#and when they played holding out for a hero in JAPANESE

[riickgrimes]

anyway im very in my feelings about tangerine and lemon and they were my favorite part of the movie

[evilminji]

Behold! o/ The Face Of Benevolent Evil!

Mr. Principle! A professional hero and educator!

Also possibly some sort of stoat hybrid! Certainly a chimera of Japanese fauna! With the Quirk High Specs, he is one of, if not THE, smartest beings on the planet of which he resides! With a background perfectly justifying a decent into hatred and villiany, he instead chose to channel his incredible world shaking intellect into the shaping of future generations!

He likes to fuck with people!

For FUNSIES~☆!

What can he say? It keeps a man young and mentally stimulated! Plus the hysterical screaming of his staff and students is HILARIOUS. He can even argue it makes for good reaction training! Unforseen situations, children! React!!! *psychotic chortling*

Mmmmm, yes. We all have our trauma responses. Ways we deal with them. He should probably find other means... but he won't! Tea and tormenting the student body make for good future heroes, you know! They adapt!

But! You may ask! Why am I introducing you to this... *polite yet somehow deeply threatening smile* c-completely sane and normal individual!? Esteemed educator that he is! Ha ha...

A good and not at a under threat question!

Villains? Are fuuuuuckin STUPID!

Doesn't matter how many PHDs you possess! In fact! That makes it WORSE! You moron! You absolute fool! No traveling circus would have you, you sub-rate CLOWN of a jingle jangle dunce jester! You have a god damn PHD! Possibly MULTIPLE PHD!

And you thought "ooooh I should go into cwiiiiime~☆"?

Do you hear yourself when you talk? DO YOU?! Ooooh boohoo. They won't let you study what you WANT to study. It's called an ETHICS BOARD. And YEAH, NO SHIT! Maybe get over it and keep you fucked up fantasies to your SELF.

Or? If you REALLY can't hold it in? Lay the ground work like EVERYONE FUCKING ELSE! You're not special! Everyone wants to play god! It's FUN! They let you have the COOL toys! But you have to EARN that shit! Not jump straight from graduation to "fucked up superscience"!

And? If it's NOT the Ethics Board? But just some bureaucrat on a power trip? You don't have to fucking STAY. This? This RIGHT HERE? Is why I-Island fucking EXSISTS.

APPLY.

They are SO MANY countries you could move too. SO MANY other labs. You actual DUMBASS.

But NO! You decided to commit to a fucked up underground Villian Lab. As though HUNTING THOSE isn't the PERSONAL fucking passion project of THE SMARTEST BEING IN JAPAN. Frankly? You deserve this. You deserve this and our school doesn't know you. Never heard of you. You whoms't?

Coulda changed the world. But instead all you did was piss of The Fuzzy White Demon Lord of UA. Rest in pieces. *click*

*sound of doors smashing open*

*violent Raid Upon Your Labs noises*

But! You may ask? What's IN the Lab?

What MAKES this a DP crossover?

I like your question asking spirit! Good one! And the answer? You know what's better then ONE(1) Nedzu? A second one that you can ACTUALLY control this time! After all! You could consider Mr. Principle a prototype. A proof of concept, if you will. If you were able to make ANOTHER.....

Well, you would set off EVERY. SINGLE. ALARM. Nedzu has set up!

All of them!

Because he don't PLAY THAT.

He has long last trauma from the labs and is the SOLE FUCKING SURVIVOR. There WERE others. They Did Not make it. And their slow agonizing deaths are carved into his brain for the rest of his life. Truely "The living shall envy the dead"; it was a place that made hell seem merciful.

When he declare Never Again?

He fucking MEANT Never Again. He will BURN your empires to ash, with you in them. No More Labs.

So :) You can IMAGINE :) HOW HAPPY HE IS :)

That someone out there is trying to RECREATE his SUPER traumatic childhood, on ANOTHER CHILD. Ha ha! Gonna be a second Nedzu huh? Planning to torture HIM like you did me, HUH? Shove him in a cage and treat him like an animal? Force him to watch as the others die? Collars and whips and cattle prods? Mazes?!

Nedzu may lose his shit.

Juuuuust a little bit.

But if anyone there knows what good for them? They saw NOTHING. What's a little PTSD flashback between friends? Now what is the baby?

Smashcut to said baby!

Because it was a TEAM effort, Danny was successful in "Nuh Uh!"ing out of Rulership. But NOT out of governance. Since he DID help. He's a Councilman now. It's? Not as bad as it could be, honestly. Since it's opened the Zone up to a more democratic system.

Still held by "kick the ass of the person you wanna replace" but still!

Babysteps.

Thing is? There was apparently this weird? Leak? Like a couple hundred years ago, in this one area, that was never addressed. Everyone just moved their doors and stuff. Treated it like the floors flooded. But now that they HAVE someone to complain too?

They all want their territories back.

"Go fix it!" What are we? Janitors?

Danny looses the rock, paper, scissors competition. He's pretty sure Boxy cheated. But like? Dude has a kid to go home too, so Danny doesn't fight him to hard on this. Uuuuuugh. Just remember the Spider-Man motto. Great power~ blah blah blaaaah~

And? Wow is it fucked out there.

The whole PLANET has to be limnal as FUCK. Yikes.

Problem is? When he and his team (Because YES, he HAS learned from his mistakes, Jazz.) get close to the... frankly the Zone here looks like distorted spiderwebbing. With him leading the charge, obviously.

....something happens.

It's... it's not a portal. Wrong color. It's like someone USED the weird spiderwebbing effect to... to reach INTO the Zone? But they are severally Limnal. Clawed hands, blue tint. But that's not the problem.

No, the problem.

The Horror.

The thing that his team can only watch on in agonized terror as it plays out... is that hand? It shoots out of nowhere. Ghostlike in the Zone. Meaning it must be living. And PLUNGES directly into Danny's chest to wrap around his core.

Time seems to slow.

He can't even scream in pain. At the violation. His team, acquaintances, yes, but friendly ones. Can not even cry out in horror, as they watch their friend and team lead be butchered before them. Before that uncaring hand is ripping back. Perfect ice and starlight in its uncaring grip.

For a terrible moment... he is in two places at once.

Then he is crushed in a burning grip. Like molten bars. Watching his own body dissolve into nothing in an instant, pain and horror still etched upon his face. The beginnings of screams ripping from his team as they jerk away from the nightmarish threat.

Then he can not think at all.

He... he TRIES. Knows he has been captured. Is certainly not the sort to give up easily. But... he's so tired. His body feels? Weird. Not wrong, per say. It's HIS. But... small and weird. Like he's shape shifted into a new form and hasn't adjusted yet.

....

.......

...........

He's getting really sick of all the goop against his whiskers and in his ears. It feels WEIRD against his fu- WAIT a second... did those assholes shove him into an animal? Why?! To contain him? Ha! Jokes on them! He's DONE THIS before!

For FUN!

He once spent a whole ass summer as a tiny dragon just 'CAUSE!

Unfortunately, said assholes notice him waking up. Dump him in a glorified hamster cage. But like.... a SHITTY "I don't care about the pet I bought" hamster cage. Dude. And he's naked.

Is that Japanese? Ooooh! It IS! Thank you, Tucker's Weeb phase.

......actually, never mind. Lotta dehumanizing language there, my guys. What is this? The GIW international? You couldn't even give me PANTS? Swear to God, call me an "it" ONE more time and the next time I have to go? I am going to aim through the bars at your-! *alarms going off*

....wasn't me.

I mean, be all means, ha ha and get fucked, but? Wasn't me. Oh hey! Some one exploded the doo-

AND? In Lab 4?

Nedzu finds a child with fluffy, ungroomed black and white fur, and the curious yet cautious eyes of a survivor. They are the most magnificent green, pale and luminous they glow in the laboratories lighting. Paws too big for his small frame, delicate ears on the swivel, equally large. Yet to grow into either. Adolescent, at best.

He watches the child take him in. Note his features and the chaos behind him. The injured scientist under his feet. Come to him conclusion. Nedzu will not rush him. Now that he... he stand the chance to be the hero he himself never had. It is a strange feeling. At once cathartic and unbearably painful.

He is given the equivalent of a cheerful grin, as the lad points the the lock on the cage. Is asked if he happened to bring a spare pair of pants. He can not help his amused chortle as he makes quick work of the lock. The unbearable RELIEF he feels.

He... he was not too late.

These monsters had no chance to crush the boy's light. To make a monster of him, like they did with him. He survived his laboratory, his hell. But not all of him left that terrible place. He knows that. Some innocence, some goodness, died alone in the dark. But here? He insured there would be no chance.

With amusement, he watches the boy turn the lab upside down until he finds spare scrubs. Triumphant, he then considers his own, tiny claws. Dismisses them. Attempts to hop up on a chair to retrieve something sharp. It? Is unbearably cute. To watch him rip and shred, problem solve. His little mind churning away. Whiskers twitching as his eyes dart around, considering his options.

Nedzu offers one of his spare knives.

Watches him light up.

Adorable~

@legitimatesatanspawn @hdgnj @nerdpoe @babbling-babull @lolottes

[short-black-diamond]

Enemies/Hater #3 for Kunigami?

I know that man has a monster sized dick

AYO THIS COMBINATION IS DANGEROUS, you are playing with fire here, anon!!!

warnings/summary: smut obviously, Our hero looses his v-card~!, bullying, and fluff, also a lil confession scene, and you and Kunigami are huge dorks, also I'm putting one of my kinks in there (find out what it is!), and Oliver slander (I love him but I don't like his cheater-nature, so imma use it as a plot device)

again, this will be as vanilla as possible. or not.

word count: 5.1 k words oh man...✌💀😭

taglist: @kyuzra, @ann-teige, @loser-vxbez

---

Tea-kettle.

your father always called people who took too long in the traffic with their cars to drive around tea-kettles. When people acted like dumb children, when people got on his nerves...tea-kettle.

Simple, but sophisticated.

And, well, you took after your father.

You just had the biggest luck of having no other male than Kunigami as your new roommate for the new semester, and for the most part, it was nice with him.

Well, except for the part that his clothes were basically everywhere, and even in places they shouldn't be, for example worn and sweaty and stinky socks the kitchen?

But that was not the only ick he had. He was way too calm and tried to mansplain you over and over again with stuff you'd do with your girl-math.

And that would always lead to arguments. I mean, who cares if the coupon expired, the staff would close an eye on a sweet thing like you and done was the thing, so why did the orange haired guy have to mind your business?

"Jeez, can't you let me be for once?"

"You're not doing it right. The coupon has expired-"

"Why can't you mind your own business?", you'd say in an annoyed tone, with the male looking down at you, confused and also slightly irritated.

"Because it's not fair for the workers-"

"They were still ready to accept it, dude. I even told them before you came back with your pack of 'protein' chocolate bars."

And then he'd look to the side with a frown and a cute pout.

And, well, you've grown to hate him a bit because of that. When he was gone for practise or afternoon school, the apartment would be silent and pleasant, with you being able to clean up everything and even cook something nice as he'd come home.

But, as soon as he'd come in, he'd ask stupid questions like; "How much kcal does a portion of your food have?", "Is it oily?", "You cooked too much."

Ugh! Can't he let you be for once? You also don't ask him about everything!

"Stop asking me those questions, and just eat what I cook!", You'd exclaim in an annoyed tone, already irritated by the mere smell of his sweat (caramel*cough*Bakugo*cough*), and you'd huff.

And then, Kunigami Rensuke would have the audacity to ask you why you behaved like that, because he was just asking normal questions and he liked keeping a diet.

...yeah, would be hard for somebody who wasn't japanese and only knew how to cook cultural and traditional home-food.

and it is tiring. Having the same arguments over and over again.

And thus, you gave Kunigami the name "tea-kettle", leaving him dumbfounded at the nickname insult. whenever he asked you what you meant by that, you'd just huff and tell him that you were busy with somehting.

But, that was not the only thing that made you irritated and angry the whole time.

You had just broken up with your boyfriend Oiver, having him caught cheating on you with a blonde bitch who couldn't even hold a candle next to you.

And you were horny.

More than the average human.

So...you ordered a few dildos...which were pretty big.

...

Kunigami thought you were cute, but weird. Easily frustrated and pretty irritable. you were a feisty woman.

He didn't know why you'd always snap at him when he'd ask you simple questions. He always apologizes when you scold him for forgetting to do something or doing something wrong.

He doesn't know why you are like this. Even though you're a great roommate who loves a clean home and can cook, he doesn't like your attitude.

Not a single bit.

...okay, maybe a little. But most of the time, it irritates him as well. He's just glad that he could have a silent night because you were not a night owl...until you became one.

And he also had to listen to the noises you made...making him blush, and also move his member into a stiff position.

Kunigami had trouble deciphering your personality. He had trouble getting smart from your 'girl-math'?? and why you always yelled at him with his clothes.

He can't be blamed when they fly all over the place, he also forgets where he placed his belongings, but now he's the one irritated.

Now, since a month, he has to listen to you going dumb over fucking a dildo, having to listen to your moans, whimpers and gasps while you pump it in and outside of you.

and it was also you who said a month earlier that you didn't like dicks.

That you despised them. That they looked weird.

You said that dicks were disappointing.

But why were you riding one then? Did something happen for you to change your mindset?

...

It was a late afternoon when you came home to the apartment just like you left it, which meant that Kunigami wasn't home yet. Perfect.

You quickly went into your room, taking off your bottoms and then taking out the dildo you purchased just recently. It was bigger than the ones you were using previously, and you could also stick it to the ground or wall to ride it.

and just as you were done putting it into your awaiting vagina, Kunigami stepped in to your room. He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed, staring at you with a serious expression and a small blush as you tried to cover yourself in a haste while you yelled profanities at him.

you were embarassed to be seen like that, having a big cock inside you, and being caught by your crush roommate doing something explicit like that. But...it turned you on. you were an exhibitionist at heart, and getting caught in such a position, with your legs spread to have him see your pussy and thr orange dildo inside it...it made you wet.

"You said that dicks were dissappointing, so what is that?", he mused and took in your form. Your brows were furrowed, face red...from embarassent or pleasure? you were panting like a bitch in heat, and he also caught sight of the large silicone cock you had buried deep inside you.

"Not your dick, that much is clear!", you snapped back. you wanted to yell at him to leave the room. To blackmail him. but...you also wanted to see where this was going. He didn't look disgusted with you being horny. He didn't look disappointed...more...amused?..maybe also aroused?

He huffed in amusement before sitting himself down on your desk chair manspreading, making you ogle at his hard-on, which was way larger than the one you had inside of you. He nodded his head to your direction, smirking.

"C'mon, tell me. Why should my dick be disappointing?", Kunigami asked and slowly took his hands from his thighs up to his zipper. You gulped as you watched him like a hawk.

"hmpf! B-because you probably have a small di-", and gone was your voice when Kunigami took it out. too heavy to stand upright was the seven inch penis he held in his pants, thicker than a soda can, and veiny was it too.

Kunigami bit his lip as he blushed from your wide eyes. Kunigami had no idea what the fuck he was doing. Not a single idea.

He was the biggest virgin after all, but he knew from his friends that he had a rather large cock. However, you were the first one to actually see it. The first female, to be precise.

and, well, since you were a girl and also somehow his crush, Kunigami felt his ego and pride increasing every passing second your eyes lingered on his dick.

"Do I have a small dick, ____?", came out in a soft, deep tone. You took a shaky breath before closing your eyes and shaking your head no.

You were salivating, in your mouth and your pussy. His cock was glorious. it even looked big in his hands, which were also pretty big to begin with. you gulped down your saliva before you tore your eyes up to his face. "N-no...", you choked. You forgot about the cock which rested inside your pussy and just thought about his, your eyes widening and gasping when he drove his thumb over the head.

It looked amazing, just that single movement, with him rubbing his thumb around the tip of his head. "hnn...mm...", he whimpered and moaned as he slowly started to masturbate.

"Th-then why...of fuck...why do you hate me?", he gritted through his teeth when he applied pressure while rubbing himself. your eyes widened and you blushed even more.

You raised yourself to walk over to him and emphasize that you indeed didn't hate him anymore, but you forgot that you had somehting inside you, and you gasped when you felt the dildo drag his thickness along your walls.

Kunigami saw it. the way the dildo raised itself a bit while you were trying to stand up from your seat, how wet it was...he moved his hand up and down his dick once with force, and flinched with a whimper.

