#i wanted to like aqua but her voice acting was /so/ bad even for a kh game

[leasboyfriend]

anyways dream drop distance remains my favorite kh game

[zorosangell]

⛥ﾟ・。 protector: chapter twenty-six

synopsis: " you were supposed to stay a crewate, just another back to watch, " he tightened his hold, " i didn't even notice the change until i woke up one day and realized i'd take a bullet for you "

cw: violence, gore, fighting, mature themes, profanity, MAJOR/MINOR ANIME SPOILERS, follows the plot of the anime, slowww burn.

a/n: reposting from another account

If things went from bad to worse during the argument, then things went from worse to shit during the fight.

Usopp challenged Luffy to a duel for the Merry, which, of course, ended in his defeat.

Though Luffy let him keep the ship anyway.

But beyond that, the crew had gotten word that Robin was the prime suspect for the attempted murder of the mayor.

And now the whole town was after, not only her, but the entire crew.

Sanji and Chopper had ran into her while in town, but she started talking about a situation getting worse and never seeing the crew again before disappearing.

So Zoro devised a plan to capture her during her second attempt on the mayor, hoping to get some answers.

But with Usopp gone and Sanji nowhere to be found, you, Zoro, Nami, Chopper, and Luffy, knew that you would have to go at it on your own.

And as the five of you perched in a large tree outside the mayor's mansion, you couldn't help noticing the looming sense of doom in the air.

Aqua Laguna would not be the only storm coming that night...

"There sure are a lot of people out there," Chopper reported, looking down at the lawn through his binoculars.

"It's a little far, too," Luffy agreed.

"It'll be fine if you rocket through the window, right? After Robin shows up, I mean," Nami asked.

"That's right. If we make a commotion first then they'll just sneak in while we're dealing with the guards," Zoro stated, leaning against the trunk of the tree, "Let's be patient."

You sat yourself a little ways off to the side, criss-crossed, with your eyes peacefully shut, trying to meditate some clarity into the situation.

This overbearing sense of disaster had been following you ever since Usopp left the crew. 

And before your little display clairvoyance on Skypiea, you had never been so fined tuned with auras like you were now.

The fluctuations and shifts, all dependent on where you were and who you were with.

It was too much for your one head.

And being able to sense impending doom, while not knowing how, when, where, or why it was coming, is a power you wouldn't wish on your greatest enemy.

But luckily, your swordsman noticed your distress, resting a hand on your shoulder to snap you out of it.

"You alright?" he asked, voice low so he didn't alert the others.

Your mind was off somewhere else, thinking, quite intently if he took the tightness of your face as any hint.

But being distracted like that, especially with your lives on the line, would be a death sentence.

"We need that head down here."

An easy guess would be it was about your powers, and how you could be doing more to help.

But there was no time to pry, so a guess is what it would have to stay.

You spared him a small smile of thanks, giving a firm nod and focusing back on the task at hand.

'She didn't answer my question...'

But the sounds of shouts from below pulled him away from his thoughts before he could act on them.

"Sounds like something's going on down there," he stated, turning to Chopper, "Whaddya see?"

"They're all kinda standing around now. But..." Chopper sighed, pulling the binoculars away from his face, "they're all huge, and armed, and angry."

"We need to be careful. Those guys have a reputation for being able to handle themselves when push comes to shove. We don't wanna rush in and do anything we're gonna regret later," Nami reminded.

"Yeah, if we try to barge in swingin', we'll just be askin' for trouble," Luffy agreed.

"Says the guy who charged-in in broad daylight..." you scoffed.

"Anyway, don't take your eyes off 'em, Chopper," Zoro instructed, eyes trained on the lawn, "We don't want any kind of surprise down there."

"Right."

"Anything happens, you let us know."

"Okay, you got it."

"I think we're gonna have a really long night ahead of us," Zoro sighed, "But if we blow our opportunity, it's over. We can't let our guard down no matter what happens."

Silence fell over the air, and the wind's sorrow filled wail was only a hint of foreshadowing to the night ahead.

"If we wanna know the truth about Robin, then it has to be tonight, or never."

"Yeah," Luffy agreed, his tone low, "I got a feeling we'll be talking to her real soon."

And as if on cue, a huge explosion went off right on the lawn, blowing most of the carpenters away.

"Whoa! Something blew up!" Chopper exclaimed.

"Yeah, no kidding..." You winced.

An entire section of the house was now on fire, and the workers were buzzing like bees around a hive trying to put it out.

"They all seem pretty worked up," Chopper noted, a little nervous.

"Yeah. There is definitely something going on right now," Zoro stated, eyes scanning over the destruction, "Alright, then. When are we gonna make our move?"

You and Chopper turned to where Luffy once was, only for him to be nowhere in sight.

'For the love of God...'

"Hey, where's Luffy?" Chopper asked.

Zoro and Nami quickly whipped their heads over, eyes going impossibly wide at the captain's absence.

"THAT IDIOT! WHAT ABOUT THE PLAN?! I THOUGHT WE WEREN'T GONNA RUSH INTO ANYTHING!" the two shouted in unison.

You sighed, resting your cheek in your palm as you looked back down at the lawn.

"Too late."

Things had gone wrong fast.

After the four of you, though really you and Zoro, fought through the hordes of Galley-La workers, you eventually made it to the hallway leading to the mayor's bedroom.

Zoro had managed to cut down the door, coincidentally, at the exact same time Luffy burst in through the wall.

Robin, along with workers Lucci, Kalifa, Kaku, and Blueno, were all standing over Iceberg's body.

They went into a long explanation of how they pulled everything off, then attacked a man named Paulie and told Robin that her job was complete.

Though Luffy wasn't too accepting of the woman's farewell.

But Blueno, the fake bartender, blocked his path, and seemed to be able to combat each and every one of Luffy's moves.

"AGH! I said out of my way!" Luffy started, using his Gum-Gum Gatling to attack the large man.

But he dodged each and every hit with ease, as if he was a piece of paper billowing in the wind.

"Whoa! Even though he's big, he sure is fast!" Chopper exclaimed, wide eyed at the sight.

Past the large man's figure, Luffy noticed Robin still making her way to the window.

"Robin!" he called, trying to run after her.

Blueno blocked him once more, distracting the boy by beginning to hop on the air.

'He can fly?!'

"Tempest..." Kalifa and Kaku wound up a kick, before using it to send Luffy flying into the hallway, "Kick!"

But the gust of wind behind it was sharp, almost as if they had swung a very large blade.

You and Zoro's eyes shot wide at the same time.

"Get down! Hurry!" the two of you shouted in unison.

All of you hit the deck together, and narrowly dodged the gigantic slash sent over your heads.

"Luffy!" you exclaimed, turned behind you to check on him.

He had been thrown pretty far.

"They did all that with a single kick? No way!" Nami muttered, examining the huge slash mark left in the wall.

"Technically, it was the sharp gust of wind that followed it," Kalifa corrected, "We call it the Tempest Kick."

Zoro broke into a dash for Kaku, the two of them clashing weapons, Kaku's being a shipbuilding tool.

Taking that as a signal, you went after Kalifa, your mace and her heel clashing as you swung.

"Such an archaic and barbaric weapon," she taunted.

You furrowed your brows, pushing off and swinging your foot instead, which had a sword coming out of it.

She backflipped out of the way, landing in a handstand and sending a kick straight to your face, but you instant formed a shield and blocked it.

"That's a very interesting devil fruit you have," she smirked, flipping upright and starting to hop on air, like Blueno did.

"God's Messenger: Army and Point!" you exclaimed, forming a whip as your feathers popped off, all going to attack her.

She was surprised for a moment as the feathers blocked her vision, and you used the whip to grab her by her ankle, ready to pull her down.

But just as you were about to, you glanced at Zoro, only to see him get punched full of holes by Kaku's finger.

"ZORO!" you shouted, eyes shooting wide as his mouth spat up a ton of blood.

'SHIT! GOTTA GET OVER THERE AND HEAL HIM! QUICK!'

"Eyes up here, darling," Kalifa smirked, using your whip to yank you up to her before turning on Iron Body, making you smash your head directly into hers.

A sickening crack echoed throughout the room, and a single stream of blood poured from your scalp as you dropped to the ground.

"(y/n)!" Nami and Chopper cried, eyes wide and fearful.

It hurt like hell, but you weren't going down without a fight.

You weakly lifted your head, the speech Lucci was giving going in and out your ears until he suddenly began to turn into some sort of leopard monster.

'This just went from shit to fucking shit-storm.'

"No! He's a Carnivore Zoan-type!" Chopper gasped, terrified, "They're the most brutal of them all!"

"Lucci, the workmen are making their way up the stairs," Kalifa warned.

"They won't make it that far..."

With a single kick, the man completely destroyed the ceiling below, sending it crashing down.

"Stupid pidgeon jerk!" Luffy shouted, managing to land a punch on the man's face while he was distracted.

Lucci glared, and swung his arm over faster than you could see.

"Finger Pistol!"

Within seconds, you captain was impaled by the cat-man's claw.

"Luffy!" Zoro shouted, eyes wide.

"No!" you gasped.

Nami's tears could be heard throughout the entire room as Luffy struggled to breath, Lucci grabbing him by his face.

"Have a nice flight!" he spat, throwing the boy straight out the window and clear across town.

"Luffy!" Nami screamed, shaking with fright.

You were at a loss for words.

This couldn't be happening.

Luffy was one of the strongest people you knew.

If he couldn't fare against these guys, what did that say for you?

"Damn you!" Zoro cursed, making a run for Lucci, sword drawn.

"Iron Body."

The swordsman went for the arm, trying to slice it off, but it clashed as if it were metal, and Lucci roundhouse kicked him through the ceiling, dropping one of his swords on the way.

"Protect Nami!" you shouted, ordering all of your feathers to her, "Get her and Chopper out of here!"

They quickly detached, and scooped up the navigator and the doctor, zipping off far away from the scene.

And leaving you as the last domino standing.

You grabbed Zoro's sword and held it close as Lucci yoked you up by your neck, glaring at you so sharp that his eyes would cut down boulders if they could.

You knew he wouldn't be able to go after them.

The risk of being seen by one of the workers was too great, and their plan was already way behind schedule.

So if he couldn't get the other two, then he was going to take out all his anger on you.

"What would you say if I made you feel the most pain you've ever felt in your life?" he asked, his tone icy.

You scoffed, amused by his attempt to intimidate you.

"I'd tell you I'm into that," you smirked down at him, punctuating your sentence by spitting in his face.

He growled, throwing you up and kicking you out the window, sending you careening through the town.

You crashed into a building at full force, knocking it over and landing with the debris on another roof.

"SHIT!" you growled in pain, tightly clutching your shoulder.

You had heard a wet pop the second it collided with the concrete.

It was dislocated for sure.

"Dammit! I don't have time for this!" you hissed through gritted teeth, "I've gotta find Luffy and Zoro!"

Weakly, you pulled yourself up, trying to take a quick survey of where you were, despite the unforgiving wind.

And it seemed to be you were somewhere in the backstreets, the allies below you already completely flooded.

'The boys got thrown pretty far. I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up back here, too.'

You looked down at your arm, its limpness reminding you of the task at hand.

"First things first," you grunted, shutting your eyes and allowing you angelic glow to come over you, healing your arm, head, and neck.

And once your power was finished, the glow left, leaving you as good as new.

"Next," you sighed, turning to glance at your featherless wings.

Waiting for them to completely grow back would take a day or so, and you didn't have that kind of time.

So you'd have to go for the painful, last ditch option.

You dropped to your knees, bracing yourself for the oncoming torture.

'Take deep breaths...'

You began the process, forcing your body to grow more feathers, your grip on your skirt nearly ripping through the fabric.

The pain was similar to that of forcing your nails to grow.

...

By ripping each of them out one by one.

Slowly, but surely, the first few rows had regenerated, but they were not nearly enough for flight.

"Come on! Your friends are counting on you!" You slammed your fist down, your teeth nearly biting through your lip.

You pushed harder, beads of sweat rolling down your temple as more and more feathers grew.

Your breaths were deep and controlled, hoping to breath yourself through it.

'One more push! Almost done!'

You gave your final push, your last few feathers sprouting before your body finally collapsed.

"Done..." you panted, relieved, "Now I gotta... find the others."

Standing up, you grabbed Zoro's sword, only to turn and see a wave almost as tall as the clouds.

It was headed straight for you.

"CRAP!" you exclaimed, unfurling your new wings and jetting off.

You were originally going to head back a little closer to town, but out of the corner of your eye you noticed a familiar pair of boots sticking out a chimney.

'ZORO!'

Without a second thought, you zipped over, the looming tsunami providing a whole lot of motivation.

But as you drew closer, you realized you wouldn't be able to hold Zoro's sword, and give a full-forced bash at the same time.

'Fuck it...'

You closed your eyes and rammed head first through the chimney, completely destroying it.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Zoro exclaimed, wide eyed as the chimney seemed to explode around him.

"Zoro!" you cheesed, catching him bridal style before doing a hard one-eighty, "Hold on!"

"(y/n)?! Did you break that with your head?! The hell were you thinking?!" he realized, noticing the steady stream of blood running down your forehead.

"I couldn't use a weapon 'cause I was too busy holding your sword," you panted, handing it to him, "I snagged it from Lucci before getting thrown out here."

He gratefully took it from you, his face serious as the events started coming back to him.

He and Luffy had been thrown out of the window, leaving you to protect Nami and Chopper all by yourself.

The man could only imagine what you had gone through to keep them safe.

"Are Nami and Chopper alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," you nodded, "I had my feathers fly them to safety. And CP9 didn't seem to go after them. They should be good for a while."

"I see," the swordsman nodded, looking down at his blade.

He should've been there.

"I'm sorry for not being there to help you."

You cocked a brow, a confused look on your face.

"You don't have to apologize, Zoro," you assured, looking down at him with a relieved smile as you landed on the bridge.

You put him down, and threw your arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug.

"If I'm being honest," you sighed, resting your face in the crook of his neck, "I'm just glad you're safe."

Zoro's breath hitched, and a tinge of crimson graced his cheeks.

'Fuck...'

It shouldn't make him happy to hear how worried you were about him.

But you were so soft, and so warm.

And the way you were looking at him was making something buzz in his chest.

He knew he shouldn't indulge in this.

He knew that this was a line that once crossed, would never be the same again.

Yet he couldn't stop his arms from looping around your waist.

Couldn't stop himself from pulling you closer.

Couldn't stop himself from breathing you in, accepting his new reality.

"I'm glad you're safe, too, (y/n)..."

[redge]

【OSHI NO KO】 Season 2 Episode 15

When I started consuming this media, I made a Twitter thread while watching Season 1. Now that I caught up with the manga, I'll just put my thoughts here on Tumblr.

The opening song is one of the best parts of this season.

This manga panel made it to anime! 🤣 As they say, desperate times call for desperate measures. 🤪

It's so interesting that season 2 has been using this I'll Go With Sweet Today scene for two episodes now. As far as I know, the only time Abiko-sensei mentioned Sweet Today was when she and Kichijouji-sensei made it through a deadline. It's curious.

Himekawa Taiki, all shaved and clean (this sounds wrong but why not HAHA!)

Abiko-sensei, can we have a Tokyo Blade spin-off where Blade falls in love with Tsurugi? If not Abiko-sensei, then Aka-sensei, can we please have that angle for Taiki and Kana? Yes? HAHAHA

Another deviation from the manga (that I actually like haha). As Aqua is watching Kana rehearse, that's when he started thinking of "memories when I was happy". His thought process here was more emphasized compared to the manga.

My favourite OnK character is Arima Kana and it was in this chapter that I thought maybe Kana and Aqua have a chance? Above anything, I just want Arima Kana to be happy. Please Aka-sensei. T_T

Please give this doctor his peace of mind. For everyone's mental health, he needs to calm down and let Aqua be the teenager that he's supposed to be come on Gorou-sensei.

The other side of the fandom hates Kana Arima for liking Aqua even when he is dating someone else like it's a nasty feeling to have and you can actually do something about it. Well, if Kana was that bad of a woman, she would've run to Aqua and assisted him. But she chose to stand by because Akane was there. And why would Kana run to him? Who is she to Aqua, anyway? Heck at this part of the story, she doesn't have any idea what she is to Aqua (even after chapter 150, I am not convinced. Yes, I have trust issues). She's just a girl Aqua entrusted the B-Komachi members with. Right? Even that childhood boast is just her foolish assumption.

Now let's put emotional acting to use. Imagine you're Kana Arima. You have this crush, you see him often, but you can't do anything about it because he has a girlfriend. When you're suffering from jealousy, he'd state that he's just dating for work. Then he makes a "plan to make his partner happy", then he avoids you, then tells you he's protecting you, then tells you he can't help but have fun when he's with you. And after all those things you still don't know what you are to him. 🙃

Why do some people condemn this woman for having this hopeless romantic love for Aqua? If anything, our enemy here should be Aqua. I mean, Ruby says it all, right? ↓

Kidding. I love Aqua, he's just a broken, lost and confused teenager but I love Kana so much more please give this character the happiness she deserves I beg you Akasaka-sensei. T_T

There's something crucial missing from Gotanda-san's "I'd thought for sure that..." that was in the manga. But then, what importance would other characters' thoughts be if we have no clear proof what (who) Aqua is thinking, from his own mouth? So Aqua, when will I know your feelings, my dear child? 😅

Trigger warning for the next screencaps

This was painful but Aqua's monologue before the execution of that Sayahime and Touki scene was 100 times more painful for me. Actually, Aqua having these last memories of Ai as his mother is torture.

The voice actor of Kana posted on Twitter (X) about this scene. Interesting, right?

