#bonus for anyone who gets the song reference

[lnkedmyheart]

Do you distance yourself from fear?

Do you follow the orders of the powerful?

Remember, your defiance belongs to me.

[bonus-links]

MY TIME HAS COME please discuss in great detail the GrooZeLink dynamics in prologue part 5. I am so intrigued by the stark differences between this shot:

And this shot:

The scar on triforce. The hiding. Please tell me everything there is to know

this is 4 u groozelinkers

why did i do text bubbles this way. how did anyone read this comic. god bless.

this is essentially Loft Monologues His Feelings The Update. It was very important to me that the audience understands where Loft's head is at from the get-go. and like listen, sometimes u have to have a bestie debrief even if ur bestie is a dormant sword spirit who can't talk to u. if bonus links was a musical this would be Loft's I want song lol

jokes aside I think Loft comes here to talk to Fi a lot. it makes him feel both better and worse

LOFTS FI IMPRESSION i feel like he used to do this a lot and thought it was so funny and every time Fi would be like. objectively that is not what i sound like. also, peep the textbox pattern!

even though Loft has trouble acclimating to life on the surface, it was important to me to show that it's not all like. angst and doom and gloom. But that's kind of the problem right? things are good, and he feels like this anyway. also I did my best to include most of the young adult skyloft npcs, I feel like the older one have mostly stayed up on Skyloft for now. LAKE TRIP!!

this is a direct reference to this shot from the game. this line of dialogue is an important thing to keep in mind. tbh the entire reason this comic exists is bc i thought too hard about the implications of skyward sword— what if you found out your girlfriend was really your god, who had orchestrated your entire life? wouldn't that make everything feel a little strange, even if you love her more than anything? much to think about

I like the scar through the triforce mark as a kind of symbolic gesture, but there's not really any intended meaning behind the two pieces of the triforce is goes through. feel free to interpret it however u like tho lol

AND THIS SHOT my headcanon is that Loft doesn't actually help much with the early building in Faron. It's partially because he can't- he pushes his body to the limit during his quest, and then completely crashes when it's over, and it takes a loooong time to even start recovering. He spends most of the time sleeping.

But it's also partially because he doesn't actually want to move to the surface. He wants to stay on Skyloft. In my mind it's like. he fought really hard to return to a state of normalcy that doesn't exist anymore, and that's hard to come to terms with. This is Zelda and Groose's project, and while he'll go along with it, he's not that enthusiastic about it. It's a source of tension in their relationship. Combined with Zelda often acting as a mouthpiece for the gods, it starts to grate on Loft that this aspect of his future has also apparently been decided.

tldr groozelink love each other a lot but things are definitely not perfect, and especially not right now

this is actually something I intended to get a little bit more into in ch2, but the chapter kind of. wrote itself away from it. every time I tried to include a scene with it, it felt too much like I was forcing characters to have too many heart-to-hearts too early. we'll get there eventually

this is an important update in the grand scheme of things :-) mystery mouseketool etc etc

[kaibutsushidousha]

Danganronpa has too many characters so I'll be tackling the "How'd you render their names in Ace Attorney style of name translation" question one game at a time. Here's for DR1.

Please send different ideas if you have them.

Makoto Naegi

Calqued meaning for Naegi: Sapling

Calqued meaning for Makoto: Honesty

Explicit functionality: In Ishimaru's introduction, he praises the meaning of Naegi's given name, so it must explicitly represent a virtue Ishimaru believes in.

Implicit functionality for Naegi: The meaning of Naegi contributes to giving off the image that he's Small Guy Little the Most Harmless Creature In The World. Also ties in with Makoto's and Komaru's image colors being green and brown.

Implicit functionality for Makoto: Truth-adjacent name because he's an investigative VN protagonist.

Realism level: Both names exist.

Futureproofing needs: Naegi is a surname he shares with Komaru, so it needs to be a name that also works for her. Swapping name and surname to get something more usable is often an option but not here. Whatever Naegi becomes needs to still be the surname because of Komaru.

Explicit functionality is always the priority, so Makoto needs to become something like Ernest or Truman. Truman is a name that feels like it needs to be saved for V3, but at first glance, there isn't anyone there who really fits it.

Bush is a real name that connects the small and the green, but it doesn't give off a tone of harmlessness thanks to a few Georges. Stuart Little has me under the impression that Little is also a real surname but it's missing the green aspect. Green is another real name with the opposite problem.

Out of all our options, I'd go with Truman Green for our protagonist, mainly because Green sounds convenient for Komaru's naming needs. I won't settle on a name for Komaru ahead of DRAE's turn because this sounds like a bonus challenge more difficult than any of the mandatory tasks, but at least I'm confident I won't need to come back and change this one later.

Sayaka Maizono

Calqued meaning for Maizono: Dance Garden

Calqued meaning for Sayaka: Not determinable because Sayaka doesn't have kanji but Sayaka generally means dazzling, clear, or audible and her DR2 swordsmanship scroll present spells her name with kanji meaning "Scabbard Flower".

Explicit functionality: A sword-themed present in DR2 is named after her.

Implicit functionality for Maizono: A dance garden sounds like a metaphorical name for a stage.

Implicit functionality for Sayaka: An intriguing mix of direct meanings and ironies. Dazzling alludes to the classic metaphor of idols as shining stars, clear is ironic with how she hides her feelings most of the time, and audible is both. Direct in how Japan is listening to her songs and ironic in how she became an idol because her father wouldn't give her any attention.

Realism level: Fictional but so believable that another game already used this exact name 12 years before Danganronpa did (that's what DR2's sword scroll is referencing)

This is a rare case where we can ignore the explicit functionality if we want to. Claire is a popular given name that conveniently covers all meanings of Sayaka, makes a musical reference through Claire de Lune (another case of a name that would hit differently in V3 but doesn't fit anyone in its cast), and could be used in a sword flash allusion. Dance is a real English surname but it feels too untouched, so I'd Frenchify it into Danse, matching with the French origins of Claire. Claire Danse it is.

Leon Kuwata

Calqued meaning for Kuwata: Mulberry fields

Calqued meaning for Reon/Leon: Clever Gratitude

Explicit functionality for Kuwata: He says in a Free Time Event that he wants to be like the star vocalist Kuwata Keisuke and not like the baseball star Kuwata Masumi.

Explicit functionality for Leon: Needs to be mistaken with numbers when written upside-down, preferably in a foreign alphabet.

Implicit functionalities: Honestly, none. Both names are very in-your-face about why they were chosen.

Realism level: Leon written in kanji is a name that exists nowadays but I can't find evidence that it predates Danganronpa.

The Kuwatas quote can be done with Axl Rose and Pete Rose.

A lazy solution to Leon is keeping it as Leon and helping the puzzle's difficulty level by making Claire Danse's calligraphy suck. There's no authentic way to redo that puzzle, but the closest option is having her write Greek. It's an alphabet recognizable enough to a Western audience even nowhere nearly as recognizable as the Roman alphabet is to a post-Americanization Japanese audience.

Our Greek alphabet tools are 1=I or ι =I or i, 2=ζ=z, 3=ξ=x, 3=Ε or ε=E or e, 4=η=h or e or i, 4=Π or π=P or p, 6=an ugly φ=f, 8=an ugly Θ or θ=th, 0=Ο or ο=O or o, and 0=σ=s. That gives us genuinely subtle and believable options like Fox spelled 306 or Seth spelled 038.

Seth makes for the better puzzle, but going on vibes and the believability level of a Japanese Leon, I'll go with Fox Rose.

Chihiro Fujisaki

Calqued meaning for Fujisaki: Blossom of False Binarism

Calqued meaning for Chihiro: Thousand Depths (poetic term for "1.8288 kilometers")

Explicit functionality: Gender-neutral name.

Implicit functionality for Fujisaki: The unique kanji choice for the name is probably there for the computer theme since TRUE/FALSE responses and binary codes are popular programming motifs.

Definitely accidental functionality for Fujisaki: The Japanese word for nonbinary has nothing to do with this, but it's curiously serendipitous that Fujisaki has a negative binary in his name. A strong irony since a huge part of his personal tragedy happened because his gender views were extremely binary.

Probably accidental functionality for Chihiro: Chihiro was originally a male name but became more commonly perceived as a feminine name since the release of the film Spirited Away. Assuming Danganronpa 1 is set in 2012, Fujisaki would be 8 years old when the movie came out, and that could be what inspired his idea in-universe.

Realism level: Fujisaki is a real name when written with kanji meaning "Cape of Wisterias". The "False Dualities" version is Danganronpa-original. Chihiro is a common name, however.

Futureproofing needs: Chiaki is named after him, so it's better to make the decision for Chiaki now. Chihiro means "thousand depths" as a poetic unit of distance and Chiaki means "thousand autumns" as a poetic unit of time. The space and time duality is not relevant to their characters (it's a false binarism, if you will) so it's only important here that they have subtly contrasting names.

Chihiro is hard to narrow down because any unisex name technically fits. Cody is a unisex name that covers Fujisaki's computer motifs, so that would allow the surname to be entirely dedicated to matching Nanami's but that would just shift the "can't narrow it down" problem to the surname.

Wikipedia's page for unisex names has this nifty list of names grouped by theme, so we can pick Chihiro and Chiaki as a pair of unisex names from the same group. I can't explain why, but having them both named after months, birds, or Kingdom Hearts feels right.

Month route: I'll go with August for Chihiro since that works best with Chihiro's masculine origins. Chiaki could be October to nod to the autumn meaning of her original name but that's not really relevant and October is really ugly as a person's name. May works for her because aside from being a month, it's a word associated with potential.

Bird route: Phoenix works for Chihiro because Alter-Ego is sorta like a revival. Phoenix is also a funny nod to how Chihiro is Mia Fey's name. Chiaki since the name Nanami reflects the tropicality of Jabberwock Island, she should have a tropical bird name and Starling is the only tropical bird name that doesn't suck as a human name as far as I can remember.

Kingdom Hearts route: The Nanami name kinda dictates that Chiaki becomes Kairi here, which works for me, but I'm not feeling any of the Chihiro options. I'm not calling him Marluxia.

Pheonix Pewter feels like the best option, stealing an idea for a computer-themed name from Uchikoshi, but going with the bird route locks me out of using bird names for anyone other than Fujisaki and Nanami. That's a huge resource to lose. I gotta think about the name economy to continue this project long term. On the other hand, losing access to month names for everyone else is not a considerable loss. I'll stick with August Pewter for now but I might come back to this one later.

Touko Fukawa

Calqued meaning for Fukawa: Rotten River

Calqued meaning for Touko: Winter Girl

Calqued meaning for Shou: Fly

Explicit functionality for Shou: The investigators gave a generic male name to the serial killer because they hadn't figured out she's a girl.

Explicit functionality for Fukawa: Shou makes a pun with the name Fukawa since she's fujoshi (lit. "rotten girl").

Intertextuality for Touko: Fukawa's name, talent, and braids are references to Tooko Amano, the protagonist of the Book Girl series.

Implicitly functionalities: None that I can think of. I guess Touko is not a sunny name so it doesn't clash with her gloomy vibe.

Most likely accidental functionality for Touko: The name Touko means "Winter Girl" and the name Fuyuhiko means "Winter Boy" but they don't have any onscreen interactions or major parallels.

Realism level: Fukawa exists with different kanji (more commonly meaning "deep river") but the Rotten River version is made up. Derogatory words don't tend go in real surnames. Touko is a super common name for girls born in the winter.

I'll start with the obvious. Genocide Jack does everything that needs to be with Geno's name. The loc also invents "Jill" because she's a girl but I'll ignore that and keep our Jack as comfortable with her ostensibly masculine name as she is in the original. Now let’s go to what needs the bare minimum of original thought.

Touko can stay as Winter, but I'd prefer using winter in another language just to be less lazy about it. Zima is winter in most Slavic languages and is a real surname. We can work with this if we make our first swap here. Derive the family name from the name Touko and the given name from Fukawa.

So we need a given name that works with the fujoshi pun, which came to me surprisingly easy. Blair -> BL-er. The Blair Witch Project being a big and influential thing also helps putting the necessary gloomy vibes to Blair Zima's name.

Byakuya Togami

Calqued meaning for Togami: Ten Gods

Calqued meaning for Byakuya: White night (as in the astronomical term)

Explicit functionalities: None as far as I remember.

Implicit functionalities: Sounding fucking awesome.

Realism level: Both extremely rare names that technically exist.

This is honestly a little too anything goes, which makes it more difficult than having tight specifications to work with. I'll tentatively go with Artorius Decatheo. Artorius is tryhard version of Arthur, so there's the kingly image association, and shares its word root with Arctic, making a nod the place where the midnight sun (byakuya) happens. Decatheo is just Ten Gods in Greek.