"ahh...I-I don't hate you...!", you moaned when you sat back down. But you raised yourself right again. If Kunigami made himself feel good, why shouldn't you?

"Oh yeah? ...th-then why are you a-*hiss*-always yelling??", he groaned when he saw you slowly riding the dildo. your boobs were jiggling with every rise and fall you did, and he also couldn't ignore the slapping sound which erupted softly. He gulped and sighed shakily as he flicked his wrist around his cock.

"mmh, because you never do what I tell you!...ah..hah...Your c-clothes are always thrown somewhere...oh...a-and you always forget to do stuff!", you exclaimed, speeding up your thrusts on the cock.

Kunigami hissed in pleasure when he pressed down on his dick head. His dick twitched painfully at the way you were assaulting the dildo. he was jealous that he wasn't inside you. He bit his lip, glaring at the orange dick.

"why is it orange??", he asked after he stopped jerking off for a moment. you somehow blushed even more. "...i...um...", you spoky shyly, looking at the ground in front of you.

And, well, he took it as a chance to stand up and walk over to youpushing you onto your back harshly. You gasped when his rough hands touched your soft body, and he hovered over you with a smirk, sitting on his parted knees and toes, your legs on his thighs as he brought his hand up and down his dick while the other one took hold of the dildo inside you.

"does it...remind you of me?", he asked softly, quietly, as he slowly took out the dildo. you held in your breath, not daring to say anything. you were embarassed, laying on your back with your legs over his and seeing him so...seductively...majestically...on his knees as he looks down on you.

Suddenly, you were filled up to the brim, knocking the air out of your lungs. Kunigami pressed the plastic cock into you with force, and you choked on your own breath.

"Come on, ____...answer me.", he says in a deep tone, and you could hear a hint of irritation but moreso desire in it. You averted your eyes shyly.

"yes...", you breathed out and looked at him. you felt bare, with no bottoms and you also decided to wear a low-cut, tight shirt with no bra. you had cute thigh highs though.

And Kunigami...well, like I said...he looked majestic, with his tight shirt, having sweated a little into it, making his abs and pecs more defined, along with his pants nearly getting torn open as they tried holding his muscular and flexed thighs covered. and then there where his arms, one being directed to your frame while the other held his member.

and...his eyes...his face...he looked so handsome...like a prince, or king...he was your hero.

He huffed in amusement before leaning more and more down, until he was hovering over your torso. his hands were now planted on either side of your head as you looked at him with wide eyes, feeling his hot, big dick against your stomach and the dildo inside you get sucked in by your pussy.

you gulped when he took a strand of your hair and kissed it. "Listen, ____...I'd...like to do it with you.", he spoke gently, softly, only for you to hear as he gazed at you through his lashes. he had a small blush on, even though he was literally jerking off to you in front of you a few moments ago.

your face heated up. you were surprised he even wanted to have to do anything with you. but, you should've seen it coming when he didn't call you disgusting and took his cock out instead.

"why?", you asked, feeling shy and vulnerable underneath him. His gaze on you was intense and you couldn't help but look away in embarassment.

Kunigami carefully put one of his large hands on your cheek and slowly directed your face to look at him. "Because...even though you have an attitude with me, you're actually a pretty sweet person...I mean", he spoke and took one of your hands and softly tracing his thumb on the back of it, "you clean up the apartment...you cook nice meals...and you're also a pretty chill roommate, although we often get into arguments."

you huffed in embarassment. "how dare you confess to me while I have a dick inside me and yours is hanging out?!"

Kunigami blushed as well. "I-I want to do it with you! And you asked me why! So I answered!"

there was a moment of silence as you two stared at each other, completely flustered. Then you brought your hands up to his face. he blushed once more. you frowned at him with red cheeks.

"then...l-let's do it...", you whispered before you kissed him. His eyes widened when your lips connected with his. Rensuke's eyes fluttered to a close as they rolled back and he kissed you back passionately.

you moaned against his lips when he parted the first kiss and opened his mouth, making out with you. his tongue rubbed and danced against yours, and you could taste some of the leftover soup he must've eaten which you prepared earlier.

While he was getting lost in the feeling of your mouths clashing against one another and your sweet moans, one of his hands started to wander as the other one held himself up above you. the one which wasn't holding himself upwards caressed your side, then went up to gently squeeze one of your bra-less tits, groaning against your lips when he felt the soft flesh spill out between the palms of his hands.

he kissed your nose before trailing his kisses south. his lips made contact with your jaw, then three kisses down your throat and neck, a few smacks against your pretty collarbone until he neared your boob.

your legs were wrapped around his hips and your arms around his neck. you were letting soft sighs and moans escape you when he did his ministrations.

it was silent. no words spoken as you let him do as he pleased with your body, and you were pleasantly surprised when he didn't start fucking you like you were some kind of whore, like Oliver did.

No. He treated you like his lover. Like his wife.

You sighed shakily. And then he stopped.

"Kuni-" "Rensuke.", he interrupted you, looking at you with fond eyes.

"...Rensuke...", you started then, in a trance as you looked at the handsome male above you. "why...why did you stop?"

He looked to the side sheepishly, a blush coating his cheekbones. "D-do you maybe have ...a-a condom? Don't wanna risk it...", he said quietly, shyly as he swallowed the lump of saliva.

You nodded then. 'of course! gosh, I'm so stupid!', you thought as you rolled to the side to take something from the drawer on the night stand. A pack of XXL (does that even exist?) condoms.

His eyes widened when you gave him a single pack while you took a few more with a red face. then you quickly tucked the rest away. "w-why...do you have a pack of condoms?", he asked. Last time he remembered, you told him you were single, so why...?

"I had a boyfriend named Oliver, but he cheated on me...", you mumbled as you laid there on your stomach, showing him your body from behind and even though Kunigami felt bad for you, he bit his lip when he saw your juicy ass and thighs.

"How dare he...!?", Rensuke seethed instead and ripped off the pack. your shoulder flinched as you listened to the sound of him taking out the lubed condom and hissing as he slowly put it over his dick.

"are you okay?", you asked softly over your shoulder, glancing at him. then you turned around completely with an angry face.

"WHAT THE HELL!?!", you yelled when he took off his clothes, which...landed all over the place...again...in a random room though.

He rolled his eyes playfully. "I'll pick 'em up later, sweetheart", he grumbled under his breath as you turned around on your stomach again and huffed in annoyance. However, you weren't prepared when you felt your ankles get grabbed and you yelped when you got pulled backwards.

your lower half was out from the bed, with your knees and feet on the ground, your hips at the edge and your upper body on the bed. you turned around again and glared at him. "what was that f-mmh!"

ye, he shut you up by kissing you. his hand held your throat as he made you look to the side and he kissed you passionately, pulling at your nipple with the other hand before releasing it and trailing his hand lower to play with your clit a little. He couldn't find it and massaged your pussy lips instead. but it also felt nice.

You moaned against his mouth when he finally found the nub though, and assaulted it by rubbing his thumb up and down on it, while applying pressure. His hand on your neck tightened, and the dildo you still head inside you got squeezed by your walls.

you panted and whimpered against his lips. He leaned his head back to look at you. He smiled while panting as well, and only now did you feel his dick rub against your butt. "does...can...could he make you feel like this?", he whispered and kissed your cheek.

you keened at his words and sighed. "No. n-never- ah!", you yelped and your back arched when he took off your dildo from you. You felt empty and whined at the loss. he chuckled as he looked at the slick-covered cock.

"My turn."

You blushed heavily at that.

He then placed the dildo on your bed, right in front of you, as he aligned his cock to your entrance. your toes curled inside your highs as you glanced behind you with a nervousness you didn't even feel when Oliver fucked you.

"d-do you think it'll fit?"

Kunigami looked up with a parted mouth before smiling fondly at you. "...I'll make it fit."

You "eep!"ed. how could he say something like that?!

"w-wait, have you had sex before???"

"Nope, but I hope you'll let me practise."

Your mouth stood open as you stared at him in disbelief and he chuckled nervously. "J-just relax-"

"THAT'S EASY FOR YOU TO SAY!", you yelled in fear and gripped the bedsheets tightly. Kunigami scoffed. "C'mon, I'm sure your ex had a big cock as well, no?"

"Not as big as yours...!", you retorted with an annoyed pout but you flinched when you felt the head of his penis press against your pussy. even though your legs where spread, you could feel him touch your pussy and your inner thighs, that's how big he was.

you started to have second thoughts. "H-how ab- AHH!", you yelled, when he pressed his head inside. you two took a minute to regain your breaths. you were surprised that it didn't sting as much as you thought, but it still hurt, but you liked it, somehow.

and Kunigami was having his face directed to the ceiling as his mouth stood open in a gasp. He didn't know that your pussy was so tight, even after you've been having that huge ass dildo inside of you. how was that even possible?

"S-...sorry, sweetheart! I-I...fuck...I c-couldn't help--ohhh...myself!", he exclaimed as he felt your pussy pulse around his head. he tried not to thrust into you or fall unconscious from the amount of pleasure he got. You were mewling on the bed.

It just felt so good, even if it pained you very much. "Please...wait a lil more...", you asked, but Kunigami wanted to keep going. He then called you the nickname you used as an insult on him.

"You're such a tea-kettle, y'know that?", he groaned as he leaned onto you from behind and right into your ear and stroked your thighs, ass, back and sides with his large, warm hands. you squirmed in embarassment and pleasure.

"w-what's that s'posed ta mean!?", you asked right afterwards but gasped when his fingers played with your nipples. "How about you fix your attitude 'round me, love?", he asked in a whisper instead before he kissed the back of your shoulder with closed eyes.

You hated him. More than you ever could. How dare he speak to you like that, hah?!? Makes you regret your life choices by pushing his dick inside of you and then having the fucking audacity to tell you to "fix your attitude"??? And also how dare he make you feel so special? Asking you for consent before he did something like putting his dick inside of you and then also respecting you for wanting to wait a bit to adjust?

What the fuck?

With Oliver it just went straight to fucking, but with Kuni- ahem, Rensuke...it was more like...making love.

you had to watch your tone around Kunigami. He was a good guy. you blushed and after a while, you put your right arm up to scratch his head.

"y-you can move now...", you muttered shyly and prepared to get knocked out with a single thrust from him, but you were met with a Ransuke who massaged your hips in order to distract you from the oncoming pain as he pushed his dick more into you with a tempo which was slower than a snail.

It nearly didn't hurt at all when he bottomed out, having had to ask you to spread your legs a little more so that he could fit inside you fully, but even that didn't help as there was still a bit less than half of him outside. Rensuke gulped before chuckling breathlessly.

Now, your walls were literally pumping him at this point, and he tossed his head back with a groan.

"h-how do you feel, pretty?", he asked as he looked at your upper body which lay on the bed. your eyes were closed. Peacefully.

He panicked. "_-____?!"

You jolted. "what?!", you yelped, feeling fuller than a thanksgiving turkey. You just wanted to rest, because you felt like you coud fall asleep like that. your knees started to hurt, though.

"Oh, thank god...I thought you were unconscious...or worse...!", he said in a scared tone and hugged you. your eyes widened.

Oliver didn't care for you like that. He just fucked you, and that was it. He didn't really take care after the sex. he just threw a wet washcloth at you and left.

You felt like crying. "I-thank you, Rensuke...", you spoke softly and moaned when his dick twitched. "S-sorry..."

You giggled before pressing yourself against his hips, biting your lip and moaning aloud when you felt him go deeper inside you, and Rensuke grabbed the sheets tightly as he grinded against your butt. He cursed a lot because of that before he grabbed your hips. "S-stop. stop it, please.", he begged, and you stopped abruptly.

"wanna stop completely?", you asked as you turned around, seeing his taller frame rise and fall rapidly as his head hung low. "N-no...just...c-can we...take a small break? and maybe do it on the bed?", Rensuke asked shyly as he looked up at you with a pained expression.

you were turned on. too much. You nodded silently and began to miss the fullness his dick gave you, feeling completely empty now. You shakily stood up and hugged his head, playing with his hair as he hugged you back, still on his knees. "sorry..."

"Hey, it's okay, baby.", you shushed him, and made him face you as you looked at him fondly...lovingly. "It's your first time, Rennie, don't want you to fuck me into oblivion, y'know? We can also cuddle if you want. Also thank you for telling me to stop. Many people pull through the act even if they don't like it. I'm glad you let me know."

your voice was gently, your fingers working wonders on his hair and head, and he sighed contently, hugging you tightly before he stood up, towering over you and gently pushing you back to the bed.

You crawled back with a grin when he smiled and crawled to you with a hint of mischiviousness. You bit your lip excitedly when his face neared yours. "You're just so pretty, ____...the most beautiful woman I've ever seen.", he said softly, and before you could react did he kiss you clumsily on the lips.

Seems like he never kissed anybody as well...was he a hardcore virgin? And your heart fluttered at his praise. you kissed him back with more passion, your experience letting you dominate the kissing as you felt him shyly open his mouth for you to enter with your tongue.

And you also took this as a chance to turn the tables. The moment you parted lips, you quickly pushed him back, making him land on his back with a "w-whoah!" as you sat yourself on his hips, his dick right underneath your slick, juicy cunt.

You glared at him playfully before you leaned down and started making out with him again, changing the angle of your head again and again to kiss him differently, and he caught on over time, and soon, your tongues danced together as you eplored each others bodies with your hands.

Rensuke was the first to part, panting as he had his eyes closed in bliss, and his legs twitched violently when you rolled your hips against his groin. he hissed. "f-fuck..!"

you keened at the pleasure, loving how nice the pussyjob felt which you gave him. "you like that, baby boy?", you teased as you drove your hips slowly and with much more pressure up and forward to the head of his dick, and he trembled slightly.

"D-don't call me baby boy...! ....but...feels good...", he gritted through his teeth as he felt his orgasm approach. You narrowed your eyes at him with a smirk before you took his dick gently, holding the heavy schlong up as softly as possible, with him looking at you confused through his blissed out face.

He didn't have to ask you what you were about to do though, because you just raised your hips, putting his dick at your entrance, and then lowering yourself again slowly. And this time, his dick went in fully. you had a belly bulge. Kunigami wanted to cum right then and there.

He moaned shakily when he felt your pulsing walls again, placing his hands on your waist this time as he leaned forward and kissed you. "mmh, y'make me cum..."

"I hope so...'m close too, y'know?", you answered and took one of his hands, placing it on your throat. He raised his eyebrow. "felt good when you did this...do it again. But apply some more pressure...here.", you said softly when you placed his thumb and middle finger on either side of your pulse points.

he frowned with a blush. "I-I only did it in the heat of the moment, ____-"

"And I loved it. Please do it again?"

He looked at you for a moment before he sighed. He then thrusted upwards, up into your g-spot and put slight pressure on your throat, cutting off your air support little by little.

your eyes were glazed over a bit as they fluttered and you began raising and lowering yourself on him. He applied more pressure and you groaned, feeling the air leave your lings, and your vagina pulsed around his dick, making him gasp sharply.

In less than a second, you were back on your back now, with him still being inside you, you gasping for air as he left your throat to stabilize himself before he began thrusting into you, knocking out the air from your lungs like that as well.

you scratched his muscular wrists with your nails as you mewled and gasped and moaned at the feeling of his dick pumping in and outside of you. He was panting above you, and he reveled in the view of you.

Lost, but looking up at him as if he was some sort of divine person...like he was a hero...

He groaned loudly before he adjusted his legs and spread them a bit more a part before he swiveled his hips against yours in a slapping motion. "Oh shit...fuck! Y're so tight...hnnnghh~...", he whimpered as he tried keeping up his ministrations, and you were gasping and moaning.

He wanted to cum so fucking badly...but he wanted you to orgasm on his dick first. he then looked down from your face, to your jiggling tits with each thrust he made -he smiled dumbly at that- before his gaze travelled more downwards to where your pussy and his dick met. your pussy was glistening with your own juice, which allowed Kunigami to go into you much easier.

He put his finger on your clit and swiped it around quickly as he felt like he could cum any second now. And it also didn't help any more as he felt you gasp sharply and whine at his fingers.