TL;DR:

Akasaka-sensei, conclude this manga already please 😅

[thoughtspresso]

Hello, sorry I just need someone to voice my op to since none of my circles read or watch OnK :'(

It's so weird to me how Akane's fans interpret that scene when the girls are filming an MV as Akane only having good intention and care for Kana, 'cuz imo even if there is, what she said was still one of her attemps to get Aqua to stay with her. Look at how things played out to her: her business bf wanted to break up, he even straight up refused sex when she offered, and now she found out that right after that he took Kana on to a proper date, Akane's chances were close to zero. She was grasping at straws when she said that and played it under the guise of being considerate about Kana's safety, just like how she said she's okay with breaking up with him yet cried - showing that she wanted the opposite. Because if she only cared about Kana's safety, then what's with the side comment about how actors have it easier? It's like she was saying "Choose me, I'm the safer choice!". I'm not saying Akane didn't have good intention, but it's more like a two bird one stone typa thing where she wanted Kana to be safe and Aqua to continue with dating her (her own selfish want). It was kinda a dirty move from Akane, consider how she knows very well what happened to Ai and how much that'll affects Aqua. Akane always strike me as a good in nature yet also self-absorbed character: She decided what's best for both Kana and Aqua that also benefits her selfish wants regardless of how the other two would feel (& we all know how miserable both Aqua and Kana was during that ghosting period); She decided what to do to Aqua's father without thinking about how he might feel (again); The signs were as early as the LoveNow arc where she tweeted the apology thinking it was the right solution without consulting with her manager first because she thought she knew what was best for her to do in that situation. Even her acting method also kinda reflect this, where if the character's portrayal clashes between her and the director/scriptwriter, she already has a concrete image of the character from her own interpretation and thus has difficulty compromising and adjusting with the production team.

I might even take a wild guess that she was in love (obsessed) with the idea of saving prince charming rather than Aqua himself because to her, their story literally went/was gonna go like the old classic story of prince charming saving the girl -> the girl learns about the prince's past, decides to help him to repay him saving her -> prince charming defeats the bad guy (his dad in this story) with the girl's help -> happily ever after. Akane being a teen + Aqua saved her + it's her first dating experience caused her to have an idealistic view of dating and probably why she tolerated Aqua dating her despite having his eyes on Kana for he did act like the perfect bf on the surface, and that to her was enough to fulfil her prince charming fantasy. Akane is, actually, not that mature in her relationship with Aqua like how her fan keep praising her for, tbh imo it's more akin to what teens think "being mature" is. I know this is one of the appeal of her ship with Aqua, even though some might deny it. As oppose to Kana who might be a potential obstacle to Aqua's revenge whether good or bad, Akane is narratively there as a bonus reward for Aqua after finishing the main quest of avenging his mom if the ship ever be canon again. Akane and Aqua have unfortunately became perfect self-inserts for those who are into revenge and/or trophy girl fantasy (nothing bad about this itself tho). But perhaps because of looking into those fantasy fulfilment rather than the actual context of the manga/anime, they accuse Kana of not understanding the "real" Aqua (I have alot to say about this, maybe 3 paragraphs at least lol) or how she's useless for not helping him kill a person and ignore the entire other half chunk of the story about showbiz problems, where Kana's own story entangle more.

If you've read this far, thank you so so much.

P/s: My wild guess no.2, rather than being a damsel in distress (being Kamiki's target) for Aqua to come rescue, Kana already has a close relationship with Kamiki prior to reuniting with the twins (maybe a mentor-student relationship?). I've always find it weird how Aka just glossed over Kana's past, like he's holding back important info regarding her past that he can't show the readers too soon. So that's why I have this guess. This explains why Aka's been keeping her out of the revenge plot for so long + better than Kana just being a damsel in distress + raises the stakes for Kana (will she choses the mentor who helped her through her dark days being abused by her mom or the twins who she can see the light and bright future in?) + makes Kana a key player in the revenge plot.

Hey Anon! I'm happy to talk to you about some OnK Character Analyses anytime. Sorry to have taken so long to respond, I really wanted to sit down with your question. I've been thinking about this a lot. And I'm afraid my response might be even longer than your ask hahaha!

I want to summarize your main points for everybody else, so that we're all on the same page:

Akane was manipulative when she reminded Aqua that Kana was an idol, and pushed him to choosing her.

Akane wants to reverse the damsel-in-distress and Prince Charming trope, and decides on behalf of others.

Akane fans accuse Kana for not knowing the "real" Aqua

(Bonus) There's a possibility that Kana already knew Hikaru Kamiki.

So, my responses:

#1 Was Akane being manipulative in Ch. 76?

Well, yes. And no.

I actually had a short discussion (argument?) with Skania (who I will not tag for the sake of their mental health, but mentioning here to credit them.) about this very topic. (And I want to thank them for their time and also apologize to have annoyed them!) We have really different interpretations and disagree each other on this part.

To get the fast answer out of the way: Yes, I believe Akane was wholly aware of what she was saying.

She already knew from the Tokyo Blade arc how badly Aqua can get triggered on the topic of Ai's death.

Put it this way: imagine being a teenage girl who was depressed or bullied, and the boy who saved your life started dating you but admits that it isn't because he likes you that way. You start offering him sex if that would fulfill his wants in a relationship, but he tells you that your relationship is about to end soon. You find out from another girl that they went on a date--shopping for suitcases and Brazilian barbecue--a kind of date he never did for you. Then when he invited you to go on a trip, most of what he did was walk you around his hometown to look for something else, and then watch this other girl be really cute in a dress he was stunned by.

Akane is allowed to be a teenager who would want to nudge her boyfriend to stay with her and away from his other crush.

Akane fans like to argue that she was being completely selfless, and was just looking out for Kana's safety too.

I really dislike this reading of Akane's character, because it strips her of agency. Of course she has personal goals, wants, and flaws. She's allowed to be a teenage girl who wanted her love to be reciprocated. She's allowed to be a teenage girl who gets a little jealous, and try as she might to be professional and civil because all of these people are her work colleagues too, she still does things that fulfill her goals. She is allowed to be self-interested, and act on opportunities that align with those self interests.

I also think that if Akane's fans want to believe in her intellect and her masterful ability in understanding people's psychology and detective work, then it stands to reason that they should also believe that Akane was deliberately aware of the effect of what she said to Aqua. She doesn't always make 100% correct bets, but it's reasonable to conclude she made this bet hoping that it could get him to stay.

Akane and everyone else is already aware that Kana is actually not a person who needs scolding on the dangers of being under public scrutiny:

Under any normal circumstance, if Akane simply cared for Kana's safety, she would have simply responded to Kana when she was bragging about the date. Like, "hey be careful about dating in public spaces okay? I dont want you getting in trouble." Or, if she would talk to Aqua about it, she might say, "Please remember to book a private room next time you eat in a restaurant."

But no. If Akane would remind them of safety tips of dating as public figures, it would just lead them to the advice to do Home Dates:

And she doesn't want that now, does she?

She didn't say something as straightforward as that, and neither did the author write it in a more neutral tone. It was deliberately written with Akane implying that if he didn't want Kana killed, he should just date a fellow actor. (Preferably one that the public is actually cheering on to be together, because they were already in a Love Team due to the show.)

I just don't like ignoring what the Author and the Illustrator clearly put on the page for me to absorb the way that it was. I think pretending she was being wholly selfless is an insult to the writers.

#2 Is Akane motivated by the want to Save Prince Charming?

This is the "and no" part of my answer.

When I think of Akane, I don't think of an outright evil person who manipulated Aqua into doing things, wanting to be a hero for that reason. And just like how Tokyo Blade serves as a parallel for the show, it in turn informs us that it is an incorrect interpretation of Saya-hime (or Akane) to think that she outright wants the violence herself.

This part I agree with Skania on: Akane's main flaw is her low self-esteem.

Akane doesn't personally believe that she is inherently worth any value, and any value that she holds is attributed to her hard work.

People have taken notice to the fact that, unlike Kana's experience of abuse and abandonment, Akane had a really good support system behind her when her suicide attempt happened during the LoveNow arc. She had a loving mother and a really kind-hearted manager that believed in her. Yet she clung onto the validation from the agency President more. She ascribes her personal value to the approval of other people, especially positive feedback from her superiors in the industry, her theater troupe calling her a genius, her fans applauding her.

And, on the opposite side of the same coin, she has immense Rejection Sensitivity that makes her extremely defensive when she received cyberbullying, leading her to want to make a public apology right away and appease people.

This leads Akane to be an extremely hardworking person, but also seeking validation and direction from other people (like the LoveNow crew), unable to voice out her views unless it is supported by an authority figure (like when she wanted something changed in Tokyo Blade), and also why when meeting her personal hero and idol Arima Kana in person, when Kana lashed out at her, instead of simply thinking, "okay she's a terrible person, I'm done with being her fan forever", she rejected that idea and went on to study Psychology in the hopes of understanding people like Kana.

All of this manifests in her relationship with Aqua being okay with receiving bare minimum from him, not complaining when she realizes he has feelings for someone else, and also doing anything and everything for him, whatever he needs whether he asks for it or not.

I'll go a little further into my interpretation of her (which I know Akane fans might be resistant to or disagree with, but I hope you stick with me here.)

I also think Akane has a co-dependency on Aqua, and herself has Inverted Narcissism, with Covert and Cerebral Subtypes.

I agree! I sound nuts! This interpretation is crazytown.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) has several subtypes, including Inverted Narcissism, which is a subtype where the person craves the co-dependency on another narcissist. They are self-sacrificing to their primary narcissist, feel they are not entitled to anything, but seem emotionally level-headed and highly attuned to the primary narcissist's needs but not much empathy for anybody else.

Because of how little they think of themselves, it gives them a feeling of power and control to be with a person who believes himself to be so special, to have a crucial mission whose victory she can partake in. In a sense, Aqua was someone Akane looked up to so much for having saved her from her suicide attempt, and for turning the public's view of her from negative to overwhelmingly popular.

Akane definitely thought, "I want to be useful to him! I want to make him happy!"

And this man had his own amazing detective mission going on in his mind and trauma to solve. And so Akane thinks, "Let me solve that for you! Let me be useful to you even if it kills me! Use me as you need!"

They say true love is unconditional and self-giving so I will aide my enabler in patricide to prove my worth to him!

According to Professor of Psychology Sam Vaknin, the DSM gives us 9 criteria to diagnose an Inverted Narcissist, and you need to have at least 5 to qualify. Here are some that he mentioned that I think fit Akane:

The inverted narcissist is emotionally stable, but her self-esteem is very low. The inverted narcissist devalues herself as an offering, as a sacrifice to the narcissist in her life. The inverted narcissist is compelled to filter all her narcissistic needs through the primary narcissist in her life. The inverted narcissist feels amplified by the primary narcissist's own accomplishments. The inverted narcissist is pre-occupied with fantasies [...] of an ideal love to be accomplished through the narcissistic partner.

The inverted narcissist feels like she is undeserving and not entitled to anything.

The inverted narcissist is indistinguishably selfless. She is sacrificial. She is anxious in her interpersonal relationships. She avoids assistance of others at all cost. She can only interact with others when she can be seen to be giving, supporting and expending an unusual effort to assist. So she is sacrificial, she sacrifices herself, but ostentatiously, in full view.

The inverted narcissist lacks empathy like a classic narcissist. She is intensely attuned to others needs, but only insofar as it relates to her own need to perform the required self sacrifice. She needs to self sacrifice in order to obtain her narcissistic supply from her primary narcissist. But to do so, she must be attuned to his needs. So this is her restricted use or leverage of empathy.

The inverted narcissist displays extreme shyness, lack of any real relational connections, is publicly self-effacing, is highly moralistic and critical of others, is a perfectionist, engages in lengthy ritualistic behaviors that can never be perfected.

I also mentioned that Akane has Cerebral subtype, in that she believes she has superior intellect, and the Covert subtype, where she seems altruistic and selfless on the outside but internally she is driven by a self-serving need to be useful, to be wanted, because she chases after this external validation to fill in the gaps of her own self-esteem and call to perfectionism.

There is room to argue that Aqua is actually the inverted narcissist and she's codependent on Akane who is the altruistic/communal narcissist subtype. I reviewed it, but it seems she's the codependent one in this scenario.

I think this answer entails that Aqua himself also has NPD, and I think he does have Vulnerable Narcissism with Cerebral subtype. Kana actually picked up on it pretty well:

He does tend to think that he is the sole person who can accomplish this mission of revenge, even though it took him 4 years to crack a passcode and he actually didn't solve anything himself. Like, ever.

He thinks that he has some superior ability to read people and manipulate them (and it's not necessarily true, he just believes so).

And he likes bringing it up out loud a lot, like I used you, or haha she's so easy to manipulate, regardless if he actually did anything.

When Ruby points out he hasn't made any friends, Aqua deflects and becomes defensive.

He also initially thought that he was going to make it big as an actor after the one time he did well as a child, and entreated Gotanda to take him in, but when his PTSD was getting in the way of his acting, he just chalked it up to saying no actually I was never talented in that, because he doesn't want to admit to others that he doesn't have the supernatural inhumane acting skills he thought he did. (Note: He's not comfortable showing those old acting videos to Kana, but is okay with showing it to Akane for this reason.)

He truly believes he's everybody's savior. Unprompted he just thinks he's some main character that caused everybody's suffering. His Behavioral Self-Blame (BSB) about the death of both of his mothers is a manifestation of his wish for control over the situation, which is a known coping mechanism for those with PTSD or Major Depression Disorder (MDD)

Vulnerable NPD subtypes also feel uncomfortable being praised, which is why he reacts that way with Kana.

Vulnerable NPD subtypes also hate being asked to compete, which is why during both LoveNow and Tokyo Blade arcs, he keeps out of the way.

Vulnerable NPD subtypes really really hate rejection, and that's why Aqua says that he can't confront Kana without a Pieyon mask because he's too weak to be shot down by her again.

Vulnerable NPD subtypes are quite anti-social, but again if you confront them about it, they'll just deflect you and say things like they had no intentions to make friends or they're busy observing or something like this.

I mean, look at this dumbass intellectualize having feelings for girls his age like Akane and Kana:

Kana gets it though:

ONLY A NARCISSIST WOULD (half-joke)

This is of course a reminder that people with NPD aren't inherently bad people, they also don't come in one shape or form as there are many subtypes, and they can swing in severity. Most of them are a by-product of either a traumatic childhood or an overly doting one. Akane and Aqua just simply happened to be both of these.

I just came to this interpretation when I kept thinking of why was it that it felt like both Akane and Aqua were using each other. They both felt miserable and yet felt necessary and dependent on each other's emotional comfort. They both lie to each other too. I think a lot of people have picked up on the "feeling" that the two are using, manipulating, abusing each other, there's something dysfunctional about them together, and yet they also genuinely care about each other a lot. And people couldn't pick the right words to describe that. Co-dependents and their primary narcissists can heal together into a healthy relationship, they don't have to stay that way forever. But for the most part, nobody really recognizes that that's what was happening, because the dance they do together looks completely synchronized as a relationship. Who ever says no to a sweet and completely self-giving girlfriend? Who would leave their boyfriend to die alone in a revenge plot?

ONLY A NARCISSIST WOULD (not joking)

#3 Does Kana know the real Aqua:

I think a lot of Akane fans love to cite that Akane knew about the revenge, the trauma, the using, the manipulation etc. She also knows what he's like when he's being silly and playful.

And I don't deny that Aqua and Akane cared for each other.

But I also think that Kana knew Aqua even when he was being unpleasant, making crude jokes about her when they were kids. Kana observes Aqua's acting meticulously and understands the fine details of his style. Kana also has actual conversations with him about his interests too. They read the same books and they jog together, and they're very comfortable arguing with each other about anything.

Most of all, of anybody, only Kana has pointed out that Aqua has chuunibyou/grandiose thinking, narcissistic tendencies, and that Ruby has a co-dependent relationship with him (even when she didn't know about their past as Sarina and Gorou, she just picked it up as the core reason for their clinginess).

#4 [Bonus] Does Kana know Kamiki?

I don't think so.

When Kamiki opened his production company/agency, Kana would have been about 11yo. It was around this time that she had been recording Full Moon and her other songs, and her career had been on a decline. Then her company left her and she started freelancing instead.

Kana's acting style is also diametrically opposed to Kamiki's acting. Which as Akane has pointed out is similar to Ai's acting style. Kana's acting is very emotionally honest and is rooted in her personal understanding of her own emotions, whereas Kamiki and Ai act to deceive others based on the calculated perception they know the audience wants of them. Given this, it's unlikely that Kamiki mentored her in any form.

Lastly, I think Kana would have been the first person to point out that Kamiki looks like Aqua if they knew each other, even if he was acting as the Miki-san persona.

But I did joke before that I think if Kana and Kamiki met each other, they'd just traumabond and be friends until the cops haul Kamiki away. And that'd be the funniest thing ever.

That's it! That was a very long rant. Thanks for the question.

[kaddyssammlung]

BPD / C-PTSD / bad relationship dynamics in Sleep Token lyrics - Part 4 (last part)

TW: mental health stuff

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Granite

“Sulfur on your breath Granite in my chest”

I said something about sharing unhealthy coping mechanisms with your partner. It's not good. Alcohol on my breath and the smell of weed on his.

“You won't ever have to talk about it you'll never wanna talk about it”

It makes me think about trust and how much I'm able to really trust someone. What clues does someone give you that makes you trust them?