Mondo Oowada

Calqued meaning for Oowada: Fields of Yamato

Calqued meaning for Mondo: Crest Earth

Calqued meaning for Daiya: Big A (as in the letter A from Roman alphabet)

Explicit functionality for Daiya and Mondo: Daiya's gang was named Crazy Diamond after Daiya (Dia) and Mondo (Mond).

Intertextuality for Daiya and Mondo: Their gang name alludes to Crazy Diamond, the Stand of Josuke Higashikata, a character who emulates Japanese delinquent aesthetics in homage to a stranger who saved his life.

Implicit functionality for Oowada: Bousouzoku were a particularly ultranationalistic subculture and having surname containing Japan's "most Japanese" name is probably supposed to reflect that.

Implicit functionality for Daiya and Mondo: A big stereotype about Japanese delinquents from the 90s and 2000s is that they later had kids with ridiculous names often formed by slapping rare kanji together to forcibly form an English word with it. Daiya and Mondo are key examples of these tacky and stupid "son of ex-delinquents" name.

Realism level: Oowada is not a too uncommon surname. Daiya and Mondo really sound made up but Kodaka says he studied with real people named that.

Ok, this one is extremely Japanese both in content and structure. There are too many factors to reasonably really on easy equivalence strategies, we have to play bold. I can exploit the delinquent trend of forcing English names into Japanese and flip it to represent another subculture, albeit a much younger and still developing one. I'm talking about punk weebs. We solve the Jojo reference issue by directly naming Daiya "Jotaro" and Mondo "Josuke".

Special thanks to the punk guy in my city with the baby named Sasuke. You help me here in a manner very fittingly similar to how the brothers Daiya and Mondo from Kodaka's school helped him.

Now for Oowada I don't have a neat solution. American biker gangs had the same origins as their Japanese counterpart (WWII veterans failing to properly reintegrate post-war) and the consequences of that to the subculture (macho patriotism) were the same. But American bikers love using hell and crime as motifs in their names and aesthetics, and somehow Hellman is a real and common surname, so I suppose Josuke Hellman fits. I'm waiting for better ideas in the comments.

The gang name can stay Crazy Diamond in theory, but I think I'd prefer renaming it to Shining Diamond as jokeful nod to Jojo's silly localization practices. I also considered renaming it to Star Platinum since Daiya is Jotaro Hellman now, but I think keeping the name Crazy Diamond-derived is a better fit with how Daiya created the gang for Mondo's sake. (And, on a meta level, with how Mondo/Josuke is the main character among the two)

Kiyotaka Ishimaru

Calqued meaning for Ishimaru: The Stone

Calqued meaning for Kiyotaka: Many Summers Purified

Explicit functionality: None unless you count the Ishida thing.

Implicit functionality for Ishimaru: The Stone carries an idea of solidity and rigidness, which is reflected in Ishimaru's personality.

Implicit functionality for Kiyotaka: Pure vibes, but I think the names Kiyotaka, Toranosuke, and to a lesser extent Takaaki, are all names you can tell come from a traditional family.

Implicit functionality for Ishida: Both Oowada and Ishimaru are decently uncommon names, but when they combine, they form the ridiculously common name Ishida and that's the kind of name joke Kodaka likes a lot.

Realism level: See above for the surname and fusion name. Kiyotaka is a name that exists with different kanji but the version meaning "Many Summers Purified" is unique to Danganronpa.

Starting from the disclaimer: I will not be using the meaning of Ishimaru's name as an excuse to call him Dwayne or Johnson. It's tempting but I promise to restrain myself.

Anyway, the parts using his real names are pretty loose, so we start from Ishida joke as the best place to narrow things down. Oowada being Hellman could have easily segued into a generic surname ending in -man, but in English, it's a lot more natural for people to introduce themselves by their given names, hence why Ishida became Kiyondo into the loc, so I'll work with their first names too.

We're obviously out of options for a notoriously generic English name ending in -suke, so we'll have to take the Jo- from Josuke (Mondo). Since I have Jojo in the brain right now thanks to Mondo, the easiest solution is merge this Jo into Kiyotaka=Nathan to form Jonathan. It works pretty neatly.

The surname doesn't matter as much so I'll take the lazy route on this one. Stone is a real English surname, so The Stone will be Stone. Nathan Stone, that's our guy.

Hifumi Yamada

Calqued meaning for Yamada: Mountain Fields

Calqued meaning for Hifumi: One Two Three

Explicit functionalities: None as far as I remember.

Implicit functionality for Yamada: Satou, Tanaka, and Yamada are the most common Japanese surnames (with I believe Yamada being at the first place at the time of DR1's release), so they're often used in fiction for jokes about names being generic, like how English does with Smith and Doe. Hifumi Yamada's case is about Kodaka liking to pair the goofiest first names with the most generic surnames.

Implicit functionality for Hifumi: His pen name as a doujin author is The Alpha and the Omega, which reflects his name being the first 3 numbers and his birthday being the last day of the year (which is also written using the numbers one, two, and three, but let's not make this harder than it needs to be).

Realism level: 100% the name here with the biggest chance of existing.

Alph Smith is the obvious perfect pick but it feels too easy and too on-your-face. I'd rather go with Uno Smith, that's a real name apparently.

Celestia Ludenberg

Calqued meaning for Yasuhiro: Cheap and Widespread

Calqued meaning for Taeko: Girl of Many Blessings

Explicit functionality for Celestia Ludenberg: Racefaking as white European so poorly that any random shmuck instantly recognizes her name as borderline parodical.

Explicit functionality for Yasuhiro: Her family name is homophonous with Hagakure's given name.

Implicit functionality for Yasuhiro: Cheap and Widespread represents the featureless normie she originally was and the total antithesis of who she wants to be.

Implicit functionality for Taeko: It alludes to how she describes her luck as the active crux of her talent, which ties into [long ramble about her parallels with Makoto].

Realism level: Celestia Ludenberg is a joke of a name even for in-universe standards. Taeko Yasuhiro is perfectly believable, if a bit uncommon.

Celestia Ludenberg is perfectly fine as it is. Grace and Hannah are names meaning something close enough to the "blessings" in Taeko. I'd favor Hannah because Kodaka went out his way to pick the rarer name Taeko over the common Megumi which would have had the same implicit functionality.

Now Yasuhiro needs to be both a surname and a male given name. Luckily, English is a language full of those. As you see below, the meanings of Hagakure's name don't matter that much, so I want prioritize "cheap and widespread" as the core idea of their shared name. This immediately brings me to the names Norman and Jean-Eric, but neither of them works as surnames or fit Hagakure's vibes. Meanwhile, Mondaine looks too French for its purpose being contrary to Celes's ideals and maybe doesn't work as a given name.

Cutting a lot of unproductive thought short, trying to look at things primarily from the "cheap and widespread" angle gave me nothing, but giving more consideration to the meaning and realism level of Hagakure's name, I found a satisfactory answer. I'll explain my logic better on Hagakure's side, but my adaptation of Taeko Yasuhiro is Hannah Arcadian. Arcadism is about romanticizing the farm life of humble peasants, so it fits well as the antithesis to her Celes identity built upon romantization of the castle life of opulent nobles.

Yasuhiro Hagakure

Calqued meaning for Hagakure: Concealed by Leaves (more notably, this is the title of a 1716 book historically considered the most influential manual on the samurai lifestyle)

Calqued meaning for Yasuhiro: Tranquility Comparable to the Lü Musical Scale (the equivalent to this in Western music notation is the Myxolidian scale)

Explicit functionality for Yasuhiro: His given name is homophonous with Taeko's family name.

Implicit functionalities: Both of his names leave a strong impression. Motifs very specific to Japanese history, delivered with distinct and powerful vibes of antiquity. Yasuhiro Hagakure is a name that suggests deep roots. I have a good post about how roots relate to Hagakure's and Celes' characters, you should check it.

Realism level: lol, lmao even. Hagakure is not a real family name. Yasuhiro is a very common given name with dozens of versions, but Hagakure's version makes a point to use the most ancient kanji it can fit, genuinely Heian poetry stuff, creating a version of Yasuhiro that doesn't exist in real life.

Well, I already told you about Arcadian. It's a name that fits in the "tranquility" meaning of Yasuhiro, and the name's overall appeal to classic literature associations to the point of unrealism. It doesn't tie too greatly with his character, but neither does the Japanese original. I'm pretty sure this name was chosen for Celes first and then just randomly slapped appropriate 10th century kanji.

That said, Yasuhiro Hagakure manages to have the most distinctively Japanese name in the series that has a guy named Korekiyo in it, so I think it would be appropriate for his Americanized counterpart to still have one (1) Japanese name. I considering picking a notable family name from the Heian period, maybe Abe or Minamoto, perhaps even Tsuchimikado in reference to Tsuchimikado Yasuhiro, but ultimately I decided to go with Arcadian Emishi to value Hagakure's identity as a hairy man of Touhoku.

Sakura Oogami

Calqued meaning for Oogami: Great God

Calqued meaning for Sakura: Not determinable because Sakura doesn't have kanji but Sakura generally means cherry tree or cherry blossom.

Explicit functionality: People familiar with her martial artist carreer are more likely to know her by the nickname Ogre, derived from the Ooga part of her real name.

Implicit functionality for Oogami: Sounding fucking awesome.

Implicit functionality for Sakura: Cherry blossoms are the flowers most commonly associated with refined femininity in Japanese flower language and that's a really important part of Sakura's identity. The use of hiragana instead of kanji also adds to the image of traditional femininity.

Realism level: Sakura is an extremely common name. Oogami is one of Japan's oldest surnames, tied to an ancient clans of priests and sorceres dedicated to worship of Ookuninushi, but the surname is rare nowadays because most of the clan changed their surname to Miwa in 648. Even then, I'd be surprised if no real person was ever named Sakura Oogami.

This was easier than I thought. Mary naturally comes an answer for Sakura's equivalent to the idea of "most common and tradiotinally feminine name ever". The Oogami/Ogre wordplay was a bit more of challenge. I really wanted to work Ogre in English too, but I still don't have any ideas. I know the Yugioh Vrains dub used the anagram Gore for its ogre-themed character, but I think this lacks the solemnty Oogami has.

Luckily, one of the ogre's closest equivalents is the orc, a creature with a name that easily strecthes into Orcus, the name of the Roman god of oaths. Orcus is also syncretized with Hades, which is a god that really fits with Sakura's sense of responsibility and characterization based on being less scary than she superficially looks, aside from being a lord of the underworld like the Ookuninushi historically tied with the Oogami name. I'm very satisfied with Mary "Orc" Orcus.

Aoi Asahina

Calqued meaning for Asahina: Morning sun? (Note: the question mark is actually part of the meaning, not an indication that I'm unsure about the translation)

Calqued meaning for Aoi: Hollyhock

Explicit functionality: None as far as I remember.

Implicit functionality for Asahina: The morning sun as a symbol of cheerfulness.

Implicit functionality for Aoi: Her name is homophonous with the color blue, associated with water, and consequently her talent as a swimmer.

Realism level: Both names are common enough that this exact combination has a higher chance of existing in the real world than not. One thing completely irrelevant to Aoi's character but cool enough for me to want to tell is that the Asahina family was originally a samurai clan founded by Asahina Yoshihide, and one the main tales about him is that he was so strong that after he died, he almost effortlessly defeated the king of hell in battle and forced him to show the way to paradise.

Ok, I kinda nothing to work with here. I guess I can just throw any combination of brightness-related or water-related names. Sunny Aguado, Aqua Solberg, Joy Fisher, Allegra Blue, Felicia Aquarius, Marina Summers, etc. There's no real element that gives any name option an edge above the rest. I really like Marisol here because it's a name that means "sea and sun" but unfortunately that leaves zero content to make a surname out of.

Aoi Asahina is an alliteration so maybe we can use that to narrow down to options like Aurora Attwater, Ariel Aelius, Mitra Marin, or Lana Luz. My final call will be Sapphire Solano, but there's really hundreds of ways this one can go. I changed the decided answer at least twice during the making of this post.

Mukuro Ikusaba

Calqued meaning for Ikusaba: War Blade

Calqued meaning for Mukuro: Not determinable because Mukuro doesn't have kanji but the word mukuro means corpse. However, if we were to assume the Mu in Mukuro must mean halberd, the most plausible configuration would be "Halberd Black".

Explicit functionality for Mukuro: Combining the Mu from Mukuro and the Jun from Junko, you form Mujun (contradiction).

Implicit functionality for Ikusaba: Tying to her soldier image while having more edge than a military-grade combat knife.

Implicit functionality for Mukuro: "Corpse" accurately describes her in her first appearance after her name is revealed.

