#her child she was going to have from SS that would show that she was actually going to keep on that she can't be separated from her family

[mc-critical]

1.06 / 2.09 (33)

[carmenserenity123456]

Sasuke never kissed Sakura

The proof of this is Gaiden. Little Sarada asks Sakura very fundamental question which is “did you ever kiss dad?” and look at Sakura’s face expressions. First she is shocked like why would she be shocked at such simple question if her marriage is good. Then we have sadness on her face which answers Sarada’s question. She never kissed Sasuke and she is very sad about it but in the third panel she starts thinking and blushing. She did not want to make Sarada sad but also she wanted to keep her delusion about Sasuke loving her so she comes up with the poke.

I wrote a long post about Itachi’s poke and what it means but to summarize, it is not a gesture of love but it is a polite way to say no to a child and the poke is always used in that context. Sasuke rejected yet again Sakura advances but he did it in a nice way by poking her. Of course she does not know anything about Sasuke and Itachi so she thought that it meant something romantic. It was the one and only time when Sasuke gave her some physical affection. Look how she uses it on Sarada, she does not know what it means at all.

What is even more important is that she says it is something better but again Kishi decided to mock her by the end of the Gaiden. To give better context lets look at how Sakura lies about her feeling being connected to Sasuke. Again Sarada asks Sakura another fundamental question about her marriage and after using violence and scaring her daughter because no one can question her delusions even her daughter, she says that her and Sasuke’s feelings are connected with the same fake smile that she gave Sai during the war arc. Why did she have this fake smile? because she does not truly believe it herself and one of the reasons why, is that Sasuke never gave her any physical affection like real couples do which is also kissing.

Even when Sasuke says that his feelings are connected to Sakura because they have Sarada (he basically states that they are together because of her) Sakura again has this fake smile/expression. She is not 100% sure.

Now lets go to the family dinner. This scene is so awkward. Sarada is happy because Sasuke is at home but look at him. He looks so done and miserable. Sakura does not look even better. It looks like they are playing before Sarada and Sakura does not feel comfortable. Also we can see that Sasuke stayed with his family only one night and the next day he was out.

Given this context, we can come back to the end of Gaiden. Sasuke is saying goodbye to Sarada and Sakura with her fake smile gives him bento. She literally wants to prevent him from giving her poke instead she wants a kiss. We know that if Sakura gave him this blushing expression he would poke her right away to not give her a kiss but here she thought she won. Now Sarada can see that he kissed her but unfortunately for her Sasuke is not stupid and he turns away. If the poke is so much better in her opinion then why do this shit show? Because she knows that a kiss is better and fundamental in the relationship. She does not understand the meaning of the poke and it does not satisfy her. She wanted Sasuke’s kiss her whole life, it was one of her goals and you think that poke makes up for it? Also why is she blushing so much if, as ss states, she gets kisses and love from Sasuke all the time. He stayed the night so why she is so desperate.

Summing up, Sasuke never kissed her or showed her any physical affection at all. I can even bet that they had sex one time during Sarada’s making and it was loveless and not passionate. Very quick to do the job basically. That is why Sakura does not believe in her connection to Sasuke and she fakes it, she is so desperate for his touch. Sasuke learned to tolerate her and to be nice to her only when she does not come between his plans and goals. His face shows it all when Sakura appeared in Gaiden when he was doing his job. He was annoyed, angry and wanted to tell her the hard truth. Lastly, I’d like to think that Sasuke will never kiss her because he got his kiss from the person he truly loves and it is Naruto.

[theheirofthesharingan]

I just found your blog recently, I hope you don't mind that I've been crawling through and liking so many posts. I've always loved Sasuke and never minded Itachi, he was a good villain but it may be saying something that his crimes (while not insignificant) are only rated so highly (from my pov) because he did it all in one night. There are plenty of ninja who did far more heinous things for worse reasons (Orochimaru is a far worse person let alone dangerous villain), so while the big reveal of the plot around Itachi's betrayal was somewhat surprising, it was not exactly "shocking" so much as it felt like it recontectualized things.

I don't really think it makes sense for ss fans to even bring up that "S*kura would never put Sasuke through what Itachi did" considering she was never and would never be in a position to act as Itachi did... but very few ship vs ship arguments are made with "good sense" in mind. (I actually liked her genin arc, she changed from her rather damaging pushy behavior to taking ownership of her own emotions but that then backslid during shippuden... making her once again pushing her own agenda without anyone's input)

I just found your blog recently, I hope you don't mind that I've been crawling through and liking so many posts.

I don't mind that at all. Don't worry about it.

I've always loved Sasuke and never minded Itachi, he was a good villain but it may be saying something that his crimes (while not insignificant) are only rated so highly (from my pov) because he did it all in one night.

I believe it's true but it's also a dreadfully one-dimensional way to look at the situation when a myriad of information is later provided to give context to the whole thing. He's introduced as a cold-blooded killer with zero redeeming qualities, which after the reveal turns out to be more nuanced and layered than we earlier thought. While his actions are still unforgivable, there's so much more to it. So, sticking to what he's shown as initially and refusing to acknowledge anything and everything that follows afterwards isn't how you assess a character or a piece of media in general. It's just looking at his actions and motivations on the face value and refusing to take a deeper look like a petulant child.

There are plenty of ninja who did far more heinous things for worse reasons (Orochimaru is a far worse person let alone dangerous villain), so while the big reveal of the plot around Itachi's betrayal was somewhat surprising, it was not exactly "shocking" so much as it felt like it recontectualized things.

I would not be comparing Itachi with the likes of Orochimaru who was evil and never showed an ounce of remorse.

He did this. This is creepy as hell. Itachi would never, ever do this.

Now, Itachi's crimes are horrible but there's more to them than just "he followed the orders and killed his clan" and "he traumatized his little brother." People tend to downplay his trauma because he isn't a perfect victim and his reaction to the life he lived deeply affects Sasuke. He's only seen as a perpetrator, when, in truth, he's a perpetrator because he's a victim first. There are lot of things he had to learn and acknowledge, but he never rationalized his crimes.

Among his many objectives to die at Sasuke's hands one was that he wanted to be punished for his crimes by the person he'd hurt and wronged the most, because of all things, Sasuke didn't deserve to go through any of what he did.

The guilt he lived with would have been colossal because forcefully prolonging the life so he could be punished for his crimes that weren't even entirely his own fault is a big deal. This is why he's so well received among the audience as well. He doesn't feel entitled to being treated right or with respect. He doesn't think he's worthy of forgiveness or deserves justice.

During his fight against Kabuto, his interaction with Sasuke is also quite interesting. He keeps telling Sasuke and Kabuto both he's not worthy of the praises they shower on him. And he actively avoids looking into Sasuke's eyes.

There are moments he looks in Sasuke's direction, but mostly he avoids looking at him. This is just one example. It's the body language of someone who's heavily guilt-ridden, someone who feels disgusted with himself especially the way he asks both Kabuto and Sasuke to not see him as a good guy.

