring down at (Y/N). 

“I... got hungry and didn’t have enough?” she shrugged, a nervous smile on her face while averting her eyes to the side. Really, it was half a lie, she was hungry. It was just that the liquid was right there at the time and it’s scent was so sweet to her - she couldn’t help herself! 

“But,” the King of Hearts continued, a small, soft smile blooming on his face, “I’m willing to pardon it, you did save us all. So, thank you, for all you’ve done. Is there anything you’d like as a reward?” 

“I’m honored King Lancelot, but right now I think I have to go home. There are some people that are no doubt missing me.”

“Very well. Then you are welcomed back at the Red Army anytime”

“The Black Army will welcome you too, little lady” Sirius added, Ray nodding in approval. 

“Right, the room you used will be waiting for you should you ever come back”

“Ohhhh please come back Alice, the Black Army just won’t be the same without you!” Seth whined dramatically.

“Thank you... all of you” (Y/N) gave a closed eye smile, the light of the moon illuminating behind her. A hand suddenly cupped her cheek, the contact warm and prompting her to open her eyes. 

“I will see you again right?” he asked, low enough that only the two of them could hear it.

“Yes, just as we promised last night.” she whispered back, leaning in for a kiss, one he returned.

The rabbit hole that connected their worlds opened up, a spotlight like light shining onto it. Pulling away her hand clutched the bag she came with, along with the items she’s obtained, and she turned one last time. Her eyes roamed over each face a final time, stopping on his.

“See you later everyone!” A chorus of goodbyes paired with waves and she stepped backwards, falling down, down, down the hole like she did just one short month ago.

~

“The man at the stall said he saw her here one night, there must be a clue.” Napoleon stated, eyes hard with determination, certain that there has to be something here linking to his missing daughter. Deep down though he’s consumed with emotion, anger, fear and a great sadness.

Anger at himself, he should’ve been more persistent with her taking her rapier. Then maybe this wouldn’t have happened.

The fear and sadness are a mix of the same reason, he’s sad and afraid that he’ll never see her again, that he’s lost her even after promising to protect her from the moment she was born.

And yet, as the third week of having nothing he’s starting to lose hope, and the others can tell.

“Napoleon...” Jean whispered, placing a firm hand on the man’s shoulder. “I think it’s time to head back to the inn...”

He wants to stay out longer, search every nook and cranny of this damn park a thousand times more.

“Jean’s right...” Isaac added, tilting his head and gesturing with it in the direction of where they’re staying, “we can look some more in the morning if you want.”

“Maybe you’re right...” the Demi-vampire sighed, beginning his slow, reluctant trudge to the cozy London inn.

“Oof! Ow, I guess it’s a bumpy landing on the way back too...” the three heard the thud and rustle before the voice, but Napoleon was already sprinting in its direction.

“(Y/N)!?” The call of her name erased the pain of the landing and any other insignificant thought, her eyes darting around through the trees.

“Dad!?” She shouted back. An urgency to her father again surged through her.

He sped faster, urged on by the sound of her voice. It’s her, he knows it is, and she’s alive.

Emerging from behind a tree Napoleon comes to a grounding halt, eyes wide at the sight in front of him. She’s there, right there, albeit a little banged up, but she’s safe - that’s all that matters.

Rushing up he engulfs her in a hug, loosening it only minimally when she let out a hiss of pain.

“Where have you been? Who hurt you?” his questions are rushed, breathless as he looks her over, the amount of bandages on her alarming.

“You’ll never guess...” she suddenly smiled.

“What?” He questioned, the smile on her face making him believe that she wasn’t taking this seriously. Yet her next words shocked him, enough for a visible reaction to show, and it became obvious that the two would have to have a long, long chat.

“I fought in and won a revolution...and I protected the weak... just like I said I would...”

.

..

…

“Oh I also have a boyfriend...”

“You have a what???”

~

Fun fact: at first this was going to be the MC/Reader as Leo’s daughter and she would’ve fixed the Black Army’s stuff or Fenrir’s gun, impressing them, but!!! We all know that ~war~ is a thing in IkeRev, so behold here we are! 

[Masterlist]

[isitgintimeyet]

Road To The Aisles

AO3

Previous

Happy Sunday. Hope it’s a good one for you. 

So, potential crisis averted, time for some more wedding planning type stuff.

Thanks to @mo-nighean-rouge, @wickedgoodbooks, @happytoobserve and to you all for reading, liking, reblogging and commenting.

Chapter 18: An Exquisite Ensemble

Anthony Marantino: "You want pasta, you go to Little ltaly. You want wedding, you go Wang."

Sex and the City

Claire staggered into the living room, her arms full of magazines which she unceremoniously dumped onto the coffee table.

Jamie raised a quizzical eyebrow. “Little light reading there, Sassenach? Bit different from the usual blood and gore.”

He picked up an issue of You and Your Wedding and flicked through the glossy pages, pausing on a page entitled ‘The Ultimate Guide to Bridal Lingerie’.

“Mebbe I’ll jes’ be having a look through these meself. Some interesting articles here,” he said as his eyes focused on an Agent Provocateur demi cup plunge bra with matching thong.

Claire sighed. “Geillis got them for me. She can’t believe that I haven’t bought my dress yet. She reckons it’s the single most important choice I make.”

Jamie tore his attention away from the magazine. “I canna believe it either. I thought ye’d be sorted by now.”

“But it’s because everyone tells me how important the dress is. What style do I go for? How am I expected to know? And when we look back in thirty years’ time, I don’t want us to laugh at my choice. So, Geillis is taking me shopping. And apparently, we’re not coming home until the dress is chosen.”

“Weel, I know ye’ll be stunning whatever ye wear.”

He stood up and stretched. “I’m off fer a quick shower before Geneva drops William here. I’m that sweaty from the gym. And Geneva wants tae talk about the bairn’s first day at nursery tomorrow.”

“And,” Jamie paused and turned dramatically in the doorframe. “Fer yer information, the dress isna the most important choice, Sassenach. Ye already made it when ye said yes in Ned’s office.”

Claire settled herself on the sofa and picked one of the magazines at random. Opening Brides magazine, she studied the images, hoping for sudden inspiration. So many decisions… long, short, slinky, strapless, ivory, blush, white. And how would she manage in one of these frocks all day, she asked herself. How would she even go to the loo?

She was normally so sure of her decisions, but this was totally outside of her comfort zone. Claire sighed again. Thank goodness for Geillis. Without her, Claire had a feeling that she would be totally lost in this minefield of satin and lace.

The sound of the doorbell pulled Claire from her musings. Abandoning her magazines, she made for the front door, only pausing at the bottom of the stairs to call for Jamie, with no response -- the sound of the shower drowning out her summons.

She pasted a cool, polite smile on her face as she opened the door to Geneva. The smile as she bent to greet William, squirming in his car seat, was, however, full of genuine warmth.

Claire straightened up. “Hello, Geneva. Please come in.”

Geneva led the way into the living room.

“Jamie’s just having a shower,” Claire explained as Geneva placed the car seat on the floor and began to unstrap the baby.

Geneva turned to respond and noticed the selection of bridal magazines strewn across the coffee table.

“Little late in the day to be having second thoughts about the dress,” she commented, idly picking up one of the magazines.

“No,” Claire quickly clarified. “I’ve not bought the dress yet. I’m going this week with my best friend.”

Geneva appeared stunned. “But… surely not. You need at least four months for a bespoke gown. I suppose one could get away with three months… if one was a standard sample size, for example.”

She eyed Claire’s hips disparagingly.

Claire smiled politely and tried to remain calm. “Oh, I don’t want a bespoke or designer dress. I think Debenhams has a good selection.”

Geneva barely suppressed a shudder.

“Oh, off the peg.”

She closed her eyes and shook her head dramatically as if trying to remove this incredibly distasteful image from her brain.

Claire said nothing in response. There was nothing to say. This was her wedding, planned exactly how she and Jamie wanted and no snide little digs from Geneva would make her change a single thing about the day. Yes, it would be totally different from any wedding Geneva may plan… a different groom for example…

Geneva finally managed to overcome her abhorrence and opened her eyes. She glanced at the magazines once more before lifting the edge of one to reveal a set of photos underneath. Deliberately she picked them up, slowly studying each glossy image, the photographer capturing different aspects of the subject’s character reflected in those amber eyes -- the laughter, the dreams, the warmth, the knowing glint.

“You've been photographed by Simon Winchester?” Geneva asked, somewhat incredulously. She touched the photograph’s watermark as if to check it’s authenticity. “But he rarely does private commissions.”

“Aye, weel…” Jamie entered and immediately picked a slightly disgruntled William up, lifting him high in the air and blowing raspberries against the baby’s tummy.

William, content to be the centre of attention once more, chuckled happily and pawed at his father’s face.

Jamie continued as he snuggled the baby close to his chest. “Weel, it was fer our latest advertising campaign… in Japan. We decided tae use Claire as our model. Her eyes match the whisky. And I canna think of a better combination… the wildness of the heather clad hills, the powerful complex flavours of the dram and the beauty and honesty of those eyes. The windows to the soul, are they no’?”

Geneva bit her lip as she carefully placed the photos back on the table.

