#i did try save scumming but he died every single time no matter what i did. RIP i guess!!! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

crescentblossom66 · 1 year ago

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Dead Bird Metro: The Tale of two Girls Chapter 23 (Finale)

TW: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH!

Maemi paced in front of the cage, the young cat was seething, hatred oozing out of their green eyes, their clawed paws opening and closing as they glared at the caged birds. Dave met their eyes with a glare of his own, even though he was scared. “You know, if it weren't for the orders from the boss, I'd kill every single one of you brutally and painfully.” The sentence was spoken with such malice that a few of the captured owls and penguins shivered. “My aunt and my uncle-” They gripped the bars of the cage tight, “-they died because of you scum!” Even though the purple cat was young and still had traits of a kitten, the birds in the cage aside from Enrique and Dave flinched as they hit the cage with the metal of the rocket launcher that they were wielding with just one arm.

“You still have some time, compadre, you can still give up and retreat. My boss won't pursue you, he only has business with your leader.” Enrique's sharp eyes never failed to gaze at the young feline that found is calm and fearless disposition more than a little grating.

They gave the eagle-owl a glare and their eyes narrowed after the owl reciprocated said glare, “You'll be the first one I kill when I get the opportunity.” The purple cat showed their claws before turning around and leaving the storage hall again. They climbed to the roof the hall and sat down near the edge before they started to cry. The new coat they had received just that day prior now getting stained with tears.

The young cat slowly approached their mentor, seething with anger still after the news of Nozomi- and Toshihiro's deaths reached them. They couldn't believe that their dear aunt and her uncle had lost their lives. “They'll pay! I'll make sure that they'll pay for their deaths. I'LL KILL ALL OF THEM!” The young cat yelled gritting their teeth and hissing, their purple fur bristling as they walked over to their strangely calm mentor.

It was obvious by the balled paw of the tall, gray cat that this whole situation was boiling her blood as well, the two mentioned deceased cats had been her best friends. She had to stay calm though, if she let anger lead her now, the Nyakuza would be doomed to fall. “Calm yourself, Maemi, what did I tell you?”

The young cat took a deep, slightly shaky breath, “Always stay calm, no matter how bad the situation.” They tried as hard as they could to control their sadness and anger, as they stood next to their mentor. Maemi fidgeted a bit as they looked out the window, they dreaded to ask the question that was burning on their mind. “W-What...what do we do now? We...We attack them, right?” A look of uncertainty greeted the gaze of the gray feline as she turned to look at her protege.

“...We will prepare our defenses and wait...they will come to us to save their allies. That's when we fight...” She already had a plan to surround the small army of birds that would come to attack them. She would draw them into a battle near the main plaza and have a smaller group attack them from all sides. She knew that they'd send at least a few members to free their allies, which made it perfect to set and ambush. She doubted that the leaders would be the ones to free the captured birds, considering their animosity for her that was more than mutual, they would try to attack her...and she'd bury them in the same building she was in in that very moment. “They will come to us with all they have, so we will prepare for their arrival.”

The smaller cat seemed a bit unhappy about that idea, they would have preferred to attack the birds directly, but their boss' plans usually worked out well, yet...they despised needed to behave like cowards who don't fight back. “Where will I fight? Near the front lines, right?” The small cat was itching to use the rocket launcher granted to them. They would show them, all of them what the Nyakuza are really capable of, that those brainless birds picked the wrong enemies. Their face fell a bit when the gray cat shook her head slowly while turning back to look at them.

“I want you to stop the small force that will no doubt come to save the captured penguins and owls. I know who they'll send for this. The two girls that have been leading the Leowles and the Penguiads in the absence of their leaders...-” Her eyes narrowed and her paws were clenched so much that her own claws dug into them which caused her to bleed, yet the leader of the Nyakuza didn't even seem to notice. “-I want you to crush them, bury them under rubble!”

“Yes, ma'am!” The small cat saluted with a serious expression. The glare of their mentor softened and she went behind her desk and pulled out a new red jacket.

“I've noticed that the old one had become rather small and worn, so I got you a new one.” She gave the new coat to Maemi, who quickly put it on and and smiled. The Empress nodded and waved her hand in a dismissive fashion. “Now go and make me proud!”

“Leave it to me!” They nodded and were about to head out, but stopped when their mentor spoke in a way softer and more vulnerable sounding voice that caught them off guard.

“Be careful out there...”

Bow went up to the roof top, needing some fresh air after the long meeting they just had. She looked out at the sunny afternoon and smiled, if she had the time later, maybe she could take the radio outside later and dance and sing a bit...maybe she could ask Hattie to join her, it would get their minds off things at least. The young girl noticed her friend slowly come up to the roof as well, so she waved at Hattie enthusiastically. “Those meetings are so booring, right? I know that they're important, but I find it so hard to concentrate for that long.” She ran over to the other girl that looked a bit more concerned. “Hey, we'll do fine tomorrow! You needn't worry yourself about failing, me and you together can't fail!”

The cheering of the curly-haired girl made Hattie smile for just a moment before it faltered again. “That's...not it. I'm worried about my grandpa, he looked so sad yesterday and he was so...emotional. It's rare that he acts like that. He was really worried about me being hurt, far more than usual.”

The Penguiad girl made a dismissive hand gesture. “Maybe he finally learned to show his emotions more, like my grandpa. Do you think they can get along now? They made the plan together and they're going to confront the Empress.” Bow asked with a hopeful look, liking the idea of them working together because it meant that she and Hattie could maybe stay together after all of this was over.

Hattie was a bit more skeptical, but tried to be optimistic, there could at least be a chance that after all of this mess, they could stick together. Over the course of the past weeks, the penguins and the owls got along better and better each day, by now, they could be send on missions together without much trouble. “Here's hoping, I kinda want to stay friends...I don't want to be your enemy again.-” Hattie looked sad at the thought, “-We've dealt with so much already. I'm gonna talk to my grandpa after we win tomorrow, maybe we can arrange something.”

Bow raised her fist into the air, “That's the spirit! I'm gonna talk to mine too, I'm sure he'll agree to arrange something. The Conductor did save my life before after all, and DJ Grooves saved yours too.” She looks determined, “-They just HAVE to have seen that the other gang leader isn't as bad as they thought!” Bow could see the face of the other girl fall again.

“...But what if-” The curly-haired girl shook her head.

“No 'What ifs'! I'm not going back to being enemies and that's final!” Bow smiled and grabbed the hands of the other girl. “You're my best friend now, I'm not gonna beat up my bestie.” That caused Hattie to laugh and smile.

“Yeah, I'm not gonna go back to trying to stab you either.” Bow then ran down to the stairs quickly, leaving Hattie puzzled as she watched the girl descend down the stairs. Her eyes lit up again when she spotted the other girl come back up with an old radio.

“Let's see if I can get this bad boy to work again. This radio is very old, I think it's even older than me!” She giggled as she fumbled with the settings and frowned a bit when it didn't work, she didn't even notice that Hattie had left and come back.

The Leowle girl opened the back of the radio and produced a battery, giving Bow a rather smug glance. “It can't work if it has no battery.” The other girl only rolled her eyes and when switched it on and quickly found as song she seemed to like. She started to sing along and dance while Hattie clapped.

Bow then grabbed Hattie's arm and danced with her, which caused the other girl's eyes to go wide in shock and surprise. She looked a bit embarrassed, but still joined in on the dancing, getting her mind off the battle they had tomorrow. She pushed a dark thought out of her mind.

What if...they don't make it.

It was a cold but clear night, Hattie would have preferred cloudy weather it would make them harder to spot as she and Bow jumped from rooftop to rooftop. “Do you think that Enrique, Dave and the others are okay?” She asked the curly-haired girl who seemed to have been deep in thought herself as she almost lost her footing and tripped as the two jumped from one building to another, both keeping an eye out for patrolling cats.

“I'm sure that they do, Dave may be a bit paranoid and a bit scatterbrained sometimes, but my homie knows what he's doing.” Bow tried to be as optimistic as she could, giving the other a short smile before they could see the storage. “I'm more worried about my grandpa...They're running head first into danger, no matter how you look at it.”

Hattie put a hand on her shoulder as they stopped and looked around for a moment. “They have the Owl Express, that train is heavily armored and my grandpa's pride and joy. They'll be fine.” Hattie assured. They were close now, they could see the storage hall just ahead, all they had to do take care of any guards and make sure that the owls and penguins made it out.

“There you are” Maemi whispered to themselves as they watched the two girls advance toward the storage hall. They quietly trailed them, making sure that neither would have a clue that they were there, waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Said moment came in form of them stopping on a roof to observe their surroundings, surroundings that Maemi knew like the back of their hand, so the young cat had no problem staying out of sight of their mortal enemies. They readied the weapon granted to them by their mentor. They hissed as their eyes narrowed at their unsuspecting targets and they aimed right at the curly-haired girl. “You'll pay. I'll make you pay for killing my family!” The hatred and scorn for the two girls peaked as they fired their rocket.

The Leowle girl froze in shock for a moment when she noticed something red being aimed at Bow like a tiny red dot. A loud whooshing noise was heard a moment later.<hr>

“Are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure that it will work.” The penguin slowly boarded the train of his rival, who looked determined and had a deep scowl on his face. For once that scowl was not caused by his rival, instead it was aimed at their mutual enemies.

The yellow bird was grateful that Hattie, due to her quick thinking, at least managed to save his beloved train. Now he could finally put her heavy armor to good use. “You calculate it multiple times over, ye just have ta have faith in me and me lovely train.” The old owl went back to check on the last train cart again. He'd give those cats a nasty surprise, if they think that they can take them down with their superior numbers, they were in for a rough ride...No matter the cost, those cats would PAY! He returned to the front of his train, the penguin held something in his hand that he couldn't make out at first, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a simple USB stick. “What's with that grimy, ol' thing?” He eyed the small item suspiciously.

The DJ held the small piece of technology up like it was a prized possession. “This, darling, is our ticket into that building, and...-” He sighed, “-It has a lot of sentimental value. A friend saved it for me and he...lost his life protecting me.” He looked down at the floor, the pain visible in his eyes.

Normally the yellow owl would have told him that people die in this line of work...but...he doubted that his own owls would even do something like that for him. In the recent weeks his beliefs have been turned and twisted by the penguin's words and vice versa, all the two birds knew was that all of this needed to end. That all all of this brought was pain and suffering.

The penguin looked out the window at the metro, watching the owls and penguins proceed forward to attack the HQ of the cats head on, they didn't have the resources to split the army in two. “If we miss the jump, we'll die horribly-” The DJ's eyes clouded with worry for a moment. “-I calculated it thoroughly, but it can always go wrong.”

The yellow owl chuckled as he started his train, if they timed it right, and he knew how long it would take to get to the central plaza, they would arrive there just a moment before the penguins and owls got into the crossfire of the cats. “Ye worry too much, we just have ta do it.” The yellow bird balled his talons to fists and the ear-like feathers on the tight side of his head started to twitch a bit in his anger. “We ain't gonna lose to those filthy furballs.” The time went by in a silent tension as the two birds traveled to their destination.

The leader of the Penguiads stared out the window on the side of the control room, his flipper tapping a small rhythm against the window sill. He wondered if he made the wrong decision on that fateful night. Sometimes the thought of just leaving it all behind had occurred to him, yet he found that, even if he wanted to, he would have failed the penguins that relied on him,. He could never be as selfish as to abandon them, and as the years passed, the opportunity to leave got smaller and smaller, he found that he was simply in too deep to escape. Leaving the Penguiads to fend for themselves would have ended poorly, he knew that they couldn't function without him. DJ Grooves sighed deeply, he knew why he ended up in this business and he knew why his penguins did what they did, yet...he couldn't help but wonder if there would have been a better solution to the problem of poverty that the penguins were facing. It was what it was, though, he was aware that he couldn't change the past, he made his choice, now he had to stick with it.

The other bird glared out the front window, he wondered if his life would have been better if only he had decided to stay with his family...but at the same time he couldn't just go against the wishes of his deceased father. This life was all he knew, would he even have been able to live like a normal person?...would he even have been a good father? Questions that he would never know the answer to, but questions that now plagued his mind. He had always known the dangers that he was facing, that one careless mistake could cost him dearly, he knew, yet he stayed, he chose to continue the legacy of the Leowles. He was about to slam his fist down on the control panel's edge, but he took a deep breath to calm down. None of this mattered now...not anymore. The past was over and done, all he could do is accept the consequences of his choices.

Bow tumbled off the rooftop after Hattie pushed her, the missile their nemesis fired barely missing her head. For a moment she thought that they would plummet to their death now, but Hattie reached the sill of a window after they fell. “Hold on!” Hattie pulled Bow up to stand on the sill, just holding on with one hand for a moment, thanks to her high strength it wasn't a problem. Bow pulled her up just in time as a new projectile made its way toward them. They climbed back onto the roof using the gutter, Hattie almost losing her footing once and dragging down Bow with her when another missile hit just a few feet below her.

They climbed back onto the roof and the barrage of missiles stopped, both Hattie and Bow looked around frantically. “This must be the last cat that was mentioned. Grandpa said that they're the protege of the leader of the Nyakuza.” Bow muttered quietly to Hattie who just nodded and looked at the rooftops of the adjacent buildings. The missiles were fired from around the same level as them, leading her to believe that they must have come from up there...she didn't expect that she'd get get punched in the chin so hard that her jaw felt like it cracked. Hattie stumbled backwards with a yelp and Bow just about stopped the purple cat from slicing Hattie's neck with their claws by intercepting it with her dagger.

Maemi jumped back in response to the dagger's sharp edge getting close to their paws and opted to kick the Penguiad girl in the side. Bow jumped right back up after falling on her side while Hattie had drawn her knife to defend herself. “You...-” The small cat glared between the two girls that were facing them. “- WOU WILL NOT WIN!” Tears, hatred and anger were visible in the green eyes of the Empress' protege as they charged at their greatest enemies, ready to fulfill their mission and kill those that had killed their beloved uncle and aunt. What they didn't expect was that that the two girls would work together flawlessly. While Hattie charged back at the the red jacket-wearing cat and drew their attention to herself, Bow aimed for the young cat's chest...before stopping and cutting the young feline's side instead, which caused them to hiss in pain. Maemi, instead of attacking again decided to retreat and jump down the roof and head toward the storage hall. Bow pulled Hattie back by her arm when her friend thought it best to pursue.

Hattie looked confused at Bow, but understood after looking at her worried expression. “Bow...we can't spare them! They attack our families!” Hattie argued, but kept calm.

“I know...but, we...we were the same, you remember, right? They're hurting, we...we killed their family.” Bow felt a twinge of guilt. The young cat was the same as them, raised by a leader of the gang whom they consider their family. The Penguiads and Leowles had pretty much killed their family, she could only imagine that the eccentric cat that almost dropped her off the roof of the building was like family to that young cat, like Dave, Martin and Marcus were for her. It hurt the curly-haired girl a lot when Martin got imprisoned and Marcus died protecting her grandfather. She could see it in the sad eyes of her best friend that Hattie came to understand her point of view.

“But...what can we do? They will just continue to attack us...that cat won't stop trying to get us killed.-” Hattie thought about it and decided to make for the hall again. When Bow gave her a worried glance, she answered as she landed on an awning. “-We still have to save Enrique and the others, with how unstable that cat is, we don't know if they'll kill our friends and family.” Bow follow after Hattie, hoping that it would all work out somehow.

The two birds could see the high tower of the huge mall that was the crown jewel of the whole metro a helicopter was stationed at the top. When he focused his vision, the yellow owl could already see the rows and rows of cats that were about to intercept the advancing of their small army. Rows and rows...that had no idea that he was about to pull of the greatest assault in all of the metro's history! “Ye ready?!” His wings, normally steady and calm when he conducted his train, now shivered and twitched.

His rival tore open the door while they were still gaining speed, the harsh wind blowing in his face like blades made out of air. “Ready!” He had calculated this at least ten times now, and he still wasn't sure if they'd both simply perish, but he had to have faith now, it was the only thing they could come up with that could lead them to victory.

No one could see it, but the yellow owl's face turned from steaming anger into deep melancholy for just a moment while he took a deep breath and waited for the signal of his rival. He ignited the line that would lead to the end of his beloved train with sadness mixed with determination on his face, when he heard the signal of the tall penguin. The small spark made its way to the left wheels of the Owl Express, while its conductor joined the DJ and they jumped out the open door right as the dynamite blew up the wheels, sending the huge vehicle off the rails with a loud screech. The two birds got blown out of the door and crashed through the glass door of 'Sheep mattresses' and into the display of the mattresses that were lined up on the ground floor of the building for customers to view.

The cats tried to run for their lives after they heard the loud screeching noise as the train crashed on its side and scraped on the pavement of the plaza. The following explosion shock the very foundation of the building the two birds were in, as the explosives at the back of the train tore it and most of the cats that were in the plaza to pieces. “You okay, darling?” The penguin shook his head, clearing out the daze and pulling out another set of sunglasses from his pocket, his previous ones got lost and carried away by the wind. The owl stepped out of the shop after wiggling out from under the mattresses that he landed in and looked at the mayhem outside the store. “...Darling?”

The yellow bird was silent for just a moment more looking at the bits and pieces of what was once his pride and joy, now reduced to nothing but rubble. “I'm...fine. Let go, we got a cat ta kill!” The two leaders watch as their penguins and owls engage the enemy cats in battle for a moment, before they use the confusion to make their way to the huge mall, and as expected, it is tightly locked by a metal door. “Do your thing, DJ pe-...Grooves.” The owl readied his knife and stood guard while the DJ worked on opening the security door.

“I'll have this down in a jiffy, won't take too long.” The yellow owl just nodded and remained on guard until he heard a click and they were finally in, ready to bring all of this to an end once and for all.

Hattie broke the window into the storage hall unceremoniously, and climbed in...so far it had been strangely quiet...it boded ill, she knew, so the young girl remained on guard. Bow followed closely behind Hattie, her dagger at the ready for whatever was awaiting them in the dark and cold hall. They searched the aisles filled with various weapon ranging from, bats and clubs, and even chain saws, to cans of food and canisters of water. The brown-haired girl even found a collection of comics, if she wasn't on a mission right now and wasn't in the heart of enemy territory, she would have called Bow over to sift through it to see if those cats had anything good. “Hattie, that you, amiga?” The low voice caught her attention and she ran over to where she heard the familiar, rugged voice of Enrique. She found him and the other owls mostly unharmed, a few of the penguins and owls had scratches and cuts, but they looked mostly unharmed.

“Bow, over here!” The penguins immediately lit up at hearing the curly-haired girl's name and Dave got up from sitting on the ground and started to bolt toward them, gripping the bars tightly.

“Bow's here too?!” His question was answered when he noticed movement out of the darkness, and the girl in question made her way out of the shadows of the dark storage space, smiling widely.

“Dave! You're alright, homie, I'm so glad!” Bow had to wipe a few tears out of her eyes and the small penguin started to sob and cry a bit. The other penguins and owls looked relieved to see them as well.

While Bow was busy calming down the more frightened birds, Hattie followed the iron rope that was connected to a winch. The lever was more than a bit difficult to move due to the rust and years of not being in use. She called her friend to help her, not wanting to waste time searching this huge hall for oil or anything of that sort. “Need some help?” Bow stretched her hands out and helped Hattie raise the heavy steel cage the birds were trapped under.

A loud soft whirring noise caught Hattie's attention and made her blood run cold, she had heard that noise once before when that insane cat lady send her mecha cats at her. They let go off the winch and jumped back rapidly as a sharp, shuriken was tossed their way and embedded itself in the rope of the winch, barely missing the girls, it stopped the cage from lowering, however. It didn't take long and they were attacked by flying projectiles from the dark shelves and railings above, while three mecha cats attacked them in melee.

“I'll grind you both to dust! You'll die here! I'll take all you love away from you like you did from me!” The young cat joined the fight against the two girls, firing rockets whenever they had an opportunity. Hattie dodged the sharp, metal claws parrying attacks with her knife while ducking under shurikens that missed her by nothing more than a hair. Bow used one of the shelves for cover, while a mecha cat extended a claw through a small crack in the wooden shelf, if it wasn't for her quick reflexes it would have gotten her eye instead of just leave a bleeding scratch on her cheek.

Feeling that he needed to do something, Dave gathered all his courage, he couldn't let Bow deal with all this alone, his boss would be devastated if anything happened to her...so would he. The small penguin got up and tried to squeeze through the small gap between the cage and the ground after said cage was lifted by the combined effort of Hattie and Bow. He pushed himself through the gap bit by bit, but got stuck a bit around half-way through. The eagle-owl noticed the struggle of his ally and pushed him through. Dave yelped a bit but ran to get some oil, knowing that he couldn't move the winch if Hattie had to call Bow for help. He glanced up at the young cat that was in the process of firing a rocket at Hattie, their eyes cold and focused as the missile was launched. A gasp escaped him when heard Hattie scream out in pain as a shuriken cut her shoulder and a moment later he saw Bow getting hit by shrapnel form a missile that she barely avoided in the chaos. He finally found some frying oil, not the best, but it would do. The winch creaked the moment he tried to move it after pouring the oil on it. The small penguin did even realize that one of the former subordinates of Toshihiro was sneaking up on him as he slowly but surely raised the cage, his flippers aching from the effort. The cat was about to stab Dave when Enrique tackled the murderous feline down and dug his sharp talons deep into their throat. “Lo siento, compadre, can't have you kill my friend.” Dave was shocked for a moment, but calmed down after seeing that the eagle-owl had the situation under control.

“Thanks, dude, you saved my feathers there.” The rest of the owls and penguins spread out to help Bow and Hattie fend off the their attackers.

Bow and Hattie joined back together after the owls and penguins they rescued banded together to fight the ninja- and mecha cats, and instead focused their attention back on Maemi who gritted their teeth and headed for the roof of the hall. They followed them, they needed to stop them, but...could they really do it without needing to end the life of the tormented cat

Hattie drew her knife while Bow hesitated for a moment longer. “Stop this, you've lost already.” Hattie tried to reason with the young cat, but it obviously fell on deaf ears as the moment she finished her sentence, a missile whizzed by her, she noticed that their green eyes were glistening with tears. Both girls knew only too well just how Maemi felt.

