#just got to the part where its revealed that shadow experiments happened at the school 10 years prior

[hecksupremechips]

Was having so much fun replaying p3p that I forgot that this game is bad lol

[onepiecepetalfanfics089]

Yandere vampire Luffy getting jealous and breaking the nose of one of his vampy friends trying to bite on his precious Reader?

Belong To Me~..

College student reader!! X yandere vampire! Luffy!

Halloween special~

Fluttering your eyes open, you opened your eyes and sat up in your bed to face the world. Looking around, you noticed it was a bit dark..the curtains were closed after all.

“It’s so dark in here..isn’t supposed to be a bit sunny today..?”

You asked to yourself, sitting up out of your bed, you got up and turned to your curtains. Opening then to the reveal the glorious sunlight shining through. Of course the weather wasn’t as hot though. A smile made its way onto your lips as you were just about to comment on the weather, especially for Halloween season you heard a hiss.

A hiss of pain, like someone was behind you and felt pain from the..sunlight..?

Immediately, you turned around to look at what was behind you but there you saw nothing. In the shadows you saw nothing lurking around..

Or so you thought..

Little did you know that there was a certain vampire with obsidian black hair and big wide eyes filled with curiosity and adventure. A vampire that was completely..compelled by you.

Luffy blew on his wing as quietly as he could, but also trying to heal it from the sunlight you just had to shine at this time of day!

He huffed, his eyes following your every move while you walked around the room. Who knows how long he’s been staying in your apartment..one day he found you and couldn’t let go..he would never forget that one fateful rainy day.

The wind was crisp as autumn was coming to a close. The moon was shining bright as a light in a dark room. Luffy unfortunately, was having a bit too much fun in his bat form that night and was being a little reckless..he was laying on the wet floor, tired, hurt and hungry. But then you came. You came and rescued him from who knows what could’ve happen to him. You fed him, cared for him and loved him. All in his bat form but that still counts for something right?!

His heart fluttered as he grinned, showing his white shiny fangs along with his other pearly white teeth. Just look at you..those eyes..that hair..that smile.

He just had to protect you no matter what..soon, you’d be his..

And nothing could change that.

He was absolutely sure of it, oh so delusional..his grin didn’t even falter at all as he jumped from the bookshelf and turned into his bat form, flying after you when he saw you leave out the front door while you were talking on the phone, trying to keep quiet.

The sound of your phone ringing got your attention as you picked it up from your bag and answered it, the beeping finally stopping. Now your eyes were locked on where you were going but still you kept your mind open to whoever was calling you so suddenly just when classes were about to start.

“Hey,Y/N!!”

Your eyes lit up as soon as you heard that voice, it was your best friend who was also attending the school you were currently going to! But what did they want?

“Hey,(F/N) what’s up? You know we’ll see each other in class right?”

“Yeah i know! But I just wanted to make sure about one thing, you’re going to the Halloween party one of the students is throwing tonight right? It’s gonna be huge!!”

You thought about for a second..would a part be good for you?..you liked Halloween..and you could get a a taste of the college experience better..sure why not!

You have been feeling a bit..watched lately..

A smile made its way onto your lips as you opened up the door to your first class of the day.

“You bet your ass I am!”

.

.

.

.

.

.

When you walked into the party you were immediately hit by the flashing lights and colors. So many people were dancing and even singing that it was hard to keep track of who was who.

Looking around for your friend who invited you in the first place, you went over to the punch bowl.

Leaning against the railing, you took out your phone and texted your friend to let them know you were here but all of a sudden you felt a light, gentle tap on your shoulder.

Turning around, you saw a boy with black hair. He had a big grin on his face with excitement in his wide eyes. Something about him was truly..compelling..you could already tell. He had a scar under his right eye and..fangs?..

No! That had to be a costume! Get it it together Y/N!..

Looking up at him, his smile only grew somehow. He just met you but seemed so so excited..was he new?..

“Hi!! My names Luffy! Yours?!”

He did while holding his hand out, sheepishly smiling you gently took it and shook it in a friendly manner.

“Hey Luffy I’m Y/N..how do you know the host of this party?..or are you new to campus..I don’t recall seeing you around..”

He blinked a few times and then laughed a bit nervously.

“Oh well..yeah..I’m new! I know the host by..an old pal!”

Tilting your head you nodded. The whole conversation so far, you saw that he hadn’t removed his gaze off of you..once.

His cheery attitude never left or faltered once while the two of you were talking and for some reason you felt he was a bit off. Whenever you told him something about yourself like your favorite food, color or music style, he didn’t seem surprised like..at all.

It was like he already knew the answers.

Like he already knew you.

Like the back of his hand..

A few minutes had passed and he was still rambling about some nonsense. Boy, he really did know how to talk your ear off didn’t he..? He seemed so excited to talk to you. Not to mention he kept inching a bit closer, so close that if he wanted to, he could pull you in a hug without even trying.

Then out of no where, two hands slowly slid down to your hips. Eyes widening in shock and surprise you instinctively turned around to face whoever was in a touchy mood tonight.

You would notice that Luffy also stopped immediately when someone Dared to lay a finger on your precious body.

He was clenching his plastic cup with juice in it, making the juice slowly drip down his fist to his arm.

He hated when others stole your attention from him. He did not like it. Not one bit.

The person who grabbed you from behind seemed to have the same vibe as Luffy….kinda..And those fangs..those fangs they had looked so real..

But they couldn’t be! Vampires weren’t real! Right?

“Hey Luffy, who’s this cutie?..”

The guy asked, unusually staring at the side of your neck..

Luffy groaned. Why couldn’t he just have you to himself?..he gave a little pout as he watched you and his friend talk for a bit.

In all honesty, he didn’t really care if that guy was his friend..

Yeah, they did know each other for a few..years, and they looked out fir each other whenever the humans tried to kill them but..

Whoever should even dare to touch will get their asses kicked.

Luffy’s thoughts were really running wild through his mind. What if he tried to take you away from him..? What would he do with you? Who would he do with you?!?

Man..he really didn’t know why you made him so..so..

Quiet.

His mind then went quiet when he saw the sight before him.

His friend was trying to bite you.

He had his jaw open and forcefully tilting your head to the side so he could have more access. You look confused out of your mind, why was he trying to bite you..? What was this?

With the lights, the music and the people all around you three, adrenaline shot through Luffy’s veins. He snapped. He just couldn’t handle this anymore.

You were his.

You saved him.

He was supposed to protect you!

Without a thought he lunged forward, a shadow covering his eye as a serious look that rarely showed on his face.

His fist instantly connecting with his friend who tried to bite your neck with his dirty slimy teeth. The guy clenched his nose as blood trickled from his hand and letting out a loud groan of pain.

You were absolutely shocked, looking down at him with a mix of shock and horror.

By now, the party had stopped and everyone was looking at the scene that just played out.

Luffy took a few deep breaths, his fists clenched. Looking at you he smiled, not even caring about the whole scene he had caused.

Without any hesitation at all he swooped you up into his arms and flew out the window, holding you tight as you screamed for help. There were people who ran to try to help and others just stared. Ether way he finally had you now he was never letting you go.

Ever.

Back in his cave he had you in between his legs, snuggling his head in your neck. Unfortunately, you were making too much noise while he was carrying you so he had to knock you out. It was okay though! You would forgive him eventually..

He had to admit he was overjoyed to finally have you here his cave, holding you close and caring for you.

He had all your favorite things here!..that he may or may not have stolen from your home..Your clothes, pictures..you would love it!

A grin was plastered on his face as he took in your scent and let out a happy sigh.

“Finally..”

He said softly in your neck, his grip slowly tightening around you.

“You Belong To Me..”

Hey guys!! I thought I’d do this request first since it was only two days after Halloween! I really liked this one and I hope you guys did too!❤️🌸❤️

@anemptypuddingcup thank you so much for requesting this sweetie! I really hope you liked this!! I thought I’d make it into a modern college AU because it fit better for me lol, sorry if that messed it up 😭 but I really hope you enjoyed this because it was so much fun to write this🫶🏼 remember, you can always request from me because I LOVE your ideas! Thank you again darling!

Until next time my pretty petals!! 🌸🌱🪷

[shawshankshadow]

my relationship with the sonic movies is that i adore the character designs they settled on, and really like how they’ve played with sonic’s personality and writing to give us one of the most vulnerable and kid-like versions of him we’ve ever had. almost everything else makes me :c

in no particular order:

their voices.

the fact that it’s live action

tom being a cop who aspires to work for the LAPD because he “wants to help people and make the world a better place” (DHEHDBFJSJJCJFJDJCJFJ)

the misogynoir

tom in general? like, he’s not a necessary character, there is nothing he does that maddie cannot do. we could have had a “vet finds an alien freak” storyline with a subplot exploring her relationship with rachel. the second movie having a plot line where he struggles to call tom his “dad” - wouldn’t it have been more moving if we’d instead had a plot about him struggling to call maddie “mom,” due to unresolved grief over longclaw? then we could have had a subplot where tails calls HIM “brother”, and juxtaposed his found family conflict with knuckles, who ALSO has unresolved grief over his slain tribe + family. we could have had themed n shit, about mourning and healing and letting yourself have family again. but no whatever okay WHATEVER

where the fuck is amy. how are you going to adapt the classic games and then ignore amy and skip straight to the adventure era. amy was a pivotal part of sa2. what happened to sa1. back the fuck up.

i know its supposed to be “the year of shadow” or whatever the fuck - and i LOVE him i GET IT - but shadow is not nearly good enough to warrant skipping amy’s introduction AND sa1 just to speed to the shadow debut. sonic 3 could have been adaptations of cd (introduces amy and metal sonic) and sa1 (tikal, chaos), while seeding foreshadowing and plot buildup in the background for the eventual lore drop and character-reveal of shadow in sonic 4.

i pirate everything anyways but the. industry support of idf. are you for fucking real

sonic was originally a subversive freedom fighter who hated the military and engaged in direct action against shitty people (blowing up eggman’s stuff, having zero respect for institutional authority). so what is this copaganda pro-military bootlicker shit. UM.?)

my god, animation is not “lesser cinema”, it’s perfectly possible to have an incredible kickass story without using live action. i promise it’s not “cooler” for it to be live action, spiderverse was the coolest shit ever and it didn’t need fucking live action to make it so. please. live action fucking sucks so much it’s so boring if i wanted to look at people id go outside why are you making me pay money to look at REGULAR PEOPLE I COULD SEE ON THE STREETS FOR FREEEEEEE

the child trafficking joke???????

how’re you gonna give us our most CHILDLIKE BABY SONIC EVER insofar as characterization and character profile, and then saddle him with the voice of an 18 year old high school senior. this guy should sound like those squeaky kids from the amazing world of gumball. he should sound like a kid who’s barely hit puberty but insists he’s got a beard. instead he is, writing-wise, dipper pines, but voice-wise, jean-ralphio from parks and rec.

i cannot believe they gave us maddie the vet and then made us experience meeting sonic through the eyes of tom. TOM. MADDIE IS RIGHT THERE

sorry i’m still not over the disrespect for amy. shadow’s fucking heel-turn in sa2 is directly because a conversation with AMY made him realize the truth about maria’s wish. AMY DID THAT. SHE TURNED THE TIDES OF THE PLOT. SHADOW WOULDVE JUST MURDER-SUICIDED EVERYBODY FULL VILLAIN-MODE. OH MY GOD.