“What a wonderful idea,” she exclaimed, her tone giving an indication of her true sentiments. “Congratulations, Claire, what an exceptional opportunity for you to work with such a talented photographer. And, I must say…”

She glanced down at the photos again.

“... he really is a master of photoshopping techniques.”

Jamie made no response, trying to ignore that comment, born out of simple jealousy, and considered moving the subject on to William’s first full day at nursery. He looked across at Claire, a small amused smile playing across her lips as she watched Geneva studying the photos. She was obviously willing to rise above Geneva’s petty spite… Jamie decided he wasn’t. He wanted Geneva to know what he thought.

“No photoshop needed at all, Geneva. ‘Tis all natural. And I ken they’ll be a big hit in all the Japanese advertising… those eyes… seen and admired by millions.”

He paused for a moment to let his comments register with Geneva.

“Right, so, William’s first full day at nursery. What do I need tae know?”

**********

“She said what?” Geillis spluttered as she quickly put her coffee cup back on the table. “Photoshop, how dare she? That’s pure spite, that is. She’s only jealous because Jamie wouldna have ever wanted her tae do that. Sae, what happened then?”

“Well, that was pretty much it. Jamie put her right on the whole photoshopping thing and then they started talking about William.”

“But, come on, Claire,” Geillis persisted. “Admit it. Ye must have had a wee bit of satisfaction from it. Rubbing her nose in it, like?”

“Well, I didn’t rub her nose in it. I played it low key. But,” Claire smiled at the memory. “Yes, it was really damn satisfying. Especially when she’d already made snide comments about me not going for a designer wedding dress, but an ‘off the peg’... and cast dubious glances at the size of my hips.”

“But G,” she continued. “Does it bother you, as my maid of honour, not having an expensive designer dress?”

Geillis patted Claire’s hand comfortingly. “Dinna fash. This is yer day and ye’re going tae wear whatever ye want. It doesna bother me at all. All I want is tae see ma best friend wed the man that she loves. And I will wear whatever ye want me tae wear.”

“Mind ye,” Geillis added with a wink. “With ma natural style and grace, I could make a bin bag look haute couture. Now, come on, drink up. We are no’ going home until we’ve found the dress fer ye.”

**********

Claire perched awkwardly on the upholstered chair in the changing room, trying hard not to look in any of the many mirrors, currently reflecting her underwear-clad image from every angle. Although -- she sneaked a peek -- at least she had remembered to wear one of her better (and matching) sets of underwear for this occasion.

It had been an inspired decision of Geillis’s to book an appointment with the store’s personal shopper, resulting, clearly, in a better class of changing room, complete with plush upholstery, gilt edged mirrors and a proper wooden door, rather than a curtain not quite wide enough for the frame.

The personal shopper (“Och, call me Diane, I’ve a feeling we’ll be here fer hours!l) had gone on a quest for an assortment of gowns, with Geillis in tow, unwilling to trust Diane’s professional instincts.

A tap at the door heralded the arrival of the frocks. Geillis led the way, followed by a long rack pushed by Diane, a plethora of sequins, satin and lace cascading from the hangers. Claire’s heart sank at the abundance of frills.

Geillis gave a shrug. “They werena all ma choice, ye ken.”

Diane gave a bright smile. “Och, I ken ye said simple but there’s nae harm in looking, is there? And ye canna always tell until ye’ve the dress on.”

Claire began rifling through the dresses, muttering to herself as she passed each one by. Suddenly her hands stilled, and she took a step back, casting her eyes up and down the dress now on display.

“This is it.” Claire stated simply.

“Ok,” Diane began to remove the dress from its protective plastic. “Ye canna say this is the one, but it’s a start. Ye pop yerself behind that screen and we’ll try it on ye.”

Claire felt a thrill of excitement as she watched Diane unzip the dress and then slowly lower it for her to step into. The ivory fabric slid easily over her curves as the zip was fastened once more.

“Like a glove,” Diane breathed as she beckoned Claire from behind the screen towards the full length mirrors.

Claire gazed at her reflection. The ivory satin overlaid with a delicate lace skimmed the contours of her body. The Bardot neckline enhanced the smooth, creamy skin of her shoulders. A trail of tiny buttons led down her back towards the swell of her bottom. Gently fitted to her curves, it fell to the ground before flaring out slightly into a small train.

She tentatively took a couple more steps in the dress, testing the freedom of movement. Geillis watched, her eyes glistening with moisture.

“Christ, Claire,” Geillis exclaimed. “It’s breathtaking.”

Claire turned to her. “This is it,” she repeated.

“I’ll admit, ye look awfa bonnie in that dress, but ye canna be trying on jes’ one dress.” Diane gestured to the large rack.

Claire sighed, unwilling to take the dress off. Finally, she agreed, allowing Diane to put it back in it’s plastic covering and continued to rifle through the rack. Towards the back, she pulled out another hanger and passed it to Diane.

“I’ll try this one on then.”

Claire twirled in front of the mirror, watching the full skirt float around her before coming to a halt to critically study the dress.

It was, in Claire’s mind, undoubtedly a very nice dress. She had always been very fond of the Grecian style and in many ways it would be a more practical dress -- definitely easier to go to the loo and she wouldn’t have to wear a strapless bra with it. And yet…

She looked across at Geillis, who smiled politely. “Aw, it’s a nice dress, but…”

Claire smiled. “I know. That’s how I feel.”

She turned to Diane. “I know you think I should try on loads more dresses and really look around, but I love that first dress so much. I feel wonderful in it. Nothing’s going to be better than that.”

“And ye look so beautiful in it, Claire. I ken ye’re making the right choice.” Geillis agreed.

*********

Claire sipped her coffee happily. “I can't believe how easy that was. That dress is everything I wanted. And I can pick it up next week.”

“Aye, no’ much more tae do today.”

“What do you mean? Oh, of course your dress, Geillis. I was thinking bronze, satin… you can choose the style.”

Geillis licked the smears of chocolate brownie from her fingers. “Och, I ken exactly which dress I want. I’ve done ma research, ye ken. No, I mean ye, we still have the get yer underwear. A little gift for yer husband tae unwrap on yer wedding night. Start yer married life with a bang.”

Claire laughed. “And I suppose you have just the items in mind.”

“As a matter of fact I do… demure yet sexy, innocent yet hot, virginal yet wanton. Yer man will thank me right enough.”

“Well, lead me to this magical lingerie.” Claire began to gather her bags up, preparing to leave the café.

She paused. “And G, thank you for this, for all this. You’re my best friend and I can’t think of anyone better to share this with.”

Instinctively, Geillis gave Claire a warm hug. “Ye’re more than a friend, Claire. Like it or no’, ye’re family.”

[currentfandomkick]

Bio! Dad Strange part 7

More Gotham Rouges being themselves, carrying for Marinette, crossover with Why Marinette Hates Tim, and yes, this au is slowly coming together. somewhat. I’ll get to the Ladybug days sometime soon, because yes, that is being covered, and heads up, Marinette is allowed to have multiple relationships and crushes in this. Yes, there is writer salt in this au, but characters are being fixed from cannon actions to more season 1 characterization or fannon... except lila. she will be split into bascially-a-new-person-altogether and fannon as Layla Rossi. Fannon and cannon felix will make eventual appearances since both are fun when the fandom’s gotten involved.

