A little something featuring Fuuta and Es after talking about their criminal lack of interaction in fanworks with @waivyjellyfish ! You had such awesome ideas (a few of which I'm still bouncing around in my head to post at some point,) but this one ended up taking over my brain -- I hope you enjoy 😅 Attempting to answer the widely-debated question:
“Oi, why didn’t you hit me?”
Es looked up from their paperwork.
“Prisoner number three. Most people are glad when they’re not struck.”
“Well, I’m not.”
Es usually left the door open at this hour, in case anyone had any last-minute complaints before curfew. No one usually took them up on the offer. They figured that if there was any prisoner they could count on to complain, it would be Fuuta marching through their door.
“You hit all the other guys. You even hit some of the girls that were giving you trouble. So what? You think I’m too weak? You think I can’t take it?” Fuuta spread his arms. “I can, so show me what you’ve got!”
Es sighed. They put down their pen. They folded their gloved hands together, resting their chin on top. “Fuuta, I’m not going to hit you.”
“Why not?”
“As of right now, I have no reason to. If you’re referring to the interrogations…”
They reflected on the first one they'd shared with him. To be fair, the thought had crossed their mind. It would have been satisfying to give this rowdy prisoner a taste of his own medicine – striking him after such a dramatic charge at them. But Es was always good at reading people. It didn’t take them long to understand Fuuta was the type to lash out first and ask questions later. In fact, that was likely what had landed him in Milgram in the first place.
Although Es knew they weren’t here to do any reformation, they wanted to try to show these prisoners where they’d gone wrong. So, they resolved to act as the bigger person. They’d prove that senseless violence was just that. By keeping their composure, they’d show Fuuta just how childish he was being.
That wasn’t my only reason. I guess that's true, my actions weren’t all purely righteous. I still spent the entire time looking for ways to make him squirm… But it wasn’t all cruelty. I really did want to understand. I wanted to help. That counts for something, right?
Es never struck the prisoners out of anger, or as a petty show of power. It was a way to force the prisoner to mind their ego. When they’d gotten a bit too full of themselves, a bit too comfortable with the awful deed they’d committed, Es’ blow encouraged them to feel a bit more humility and guilt.
By the time the second trial arrived, Fuuta oozed guilt.
The moment Es entered the interrogation room, it was clear that he needed no lesson in humility. He hugged his arms to his chest. His remaining eye darted around the room in thinly-veiled hysteria. His voice trembled when he spoke. It didn’t require any people-reading skills to hear the remorse that underlaid all of his accusations and threats.
Hitting the others felt like giving a dog a tap on the nose after breaking a rule. Meanwhile, Fuuta snapped and snarled like a stray who’d been kicked time and time again.
Of course, he could never know any of this. Any way Es phrased it, Fuuta would misunderstand it as pity.
Well, wasn’t it? I thought he looked like a kicked puppy – that sounds a lot like pity. No, it was out of respect. Does that mean I didn’t respect the prisoners I did hit? No. I respected them too. Then, what’s the difference?
Fuuta was still staring at them, asking the very same question. What’s the difference?
“Each of Milgram’s prisoners is unique.”
They were met with an unimpressed glare.
Es chose their words carefully. “Each one responds best to a variety of treatments. Some need attention to be comfortable, while others need time. Some need validation in order to confess. Others, a bit of debate does the trick. Some need a show of force. You –” remind me too much of myself “– require something else. I’ve learned to change my approach depending on the person I’m dealing with.”
Fuuta’s features flashed with confusion, then shame, then his usual mask of anger. “Tch. How pathetic.”
“Excuse me?”
“So you just change your personality when it’s convenient? You put up fake smiles and fake attitude? Have some balls and just be yourself.”
Es was caught by surprise. “... I am. Those are all pieces of myself. I choose to bring out different parts when it would be most helpful.”
“Sounds manipulative as hell to me.”
It makes sense he doesn’t understand. He’s a very clear-cut person, with every aspect of his personality lining up in a way that makes sense. I find that predictability fun. Or, is it something that I envy? Could it be both?
They had no time to dwell on it, as Fuuta was struck with an idea. “Though, if you can do it on command, why don’t you give me the ‘you’ that wants to hit someone?”
He spread his arms once more, hands gesturing to his chest. Es pretended not to notice him wince. They remained in their seat.
“What are you waiting for? Hit me!”
“I will not.”
“You just said you can change your personality on a whim, so let’s see it!”
“That is not what I said.”
His good eye began to look frenzied. He raised his voice. “You scared? The big bad warden of Milgram, nothing but a big coward!”
“Stop this. You’re acting childish.”
“No! You’re treating me childishly! Let me see the Es that kicked Shidou! The one that slapped Kazui! Treat me like you treated them!”
“I hit them because they said something stupid. They deserved it.”
“Are you fucking kidding? I deserve it too! I deserve it! Come on!”
At the last word, his voice broke. He stumbled to his knees. He let his head drop. He sucked in strained breath after strained breath. Shidou would surely give him a lecture about getting so worked up with his injuries.
