#anyways say hi to the son boy of the slayer :3

[savior-of-humanity]

Heads up, this is a long post - it's under the readmore!

Also BIG content warning for graphic descriptions of violence/death happening to a child + descriptions of gore + mentions of animal death. (it's only in the first half of the drabble, and since it's short you should be able to easily scroll past it - look for the ". . ." symbols marking the start/end of that section if you want to skip it!!)

AND SPECIAL THANKS TO @kcnhub FOR HELPING ME W/ IDEAS AND DIALOGUE + GIVING ME PERMISSION TO FEATURE AN OC OF HIS!! (For additional clarification; they don't really give a fuck about gender so they go by Halla and/or Hallkel in this.)

also tagging @hymns-across-the-stars and @maykrisms >:3c

--

Cassius awoke from the longest nightmare of his life.

The first instinct that gripped the 6 year-old's mind was to gasp for air, yet his irritated throat instead pulled the boy into a ragged coughing fit. His eyes had yet to adjust to the harsh light, but of what little he could see, he couldn't recognize it anyways. As he slowly sat up, he came to a sudden and frightening realization; he couldn't really remember... anything.

...No, there were some things he could remember; his name was Cassius, he had a pet bunny named Daisy, he lived on Earth with his parents, and... that was it. He couldn't remember where he lived, or who his parents were, or even what they looked like. That, understandably, scared him even further. But Cassius, with what little bravery he still had, pushed aside the fear and tried his hardest to recall anyway.

. . .

. . .

. . .

He remembers it, as clear as day.

They pounce on him faster than he can blink. It was almost just like the night terrors he had for a while, after he stayed up past his bedtime once and caught a glimpse of an old horror movie. But, unlike those nightmares, the dream didn't end right when they were about to get him, because it wasn't a dream at all.

They look him in his terrified eyes, full of unspeakable malice and hunger - and he knows, instantly, that they're going to hurt him, and that there is no running from what is about to happen.

Razor-sharp talons rake across his skin, pulling the flesh back like butcher's hooks until it finally gives and splits open like an over-ripe fruit. They don't hesitate to tear at the exposed fat and muscle, pull him apart piece by piece, blood and guts spilling over tongues and claws.

The smell of gore is strong in the air, so thick that he could almost taste it - but he is barely aware of it. He can't see them unravel him by his entrails. He can't hear them rip his mother asunder somewhere behind him. He doesn't know where Daisy is; he hopes that she's okay.

The only thing he can feel, the only thing he knows in his final moments, is their teeth scraping against his bones as he is torn apart and eaten alive.

. . .

. . .

. . .

A touch on his shoulder pulled the child from the horrific memory, the events forgotten for now. He looked up at the source, eyes wide and brimming with tears, and almost choked on his own breath at what he saw.

Cassius was surrounded by what he could only describe as monsters.

They were creatures reminiscent of angels, dressed in white-gold-red and adorned with big metal halos. Perhaps he could've mistaken them as such, were it not for their inhuman appearances, sharp pointed teeth, and the strange words they spoke that made his head hurt when he tried to understand. All he knew about them was that they reminded him of the nightmares of his dreamless sleep.

Aching for a home he couldn't remember, surrounded by strangers and yet so painstakingly alone, the only thing Cassius could think to do was begin to cry.

--

Cassius Unna Endride wasn't exactly sure what Hallkel was thinking when he suggested that he spar with the Great Slayer.

Hallkel was someone he looked up to, both as a parental figure and as an inspiration; he was the one who had offered to adopt Cassius personally when the Maykrs brought him to live among the Argenta. Since then, he had been raised with a loving and steady hand; as Hallkel was a Night Sentinel, it was also expected of him to raise his son to become a warrior like himself. So far, Cassius had proved to be a promising apprentice.

The day, up until the point of time that was his current predicament, had so far been like any other for the 16 year-old boy; he woke up, cooked and ate with his guardian, cleaned up, and then headed off for the nearby training arena for daily exercise routines. It wasn't uncommon for spectators to watch the trainees and practicing warriors from the sidelines; most were off-duty Sentinels like Hallkel, or the occasional loved one. Sometimes there were Maykrs present - he never liked it when they would watch him spar, for reasons he couldn't really explain.

Cassius was completely surprised to see that the Great Slayer, of all people, stood among the spectators today.

The Slayer, to put it simply, was nothing short of an ancient hero of legend in the flesh; from the stories Hallkel had told Cassius when he was younger, the Great Slayer had once been a mere outsider, a captive taken from the feral wilds. They had expected him to die in battle like any other thrall, but to their surprise he displayed such fearsome yet pinpointed brutality and strength against the demonic hordes, that King Novik accepted him among the ranks of the Night Sentinels. Since then, his fame and renown only grew, eventually earning him the prestige and honor that came with the role of leading armies into battle. Some even considered him to be the greatest among the living War Generals, second only to the King himself.

Even in the training arena, bystander and trainee alike gave the Slayer a wide berth out of respectful fear. Cassius had to admit, he felt rather intimidated by his presence, especially given that the hooded Maykr he only knew as Samur was accompanying the Slayer today. The two looked to be in idle conversation.

So imagine his complete and utter shock as he watched Hallkel, with the total casualness and ease of someone that knew the Great Slayer like they were childhood best friends, walk up to the two and suggest that he spar with Cassius.

The Slayer looked at Samur, looked at him, and then back to Hallkel. To Cassius' ever-growing dismay, the Slayer nodded, and he knew that his fate was sealed.

His despair didn't just come from the fact that he had to prove his skill to the Great Slayer. The Slayer was seldom seen ever in the training arena, let alone sparring with anyone - which naturally meant that the gaze of nearly every person present was locked on him and the boy. As the other man grabbed a pole-arm and tossed another over to Cassius, he glanced over to where Hallkel stood by Samur; his guardian flashed him a grin and a thumbs up.

Initially, the spar started off slow; an intentional act on the Great Slayer's part, to allow Cassius to get used to the pace and to his personal fighting style. As they continued, he would gradually increase the pressure; swinging faster, striking harder, forcing his partner to put more effort into defending himself.

Cassius, to his own surprise, found that keeping up with the Great Slayer wasn't as daunting of a feat as he'd imagined it to be, though it was by no means easy. Many times he was forced to block an incoming blow with his own weapon, and actually landing a hit on the Slayer was incredibly difficult given how consistently and readily he blocked or parried incoming strikes.

Then the Slayer suddenly pushed forward - sparring wasn't just about showing off your skill with a weapon, after all - and Cassius shoved back with all his might. Even with the fact that the Slayer was still holding back somewhat for the sake of a fair fight, the trainee's feet skidded through the sand before they found purchase and allowed Cassius to properly stand his ground. Finally, they had come to a stalemate.

For a moment, they just stood there; pole-arms locked against each other, gazes focused on one another. Cassius found himself oddly entranced by the Slayer's eyes - they were a rich shade green, with flecks of gold that seemed to shift in and out of the light, accompanied by a strange glowing red halo around his pupils. Something about the Slayer's gaze was hauntingly familiar - and he could've sworn he saw a flicker of... some kind of emotion cross the Slayer's face for a brief second.

Cassius wasn't sure how the spar was going to end, exactly, only that he'd gone in assuming that his ass was going to get handed to him one way or another. But to see the Slayer suddenly step back, drop his weapon, and submit to him utterly shocked him beyond words. So much so that he barely acknowledged those watching breaking out into cheers and applause, only snapping back to reality when a firm and celebratory slap to the back from Hallkel pulled him out of his shock.

"I KNEW YOU HAD IT IN YOU, MY BOY! Even the Great Slayer knows of your might! Come here--" and before he could protest, Hallkel had wrapped him up in a bear hug and was spinning him around in joyous laughter. Cassius, naturally, was quick to complain. "Dad, please, there's people watching you're embarrassing meeeeee..." He'd whine, and his guardian would finally oblige and set him back on his feet - but not before immediately tussling his hair.

"Ahahahaaa, let them watch! They know I have good reason to celebrate having such an amazing son!" Hallkel boasted, and Cassius couldn't help but smile. He'd glance back at the Slayer; he seemed to be watching the interaction intently, a fond smirk of his own ghosting his lips, though he couldn't help but notice there was a strange and distant look in the Great Slayer's eyes.

Cassius' focus was quickly averted when he noticed something that made his skin crawl, however. Samur hadn't been the only Maykr present - there were actually quite a few among the spectators, much greater in number than any other time they and Cassius happened to be present.

And every single one of them was looking at him.

--

"My father... is the Great Slayer?"

Cassius Unna Endride Oliwa-Blazkowicz couldn't believe the words that came out of his own mouth. Halla simply nodded, her expression gentle yet solemn.

"Yes, my boy. He told me of what he could remember about you," she explained. "For a long time, he couldn't remember what you looked like, or what your name was, because of how long he has spent in Hell. It was only one day that he seemed to suddenly remember and told me the name he gave you."

It was just so much for him to take in. To think, that he was the child of perhaps the most legendary warrior in Argenta history - and he had never even known. But why?

"What happened to him that caused him to forget me?" Cassius asked. There was a low, rumbling whine of sorts off to his side, and a familiar scaly muzzle nudged into the man's side. He ran a comforting hand over the golden-scaled snout of his companion; an Argenta war-dragon, once the personal steed of the Great Slayer. He didn't know how she'd been separated, but he was glad to have found her - the strength of her flames had saved his life countless times.

"Long ago, you had a previous life," Halla began. "His home was invaded by demons, and you.. died. He was struck with so much fury and grief that he declared war on Hell itself to avenge his family and people. The Maykrs were the ones who brought you back to life - from what I know of the matter, they bargained with Hell in exchange for your soul. I do not know why they did so."

He couldn't help but wonder what price they would've paid, just for him. Or, perhaps, who they sacrificed for him. How many people were slaughtered to sate the endless hunger of the dark realm, as a trade for one measly little soul? A part of him hoped that those questions would remain answered.

"Is he still alive, my father?" He questioned, quickly realizing how stupid the question was after it left his lips - of course his father was alive, he was the Great Slayer! Halla seemed to share the same sentiment, as she nodded, suddenly becoming much more cheerful than before.

"Truthfully? I do not have an answer. But I have faith he lives nonetheless, and I imagine you must feel the same way." She gave him a smile; Cassius always found it remarkable, how she could find the good and light in just about any terrible situation.

"I want to find my father. But... I don't know if I'm ready for it." Given that they were currently trapped in Hell on account of the betrayal of the Deag priests, it was a miracle that he - or anyone, really - had managed to survive for this long against the demons. "I was sure I was going to die until I found Dandelion, and even then- I just.. I'm not ready to face this place like my father can."

Cassius hung his head in shame; he was of the Slayer's blood. He was the son of the greatest demon slayer in Argenta history, and yet he lacked the strength and conviction to follow the same path his father did. He felt weak, both in body and spirit - but he didn't linger on those darker thoughts for very long. His guardian suddenly cupped his face with her hands, gently turning his head up so that he'd look her right in the eyes.

"My boy... there is no shame in admitting weakness. It is alright if you are not ready; in the end, you are still a Night Sentinel and always will be one, through and through. And beyond that? You are our son. I will not let you face this world alone until you feel like you are ready to take that step."

He couldn't stop the tears that began to well up in his crimson eyes, or the trembling smile that crossed his face.

Halla pulled him into an embrace, and for the first time in a long time, Cassius began to cry.

[sunuism]

now that i finished boys planet here are my thoughts!

overall: i’m pretty happy about the final lineup actually. turns out that even if it isn’t rigged people will vote for the ones who are talented :) anyways i am happy that zb1 ended up being only vocalists 😭 and they have some GOOD ones!!! like taerae, hao and hanbin all had main vocal positions throughout the program and i love to see it 😩🫶 they will probably make someone the rapper tho and it’s probably gonna be gyuvin… i do not remember hearing him sing a single line ever 😭😭😭 and lastly the level of slay and cunt among the members is astronomical! i can’t wait to see them perform as a group 🥹

anyways here’s my thoughts about each of the top 9

kim jiwoong: i’m obsessed w him as a person but i feel like i didn’t even get to see him shine on the stage during the program tho. he seems to be a good dancer and a decent vocalist tho and ofc he’s really charismatic :3

zhang hao: i am obsessed with him and he deserved that win so much!!! the industry is NOT ready for him 😩 also i love his speaking voice sm! the little vocal fry’s he does! i’m obsessed!!!!

sung hanbin: MOTHER!!! the reason he was on top during the whole program is bc he DESERVED it!!!! like he’s such a good performer and dancer and he can even sing! literally the perfect idol… like he’s NOT just a pretty dozen he actually has the talent 😩😩😩

seok matthew: again i don’t really remember his performances that much 😶 maybe it’s on me for not paying attention. but he’s obviously really cute and charming so i understand how he placed so high

kim taerae: lichrally perfect!!! idc he’s not the best dancer bc he makes up for it with vocals and musical talent!!! also he’s so adorable 😭😭😭 the prettiest smile ever

ricky: CHARISMA BOSS BABY RICKY!!!!!! and he lives up to his name!!! so young and yet such a slayer already! can’t wait to see more of him also

kim gyuvin: i am sorry but he’s really did not stick out to me AT ALL 😭 like i know the only reason he placed so high is bc he’s tall and pretty 😶

park gunwook: MY SON NR1! so young and already so talented!!! like he’s an actual all rounder i’m obsessed! and so cewt 🥹

han yujin: MY SON NR2! now… he’s so young… BUT he’s also really talented for his age and he hasn’t trained for very long so like natural talent ok slay!!!

and the people who were ROBBED in my opinion!!!

KEITA: literal all rounder! and he’s such an energetic performer 😭 and i’m really sad we didn’t get to hear more of his vocals bc i really loved his singing voice! i will definitely look into ciipher bc of him

yoo seungeon: all i can say is i hope he debuts at some point… as far as i remember he’s in the same company as gyuvin and yujin so they’ll probably debut later in a group!!! i am looking forward to it… AND i just found out he’s a former sm trainee… explains so much 😭

wumuti: he’s my villain origin story… IF HE DOESNT DEBUT AT OJE POINT 🔫 (also i’m pretty sure he’s the only 99’er on the whole show so i have to support my friend)

haruto: he also needs to debut soon… companies… i’m watching you 👹

[miyamorana]

2022 Fic Recs Part 3: Everything Else

Happy New Year everyone! I have once again read a lot of fics in 2022 and want to share my favorites. I’m only reccing complete fics as usual, although I’m reading a lot of amazing WIPs. Maybe at some point I’ll do a special WIPs rec list?

Anyways! This is Part 3, which is for everything other than anime/manga fandoms.

Part 1: BnHA (25 + 2 crossovers (Harry Potter and Star Wars)) Part 2: Other Anime (Haikyuu!! (18), Hunter X Hunter (1), Jujutsu Kaisen (8))

Fandoms: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Stargate SG-1 crossover (1), Harry Potter (9), Julie and the Phantoms (1), The Legend of Zelda (1), Our Flag Means Death (1), Percy Jackson & Related Fandoms (6), The Sandman (4), The Sandman/Julie and the Phantoms crossover (1), Teen Wolf (5), Voltron: Legendary Defender (2), The Witcher (3)

Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Stargate SG-1 Crossover Title: Bridges Author: Tassos Pairing: None Rating: Teen Word Count: 114,456 Series: Part 1 of Bridges 'verse (Words: 140,209 - Works: 4) Summary: After the collapse of Sunnydale, Jack gets a call about a woman he knew over twenty years ago . . . and the son he never knew he had.

Fandom: Harry Potter Title: Azoth Author: zeitgeistic Pairing: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy Rating: Explicit Word Count: 88,722 Series: Part 1 of Azoth (Words: 90,351 - Works: 2) Summary: Now that Harry is back at Hogwarts with Hermione for eighth year, he realises that something’s missing from his life, and it either has to do with Ron, his boggart, Snape, or Malfoy. Furthermore, what, exactly, does it mean when one’s life is defined by the desire to simultaneously impress and annoy a portrait? Harry has no idea; he’s too busy trying not to be in love with Malfoy to care.

Fandom: Harry Potter Title: Life skills outside the curriculum Author: Endrina Pairing: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy Rating: Explicit Word Count: 66,238 Summary: It was "Witch Weekly", of all people and organizations, the first to notice and comment on The Boy Who Lived’s absence from the ranks of first years at Hogwarts. The magazine went on to elucubrate that the young hero was studying at a foreign school, possibly Beauxbatons or Holzschuhkäse.

Fandom: Harry Potter Title: The Meaning of Mistletoe Author: Endrina Pairing: Remus Lupin/Severus Snape (Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy in later parts) Rating: Mature (Part 3 is rated Explicit) Word Count: 30,708 Series: Part 1 of The secret language of plants (Words: 373,077 - Works: 4) Summary: “Just… tell me. Tell me what is going on, Snape.”

What was going on was that Severus Snape had no trouble tracking down one Petunia Evans, now Dursley, to a little town in Surrey where he saw how exactly she was treating her nephew. Which somehow led to last night and Severus knocking on Lupin’s door with a toddler half-asleep in his arms.

Fandom: Harry Potter Title: Mental Author: sara_holmes Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter Rating: Mature Word Count: 186,678 Summary: Harry has had quite enough of sharing his mind with someone else, thankyouverymuch. A miscast Legilimecy spell says otherwise.

Fandom: Harry Potter Title: Slithering Author: astolat Pairing: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter Rating: Explicit Word Count: 27,355 Summary: Draco found the nest down in the Manor’s cellars, while he was clearing them out.

Fandom: Harry Potter Title: The Gift of Kindness Author: hippocrates460 Pairing: Harry Potter/Severus Snape Rating: Explicit Word Count: 107,004 Summary: When Harry arrives at Hogwarts, everything is overwhelming. Luckily he makes some friends, Hagrid who took him to Diagon Alley, Ron who he met on the train, and Severus, who explains why they have to pretend to hate each other. This story spans 7 years, during which Severus and Harry get to know each other and find understanding.

Fandom: Harry Potter Title: A Radical Change in (Self) Perception Author: AnyaElizabeth Pairing: Harry Potter/Severus Snape Rating: Explicit Word Count: 57,117 Summary: Harry should know better than to touch museum exhibits, especially in a magical museum. Now he's in trouble...

Fandom: Harry Potter Title: Things Gained in the Chamber of Secrets Author: Blueseabird2 Pairing: None Rating: Teen Word Count: 21,437 Summary: Harry finds out that the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets might not be particularly happy to be acting against students. Turns out, a hatred of baby Dark Lords and a tendency towards being over-protective makes an excellent basis for friendship. Harry gains a new mother. She has several opinions on how people are treating her hatchling.

Fandom: Harry Potter Title: Just a Few Changes (will Keep you Safe) Author: Blueseabird2 Pairing: Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley (Background Relationship) Rating: Teen Word Count: 29,841 Summary: It's been over five years since Voldemort's defeat when Harry Potter gets pushed through a portal and falls into the Great Hall of Hogwarts. This wouldn't be a problem, exactly, except it's his parents' Hogwarts instead of his own. Thankfully, Hermione and Ron aren't about to let him face this newest form of trouble by himself. Even more fortunately, Hermione says they're in a different dimension entirely. Harry has a castle full of living ghosts, his best friends by his side, and three to six months to make just a few changes. Starting with a snake.

Fandom: Julie and the Phantoms Title: Touch Me Like a Love Song Author: breakaway71 Pairing: Julie Molina/Reggie Peters Rating: General Word Count: 1,201 Summary: Julie has always kept her deepest feelings locked away in the dream box her mother gave her when she was very young. Reggie, on the other hand, uses a plain old notebook. She swears she didn't mean to read it.

Fandom: The Legend of Zelda (Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask and related fandoms) Title: Sands of Time Author: tirsynni Pairing: Ganondorf/Link Rating: Teen Word Count: 103,445 Series: Part 1 of Sands of Time (Words: 118,807 - Works: 8 (some of which are WIPs)) Summary: Link awakens in the desert with no idea how he got there, to encounter his worst enemy...except it was the King of the Gerudo, not the King of Evil, he faced.

Fandom: Our Flag Means Death Title: on the bed of this blue ocean Author: kirkaut Pairing: Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet Rating: Teen Word Count: 9,684 Series: Part 1 of on a homeward path we go (Words: 25,540 - Works: 2) Summary: Ed’s made up his mind: if he ever lays eyes on Stede fucking Bonnet again, he’s a dead man. Ed’s had six months of Stede-lessness, and six months of thinking about all the terrible things he’d do to him when they saw each other again. Somehow, it never occurred to him to think that they’d never have the chance. [Or: Ed hears about Stede's 'death' and promptly falls apart.]

