#and what a MONSTER Yui is how she's orchestrated all of this

[trashlie]

Considering the latest fast pass episode, I can’t help but wonder what comes next. Q-tip realizes not only how badly he mis perceived Nolan and treated him like as ass, but yui’s been drugging q-tip to keep him in control.

What will happen now that q-tip’s at Nolan’s door? Will Nolan return that beating he promised q-tip for assaulting him?

Will there be a sort of switcharoo in behaviors where q-tip does and gives up so much to tell Nolan he’s sorry? Only for Nolan to say f u over and over again?

How will yui even control q-tip, now that he’s aware of what she’s done to him? At most, it seems she’ll have to make him regress, unless he keeps this grim discovery from her.

I wonder if yui will even try to continue sabotaging Nolan, especially if she learns q-tip’s currently dead to the boy.

There’s so much to ask and talk about.

I actually think things are going to get so much worse for Kousuke now because of what he has figured out and because Yui is not going to just... simply give him up, you know? Because his predicament is that yes, he knows what she's done to him, but also: he knows that Yui's reach extends far beyond what his own can and he has no way of knowing who is in on her manipulation. Even something as simple as the realization that she refused to allow Hansuke to run the tests he wanted to do and had Kousuke discharged even though he was not well and should not have been is enough to show him that he has no control in any of this. It's her family's hospital, of course they'll do and say what she calls. But even that she threatened Hansuke's career over doing his role and duty as a doctor! That's above the law.

How does he know who he can trust? How does he know when he's been drugged? Obviously there are things like drugging him to make him pass out, but it reads so much deeper. What about the night he went to the club with Hansuke and Yujing? He barely drank but he was behaving and feeling as if he'd been drinking all night, with the auditory hallucinations, becoming aggressive and fighting people, leaving all of those voicemails, arguing with an imagination of his brother. What was already in his system before he began drinking and how did it get there?

Kousuke lives on his onw, not at the family home, with a hired chef. That one day he called Hansuke over because he was stressed out and nothing in his normal routine - including eating desserts - were helping him to calm down. Ordinarily the crepes would help him! But the crepes he prepared, because his personal chef was out?

There's all these little clues that show him he can't even trust his own hired help. What is possibly safe for him to consume?! Who all is in on it?

And that's just the drugging. He doesn't know yet that Yui threw out Rand's gift and replaced it with something subpar, something so out of Kousuke's tastes that it makes it seem like Rand doesn't know him or care about him at all. What happens when he realizes she did that? When he remembers every event Rand missed, or arrived late to, arguing with Yui about how she didn't tell him anything? Will he start to realize that she has been driving that wedge all along, that every time he moved closer to his father, to his goal, she got involved and ensured that gap was further widened?

When he starts to see for himself that dissonance in the way he views the world vs how others do? Will he be haunted by Yujing's words, that at no point has Nol ever fit the violent, unstable character Kousuke has attributed to him, that at no point has she seen that character in him - but rather that it appears to fit Kousuke more?

Something that we must keep in mind regarding Kousuke is that the way he treated Nol was not without reason. Yui has ensured that Kousuke always perceived him as a threat, and it appears she's gone to great lengths to discredit his character, the way he is perceived, the way Kousuke remembers him.

Does Kousuke even have a specific incident in mind that he can concretely recall to back up his claims? I think if he was pressured to tell him about a time, he'd fail to, because possibly no such event exists. What he believes is based on Yui's influence, what she told him in the aftermath of an event so traumatic he seemed to dissociate or white out as it was happening, that he has no actual recollection of, because of the drugged tea that has blurred his memories. The thing is, he absolutely believes Nol is violent and unstable, not as "someone told me this" but because he's been so very convinced of it.

But at some point he's going to become fully aware of that dissonance. We've already seen it coming up a lot, but every time it does he doubles down, because obviously if he realizes, acknowledges, that his accounts are falsified, it brings us back to that territory of "what can he trust, what is real"? And he's so close to that. The realization that he's been drugged is showing him that, and I think we're going to touch a little on it with his visit to Nol.