I don't really think it makes sense for ss fans to even bring up that...

Oh, obviously. She was never placed in the circumstances where she had to make hard choices keeping someone else in mind. Not just that, Itachi did what he did because he wanted to keep Sasuke alive, because the life he'd lived showed him death was the worst thing to happen, so he wanted to protect the person he loved the most from this. When it came to her, though, instead of learning his reasoning, she jumped to the conclusion that Sasuke needed to die. She wanted to do this to "save him from the darkness." Funny, because he was the same boy who'd sacrificed himself to save Naruto's life not too long ago. Who'd wanted to save her life at any cost from Gaara. Who had killed Orochimaru and Itachi - the most dangerous criminals. He'd also freed Orochimaru's prisoners. Considering Konoha was following his trail, the news of this would have reached Konoha too. Despite this, her first response to learning Sasuke falling into darkness was that he should be killed.

I actually liked her genin arc..

Same. I liked those bits. And she was brilliant in Pain arc as well when she saved lives of the wounded Shinobi and civilians, and also during the war arc. But she should have moved on from the person who'd done nothing but brutally humiliate her, reject her. It's not even a character flaw, it's just... Idk what it is.

[next-autopsy]

A/N: Well, hi there! Bit of romance for ya! Let me know what you think cause this is all new to me...

Based on the actors portrayal/hbo show and written with no disrespect to the real life veterans. Also all images found on Pinterest.

TW: uhh... smoking? nothing much really ....

Tags: @malarkgirlypop, @panzershrike-pretz

Made of Glass

Chapter twenty two: Just Maybe

Fresh air was definitely what she needed. Once she stepped foot outside of the testosterone filled cabin, Birdie immediately felt better. It was much cooler outside, the sweat stopped forming on Bernadette’s forehead and she could finally think clearly. 

Had she been too brash and rough with her friends? Probably. Was she going to do anything about it? No. 

The Mississippi lady was as stubborn as they come. She didn’t really do or say anything too crazy. No, she shouldn’t have yelled or called her friends names but to be fair, they were acting like idiots and someone had to deal with them before they tore a hole in the side of the ship. 

Birdie was all wound up, her temper uncontrollable. She needed off this ship but unfortunately there were still four days of travel left, at the very least. 

After cooling down significantly, running her fingers through her hair and smoking three cigarettes; Birdie was ready to head back in. Only four more days. They were over halfway.

Those four days were uncomfortable for everyone. The heat seemed to increase, emotions were up and down leaving everyone on edge. Every conversation turned into an argument of some kind. Birdie found herself taking breaks from the men more and more often. She spent most of her time in the fresh air of the deck, leaning over the same rail she and George had days prior when they were still in the Brooklyn bay.

Sometimes she would bring a friend with her, to share a smoke and exchange idle chit-chat. But mostly, she just liked to go alone and escape. 

It was the last night Bernadette would spend on the blasted ship, some officers came through that day, telling everyone to pack their things and prepare to disembark. Birdie didn’t have much to put away so she opted to spend her time smoking and watching the ripples in the water below her.

The ocean was hypnotising and calming, she could spend hours just staring at the salty water. But as it got darker, she could no longer make out the waves and curves, instead she only heard the water lapping up the side of the SS Samaria. 

As if apologising for the lack of daylight, nature began to show her the twinkling lights above, one by one they shone brighter until the night sky was filled with them. Birdie knew that meant she should head back inside, but her love of the glittering stars took over and she stayed just a little longer.

“Find anything up there?” She knew that voice. She knew those words. Birdie didn’t have to turn to know who had snuck up on her. Liebgott joined her, leaning against the metal railing. He rested his elbows on the highest rung and propped a foot up on one of the lower ones. 

“Joe.” She acknowledged his presence, keeping her attention skywards. 

“You ever wonder what’s out there?” The southern woman’s voice was distant and dreamy, it showed in her philosophical query. Joe kept silent, mulling over her question in hopes she would continue talking to him. 

“My Pa used to tell me; every time you make a choice, a new star appears. And on that star, exists a version of you who made the other choice. Living out a different rendition of your life, all the ‘what ifs’ and ‘if onlys’ taking place… somewhere out there.” It was just the two of them, outside in the quiet so Bernadette used a gentle tone, keeping her voice low and steady. 

If Joe could, he’d record her talking to him like this and listen to it any moment he could, use it to lull him to sleep, to wake him up, calm him down. Her voice was more melodic than any music he had ever listened to, more soothing than bedtime stories read to him as a child. 

“Maybe there’s a world that isn’t wrapped up in this war. One where we didn’t enlist...” Birdie hypothesised, she still hadn’t looked at the man next to her. If she had she would’ve seen melancholy take over his features.

“One where we haven’t met…” The timbre in his words conveyed misery, only slightly, but Birdie recognised it anyway. His comment gained her attention. 

Looking at him she noticed he was yet to gaze up at the subject of their theoretical discussion, his eyes locked onto her rather than the imaginary other worlds above them. 

“Do you think we’d be friends if we met before Toccoa?” Bernadette mused, smirking as she waited for a reply.

“Maybe? If you came to San Francisco… cause there’s no way I’d be caught dead in Mississippi.” Liebgott grinned at her. He didn’t mean it, not really. If she asked him, he would spend the rest of his days in the southern state, even though he’d never set foot there before.

“Hey! Mississippi is great, don’t diss my home state Joseph.” She swatted at his chest with a smile on her face, which pulled a chuckle from him. 

“Ooo ‘Joseph’... I am in trouble.” He connected their shoulders, playfully pushing into her. Birdie couldn’t hold back her giggle, Joe wanted to add that sound to his list of desired recordings.

“You bet.” Spoken cheekily. Their laughter faded into silence. Birdie had a thousand questions swirling in her head, she wanted to know so much about him. Where should she even start? 

“What’s California like?” Is what she settled for. 

“You gonna come visit me when all this is done, huh?” He was getting too cocky, eyebrow raised, smirk on his face. Bernadette didn’t want him knowing she would’ve, if he only asked. 

“No siree.” She paused to see the look on his face, if he believed her. It didn’t seem like she'd convinced him, so she carried on, “Harriet lives there… In San Diego, she invited me to come visit.”

“You still kept in touch with her?” His smug look was gone, replaced with a somewhat stunned gape. 

“Of course, I get a letter from her once or twice a month, at least.” Birdie was back to gazing at the stars, trying to find the world in which Harriet was here on the ship. 

“How is she?” Joe also turned to the night sky, though his interest was genuine. He didn't know the woman, he hadn't even met her. But he remembered how upset Birdie was after finding out her friend had been sent to the nearest hospital. 

“Well, she’s finally healed. Physically.” Any elation from their previous conversation dwindled. 

“Right.” He paused, he probably shouldn’t have brought up the sensitive topic. “What about your brother? You talk to him lately?” He internally winced; Joe’s intention was to lighten up their late night talk, maybe her brother wasn’t the best subject.