Sorry for those tagged, i posted on the wrong blog a ew minutes ago, so this is the corrected version.  Marinette stares at her uncles and aunts when she gets back this time. They were acting weird. That usually meant… “So who’s being targeted this time?” she asked Rose, who flinched. “The council will kill me if i say.” The Council… who’s unofficial mission, she realized last year, was to keep her safe and–oh. Oh. OH! “Is it Hatter or Jerimah?” She was tired of poeple calling the knock-off her favorite uncle’s moniker. He didn’t even deserve his own in her opinion. “Uh, both, i think.” “Oh.” Not good. Jerimah can plan and get Hatter–Tetch–to listen. Tetch is insane and obsessed with her as Alice, whatever that means. Marinette was worried this time. She was right to be. Hero Stalker was missing, and no one would tell her what happened. It was loosing Red Hoodie all over again. She was angry and hurt and only 9 years old. Aunt Quinn, best person ever, and Aunt Pan, ‘worst person to give Rose to ever’, took her to Central City for a week to try to keep her out of their reach. It was okay, kind of. She didn’t catch Barry Allen–best forensic scientist and very much a ‘meta are just people with powers, let them be people’ person–at any crime scenes. She was glad most of then weren’t from her Aunts this time… one of them was theirs but the guy was stalking a teenager and the kid was as scared as Marinette is of Mad Hatter/Tetch and Jerimah teamed up so. So she had to help, okay? the police didn’t help in Paris with the Dupont Stalker. The Gotham ones ignored cases like this mostly. And she had no clue about Central but damn if she wasn’t going to help the kid out. Aunt Quinn–trip alias for Harley Quinn, obviously, trapped them. She didn’t know what Aunt Pam did with her plants, but there wasn’t a body left in the end. Marinette, as Jill Smith, helped them scale up to the roof and get somewhere safe. She checked up on them and they were okay. she was glad. Aunt Quinn took her to the Meta Museum–technically the Flash Museum but it was about metas and crimes against them too so she thought of it as the Meta Museum. some of the exhibits made her feel weird, sounded a bit like the news reporters in Paris calling metas a problem to be rid of. controlled… Then she ran into The Barry Allen, best Forensic Scientist, and she heard him saying they got things wrong and she knew it! She couldn’t  stop herself, physically, from asking him questions about what they got wrong. Iris West, Barry’s finacee and a meta-reporter, went off on different things, emphasizing not just the Flash but different victims and how to prevent it. Marinette took a lot of notes mentally. Aunt Quinn was amused, Aunt Pam, who introduced them as such, tried to pull her away but… Marinette was happy. And the couple seemed to like listening to Marinette rant about cases, mostly Barry’s. “Oh and what about the case with the woman who melted? if you still have her remains i think if you use a stabilizer–cold base is a good start but she should reconstitute in a few days. It looked like the melt was an instability and molecular stability issue for maintaining physical form in this universe, not others if the worlds portals are anything to go by, so introducing stability is all that needs to be done and she’s likely to be herself again” Barry stared at her when she said that. was that too much? Its one of the cold cases from a few months ago. Did she overstep? “I, how did you find about other world portals?” Marinette almost froze. but she remembered that the Waynes did have the tech and a few months ago there was a big multiverse mess… “Its part of the multiverse theory, isn’t it? and since we’ve seen heros from other universes enter ours that means its less theory and more reality, and that people can enter them if they use the right molecular vibration with the correct chemical composition and ability to enter the intended environment. With those restrictions, it makes more sense for people to make windows instead, and uh, some of the Rouges tried once and a lot of Gotham ended up seeing other places a few months ago.” it wasn’t a lie. she was implying she was there when she wasn’t, not saying she was. This is still the only way she can do things like this and not look like a liar. Iris saw the slip though, and knew something was up with the girl. Before she could tell Barry there was an alert–Gorilla Grodd. Marinette was upset about the interruption, but knew that an attack meant hide. She forgot her stickers at home and were going back that day. She noticed that where Mr. Allen should be was moving more like a… Oh. He’s a speedster. and only one speedster has measurements like his. The Flash. Harley grabbed her tight and ran, Ivy behind Marinette. Grodd was taken down while they were on their way home. Then there was an explosion and it was dark… – Marinette woke up chained to a wall, in a dark place, with a lot of water under her. Jeriome and Tetch were fighting. Her head hurt. Then Tetch was killed in front of her. She didn’t cry. She screamed though. Apparently it was enough to cause some things in the room to move. She was scared. Jerimah kept debating what to do with her. How to prove that He is Better than Jerimone and Harley. Marinette’s powers kept getting worse. Everything was loud. she could hear heartbeats and footsteps. It took week for her to catch him too far in his thoughts, too caught up in his ‘revenge’ until she knew he coudln’t hear her movements. She broke out of her chains while flying, well, floating at that point. she carefully dislocated her thumbs, slipping out and moving carefully. Jerimah wasn’t looking when she hit him. He wasn’t dead. Heartbeat still. She grabbed his phone, almost breaking it when she grabbed it. she did her best to be gentle (cracking the screen) as she called Rose. It took forty minutes for her to be found. Rose turned the dead Tetch into fertilizer. Frost grabbed Jerimah and said something about giving him to Zsasz. – Marinette blinked a few times when she was back at Ivy’s. Apparently Rose wasn’t letting her out of her sight. Ivy freaked out and took over Gotham while she was missing. There was a new Robin. Who looked way too much like… “Hero Stalker?” The new robin froze when he saw Marinette, Pixie Pop, shaking by a green crystal. “Pixie pop you’re…” “Don’t. Rose will hear.” Hero Stalker nodded, watching her carefully. “What happened?” “Tetch and Jerimah–uh, Hatter and Mr. J. Mr. J killed him when he got me…” Robin paled at that. “Is that why…” “The plants are coming back in, yeah… Don’t tell Bats.” Hero Stalker stared at her. “You know what i look like.” “Yep.” “Do you know…” “uh, yeah. and two more form the League apparently… I’m blaming you for all of that figuring out for the record.” “What did i do?” “Make it easy to figure out… you don’t even–nevermind. Just go, don’t tell Bats and one of my uncles will have us meet up before i leave again, okay?” Robin listened, because he knew Pixie Pop didn’t mess around. – Robin ended up trapped in a puzzle maze. With Marinette who was just Done with everything. “how did you–” “You looked like you. Didn’t even try to change hair or clothes or anything. YOu fail at disguise 101.” “I could just look like–” “Voice, posture, gait. All the same.” “oh.” then “Why are you here?” “Got caught grabbing catwoman’s jewels  on camera.” “Wait, you’re the one returning them?” “Duh.” Marinette was insulted he thought she wouldn’t. “So…” “Make a different persona, since i made you ages ago. And that let me make your whole team–Yes your not-brother and even batgirl. Honestly, NIghtwing’s is very obvious if you get he was Robin and look at old tapes, but he’s a lost cause.” “I know! That’s how i figured them out!” “And that’s why you need to make a new persona so everyone is not outted by your obviousness. I can pull off Princess, Pixie Pop and three other personas since i was little and don’t slip up. Up your secret identity game already!” “I. Okay. But can i ask Rose for help from her plants on drug rings and really bad guys?” Marinette hummed. “I think so. I’ll have Uncle Riddler give you a burner to talk to me when i get home-home.” “thanks! Bats is good but he’s missing so much and its annoying!” “Your lack of secret ID game is annoying,” Marinette grumbled, “No tracking me though. I will spill to Frost and he will be extra annoying and lecture-y.” “He can’t be worse than disappointed agent A.” “I garanutee you i think i know who you’re talking about and it pains me to say Frost is like a chemical-only angst-y version of him that forgets he’s always right.” “How–how!” “I think its the lack of sleep and over-exposure to all the gases.” – those that asked for tags (or seem like they’d like to be?) are below. list is still open. Next time is (probably) more Paris while dealing with Gotham, a touch of Batfam mentions while Marinette chews out Tim, who reveals that Red Hoddie was the former Robin and then curses her with meeting Robins pre-Robin-ning. @ilovefluffbutsmutisalsogreat @dast218 @weird-pale-blonde-person @mystery-5-5

[another-sonic-blog]

Stages: What is it?

Stages: Intimate Friends: Pt.5 : What is it? (Chapter 18)

Pairing: ShadAmy 

3K

Previous: https://another-sonic-blog.tumblr.com/post/190987431195/stages-amys-day 

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Rouge wasn't one to impose herself in Shadow's relationships.

It's not like she didn't care, on the contrary, it was one of her priorities. When Maria came part of the 'team', she told Shadow over and over again to leave her. He didn't listen.

Then he was badly hurt. The second time she came into their lives, she didn't bother to bring up the subject. Someone else was on that matter.

Her closest friend, Amy Rose.

And Shadow's new love. Although he was too stupid to realize.

If Rouge really thought about it, she knew she could pint-point the moment Shadow saw Amy as more than a friend. She can even tell the moment Shadow began to feel love towards her.

Like? When they were repairing the bike Amy gave to Shadow, DR.

Love? When Shadow let Amy ride BB, his favorite bike.

Rouge still couldn't believe Shadow let Amy ride his bike after what happened with Maria. She remembers asking for a ride once and Shadow preferred to pay for a taxi for her than to give her a ride.

Amy was in love with Shadow and Shadow was in love with her ... so what was stopping them?

Oh yes, Shadow's inability to understand feelings.

Shadow was confused as to what real love feels like. He might have loved Maria, but Rouge knew that it was mostly the fact that he didn't want to be alone. After all the psychological damage she did to him, it is understandable that he can't recognize when someone is being supportive. Most importantly, he can't realize what it feels like to be in love.

However, Rouge was enjoying the drama too much and instead of intervening, she decided to wait and see.

She only intervened when Shadow was acting like a jerk or stupid. Or both.

Rouge wanted to say something now because at the moment Shadow was being stupid and Amy ... well, she was something else.

"Amy is dating Sonic," Rouge whispered to herself. "Should I tell Shadow?"

"Tell me what?"

Goddamit, Shadow was a sneaky one.

They were currently at Team Dark's office. It was early morning, the sunlight trespassed the large windows of the office. Their desks were nicely illuminated. Rouge's desk was the cleanest. Shadow's could be clean as well, but the constant love letters he got daily filled his desk. Omega had a desk as well but it was empty. As requested of him, Omega didn't need a computer nor other necessities. He made his reports with his internal system and sent them to the Commander's computer.

"Are you going to tell me or not?" Shadow asked again.  

"Nothing, just that Mia passed by. She told me to tell you she was sorry." Rouge replied. It wasn't a lie, she just wanted to stop herself from telling him the news.

"I'll talk to her later," Shadow walked to his desk and very discreetly. Almost as if he didn't want to show he cared, he asked, "... Have you heard anything ... about Amy?"

How interesting.

"You haven't talked to her? I thought you two were close." Rouge sat down on her desk, trying to pretend that she was busy doing work.

"We are," said Shadow.

"How close?"

"That doesn't concern you."

"True. Besides ... " Rouge looked at him teasingly, "You will never be as close to her as she is to Sonic."

