#and that's what i'm here for in particular 8D

[the-firebird69]

hērōs *suprāhūmānus in English - Latin-English Dictionary | Glosbe

"suprāhūmānus"

https://glosbe.com/la/en/h%C4%93r%C5%8Ds%20*supr%C4%81h%C5%ABm%C4%81nus#:~:text=h%C4%93r%C5%8Ds%20*-,supr%C4%81h%C5%ABm%C4%81nus,-%2B

We have a new idea for a beer and you'd have different beers and different bashes coming out with the origin of certain superheroes and they be pretty big and you pump one out every two or three weeks and people will be waiting for that batch again and ordering certain batches depending on their genre and I think we might ship them to Gotham in places like that and the beers would have protein in them do it have nutrients some Bain like stuff

And some of them would have more of it than others

Heros Suprahumanos

it's a cool idea you said the beer label would be this name. The label would have the particular brew name such as Bane and there would also be Arkham asylum Bane and our son and daughter are that last one and there's also Wolvesbain and that one does not mean werewolf what it means is that they're more of a military structure and it's super enormously annoying. I'm sending in teams I'm sick of these people. And the beer would have a label on it and a label would be inclusive of which beer it is he's got a weird idea it kind of makes it legal and you seen it before we have too and they do it a lot so you put on it's like a hamster light or Amstel and they put it within the label and you put the character like behind the label so you can see it and it'll be on the back and there'll be like a games and what's going on in the comic book world with him at the time and people would read those and there's a genre that includes things that are in reality and it's more like trask and Carlton Fisk and other characters that are kind of real like Brock Lesnar and things like that and they probably sneak Hulk Hogan on there as part of the stories not as the beer but it's not really a superhero but they have these contemporary ones and they're involved those guys so great ideas and he says well we can send anything to you San Francisco cities and start that off at the same time it's a good idea and then contemporary ones will be out here and sometimes they'd mirror the stories and it's a way to get the news out so we're looking for people who are going to be intermediaries meaning from the other side and from our side and we want to get as much as we can now they're bottling their own so we can send labels and they can label whatever container they're putting it in we'd have a basic label we have a fancy one for beer bottles and cans and big bottles different ones the whole bunch and just a name label it'll be in the same style and have like a copyright on it and people buy that and the buy it for like tanker trucks and we'll have larger symbols so you can see it so it's a commercial I'm going to get on this and I'm going to start it

Frank Castle hardcastle and me Duke Nukem Blockbuster and me Blockbuster yes it's us too hardcastle we love the idea

Olympus soon as you send it in we're going to approve it so they're trying to send it now and he says just grab the breweries stuff and then out here and you can get them in a minute and we're going to do that

[usaghinanami99]

Ok, so in some way or another, this has morphed into a Naoko Takeuchi callout post. I have tagged it accordingly, but I'll still put the rest under a Read more to be extra sure that whoever doesn't want to read this will not do so accidentally. I think this should also go without saying, but the post does NOT in any way, shape or form contain pictures or even detailed descriptions of the type of content mentioned therein. What it does feature is a (maybe too long and link-heavy) overview of all the damning pieces of evidence that lead to the hard to swallow conclusion that Takeuchi either is or used to be a fan of borderline paedophilic manga and art.

The most evident hint lies in this particular short story, which is very easily available, but the fandom seems to have an unspoken rule of never mentioning it, because well... https://missdream.org/sailor-moon-scanlations/sailor-moon-manga-scanlations/chibiusas-picture-diary-4/ If the main body of the story weren't more than enough to prove that Takeuchi is ok with sexualising children, then the bonus final page would qualm any doubt in regard. Incidentally but not very related to the topic, the Chibiusa's picture diary series of short stories also features the most explicit proof - along with Chapter 9 of Sailor V - that SM is nowhere near as feminist as some fans want to believe, since in the second story (the Tanabata one) the concept of female separatism is ridiculed in the extreme. Btw if you prefer checking them out in print form, these extra chapters are featured in Volume 1 (out of two) of Pretty guardian Sailor Moon short stories.

That was it as far as the paedophilic content she's personally created goes (but any number above 0 is obviously too much); however, looking behind the scenes paints a far more coherent picture - starting with this interview (https://www.tuxedounmasked.com/lunar-logs-naoko-discusses-love-and-life-before-sailor-moon/), which I personally deem to be a fantastic read, both informative and hilarious... if only it weren't for the can of worms that it opened. Since I am naturally curious, a worshipper of Takeuchi's work as a mangaka and always eager to expand my knowledge of the manga world, the obvious thing for me to do was researching every title and artist mentioned in the interview (except those I already knew, of course). While the majority of the manga that Takeuchi states she's a fan of are very normal and harmless, the same cannot be said about her professed passion for プチ・アップル・パイ / Petit Apple Pie (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petit_Apple_Pie), a magazine hosting manga that while not outright pornographic, were still undeniably suggestive in their sexualisation of female children - to put it in the most inequivocable and simple manner, yes, that's lolicon content; not the most explicit form, but still lolicon, and any doubts that I may have got were dispelled by making a search through Google Images with the SafeSearch option turned on to avoid seeing the worst. In the same interview, Takeuchi doubles down by declaring her love for the mangaka かがみ・あきら / Akira Kagami (I couldn't find any English-only profiles this time around, so this is all I can offer to get a general idea: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%8B%E3%81%8C%E3%81%BF%E3%81%82%E3%81%8D%E3%82%89 and https://japan.fandom.com/ja/wiki/%E3%81%8B%E3%81%8C%E3%81%BF%E3%81%82%E3%81%8D%E3%82%89), who dabbled in various genres and demographics, including unobjectionable ones (as was the norm for perverted mangaka during the bishōjo boom of the 80's), but seems to be best remembered for his work in the "relatively tame lolicon" niche. I'm noticing a pattern here... As a side note, when looking at the publication dates of the magazine and the period of activity of the mangaka, it might be possible to be slightly lenient towards Takeuchi who, considering she was born in 1967, couldn't be much older than the characters portrayed in this type of manga when she started seeking it out; but the fact remains that she's recounting all of this in an interview given in 1994, when she doesn't seem to either regret or contextualise these reading choices in the slightest.

The other big piece of evidence, unlike the aforementioned interview, is really under everyone's eyes: we all know that Chapter 3 of Codename Sailor V deals with Pandora's ambition and the subsequent Chapter 4 with her sister Petite Pandora's ambition. Going into another barely related tangent (because I can't bring myself to function without them), these two were actually the very first chapters of any Sailor-related manga to see the light of day in magazine form, with what we now know as Chapters 1 & 2 being added in retroactively to give a proper origin to what had been born as a mere one-shot but had then evolved into an ongoing serial; the original publication order of Sailor V chapters in RunRun is 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, then followed by 7 to 16 in regular order, so it's no wonder that the full title of Chapter 3 is Sailor V's first appearance! Channel 44 - Pandora's ambition, even when it's very much not her first appearance in all collected volume editions. Sorry again for this tangent, but I find it pretty telling that Takeuchi decided to insert an homage to the lolicon genre in what was at the time only the second chapter of Sailor V, thus the first one in the series that was conceived as part of a bigger picture than itself right from the starting point. The point I've spent so much time before reaching is that the titular enemy of Chapter 4, Petite Pandora, is fittingly named because she's the little sister of the previous (and all-around "first") enemy, and because she's a pretty young girl whose popularity as an idol explicitly stems from her beauty and youth, granting her a large fandom of predominantly male otaku not unlike those who salivate after real-life young singers. Well, the fact is that プチ・パンドラ / Petite Pandora is also the name of yet another lolicon manga magazine that used to be published during the 80's; I guess this one wasn't so popular as Petit Apple Pie since I couldn't find any profiles dedicated solely to it, but this page does clarify its nature: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%80%E6%B0%B4%E7%A4%BE Additionally, a footnote to a different general article (https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E3%83%AD%E3%83%AA%E3%82%B3%E3%83%B3%E6%BC%AB%E7%94%BB?dictCode=WKPJA#cite_note-128, I'm linking to the note directly instead of the main body of the text because the article's page opens with a suggestive image of the type that you can imagine) openly states that Naoko Takeuchi was a famous/high-profile reader of the magazine Petite Pandora, citing this book as a source for the statement: https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E5%87%BA%E5%AE%B6%E6%97%A5%E8%A8%98%E2%80%95%E3%81%82%E3%82%8B%E3%80%8C%E3%81%8A%E3%81%9F%E3%81%8F%E3%80%8D%E3%81%AE%E7%94%9F%E6%B6%AF-%E8%9B%AD%E5%85%90%E7%A5%9E-%E5%BB%BA-%E5%85%83/dp/4048839322 I can't and shan't check this book in person for obvious reasons, I'm just putting this here in case someone is really, really keen on verifying primary sources - which I, too, am usually keen on, but not when it involves purchasing a mémoir by a proud lolicon editor written in a language I'm no expert in.