“Not since that day…” Her tone grew bitter. Bernadette rested her head on her arms which were propped up on the railing. 

“Is he aboard?” His curiosity about her was insatiable. 

“No, the 82nd are still in Georgia.” The woman sighed, staring out into the dark nothingness that surrounded the lone ship.

“You should write to him.” 

“And say what? ‘Thanks for not believing in me. Up yours, I made it to Europe first?’ Somehow I don't see that going down very well.” Bernadette laughed but there was no joy in it, she was trying not to be such a downer although the topic of the brother who spurned her, wasn’t her favourite.

“I just think you might regret being on less than pleasant terms with him if anything happens to either of you.” Joe liked to think he knew this woman well enough to know she had a very close knit family. It was a trait they shared, so he understood how heartbreaking the tiff had been for her. Lieb didn’t want her regretting anything that could be fixed with a simple letter. 

“I hate that you’re right.” Birdie raised her head up and studied him. His care about her seemed authentic, the idea that her recently perceived school girl crush was requited popped into her head. ‘Maybe.’ She thought.

“I’m always right.” His cocky grin was back.

“Sure.” Bernadette rolled her eyes, scoffing at him, trying to sound indifferent but Birdie couldn't stop the smile forming on her face and the warmth crawling up her chest. “Do you have siblings?”

“Yeah, five.” He answered instantly, Joe loved his family with everything he had. He grew up protecting them from bullies at school and teaching them useful tips to make life a little easier. 

“Let me guess… you’re the oldest?”

Joe nodded, confirming her suspicions, “How many do you have?”

“All together? Eight. But one was stillborn and Junior…” She trailed off, Birdie had only told Francesca about the fate of her eldest sibling, none of the guys knew and she wasn’t really sure how to begin explaining. 

“He’s your other older brother, right?” Liebgott had overheard her sharing that information with Johnny and it stuck in his head ever since. He knew she had three brothers, two older, one younger. Any information about the country girl had been kept in a special place of his brain, stored away for future reference. 

“Yeah…” Her response was dispirited. 

“What happened to him?” Joe was curious, though he thought he already knew the answer, so he added, “You don't have to tell me.”

“He joined the navy… followed some guy he went to school with.” She had a hard time finding her next words, so when Joe continued for her, Birdie was relieved. 

“He was there… wasn’t he? Pearl Harbour.” Liebgott had put the pieces together, “Is he why you enlisted?” Birdie nodded, eyes downward. As her head shifted, a lock of hair uncurled from behind her ear and hung down, swinging in front of her face. 

The idea of tucking it back where it came from appeared in Joe’s mind and before he could stop himself he had reached out his hand to do so. He hesitated, causing Bernadette to look up at him. She noticed his halted action and the corner of her lips twitched ever so slightly, silently letting him know he was allowed to proceed. 

Her hair was softer than he imagined. Not that he ever imagined touching her hair…. Who was he kidding? Of course he had. He often watched the woman standing in front of him and wondered what it would be like to touch her. Whether it was a hug, a gentle stroke of her exposed skin, a kiss on those impossibly delicate lips… he was constantly thinking about her. 

And now, with his hand already in her personal space, he took the chance to drag his knuckles across her cheek. She didn’t seem to mind, enabling him to indulge in his hidden inner desires for a moment. She just looked up at him through her dark lashes, Joe would've done anything she asked in that moment, and that’s when it clicked for him. 

That’s when Joseph Liebgott realised he liked her. More than platonically. More than he wanted to. And now all he could do was speculate and hope that she harboured similar feelings for him, though his doubts were high. 

“We should head back.” Birdie’s voice was whispered and Joe still hadn’t taken his hand away. The words broke him from his trance and he let his hand drop, nodded to agree with her. It was well after lights out, he had originally come to find her and tell her that, but she had distracted him with her tranquility. 

Their walk back was quiet but not awkward, and when they reached the door that would lead them to the hundreds of other men, both found themselves wishing they had more time together. Alone, so they could speak freely and without worrying about being overheard. But they had to enter, they had no choice. Their time in that private bubble of theirs was over. 

Luckily, Bill had moved over into Birdie's cot, leaving his empty for her, so she didn't have to climb over his sleeping figure and risk waking him. As she lay in the hammock, she glanced over to where she knew Joe would be. He was already peering at her, when their eyes connected, he smiled. 

Birdie rolled over, cheeks pink and a loopy grin on her face. She had it bad.

A/N: I can't tell who is falling harder and faster, Joe or Birdie?

~ Nex~

Chapter twenty three

[dullweapons]

i dont like totk cause it was just botw dlc i had to pay full price for . beyond it fucking directly with rays lore it just ... is the same game again . it also had the skyward sword problem where the sky is so empty . the depths had more so i favor it over the sky but come on ... skyward sword ... fucking skyloft should be up there !! the ooccas from tp !! you do could so much more . i don't know if it was hardwear limitations but ugh . i would have rathered a fuller sky then half empty depths & sky .

beyond that as a story it kinda fucking sucks for princess zelda's character development . i already dislike her as they only made her a nerd girl to be cute and i didnt get to see her actually be passionate about the technology . i wanted more ! and i hoped in totk i can see her geek out about the history of hyrule and stuff but we got one cutscene before she got shoved back to square one . redo her development . why do this all again ? we already had her back .

to make her playable would have been doable . let's say at the end of each temple when we have the flashbacks we are zelda , playing as her discussing the battle and training with the other sages before we , as zelda , ask for their help in the future . then right before we fight ganon -- we fight that battle between ganondorf with the sages to parallel us as link -- we feel their pain and go again for round two 10k years later

regardless i hate totk for such doing oot again but ... worse . i know oot if your golden child nintendo but doing the same thing again is not learning the lesson of what made that game good .

i feel like instead of oot they should have done more with skyward sword . botw zelda was already following in ss zelda's footsteps . i know you had plans for a playable zelda in skyward sword ... thats what those ending cutscenes that play next to the credits show . zelda sneaking around and running with impa from monsters to make it to the shrines . why not just bring that out of ur closet and do it with botw zelda ? ss zelda also time traveled so it's doable. nintendo do you hear me -- NINTENDO --

ps pls stop shoving zelink in my face . i know your doing it on purpose . at least make it canon so i can just denounce it instead of rabid zelink shippers screaming at sentences as facts and twisting words to make it benefit their ship .

[lunaneko14]

I swear, it would've been easier for Kishi to just have Karin be Sarada's biological mother — myopia being hereditary from an immediate family member is one of the biggest telling signs; two of my cousins have bad eyesight and they got it from their dad/my uncle — and, for gods sakes, Karin still has the umbilical cord after all these years — and, I don't know, maybe Karin thought Sarada would have a better life being with Sakura in Konoha (and maybe she assumed Sasuke would return with Sarada to Konoha) than with her in Orochimaru's hideouts. Something, anything, instead of making Sarada a SasuSaku baby. Because, based purely on genetics and biology, Sasuke and the entire Uchiha clan (before they basically became extinct) never had myopia, and Sakura and her non-canon parents (per the famous 2014 post-manga interview with Kobayashi, Kishi deliberately made Sakura's parents not canon because he hates her and Japanese fangirls told him they hate her) also do not have myopia. Based on just that alone, logically, it makes so much more sense for Sarada to be a SasuKarin baby, because Karin has myopia and, lo and behold, so does Sarada. That's not even getting into how Sarada literally looks nothing like Sakura, yet even without her glasses on, she looks like a SasuKarin baby.