Rouge got exactly what she wanted from Shadow. His expression hardens, eyes were sharp and he showed no expression.

"If you are trying to tell me something, then say it already bat." Shadow's voice changed, it got deeper. If Rouge didn't know Shadow, she would be scared. However she knew him too well, he wouldn't dare to harm her.

"You are stupid. Really stupid."

"Look, I am not in the mood to-"

"You love Amy and you don't even realize it."

A few seconds passed and ...

"Holy mother of Chaos, you do!" Rouge exclaimed. "I knew it!"

"I don't."

"You hesitated!"

Shadow sighed as he massaged his forehead. "I don't like her Rouge. If I did, I would know."

"No, you wouldn't." Rouge smiled at him. "You don't know what you are feeling ... you haven't been in love before and Maria doesn't count."

Shadow gave it a small thought. He never considered the possibility because he didn't need to. He liked the friendship he had with Amy. It has been a few weeks since he last saw her but if he was totally honest ... he missed her like crazy.

He didn't know anything about her since the incident at the Star Festival. However, he rested well knowing that if anything happened to her, Rouge would be one to tell him.

But even so, every night before going to sleep he found himself reading their previous text messages.

"Was this lov-"

"You hesitated again!"

.

It was late at night.

Shadow had finally finished his report. G.U.N was empty and only a few guards remained to take care of the building. Shadow was ready to go to his new apartment, Before that, he needed to visit a place.

"Mr. Shadow!"

Oh, he had forgotten about her.

"Agent Mia, how may I help you?"

"Please call me Mia."

Shadow didn't want to be mean but he didn't want to get too involved with the brown hedgehog. Especially after what happened during the Star Festival.

However, looking at how happy she looked, he couldn't avoid it.

"Mia ... is there anything I can help you with?"

"No, I waited for you to come out! I wanted to see if we could walk together home."

It was 1 a.m. Shadow looked up and down to the girl. She was wearing a long black skirt, which was a bit dirty. A blue shirt that didn't match her yellow cardigan. Her hair was a bit messy and her eyes were tired.

"I live in Central apartments," Shadow replied. "It's like a 20-minute walk from here and I have something to do."

"I live there too! I saw you taking out the trash once and I thought we could go home together."

"I have to ... visit someone."

"Oh ..."

Shadow regretted saying that ... just a little. The young hedgehog looked to the ground, embarrassed and a bit sad.

"I am sorry ... I just thought..." Mia's ear lowered and she looked so disappointed. As if she wanted to cry.

How much Shadow hated that. He just couldn't stand seeing anyone cry. Especially females.

"Fine ... but I do need to do something fist."

.

They just needed two more streets and they will be there. Shadow thought if he could get a small peek of the Resistance today, he could sleep at ease.

"Mr. Shadow-"

"I told you before, don't call me Mr. Shadow," He said. "You make me feel old."

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Mia said and after a pause, she added, "Have you ever been in love?"

Again that question. There were multiples ways he could respond to that. After what Rouge told him today, he did a lot of thinking in the office. What he felt for Maria, may not have been love after all. It probably was at first, but the love he had completely died when Maria cheated on him.

And now, Amy.

He knew he loved her but as a friend. He thought that the way he cared for her was normal. Until he realized he will think of her must of his time. Shadow wished he could see her every day and spend his time with her.

"Was this lov-"

For a moment, Shadow forgot how to breathe. There was no Resistance, only leftover ashes and woods. Nothing was left and his mind began to get the best of him.

"Where is Amy? Is she ok? Does she know about this? What is happening? Who did this-"

"Mr. Shadow ... the Resistance-"

Shadow turned around to look at Mia.

"Mia, I apologize but I need to leave you. Take care."

.

On the luxury apartment of a white bat, Amy and Rouge were relaxing. It was a girl's night and watching reality shows and facemasks were a must for the two girls. They laid on the king-size bed and ate some munchies.

"So, what is your plan now?"

"Look for a job, what is there to do?"

"And the Resistance ... you are giving up on that?"

"Not completely," Amy replied. "I want to start another agency but first I need to pay my debts."

Amy was currently staying at Rouge's apartment. Sonic had offered Amy to stay with him but she kindly denied the offer. She needed to concentrate on getting a new job but she knew she wouldn't get anything done if Sonic was with her all the time.

Sonic was ... well ... too affectionate.

Not that she minds, she enjoyed. Because of that, she was scared that she might give to temptation and get distracted.

"As I've said before, I can help you with the money but I know you are going to say no, so I don't even bother-"

"Actually, Rouge ... I think I am going to ask for your help now." Amy said shyly. She was still indecisive and hated asking for help. This wasn't in Amy's character, she didn't like to be in 'debt' with her friends.

Amy studied Rouge's face, she was surprised and that immediately made her back out.

"But, you don't have to! You have already done so much for me and-"

"No Amy! I would love to help you!"

RING RING

The two were interrupted as Amy's phone began to ring. Her eyes widen as the name of 'Shadow' appeared on the small screen of her flip phone.

Amy looked over at Rouge, surprised. She was going to answer but Shadow stopped calling. Then, Rouge's phone began to ring.

"Someone is impatient," Rouge said as she grabbed her phone and showed Amy the screen that displayed Shadow's name.

A few seconds passed and Rouge's phone stopped ringing. Suddenly, they heard strong knocking coming from the door.

"Could that be ... ?" Rouge and Amy share one more look before going crazy.

"Don't tell him I am here!"

"Ok!" Rouge said as she stood up from the bed.

"Wait, no! I need to be civil! If he asks, tell him I am here!" Amy said as she followed Rouge.

"Ok!"

"Wait, no! He was a jerk to me! He ignored me! If he asks, I am not here!"

"Ok!" They were both already in front of the door. Amy stepped away just a little so she could hear the conversation.

Rouge opened the door, just a little and there he was. An angry Shadow looking for answers.

"Where is she?" Shadow asked.

"Who are you talking about?"

"You know damn well who I am talking about."

"Be more specific-"

"Amy, just get out already! I can smell you from a mile away if I wanted to."

Amy facepalmed herself. She sometimes disliked how 'ultimate' Shadow was.

Rouge opened the door fully, knowing already that their plan was a failure. Amy showed herself to Shadow in her pink pajamas, blushing from ear to ear.

"Hey, Shadow."

.

It was awkward. Only the signing of night birds surrounded them and as they walked through the park, the moonlight shone their way.

Shadow seemed to be enjoying himself. He looked at Amy with the corner of his eye. She was in pajamas and trembled a little. It was a cold night after all.

Shadow took off his jacket and put it on top of Amy's shoulders.

Amy shrugged, she immediately took it off. She didn't want to be mean but in a sense, she felt bad. It may be ridiculous but she felt as if she was betraying the blue one. "Oh, I am fine. Thank you tho."

Shadow was surprised at her reaction. She had always accepted his jacket and if he was honest, it did hurt a little her indifference.

"Was this lov-"

"So, how you been?"

His thoughts were interrupted again. Amy's voice had a certain calmness he couldn't explain. He was relieved that she seemed to not be angry at him.

"I am not here to talk about myself," Shadow replied. "I saw what happened to the Resistance, are you alright-"

"I don't want to talk about that."

Amy's voice changed again, a certain hurt in her tone and Shadow began to panic.

"Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped you."

"Just so you can ignore me? No thank you, I don't need your help."

Shadow stood in front of the pink one, "But you accepted Rouge's help."

He said as he meant that Amy asked to stay at Rouge's apartment for some time.

"Unlike you, I trust her."

Damn, that hurts.

Shadow gulped, trying to hide the small pain he had in his chest. "That doesn't mean I don't care."

"You have a very peculiar way of showing it."

The wind blew through the park's tree. It also made Amy's hair dance with it. Shadow analyzed her. He couldn't understand how someone could look as astonishing as her. Even with the painful look in her face, he didn't know what it was about Amy that made him feel a certain way.

He thought of everything, in any way that could make that sadness go away. He knew he had messed up and terribly. However, even now he wasn't sure if he should be this close to Amy. G.U.N was after her, as his mission was to report every aspect of her life.

He didn't want to betray her like that.

But he also didn't want to betray his job.

He needed to figure out it first. Who this villain was ... he trusted Amy more than anyone but G.U.N. had solid proof.

That it was her.

And even so, Shadow didn't care.

Something was pulling him towards her. A strange force was tempting him to get closer to her. Shadow looked at her face and his eyes naturally ended in her lips.

Shadow had never felt hungry, actually, he thought he wasn't capable of feeling that.

Until this moment.

Because he could swear, his mouth water the moment Amy licked her lips.

It was as if her lips were begging to be touched, caressed.

And Shadow wanted to satisfy that.

Almost like an instinct, Shadow placed his hands in Amy's cheeks, softly he began to bring her closer to his face.

He was ready. He just wanted to try them. He just wanted to get lost in their flavor.

"Was this lov-"

Amy pushed him away.

She was stopping herself from crying.

Shadow regretted it.

"I am sorry. I don't know what took over me-"

"Do you think this is a game?"

Shadow didn't say anything. He wasn't understanding what Amy was trying to say. He stood quiet.