R O U G E .

so yall just hate women. this bad. yall hate women so bad yall will make the perfect girl character and proceed to completely neglect her in favor of her white male police officer spouse. and make us watch you do that. tom could have been a footnote. an email.

what the fuck is this longclaw vs echidna tribe backstory. like these story lore drops are crazy, how are you gonna say that and then not go back and develop it fully. how are you gonna keep it vague about mobius and NOT develop it. i’ll kill you.

THE RING ZONE PORTAL THING????????????? HELLOO????

THE PLOTS WE COUOD HAVE GOTTEN. BUT INSTEAD WE STAY ON EARTH AND USE THE RINGS TO PORTAL AROUND LOCALLY. FUCK OFF.

can you imagine a world-domination!robotnik getting his hands on the portal rings. and using them to conquer planets in his quest for domination of the universe. and sonic having to protect the rings from him while evading detection from the humans. like, a real Classics robotnik, instead of the “formerly a government employee” plot line we got.

WHATEVERRRRRRRRRR

could have had a pom poko ass plot line where mobians are aware of earth but earth isn’t aware of them, and sonic has to lay low on earth while trying to protect the portal rings and work with other freedom fighters to try and save his zone/world from robotnik’s reign. that would have given us the earth plotlines from sa2 while allowing for the mobius plotlines from classics era.

blah blah blah “portalling mobians land on earth and return to their home planet while accidentally take away a baby!robotnik from his family on earth. they don’t know how to return him but decide to raise him. he grows up different, has a Grinch Villain Arc, and it combines with his incredible genius to make him a mad scientist bent on world domination so that everybody HAS to like me!!! the mobians accidentally portal to earth after their portal accidentally crosses paths with another portal (this one going across space AND time) which throws off their trajectory. the other portal is eventually revealed to be a time tracker using chaos control to do something - the set up for silver the hedgehog.

[ev-pierce-writes]

Doll

Pairing: Bucky Barnes (Winter Soldier) x F!Reader

Words: 7.7K

Rating: Very much 18+

Warnings: P in V, oral (fem receiving), light (consensual) choking, praise, James Buchanan Barnes is a sad boy and only you can make him happy, mutual therapy over past trauma, a couple light spanks, and some sexy sparring

Note: Reader had a run-in with Hydra that gave you invisibility powers. Bucky is tasked with training you. Totally not canon, I just kept the parts I liked. Got the idea from a tiktok but I can't find it anymore oops. I'm thinking of turning it into a series of all the places you can fuck Bucky Barnes at Avengers HQ. Enjoyyyyyy....

---

"Alright, so I'm thinking absolutely the first thing you need is a suit. Because we can't have you sneaking around in clothes that give you away."

Tony Stark and Peter Parker stand before you at Avengers HQ, furiously tossing ideas back and forth, trying to come up with ways to build you the best possible suit. Last night had been...interesting, to say the least.

"Who's that?" Stark had said when you appeared all of a sudden from your room. "Come on Agent Hill, don't tell me you're taking in lost kids nowadays."

Your mother had only laughed, slightly inebriated and feeling loose because of all the drinking that was going on in your penthouse apartment. She was hosting one of those parties where too many superpowers drank too much alcohol and got a little too rowdy. "That's my daughter."

Usually, you stay away from such events, go out with friends, and avoid the house until it's all over. For the past four years, you hadn't even been in the house to need to avoid it. But now you're 22 and a recent college graduate and something about the party was drawing you in so you had emerged from your hideaway to join in the fun.

"Alright, Maria, how'd you manage to keep that one a secret?" Romanov spoke up.

Until this point, you'd remained silent, in shock at the sudden attention a group of superheroes had focused onto you. But you couldn't help yourself from responding now. You'd managed to hide away long enough. It was time to come into the open.

"I'm a ghost," you said jokingly, approaching the couch and stealing the drink your mother had been drinking to take a sip. It was strong and burned on the way down. The group laughed at your words, unaware of how true they really were.

It was then that you'd performed your little trick, the one that only a few of your closest friends had ever seen. You became invisible.

The laughter had immediately stopped. The girl who suddenly appeared out of thin air had disappeared right back into it. They could still tell where you were of course. The glass in your hand remained visible, floating in mid-air, giving away your position. And your clothes were still perceptible, not being able to change with you. But your features were otherwise undetectable, not even a shimmer revealing your face. You took another sip of the drink, liquid disappearing into an invisible mouth.

"I want her. On the team," Stark had said.

And that was it. The start of your superhero career.

"Explain again exactly how this works?" Parker asks.

You sigh and start from the beginning, again. "I can distort the absorption wavelengths of my cells so that the reflected light is in the invisible range, usually infrared."

"And how long can you hold it for?"

"About seven minutes now," you explain. "It's sort of like holding your breath. You can go underwater for a while, and you can practice holding your breath longer and longer, but eventually, you need to come up for air. Eventually, I have to 'recharge.' But I've been working on extending it."

Stark turns to one of the many holograms of his supercomputer, working with Friday to design a brand new suit to accommodate your skills. You're so engrossed in watching his process you don't even notice the shadowy figure appear in the doorway that leads to the training facilities.

"How'd you get these powers? Agent Hill isn't lacking in skill but it certainly isn't supernatural."

You knew Stark's question would come up eventually. It always did. Over time, it became easier to tell the story, but now you really don't feel like explaining fully, so you tell the short version.

"Hydra. When I was seventeen. They used me as a bargaining chip against my mom in a mission gone wrong and decided to experiment on me in the process. Left me with a lot of scars and a lot of therapy. Almost dropped out of school."

You don't remember much from the experience. But enough for it to leave lasting damage.

"Hydra?" a familiar voice asks behind you. Only now do you notice that Barnes is behind you. How long has he been watching?

You remain silent, just like you did the night before when he'd arrived late to the party, unable to speak under his gaze.

You had planned to leave not long after you joined the festivities. But when the elevator doors opened, a pair of blue eyes halted you in your path. James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier. You'd recognize those eyes anywhere. Crystal clear and icy, freezing you under their gaze. He wore a leather jacket and leather gloves, concealing his metal arm, but you knew it was there, hiding behind the layers.

Barnes had always been the one that caught your eye during your mother's briefings. His transition from the greatest warrior Hydra had to offer, and thus S.H.I.E.L.D.'s greatest enemy, to the trusted companion of Captain America and official Avengers member intrigued you. At first, he had been more of a schoolgirl crush, the little girl grappling with her new powers seeking guidance in someone who didn't even know she existed. But age had not reduced your admiration of him. Barnes' face was hard set in serious determination and his glance barely grazed over you before turning to the rest of the group. He paid you not a single ounce of attention, yet you felt dumbstruck in his presence.

But Bucky had noticed you that night. Noticed you in a way he wanted desperately to hide, so he disallowed his eyes from lingering on you. Who were you and why were you wearing pajamas at a party and how did you make them actually look good?

And not only did he notice you, but he recognized you. He wasn't sure how, but something at the back of his head buried beneath decades of blurred half-memories told him he knew you. It was a stupid thought, though. How could he know you?

From the doorway, his eyes narrow in concern, making you feel smaller than ever beneath him. How is that 5 o'clock shadow so enticing? You just want to run your fingers across--

Stark gestures at Barnes, completely ignoring his comment. "Good, you're here. Our young Agent Hill needs to get started with her training immediately. I want her in the field but she can't be going in inexperienced. Teach her the works."

It's rather bold of Stark to assume you have no combat skills. And to assume you even want to go into the field. But you follow behind Barnes in silence anyway toward the training facilities. It doesn't matter what you know and don't know. He's going to kick your ass anyway.

"Feet wider," he says, coaching you on your swing. His blue eyes have somehow darkened, and along with the faint beard, he looks positively dangerous. "Not too wide."

"I know how to punch, Barnes," you whisper under your breath. He's not meant to hear your words, but he does anyway.

"Oh yeah? Punch me then. Go for it." His voice is challenging in the way that reveals he knows he could block any swing that comes at him. But he wants to see what will happen. Your mention of Hydra loosened a memory in his brain somewhere, and though he can't quite place his finger on it, the memory told him you're anything but the kid he's treating you like. He wants to know what you really have inside you.

Your annoyance gets the best of you. You aim for his face, the way your mother taught you. And she taught you well, teaching you all the self-defense skills you might need moving through the world as a woman. But she did not teach you how to fight super soldiers. That's an entirely different world.

Unsurprisingly, Barnes predicts your move and his metal arm comes up to meet your human one, halting your punch mid-swing. His palm fully engulfs your fist, your knuckles slamming into the metal with a ringing sound.

"Fuck, that hurt," you seethe through your teeth, gripping your hand in pain. And yet, you still smile. You mean for your words to sound irritated, but they betray how much you enjoy getting a swing in. "Didn't have to do me like that, Barnes."

He ignores your pain, though secretly it pleases him to find how much force is truly behind your punch. Nothing, of course, his metal arm can't take, but strong enough. "Language, kid. Go again. And this time, try not to be so obvious."

Despite his advice, it's impossible. He predicts every one of your strikes and counters them with four times as much strength as you possess. You give him everything you have, and nothing lands.

"This would be a lot easier if you let me use my powers."

So far, Barnes has refused to let you fight invisible, not that it would have done you much good without a proper suit. But you're tired and sweaty, your hair falling from its ponytail and sticking to your face, your muscles aching and your heart beating fast. Barnes hasn't even broken a sweat.

"Unless you learn to fight without your powers, they'll do nothing more than level the playing field. You need to be at an advantage if you're going to survive."

Survive. You've done plenty of that already. You want better than survival. Barnes recognizes the look on your face, the one that expresses the desire plainly. He knows the feeling, drifting from one day to the next and wanting more than that.

His voice softens a bit. "We can call it quits for the day. Get some rest. We'll go again tomorrow."

He didn't intend to be so kind. It just sort of happened, drawn out of him by the not-so-innocent girl who still has a lot to learn but can hold her own better than most.

---

Tomorrow. Tomorrow's8 like the day before, 9 am at HQ, wait for Parker to get his ass up the elevator so Stark can begin, get sidetracked by coffee, and then finally return to the task at hand.

"Give this a shot," Stark says, handing you what looks like nothing more than a vaguely human-shaped paper suit. "Not exactly protective, but it's a new technology. Should conform to your abilities."

"You did this overnight?"

"Of course. Get changed."

The suit has little support and definitely no protection. You feel like a fingernail could rip a hole through it if you pull on it wrong, let alone a knife coming at you from an angry enemy. But it's a start. An impressive start. You stare at yourself in the mirror of the bathroom as you shift, the suit shifting along with you.

Back in the training facilities, where you know Stark and Parker will be waiting, you remain in your shifted form. They don't look up as you enter, somehow having not heard you, and instead are engaged in a heated discussion with Barnes about something you don't understand. So you creep up behind Parker, lean in, and whisper into his ear.

"I think it works."

You feel a little bad, but only for a moment. Parker jumps straight out of his skin, screaming a scream you didn't know was possible from the kid. Stark lets out a laugh as you rematerialize, and Barnes even cracks a smile at your prank.

"Yeah, yeah, I'd say so." Parker's voice quivers.

"Well, what do you think?" Stark asks.

"Very thin," you say, aware that much more is visible than you really want. "I feel like it's going to rip at any moment. And there's not a whole lot of support in this area."