Btw, if you're starting to believe that featuring the word "Petit(e)" in the title means that a manga magazine deals with that type of nasty content, I think I should point out that the same word seems to be also popular with normal josē magazines featuring none of this shit, as is proven by Akita Shōten's recent monthly プチ・プリンセス / Petite Princesse, as well as the historic プチ・コミック / Petit Comic and プチ・フラワー / Petit Flower, both "normal" josē monthly magazines published by Shōgakukan; in this case, the naming choice seems to reference not the perverted attraction towards prepubescent youth, but the catering to young women as the targetted demographic. I promise this is the last useless side note, but I find it funny (by which I mean absolutely unfunny) that Petite Pandora from Sailor V is nowhere near the most important animanga girl named after a lolicon magazine - that honour goes to Elpeo Ple from Gundam ZZ (discussed here in great detail: https://podcastaddict.com/episode/116432131?fbclid=IwAR1ouu9ILRUtLlyrw4TdyVffa3wRsVFTyQIWbp3HDl4By8Tv9sts9NtMekY), whose name is a reference to Lemon People, a manga magazine that, unlike the other two mentioned above, did not delve in softcore material but in explicit child pornography. It's weird how two different but both highly important and respected authors as Tomino and Takeuchi are thought it was such a brilliant idea to employ the same type of sick in-joke. Aanyway, in case anyone still held any doubts, here's indisputable proof that Petite Pandora's name was no coincidence, straight from the author's mouth:

I'm not capable of offering a proper translation because my Japanese is, to put it bluntly, very basic and lacking (I was able to study it for a few months only 😥) so I frankly cannot understand most of the text, but what little I can make out suggests to me that both Naoko Takeuchi and her editor Fumio Osano are or were fans of the infamous Petite Pandora magazine, with Takeuchi openly explaining the homage behind the character's naming choice, and then... seemingly equating her love for this nasty magazine with the love she held for the innocent shōjo magazine Ribbon? Needless to say I'd really, really appreciate it if someone who knows Japanese for real were to translate this page. 😅

In any case, the page in question comes from Volume 1 of the first Codename Sailor V compiled edition, where it appears as a message from the author to the readers right after Chapter 4 has wrapped up. This message had since long been of pretty easy access, but I never noticed it until when I decided to give a thorough, page-by-page look at the three main versions of the SM manga (magazine, tankōbon and shinsōban) to get a proper idea of the many changes made, an amazing pastime which wouldn't have been possible without the raw scans provided by the wonderful Miss Dream webmasters. Unfortunately you won't find this type of pages in subsequent editions, either shinsōban or kanzenban (I'm not even counting the bunkōbon because its existence is useless, lol), but make no mistake, this doesn't seem to be an effort on Takeuchi's part to "erase" this piece of shameful history from her manga: it's just that pretty much all the free talk corners and liner notes were expunged from all book re-editions from shinsōban onwards and replaced by old sketches and doodles, so you can only find this sort of authorial comments in the original tankōbon, independently of whether they involve mentions of paedophilia or not.

The last material I'm going to show is not a proof but just a hint - something which, if taken alone, would've never made me deem Takeuchi a potential paedo supporter, but which still adds something small to the general picture that's been painted. What I want to bring to your attention is this page from Chapter 5 of Codename Sailor V, titled Dark Agency's plot, and in particular Amano's speech bubbles in the top-left panel.

Since I know that not everyone trusts scanlators implicitly, and since the official edition I own does word things in a different way (but the incriminated part retains the same meaning), I think that including the raw page should qualm any doubts about the possibilities of there being a mistranslation. I've taken the liberty of putting my unparalleled Paint skills to good use by highlighting the two major keywords, dōjinshi and lolicon. This is where I point out that, far later down the line, Takeuchi herself would try her hand in the dōjinshi field along with her husband, and luckily their efforts do not belong to the loli genre.

Both scans were provided by - who else? - the legendary folks at Miss Dream. As I've said, Amano being a creep and Dark Agency doing light paedo pandering may not necessarily be signs of something sinister going on with the author on their own... if only there weren't all the pieces of evidence I've listed above.

Welp, that was it; while it may not seem much, all of this combined paints a very clear picture that would be dishonest to claim is mere coincidence. Finding out all of this was obviously a shock for me too, and I am sorry if this causes Takeuchi's pedestal to be broken for any other fan, and especially for derailing the original conversation towards such a nasty topic. All things considered, I think what surprises me the most is that the English-speaking SM fandom is full of people who actually know Japanese, but I've never seen anyone trying to spread this information in the dozen of years I've been involved so far, so I wonder whether I'm really the only one seeing this, or it's they who purposefully keep these facts under tight wraps to avoid confronting the reality of Naoko Takeuchi and her oeuvre being far from morally pure. Then I wonder whether this being common knowledge would break the fandom in desperation and cause many tentatives of "cancelling" the author, or if they'd just dismiss it as no big deal, similarly to how both the fans and the publishing animanga industry have got no qualms or second guesses about keeping on supporting Watsuki even after what he's been proven guilty of. 😒 Long story short, Takeuchi is, like anyone else, a daughter of her time, and her youth as an avid manga reader leaves clear traces in her adult years as a professional mangaka. I happen to think that half of this influence is an amazing component of her work, by which I mean that she was one of the very few remaining mangaka who didn't conform to the bland graphic trends of 90's manga, instead repurposing her own interpretation of the superb artistic conventions typical in the great shōjo classics of the 70's that she read as a child. But she was also a teenage manga fan during the 80's, which meant that she was fully immersed in the pre-89 otaku culture, where loli bait was ubiquitous and normalised even in mainstream media. It's no wonder that the comics she read with passion ended up influencing her professional activity, but obviously nothing could ever be an excuse for seeking out this type of magazine on purpose and then going on to celebrate it as an adult, particularly one writing for an all-ages public.

I know, right?!? Every day it seems like the SM fandom is filled with more and more gendies who claim stuff like how Haruka isn't actually a woman or worse... And what's more, this is far from being the most deranged take I've seen recently, especially now that June has started. But then they'll turn around and claim that SM is actually the pinnacle of feminism in manga, when it's so clearly liberal-leaning and pro-beauty standards that it's anything but. What can I say, the sane people have to stick together! While to be honest I have to say that I don't share your shipping opinions in the slightest, I'd always admire a "rival" like you more than a shipmate who's also a hardcore TQ+ cultist. Sorry if my English isn't exactly the best, I hope I can convey what I want to all the same. ^^

I was absolutely devastated that in Crystal they seriously added the line 'Haruka isn't a man or a woman.' Like... sorry, no. If that was the case then why the hell did Michiru and Haruka get that awful "they're cousins" treatment for the western localization in the OG anime 🙄

I swear ....claiming that SM is a "feminist" work has to do with the fact that people don't want to admit that they enjoy things that aren't politically "pure". Because in their minds it would reflect on who they are as a person, and if something they enjoy isn't perfect, then they aren't either. Tbh I think there's a lot of unchecked narcissistic behavior in fandom communities as a whole 🤦🏻‍♀️

Oh GOSH. My shipping is a mess !! LMAOOO. I should be ashamed of it but I'm so shameless🤣 Tbh i recently started shipping Usagi with practically everyone 😭🤦🏻‍♀️ I'm ©onflicted, that's for sure

but hell yeah, shipping wars be damned, female solidarity til death >:] 😂😂

and omg no, don't even worry! I had no idea English wasn't your first language from your ask!! your message got across Crystal (🤭) clear ♥️

[dailyawakening]

@21stcenturyhero I have so many things to say in response to your replies so I’m just going to tag you here and dump headcanons after the break

I LOVE THEM ALL SO MUCH <3 <3 do you think tome magic practiced in Plegia although to a lesser degree and if not, do you have any headcanons on how Robin got to learn his way around tomes? I’m sure that Tharja and Henry supported him - Henry sneaked snacks into the library, which was met with Tharja’s dismay, but she was the one bringing hot drinks for Robin if he was stuck in a study for the night. I absolutely ADORE to imagine Tharja as the one responsible person around Henry and Robin too!

