#get less attention than dono posts

[captn3]

my family is struggling with money and none of us have a job rn because of disabilities. my dads on paid leave or smth i think which is how were not homeless but like. we arent having the best time getting by.

hey. you. yeah you

I HAVE COMMISSIONS OPENNN COMMISSION MEEE or reblog :]

IM DOING A DEAL AND YOU CAN GET ONE FOR 5 DOLLARS A PIECE!!!! (clean line art, flat colors, bust/down to waist, usually costs 9 dollars) BUT if you want more detail thats also available. but its gonna cost more! im disabled and do not have a job and want to make an income somehow so i would appreciate support either by reblogging or commissioning!!!! if you have a character design but arent the best at drawing i can draw it for you (especially since artfight is coming up BUT TO CLARIFY i will not be attacking people with commissions.) if you just want me to draw your favorite character i can do that too!!

some more details below:

even more details including pricing, terms and conditions, ways to contact me, AND my portfolio are HERE at memo-comms.carrd.co (please read the terms and conditions before contacting me!)

[zanshlou]

Been a while since I’ve posted something related to XIV so here’s some Carmina. There was something about next patch using portraits for more dungeons and stuff or something? I dono I don’t really pay attention to announcements and just skim patch notes for stuff I care about when things actually come out but I heard something about this and decided that I needed to go in and make portaits for every class. This also resulted in me tweaking a couple glams and making a few new ones. Sadly I use two of my glam plats for my Crafter and Gatherer glams so MNK/SAM and DRG/RPR have to share outfits for now. PLEASE SE I just need 2 more glam plates (though also like a nice rounded 5 would be nice to keep holiday outfits separate on). Anyways random details about all the tweaks and new outfits (along with some of my general long winded ramblings) below the cut I guess.

So SCH, RDM, MCH, and NIN got completely new looks. My old SCH was too close in color and used a lot of the same pieces as my SGE look I put together for story this expansion so it had to go. RDM used a top that I had modded and so didn’t look right anymore. The top it has WAS originally on my new MCH look but I had shifted that to be more pirate-y and still wanted to use the top and it looks great in red. NIN was going to get a modified version of a Cait Sith cosplay I put together for a group Halloween shot my FC did but then I realized when lookig through stuff that I had the Neo-Ishgardian top and that plan went out the window as I decided I had a need to work around that top for the look.

Meanwhile... BRD continues to get stuck with my holiday look whatever that ends up being. So for now it gets to support my Christmas gear. Maybe after the holidays I’ll change it but the look is solid on its own holiday season or not so it may just stay.

For more minor changes... My DNC used to sport a hat, I might even have some screenshots somewhere on here from the past where it still sports that hat. The look was built around an old old glam from the HW days that I made that was very... tap-dancer-esque. These days the new look has kind of been a Mina default look and is what I base a lot of my art and designing around but I always leave out the hat so decided I’d switch it with glasses. They might not stay but I do always love the look of glasses on Mina. Second only to hair flowers (I just didn’t feel I had any good ones on hand to go with the look).

MNK/SAM got new earrings and DRG/RPR got new nails. These were both super minor style changes. I wanted some earrings that were lowkey and that I didn’t really use much (instead of my usual heart earrings) for the MNK/SAM look. That look has always been a staple of my wardrobe since at least early HW if not sooner than that. It’s simple and effective and was built entirely around the gloves and going “what else can I make black that has gold accents?” The DRG/RPR look is similarly an old classic of mine, built completely around the Maelstrom coat. I used to have the sharp beastly nails on the look and I just switched those out for the like regular painted nails. Super minor change for a look that has never stopped being amazing. The way the Y’shtola HW boots pair with that coat is too dang powerful.

As one last random aside, BLU continues to be my most extra look. I have tried to make it over the top and extravagant in ever incarnation I’ve made of it. This one is decidedly less silly than it’s first main glam (which I should dig up some old pics of) but it still has that very loud, “LOOK AT ME” showmanship to the design. Every time I make a new outfit for it I have a lot of fun with it. The only look that I think brings me more joy from the sillyness of it is my blindfolded “I can’t read” SMN look.

[aceprosecuties]

How does one write Simon Blackquill? (This is a cry for help because I have no idea how and I'm trying to write a story that has been sitting in my folder for the past 7 months and I want to finish it but how does one write him my God... ;_;)

SO I know I’m still on like…unannounced hiatus as I try andfigure out what I want to do in the face of tumblr’s nsfw ban (which I hate, soI’m wrestling with my desire to not really use tumblr anymore out of protestvs. wanting to stay because I enjoy running this blog for the most part).  BUT I saw this and knew I had to answer! :D

OKAY, so it’s hard for me to exactly say what might be bestsimply because him pre 5-5 and post 5-5 can be slightly different, so I willjust go over how I write him and stuff!  Anddon’t worry; it took me a while to get his voice down myself, and even now Istill sometimes wonder if I’m writing him alright (but I look back at somethings in the beginning of my AA writing career and I think I’ve been able to getcloser to him than I was)!

Simon is odd because he honorable, snarky, a troll(ish), protective,emotional, scary, and soft all at once.  He hasa very specific vision of honor and adheres to that very strictly – this samurai code he follows was his reasoning forwhy he was ready to sacrifice himself for Athena.  In court, too, he has a specific set ofstandards and methods that he finds to be legitimate (which he allows) and just ‘tricks’(which he hates).  He is very intolerantof things he finds dishonorable – hence why he did everything in his power (andwas successful) to make sure that Apollo was not able to use his perceptionability in court (until he found it a necessary evil to taking down thephantom).  To him, this is just a trickand has no legal or scientific basis.  Healso does not like the dirty tricks that Nahyuta sometimes plays – he getsinvolved in 6-4 partially because he found Nahyuta using Athena’s hearingability against her to be underhanded.

(cut because holy shit this got long I am sorry I can’t help myself)

His respect for people varies depending on if he finds themhonorable and to be a worthy ally or opponent. In court, he refers to the opposition with the honorific -dono as a wayto show his respect of them as an enemy. He is very poetic (in his own way) when describing…most things, butespecially courtroom battles – they are, to him, akin to actual war, and thewords and arguments people use are weapons and blades.  His respect (or lack thereof) can usually beseen in how he addresses people.  Thosehe respects get their actual name and an honorific.  Those he does not get a nickname atbest.  (Example – in 6-4 he starts outcalling Nahyuta ‘Sahdmadhi-dono,’ but once Nahyuta loses his respect, hechanges it to ‘Prosecutor Sad Monk’ on top of just flat out insults.)

THAT BEING SAID his having respect for people does not meanthat he always…treats them that way. Simon is The Gadfly/Troll trope – he likes to provoke people and makefun of them and make them uncomfortable…either because he finds it amusing(most of the time), or because he is trying to get them to figure something out(usually in the form of ‘tough love’ especially with respect to Athena in6-4).  In prison he was a prankster andjust reveled in doing things to messwith his fellow inmates. He has an extremely dark sense of humor (gallows-type)due probably needing to have it in his own way in dealing with his prison sentence, and laughs at his own jokeswhile everyone else/most people around him stare awkwardly and feel uncomfortable.  He used this in court a lot too; when peoplestill thought him a murderer, he would act like he was committed to violence andwas about to cut them all down and then when everyone was cowering andterrified he’d be like “lol just kidding you’re all pathetic but you shouldhave seen your faces.”  He also used hisfrightening reputation and appearance to his advantage in court – he wouldglare and bang on the table and break his shackles as a way to unnerve peopleand gain that sort of psychological advantage.  Andwhen he was seriously angry?  Well…that was terrifying.

In the English version of the game, Simon is said to be asamurai, but he actually is more akin to a ronin – a masterless samurai.  Metis was his master/mentor, and he lost herand so does not hold that same sort of reverence for (almost) anyone, which iswhy he is so powerfully devoted to her and preserving her legacy and honor and savingher daughter.  (I say almost because Iwould say that Edgeworth is the closest thing he has to a new ‘master’ in thesense that Edgeworth helped save him and is his boss and is highly respected,etc.  So where I think he makes fun ofeveryone else he respects, he does not do the same to Edgeworth, who is more onthe ‘revered’ level akin to Metis (though still less than her).  Yourmileage may vary on that though.)

Things that do not interest him get zero/minimal attention.  In fact, he will go out of his way to make others do things for him.  In this sense, he actually might be thelaziest of the prosecutors – sure he takes his job seriously and will fight inthe courtroom to the best of his ability, but he will also try and get thejudge and the police and the defense to do parts of his job for him.  Simply because he doesn’t feel like it, and/orsimply because he can.  The easiest example is how he convinces the judgeto do the opening statements in most cases just…because he doesn’t want to. The one he actually does dothe opening statement for is the case that is personal to him and so he takes astrong interest in it.

So, on the outside, Simon is rough.  His sense of honor does not mean he is respectfulin the traditional ‘respectful person’ sort of sense and most people who cross his path would probablyconsider him brash and rude.

On the inside, though, and at his core, Simon is extremelyprotective and loyal and emotional.  Hisprotectiveness comes out mostly with respect to Athena – he might make fun ofher and tease her relentlessly but the moment someone does something toactually hurt her in any way, he ison the warpath and puts himself in the path between whoever is doing that andher.  This is the other reason he gets involved in 6-4; he saw that Athena washurting and panicking and came to help her (while at the same time shaming Nahyuta and the entire courthouse audience).  Sure, he did this with his own ‘tough love’type of approach, but he came to her defense without hesitation. So even after he is out of prison, Athena is still a very importantperson to him – probably the most important aside from her mother – and he willdefend her.