Everything was so...loud. The slapping of skin against skin, and the wet sounds of your juice and his dick rubbing around inside you, the rustling of sheets as you kicked your feet around in pleasure, the bed creaking with Kunigami's thrusts, and the sounds which you and Rensuke made.

you came first with a cry of his name, squirting as you did so, and Kunigami's mouth stood wide open as he watched you, while cumming into the condom inside you.

He and you were a panting, sweaty mess.

"uh...d-did you two have to do it in my room?", came the shy voice of Ness, your new roommate. He was a blushing mess when he saw you two, but you noticed his boner (which he poorly hid), and so did Kunigami.

---

bwahaahahah

I hope this was good enough, and I will read it again after some time.

Read you in the next post! Requests are CLOSED (...until I say they're open again)

[garrison-of-leaves]

People may not realize it, but Three has left an impact on Eight’s life for better or for worse, and it’s an incredibly important part of this series. There’s still so much about the character that we don’t know prior to the events of Octo Expansion.

If we’re to assume the battle against Octavio in Splatoon 1’s Octo Valley played a crucial part in freeing Eight from Octarian society, then having some insight into how exactly the two of them crossed paths would be a good place to start. We know Three had fought Eight prior to the two of them becoming lost in the Metro, but what was Eight doing before that? Were they aware of who Agent Three was prior to hearing the Inkantation?

Then there’s the secret final boss with Inner Agent 3, where you remember the fight against the enemy soldier you first encountered and put the demons of your past to bed once and for all as you prepare to take your first steps towards a new life. Defeating the hero within is something that screams “you did it”, and opens so many possibilities for Eight’s character that didn’t exist before (such as when they were enemies with Three).

Then, there’s the endorsements that Nintendo has been putting out for the two of them. I want to go back to the Valentine’s Day and White Day posts from 2020, and that brief little concept artwork of Three holding hands with Eight, and how Eight canonically looks up to Three in the official relationship chart, and how Three admires Eight as well.

Even with all the variables that the fandom has chosen to adopt between the two of them, it’s clear to me that Nintendo has an agenda going on with Three and Eight. It’s surprising to me how they SPECIFICALLY went with showing Three and Eight together in two separate events alluding to romance, and they’ve never bothered to pair Eight with anyone else, nor have they made any character-specific posts for Valentine’s Day or White Day after that one. Not to mention, if OE was going to take on a drastically different direction during its early stages of development, what exactly did they plan to do with Three and Eight? And if we go by the original Japanese translation of these posts, then that only raises MORE questions.

Eight has made no appearance in Return of the Mammalians, and this entire little thread that the two of them have has been outright ignored. I’m hoping that Side Order will shed some more insight into Eight’s character and provide more context towards what they’ve been trying to tell us with Three and Eight.

Say what you will to this, call me crazy, but you CANNOT deny that there is *something* going on, what with the amount of times they’ve put these two together in artwork, whether it be concept or promotional, combined with what went down in OE.

Like, I’m not even speaking as someone who ships them. I’m just talking about their relationship in GENERAL. Are they friends? Did they ever interact after the events of Octo Expansion? Better yet, what’s the current status of their relationship following the gap between Splatoon 2 & 3?

WE NEED CONTEXT FOR ALL THIS STUFF YOU’VE BEEN THROWING AT US, NINTENDO.

[keiriiz]

General Chrollo Headcanons!

I will be making a separate post for my romantic/relationship headcanons of him! I’m a bit nervous because I know I’m in the minority with some of my views however I’m up for making a second part to this as this definitely isn’t all, or even expanding on certain things if anyone’s interest. My request box is always open ✨

✥ Chrollo has Autism Spectrum Disorder. Aside from his childhood trauma, this can also affect his ability to identify and express his emotions. He’s also a master of masking, but if he’s out and overwhelmed, he’s definitely stimming with his fingers when he places his hands in his pockets.

✥ Chrollo Lucilfer and “Boss” started off as two different identities. Being the Head of the Phantom Troupe was merely another role however over the years, Chrollo started to lose his individuality. He’s gotten lost in the idea of being a villain that being himself sometimes feels foreign, or he might not recognize it when that side of him comes out. It wasn’t just Sarasa that died that day, but a piece of himself as well.

✥ Chrollo himself is a bit childish. He gets a small glint of genuine joy in his eyes when he’s talking about something he’s passionate about. Whether it’s a book series, the Power Cleaners, or certain species of arachnid. Seeing that side of him truly is something as it only comes out when he’s completely comfortable.

✥ On the other hand of that not, when he’s upset this also leads to him being pretty impulsive and making rather rash decisions. Chrollo is a master strategist but that can fall apart when pushed enough.

✥ Chrollo hums to himself when there’s a toon he’s fond of playing. Most times it’s subconsciously and he doesn’t even catch himself doing so unless it’s pointed out to him.

✥ This man hates crowds of people. Not being able to keep track of what everyone’s doing, the heat, the smell- It’s completely awful to him. It’s more overwhelming than most heists and if not on a job he will avoid them at all costs.

✥ Chrollo is very comfortable in his gender as a cis man but often indulges in things that are stereotypically feminine. Make up, painting his nails, even sporting a bit of women’s garments into his every day style.

✥ The Troupe as a whole is a found family of sorts, but Chrollo holds a particular closeness with the original members. The Spider he was closest with overall being Pakunoda.

✥ Given what we know about Nen, I believe Chrollo was born as a natural conjuror. Though with him changing as a person and honing his Nen for those three years, his aura adapted to specialization.

✥ Chrollo’s ethnicity is Japanese Italian. A true wasian man if I do say so myself. Though I feel he’s a bit more in touch with his Japanese heritage.

✥ He returns a lot to Meteor City outside of his Troupe affairs. He’s somewhat famous there and you bet there’s kids running up to him, gently tugging at his coat asking him to tell them about his “adventures”. Chrollo of course does so on his free time, sharing stories of their heists though somewhat spinning it to paint them as heroes akin to the Power Cleaners.

✥ Chrollo doesn’t kill innocent people unless they’re accidentally caught in the crossfire or truly it’s necessary like how he used the crowd in his fight with Hisoka.

✥ Chrollo suffers from insomnia due to being plagued by night terrors though aside from that he can honestly fall asleep anywhere if tired enough. It doesn’t matter if it’s the hair ground of the forest or a nice bed, he’ll make due.

✥ Of course if given a bed, you will definitely catch this man hugging/cuddling his pillow. And he definitely prefers to be completely smothered in blankets and pillows to feel like he’s been held. (I’ll say it now, he’s a little spoon)

✥ Chrollo is definitely a light weight when it comes to alcohol. He’s buzzed on two cheap beers so he’s always careful to restrain himself in that regard.

✥ He is a S class NERD. Chrollo will shame movie or show adaptations for their inaccuracies to their book counterparts. If someone brings up an obscure topic that he just so happened to read about, he’s making his knowledge known.

✥ Pretty much everyone is aware of Chrollo’s love for pudding but I’m here to say his love for sweets is endless. Cakes, ice cream, candies, chocolate- he literally can’t get enough. And bet your ass he’s suffered a deal of tooth pain during his younger years because of it. Though he’s good on his dental hygiene as an adult.

✥ Chrollo can naturally be quite competitive. Whether he’s playing chess or just entertaining a Troupe member’s game of hang man. He’s always going for the win.

✥ When he’s not masking, Chrollo’s genuine laugh is truly adorable. On the rare occasion he might even snort. (He’ll always deny that he did though)

✥ Being from Meteor City, Chrollo is on the most accepting and least judgmental people when it comes to LGBTQ, race, religion/culture, mental disorders, or any physical differences. He didn’t even know something like being gay or trans was looking down on in certain places of the world.

I hope you guys appreciate these. I truly can ramble about this man all day if you really want ❤️

[todomitoukei]

Bnha Season 7 Interview: Shimono Hiro (Dabi) and Uchiyama Koki (Shigaraki)

Animate Times released an interview with the Japanese voice actors for Dabi (Shimono Hiro) and Shigaraki (Uchiyama Koki) to talk about season 7, which will begin to release in May.

Below is a quick translation of the interview, where they reflect on their characters' developments, season 6 and talk a bit about the upcoming season.

Q = Question UK = Uchiyama Koki (Shigarki’s VA) SH = Shimono Hiro (Dabi’s VA)

Q: Looking back to season 6, what are some of the most memorable scenes?

UK: Season 6…

SH: There were too many. For me, it’s definitely "Dabi’s Dance" (ep. 124). It was really painful that I couldn't say anything until then! It was the moment when I could finally let it out. Just as Touya was training at Sekoto Peak over and over again, I read the original story many times. Various things happened in season 6, but I think "Dabi’s Dance" is the best.

Q: What was the recording process like at that time?

SH: I recorded it together with Inada Tetsu (Endeavor) and Kaji Yuki (Shouto). More than anything, I was looking forward to the fight scene with Endeavor and Shouto in “Dabi’s Dance”, so I approached the recording with the feeling that regardless of the order or how many times I had to perform the sequence of events, I would do it. So when the recording was over I thought “It’s already over? Are we only recording this 2-3 times?” I always felt restricted when playing Dabi and wasn’t sure how to play him. He’s not the loud type and even though I don’t know what he’s thinking, but he says things that seem to make sense (laughs).

Q: You were exploding with feelings in “Dabi’s Dance”, right?

SH: I enjoyed that confession. And I think he had to block those complex feelings inside of him, so now he can only think of throwing everything inside of him against his father.

UK: Yeah.

SH: To me, because Dabi has died once before, he doesn’t think about continuing to live or what happens after he reaches his goal. That is why he goes by “Dabi”. That is why he can do nothing but think about throwing his entire strength, body, and soul at this.

Q: So there are no changes in performances in season 7?

SH: No. I’m glad we’re able to produce various things.

Q: Aside from “Dabi’s Dance”, “The Wrong Way to Put Out a Fire” (ep. 130) is also quite memorable.

SH: When I read the manga, I came to understand “so this was the reason”. Aside from Dabi, the LOV members each have their personal story. To me, a feeling of “Aren’t we (the villains) right? Aren't they righteous?” developed when I saw that.

Q: Surely, when I watched the villains’ stories, that much conviction was conveyed.

SH: It holds a different weight, doesn’t it? That is to say, I wonder with what kind of feeling towards us the heroes will arrive at the final battle. At the current stage, the villain’s feelings are stronger and they are fairly strong, too. We are sure to win (laughs).

Q: Uchiyama, do you also think you will defeat the heroes?

UK: Of course, that has been my intention since my first appearance. I think some of the viewers and readers don’t think well of me because of my position as villain, but I play my characters with the thought that the characters act based on their beliefs.

Q: Uchiyama, how do you feel looking back on season 6?

UK: When I read the manga, I was impressed by the development of Shigaraki being taken over by All For One. At the same time, I wondered how it would be portrayed in the anime. There was one scene where I had to put my voice on top of Otsuka Akio (All For One). That was a difficult part to perform, so that left a big impression on me.

Q: What was the recording like?

UK: Otsuka recorded it first, so I listened and traced the recording at home. When I heard his recording, I felt the strength of the material and the way of his inflection was unique. I remember hearing his voice over and over again.

Q: Once again, what is your impression of each other’s character?

UK: When he first appeared, I wondered whether Dabi would become our friend [TL note: the word he used is nakama, which can be translated as companion, friend, partner, etc.] from now on, he was a constant mystery. While I had a feeling that many things would be revealed after that, I still had a feeling that he was mysterious.

Q: When he first appeared (in the anime) his true identity still hadn’t been revealed in the manga yet.

SH: As the performer, I would’ve liked to be told, because I also kept thinking he is such a mystery (laughs).

UK: That’s right. He was also allowed to move fairly freely within the LOV, so he would suddenly disappear and whatnot. I also found that to be very mysterious.

Q: Being allowed to move freely might mean that Shigaraki trusts him to a certain degree, right?

UK: I wonder. The members of the LOV, especially during the early days, didn’t match friendship or bonding at all. So it’s hard to tell whether there was a feeling of trust.

SH: Rather than a relationship of trust, it’s more a correspondence of interests. While there are people that try to accomplish something with everyone, there are also people like Dabi. I think that freedom is the good thing about the LOV.

Q: Shimono, what is Shigaraki like from your point of view?

SH: It might just be my own personal impression, but I think that before fusing with All For One, Shigaraki was a little cuter [TL note: the word here is used kawairashisa, which is slightly different from kawaii in that it’s a bit more objective. A cuteness that everyone can see rather than being based on one’s feelings].

UK: Well, certainly in the early stages he seemed more juvenile.

SH: That’s right. While there was a time when he was childish and cute when talking to Dabi, he isn’t cute [TL note: here he just uses the negative form of kawaii lol] at all anymore (laughs).

Q: laughs

UK: He has ended up becoming a properly adult man.

SH: Adult man (laughs). But he has someone transcended, hasn’t he? Dabi has for the most part too, but……….

UK: It’s because Shigaraki lived despite being met with Prominence Burn.

SH: Right, right. That’s how strong his attachment to what he himself wants to accomplish must be.

Q: Has there been any change in your performance during the series?

UK: Because the series has been continuing for a long time, while continuing with the impression of the characters up until now, changes get added alongside the story. As Shimono mentioned before, the inside of the characters changed and during important parts so did their appearance, so I changed my acting accordingly. I am now quite aware of his strength due to his strong physique. In the early days, I was also very aware of his juvenility, so the way I voice him and all is different now.

SH: I have been accumulating things until season 6 and thought about how to get them out. When that time finally came, I had a lot of fun. I thought: “I can finally talk a lot!” All the more because as a voice actor, I had to continue not to talk or raise the excitement. I think there will be more suffering and pain now. I myself try not to fall behind on taking care of my throat.

Q: What are some things to look out for in season 7?

UK: I think the battle with Star and Stripe in the early parts is a highlight. Shigaraki is struggling against his opponent Star and Stripe, so his ego is still being shaken. It was a challenge for me to portray the new character from the fusion of Shigaraki and All For One, but it was tough since the battle began at full throttle.

Q: The battle with Star and Stripes looks even more animated than before, doesn’t it.

UK: The battle was very interesting in the manga, so I was very surprised by how they animated it. I want you to look forward to watching it, because from the animation to the character of Star and Stripe herself, there are many strong highlights.

Q: What about you, Shimono?

SH: After “Dabi’s Dance” we learn that Dabi = the oldest son of the Todoroki family, and now he has to fight his dad and little brother again. We’re about to reach the final battle, and when I read the manga I was overcome with many feelings. But I thought that if I’m concerned about that, I might not be able to play Dabi. Even if I had to break my throat, in any case I was ready to give it my all.

Q: I am looking forward to what kind of feelings Shouto will hold during this.

SH: When everyone, including Dabi, felt hopeless, only Shouto hadn’t lost his hope. Now, Shouto is trying to defeat Dabi with his own determination and honest feelings, so I want you to pay attention to the relationship between Dabi and Shouto. 

Q: I think there will be changed on the villain side during season 7?

SH: There are again characters whose backgrounds are being shown.

UK: I think I can show even more strength as Shigaraki.

SH: The villains have the upper hand to begin with, so I wonder what kind of resolution will be drawn from here on.

UK: They are superior, aren’t they?

SH: What will the story of each of their battles be, like the one between Dabi, Endeavor and Shouto? I want you to pay attention to things like the clash of feelings.

Q: How do you feel about seeing the heroes outnumbered?

UK: The hero side is crumbling, isn’t it?

Everyone: (laughs)

UK: It’s a situation where you can’t see the light. Since it’s also shown that each country is reluctant to send their heroes to Japan, because protecting their own countries is important, I think that aspect also conveys that Japan is in a very difficult situation. Rather, the hero side has no more cards to play.

SH: It sure is falling apart, isn’t it?

UK: It’s already a certain victory (laughs).

[hatredmadeofgold]

Revenge with a vengeance — The tragedy of Sam and Raiden’s canon relationship dynamic

Alternate title: SamuRaiden is THAT deep, actually.

Side note by author: This essay will get an update eventually since I wrote it before playing the Japanese version of the game.

Although MGR does not have as complex or well researched character lore as the main series, Samuraiden as a relationship is a lot more complex than common fandom tropes and interpretations of their relationship suggest. I don’t mind it when people make funny/meme content about these two, since MGS/R does come with its own flair of humour, it’s very exhausting for me as well as a few others I know who enjoy this ship for it to be reduced to just that — a joke. MGR being perceived as ‘goofy’ is mainly due to how poorly some of the character lines translate from Japanese to English, as well as it being more or less evident that either budget, time or both ran out over the course of development, hence the second half of the game feels rushed and underdeveloped. In fact, the great majority of MGR fans do not understand how serious, dark, hopeless and dystopian its message really is and that is saddening.