Both girls didn't expect that their mutual enemy would start to charge toward them, discarding the rocket launcher now due to it being out of ammo. The cat fought even fiercer than before slicing and slashing at them from unpredictable angles which made it hard to counter their attacks. Even with this clear lack of direction, they put up a good fight, as both of them were stuck just parrying and dodging attacks...”You can't keep this up, please, stop, we know how you feel.” The desperate plea from Bow received an answer in form of a swipe that barely missed her eyes and knocked her glasses away. The retaliation strike from Hattie sliced the red jacket of the purple cat, which caused Maemi to stand down in shock for a moment.

“You...you cut my new jacket...” They sounded to be in disbelief and anguish before the seething hatred took over. “I'LL KILL YOU!” A powerful swipe made Hattie's blade skid over the ground as she yelped in shock before she got pushed down, one of the yellow feathers on her headband fell off as her head hit the ground.. After her vision focused again a moment after the painful contact with the ground dazed her, she could see the sharp claws that prepared to slice her throat and the hatred-filled eyes of the cat, while Bow had readied her dagger and was about to attack the back of the young cat.

All motion stopped when a loud explosion shook the whole district.

The mall was already mostly clear of people, considering that it's main gate had been locked that wasn't surprising, the two birds doubted that it even had been open today. The army of cats had made it just as clear as the eerily silent mall. “Never thought I'd see a mall without people.” The tall penguin slowly advanced as he tried to keep his mind off the fear that was slowly rising in him the closer they got to the end. The Conductor, meanwhile, pressed on, the DJ assumed that he had already made peace with his decision. They soon found the stair case that lead to the basement of the big building. “Good luck, darling.” The DJ smiled at the the yellow owl who nodded.

“Don't ye dare fail, I don't know how much time I can get ya.” He knew that the leader of the Nyakuza was highly adept at melee and range combat, his rifle would have been of no use, he'd likely have no time to aim and unlike his previous targets, the Empress was expecting them. The yellow owl hurried up stair while his rival made his way down instead.

The Empress heard a beep as the security system informed her that the door downstairs was now unlocked, she was aware that they were coming for her, she had underestimated them before, but this time they'd face her, and she had been through more than enough battles...and even if she struggled, all she had to do was press one button and this whole building would lock up and blast them to pieces, while she'd escape. She readied her rocket launcher, aiming at the door to give the bird that entered a warm welcome. When the door opened and she spotted yellow feathers, she fired, but it was obvious that the small, yellow bird that entered with a grimace had anticipated that already. The owl drew his knife out the inside pocket of his now tattered and torn jacket. “I expected more from the feared leader of the Nyakuza than a wee rocket.” The owl slowly advanced.

She readied her new and improved rocket launcher which now opened to more launchers at the side after she pressed the button at the bottom. “And I expected more than a puny, old owl as the leader of the Leowles” The three rockets were fired at him and he dodged the first by jumping over it and the second by sliding across the ground, the trajectory of the third was off and missed him completely. With his knife raised high, he attacked the cat that simply jumped out of the way and fired a rocket at him that almost made contact if he hadn't jumped back right then his attack failed. “Where is that penguin friend of yours? I wanted to bury both of you at once.” She glared at him, clearly still just playing with the owl that needed to dodge yet another barrage of rockets.

“Donnae need him ta kill a wee kitty who doesnae know her place!” She only chuckled at his response, still seeming calm, but that comment made her want to rip his vocal cords out personally.

“Quite the big words for one so small,-” She discarded her launcher, strapping it to her back, before she charged at him. “-I wonder how well you talk when your lungs are full of blood!” She got close and attacked the bird with a claw swipe, he could feel the air as the attack barely missed him...but he failed to think about the fact that she had TWO weapons on her at all times. The yellow bird yelped in pain and grit his teeth when the other claw cut his side and caused his suit to rip and yellow feathers to stick to the claw of the cat that just shook them off and went in for another attack that he evaded barely.

The Conductor readied his knife again and was put on the defensive than he had to parry an attack of the cat that used both her claws, he had to jump over a kick aimed at his legs which was supposed to cause him to stumble and make it easy to kill him, yet he used the her failed attempt to swing his sharp talons at her which scratched her leg and caused her to grunt. The wound on his side bled stronger the more he moved, but he ignored the pain, just like he had done many times before.

The eyes of the tall, gray cat narrowed and she hissed, pouncing at the yellow bird like a predator on prey, her claw strike missed him, but she managed to grab his jacket and toss him to the wall with force, the small bird connected with the concrete with his already injured left side which made him scream in pain and blurred his vision for a moment. He got no time to rest though and had to dodge attack after attack. “Come on, Grooves, hurry...” He whispered quietly to himself.

It took him a few minutes but he managed to crack the code using the program he had on his USB stick. When the door opened, there was...nothing, at least nothing visible. He rolled his eyes behind his shades, and went back to the panel, which revealed a bunch of lasers strung high and low across the room. It would take too long to try and deactivate it, and he didn't know how long his yellow-feathered rival could last in that fight. He took a deep breath and decided to imitate the way Bow had jumped and dance around the lasers in that jewelry store, and he found that it was a lot harder than Bow made it look. He almost got burned on one or two occasions even though he was a seasoned dancer. “Access denied!” He furrowed his brow when he encountered the difficult code that spread on the display, likely done by that cat he and Hattie fought. It took him an awful amount of time to crack the code, but he managed thanks to the program on the USB stick, even in death, the thoughtfulness of his friend, Marcus, came through for him. He wouldn't fail now, he didn't lose his life for nothing.

He changed one simple thing in the code that would seal the fate of the cat...

His brow furrowed as he ran up the stairs, hoping that his ally had not ended as cat food, a pretty gruesome sight greeted him as soon as he joined up with his former nemesis. The Empress was holding the small owl by his throat, his knife had fallen out of his hand as he writhed and tried desperately to get air back into his lungs. The gray cat was laughing quietly. “Did you think you could-” She was interrupted by the knife that the DJ threw at her arm, it left a bleeding wound and the sudden pain caused her to dropped the Conductor to the ground. The old owl clutched his throat for a moment and took deep, shaky breaths before he got back up and spoke between sharp inhales. “You took...yer sweet time...Grooves.”

“Good things take time, darling.” The gray cat, now even more angry, so much so that her eye twitched, decided to not hold back she attacked the two leaders viciously, but was surprised by how coordinated they attacked. The Conductor's more straightforward but brutal swings were accompanied by DJ Grooves' more cunning, but less effective strikes, which forced the cat back a bit.

The tall cat decided that she had toyed with the birds enough and forced the two back by getting her rocket launcher out and forcing them to keep their distance, lest they'd get blown to pieces. If only they'd know that they'd lost as soon as they'd entered the building. “You fought well, despite knowing that you don't stand a chance, I think I'll end your pitiful struggle here.-” She presses the button she had hidden in her jacket. “-From now on, this metro will be solely run by cats!” Thick steel shutters came down on the doors and windows as soon as the button was pressed, locking them in place. The Empress laughed at them and turned around to use the only open door right behind her that would lead to the roof where the helicopter was positioned for a quick getaway...when she turned, however, she found that it was...blocked as well.

While the cat's tail and ears lowered the smiles on the birds behind her widened as the system informed them that it would be 5 minutes until the six bombs in the basement would explode, five minutes until all of this would find an end.....by ending them.

“End of the line, furball.” The yellow bird put his knife back inside his pocket, taking a deep breath, as he grinned and chuckled.

The penguin dusted off his jacket and put his knife away as well, laughing at the horrified expression as the Empress turned to face them. “You underestimated us, now you'll pay the price. You've killed my penguins, you killed the owls.-” He glared behind his shades. “-I'll never forgive you for that!” His voice was low and full of malice.

“Outplayed...by a bunch of feathers on legs...-” She seemed almost disappointed in herself. “-How could I have lost to hollow-bonded scum!” Her arms started to shake in anger, a slight hint of fear crossed her eyes, as she realized that she was going to die here.

“You did win somethin', alright, a one way trip ta hell!” The yellow bird's laughter was drowned out by an electronic voice reminding them that they had only three minutes left.

The gray cat's eyes narrowed with the realization that the penguin and the owl in the room with her would also die. “How can you call this a victory if you yourselves will perish?” Her voice sounded a bit condescending. “In the end, you'll fall together with me.”

The yellow owl pulled out the polaroid from his pocket for the final time, it got cut a bit as the claws hit his side...a tear replacing his younger self in the photo now. He scoffed and smiled at the bitter irony. He wanted to keep his family safe...but he failed to keep himself safe. “This isn't about winnin' and losin', furball, it's about ending the sufferin'.” The tall cat tilted her head in confusion.

“All three of us caused suffering among the people of the metro, our gang wars tearing it to pieces and scaring the inhabitants. We hurt our allies and the people we love, this life has brought us nothing but pain.”

“Then the two of you were simply too frail for the life of crime. You could have disbanded at any time.” The expression of the tall cat changed to a smug grin.

The sheer lack of understanding amused the yellow bird who held his picture close to his chest. “Then ye understand nothing, you fail to understand that yer puttin' the lives of those that follow ye in jeopardy.-” He scoffed, “-One would think that ye got that when I murrderred that underling of yers on the roof of the museum.” The owl noticed that his words hit home when the fur of the Empress bristled and her claws twitched.

The penguin shook his head, “It only shows that you're a greedy psychopath who fails to not only as a leader, but as a person.” The system informed them that they only had around a minute left.

“You both send literal children to do your biding, your no better than I.” She thought that they'd react with anger and spite, instead they nodded.

“Never claimed ta be better, me wee lassie sufftered because o' what I did ta 'er. I wish that I backed outta this life while I still had the chance-” The ear-like feathers of the yellow bird lowered, “-but I cannae change the past...all I can do is make sure that her future is safer.”

The penguin nodded somberly, “The best we can do is rid the metro of the scum that choked the very life out of all that inhabit it, to make sure that the gang wars stop once and for all.-” He glared back up at the cat,

“-And the easiest way to end this all...is to put an end to us!” Ten, nine, eight...

DJ Grooves shook his head and pulled out his USB stick again... “I'm sorry...Dave, Martin...Marcus...Bowie-” He stifled a sob. ...seven six five...

“Hehe...a fitting end, eh.- “ The Conductor clutched the picture to his chest tightly, tearing up a bit. “...Stay strong Enrique...Hattie...I know you'll handle it.” ...four, three, two...

“..Maemi...” One...

The three kids stared as the huge mall collapsed in on itself. Windows shattered and support beams snapped, smoke and fire showing through every crevice as the structure simply crumbled to the ground. The cats, owls and penguins scattered, completely forgetting their previous battle as they ran for their lives, all while the kids stood on the roof wide eyed and in total shock at what was transpiring right in front of their eyes.

“NOOO!!!” The ear piercing shriek of the young, purple cat was what snapped both Hattie and Bow out of their shock. Tears formed in their eyes.

“Grandpa!” Bow yelled out wanting to jump to the rubble to see, if by some miracle, the DJ had survived. She was held back by a crying Hattie who could barely even see from the tears, but she couldn't let her friend hurt herself from the huge drop down the roof. “WHY?!” Bow struggled, but stayed put.

The young cat fell onto the shingles on the roof and cried into their paws, repeating the word 'Empress' over and over, like a mantra, in their anguish.

Dave and Enrique joined them after they fought of the other cats and picked up the two girls, not wanting them to stay there any longer. Dave was crying and had Bow pressed tightly to him as he carried her out, while Enrique carried Hattie down the stairs to leave, hiding his tear the best he could

“Stop..we need to help them.” Bow stopped Dave and pointed at the young cat that was bawling now, shaking and in hysterics.

Enrique looked at Hattie who nodded while wiping tears, and he picked up the young cat. The five left the building and headed home. They found two letters on the desk in the meeting room, both came with some money in them.

Hattie picked up the one that had the Conductor's messy, but strangely legible writing while she sat down on a chair, her tears made it hard to read.

To my dear lassie, Hattie,

I'm likely burning with the condemned in hell by the time you read this. I'm not great with heart-felt emotional stuff, but I try my best to explain why I made this tough decision. I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I failed you. I'm sorry that you suffered so much because of me. I sent you into dangerous mission that had a high risk of you dying, that occasionally even resulted in you getting hurt. I was such a goddamn peck neck to you! You deserved someone better, someone loving and caring, not an old, stubborn fool who gave up his own family for his legacy! I used you as a tool to further my own goals, to make sure that the Leowles could continue even after my death without my family being in danger. I WAS A BRAINLESS, MORONIC IDIOT TO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WERE MY FAMILY TOO!!!

I can't apologize enough, and I know that I can't give you your innocence and childhood back, if you hate me now, I can understand that, peck, I'd hate myself too. I hid some money here for you, get some good education, and follow your dreams, you're one smart lassie. I'm proud of you and I was glad that I got to know you.

Your peck neck of a grandfather, Conductor

Bow opened her letter, her tears staining the paper as she read while she stared at the pretty calligraphy of the DJ.

My beloved darling, Bow,

I know that I likely left you devastated, confused and angry. I'm deeply sorry that I didn't tell you what I planned, but...I just couldn't tell you that this mission would result in my own death. I couldn1't let this go on. The penguins suffered because of my leadership, if I wanted them to or not. None of them deserved the pain they got and the same goes for you. I sent you into danger, never quite realizing just how horrible it was what I was doing, even if you performed admirably every time. This is the last time I'll be the cause of pain for you and my penguins, call it cowardly, but it was the only way I saw to end this misery for everyone. My death will cause the Penguiads to disband and no more of them will die because of the gang wars.

I wish I had given you the childhood you deserved, filled with lots of love and care, and all the toys you ever wanted. I loved you like my own granddaughter, Bowie, I hope you know that. I know that I failed you horribly, but I just want you to live a safe and happy life, a life you won't ever find with the Penguiads still around. I left you some money, use it however you please, I'm aware that it isn't much and doesn't make up for the pain I caused you, but I know that you're intelligent and crafty enough to use it wisely. I'm very proud of you and I know that your strong enough to persevere.

Your proud, but foolish grandpa, DJ Grooves

Finally they understood, Hattie and Bow finally understood why they acted so strange the day prior. They felt hopeless, angry, sad and emotionally drained, the same went for Maemi, who was brought to a room in the HQ.

It would take them another few years to understand completely why the two gang leaders decided to give ip their lives, but eventually they both came to one final conclusion.

The life of crime was simply not worth it, it only led to pain and suffering to all tread its dark path.

It is finally finished, this long fic finally found its end. I thank you all for reblogging, commenting and reading my works, it means a lot to me. Special thanks to @r3d1ke for giving me the names for Nozomi, Toshihiro and Maemi and their continued support of the story. @nasubeenwithcat for her amazing art and support, @majormeilani for her advice on writing DJ Grooves, and last but not least to @the-confuktor for creating this amazing AU and allowing me to write this story for you.

#dead bird metro au #ahit fanfic #ahit dj grooves #ahit conductor #ahit bow kid #ahit hat kid #inspired by an au from #the confuktor

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liddolwhynot2000 · 4 years ago

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Unprecedented Reactions

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Summary: You were too busy kicking one of the drunk soldiers in the stomach to notice the way steel eyes flashed gratefully at you.

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Pairings: Levi/Reader

Genre: Romance, bad dream, death!, Soldier!Reader, Levi deserves happiness

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One second, you're pushing Levi out of the way of an incoming large hand and the other, everything goes black.

Only for you to wake up in your bed.

It was a nightmare, you were sure of that. It had taken you a little while to gather your bearings, but once you had, you hadn't been able to go back to sleep.

You laid back in bed, arms sprawled everywhere while being lost in thought.

Even if it had been real, it hardly mattered that you had died. You weren't some special soldier whose loss had had any impact, which is why you don't mind the idea of giving up your life for Humanity's Strongest Soldier. He's the one who will make a difference-you're a nobody. A poor orphan born in Wall Maria, who had been forced to enlist in her 20s to keep making a living.

You had considered joining the Garrison, but had decided that you had nothing to lose. No parents or friends to mourn you, no lover you would be leaving behind. There was nothing stopping you from at least doing what you could for humanity. As far as you're concerned, this way you die having given some meaning to your life.

And a part of you hopes that you die the way you had dreamed. If your death prevented Humanity from losing its most promising and powerful soldier, you would do it a thousand times over. You would save him in exchange for your own life and you feel sure that you wouldn't regret that decision one bit.

After all, could anyone ever regret saving the person they were hopelessly in love with?

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You never told Levi how you felt, feeling too shy.

You first met him when you had enlisted, only a few mere months after he had. You hadn't known the story behind him much, although the gossip mill had been rife with talks about it. You had seen him and his friends, walking around, keeping away from everyone. Approaching them hadn't crossed your mind, for you were too busy preparing for the upcoming expedition and trying to calm your nerves. It had been your first expedition.

It was only after that terrifying expedition ended that you realized Levi had returned alone, his companions absent from his side. There hadn't been any need to ask him what had happened, his pained expression had been explaination enough.

Later that night, he had shut himself in his room in the barracks. His absence at dinner indicated that he hadn't eaten anything, and against your better judgement, you decided to bring him some.

The door hadn't been locked, and once you had cautiously peeked in, you noticed him lying in the bed. He was facing towards the wall, wrapped in a blanket, and hadn't so much as shifted at sound of the door opening. Maybe he was actually asleep, or he was pretending so he wouldn't have to deal with anyone. You couldn't blame him.

You set down the tray as silently as possible. It had a bowl of soup, two loafs of bread and some ration bars you had found. Just as you moved to turn, you paused, catching sight of him again.

It was an internal battle, that raged on for what felt like hours but was really only a minute. While you could chance trying to talk to him, you sincerely doubted it would go well. You were a stranger and in the past few months, the only people he had even held small conversations with had been his friends. His superiors often got rude, one worded responses from him and friendly comrades had been terrified into silence with glares. You were more likely to piss him off then actually help him.

Resolving to yourself that the food was enough on your part, you quietly crept out of the room, determined to not disturb him.

Once you had shut the door, you sighed, feeling the exhaustion of today's events creep up on you. This was the price of joining the Survey Corps and sating your morals, losing people every expedition. This feeling of loss and despair would be your new constant.

Rubbing a hand on your forehead, you tried to soothe the headache away as you walked back to your room. You stopped short of turning in the corridor as you heard a group of soldiers.

'H-Hey did you see that midget from the underground?'

Your eyes narrowed and you found yourself leaning against the wall as you listened intently.

'Yeah. You see the nerve he has, locking himself up in that room like he's actually mourning. That fucker didn't even join for the cause'

You frowned as another voice joined in. They were all clearly drunk.

'Let's.. Let's teach that midget a lesson. I bet he's putting it on. He's just scum from the underground, he doesn't even belong here.'

You felt horrified as two other soldiers agreed with him. They had all unanimously decided to go wake up Levi up and taunt him about the death of his friends.

While you could agree that Levi clearly hadn't joined willingly, you felt that it was too cruel to go after him like this. Especially when he was already so heart broken.

You weren't the best soldier, but you could kick ass when you needed to. It may be three on one, but if the way their voices were slurring as they talked were to be considered, you had the advantage of not being a dumbass drunk.

As the soldiers came into your view, you rolled your sleeves up.

You were too busy kicking one of the drunk soldiers in the stomach to notice the way steel eyes flashed gratefully at you.

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You could never say you and Levi spent a lot of time together. The two of you had joined around the same time, but Levi had scaled the ranks much more quickly. He had, due to his outstanding skills, joined the most elite squad.

You had remained a mediocre soldier at best, and you were content with it. You didn't have an amazing titan kill count nor fists of steel like Levi, but you did whatever was assigned to you just fine. It was life you could even say you were proud of.

You had, much like the rest of your cormades, braced yourself for death. Any expedition could be your last. In fact, you often set out for expeditions expecting to never come back. Some sort of fate had been keeping you alive so far.

It was luck that kept you alive so far- and then it was Levi.

Levi had saved you from a titan during an expedition. You had been helpless, all out of blades. Your squad had been utterly annihilated and you had been in the midst of struggling as a large hand grabbed you and a titan opened its mouth to eat you.

It's why your dream is so hard to forget. It was earily similar to back when Levi had saved you. You would find yourself in that position again. A titan and it's hand tossing you in its mouth. And much like this time, Levi would be there too.

Except he wouldn't be the one doing the saving.

Back then, he had intervened at the speed of light and saved you. His expression had been as stoic as always, eyes scanning your form for injuries. Once he had found that you had no life threatening wounds, he had helped you up and back to HQ.

It had later made you blush, remembering how his strong arms had helped you settle on his horse with him.

That had been the start of your feelings for him. It hadn't just been the fact that he had saved you, it had been how gentle how he was with you. You had seen how he treated others, talking roughly, trying to be helpful in his own awkward way. He often physically kept away from others, but for some reason, he hadn't hesitated a second in touching you.

You knew better then to delude yourself that it was special treatment-but you couldn't stop your heart from fluttering anyways.

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The two of you never grew beyond anything but casual friends. You're sure that the dream you hadn't regretted dying for him. You, however, know for a fact that you had regretted being a coward and not telling him how you felt.

Now, here you are, very much alive and kicking. It is possible this was just the wishful thinking of a soldier destined to die. Its possible your dream has shaken you to the point of making rash decisions. But you don't care.

All your mind knows is that you aren't chomped in half. That you are well enough to walk up to Levi and talk to him. Dream or not, you want to tell him. You want him to know how he makes your heart beat in a way that no one ever had. You want to tell him that you harbour feelings for him that go beyond comraderie.

And most importantly, you want him to know that you want him.

It was a painful itch- one you won't be able to get rid of. Not until you fess up.

It doesn't matter that you're signing up for an absolute guaranteed rejection. It doesn't matter that you know he won't be nice about it. As far as you're concerned, the end goal isn't getting into a relationship. This is your shot at confessing, at amkigm sure you that you die without regrets.

No matter what the outcome, you know your feelings won't change. And that is what makes it easier for you to confess.

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You have been working with Levi for a solid five years now. You know him rather well, considering that he's one of the few comrades who, much like you, have miraculously lived through being in the survey corps for an unusual amount of time.

While others couldn't classify you as best buddies, you know plenty about each other.

You know that he made special graves for each comrade that lost their lives. He would take their insignia off their jacket as a symbol of their wills. You also know that he had started this tradition since Isabel and Farlan died. Every soldier, no matter how they behaved with him, had been included. You know this because you had caught sight of him in the middle of his task. And without a single word, you had picked up a shovel and joined him in his task.

Levi hadn't said a word to you, silently accepting your help. You had been too busy trying to even out the dirt with your foot to notice steel eyes flashing at you with fondness.

You know more about him then that too. And he knows about you as well. In particular, the two of you had picked up on how the other liked their tea. It was silent gesture, one where if either was nearby and making tea, there would be enough for two people. Hange had once tried to snag the extra cup of tea Levi had in his hand for you- only to find herself best friends with the floor.