Okay so I have a million headcanons regarding Plegia and magic and also Robin and magic so here goes: 

Plegia is basically the magic capital of the continent and possibly the world.  Magic is hugely important there and touches almost every aspect of life in some way or another.  Plegia has, as a nation, devoted so much time and care and energy to the study and advancement of magic that they’ve actually developed four distinct branches of magic: hexcraft, the use of ingredients in an array to create a desired effect; tomecraft, the use of arcane runes to tap a desired energy; divination, the use of particular signs to find something desired; and healing arts, the use of staves to mend or otherwise undo physical damage. 

In general, hexcraft and tomecraft are the most widespread forms of magic in Plegia, followed by the healing arts; divination is a very specialized skill that requires intense study, and real talent in it is quite rare, hence why the king’s diviners (those who have chosen Plegia’s rulers in the millennium since Grima’s fall) are revered on a level similar to the heads of both the Grimleal faith and the Plegian Nation.  

(Fun fact: Tharja actually excels in divination, specifically scrying in mirrors.)

Now, tomecraft is a bit of a misnomer: while tomes are undoubtedly the most well-known form, the runes can actually be inscribed on anything from cloth to stone.  Simple runes produce simple effects, like calling up a light or summoning a little breeze to cool off on a hot day.  The more powerful the desired effect, the more complicated the rune needs to be: tomes require incredibly complex runes to function, and actually require specialized craftsmen the same way that a fine blade would (Robin’s uncle Jay is one such craftsman). 

And speaking of Robin: remember how I said that Henry has a talent for touching hex ingredients and knowing what they’ll do?  Robin has a similar talent for runes: he can touch one and instinctively know its effect (something he inherited from his mother Wren).  It gives him something of an advantage in that he can focus on the rune itself and the magic he can feel through it to call forth the effect, rather than always needing an incantation.  It’s more raw that way, but it’s certainly effective. 

Robin got started with tomes thanks to his family.  His uncle, being a rune craftsman, introduced the boy early to some simple runes, and Wren taught him how to reach deep inside to summon up the power to call them forth.  Wren herself can use runes, but her innate magic tends to be very volatile, so it’s safest for everyone if she sticks to simpler runes or tomes like Wind (though Gangrel has been known to give her Fire tomes just to see what kinds of chaos can be wrought -- it’s great fun until Mustafa comes and chides them all for setting a tapestry on fire).  It still gave Robin a very solid foundation to work on as he started learning more about magic of all kinds, and specifically magic focused around the arcane runes. 

Henry actually provided the next step.  While literacy is a struggle for him, Henry still has a knack for tome-based magic, and has a particular penchant for fire magic.  Since he can’t feel the effect of runes the way Robin can, Henry simply memorizes the necessary incantations until calling forth the spell becomes second nature for him.  So Henry taught Robin about more complex tomes and incantations. 

Unfortunately for everyone, Henry couldn’t teach Robin any of the high-level stuff.  Very few people in Plegia are capable of really advanced magic...but Validar is.  So in order to continue his studies, Robin got his father as a magic tutor.  He advanced quite rapidly -- Robin is a naturally quick study with a real aptitude for the arcane arts -- but Validar is not someone that he enjoyed being around.  On top of Validar being...well, Validar (which is to say mentally abusive and generally cruel), Robin always got a bad feeling being around him, and having to put on a pleasant face and endure during those sessions really wore terribly on him.  

Henry worried a lot about him.  

Any time Robin insists that he’s okay, he’s very much not.  Everyone’s aware of this.  Thankfully, sessions with Validar were sparing (weekly occurrences at best, with time to practice in the meantime); Robin threw himself into his studies in that downtime (and got doted on by Henry and Tharja along with his mother and uncles), and eventually advanced to a point that Validar’s tutelage became less and less necessary, giving him more time to go around Plegia with Henry and Tharja. 

I love this trio, and I’m sure that Tharja and Frederick would be the kind to butt heads if Chrom and Robin were to meet as Ylisse’s Exalt and Grima’s Heart; meanwhile Henry and Lissa are playing pranks for shit and giggles. ALSO ROBIN AND HENRY AS SIBLINGS!! That literally made my day.

You are exactly right there you have the dynamic of those trios down 8D For the record, in a role reversal situation (where Chrom is the amnesiac waking up in Plegia), Tharja would absolutely be the one standing in for Frederick. 

(Now I’m thinking of Henry as a cool uncle for the Morgans and OH NO that’s so cute. He’s definitely the type of relative who would bribe his nephew and niece with candy and take them out to trick or treat in Halloween. He’s the one radical uncle and you KNOW IT. Wow I love this dynamic.) 

Oh my friend Henry does so much worse than simply bribe them with candy.  

He teaches them wordplay. 

I don’t care if picket fences are an anachronism I’ve been dying to use this 

[wild-houseplant]

/returns like a ghostly apparition, knocking on your window/ hello can we please get these for Rhodri ? 🍒 🎂 🥃 🍾

Oh henlo hi :3 *opens the window and welcomes you in with cake and goodies* Thank you for the asks! <3 I'm spoiled!! (any chance I could send you a few more as well? 8D ok if not!) Under the cut! We know how it rolls around here :D

🍒 Has your OC had their first kiss yet? If so, with who?

She has! It happened just shy of her nineteenth birthday, courtesy of her friend and fellow Circle mage, Stella. Stella's lovely! She's a very vivacious, absent-minded sort with absolutely no filter, and is an absolute beast at drawing, especially plants and intricate patterns. They end up in an open QPR (Stella's a pansexual loveless aro while Rhod’s pan-everything) and they're basically like those old couples that argue about weird shit like the ideal colour of toast right up 'til Rhodri's conscription a year later.

🎂 Has your OC got any contradictory interests or traits to the first perception people have of them? How do they surprise people?

HAHAHAHAHAH. Oh. My God. Well, the resting bitch face hides that she's a snuggle monster who's great with kids and babies, but I've talked about that a lot already.

Probably the thing that strikes most people as contradictory is the way she can jump between playfulness and earnest solicitude. It's mostly because she doesn't trust her gut in social situations (and fair, it's often misled her), so she's constantly analysing as she goes. It happens especially when someone makes a joke that she takes seriously. Bugger goes from comfort mode to hyena-esque laughing in 0.001 seconds. Throws 'em every time. :D

🥃 If your OC was in this universe, what would be their favourite show/book/band/social media platform?

Ooh. Do you know, I've never thought about this! Let's see... show-wise, I can see her going for documentaries. Especially ones about space and anything geology, but I think she'd watch just about anything. Book... at a guess, probably psychology textbooks so she could get a better grip of how she thinks, and how others think. Developmental psychology would be of particular use, I would imagine, so she'd feel very prepared as a parent. I do have a hc, though, that she has a very soft spot for heroic novels. Tales of the gallant, mighty protag saving the day with their strength and wisdom put stars in her eyes like nobody's business. Band... you know, I peg her as liking instrumental stuff, especially if it's rich and slow. To flesh out my characters, I listen to music until I find a song with the elements that scream their name to me. For Rhodri, I ended up with Méditation, from the opera Thaïs, played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, so I'll put them as her favourite band. Link if you want to listen to the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlNQhKOmPSs Haaa and social media platform? Mm. I can see her having a whale of a time on Tumblr, actually. She'd probably end up with a blog that she didn't write on much, but would reblog every cool thing she saw to make sure her mutuals caught it, too. At least once they suggested that instead of sending them a link to it via discord. She's undoubtedly a jim, bless her.