I absolutely do not think this visit is going to go well, not because I think Nol is going to fight him - I think besides the fact that he's heavily injured, it's clear that he's just tired and done. He promised a beating at the time because he was pushed to his limit, he was angry and in the moment, but that's not where he is right now. I think more than anything, Nol is just done with him, and if Kousuke comes in with this realization that she drugged him, too, that he denied Nol every time he reached out to him, what's Nol going to do? Say congratulations you figured it out let's be brothers? Of course not. It will probably be more something about how it took this long for him to figure it out, after he nearly killed him? Something about how he doesn't care, he's done, just leave me be, I don't want to be a part of your life anymore.

I don't think it's going to be bad in that it's going to be an altercation, but rather it's just going to be bad in that I think perhaps Kousuke is reaching out for help, or even reaching out because he's realized how much Nol needed him, and it's too late. Because he's finally faced the truth and it's too late, because Nol doesn't want to be a part of it anymore. And in that way, yes, I think we're very much going to see that role reversal, where Nol is done with all of this and wants nothing to do with him, even as Kousuke finds himself in Nol's position, alone and vulnerable with no one he can trust no one he can turn to, and Nol will refuse the assistance.

At this point, there's still a lot Nol doesn't know about Kousuke's circumstances and I do one 100% believe that is going to change in the future, that Nol's feelings towards him will change when he comes to understand how much Kousuke was manipulated, how much they were pit against each other by Yui - that Kousuke seeing Nol as a threat is as deeply psychologically ingrained in him as Nol seeing himself as a monster. Perhaps once Nol can begin to see the way he was manipulated to see himself as this horrible monster who brings nothing but pain, once he realizes that Kousuke was very much a victim of Yui, he'll see that he, too, was manipulated in a way that altered his psyche so much that Nol was never able to get through to them.

But for now, I think we'll see Nol shut the door on Kousuke and leave him completely alone and vulnerable. And frankly, that's painful for me, because I'm really glad Kousuke is finally getting to this point, finally starting to see the dissonance and realize that so much of what he believes is falsified or manipulated, but it's so regrettable that it's too late. 212 made it so clear that despite Kousuke's fears and desire, despite how his addled views warped the way he treated Nol, he still knew that Nol was the only one to really see him, to have ever offered him unconditional love. He sees in Nol so much of what he doesn't possess, the kind of person he isn't. Kousuke never had the option to be that kind of easy going, laid back, easy to befriend person, because he was taught to perceive everyone as a threat, that everyone wants what he has, and they only like him for his money and influence. And to some degree that wasn't actually wrong! Nol is one of the only authentic people Kousuke knew, who wanted to like him for who he is, but that perception of him as a threat was something he could not undo himself. It's agonizing for me, to watch these tragic brothers fight and hurt each other, and to watch Kousuke start to make these steps and reach that state of vulnerability and know that he's going to be (rightly) pushed away, that it will now be his turn to sit with his fear, to be so alone with no one he can trust, and fall apart.

And I think that's very much how Yui will be able to further control Kousuke - because she doesn't NEED to drug him to control him. He's alone, isolated, all she has to do is box out Hansuke and Yujing, all she has to do is ensure Kousuke has no idea who he can trust. If anything, we're set up for a worse potential where Kousuke's mental state falling apart allows for Yui to be more of a caretaker, to be more involved in his roles and duties, should it reach such an extreme.

Consider even if he was to evade her drugging following this he's still going to deal with the withdrawal, and how he handles stress as a result of what they've done to his system, as a result of what he thought was his normal base of operation being a version of himself that's been drugged. How do you cope? How do you deal with the stress, how do you handle that? And again, the withdrawal!