Fandom: Percy Jackson & Related Fandoms Title: Runaways Author: MermaidMarie Pairing: None Rating: Teen Word Count: 9,697 Summary: “You again,” the kid said. “You again,” Leo replied. - In which Leo and Nico run into each other several times, before they meet on the Argo II.

Fandom: Percy Jackson & Related Fandoms Title: Love, Or Something Like It Author: MermaidMarie Pairing: Nico di Angelo/Jason Grace Rating: Teen Word Count: 15,078 Summary: In which, a year after the prophecy is over, Nico and Jason get sent on a quest where they have another run-in with Cupid. Things go a little differently this time.

Fandom: Percy Jackson & Related Fandoms Title: Those walls I built didn't even put up a fight Author: Aza (sazandorable) Pairing: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace Rating: General Word Count: 14,214 Summary: "Is it morally okay to stab a medic with their own scissors?" Nico asked Cecil. (Not that he usually cared about morally okay, as Octavian might demonstrate.) Nico's three days in the infirmary go by faster than he'd thought, and Will just won't stop flirting.

Fandom: Percy Jackson & Related Fandoms Title: As The Miles Go By Author: Marine_is_Hope Pairing: Nico di Angelo/Jason Grace/Piper McLean Rating: Teen Word Count: 18,130 Summary: What are you supposed to do after you single-handedly win a war? Would you try to stop another, run and hide, or would you try to make something new? Would you go searching for those who had disappeared without a trace? Three months after the battle with Gaea, Nico is running and Jason is searching. Piper is just trying to keep everything together. In the end, it all boils down to one last question: how far would you go to overcome the past? How many miles would you travel to save someone who doesn’t believe that they deserve a new beginning?

Fandom: Percy Jackson & Related Fandoms Title: The Blank Pages at the End of the Atlas Author: Sour_Idealist Pairing: Nico di Angelo/Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson Rating: Explicit Word Count: 37,360 Summary: Five years after the Gaea War, Percy and Annabeth are at Camp Half-Blood, training the students, treading water. Then a fairly straightforward task - get a vulnerable demigod child to safety - turns up an old friend.

Fandom: Percy Jackson & Related Fandoms Title: Halloween Candy & Crushes Author: MermaidMarie Pairing: Nico di Angelo/Jason Grace Rating: General Word Count: 3,567 Summary: It started with someone casually commenting at dinner one night that Halloween was probably Nico’s favorite holiday. Impassively, Nico had shrugged and picked at his food. “Never really had a Halloween.” Jason had perked up, the way he always did when Nico shared any personal detail about himself. “Me neither,” he offered.

Fandom: The Sandman Title: Building on These Foundations Author: breakaway71 Pairing: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling Rating: General Word Count: 2,085 Summary: What happened to Dream's realm when he was captured can never be allowed to happen again. It's time he took precautions to ensure it does not.

Fandom: The Sandman Title: King of Infinite Space Author: Banhus Pairing: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling Rating: Mature Word Count: 15,865 Summary: In which Hob has a spate of odd nightmares, a collection of strays, a student with an unusual knack, and a very weird fall semester.

Fandom: The Sandman Title: Inspire in Me, the Desire in Me Author: ElloPoppet Pairing: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling Rating: Teen Word Count: 14,850 Series: Part 1 of In Between Days (Words: 20,705 - Works: 2) Summary: It’s the right day, but the year is all wrong, and Dream suspects that there’s something else not quite right even before he finds himself standing in front of the shuttered remains of the White Horse Tavern. Still, he’s chilled in a way he’s not accustomed to feeling, reminiscent of the hopeless, free-falling frost that climbed up his spine and inside his gut the day he was meant to meet Hob when he was imprisoned. And that’s what it is, he realizes, this cold feeling. Hopelessness. Should Dream seek him out, would Hob welcome him as a friend, or turn his shoulder as he would on an intruder? It’s what he would deserve, Dream muses as he’s preparing to turn heel from the tavern’s closed gates, even though as he’s resigning himself to shame he’s also gearing up to make this his next mission, his next purpose: to find Hob Gadling. Alternatively: Dream and Hob find each other in 2021, and see no reason why they have to wait centuries to see each other again. And again.

Fandom: The Sandman Title: more sky comes and more days Author:  Chrome Pairing: Calliope/Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling Rating: Teen Word Count: 18,537 Summary: In the aftermath of her imprisonment, Calliope is determined to learn to trust humans again, so she finds a roommate and settles in the mortal world. Meanwhile, her former husband has been on another quest that ended in grief, and he seeks her out for solace. What could possibly go wrong? or, “Hey, Zed,” Hob answered. “Something the matter?” “Yes,” she said. “Calliope’s ex showed up and he’s fucking terrifying.”

Fandom: The Sandman/Julie and the Phantoms Crossover Title: Good Dreams, Sweet Prince Author: breakaway71 Pairing: Dream of the Endless | Morpheus/Hob Gadling Rating: General Word Count: 34,015 Summary: When Dream leaves the Burgess estate, he does so without realizing that more was taken from him during his captivity than he ever knew. As the dust settles and his realm begins to heal, Dream is unprepared for Lucienne to tell him of a ghost in the Dreaming. A ghost tethered to the mortal plane, and who can sleep as no ghost should be able to sleep. Meanwhile, after growing up with adoptive parents who hated each other more than they ever loved him, Reggie has always craved a family who wanted him. He died before he ever had the chance to find his birth father, but then, when has a little thing like death stood in the way of Reggie and his dreams?

Fandom: Teen Wolf Title: El Lazo Author: thisgirlsays22 Pairing: Derek Hale/Stile Stilinkski Rating: Explicit Word Count: 50,995 Series: Part 1 of El Lazo (Words: 54,503 - Works: 2) Summary: "Seriously, Derek, level with me here. Is this some kind of werewolf mating ritual?"

"No, Stiles." Derek scowls, shooting him a dirty look.

~

Canon-flavored college AU in which Stiles is a little bit older, Derek's a little bit wiser, and Erica and Boyd still manage to get kidnapped by the Alpha Pack.

Fandom: Teen Wolf Title: Where You Still Remember Dreaming Author: yodasyoyo Pairing: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes Rating: Explicit Word Count: 95,612 Summary: “What’s your name? I can’t keep calling you Balto.” “What’s yours?” “Stiles.” Derek raises an eyebrow. That isn’t his real name. There’s no way. But now he thinks about it, he has a vague memory of someone, probably Uncle Peter, telling him that with the fae, names have power. “I’m Miguel,” he says. “Lie.” “Are you trying to tell me your real name is Stiles?” Stiles runs his tongue across his teeth and considers Derek carefully. “Fair enough,” he says, “Miguel it is.” Grabbing his groceries and pocketing the change, Derek turns to leave; he’s nearly at the door when Stiles calls out, “By the way, Miguel, if you’re interested, it’s two for one on bags of kibble at the pet store down the street.” Derek doesn’t look back, doesn’t hesitate, just raises a hand and flips him off on the way out.

Fandom: Teen Wolf Title: Blood Pounding in Our Veins Author: minusoneday Pairing: Danny Mahealani/Stiles Stilinski Rating: Mature Word Count: 41,305 Summary: Stiles figured that Mrs. McCall finding out Scott’s secret would change things, but he’s completely unprepared for the very first thing she does, which is to invite Isaac to move in with her and Scott. *** In which Stiles is angry. For some very good reasons.

Fandom: Teen Wolf Title: A Brief Introduction to Live Action Roleplaying Author: wldnst Pairing: Danny Mahealani/Stiles Stilinski Rating: Teen Word Count: 28,171 Summary: Jackson tells Danny he's a werewolf. Danny gets werewolf advice from a stranger on the internet. Things escalate from there.

Fandom: Teen Wolf Title: Don't Call Me Buttercup Author: ElloPoppet Pairing: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski Rating: Teen Word Count: 15,825 Summary: Isaac wants to do Secret Santa. Derek is bad at gifts. Stiles helps, and also practices making Derek uncomfortable with awful, cutesy pet names along the way. Derek secretly loves the pet names. Oh, and he loves Stiles as well.

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Title: The Snow on Mars Author: museaway Pairing: Keith/Shiro Rating: Teen Word Count: 11,243 Summary: This is the reality with a happy ending thanks to the help of a meddling inter-dimensional being and a few Christmas ‘spirits’ sent to show Shiro the past, present, and future.

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender Title: Method Acting Author: YouAreInAComaWakeUp (Nikanaiko) Pairing: Keith/Lance Rating: Teen Word Count: 11,116 Summary: A lot of things can happen in ten years.

Things like a person's citizenship being revoked due to new, xenophobic laws.

But there is...one...loophole.

Fandom: The Witcher Title: Do it Again Author: thisgirlsays22 Pairing: Geralt/Jaskier Rating: Explicit Word Count: 6,771 Summary: By the twentieth time Geralt has gone through the loop, he decides to just throw himself off the cliff’s edge after Borch.

He wakes up to his twenty-first attempt.

“Fuck.”

Fandom: The Witcher Title: Fever Author: breakaway71 Pairing: Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier Rating: General Word Count: 2,158 Summary: Jaskier has all but forgotten he's anything but human.

Fandom: The Witcher Title: Goodbye To All My Darkness (There's Nothing Here But Light) Author: ElloPoppet Pairing: Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier Rating: Explicit Word Count: 9,910 Summary: Geralt of Rivia made his way to Kaer Morhen during the Summer of the 78th year of his life, believing himself ill. * “Some would consider the extraordinarily rare gift of a soulmate something to be grateful for, Geralt. A side effect of your mutation to be celebrated. Although, I can understand why having an empathic bond with a newborn creature might be making you feel a bit bratty.” Minutes of silence stretched between them, interrupted only by the sounds of the wind whipping through the valley outside. Eventually, Geralt lifted his head and stood. “Fuck.” He said after a time, with finality. “Hmm,” Vesemir agreed. * In the 97th year of his life, Geralt met a bard named Jaskier.

[bbyboykats]

Hi I really loved your Rengoku Kankgari story (It was a masterpiece I loved it 😊) and I had an idea and would love to request how Rengoku son or daughter would react to meeting the Kamaboko Squad for the first time and watching them train to see what they about the Kamaboko Squad. So Kyojuro and his S/O can talk with them about his job. I thought it would be cute and I really love rengoku as well and followed you and keep up the good work 💖🥰☺️😊

I'm sorry this took so long!! I really struggled with how I wanted to write this and what I wanted to happen, I'm kinda new to this! But thank you SO much for the kind words and the request!! It's my first one ever so I really feel the pressure lol. I've been reading your fics too and love them! If I can ever think of an idea I'll def be requesting!!

(I also had to look up Kamaboko Squad bc I didn't know that was the name for the kids LOL)

Warnings: None really, mention of what happened to Tanjiro’s family and mentions of killing a demon. I didn’t include Kanoe and Genya, I can’t figure out if they’re included or it’s just the 3 mains?!

You and Kyojuro's child meeting Kamaboko Squad for the first time!

Tanjiro Kamado

It's hard to imagine the Kamaboko Squad wouldn't be involved from the get go with your and Kyojuro's kid

ESPECIALLY Tanjiro

They were so impressed with Rengoku after the Mugen Train, they became his shadow after he fully recovered

YES HE DID FULLY RECOVER THANKS

Anyways

Since Tanjiro had so many siblings, his connection to your baby was easy and instant

He was at your home almost everyday

Helping with the cooking, cleaning, laundry, and even tending to the baby while you got some much needed rest

He's such a good kid and a hard worker!

When your child got older, they began sitting in on the training between their father and the Kamaboko Squad, picking up on a few things as they went along

Kyojuro soon said your child was able to join them, and when he wasn't around, Tanjiro taught him what he knew so he could impress his father when he got back

He would ask tons of questions:

Mission details

Scariest demon he's faced?

Nicest demon?

Weirdest?

Typical stuff kids would want to know

Tanjiro would tell it all with a smile, obviously omitting things that weren't suitable for a child

"Big brother, why did you become a demon slayer?" Tanjiro sat for a minute, really pondering what he should tell the child. His reasons are dark, probably too dark for the innocent ears of a young child. He too felt he was too young and naïve to learn the truth, but he was thrust into a world he knew nothing about. He looked down at the child who gazed up at him with nothing but wonder in his eyes.

"Well, a bad demon hurt my family a while ago. I vowed to get justice for them and, like your father, want to protect those weaker than myself." A dusting of a blush danced across the child's cheeks.

"I'm going to become strong just like you and father! I'll protect everyone!"

Zenitsu Agatsuma

Ah, the resident nervous boy

What can he really say about the job?

Man's been asleep his entire career

He was a nervous wreck throughout your pregnancy

At a certain point, he was banned from your residence until after the birth

There was an incident when you had braxton hicks contractions

We don't talk about it

He came to see you with the rest of the squad a couple days after birth

He was too nervous to hold the baby, but he did let them squeeze his finger

He's never seen such tiny hands!

He tried to ask quite a few questions about breast feeding, to which Tanjiro immediately pulled him out the room

As the kid grew older, he became less nervous and more accustomed to the presence of the child

They often trained together, lifting self made weights and going on runs

"What's a memory you'll never forget from being a demon slayer?" Zenitsu crossed his arms as he leaned back on the bench they were on, eyes closed as he thought back on his little time as a demon slayer.

"Well, there was this kid. He wasn't part of the corps, but he was one of the strongest fighters I've ever met. I didn't even see him kill the demon he was so fast. Shoichi...I wonder how he's doing." Your child watched him as he thought deeply, not really satisfied with the answer but not really willing to press him either.

Inosuke Hashibira

This guy

Between his quickness to anger and his size, you weren’t sure if having him around the baby a lot was such a good idea

Not to mention Inosuke isn’t exactly a regular bather 

He had mellowed out since meeting Tanjiro, although he was still a hot head

Not to mention, he saw you as a mother figure since he barely had any recollection of his own

So for you and your baby, he took a bath!!

He wasn’t sure what to do with a baby, he’s never really been close to one

You sat him in a chair and instructed how to hold the baby, gently correcting anything that was wrong so you didn’t bruise his ego and he didn’t hurt the baby

He’d never say this out loud, but he was nervous

He may not be the strongest around, but he’s def strong and a baby is fragile

And you were important to him, you would be upset with him if something happened to your child because of him

You could tell he was nervous

It was so sweet, but you knew he had no reason to be nervous!

You watched fondly as held your new baby, they were only a few days old. Inosuke was a special kid. He had a rough upbringing being raised by boars in the wild and all, but inside he’s a kind soul. His interactions with people were so limited as a child, of course he doesn’t know some things. He held a special place in your heart. You placed a gentle hand on his head, prompting him to look up at you from the baby. 

“You’re going to be a great big brother.” His eyes widened slightly. You always praised his ability to do things, even if he never actually believed you. He may be proud outwardly to everyone with an ear, but inside he was just an insecure little boy. His constant need for validation was a result of his raging insecurities. You could tell he didn’t believe you. Just then, the baby’s hand reached up and touched him on the apple of his cheek. He looked back down at the baby, red and gold eyes gazing up at him.

“See? He thinks so too.”

[naivesilver]

top 5 adaptations of the Fairy from Pinocchio? (or maybe top 5 best AND 5 worst?)

I spent so long staring at this and wondering if I even KNEW five good Fairies, but it turns out I do, albeit mostly for asinine reasons. Anyway AHFAKKJKFHAHJKJA thank you <3

Ask me my top 5 anything

Obviously under the cut because I couldn't resist and did BOTH

The salt AKA the worst of the worst first:

1) Piccolino No Bouken

Surprised? I suppose most would have expected me to put the Disney Fairy first, and I did, too, for a while, but as I was sitting in my car pondering this ranking I realized I was SEETHING with rage about this one, so I had to rearrange things a bit. This, guys, is where my Fairy hate begins - not the book, not the Mouse's interference. This woman.

I hate her. I hate her SO MUCH, for all that I love this adaptation more than most things in the world, and that the choices made about her characterization were a huge inspiration for me. Not only does she not send Pinocchio to school, instead teaching him on her own, she is the only one to actively keep Pinocchio from his father - indeed, she makes the choice for them, saying to Geppetto's face that it would be best for the boy to be taught something before he goes back home. Who the hell are you to make this call, uh? You have known him for a day at most! You left him hanging from a fucking tree all night! I wouldn't trust you with a bloody lapdog, nevermind a child!

Also she lets Pinocchio believe she's dead UNTIL THE VERY END. She turns into a bird while he cries at her tomb. Are we fucking serious now? Leave him alone.

(Yes, this is elementary school me howling for revenge. I've been mad about this longer than reason would let me. Sue me.)

2) Disney's Pinocchio

Bane of my existence. I don't know if anyone remembers that pic of me at the Pinocchio theme park I posted a while ago, but basically in that moment they were putting up a little show to tell children a little bit of the OG story, and they asked the audience if they knew what color the Fairy's hair was - a few said blonde, and I, being on stage next to her, distinctly heard her mutter "dammit, Disney". I've been living with that mantra since then.

Nobody asked you to make that puppet sentient, ma'am. He doesn't owe you shit. Aside from that, just like Jiminy Cricket, she ruined her character in a good two thirds of future adaptation. And while we're speaking of Jiminy, WHY did she think it would be a good idea to entrust a little boy to a slime ball such as him? He's too horny to have an ounce of sense. Conscience, my ass.

Basically...begone, asshole.

3) Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night

This film is so horrible, the Fairy had no chance to be decent at all. A cheap copy of the Disney one, with the addendum that she turns MULTIPLE toys into living beings while holding them responsible for whatever they do after. Basically Victor Frankenstein, but make it a poorly dressed woman from a direct-to-TV movie that shouldn't have existed at all.

-100/10, at least you're pretty, but by God, SHUT UP.

4) Once Upon a Time

Honest to God if she doesn't keep her filthy hands off my faves she's gonna get a slap across the face so strong her Wish Realm self ought to feel it sting. I am not exaggerating.

Seven seasons in, she hasn't done ANYTHING useful that I can remember. She's not even good at her own fucking job! Not only that, she's traumatized and guilt-tripped a good chunk of the population of Storybrooke, including first and foremost my beloved son August. The Pavlovian reaction I had every time she appeared on screen can't be described in coherent words, only in eagle screeches.

She's wrong. On principle, she's wrong. Let's move on.

5) Luigi Comencini's Le Avventure di Pinocchio

Doesn't rank higher only because she's played by Gina Lollobrigida (my beloved). She's book accurate, which means she'd be annoying as fuck as it is, but what little they added only makes her worse.

She has the gall to tell Pinocchio she'd like to see him happier. Like, apart from the fact that the ghost of his father's deceased wife isn't exactly the most reassuring person to hear it from...Said father has been swallowed by a giant fish. You told that boy he's only going to see his father if he studies hard. You keep turning him into a puppet anytime he misbehaves. What did you expect, that he would do the Macarena every time he entered your house? I am honestly too shocked to say any more. What the fuck.

.

.

.

Okay, I've been enraged enough for a single night. Let's move onto brighter shores!

1) Enzo D'Alò's Pinocchio

Enzo D'Alò knows what the fuck is UP!!! The only one with the courage to let the Fairy be a weird little girl - not only for a short time, but up until the end of the movie! That takes guts! Balls of steel!

I've said before that this movie has nothing memorable to it, and it's true, but also...Pinocchio wanted a sister so bad, and the movie gave him one. And they even explained the plot hole of the medallion with Pinocchio's face in it! That's twice as good as the fact that they cut out the most awful parts of her story, which is already delightful.

Thank you, Mr D'Alò. You have my trust until the end of days.

2) The Adventures of Buratino

Speaking of weird girls, this one is officially balls to the walls enough to gain my respect. She's bothersome to Pinocchio, but she's bothersome to everyone and everything, so I'll let it pass. Her role is exclusively to appear out of nowhere and do batshit insane stuff for no good reason at all. A star.

Plus, other than having an handwashing obsession that I've felt very keenly in the past year and a half, she also has a boyfriend - her and Pierrot are the original girlboss and malewife, I'm not accepting any criticism on the matter.

(Fun fact: when I was a young kid I once dreamt that the Piccolino No Bouken Fairy was dating a big, buff and blonde farmhand. He wooed her by gifting Pinocchio a dog. Apparently I've always been very interested in Fairies getting a love life and staying the fuck away from my specialest little boy.)

3) Pinocchio miniseries

"Serena, but you said you were disappointed in this adaptation so many times!" True. But consider: I am also very, very queer, and Violante Placido being motherly and wearing wispy dresses stirred SOMETHING in 11yo me that I can't very well ignore.

In hindsight, she and the Cricket probably had something going on behind the scenes, which is a shame. Miss Fairy, I swear, you could do better than Luciana Littizzetto in an ill-fitting green suit. She's gonna break your heart and lose your puppet charge in a crowd of little idiots. Do me instead.

