#if she's not here for me because she needs to take care of herself that doesn't make her a bad person

[sepublic]

As I talk about Luz visiting a host culture and learning to appreciate it, to respect and submit to the grace of her hosts, I think there’s similar potential in Vee doing the same in a reverse way; She’s a demon entering the human world, she’s engaging in human culture and learns how to be human on their terms.

Now granted, some of that human culture Vee encounters has issues of assimilation and imperialism and the like, so the onus on Vee to be respectful is much smaller. Plus she’s a refugee who had little choice, persecuted by an older branch of that culture in Belos, so really she’s entitled to do as she pleases with Gravesfield; She’s not like the Coven Heads, who expected to fuse the realms, and be treated like royalty for it by both inhabitants.

But then we get to the Noceda family, who aren’t from there, who are Dominican immigrants, whose forebearers come from a country that struggles with imperialism, whose struggles in this American society hearken back to that. With Luz needing to learn magic on the terms of the witches and the Titan and whatnot, I think there’s potential in Vee acclimating herself to the Nocedas’ Dominican customs, learning Spanish, all of that. Camila very much chose to adopt this scared child who had to go along to survive, but it’d be neat to explore Vee understanding Luz in hindsight, and how her decision to leave home was informed by racism and other factors.

Like imagine Vee getting to apologize/make it up to Luz for saying she had it good and abandoned her mother for nothing; Imagine Vee reflecting on how she didn’t even want to be here specifically, just away from someplace else so she could survive. But now Vee can catch her breath and find stability, so now what? Does she do the same as Luz and embrace another world?

Imagine Vee taking Spanish lessons, imagine Vee partaking in the family traditions and music and culture. Appreciating what the Dominican heritage that adopted her is like. Being grateful to be included, wondering if she even belongs or deserves to, if she’s just an impersonating thief like her creator. Eda tells Luz to her own kind of witch, maybe Luz and Camila comfort Vee in a similar way.

I can see it being a touchy subject that requires care, but it could be something the Noceda sisters bond over, that question if they really belong and if their presence is inherently harmful; Luz wanting to do her witch fantasy led her to helping Belos find what he needed to become an emperor and enact the draining spell, to establish a genocidal regime.

Vee stole Luz’s life and contributed to a lie that devastated Camila when she found out, created a temporary rift between mother and daughter that contributed so much to Luz’s suicidal depression, which of course pained Camila. Luz and Vee both hurt people who took them in, who they grew to love and vice versa, without meaning to in a grand butterfly effect.

Because again, people understand Luz, a lot more than she realizes, it’s her greatest comfort, a fantasy even deeper than being Azura because even that was about finding people who shared the same interest in magic as her. Camila knows what it’s like to make mistakes, Willow knows what it’s like struggling to be the perfect friend everyone can depend upon; Amity knows what it’s like to hide your greatest sin for fear your new friend will reject you for it. Etc.

So Vee knows what it’s like to have to leave a place, finding a new one, stumbling your way into the arms of a mother and learning enthusiastically about how to be this world’s people as you make friends from them. But all the while you question yourself if you belong, if you’re some impersonating thief. Luz saw herself in Belos, maybe Vee saw herself in other white colonizers like him, the ones who came shortly before in conquering the Americas, contributing to the Dominican culture as a side-effect.

Vee’s ability to shapeshift could make her ask, Am I just an imitator? This makes me think of how Hunter is really good for episodes where he and another character bond over similarities; We were both cloned by Belos to aid in his genocide (While Hunter was technically in the spotlight and meant to be a nephew, Vee was hidden at all times and a loathsome tool). We both feel the weight of being colonial in some regard. We both have to rely on the identities of others, so who does that make us? In a timeline where Gus was not as mindful about the Grimwalker secret, I could see Vee helping Gus with Hunter’s clone angst.

And if there’d been more time, maybe Vee could’ve helped Luz with her own guilt, her own worry of being an outsider who doesn’t belong and is inherently harmful whether she means to be or not. Camila could bring up Vee and say that it’s not the same, there’s a difference between an immigrant and a colonizer, esp when the native chooses to accept. And Vee would feel validation as an example, but still wonder anyway. Shouldn’t they be conscious of it?

But maybe that’s what they’ve already done, with Luz learning to earn magic the way wild witches do, treating witches and demons as people and not side character tropes in her story. Those friends affirm that she’s already done the work, and the butterfly effect of being manipulated is not equivalent to malicious, intentional colonization. And if Vee feels she hasn’t done it, she can begin now, when it comes to Dominican culture and being a Noceda. And the Nocedas have always loved weirdness, so Vee’s already halfway there! Manny would’ve loved her and appreciated the joy Vee brought to his family.

Between everything that needed to be established for the plot and for Luz’s own depression, plus clone troubles, and Camila’s backstory and like. Yeah there was no time for a Vee storyline like this when Luz was isolating herself the whole time, and would only start to let people in when she was returning to the Demon Realm or was there. But imagine a full S3 where we could’ve it all…

This could make good grounds for a fanfic, the Noceda sisters bonding. It’d have to take some cultural sensitivity that the characters would have in-universe, but a writer might struggle out-of-universe. I could see this being after the finale, when Luz has a relapse because that’s always a possibility and has happened before; And for Vee, her storyline isn’t necessarily addressed and they can both bond over a shared fear together!!!

[devondeal]

Agatha and Rio zodiac signs aka hear me out about Rio’s sign essay

So Agatha is clearly a water sign, most likely Scorpio. She is extremely smart, vindictive, and internalizes like no other.

She also cares so deeply that it probably even scares her sometimes. A big Scorpio thing is being afraid of being vulnerable because they know deeply they feel. Probably why she reacted so intensely toward Rio about Nicky. In her mind, she had opened herself to love and that same love took away her baby. Plus she is so a scorpion and is very much like the scorpion and the swan with her little Road deception.

I know Rio being Lady Death technically has no birthday but this is for FUN so aint no one be a wet blanket here please.

This is going to surprise people and it is definitely out of my bias of being this sign but I believe Rio is a Libra.

HEAR ME OUT

Libra’s symbol is a scale. It is the only zodiac sign that is not represented by a living thing. Rio is above all living things and like Libra the scale, is all about balance. It is also an air sign which again given her mysterious and spiritual nature makes sense.

She is bothered by things like ghosts and Billy reincarnating into a dead body because it opposes the natural balance.

Now onto personality stuff, Libra’s are known for being aloof but charismatic. Very much how Rio presents herself. She is also quite gentle and soft in her own special way and knows how to make the people she loves feel cared for (the flowers for Agarha, defending her against her mother and the coven turning against her, being sweet with Nicky when it was his time holding his hand).

However the aloofness and need for balance can can work against her relationships like having to take Nicky, telling Agatha Billy isnt her son because it was the right thing even though it meant not getting to be with her love.

Libra is also a sign that is known for romance and needs partnership to be balanced within themselves. Rio is extremely romantic with the gift giving and physical touch love languages (she touches Agatha A LOT).

And she is one needy little Death Lady. Her desperate need to be with Agatha again is very obvious and she doesnt even try to hide it. So much so, she went against her usual balance and let Agatha have time with Nicky. She is so deeply in love with Agatha and do anything for her but also because she loves Nicky she had to take him when she did as he was sickly and suffering.

Perhaps she could have let him live so Agatha wouldn’t hate her but because she is selfless and couldn’t let him suffer she did the right thing (plus he clearly wanted to go and was tired of being sick).

The Rio we see in the current time having been apart from Agatha for centuries and knowing she is hated by the one she loves for something she didn’t have a choice doing has clearly changed her. Like a typical Libra she is completely unbalanced without her wife, her partner. And all her more negative Libra qualities come out.