And then, IIRC, since it's been so long since I last watched the Boruto anime, Karin and Sarada have met at least once, and their interactions that one time felt far more organic and natural and loving than any of Sakura and Sarada's conversations put together.

Then, as you and I and many others have stated, Kishi has made it clear, post-manga, how much he doesn't like Sakura and how he treats her as just some side chick who was created solely to be a failed love interest after NaruHina was created. Why bother putting SS together when he clearly doesn't like Sakura, and he consistently shows Sasuke to be miserable around her and Sarada and/or deliberately keeps him away from them? How does Kishi go from consistently giving NH a lot of positive development (as a few anons pointed out recently: even as early as Chapter 42, Naruto admitted to himself that he acts like a big shot in front of Hinata — bear in mind that this was way before Chapters 77, 80-81, and 98-105) to, well, the way he consistently drags SSS into the mud with all that negative development?

I totally went on a swerve there, sorry, I just had a lot to get off my chest 😅💁🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️

No you right.

Someone needs to tell Kishimoto to stop forcing Sakura to be Naruto’s Bulma, she’s not.

He purely wanted that SSS family because it would look off (at least to him) if just the boys had kids plus it would put her in the same place as Tsunade in a more pathetic way (because at least Tsunade was loved, her lover was just killed in battle. They could’ve very well had kids had he not died.) rather than have her surpass her master (Naruto had love and family unlike Jiraiya and with Sarada, Sasuke would be rebuilding his clan and turning good).

Kishimoto wants so bad to make Sakura the new Bulma except he has no heart in her. Bulma is an actual useful character. She was boy crazy but she left that to her teen years and she didn’t put up with men disrespecting her like Sasuke did to Sakura and look what happened, Vegeta kisses the ground she walks on now and they have a second child. Vegeta even quit training to be with Bulma for the birth of their daughter while Sasuke wasn’t even busy and he never came in for a birthday.

[theladyoracle]

CONCEPT: Jane finds Toby outside on the manors front porch after a rather abrasive conversation with the Slenderman. The two speak about the differences between what it means to be a Proxy and what it means to be a resident, or 'child' of Slendermans manor. Collective!AU

a/n: This has literally been sitting in my notes app for 6 months. I just wanted to write a blurb in my au so take some surface level "Toby searching for father figure" angst. Trying not to be so anxious on just posting my writing, even when it's only a little bit. Thanks guys! 🖤

"Why even bother with the difference? Just another fucked up component of his fucked up system. In a f-fucked up house in these fucked up-p w-woods! It's all fucked up." He seemed exasperated, angry….frightened, even. Mostly, though, he was tired. And Jane could tell.

Toby had left the Slenderman's office in a fury, but that had been hours ago. Now Jane had found him here, out on the manor's front porch. He had a black eye, and several new injuries across his right side. His hands were white knuckling the railing as he stared out at the woods across the lawn.

She could see his weariness, his desperation. He looked lost, like a dog shut out in the rain. Slenderman took care of his pets differently. Some, like the residents of the manor, he kept a close eye on. He lavished them with the security and comfort of his manor, while the Proxies were working dogs; they slept outside and they knew no luxuries.

"Honestly?" she answered, settling in next to him. "I'm deplorable. You, well, he can't just get rid of you." She watched as he calmed his breathing, forcing all his words into place.

"How do you know?"

"You're a weapon, and it took him a lot of time to turn you into one."

"Ss-sso what?"

"Even if you died, he'd bring you back. If I killed myself tomorrow, he'd fill my role without second thought."

He rolled his eyes.

"I've seen it. There are processes. Rituals."

"Rituals?"

She nodded her head. No words.

"Bullshit."

"It's true. Whether you like it or not, that's the difference."

There is silence again, but her black eyes held him in place. He wasn't looking at her anymore, but that wouldn't stop Jane from staring into his soul. He could feel her prying gaze no matter how much he pretended he couldn't. His hand had begun to drum on the banister he was leaning over, shaking his head.

"That hardly makes any sense," he says after a while.

"Look where we are. This place hardly makes any sense."

"All I'm saying is, if he really can't afford to lose me, he has a really funny way of showing it."

"I don't think he's trying to be funny."

"You know what I mean."

There's a faint note in his voice that makes Jane think. He nearly seemed disappointed, or wistful.

"Do you…wish that he would show it?"

His hands were still drumming.

"I don't think he's the sort of....being that you should go searching for approval from, Toby, but that's just me."

"I'm not se-sear-s- fuck - I'm not looking for approval!" he blurted, seeming to shake the notion right out of his head.

The young man looked off, and she could tell that he wasn't satisfied. She knew he wanted the circumstances to be different.

"Okay…Well, whatever you're searching for in him, stop. You know you won't find it. He's not a father, Toby, as much as he tries to make us 'children' think he is."

Jane could tell that from the furrow of his brow that he was trying to resist her words.

But he knows that she's right.

Jane left him on the porch, locking the front door of the manor behind her. Toby heard the clunk of the antique lock and simply sighed.

Shut out again, he would have to make his way back to the Proxy Cabin.

Alone.

[ichinoue]

I've seen IR's counterargument to Kubo's interview saying they weren't romantic but just nakama being that it referred to their relationship at that current time (even though IR had been swearing they were in love or already falling in love since the start of SS). (part 1/2)

Anonymous asked: (part 2/2) And then IR brings up an interview about Rukia's movie (which isn't even canon) in which Kubo says he wants fans to focus on the "change" to their feelings (no clarification on the nature of those) to claim that Kubo intended for IR to develop into romantic and hence feed into their false claim that the ending is a retcon basically. I have my own counter arguments but what would you say to this?

To me it feels like a moot point to make at this stage. If the manga were still ongoing, then sure, you could interpret Kubo's words that way and say, "well, Kubo only meant that they aren't romantic at this current time, but that doesn't mean they won't be in the future." But we're in the future now. The manga is over, and we know that IR never became romantic and was never intended as romantic, as Kubo has confirmed he planned out the final chapter since writing chapter one, intending for Ichigo's child to meet Rukia's child. So, if they took his words to mean that IR would be romantic in the future, clearly, they misinterpreted what he meant. They always insisted IR would be romantic before the manga's end, and they were wrong. Then they tried to argue that it was supposed to be IR all along and that he suddenly changed his mind at the last second, but his own words confirm that that is not true and that it was all planned out from chapter one. But they refuse to believe anything he's said since the manga's end, just like they refused to believe him when he said that IR was not romantic all those years ago.