Pre 5-5 he has a lot of emotions deep within him – he is sad(canonically, the marks on his face were created from the tears he cried whenhe was in prison that he never wiped away) and angry and fearful.  Although he ‘accepts’ his death in theloosest sense of the word, he did not wantto die.  It was a sacrifice he wasready to make that went along with his code of honor, but he did not wantdeath.  Sometimes I think people forgethow young he actually is – at 28 hewas in prison for seven years and was a day’s away from execution.  He looks older because of the stress being inprison put him under and from the secrets he carried, but he is still a youngperson and was ready to sacrifice so many years for his mentor’s daughter.These sorts of sad emotions, though, he was usually very good at keeping hiddenbehind his humor and his ‘twisted samurai’ persona.  So I usually use this when I am writing inhis perspective (which is…my usual route when he is around), but I don’t knowif it would be as apparently obvious to others, minus Athena, who knows him bestand can hear his heart’s turmoilwhenever he speaks.  I also write that hestill carries a lot of it after 5-5but that is my personal perspective!  Hedoes have a lot of relief and is happier after 5-5 and that fear of impendingdeath does not follow him.  But to me,that sort of trauma will stay with him. He just, still, does not show it. He is not the type to lean on others. Get them to do his work? Absolutely.  But actually lean onthem for emotional help?  Not somuch.  Even with his sister, he was verystunted in how he expressed his love for her (and vice-versa; neither Blackquillsibling is very good at expressing their emotions).  

UH I’m sure I’m missing things but I just realized that thisis already like…1500 words because I just rambled about Simon’s character and Ilove him so much.  I DON’T KNOW IF THISWAS HELPFUL because it might just be me rambling, so feel free to send meanother ask or DM or something if you would like more or something morespecific, even!  

[sfusummerfestival]

Artist Spotlight: Kumiya

🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨🎨

Now introducing the fabulous artist duo behind Kumiya!

🎨 Introduce yourselves!

Mitz: I’m Mitz! I love drawing, gardening, and putting on a nice pair of earrings. In addition to illustration, I also write and draw a comic called Crucible Romance with my partner.

Kumako-dono:  I’m Kumako-dono! People usually call me Kuma. If I am not getting lost in my backlog of anime/manga/games, I enjoy spending that extra time drawing!  

🎨 How would you describe your art style?

Mitz: I tried to challenge myself to draw one thing a day for a whole year in 2018, and while I didn’t meet the goal, I learned a lot about my drawing style and habits. I’d say my art is expressive, with lots of vibrant colours and light. I love to draw people in a way where the viewer can tell what the characters are feeling or what they might being saying to each other in the shot.

Kumako-dono: It feels like something constantly changing. I haven’t solidified a consistent art style yet, and with less time to draw now than I used to, it feels like everytime I try to create I end up surprising myself with how it turns out! I’d say currently my art style has very delicate lines and I love to draw cute things. I hope to muster up more courage to play with colours and bolder lines!

🎨 What’s the most memorable thing someone’s ever said to you about your art?

Mitz: One of my most memorable moments was when I lined up to get fanart signed by the voice actress Kimberly Brooks. I had two copies of an Allura print I did, and said I wanted to give her one and asked if she could sign the other for me. I was so nervous talking to her, but one of the first things she said was “You drew this? Can you sign my copy?” I completely melted! Honestly though, I feel so exhilarated whenever anyone points to one of my pieces and says “You drew this character doing that?!” I love when people see my headcanons and have a discussion with me about them.

Kumako-dono: I’m normally pretty shy showing my art to people, but everytime I hear someone enjoying and appreciate what I have made - it’s all so important to me and it makes me very happy. As long as there’s someone out there that will enjoy what I draw, I get amped up to continue improving! I don’t have one particular moment that stands out currently, but that may just be due to my terrible memory… Maybe someday I’ll have a better answer for this. ʕ╹ヮ╹｡ʔ

🎨 Who are your favourite Fire Emblem characters at the moment?

Mitz: Oh, I am so glad you asked. My forever favourite has got to be Owain/Odin because he’s such a dramatic dork and I find that really relatable. I also love Gaius cause he’s so cheeky and Niles cause he’s so flirty.

Kumako-dono: The first and last actual console Fire Emblem game I played was Awakening, so my favourites would have to be Lon’qu and Gaius. Although Libra caught my attention in the beginning, something about that tough exterior and shy/bad with women ‘gap’ just gets me. Gaius having a sweet tooth along with his personality is just great as well. Of course, Lucina holds a special place in my heart… can’t forget to mention her!

🎨 What do you like most about bears? Can attendees expect to see art containing bears at your table at SummerFest?

Mitz: I’m just gonna pass the mic on over to my table mate, Kumako, here…

Kumako-dono: Guess that’s my cue! My favourite thing about bears is that they are adorable, but you can’t take them lightly. They’ll claw someone down in an instant to protect themselves and their loved ones! For real though, they just look so cute when they are sitting. I may or may not have some art containing bears at my table by that time… It’s definitely something in the works! ;)

🎨 Social Media Links!

Mitz: You can find me on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram as @mitzoco. You can also read Crucible Romance on Webtoon and Tapas.

Kumako-dono: I’m not the best at posting consistently, but you can mainly find me on Twitter and Instagram! Twitter: @kumakodono_art Instagram: @kumako.dono   

[yangssunglasses]

Here’s a snippet of an unfinished Kenshin fic. This is basically canon divergence starting with the alternate ending to the fight with Udo Jin-e. Prepare for angst.

.

Kaoru couldn't breathe. Her lungs, paralyzed by Udo Jin-e's strength of will, refused to expand, to draw fresh air in. The girl was choking to death, bound and helpless, as she watched in horror the madman's plan come to life.

“Come on, Battousai, what are you waiting for? She's got less than a minute. If you want her to live, kill me!” Jin-e taunted with a wicked grin.

Kenshin, no! Don't listen to him, she wanted to yell, but only a wheezing sound came out of her frozen throat. She was like a fish out of water, losing air with every precious second.

The rurouni glanced at her, his expression hardening. He gripped his sword harder and flipped his hold on it, so that the cutting edge faced the smiling murderer. “This is your last chance. Let Kaoru-dono go.”

Jin-e threw his head back in a short bark of laughter. “That look... I like it! I will let her go, but only over my dead body!”

Without a warning, Kenshin leapt at the enemy and the two swordsmen clashed again ferociously. Their killing intent saturated the atmosphere, bearing down on everything alive in terrifying waves. Only the crows remained unaffected as they observed the fight from high branches, patiently waiting for their turn to feast.

Kaoru's whole body shook and tears leaked out of her eyes. She struggled, trying to break out of the spell, but she was weakening too quickly. Dark spots filled her vision.

“Kaoru-dono! Kaoru-donooo!!!” she heard distorted screams as if she was underwater. Ken...shin... He's calling me... she thought before losing to the encroaching darkness.

“Looks like you were too slow, Battousai. But you really should keep your attention on me,” Jin-e said and thrusted his sword. Kenshin barely managed to step back, but the sharp tip still sank into his torso. Amber eyes glared from under the red fringe.

“Jin-e!” he roared and charged with ultimate speed, his raised sword drawing a short, elegant arch before it made a swift cut through the manslayer's stomach. Jin-e's look turned into surprise as his sliced guts spilled onto the ground. He coughed wetly, hacking up blood, then wiped his mouth. Even on lips stained with red, he was still wearing that mad grin.

“Not... bad... Battousai...” he said approvingly. “I told you... once a hitokiri... always a hitokiri...”

Then he toppled back, his body thudding onto the ground.

Kenshin stared at it blankly, the familiar scene of death filling his senses, when he heard a huge intake of breath behind him.

Kaoru-dono!

The blood-slicked blade slipped out of his grip and fell onto the ground. Kenshin ran to her side. The girl was panting harshly while Kenshin hoisted her into his arms.

“Kaoru-dono... you're alive...”

“Ken-shin,” she murmured his name, looking up at him with tired, blue eyes. Then she frowned. “Are you... hurt?” she asked.

“I'm alright,” he reassured. His wounds were only minor, so why was she...

A hand reached up to touch his scarred cheek. “Then... what is this?”  Kaoru's fingers came off his cheek tipped in blood and Kenshin's heart stopped for a beat as he took in the reminder of his sin. He really did it again, what he had sworn not to do... A chasm opened under his feet and he was falling into it, Jin-e's voice whispering mockingly into his ear.

Once a hitokiri, always a hitokiri...

“Kenshin?” Kaoru's worried voice brought him back. “What's wrong?” she asked.

Kenshin closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, centering himself.

“It's nothing. Can you stand up?” he then said brusquely.

With his help, Kaoru got back on her feet. She was still feeling a little faint after the asphyxiation, but other than that she was no worse for the wear.

“Kenshin, where are you-” she blurted when he moved away from her side, then she gave out a loud gasp.

His turned back stiffened. He was expecting this to happen. Kaoru-dono was not blind, she was going to see the bloody aftermath of the fight and he could do nothing to prevent it short of knocking her out, which was out of the question. But like this, at least he would not see the revulsion and fear on her face.