Last summer when that women started writing me messages because she wanted to get to know me, I thought about how much I should tell her. She wanted to know why I've single for such a long time. So I started my saying that I've struggled with addiction for a long time and that it was really hard to stop this. She said that she liked that I was honest. Well.....we talked more and then at some point I said that I have BPD and that I'm currently going through a rough time and that I feel unable to be in relationship. Right human being but the wrong time? Maybe?! She also opened up about her struggles with panic attacks.

Was it too much? Did I tell her too much?

I feel like when someone has a romantic interest in someone they deserve to know. Right?!

I used to not bring that stuff up and just go on dates and be nice and then end up sleeping with someone. That did not go well either.

Idk....I have no real point...

“Fury too damn late”

Now I'm angry about the relationship that I had with my boyfriend. About the manipulation and the things that he made me do but never wanted. And also the way that I acted. His behaviours were not okay but neither were mine.

“You say you want me, but you know I'm not what you need”

When I think back about the time where I had that boyfriend, he was for sure, not what I needed. I needed help. But I was not ready for it.

“We'd rather be six feet under then be lonely”

That's the reason why I kept ending up with horrible human beings. Because I used to feel exactly like that.

Vessel, I feel you. You deserve better then that and so do I.

I could just say so much about this one line. This is the essence of BPD to me.

But I already said so much...

“before you started getting all aggressive and controlling”

I know. Okay...stop calling me out like that!

Aqua Regia

“Putting down the roses picking up the sword”

It took me so damn long to find a will to live and also to find a willingness to change. You don't get better unless you really, really, really want to and even then it's hard. It was very hard for me.

Vore

“You have become the voice in my head”

All of them are the voice in my head.

My mother screaming at me and throwing things at me.....the gentle brainwashing that was done by the one who sa-ed me.....the eating disorder that still wants me to come back, the warm feeling that alcohol gave me, the stinging pain from SH.....Let's stop this...I'm drifting off....

“My life is torn my bones they bleed”

Through a fractured existence...

Abuse leaves you feeling like this. But so does dissociation......

Ascensionism

“Who made you like this? Who encrypted your dark gospel in body language?”

Idk...they say BPD has something to do with early abandonment so maybe that's the reason?

“Tell me you guessed my future and it mapped onto your fantasy”

That happened with my ex-girlfriend. I was already feeling a bit better and getter better and I could totally see what our relationship would be like.

It did not go well. I was wrong. I learned from it.

Are You Really Okay?

“I cannot fix our wounds this time”

Can you ever?!

Should you be with someone and be there to fix their wounds? I don't expect this anymore. I used to think like that but it did not work out well. I had to “fix” myself first.

The Apparition

“But I know you will disappear”

You make me wish I could disappear...

Vessel...they all do at some point but I guess that's life?!

Why even put yourself out there? Why put myself out there and get hurt again?

Do You Wish That You Loved Me?

“maybe not that you conceal your feelings they just don't exist”

You don't really love...you just hate to be alone!

“chronic feelings of emptiness” ….taken from the DSM 5....

Rain

“I finally think I can say that the vicious cycle was over the moment you smiled at me”

A knowing, a longing, a lost connection to something deeper. Something outside of me....

I recognized that when I started listening to spiritual teachers and slowly let something back into my life.

“A dangerous disposition”

We tend to end up in prison. I can see why that is...that rage...dear God.

My dear humans...I'm going to stop here for now.

Idk when I will pick this back up.

I do see so much more in those lyrics.

“The divine” as he calls it or spirituality as I like to call it, the similarities between Carl Jung's encounters with entities and what it did to him....a lot like Vessel.....depression is also a big topic....

But right now: I'm done.

That was exhausting. BPD got me...I did not see that coming.

[legendarycollectorprincess]

Ship wars and why they don't let us appreciate and enjoy good characters (Akane Kurokawa and Kana Arima). PART 2

As I said in my previous post, when it comes to ship wars, fans who spread hate will always look for ways to make the character they don't like look bad. Even if they are wrong and their way of interpreting the characters goes against even how the author himself wrote them. But at the end of the day, everyone has the right to express their point of view, right? Sure! As long as they are aware that they are not giving valid criticisms, but highly subjective opinions. Changing the narrative to our convenience

“Kana/Akane is annoying” is a totally valid opinion. However, it's not a criticism that provides any value or even prompts a reflection on the character. In fact, when you see a comment like that, it's the easiest way to recognize a hater, rather than a person who is actually interested in understanding the characters or the story. Why? Because when someone else on the internet asks a hater why they have that opinion (why they think Kana or Akane are annoying), their common answers are usually misinterpretations of the characters: “Kana is annoying because she is a typical tsundere.” Although Kana has certain characteristics of this personality type, in reality, she totally breaks away from the tsundere stereotype. Kana is never physically violent when she and her love interest (Aqua) have a misunderstanding. Or when she is embarrassed. Kana is much more direct and honest than other tsundere characters (for example, Taiga from the anime Toradora!). And, most important of all, Kana has an amazing backstory that explains the reasons why she is the way she is. Why she sometimes decides to push others away before they can leave her, or why she tends to make sharp comments. Since she is in fact NOT a typical tsundere, comments like this totally lose their validity. “Akane is annoying because she makes Aqua worse.” Honestly, these kinds of comments from haters are the funniest to me, because then they contradict themselves when another person says that they hate Akane because she has a weak personality. I mean, they can't even pick a common ground to hate her for. Again, they change the narrative at their convenience, completely ignoring how the author has written the character. Akane is another perfect example of Oshi no Ko's recurring theme: nothing, and no one, is what they seem. At first, it seemed like Akane would be a typical dandere: withdrawn, shy, and afraid to voice her opinion. Then, the character blew everyone's minds when she showed off her incredible acting talent, and unmatched research and deduction skills. Once we get to the Tokyo Blade arc, we see more facets of Akane's character, and it's all thanks to her rivalry with Kana. We discover that Akane can be very competitive, but she also has an honorable side, as she didn't want to beat Kana on stage if she wasn't showing her full potential. We also discovered that Akane can hold her own very well during an argument fight with Kana, who is known for having a very sharp tongue. If Akane had the weak personality that haters say she has, then she wouldn't have even gone so far as to challenge Kana, or she would cry and apologize every time the two of them argue. Akane didn't do this. She stood her ground and battled to the end with the person she used to idolize (and kinda still do). So, back to the topic of “Akane making Aqua worse”. Akane's wish has always been to support and help Aqua. To help the boy who saved her life to stop enduring so much pain by himself. When Aqua revealed his dark desire to her (which is to kill his father), I'm sure most expected her to react in the most basic and predictable way: “B-but, Aqua-kun, killing is wrong. Revenge is wrong.” But what did Akane do instead? She showed another side of her, as a morally gray character, and told Aqua that she would help him. She didn't judge him. For Akane, the world is not just black and white. She can understand that Aqua, a person who is good at heart, must have his reasons for wanting to kill someone. She also sees that Aqua has a terrible trauma related to guilt, and so she wants to help him carry it. If some can't understand how that moment changed things for Aqua (from no longer seeing Akane as a tool, and instead feeling like he finally found someone who understood him), that's fine. But they shouldn't try to pass off Akane's desire to become a support for Aqua (who up until that point hadn't let anyone see that side of him) as her making him worse, because that's simply not how the author wrote it.

[goldensunset]

What do you think of Kairi, Xion, Naminé, and Aqua? Just general feelings, nothing too detailed if you don't want to-

like as a team, or individually?

as a team: oh how i WISH we could see it in canon. even if it were to end up borderline tokenism-y like with marvel. i would love to see the girl power squad idc i think they should hype each other up their color schemes together would be so pretty

kairi: my dearly beloved. yes the writers need to treat her better but so do the fans. she does have clearly defined character motivations and it’s weird to act like she doesn’t just bc they’re not ones that people like. she just wants stability and a home after having lost her memories and crash-landed somewhere as a toddler. she’s afraid of change but will do anything to stay with her friends in the midst of a fast-moving world because she’s lost them too many times. she’s a bit out of touch with them and sometimes clearly doesn’t know the right thing to do or say. i hope kh4 treats her kindly and gently and gives her more agency without trying to flatten her into a hashtag strong independent woman. i have high hopes for my little strawberry and wild daydreams about what i would love to see as her precise role in coming games. wrote some stuff in the tags here. i swear i thought i had more pre-written essays to draw on than that i know there’s so much i’m leaving out but i think i got the main points

xion: truly i will never be able to get over her story and especially her theme. what an incredibly well composed piece of music. honestly she and her theme were like a major factor as to me getting into this series. i’m very happy she’s alive after all that. i said a lot about her here already recently so i won’t burn myself out going into detail again. even that i feel like is a minor weak attempt at fully conveying my emotions regarding her. oh and a few more thoughts here

naminé: tbh thinking about chain of memories reduces me to a puddle but like in a bittersweet way as opposed to the pure bitterness of days. like sora’s interactions with her… their relationship even if it was brief and based on an illusion…the writing and animation and voice acting was legit so good man. i’m a wreck. nami is so beautiful and strong and horribly horribly sad but she gets overlooked… the thing is that even if she has people who love her she’s still nobody’s first choice. she doesn’t have her own place to go. she’s still lonely…

aqua: MAN she’s so interesting.. the way she’s carrying on eraqus’ legacy in both good and bad ways… the way she was corrupted after wandering a distorted world alone for a decade… the way she’s headstrong and determined and fights so hard yet can hardly make a difference as her world falls down around her… the way she’s incredibly strong and proud yet you see her once-firm core begin to shake as time passes on… not entirely related but i hope we get to see her (and the other two) (and kairi as her student!) visit the ruins of scala ad caelum bc they’re the last ones carrying on that legacy

[greatwyrmgold]

Sorry about responding to a reply to this post again; it's attracted replies that are hard to respond to in a paragraph or so. Anyways, @theoneandonlyshipqueen4q

The narration is Akane's; however, we see lots of scenes she wasn't there for. Not just Ruby scenes; chapter 165 has police(?) discovering the Hikaru Kamii Murder Cult Conspiracy Board with no Akane in sight, for instance, and a panel of Kana reading a script alone. And 164 had Akane narrating over a page of B-Komachi members who didn't seem to invite Akane to their...post-concert news-watching party?

Also, the fact that her dialogue is disembodied narration (rather than, say, half of a conversation with someone in the same room as her) frames those thoughts as The Voice of the Narrator. By default, The Narrator is reliable and describes things accurately.

This is reinforced by Akane being the Smart One in OnK's cast, e.g. figuring out 90% of Ai's past with one night of research or figuring out that Hikaru was Aqua's father by watching some videos of Hikaru acting and thinking about things Aqua said. It is opposed by...nothing. We are expected to treat Akane's words as true by dint of them being the words of Narrator Akane, and also the only way we can make sense of chapter 166's slideshow.

...

I don't want to say you shouldn't "feel the weight of every panel," but for me, there wasn't much weight to feel. Chapter 166 opens with five panels of Ruby crying around the apartment, in poses I've seen countless times, with no dialogue or anything else that might set it apart.

You can blame this on Akane not being there, but A. you can show things the narrator wouldn't know about, B. it was Aka Akasaka who decided to put that limitation on himself by both framing Ruby's breakdown this way and keeping Akane away from most of it, and C. he didn't think of anything that could take the place of dialogue.

Then we get a couple panels of Ruby gathering her resolve, then running while crying, then hugging Kana and MEM-Cho while they cry. It feels less like a scene than a montage, a way to quickly convey the idea of Ruby recovering and nothing more. Which is not always a bad thing, but with all the weight put on Ruby in general and this last leg of her character arc in specific, it was the wrong choice for this story.

I agree that the biggest problem is that we don't see Ruby's recovery, but even if we did, the depiction of her grief would be weak. It conveys the idea of grief without getting into any specifics—nothing specific to Ruby, nothing specific to Aqua's death, no idiosyncratic reactions that don't make sense, even though real people do similar (or at least similarly stupid) things.

Again, I point to Kana's slap as an example of how to get it right. Kana holding it together for a while, then suddenly slapping Aqua's dead face and breaking down in an increasingly tearful rant, feels very specific. It's specific to Kana's personality, to her relationship with Aqua, to specific things she said (and didn't say) to him. It's really good! No one else would react to Aqua's death like that, and Kana wouldn't react to anything else like that, and while it wasn't un-foreshadowed, I'm not sure I would have guessed that Kana would follow through on that spur-of-the-moment promise to slap Aqua if he died.

By contrast, Ruby gets a dinky little montage.

The more I think about it, the more baffling Ruby's treatment in the last chapter of Oshi no Ko is.

The last few chapters didn't do much to establish Ruby's reaction to Aqua's stupid plan death beyond general details like "she cried a lot," so I assumed the last chapter was going to focus on that. And I guess it kinda did?

But it fast-forwarded through all the details so we could get to her Dome Concert halfway through the chapter and focus on that. Don't focus on Aqua's death, focus on Ruby's life and what she accomplishes.

As advice for Ruby, that's fine. But as a way to write Ruby, it means we don't feel the weight of Ruby losing Aqua/Goro-sensei. We're told that she cried a lot and stayed in her room a while, but only for a moment. We get a panel in chapter 165, two pages in 166, and then the entire rest of the chapter is Ruby standing up and Getting Over It.

What was the point?

I could ask that about many things in the last arc or two of OnK, but right now I'm asking it about Ruby in chapter 166. What's the point of showing us that Ruby overcame her grief if her grief was never presented as a real obstacle? Why should I care that she got to live the life Ai and Aqua wanted her to if there's no real struggle?

(Why should I care that Ruby's lighting up her fans' world the way Ai did? In the end, what did that do for her? Aren't we back to square 1?)

There's a lot that OnK had yet to properly resolve, and it spent its last chapter telling us about Ruby's awesome idol career. And that's it. And that's disappointing.

[hellotvshowtrash]

The four times Bucky tries to tell you he loves you and the one time he does.

Warnings: fluffflufffluffflufffluff none zip zero, Bucky being a love struck goofy boy

Word count: 1.8k

Requested by the wonderful @divine-mistake 💗 I hope you enjoy it!!

There are like zero gifs of Bucky smiling so have Seb smiling

The first time Bucky tries to tell you he loves you, his throat dries up and he forgets how to form words. You’re on a walk at dusk, strolling around the neighborhood and he sees how the orange sunset light gleams through your hair, creating colours and highlights he’s not sure he’s ever seen before and he’s staring at you. You notice him out of the corner of your eye and you squeeze his hand gently.

“You’re staring,” you say. You turn your head to look at him and smile. His face is filled with adoration for you and sometimes you wonder if you’re the first woman he’s ever really seen.

He sputters a bit and looks away, his aqua eyes glinting in the sun. “I just-,” I love you. He clears his throat, his voice is raspy and he can’t seem to remember how to speak, so he says the first thing that comes to mind, “I think you’re beautiful.” He says simply. You smile at him again and he curses himself for not saying it when it felt right.

-

The second time Bucky tries to tell you he loves you isn’t through words at all, but through acts of service. Bucky takes the spare key to your apartment that you gave him and lets himself in while you’re at work. He waits anxiously, not entirely sure that he even has a plan and before he can think of one, he’s pacing and cleaning your space, taking the garbage out, vacuuming the floor, making your bed. All meticulously done and he takes pride in his work. When you step through your front door, you’re surprised to see him there, ready to take your coat and bag from you to hang them up in the coat closet.

“Bucky! I didn’t expect you here, or for you to clean my house?” You trail off slightly, making it more of a question than a statement.

“I just couldn’t wait to see you,” he smiles softly at you as he walks back over to you from the closet. “How was your day, baby?” He takes your hand and kisses it while leading you to the living room where there’s a ready cup of tea waiting for you on the coffee table, right next to the book you’ve been reading. You furrow your brows and look at him suspiciously.

He sits you down at the couch and he sits next to you, patting his lap. Your eyes light up as you realize what he's gesturing for. You lay on the couch next to him, resting your head in his lap. His hand drops to your hair and starts playing with it as you start talking about your day. He laughed with you and chatted with you about the events of the day. He could listen to your voice for days if you’d let him.

“Thank you for this, Bucky,” you say after he’s made you laugh. He’s startled by the sudden change of tone, but smiles at your eye contact.

He continues to stroke your hair, smiling down at you. “You’re welcome, doll.” I love you.

-

The third time Bucky tries to tell you he loves you is lavish and elegant and expensive. He’s dressed in his best suit and he makes sure to get a tie in your favourite colour. He drives to your apartment, his vibranium fingers tapping the steering wheel nervously as he whistles to himself. He parks his car and exits, practically sprinting to your apartment but he holds himself together, making himself presentable as he knocks on your door. He’s adjusting his coat and fumbling with the buttons when you open the door and you are stunning. He feels his jaw practically fall to the floor as he takes you in, floor length dress fitting your curves perfectly, hugging you in all the right places. You bite your lip to prevent your grin when you see him, his gaze on you is hungry and amazed and god, how could someone like her be with me?

“You clean up nicely.” You greet him with a warm smile. This shakes him from his trance and his starry eyes meet yours.

“Thank you, darlin’,” he replies. He holds his arm out to you and you take it, locking the door behind you as you leave.

The car ride is filled with joyful conversation and laughter and it’s always easy with Bucky. It’s always warm and comforting and easy. He makes it easy. You find yourself getting lost, thinking about how easy it is to love Bucky and before you know it he’s putting the car in park and taking his seatbelt off.

“You ready?” He asks with a smile. You nod at him and he exits the car, coming around to open your door and escort you out. He takes your hand in his and leads you to your destination.

The night is spent eating, drinking, dancing and and gazing, gazing at Bucky gazing at you as he twirls you and catches you in his arms, craning his neck to place his chin on your shoulder. His arms envelope you from behind and you close your eyes contentedly as you sway on the elegant dance floor to the soft music.

“This is amazing,” you whisper. I love you.

