#at least ones that ruin characters instead of adding onto them

[ellaphnt]

Saw ur Toshiro post, and I absolutely agree that Toshiro's outburst will be a stepping stone for both um an Laios to grow and that the buildup was because Shuro didn't want to ruin situation he was still trying to figure out. But the funniest thing is, afaik, Laios and Falin are *also Foreigners* for quite far away. Their country is simply Scandinavian/northern Europe themed. I don't think we see any long-lived races in their flash backs (baring the dead man buying a ring of elves?). And both Falin and Laois definitly are the equivalent of nobility/Local chiefs kids. But instead of being send out with all their assistants and guards, Laios ran away and suffered in the army and then on his own in a caravan , and Falin was send to a Magial School full of other races and people. They both had time to 'adjust' to the wider world (and still carry a bit of home-grown uh...prejudice (mountain people)). So when they met Shuro both of them were well used to meeting people not from their Country. Toshiro not being either from the tiny Island or the nearby lands simply didn't mesh with how they had adapted to behave. Plus, obviously, Laios textual Autism. But I feel like Laios could totally have figured it out if he had met people from Shuros island before who would have told him, he does after all know how to behave around Dwarves and such, who also have quite diffrent culturual norms. Sorry for the ramble xD Good Toshiro post!

Hi hi! I’m really glad you’re adding onto my silly brain thoughts hehe - I’m super happy to hear yours, especially since they make me think more! Warning this is going to be long, talking about dungeon meshi is just a lot of fun.

When I said foreigner, I should have clarified that that I meant he’s a stranger to the CULTURE. A good chunk of the people in the island are not native to it! But culturally, they have the social background to fit in. They didn’t all come from the same place, yes, but they grew up in European-esque cultures and interacted to some extent with other races. Even Kabru and Rin are not foreign to this type of culture because they grew up with Western/European socialization.

Gonna elaborate bc I think it’s fascinating: From what we know about the Eastern islands, the worldview is very very different. In the Adventurer’s Bible where Kabru talks to Hien, they talk about how the East defines “humans” as “tallmen”, and oni/ogres were the only “other”. In the post-canon snippet where Toshiro talks to Falin, he even refers to Eastern thinking as “backward” due to the lack of long-lived races. Because of his delayed exposure to other races, and because the worldview is far more different than the one the Toudens experienced, that’s where I make the statement that he had more to adjust to.

I’ll also note, the fact that the Toudens are subjectively more adjusted to seeing and accommodating other races makes Laios’ statement that Toshiro “had an odd appearance” an even more bizarre thing to say. And although we can assume Toshiro also has his biases, we don’t see them highlighted like other characters have had (to my knowledge). So it makes it seem like he was more thoughtful/careful towards other races from the get-go, despite his lack of knowledge. His main issues were always with other tallmen, just like Laios.

It’s good to point out that the Toudens are outcasts in their own right. Both of them went through a really hard time, and it changed them. Laios’ cycle of failures and giving up and being bullied are especially important to characterizing his relationship with his sister and his disinterest in humanity and lack of close friends. Falin at least had Marcille. Both Laios and Toshiro have reasons they’re inexperienced in friendship, but one of them stated it in the story and the other didn’t. There’s more misconception about Toshiro’s character than Laios’. So my post was to talk about that one a bit.

ALSO OOO I COMPLETELY FORGOT but I WAS going to mention how both the Toudens and Toshiro came from families of influence! Thank you for bringing it up! Laios and Toshiro diverge from that upbringing, while making Toshiro and Falin a little more similar. This goes into another whole thing where Laios and Toshiro parallel (and foils?) each other but that’s too long of a discussion. Just as long is how this divergence distinguishes the Touden siblings (too many people have said their only difference is gender..)

Lastly, yes, Laios does need more exposure to Eastern people and Eastern culture to get a grasp on it. He really wants to learn! It’s just that Shuro isn’t his encyclopedia and until he gets that chance, he will make ignorant takes. I can think of two more that will occur in the main narrative alone. (but like Toshiro said, Laios has no malicious intent, that’s what makes it all the more complicated)

While there’s good conversation to be had about the fight from a ND vs NT POV, I’ve seen SO much discussion about Toshiro possibly being read as autistic too, and neurodivergent individuals who can relate to his experience. Often it comes as an intersection between both being autistic and being a poc. I think it brings even more nuance to the narrative. Plus I’m just glad there’s people who can relate to him. He’s meant to be relatable! His problem with Laios is just as much a character flaw as it is human.

Hope this post was a thoughtful response to yours, I tried to tackle everything you mentioned! Thank you sm for the ask :D

Edit: for the sake of context, here’s the og post that’s being referred to!

[ganondoodle]

some ramblings about the overworld and reusing of the map in totk

i was one of the people that didnt mind revisiting the same map bc i loved the world and would gladly rexplore it all again, i was confident theyd change it up so it felt fresh again .. but it really wasnt, but even if it wasnt i was fine with it bc i was sure theyd HAD to use the build up from botw, with the shiekah and yiga alone theres so much you could do, and a captivating story or characters are more important than any map change to me-

and then, most changes on the surface were artificially stuck onto the world, like some small boulders the size of a large boulder stuck onto a wall, weirdly fusing with it (but thats not relevant and doesnt have a reason either) which really doesnt change anything much, some caves and holes in the ground but nothing really substantial at all, the most changed was death mountain and the gerudo city (while the regions themselves didnt really change either .. no in any interesting way at least to the extend i saw in my what 200+ hours)

im no game dev expert but do know a little and changing up a model and breaking stuff off really isnt THAT much to do so i really dont understand why they dotted the world with useless rocks and little caves that are all extremely similar instead, but then change stuff that is WEIRD to change and would have been easier to leave as it was- like the shrine of life being scraped of the walls, or smoothing over the places were shiekah towers were in botw like they never existed in the first place, and then sometimes adding something for no reason (like apparetly theres a new useless tiny ruin on the akkala fortress??? why?? how?? and i heard someone say they changed how the big hole in one of the peaks of the big mountains looked, like the icy blue texture was removed?? i dont know if i went there in my playthrough but i dont doubt it lol) and instead of the holes of the big shiekah tech pillars being left its just .. filled up with dirt, just like the bit of the calamity ganon arena being jsut rock now and the pit being fileld with just dirt as well-

and theres MORE changes that are arguably MORE time consuming to do but are both unnecessary to do and also WEIRD, erase everything shiekah and say it all vanished into thin air while theres clearly guardian parts in the new, shittier, towers and one decayed left at the hateno institue, the ancient furnace isnt just GONE its filled with rocks that had no way to get there naturally

but then the rest of the world is pretty much the same, with very little changes and if its plopped onto it without actualyl meaning anything, even inconvenience you too, like the path to hateno being blocked by a fortress of monsters so you cant get there via horse, and even if you clear them out, with or without the quest, they just come back with the bloodmoon, i thoguht if i do it with the quest theyd be gone for good and clear the path again, but NO you participating in the fight means nothing but another checkmark bc they will redo it over and over and it will be blocked again anyway (but then the "pirates" which are also a monster fortress .... dont come back ... waht) or the blockage of the bridge at the twin mountains too, you cant actually change anything, the one in the gerudo valley is also just another weird blockage, do you want to force me to build stuff? no thanks ill just walk then and be annoyed about it bc thats way easier

(sidenote, satori being reduced to someone pointing at caves that doesnt even tell you if you did them already or not is so disrespectful, i loved satori bc it wasnt some player helper but a strange and beautiful being, it jsut lived there and you had to be careful to even catch a glimps of it, the atmosphere around it being creepy and otherworldly you dont know what its really capable of, like you are staring at a godly being you cannot talk to but it accepts you when you are there and leaves as soon as you let go of it.... and nows its just a cave pointer...)

so, especially if you played botw, it all very much feels like a retread but with little sprinkles and weird changes (or outright annoying ones like the shrine of life being licked of the walls) here and there and othertimes just plain annoying inconveniences, and then the main points of your quest are .... in the same spot as in botw as well, its at rito village, death mountain, gerudo town, zoras village ... its repetition is entirely unnecessary, you had interesting locations all over the map, put a temple into or under akkala fortress my god that things i BUILD for that, anything in akkala really, put another one high into the mountains, in or UNDER hateno?? the krog forest or the deku tree being one?? kakariko??? no ?? it jsut had to affect each species exactly where they are .. again, and even the temples are there so its not even a thing made there affects the town nearest but still far away enough to be different or the terrain literally leveled the ground and they are gonna have to look to settle elsewhere (the closest is gerudo town but like ... is it), its not just repetetive but also makes the regions feel WAY more disconnected and self contained, none of them care about each other or do anything but defend against the thing that conveniently affects them directly at the same place again and the activities are largely the same too, find shrine find krog

ok then we got the sky, .. which is largely empty with just some repeating minibosses or some get crystal to there thing, its empty and barren of life, not a single NPC ever goes up into the sky aside from two dungeons companions, despite them already using the sonau tech ballooons and what not and having literal bird people there AND being literally obsessed with anything sonau, rarely theres a construct there, a robot with little to tell and not really doing anything, the ruins dont tell a story either, its just .. there

then theres the underground and omg its just as big as the overworld map! and then the .. terrain and look of it is almost always the same (only in the gerudo region is it a little more sandy) with the same kind of sonau thingies being the same everywhere that dont even LOOK ancient, it bothers me so much, are you telling me this building has been here for well over 10 THOUSAND YEARS?? and then the lightroots ... are in the same spot as the shrines .. so its not even a discovery really bc you know where shrine or root is now .. and then every more important place is literally beneath surface important places (even under taburasa .. the town you newly built in botw) which again .. isnt really a discovery then, and then the map itself is just the surface map but inverted, which to some may be a neat thing but, to me ... so its the surface AGAIN but more boring bc it doesnt have any regional differences too and then they have the gall to put the old amiibo stuff there (the labyrinths??? you go throguh all that and its just the renamed same armor from botws DLC??? how dare you), or some crystal things for your battery that are just another currency that has to be exchanged twice to specific people to be most useful- and the big weird magician statues ?? man idk if i should help this one, the giant mech like statue is giving me the creeps, and how the hell is it talking through the statues of thE GODDESS??? HUH´? and then it turns out its just a guys that sells you largely useless stuff for yet another currency you can only use at few specific spots

even the enemies are the same aside from mini- and gigamas, it even repeats the enemies from the surface

the best part of the underground/surface are the yiga, and even they are made kinda boring, in the underground its little outposts that give you some crystal currency and blueprints for autobuild i bet you arent ever gonna use, the most valuable thing is their little diaries and on the bigger spots koga (he is surperior to every single other character, sorry gan) but even kogas questline is like .. removed from everything else, its its own contained thing ocne again ... the arenas that are kinda fun to do but ultimately

you have a barely changed map from botw, a largely empty sky with some rather boring shrines or minibosses that get used over and over and no story to tell really, and then the entire map of the surface again with important points and shrine points being repeated as well

and then you get option over option to skip any traversal of all that too, with ultrahand and the towers and the ceiling jump and fast travel its a repetetive map twice and one largely empty with out skipping from point a to point b

i know how difficult game dev is, but in all those years with a giant team and money this is it? and not even the story has anything to go for? how do you take the addictive exploration of botw and turn it boring

anyway, yet another ramble taking me the entire evenign to write, again, this is not meant as blind hatred but an expression of my feelings and thoughts about it and for this one why it felt so weird and boring to explore ... the thing i like so much about botw ..

[tepkunset]

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Film Review

(This review contains spoilers!)

I consider The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes book to be a masterpiece that sets a standard of what YA Fiction can be; something that any young adult upwards can enjoy. Suzanne Collins does such an amazing job of pulling you into the world and characters she’s created, and doesn’t shy away from the truly grotesque things that make a dystopia feel impactful. I am glad to say that, for the most part, this film lives up to that standard.

Before anything else, I do want to get a few minor complaints out of the way. Keep in mind they did not ruin the film for me, but I feel they are worthy of pointing out.

Sejanus Plinth is my favourite character in the book, and while for the most part he is very accurate, there is one thing that really disappointed me: In the book, Sejanus knew damn well what he was doing with the rebels; he deliberately supplied them with weapons. But in the film, he has the line “I didn’t know there would be guns”, discovering for the first time that they used his money to arm themselves. This really feels like de-clawing his character to me.

It would’ve been nice to have at least a brief mention that Barb Azure is gay. I can understand why they had to cut out Pluribus Bell for time, but because the also cut him out, that means there’s no mention at all of the book’s queer characters in the film.

The relationship between Coriolanus and Sejanus has a much more bitter feeling in the film than in the book, and after sleeping on it, I think I know why: Because we don’t get to hear Coriolanus’s thoughts in the film, the film I think overcompensates by making him much more verbal about his snobbery towards Sejanus. Subsequently, it’s harder to believe why Sejanus sees Coriolanus as his best friend.

Okay now, onto the praises!

The story is extremely loyal to the book. In fact, there is a lot of dialogue that is ripped right of the page, and it all made me really happy to hear. I am especially glad they kept in this pinnacle Lucy Gray quote: “I think there’s a natural goodness built into human beings. You know when you’ve stepped across the line into evil, and it’s your life’s challenge to try and stay on the right side of that line.” Because this, of course, directly enforces the core message I took from the book: Good and evil is a choice. The choices that Coriolanus made are his to hold responsibility to, and as much as you can point at Dr. Gaul for introducing him to the path he takes, ultimately, he chose to walk it. Most of the changes were understandable cuts for time without any sacrifices being too detrimental. The things they added were all, in my opinion, enhancements to the story by expanding on what only happens on the peripheral of Coriolanus’s point of view in the book. For example, the things he only watches on screen in the arena are delved further into by shifting to Lucy Gray directly a few times. They also added a bit to Coral’s character at her time of death, which I liked because it made her out to be less of a cardboard antagonist and instead reminded the audience that she, too, is a victim of the system.

All the actors did a phenomenal job, from both the main and supporting cast. Tom Blyth does a great job at showing Coriolanus Snow’s progression down the path of a young villain in the making. Rachel Zegler does a great job at capturing Lucy Gray’s charm and free spirit. Josh Andrés Rivera does a great job at selling the weight Sejanus carries around with him, and has some of the best line deliveries in the film in my opinion. (My favourite being “I’m so blameless I’m choking”.) And I especially have praise for Viola Davis as Dr. Volumnia Gaul, who does an amazing job at bringing the unhinged character from the book onto the screen. She’s properly intimidating and strange at the same time. Dimitri Abold as Reaper was also a scene-stealer, in that he captures what I absorbed from the book really well; the western societal expectation that a young Black man is a danger that is then turned on its head. Not only does he not kill a single person, he has a very emotional moment of mourning for the tributes, collecting their bodies as he does in the book, and covering them with the Panem flag – something that outrages the audience more than the actual death of the children.

The scenery is very loyal to the descriptions provided in the book; I swear they stole it straight from my own personal imagination while reading.

The music… I don’t even know how to put to words my satisfaction in how the film adapts the music written out in the book, into an actual song. My personal favourite is “Nothing You Can Take From Me”. Rachel Zegler has a great voice, for sure.

The costume design is great. The Capitol’s eccentricities we know from the core trilogy haven’t evolved yet, but there’s still a certain flavour carried with characters like Tigris and Dr. Gaul for example, that tell a story of where the fashion will eventually end up. On the other hand, we see that things haven’t changed very much for District Twelve at all, which showcases how society’s change is stilted in poverty.

The colour palette of the film is mostly just a little desaturated, with one exception: whenever Lucy Gray takes Coriolanus outside of District Twelve. The meadow, the lake, and the forest are all noticeably more colourful, which I interpreted as representing the freedom these locations offer to the characters.

All in all, I think the film was fantastic. It is easily the most loyal Hunger Games adaptation, and I don’t think that’s coincidental in its quality.

[countlessrealities]

Send a 💋 for a short drabble on a time our muses kissed || Selectively accepting !

@mcltiples sent: 💋 { To Evil Rick from My Weird Rick ! }

There were many things Rick didn't understand of the shows his partner had him sitting through whenever he didn't feel like watching them on his own. Almost everything relating to relationships, romantic ones especially, puzzled him, because he could never relate to the dynamics. No matter how much researching he did, no matter how deeply he dissected them. They never fully made sense.

And, as a consequence, copying the motions felt unpleasantly unnatural to him.

Yet, that hadn't stopped him from trying over and over. The moment he had understood how much his alternate enjoyed that nonsense, he had directed a decent amount of time and effort in providing the other with at least some of it. At times, forcing himself wasn't easy because of how tedious or foolish it all was in his eyes, but he had quickly come up with a way to make it all less obnoxious for him: he had started to put his own spin in the scenarios, adding the sort of flavour he could enjoy despite the absurdity of the situation.

Of course, seeing that his partner enjoyed his adaptation had spurred him on getting creative with them.

Lately, he had noticed one particular recurring scene in many of the movies his alternate so assiduously consumed. Yet another thing that made no sense to Rick, but that seemed worth the trouble...if done how he was picturing it. Besides, there was a new prototype of nano-explosive he wanted to test.

It was the perfect chance to catch two birds with one stone.

The plan was easily set in motion while his partner was occupied in another room of the bunker, busy enough for Rick to be sure that he wouldn't come out before he was done.

The text subject he had procused for that particular occasion was appropriate for what he had in mind: an alien belonging to a species whose members were mostly made of fluids and gelatinous tissues.

Strapping it on the ceiling after having paralysed it so that it wouldn't make a sound was easy. Calculating the right amount of explosive to inject inside it, instead, was a little trickier and Rick checked his calculations thrice before proceeding. The smallest mistake could have ruined the whole set-up.

When his alternate joined him, just as he knew the other would have, everything was ready. Rick had come to stand underneath his chosen guinea pig and, once his partner was within arm's reach, he didn't hesitate a split second to grab him by the front of his jacket and yank him forward.

His other hand hit the button of the small remote control he was holding and the moment thick blood and cold pieces of organic matter started to rain down on them, he pulled the other into a kiss.

The gesture was as sloppy as the mess the exploding creature had made, with all too much biting and too little kissing, the taste of his alternate's blood mixing with the alien fluids on his tongue. His grip on the other's clothes was too tight, forcing them too stiffly close for them to achieve the right angle, but that didn't stop him from holding them there until the last drop had fallen.

By the end of it, they were both soaked from head to toes in blood and gore, which was the result Rick had been aiming to achieve. After all, the characters in the movies always got soggy wet during those scenes, so he had assumed that this was how it was supposed to go.

"K-Kiss in the rain," he announced taking a step back, in a flat tone that certainly didn't convey the right sort of sentiment. "C-Carry on."

And with that, he turned on his heels and headed back to the workbench were a bunch of unfinished toxins were waiting for him. One task achieved, onto the next.

[pbear]

Yugioh needs to stop making me cry over card games. Episode 98 was fantastic duel-wise and plot-wise. Zwijo’s determination to duel Yudias before he disappeared brought a different spin to his death than the other Velgearians. Watching the duel and watching them have fun made me so happy which made Zwijo’s eventual death even more sad.

Zwijo was the first one who found out the Velgearians’ origin and about the neverending war in the first season. That eternity of fighting is why he wanted to seek out a way to end the war. So, I really liked the moment where he says the fact that his life is transient is what brings him joy.

THIS. NOW THIS REALLY GOT ME. Dinois and Mitsuko, who both care for Zwijo a lot, show up to help him and them saying Requiem’s summoning chant was great. (Myuda’s ghost just standing there was a little weird though)

The summoning chant also perfectly fit this moment. It’s always fit Zwijo with “a wandering warrior’s regrets.” The ending, “But this is not a mass for the dead,” just hit so well. Zwijo wanted to go out enjoying a duel with Yudias instead of giving into the sadness of death.