Es finally stood.
They made their way around the desk. They knelt on the floor in front of him.
“Why?” he wheezed. “Tell me…”
“Fuuta.”
Should I just go ahead and do it, just to make him happy? No, I want to talk it out. But what do even I say? I'll tell him that I care. I can’t. None of the prisoners understand that I care. Why? Why is it so hard for them to see? I’m trying my best, why can’t they see?
Es extended their hand carefully. They didn’t know what they hoped to accomplish, but in that moment their thoughts were too loud and conflicting. They needed to do something.
Fuuta saw the gentle intention, and immediately raised his own hand to strike. It froze midair, though whether it was from Milgram’s restrictions or his own hesitation, Es would never know.
Neither of their gestures connected.
Footsteps. Then Yuno’s voice, hesitantly from the doorway. “We heard shouting, is everything alright in here?”
Es retracted their hand. A beat. Fuuta dropped his, too.
“Yuno. Yes, we’re fine. Fuuta was just heading to bed. I’m going to walk him to his cell.”
“I can handle myself.”
“I said, I’m going to walk him to his cell.”
Es stood, nodding to Yuno. When she’d gone, they turned their attention back to the prisoner crumpled on the ground. They made an effort to quiet their ever-racing thoughts.
“Listen. I know you can handle yourself. I’m not doing this because I think you’re weak. You’re strong. Don’t think for a moment that I don’t see that.”
They held out their arm to help him up. He didn’t move.
“Sometimes you are a bit too strong, if you ask me. I mean, picking fights with your prison warden, really?” They clicked their tongue. “You should be grateful for a superior that gives you second chances.”
At last, Fuuta took their hand. He avoided meeting their eyes, but his voice had softened considerably from his rant. “The only thing you give me is a headache.”
Es offered a dry smile as they pulled him to his feet. “The feeling is mutual.”
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we can dive, we can dive deep
Relationship: Barriss Offee & Ahsoka Tano
Type: Oneshot
Rating: T (for depictions of violence, blood, and injury)
Words: 4.5k
For: Sapphic Ahsoka Tano Week 2024, Day 3: Warrior, @sapphicahsokatanoweek, @swsapphics-ao3feed
Notes: wound-tending (mental and physical); post-episode 5 & pre-episode 6 of tote, post-ahsoka novel, pre-rebels; not exactly besties again, but they are working through it; very early draft for a scene in a larger story
After a mission goes sideways, Ahsoka and Barriss make a dangerous escape from an Imperial-controlled planet. Once in the clear, they have a quiet moment to confront their painful past, reveal hidden scars, and explore the fragile hope of their future.
* * *
“I’m so sorry, Ahsoka. For everything.”
Ahsoka’s mind wanders back to the tribunal all those years ago—the look of anguished penitence in Barriss’s eyes as the Temple guard escorted her away. And of the tight hug she gave her—ambiguous, softly spoken words of apology muttered.
Barriss may have betrayed her, throwing years of trust and companionship out the window in one fell swoop, but she was never a perfidious person. The actions she chose to take may have been unjust, but her heart has always been in the right place, her intentions always noble.
In that moment, Ahsoka truly understands that Barriss was simply lost and shattered beyond reason.
"I know."
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the more i rewatch the scene with sora and kairi exchanging paopu fruit in kh3, the more im baffled by how many fans cite it as the ultimate proof s/k is now canon
like
right off the bat sora wonders about riku
and then looks confused/concerned when kairi suggests the idea
its only after kairi clarifies that she just wants to be a part of his life ‘no matter what’ that he agrees
no matter what? what is the ‘no matter what’? if he finds someone else?
to me it reads more like her wanting them to have some kind of relationship, regardless of the choices sora makes in the future. even if that relationship isnt romantic
her adding on ‘that’s all’ further indicates she notices soras concern, and wants him to know what she really meant by exchanging the fruits. which is that she just wanted them to remain in each others lives.
and of couse, the original japanese dialogue for this scene is even more blatantly platonic:
“This charm is to keep us from getting separated again.”
(its also been stated they recorded two versions of the scene: one where they exchange the fruit, and one where they dont. and didnt tell the VAs which they were gonna use. which seems weird if its suppose to be a pivotal scene IRT a s/k romance?)
like??? as a whole the scene feels not like the beginning of a sora and kairi romance, but as a cap on their relationship and wrapping it up, so to speak.
theyve finally recreated their childhood cave drawing, and now they can move on from it. its like. idk. a bookend. not a new start.
if anything, it almost feels like a red herring, to draw you away from the idea of soriku endgame
and of course, theres the fact they didnt share just one, like in the legend that has been stated multiple times:
note the use of ‘one’, ‘it’, and ‘a paopu’
plus, the combined keyblade?
it doesnt have the paopu charm until they combine the two halves
you know, like splitting a single fruit in half???? to share it?????? like the legend says???????? HELLO????????????
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