You gesture vaguely at your chest, not knowing how best to explain to a group of men that a sports bra is a necessity for fighting, but knowing you have to make them aware all the same. You can feel Barnes' eyes on you, a little less polite than the others, and you find you like the way he eyes you up, a bit like a puzzle to be solved or a strategy to be devised.

"Right, right, I'll get on that. Only a prototype anyway," Stark responds nervously. "Back to work, Parker. Hill, Barnes, back to training."

Bucky tries his best not to picture what you might look like without that suit, but it leaves little to the imagination as you saunter away to change again.

And so the days move forward. You've never before been so busy or exhausted in your life. You just graduated college, which is a feat in itself, but all the training, all the work, keeps you on your toes so that by the end of the day, both your brain and your body are tired.

Still, you improve and get better at sparring Barnes, even taking him down a couple of times on your own, though you suspect he's going easy on you.

"Again." Barnes is already on his feet and helping you to yours. Today the sparring room is particularly warm, and you've long forgone your sweats for shorts and a sports bra. Barnes has lost the shirt as well, and his chest glistens with sweat beneath the fluorescent lights. Maybe it's the heat or maybe it's him, but the whole thing feels a bit dreamlike. Here you are, sparring with a man who could take you to the ground with one arm alone, and he's letting you kick his ass every once in a while.

But there's no way you can do it again. You feel destroyed by all the slamming onto the mat.

Barnes is doing his best not to be distracted as well, but those tight shorts and the top that reveals your midriff have to be on purpose. It's easy to admit to himself that he likes you, might even be attracted to you. You fight hard and relentlessly, rising to every one of his challenges and not backing down even when you're tired. You've already come a long way since that first encounter, and Barnes has come to look forward to the two hours a day you spend together in the gym. He had tried to tell himself it was the fun of having a new sparring partner, but in truth, he knows it's the determined glint in your eyes, the way you bounce on your feet in excited anticipation of the fight, the way you collapse on the mat after a hard session, chest heaving deep breaths in and out. But what he likes most is your heated gaze when he pins you to the ground, or even better, you pin him.

"Knock me down one more time and you can be done," he challenges. The familiar determination returns, though a flicker of doubt remains behind your eyes. He can tell you need encouragement. "Remember to use your size to your advantage. Don't let me get ahead of you. Keep me guessing."

You do your best. You really do. You hold your own for almost two minutes, but it's obvious you're only barely staying ahead of him. As soon as you falter, Barnes has you flat on your back on the mat without much resistance, immobilized by a knee on your thighs and his metal arm trapping your hands over your head. His free hand plants by your head and holds him up to prevent him from actually hurting you.

You gasp underneath him, trying to disguise the weird flicker of desire with breathlessness. He looks good from down here, all sweaty and dark and serious. But you're also a bit too tired to care. "I'm out, Barnes. Let me go."

Let me go. Please.

And that's when the memory returns. The full, real memory, the one that has been tickling the edges of his brain since he first saw you. You, a kid, his mission. Kidnap, don't kill. A small voice, your voice, begging. Please, let me go. What has he done?

"Fuck," he curses under his breath, standing up quickly.

"Language, Barnes," you say teasingly. But he doesn't laugh, simply exits the sparring room, abruptly leaving you, speechless and alone on the floor. What just happened?

After a moment of confused silence on the mat, you brush it off and stand, heading to your room for a shower. Stark offered you a place to stay at HQ, and you happily agreed. Though you loved being back with your mother after four years away at college, you cherish your independence. A room at HQ offered you just that.

A nice shower would certainly make you feel better after that confusing interaction. You pull on your robe and shower shoes, leaving your clothes behind so as to carry one less thing. But as you pass down the hall toward the showers, you can hear Barnes' voice drift through the slightly open door to his room.

"I remembered," he says. "It was her. I'm the reason she's--" He cuts off, appearing to be interrupted by whoever he's talking to on the phone. You pause by the open door.

"I know that's not me anymore but I'm still responsible," he continues. "I have to tell her."

Again a pause. By now it's apparent he's talking about you.

"No, Steve, we aren't a team. We aren't partners. I'm helping Tony out. I don't care if she doesn't want to work with me anymore, this is part of my redemption. I have to tell her."

The conversation seems over. You rush to the showers, not wanting Barnes to realize you were listening the whole time. Apologize, he said. Apologize for what? You've known him for a whole of four days and he's been nothing but polite to you. Cold, at first, but he warms upon acquaintance. And then he's downright sweet.

So sweet, you realize, for someone so damaged. He has every right to hate the world, and though he walks through it with a healthy dose of cynicism, he never lets that cynicism touch you. If anything, he's outright positive around you, an undeserving brat. A kid, really, though you don't like when he calls you that. You know you can be naive, positive on the verge of artificiality, and yet he never tries to burst your bubble. In fact, he seems to relish it.

The shower feels nice, but it does nothing to assuage your fears. Maybe it's you who has done something wrong? Now you're spiraling. You have to find out what's going on or it's going to drive you crazy.

You know what you have to do. You have just about seven minutes of invisibility before your shifting gives out. In those seven minutes, you can duck from the showers, sneak into Barnes' room, snoop around, and make it back to the showers unseen. Plenty of time. But you have to go nude. Now would be a great time for the suit, but no such luck. Naked it is.

Out in the hallway, all is quiet. Barnes' door is still ajar, but when you peek your head in, the room is empty.

Easy.

Where to start? His phone is a dead end, being one of those ancient flipping kinds rather than a new, high-tech smartphone. He has few personal belongings, the bed is made perfectly, and his closet contains only clothes.

The drawers of the nightstand are empty. Or nearly empty. At the back of the top drawer is unceremoniously shoved a small booklet with a pen stuck between the pages. It's worn and supple, as though held a thousand times and read a thousand more. You flip through, finding a list of names, some crossed out, others not. Your name does not appear, but something about the list tells you these are not ordinary names. These are the names of his victims, people Barnes hurt as the Winter Soldier. Your heart aches and your stomach clenches, the reminder of his past jarring against the kind demeanor you've come to know. But deep down, you know this isn't him, know he's a good man, despite it all.

You know better than most the first-hand horrors of Hydra's super-soldier experiments. Of anyone, you can relate best to the experience Barnes has been through. Your memories of that long week are blurry, but the pain remains, forever seared into your mind. You can only imagine a lifetime of that pain.

The sound of the door opening jolts you from your reverie and you close the drawer quickly. But you soon realize your mistake. Barnes would know he left the door open, would know exactly how he placed his book in the drawer, would recognize something was off. Unfortunately, you're right.

"Hello?" he calls into the darkening room. The evening is coming on fast and the sun dims to barely glimmer, casting the space in shadow despite the large windows on the south wall.

Bucky knows something is off the moment he finds your room unoccupied, having gone there with the express purpose of confronting you about his actions earlier in the afternoon. And though he has no way of truly knowing, he suspects you are now here, in this room with him, invisible to his gaze. Bucky shuts the door behind him and waits.

You're trapped. You don't have long before your powers give out; already the suffocating feeling that begs you to take a breath is coming on. And Barnes has closed the door, effectively sealing you in, as you can't open it without him knowing for sure that you're here. On top of that, you're clothingless. You've run out of options and Barnes seems to sense this. So, he waits, drawing out the moment of tension, building the suspense.

"I know you're here," he says finally, his voice soft and barely audible. "You can't hide that well. Next time, dry your feet off before you go leaving wet footprints all over the place."

Oops.

"I--" you begin, and immediately Barnes' eyes snap to where your voice originates from. "I'm sorry. I overheard your conversation with Rogers. I shouldn't have but I know it was about me."

Barnes sighs, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, you're right. I have some things to explain. Though I'd much prefer talking to you if I could see you."

You hesitate. "Only a slight problem there. I'm not wearing any clothes."

If it had been any lighter in the room you would have seen Barnes blush. Instead, you watch him pull his shirt over his head. He hands it to you blindly, the shirt off his own back, soft with wear and long enough to cover the tops of your thighs. It smells of him, salty with sweat and sweet with the scent you've come to recognize only as him. You shrug it on and shift back.

"I'm sorry," you say again, having trouble concentrating with Barnes' bare chest at your eye level. Is that an old bullet wound on his shoulder? The reminder of a knife across his stomach? You can't look away, even at the seam where man meets metal.

Barnes shakes his head. "No, I should be the one apologizing."

He pauses for a moment and tries to begin several times before finally forming a complete sentence.

"It's my fault you're like this, that Hydra tested on you. It was me who kidnapped you, it was me who followed orders, it was me who completed the mission and got you hurt. And I'm so sorry."

You're so frozen in shock that the absurdity of the situation doesn't even register. There's nothing under this shirt, no underwear, no pants, no bra. And here you are standing in the bedroom of your greatest inspiration, listening to him apologize for being the one that facilitated your kidnapping, for being responsible for all the injury, the pain, the nightmares, the isolation, the...

It all comes flooding back, the things you had forgotten, or simply chose to not remember, and one of those things is his face.

You thought you'd dealt with impact. So many hours with a therapist, and you realize all you did was suppress the feelings, not confront them. And then you break, all the anger and sadness and frustration flowing from you at once.

"You piece of shit." Your voice begins as a whisper but soon amplifies nearly to a shout. "You monster, you bastard, how could you? How could you?"

All this time you forgave him for the damage he'd done, excused it as brainwashing and manipulation from Hydra. But now that it's you he's involved, you have somewhere to direct your anger, and you take it out as a shove straight to his chest.

He didn't expect that one. The words he understood. He accepted those, accepted that you would hate him forever. But then you're pushing and hitting him with all your force. Barnes could fight back, could hold his ground. But you need this, so he lets you shove him into the wall with a newfound strength. Finally against the wall, with nowhere left to go, you turn to pummelling his chest with your fists, repeating the words over and over, how could you, how could you, how could you.

For a moment, he lets it happen. But eventually, Barnes reacts, grabbing your wrists and holding them to his chest in an attempt to calm the fury that rages inside you. Surprisingly, at his touch, you still, slumping against him once the anger is replaced with nothing but sadness. That anger, one you never truly realized you'd harbored since your capture, bled from you all at once, leaving you exhausted.

You don't notice you're crying until a soft thumb wipes a tear from your cheek. Barnes releases your hands and wraps his arms around your sobbing body, pulling you close. "I'm so sorry," he repeats in your ear, his words a whisper against the rage inside your head.

Is it hours, or only minutes, standing like that, wrapped up in him, his skin so soft against your cheek? Time has ceased to exist, melting into the nighttime that encompasses the room in near pitch-black darkness. Your breath calms, your heart rate slows, the tears dry. He's only a man, a broken, misplaced, lost man. But he's also impossibly kind to you, caring enough to train you day after day, to pick you up when you fall down, to ensure you're happy here at all times. That's the man you know and rest your cheek against and seek out for comfort in this moment, despite him being the reason for your anger. But he's not truly the reason for your anger, only an easy outlet standing right before you.

This is not how Bucky had expected this to go. Perhaps to never see you again, yes. But to hold you in his arms, certainly not. And not just hold you, but comfort you. It surprises him how much he finds he likes it. And he can't ignore the fact that you're here in his room, wearing his shirt and only his shirt. He doesn't try anything improprietous, just wraps his arms around your waist, but it's not lost on him that your supple chest is pressed against him and the delicious scent from your still wet hair is filling his brain with a flowery cloud. His stomach clenches at the thought of burying his face in that smell for the rest of the night but he pushes it aside. That's not why you're here. That's not what you want.