4) Pinocchio Vampire Slayer

This woman kills monsters - and she's damn good at it! Honestly, so badass, and such a good mother figure too, even in trying times. I don't want to spoil the comic much to those who haven't read it, but she and Cherry are the highlight of the first volume and I am very fond of them. A+.

5) Matteo Garrone's Pinocchio

This one's book accurate, too, but Garrone did something with her that almost burst in tears in a crowded theater. She's awful, and irritating, but she's...she's so human, too. I can't rage against a Fairy that's so impossibly human even during the smallest of scenes. It breaks me over and over again.

Look at her SMILING, for pity's sake, am I supposed to think there's some warmth in the dead lady? Fuck you, Matteo, what did you do to me? I am an honored Fairy hater. You're going to ruin my reputation if you keep this up.

[perseusjackson-jasongrace]

Angst 1 for Jason? I'm feeling like some sad lightning boi I dont know why but ye

Hello darling Anon! Thanks for the prompt and I hope I did you well🥺 dis is hella angsty

Jercy Masterlist

Jason Grace doesn't have enough fingers to list how many things he's done wrong in the last month.

1. Losing his best friend

2.Losing his girlfriend

3.Being unable to help all the demigod's he's promised

4.Letting Reyna down by not coming back to SPQR

5.Dammit he can't even put on his fucking shirt the right way.

Holding in a scream he tugs it off and flips it so the tag is on the inside. He's proud of himself for not ditching clothing altogether, ditching life altogether. There is so much temptation in taking to the skies and floating for the rest of his days. It's not like anyone would miss him, would even notice he was gone. And maybe it's for the best. It certainly wouldn't be unexpected. For years he's wanted to be anonymous, just another one of the Campers. For years he's secretly rejected his titles as Son of Jupiter, Praetor of New Rome, Slayer of the Black Throne. He shouldn't complain now that he's ignored, unwanted.

There's a knock at his cabin that he pulls him out of his self-deprecating pity hour. Checking to make sure he has his pants and shirt on and his head firmly on his neck he grabs his sword and opens the door.

"Jason!" Will Solace gasps, "Please come it's Nico!"

His heart turns to stone, lungs become useless masses, "Let's go." He manages to breathe, "Brief me on the way."

They sprint through the camp, uncaring of the shouts and greetings coming from every side. They don't have time. It seems ever since they had defeated Kronos the clocks spin uncontrollably; hours are seconds and minutes only exist in the afternoon and nobody knows if one week is seven days or three blinks of an eye, if years are twelve months or a century.

"A breach at the west border. Monsters we've never seen before. They just snuck up on us. Nico's been raising the dead to fight but I'm afraid he's not strong enough yet. Not after the war. He'll burn out soon and they'll overwhelm him." Will gasps.

"How many?"

"Twenty maybe twenty five?"

"You call anyone else?"

The Son of Apollo shakes his head as they sprint around the corner, "Percy is in school he only arrives tomorrow. Clarisse is gone to visit her mom and there's so many Campers in the infirmary. The rest are the little ones."

"How fa—" Jason beholds the scene in front of him and every nerve in his body shut down.

There in the middle of skeletal warriors and black shadows is Nico Di Angelo. All around them are scaly four-legged vipers hissing and spitting. One opens its grossly enormous jaw and snaps it around a skeleton with a sickening crunch. Another skeleton pops up in the exact same place and with a rattling, he supposes is a scream, attacks the monster.

"NICO!" Will screams, trying to catch his boyfriend's attention.

The Son of Hades although dangerously powerful is grey and heaving as if the sheer force of his summonings are turning his own body to it's bony structure.

"Go!" Will shouts at him.

With a nod, Jason pulls his sword out and steps into the ring of the dead.

Gods these things are a hundred times more terrifying up close. Sharp teeth and poisoned spikes on their tales and oh gods jagged claws to top it all off. But he's fought armies before and survived. This will not deter him. So with the force of Zeus and the strategies of Jupiter flowing through his muscles he brings his sword down on the first creature.

It shrieks and his ears ring like a bell clanging in his skull. But the head thumps to the ground and the monster crumbles to dust.

Decapitation then.

He sidesteps the swish of a tail, chopping it off as it goes past. First mistake. Three tails grow back and he knows one drop of poison will be enough to end him. He vaults into the air using the wind to push him as high as possible and then he's slamming in the body of the creature and sawing at its head.

His foot slams into the ground as the monster powders underneath him. Second mistake. His ankle is broken and there's three more of these things advancing towards him.

He bites down a scream as he attempts to walk. It's no use. Stand here and fight it is. Summoning as much lightning as he can, blue eyes sparking maliciously, he looks directly into the first of them and slams five thousand volts of electricity into its brain. Before he knows it's dead he's onto the next. This time he bides his time, let's it come closer and when he can hear its ugly breathing and feel its lack of heat he stabs his sword into its neck and watches it bleed black.

The third monster is clever, it's learnt. But Jason doesn't know. So he gathers all his strength and waits for it to pounce. By now Nico is a few meters away, holding his own but pale beyond healthy. The monster shakes its body, scales rippling in the afternoon sun. It takes one step closer. Jason grips his sword, holds the power thrumming in his fingers. The monster moves again and he swears its smiling.

He turns to Nico, "You good?"

Third mistake. The monster let's out a vile screech and slams into them.

"NICO!" Someone screams. It sounds like Percy Jackson. But that can't be right. Percy is in school.

The creature's tail swipes at the Son of Hades.

Jason can't move as it's claws wrap around his throat.

I can't do anything right, he thinks. Those talons pierce his skin. The world goes black.

***

"He's a fucking idiot."

"Lay off. How was he supposed to know?"

"Maybe if he wasn't so caught up in trying to make friends he would have been able to do something."

"Leave him alone."

"Alright you lot, get out of here. I'll call you when he's awake."

Jason tries to open his eyes, tries to say something, anything. But he feels a prick in his neck and reality fades away.

***

"Is he awake?"

"How long does this take?"

"He had a broken ankle and a slit throat. Maybe a little patience is in order?"

"I still think we should send him back."

"That's enough! It wasn't his fault and we will stop acting like it.".

The Son of Jupiter groans, blinking into the world. Everything hurts. Everything. And the light above his head is blinding.

"What the hell happened?" He rasps.

"You almost got Nico killed is what!" Someone snaps.

He blinks trying to find the source of such bitterness. "I what?"

"What the fuck were you trying to do saying hi in the middle of battle?"

The room finally shifts into focus and he sees three faces staring at him intently, varying degrees of anger and relief in their expressions.

"Well?" Hazel looks at him, "What were you trying to accomplish? Were you actively trying to get him killed? I know you didn't trust him but trying to kill him Jason? I thought you got passed that after Cupid. Nico told me he trusted you."

"Hazel!" Percy Jackson glares at her.

"I'm—" He chokes, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to make sure he was okay. I— I didn't know the monster would try to get both of us." He's crying now, red hot tears spilling onto the white sheets of the infirmary bed.

"That's the problem Grace, you don't think." There is so much pain in her voice.

"Im sorry," He sobs, "Is he okay? Is he— is he—"

"He is fine Jason," Will says softly, "He managed to jump back before the tail swiped him. He's actually really worried about you. We all are."

He doesn't know what to say to that. He doesn't even know if he deserves that. Hazel is right. If he hadn't distracted Nico they wouldn't be in this situation. It was dumb luck that Nico managed to get out of the way. If he hadn't. Oh gods, Jason would have been responsible for killing his friend.

With that though he turns over in his bed and heaves straight into the trashcan.

"Everyone leave us." Percy's voice is soft, but there is an unmistakable command in it.

The buzzing of the infirmary hushes as people file out and Will gently clicks the door behind him.

"I didn't meant to distract him," Jason cries.

The Son of Poseidon clasps their hands together and looks into him, "I know Jase. I know."

He breaks down, sobs wracking his aching body. He can't even keep his head up. And the tears are ever flowing. He can't breathe, he can't breathe, he can't do this.

Percy hops onto the bed and takes him into his arms. They sit there for many moments, the sound of his crying disrupting every inch of the silence.

"I can't do this anymore Percy."

He feels the demigod stiffen and he's afraid he said too much, has pushed another person away. But then his head is being tilted up by a soft hand and he's looking into oceans.

"Tell me what's wrong."

"There is no-one left and I cannot do this alone."

Something sparks in those emerald green eyes.

"You have never been alone Jason Grace. When the world is dust and the gods can once again become mortal, you will find that only one thing still exists."

"What— what is that?" He hiccups.

"Love. You cannot be alone if you have love."

His eyes pool with tears, fall to the floor, "Lies. There is no love."

"You have forgotten my friend what it feels like. And that is no one's fault but ours. We should have been there. Should have helped you, seen the signs. I should have known."

"Why you?"

"Because I know what it's like to have everything you've never wanted and bear the burden anyway. And when I left I added to yours. I'm sorry for that. I got selfish, wanted to know what it was like to live. But that meant you suffered."

"It's not your fault. I just thought I was stronger than I am."

"You are strong. You are so strong because you are still here. You took the nature of the gods and made it your own. Took the burden of everyone in these camps and carried it on your shoulders."

"Thank you," He mumbles, getting lost in the seas, "For saying that. When did you get so philosophical and wise?"

Percy cracks a grin at that, "After Tartarus I started going to therapy. I think you should too."

He mulls it over, flips the idea around in his mind, "Okay."

"And maybe..." The black haired boy pauses, "Maybe you should come with me to Montauk for the winter holidays. I think you could use a break from all the hero stuff."

"Really?" His eyes widen, staring at his friend.

"Really. Annabeth is in Cali to spend time with her dad and my mom and Paul are just going to spend some time at home with Estelle. I could use company."

"Won't you dad like blast me for being in his territory?"

"I'll talk to him," He smirked.

"Okay. That would be great!"

Percy gives him another squeeze and then jumps to the floor.

"Rest easy Grace."

"Jackson," He stops the demigod in his tracks, "Thank you for this. I needed it."

"We are alive Grace, and we are enough." Those green eyes are intense, filled with emotion. "Remember that."

Jason nods and when he finally succumbs to sleep once more, his soul takes a deep breathe and exhales a new beginning.

[mebongster87]

The real villains and the real heroes of Season 8: predictions and foreshadowings

Back when the character posters for Season 8 was released, a few folks in the JonSa fandom speculated about how Daenerys, Euron Greyjoy, and the Night King, were shown to be seated on the Iron Throne with the Stanley Kubrick glare. Here are the pictures of what I am talking about. 

Kubrick stare is a typical characterising feature of villainy. Given that Euron Greyjoy, Daenerys Stormborn, and the Night King all sport this, it is safe to say that Team Storm are the main villains. 

The Crypts of Winterfell teaser provided us the real heroes of this season and they are these three:

Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, and Arya Stark, poised to face the threats of Ice and Fire with their best weapons, and are the real heroes of Season 8 and the story at large.

Longclaw for Jon, Sansa has her wits and charm, intelligence, and realpolitik, I mean I could go on but you get the point. Last but not the least, Arya Stark, newly minted Night King Slayer, with her Valyrian steel dagger, with which she killed the NK and Needle.

Thanks to Arya being the NK Slayer, this picture makes a whole lot of sense now and I believe we will have Jon and Sansa take down the other two villains in the story. 3 villains vs 3 heroes.

Daenerys Stormborn:

The show actually teased that Jon and Sansa will stand against Daenerys Stormborn back in Season 6.

The S06E09 Battle of the Bastards Inside the Episode commentary by David Benioff, where he says:

“If you are one of the Lords of Westeros or one of her potential opponents in the wars to come, and you get word of what happened here in Meereen, you have to be pretty nervous because this is an unprecedented threat. You’ve got a woman who has somehow formed an alliance where she’s got a Dothraki horde, a legion of Unsullied, she’s got the mercenary army of the Second Sons, and she’s got three dragons, who are now pretty close to full-grown. So if she can make it all the way across the Narrow Sea and get to Westeros, who’s gonna stand in her way?”

over shots of Daenerys about to destroy Meereen and burning people, is immediately followed by this shot of Sansa and Jon, from the tent scene, prior to Battle of Bastards, where they discuss how to defeat Ramsay (another villain).

Sneaky.

In Season 8 so far, we have seen Sansa go toe-to-toe with Daenerys, either by making her displeasure known in feeding the “greatest army the world has ever seen” with the limited food and resources that Sansa has managed to gather for the North, or derisively asking “what do dragons eat anyway” or outright defying Daenerys in Jamie’s trial. I do not see this abating in the upcoming episodes. Sansa knows that the Dragon Queen is a threat to her home, her family, and the entire North and she will be using her smarts and political prowess to outplay Daenerys.

Jon, on the other hand, will be the one to go fight Daenerys in a Dance of the Dragons 2.0. Whether Jon kills Daenerys remains to be seen. The show has buried enough clues to allude to this happening. I have written about it here and here and I think there is a strong possibility that Jon kills Daenerys, irrespective of your beliefs in those alleged leaks. 

In fact, these lines from ADWD, Jon XII, may have foreshadowed this:

Burning shafts hissed upward, trailing tongues of fire. Scarecrow brothers tumbled down, black cloaks ablaze. 

"Snow," an eagle cried, as foemen scuttled up the ice like spiders. 

Jon was armored in black ice, but his blade burned red in his fist. As the dead men reached the top of the Wall he sent them down to die again. He slew a greybeard and a beardless boy, a giant, a gaunt man with filed teeth, a girl with thick red hair. Too late he recognized Ygritte. She was gone as quick as she'd appeared. The world dissolved into a red mist. Jon stabbed and slashed and cut. He hacked down Donal Noye and gutted Deaf Dick Follard. Qhorin Halfhand stumbled to his knees, trying in vain to staunch the flow of blood from his neck. "I am the Lord of Winterfell," Jon screamed. It was Robb before him now, his hair wet with melting snow. Longclaw took his head off. Then a gnarled hand seized Jon roughly by the shoulder. He whirled …… and woke with a raven pecking at his chest. 

Here we have Jon armored in black ice, which is very reminiscent of Daenerys’ dream from ASOS, Daenerys III:

That night she dreamt that she was Rhaegar, riding to the Trident. But she was mounted on a dragon, not a horse. When she saw the Usurper's rebel host across the river they were armored all in ice, but she bathed them in dragonfire and they melted away like dew and turned the Trident into a torrent. Some small part of her knew that she was dreaming, but another part exulted. This is how it was meant to be. The other was a nightmare, and I have only now awakened.

Jon kills Ygritte, a love interest, and Robb, his kin/cousin within the same dream. Daenerys is both a love interest and his kin/aunt. 

Jon has also been referred to as the “shifting shadow” from Daenerys’s chapters...ASOS, Daenerys II.

“Sometimes she would close her eyes and dream of him, but it was never Jorah Mormont she dreamed of; her lover was always younger and more comely, though his face remained a shifting shadow.“

Melisandre in her visions sees Jon as a shifting shadow as well:

“The flames crackled softly, and in their crackling she heard the whispered name Jon Snow. His long face floated before her, limned in tongues of red and orange, appearing and disappearing again, a shadow half-seen behind a fluttering curtain. Now he was a man, now a wolf, now a man again.”

-ADWD, Melisandre I.

What’s interesting is that the show actually uses a “shadow” to allude to Jon.

Notice the focus on the shadow of Jon, right before he goes to behead Janos Slynt, someone who betrayed Ned Stark and was an enemy to House Stark. And dare I say, this reminds me of the shadow of Jamie from Bran’s visions right before he shoves the sword in the back of the Mad King Aerys. 

Since Jon and Jamie are foils, Jon could end the story as a kinslayer and Queenslayer, just as Jamie started the story as the Kingslayer. We shall see whether it does come to pass or not. Additionally, Jon has refused to kill a woman twice before (Ygritte and Melisandre), maybe he ends up having to kill a woman this third time. Notably, Ygritte was a love interest, Melisandre tried seducing Jon, and now he is in a relationship with Daenerys.   

Euron Greyjoy:

I would’ve loved for Theon to be the one to take down Euron but since he is dead, someone else will have to step up to bring this guy down.

Could Jon be the one? Or Arya?Or Yara?

Since both Euron and Daenerys have been associated with “Storm”, here are some clues that I found that I thought were interesting.

This next part is just wild speculation on my part. 

Euron is introduced to us in S06E02 Home, where he kills his brother and King Balon Greyjoy and these are some of the things he says...

And this is what Jon says before he gets crowned KITN in S06E10 The Winds of Winter...

Littlefinger needles him in the crypts before Jon leaves for Dragonstone in S07E02 Stormborn and says this...

While Daenerys Stormborn has been associated with storms, Euron has been called the Storm and in this same episode called Stormborn, we see both Daenerys and Euron but not the Night King. Interesting don’t you think?

In fact, LF’s line could be applicable to Jon being the last best hope against either or both of these two “Storms”. 

In fact, I think we may get a Daenerys Stormborn and Euron Greyjoy “Storm-Storm” alliance mainly because of this throwaway line from Yara while she is captive in the Silence at KL in S08E01...

to which Euron replies:

Now on the surface, this may seem that Yara, an ally of Daenerys is confident of Daenerys’s win over Cersei and Euron, who are current allies. To which Euron talks about sailing his fleet elsewhere??To Dragonstone maybe??? I believe the show is cluing us to the fact that Euron could possibly switch camps. I mean he is wild, unpredictable and who knows what his next move is?? However, he wants to marry the most beautiful woman in the world and just wants to side with the winning team.

In the promo for Episode 4, we see Euron going down on his knees and looks like he is proposing Cersei. If Cersei rejects his proposal, maybe he will switch sides over to Daenerys, whom he thinks has a better chance of winning and is the most beautiful woman in the world.

However, in the subtext, do we really think Daenerys’s side is the winning side????

If she is the main antagonist, then she has to lose, right? So what could this mean....that Euron switches Cersei’s camp and goes over to Daenerys’s camp thinking he is picking the winning side, only to end up on the losing side, when Daenerys finally loses. 

Euron is a wild card and hopefully, next episode provides some solid clues regarding what’s going to happen.

There is also this scene from S07E05 Eastwatch, where the maesters of the Citadel are discussing Bran’s letter about the AOTD and one of the maesters mockingly says...”Don’t forget the prophet Lodos, who said that the drowned god will rise up and destroy Aegon the Conqueror”

Prophecy twist is when Aegon the Protector aka Jon Snow who has risen from the dead, destroys the Drowned God aka Euron Greyjoy.

Or the Drowned God aka Euron Greyjoy allies himself with Aegon the Conqueror come again aka Daenerys Stormborn to attempt to destroy KL???? It remains to be seen.

Why will Jon need to kill Euron??? Maybe just maybe Euron will be involved in kidnapping Sansa to KL. And Jon has already said (to LF) “Touch my sister and I’ll kill you myself”. That Chekhov’s gun is still waiting to go off.

I can’t help but think that the scene in the godswood in S08E01 Winterfell, in front of the heart tree, when Arya and Jon reunite and they talk about Sansa and Jon says that “I am her family too”, Arya says “don’t forget that” is foreshadowing for Jon to remember his first vow after he was brought back from the death that he made to Sansa...”I won’t ever let him touch you again, I will protect you, I promise”. Jon’s vow to protect Sansa will come into play in a moment when Sansa’s safety and her life is compromised. If Euron/GC come for her, then Jon’s vows to protect Sansa are applicable here as well. 

This Jon/Arya scene then transitions to a shot of KL, where we think Sansa will get kidnapped to, and then we have shots of Cersei and Qyburn, the Golden Company with Euron and, finally we have scenes where a “sister” is held captive by Euron. And who comes to rescue his “sister” Yara?? Theon, who is a foil to Jon...I think these are interesting scene transitions. Again, since it’s rescuing one’s sister, it could be that Arya is the one who comes to rescue Sansa, together with Jon, and ends up being the one to kill Euron.

Having said all of that, I am really not sure. Mainly because I don’t think the show will let Jon kill both Euron and Daenerys. That’s a bit much for one guy, even if it’s Jon. And this is primarily where I think Arya may play a part and be the one to kill Euron. If Jon kills Daenerys, then Arya will kill Euron, again the objective remains the same, protect Sansa. That shot from the crypts teaser where Sansa is flanked by Arya one on side and Jon on the other side, with their weapons drawn in a protective stance, makes me think that both Jon and Arya will have to protect and save Sansa at some point.

Or the show could give this kill to Yara, Jamie, or even Brienne, who knows. Like I said, this part is pure speculation on my part so I could be totally wrong.

And finally Cersei Lannister:

I am counting on the show giving us a Sansa vs Cersei showdown, I feel like those two characters need to meet to complete the YMBQ story arc. 