That future hint in the anime expo poster really shows us that Kousuke is going to be having A Very Bad Time in the future. Will he turn back to the drugs, because detoxing is so difficult? Drinking? He's going to struggle so much and I think that works to her advantage.

As for Nol, it doesn't matter what Nol and Kousuke's relationship is, she will never give up on destroying him. Nol's existence is a threat, that much she was right about, even if he never wanted what Kousuke had in the first place. Supposing the muko-yoshi theory is true (and at this point I strongly believe it is), Nol very much is a possible contender for heir as a direct blood relative of Rand. The theory goes that Rand would have been adopted into the Hirahara family and is treated as a blood relative, and that is is through his blood lineage that the company can pass. As Rand's other son, this makes Nol more than possible . It brings us to two important points: a. if Kousuke is not actually Rand's biological son, it means he was never able to be heir in the first place and b. if Kousuke is incapacitated for whatever reason, Nol is next in line.

Everything Yui has done to Nol has been a long game, taking every effort to ensure that his image so is far ruined no one would ever consider him as a possible candidate to lead the company, to inherit the company and fortune. Kousuke's inherent, psychologically driven belief that Nol is violent and unstable is not without reason. He was sent away for it and locked away for nearly two years. There are news stories about him hurting Kousuke. At school a reputation of both violence and mental stability follow him. The media had no problem subscribing to the story that he was a violent person who was slipping roofies and assaulting people. Whatever happened that night Nol was taken away, that Kousuke cannot actually remember, as 300% in some way orchestrated by Yui, something she'd been building up to. It was the way she manipulated Kousuke to see Nol as this threat, it was how she'd commodified his familial love and made him believe he needs to become good enough to be loved by his father and took advantage of Nol's existence to further Kousuke's drive. Everything has been carefully orchestrated to encourage Kousuke to blindly chase his father, to become the perfect heir that she could puppet, and to ensure in no capacity could Nol ever be considered a possible contender.

Everything Yui has done has been because Nol exists. It has nothing to do with how Nol and Kousuke feel about each other - it has always been about undermining him at every opportunity, and encouraging Kousuke to do so as well, so that any of Nol's potential was diminished, never had a chance to grow.

As long as Nol exists, and certainly as long as he shows potential, as long as anyone believes in him, she will never let him go. There is no escape for him.

[thatishogwash]

The Grenade

13 Days of HQ Halloween pt2

October 1 - Witches AO3

October 2 - Witches pt2 AO3

October 4 - Demons AO3

October 9 - Monsters AO3

October 10 - Costumes AO3

October 13 - Haunted Houses AO3

October 15 - Ghosts AO3

October 16 - Wewolves AO3

October 17 - Ghoul/Monsters AO3

Koushi leaned forward and tilted his head, aligning himself up with Daichi to see what the other teen was seeing.  He wasn’t even surprised to see Kuroo Tetsurou in the middle of his sight, Sawamura had been crushing for what seemed like forever but was probably only the past couple months.  Ever since Daichi had been switched into Tetsurou’s biology class.  It had been adorable at first, Koushi had never seen his friend have a crush on anyone before, but now it was kind of getting pathetic and sad.

“You could do this crazy things kids nowadays call talking?  Might even try it near him or possibly at him if you’re feeling like a mad man.”  Daichi shot a half hearted glare at Koushi before continuing to eat his lunch.  Koushi knew his friend had it bad since nothing usually got between a werewolf and his food.

“I’ve tried but everytime I go up to him his bodyguard gets in the way.”  Daichi mumbled.  “I think they might be dating.”  His fuzzy ears point down as he continues to eat his food.  Koushi looks back over at the table Tetsurou is sitting at, to Tendou Satori who had moved closer to Tetsurou when he noticed Daichi looking.

Koushi knew body language so he understood that there was nothing romantic shared between Tetsurou and Satori.  Koushi never had a chance to talk to the tall ghoul, but he thought this friday with the upcoming dancing might be the perfect chance to chat him up.  Koushi could easily distract Satori so Daichi could finally make his move.  Tetsurou would have to be an absolute idiot not to fall for those puppy dog eyes and considering that Koushi was currently battling out the top class rankings with Tetsurou, he was no idiot.