You had learned how to live up to his cleaning standards-to the point you held the unprecedented position of being the one person he had never attacked for being a slob. It's wonderful feeling-being the special one he had never been harsh with.

You thought you knew him well. Enough to know his reactions to certain things and situations, enough to pin point how he was feeling at certain times.

So when you confess to being in love with him-you are forced to realize that you don't know this man as well as you thought you had.

The Levi you know was supposd to reject you brutally. He was supposed to harshly tell you to get your head out of the clouds and stop fantasising like a school girl. To get over your shitty feelings and leave him out of it.

But the Levi in front of you is different. He isn't pushing you away-no, his hands are grabbing your wrists and tugging you into an embrace. His forehead is resting against yours. Those steel eyes you had never quite caught expressing anything, are filled to the brim with affection.

You've been proven wrong and frankly, as his lip softly brush against yours, you're glad about it.

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A/N: Heyooo. don't know where this came from. This feels like a 'felt cute might delete later fic'. I hope it was enjoyable at least? I can see a part 2 for this from Levi POV but don't know if anyone even liked this, let alone wants a part 2.

Also ruins part 2 is half way done :)

#Levi x reader #Confessions #AOT #Attack on titan #Levi ackerman #Levi ackerman x reader #Levi deserves love

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an-intronerd · 5 years ago

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thoughts on jaskier (+ geraskier) post episode 6: rare species

this was honestly supposed to be a teeny little rant but like, my hands grew minds of their own.

...

ok, so like, i recently binged the witcher (and i’m one of those people who has not yet read the books and never played the games, so going in, i had no idea who these characters were or what their dynamics in the other medias were like or anything) and next thing you know, i’m drowining in the geraskier fandom.

as one does, i’ve seen a lot of geraskier content, including fics and the like, and one idea that’s always there is that jaskier is this heartbroken, sullen, pining thing after the Big Fight. like, 98% of what i’ve seen or read has sad!jaskier. and like, the general plot is always like

jaskier is sad that geralt yelled mean things at him.

jaskier sings heartbroken love songs.

jaskier runs into geralt/geralt finds jaskier/somehow these two meet again.

geralt is a dick/geralt feels bad but is emotionally constipated so he doesn’t know how to use words to apologize/geralt saves jaskier’s life.

geralt and jaskier make up because jaskier knows how to read his witcher’s emotions and forgives him. optional: they bang.

the end.

and its like, people aren’t perfect?? i think that’s a little unrealistic. and yes, fanfiction can be like that sometimes, because it’s what we want to happen. but like, imagine this:

jaskier going through the 5 stages.

jaskier goes down the mountain, leaving geralt behind. what else can he possibly do?

jaskier spends a few nights wasted and crying because hey, guess what, the love of his life for the better part of two decades is a gaint wart-covered dick. he’s sad about it, sue him.

jaskier decides fuck this, his witcher is a piece of shit and though he is by no means the best person on the planet, he is at least good enough to deserve better than what geralt gave him. or well, was incapable of giving him.

jaskier decides he will move on, and it’ll start with him getting out of this mountainside village and heading to one of the first places where he truly found himself, oxenfurt. afterall, music has been and will always be the one constant and greatest pleasure in his life.

it takes time, but jaskier perseveres. he gets over his denial pretty quickly. he will not believe geralt didn’t care for him at all. he knows that’s an insult to both of them. geralt cared in his own way. thats the truth. unfortunately, the other, much harsher truth is that it wasn’t enough. so, no geralt won’t be coming for him, and jaskier won't be waiting around.

anger is a bit harder to get over. once it truly sets in, it’s all jaskier can do not to hunt down that fucking white wolf and tear him a new one. jaskier is a person, he is a human with feelings, and that damned witcher had no right to treat him like the scum at the bottom of his shoe. if it wasn’t for jasker, geralt would still be run out of every other town he came across, stoned and bloody. he’d probably have died in a puddle of his own blood fifty times over by now, considering all the times jaskier had to patch him up. that ungrateful prick. except, once he’s exhausted three supllies of parchment and written enough songs about the bitcher, (yes not his most creative insult but he’s too petty to care!) he knows none of that is remotely true. and he wants closure.

and that’s when bargaining hits him full force. all of a sudden, he just needs to see geralt one more time. once more great adventure and a song to go with it, one more meal shared, one more conversation, to see if geralt really ever cared. he needs to ask him, and have geralt verbally confirm or deny his doubts. he needs this, just once. one more time, he needs to see his witcher, and it’ll be enough. one more time. just once. he almost fails himself, on one lonely night. he knows he can’t, he doesn’t even know where he’d start looking but he’s drunk beyond the point where common sense dictates his actions, and he’s packed half his belongings... and he’s getting ready... to track down the white... wolf... he wakes up with a bitch of a hangover the next day, but he didn’t go after geralt. he knows deep down once will never be enough.

anger was tough, but depression was worse. it came for him like a siren in all her glory, drawing him in and in and in until he’s drowing and he didn’t even realise when that happened and then it’s too much, it’s too painful... he isn’t really surprised. he thrives on emotion, the good and the bad, it’s how he writes such brilliant ballads, he admits he hadn’t really delved into his own feelings about geralt yet. he hadn’t dealt with all the heartbreak follwing the mountain, and maybe he should have done so earlier, but he doesn’t think it matters. his heart wasn’t going to hurt any less months earlier when the wounds were still fresh. and though they may have closed up over time, the phantom pain is always with him. there are days where all he can do is curl up under his blankets and sob. some days he goes without eating a single morsel, finds himself lightheaded from dehydration, not leaving his bed for anything more than to relieve himself. some days, he flips through old songbooks, filled with twenty-odd years of adventure, both the fun and the dangerous kind, and laughter and frustration, companionship and solidarity... what was it he used to say? death and destiny, heroics and heartbreak. words of a lifetime past. some days, he compartmentalizes and sets all that aside in a little box in his mind and goes about his day as if he isn’t weighed down by the constant weight of his loss. it’s almost too much, but he’ll manage, he tells himself. he doesn’t let himself think of what he would do if he can’t.

it’s a cloudless day outside, and he’s in the market for new writing materials, and he’s going over next week’s lesson plan in his head, when he’s hit with the sudden realization that he hasn’t thought about geralt in a while. he’s thinking of him now, sure, but that doesn’t count because he’s thinking of how he’s not thinking of him, it’s a totally different thing, and oh- it doesn’t ache as much as it used to. he feels lighter than he has in a while, and he doesn’t know how that happened, or when, but he’s... okay.

that’s the thing about healing, it happens whether you realise it or not, you just have to give ypurself a chance. it’s pontless to hold on to the negative feelings because you’re trying to hold on to something or someone that isn’t there anymore or maybe never really was. he didn’t know when it happened, but. the bitterness that accompanied the memories of geralt’s last words is no longer there. neither is the anger. there’s a dull sadness, but mostly it’s resignation and a sort of comfortable if lonely acceptance that geralt is gone. but there’s also a bittersweet understanding that jaskier will always love him. the history they shared isn’t erased because of a few angry words. jaskier will have, if nothing else, a lifetime full of moments and memories. if he sees geralt again, it will no longer be with a vision clouded in pain or anger or sadness, but rather a deep-seated love and forgiveness. he will let geralt decide now what they will be to each other. but he will not accept anything less than what he is worth. he will not be geralt’s punching bag. if geralt wants to have a relationship with him again, it will be one of equals, the bard and the witcher. if he wants to go their seperate ways, well, jaskier will live content like that too.

he’s moved on.

sometimes, moving on doesn’t mean finding someone else. sometimes, it means mending your own heart, piece by broken piece, and then tucking it away safely inside, giving it a chance to heal. it’s about making that very difficult choice to let go of the bad that you’re holding on to, because it’s a way of holding on to the person you lost. it’s about finding yourself again, and who you were before the pain and heartbreak, and, figuring out who you want to be now. i need more of that, because that’s real. that’s how i imigine jaskier would feel. he’s not perfect, and he has his ups and downs as all of us do, and he is angry at geralt and sad and broken but also he’ll pick himself up, because he was someone before geralt, too, and he’ll still be someone after geralt, not just the witcher’s bard. he doesn’t know who that is yet, but he’ll figure it out.

and because i’m at my core a geraskier + happy endings hoe:

geralt realises an important thing on that mountaintop. he has been running from destiny and anything real all his life. he needs to get his head out of his ass, and find ciri. clearly, he was destined to lose yen, and that’s happened, no matter how hard he tried to make it different. she’s destined to be his and he accepts that now, but everything else is up to him.

he finds ciri, and then, he’s a father. he vows to be a better parent than the one he had.

he finds yen, and they learn to be enough for each other without turning it into something more than a vague frienship. somewhere between a truce and a partnership. for ciri, they agree.

he returns to kaer morhen, to his family with his daughter and his yennefer in tow.

he realises that he has everything he could ever want, and more than any witcher ever gets, but there’s still something missing.

then he realises it’s his bard, the one person who wasn’t unwillingly tied to him because of some wish or destiny, someone who chose him every single time, and who he misses with such a fierce ache.

then he remebers how badly he fucked that up, and then yen tells him he’s a wart-covered, emotionally constipated dick, and dumb too, but hey thank god you finally got your head out of your ass long enough to realise that you miss your bard and you’re sorry for what you did and you love him, and geralt just goes what? yen, love? oh- okay so that’s what the constant turning of his stomach and insomnia is.

then he sets out to find his bard, and ciri asks if she’ll finally get to hear all those famous songs about geralt from the source, and he says he hopes so.

it doesn’t take him long to find his bard, now a professor at oxenfurt academy, and geralt thinks that makes perfect sense because where else would jaskier have gone but to one of the few bright bits of his youth?

he gets to oxenfurt and it’s a cloudless day, and there’s people millig about and he thinks he’ll head to an inn and give roach a well-deserved rest, and then his heart stops. because there is jaskier, exchanging coin for parchment, and he looks just as he did a year and a half ago, except less disappointed and more happy and his heart hasn’t beaten this fast since he was a child left on vesemir’s doorstep. he thinks of all the nights he’s been unable to sleep because he had gotten so used to the bard’s humming and how it had been the most soothing wordless lullaby. he thinks of his last words, and he feels his breath leave him, because jaskier had taken it to heart, and left him. he’d given geralt his one blessing, and geralt thinks that those words are something he will regret for as long as he is living. he gives himself a moment to wonder if perhaps he should leave jaskier to the life he’s created for himself, be unselfish for once and let jaskier remain happy and safe and free.

he should leave, though he knows that jaskier deserves so much more from him, an apology to start, and then a real friendsip, one tat goes both ways, and wow, geralt really is a wart-covered dick because he had treated jaskier so unfairly and he doesn’t undertsand why jaskier kept coming back to him, again and again. destiny hadn’t entwined their paths. jaskier chose to entangle them anyways. and he deserves so much more than geralt of rivia, and he should let jaskier have that, he should...

but he couldn’t walk away now, not when jaskier, his bard, his life-long friend, is standing right there, and jaskier turns, collecting his items and geralt stops breathing because jaskier looks over, and geralt watched the recognition flit over the bard’s face as he sees roach and then up, up, up, his eyes trace geralt’s form until.

their eyes meet, and jaskier smiles.

tl;dr: i just want more realistic portrayls of jaskier’s emotions after the Big Fight in episode 6, and i want to see jaskier go through all the feelings, and more depth to him that just some pining, heartbroken lump of a person. he’s more nuanced than that, i think.

p.s: a big part of this ended up being based on my own experineces with love and friendship, pain and hertbreak, and the process of moving forward despite it all. idk how much of that comes through, and i hadn’t really planned for this post to go in the direction that it did, but i like how it turned out. i’m still trying to figure out that tricky little thing about making the choice to let go, and writing this helped?

p.p.s: this ended up way, way, wayyyyy longer than i intended, oops? why do i do this lol

p.p.p.s: if fics like this actually exist, please feel free to tag me in them or send me links, i would adore you forever!

#jaskier #geralt #geraskier #oh also #personal #lol why am i like this #the witcher #works and writings and other such musings

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theoneaboutsinnersandsaints · 4 years ago

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All Debts Cancelled

Let me be straightforward – this is literally a journal about God and how He canceled all my debts.

I still owe money to the bank, for sure. I am still broke but recovering with God’s grace. However, over time, the more I reflect on my dire financial situation, the more I realize that it is the perfect analogy for my spiritual condition: moral bankruptcy. And that is the debt I was referring to that God canceled and is ultimately the overarching theme of this and the rest of my journal entries.

You might be asking, “Are you delusional? What makes you think you are so special that God would cancel your debts?” Well, truth is, I am a nobody. I am a worthless, shameless sinner. And that is precisely what makes this story mind-boggling. But at the end of it all, does it matter who I am? Well, maybe, if only to provide context. However, let me be clear that this story is not about me but about the God of the Bible who graciously, lovingly, and mercifully paid all my debts in full. The hero in this saga, therefore, is not me but the One who was nailed to the cross on my behalf, whose resurrection gives me the hope of eternal life, and whose blood washed away my sins.

Sin. Now that is something easily identifiable when scrutinizing others but hard to own up to when looking inwards. If, in the past, someone had asked me if I were a sinner, I would have been offended. My first thought would have been, “Who do you think you are asking me that offensive question you immoral, arrogant, egotistical scum?” I would have been both evasive and defensive at the same time (a winning combo for sure) and I would center my argument around the fact that I am no Hitler and therefore, righteous to some degree. That’s it. Argument won.

Or was it?

Did I honestly believe that God would surely avert His eyes from all the lies, curses, anger, slander, and blasphemies that have since come out of my mouth within my lifetime just because I pale in comparison to Hitler? Would the Creator, the Most High God, who is perfect, just, and holy turn a blind eye to all of my shamefully immoral acts just because someone else is more wicked than I? If it were that simple, then that would be the end of it. To gain God’s approval or evade his wrath at the very least, I can choose to either commit less sin than my neighbor or cause them to sin more than me. And if this were true, then it follows we can be thankful for the worst offenders like Hitler for keeping our rankings at bay, right? Wrong. Very wrong. Not to mention disturbing.

Are you starting to see how flawed this logic is?

Let me illustrate further by using the bank analogy I mentioned earlier. If there were five of us who took out a loan from the bank in varying amounts between Php5,000 to Php1,000,000, bound by the same contractual terms and conditions, and all of us, by some misfortune, failed to pay on time, would the bank sort the balances from lowest to highest and then spare the lowest balance from the late penalty fees? Of course not. Everyone will be penalized according to the terms and conditions regardless.

Such is the case with sin. And unfortunately for mankind, the penalty of sin is death. (Rom 6:23) So, it is settled then—all I must do is avoid sin to avoid death. Sounds easy enough.

Obviously, you recognize the sarcasm in the previous statement as well as the gargantuan stumbling block leading to eternal life. It is written after all that, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23)

From where I stand, it seems there is no way out. If all men sin and the penalty of sin is death, therefore all men will die. Logic 101. You have your premises leading you to your conclusion—a grim one at that. But wait, everyone dies anyway so, what difference does it make? Even if I managed to commit zero sin, I will still die, wont I? What then is the use of repenting and changing the error of my ways if I will inevitably end up in a coffin? It seems there is no use trying. Let me just wallow in my wickedness and hope to have the best depraved life ever on Earth because the one after this, without a doubt, would be agonizingly worse.

Is that it, then? Do we stop here and give up?

Pause. Breathe. Read on because there is hope.

Let me switch gears for a moment and use a courtroom analogy to better demonstrate the hope I mentioned. Let’s say Tom accidentally backed his car into his neighbor’s fence and, thinking there were no witnesses, decided to keep quiet about it hoping his neighbor wouldn’t notice. But, as misfortune would have it, the neighbor has CCTV evidence showing it was Tom who trashed his fence. So, he drags Tom to court so he can be served his punishment according to the law. Tom was found guilty and was charged Php500,000 in property damages payable within 24 hours otherwise he will be locked behind bars. But Tom has no capacity to pay such huge fees. Luckily, Tom’s father was in the courtroom. He takes out his wallet, writes a check, and gives it to Tom’s neighbor. The father tells his son to consider the money as a gift and therefore does not need to be repaid. The judge then, seeing that the all the legal requirements have been satisfied, lets Tom go. Case closed.

In this story, Tom represents me, and the father represents the Savior.

Let me take this further by using a literal example. Barabbas. Do you remember him? He was the notorious criminal who was supposed to be crucified but was released after the crowd chose him over Jesus. “Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.” - (Mat 27:26) Like a lamb led to the slaughter, Jesus Christ—innocent, blameless, sinless, perfect—submitted himself to the fate that was supposed to be Barabbas’ which meant that while Barabbas was indeed tried and convicted for his crimes, nobody can stop him from walking free because he was lawfully released as someone else took on his penalties.

I am Barabbas. I am guilty of all the sins I have committed but have been forgiven. My penalties have been paid in full and I am therefore a rightful recipient of the promise of an eternal life and so is every single Christian who submitted themselves to Christ and called upon him to take on their penalties because it is too much to bear for any simple human being.

The gift of salvation is both simple and complex. It is just and righteous on one hand and yet seems so unbelievably unfair on the other. Unfair because you would initially think there is no way God would forgive just like that without any sort of punishment or compensation. Surely, I must work my way into heaven. I need to deserve it, earn it, and show some effort to be on the receiving end of it; otherwise, every other low-life murderer and rapist will enter the gates to heaven as easily as Mother Teresa.

But you see, that is precisely what makes it just and righteous. Everyone sins. Everyone is depraved. Yes, even Mother Teresa. And because man, whom God loves so much, (John 3:16) will never be able to save themselves, He provisioned this gift of salvation free for all—for all who humbly admit that 1) they have sinned; 2) that they are answerable for having committed all those sins against God; 3) that they have no capacity in any way shape or form to deliver themselves from the penalties of their sins and therefore 4) need someone to redeem them, save them, wash them, heal them, atone for them, die for them, and give them eternal life.

God is both the judge and the redeemer.

If a man stands before God and arrogantly proclaims that he will bear the penalties coming his way, well, that is precisely what he will get because he has the freewill to do so. But, if he chooses to go to God, plead guilty to his crimes, turn away from his sinful habits, and ask for forgiveness and redemption, God the Father will send him to His Son, Jesus Christ to be redeemed, to be washed with His own blood that He shed on the cross. He then sends him the Spirit of God, who will dwell in him and make him a new person like he was born again. “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” – (Titus 3:5-7) It is therefore “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” – (Ephesians 2:8)

Faith and not works. Works then becomes the fruit. It is after-the-fact. Not a requirement of salvation but a result of salvation.

This sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Like a get-rich-quick scheme bound to have something in the fine print requiring an impossible condition you can never hope to fulfill thus nullifying everything. Either that or it could be the greatest, most elaborate love story ever be written. A love story about the Most High God who “so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – (John 3:16)

God is love after all. He wants you in his turf. He wants you to belong to him again. So, you ask, why can’t he just give it to all of us then? Why do we have to repent, confess, etc.? Can’t he just grant this sweeping forgiveness and just let us all into heaven if He is all about love anyway? Can’t he just tolerate our sins and let us all be if He is after all the very embodiment of love?

Good question.

Yes, God is love. But we tend to ignore that He is also holy, just, and righteous. How would you feel if a judge sets a criminal free who robbed your house, killed your dog, and set your house on fire, just because he loves all men and therefore will set them all free? This kind of love will deem the judicial system corrupt and useless. It is unfair. It is dysfunctional. It is morally wrong. Do you want an unfair and corrupt God who will go about things in whatever way suits him at any given point in time? Or would you rather a fair, consistent, and trustworthy God who would exact the correct penalties as written in His law?

Therefore, the answer to your question is this: God, being righteous and just, put in place a set of laws of morality in order to draw the line between what is acceptable to Him and what is not. Without such standards, how can any human being expect to know whether they have done wrong or not? And if there are no laws, by what standards then will we be judged against? He is a righteous and just God. He put together those standards and made it known to everyone to make a clear distinction exactly when we are doing right and when we are doing the complete opposite. But while you mull over God’s justice and holiness, pay equal attention to this attribute as well: God is a loving and merciful God. While He knows that man, being the depraved creature that he is, is wallowing in sin and can never hope to meet the standards He set, He has in His heart mercy and the desire to put us all right with Him again and dwell with Him again like Adam and Eve before they sinned in the Garden of Eden. So, what does a just yet loving God do? He provides the perfect atonement that we can only dream of providing for ourselves. He sends His only Son to be at the receiving end of His penalty and wrath once and for all. He sends His Only Son who is blameless and pure, to take on our punishment so that through Him, we can be forgiven, we can be made righteous, and so that like Him, we can therefore be resurrected and given glorified bodies the way Jesus Christ himself was resurrected on the third day. And Jesus Christ, His Son, who loves His Father and loves us, willingly humbled himself to become like us, live as humans do, and willingly offer His life as the ultimate and perfect atonement for all our sins. He could have said no, but he didn’t. He didn’t have to lay down His life, but because of His great love for us and knowing we have no other way out of our own depravity, He offered His own life in exchange for ours.

If this is not the greatest love story of all time, then I do not know what is.

Can you imagine sending your own son or daughter to prison to spare one of your employees who embezzled money from you from being sent to prison himself? Are you willing to sacrifice the life of your child and have him bear the life sentence that should be served by the soulless man who shot a bullet through your spouse’s chest as he took her money? This kind of love is unheard of. This kind of love is beyond this world. This kind of love can only be coming from the Most High God in heaven who is pure love.

This thought never ceases to amaze me.

And this is precisely why I am starting this journal. I feel the need to record my own epiphanies since late 2018 when He found me and shepherded me back with the rest of His sheep. I hope that by sharing my own thoughts and realization, I will be able to reach kindred spirits as well as touch the lost ones who are trying to navigate their way around this crazy world that only seems to get worse by the minute.

