#how hasn’t he read crime and punishment?

[msfantasy-comics]

The Perfect Match

Jason Todd x Reader

Summary: A head cannon on how Y/n is the perfect match for Jason.

Warning: this contains references to heavy topics, so if you are easily trigged, then please read at your discretion.

Masterlist - Tip Jar

Jason is one of the most complex people.

His life experience has set him up for some incredible challenges.

By the grace of god for everything that is good, you walked in and made him whole.

You were, Jason’s perfect match.

Understanding and Reliant

Jason has had an incredibly traumatic past, the death of his father and loving step-mother, becoming homeless, feeling rejected by his adoptive family, having his birth mother sacrifice him, being killed by the Joker… seriously… what HASN’T this poor man been through?

With that, Jason needs a partner who can at least, understand that he has a lot of pain to bare, and that Jason had his own unique way in processing that trauma.

Dick: “He tried to force Bruce into killing the Joker.”

Y/n: “Was it wrong of him to get someone else to do his dirty work? Yes, absolutely, however, the Joker did kill him and his mother… need I say more?”

Damian: “He kills criminals- not turning them into Arkham as we are required to.”

Y/n: “Firstly… hypocrisy. Secondly, Arkham is fundamentally broken and objectively not effective as we have established numerous times. Jason has found a permanent solution to criminals who hurt without cause or resolution.”

Tim: “You’re literally excusing his actions.”

Y/n: “I’m not saying I agree with everything Jason has done, but I can understand why Jason has done what he did and why he thinks that way. Agreeing and understanding are completely different words.”

Jason sitting smuggly with his arms crossed.

Jason: “Yeah! Tell them off babe.”

Jason at times feels like you’re the only person who understands him.

But even more so, Jason loves that you defend him in front of others with unwavering support.

But in private you reason with him gently.

Y/n: “Baby, I see why you feel Bruce should’ve avenged your death, but it’s just not part of his philosophies, punishing him for someone else’s crime wasn’t fair… you really should apologise for torturing him, I truely believe Bruce was doing what he thought was best.”

Jason: “… I’ll think about it.”

Loyalty

Jason has severe abandonment issues.

His father and step-mother dying in quick succession, with no extended family willing to take him in.

Meeting his bio-mother, who bargained her own life in exchange for Jason’s. Which Jason graciously accepted despite how undeserving it was.

Bruce ‘replacing’ him quickly after with Tim.

Bruce not avenging his death with the Joker.

Jason was constantly making sacrifices for others and as far as he was concerned

No one returned the favour.

So Jason really values loyalty to the highest degree.

As he believes it’s a rare trait.

Your unwavering love and support is everything Jason could’ve asked for and more.

However…

Jason: “Would you leave me if I ever cheat on you.”

Y/n: “Yes, absolutely.”

Jason: 😲

Y/n: 😐

Communication Skills

Jason, is generally, horrible at communicating his feelings and needs.

His feelings are expressed through action. Not words.

This can often be frustrating but this just means you have to come up with creative ways in which Jason can express himself.

Jason: “Fuck, fuck, fuck everything is fucked!”

Y/n: “Common grumpy pants, let’s go for a drive.”

You’ll often drive Jason to scenic places and you’ll both wonder around in silence before you take him home snuggle up and just watch a movie.

You do all the right things without being asked.

You know what he’s trying to say without him saying a word.

You know that the last thing Jason needs, is to explain himself.

All he needs is reassurance.

Which you do perfectly.

Supportive in his Endeavours

Jason has a … unique take on justice.

He is the lawyer, judge and executioner.

If he finds a criminal guilty of a heinous crime and said criminal is not sorry.

Then that criminal is typically never heard from again.

Whilst you may or may not agree, you both have a burning passion for the betterment of your community.

Don’t forget you both call Gotham your home.

Jason just loves how passionate you are at making the city better for everyone.

His focus is on cleaning up the crime whilst yours is to build a better foundation to better your community and home.

Jason loves that you hold the same values as his own.

[coolshadowtwins]

SVSSS System Reveal Fic round up!

If you know one that hasn’t been recc’ed, then please put it in the comments/tags! I’ll add it to the post!

A Transmigrator and a Time Traveler Walk into the Bamboo House by VeryCharismaticDragon

Over a year after Shen Qingqiu's death, Luo Binghe consults his servant's servant, concurrently his disgraced martial uncle, for a way to bring the love of his life back. Shang Qinghua sends him in the direction of a certain time-traveling artifact, which supposedly brings one to the day they first met their soulmate.

Odd, though, that the artifact ends up missing the destination by just a few years…

A story in which post-Abyss Luo Binghe relives his disciple days, while juggling his secrets, traumas, and some unexpected revelations about the man he loves on top of that.

What is Seen by CaveteDracones

…is not [always] the real truth.

Truth-compelling artifacts in the hands of an enemy to one side, SYSTEM-mandated silence on the other, and Shen Qingqiu caught between the two. Is it too late to go back to the Water Prison? (NOTE: This one was recommended three times, and I have personally reread it multiple times. It’s one of my favorites and I really do want to read more fics in a similar vein lol)

open my lungs to let you in by ghostybreads

Shen Qingqiu had a secret. So, naturally, it was only a matter of time before he was hit by a truth serum wife plot.

//

“How are you?”

“Horny. Kind of want Binghe to rail me, I guess. But it’s manageable.”

Liu Qingge’s hand on his forehead froze, and he was close enough that Shen Qingqiu could hear his breathing stop. He stared back expressionlessly, the mortification distantly crawling up the back of his neck. Honest One-Horned–

The frustrated scream that he usually vented in his head, came out straight from mouth.

“aaAAAAAHHHH GODDAMNIT AIRPLANE–”

Futility in Practice by TGP

When Luo Binghe is fourteen years old, his shizun suffers a terrible qi deviation and fever that completely changes who he is.

and judgment is just like a cup that we share by Kieron_ODuibhir

The blob finished rotating into place in a way that wasn’t quite compatible with geometry as Shen Qingqiu understood it, and cleared a throat it didn’t seem to have.

“Greetings,” it said, somehow clearly addressing him in particular more than the room as a whole despite its total lack of features other than blueness and translucency. “I’m here on behalf of the Hyper-Celestial Peace and Order Enforcement Bureau. Crime scene secure, proceeding to interviews. Beginning with Subject One: You are Shen Qingqiu, formerly Shen Yuan, also known as Peerless Cucumber?”

First, do no harm by Terias

Shen Qingqiu has been acting especially erratic since awakening from his three day coma after a severe qi deviation.

Mu Qingfang investigates and discovers a great many things about his new shixiong. (NOTE: This one has Shen Yuan and Shen Jiu as the same soul, technically, but it still works I think!)

Show The Screenshots by A_Non_ymousWriter

When a rogue foreign System sends out a subtle virus, some outsiders are shown chat messages between a certain two transmigrators and their Systems.

AirplaneBro: nah dude shen jiu would never lay a hand on his female disciples like that, hes gay

Liu Qingge tripped on thin air while Mu Qingfang choked on his tea as Shang Qinghua (their god? creator??) casually shattered their view of their original Shen Qingiu. The fake Shen Qingqiu at least, was sharing their shock.

CucumberBro: EXCUSE ME WHAT??

CucumberBro: The fuck he is?!?! He literally GOES TO BROTHELS! LIU QINGGE FOUND HIM IN BED WITH A WOMAN THAT ONE TIME?

AirplaneBro: aight bro buckle the fuck up cuz imma take u on a joyride all about shen jiu >:)

—————-

Binghes#1Fan: I don't want to send Binghe into the Abyss...

System 2: User must comply, if User cannot do the task User will be punished and the account will be terminated.

Mobeis #1Fan: sorry bro unless ur okay w being ded af u gotta push binghe into the abyss

Ning Yingying's fists clenched. Okay, so trying to get Yuan-ge and A-Luo together would be harder than she thought.

[sturniolo-rat]

✨Matt Sturniolo Headcanons✨

For True And Certified Yapper Girls🗣️

🤍 Matt loves talkative women

From what I gather Matt isn’t naturally a loud person with paragraphs and paragraphs to say. He thinks a lot and says things in a very efficient so he doesn’t use so many words. I think he would absolutely love to have a yapper girlfriend that’s really engaging and asks tons of questions. He’d never have anxiety about being boring or sounding awkward because you’d carry and direct the conversation. He would worry about how to respond to statements because you’d ask him questions to direct his thoughts to.

🤍 You always make sure he’s included

You tend to dominate and lead group conversations. It’s easy for his voice to be overshadowed by yours so you’re always keeping an eye out for him. When you notice he’s making a face like he wants to say something you make everyone listen up. “Thank you, Baby. I wasn’t sure they heard me before.” Sometimes depending on the crowd he’ll get really anxious whisper to you his thoughts. You immediately redirect your attention and start yapping away loudly to him so the group is interested in what he has to say.

🤍 He likes watching you be outgoing

Matt doesn’t always want to be a part of conversations but he does like to watch you when you’re in your element talking up a storm and telling fun stories it’s and silly jokes. He’s happy to see you being yourself. It even turns him on a little bit. If he’s been watching you talk all night at a party he’s definitely railing you when you get home. He slips his hands into your panties and pulls you onto him. “Come sit on my lap and talk to me, Baby. Tell me if you want it rough or gentle.”

🤍 He listens to you really closely

The boy isn’t a yapper but he’s a damn good listener. He’s quite possibly the only one of the triplets who reads so he loves a good story. He’s always asking you to tell him story stories about your childhood and before you met him. “I swear to god you’re the most interesting woman in the world” “I know I am. Now sit and listen.”

🤍 He gets really concerned when get quiet

Matt does NOT like when you get quiet. God forbid you become deep in thought about something and go silent. If he hasn’t had a debriefing about your day whenever you come home he’ll notice and come up to you with your favorite snacks. “Tell me what’s wrong, Sweetness. I brought treats and we can talk shit about whoever upset my baby.” Even if you’re not actually upset you take the opportunity to talk shit anyway.

🤍 He loves getting voice memos from you

You’re his safe person and your voice is so calming to him. He’s always so excited when you’ve had a day that’s so interesting everything that happened can’t be said in a text. He listens to your messages like it’s a true crime podcast. When he misses you or if he’s on tour he goes back and listens to the messages he’s saved. Sometimes if he’s having trouble going to sleep he calls you and asks you to talk to him until he falls asleep.

🤍 You make sexy audios for him

Yes, your voice is calming but to him it’s equally as erotic. He most definitely gets bricked up to your voice. One day you send him a voice message along with a text that says “LISTEN WITH AIRPODS!” He does and it’s just you touching yourself while moaning his name. He gets hard at the family function and has to punish you when he gets home.

Masterlist

@rafecameronsbitch @daddyslilchickenfingers2 @mrsmiagreer @lovergirl4387 @gdsvhtwa @ashley9282828 @j-worlds-blog @stephanienwf @achrisgirly @draculaura123 @abbypost @Cind2224 @crazychrisl0v3r @ryli3sworld @bkwrld @pinkishpearls @pepsienthusiasts @stunza @chrattstromboli @sturnssmuts @angelic-sturniolos111 @69isabella69 @maryx2xx @sturniolo04 @bigbeefybitch @klaus223492 @r93339 @sturnzsblog @spotconlon55 @robins-scoop @junovrsmp4 @sturnlover4eva @blahbel668 @lilahnowheretobefound @luxy-nyx @tuffsturns @m0r94n @sturnstvs @pepsicolapussy333 @maddyslifesstuff @dogblof @honeymoonxxz @xplr-sturns-e-m @hayhjelmstad15

[ghosts-and-glory]

Imma be honest, Narinder deserved purgatory more than his siblings. I'm glad you gave him the fate he deserves, and I'm excited to see what horrifying abomination had taken his place in the cult. (I desperately hope it's Nothing There from Lobotomy Corporation, but that's wishful thinking lol.)