Realism level: Zero. The Ikusaba surname is invented by Kodaka, and the name Mukuro comes up in anime sometimes but it's literally illegal to name your kid Corpse.

This is one was surprisingly interesting. Corpse Warblade is iconic and deservedly remained a meme in the fandom for years, so I wish I could keep it as is, but unfortunately it fails the most important functionality. It has to fit with Junko to form a word that can be associated with the mysteries the mystery game wants you to solve.

One of the first decisions I made for this post was to call Junko "Doxie" and look for an appropriate word beginning with Para for Mukuro. Later, when checking Doxie's realism level, I found out it's a rare name nowadays because the name became a word with sexual connotations. Incredibly lucky coincidence, to be honest. I think the meaning of Doxie actually fits Junko surprisingly well as representation of the gyaru subculture in its originating ideas.

But enough of Junko invading her sister's section. The name I chose for Mukuro is Parathion. It's the name of a poison, although not one weaponized against humans. Not great but it's the best the Paradox composition has to offer and I like Doxie too much to look for alternatives.

So, for that, Parathion's last name needs to carry Mukuro's corpse meaning, the tryhard edgelord aesthetic, the soldier imagery, and if possible also fit in the war blade meaning. That's a lot of things for just one name to do. I thought of Bloodshed as a surname that referred to war while doubling as an allusion to how Mukuro's own blood was already shed, but that felt a little obtuse. I ultimately decided to prioritize Mukuro's status as a corpse at the cost of the other aspects, and settled for the name Parathion Bloodless.

Kyouko Kirigiri

Calqued meaning for Kirigiri: Mist Cutter

Calqued meaning for Kyouko: Echo Girl, alternatively Audible Girl

Explicit functionality: None as far as I remember.

Implicit functionality for Kirigiri: Fog is a symbol of mystery so it fits for the detective family to say they sever and end it.

Implicit functionality for Kyouko that's is most likely a stretch but I need something to work with here: Kyouko is a girl who is heard. Whenever she talks, the other characters pay attention and take her words seriously. I can't remember an exception to this from the top of my head.

Silly alliteration: Every kanji in her name starts with a K sound (the g in giri is just a k vocalized with a dakuten).

Realism level: Kirigiri is made up by Kodaka and, as far as I can find, used only by Danganronpa and Genshin Impact to this day. Kyouko is a common name in many kanji configurations, including this one.

For reference, Genshin Impact localization names its Kirigiri sword as Mistsplitter Reforged. Great pick but not too relevant to us since it lacks the alliteration.

I wanted to insist in mist instead of any synonym because of its similar sounds to mystery, but the best name I could get from that was Mistmince, which is significant worse than Fogfeller both in epicness and in sounding like a name. So our alliteration will be on the F.

From this point onwards, we reach almost Asahina levels of "this can take forever and have almost 50 equally correct answers". Our options are every feminine one-syllable name that starts with an F or two-syllable names that both syllables have F. But we have to pick one. Fifer is definitely not a common name, but it has two F syllables and means "piper", which is a sound-related profession and is associated with the Pied Piper of Hamelin, which sorta tied to my stretchy idea of the name Kyouko representing the way she natural leadership, so Fifer Fogfeller it is.

Junko Enoshima

Calqued meaning for Enoshima: Inlet's Island

Calqued meaning for Junko: Shield Girl

Calqued meaning for Otonashi: Without sound (idiomatic expression meaning "lying low")

Calqued meaning for Ryouko: Breezy Girl (if we're working with archaic meanings, can alternatively be Innocent Girl)

Explicit functionality for Junko: The shield (jun) in her name is meant to be part of the word contradiction (mujun), written with the kanji for halberd and shield. Play case 5 of the first Ace Attorney game to know why.

Implicit functionality for Enoshima: Enoshima is a small tourist island in Kanagawa whose main attraction is a giant temple complex dedicated to the worship of goddess Benzaiten, popularly nicknamed Benten. Benzaiten is the goddess of pretty much everything that flows and constantly changes, most notably water, wind, music, words, poetry, knowledge, arts, and beauty.

Implicit functionality for Otonashi: Junko Enoshima sure isn't making any big moves in Danganronpa/Zero.

Implicit functionality for Ryouko: She very much has a breezy personality. No matter how many horrifying situations come her, she'll remain chill enough to drop a hearty and confident "Not my problem".

Implicit functionality for Ryouko if we were taking archaic meanings into consideration (we aren't): Otonashi hasn't done a single bad thing, it was all that weird Junko Enoshima chick she knows nothing about.

Possibly intentional functionality but I'm not sure: The most common configuration of the name Junko is with kanji meaning "Pure Girl", but this Junko's configuration rejects the purity kanji, reflecting the roots of the gyaru subculture as rebellion against Japan's purity culture.

Realism level: Enoshima exists only as the name of a location, not being a real person name. Junko is somewhat common in many kanji configurations (used to be a lot more prevalent around the 60s) but the "Shield Girl" version is unique to Danganronpa. The only non-Danganronpa-related mention of "Shield Girl" Junko I could find online is an early FGO interview where Takeuchi mentions Junko as placeholder name for Mash Kyrielight during development. Otonashi is a dying surname, perhaps much more common in fiction than in real life at this point. Ryouko is pretty normal.

I already covered Doxie in Mukuro's section. Really lucky pick. And the surname for it is just as lucky. This one should theoretically be hard because Benzaiten's domains of eloquence, fluidity, wisdom, and beauty make her a goddess very specific to what compose Junko's character. I don't think there's any Western goddess that covers all bases. The element of constant change, which might be the most important thing, is something I don't think I've seen in any other religion. But somehow Benten is a real English surname so here I miraculously get Doxie Benten as the easiest name in this post. I'm sure that in this hypothetical localization timeline, a lot of people will correctly associate the name Benten with Junko's multiple "transformation" but think the reference is Ben 10.

Now, I'm a huge sucker for dumb and obvious names playing on the word "incognito" and that's the energy I wanted to bring to Otonashi, but I need to do it without laying Zero's twist too obviously. Otonashi is known as the Super High School Level Analyst, so I think I can get away with Bree Cogito, three letters removed from incognito, as her talent can mislead the reader to think Cogito was chosen because it means "think".

[theartofeggs]

@gremmed

tagged u so you'd know when i posted ur request lmao. I love it when Kylar's on the bottom. wish they didn't fight it so much in-game like just let me pamper u bbygirl. anyways it seems my dice yearn for trans men rn

Thanks for participating in my ask event! When a fic contains the PC as a main character, the PC will exclusively be referred to as "you," except from other characters, who will refer to the PC by their gender or some other defining characteristic. :) Brings me back to my "x reader" fic days. ahhh what nostalgia

The event's ended by now, but I'll finish the current requests I've gotten!

Synopsis; Kylar gets railed into oblivion

Prompt: Kylar x PC (Smut) / CW: kidnapping, dubcon (not really), breeding kink, PC = evil-type crazy, babytrapping but they both want to babytrap the other so uh? - Kylar = AFAB & male, PC = AMAB & GN ((mostly) dice rolls) + bonus F! Sydney, M! Whitney, and M! Robin (only mentioned)

Welcomed Payback

The chair you've been strapped to is rather uncomfortable. The least Kylar could've done was make sure it was a chair with padding or something instead of some wooden old rickety one that felt one wrong move away from just snapping under you. Oh well. At least he put you in a different room to whatever's causing all that ruckus upstairs. Though, you almost wish he did, considering that it keeps scaring him away from you. You're a bit fed up with him just coming and going. Him feeding you fruit by hand is just about the most contact you've gotten with him so far. All he's done other than that is draw you some and sing a couple out-of-tune love songs he made himself.

Did you purposefully get him to go crazy and kidnap you? Yes. You weren't ashamed to admit it at this point. You've been a bit enamored with him yourself ever since he introduced himself, probably more than he was with you. You didn't think anything of helping a bully victim out of a beatdown, but when you saw how he looked up at you, like he witnessed the descent of a god, something in your brain was clicked on. Considering he wouldn't talk to you for the first few weeks of your attempts at getting to know him, you ended up going a different route and doing quite a bit of digging to find out more about him—you first befriended Sydney and lulled out any and all stories she could remember about Kylar when he was little, then moved on to breaking into more than just a couple government archives to flip through Kylar's, and his family's, past documents.

You knew where he lived before he ever followed you back to the orphanage, and, honestly? It hurt a little, to see how he wanted to be part of your life so bad but didn't seem to want you to be in his. So, you thought you'd nudge him the right way. You noticed he was prone to getting jealous, seeing how his expression would change whenever you'd chat with someone else during lunch, and you thought it'd be easy to use that against him. You'd flirt with anyone and everyone the moment you felt a familiar tingle on the back of your neck, and then relish in the dark, envious looks he'd give the hickeys on your neck when you saw him next. You weren't a big fan of sharing your body so casually with other people, but it would be well worth it if it meant you'd have Kylar in your hands at the end of your endeavors.

Robin was probably the only one you actually felt bad for. When Kylar had given you a little owl plush that so obviously had one of its glass eyes replaced with a camera lens, you had gotten an idea. Though, you struggled to find the right person to use for it. Sydney came to mind first, initially, since you were already close with her and you could smell her crush on you, but figured it'd be too much effort considering how deep her connections are to the temple. She'd totally try to get you to join. There was also Whitney, but Kylar's already watched you suck him off at least a dozen times, so there wouldn't be a big surprise factor with him. A random stranger wouldn't do either—if it did, the videos and photos of you online would've been plenty. But then, you remembered Robin.

You had successfully wooed him, flirting with and lewdly touching him every chance you had, until he finally visited you in your room at night. All it took was a week of tender words, and it made you pity the poor man, but you found you didn't care too much as you grinned up at the owl plush on your wardrobe, right when Robin was busy staining your innards with his cum. The feeling of him inside you was revolting to some extent, but you had washed out his cum the moment Robin had fallen asleep. To your delight, Kylar was waiting for you outside the very next morning. He looked far from pleased, a distant look in his eyes, as he lifted up a long tube with something metallic shining within. You looked directly at him and bared your neck, eagerly accepting the tranq dart as it sunk into your flesh.

But, now that you were here, you couldn't help but find it a bit boring. The most entertainment you've gotten was Kylar's occasional visits and the nigh-constant rumbling above your head. For the past few hours, you've exclusively been humming the nonsensical tune Kylar had sung to you and fiddling with the rope tying you down. At this point, you would've settled for an awful soap opera on whatever old TV this decrepit manor still had lying around.

When Kylar came into the room next, you were already fully untied and just leisurely sitting in the chair, eyes closed and leg bouncing. "M-My love, d-did you not like the ropes? I-I'm sorry, b-but I put t-them on for a r-r-reason. Y-You'll run away if I d-don't keep you here." Kylar grit out, expression dark, as he stepped closer. He was probably on his way to tie you up again. Good. "Hm, but I didn't, did I?" You purred as he came up beside you, brushing a couple fingers up the length of his forearm, though you weren't too pleased to have his sweater between you and his skin. He paused, looking conflicted, and you took the opportunity to grab him and pull him onto your lap.

His face flushed a pretty red and he began to squirm, his hands grabbing onto yours as you kept his hips glued to yours. The clothes in your way would be off soon enough. You could be patient, just as you've been these past months. "A-Ah, d-did you want to do it that bad? I-I'm sorry, I haven't been a g-good boyfriend..." Kylar groaned as you grinded up against him, and the sound alone made you want to cum already. "What nonsense. You're the best I could ask for. Far too good for me." You murmured sweet platitudes as your hands slipped beneath his clothes. He shivered, and you began to rethink taking them all off. Maybe you'd just rip them where you needed to and let him keep the rest on—the room seems a bit cold for him.

He wriggled in your grasp against and you decided this was going to be a bad position to fuck him in, given he was already moving about like he was uncomfortable. So, naturally, you slid onto the floor below and carefully laid him down beneath you. Honestly, it might've been cleaner to fuck in a random alleyway, given the state of this room, but you weren't going to be picky all of a sudden. Your beloved was beneath you and waiting, legs and lips parted just for you, just like you wanted him to be. He leaned back up to take your lips in his, his tongue eager to explore your mouth as his hands ran across your back. You didn't even flinch when he tried to stick it down your throat, and gave him the same intense treatment.

You pulled your pants down and ripped a new hole in his at the same time, swallowing the bashful squeak he let out. You palmed him through his remaining underwear, your cock throbbing when you felt a pair of drenched folds through the thin fabric. You already knew he was trans, so it wasn't a surprise, but you truly had to thank whatever divine being made this man just so perfect. You wouldn't be able to count how many times you came just to the thought of getting to fuck a baby into your Kylar—because he would be yours if you put your kid inside him, right?