But your next words surprise him. You pull slightly away, tilting your splotchy face upward towards his to look him in the eye. You take a ragged breath and speak.

"I forgive you."

Bucky is taken aback. That's not why he made this confession, not to seek your forgiveness. "You don't have to do that."

"I know. But I do. And I know you think I'm just a kid--"

Barnes lets out a short laugh, cutting you off immediately. "Jesus Christ, that's not true. You're not a kid. You're smart and strong and capable. And you've seen the ugly world for its true self and choose to remain good and happy all the same. I'm not like that and that makes you wiser than I'll ever be."

He takes a deep breath, unsure if he should admit to the feelings he desperately wants to express to you. The way you're looking at him, with a mixture of hesitation and admiration, makes the words tumble from his mouth without a second thought.

"But somehow being around you makes me want to be good again. Not for my sake, but for yours."

"James, I--" You've never used his first name before, but it falls deliciously from your lips, the sound of it nearly distracting him from the finger you run across the stubble on the cleft of his chin. Nearly. He captures that hand in his own, holding it there against his face.

"You don't have to forgive me. I don't deserve it," he repeats, eyes falling shut to the feeling of your thumb pressed to the corner of his lips. He still holds you close, the other arm wrapping tight around you, and though verbally he rejected the comfort your warmth offered, his body says otherwise, desperate for the acceptance his brain refuses to give into.

"Stop punishing yourself," you whisper. For a moment, he almost feels that he could.

And when your lips find his, soft and delicate, he forgets why you're even here in the first place, forgets his guilt and your anger, forgets even to react.

His lack of response has you pulling away, worried you've done something wrong, but then he's chasing your lips with his own, leaning forward to meet you halfway, gathering you impossibly tighter to his chest. He pauses, mouth mere centimeters from yours, eyes still shut, a deep breath heaving from his chest. He wants more, wants to kiss you again in all the places that count, but he can't quite yet.

"What was that for?" The question's not an accusatory one but simply curious. Have you always looked at him in this light since day one? Has he just not noticed?

"Are you blind, Barnes?"

He laughs and shakes his head. "None of that last name shit, doll, we've moved on to a first-name basis."

But your words are enough to surge him forward, this time capturing your lips in a dominating kiss that leaves you gasping for air. He takes advantage of your open mouth and presses his tongue to yours, seeking to fill his soul with your all-consuming warmth, to wrap it around him like a cocoon of your scent. His fingers slide down your back and slip under the shirt you wear, his shirt, grasping at the bare skin of your ass, filling his hands with your supple flesh.

You moan softly under his touch, relishing in the feeling of being encompassed by someone so large and so strong. The vibranium arm, which you expected to be harshly indelicate against your relative fragility, caresses you with the same gentility of the other. The intense contact sends your heart racing like it did all the times you were pinned below him on the sparring mat. Will he pin you like that in bed? Hold you down while he fucks you within an inch of your life?

The thought rouses a heat between your legs and stirs butterflies in your tummy. You don't even know if that's where this is going, but it invades your brain anyways. You're sure Barnes can feel your racing pulse beneath his lips when he kisses your neck, sending your nerves haywire as he creeps toward the neckline of your shirt. He inhales your scent, the hot air of his breath fanning your cool skin.

Everything about this is sloppy, the wet kisses dragged across your skin, his tongue tangled with yours, your fingers tugging at the hair that brushes the nape of his neck. Even his hips against yours are messy and rough, the heat of him leaving your core feeling slick, the wetness of it rubbing between your naked thighs. And then Barnes is sliding his hands back up your body, this time under your shirt, and tugging it over your head, his lips leaving your skin just long enough to toss the item to the ground.

You expect him to keep surging forward, to lift you in his arms and take you to bed like you want him to. But he pauses instead, hands cradling the back of your head, his eyes staring intensely into yours. Or you think he's staring into your eyes.

"Are you okay? Is this okay?" His voice is full of concern but raspy with arousal all the same.

"Yes, James, yes, I need more."

"Well, I would, it's just that you've disappeared on me again." One look at your hands and you know he was looking right through you, not at you. The swirl of emotions--pleasure, arousal, timidity even--sent you shifting without your knowledge. You can't help but laugh.

"Let me see you, doll," he groans, sounding exasperated that he can't rake his gaze across your naked flesh or find all the places he wants to touch you because they're invisible.

"You first."

A heated understanding lights up his eyes, still vibrant in the darkness of the room. Slowly, he releases his grip on you, relenting to not knowing where you are in space. You take an invisible step back to get a better view of the specimen before you. With one hand, he unbuckles his belt, sliding the leather from his pants and dropping it to the floor with a thunk. And then his pants are gone and he's left in his boxers, tight against the bulging muscles of his thighs.

And other bulging things. He doesn't hide his attraction to you. But still, you do not reappear.

Bucky begins to worry you're never going to, that maybe he's taken things too for. But then, a soft finger trails across his neck and he jerks in surprise. You're tracing the plain of his chest with a feather-light touch, dipping into the indent between his collarbones, feeling along the puckered scar of a bullet wound and the long slice of a knife. He feels healed beneath your touch, but it's not enough to satisfy the insatiable hunger building in the tightness of his groin. This entire evening has been a long, drawn-out, build-up of tension, and if he doesn't release it soon, it will snap like an overstretched rubber band.

He makes his move.

Apparently, Bucky's senses are just as perceptive here as they are on the sparring mat. His metal hand shoots up and wraps around the wrist of the hand on his chest, despite being unable to see it. The other reaches out and grapples at your invisible body in the dark, somehow finding your waist. He doesn't need to see you to manage to flip you around and press your back against his chest. In your surprise, your invisibility falters, and you flicker out of your shifted form with a flustered squeak, one hand suddenly pinned between your back and Bucky's rock-hard chest.

He holds on with an iron grip and walks you toward the bed, holding you up to prevent you from tripping in your ruffled state.

"You're taking too long, doll," he mumbles into your ear, and you feel his chest rumble with the vibrations. Your free hand flies to the one around your waist, which is slowly creeping upward toward your breast to twist at the sensitive nipple. "I know you like it when I pin you on the sparring floor. I can see it in your eyes. I'll take you like that right now if you give me the word."

Fuck, you want nothing more but you can't breathe enough to get the words out, opting for nodding vigorously instead. But Bucky wants words, gently prodding you forward to get a verbal commitment out of you. He will never take you against your will again. So you manage a long, drawn-out please and suddenly you're face-first in the sheets, bent halfway at the waist, your ass grinding against the delicious bulge pressed against your aching cunt. It pleases you that he has been thinking the same wicked thoughts as you when he slams you to the mat over and over again in training.

Bucky pulls your arm out from underneath you, joining it with the other and holding them together with his metal fist at your lower back, forcing your chest further into the mattress and your ass higher in the air. There's no way for you to move, no matter how hard you try. But you don't try, won't try. Bucky has you right where you want to be.

"Tell me if it's too much," he murmurs in your ear and you breathe an affirmation. His teeth nibble suddenly at your ear lobe and you squirm, the sensation of his breath fanning your skin sending goosebumps along the trail of kisses he leaves down your spine. Somehow, you know this is only the calm before the storm, the gentle caresses of a man who's about to rearrange every organ in your body, all the way up to your heart if you aren't careful.

It doesn't matter to you that it's pitch black in the room; you wouldn't have been able to see anything with your face shoved into the comforter, even if the lights were on. But Bucky's starting to regret having left the lights off, wishing he could better see the curve of your hips, the swell of your thighs, or the bloom of his handprint on your ass when his hand comes down with a smack. He resigns to being satisfied by the mewling gasp that escapes your lips and your soft pleas to Do it again, harder.

So he does. Smack.

And then he's sinking to his knees and you can tell because he leaves a wet stripe of skin with his tongue over the globe of your ass and blows a shock of cool air across the rawness of your skin.  He replaces the sting of his hand with the bite of his teeth and then a kiss to soothe you again. The rollercoaster of sensations has you moaning against the mattress and rocking your hips toward his face and Barnes chuckles at your movement, your actions giving away the desperation you feel to have his tongue move to more sensitive places.

He is happy to oblige. You hadn't even noticed you'd been squeezing your thighs together until he slid a hand up between them, forcing them apart. It's a blessing your legs aren't doing any work to keep you up anymore because they feel like jelly under his touch. The hand between your thighs moves higher still until you feel his thumb pressed to your sensitive clit, warm and twitching with anticipation, desire coursing through your veins and dripping from your wet cunt. Your ears barely register that he's speaking, the blood is pumping so hard in your ears, but his words are exalting.

"Look at you, so wet for me." The hand around your wrists tightens just slightly. You are surprised by the extreme control he has over the cool metal fingers, and you almost wish he'd use those on you instead. And then he says, "you like it, don't you, doll, being at my mercy," and you forget all about the arm and decide it doesn't matter what hand presses down with a gentle strength on your clit as long as he doesn't stop. And he doesn't. Doesn't move, doesn't flinch or twitch or falter, just holds steady until your gasping mewls die down just enough for you to say, "yes, all for you, all for you, all..."

With those words, his thumb slips, between your slick folds into your pussy, finding the soft spongy flesh and pressing down again and you cry out with a careening moan that tapers off into a silent sob. He's taking his time, picking you apart, pulling at the laces that bind you together, and undoing them to release the tension he knows you harbor. But what about him? Is it not torture for him?

You breathe in a rough gasp, enough to squeak out a few more words. "I thought we were going too slow for you."

He laughs, he actually laughs, at your words, but relents.

"I hear you, doll."

I hear you. Oh wow. His tongue replaces his finger and you lose all coherence, able only to blubber some iteration of his name as the smooth muscle traces circles around your clit, finally allowing your orgasm to build with a steady contraction in your pelvis. Barnes moans between your legs like he's never tasted chocolate or buttercream or any of those other wondrous flavors and there's only you. And that moan sends you overboard, the vibrations diffusing down your legs and you tremble into your first orgasm. Your first orgasm.

He keeps going, riding out the waves of your high until you're crying that it's too much, James, too much and he pulls his tongue away from your oversensitized clit only to move down your legs. He's working you up again, teasing the smooth skin of your inner thigh with gentle nips and kisses until your body is craving release again, your cunt clenching around nothing but the memory of his mouth. He is deliberate in his ministrations, methodical in the way he must be with his missions. The flood of your first orgasm has dripped steadily down your thigh and he cleans you with his tongue, dragging upward along the sticky trail of your musky release until his tongue makes contact again and he pulls an orgasm from your desperate body once more.

He still hasn't released your arms.

"You know how long I've wanted to do this?" he groans, as you shudder again into the pleasure of his touch. He kisses back up the length of your spine while you twitch under him, his free hand dragging shock wave after shock wave from your cunt. It strikes you that this man is truly 106, not 26 like his body suggests, and you absentmindedly wonder if that's why he's so good at it, that he's had years to practice. And then his cock is pressing against your folds and you forget the notion halfway through thinking it. "You're so good to me doll, so good for opening up for me. Wanna feel your tight pussy around me."

You push backward, or do your best to without the employment of your arms, wanting desperately to feel him inside you. He is warm and all-encompassing and part of you thinks his cock spilling his seed inside of you would complete you like nothing else. But you know that's a bad idea and you can hear him already unwrapping a condom (where did he get that from?) and your body trembles with the anticipation. You haven't even seen him yet but you know he must be big, the way he grunts when the tip of his erection teases your entrance.