I’m sorry bestie but I’m not the Nari anti you think I am, I just like putting my faves through the horrors™️

In writing tragedy I want moments of catharsis. Narinder is a character destroyed by his own actions and punished beyond human comprehension. I don’t have a desire to write his infinite torture, more to play with the questions the post game leaves me with. I honestly can’t help but read the stories Narinder and his siblings as one of tragedy, where they are ripped apart by their flaws and reduced to play things in the cult.

Honestly what we know about the crown bearers there’s an argument to be made that Narinder has committed the least atrocities. His ass is the only one who hasn’t done a war crime in facilitating a genocide against the lambs. We are never given in cannon what he did to get banished or how the betrayal went so I can only theorize on the severity of his past actions. The conclusion I have come to based on mostly his, ??? (Mystic seller or whatever you call it, to me it’s Kevin) and Shamura’s dialogue is that he did something to attempt to reverse the natural order of things, mostly like relating to death.

I’m gonna ramble cause I’ve been chewing at the bit waiting to be asked about my au. There’s also some art under the cut. Hehe hoho I’ll be so normal with my interests.

Going into my au, that I really really need to name, The Lamb executes Narinder after he’s defeated. Partly for revenge, for their dead family and for damning them to serve the crown, but at the same time they feel empathy for him, as a servant of death they know that to die is to rest. What The Lamb did not forsee was that killing Narinder would damn him to purgatory just as it did his siblings.

I have a early concepts of, who I’ve affectionately dubbed Not-Narinder, with Purged Narinder.

I don’t wanna divulge too many details on my plans for the au, but Narinder does eventually end up in the cult. After two thousand years in service of the crown, another thousand years in chains, and then a hundred years in purgatory stripped of his senses. To some level the cult grounds are its own prison but does he not deserve a chance to carve out his own life? I will however tease a half written script and doodle of The Lamb and Narinder’s conversation after he’s freed of purgatory.

Unfortunately for me my thoughts and plans for the au go back thousands of years before the plot of the game and then another few thousand years after. It’s like the Star Wars timeline, as in its a big mess.

[winwintea]

take everything i’m posting with a grain of salt btw! we don’t know if everything is true because it hasn’t been confirmed,

like i just read more posts about how taeil wasn’t actually hit by a car, he was kicked by a grandparent of one of his victims. which is probably bs lol… but still doesn’t change the fact that taeil is an evil and vile person, and deserves to be punished for his crimes. twitter is getting more bs posted by the hour, so be careful with what you read there. hopefully we can find out more info tmr

also! i know most people are disillusioned with the members themselves, seeing as they could’ve potentially been aware of this situation. it’s ok to take a break from your favs and we completely understand. in defense of the idols themselves, we do know that most of them said they hear updates from social media posts and the internet lol.. so while they could’ve been aware they could’ve also been not aware. haechan’s actions of logging into his insta (istg bro deleted the app cause where did he go) and immediately unfollowing taeil as soon as the announcement was posted can prove that. + his BESTFRIEND of 17 YEARS just unfollowed him too.

do not support this man pls. i feel like i don’t even have to say this but i still see people defending him, questioning how someone’s phone could last for 6 years without it dying. just move on.

[marvelmusing]

Take Over

Pairing: Crime Lord!Billy x NYPD!Fem!Reader

Summary: It’s fair to say that the Russo case has taken over your life. But maybe you’re okay with that. The Punisher Season 2 AU (where literally everyone except Billy dies)

Warnings: reader’s boyfriend is a pushy asshole, mentions of canon level violence and death, the reader is into violence (probably as much as Billy is but she hasn’t admitted that to herself yet), alcohol consumption, kinda suggestive flirting.

The lifeless body of the Punisher was delivered, beaten and bloodied, to Homeland Security.

Desperate for justice, Agent Madani had followed the trail only to run into Krista Dumont. When Dumont consequently fell to her death, Billy Russo was there on the sidewalk to witness her last moments.

In a siege of violence, Billy had stormed into Dumont’s apartment, firing a burst of bullets towards Madani. He had choked the life out of her himself.

Within the space of twenty four hours, the only two people capable of stopping Billy Russo were dead.

There was no stopping him now.

Six months later, you’re a key analyst working on NYPD’s case against Russo. The research knocks you down the rabbit hole, spending countless late nights reading and investigating. Soon, there’s no one who knows him better than you.

This knowledge and understanding of Russo unsettles your colleagues, and your superiors refuse to listen to your predictions - even when you’re proven to be right. All in all, work is a hell of your own making.

When your boyfriend Callum asks you to join him on a night out at a new club you’re tempted to say you’re too tired. It wouldn’t be a lie. But then you feel bad.

Over the last few months you feel like you’ve neglected Callum, but you’ve been so busy with work, alongside managing all the household tasks since the two of you had moved in together. So you agree.

It’s only you reach the entrance that you realise this is one of Billy Russo’s clubs.

Nerves twist over in your stomach, but there’s no reason for Russo to suspect you of anything. There’s no reason for him to even be here, at this club, tonight.

As usual, Callum finds some supposed old friends to catch up with, leaving you alone at the bar.

When the atmosphere shifts, you turn and watch as Mr Russo descends the stairs in the corner. Music continues to thrum through the building, but to you it might as well be silent as you watch him.

The crowd parts for him as he makes his way towards the bar. Staring hard at the liquors lined up over the wall, you fail to see how his eyes linger on you. A shiver runs through your body at the sound of his voice as he speaks to the bartender.

“My usual. An’ another one-a those.”

He gestures towards your glass with a casual lift of his fingers as he sits down, dropping his jacket onto the seat beside him.

“Thank you, but you don’t need to, sir.”

He shakes his head with a coy grin.

“A beautiful woman like yourself shouldn’t be drinkin’ alone.”

Cheeks warming, you look down awkwardly before you stammer quietly,

“Oh, erm, I’m not here alone.”

Not that it happened often, but if someone hit on you your usual response would be to tell them you have a boyfriend. When had you become so embarrassed to admit that Callum is your boyfriend?

Conflict filling you, a glance over towards the dance floor has you grimacing lightly as a girl practically grinds against your boyfriend’s body.

Mr Russo looks you up and down carefully, before he takes a drink.

“That your fella?”

You nod with a small hum.

“Unfortunately.”

You smile at the bartender as she places the fresh glass down in front of you. Swallowing half of the contents in one go, you relish at the burn in your throat that matches the emotion burning in your chest.

Mr Russo is wearing a fitted khaki sweater, and what looks like a black tee underneath. Casual clothes, but he looks the most put together out of everyone here. Maybe it’s the way he holds himself.

His dark hair is slicked back away from his face, stylish and practical, giving his scars nothing to hide behind. It’s been almost a year and a half since the Punisher had left those scars on his face and they’ve healed well.

From the doctor’s notes that you’ve read, there hadn’t been much hope for him even after he survived the surgery that saved him.

The fact that he was able to sit near you and have a conversation was a miracle, let alone manage a flourishing criminal empire.

You shouldn’t be impressed by that.

“You deserve better.”

Swivelling your head back to look at him, you find Mr Russo’s eyes are staring directly at you.

“Excuse me?”

His expression doesn’t falter.

“You heard me.”

“You don’t even know me.”

“I need to know you to know that you deserve better than that?”

He raises a brow, gesturing with his face back towards the dance floor. Two girls are now dancing over Callum, and he seems to be enjoying all the attention.

When he manages to catch you gaze you give him an unimpressed look. He starts to move towards you, prompting you to finish the rest of your drink, leaving a tip for the bartender as you stand.

It’s then that you notice Mr Russo has disappeared.

At that moment, your boyfriend arrives, giving you no time to ponder the whereabouts of Russo. Callum leans in, caging you against the bar with his arms.

“Hey babe.”

Your own greeting comes out tense as he mouths sloppily at your cheek.

“Callum.”

He then attempts to slide his hand up your skirt.

“Callum, stop.”

He groans in protest before he says in a chastising tone,

“Babe. Quit being difficult.”

Tears prickle in your eyes and you go to move away from him.

“Are you serious? We’re not doing this.”

Despite the strength you attempt to put into your statement, your voice wavers. Then Callum grasps your wrist, squeezing hard. Writhing uncomfortably in his hold, you tug away.

A man nearby steps closer, narrowing his eyes at Callum.

“Hey man, she told you to stop.”

Your boyfriend releases his hold on you, using both hands to shove at the man. He’s tall, and barely moves an inch as Callum snaps,

“Mind your own fucking business.”

Another man steps in your direction, looking Callum up and down with a rather disgusted expression.

“There a problem here?”

“My only problem here is you and the rest of Russo’s dogs.”

These men work for Russo. The bottom of your stomach plummets. Your boyfriend is going to get himself killed. One of the men straightens his shoulders, his nostrils flaring.

“The fuck did you just say?”

Some people might hear those words and consider what they’re doing. Callum doesn’t. He doubles down, and you wish you could just disappear into the ground.

“I said you’re my problem. All I ever hear about these days is Billy Russo this and Billy Russo that. I’m fucking sick of it.”

Is he talking about you? Work might have consumed you a little at the moment, but you never talked about Russo at home.

“Well, ain’t that interesting?”

Callum freezes, as do you, at the sound of a familiar voice. The man stand aside, revealing Mr Billy Russo. He slides a hand into his pocket, as he takes a few smooth steps towards you both.

“You know Callum, I understand where you’re comin’ from. If I owed a guy the amount-a money you owe me, than I’d be sick to death of his name too.”

Stunned, all you can do is blink at them both. Your boyfriend was in debt to the criminal you had been attempting to bring in for the last six months. Not only are you finally realising Callum isn’t worth your time, but you also think you aren’t very good at your job.

Then Callum takes a swing at Russo. It doesn’t even land, and soon his men has pounced, subduing Callum in mere seconds.

Mr Russo hadn’t flinched.

You’re mortified, and a little terrified.

“Mr Russo, I’m so sorry.”

He waves away your apology.

“Not your fault now is it, darlin’?” He grins, almost softly at you before he adds, “An’ you can call me Billy.”

He winks and your heart flutters traitorously.

There’s a cry of pain behind you, but just as you’re turning to look Billy speaks again,

“C’mere darlin’.”

There’s half a second of hesitation before you’re moving towards him. When you come close enough, he takes your chin between his fingers, squeezing softly.

“Good girl.”

The corner of his mouth twitches with a cocky smirk as he observes the haze that momentarily clouds your vision.

“You wanna watch?”

Confusion enters your expression and Billy turns your head to face the group that has circled around Callum as he lies on the floor groaning in pain.

“You wanna watch my men kick the shit outta your boyfriend?”

A soft exhale falls from your lips before you correct him.

“Ex-boyfriend.”

Billy grins, and his shoulders shake lightly as he laughs. Turning to look at him, you catch his gaze again and the spark in his eyes bursts into a flame that warms your whole body.