“Suga, what are you planning?  I don’t like that look on your face.”  Daichi’s ears were pinned against his head as he stared across the table at Koushi.

“That’s rude Daichi, I can’t help how my face looks.”  Koushi said, purposefully misunderstanding what Daichi had said.

“Um Daichi can we switch seats?”  Asahi huddled closer to Daichi and they all glanced down the table to see the gargoyle Aone Takanobe once again staring down Asahi.

Koushi let out a sigh.  His friends were hopeless and it was clearly up to him to fix everything.

--------------------

Koushi had to blackmail, barter, and basically trick his friends into going to the dance on Friday.  In the end Koushi just had to mention that the Student Council President, as in Sawamura Daichi, should be present at the dance he orchestrated, raised money for, and helped decorate.  Plus he had to announce the homecoming queen and king.  After convincing Daichi to come it was easy to get the werewolf to bully Asahi into coming also.

It was fun lulling his friends into a false sense of security, letting them exist on the perimeter of the dance floor while chatting with friends and enjoying the food and drinks provided.  Koushi knew if he tried to spring his plan into action too soon it was likely to spook his two cowardly friends and send them running.

So while Daichi was busy talking to a happy couple in the form of Bokuto Koutarou and Michimiya Yui, Koushi slipped off into the crowd.  He had located Tetsurou’s own group early on in the evening, keeping a close lookout to make sure his hypothesis of Tetsurou being a free man was true.  Keeping a close eye on Tetsurou meant Koushi saw a lot of Satori and he had gathered a better idea as to why Satori was so protective of his friend.

Koushi had never suffered from the lack of friends or monster interaction before.  He was a siren, a creature born from a human father and a siren mother.  He was well loved and had been introduced into both worlds at a young age.  Koushi always had friends and when he had entered this high school full of monsters like himself, it had been relatively easy for him to carve out a comfortable corner for himself.

Koushi knew others did not have it as easy as he did but he had thought it would be different in a school full of monsters.  Maybe it was naive of him, but he knew he would have to play everything carefully from here on out.  He wanted to help his friend but Daichi wouldn’t be thankful if it came at the expense of someone else's hurt feelings.

Luckily Koushi had recruited Yui to help out and she would send Daichi over to Tetsurou as soon as he was free.

“S-Suga.”  Asahi stuttered, grabbing at his sleeve as he tried to sneak by.  Koushi looked up, and up at Takanobe’s stone hard face before taking Asahi’s hand and placing it into Takanobe’s.

“He just wants to dance, he likes you.”  Koushi gleefully watched Asahi’s face turn red as he stared down at the hand holding his own.  “Gargoyles can’t speak, he wasn’t pointing at you to intimidate you, he was trying to dumb down sign language so you’d understand.”

“Oh.”  Asahi sounded completely chasized before he looked up at Takanobe’s face hesitantly.  “Do you want to dance?”  Takanobe nodded and together they walked off to the floor.

Koushi rolled his eyes before continuing his walk across the large gym turned mythical forest for the dance.  He waved to people as he passed by but he wouldn’t be deterred until he made it to Tetsurou’s little group.  From an outsider's perspective they might look like troublemakers, the exact opposite of the kind of people Koushi’s parents would approve of.  But Koushi knew better.

Tetsurou was a grim reaper and his appearance echoed that with his dark hair, pale skin, and all black outfit.  He tended to provoke people, poking at hidden weaknesses and insecurities but mostly he saved that for the likes of Oikawa Tooru and Daishou Suguru, who deserved it.  In truth he was a giant nerd who took pride in his schoolwork and jumped on the chance to complete extra credit, even though he was at the top of his class.  Tetsurou spent his afterschool hours tutoring anyone who asked him.