🍾 Does your OC believe in luck? If so, do they have any charm or ritual they do before a stressful event?

Nope to both of these. Not in the sense of an extraneous force rigging the game for you. There's definitely being lucky or unlucky, but that's because the outcomes of prior events were favourable or unfavourable and brought it to that point. She does like the idea of charms and rituals, though. They encourage a certain mindset, and they're often very beautiful, even if the force they're making their appeal to probably either doesn't exist, or won't listen.

[fedoraspooky]

okay so 1) adore your work, 2) in that short comic you did with Snatcher babysitting the Conductor's grandkids which straight killed me with how adorable it is, what *was* the Conductor's price to pay for asking such a favour? I'm so curious...

Aaa thank you!

Well! You may be pleased to hear that it wasn’t his soul, surprisingly enough! ...Mainly because he’d probably already sold that- several times, to different parties over the years, and there’s bound to be one heck of a legal battle once he finally kicks the bucket, but that’s neither here nor there-

No, dear anon, his price to pay for this particular babysitting was simply to return the favor when asked! That’s right- He’s gotta watch all of Snatcher’s minions for him so he can finally go on vacation! And, well... there’s, um, quite a few more of those than there are of the Conductor’s grandchildren, and Snatcher’s left him a rather comprehensive list of their needs, so he’s got his work cut out for him...

[stingslikeabee]

( for the oc meme ) ooc. Melissa is such a wonderfully complex and layered character in all of her verses. I love all of the details that you've put into her. It's obvious how much care and time that you've spent building her and the corner of the world that she lives in. Much love, amazing OC, one of my favorites that I've ever seen in RP. ♥️

anonymously or not, please tell me what you think of my OC . accepting

I think I've said this before, but I have no words to say how much I appreciate your super warm welcome into the Yakuza RPC. :) I had been invested in this particular verse for a while but without really using it - and then you came along and... WELL. Look at the 'Yakuza' verse tag now. 8D

I am still speechless at the sheer amount of stuff we have built over two months - in terms of timelines, supporting characters, links with canon events and everything else. You have made my experience in this particular fandom so very magical and organic and I'm so happy to see how much Melissa has developed in this setting. It's essentially the same person at the core - emotionally intense, nurturing/caring, absolutely unafraid to mother people into obedience - but with so many fun tweaks and changes!

I could sing praises for Daigo and how fundamental he is in all of this - but I'll let my feedback ask do it instead so I don't repeat myself like a broken record here. But in short - thank YOU for being this wonderful partner with such an open mind for all the crazy and fun stuff. <3 I adore you, Dawn!

[shimmerleaf]

lool...STELLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~! 1-26 BECAUSE I'M AWFUUUUUUL~! Also, 27, which I've decided will be "what do you think of the Kebiishi?" [[you can take your time answering this ofc.]]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯Man, you have no chill Nima .-. but fine, we’ll do it your way. This gonna get long obviously, so under the cut so other ppl won’t have to scroll through my shit xD #7 was a mistake

1. What is your name and which server is your citadel on?

Stella in the Higo Province~ Pretty sure I just randomly picked a server at the start lulz

2. When did you start serving as a Saniwa? Please display your battle records.

September 28, 2017 8D Here, look at my shame lol 

3. Which starter sword did you pick? What is he doing now?

Yamanbagiri Kunihiro! I liked him a lot from what little screen time he had in Katsugeki and then what I saw of him in Hanamaru (+ dat Maeno voice is A++) so I went with him C: He’s a proud member of Unit 1 (tho those members get rotated around so they’re around the same levels) and helps me beat up the enemy ^^

4. Who is the first among your swords to reach the maximum level? What do you think of him.

No one has reached the max level yet LOL Hotarumaru will probably be the first one? Since he always gets MVP x’D fajkfsjdf I love him so much?? He’s so smol and precious?? MY SON! I can always count on him to take out the enemy for me without taking much damage and he’s just the most adorable thing?? I love him

5. Who do you have in each of your squads, and how do you use them? If you haven’t unlocked all four teams yet, briefly describe how you plan to organize them.

Got all four unlocked and uh, I just put in swords around the same level so I can train them up. Unit 1 is usually my strongest swords/main team (Yamanbagiri, Ichigo, Hotarumaru, Izuminokami, Hasebe, and Namazuo), while the other units are whoever I’m training up and use them for expeditions sometimes.

6. Without considering the performance of the swords, which type of sword do you prefer?

Tantou Tachi! Idk when it started but I just really like swords?? I see a character in a game/anime with a sword -> “I like that guy, he’s cool!” And I guess the swords typically used are tachis?? I actually have wanted to buy a sword lol, every year at the night market there’s a stand selling prop swords (like for cosplay and stuff) and I always joke about buying one but $$$ feelsbadman 

7. List the swords that you like and your thoughts on them.

I have a list here LOL No thoughts there tho :you should know all this, Nima

Yagen: My man, the bae, my everything. I love him the most （*’∀’人）♥ I love how caring he is towards his brothers and takes care of them when Ichigo isn’t there. It was so touching seeing him trying his best to summon Ichi-nii for his smol bros and I just jakfsjkf I cri every time. As serious as he can get sometimes, it’s also super cute seeing him playing with his brothers and messing around(?) sometimes, like in that beach episode

Ichigo: The husband because how can you not （〃・ω・〃）Putting aside the fact that he is beautiful and handsome and -swoon-  His laugh is precious?? I also love how caring he is and worries about his smol bros and takes care of them. Best onii-chan. He seems so gentle and kind. I find it super precious how it seems like he gets jealous over all the swords you have it’s k bby you’ll always be special to me  and -dreamy sigh- I love him?

Namazuo: I love his personality! φ(ﾟ ωﾟ//）♡ His cheerfulness and outgoing attitude is so precious and always makes me super happy in return. I love hearing his voice and I would want to be bffs with him. His quirk of throwing horse poop at people is so wtf but at the same time, it’s cute?? Even after kiwame, I still love him (tho I prefer his low ponytail than his high one o v o ). His tickle wars with the saniwa are really cute~ His genki attitude is like a breath of fresh air tbh and I love him. Please let me love you

Kashuu: I kinda wished I picked him as my starter because omfg, he is so precious and I want to smother him with my love, especially after watching Hanamaru. He has his own baggage and problems to deal with but instead of drowning in them, he still tries his best to help out Yamatonokami in Hanamaru, and fulfill the saniwa’s orders. He doesn’t let his insecurities get the better of him and I just jfkalsjdfkf ‘cause tbh I feel him? I’m scared of dying but I’m more scared of being abandoned and having no one?? So even if Kashuu is quick to latch onto a new master, I wouldn’t blame him at all and just give him all my love (((( ;°Д°)))) I want him to know he’s special and that I’d never abandon him ever

8. Are there any pairings that you like? If there is, please list them.

Nope~ I read a few Ichigo/Tsurumaru oneshots that were kinda cute but eh, I’m not really into shipping for TKRB.