“A beautiful girl deserves a beautiful night,” he whispers back. I love you.

—

The fourth time Bucky tries to tell you he loves you is the same night he spoils you. You invited him to stay the night and now he’s laying next to you, tangled in your sheets with you tucked into his side, head on his arm. Your breathing leveled out twenty minutes ago and he’s been staring at the ceiling, his mind reeling with thoughts and daydreams, the kind he never wants to be rid of. He’s getting lost in thoughts of you and he starts whispering to himself.

“You’re just so perfect,” he whispers. “I never thought I’d get a second chance, and I found my second chance in you. I’ve known one person in my life to stay with me, and when I lost him I thought I lost everything.” He thought of Steve fondly, the ache of that loss numbed with time. He drew circles on your back lightly with his fingertips, feeling your warm skin beneath his.

“Doll, I don’t know who I am without you, and I don’t want to know.” His eyes drift in the darkness, his gaze dropping to you next to him and he kisses the top of your head. You stir from the contact but don’t wake up and he sighs, a small smile on his face.

“I love you,” he says aloud to you. The statement falls on deaf ears but Bucky considers it to be good practice.

—

The time Bucky tells you he loves you for the first time isn’t what he was planning.

You awake the next morning to find yourself spooning a pillow instead of the super soldier, confusion sweeping over your still half asleep face.

You hear the clamoring before you can put two and two together, metal on metal coming from the kitchen in your apartment. You stand and yawn, wiping the sleep from your eyes as you stumble out of your room clad in your pajamas from the night before. You step out into the light to find Bucky fumbling to plate some eggs he had cooked up.

“Hey handsome,” you slide into the kitchen behind him, wrapping your arms around his waist as he finishes up breakfast.

“Good morning, beautiful,” he says huskily. His voice is still raspy from sleep. You smile and squeeze him before letting go and moving around to the other side of the bar, plopping down on a barstool. He slides a full plate to you, complete with eggs, toast and hash browns. You smile and thank him as you bite into the food, groaning in happiness.

“This is delicious.” You say enthusiastically and he laughs, taking a bite from his own plate. “What’s gotten into you?” You asked nonchalantly.

Bucky freezes when you ask the question. Had it been that obvious? He had struggled to find words around you lately and it was because there were only three that could accurately express what’s been on his mind lately. He opens his mouth to speak and shuts it again, unsure of where to go from here.

“Doll, I-,” he stops himself and clenches his jaw. He’s frustrated with himself but he’s so scared that he could break something so important with those words, something so precious to him. You look at him, doe eyed and expectant. He’s cute when he’s flustered, you think to yourself.

“Buck, whatever’s going on, you can tell me,” you say gently as you reach your arm across the countertop and weave your fingers through his vibranium ones. He swallows hard and blinks, his eyes look glassy and wet. You tilt your head, concern washing over you as you realize this might be something serious.

“I love you,” he blurts out and before he can stop his lips from forming the words, they’re already moving again, “I’ve loved you since I laid my eyes on you and I can’t get you out of my head, I don’t want to get you out of my head, and I have a track record of wanting things out of my head,” he chuckles as he rambles, “I don’t think I ever thought I’d get lucky enough to find you, but I know I’ll never let you go.” His voice becomes quieter now, more solemn as his gaze bores into you, looking for some reaction. He becomes panicked when the look on your face only reflects shock and you blink slowly.

He realizes his eyes have filled with tears only after one slips down his cheek and he hurriedly brushes it away. Your fingers are still laced with his and he gives a gentle squeeze, trying to prompt you into speaking. He’s busy containing the storm that rages inside when you sigh and one of your own tears falls down your cheek and you smile, a relieved, genuine, in love grin.

“God, Buck, you scared me!” You exclaim and laugh. Bucky turns his head, still nervous and now unsure of the situation. You stand from your seat at the bar and walk back around to stand in front of him. He swallows hard again as you look up into his eyes. “I thought it was something bad! I love you, too, you goof.” You said. His own grin breaks onto his face and his arms wrap around you, picking you up against his chest. You squeeze him back tightly. The grin is still smeared across your face as he kisses you with renewed ferocity and passion.

He’s told you he loves you. Now he needs to show you.

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

IOTA Reviews: Gang of Secrets

Well... I'll give this episode one thing. It's better than what we got from both “Truth” and “Lies”, and it did do one of the things I hoped the writers would tackle this season. That's not saying much, but I'll take what I can get.

Let's get into the fourth (chronologically the third) episode of Miraculous Ladybug's fourth season: Gang of Secrets

We start off right after an Akuma battle, and while Cat Noir is eager for their victory fist bump, Ladybug seems to be on edge, insisting that they go on patrol. Cat Noir thinks of a place that they can relax at without talking... and he chooses to take Ladybug to see a romantic comedy.

We're not even a minute in, people, and it already looks like Ladybug is considering using her authority as Guardian to take away Cat Noir's Miraculous.

Ladybug goes on a brief tangent summarizing what happened with Luka (which conveniently happens to reflect the events of the movie), and naturally isn't happy with the movie. Gee, it's almost like Cat Noir's plan was a bad idea. He seriously tries the whole “pretend to yawn as an excuse to put his arm around Ladybug” trick, so you can't tell me he didn't have romantic intentions here.

Why Kagami couldn't accept Adrien's “true self” is beyond me.

After storming out of the movie theater, Cat Noir tries to emphasize with Ladybug (key word being “tries”) by going on about how “he knows what a broken heart is like”. At least he didn't ask if she was single now. Ladybug decides to go for a swim, but we cut back to Marinette's house, with Ladybug in her aqua form, implying she went to the pool while still transformed. And here's a big problem with the episode. In theory, I like the idea of Marinette stressing over her new responsibilities, as it could lead to some interesting plotlines. The problem is that when we get something like that in this episode, it's played entirely for laughs. At one point, Alya mentions hearing Marinette crying in the bathroom because of the stress she's been going through. And instead of being a dramatic scene, she just runs out in some Groucho Marx glasses for some reason, because according to the writers, we're supposed to laugh at Marinette suffering from a potential mental breakdown.

This just raises several questions about the way we're supposed to treat Marinette's behavior in this episode. Are we supposed to take this seriously? Not completely, because of how a lot of the “jokes” in the first act of the episode revolve around Marinette's anxiety being driven up to eleven. Are we supposed to see all of this as a joke? Not completely, because the end of the episode is when the writers decide to take Marinette's inner demons seriously. It leads to a very conflicting picture the episode is trying to paint with the way Marintte's conflict is portrayed.

We then cut to what seems to be the only thing the writers like to do with this character now, Alya acting like has control over Marinette's love life.

Of course those are the only pictures Alya got of Marinette.

Uh... Alya? Honey? Have you even considered the fact that maybe Marinette didn't tell you about Luka because that's none of your damn business??? What gives you the right to know every single detail about your friend's life? I understand that you're a hardcore Adrienette shipper (and an unintentional metaphor for how obsessed the writers are with the Love Square), but why would Marinette be obligated to tell you about Luka?

I know that I asked Marinette if she told Alya about Luka in my “Truth” review, but that was because she continued to force the belief that Marinette still liked Adrien onto her. Yeah, I'm still confused as to why Marinette didn't tell Alya, but the difference is that I was more confused at her not explaining it, and felt it would have made the conflict in the New York special a lot easier. I don't think Marinette has to tell Alya, I just think it would make some things easier between them with how much Alya wants Adrienette to be canon. Marinette has no obligation to tell Alya anything about who she's dating. What goes on in someone's love life is a private matter, and we'll see that Alya has no regards for privacy.

Alya, along with Juleka, Rose, Mylene, and Alix, devises a plan to give Marinette a friendship bracelet to show their support for her. And as usual, Alix has the simple idea to talk to Marinette about what's going on with her, and of course, she's ignored. Sorry, Alix, but this is an Alya episode, where smart choices don't fly here.

We cut back to Marinette's room where we get a pretty good scene where Marinette confides to Tikki about how she knows she has no chance of having a love life. She points out how she had to end things with Luka because of her secrets, and knows that even if she worked up the courage to talk to Adrien, she couldn't do anything because of the same secrets. She can't tell her parents or friends about her secrets and is forced to lie to everyone all the time. The voice actress gives a good performance, and the animators did a good job rendering the red eyes Marinette gets from crying.

And then we get back to the stupid stuff, where Marinette decides to transform into Ladybug and demands Hawkmoth (even though he's Shadowmoth at this point) show himself. This is really just an excuse for the Girl Squad to barge into Marinette's room, where Rose sees the dollhouse Marinette uses to hide the Miracle Ball. Marinette quickly runs back in and tries to hide the the Miracle Ball from her friends, who confront her about her “problem”.

No, real friends respect boundaries and don't demand to know every single detail about someone's life. They understand that there are secrets they don't have the right to know about. If Alya found out that Alix still needs to sleep with a nightlight and told everyone, would you really be surprised if she got mad at Alya for exposing this secret of hers? Right now, Marinette is clearly uncomfortable about telling her friends about a secret she has, and rather than understand she doesn't want to, they just keep pressing on, and don't care how unhappy she looks.

Unsurprisingly, Marinette tells them all to get out, saying she doesn't want them as friends anymore. Okay, so we're in every salt fic ever written now. Again, we get a good scene where Marinette feels remorseful for what she said (as understandable as it was), while the girls leave with their heads down.

Shadowmoth sends out an Akuma for the friendship bracelet, and because the object had personal meaning to all of them, Alya, Juleka, Rose, Mylene, and Alix all get akumatized into their previous Akuma forms, Lady Wifi, Reflekta (yet again), Princess Fragrance, Horrificator, and Timebreaker respectively. Shadowmoth calls them the “Gang of Secrets”. But they were akumatized because of secrets. Wouldn't a more accurate name be something like “The Honesty Brigate” or “Truth Troop?”

When I reviewed “Felix”, I had talked about how the motivations for the three Punishers weren't didn't reflect their Akuma forms, which were twisted versions of what they were feeling like at the time. While the same thing applies here (as well as “Heroes' Day”, now that I think about it, though I always thought it was like a drawback to Scarletmoth's powers), the titular Gang of Secrets is actually a pretty good lineup.

I think my main problem in “Felix” is that we didn't get to see the three Akumas working together much because the writers were trying to prioritize Felix as the primary threat of the episode and failed miserably. Here, we get to see a lot of interesting combos and strategies I never really thought about. Lady Wifi uses her powers to freeze some civilians while Timebreaker skates by and absorbs their energy for her skates. Reflekta zaps some other civilians while Princess Fragrance sprays them with her perfume to brainwash them into looking for Marinette, even if it’s the only time this episode that we get to hear “At your service, Princess Fragrance~!”. Horrificator intentionally goes around scaring people while growing in size, acting as the muscle (even though she doesn't do anything in this episode). They all work surprisingly well together, acting like Ladybug and Cat Noir's own Sinister Six.

After making a new safe to hide the Miracle Ball, Lady Wifi breaks into Marinette's room again, so Trixx, the Fox Kwami, uses his power to create a mirage to distract her. But like when Plagg used his Cataclysm in “Style Queen”, it has a little drawback.

The funny thing is that this doesn't even crack the top 5 in terms of weirdest things to happen to the Eiffel Tower in this show.

We cut to Adrien's room so the show can remind the audience he exists before he transforms into Cat Noir. The two don't meet up in person, but Ladybug tells Cat Noir to keep Timebreaker busy so she doesn't travel back in time while Ladybug goes after Lady Wifi. Of course, she doesn't have the friendship bracelet, but that wasn't Ladybug's plan in the first place.

Her actual plan is talking to Lady Wifi in an attempt to get Alya to break free of Shadowmoth's control. It's short, but it's a nice scene, with Ladybug explaining to Alya that even though they can't know everything about each other, they're still friends. So against all odds, Alya manages to reject the bond with Shadowmoth.

Oh yeah, it's not like we saw Chloe reject an Akuma in “Miraculer”, right? And Chrismaster giving up his akumatized object for Ladybug to purify? That didn't count either. Alya is clearly the first person to ever do this, and this is why you should immediately accept what happens later on.

Alya tells Ladybug where the Akuma is, and in response, Ladybug gives Alya the Fox Miraculous, which she uses to transform into Rena Rouge... even though she was already benched in “Feast” for endangering herself by uploading a video about the history of the Guardians to the internet, just like how Queen Bee and Ryuko were benched earlier for similar reasons, and the latter only appeared again because Ladybug wanted to get Kagami away from Adrien. Because I guess we're just going to ignore one of the biggest plotpoints of “Miracle Queen” now.

The other Akumas have Cat Noir at their mercy, so Rena Rouge uses her Mirage to create an illusion of Marinette to distract them. Timebreaker goes off to chase the illusion, and while Horrificator, Princess Fragrance, and Reflekta are about to take Ladybug's Miraculous, Rena Rouge and Cat Noir are the ones to break the object. Overall, a really clever climax to the episode.

So after Alya returns her Miraculous to Ladybug, we cut back to Marinette apologizing to her friends, who never apologize for invading her privacy. And while she mentions Luka, Marinette suddenly talks about how hard is to confess her feelings for Adrien, something that was never mentioned in this episode, because the writers are desperately trying to encourage the audience to ship the Love Square again brutally shooting down Lukanette and Adrigami. And after all this, Alya goes back up after everyone else leaves because she can just tell Marinette has another secret. How does she know this?

Okay, fine, Alya can be supportive of Marinette, and even her worst moments like the New York special were motivated by what she thought would make Marinette happy. A little misguided, and yeah, her teasing can be annoying at times, but she's ultimately there to help push Marinette to be honest with her feelings. “Reporter” is stretching it a little. No matter what the show likes to say, Alya isn't a good reporter. She barely verifies her sources and just posts things online. I'm sorry, but the Ladyblog is basically the superhero equivalent to TMZ. Alya probably doesn't even know who Joseph Pulitzer or Edward R. Murrow are, because rather than reporting the news to the public, she just wants to find things that will get her clicks on her website. Alya's biggest flaw as a character is that she is incredibly impulsive, but like everything else in the show, this flaw is never acknowledged, and is basically rewarded. Why do I say that? Well...

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this scene. On the one hand, it's very well acted, and the interaction genuinely highlights Marinette and Alya's friendship. Before she tells Alya, Marinette is just opening her heart out to her friend, and the grievances are played completely seriously. Even the reaction Alya gives when she finds out is very subdued, simply showing her shocked face before she gives Marinette a hug, with no dialogue. It's a very profound moment, and it's arguably one of the best in the entire series. Even the ending card doesn't show an action scene, but rather, it continues to focus on the hug while the Kwamis watch.

And thankfully, the episode doesn't end with the standard upbeat “Duh dun dun dun dunnnn, DA DA DA DA~!” track that almost every episode, no matter how depressing, usually ends with. It's just a really great moment, and a good way to end the episode... on its own.

When you think about previous episodes, like what I've mentioned with Alya, it's just strange that despite all the times she has shown herself to be bad at keeping secrets (like the aforementioned scene in “Feast”, posting a picture of her and Cat Noir kissing on the Ladyblog without her consent, and invading her privacy in this very episode, demanding to know her secrets), Marinette suddenly decides to give Alya a chance. Even worse, she had just said that she wasn't going to force her to tell her anything, which seemed like a strong character moment for her, but then the writers go back on the lesson and have Marinette do what Alya was trying to do the whole episode and tell her she's Ladybug.

Sure, Ladybug told Alya she was the Guardian and to keep it a secret earlier, but this lesson in keeping secrets should have stuck when she first became Rena Rouge in Season 2. I don't have a problem with Alya being Marinette's confidant (lord knows she needs one at this point), but I just don't think Alya is ready for this. It's the same thing with what happened with Adrien in “Syren”, by saying him immaturely threatening to quit being Cat Noir because of Ladybug's secrets was meant to show how he was ready to meet Master Fu even though it showed how selfish he was and was anything but ready. How is an episode where Alya tries to force Marinette into telling her everything she's keeping a secret meant to show she's ready to learn Ladybug's identity. Maybe if this episode kickstarted a character arc for Alya where she learned about why people keep secrets and that getting the truth isn't the right thing to do, culminating in a later episode where Alya learns Ladybug's identity, I'd be fine with that. As it is, this just had some poor timing and was the result of the writers not really thinking this through.

I guess I'm still interested to see where this goes, and how Marinette and Alya's friendship will change as a result of this. Maybe Alya can help Marinette get away to transform, or worry about her safety after an Akuma fight. Although the worst case scenario is that if Cat Noir finds out about this, he'll use it as an excuse to bitch and moan about how Ladybug is still keeping secrets from him and of course, she'll be blamed for whatever happens as a result of that.

Though I can't help but feel like I'm forgetting to mention something. Wasn't there someone else who wanted to know the truth about Marinette?

OH YEAH, I FORGOT ABOUT HIM JUST LIKE THE WRITERS DID.

This is what really kills the episode for me, just how it goes back on everything established in “Truth”. The whole reason Marinette broke up with Luka in the first place (which motivated the conflict of this episode) was because she realized keeping secrets from him wouldn't lead to a healthy relationship. As much as it pained her, it was a necessary evil Marinette had to do in order to protect her identity.

But now you're telling me that it's okay for Marinette to tell Alya her secret? WHY? How is this any different from what happened with Luka? Like Alya, Luka also wanted to known the truth, but the only difference was the way he confronted Marinette. He calmly asked her about what she was hiding, and even though she couldn't tell him, he respected her boundaries, and they both managed to end things on good terms.

Alya, who has a history of exposing secrets to the public, who barged into Marinette's room and demanded she tell her all of her secrets, is more trustworthy than Luka? This is why I don't buy the writers making Alya Marinette's confidant. I get that they want to give her some more story presence after how she had mostly faded into the background in Season 3, but this just isn't the way to do it.