When he enters you it isn't gentle like the stroke of his tongue. It splits you open with a rough thrust, the laces of your heart fully undone and releasing you from their confinement. You choke on your own air.

And then he's releasing your arms, and before you can react, Barnes has you lifted, your back to his chest, your knees shoved roughly into the mattress so he can stand and fuck you from behind. The metal arm finds your neck and forces your head back, his lips dragging hot against your soft skin and muttering filthy praise into your ear, his hand gently on your throat to hold you there. Your hands fly to his, not to pull him away, but to convince him to squeeze, just a little bit harder. The pressure is grounding, and then the hand around your waist is trailing toward the bud of your clit and rubbing in urgent circles and you let out a silent gasp as he thrusts into you at a pace astounding for the position you're in.

You come hard, over his hand, around his cock, and for the first time Barnes falters, stunned by the intensity with which you clamp around him and if he hadn't made you come two times already he might have held out a bit longer to pull another one of those stunning orgasms from your slick cunt. But you're sagging, using him to hold you up against the exhaustion of repeated abuse so he releases, riding the wave of pleasure you started. Bucky groans out your name, surprising you with the gentleness of it on his tongue despite the rough hand around your neck.

When he releases you softly back onto the bed, you sink heavily into the mattress, feeling high on pleasure and drunk on his hands. He pulls away and shuffles around the room, and if you had had any energy left you might have complained at the loss of him but as it sits nothing will rouse you from the intense desire to simply fall asleep.

He continues to move about and then... the lights go on? You groan at the harsh treatment of your eyes as they adjust. But Barnes returns and pulls you against him and apologizes for the rude awakening.

"Sorry, doll," he mutters. "Wanted to get a better look at you." His fingers glide along your back and his face nuzzles into the top of your head, breathing into your hair as you press your forehead into his chest. Despite being exhausted himself he trails his hands all over your body, exploring the side of you that has been shoved into the sheets for the better part of the evening. You let him, although your nerves feel fried and oversensitive to touch.

"Watch what you do with those hands," you giggle as his fingertips brush over a nipple, "unless you're ready to go again."

"Already looking forward to next time?"

"You wish," you tease, but already you know for certain that there will be a next time.

[shadowgeist-stars]

Ren x Gakushu: Nightmares

Ren was standing in the Chairman's office, watching the man pace around him, Araki, Seo, and Koyama with practiced, measured steps. His words were almost entirely unintelligible, but his voice was just like always. The same eerie, low tenor that made his skin try to crawl off his body, like he suddenly had some kind of flesh-eating disease.

Suddenly the monster struck. A huge fleshy mass with eyes so big that they overlapped one another on its face. A mouth so wide and sharply fanged that it could swallow anyone whole and shred them apart in its jaws anyway. Before he knew it, there was an agonizing sting at the back of his head and the better part of his back. Ren was somehow thrown against the wall, pain tearing against his sternum and surrounding ligaments making it nearly impossible to breathe. The others were no different, as if they were flung just as woefully unprepared into the same MMA fight that he was in.

Then he realized all of their bodies hadn't even moved.

For all intents and purposes, their minds had been violently punted from each of their bodies, leaving them as empty shells that did nothing but chant an insatiable desire to kill E-Class. If Ren didn't have trouble breathing before, he was all but suffocating now. It only got worse when Gakushu reentered the room, only to call out to Ren and the others in horror. The mix of anger, disgust, and outright fear with which he stared at his father and his pet beast nearly wrenched his racing heart clear out of his chest.

“Gakushu, please… I'm right here…”

He forced his ghostly form to stand up. Dizziness spun his vision every which way. His shaking feet didn't feel anything close to steady as he tried to stumble toward his friend. The monster over the principal's shoulder only pounced again, painfully crushing his throat in its clawed grip as he could only face that menacing, unnatural grin. Darkness was beginning to dot his vision as it blurred with tears. He reached helplessly for his best friend with whatever vanishing strength he had left, as it all went cold and dark and --

Ren's eyes shot open with a gasp, heart pounding and breathing as if he'd just endured one of Gakushu's soccer games. He lay frozen and tense in his bed, clutching his bed covers and staring at nothing but his own bedroom floor as he slowly willed himself to calm down.

After he finally deemed himself calmed from the nightmare, (and telling himself that No, panic-brain, my blazer that I keep hung on my door is not a monster that's here to kill me) he sat up in his bed and checked the time on his alarm clock.

Only a few minutes after 3 o’clock, in the morning.

Ren grimaced to himself, running a hand through his stupid bedhead. Either Seo or Koyama would probably laugh about some kind of joke related to the time that he’s almost certain he’d rather not hear. However, he just thought it was too darn early to be up, even with something like a very graphic memory/nightmare to blame.

The principal monster from his nightmare flashed behind his eyes, in its own twisted "speak of the devil." What better way of being told by one's own brain that going back to sleep at that moment was not an option?

…Maybe a cup of tea or something warm (and uncaffeinated) would settle him down enough to help.

With a sigh, he got out of bed, pulled on a shirt, and headed to the kitchen.

He knew the house well enough that he didn't have to turn on the lights. He knew every place where the floors creaked, exactly where to stick to the walls and where to simply keep a light foot. The tiny nightlights in the halls kept it just visible enough that one didn't have to stumble around in complete darkness.

Many years ago, traversing his house at night was a game to Ren. One where his eyes sported beams of light to help him see. A game in which the dark wasn’t a monster to fear, but his playmate.

When he reached the kitchen, he breathed a soft sigh of relief. He grabbed a mug from the dish cabinet, but before he could do anything else, he noticed a light.

Light that was coming from the living room TV, partly shadowed by a figure on the couch.

Ren had a feeling he knew who that was. Guess I’m not the only one having a rough night.

With that in mind, he grabbed a second mug before pulling the jar of dried chamomile from the back of a different cabinet, fixing some tea with it.

The person on the couch didn’t respond to any noise he made, which meant one of two things: he was either quite aware of his presence and simply waiting for Ren to reveal himself, or he was out of it to the point of somehow not noticing the brunette was even there.

With someone like Gakushu Asano, there was no in-between with those two possibilities.

The moment the tea was ready, Ren poured it into the two mugs, a small voice in the back of his mind reminding him to put some sugar in Gakushu’s mug. He likes his tea sweetened a little. It’ll help him calm down more easily if he’s tense or had a nightmare, and right now he's possibly both.

He glanced at whatever he was watching on TV, which was turned down so low he couldn’t quite hear it. A documentary: his go-to for calming down from a bad dream. Crime or historic ones usually mean something relatively tame. But this one’s a nature documentary; he only goes to those things when it’s really bad.

The taller boy took a deep breath before heading over, humming a familiar tune and making sure to seek out the one floorboard he knew would creak. A word of advice from a friend, so as to not scare him once in his line of sight.

The redhead made an almost unnoticeable jolt before bright purple eyes met his. (So he really was out of it to a point he didn't know I was there, or at least hyperfixating on the TV.) He was wrapped in a throw blanket and had his legs laid across the length of the couch; he was probably planning on sleeping there if he was able to calm down enough.

“Ren… How long have you been up?” he asked, shifting around to sit properly on the sofa.

He chuckled, setting down the mugs on the coffee table until he was sitting down beside his boyfriend. “Obviously not as long as you.” His smile became a frown when he got no snarky response. “Nightmares keeping you up, too, huh?”

The shorter boy only nodded once, taking his mug when it was offered. “I hoped to be able to sleep again, after getting my mind off of it… And I didn’t expect to be discovered."

Ren hummed, sipping his own beverage. "…It was the brainwashing incident on my end… Araki saying it felt like an out-of-body experience was pretty accurate."

The ginger didn't seem too surprised. "…It was partially that exact incident for myself… and also the immediate aftermath of the pole-toppling match. I still find it hard to forget how badly Kevin and the other exchange students were injured, because of him… it was so severe that they all had to return to their home countries, once they'd recovered enough to do so."

The others didn’t hear much of that when it happened beyond when the paramedics showed up at the school. At the time, they all knew better than to ask while the wound was still fresh. Then again, it wasn’t like he would’ve been coherent enough to elaborate on the situation anyway, given how he fell asleep on the ride home.

"Least they don't have to worry about him hurting them again now…" he replied finally, "or anyone, to be honest. Especially not you." He pulled the strawberry blond boy into his side. "I think you remember well enough… how worried I was when he hit you in front of everybody."

The shorter boy’s exhale reverberated with exhaustion as his head drooped on his lover’s shoulder, followed by the sound of him emptying his mug. “Not as much as I wish I did… but at the same time more than I care to admit. It’s exhausting just thinking about it.”

The brunette smiled sadly at the sheer amount of fatigue in his tone, giving his shoulder a squeeze before finishing his own drink. "All the same, we can say that we're safe from him, and that in itself means a lot… By the way, I would've been alright with you coming over to my room after you woke up from your nightmare."

That only earned him a sleepy, yet sour look. "Why would I do that? I'm not a toddler, Ren."

The brunette snickered, using a thumb and index finger to get the other to face him. "Maybe not, but it's not childish to be afraid or need someone else, even for just a little company. Haven't you felt any better since I came out here?"

Gakushu tried to avert his face. "I suppose you could say that…"

Begrudging victory; I'll take it.

He smiled as he leaned in to kiss the shorter boy. He slipped his tongue in easily, tasting the chamomile's aftermath and practically feeling the remnants of Gakushu's tension and traces of his own nightmare disappear into the documentary's white noise. The ginger all but melted into his arms, the long and lazy kiss bearing down on his eyelids with sleep in a wave of honeyed warmth. Pulling away showed a pair of hazy purple eyes struggling to open again, on an adorable, blushing face.

“I love you, Gakushu; sweet dreams.”

The shorter boy gave a slow, cat-like blink, snuggling further against the taller boy. “Hmm… love you too… Ren…”

Ren chuckled at his slurred speech as he took Gakushu's empty mug from his hands, placing it and his own mug on the coffee table. Afterwards he turned off the TV, pulling Gakushu along as he shifted them around, until they were now both laying sideways on the couch, with a red-haired head on his chest. He managed to resituate the throw blanket over them both, draping long arms over his beloved; one settling across his waist, the other scratching his scalp in rhythmic circles.

He leaned into the crevice between the couch cushion and backrest with a contented sigh. With the weight and warmth of his boyfriend in his arms and the steady whispering breeze of breath in his ears and over his chest, the image of the former principal and the big-eyed monster was nothing more than a fading memory. They were both safe here, in this homey little bubble. Pressing a final kiss to his boyfriend's crown, he laid his own head down and closed his eyes, letting sleep carry him away on a far more welcoming cloud.

It wasn’t the first time they had such nightmares, and it may well be far from the last, but for now, they could sleep without fear, and that was enough.

[gatheringofdawn]

Akumatized!Adrien Agreste x Reader: “In the Name of Justice and Love”

(Non-canon Miraculous Ladybug & Miraculous Ladybug AU: Akumatized victims can stay akumatized for days or weeks and their activity is darker than what the show shows—also in special circumstances, a close loved one to the akuma victim can gain powers to counter the akuma’s/Hawkmoth’s powers.)

[This is only a work of fiction and not to be taken as non-fiction]

“Saturday night. You. Me. And an oversized bucket of buttered popcorn,” Adrian finished up your idea on what the two of you were going to do after school. “There’s a new film from oversees. American. Heard the reviews were mostly near 100 percent in the worth it category.”