If the kidnapping plot does not happen, Sansa could come to KL to parlay with Cersei to strike up an alliance to take down Daenerys and defend the 7Ks.

These character posters have the same energy about them. Two Queens.

The show has been teasing us a Stark-Lannister alliance through its promos and teasers.

I could see Sansa and Cersei forming an alliance together to defeat Daenerys’s forces. The Golden Company will fight on behalf of Cersei and Sansa against Daenerys’s (and maybe Euron’s) armies.

In terms of Cersei’s demise, I am not putting too much stock on the Valonqar prophecy being actually true. Yes, Cersei has to die eventually, but D&D are Lena fanboys and I don’t think they will give her a gruesome on-camera death. In fact, I think Cersei will commit suicide or maybe poisoned.

When cornered, Cersei has either always managed to pull out an ace in the hole and outwit all her opponents in one fell-swoop like she did with House Tyrell in S06E10 when she blew up the sept 

OR 

she turns suicidal and threatens to do something rash.

Case in point:

1. She was willing to poison herself and Tommen with the essence of nightshade poison at the Battle of Blackwater Bay when all looked lost until Tywin came and saved her.

2. When Tywin was forcing her to marry Loras, she threatened to “burn our House to the ground”.

The only thing Cersei loves is her children, Jamie, and her throne. The fact that she is drinking wine again means that she probably is no longer pregnant. Jamie, if he ends up with Brienne, is gone from her. Her throne is under attack from Daenerys’s forces. All of these may just force her to do:

Foreshadowing from S03E10 Mhysa, where she is talking to Tyrion to give Sansa a child so that she may have some happiness.

She does not have any more children left, so she may just throw herself from the highest window in the red keep.

Joffrey and Myrcella were poisoned, Tommen committed suicide by throwing himself from his window. Maybe Cersei will do the same. We shall see.

Thoughts and comments??

[perriewinklenerdie]

I will never let you forget (Ethan Ramsey x MC)

Open Heart, Ethan Ramsey x MC

Author’s note: Hello, hello, hello! I’m feeling like hell so I might as well be dying. I was asked for angst (I’m looking at you, K) and it got… intense.

And so, this is your official warning.

This fic is very dark, deals with nightmares, mentions of death, vivid and drastic situations, as well as mental illnesses and hospitals. If you are feeling down or are fragile and sensitive, this fic might not be for you. Take care of yourselves, guys <3

Anyway

AO3 link:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21138593

Enjoy… I guess?

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

The house was a mess. Toys were sprawled all over the floor, a blue hoodie barely hanging onto the back of the couch, black suit jacket laying by the table, creasing in every way imaginable. Her heels clicked as she moved, calling out for her two boys. She was gone for the last couple of days, her parents having a bit more trouble than any of them previously anticipated, and she couldn’t wait to see her husband and son.

As expected, she found them in Theo’s room. Or, at least, she knew she did, even though both boys were sure they were hidden. She started searching the room, playing along, looking in a few places before standing in front of the closet. A pair of long legs was sticking out from beneath the blanket. Claire trailed her fingers up Ethan’s thighs, tickling him before throwing the soft material away. There they were, faces covered in chocolate, guilty expressions on their faces.

“Seriously, guys? You ate the cake and didn’t invite me to join in? I’m offended.” She huffed, mocking her upset state. Theo crawled to her, throwing his arms around her neck.

“Sorry, Mommy. We have some more if you want. We’ll even let you into our fort if you want!” his expression turned from sad to happy in a matter of seconds. She ruffled his hair, her eyes moving to her husband.

“Oh, I don’t know. Am I allowed into the fort, Dr. Ramsey?” she teased him, watching his face melt in relief that she was finally home.

“No, Mommy, it’s Daddy the Dragon Slayer! He’s going to help us!” Theo exclaimed, sitting down next to his father. Claire sat down next to her son, kissing his forehead.

“I’m sorry, Daddy the Dragon Slayer. Now, give me that chocolate cake or my magic won’t work.”

“Yes, Mommy the Fairy.”

They sat in the closet for a while longer before Ethan decided to get them all out of there and back to the living room. He embraced his wife as Theo gathered his toys to being with him. They didn’t say a word to one another, they didn’t have to. Their eyes did all the talking, as did their smiles and the way their bodies embraced each other. She was about to say something, when Ethan’s face got neutral, looking past her. She turned around and felt her blood run cold.

Theo was climbing onto the window, laughing. She tried to move, but it seemed impossible, she would never get there in time. He grabbed the window frame and places his tiny legs on his bed, half of his body already outside.

“Theo, what are you doing? Please, get down, it’s not safe to look out the window like that!” she exclaimed, running, but yet again, it was like she hasn’t moved at all. Theo turned around to look at her, his face a picture of horror.

“You didn’t save me, Mommy.” He spoke, loudly and clearly, his eyes seeing straight through her.

“What? What do you- Ethan? Ethan! Eth-“ she breathed deeply, confused and lost. Turning around, she expected to see her husband, ready to help her save their son. But that was not what happened

Instead, the only sound in the room was her piercing scream as she looked at him, burning alive. His clothes were charred, red and yellow flames licking up his body. his eyes were hollow, emotionless, dead.

“Don’t come any closer to him, Claire. You left us. You let us die.” His voice was cold and bleak, cutting through her like glass, taking a step towards her. She stumbled backwards, bringing her closer to Theo, who in turn leaned outside even more.

The closer to her Ethan got, the farther away she tried to get, and the more Theo was slipping out the window. Claire looked between the two of them, a situation so horrific, there was no way it was real. It must have been a dream.

But it felt real. She could feel her son’s panic in her own bones and she could smell the gasoline, the scent of burning flesh and blood.

Blood.

“Mommy? Mommy, help me! He-“ the last words she heard from her son was his desperate cry for help before he fell out the window, his screams echoing, ringing in the air, seemingly never ending.

“Theo!” Claire cried out as she threw herself in the direction of the window, but something stopped her. Someone stopped her. A stinging sensation ran through her left wrist, all the way to the bone.

Ethan’s hand wrapped around hers, flames picking up in intensity as his anger peaked. Skin to skin, burning her flesh. She let out another scream, tears falling from her eyes as she begged him to make it stop.

“It’s your fault he’s dead. It’s your fault I’m dead. I will never let you go, I will never let you leave, I will never let you forget that everything that happened is your fault.” He hissed, leaning in, letting her feel his breath on her face, hot like the flames that ate his body.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, please, come back to me, please-“ she pleaded, crying, screaming, her eyes instantly widening as his grip on her wrist tightened impossibly.

--- --- ---

“Doctor! She’s bleeding!” a nurse called out, her voice coming to Claire like through the thick veil. Some commotion occurred next to her, white coat flashing in her vision. A strong, confident touch was felt on her wrist, a quiet curse falling from the lips of an older man.

“Damn it, she tore her wrist open. Give her a sedative, we have to stop the bleeding and calm her down before she hurts herself even more.” He gave the orders, running out the door to call another doctor for help.

Claire blinked slowly, shaking her head before looking down. Her eyes focused enough to notice that her wrist was red, so were her fingers and nails. Covered in blood.

Her blood.

She tore her wrist open. The stinging she felt was her nails, ripping her skin apart. So it really was a dream.

“Ethan…” she muttered, moving to sit up. “Theo…”

“Oh, sweetie…” nurse smoothed her hair, smiling at her sympathetically. “They aren’t- “

“Nurse! A word.” Male voice called out, pulling the woman aside. Claire could only hear bits and pieces of their conversation. “She… they’re dead… fire… out the window… poor thing, she’s alone now…”

The world stopped as she listened. Was she… alone? Ethan and Theo were…

“They’re dead? What… Where…” she whispered, anxiety bubbling in her chest. She began hyperventilating, her heart rate picking up, tears falling from her eyes uncontrollably.

“She’s panicking. Strap her in and sedate her. Sedate her, damn it!” Doctor called out, keeping Claire pressed against the bed by her shoulders, waiting until her hands and legs were tied to the bedframe. A syringe punctured her skin as a drug was administered, her spasms slowing down and finally ceasing. She fell against the mattress, her eyes closing as she quietly slipped into the unconsciousness, the emptiness of her psychiatric hospital room matching the emptiness of her heart after loosing her husband and son to the terrible force of a murderer.

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

Tag list:   @paleweasels , @lilyofchoices , @hopelessromantic1352 , @aloehasrose , @valiantlychaoticbarbarian , @radlovedreamer , @usuallyamazinglyaverage, @palestazure, @cordoniaqueensworld, @universallypizzataco, @princess-geek, @faithhasnowords, @mightyfangirlofthefandoms, @drakewalkerfantasy, @timmagicktoad, @laceandlula, @greywitchyshots, @llamasgrl, @gingerjane15, @bucket-harrington , @marywrites-things , @ethanplaysfavorites , @mfackenthal , @betelgeusebee , @simsvetements,  @i-only-signed-up-for-fanfiction, @buzz-bee-buzz, @owleyes374, @cora-nova, @aworldoffandoms, @l822, @cream-ray, @ughhhxjazzy, @silverlitskies, @justendlesssummerfeels, @togetherwearerapture, @desmaranj, @edgiestwinter, @friedherringclodthing, @daisy-ashton, @waytooattuned, @choicesgremlin , @lapisreviewsstuff, @the-soot-sprite, @writerapprentice, @chasingrobbie,@choicesobsessedd, @cassiusownsmyass, @x-kyne-x, @thisperfectmemory, @drakewalker04, @rookie-ramsey, @jlynn12273, @yesimacerealkiller, @thepinknymph @dr-brianna-casey-valentine, @a-i-n-a-a-s-h

[ruoyeming]

My Top Ten Anime, a chaotic list

This was so hecking difficult, I’m gonna have to do some ‘honourable mentions’ for ones I can’t bring myself to leave out. This list is based entirely on my personal feelings, not an objective assessment of what are logically the best anime. There also may be mild spoilers at points because I can’t control myself. Doing this in quarantine cause I looove ranting about things I like.

10) Attack On Titan

This was the first anime I ever watched, and it blew my mind a bit tbh. The music is iconic, and the animation is great as well. It might have been a bit harrowing for my first experience with anime, but I absolutely loved the story. It’s set in a world where titans (man eating giants) have driven the dregs of humanity to live within giant stone walls. There’s a group of humans trying to research titans, kill them, and protect humanity, and the main character decides to join them after a titan breaks through one of the walls and his mother is eaten. It’s one of those where you think you know everything and suddenly the world gets turned upside down by a new discovery. All the puzzle pieces start fitting together the longer you watch, and you find out that everything going on is much bigger than what it originally seemed (government conspiracy time lads). The plot twists are unpredictable (for me at least) and devastating, and the emotion this series evokes is awesome - you can FEEL the sheer desperation of the characters, their rage and despair as they fight again and again against a seemingly unending enemy. Despite almost every battle being a suicide mission and despite too many losses, the characters keep going out of the human need to survive and protect. 

10/10 for brutality and gore, but also theme of hope.

9) Naruto

A founding father of anime. Surprisingly not one of the first I watched, in fact it took me a few years to start. It’s set in a feudal Japan where ninjas are the defenders and servers of the people, and different villages have different ninja styles. Naruto is a young boy with a dangerous spirit sealed inside him which has caused him to be shunned by society (even though it’s not his fault??), and he wants to become a ninja. First off I’m a sucker for the Naruto archetype: dumbass, cocky, obnoxious, but kind and loyal too. Years of solitude and ostracisation as a child mean that Naruto desperately wants people to acknowledge him, and he intends to become the Hokage to prove himself. There’s a huge range of characters and villains, all with cool ninjutsus and different philosophies. Friendship, power, and determination are some of the main themes and it makes me so proud to see my son *COUGH* Naruto progressing and learning from his mistakes. It IS a long boi though and I haven’t even finished Shippuden yet, but I think Naruto captures the essence of shounen anime and is a great underdog story. Manga is lit too. 

10/10 for cool battles and great characters.

8) Psycho Pass

One of the earlier anime I watched, and it became an instant favourite for the way it makes you question morality. It’s set in a kinda dystopian future Japan, where a technology called the Sibyl System checks people’s mental state and determines their ‘crime coefficient’ - how likely they are to commit a crime. The main character is a young woman who joins the police and begins to realise that blindly following this system is perhaps not the best way to go about things. For example, they have special guns that automatically kill people whose crime coefficients are over a certain level, but she soon proves that you can easily lower someone’s coefficient by talking them down and negotiating instead of killing them off immediately. It’s got great drama, great government conspiracy, compelling villains, and some really badass characters. It pushes the question of what is right or wrong, and how far technology should go when it comes to justice. 

10/10 for sociological debate and horror elements.

7) One Punch Man

OPM is an anime that stands out for me, partially for mocking the tropes of battle anime, and partially for the uniqueness of the main character’s predicament. It’s set in Japan where heroes and villains exist, and the protagonist is a man called Saitama who gained superstrength after doing 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10K run every day. However he’s become so strong that he can defeat every enemy with a single punch. Nothing is a challenge for him anymore so he becomes depressed and unfulfilled; he’s still a good man who helps people, but he feels he’s missing something from his life. A cyborg called Genos makes Saitama his master, determined to learn his ways and they become friends. It’s one of the first anime that made me laugh out loud; it’s funny and entertaining, but also shows us that power is not equal to happiness. 

10/10 for moral lessons and good jokes.

6) Tanaka-kun is Always Listless

The only slice of life anime on this list and not very well known, however it has a special place in my heart. The main character Tanaka is a boy who dozes off constantly and acts exhausted when awake; he loves expending as little energy as possible. His best friend Ohta looks out for him and essentially makes sure he doesn’t get lost/ be late/die on a daily basis, including carrying him when he just falls asleep sometimes. Although Tanaka seems uncaring, it’s shown that friendship isn’t a bother to him, and he realises that he actually relies on his friends despite saying he likes being left in peace. His friends all have great personalities, my personal faves are a tough gangster girl who’s rude to everyone EXCEPT her adorable loli girlfriend, and a popular girl who’s trying too hard to fit in and starts to become more herself after befriending Tanaka. All the characters share one brain cell, and it’s genuinely a funny anime - I’ve burst out laughing watching it a few times. Also Tanaka and Ohta are extremely shippable if you want to go down that route; it’s said several times in the series that they’re like an old married couple. 

10/10 for wholesomeness and comedy.

5) Ouran High School Host Club

Another lighthearted show, probably the anime that’s made me laugh the most out of any. It’s set at an academy for rich-as-heck kids, and there’s a ‘Host Club’ where all the girls go to drink tea with a group of handsome boys. There’s the cunning Kyouka, prankster identical twins Hikaru and Kaoru, stoic Mori, adorable Honey, and princely but obnoxious Tamaki. Haruhi, a working-class scholarship student who is mistaken for a boy, accidentally breaks a precious vase and is forced by the host club to join them to pay off her debt. The group of boys realise fairly quickly that haruhi is a girl, but she becomes a popular host amongst the girls (LOVE the secret lesbian vibes) so they keep up the charade. I think I have a weakness for groups that share one brain cell because aside from Kyouka, they’re all idiots. I also love how flexible the show is with ideas of gender and sexuality despite being a slightly older anime. The daily antics of the host club combined with their personalities is a recipe for comedy, and they’re all lovable in their own ways. 

10/10 for characters, drama, and comedy; it’s well-paced too.

4) Bungou Stray Dogs

Set in an alternate modern Japan where some people have secret abilities that can be activated, this anime became an obsession when I first watched it. The cast of characters is amazing and the villains are awesome too. Atsushi is an orphan who discovers he can turn into a powerful tiger, and is hired by the Armed Detective Agency, a small organisation of powerful individuals who fight crime. NEED I SAY ANY MORE?? Many of the main characters share names with famous Japanese authors such as Osamu Dazai and Ryūnosuke Akutagawa which is really cool and something that might add to the story more if I had an understanding of Japanese literature. Anyways the main character Atsushi is kind of a wimp at first (understandably because the world of ability-users is actually terrifying), but he learns to stand up for himself and use his ability to save people. The show’s mixing of dark and comedic tones is perfect to me; one moment a character is off his head on mushrooms and the next Atsushi’s leg is brutally sliced off in a back alley fight (it regenerates later no worries). The plot is really cool and full of intrigue, and eventually you get the whole ‘Usually we’re sworn enemies but we’re forced to become allies in the face of a greater evil’ thing and it’s great! Turns out our main guy and our main bad guy are actually a pretty powerful and efficient team, hoho?? 

10/10 for supernatural detectives being super cool.

3) Yuri!!! on Ice

Y’all already know what’s going on. Ice skating, emotional breakthroughs, gay shit, HIT ME WITH IT. The story follows Yuri Katsuki, an insecure figure skater trying to regain his confidence, and his self-appointed coach Viktor Nikiforov. Viktor is enthusiastic in helping Yuri train, and Yuri has been a big fan of Viktor since his childhood *throws pillow across the room*. Yuri becomes determined to, quote, “surpass Viktor’s wildest imagination”, and they end up agreeing - through a series of convoluted events - to get married if Yuri wins gold at the olympics (I think it’s the olympics??). Either fuckin way this series has angst, humour, cuteness, and god DAMN did I get invested. When Yuri was doing his free skate my own heart was beating harder than it did when I finished a 10K. Love the vibes and also it’s the closest to full healthy gay representation that I’ve seen in anime for a while. Not much more I can say, but do I really need to say more???

10/10 for GAY and MY HEART

2) Kimetsu No Yaiba (Demon Slayer)

Ok this one’s kind of a cheat cause I’ve read the manga as well which is way ahead of the anime, but FUCC. It takes place in the Taisho Era in Japan (begins 1912), where Demons exist who eat people. Tanjiro Kamado’s family is killed by a demon one night and his sister Nezuko is turned into a demon - but it is soon discovered she’s different to other demons, and can restrain herself. Tanjiro joins the Demon Slayer Corps to try and track down a cure for his sister, while proving that demons are not inherently evil. I LOVE Tanjiro as a main character because he values kindness over everything else, not forgiving demons for their sins but recognising they are tormented creatures, trying to give them peace before they die. All demons were once human - a fact that only Tanjiro seems to remember when fighting them. He’s patient, gentle, and determined - hotheaded and brash sometimes, but he has this vibe that just makes people become his friend/respect him even if they don’t intend to. He befriends two other slayers - Inosuke, an absolutely feral Best Boy who was raised by wild boars, and Zenitsu, a cowardly but ultimately loyal guy. This trio works really well together and Tanjiro is a great protagonist. Don’t even get me STARTED on the music and animation. Impeccable. Kamado Tanjiro No Uta makes me cry every time I hear it, and the water/fire effects used to show the metaphorical way the swords move like the elements takes my breath away.

10/10 for morals, music and animation.

1) Mob Psycho 100

Where the fuck do I start here. This anime is so unique in its style, story, and characters that I think it will always be my favourite. It follows Shigeo Kageyama (nicknamed Mob cause that’s what they call extras and background characters in Japan), a plain boy with incredible psychic powers that explode when his emotions are too high. Over time he’s learned to suppress his emotions, causing him to become socially inept and emotionally withdrawn. His (fake) psychic ‘master’, Reigen, uses him to make money exorcising spirits, making Mob believe that it’s for ‘training’. Mob appears naive at times, but he is so simply kind to people that it makes my heart hurt. Unlike many of the egomaniac psychics that Mob comes across, he recognises that without powers, he is just an ordinary boy. Mob’s greatest power isn’t his OP psychic abilities, but his power to show people they can change, that he can change. He forgives (and eventually befriends) people who have tried to kill him. Redemption and empathy are big themes here and they’re done really well.

The other characters are so well rounded and are also given time to grow, including Reigen - at first he’s a seemingly manipulative sleazebag, but later you see that he is a genuinely good man who has taught Mob many lessons and helped him grow up. This is a core message - Mob’s ability to change is due to support from his friends, not purely his own desire - people need other people!

This is also one of the true rarities in anime where the second season is absolutely just as good (if not better!) than the first one. The music is unique to the show, the ops for both seasons get me litty, the animation is incredible, the jokes are great and although it’s not all about big-ass fights, when we do get a big-ass fight it’s so fucking cool. The fight sequences are beautifully animated and visually stunning. MP100 makes me laugh, cry like an actual baby, and want to become a better person. Idk I could literally write pages on it like the big nerd I am but that’s all I’ll do for now.

10/10 for literally everything.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS

Given : about a boy who joins a band which helps him work through his trauma. Lovely healthy gay representation and themes of healing.

Samurai Champloo : ragtag trio consisting of two samurai - one lowkey feral and does breakdancing, the other lofty and withdrawn - and a bold young girl. Themes of friendship and journeys. I simp for the lofty samurai.