As for the whole "change in feelings" thing, I took that as Kubo speaking within the context of the movie, which he was literally being interviewed about at the time. The movie spends a lot of time rehashing the IR bond and the whole debacle with "dark Rukia" and Ichigo reminding her of who she really is and how their memories "bind them all together," etc. There's so much focus on the past and friendship in that movie, because the whole plot is about how everyone loses their memories of each other, but eventually everything comes back, and we see how she and Ichigo's relationship changed over time, how they met and went from being begrudging allies who didn't get along, to having the close, special nakama bond Kubo speaks of in that very same interview.

That's just my interpretation, anyway. Because if he was speaking about the manga, and he meant that he wanted people to start focusing on their changing feelings in the manga from that point on...well, then surely he would have actually showed their feelings for each other changing in the manga from that point on? But instead, their dynamic became so static after the SS arc. I'm struggling to think of anything that changed between them from the arrancar arc to the FB arc, or the FB arc to the final arc. Other than Ichigo just becoming more independent and not relying on Rukia as a mentor as much over time? I've talked about this so many times before, but I feel like their development was already completed in the SS arc and then had nowhere else to go. She shows up in the arrancar arc, kicks him in the head, gives him a pep-talk. Same thing in the HM arc (except she punches him in the head instead of kicking). Then after a seventeen month time-skip and almost 300 chapters later in the FB arc, she shows up and does the same thing. Kicks him in the head and gives him a pep talk. They bicker just like always, and that's it.

Their bond just kept being reinforced as the same old thing it was half the manga ago. Because it was already a great bond, Kubo had no reason to change it into romance. He talked in that very interview about how special and unique it was, because it wasn't romantic. "I think there is no other relationship like them in other works where despite both standing in a very close position with each other it is not romance."

And so, why would he speak so proudly about how special and unique something is, but then tell people to expect it to "change" because he's planning on doing away with the very thing that makes it special and unique in the first place? To change it by trading in that uniqueness for the same old thing you see in those "other works" he spoke about? That just doesn't make sense.

[mischas]

If the O.C. reached it's 100th episode, how would it play out in terms of Ryan + Marissa?

Hmm, that's a great question. This would be the fifth season right? If we're going with episode counts in s1 (27), s2 (24), s3 (25). I imagine it as the finale of a Marissa-filled s4 or a premiere for s5.

Though I don't really love pregnancy cliffhangers I've seen discussion in the past mentioning that the SS pregnancy scare from s4 was supposed to be RM's. I have NO idea if that's true but it makes some sense, especially given the parallel to s1 and as I imagine RM to still be emotionally constipated with one another in a show with these same writers that are only ever able to throw them contrived drama and third party interference. That said, if they're in college, I think it would've been interesting to see that be a cliffhanger for them. And it could go a few ways but I think it would've been forward-thinking for Marissa to get an abortion if she was indeed pregnant. Maybe a little like Obvious Child where it brings she and Ryan closer and they can truly start unpacking all their baggage afterward. This is probably too progressive for 2008, though, lol.

Another idea I have is that Trey dies, probably from an overdose or from something as innocuous as crossing the Strip late at night and getting hit, and seeing how that forces Ryan and Marissa to confront that particular trauma. Maybe Dawn reenters the picture and tries to get Ryan to be sad with her and plan the funeral etc and it becomes about unfurling Ryan's trauma with her too. There is so much unsaid on this show and I would like to think that with enough time Ryan could approach the things that have shaped him and speak about them more. Not with the flick of a wrist but a direct communication about his abandonment issues, his rush to violence, his hero complex, etc. Maybe Trey's death could propel that. Marissa would be reticent to get into all of their personal history trauma because I don't think this show would've had her be on the healthy journey I myself would give her but her knowing Ryan inside and out would break down her walls to discussing the things with him she's needed to discuss with him since 2003.

[aeoki]

Blackjack - Epilogue 1

Location: Yumenosaki Student Council Room Characters: Shinobu & Mayoi Season: Winter

TL Note:

To be precise, this is from December 29th until January 3rd.

Just to clarify, the Japanese school/working year begins and ends in April. 

Urashima Tarou is a Japanese fairy tale that tells the story of how a fisherman (Urashima Tarou) rescues a turtle and is rewarded with a visit to the Dragon Palace. There, he spends several days with the princess but returns to land only to discover one hundred years has passed.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤ< One week later – New Year’s Day. Yumenosaki Academy, Student Council Room. >

Mayoi: Happy New Yeaaaarrrr.

I–I apologise for showing such a grim expression during the New Year. It’s depressing, isn’t it? Seeing my gloomy face.

Shinobu: Happy New Year ~de gozaru…

You’re in perfect form during the New Year in a bad sense, huh. Where did your confident attitude during “Star Fest” go? Was it an illusion that only I saw?

Mayoi: I–I suppose you could say I was just influenced by the atmosphere back then.

I couldn’t show my pathetic side in front of my student. Although, it was just a short teacher-student relationship that came into being due to how things unfolded.

It is standard for the phantom to show his disgraceful behaviour in front of the songstress, though.

Anyway, I see you two are working right after the New Year – Chief, Anzu-san.

Shinobu: Yeah. I couldn’t sleep since I was too excited for “SS”, so I thought about stopping by the student council room.

I wanted to see who would be in. Then, I saw Anzu-dono working on some paperwork at the speed of light and that nearly scared me half to death.

Mayoi: Hehe. Anzu-san was under house arrest for the entirety of “SS” and was only released right before the Main Stage began – or so I’ve heard.

She must have a mountain of things she needs to do and things she wants to do.

But working during the New Year holidays[1] is banned under the Labour Standards Act or whatnot, so she decided to bring her work to Yumenosaki instead.

Shinobu: She’s a real workaholic ~de gozaru. Truly knock on wood. You’re just asking to get sick again, you know?

Hm? You say you’re not actually working…?

Then what are you doing? You’re rummaging through a lot of paperwork, though…?

Hmm? You’re searching for traces of Hitsugi Kurone?

Mayoi: Ahh, it was truly unfortunate what happened to them.

We had a lot of fun singing together on the “Star Fest” stage for a while.

Then, NEGI-san suddenly left the stage. We let our guard down and she broke away from us, leaving us all alone.

We still don’t know why she did that.

But NEGI-san got away from our wall of flesh and “Priest’s” subordinates decided that would be the perfect time to aim for her…

She was shot and ended up with a fatal injury that even medical treatment may not be of any help.

According to the doctor who brought her to the hospital in a hurry, it was practically immediate death.

Shinobu: …I still can’t believe it. It feels like some nightmare ~de gozaru.

Kurone-dono refused visitors after he was admitted to hospital.

I couldn’t get a hold of any information after that, so all I could do was to focus on the “SS” Main Stage right in front of us.

But I always remembered the smile NEGI-dono had on stage that day and her beautiful singing.