While I’ve been wanting Mistuko and Zwijo to resolve some things, I’m glad that didn’t happen because it definitely would have ruined the moment.

I also think Damamu and Zwijo’s relationship is really cute. I think Damamu cares about Zwijo more than other people (maybe being used in someone’s evil plan does that to you) as they kind of latch onto him in this duel. They willingly lend Zwijo their power, stand up against Asaka to let the duel continue, and cry after Zwijo’s death at the end. And Damamu is a really happy and carefree character, so seeing them cry added some more impact.

Overall, amazing episode. Now that most of the Velgearians are gone, at least all the ones we know personally, I’m wondering if Yudias is going to have to deal with more survivor’s guilt now that he’s the only one left. I hope they show it a little. Next episode seems like silly antics so I’m not sure what will happen. We don’t have more people to kill off expect Yudias but he’s always an exception so I don’t know where that plot point is headed.

Also, I’m going to be a little mad if they resurrect everyone too fast. Please, these deaths hit so hard. Don’t bring them back just yet.

[feyhunter78]

Turn of the Tide, Call of the Sea (2/?)

Description: Aemond and Helaena reflect on the party, and their newly developing feelings for the mysterious strangers from the sea.

Previous chapter

Aemond was furious, he was confused, he was insulted, and he was enamored. Truly and completely enamored.

Alyra Hawthorne had not only managed to win his heart in a matter of hours, but she also robbed, and knocked him out cold. He had to have her, no one but that—temptress, that sweet voiced, golden eyed woman who stole his heart with a single line of flattery, would he accept at his side.

His sister wasn’t fairing much better, she sat at her window, and sighed, drawing the portrait of a man over and over again.

“Do you know this man, or is he one of the characters from your novels?” He asked, leaning over to see what she was drawing.

Helaena snapped her sketchbook closed. “That is none of your business, brother, have you made any progress on finding your future bride?”

Aemond sat beside her with a groan. “The Hawthorne family owned a small perfumery, that went up in flames seven years ago, consuming their family home. Her father and brother died in the flames, but Lady Alyra and her mother were declared missing. No one has heard from either of them since the fire.”

“Incorrect.” Came their grandfather’s voice, followed by the heavy thud of papers landing.

Aemond pulled the top sheet. “Jacaerys Targaryen, wanted for piracy, theft, arson, murder, bootlegging, and a long list of other crimes. What does this have to do with Lady Alyra?”

Otto cleared his throat and pointed to the next wanted poster.

There staring back at Aemond sketched in black ink was Alyra. The artist gave her a roguish smile, her eyes gazing out at him, and her crimes were listed out the same as Jacaerys’.

“You desire to marry a criminal, a filthy pirate.” Otto growled, tapping Alyra’s picture harshly.

Helaena had the poster for Jacaerys in her hands, and the light left her eyes as she scanned it.

“Clearly, I had no knowledge of her crimes until now.” Aemond said, his eye tracing her features, lingering on her lips. They were so soft against his, and the scent of her, honeysuckle, and lavender, overwhelmed his senses. He’d been able to hang onto one of her gloves and kept it tucked away in his desk drawer.

She was a pirate? His sweet girl, who danced with him, who kissed him with such passion? The woman who stole his signet ring, obviously issuing a challenge to him. To come and find her, to claim her as his own.

Helaena took the poster up to her room and sat on her bed, staring at it. This was her love, the man in her dreams. Could she have seen his portrait before? No, he’d aged as she had, unless…

She hated when she had her visions, they left her weak and unsteady, but her mother thought that perhaps they were signs of greater power. To her, they were a curse, a storm cloud that hung over her head, ruining any chance of living in blissful ignorance.

She pulled out her sketchbook and compared the drawings, a perfect match. Except that she had added the freckles across his nose, and the way the corners of his lips would quirk up whenever he saw her. She traced his features with her fingertips, at least she had a name for him, the dreams were odd like that, whenever he tried to tell her his name the sound would be muffled as if he were underwater.

“Jacaerys Targaryen, scourge of the seas.” She whispered, trying to imagine the kind man she’d come to know as a cold-blooded killer. Her mind couldn’t do it, instead she was reminded of all the times he held her as she cried or spent hours entertaining her with stories of his family.

She tucked the poster into her sketchbook and began to get ready for bed.

She was on a beach, a secluded one, tucked into a cove he’d told her. He sat waiting for her in their normal spot, under the shade of the palm trees.

“My flower.” He called to her, standing, and brushing the sand from his pants, and starting towards her.

“You’re a pirate.” She said, remaining firmly in place even as he reached for her.

His eyebrows furrowed. “Why do you say that?”

“My grandfather brought your wanted poster in, along with Lady Alyra’s.”

Jacaerys gave her a sheepish smile. “My apologies for Alyra’s behavior, but she’s not going to give your brother’s ring back.”

Helaena shook her head. “How could you keep such a secret from me? How could you not tell me you were real?”

“My sweet flower, I never denied being flesh and bone, you refused to believe me.” He took her hands in his and pressed quick kisses to her knuckles. “I did not tell you that I was a pirate because I didn’t believe it mattered, I enjoyed being able to be your love. Not Captain Jacaerys, the heir, the scourge of the seas.”

Helaena melted as his lips brushed over her skin, bringing to mind their passionate embrace only a week ago. “How will we ever meet now? My family will never let me meet with a pirate.”

Jacaerys lead her over to their spot. “I’m currently working on a way to see you. It will have to wait though, my ship left Oldtown a week ago, and we’re headed to the eastern coast to pick up a shipment.” His voice was apologetic, and she let him pull her into his arms. “I’m sorry Helaena, if I had known you were in Oldtown that night I would have come and stolen you away.”

Helaena turned her head, so he couldn’t see the pink tinting her cheeks. “My brothers would’ve hunted you down.”

Jacaerys laughed. “I’d like to see them try and catch me. The Vermax is the fastest ship on the narrow sea.”

Names and information flowed easier between them now that their names had been revealed in the waking world. It was nice, she enjoyed hearing the way his tongue curled around her name, practically caressing each syllable.

“My brother intends to marry your Lady Alyra, or well he did, I’m not sure how he feels now. He truly detests pirates.”

“I shouldn’t hold a place for him on my crew, then?” He teased, nuzzling his nose against hers.

She giggled, and shook her head, the image of Aemond on a pirate ship was a wildly humorous one. “I do not believe he’d be very happy to even hear of that offer.”

Jacaerys’ back was against the tree, and she sat sideways in his lap, head resting against his chest. He brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. “A pity. Luckily for me, I have his sister as a consolation prize.”

“Ah, but you do not have me, not yet.”

“I beg of you, don’t remind me; it’s torture to wake up each morning without you in my arms.”

“I feel the same, I am so cold when I wake, and you are not beside me.” She lamented, intertwining their fingers. Now, knowing that he was real, that some power connected them, would make waking up each morning much harder.

“Hold out hope, Helaena, soon we shall be together.” He promised, holding their joined hands to his heart.

She's shaken awake by her mother, whose warm brown eyes are filled with regret. “Your grandfather wishes to speak with you.”

Helaena stood outside her grandfather’s office, picking at the embroidery on her sleeves.

“Come in Helaena.”

She walked in and immediately noticed how distressed her grandfather looked. His eyes are sunken, his desk is disorganized, and a bottle of whiskey sits on the floor beside his desk.

“Is something amiss?”

“That Targaryen bitch has raided another one of our ships, someone must marry and boost our coffers.”

“Aegon, is of marrying age.” She reminded him, fearful of her grandfather’s next words.

“I’ve already decided. You will marry Lord Tobias Hawkings. He’s wealthy, his wife passed two years ago, and he has no children. He has even agreed to forgo your dowry in exchange for your arrival within the month.”

Helaena had to sit, or she feared she’d faint. “I wish to stay here. I beg of you, do not send me away.” Tears ran down her face as she begged her grandfather not to ship her off, sending her even further away from Jacaerys.

“He is paying good money for you, Helaena; I will not have your childish emotions prevent our family from thriving.” He snapped, turning his back to her.

“I will marry the Lannister boy, I swear, I will cause no trouble, just please do not make me marry that lecher.”

She’d met Tobias Hawkings once before; he was callous and leered in a way that caused even Aegon to step in between them. She shouldn’t be surprised, he’s the man who’d bought her like cattle at an auction. But no, she would marry the Lannister’s son, they’d made the suggestion to Helaena’s mother the night of the party, surely it wasn’t too late now.

“It’s too late to change your mind, Helaena, they’ve already withdrawn their offer.”

She buried her face in her hands. “Please, if you have ever loved me, do not do this.”

Her grandfather stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. “It is because I love you and the rest of our family that I must do this.”

Tag list: @nyctophilic0vitnir, @svtansdaddyx, @fan-goddess, @dc-marvel-girl96, @shintax-error, @bellameshipper, @the141bandicoot, @the-phantom-of-arda, @haydee5010, @partypoison00, @serrhaewin, @issshhh, @pax-2735, @malfoytargaryen, @sahanna, @dellalyra, @mxrgodsstuff, @jkhomes, @unusual-raccoon, @boofy1998, @kravitzwhore, @caribbeangel, @krispold, @issshh, @afro-hispwriter, @ryswritingrecord, @prettykinkysoul, @elissanatok, @sahvlren, @its-sam-allgood, @happinessinthbeing, @8e-h-e8, @feyres-fireheart, @just-emmaaaa, @crazylokonugget, @hedahobbit98, @devils-blackrose, @mercedesdecorazon, @snh96, @imjustboredso, @izzicle, @hiatuswhore, @aslanvez, @devils-blackrose, @yentroucnagol, @queenofshinigamis, @partyposion00, @cryptidsrcool

[houkagokappa]

I finished Stone Ocean!

First of all I want to talk about how I used to think people were exaggerating when they complained about Netflix Jail ruining the popularity of an anime. I figured that as long as the anime is good people will watch it and talk about it. Well, Jojo proved me wrong.

When part 6 got announced I was sooo excited for it. I saw people talking about it everywhere. When the first batch of episodes was released I saw a few promotional tweets about it, but not much else. The fact that Jojo was released through the Netflix model killed absolutely all hype for it, all discussion, fan works, memes and anticipation for the episodes to come. Some of the most fun I’ve had in the anime community was when part 5 was airing and it felt like we were all watching it together. I kept coming across content of the latest episode and excitement for what would happen in the next one every single week. It’s disheartening how part 6 flew under the radar, despite the initial hype and established fanbase. The only saving grace for me is that I really enjoy binging Jojo and having it on Netflix made it easy for me to download all the episodes on my tablet for a long train ride to a place without wifi for my Christmas break.

Now onto the actual series. I really liked Jolyne as the new protagonist! She’s probably my favourite Jojo so far. Having a female protagonist and a mostly female cast (at least at the start of the series) was a much needed breath of fresh air for the series.

I still have a hard time imagining Jotaro marrying someone and having a child, and seems like it was hard for him too. When part 4 revealed that Joseph cheated on his wife and had an illegitimate son it made me lose all respect for him. I still hate him for it, but seeing how Jotaro also ended up as a fail husband and absent father it’s gotten hilarious how it seems to run in the Joestar family. It’s a horrible character flaw, but at least it’s a huge character flaw and that makes it interesting to see in characters who are otherwise portrayed as the heroes. Of course it also works to downgrade the previous protagonist and letting the new ones shine. That said, the relationship between Jolyne and Jotaro improved a lot during the series and I appreciate the depiction of a father-daughter relationship. They’re pretty rare in anime/ manga/ fiction in general and I wish we’d get more of them!

I knew that DIO would show up again, which I had mixed feelings about. I like him a lot as a villain, but I’m not a huge fan of characters returning from the dead over and over again (looking at you Avdol and F.F.). It cheapens their deaths and the story. Luckily it turned out that all his appearances were flashbacks. I think the part that he played in the story made a lot of sense, he did travel around se recru seducing all those followers so of course some of them would still be around looking for revenge and heaven, apparently. If he would’ve been revived, which seemed plausible at one point, it would’ve been fun to see him again, but it’s probably for the best that it didn’t happen.

Pucci was okay as the villain. I had fun learning about him and his motives, but he got away with too much bullshit. As a whole I feel like part 6 had too many fights and stands that got beaten through some bs method that didn’t make any sense. It was nice seeing a lot of really strong stands, but instead of being defeated “because Araki said so” I wish that they would’ve been outsmarted even if those ways would’ve been ridiculous, or simply beaten to death through brute-force by physically stronger characters. Adding to this, it’s a little annoying when stands suddenly have additional abilities that are a little over-powered and convenient for the situation at hand, but that has always been a part of Jojo so I can’t complain too much. It makes sense for (mentally) stronger characters to get more out of their stands, but I wish there’d be more rules, guidelines or explanations for those powers and abilities.

White Snake had a really cool design that I want to give a special shout-out to. I also liked Made in Heaven. Its powers were cool, probably the strongest in the series so far (except maybe Golden Experience Requiem?) mostly thanks to the global effect. The global effect is something I also enjoyed about Weather Report. I wish we’d gotten more fights with him, I would’ve liked to see all the ways he’d control the weather to win. The frog rain was hilarious, but the slugs and rainbows were a bit much.

I'm a little disappointed by the animation. I can’t remember if it’s always been pretty simple or I simply never noticed how often we’d get a still image with nothing but some mouth movements or a visual effect. I know it’s pretty common in anime, but the fact that I noticed it because those scenes were so frequent or long is a problem. I can’t say that the series was a true joy to watch thanks to it.

I’m also a little disappointed that we only got two openings and one ending, although it’s a very minor complaint. Due to that I got scared when the final episode op started playing without the SFX, but they played me and gave us an incredible callback to Sono Chi no Sadame and all the previous parts! Hearing Roundabout again as the ending made me tear up. I love the generational structure of the series and all the passion behind it and it’s moment like those that remind me of it!

I knew that the universe would be reset, and now that I’ve seen it happen I’m not sure how to feel about it. A little bittersweet? I think I’ll have to wait and see how it affects the following parts. I’m also curious if they’re going to try to one-up Pucci and Made in Heaven. It seems hard, but luckily for Jojo I don’t think it’ll be a necessary goal.

This got super long and I’m sure there’s something I wanted to comment on that I can’t remember anymore. Oh yeah, I’m still a little mushy over how ecstatic Ai Fairouz was for being cast as Jolyne. It was such a huge dream come true for her with Jolyne being the reason she wanted to become a seiyuu and she did an AMAZING job! I was also really happy Mariya Ise got a main role as she’s one of my favourites, even though she’s been taking roles where she dies off too soon :/

All in all more Jojo is always good and I can’t wait for the next part!!!

[storms-path]

Wheels of Thunder - Eorzean Grand Prix: Chapter 2 - Want

Hey, you know that silly spicy one-shot I put together last time? My brain very quickly corrected me on the whole "one-shot" thing. So now I've been ambushed with a whole story, complete with messy character drama and an unexpected deuteragonist. Whoops!

Anyway, chapter two time! Where said deuteragonist engages in some toxic yuri.

And if you'd prefer to just read it here instead...

The storm had truly rolled in by the time Yotsuyu made it to what her phone confidently confirmed was her destination. Between the pitch-black sky and broken street light, it could have led her into a dark alley and told her the same and she’d have as much reason to believe it. The dingy building in front of her also offered little confidence. Still, the key she’d been given worked, slipping easily into the lock and turning with a satisfying click, and a familiar scent emerged from the doorway as Yotsuyu let herself in.

It had been a mistake to make that woman aware of her taste in cooking. Now it was being used against her. A foolish slip-up. I must be more careful. Yotsuyu grimaced as she stepped through the threshold. Even with her heavy coat she was dripping wet, her hair soaked through and clinging uncomfortably to her jacket. She would have to avail herself of a towel. Thankfully the flat hat she had borrowed was enough to keep the majority of the rain off her face. She pulled both coat and cap off and slung them onto the waiting coat rack, pushing the door shut behind her. At least her suitcase was relatively water-proof.

Her boots clacked noisily against the wooden floor as she stepped into the dimly lit hallway, avoiding the narrow staircase to her right and instead following the smell of food to its source. White wall bled into white wall as she stepped through the doorway from one room into the other. Black marble added a sparse splash of colour as she approached the kitchen counter. A simple dish of Doman-style ramen awaited, piled high into a bowl with meat and broth. A pair of chopsticks lay atop it, but there was no sign of the woman who had prepared it.

Curiosity and hunger warred for a moment, but hunger swiftly won. Yotsuyu tugged the bowl towards her as she slid onto a stool, dropping her dripping wet bag down next to her. The broth was cooling, but the meal still went down easily enough. She ate in silence for a time, forgetting all around her until she was sated. In the public eye she had to be conspicuous in all she did, but out of it? She was free to do as she pleased. Only one woman saw this side of her, and Yotsuyu had enough dirt to keep that one’s lips sealed.

Still, it was strange that her companion was not present. It was clear that she had arrived earlier, from the meal awaiting Yotsuyu, but normally she would be waiting for her at the door, albeit positioned in such a way to avoid a camera’s gaze. Yotsuyu loved a good scandal, but the appeal was greatly lessened when it involved her. Wouldn’t do to ruin my bad reputation with accusations of feelings.

Not that this was anything but a casual fling, of course. Never mind that they kept meeting after every photo-shoot or race. Never mind that Yotsuyu had been too tired to do anything but spend the night sleeping next to her companion some nights. Never mind the slow, soft smile that crept to her lips when she thought that damned woman wasn’t looking. Only fools fell in love, and Yotsuyu was no fool.

So you say, murmured a voice that was almost her own. She scowled at the invisible voice. Don’t tell me I’m losing my mind so early. Her mother had been locked away some time ago because she claimed she could hear voices no-one else could. Voices which had told her to strike down her wicked daughter. Yotsuyu still had nightmares of it, of her mother with the knife, eyes bloodshot and wild, ready to kill at a moment’s notice. But so far all this voice had done was chide her, or try and persuade her to take a gentler path. A weak thing. Easy to ignore.

She stroked the obsidian against her neck absent-mindedly. Sitting around and pondering would do nothing. While small, this rented home had plenty of unturned corners. Leaving her bag by the stool, Yotsuyu stood and began her search.

The living room turned up nothing, just more sickeningly white walls and black furniture. Returning to the hallway did not magically conjure up anyone. Which left the rooms upstairs. Yotsuyu ascended as quietly as she could, not helped by clacking shoes on creaky wood. She quietly regretted not slipping them off when she had the chance, just as she regretted not seeking a towel to deal with her dripping wet hair. It now clung to the back of her much-too-sheer dress, horribly cold and just as horribly damp. Thankfully the house itself was uncomfortably warm, which for once worked in Yotsuyu’s favour. If there was one thing she and her quarry could agree on, it was that the cold was an enemy to be left at the door.

The upper landing was dark and empty, forcing Yotsuyu to use her phone for light until she could find a switch. With a soft click the dark was banished, revealing a pair of closed doors to either side of the stairs. No light spilled from beneath either frame, so Yotsuyu tried the door to her right. A rush of cool air emerged from the opened doorway, the light from the landing illuminating a bathroom. Despite the cramped quarters of the house itself, the bathroom was sumptuously decorated. Beautiful dark marble tile coated the floor, with delicate pearl-coloured porcelain adding soft contrast. The bath and shower took up a full half of the room, with a set of steps and door embedded in the bathtub allowing one to climb in and out in comfort. A large towel was draped over the rim of the tub, damp but otherwise useable. Yotsuyu sighed in relief as she wrung the worst of the rain out of her hair. She would need to dry it properly later, but it would serve for now.