"Don't you know how hard it is?" Amy continued.

"Amy ... " Shadow began, "I don't understand-"

"I love you!"

It was quiet as if the world had stopped.

"I love you and it's not the friendly type," Amy replied. "I love how kind you are. How grumpy you are when you wake up, how you smell, how you talk and walk ... and I love the way my life feels complete when I am with you."

Amy cried more. Seeing that Shadow wasn't responding, she gave him her biggest secret.

"And I even love the way you don't love me."

Amy got closer to Shadow and looked at him in the eyes. "So please, don't give me hopes ... because it hurts and I won't be able to forget you."

A few moments passed in which none of them said anything. The silence was killing Amy, especially because she couldn't read Shadow. There were a few emotions she could describe, however. Confusion, surprise, and indecisiveness.  

Amy said that she didn't want to have hope. But in a small corner in her heart, she did have it.

Hope that one day, Shadow would look at her the same she looks at him.

But his expression ... it was everything she needed to know that her feelings wouldn't be accepted.

"You don't have to say anything, I know its weird," said Amy. "I just hope we can still be friends."

Embarrassed, Amy walked away, leaving the dark one alone.

If Shadow wanted to stop her, he would have.

But he didn't want to.

He had messed up with her too much already. Shadow didn't want to say anything that might hurt her later on.

If he doesn't love her and he says that he does, then that would just hurt her more.

He needed to think, but the happiness he felt didn't allow him to. Shadow couldn't believe that someone as pure and kind as Amy was able to love someone as broken as him. Someone as unworthy of love as him.

But if Amy loves ... then does that mean he is worthy of real love after all?

Shadow looked up to the sky and watched the moon.

Yes, it was pretty. But Amy could outshine it.

Shadow would think of Amy, whenever he felt sad and he gets better. Whenever he needs strength, she is on his mind.

But it wasn't only that.

Shadow knew that Amy made him happy, and she had made him the best he could be.

He knew that if there was one person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with ... it was her, it was Amy.

Maybe Rouge was right, maybe he had certain feelings for the pink hedgehog since they began talking. From the moment he saw her at G.U.N.'S New Year's dance ball. To them racing motorcycles, to the saddest moments of his life. Amy was there ... and he wouldn't change that for anything.

Maybe what he thought it was a strong friendship, it was something else.

Shadow kept looking at the moon and stars, he sighed as the realization hit him.

"Maybe ... It was love" He thought.

" ... No... It is love."

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A/N: Finally, Shadow realizes he is in love with Amy. But Amy is a relationship now, so how will Shadow react to this? Why is G.U.N. going after Amy? Who is this villain?

The end is near.

Next: https://another-sonic-blog.tumblr.com/post/612358382054244352/stages-maybe-jealous

[bobasheebaby]

Ava Adore- Be Careful What You Wish For chapter 2

Pairing: Drake x MC; (past) Liam x MC

Word count: 1,927

Warnings: incorrect medical practices, blackmail, manipulation, Evil Liam

Summary: A trip to the doctors and leaning on friends for support.

A/N: This chapter starts the major canon divergence. I will try to incorporate elements that still fit with the overall story but here is where we go completely rouge. A huge thank you to @sirbeepsalot for all of her help and advice and being an ever patient sounding board. (MoE thanks DoE as well.) This chapter is named for Ava Adore by the Smashing Pumpkins, it so perfectly fits Liam.

Series warnings: Evil Liam, dark!fic, deceit, manipulation, dub con, possible NSFW content, possible character death. This is taking the Liam from TRH to the extreme, he is not the Liam we know and love. By clicking read more you acknowledge you are at least 18 years of age.

Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the taglist.

Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters, I’m simply borrowing from PB for a bit.

Drake sat frozen in fear and worry. He announced it. He already announced it. Liam’s words still ringing in his head. ‘...as the king of Cordonia, I’m honored that they’ve allowed me to appoint their future child the royal heir.’ It felt as though there was a weight on his chest making it so he couldn’t breathe. What if something goes wrong? After their conversation on the jet he’d thought that perhaps the announcement would come later in the week after they’d seen the doctor. ‘Dr Ramirez is the best.’ He took a deep breath, releasing his fears. Everything will be fine, we’re both young and healthy. We don’t need to worry, this is just a precaution, nothing will come of it. He turned, smiling at Rebecca as the doctor came in, smile on her own lips. Okay nothing to worry about. We can do this, it’s for Liam, he’s my best friend. I’d do anything for him and he'd do the same for me.

Doctor Ramirez sat, smiling wide. “Well everything looks promising, there’s just one thing that’s bothering me.”

“Oh?” Drake swallowed. Don’t tell me we let him down already.

“It’s nothing to be worried about really. It’s just a small concern and given your rushed timeframe to produce Cordonia’s next heir I would like to address it.” The smile never leaving her face as she waved away Drake’s worry.

“I guess that makes sense.” Rebecca replied feeling more at ease at the doctor’s reassurance.

Dr Ramirez nodded empathetically. “Now as I said it’s minor, normally I wouldn’t be worried, but as the future queen or king of Cordonia is at stake I want to address it now.” She glanced back down at her paperwork. “It seems Duke Walker, that you have a slight motility problem. It’s very minor, but the concentration isn’t what I would like to see either.”

“Umm, Okay.” Drake blanched, everything coming down on him at once. If the country didn’t have an heir it would be his fault. She said minor, that it could be addressed now. “How exactly would you address this issue?”

Dr Ramirez flashed a hundred watt smile. “Oh it’s very simple. These issues usually come up when the scrotal veins are dilated, we would simply go in and repair them. It’s a very simple, easy, minor outpatient procedure.”

Drake’s eyes widened and darted to his crotch. Surgery, on my… it’s for Liam, for Cordonia. “Okay. When can we take care of it?”

“Usually it wouldn’t be able to be taken care of for a few days, weeks at most, but as we are talking about Cordonia’s future monarch I can fit you in later this week.” Dr Ramirez turned her gaze to Rebecca. “Duchess Rebecca, you should have no problems conceiving once we’ve done the procedure, however I’d like to get you started on prenatal vitamins right away. I will send you home with a script but I also have a special concentrated version I could give you as a shot. You see you should really be on prenatals for three months prior to conceiving if you are trying to get pregnant, and with it being our country’s future, I really don’t want to take any chances with his or her health.”

Rebecca nodded. “Whatever you think is best.”

*

Dr Ramirez sat back in her chair, finally dropping the smile from her face. She hated the lying she had to do today but she was given no other choice, she couldn’t say no to the person who asked. She grabbed the picture of her family, the happy faces glaring at her in judgment. I did it for you! She slammed the picture frame face down onto the desk, the glass cracking on impact. She raked a hand over her tired face, jumping as her phone ringing broke through the silence. She looked at the number flashing on the display. Breathe, you did what he asked. “Hello?” Her voice high and cheery.

“How did the appointment go?”

“Perfect. Your Majesty, absolutely no issues.”

“What did I say about formalities? We wouldn’t want anything to happen to your beautiful family because someone found out what I was up to, would we?

Dr Ramirez paled, her throat going dry. “O—of course not. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. You were saying?”

She swallowed thickly. “Yes, I said there were no issues. I gave her a depo shot and he’s scheduled for a vasectomy on Friday. They are willing to do whatever for the future of Cordonia.”

“And they suspect nothing?”

“No, they are fully onboard no trouble at all, they are happy to serve the crown.”

“Good.”

*

Rebecca covered her mouth as she yawned. “Why am I so tired? I thought vitamins where supposed to give you energy.”

Drake chuckled lightly. “It was a concentrated dose, it’ll even out. And you’re sure you don’t mind if I stay up?”

“No have fun.” She rubbed her still flat stomach. “Soon there will be the next heir growing here and our days of partying and staying up will be numbered. Have fun.” She kissed his cheek. “Just don’t stay up too late we need to get sleep while we still can.”

*

“Li, are you sure you want the future of Cordonia resting in Drake’s balls?” Maxwell slurred his hand swinging to hit Drake’s shoulder only for him to miss falling forward in his chair.

Great. He’s drunk. I knew I shouldn’t have told him how the appointment went! “Max…” Drake growled, his tone low in warning.

“I’m sure. I have the utmost faith in Drake and his…” Liam trailed off. “I trust that we will soon be announcing the heir of Cordonia is arriving in no time.”

“Are you sure? Maybe you should ask someone else, I mean Drake said the doctor said—”

“Maxwell, your drink is looking low maybe you should get another, and maybe one for me too?” Drake cut him off. Another drink is the worst idea ever but I need to get him away from the damn table before Liam learns everything.

Maxwell jumped to his feet, nearly tripping over his limbs. “You got it buddy.” He staggered off in search of another drink.

“Are you sure he needs another drink?” Liam asked with an arch of his brow.

“No, but it got him thinking about something else.”

“You’d tell me if something went wrong at the doctors right?”

Guilt wrapped around Drake, ensnaring his limbs, squeezing them tightly to his body, making it impossible to breathe or move. “Of course.” Liar!

Liam’s chestnut eyes softened, he placed a gentle hand on Drake’s forearm. “Drake, you can tell me, was what Maxwell was saying true?”