It’s only now that you notice the quiet. The music is still playing, though not as loud as before, but there’s no one else in the room. Blinking, you realise the club must have started being cleared the moment Callum had approached you.

Billy traces his tongue over his teeth as his eyes rake down your body, and if you thought you were on fire before, now you’re an inferno. He raises a brow, almost casually as he wraps his arms around you.

“So, you’re single?”

A small laugh escapes your lips and Billy seems thrilled by your response, his entire face lighting up at the sound of you laughing.

Despite the fact that your ex-boyfriend is being beaten up in front of you, you can’t stop yourself from batting your lashes and asking coyly,

“Are you asking me out, Mr Russo?”

He pulls your back flush against his front and even under the soft fabric of his sweater you can feel the hard lines of his chest. Shifting your hips lightly, you watch as his eyes darken.

His hands grasp at your waist, holding you still with a force that makes you shiver.

“Careful, baby.” His voice is low as his lips brush lightly against the shell of your ear. “Don’t wanna start something we can’t finish.”

Billy takes you earlobe between his teeth, tracing the delicate skin with the tip of his tongue before he withdraws, pulling a gasp and a shudder from you as his teeth nip down.

“Soon this place will be crawlin’ with cops, I’d have to take you home with me.”

A whine falls from your lips as he mouths along your neck, his stubble scratching over your skin and he breathes out a small laugh.

“Maybe you’d like that, hm? You wanna come home with me, darlin’?”

You don’t hesitate for as long as you should and before you know it, you’re nodding. Billy nods back with a wide smile.

His smile drops as he step away from you. Billy’s men are still circled around Callum, who can barely move from his position on the floor, bruised and bloodied. The men part as Billy moves forward, leaning down slightly to look at Callum.

All you can see is Billy’s back, as he stares down at your ex-boyfriend. Then he gives the order,

“Finish him.”

Rolling his shoulder lightly, Billy rocks back on the balls of his feet as he moves away and his men continue with their work. He grins when his eyes fall on you.

“I got better things to spend my time on.”

The dark look in his eyes as they scan down your body makes you squeeze your thighs together, drawing Billy’s attention down there as you do.

Biting down on your lower lip, you look at him curiously.

“Better things?”

He nods, holding his hand out towards you.

“Let’s get outta here.”

You take his hand.

»»---------------------►

marvelmusing Tag List: @dreamlandcreations @blanchedelioncourt @idaofinfinity @slytherheign @ellooo0ooo @vixenofcourse @dumb-fawkin-bitch

Billy Russo Tag List: @blackbirddaredevil23 @rafaelakelley @theysayitscrazy @nyx2021 @skybridgerton @dragon-of-winterfell @chickensarentcheap @stardustmorozov @sweetwritingfanficfriend @witchcraftandwit @ladyofsoa

BB Characters Tag List: @rachlovesactors @noortsshift @aikeia @weallhaveadestiny

[lucy-sky]

Fix You (Frank Castle x f!Reader)

Torture Thursday prompts: injuries; blood; angst (it's actually not as bad as it sounds, we all know I can’t write heavy angst :'D)

You're a former Black Widow. Well… Who are you kidding? Can a Black Widow possibly be “former”? Even after escaping the Red Room, youʼre still a soldier. And you're used to being on your own. But what if Frank Castle cares for you more than you think he does?

Warnings: see the prompts + hand jobs and getting each other off 

Words: 1688; AO3 link if you prefer reading there

“You okay?” Frank asks as you stumble out of the bathroom. You nod, gritting your teeth. It hurts, of course - you’ve just got a bullet out of your left forearm. There’s no bullet wounds on your right arm, but there’s a rather deep cut on it. Another cut underneath your collarbone you consider just a scratch. There’s a few bruises beneath your ribs, and apparently your ankle is twisted because you can hardly step.

All this is not a big deal for someone who’s spent years in the Red Room. Once a Black Widow - always a Black Widow. Probably that’s why even though you’re free and there’s no Red Room or special missions in your life any longer, you still couldn’t settle. You really tried though, but a simple and quiet life didn’t seem to be meant for you. You moved to New York, found a job in a bar… One night on your way home you saw a couple of men assault a young woman. Could you simply walk away? Not with your training and instincts. 

That’s how it started - fighting crime became your side job, the one that gave you way more satisfaction. And if you fight crime in New York, well… One day you inevitably crossed paths with the Punisher. 

Your first spontaneous team-up turned out to be surprisingly effective for two people who were used to working alone and counting only on themselves. Frank was injured, and you offered your help and shelter for the night. Since then you started working together from time to time. 

You couldn’t call your relationship a friendship - it was more like a partnership. But sometimes you can’t help thinking that no one understands you better than Frank Castle. You are soldiers, the both of you. A soldier can return from war, but the war never leaves them. Peaceful life is not for you. Your hands will always be covered with blood, but at least this way you can make the world or this city a little bit better.

“Need some help?” Frank glances at you with visible concern as you land on the couch and reach for the bandage roll. 

“Told you, I’m fine,” you grumble. “Not the worst thing I’ve been through.”

The wounds really don’t bother you all that much. What bothers you is that this time your “mission” didn’t go well.

Frank doesn’t look much better than you. You suspect those assholes kind of didn’t dare to hit you right in the face, but with Frank they didn’t hesitate much. His face is painted with bruises, yet somehow this time not a single bullet reached him, despite all the risk he took. Your injured ankle hasn’t made your escape any easier or faster, and now you’re angry at yourself for that, as well as you’re angry at Frank. The rational part of you knows you should actually be thankful, but the stubborn grumpy part that hates losing just simply can’t help it.

“C’mon. Let me do that for you,” his voice is calm but stern, so you give up. You didn’t let him remove the bullet from your arm, but now you have no more energy to protest. You allow him to dress your wound, but your anger is still there, and he probably senses it.

“You gonna tell me what the hell is wrong, or-”

“Why did you come back for me, Castle?” 

Your sharp intonation catches him unawares.

“You were hurt,” he mutters.

“No shit. You think I can’t take care of myself? I’m a Black Widow, for fuck’s sake.”

“Didn’t say you can’t take care of yourself. But you were fuckin’ bleeding! And look at your leg. You couldn’t have gone too far like that, they’d get you.”

“Fuck that,” you huff. “You could have got him, Frank! But the bastard’s still free. You know what shit he’s into, right? Human trafficking, weapons… You know how many lives he’s ruined?! I know exactly how those girls felt, okay? I was taken to the Red Room against my will as well, and I don’t want anyone else to feel that way, no one deserves it. Those who are doing it must pay for that. And you just let him get away when he was that close! No, you chose to be a fuckin’ gentleman and save me… But you know what, Castle? I don’t need saving!”

“So what, you wanted me to let you die there?” Frank’s voice is like a bucket of cold water. Are you sure you were ready to die tonight? Probably not. It’s funny how despite all the training and risky missions death still scares you. You don’t want to admit it to him though.

“If that’s the cost,” you shrug. “I mean… It’s not that my life matters much for anyone.”

“You serious right now?”

Frank’s dark brown eyes suddenly meet yours and the look is so intense that you’re unable to look away.

“How ‘bout me, you think your life doesn’t matter to me as well?”

You blink, confused. For some reason you’ve never really thought of it, but right now, looking him in the eye, you realize that Frank cares for you. Genuinely. And you?  What would you do if you were him? If you had to choose between punishing a dangerous criminal and saving Frank Castle, would you be able to leave him for a bigger goal, or would you come back for him? The answer is clear, and you know that.

“I don’t know,” your voice is very quiet, close to a whisper, but your heart is racing. “Does it?..”

He doesn’t say a word, and his eyes leave yours only for a split second as he lowers his gaze to your lips. His hand reaches to frame your jaw as he leans in.

Your heart skips a beat at the touch of his lips. You’ve never had time for romance. You have some experience when it comes to the physical part, and it was far from being romantic. What you’re feeling right now when he kisses you with unexpected tenderness is new for you, it’s overwhelming. You're too used to being on your own, and now, all of a sudden it hits you how much you needed this; how much you needed him. So you open up for him, you welcome his lips and tongue, and when the kisses become more heated, you find yourself straddling his lap. The movement echoes with a sharp pain in your ankle and you hiss against his lips but don’t want it to stop. When he pulls back to take a breath, you look at each other with wild eyes. There’s lust and need for closeness, for simple human touch, but also something more than that. You’re not sure how to put it into words, and right now you don’t even want to. All you want is to have him as close to you as possible. You’re only wearing your sports bra and leggins at the moment after discarding your longsleeve in the bathroom to get rid of the bullet and clean the wound. But Frank still has his shirt on, and you urge him to remove it too. He grunts as he tugs it off, revealing his own bruises and cuts, but nevertheless he pulls you closer, his lips finding yours before trailing down the curve of your neck. You shiver when he reaches that fresh cut under your collarbone and peppers it with kisses. 

“Frank,” you breath out, grinding against him. That flame that broke out between the two of you so fast is becoming almost unbearable, despite all the wounds and the ache in your body. 

“Sh-sh, I got you,” Frank rasps, pressing another kiss against your jaw. He gently urges you to straighten on his lap, and lets his hand slide down your belly, under the hem of your leggins. His palm presses against your mound, and he lets out a low groan feeling your warmth through the thin cotton of your underwear. The pressure feels good, but not nearly enough, so soon you shift again, allowing him better access. Moaning softly as he starts rubbing circles against your clit, you bury your face into the crook of his neck. His scent is intoxicating, it makes you want more, makes you want to touch him in return. Bracing yourself against his shoulder, you reach the crotch of his jeans with your free hand. The sound he makes as you cup and squeeze him is an obscene half-moan half-grunt, his hips bucking in response to your actions. He’s probably as touch-starved as you are, you think. How long has it been for him?

“Shit, sweetheart… lemme just… hold on…”

It takes a few more awkward moments to adjust, and you end up jerking each other off like a couple of horny teens, too impatient to undress. You don’t care how it looks though. Too busy melting in these sensations, you don't even give a damn about pain any longer. Maybe it's the adrenaline from the fight still boiling in your veins, or maybe it's just him - the way he grips onto your thigh, the sounds he makes, the warmth of his breath against your neck… The way he's so determined to make you see stars. You come hard and fast against his fingers, and he follows you seconds later, his cock hot and throbbing in your hand. 

Foreheads pressed together, you’re both panting heavily, getting down from your high. You close your eyes, weariness spreading over your tired body and sore muscles. As if through the haze you can feel Frank withdrawing his hand from your pants and pressing a kiss against the top of your head.

“Ah, shit. You’re bleedin’ again,” he states as he carefully repositions you on the couch.

“Hey Castle…” you mumble as you watch him changing the bandage on your forearm.

“Yeah?” 

“Thanks for fixin’ me.”

“Anytime,” he lets out a soft chuckle. “And you know what,” he adds after a pause, his hand reaching to give yours a reassuring squeeze. “We’re gonna get that asshole next time. Promise.”

Thank you for reading!

[willkatfanfromasia]

Book review – Sangathaara

A book who’s reputation precedes it.

Based on the same topic as an already epic novel, this book accomplished the hard task of being an interesting read. The lack of an English translation is very disappointing

It is a historical mystery with politics and drama interspersed.

It primarily tries to answer the questions surrounding Aditha karikalan's life and death.

For starters it is just 1 volume instead of 5. The author’s (kalachakram narasimhan) writing style (perhaps intentionally) gives glimpses of his former career as a journalist. The story and pacing keeps the reader engrossed-slow enough to reel you in but fast enough to prevent boredom.