That left one more room to explore. Yotsuyu couldn’t help the slight flutter in her heart as she emerged back into the landing. Irritatingly, it refused to listen to her attempts to calm it. I feel nothing for her. This is simply excitement for what is to come. Nothing more, nothing less.

If you say so.

Quiet, you. I will not have dissent in my own head.

Yotsuyu reached for the handle, pulling it down sharply and pushing the door open. Once more darkness prevailed on the other side, but this time the walls curved sharply, preventing the light from spilling too deeply into the room beyond. But it did not prevent a voice from cutting through the silence, soft and velvety.

“Took you long enough.”

The voice, so much like the speaker’s sister but that little bit sharper, that little bit higher, sent a shiver through Yotsuyu. Hunger, deep and terrible, reared its head again. She slowly rounded the corner to face the speaker.

Sanda Washi was perched on the edge of a four-poster bed, a pair of wineglasses clutched in her hands. Her deep violet hair, highlighted with stark white, cascaded down her shoulders. Her eyes were the same electric blue as her sister’s, but they sparkled with amusement. The same swooping tattoo divided her face across the eyes and cheeks, as deep a purple as her hair. Pale white scales crept in around the edges of her cheeks, branching into a pair of fish-fin horns on either side of her head. Her lips, fuller than her sister’s and usually stuck in a pout, were instead curved into a slight smile.

But it was what she wore which transfixed Yotsuyu. It was a sheer, barely-there thing, the only properly solid fabric around her breasts and crotch. Between those, it gave way into see-through fabric, dyed with a hint of black but otherwise doing little to expose her toned midriff, the scales running down her sides to her hips, the bare legs dangling off the side of the bed. The bra and panties were lacy things, revealing much more than they bothered to cover. But none of that was what held Yotsuyu in place.

It was the fact that she had once seen Arashi in the same outfit, some time ago. How did you…

“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming,” Sanda murmured as Yotsuyu drew close. “Especially after last time.”

Yotsuyu froze as she slipped out of her shoes. She absolutely did not want to talk about last time. It had been embarrassing enough to go through once. “You will have to try harder to drive me off,” she replied. She hoped she’d injected enough boredom into her voice to convince the woman. Before Sanda could react, Yotsuyu reached down and snatched a glass from her hand, taking a triumphant sip. She remained standing. She needed the high ground.

“Well, glad to know I don’t completely terrify you,” Sanda said with a smile. Her tail slapped against the bed, just enough to draw attention to the tiny bow attached to it. “I am curious, though.” Yotsuyu braced herself. “What was it that had you leaving so swiftly last night? Just when I was really starting to enjoy myself, too.” Sanda’s lips curled into her more typical pout. The same pout which had appeared on fashion magazines the star over. Completely artificial and theatrical. Most of the time.

“I had… a pressing issue to attend to, that’s all.” Yotsuyu took another sip of her wine. Blood red and heady. A Dalsmascan vintage, if she didn’t miss her guess. “Something I’d forgotten until we were otherwise engaged. Nothing that will stop us tonight, less you worry.”

Sanda rolled her eyes. “If you’re going to lie to me, at least lie convincingly.” Yotsuyu’s eyes narrowed. Just accept it and move on, damn you. Don’t spoil one of the few things I can enjoy.

“Fine then, if you must know. I thought I saw a camera in the room. Panic overtook me and I fled before it could catch anything more. I didn’t think to say anything at the time.” It was an easier pill to swallow than the truth.

Because when you were beneath me last night, I saw your sister instead.

Sanda held Yotsuyu’s gaze for a long, telling moment. Then she shrugged and downed the rest of her glass. “Very well, then. Now, are you going to sit, or must I stare up at you all night?”

Yotsuyu felt the urge to rebel, to remain standing out of spite. But want won out in the end. Yotsuyu sat beside her lover, taking her empty glass and placing both on the cabinet beside her. “Satisfied?” she asked with just a hint of venom.

Sanda smiled, leaning in until she was barely an inch from Yotsuyu’s face. Her eyes danced with amusement. Every night was a battle between them, but Yotsuyu had been prepared to concede victory from the start. She had left herself open with her bolt of conscience the night before. It was only right that Sanda take every advantage from it that she could.

Their lips met and Yotsuyu tasted the wine that lingered between them. She let herself be pushed onto her back, let Sanda climb on top of her. Let their combined hunger and desire take hold. It was easier to let go tonight. Easier to not think for a while.

Easier to forget Arashi, and all the pain that came with her. She had no need of such useless things.

So you say. But neither of us believe you.

[smexychip5]

After a week of pondering, I finally gathered a list of my thoughts/what I hope will happen with Secret of The Mimic. Keep in mind my criticisms are less from a negative place, and more of me knowing/wanting this game can live up to its potential. Okay, onto the list below.

• Have the game be non-VR or if they do want it to be VR, have both the VR mode and the non-VR flat mode be released at the same time instead of months afterwards.

• While I sort of don’t mind having comedic moments in the FNAF games, I think one of the major reasons why my favorite Steel Wool games are the first Help Wanted, and Ruin is because they focused less on the comedy. Though from what I’ve heard about the demo, it seems to be more horror focused, so that’s promising. Hopefully the rest of the game is like that.

• One prediction that Dawko and FuhNaff discussed about the game in a video is that the factory will burn down at the end of the game, and that will kind of explain why the Secret of The Mimic situation hasn’t been brought up before, but I quite honestly hope that does not happen at all in the game. It was extremely dull and lazy when it was done in Security Breach, why would you think it would work again? There are other creative ways to end a story besides just doing FNAF 3 again.

• On the topic of the books, since The Mimic is 99.99% the same The Mimic from the books, and this game is about the origins of The Mimic, Edwin Murray will likely be involved in the game because he was the one to create The Mimic in the first place. Whether he’s the protagonist or not, and or mentioned who knows, but the important takeaway is that it could end the debate on if Tales from the Pizzaplex is canon. That or it could be like the Into the Pit game, where it loosely bases stuff from the books and serves as an alternative for people who haven’t read the books and or have no desire to.

• While going off of the established lore from the games, books, and etc., the only threat at that time period would be The Mimic, I think the game would get pretty boring and repetitive very quickly if you only had one enemy in the game (I mean, look at how well that worked in FNAF 3). Maybe if you go off the established concept of The Mimic switching costumes like they do in the books, and changing their mechanics depending on what costume they’re wearing it could maybe make the game more interesting, but that sort of doesn’t really change the problem of there only being one threat. The solution to this is by going off of another established concept that The Mimic is capable of in the books and possibly Security breach. Being able to control technology and more specifically being robots. Going off of what’s been described of the demo by people who got to play it, while the factory that the game takes place in seems to be just making mascot costumes, there is a mail sorting S.T.A.F.F. Bot, and Jackie seems to be more robotic. So there might be a possibility that the factory is also making animatronics and or storing a few. The Mimic can take control of the other robots in the factory including Jackie (unless Jackie is The Mimic), so not only would there be more enemies in the game but there would be more story/gameplay potential. Heck, you can even still have The Mimic switching into costumes if you wanted to.

• The potential problem of nostalgia bait/adding past FNAF characters in the game. Look, as much as it would make sense to see the Afton family, the Emily family, Fredbear, Spring Bonnie, and or any other Clickteam Era character that would be alive/around in 1979, in a similar vein to how people thought about William Afton returning as Glitchtrap/Burntrap at the time before the revelation it was The Mimic (maybe? That’s still sort of debated about, which leads to another point I’ll bring up later), I don’t really want to see old characters unless there’s a solid reason for them to show up. Now it would make sense that at the very least that Henry Emily and or William Afton would play some part in the situation happening in the game since they are still (at the time) the owners of Fazbear Entertainment. So any situation like whatever is happening in the game involving characters/places owned by Fazbear’s would at least leave some impact on them. Plus they could maybe do something a little bit interesting with fact that none of the big impactful events in the lore have happened yet (Charlie becoming The Puppet, The Bites, the murders, Sister Location, etc.), but then again, if you really wanted a game/story heavily involving them, then just replay FNAF 1 to UCN, and read the original trilogy. The only three things from the past games that I somewhat would be fine with the game bringing up are ending two ongoing debates, and a joke solution to the “one enemy” problem. The debates being the official designs of Fredbear and Spring Bonnie, whether Glitchtrap/Burntrap is The Mimic, William Afton, or both, and the joke solution is having William Afton being an enemy in the game. Look I know that ironically this game is about the past, but this game is specifically about The Mimic’s past. It doesn’t necessarily have to also be about the past games. If there is no valid reasons to bring up the past games, then there is no reason to bring back/recall the same stuff again. Yesterday is history.

TL;DR: They should release both VR and non-VR modes simultaneously. Prioritize horror over comedy. Avoid revisiting past game elements unless they serve a purpose. Introduce more enemies to prevent repetition, perhaps by having The Mimic control other robots.

[multbasa]

I want to discuss what I think the next big 3D Zelda game should and shouldn't incorporate from BotW and TotK. I think the next game is really going to be what demonstrates the series direction going forward since TotK was a direct sequel which is significantly more connected to it's predecessor than any other Zelda sequel hence why it is hard to judge what a completely new title would borrow from the ideas of BotW/TotK.

So I will give my opinion on different topics like the story, the gameplay loop, collectables, weapons and combat among others below the cut.

Spoilers ahead

The story

I thoroughly enjoyed the story of BotW and I actually liked the memories because there was a lot of freedom and I could rewatch those cutscenes whenever I wanted—and boy did I rewatch them a lot—however TotK really demonstrated the weakness of this story telling method.

TotK also used memories, but unlike BotW which was snippets in time to get an understanding of different characters in Link's life 100 years ago, Zelda's memories are a very linear story about her journey which we do not get to play. This journey is given to us in any order we find which is baffling to me because it is significantly more enjoyable in order and it actually ruins the surprise of puppet Zelda. I actually followed the order of the memories when I first played because I knew I would prefer it that way yet there're memories that you can't get unless you continue the main quest anyway. The result makes the story feel quite disjointed.

I think that the next title should do away with memories entirely or only offer them in a set order. I think I would have greatly enjoyed it if each dragon tear fell to the earth at set points in the story rather than just have all of them available at once. Zelda's final dragon tear is absolutely moving with the way it falls and perhaps the other tears should have dropped out of nowhere and the fact that they were tears should have been a secret until the final tear where we actually see the Light Dragon.

Anyway, the next story should be linear clearly. The linear story in TotK functions a lot better than the Dragon's Tears, so going forward, the non linear story progression should not be relied on. It worked in BotW but it didn't in TotK.

However the way the sages summarize the exact same event at the end of each temple is genuinely horrible. Like, who thought this was a good idea? We should have seen how Zelda and Rauru recruited the first sages instead so it was at least unique to each but we just got the same battle over and over. Even though each temple could be done in any order, there's no reason to repeat this event so many times, it's a waste.

Items and Weapons

Now, I have to say that the collectables in BotW were mostly completely useless and I ended up with a tonne of junk that I didn't use. The cooking mechanics did add complexity to the game and gave purpose to a lot of items in the game but otherwise it was just a bunch of junk to hold onto for upgrades.

The weapons degradation in BotW did not really bother me but I HATED how fighting enemies was absolutely pointless when they had crappy weapons to replace the ones I would break in fighting them. It actually led me to avoid fights and hoard weapons because I wanted to save those weapons for more rewarding fights. And while I didn't mind most weapons breaking, I hate how the bows break—this makes no sense honestly and losing a good bow was so frustrating.

TotK SIGNIFICANTLY improved the existence of these items and weapons with the Fuse ability. I actually use the stuff in my inventory and I can make almost any weapon worthwhile with the right fuse item. I actually have trouble collecting items for upgrades because I use them (I'll get to upgrades later). I still hate how bows break but adding fuse items to arrows gives more use to crappy bows because I can use them to shoot puff shrooms or dazzle fruit among other things that don't require good damage or range.

The Master Sword unfortunately is one of the weakest aspects of both games. It's base damage is just pretty lame, the way it needs to be recharged just leads me to avoid using it and it feels very insignificant compared to other weapons which is a HUGE problem for what is supposed to be a magical legendary sword!

TotK improved the story importance of the Master Sword where it was actually mandatory in finishing off Ganondorf which was a step in the right direction but it is still too little to prove the Master Sword's importance. Other than the final boss where the Master Sword has infinite durability, I literally never use it. I haven't broken it once because it literally just sits in my inventory.

For the future, I believe the Master Sword should get special treatment. This is difficult to balance with the other weapons available however the next games do not need to focus on the other weapons like BotW and TotK do.

If you didn't know, picking up enemy weapons actually originated from previous Zelda titles: Ocarina of Time had the Deku stick (which is a Deku baba stem rather than a weapon but it's functionally the same) and Wind Waker allowed Link to pick up numerous enemy weapons which could be used temporarily. As a kid, I loved picking up weapons in Wind Waker and I actually wished I could keep them especially the Moblin spears with their flowy red tassels. These weapons never impeded the Master Sword's importance because you can't pocket the Wind Waker weapons and the Deku sticks are more like consumable torches that you can collect in Ocarina.

Future titles could tone down the collectable weapons to allow the Master Sword its true purpose again as the most important blade in the game. Even if we can pocket other weapons, they should be understated and have a more niche use like having specific elemental properties that could be situationally more useful than the Master Sword but are not strong enough to overstate it. Weapons that are stronger than the Master Sword could be like the Gloom weapons in TotK which have a negative side effect with using them.

As for items outside of the fuse ability, there should be less in future titles. We don't need so many items to pick up. I enjoy the cooking mechanics to give buffs and heal but with all the loot from monsters and collectable items around the world, there's little to get excited over in treasure chests. BotW was the worst for this because there were usually some lame weapons in a chest that I didn't even have space to pick up. Chests just aren't exciting in BotW and TotK. I would prefer there to be less collectables and for there to be more exclusive items for chests—these rare items should be for upgrades rather than all the junk I need to collect.

Upgrades

Upgrading armour in TotK is a chore. I didn't mind it in BotW because I didn't have any use for all the junk in my inventory anyway, but upgrading much of the same armour that I already upgraded in BotW is outright painful and now each upgrade costs money on top of using items I would prefer to fuse to my weapons.

There are so many things I need for upgrades that it is so difficult to keep track of what I need. It's just too much especially in TotK where there are different horns for each enemy type. I had so much trouble collecting a certain construct horn because there were like 5 of them hanging around the world after I beat the final boss. Trying to get a particular item for an upgrade is so tedious because there are so many items in the game.

I would actually much prefer the upgrades from Skyward Sword return where I have important weapons and shields that I can upgrade. I would love to upgrade my bow rather than find bows laying around while I am not a fan of having to upgrade each little piece of armour.

Combat

I have to say that I love combat in TotK. I love the fuse mechanic and how it makes combat more complex and rewarding compared to BotW, and I really do believe that TotK has the best combat in the entire series. It feels good to play and I can approach fights in any way I see fit compared to the more rigid combat of past titles.

I will say that I miss the sword skills from Wind Waker and Twilight Princess especially the final strike where I can attack an enemy when it's down which was also a skill in Skyward Sword. BotW and TotK traded these skills for more weapon types and styles which isn't an issue but with the Master Sword needing more importance, I believe that these sword skills could really keep the Master Sword more relevant compared to other weapons. A spear may give more reach but the sword should have more versatility and skill.

Sword skills could be incorporated in the flury attacks which are just button mashing in TotK and BotW. Give more options in attacking an enemy when dodging like the skills available in Wind Waker and Twilight Princess. Perfect parry is also the perfect opportunity to incorporate sword techniques for critical hits.

Gameplay loop

BotW and TotK revolve around the items that can be collected in the world—especially TotK—and while this does give a good reason to explore the world and engage in battle, it is a bit tedious at times. This does give a lot of mileage to seeking out enemies or locations but it also feels like a really really long check list: find consumables to use, engage in combat, pick up more consumables, spend consumables for upgrades, use consumables in cooking or combat, seek out more consumables.

Yes this does give me reason to play BotW and TotK for significantly longer than other Zelda games which are much easier to complete all objectives in the game, but I wonder if this can be achieved without the need for so many consumable items?

If I could spitball an idea here for a moment: in older titles, there were temporary upgrades that dropped from enemies like the Piece of Power or Guardian Acorn Link's Awakening. There was also the addition of Dark Link in the Link's Awakening dungeon maker where he stalks you through the dungeon. So my idea for a future gameplay loop could be that you could be pursued by someone and during this time, enemies drop power ups that would greatly help you in fighting the assailant off. Maybe whenever something like a blood moon happens (as an example since Blood Moons don't need to return unless it suits the game), you need to find enemies to fight to gain these temporary buffs before the pursuer catches you and you engage in battle. Perhaps these events could be pushed back or avoided by using certain consumable items. Maybe the reward for fighting this recurring enemy gives you what you need for upgrades. Maybe this enemy is Dark/Shadow Link. Personally recurring events like this would be fun. I really wish that the Blood Moon wasn't just a respawn and world reset—it would be very exciting if these were actually threatening.

In TotK, I legitimately was scared during my first blood moon because I thought I might actually get attacked this time, but it was nothing important yet again. Once I encountered the Gloom Hands, I thought it would have been cool if these appeared during the night of blood moons rather than just at certain locations. This would have made Blood Moons scarier and more important in the gameplay loop than just a world reset.

Key Items

Poes

Poes are just sad. Compared to past titles, they are just spirit things that sit there to be collected. It's not fun, make them fight back.

Korok seeds

Korok seeds are not so important in TotK because my small inventory really isn't as much of a bother to me compared to BotW due to the fuse mechanic. I haven't even upgraded my inventory in a while and I've never bothered to collect every Korok seed. The reward for all Korok Seeds is definitely underwhelming but I would never want to feel like I needed to collect every single Korok seed for a good item anyway. I actually really enjoy the new koroks with their little big backpacks and it is a lot more fun to figure out how to get the Korok where it wants to be over just shooting at a balloon or something. I would still help these Koroks out even without the Korok seed, so if they return in a future game, I would prefer it to be treated as a quest rather than a collectable. Little Koroks in need of your help and who give different rewards like maybe a special Deku item like Deku seeds from past games or consumable food items for health or buffs.

Spirit Orbs

These are fine really but honestly I do miss just finding heart containers in the world and I wish I could fully upgrade Link's health and stamina. Just give me the heart containers and stamina vessels as rewards without the option to choose between them. I do understand the advantages of choosing between upgrades but I don't find it very necessary. Not knowing whether I could get a heart container or stamina vessel would allow rewards to feel more exciting. I was always super excited in past titles to receive a heart container but in BotW and TotK it's just not exciting.

Sage's Vows

Having to turn these on and off in the menu is annoying. They are fun to fight with in open areas but they take up screen space in caves. Chasing them to activate their ability is annoying especially for Yunobo who makes you chase him down but you can't position him properly because he won't go up and down certain slopes. Yunobo having a dedicated button while riding a vehicle and Tulin having a dedicated button while flying works so I would prefer if these abilities were more situational like that. BotW's abilities were definitely better.

Earthwake Manual

I really like this thing. Having an attack when Link doesn't have a weapon equipped is great especially for smaller weaker enemies like chuchus. This may not be useful in the future if the Master Sword is actually given more importance, but I appreciated it on TotK.

Paraglider

I love the paraglider and I hope it returns in future titles because it's so convenient. This isn't anything new obviously since we had the Deku Leaf in Wind Waker which has a similar function. It's obviously a big step up from the sailcloth in Skyward Sword, but I don't mind future titles not relying on a paraglider so much like BotW and TotK do.

The fact that you can skip the paraglider in TotK is absolutely hilarious and I love it—I totally forgot that I didn't receive it after the Great Sky Island but I intended to go to Lookout Landing first anyway. I actually think it's great to be able to skip key items without glitches is super interesting and can be challenging, so I think this should return in the future.