The people who surrounded Tetsurou tended to echo him, those who looked rough around the edges but were big softies inside.  He also gathered those who most needed friends around him, which was something Daichi himself was prone to do and was only part of the reason Koushi thought they’d do so well together.

“Hello, it’s Tendou Satori right?”  Koushi smiled as several eyes turned towards him.  “You’re really tall, do you think you could help me with a banner that’s fallen down.  I can’t reach it and I’d hate to drag a ladder in the middle of the dance.”  Koushi didn’t purposefully lace any of the sirens song magic into his words, but it didn’t mean he didn’t stop it if it did.

Satori was tall and the banner did need fixing, Koushi didn’t have to mention that he asked Yaku Morisuke to pull it down.  It was all in the name of getting Daichi some free time to talk to his crush, anything that happened after that was up to Daichi.

“You’re asking me?”  Satori loomed over Koushi, his red eyes trying to pin Koushi to his spot.  Koushi had heard the unflattering things people had called Satori, but up this close Koushi couldn’t help but noticing that all his posturing was kind of like a little kitten puffing itself up to try and look bigger.

Cute.

“Yes please.”  Koushi decided to grab life by the horns, or whatever the saying was.  Personally he’d never grab anyone's horns, it was quite rude and painful to some, but he thought maybe it was a more metaphorical saying.  Either way, he grabbed Satori’s green hand, surprised at the warmth there, and pulled him towards the banner in need of fixing.  “Thank you so much for doing this, otherwise I might have had to ask Noya.”  Nishinoya Yuu was an elemental and while he could fly he most likely would knock down more decorations while he was up there.

“You could have asked a lot of other people who would be happy to help you.”  Satori said as they passed by Yui pushing a confused Daichi across the dancefloor, towards a confused looking Tetsurou.

“Are you saying you’re not happy to help me?”  Koushi asked, stopping to place one hand on his hip to look up at Satori.  He really was quite tall but lanky.  The skin around his left eye was a darker green, the stitching looking new and the darker color made his eyes look two different shades of red.

“You can’t fool me, Suga-Suga.”  Satori sing-songed, going back to loom over Koushi.  Koushi though the intimidating act was lost on him since it just brought them closer together and he was again noted how warm Satori was.

“Fool you?”  Koushi asked, half distracted.  Satori’s bowtie looked like it was melting.

“I’m a grenade.”  Koushi blinked up in confusion, having to tilt his head far back to do it.  “The ugly one that a good friend has to throw themselves on so their friend can talk to the pretty one.”  Satori motioned behind them.  Koushi leaned around him to look towards Tetsurou, who was now accompanied by an annoyed looking Daichi.  Tetsurou was looming over him in much the same way Satori as doing to Koushi, but then Tetsurou said something and Daichi was laughing, his face breaking out into a large smile.  The kind that made his eyes almost shut close, the adorable dimple in his left cheek pop out, and his tail wagged gently behind him.  Tetsurou’s face went slack before a bright blush covered his face.

“Wait, you think you’re ugly?”  Koushi asked in surprise after doing a mental victory chant for Daichi, he had Tetsurou now.  “Tendou Satori you might be many things but ugly is not one of them.”

“Oh yeah?  What am I?”  Uncertainty flashed in those ruby deaths but he hid it with a sneer.

“Protective, infuriating, beautiful, clever-” Koushi gave Satori’s stomach a light chop, just so he’d bend over and stop looming over him.  “Should I go on or is that blush indicating I should stop?”  Satori pursed his lips and looked away as Koushi touched that melting bowtie, humming at the effect the fabric had.  “So will you help me with the banner and dance with me?  Or do I need to go on?”  Satori glanced behind him, his face falling a little as they watched Tetsurou bend slightly at the waist, laughing like a hyena and resting his forehead against Daichi’s shoulder as he did so.

Now Koushi got the full picture.