Kylar, to his wondrous credit, seemed to have a similar thought process. When he felt your fingers against his slick, he spread his legs even wider and shuddered erotically, only to pull away from your heavenly kiss. "Y-You should put it in. A-And not pull out, e-ever." He all but whispered the command, and you were more than happy to comply. You ripped another hole in the last remaining barrier and dug in with no further warning, relishing in the erotic yelp he gifted you, alongside all the other sounds he made as you began to thrust into him.

His insides were soft and gummy, massaging your cock as you slammed your hips against his. Any time he gripped onto you, you'd move in a particularly rough way, and if he whined, you left a new mark on his hardly exposed neck. He clung to you and didn't bother with keeping quiet, babbling all sorts of lewd things as he grinded up into your crotch at the peak of each thrust. At some point, you had to forcibly hold his hips still to keep him from accidentally shifting too far from you. It had the added bonus of giving you more leverage to ravage his cunt, though, so you were happy with the arrangement, even if Kylar cried about it.

Kylar came suddenly around you, soaking both your crotches with a thick cream, and you slowed for just a moment to give him some time to recuperate. When he began to whine again, you picked up the pace—drilling into him as fast as you could. As your own climax drew near, an unkind idea popped inside your head and made you pause. With a smirk, you slowly began to pull out of his swollen pussy, stopping only when Kylar's legs wrapped around the back of your hips and forced you to stay inside.

His face was still a delicious red, but his expression was dangerous. What a pretty boy. "C-Cum inside. N-Now." You chuckled at his cute attempt at being mean and happily resumed your gyrating, cumming with a drawn-out moan as you pushed your hips as deep into his as you could. "G-Good." Kylar hummed, clearly pleased with himself. You were far more pleased with yourself than he could've been, honestly. Hopefully after this he'd give you a tour around his house, and you could start planning on where the nursery would go.

the end >,o words : 1,742

[ghnosis]

ghesties: help the Ghost PhD Lady get early band info

hey all, I'm writing the introduction to my Ghost PhD dissertation (#ghesis) and I need citations for some things, PARTICULARLY early interviews or early band history.

can anyone get in contact with @slavghoul? their DMs are off and so are asks.

basically, what I need is to be able to back up claims I'm making about the band - here's a snippet to explain what I mean, see highlights

(image text: A mere [time frame] after releasing songs on MySpace, and Papa, a disgusting, eerie old man [quotes here] was already talking about the length of his Phallos Mortuus in interviews: an interview with Metal Hammer UK from 2012 features Papa Emeritus I referring to himself as John Holmes, “the 13-inch-cocked porn star,” in a mix that also includes Hitler, the Pope, and Dracula (Doran 2012). Sexually-charged comments appeared in interviews with every Papa, including gender-neutral comments (Decibel 2013 p86) and references to specific, maligned kinks [Primo pissing on ghouls – I need to reach out to Slav]. As the Ghost project evolved, the Papas evolved as well, as if in response to this sexual attention.)

bonus points if anyone knows anyone who ran or submitted to Ghoulish Perversions here on tumblr

please reblog for bigger reach!!!!!!!!

[seokjinsonlyone]

How do you think each of the members are like as a best friend? I'm curious as to your take. You always somehow get them spot on.

a/n: first of all,,, thank you!!! second idk if this is what you was looking for but it turned out to be a luh calm mini headcanon,,, lemme know what u think 🫢

namjoon:

wants to hang out 24/7; always tries to make you be friends with his other friends so he can have one huge super group of friends to hang out with all the time

lowkey your biggest opp; like you’ll be having a heart to heart ranting about your life and what’s going on and “why is it always me? 😩” and then he’ll read you for filth detailing exactly why whatever’s happening is happening and what you need to do to fix it; and you sitting there like 🤥 because you was just tryna complain

perpetually busy but will literally drop whatever he’s doing the second you say you need him

seokjin:

people wonder if y’all are even friends because all you do is bicker because neither of you can fight the urge to play devil’s advocate on every single subject

the type to be the brother you never wanted; always tryna scare your boo things away; loves either going to your family home or having you at his; randomly puts you in headlocks to assert dominance; posts awful 0.5 pics of you on his close friends story

he may play with you but he don’t play about you; he can be mean to you because he loves you but it’s a no for everyone else; 100% not afraid to check someone who say something slick about you

yoongi:

likes to buy you random gifts in lieu of actually expressing affection

takes pride in being your bestie; if anyone else claims to be your best friend he’s gonna look at them funny and give them some push back; goes to you later on to confirm that He is in fact your best friend as if you’re not allowed to have more than one

regardless of whether it’s his cup of tea or not when you want to do something with him he always goes along with it

hoseok:

sends or tags you in every single video he finds even slightly amusing and expects you to react to them all; (bonus) you’d definitely make one of those muni long made for me videos

the one you call when you’re bored at work and y’all stay on the phone yapping for the rest of your shift

your shopping buddy!; sometimes you’ll both order a stuff online or maybe you’ll go thrifting or to target or something and then go back to his place and do a lil fashion show with all the stuff you bought

jimin:

would have the type of relationship with you that makes prospective partners suspicious because y’all are too close; it’s not your fault that people don’t understand y’all soul ties!!

the devil on your shoulder at all times; he’s the one you go to when you want validation to do something you know you shouldn’t do

whatever someone tells jimin they sign up to telling you too; you’re a package deal <3; there’s an actual tea party that takes place once a month that’s dedicated to spilling tea

taehyung:

the type to stick beside you no matter what; doesn’t matter how wrong you are no one gon ever catch him on anyone else’s side

has an uncanny ability to talk you into his harebrained schemes so you’re always getting into escapades and shenanigans

follows you on spotify to monitor and critique what you’re listening to; you’ll get random screenshots of what you’re listening to and what he thinks you should be listening to; never admits when you put him on to an artist or song

jungkook:

a fellow dnd warrior; may not have your back immediately but he will always have it eventually

you speak in terms of tiktok audios and obscure references of things that happen in your day to day life that were unreal

y’all will agree to go on a diet together and then proceed to watch mukbang/cooking videos for 3 hours and end up breaking the diet within a day of starting it

[zhuoyichenpretty]

Eps 34-35

Not many photos here because anything I screenshot in these eps would literally just give me psychic damage at this point (-:

Spoilers under the cut!

Ep 34:

I'm being so brave watching this fucking opening scene again.

No actually though I've watched it several times by now and it just keeps getting worse. What can one even say about all this? Ow??? Fuck???

Probably the most gruesome onscreen death of a child character in cdrama that I've seen like I didn't know they could even go there like that. I guess maybe because it's not gory or specifically violent? Idk the rules but man. His expression.

The way they play TJR singing their song and then switch to LZY's version. Maximum pain thank you guys.

ZYC's "I'm sorry" is so damn loaded. For not being there, for failing to protect him, but also for being the reason Bai Jiu made this decision. For giving Bai Jiu someone to love and protect and die for. For unknowingly and inadvertently causing this just by loving him and being loved by him. ZYC's remorse and regret as he makes the connections and pieces together Bai Jiu's thought process is so fucking haunting. Just the most awful way for his own words of comfort to come back. And like I'd commented previously—the way love begets grief.

I'm going to kms I knew when they put yet another cloak on ZYC that he'd be giving it to someone else but NO!!! Not like this oh my god

"哥帶你回家" (Ge will take you home) I don't even have the words for how painful this is. Is this the first time ZYC refers to himself as ge? Not just acknowledging that Bai Jiu's made an older brother of him? If not, it's certainly the most salient.

Both actors' skills can hardly be questioned atp (like, that's a damn difficult expression to die with), but I just have to marvel at the way TJR's acting (his micro-expressions!!!) is at once subtle and incredibly clear. That ZYC's every emotion is clearly telegraphed—his shock, his horror, his anguish, his regret, his desperation, his exhaustion—but so naturally done.

ZYC struggling with the weight of Bai Jiu's body and dropping it, on top of paralleling the flashback, is just so terrible in its reality. ZYC must already be so incredibly drained after that final battle. To have gone through such an unspeakable loss, to carry it on his back and find himself unable to even properly do that, to protect what's left of Bai Jiu from the mundanity of physical damage.

WX's dad nooooo you're leaving her to ZYZ but ZYZ's not planning on staying either nooooo

Are we sure the magic rain couldn't have saved WX's dad tho ):

WX don't tell ZYZ your self-sacrificial plan there's no way he'd let you go through with it girl!!! You gotta pull a ZYC and be vague as fuck and make sure everyone's feet are frozen to the ground so they can't stop you

ZYZ backing away after using the spell on WX, slapping himself when he nearly can't get himself to go through with dying. Good shit. But also my god I'm so sorry WX what a fucking traumatic ten minutes will anyone give her a fucking break? Living at any cost, at the cost of her beloved dying several feet away from her, yet another manifestation of her trauma with Zhao Wan'er, and knowing it's about to happen, begging to be given a say—cruel. PSJ has been offscreen for forever just because plot convenience (which, in itself, already sucks) but if she were here she would kill ZYZ herself for putting WX through this and the rain would just be a bonus.

The Cloud Light Sword stained with blood to the point it looks unfamiliar—good shit.

ZYC's fucking voice when he asks if there's any other choice. Art, I tell you.

Fucking hell. The twist on their fate being ZYC choosing it rather than being forced into it, to absolve ZYZ of the cruelty he's had to bear responsibility for in doing this to his loved ones. Zhiji was not misapplied in this damn story—ZYC understands and he understands over and over because who else could do this for ZYZ? To find one last way to lighten his burden in such a conflicting and complicated and impossible situation. To know exactly what must be hurting ZYZ and to bear the weight instead and to make sure he knows full well that's what's happening. For ZYC to take that hurt upon himself, entirely upon himself. The way that ZYC dealing the killing blow is actually the furthest thing from a moment of hardening his own heart, that it's in fact the height of his soft-heartedness. And how much that must hurt. Pain.

Also, imo ZYC making it purely his choice at the last moment is so clearly and specifically for ZYZ. Not for anyone else's sake, and precisely against his own and WX's wishes. Upon knowing ZYZ's commitment to death in this moment, whatever else happening has been made secondary. He is giving ZYZ all that he has left to give—fulfilling ZYZ's sacrificial determination, carrying out ZYZ's will to save the people, absolving ZYZ's guilt at what it's taken to get here.

(Totally tangential but I referenced AOT in my last post so I figured I'd make further reference: if anyone's familiar with Eruri—I'm somewhat reminded of Levi's choice. Being the only one with the power to save or let their loved one die. Choosing death for them, on their behalf, perhaps a decision opaque and counterintuitive to the rest of the world but completely and utterly made out of love and an inimitable understanding of the man they love. The most painfully and unimaginably selfless act, to give them peace at the cost of their own suffering.)

"小卓，你還是這麼..." (Xiao Zhuo, you're still so...) Oh this line kills me (ha). I love that it's unfinished. That it encapsulates ZYZ's surprise, his understanding and gratitude, and ultimately this sense of marveling at the man in front of him and what he's given ZYZ even now, at the very end. It tells me ZYZ recognizes ZYC's choice for what it is: the utmost act of a soft-hearted and boundless love that sees through him completely. Zhiji indeed.

The way ZYZ has unfulfilled promises with both WX and ZYC, the way they both call him a liar—good shit.

When I didn't know there was an episode 35 (or special episode I guess) I was boutta throw hands like what do you MEAN that's it??

Ep 35:

I do love a good hair-turning-white-from-grief trope (': But man, white hair like that at 24/25........Also though PSJ and WX finally have more noticeably different styling/silhouettes yayy they look gorgeous

God, but I can't bear looking at how small their group is now.

Searching all the mountains and seas, all 28 mountains in the Wilderness. ZYC, that kind of devotion...I really feel the need to echo ZYZ here, you're really so...

ZYC looking like ZYZ from behind because of his hair......ZYC's hand shaking holding Bai Jiu's bell............................

Also I'm really glad (I say this through tears) because I saw Bai Jiu didn't have his bell in ep 33/34 and I was like ??

Ah, are you kidding me I thought the pain was more or less over what do you mean Bai Jiu wants ZYC to 勿想勿念 [wù xiǎng wù niàn] (don't think of, don't miss)?? The way 不念不响 [bù niàn bù xiǎng] is literally the title of ZYC's character song, which then plays in the bg ('''':

(I can't really tell how well the subs explain it or how it comes across in translation so apologies if this context isn't necessary but the characters in the song title say "don't read, don't ring," but the character for "ring" is a homophone for "think of" and the character for "read" can also mean "miss." Missing someone/something is "想念" [xiǎng niàn]. Bai Jiu tells ZYC not to miss him through homophonous terms—a book he can't read, a bell that can't ring—and the song title is directly referencing that.) What an elaborate way to hurt me.