Barring that, what did I think of the episode?

Yeah, it's just... it's just okay at best, mediocre at worst. There were a handful of decent moments in the episode, and some creative action scenes. Even stuff like Cat Noir's forced movie date and Alya violating Marinette's privacy isn't anything new, and unlike other episodes, the latter actually seems to apologize for that. The problem, as I already stated, was the ending. I think maybe the ending could have worked if Alya had found out Marinette's identity, but decided to keep it a secret. That way, it would make for an interesting dynamic, with Alya learning to be more responsible while secretly helping come up with ways for Marinette to get away to transform.

But as it stands, the episode is alright, but mostly forgettable if not for the ridiculous ending.

[lazuli-bloom]

Roses and Styx

Chapter 2 – The Man In The Rotting Suit

Beetlejuice x Reader

Word Count : 5051

You get to go home early, which is nice. Now if only you could shake that guy from the graveyard. It doesn't help that no one else is able to even see him. There has to be some way to get rid of him, right?

Last Chapter | Archive | Next Chapter

--=--=--

Deep breaths. Inhale through the nose, and exhale through the mouth. You're fine. Just ignore the man grinning at you seated in your passenger seat. Everything was normal and fine. He's not really there.

"So, where to, babes?"

You sucked a long sharp breath and glanced over to the delusion. He definitely looked at home in a graveyard, with the patches of moss on pale skin and sporting a frayed suit coated in dirt and grime. The man flashed you another grin showing off sharp teeth that likely have never seen a toothbrush.

You pinched the bridge of your nose and ignored the apparition while you get your shitty car started. A few minutes later, the car clanged and sputtered awake. You shoot whatever was in your passenger seat a glare before pulling out of the small lot and headed home.

The man next to you groaned after you passed the first stoplight. You glanced over to him. He crossed his arms, and wore a frown on his face. The green color in his hair dulled from when he was in the store. His tone looked to be a more purple hue.

"Come on, babes, I know you can see and hear me!"

You stayed silent and tapped your fingers on the steering wheel while stopped at a red light. He was right—much to your vexation—you could perceive him. In more ideal circumstances you'd seek professional help from a doctor or therapist, but that costs money. So you're forced to bank on the hope that ignoring the delusion makes him disappear.

He huffed and pouted more. "You have no idea how long it's been since anyone could see me. I ain't leaving so soon."

You press your lips tighter into a line and kept your eyes on the road. His peculiar wording bounced around in your head for the next few stops. Soon that bled into playing the events of the funeral. He was there, bugging the mourners and going unnoticed.

"Fine. What are you?"

You catch the dimmer purple wash away from his hair and brighten to a vivid green.

"Aw babes, I knew you'd come around!"

"Please answer the question."

"Oh, and so polite! Alright sweets, since you asked so nicely; I am a ghost!"

You spared a glance over to him as you turned onto the dingy road leading to your apartment. The skeptic in you wanted to counter and say that wasn't possible, but you doubted voicing that would magically make your unwanted passenger disappear.

"Alright then, mister ghost, why are you following me?"

"Already told ya, you're the first breather able to see me in a long time."

"So, are you planning to haunt me? Make my life worse than it already is? Because so help me god I'll kick your ass straight to Hell if you try."

You parked your car and turned, giving him a pointed glare. His citrine eyes lit up as his grin stretched so large it threatened to split his face.

"Feisty! I like that in a breather."

You grumbled under your breath and looked around the parking lot. Your car was one of maybe four parked there. There weren't any milling tenets out, either. Nevertheless, you weren't keen on staying out in your car the entire day talking to a ghost.

"I'm going inside. If you want to follow me, then you're going to have to answer my questions. Got it?"

"Anything you want, babes."

You breathed out through your nose and unbuckled yourself. As you stepped out you caught sight of the ghost floating out the front of your car where he waited for you on the curb. He stuffed his hands into his pockets as he rolled back, putting his weight on his heels. The ghost flashed you another grin, and you doubted any good could come from this.

No second guesses or weaseling out by that point. You told him to follow you as you made your way to the apartment. Up the flight of stairs and to the end of the hall, you were almost home free.

"Parker!"

The harsh rasp of a smoker shouted at you. Every fiber of your being tensed up, and you fought to put on a smile in front of the dragon. She marched up to you with narrow eyes locked on you.

"Hi Donna."

"Who the hell left your apartment yesterday? I swear if you're smuggling a roommate in there I'm going to raise your rent."

"That was my friend, Sam. They're moving and stopped by to say goodbye. Wait, how did you know Sam even visited? Didn't you go out last night?"

"I got complaints about you."

You keep your mouth shut for the moment. This was a conversation you preferred not to drag out. You simply nodded to her as you carefully thought over your next words.

"Sam only dropped by to say goodbye."

"And who is 'Cassie'?"

You tensed up to the point your muscles could turn to stone any minute. Your nails dug into the palms of your hands and you struggled to keep up a friendly act.

"They're a co-worker."

Donna huffed at you, followed by a sneer showing off tobacco-stained teeth. She waved you off and turned, pulling out her smokes as she left. Donna uttered an insult your way before descending the stairs.

"Ain't she a delight."

You whipped your attention to the gravelly voice and found the specter with narrowed eyes pointed at the landing. His brow and nose scrunched up as he glared and you noted odd flecks of red in his hair.

You got your keys out and unlocked your door. "She's a bitch, but this apartment was the best I could afford. Easier to just grin and bear it."

"You know sweets, we could help one another with our problems." He said. You raise a brow at him before you stepped into the apartment. While he didn't exactly need you to, you stepped to the side and held the door open for him. "Babes, you are adorable. I'd give ya a big ol' 'thank you' kiss if I could."

"Please don't," you said, closing the door.

He let out a hardy laugh and then winked your way. You frowned and leaned against the wall with crossed arms. He scanned over the apartment while you studied him. The ghost's ragged appearance gave the impression that he recently crawled out of the grave. His pale skin grew bits of moss that blended into his hair. Dark rings circled his amber eyes. And a layer of rot and grime coated his odd frayed suit.

"Like what ya see, sweets?"

Heat rushed to your face, and you furrowed your brow at that. "You could use a bath."

"You breathers and bathing. What's even the point of it?"

"Health. It cleans away dead skin, and any diseases stuck on you, helps with sore muscles and aches, and can just help improve your mood overall."

"Shit. I didn't expect you to actually have an answer."

"Had one or two school wide lessons back in high school telling the kids that body spray was not a substitute for a shower."

He blinked at you. He shrugged a moment later and took a step closer, with his hands behind his back. "Anyway, back to my point. I think we can help each other out."

"How?"

"You and me could get rid of that awful hag! Decapitation, eaten alive by rats, electrocution, I'm open to suggestions!"

"Real casual with murder, huh? Yeah, no, not interested."

"Wait! Okay, it doesn't have to be murder. I could scare her so bad that she runs off and never comes back! We can workshop that later. But first I need you to say my name!"

"What would saying your name do to 'help'? And I don't know your name, you never said it."

The nameless ghost rolled his eyes and heaved out a sigh. Did the dead still need to breathe? That didn't seem right.

"Right now I can't affect much of anything. You saw how that guy walked right through me, right?"

You nodded.

"But if you say my name three times, I get my powers back and won't be stuck being invisible." There was a certain excitement in his tone when he said that. One that lit up his amber eyes with... something.

Your lips twitch downward as you mulled over his words. He said earlier you were the first person to see him in a long time. How long you couldn't be sure without asking, but truly any stretch of time sounded so lonely. However, you couldn't just let him have free range to do whatever he pleased. He already proposed murder as means of dealing with your landlady. This ghost could be impossibly destructive if unleashed.

"I don't know. How can I—"

A vicious yowl made you jump. It came from the other side of the wall.

"Shit!"

You rushed around the corner and opened the bathroom door. A white blur ran past you to the underside of the coffee table. Aqua colored eyes glared at you, only to shift focus in the ghost's direction.

You ignored that for the moment and instead turned your attention to the bathroom. The smell hit you first, the acrid scent of cat piss. You groaned as you looked over the state of the bathroom. The toilet paper shredded in tethers on the cheap linoleum, food and water bowls flipped with contents scattered, and a yellow puddle next to the litter box. Fantastic.

"Why was your cat locked in the bathroom?"

"I'm pet-sitting for a friend, and I can't have pets in the apartment," You said while you dug out the cleaning supplies from under the sink. "I'm keeping him mostly confined to the bathroom, so it's not obvious a cat's here for two weeks."

"Why are you pet-sitting if you can't have pets here?"

"Because my friend couldn't board their cat anywhere else. They promised me a couple hundred bucks to do it too, so I bit the bullet."

"If you're hard up for cash, I know an easier way to get it."

You glanced back at him with a raised brow but kept quiet to focus on cleaning. A minute later, once cleaned of Rigel's mess, you tossed the toilet paper in the bathroom trash and asked, "And what method would that be?"

"Just taking it! I won't get caught, babes, and even if I did, there's nothing a breather could do about it. Come on, all you gotta do is say my name three times in a row!"

You stay quiet for a minute as you washed your hands. You dried your hands and turned to face him, saying once more, "I don't know your name."

"Well, I can't say it."

"What? What do you mean?"

"I'm cursed. I can't say my own name."

"Is it... Rumpelstiltskin?"

"Sweets, that hurts. You really think my sexy self could be that little imp?"

"Well, other than taking more shots in the dark, how else would I figure out your name?"

"We could..." He trailed off, scratching the stubble on his chin. His face lit up a moment later as he said, "We could play a game or something so you can figure it out!"

His grin stretched wide as he wore an earnest hope on his features. It was rather sweet, strangely enough, and made the notion of turning him down seem harsh. You mulled over your decision. While you didn't want to say no, you weren't keen on agreeing either. If you said yes, he'd expect you to say his name afterwards.

"And if I figure out your name, then what? Setting you free doesn't seem like a smart idea."

He instantly deflated when he heard that. Smile gone, brows furrowed. Even the vibrancy of his green hair looked like it dulled to a blueish purple. He looked crushed, and knowing you caused it struck you with a bit of guilt. You couldn't blindly trust him, but you didn't want to see him so hurt.

"Look. We just met. How do I know I can trust you?"

"Cause we're BFFFFs Forever!"

"B-F-F—... You want to be friends?"

He nodded vigorously, with a glimmer of hope rekindled in his eyes. Your guts twisted into tighter and tighter knots the longer he gave you the lost puppy look. If he truly was alone and unseen for any stretch of time, then desperately wanting a friend made sense. And for whatever strange reason, you were the one able to see him.

"Okay. I'll make you a deal. We can be friends, but I won't free you until you've earned my trust. If I feel like I can trust you by the end of the month, then I'll say your name."

His grin reappeared, showing off sharp yellowed teeth. His hair also grew to a vibrant green. "Aw babes, you're the best! We are going to be great friends!"

You gave him a half smile, finding his excitement endearing if not a tad contagious. You finished up with cleaning the rest of the mess, and while doing so, you threw out a few more guesses of what his name might be. They were all wrong, but "Cthulhu" got a laugh out of him.

Once done with tidying the bathroom, you check on the furball under the shoddy coffee table. The devil cat hissed at you and swiped a clawed paw at you for daring to get so close. His eyes were thin slits and seemed to shift between yourself and somewhere behind you. You followed his gaze and landed on the ghost. You even asked him to move and the cat's gaze followed him.

"Huh. Looks like Rigel can see you."

"Rigel?"

"The fuzz-bucket of pure rage over here. His name is Rigel."

"Like the star in Orion?"

"Yeah, actually. The bright white star, that's why Sam named him that."

"Do you know any other stars in Orion?"

"Not off-hand. Why?"

"Eh... can't say."

You raised a brow at him. You wanted to find out the other stars in the constellation after he asked that—but with no internet access at the apartment or even a smartphone, you couldn't do that. All you owned was a cheap little prepaid flip phone straight out of the early aughts.

You shrugged it off and made a note to search that the next day on the store's computer. In the meantime, you sat down on the couch, kicking your shoes off to pull your feet up too. You didn't want to take the chance of that cat getting ballsy and going after you.

"So Mr. Whatsyourname, how am I going to figure out your name?"

He floated down to the other end of the couch and shrugged. You pressed your lips tight and hummed in thought as you worked out a means to find out his name.

"Well, playing twenty questions is getting us nowhere. Then again, throwing out random guesses isn't how you play that, but whatever. You can't spell it out, can you?"

"No, I suck at spelling it. And I can't, cause that would count as telling you it."

"Hmm, do you think you could use pictures to 'spell' it? Like using—a fly, a car, and a dog, to get the result of a flying carpet?"

"That might work, but I can't affect things, babes."

"But I can. Give me a sec, I'll get some paper." You rushed off to your bedroom and come back with a pencil and sketch pad. You took your seat back on the couch and turned to sit side by side with the ghost rather than facing him. "Alright, you tell me what shapes to draw."

You flipped to a blank page, skipping the older pages filled with various sketches and doodles. Once you got to a clean page, you held the book at an angel he could easily see.

The first thing he said to draw was a rectangle, a narrow one standing upright. Then a shorter and much thinner one at the top of the first. Followed by a third the same size as the second but connecting with it at an angle.

"Is that a juice box?"

"Nix the box."

"Juice?"

He nodded with a Cheshire grin. "Great! Now draw a circle on the front of the box."

You did so, as well as draw the six lines going out from the circle like he asked.

"Bug?"

"No, more specific. Draw lines on it in a 'T' shape."

You drew the segments on the bug, which gave it a distinct head and a line along its back. You look over the drawing and ask, "Is it a beetle?"

"Yes!"

"Beetle... juice?"

"Yes! You got it!"

You hum to yourself and look over the picture more. Such a strange name. Was that his name in life, too? Or did he get a new name upon death? Does everyone? Can you choose your name?

"I can see why your name's Art."

You shook out of your thoughts and jerked your head to the ghost—Beetlejuice—sitting beside you. You huffed a small laugh and closed the sketchbook.

"That's not my name."

"But that guy at the store—"

"I don't put my real name on my apron."

"Okay, Parker—"

"Not my name either."

"What? But that bitch called you Parker."

"I don't want people knowing my name. So, I don't give out my real name."

"Not even to your BFFFF Forever?"

"How about instead of telling you, you try to guess it? No hints either."

Beetlejuice groaned and whined at that, but you didn't budge. You instead gave him a sly smile of your own. He puffed out his cheeks and glared at you, and you did your best to not break into laughter. How was that disheveled ghost able to look so cute?

"Babes, tell me! You know my name now, I want to know yours."

"I had to play a game to figure out your name, only fair you have to do the same to learn mine."

"I'm cursed though. I can't say my name. Well, my middle name anyway."

You blinked and tilted your head as you processed his last comment. His middle name? How odd. You shrugged at him and said, "You can either try to figure out my name or maybe if I end up trusting you, I'll tell you. But for now, you don't need it."

"Then what the hell am I supposed to call you?"

"You've been doing just fine with nicknames like—babes, sweets, and breather."

"Fine. But I want to know your name at some point."

"When I'm more comfortable, it's a personal thing. What about you, though? Can I call you by a nickname?"

"Sure! You could use—sexy, or handsome, or hot stuff."

"Or none of those," you said, shaking your head. You did your best not to crack and laugh. "How about Beetle, or Bug? Simple and sweet."

"You think I'm sweet?" He asked with a purr that caused your face to burn.

"I think you're weird, and strange, but not the most terrible at least."

"I'll take it!"

There was that bright smile again. Wide and full of sharp teeth. This ghost was a very perplexing being. The more you saw his smile, the more your own lips curled into a smile of your own.

"Okay, so if you're going to hang around here, we should set up some ground rules and get other things squared away. Like—I don't want you going in my bedroom unless I invite you in and stay out of the bathroom too."

"Aw, that's no fun."

"Do you sleep or anything?"

"I can, but I don't need to. Same goes for food when I'm not stuck being invisible."

"Can you affect anything while you're like that? Lights? Electronics?"

"No. The air gets cold around me. Other than that, can't do much of anything while invisible."

You nodded with a small frown. That must be so boring—stuck watching the world go by, unable to affect anything or even seen by anyone. That experience didn't sound pleasant. As much as you wanted to keep a low profile, you couldn't bear to be that level of unnoticed.

"Well..." you said, getting your thoughts back on track, "If you don't need to sleep, what do you want to do while I'm asleep? You want me to set up a movie for you in the living room? Or I guess you could go snoop around the other apartments and see what everyone else is doing. Lord knows there's always someone awake in this place no matter the hour."

"You're giving me a free pass to spy on your neighbors?"

"You said you can't affect anything other than making it cold, so I don't see a problem. Hell maybe if you annoy enough people with cold spots Donna will have to deal with a bunch of complaints. Maybe she'll even waste money trying to fix things, that'd be fun."

"We are going to be such great friends."

You huffed out a small laugh. As strange as he was—and maybe a little too gung ho with murdering your landlady—Beetlejuice seemed like he would make for... interesting company.

You checked the time on your phone. Five in the afternoon. Only an hour left of your shift. Well, if you hadn't left early. You tossed your phone on the coffee table with a clatter. Your action earned a venomous hiss from Rigel.

"So, um, if you don't need to sleep but can, do you want me to set up the couch as a bed? I don't have anywhere else to set one up and if Donna thinks I have other people living here, she's going to be pissed."

"Good thing I'm dead."

You pursed your lips and rolled your eyes. "Well yeah, technically. Existing here then, which dead or alive; you do exist. And that would still piss off Donna."