This is not about a magical answer to all your pains and problems as if you were getting three wishes from a genie. No. This is about knowing and acknowledging where you come from, who created you, whom you should be loyal to, which kingdom you belong to, and who the God is that you serve. This is about the true gospel of God that is all about forgiveness, redemption, and freedom. This is about realizing that we are the long-lost prodigal son who finally came home into the open arms of his loving father, having been welcomed with gladness despite having done his father wrong. This is about experiencing joy amid an otherwise chaotic, upside-down world knowing that you don’t belong here but in God’s home. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” -(Philippians 3:20-21)

If you are still reading up to this point and are one of those who feel this God-shaped void in their hearts, then God must be talking to You. He is pointing you to Him for He is the only One who can fill that void and make you whole. Start your journey. Pick up your Bible and start reading the four gospels a couple of chapters at a time: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Pray before you read and ask for faith.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – (Matthew 11:28-30)

#Christian #salvation #forgiveness #redemption #holy bible #bible #spirituality #love #god #holy god #jesus #jesus christ #savior

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msbeccieboo · 5 years ago

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Arrow 8x03 Brain Dump

ASDADGHSADFSAF!! Back on form this week, with more returning guests, massive sibling feels and concentration on characters that we love, AND THE COLLISION OF FUTURE AND PRESENT TIMELINES IN THAT EPIC ENDINGGGG!!!!!!!!! YAAAASSSS!!! I’m still spiralling now!!!

Oliver and Thea

Welcome back Thea Queen!! Oliver had missed his Speedy 😍

So following on from last week, Oliver travelled to Nanda Parbat (which looked suspiciously like Lian Yu...the S8 Budget was clearly too used up on guest stars to recreate the outdoor Nanda Parbat scenery we saw in S3 😂), where he hoped to find some answers about The Monitor. I’m not actually sure if he intended on visiting Thea, or if her appearance was just a happy coincidence! But either way he was able to tell her about Mia and show her the picture of his new little family GAJKFSDGHFHDSGFS!!!

Source: oliverxfelicity

More below the cut...

In a shock move for Oliver Queen, he is open and honest with Thea straight away about his prophesied and imminent death. Thea wasn’t buying it, and Oliver even made a little sarcastic comment to “take as much time as you like to be upset” 😂😂 I’ve seen a few people say that they wanted to see more emotion from Thea here, and in later scenes. My take is that Thea/Willa’s nonchalant air is just classic Thea Queen Swagger™, but did feel like Willa maybe wasn’t really all that present in all of the scenes (mainly the LoA stuff though really). I however loved her total chill at the prospect of Oliver dying...not dissimilar to us...we know what's what! Our boy will be okay in the end!

Oliver seeks out Talia Al Ghul to use the Leagues archives (?) to find out more about The Monitor, because she owes him one. I love the idea of Oliver collecting his debts for once...this could fill the rest of the season to be honest; he’s racked up rather a few favours over the years. Talia’s help comes in the form of an Indiana Jones-esque scavenger hunt to uncover an ancient League book, and some special Demon’s head sword (?), with interruptions by the pesky Thanatos Guild from last season, who Thea is at war with. Honestly, plot-wise, I struggled a bit this week; even on rewatch I found it hard to concentrate😂 . I just zoned in on the character moments to get me through. But luckily, there were lots of those!

One such beautiful character moment with the Queen siblings was on the side of a mountain, and reminded me a little bit of the Will/Mia scene up the Glades wall back in 7x16, I think? Oliver getting all emotional about missing his family and doubting his decisions every single day just punched me right in the feels 😭😭

Source: feilcityqueen

Then his explanation for trying to find answers before the Crisis: “My sacrifice, my death will protect the people I love. I need my family to be safe.” MURDERER!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭

Thea reassures him with some sage Queen family words, that their parents also made some questionable choices regarding them (that’s putting it lightly), but it ultimately made them heroes because of them. I think this scene was one of my favourites this episode, if not the season so far. Love me some Queen siblings 💗

The upshot of this random adventure with Talia was that Oliver read that the upcoming Crisis will actually be caused by The Monitor (dun dun DUUUNNN!!), complete with a lovely drawing of him 😂😂 But what Oliver doesn’t know, cos The Monitor doesn’t tell him anything is that there is also an Anti-Monitor, who will be the big bad of Crisis...so this may be a bit of a red herring for now!

Oliver ends his time in Nanda Parbat by saying one final (in his mind) goodbye to Thea, which actually made me sob like a baby out of nowhere, and has done every time I’ve rewatched the clip haha! Thea didn’t see it as a goodbye (cos Oliver dying? Pass!), but Oliver just cracks and won’t let go of her, and now I’m tearing up again 😭😭😭

Source: smoakmonster

I think by the way the goodbye scene played out that that will be the last we see of Thea, and ugh it’s such a shame because she has always brought out something special in Oliver, but we know she’ll be with him the whole time...😭😭😭

Stray thoughts:

They had Thea acknowledge Moira as her namesake (still think it’s a stretch, Moira-Mia? No.) but also had a callback to Thea’s Corto Maltese alias, which made me lol, and frankly, I find a better reference 😂

“All beings burn but a Phoenix rises from the ashes”. The Phoenix references this week were as subtle as a sledgehammer...Oliver is the Phoenix, and he will rise from the ashes following his death!

The Guild calling Oliver and Speedy ‘outsiders’ 🙄🙄 Oliver was Ras al Ghul and Thea is heir to the demon; get your facts right, biatch!!

Thea was a total badass this week, taking down Talia was sooo cool, and shows how far she has come as a fighter/hero.

Nice drop-in that Felicity gave the hozen to William!

Thea and Talia joining forces to raise a female ‘League of Heroes’; better than any faux-feminist Canary bullshit!!

The guest stars are fantastic, but their novelty and distraction is wearing off...I MISS FELICITY SMOAK 😫😫 Next week should hopefully tide us over, though!!

Dyla

Dyla had their own little adventure this week, that echoed their suicide squad mission in Season 2. Bronze Tiger killed a bad guy whilst working for Lyla, and in revenge, that bad guy’s son kidnaps Sandra and little Connor Hawke, then also tries to kill Lyla, but obviously she’s a total badass so that doesn’t happen! Anyway, all’s well that ends well and Dig rescues Connor and his Mum, and that’s about all I can remember plot-wise 😂😂

What we got character-wise, though was really cool! We got the first hint of JJ’s story of being 'neglected' by Dyla...with Dig and Lyla being increasingly away on missions and unable to call him, and in turn finding Connor and obviously starting to fall in love with him because he is the softest little bean 😍 When ickle Connor said “thank you Mr Diggles” I was a goner 😂😂

We saw Dig having a crisis of faith (pun intended) after seeing Earth 2 disintegrate before him, but ultimately he realises (after some Lyla wisdom) that they just have to hold on to each other and do their best. Lyla made a few comments and pulled some ‘I’m keeping secrets’ faces, asking Dig to remember the good times no matter what happens, and I need to know what Lyla knows dammit!! I still believe that she is on the good side, and her appearing to double-cross Dig and Oliver with The Monitor last week is a little bit of a red herring. I need to believe, ok!!!

Flash-forwards

Plot-wise, I actually think the flash-forwards were the strongest storyline this week. Following on from last week we had the team rushing back to the bunker to check on William, after JJ threatened him. This scene brought us another “frack” from Mia 😍, and a mention of Felicity as “Mom” from William 😭, as he managed to electrocute the bad guys all by himself! Will being a techy little badass is a forever mood and is yet another reminder of our Felicity. She is never really gone.

With the Deathstrokes now targeting William and other members of the Star City Unification Movement (SCUM, really?? LOL), William offers himself up as bait. As Oliver’s daughter, you can imagine how that went down with Mia. Badly. Big nope from Mia, who decides on a more direct approach of going to their HQ and kicking all of the ass 😂. Zoe is very much against this, but Mia is all “I know best, we’ll just storm in and take them all out myself” (S1 Oliver anyone?). Said storming in leads to this absolute beauty of a moment:

I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!

Prior to kicking all of the asses, Mia and William have a heart-to-heart, with Will still angry at Mia for not trusting him to go into dangerous situations. Will thinks it’s because he’s not a fighter, but Mia comes back with “it’s because you’re my brother” 😭 😭 😭

Source: olicitygifs

In another Felicity-worthy pep-talk, William tells Mia that operating out of fear is not the way to go, and that they need to trust each other to survive. I’m really gonna need a Mia/Will hug soon, please and thank you. Honestly, Will is the perfect balance/offset to Mia with his easy humour and quick wit, but he ALWAYS brings the feels as well. He reminds me so much of Emily’s portrayal of Felicity, and not just in the way that his character has been written, but just by what he brings to the role. Ben is a wonderful actor; I adore him and he and William must be protected at all costs!

In the final confrontation, Mia, Zoe and JJ storm JJ and the Deathstrokes, but JJ gets Mia by the throat in an awesome 3x23 Felicity/Slade parallel. Mia couldn’t save herself like Felicity did in this instance, but we must remember that this is just the beginning of Mia’s journey. She has time. Unlike Zoe, who saves Mia, but is then fatally stabbed by JJ 😬 Poor Zoe dies in Mia’s arms. Kat’s acting here was perfection. I may have shed a tear. They had kept Zoe pretty much in the background in the FFs, so I wasn’t particularly attached; if one of FTA needed to die, then I’m good with her. Sorry Zo. But in all honesty, this fridging trope really needs to end. Another female character didn’t need to die in order to elevate JJ’s evil-factor, or to spur on Mia’s hero journey, or Connor’s struggle with his conscience. Enough now. Hopefully, being a bird, Zoe will be back from the dead soon enough anyway 😂

Source: 1-crazy-dreamer 💗

Connor sees Zoe die and goes after JJ. Hard. Tries to kill him. Between 2 generations of Queens and Diggles, the sibling parallels were so strong this week, and I’m loving it! I wrote a little meta here about it. But does Connor have the guts to actually kill JJ? JJ taunts that he doesn’t, Connor disagrees, but then the bright light comes for all of FTA and so we come to…

THAT ENDING

OH MY GOD ALL OF FTA IN THE BUNKER IN 2019!!!!!!!!!!!!

So most people following any kind of interviews or spoilers had a pretty firm idea that Mia would come back in time at the end of the episode. We were expecting it. What the show did was really quite clever...they allowed these pretty big spoilery-type interviews and tweets to be released, heavily implying that Mia would rock up in the last 30 seconds. They let us think we were all clever and had figured it out then BOOM! EVERYONE CAME BACK (minus Zoe 😬)!

I am so pleased with this!! All the paparazzi pics etc that we’d seen of Mia in the crossover etc had made me so happy, but equal parts sad that William couldn’t go back and see Oliver too, but now he can!!!

Uggghhhh it was so fucking goooood!! Oliver’s initial confusion of being beamed back to the bunker, stunned Dig, Dinah and Rene (I can live with their 5-second appearances this season 😂😂), then the camera and Oliver pan around to Mia, William and Connor just stood there!! Mia still had tears running down her face from seeing Zoe die, and she has her Arrow suit on and is covered in blood and she sees her Daddy for the first time in her memory!!!!!!! Just one word is delivered in those last few seconds and it was still one of the best moments of the season so far!!

Mia’s “Dad”, followed by Oliver’s confusion, realisation, then shock was just gaaahhhh!! But my absolute favourite reaction (I decided after multiple rewatches, for science, haha) was William’s 😍😭😍 His eyes full of tears, and utter gobsmacked-ness was fucking sublime!!

Source for all 3 reaction gifs: tylerposey

Next week is going to be so epic!! We have Mia, who has never met Oliver and who has built him up so much in her head and heart from Felicity and William’s stories, and also the tainted Star City archives, getting to finally come face-to-face with him. Then conversely, there is William, who got a few years to know his father, but then left him and eventually believed to have been abandoned by him and Felicity, and has had to live for 20 years until very recently still believing that, and now he gets to see him again, only a few months after little William left! Then there’s Connor, who Dig barely even knows in 2019 and he’s gonna call him Dad and then have to tell him that he nearly just killed JJ, who just killed Zoe, and Rene is right there and I AM HERE FOR ALL OF ITTTTTT!!!!

There’s so much content coming in next weeks episode it’s going to be so beautiful!! I wrote a post of things I really hope to see here, and I’m pretty confident we’ll get most of them and so much more!

Then there’s the implications of what FTA being in the present means for the future!! I had a bit of a spec meltdown here about how this could end up saving Oliver, and I think that’s pretty much just wishful thinking, but either way, them coming back to the present to help with the Crisis and to try and stop future Star City turning so bleak is going to make my head hurt and my heart sing in equal measure, I’m sure! After all, what is the point in having the multiverse, time travel, super powers etc in Arrow if we can’t reap some benefits from it somehow? The ending to this episode, and hopefully next week will be our reward for the fuckery we’ve had to endure with the more sci-fi-esque elements since Larry rocked up and the Arrowverse was extended. And I. cannot. wait.

Thank you to the beautiful, talented, and super speedy gifmakers for blessing us with all the amazing gifsets from this episode!! Mwah! 😘😘 (Uncredited gifs are mine)

💗💗💗

#Arrow 8x03 #Arrow #Arrow spoilers #Oliver Queen #Thea Queen #Mia Smoak #John Diggle #William Clayton #Arrow Season 8 #beccie's brain

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pagesoflauren · 5 years ago

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Siren’s Call (Steve Rogers x reader; Pirate AU) - Ch. 3

Warnings: drinking, violence (sword fighting, mentions of hanging/executions), guns (nobody gets shot at), catcalling

Previous Chapter

You notice that in light of your most recent and ambitious theft, security at some ports has increased. There are more men patrolling the docks and porters make it a point to record every single ship that approaches the islands.

There’s a few safe havens though, like the one you find on Oculto, properly called the Spanish word for “hidden.” It’s off course from most trade routes. Many of the other patrons visiting the island are other pirates or merchants who look to strike a good bargain on the black market.

You manage to negotiate a low price for someone to paint your ship while you and your crew enjoy some time on the land, indulging in some sweets or getting absolutely shitfaced. You’d decided on a dark green color, one that resembles an emerald necklace your father had gifted you when you were a child.

When the painter asks you what you want to name your ship, you tell him you’ll think about it. Many names stick out to you; Circe, Calypso, Hecate, after some of the more fun characters in Greek antiquity. You may had been raised at sea, but your father didn’t skimp on your education. When you had first stolen the ship, you found Achilles was fitting; the ship was very fast, putting distance between you and “Lieutenant Rogers” faster than you could realize.

You wanted to attribute your ship’s name to who you were, a free woman of the sea, a woman who was proud to stand on the deck and give the orders. There was also something potent about your appearance, you noticed. You could use it to manipulate men.

When you decided on a name, you called your first mate.

“R.”

“Yes, Captain?” “Tell the painter I’ve decided on a name for our ship.”

He smirked, “And what have you decided, my lady?” he asked obnoxiously.

“Stop it,” you smiled, giving him a teasing kick that held a lot of force. “It’ll be named The Siren’s Call.”

Steve’s loss of his ship not only cost the navy a significant amount of money, but he found himself idle for two months as arrangements were made for him to use a ship in the reserves, saved for naval battles and dire situations.

One thing he was satisfied with was the name. It was perfect, given that he was looking to use the vessel to redeem himself and build his reputation. He would drop whatever assignment he had to bring you to justice for making a fool out of him twice.

“The Avenger,” Bucky says, beholding the ship at the dock.

“It’s a fitting name,” Steve nods, looking around. He had made sure there were groups of soldiers constantly patrolling the island to make certain there were no pirates anywhere. If any pirates were found, they were immediately imprisoned to be sent to the gallows.

He found himself in a strange position, though. He was eager to see you. But in which circumstances he wanted to see you, he wasn’t entirely sure. There was a part of him that zealously hung onto the idea of making a name for himself, the pirate who brought the captain of the Siren’s Call, as you so named his former ship, to justice. On the other hand, his thoughts of you when he was alone were extremely unbecoming of a respectful man in his Majesty’s Navy. What was it about you? Why was he so fixed on you? And why did it have to be him?

He shook his head to expel his confusion as another man approached him on the docks.

“Captain,” he nodded.

“Wilson,” Steve acknowledged, shaking his hand, “glad to have you on board.”

Though he stepped out of place in his request, he was able to secure another member of his crew whose specific job was to track any leads on you, so to help him know when he was getting closer or further away from you.

But of course, maintaining the safety of merchants and other traders was the top priority.

You had managed to avoid the navy for the better part of the past few weeks. There were some brief passings, but they either deemed you weren’t an important enough cause to give chase to or they had a higher priority.

You and your crew relaxed in another tavern, having made port in a hidden lagoon on the opposite side of the main beaches on the island of Tortuga. It would be your last night before leaving in the morning and making for the sea again. It was about damn time. Normally, you wouldn’t spend more than three, maybe four days on land. Half of it was loving the sway of the ocean as it rocked you to sleep at night. The other half was knowing your crew; they’d stir up trouble at any point.

“I told you to keep your filthy hands off me, you scum!”

There’s the trouble.

One of your men throws another man out the swinging tavern door, followed by men both from your crew and what you assume is another pirate’s crew. Where their captain was, you didn’t know. Nor did you care at this point. It was best to get everyone and leave.

You brought your feet down from the table they were propped up on and downed the rest of your drink, looking at R.

“Sorry, Cap.” “It was bound to happen,” you threw him a pointed look because he was the one who had asked to stay a few extra days. Something about a good-looking tailor who mended his coat.

He looked down sheepishly and you rolled your eyes.

“Hey,” you said, punching his shoulder, “be ready for anything.”

It didn’t matter how angry you got at him at any moment. He was your best friend.

You moved your coat back to give yourself easy access to the hilt of your sword in case there was a need for that.

The conflict had escalated to a brawl between three of your men and four of the other men. You rolled your eyes and took out your pistol from its holster, firing it into the sky.

Wasting gunpowder on stupid, clueless men. Of course.

You rolled your eyes.

“Gentlemen,” you smiled superficially, and your crew knew they were going to get it once they made it back to the ship.

“I apologize on behalf of my men. There’s many a time when they can be dimwitted and have no sense of decorum. Please pardon us, we’ll be on our way.”

“Not before we have a go at you,” one of the men from the other crew shouted. You didn’t see who. R drew his balde before you could draw your own.

“You’ll be a dead man if you try,” he said, stepping in front of you.

Before you could be grateful, another voice called from behind you.

“Excuse me, is there a problem here?”

All heads turned to the source of the voice. It wasn’t familiar to you, but once you locked your eyes with the clear blue ones of “Lieutenant Rogers,” it was clear you needed to make haste to leave.

He didn’t even shout any commands, just drew his sword and ran straight to you.

“Captain!” a man shouted after him. You assumed he was the first mate.

When your crew drew their own swords, the first mate rolled his eyes and commanded the other men to draw as well and follow their captain.

You drew your sword and blocked his lunge at you. There was the constant sound of metal on metal as people cut and slashed at each other.

At one point, Rogers blocked your advance and gripped your wrist, pulling your body to his, only separated by the hilts of your swords locked together.

“Captain Rogers now,” you smirked, “I’m impressed.”

You pushed him away and huffed when he blocked you.

“You’ve certainly moved up in the ranks,” you continued. “As have you, I see,” he replied, brows furrowed. “I had no choice, my father died and left the crew to me.” “And you had to steal my ship?” he asked.

He wasn’t expecting you to laugh.

“I didn’t know it was your ship, Captain,” you smirked, “but I thank you for letting me go.”

“Believe me, I didn’t want to.”

His damn eyes near distracted you from blocking a blow to your arm. You couldn’t leave this fight injured.

“But for the crime of theft, you will be punished,” he gritted, standing tall.

His mistake.

You took the opportunity to slice at his wrist; a flesh wound, maybe enough to scar, you weren’t sure. He dropped his sword and you delivered another cut to his thigh. He fell to his knees.

“Captain!” someone shouted, “retreat!”

You stepped up to him, not much taller than he was, even as he knelt.

“It’s been a pleasure, Captain Rogers.”

This time, you kissed his cheek.

From his position on his knees, he saw you sheath what was his first sword. Then, you turned and you ran, followed by the rest of your crew. You had kept it all these years.

“Captain,” Bucky said, worry lacing his voice, “can you stand?”

He nodded and stood, his left leg buckling from the sting of the injury you had inflicted before he stood tall.

“Let’s get you to the Commodore’s office, they’ll patch you up there.”

“Call for a sketch artist, too,” he growled.

He hated being bested by you in every attempt he made. But, with your face plastered on walls on every port in the Caribbean, it wouldn’t be just him making attempts anymore.

Let me know what you think!

Next Chapter

Tagging: @ontheoddoccasioniwritestuff

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers fic #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers x you #mcu fanfiction #avengers x reader

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dylan-hague · 5 years ago

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Chapter 2

“You’re a pilot, right?”

Van glanced up from his drink at a girl in a rather drab beige robe cinched tight around her body that covered most of her face. The robe was immaculate, without spot or wrinkle despite the squalor of their surroundings. He couldn’t help cocking a brow; if she was attempting to go unnoticed, she wasn’t doing it very well. She carried herself far too proudly, kept her shoulders too square, held her head too high. But there was a craze behind her eyes, one that spoke desperation, He scratched at his chin for a moment as he looked around the cantina. Nobody seemed to be paying attention. Seemed nobody had noticed her. This sort of hire had a tendency to get him into trouble… but having spent the last of his credits on that fill-up, Van wasn’t exactly in any position to turn her down.

“Uh, yeah.” He smiled. “Van Taris, pilot-for-hire. You got somewhere to be?”

The girl nodded, frantically it seemed to Van’s eyes. “An orbital station, above Bonumaan.”

In the back of his head, Van felt a twinge of excitement spark. Bonumaan was a ways out. That kind of a trip.... that would be the ticket right there. But he wasn’t fool enough to say as much aloud, instead feigning a half-sneer. “Ick… Never liked Bonumaan,” Van replied. “So muggy everywhere you go… least, where I’ve been. Big planet, all that.”

“But you can get me there, yes?”

“Of course, yeah, but uhhh, y’know... not free.” Van pulled his sleeve back and began punching in a few quick calculations on his wrist console. It was a simple little gadget, mainly just used for this exact purpose. “Lemme see… We’re on Natoth, and Bonumaan is about… 2400 parsecs Rimwards... rounding down, anyway, to save you money.” Van winked at the girl. People usually liked that bit. “That’s gonna be a couple days’ travel… maybe we can stop over on Takodana--”

“No! Please, we have to be as fast as possible.”

“Alright, alright! No stops…” Van continued, changing his calculations. “So accounting for fuel cost these days, food and water for the road, plus my extra twenty percent…” A moment of further calculation, then a quiet ping from the console. “That’ll run you 1680 NRC.”

“Can you take Imperial?”

Van frowned. “Sorry, I… people still do Imperial? That was… that was kinda before my time. I’m really sorry.”

“It’s alright, nevermind…” The girl dipped a hand into her robe and pulled out a stack of 500-NRC chips. Four, to be exact. Van licked his lips; that was a big fat tip.