Compendium

I hate this. It was tedious in BotW and I'm glad I never finished it because I have to start again from scratch in TotK. The ability to search for items and enemies can be useful but now with caves I could get the beeping noise but the thing is somewhere below me. Do away with it, I do not want it.

Abilities

While the function of the Champions' abilities is much better and more convenient in BotW, I do love the abilities in TotK and I think they compliment the gameplay and world. I loved the ascend ability and how it eliminates backtracking and climbing in a lot of situations. I think the Rewind ability is a step up from Stasis because of its use as a moving platform creator or to fetch items that fall (the reach on Rewind is INSANE). I've already mentioned Fuse and how it fixes the weapons, and Ultrahand is much more useful than Magnesis.

I thought the vehicle making was super unique and fun to use in TotK, and there's plenty of preset vehicles in the form of schematics that can be found around the world rather than creating something from scratch. Autobuild is a massive aid for streamlining this process.

Obviously some people don't enjoy the vehicle making aspect of the game and that is fine. Personally I loved making boats—I hate crossing water in BotW, it was horribly tedious with Cryonis or finding a rare raft that I would get pushed off of by an enemy and then stranded in the water, but TotK eliminated this issue with my ability to make a boat whenever I want with various things like logs or ice that I can just create with freezing items.

While I like the abilities in TotK, obviously the next game should have its own unique skill set to compliment its themes and story. I don't know what that would look like because it depends but there are a few things I might want:

The one thing I was missing in BotW and TotK was underwater exploration. It's not necessarily a need but I scuba dive irl, so I really like being able to explore underwater. Exploring under water caves or finding underwater secrets is very exciting to me, so I would like the ability to swim underwater to return in the next title. Also the Water temple in TotK was underwhelming, so I think underwater exploration would improve the next water dungeon.

Flying is a lot of fun and if the next game is very open air like BotW and TotK, I would love to be able to fly around. The vehicles allow me to fly in TotK but a permanent ability in the form of a unique item or a companion like a Loftwing would be fun. Even if this is a late game addition, I greatly enjoy flying.

Dungeons

I really liked the puzzle box Divine Beasts and I thought the Shrines worked for a more on-the-job experience, but I do like dungeons of old.

TotK improved the dungeons in some ways but they didn't feel as iconic as past dungeons. I loved sky diving into the fire temple or ascending to the Wind Temple but at their core they're just the same as the divine beasts with activating a handful of switches.

Also the names of the temples are very uninspired. Fire temple, wind Temple, lightning temple, water temple—this doesn't hold a candle to other dungeon names like Arbiters Grounds or Forsaken Fortress. Yes "___ Temple" is common in many Zelda titles, but I prefer more original names.

Personally I loved Twilight Princess' dungeons the most because they were so grand and really felt like places in the world like Snowpeak or Arbiters Grounds.

When BotW was first shown off at the Game Awards I genuinely thought we were going to get dungeons with multiple entrances that were nestled organically in the world. I would love to explore a dungeon that has secrets that can be accessed by finding new entrances to the dungeon by exploring the world.

I suppose the Fire Temple in TotK could be accessed from different angles since it is just sitting in the Depths although that doesn't really matter because you have to start the dungeon by jumping down from above.

I did love Hyrule Castle in BotW because it felt very organic. I would like future dungeons like that but have more structure like part dungeons. I like the freedom to explore the dungeon rather than go room by room but more restriction than just "get to the boss however you get there" would be nice. I really liked Hyrule Castle in Twilight Princess as well even though some of the design decisions make it hard to believe that it was ever a functioning castle—it's not necessary that a dungeon be believable as a real location like BotW Hyrule Castle but I like dungeons that feel somewhat realistic in the world. The Fire Temple in TotK really doesn't feel like an ancient Goron city to me in the slightest for instance—I really can't see the inspiration at all, it's just a dungeon. City in the Sky isn't very believable in Twilight Princess either but that dungeon has a very great atmosphere that makes up for it with easily one of the best Zelda items: the double clawshot.

For future titles I would like more traditional dungeons that also have some organic aspects like BotW's Hyrule Castle. I want them to feel like a real place that I would like to revisit like I did in BotW to find lore secrets relevant to that location like Zelda and Rhoam's diaries.

Companion

I do actually miss the companions. I am very glad that Link's arm in TotK does not communicate with him—it kind of seemed to speak at the beginning but not really? I'm glad it didn't because having an arm that speaks is just weird, okay—but I want a companion again.

The sages don't count exactly. I like how they join me in the final battle, but otherwise they are just mute ghosts that run around.

Clothing

My favourite companion is Zelda from Spirit Tracks, and what I would love to see is an optional co-op aspect to the companions in the future. This shouldn't be a mandatory aspect or something that would feel absent if there is no second player, but incorporating an optional couch co-op companion would be great in my opinion. This would be tricky to balance but it could be a novel way to incorporate the companions more into the gameplay. Even if there is no co-op aspect, I like the extra story importance the companions include.

I do enjoy dressing up for different occasions because I feel more immersed like wearing clothes that appear appropriate for cold weather rather than just wearing a magical necklace or earring, but the clothing in BotW and TotK is quite excessive. I would not mind if future titles greatly reduced the number of wearables. There's so many in TotK and it is fun to find new clothes but the upgrades are so daunting. Just give me less options in the future, I'm all fashioned out.

Physics/Chemistry System

BotW and TotK obviously have the best physics and chemistry system out of the entire series and I want this complexity to return.

Conclusion

I also love how elemental effects can warm up or cool down Link without needing to change his clothes (to a point) or how holding items above him offers shade to avoid the hot sun in the desert. I like how water also cools Link down in TotK with the splash fruit or Sidon's sage ability.

There's so much interactivity in the world which must return in future titles. I want to be able to use unconventional methods to solve my problems rather than find a particular lock and key solution. The shrines really demonstrate what is possible with the physics engine in BotW and TotK

Music

It might be controversial, but I adore the soundtrack for BotW and TotK. It is simply spectacular and the use of silence is very effective in accentuating the more important and emergenic moments. I don't care for a constant theme to play while I am simply collecting apples or something. Wind Waker had this issue where traveling by sea got quite repetitive—I liked the tune but hearing it so often for so long really gets old. I much rather have sparse music which allows other themes to make more of an entrance like how the guardians in BotW break the peace and quiet with a terrifying piano tune. It also allows for the temperature changes to be heard easily and without the need for sudden music changes. When a theme is constantly interrupted, it gets irritating, so I prefer sparse overworld music that can be easily interrupted without it feeling suddenly cut off constantly whenever an enemy appears.

I love how the combat music is adaptive as well where percussive notes sound after you land a hit and the transition between day and night town music is absolutely spectacular and smooth.

The sound design in BotW and TotK is absolutely top notch and I'm excited for the music and soundscapes of future titles.

Musical Instruments

I want this back, okay. I want to play music in the game. The Skyward Sword Harp was honestly not fun and didn't seem to work as intended (that duet minigame at the lumpy pumpkin is baffling and I have a bachelor of music so I'm no stranger to performing. Even one of my professors thought that the minigame didn't work right, and it's the only minigame I know of in the series that gives the heart container as a pity prize and I don't think the minigame can be accessed afterwards ever again? Anyway, that minigame is genuine awful) but I love Zelda instruments.

I was excited to see instruments in the leaked artbook but they were just for other characters and Purah doesn't even play her recorder that she hold onto for the entire game.

Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask has great versatile instruments that even allowed pitch bending. The Wind Waker was very useful although not super interesting to mess around with. The howling in Twilight Princess wasn't very fun and unfortunately could not be done on command. The Spirit Flute in Spirit Tracks is actually really great besides the finicky mic because it involves a performance aspect with rhythm that is more complex than any other title and I genuinely enjoyed the final performance. And Skyward Sword's harp is at least fun to whip out and fool around with while running around.

Connecting to my idea of optional co-op, maybe companions could play the instrument for buff—I've been playing Monster Hunter World and I do enjoy the Hunting Horn when I am playing with someone else. Maybe it wouldn't be as fun as I imagine, but adding a rhythmic aspect to combat would be interesting if it is incorporated well.

I also really like Crypt of the Necrodancer: Cadence of Hyrule so incorporating rhythm would appeal to me greatly. Incorporating the boss and battle music into the gameplay in some way would appeal to me.

I'm no game designer, so take my ideas with a grain of salt. I don't think this is anything Nintendo has to or should do, I am just throwing out ideas that I would personally find interesting in a future title. Hypothetically it might sound fun to me but in practice it could be absolute crap obviously.

I think there's a lot of good things that BotW and TotK brought to the table when it comes to exploration and how the abilities aren't as situational as past items (like the spinner from Twilight Princess), but some thing can be done away with like the memory based story telling or the lack of importance with the Master Sword and the over abundance of collectables.

Personally I am very excited to see what the next game will be like, who the characters are and where it will take place. The next title will truly show us what the future of the series will be and that's very exciting.

[another-lost-mc]

Hi there! ヽ(〃´∀｀〃)ﾉ May I please get some headcanons for both Levi and Solomon separately with a partner who notoriously loves to steal their oversized shirts to lounge around in? And what their first reaction was when the shirt thieving first began? Thank you in advance! ;w; ♡

➤ when mc steals their clothes | headcanons

characters: leviathan, solomon

contents: nsfw (18+). gn!reader. fluff and humor. suggestive but not explicit. wc: 1.2k+

LEVIATHAN

It starts one day when you're watching movies with Levi in his bedroom.

His room is colder than you like, and sometimes you bring a blanket with you to keep wrapped around your shoulders, but you forgot it and don't want to get up.

Levi has tons of big, comfortable hoodies - most of them adorned with his favourite anime and game characters - and you think it'll be easier to borrow one of those instead.

He doesn't want to get up from the couch anymore than you do, so he unzips the hoodie he's wearing and hands it over without a second thought.

As soon as you shrug it on and zip it up, you're warm instantly from his lingering body heat. The inside is lined with the softest fleece, and when you sniff the collar discretely, it smells stronger of Levi and his signature scent - a bit salty like the sea, with the slightest hint of leather.

Levi forgets to ask for his sweater back when you go back to your room for the night, and you forget you're still wearing it until you start getting ready for bed.

You think about returning it, but you decide you'll hang onto it 'til tomorrow - he'll live without it for one night, right?

A couple weeks later, Levi looks through his closet for something to wear and he notices that there are several empty hangers where some of his most beloved hoodies should be.

When he thinks back, he recalls all the movie and game nights with you where he handed you a sweater to wear. He wonders how he didn't notice you walked off with half of his closet.

You're not home right now, but he feels entitled to go into your room and reclaim his stolen clothing for himself. Who knows what you've done with them, and if you ruined any of them, you'll have to replace them!

Levi isn't prepared for what he sees when he enters your room. There's a sweater hanging off the back of your desk chair, one that you probably wear when you do homework. There's nearly a dozen sweaters hanging in your closet, and he spots one on top of your dirty laundry hamper.

He sees something sticking out from under your duvet. There's another sweater of his zipped up around your pillow - the one he gave you yesterday, if memory serves him right. His cheeks burn as his imagination runs wild. This is the sort of thing that only happens in anime!

He picks up your pillow and he gets a whiff of your shampoo, and the slightest hint of your natural skin scent - and it's mixed with his own. He plays with the zipper and debates what to do next: he came here to take his clothing back, but he suddenly decides you can keep his sweaters a little longer.

(When you go to his room later to play Super Smash Devils, he offers you another sweater before you can even ask.)

SOLOMON

The first time you borrow one of Solomon's shirts is after a kitchen mishap at Purgatory Hall.

You were helping Solomon and the angels prepare dinner. You're not sure what Solomon added to the soup pot, but when you walked to the stove to stir it, it bubbled furiously and splattered all over your shirt.

You weren't burned, but you smelled odd and the weird brown-ish sludge made your skin feel sticky.

You rummaged through Solomon's closet and grabbed one of his turtleneck shirts. It was surprisingly soft and smelled faintly of laundry detergent and the cologne he wears.

He choked on a mouthful of food when you rejoined them for dinner, but he smiled and apologized again for the trouble.

When you headed back to the House of Lamentation after tea and dessert, he insisted you keep the shirt - it was the least he could do.

You notice that something strange is going on when you open your closet one day and realize you have a small collection of Solomon's turtlenecks and button-down shirts.

But when you think about it, you do think there's something odd about all the spill-related accidents happening to you at Purgatory Hall these days...

And if you think even harder, you recall Solomon's almost eager excitement when he would very casually suggest you find something in his closet to wear.

Your bite your lip and think about your greedy sorcerer lover and his little quirks.

You're too shy to return at least two bags' full of shirts to him, and if he knows you've caught onto his game, he doesn't tell you - he simply carries on, finding new and sillier reasons to give you his clothes to wear.

One day you both get caught in a terrible rainstorm, and when you duck into a random store for cover, he hands you his beloved coat. You hate how warm it is and how it smells like his spicy cologne.

You tease him when you slide your arms through the sleeves and tell him smugly, "See? THIS is how sleeves work!"

But he's just as smug as you are when he gives you a very obvious once-over and tells you to keep it, because it looks much better on you than him.

You wonder how long it's going to carry on like this - you think he's going to run out of clothes at some point, but when you check his closet later, he's replenished it with new shirts to make up for what he's given you.

He may be the world's greatest sorcerer, but your lover is a tiny bit foolish.

The little game ends sooner than you expect. You're visiting Purgatory Hall one evening and wait for Solomon to return from his trip. He sends you a message and says he'll be late returning from a meeting in the human world. You try not to be too disappointed.

You visit a bit longer with the angels, and Simeon suggests you save yourself a late trip to the House of Lamentation. Surely Solomon wouldn't mind you using his room, right?

You don't have a change of clothes, but you take everything off except for your underwear. You put on one of Solomon's pajama shirts - a ridiculously expensive silk button-down top - and crawl under the sheets.

You wake up when the mattress dips under someone's weight beside you. When you open your eyes, Solomon looks at you curiously, pulling the covers off you until he sees what you're wearing - and not wearing.

He nudges your legs apart and settles between them, looking absolutely delighted about something - but he licks his lips, and you know what that means.

"How about we make a deal?" he suggests when he scoots just a touch closer. "You can keep this," he says teasingly, flicking at one of the buttons on your borrowed night shirt, "and I get to keep these?"

He grins at you, eyes dark and full of mischief, when he reaches for the waistband of your underwear.

read more: headcanons masterlist | obey me! masterlist

[puhpandas]

like my entire view of SB as a game isnt changed forever or anything, but i feel like it just really highlights the current standard when sb was in development and the standard we have now/will later

think about ruins storytelling compared to SB, ruin leaned into the linear path by path storytelling and had actual on screen scenes and interactions, but it was like, still not all there. roxy and cassie were underdeveloped and so was the glamrocks' story.

but i think this reddit post is onto something with the idea that scotts little story aspects he just told them to put in actually were supposed to be not blatant and in your face, but instead give you the tools to imagine them yourself. thats basically what the glamrocks entire story is.

freddy has one scene where he gets into how he feels about being a sentient animatronic/freddy fazbear, the face of the brand, and tied with bonnies decommisioning and freddys showcase of grief, thats literally all we needed to paint an entire picture in our heads about the ethicality of the glamrocks being sentient and forced into the boxes of their brand characters, and how easily they can be let go at the snap of a finger

it also just perfectly ties in with the nature of freddy leaving at the end, like hes free from all of it, and his willingness and want to let the whole place burn in sb endings

the point is that its very plausible that sb was meant to be written like fnaf games usually are, with not completely in your face blatant on screen everything is expanded upon writing, but planting the seeds and giving us as the fans the tools to think about it deeper. its exactly what they did with the glamrocks/freddy and bonnie, like i just talked about

and also exactly what they did in ruin as well. cassies story is basically completely off screen, as well as her relationships with gregory and roxy and how theyre written, but even the smallest hints they gave us painted the exact picture of what they wanted to convey in our minds.

revealing that cassies friends never showed up at her party with ONE roxy line and a drawing that doesnt even convey her party, but with added context of the roxy line gives us what we need to put two and two together, and that her father is absent, AND just the very nature of cassie doing what shes doing in ruin just for gregory, her best friend, i literally know everything i need to know about her character, and it sets up for a very interesting and good future for her story with vanny!cassie.

she has abandonment issues, and because of that will do anything for her friends that are loyal to her and are good to her like others werent, and the mimic framing gregory for the elevator will immediately cash in on that insecurity and make her think that gregory abandoned her like everyone else, setting up her arc for manipulation from mimic to become the next vanny, original vanessa writing style. its perfect and so so well done

and that was all done with so little storytelling. barely any of this was super expanded upon and in our faces in the dlc, its just that fnaf is so naturally 'bare minimum content' that it sticks out, but in a less is more kinda way. it helps its writing, and i feel like what theyre saying in this reddit post lines up with fnafs whole history, even releases after SB.

i feel like its very plausible that sb 'fell flat' because its exactly how they described it. the kind of classic fnaf storytelling in the wrong kind of game design and scale. ruin was a dlc for sb, not its own release, so it was smaller, but it easily could have been not bigger, but longer, and still retained its perfectly balanced storytelling (at least for cassies character). it was designed with linear progress in mind, so so was its writing, while sbs no matter what was a lot more freeroam and ''go wherever u want', than switched, making its storytelling not feel thought out and like it realized its potential

anyway back to that standard thing, i mean that in a way where i just feel so much more excited for future games, like whatever ggy content theyre cooking and the vanny!cassie stuff and all that. sb just had like, an insane amount of shit happen to it, but ruin is giving us a taste of what writing could look like for future releases thatll be actively on track and not correcting course, like every release since sb has been, probably ending with sotm or at the latest the ggy content. I have my issues with some of ruins writing, like Roxy and cassie and 'fixing' chica, but those are all things they can easily improve upon, and they probably will, and even if they dont, most aspects of ruin are greatly written, making me confident that no matter if a future games has really visible flaws in one place, I can count that itll be a great time overall with at least something rlly intriguing thatll be well done, and that's the scenario that they dont improve on it

its making me so hype. this story theyre setting up with gregory and cassie and vanny and vanessa and stuff is so interesting and has been really sell set up so far, and after we exit this mimic era with sotm and tftp is just incorperated already, things will really be getting going. the future looks bright and sw has improved so much with games and now theyre atcually working in harmony with scott, and if ruin is any indication its gonna be fucking awesome

for anyone interested in SBs history and crazy mystery this reddit post is rlly interesting. it gives you a lot to think about and rlly makes u think about the original concept for the game, and observing all the evidence and how scott specifically acts and makes games, it all feels like it fits. rlly good theorizing. also reading OPs replies to comments in the comment section is worth it

[thebadchoicemachine]

Danganronpa: We’ve given this character a crazy backstory to flesh them out and make them eevviil and interesting!

Me: You’ve fucked up a perfectly good character is what you’ve done. Look at him, his personality now boils down to inscest AND a sctick that’s a carbon copy of Toko (which was fucking ableist to begin with) but even less okay. 

-

Not to mention gave up a really cool possibility of having two separate killers and needing everyone to live with a murderer who wasn’t blackened. And it was so obvious?? I was certain it would be a red herring and when they said the second kil wouldn’t matter I was so excited to see it play out but nope, same killer, bullshit reason, just *shudders* i had such high hopes.

I get that the whole point is despair and that it’s a horror game and all but you’re also trying to make something people enjoy, yeah? 

Junko was despair and interesting. Mikan was despair inducing and interesting (I actually hated her character until her trial). Celeste was despair��inducing and interesting. Nagito was despair inducing and interesting. All their twists ADDED ON to their character. Korekiyo’s just steam rolls his. He already had a set up for an unsympathetic motive!! He already was morally ambiguous and smart and capable. it’s just fucking shock value. 