Her aloofness, tendency for passive aggressiveness, the “weird girl” vibes in the group despite being her usual social Libra self and having no problem interacting with the coven all while knowing they’re doomed. Isolated from yet together with them. Like the Ballad says, “together and alone.”

And finally, Rio’s behavior when attacking Agatha in both the beginning and the end is the ultimate show of a Libra at the end of her rope. Rio is not one to lose control especially how she did in the final fight. She is Lady Death after all. But this comes after CENTURIES of being ignored, being demonized undeservedly. And what does a Libra hate more than anything? Injustice and this one is deeply personal. She did what was best for their son and got punished for it.

Yet she never stopped loving Agatha. She defended her against her mother, the coven, tried her best to reconcile with her and explain herself only to be told Agatha never wants to see her face again.

So she attacks explosively, theatrically, like never before. And yet she STILL loves Agatha and cries out her desperation of wanting to be loved back. “Why don’t you want me?” Even after Agatha called her evil. Still a Libra, needing to have her person, and forgiving when Agatha kisses her because that’s all she’s ever wanted.

Then after losing the love of her eternal life, she shuts down, returning to her skull form. Her deepest scar having been ripped open. A traumatized Libra will retreat into their aloof tendencies.

And all this long ass essay is my extremely biased reasoning for Rio being a Libra. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk.

[zepay]

I've finally watched the entire Moon x Bagi date, here's some tidbits about Bagi's past, present and future as she explained to Moon.

Moon asked why Bagi doesn't care about herself (regarding her suicidal/savior behavior)

She said that her psychologist asked her the same thing, and told her that she only went to Valigma to her job, help where she can, and go home, so she shouldn't care what happens to her.

She told her that she had a bad childhood, not because of her parents, but because her brother (Cellbit) got kidnapped, and everyone told her that she shouldn't pursue him, "he probably got lost, he drowned" but later she found out why they said to her that.

She became a detective to find him, but when she finally did she told Moon that he already had a new life and didn't really care about her, and he didn't even remember her. She said "I spent my entire life searching for him and when I found him he didn't give a shit about me"

She said she went to a really dangerous place to find him, and when she left she went back to São Paulo to work (Brazil canon!!!) and spoke about how cramped her apartment is. Nowadays, her most common job as a private investigator is to find out if there is infidelity in a relationship.

Moon asked about what happened to her brother, she told her that he got married, and went his way, and she said that she was "hanging out" (idk how to translate this, but the word she used is way too casual considering they were about to get married lmao) with someone, but after an "incident" they got separated and lost contact with her.

Moon remarked that only bad things happened to her, and she told her that she was getting back on her feet, she started working again, and now she's doing it for her because previously she was doing it to find her brother.

She dreamed her entire life about how it would be to find her brother and get him out of whatever was happening to her, but when it finally happened she was disillusioned, she said she spent all of her life thinking about tomorrow and lived today, and how she's trying to change that.

After a while, she said that after her disillusion she spent a while locked in her apartment, and she clarified that it was one year since she found her brother, and because of that, in the heat of the moment she puts herself in dangerous situations, but she didn't really realize that until Denix spoke with her about that.

And that's about it of Bagi lore, she asked Moon about her life, and after flirting a bunch, they kissed and both ended stream out of embarrassment lmao.

Now about some personal takes, I really didn't expect Ak!Bagi to be just one year older than q!Bagi, idk but she was already so jaded I expected more time to have passed. She didn't mention Tina a bunch, just by passing, I'm obviously biased but I think she just isn't ready to talk about her, especially to another romantic interest.

Most conspicuously missing, though, was any mention of Empanada, which I interpret as a massive open wound Bagi isn't willing to share with anyone yet, but I could be wrong.

I find it very interesting character-wise that they kissed on their first encounter, but I suppose it's mostly a Tina thing. Bagi would wait until she was ready and never took any initiative because she didn't want to make Tina uncomfortable, and while Moon doesn't have the self-hatred Tina had, I do think there's an "I won't wait that long this time", as she regrets not get to marry Tina.

Anyway, I'm glad Bagi spoke about her past to someone, and I hope she can find happiness with Moon, she really needs a win. 😭

[unconventional-lawnchair]

In The Absence of Goodbye {Prologue}

Barty Crouch Junior x Fem!Reader

Wc:2831

Masterlist

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The Ravenclaw tower had quieted to a low hum, most students either celebrating in the common room below or drifting off to bed, but Barty, Regulus, Evan, Pandora, Dorcas, and you had found your own private corner on the tower’s open terrace. The night was cool, the stars crisp against the velvet sky, and the laughter still floating up from the castle grounds below seemed to pulse with the energy of Ravenclaw’s victory over Gryffindor. You could feel the vibrations for muggle music shooting through your feet.

You all were sprawled along the stone railing in a chaotic line of limbs, each one of them claiming their own space in a way that somehow felt perfectly coordinated. Regulus sat at the end, leaning back against a column with his arms crossed, an annoyed look as Barty once again explained his game saving bludger hit. Evan, as usual, took up more than his fair share of space, lounging back with his legs stretched out across the railing, crossing them with a lazy confidence. 

Pandora, nothing like her brother, was perched precariously on the edge of the railing beside Evan, her legs swinging as she hummed softly to herself, gazing at the stars with a far-off look that spoke of theories and creatures only she could understand. Dorcas, sitting cross-legged with her chin propped in her hand, watched Pandora with a half-smile, tracing her fingers along the ancient stone as though whatever was lingering behind Pandora’s eyes would be revealed to her.

And then there was you, sitting at the center of it all, your laughter light and steady as you bantered back and forth with Evan, both of you trading exaggerated stories of the match. You were tucked right against Barty’s side, though, who occupied as little space as possible, as if his entire purpose was to keep as close to you as he could without drawing too much attention. The usually boisterous boy completely content to just lay there with you, letting ‘his girl’ shine before anyone else.

It was late, well past curfew, but Barty didn’t care. With your shoulder pressed to his and the warmth of your laughter filling the night air, he was completely, hopelessly content. As Evan said something that made you laugh, Barty felt a flutter in his chest, his gaze lingering on the way your eyes caught the dim light, how your smile seemed to hold a brightness that the stars could only envy.

“Oi, love.” Evan’s voice cut in, playful and teasing. “Think you’ll ever take pity on poor Barty here and let him breathe without you?”

You rolled your eyes, nudging Barty with your elbow but staying firmly at his side. “Maybe if he ever learns how to breathe on his own.” You shot back, grinning.

Barty barely reacted, too focused on your to care about the jibes. “Who needs breathing when I’ve got a much better reason to stay close?” He murmured, just loud enough for you to hear.

Regulus snorted from his end of the railing, smirking into the night. “Careful, Barty. You’re starting to sound almost sentimental.”

“Impossible.” Dorcas deadpanned, giving him a mock-serious look. “That would imply he actually has feelings.”

Pandora tilted her head, smiling dreamily. “Maybe he’s just like a rock orbiting his star.” She suggested, her gaze lifting to the night sky as if she could see their paths mapped out in the constellations.

“Don’t encourage him, Pandora.” Said star groaned, though a faint blush had crept into your cheeks. You looked down at your lap, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Barty doesn’t need any more reasons to act ridiculous.”

Barty grinned, leaning in just a fraction closer, his shoulder brushing yours. “Oh, come now, star.” He murmured, his voice low. “If I’m ridiculous, it’s only because you make me so.”

The group let out an exaggerated groan, and you turned red, swatting him lightly on the arm. “Merlin, Barty, you’re incorrigible.”

“Incorrigible?” He echoed, feigning offense, his hand pressing to his heart. “I’d say I’m nothing if not loyal.”

Evan snickered, nudging him with a boot. “Keep telling yourself that, mate. If you get any closer to her, they’ll have to separate you two with a pry bar.”

Pandora sighed, looking back at them with a wistful smile. “You know, some things are meant to be close together.” She said. “Like stars in a constellation. They belong right next to each other, don’t they?” She gestured upwards and your eyes followed hers. “We are like Pleiades.”