The world isn’t black and white, neither is it in MGS/R. Sam isn’t the just the villain (never has been, by the way), Raiden isn’t the just the hero (never has been either, by the way), I’d say it’s rather “depends on who you ask”. They are on opposite sides due to the circumstances of how they meet and not because they wouldn’t get along. Quite the opposite is true, in fact, if they would have met before 2016, they might have become friends based on the fact of how much they can actually relate to each other in many different aspects of their personalities, interests and experiences.

Before we get to fight Armstrong as well as during the Sam DLC (also through very subtle hints during their first fight on the train) we learn that Sam is just like Raiden and that Desperado forced him to become a shadow of who he once was, going against his own morals and values and only Raiden reminding him of who he truly was before Armstrong defeated him 2 years prior, ultimately crushing his spirit — he had no other choice, either die there as a failure or continue to live and become Desperado’s/Armstrong’s puppet [until someone would eventually defeat Armstrong and free Sam from his never ending nightmare — Did I already mention that Sam is a really fucking tragic character?]. Sam joining Armstrong’s laughter at the end of DLC is a reaction of fear, not agreement with him or enjoyment. And if there’s one thing that both MGS and MGR are really good at, it’s the accurate and very realistic portrayal of the human psyche under stressful and traumatic situations.

On the other side we can tell from Raiden’s reaction when holding Murasama after killing Sam that he, for once in the entire damn series, questions if that was the right choice he made. We know that Raiden enjoys inflicting pain and suffering onto others, he enjoys murder — but he did not feel that way when he killed Sam. It’s quite the opposite. It’s very subtle and if you’re not very observant like me, easy to miss. But the way his voice turns a bit softer, how his eyes look listless, almost sad; he regrets it. When Blade Wolf asks Raiden if that outcome was really necessary, he does not answer him, because he knows that Wolf is right, it wasn’t. And Raiden pretty much hates himself for it. To his team he confidently says that Sam isn’t a problem anymore since he killed him, but that’s not the same Raiden that he’s that moment in the badlands (which is another implication to me that Raiden doesn’t fully trust his teammates, although they are friends; he has major trust issues and the only emotions he shares with them is either anger or amusement but nothing outside of that). The way he sheathes Murasama is a way to honour him, and as far as I remember this is a ritual to honour a samurai’s defeat or death.

I believe that there has been a silent understanding between the two swordsmen that they respect each other from the very beginning, but they do not say it out loud. This is a case of “show, don’t tell” but also something I suspect has something to do with the game being written by Japanese authors, and Japanese is a high context language, meaning, very little words are needed to get the meaning across, and I think this may also translate into the words these two exchange with each other compared to how they truly feel about the other. Besides, they probably couldn’t truly speak honestly with each other in the first place because of the unfortunate conditions of how they met and were (more or less) forced to fight each other until one of them would eventually succumb to the other’s blade. Codecs and conversations were most likely recorded by their respective employers, and I highly suspect that in Sam’s case, he was even monitored 24/7 by Desperado since he never was an official member of the Winds of Destruction in the first place, and they didn’t fully trust him either.

At the very end of the game during the fight with Armstrong, Sam’s message plays, and we can hear how Sam also speaks with a different voice to Blade Wolf compared to everyone else (and technically, indirectly to Raiden but I cannot confirm or deny that Sam was aware that Raiden would ever hear this playback), it’s a note softer; Raiden learns the truth, which confirms to him that he was right about Sam after all, that they are alike, that they respect each other, and that there was more to Sam’s story than him being a part of Desperado, he doesn’t know what exactly, but he knows now for sure that Sam was not the person he originally believed he was (and lets his team still believe he thinks that way).

Would Raiden truly say Sam’s catchphrase “Let’s dance” before fighting and ultimately killing Armstrong, if he wouldn’t have been going through a gradual process between originally hating Sam to respecting and liking him but unable to ever express that to him or anyone else?

Would he ever admit to anyone what kind of emotional impact Sam had on him, besides the anger and hatred he openly expressed towards him?

Doubt so. Highly fucking doubt so.

Because sharing his true feelings is a liability to him, and Raiden learnt as a very young child that vulnerable feelings such as sadness or guilt would be used against him, so his psyche is conditioned to discard them immediately. But Sam made him feel those things in their full extent and Raiden is fully aware of that, but he would never share with anybody that he ever felt that way about Sam.

He may or may not take those feelings to his grave.

From Sam’s side, we can only guess how he truly felt about Raiden, but we can only guess by the way he hesitated to finish him off on the train during the prologue, the way he smiled at Blade Wolf before his death (which might be likely another case of a silent understanding between Sam and Wolf that the latter would share with Raiden what he knows about Sam or the playback of their conversation itself, if not both) as well as everything he says with giving Murasama to Raiden. Of course, Sam couldn’t even say out loud to Blade Wolf or Raiden that he planned to give Raiden his sword to take down Armstrong, and he had to be as vague as possible with the information that he shared with the robot dog. Not by choice, no. Most likely because he was being watched 24/7, he knew that Desperado nor Armstrong didn’t fully trust him and if they knew about his plans, they’d make sure to finish him off before Raiden had the chance to do so. Sam knew he would die, and that it would be the only way he would ever be free from Armstrong’s grasp. So he chose suicide through Raiden’s blade, and gave him his sword to finish what he could not back then.

The game’s title is REVENGEANCE — Revenge with a vengeance.

They both translate to the same thing in my native language German, but there’s a subtle yet important difference between these two nouns.

“Revenge means when you get back at your enemy who is responsible for hurting you and vengeance is the punishment inflicted or retribution exacted for an injury or wrong.”

But it was never Armstrong who hurt or wronged Raiden in the first place, and we know he’s an essentially selfish person who does not really care all that much about politics, religion or anything like that and he only fights for himself (I wrote in my essay about Raiden’s ASPD that his motivation to save these children from becoming cyborg child soldiers is a trauma response first and his rather lose and grey morality second) and the few people he cares about, so Armstrong being the one one who ordered to get N’mani killed is not the reason Raiden went after him or was that passionate about getting revenge or retribution on him either.

It was Sam who hurt him — wounded both his body and soul during the prologue — but when Raiden got his revenge, he realised that revenge is empty, that he didn’t feel better, and that he regrets killing him, then we get to the vengeance part. From the moment Raiden held Sam’s Murasama in the badlands, he felt no more hatred towards him and the emotional impact his death had on him made Sam transition from a person he hated to one of the few people Raiden truly cares about.

Armstrong may be the villain of the story, but the person who wanted revenge on him never had been Raiden. It was Sam. Always had been Sam, because it was Sam who got hurt by Armstrong, it was Sam who wanted to get revenge on Armstrong for defeating him and crushing his spirit, it was Sam who wanted to punish Armstrong for making him into a shadow of who he once was, making Sam speak about ideals he didn’t truly believe in (like, who the FUCK even thinks that Sam truly believed a single fucking word of that, because I for sure as hell can tell he never did, he either gaslit himself into believing that for 2 years until he met Raiden or only parroted whatever the fuck Armstrong wanted him to say so he would not get killed on the spot).

Revenge and vengeance are very deep feelings and actions of hatred, feelings that are too deep and complex to be associated with morality, hence why I highly doubt that the title of the game is directed at Armstrong from Raiden’s side at all. That between Raiden and Armstrong is not nearly as personal as it has been between Sam and Armstrong. Raiden eradicating Desperado and Armstrong had been about justice [for the kids being killed and their organs sold], not revenge.

"I said my sword was a tool of justice. Not used in anger. Not used for vengeance. But now… Now I'm not so sure. And besides, this isn't my sword."

But when he says this, followed by “Let’s dance”, it became deeply personal for Raiden as well. Because he could confirm that his feelings about Sam had been right, and that Sam wanted to get revenge on Armstrong.

Raiden decides to avenge him, because Sam couldn’t get revenge himself.

Although Sam never told him directly, Raiden understood him from his actions alone, those subtle hints, reading between the lines what the other truly felt and wanted the whole time, eventually passing the “torch” — his sword — to Raiden, to finish what he could not. So while Raiden’s own reasons to finish off Armstrong were (mostly) justice for the innocent lives he destroyed and planned to continue to destroy, they also became feelings of hatred and anger — Sam’s feelings towards Armstrong.

In the end — revenge with a vengeance — is what Sam could get on Armstrong only through Raiden, after Raiden enacted his onto Sam.

Now the question is — if Raiden would’ve never killed Sam, by the chance of him recognising earlier than in canon that revenge is empty and that he won’t feel better after killing him, would Sam go by his example and abandon his revenge plans on Armstrong as well? Or would they fight Armstrong together and get justice?

We unfortunately can only speculate (or write stories about it).

What we can tell from canon though, is that Raiden’s (= Sam’s) passionate feelings of hatred towards Armstrong quickly vanish the moment he finished him off, and he looks into the camera with an empty expression, covered in blood and a crushed cybernetic heart in his hand.

And I think that is exactly what he feels — empty.

Because again, he got revenge and avenged Sam, led by what Sam felt, Sam’s feelings became Raiden’s feelings during that fight with Armstrong. But once that was gone, there’s nothing left. In the case of killing Armstrong, he doesn’t feel remorse or guilt. There’s nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Because revenge is empty.

Raiden defeated his enemies — but at what cost?

By killing Sam, he realised what he had actually lost — a potential friend (or more), someone who understood him in a way that no one else did. Perhaps he thought or felt that, if he avenges Sam, making Sam’s feelings towards Armstrong into his own, he might be able to deal with that loss better, but to no avail.

Because, and I can speak from experience as a person with the same mental health issues as Raiden, that emptiness is worse than regret.

MGR’s ending also implies that Raiden abandons his family and friends to fight his own war; essentially taking the same path that Sam once took in his past, ending up in a personal war and revenge act that knows no end, making one bad choice after the next. If Raiden hasn’t already become the villain of his own story by the end of MGR, then it’s just a matter of time until he becomes that.

And the cycle of violence continues, until the story repeats itself, over and over and over and over and over.

Did I mention already that there is a myth around Murasama being a cursed sword, that will drive its user either slowly insane or make them commit suicide if it doesn’t get a regular ‘blood sacrifice’?

—

“I really enjoy murder, but that one, that I will regret for the rest of my life.”

[gofancyninjaworld]

There was a lot of complaints ant Saitama's breaking speech never making to the manga, but tbh even if the manga has a series of events that requires that to happen, I still don't want it to happen. Mostly bc what Saitama said is pretty hypocritical and doesn't make sense.

While I do give kudos that Saitama even admits he doesn't really have a concrete idea of what a "hero" should be... That doesn't give a vote of confidence considering he's um. Literally the most powerful hero alive. Kinda hard to believe in someone who doesn't even know if they're doing the right thing while wielding immeasurable power. He pretty much, well, dodged the question and never really bothered to shoulder the responsibility to figure out what kind of hero really wants to be.

Another is his "serious" hero hobby and Garou's "compromised" monster hobby, and the reason why he'll always win is bc he never half-assed his hobby. While he's right not to lower the hurdle before the goal... But the reason why opm more or less has a plot to begin with is because Saitama is half-assing his heroism. He barely takes anything seriously. Like, yes he never half-assed his training to be the strongest and while he's one of the more moral heroes out there he wasn't the best for a reason.

And tbh I'm really satisfied to how 166-169 played out. In the end, what the manga shows us is that they both have naive mindsets. Believing Absolute Evil would bring absolute world peace, believing heroes would always be on time and save the day — only to have reality crashing hard that for Garou to achieve Absolute Evil means people he cares about will in fact die and that Saitama's complacency and invulnerability means it's not him facing the consequences, but everyone else fatally paying that price. it just shows the perfect image that Garou and Saitama are not so different — Garou is a poor villain, Saitama is a poor hero, and it's bc of those flaws, despite them wielding incomprehensible, godly power, they both meet in the middle ground as humans. Which further reinforces ONE's intention to create Garou as the anti-Saitama.

An old, old comment that has aged like fine wine.

There's a question Garou asks Saitama in the webcomic that the latter never answers -- and really should. 'You're strong, but so what?' His questioning whether the mere fact of Saitama being stronger than anyone gave him any moral authority is one that desperately needs to be addressed in the webcomic. So far, so bad.

I really like that the manga has started to look at that question. The Japanese idiom Saitama used when looking at the carnage Cosmic Fear Garou had wrought was his being pierced by realisation (h/t @koumbaya). As if a spear had been thrown through his very soul.

It answered the question he'd been asking himself ever since the Superfight that he'd forgotten something important. In that moment, it came to him just how shallow he'd been for fretting over not learning new moves or finding tough fights. How irresponsible it'd been for him to forget that just because Garou was no threat to him, the same did not hold for others. He had become a hero so that when people were in trouble, he could be there to help them, and instead, little by little, he'd come to prioritise having a good time.

I love how the denouement of the arc has Garou and Saitama understand and enact what it is to be a hero. Garou puts aside his pride to ask for help and heroically sacrifices his life to teach Saitama how to go to the past, Saitama saves everyone who needs his help, *including* Garou.

I love how this fits into the structure of the bigger story, with King having challenged Saitama over this very notion. It's an important question. A hero may need to be strong, but how does that translate into morality? What gives a hero the right to say 'this is unacceptable and I must stop it?'

Of course, there's the small problem of Saitama having forgotten what happened. Which makes me think: whether he wants to or not, Genos has a responsibility to ensure Saitama learns those hard-won lessons without the rest of the world paying for it first.

Final thing: Garou not being left as a foil to Saitama is the best thing of all. He hasn't received a pat answer and been sent into exile to do no more evil. He's getting to struggle with his ideas, to try to forge them into a coherent and workable way forward, and it's good to see him being his own person.

[babeluvvy]

PROM QUEEN

SHOTO T. X MUSICIAN!READER

¨God save the prom queen..¨

a/n: first post! This is based on the song ´prom queen’ by molly kate kestner! but basically think of the reader as Hannah Montana, the reader's mother is in fact a hero (an American hero who came to japan for school!)

Feel like this isnt my best but i can't wait to go on school break 😔✊

WARNINGS: abuse, kinda cringe(??????) & fem reader

wc: 2.2k

You had an interesting life, scratch that, it was horrible

You hated it

Your mother was a prohero in America and your father? Never knew him. Your mom was young when she had you and now she blames everything going bad on you. It's not like its her fault that she was the one who got pregnant

But according to her it was your fault

Whatever, you didn't care but you also didn't have control over your own life. Your outfits were picked by the best designers, your makeup always perfect, your hair always in a fabulous style, friends? Who needs them when you are perfect, but that would make you cold, So actor friends it was

This was your life

The perfect child. Straight A´s, handsome and rich boyfriends, the prettiest friends, and the perfect life

You hated all of this- you didn't want this!

You loved something else

Music

That was your passion, making beats, singing, just everything about music made you happy, nothing could beat the lovely feeling you got when playing your drums or singing to a new beat you created in the basement of you castle like house-

You loved it, but your mom hated it. She hated all this- for ruining her life the least you could do was be the perfect daughter she wanted!

¨Y/N!¨ your mother yelled at you, you were in the basement again playing your drums, she´ll make sure the maids threw it away today ¨Why did Elizebeth call me and tell you blew her off today?¨ she question her face red ¨I just wanted to be by myself for a while, we hang out everyday- i barely get time to myself anymo-¨ a slap echoed across the room and your cheek began to feel hot it was stinging. Your mother slapped yo– ¨The least you could do is hang out with your friends for a few hours!¨ ¨Those people are not my friends!¨ you yelled back and yelped when she grabbed you by your ear ¨I think you forgot who you are speaking to.¨ she said looking into your eyes, you forced your eyes closed.

You just wanted to find people who could relate to you

So you did

You made a band, Bear, whos real name was Tod was you drummist, May was your guitarist, Lauren you bass and Opa who was your pianist

These were your people

But when your mother informed you that when older you would go to UA, going to one of– no! The top hero school in japan

Not gonna lie, you were proud of yourself! You wanted to be a hero for those like you, a hero who can make people smile with either actions or music, but now you'll be learning how to do both! So you made a plan

Your mother normally sent you an allowance every week and you decided that you and your friends will live together– since your mother was staying in America you'd have a house to yourself!