Bai Jiu really pulled a ZYC though with a box full of hurt/comfort just like ZYC had left WX

Ohhh the way WX's narration turns into ZYC's?? Honestly this drama's commitment to canonizing ZYC's love for ZYZ to the same level as WX's is really gratifying. And ZYC talking about a bone-deep sadness after ZYZ died. The parallel of baby!ZYC in front of the pond. I especially love the mention of ZYZ's age in comparison to ZYC's, these glimpses of the perspective ZYC has gained with hindsight. The distance of time and reflection and yet the unmistakable fondness and love. It is in part healing to hear.

Also imo ZYC if the scene chosen for ZYZ's POV of you is accurate I'd wager he saw you not as some angry child but as the pinnacle of humanity's beautiful bleeding heart.

ZYZ said it before right? That every human emotion is important? Well ZYC really has been constantly feeling the entire range of human emotion this whole drama lmao

Why yes I do think I need a heartwrenching MV-style montage of all the tragedies of this story that ultimately offers bittersweet catharsis and closure as the OST narrates about searching for someone and finding them in the end. Just what the doctor prescribed tyvm

WX saying ZYZ's final wish was to 落葉歸根 (translated as returning home, literally translates to "fallen leaves return to their root," implies returning home after a long time) the way humans do and ZYZ's soul literally being on a leaf of paper (which kinda sorta works in CN as well since "leaf" and "page" are homophonous) that, carried by the wind, returns to ZYC?? Home??? Are you joking bc I'm sobbing.

Gonna have to use this photo again bc literally how else do I describe how I'm feeling rn?

And that's a fucking wrap. I'm so. I don't even. Wow. Maybe in another couple of business days I'll throw together a brief review of the show as a whole, but right now I'm gonna drown myself in other people's metas and gifs and fics as god intended. Thank you as always for spending the time on my silly ramblings and I hope you enjoyed the ride!

[snapghoul]

Hangman is comin’ down from the gallows, and I don’t have very long.

In which Tyler is smitten with a certain girl and Jake does what he does best: annoy people.

Warnings: foul language

Note: Tyler refers to Bradley only as Rooster while Jake calls him by his name or Roo, this was a detail i didn’t notice until I was half way through writing this. The things I do to myself.

Tags: @devil-angel-winchester

Song: renegade by Styx

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

Jake licked his teeth and clicked his tongue as he oh-so-casually slid up next to his brother, boxing Tyler into the booth at the old country diner they’d crowded into somewhere in central Oklahoma.

“So… Kate, huh?” Jake’s grin stretched from ear to ear, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

Tyler shot him a sidelong glance, trying to ignore the growing heat in his cheeks. “What about Kate?”

Jake leaned in closer, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Come on, Ty. I see the way you look at her. It’s not just friendly banter about tornado chasing.”

Tyler shifted uncomfortably, trying to deflect. “It’s not like that. We just work together—we’re partners, you know, with the polymer project. And she’s been through a lot with storm chasing. I’m just trying to keep things light-hearted and professional.”

Jake raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. “Light-hearted and professional? That’s why you practically trip over your words whenever she’s around? And don’t think I didn’t catch how you went all sweet southern boy when Bradshaw and I first got here.”

Tyler stiffened and gave his twin a glare, irritated by how well Jake read him. It was a talent Jake had always had, and it never failed to get under Tyler’s skin.

“You were buttering yourself up to make yourself look good in front of her,” Jake continued, his smirk growing. “It was almost sickening how thick you laid it on. Bradley had to take a walk when you two went to look at the radar. I thought he was going to throw up!”

Tyler’s face reddened. “That’s exaggerating, Jake. I was just trying to be supportive. It’s not like I planned to impress anyone.”

Jake’s grin widened, clearly relishing his brother’s discomfort. “Oh, come on. We both know you were laying it on super thick. I’ve seen you try to play it cool before, but this? This was next-level. And I’m not saying it was a bad thing—but holy shit, Ty.”

Tyler’s face was practically streaming with embarrassment. He silently thanked whatever higher power had distracted Kate and the others. The only one left in their booth was Rooster, who was looking equally uncomfortable.

“Right, Roo?” Jake decided to rope the other man into the conversation, clearly enjoying Tyler’s discomfort. “You saw it, right?”

Rooster shifted uncomfortably, glancing between the two brothers. He clearly tried to avoid getting involved but failed as Jake’s sharp eyes fixed on him.

“No comment,” Rooster said, and Tyler silently thanked him for trying to steer the conversation away.

“Whatever,” Jake clicked his tongue and narrowed his eyes, then turned his full attention back to Tyler. “I’ve never seen you so smitten! Never! She really must be something.”

Tyler bit his tongue, struggling to keep from spilling all the reasons he thought Kate was amazing. He knew that would only dig him deeper into Jake’s teasing.

“But I like her! I think Ma and Dad will, too,” Jake said and finally relented, for now. He slid back from his brother and returned to his seat next to Rooster.

The timing was impeccable because, just then, Kate walked into the booth area with a radiant smile and a lively energy that made Tyler’s heart skip.

Jake’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he noticed the effect Kate had on Tyler. His Cheshire smile broadened, clearly enjoying this.

Tyler knew Jake wouldn’t let him live this down.

Bonus Rooster and Kate:

“Is he always like this?” Kate said from atop the red rig, her sunglasses shielding her eyes from the harsh Oklahoma sun. Bradley was handing her the new sensors, both of them squinting against the glaring light.

Bradley didn’t need to look to know what she meant. He let out a sigh. “Annoying? Always.”

It was a dry joke, and Kate snorted, giving the side of the sensor a quick, unceremonious smack to adjust it.

“Jake’s got this knack for finding everyone’s soft spots and poking at them. It’s his way of keeping things interesting,” Bradley continued. He was used to it by now, but he could understand how aggressive it might seem to others.

Kate raised an eyebrow, clearly processing this. “So, it’s not just me he’s targeting?”

Bradley shook his head. “Nope. He picks on everyone, but Tyler’s the one he’s focused on—sibling things, I guess? I don’t know, I was an only child.”

Bradley got sidetracked, waving his hand dismissively as he handed her another sensor.

“Anyways, you just got caught in the crossfire. Trust me, it’s not malicious. Jake just found something he could tease Tyler about and went with it.”

Kate took the sensor with a nod, her expression easing. “Got it. I’ll just stay still and hope he won’t see me.”

She and Bradley shared a laugh at the lame pop culture joke.

Bradley grinned. “No problem. And if Jake gets to be too much, just let me know.”

Kate smiled and nodded as they returned to their work. With Bradley’s reassurance, she felt more prepared to handle Jake’s playful jabs.

But that didn’t stop her own teasing side from rearing its head. “So, is like ‘wingman’ the Navy term for boyfriend?”

Bradley choked on his spit.

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

Average Rooster reaction while being dragged across Oklahoma, poor Roo (he did this to himself)

[rachelillustrates]

Thank Gnome it's Friday!!

With TockOnna schmoop (from my comic "Tock the Gnome"), for morale. Pose reference from AdorkaStock. Their page here: @adorkastock 🩵

And time for another world building post, dear readers of that series! This week, to keep things low-key, we have an update to my inspiration playlist for one Tock Corrigan and one Onna Kin-breaker, again with notes as to why which songs - with fancy title cards with fancy borders and extra art! Full notes here 🎶🧡💚🎶

AND with it being the last day of the month, this is the January Bard level exclusive print for my patrons! Anyone who pledges at that level by February 14th will get this as a physical, 5×7 inch print in the mail (domestic only – any patrons at that level who are further out will receive the high-res, unwatermarked file for self-printing). ✨ Signup here! ✨

(We made it through January, everyone!! 🙌 Onto the next 🤞🤞🤞)

~

Bonus art and stories ~ Prints, comics and more!

[dartagnantt]

Chirurgeon Roguish Archetype | The doctor will see you now. You might not see them, though

PDFs of this and more can be found over on at my Patreon here! I release everything for free, so your support makes this possible. I've also started making a new system based off of 5e, 6th Dawn! Become a patron and join the playtest.

This is a subclass I've been meaning to make for a while now. Those who have played pathfinder 1e may know of the Vivisectionist Alchemist Archetype. This is not a conversion of that, but I am borrowing its vibes. Someone practicing surgery that has more familiarity with the concept of bodies than actually bodies. While I do not replace medicine checks with nature checks, I do use sneak attack for healing… which is the same thing, right?

Bonus Proficiency

I don't believe that medicine is within the list of skills that rogues can get access to. Nor do I believe that the kind of background that would lead to a character that would take this archetype would get it either, so this was a no brainer. Also, in following with my preference to adding diversity to skill abilities, and sort of a reference to the vivisectionist, Dex to medicine. You need a steady hand, you see.

Bedside Manner

This is similar to song of healing, but because I don't want to step on the bard's toes nor did I want to deal with a scaling dice. But while this isn't big and exciting, battle medicine seems more balanced for a later level, besides 2d6 wouldn't be that great here.

Battle Medicine

I'd prefer this to be a 6th level feature, but you know that rogues aren't allowed to have nice things. This is inspired by the pathfinder 2e feat of the same name, with a slightly stricter limitation. I still think pathfinder wanting HP to be functionally infinite, so 1 per day per person.

Bolster Companions

Well, battle medicine is limiting, I admit, so have a little boost.

Rapid Revival

Cunning action raise the dead (non magical)

Sawbones

I mean, if your medicine comes from your knowledge of anatomy, it stands to reason that your stabbing skills would improve with you improved medical knowledge. Flawless logic

And now to plug my stuff. I release homebrews weekly over on my Patreon. Anyone who pledges $1 or more per post don't have to wait a month to see them, and also help fund my being alive habit.

At the moment, they have exclusive access to the following:

And your House, Too!

The Conjoined

Feats: Resoled

Assassin: Rehired

I also have four classes, and two splatbooks over on DriveThruRPG to check out:

The Rift Binder. A class specialising in summoning monsters and controlling the battlefield.

The Witch Knight. A class that combines swords and sorcery in the most literal way.

The Werebeast. A class that turns you into a half beast to destroy your foes.

The Beguiler. A spellcaster dedicated to illusions, enchantments, and general fuckery.

d'Artagnan's Adventurer Almanac. A compendium of races, subclasses, feats, spells, monsters and more!

d'Artagnan's Lycanthrope Survival Guide. A book of lore, stats, and werebeast subclasses for lycanthropes.

[anime-fan-05]

May I please request headcanons for Nana O, Reira, Yasu, and Shin dating a female rapper and singer whose music is similar to Lauryn Hill and is heavily acclaimed with many awards won? Bonus if she's African-American too :)

Here's Lauryn Hill's most popular song for reference:

Honestly the whole album is spectacular!

Nana ~With an African-American female rapper and singer similar to Lauryn Hill~

Manga/anime: Nana

Warnings: mild spoilers of Shin's childhood (only where he grew up), Reira's origins and Yasu's past (only his previous relationships)

O. Nana

She doesn't care if you aren't Japanese; rather, she loves hearing you talk about your culture and she even gets help from you with English

I'm pretty sure she likes your music, since it's very close to the genre she sings, especially the part where you rap

She often comes to hear you at rehearsals, and she even does duets with you (she glares at anyone who dares to say your rehearsals are closed to the public or you two can't duet)

Sometimes, though, she's a little jealous of your success, and she feels she isn't up to your level, which is why every now and then you've to reassure her she's more than enough for you

She's always in the front row at your concerts, but, being the tsundere she's, she'll never admit it ("Did you see me in the front row? You must have been mistaken, imagine if I come to your concert hours early to take the front seat!" She always does so)

O. Shin'ichi (Shin)

He doesn't feel particularly Japanese, having grown up abroad, so it doesn't bother him you're African-American, but if someone makes fun of you for that, he'll defend you, even to the point of getting into fights

He really likes your music, and he often listens to it when he composes some songs

He's always at your concerts and your awards: he always makes sure he doesn't have any plans for that day

When you sing in your house, he stops everything he's doing to listen to you; he also often records you to then watch and listen to you when you've to stay away for your work

However, those moments don't happen very often, since he demands to come with you when you go on tour; once, during one of your tours, he even took the plane without telling you and, when you went to the hotel, you found him in the lobby

T. Yasushi (Yasu)

He really likes you're of a different ethnicity than him (after all, he was engaged to Reira, who's half American): he finds it very interesting and fun to share your different cultures with each other and he also wonders what your future children will be like

I think he likes your music; anyway, even if he didn't like it, he would still support you, coming to your concerts and helping you with rehearsals

About the latter, when you rehearse, he often accompanies you with the drums (sometimes, if you try at home, you may receive unpleasant visits from neighbors)

Instead, regarding your concerts, he has no problem revealing he wants to be in the front row or to come and visit you in the dressing room: for him there's nothing wrong with supporting his girlfriend

Every time you've to go on tour, he apparently accepts it with maturity, but in reality he's very sad not to see you, and above all hear you, for a while

S. Reira

Since she's half Japanese and half American, you probably give her a feeling of familiarity and being with you makes her feel like she's in America

Although your music isn't too much for her (I've always thought she likes very melodic songs, like her band's ones, and not too rhythmic or rock ones), she likes your voice and even the more melodic parts of your songs

In addition, she's your number one fan, although you two often compete in the rankings and to win awards

In fact, whenever she talks to her band, she has to include you in the conversation: she always appoints you, whether it's mentioning your tastes, your opinions or your victories and awards

She hates it when she or you have to go on tour, because it means being away for weeks; she calls you every night, and she also wants someone to video call her while you perform, so it's as if she were there

I truly apologize for not being very active during this period, but I took a quick break from Tumblr for a while due to school. However, now that the Christmas holidays are here, I'll post more regularly.