No. NEGI-dono was shot and she lost a lot of blood… It makes me feel awful every time I remember that scene.

It felt as though the NEGI-dono in my memory was scolding me – telling me not to stand there absent-mindedly and to smile and sing if I’m an idol.

That’s why I was just barely able to endure it all. I was able to overcome “SS” right until the very end.

But I can’t take it anymore… I’m a little tired.

Mayoi: Hehe. She has really haunted us in that sense.

We were haunted by a mysterious child who was like a hallucination or a ghost – a girl who detested idols but grew to love them a little at the very end.

Maybe she really was a ghost. Tell me, did she really exist?

Everyone was sparkling brightly like a proper idol during “SS” as if that tragedy never happened.

That’s why it makes me wonder if it was all a dream…

Shinobu: Hm? It wasn’t a dream? What do you mean, Anzu-dono?

Hmm? What are those documents…? Uhh, they’re this year’s[2] dreamfest proposals submitted from the summer until the current day…?

What about them ~de gozaru? Huh, the one who came up with them?

They’re all names I’ve seen before. It’s the Student Council’s job to receive them and judge whether they’re worthy of implementation.

Those proposals are all written by fairly well-known and influential students from the “Producer Course”. Err, in other words, they’re mostly from the “Peace Party”.

Huh? You want us to look into them and see if they actually exist? Well, I’m a ninja so conducting investigations is in my area of expertise but… why?

Hmm? It may not be all of them but there’s a chance that some of them are “people who don’t actually exist” – people who Kurone-dono disguised himself as?

Mayoi: Come to think of it, Hitsugi-kyun mentioned that he was skilled in disguises. No, it was transforming into others to be precise…

Shinobu: Which means, uhh, what does that mean ~de gozaru?

Mayoi: Perhaps he was a performer in his own work.

Shinobu: Huh? What?

Mayoi: I’ve heard that Hitsugi-kyun was bullied by the “Peace Party” and Anzu-san was the one who saved him.

Just like the turtle who was saved by Urashima Tarou[3].

They met each other and conspired together in the secret feud between them and the “Peace Party”.

What if their encounter and their series of confrontations with the “Peace Party” was all just Hitsugi-kyun who disguised himself as those influential members of the “Peace Party” and did all the work himself…?

Shinobu: …You’re saying Kurone-dono put on an act and did all that in order to curry Anzu-dono’s favour? Since she was said to be a legendary “producer” and was powerful within Yumenosaki and ES?

Mayoi: Not only that, maybe the tragedy during “Star Fest” was also…

Come to think of it, right before the tragedy unfolded, I met Mr. “Gatekeeper” at the dead of night in school. He seemed rather suspicious.

He helped Hitsugi-kyun escape from my family’s residence.

Shinobu: Oh, so that’s why Kurone-dono was on that stage.

Mayoi: Yes… While Mr. “Gatekeeper” was getting Hitsugi-kyun out, there must have been a chance for them to talk alone.

Maybe… the two of them conspired together to come up with a plan.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

[sueske]

In the Gaiden, Cbg taped a photo of her own 32 year old self above Karin which was framed right next to 16 year old Team Taka Sasuke. I just wanted to ask you how you feel about that ??

I feel her stans tend to ignore it a lot, I haven't any s/s stans or even the non shippers who still like her talk about it..... It honestly is a new low for her in my opinion, and felt over all cheap and petty

And these days when I watch episodes of both Naruto and Naruto Shippuden/ read some of the parts in the manga, read the analysis posts here on tumblr..... cherry blossom girl comes across as a "pick me girl" to me

I think it's super funny :D

Kishimoto used that picture to really push sarada to question ss' relationship (savage) but what can also be deduced is:

-pink girl didn't have a wedding photo (interesting)

-sasuke couldn't be bothered to take a newer photo with pink girl in any other circumstance (on brand)

-pink girl probably had to ask karin for the picture cuz otherwise where'd she get it from, it surely wasn't from sasuke lol (I mean pink girl didn't even know if sasuke wore glasses)

-pink girl walking past that picture of her as an adult taped next to a teenage sasuke (yuck) is also a constant reminder of the horrendous 'family' situation they have going on (insult to injury)

when Kishimoto said no contact he really meant no contact and that's just. so funny. though I guess that doesn't really matter to pink girl as long as she can call herself an uchiha.

but to me the lowest point for her in gaiden wasn't even the picture, it was her destroying their house because sarada hit the nail on the head when it comes to ss' relationship: "It's strange!" All of a sudden pink girl's make believe romance is questioned by her own child... and pink girl reacts in a fit of rage... pathetic really I think and a typical pink girl reaction.

as for the ss stans what else is new? conveniently ignore everything against ss, blow any ss interactions out of proportion to prop up their ship, and rely on non-canon material to validate their ship. and for the other s stans, why would they talk about a scene where it shows their fav in a negative light?

I don't so much view pink girl as a "pick me girl" in the traditional sense but rather view her as a "pick me, sasuke! no matter what! I suffer for you so much, who cares if you don't like me back! pick me!-girl"

[rockislandadultreads]

Goodreads Choice Awards 2023: Best Humor

Winner: Being Henry by Henry Winkler

Henry Winkler, launched into prominence by his role as “The Fonz” in the beloved Happy Days, has transcended the role that made him who he is. Brilliant, funny, and widely-regarded as the nicest man in Hollywood (though he would be the first to tell you that it’s simply not the case, he’s really just grateful to be here), Henry shares in this achingly vulnerable memoir the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you.

Since the glorious era of Happy Days fame, Henry has endeared himself to a new generation with roles in such adored shows as Arrested Development, Parks and Recreation, and Barry, where he’s revealed himself as an actor with immense depth and pathos, a departure from the period of his life when he was so distinctly typecast as The Fonz, he could hardly find work.

Filled with profound heart, charm, and self-deprecating humor, Being Henry is a memoir about so much more than a life in Hollywood and the curse of stardom. It is a meaningful testament to the power of sharing truth and kindness and of finding fulfillment within yourself.

Nominee: Leslie F*cking Jones by Leslie Jones

Hey you guys, it’s Leslie. I’m excited to share my story with you.

Now, I’m gonna be honest: Some of the details might be vague because a b*tch is fifty-five and she’s smoked a ton of weed. But while bits might be a touch hazy, I can promise you the underlying truth is REAL. Whether I’m talking about my childhood growing up in the South, my early stand-up days driving from gig to gig through the darkest parts of our country and praying I wouldn’t get murdered, what Chris Rock told Lorne Michaels, that time I wanted to shoot Whoopi Goldberg on SNL, and yeah, I’ll tell you all about Ghostbusters and the nudes and Supermarket Sweep and The Daily Show . . . I’m sharing it all in these pages. It’s not easy being a woman in comedy, especially when you’re a tall-*ss Black woman with a trumpet voice. I have to fight so that no one takes me for granted, and no one takes advantage. These are the stories that explain why. (Cue the Law & Order theme.)