Drake sighed his head dropping back. How the fuck did I get in this mess? Oh yeah, I trusted Maxwell… “The doctor said that under normal circumstances she wouldn’t even worry yet, but given it’s the future of Cordonia on the line she recommend a procedure.” He drew out the last word. Dammit why is it so hard to lie to him? “To fix the vessels. She said we’d be fine to conceive naturally after.”

“Drake.” His voice soft and full of understanding.

“Li, I swear if she had been worried I would have mentioned it to you, but you have enough on your plate with the unannounced guests, and everything else. Hell, I didn’t want to make you worry about this again.”

“I completely understand, and I thank you for worrying about me, but you need to worry about yourself too.”

“Right.” Drake nodded.

“I would hate to see something happen to you because you let yourself become too stressed. Remember you are as important to me as an heir, I couldn’t imagine what I would do if I lost my best friend, my brother, because he overstressed himself about giving me an heir.”

*

A few days later...

Rebecca let out an exaggerated groan as she eased herself into the hot tub. Not too hot, wouldn’t want the tabloids to report I don’t care about the future heir, again. The warm water melted her stress away and eased the tension in her muscles. She rolled her head to the side, her eyes remaining closed in pure bliss. “Thank you for suggesting this Liv. I didn’t realize how much I needed it.”

“Don’t mention it.” Why Liam wanted me to suggest it instead of doing it himself is beyond me. “I figured after the way you handled the invading kings and queens you could use a day of relaxation.”

“Definitely.” She opened one eye. “Is it normal for people to ask for betrothal agreements before the child is born?”

“You’re asking the woman who was married off by her parents at the age of four.”

“I’m sorry Liv, forget it.”

“No. It’s fine. I’m over it.” Mostly. “But to answer your question, some nobles will make betrothal alliances, but most aren’t that extreme. I’d worry about their hidden agenda.”

Rebecca nodded her head. “Yea, it seemed a little off. I mean I’m not even pregnant yet.”

“You signed on to carry the heir, everyone will be waiting to hear news, and wanting to be the one to make a betrothal to elevate their own status.” Her voice growing harder.

“Right.” Why didn’t I think about that before I said yes? Change the subject! “I noticed Bastien has been absent from Liam’s detail.”

“Yes, Liam sent him to Lythikos to help me look for any loophole to get me out of the agreement, we came up empty. He asked Bastien to stay behind and catalogue what we did find on Anton and my parents involvement, I don’t know why, there was nothing useful.”

Rebecca nodded, a pit of regret forming in her stomach. Why did I bring up betrothal agreements? Stupid! “Thanks for suggesting the spa day, and convincing them to turn down the temperature.”

“Don’t mention it.” Olivia replied with a laugh. “Besides, they wouldn’t want to cross a Nevrakis.”

*

Liam smiled as she walked with poise and purpose through the duchy, expensive bottle of whiskey in hand. Everything was falling into place, he could clearly see the end when she would once again be his. “Drake.” He clasped a hand on Drake’s shoulder, his smile threatening to widen as he took in the frozen bag of peas on his crotch. “I brought you a little something before I head back to the palace. I wanted to treat you because you wouldn’t be in the pain you are if you and Rebecca weren’t trying to conceive an heir for me. I won’t ever be able to convey with words or gestures just how thankful I am that you would agree to this.”

Soon. I will once against know the feel of her skin, the taste of her on my lips. Soon, she will once again be mine.

Drake’s chocolate brown eyes widened. “Li, that’s a really expensive whiskey.”

“Nothing but the best for my dearest friend.”

“Thanks Li, you didn’t have to. You know I’d do anything for you.” He nodded to his lap. “Even endure a little pain. All I want is for you to have the chance to be as happy as Rebecca and I are.”

“And I will never stop thanking you for giving me that chance.”

“Like I said Li, I’d do anything for you. Just like you would for me.”

“Of course. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for my best friend.”

Oh Drake, I truly am sorry I had to do this, but you took what’s mine...

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[thorongil82]

Silver Rings for a Web of Love - Chapter 1

Summary: After having to deal with every little thing that could have gone wrong; the breaking of the Avengers in the Civil War, Rhodey's injuries, the coming of Thanos, The Infinity War, The Decimation, returning the fallen to the land of the living, and battling Secretary Ross and the United Nations over amending the Sokovia Accords, finally Tony Stark has earned time for a break. Finally the world seems to be peaceful enough for a wedding that he knows is long overdue. Finally, he can marry Pepper Potts and all the Avengers are invited. Though a certain Spiderling's life may not be quite the way he would like it to be. 

Yes, he may still be the masked hero of Queens that the majority of the public adores. Yes, he may be studying in NYU in engineering and chemistry. Yes, he may be sharing an apartment with his best friend, Ned Leeds. But, when it comes to a certain snarky, frizzy haired girl who'd been observing him since high school, things haven't gone quite as smoothly as his heart so desperately hopes it had. Maybe a couple of weeks away can change that …

Chapter: 1/?

Words: 3601

A/N: So, I kinda ended up having this idea while writing the next chapter for Every Waking Nightmare. And, because I was a little stagnant in working on that, I moved onto this to help keep some creative juices flowing. Just, some quick information: 

First, this is set both after Endgame and after Far From Home, though admittedly I don't know when FFH will be. But, as they still seem to be in high school there, this should definitely be afterwards. Secondly, even though it will have a lot of other characters and it is a Stark Wedding AU, this is much more a Spideychelle fic than anything else. Thirdly, this'll run in an AU where everyone returns after Endgame, regardless of if they were taken out by The Decimation or killed in the lead up to it. Characters that died before Infinity War, I'm still tossing up on. Fourthly, there may be some stuff later on that may require trigger warnings. If there are, I'll let you know beforehand. 

Finally, and I apologise for the long note to begin, I'm going to try something a bit new with this. My thought was to open each chapter with a quote relating to the theme, and a song/video that I listened to whilst writing the chapter out. Would be good to here your thoughts on it. Anyway, that's enough from me. Onwards!

As a quick note for the Tumblr readers, I’m posting this on both AO3 and Tumblr. Trying something new. As such, there may be slight edits to accompany the change, but otherwise things should stay the same. There’s a link on my blog to the AO3 version if you prefer that, because I still don’t know if the linking issue has been fixed yet or not. 

Chapter 1 - An Invitation Plus One

Song of the Chapter: Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots

"Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature Love says: 'I need you because I love you."

~ Erich Fromm

It wasn't every day that Peter got to travel to the Avengers compound. Sure, Mr. Stark had been trying to get more in contact with him, to make him a much more integral part of the team, but his classes at NYU would, at times, get in the way. Plus he could never abandon his duties to the people of New York. When he had first turned down joining the Avengers, he had wanted to keep close to the ground. Build up his experience. Look out for the little guy. Still try to live the life a kid like he was should have been able to.

Of course, a big purple alien decided to throw a big wrench in that plan. Or, rather, a giant spaceship. And a large golden gauntlet.

He knew he didn't have to go and help. But he had to. What else was he supposed to do? There was a giant spaceship shaped like a spinning donut in the sky. He had to make sure that his classmates didn't get hurt. And, obviously, the best thing his mind could come up with was to leap out of a moving bus with just his mask on and swing away after a distraction from Ned – he'll thank whatever deity he needs to for the fact that Ned was as surprised as he was – to go and stop the invaders. So, he got to reunite with and fight alongside Iron Man, meet a couple of wizards and a levitating cloak, and fight against and with a group of aliens. It could have been a power team. Maybe it should have been. Dr. Strange had looked into the future. He saw the one way that we could win. The plan was set. They had Thanos beaten. Mr. Stark was so close to taking off the gauntlet. He himself was so close. But the other human, Starlord, he had to go and lose control. It didn't make sense at the time. Everyone nearly died. Thanos nearly killed Mr. Stark. Strange gave up his stone. And then half the universe just disappeared. One by one they faded away. And, damn his senses, he felt it coming before it happened. It had felt horrible. Every fibre of his being screaming and tearing away, with nothing that he could do. Actually fading away caused no pain. Maybe it was because of how panicky he had been once he figured out what his instincts were howling at him. However, he still felt a lot of pain when it took hold. The fading, that wasn't it. The others that were dusted said that it just didn't feel like anything. They deduced that it was his healing factor working overtime to try and keep himself together. It had been so much that it nearly killed him a second time when the remaining Avengers succeeded in defeating Thanos and bringing everyone back to life. Mr. Strange magically transported The Guardians and them both back to Earth from Titan. Everything was finally over. The Avengers were, for the most part, back together again, with some new recruits; aliens, wizards, two humans that have travelled through the stars, and a high school student.

After the conflict, the public had, for the most part, rallied behind the Rouge Avengers, and the long fight to rectify the Accords fairly could carefully begin. The Rouge Avengers were pardoned, against the urges of Secretary Ross, and the others were invited to officially join the group. Everyone except Spider-Man, because everyone; the Avengers, the Rouges, the new recruits, and the few outside the superhero cohort still intricately involved, agreed that it would be a very bad idea for the world to find out his secret identity while he was still just a kid. So it was that Peter unofficially became an Avenger, and still is. The world still doesn't know who lies underneath the red-and-blue spandex, or whatever other suit is required for the job. And as far as everyone else knows, Peter Parker goes to the Avengers compound as Tony Stark's part-time assistant. Which isn't exactly a lie – he does do a fair amount of inventing and engineering for Stark Industries, alongside helping with some upgrades for Avengers gear. And, as far as he's aware, that is why he is being driven through the gates and up the driveway of the compound right now.