9. Is your Citadel an employee-friendly Citadel or a black-hearted Citadel that works your swords to the bones?

I like to think it’s pretty employee-friendly ^^;; If they’re fatigued, I take them off the team and let them rest, or if most of the team is fatigued, then I let them chill. If they’re missing HP then I stick them in repairs (if I have a vacant room OTL) unless it’s just like, 1-2HP then I wait until after one more battle. Always quick to use help tokens though ‘cause I don’t want to wait 10hours LOL

10. Have you ever done anything weird to your swords?

Nooooo?? I can’t think of anything? Though I guess, with the current event (VoT6) Namazuo keeps getting owned and having to retreat so I guess the smart thing would be to put someone else on the team instead of him but I’m just like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ since the damage isn’t permanent and keep on trucking since the exp is still pretty good. That’s not really weird and more of me being a bad Saniwa towards him tho?? lol orz

11. Have you ever broken a sword? What happened, and who did you break?

NOPE NOBDOY and hopefully it’ll stay like that ; u ; Man, I’d probably cry if someone broke ‘cause their lines are all so sad, especially my precious tantous ;o;

12. Who looses troops the most in your Citadel? And who is the most skilled at making troops?

Yamatonokami and Nikkari, for whatever reason :

13. Have you ever done something with all your might in order to get a particular sword? Please describe what you did and the results.

I pray to RNGesus and hope for the best?? xD What else can you do besides use an ofuda? Maybe I’ll try what I do in SIF next time and repeatedly click on the attendant lol

14. Are you superstitious? (wwww)

Sure? What is this question referring to o u o

15. What made you join the TKRB fandom in the beginning? How about now?

Hot guys LMAO K well, that’s what made me want to get into the game/fandom but all that stuff about needing a proxy/VPN looked too complicated for my dumb ass so I didn’t bother. But uh, I guess I first became aware of it because of cosplayers somehow?? Like I’d see super pretty pics of cosplayers and somehow knew it was from TKRB but that was it. Then the Hanamaru anime came out and I decided to watch it a few seasons afterwards, but there were too many characters and I kinda got bored? So I dropped it after three episodes =3= Then Katsugeki happened and my sis watched it first and spazzed to me how hot Izuminokami is (esp dat Ryohei Kimura voice) and I picked it up 6epis in? That’s it, I’m sold. I’m a goner. Then when the anime ended, I was super thirsty for more swordbois and spent like two hours fighting Flash trying to get the game to work, and here we are now C: I’m still in it for the hot guys LMAO c’mon now. 

16. What do you think of the current maps? Which map is good for training/grinding, which maps do you get lost in the most, which map do you want to burn?

Can I just fight all of World 7? Tho it’s probably my fault for my swords not being level90+ or something but e-e I’m getting destroyed so yeah, that just feelsbadman :

17. Are there any game systems or improvements that you hope DMM will implement?

Eh, probably but nothing comes to mind right now. Haven’t been playing this game for that long and everything seems fine to me~ 

18. If DMM cooperates on an event with another game/anime/etc., what would you like to see?

LOVE LIVE or any other idol show (Tsukipro/UtaPri~) ‘cause the bois as idols is just (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡ I’m going to scream and then die happily. Like, AWT48 was super adorable and the guys singing the EDs in Hanamaru was super cute too?? So why not take it a step further and just have them be idols : PP

Also, any sports anime will be great too! Obviously, I’m partial to Haikyuu rn xD We had a beach episode, sooo, beach volleyball could totally work!! 

But like, if it’s asking about stuff like that GBFxKatsugeki thing then uh, no answer because the only games I play are rhythm games LOL But, it would be cool if there was a FEH collab? o:

19. Have you ever spent money playing TKRB? Is so, how much? If not, do you plan to?

Not yet, but I probably will xD I want the other repair room and I definitely will need more space for swords. There are still a lot that I don’t have and with more new swords, I def need the space x3 better spending money on this than on gacha and disappointment lol

20. Is there any merchandise that you would like to buy or see?

Namazuo and Honebami nendoroid please! I know Namazuo has a figure but I like nendos way more :I’m getting Ichigo for Christmas and I already have Yagen so, making progress 8D

21. Have you done any fanwork? If so, what?

Not yet? I want to write fanfics but I’m super lazy and dead rn so maybe at the end of the semester and I’m not drowning in matchups that I need to do LOL

22. What do you think you are like as a Saniwa?

Definitely not like how I appear in my own fantasies LOL I’m hate people bad with people and am super shy and socially awkward, so getting friendly with the swords will take 5ever and uh, yeah? I’ll just be super awkward around them lmao and not know how to react and probably appear like I don’t like them or something?? While I’m internally stressing about how to befriend them and driving myself up a wall lol... 

23. If the government asked you to choose a sword to kill yourself with in terms of emergency, who would you pick?

I don’t want to make any of them do something like this ((o(;△;)o))  I don’t know… ( ≧Д≦) My first thought was Sayo but like, he doesn’t need a burden like this?? Considering how he already is, >_

24. The government has asked you to write a report: how would you describe the situation in your Citadel?

Resources are running low, smithing just results in an annoyed saniwa so take caution. The saniwa also gets angry when troops keep dying and needing to be replaced = RIP resources some more, so more caution is required. JK It’s a pretty chill place? Idk how to describe it, so I’ll prob make Hasebe do it for me : P Papers are annoying af to write omg

25. What do you think of the Retrograding Army?

I don’t understand the point of what they’re doing and how they’d benefit from changing history but given how shallow the plot is, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  It was cool seeing them in Katsugeki tho, especially the shit they did in uh, Edo? Like it seems they actually had a plan and stuff xD

26. Lastly, please say something about the TKRB from the bottom of your heart!

Idk what I’ll be doing with my life now if I hadn’t started this game and I’m completely obsessed. This might wane in the future probably, but in the meantime, I’m here to have a good time and enjoy everything TKRB has to offer and I’m loving it so far

ありがとうございます！

Bonus: What do you think of the KBC?

They don’t show up when I want them to! D

[kidkytes]

I refuse to ask in Anon, and I'm Bored, and I'm a Troll. So I want you to answer all of those numbers 0 through 44. 8D (Since there's no limits on how many numbers we can pick. I pick all of them~ :3 )

I am ready troll!

0: Height

5′7 I’m a smol boy

1: Age

29 years, I’ll be 30 next year

2: Shoe size

UK 7, again smol feet

3: Do you smoke?

Nah it’s not for me. I sometimes have one when I drink though that’s extremely rare which makes it even rarer since it’s once in a blue moon I drink

4: Do you drink?

Not very often

5: Do you take drugs?

No

6: What age do you get mistaken for?

I actually got mistaken for being 21 a few months ago. Bless them!

7: Have tattoos?

I have two dumb tattoos

8: Want any tattoos?

I’ve been thinking about one in particular though I’ve been thinking about that for a long time lmao

9: Got any piercings?

Nah

10: Want any piercings?

No I’m very boring

11: Best friend?

They know who they are

12: Relationship status?

Single AF

13: Biggest turn ons?

Oh are we getting naughty here? If I’m going to say my biggest turn on is that I’m a huge cumslut and that says enough lmao!

14: Biggest turn offs?

PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOCKS ON DURING SEX OR IN BED!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!!!???

15: Favourite movie?

I would have to say between Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Alien, Aliens or Juno

16: I’ll love you if...

You enjoy cuddling with me naked as we watch Steven Universe and play video games

17: Someone you miss

Yeah they know who they are to

18: Most traumatic experience?

My suicide attempt when I was 16

19: A fact about your personality

Very very very very very gay and nerdy

20: What I hate most about myself?

My social anxiety and the demons I have about my appearance still

21: What I love most about myself?

The fact that I am comfortable with who I am. I still have my demons and things I don’t like but I love the parts that I embrace about myself

22: What I want to be when I’m older?