And the first few months of UA were the best– and now you and your band are performing in japan (after learning japanese, opa still sometimes slip up) but besides that everything was great! Excellent! Grades were still up, with a disguise no one knew you were America's number 4 heroś daughter, everything was how you wanted it..!

Until you start falling for Shoto, could you blame yourself? He was charming, he was sweet and he was nice. He was a little awkward and clueless but that's just how he is, And you loved that

So you got closer to him– and closer, but nothing ever happened because he was dunce and you were to coward

¨Guys i just got some tickets for the S/N concert! I got 4 tickets!¨ Izuku said holding up the tickets, you turned to look ¨but there's 5 of us¨ Tsu said looking at the rest of us 

¨Oh shoot– you're right..¨ he said looking at us ¨Well i could sit out! You guys can go i have to train anyways–¨ ¨No!¨ you said crushing his suggestion down immediately

¨I have a meeting with my mother so i'll just sit out of this one! Plus if my mom found out i went to one of her concerts id be 6ft under ground anyway¨ you murmured ¨And its final!¨ you said sternly and watched as they began to plan

You had to go to practice cause you had a concert tonight anyways, you waved your friends bye and quickly made it to the bus stop and to the traditional japanese home your mother bought for you– ¨ Y/NNN!!¨Opa yelled while running to hug you, you chuckled and hugged her back feeling that she was extremely cold 

¨I learned a new trick for the concert tonight! I kinda got inspiration for your class at the school festival¨ she giggled “make sure ask Bear to warm you up before you get sick, cause i am NOT taking care of you” you spoke even though you knew you would. She groan and turned around calling out for Bear

Time to work!

You cleared your throat and fixed on the (f/c) wig you had on your hair, you turned to look at your bandmates “Boss! We’re about to go on stage!” you heard Lauren yell and taking the violin from its case 

Opa having her piano on her waist and having the stand in her hand. You smiled and fixed your outfit before finally going on stage

‘’HELLO MUSUTAFU!’’ the crowd erupted in shouts of ‘’i love you’’s and ‘’omg its actually them’’s 

You scanned the crowd and spot mixed hair– it was  your classmates

Shit.

You thought to yourself while looking at May, she saw the worry on your face and gave you a nod, you had to do this, people came for you and paid for you

No matter what you were going to play

And hey, maybe you can show off a little too!

It was going amazing and you finally made it to the final song of the album– ‘prom queen’ you wrote it a while ago when you were in middle school– you were proud of it, it was one of your most known songs

You cleared your throat as the song began–

‘’God save the prom queen, Teenage daydream; just another dressed up heartbreak”

You sang in the mic hear the background music play in your ears 

“God save the prom queen, only 16– turned her tears to diamond in her crow–wn..” you said as the back up people use their water quirks to show a girl who looks like you holding a crown and crying

You heard Bear beat on the drums as you continued to sing “she's the first in line at the party– she's the first in line at the club! And she's got that body, always gotta flaunt it, everybody’s looking up” the crowd shouting and singing with you and watched as May helped the backup dancers and made the water form the girl walking with a guy behind her 

“When she walks by you wanna be her and your boyfriend not to see her! Cause she's got that fire, doesn't even try– her booty has its own zip code–”

You look in the crowd as your classmates dance– except Shoto..

You made eye contact with him and the crowd sung 

“The all the peasants bow down!’’ and everyone bowed as a joke everyone but Shoto

Your eyes never leaving his, you continued to sing “God save the prom queen! Teenage daydream, just another dress up heartbreak! Only 16! Turned her tears to diamonds in her cro-own!”

You looked away from Shoto and looked at her bandmates and the water turning into a crown

You cried in your room, you again got yelled at by your mother for not getting an A + plus on your test. It was a science test but so small– why did she have to be like this! Not everything had to be perfect! She wasn't perfect! So why did you have to be perfect? 

‘I wish someone could save me..’

“Diamonds in her crown!” you yelled into the mic as your eyes welled with tears. You quickly wiped them away before they could fall

You looked back at Shoto and you could swear he had a look in his eyes– he knew.. He knew this wasn't S/N it was you..

You knew– you could feel that he knew

She looked away from him feeling ashamed– “Take a look at the future, who knows what's ahead? There's a house on a hill with an indoor pool and a millionaire in her bed!” the body of water turning in a man who has a ‘charming’ smile but horns and a tail appear on him showing that he was evil

“And the years go by and she still dreams– ‘She's the hottest girl in town’”

She danced with the mic in her hand and watched as everyone shouted loudly– “And the makeup's stronger, gotta wear it longer Just to keep a man around..”

“Were over '' What? You chuckled thinking he was joking “What?” you asked and looked at him and saw how serious he was “What..?” you asked again “You just– you're just not my type and your mom is cutting my pay back..” your eyes widened as you heard you mom was PAYING him!? You couldn't believe it– why did you believe him when he asked you out–

‘I wish someone could save me..’

“God save the prom queen! Teenage daydream, just another dress up heartbreak! Only 16! Turned her tears to diamonds in her cro-own!” you said looking at Shoto again, his eyes had sympathy, his brows frown

“And she lives her dream through the magazines.. And her daddys gone and she needs someone…”

You felt the water swell in your eyes slowly creeping to fall out

“And she got the looks and the boys on hooks! But she’ll trade it all for a heart that's who–ole..!”

‘I'll make you regret being treated me like trash, mom.. Everyone will know how you really are– the true you..’

May clicked a button and behind you there was screenshots of messages between you and your mother, bruises from her and others, muted videos of your mother throwing and yelling things at you

Everyone went silent as you looked in the crowd and saw Shoto staring at you and mouth the lyrics

“God save the prom queen..” 

You began to cry and ripped the wig off your heard, your grip on the mic got tighter as you held on– felt like you were gonna fall to your knees

“God save the prom que–en! Teenage day dre–eam!” You screamed in the mic, your mascara running down your face

“She turned to tears! She turned her tears to diamonds in her cro-own…” you sang softly as everything went black and you looked around. And walked back stage

You heard commotion from the back rooms you quickly went over to see Izuku, Tsu, and Ochako trying to hold back and angry Shoto while he's arguing with the guards

You quickly went over “Guys! Guys!” you say panicked and watched the guards look at you 

“Ma’am– this boy was trying to come back here! He tried to burn me and Mu” your guard said grabbing Shoto by the arm

You told him to calm down and watched as Shoto quickly hugged you tightly, you stumbled back being surprised by the hug from Shoto, you hugged back while shaking slightly

He hugged tighter “i know what it's like” he whispered in your ear and you completely broke down again crying in his white shirt

Life is now better!

You cut your mother off ! She sometimes wish you happy holidays and you guys sometimes but besides that she doesn't talk to you, she is now a retired hero– well forced to retire

After your concert she was pressured to stop doing hero work and turn in her hero license 

You still were getting paid from her cause she want to ‘make up’ you felt bad at times but this was her fault

She did this to herself, you did still visit from time to time, because Shoto is doing the same with his father and learning to forgive him so should you

Yes, you and Shoto were together, after the concert you two went on dates and he soon asked you the question, to be his girlfriend and ofc you said yes!

“Princess” he called out to you, you turned around and made eye contact with him with a soft smile

You quickly went up to him and gave him a hug as he chuckled– it was your second anniversary 

You both were 3rd years at UA and graduation was soon

He rested his forehead on yours and closed the gap between you both and his soft lips met yours

You pulled away and smiled at him

“Hey Sho..” you said softly, you heard him let out a soft ‘hmm’ you gave a peck to his lips again and looked in his mixed eyes

“Thank you for saving me..”

[neoyi]

When I found out Seonhee would be a playable character in Infinite Wealth, I cheered. YASSSS, there she was, my Korean Queen, ready to join Ichiban and Kiryu's adventures as a main character.

I've not played any other Yakuza games sans IW's predecessor, Like a Dragon, but was immediately drawn by an important, reoccurring plot centered on three international Mafia group respectively comprised of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean members - all of them working discreetly together to keep their hometown, Ijincho, at bay from bigger, badder criminal groups who'd likely destabilize it.

Seonhee immediately drew me in for being (from what I researched anyway) the first woman mafia leader in the game without temporarily holding it for a man, AND Korean to boot.

I'm aware of the complicated relationship between Korea and Japan and it's often reflected by their media, but I've noticed the year when Like a Dragon and later, Infinite Wealth, came out, played an amazing part in their storytelling and how changes reflect its characters (and I want to talk about this in depth on another post sometime) and the world they live in.

Seonhee is a fantastic example of that. By Infinite Wealth, she's the leader of both the Geomijul (her faction), and Zhao's (who's now a civilian) Liumang, and thus the de facto head honcho in charge of keeping the peace over Ijincho. She's presented as an iron lady with marginal hints of femme fatale, but I'm amazed at how subtle her outward appearances are in light of her inner dilemmas and personality. Sure, she's dressed like a sex bomb, and sure, one of her attacks involve using a power cable as a whip, but that's not really her whole deal.

I'm compelled by her personal story, one who already has an experience as a leader, but is now grasping to maintain a new power structure she's never held before. As a young woman in a position of power, she's often stuck with elderly men who see her as a little girl playing with toy guns. That, and a need to maintain strength mean she keeps vulnerabilities to herself and refuses help because it shows weakness.

There are very few people she could really talk to about this. Her second-in-command, Joongi Han, is fortunately, her staunchest supporter (and from idle chats with her, they seem to have a cute brother-sister relationship), but I really love her interaction with the Kiryu Kazama more.

Because you DO have this older former Yakuza whom she looks up to as an example of the ideal leader: calm and fair, but with strong conviction, Kiryu is the living embodiment of Be Kind, But Take No Shit. He's her personal hero and an older gentleman who genuinely respects her and fully supports her position and what she does.

And I love that she slowly opens herself up to him. I love that she's dorky and awkward whenever they engage in casual conversation, I love that she has a subtle crush on Kiryu that she's not that shy flirting with him about while maintaining a distance (as if she knows this is just a crush and nothing more will come off of it, but she sure will indulge in their company while she can.) I love that she comes off as pretty casual when she isn't working and is prone to little idiosyncrasies as her teammates. She can unwind and relax when among friends, allowing a moment to breathe before getting back to work. It's good to see she has people who can give her that.

Kiryu understands and sympathizes the difficulties that he, an older man, could never and would never face. He's not here to undermine her and he especially knows that once people like him pass on, the younger generation will take over, and he wants to help Seonhee achieve that without undermining her.

Seonhee may seek Kiryu's approval, and he may impose at times, but the game understands these are two adults. Kiryu doesn't treat her condescendingly just because she is a woman and younger, and Seonhee realizes that her personal hero is also just a guy and one willing to learn from her generation just as much.

[goingravager]

okay i am going feral over this. it's 2023 and no one was going to point out to me that the title doesn't translate to Revolutionary Girl Utena wtf

like. i legitimately never noticed. idk how obvious it is if you're a native Japanese speaker, or if it's actually acceptable grammar to put the adjective after the noun and this is just an alternate way to say Revolutionary Girl, but... growing up with so many "Magical Girl X" shows, "Revolutionary Girl Utena" sounded so normal to me that I never looked at the Japanese.

and like, the French subtitle that they throw in there is la fillette révolutionnaire, which does translate to Revolutionary Girl

but, thinking about it, if it really is that, shouldn't it be "Kakumei Shoujo", not "Shoujo Kakumei"...??

so the reason this has me feral: if it's true, it's yet one more bait-and-switch they threw in there, right up front, and it was in plain sight all this time. caution: heavy spoilers for the plot of the show follow.

so like. it's my opinion that the OP, both song and video, of Utena are an extremely clever bait-and-switch. in that they make one kind of sense going into episode 1, and they make a completely different kind of sense once you've finished the show.

like. when you first watched Utena, and you saw the intro, wasn't it basically exactly what you thought the show was going to be like? two girls having a meet cute, there's duelling, fairy tale elements, Utena is badass, and oh no she's going to have to struggle to hold onto Anthy metaphorically because of the Rose Bride thing, which could tear them apart at any time!

it's delicious, it's dramatic, and it's... not what the show ends up being.

but then you watch episode 39 and you realise. the intro is a complete description of the entirety of the show. two girls meet, they have some cute romantic moments early on, there are duels. Utena fights everyone. the castle collapses. they storm the heavens, Utena on her princely white horse of innocence and ignorance, Anthy on her dark horse of... being the dark horse of the plot, lol. Utena cannot be the one to save Anthy, she both metaphorically and physically cannot lift her out of her burdens, and Utena is left alone, curled up on the ground beneath the self-imposed weight of her defeat.

meanwhile, the song. the song!! going into the show cold, "rinbu revolution" seems like a pretty standard song for someone like Utena. but it's not Utena's song at all. it's Anthy's.

Even if I dream, even if I cry, even if I get hurt... ...reality keeps on coming recklessly. I wanna find out where I am, the value of being me. Gonna take who I've been up till now and find the strength to throw it all away. Strip down to nothing at all. Become like a rose petal blowing free! Even if the two of us are ever torn apart l swear that I will change the world.

who, in the plot, finally accepts the reality of her situation? who starts out lacking self-worth and struggles to eventually carve out, with her own hands, the place where she belongs? who heroically finds the strength to throw it all away, stripping herself of her prior role?

not Utena, who up until the very last clings to her "princely" ideals, into which she has placed all her worth and sense of self. in the last episode it's made clear that she hasn't changed the world one bit, nor brought revolution, as the world quite literally forgets her and goes on without her exactly as it was.

except for Anthy. Anthy remembers Utena, the only one who does, even though they are torn apart. she frees herself, changes her own reality by escaping the cycle of abuse to which she had become conditioned. Utena undoubtedly gave her strength and inspiration, but she could not lift Anthy out of her suffering, and believing she could (and had to) was her downfall.

let go of me, Anthy says, as their hands part, to an Utena who firmly believes that she can only make a difference by playing the hero. i'll go my way. the revolution is hers, not Utena's.

which is why, if the title is purposely misleading, it's so damn brilliant. we start out thinking, "of course! Utena is a revolutionary girl! She wears the boy's uniform* and duels, and she'll surely bring the revolution and save Anthy!" but what occurs is simply a "girl revolution", a Shoujo Kakumei, that is completed by Anthy herself.

*(no she doesn't, it's actually a unique uniform design. neither this nor that but a third thing.)

but maybe we can go deeper.

we know that Utena means calyx, while Anthy means flower. a calyx is the tough, protective outer layer of a flower bud, matching Utena's role in relation to Anthy. once a flower blooms fully, the calyx is no longer needed to protect it, and retracts or withers. i'm not a native Japanese speaker, but from what I have studied, it would seem that "Shoujo Kakumei Utena" could be read as "girl-revolution protector". not the one who brings the revolution, but the one who protects/shields the revolution-bringer, who nurtures Anthy while she is vulnerable. then Utena, the calyx, crumples, and Anthy blossoms in her own time.

and i think that's beautiful.

[x0401x]

Jinpine Radio #5

Long time no Jin! Translation of the radio segment from his official YouTube channel. Original video here. Done on commission!

The livestream starts with a whole minute of nothing but clicking. Jin and Inpine’s avatars have some... modifications on them. An indication that this episode will be just a lot of fooling around. It always is, but this time it’s on purpose.

Inpine suddenly starts singing and Jin can’t hold back a laugh. Yes, they’re doing a skit again and they just ruined the surprise.

Inpine: Strolling is so fun! The air’s so good in the countryside! Aah! Such nice weather! Haaah! Oh? There’s a yellow video tape lying around in the middle of nowhere! *high-pitched screaming* Must be some pervert’s tape! Guess I’m gonna watch it using my uncle’s VCR! Now, now, now, video tape goes in! Clank, clank, clank! Press plaaay!

[some weird-ass noise effects]

Inpine: Transformation!! (T/N: the word used for “transformation” here is “henshin”, which is the title of Jin’s latest song at the time of this livestream)

[background music blasts on]

Jin: *clears throat with the most monstrous, alien-sounding voice filter ever* All right! Guess Imma go around doing evil stuff for one more day! *villain laughter*

Inpine: Ah! There you are! Sea monster Jin! Your days of wrongdoing are over!

Jin: Who’re you?!