Barty gave a satisfied nod. “See? Pandora understands.” He said, his hand brushing along the back of your arm. “Besides, what else am I supposed to do with my time? Not follow my favorite person around?”

You shook your head, laughing. “Maybe you should put some of that energy into finding a new hobby.”

“Hobby? I have one.” He cheeked, a little too quickly. “It’s you.”

Regulus let out a huff of laughter, finally glancing over. “Careful, Barty. You might actually manage to scare her off one of these days.”

But you only rolled your eyes, giving him a playful shove. “Scare me off? Fat chance. I think if I would of been scared of it've happened already.”

Barty’s expression softened, and for a fleeting moment, there was nothing but quiet between you, the sounds of your friends’ laughter and banter melting into the night. He looked down at you, a softness in his eyes that none of the others saw, and for a second, he opened his mouth to say something- but the words wouldn’t come.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that this moment was important, like a memory he wanted to carve into his mind forever. With everyone around them, under the stars, your shoulder resting against his, everything felt strangely perfect.

But that perfection was fragile, and something in him knew it. 

“Hey, promise me somethin’, Star.” He prodded quietly, his voice barely a whisper. You turned to him, brow furrowed in confusion. “Promise me you won’t leave.”

The question caught you off guard, and you blinked, a half-smile forming on your lips. “What? And leave all this behind?” You gestured at the group, at the friends who surrounded you two. “Not a chance.”

But you hadn’t really answered, and Barty could feel the words balancing on the edge of his tongue, desperate to reach you. He wanted to hold you there in that moment, to make you understand what he couldn’t say- that he needed you, more than anything else.

Instead, he only nodded, forcing a casual smile as he nudged you back. “Good. I’d be absolutely lost without you, star.”

“You're exaggerating.” You smirked, rolling your eyes in mock disbelief. “I’m sure you’d find something else to obsess over if I ever left.”

But Barty’s gaze lingered on you, a seriousness flickering beneath his usual charm. “Not like this,” he murmured, so quietly you almost missed it.

For a moment, the laughter around you all seemed to fade, leaving only the gentle hum of the night air and the warmth of his presence beside you. You opened your mouth to respond, something lighthearted on the tip of your tongue, but before you could speak, Pandora’s voice broke the spell.

“Oh, I’ve got it!” Pandora exclaimed suddenly, her eyes bright as she looked at the group, then to you. “If we’re the Pleiades, that makes you our brightest star- the one we all form around.”

Evan laughed, clapping his hands together. “Hear, hear! Our star and fearless leader!”

“You'll feed her ego.” Regulus tutted and Dorcas rolled her eyes but joined in regardless.

Everyone joined in, voices echoing with lighthearted agreement as Barty gave a satisfied, almost possessive smile. He looked at you as if Pandora’s words had sealed something between you, as if you were the gravitational pull that kept him- and perhaps all of them- anchored. You almost found it in yourself to feel guilty, about using events that haven't even happened yet to build your bond.

And as you sat there, under the vast expanse of stars, surrounded by the people who meant the most to you, you couldn’t help but feel the weight of this moment too, like it was something precious. Something you would carry with you, a memory pressed into your mind like an indelible mark.

But you didn’t know yet just how fragile it all was. Or how much one boy, hopelessly captivated by you, would be willing to sacrifice to keep that feeling alive forever. Even if just for you two.

You all looked up as someone called your name. It was almost mistakable, the poor Head Boy’s voice fading into the music of the tower. 

Regulus shot you a curious glance, and Barty immediately stiffened beside you, his hand brushing your arm as if by instinct, ready to keep you rooted in place.

“What d’you reckon that’s about?” Evan asked, quirking a brow.

You shrugged, reluctant to move, feeling as if shifting now would shatter the moment completely. But the Head Boy called again, his tone leaving little room for ignoring.

“Probably some silly thing Dumbledore wants.” You murmured but your heart sank, giving Barty a quick smile to reassure him. “I’ll be right back.”

Barty’s fingers tightened slightly around the edge of your sleeve before he let go. “I’ll wait.” He whispered, a faint frown tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Don’t go making that face.” You teased. “I’ll be back before you even realize I’m gone.”

As you rose, Pandora gave you an encouraging smile, and Dorcas reached over to tap your shoulder in a silent show of support. You returned the small gestures with a glance, trying to shake off the odd, inexplicable pang that had settled in your chest.

You turned to the group and gave them a playfully dramatic bow. “Don't wait up too late. You know how the old man likes to keep his company.”

“Too damn long.” Evan finished for you with a snicker, nodding you off as you hurried out of the room.

You headed down the winding staircase, the echoes of your friends’ laughter fading behind you.

The warmth of your presence seemed to linger in the air even after you’d disappeared down the staircase, a faint ghost of laughter and light that stayed with Barty. He barely noticed the conversation continuing around him. His eyes were fixed on the doorway, his mind a step behind, as though he hadn’t quite realized you were truly gone.

Pandora nudged him with a small smile. “She’ll be back, you know. Dumbledore’s not whisking her away forever.”

Barty forced a chuckle, but his chest felt strangely tight, his fingers clenching and unclenching as if he could still feel the edge of your sleeve beneath them. “Yeah, I know,” he mumbled, eyes still lingering on the staircase. “Just... hate when she’s not here.”

Dorcas threw a rolled-up bit of parchment at him, smirking. “Honestly, Barty, if you get any more sappy, I think we’ll need to send you to Madame Pomfrey.”

“Yeah, mate,” Evan chimed in, grinning as he stretched out lazily, “You're practically a lovesick puppy at this point.”

“Can’t help it if I know quality when I see it,” Barty shot back, trying for nonchalance, but his voice was softer than usual, almost distant. He looked at the spot you’d just left, as if willing you to come back.

Regulus gave him a sidelong glance, quiet but observant. “Don’t worry, Barty. She’s just with Dumbledore. What could possibly keep her from coming back?”

Barty forced himself to nod, trying to brush away the inexplicable feeling clawing at his chest. It was silly. You were just with Dumbledore, probably for some random task he wanted you to handle. It wasn't uncommon. But as the minutes stretched into an hour, and the sounds of the castle grew softer, a chill settled into Barty’s bones.

He didn’t realize how long he’d been waiting until Pandora reached over, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “She’ll be back soon.” She said softly, her voice a quiet comfort.

But Barty’s gaze never left the staircase, his heart heavy with a gnawing ache he couldn’t explain, an ache that whispered in the back of his mind, warning him that something was absolutely wrong.

As the minutes dragged on, a heavy quiet settled over the terrace, snuffing out the easy laughter and teasing jabs that had filled the air only moments before. One by one, they fell into silence, glancing around as if they too felt the strange shift- the lighthearted buzz from earlier replaced by a heavy, aching stillness. It was as though something fragile had cracked, and a shared, unspoken dread seeped into the space between them.

Evan, who was usually the first to crack a joke, sat up straighter, his usual smirk nowhere to be seen. “She’s taking her time, isn’t she?” He muttered, but his voice lacked its usual bravado, almost as if he didn’t really want an answer.

Regulus gave a quiet sigh, folding his arms tightly over his chest, his gaze dropping to the floor. “Shouldn’t be gone this long... Thought she was just fetching some nonsense for Dumbledore.”

Pandora’s legs had stilled, her gaze fixed blankly on the stars above. Her dreamy demeanor was gone, her expression vacant. 

Barty sat frozen, fingers curled tight around the stone railing. The easy smile he’d worn was gone, replaced by an expression that teetered between frustration and fear. His gaze stayed glued to the staircase, his foot tapping a frantic rhythm against the stone floor as if he could summon you back with his sheer will alone.