Cowboy Bebop: jazzy music, bounty hunters in space, 90s anime WHAT MORE COULD U WANT. Yet another group of characters that share a single brain cell. Love it.

[katlyn1948]

An Unexpected Journey: Part 10

Now before you read, I just want all of you to know that I appreciate your likes and reblogs of this series! I love you guys! And also, not to be the bearer of bad news, but we only have 3 more parts before I finish it! Anyway, I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!

*************

Chapter 10: The Liege Lords of the Stormlands

Arya was the first to enter the Round Hall of Storm’s End. The liege lords were all neatly seated at a long table facing the dais that a throne was perched upon. Beside the throne was a smaller throne like chair that Arya gladly took her place on. The looks from several of the liege lords were a mixture of confusion or disbelief. How could anyone, even the Night King Slayer, be so bold to take their place beside the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands? Yet, not one of the liege lords questioned her. They were either too afraid for too unaware to speak up.

Gendry entered shortly after Arya. The once playful smile that was on his face was now one of concentration and dread. He truly hated these weekly meetings with the high lords. They were necessary, he will admit, but that did not mean that he truly despised hearing the complaints that each lord had from the week prior.

This week would be no different. In fact, it would probably be worse, considering they were talking about the rents and taxes that were due this quarter. Since the destruction of King’s Landing, taxes around the seven kingdoms had to be raised to help repair some of the damages. The people of the Stormlands were struggling to even pay half of what was due. Gendry had been a lenient these past months and a few of the high lords were beginning to take notice.

“Welcome Lords. We have some things to discuss about this month’s recent rents. As you all know, I took a week to travel around the Stormlands to see what is happening with our people. It is not looking good. There have been more rains than normal this year, rendering a lot of the crops overwatered and useless. The people are struggling while we sit here in our castles not caring. I can no longer do that.” Gendry was assertive and this took Arya by surprise. She had no doubt that Gendry would succeed as Lord Paramount, but she had never heard him take charge like the way he just did. It made her proud; to see him up on the dais showing his house words with pride: Ours is The Fury.

“And do you suppose we fix this situation?” A young man had spoken. He couldn’t have been more than 20 name days. He had pale blonde hair and dark blue eyes that could appear purple in the slightest change of lighting.

“Thank you for asking, Lord Dayne. Well, I supposed that we, as high lords, can make sure that we cut the cost of some of the rents to our people.” There were a few grumbles that came from some of the lords. Arya could see that Gendry was beginning to struggle, so she quickly took charge.

Rising from her seat, she made her way to stand in front of the high lords table.

“My Lords, perhaps we can see which parts of the Stormlands that need the most help. From what I’ve gathered from my time in King’s Landing, the Island of Tarth is still prospering.”

“Aye, it is. There is no shortage of food and the people are prospering.” Lord Tarth announced. There was no denying that he was Ser Brienne’s father. Although significantly shorter than his daughter, Lord Tarth and Ser Brienne looked much the same. Their hair was the same coloring and their features were strikingly similar.

“I purpose we have the prospering houses pay slightly higher taxes, giving the poorer people of the Stormlands the chance to recover as well as lowering the cost of some of the rents.” She suggested.

Gendry turned to Ser Davos, who was seated at the table with the other high lords.

“Will this work?”

Ser Davos shrugged, “I suppose it could. I would have to run some of the numbers. But it could work.”

A throat cleared and all heads turned to Lord Swann, “I do not mean to be brash, but Lady Arya, you have been here for no more than a day. How do you know what is good for the Stormlands? Aren’t you a northerner yourself? How could a northerner presume to know anything on how the south works?”

His words were like venom. He was trying to get a ruse out of Arya; to see how she would react to his harsh words.

Arya took a steady sigh, “Lord Swann, is it? I may be of the north, however, I was a Lord’s daughter. I remember my father facing a similar situation when I was younger and this was his solution. It had worked. As for knowing how the south works, well it really isn’t that different from anywhere else in the world. And believe me when I say, I would know.”

Her voice was calm. She did not raise her voice or even try to be curt with the man; she had simply stated facts and that seemed to irritate the man even more.

“Who do you think you are, parading around here giving orders like you are the Lady of Storm’s End? You are no more than a traveling wench who forgets her place!” His face turned red with anger.

Gendry stepped towards the old lord looked him square in the face.

“I suggest you apologize to your future lady! You do not wish to make an enemy of her, Lord Swann. For any enemies of hers are enemies of mine.” Gendry said in a low voice. Arya could see his fist clench and his jaw tighten. He was trying his hardest not to knock this ignorant lord on his arse.

“Future lady!? You expect her to help you rule the Stormlands!? We are truly doomed.” Lord Swann huffed. He rose from his chair and exited the Round Hall.

“I want every remaining lord to listen!” Gendry was now furious. “If any one of have a problem with Arya Stark becoming my wife, then I suggest you keep it to yourself. For any loose lipped lord will have his titles stripped and his lands dispersed.”

With that Gendry stormed out of the Round Hall. The remaining lords began to whisper before they realized that Arya was still in the room. The whispers hushed and the lords began to disperse, heading to do whatever lords did.

Arya walked up to Ser Davos, who was conversing with Edric Dayne. She had heard of Lord Dayne before he had been a lord. If she recalled correctly, he was the young Squire to Beric Dondarrion before he joined the Brotherhood Without Banners. It seems he had made a name for himself in the years since.

“Ser Davos, if I could interrupt.” She cautiously asked.

“Of course, my dear.” He turned to Lord Dayne, “Please excuse me, Ned.”

“It is no bother, Ser Davos. And it will be a pleasure for you to be our new Lady Paramount, Lady Arya.” Lord Dayne bowed and turned to talk to another nearby lord.

“How can I be of assist, Lady Arya?” Ser Davos asked.

“Are all liege lord meetings that eventful?”

“Unfortunately, yes. Sometimes, it can be worse. The boy has done good these last five years, but he still is learning.” He admitted.

“How so?” She asked.

“Well, he’s gotten better at reading, and that’s with me teachin’ him. He managed to somehow use a fork properly and the people love him.”

“But…?”

Ser Davos sighed, “But, there are some Lords who think someone can do better.”

“Lord Swann.” Arya stated.

“Aye, that fat pig and his son are trying to take it from him. I have managed to keep most of the lords at bay, but the Swanns are an old and powerful house with support. I’ll keep my eye on them, if I were you.”

Arya nodded, “Do not worry about that, Ser Davos. I always keep my enemies close.”

“Oh, I also suppose a congratulations are in order. Betrothed? Finally, I thought he would never marry again. And look at ya! You are already playing the part. Never thought I’d see Arya Stark in a dress.” He teased.

“Don’t get used to it. As soon as my things arrive, I will be in the same old trousers you’ve seen me in before. Dresses are torture devices made to hinder women’s abilities to move. I truly cannot wait to take it off.” She answered him truthfully.

Ser Davos let out a laugh, “Still the same, you are. And your things arrived early this morning. Sent my men out to your boat as soon as the morning bells rang.”

Arya sighed in relief. She would finally be able to rid herself of this dress and be comfortable.

“Thank you, Ser Davos. I will change and look for Gendry.” She said as she turned on her heel to leave the Round Hall.

Ser Davos quickly said to the young lass, “He’ll be in the-“

“I know where he’ll be.” And with that she left the Round Hall and the remaining lords to their devices.

*****

Gendry had made his way to the forge. It was the only place he could truly think like his old self. The feel of metal beneath his hands was a warm familiar feeling that he could savor forever. The other smiths knew that when Lord Baratheon enters the forge, that they need to scurry like mice and avoid him at all cost.

He was hammering a piece of steel into a perfectly shaped sword. With every swing his anger would dwindle; calming the bull within. Nearly every week he would make some type of new weapon fashioned from his frustrations. Every time he would meet with the liege lords it would always end up with Gendry in forge until the wee hours of the night. He wouldn’t sleep, eat, or interact with anyone. Tonight would be no different; except it was. He now had a woman waiting for him in his chambers. His betrothed. The very same woman that Lord Swann had disrespected.

Gendry’s anger bubble all over again and he took another swing and the searing hot steel. The sound of metal against metal did little to quench his angry, but the small shadow that had appeared in the arch way of the forge had.

“How did you find me?” He asked her.

Arya arched her brow and walked to stand beside him.

“Because you’re still the same. I know you, Gendry. That means I know where you would go to blow off steam.”

He looked at her and gave her a small smile. He noticed that she was no longer in the dress from this morning, but rather her familiar tunic and breeches.

“I see your things have finally arrived. Couldn’t wait to get out of that dress, could you?”

Arya chuckled and gave him a small peck on the lips. “You know me, too.”

Gendry smiled and began hammering the anvil once more.

“Once you’re finished, come find me before supper. There are things we have to discuss.”

Gendry was now the one that lifted his brow. “Should I be worried?”

All Arya did was smile and she turned out of the forge, walking towards the courtyard.

Gendry shook his head and returned to his work. He didn’t know how she did it, but she could tame the wild bull within him with just one look.

It was strange that even after all this time apart, they still managed to find a way back to one another. Sure, there were things that were different, but most everything that was there remained the same. His feeling sure didn’t falter, not even after five years and it seemed like Arya was becoming her old self once more.

It reminded him of their earlier days on the king’s road. He would tease her for being a girl and she would pout saying that she wasn’t a lady. It was nothing but light hearted fun back then and it was beginning to feel like that again.

Gendry clanged the steel for what was hours. He hadn’t realized the time until the bells rang and it was near supper time. He cleaned up his area and headed to his solar. He was covered in soot and needed to get cleaned before he took his evening meal. There was no celebration tonight and he didn’t feel up to dining with his liege lords. All he wanted was a simple family meal with the two women he loved most in this world.

He entered his solar and dumped his belongings onto the table by the fireplace. A tub of clean water had been drawn for him and he quickly soaked his aching bones. The water felt nice and he couldn’t wait to clean off the forge from his body.

When he was nothing more than a smiths apprentice in Flea Bottom, he was lucky if he got a bath once a week. Being the Lord of Storm’s End, he got a bath nearly everyday. It was a luxury he didn’t know he needed until it became common. Now, he wouldn’t know what to do if he didn’t have his daily bath.

He had finally finished bathing and dressing when a soft knock came from his chamber door.

“Enter.” He stated as he finished fastening his belt to his waist.

A mop of brown curls came running towards him and little Lyra nearly tackled him to the floor. Fits of giggles escaped the young girls mouth and Gendry couldn’t help but smile.

“What are you doing here?” He asked her as he picked her to place her on the bed.

“Arry saved me from Septa Joanna.”

“Did she now? I bet you were excited.”

The little lady nodded her head fiercely, sending her curls in all directions.

Gendry turned to look at Arya. She had a smile present on her face that he hadn’t seen before. It was different kind of smile from the ones she had given him. This smile showed something more than just happiness. It showed overwhelming love. Because that’s what it was, love. Arya was in love with this child and Gendry could tell.

“What’s going on?” He asked her.

Arya pulled her gaze from the child on the bed. “Well, she wanted to do something with the three of us, so I brought her here and informed the maids that we would be taking supper in your chambers tonight. I’ve had enough of Lords and Ladies for one day, and I had a feeling your would be too.”

He pulled her into his arms, “So this is what you wanted to discuss?”

“No, what I wanted to discuss can wait until after we dine with Lyra.” She said as she placed her arms around his neck. She reached up and gave him a long sweet kiss, completely unaware of the child staring at them from the bed.

“Does that mean my papa is your friend-boy?” Lyra suddenly asked.

Gendry and Arya pulled apart and gave her a questioning look.

“Lyra, what is a friend-boy? You had said it earlier today, but your Septa stole you before I could ask.” She asked the little lady.

“Septa Joanna said that Lady Rena couldn’t be my new mama because she already had a friend-boy, Lord Archie, and papa couldn’t be hers.” Lyra had said matter of factly.

Arya hadn’t meant to laugh, but the innocence the child was portraying was truly delightful. Lyra looked at Arya with confusion. What had she said that was so funny? Even her father was trying to hide a laugh.

“Why are you teasing me?” She asked the adults on the other side of the room. Her eyes began to fill with tears and her lips began to quiver.

“Oh, no we are not teasing you, Lyra.” Arya quickly rushed to the child and sat beside her on the bed.

“But you were laughing at me.” She accused.

“No, sweet girl. We were not laughing at you, just at the thing you said.” Gendry cut in.

Lyra looked even more confused.

“What your father is trying to say is that,” Arya paused, trying to find the right words to say. “Yes, your papa is my friend-boy.”

Lyra’s eyes lit up with excitement. She jumped onto Arya, tackling her into the bed, giving her a giant hug.

“Does this mean that you will be my mama?” Lyra asked as they sat up.

Arya was taken aback by the question. She never really thought of it, but she was going to be Lyra’s mother when she married Gendry. The thought scared her. She didn’t know what it meant to be a mother and wasn’t sure she would be any good at it. For so long she had to only think of herself and not have to worry about the well being of another human. Let alone a child. But the more she thought, the more she realized that parting from Lyra would be more painful than parting from Gendry. Perhaps she could be a mother after all.

“I suppose it does, if that’s okay with you?” She asked the little lady.

Lyra gave Arya a toothy smile and gave her another hug. “Don’t tell Lady Rena, but I think I want you to be my mama.”

Arya chuckled, “Your secret is safe with me.”

She gave a glance at Gendry and notice that his eyes were welling with tears. Great, I’ve made the stupid bull cry, she thought, not realizing that her own tears were streaming down her face.

[murfpersonalblog]

The 7 Greatest Heroes of Greek Mythology - Mythological Curiosities - See U in History

Heracles of Thebes

Achilles of Thessaly

Odysseus of Ithaca

Theseus of Athens

Perseus of Argos

Jason of Thessaly

Bellerophon of Corinth

_________________________________________________________

Cool video, but my Heroes list is very different. They’re all amazing, or they wouldn’t be heroes, but IMO the most impressive heroes are the ones who persevered despite a series of what would otherwise be insurmountable odds. Their greatness is not just due to their general popularity, but the greatness of the obstacles they overcame. You have to beat the best to be the best.

So my TOP TEN Greek Heroes list is:

Heracles of Thebes

Odysseus of Ithaca

Jason of Thessaly

Cadmus of Thebes

Perseus of Argos

Theseus of Athens

Diomedes of Argos

Honorable Mention: Bellerophon of Corinth

Honorable Mention: Achilles of Thessaly

Honorable Mention: Atalanta of Arcadia

1) HERACLES: because obviously. Son of Zeus, strongest man alive, he bested the 10 (or 12) Labors, plus his 9 Minor Labors, his numerous feats with the Argonauts, his critical role in winning the Gigantomachia on Mt Olympus, freeing Prometheus, rescuing Theseus, fathering a effton of babies, etc etc. He was literally worshiped as a god, one of the only Greek heroes to live on Mt. Olympus after his death. Even Hera had to back down and respect his gangsta. #Iconic #Legendary #YourFaveCouldNever

Hercules sets the bar for the 4/4 main criteria for what makes MY IDEAL top-tier Greek mythological hero:

Monsters: Defeating mythic creatures/beings on epic adventures

Underworld: Going to Hades and back

God-Tier: Divine patronage/assistance, lineage, apotheosis, etc

Legacy: Founding cities, dynasties, etc

2) ODYSSEUS: smartest Greek hero EVER, and biggest liar/trickster. Odysseus’ adventures were OP. Despite not even being a demigod, just a mortal man (blessed by Athena but cursed by Poseidon), he still survived the entire Trojan War, Scylla & Charybdis, the sirens, the Lotus Eaters, Polyphemus the Cyclops, Circe, the Laestrygonians, and numerous shipwrecks & storms; went to Hades and lived; got shapeshifted into an old man; and still reclaimed his place as king of Ithaca by taking out all of Penelope's suitors cuz he’s a #BAMF archer and warrior, too. Odysseus also has the 4th highest kill count in the Iliad (after Patroclus, Diomedes, and Achilles). It took 20 years, and he lost everything but his life & his wits, but he made it home. (4/4)

3) JASON: Leader of the Argonauts, the most boss collection of heroes ever -- Hercules, the Gemini Twins, Orpheus, Nestor, Pelops, Meleager, Theseus, Autolycus, Atalanta*, Peleus, etc. -- #SquadGoals. Their adventures together are literally the stuff of legend -- the Crashing Rocks, fought harpies, sirens, giants, fire-breathing bulls, Talos the automaton, AND the Colchis Dragon guarding the Golden Fleece (and an army of Spartoi, sown dragon-teeth -- see Cadmus). Jason survived it all, and his travels and feats were effing impressive, designed explicitly cuz King Pelias KNEW finding the Golden Fleece was 100% impossible -- but Jason beat the odds and did it anyway. 

Jason was a mortal man, blessed by Hera, and husband of the sorceress Medea. #JusticeForMedea, Jason did her dirty, ditching her for some rando chick (Hera’s classic trigger). Hera renounced Jason cuz he broke his wedding vows to Medea, and Hera’s sacred stern on the Argo brained him to death (AKA: Eff your heroics, if you’re a scrub). One of his & Medea’s sons, Thessalus, managed to escape Medea's carnage, and Jason’s kingdom of Thessaly gets its name from him (or one of Heracles’ sons of the same name, depending on your source) . (3/4)

4) CADMUS: the very FIRST Greek hero, founder of Thebes, brother of Europa, defeater of the Ismenian Dragon, sower of the Spartoi (dragon teeth warriors), ancestor of Dionysus. I am super biased when it comes to dragons and dragon-slayers (Hercules, Jason, Cadmus). A mortal man from Phoenicia, Cadmus was blessed by Athena, favored by the other gods, but was cursed by Ares for killing the Ismenian Dragon (Ares son), and depending on the source was killed or turned into a snake, etc.

Jason benefited entirely from knowing what Cadmus did before with the Dragon and Spartoi. But I rank Jason higher than Cadmus, because although Cadmus killed a dragon first, and adventured before ALL of the other Greek heroes (Heracles included), he did relatively less than they did. Heroes (and their storytellers) were all trying to one-up the feats of the heroes that came before them, so Cadmus’ bar naturally lowers in light of that. But IMO I still see Cadmus as a more impressive hero than some others, because Cadmus set the bar for Heracles, Jason, Odysseus, everybody. Cadmus 👏  Did 👏  It 👏  FIRST.👏 (3/4)

5) PERSEUS: Son of Zeus and a mortal woman; slayer of Medusa the Gorgon and Cetus the Sea Monster; founder of the Myceneans; ancestor (and half-brother) of Hercules. Out of the pre-Heraclidean heroes (Cadmus, Perseus, Aeacus, Bellerophon, Pelops & Oenomaus, Oedipus) Perseus’ adventures were the scariest, IMO. The Graeae, the Gorgons, AND Cetus? Yikes. However, Perseus only managed to kill Medusa cuz she was asleep the whole time. All those depictions of him facing off against her in some thrilling battle? Pop culture fabrication -- it never happened, he crept up on her like a ninja. (#JusticeForMedusa) And thanks to the frikkin Renaissance, people think Perseus tamed Pegasus, which he never did either, that was Bellerophon vs the Chimera.

Still, he’s awesome. On top of his #Iconic armor set (sword, helm of invisibility & winged sandals), Perseus has a lot of similarities with Hermes (god of, amongst other things, thieves and liars), cuz his opponents were literally impossible for mortals to face otherwise. Perseus needed all of those sneaky wiles to steal the Graeae’s eye, and sneak past the other Gorgons, and nab Medusa, run off with her head without the other Gorgons tearing him to shreds, and make it back home. But he only managed to kill Cetus & rescue Andromeda & reclaim his birthright as King of Argos because he had Medusa’s head.

So...cool adventures, great story, sweetest god-tier gear EVER (#Deus ExMachinaRealness), and really impressive monsters. (3/4) (Perseus never went to Hades & back, but some sources interpret the Cave of the Gorgons, Graeae or both as a chthonic journey, too.)

6) THESEUS: Son of Poseidon and a mortal woman (his step-father’s King Aegeus, whom the Aegean Sea’s named after -- a really sad story that’s Theseus’ fault), Theseus is the founder of Athens & the Acropolis, and slayer of the Minotaur. (3/4) But I have to explain a few things:

Monsters: IMO beating the Minotaur is Theseus’ most impressive feat. That was a legit monster. Theseus also caught & sacrificed the Cretan/Marathonian Boar (sire of the Minotaur), and killed the man-eating Crommyonian Sow. But compared to Dragons & Gorgons (asleep or not), IMO I can’t rank Theseus’ defeat of the Minotaur over heroes who killed a lot more than that. According to Ovid, Theseus also slayed the Centaur King Eurytion, who started the Centauromachia vs the Lapiths, but AFAIK he’s the only one who says so. Theseus also went on many adventures, slaying bandits and pacifying barbarians in his 6 Labors, which established Theseus as an official Athenian folk hero well before his battle in the Labyrinth. But again, I’m can’t rank bandits over an army of draconic spartoi.