Inpine: Ora, ora, ora! I’m a hero of justice, Inpine!

Jin: “Inpine”, you say?! Come at me with all you have!!

Inpine: Gimme back my pervy tape! Take this! Inpine puuunch!!

Jin: Stop! That hurts! S-Stop!!

Inpine: Inpine Kick!!

Jin: He got meee!

[music stops]

Inpine: Jin, Hatsune Miku. “Henshin”. You can listen to it on YouTube and NicoNico Douga—

Jin: Pffft!

Inpine: It’s out right now. Please support us.

As the skit ends, Jin does the usual greeting and introduces himself, then passes the baton to Inpine and does a little bit of promo for his song and its MV. Inpine feigns ignorance to the fact that the MV was also out, even though he was literally the one who made it along with Sayuki. Jin then announces the guests of this episode: the bassist Natsume Yuuki and the drummer Janku (Junk), who played as support musicians for “Henshin”. Jin adds that he’d also wanted to invite Saiyuki for this one, but admits that he and Inpine wouldn’t have been able to handle more than two guests at once. The figurines on Jin and Inpine’s avatars represent Natsume and Janku.

They’ll be discussing music this time around. Jin starts it out by talking about “Henshin”, giving some fun facts about its conception:

Jin had already worked with Natsume before, but this was his first time working with Janku

Jin and Natsume are actually quite close and Jin calls him “Nacchi”

It was the peak of summer when he received the proposal to write the song, so he didn’t want to do it at first (as mentioned in the previous livestream, the rainy season and summer are the worst times of the year for him)

He reconsidered it, because summer is also a time of the year when he feels like listening to fast-beat songs

He jokes that when he contacted Inpine about it, the latter “emerged from the shadows” asking, “Mister, Mister, I’m sniffing the smell of a new song in the air. You called?”

By then, Jin had already decided that he wanted insects to be the theme (specifically, insects that are omnipresent during Japanese summer, such as cicadas and moths)

After this, Jin personally contacted Natsume and Janku to play with him

Now, Jin knows that the listeners might be at loss about the guests, as it’s their first time there, so he also gives some trivia about how he met them. He got to know both of them through a common friend and they first met through an app. The name of the app was not revealed, but it’s used by musicians for remote music sessions.

Jin then asks the guests to talk about what they’d been working on recently. Natsume was doing usual bassist work. He plays for all sorts of artists and even does livestream concerts. He also makes clothes as a hobby. The first time he played with Jin was during his livestream with Peanuts-kun.

Janku’s work life is pretty much the same as Natsume’s, the only difference being the instrument he plays. He uploads his performances to social media every now and then.

Jin explains that the reason why he wanted to work with them for “Henshin” was that they were very loud players and the beat of their sound was exceptional. He describes it as a “pang-pang” kind of sound and jokes that he made the request by asking them, “Please lend me your pang-pang!”, to which they replied with, “Guess we got no choice”.

Back to the topic of the song itself, Jin dives into the production:

The making of this song was different from usual in many aspects, starting with the fact that they didn’t have lots of meetings to decide on things

No studio was used for the demo

The composition was made entirely without recordings

The sessions were held at Natsume’s and Janku’s homes

In order to test out what kind of sound would fit the song best, Janku spent a whole day on a call with Jin, playing the drum for him to listen

Once they reached the intensity that Jin wanted, Janku started working on the base melody by himself, sending samples for Jin to listen to and approve

Janku was very worried about whether or not he’d manage to make the melody sound “Jin-like”, but Jin was pretty satisfied with the result

When Jin asks Janku how he felt while working on the song, Janku says he had a lot of fun and that the sound felt rather nostalgic to him, for some reason – even though it was a newly produced melody, it felt like something he had already heard somewhere before

Jin asks Natsume the same question and he answers that, although he’s taken part in the songs of so many people, there was never one that he felt so much like playing, and asserts that that there’s something inherently grotesque about it, which Jin agrees with (because of course he would)

When Jin and Natsume listened to Janku’s drums, it was like a wake-up call for them – they realized that they were lagging behind him, and went all-out in order to catch up

Jin comments that Natsume did some pretty nasty stuff with his bass and thanked him for it (this is obviously meant to sound ambiguous because Jin just Be Like That, but he’s referring to the sound that Natsume produced with his bass, not... anything else)

Natsume played in a way that didn’t match the drums at all, on purpose

He took the liberty to do that without receiving any instructions for it, and instead of feeling disrespected, Jin thinks it was a genius move

The only thing Jin asked him to do was to “make it gross”

Jin believed that Natsume was confident he could take on the job, but in reality, Natsume was at a loss back then

When he asked Jin what he wanted specifically, all he got as an answer was a “Pleeease!”

After he got samples of Natsume’s “gross play”, Jin sent it to Inpine, who replied on LINE, “Wow! This sounds so disgusting! It’s the best thing ever!”

Finally came the time to add the guitar to the demo, but even on the previous night, Jin was very much at a loss as to how to go on about it, so he texted Natsume about it

Natsume says the message looked like Jin was saying his last words, as he decided to start out with a totally unsuspecting and not at all dramatic “It is time for me to go”

Jin explains he had no choice but give his utmost after the other two had delivered such fine performances

On the day he was supposed to play, he announced that he would do it without any clothes on, “I can’t give my all with clothes on. Sorry. It was wrong of me to try to do that before. Sorry for trying to wear clothes. I’m gonna do this butt-naked.”

Up to this point, he had been playing while seated on a chair, but this time, he “had to stand up” and began playing after screaming, “TAKE THIS!!”

While playing, he accidentally hit his guitar against the wall... thrice

This was a brand-new guitar and that was his first time using it

When he got to the outro, he went batshit without hesitation

He wanted to have recorded himself playing naked, so that he could send it to his mother with the caption, “This is the work you’ve made”

After listening to this demo, Inpine got the idea of doing a rewind in the MV

He did that before the song itself was ready, and the rewind just so happened to match it perfectly

Jin didn’t want this to be a “good” song, so to speak – he wanted the listeners to feel uncomfortable and sickened by it

He requested the sound engineers to add a “pang-pang” beat to the finished product

Jin says he really did something terrible in making that song and laughs at the fact that he hasn’t offered a single word of praise to it

Inpine jokes that even “Hatsune-san” would find the song repulsive (yes, this is meant as a compliment)

Jin writes a lot of songs in the summer because it’s “a season in which not everything is all beauty”

Inpine says that the refreshing summer that everyone has in their minds only happens for a couple hours in early morning, while the rest of the day is all about fighting against a scorching heat under the dark, dark shadows cast from the overwhelming sunlight – that’s why he decided to make the MV’s color palette jewel-toned and somber

Jin bought all sorts of effectors to produce the sound he wanted for the song, which cost him 30K yen in total, and he was in shock when checking on how much he had spent

He hoped everyone listening to the livestream would go watch the MV, as it cost him a whole lot of money

He wanted “Henshin” to sound like a time slip back to one’s old self

 (T/N: This doesn’t really translate in summary format, but when they were talking about the song, there was an endless number of jokes involving the “pang-pang” thingy.)

At this point, Jin realizes that they’d been talking about music for the near entirety of the livestream. It was expected, since the two were the first musician guests of the channel, and as such, Jin was aware that it'd be fine to just talk about music, but he also wanted to have a lighthearted chit-chat. He asked Janku the day before about ideas for topics, which they couldn't decide on, so they decided to roll the dice. What they got as a result was something that, according to Janku, would’ve turned the livestream into a broadcast disaster. Jin then asks the others if they had any topics they wanted to discuss and Inpine says that’s the scariest way possible to pass the baton.

Natsume decides to answer the question first and Inpine is thankful that he’s able to take it forward from there, saying that Natsume “really is very capable”. Jin asks if he can go ahead and “eat the squid”, implying that they have snacks with them, and everyone agrees that they should eat first. While Natsume talks, there are sounds of plastic bags being ripped open in the background. These guys are a mess.

Natsume talks about a time not so long ago where he was sick and had to lie down in bed for days. He was bored out of his mind because he was allowed to do nothing but rest, so he decided to binge some anime. He wanted to watch something long and that he had never watched before, and as if on cue, he saw that Togashi Yoshihiro had created a Twitter account. This reminded him that he had actually never watched HunterxHunter, so he’d been binging it, and the day that the “Henshin” MV came out was exactly the day that he began the chimera ant arc. He felt that this was fate at work. When he saw the MV, he was like, “Whoa! That’s chimera ants right there! Inpine-san!?”

Inpine is a little embarrassed at this, because he had the feeling that they’d been making “Henshin” together all the way. He really thought that he’d been sharing with them the whole process of the video making, but in fact, the musicians were in the dark about most of it.

On the topic of the MV, Inpine admits that he doesn’t like insects and that he was put-off when finding out that insects would be the theme. He confesses that, because of this, he kind of avoided the insect element in the video, up till the latter half of it. He says that, back when he was making the video, he was driving down the street one night and had to open the window to see what was ahead of him. Turns out that what was blocking his vision was a swarm of moths. According to him, the swarm was covering the road for about 200 meters, and he couldn’t close the window in time. About three moths got inside the car, which had him shrieking like a little girl, “Nooo! Why does this kinda thing always happen to me!?”

Jin: And then you got bitten by a radioactive moth!

Inpine: Yeah, yeah, yeah! And then “Henshin”! I transformed!

Inpine says the moths were dead on his dashboard the next morning. He decided to observe them, which helped him finally grasp the concept and the feel of “Henshin”. He says that this, in a way, was his chimera ant arc. Natsume jokes that the experience might as well have broken him.

Jin says that, when writing the lyrics of “Henshin”, he thought about his kindergarten years a lot. “Henshin” is a song about the things people deem beautiful and the things they deem disgusting. People usually have weird tastes when they’re still little kids, and when Jin was in kindergarten, he was even weirder. There was a corner for hanging coats at his nursery school, and he used to sit there the whole day, just playing with the keyboard harmonica. Everyone could tell that he was one hell of a weirdo. He adds that Inpine, his first-ever friend, was just as weird. After all, he used to draw nothing but cars all the time. Jin says that this thing they used to do, throwing away their concern with what people would think of them, was his inspiration for making “Henshin”. A representation of early childhood summer, much like everything else Jin has ever made.

It is here that, at long freaking last, Jin decides to talk about the wallpaper for this livestream. He says he and Inpine made it together and everyone agrees that it’s “too damn gross”. It’s pretty obvious that it was made exclusively for that one livestream, since Natsume’s picture has moth antennas.

The group suddenly sobers up when Jin says that making this song with them was very fun and he hopes to make more with them in the future. Both Natsume and Janku are very flattered and agree to it on the spot. This heartwarming moment only lasts for a little bit, until Natsume remembers a good thing that happened recently. He starts talking about his experience going to a sauna, where he felt so refreshed that it was almost like the air he’d been breathing up to that point wasn’t real air. After he was done, he went outside, threw himself on a sunlounger and “entrusted his body to the sunlight”. According to him, it was the best feeling ever and everyone should go to a sauna at least once. The other three joke that maybe Natsume is actually an insect. Inpine says he likes sleeping inside his car in the parking lot after going to the sauna, affirming that it’s “the best way to wake up”.

The topic turns into what to do in the next livestreams, and Jin says once again that he wants to play games in the upcoming episodes. Janku says he’s pretty good at Gartic Phone and Natsume agrees that playing it with him is pretty funny. Jin says he’s seen Janku playing the game before – he saw him drawing a playground slide, except he also drew both himself and Jin sliding down on it. Natsume and Inpine lose it. Jin says he’d love to play with the three of them, plus Saiyuki. All of them agree that Saiyuki would be the strongest at it.

Time comes for them to end the livestream. Jin once again talks about making songs with these members in the future. He also talks about keeping eyes open to announcements on Twitter and asks the listeners to tell everyone they can about “Henshin”, even people sitting next to them at train stations.

The way they say goodbye in this episode is a tad... different from usual.

Jin: This has been Jin...

Inpine: ...Inpine, whose favorite food is beef tongue...

Natsume: ...Natsume Yuuki, whose f-favorite drink is Gogo no Koucha Oishii Mutou... (T/N: That’s the actual name of a bottled tea brand.)

Janku: ...and Janku, whose favorite drink is Boss’s café au lait.

Jin: That’s it!

All: That’s iiit! *whistles and weird voices* Byeee~!

[jujumin-translates]

[A3!] ★ Main Story | Act 14 - DREAM CATCHER | Episode 6 - Relaxation Research

Kazunari: Yes, yes… Ahh, I see~. Roger that. For now, I’ll make those revisions and send it back to you~...

Kazunari: Yes, goodbye.

*Beep*

Kazunari: Haahh…

Kazunari: (Another no-go~... I think that’s like the fifth time.)

Kazunari: (I knew things would be different from when I was a student, but all this criticism is starting to take a toll on my self-confidence~.)

Kazunari: (I know I went to art school and all, but that was for Japanese painting, so I’m basically entirely self-taught when it comes to design.)

Kazunari: (I feel like my lack of knowledge of the fundamentals is holding me back.)

Kazunari: (I’ve been able to make things work so far because the people who already know me well enough have asked me to do what I’m good at, but…)

Kazunari: (If I wanna be able to meet the wide range of expectations of a bigger client base, doing the same thing I’ve always done probably isn’t gonna work out.)

Kazunari: (Maybe I should seriously brush up on my design skills again~.)

Kazunari: Design… Course… Advanced…

Kazunari: (“Online Courses”, “Design Study Abroad”... There sure are a lot of ‘em~.)

*Door opens*

Muku: I’m home.

Kazunari: Welcome backsies~.

Muku: Ah, sorry, are you in the middle of work?

Kazunari: It’s all good. You’re home early today, Mukkun.

Muku: I think I’m going to go take a walk and look around Veludo Way.

Muku: I know some of the new theater troupes have been doing street acts there lately, so I thought it might be informative to watch some of them.

Kazunari: Gotcha~, I think I’ll tag along and take a little break then!

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Muku: There are new theater troupes all over the place.

Muku: Some of them focus on theatrical plays, some focus on dance or physical expression, some of them specialize in musicals…

Muku: And then there are some unusual ones, like a cross between cooking and theater, or a cross between muscle training and theater…

Kazunari: Maybe their aim is just to differentiate themselves from the other troupes, but regardless, there’s still a lotta unexpected and exciting things~.

Kasumi: Oh? Muku-kun and Kazunari-kun?

Muku: Hello!

Kazunari: You out shopping, Kasumiinu?

Kasumi: I am. I was just at the bookstore. Today’s the release date of “The Saintess is Omitted”. Do you read it too, Muku-kun?

Muku: Ah! That’s right, the release date was today! Of course, I read it!

Muku: I’ve been following the standard storyline of the saintess up to now, and it’s been really interesting to see the surprising turn of events that caused the tables to be turned completely.

Muku: And I really love the charm of heroines who are more hero-like!

Muku: I never would’ve imagined I’d forget about the release date… How did I forget about it…?

Muku: My memory’s as useless as eraser dust…

Kazunari: Things have been pretty hectic lately~. It’s not your fault.

Kasumi: Is the troupe doing okay? Things must be rough with the new Fleur Award and all.

Kazunari: We’re all working our hardest to come up with a plan~. Spring Troupe’s performance was a hit and our rank went up.

Muku: We’re a little anxious, but Summer Troupe is going to try our best too!

Kasumi: I see. I’m sure all of you in Summer Troupe will do just fine.

Kasumi: Ah, right. I have something I wanted to give you, Muku-kun.

Muku: ?

*Paper rustles*

Kasumi: This is a flyer for an upcoming play, and since the leading role is a prince, I couldn’t help but think of you, Muku-kun.

Kasumi: It’s a performance with a long history, and it’s performed at the National Theater with a different cast every year.

Kasumi: I know it might be none of my business, but I’m sure it’d be wonderful to see you standing at position zero as a prince up on such a big stage, Muku-kun.

Muku: B-But I’m not sure I’m capable of taking on a role as big as the lead in an outside performance yet…!

Kasumi: I don’t think that’s true at all. I think you’re definitely capable of being on a stage like that one.

Kazunari: You have tons of experience, Mukkun. Dontcha think that’s why Kasumiinu told you about it in the first place~?

Muku: T-Thank you very much. I feel a little more confident in myself when you put it like that.

Muku: I’ll try and look into the stage too.

Kasumi: Okay. Well then, bye.