“Black Panther?” you asked, remembering the French trailer that played on multiple YouTube videos as ads.

“Exacta-mundo!” Adrian smiled.

“Is it in English or French?”

“Can’t say. We can always wait for the English adaption to come out. I can wait.” Knowing that you preferred watching movies in your native-born tongue, Adrian added, “I heard there’s some other movies preceding it. Wanna check ‘em out?”

You shook your head. “Do you wanna see it?”

Adrian rubbed the back of his head and smiled meekly, blocking out the dozens of times he watched the trailers and might have fantasized a couple of fantasies of Black Panther meeting Chat Noir, being the test subject of Shuri’s experiments for an upgraded suit...

“Well, I’d be a lion if I didn’t.” Did he let that slip out?

You blinked multiple times. “Nice try.”

Adrien chuckled.

“Then yeah, lets go see it,” you bumped his shoulder with yours. “It’d be nice to see something from home, and it’d be nice to show you what it’s like there.”

Adrien nodded. “See you Saturday night. 8pm. Out in front.”

You agreed, then both you and your friend parted ways, back to your houses.

***

Mud. Grime. Stale old popcorn and sticky soda spills splattered everywhere on your back, in your hair, on the back of your neck......

.......................sweat stains, rancid-smelling drool sticky on your cheeks and swollen lips. White and clear male bodily fluids falling from trembling thighs. The memory echoes of sensations long gone but ghosting over your paralyzed body. A male. Pale, sickly, sweaty, cursing, deep nasally voice, tall. A brown beard scratching up and down your neck and cheeks. Thin, slender, and physically strong from one hand holding down your mouth from screaming and the other violently, violently stimulating himself on you by whatever means got him off...

—You explained over and over to the police officers. Their faces were grim, asking for your parents phone numbers. You told them of your foreign exchange program in return for leaving their abusive home. There was no one of bloodline to call for help.

Around the fifth or seventh time you repeated the violent rape and violent rapist, did you notice Adrien standing there. Right in front of you with wide eyes.

Words scrambled out of his mouth and towards you. And you scrambled them back to him. A mess of blurry, fuzzy scrambles.

Alya and Nino were conveniently there. And watched after you the moment Adrian pushed a police officer into his car with surprising strength. Other officers physically restrained Adrien, yelled at him warnings and more scrambles to your ears.

He fiested himself out of the officers’ grip and tasked Alya and Nino with the duty of watching over you the moment he spotted the familiar black butterfly fluttering in his direction.

To you or him? He backed out of the scene, and the butterfly followed him. You watched him leave the scene altogether.

“I’m sorry-I’m sorry this happened to you...” the whispered utterings, so frail, so soft crept into your ears, like warm milk on the tongue. Adrien held your hand with frailty. His forehead against the hospital bedside.

Your own consciousness dripped in and out of his mutterings. But it was darkness when he was there, and morning when he was gone.

No trial.

The very next day, in the morning, what lay at your doorstep was the mangled dead body of the rapist. Mangled and maimed, almost recognizable save for that rancid scent of his doused in overpriced cologne... mixed with the heavy scent of his blood.

All your emotions numbed out. The shock from last night carried over to the morning, numbing out your response. Alya, who stayed the night as a comfort support, yelped in shock for you and immediately began dialing 1-1-4.

You kicked the body, making certain of its permanent state then closed the door. You whispered faintly to Alya how you would be in your room, going back to sleep (forget school today). With the most friendliest you’ve ever experienced, Alya was accepting of your need and closed the door to your room behind you.

Two pills of sleep aid would knock you out. And so, you slipped into a deep, lukewarm sleep again. Heavy, heavy nerves as weightless as feathers....

***

The scratching at your door led you to wake up at... noon. The sleep aid carried over a handful of heaviness to your weight and starvation, but you opened the door anyways to find Adrian crouched like that of a cat and looking up at you.

...you thought you’d seen the black butterfly that causes akumatizatuions last night.

Adrian smiled up at you. Appearing averagely himself, save for his eyes. Like a hybrid of feline and human. Round, green orbs with giant black irises within them, made him look excited to see you.

“Did you like my gift?”

Instead of answering, you backed against the doorway and slid to the floor. Adrian cautiously approached you on all fours, as best he could with a human body.

“I...I heard that, males like me, after an attack like this...” he said very clearly, eyes downcast. “I can leave if you want. If that’ll make you more comfortable.”

***

On the news was the last remaining body camera video of the rapist’s last moments.

“In case you’re wondering, I took the videos he made of you. Everything in his apartment too like the computer in case... well... I burned everything else in there.”

And in that video was his torturer. A large male in all-black, fighting and fighting ferociously and more violent than soldiers in the trenches, than mercenaries on the hunt, than boxers would ever hope to reach for in the ring. Glowing green feline eyes, howls and yowls of that of a lynx.

The news accused an overzealous Black Panther fan of going too far.

“Well, a fan, yeah! What could be a better match up in partnership than Black Panther and Chat Noir, milady?” He scooted up from your lap and pressed the side of his head against your chest, and purred. He hummed in pleasantry, the soothing coo of his purrs softening. “For you, to protect you—that guy had it coming.”

Your answer fell soft on your lips. Words you tried to form but to no avail. The depths of your hiding heart knew the answer and if only Adrien could hear it echo.

And he returned his eyes to the television, resuming his comfortable cat position in your lap. You held his hand, squeezing affectionately.

***

Over the weeks, Adrian eventually stopped coming to school. You met him and found his appearance has yet changed again.

He spoke from the shadows that coated so well with him they could’ve been him, and he would’ve been everywhere under this bridge in the dark of the night. “I’ve gotten rid of a few more. For all women, men... children... for you.”

You shook your head. No longer were you in the daze of trauma. An accusing voice shouted that you should’ve stopped him that very day this all started.

“The rapists and white supremacists, two of them are hanging from the US Embassy’s flagpole. God bless America. Home of the brave enough to corrupt justice and land of free to oppress.” His outline in the shadows, you could see him on all fours, slithering closer to you in a manner paralleling a lioness on the hunt. “The rest are spelled out clear as modern truth on their pavement. Starting with the first American rapist that terrorized you—“

A vibrant and loudly attentive purr elicited from Adrien. “My friend~”

A shiver ran up your spine. His glowing green feline eyes showed complete delight towards you.

How could you have stopped him? What could you have said to the akumatized feline-Adrien in those moments? Dazed in trauma, depersonalize to reality and even your own sense of self. Then, you’ll just have to say it now as Adrien stood much taller, much bulkier, much more alive right in front of you, with his clawed fingers resting underneath your chin to lift it up.

Small simmers of memories between the two of you, hiding on the roof at school during lunch, from Nino, Alya, and Marionette, reading to each other whatever either of you had on hand and by the flip of a coin: Adrien’s fashion magazine, your “Spirited Away” graphic novel, Adrien’s “The Boy and the Beast” graphic novel, Adrien’s “The Wind Rises”, your “The Raven”, Adrien’s “Sherlock Holmes”...

Adrien chuckled, a soupy mix of harsh purr and his own lighthearted chuckles. “Around 36 Americans criminals have already been rounded up in less than three days.” His neck cracked, revealing a thin layer of a black pelt under his obsidian bodysuit. “And I haven’t even moved on to Purr~risians yet~”

“Adrien, that’s the Akuma talking, not you.”

“I let Hawkmoth akumatize me, ______, and it was all for you.” He cranes his neck and spine down, leveling eye to eye with you. The gesture would’ve been normally sweetly teasing, friendly, if not for the malice and stench of blood perforating from Adrien like cologne. Heavy in his messy, unkempt black hair where matted pieces held together by brown-crust. Stained red in his whitened-yellowing sharper teeth. And his eyes danced with delight, but all you could see was potential betrayal. “Seeing what that putrid, evil man reduced you down to, how could I have taken that? How could I, even as Chat Noir, be okay with that guy walking free?”

You blinked, confused but for a second before it clicked in your head what he had been subtly expressing. “You’ve seen him. The way he looks. Influential, charming, intelligent, and a promising college student. I looked up his background on his computer, and no way would your country have prosecuted him. Justice would not have been served, ma chérie.”

His quick switch to English with that phrase threw you off into dozens of memories from America. Flashbacks. And you said, “My friend, my best friend,” and you gently slid your hand into his, scratching yourself only slightly on his claws and feline pads. “Adrien. Just please. Let me know where the akuma is.”

In a sudden, his arms wrapped around you. His heavier and bigger body towering, entrapping you. “My best friend...” his silky, sultrier than warm milk voice slid into your ears. “I’m not Adrien anymore. That weakling gave himself to me because he knew what had to be done and what could be made.”

“So now, and forever, all there is, is Dark Justice.”

And he disappeared with the shadows helping me.

***

He barged into school, having changed more into a feline-human hybrid and wielding a sword 🗡, that had once only been a lasso at his side, pointed at Chloe Bougarais. With kind, alight feline eyes, he spoke, “Even despicable women like you will be served justice, so tell me, Chloe Bougarais, who was the male that assaulted your privates?”

It took most of the class by shock and storm, hearing their gasps and whimpers. You lowered your chin. This was too much, so much. Your rape, your best friend akumatized into a twisted justicebringing mass murderer, Chloe’s hidden sexual assault...

And with her chin upturned, lips twisted but trembling, Chloe appeared to murmur out a name. Adrien sheathed his sword and crept down on all fours, sitting like a cat would with his tail swishing nonchalantly below the desk. “Don’t worry, he will never see another daylight. As have others.”

***

Adrien coughed out spittal and obvious pain. He glared at the ground then at Hugh, who’d just ran out of the courtyard by the aid of Ladybug.

“Have you any idea what that boy has done?" Adrian gasped, voice purring-rumbling in anger. "My lady?"

"Chat Noir?" Ladybug gasped.

"Not even you will stop me from taking his life. I won't allow it. Not now," he raised his sword and charged. "Not ever!"

Ladybug and Chat Noir clashed. Sword and dodging, she was doing really well. "Adrian Agreste, snap out of it! This isn't you. You wouldn't do this! Not even if someone hurt you enough that you were in the hospital, you would never hurt anyone! You always forgave them, you always found a way to deny their evil ways in a peaceful manner!"

Dark Justice had Ladybug pinned against the wall. "I changed for my best friend over there, for my lady. So do not think I won't go to extremes to supply justice. You've no idea what legal systems let him go free despite the evidence larger than a mountain."

The cameraman was filming all of Adrian's rant. All of Paris would see this.

"He would be stopped. If not by the ones we put our faith in, then by me. That's all there is to it, Ladybug; Justice!" Adrian clipped off Ladybug's ponytail. "The right to get what is earned! The right to end evil once and for all! Aren't I just a descendent of the French Revolution, savior of Paris?! Aren't I just barging down the mansion to drag the pigs who are protecting their fellow pigs out of their comfortable, lush halls -- I am dragging them, my lady, and they don't want that but I've kept dragging them out--"

Ladybug's other ponytail fell to Dark Justice's sword. She was looking panicked. Dark Justice's moves were obviously too much for her, and she was already crippled without Chat Noir to help her -- but instead, had to fight her well-experienced partner, akumatized and fueled higher and more terrible than the sun.

"And I will slice open their bellies, I will gut them in the center for all of Paris to see at the slaughter that'll never end! Never will it end! Not by you, not by the military, not by the president of the fucking United States of America, not by my father once I find him and gut him too!"