“Is he... dead?” she asked softly.

“Yes.”

Kenshin walked closer to the body, looking for the sakabatou.

“Did... did you...” Kaoru's quiet voice wavered.

Kenshin picked up the sword from the patch of stained grass and made a practiced, short swish to shake the blood off the blade before sheathing it. That was the only answer needed, but still he was compelled to answer, to confess to his failure out loud when he turned to face her again.

“Yes.” Shadows of the night hid his expression, but he sounded harsher, unlike the mild-mannered rurouni she was used to.

Kaoru inadvertently flinched and put a hand over her mouth.

Kenshin returned to her side, his stride measured and careful as if he was trying not to startle her. “We should go,” he suggested quietly and Kaoru nodded.

“What about... him? Are we just going to leave him like that?” she questioned with uncertainty.

“I'll inform the police about the body.”

“I see...”

The walk back to the dojo was tense and uncomfortable, the silence between them heavy with things unspoken. A million thoughts and questions buzzed in Kaoru's head but when she tried to open her mouth and say something, nothing came out. So she just eyed the gulf that appeared between their shoulders and despaired.

Kenshin stopped at the entrance and she also paused, looking at him expectantly.

“You're not coming in? You should get your wounds looked at first,” Kaoru said, relieved that she finally found her voice back.

“It's nothing serious. I'll go to the police station now,” he replied.

Kaoru bit her lip and watched him leave with a clouded mind, then a crazy, terrifying thought struck her. What if... what if he wasn't coming back? What if he was going to just disappear, without a trace?

“Kenshin! Wait!” she cried out. He halted to look over his shoulder. “You still have my ribbon, remember? I want it back after you're done,” she demanded.

A slight upward curve appeared on the line of his mouth as he got the message. “Of course, Kaoru-dono.”

Kaoru breathed out in relief, more confident that he'd keep his word. But the deep-seated worry still stayed, gnawing at her from the inside. She remained at the gate, following him with her gaze until he turned a corner and disappeared from view. Only then she reluctantly went inside.

.

AN: I posted it to test the waters, so let me know your thoughts! Thanks for reading :)

[tact-and-impulse]

At Arm’s Length Chapter 5

Well, I’ll post in case the storm over here knocks out the power. :p FF.net, AO3

Chapter 5: The Runaway

The following morning, Koshijiro was prepared to train the newest officers. He had ideas about how to assign them, but that would depend on their individual personalities and work ethics. He was about to depart for the police station, when his daughter came up to him.

“Otou-san, have you seen Kenshin?”

“I did not.” Breakfast had been on the table, but there was no other sign of the redhead.

“Hmm.” Her brow furrowed, and she turned on her heel, walking further into the house.

Yahiko was of more help, calling out from the yard. “Sano stopped by, he said they were going out.” At Kaoru’s dubiousness, he added. “I wouldn’t lie. If you worry this much, get Kenshin on a leash.”

She flushed. “You little brat! That’s just…ew!”

“You didn’t have to take me seriously!”

Koshijiro sternly interrupted the exchange. “The both of you should start lessons. Himura and Sagara will be fine wherever they are.”

“It’s the Shuueiya.” Yahiko informed Kaoru. “A gambling hall.”

“G-gambling hall?! Geez, they had better not lose everything.” Despite her disgruntled tone, her expression had relaxed from before. “Otou-san, do you need a bento box?”

“No, I will be in town for most of the day. I’ll be back before dinner.” He said goodbye and saw them wave as he left.

When he entered the department’s large meeting room, the chief introduced him to the group of fifteen officers. “This is former officer Kamiya-san. He recently returned from Satsuma, but he’s been with us for over ten years. He will be in charge of your training from now on.”

Fifteen pairs of eyes stared at his trailing sleeve.

“Yes, I lost my arm in battle.” Koshijiro directly addressed the matter, hoping their curiosity was satisfied. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case, because they began to chatter amongst themselves. He loudly cleared his throat, and they remembered to be quiet.

Soon, he realized the group only needed to be motivated properly. They slacked off on patrols because they were bored, and it was difficult to keep their attention. When he started to lecture about the new patrol routes, they were still distracted by the novelty of his missing arm. Well, except for Kosaburo. He remained attentive the entire time, politely raising his hand when he had a question. He showed the most promise, despite his inexperience.

It was still early when Koshijiro finished lecturing, so he divided them into groups of three and assigned each a route. The young men were well-behaved as they practiced patrolling, but he would have to observe them later, when they thought he wasn’t looking. It was close to evening when he finished checking their paperwork, and handed over their next assignments.

He walked through the streets of Tokyo, alone. It had been a little over a month since his return, and already, much had changed. His daughter was the master of Kamiya Kasshin. An Ishin Shishi veteran and ex-assassin was now handling the household chores. The sole student had once been a pickpocket and their most frequent visitor was a former street fighter. In the old days, all of this would have been frowned upon. But Koshijiro did not care for the past. Now, every day was high-spirited and cheerful. Even with unexpected events, the house was a great deal livelier. He preferred it.

As if fate had read his mind, another surprise awaited him at home. Everyone was in the yard, and ignoring Himura’s spread-eagled body on the ground, he immediately singled out the one unfamiliar person, a young woman with long hair and a red-lipped smile. She wasn’t a friend of Kaoru, judging by how his daughter leveled a firm look at her.

“Takani-san, was it? I’m very sorry, but you can go home. These two idiots might have won you in gambling, but you’re free now.”

Takani didn’t budge. “Oh, I don’t want to. I like this man, you see.” She knelt, helping the half-beaten Himura to a sitting position. She tilted her head close, intimately. “I don’t want to leave his side for a second. And I’m better company than that sweaty girl, aren’t I, Ken-san?”

Himura only gave a dazed moan of ‘oro’, while Kaoru spluttered. “S-stop that!”

“What’s the matter? It doesn’t look like you’re his lover, so you don’t have a say in what he does.”

“Come on, don’t tease her so much, she’s naïve.” Sagara’s input was the last straw.

His daughter was seething in frustration, and Koshijiro stepped in. “Kaoru, you and Yahiko should change out of your uniforms. It’s getting late.” The boy was eager to acquiesce, but Kaoru flashed a glare at the other three.

“If you’d rather not stay at the house of a naïve, sweaty girl, then you can just go!”

Well, Koshijiro hadn’t been happy with how they had picked on her, but losing her temper was too far. “Kaoru!” He scolded, but she ran inside.

“Oh, it’s alright. Girls at that age can be quite testy.” Takani gave a lofty laugh, as if she were a worldly lady, instead of a girl barely older than Kaoru.

Koshijiro turned to them, and Takani stiffened. He then looked to Sagara. “Is it true about the gambling?”

“Er…yeah?” He scratched his head. “Sorry, old man, but we’d like her to stay close.” His tone wasn’t very lighthearted, foreboding rather. He was hiding something, Koshijiro was sure of it.

“Perhaps it’s best for all of you to be elsewhere, until Kaoru calms down. Takani-san, I am Kamiya Koshijiro, Kaoru’s father. You’re welcome to stay for the night, but you should know that my daughter is your hostess and she should be treated accordingly.”

“…yes.” For a moment, it was like she was hiding behind a shield, backing off to protect herself. Her smile was tight. “I’ll be a model guest.”

***

Koshijiro gave a stern lecture, while dinner was being prepared. “Even if you don’t like Takani-san, that is no excuse for bad manners.”

Kaoru had been slicing tofu and now, she brought the knife down heavily on the cutting board. “I was polite! It was Takani-san who was rude first. Why isn’t she hearing this?”

“I do not care who started it, only that you behaved poorly and we must remedy that.” Also, he was honestly at a loss for how to deal with someone like Takani. Or this entire tug-of-war over Himura.

Meanwhile, Yahiko was listening nonchalantly. “Yeah, you were overreacting. Get a grip, moody hag.”

“That’s enough from you, young man.”

“Sorry.” He clammed up.

“But he is correct in that you overreacted. You need to be more mature, in control of your temper. The minute you lose restraint, your efforts will be for nothing. You must be clearheaded and calm, especially with those who are difficult. If you are not, they will get what they want.”

“Fine. I understand, Otou-san.” Kaoru said shortly, and it was silent, except for the thud of the knife in her hand. “Ah, then again. You tried to punch Kenshin when you first met him.”

Of course, that would be brought up! But he supposed he deserved it. His own temper was a work in progress, forty-six years in the making.

Yahiko’s eyes widened. “What?”

“It was a misunderstanding. I apologized later that day, as you should, Kaoru.”

“I know, I will.” She griped, but she sounded more contrite.

An hour later, Sagara and Himura returned. Takani was with them, but she looked rattled, her eyes darting around the room. She didn’t sit down until Himura urged her to.

Kaoru was remorseful, as she set the table. “I’m sorry for snapping. It’s been a long day.”

Himura shook his head. “No, we shouldn’t have brought a guest without asking you beforehand. That was presumptuous of us.” He smiled at her, and she tentatively returned the expression.

“Good, so all’s forgiven.” Sagara grinned. “Let’s eat.”

Dinner was mostly civil, although Sagara and Yahiko’s etiquette needed polishing. Twice, Koshijiro reminded them to stop talking with their mouths full. Kaoru related the day’s events to Himura, and while he was listening to her, Koshijiro noticed his shoulders were tense. He’d have to find out what matter Takani brought to their doorstep.