He huffed and narrowed his eyes, but glanced away from you. "I know you said you want to trust me first, sweets, but I could do a helluva lot more than just annoy her with cold spots. Just give me a chance!"

"I don't know... I don't like her but I don't think that would be a good idea." You sat looking blankly at the couch cushions as you hummed in thought. Even if he had good intentions going in—or more accurately, intentions that benefited you—things could go wrong and land you in a worse spot. Good intentions paved the road to Hell, after all.

"Babes, please, I'm begging. Ya gotta let me do something! I can even hold back on hurting her if that's what you want! I'll just scare the shit out of her!"

You thought over the proposition, and it sounded enticing. You tapped a finger against your cheek as various scenarios of Donna, scared out of her mind, played out. "That does sound fun, maybe later—Wait! It's October!"

"It is? Huh. I thought it was still July."

"Wait what? How...?"

"When you've been around for over a millennium, you stop bothering to keep tabs on time."

"A millennium? That's, holy crap. Okay, I have questions, but first what I was originally saying; It's October. So that means at the end of the month is Halloween. So, what if, if things go well and I trust you by then we plan a big scare for this All Hallows' Eve?"

The ghost shot up, bouncing on the couch. The sudden movement freaked out Rigel enough for him to scurry off to another hiding spot. "Hell yes! Babes, you're the best!" This ghost vibrated with barely contained excitement and you could have sworn he was glowing green.

You held up your hand to hold in a laugh. Beetlejuice radiated a pure joy that was not only endearing but also infectious. While precious to see him so happy, you asked him to compose himself and sit. Incorporeal or not, it’s difficult to carry a conversation while a ghost jumped on the furniture.

He sank back and sat on the couch, though he chose the arm of the couch as his seat. He faced you, still sporting a grin and vibrant green hue, and you couldn't stop smiling at this happy dork. Wanting to keep your discussion going, you cleared your throat and picked things back up with a question.

"You said you've been around for a millennium. So does that mean you lived during the... eleventh century?"

"I was around then, but I've never been alive. I was born dead."

"Born dead? Do... you mean like a stillborn?"

"Not in the way you're thinking. I'm a demon straight from Hell."

"You're a demon-ghost? Ghost-demon?"

"Both, yeah. But enough about me, as great as I am. How'd a pretty little breather like you end up in this shitty apartment?"

You frown and grabbed at your sleeve, not wanting to look him in the eye anymore. "It's kinda complicated and I don't want to go into all of it. I'm just... scraping my life back together and this place is the best I can afford right now." You stayed quiet for a moment before looking back at the ghost. The vibrant joy on his features faded drastically. Guilt stung in your heart for dampening the mood and offered the best masking smile you could muster. You weren't sure it looked all that convincing.

Beetlejuice stayed quiet a moment longer before a smirk pulled at his lips. "Well, now you know who you can call if ya need help dealing with a few problems."

"The ghostbusters?" You asked and cracked a genuine smile.

"Pff. Them? Nah, babe, the ghost with the most! Just gotta say my name three times, spoken unbroken!"

The self proclaimed "ghost with the most" puffed out his chest in a bid to look impressive. It earned a soft chuckle out of you.

"I'll keep that in mind."

A low growl filled the room. Heat seared your cheeks as you wrapped an arm over your stomach. Lunch wasn't as filling as you had hoped. You sighed and stood with a stretch. If you didn't make dinner soon, you'll end up nauseous from hunger later.

Your new familiar spirit stayed put sitting on the arm of the couch. However, when you glanced back at him, his head turned around to face you. It unnerved you, and the longer you looked at him the worse the feeling got.

You shook it off as best you can and headed to the fridge, which hid behind a wall jutting out to separate the living room and kitchen. And right then doubled as a divider that blocked you from view of the couch.

Once you dug out the mixed vegetables from the freezer, you turned and caught sight of a large blur on your counter. You seized up, knees locking, and heard a loud laugh bellow out.

"Aw babes, you should've seen the look on your face."

Beetlejuice wiped away some tears, then snapped his fingers. You blinked a few times, unsure what to think of seeing your face on his body. He twisted his—your? features into an expression of shock before cackling. Your mouth hung open, but you couldn't find any words. So you just shook your head and carried on making dinner.

As you worked on getting your dinner prepared, you pick back up the conversation. You and Beetlejuice took turns asking questions to get to know one another. Beetlejuice opened by sharing about his banishment—no clear details, just stated the fact it happened. He also said he got a kick out of the spread of the bubonic plague through Europe.

You grabbed a bowl and poured in your steaming dinner. The savory flavoring of the noodles mixed with the thawed vegetables and wafted in the air. Once you turned the stove off, you sat back on the couch. In between bites, you divulged a few minor details about yourself, like how you've worked for Mr. Turner close to a year and a half, and your hope to one day work in a haunted house attraction. That topic piqued Beetlejuice's interest.

"So, you get to scare people. As a job?"

"Y-yeah. I've thought being a haunted house actor could be a lot of fun. But there's no acting job close enough willing to pay the rate I'd need to make it worth it. And it's seasonal. So it's gotta stay a dream job."

You ate your noodles and mixed vegetables, allowing the specter to take over the conversation and regale you with various stories. One of his stories got you to laugh so hard you ended up swallowing wrong. It took a minute of coughing and sputtering before you stopped choking on your food. You cleared your throat with a short groan and fought to stop laughing.

After you finished dinner, you checked the time. It wasn't too late, but with everything that happened, drowsiness gnawed at the edge of your mind. You tapped your fork against the rim of the bowl as you walked through the mental checklist of what you needed to do before bed. Beetlejuice asked what you were doing and frowned when you told him.

"You're going to bed already?"

"I have work tomorrow and you gave me a few good scares today. I'm getting tired."

He pouted, but you noticed he cracked a smile, hearing that he scared you. You rolled your eyes and got up to put your dish in the sink. When you returned, you pulled several movie cases and set them on the coffee table.

"Pick whichever one you want, I can put it on for you before I go to bed."

You give him a small smile and leave to get ready. A few minutes later, once in your pajamas with your teeth brushed and the cat wrangled back into the bathroom, Beetlejuice picked out a movie. You got it started and tidied up the couch for him.

"You don't have to clean on my account, babes. I don't mind the mess."

"I don't mind, you're my guest, and I want things to be nice." You said and gave him another smile. "G'night, Beetle. See ya in the morning."

[rubykgrant]

A nonsensical “Freelacer/Sim Trooper/AI” swap because it amuses me-

York and North are the two dudes on Red Team who just stand around and talk all day (York is a little bit more of a slacker, and North tries to actually pay attention to orders. Often, York will lock-pick his way into a room so he can hide and take a nap, but North always finds him and nags the guy to get back to work). Later, South is the sister who shows up (but less in an “I missed you, bro!” way and more of a “You though you could escape ME, your problem sibling?!” way). Wash is their rookie, and they start dunking on him (yes, he’s the Donut). Wyoming is their leader (instead of all that bonkers yee-haw junk Sarge says, they have to listen to Wyoming talk British). They have another team member named CT, who the boys ASSUMED was a robot... because she almost never talks to them and is always working on the vehicles (Wyoming knows she’s human, and South figured it out right away; North, York, and Wash are just dinks)

Flowers is still Florida, because that’s just... that’s him. So, he’s the dead Blue Team leader. Carolina called dibs on his armor (everybody else calls it aqua, she insist it is cyan). New reluctant Blue leader is Tex (who is swapped with Alpha; the Director decided to hide the AI that almost-kinda-sorta reminds him of his dead wife in a box canyon in the middle of nowhere, under the guise of “Let’s see if she’ll act like a real soldier?”, but he just wants to keep her out of the way. He’s not even paying enough attention to realize his DAUGHTER is there too). Carolina and Tex argue a lot, but also get along really well (they have NO clue how ironic this is). Their rookie is Maine, who doesn’t say much... but he’s actually very sweet and happy to help (he intimidates the heck out of the Reds, but he’s a push-over). Sheila is also still their tank~

“Alpha” is Tex’s ex-boyfriend and a Freelancer who just shows up... he has a reputation for always surviving dangerous and deadly situations, but he can’t shoot for crap (he keeps doing AI things by accident and doesn’t notice because he’s stupid; THAT’S why his missions are successful, not because of physical skills. he’s still got amnesia about what he really is, the Director is using him as part of the “let’s see if the AI will act like people” experiment). Initially the others are afraid of him, but then they get to know him and see he’s also a dork

The Triplets are a group who were SUPPOSED to be trained as field medics... but then never got told what to do. They move between both teams and sometimes... help? A little? They try

The Freelancers all have code-names based on the Greek Alphabet, and are paired with AI units; the AI are very odd... they have unique personalities and nick-names that make them sound more like “real people” than computer programs (Alpha doesn’t remember because his memories were taken away, but he actually MADE THEM. these AI were friends that he created, partially based on emotions/real people the Director encountered at some point, but they’ve been allowed to develop into unique individuals. they also have missing memories, but feel like they should have another friend with them). There is also a training AI assistant named Lopez; there was a glitch, and his speech settings are stuck on Spanish... nobody can figure out how to fix it (he’s doing it on PURPOSE just to mess with people)

Alpha is usually put on solo missions, so the others don’t know him that well (again, he’s got a mysterious and impressive reputation, but... he’s a dork). He doesn’t have an AI partner (because secretly, he IS one). He tends to use a voice filter... because otherwise, people will hear his stress-screech when he’s upset (with the filter, he sounds more scary)

Delta is a very logical person and doesn’t like to rush into things without knowing all the information first. Despite seeming somewhat distant, he actually cares for the others very much. His AI partner is called Caboose, who seems to provide nearly boundless energy for running the equipment in his suit, and a special ability to allow Delta to see patterns in chaotic situations (somehow, random things just make sense from Caboose’s point of view)

Theta is the youngest Freelancer, though not a literal child (he’s just short and his voice still cracks). He’s pretty much the heart of the group and is best at breaking up arguments. His AI partner is called Sarge, who talks tough but has a soft-spot for Theta, and provides him with the ability to project multiple energy shields around himself and others to keep people safe (Theta also figures out how to make a perfect sphere, and roll in his shield through enemies like a giant hamster ball of doom)

Eta is a little bit melancholy and tends to mope... but still manages to always complete missions successfully. Their AI partner is called Grif, who seems to have a easy-going attitude, but also helps cheer Eta up (Grif gives him perfect camouflage/invisibility, plus block heat-tracers and motion-trackers... which is good, since when Eta feels awkward, he just wants to vanish)

Iota is Eta’s twin sibling, but they were raised apart. Iota wants to reconnect now that they are both here, but it is awkward. Iota is more out-going and cheerful, but has bad luck on missions (not very sneaky). Their AI partner is called Kai, who can help them hack into pretty much any machine (Kai especially loves creating distractions- she makes security cameras play random internet videos, and will make loud obnoxious music play on enemy radio channels)

Sigma is a very ambitious Freelancer, but he hides his motives with a calm persona. His AI partner is called Simmons, who seems very intelligent and eager to help with tasks, but he tends to panic under stress (when he can focus, Simmons is able allow Sigma to temporarily see into the thoughts of others, essentially reading the minds of enemies... it is against the rules to do this outside of battle, but Sigma bullies Simmons into letting him do it whenever he wants)

Omega is the most violent Freelancer, plain and simple. Most of the others don’t like him much, but it is undeniable that he’s helpful on missions. His AI partner is called Doc, who creates the best form of a healing unit (able to ease pain almost instantly and heal broken bones moments later. if they run out of energy though, it doesn’t work. Doc’s nicer attitude clashes with Omega’s personality at first, but the two wind up being good for each other)

Gamma is a Freelancer who was born mute, but speaks with digital voice enhancement. His skills with vehicles and machines make him a valuable member of the team. His AI partner is called Donut, and the two get along almost instantly (Gamma loves to tell jokes, and Donut thinks he’s hilarious... Donut has a habit of mis-speaking in a way that makes other people roll their eyes, but Gamma finds him endearing). Donut’s ability to let Gamma “see into the past” (they can visualize what took place in an a area a long time ago, even with no witnesses or security footage, allowing them know secrets and important information)

There is one AI that doesn’t have a Freelancer partner, and is kept hidden away in storage; each of the AI have become their own “person” in a way, but initially they began as people Alpha wanted to be friends with and had a “purpose”. They filled roles of companionship, but Alpha also wanted them to be individuals so they could grow and change. For some reason, Tucker didn’t let go of his memories when the Director tried to take them away. It was too dangerous to use Tucker as an AI to assist a Freelancer, so they locked him up. Tucker has a a talent for figuring out how to make strange alien tech work, even when nobody else does. They keep putting objects and devices in the storage room with Tucker’s AI unit, and he’s been learning how to use them, thus planning an escape. His first step is to contact his other AI friends so they remember him, and hopefully find Alpha again...

[electricprincess96]

Do you think the cast of Three Houses is better received than previous installments? Edelgard von Hresvelg seems better received than Sumia was. Even Tokyo Mirage Sessions snubbed Sumia with Chrom, Caeda, and Virion being in the game instead of her. Everyone has preferences, but I was honestly surprised with Marth getting first place in CYL 5 than Gatekeeper getting #2. A good chunk of the CYL top 20 were Three Houses characters.

OK there's probably two parts to this.

Firstly is 3Hs cast overall better received that past installments and to that I'll say yes probably and part of that is 3Hs... portrays itself as "more serious" which to some people just translates to "better". Another reason is the fully voiced script gives the impression these characters are better written because we are getting not just the dialogue but the (very good) voice acting and good actors can elevate an otherwise mediocre script in ways you'd be very surprised.

Now I want to say I don't necessarily think the 3Hs characters are bad, but the idea that they are "deeper" and "less gimmicky" than say Fates or Awakening characters is.... just not true. Sylvain is no more "conplex" than Virion, they are both womanisers with tragic backstories although I'd agree (partly biased I'll admit) that Virions tragic backstory was handled better and wasn't just an "excuse" for his womanising ways. Both Dorothea and Charlotte are women who put on "acts" to try and secure a rich spouse in the hopes that it would mean financial security something they lacked growing up, sure Charlotte has the added "delicate flower front but could actually break you with one punch" and Dorothea has.... "hatred of Nobility" but I've talked before about how I don't actually think Dorothea is this deep character that she's portrayed as (and I like Dorothea... to an extent but she's not the greatest ever written character). Like 3Hs characters are still gimmicky just other aspects make it less obvious and because more people liked 3Hs story compared to Awakening or Fates they are more forgiving.

Now your second point about the CYH that... is mostly recency bias + 3Hs having brought in a bunch of new fans who had only played 3Hs so they of course were going to vote for the characters they knew. I think the real test will be to see which 3H characters consistently place high in years to come because once say a new game is released that's when we'll see which characters were actually genuinely popular and which ones were just "a phase".

Also regarding Sumia specifically, Sumia's been a polarising character in the fandom since Awakenings launch just because she "gets in the way" of a popular self insert ship whereas Woobigard IS the self insert ship. They can't be compared because Sumia was viewed by a large and vocal part of the fandom as being in opposition to the self insert which Woobigard is designed to pander to the self insert. A better comparison would maybe be Aqua and why she was never as popular as Woobigard (even before the translations about her and Corn being cousins came out) or even Corn themselves vs the Personified TV static that is Billy.

So yes I do think people are more lenient with the 3Hs cast than previous casts BUT ultimately people can like whatever they want but I do think some outside factors do help the 3Hs cast when compared to previous instalments.

[nightshade-minho]

-Embers- (2)

warnings: heavy-ish suggestiveness, future smut, themes of heartbreak and pain, mentioned parent death, jealousy, angry fathers.

wc: 5.7k

Heartbreak.

It's something you've thought about, in theory. You've wondered how it feels to be heartbroken, especially when you were younger, when almost everything was of interest to your curious brain. Could a heart break? What exactly did that mean? 

Mr Yang's novels were your first introduction to characters who'd gone through that pain. His books had described it as a perpetual feeling of hurt, one which a person would never get over. You wondered if it was even possible to experience pain like that. Pain so bad you felt your heart shattering.

You still remembered that day you thought about it properly for the first time.

***

You shut your book and looked over at Minho, who had been cloudgazing as he waited for you to finish it. Days like this were common. Minho would get you a new book every week, and the two of you would go to the lake and laze around in the sun. You often worried that Minho would find it boring to sit next to you while you read, having nothing to do. On the contrary, he was quite content with the way things were. He liked how warm the grass felt against his skin, and how calming the sounds of rippling water were as he rested his head against Aeracus’s side.

"Wow. That definitely didn't end on a good note." You shook your head, letting out a sigh and laying back.

Minho glanced up at you, sitting up slightly. "You finished it? So soon?"

"Mhm. I got a little too invested in the story."

"Ah. If I'd known you would read it this fast, I would have borrowed more than one from him."

"It's okay, I can wait a few days.' You say, your tone reassuring as you placed Mr Yang's precious book next to you on the grass, carefully. The man put great care into binding and writing his books, all by hand with no one to assist him. You didn’t want to be the one to soil his hard work.

"Good, cause I'm not going back there so soon. There's three girls who have basically set up camp outside Mr Yang's to catch a glimpse of me."

You rolled your eyes, playfully shoving him. "You act like you're a celebrity or something. We get it, you have a lot of fangirls."

"And fanboys. Some of them are quite cute actually. Just last week a dude proposed to me."

"No way. He proposed?"

"Yeah." He let out a low chuckle. "I think I recognized him from the docks. Seen him once or twice, but I've never said a word to him. I felt bad though, he was actually pretty."

"You should have said yes." You pouted, holding back a giggle. "I've always wanted to be maid of honor at a wedding."