💮 Rules 💮 Masterlist 💮

[ame-wa-ame-2]

okay you know what fuck it

im going on a huge rant about the pjsk movie (a /pos one i loved it) so ⚠️⚠️ spoilers!! ⚠️⚠️

i wasnt exaggerating when i said that this is one of the best movies ive ever seen, and i hate movies. there have been three movies i can remember actively loving to see in theater, and two of them are the spiderverse movies. the third is amwcs. abd the pjsk movie is the only one to really significantly affect me emotionally!!!

literally the free four star in game is like just an extra bonus, seeing it in theaters is literally worth every penny imo

okay after this point there will be some ACTUAL SPOILERS so this is your last warnig

.

.

.

okay are we good

okay

so the fucking motif. the fucking "kitto..." that song. that motif. hey what if i cried. i swear to fuck

its really a genius use of the song, and i dont doubt for a second that deco*27 had a part in making that decision. after all, he seems to be the head for the music in this film

now. i think hello SEKAI itself is literally a culmination of What Pjsk Is, what it means to people. hello SEKAI references the movie unit songs, and it references a few past pjsk songs deco worked on, and it overwhelmingly conveys the tone of pjsk clear as can be. not just the tone actually, the theme of pjsk.

i dont want to get into a whole lyrical analysis rn but overall, if you read the lyrics, you can see how the miku is truly wanting to reach out to everyone, and you can see how the pjsk characters play a role in that.

the pjsk cast are helping "miku" (a representation of vocaloid as a genre and community) reach the people who made the windows SEKAI (the audience, the people pjsk tends to call out to. that is, people who are lost and about to give up, whatever that means for them) so that the "virtual singers" (again, the vocaloid community and even just music as a whole) can help them find out their true feelings (which are, more often than not, "i dont want to give up" or "i dont want to disappear" or "i dont want to let them leave me" or something along those lines)

in other words, have you ever wanted a SEKAI? i know i have, for personal reasons. well,

the windows SEKAI is the SEKAI for people who have lost hope, us.

this movie was made to reach you. this movie, this GAME, was made to reach you and help.

idk if anyone who cried watching it feels ashamed, but you shouldnt. genuinely, the project SEKAI movie is one thats made to cry to, one thats made for you to find safe. i think you should let it

theres a lot more but ill make a separate post for that (the separate post will not include a proper review, ive only watched it once after all) but ill end this post with this:

im glad that the movie was made for people who love project sekai, i would have been upset if it had dumbed itself down to appeal to a wider audience. it was made for you, not the ratings or box office sales

[sirhamburrger]

INTRODUCING... X=GEN!

basket case (h. chigiri x f!reader) || divider by @roseraris

note: this introduction is made from rin itoshi’s pov.

about x-gen:

✩ julian loki manages the official band account, since he’s been an independent musician for a while already. tabito karasu helps out with publicity because julian doesn’t trust anyone else to do the job. ✩ the reason they don’t have a professional, non-member manager is because they’re such a big group. with seven people, ego decided they should be forced to try their hand at managing their own professional affairs.

about the members:

✩ leader of x-gen julian loki is a popular independent pop artist in the local scene. he used to make music in his own apartment in paris, and the blue lock talent project has given him access to better quality sound production and band members whose talents he can utilise. truly a win-win situation! (he is x-gen's tired dad) ✩ rin itoshi is one of the most talented vocalists in the project. during the second selection, he ranked in first place on metrics such as ‘audience satisfaction’ and ‘star power’; however, he’s working on being a better team player. ✩ ryusei shidou ranked just after rin in the second selection. he’s unpredictable but also versatile, his background of theatre training coming in handy when it comes to pushing the boundaries of modern pop and rock. ✩ charles chevalier is another young up-and-coming star in the local pop music scene. he’s only seventeen, but already very talented as a guitarist. for now he learns diligently from julian, hoping to get solos in x-gen’s future shows. ✩ zantetsu tsurugi’s technical skills as a bassist are absolutely off the charts. any vision x-gen has for a song, he brings it to life. he’s serious about music, but just a little bit air-headed at times. ✩ just like zantetsu, tabito karasu is one of the most technically proficient trainees of blue lock. people decscribe his playing style as ‘flying through the beats’, doing things with the drums they never thought possible. ✩ and last but not least, aoshi tokimitsu is a timid classically-trained pianist who's looking to apply his skills in the modern music scene! being the most well-versed in music theory in the group, he helps everyone out in the crucial stage of songwriting.

about their music:

✩ their sound is an experimental mixture of pop and rock. with inspirations being mother mother, coldplay and manshine's namesake, måneskin. their setlist reflects their range and talents perfectly (or so they thought until ego decided otherwise :((((( ) ✩ the band was named for their aim of revolutionising pop rock, and bringing artists from different genres together to create the next generation of modern artists. and sure enough, they're versatile enough to complement the strengths of both their lead singers. ✩ (they are referred to as x-gen, stylised X=GEN)

songs i think sound like them:

✩ supermassive black hole (muse) ✩ honey (are you coming?) (måneskin) ✩ zitti e buoni (måneskin) ✩ arms tonite (mother mother) ✩ sparks (coldplay)

bonus! introducing... sae itoshi!

✩ a former young theatre star, sae itoshi has since abandoned the stage for a dramatic shift to the hollywood big screen. he recently starred in a critically-acclaimed movie, to which he owes his rise to fame. ✩ the brothers itoshi have a rocky relationship. between busy schedules and sae needing to leave japan to further his career, they haven't sat down for a meal together since rin was fifteen. ✩ fun fact: as a child, he worked alongside ryusei shidou on many productions!

a/n: can you tell i'm such a big fan of mother mother and måneskin. i comb through my actual playlists for these intros and... yeah. i think i like x-gen more than manshine now... i'm not sorry at all

taglist: @narcjsistx, @nyxlai, @n0ah-hal00, @kawoala, @chuuyalvover, @ih8geography, @lorisheaven (open, comment on any post in this series to be added, preferably here at the series masterlist)

bllk masterlist || general masterlist

© sirhamburrger 2024

[ririchanva]

Hi! In Tales of Tirumushi and Feline Noire... what about Lila? What will happen when she arrives?

//Huh...I didn't think I'd miss writing this AU but here we are~ We back baby~ Let's goooooooo!

[Previously]

So let's get right to the Volpina episode? How would that play out exactly?

Well, it sorta plays out the same at first.

Izuku and Chloe were coming to school together when they both heard the buzz about a new student joining the school.

"Can you believe Lila knows Prince Ali~? She even flew in his private jet with him~"

"Jagged Stone wrote a song about her? Sounds rad~!"

"Lila know all of the Hollywood directors, she even promised me Steven de Spielgurb himself~"

Izuku wondered who was this Lila girl, and...was she famous or something?

Meanwhile Chloe was stomping her foot and huffing.

"Why would Jagged write a song about some nobody and not me?!"

And then, Izuku hears the most interesting rumour from Alya.

"She gave me an exclusive interview for the TealBlog! Cuz Tirumushi saved her life once~!"

Izuku frowned. He didn't remember rescuing a girl named Lila before. And he had a very good memory.

He may have worked as a superhero for a few months now with Feline Noire, but he made sure to note every citizien that was akumatized by the mysterious villain that called herself Queen Butterfly. He was on a mission to track them down after all.

Not to mention, he saw the interview and he definitely would remember someone that claims that they were 'close as thieves'

Marinette was absolutely crushed about the rumours spreading about The Ladybug Hero having a crush on Lila.

Izuku discovered a month ago that Marinette had developed a crush on Tirumushi the day after she was rescued by him from Stoneheart. Well, at least she doesn't have a crush on Kim anymore. But now it's awkward to know his childhood friend likes his alter-ego.

Chloe didn't give two shits about Lila.

Well...that lasted for ten seconds until she saw Lila approach Izuku.

"WHAT IS THAT SAUSAGE HAIRED WITCH DOING WITH MY IZU-SWEETIE?!"

Adrien, being amused by the hilarious notion that Izuku once again attracted another admirer, suggests to Chloe that they should follow them.

Izuku looks blush-y and awkward of being pulled by the hand towards the library by Lila Rossi, who asks sweetly if he could help her with some homework.

"WHERE ARE THEY GOING?! ADRIKINS! WE GOTTA STOP THEM!" - Chloe

And they weren't the only ones that followed after them sneakily.

Sabrina, Alix and Nathaniel also followed them, and behind them were Marinette, Alya and Nino (who was dragged against his will).

Now here's how things went differently.

With Adrien no longer being Chat Noir, he didn't have a chance to see the Grimoire being in his father's study that day. So...how would Volpina work this round?

Actually, Izuku takes various notes about Tirumushi and Feline Noire.

Alongside with many writings of other superheroes he knows, he uses this as reference for his future battles with Queen Butterfly and her Akumas, making his own sort of Grimoire thanks to the many talks with Tikki and what she knows about possible other Miraculous other than his. own and the Cat one.

Although Izuku always made sure that if his notebook is discovered, it doesn't reveal himself being Tirumushi.

So in short, it's just a fan boy making crack pot theories and such about heroes.

"Now we can get going on our history homework~ It's so much more fun doing it together, don't you think~?"

Lila notices Izuku's notebook.

"What's that?" Lila pointed the notebook of Izuku's sketches and scribbles and snatches it away from him, taking a look with slight interest in her eyes.

Izuku smiled sheepishly, rubbing the side of his neck, "Ah, I-I tend to write down about a lot of superheroes. I-I had a dream of being one one day, even if I don't have super powers..."

A lie. But hey, he's not supposed to tell anyone he's Tirumushi. He promised Tikki that he would keep his hero life seperate from his civilian one.

Lila grabbed his hand gently and squeezed, batting her eyes sweetly at him, "I loooove superheroes~"

Meanwhile, hidden behind some bookshelves, Chloe was steaming and looking red in the face with anger.

"How dare this yuppy hit on my Izuku! That's it, I'm going over there!"

Adrien held her back.

"Chloe, no!"

The two bumped into a trolley of books for a second and froze, thinking they were caught now. When it didn't seem like Lila nor Izuku noticed, they sighed in relief. However, they soon noticed other groups that were in hidden noticing them.

Nathaniel gave a wave at them secretly; he, Alix and Sabrina hidden in the upper part of the Library.

Nino also gave a salute from his hiding place under some tables with a scared Marinette and one annoyed Alya.

Adrien felt himself grin cheekily. Oh, things were about to get interesting.

Lila kept flipping through the pages until she gasped and saw a well detailed drawing of--

"Tirumushi?"

Izuku tried not to react, even though his heart leapt out of his chest thinking she found out his secret identity, but sighed in relief that it seems Lila was reading about him and Feline Noire.

"Oh, um, yeah..?"

"And you wrote about Feline Noire too..." Lila hummed, seeing how this page was detailed too, but there were a lot of drawings of the cat heroine and then grinned, "So? Got a soft spot for the Cat, huh?"

Izuku makes a face at this.

Not that he hated his partner, she was getting better after Stoneheart.

But there were times that she was just too full of herself and sometimes causes some mistakes.

Although to suggest that he might like-like Feline Noire?

He almost laughed.

But he coughed and turned his head away as to not be rude.

Lila, however, took this reaction as a yes.

"You know I actually happen to be very close friends with Feline Noire and Tirumushi~"

This caught everyone's attention.

Alya was murmuring excitedly how awesome Lila was and Nino was doing the same, meanwhile, Marinette whined how Lila was so lucky to be close to her superhero crush...thus going on a tirade on how Lila and Tirumushi was going to fall in love, get married, have a house, have three kids and a hamster named— 

Nathaniel looked indifferent, the same with Alix.