This is the narrative equivalent of a cheep jumpscare but worse because now a promising character is just trashed.

[gamerwoo]

[SVT Imprinted] Mingyu: Change of Heart (Part 3)

Anonymous asked: can you do another part for mingyu where bomi has to face yoongi? we never found out what happened with the hunters

Anonymous asked: it would be cute to show more of the friendships among the pack!!! even if its just a little bit. i just really like how they interact

Characters: Mingyu x female reader

Genre/warnings: werewolf au, college au, angst, drugging and kidnapping, mentions of torture/abuse, slapping, comfort/fluff at the end, a lil suggestive at the end too, if i missed anything lmk!!! (this was also originally mingyu x oc so if i fucked up editing im sorry lmao)

Word count: 5,106

Summary: Things had been quiet for too long, and the pack thinks that your past has just forgotten about you. But werewolf hunters don’t forget, and they don’t usually let go of grudges. Unfortunately, though, one of the pack ends up getting sucked into your problems.

Tags: @psshwa @uglyratlmao @brokenbutchocolate @shra-vasti @killcomet @brattybunfornct @shuabby1994 @henloiamaweirdobye @anissanightyoung @babyminghao  @minluvly @honeyylin @miki-chi @heemingyu @noraehey​ (if you’d like to be added to the tag list, please fill out this form!!!)

Unable to tag: @junuoyi

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This was probably the most uncomfortable thing the pack had to witness. Nobody was even sure why they had to witness it when it didn’t involve any of them.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it...” Junhui mumbled, staring at the floor instead of at anybody.

“I know, Jun,” Minghao sighed, “it’s okay.”

“Say it like you mean it,” Seungcheol ordered.

Junhui finally lifted his head, but only to glare at the alpha, “I do mean it!”

The whole Jun-saying-he-hates-Minghao thing was something was obviously creating tension in the pack, but that didn’t mean any of them wanted to be involved in the apology. They figured Junhui, Minghao, and Yoona would eventually talk it out on their own. But instead, Seungcheol called a ‘family meeting’ and was making Jun do it publicly in front of everyone.

“Cheol, it’s seriously fine,” Minghao insisted.

“No it’s not,” he stated. “What Junhui said was out of line.”

“And why does it concern us?” Joshua asked boredly from where he was leaning against the doorframe to the living room where everyone was gathered.

“Yeah, last time I checked, I’m not the one who ruined Jun’s life,” Areum deadpanned.

Most of the pack glared at her for joking about it. Some of them seemed surprised she’d said that, and two snickered at the comment.

“What?” she asked the alpha defensively. “I’m just pointing out how it doesn’t include me.”

Jun was a little immature when it came to his emotions. He didn’t really know how to express them without acting out, but he eventually came around and apologized. He actually was pretty easy to come around, but because Seungcheol was basically embarrassing him in front of the pack, he was doing so begrudgingly.

“We’re a family,” Seungcheol sighed. “When two of us are fighting, it affects all of us.”

“Like I said...” Areum trailed off, rolling her eyes.

“Okay,” you stood up with a breath and looked straight at Seungcheol, “I’m leaving. This is weird and they can figure it out. Last time I checked, I’m not their fourth, so.”

Seungcheol gave her a stern look, “No, you can’t leave a family meeting.”

Areum stood as well, shrugging, “I’ll risk the consequences.”

“Sounds good to me,” you decided, and the two of you squeezed by your mates, brothers, and sisters to get to the door.

“Hey!” Seungcheol called after the two of you. “If you leave, you’ll be punished later!”

But his threats fell on deaf ears as you and Areum left the house anyway, hoping Junhui and Minghao could fix their beef on their own -- or at least not while you had to witness the awkward conversation.

“You ever been one one of the bikes before?” you asked.

Areum’s eyebrows raised, “You know how to drive them?”

You scoffed, “One of them is mine, my grandparents gave it to me. Want a ride?”

So you secured a helmet onto Areum’s head before putting on yours. You got on the bike before Areum got on the back and wrapped her arms around your waist. And then the two of you were off. Areum didn’t have a preference of where to go, as long as she was out of that house. She didn’t even live there but she happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and got sucked into the awkward encounter.

You ended up pulling up at the mall, not knowing where else to kill a few hours. You parked toward the back where it was more secluded with less cars. You were admittedly a little nervous somebody would hit your bike with their car.

“So what do you think this punishment is gonna be?” Areum asked as she got off the bike and hung it from one of the handlebars, clearly not afraid of whatever Seungcheol was threatening.

After yours was off, you replied, “Can’t be any worse than watching that shit show.”

“It’s probably gonna be somethi--”

Before Areum could finish her guess of what the alpha had planned, she suddenly cut off with a very short screech. You whipped your head around to see Areum staring back at you with fear in her eyes, her mouth and nose covered by a cloth. Your eyes followed the hand holding the cloth and saw a masked man standing behind her. Before you could react, you had the same thing happen to you, but you tried her best not to breathe in.

You watched as Areum’s eyes slipped shut, and the man started dragging her away. You didn’t want to scream to waste air, so you tried to watch where they went, but your head was suddenly yanked back by your hair, causing you to inhale sharply. You were staring up at a man with his nose and mouth covered by a black mask, but you would know those cold eyes anywhere. They belonged to your former best friend, after all.

Yoongi.

“You thought we’d forgotten about you, huh?” he smirked as your thoughts started to get cloudy, and your eyelids began to feel heavy. “It’s unfortunate your friend had to get sucked into it, but nobody can know what happened to you.”

Yoongi removed the cloth and began dragging your body toward where Faye had gone. You tried your best to articulate words, but it was just a stuttered, mumbled mess. The blonde-haired boy chuckled, tossing you into the back of a van.

“You always were stubborn, _____. Guess that’s why I got along with you so well,” he told you. “Just stop fighting it and go to sleep.”

-

As Aya parked beside your bike, Mingyu flung the door open before the car was even stopped and ran to the abandoned motorcycle. Areum’s small backpack was left on the ground, and your phone had either been dropped, fallen out of your pocket, or intentionally left behind by whoever took you. But it was clear somebody had taken the two of you. He had a very bad feeling as soon as it happened, and he knew Chan must’ve felt the same thing. But he didn’t have time to call the youngest who was stuck in class because his first priority was to follow your scent to the scene of the crime.

“_____,” Aya called out as her, Seungcheol, and Soonyoung got out of the car. “Areum?”

They heard a buzzing noise coming from Areum’s bag, so Mingyu picked it up and unzipped it. Her phone was lit up by Chan’s name and a picture of the couple.

He answered it with a stressed, “Hey.”

“Chan?” Aya guessed.

Mingyu nodded.

“Oh, thank god someone answered!” he breathed. “Are you with Areum? Where are you? I have a really bad feeling and--”

“I’m not with her,” he finally managed to cut in. "I had the same feeling about _____ and they were together. I found her bike but both of them are gone and their stuff was left behind.

“Fuck,” Chan hissed.

“Who would’ve taken them?” Soonyoung wondered, looking between the three wolves.

Mingyu let out a short, dry laugh, “I can think of a couple people.”

Seungcheol suddenly took the phone from Mingyu, “Chan, I want you to go back to the house and get as many of the pack to go with you as you can. Follow the pull and we’ll meet you there.”

"But--”

“We won’t let anyone touch Areum, I promise. Just do what I tell you.”

And then he hung up.

-

Despite being incredibly groggy when you came to, you knew exactly where you were. You’d seen plenty of werewolves and those who protected them be dragged into the room. Nobody ever heard of them afterwards, so you knew what was coming next.

“Good morning,” Yoongi’s voice was too sweet to be sincere, and you scowled. “How’d you sleep?”

“Cut the shit, asshole,” you snarled. “Where’s the other girl?”

“Oh, you mean your sister? From your new family, you fucking traitor?” Yoongi asked, his voice angry and harsh as he gripped your hair and forced your head back. Clearly, he wasn’t over you just randomly abandoning the hunters for Mingyu and his pack without a word. “She’s being taken care of. You’re more than welcome to see her, though, if you’d like.”

You could only imagine what Chan’s mate looked like now. You knew exactly what they did to people when they were brought here, and you knew there was a strong chance that Areum would have been humiliated, beaten, shocked, and possibly even had any marks on her body removed somehow.

Despite being one of the tougher and snarkier of the mates, you knew she didn’t stand a chance trying to protect herself against werewolf hunters. Maybe Eunmi, but Areum? You were genuinely worried for the state your sister must’ve been in now. You hoped that just maybe Areum was still passed out.

“It is a shame that she had to be dragged into this,” Yoongi said in a soft tone, pulling you from your thoughts. “If only we could’ve caught you alone. But if anybody knew what happened to you… Well, that just can’t happen. We’ve gotten into enough trouble trying to tie up loose ends, but this is one we can’t just leave alone. You really fucked us over, _____, you know that? You fucked me over!”

The group you used to work for was thorough, and you knew that well. Whenever they had to get rid of somebody, they always made sure nobody else knew. That was partly why you fucked up so badly when you were sent to take out Chan – Mingyu had shown up, and that was just another werewolf you’d have to kill so nobody would know what happened. If any of the other girls were around when you were kidnapped, they would’ve met the same fate.

You knew she had to get out, find Areum, and help her escape. How you would do that, though, was lost on you. You knew your old group wouldn’t let you go that easily, even if you had a history. The only time they let someone go was when Jungkook had a falling out with his adoptive sister, but that almost ended differently -- and they had to make a treaty, which Namjoon rarely agreed to.

Your thoughts were suddenly cut through by a shrill scream. Your head lifted as you fought against your restraints, afraid that the scream belonged to Areum. All Yoongi did was chuckle at your useless struggles.

“You know you can’t get to her,” he pointed out as he slowly paced in circles around you. “Just give up, it’ll make things easier.”

“I swear to God, Yoongi, if you let anybody touch her–”

“You’re not in a position to threaten anybody,” he cut you off, gripping your jaw harshly. “Neither of you are getting let go, so I suggest you don’t piss off anybody.”

“_____!” Areum shrieked.

“Yoongi, please!” you begged with desperation in your voice, feeling helpless. You knew you couldn’t do anything while you were trapped like this, but you had to do something. It frustrated you to a point where you just wanted to cry. “She’s–”

Yoongi just smacked you face away from him and walking away, not letting you finish. He left the room, leaving you alone to just listen to the screams and cries of your sister, not knowing what was happening to her.

With Yoongi gone, you maneuvered your handcuffed wrists from behind you to in front of you by popping out your shoulders and moving your arms above your head. It was something you learned to do when you were younger and in training ��� you had always been one of the sneakiest of the hunters due to your flexibility and knowledge of how to get out of situations, maybe second to Elsie – and it finally came in handy.

With your hands in front of you, you reached into you hair for a bobby pin to unlock your handcuffs. Getting out of handcuffs was something you were trained to do, but you weren’t like the others who just carried little pins in their back pockets or whatever just in case. You definitely made it a little difficult for yourself for never doing things ‘just in case’ but you managed, like you did now.

Once your wrists were free, you untied your ankles and booked it for the door. You recalled the override keycode for the door, hoping they didn’t change it. When it slid open, you poked your head out, checking out both ends of the hallway before you tried to figure out where the screams were coming from. You did see somebody open a door, come out, and close it, so you decided to go down that way first.

You sprinted to the door and pressed your ear against it. Sure enough, you heard whimpering and heavy breathing that sounded female. You put her hand on the keypad…

Suddenly, hands gripped your shoulder’s. You gasped and immediately spun around, kicking your leg out to kick the side of whoever had grabbed you. They were sent backwards, their back hitting the wall behind you before you pressed your forearm against their chest roughly. That was when you finally realized who had touched you.

“Ow…” Mingyu groaned softly.

You let out a breath of relief, letting your arm down, “Jesus Christ, Gyu; you scared me.”

Mingyu just pulled you into his arms tightly, resting his cheek against the top of your head, “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

“Keep your voice down,” you instructed in a whisper. You let him hold you for a few seconds, but you pushed him away urgently. “They took Areum; we have to find her.”

The rest of the pack – save for a few – were with him. You took note of the fact Chan’s eyes were blood red, and he was sniffing around the door that you were just standing at. However, he just backed away and started walking further down the hall.

“Chan!” Aya whispered harshly, but the younger wolf kept walking.

“Follow him,” you instructed, grabbing Mingyu’s wrist and tugging him along.

Chan used the pull, as well as his nose to find his mate. He stopped in front of a room at the end of the hall that you recalled was pretty infamous. It was essentially where all of the most awful torture happened, but you didn’t have the heart to tell any of them. They did hear you gulp, though, when Chan stopped at the door.

“What’s in there?” Seungcheol asked slowly.

“Hopefully nothing bad right now...” you replied in a shaky voice.

“Wait,” Hansol spoke up as Chan put his hand on the door, making the tense werewolf growl lowly, “we can’t just…kidnap them back and leave. We need to make sure these hunters leave us alone.”

You nodded as Joshua spoke, “He’s right. A small group should stay with Areum and get her out. The rest of us will–”

“Us?” Mingyu quizzed, raising an eyebrow. “_____, you’re leaving with Areum. We’ll take care of everything else.”

You turned to face your mate, giving him an incredulous look, “I’m the only one who knows their way around this place; I’m helping.”

“Alright, alright,” Seungcheol cut in with a sigh, “calm down. _____ has a point, so Chan, Aya, and Jeonghan will bring Areum back the way we got in. The rest of us stay here and end this. There’s fear in numbers, and we have one of their own.”

All you did was stick your tongue out at Mingyu, who just huffed with a pout on his face.

A sudden cry from the other side of the door brought all attention back to the room you stood in front of.

“No, no, no, no! Stop; please stop!” Areum begged in a loud sob.

A loud growl ripped through Chan’s chest like you’d never heard, and he forcefully pushed opened the door with a metallic crunch. There, kneeling in the middle of the floor, blindfolded, was Areum. You recognized the person standing beside her with a hot iron near her neck as Jin, who was arguably the most sadistic of the group. Jin stopped what he was doing just as Chan ran as fast as he could to his mate. However, instead of going straight to Areum, he found it best to just get rid of the danger first. He gripped Jin’s collar in both hands, causing the hunter to drop the iron to the floor.

While a few members of the pack went to keep Chan from doing anything too drastic, you rushed straight to Areum who was still sobbing on the floor. You removed the blindfold, and Areum immediately tossed her arms around you, crying harder. From what you could tell, Areum hadn’t been touched yet, so she must’ve been crying from threats and just being afraid.

“Shh, it’s okay, you’re safe,” you cooed, rubbing her back. “Chan will take you home, okay? You’ll be safe. I’m so sorry I got you into this…”

Meanwhile, Seungcheol, Jeonghan, and Soonyoung were trying to pry Chan off of the hunter. Chan’s eyes were turning a brighter red by the second, his claws out, his fangs out over his bottom lip, and he was shaking like he’d shift at any second. But the pack didn’t want Chan killing somebody and making things worse for everyone else.

“Chan, stop,” Seungcheol growled lowly in a stern voice. “Just go take care of Areum; she needs you.”

You and Mingyu helped Areum to her feet – her legs were like jelly and she could barely stand on her own – and brought her toward Chan. Jeonghan and Soonyoung stepped away to let his mate come closer, and Areum immediately wrapped her arms around his waist when she realized it was him. She buried her face in his back and just sobbed, Mingyu still holding most of her wait.

That managed to break Chan from his killing trance, as he released Jin and turned around, gathering his mate in his arms as he shushed her. Seungcheol and Soonyoung grabbed Jin’s upper arms before he could scramble away, and brought him down to his knees.

“Chan, get her home,” Seungcheol ordered. “Aya and Jeonghan, go with him. Everybody else, with us.”

The group of four quickly left the room, Aya leading the way. However, as they reached the door, Jimin threw it open, a gun aimed right at Aya’s chest. The werewolf went stiff as her eyes shifted to red, stepping in front of her sister that was still being held by Chan. At the back of the small group, Jeonghan snarled but didn’t make any sudden movements.

Jin looked absolutely terrified until he realized Jimin has shown up. A smirk appeared on his face as his hair fell into his eyes. “Oh, so the rumors are true, huh? Baby _____ is a wolf’s mate.”

However, your glare was on Jimin, “Leave her alone, Jimin.”

From behind Jimin, walked in the rest of the hunters, all holding various weapons. Yoongi strolled in second to last, smirking at you as he carried a baseball bat wrapped with silver barbed wire -- he always loved to carry the more ‘fun’ weapons, as he called them.

“When have we ever left mates alone, _____?” he asked in a teasing tone. “I called the other units, they should be here soon.”

Your eyebrows raised for a split second, “Wow, you actually managed to make friends?”

Namjoon, the leader, nodded his head toward you, signaling the small group at the doorway back up back over to you. They did as they were told, and Chan put Areum down but continued to keep his arms around her as he tried to comfort her. Jeonghan moved to stand in front of the three, but Aya put herself beside him anyway.

“If you cooperate, maybe we’ll spare this one,” Namjoon smirked, pointing at Areum with his bow. “But...maybe we’ll just kill her instead.”

But you suddenly got an idea. It was a bit of a longshot, but it was the only idea you had. Maybe it would get some of them to show some sort of compassion and humanity. Either way, it was the only idea you had.

“Namjoon, you asshole,” you burst, gesturing stiffly over at Areum, “she’s pregnant! You’re really going to hurt a pregnant girl and her baby? I knew you were heartless, but this is a new low!”

Jimin’s eyes widened as he studied the crying girl, “She’s… But I… I-I didn’t know! Namjoon, we can’t–”

Hoseok walked up beside him and slapped a hand over his mouth, hissing, “Shut up.”

You studied your old partner’s face, as well as your former leaders as the whole group looked over at Areum. She was wearing a baggy sweatshirt today, so it was hard to tell if she was or not. Even still, you could say she wasn’t that far along yet.

Namjoon glanced over at one of the other men, “Tae?”

Taehyung sighed, still looking at Areum, “I have...heard them talk about pregnant mates. Two of them, I think.”

So they had been watching you for a bit. That made sense. They were probably waiting for a good time to strike.

“How far along?” Namjoon asked, his eyes on you now.

“A few months,” you lied easily, trying to play her off as either Yoona or Faye since they were around the same time along. “It’s her first.”

Namjoon stared at Areum as his jaw clenched and unclenched over and over. You could practically see the mental battle he was having in his head. He knew this baby could very well become a werewolf, but it was a baby nonetheless. Could he really hurt not only a pregnant human, but an unborn child?

“Yoongi?” Namjoon asked, wanting his take since this whole plan was originally orchestrated by him, anyway.

Your old partner was stoic, showing no emotion as he stared at Areum. Then his eyes flashed over to you. You stared back at him, not showing what you were thinking or feeling, either. The two of you just had a stare-off, waiting for the other to do or say something.

Finally, Yoongi sighed and dropped his head, “Whatever.”

“But Yoongi--”

“Shut the fuck up, Jin” Yoongi snapped. He looked back up at you, glaring, “Get the fuck out of my sight.”

All eyes were on Yoongi, nobody understanding his order.

“What?” you finally asked.

“The units will be here any minute,” Namjoon said calmly as he took a small knife from his pocket and sliced open his palm. Yoongi turned into a puff of black smoke, disappearing into thin air, “so you better make this treaty before I change my mind and go against Yoongi’s wishes.”

You wasted no time, striding over to Namjoon and holding out your palm for him to cut for you. Then the two of you firmly shook hands once.

“Go,” he stated, nodding his head toward the nearest exit.