Minho shook his head, sitting up and scooting over. Grabbing your waist, he pulled you into him, so that the both of you were curled up against his sleeping dragon.

"Maid of honor?"

"Yeah! I mean, what's the point of having a best friend if you don't get to play that crucial role in their wedding?"

Minho sighed, looking over at you with a fond smile as he bit his cheek. "Oh Y/n, what am I going to do with you? Maid of honor." He chuckled again at the exaggerated pout you flashed him, poking his side. “What’s so funny?”

There was silence for a few minutes as he looked up at the sky, eyes running over a cloud that looked a little like a five-pointed star. Humming, he leaned in a little.

A short inhale before he whispered into your ear, lips brushing against the shell of it and making your hairs stand on end.

"I hate to break it to you Y/n, but you'll never be maid of honor at my wedding." He mumbled softly, tucking a strand of your hair behind your ear.

"Cause you'll be the bride."

For a minute, a stunned look passed over your face as you comprehended his words. It took a whole 60 seconds for you to process, but soon you swatted at his hand, descending into a fit of hopeless giggles at his cheesy line. "Shut up!"

"Hey! I was being serious." he had an offended look on his face as he held your chin, making you face him again.

You looked at his expression and stopped, your cheeks flushing as you realized he meant it. Your heart was racing, your eyes blinking rapidly as your mushy mess of a brain tried to figure out what an appropriate, mature response would be.

Quickly you pushed him off you, stumbling to your feet and beginning to run. So much for being mature.

"Race you home!"

Minho watched you run, shaking his head and sighing to himself as he slowly picked himself up. If only you knew how sincere he was.

If only he knew your heart hadn't stopped pounding for the rest of the night.

Mr Yang's books had been the main contribution to your adolescent fantasies, to be honest. As the local librarian, he supplied you with a regular supply of books, but none were as satisfying as the ones he wrote himself. His writing was descriptive on another level, and pulled you in like no other author could. He was your greatest inspiration, which was why his description of heartbreak had been the one to stick with you the most, all the way to adulthood.

It was described as a lingering emotion in the back of your head, staying with you your whole life to remind you of what could have been. It was nauseating, painful and everlasting. He'd written about the emotion so intensively, that at the time you almost felt like you did truly know how it felt.

You were wrong.

Heartbreak, real heartbreak, was a lot less pain and a lot more emptiness. Yes, it did feel like all those things mentioned before- but there was more to it than that. Your heart, which had been brimming with excitement and happiness not too long ago, felt void. Dark, lifeless. It had been so sudden, so out of the blue that your emotions were a confused jumble.

Of course, there was pain too- agony, more like. Ripping through your entire being as you watched him kiss her cheek yet again. It was so all consuming, so terrifyingly excruciating.

You were across the dinner table by your father's side, the spoon in your hand held in a tight grip as you tried your best to avert your eyes from the sight. After all, you were currently sat at the table with three other chiefs and their families, as well as a few advisors and high ranking guards. You had to look refined and elegant, a person befitting the title of Ember’s heir- not a gawking, bitter girl staring at your once lover canoodling with his fiancée.

Finally managing to tear your eyes away, you let your eyes run over the guests that would be staying with you for the next few weeks. You reminded yourself that you were in no position to be a dejected, woeful and pathetic individual in front of all these important people. Appearances had to be kept up, or you would face dire consequences. Your father’s pride was hurt enough as it is, what with his daughter being the only one who couldn’t participate in the championships. You didn’t want to give him any more reasons to hate you.

Next to your father was the Aqua chief, his wife and their daughter- Minho’s fiancée. They were dressed in blue silks, dripping with sapphires and lapides lazuli. The royal blue draped around them was deep, the fabric clearly expensive and not too unlike the dress you were wearing currently. 

The Aqua heiress was the spitting image of her mother, both their faces round and their features pretty. She was dressed similarly to her parents, with a tiny diadem upon her brown locks, her gown objectively fancier than yours. She continued talking to Minho, the plate of food in front of her untouched.

Minho.

You hated how beautiful he looked, dressed in white and grey. His uniform was simple, all clean lines and crisp edges. It suited him perfectly, like it was made for him. Which it probably was. 

The two of them seemed to be in their own little world as Minho whispered something into her ear, making her giggle yet again. Your throat felt clogged. Blinking, you quickly looked away from them, your eyes landing on Minho’s father. He looked the same as he always did, except now slightly frailer. He was wearing the same uniform as his son, although he didn’t quite fill it out the same way. You chewed on your lip, glancing at him one last time before turning to the Terra family. 

The Terra chief was a rotund, pot-bellied man who had his attention completely focused on his plate, not contributing much to the conversation the three other chiefs were having. You couldn’t blame him, really- the maids had cooked up a delightful feast. You were sure you’d have devoured your entire plate by now if circumstances had been different. The empty feeling in your stomach was making it hard to savour the roast beef, which you reluctantly ate. 

He and his wife were both dressed in earthly, neutral tones combined with deep greens- and positively covered in every kind of jewel found under the Earth. The rubies on your dress looked like chili flakes in comparison to the twinkling emeralds and gems on the Terra family.

Their son, the Terra heir, looked just as miffed as you, to be honest. He wasn’t as bejewelled as his parents, wearing a shade of green that provided you comfort as you looked at him. It reminded you of the grass near the lake you and Minho once frequented.

He caught your gaze suddenly. Smiling, his heart-shaped lips curving upwards. He shot a glance towards Minho and his girl, and then back at you, raising an eyebrow.

You tried your best to smile back, or give him a knowing wink, or something. But all you could do was stare blankly, your emotions having been sucked out of you. You still failed to comprehend what had happened, your brain seemingly giving up on you and leaving you alone with nothing but your broken heart for company.

Soon enough, the smile melted away from the man's face, and he looked back down at his plate, a little dejected. You felt a flash of regret, fleeting however as you suddenly felt a sharp voice whispering in your ear.

You looked up in confusion at your father, who had previously been immersed in a conversation with Minho’s father and the Aqua chief. Now his face was right by your ear.

"Number one, stop staring. You’re lucky I’m the only one who noticed. Number two, stop by my office before you go to sleep tonight, okay? It’s important." He said, voice stern.

Gulping and nodding, you watched as he turned away, diving right back into the conversation he was having. What did he possibly want to talk about? You rarely talked to your father these days, unless arguments could be counted.

You spent the rest of the meal in contemplation, staring down at your plate. Your hand moved methodically, shoving food into your mouth without actually tasting anything; All you could taste was regret.

It hurt. It hurt so fucking bad. Despite not looking up, her giggle still pierced your ears from time to time, stabbing you deep in the heart. You'd seen it...the way Minho had been looking at her. He'd once reserved such looks for you and you only. Turns out, every meaningful word he'd said back then were lies. Every promise of forever had been empty.

A small part of you reminded yourself that it wasn't his fault he was kicked out from your village. He’d thought you didn’t oppose your father, and simply watched as he and his father was humiliated. Were you being irrational in expecting him to have stayed single until he came back to you? Hell, was it stupid to think he could even bear to glance at you after what your father had did?

Life was unpredictable, nothing was written in stone. How could he even have known he'd ever be in the same room as you again?

No. Y/n, don't do this. Don't force yourself to make up excuses for him. The man had barely cast a glance at you since he arrived. His eyes had been cold and stony the only time you'd made eye contact. 

Besides, if he really knew you, he would have known you wouldn’t betray him like that. And if he really loved you, he would have waited. He wouldn’t have moved on so easily. 

It was still fresh in your mind, despite having happened a few hours ago, now. The way you’d felt your hopes and dreams shattering to the ground in a million pieces, all in a span of a few seconds. Your heart, vibrating so fast it was almost going to implode.

As you continued drowning in your emotions, reliving the pain you'd felt, you suddenly felt a pair of eyes burning into you, sharply. Confused, you looked up, expecting the Terra heir to be the one looking back at you.

It wasn't him.

Minho quickly looked away before you could react, going back to talking to the heiress. It had only been for a second, but you’d caught him.

He’d been staring. At you. For a second, the tiniest flash of hope lit up your heart. But it was gone quickly, as the Aqua chief started laughing boisterously at a question the Terra chief's wife had asked.

"Yes, Jisu and Minho are deeply in love, Calandra. Honestly. Why would they be getting married otherwise?" He smiled, looking over at the two who had stopped talking to listen.

"This one-" He ruffled his daughter's head, chuckling. "She was so smitten. Kept sneaking out past the border to meet him. Of course when I found out, I was more than happy to let them join hands. I couldn’t imagine a son better than Minho to marry my little girl."

"That's sweet." You glanced up at your father as he said the words. He seemed to be gritting his teeth in slight vexation, the annoyance on his face clear. At least, to you it was.

"The wedding will take place a month after the championships." Minho's father said suddenly, smiling proudly as he grabbed a glass of wine. "You're all invited, of course. It will take place at my village. Now, raise a glass for the happy couple!"

A few claps sounded as everyone at the table raised their glasses. You carefully avoided Jisu's shy smile and Minho's confident smirk, his arm wrapped around her shoulder firmly. As if she would break into a million pieces if he let go.

You hated that you knew exactly how he behaved when he was in love. And now you weren’t on the receiving end of his adoration. 

You weren’t used to this. 

Yes, you’d lived your life as normally as you could without him for the past few years...but this was different. He was right there, and yet he wasn’t yours. So close, but you couldn’t touch him. Couldn’t feel him. Couldn’t kiss his lips and tell him how much he meant to you.

Your eyes darted about as they tried to find an appropriate thing to focus your gaze on. You raised your glass like everyone else, downed the amber liquid a little faster than the rest. You refused to let yourself look at the two.

Your eyes landed on the Terra heir after a few seconds. You weren't completely sure what his name was, but you have a vague recollection of your father telling you everyone’s names. Of course, at the time you’d been too overcome with excitement to digest the information.

Felix? Yes, that was it.

He seemed sweet. Friendly, even. His smile was a little sympathetic as he looked back at you, and that threw you off. You decided to put a smile on your face immediately, trying to conceal the pain that you’d hoped wasn’t evident.

Your mind flitted back and forth as everyone’s plates gradually cleared up. What were you going to do after this? 

Originally, you'd been planning to go to Minho's room tonight. Fuck, you’d dreamed of how tonight would go for months now, ever since your father had told you the news. But how could you now? 

Everything was fucking disintegrating.

***

You walked down the hallway to your father's office, your heels clicking against the stone slabs. Your dress was starting to feel itchy, and you couldn’t wait to take it off. You resentfully recalled how excited you’d felt when your maids had helped you into it. How all you could think about was Minho seeing you in it. You’d never expected him to barely acknowledge you.

Sighing, you passed through the hallway, stopping when you heard a high-pitched giggle come out of nowhere.

Furrowing your eyebrows, you glanced around you in confusion. 

Another laugh, this one deeper, followed by what seemed like a...moan?

The pain came back full force, hurtling through you and overtaking you completely. As you walked, the sounds started to feel closer. You wished you could cover your ears to block them out, but at the same time you were consumed with curiosity. Was it what you think it was?

Suddenly, you heard another sound. Now, it was clear where they were coming from.

The sounds were from beyond the door that led to your father's old bedroom, the one he used to share with your mother before she died. You frowned, puzzled as you walked closer to the door.

Had he really given away that room to Minho and his fiancée? It hadn't been used in years, and had always been covered up and inaccessible. Even the maids weren’t allowed to clean in there. It was the biggest bedroom in the house, and the thought of it occupied by them was causing fresh tears to prick at your eyes. 

You felt the lump in your throat make itself more prominent, blinking rapidly as your heart pounded. Suddenly, your legs started moving of their own accord.

Before you knew it, you were stood in front of the large door, your hand raised and knocking firmly on the gilded wood as you swallowed.

There was complete silence for a second or two, but then there were scrambling noises, along with the sound of rustling bedsheets. You tried to calm the beating of your heart, as you waited for the door to open.

When it finally did, you felt like your heart was almost about to burst out of your chest.

She was the one who opened it. She was clearly half naked, having pulled on a blue robe hastily. Running a hand through her hair, she greeted you, her voice a little shaky.

"Oh- um, hello…” She pressed her lips together, glancing behind her for a second. You followed her gaze, to Minho on the bed.

He was shirtless, his hair messed up and his eyes carefully trained on the wall beside him, away from you. You swallowed again, tears threatening to spill past your eyes as you quickly tried to turn your attention back to the woman in front of you.

Too late. She'd noticed. She frowned at you, subtly moving to the side a little to cover Minho from your view.

"I know we haven't formally met yet. I'm Choi Jisu, the Aqua heiress. I’m sure you know." She smiled, albeit a little forced. "And I did want to thank you for letting us stay-"

There was an impatient grunt from behind her, and she looked behind back briefly before turning to you once more.

"Um, I don’t know if you noticed, but I was kind of in the middle of something. Sorry." She tried her best to hide her smile, her voice heavily insincere. “Let’s talk later, Y/n. And maybe next time you won’t be interrupting anything.” She smiled, beginning to close the door.

"Later." 

You just stood there dumbfounded, not knowing how to reply. Your face was passive but your brain was overrun with thoughts. The tears would spill any minute now. 

She frowned at your reaction, tilting her head before gently shutting the door in your face.

You just stood there for a moment. You could hear Minho's voice, muffled as he said something to her.

A part of you wanted to press your ear to the door and listen, but you already looked pathetic enough to the guards standing in the hallway, one of them already having flashed you a sympathetic look. You were really having enough of all this fucking sympathy.

Sighing, you dragged your feet away, trying to push everything down, but to no avail. There were too many enotions, and they were too heavy to even let you think. 

You thought back to her behaviour. You'd definitely picked up on her attitude, which had soured after she’d caught you looking at her fiancé. Jisu wasn’t a fan of you, that much was clear. And neither was the person who’d once declared himself your biggest fan. Ironic, really.

***

“Who was at the door?” Minho asked carefully, although he’d already seen you. Standing there, looking at him. 

You’d looked smaller, vulnerable. So, so different. Almost alarmingly so.

He tried to best to keep his tone even, eyes trained on Jisu as she slunk back to the bed, having shut the door.

“The Ember heiress.” She said, a slight sting to her tone. “Why do you think she came?” She asked, raising an eyebrow as she sat on the edge of the bed.

“I...don’t know.” Minho muttered, staring at the bedsheets. His heart was clenching, hands starting to shake a little. 

No. Not in front of Jisu.

“Weren’t you two ‘best friends’ once?” She asked carefully, having picked up on his icy behavior. Jisu knew, of course. Despite Minho and you trying to keep it a secret, at one point the entire village came to know the two of you were in love. The information had even spread across the village, to others. 

Of course, the chiefs were the only ones who’d been clueless, only finding out after they’d been separated.

Minho scoffed, shaking his head. He gestured to her, hooking his fingers under his boxers to pull them down. “Forget that. Come back here, baby.”

Jisu raised an eyebrow, looking like she wanted to say more. However, Minho’s almost naked body was difficult to resist.

Shrugging, she slid her robe off, letting the silk fall to the floor as she straddled him. His hands ran up her hips, watching her, feeling her. 

His brain, however, felt like it was a million miles away.

***

The tears ran down your face. You were no longer able to hold them back. Realizing you were probably about to break down in the middle of the hallway, you walked faster towards the office- 

Until you bumped into someone on the way, almost knocking them over.

“Woah, woah, slow down.” Felix chuckled, holding onto your arms to keep you on your feet.

You looked up at him, blinking as you registered what you’d just done. “Fuck- I’m so sorry-”

“No, it’s okay.” He smiled, realizing his hands were still on you. He quickly took them away, tucking them into his pockets. His cheeks were dusted a light pink as he cleared his throat, looking at you in concern.

You quickly wiped away your tears, but Felix had unfortunately already noticed.

“Hey, are you okay? I noticed... I noticed you didn’t seem so happy at the dinner.” He said softly, looking down at you. 

You remained silent, staring at the floor as you wondered how to reply. You didn’t want to seem any more pitiable than you already were.

“Uh, it’s okay if you don’t want to say anything. I’m sorry if I overstepped.” He shook his head, stepping back slightly. His voice was almost more nervous than yours. “Um, I’ll leave you be now. Sorry-”

You looked up, sighing. “Wait…” 

Felix looked back, an expectant, almost hopeful look on his face. You didn’t want to let him down, you really didn’t...but it was difficult to pretend like you were okay. You were shivering, biting on your lip. You already felt humiliated enough.

“Sorry. I...I need to go, I’m sorry.” You mumbled, quickly walking away from a bewildered Felix. As soon as you turned the corner, you breathed a sigh of relief, leaning against the wall as your body shuddered. 

You’d never cried like this, not even when Caeli had died. Not even when Minho had left, because back then you’d still possessed some kind of hope. Hope that just wasn’t there anymore.

Rubbing your cheeks, you managed to get rid of the tear stains. You hoped your eyes weren’t too red- you weren’t ready for any comments from your father today. Breathing in, you continued walking, still massaging your eyes in a desperate bid to get them dry.

You groaned as you noticed you’d reached your father’s office quicker than you thought you would. Inhaling deeply, you tried to pull yourself together. You really didn’t like showing weakness in front of him, but lately that was all you did.

You knocked on the door carefully, waiting for him to open the door.

“Door’s open, come in.”

You pushed open the heavy oak door, stepping in.

"Y/n. Finally. Where have you been?"

"Nowhere important." You said quickly, clearing your throat. "Um... you said you wanted to see me, dad?"

He cleared his throat. "Yes." He rearranged the files on his desk quickly, standing and coming over to lean on the front of his desk. He sighed, screwing his face up in thought as he wondered where to start.