You stumbled backwards.

You heard an agreement somewhere, two, multiple.

You heard a loud cheer somewhere outside of the school.

Adrian dominated Ladybug in power and strength. His fangs clenched, not even a smile, he was too into this, too attentive to his justice. Ladybug would have to activate her winning move -- her Lucky Charm -- as her last shot.

"Is this what you want to do forever!" Ladybug screamed.

"Until the last droplets of evil is extinguished and the pigs can no longer breed, I will be their inevitable reckoning!" Dark Justice responded, "Don't you get it by now, Ladybug? I can do something about the people who escape the system, the ones who deserve to be punished and to the ones who contiuosly cause harm to other people without mercy. All I have to do is be given a name. I will hear them. I will avenge them. I will end their tormentors!”

Dark Justice's growls increased in volume, like the growling of a tiger and a chainsaw merged as one. He grunted and arched his back as his body increased in muscle mass — and slenders of black protective silky fur spread across his skin. Dark Justice completely overwhelmed Ladybug's strength as he threw her over his head. His pants tore and a loincloth grew from the sudden belt around his waist. His anatomy now that of an anthropomorphic big cat as his face violently changed into that of the creature's, and two masses formed on his abnormally large shoulders. He hissed and clenched his fangs as the masses broke from the surface. His growls and howls of agony of the transformation as the two masses shaped into similar heads like his own and roared upon their birthing.

Adrian really was no longer there, now there was Dark Justice -- the Judge, the Prosecuter, and the Executioner.

“OUR JUSTICE.”

“OUR FRIEND.”

“OUR PEACE.”

“WILL REIGN FOREVER!” yowling from all three mouths simultaneously.

And his sword glowed a bright silvery-white and transformed into a massive Hammer of Justice.

You watched all of this, falling to your knees, and knew how far this was going. But you would get your best friend back.

(POV switches and changes)

“Adrien!” I shouted his name like a vehicle was about to run him over, but that love and warning combusted in and through my veins like fire poppers. The pressure, the height in sensation, I continued walking towards my changed friend, slowly gaining speed until I was in a sprint.

Then I collided paws with Adrien’s. Mine and his. Locked in strength. My jaws stretched open to show their gigantic, lethal lioness teeth and let out a warning yowl.

Adrien was forced back by my strength. I held the form nearly identical in stature and prowess to him, but I was a lioness. Surprise clear to see on his feline features, but then your strength held steady against his.

“I’m not going to fight you, ______. I refuse to.”

Your nostrils flared. The scent of him permeated with blood, old blood, sweat from sudden shock and anxiety, rotting flesh. You growled, "I won't fight you either."

Adrian's eyes showed recognition. "What are you doing then?"

"Doing justice.” Her teeth locked on Adrian’s neck and held. One of his heads yowled. Adrian appeared surprised. Her teeth didn’t dig too far into him but just long enough to immobilize him... and discover where his akuma was hiding.

She spotted the oddity on his loincloth. Some sort of ticket. Their movie ticket. She grabbed at it but missed. It was lodged into his side right.

In all this, Dark Justice struggled to free himself. But her lioness form was much to integral against him, and she hurried. She grabbed the ticket and punched a hole in it with her claws. Dark Justice felt as if his heart had stopped. He fell forwards into her arms as Ladybug began to purify the akuma and the damage done.

***

Adrian stayed in most days after his akumatization. He played video games with ________ and talked with only a few of his classmates. Most everyone at school was wary of him now, but he still went, he enjoyed his time on the roof with _______ and learning new things in class, staying out of the house, finishing his homework and ignoring the near constant hammering of what he had done.

________ grabbed his hand in class. He tightened his group. Soul shaken, but smiling. Things could’ve gone worse.

Thanks to the Paris-Catacomb Accords of 2015, Adrian was completely clean of any and all wrong doing he had brought on everyone, as every Akuma victim was given.

_______ and Adrian looked each other in the eye. “One day, we’ll catch Hawkmoth and make end his reign of terror.”

[This is only a work of fiction and not to be taken as non-fiction]

[mlqcconfessions]

hi! can i request the guys realising they’re in love with you/mc? how would they react to it and when would the realisation happen? just something a lil cute for the quarantine ✨

SUGAR SWEET not really, this got really dark

Warning: Backstory spoilers (with some alterations!)

MLQC Headcanon - When I First Realized

Victor

He still remembers the day when you first walked into his office

He hadn’t thought much of this new producer (just that she seemed like a dummy)

A few more meetings with you, and he realized that his initial impression of you was wrong (something that doesn’t happen often)

You didn’t seem like a dummy, you were a dummy

He’s never seen someone so all over the place, barely able to collect herself sometimes

At one point, he found himself almost looking forward to your visitations

As a CEO, he’s learned to control his emotions quite early on in his life

He forbid himself from showing any weaknesses (but he knows everyone else’s?)

So when he realized he was acting like a human being abnormal, he became irritated

He assigned more tasks, and required more proposals from you

By giving you more work, he eventually gave himself a chance to divert away from you (drowning in paperwork meant distracting his mind)

But for some reason, he just couldn’t seem to forget you

Maybe it’s the way you act tough

Maybe it’s how you avoid his eyes, but glare at him when you think he’s not looking (Victor knows everything)

Or maybe it’s your smile, and how you never show that in front of him

So he started wondering, what could he do to make you not so afraid of him?

As he got lost in his thoughts, his eyes gravitated to the pile of papers on his desk (he hasn’t so much touched those yet)

“Huh, unbelievable” (he then quickly passed off any interferences with his work)

A considerable amount of time has gone, and he’s escaping an abandoned building with you

He can feel the tension in the air, as the currents electrify his surroundings

Victor looks over to you, weary and frail from constant running, and clenches his fists

Whoever is behind this, they’re aiming for you

Before he could think of a plan of action, he suddenly catches you as you leap out in front of him (you’re writhing with pain as the bolt lashes against your back)

In his arms, you’re there, limp without consciousness, unaware of the turmoil inside his heart

He thinks back to when he was just a boy, and that brave girl who jumped to save his life (he had made it his lifelong goal to find her, but to no avail)

Now he knows it was you all this time, and he won’t let anyone hurt you ever again

Even if he has to break through time.

Kiro

He was a celebrity for as long as he can remember (one of the most popular child stars of his day!)

But it’s not like he desired to be in the spotlight for fame

He needed to find her (and that was his mission since the start)

“For you, I’ll reach even greater heights”

This was the only way he could possibly search the entire city to find her

By stranding himself in the public eye

He has never forgotten about her (she was on his mind everyday)

Whether he wants to or not, flashbacks of the experiment table run across his mind

He can picture the little girl next to him, seeming to be about his age, her eyes closed into a peaceful slumber

The red thread connecting the two of them continued to circulate, and he was forced to watch it all

If only he could rip out the needles binding him and escape this orphanage with her (he eyed the room for any possible routes)

She was so close to him, yet unreachable

He tried to grab hold of her hand, so as to stop this nightmare from consuming her

But one of the masked figures noticed his activity, and nonchalantly increased his dosage

The boy tried so hard to keep his eyes open, to fight back, but what power did he have?

He was only five

Many years passed, and Kiro returned to Loveland to boost his career as a superstar

He was now known as everyone’s sunshine, radiating with bright energy and beauty

Friendly with all, it’s not difficult to disclose your personal information with him (but no one really knows the darkest parts of the sun’s shadows)

Even now, he was still trying to find her

She must be around my age (but how would he know what she looked like now?)

With doubts in his mind, he takes a walk in his disguise to momentarily hide from the flashes of cameras

There was no destination in mind, just a desperation to be somewhere

He felt lost in this world where everyone knew who he was (but who would be able to rescue me?)

His eyes drift towards a supermarket, with a young lady stationed near the chips aisle

She should be around her age, maybe the height too?

As he walks past the store, he got a good look at her face (his heart nearly stopped beating)

Although the features were more mature compared to his memories, it was still the same shining smile as the little girl’s

How could he ever forget that smile? (the sole ray of light that shone on him in the darkness)

Without hesitation, he marches towards the market, nearly slamming into the automatic doors

He grabs the bag of chips she was reaching for, in hopes of getting her attention (in a relatively gentle way)

As she was about to yell his name, he quickly covered her mouth, allowing him to look clearly into her eyes

Ah....it was really her

“Shhh...I don’t wanna get noticed”

Lucien

In his world, everything was ordinary

Bland, boring, and lifeless

It has been this way for as long as he can remember, and he’s grown accustomed to this lifestyle

There was nothing he could do about it, nor did he want to waste efforts trying

It was easier to ignore the impossible, and focus on more important matters at hand (and this continued for years)

He had heard that a producer from a company was looking for him, and that she should be arriving any minute now

He had no plans to involve himself with television, so he decided to politely decline the offer to join her

Lucien wandered around his office, organizing his desk to welcome the unwanted visitor

He looked at his bookshelf, colored with a dull grey all around

It wasn’t anything new, just a little depressing at times

He noticed a butterfly floating past his windows (colorless like everything else in his sight)

Then he saw her, the visitor

Suddenly his eyes began to burn (his muscles started pulsing at the temples)

Why....

There was no explanation that he could think of

He trusted his eyes enough to know that this was not a dream, yet can he see color?

What makes her so different?

His original plan was to refuse her offer at the door, but instead took out his china set and began to brew some tea

Meanwhile, you arrive at the floor Professor Lucien should be on (you ask around, but no one knows where he is)

You ask a younger-looking gentleman, who leads you to an office a few doors down

You enter cautiously, but the professor is nowhere to be seen

As you’re about to leave, the gentleman pushes a cup towards you (it’s steaming with freshly poured tea)

As she grabs the cup, her touch reveals its true colors, never-before-seen

It puts a smile on his face at the sight of the extravagant change

....how beautiful

“Um, do you know when Professor Lucien will be returning?”

“I can go ask the researcher next door, if you’d like”

“Oh, that would be great!”

He can’t help but let out a chuckle as he calls his colleague next door, to which she replies with absurdity

“What are you talking about, Lucien?” (he can’t help but feel amused at the producer’s shocked expression)

He peers curiously into her blushing face, his first time seeing such a flattering hue

Gavin

He wasn’t always sure about when he first fell in love with you

He just knows that he did

At one point, you were the only thing on his mind

“Bro, you’re in love with her!”

Despite Minor’s annoyed words, he just couldn’t understand (love? what a joke)

He was sure that this wasn’t love, just a fleeting spark of a moment’s interest

He shielded you from the rain with his umbrella, but it’s not love

He stared at the picture of you in the school newspaper for hours (Minor had to take it away from his hands), but it’s not love 

He goes to your every recital (on the roof so you don’t notice him), but it’s not love

No matter which way he looked at it, he WAS NOT in love with you (Minor is slamming his head into the table)

But looking back, he does have an idea as to when this interest started

It was late spring, just on the border to becoming autumn

He was starting to lose conscious, surrounded by knife-bearers

Gavin was cornered on the school roof, blood flowing out at a dangerous rate

Then, he heard a soft melody encompassing the air around him (piano...?)

As he tried to locate where the sound was coming from, one of the gang members pushed him off the edge

His world spun around as he outreached his arms, desperately trying to grab onto anything available

Nothing.

All energy left his body, reverting him to a corpse (maybe my next life wouldn’t be so bad....)