“Would you like more tea, Takani-san?” He politely asked.

“Oh, no, thank you. And I’d rather not trouble you.” Her gaze was on his missing arm. “Is that recent?”

“From Satsuma.”

“Ah, so you were wounded there.” She was more alert. “Any pain or tenderness?”

“I have occasional phantom pains, but my physician has already given medicine. Aspirin, I believe.”

“No opium.” There was a note of relief in her voice.

“Dr. Oguni doesn’t trust it.”

“That’s good.” She pressed her lips together. “Well, if you feel ill, I have no qualms about hearing your concerns.” Then, she turned her attention to Himura, and the chance to question her was lost amidst her flirtations and Kaoru’s barely restrained apprehension.

After dinner, the stark jolts of pain had also returned, forcing him to excuse himself to his bedroom. He closed his eyes, focusing on breathing and slowly emptying his mind.

“Hey, old man! Your daughter’s peeping!” Sagara’s voice broke him out of meditation. Heaving a sigh, Koshijiro rose and peered out through the window into the yard.

“I wasn’t!” Kaoru said vehemently, releasing her grip on Sagara’s collar. “I was…checking in on Kenshin and Takani-san. They haven’t come out yet.” Supposedly, they were having a ‘discussion’ in one of the rooms.

“It’s not what you’re thinking.” Sagara reassured her. “He might be strong, but Kenshin’s just weak when it comes to women and children.”

“And what about you?” She countered.

His eyes darkened. “I couldn’t care less about that vixen!” It was a strangely intense reaction.

“If there’s something we deserve to know,” Koshijiro cleared his throat and stepped out. “It’d be wise to share it.”

At that moment, Himura joined them. “It’s a sensitive matter, Kamiya-dono. This one can only say that it there may be a serious incident.” He handed a slip of paper to Sagara, who unfolded it. “In this case, the fewer people involved, the better.”

Koshijiro raised his eyebrows. “It’s a matter too sensitive for the police?”

He gave that harmless smile. “Yes, for now.”

It wasn’t a very satisfactory answer, but Kaoru relented a little. “Alright. When it’s over, we’d like an explanation.”

“Of course.”

Suddenly, a cackle floated up from the floorboards. Koshijiro frowned, as Yahiko squirmed out from underneath the porch. “I heard everything! It’s not fair, I want in on this!”

“No way, you’re just a kid.” Sagara dismissed him.

“W-well, you’re just a Sanosuke!” Yahiko attempted a retort and a flying kick, which was easily blocked.  

While the others laughed, Koshijiro caught Takani’s profile, from within the house. She was looking at them, her expression inexplicably melancholy. It was odd, for the spring night was pleasant enough.

At least, until the gate blew open. Concrete and wooden splinters soared through the air.

“They’re here!” Takani’s voice was panicked.

Beyond Himura and Sagara, Koshijiro spotted a hulking shadow that had taken the place of the gate. It was a large man, who could have been a sumo wrestler in another life. He pushed aside pieces of the crumbling wall, as he ordered. “Megumi. Hand her over. I’m Hyottoko of the Oniwanbanshuu, and I might not hurt anyone else if you do what I say now.”

Tense silence followed. Koshijiro drew Kaoru and Yahiko behind him.

Hyottoko scoffed. “Well, a fight it is then. Who’s first? Either, both, it doesn’t matter.”

“Me!” Sagara roared and rushed forward. “I’ll make you talk about the opium!”

Opium? Koshijiro glanced at Takani, who was paler. A sensitive matter, the appearance of a former spy, the secrecy, her interest in physiology. She was likely a manufacturer of the drug, probably escaped from whoever handled her.

Sagara had landed a punch, but Hyottoko didn’t budge. He clicked his teeth, and in the next instant, there was blazing heat. The flames were brief, yet they blackened the grass and Sagara had to throw off his singed coat. He had been lucky, only his leg had taken the most damage.

“That’s our fire man!” There was a distant laugh. “Oil in his gut and flint in his teeth. Nothing he can’t burn!”

“Leave, Beshimi.” Hyottoko snapped, and at the base of his tongue, a drip was visible. Did that connect to where the oil was held?

“Don’t look away. I’m your opponent.” Himura called out, holding the sakabato before him.

“After I’m finished with this one, you’re next, no hurry.”

“That’s true, you can take your time with your sideshow act. It won’t touch a hair.” Himura’s goading worked, for the man was enraged enough to direct the next blast of flames toward him. But Himura wasn’t even singed, as he rapidly spun his sword.

“Oh, he’s using the wind to make a shield!” Yahiko crowed, and Koshijiro pulled him back.

“Go inside and wait there.”

“As if I could! I’m part of Kenshin’s company!”

Exasperated, Koshijiro turned to his daughter, only to see that she wasn’t there. Neither was Takani, but they hadn’t gone far.

“Going somewhere? You could at least watch those who are fighting for your sake.” Kaoru was stopping Takani, who appeared to be trying to slip out.

“Beshimi might be a different story, but Hyottoko is more typical of the Oniwabanshuu. He can’t be beaten by a regular swordsman.”

“Kenshin will win.” She said with certainty. “Because he’s not a regular swordsman.”

Indeed, Himura’s deflection had stalled the attack. Hyottoko had run out of oil, and the flames sputtered out. Then, he suddenly began to pound his stomach.

“He’s trying to refill the oil!” Kaoru realized.

“You’ll have to remove the bag in his stomach!” Koshijiro added. The height of battle could be blamed for that outburst.

However, Sagara walked up, insisting. “Thanks, Kenshin, but I’ll take care of him this time!”

“Your leg’s hurt.” Kaoru protested, but Himura retreated.

“Go ahead, Sanosuke.”

Hyottoko had also recovered, and he aimed directly at Sagara. Within the fire, Sagara’s shadow leapt. He reached into the other man’s mouth and dragged out the oil sack. His arms were covered in burns, but his good leg landed a roundhouse kick into Hyottoko’s jaw, landing the former spy.

“They’re strong.” Takani had found her voice again. “Himura and Sagara.”

“They are, and I can count on them as friends. I’m proud of them.” Kaoru beamed and headed toward them. “Are you two okay? Geez, you really are hurt.”

Exhaustion set in as the adrenaline crashed, and Koshijiro sat on the porch with a sigh. “Yes, they barely managed to win.”

“It seems like that, doesn’t it?” Himura grinned, but the revelry was cut short as he whirled around. “Beshimi is still here!”

A second ninja emerged from the trees over the wall, his face ghastly in the moonlight. This one was more the type, with cunning, angular features and short stature. He snapped his wrist, and something whistled straight towards Takani. But it never hit her.

“Watch out!” Yahiko jumped, a dart landing in the back of his hand. It would have been in Takani’s heart, otherwise.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Kaoru ran to him, helping him up from the ground. “What if it was in your heart? This isn’t a game, so stay back!”

“We’re all protecting her, aren’t we? I said I’m part of Kenshin’s company! Have a little…faith…in…” His words began to slur, and he collapsed once more.

Poison. Dread filled Koshijiro and he hurried over as well.

Beshimi was still talking. “That’s what happens when you get involved in other people’s business! He’ll have an hour at most. You’re next, by the way-huh?” His target had been Himura, who had vanished before him. A moment later, Himura landed his ambush, striking the sakabato down on Beshimi’s head.

However, the falling poisoner’s body didn’t touch the ground. It had happened quickly, but another ninja had been present and dashed to catch his comrade. The man, wearing a Hann’ya mask, held up his hand in surrender. “We’re retreating.”

“We won’t stop you from leaving.” Himura answered. “But give us the poison’s antidote.”

“Why should we? You’re the enemy.”

Himura attacked, but the Hann’ya man stopped the blade with his gloved fist. With the other, he struck Himura, who dug his scabbard into the other man’s liver. As the Hann’ya man stumbled backwards, Himura fell to the grass and Koshijiro moved to stand near him. There was no chance to win against this ninja now, but regardless, he looked for an opening. Anything, to obtain an antidote.

But there was none, and the Hann’ya man only said. “This battle isn’t over. As long as you house Takani Megumi, we’ll be back.” With that, he quickly extricated himself, Hyottoko, and Beshimi. They seemed to melt into the darkness.

“Yahiko! Yahiko!” Kaoru and Sagara were shouting, slapping the boy’s face to keep him awake.

Koshijiro offered his hand to the grimacing Himura, helping him up. He was rather light, but his grip was still strong. As they ran over, Koshijiro inquired. “Himura, do you know what we can do?”

“This one only has experience with broken bones and sword wounds. Should we suck the poison out of the wound?”

Kaoru was prepared to, but Takani grabbed her hand. “You’ll only infect the wound. This isn’t a job for amateurs.” She knelt, fluidly taking Yahiko’s pulse and opening his eyelids. “It’s jimsonweed. Kamiya-san, help me elevate his body with pillows. You mentioned your physician Dr. Oguni. I’ll write a prescription, Kaoru can get it from him. Ken-san, I need boiled water and washcloths. And you buy ice.” She told Sagara, before turning her focused gaze on all of them. “This is a race against time. Go!”

***

By the time Dr. Gensai arrived, most of the debris in the yard had been cleared. Koshijiro waited outside, keeping watch in case anyone else would ambush them in this uncertain situation. But no one did, and Dr. Gensai beckoned him inside, to join his daughter and Sagara. Among the pillows on the floor, Yahiko was asleep, his forehead damp but his breathing even.