“Maybe she’s off on a task of his. She did say not to wait up,” Dorcas offered, though her tone was weak, her words less an attempt to reassure and more a desperate hope. She shifted uncomfortably, as if sensing that none of them quite believed it.

The memory of year five hung thick in the air- an unwelcome reminder of moments they’d all tried to bury. That hollow feeling of watching you fade away, knowing you didn’t belong here, that something about your presence always felt borrowed, fleeting. Now, with each passing second, it grew harder to ignore the creeping certainty that maybe, this time, you weren’t coming back.

Barty’s voice broke the silence, strained and almost unrecognizable. “She’ll be back,” he said firmly, though his hands were clenched so tight his knuckles had turned white. “She promised, didn’t she?”

But even as he spoke, his heart sank deeper, a hollow ache filling his chest. The silence stretched on, swallowing the last of their laughter and leaving behind a feeling of loss that none of them dared to speak aloud.

And as the cold night air pressed in around them, it was painfully clear that everything felt… wrong.

“She's gone.” Pandora's voice drifted out softly, breaking the silence like a faint breeze, but it held a certainty that sent a chill through the group. Her gaze remained fixed on the night sky, her eyes glassy as she lifted a finger to point upward. A single tear slipping down her listless expression. “Alcyone flickered.”

They all looked at her, a hush settling over them as they followed her gesture, craning their necks to find the star she was talking about. Alcyone, the brightest star in the Pleiades, seemed to pulse faintly, its light dimming for the briefest of moments before shining on.

Evan swallowed, casting an uneasy glance at the others. “It’s just a bloody star, Pandora. Stars flicker all the time.” He muttered, though his voice held none of its usual swagger. Staring at his listless twin sister.

But Pandora didn’t waver, her gaze still locked on the sky. “It's wavering. Alcyone’s light is… steady. Always is. It doesn’t flicker unless something’s different. Like it knows.”

Regulus shifted uncomfortably, crossing his arms tightly as if to ward off the chill that crept over him. “Don’t talk rubbish, Pandora.” He grumbled, though his voice was quiet, almost pleading. “She’s just with Dumbledore, that’s all.”

Dorcas’s hand found Pandora’s, giving it a gentle squeeze. She didn’t say anything, but her face was pale, her usual steady presence dimmed by a shadow of doubt.

Barty’s jaw clenched, his eyes fixed on the spot where you’d disappeared, his heart thudding painfully in his chest. “She promised.” He repeated, his voice barely above a whisper, as if trying to convince himself. “She has never lied to me.”

But the certainty in Pandora’s voice gnawed at him, burrowing into the hollow ache inside his chest. The others’ silence only deepened the feeling that he was grasping at something slipping further and further from his reach.

Pandora’s words lingered, filling the cold air with a heaviness that refused to lift, and as he looked back up at the stars, Barty couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, the universe had taken you away from him.

Taglist: @constellationleo

[cyb-by-lang]

Cascade (part 4)

And here we have the internship beginning.

(Kei notes some divergences from what happened in Shell Game in her narration as we go. For the most part, these can be attributed to having way less time to meet up with her teammates and get them acclimated to Japan.)

Sorry, Ingenium.

After saying goodbye to the other students at the Musutafu train station, neither Kei or Iida talked during the trip to Hosu City. 

While it wasn’t that uncommon for Kei to zone out completely on public transit, Iida would’ve said something out of politeness at the very least. There wasn’t that much of a crowd on the late morning train compared to either rush hour. They’d even both managed to find seats rather than clutching the overhead handles or the various vertical handholds. 

Instead, Kei dug a book out of her non-regulation backpack and read with her forearms leaning on her costume’s carry case. Every once in a while, she’d either shoot a deadly glare at someone trying to approach the more-recognizable Iida or look at her classmate in concern. The former scared off interlopers, while the latter had no apparent effect. 

Iida just sat there, like a super-tense robot. 

Kei wasn’t even as close to him as Midoriya and Uraraka were, so directly asking how Iida felt…didn’t quite work, in her head. She didn’t have the kind of rapport where she could just say what was on her mind. Or punch it out of him and remain friends after. That was a Gai thing. 

And we would not want that. 

Though guess being genuinely me could still go worse. With a sigh, Kei turned her attention back to her light novel. Hopefully, some fictional violence would take her mind off some of the impending actual violence for a while. 

Before she knew it, they were walking out into bright sunshine in a city Kei had patrolled once. Just not as herself.

Manual, the Normal Hero, turned out to be a plain-faced man with a generic ocean theme to his costume. His visored helmet even had a fin top, though nothing functional. Practical white boots, yellow gloves, and a skintight shirt divided evenly between blue and white rounded out the look. He greeted his case-toting interns with a smile and a wave and didn’t seem at all awkward about it. Manual didn’t seem to mind that Iida’s behavior and countenance was a little terse or that Kei tried to stay in Iida’s shadow all the way from the train station to his pro agency. 

While Kei’s counterfeit Quirk was stronger than his by orders of magnitude, Manual was really no weaker than the average Kiri-nin. Like most shinobi, he relied on water already present in his environment to do his work, but in a city, he was never that far from a fire hydrant. More importantly, operating in an urban environment usually gave him a lot of pro hero allies within shouting distance. 

For all intents and purposes, he was an ordinary pro hero with ordinary responsibilities in a city with a serious serial killer infestation. 

Kei felt kind of bad for him, because both of his interns brought ulterior motives along with their literal baggage. Not bad enough to confess to anything, of course, but the thought lingered.

“Well, now that you’ve both arrived safely, let’s get you situated.” Manual didn’t have the same kind of winning smile as, say, All Might, but he didn’t really need it. He beckoned them to follow him into the building. “To cut down on the commute somewhat, my agency will provide room and board for the week. We also have locker rooms so you can get changed quickly for our first patrol. Meal breaks may vary a little depending on what’s happening in the field, but we’ll take good care of you.” 

“Thank you, Manual-sensei,” Iida managed with a third of his usual bombast.  Still, he bowed. 

Kei clasped both hands over her costume case and mirrored him. “We’ll be sure to learn a lot from you this week, Manual-sensei.” 

“I have no doubt!” 

Kei’s borrowed room was smaller than her apartment’s bedroom, but it didn’t need to really be more than a cot and bathroom access to make her happy. Manual’s agency even had on-site laundry service, so the backpack she’d brought along would suffice for the entire week. Locking the door behind her, she quickly stripped out of her UA uniform and made the change to her “hero” costume. 

Unlike some hero students who a) thought out their requests and b) chose a company that could take criticism, Kei dreaded looking at what she’d be wearing for most of this week.  Even now, the design was a short, sleeveless kimono in dark blue wave patterns, long (unarmored) gloves that reached her biceps and only covered one finger apiece. It’d taken a round of angry revision notes to even get ultra-lightweight armor incorporated into the torso keep her vital organs covered. 

Maybe they’d only given ground because Kei destroyed the first iteration “by accident” during the USJ incident. She’d probably never know. It fell on the cot with a faint rattle, though, so at least the nano-whatever weave chainmail component was still there. 

Might as well get it over with. Kei took a deep breath and checked on the rest of the costume. 

While the boots included shinguards, the designers went with a tabi look for the actual shoe component. The pants appeared to be basically skintight swimming trunks, probably because her listed Quirk incorporated so much water manipulation. And for some fucking reason, there was an obi with a massive bow on the back, trailing behind her as she walked. Kei was going to trip and eat pavement because of that thing someday. 

Overall, what Kei pulled out of the case had barely been changed. She just got an extra belt with some pockets for stowing things like utility knives and little adhesive bandages for civilian boo-boos. 

When Kei inevitably did an about-face and started her career of villainy as Cascade, the City Drowner, she’d start with the support company and knock their building down brick by brick. Yes, a safer bet would be to go to UA’s Support Department and demand revisions from people who weren’t so obstinate, but it would be so satisfying. Vindictively. 