Most of the pack wasted no time, getting Areum up and out of the room as fast as possible. you, however, hung back, so Mingyu paused just outside the door, waiting for you. You just looked at Namjoon, not understanding why him or Yoongi decided to let you go when the two of them were some of the most ruthless members. Jimin might’ve, but Yoongi of all of them?

“Don’t look at me like that,” he said. “Yoongi called the shots on this one. And if any of you end up on his radar again, you know he won’t let you go again.”

You just nodded once, “I know better than anyone,” Then, you stepped forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Namjoon’s cheek. “Pass that along to Yoongi for me, will ya?”

You winked playfully, and with that, you fled down the hall, holding onto Mingyu’s hand.

-

Areum had nightmares almost every night, but she wouldn’t admit it to anyone. Everyone could tell she wasn’t acting the same, though. She was always a little too on-edge when she was at the pack house, so Chan mostly went and hung out at her place instead. Minghao would also leave for a couple hours to see her and keep her company. The two could tell she was afraid of being left alone now. 

You felt awful because you should’ve protected her, but you couldn’t. Everybody could tell you felt responsible. Like Areum, you weren’t acting the same, and you were keeping your distance from just about everybody. The only person you couldn’t stay away from was Mingyu, who glued himself to your side.

“Baby,” Mingyu frowned the seventh night that you just poked around at your dinner, “you can’t keep blaming yourself. Even Areum doesn’t blame you -- she keeps texting you to thank you for helping us get out.”

“Chan says she screams in her sleep for me to help her,” you muttered, your eyes blank as you stared at your food that Mingyu had brought to your shared bedroom. “I know he was trying to keep it from me, but I heard him tell Minghao in the kitchen the other day. And if anyone finds out I lied--”

“But nothing happened, and they’re both okay,” Mingyu reminded you, taking both of your hands in his as he dipped his head to try to look at you. “You saved her from having her mark removed, remember? You managed to get out of your restraints to find her even though it could’ve gotten you killed first. And nobody will know you lied. The treaty’s made and they’re going to leave us alone.”

“No, we only found her because Chan sensed her,” you sniffled, starting to cry like you always did when you thought about it for too long. “I was standing outside the wrong fucking room, Gyu! If you guys hadn’t shown up, I would’ve gotten caught, Areum would’ve gotten burned, and who knows what would’ve happened after that! She’d be scarred for life – and that life would be really fucking short, Gyu!”

“Shh, shh, shh,” Mingyu hushed you, pulling you into his lap and gently rocking you, “those are just what ifs. Both of you are safe, and that’s what matters. If you hadn’t escaped when you did, we wouldn’t have found her in time, either. You helped save her, ____. You’re the one who saved all of us. You stood up to the hunters and got us out.”

You heard a knock, and the two of you looked to the door. 

“It’s me,” you heard Chan’s voice. “Can I come in?”

You nodded, so Mingyu called back, “Yeah.”

Chan opened the door and offered a shy smile before he stepped forward, “Could I…talk with ____ for a second?”

The two of you looked at each other before Mingyu moved and placed you back on the bed. As he exited the room to give you and his brother privacy, he clapped Chan on the shoulder. Chan closed the door and then went and sat at the end of the bed, offering you a soft smile as you wiped under your eyes and tried to collect yourself.

“How’re you feeling?” he wondered.

You shrugged, “Not great.”

“Well,” he began, his golden eyes looking into yours, “I wanted to thank you for sticking by Areum when that happened. We wouldn’t have saved her without you, so…I’m very grateful to you, _____.”

You were pretty surprised by this. Sure, the rest of the pack told you that you were some sort of hero, but Chan had never sat you down and talked to you about it. He was always with Bomi so he never could. You were touched, actually.

“…You are?” you asked, your eyebrows furrowing.

“You risked your life for not only Areum, but the pack,” he continued with a nod, his smile widening in amusement because of how shocked you looked. “The hunters won’t be after us, all because you had a connection to one of them; don’t look so surprised.”

“I thought everyone was just saying that to make me feel better...”

“_____, you don’t really give yourself enough credit,” Chan laughed softly.. “I’m lucky to have you as a sister, and the pack is lucky to have somebody like you in it.”

-

As you and Mingyu lay in bed that night, you stared up at the ceiling while Mingyu kept his eyes closed despite being awake. He listened to your heartbeat and breathing as you thought, waiting for you to finally fall asleep. When you didn’t for fifteen minutes, he inhaled deeply.

“Are you okay, babe?” he wondered softly.

“Yeah, just thinking again,” you replied, still staring up into the darkness.

Mingyu rolled over and sat up to turn on the lamp on the nightstand before he rested on one arm, looking at you, “Anything you want to talk about?”

“You know, Chan and you talking to me kind of made me realize…I could’ve died. I didn’t even think about that; all I thought about was getting to Areum to save her.”

“You always find yourself in situations where you could get killed,” Mingyu chuckled, shaking his head. “First Chan and I almost killed you, but then you almost killed us. Then Jaehee’s other mate almost killed you, and then Jaehee almost killed you. Then you went to Jinsoo’s, and you could’ve died. Now the hunters almost killed you…”

Mingyu paused as he realized exactly just how much trouble you found your in. His eyebrows furrowed as he spaced out, staring at the bedding, before his golden eyes flickered back to you, “Maybe if I get you pregnant, you’ll behave yourself more like Faye and Yoona.”

You rolled your eyes, gently shoving at Mingyu’s chest, “Yoona always behaves, and the only thing Faye doesn’t do now is climb the ceiling beams.”

“Yeah, but neither of them have done anything to get themselves in trouble like you have,” Mingyu pointed out with a smirk. “Pregnancy is the only way.”

You threw your mate a playful glare, “Don’t even think about it.”

“Alright,” he sighed. But then he suddenly grabbed your waist and rolled himself onto his back, his lips pressing softly to your neck before nipping lightly at your skin. “How about we practice then?”

“Practice having babies?” you snorted.

“No!” he laughed, shaking his head and tickling your skin with his hair. “Practice making them.”

Your hands moved to Mingyu’s hair, carding through it, which sent a content rumble through his chest, “I guess practice makes perfect.”

[anonquack]

| His Merch |

Alex Quackity x Reader, Oneshot!

Word Count: 4256

Warnings: None, just some curse words. Fluff :]

Summary: Being such good friends with Quackity leads to the inevitable; catching feelings. In fear of ruining your friendship with him, you kept quiet about your feelings. Although usually good at that, after a merch drop and a slip-up on stream, you prepare yourself for the worst. Queue the incoming call from Quackity himself.

Today had been a productive day, in your opinion. You'd woken up earlier than usual, ate breakfast, cleaned around your apartment, and managed to get started on editing a video you'd recently filmed.

That's why you considered yourself very deserving of sitting down and enjoying your friend's stream as you ate some snacks.

Quackity had a fun stream planned, and had hyped up a 'big announcement' on Twitter, and the whole timeline was already speculating what it could be as they awaited for Quackity to start stream.

Being his friend had some perks though, contrary to popular belief. He'd discussed with you what the big announcement was as you sat on call with him a few nights prior to the big day. It was merch, and according to your past experience with Planet Duck products, it was sure to be soft and super comfy. You were very much looking forward to getting your hands on some of his new merch.

He'd brought up sending some to you, one of the previously mentioned perks of being his friend, but you politely declined. Much to his surprise. He'd asked why and you'd simply stated that "It was fine," and perhaps it came off as a bit rude. A 'no thanks' to his merch that you hadn't even seen.

But you had plans of your own, you wanted to acquire said merch on your own, and support him financially in the process. He didn't have to know that though, so with a small 'Oh' from him as his response, you swiftly changed topic of conversation.

Now here you sat, watching the stream as Quackity explained what he'd be doing with his friend John Smith. Riding go-karts around what looked like a storage unit. You couldn't help but worry as you watched them zoom around, occasionally getting close to crashing, and eventually doing just that.

The stream itself was rather fun to watch, but you kept your debit card beside you. This was in case he decided to drop the merch announcement out of nowhere. And that was exactly what he did. Another perk of being his friend was you grew a 6th sense for these type of things. Always had a feeling for what was about to happen when it came to Quackity.

You watched as the chat freaked out, watched as the notification from Planet Duck went out, notifying everybody that the merch had been released. You quickly typed into your computer, and the internet seemed to be taking its time to redirect you to Quackity's merch site.

After some time, it finally loaded and you began to look at all the options. The merch was wonderful, Quackity had been hyping it up to you (you'd asked for no reveals, wanting to wait like everyone else) and he had been absolutely right.

Most of the designs were new, except for the iconic Planet Duck logo, and were all very cute. You had Quackity's stream playing in the background as you maneuvered your way around the site, finally deciding on which merch you'd be buying.

As you went to purchase, a red sign alerted you that there was no shipping to your location. To which you quickly raised an eyebrow, panic starting to rush through you. Maybe you should've accepted his offer.

After refreshing multiple times and watching the Twitter timeline freak out as well over the inability to ship to several locations, it finally seemed to work, and the payment finally went through. A big "Thank you for your purchase" appearing onto the screen.

You let out a sigh of relief, clicking back onto the tab where the stream was, a small smile on your face. You'd actually managed to get it on your own. It was nerve-racking, when it seemed like you wouldn't be able to get the shipping to work, when it seemed like it'd sell out before you had the chance to buy some.

Now you finally understood what it felt like, the stress of getting your hands on merch before it sold out. It'd been an exhilerating experience.

You relaxed into your seat as Quackity's laugh filled the room. He was recreating bits from Fast and Furious, and zooming all over the place. You watched with a fond smile as he drove around, throwing random Spanish profanities at John Smith here and there.

The funky heart glasses he had on did nothing to ease the warmth that was spreading through your chest at the sight of him. You were suffering due to your confusing feelings towards your close friend, but nobody knew, or at least that is what you told yourself.

You tried to focus on something else, something that wasn't solely him. The go-karts were going pretty fast, and you remembered the scene they were recreating from the movie. Whichever random thought came to mind, you'd focus on it instead, too scared to let your thoughts wander elsewhere.

When it came to and end, you were conflicted. You were glad your heart would be able to catch a break, but you also missed him almost immediately. Sickening, really.

You took some time to reflect on what you'd done so far. Cleaned, ate your meals, worked on some editing, got some Quackity merch, and enjoyed a fun stream. It was rather productive, to say the least.

But there was still some time left in the day, and you figured you'd put the energy coursing through your body to use.

Taking a seat at your desk, you turned your monitor on before opening the twitch app. An alt stream would be perfect right now. After going live and sending out a tweet letting your followers know you were live, you patiently waited for the viewers to start coming in.

Considering this was an alt stream, you figured you'd play some random game and just chat for a bit before heading to bed. As the viewers came in, you gave your greetings before opening a tab for roblox, getting on a random server to play an obby game as you talked to chat.

There was a content smile on your face as you asked chat how their day had been, how they were feeling, your little character jumping around and passing through the beginner levels on the obby game.

"I'm actually in a really good mood, chat. My day has been going so well." You began, glancing at chat here and there, smile growing at the memory of the adventures acquiring Quackity merch.

After the chat was flooded with questions asking about what had happened, you indulged. "I was watching Quackity's stream earlier today, and it was so much fun!" The smile grew before softening as you focused on the obby. "I was also able to get some of his new merch."

The chat erupted into bits of 'friends supporting friends' to 'y/n in quackity merch???' and people yelling that they had been or weren't able to get merch.

Seeing the chat made you laugh, nodding your head a bit. "No because I was so nervous I wouldn't be able to get some-" you admitted, attention now focused solely on telling the viewers about your own experience.

"I was trying to purchase, and there was a line, and then it said it wouldn't ship to my location?? I was so worried I wouldn't be able to get some. But it finally worked. I'm excited for it to get here." You finished your small rant, a content smile on your lips.

Chat consisted of people agreeing with the technical difficulties occurring at the time of the merch drop, others saying they were too broke to buy anything. It felt nice, to see something from their perspective and also have shared an experience like this.

"Big Q actually offered to send me some, but I told him no because I wanted to get it myself.. Wanted to get it fair and square." You said as you refocused on the obby in front of you, fond smile on your face as you thought about how nice he was. He was willing to send all of his friends some of his merch, free of cost.

"Also wanted to give him my support by actually purchasing it, you know?" You added, resting your chin on the palm of your hand as it leaned against your desk. You took this time to read chat, which was exploding with what you thought was a combination of Quackity's username with yours, and 'bffs ur honor!!'.

You smiled at that, hands finally moving your character around. "Really, he has been such an amazing friend, extremely welcoming, always fun to be around. And just.. life is never dull when he's around. He's always been there for me when I needed it and well‐" A pause. "I'm glad I was able to support him in some way." You hummed softly as you finished up yet another small rant about Quackity.

At the realization that you'd been talking about him for far too long, and that he was not meant to be the focus of your alt stream, you cleared your throat and began focusing on the obby game once again.

You shifted the topic of conversation to the video you'd also been editing today, and that quickly took everyone's attention away from how affectionately and fondly you'd been speaking of your dear friend. Everyone was now excited about the new video.

Seeing how easily the chat's focus changed made you ease up a bit, and you were able to enjoy the rest of your stream playing random roblox games and discussing some stuff with chat. It lasted for a bit longer before you finally decided to end stream.

Some goodbyes and after stream officially ended, you found yourself on Twitter. Everything seemed pretty peaceful on the timeline, up until the trending page came up.

Your name was trending, along with 'QUACKITY IN CHAT' and the infamous combination of usernames. A monstrosity, really.

You heard yourself audibly gulp as you clicked on the trending topic 'quackity in chat'. Much to your dismay it was true. There was screenshots that showed Quackity was watching your stream. That meant that he'd heard you talking about him in that sickening tone. That tone that was unnecessarily sweet and fond.

You didn't know who was freaking out more, the so-called shippers, the timeline, or yourself. You gently bit at the inside of your cheek, scrolling and reading all the tweets of people trying to guess how Quackity must've felt while hearing all that. Others raising an eyebrow at how long you'd gone on about Quackity and how 'perfect' he was.

You'd fucked up, that was for sure, and it wasn't even intentional or fan service of any kind. It was an alt stream, it wasn't planned in any way, shape, or form. He'd been brought up, and you'd accidentally spilled all fond thoughts you held of him.

Your cursor hovered over a specific tweet that read, 'want someone to talk about me the way y/n talks about big q'. It was sweet, and perhaps made you smile just a little bit.

As you read it over in your head, a notification popped up on your screen, the discord notification ringing in your ears as you read who the message was from. Quackity.

You messed around with your mouse for a bit before finally closing the Twitter tab, and instead opting to open the unread message.

Quackity

hey (:

You stared at it for a bit, blinking in disbelief at how normal the message came across. Perhaps he'd tuned in during the last half of the stream. Perhaps he hadn't been able to watch while you rambled about him, and perhaps he hadn't been on Twitter either. One could hope.

y/n hi (:

It showed that he was typing almost immediately after, and you tried your best to calm your nerves.

Quackity call?

You felt yourself tense at the message. Maybe he wanted to let you down kindly. 'Hey! Saw your stream, and I just wanted to ask if you could chill the fuck out. That was kind of creepy. Maybe never speak of me ever again. Do not perceive me any longer, thanks!'

Something along those lines for sure. That's what probably awaited you if you said yes to this. But what exactly were you supposed to do instead?

y/n ofc

It only took a few seconds for the call to come through. Stalling wouldn't help, so you answered by the third ring.

He greeted you, and everything seemed normal. The calls were normal between you two, but you were just on edge due to twitter trending and the stream that took place less than an hour ago.

"How are you feeling, Quackity?" You asked with a small smile, today was a big day for him, and you were sure he'd enjoy talking about how fast the merch sold.

"I'm doing great. Really happy that the fans liked the designs and just.. we sold a lot. I'm happy." He restated the last bit, the smile was obvious in his voice. You didn't have to be seeing it to know. Another perk of being so close to him. You had a clear visual image of what he probably looked like right now. Cute smile plastered onto his equally cute face.

"I'm really happy for you, Big Q. You deserve all the success that is coming your way and more." You hummed softly. Everything you were saying, you meant wholeheartedly. There was silence for a bit before he finally spoke again.

"I watched your stream."

Fuck. There it was. You should've expected it but it still hit like a ton of bricks. You felt your mouth turn dry, could barely manage to get out the word, "Yeah?"

"Mhm." Straight to the point. There was a bit of silence, you were unsure of what to say. Why had he brought it up? It was bound to happen, but what was the reason behind bringing it up? To tease you, let you know he wasn't interested, or because roblox obbies are just so much fun?

"You didn't have to buy it, you know?" He finally said, breaking the silence.

"I wanted to." You reassured, "the merch is really pretty. Worth every penny."

"I could've sent you whichever you wanted." He stated bluntly. As if it was weird of you to have gone and bought it on your own.

"Thank you, but I wanted to buy it myself. Let me? Please?" Let me show my support this way, is what you meant to say. It came out softer than intended, and you could feel your heart beating against your ribs. You really needed to watch your tone around him.

"Of course." He responded, just as softly. He'd drive you crazy one of these days. They'd have to lock you up, and you'd never see the light of day again.

"Did you have fun riding the go-karts?" You asked, a small smile on your lips as you wandered back onto the Twitter tab, a clip of his stream now on display on the timeline.

He let out a small laugh, "I did. Did you enjoy watching it?" You nodded before responding, "Of course. Was concerning watching you crash into walls though."

He hummed softly in response, possibly contemplating what to say with how long he took before he spoke again.

"Did you really mean all the things you said on stream?"

Somehow, even with your own attempts to change topic, the focus was back on your stream and the things that had been said. You wouldn't be able to dig yourself out of the hole you'd dug.

It was entirely your fault, for even allowing yourself to consider him as anything but a great friend. It was your fault for taking the late night calls, the sweet tones, and messages the wrong way. Your interpretations were all wrong and now you'd have to sit here and apologize for practically outing yourself on stream. For letting the whole world know that you had romantic feelings for a good friend of yours. You'd probably made him so uncomfortable.

You felt yourself cringe slightly at his words, already gone quiet for far too long. You had to speak up, even if it lead to a good friendship ending a few minutes from now.

"Of course I did. You're great, Alex." The use of his name was meant to assure him you meant it wholeheartedly. It made the moment feel more intimate, too. Much to your own dismay, yet again. You couldn't help it.

The possibility that your friendship with him could come to an end real soon made you act on your feelings. It left you unhinged. If it was all going to end here, maybe you'd allow yourself to act on impulse. End it with a bang.

"Thank you, really. I know I probably wasn't meant to hear all that, but it was really nice. Made me feel nice as well. And just, seeing that you didn't accept the merch from me because you wanted to support me directly.. thank you."

His voice was soft, felt like warm honey to your taste buds. You could almost hear your heart melting inside your chest, could feel it dripping down and touching your diaphragm, oozing into every single crevice in your body. You'd never understand how he had such effects on you. How he was able to make you so fond of him.

"I meant every single word. You deserve that and so much more." You reassured yet again, a small smile on your lips. You heard him let out a small chuckle, which made you laugh as well.

Moments later, he had turned his camera on, wanting to show you all the merch. You'd asked for him to put it on, since you were a 'visual learner' and had to see it on him in order to fully understand what it looked like. He had playfully rolled his eyes, but hadn't really argued against it.

So there you were, watching as he changed from hoodie to hoodie, moving out of frame to change into the shirts. You could feel your heart thumping harshly against your rib cage at the sight of him. Some looked bigger on him, some looked just right. They all looked wonderful, and super comfy. Perhaps that was simply because they were on him, and he looked so comfy.

He looked like he could give the best hugs.