Have money and a job I am passionate about

23: My relationship with my sibling(s)

I have a really good relationship with my brother in that we have similar personalities and senses of humour. It’s very rare that we fall out over anything

24: My relationship with my parents

Like my brother I’m lucky to generally get on with my parents

25: My idea of a perfect date

Staying inside watching cartoons, playing video games and cuddling

26: My biggest pet peeve

People who automatically expect things and look upon you like a piece of dirt because you can’t wave a magic wand and have everything fixed for them

27: A description of the person I like the most

He’s hella gay and hella queer and hella hot :3

28: A description of the person I dislike the most

There isn’t anyone I dislike the most but there are people I dislike because of their bigoted opinions, views and just generally being assholes

29: A reason I lied to a friend

I don’t see the reason to justify this because it all depends on the context of said lie

30: What I love most about work/school

Helping people really

31: What my last text message says

“Don’t eat my cheeseburger backpack piboThump”

32: What words upset me the most

Any LGBTQIA/racist slurs

33: What words make me feel the best about myself

You’re really gay/You’re cute

34: What I find attractive in women

I’m attracted to the bonds I form with people not their physical appearance

35: What I find attractive in men

Same as above but I do like me some dick :3

36: Where I would like to live

With my friends

37: One of my insecruities

Social anxiety, it gets really bad at times

38: My childhood career choice

Being Tails from Sonic

39: My favourite ice cream flavour

Cherry Garcia

40: Who I wish I could be

The best version of myself who can provide for my friends and family

41: Where I want to be right now

In bed cuddling with someone

42: The last time I ate

Chicken Tikka Masala

43: Sexiest person that comes to mind

Right now thinking about it @nitroreblogsthings accept how hot you are nerd!

44: A random fact about anything

In World of Final Fantasy in the ice region if you have a Magitek Armour in your party and ride them in the field, Terra’s Theme starts playing

There we go! Hope you enjoyed that! Thanks for the questions.

Nosy anons let’s go even though I answered all questions

[heroes-writing]

Omg! You're back😆! I'm so glad you are, how have you been? I am honestly so excited to see you are writing!❤️❤️ Can I request a scenario where Saitama and his S/O are out doing the groceries or something and his S/O gets all riled up at something some random guys said and they end up in this awkward (yet funny) and embarrassing situation? Thank you so much😘😋

I’ve had a crazy year since I left! But I’m well now! 8D 

I hope this is okay lol, the idea I went with came out of left field, and I’m writing at 6am. Please enjoy!

Word Count: 1873

As you and Saitama grew as a couple, you experienced a lot offirsts together.

You were his first kiss, and he was the first guy you sawtruly and properly butt naked.

Only Saitama knew of your secret love for French fries dippedin chocolate pudding, and you knew just how ticklish he was between his thighs.

Saitama was your first long-term relationship, your first love…and while loving each other was something you both found absurdly easy. Youoften heeled your desires to conform to what others expected out of yourrelationship since the way you loved each other worked so well.

It’s a long story, but you knew Saitama before he startedtraining to become a hero, back when he still lived in that crappy apartmentcomplex filled to the brim with crooked people.

The two of you hung out at each other’s apartments for thelongest time, you spent the night often, squeezing next to each other on yoursingle futons and often laughing at how cramped it was.

Those plush shikibuton’s were all well and good, but it wastime for the two of you to move up in the world.    

Since Saitama’s home was too small, you decided (pretty muchon your own) that you would invest in a proper bed. You wanted at least, aqueen size mattress that the two of you could sleep in when you were at yourplace.

It was around Midday when you made your way to the huge mattressoutlet in H city. Big signs were plastered all over the storefront screaming “SALE”and “LOW PRICES GAUREENTEED”. It put Saitama at ease since he was a huge suckerfor saving money.

As you walked up the steps you continued your conversationwith your bald boyfriend—he was trying to tell you that he once fell asleep whilefighting a 4 eyed pillow monster.

“I guess in the end, you don’t mind what you sleep on huh?”You giggled as he held open the door for you.

“I could sleep anywhere I think.” He shrugged, and followedyou into the air-conditioned megastore in his usual nonchalant manner.

To your immediate right, a tall sales representative smiledat you, and only you.

“Hello miss—“ His voice was rather oily, and it made youinwardly wince. He stepped up to you real close, his tall height putting you atedge, “Looking for anything particulartoday?”

Almost out of second nature your hand shot out to the spaceSaitama always occupied at your side. You tugged him close without even lookingat him, till you could feel his heat at your hip and his hand settled against yourback.

Now that he was properly into frame so to speak—you forcefullyexpanded the world view of the man talking to you.

For some reason people pointedly ignored Saitama’s existence,and it irritated you to no end.

“Yes, my boyfriend andI—“ you raised your eyebrows assertively, “Are looking for a queen sizedmattress.”

In tandem, you and Saitama stared and smiled in a picturesquemanner.

The oily man snapped his eyes between the two of you, andobviously didn’t know what to think. Saitama looked like an average joe, so youcouldn’t be after him for money to buy you expensive things.

Was it pity?

After a moment of pause where he wisely chose to not say anyof his theories, he offered a confident hand towards the back of the store, “Rightthis way, please~”

Eh, he was still giving you the creeps.  

“Care to tell me the price range you’re going for today?”

You really didn’t have too much of an idea, “I’m not surewhat beds go for these days actually. We both have used Futons since getting ourown places...”

He hummed, “I see I see! I’ll keep that in mind for what Ishow you today!”

With a shake of your head, the two of you looked to the salesassociate as he took the lead. He seemed like he wanted to either gouge you ofyour money, or hover around to make sure you didn’t damage anything.

Oblivious to it all Saitama smirked to himself, “We’relooking for the cheapest mattress you’ve got!”—and you recoiled.

“Nooo, we’relooking for a regular mattress, to INVESTin. I’ll pay whatever!” You clutched onto Saitama’s arm tightly to remind himof what you had already told him before. The mattress would have to last thetwo of you for YEARS before you got another.

You served him your biggest pout and he wilted under it as healways did.

“I was just joking, [Name]~” He scratched his cheek with hisdark eyes darting away from your own quickly.

“That’s the thing, you are not joking! I know your game Tama!” You tutted.

“…Did you two just recently get together?” The Sales Repchuckled to himself, “You two have a freshly hatched love bird vibe aheehee~”

“Um…” You looked at Saitama thoughtfully, “It’s been around 4years actually?” You weren’t the greatest with dates, and you looked to yourboyfriend’s doughy face for help.

His eyebrows tented, “It’s been that long huh?”

You nodded, “Well it was around my birthday when we gottogether. I know that much.” You gave him a knowing look and a sweet smile thatmade him tug you a little closer.

The sales rep stammered to a halt, “A-Ah—4 years? You surefooled me!”

You tried to play along for his benefit, “I guess we stilllook like a new couple?”

He laughed, but his expression was strained, “Don’t you thinkit’s time for you to get married? Or maybe move on from each other? Your manneeds to make a move before you get swept away by someone else~”

Oh goodness, he was not giving you a flirty look.

Was he implying you should break up with Saitama??

Did he mention marriage???

To Saitama’s wonderful credit, he did not freak out, and hedidn’t miss a beat.

“Ah I guess I should ask [Name] eventually. We’re basicallymarried anyways.” He said bluntly—as you blushed and sputtered.

One half of your heart was so utterly moved by Saitama’swords, and the other was flaring to the bait the Sales rep had placed at thelatter half of his sentence. Would you have to hang all over Saitama for him totake a hint??

“Tama…” Was all you could manage, as the Sales Rep finishedleading you to a corner of the store filled with discounted beds.

“Ah, I didn’t want discount!“ You began to bite off acomplaint before Saitama ooh’d at thenearest plush bed (conveniently 50% off) and fell into it.

“This one is comfy.”

You sighed in defeat, your tone softening, “I guess I’m notpicky either but..” You crossed your arms and implored to his prone body, “Wehave to find a bed that can take a beating you know?”

Monsters tended to gravitate to your man, you knew that much.If your house got wrecked you wanted to be able to salvage your bed from therubble and still use it, damnit!

The Sales Rep sat down on a neighboring mattress as youstood, STILL wanting to get out of the discounted section—The man only chuckledhaughtily as he pinned you with a knowing wink.

“Aheehee! That’s a new one dear, but I know just the thing!”

“Huh?” What was he saying? Did he have an extra durablemattress for sale? You got your hopes up for just a moment, before his nextwords bewildered you further.

“You two won’t want a spring mattresses, they make far toomuch noise! Foam will allow you get down and dirty without the neighborshearing. I’m also sure you won’t make a dent in memory foam even if you get toowild aheehee!”

…

You went dead silent. Dead still. Brain waves stalled into stagnantlines.