Still, she put it on. Including the hitai-ate that wasn’t Konoha’s. And the makeup to downplay her scar. The goal here was to appear as normal as possible—as a hero hopeful—to anyone observing her and not rock any boats. Certainly not literal ones, either. No matter how much looking at her reflection in the provided mirror felt wrong. 

“All right.” Kei clapped her hands together to shock herself awake. She closed her costume case and took a deep breath. “I can do this.” 

Kei emerged from her temporary quarters feeling as awkward as she had during the Sports Festival, but no longer concealed by her official gym uniform and a whole crowd of similarly-dressed kids. There was no more camouflage to be had. 

“Ah, Gekkō-san, right on time.” Manual got up from his desk and waved. “Once Iida-kun is ready to go, we can take on your first patrol as young hero-hopefuls.” 

“Thanks, Manual-sensei.” Kei crossed her arms as they settled in to wait for Iida in the agency’s lobby. It didn’t really help cover her discomfort, but it did make her feel slightly better. 

“Hm, that reminds me—what’s your hero name? I don’t remember seeing it on your paperwork.” 

“Oh. It’s, um, Cascade. The Mist Hero.” Ugh, I sound like such a fake. Kei managed to mutter a rather lackluster explanation involving deadlines, not really enunciating any of it. 

Manual gave her a thumbs-up likely meant to inspire confidence in the downtrodden.  “That’s all right, Gekkō-san. I’ll just be sure to use it so you can get used to how it feels. I’m sure you’ll live up to the aspirations embodied by that name!” 

More like live down to them. Heroes like Manual were so painfully earnest it made Kei’s hair want to stand on end. What did she do with that? “That’s…nice of you to say…”

“Well, here’s one more nice thing then: I think your hero costume looks good.” 

Kei winced. She felt her whole body lean into that scrap of honesty and hated it just a little. 

“I take it you don’t?” 

“…No, Manual-sensei. It doesn’t feel like me.” Because it wasn’t. Not really. 

“Maybe one of the goals you can work on for this internship can involve that, then.” Manual suggested it like it wasn’t a big deal. “Feeling comfortable with yourself.” 

To be fair, it probably wouldn’t be an important issue once Kei got into an actual fight. Most of the distractions faded away once her blood was up and there was someone who needed a beatdown. 

But in the meantime? Uuuuuugh. 

Thankfully, there was a shiny and chrome option right there. Manual also noticed, then waved, “Oh, Iida-kun! Over here.” 

Iida’s full-on Ingenium look was so much more complicated—visually and emotionally—and storied than Kei’s ongoing fight with support companies. He got to look like either a sentai villain or a turbo mecha, and his armor theoretically deflected attacks before he had to see if they’d bounce of his bones. It was one of the reasons that Iida was completely jacked, apparently. Besides, well, the whole running lifestyle. His hero outfit also came with a helmet that almost entirely concealed his face—except for his eyes—and made his voice echo in a simultaneously cool and kinda creepy way. 

Iida really should’ve taken a better internship somewhere else. Anywhere else. 

“Manual-sensei, I’m ready for duty,” Iida said firmly, despite Kei’s doubts. He was so serious about this that he didn’t even swing his arms for emphasis. “Please lead the way.” 

“Of course. Come along, you two.” 

Patrol as a concept was…fine. 

Mostly boring. 

Kei didn’t exactly mind walking all over cities. A lot of what Hosu citizens wanted out of their local heroes was a token showing. If that meant they also got help taking in their laundry or rescuing cats from trees, so much the better. She did a lot of the same things in Konoha when just starting out as an adorable little genin. There was little expectation of violence in broad daylight. Even petty criminals—those stubborn or uncreative enough to strike without any stealth consideration—were lying low for the moment. 

Basically, the point was deterrence. Though the Hero Killer had earned that title, he didn’t attack groups of heroes. No, he hunted solo operators. Or maybe just whoever separated from the pack, regardless of specifics. Now the city was crawling with potential fights and potential victims. 

Kei mostly hoped Iida didn’t plan to shove his way into the ring. When Ingenium was attacked, he’d been running ahead of his sidekicks and fought a guy specialized in close combat in a blind alleyway. Obito barely managed to get him to the hospital afterward, and if not for Kakashi’s tracking abilities, they might never have found him at all. From what Kei’s teammates said about it, there was a real chance Iida Senior would never get the full use of his left arm back. And the engine in it was probably beyond repair. 

“We’ll mostly be patrolling the local area so you can get a feel for how this works,” Manual said, living up to his name. “Later, we’ll branch out.” 

“Yes, Manual-sensei!” 

Still, Kei did miss running across rooftops with her friends. Her job today, though, was to stay firmly bound by gravity and societal expectations. And not hunt down Stain like the slippery bastard he was. 

So, Kei patrolled. Mostly, this entailed following Manual like a duckling while making sure Iida didn’t stray. Though that last part wasn’t said aloud. 

Broken up by meals, breaks, and gentle encouragement from their pro mentor, the first day passed peacefully. Almost too peacefully for Kei to sleep soundly that night. 

But the next day was similar, despite her worries. The absolute highlight of the entire eight-hour stretch was when Manual asked her to create water for him to manipulate and put out a car that had hit a light pole and caught fire. Iida managed to keep the victims calm while alerting emergency services, who then had to cut the driver out of the vehicle. Overall, it was a good deed and only ruined progress during rush hour for twenty minutes more than usual. 

And then, the third day. Honestly, Kei would’ve called it superstition if trouble had waited one more day into their internship, but it wasn’t to be.

On the third day, the patrol shift split between a morning and afternoon set. While Manual did lead Kei and Iida around until lunch, the next few hours after that involved a little bit of training and a lot of paperwork. According to Manual, almost everything pro heroes were responsible for involved forms in triplicate, and they’d be lucky if computers got involved at all. A lot of the smaller agencies loved their carbon paper. Even snagging the time for a nap amid the flurry of bureaucracy didn’t really improve Kei’s opinion of the whole thing. 

Suffice to say that when it was time to head out just before sunset, Kei was happy to see the sky again.

“We’ll be patrolling Kyoto a little later tonight,” Manual explained as they went. “Sorry this is so monotonous.” 

“No, it’s better this way,” Iida replied. 

Kei nodded along, taking a moment to yawn and stretch before a potential third night of nothing much. 

Instead of just continuing to walk until their feet all fell off, Manual drew up short and turned toward Iida. An unusually serious look was on his face. “Hey, Iida-kun. This is kind of hard to ask, but you’re after the Hero Killer, aren’t you?”

Iida startled. “How did you…?”

Manual’s expression went sheepish and self-deprecating laugh popped out of him. “I couldn’t think of any other reason you’d come to my agency.” Then his brain seemed to catch up with his mouth. “I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’m glad you did, but…you shouldn’t be pursuing personal grudges.” 

Good thing someone wants to talk about that. 

“We heroes don’t have the authority to arrest people or punish them. The only reason we’re allowed to use our Quirks is because of the regulations put on them,” Manual pointed out. 

…Though that part’s still bullshit. 

“That’s why, no matter what their reason might be, a hero must not use their Quirk for themselves.” Manual actually glared at Iida. “If a pro hero used their powers solely for their own ends, it would be a very serious crime.” 

Iida lowered his head just the slightest bit, as though shamed. Just a bit. 

Conscious of the awkward atmosphere, Kei coughed to remind them both that she was still present. 

With that tiny reminder, Manual’s seriousness cracked. Using the kind of choppy hand gestures that Iida normally did, he stumbled his way through his attempt to downplay how serious he’d been. “I’m not saying the Hero Killer isn’t incredibly guilty! You just seem like the really earnest type, you know? I’d hate for you to focus on one goal and ignore everything else.” 

Like Iida doesn’t have tunnel vision fit for a train. 