Dr. Gensai explained. “The boy will be alright in a few days. Who wrote the prescription? It was perfect, they must have studied at a Western university.”

There was a moment’s pause before Sagara gave her up. “A woman named Takani.”

“Takani? From Aizu?”

Now that Koshijiro thought about it, her accent had a trace of the mainland’s northern provinces. “Do you know her?”

“Not personally. The Takani clan is famous for being physicians, men and women alike. I heard that the last head of the family, Takani Ryuusei, sent his children to one of the new Western institutes in Nagasaki. He was courageous enough to leave his province. Then, Aizu fell; the two of you were probably too young to remember, but you do, Koshijiro.”

He nodded once. He hadn’t been part of the subjugating forces sent by the government, but he and Kyoko had mourned how many had died in the rebellion. “And I’m sure the Takani family had plenty of work on their hands.”

“They did. Takani Ryuusei died on the battlefield, his wife and sons went missing in a fire. But I heard his daughter was in Tokyo, although the doctor she worked for had an ill reputation. He was murdered by gangsters, and no one had seen her since.” Takani-san must have been that daughter, but how had she come to manufacture opium, instead of saving lives?

Then, Kaoru stood, saying grudgingly. “I should thank her. Wait, now that you mention it, I haven’t seen her since you came here.”

Sagara started. “She couldn’t have escaped again? I’ll check inside.”

“We’ll look outside.” Koshijiro offered, and Kaoru followed him.

The yard was still empty, but there were voices from beyond the destroyed gate. Himura was further along the road, perhaps to stop Takani from leaving again. She was crying, looking more like the lonely young woman she was.

“I just wanted to continue working as a doctor.” She sobbed. Evidently, Himura had also discovered her past. “I thought, if I did, my family would find me. But…it’s been ten years, and nothing. And the doctor here made opium, before Kanryuu came.” She spat out the name. “Now I’m making opium for him instead. I tried to escape, even into death.”

The loss of her family and livelihood had driven her to desperation, yet her suicide attempt had failed. She had been lost for many years, without a true sense of purpose. Koshijiro pitied her, and it seemed his daughter did as well, pensively observing the conversation.

“However, for these three years, you produced the opium at a minimum. Yes, there were victims, but not as many as there could have been. You took on this burden, and now it’s time for you to forgive yourself. And you are alive.” Himura replied. “We will do our best to protect you and after that, you can find your own way to live on. There are many people who you could help, with your expertise. That is the only way you can atone, Takani-dono.”

Kaoru spoke up, relenting. “You saved Yahiko, and we have you to thank. The least we can do is give you a place to stay. Just for now.”

Takani wiped at her eyes, before bowing her head. “Thank you.”

For the moment, it had all ended well and Koshijiro couldn’t complain. A brisk wind blew, and he quietly said. “It’s been a long night. We should all go inside.”

Together, the four of them returned to the warmth of the house. But Sagara did not greet Takani, his expression still guarded.

[ishipeveryship]

The utter and criminal lack of Dabba (because I can’t in good conscience call it anything else)

Disclaimer : This post is going to be just a miasma  of unresolved rage, venting, run-on sentences and quite a bit of unnecessary analysis of the newly merged hour-long torturous experience called Ishqbaaaz… yes it does actually have 3 As, for no damn reason. Read on at your own risk.

I’ve been a pseudo-regular on IF for the last couple of months where I post some fics (what a discreet plug?! Go find me on IF - writergenie17) and infrequently indulge in some discussions. I was mostly active on the DBO forum cuz you know… its the only show I watched and I like to torture myself, to say nothing of the fact that KJ is yummy beyond belief. 

Of course, I did get my crash course in IB history and lore, (though I was never part of the faithful ShivIka bandwagon) before following DBO quite faithfully through all the mind-bending villainous chemistry adventures, eye-melting, utterly disastrous costume choices and of course, the dabbas that have given the show its iconic name (courtesy of our very own @vishwaspur ). 

For a show with no story line and absolutely no idea where it was going, KJ, Shrenu and the behind camera team deserve a whole lot of kudos for making us come back to it every night for another dose of WTF?! Casting is probably the only thing about this show that kept me coming back the numerous times I told myself I had to quit for the sake of my own mental health. Rahul Dev as KT was beyond perfection. KJ and Shrenu were setting screens on fire from the first episode on and we were all hooked. 

Then came the Svetlana storyline,which was at that point of time still quite tame… the track gave us ChulKara, something I look back at fondly, even now. I know a lot of us were frustrated with the lack of progress and the amount of crazy crap they were flinging at us every night with the devolving of the Multilana story line into a series of Ripley’s believe it or not videos. But even that was acceptable considering the minuscule amount of attention our two leads get now. But that’s something for later…

Then with the Fakelana’s famous freezer dabba gone, we got one more dabba in the form of crazy Bua Maa’s Ratan ka dabba. 

Another inferior story line which was however enormously bolstered by Sushmitaji’s amazing portrayal of creepy Bua Maa. I think I was more scared of her than even KT and that’s an accomplishment on its own.

But to our relief, even that came to an abrupt but sort of satisfying end. The team managed to give us starved viewers a week’s worth of solid RiKara and even though there were gaping plot holes and stuff that just didn’t make sense, we knew by now, that to expect anything even remotely associated with logic from these people is like wishing for pigs to fly. But we got beautifully set and shot RiKara scenes and we were happy. Things were finally starting to move in the right direction. Even if misunderstandings hadn’t been cleared, at least our Omki looked ready to look past his usual ‘giri hui aurat’ rhetoric. 

Then came the merger like a tsunami and swept away all our hopes and dreams of a story line for our RiKara. Now, they’re being used as props… like seriously, KJ aur Shrenu ki jagah unke cutouts rakh do to bhi chal jaayega. 

I honestly can’t believe that the Rudra-Bhavya relationship, which doesn’t technically exist, is being given the same, if not better billing than RiKara, who’re actually married and have been for about six months now. How can the problems facing these two entirely different relationships (if one can even be called that) be treated the same? That too, why is this becoming a project for ShivIka, jinki khud ki relationship skills itni amazing hain ki wo dono ek doosre ko divorce de chuke hain because of course, they can’t resolve anything worth sh*t between themselves. But aa gaye hain duniya ko sudhaarne. 

And one can’t even express themselves now on the IF forums cuz the ShivIka bandwagon just steamrolls over anyone who doesn’t believe in their ‘ShivIka is the main couple’ rhetoric. Since the merger, the DBO forum has been informed that they’re closing down and that all the forum members should move to IB as its the parent show. RiKara fans have no place there cuz that is the one relationship that IB has been entirely blanked out on and now, no one wants to give them the time of day… not the creatives and certainly not the IB fans who could care less about anything that doesn’t involve Shivaay and Anika fighting like six year-old’s. 

The people who used to watch DBO and are now forced to sit through 40 minutes of unnecessary juvenile drama to watch KJ and Shrenu stand around in the background and agree with everything Bhaiya and Bhabhi are saying, are soon going to have had enough. We have been hanging on with the promise of one little scene between Omkara and Gauri… one scene and I’m sure we’ll be happy once we get it but why should we settle for crumbs when this relationship should be getting equal attention? RiKara at the moment have more of a chance to develop into something real and beautiful than either of the other couples. If RiKara isn’t given a decent attempt at a story soon, most DBO viewers that the CVs tried to rope in using the merger tactic to increase their TRP, are going to stop and as a result, the show will be forced to end. 

We already know Gul and Harneet have no concept of using an actual story line and with the third edition of IPK taking up most of their non-existent creative abilities, I have a feeling their current pride and joy, Ishqbaaaz is going to face the situation of being the less favored step-child soon. We RiKarans are used to that and we’ll survive… par tumhara kya hoga IB fans? 

[elsajeni]

SWRarepairs 2018 Letter

Hello! Thanks for checking in! I’m sorry if you saw this letter in its draft state -- I wasn’t expecting matches to go out as fast as they did! It’s all complete now. You’ve seen my likes/DNWs section in my sign-up already, but let me restate it here so it’s all in one place, and then we’ll get to the ship-specific stuff:

Likes: family feelings; bantering or bickering; moments of humor even in the darkest situations; pining; misunderstandings that turn out all right in the end; poly relationships; casual relationships; hurt/comfort.

Sexy Likes, if you go in that direction: light bondage; lots of talking during sex, both sweet and dirty; realistic funny or awkward moments. If you're writing about teen characters (since some relationships I've requested would lend themselves to that), I'd rather not have anything explicit on-page, but I'm fine with offscreen or fade-to-black implied sex.

DNWs: rape/non-con unless specifically requested; incest; explicit scenes with underage characters; detailed description of bodily fluids; drastically different AUs (I don’t mind what-ifs or canon-divergent type of fic, but I’m not interested in coffeeshop AUs, supernatural creature AUs, A/B/O, etc. – you know what I mean); infidelity; unrelentingly dark and grim stories (I like a glimmering of hope).

Star Wars canon preferences: you can probably tell from my request list that I love and miss the old EU/Legends content. For any relationship that features Legends characters, I’d be very happy with a purely-Legends-based fic, but I also love gluing the loose ends of Legends continuity into the loose ends of sequel trilogy continuity; please feel free to mix and match Legends and canon material!