"You really think so?" His voice came out a bit sheepish, and the light pink that dusted his cheeks was becoming more and more evident. Huh?

"What?" You said, a dumb look on your face as you tried connecting the dots.

"That I could give the best hugs." He stated slowly, as if he was testing how it sounded before adding, "Do you really think that?"

Had you really said that out loud? Fuck. It took acting on impulse to a whole other level. This wasn't something you two usually did, but I guess it was okay since everything might be ending soon. Ballsy moves.

"Yeah. You make the merch look so cozy." Your throat felt dry, eyes glued to his face, wanting to catch every single second of his reaction. Wanting to see each movement of his facial muscles, to find out what it could possibly entail. "Makes me wonder what your hugs feel like." You admitted.

Your eyes scanned the entirety of his face, perking up slightly at the sight of his face flushing, leaving him with the softest tint of pink to spread across his cheeks, almost matching his pretty lips. What the hell did that even mean?

"Maybe you won't have to wonder for too long. With guidelines being lifted and all." The line. Blurred at that very moment, for sure. His eyes were glued to you as well, which only made you hesitate every single movement you could think of doing at that moment.

"And in the meantime? What am I supposed to do?" Risky. Crossing lines, jumping over hurdles. This all had to be against friend rules or something. You could feel your sanity decreasing each second this call went on. But he wasn't stopping any of this either.

"I could send you a hoodie." The sentence brought you out of your Quackity-induced haze, making you quickly shake your head. What? Before you could protest or ask what the hell that was supposed to mean, he explained.

"My hoodie. Y'know. Mine. One I wear. You can give it back when we meet up, perhaps."

Your mouth went dry again, shocked at the domestic feeling it gave. He was suggesting he send one of his hoodies. It would smell like him. It was the closest thing to giving him an actual hug. It would be paradise.

"You'd really do that?" You asked, still in disbelief, but he quickly nodded his head. "Oh." You said softly, before a smile appeared on your face. "I would like that, then."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"I'll send it then." He hummed, smile spreading on his lips as well. Everything going on was making you feel dizzy. It felt so surreal.

You'd mentally prepared yourself for the worst, but instead were met with a flirtatious Quackity. He'd said sweet things to you before, but you never allowed yourself to take it seriously, not wanting to get your hopes up. And it never went to this extent.

It seemed he realized what just went down, a loud laugh escaping his lips. "Holy shit. You're gonna have one of my hoodies soon."

"I am." You chimed in, smile on your lips as well.

"And you'll wear it around." He added.

"I will."

"You'll look good, as always."

You could feel the heat rush to your face. What was going on? Was this real, or just a very cruel dream? Alex Quackity was fucking flirting with you.

"Are you flirting with me?" Bewildered tone, raised eyebrows. Your brain couldn't even begin to progress what was being said.

"What the fuck does it look like I've been doing?"

"Have you really?" Warmth spread across your chest at how blunt he was being. The line was gone. It'd been erased, never to be seen again. There was no shame in him. Admitting he was flirting with his whole chest.

"I have. Why are you so surprised though? I've subtly flirted with you before.. and I mean, were you not confessing your undying love to me on stream?" He raised a brow, feigned confusion on his face. He was teasing. You let out a groan, covering your face with your hands as he let out a laugh.

Surreal. He confessed to having flirted with you in the past. So you weren't delusional, nice to know. "Are you done?" You asked, face still covered by your hand in shame.

"I saw a tweet that was saying they felt like third wheels since I was in chat, and you were just going on about everything you liked about me." You kept your face covered. He was not stopping. Now he was the unhinged one.

He was visibly scrolling through the timeline at this point. "Oh, and one saying they want what we have. What do we have?"

You finally uncovered your face. "I don't know. Whatever the fuck this is, I guess?"

"Well, what is this?"

"Mm... whatever you want it to be." You finally answered, and there was a surprised look plastered on his face at that.

"Whatever I want?"

"Yeah." You paused. Would he regret this after he got out of this haze? What if it had just been flirting for fun? But he wouldn't play with your feelings like this, would he?

Alex Quackity was perfect though, and perhaps he had a sixth sense about when stuff was wrong with you, because he caught on to your hesitation.

"Hey." He called out softly. The teasing, flirtatious tone was gone, now replaced by the softer tone reserved for late night calls, or when everybody else in the vc had left and it was just you two.

You look at where his face was on your monitor, relaxing a bit simply by his tone and the soft gaze he held on you.

"I know everything sort of progressed pretty fast tonight.. but your stream really helped me realize a few things. I do like you, y/n. Not fucking around or anything." He said it in a firm tone, one that told you he wasn't messing around, but still felt oh so intimate.

Everything he was saying was exactly what you wanted and needed to hear. Reassurance that your feelings weren't unrequited. You couldn't believe your rambling on stream had lead you guys here.

"I like you, too. If that wasn't obvious already." You mumbled out, eyes averting before glancing to see his reaction. He had the biggest, cutest, grin on his face. Charming, and extremely contagious. You couldn't help but smile back.

Holy shit.

"Is this real?" You asked out loud, smile never leaving your face.

"It is. All thanks to your ranting on stream. How cool is that?"

You couldn't help but still feel rather embarrassed that he'd heard all of it, but it had brought you two here. All embarrassment was worth it. Especially if it meant it opened up a whole new world of possibilities for you two.

"Very cool." You mumbled, before a smile appeared on your lips. Today really couldn't have gone any better.

[dollzai]

free fall - dazai x reader - ch 2

Index - Previous Chapter - Next Chapter

Summary: Former property of Yokohama's Port Mafia, you've decided to pursue a life worth living. Unfortunately, it's come at the cost of betraying one of your closest confidants, Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, who warned you that getting away alive wasn’t an option. Your only hope for protection, and discovering what it means to be free, is the Armed Detective Agency, and one bandage-wearing ability-user.

Pairing: dazai osamu x reader (ft. akutagawa)

Genre: angst, smut, (some) fluff

Warnings: explicit sexual content, graphic violence, swearing, alcohol abuse, mentions of suicide (will be updating as series goes on)

Rating: explicit/mature/NSFW

Word Count: 7.1k

Author’s Note: hi everyone!! firstly, i just want to thank everyone for the incredible support i got on chapter 1!! every like, reblog and comment truly means the world to me, i appreciate your feedback so much and would love to continue hearing from you! i was trying to steer this chapter away from being a boring/cliche character introductory, i hope i accomplished that and did some necessary establishment for the rest of the story. i’ve also opened a tag list, so please leave a comment or send an ask/message if you’d like to be added! :)

Tag List (OPEN): @yeonyeonyeonjun​ @grannysvomit @olivera-gajic​

The first sensation you felt was warmth. It was gentle and kind as it pulled you from your sleep, making you aware of your comfortable condition before your eyes were even open.

When you did open them, the warmth revealed itself to be sunlight. It streamed through a large rectangular window, situated high to a wall on your left. You blinked as you stared into the brightness.

Feeling the need for a morning stretch, you pulled your arms toward your head, feeling the softness of a cozy blue blanket brush against your skin. You stretched your arms upwards, palms flat as you stared at the plain-looking ceiling above you.

The pleasurable stretch, warm blanket, and soft sunlight, all combined with the comfortable white futon you found yourself on to create an indescribable sense of calm. Your mind was blank, devoid of any particular thought, in the best way possible. You basked in this moment, your eyes closing again.

Unfortunately, it didn’t last much longer.

Eyes shooting open, memories rushed into your brain faster than you could grasp at them. Running, blood, pleading for your life, pleading for help, much more running and much more blood. It was an unpleasant blur that ruined any chance of staying in your peaceful state.

You latched onto one particular thought: your body. The last you could remember, it was in an abysmal state, your side torn open and all of your limbs throbbing.

Instantly, your hands flew to your left side where the gaping wound should have been. Instead, all you were met with was the smoothness of skin untouched by any trace of injury.

Your hand recoiled in shock and your heart rate quickened. How could this be possible? There was no way it was. You were practically torn in half before jumping off of a balcony just hours ago. Had it all been a dream?

The question crossed your mind, but was quickly dismissed as you took in the sight of the room around you. It wasn’t your room in the Mori Corporation building, the only place you’d spent the night since you were a child. The unfamiliar surroundings you now found yourself in were confirmation that you hadn’t dreamt that horrible day.

Moving quickly, you sat up and pulled the blue blanket off of you, still expecting to see blood or bruising on at least one part of your body. But again, there was nothing. It was just your body, completely normal except for the cotton shirt and shorts you wore that didn’t belong to you.

A small panic began rising in your throat, triggered by the foreignness of your current situation. You whipped your head around desperately, searching for anything in this strange place that you could recognize, that could reassure you that you were still you.

There was nothing, though, except for the soft outline of a figure in the other room.

Dazai.

He was laying on a couch in the adjacent living space, looking perfectly content. His legs were stretched in front of him, crossing at the ankles as his feet hung over the armrest. His hands were positioned behind his head, propping it up slightly. You noticed that he wore a similar outfit to the one you’d seen him in before, with the only addition behind a set of headphones over his ears.

His eyes were closed as you inspected him, but only for a moment. As if he could feel your eyes on him, he opened his, tilting his head to look at you.

He watched for a moment before a smile grew on his face. “You’re finally awake!”

Unsure of how to respond, you sat up straighter on the futon. Your body told you to go over to him, so you pushed yourself up with your hands and tucked your legs under yourself to get to a kneeling position. As you did so, a stabbing pain began pulsing behind your eyes.

Dazai noticed you wincing and your face going pale, and he pulled his headphones off before quickly swinging his legs over the side of the couch to get up. “You should lay back down.” he said as he began making his way over to you.

Not listening and intent on standing, you pushed the floor again with your palms, struggling to raise a knee. Dazai was at your side before you could push yourself any further, settling his hands on your shoulders and gently pulling you back down.

“No, no,” he said with an almost musical quality to his voice. “None of that right now. Just relax.”

Unable to protest, you allowed him to guide your body back down onto the futon. A delicate hand slipped behind your head just before it reached the pillow. He pulled it away once you were settled comfortably, before reaching with his fingers to brush a stray hair out of your face.

Heat rose into your cheeks, and you prayed Dazai was unaware. It didn’t seem he was, though, as his eyes twinkled down at you. He sat down with his legs crossed on the floor, his hands clasped in his lap. You noticed the bandages covering both of his arms peeking out from the sleeves of his tan jacket.

It was then that you realized you were yet to speak to him. “Hi,” you croaked out, your voice still raspy with sleep.

Dazai chuckled. “Hi there,” he replied, obviously amused by some aspect of this situation. “How do you feel?”

You considered the question, taking another mental inventory of your body. All of your injuries from the previous day were miraculously gone, and the pain in your head had diminished since laying back down.

“I’m fine,” you admitted, an obvious tinge of confusion to your voice. “Somehow.”

“Ah, you can thank Yosano for that,” Dazai explained, and you blinked at the unfamiliar name. “She’s a member of the Armed Detective Agency. Usually, she has to injure her patients half-to-death in order to use her ability, but thankfully you were already on the brink,” Dazai explained. “Arm shattered, lung punctured, blood loss, and so on.”

So, it was an ability-user to thank that you were still alive and in good condition. You should have assumed, given that not even modern medicine could have achieved this feat.

“That’s good,” you said, releasing a deep breath. “I’ll have to thank her.”

Dazai hummed in agreement, his eyes drifting down and to the side. You followed them, your head lifting slightly from the pillow as you realized your shirt was bunched up high, revealing much of the area of your torso that used to be torn apart.

Embarrassed, you quickly pulled the cotton shirt you were wearing back down, and Dazai looked away with a smile still plastered on his face.

There were a million questions racing through your mind, so you decided to ask the most basic of them. “Where am I?”

“This…” Dazai lifted his hands, motioning to the room around you with grandiose. “…is a dorm room owned by the Agency. I hope it’s to your liking.”

“Oh,” you said, absentmindedly scanning the unpersonalized room. “Is this… your room?” you asked.

Dazai dramatically pressed a hand to his chest, closing his eyes as he leaned back. “How honored I would be to share my room with such a beautiful woman,” he chirped, causing the blush to return to your cheeks as you stared intentionally back at the ceiling. “But no, sadly. This is currently an unoccupied room.”

“Oh,” you said again, not sure how to react to the compliment mixed into his explanation.

“All of the Agency members have been taking turns watching over you while you slept,” Dazai continued to explain. “Lucky for you, I was the one here when you finally decided to join us.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, the end of his remark catching you off guard. “How long was I asleep?”

“Hmm…” Dazai pondered thoughtfully, pressing a finger to his chin. “You got here Friday night. It’s now Monday morning. So… two and a half days, just about.”

Shocked, you gasped slightly, your eyes wide. Over two days you were out? It felt like everything had happened just hours ago before you drifted into your dreamless sleep.

Your concern was obvious, but Dazai reassured you. “I wouldn’t worry about it too much,” he said. “Like I said, you were practically a goner. Yosano wasn’t sure if she could even save you at that point, so it’s not strange that you needed a lot of rest.”

‘Not strange’ wasn’t really how you would describe anything about this situation, but you decided it best not to question the miracle of being alive.

A quiet moment passed then as you thought of what you wanted to ask him next. But before you could, Dazai had a question of his own. “Do you remember me?”

Though you were slightly taken aback, it was a fair enough question. After all, you did remember him, and he appeared to remember you. “Yeah, I do.” you answered him.

Dazai nodded. “Good, good,” he said slowly. “I wasn’t sure. I mean, you were just a kid the last time I saw you.”

“So were you,” you pointed out to him, scoffing slightly. You were fairly certain Dazai was close to your age, if not just slightly older.

Dazai’s jaw dropped in mock offense. “No, I was a Port Mafia Executive. You were just…”

He wasn’t sure how to end that sentence without coming off as rude. If he weren’t concerned about that, he would have said you were just some kid. Some unwanted kid at that, property of the Mafia that was more a nuisance than anything.

Of course, Dazai knew all of that having been an executive, especially since he worked directly under Mori for so long. Mori was technically your legal guardian, having been the one your father entrusted to carry out your life plan. While he wasn’t particularly interested in you, he did respect your father enough to put the plan in place. 

Still, being the boss meant he had little time for you. He summoned you every now and again, more out of courtesy than anything else. Around birthdays you could expect to be called to see him, and he’d offer you some strange but kind words. There was no present he could give you, because you had the resources to buy whatever you wanted.

It was one of those times when he requested your presence that you first met Dazai. You trekked up to his quarters on the day of your thirteenth birthday, preparing yourself for the annual awkwardness of Mori trying to compliment your academic progress.

When you arrived, you saw him there. A young, solemn-looking boy, not much older than yourself. He wore a long black coat, a white shirt and black tie, and most notably a bandage over his right eye and left cheek. Mori introduced him as Dazai Osamu.

He said nothing as you walked past him, opting to continue staring at the wall somberly. You didn’t mind, but couldn’t help sneaking glances at him as Mori talked to you. He was undeniably attractive to your thirteen-year-old self.

Not long after that, you heard murmurs around the building that he was promoted to an executive, the youngest in the Mafia’s history. You seldom saw him after that, as he was presumably very busy with important duties, but whenever you walked past him in the building’s corridors you felt your heart flutter just a little.

Once you were friends with Akutagawa, you heard about Dazai much more frequently. Akutagawa was training under him, and from what he told you, Dazai was not the best of mentors. The training he put your friend through was brutal, dangerous and extreme. He was suicidal, and seemingly had no regard for Akutagawa’s life either.

From the way he complained, you thought Akutagawa hated Dazai. But he also had a profound respect for his mentor. He was desperate to win his approval, but seemingly never could, no matter how hard he fought or how much he improved his ability.

When Akutagawa barged into your room one evening to tell you that Dazai who had left the Port Mafia and disappeared for two years, only to join the Armed Detective Agency, you were shocked. How could a man so cruel join an agency meant to help people?

The man that sat on the floor next to you now was nothing like the Dazai you remembered. He seemed playful, attentive, and was honestly a bit charming.

You shook the thought from your head. “I’m surprised you even recognized me,” you said to him.

“How could I forget Akutagawa’s girlfriend?”

Your eyes nearly popped out of your head upon hearing that. “What?!” you questioned him, pushing yourself up onto your elbows to sit up higher. “I am not his girlfriend. Or, wasn’t…” you tried to explain, fumbling your words. “No, I never was.”

“Forgive me, it’s just…” Dazai grinned at you, entertained by the reaction you gave him. “You know how rumors spread in that place. You can’t deny that you spent a lot of time together.”

You shot him a look. “How would you know how much time we spent together?”

Dazai shrugged, not answering as his eyes danced mischievously. “Poor Akutagawa was always so defensive about it too. He hated when I brought you up to him.”

A subtle tightness in your throat started when you heard his name that time. You laid back down slowly, looking again to the ceiling. “He never told me about that.”

“I suspect he wouldn’t have,” Dazai mused, sensing your change in mood. “Besides, what else was I supposed to think? All morning you’ve been talking in your sleep, moaning, Akutagawa, please, Akutagawa…”

Knowing that he was teasing you to lighten the mood was not enough to stop your hands from reaching up to cover your face, ashamed by what he’d heard. You didn’t remember having dreams of any kind over the time you were asleep, and certainly not any kind like that. You were sure that if what Dazai said was actually true, it was a nightmare where you were begging for your life.

“He tried to kill me.” you pointed out, still covering your face.

Dazai nodded. “You mentioned that.”

You separated your fingers over your eyes to peer at him. “I did?”

Nodding again, Dazai reminded you of a conversation you’d seemingly forgotten about. “Before Yosano fixed you up, you were trying to explain what had happened. It wasn’t totally coherent, but I put the pieces together.”

You returned your hands to your sides, feeling thankful that you wouldn’t have to relive the trauma of that day by talking about it again. 

“That’s good.” you said simply before attempting to change the subject slightly. “So, um…” you started, not knowing how to phrase the pressing question on your mind. “What do I… do… now?”

“That is the question, huh…” Dazai answered, rocking back and forth slightly as he considered how to respond. “I should let everyone know you’re awake. They’re probably all at the office by now, so we can go over there, to…” he trailed off.

You raised an eyebrow at him. “To…?”

Dazai sighed. “Well, we have to talk about some things. And, I mean, decide some things.”

“What does that mean?” you asked pointedly, feeling a bit concerned with his ambiguity.

He smiled warmly at you again. “Don’t be worried. We just don’t really know what to do with you at the moment.”

Your mouth opened and closed. You felt slightly offended, but not enough to voice that right now. After all, these people had taken care of you and protected you over the last three days, so you didn’t want to say anything that would ruin your chances of continuing that.

Still, you cursed yourself for being so naive. They knew practically nothing about you or your ability. You should never have expected to walk up and join the A.D.A. without question or discussion.

Dazai watched as your mental gears turned, knowing you understood what he meant. He felt a bit bad, but there was no way to avoid the subject. 

“Come on,” he stood up and extended a hand to you. “Let’s get you dressed and ready.”

A bit shakily, you accepted his hand. He began to pull you up from the futon, and with ease, you noticed, allowing you to get to your feet. The dull pain in your head returned when you were upright, not as bad as before, but it still made you dizzy. Dazai’s other hand found a grip on your shoulder, helping to keep you standing.

“Thanks.” you muttered sheepishly, closing your eyes as you did your best not to fall back to the floor.

Even with your eyes closed, you could tell Dazai was grinning, waiting to tease you. “Take your time,” he told you.

It took a long moment before you were steady enough to open your eyes. Once you did, you let go of Dazai’s hand, testing the waters of your stability. You seemed to be alright, and went to take a step.

When you did, though, a thought occurred to you. “Dazai,” you started, giving him somewhat of a pathetic look. “I didn’t bring anything. I left all of the things I packed when…” you trailed off, remembering the half-full bag you’d left at Suzuki’s house, not having time or the wherewithal to grab it before you jumped.