Sabrina felt a quiet brimming jealous, but kept it to herself.

Adrien just looked confused but Chloe...Oh Chloe was peeved.

"She's lying!"

Adrien looked to Chloe pointedly, "How do you know Lila is lying?"

"There is no way some nobody knows great heroes like Feline Noire and the Bug!" Chloe huffed while shaking her head, "What would she know? Oooh, I'm going to smack her back to reality!"

"Can you actually prove that she doesn't really know Tirumushi and Feline Noire?" Adrien asked tiredly.

Chloe paused, remembering she's not supposed to reveal her secret life as a hero, because she promised the Bug that she wouldn't.

Izuku, on the other, narrowed his eyes for a second before he smiled.

"Really now?"

Lila nodded, not noticing the look of suspicion in Izuku's eyes, and she continued on happily.

"We could chat about, if you want~? But not here though~ Why don't we meet at the park after school and I'll tell you everything~?"

Izuku didn't want to entertain a liar, and was even about to decline, but then blinked when he heard a noise and a squeak. He snapped his head towards the sound and saw a trolley of books sliding to the other side of the room, and tilted his head.

Was someone here?

He didn't even notice that he knocked over his books when he stood at the sound, that included his hero notebook.

"So? The Park?"

Izuku blinked as he heard Lila's voice and turned to her, then smiled weakly. Welp, maybe he could talk to her gently about how she doesn't have to lie to make friends and that she could be true to herself and make friends a different way.

And it could be away from the school where she wouldn't be embarrassed to be called out.

"...Sure."

Chloe gasped against Adrien's hand, growling as the male blond with her was holding her back from attacking and staying hidden under the desk. They even witnessed how Lila's boot stepped gently on Izuku's notebook and pushed it behind her sneakily.

"Grrr that witch!" Chloe snapped once they saw Izuku leave after Lila had picked up his stuff and handed his bag back, and Lila taking the notebook secretly as she left while reading through it with a smirk, "She stole Izuku's notebook!"

"...I will admit, that is pretty bad." Adrien whistled, before he saw Marinette, Alya, Nino, Nathaniel, Alix and Sabrina come out of their hiding spots, "So you guys saw that too, right?"

"Absolutely!" Marinette huffed, "We gotta talk to Izuku before he meets up with Lila in the park! He has to know that she's a total thief!"

"AND A LIAR!" Chloe yelled while waving her hands up and down, almost jumping around in anger, "How dare she lie of knowing famous people! Especially heroes like the Bug and Feline Noire!"

Alya folded her arms and tilted her head, "A good reporter always verifies her sources. Can you--"

"Trust me, I've already talked with her about this, and let's just say Chloe ain't listening," Adrien raised a hand up to the journalist with a sigh but then frowned, "But Marinette is right. Izuku has to know Lila stole his notebook."

And so, they approach Izuku and told him about Lila.

Izuku sighs.

"Oh I know. Which is why I'm going to talk to her about that after school and how she doesn't have to lie to make friends."

This surprises everyone, and they wondered how they know she's lying.

"A simple internet search could verify her claims if they were true or not. Not to mention, she just came from Italy. Never been to Paris before in her life. How in the world would she be close to Tirumushi and Feline Noire since the two just debuted?"

Alya felt embarrassed of this, and Chloe felt herself vindicated.

Eventually school ends and Izuku meets Lila in the park.

And Chloe was the only one that followed after them.

The others decided that if Izuku is going to talk to Lila in private, then they should respect that and wish Izuku luck.

Chloe, on the other hand, wasn't about to miss this in case Lila tries and pulls something.

Plagg grins, eating his cheese while Chloe sneakily follows after Lila walking out of the school.

"Man, kid. This is the most entertaining thing I've ever gotten to be apart of~"

"Quiet, cat-rat! I need to concentrate!"

She used her phone's camera as a sort of binoculars as she zoomed towards Lila sitting herself down on a park bench and pulling out some sort of necklace. A fox necklace.

"What...?"

Lila places the necklace on, admiring it before she spotted Izuku and greets him.

"DID ROSSI JUST THROW IZU-SWEETIE'S NOTEBOOK?! WHAT A BRAT!"

Chloe seethes as she continues to watch.

Izuku took a breath before he looked to Lila with a look, "So, you know Tirumushi and Feline Noire, for real?"

Lila noded as she twirled the pendant around her neck shyly, but soon made a grab for his hands, "Not only did they save my life, we've become very close friends. Because, we have something very special in common~ It's...what I wanted to tell you about..."

Izuku quirked a brow, watching her fiddle with the necklace once more and blinked. Was that...?

He remembered Tikki speaking of others like her and Plagg, the Kwami of the Cat Miraclous, and she lamented on how she missed them and it had been hundreds of years since she's last seen them.

And so, he doodled and wrote some theories he had about some of the Miraculous with Tikki's stories in mind, and he knew he has seen this pendant before...

"I'm a descendant of a Vixen super-heroine myself, Volpina..."

"Volpina?"

Izuku murmured with confusion and Chloe hissed this with narrowed eyes.

Izuku's eyes widened for a moment, as if having a revalation, before reaching to his bag to pull out his notebook, "Holy woah! I think I had written a few things about—"

Lila saw this and immediately grabbed for his hands once more to prevent him from digging into his bag and smiled tightly.

"I bet she would be someone that you've written about~ She's one of the most important superheroes. More powerful and celebrated than both Tirumushi and Feline Noire combined. Between you and me? They don't even make the top 10!"

Chloe growled at this. She really was about to lose it.

"My grandma gave me this necklace~"

As Lila was showing her pendant to Izuku, Plagg whistled while impressed.

"She's good. Real good."

And that was the last straw from Chloe.

"I'll show HER who's more powerful and celebrated. And we can't lose Izu-Sweetie! Time to transform! PLAGG, CLAWS OUT!"

Izuku observed the so called Miraculous for a moment.

While it did look like the genuine article, Izuku could tell it was fake.

He even looked into his bag just in case, and the hidden away Tikki shook her head.

Before Izuku could kindly tell Lila that he knows that she's lying, Feline Noire appeared.

"Well hey Lilo, or Lala or whatever your name is, the so called best friend of mine~! How's it going? Long time no see~ I saw your interview in Cesaire's little blog. AWESOME job~"

Izuku is surprised seeing his partner here, and even winced seeing Lila paling in panic.

Feline Noire asserts her dominance.

"OH SURE~! I remember our instant connection when me and MY partner saved your life~ AND we've been REALLY good friends ever since. PRACTICALLY BFFS~! Oh~? Wait a minute~! What's this now? I can't recall when I saved your life, Rossi.?...Oh wait, that's right, NEVER! AND WE'RE NOT FRIENDS EITHER!!!! Miss Show-Off here was pathetically trying to impress YOU and everyone around her because she's a loser that wants to be someone. And she's no descendant of a superhero, she's more of a super liar~"

Izuku mentally face-palmed at Feline Noire's humiliating way of calling Lila out, and he felt bad when he saw Lila genuinely crying.

Before Izuku could say anything, Lila ran off.

"That was...sorta mean?"

Feline Noire huffs with a "I hate lies about me and my partner!" and pole-vaults away.

Tikki pops out once it's just her and Izuku.

"Wow, Feline Noire seems to be wound up about Lila. Almost seemed like she's jealous."

"I highly doubt that, Tikki."

The two eventually get back to school and Izuku manages to find his friends and explain what happened.

That was when the 'meteorite' incident happens.

Transforming into Tirumushi, the Ladybug hero calls a Code Red and meets up with Feline Noire to try and stop the astroid almost making it's way to the city.

That was, until Volpina appeared.

"I am Volpina~ The only superhero Paris needs~!"

With the crowd cheering for the fox heroine, Tirumushi's eyes narrow for a moment in suspicion. It felt too coincidental that a super-heroine named Volpina just magically shows up in time and stops an astroid with Star and Stripes like abilities.

'Wasn't the Fox Miraculous all about illusions? I remember Tikki saying that...'

Feline Noire scoffed, "I could've done better~"

Tirumushi smiled wryly at her, but the two then jumped back when Volpina landed in front of them.

"Hey guys! Glad you dropped in~! I need a hand. C'mon!"

She started running off, confusing both Ladybug and Cat miraculous holders for a second. But they soon ended up catching up to her. The trio soon found themselves hiding behind some chimeys and gasped.

"I don't believe it..." Feline Noire breathed out, blinking, "It's Queen Butterfly in the flesh?!"

Izuku frowned.

There was no way that the super villainess would be out in the open like this.

Volpina suggests that they should take Queen Butterfly down now.

Feline Noire doesn't take kindly to being bossed around.

Suddenly, Queen Butterfly disappears.

"HEY! She's getting away!"

"OH NO YOU DON'T! MY PARTNER AND I ARE TAKING HER DOWN!"

Tirumushi wanted to chase after the both of them, but decided to leave that for later.

"Lucky Charm."

Meanwhile, Feline Noire chases after Queen Butterfly around Paris, until she suddenly vanishes into thin air.

"What...?"

Feline Noire notices she stepped on a blinking target and Volpina appears with a bunch of missles and rockets pointed at her.

"I wouldn't move an inch if I were you, furball~"

Volpina smiles as she stares Feline Noire down with a smirk.

"Don't worry, Feline Noire~ I don't want to be your friend. But at least NOW you won't be able to say we don't know each other~!"

"...Oh great, it's the lying sausage hair." -Feline Noire

Yeah, that line ticked Volpina off for sure.

"Surrender your Miraculous now, you don't deserve to be a hero!" - Volpina

Tirumushi comes swinging by, using his yo-yo to swipe all the illusions away.

"Illusions, lies. That's your real power, eh?"

He hold up his Lucky Charm, which happens to be a shiny popsicle wrapper.

Uses it to blind Volpina, distracting her from making another illusion.

Feline Noire takes this chance to attack, cataclysm'ing Volpina's necklace.

"Woah! Hey! Careful! How'd you know that was even the akumatized object?!"

"I didn't...but you could always use the Miraculous spell to place things back to normal anyways~"

Tirumushi ends up smacking Feline Noire at the back of her head.

Soon, they capture Volpina and Tirumushi de-akumatizes her while placing everything back to normal.

"MIRACULOUS TIRUMUSHI~!"

Once Lila is back to normal, Tirumushi checks on her.

"You okay, Miss?"

Let's just say Lila, for the first time in her life, felt her heart beat faster than usual. Hearts in her eyes and cheeks pink.

Feline Noire notices. Oh no...

"You saved my life~ My hero~"

Tirumushi yelps when he feels arms around his neck and pulled into a squeezing hug, face red to match his suit and eyes wide with shock.

"W-well, I suppose now you can say that I've saved your life for real?"

Lila felt herself flush and move back for a moment with embarrassment, "Y-You heard about that?"

Tirumushi nodded, "I saw what you said on the Tealblog. And while I don't really like people lying about me...I'm gonna assume that you're new around here and wanted to make friends by showing that you are connected and have some sort of dreamy lifestyle to gain popularity?"

Lila frowned, huffing, "O-Okay yeah, I lied. What? You gonna lecture me now? Feeling sorry for me and call me trash and a loser?"

"Well, no? I think you're just feeling lonely." Tirumushi hummed as he took her hand and squeezed, "I was gonna say that people are gonna like you if you be yourself—"

"You're unbelievable, you know that?!"

Tirumushi blinked when his partner started with a pissed off expression, perplexed on why she was acting this way. Even Lila jumped in surprise at the heroine before the cat heroine went on.

"Prancing around pretending to be a hero and being fake about your whole life. Yeah, you're pretty lonely, alright. Lonely and pathetic!"

Lila growled, fired up now, "If anyone's a fake, it's you! You don't deserve to be a hero! And you don't have to worry about ME pretending to be your friend anymore because I...I HATE YOU, FELINE NOIRE!"

Feline Noire gave a sharp grin, almost feral, "Feelings mutual, super-liar~"

"Feline, that's enough!" Tirumushi argued but then saw the angry tears from Lila, "You're gonna create another akuma again if you keep this up! I'm taking her home and don't follow me."

Picking Lila up in his arms, he soon jumped down the building they were on and left a gobsmacked Feline Noire. Honestly, he was surprised how hostile his partner was being.

One step forward and ten steps back with her...

Once he brought Lila nearby Collège Françoise Dupont, Lila then asks why he puts up with a partner like Feline Noire.

"Well, I know she's rough around the edges, but she has her moments sometimes. She just needs someone that could balance her out. A friend that can guide her to a good path...