It is the content, however, that has left the audience split. The book starts off with aditha Karikalan ‘s spectre lamenting that he hasn’t received justice even after 1000 years- that his killers haven’t been found. We can’t help but quip- but they have been found! In the inscriptions. The author (via AK) argues that the ‘killers’ held important titles in the chola court (“bramadhirayan”) and termed as traitors (how can pandyas be traitors to cholas?). Most suspiciously, their punishment seems neither grave or memorable for a crime of this magnitude.

Several decades into the future, a daughter of Sundara chola with his second wife who'd become a Buddhist monk, dies leaving behind memoirs to her nephew Rajendra Chola. The latter tasks his daughter Arunmozhi nangai with reading them for him - with horrifying reveals for both.

The actual tale begins with kundhavai’s “coming of age” ceremony at the twilight years of her great-grandfather Parantaka 1’s reign. Ambitious kundhavai and Aditha karikalan have great dreams fuelled by youthful vigor.

A teen boy raging to kill his clan's mortal enemy and a teen girl desiring more than her lot in life.

The empire is threatened by Pandyas, Lankans and Srivijaya may too join them. Anirudhdhar, Pazhuvettarayar are frustrated that their new emperor Gandaraditha has no interest in war. They plot to waylay the ship carrying the young Srivijayan princess Vijayarekha and betroth her to AK. This young girl is already engaged to a prince of purasanga (Malaysia?) and loathes her kidnapping.

A handsome young diamond merchant from Purasanga and a young warrior from a fallen Kingdom both enter the empire. The former swiftly rises up the ranks of chola nobility through an advantageous marriage and draws kundhavai’s curiosity by claiming to be the descendant of an elder Chola line. He also claims to possess important ritual artefacts (conch, parts of a plant) used in coronations of ancient Chola’s (adicholar) that kundavai is determined to anoint her brother with. The latter youth, desolate from his kingdom's fall, gains AK’s trust and married kundhavai. (Surprise surprise!)

Pazhuvettarayar, Aniruddhar and kodumbalur vellalar try to steer the rulers.

A prominent devadasi grapples with a wealthy admirer’s attention as her own past and future are questioned.

Ravidasan is given an interesting chola link to weave him into this chaos. His condemnation is also added into this mix.

The author blends a legend about ancient Chola’s artefacts with the ambitions of 10th century South India.

But why the controversy? You may ask.

This book has irked keen fans of Ponniyin Selvan, due to it’s contrasting portrayal of some beloved characters.

- Kundhavai and Vanthiyadevan are NOT good guys. They have individuals agendas.

It builds up slowly and believably within the story’s context – but best not to consider it truth.

A few reviews have pointed this out- the author’s writing style and the book’s preface claim journalistic veracity (the book’s full of footnotes) yet it has the same creative liberties as ponniyin Selvan

- Parthibendran, a fictional character, makes a short appearance.

- There’s a Nandini esque character in this book too (linked to the details in this post ). And the author gives her an unhappy end. He equates her with a real person

- Pazhuvettarayar is cleared of responsibility for AKs murder as he is his greatgrandpa/ great uncle? – but the book goes on to portray other characters as capable of killing their flesh and blood. (This happens a couple of times)

- Gandaraditha’s characterization is – uhm- a choice, alright. As a story it was acceptable (within this universe) but its murky when you realise it’s based on a real person.

- There’s a baby swap in this too. Amv and Madhurantakan's parentage is given a shocking explanation. I may reveal in the comments if y'all want it.

The author has a thorough knowledge of chola art and inscriptions, as well as the many feuds that took place over several generations, weaving them artfully as contributors to the final outcome.

A thozhi (confidant) of kundhavai -thettakani- becomes an important observer due to her proximity to key events. A neutral character in a book full of people with ambitions.

@celestesinsight @thereader-radhika @ambidextrousarcher @harinishivaa @vibishalakshman @sowlspace @deadloverscity @favcolourrvibgior @thelekhikawrites @nspwriteups and anyone else interested !

[8bitsupervillain]

Higurashi When They Cry Hou Ch. 6 Tsumihoroboshi pt. 21

I guess this just goes to show the difference between cultures. Keiichi’s reign of terror with a BB gun sounds really inoffensive when you consider how much worse it could be. He could’ve been attacking them with knives or something and not just little stinging pellets. Later on when he tells the story to Mion, Rika, and Satoko he mentions how he accidentally shot a little girl in the eye with one of these BB guns. And while that it is bad I wouldn’t say this is as bad as, to pull an example out of thin air, beating three classmates with a baseball bat.

But Keiichi, ever the Peter Parker of this setting dons the mantle of the villain and accepts this dressing down from Rena as the least punishment he deserves. Which really, when you think about it, unless he was specifically going after like really little kids, five and below, this is a massive overreaction. It was such a serious crime no one pressed charges, and he got no official punishment when he turned himself in. So his desire here to have Rena just lop his head off with her hatchet seems a like a bit of an extreme overreaction.

Keiichi then thinks to himself about how he would probably be a touch afraid of Rena if he knew about how she did something bad before moving back to Hinamizawa. It’s not mentioned that he remembers the information he was given in chapter one yet, but he does settle on the idea that even if she assaulted her friends, or broke classroom windows he wouldn’t care. Because it’s the past you see.

You know, it just occurred to me how there really hasn’t been any screenshots, designs or anything of characters looking at things with absolute disgust. There’s been murderous rages, anger, but no pure disgust. I guess Rena has gotten pretty close with some of her looks in the remake art style, but I just feel a lack of disgust or contempt. Not even necessarily directed at the narrator/camera, I just mean generally. I guess maybe Rika got pretty close to what I meant as well during her showdowns with Shion and Rena.

This might just be wild speculation on my part but part of me assumed that the two cute girls Keiichi’s dad saw here was Rika and who we eventually come to know as Hanyuu. I have no idea why I think this is the case but I do. I think maybe I was trying to contrive a cosmic reason for why Keiichi and his family moved to Hinamizawa, and so I settled on Keiichi’s dad was beguiled by the god children to move there. It could be Mion and Shion for all I know, but just based off the description of “a beautiful face with a clear-cut profile for her age” it made me think that this was Rika and Hanyuu. Which that would be a whole different can of worms, because if that’s the case how could Keiichi’s dad see Hanyuu, etc.

The next day Keiichi decides to confess to his friends that he was a naughty boy and shot kids with BB guns back in his old home town. The stress of living up to his parents and teachers’ academic pressures got to him you see, so he took a keen interest in BB guns (for some reason I keep wanting to call them air soft guns) and one day he decided to start taking his anger out on randos by shooting them with the guns. Eventually he felt incredibly guilty, because he accidentally shot a little girl in the eye with a BB.

That’s 70s parenting for you! Slap the shit out of your disobedient child!

They’re all surprisingly levelheaded about this. Mion and Rika it makes sense that they’d want to keep their secrets, one being a mob boss and the other being over a hundred. Satoko though? I figured if anyone would have an issue with Keiichi victimizing children it’d be her.

I have a shirt with this quote on it. I think it’s mis-attributed to Shion though. I bought it a long while ago, long before I started reading Higurashi at any rate.

I was quite pleasantly surprised that this was the outcome to Keiichi’s confession. I was fully expecting the VN to play it for drama and for the three of them to start eyeing Keiichi with suspicion. So the fact they more or less shrugged their shoulders and went “and?” was a very pleasant surprise. Cause they’re right, what really matters is that you as a person are striving to be better than you used to be. It’s a very nice message that I don’t think it tries to oversell by acting like this is a divine message Keiichi received. Just his friends giving him the solid advice that, yes what you did was kind of shitty, but you don’t have to let that define who you are forever. Also you really don’t have to tell everything that you did in the past to your friends. Sometimes you can just keep that to yourself, you don’t have to blab it to all and sundry.

Another thing I like about this scene is the very subtle call back to the start of the series. At the very start of Onikakushi Keiichi is half asleep listening to some couple having an argument with the guy being very cross with this girlfriend. He mentions that no matter how bad the mistake, there’s nothing that can’t be forgiven. Satoko saying “what’s the point of living if we can never earn redemption?” I think is a very subtle reference to that.

[storiesofsvu]

Happy Thursday!

The preview for mothership looked super good so here’s hoping!!

Unrelated, but ugh I overcooked my chicken tonight. One day I’ll get it right LOL

Was that mike doyle?!

IT ISSSS!!!

Im taking this as confirmation that ryan o’halloren is still alive and well!!

Ohhhhh god here we go. dad really believes this shit? Ugh.

See… accusations like this are why no doors closed when you’re alone with a student exist. No doubt the conversation with the door closed was the kid coming out/asking about being gay, so privacy but STILL. Especially if the teacher is publicly out at the school, he honestly wouldn’t let that happen.

Ngl, high key crushing on Riley too… *sigh* we’ll just add another man to the old man crush list of the week, shall we? (the other one’s Bobby from 911. I dunno what it is about him but its making me weak)

Jfc right after I say that he fucking parkour’s over a goddamn fence… SIR! I’m trying to focus

Oh go this confrontation scene is gut wrenching. The swat/whatever guys were literally about to just go right for the kill, the kid doesn’t really get whats happening. Thank god for shaw.. jfc

Okay is the little convo with lieu about the foster mom the explanation of how they’re legally talking to the kid (who is a minor) without an adult or attorney present?? Cause they can’t get the foster mom? So that counts?? Cause he’s a foster kid??

I mean.. this kid is showing major remorse. (though with his rap sheet who fucking knows lol) he does look hella scared. Props to the actor.

Is Shaw feeling something here? Is he gonna be straddling the line on this one?

OH MY GOD SAM IN THAT FUCKING PLUM SUIT?!!? PLEASE

Ah yes, shaw is on that side. PLEASE! FIGHT NOLAN! He deserves it. Notice how sam didn’t say anything? Notice how she lingered for a second and gave shaw a look? YES MA’AM STANDING UP for shit.

NOT L&O USING BARBA’S OFFICE FOR A JUDGE’S CHAMBERS. Jfc. That office has been used as so many different things it makes about as much sense as olivia’s apartment.

THIRTEEN!!?? Jesus. Yeah this is messy. All kinds of messy. I hate it all.

I REALLY want an episode where Sam gets to go absolutely feral. Like… we just get a quick close up of her face and have to read the subtext when she doesn’t agree with what the men are saying. Casey, Alex, Barba, they’d all get to snap but Sam hasn’t gotten there yet and I need to see it. I need her working a case on her OWN. Or even just away from Nolan, do a semi-crossover ep where it’s a sex crime that twists into a murder so her and carisi are working together on the case…

OH DAMN now the principal’s in on it?!?

Yeah the principal needs to be held responsible for *something*

This is so one of the tricky cases cause it really doesn’t feel like proper justice for the husband, the kid still killed someone. Who knows if he *actually* knew it was loaded or not? Both parties are responsible for something but figuring out punishment is where it gets super tricky….

$10 says the husband kills the kid before this is all over

Ah. Okay. Well yeah this kid deserves to go to prison for sure. He be lyyyyying

Wait… shaw just walked back into the courtroom and sat back down? Is he waiting to tell the ada on purpose??

There’s so much subtext going on in this episode and I hope we’re gonna get explanations about it lol

Okay… how come when shaw withholds evidence its totally fine and no one’s like, yelling at him, but when casey does it she gets suspended??