“Thank you,” Iida said, giving nothing away. “I appreciate your concern.” 

Yeah, that wasn’t an actual concession. That was a very careful sidestep. 

“Oh, it’s fine as long as you get what I’m saying.” Manual turned to lead them onward. “So, we good?” 

He totally missed the way Iida’s fists clenched at his sides, the tension in his shoulders, or the weight still dragging him down. Or, if he did notice, Manual didn’t have the tools necessary to deal with Iida’s bellyful of vengeance before the Hero Killer finally put in an appearance. 

Kei tapped Iida’s armor with her knuckles as she passed, since he was falling a little bit behind. 

“Gekkō-san, what is it?” 

“Let me know before you do something reckless,” Kei told him, pitching her voice carefully enough that Manual’s helmet wouldn’t let him catch it. “Don’t just run off.” 

Iida didn’t say anything in reply. It was like he couldn’t acknowledge her concern without exploding, and thus needed to keep his focus entirely on putting one foot in front of the other. If it made him rude, maybe he’d be able to apologize for it later. When he felt better. 

But Iida also didn’t notice the tracking seal she'd just pasted to his black bodysuit, which Kei figured made up for that. 

[garciaasfluffypen]

just be here

pairing: jennifer jareau x fem!reader word count: warnings: jj had a rough case but nothing is mentioned, alcohol consumption, jj just needs comfort

2am. it was 2am and your phone was ringing. and emily prentiss’ name was on the screen.

fuck.

you shot up in a fit of horror, accidentally throwing your phone across the bed in the process. grabbing at it you answered it, putting it on speaker with shaky hands. 

“em?”

emily could hear the fright in your voice just from that one word. “everythings okay. she’s okay. i just wanted to let you know we had a really bad case.” 

“oh.” you let out a sigh of relief. “what happened? can you tell me?”

“it involved kids.” 

“when is she going to be home?”

“i’m sending her home in five with a strict rule to not do any paperwork this weekend. luke is gonna drive her, she’s not in a state to drive right now. take care of her tonight. please. ”

“yes ma’am.”

you practically jumped out of bed and made your way to the living room, grabbing your favorite cardigan as you did so. you knew she’d crawl right into your arms when she got home, so it was probably better for you to be out in the living room so she’d be able to get to comfort as fast as possible. even if it meant you’d fall asleep on the couch waiting for her. everyone on the team knew where you kept the extra keys, you told all of them as a safety measure when scratch started targeting the team last year in fear that he would come for you. you hoped that luke would know to go for the extra keys in the case jj wasn’t able to grab hers and you fell asleep. which if you were being real, was probably about to happen. you curled up into the couch, pulling a blanket over your lap and leaning up against the back, hoping that you’d be able to stay awake until jj got home. the ride wasn’t too long from what you remembered, but it was 2am and you were tired as hell. 

you must have dozed off since you were awoken yet again, this time by the sound of keys jangling in the door. jj shuffled into the apartment, searching for you immediately. wordlessly, jj kicked off her shoes and came over to the couch, laying on top of you and digging her head into your shoulder. you rubbed your hand up and down her back in a soothing motion, your other hand going to cradle the back of her head. you don’t know how long you sat there, but you waited until jj was ready to talk before saying anything. sometimes, all she needed was some silence and to be in your arms until she felt ready to talk. 

“are you in the headspace to talk about it?” jj shook her head no. “what do you want me to do?”

“just… be here?” 

her voice was quiet and raspy from holding back tears all night, not entirely sure if she could let herself break down. she just felt… numb. so much had happened in the past week that she didn’t want to talk about, not even think about it. but she couldn’t help it. the faces of the girls affected by the unsub flashed across her vision every time she shut her eyes. she had made herself stay awake to avoid the horrors that threatened to haunt her dreams, and she felt like a dead girl walking. there wasn’t any possible way she would have gotten home by herself if it wasn’t for emily forcing luke to take her home roughly an hour ago. she was so strong, cases shouldn’t be affecting her like this. yet here she was, needing anything but to be strong. 

she was better than this, she knew how to face the horrors of the modern world. she knew how to stare some of the evilest people down and get them to share their twisted fantasies. so why was she so bent up over the cases that involved kids? was it because she saw herself in the kids, seeing the same patterns she went through with the horrors? was it because she wanted to keep them sheltered from the scary things of the real world? knowing what was out there, what was at stake for the children if they went down the wrong path… she didn’t want these kids to turn out like she did. 

so why was it when they got cases like these, she felt so small and helpless?

you could tell she was slipping out of her normal facade of being strong and independent from the second jj walked in the door. admittedly, it had been a long time since you saw jj give away all control. it was rare that she let you take the lead, but you knew tonight she needed it. she needed to empty her brain and just be. to relinquish just for the night, to let you tell her what to do. you didn’t have many chances to be the guiding light for her, but there were nights like tonight where she needed you to be her brain. when the cases got too tough, or hit too close to home, she would need you to be there for her. and you always were, even before you started dating. you had the same routine that you had started back in 2003 when jj began working for the bau, when she let her submissive side take over more often. and tonight, she needed it. you pulled jj back into your arms, letting her squeeze herself into the smallest form she could possibly muster as the two of you sat together on the couch. 

“are you okay to get up and move to the kitchen?” jj silently nodded. “do you want a drink?” 

“please.” 

carefully, you maneuvered yourself off the couch and held out your hand to jj, pulling her up after you. the two of you shuffled into the kitchen and towards the fridge, knowing exactly what jj needed. you grabbed her favorite beer, twisting off the cap and throwing it in the jar you kept on the counter before handing it to her. she took it from you silently, coming to lean up against you as you stood with your back to the counter. you took jj into your arms as she quietly sipped at her beer, images of the case haunting her every time she shut her eyes. your fingers danced up and down the sliver of skin at her hip, placing a small kiss at the top of her head as she let you take most of her body weight. you hated seeing her like this, hurting so bad from cases that she was handed. you knew she couldn’t control it anymore, she hadn’t been able to control it in years, but it still hurt you every time you saw her come home so drained from the cases that hurt her the most. 

a thick yet comforting silence filled the apartment as jj set her now empty beer bottle down on the counter, debating for only a second before going over to the fridge to grab another bottle. her eyes were getting heavy, you could tell she was tired. but per usual, she was fighting sleep because she didn’t want to be haunted by the images she saw from the past week. wordlessly, you grabbed a pan from the cupboard and put it on the stove before making your way to the cabinet, grabbing the ingredients to make some pastina. it was one of the meals that got you through both undergrad and your masters, and unintentionally got jj through the academy. while you were in different branches of psychology, you knew how hard it could be on the brain and how the comfort of the little stars could mend even the smallest of things. 

you felt a pair of arms wrap around you from behind, a half empty beer bottle in one of the hands. it was hard for you, knowing how much jj was hurting but not being able to fix it. not being able to stop the horrors that she dealt with on the daily, while you spent all day in a clinic with your biopsychology buddies, studying the lighter side of how the chemicals in the brain interacted with the biology of the human body. you turned slightly to place a kiss on her temple, knowing that all she needed was the comfort that she got simply from being in your arms. you wrapped one of your arms around her, shifting her so she could place her head in the crook of your neck while you cooked. 

by the time the pastina was ready, jj was practically falling asleep while standing. the almost empty beer now sat on the counter, forgotten as jj took the bowl from your hands and made her way to the bedroom, knowing exactly where she wanted to go. you followed her closely, making sure she didn’t spill anything or hurt herself in the process, considering how tired she was. you made sure to grab the pajamas you set out for her before you had gone to bed, waiting patiently for her to shimmy out of her work clothes and sit on the bed. you helped her into her sweatpants, not even attempting to grab her shirt seeing as she fell straight back into the pillows, the light blue pillowcases practically engulfing her. 

you got back into bed next to jj, letting her curl into your side as she held the bowl of pastina as close to her chin as she could muster without spilling anything. you were planning on washing the sheets in the morning anyway, so if they got messy it didn’t really matter to you. as your phone screen flashed, the numbers showed it was now 5:12am, and knowing the type of person she was, jj had most likely been up almost twenty four hours. you were about to say something to her before realizing she had gone limp, small snores coming from her. you smiled to yourself, grabbing the half finished bowl of pastina and setting it on the nightstand, pulling the covers over the two of you. jj subconsciously curled into you, holding you close as you wrapped your arms around her. 

sometimes, all you could do was just hold her. and that was okay.