“We figured. You didn’t show up with anything,” Dazai said. “The clothes you had on were ruined, obviously. But don’t fret, Yosano picked something of hers out for you to have. It’s in the bathroom.” Dazai motioned with his chin to an open door just ahead of you.

“Oh, wow,” you said, feeling eternally grateful to this Yosano who not only saved your life but also gifted you a change of clothes.

You took a step forward, and Dazai let go of your shoulder, allowing you to make your way, albeit slowly, to the bathroom. When you did, you closed the door behind you, giving Dazai a meek smile. He waved back at you.

The first thing you did was inspect yourself in the small mirror above the sink. Only slightly surprisingly, you looked exactly the same as you always did after waking up. Eyes a bit puffy, hair bunched up from rubbing against the pillow. The only thing different about what you saw was where you were.

A pang of sadness washed over you, but you whisked it away. You weren’t going to get anywhere feeling homesick for a place you could never return to, that was barely home to begin with. You had to move on.

You turned your attention to the neatly folded clothing resting on the countertop. Pulling up each piece and holding them up to yourself in the mirror, you inspected them: a fitted, white button-down shirt with long sleeves. A short-ish, dark grey plaid skirt. A thin, black ribbon-tie. Black tights. Black loafers with a bit of a chunky heel. Some undergarments that you silently prayed would fit.

To your surprise, everything did fit. Quite well, actually. You looked over your outfit in the mirror, trying your best to ignore the fact that you looked somewhat like a schoolgirl. You looked fine enough, you thought, as you combed your hair with a tool that you supposed Yosano, being ever so thoughtful, had left for you as well.

When you were ready, you turned the knob and returned to the bedroom, finding Dazai leaning against the wall. He let out a relieved sigh when he saw you. “Great! You look great. Are you ready?” You nodded, and followed Dazai as he led you out of the dorm room.

Your shoes made a clanging noise as you stepped out of the front door, hitting the metal landing of the second floor stairway. You watched as Dazai locked the door behind you, before slipping the key into his coat pocket. You turned around to look at the building you’d just stepped out of, noticing there were two doors to the left of the one you exited.

“This one’s mine,” Dazai pointed out to you, drumming his fingers against the next door as the two of you walked past. “If you were curious,” he added, looking back at you to give you a wink.

You looked away and rolled your eyes. You were getting used to his slightly flirtatious comments, having been subjected to them since almost the moment you woke up. It definitely wasn’t what you expected him to be like, but it was clear this was just part of his nature.

He led you down the stairs and down onto the sidewalk. “It’s just around the corner,” Dazai explained, and you continued to follow his lead as he started walking in the direction of the office.

“So,” Dazai started, glancing at you as you struggled slightly in your tight shoes to keep up with his long strides. “Tell me more about your ability.”

You swallowed, remembering how he’d told you that you had explained your situation to them somewhat. You must have mentioned your ability. “Well…” you started, trailing off. The only other time you’d ever explained it was to Akutagawa the other night, and looking back you’d done a subpar job. “It’s kind of hard to explain.”

“Try me.” Dazai grinned, his eyes twinkling as he looked at you.

Humming, you thought for a moment. “It’s probably easier if I just show you.”

You stopped walking, standing still and closing your eyes. Your ability took some amount of focus to do the most accurate job, and you secretly felt a need to impress Dazai. It might be your only chance to convince him to let you join the A.D.A.

Realizing you’d stopped, Dazai did the same and turned to look back at your focused expression. Inside your head, you accessed the part of your consciousness where your ability resided. You conjured up an image, one of the same sidewalk and street you were currently on. But instead of the next concrete block of pavement ahead of Dazai, you placed a tall, wide brick building. 

Opening your eyes, you focused them on Dazai. Your stare was intense as you entered his head and planted the vision in his consciousness.

He watched as you stared at him for that long moment, before you averted your eyes to look at something behind him. Dazai turned around, coming face-to-face with the building you’d made.

His eyes widened as he took a step back, staring at your creation. He craned his neck up and to both sides, trying to find where the massive structure ended, but it didn’t. He pressed his palm to the scratchy bricks, feeling them as if they were real. To him, they were.

But you could see the illusion for what it was. Your ability allowed you to see what you’d created in addition to the way reality actually looked. It was hard for you to understand the mental processes, but your brain could see both images.

You walked up to the wall, standing next to Dazai. He watched as you mirrored his actions, placing a hand to the bricks. It stopped as it hit them, just as his had. But after a moment, you pressed your hand through the wall as if it were a thick fog, stepping forward as your body disappeared entirely behind the wall.

Dazai stared in awe, his mouth hanging open slightly as he tried to figure out what he was watching. He brought his other hand to the wall, hitting both of his fists against it lightly. The sound of skin against brick reverberated in his ears.

“Walking through walls?” Dazai guessed, knowing that couldn’t be true when the wall had appeared out of thin air.

You stuck your head back out through the wall, peeking at his confused expression. “Not quite,” you laughed nervously. You thought for a moment. “What’s your ability again?”

“No Longer Human,” Dazai answered. “It nullifies any ability with skin contact.”

“Oh, yeah,” you said softly to yourself, confirming your memories of his ability. You watched him on the other side of the wall, looking around as he continued to search for an answer. His palm was pressed again to the wall. You raised your arm that mirrored him, placing your palm flat against his.

As soon as you touched him, the wall disappeared, in both your mind and his. His eyebrows raised as he watched you. “An illusion ability?”

You nodded. “Sounds fitting.”

Dazai’s eyes widened, and a large smile grew on his face as he clasped his hands together. “Fascinating! Really great stuff,” he exclaimed.

You gave him a small smile in return, a feeling of relief and pride washing over you. You’d succeeded in impressing him.

Not wasting another moment, Dazai continued walking down the sidewalk. You followed after him again, now feeling slightly tired from your mental efforts.

“How do you do it? Take me through the process.” Dazai requested, still smiling at you as he walked.

“Okay,” you started, thinking about your order of operations. “I think first about… the illusion, I guess. What I want the other person to see. If it’s simple, it doesn’t take very long for me to imagine. The more complicated it is, the longer it takes.”

Dazai nodded. “Then what?”

“Once I can see it fully, I kind of… go into the other person’s head. I see what they’re seeing. And then I put the image there.” you continued to explain. “Once it’s in place, I can still see the illusion in my own mind, but also reality. I don’t know how, but I can see both.”

Nodding, Dazai pressed his finger to his chin with a thoughtful expression as he listened. “Interesting,” he said. “And then, it just stays there? Or do you stop it?”

“I stop it on my end,” you told him. “But, for most people, it just stays part of… their reality. It’s totally real for them, everything about it.”

“For most people?” Dazai questioned you. “So that’s not always the case?”

You shook your head, remembering the last time you used your ability. Somehow, Akutagawa had come out of it and seen you, forcing you to jump.

“I used it on Akutagawa. When he attacked me,” you said softly, your eyes dropping to the pavement. “But it didn’t last long enough for me to leave. He saw me while I was looking for a way out, which is why I had to jump off of a balcony.”

Dazai stopped walking, thinking for a moment. “You had told him about your ability, didn’t you?”

You nodded. “Yeah, the night before, I did.”

“Okay…” Dazai said, obviously mulling something over. “Do it again for me. Make the same exact illusion, if you can.”

Making the same thing twice wasn’t something you’d technically done before, but you figured it was possible. You closed your eyes again with determination, bringing the same image from before to the forefront, ensuring all of the details were as you remembered them.

You opened your eyes once more, focusing on Dazai as you placed the illusion in front of his eyes again. When you were done, he turned around to view the wall.

“There has to be some sort of weakness,” he explained, looking around with intent. “Some kind of tell, that you wouldn’t think anything of unless you knew there was a possibility that what you’re seeing isn’t real.”

Scanning the wall with him, you didn’t see anything obvious. It looked totally real, just as it had the first time. But finally, Dazai found something.

“Aha!” he exclaimed, excited. He pointed down and to the left, where the wall met the ground about 20 yards away from where you stood. “Do you see that?”

You shook your head.

“Look closer.” Dazai instructed you.

Squinting, you tried your best to see whatever it was that Dazai could. It took a second, but as you continued focusing on the point where the illusion of the wall met the real ground, you saw it.

“It’s… fuzzy. Like static,” you described. Dazai nodded. “Exactly. So faint that no one would ever see it, unless they were looking for it,” he explained.

“And now that I see it, I can…” Dazai blinked, and the illusion was gone. He grinned, giving you a proud look. “See?”

You gave him a small smile of acknowledgement, but it was clear from your expression that you were disappointed. Knowing that your ability could so easily be exposed, when you were still just learning how to use it, made you a bit discouraged.

Knowing what you were feeling, Dazai slung an arm over your shoulder as he began walking again, forcing you to continue along the way. “Don’t be upset,” he told you, a hint of teasing present. “Abilities aren’t infallible. Except mine, of course.”

You rolled your eyes, but the joke made you feel slightly better.

“Besides,” he continued. “Your ability still has one major advantage,”

Looking up at him, you blinked. “What?”

“It’s our little secret.”

—

It was a bad habit, you thought, as you picked at the skin around your thumb. One not very becoming of an A.D.A. member.

Clasping your fingers behind your back, you made a silent vow to stop. Confidence was what you needed to exude, not nerves.

But truly, you felt extremely nervous, waiting outside the frosted glass door for the second time in your life. You’d asked Dazai to not leave you alone here, which he responded to by making fun of your jittery state. You weren’t sure what he needed to talk to everyone about before you could enter, but you sucked it up and waited.

After all, this was no longer a scared-for-your-life type of nerves. Dazai had assured you while you walked that there was no way the Port Mafia would risk attacking you in or outside of the Agency building. At least not right away.

It was likely why Akutagawa had let you walk in when he saw you instead of killing you on the spot. At that point, he was there for surveillance, needing to know for certain that the Agency was where you’d ended up.

That wasn’t what you were concerned with right now, you thought, staring at a dark stain on the carpet in front of the door. No, this situation currently filled you with an anxiety that mimicked taking an exam, a kind of high-stakes task that filled you with dread. You needed these people to accept you, to believe in you, and to help you.

You heard muffled voices from inside the office, but couldn’t make out any distinct words, or even emotions. Assuming that Dazai was announcing that you were awake and right outside the door, you were hoping to hear maybe some kind of excited  commotion. But it was just noise.

After what felt like an eternity longer, the door opened slightly. Dazai’s smiling face peeked out at you. “Sorry about that,” he said, his tone chipper. “You can come in now.”

Taking a silent breath, you walked through the entryway as Dazai held the door open for you.

You were met by a half-circle of Agency members who stood waiting for you. The only one you recognized was the tall, blonde man that Dazai had called Kunikida. Everyone else looked friendly, for the most part, and most looked to be around your age. It wasn’t quite what you expected, you thought, as you looked them over. Whatever mental image you’d painted had included more men in their thirties or forties. Nonetheless, you were glad to see some younger people, who you hoped might be more willing to accept you. 

Dazai’s arm draping over your shoulders snapped you out of whatever trace-like state you’d just fallen into. “Y/N,” he said, squeezing your arm gently. “This is everyone.” 

Embarrassed for staring, you gave them all a sheepish bow. “Hello,” you said, standing upright again. “It’s nice to meet you all. Properly, I mean. Not like…”

“Let me introduce everyone,” Dazai interrupted your rambling, which you were somewhat grateful for. He proceeded to go down the line of heads that stood before you.

First was Kunikida, the man you recognized from your abrupt meeting on Friday. He looked just as stern as he did then, but offered you a small smile as Dazai introduced him. He wore the same rectangular glasses as he did then, and his hair was neatly pulled back into a low ponytail.

Next was Yosano, who you’d heard from Dazai had been the one to heal you with her ability, and graciously donate her clothing to you. She was a beautiful woman, appearing to be slightly older than yourself, and she had an air of mystery and seductiveness about her. She had short dark hair that was pinned with a gold butterfly clip, and unsurprisingly, wore a similar outfit to the one you had on.

There was Tanizaki, a friendly-looking young boy with wavy orange hair. Dazai explained to you that Tanizaki was also an illusion ability-user, the only one at the Agency. He stood next to his sister, Naomi, a pretty girl with long black hair and a beauty mark under her left eye, who stood clutching onto her brother’s forearm as she kept her eyes glued to the floor.

The other members present were Ranpo, who introduced himself as “the greatest detective in the world” with a proud smile. He was another young man, who had messy black hair and wore a brown cape and matching hat, giving him the appearance of a detective like he claimed to be. There was also Kenji, the youngest of the group, a boy with golden hair, cute freckles, and blue overalls. 

Finally, Dazai Introduced you to the President of the Agency, Fukuzawa, who remained stoic throughout this entire interaction. His face showed minor signs of aging, giving him a dignified appearance that was bolstered by the transition Japanese clothing he wore, and his long, silver hair. He didn’t say anything to you, but offered a small nod.

“Should we proceed with our meeting?” said Kunikida, coming out as more of a statement than a question.

Dazai sighed melodramatically. “Sure, sure,” he said, his eyes turning to you to give you a somewhat apologetic smile. “Kunikida doesn’t like to waste time on pleasantries.”

Ignoring Dazai, Kunikida turned and began heading to another room in the office. Everyone else turned to follow, chattering amongst themselves, but you felt someone grab your hand before you could go with them.

“It’s so nice to finally see you conscious,” Yosano smirked at you, in a way that was more warm than menacing. It made you feel at ease.

“Thanks,” you smiled softly back at her. “For saving me, too. And giving me your clothes. You really didn’t have to.”

Yosano waved your comment off with a hand. “Don’t be silly,” she said. “I have your back. If you need anything, just ask.”

You gave her another grateful smile, unsure what you did to deserve her kindness. “I will,” you nodded. “And I’ll have to repay you, somehow.”

“I’ll think of something,” Yosano said, shooting you a wink.

“Y/N!”

You craned your neck to see Dazai waving at you from across the room, motioning for you to come join everyone else.

Yosano scoffed, looking over her shoulder at Dazai before turning back to you. “Also, let me know if he’s ever bothering you. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

That earned a dry laugh from you, understanding that Dazai’s co-workers were likely used to, and tired of, his strange behavior.

Yosano led you to where everyone had gone, a conference-style room with a long, wooden table, black chairs, and a map of Yokohama hanging on the wall. You sat down at the open seat at the head of the table, with Dazai sitting to your right and Yosano joining you to the left. Everyone else was already seated, with the President sitting opposite you.

“Let’s get started,” Kunikida said, his hands clasped on the table. You found it a bit odd that he seemed to be taking charge, considering the President was here, but were obviously not going to question the very people deciding your fate.

Kunikida turned to you. “Y/N,” he started, addressing you directly now. “Tell us about yourself. And why you’re here.”

You parted your lips, blinking slowly to make sure you understood the question. You didn’t expect this job interview-esque atmosphere, but the phrasing of the question made it seem like that was the current situation. You looked to Dazai, wondering what to say. He smiled at you, giving you a small but encouraging thumbs up.

The gesture was appreciated, but you subconsciously cursed yourself for being so helpless in the face of a seemingly simple question that you needed Dazai’s encouragement. You weren’t sure why it was his that you needed either, but you assumed that it was because you’d spent most of the day with him, and knew him to a small degree.

But this wasn’t something to think about right now. You straightened your posture and took a calming breath. 

“Well…”

You started talking then, and didn’t stop for quite some time. Unsure of how much Dazai had filled them in on, you explained everything you possibly could to the people that sat before you: your father, your childhood, your upbringing, your education, the Port Mafia’s plans for you, your friendship with Akutagawa.

And then, the more pertinent details: your decision to leave. How you wanted to do something worthwhile. How you told Akutagawa your plans, left, were attacked, and ended up on their doorstep.

Only one pause was taken amid all of this explanation, and it was before you explained your ability. You remembered what Dazai deducted; that once someone knew about your ability, they could more easily reverse it. You needed to keep it as secret as possible.

But you decided that these were people you had to put your trust in. They saved your life. Letting them in on your ability was the least you could do in return. 

And so you did. And when you were done explaining everything that you possibly could, you sighed. “I think that’s it.”

All eyes in the room were on you. No one had any particular emotion written on their face, but looked as if they were absorbing all of the information they just received. It was quiet for some time while they did this.

The President was the first to speak up. “I think we can take a vote now.” 

Stunned, your eyes widened with worry. “Is that it?”

“Is there anything else you want to say?” he asked you simply.

“No. Well, yes…” you fumbled, searching for the right words to make one final plea. “Listen. I can’t change my past. Who my father was, who my friends were. I did what I had to do to survive in the place that I was born into,” you explained, your words resolute.

“But ever since I found out about my ability, I knew I had to do something more than what they’d planned for me. It took me a long time to figure out, but once I did, I knew; I need to use what I was given to make some kind of difference. To help people like me, who were never given a choice.” 

You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding. “That’s it.” you said.

Another quiet moment. Your heart raced. It was impossible to know what everyone was thinking. 

The silence was broken again. “All in favor of allowing Y/N to join the Agency?” the President asked the room.

You winced, instinctively closing your eyes so as to not see the results. Slowly, you opened them again, and looked at the hands that were raised in your favor.

Dazai. Yosano. Ranpo. Kenji. Tanizaki.

“All opposed?”

Only two hands raised: Kunikida and Naomi.

“Kunikida-“ Yosano warned in your defense, her voice obviously annoyed.

Kunikida cleared his throat. “It’s nothing personal. But I would prefer to not start a war with the Port Mafia over a prospective Agency member.”

“Oh, please,” Dazai responded, his voice melodic but sharp. “They know they can't win. Akutagawa has known she was here for three days, and there’s been no attack. No threats. They wouldn’t risk going against us for one girl.”

His words were slightly abrasive, but you knew he was right.

Kunikida stiffened, his voice raising ever so slightly. “Still, it’s an embarrassment to them,” he explained. “To let her leave unscathed. Not to mention, not knowing she was an ability-user for two decades while they owned her.”

“Kunikida‘s right,” Naomi chimed in, the only other nay-sayer in the room. “Besides, why do we need another illusion ability-user? We already have Tanizaki,” she added, her hand grabbing onto her brother’s shoulder defensively. “Their abilities are so similar, it’d be a waste to-“

“Enough,” the President said, sounding bored as he put a stop to the bickering. “It’s already been decided. She’ll join the Agency, dependent on the results of the entrance exam.”

This was the first you’d heard of an entrance exam. You thought that was what you were doing now. Nevertheless, you were extremely grateful. “Thank you, President Fukuzawa.”

He nodded. “In the meantime, you’ll benefit from training. Probably intensive, given your lack of skills.”

You swallowed at his bluntness, while simultaneously respecting his honesty. You nodded back.

“Dazai,” the President continued, turning to the man in question. “Since you seemed earlier to be so passionate about her cause, I’ll let you handle that, as well as her protection.”

Wearing the same smile you’d seen him don over the course of the day, Dazai glanced at you out of the corner of his eye. “Of course, Boss,” he said.

The President nodded. “Tanizaki, Dazai may want your help as well, for training with an illusion ability.”

Tanizaki looked a bit surprised by the request, but turned to give you a polite smile. You returned it as his sister glared at you. “No problem,” Tanizaki said.

“Good. We’re finished, then.” the President said with finality, standing from his chair. The other Agency members followed suit, and one by one exited the small conference room, returning to their duties.

Eventually, the only people left in the room were Dazai and you. Feeling a little bit more at ease, you leaned your head back, your neck resting on the back of the chair. You took a deep breath before letting out a long sigh.

Dazai chuckled at your clear fatigue. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”