Hades: Theseus technically gets (4/4) on my criteria, but I deducted that point cuz he only hit it just barely. By the skin of his butt-cheeks. LITERALLY. Theseus’ jaunt to Hades was one of the BALLSIEST examples of hubris and straight up idiocy in all of Greek mythology, IMO. Theseus decided that being the wingman in his BFF Pirithous’ harebrained plan to kidnap Persephone for a bride was a good idea. O_O The only reason Theseus made it out alive (spoiler: Pirithous did not) is cuz Heracles RIPPED Theseus off his seat, allowing Hades to get his literal POUND OF FLESH from Theseus’ arse in appeasement. That was not heroic on Theseus’ part at all; he was crying like a baby the entire time, TRAPPED in Hades for MONTHS until HERACLES happened to go there to collect Cerberus. POINT DEDUCTED! #sorryboutit

7) DIOMEDES: Diomedes 👏 Gets 👏  NO 👏  Respect 👏 . Omg, where is the Hollywood blockbuster featuring MY BOY? Other than Heracles, name another Greek hero who fought against not one but TWO OLYMPIAN GODS and WON? O_O Diomedes, a mortal man, King of Argos and founder of several Italian cities, was a hero of the Trojan War. After Patroclus, Diomedes has the 2nd highest kill count in the Iliad. He managed to wound Aphrodite & her son Aeneas at Troy, AND left Ares -- THE God of WAR -- screaming & hollering like a toddler with a tantrum when Diomedes & Athena wounded him, making Ares retreat from the battlefield like a wuss. Ares, y’all. ARES. Diomedes didn’t KILL any gods, no, but he’s still thebomb.com.

Blessed by Athena, Diomedes was the 2nd most clever warrior after Odysseus, and after Achilles died, together they came up with the most iconic plots against the Trojans: creating the Trojan Horse, and stealing the Palladium. In antiquity Diomedes was venerated as a god as part of his hero cult, but his fame was later supplanted by Achilles & Odysseus, to the point that in today’s pop culture Diomedes is rarely ever mentioned. #UnderratedAF (3/4)

Honorable Mentions

8) BELLEROPHON: A mortal man, grandson of Sisyphus, Bellerophon was falsely accused of rape, and as punishment the king (the lying heifer’s father) sent Bellerophon to kill The Chimera (a 3-headed FIRE BREATHING monstrosity) to clear his name (knowing full well it was impossible). Blessed by Athena, Bellerophon was able to tame Pegasus (Medusa’s son by Poseidon’s rape), and reach the Chimera’s lair. He lathered himself in fire-proof oil, and stabbed the Chimera in the frikkin throat till it choked on the melted metal from his speartip.

Unfortunately, the king didn’t believe him, and sent Bellerophon on a series of labors to kill Amazons & pirates, which Bellerophon did, with Poseidon’s help. Unfortunately, his glory went to his frikkin head, and when Bellerophon tried to fly Pegasus up Mt Olympus Zeus struck him dead with lightning bolts for his hubris. (2/4)

9) ACHILLES: Achilles is THE greatest hero of the Trojan War, leader of the Myrmidons and Greece’s best warrior EVER. He had mad skills. But by my 4 Main Criteria, I can't rank him above the other heroes. Achilles is a great icon for warriors to aspire to, and in many ways is the most realistic hero of the bunch, IMO, but that’s just it. He did a lot of incredible things. But not impossible things. He’s too normal for me, compared to the rest. :\ (2/4)

Monsters: All the other heroes on my list faced off against gods, giants, the brood of Echidna & Typhon, unnatural beasts, etc. Achilles’ greatest foe is Hector, Troy’s greatest warrior, yes, but who is another mortal man. Achilles did defeat Amazons (like Penthesilea, daughter of Ares), but so did Bellerophon, on top of the Chimera. And as far as kill count goes, Patroclus killed the most people at Troy, while Achilles pouted in his tent! Diomedes killed a effton, as did Odysseus (who earned Achilles’ armor rather than Ajax), so.... Imma need some gods & monsters, Achilles. :\

Hades: When Achilles died he went to the nicest place in Hades, in the Isles of the Blessed/Elysian Fields. Not exactly the Greek Valhalla, since the gods don’t live in Elysion, but close. But several heroes ranked higher on my list came back from the Land of the Dead (I’ve seen some Heroes Lists put Orpheus, another Argonaut, in the Top 7 cuz of the Orphic Cult & having been to Hades and back). Achilles chose to fight at Troy and die young & heroically; but when Odysseus spoke to Achilles’ ghost in Hades he told Odysseus he regretted his decision. XD

Divinity/Assistance: Achilles is the son of the water nymph Thetis -- whose wedding to Achilles’ mortal dad started the Apple of Discord & Judgement of Paris which caused to the Trojan War -- so he’s not 100% human, but he’s not the son of an Olympian, either. Thetis had Hephaestus craft god-tier armor for Achilles, and made him invulnerable to further injury (sources vary on if he was lathered in ambrosia lotion; or dunked in the River Styx; or was slow-roasted on a magical fire). But Achilles was still mortal, as seen by that little ankle problem of his. So I wonder which demigod would win in a fight, Achilles, Perseus, or Theseus? (Hercules beats everybody, duh.) But I gave Achilles 1 point here.

Politico-Religious Legacy: Achilles’ son Neoptolemus founded Epirus, and the line Alexander the Great’s mother Olympias hails from, thus making Achilles Alexander’s ancestor (depending on who you believe). That’s dope. Another point. (2/4)

10) ATALANTA: AFAIK Atalanta’s the only non-Amazonian mortal warrior woman Hero in Greek myth (Cyrene & Callisto were nymphs). A mortal woman, Atalanta was abandoned in the woods at birth for being born female, and was nursed by a she-bear. A SHE-BEAR. In the WOODS, y’all. Atalanta was found by hunters who took her in, and grew up to be a fierce huntress. She took part in the Calydonian Boar Hunt, and was THE FIRST to actually wound it, while the other heroes were busy shaking in their sandals. She got to keep the pelt as her prize. Depending on your source, she did or didn’t join the Argonauts, or was only with them briefly. She also beat Achilles’ dad Peleus (another Argonaut) in a wrestling match. She also slew two Centaurs who tried to rape her. Atalanta was NOT to be trifled with. 👸

Thanks to the impiety of her husband (from Atalanta’s famous race with the Golden Apples; his name varies depending on the sources), both he and Atalanta were cursed by the gods (precisely which one varies by sources), turned into lions and slaughtered. #SMDH.  (2/4)

[linipik]

I am so down to read even more of the pjo au!!! And its so well written and fits the universe extremely well!!

Really?! u are making me blush! and thank you so much, this is so refreshing to do, to have this AU out of my chest. Thank you Voltron x PJO AUpart 1 | part 2 | part 3

I wanted this part to be longer but …yeah… here it is

we left with: a passed out Allura arriving to chb, a dead cyclops and Keith realizing that he has a real crush on Lance…also the quest to get back Matt

THE QUEST FOLLOWS UNDER THE CUT 

SOME ALLURA BACKSTORY

The real deal is that the gods have gone radio silent to the romans FOR A LONG TIME long enough for praetors allura and lotor ( an apollo son btw) to worry too much what if they did something so wrong the gods take retaliation or something? truth is also that saturn (roman chronos) have been using this need to keep the camp jupiter running to poisoning lotors mind to get it against the gods for abandoning them and the usual demigod sad stuff… thats why he convinced allura to go look for the gods since she is so good with the mist and stuff while he stays…and basically reigns. But all in “”good heart””. 

Reah sees this and its like oh no, and when she founds Allura she immediately loves her and sees in her the way to not let saturn break the spirit of her grandchildren since he is basically instigating the hate from the demigods to their parents (and other demigods maybe??). she sees in allura a way to not repeat the same saturn family breaker story that is happening with lotor going against the gods. so she is the one who transports allura to camp half blood , actually the one that leads her is a big ass lion but cyclops attack them and he dies defending allura and it is so sad (then revealed by reah that such is the circle of life and the lion reincarnated in a cub who is going to be allura’s but bear with me) but she saw on allura the energy to face the patriarchal oppression against saturn and lotor in camp jupiter. BUT she fails on telling Allura that Lotor is the one behind everything, since Reah thinks/knows that Allura still dont have the support system to go against Lotor herself…because of romantic feelings.

ALSO, Lotor despises Apollo for knowing things and still letting them happen while with the help of the gods a lot of terrible things can be avoided, couldnt they?  but he would never refuse to use any kind of power, which makes apollo think he is important enough to lotor. Still,  that’s why he is siding with chronos. 

ANYWAY

Allura is at chb, and when she wakes up all repaired thanks to apollo cabin magic and she remembers Reah asking her to not reveal the other camp and making her swear over the river styx. so, she cant tell them there about the other camp bc if they expose themselves probably chronos is gonna go after them too and bye new greek allies. Anyway, Allura explains that in California *wink wonk* mount othrys has been appearing slowly and it only means chornos is  kind of waking up  and it can only happen bc some…demigods (lotor and the romans but she cant tell) are siding with chornos.

 BUT she goes with the legal void of just saying demigods who never made it to chb. But keith is like intense staring at her and  why that  SPQR on her shirt…that is obviously roman like on his coin but after all romans where kind of related to greeks ?? he need to know more about this. and while he is basically interrogating Allura about this and she is avoiding his questions Lance kind of confuses this in Keith being interested in Allura and OH NO.

And shiro is all like, rough demigods? I knew some of those at the gladiator thing in the labyrinth so he is gonna help allura because he is sick and tired of demigods putting themselves at risk because the gods are never clear to them and he feels mildly responsible since it is usually zeus rules the ones that fuck demigods more… so he is going with Allura.Keith jumps at the opportunity of getting away from his latent crush on Lance AND know more about this roman jargon Allura slips while talking and that means  he gets to do TWO things at once!The new quest trio ( shiro allura and keith)are ready to go sooner than pidges who still needs some preparations and now Lance is all….what cha mean Keith AND Allura..are both going and he is all confused because he is caring too much about it. Is he Jealous? of….?? Keith maybe? of course it is of keith! since he is NOT into him, and if Allura, the wonderful mysterious and powerful new demigod who saved them from the cyclops, goes with Keith, monster slayer and extremely capable hero… she probably will end up liking Keith (because who wouldn’t like keith and his cool moves) 

And when they are partying and pidge is still asking Shiro all the details he can remember about the matt last whereabouts and hunk is basically asking for all the tips on NOT dying on a quest and Lance is into interrupting ANY Keith-Allura interaction , the six of them are basically walking to the edge of camp  but when they all suddenly feel in the forest in their way out is when they get a prophecy of dodona (thank you garnny Reah) along the lines  that the six of them were to go IMMEDIATELY because in like a week Mt Osyris will be at its strongest and thats when there would not be gong back, that both quest were actually one and the same and only finding the missing family member they will get  there.

they are like oh yes the missing one is matt, OBVIOUSLY, And well, six is not an unlucky number for quests….but Keith is like NO - bc he dont want to spend time worrying about certain inexperienced in quests demigods -, pidge is like YES because that means finding her brother with more help.  hunk is like NO this means more problems and danger , Lance is like HELL YES i get to go with allura and keep an eye on keith so he doesn’t get all the glory and the girl. Allura just want to go and wonders why greeks cant follow simple orders, But Shiro is just “CHILDREN LISTEN, we aint separating. not for our lives. we are only strong in numbers”And team voltron parts immediately to the place hunk has traced technology like shiro’s who coincides with the last place shiro saw Matt: Arizona

BONUS OF THE CERBERUS QUEST (Shiro Matt and Adam failed quest)

Matt had to get back cerberus bc some demigods took him and Persephone wasn’t getting any of that so she went for “who is the brightest demigod so he can bring back my dog instead of me telling my husband”  and  That’s how the trio went directly to hell/the Hades. since they had to start looking somewhere.

Adam is an Hermes child, having a sword power and can know when shit are traps who only went on this quest because Shiro insisted on also going and he had a really bad feeling about it.  his relation ship with Hermes is hermes going all “no dont do that my boy” and adam going “what if i do anyway” but hermes respect he is so straightforward.Matt is an Athena son, who wasn’t too sure about going on a quests until he wanted to graduate from camp demonstrating to his sister that demigods have bright futures out there. 

how did the three brightest and oldest demigods in camp half blood got themselves lost, probably dead and separated?

On their way there shiro and adam get on each other nerves to the point when they both say  “i will do it my way”. Adam is all there is something is deeply wrong with this quest LISTEN TO ME we gotta NOT do this, but Shiro is there for proving this quest successful,Matt is just in the middle… but at the end chooses shiro bc he wants to be the prove of a future for pidgey. And then they get separated in the underworld, never getting to cerberus.Shiro> A zeus child is the best way to get any revenge on zeus and all the gods represent and he is forced to fight in the gladiator arena against monsters and demigods alike, losing an arm.

Matt > ended up in the labyrinth alone passing doors avoiding any kind of evil demigods and creatures without much of a physical fight  bc he is bright that way.  discovering much more stuff about the demigods away from camp and only wants  to see his sister again

Adam> got himself into tartarus because he is unlucky that way

THANK YOU AND I AM SORRY IT TOOK SO LONGANY QUESTION I LOVE TO KNOW THEMI will probably write the rest of the quest, since I already have a draft of it And thanks to @themindoflore specially, i appreciate with all my heart that you asked me about this au 

[xavierfiles-blog]

The Age Of X-Man Mini-Series, Ranked Only On First Impressions

Against all odds, I am very excited about Age of X-Man. This is an event that is going to cost me over $120 centered around X-Man, a character that, after reading literally every single comic he has been in, I despise. None the less, I feel sheer joy when thinking about Age of X-Man, and that comes from the fact that I trust these creators. Since all I do around here is rank things, and that’s the content people want anyway, I have decided to rank the Age Of X-Man mini-series based only on my first impressions. I have seen no art but the covers, not read a single page, I don’t even have a solicit. This is the proper way to judge a comic, I am sure of it.

6. APOCALYPSE AND THE X-TRACTS

What a cover right? Gerardo Sandoval killed it with this one. Beyond that, however, nothing is blowing my mind. Apocalypse isn’t a character I’m pumped about building a book around. Surrounding him with Kitty, Dazzler, Kid Apocalypse, Eye-Boy, and who is that Oya(?) a gender-swapped Synch(?), does nothing to excite me. Tim Seeley is a good writer but his SHATTERSTAR has left me cold. Similarly, Salva Espin is a solid artist but isn’t all that memorable. I hope this book wins me over, it looks like it could be a ton of fun, but for now, it is the book I’m least into.

5. PRISONER X

Gambit, Beast, Polaris, Honey Badger, and Dani Moonstar? OK you have my attention. Patch Zircher (who’s cousin did my son’s infant photos), nails the dour mood here. This is a group of people who have lost, but have not been broken. I’m down for that, and I’m down for a solid prison story from Vita Ayala. They are an up and coming talent, though one who’s work I’m unfamiliar with. I am, however, very familiar with German Peralta who’s work on CABLE this year with incredibly moving. His ability to set a mood on the page has me excited about this release.

4. THE X-TREMISTS

I’m a well known Leah Williams fan. I’ve made no apologies about that. We bonded over Maggott and Emma and garbage on Twitter. And the fact that her comic is coming in at #4 on this list should tell you just how stacked Age of X-Man is. THE X-TREMISTS is an interesting cast comprised of Jubilee, Psylocke, Iceman, Northstar, Blob, and a new character named Moneta. They have a paramilitary feel to them and look dope on this Rahzzah cover. Georges Jeanty is doing interiors and I’m not too familiar with his stuff, though he was heavily praised for BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: SEASON EIGHT. I know this will be a good book because Leah is writing it, and I know that my top four could change based on my mood, so y’all need to get pumped for this.

3. NEXTGEN

Chris Bachalo drew Moggott, Glob Herman, and Goldballs so, yeah, that’s a cover targeted specifically at me. Teen books are able to give underutilized characters a real voice and can often be a breath of fresh air. Ed Brisson has excelled with arcs like “Glob Loves, Man Kills” and EXTERMINATION has shown he can do a big story. Furthermore, Marcus To really stretched himself on X-MEN BLUE and could surprise a ton of people with this book. The final cast will make or break this book for me, but it does promise that Glob Herman tries to raise some hens and I don’t know what else I want in a comic.

2. THE MARVELOUS X-MEN

Being the “core” book for this event probably gives this a bonus but I am really excited to see where this goes. This is a fun mix of classic characters with oddballs like X-Man and Nature Girl added to the mix. Marco Failla has a nice, clean style that should make this book inviting for a lot of readers. But the big draw for me is Lonnie Nadler & Zac Thompson. This duo has blown me away with THE DREGS, COME INTO ME, CABLE, and their work on X-MEN BLACK. They are passionate about the X-Men, but more than that, they are talented storytellers. Also, I think this Phil Noto guy might be good at cover art.

1. THE AMAZING NIGHTCRAWLER

That adjective, amazing, is so important here. I have been saying for years that Nightcrawler is too good of a character to be relegated to just the X-Men. He should have just as much appeal to the general public as Spider-Man but for whatever reason, he has been underutilized. Seanan McGuire is a fabulous choice to try and push him into the spotlight. Her success in prose mixed with her passion for the source material inspires a ton of confidence from me. Juan Frigeri has been doing great work on PETER PARKER, THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN and Kurt needs that same energy. This reminds me of Carol Danvers in HOUSE OF M. This could be a watershed moment for Nightcrawler and I am so energized to see what comes from this.

Fellow true believers, the Age of X-Man is upon us, but fear not! This shall be more than a rehash of a decades-old event, this is an opportunity for the X-Books to try fresh ideas, to give fresh creators a chance to spread their wings. This is the dawning of a new age, and one we should all look to with wonder.

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Sarazanmai 3 - 6 | Fruits Basket 2 - 7 | OPM 2 2 - 7 | BSD 3 3 - 6 | Demon Slayer 4 - 7 | Shield Hero 17 - 20

I’ll be rolling out the tags around about the time of this post.

Sarazanmai 3

Kisu = kissu (kiss). Update: Or kisu (on the right side of my equation). You do you, subbers.

Goma-ae.

Gomennassara! (Oh, I get it…!)

It never occurred to me that a “micanga” was a bead or small pierced round object of some sort. I thought it was a race track sort of thing, but for soccer. Update: It’s a bracelet/anklet thing.

Wait, so what brought on this change of heart from Kazuki??? Is it like the 1st episode, where it was a daydream that was cleverly presented as real? Update: Yep.

Oh…have you noticed all the victims of Reo and Mabu’s scheme are men of the NEET/freeter age, or approaching that?

Notably, the signature pose of the Sarazanmai seems to be similar to the one Kazuki and Enta did in the soccer team.

I find it interesting that Enta is now the initiator of the Sarazanmai and thus the one to steal the shirikodama. I mean, he used to be the one with the least stakes in the Dish of Hope scenario…and now look at him!

Ooh, Toi is sharpening his ruler! (Or whatever you do in Touken Ranbu with that lil’ beater of his.)

Oh wait, I forgot Ikuhara always has a last-minute twist! Go back, go back!

It seems like Haruka has some kind of illness…hmm. Update: Oh, it’s not an illness per se…spoke too soon.

Haruka’s talking about the Little Prince…hmm. Last time I really bothered to engage with that story in any form was Star Driver.

Fruits Basket 2

I don’t think I ever really chose a side on the Kyo vs Yuki debate, but I guess I always subtly sided with Yuki (even though the end pairing is Tohru and *bleep*). <- sorry, had to censor myself

“It’s important for me to get to school every day!”

Kabedon! Eeeeee! (LOL, I really am a squealy person at heart, aren’t I?)

The writing says “she misheard [what Yuki said] as ‘being sick’”, so it was quite lucky that the word “sickened” worked in context.

Yuki has some mad ninja skills…LOL.

Shigure in a suit looks goooooooooood, man (<- gender neutral use of “man”).

“…the days ahead will be fun.” – Oh, Tohru, you don’t know how wrong you are…(says someone who completed the manga)

Fruits Basket 3

I’m hearing the OP for the first time…and it sounds like an ED. (Probably because I read some impressions that said the same thing earlier today.)

“…included in the zodiac?”

Ooh! Momiji! Wait, er…I didn’t expect him to be so high-pitched…

Lookit the tiny cat icon on the side! It’s cute!!!