I fucking missed what Shaw said about why he’s seeing this case with blinders, like, I heard the bit about him and his brother being split up into foster care but I missed the next bit and now im confused

Okay, dick wolf jump scare. Happy Halloween.

Wasn’t ready for the scene to cut to black like that…

SVU

Okay.. that was an interesting open…

Is ‘sexstorted’ an actual word?

God Mariska looks good. Whoever’s been doing her wardrobe and hair and makeup this season is killing it

Well..bronx svu.. we’ve seen how they run things, that’s really not a surprise they fucked up her case… lol

How old is Ruby supposed to be? Cause this girl could literally be like 16 or 28 I have no idea lol

I really like Silva. Actress is good, she popped up on 911 the other ay I was watching it, I hope she sticks around a decent amount of time

UC VELASCO? WERE GETTING SEXY UC VELASCO!???

Also the look on Fin’s face when he was all “Mexico city huh?” LOL

Okay, in love with the little banter between Velasco and silva

LOL what is with Terry and his expensive watch obsession?

Christ he’s so fucking sexy this is NOT fair

As if this bitch doesn’t have a lock on her phone

Okay I get wanting to get this guy, but shouldn’t Velasco have stayed in the van? This very well could have been yet another middle man and he should be keeping his cover…

I definitely understand Kelsey wanting to spin it in order to keep her job/reputation and shit but something doesn’t sit right about lying about being a victim while being the reporter covering the story.

Yeah that money’s gonna take a long time to get back girlie… but at least there’s some kind of a happy ending coming for her

okay, overall liked mothership better tonight but happy to see the full squad back on svu

[commentaryvorg]

The Great Ace Attorney Final Trial Commentary: Day 3, Part 2

This is an ongoing mini-commentary covering the final trial of The Great Ace Attorney (Resolve) in line-by-line detail. It’s written from a perspective of already knowing the full truth of things, so there will be spoilers for facts that only get revealed later on in the trial. This is not a commentary to read along with one’s first playthrough!

(The commentary will update on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Check this blog to find any other parts currently posted, and if it’s not yet finished, follow to catch future updates!)

Now that we’re below the readmore, I can add that this isn’t quite a commentary for everything going on in the final trial. It’s focused specifically on Kazuma and what’s going on in his head, only covering things which are relevant to him in some way (for the most part). I already had a lot to say about him in a big analysis post over on my main blog – but I have even more to say about him during the trial in even more detail, so here we are!

Last time, Jigoku confessed to killing Gregson, which proves it wasn’t van Zieks who did the deed… but Kazuma has not given up yet, because of course he hasn’t.

Kazuma:  “The accused’s innocence hasn’t been fully established at all. And therefore, it would be wrong to deliver a verdict at this time. That is the prosecution’s unwavering position!”

Of course Kazuma insists that he’s unwavering on this. He really does refuse to waver on his conviction that Barok van Zieks is the guiltiest guilter to ever guilt.

Kazuma:  “Nevertheless… Barok van Zieks has committed crimes for which he must be punished.”

It’s not even so much about revealing the supposed truth of van Zieks’s crimes to Kazuma – it’s about making sure he gets punished for it. Ghhhh. Prosecutors don’t usually make a point of the punishment like this, but of course Kazuma would.

Kazuma:  “But it’s clear from the witness’s testimony that he was coerced into complying with this plot. Into this sick, merciless assassin exchange!”

Those sure are some choice words to describe it. But then, when it’s being masterminded by van Zieks, The Worst Person Ever, of course it’s sick and merciless and any other horrible descriptor you could think of. (And I wouldn’t be surprised if some of Kazuma’s own feelings about being coerced into co-operating with this himself are coming through here.)

Kazuma:  “And furthermore… I’m going to prove his guilt beyond all reasonable doubt!”

Yes, because an argument based on something he claims Gregson told him at sword-point but cannot prove, and the assumption that it was probably the prosecutor on the case who’d have ordered fabricated evidence and would therefore want his co-conspirators silenced, definitely doesn’t involve any reasonable amount of doubt at all. Someone might be overselling himself just a bit here.

(Revival of the Prosecutor is playing now, because this more than anything else is the very thing that Kazuma’s entire life has been building towards – or at least, that’s what he’s fervently telling himself is the case.)

Van Zieks:  “I must say I’m surprised… by quite how tenaciously you appear to want to besmirch my name.” Kazuma:  “……… You are guilty of an unforgivable crime, Lord van Zieks. And I will bring you to justice for it… whatever it takes!”

Here, of course, Kazuma isn’t really talking about him supposedly being the Reaper. He’s saying you killed my father, the most unforgivable crime of them all.

(When really, van Zieks ought to be forgiven for his role in that, because it wasn’t his fault. But Kazuma doesn’t do forgiveness and is going to be unable to forgive him even when he learns the truth.)

Kazuma:  “I thank you, My Lord, for guiding the court so wisely.”

This is as Stronghart agrees to allow Kazuma’s line of enquiry. Because of course, entertaining his argument that van Zieks is The Worstest Ever is the height of judgely wisdom.

Van Zieks:  “I first had to suffer the pseudonym of the Reaper ten years ago now. And ever since that time, I’ve endured the weight of implied guilt that’s gone with it. So I welcome the chance to testify now… and crush these allegations once and for all.” Kazuma:  “Good. Then let justice decide… Lord van Zieks.”

Kazuma is so convinced that justice is on his side here. Even as van Zieks is very much speaking like an innocent man who’s been viewed as a criminal for ten years! But no, obviously that’s all an act, and obviously his testimony’s only going to end up proving that, right.

(There’s been another couple of rare instances of Kazuma calling him “Lord van Zieks” just now. I’m not quite sure why, but it is interesting. Perhaps it’s because Kazuma’s addressing him very directly, and accusing him more directly than ever before of the very thing he’s always wanted to get revenge over, and something in that makes it feel more personal to him than usual…?)

Kazuma:  “The prosecution seeks to begin building its case by calling the accused to the stand as the primary witness… in order that he may answer the accusation brought by the prosecution that he IS the Reaper of the Bailey!”

And once again, Kazuma is calling van Zieks to the stand when this really isn’t necessary. The entire argument we’re about to make here about how van Zieks could theoretically have been involved in the assassin exchange is something Kazuma could have argued anyway, without needing van Zieks’s testimony there to shoot down.

But that wouldn’t be satisfying enough. The last time Kazuma called van Zieks to testify, it turns out he wasn’t lying nearly as much as Kazuma was trying to prove him to be, so he’s going to try again. He will prove van Zieks to be a perjurious liar as well as a murderous monster, dammit.

Susato:  “And Kazuma-sama is so emotional at the moment. He’s not thinking logically!” Ryunosuke:  “You’re right that he’s not himself.”

Aww, both Susato and Ryunosuke can tell that Kazuma’s in a very volatile state right now.

Ryunosuke:  “But I knew it would be like this. And I came here today determined to face him through whatever might arise. As a lawyer… and as his friend.”

Friends!!! I love how Ryunosuke’s determined to stand up against Kazuma’s fervour, not only for the sake of the truth (“as a lawyer”), but also for the sake of his friend, to help pull Kazuma out of this maelstrom of emotions and save him before he condemns an innocent man to death.

--- Testimony 3 ---

(As a reminder, I’m using different testimony-numbering to the game’s chapter select, because the chapter select bizarrely treats it as if day 2 and day 3 are one continuous day when they are not. Add two to these numbers to match those in the chapter select.)

Van Zieks:  “I acknowledge that the public at large believe me to be the Reaper. However, that’s a fallacy, which I alone am in a position to foreswear.” Kazuma:  “Naturally, the prosecution believes the testimony just given by the accused to be untrue.”

Really, Kazuma? You really had to butt in just to say “well, I think he’s lying, though”, as if that wasn’t obvious enough from your position. Maybe calling him to testify so that he can argue for his innocence wasn’t the best of options in some ways, huh?

Kazuma:  “Ryunosuke Naruhodo…” Ryunosuke:  “…Yes?” Kazuma:  “Let me ask you: why are you here? What really brings you to the courtroom?”

This is the closest Kazuma’s ever got to asking Ryunosuke why he’s defending van Zieks – whether he really believes he’s innocent or not. Kazuma’s definitely been having some very heavily-suppressed thoughts about whether Ryunosuke might be right to be on van Zieks’s side over the past few days… but now that the moment of Kazuma being about to prove van Zieks’s guilt is right here, he can’t be allowing himself to think that Ryunosuke could possibly have a point. So if that’s not the case, if he’s not doing this because van Zieks is really innocent (because he can’t be), then… why is Ryunosuke here at all?

Ryunosuke:  “……… A desire to uncover the truth.” Kazuma:  “Even if the truth proves your client to be guilty?”

Happily for Kazuma, Ryunosuke doesn’t give him the answer he didn’t want to hear. Ryunosuke’s belief in his client isn’t quite his number one priority, not next to the truth. And Kazuma is so convinced that the truth is going to prove his client to be guilty.

Ryunosuke:  “So it’s always my intention… to work with my client in pursuit of the truth.” Kazuma:  “……… I want you to remember what you just said.”

While the narrative purpose of this bit is to come back to bite Ryunosuke when it turns out the truth is the absolute last thing his client wants to be true, that’s not how Kazuma’s seeing this. He’s expecting this to come back to bite Ryunosuke when it turns out that van Zieks is obviously the worst and could never have been worked together with in pursuit of the truth at all, right.

Ryunosuke:  (I know exactly what you’re thinking, Kazuma. I know you’re just waiting to point it out. The contradiction you’re convinced lies somewhere within this man’s testimony…)

Of course he is, exactly like he did before. Call van Zieks to the stand so he can point out the contradiction and prove him to be a liar, because those defence lawyer habits still haven’t quite left him.

Ryunosuke:  (Could it be… that Lord van Zieks has something to hide after all…?)

This is in the recap dialogue, as Ryunosuke’s musings vaguely nudge the player towards figuring out the connection with Klint’s autopsy. But it’s a bit much for him to take this as a sign that van Zieks has something to hide. That’s what Kazuma thinks is the case, but it’s also perfectly likely that van Zieks is claiming there’s no connection because it just never occurred to him! Have more faith in your client, Ryunosuke!

Ryunosuke:  “So you’re not what the general public refer to as the infamous Reaper of the Bailey?” Van Zieks:  “Exactly.” Kazuma:  “Don’t imagine for a moment that the court will be satisfied with a one-word answer on this.”

Kazuma is wasting no time in being as savage as ever. How dare van Zieks try to establish his innocence with just a single word and think he can get away with that. Unacceptable.

Ryunosuke:  (If you’re intending to comment on every sentence, this could take a while, Kazuma…)

Ryunosuke’s almost got used to Kazuma’s uncalled-for sniping at van Zieks by now, to the point that he’s mostly just exasperated by it, oof.

Van Zieks:  “It felt like a betrayal, but… I demanded permission to search [Gregson’s] office at the Yard without his knowledge.”

Here we are, that bit I mentioned in the earliest post – he demanded permission. Almost like he didn’t actually enter Gregson’s office illegally after all, huh, Kazuma?

(Kazuma doesn’t comment on that part, of course.)

Van Zieks:  “Jigoku had intended to implicate Hugh Boone. But unhappily for me, I arrived at the scene first.” Kazuma:  “Hah! A ridiculously careless blunder!”