"I can’t believe Lee really scored a marriage for his son. Do you know what this means? A heir marrying an heiress? They'll possess power we can’t even begin to imagine." He paced back and forth, clenching his fists in barely concealed anger. You rolled your eyes slightly. Of course your father thought it was a ploy to gain power. He’d never believed in love, and most probably never will.

“So?” 

"So? So?!” He shook his head. “See, this is exactly why the villagers think you’re too incompetent.” He glared, making you cower. Your heart pounded quicker, your lips pressing together. No more tears, you had to control them.

“Look, Y/n...I’ll put it plain and simple. Ember has been the most powerful for centuries. We’ve always had the strongest dragons, and the sturdiest men. Our village is the largest in the country, and all eyes are on us.”

He pinched his forehead. “Do you know how embarrassing it is that Ember’s heiress, the one who should be the most powerful of all, is nothing but a lovesick, pathetic little girl who doesn’t even have a fucking dragon to compete with?!”

You blinked, sniffing as you stared at the floor. You could always count on your father to reinforce negative emotions. His eyes burning into you, chest heaving in anger. 

He sighed, watching as your shoulders shook slightly. Softening a little, he inhaled. It always went that way. He’d blow up at you, and subsequently regret it. He couldn’t take back anything he said, though.

“Sorry, child.” You remained silent, looking up a little. His face seemed sincere enough.

“Hm. I have an idea..." He mumbled, placing a finger on his chin. You could almost see the cogs and gears turning in his brain.

"What did you think of Felix? Nice boy, isn't he?"

You frowned at your father's words, his expression seeming innocent...but his intentions clearly weren't.

"The Terra heir?" You asked, sighing. "He seems nice. Why are you asking?"

"No reason." He shrugged, fiddling with the Ember figurine on his desk.

You groaned, rubbing your forehead. "Dad...don't tell me you want to marry me off to him."

"What?? No!" Your father shook his head vehemently, still playing with the figurine and avoiding your eyes. "I was just thinking. Uh-"

He looked back at you and sighed. "Okay, I'm sorry. But...just consider it, okay? An arranged marriage...an alliance between Ember and Terra could be phenomenal."

You pursed your lips, flashes of Minho and Jisu running through your head as you thought it over. Fuck it, why not? It wasn’t like you had any reason to oppose him. "Fine, dad. I’ll think about it, but I’m not promising anything. Besides, I don’t even know if he’s interested in me."

"I saw the way he was looking at you from across the table, child. He definitely has some curiosity, at the very least.” He hummed. “Anyway, that's actually not why I called you here."

You raised an eyebrow, confused as he went back to his seat, sitting down and pulling up a large, dusty book.

"Look...I'm worried. There's something ominous about this. Their marriage...it poses too many conveniences and benefits for both the chiefs to be a mere coincidence.”

You frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

He looked to be deep in thought. When he heard you speak, he snapped back to attention, shaking his head. "I’m not sure yet. Now, even if I managed to convince Farran to get his child married to you, it still doesn’t provide us power directly. Without a dragon, it’s likely they’ll make you reside in the Terra village once this is all over.” He hummed, looking like he was talking to himself rather than addressing you. “No...we need a reason to make you stay here. You’re an Ember heiress, the future chief of this legendary village. However, you definitely need to look the part. You need to prove to everyone that you’re powerful, Y/n. Shatter their expectations...and mine.” He smiled, gesturing for you to come closer.

 “I was wondering...do you want to participate in the championships?"

Your eyes widened impossibly, your words stuttering as you moved forward. You couldn’t believe your ears, not one bit. It sounded too good to be true.

“Wait- really?”

“Yes.”

“But...but I don’t have a drag-”

“You can participate with Aeracus.”

No. No way. For the first time since the welcoming, you felt true happiness overtake you. Jumping, you squealed in delight, barely able to hide your glee. “Oh my god, thank you, dad! Thank you so so much.”

He chuckled as he watched you, flipping a page. “This has never been done before, so expect some backlash. I’m sure once they see the bond you have with Aeracus though, they’ll change their minds.”

You couldn’t believe it. Your father, the most skeptical dragon purist the world had ever seen, was acknowledging your bond.

“But...what about Minho?”

“Aeracus is no longer his dragon, Y/n. He has a new one.” Of course, you’d noticed. The huge black dragons he and his father had been riding. You felt a sensation of unease drift through you as you thought about the creatures, the likes of which you’d never seen before. 

New lover, new dragon. He’d really left this place behind.

“Something’s off about those dragons.” He voiced the exact same concern you had. “They’re up to something. I just don’t know what.” He turned back to his book, taking his quill back up. “I’ll find out, though. Somehow. Now, go to sleep, kid. You have a big day tomorrow, now that you’re actually participating.”

You nodded, excitement coursing through your veins. “Sure, dad. Have a good night.” You bowed and turned around, your steps a lot lighter as you headed to your room, which was close by.

Reaching your room, you pushed open the door, smiling as you noticed Sylvia fast asleep at your dressing table. Moving slightly closer, you gently nudged her awake.

“Wha- I-” She shot up, mouth open as she bowed to you. “I’m so sorry, ma’am, I was just arranging and-I’ll help you out of your dress, now-”

“Sh, it’s okay. Tonight’s been tiring. You deserve the rest.” You said sadly, patting her shoulder as a yawn left your mouth. “Go to sleep, and don’t come by tomorrow. I’m perfectly capable of dressing myself. I want you to relax, okay? Head to the docks, or buy yourself some bread in the square.” You opened a tiny drawer and handed a few coins to her, enough to get some sweetbread from the bakery.

She nodded thankfully. “You’re the best, ma’am.” She giggled, accepting the coins from you. 

“What have I told you about calling me ma’am? We’re the same age, Sylvia, it makes me uncomfortable. It’s Y/n to you.”

“Fine. Y/n.” She smiles, heading to the door. “Good night, Y/n.”

You grinned widely at that. You loved how easygoing she was, unlike Ann, your head maid. You weren’t royalty, and hated being treated as such. A friend was all you needed, to be honest. And Sylvia managed to fill the best friend sized hole Minho had left behind, somewhat. 

She closed the door behind her, and you sighed, flopping down onto your soft bed and beginning to slip off your heels and the heavy dress, carefully placing it on a rack. The moon shone extra bright today, and you noticed the streets outside were still lit up with lanterns. Soon, they’d be turned off, and the streets would be quiet once more, except for a few drunken stragglers that didn’t want to stop celebrating.

And you would be left alone with your thoughts.

You slid yourself underneath your covers, sighing as you stared at the moon. In the distance, you could see a few dragons and their riders, flying through the air. They were quite far away, possibly near the outskirts. 

Tomorrow, you’d be able to ride Aeracus like that, after so many years. Every time Minho had let you climb atop his dragon, it had just felt like it was meant to be. Deep down, you felt bad, though...for Caeli, for Minho. However, it was just the plain truth.

You smiled as you decided to buy Aeracus a bunch of treats tomorrow. Ostrich eggs, phoenix meat- you were planning to go all out. He deserved it, after all.

In a way, tonight had possibly been the worst night of your life, and simultaneously the best. Your heart felt pulled in two, as you closed your eyes and willed yourself to sleep.

You had a big day tomorrow.

[dantelionwishes]

I saw @cryptidanaphafsi do something like this, and I wanted to try something similar!! 

IM GONNA BE HARDCORE LOREDUMPING ABT EACH VERSION BELOW THE CUT.............

RUBY/SAPPHIRE: the og gameboy version where he didn’t have a name revealed back then!

1. RUBY ver.

he would be in a team Magma Costume, running towards the player directly to battle you 

After the battle, Archie will come and drag him away from the player 

The young boy will complain and say he wants to do cool evil stuff like his dad, Maxie 

Archie will explain that the little boy is Maxie’s son, and that he’s taken charge of taking care of him because it’s too dangerous for a child to be part of the criminal organization  

2. SAPPHIRE ver.

he would be in a team Aqua Costume, running towards the player directly to battle you 

After the battle, Maxie will come and drag him away from the player 

The young boy will complain and say he wants to do cool evil stuff like his dad, Archie

Maxie will explain that the little boy is Archie’s son, and that he’s taken charge of taking care of him because it’s too dangerous for a child to be part of the criminal organization  

3. EMERALD ver.

He is not present in the Emerald Version! This is the canon story where the international police were in charge of keeping him because both his parents are criminals. 

“ORAS”/DPP: technically the “canonverse” of the current poppy!

Technically, he’s the main character in the Diamond/Pearl/Platinum versions

Replaces Maylene (no hard feelings girl, it’s just because he’s the fighting-type gym leader!)

Story is still in the making/to be revealed! I’m still working on it ;^)

POKESPE: the manga is a wild ride, so this is gonna be a long one--

1. RUBY/SAPPHIRE arc

Ruby, at some point, encounters younger Poppy (unnamed during this arc), dressed in a Magma Costume who childishly challenges him to a battle before ignoring him 

Sapphire, during a different time, encounters him as well but while wearing an Aqua Costume, also challenging her to a battle 

Sapphire obviously wins and tries to get information out of him, but realises he’s just a kid playing around in a costume before letting him go  

He cries about his loss and goes back to his dad, revealed to be Archie 

He’s in Archie’s custody because, unlike Maxie, he’s posing as the director of Hoenn TV so it’s deemed “safer” for him to be with Archie 

He’s seen again with Archie during the night Maxie challenges him to a battle

Maxie demands to give him back his son, while Archie retorts by saying that he’s HIS son, not Maxie’s  

With a battle beginning, Archie tells his son to run away as far as he can, so that Maxie won’t get a chance to grab him while they battle  

Maxie’s Pokémon stop him from running away, and their kid is forced to stay and watch his parents fight (he almost gets hurt, but both parents make sure they don’t accidentally hit him) 

Both Archie and Maxie truce at the end of the battle, and Poppy is overjoyed to see both parents getting along  

He’s excited to tag along with his family, but both Archie and Maxie firmly tell him that it’s too dangerous for him to join them

And until the end of the arc, both team leaders are busy with their evil plans lmao

Their son is last seen inside a police department, holding close both his Aqua and Magma costumes before a police officer (presumably Looker) walks up and tells him the bad news of their demise 

2. EMERALD arc

He isn’t present during the Emerald Arc

This is the timeframe when Poppy was having his own little story in Sinnoh 

Guile Hideout, however, mentions a certain someone he wishes he could see again 

When Archie gets Jirachi, he starts off his wish with it being related to “wanting to see…” before changing his wish to getting Kygore 

3. DIAMOND/PEARL arc

Poppy is a bit older, and is introduced beside Platinum, where both are playing together in the Veilstone Game Corner 

It might come as a shock to the readers that his personality is different, and mentions nothing about Archie and Maxie

He is revealed to be the gym leader (albeit in training) in charge of Veilstone Gym 

Poppy promptly forgets he and Platinum played together in the Game Corner (how forgetful he is becomes a comical joke the whole time)

After being defeated by Platinum, he is the last to resolve the Team Galactic conflict by the Veilstone Department Store 

This causes him to want to fight Team Galactic for messing with his city 

Diamond and Pearl find both Poppy and Cyrus at Celestic ruins 

Cyrus is there to find information about the lake guardian trio, while Poppy is there to do the same (except for a specific lake guardian, Uxie)

Poppy confronts Cyrus for information both about team galactic and about the lake guardian 

Although Cynthia comes to fight Cyrus, and Cyrus escapes, Poppy vows to track him down  

All Sinnoh Gym Leaders show up in Spear Pillar, even Poppy, to defeat the Galactic Commanders and ambush Cyrus

They are all defeated, injured, and to be taken to a hospital, save for Poppy who is able to get up because of his conviction to see the Lake Guardian, Uxie

Because he is injured, this is the first we see of Poppy wearing his canon iconic bandages 

Because Poppy was carrying Cyrus’ unconscious body, he is also hit by Giratina’s shadow force, taking him to the distortion world

4. PLATINUM arc

Honestly a super short arc

This is where the distortion world stuff happens 

Cyrus and Diamond talk to each other here, but Poppy is elsewhere where the main characters find him together with Uxie and the two other lake guardians 

If, at first, he was headstrong and stubborn into defeating anything in his path, this time he seems very distracted and rather absent-minded, even during the legendary whole battle 

Before everyone escapes from the Distortion World, Poppy hears a voice and the portal closes before anyone could help him escape 

4. ORAS arc

I haven’t actually been updated with POKESPE (I dont even know what happens in black and white) so I’m basing this off what i’ve read

Poppy shows up alongside Archie and Maxie, having both the Team Aqua and Magma logos on his hat 

He seems to have remembered everything and fights beside both his fathers after remembering and finding them 

He acts as their right-hand man, like a vice leader 

The voices he heard while in the distortion world were from Maxie and Archie, which is why the three of them appear together 

Poppy is desperate to keep both Archie and Maxie by his side once they start disappearing, begging them to stay 

Both fathers ask their son to protect the planet in their favour before fading away  

Despite being heartbroken over their forever disappearance, he sheds bittersweet tears that they were able to work together as a family before separating 

[bnhaoptr]

Insomnia — Imagine Kisame Hoshigaki (Fluffy)

I was tired, physically and emotionally. The mizukage was going through more and more missions every day, more and more tiring and long.

She missed her few free times and her old hobbies, especially her old partner who was studying to be the next Mist Swordsman—Kisame Hoshigaki.

Just remembering her name and her sharp smile made her heart ache and tears tried to escape her tear ducts.

As you finished drying yourself from your bath and doing small bandages on your wounds, she put on a silk kimono [her favorite color] and your bandanna was stretched out on the nightstand beside her bed.

Kisame Hoshigaki. That six-foot-tall big man, with pale indigo skin and sharp teeth like most Kirigakure, the birthmarks on his face and arms. Everything was so exotic and unique that it was impossible not to notice him, apart from his powerful chakra.

He could be considered a murderer, but something inside her knew of his true personality and that he would not commit such a repulsive act against his fellows without good reason.

Lying in bed with that hard mattress and the thin covers, watching the fine drizzle that mixed with the mist outside; the cool night breeze came in through the half-open window, making her skin [skin tone] shiver all over.

Her eyes began to feel heavy, each blink seemed to weigh even more, as if her weariness had made a deal with her body so that everyone could rest. Even with a light sleeper, she couldn't sleep properly and her body kept turning from side to side, causing the covers to come off and form a big cake.

Turning to the side of the wall, and noticing its aqua green tint color with a picture of a coastal landscape. Deep down, you wanted to be there, even if it was just a day for a knock and return; sharing a plate of shrimp skewers, Hoshigaki's favorite, and [his favorite dish].

With an open hand on the bed and closing it on the sheet, missing something he couldn't express in words.

She couldn't sleep, let alone rest her body.

While his thoughts wandered through different subjects and themes, when he began to feel his body heavy, feeling a strong presence. With a start, you got out of bed and looked at the window—which was now wide open—and someone sitting on it.

"Can't sleep?" That thick voice made him smile.

It was him.

There he was, standing watching you with a smile and Samehada leaning against his broad back.

“No. But it doesn't matter now.

You took a few steps forward, coming closer to him. His marine scent and that look as dangerous as a shark made you feel goose bumps and even more mesmerized by him.

— [your name]-san, this is bad for your health. It's bad for the body when you don't sleep,” he commented, hitting the body.

You can barely keep a smile off his face, without noticing you took a few more steps closer to him, noticing the height difference between them.

Hoshigaki's big, calloused hand went to his face where he stroked his cheeks with his thumb and went to his hair [color and size].

Anyone looking at him would think he was a brute who only thought of battling and ending his opponents. But few knew of his zealous side, which he insisted on showing to few. And you were one of the few exceptions.

His hand instinctively moved up to Kisame's arm, where it descended, drawing on his defined muscles.

At this exact moment a certain shiver ran through his nervous system, you couldn't describe if it was because of the strong gust of wind that passed or for being so close to him.

- And now? - You asked.

He withdrew his hand and looked at you seriously, as if thinking of a satisfactory answer.

— You're going to sleep, you need to rest to finish the missions. And I'm going to go on with my life, I already know where I'm going.

Without thinking twice, you hugged him, trying to get his arms to circle you, in a failed attempt. But just being able to lay her head on his chest, feeling the heat he emanated and his heart beating made her feel calmer.

- I do not want to sleep.

"Don't or can't?"

"Does it make a difference now?"

He let out a short nasal laugh.

- Not even a little.

His arms tightened a little more, bringing that stout body closer to him.

- Do not go. We can work it out, tell them the truth.” You almost begged.

- I can not. Now I have a chance to make a world without lies.

His eyes watered.

"Then take me with you, I'll be a great help."

“It will be very dangerous. I don't want you to take chances.

His arms released Kisame, his feet took a few steps back and he sat on the edge of the bed.

His hand passed through that empty space and looked at him.

"Then stay with me tonight." Or until at least I fall asleep.

With a simple smile, eyes closed, he nodded.

You hit the bed, making room for him who was removing his shoes to lie down with you. As soon as you were on the bed, Kisame pulled the white sheet over you as you laid your head on his chest.

Hoshigaki's long fingers began stroking his hair, his eyes following the rise and fall of his breath.

“I will come back to you, I promise. His voice came out baritone.

Then, before you knew it, Morpheus had taken you into his arms and carried your mind into the dream world.

Kisame was his safe haven, the sea that could sail without fear, the one that would protect him even from afar.

As soon as the sun's rays started kissing his face, you knew Kisame was long gone. However, in your heart of hearts, you knew he would never break a promise and he would come back for you.

After you dressed to finish your mission, you noticed a small gray scale on the nightstand where your headband was. It was the scale of Samehada.

You kept it close to your heart and smiled at the window that was open.

"I'll wait for you, take my time."