[1moreff-creator]

May I request opinions on Ace and J as friends? 👉🏻👈🏻

Sure! These two sound like a pretty fun duo, so why not talk about them! :D As always, this will be non-despair AU, since a killing game friendship between these two… let’s say it doesn’t seem likely to happen any time soon :v

Although it’s pretty hard to imagine how this would happen even outside the killing game lol. J pretty explicitly dislikes really loud people, and Ace in particular is pretty hard to befriend, so it would certainly take some work to get the two together as friends. It would probably have to be through a mutual friend, like Teruko or Mai maybe. 

So… yeah, that! Mai was friends with both of them, so they occasionally got dragged into the same activities. And since Mai “doesn’t like it when her friends fight,” and no one wants to upset Mai, J and Ace make an effort to tolerate each other around her. And when they do that, they find out… “hey, he/she’s not that bad!”

They’re still very volatile when they’re by themselves, and are probably another case of “hard to tell if they’re friends or hate each other at first glance” like I described with Teruko. It’s mainly J making fun of Ace for something, him shouting something back, and either J rolling her eyes at his silliness, or getting embarrassed if he makes fun of her. Though it’s best to have someone around to de-escalate in case feelings are in danger of actually being hurt. 

At least at first. Give them a few months and neither will take the other’s insults seriously. 

I could see J being a pretty busy person outside of the killing game, but since Ace doesn’t train for his talent, he often goes to wherever J’s working to screw around with her. J, naturally, tends to order him to “make himself useful” and carry around any heavy equipment she needs help with. Ace always complains, but deep down, he actually enjoys helping her. Makes him feel useful. 

On the other hand, J doesn’t usually go to Ace’s horse races (“why the fuck would I go, you’re gonna win anyways”), but when she does go, she always congratulates him on his sure-win, and only half-sarcastically! Also, she helps him calm down after the traumatizing experience each race is, and makes sure no one bothers him until he’s recomposed. As you’d expect, the communication after that is…

Ace [genuinely touched she helped]: Thanks… or something I guess. J [blushing and caring a lot]: Whatever, it’s no big deal, don’t get a big head about it, I don’t care.  Ace: Why would I get a big head about this, asshole?! Because the oh so high and mighty J Moreno [he doesn’t use Rosales at J’s request] deigned to step off her throne and defend this lowly, pathetic peasant?! J: F-Fuck you!

… stunted. Anyways, it works, somehow. Probably Mai gets them to have some more genuine conversations at some point or another.

On the topic of defending each other; while J can certainly stand up for herself when it comes to the creeps that come with fame (like Arturo), Ace is always ready to serve as backup if she needs it… For the two seconds it takes the creep to turn to him, because Ace is prone to hiding behind J if things get dicey. Well, you can’t say he doesn’t try. 

That’s for one on one’s, but Ace probably gravitates towards J in more class-wide activities as well. Mainly because making friends doesn’t come easy to the guy, and any friend he does have is probably a mutual friend with J. That can lead to an insane pair-up if J gravitates to Arei, and Arei to Eden. The poor Clockmaker’s gonna work overtime to make sure the J-Arei-Ace trio don’t verbally obliterate anyone they land eyes on, free my girl T_T

Anyways, for the fun of it, here's a small pieces of dialogue I feel could happen, including a bit of Jarei for the soul:

Ace [talking about a crush of his]: Fuck, do you think he actually likes me? J [Dead serious]: …Ace, I am going to give you the best advice I possibly can. Ace: Yeah? J: *Deep breath* J: The Ultimate Matchmaker is down the fucking hall. What in the fuck made you think it’d be better to ask me instead of him? Arei: Yeah, seriously. She’s hopeless when it comes to this shit! J: Hey! I’m not that bad! Arei: I had to threaten to put you in maid dresses fifteen times before you picked up the hint! Yes 👏you👏are👏. Ace: Ah, shit, [crush]’s only threatened to put me in a maid dress fourteen times, do you think I should wait for him to do it again before I do something about this? J and Arei: ??????

Well, I hope that was enough for you! Thanks for the ask, always love receiving them!

[janetkwallace]

Gutsy doesn't have the guts, or how to screw up a season finale

(Warning: Spoilers of Moominvalley Season 4 ahead)

The hell was that ending.

How come no one at Gutsy, from the storyboard team to the artists to the 3d animators to the writers to the editors to the directors to the executive producers looked at the Comet in Moominland episode and said "that ending could be better" or something, or actually anything, did they just nodded in approval as it was done?

It baffles me that they thought it was a neat idea and didn't question how odd of a choice it was to end the series that way. So, In case you don't care about spoilers, well, here it goes:

A big comet approaches Moominvalley, oh no! Everyone (with the exception of a few characters who never appeared again, like Emma, Misabel, Ninny, Fillyjonk's nieces, Teety-Woo, to name a few) goes to Sniff's Cave.

Moomintroll is like: "We must face our fear instead of hiding from it!", despite said fear being a freaking comet that will fry everyone as soon as it reaches Moominvalley. They leave the cave so everyone can die together, which sounds silly but whatever.

Not even once they contemplate their mortality, despite the episode pretending they are. How do you expect the audience to care if not even the characters show any concern to the looming threat on the horizon? Is it too much for children to experience the fear of death or any existential thoughts? I mean, this is Moomins, a series with frozen squirrels, Fillyjonks craving all sorts of disasters and sad pinwheel on the beach episodes. Oh, and a story about child abuse and how we need to listen to the downtrodden to aid their healing, but the 2019 series somehow found a way to screw that up, and I'll probably talk about it later.

What matters is that the Groke appears, and like a fly attracted to a bug zapper, she heads towards the comet, something happens (I don't know exactly what, did she froze the comet, did she ate it, did she explode, it's unclear), but everyone is happy.

Really, everyone just leaves and goes to a party. The comet, as it seems, was just a fleeting glimmer. And the best part, the one that made me laugh to myself because of how dumb it is in retrospect: The Groke dies for everyone's sins and becomes a force ghost that only Moomintroll can see.

The end.

I'm not kidding. This is the season finale's final act. This is how the 2019 Moominvalley series ends. Moomintroll looks at the viewer and we hear the Groke's moan off-screen. She is okay! But where is she? Is she alive? Is she dead? Is this a Schrodinger's Groke? Are we, the audience, supposed to be the Groke? Nah, that would not make any sense.

The Groke, of all characters, sacrificed herself for a bunch of people and it has no impact whatsoever. Like, do you expect everyone to know the symbolism behind the Groke, how she represents loneliness and a desire to feel something she can never attain? And that symbolism isn't even properly established in the series, to begin with, so what's the point of getting rid of the Groke? And she isn't even dead because Gutsy won't say that, and if you can't do something that Shin Moomin did five decades ago and better, then something is wrong. If you can't do something Tove herself did in one of the novels, then something is utterly wrong.

Although, to be fair, why the Groke? Is it so the comet would be gone? How does "the Groke freezing a comet" (I guess) is a better option than "the comet is about to hit the valley but it changes course"? This is like Moominvalley attempting to be its own unique adaptation by taking choices and u-turns in the narrative in order to stand out from the rest, but the result is this convoluted mess that either gets unnoticed or is just strange.