And here’s why it’s important that Jigoku was trying to frame Boone. There’s no way Jigoku would have ever tried to frame his superior, so if he’d been going for van Zieks all along, Kazuma wouldn’t have been able to deny that van Zieks can’t be the Reaper’s mastermind. But this way? Van Zieks totally just carelessly, foolishly stumbled into the trap set up by his underling for someone else, right, that’s definitely a mistake that a man who has orchestrated murders undetected for ten years would make.

Ryunosuke:  (Moved on to just throwing insults around, I see then, Kazuma…)

Ryunosuke’s exasperated again, but he’s slightly missing the point here. This isn’t Kazuma insulting van Zieks for the heck of it – this is Kazuma insistently justifying to himself that van Zieks being the mastermind still makes sense. It’s those mental gymnastics of his in full force.

Ryunosuke:  “Certainly as it stands, there’s no evidence to suggest that you concocted the scheme.” Kazuma:  “Objection! But as it stands, we have only the accused’s insistence of his innocence.”

Um, Kazuma? Haven’t you heard of innocent until proven guilty? I’m pretty sure that should be the case in this British court, even if it kind of won’t be in Japanifornia in a century’s time. It’s so petty of him to butt in to insist that van Zieks claiming he’s innocent totally doesn’t prove anything at all.

Kazuma:  “Perhaps there is some reason that would explain why he masterminded the assassin exchange. And if a reason could be established later in these proceedings… then the accused’s claim in this testimony that he wasn’t involved would amount to perjury.”

However, it’s not quite as petty as it sounds, because he is going somewhere with this. Obviously he intends to prove the reason that van Zieks did orchestrate the assassinations, so he’s making a point of van Zieks’s insistence of his innocence because he wants to let everyone know what lying liar that would make him. Kazuma is practically admitting here that literally his only reason for calling van Zieks to testify again is to make him guilty of perjury as well. Which… is really petty of him, in a somewhat different way.

Susato:  “Clearly Kazuma-sama… intends to identify a reason and use it to make his case.” Ryunosuke:  “So if we don’t identify something first…” Susato:  “…He’ll gain the advantage!”

This is the game trying to justify why we have to be the one to point out the connection, even though it makes our client look worse, but it’s kind of flimsy. The facts are the facts – it shouldn’t matter which side is the one to point them out. Kazuma could perfectly well be the one to point this out himself, just like how he objected to van Zieks’s first testimony… but I guess the writers want to make the players play the game this time.

Kazuma:  “………”

Still, we do get this textbox of pointed silence from Kazuma here, effectively showing him not objecting with the connection to Klint’s autopsy like we know he could. So perhaps this is him hoping – or trusting – or testing? – that Ryunosuke will point it out for him.

Kazuma:  “I’m pleased to see the defence doesn’t intend to run from the undeniable truth.”

And this is his reaction as Ryunosuke presents the autopsy report, suggesting that that is indeed why he let his friend have this one. Look at him being proud of his friend for facing the truth even when it makes his client look bad.

Kazuma:  “I’ve personally researched all of the court records relating to [the Professor] case.”

Of course he has. He must have been doing nothing else in the week after regaining his memories.

Kazuma:  “But someone implored the powers that be to allow the autopsy to go ahead: Inspector Gregson. He declared that he was certain he would obtain conclusive proof from the procedure.”

And this is why Kazuma was so certain he’d get something out of Gregson if he threatened him on the Grouse, because this alone pretty much screams that something dodgy was going on. How could anyone be so sure that an autopsy would conclusively identify the killer?

Van Zieks:  “Evidence that conclusively proved Genshin Asogi was guilty of the murders. In my brother’s dying moments, he mustered all his remaining strength to leave that vital clue behind.” Kazuma:  “………”

Interesting how Kazuma doesn’t immediately butt in here to argue that this isn’t true. More than anything else, this is the moment in the trial that he’s been waiting for all along – the moment where he finally, finally gets to argue for his father’s innocence and clear his name. It seems, on this at least, he’s aware that he ought to take things slowly, and do this properly, and not seem so driven by emotion that he won’t be taken seriously.

Kazuma:  “A marvellous victory, was it? I wonder if that’s really true.” Van Zieks:  “What?” Kazuma:  “Could the same be said if it turned out that the key piece of evidence in question was in fact fabricated? If the inspector, the coroner and the prosecutor all colluded together… to cast an innocent Japanese man as a mass murderer and send him to his death!”

He does manage to come across as fairly rational as he actually broaches the topic – although that last part there is definitely delivered with a lot of anger in it.

Kazuma:  “And now, ten years later, for some reason the secret has been threatened and needs protecting. Which is why the inspector and the coroner had to be silenced… isn’t it? By someone in power in Japan and in Britain… using the two killers recruited for the assassin exchange!”

And he’s still able to seem like he brought this up purely for the purpose of supporting his actual argument at hand here, which is that van Zieks is the exchange mastermind and therefore also the Reaper. For now, Kazuma’s managing to keep a somewhat level head and not lose sight of what this trial is supposed to be for.

Kazuma:  “Ten years ago, my father was convicted in this very courtroom as a mass murderer… to be sentenced to death. But it was all a sham! And I swore to myself that I’d prove it. Which is why I HAD to come to Britain… whatever the cost!”

…And yet, he’s not staying that level-headed. As soon as he’d finished with the actual rational case-relevant argument, it seems that he couldn’t help himself from exploding with the much more personal, emotional reason why this is so important to him. Oh, Kazuma.

Van Zieks:  “You’ll have to forgive me if I feel compelled to toast this vengeful Nipponese’s tenacity of purpose here. However… he who fails to quash his emotions in the courtroom… has failed as a lawyer.”

I enjoy how van Zieks actually respects Kazuma’s sheer determination, even if most of it has ended up pointed at his throat. But of course he can also see that Kazuma’s beginning to get too inappropriately emotional here.

Ryunosuke:  “Come on, Kazuma! You know this won’t wash! You’re claiming your father was misrepresented in a trial that took place a whole decade ago! You must see that without evidence, that’s nothing more than a wild accusation!”

And Ryunosuke’s also seeing that in his friend and trying to talk him down. He’s not expecting Kazuma to have any evidence other than his desperate earnest belief in his father’s innocence, because what evidence could Kazuma possibly have that hasn’t been uncovered in all these years?

Kazuma:  “As it happens… I have evidence.”

Well. Sort of. What he has is his own word that Gregson admitted at sword-point to fabricating evidence, something Gregson is now too dead to testify about in court and confirm. So it’s not actually very good airtight evidence at all. Kazuma is definitely still leaning into the desperate-emotion side of things a bit here by trying to believe that this will work.

Gregson:  “Right, I see… You’re that Asogi’s young lad, are you?”

I love what this line tells us about Genshin. The fact that Gregson’s thinking of Kazuma as “that young lad” means that Genshin must have talked about his son a lot to his colleagues, to the point that Gregson was still picturing Genshin’s son as a “young lad”. He’s only just reconciling in his mind here that, huh, said young lad is all grown up now and very angry about his father’s death.

Gregson:  “And what? You’re gonna cut me down with that thing, is that it?”

Gregson’s tone here seems almost sceptical, like he doesn’t really think Kazuma would actually go through with it. Either that or he’s grown so tired from all of the crimes he’s committed for Stronghart that he’s kind of accepted the possibility of his death and doesn’t really care if Kazuma’s going to kill him here.

Kazuma:  “So… you admit it then? The evidence used in my father’s trial was fabricated?!”

There’s some fun screen flashes and shakes here, which, despite this bit being from Kazuma’s POV so we can’t see his expression, does a lot to get across just how furious he must be to hear confirmation of this.

Kazuma:  “Orders? What exactly did you do? …Speak!”

More fury-indicating flashes here – Kazuma is so sure that he knows exactly who gave the orders, but he desperately wants Gregson to confirm it, so that he can have proof (so he thinks, in the heat of the moment here, where he can forget that it won’t hold up in court) that everything was van Zieks’s fault.

Gregson:  “I’m not sayin’ another word.” Kazuma:  “Even if your life depends on it?”

And Gregson refusing to talk on this leads to Kazuma much more explicitly threatening his life. He needs to hear Gregson say this.

Gregson:  “That’s right. Even then.” *Shing!*

Even then, Gregson still won’t give him what he wants. There is nothing Kazuma can do to get the confirmation he so desperately needs – and so, he finds himself suddenly, intensely wanting to kill this man. That swipe was not a warning strike.

See the gash that Karuma left behind in Gregson’s trunk? Look at the angle it’s subtly curving in. That doesn’t seem like a natural angle for a sword swipe to have happened at if the trunk were sitting upright and open on the floor, as a proxy for Kazuma’s redirected anger.

It makes much more sense if the trunk were held open and sideways at the moment of impact, as a shield used by Gregson to protect himself. Kazuma was striking directly at him.

Ryunosuke:  “So that’s when the tip of the sword broke…” Susato:  “Oh, Kazuma-sama…”

Susato’s got tears in her eyes, empathising with the pain Kazuma must have been feeling during that confrontation. I would say here that neither of them are imagining he had any murderous intent here – but then, their dialogue when re-examining Karuma’s tip in the trunk did suggest that their thinking was going somewhere in that direction. I’m sure they both want to believe it was intended simply as a warning, though.

Kazuma:  “And then can only have been ordered to pervert the course of justice in that way by one man: The man leading the case for the prosecution, Barok van Zieks!” […] Stronghart:  “In other words, the defendant DID have cause to organise this exchange of assassins!”

Oh my god, Stronghart. Look at him eagerly jumping on “hey, I can pin all of my crimes on van Zieks and get away with everything, excellent!” It wouldn’t surprise me if he handed Genshin’s trial over to van Zieks ten years ago precisely so that he could do exactly that if the corruption ever came to light.

Naturally, although Kazuma’s “proof” of the fabricated evidence is nothing but flimsy hearsay, so long as it’s being used to attack van Zieks, Stronghart is perfectly fine with not questioning it.

Van Zieks:  “What you’ve just told the court… Are you absolutely certain of your facts? Did Gregson really fabricate evidence for that trial ten years ago?”

But hey, even though it’s not court-approved evidence, Kazuma’s words are also enough to sway van Zieks into realising who the real enemy is! So Kazuma’s ill-advised threatening of Gregson was actually worthwhile, despite everything.

Kazuma:  “I heard it with my own ears. His shameful admission.”

Of course it was shameful. Anything that cast his father as a murderer and got him killed would be nothing less.

Van Zieks:  “In that case… I know… the name of the Reaper.” Kazuma:  “Wha… What?”

Kazuma’s surprised here – because van Zieks’s response is genuine, and a part of him must be able to see that. What do you mean, van Zieks is actually figuring out that the Reaper is someone who’s not him, as if he never was the Reaper at all???

Ryunosuke:  “I believe I know who it is, too.” Kazuma:  “You…?!”

What do you mean, Ryunosuke also knows who it is now?!?! Ryunosuke’s judgement is always right, so that must mean it actually isn’t van Zieks after all??? Inconceivable.

It’s not possible to ruin this moment with silliness by having Ryunosuke present someone random – if you choose anyone other than Stronghart, Ryunosuke just hesitates under the overwhelming pressure, and then gets penalised for wasting time. A neat way to not undermine the gravity of this!

Kazuma:  “Wha…?! Lord… Stronghart…?”