“Now, I can’t make exact change, you gotta understand…”

“It’s fine,” the girl urged. “Just… please. I have to hurry.”

Van nodded, turning back and draining the rest of his drink. It was an effort to hide his excitement. 2000 credits… back in the day, that would have been enough for a pretty decent used speeder bike. Nowadays… well, Van would put it to good use. Maybe get the Bird shopped up, see if he couldn’t improve her fuel-rate so that his current situation didn’t happen again. Between the creds, and his tank filled up now… Van liked his odds of making it home.

“Alrighty, you got yourself a pilot. If you’ll follow m-ohhh…” The pilot shook his head as he stood up from his stool. He never drank anything too strong, but perhaps that had been a bit of a chug. He cleared his throat and got his feet back under him. “Okay, okay. Follow me, Bluebird’s this way!”

Van led the girl on a quick jaunt out of the bar and across town, in the chilly Natoth air. This particular hemisphere was hitting the middle of winter, and things on this system got particularly cold, cold enough to build up ice on the windows of any structure without proper heating. He liked Natoth well enough, but he didn’t have the blood for it. He blamed Naboo for that one.

Rinng met him outside his ship, covered in grease. Van produced his last 5-credit chip and dropped it into the mechanic’s hand. He would have tipped more, but he was going to need every credit of that 2000.

“Hey, hold on before you take off,” Rinng called after the pair. Van turned curiously back to the tendril-headed fellow. “I noticed a bit of buildup around the base of your cannon, so I went ahead and cleaned it off for ya.”

“Oh, thanks man! You really didn’t have to do that.”

The Nautolan waved the comment aside. “I’d go ahead and fire up the bioshields, get started warming those windscreens up. You know how bad the ice gets these days.”

“Thanks again, Rinng. See ya soon.” Van offered a sloppy salute as he opened the Bluebird’s hatch and led his passenger inside. As he eased himself back into his seat at the helm, he heard the klik-ssssssssssssss of the station’s fuel line disconnecting. As he began firing up the ship, the fuel tank showed at full capacity. While that was always a good sight, Van still couldn’t shake an odd feeling about this gig. Last time he was on Natoth, he picked up a shady character… admittedly he’d been more obviously sketch than this lady, but he’d picked him up in the Cantina just like her. Cheap scum didn’t even leave a tip, and Van was pretty sure he saw the creep try to swipe his blaster on the way out the door. All said creep got away with was a holster… which Van had to replace, since the creep apparently just up and disappeared a day after he left the Bird and couldn’t be hunted down. Either way, this gig still seemed on the verge of being sketchy, but these days… again, 2000 is 2000.

Van grinned as the engines roared to life, and the Bluebird began to lift up out of the station. He quickly pulled up his astrogation chart, plotting a course for Bonumaan, past Takodana--avoiding open space, for Rinng’s sake--as the ship lifted itself up through the atmosphere.

“So!” Van called, turning to see the girl strapping herself in. Nearly swallowing his words, the pilot hurriedly secured his own safety belt as well. “Once we make the jump, that’ll put us just past Takodana, at which point we’ll swing around the planet and make a second jump to hit Bonumaan. Normally I’d just shoot straight there, but I’ve heard about some, uhh… well, some unsavory activity goin’ on right in that sector. Do hope you don’t mind.”

“What sort of unsavory activity?”

“Fighter Jockies,” Van replied with just a hint of a sneer. “Pirates. Like to blast apart good honest travelers, then pick at whatever’s left of their ships like animals.”

“Sounds like you’ve encountered them before.”

“I have,” Van said grimly. “I was lucky I’d just hooked my cannon controls up to the helm, because I didn’t have a gunner with me. If I hadn’t sprung for the upgrade, they prob’ly woulda blown me right outta lightspeed, scattered what was left of me across the whole parsec.”

“How would they fire on you at lightspeed? No weapon can fire that quickly.”

“Not a cannon. Some of ‘em have these big ol’ blades strapped to the flanks of their fighters. So long as they can swing in beside you, they’ll carve your ship wide open.”

“That’s horrid!”

“You’re absolutely right,” said Van, “which is why it’s such skiff that the Senate can’t decide on what to do about it.” He paused for a moment. “Uhh, pardon my language.”

“It’s fine.”

Van turned back to the helm. “Anyway, I’m gonna take us around the other end of Tako just to be on the safe side, alright? If it helps, I can offer you back 20 credits.”

“Don’t worry about the money, I just need to get to that station soon…”

“Don’t suppose you have any reasons for the express treatment you’d like to share?”

The girl frowned. “I’m sorry, but I can’t say.”

Van held up a hand. “Totally cool, pretend I didn’t even ask.”

They had just passed into the void of space, pinpoints of starlight shining through the blackness stretched out forever before them. Van wrapped his fingers around the warp switch and turned back to his passenger. The girl pushed back into her seat and offered a single nod of confirmation. The pilot whipped back forward and slowly pushed the switch forward. The stars stretched and shone brighter and brighter, until the blackness of space gave way to a swirling vortex of shimmering blue hyperspace.

“Beenine. Stabilize, please.”

“Of course, love,” came a voice from overhead.

The girl jumped. “What was that?”

“Oh, that’s Beenine. She useta be a droid, but then we got into a scuffle with an ex-Imp cell. One of ‘em had one of those riot batons, Beenine took a hit. Lucky me, I was flying into Nar Shaddaa at the time, so I swung by a chop shop, got her patched up as best I could. Beenine, say hi!”

Van pointed up over the console, where built into the ship itself was installed the round head of a protocol droid. The girl let out a little gasp as the droid’s illuminated eyes.

“Nice to meet you, love. Designation B9-V at your service. Welcome to Taris Travels, ready to do all we can to make your travels as smooth and swift as possible.”

The girl blinked profusely for a moment, but she nodded. “Pl-uhh, pleasure to meet you.”

After a moment longer, the Bluebird’s pressure-stabilizers kicked in, alleviating the force pressing the ship’s occupants into their seats. Van heaved himself up from his chair and stretched. “So!” he started, “lemme show you where everything is. Don’t worry, she’s a real small ship… sure you noticed on the way in.”

The tour was brief. Van had two sleeping quarters on opposite ends of the Bluebird, one for himself and one for his passenger, or two for his passengers if he was flying for more than one. The pilot’s seat was a perfectly fine napping spot… usually. Foodstores and a very, very rudimentary kitchen took up most of the lower deck, and the rest of the ship was either working parts or storage. Van made a point to keep things cozy. Sure, it was a source of occasional complaints, but what did it matter? This ship wasn’t a home to anyone but Van, and Van liked things the way he had them.

“I believe I’ll retire for a bit, if it’s all the same to you,” said the girl. “Forgive me, but it’s been…”

“Hey, I get it,” said Van. “That’s what the beds are for. Take a load off. I’ll be up here keepin’ an eye on things.”

The girl bowed, and disappeared into the hallway. Van turned back to the swirling hyperspace before him.

Beenine’s head swiveled down to look at her pilot. “So what do we know about her?” her voice came from a smaller speaker on the console now, rather than the overhead speakers.

“Not a thing,” Van replied. “Picked her up in Sen-Trill.”

“Sen-tr--” Beenine sighed, an exaggerated sort of sound. “Captain, we’ve discussed this, nothing good comes out of Sen-Trill.”

“Well that doesn’t change the fact that we’re out of work,” Van shot back. “She gave us 2000 creds, we can’t afford to turn that kind of money down!”

“Is this about Life Day?” Beenine groaned. “We’ve had this conversation a thousand times! Just Comm your mother, she can take care of it!”

“And I’ve told you a thousand times, I’m not doing that! I’m a grown man, I don’t need a handout from my mother.”

“Your credit account says differently.”

“Bee! We literally just got 2000!”

“And before that, you had six.”

“Oh, shut up and plot us a course!”

Both pilot and droid let out exasperated half-shouts as they went back to their respective duties. Van would never think about wiping Beenine’s memory, but times like this she just tested his patience so much…

Just keep flying, Van thought to himself as he gazed out the windscreen. His eyelids grew heavy, and he felt weariness settling on his shoulders like a great weight. Everything will work out fine if… if you just keep… keep... flying...

#star wars fanfiction #fanfiction #star wars #star wars: flyboy #lucasfilm

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thisbiasedlife · 6 years ago

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A New Livelihood (Werewolf! Jimin x Werewolf! Reader) Chapter 5

Note: Hello everyone! I am back after, well, a pretty long time. A lot of things have happened, I’ve lost people, I’ve been navigating college, and I’ve just been trying to bring it all together. In honor of the new year, a new chapter! Here’s to hoping that 2019 treats us all very well and I can keep some consistent updates going for this story, Firewall Down, and maybe even get out some other stories that I’ve thought up. Please enjoy!

Pairing: Jimin x Reader

Genre: Some Fluff, a lot of Angst

Rating: This one is pretty PG, maybe PG-13

Warnings: None

Characters: Aera (Reader), BTS, and Jung (Reader’s brother; only mentioned here), and Castor (read to find out)

Word Count: 3,837 words

Summary: Aera (or really Y/N) belongs to a pack of more traditional werewolf values led by her brother, Jung (or really Y/B/N). The very brother that murdered their parents in cold blood solely for the purpose of ascending to the position of Alpha. With her tyrant brother in control, Aera (or Y/N) is forced into a mating ritual with a rival pack in order to cement their alliance with her own pack. Things take a turn for confusing when this forced ceremony turns out to be far from forced. Aera (Y/N) must learn to adapt to an entirely different lifestyle, one that stands in drastic contrast from her own, while simultaneously navigating the confusing and passionate nature that is the mating bond.

Regret didn't even begin to describe what I was feeling. I had distanced myself and made myself vulnerable all because of my own vanity. I hadn't known they'd be prowling these woods. If I had been paying more attention like I should have, I would have noticed the shifting scents carried by the wind. The ominous and unwelcoming auras exuded by each of them. Rogues, but I had noticed them too late.

A wolf crashed into me from my right side, pinning me to the ground. It took me by great surprise. I struggled against its grip as its scent consumed the air around me. Not just any old rogue, a rogue from a pack rival to my old one.

"Hey there pretty lady," his voice rang in my head rather than aloud, the only way werewolves could communicate outside of howls when in their wolf forms. I realized very quickly that I had run into just a little bit more than your average bad luck. I was completely drained of energy. I had no energy to shift into my wolf form to protect myself from this rogue and it would be impossible to adequately protect myself in my human form.

"Scared little one? Do you remember me?" the wolf projected into my head. Shit, I was projecting pheromones. If he could smell them, then surely the pack would be here soon? Even so, the fact that I was projecting fear pheromones gave away at least a little of my vulnerability. Then, a second wave of fear hit me as I finally placed the voice.

"Castor?!" I exclaimed aloud. The wolf snarled. "The one and only," rang in my head. As if the situation wasn't already bad enough, this complicated matters further. I had had a hand in killing every single one of Castor's family members at the orders of my brother. Hell, I'd been forced to lead the charge. Even though I was consistently about self-preservation, I could not blame this man for taking my life even if he drug it out. I'd tortured his family before I'd killed them for the sake of appearing fierce and strong in front of a pack that constantly questioned if I was strong enough to walk among them.

"You aren't fighting back. You had way more spunk than this when you killed my family," he projected bending his wolven face down to my very human one. He sniffed the air around me and his eyes temporarily flashed blue. "I see. You've gone and gotten claimed. This scent that's all over you is different from your original pack though. Did your brother finally write you off for the shrimp that you are?" he joked amusedly. I was scared. I was angry. But, I probably deserved this and more. My heinous acts had come back to haunt me. If I were him, I would have already killed me. I was grateful that at the very least Bangtan couldn't hear Castor's projections. It was a closed conversation between he and I taking place, for the most part, within my conscious.

I knew I shouldn't cave to my anger, but I was fairly certain that this was actually the end. It was fitting. Castor would rip my head off before Bangtan even got here. It's not like he lacked justification. If I was to die this way, I was going to speak my mind before my head was ripped off.

"Shrimp? I remember being strong enough to kill your entire family without breaking a sweat. Right after they told me everything that I needed to know. As I recall, I played a part in leaving your pack in ruins," I goaded him within my conscious. If he was going to kill me, I wanted him to hurry up with it. I could not fight back and I was tired of being at his mercy. "You bitch," he seemed to try to growl out before opening his mouth and chomping down on my right shoulder. I screamed out in pain just as my new pack arrived all in wolf form.

I could recognize only Namjoon and Jimin. Namjoon because his eyes glowed red even in wolf form. Jimin because he lunged at the wolf on top of me before Namjoon could give any orders. I lay there bleeding, every bone in my body screaming that I needed to get up and help Jimin. I would never forgive myself if he died protecting me from my own sins. Castor did not fight cleanly and Jimin would certainly have to fight dirty to win.

I could not lift myself even an inch from the ground and tears fell from my eyes in my immense frustration. A wolf stood over me again. The eyes of this one appeared far kinder. "It's going to be okay. We've got you," Jin's voice projected into the consciousness of the entire pack, but specifically directed at me. I was lifted from the ground as another of the pack members worked their muzzle in between me and the ground and carefully lifted me onto Jin's back. I cried out in pain again. "No! I can't leave Jimin," I cried out into the woods unable to project anymore. "Don't worry. Taehyung and Jungkook flew into the fight. That wolf doesn't have much longer. Let Jin, J-Hope, and myself take you back to the house while Namjoon and the others wrap up here," Yoongi commanded eliciting the authority of the Beta. I had no choice but to accept his command as I slowly lost consciousness from the gaping wound of my shoulder.

I woke to immense pain. I was lying in Jimin's bed. I tried turning my head only to find that it shot pain down into my shoulder. With the limited range of rotation of my neck, I looked around the room to see if Jimin was anywhere in sight. I couldn't tell so opted to sniff out the room to see if I could detect his scent. I turned up short save for some traces indicating he'd been in the room maybe about an hour ago. I was alone in the room. I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

Another sniff of the air indicated that all seven of the boys must have been somewhere downstairs. The smells were faint but seemed to congregate there. I felt the need to check on them because my mistake had caused all this. Although, I remained conflicted on the prospect of going down to see all of them. If any of them were hurt, I knew I would blame myself for being negligent. I didn't deserve them coming to my aid like that. They were more than I deserved. Maybe, all this time, my brother had been right about who I was. Useless scum that only brought despair. Did I have the capacity to be good? To do good? How could I when I had been the reason my own mother died?

I sat up in the bed, despite the pain that wracked through me. I turned my head quickly, ripping the bandaid off as they say, to look at the shoulder that Castor had mercilessly bitten into. The straps of the tank top and sports bra I had been wearing were torn away for access to the shoulder, like someone had been drastically, frantically trying to get there. I felt naked in some way as it hung limply under my arm. The shoulder was heavily bandaged with the bandages looking as if they hadn't been replaced all that long ago. Not a spot of blood visible among the white. Had it been Jimin?

"I thought I smelt some stress hormones. Feeling better?" I heard Namjoon speak from the threshold of the door. My eyes shot up to meet his as I quickly covered myself with the sheets I had been laying under. I heard Namjoon chuckle a little to himself, but other than that, he didn't seem to react at all. I took in the sight before me only for it to become quickly apparent that Namjoon didn't have a scratch on him. I let out a small sigh. 1 out of 4 was okay. Maybe I wouldn't have to live with knowing that I had hurt people that had accepted me when I had nothing.

"How is Jimin? Taehyung? Jungkook?" I asked my voice just barely above a whisper. Namjoon heard me, undoubtedly as being a werewolf tended to mean that you heard everything. He remained silent for a few moments before speaking. "They're fine. Jimin got the worst of it and that was just a couple cuts and bruises. The man really just can't control his anger. We always joke that he's the scariest when angry because he's usually pretty soft in how he treats others. I can't say the same for your attack-happy friend. He's dead and got to see the worst sides of Jimin," Namjoon answered as he continued to casually lean on the door frame.

I let out a loud sign of relief. I hadn't realized I'd been holding my breath. "Where is he?" I asked worried he might be angry at me and not want to see me. I wanted to apologize to him for being so careless, for getting him hurt.

"He was with you almost the entire time you were unconscious. For 24 hours, he wouldn't leave your side. He wouldn't eat, he wouldn't drink, he wouldn't sleep. He just worried, and worried, and worried. He wouldn't let anyone else in here. Wouldn't let anyone else change your bandages after Jin got done working his magic on your shoulder. Paced back and forth until I thought he was going to wear a hole into the floor. So, I ordered him to come downstairs and stay there until I told him he could come back up. It's one of the only times he's ever tried to disobey a direct order," Namjoon answered.

My heart broke for Jimin. I had been out 24 hours?! How could I let myself put him through that? "Listen, I can hear what you're thinking. No matter how you roll the dice, this isn't your fault. Jungkook told me you could block mind reading and control projecting, but, thankfully for me, you seem too shocked to be doing that right now," he spoke into the silence.

What bothered me about that bit of information wasn't that Namjoon had been reading my mind. I was troubled that he'd been honest about it, forthcoming with the details. "I'll go down and tell him you're awake and that he can come back up," he said as he fixed himself upright where he'd been leaning on the doorframe. As he turned to go, he spoke again, "I'm really glad you're okay and all. Don't ever scare us like that again. That's an order," he said with his back to me as he walked away from the room and downstairs. The pull of the alpha wasn't there, but somehow that made it only that much more impossible for me not to follow it. The authority of that command was from somewhere beyond an alpha. It came from something different, something foreign to me. Something I couldn't quite place.

I heard heavy footsteps as someone quickly bounded up the stairs. Jimin came rushing into the room, stopping abruptly at the door frame, where Namjoon had been just seconds earlier. He paused taking in my frame. Tears began to form in his eyes. "You're okay," he breathed out in relief as he finally crossed the rest of the distance between us. He took me into his arms not all that gently. I mean, he tried, but his eagerness won out. I tried to fight a yelp of pain, but it erupted from me despite my efforts. He threw his body from me in an instant, very clearly not in favor of hurting me in the slightest.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized looking like a kicked puppy. "I was just so glad to see your beautiful eyes again. The guys say I'm dramatic for this, but I really thought I wouldn't ever see them again. You lost so much blood. Jin had to work on that shoulder with all manner of instruments for a long time. He kept talking about a lot of muscle and tissue damage and I--" he rambled on in his excitement before I cut him off by calling his name very loudly.

"Jimin! I'm okay. Just a little banged up," I assured him. He closed his mouth and nodded approaching me on the bed again. He bent down to me and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. I closed my eyes and let myself take in the incredibly comforting nature of this action. As much as I wanted to stay like this until the literal end of time, I needed to check up on him. It took all of my will to shift in a way that wouldn't cause me too much pain, but would also relay to him that, as much as I hadn't wanted it to, the moment had passed.

"Jimin, are you okay?" I asked him as he rose to his full height. "Yeah. I'm okay. Werewolf healing and all," he said with a smile. Even so, I looked him over to find that he, indeed, had not a single mark left on him from his encounter with Castor. For the second time since being awake, I let out a breath that I hadn’t known I’d been holding in.

“I can’t say the same for your friend though. No amount of healing is going to save the shreds I left his corpse in,” Jimin remarked through gritted teeth, his eyes temporarily flashing blue. Such a feral color that blue. For just a second, I saw the less kinder side of Jimin. The anger, the hate. It was enough to make me shiver despite the wave of pain it sent through my injured body.

“So, what’s with the slower healing? It still feels like there is a gaping hole in my shoulder,” I asked Jimin, who had just been pulled from his feral stare at the sound of my voice. “That puzzled Jin for a little. Namjoon was the one that finally figured it out. You know how even among werewolves, there are those of us that have special abilities? Like you’re able to block mind reading and control projection,” Jimin answered.

I went rigid for a second at his outright acknowledgement of my abilities. “Namjoon told everyone. He even mentioned that he was pretty sure you have a few other abilities you haven’t mentioned to us just yet either. Something about ‘adversity bringing certain characteristics out of people and you having encountered a lot of it’. Don’t worry though. You’ll have time to tell us at your own pace. Just like you’ll have time to tell us why that guy was trying to kill you,” Jimin said leaning himself up against the same doorway Namjoon had just been propped up against not long ago. I suppressed a giggle. They truly were a pack, not just in name.

“Anyway, apparently Jin found some sort of weird venom in the guy’s saliva that reduces our healing rate pretty significantly. He was able to get a lot of it out of your shoulder, but admitted that he wasn’t able to totally get it all out. He guesses it’ll be about a week before you’re good to go, back to your usual self. About two times what it would usually take for this kind of injury,” Jimin continued, finally answering my original question.

“Just my luck, huh?” I started. Jimin nodded in response. He very clearly wasn’t happy with this new situation I had found myself in, but who would be? Especially when he knew nothing about why it had happened. Most of me felt that he had every reason to know about Castor and the horrible things that I had done. Still, a little, selfish part of me never wanted to Jimin to hear about any of the pain that I had inflicted on others. He accepted me so openly now, why give him a reason to reject me? If this pack threw me out on my ass, and they very well could as mating played a lesser role to the safety of the whole pack, I would have nowhere to go. Castor was only one of many and my old pack was not exactly fond of me either. I would be an Omega. A lone wolf without a place to call home. I had heard a very famous saying from a popular TV show in recent years: “The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives”. A very solid truth in its own right, even if it was of human media. Still, the “angel” on my shoulder continued to nag. I could have no internal peace if I didn’t say something. Only internal guilt. I had been through a lot in my life. Relative isolation had been most of my life after my mother had passed, would it really be all that different being truly physically, mentally, and emotionally alone? Hiding the truth was already making me feel mentally and emotionally isolated as it were.

“Jimin,” I spoke out into the silence which the room had fallen into. “Hmm?” he answered with a low groan of his throat. “That wolf, I-I…..I killed his family on the orders of my brother,” I said as my head sunk into my hands. I could not believe that I had felt compelled to tell the truth. What had come over me?! Never had I admitted out loud the horrors that I felt guiltiest for. Yet, the thought of Jimin being in the dark about it bothered me more than the admission of my guilt.

Jimin remained poised despite the shocking confession. The only indication I had that he had heard me was the slight nod of his head. “I figured as much. He was quite angry and mentioned something about you taking everything from him. May I ask why?” Jimin questioned. “My brother saw Castor’s pack as a big threat. He’s pretty into power plays. It was such a power play to him to do every unimaginable thing to Castor’s family all while Castor had to watch helplessly. The entire while, I suggested that we just kill Castor. He was the threat. Why involve anyone else? My brother insisted that I was only to remain a strong member within the pack if I could prove my allegiance by “handling such a matter”. He told me what pain to inflict and how far to take it and I had to listen. I had to listen or lose my place in literally the only family that I had ever known, no matter how fucked up it was,” I answered Jimin somewhat longwindedly.