“Look at how awkward they are, they probably won’t even be able to hold hands for a month without blushing.  We should go over and make sure they don’t embarrass themselves further.”  Koushi offered softly.  Satori was worried about losing one of his only friends, but Koushi was willing to be patient.  It wouldn’t take long for Satori to notice that not only would Daichi not take Tetsurou away, that he made a very good, non-judgement friend too.

“That banner is going to fall down.”  Asahi said from behind them.

“I’ll get it!”  Nishinoya Yuu yelled out, flying up in the air to a loud chorus of NO’s but it was already too late.

[recentanimenews]

Shironeko Project: ZERO CHRONICLE – 01 (First Impressions) – The Desperate Pursuit of Balance

In the Kingdom of Darkness, an unnamed young lad (Kaji Yuki) flees from his village with younger children when monsters attack. Neither the villagers nor the children survive, leaving the lad alone. Not knowing what else to do, he digs a huge hole for the dead, but also for himself, because he comes to like how the sun pours in, coating everything in the hole equally.

He encounters an old but stout knight named Skears, who urges the kid to come out of the hole and direct his energies elsewhere. He manages to inspire the kid into having a little duel with him, and he shows a bit of skill. That’s apparently enough for Skears, who by the way is dying, to name the kid his successor as well as the next Prince and future King of Darkness, a title Skears himself failed to gain.

Meanwhile, high above the clouds in the Kingdom of Light, Queen Iris (Horie Yui) leads an attack on an encroaching darkness that is expanding in both size and density, making each battle tougher. Shironeko Project takes pains to accentuate the stark contrast between the kingdoms of darkness in light.

Obviously, there’s more light, but more saturation, richer hues, and an ethereal vividness. It’s as squeaky clean and gleaming up here as it is muddy and brooding down there. And just as important as the visuals are the sounds, and Iwasaki Taku’s lavish orchestral score is excellent, featuring distinct leitmotifs for the two kingdoms: more orchestral and soaring in the sky; more grungy and metal down below.

The Lad makes it to the capital where he’ll become stronger and challenge the current King, but he’ll need allies. He gains his first in Valas, a knight friendly with Skears (and possibly his former student). Valas presumes the kid is a thief, but after flashing some skill and more importantly Skears’ words, Valas changes his tune, pledges his loyalty to the kid’s claim, and takes him to Skears’ mansion.

This all happens rather fast, but as the Bard said, “brevity is the soul of wit.” If you’re using my viewing time wisely and efficiently I’m rarely going to be mad, as long as you don’t run out of story or worse, the speed hurts my ability to get engaged with the material. Neither is the case here…at least not yet.

Back in the Lightdom, we get to know Queen Iris’ top officers, like the knight Faios and mage Sima. They know their queen is more concerned with maintaining balance than achieving a total victory. Interestingly, Sima was once a candidate for Queen but lost to her best friend. Refreshingly, she seems to hold no hard feelings, and wants only to serve her queen as best she can.

Iris’ commitment to minimizing fighting and death is noble, but the expanding darkness is forcing her hand, and a report comes that the Western capital is under attack, she must immediately head back into battle. Even so, she sees this latest incursion as a sign it’s time for the King of Darkness to be replaced. She’s confident his successor will work with her to maintain the balance.

I first approached SPZC with skepticism—with so many fantasy anime out there (isekai or no) any newcomer would have to make quite the impression. I wasn’t encouraged by the breakneck speed and simplicity of the early scene of the kid and Skears, but once I saw both sides of this dark-light coin, and heard more of that sweet, sweet Iwasaki sound, this gradually grew into something I’d recommend with moderate enthusiasm.

I’m also a sucker for star-crossed love stories in the midst of warring nations, and a big fan of both Horie and Kaji, so the inevitable meeting of Prince and Iris is a built-in reason to keep watching. SPZC is telling a very old story with very basic elements, but telling it reasonably well. We’ll see if it can elevate that material.

By: magicalchurlsukui