Oh, Kazuma. He really had no idea that the man he’d been answering to and respecting as his superior was his true enemy all along.

Ryunosuke:  “But he only took over the case after his brother, Lord Klint van Zieks, had been killed.” Kazuma:  “…!”

He just didn’t know! Ugh, the pain that could have been avoided if Kazuma had only been aware of this simple fact. But of course Stronghart would have been sure to bury it so that it wouldn’t be easy to uncover, such that Ryunosuke only learned of it by talking to van Zieks (something Kazuma would never have dreamed of doing).

Van Zieks:  “…Ten years ago… I was very new to my profession. But I had a burning desire to avenge my brother’s death, so I pleaded for control of the case.” Kazuma:  “………”

Kazuma’s silence suggests that he’s actually listening. That some part of him is beginning to realise that this does make sense, and maybe it never was van Zieks at all. In particular, I’m sure he can understand the feeling of being desperate to avenge a loved one’s death, to the point of pleading for control of an important case despite being very new to prosecuting, hmmmm. Maybe he’s not so different from you after all, Kazuma!

Kazuma:  “But I heard it from Gregson’s own lips! He admitted to it!” Stronghart:  “…And where is your evidence?”

Of course, now Stronghart is quite happy to point out that Kazuma’s claim does not constitute evidence. Conveniently he just forgot to bring this up until he was the one being accused.

Ryunosuke:  (Kazuma… He’s more or less waited his whole life for this moment. Is there really nothing else we can do now?)

Aww, Ryunosuke, not only caring about the truth but caring about the fact that this is so important to Kazuma! They are friends.

Kazuma:  “Who, Ryunosuke, who? Tell me!” Ryunosuke:  “Kazuma, I…” Kazuma:  “Please! This trial can’t end! Not yet!”

Guhhh, Kazuma is so desperate and it hurts. And he believes so strongly that his best friend is awesome enough that he’ll have figured out some way to keep this trial going.

Ryunosuke:  “……… I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for the truth.”

…This line really, really bugged me on my first playthrough. It reads like Ryunosuke’s basically saying he doesn’t care about how Kazuma feels about this at all, which I hated – and which is frankly just not true, since we just had a line from Ryunosuke moments ago in which he’s acknowledging how important this is to Kazuma! Ryunosuke knows full well that his best friend is in agony about this – there is absolutely no reason he shouldn’t be doing this both for the sake of the truth and to help Kazuma!

In my attempts to reconcile this line into something more acceptable, I came up with the notion that this is Ryunosuke trying to communicate to Kazuma that this can’t be about his emotions right now, because they’re in a court of law and what matters most is the truth, not what Kazuma wants to be true.

I’ve also seen another take on this line which is that it’s about Ryunosuke’s overall character arc of finding his path in life. Throughout this entire game, he’s been standing as a lawyer largely because he felt like he needed to carry on Kazuma’s path in his place. Ever since Kazuma turned out not to be dead, Ryunosuke has been conflicted over what that meant for him – what the point of him being here even was. This line could be intended to be the turning point in which Ryunosuke finally realises that he wants to be a lawyer not for the sake of Kazuma but purely for his own sake, because he’s realised that he truly cares about finding the truth.

Which I do really like! But I do also think that, if that was the intent of this line, it’s very awkwardly timed to make it seem like it’s not about that, because it really does come across as just Ryunosuke pushing aside his friend’s emotional pain and writing it off as irrelevant. Ugh.

Or, heck, the line should just have been worded ever so slightly differently. “I’m not just doing this for you. I’m doing it for the truth,” would have been so much better, because then Ryunosuke’s not diminishing the fact that he still cares about Kazuma’s feelings! He’d just be saying that the truth is also important to him, and perhaps even more so.

(We don’t even see Kazuma’s reaction to Ryunosuke’s line here… which does support the idea that the intent of the line was more about Ryunosuke’s own arc than about communicating anything to Kazuma, but, still. Mrgh.)

Stronghart:  “Prosecutor Asogi, let me refresh your memory, as you seem to have forgotten the prosecution’s stance: Only minutes ago, you accused the defendant of being the Reaper and of masterminding the assassin exchange.” Kazuma:  “I, I did, yes…”

Oh, Kazuma. In the desperation of the moment, he really does seem to have somewhat forgotten that he’s supposed to be backing up his argument that van Zieks’s is the Reaper, instead of focusing disproportionately on proving his father was framed for its own sake.

I also wonder if a little bit of his hesitation here is because he’s starting to be less sure that van Zieks really is the Reaper and wondering if this alternative possibility that it’s Stronghart might have some merit after all.

Kazuma:  “I… I… At this time, I don’t have the requisite evidence.”

Kazuma does a remarkable job of shifting from flustered and agitated into formal courtroom demeanour in the space of one sentence here. He is, after all, very good at bottling everything up and pretending to be Fine on the surface.

Kazuma:  “But that’s exactly why we need witness testimony!”

…Not that it takes long for hints of his desperation to begin shining through again.

Stronghart:  “I’m afraid to say, Prosecutor Asogi… that you would appear to be possessed by the spirit of your late homicidal father.” Kazuma:  “…!”

Yikes, Stronghart. Low freaking blow. He certainly knows how to emotionally manipulate people.

Stronghart:  “As for you, Prosecutor Asogi… you will be remanded following these proceedings. Willingly, I trust… since you gave your word.” Kazuma:  “Argh!”

And of course he’s quick to remind everyone that Kazuma is supposed to be arrested and tried for the whole assassin thing right after this. If the trial did end here just like Stronghart wants, I’m sure he’d ensure that Kazuma’s sentence for that is as severe as possible, to prevent him from continuing to try and find the truth.

I also like that he reminds Kazuma that he gave his word that he would go willingly, and that this in particular bothers Kazuma. He cares so much about being honourable and keeping to his promises! He really was willing to turn himself in and let them do whatever they wanted to him… just so long as he’d already got justice for his father first. He cannot let things end without having achieved his goal.

Stronghart:  “This futile game of revenge is over… young Master Asogi.”

Kazuma’s breakdown is heartwrenching. His entire life has been leading up to this, and he’s ended up trapped in a situation where he had to finish things today or else he never would… and now that final chance has slipped out of his grasp. It’s over. He’s failed, and there’s nothing else he can do. Ghhhh, please give this poor man hugs.

I also like the wording of Stronghart’s damning line. Not only is he omitting Kazuma’s prosecutor title, but he’s not even calling him “mister” – it’s “young master”, like Kazuma’s just a child, playing a pointless game. In some ways, Kazuma really is still just a broken desperate grieving child, and in this moment, hearing these words must make Kazuma feel even more that way than usual, which Stronghart leaned into deliberately to make him give up. Damn.

Luckily, Sholmes is here to save the day!

(Sholmes’s appearance here actually hints at the fact that he has been somehow listening in on this trial. He quotes Stronghart’s line from the beginning verbatim, which he should not have been able to hear since he has not been allowed in the courtroom.)

“That’s right! We need to clear this up before that young Japanese fellow is remanded in custody!”

I adore Kazuma looking up with sudden, desperate hope as he realises that things may not be over after all. I also like that this is spurred by someone from the gallery actually mentioning him and seeming to care about the fact that he in particular deserves to see the truth of all this, even though, to them, he’s just some Japanese fellow. Shout-outs to that particular random person in the gallery. They are good.

Begrudgingly allowing the trial to continue, Stronghart first calls for a recess, but since it turns out Mikotoba is right here in the courtroom, there ends up not actually being one. Which means that Kazuma gets absolutely no time at all to properly recover from his agonising desperation and huge emotional breakdown – he just immediately has to pull himself back together and continue standing as the prosecution as if he’s perfectly fine. Guh. My Lord, I would like to request a recess anyway, because the prosecution needs a hug.

Ryunosuke:  (I’m ready to head into the heart of this maelstrom and confront whatever horrors it tries to drown me under!)

There’s a fun little reference to Stronghart’s name pun here – the Maelstrom Heart. It’s fitting, with how he causes a storm of crimes and corruption all around him, but he himself, at its heart, remains seemingly clean of all wrongdoing.

[transsexualgriffith]

i hope you've been doing okay!! for a while, i thought you'd quit tumblr wjsdfjh i hadn't seen you here in a while

i kinda thought i should let you know that last year i started crime & punishment and have really been enjoying it (however i got stuck halfway through due to Other Books™ and Life Circumstances™ so although i intend to finish it, it's going to probably be a few months XD)

anywho how have you been doing?

hi hi :3 no I am stuck here unfortunately. I'm really sorry much of last year I wasn't doing very well, so lots of my contacts got neglected, but I'm better now and would love to catch up :)

(I literally still have a draft responding to an ask of yours abt sebastian moran that is just a half finished piece of meta I never got around to. shame. maybe I'll just add onto that next time i reread the empty house.)

as of today I am doing pretty good I have some really exciting things coming up this month (seeing a concert next week, then I'm at a music festival and then I'm going to travel to a con with my friend) and I've been doing alot of writing recently, plus right this second I'm looking forward to watching the new doctor who episode with the boyfriend later. I'm subjecting rowan to the curse.

and that's awesome, I really hope you've been enjoying it!! I understand though, I have read most dostoevsky novels but this happened to me with tolstoy so often, I still have not finished anna karenina and I started reading that nearly two years ago. fun fact this year I've been reading alot of japanese lit I've been meaning to sink my teeth into I'm currently having a great time with mishima, but man I also read some yokomizo and it hasn’t let me go. anyway feel free to tell me your thoughts when u pick it back up I always love to talk abt it. me and my reason 10+ copies of crime and punishment.

have very grainy image of me and rowan hanging out in european church when he was here three weeks ago. was really awesome we traveled :)

[daisyachain]

Pandora Hearts is my solid recommendation to Witch Hat Atelier readers. Less polished, less pretty, more focused on person and less focused on system, Pandora Hearts still has a similar unfolding of plot and subplot shrouded in mystery and carried by a superb cast of characters.

What is Pandora Hearts? Good question. The plot is that young teenager Oz must deal with a catastrophic blow to his self-image: being cast into the timeless hell dimension of the Abyss on his birthday for the crime…of being Oz. He makes a deal with a demonic creature named Alice to escape. Together, the two of them try to find out why Alice has no memory before the Abyss, what Oz did to deserve his punishment, and why Oz had a memory of Alice before meeting her.

In their quest for answers, Alice and Oz are taken into custody by a research body, Pandora, dedicated to understanding the Abyss. The dour Raven and trickster Break act as bodyguard and mentor to them both. A wide supporting cast helps or hinders them on sorties around the country to find out more about the mechanics of the Abyss. As they travel, the cast slowly realize that they are connected by more than just chance, and that a larger plot is going on that might be everyone’s problem.

Where Pandora Hearts is similar to Atelier is in its slow-burning character arcs. Atelier has an ongoing question of: who deserves magic, and why? Pandora Hearts is driven by the issue: who deserves to live, and why? The various characters all have a connection to some great accident or mistake that defines their lives. In a perfect world, the characters wouldn’t exist. This matches closely with Atelier’s focus on characters who would have been helped by more magic, or at least harmed less. The perfect world of the witches has overlooked them and cast them aside.

Another match is the character-driven mystery. Pandora Hearts’ worldbuilding is much softer than Atelier; the mechanics of the plot matter less than the motivations of the characters. As events unfold, characters’ goals and drives are called into question and defy readers’ initial assumptions, only to loop back around and be revealed as another thing entirely. This constant cross-double cross matches the shifting stance of Qifrey and Beldaruit, among others, and keeps the story fresh.