*yells* It’s Kagura!!!!!!!! She ain’t my favourite, but man, is it great to see another familiar face!

I’ve been wondering what the title meant when it said “what year is she?” It means “year of the zodiac”.

Fruits Basket 4

“Shii-chan”…?

Kyo-kun ran away before Kagura even started making dinner…

Was Kyo’s katsudon a joke…? (Cats-udon, geddit?...No?)

“…marriage is a girl’s greatest dream.” – That used to be so, Tohru…nowadays, it ain’t.

Lookit how Kyo’s eyes lit up when he talks about his teacher!

OPM 2 2

That title’s…even more counterintuitive than “OPM 2 1”…hmm.

It’s…kind of dark right now.

I think there was bourbon on the counter. Someone likes to drink around here…

I guess with the mass animation exodus, OPM seems kinda…monologue-y. And cheap…

…nope, I take back my words. They were merely saving up for this action scene.

BSD 28 (S3 Ep 3)

Seriously, what are those metal things Dazai was wearing? Anyways, I like how it’s absolutely the norm that Chuuya swears now and I was part of forming that. Because I don’t swear a lot, I think Chuuya makes a nice outlet for my own frustrations...that’s what could be said, anyway.

D’aww. Someone acknowledges Chuuya’s identity. Ain’t that grand? (Now you see why I like Chuuya more than Dazai these days, huh?)

Come to think of it…a person hasn’t died in this show for a while, have they? It just goes to show you that despite one of its major stars being a guy obsessed with shinjuu (double suicide), the creators seem to be emphasising the sanctity of life itself.

Oh, I never thought they had an explanation for Dazai’s coat…

What is the age difference between Chuuya and Dazai anyway??? They’re both 15 during the LN that’s called that, but the exact difference…what is it? Update: Dazai’s birthday is June 19th and Chuuya’s is April 29th, so the difference is 1 month and 21 days (using the idea that 7 days = a week and May is 30 days, that’s 51 days in all).

Ooh, we’re getting Fyodor, Ace and the unnamed kid soon, aren’t we? That also means we’re in unknown territory for myself, too…hmm.  

OPM 2 3

When did Saitama last meet Charanko anyway? Charanko is voiced by Toshiki Masuda, so I would’ve kept an eye out for him, but the art shift and the years between seasons mean I don’t remember anymore.

Oof, “justice crashed Mumen Rider’s head” is more like it.

CGI banana…Just saying “CGI banana” is funny.

Kimetsu no Yaiba 4

Headpats, headpats all around!

Hooo…boy. I already knew Sabito and Makomo were dead because Crow and Irina’s collab post was called “The Names of Dead Children”, but how it was delivered…was such a powerful move.

I saw the blonde boy who’s in the OP…hmm. Update: His name is Zenitsu, according to the next-ep preview.

OPM 2 4

When comparing this dissection of monsters against Mob Psycho…the biggest monster Mob has is himself…hmm.

I didn’t expect Saitama to actually enter under Charanko’s name with that wig he got…

“…name as a martial artist.”

Mojo for the dojo, it seems this man wants.

I think the centipede senpai is CGI. Hmm…

It’s been years…I’ve forgotten what Ponytail Head’s name is! (And I call OPM one of my favourite series in anime…!)

Sarazanmai 4

“Writers exist between life and death.” – …is Ikuhara expressing his own thoughts on how anime writers are treated…?

I anticipate a soba pun (soba = noodles and soba = beside [someone]).

“…gives a s***…” – Says you, Toi, with the “Golden Poop” in the background. Then again, that’s just an English pun. Don’t mind me.

Comic Sans…you can’t escape it, even in this day and age…

Yude = to boil, soba…is the noodles. (The “o” on the end of the Monster of the Week’s first name means “man”.) Ikuhara uses Monster of the Week names in service of symbolism, while Takamatsu uses inconsistency for the sake of humour.

Intetestingly, there’s a spiralling blue thing in the background of the dance number and it says “soba” (katakana) and “desire” (yokubou, in kanji).

The headline translates to “Tragedy! It was next to me, but then…” (Kigeki! Sakki made soba ni ita noni…) The subbers had to accommodate the soba pun though, so they went with “so bar away”.

Hmm…now Toi takes centre stage…

2007, huh? How old are Kazuki and co. again?

This is probably the least surprising secret of all, y’know. Also, I think Keppi and Kazuki have cucumbers in their mouths.

They have subs for Stand By Me now!!! Oh mai globbb!

W-Wuh?! I can see why he’d hate Haruka (feelings of “why don’t my parents look at me the way they look at him anymore?”), but…this really turns this entire story on its head!

Kimetsu no Yaiba 5

Interestingly, the “My” in the episode title is Onore (an “I” indicating professionalism).Come to think of it…what is Tanjiro’s pronoun of choice?

Aww…the fact Tanjiro kinda looks like the demon’s (previous body’s…?) bro made the scene kinda cute. Possibly, it could be even enough to drive someone to tears…not that I was driven to tears, of course.

Well, here’s Zenitsu.

This angry kid reminds me of Mike Teevee (from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). He seems like a rival, but he’ll disappear soon enough. Also, LOL, a sparrow instead of a crow.

“…my whole body hurts.” – Welp, that’s what happens when you lose sleep fighting demons for 7 days straight…

Why the obvious names? (re: Haganezuka – that is, hagane means “steel”…also, Nichirin contains the character for “sun” (at least, I think so…?) and Yoko can be understood to be/homophonous to the word for “sunlight”)

Tanjiro, son of Tanjuro…LOL. That was probably deliberate – it means the first son follows in the father’s footsteps.

For some reason, I wanted Haganezuka to pop out of the comic for the next-ep preview…aww.

Shield Hero 17

How many times did Fitoria say “I’m going to kill the heroes” and Naofumi say variants of “no”? Because of that, I had half a mind to jump ship and head to RobiHachi instead…but keep going.

That cowlick stuff was probably the most fun I’ve had with this show in a while…heh.

Oh great…Naofumi expanded his pseudo-harem to two bird waifus…then again, I had a stupid grin on my face seeing Fitoria’s old master, so maybe it’s not all bad, y’know?

Post-credits scene…keep watching!

Wah-wait…what the heck was that explosion???!!!

BSD 29 (S3 Ep 4)

That’s…Topaz (unofficial name)…ohhhhhhhh dear…

Oooh, Katai! Katai! Yay!!! (As you can tell, I had a very small thing for Katai. He reminds me of En-chan, y’see.)

The CGI in this OP…you can tell there’s quite a bit of it, huh?

It’s Deadmau5 (as the fandom used to joke)!

Fyodor’s eyes of disgust as Topaz dries his hair…hmm.

Older Topaz looks surprisingly like Oda…I don’t remember that exact shot, but it might’ve been in the manga. His background also reminds me of Chuuya’s.

OPM 2 Ep 4 (OPM 18)

“Irksome insect”…says the giant insect.

I think I saw a 7-11 pastiche in the background.

Why does the bird have a human hand in his belly? What??? (LOL)

This tournament arc don’t feel so hype, now that MHA’s is over…

Someone likes Donkey Kong… (referring to Marshal Gorilla and the other Kong guy (Heavy Kong))

Sarazanmai 5

…oh wow. Y’mean Kazuki is adopted???

“Why don’t you say anything, even though you know about me now?” (from Toi) – Probably because Kazuki is as f***ed up as you are, if not worse.

What are those sparkles coming off Sara’s face…? Not sure if they’re a shoujo thing or just…gratuitous sparkles.

LOL, Nioino Fukuro. Basically “pouch of scent” when you insert a space between the second I and the second N and change the first name kanji, plus change the “no” to hiragana.

I know the title of the song is Kawausoiya (translates to “awful otters” or something like that), but “soiya” doesn’t make much sense on its lonesome.

Wait…does that mean Sara is the creature? Or there are two Saras that can look the same, but one looks like the human and one is more kappa-like???

For some reason, I’m getting changeling vibes here…that Kazuki wants to look different to the rest of his family because he knows he’s different.

Hey…there’s this thing called the tourist gaze. It argues that because people create notions of reality differently, people have different ideas of what makes a trip “good” and “authentic”. In the same sense, Haruka’s “false” connection with Kazuki!Sara has become his reality, so it’s not wrong to say this Sara is real for him.

Oh…I just realised some kanji that appar early in the OP are the kanji for “extraction”.

So, uh…in a sense…can I interpret Kazuki’s love for his real mother a Fruedian thing? It seems all men’s love can be interpreted to be Freudian in some way or another…also, Sara kind of looks like his mother in a very “surface” kind of way. That is, they have a very passing resemblance to each other. Update: I’ve been reading some Stephen King lately and if I took anything away from that experience, it would be that everything is Freudian when it comes to men’s experiences. That’s why I say that.

Kimetsu no Yaiba 6

…*remembers something from the collab that was along the lines of “Astral doesn’t like Tanjiro’s green jacket”* Astral’s not gonna like this, then. (For those who don’t know the context, “Astral” is AstralGemini of the Zodiac Room.)

*Tanjiro is told he might not go very far with his demon slaying* *Tanjiro reacts with happiness that he’s on his way to get Nezuko human again* - Uh…I know I’ve watched my share of shonen, but I kind of didn’t expect that and yet also did.

Ugh…it’s the return of CGI Tanjiro…the vegie patch looks good in CGI though, for some reason.

Lemme guess…with a title like that (Swordsman Accompanying a Demon), could it be that Kazumi is a demon???

“I don’t get it at all.” – LOL…that was unintentionally funny (for the second time in this show, the first being Hand Demon).

BSD 30 (S3 Ep 5)

Moby Dick crashing into Yokohama? It was literally years ago for us!

I’m pretty sure these Park guys didn’t exist in the manga. Update: Nope, they did. I’ve read the corresponding chapter, it’s just that that was also 2 years ago…just like the last we saw of the anime.

I love how the “gyaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” ended in blood splatter, literally.

The Park guys apparently come from ch. 44 but Katai comes from ch. forty…what? One? Two? It’s not 40 (Hitori Ayumu), that’s all I know.

Katai is a good boy. You’ll see why in…oh, a few seconds.

Oh, I love the ending of this story. I already know the ending, but seeing it again will be a whole new bag of laughs!

Uh…I forgot how much of an interruption the anime’s humour is. My dream of a “whole new bag of laughs” is at least half dashed…*shoulders slump*

Apparently Atsushi cut his hair himself…not sure if that’ll be a spoiler for later, but it’s still something cool to know.

“So it’s your letter?”

Katai is basically me when it comes to my husbandos. See why I love him???

Come to think of it…I haven’t properly listened to the ED yet! Better do that while I still have the chance.

Fruits Basket 5

Shigure is such a troll…just like I remember him.

Fruits Basket 6

Hatori! Ooh! He’s hottttttt! Sizzling!...Okay, I think you get my point already…

I think someone else (Amelia from A Girl and Her Anime…?) pointed this out…but I don’t understand a speck of German outside 1 – 10 (I remembered the German word for “six” way too well when I was younger). So it would help if they bothered to make the German English as well.

For some reason, the stick figure was both obviously a cost-cutting measure and also elevated the hilarity of that scene…!

I don’t quite know what the Japanese equivalent of the “macaroni and cheese” thing was, but it conveys the same idea in the two languages and makes people laugh along the way, so…*shrugs shoulders* Makes sense, I guess.

Tohru is kandou about meeting an author. Kandou means to be deeply moved (noun form).

LOL, Hanajima reading the book.

…Oh my goodness. I just realised Fruits Basket has a lot of characters with fringes. 90s fringes for everyone!

“…a cartoon about a cat and a rat that are always fighting…” - Come to think of it, Tom and Jerry is popular in Japan.

Shield Hero 18

I think this episode title ends in inbou, which means “intrigue”.

This show is clearly trying to play the same cards over and over again…

Shield Hero 19

Hypocrites! Hypocrites everywhere! *does Buzz Lightyear hand gesture from the meme*

OPM 19 (S2 Ep 6)

The reason the fat guy is called Dave is not just because of B/V confusion, but because debu (without the line in the middle) is a slang word for…wait for it…”fatty”.

Interestingly, Murata previously worked on a oneshot called Gokiburi Buster. I wonder if this Cockroach Boi is from there…?

Did you notice the guys behind the umpire, who had a stretcher at the ready…?

“Mr Saynuthin” seems to be “Nanmoien-san” in Japanese.

“Waganma” seems to be a play on wagamama, or selfish. However, I can’t pin down the pun in the father’s name...

Well, well, well…at least someone acknowledges Speed of Sound Sanic (the ninja, not the CGI abomination or the monkey) is hecka-speedy.

Charanko (the real one)…he has ashi no ura (the back of the foot) written on his bandages…LOL.

Sarazanmai 6

Apparently Kazuki’s (foster) family all wear the same kind of stripes…which is what Kazuki means when he doesn’t want to wear the same kind of clothes as his family.

Okay…so the first set of kanji that appear in the OP are the one for “desire” and the ones after that are “extraction”…geddit? (LOL)

Oh my glob…how in the name of Iyami does Osomatsu-san get so popular that after I watched the first season of that show, it starts appearing in other places as well????

I saw a translation of the Reo and Mabu tweets and apparently at least one of them can make ningyoyaki (a type of cake you can make in all sorts of shapes – scroll down a bit on that page and you’ll find the description of ningyoyaki there).

Uhh…ghh…Keppi pole dancing was disturbing…*soul floats out of body temporarily*

Reo (I think that’s Reo, at least) has ningyoyaki…Update: Yup, that’s Reo.

“Headdress”, huh?

Why does this episode 6 feel like ending material…?

Wait…you’re saying Reo and Mabu are princes of the otter kingdom??? Wuh???

BSD 31 (S3 Ep 6)

(Lucy blushes) Wow…now there’s an option for a het ship right there…not that anyone will take it.

I saw a GIF of Atsushi floating naked and face down in the water (because Irina), but…I forgot exactly how the scenario before it went, so I LOLled.

Oh yeah…this chapter had a tie-in with Mizuki Tsujimura, because Mizuki knew Kyoka’s mother. Also, it shows you can inherit Abilities…

It’s Truck-kun and the curse of the isekai!...Okay, I’m kidding.

Oh yeah…this is the chapter about the Headmaster…

I haven’t been in a good place mentally for the past few years or so, due to my world basically fragmenting around me, so the words “don’t hate yourself” are strong ones coming from a place both nostalgic and new.

Dazai inherits a particularly interesting space in Atsushi’s life. He’s like a brother and father wrapped up into one (Kunikida is the nagging mother in that analogy, LOL), but also obsessed with suicide to the point he can also be a liability.

“…didn’t tell anyone…”

It’s also interesting to compare Tohru (of Fruits Basket) and Atsushi. They’re both selfless, but Tohru’s selflessness is shown to be a double-edged sword while Atsushi’s gives him a lot of resentment but is overall a positive thing.

Aww…seeing Atsushi slowly tear up almost made me tear up too…

Fitzgerald Rising…that’s the name of the chapter where…oh, sorry. It’s been years, so I’ll let it all play out for you and me again without mentioning any spoilers until they happen in (close to) real time in the show, okay?

Fruits Basket 7

This is the first time there’s been English lyrics on the OP for this show…I think.

Who’s this “he” Tohru’s referring to when examining the woman’s picture? Akito, probably, but I’m not 100% sure…Update: It was Hatori, actually.

“Shii-san”, “Haa-san” etc. is…cute. *cue “O kawaii koto…” from Kaguya-sama*

I get the feeling that Shigure is almost like a prototype Dazai (Bungou Stray Dogs). Or they just have a lot in common.

“Are these my just desserts?”

Demon Slayer 7

Nezuko’s playing whack a mol-er, demon, isn’t she??? (LOL)

Whoa…it must be mighty freaky to be floating in a swamp of dead people’s possessions…

Welp, Tanjiro…that’s one way to say “hands off my sister”. *nods* By cutting the demon’s hands off…

I like the contrast between Tanjiro’s callused hands and Kazumi’s smooth ones.

Hey…why does food always get wasted in movies and other media…? I know I’m applying real-life consumption habits to media, but it always looks quite wasteful, y’know…?

OPM 20 (S2 Ep 7)

I never noticed that shot of Watchdog Man in the OP before…huh.

Pig God’s shirt says DEV. It’s a pun on debu (fatty)…again.

Ooh! I saw him in the OP! Flashy Flash! I’ve never seen him in action outside the OP before, but I know his name and appearance from reading around.

“You all are the strongest swordsmen we have.”

Seriously, Saitama, just get something to stick the wig on and you wouldn’t have gotten into this mess. Maybe superglue…(okay, I’m kidding about the superglue).

OPM got really childish this time… 

[cherry3point14]

Castiel the Demon Slayer

Pairing: Platonic TWF.

Prompt: Something with BAMF!Cas By a cutie pie nonnie.

Words: 1,607.

Warnings: Like there’s actually some fluff in this and then suddenly there isn’t. Demons. Almost dying.

A/N: I just kind of just went with my gut here for this extended drabble. Fic 3 for my followers celebration. Halfway through, are you proud of me?

Ao3 link if you prefer.

Hunting wasn’t always, as Dean put it, awesome. You loved killing bad guys but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a mess, like, ninety percent of the time. Too many hunts you’d come home stained in blood that wasn’t yours and had to scrub your skin raw. On more than one occasion you’ve been injured because, you know, everything is trying to kill you. And the worst part is when you don’t, or can’t, save everyone.

It’s really exhausting sometimes. 

So, you have to make the most of the little things. You start getting way too attached to creature comforts like your favorite cereal because it’s a constant in your life that you can rely on. You splurge on shampoo fancier than Sam’s because you’re worth it. And you treasure every second you get to spend with the boys.

The best part is they’re giant softies. They once told you about a big ol’ teddy bear they’d dealt with as part of a wishing well case and to this day you kind of suspect they were talking metaphorically about themselves because they are the giant teddy bears.

Sam loves romantic comedies. He’ll never say the words, but he goddamn loves them. You’d discovered this completely by accident while you’d been thoroughly enjoying some mashed potatoes and he threw out a, “I’ll have what she’s having.” Now you were at the point where neither of you needed to discuss it. After a bad hunt, you’d find each other and watch something cheesy and ridiculous together just to let the obvious happy ending put huge, dumb smiles on your faces.

Dean is a bit of a foodie. He hides it behind eating too much pie and too many cheeseburgers. But he’s a total slut for the kind of fancy food that has a home on Instagram. Not that he understands Instagram. You’d been working in New York, well actually you were in New Jersey hunting werewolves but close enough. After the furries were taking care of you were exhausted but he’d wanted to drive through the city. You hadn’t questioned it because you both deserved whatever the hell you wanted after all the killing. The lights made the drive seem like a movie and you’d quickly fallen asleep against the window. Then you’re woken by Dean slamming the driver’s side door except now he’s got a bunch of takeout boxes filled with things like raclette, which you describe as cheesy heaven when you try it. Since then he always shares his new food discoveries with you.

But neither of those two compared with Cas. Cassie Cas Cas. The times you’d spent with Cas may have been limited to what you call ‘peacetime’ but that was how you liked it. You didn’t have some big story about discovering a secret little quirk of his because his quirks weren’t a secret. That honesty might be the cutest thing about him. And the fact that he’s so game for anything. Sometimes you could have real dire needs. Like watching videos of cats and dogs being friends and needing to hang out with some cuddly animals. Cas always understands. He goes with you to the animal shelter and helps you pretend you’re looking to adopt just so you can hug the shit out of as many dogs as you can. He seemed to enjoy it too, everyone wins.

Cas was the fluffiest cloud in the sky. Logically you know he’s this ancient, powerful being but at the same time, he once let you paint his nails the same colour as his eyes.

Or, at least, that was your opinion until today.

Today you’ve fucked up. It happens to the best of us, it just so happens that today it’s on you.

Dean and Sam aren’t back from their hunt yet, they’re on the way home and driving as fast as they can because they know you’re an idiot, but they’re still not here. Dean told you repeatedly to leave it alone, ordered you actually, but you’d told him it would be easy, and you never responded well to orders anyway.

It’s just a little demon to take care of. All the signs are there, and this black-eyed son of a bitch has already killed three people. You have an angel blade, it’ll be fine. You already stayed home on bed rest because you got cut up a week ago but now you’re fighting fit again and the last thing you want to see is this demon kill any more people.

But Dean, and Sam in the background, tell you to wait. Knowing that you won’t. You’re feeling pretty sure of yourself. It’s not like you’ve never snagged a demon before.

The problem is you’re so gagging to get back out there that you hadn’t noticed that two of the victims died in different locations at the same time, which already spells more than one douche. You'd stormed ahead anyway. 