Torturing Castor’s family had not been of my own creation. The creative ways in which I was made to cause them pain were not of my creation, but I was the ugly vehicle by which they were administered. Just that was enough to write me off forever as a moral-lacking, sociopathic, cold-blooded killer, completely unworthy of redemption.

“We all do unspeakable things to preserve ourselves. The supernatural world is a pretty cruel one, no matter how much human movies and television like to think it dark and sexy. There is one quote that I am rather fond of when I think about some of the bad that I have had to commit: ‘Who we are and who we need to be to survive are two very different things’. Did you want to do what you did?” Jimin asked earnestly. “No,” I answered honestly. “Then, you were being the you that you needed to be to survive. I don’t think that’s the real you and I’m not going to judge you for it. We all have a past that we wanna slay. I like to think I’m more forward-looking,” Jimin finished with a smile.

A smile crossed my face as a warmth seemed to take over me. He accepted me, with all of my demons. He accepted me with all of my heavy baggage. He accepted the darkest parts of me. I felt so indebted to him, but I was sure that if I said anything along those lines, he would say that he was only doing his duty as my mate. Not true. He could abandon me, leave me and my horrible past to fend for ourselves. There was a procedure for breaking the bond, painful to only the one that did not desire it broken. Yet, I could confidently say that the thought had not once crossed his mind. I knew Jimin would not tell the others and I did not want to have to explain it a second time, so I had broadcasted all of my end of the conversation to the others via the mind connection of the pack. Now, they all knew. Would it change my relationships with the rest of the pack? Especially given that they had not been made privy to Jimin’s response? What would Namjoon say? Would he let me stay? What would happen to the progress I had made in my growing friendship with Jungkook and Taehyung? The only way that I could figure out the answer to all these questions would be to take my injured frame downstairs to meet with the rest of my pack. After all, I could only call them my pack if they knew that I was ready and willing to be one-hundred percent honest with them and let them in.

“Jimin?” I spoke, again breaking the silence of the room. “Could you help me downstairs?” I asked him, my voice full of a certain resolve. “Sure, but only if you give me a kiss first,” he said with a flirtatious smirk. A small giggle emerged from my throat before I could suppress it. I nodded and he walked over to me where I still lay in the bed. He walked to my bed and placed his toned arms on either side of my head. His muscles tensed as he leaned down, allowing his lips to meet mine. Gently, he kissed me, probably afraid that if he was too rough, I would break. In this moment, I had no fear, only certainty of that which I had to do. Jimin pulled away and smiled down at me, something very alluring held just behind his eyes. He quickly, but gently, scooped me up bridal-style from where I lay and started walking toward the door. A past me would have stopped him at the threshold, but a new-found courage kept me silent as we cleared the threshold of the doorway and headed for the stairs. After all, how could I bound into a beautiful future with Jimin if I was too busy staring into my past?

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neoblogcrying · 6 years ago

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“Let’s Play a Game” pt. 3

Due to me deciding, ‘heck, let’s make this an actual project,’ i’m celebrating by writing the next part of this series. I guess you could consider it a bonus scene? Thank you to all who are reading and enjoying this! Also thank you for all those who have voted!

The System Temp chose ‘Shen Yuan’ to main in this life simulation game!

Tch.

Though subtle among the reverberating sound of a chime playing upon the game acknowledging a choice being made, someone made a sound of displeasure.

“Oh? What was that, #1? Are you upset the Temp alluded the route laden with death traps?”

“As long as they chose every single option properly, it wouldn’t be laden with death traps. Don’t scare the temp, they’ll start fearing any option I throw out in the future.”

If it wasn’t obvious by now, System Moderator #1 was the one who was at the forefront of wishing evil upon everyone, whether they be other system moderators or the novel characters. In fact, it was #1’s doing that resulted in the System Temp being summoned to play this Life Simulation game.

Anyone who could plan such a thing shouldn’t be trusted.

“Anyways, pay attention to the screen. A new scene is starting.” The begrudging voice of #1 reminded the temp to pay attention to the screen to see: ‘Bonus scene!’ appear on the screen.

Shen Yuan opened his eyes to hear a tired voice asking him how he felt. In his surprise, he almost jolted up, but a hand pressed down on his chest, effectively keeping him down.

Though the hand kept him grounded, the hand was gentle, as if worrying he’d be harmed in the process. This gentle hand belonged to none other than Qian Cao Peak’s Mu Qingfan! His peak specialized in medical skill and medicine production.

Seeing him here, Shen Yuan sighed and shook his head. “Who was it?”

“Why don’t you guess? Guess correctly and you may get something out of it.”

Despite how cold he was, Shen Jiu cared a lot about him, to the point of being over protective. When one thought about it, it made some sense? Shen Yuan always rationalized it with:

‘If you have such a strong distrust for everyone around you except for one person, they’ll be like your life line and you’ll be damned before you let anything happen to them.’

Of course, he didn’t hate the idea that Shen Jiu trusted him and regarded him as important, but he did wish that his elder twin would relax a bit. There was many a time he would have Mu Qingfan secretly visit their peak to give him a check-up.

Whether it was because he truly worried, or he was trying to appeal to Shen Jiu, Yue Qingyuan had called for Mu Qingfan to give Shen Yuan a look over on more than one occasion.

Given their track record, he’d be willing to guess Shen Jiu… but… a gut feeling was telling him that Yue Qingyuan was the culprit.

As any logical thinking adult, he made his decision. “I’m willing to guess it was the both of them.” Shen Yuan sighed, casually searching for his fan. It was a force of habit to hide his face behind his fan, but it wasn’t next to him now, how unfortunate.

“Correct.”

While Yue Qingyuan made a request personally that he go visit Shen Yuan, the older of the two twins sent word for Mu Qingfan to look at his sickly brother. If he didn’t visit and Shen Yuan died because of it, he would be sure to curse the doctor for years to come (IF he lived that long, that is).

It was true that Shen Yuan fell ill easily when he reached a certain threshold of stress, his immune system wasn’t so compromised that he’d fall seriously ill at random. From what he could tell, most of the time Shen Yuan collapsed, it was due to heavy stress and him overworking himself.

He wished to tell the younger twin to relax, but it wasn’t so simple. He lived his life in secrecy, and he had a slower cultivation speed than his brother, so he always felt stressed to keep up. When Yue Qingyuan visited him in person, he was told about how the secret was out for the disciples of ‘Shen Qingqiu’.

That meant, aside from Yue Qingyuan and Mu Qingfan, only the disciples of this peak knew the truth. No one else knew the truth, but it was only a matter of time before the other peak lords learned the truth.

‘When the time comes, I will cover for them. I won’t let anything happen to Shen Qingqiu.’

That’s what he said before he left. Shen Yuan had an agreeable personality when you caught him alone, but Shen Jiu was difficult to deal with. He couldn’t understand why Yue Qingyuan was so considerate towards the twins. There had to be some hidden history between them, but he could never get enough information out of any party to gain an understanding of their situation.

“As requested, I’ve prepared some ‘medicine’ for you as your prize for guessing properly.” Mu Qingfan slid a small packet towards Shen Yuan, who in turn cast an evasive eye to the medicine.

Look, the medicine was super bitter, and he hated having to take it! He only collapsed from exhaustion! He wasn’t sick! There was no need for medicine! Feeling desperate to escape from being forced to take the medicine, his heart sank when he heard quick, but steady footsteps approaching the room.

As if on cue, he’s coming. Two faces dimmed with resignation as they waited for Shen Jiu to open the door casually. “Are you okay?” Shen Jiu asked, ignoring Mu Qingfan’s existence for a moment.

“I told you, I was only exhausted. There is no need to make me take medicine. I’ll be fine.” Shen Yuan grumbled, avoiding Shen Jiu’s piercing gaze. He was doing so much avoiding today! His neck is getting tired!

Stepping into the room, Shen Jiu picked up the medicine packet and sat himself down next to Shen Yuan imposingly.

The room went cold from Shen Jiu’s domineering pressure. “Listen to the Peak Master’s orders and take your medicine.”

Screw the image. He’s not ‘Shen Qingqiu’ right now! He gripped the edge of the blanket and covered the bottom half of his face in a silent show of defiance. You keep forcing all this medicine he doesn’t need to take on him. He doesn’t want it! “It’s my turn to be the Peak Master, and I don’t want to take it. I’m not sick, so this medicine will be worthless on me.”

When he says it’s bitter, you don’t understand how painfully bitter it is! It’s so bitter… that… that he feels like his tongue could fall off at any moment! It took everything he had to not throw it up! Have you ever tried chewing a pill of pain reliever? You would know how bitter that tastes, but this medicine was much worse!

It was grainy, bitter, tongue numbing, and it was so Ungodly disgusting!

They say the more effective a medicine is, the more bitter it tastes- well this really takes the cake!

“Who is the older twin?”

“…” You always use your age against him in matters like this! If he still lived on Earth, he would have loved to retort with something along the lines of ‘your mother!’ but they shared the same mother.

“Well?”

“… You are.”

“Good. Listen to your brother and take your medicine obediently.” Shen Jiu reached into the blanket to fish out one of Shen Yuan’s hands and placed the medicine in his hand.

DAMN IT! How about you eat it!? You are only 30 minutes older!

Resigned to his fate, Shen Yuan sat up, a ghost of a pout appearing on his face. He was really hoping to get out of it this time. He opened the packet and took a deep breath, downing the entire thing all at once and trying his best not to gag from the taste alone.

It wasn’t until he harshly exhaled that the other two in the room knew that Shen Yuan took his medication. “You did well.” Mu Qingfan patted Shen Yuan’s shoulder as a show of praising him, and he had his hand slapped away by Shen Jiu, and this hit was accompanied with a warning glare.

That was Shen Jiu’s way of keeping his twin safe ‘from harm.’ What’s the point of protecting your brother from the very doctor you called to check up on him?

Really, Shen Jiu is so unlovable and uncute. In comparison, Shen Yuan was quite lovable, and he had a likeable character. “Fine, I apologize.” He sighed, rubbing his temples in exasperation. “I’ll tell you how his body is doing, let’s go for a walk.”

This was a heavily implied, ‘give him some air,’ and Shen Jiu went along with it because it was for the betterment of Shen Yuan’s health. If you wanted the stubborn Shen Jiu to agree to anything, it was easier done if you applied it to Shen Yuan somehow—and the opposite is true for Shen Yuan. Both brothers could easily be twisted if you used their brother against them.

The two left the room, and Shen Yuan was left alone in the room to think to himself.

“What are his resentment points at now?”

[System: Luo Binghe’s resentment points are at 1050.]

FUCK!

Shen Jiu took the time while Shen Yuan was recovering to bully Luo Binghe again! He wanted to cry over how his brother seemed to love courting death. Is being a cannon fodder scum villain that deeply ingrained into your DNA? Will it kill you to be nice to Luo Binghe?

You’re cruel to everyone that crosses you, and even those who don’t do anything to you! Your jealousy is too much!

Shen Yuan cried deep in his heart. If he continued this path, Luo Binghe will turn Shen Jiu into a human stick and maybe look to him for round two!

That’s too frightening! Someone save him! He had to quickly remedy this and hopefully survive the blackening of the protagonist!

He had to treat Luo Binghe better (first he had to get better), and then he had to find a way to increase the protection guard of ‘Shen Qingqiu’. If he remembered correctly, Liu Qingge hadn’t died yet… so he would be an excellent guard against Luo Binghe!

Yue Qingyuan was an obvious member of the Shen Qingqiu protection squad. He was the Vice-president while Shen Yuan considered himself to be the President! Luckily, he was almost at 100% so he could soon start trying to reconcile with Luo Binghe!

You may think that Shen Jiu is overly concerned with Shen Yuan, and that it’s a one-way street, but that wasn’t the case at all. They were both very concerned about the other. If Shen Jiu ever returned to his room injured, Shen Yuan would nervously flit about him, asking him what happened.

Who dares to hurt his brother? Let him catch you outside and he’ll show you what happens when you touch his brother!

Shen Yuan was the type to directly attack someone by humiliating them, but Shen Jiu was the type to fight back with underhanded means. You would rue the day if you became the enemy of them both and they came at you with full force.

Sometimes, it seemed like Shen Yuan was a psychic because he could foresee things happening and prevent them from harming his brother. No one knew it was because he was a transmigrator who read the novel, so he knew what sorts of events to look out for and how to deal with the situation.

Of course, not all things could be stopped, but he did manage to put a halt to a few dangerous scenes here and there.

It wasn’t as though the brothers were blind to what the other was doing, but it did cause them to worry more, ironically enough.

Just like how Shen Yuan was willing to risk his life to safe Shen Jiu, his older brother felt the same way. If you asked Shen Yuan, he wouldn’t let Shen Jiu to throw away his life for his sake, and Shen Jiu would answer the same way about Shen Yuan.

Would they listen though? Absolutely not. Both of them were as stubborn as they come and were fiercely protective of those they cared for.

What? Was Shen Jiu jealous about the consideration Shen Yuan had towards Luo Binghe and bullied him because of it?

No, he wasn’t jealous. He hated the fact that Shen Yuan cared for Luo Binghe when he was trash. Caring for a potential-less disciple would only smear the honor of his brother. WHO DARES DISHONOR SHEN YUAN? You better wash your neck and hope he gives you a swift death!

If not for the fact that Shen Yuan had already told him, ‘If you kill any of our disciples on purpose, I won’t talk to you anymore,’ then Luo Binghe would have lost his life already by his hands.

His brother was such a goody two-shoes, but it wasn’t really a bad thing? If anything, one of them had to have a good character.

It was the brotherly feelings the two of them shared that made Shen Yuan think about his time on earth with his real family. He had two older brothers and a younger sister.

The family he had in this novel almost matched the family he had at home, except he only had one brother.

At least, that’s what he thought until he found out he had an older twin brother who was missing.

He missed his earth family. They must’ve been shocked when he died so suddenly. What an unfilial son he was to die so soon. He offered a silent prayer to his family, apologizing to his parents for his early passing.

Shen Jiu had finished talking to Mu Qingfan and he returned to the room to see that Shen Yuan was staring at his hands, deep in thought, almost unaware of what was going on around him. His younger brother would slip into these episodes of him dissociating if you left him alone for too long, and it worried him.

He always had the misunderstanding that the family he left behind in search of his missing twin brother had bullied him, resulting in him occasionally staring off into space, but the truth was that he simply missed his real family and was overwhelmed with regret.

It hurt knowing he couldn’t do anything to help his brother, and it further spurred his protective feelings towards Shen Yuan.

What neither of them knew was that because the System had split ‘Shen Qinqiu’ into two characters, they were connected by an emotional link. Both were impacted by what the other person was feeling.

So what Shen Jiu thought was a gut instinct that someone was bullying his brother was simply him being worried, or sad over something. That was why he would always come to swiftly question whoever was in the room with Shen Yuan as to how they were bullying his brother.

Even though Shen Yuan was raised by a loving family, he never got close to them, and he kept a cold disposition. It was because his older twin brother was going through such an arduous ordeal, he didn’t have the emotional strength to find happiness himself.

The reason why he’d often get sick was because Shen Yuan had the higher emotional bank of the two twins, so he felt emotions much stronger than Shen Jiu did. It was as if he was drawing in the excess emotions to keep Shen Jiu from going insane and murdering everyone in his path.

He would get overloaded from these intense negative emotions and he’d fall ill.

Those rare moments when Shen Jiu would show compassion to others, or strongly wish for family relations with another person, that was because those emotions came from Shen Yuan.

Their emotions linked them together and so they were easily impacted by the other. Shen Yuan’s dissociation hurt Shen Jiu not entirely because he knew he couldn’t help, he was getting the excess spill over from Shen Yuan.

Hearing his brother speak to him, Shen Yuan stopped dissociating. “I was just thinking about some things, don’t worry about me, brother.”

“Tell me what it is. Perhaps you’ll feel better if you talk to your elder brother about it.”

“I…”

DING!

Shen Jiu has asked what Shen Yuan was thinking about! He cannot answer honestly and say he was thinking about his life on Earth, so he must come up with another answer! How will he answer? Your choice will have an impact on what events will follow in the future! Do choose wisely, because the fate of the characters in the novel are in your hands.

[Thinking about Peak Lords Thinking about Luo Binghe I was just thinking about the past...]

[Previous Segment] [Table of Contents] [Next Segment]

A/N: Yay! A question that won’t be a life-or-death situation (for Shen Qingqiu)! Each question asked will impact the story in some way, and some have more impact than others. It would be unfair for me to say just how important each question is, but every now and again the System Moderators may give you very subtle hints to help you decide! Good luck and hope you have as much fun with this project as i’m having!

#Scum Villain #SVSSS #Scum Villain's Self-saving system #Neo Writes Drabbles #SVSSSLifeSimProject #((Yay for official project status and not experimental project!))#((In which I also had the urge to write something due to stress as usual aha))

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danganronpawritings · 7 years ago

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Hiyoko Saionji couldn’t have been more surprised if you slapped her across the face.

You were friends, she thought, even if she didn’t always show her affections. You walked with her at night when the darkness made her skin crawl. You held an umbrella right over her head as the rain poured down. She steadied herself with your other arm so she could daintily step over puddles without dirtying her kimono. You came to all of her dance recitals to support her, bringing flowers of congratulations. The last thing she expected was for you to stop her before she could stick another wad of chewed gum in Mikan’s hair at lunch.

Saijoni’s face went from a pale pink to a tomato red as you refused to let go of her wrist. Her cheeks puffed out with frustration, and she didn’t know what was worse -- that you’d betrayed her or that you’d chosen that fugly skank over her. The blonde girl’s eyes welled up with tears, and she shouted up at you, “If you like her so much, then why don’t you be her friend instead?!” In the shocked silence that followed, Hiyoko jerked herself out of your loose grip and ran off.

You found her a few minutes later, crying in an empty classroom. All it took was one look at you, and she was yelling, “Go away! I hate you!” but her sobbing had only gotten worse. Instead, you picked up a box of kleenex and crouched by her side. The Ultimate Traditional dancer angrily yanked a handful of tissues out of the box to wipe at her nose and face. You didn’t rush her. You knew she’d talk when she was ready.

“Wanna tell me what’s up, Hiyoko?” you asked once her tears had died down.

It was hard for her to stay mad at you when you seemed so worried about her. Still, she crossed her arms over her chest, glared away from your face as she huffed, “You chose Mikan over me, your friend.”

“But she’s my friend too,” you began to explain, “you both are my friends, and I won’t let anyone bully my friends, even if the bully is my friend too.”

That threw her for a loop. Hiyoko sniffed indignantly, “I’m not a b-bully. She’s just a slut!”

Your supremely unimpressed expression made it clear that you were not convinced. “Listen to yourself,” you chided gently, “You’re better than this, Hiyoko. You’re hardworking and talented and passionate. You don’t have to put others down to make yourself feel better.”

Saijoni sulked in her seat, refusing to answer you. So you put your arms around her and hugged her close to yourself. You could feel her trembling when you continued warmly, “I’ll always be your friend. I promise.” You couldn’t get another word out of her for the rest of the day, but she never let go of your hand. Of course, she wouldn’t change overnight. Bad habits are hard to break, and insecurities aren’t easily overcome. But no matter what, you’d be there, supporting Hiyoko and believing in her even when she didn’t believe in herself.

If Mikan had learned anything in her life, it was that she was worthless, disgusting, and unworthy of even the air she breathed. Abuse after abuse had been heaped upon her until she believed she deserved a life of suffering. Most days, she regretted her very existence for the inconvenience it did others. As her friend, you couldn’t let her live like that, not without doing everything you could to show her how wonderful she really was.

The first time you complimented her, the Ultimate Nurse looked around the infirmary as if she thought you were speaking to someone else. When you clarified that you meant her, she stared blankly at you for a moment before realisation dawned on her like the rising sun. Her pale cheeks flushed a light pink, her eyes lighting up as she smiled shyly back at you. “Th-th-thank you, (Your Name)-san.”

This wilted flower of a girl had forgotten the warmth of daylight, and every kindness that came her way was a ray of hope in the darkness. With every word of encouragement, she stood a little straighter, and you could see a little color come back into her life. So you did your best to shine bright for her, chasing away the clouds of despair that hung over her so heavily. You refused to let anyone bully or berate her, least of all herself.

At first, Tsumiki was afraid of making you angry. You had no patience for cruelty or injustice. Your temper flared any time someone put others down. But you understood that negative self-talk was just the norm for the Ultimate Nurse. Instead of snapping at her like she expected, you would gently interrupt her self-deprecating speeches to remind her, “that’s not true” before meeting her eyes, taking her hands, and urging her to say just the opposite.

“I’m ugly,” became “I’m beautiful.”

“I’m stupid,” became “I’m smart.”

“I’m worthless,” became “I’m valuable.”

She didn’t sound like she believed it, but Mikan said them anyway to make you happy. One day, she would realise just how special she was. One day, she would mean those praises she parroted back at you. Until then, you’d help her love herself one step at a time.

“Stop it!” You just couldn’t handle it anymore. Komaeda stopped mid-sentence, startled at your sudden interruption.

“(Your name)? Is something wrong?”

“Of course something’s wrong,” you scowled over the cafeteria table at him. “If I hear you call yourself ‘scum’ one more time, I’m gonna scream!”

“Oh,” Nagito blinked owlishly at you before offering a rueful, “My presence offends you. I’m sorry. If you like I’ll just--”

You hushed him, leaning over to put a finger over his lips before scolding, “Jeez, for such a smart guy, you can be so dense.” The white-haired boy remained obediently silent, a slight tilt of his head to one side asking the question he couldn’t voice. You sighed, struggled to put into words what you wanted him to understand. “Nagito… you’re not scum or garbage or a ‘stepping stone for some greater hope’.” That phrase was another that you could do without hearing ever again. “You’re just as important as anyone else here at Hope’s Peak, and I’m tired of you putting yourself down all the time. Do you understand?”

After a moment, Komaeda nodded, and you reluctantly withdrew your hand and sat back into your seat. You instantly regretted it. “Oh, (Your Name), that’s just like you,” he sighed with a sympathetic smile that made you groan out loud when he continued, “Caring about someone as worthless as me…”

You practically threw yourself across the table to slap your hand back over his mouth. “I swear to God, I’ll duct tape your mouth shut if you do that again,” you hissed. Komaeda’s gray eyes glittered with maddening amusement. He could be so damn stubborn… but so could you. Two could play this game. “If you think I’m so much better than you, then you’ll do what I say, right?”