Last, Pandora Hearts maintains a moral nuance in the same way as Atelier. Atelier shows the impacts of forbidden magic while leaving it up to the viewer just how far is too far to go to control or combat it. The actions of characters like Qifrey, Ininia, or Galga are hard to reduce to good or bad, and the series has no interest in doing so. Pandora Hearts similarly leaves the question of Right secondary to the question of Survival. The plot is driven by the choices of people in desperate or unfortunate circumstances and resolved by the same, leaving few truly good and fewer truly evil characters in play.

Misc notes on why it’s a good read:

PH balances its art between clean and fancy, delivering a Victorian aesthetic that still flows with the smoothness of an action manga. It’s never ugly to look at and rarely dull.

Every single character is linked to an Alice in Wonderland character, meaning you can guess the existence of hidden characters by who has or hasn’t been revealed yet. Sure it’s cheesy, but the series has such a strong identity of its own that it just fades into the background. It’s a series that distills the year 2009 down to its most potent essence through the cutesy creepy atmosphere.

The demons (“Chains”) all have neat designs, though they fall to the background pretty quickly. This is a supernatural thriller, not an shounen fighting series.

While it’s not a feminist manga in and of itself, the mangaka includes a wide variety of women in the supporting and main cast, each with a unique and fun design.

Romance is almost entirely absent from Pandora Hearts. The relationships form a core part of the plot and some do have the intensity that lends itself to romance, but stories of both love and obsession come without that crutch.

The character Break is, and I cannot stress this enough, the same person as Qifrey. One eye. Nice guy. Something very wrong with him. Older brother to the crew. Surprisingly powerful. Jokester who used to be very serious. Difficulty accepting emotional support. If you like him. And want more. Just read PH. He’s here.

[dolphin1812]

Valjean’s emotional state remains very turbulent throughout this chapter, but I’m curious about how it differs from what we’ve read before. For one, I think he finally gets some catharsis when he cries: nineteen years with no way to express his emotions besides taking them out on others or on himself have clearly taken their toll, but hopefully this allows him to heal at least a bit. He also begins to resemble himself as he was early on in his prison sentence. Although he finds it “intolerable,” he thinks of his home, which he hasn’t been able to do for years (”Although the season was tolerably far advanced, there were still a few late flowers [ . . . ] whose odor [ . . . ] recalled to him memories of his childhood”). He also examines himself at the end of the chapter in a similar manner to how he analyzed himself when he was in prison. While seeing the extent to which this causes him to feel guilt in both cases is heart-wrenching, Hugo seems very interested in the divide between the “beast” in Valjean that acts on the instincts engrained in him by prison and the more peaceful, “thoughtful” side of him; consequently, Valjean reflecting on his actions and thinking of unlearning those “instincts” is probably meant to be a good sign.

The way he tries to turn himself in is also notable. We’ve seen Valjean’s guilt make him present himself as criminal multiple times now, most significantly when he tries to intimidate the bishop before going to sleep. He also commits crimes without fully knowing what he’s doing, possibly because he feels like he deserves to be punished. When he steals from Petit Gervais, he’s following this pattern. However, what’s interesting here is that he tries to atone for his crime before he goes to the solution of prison. When he can’t find the boy on his own, he asks for help, and he likely offers money to the priest in the hopes that it’ll reach Petit Gervais somehow if he’s from the area (and if not, it’ll hopefully help others in need). The way he tells the priest to have him arrested remains an expression of guilt, but this time, it’s after something he’s actually done rather than a pre-emptive sort of condemnation. I still think his guilt is harmful to him overall, but I do think this instance of it is distinct.

It’s also fascinating how we end this chapter with a moment of peaceful contemplation: Valjean in prayer outside of Myriel’s home (I feel like we can assume this is him, every mysterious man in this book is Valjean). All of the descriptions of his thoughts thus far have been chaotic, as have his outward expressions of them (screaming, crying, collapsing, etc). That he is now composed suggests that he has made up his mind in some way. I think it’d be a stretch to say he’s “gotten over” his turmoil, but he’s at the very least in the process of resolving some of it, with the bishop giving him the purpose and direction he lacked before.

[amazingmsme]

I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY RECOVERED FROM MY SICK!! in celebration have this: i saw some hcs a little while ago on your blog about peter having the cutest dorkiest laugh and i LOVED it (i’m also just a sucker for some lee!peter) and i can just imagine like. peter always being at least a little embarrassed about it but especially around stephanie when they start dating cause he wants her to think he’s cool and tough! he can’t let her find out about his dorky laugh!!! so whenever he’s with her he’s always trying to hide his laugh by turning away and muffling it or whatever so she can’t hear how “embarrassing” it is but for steph that just means she’s never heard her boyfriend wholeheartedly laugh before which is practically a crime in her eyes. so i feel like she’d try tickling him so she can hear what his real laugh sounds like and once she hears it she immediately falls in love with it, which then leads to her tickling him even more as punishment for keeping it hidden from her for so long - fluffvoid

YAY I’M SO GLAD! & to anyone else who might be sick reading this, I hope you get better!

I am absolutely obsessed with this! Steph is head over heels smitten with him, & she’s more than a little sad that she hasn’t heard Peter laugh fully. Just a few chuckles here & there or an amused snort, & she can tell he’s holding himself back. Does he think it’s cool or something to never laugh? Is he trying to be a bad boy & curb his emotions? Does he just not think she’s that funny? It’s literally driving her mad

He’s gotten into the habit of covering his mouth when he laughs to try & muffle the sound. Steph thinks it stems from him being self conscious about his smile, but she’s not too far off. She starts to catch on tho & she eventually can’t take it anymore & asks “why do you never laugh around me?” & he’s taken off guard & stutters out “t-that’s not true! … is it?” & she just nods like “you always act like you’re gonna laugh, but you stop yourself short” & it makes him feel guilty, so he comes clean & tells her it’s nothing serious, it’s really stupid, & he’s got an ugly laugh & he didn’t want her to hear it. She assures him that there’s no such thing as an “ugly” laugh & it puts him at ease, at least a little bit

He tries to stop hiding his laughter, but it’s a reflex so he kinda has to be reminded every once in a while. But one day they’re watching a funny movie & his guard is down & he lets out a loud, genuine laugh. & Steph is frozen in shock just staring at him because the sound that just left his lips is the most adorable, beautiful sound she thinks she’s ever heard. But he mistakes her reaction & gets embarrassed like “see? I told you it’s ugly” & she immediately reassures him it’s not & she lays it on thick with the puppy eyes & asks if she can hear it again & he’s like “well gee Steph, something funny has to happen first” (in the same tone as “well damn Jackie I can’t control the weather”)

& she’s not taking any of his sass, & she needs to hear him laugh again or else she’s gonna die ok drama queen so she just tackles him to the bed & does the only thing she can think to do & starts tickling him. & once she gets started, she doesn’t want to stop because she’s gone so long without knowing what his real laugh sounds like so she’s gotta make up for lost time! A lot of lost time

In case you haven’t noticed, I fucking LOVE lautski & can’t get enough of these lovestruck dorks they’re my favorite okaaay

[twisted-fucked-up-sunflower]

my thoughts on crime and punishment characters!!

Raskolnikov: he’s so babygirl, he’s just like me fr. Minus the killing people part and the ubermensch complex he has. I’d argue he’s schizotypal but that’s likely not true. So I headcanon him as such. (If it’s unclear, I am schizotypal myself)

Razumikhin: Undisputed best bisexual representation in literature, my GOAT, love him to death, XOXO. No further comments. Perfect character.

Dunia: [to Svidrigailov] GET A JOB. STAY AWAY FROM HER (I wrote this in the book pages where it was relevant). She’s as smart as Rodia from what I read, though she wasn’t developed a lot as a character I think? I still need to re-read the book later. She should’ve shot the revolver at the guy’s head. Probably didn’t want to end up like her brother, though. Unlikely she’d come out winning from killing a man with connections, as evil as he was.

Pulkeria: Didn’t really find her too interesting, but I think that’s because she wasn’t focused on a lot. Remarkably patient towards Rodia, it was infuriating when Rodia just fucked off and didn’t speak to them (Dunia and Pulkeria) for days. His ungrateful ass. I get this habit, though, since I have it myself. Sometimes people are upsetting to be around, for no reason, might I add.

Svidrigailov: Exceedingly, unabashedly, shamelessly despicable. Hate him with my heart. He seems like a parallel to Rodia, and the book seems to focus on this from Rodia’s own observations. Parallel not in a good way, I’ll clarify, but in a “What if he was completely evil” way. I’ve got 40 pages left to read in this book and I’d like it if within the next 20 he ****** himself. Irredeemable but really interesting at the psychological level. He’s insane, it seems. Or maybe also schizotypal. Either way words cannot describe how much I hate this man.

Porfiry: Not much to say here, he ate Raskolnikov up both times they talked though, gagged him 😭 #embarrassing

Lujin/Luzhin (not sure on how it’s spelt): He’s so laughable. Gets insulted once, subsequently sends word of how it hurt his feewings to get clocked at the psychological level by the brother of the woman he’s going to marry, at his historic age like FOH ☠️. And I was livid when he tried to incriminate Sonia/Sofya (I prefer Sonia tbh) like bro really tried that shit 😂😂😂. He got owned by Rodion every single time he tried to fight back it was so fucking funny. Pathetic ass man. Glad he called off the marriage. Asshole.

Sonia: She’s Rodion’s love interest, it seems. I don’t get why she’s going to go to Siberia with him, though. Her family’s taken care of (by SVIDRIGAILOV of all people) and she hasn’t committed any crimes. Is it just something to do with misogyny or something related to it? She told Rodia to confess to his crime to atone, but in a *catholic* way. It’s crazy she got burdened with the knowledge of Rodia’s crimes and still said “Oh how you suffer! Atone for your sin willingly, it’s your only way to get rid of the guilt!” Her abnegate character showed a bit here, methinks. Still, why the fuck would she go to Siberia? Just because she *loves* Rodia? They both seem like they fell in love with each other for some odd reason, or maybe none at all so yeah. She’s also a favorite because of the way they describe her, the blue eyes seem like something I’d like to draw, when I get to it. Though, it’s curious that it’s Svidrigailov in love with Dunia and Raskolnikov in love with Sonia. Dunia and Sonia get stuck with the two murderous morons. (Well, not Dunia, because she managed to get Svidrigailov to not assault her. Again, DESPICABLE man, that one. Hope he dies :D) 

 Anastasia/Anastasya: I love her so much, I wish we’d gotten to see her interact with Razumikhin more because their dynamic was funny to me. She also laughed with a snort if I recall and that is so real of her. She also helped Rodia with food, basically kept his stupid ass alive for free before Razumikhin came back.

Zamiotov: Not much to say about him, really. Funny when Rodia explained in detail how he ‘would have’ gone about murdering Alyona, though. Fucking hilarious to read that shit. Most obvious criminal of all time.

Marmeladov: God knows how many pages he went on telling Rodia his entire life story. Perfect character. No notes.

Catarina/Sonia’s mother: Very tragic. Her death made me feel sad. But the parts before that when she was just DRAGGING Amelia Lippewechsel, she was so real for that.

I think I might be missing a few characters. No worries! I won’t update this lol. I hope those who read, if any do, find this funny.