Lila hummed with a thoughtful look, before she then gave a sweet smile, "Well either way, you are totally better than her. You're so nice and cute."

"Hold on, Lila. I still want to make sure that something like this doesn't happen again," Tirumushi said while placing his hands onto his hips and looked at her sternly, "For one, no more lies. While I get trying to fit in, there are other ways to do that."

"You're absolutely right, Tirumushi. I promise to never lie again~"

Lila also asks Tirumushi to make a video with her as a souvenir and proof that she knows him and that he rescued her.

And yes, she sorta snuck a kiss on the cheek on him before running off happily and posting the video on her social media.

The next day school was hectic with everyone surrounding Lila and asking about her time with the famous superheroes of Paris.

"Tirumushi is very heroic and honestly sweet with me~...And, Feline Noire, on the other hand...?"

Lila went on a slandering spree against the Cat Heroine, even sparking the rumour of Feline Noire being jealous of Lila for being close to the cat hero's partner.

Izuku shakes his head.

'Well, not like I can force her to stop lying.'

He's not mad. Just disappointed.

Speaking of his partner, he hasn't contacted her since he yelled at her, and he started feeling guilty of going off like that. He should talk to her in their next patrol together.

Meanwhile, Chloe was tearing Lila a new one every single time she hears the lies Lila spouts, and Adrien had to always be around his blonde childhood friend from committing murder.

Tags: @jasmine-the-fox , @candiiee, @gachadarklightoficial, @lakama77 @molteninferno

(if you wished to be tagged in the next one, please reply below~)

BONUS CONTENT~! (There are two at the end)

::Bonus Scene One::

"You know, with those kinds of notes, I think it's time that you met the Guardian~"

Izuku blinked as he turned his head to Tikki, stopping his writing on the latest akuma of the day, "The Guardian? Do you mean the one that is holding the Miracle Box that has your Kwami friends?"

"Yes. The very person that brought me to you and brought Plagg to whoever Feline Noire is~" Tikki chirped, flying happily towards her holder and nuzzling against his freckled cheek.

Izuku looked thoughtful, and then smiled, "Okay then~! Let's go meet this Guardian. I have a lot of questions to ask him anyways!"

Tikki soon guides Izuku to the outskirts of Paris, ending up in some sort of run down apartment building. There, he soon steps into a room where an old man sat quietly and with a knowing smile.

"Hello, Tirumushi. I believe we have a lot to talk about."

"...yes. Yes, we do."

::Bonus Scene Two::

"Ahhh, my dear Miss Rossi~ How did you first day of school go~?"

"Everything went according to your predictions, Sir. I managed to get close to the Izuku Midoriya boy you told me about and I also was able to get close to one of the heroes you were eying on...but Feline Noire is a little difficult to get along with. She has a nasty attitude and not worth the time of day. At least for now, I have one of those heroes trust me a bit and will keep working on gaining more of it."

"Good. Keep up with your mission there. Don't forget your other missions as well."

"Don't worry Sir, already doing the other two missions now~"

Lila sighed as she turned off the video call, moving the wig she was wearing then dumping it to the side. She fixed the short pixie cut that she had, making sure it was nicely messy then removing her green contact lenses. Placing the hazel brown contacts on, she fixed up a smile before making another call. And of course, making sure the green screen behind her was set up perfectly.

The video call then revealed a surprised looking boy with his brown haired tied back along with a red bandana plus some shades on top of his head and grey blue eyes.

"Cerise? I thought you said you were busy settling down in New York?"

Cerise smiled and waved at the camera with a soft French accent, "Bonjour, Rody~! Yes, I've just settled down in my new apartment, but I wanted to call and check up on you. How are you and your siblings?"

"They're fine. They miss you though. Speaking of, w-when will you be coming back to Otheon?"

"Hopefully in a few months after I settle the whole thing with my mother getting her special treatment for her hearing impairment~" Cerise pouted, trying to sniff and look sad as Rody stared at her in sympathy, "Anyways, I'm sorry that I have to cut the call short, but I did want to see you and that I miss you guys there~"

"Miss you too, Cer. Call me again when you're free!"

She ended the call after waving goodbye, her smile dropping as she soon wrote something in the journal next to her.

Huffing, she soon changed her looks once more, settling to have a pale make up with a black wig and placing blue contact lenses now. She soon placed some glasses on then changed the green screen background again before she made another call. She waited for a moment until the screen revealed a blonde haired girl with glasses and blue eyes.

"Iris! It's good to see you, it's been a while! How are you doing in Japan?"

Iris smiled once more as she then spoke in an Otheon accent and spoke calm and low toned, "Greetings, Melissa. I'm doing very well! How is Uncle David doing? I'm sorry to hear he's not feeling well~"

As Melissa talked along with some worried sighs, Iris was secretly writing down notes and nodding her head with a sweet smile while listening, but inside her mind she had to laugh. These mission were just too easy. She hopes she made her Boss proud.

Operation Alliance is a go.

[grungiiuvu]

(I sent an ask ages ago but tumblr was being really weird with it and gltching out so idk if it went through. If it did and you've been to busy (your life is always the most important I was just thinking about this after the update) ignore me xxx)

Had brain worms recently and made art for cvpotiors (gorgeous acronym btw)

Mu Qing and system (+ Feng Xin). No background because I'm lazy. Ngl I wasn't sure what jade white skin meant so I had to look up Chinese actors that were supposed to be that pale and colour dropped. If he looks janky that is because those were the only reference images that I used.

Bonus sketches:

Idk what Fu Ailian looks like, I know like Mqs mum but idk what she looks like either but this was my attempt. Please excuse my handwriting it's very janky.

I have questions too.

Has/will Hua Cheng get his butterflies to help serenade Xl with him? (I'm imaging them with tiny violins while he sings on one knee, arms outstretched)

What are Sqq and Mq's favourite songs respectively?

(Idk why but I get a musical theatre vibe from Sqq, I can see them belting 'Candy store' at the top of their lungs while Shi Wudu looks on in horror)

Also the latest update was heartbreaking and amazing. My day was made 3000% better by reading it. Thankyou sm

OH MY GOSH THAT ART IS GORGEOUS!!! IM OBSESSED!!!!! (Sorry it's taken me decades to respond)

I really love Mu Qing eye rolling at the system, haha, he looks so pretty and done with it. (Feng Xin looking handsome as ever too lmao)

Xie Lian looks so done with his kidnapping attempt and, poor Feng Xin, daydreaming about the guy who really wants to just beat him up haha.

Your Fu Ailian looks perfect!! She's got such a lovely warm vibe :D

That's such a beautiful idea: I think Hua Cheng has definitely tried to use his butterflies to romance Xie Lian but he might need some help (advice from SQX) before he attempts to serenade anyone

SQX would enjoy most pop songs, I think: sadly, I don't think they've broadened their horizons anywhere beyond that and just sing the same pop songs everyone else is already tired of. She's so only ever knows an artists most popular songs (like only knows 'Espresso' by Sabrina Carpenter and can't name anything else)

Mu Qing hmm... Maybe some TV Girl? But that may just be my love for them. He'd like those unique sounding bands and would hate when they get popular/mainstream (he's such a gatekeeper)

I'm so glad you liked the latest update!! I felt particularly evil writing it lol

[quitealotofsodapop]

The crew listens to Epic: the Musical.

MK's favorite song is Legendary.

Wukong identifies with Just a Man (not that he'll admit it).

Macaque likes Ruthlessness because he's an emo little stinker.

Sandy likes Open Arms (of course).

Tang and Red Son like Warrior of the Mind.

Pigsy really thinks the monkeys should take Luck Runs Out to heart.

Mei likes Keep Your friends close (a fun bop that belies danger underneath, just like her).

I have to be careful binging a new muscial (or in this case Saga) cus I end up playing each song on loop for hours. Opinions might change once the full and finished versions of later sagas are released.

I love all these hcs <3

Im imagining the gang likely sees/listens to Epic on the reccomendation of MK (who's currently on a Greek Mythology hyperfixation), and he gets them all to watch the full play - maybe in the future as a irl performance or film.

"Legendary" is SUCH an MK song. Both him and Telemachus growing up with the stories of someone dear to them and wanting to replicate their success. I could also see him really liking "Warrior of the Mind" with the theme of "some nobody" gaining the favor of a god (reminds you of anyone?) + SWK is infamously the personification of The Mind in Jttw so its a bonus. MK is smiling evily whenever a harsh plot twist occurs and his fam are shocked silent. >:3

Sun Wukong feels targeted personally with how many of the Epic songs remind him of his past. Ofc he starts crying halfway through "Horse and the Infant", and is inconsolable during "Just A Man" - verbally yelling "NO!" at the end. And like Nezha and Sandy is *silent* during Posideon's songs. Is super jazzed during the triumphant Ithaca Saga though! And feels mega catharic during "King" when Odysseus proves that he still rules to the suitors! He tries his best to hide how much the muscial is affecting him.

Macaque is a canon theatre Nerd - so he's already listened to the musical multiple times, but he's uber excited to see the live performance (and secretly bond with his found fam). Is rocking out during "Ruthlessness" and "Done For" in particular, so much so that he's fidgeting and dancing within his seat. He also vibes with "No Longer You" as someone with powers of prophecy. Is really amazed how much Wukong gets into the musical, but in retrospect understands *why*. Him and Wukong accidentally share a glance during "Would You Fall In Love With Me Again" and it gets a little awkward afterwards.

Mei is similarly excited to see anything with her bestie, so she tried her best not hear/see any spoilers ("it's a centuries' old story Mei" "Ssssh!! Dont tell me!"). She was shooketh by how hard the muscial goes. "Keep Your Friends Close" is her fave based on beat alone. She gets delightedly scared and amazed by consistent horse imagery used with Posideon (shameless link to my fave Animatic of "Ruthlessness").

Tang loves himself some historical and mythological adaptations, and is estatic that MK has given him an excuse to go see one! He's not as familar with Hellenic mytholgy as he is with Hindu-Chinese, but he knows enough lore to make the pog-champ face at every foreshadowing/reference. "Warrior of the Mind" really gets to him as a song about valuing your smarts. He also feels really empathetic for Calypso.

Pigsy only went cus Tang begged him. He feels super lost by the deep Greek lore he's missing, but he can get Odysseus's whole thing with trying to get home - but he def identifies more with Eurylochus. "Luck Runs Out" proves this to him. Later on he feels that the second-in-command was justified in having the soldiers rebel against Odysseus after so many losses (who wouldn't after losing all their friends?). Audibly gasps at the end of "Just A Man" - cus who would just do that!? Is a little freaked out by Circe turning the Athenian's into pigs - Eurylochus is depicted as partly-transformed, played by a pig-demon actor who was in super convincing human makeup in the previous sagas. He also gets protective feelings by-proxy seeing Telemachus's situation since the prince reminds him of MK. Is surprised by how much he likes the musical!

Sandy feels betrayed. This isn't like Disney Hercules at all! He does really enjoy Polites message in "Open Arms" and the later moments when the hopeful soldier's outlook is proven correct. He's a little overwhelmed at points though - he get eerily quiet during Posideon's scenes. He sobs joyfully when Odysseus finally makes it home and reunites with his family! :')

Because of this really good animatic/almost child-like depiction of Aelous by gigi; I can def see "Keep Your Friends Close" being Nezha's fave. It reminds Nezha of when he was far more carefree + has a solid lesson on about trust/"forbidden fruit". He also enjoys the more march-like tune of "Survive". He does however, freeze when he listens to Posideon's songs "Ruthlessness" and "Get in the Water" - he has been on the bad end of a sea god before and is quietly shtting himself for Odysseus.

Red Son goes in feeling like he could have stayed at home listening to the musical on his phone while working on a car instead. He is however blown away by the heavy themes and performances, especially "Warrior of the Mind" and Telemachus's situation - a prince forced to grow up fatherless and protecting his mother from suitors due to his dad pissing off a higher power? Hello?? Accidentally shrieks "YES!!!" when Athena becomes Telemachus's mentor/friend after "Little Wolf".

Princess Iron Fan I could see loving any song including Penelope (she empathizes with the Queen's situation hard), but unexpectedly enjoys "Keep Your Friends Close" - she's a fellow Wind Goddess at her core. It also reminds her of her not-so-little-anymore nephew.

DBK on the flip side loves the heavier songs like "Polyphemus" and "Ruthlessness". This man is a Posedion apologist. He does feels bad for Odysseus by the end though - man just wants to get back to his wife and kid dammit!

Bonus: The Spider Gang are watching the bootleg and Spider Queen agrees with Circe's whole girlboss attitude especially "Puppeteer". Scorpion Queen is Calypso in "Not Sorry For Loving You".

This got a little away from me - hope you enjoy!