“You good, kid?” comes the voice of Happy Hogan from the driver's seat. Despite the years, he hasn't changed a lot from what Peter has seen. He still travels everywhere in a suit and hasn't observably aged. However, from his conversations and reports, Peter has noticed how he seems to have softened a little.

“Yeah. Why do you ask?”

“You're just … oddly quiet,” he answers as the car pulls up to the front of the complex.

“I'm just thinking about stuff. Things I can do during spring break,” Peter explains, lying through his teeth for the second part.

“Ah huh ...” Happy nods. For what it's worth to Peter, it doesn't seem like he's noticed the lie he told. Though, Happy was never one to wear his emotions on his sleeve, unless it was either stress or anger.

“I'm not carrying your bag, kid,” Happy says as he turns around, breaking Peter out of his train of thought. Looking around, he could see the car had stopped a while ago.

“Oh, uh … yeah, right,” Peter stammers, his hand quickly snaking to rub the back of his neck. “Thanks, Happy.”

Happy gives him a nod as the spiderling grabs the backpack beside him and slings it over his shoulder before dashing out of the vehicle. Striding out and climbing up the stairway, Peter arrives inside the sparkling clean foyer.

“Hello, Peter,” greeted the soothing feminine voice of F.R.I.D.A.Y. from above.

“Hey, Friday.”

“You're here early.”

“Yeah, Mr. Stark asked me to come in today instead of tomorrow,” Peter replied as he began walking through the complex.

“The boss has been alerted of your arrival. He's on his way down.”

“Thanks, Fri.”

Peter Parker continued his walk through the complex, passing multiple suits and artefacts from previous battles that were no longer in use; such as the dilapidated remains of several Iron Man suits including the battered and scarred mask of the first nanotech suit, a few pieces of weaponry out of War Machine's arsenal, Captain America's strike suit, sketches and designs of suits for several of the Avengers, and a jet-black hooded outfit and mask with blood orange and golden outlines, metallic gauntlets and a sleek katana that no one had bothered to tell the young Parker who it belonged to. It was while his gaze lingered on the more menacing outfit that the nearby elevator opened up, from within which Tony Stark strode out.

“Ah, there you are, kid,” the playboy billionaire says with a smile as he walks out of the elevator, snapping Peter out of his trance.

“Hey, Mr. Stark.”

“You know you can call me Tony, right?” he questions as he puts an arm round the young Parker and leads him into the elevator.

“Yeah,” Peter admits, shifting his weight from side to side as the elevator doors slide shut in front of them. “Force of habit.”

“Well, at least you were raised polite. School going alright? I've still got pull at MIT if you want to change-”

“It's fine, Mr. Sta- I mean, Tony,” the young adult catches himself, shaking his head slightly at his mistake. “No problems.”

“You sure?” Tony asks as he shifts his gaze down to his assistant.

“Yep. Work's all finished. Had an exam today. I'm pretty sure it went alright. Just got one more tomorrow and then-”

“Spring break, right?”

Peter nods.

“Ah, spring break, such fond memories … Lots of parties, plenty of girls …”

“Really?”

“Well I assume so,” Tony says with a shrug. “I was rich and a ladies man, but I also drank like a sailor. My memory isn't what it once was.”

“But you're one of the smartest people in the world!”

“Nah, everyone's starting to catch up,” Tony says, waving his hand as if to dismiss Peter's previous statement. “And a couple seem to be passing me by already – yourself included.”

“I wouldn't say that,” Peter chuckles embarrassingly, his hand snaking round his neck once again.

“So, you got any plans?”

“Uh, no … not really,” Peter replies as the elevator doors open, the billionaire and the spiderling walking through the shiny corridor towards Mr. Stark's personal laboratory.

“Really? Nothing? A good guy like you?”

Peter shakes his head.

“No parties? No girls? No heavy drinking?”

“No sir,” Peter answers, getting a grimace from the cocky philanthropist.

“That formality probably has something to do with it,” Tony mutters as they enter his lab.

Peter's face lights up as the room bursts into light, illuminating all the equipment, prototypes, particles, shiny metal and machinery thrown all over the place. He dashes over to the large pearl-white workbench in the centre of the room, his feet sliding along the polished floor as he comes to a stop. As soon as his hands press down on the work surface, the top dilutes to a dark cobalt-blue before sparking to life, an electric-blue hologram projecting upwards from the surface and shifting to form a large intricate design that appeared to be blueprints for a new type of Iron Man suit.

“So, what are we working on today, Mr- uh … Tony?” the young Parker inquires as his eyes dance with the light of the projection, remembering to catch himself on the name.

“First things first,” Tony interjects, sauntering slowly to the bench and waving a hand through the air, swiping the design back down into the table. He then reaches into his suit pocket and pulls out an envelope, handing it to Peter. “This is for you.”

Peter takes the envelope with an inquisitive look and opens it, pulling out a small folded page with a flowery pattern adorning the border. Unfolding it, he begins to read the words:

Mr. Peter Parker

You are cordially invited by

Tony Stark and Pepper Potts

to celebrate their union in holy matrimony. 

“W-Wait,” Peter exclaims, his eyes going wide. “This is for your wedding!”

“That's right,” Tony bluntly answers, shrugging his suit jacket off his shoulders before tossing it through the air, a coat hanger descending from the ceiling and catching it somewhat roughly before elevating back up into the roof.

“Bu- Wha- Why am I-” Peter stammers, his mind and mouth both currently being completely unable to form a simple sentence. His disbelieving laugh dies as he looks up at the smirking face of his mentor. “Th-This can't be right.”

“And why's that?”

“Well, I mean, why would I be invited?”

“Hmm, let's see here … Uh, you're part of the team, you help me out in here plenty of times, I have a certain amount of care for you that goes well beyond what most people could even dream of ...” Mr. Stark lists off, counting off each point on his fingers.

“That can't be … Is that true?”

“Don't interrupt me, I wasn't finished,” Tony says, holding up a hand. “Now, where was I?”

“The Care Bear Protocol,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. answers from above.

“Wait, Care Bear Protocol?!” Peter exclaims, eyes shooting towards Tony Stark.

“Unimportant details,” he responds, waving away the young Parker's many unspoken questions both figuratively and literally as one of his hands sails through the air in front of him.

“Oh god,” Peter groans, a hand flying up to hide his shame as his face quickly heats up in embarrassment.

“You're smart, respectable, polite,” Tony continues listing, as if the previous interruption hadn't happened, “Everyone on the team loves having you around, you brighten everyone's day, you're a hero to the people and you're probably the best out of all of us. So, yes, you're invited.”

Peter hesitantly looks back at the invitation, taking in the information.

“So, this is why you wanted me here today?”

“Yep. Pepper and I are leaving tomorrow after we finish up with some meetings.”

“The wedding's in a fortnight, though,” Peter observes, reading from the invitation and looking up with a puzzled expression.

“We could do with a break beforehand,” Tony explains, crossing his arms over the reactor in his chest. “Won't really have too much time for a honeymoon afterwards, so might as well get it over with beforehand with the team.”

Peter goes to open his mouth, but is cut off as Mr. Stark adds, “And yes, that includes you.”

“Cool! But … I've got an exam tomorrow. I can't just leave tomorrow.”

“Check the envelope.”

Peter takes another look inside the envelope and pulls out two plane tickets, boarding passes and small cards similar to the ID scanners that everyone uses in the newly re-bought and re-furnished Stark Tower. Looking at the plane tickets, Peter noted the departure time for 0800 hours on Saturday; the day after tomorrow.

“You're not the only one who can't get there straight away,” Tony explains. “Some are still getting there mid-week. I'd already checked in with NYU about when your exams were and planned around it.”

“Um … Mr. Stark?” Peter says, looking back up at his mentor.

“That name's not going to go away, is it?” Tony sighs, causing Peter's eyes to widen at his comment.

“Uh … probably not,” Peter answers guiltily.

“Don't worry, kid,” Tony says with a smile, bringing a smile to his student. “What is it?”

“Why are there two of all these?”

“Oh, well that's because everyone can bring someone along, and you've been put down for a 'plus one',” Mr. Stark clarifies.

“But I don't think I'll be able to bring anyone.”

“Really? No one?”

“Well, May's going to be away in Hawaii for another wedding, and Ned's going on a holiday with his family and his girlfriend.”

“What about that girl you hang around?”

“Michelle? No! Nonononono!” Peter frantically utters, vehemently shaking his head. “That would not be a good idea.”

“Why not?” Tony asks, eyebrows raising up in surprise. “I thought you guys were pretty close.”

“We are- were. It's … uh … It's not great …”

“What happened? You always use to spew your guts about every little thing about her. It got pretty annoying.”

“Um … you remember what happened in Europe?” Tony nods. “Well … we were kinda supposed to go on a date …”

“Wait, you were supposed to go on a date, or you were kinda going on a date?”