Nominee: Sure, I'll Join Your Cult by Maria Bamford

Maria Bamford is a comedian’s comedian (an outsider among outsiders) and has forever fought to find a place to belong. From struggling with an eating disorder as a child of the 1980s, to navigating a career in the arts (and medical debt and psychiatric institutionalization), she has tried just about every method possible to not only be a part of the world, but to want to be a part of it.

In Bamford’s signature voice, Sure, I’ll Join Your Cult, brings us on a quest to participate in something. With sincerity and transparency, she recounts every anonymous fellowship she has joined (including but not limited to: Debtors Anonymous, Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, and Overeaters Anonymous), every hypomanic episode (from worrying about selling out under capitalism to enforcing union rules on her Netflix TV show set to protect her health), and every easy 1-to-3-step recipe for fudge in between.

Singular and inimitable, Bamford’s memoir explores what it means to keep going, and to be a member of society (or any group she’s invited to) despite not being very good at it. In turn, she hopes to transform isolating experiences into comedy that will make you feel less alone (without turning into a cult following).

Nominee: Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby

The success of Irby's career has taken her to new heights. She fields calls with job offers from Hollywood and walks the red carpet with the iconic ladies of Sex and the City. Finally, she has made it. But, behind all that new-found glam, Irby is just trying to keep her life together as she always had.

Her teeth are poisoning her from inside her mouth, and her diarrhea is back. She gets turned away from a restaurant for wearing ugly clothes, she goes to therapy and tries out Lexapro, gets healed with Reiki, explores the power of crystals, and becomes addicted to QVC. Making light of herself as she takes us on an outrageously funny tour of all the details that make up a true portrait of her life, Irby is once again the relatable, uproarious tonic we all need.

[aurheatum]

@iyusiia

Headcanon prompt / open

Despite clearly drawing inspiration from FE4 and its divinities, godliness in 3h is explicitly linked to motherhood in Fodlan (differing from Naga's depictions in both Archanea and Jugdral).

Sothis is above all the land's progenitor goddess - the emphasis on her femininity and maternal side explicit in the text that shows up in the Fodlan magic circle.

Image: the localized text (right) and a new translation (left) using the exact romanization and wording that shows up in-game whenever white or black magic is cast. Source.

Rhea wants her mother, the Goddess, back; this is the reasoning behind much of what happens in Three Houses, including Byleth's own origin. But does Rhea want to be a god, herself? Much less a mother?

I don't think so. She states at the end of SS "I wished desperately to be held in my mother's arms once more", very clearly placing herself in the role of child when it comes to Sothis (funny, she can only admit to this when she knows it is no longer possible).

Here's a much harder, question, then, is Rhea a mother despite her own wants? Let's dig in!

As her new FEH unit aptly puts (in both her Japanese and English title for it) Rhea is quite literally the matriarch of the entire Seiros religion. Even if it is, as hinted, based on what the Sothis religion looked like while the goddess was still alive it was created by Seiros, named after her, and has been strictly guided by the same archbishop for a millennia now.

She is also the creator of twelve living beings or vessels - ending with Sitri (and this is not to mention her altered golems, all named after people dear to her). Textually, there is no doubt that as a creator to one who "loved as a human" and someone who, to use an alternate translation of Sothis' magical circle, was indeed "a creature who possessed a heart", Rhea is a mother, even going so far as to say that is exactly how Sitri viewed her.

It is telling though, isn't it, the way she phrases it? While she acknowledges she was a mother figure to Sitri, and even admits to affection toward her* -- nowhere does she ever say she considers Sitri her daughter.

She would never truly be able to admit that, after all; to be a mother is simply not something Rhea can ever comphrehend because it would put her as equal to her mother ("I have only ever been acting as your proxy" she tells Byleth when still convinced they will awaken as Sothis).

And yet, despite it all, she has indeed become one in her single-minded pursuit to bring the dead back to life.

Post canon would she ever be able to come to terms with all this? That's a little bit out of the range of my portrayal I have to say, but probably only in her endings where she goes to live with Catherine in Zanado and actually has time time to unpack all of the lies she's told both the world and herself.

*I want to add that, in her own weird, winding Nabatean way, I do think Rhea at least considered Sitri to be family or special. I went into this more in another meta but never added what really sets it apart to me: the reason she gave Sitri a private open casket burial and preserved her body, in my opinion, is because this is something she never could do for the rest of her family (tfw ur either a pebble or sword). It is one of the highest forms of love an eternally grieving woman like Rhea can give.

[e17omm]

You mentioning writing Salt Snow arc in Snippets makes me wonder what Seele’s up to. For once that she had an arc hahaha. Since she got home kind of early it’d be nice to see how she integrated in St Freya? How she feels about everyone

Could easily set up some stuff for Salt Snow arc since you already changed things actually. No Misteln to kidnap her but maybe she can go to the Sea willingly to tie up some old loose ends

I do need to touch more on Seele at St. Freya. The problem I'm having is that, I'm not sure how to write her. Like the game doesnt show how she is when she meets Kiana and co. Yeah we see that they get along, but that's several chapters later and after a lot of off-screen time. And I dont really plan on changing that. (I still really should at least write Seele's first day at St. Freya High or smth)

OH MY GOD WHILE REREADING BEFORE POSTING I REALISED I HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT ROZA AND LILIYA. Okay, fuck. So they're with World Serpent because they got extracted with Cocolia I guess. I need to do something with that... Hey, is anyone up to see Sirin go apeshit on another organization doing child experimentation :D? (Actually that might work really well to antagonize World Serpent even more for Sirin...)

(back to the ask answer)

As for part 1.5. The current plans are: they go to investigate it [Sea of Quanta] because they have the Herrscher of the Void and Seele and the Second Divine Key. Like, why the heck wouldn't they try to understand more about the Sea of Quanta? I've already dropped hints of much bigger threats like (very subtly) Aeons and the imaginary being Mei encountered (which was a backup antagonist incase Sa disappointed me, which she didn't). Of course SS and AE would want to secure their inter-dimensional flanks! Just look at where the Sky People came from!

So that's the intro changed. Not sure if I'll keep the Gray Serpent/Nagazora part if I'm honest? I like it but it doesnt really fit in with the other changes I have to do due to no Misteln.

As for the rest, I dont feel like I have to change much. Maybe change Senti since she's more tied to Fu Hua in Snippets, and of course include Sirin. But Vita and Sa? I don't feel like I need to do any changes.

Except making Sa not be defeated like that. But this remains to be seen based on what part 2 does with Vita. But these are my ideas for part 1.5 of Snippets so far.

Do keep in mind that I am going to finish part 1 before starting part 1.5, so it is still quite far away.

[tranquil-turbulence]

SS Month ‘23 - Day 12

Day 11 | Day 12 | Day 13

Prompt: Fairytales

WARNING(S): N/A

“Your highness!”

The princess rolled her eyes with a heaving sigh. The dragon lightly slumbering next to her stirred, cracking open an inky-black eye.