Saitama sat up on the mattress, like a vampire out of acoffin, a confused expression on his face.

“What?” You both squawked.

“Oh!” The man raised a hand to his mouth, scandalized, “Forgiveme if you two are, perhaps not yet sexually involved--YET! I just figured, 4years—Oh don’t worry! Silly me!” The Sales rep was trying to play some ditzycharacter as he laughed to himself at your expense.

“That’s not—we- we—“

“Waiting for marriage maybe! I get it, really! But goodnessyou two have such self-control to be sleeping side by side~”

He turned to Saitama, the first time he focused on him sinceyou both walked into the store.

“Sir, we need to find you a mattress that you can break inwith your girlfriend here! It’s the least I can do~ I can even give you a fewtips for your first time together.”

You didn’t want to sayit!

Your firsts clenched into balls of irritation. To admit thatyou and Saitama weren’t huge virgins to this man was nasty, but your pride waskilling you—You loved Saitama with all your heart, you seriously adored him, andsome people just made assumptions off the cuff cuz they were—

Extremely stupid? Or rude?

BOTH??

“Sir, I’ll haveyou know, my boyfriend and I bone a ridiculous amount!!” Your voice was louder than you expected to bein the cave like store. It echoed and reverberated, and what little sound therewas from other customers hushed to listen to your incoming tangent.

“[NAME]!!” Sputtered Saitama, shocked, with a little bit ofblush on his cheeks.

“It’s true!” You insisted, “I don’t know where YOU get offMr.—“ You finally took a gander at his name tag, “Burei! But I need to make onething clear—my boyfriend and I need this mattress for SLEEPING, not JUST OURRAMPANT SEX LIFE, so I don’t want a discounted BED, and I want it durable ANDstain resistant! PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!”

.-.-.-.-.

…Next thing you knew, you and Saitama were sitting outside afew streets over. Your butt’s squat on the curb as you hid your face in yourknees.

“I’M usually the one who gets kicked out of stores [Name]!”Saitama, with a very amused smile on his face cracked open a perspiring soda hegot from a vending machine. He set your can down in front of you as you shiedaway.

You were rather ashamed of yourself, and embarrassed. “…Hewas really pissing me off—“ Just the thought of that man’s face was making youseethe.

“I could tell.” He chuckled good naturedly.

His arm curls around your shoulders in a sweet gesture. It’swarm, familiar, and comforting.

“Why don’t we just stick to Futons? We can splurge on a bigone and get a dozen pillows. Then just keep it at your place like we wanted.”

..You tried to hide your grin at his thoughtfulness. Theblooming of love in your chest made you sway into Saitama. You kissed his cheekgratefully as you picked your head up from your slump.

“Okay…Butonly if we can break it in as soon as we get home~”

He choked on his drink.

[chocobutt-trash]

1/3 Im sure u know who tis is but ain't ready for public to see who I am & unsure if this is good HC tbh 8D; I'm in mood for sweet ardyn turned cruel. I speak to u bc I love ur ardyn stuff 😂 so anyways. I had this in my own work in process for au too But then I was thinking. Feel free to add or disagree if ya want but can u imagine if ardyn wasn't just betrayed by izunia but by someone he loved and needed the most (or maybe they were same person)? Whether they're a sibling, spouse, friend, ect.

2/3 either way he loved em. So much. They were the closest to him. So when he became this daemon immortal and they abandoned him, he didn’t hate em right away. Why would he? They’ll come back. Long time passed about he was exiled or locked away. It’s so long later he hears they’ve “moved on” with their life and don’t attempt to reach him. Slowly but seriously, realizing they abandoned him for good, hatred settles in. They left him. It takes a bit but he eventually hates em and is angry. Tis why

3/3 he torture others (including Prompto) bc he thinks everything/one he has or meets or even creates bc he thinks it’s gonna betray em and/or he wants to take those dark desires out on em. Even if he met someone that wouldn’t do so or loved him he would just leave em be or torture em too 8D and if he met this person again (reincarnated or immortal) he would do anything in his power to let em suffer the way he suffered… 8D; if it’s dumb idea/HC feel free to delete I’m so sorry lol

Ooh a trio of excellent asks here! There’s a number of theories on who Izunia is and personally I like the ones where Izunia was someone who was close to him and meant something to him prior to the betrayal (in particular the hc that Izunia was his wife).

And when those he loved so much turned against him, initially, like you say, he would be very reluctant to truly believe it. He’d think that maybe this is all some horrible mistake and they’d come back eventually to treating him right. It’d be similar to someone suffering domestic abuse, well, in a way it IS domestic abuse. Like how someone in an abusive relationship might struggle to leave their partner despite the beatings they get, because that person they’re with *was* nice *once*, he’d keep hanging on to that hope. Often, people outside an abusive relationship wonder ‘why does that person not just leave? If it’s really that bad?’ But that’s part of the psychological issue with such things. You become mentally conditioned. And for someone like Ardyn, who spent his whole life being treated as some kind of demigod for his healing skills (remember the concept artwork of him parading through town Jesus-style on the black chocobo as per Palm Sunday), I’d warrant that he’s got enough of a background to make mental conditioning super easy for him. He’s already been treated most of his life like he’s someone else’s property. And I’d also say this gives him a very skewed view on what constitutes ‘ownership’.

Which brings me to your next asks. After his spirit is broken during his isolation (and @yourscientistfriend has a great post on what the effects of isolation are on the human psyche) his perception of boundaries would be all over the place. He’d likely have a lot of trouble accepting that people genuinely are nice or want to help, like you say, he’d be suspicious of everyone. So these issues play into how he lords it over others, how he plots and connives, and how he abuses others.

His abuse of others could also be a fucked-up expression of love. From his point of view, he cares about Noctis. He wants Noctis to succeed. And what does family do to family? Well, he’s got a rather skewed dataset of that. So it’s no surprise that he acts in such a way.

I also like the hc that Prompto looks similar to someone from his past. His actions towards Prompto (objectifying him by referring to him as ‘it’, putting him in stress positions that mirror those he was put in when he was crucified / murdered - again, see the concept artwork where he’s hanging, and even making Prompto kill his own family members (Verstael)) could either be a revenge thing, an expression of love, or catharsis for himself (making Prompto play his role). I personally HC the latter, but it could be any of these. Ardyn’s very complex.

Great asks! :)

[ice-cream-beat]

Hi, I'm an avid reader of Dark Horse Running and Where the End Begins, and I was wondering if you could share more on your thoughts of Vanitas? Specifically makes you think there's something beyond his apparent lust for bloodshed and cruelty towards Ven? Do you think there's any chance of a redemption for in the series? And also, how would you ever write/how do you picture pre-split Ven's characterization?

Hello! Sure thing! And I apologize in advance for how long this is inevitably going to be. 8D;

Specifically makes you think there’s something beyond his apparent lust for bloodshed and cruelty towards Ven?

This really isn’t something I attribute to him personally as much as

A) one of KH’s big themes is that darkness isn’t inherently bad, it’s what you choose to do with it that makes you who you are. Obviously, Vanitas has chosen to give into it entirely, but I think he has the potential to control it. The first comparison you could make is to Riku and Terra, but the biggest difference between those three, obviously, is that Vanitas doesn’t have a strong light in his heart to balance his darkness (not anymore, anyway) which is what calls into question whether it’s even really possible for him to change. But I think it’s a bit more accurate to compare him to Xehanort – a case of someone who’s given into darkness, but who (and I’m putting all my bias for the Wayfinder trio aside to say this objectively) isn’t actually evil. Xehanort does some terrible, terrible things of course, but even Nomura up and stated that Xehanort isn’t a “monster.” He never does things just for the sake of being cruel; everything he does has a purpose behind it. Granted, that doesn’t excuse anything he’s done and he’s still a terrible person, obviously, but it’s still a step above someone like Vanitas, who clearly enjoys hurting and mocking others, and who legitimately got excited when talking about the impending Keyblade War when he had nothing to gain from it besides participation and/or watching the apocalypse happen.