Nagito seemed to be considering it at least, if for no other reason than to stop upsetting you.

“Stop insulting yourself, it’s annoying,” you scolded before admitting, “and it upsets me.”

A single white brow raised as a silent question from the Ultimate Lucky Student. It seemed like you would need to elaborate.

“I… really like you, Nagito.” A blush made your cheeks burn as you hoped he wouldn’t misunderstand. Better to spit it all out before he had a chance to interrupt. “You’re a good friend to me, and I won’t let anyone insult my friends, got it?” Komaeda nodded slowly, but you weren’t about to let him talk just yet. You needed to try and save face. “You’re stuck with me,” you groused, “So don’t piss me off, okay?”

There was a long pause as you stared down the boy, wanting to be sure he knew how serious you were. When you finally withdrew your hand, it was slowly, eyes narrowed with wary alertness. But to your amazement, Komaeda said nothing. He merely smiled at you, sitting up straighter in his seat as his chest swelled with pride. God, what a dork!

~Mod Dede

#character x reader #mikan tsumiki #hiyoko saionji #nagito komaeda #mod dede #anonymous #platonic #danganronpa imagines

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dangan-ronpa-imagines · 6 years ago

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Hiyoko Saijoni couldn’t have been more surprised if you slapped her across the face.

“Wanna tell me what’s up, Hiyoko?” you asked once her tears had died down.

“But she’s my friend too,” you began to explain, “you both are my friends, and I won’t let anyone bully my friends, even if the bully is my friend too.”

That threw her for a loop. Hiyoko sniffed indignantly, “I’m not a b-bully. She’s just a slut!”

If Mikan Tsumiki had learned anything in her life, it was that she was worthless, disgusting, and unworthy of even the air she breathed. Abuse after abuse had been heaped upon her until she believed she deserved a life of suffering. Most days, she regretted her very existence for the inconvenience it did others. As her friend, you couldn’t let her live like that, not without doing everything you could to show her how wonderful she really was.

“I’m ugly,” became “I’m beautiful.”

“I’m stupid,” became “I’m smart.”

“I’m worthless,” became “I’m valuable.”

“Stop it!” You just couldn’t handle it anymore. Nagito Komaeda stopped mid-sentence, startled at your sudden interruption.

“(Your name)? Is something wrong?”

“Of course something’s wrong,” you scowled over the cafeteria table at him. “If I hear you call yourself ‘scum’ one more time, I’m gonna scream!”

“Oh,” Nagito blinked owlishly at you before offering a rueful, “My presence offends you. I’m sorry. If you like I’ll just--”

Nagito seemed to be considering it at least, if for no other reason than to stop upsetting you.

“Stop insulting yourself, it’s annoying,” you scolded before admitting, “and it upsets me.”

A single white brow raised as a silent question from the Ultimate Lucky Student. It seemed like you would need to elaborate.

#Reposting my work from the other blog #hope you like orz #headcanon #Mikan Tsumiki #Nagito Komaeda #Hiyoko Saionji #Mod Dede #Anonymous

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yoshimickster · 6 years ago

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WELCOME TO THE ANGST ZONE-RWBY Volume 6x02 “Uncovered” Micksterecap(Rwby volume 6 spoilers)

HEY EVERBAH-happy Saturday-WELCOME BACK TO MICKSTERECAP! I’m sure this episode will start out with something completely norma-

HOLY SHIT-Cinder’s corpse! OOOOOOOOOOOOR IS IT?!

1:49 HUZZAH-she’s alive-OR IS SHE?! I ask because I’m live-blogging here, FRESH reactions today!

But seriously, TURNS OUT-this isn’t a dream sequence and she IS still alive...for NOOOOOOW! Cinder than punches her way out of the cave using what LITTLE strength she had left after her Avatar battle with Raven “Mother of the Year” Branwen, and upon escaping-SHE MEETS-

2:57 SOME RANDOM LADY WITH FOOD! Man THAT was convenient eh Cinder? Will she beg for food, or just murder her and take the basket-LET’S FIND OU-

3:11 We need to take the relic to Atlas?

GAH-I forgot this show had multiple plotlines-CURSE YOU SHOW I LOVE!

AW NEAT-a pointless flashback, taking place in that house that they...rented? Or did Qrow or the school own it? They never explained WHOSE house that was and it will always always ALWAYS bug me despite it never mattering in terms of plot.

BUT-said flashback ALSO features Weiss’ initial response to going back to Atlas!

3:20

“You’ve GOT to be joking”.

I feel for ya Weiss, escape your shit dad in Atlas, pay a plane to leave, get attacked by bees, get kidnapped by one of your possible love-interest’s moms, go to a school, fight bad guys, get IMPALED, get healed by ANOTHER of your possible love-interest( I said POSSIBLE, don’t hate me) ONLY to learn your going back to the place you escaped! MAN-how she don’t have whiplash from that I don’t know HOW she wouldn’t!

They also bring up a nice secondary reason for bringing the relic to Atlas that I admittedly didn’t think of-

3:33

Qrow: Without the Spring Maiden here to seal the relic back in its vault, its our best option.

Yang: And I just want to say its NO-ONE’S FAULT for not having Raven seal the vault back up after verbally decimating her for years of neglect.

Ruby: Yang its cool, you needed a cry.

3:50 We ALSO LEARN why their going to Argus in the first place, its the last Atlas military installation that still has soldiers...and considering Adam MOST PROBABLY hijacked the train to Argus they BEST get to steppin’ after this flashback is done!

Through that they figure through either asking nicely, or telling them they found one of three of Jacques Schnee’s abuse victims that they could get to Atlas. After they set up the low-down, Jaune asks Oz-

4:38

Jaune: Speaking of, what does it(the relic) do, exactly?

Oz: HAHA-definitely doesn’t attract monsters-DEFINITELY not!

But seriously, turns out it can answer ANY three questions(GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENIE) once every 100 years about the present or past. NORA of course geeks out about it-

5:29

Nora: CAN WE ASK FOR MORE QUESTIONS?! CAN WE ASK WHY ME AND REN HAVEN’T KISSED ON SCREEN YET?!

Ruby: Yeah what’s up with that, y’all are CLEARLY a couple!

Ren: I’m as confused as you are.

SADLY THOUGH-the magical knowledge genie can’t answer ANY of our deepest ship questions as it turns out they were all used up before it was sealed-OR WERE THEY?! Seriously I’m legit wondering, for all we know Oz is lying.

5:40 Ruby: Well, we’ll be sure to keep it safe.

Yang: GIMME THAT STUPID LAMP-I’ma SMASH IT!

Ruby: Isn’t that more Nora’s thing?

Yang: I DON’T CARE I’M JUST PISSED AT OUR STUPID PRINCIPAL IN A FARMBOY’S BODY!

But seriously everyone is LOGICALLY pissed off about the current run of events, half their party is gone, Yang’s gonna push her motorcycle she should’ve left at home through snow-

6:11 -and they now have ANOTHER mysterious mystic old person who REEKS of mysterious mysticism...AAAAAAAAAAND THE PROOOOOOOOOOOOOM IS TOMOOOOOOOOOOOORROW! Remember that joke? Practically dissapeared.

LOGICALLY pissed off at Ozpin for LYING about how the ancient relic of ultimate destiny attracted murderous chimera after them, and I’m sure he won’t pull some bull-shit line like-

6:47

Ozpin: I did not lie to you.

PFFT-look at Maria’s face here, her bullshit detectory is on POINT! Because not informing them of the dangerous GRIMM MAGNET wasn’t a half-truth. Can we get a wizard who DOESN’T give the main heroes the run-around with their bullshit for a change, CAN WE PLEASE?!

Oz than explains that the reason he held the truth is because he wanted to save them from anxiety and negativity, AS WELL as that being the reason for why he had it so Lionheart wasn’t revealed to be a traitor after his death, in what KINDA sounds like a villain speech, even going as far as saying “The people of Remnant deserve more than the truth”, (because THAT line is never condescending) as WELL as saying he’s been betrayed so many times he’s straight up used to it.

Oz than puts it all to a head when he asks where the relic is and TURNS OUT-

8:32 RUBY HAS IT! Way to stay on task girl, especially in quite possibly the most STRESSFUL year of your LIFE! Remember the silly school dance? I miss that.

Ruby than LOGICALLY calls him out for saying he had so much faith in humanity in these years when the opposite is true. Its also a good thing that he didn’t lie about the relic not being able to ask questi-

9:10

Oscar:HURRY...he’s trying...to stop you...he’s afraid you’ll find out...what he’s hiding!

...well that’s ominous but as long as it turns out the relic still can’t work I say its o-

9:31

Oscar: Her name...is Djinn...say her name to summon her.

...well that’s good to know but AS OZPIN SAID-the relic TOTALLY doesn’t work so saying it won’t do ANYTHI-

Ruby:...Djinn?

9:45 ...OKAY-time just happened to freeze, I’M SURE NOTHING ELSE OZPIN MURDERINGLY MAGICAL HAPPE-

10:33 Djinn: Wonderful!

...OKAY-so there was a genie in it that every single person on planet Earth saw coming, but SURELY it still can’t answer 3 questi-

10:40 Tell me, what knowledge do you seek?

SON OF A BITCH OZPIN-not ONLY did you lie about the lamp housing a genie whose PRIME waifu material, but ALSO lied about the questions being used up! Because just saying “Don’t use the relic to ask questions” would be SO hard you dis-trustworthy ass old man!

Well surely the next thing to happen is Team RWBYOMQ asking how to best murder Ozpi-

10:47 ...or cut to a random dirty ass alley, because the writers like to TORTURE us!

10:55 DAMN-Cinder, you even stole the bitch’s CLOTHES! What are you, the Terminator?!

Cinder walks through the rainy ass street of scum and villainy-UNTIL SHE SEES-

11:37 RANDOM SPIDER-MAN GRAFFITI! Didn’t know Remnant had such a Marvel fan-base, NEAT!

But seriously, it turns out to be the INSIGNIA OF-

PURPLE CLAD GANGSTERS! I gotta assume they are like, REALLY good criminals becasue DEAR GOD do her two guards look silly, LOOK AT THEIR SCARFS!

Cinder than bribes her for information-

Cinder: You’re little Miss Malachite?

Malachite: Is that a fat joke or color joke? Because I’ve TRIED changing my name to Violet, but UGH the system.

She then tells Spiderlady that she’s looking for team RWBYJNR by SHOWING HER-

12:35 SEASON THREE SCREEN SHOTS! ALSO-yes those are all from the Vytal festival, for some reason I thought the JNPR pics were from the placement exam. And now we wait for the Pyrrha fans to be mad she was cropped out!

AFTER Little Miss Malachite(Her name should STILL be Violet dammit, or maybe Amethyst) gives a spooky spider speech, she tells Cinder she’ll find the team in a few days-BUT IT TURNS OUT-

13:34

Chaps: Little Miss, we all ready know where they are.

Little Miss: Oh really, we do? Why don’t you say it louder SO THE MYSTERIOUS MURDER LADY WE DON’T KNOW CAN HEAR YOU?!

Cinder: What was that?

Little Miss: Nothin’ sweetie, just makin’ creepy spider metaphors!

A THEN CUT BACK TO-

13:55 MARIA-adjusting her broken ass cyborg eyes to double-check if she’s not looking at a floating Navii from Avatar.

And WOULDN’T YA KNOW IT-turns out Djinn can still answer TWO more questions this era! ALSO-

14:25

Djinn: A-heh, its a pleasure to see you again old man.

AND-she’s met Oz before, PROBABLY since he asked the first question.

Ozpin pleads Ruby not to ask Djinn a question, which prompts Qrow to ask-

Qrow: Hey-

Weiss: WANNA DIE OLD MAN?!

Qrow: GAH-I was just gonna tell Ruby to do what she felt was right!

Yang: Well excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse us if we can’t trust OLD PEOPLE RIGHT NOW!

Ruby than asks Djinn what is Ozpin hiding from them WHICH CAUSES OZPIN-

14:56 ...to...attempt to tag her...slap her...push her-WHAT WERE YOU ATTEMPTING TO DO TO MY DAUGHTER YOU WEIRD OLD MAN?!

BUT-before Ozpin can commit attempted assault and/or attempted game of tag-TEAM RWBYQOM-

A FREAKY ASS VOID-that turns INTO-

“Once upon a time, there stood a lonely tower”-

ALSO-

Blake turns into Qrow because...genies? BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THAT-

“-that sheltered a lonely girl...named-

“-Salem”.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH SHIT-Salem used to look NORMAL ONCE! BACKSTORY MOTHER FUCKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERS!

AND THAT’S SEASON SIX EP TWO-following the classic RWBY formula of exposition episode after action episode and I gotta say we learned...A LOT! FOR ONE-Ozpin pulls a full Rose Quartz in revealing he’s not the ethical leader we all thought he was, AS WELL as showing he has a secret connection TO Salem, implying...A BILLION possible things that I won’t put here because this is a recap blog and not a theory blog perse. HOO BOY-what a cliffhanger, NEXT WEEK-backstory time baby! SEE YOU NEXT WEEK on MICKSTERECAP!

If you like what you read, donate to my paypal here, or my Kofi page here. I put the link for my Paypal and Kofi here as I have JUST now realized the paypal link is under the search bar on my Tumblr homepage and is impossible to click so THERE ya go!

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crystalelemental · 6 years ago

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FE Fates Replay - Part 6

Okay...okay, I think I’m over Peri being here. Kinda. Not really, but enough to move on with our lives. God I hate her... Her levels have been better than some of my units with Aptitude! You couldn’t even just make her a bad unit?!

Ugh, whatever, chapter 12. The map itself is actually really cool. The idea is that there are a ton of jars lining the field, and they’re filled with poison or medicine. You can tell which is which when you hover over them. Attacking a medicine jar heals you or increases stats or something, for all units within a few spaces. Poison harms you, brings you down to half HP, or lowers stats, again, for all units with a few spaces. The concept of the map is to navigate through the maze by breaking the medicine pots strategically to make your way forward. I actually really like the concept of the map. I’m just...not entirely clear why this place, the most advanced medicinal center of the world, has a bunch of jars of poison laying out. Or the medicine, for that matter. You’d think they’d have a storage space for that shit, instead of leaving it lying around. Kinda strange, when you think about it.

Anyway, Ryoma is here, but you don’t have to fight him. You can either beat him, or escape within 16 turns.�� Failure to do so probably means Elise dies, since you can’t use her this chapter because of the illness. Saizo and Kagero are the mini-bosses, in a sense. They hover right near that nice dragon vein that shatters all the jars, and are paired up so they’re more defensive. Frankly, they seem kinda scary. High speed, high evasion, able to hit close or distant foes, and having an attack on them just negated if you miss too often? Pretty brutal. Or, well, it would’ve been, if Dragon Corrin wasn’t huge. She basically one-shot Saizo right away, and then massacred Kagero. It was not even fair, frankly. They didn’t deserve that hard an ass-whupping.

Now here’s where I want to note again: I am playing Casual. So at this point, I made a save, and did two different approaches. One was breaking all the jars instantly and seeing how that played out, and the other was leaving them. Leaving them lets you be a bit more precise in your movements, but I honestly found breaking them all immediately to be way more effective. A lot of enemies get hit with the poison, and since you’re causing the break, you can set up your units out of harm’s way. That said, this does immediately open up the path for like 10 ranged enemy units to swarm you, and most are ninjas so your defenses drop really fast. It’s surprisingly dangerous. I’m sure there’s a better way to handle this map, but we’re on a timer here so instead, Dragon Corrin is just going to bait all your fuckers out and take like no damage, then have everyone else run in and smash them to death. With that, all the remains is Ryoma. Who is also no match for Dragon Corrin’s hugeness. I paired her up with Nyx, and she deal something outrageous like 25 damage to Ryoma in that single hit, and took like 6. Being a dragon is kickass. Her dialogue with Ryoma is about the same as usual, but I did have Azura land the final blow, getting her unique dialogue with Ryoma as well. Honestly, it’s more of the “Ah, so you’ve betrayed us Azura!” stuff, and how I guess nobody from Nohr can be trusted.

Look...I get it. Nohr is the instigator in a war here. They are, by all accounts, the bad guys here. But my god if I’m not tired of having every single conversation with the Hoshidans turn into then yelling about all Nohrians being scum, and how being treacherous is just in their blood, yadda yadda. I know I shouldn’t conceptualize it this way, but my god do the Hoshidans come off as way more belligerent. Sure, we have the inside perspective of what the Nohrians in general are like, being inside the kingdom, but like...okay, imagine in Heroes, if everyone who met Laegjarn and Laevatein just kept shouting about how they’re horrible awful people and their whole kingdom is a bunch of back-stabbing sub-humans. That’s basically how Hoshido approaches Nohr, solely because the king is insane and evil. I get that they’re angry, and they’re right to be so, but their approach to people legitimately trying to act with a sense of decorum and decency is still to constantly call them scum and dismiss the whole kingdom. Seriously, fuck you guys.

After Ryoma gets fucking bodied, Elise is given the medicine and is back to full strength! From here we are given our next assignment. There’s another rebellion in Cheve, and we’re to put it down. Boy Garon, you’re sure doing a great job leading, what with the constant rebellions going on. So, off to Cheve it is, where we meet...oh god yes. It’s Takumi again. Oh man, I am going to kick his ass into the fucking dirt. He yells more stuff about Nohr being traitors and shoots Elise with an arrow, securing his death. The rebellion is all mad and shit, and Corrin gives another order to not kill anyone. Early on, we get two new characters, Benny and Charlotte. Benny doesn’t stand out much at all, so not much to report. Charlotte...is the only character whose outfit might be worse than Camilla’s. The win still goes to Camilla, because...my god, lady. But Charlotte is a front-line warrior, who’s barely wearing clothes. I think I’d be less pissed if her defense growth wasn’t so high. Look, this is a series with units in heavy armor and units in cloth armor. There’s meant to be a distinction in which stats are good. Her having great defense is not following the damned rules! Also I think the armor part above the cleavage pisses me off too. Like, if you’re going for the whole seductive appearance, go all out. That stupid little bit of armor ain’t doin’ shit anyway. That said though, her introduction is threatening to kill everyone for being too noisy at night, so like...I can relate. Might be another situation of “solid character, shitty costume.” But she sucks up to Corrin really hard, so she’s kind of all about the attention from others, and is a bit of a gold-digger in general. So we’ll see if that goes anywhere in supports.

Map itself isn’t that interesting, so once you win, Hans, of course, does his thing and starts killing everyone. “Uh, um...the king! Yeah, the king totally told me to do it, so you gotta follow my lead on this one!” Camilla apparently agrees and insists that there’s nothing we can do here. Listen...I’m pretty sure there’s a solid argument for not listening to the current commanding officer being a punishable offense. I get the king’s decree and all, but you know how Leo and the others constantly think around the problem and look like they’re obeying but don’t actually obey? Yeah. This is like...the easiest time to do that. Evacuate the townsfolk and sticking Camilla’s axe in the back of Hans’ skull, and call it a day. The village is gone, as far as the king knows, and Hans’ death was in battle. They don’t know the difference. “Oh, but Iago might be spying on them.” Bullshit. Iago could be doing a lot of things, but he only shows up to be slightly annoying. Besides, if he were really so vigilant, then Leo wouldn’t be able to pull of anything he’s pulled off in the game. We can’t throw out “Iago is watching” as a convenient catch-all for everyone, except for Leo because the plot needs to make us think that he’s the clever one so no one else is allowed to think around problems.

Chapter 14, the group arrives for some more rest in Cyrkensia, which mostly seems to be about a big theater. It’s a neutral territory, which I wasn’t aware existed in this conflict. Leo finally joins us and is around, I guess. Corrin attempts to confront Garon about the situation in Cheve, and he’s just like “Good job on killing all those innocents. I hear you even seemed to enjoy the work. That’s the kind of thing I expect of you.” Like, buddy. Guy. Are you an idiot? You know full damn well Hans was full of shit on that report, and by now you know that Corrin wasn’t going to go along with it either. Honestly, this is the biggest problem with Garon, he’s inconsistent. For such a merciless guy, he sure keeps giving Corrin a ton of second chances after she constantly and consistently defies him. Almost like...everyone’s kinda full of shit? And that Corrin can do whatever she wants because plot armor? Weird.

Azur-uh, the totally mysterious performer on stage, gosh-golly who could it be, attempts to sing this magic song that is too lit for the king to handle, so he has a combined orgasm/heart attack and nearly bites it. Iago, ever the clever advisor, is like “HOLY SHIT, THAT PERFORMER CAST A CURSE ON THE KING!” I...don’t think that’s particularly likely, guy. But no, everyone just goes along with that, as if it’s the obvious answer. So yeah, I guess that’s what we’re doing now. Catch the mysterious singer. Oh, wait, the Hoshidans are here. Better fight them first.

Keaton shows up, mostly because he has no sense of direction and kinda just bumblefucked his way here. He seems cool. Wolf man that collects bugs and shit. He’s alright. The map itself was pretty uninteresting. Mostly it’s just a lot of flying and ranged units on very narrow paths, so it’s kinda hard to defend everyone effectively when the enemy is so much less hindered by the terrain. Also there’s a cleric who uses the Freeze staff, and my god am I already getting tired of that one.

After the map, Garon commands you to kill all the performers in this neutral territory, because that’ll go over well on the global stage. Sure doubt that’ll set the neutral territories in motion against you. Corrin is mortified and does that arguing thing, and Leo gets to be the only smart one and takes her aside, and tells her that they’re going to follow orders by looking in really unlikely places so everyone can escape. See, this is what I’m talking about! Iago’s literally in this general area, and yet the plan is spelled out and carried out without a hitch! Why couldn’t anyone have figured this out back in Cheve?!

Chapter 15, this is another fun map. Corrin is still upset about all the needless killing lately, and sees Azura taking a walk as well. Thinking about how similar their situations are, she follows, and finds Azura sinking into a lake! Fearful that she’s drowning, Corrin chases Azura, and falls through the lake herself, into this mystery world full of weird soldiers that are apparently not able to feel any emotion at all and just seek to kill. Gunter shows up and is apparently alive and well here, so that’s cool. Really, there’s a lot I can recall that pisses me off about this hidden world, but that’s for a much later time when they try to explain shit. For now, just know that I hate this place.