It’s how you end up tied to a chair with one of them balancing you over a tenth-floor balcony for fun. The only thing keeping you from a loony toons style death is the back two chair legs teetering dangerously near to the edge and the demons hand around your throat.

You’re pretty sure you’d be dead by now if Sam hadn’t called. His name flashing up on your phone was a blessing and a curse. Being associated with the Winchesters means they haven’t killed you immediately because they’ve decided to keep you as leverage. But it also means they’re playing with you. The big guy says he likes to hear your screams through the dirty material gagged in your mouth. Unbeknownst to him, you made a snappy comeback about hearing his screams soon enough but through the gag, it’s just a series of noises.

Unfortunately, you’re one slip of his hand away from becoming a human omelet when the door to the apartment flies off of its hinges. Literally flies. Not kicked in, the wood just propels forward like a bomb has gone off behind it. The demon holding you is so shocked that he lets you go and you’d swear that’s it. You can feel gravity clinging to you now that nothing is holding you in place. You chair spends a slow-motion moment wobbling like it’s not quite sure what to do with you.

Gravity wins. Wind is the only thing at your back and even the rancid material in your mouth can’t completely deafen the scream that’s ripped from your throat. You’re falling.

You’re meant to die saving someone. Not this bad action film death. 

Then there’s a hand, it wraps into the material of your shirt and yanks you forward, to safety, and just like that, you’re not dying today. When you look up you’d never expect to see the face attached to the hand that saved you.

Cas. But not your fluff ball Cas.

This is someone you’ve never met. This is Castiel and he’s furious like he carries thunder in his chest. Every muscle of his body is tense but moves fluidly at the same time, as if he was created for this one purpose. To fight. The blue in his eyes is as dark as the night sky and there are these angry lines carved into his face that you’ve never seen, contorting him into a caricature of the angel you thought you knew.

You see all of this in a second because as soon as all four legs of your chair hit the floor he’s moving again. Slow and measured as if there’s no urgency in the world towards the first of the three demons. You’re not sure why they’re still here but at this point you wouldn’t be surprised if that is Cas too, forcing them to stay somehow.

Even from outside and looking through the glass double doors the sight is awe-inspiring. He clamps a hand over the demon’s head with such force that his meatsuit might have gone through the floor. Instead, the demon burns, smote in a flash of light that’s both stunning and terrifying. You have to squint so as not to be blinded by it.

All you can do is watch as Cas saves you and finishes the job in the time it takes you to remember how to breathe. One by one they’re all ended, not an ounce of mercy or remorse in his actions. Not that the black-eyed bastards deserved mercy it’s just, Cas is so… you’ve never seen him so…

He’s a fucking badass.

When he finally turns back to you, still standing amongst the husks of the demons he’s just slain, there’s a second where you worry that it’s your turn next. He’s still primed and ready to kill at a moment’s notice and he’s looking at you.

It's only as he takes steps towards you that he melts in front of your very eyes. You see the warrior get locked away moments before he reaches you and unties your limbs.

With your hands finally free you both remove the cloth from your mouth and wrap your arms around Cas in one motion. He hugs you back like he always has, firm and safe while you shake a little in his arms. He didn’t just save you from demons, but you’d been falling. He saved you from dying tonight.

“Cas, that was amazing. I mean I’ve never seen you- you’re…” And there’s nothing that quite sums it up like your previous thought, “buddy, you’re a badass.”

He cocks his head at you when you pull back, maybe it’s because of the wetness you’re trying to blink away, “seriously, thank you.”

His face is a shadow of the soldier that saved you but there’s still a threatening flash of it as he speaks. “Nobody hurts the people I love.”

[secretlystephaniebrown]

Angus McDonald-Waxmen-Burnsides, Boy Detective

Summary: Angus McDonald is Magnus Burnsides's step-son, and he loves his dad very much. Even if his dad chooses to pretend they're not related in front of his coworkers.

Happy belated birthday to @sroloc--elbisivni! Hope you like your present, kiddo! <3

Also on Ao3

Angus McDonald is ten years old, and he’s been at boarding school for the past six months, so he’s super excited to be able to get out into the world for a bit. Rockport’s been… nice, he supposes, and he’s had a pretty good rapport going with the Rockport Militia, but he thinks really, he’s learned everything he’s going to there.

So after he visits his grandfather and solves the case of the Rockport Slayer, he thinks he’ll start forging the paperwork to transfer to a school in Neverwinter, at least until Candlenights. He’s done work in Neverwinter over the holidays, so the Militia already know him pretty well. And when Dad visits on Candlenights (and he will visit, he’s promised, he’s never missed Candlenigts before), he’ll ask him to sign the papers for real, and Dad will definitely say yes, but it’s not Angus’s fault that Dad’s been out of contact these past few months, so he can’t actually get permission right now.

Of course, just as he’s thinking that, and starting to vaguely sketch out his dad’s signature in the corner of his case-notes, he looks up, and he sees his dad sitting next to him.

He starts to grin, because he loves his dad, he really does, and he hasn’t seen him in months, and it’s been ages since he’s called too, when his dad wiggles his eyebrows, tilts his head towards the other two people he’s with—one’s an elf with a really tall hat, the other a dwarf—and holds a finger up to his lips. Angus had spotted them out of the corner of his eye when they’d gotten on the train, but he hadn’t really taken the time to look at them closely, because he was trying to triangulate a potential hunting area for the Rockport Slayer.

He’s a bit embarrassed about that, actually, because he missed his dad boarding the same train he was on.

Angus sighs and settles in for whatever strange joke his dad is playing.

Magnus Burnsides is a great dad (or step-dad, as the case may be), but sometimes Angus doesn’t quite get him.

Julia Waxmen is very proud of her son, even if she doesn’t see him all that often. Raven’s Roost was… well, it wasn’t the safest place for a kid, especially not when your mom is a hypothetical leader in a rumored rebellion against a supposed tyrant. So, she acquiesces custody to his dad, even though she doesn’t exactly like it, and writes him loads of letters, and visits every Candlenights, even if she has to knock out a few guards to make it work.

And Magnus Burnsides, the new love of her life, when he meets Angus (McDonald, not Waxmen, because Julia has to admit “Angus McDonald” is a fucking dope name) is also very proud of him.

“Hello sir,” Angus says. He’s gotten dressed up for the occasion, and Julia wants to hug him again, but she knows he and Magnus should probably get to know each other. She… doesn’t really know what she’ll do if they don’t get along.

“Uh… hey?” Magnus rubs the back of his neck. “You’re Angus, right? Your mom’s told me a lot about you.”

“She hasn’t told me very much about you,” Angus says, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose—they’re too big for him, Julia realizes fondly.

“Oh.” Magnus looks absolutely crushed, and Julia is about to speak up when Angus keeps on going.

“But that’s because she’s always worried her messages to me will be intercepted, so she doesn’t talk about anyone she cares about. And so, I guess by that logic, she really cares about you a lot!”

Magnus brightens. “Hey, you like mysteries, right? That means I’m a mystery!”

Angus’s smile is wide and Julia gives in and hugs him tight, and then Magnus for good measure.

Her family is all together now. She couldn’t be happier.

“You’re a fancy lad,” the dwarf tells Angus.

Angus takes a moment to process this, glancing at Dad, who is keeping his face utterly straight in a way that means he thinks this entire thing is totally hilarious.

Angus hopes this goof isn’t going to be too much at his expense.

“You know, being fancy is good, but sometimes it’s better to be Pan-cy and not just fancy. Let me read to you about Pan from my Xtreme Teen Bible, what do you say?”

Oh! Angus realizes, excited. This must be Merle! Dad wrote about him last time, before he went off to take that job for Gundren Rockseeker! Which means he can play on the goof.

“Uh, hello sir. Thank you for the evangelism, but I’m affiliated already and I appreciate it. And my dad says that I sh— I’m not allowed to talk to people who worship pagan gods.” There! Dad’s mouth is twitching. Angus feels remarkably proud, at least until he realizes that Merle is frowning.

“Well, uh, that’s fine, I guess. Uh, but you know if you’re gonna stay close-minded and you’re not gonna be open to new ideas, you’re not going to grow up to be a very well-rounded young man.”

Angus winces internally—he wants to make a good impression on Dad’s friends, after all. “Ok sir, I—I apologize if I was being rude before. Please tell me the good news.” Dad has his hands over his mouth now, so Angus thinks he might have just lost this round. But he accepts the Pan Chick Tract anyways, and tries to be polite.

“What is—what is your name—”

Merle looks thrown off and kind of struggles, which means that they’re probably undercover. Is that why Dad doesn’t want them to know who Angus is? “I’m Brother- I’m Brother Leeman, just call me Brother Leeman.”

Angus nods, as if accepting this.

“Brother Leeman, hello. My name is Angus, I’m a little boy. I—I’m going to visit my grandpa in Neverwinter. Have you been to Neverwinter before?” He can’t help the jab at Dad—Dad has come with him to Grandpa McDonald’s house many times over the years, since Mom died.

Dad whispers something to Taako and Merle, and Angus thinks he’s being made fun of. Which isn’t very nice of Dad, honestly, if Merle and Taako don’t even know he’s his son!

“Excuse me, sirs. My grandpa says it’s rude to whisper, especially on a train. My name’s Angus!”

Dad squints at Angus suspiciously at that, and Angus just grins, practically bouncing, trying to come up with a way to get Dad alone so they can talk properly. It’s been ages since he’s had Dad along on a mystery, and he’s kind of missed it! Dad can do all sorts of useful things like scare people and reach tall shelves.

“We had to say dirty words, Angus, dirty words that you can’t hear. Adult words.”

“That sounds like a bunch of dogshit, sir!” Angus says brightly, just because if Dad isn’t going to be Dad right now, it means he can’t be mad at Angus for swearing.

Dad’s mouth pops open in indignant rage.

“Hi Angus, where are you from?” Taako asks, leaning over Dad to talk.

“Me?” Angus says, wondering how much he’ll be able to get away with before Dad cracks and tries to Dad him. “I’m not allowed to say.”

The problem with Raven’s Roost is that their school is okay, but it’s not really… enough, for a kid like Angus. Angus already speaks two languages—Magnus has been teaching him elvish, although Julia’s not sure where he picked that up himself. She’s taught Angus to pick locks and shoot a crossbow, and Merle’s teaching him how to carve and the names of the stars, but none of that’s proper socialization, and certainly it’s not the kind of things he needs to know if he wants to be the World’s Greatest Detective by the age of eight, like Caleb Cleveland in his books.

Okay, maybe the crossbows and the lockpicking will help with that, but he probably needs to learn math. He hasn’t declared a class yet—too young for that, and rightly so, in Julia’s opinion. But he needs a good basic education for a background, especially if he wants to go to Bard College or Wizard School or anything like that, and she suspects he will want to, because he’s a bright kid.

So one day she takes out a big map of Faerun and puts it down on the table, and says, grandly as you please, “Alright Angus, where do you want to go to school?”

Angus’s eyes light up and he runs to fetch his notebook, where, it turns out, he’s already made a list addressing this exact question. Julia is fondly exasperated, because of course he’s already thought about this.

Magnus chews his lip thoughtfully. “Neverwinter might be a good one,” he says, carefully. “There’s a good carpentry community, we could fit in—”

It’ll hurt them both to be away from Raven’s Roost, but if it’s what they need to do to give Angus the life he deserves, they’ll do it.

“Um,” Angus says, looking hesitant. “I mean, you don’t have to do that. Sir. Magnus. Dad. I mean, I could stay with um, my other Dad, or even Grandpa, or there’s boarding school—actually, a lot of the best schools are boarding schools.”

“Angus,” Julia objects.

“I think it’s important for a detective to be able to do things on his own,” Angus says. “Besides,” he adds. “You can visit me!”

Julia smiles, and kisses her son on the cheek. “I guess we can,” she says.

When Taako and Merle go off to the Pleasure Room, Dad stays behind and sits next to Angus.

“Hey Ango,” he says, grinning. Angus likes it when his dad smiles like that—it shows off the chip in his tooth, the one that he got during the Rebellion. It was his favorite story when he was a kid, because it always led into the story of how Mom and Dad met.

Angus grins back, and then, peeking to make sure no one else is around, hugs Dad tightly. Dad gives the best hugs in the known universe, or at least in Angus’s known universe.

“Dad!”

Dad ruffles his hair, which Magnus doesn’t even mind all that much. He’ll fix it later.

“Sorry I didn’t let you know I was going to be here—it was kind of last minute.”

“Are you on a job, Dad?” He’s not sure why the kind of mercenary work Dad’s been doing would involve boarding a train under a false name, but Angus has probably done stranger things himself while on a case.

“Yep! We’re, uh, well I can’t exactly tell you, but I promise I’ll explain soon.” Dad looks kind of sheepish and he rubs the new bracelet thing he’s wearing.

Angus frowns. Dad’s not much for jewelry—he’s got the ring Mom made him, but that’s pretty much it. And he doesn’t recognize the symbol on the bracelet. “You’re sure you can’t tell me?”

“Eh, it would take a while, and Taako and Merle will be back soon.”

“Do you not trust them, Dad?” Angus says, instantly concerned. He’s pretty sure that Merle is impersonating a dead man, which is always a sure sign of a villain in a Caleb Cleveland novel.  

“What? Oh no, I just think it’s funny.”

“Oh! Okay. It is a pretty good goof.” Angus just hopes that Dad isn’t ashamed of him.

“Isn’t it? You did good, kiddo.”

Angus glows at the praise. “Since you’re here, does this mean I can start Candlenights vacation early?”

Dad squints at him. ��Candlenights is in like, two months.”

Angus shrugs. “Rockport Academy is kind of boring.”

Dad laughs, then pauses to rub his neck. “Ah, I kind of need to like, make… housing arrangements? I’ve got a place now! It’ll be fun. But like, I need to get the paperwork sorted and clear it with my new boss and—”

Angus deflates slightly. “Oh. Okay.”

“It’ll work out! I just thought you were still at school so I hadn’t really gotten too far with it!”

“You completely forgot, didn’t you?”

“You were at school!”

Angus smiles and hides behind his book.

Taako and Merle come back then, and Angus lowers the book he’s pretending to read, and grins at them. “Hello, sirs! How was your trip?”

Taako looks surprised. “Pretty good, Angus. We had a good time. Uh, we sure missed you, though.”

Dad is trying not to laugh again.

“I missed you too. Hey, I forgot to ask! What’re y’all going to Neverwinter for?” Angus keeps his smile bright and earnest.

He lets them tie themselves in knots for a while, and then he glances at his book and decides now as good of a time as ever to reveal it.

“And what are your guys’ names?” He asks, innocently.

“I’m… Leeman?” Merle looks confused.

“Still Didley,” Dad says, squinting at him suspiciously.

“No, I’m sorry, I’m sorry. What are your guys’s real names?” Angus makes sure his expression doesn’t change a bit, and Dad’s own expression at it makes it even better.

Dad suddenly looks down, and Dad knows that book, Dad gave him that book, and Dad puts his face in his hands for a moment.

Taako tries to snatch the book, but Angus moves it out of reach quickly.

Dad, catching on, grabs it from him, and Angus frowns as they start to play monkey in the middle with it.

“Angus, where did you get this book?” Dad asks, his mouth impressively straight considering he’s holding up his last birthday present to Angus as if it’s contraband.

“That’s not important, what is important is that the three of you tell me exactly what you’re doing on this train and what your real names are,” Angus says, crossing his arms.

Angus leads them back to his sleeper car, because he probably should explain the Rockport Slayer thing, and hope Dad doesn’t get mad at him for investigating a mass murder without telling him first.

In his defense, it’s hard to ask permission when he didn’t know where he was!

Angus hears about Raven’s Roost while he’s at boarding school in Neverwinter.

Dad’s supposed to be on his way to visit him, which is the only reason why Angus doesn’t run away and start hitchhiking his way home.

Dad shows up, withdraws Angus from school, and then the two of them rush back home. The rocking chair sits on the back of the cart the whole way. Dad was supposed to enter in a contest and spend a few weeks just spending time with Angus, but Angus can’t even care about any of that right now, because they haven’t heard anything from Mom or Grandpa Waxmen.

Finally, finally, they get home, and Angus finally gets why Mom sent him away during the rebellion.

“Kalen did this?” He whispers.

Craftsman’s Corridor—home—is completely laid to waste. And the rest of Raven’s Roost is completely deserted. Everyone ran away, Angus realizes. The second they realized they could be next, they had fled, only stopping to bury the dead.

There’s rows upon rows of headstones—seventy-six, Angus counts. Angus and Dad are stopped in front of the two most important ones. Mom and Grandpa.

Dad is crying. Angus has never seen Dad cry before.  “Yeah. He did.”

Angus presses his face against Dad’s shirt, not caring that his face is wet and that he’s going to be making a mess of things.  

“We’re going to catch him, right?” He asks.

Dad hugs him tight. “Well, we’ve got the World’s Greatest Detective on the case,” he says.

Angus nods. He’s not the world’s greatest just yet—but he’ll work on it. He’ll track this guy down. He’ll bring him to justice.

Taako pushes Angus off the train.

“Hey!” Magnus yells, and then, unthinkingly, forgetting how beat up he is, he jumps after Angus to see if he’s okay.

Which is when he’s reminded that he hasn’t had a rest in a while, and hits zero hitpoints.

Whoops.

“Dad? Dad!” Angus yells, panicked when Dad doesn’t get up immediately.

He reaches into his emergency kit that he always carries, and produces a health potion. Sure, Dad tells him he’s supposed to save it for himself, but Angus figures Dad can’t be mad at him for saving his life, right?

Angus hopes so at least; he really doesn’t want to be grounded. Dad’s got a strange sense of humor when it comes to grounding.

In the meantime, Taako jumps off the train and it disappears into the portal, which is very good, but Angus’s main attention is still focused on his dad, who’s slowly waking up.

“Ango?”

“Dad!” Angus hugs him tightly.

Taako, who’d landed gracefully on his feet nearby, promptly falls over.

“I must have been hearing things, my dude, or you must have hit your head a lot harder than I thought, because Magnus… I think Agnes just called you “Dad,” which is pretty buck-wild.”

“My name is Angus, sir! And I called him Dad because, well… he is my dad!”

“Man, I really am hearing thing pretty badly.”

“Sir?”

“Ignore him, Angus,” Dad says cheerfully, getting to his feet. “Hey, did you lose some teeth?”

“Yes, but they were loose already,” Angus says.

“Oh good, I don’t think the—my new job has dental.”

“This is the static place?”

“Sure is, pumpkin,” Taako says absently, tilting his head while staring at Angus. “Hey, Magnus? How come your kid is so annoying? And smart?”

“Well, he gets the first one from me, the second from his mom!”

“We should… probably go explain things to the Militia, Dad,” Angus says, tugging on his arm.

“Oh, right.”

Magnus takes Angus’s hand, and the two of them walk into Neverwinter together.

Lucretia is used to strange requests from her employees. She’s even more used to strange employees from her friends, even though now they don’t remember that they are her friends.

But when Magnus asks her if he can bring his son onto the moon Lucretia does a spittake.

“Your what?”

“My son!”  

She regards him suspiciously. “Magnus, I’ve told you. No dogs on the moon.”

“He’s not a dog! He’s a human boy!”

Lucretia puts her hands to her temples. “Wait. You’re not goofing? You have a son?” How did she not know this?

“Yep! His name is Angus. He’s ten years old!”

… what.

“What?”

“Well, fine, he’s my step-son, but I’ve adopted him and everything! It’s like… mostly legal!”

“… I’d have to inoculate him,” she says, quietly, trying to think, because Magnus has a son. That changes… that changes everything. A son. A little boy—ten years old is so young.

“I mean, don’t worry about him! He’s super smart! He’s like, way smarter than me—I think Taako and Merle mentioned him? He was on the train with us.”

Suddenly, something clicks into place in Lucretia’s head.

“Angus McDonald?” She asks, reaching into her desk.

“Yeah!”

“Boy detective?”

“World’s greatest,” Magnus says, a proud father through and through.

Lucretia pulls out his file and drops it onto her desk.

“… why do you have a file on him?”

“He’s been investigating people who have been erased by the Voidfish.”

“… I didn’t tell him!”

“I don’t think you did,” Lucretia says. “But you know what they say… if you can’t beat them, hire them.”

“… are you giving my son a job?”

“Do you think he’d be interested?”

“Yeah, probably. Does this mean he can move in?”

“I’ll fix the paperwork.”

“Yeah!”

Lucretia puts her head in her hands.

Magnus’s son is a genius detective who is able to circumvent, if not completely ignore Fisher’s abilities just by the power of deductive reasoning.

She is going to have to be very careful moving forward.

But it will be nice to meet Magnus’s son.