*Kasumi walks away*

Muku: …

Muku: (“Audition Notice”, huh… I wonder if I can really stand on such a big stage like that too someday.)

Muku: (But right now…)

[ ⇠ Previous Part ] • [ Next Part ⇢ ]

[ordon-shield]

The Split/Swapped Triforce Theory

The Link we see in Breath of the Wild, and now Tears of the Kingdom is different to his previous incarnations in many ways, and I’m not just talking about the colour of his tunic. Every other Link that we’ve seen through the series starts their adventure with no expectation of being a great hero, of saving the land from evil. No, they set out to rescue a sister, or some children from their village, or their best friend, or a princess calling out for help. It’s only after they set out that they inevitably have to make a decision— does it have to be them that’s the hero? Couldn’t they step aside, and let someone else, older and more experienced take charge? Once they’ve rescued whoever they set out to save, or someone else has arrived to help, why keep putting themselves in danger? Even if destiny says they have to be the one, that doesn’t mean they’re forced to play that role— but each of them still chooses to, proving their courage.

The Link of Breath of the Wild never gets that moment. He’s young when he draws the Master Sword for the first time, years before the return of Calamity Ganon. He isn’t set out on a quest to protect someone he cares about, but instead given the title of hero immediately, and assigned as Zelda’s personal guard. He grew up knowing what was expected of him, and even when he wakes up in the Shrine of Resurrection, his memories lost? One of the first things he’s told is that he is the light that must shine upon Hyrule, and his first glimpse of Calamity Ganon comes alongside Zelda telling him that its freedom will mean the destruction of the world, and that he must hurry. This version of Link is never given that choice that every other version of him makes at some point, never given the choice to be the hero— and is it really courage to fight when you’ve been told your whole life it’s what you’re meant to do?

Though the Zelda series, the three pieces of the Triforce have been present since the second game, which introduces the Triforce of Courage, and at the same time ties Link to it for the first time. The Link we see in the Adventure of Link gained the Triforce of Wisdom by finding its scattered pieces, the Triforce of Power by defeating its previous holder. The Triforce of Courage however, he is chosen to find when the symbol of the united Triforce appears on his hand, travelling through seven palaces and facing his own dark reflection to earn it. This connection only grew stronger in Ocarina of Time, the fourth game in the series, after the Triforce splits when Ganondorf, someone with an imbalances heart makes a wish on it, transforming the Sacred Realm into the Dark World and cursing the temples of Hyrule, the Triforce of Courage is eventually revealed to rest within Link’s body. Further games only reinforced the link between the hero and courage, with the Link of The Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and A Link Between Worlds all carrying the Triforce of Courage at some point. A pattern was formed— Power with Ganondorf, Wisdom with Zelda, and Courage with Link.

The Triforce is never mentioned in Breath of the Wild, but we do see it. While its true nature and name have been forgotten over the ages, the inherited sealing power that lies within Zelda. We see it as she defeats Dark Beast Ganon, her hand outstretched as it manifests before her, a burst of light— much like the one we see in Skyward Sword when Link wishes away the Imprisoned— blossoming out and obliterating the Calamity, once and for all. In the true ending to the game, she says her powers seem to have dwindled after holding back Ganon for so long (in Japanese the specific term she uses is ‘withered’), but importantly, she doesn’t say that they’re completely gone, only that they’re less than what they once were. We’ve seen this happen before, as mentioned above— the Triforce can split into its three parts, with the one who touched it acquiring the part that represents what they desire the most. But is Wisdom what the Zelda we see in Breath of the Wild truly desires? Let me remind you, that her defeat of Dark Beast Ganon isn’t the first time we see her access the power of the Triforce. During the defence of Fort Hateno, she accesses it for the first time, the symbol of the Triforce shining on the back of her hand as we’ve seen it do time and time again for other wielders— yet only after she steps between Link and the laser of a Guardian, unarmed and powerless… in an act of courage, which is followed by her leaving to face Ganon alone after Link falls. Where this version of Link was never given the option to choose to be courageous, this version of Zelda, despite being told her entire life that her role was merely to seal the beast once the hero had defeated it, was the one to stand up and make the choice to face Ganon head-on, keeping him contained by herself for a century. If the Triforce she held did split into its three parts, the one that fits her best, the one she would desire is the Triforce of Courage.

There are still two more pieces of the Triforce left though, one for Link, and one for the corpse-like Ganondorf we see in the trailers for Tears of the Kingdom. When we look at Link in Breath of the Wild, we see surprisingly few references to courage in association with him in the base game (and those references come from characters familiar with the stories of previous heroes), even when they might be expected, such as before or after completing a combat trial in a shrine, but we do see some interesting references to another third, from the Goddess Hylia, the original protector of the Triforce herself. When Link exchanges spirit orbs for a heart container or a stamina vessel, what does she say? “I shall grant the power you seek.” When Link faces the dragon Naydra, corrupted with malice, she asks him to “Show what [his] power can achieve!”. Even in his childhood, he had ties to the concept, defeating adults in combat as a young child according to Mipha. In the eighth memory of the ones he recovers a century later, we see he’d defeated a large group of monsters, including multiple silver lynels, presumably alone, and with only mild wounds. Even when we play as him, Link is constantly breaking even high-quality weapons with the strength of his blows. This link with power can also fit in with the changes to the Zelda formula, and the introduction of an open world. Breath of the Wild is a game that’s all about freedom, about having the power to choose where you go and when, rejecting the linear paths and restrictions that previous incarnations of Link faced. Even in the first Zelda game, the full Triforce of Wisdom was required to face the final dungeon. Instead of being forced to proceed in a predetermined path, this Link is the one with the power to break free from the expectations of his past and the boundaries that held them back, exploring on his own terms. To this version of Link, the Triforce of Power would represent his freedom from both his past role as a knight, something that caused him so much stress he stopped talking, and from the fears that hold back the other people of Hyrule, of the monsters that infest the kingdom‘s roads and the many ruins he explores.

Finally, we get to Ganondorf. We’ve only seen a little of him from the handful of trailers for Tears of the Kingdom, but of the many questions and mysteries surrounding him, this theory can answer at least one— why now? Why is it only after the defeat of the Calamity that he seems to be ‘waking up’ or ‘breaking free’ from the place he’s been sealed away in since 10,000 or more years ago? If the Triforce indeed split when Zelda used it to defeat Dark Beast Ganon, we have our explanation— with a piece of the Triforce returned to his body, he’s been able to slowly recover his strength. If Zelda has Courage, and Link has Power, that leaves Wisdom to him, which seems to be reflected in his actions. Previously only acting as a near-mindless beast, with little in the way of strategy other than targeting the technology that defeated him the last time, this version of Ganondorf has good reason to value wisdom, and accordingly, we see him attempt to take out the three things most likely to foil his plans as soon as he can— Link (and his sword arm), Zelda, and the Master Sword that has been his downfall again and again. Even the monsters we’ve glimpsed in the trailers seem to be more organised, and strengthened by his malice. Even his appearance seems to mirror this change, as we see him dressed in golden jewellery and a loose robe , rather than the dark armour of most other appearances, or the thick formal clothing of his Wind Waker version. This gives the impression that, unless he regains one of his previous forms, this version of Ganondorf will likely focus more on his skill as a sorcerer than physical combat to fight Link, as somewhat of a contrast to his Twilight Princess version, who fights physically, only using his magic to possess Zelda and transform into Ganon. He also seems prepared to heal and boost his servants to help them achieve his goals. This falls in line with what little we know about the Triforce of Wisdom from seeing the versions of Zelda that have held it. Admittedly, this is the weakest part of this theory, just because we haven’t seen much of Ganondorf or his abilities in Tears of the Kingdom yet.

In conclusion, Breath of the Wild was all about breaking the conventions of a Zelda game to make something new, and if Tears of the Kingdom wants to achieve the same, shaking up the holders of the Triforce would certainly be one way to do it. Purely talking from a mechanical viewpoint, Link learning to use the Triforce of Power could act as a replacement for the Champion’s abilities in the previous game— a known ability of that piece is to bring the wielder back from a mortal wound, stronger than before, which could serve as a replacement for Mipha’s Grace to give an example. We could even see something as cool as Zelda wielding a reforged Master Sword— after all, she was the one who heard the voice inside the sword. This all relies on Nintendo being willing to take that leap and change things up even more and I’m not sure they’d be willing to do it.

[twig-tea]

Grand Guignol

Wanted to write down my thoughts on this movie because it was AWESOME and I don't want to forget lol. Non-spoilery thoughts above the cut and spoilers below it.

First of all, the colouring of this film is gorgeous. Everything is in dull greys and navy blues and cream, except for the red, and the red is throughout. There's red roses, red lighting, red ties, red viscera, and so, so, so much blood. It makes for a really stunning watch, to see this heightened red spurt and colour the white clothing of the protagonists, and on their faces.

The cinematography is also a lot of fun. So many dirty shots, where the creepy decorations of this school sit in the foreground and the characters having a conversation are left blurred in the background. Quick, hard cuts, so it's not clear whether something was real or not.

And I love the tension being around what is real vs what is fake rather than jump scares. The way cinema and pranks and voyeurism is woven into this plot to make everything more confusing is so well done; it puts us in the same situation as the characters stuck in this school with no clear sense of what's happening or why.

Most of all this was just fun. It was a wild ride where gross, gory, discomforting, messy, and generally weird shit happened constantly lol and I really, really enjoyed the experience.

Cutting here because I couldn't help but spoil from here on out.

I also really love the subtext of the show re: queer as monstrous. There is a suggestion that at least two of these characters were sent to this school abandoned by their families in order to be sacrificed because they are gay, or queer in some sense. The other characters have stories about doing physical harm to those around them, but at the least for Kenta, it's implied that whatever is going on with him and dressing femme--i won't assume--is what got him sent here (this is early in the film so I'm not counting it as a spoiler).

I had to laugh at the excessive lube; Japan's lube game is always incredible. We never get a normal amount of lube in a Japanese BL, and I live for it.

Also really enjoyed the cannibalism subtext! Cannibalism is always such an interesting theme in horror because it's such a taboo. This felt very Rocky Horror-like with the constant viscera shots and the open questions on characters' faces about where it came from.

The message in this film was so fascinating. Normally we get the trope of 'you have to defeat yourself ' as a hero's journey to get past self-doubt in order to win. In this case, Itsuki tells us he was forced to participate in...it's not entirely clear, bullying and mutilation at the least. He seems traumatized by the experience, and it's not clear how much damage he did on his own. But by the end of the film, after the teacher gave him the gun and told him to defeat himself, he manages to move through whatever was holding him back, and he fully embraces doing violence to others. He kisses Teshio, when he was surprised by/recoils from the kiss from Kenta. He laughs, glories in, is freed by the way he mutilated Teshio's corpse, and flashes back to his memory of when he was "forced" to hurt his classmate in his old school, but this time he's similarly elated. He had some initial reaction to seeing Kenta in a dress and wig--Shinji wondered if he wanted to wear it himself--and after the cult dresses him in heels, a dress, and wig, he does not remove them even after he's free and limping in the heels to drag along that sledgehammer. In this case, the hero's journey is one to freedom from moral constraints, allowing in the monstrous--both murderous and queer--parts of Itsuki to overcome any fear or self-hate or physical limitations, and to be victorious. And then we get the final scene, with the uncertainty as to whether the entire film has been a play, whether the play is in Itsuki's mind, or whether it's a metaphor for the audience to represent what happens. I think the uncertainty is the point. The entire film has been messing with our ability to tell what's real and what's fake, and maybe in the end it doesn't matter. Itsuki is dead; whether metaphorically because he's mentally snapped, or literally because he's killed himself, or because the whole thing was a metaphor and he's embraced his weirdness and joined this weird club and found acceptance in this group that puts on horror plays...the Itsuki who was traumatized and terrified of himself is gone by the end of the film, he's defeated the enemy within. I loved that.

And there's something in this film about how it gets us to be interested in this weird friend group before it starts killing them off for the sake of... entertainment, a ritual, to free their parents of the embarrassment, it's not entirely clear which. But there's something implicit in the morality here that these characters are humanized before they're demonized, and that we are set up to see the ritual as cruel and the level of violence as undeserved. This part reminded me of Gang of Cherry; these kids are fucked up, and cruel, and weird, but don't deserve the even more fucked up and cruel situation they're in, which in turn makes them even more fucked up and cruel, until it's a twisted version of enlightenment, when all you are is cruel and fucked up, and delighting in the purity of the emotion.

Anyway that's way too much navel-gazing for what is essentially 1.5 hours of intentionally bad blood-spraying camp and actors who didn't kiss in their BLs kissing in this. Big fan.

If you want realism, sexiness (there is a sex scene but it is not what I would call sexy; it's intentionally discomforting/edged with tension), romance, or a happy ending in the traditional sense this is not for you. If you like campy horror, strategic cinematography, gratuitous gore, gratuitous tongues, being discomforted, psychological horror, and metaphors on metaphors, I think you'll enjoy.

[aranciafiamma]

Boy in the Ice pt. 3

1:26 p.m.

"Hail, fair maidens!"

Ochako stops mid-stride, sharing a look with her friends. They turn in sync to take in the stranger approaching them. He has light brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a black blazer paired with jeans. Overall, he looks average save for the touch of foreign in his features. Except the definition of foreign gets more and more abstract these days, with all kinds of folk immigrating to Japan, and all the ways a quirk can mutate someone's looks. So maybe this guy is Japanese. Ochako can't say for sure. But he definitely feels out of place.

"Is he talking to us?" Ochako murmurs to Jiro. She gets a clueless shrug for an answer. Biting her lip, Ochako feels her stomach squeeze, as if she was attempting to levitate a heavy load.

School let out early today and with the long weekend starting tomorrow, they now have a chance to go shopping. Everyone is missing some kind of necessity - shampoo, soy sauce, socks, etc. And with all the craziness lately, they agreed that something normal and boring would be nice.

The plan was to head downtown, snag a few snacks, check out any new stores, maybe even play a couple rounds of dress up. Even if they never bought a single shirt, they always had a good laugh trying on new outfits. Ochako had been looking forward to that. But one look at this stranger and she knew that things are about to go sideways.

They're halfway across campus when this guy calls out to them. So he got past the gates somehow, and sure, he could have been invited in by someone. Except it's after school on the eve of a long weekend. There aren't even any makeup classes or club meetings because of the holiday coming up. The campus is deserted except for the handful of staff to supervise the dorm students (and their new guests). If Ochako was a gambling kinda girl, she would bet good money that their guests have something to do with this random dude walking around their campus.

"How goes the day?" The stranger asks, and wow. He sure sounds like an extra from those ancient samurai movies. Seriously, no one talks like that.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Good ol' Yaomomo, always on top of things - they would be a wreck and likely dead without her.

"Pardon me, I have been far too forward. I am Basil, at your service."

"Basil who?" Mina pipes up, hands on her hips.

"I am a friend of Lord Sawada. He is currently enjoying your hospitality."

"Sawada?" Ochako echoes, frowning. "So you're friends with Tsuna-san?"

"Aye."

There it is. She totally called it.

"Pray, may I know if you reside on these grounds?"

"Why you asking?" Jiro lifts her chin and pins Basil with a needle-point glare. "And why are you here? Did Tsuna-san call you? Do the teachers know that you're here?"

"Peace. Peace. I mean not to offend." Basil smiles ruefully, holding up his hands. "I am a stranger in your lands, and I call upon your aid to find my way."

"Okay… That didn't really answer Jiro-chan's questions," Tsu-chan points out. "And do you have to talk like that? It's a little hard to take you seriously."

Basil chuckles, eyes pinching in the corners. "Doubt me not, good lady. I only seek to escort Lord Sawada back to his home."

"Boss isn't here."

Ochako flinches. She whips around and finds Chrome standing a few steps away. Her hands clench into fists as she forcefully calms her startled heart. Someone needs to put a bell on Chrome-san before she induces cardiac arrest. Honestly, Ochako is reluctantly impressed. As a hero-in-training, with considerable experience in combat, her senses are keener compared to most of the general public. But somehow, Chrome-san always manages to spook her. This time, Ochako didn't even hear her coming or see her coming - as if Chrome-san appeared out of thin air. Toru-chan could learn a lot from her.

"Lady Chrome! Good fortune blesses me with your presence."