The map itself is neat. The dragon vein splits your party into two copies, one in the north and one in the south. A unit and their copy share damage and stat changes, so anything that hurts one hurts the other. Also only the real Azura in the north can do the singing thing. It’s a neat concept, and having only three units to do it is an interesting limitation, but...one of them is Azura, who is very weak, and her copy can’t even provide multiple turns. And the other is Gunter, whose stats are not terrible but who comes with no preparation and the worst growths in the entire game for some reason. At least you get a bunch of stat upgrading items if you can clear it fully.

Now...this is where things get dumb. Azura informs you that you must jump off this cliff, and you’ll arrive at the bottomless pit that Gunter got kicked into. Why? Dunno, that’s just how they’re connected. Corrin asks why they can’t just go back through the water, and Azura informs her that only Azura and Corrin are able to do that, so Gunter would get left behind. Corrin asks the logical follow up of “Why the hell would that be the case?” but this question is ignored so that there’s more shit they can explain in the true route. I’d call this foreshadowing, but I think foreshadowing comes with a degree of subtlety. Azura jumps, and Corrin follows, with Gunter going last. Oh, I forgot something. Azura informs them that “time flows differently in this hidden world,” which is bullshit code for “we needed a way to get Corrin and Azura alone for this next scene, so Gunter not showing up immediately with them is because the flow of time is convoluted.” So begins the true contrivance train. Azura uses a magic crystal from the hidden world that can show you the truth of things. She uses this to show Corrin the truth of King Garon, that he is a weird goo monster! Literally, he’s made of goo. Callie didn’t believe me when I called him a goo monster, but she has since acknowledged this is the only explanation for him. What does this mean? No idea. Initially, I would’ve said he was killed and replaced by the thing, but Azura further explains that her performance in Cyrkensia (*gasp* It was her the whole time?!), was to restore Garon to his senses, implying that he’s still the same human, just corrupted into...whatever this is. Somehow. God, I hope they can explain how the fuck this happened, but I doubt they can. Azura explains that this song was the only way to restore him, and that it failing means there’s only one option - regicide. About time someone on this fucking team started talking any sense.

CONTRIVANCE TWO! Corrin says no one else would go along with this, and that they can’t tell the other siblings about this because, as Azura explained earlier, if you talk about the other world, you’re cursed and get drawn back in, never to leave. Because if you could just talk about the problem, then this entire plot, from start to fucking finish, would be resolved in the span of like 5 minutes. We needed a contrivance to say why they can’t just do that. But hey, you know, Awakening’s story just wasn’t that good, and we’re here to do a better job. They remember the Hoshidan throne, and that sitting upon it would restore someone’s true memories and shit, so their new plan is to gain Garon’s trust and have him sit atop that throne and be revealed as a good monster. So let’s just run with that.

Chapter 16, Xander finally joins us! He has a nice introduction with Corrin and Azura in particular, mentioning that when Azura came to Nohr, it was with Garon’s second wife, Arete. Now...I’m confused. So, diving into things from my last playthrough, Mikoto and Arete are siblings, from Valla. Arete had Azura before marrying Garon, so I’m assuming that Garon must’ve already had his four kids by the time she shows up, since none of the Nohrian siblings are apparently related. But Xander only mentions Camilla and “later, Leo” in his explanation of the other siblings liking her despite the masses not liking her. So...when were the kids born? Because in addition to this, apparently Elise has no memories of her father ever being a good person, which I believe happened shortly after Arete, who must’ve come in after Leo was born but maybe not before Elise? It’s so fucking confusing.

Anyway, we’re on the direct war-path with Hoshido. We’re told to go by sea, since they’d never expect a sea-based attack! Garon makes some comment about outsmarting them at every turn, and it’s like...guy, listen. I know you think this is super clever, but unless the Hoshidans are full-on dumbasses, they thought about the fact that the navy can get to them too. Iago also attempts to be a shit, by asking where Corrin and Azura went last night. Corrin, in the span of like two seconds, seems to have learned how to lie really well, and gives the story that they went out for a stroll, encountered some unknown soldiers, and killed them all. She even parrots Garon’s thing about rebellion and seeds and all that. Our girl is learning...

No sooner do you leave port than you are besieged by pirates. Yes, pirates have snuck aboard, and are taking all the gold you set off with! ...a few questions. (1) Why is this gold not in your pockets? (2) When you win, why is some of the money gone forever? You’re at sea, and there are no pirate vessels nearby. They all snuck aboard ahead of time, and have no exit point. So where the hell did the money go? This mechanic makes no sense. I will admit though, I do like the idea of balancing keeping your characters alive, and saving as much money as you can in this kind of route where funds are limited. It’s a cool idea, it just doesn’t make sense. You’ll also note that the goal is “beat the boss,” but the boss isn’t present. Part of your goal is to identify which Nohrian soldier is in disguise, and out them as the leader. Again, really cool idea, for a fairly nonsense map.

There isn’t a ton going on with the map outside of this, but you unmake the boss, Shura, and probably kick his ass really hard now that you have Xander. Shura talks a lot, but the only thing of value he says is that he’s the one who had kidnapped Azura as a baby, under orders from Yukimura, the tactician for Hoshido. Shura explains that he doesn’t really have allegiance to either nation, but wants to avenge the death of his clan. You are given the option to kill him or spare his life. I sincerely thought about killing him, just to know what happens, but I did let him live. Corrin thinks he deserves a break after all the shit that’s happened to him, so that’s fair I guess. With this, we press on toward Hoshido.

UGH. God, I knew the plot would take a downturn, and here we are. EVERYTHING about that hidden world, Valla, is just stupid beyond words. I hate its existence. Even just smaller things at this point bother me. There’s no reason Leo has to be the only one with an ounce of sense. Hell, he even states that all the siblings have become masters of seeming to obey while making judgment calls for the greater good, yet no one else is allowed to demonstrate this ability because then Leo loses his only characteristic so far, being clever. Honestly, the characters have been doing okay, but the plot’s holding them back. So next time, instead of plot, I’m going to be doing the supports. All of them. We gotta figure out who’s getting paired up with who, after all. So stay tuned for me going insane, because now I have to deal with Peri talking. God...if you’re listening...please...look down upon the development team for Three Houses. If they’re making another fucking character like Peri, where she’s just infantile and murder-happy, give them a sign that they need to knock that shit off.

#fire emblem fates replay #fire emblem fates #everything about valla's involvement is garbage

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sable-longclaw-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Motherhood and Murder

Last night...

“When the sun lay hot over the fields we will rise. We will look up and praise for all the blue and gracious skies, for the Light will lead us home...” The song fell from unpainted, but smiling lips, a golden eye peering downward with an endearing smile. “You know...” she began softly, tracing her fingers over the soft flesh she looked up on. “My momma use to sing that to me all the time.” She laughed softly, smiling fondly. “Sing it now to my son.” She grinned broader, her gaze locked on that of a man upon her most prized possession; the steel table far beneath the ground in Westfall.

[[ NSFW Below the cut. Torture, blood, psychopathic and sociopathic behaviors, Death, language ]]

A sudden pained scream filled the air as the killer twisted the crank one good time, attached to a slow drilling device jammed into the side of the man. “Rude!” she gasped out, putting a hand on her chest and turning the crank one more time. “I’m tryin’ to tell ya a fuckin’ story here, man, but you won’t shut the fuck up long enough to listen. S’all you can do anyway.. Ain’t like you can talk without ya fuckin’ tongue, Huh? Yeah.. That’s what I thought.” She glared then and gritted her teeth, releasing the device but allowing it to remain lodged. “Motherhood... Was .. -IS-.. It is not what I was expectin’ really. I expected my fuse to grow short, that I would hate it because of feelin’ fuckin’ tied down while my husband went out and made our coin, you know? We run our business together, but not much time for me to be in the office lately, so it all rests on his strong, handsome and capable shoulders.” she mused, continuing to speak as the man whimpered and bled.

Sable’s shoulders lifted in a light shrug, “Buuut.. Come to find out. I actually really love that little being I created.” She smiled softly, wistful in its bliss. She soon propped her elbows on the table, waving her hands around as she talked, her expression of one in disbelief. “I know, right? S’hard to believe that these hands could nurture and love another, ain’t it, boy?” She chuckled softly, shaking her head as tears stung at her eyes. Having these sentimental moments with her victims was part of the ritual she didn’t even realize happened every single time she brought someone here. “But, ah... His name is Timothy Braenen. Got Timothy from the guy who’s watchin’ him outside. Timwei.. He saved my life when I almost died on fuckin’ Argus protectin’ this world, because I actually and finally gave a shit about it.” Her eyes widened and her lips turned downward in a ‘facial shrug’ as her shoulders rose and fell again slightly. “Braenen... Well, Braenen comes from a very important moment for me. One that, I...” she waved the knife she picked up in her hand around in a circle for a moment. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget. It was my first time. First time for everything. Love, sex, kiss.. kill.”

The man squirmed and writhed against his restraints, doing his best to scream in vain. “I killed Braenen. Was the first man I ever loved. First man I ever fucked.. First one I ever killed, baby. So you can see why that the name carries a great importance to me, hmn?” Another pleading squeal pierced the air, followed by more squirming and panting, desperate breath - the point of Sable’s knife dragging up and down his naked stomach. She didn’t let that deter her in the slightest. “My husband don’t know none of that. I’m sure if he did, he’d be furious and demand we change it. But.. what he don’t know won’t kill either of us.” She paused on that thought for a moment, sighing out. “No.. that’s all wrong. What he don’t know, won’t kill -me-.. Cause I’m sure if he knew just how deeply this shit went. I’d be the first on his goddamn hit list and then everyone else would follow. Which.. is another reason you gotta die, chunky boy. Along for the other reasons. .you know what they are.” She began counting on her fingers, holding her knife beneath her arm for a moment. “Liiiiike, raping and murdering all those young boys. And as you know.. -I- gotta baby boy, as I just informed you. Can’t have the fuckin’ scum that is you out and alive, continually escaping the system because they can’t find any proof of what you did. If only.. If -only- they would’ve thought to look beneath the floor boards of that shitshack you call a fuckin’ house. You kept their teeth, all of ‘em. One incisor per victim, right? Right. Well.. Like I said, man. Nothin’ personal.. yet. But I don’t ever want it to be personal. So fuckin’ thank me while you can, because if one of those boys had been -mine- This would be much, much slower.”

With that, she jammed the knife down into his heart, releasing a deep sigh of ecstasy, nearly erotic in its fashion. “Mn... Can’t fuck my ol’ man... Guess this’ll have to do for now.” She stared then, watching him bleed out and the life leave his eyes. Slowly she collected just enough in a vial, putting it away in her usual lockbox that held the blood of all her victims, slowly placing it beneath her own floorboards when she was done. Another trophy, another need sated, another shit bag missed by the law off the streets, never to hurt another innocent again. This made her very happy, patting herself on the back for a job very well done.

Clean up was easy enough and completed in good time. Her gaze met with Timwei’s as she exited the broken down shack that served as a cover for what rest below. He looked as if he wanted and needed to say something to her, causing her lips to purse and question, “What?”

Tim’s nostrils flared as he carefully handed off his namesake to his mother. “You know what, Sable. Mace does not know about this. I did not learn of this until after you sent him out with that friend of his and found you here waiting. What have I always told you, little one? How have I told you that myself and Mollia lasted as long as we have. There are NO secrets between us. None.. Even if I do a most vile thing, she is to know, and she always trusts me because of this.” His eyes looked over the caramel skinned, blonde baby in her arms, then back up to her. “You have a son, Sable. A son -needs- his father. Do not let this.. this thing inside of you destroy that for him. And you! You need your husband, yes? Do you not love him, little one? I know what you went through to make sure you could be with him.. Please do not throw it away for this. Tell him.. Talk to him, as hard as it may be.”

Sable just dropped her head slightly, though her piercing gaze was upon Tim. She was on a high from her kill, and nothing would bring her down. A soft snort left her and a grin spread across her lips. “No,” she stated clearly. “I will not tell him, Tim. I -can’t- because THAT would definitely ruin all of this shit. I need to do this, and I swore I would try very hard to give it up. He needs to think I have. You don’t even KNOW how much he fuckin’ worries anyhow. I can barely fuckin’ breathe without him askin’ me if I’m alright. I love him for that, but I need this.. I need this so I don’t feel so damn suffocated by that, and the end game is the same as everyone else’s. I’m makin’ the fuckin’ world better by gettin’ rid of these assholes the system misses. Don’t you see that?” she questioned then. She truly believed what she spoke, and Tim could see it in her eyes and knew at this moment in time it would do no good to argue.

He just sighed. “If you ever need me, Sable.. simply call as you have. I will be here.” He nodded then, raking his hands back over his dreaded locks. “Just.. keep yourself safe, and mindful of your priorities. Know that nothing is more important than your family. All of them. Your son, your husband, the people you work for now. Put them always above yourself, little one. That.. That is the only way this will ever work out, yes?”

Her head nodded, “I know, Tim.. I know. And trust me. They are -all- that matters to me. They really fuckin’ matter. I ain’t gonna throw that away. I promise.” Then she hugged him and he returned it, giving her a brotherly kiss on the top of her head.

“I will see you soon, little one. This I am sure.” He departed with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Sable was simply too high on cloud nine to notice it. Timwei was left with a dire choice, and one that would need a lot of thinking, and upon reaching his home back in Stranglethorn in the wee hours of the morning, he picked up an old communicator. He hoped that the only other in the world was still in the possession of the one he gave it to.

“Mace, brother. We need to talk....”

@macelongclaw

@fury-and-claws for vague mentions

#IC #Story #Canon #MaceXSable #Motherhood and Murder

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papas-con-aceite-y-mucha-sal · 7 years ago

Note

do u think yuasa will do devilman lady now ?

In my opinion, you say… Short answer is no because if Yuasa ever does a Crybaby sequel, which I bet it won’t happen for several reasons, it wouldn’t even be able to get called Devilman Lady anymore.

And it has a lot to do with the changes the characters when through in Crybaby.

Let’s begin with this friend.

In the manga, Akira was about to renounce to fight for humankind after having his hopes and dreams eventually crushed in battles and other events. The last straw was finding a group of humans torturing people (including the Makimura’s parents) with the excuse of those being demons when they already knew they were torturing innocent humans. They even try to calm Akira down once he arrives in his Devilman form saying he had nothing to worry because they hadn’t touched anyone from his race (demons).

Akira then ponders about everything that has happened until then and about his last conversation with Satan.Thinking about Miki, he decides to keep fighting so he can at least give her a world where she still can live… just to find out she’s been killed meanwhile. And not by a demon’s hand: by their own neighbours, those they probably had know for entire years. Humans. Crying while holding her severed head Akira promises to fight Satan to death until only one of them is left standing. Not anymore to save humans but of pure fury and resentment.

He’s moved by pride, even. The same pride he thought it was so stupid to save before. That “spirit” which felt so much like some of Ryo’s weird ideas (who’s also torn apart between his unconscious true mission, his fake mission he’s slowly giving up in and sees futile, and trying not get Akira dead). Akira slapped/kicked Ryo repeteadly after hearing him saying such things… and one single volume later he’s effectively with his Devilman army not moving a single finger to save any human in Earth and just focusing on preparing for the last battle against Satan, guided by what’s now his pride as a Devilman.

In Crybaby there’s no 20-year timeskip. Because Akira never renounced to his humanity and to fight for them (even with Miki’s death! who had the plus of being his childhood friend this time!) their extinction seems to be also a consequence of the battle instead of just humans killing themselves like in the manga in both murders and suicides. Akira had every intention of saving them no matter what he had to do.

Crybaby’s Akira is some ideal and noble figure instead of the simple and common boy who gets dragged into a difficult situation as the manga one was (and thus reacts like a common human would in such a situation). Crybaby’s portrayal is not only borderline surreal, it also makes Lady to follow it up highly unlikely. Crybaby is just ‘Main Character tries to defeat Bad Guy who actually had feelings !! what a tweest!!! also he fails’.

Akira has very few reasons to forgive Ryo (if he has at all). In the manga they were both to blame in the end, it was kind of Nagai’s point for the antiwar theme, and he saw Ryo regretting and crying over him.

Crybaby? Not so much. He doesn’t even get to see him regretting before, you know, he dies. Yuasa adapted Neo Devilman for Crybaby to use it in the last episode, putting flashbacks of Ryo and Akira in their good days while the battle kept happening. Can you guess which one scene from that episode Nagai drew he didn’t put?

… Duh.

You can’t even make the point of that scene coming later (just like it did for the manga: it was added in Neo and Lady, and I don’t know if the deluxe version of the original Devilman manga) because as I pointed out earlier he purposely added an adapted version of the rest of the episode already. So if he wanted to put Akira there reacting he would have, in a quick blackscreen whispering before the credits or something, or right before showing the world remaking itself/being remade.

I put into question if Akira was still holding any positive feeling for Ryo in the last episode of Crybaby instead of plain hate. He claims his tears have all dried up so he can’t even cry for Ryo anymore. Despite he listens to Ryo (sorta) and even began a conversation in the manga (that ended up being Ryo’s monologue but oh well) before he dies, as he doesn’t instantanely does it for the same reason he could survive Sirene after losing a lot of blood and a limb, this Akira… didn’t utter a word, didn’t give a single thought. I mean, he IS a really emphatic person, and there’s the baton symbolism, but it’s… hard to see. Ryo’s betrayal came with his memories of Satan so it was a clean cut in the manga, and thus it had that impact and mixed feelings. Afterrecovering his memories Ryo’s almost like a different person. Even in Lady atfirst Akira seems conflicted by this, as he tries to separate both switchingbetween both names. It’s understandable. In a way he probably felt Satan had killed his bestfriend. But Crybaby’s Ryo betrayed Akira’s trust so repeatedly I don’t think it was as much of a surprise for him. He doesn’t look that conflicted.

Of course Akira could forgive Satan/Ryo in the end but that would feel terribly forced.

And now let’s go to our other important character in the manga sequel, Satan. Jun and Lan, particularly Jun, would be so… different. Jun is a really good girl who tries her best for humankind which I… can’t really see a guy who already was killing humans and calling them scum in the first episode doing. You’ll say ‘it was the Black Sabbath, there was no other way around!’. Alright, I can concede you that (even if this Ryo wasn’t under such high pressure and wasn’t literally stoned and being pointed out by Akira on how he was acting too different from his usual self). But then explain the rest of Ryo’s murderings in the next episodes honestly, because those happen BEFORE he recovers his memories of being Satan. Lan would be easier to adapt (she’s still ‘nicer’ than Crybaby Ryo) but Jun… I really don’t know how they would. What’s more, Satan’s reasons to oppose God are completely different. In the manga he did it to prevent demons from dying; in contrast, in Crybaby he did it because God was “cold” or something? There’s not really a reason, his dialogue was very vague and he found the demons later. So how would it translate in a Crybaby sequel following Lady? The last battle against God, if Satan makes Akira join him, would be for… what? The lulz? I’ve got no idea. The whole deal with God is different and I have no idea how they’d adapt his role or even the Lady’s ending as it is (his doing is really prominent in that manga, you just don’t know until what extent until later volumes). It really, REALLY, depended on his characterization in the original. And then there’s the whole arc inherited from Mao Dante that’s pretty important for certain events to happen, and also needs for God to be the plain villain.

Another point is that Crybaby Ryo doesn’t actually understand Akira. From the time Ryo throws Akira money to pay a hooker to the time he opens his arms trying to receive Akira joining him when Akira’s still holding Miki’s head, even after hearing from his mouth Akira loved her so much and that he had lost everything because of him… He can’t understand his emotions or even acknowledge their existence, therefore by no means he can understand the emotions of others. And this includes Akira. Instead of comforting Akira after, you know, his parents were killed, Ryo just takes Akira’s mom (?) mobile phone to save Akira’s pictures she had while he still has the real thing in the same room crying his eyes out during this exchange. Not to mention how he pressured Akira (‘if you don’t kill it [Jinmen], I’ll do it!’) shortly before that. Or how he spied on Akira’s conversations with other people. Or how he tried to kill Miki few days after they were reunited again. And in general just trying to make Akira dance at his tune. Stuff like that seriously made me cringe. And it’s just so important for those two to be in the same page for Lady to work. If it doesn’t…

Ryo’s a polar opposite for Akira this time, who’s over empathic in this adaptation. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if Akira already knew Ryo loved him way before Ryo himself acknowledged such feeling considering he already knew Ryo was crying internally in the scene with the dead kitten (though I believe Ryo felt bad at seeing how sad Akira was instead of feeling bad for the kitten itself: he’s not that fond of animals this time… or anything that isn’t Akira for that matter) and that’s why he still stayed by his side despite being… like that. Of course they still have good times sometimes, like the scene in the pool, or when Ryo tried to protect Akira from bullies when they were kids so they would gave Akira his shoes back, but they just… fall short for me.

And I’m not even getting into all the new characters that were introduced and should appear at least… somewhere? So we can see they’re getting reincarnated like Miki did meanwhile the Devilmen are in Hell, and conclude them. Which role would Miki get here? She had gotten a bigger role in Crybaby so it would be odd if they were to show her just for like two minutes (it already felt odd in the manga though I appreciated she was actually living a normal and happy life). It could be nice to make her become a Devilman and work near Jun I guess, like the other Devilmen that worked for H.A. Now that would be a nice touch. Probably one of the few good things I could see getting out of this.

And, in conclusion, now we’ve come this far, after alterating all of what I’ve mentioned (and more I’ll be forgetting, I’m writing this quickly)… then what’s the point?

No, I’m not seeing it. Sorry. Devilman Crybaby deviated too much from the original manga for a sequel following the events of Devilman Lady faithfully. The concept of Violence Jack seems more feasible but you’d have to rework it a lot too, as it’s a crossover manga more than it’s an actual sequel. I mean the idea of Satan creating a world that ends up being his self-inflicted punishment. I don’t know, maybe it was the last scene increasing the drama and making him not realize/regret his mistake in something that wasn’t related to Akira what makes me think VJ would work better (even if it vastly changed too).

It sucks because when I saw Crybaby announced I had hopes for a Lady adaptation, one that followed the manga while fixing its prominent issues.

I’ve also heard Crybaby hasn’t exactly been as well received in Japan. And I guess I should look that up more thoroughly. I just got this, and only because it was such a fuss it reached Yuasa’s personal Twitter account. So I can’t say much else.

#devilman #devilman lady #devilman crybaby #sal salada #ask #not exactly a crybaby criticism #it's just how things are #meta #Anonymous

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