“We were going on a date … kinda.”

Tony sighs and shakes his head, but motions for the kid to continue.

“Well … we were going to be going to a carnival, but I was running a little late. On the way, one of Beck's goons tricked me and I ended up fighting Beck. By the time I had him webbed up, I was super late and she was so frustrated at me. She just screamed and shouted at me at the hotel and then didn't speak to me for the next three months.”

“Did you tell her why you missed it?” Tony asks. Peter drops his gaze to the floor and shakes his head, sinking into a nearby chair. Tony sighs and goes up to the youth, clapping a hand down on his fallen shoulder. “Well, that would have been a start. It could've helped her understand-”

“No! No, I … I can't tell her,” Peter states, his hands fumbling in the air in front of him. “I-I … I just can't.”

“Kid, all relationships are built on trust-”

“You don't understand: I can't tell her because she doesn't know I'm Spider-Man!” Peter declares, looking up at Tony Stark. “I … I never told her.”

“Why wouldn't you tell her?”

“I didn't want her to be hurt. I-If more people keep finding out who I am, then they'll be in danger. Vulture threatened to hurt everyone and Mysterio used his knowledge to distract me and lure me away.”

“We can take care of-”

“It's not the same. The Avengers can take care of each other. May, Ned, MJ … I-If someone like that comes after them …”

“It's alright, kid. Nothing's going to happen to them,” Tony assures as he crouches down in front of Peter, rubbing the younger man's legs as his eyes seem to stare off into space. His breathing quickens and becomes shorter as the panic starts to set in. “Hey, look at me. Peter.”

Peter slowly lifts his head to look at his mentor's eyes.

“Follow my breathing, okay?”

The young adult nods and follows as Tony starts with a normal paced breath, waiting for Peter's to drop down and meet it before carefully slowing it down until the young Parker had calmed down.

“All good, kid?”

Peter swallows and nods in response.

“Do you want my advice?”

Peter nods again.

“Okay. If you want to fix things between the two of you, my suggestion is that you tell her.”

“But I-”

“Don't interrupt,” Mr. Stark says abruptly, causing Peter to shut his mouth. “Do you still like her?”

“It's … It's complicated.”

“Kid, it's a yes or no question.”

“Well … Yes,” Peter admits, running a hand through his short curls. “But, it's not that easy.”

“Sure it is,” Stark responds with a shrug. “Three simple words: I am Spider-Man. Nice and short. Just like when I announced myself.”

“No, it's not,” Peter disputes. “I can't. I can't bring her into this world. If … If someone finds out, and she gets hurt … I just can't loose her again. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if she's hurt because of me.”

“You realise you're saying this to a guy who's about to get married, right?”

“I-I didn't mean-”

“Look, kid,” Tony interjects, clearing his throat, “I know how you feel. It took me years to work up the courage to ask Pepper to marry me. And even then, it kept getting put off because of all these people that think they're powerful enough to rule the world. Or the galaxy. Or … whatever. Point is, in that time I realised something. It wouldn't matter how she felt about me, or whether we were together or not. So long as I cared about her, she would be in danger. People kept targeting her to get to me. Didn't matter what stage our relationship was in. So, if I was the one that was keeping her in danger, then I would do whatever it takes to make sure she's safe.”

“Also,” he continues as Peter opens his mouth, “if you want to be happy in life, then your better off being with the people you love. It'll hurt you to keep them at a distance, and it can hurt them too if they don't know why you're pushing them away.”

“So, what should I do?”

“Try to patch things up. I'm assuming you guys are at least in a civil acquaintanceship?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Peter answers glumly. “There are times were it seems friendly, and times where it still seems like she hates my guts. Then again, she is pretty dry and standoff-ish to everyone anyway, so that might just be her being who she is.”

“Then ask her to come. Tell her you're Spider-Man and bring her along.”

“Just like that? Hi, just thought I'd let you know I'm Spider-Man. Do you want to come to a wedding? I can't do that!”

“Fine, pick your moment. But I still want you to invite her.”

“And how do I explain that we'll be staying with The Avengers?”

“Why wouldn't The Avengers be there?”

“It's not that. It's just … what perfectly normal reason would there be for me to be there?”

“Well, if she-”

“One that doesn't involve me telling her I'm Spider-Man,” Peter cuts off Tony Stark, resulting in a glare from his mentor.

“Eh, we'll get there when we get there.”

“That's not really the kind of answer I was looking for.”

“Well, you keep wanting to make it difficult.”

“This is not going to go well,” Peter groans and drops his head into his hands before running them through his hair.

Tony sighs and stands up, walking over to the bench. He taps a couple of times on the surface, causing the bench-top to flash blue, before pinching the air and dragging upwards, springing up the holographic blueprints from earlier.

“How about we have a look at this?” Tony suggests as he folds his arms over his chest, getting Peter to look back up at him. “It'll help get your mind off your troubles, and get your head in gear for your exams tomorrow.”

Peter pushes himself out of his chair and stands next to Mr. Stark.

“Sure, but … um … I already planned to go to May's afterwards for dinner. I said I'd be there by 7.”

“What time is it now, Fri?” Tony asks, his eyes focusing on the designs.

“2:13,” the AI answers from above.

“Ah, we've got plenty of time,” Mr. Stark says, unfolding one of his arms and resting it on Peter's shoulder. “Hell, we'll probably have this all finished well before then.”

His arms shoot out to the holograms and brush a couple of designs aside before focusing in on the reactor and energy couplets and bringing his hands out wide, zooming into the design.

“How about we focus here first?”

A/N: So, there we go. First one out of the way. A shorter chapter than what I typically write, but probably about right for an introduction. Things may get longer. 

I'd like to hear your thoughts on the chapter. Suggestions, criticisms, ideas, all of that is welcome. In particular, I don't necessarily have a complete idea for events that they will all do before the wedding, so if there's anything in particular you want to see, whether it be an event, a face-off, or a particular relationship development event, please feel free to let me know and I'll see what I can do.

The next chapter will be uploaded as it's written. So, until then, adios.

[classicdaisycalico]

Rouge the Bat

give me a character and i’ll answer

DO I LIKE THEM:Uhhhh can I get a F U C K  Y E A H

5 GOOD QUALITIES:1. Rouge takes no shit. Absolutely no shit. You fucking go, girl.2. This girl is intelligent as fuck. She’s a spy, yes, but it’s also just a part of her personality in general. Any sassy female character with a sharp wit is a good character, in my book.3. Rouge can LITERALLY kick your ass. Seriously, she is such a powerful fighter and I think that if I were on the receiving end of one of her kick attacks I think I would never fully recover.4. She looks fly as fuck AND SHE KNOWS IT. Not only that, but SHE USES IT TO HER ADVANTAGE ALL THE TIME. AND IT WORKS. SO. DAMN. WELL. EVERY SINGLE TIME.5. All in all, Rouge just has all of the confidence. Her level of confidence is everything I aspire to be.

3 BAD QUALITIES:1. Sometimes Rouge doesn’t know when to stop messing with people. But it IS part of her nature, after all, to get into people’s heads. And she’s really good at it.2. There are moments where her love for anything that glitters is…kinda unhealthy. But she’s been getting better at getting her priorities straight, which is good. It lets us know she’s more than just Tamatoa, but in bat form.3. Rouge can be a colossal bitch sometimes even to the people she’s working with in a lot of her adventures, and it definitely makes her even more shallow than she already is. But as far as character development goes, she has been opening up recently. That says a lot about someone who used to only look out for herself all the time.

FAVORITE EPISODE/ETC:Uhmmm probably Sonic Adventure 2. It’s her debut game, of course, but it lets us know how she fights and navigates. It also lets us know that Rouge is a fucking Sass Master

OTP:Shadouge 5ever my guy I will go down with the ship

BroTP:Rouge and Omega, tbh. I’m so glad Team Dark is kinda back together in Sonic Forces and any time they interact is just so funny.

OT3:Shadow, Rouge, and a Chaos Emerald. Either that, or the entirety of Team Dark, since they’re such great buddies, already

NoTP:Wow I’m just so full of controversy tonight aren’t I? I think I’m one of the only people on this website who doesn’t ship Rouge with Knuckles? Idk she messes with him so much and he reacts so negatively to her all the time I just feel like literally nothing would work between them so uhhhh yeah that’s my bit carry on

BEST QUOTE:“Even if you believe everyone in the world will be against you, know that I’ll always remain by your side. Remember that.”~ Rouge, to Shadow, Sonic ‘06I think this is one of the biggest moments where we see how much character development has gone into Rouge. The fact that she can willingly let herself be at her most emotionally vulnerable to a person who is just as closed off as she is, if not more so, IS A BIG FUCKING DEAL. This person, who used to only look out for herself and her sparkly jewels, IS OPENING UP TO SOMEONE. And guess what? HE OPENS UP TO HER, TOO. Ugh, I just have a lot of feelings.

HEADCANON:Rouge knows French. She’s fluent in it. Also she still keeps the limiter that Shadow lost during his fight with the FinalHazard alongside Sonic. She wears it under her glove on her left wrist (because Shadow is left-handed), but she hasn’t told anybody about it. Not even Shadow.