Relationship-specific prompts:

Lando Calrissian/Mara Jade, Lando Calrissian/Mara Jade/Luke Skywalker

I liked Lando and Mara’s EU relationship, and wasn’t too happy with the “it was a cover” retcon – show me the time, or times, that it wasn’t just a cover. Or, how about an earlier meeting in their lives, when Mara was brand-new to Karrde’s organization, or during the few days they must have overlapped at Jabba’s Palace?

I’ve always liked Luke and Lando as a romantic pairing, too, so why not bring it all together? Three people who all care deeply for each other, who aren’t often in the same place at the same time, but when they are, well... let’s meet over a mug of hot chocolate and see where the evening takes us. (I’d prefer this with everyone on more-or-less equal footing -- not with Luke and Mara as an established/married couple and Lando as the outsider.)

Winter Celchu/Leia Organa

I’d like to see this as a youthful experiment between friends – something casual that doesn’t last, but that remains a fond memory and a little bit of an in-joke.

Oola/Leia Organa

There wasn’t a LOT of time for dancers to hang around unwatched at Jabba’s Palace, and they were only there together for a couple of days (and even that, only if we fudge the timeline a little). But sometimes it only takes a couple of days, and sometimes all you need is a few bright stolen moments.

Wedge Antilles/Leia Organa

This is definitely a Legends-influenced pairing for me – I’ve always been really fond of their close friendship in the EU novels. This is another relationship that I like better as something casual, more of a FWB arrangement that grows out of that friendship or a fling that ends happily than a long-term romance -- maybe during their early days in the Rebellion, or during the post-ROTJ period where Leia and Han are still sorting their shit out.

I’d also be interested in bringing this into the sequel-trilogy timeline. Leia and Han have separated, her kid has run off to join the Dark Side, the Republic she helped to found has turned in a direction she can’t follow -- maybe she can find some comfort, or some help, with an old friend.

Talon Karrde/DJ

I’ll be honest, I don’t really have a plan here, I just think this is a fantastic idea. I was thinking about Karrde the whole time DJ was on screen, and half-expecting him to turn out to BE Karrde, and I am delighted by the idea of this pairing. I think there’s something interesting here about grey areas, and the “rogue with a heart of gold” archetype, and what, realistically, it means to play both sides against the middle when one side is clearly and melodramatically evil.

Biggs Darklighter/Luke Skywalker

I like this best as a teen relationship that grows a little awkwardly out of their friendship, is fun while it lasts, and transitions pretty easily back into friendship when it ends. That said, whatever you do with this pairing, it’s going to be a little bit tinged with sadness; if you prefer it a LOT tinged with sadness, I’d also be delighted with a fic taking place in the brief window between when they reconnect in the Rebellion and the Death Star run.

Alternately, get weird with it -- find a way for Biggs to survive, or bring him back from the dead. Write that Space Winter Soldier AU that I secretly kind of love, or Luke being haunted by the literal ghosts of his past.

Wedge Antilles/Luke Skywalker

I would really like something that brings Wedge into the sequel trilogy timeline, and especially a look at what Luke’s choice to isolate himself means for their relationship. Was Wedge ever on Ahch-To with him? Have they been in contact at all since he disappeared? When he’s found, is Wedge in a rush to see him again, or are his feelings more complicated? (As you may be guessing here, this is an area where I am very comfortable with a “not actually dead” AU! If you like a more tragic tone, though, do feel free to go with the canonical ending of TLJ.)

The one thing I absolutely don’t want is for Wedge’s absence from the sequel films to be because he’s dead. We are not at home to the Moping Island of Widowhood, thank you, leave it as just a regular old Moping Island.

Wedge Antilles/Wes Janson

Let’s be honest, I’m mostly looking for more Wraith Squadron/Starfighters of Adumar-style shenanigans here. Alternately, this is a pairing that lends itself to hurt/comfort – both of these guys have more than enough canonical close calls. Or why not a bit of both? If you’re feeling ambitious, you could fix Isard’s Revenge for me by writing their reunion after they’ve both believed each other to be dead for weeks.

Myn Donos/Gara Petothel | Lara Notsil

Hurt me. Do your worst.

Listen: I re-read Solo Command recently and spent, conservatively, 90% of it crying about these two. What really works for me is those agonizing scenes where Lara’s trying to convince Myn to stay away from her, and clearly trying to convince herself as well – I’d love a fic that puts them in a situation where it would be so easy to give in, or a situation where she does give in and then has to try to figure out how to take it back.

Leia Organa/Han Solo/Wedge Antilles, Lando Calrissian/Leia Organa/Han Solo

What can I say, I love a threesome. With either of these, what I’d most like to see is Leia and Han inviting a friend (or, in Lando’s case, a friendly ex) into their bedroom as a one-time fling or a casual, but ongoing, FWB arrangement; I’m less interested in a long-term triad. If it’s Lando, I’d love to see a little tension between him and Leia as they sort out the boundaries of their respective claims on Han, but ultimately I do want this to be a happy, fun encounter for everyone involved. If you go with Wedge, I’ve always been very fond of his close friendship with Leia in the EU, and I’d like that to be his closer tie to her and Han.

Obi-Wan Kenobi/Owen Lars/Beru Whitesun

Obi-Wan -- Ben, now -- stays nearby, after he leaves the baby with them. Maybe it’s to keep an eye out, to make sure Anakin’s child doesn’t draw any undue attention. But maybe it’s not just that.

I’d love basically anything you do with this -- a one-time fling that everyone is a little embarrassed about in the morning; an arrangement that sees Obi-Wan stopping by the homestead infrequently for dinner and conversation and, after the kid goes to bed, a night of companionship; a full-on AU where Luke grows up with Uncle Ben as essentially a third parent.

Flim/Gilad Pellaeon

I saw this in the tagset for this exchange last year and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. The way I see this pairing, it all comes down to it really being about Pellaeon and Thrawn -- whether he believes Flim is Thrawn and Flim takes advantage of that, or he knows Flim isn’t Thrawn but accepts him as close enough (as long as he stays in character). With the latter, you might even go with Flim not knowing that he’s been found out and thinking that he has to stay in character... and apparently Thrawn would have done this, so... (Whether Thrawn ever actually did do this, or whether it’s a fantasy that Pellaeon was never able to act on, I leave up to you.)

This is one of my sort-of-exceptions to the “no rape/non-con” clause. It’s a pairing that lends itself to questionable or compromised consent, and I’m into that. The line between what’s “dubcon” and what’s “non-con” is blurry, but as much as possible, I’d prefer that you stay on the dubcon side of it -- deceit, coercion, and uncomfortable power imbalances, yes; violence, physical force, or explicit non-consent that’s ignored, no.

Mara Jade/Darth Vader

This could go in a lot of different ways, from something as relatively innocent as an uncomfortable attraction between two people with no one else to talk to, to something as dark as the Emperor ordering one of them to the other’s bedroom. Whatever direction you go with it, I do want it to treat the power dynamics and age dynamics here seriously, and to lean into the darkness that’s present in what we know about Mara’s childhood and youth -- no one here is having a good time or doing something they’ll be happy to look back on.

This is the other sort-of-exception to the “no rape/non-con” clause, for similar reasons. As above, questionable, compromised, or coerced consent, yes; violence, physical or Force-based force, or explicit non-consent that’s ignored, no.

(This is NOT an exception to the “no explicit scenes with underage characters” clause. If you write this with Mara as a teen, please keep anything explicitly sexual off-screen.)

[aceprosecuties]

After more than a month, the sixth part of my Blackmadhi series is finally here!  This chapter includes a trial, and once again vague mentions of past Blackbright/Phantomquill, and also references past trauma and PTSD.  Approx. 4240 words.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

AO3 Link

Trials were not meant to be big spectacular affairs. They were conducted only for crucial purposes: to find the truth, and deliver criminals to justice.  Once in a while, sure, they would draw crowds, depending on the nature of the alleged crime or the parties involved, but they were not meant to be the sort of events that people would line up to watch.

So, Simon couldn’t help but be slightly put off when he arrived at the Khura’inese courthouse with Nahyuta; the first thing he saw was not the large doors to the entrance, but instead just hordes of people, each of them wishing to be one of the lucky chosen spectators.

“Is it always like this?”  Simon exited the car and surveyed the overly-enthusiastic crowd distastefully.  Nahyuta had gotten out before him, as it was custom for the regent to walk in front of anyone else (unless the future monarch was present with him).

“In a way.  People are usually excited to have the chance to watch the high priestess perform the Divination Séance, but I think someone else has drawn their attention today,” Nahyuta answered, with a calm smile on his face.  Simon made a displeased scoffing noise and crossed his arms over his chest.  

“Tch, I am not some tourist attraction to be gawked at.”

“No, but you are an unusual presence.  Normally it is just one prosecutor at the bench, and seeing me with a co-counsel must be of particular peculiarity, especially with one such as yourself.”  

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  Simon’s tone indicated that he took slight offense at that comment, and he pouted as he trailed a little behind Nahyuta.  As the king-regent approached the entrance, the crowds parted like the Red Sea, each bowing their heads slightly as he passed them.  

“I created quite a…statement when I had you stay with me.  People are curious about their regent’s new consort.”

Simon’s eyes widened and he couldn’t hide his blush; he also coughed a little, as if the word had physically taken him off guard. “Don’t you think that’s overstating things?  Isn’t that title usually reserved for spouses?”