THAT SAID, I think there’s a grey area between Ultimately Good Guys who use darkness like Terra and Riku, and Utterly Evil Villains Who Are Swamped In Darkness like Vanitas. But I’ll talk more on that in a bit.

B) I think he’s as human as Ven is. Even though Vanitas was created unnaturally, I figure that he and Ven are really the same when you get down to it, since they each come from the same heart, and the only real difference was that Vanitas was given a new, separate body. And since all humans are potentially redeemable (in my opinion), I think Vanitas could change if he wanted (keywords: “if” and “wanted”).

And while it’s sometimes tough to figure out when Xehanort’s lying, when he’s telling a half-truth, and when he’s being honest, I also personally think that what he told Terra – “He has no control over the darkness in his heart[…] He’s an abomination beyond hope of salvation.” – was probably a lie, considering almost everything else in that conversation was false. Putting Vanitas down as irredeemable (whether or not it’s true in the end) was probably Xehanort’s way of ensuring that Terra would have no doubts about potentially tracking down this kid and killing him as he was told to do.

tl;dr: Xehanort lies a lot and I don’t think you can use what he says about Vanitas as definitive fact.

Do you think there’s any chance of a redemption for in the series?

WELL… if you’ve read those two fics of mine, then it’s probably obvious that I believe it’s possible, yes – but do I think canon will go out of its way to set up the circumstances that Vanitas needs to turn around? I’m really not sure. tbqh my dream scenario for KH3 is that everyone gets redeemed to some degree, that nobody has to die and we get the ultimate happy ending, and I personally find this to be more likely than just one or two villains getting redeemed. So specifically – disclaimer: I have nothing to back this up, this is purely speculation – I would think Vanitas only stands a chance at surviving and turning around if Xehanort does. From a plot/meta standpoint, it would probably make more sense for Vanitas (who is legit darkness incarnate) to be redeemed only if Xehanort (who’s given into darkness without letting it take total control of him, as I mentioned above, and is thus arguably an “easier” case of redemption than Vanitas) is as well.

To go deeper into it, though, I actually think Vanitas would stand a better chance of being redeemed if Xehanort survives. And before anyone jumps on me about how Xehanort mistreated him and is at fault for the way he is and shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near him etc etc etc – first, I don’t acknowledge the light novels, and I think Vanitas would have been screwed up with or without Xehanort in his life. He had the natural inclination towards evil because of what his heart was made up of. Second, consider the circumstances of Vanitas’ life. Ever since being born, he’s had a purpose: fight Ventus, create the X-blade, usher in the Keyblade War. He trained for it for four years straight. If my suspicions are right and he’s one of the Thirteen in KH3, then again, he has a clear-cut purpose that defines his unnatural existence.

So even if he survives the War in KH3, his life will be radically different because he doesn’t have a purpose to fight towards anymore. Sure, Eraqus could adopt him with the rest and tell him to fight for the good side now, but what reason does Vanitas have to just suddenly throw away all his bias and beliefs, changing the way he is and suddenly fighting alongside the enemies he’s always looked down on? I don’t think it’d be that easy, which is why I say Xehanort could be the key.

Regardless of anyone’s thoughts on Xehanort personally, there’s no denying that he’s always given Vanitas purpose, that he’s the only authority and mentor Vanitas has ever known. He’s the only person Vanitas has had the potential to respect. So I’d think it’s much more likely that Vanitas would follow a reformed Xehanort long before he followed anyone else, especially anyone good and light-centric like Eraqus or Ven.

And you can probably see where these thoughts of mine tie into Where The End Begins, specifically. XD In particular – and I hope I don’t come off as too full of myself by quoting my own fic for my argument – I basically summed it up in this scene:

“I’m… kind of surprised he’s still here, actually.”

“He has nowhere else to go.” There was no pity or concern in Xehanort’s tone; it was simply matter-of-fact, as though this were an obvious truth. “Like anybody, he needs a purpose, and familiarity is always the best starting point.”

Ven didn’t hide his confusion. “You mean he chose to stay with you?”

“I did not twist his arm, if that’s what you are thinking. He is of my making, so I do not deny responsibility in the matter; I gave him some incentive to remain, but nothing more.”

Incentive…? Ven frowned. As far as he knew, Vanitas was assisting with the Heartless problem to kill time, but that was it–

He straightened up a little as a thought occurred to him.

“Wait a minute. He’s not still training under you, is he?”

Leaning his temple against his fist, Xehanort gave a thin smile. “Like yourself, Vanitas has much power, much untapped potential. More than I initially estimated. It would be a shame to let that go to waste.” When Ven’s face darkened, Xehanort added, “Or perhaps you would prefer to have him explore his abilities on his own – unguided and unrestrained?”

“N-No, but…”

“You can sense it, can’t you? He hides it well – remarkably so, considering his nature – but you of all people should know what he is truly like.”

…Although for the sake of fanfic plot, I’m complicating the matter a bit with how Vanitas has trouble putting his past aside and can’t always control those impulses (e.g. when he overdid it in knocking Ven around later on), but my ultimate point is that he does need guidance and purpose, and Xehanort is (for now) the only one who can give him that.

I think it’s also worth mentioning that, even should Vanitas be redeemed canonly, I don’t think he’ll necessarily join up with Sora and the gang as someone with entirely pure interests. I imagine him as more of the lone wolf who acts on his own the vast majority of the time, only grudgingly teaming up when necessary, and who’s really more of a neutral force than strictly a “good guy.”

AND THEN there’s the possibility that Vanitas might die in KH3, but be taken back into Ven’s heart and accept it, and thus be “redeemed” that way.

And also, how would you ever write/how do you picture pre-split Ven’s characterization?

Let me start by saying that I’m avoiding Union X spoilers like the plague, so I’m not taking that into account (on top of the fact that my thoughts on that are VERY COMPLICATED RN) so this conjecture is based entirely on what little we were shown in BBS.

I actually haven’t written Xehanort-era!Ven before, which admittedly surprises even me?? lol. But I’ve thought about it regardless, and I don’t imagine there was that much of a difference between Xehanort-Ven and Eraqus-Ven. I don’t want to use the “Vanitas’ birth” scene as a sole basis for Ven’s personality at the time; it was an extreme situation and Ven’s reaction – fear – was normal, so I don’t really like when people assume he was timid or “pessimistic.” If you took the scene of Eraqus and Ven from the end of BBS out of context, that could give the same impression. The fact that Ven stood up to Xehanort in his own way by refusing to give into darkness – blatantly disobeying his master’s orders – says he had a good sense of right and wrong back then just as he does under Eraqus. Xehanort even describes Ven when he met him as being “too benign” in his reports.

BUT moving from canon evidence to personal thoughts, I imagine Ven was probably more reserved under Xehanort. He probably didn’t have any real friends other than people he might have talked to in passing (assuming Xehanort traveled with him), meaning the majority of his interactions were with Xehanort, who obviously isn’t the most loving teacher, so I picture Ven being quieter and not quite as excitable since Xehanort wouldn’t have responded very enthusiastically to the kind of social butterfly personality that Ven has later. I also like to think he was happy with Xehanort (that flashback scene notwithstanding), but I also headcanon that Ven was an orphan prior, so for an adult take him in and give him an important role and so much attention (even if it wasn’t affectionate) would be kind of a big deal.

Plus he would have been curious about everything outside of his homeworld, so he would have asked a lot of questions, and since Xehanort holds intelligence in such high esteem, I can picture him taking the time to explain and pass on even some irrelevant knowledge, which again would make Ven feel respected and important. And that could have then led to Ven doing everything he could to respect and please Xehanort in return (again, that one flashback notwithstanding, since his morals/fear were called into question), so I also figure Ven probably tried to be as well-behaved as possible and mimic Xehanort’s behavior to a degree, reinforcing the idea that he wasn’t as talkative or prone to getting excited over everything at the drop of a hat as he is in BBS.

….THAT WAS SUPER LONG, SORRY. And I hope that rambling made some sense?? lol. Thank you for the questions, though, it’s fun to think about. :D