“Another one?” He murmured, deep voice filling the cavern. “Should I handle it?”

“Nah, I got this one.” Gathering up her skirts, she made her way out of the main chamber of the cave and to the entrance.

Peering over the cliff to the soldiers below, she bellowed, “What do you want?! I’ve already told you, I’m not going back!”

“But your highness, this little spat between you and the prince is ridiculous!” One of them she recognized as one of the royal advisors. She rolled her eyes again; she never liked that guy. “Stop acting like a child and come back to the castle!”

“Oh, piss off, would you?” She snapped, making some of the men below stare at her in bewilderment. “How many times do I have to say it? I’m not coming home, my parents know I’m safe, and you can tell Prince Sasuke that he can shove it where the sun doesn’t shine!”

Without bothering to hear their reply, she stormed back into the cave in a huff, skirts slithering across the rocks behind.

As soon as she was back in the chamber with her dragon, she sat down with a loud groan. Picking up her discarded book, she began trying to read through it as the young male let out a yawn.

“When are you going to forgive him?” He inquired calmly, blinking drowsily at the princess.

“As soon as he gets his royal pain in the ass over here himself to apologize,” the teenager replied hotly. “I’m sick and tired of dealing with servants and advisors - we’re supposed to be getting married in six months yet he doesn’t even seem to care about me!”

The ink-black dragon hummed in thought, propping his chin up with one massive clawed hand. “But he chose you.”

“Yeah, but it was out of desperation,” she said. Her voice was pinched with anger, yet there was a note of sadness as she stared down at the thick-bound book. “It was either me or some foreign princess he didn’t even know. I’m not even supposed to be a princess, y’know… I was a baker’s daughter before he asked me to marry him.”

The dragon nodded slowly. “You love him, right?”

Sakura heaved a sigh and lowered the book into her lap. Gazing sadly at her companion, she nodded. “Yeah, Sai… I do. I love him too much, I’m afraid.”

Sai looked her in her weary face for a little while longer before lowering his hand to the ground again and closing his eyes as he nestled his chin atop one scaled arm. “Read to me again. Where did we leave off before they interrupted…?”

A gentle smile spread across her face. Leave it to Sai to know how to distract her. “I believe we left off on chapter fifteen. Ahem. Chapter Fifteen: How to Stall For Time…”

 ----------

 Night came faster than either one of them realized, and a yawn from the young lady made her glance towards the tunnels, only to discover no sunlight.

“Huh,” she mused. “I suppose we should leave off there, then.”

“I suppose,” the dragon drawled, another wide yawn showing off his razor-sharp teeth and forked tongue. “Good night, Sakura.”

“Good night,” she answered, picking herself up from the ground. She stumbled forward a bit, but Sai’s tail quickly broke her fall, and she braced herself on the scaled appendage.

As she made her way out into the main tunnel, she could hear Sai shifting and getting up, his thundering footsteps meaning he was making his way into his personal chamber - as well as his treasure horde. She picked up her pace, the torch in her free hand lighting her way as she tried to get to her own room.

But as she turned the corner, she could hear someone approaching from outside. Cursing under her breath, she made to call for Sai - and then stopped, noticing a familiar cape billowing away from a familiar young man.

Her eyes narrowed, and she propped her hand on her hip as her fiancé, looking worse for wear and bearing a lantern as well as his sword and shield, approached the cave’s entrance. “Took you long enough to get here. Did you finally get tired of me sending your gophers home empty-handed?”

“Sakura, please,” he wearily responded, looking her up and down. He seemed minutely surprised that she wasn’t in rags. “Come back to the castle. I’m sorry I made you so upset--”

“Do you know why I’m upset?” She demanded.

With a heaving sigh, he sent her a look. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry that I spoke badly of the commonfolk. I know that’s a sensitive issue, and the last thing I want is to hurt you.”

“Well, you’d better get some new habits then. Otherwise I think I might stay here.” She sniffed. “Sai treats me very well, thank you very much.”

“Sai?” Her fiancé's nose wrinkled. “The dragon has a name?”

Sakura gave him an incredulous stare.

“Right, right, stupid question.” Shaking his head, he held out his free hand. “Please come home. I do miss you.”

The young lady looked at the offered hand skeptically.

“I do hope you aren’t planning to fight me for her,” Sai’s lazy voice drawled as his heavy footsteps rattled the walls and ceiling of the cave. The two looked up as his dark form came into view, half-lidded eyes inspecting the newcomer. “So. You’re the fiancé she’s so worked up over.”

“I am,” Sasuke carefully answered, ignoring her hiss of embarrassment to the creature in question. “And you’re the dragon she ran off to.”

“I am,” Sai mimicked with a tight smile.

Sakura looked between them, her face twisting into something concerned. “Sai, I…”

“Go, princess. You need to be with people more than me.” He shrugged his giant shoulders. “Besides, you know you have somewhere to go if loverboy makes you mad again.”

Sasuke scowled up at him, hand twitching towards his sword.

The young lady heaved a sigh before fixing her fiancé with a look. “Let me go pack my things. Heaven knows your father will throw a fit if I let you stay the night instead of bringing me back.”

[justagalwhowrites]

But I think if there were more characters in TLOU, everybody would have a tragic backstory.

Everyone that lived before the world ended would have some absolutely tragic and horrifying stories. And people born after too.

You know when Joel and Ellie are with Henry and Sam and they’re in like the underground/sewer area where they find the kids playroom.

In the game you can explore everything there and find letters form someone called Ish. Ish was out at sea during the first months of the outbreak and when he comes back, he lives in that sewer all on his own until he meets a family and eventually more and more people and the sewers become a thriving community. Ish and Danny are like the leaders/protectors of the community. I think you saw the drawing of them in the show!

Eventually someone accidentally left the door open and the place got overrun by infected. Ish and a few kids got out but we never find out what happened to them.

When you explore the sewers you can find a room where you find someone called Kyle. Kyle got separated from the group with a small group of children and he locked them all in a room to keep safe from the infected. When you find that room, you see the corpse of Kyle and a big tarp covering several small bodies.

On the ground painted is “They didn’t suffer” and you find a note from Kyle saying they’re trapped and maybe Ish and the others can reach them. And “If it comes down to it, I’ll make it quick.”

The end of the world is all tragedy and everyone living in that kind of world has most likely a horrific story. T*ss is just one of the only ones we know, besides Joel.

Also it’s kinda funny because for game fans, Ish is actually a really important character. Like a lot of people really liked Ish and wish to know more about him and we never even got to meet him. Only through his letters! Idk, I think that’s really cool. That you can get attached to a character just through that!

I don’t know anything about Ish, this is so cool!! And yeah, everyone has tragedy, for sure! I just think Tess having to kill her husband and locking her child in a basement is just so awful. Everyone is going to have to live with seeing infected attack people and shooting infected and other generally traumatic things but Ooph I feel for Tess because she had to kill someone she loved. She’s not the only one I’m sure but damn, that’s rough.