Nahyuta turned his head a little so that he was looking back at Simon with a somewhat sly and mischievous grin.  “Not all the time.  It can also be used just for the monarch’s partner or companion.”  They both passed through the doors to the courthouse, and Simon was pleased to see that inside was significantly less boisterous than the outside…for now, anyway.  Once the doors closed, Nahyuta had spun completely around and stopped Simon in his tracks.  Not caring about the guards that were at their posts (not that they reacted to anything he did), Nahyuta had his hands on Simon’s waist as he stepped closer to him. “I think consort fits you pretty well.”

However, Simon hadn’t been expecting such boldness right now and didn’t know entirely how to react to the other’s actions. Nahyuta was constantly surprising him, ever since they met, and Simon still did not know entirely how the man’s mind worked.  While that was something that alarmed him at first, he now found it fascinating and alluring in its own way.  He blinked a few times as he stared at Nahyuta’s face – the prosecutor’s eyes were half-lidded and remarkably playful, if Simon could believe what he was seeing.  

“Do you always get like this before a trial?”

“Only when I have reason to, which was never before today,” Nahyuta said, chuckling a bit and backing off.  “But we are about to perform the last rites for the deceased, so I suppose I ought to control myself.”  In one second, Nahyuta’s demeanor changed back into his holy monk persona, and – with his hands behind his back as he walked – he led Simon into the courtroom.

While the overall structure was similar to the courtrooms back at home, Simon found himself surveying the area curiously. There was more room for observers – which made sense given their apparent overenthusiasm for their court’s proceedings – and more décor adorning the judge’s bench and the ceiling, but overall, it was very similar.  

With one major exception.

Between the prosecutor’s bench and the defense’s bench, was a small pool of water.  Simon knew that this was the Pool of Souls, based on the things Nahyuta had told him about their court before they both left the palace this morning.  He was also instructed not to step in it, so he made sure to keep his distance.  The last thing Simon needed was getting a scolding or a lengthy sermon for being too close to or accidentally stepping in the sacred waters.  

He was curious about it, though.  

“So, do you know who our opponent will be?  I heard Justice-dono did not take the case,” Simon inquired, still slowly walking around the hall and resisting the urge to touch things that he found particularly interesting.

“Yes, Apollo took a look at the evidence and believed our defendant guilty, so didn’t think he could use up his time when he already has so many other cases he needs to deal with,” Nahyuta explained, already standing at the prosecutor’s bench.  “The defense attorney is a rookie, someone who has just come out of the woodwork since the end of the revolution.  She has potential, but is far too green and has no superior to help hone her abilities properly.”  

“A shame.  Justice-dono’s blade has gotten much sharper since the first time I faced him, from the stories Athena has told me.  I would have liked to engage in another duel with him.”  Simon couldn’t help but be more than a little disappointed; he hadn’t yet seen Apollo during his stay in Khura’in, and would’ve enjoyed witnessing Justice’s face when he realized he would be facing not only his brother, but also the twisted samurai.  

It would’ve no doubt been hilarious.

Nahyuta was about to respond, but the opening of doors interrupted him; spectators started pouring in, and he beckoned for Simon to join him at the prosecutor’s bench.  Simon did, leaning his back against it and facing away from the court, as he usually did at the beginning of trials.  

“Must you start like that?”

“You’re the one who wanted Simon Blackquill as your co-counsel,” Simon replied, smirking at Nahyuta, who was standing upright with his hands still behind his back.  It must have been an interesting sight to see; the two prosecutors could not have appeared more different.  Simon was rough, slouching, covered in nothing but black and white, and borderline disrespectful in some eyes, while Nahyuta was graceful, upright, colorful, and as dignified and deferential as he always was.  

The spectators found it even more exciting, despite that the trial had yet to even begin: how would this team of opposites be able to find the truth together?

Who was this man who allured their regent so much that he took him as his consort?

-----

“Prosecutors, your opening statement, if you will.”

The defendant had been brought into the chamber following her attorney, who was indeed as green as they could come.  The poor girl was stumbling and fumbling through her papers, and her voice was quavering a little bit even when she had introduced herself.  It was unfair, Simon couldn’t help but think: here was a newbie attorney facing off against two veterans who were both powerhouses in their own right.  Not to mention the evidence was overwhelmingly in their favor.

This wasn’t going to last long at all.  

…Might as well have fun with it.

“Enough jabbering,” Simon said, before Nahyuta could open his scroll and give the statement.  Slowly, he straightened up and turned around, giving a glare that made the judge shift uncomfortably in his seat.  Good, off to the right start.  “There is no need, Your Beardness.  We all know the facts, and the defendant is clearly guilty.  We’ll just be wasting time with an opening statement.”

The judge blinked, obviously surprised that a foreign prosecutor would speak to him with such nonchalance and dismissal. “Well, uh, Prosecutor Blackquill…opening statements are protocol here, as I believe they are in your country as well, so-”

“If they are so important, Your Beardness, then you give it instead of wasting my time and the time of your king-regent over here.  Unless you think his time isn’t as precious as it so obviously is.” Simon shrugged, bringing his hand to his chin and smirking up at the bench.  The trial had barely started and he already had the judge wrapped around his finger, based on the horrified expression on the old man’s face after he made that accusation.  

“Ah, oh no, no!  I did not mean to waste Prosecutor Sadhmadhi’s time,” the judge exclaimed, scrambling to repeat apologies that were not at all actually necessary.  “Please, allow me to make it up for you.”

As the judge then started going through the facts of the case, Nahyuta arched an eyebrow while glancing over at his co-counselor.  It wasn’t necessary for Simon to do that, he knew, but he also was aware that Simon wanted to make an impression.  And based on some of the frankly awestruck expressions on most of the faces in the audience, he had done just that.

“H-How was that, Prosecutor Sahdmadhi?”  The judge looked to his king-regent for approval, and Nahyuta brought his hand up and smiled.  

“It was more than adequate, Your Magistry. You do the Kingdom of Khura’in proud.” And the judge beamed, so happy to hear praise from Nahyuta.

The defense attorney was sweating through her suit already.  

It really wasn’t fair.

Ema Skye’s testimony was relatively uneventful; she explained the forensic evidence that she had uncovered and how it all pointed towards the defendant as the culprit for both the murder in Khura’in and in California.  Simon allowed Nahyuta to take the reins while she was on the stand, though couldn’t help but scoff and roll his eyes whenever Nahyuta began to praise her investigative abilities and her cheeks would go pink in response.  

He listened and parried any weak attempts the defense conducted to undermine what Skye was saying, but overall, he remained in the metaphorical background.

Really, he wondered if Rayfa’s Divination Séance was even necessary, given the already overwhelming evidence pointing towards the defendant’s guilt, but Nahyuta requested that it be conducted regardless, just to “be as thorough as possible.”  Really, Simon had a feeling that Nahyuta had pushed for it simply because he wanted Simon to witness the Dance of Devotion.

Rayfa emerged in the courtroom; the attendant that accompanied her took her white cloak and staff hurriedly before scurrying out. Simon glanced around – the soft murmurs that had characterized the crowd throughout the trial so far had suddenly hushed into complete silence, so that the only sound that filled the room was Rayfa’s voice, once she started speaking.

“O Holy Mother!  We hold this Divination Séance in your name!  Let the eyes of everyone here be clear, and our ears be unstopped!  O Dance of Devotion!  Guide the victim’s soul to me!  So that we may receive their final memories in the Pool of Souls!”

Simon couldn’t help but smile a little; when performing her Dance, Rayfa looked every bit the future queen she was meant to be. It was strange; he had picked her out to be naught but a spoiled brat after she confronted him and Nahyuta in the throne room when he first arrived at the palace, but perhaps he had underestimated her.  She had been the only one to allow her – albeit negative – opinion of the twisted samurai to stand in the face of her brother’s orders, and Simon actually had been grateful for that.  But her fortitude shined through even more now, as she elegantly and perfectly glided through the movements required for the Dance, with no apparent care or even awareness of the eyes of those in the courtroom.

The pool of water began to ripple as Rayfa continued, and Simon watched with an odd mixture of curiosity and disbelief.  There was something deep in the pit of his stomach that twisted when he remembered what exactly they were about to see: the victim’s final moments.  It was still something that was difficult for him to wrap his head around; he was a master of psychology, which was a given science, whereas this felt more like magic…like a gimmick that he wasn’t completely sure how to feel about.  It wasn’t hard evidence, so how exactly was it meant to be helpful rather than just be a movie of speculations?

When she finished, Rayfa knelt down and the pool began to show the vision of the Khura’inese victim’s final moments: he had been struck from behind, though did not die instantly.  The last thing he had apparently seen was the defendant’s feet and legs as she walked away, going to grab something that she had left on a nearby counter.  The victim had reached out, murmuring softly before hearing a woman’s voice, and then succumbed to his injury.

Simon stared at the pool and then looked over at Nahyuta incredulously; what the hell was he supposed to do with this?  It was one thing when he had physical evidence, or the ability to use some sort of science, but…this?  He wasn’t sure what the protocol was.

So, he followed Nahyuta’s lead: when the opposing lawyer objected and pointed out that, as part of a theatre troupe, that woman could be anyone with their hands on the right costumes, Nahyuta requested Rayfa to refine the vision, and Simon watched as the words changed from “woman’s voice” to the defendant’s voice.

Strange, but if it showed the truth – that this woman was guilty – then Simon wouldn’t necessarily complain.