Overall, it was an okay episode. As someone who has seen the worst of humanity through MST3K, Comet in Moominvalley is mostly competent. Eh, at least the music was nice, but the episode could have been a lot better, and who knows, someone may have liked it as it is. I did not, and that's why I wrote all of this.

[cienie-isengardu]

Lo and Li and their (not) looking after Azula and Zuko in "The Beach"

I have talked a lot about Zuko and Azula lately because “The Beach” episode gives a lot of context for their relationship, but it would be a crime to omit the most funny detail (implication) coming from this episode: the presence of Lo and Li.

Those two older women were introduced into the series as Azula’s teachers (that definitely fueled her unhealthy sense of perfectionism) and some sort of advisors before the princess recruited Ty Lee and Mai on the hunt for Zuko, Iroh and later, the Avatar. The story alone gives little about Lo and Li, but considering their relationship and influences on the princess, we can assume they had, if not outright trust, then at least Ozai’s approval to keep an eye on his “precious”, prodigy daughter. As they were the only adults connected to Fire Lord and at whose house the Royal Siblings and their friends stayed in "The Beach" episode, I thought of them as not really nannies, but more like chaperones.

Zuko and Azula faced Avatar and survived, Mai and Ty Lee proved to be capable of beating down full grown men one on one (or more precisely, one vs many). So fine, ok, Ozai may trust his kids to be able to defend themselves - if the thought about their safety even occurred to him at all. But Zuko and Azula are, and I can’t stress it enough, teenagers sent on vacation and teenagers may do stupid stuff for fun just to taste the little freedom granted them. So it makes sense to me that Lo and Li should supervise the Royal Siblings, because vacation or not, they are still prince and princess, the precious heirs to the throne. And like, Zuko is with his girlfriend (official fiancee?) and you can never be sure what teenagers in love and with buzzing hormones will do, right? Same with Azula, who as we learn through the episode, will happily grab the occasion to flirt with a  handsome, popular boy and the innocent kiss turned out quickly into her passionate rant: “Together, you and I will be the strongest couple in the entire world! We will dominate the Earth!”. 

Azula’s mind really jumped from casual fun (no harm done if Ozai won’t learn about it) to the conclusion that boy she knew for what? a few hours at best will be her boyfriend and part of the future (military?) plans and understandable Chen freaked out and ran away. The taste of freedom affected even Azula, our so emotionally composed, clever girl, because again, a teenager, adolescent curiosity, lack of supervision and buzzing hormones are a dangerous mix. 

(I suspect Zuko getting Mai pregnant would be less scandalous than if Azula - the princess - ended with a bastard child at the age of 14/15. If Ozai would even allow the kid to be born.)

And what Lo and Li were doing the whole episode? Either giving some cryptic speech about how Ember Island is a magical place or encourage kids.

“Time to hit the beach!“ they said

while never bothering going with kids there

(or did Lo and Li have fun on their own ignoring the bunch of their temporary wards?).

And when Azula, Zuko and Ty Lee talked about Chen and why Azula didn’t betray their Royal Family status (and presumably of going to the night party)? Again, the two old women did nothing besides giving some more cryptic advice and saying “to the party!”.

Like, they were totally okay that Fire Royal Siblings (in range of age from 14 to 16) planned to stay at house of unknown boy(s) for the whole night. Again, Zuko is 16, at best almost 17, but Azula is 14 (at best 15) and I don’t think this is an appropriate age to let a girl - especially the princess you are responsible for - go to a party with presumably much older boys. 

(Unless this is why Azula demanded Zuko, her older brother, to be invited alongside her? Not like he checked out if she is alright before he was kicked out for the fight with Mai over some guy but I guess, with a sister like Azula it is easy to assume she doesn’t need babysitting, because Azula could and would kick Chen or anyone else’s ass if they pissed her off). 

My point is, Lo and Li could give the girls and Zuko some serious talk or at least ask to be careful or anything the supposed chaperons should say (or like,  outright demand from Zuko to keep an eye on his younger sister and the noble girls as the oldest and you know, the guy). Because Azula is first and foremost a princess, the same as Zuko is the prince and like, the Royal Family does not need any teenage drama and scandal (and from the previous episode we know Azula and Zuko are now the public figures at the capital).

I’m not sure if perceiving Lo and Li as some sort chaperons to the “banished for a weekend” Royal Siblings was author’s intention or not, but there is something incredible funny how those old women introduced as strict teachers criticizing Azula for not perfect hairstyle while she is working on her lighting technique - a skill absolutely amazing to have at the age of 14 - won’t even bother to keep an eye on the same girl and just let the whole bunch of emotionally stunted and traumatized teenagers freely roam on the “magical” beach and go to night party to total strangers. It is pretty hilarious if not a bit sad. Because wow, Ozai did not give much fuck about any of his kids one way or another. 

Aaand this is what I get when rewatching ATLA as an adult lol.

I know this is animations for kids/teenagers, but what if Chen didn’t freak out? Would Azula be curious enough to experience something more than just a kiss? And well, we assume Chen and Ruon-Jian are in age close to Zuko & Azula (as if they were adults they would be enrolled into army, I think?) But there is still a room for them being older than Zuko who himself is two years older than Azula. Also, them inviting Ty Lee & Mai specifically for how they look without bothering to ask for their name and the way a group of boys cornered Ty Lee to the point she needed to chi-blocking all of them kinda gives me the feeling the party was an occasion for them to pick up girl for night or something along the way. Dunno if I read the scene/intention right but it gives that vibe I guess…?

[dazzelmethat]

Long time no Bud. Wow the last time I made her a ref was 2018. I experimented some with her pallet. Unsure if I like the profile head but oh well, open mouthed anime inspired profile faces are notoriously hard for a reason.

Sigh. What am I going to do with her.. my writing conundrum workshopping in tags. My tag rant mentions plot related suicide and ableism (in relation to the zombie trope).

[the-lark-ascending69]

> be a robin buckley fan

> be lesbian

> project on robin

> look up "internalized homophobia robin buckley" on tumblr because it's cathartic

> 3/4 of the posts are about st3ddie or just about steve

[brutalmasks]

currently thinking about how, since bunny mask's head / sort of by extension her neck ( yeahhh, i'd say that, because she is NOT immune to decapitation ) are basically her achilles heel in the way that they heal muchhh slower than the rest of her body does + there have even been times where she didn't heal properly at all in those areas... that most of the scars bunny has are concentrated around there.

thus, if your muse is intimate with her in any way, then they'll most certainly be seeing those on her skin and i just 😭 it kind of hits me RIGHT in the feels — and i say this because there has to be a lot of trust there for bunny to feel safe enough to expose what is literally the most vulnerable spot of her body to them, you know? so yeah. that is one surefire way of knowing that bunny mask trusts your muse with her life ❤️

[twilit-tragedy]

And what’s funnier is that the prophecies DO come true. It’s just that characters made the wrong assumptions about them. A man wielding a spear leads the armies at Ragnarök and a bearded, bald man dies in Atreus’ arms. Brilliant.

“Fate only binds you if you let it”- no, but, actually. The characters kept saying it but only in hindsight do I realize how deep it goes. Truly the best way forward, even with some hint of the future, is to proceed as you would regardless. Make your own story and ignore if it matches the prophecies or it doesn’t. Or else you end consumed by thoughts of it (cough, Odin). And in the end it’ll come somewhat true without the details that YOU projected onto it.

[sonofshu]

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[theblairwitch]

i never internalize this lesson but do not become friends with your coworkers

[reflectionsofgalaxies]

EI rejected my claim and doesn’t say why, and I’m panicked and furious. This could mean I receive no EI support at all this month, and not only do I have rent to pay which takes almost two EI payments alone, I now have school costs as well.

I feel like the world is falling apart around me just as I started to move forward for the first time in eight years.