Chrome-san blinks, slow and almost sleepy. She's hard to read as always, as if her mind is out to sea, as if her body is a wisp of smoke. And okay, Ochaka has an invisible girl for a classmate so the absence of facial cues is not new to her. But it's not about what she sees and more about what she believes. The truth is that Chrome-san stands right in front of her and Ochako can't believe that she's there. Something in her brain is telling her that Chrome-san does not exist even with visual and auditory proof. It's tripping her up.

"Boss left."

"Wait, you guys can do that?" Mina cuts in, scratching her head. "Weren't you guys stuck on campus or something?"

Chrome-san shrugs.

"Would you know where he went?" Basil asks, and he sounds earnest. He must have been looking forward to seeing Tsuna-san.

Huh. Well, it has been six months - that's half a year - since Tsuna-san crash landed in their school. If Ochako had disappeared for that long then miraculously returned, her parents would have been a wreck. Nothing would have kept them away from her.

And now that she's thinking about it… Where are Tsuna-san's parents?

A sigh from Basil drags Ochako out of her head. She must have missed Chrome-san's answer or maybe Chrome-san just didn't answer. Either way, Basil looks none too happy, with his head hanging low and his shoulders slumping. An air of absolute exhaustion seems to envelope him. And oof, maybe Ochako's been getting paranoid from all the stuff that happened recently. She had no good reason to be so weird about Basil. Yeah, sure the guy talks funny but apart from the possible trespassing (which okay, that's a pretty big deal actually), Basil seems pretty polite and soft-spoken. He hasn't made threats or demands or anything to show that he's some kind of danger to her or her friends. Ochako should have been more welcoming, especially since he seems to have missed Tsuna-san terribly.

"We can help you find him, if you'd like." Ochako offers a friendly smile. "You don't know the way around, right? And we were just about to go downtown anyway. Maybe you'll find Tsuna-san there."

Basil shakes his head. "I have depended on your patience for long enough. Please excuse me."

"Are you sure?" Tsu-chan chimes in. "Because we really wouldn't mind, kero."

Basil looks them over, pursing his lips. Then his eyes drift up, locking onto Chrome-san behind them. There's a split second of something, Ochako isn't sure what. It's over before she could really think about it, and then Basil is smiling nice and wide with a lot of teeth.

"You have my sincere gratitude, gentle ladies. I am in your care."

"Sheesh," Jiro snorts. "You talk worse than Fumikage. Let's hope you two never meet."

"Chrome-san, would you like to -" Yaomomo's gasp cuts off her question.

Ochako turns and flinches hard. Chrome-san is glaring at them. For once, emotion colors her face, transforming her delicate features into something sharper, more vicious.

"Chrome-san?" Tsu-chan murmurs softly. "Is something wrong?"

Chrome-san squeezes her eyes shut, breathing in deeply. All at once, her expression flattens out, returning to its usual neutral state. She shakes her head once.

"I am not feeling well. I will be heading back to my room." Chrome-san tells them, speaking more words than Ochako has ever heard from her. "Have a good time… Stay safe."

Then she walks away, never looking back. What just happened? Something happened. Ochako considers chasing after Chrome-san, just to make sure that she's really okay. But a hand drops on her shoulder before she could make a move.

"Let's give her some space," Yaomomo whispers, barely loud enough for Ochako to hear. "We can check on her later."

Ochako bites her lip, pinching her brow. Yaomomo is right - of course, she's right. Chrome-san didn't seem to want any company, the exact opposite actually. Ochako should leave her alone. But… The hero-in-training couldn't shake the dread curdling in her gut.

"Shall we hasten to the market?" Basil asks them. "Daylight is fading and I would not like to burden you for too long."

Ochako sucks in a deep, steadying breath. Then she nods at Yaomomo. Together, they face Basil with polite grins.

"You aren't a burden, Basil-san."

"Yep, yep. C'mon now, let's head on out!"

The group makes their way off campus, strolling down the side streets, making idle chatter. They learn that Basil taught himself Japanese, studying the language through classic Samurai films. He tells them that his boss helped somewhat, but only encouraged his archaic way of phrasing. At this point, Basil is fully aware that he sounds funny but in truth, he prefers old-fashioned speech. He feels more distinguished and sophisticated - completely unlike how he speaks in his native tongue.

Of course, this confession prompts all the girls to ask for a demonstration. A blushing Basil obliges them with several phrases in Italian. To their clueless ears, Basil sounds polite and soft-spoken, nothing unusual. But he assures them that if he had said this to a fellow Italian, they would be throwing punches before the last word left his lips.

Their chatter is cut short when they reach downtown. A thick layer of tension blankets the main street as agitated shoppers skirt around a massive crater embedded in the road. Police tape already surrounds the affected area with a few officers nearby, taking statements and offering assurances. Making note of all that, the girls tug Basil towards their favorite café where their familiar faces encourage the waitress to share all the shocking details.

A fireball fell from the sky. Everyone ran. But before a hero could arrive at the scene, the fire died out, revealing a boy without any clothes. Wisps of smoke rose from his bare skin as he kneeled in the crater. No one dared approach except for a loud, angry blond. Mean sparks danced between his fingers as he yelled at everyone to stay back and mind their own business. He had jumped down and crouched next to the boy, exchanging a few words, before he hauled him over his shoulder like a sack of rice. The two didn't wait for a hero or even police to help, simply walked away and out of sight. A few tried to stop them with well-intentioned queries, but the blond had a glare that could cut through metal. As for everyone else, well… they didn't want to buy trouble, not even in a shopping district. The boys were long gone by the time police showed up.

Ochako squeezes her eyes shut. At her side, Tsu-chan lets out a long, belabored sigh. Yaomomo requests for a table.

Once they were all seated, the girls share a look the way only intimate friends could. Jiro lets out a chuckle. Tsu-chan slips out a giggle. Mina barks out a laugh. When Yaomomo and Ochako join in, they're in full blown hysterics.

Of course! Why wouldn't Bakugou be involved? It just had to be someone from their class. Honestly, 1-B does not find half the bullshit that they seem to crash into on a weekly basis. They're all such problem children, ergo problems keep finding them. If Aizawa-sensei survives this year without losing his sanity, he would accomplish a miraculous feat.

"Um, I beg your pardon." Basil raises his hand, like a student asking a question. "I aim not to shorten your mirth. I simply wish to know about this Bakugou fellow."

"He's a crazy tough guy!" Mina tells him.

"His default volume is loud, and he only gets louder," Jiro adds.

"Bakugou Katsuki is one of our classmates," Yaomomo explains. "He is another hero-in-training and one of the best in our class. He does get angry often but he isn't the dangerous sort. Let's just say that he can be difficult at times."

"Well, he has enough goodwill to aid that other boy," Basil replies. "That is to his credit."

Ochako blinks. "Yeah… What's up with that? I mean, I'm not saying that he wouldn't help some random kid. But I'm also not not saying that he wouldn't help some random kid."

"So then… Bakugou musta known the guy." Jiro drums her fingers on the table. "Right? That's why he went through all that trouble."

"Does Bakugou-chan know anyone with a fireball quirk? I mean, not counting Todoroki-chan, of course," Tsu-chan asks with a tilt of her head.

"Who knows…" Ochako sighs.

"Where would this Bakugou fellow take his friend - if we are to presume that the unknown boy is a friend. It seems hasty of him to leave before peace officers could intervene."

"Yeah… But Bakugou does his own thing, yanno?" Mina replies. "Especially when he thinks that he's right. Which is most of the time, bee-tee-dubs. So… huh. Where would he take the guy?"

"If I was gonna guess," Ochako chimes in. "I'd say that Bakugou would take him back to school. But we didn't see him on the way here, unless he took a different route. Except that wouldn't make much sense, since any other route would just be longer and more inconvenient."

"That is strange…" Basil hums, pursing his lips. "And… I may have the explanation."

"Oh, please share your thoughts." Yaomomo nods at him.

"Kindly note that I only have theories and nothing that can be confirmed without additional evidence. With that said, I believe that your peer came to aid Lord Sawada."

"Tsuna-san?" Ochako frowns, folding her brow. "So, wait… You think that… The guy who fell from the sky - the guy on fire - that was Tsuna-san?"

"That dude's makin' a habit out of falling from the sky." Jiro shakes her head. "This would be what? The second time he's done this?"

"It would be imperative to know Sir Bakugou's location, so that we may confirm if Lord Sawada is in his care."

Ochako studies Basil's heavy frown, the hard-set fold of his brow. She pulls out her phone and starts texting Bakugou.

"Are you messaging him?" Mina asks. "Tell him the teachers are gonna freak when they hear about this."

"Like he'd care," Jiro scoffs.

Ochako doesn't get an immediate reply but that doesn't mean anything. Bakugou isn't very responsive usually, unless he's pissed off then he sends a text every second. If he's not in the mood, he could leave someone on "read" for days. Right now, Ochako can't even tell if Bakugou looked at her message yet. Maybe he's just not on his phone. She'll have to wait a little longer to find out for sure if he's with Tsuna-san.

She tells as much to everyone around her. Mina groans. Jiro rolls her eyes. Tsu-chan shakes her head. Yaomomo orders them a round of drinks.

Basil hums a flat note. "Mayhaps, he has simply gone home."

Ochako perks up. "Oh, you're right! He doesn't live too far from here, just a few train stations away. Back when we weren't living on campus, he and Deku-kun never had so much trouble getting to school."

"He lives up north, right?" Jiro asks, crossing her arms. "He and Midoriya live close to each other. That's how they met, I heard."

"Well, I don't know how close. But they both grew up in the Orudera district and went to the same schools. That's what Deku-kun told me, at least."

"Yanno, rumors say that Bakugou's pretty rich. He's got some fancy, modern-looking house. His dad's a designer or something, right?" Mina adds.

"How do you know that?" Jiro furrows her brow.

"Oh, just gossip. Honestly, you guys should keep your ears more open. We have the biggest busybodies in our class." Mina waves her hand.

"Tooru-chan isn't a busybody!" Tsu-chan protests.

"I was talking about Aoyama," Mina cackles.

"Nevermind that now," Yaomomo speaks up. "We should focus on helping Basil-san."

"But that gives me an idea…" Ochako quickly taps her phone, sending a second message. "Maybe Deku-kun can help."

Mina peers over her shoulder. "Hey, why did you star Midoriya's message thread? Hmm?"

Ochako immediately pulls away from Mina, heat flushing her face. "No, I didn't! Shut up!"

Jiro cackles. "You're so red! You look like a tomato, Ochako-cha~an!"

Ochako balls up her napkin and throws it at Jiro. Her so-called friend dodges, continuing to laugh.

"Do you really like-like Deku-kun?" Tsu-chan asks, tilting her head.

"We will stop if you wish," Yaomomo nods. "Admittedly, teasing you is quite enjoyable. You react so cutely. But we will stop at your request."

Ochako pouts. "No, it's fine. I'm not really bothered. As long as Deku-kun doesn't hear about this, then it's fine. And honestly, I'm not that sure about… you know… feelings. We're good friends, and all that."

"Well, I ship it," Mina says. "You would make a great couple. So when you get your stuff figured out, shoot your shot girl! We're in high school! We're at the height of our hormones! We gotta maximize that teenage experience!"

There's a round of giggling agreement as Yaomomo, Jiro, and Tsu-chan express their support. Basil politely keeps quiet, studying his drink as if cola held the universe's secrets.

Ochako groans, dropping her head on the table. "You guuuuys! Somehow, I'm both incredibly embarrassed and super happy? I can't tell if you're the best or the worst!"

"Why not both?" Ochako can't see Jiro's face but a smug smirk was somehow implied in her words.

"Then what about you, Mina-chan? Do you have any crushes, kero?" Tsu-chan, officially Ochako's best friend, turns everyone's attention on someone else.

Mina clicks her tongue. "I wish! Everyone's my bro. No one has swept me off my feet. But I guess that's too much to ask from a high school boy."

"What about a high school girl?" Jiro asks.

"Same difference."

Ochako lifts her head, just in time to see a devious smile curl Jiro's lips.

"Is that a challenge?"

Inherently incapable of backing down, Mina sits up straight and slams her hands on the table. "What? Are you gonna romance me, bro?"

Jiro leans forward. "What if I did, bro?"

"Just name the time and the place, bro!"

"Tomorrow, 4pm, at that new cafe, bro!"

"Oh it's on, bro!"

"Yeah, bro!"

"Good heavens," Yaomomo murmurs. "Once those two get started, there's no stopping them."

Ochako breathes out a laugh when she hears her phone buzz. She taps the screen and finds Deku-kun's response with Bakugou's address. At her side, she notices Basil shift closer. She turns to look at him but his gaze is firmly on his drink. Again, something twists in her gut.

"-ko-chan!"

Wincing, Ochako whips around to face Tsu-chan. "Whoops, sorry! Did you say my name?"

Tsu-chan nods. "Did you hear back from Deku-kun?"

"Oh, um, yeah! I got the address right here…" The knot in her guts tighten. "But, you know, maybe Bakugou will reply soon. We haven't ordered any food yet. So why don't we eat first and then make our way to his house? I mean, dropping by without letting them know - that's a little rude, right?"

The words rush out of her with all the urgency of a flood. She can't explain the goosebumps dotting her skin, or the way sparks seem to dance down her spine, like she's in combat or taking a practical exam. But she's not. She's sitting at a cafe, surrounded by her friends. They're all her friends, right? Her eyes shift to the left, where Basil sits next to her.

"That… seems like a fine idea," Yaomomo agrees. "It would be unseemly to…"

"Exactly!" Ochako barely restrains herself from yelling. Honestly, Yaomomo is an angel.

"Mmhmm, and that way, we can walk Basil-kun to Bakugou-kun's place," Tsu-chan adds. Bless her. "He's new in town, so he might get lost if we only give him the address."

"I offer gratitude for your generosity." Basil nods with a serene smile, getting to his feet. "Indeed, I wish not to impede our feasting. Please excuse me as I must visit the lavatory. Kindly request delicious fare on my behalf. This will take but a brief moment."

He slides by Ochako and in that second, she notices a hard shape behind his jacket. Nowadays, with quirks so common, hardly anyone carries weaponry of any sort. But as Basil leaves, she could swear on her great-grandmama's grave that he was hiding a gun in his jacket.

But surely not, right? That's ridiculous! Guns are highly regulated in Japan, even if most people don't use firearms anymore. There's no way a visiting foreigner could come into the country with a gun on hand… No legal way at least…

"Ochako?" Mina grabs her shoulder and shakes her gently. "Hey, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"No… No… I'm just - I was seeing - My eyes were playing tricks on me."

"Wait," Jiro holds up a hand. "Did you actually see a ghost?"

"What? No!" Ochako shakes her head, pasting on a smile. "I'm fine! It's fine! Let's just get our orders going, yeah?"

The girls exchange concerned looks. Ochako ignores them, focusing on the menu. It must have been something else - some other L-shaped thing. She's jumping to drastic conclusions. It could have been a square ruler or some kind of hardware tool or hell, it could have been a boomerang! She doesn't know! She's going crazy!

The waitress stops by. She orders on autopilot - fries or whatever. The girls continue to talk, hushed now, clearly concerned about her. She offers single syllable responses, nodding once in awhile. But everyone can tell that she's not really paying attention, and she should. They're her friends! She wants to have a good time with them! But her eyes spot a wall clock on the cafe wall. And she can't stop watching the minutes tick on by and tick on by.

The food comes. Basil doesn't. They begin to eat. Ochako can see everyone is now equally on edge. They take small bites. They chew slowly with great care. Basil's seat remains empty. Ochako feels the familiar sensation of nausea, as if she tried to lift something far too heavy, far too big, far too much. She stands up.

"I'm gonna ask someone to check on Basil-san. I'll be right back."

She doesn't wait for a response. She runs to the counter, nearly tripping over her feet. She finds someone on the staff and asks if they can check the men's restroom.

"You see - um - that is, I have a friend - he's… you know… new in the country. And I'm worried that he… doesn't know the way… toilets work?" Wow. That sounds beyond stupid but she can't think of anything else to say.

The poor, confused cashier wrinkles her forehead, tilting her head to the side. "Ma'am, our restroom has been out of order since yesterday."

In a single, brutal second, Ochako knows - maybe not fully, maybe not truly - but she knows the same way she knows that gravity pulls everything down and down and down. Something terrible has begun.