He couldn’t help but wonder…could Rayfa call back anyone’s soul to see their final moments?  Even one who died over a year ago?  

No…now was not the time to be thinking of something like that.

When it had become even clearer that the defendant was guilty, the crowd suddenly began to chant.  They said something in their native language repeatedly, and Nahyuta’s non-reaction told Simon that this sort of communal outburst was nothing out of the ordinary in this courtroom.  But to Simon, it was just…aggravating.  

“Silence!”

Simon’s deep command filled the walls of the courtroom, stunning everyone into exactly what he wanted.  Despite Nahyuta’s questioning look – after all, they had been chanting for the prosecution – Simon glared at the crowd, his narrowed eyes practically glowing from underneath his dark bangs.  

“This is a court of law, you fopdoodles!  Not some football stadium!  Your Beardness!”  Simon turned his attention back to the judge, who had been caught off-guard when Simon had shouted, and couldn’t help but be a bit intimidated under the samurai prosecutor’s hard scowl.

“Y-Yes, Prosecutor Blackquill?”

“The defendant.  Bring her to the stand.  Perhaps she will finally confess her guilt under such overwhelming evidence,” Simon ordered, and without hesitation, a bailiff was escorting the young woman to the witness stand.

The defendant stood, looking deeply uninterested in the proceedings that were going on around her.  Simon couldn’t help but think that she looked somewhat different than she had the first time he met her, but he dismissed it as something that was probably insignificant.

“Why not just confess to the two murders,” Simon suggested, bringing his hand up to his chin and smirking.  “You’ve already been cornered.  A confession might ease your punishment and guilt.”  

“The Holy Mother does bring mercy upon those who confess and atone for their crimes,” Nahyuta added, bringing his hand up and allowing a pink butterfly to land on it.  Where did that come from…?  “Those who do not are cast into hell, where their soul will meet a most distasteful fate.”

The image of the two prosecutors, each commanding in their own ways, was a sight to behold, but not one that the defendant was going to shy away from.  “I’ve already said, I didn’t do anything wrong,” she maintained, fiddling with something in her hands.  “How can you be so sure that it was me in those visions, just because of my voice?  We do have voice changers, you know.”  She sighed and shook her head, but not before glowering unkindly at her incompetent attorney.  “Just as we have ways to change our face.  We are all masters of disguise in our own right, ready to be anyone else at any time.  That’s our job as actors, after all.”  Before Nahyuta or Simon could respond, she continued, bringing one of her hands up to her face.  “Here, I’ll show you.”

That was why she appeared different.  She was wearing a mask.  One that she removed slowly.    

The action brought a distinct memory back to Simon, who was suddenly standing not in the Khura’inese court, but in a destroyed courtroom back at home.  Staring down face after face, each with the body of Fulbright as he tried to pull apart the man enough to see what was truly underneath.  

The defendant smirked; Simon had taken a visible large step back and his once hardened eyes appeared wide and even slightly frightened, earning a few confused whispers from the gallery.  

Yes, she had clearly remembered Simon Blackquill’s panicked reaction to all the masks being stripped from faces and falling to the floor when he had visited her troupe.  She figured that it would be a good weapon against the prosecution when the time came.  She didn’t get the lawyer she wanted – the one who would have been able to get these charges dropped – so she had deduced that she would have to do this herself.

“What is it, Prosecutor Blackquill?  You don’t look so good!”

Even her demeanor changed; she was now smiling brightly, looking as though she was sincerely concerned for the man whose eyes had begun to become unfocused as memories started crashing over him in waves.  He knew she was lying.  He knew…

“Prosecutor Blackquill!”

That voice; he couldn’t get it out of his head.

No.  He had to stay focused.  He was in the middle of a trial.

Nahyuta looked back at him; his eyes were widened as he silently tried to reach his co-counselor and bring him back to reality. Simon’s gaze shifted from the defendant on the stand to Nahyuta…if he focused on him, perhaps he could get a hold of himself.  He just…needed to remember to breathe.  

“Is everything alright, Prosecutor Blackquill?” The judge was as confused as everyone else in the room by the man’s sudden shift in behavior.  “You look pale.  Er well…paler, I suppose.”

“I’m fine, Your Honor.”  Simon’s short reply sounded harsh, and instead of calling the judge by the nickname he had established for him, he called him by his title.  Granted, it was the wrong one, but Simon couldn’t worry about something like that right now.  He closed the gap between himself and the prosecution’s bench again, and composed himself as best as he could.  “This snake is just trying to use a cheap tactic to get her out of the guilty verdict she so desperately deserves.”

“Oh but Prosecutor Blackquill, I haven’t done anything!  And even if I did kill this guy, you still haven’t proven that I was responsible for both murders!”  She finally revealed what she was holding in her hands – one of those masquerade masks on a stick.  Holding it up to her face, she changed her voice again so that it was deeper and slightly more sinister.  “You have no authority to be prosecuting here if you can’t show that, right?”

The mask and the change in voice made Simon grit his teeth together as he tensed up once more.  No, she wasn’t going to get away with such a lowly strategy.

However, he found himself unable to look at that thing anymore.  He used his hand to slice at the mask and break it in half.  It fell apart into two pieces, and the defendant gasped loudly as she held the parts up in her hands, looking through the eyeholes and glaring in Simon’s direction.  

“What the…look at what you did!  You ruined my mask!”

“…Aww.  Look what you did to my mask.”

The words echoed in his head and Simon realized that his plan to eradicate those awful memories just made them worse and more intense, and he found himself glancing at the woman’s right hand to see if there was any sort of a scar visible there.  His breathing began to speed up, and he slammed on the desk with both of his fists – if he had still been cuffed, this would have been the moment where he broke through those shackles.

“Prosecutor Blackquill-”  Nahyuta had whispered his name, but his voice seemed so far away and sounded like nothing but muffled incomprehensible noise.  Instead of turning to the man who was trying to support him while maintaining an air of professionalism, Simon just gritted his teeth and allowed his anger and borderline anguish-laced voice fill the entire room.  

“Silence, Phantom!  You will confess and be brought-”

Simon stopped his sentence, and suddenly felt all the eyes in the courtroom just boring into him.  …Where exactly was he?  Was he in Khura’in, or was he back in California, facing down the Phantom with the face of the detective he had become so fond of?  After all, he had just called the defendant…  

But for all she had just been posturing and trying to goad the prosecution, the young woman just looked frightened now. Frightened and slightly confused. How could she not, when Simon Blackquill, former prisoner and “twisted samurai,” was just snarling at her like some sort of rabid wild animal ready to pounce on and devour anything he could sink his teeth into?

It really was a sight to behold, seeing him next to the king-regent, who was ever the image of grace and serenity despite how worried Nahyuta actually was on the inside.

The room seemed to swirl around him.  Whether people were trying to say his name to get his attention, he wouldn’t know, because every sound that passed into his ears was cloudy and subdued.  The only thing he could hear was the loud boisterous laugh of Bobby Fulbright, and it just made him angrier and less able to think clearly.

“I…”  The defendant started to speak, her voice quivering as she regretted ever trying this tactic on a man as unpredictable and frightening as Simon Blackquill.

“Satorha!”

Nahyuta’s voice suddenly cut through the never-ending laughter that Simon’s mind was tricking him into thinking he was hearing.  Simon, still leaning over the bench, looked over at his co-counselor with wide eyes, panting softly and clutching at his chest as if he had been physically injured.

In a bold display that Nahyuta wasn’t sure if he should do given the setting they were in, the regent put one of his hands over Simon’s gently, hoping that the touch would bring him back to some sort of reality.  It was the only thing he could really do right now, unfortunately.  The eyes of practically everyone in the crowd shifted so that they were staring at the intimate gesture, some of them feeling as though they were prying in on something that should not have been made public to them.

In his head, Nahyuta cursed, and glared at the defendant, who was still shaking slightly.  They never should have called her to the stand, but even with his ability to read the karmic flow of trials, he never anticipated that she would be crafty enough to remember how Simon had reacted that day they met her and use it to her own advantage.

“Defendant,” Nahyuta said, his voice calm and steady, and yet no less threatening than Simon’s had just been.  “You have committed some heinous crimes and terrible acts, including one in this courtroom today.  Despite your lack of a confession, there is more than enough evidence to convict you, is there not, Your Magistry?”

“Ah, y-yes,” the judge replied; Nahyuta’s question took him off guard, as he was still focused on Simon Blackquill; although the foreign prosecutor had stood up straight again, his eyes were hidden under his black and white bangs and his shoulders were still stiff as though he could snap at any moment.  But when his gaze shifted over to Nahyuta, he could tell that the king-regent was not at all happy, and so didn’t want him to have to wait any longer.

“Given the testimony and evidence presented before this court, I hereby find the defendant guilty of all charges.”

As soon as his gavel banged down, Simon was pulling his hand away from Nahyuta and storming out of the courtroom, angry with himself for allowing such an underhanded tactic to work on him and cause him to lose sight of himself and his job as a prosecutor.

“Simon!”  Nahyuta called after him, but unfortunately couldn’t follow him immediately, as the bailiff and several guards were suddenly asking Nahyuta about any follow-up procedures that needed to be completed before the defendant’s processing.  Despite having several people asking him questions, he watched the samurai prosecutor open the double doors to the courtroom and leave without making eye contact or speaking with anyone.

And no one dared to get in Simon’s way.