Suddenly a heavy, rapid, surging melody sounded (taken from Campus Date!)

Gavin’s life flashed before his eyes, and the next thing he saw was the entire city beneath his floating feet

“....! What...is this..?”

While he was trying to collect himself, the roaring notes of the piano continued, as if they were in agreement with his adrenaline rush

He quickly regained control, letting the booming wind merge with this foreign power inside him

He gravitated towards the window, where the school’s music room was located

His ears soon landed on a beautiful voice, accompanied by the rhythmic taps of the keys (it was her!)

He still wasn’t sure how this Evol awakened inside of him, and is still wondering if this was love, but one thing’s certain:

He, for all eternity, would dedicate his life to protecting her (cue the Minor squeals!)

Shaw

He never thought of himself as a stationary being

Too much of a hassle

With his skateboard, he cruises around the city at his own pace, looking for any amusements in the area

Unable to find anything worth pursuing, he returns to his alleyway to finish the graffiti piece he was working on earlier

He recalls the time when he briefly met his brother, at the airport a while back

He laughs just thinking about that moment (he’s never seen his brother so furious)

Come to think of it, he was protecting a girl that day

Determined to make his day fun, he decides to go find her himself

You waited in the bus, hoping that your precognition doesn’t come true

“If we just get past this block, it’ll be fine”

You’re almost sent out of your seat as the driver brakes at the bus stop, one before your destination

A tall guy, occupied with his headphones, steps in

Shaw immediately is able to spot her, and promptly places himself in the seat next to her

The bus was nearly empty, yet he chose to sit next to you instead (just why..?)

As for why he sat there, Shaw couldn’t think of a reason either

He simply thought whatever happens next might be fun

He glanced over at the girl, who fidgeted nervously next to him

He cracked a silent smirk as he adjusted his headphones (he could feel her gaze on him)

“Wanna listen?”

“N-no..”

You couldn’t get your head around this guy, and exactly what he was planning

But you had your own problems to worry about, and it arrived much sooner than expected

Shaw noticed the girl was clutching onto her dress tightly, and glanced at her face

She looked like she was in pain for some reason, but there was nothing he could do to help (Do I wanna help in the first place?)

He jolted as she suddenly got up and yelled for the driver to stop the bus

The driver, of course, passed her pleas off (the bus wasn’t at the stop yet, anyways)

He inquisitively looked at his surroundings

There was nothing off, which means there was no reason for her to get so panicky

He became very interested in what she was going to do next, so he willingly gave her a hand

In the blink of an eye, the sky became dark and rain started to pour outside

Your eyes go wide at this unusual happening, but waste no time in rushing out the door (the driver gave up on running the bus in this weather)

He discreetly follows the girl as she runs towards the crosswalk

He’s a little taken back as she plops down on the cement, a sigh of relief across her expression

Without saying anything, he hands her a transparent umbrella (he tries hard to not laugh at her conflicted face)

“You’re welcome”

He decides not to ask her what that was all about

He could sense that they will be meeting again in the future soon

WOWZERS. This took me a lot longer to complete than expected.... (it’s so long!!!!) I did alter some details, just to fit what I want more.

I guess I took this a different route than what the request was, so I hope anon who submitted this is okay with it

I went for a more “when was an important turning point in their relationship” compared to “when did they fall in love” (because I think it captures the essence of the game better)

Hope you enjoyed. I’m now going to cry at all the hurt ;_;

[skyhopedango]

State of the Season pt 3

Following pts 1 and 2...

Bishounen Tanteidan

I've been struggling with how to go about writing about this, because every single sentence I thought of ended with "...and this is why Ouran Host Club is superior and everyone should watch that instead."

I mean, it's not like the show is trying to avoid comparisons? Or maybe they thought Ouran Host Club was so long ago nobody would notice or care? But I mean come on, starting with the whole premise of "pretty boy club where the 'pretty boy' part is of central importance, and where the members are all eccentrics, especially the leader, takes in a girl disguised as a boy as their new member, that girl likes to snark at the eccentricies of the other members, and also she is voiced by Sakamoto Maaya" - even aside of that, there's also the whole "incredibly opulent school" setting, the "incredibly opulent" visuals in general, and...

Well.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It's really obvious. And frankly, Bishounen Tanteidan is not doing itself any favors by setting itself as being directly comparable to Ouran Host Club, because Ouran Host Club is superior to it in every way. Sure, I'm biased - Ouran Host Club is one of my favorite anime shows ever, it's cute, funny - like really funny not "smirking sometimes" funny - it's extremely relatable to me and my fandom experiences, the voice acting is impeccable (Miyano Mamoru when he still gave a shit!), the direction and the visuals are handled by a sure hand, thoughtfully and with a purpose, and the characters are not simply charming and fun - they're just extremely well-written (most of them, anyway) with depth enough to sail a submarine through. (Also: Ouran Host Club is one of those rare anime adaptations which are so much better than their manga source material that it's almost unfair.)

In comparison Bishounen Tanteidan is basically one of those cheap chocolate Easter bunnies. It looks nice and tasty, but once you take off the shiny wrapper and take a bite you'll find that it's 1. completely empty inside and 2. the "chocolate" is just a cheap compound mix.

Really, I could talk about how the visuals are just opulent without any particular purpose, to the point where you just end up tuning them out because when everything is shiny nothing is really shiny; or how it's full of characters talking and talking and talking and talking and saying stuff that sounds complicated and smart but once you stop to think about it it's all banalities at best and pretentious bullshit at worst; about how the "cases" are just random shit happening until someone stops the story to give a lengthy exposition to explain the whys and wherefores, and it's usually incredibly dumb in a not-fun way... really, there's so much I could talk about, but to me the main issue is the characters.

Like, in Ouran Host Club after two episodes you already have a good idea of who these characters are, what are their main character traits, what are their relationships with one another, etc., and it only gets more detailed later on. In Bishounen Tanteidan we're on episode 7 and... who are these people, other than loose collections of randomly assembled tropes? There's Girl With Super Vision who is sometimes reluctant sometimes not; there's Boy With Legs who has legs; there's Boy With Pretty Voice who might be a lolicon and who mostly functions as Mr Exposition; there's Boy With Red Hair who is kind of gruff and likes cooking I guess; and there's Silent Boy who I'm told is artistic but that doesn't really figure into anything really. It's been 7 episodes and the only one with a clearly defined personality is Manabu and even that personality is "annoying and not in a charming way."

Anyway, I'm watching because I do enjoy the character designs, Boy With Pretty Voice does have a very pretty voice and he looks gorgeous, and overall it's a harmless way to spend 20 minutes a week. But honestly, the most enjoyment it brought to me was inspiring me to rewatch Ouran Host Club. Seriously people, watch Ouran, it's great.

.

Shadows House

This one, though! After Godzilla SP, this is another very pleasant surprise. I went into this not knowing what to expect, and got a really fun mystery with cute and likeable characters, some nice designs... just overall it's a very entertaining little show with a pretty interesting story so far. (It's taking me some self-restraint not to just get the manga and read ahead.) This is one that I look forward to each week, and I'll definitely read the manga once it's over.

.

Megalobox 2: NOMAD

Aaand there's this. This show is just great. Nothing more or less. Like the first season it's a well-rounded, well-produced, really well-done show that basically does everything well and despite being built on obvious tropes, despite the story being predictable, it's so smooth, so well-done, so raw and passionate, it has so much heart - that it never once feels tired or boring. It's a perfect example of how you don't need to reinvent the wheel to make a show good, that tropes themselves are not bad only when you use them wrong (same case with Ouran Host Club vs Bishounen Tanteidan above, btw). It shows how to take something that might be tired and infuse it with a new life.

I mean... sure, these things are incredibly subjective. But personally, Nomad generated a ton more emotions in me with its recent episodes than To Your Eternity which keeps being hyped as the emotional heavy hitter of the season. The episode of Nomad where the past happenings are revealed was really hard for me to get through, because everything in it was either way too relatable or way too real.

So yeah, so far Nomad is one of the best shows of the past years, much like Megalobox was, and I'm fairly confident that it's going to be able to stick the landing.

.

..

...oh yeah, and there's also Fairy Ranmaru. :D But I'm blabbering about that one separately I guess?

[pizzaboat]

So I've seen alot of people give their theory's and opinions on what's going to happen to Lilith in season 2 of the owl house, whether or not she's forgiven, where she's going to stay and how she'll act I guess, and the major thing being if she's redeemed or how redeemed she is.

I'm just going to throw my own thoughts out there and say that obviously there's still alot to do with her character. I also have no intention of bashing her character, I actually enjoy when she's on screen. I do like her but she's still problematic. So buckle up this is a long one.

To get my thoughts straight I'll break what I have to say down into parts, cause I get distracted easily.

First up im going to say I think she is far from redeemed. My impression of her is that she regrets cursing her sister, but she also finds some sort of sick pride in it too, as shown in agony of a witch when she screams " then why were you so easy to curse!?".

She also has no problem hurting literal children to get what she wants either, but that's another issue I'll discuse.

Lilith seems to resent her younger sister to an extreme, unhealthy degree. I could sit here and theorise about her child-hood and teen years wondering what could have created such insecurities in her, but im not going to. That is irrelevant to the point im trying to make. What's important to keep in mind though is that she was "perfect prissy Lilith"- the covention growing up, Eda was good at almost everything, and that Lilith cursed Eda to secure a spot in the emperors coven when Lilith was 18-19 and Eda was 16-17.

Is she redeemed ?

No i don't think she is even half way there. She cursed Eda in her sleep to win a fight. Lied for over thirty years to Eda about that curse. Mocked Eda for the symptoms of a curse she put on her "Why don't you go home and rest wouldn't want you breaking hip"- sense and insensitivity . she kidnapped Luz to use her against her sister, used Luz as a human meat shield in her and Eda's battle during agony of a witch, was generally quite rude to Luz when she wasn't dangling her over a pit of spikes, and also SPIKES.

Taking on half of a curse she put on her sister in the first place doesn't begin to cover the trauma and pain she's caused in the name of healing her sister, enforcing the emperors laws and joining said emperors coven.

I would also like to point out that she had a way to elevate her sisters pain all this time but she didn't. I've seen arguments like she trusted the emperor to heal her sister but I can already point out so many things wrong with that.

even if she did trust him, no normal person could sit by and watch any family member they claim to care about suffer, if she trusted the emperor so much she would have split the curse sooner, (providing Eda would have let her of course) and had him heal her or Eda both.

But she didn't do that she lied to her sister for years, partly because she was scared of losing Eda and also Eda's reaction which was, and would always be unbridalled rage. but also to an extent it suited her, it suited her to be the successful sibling, the sibling doing things "right" Lilith seems to be as I said before extremely insecure, and I think that just going off the episodes she was in and the impression the show puts forward.

If what I've noticed is correct, Lilith has spent her life in her sisters shadow, bullied in school as revealed in the end of something ventured something framed, nobody took her seriously due to her appearance and probably being a late bloomer in a lot of ways. She would have jumped at the chance to be given the same respect that Eda and other talented witches or well off, higher up witches recieved.

In other words the emperors coven fed Liliths' battered ego, telling her what she wanted to hear.

It makes sense that she wouldn't want to let that go, but in the context of what has happened and the fact she seemed to still try and stick with the emperors coven before Belos sent her to be executed along with eda and king.

She isn't redeemed, she probably doesn't see much wrong with how she's behaved up until now(besides cursing Eda) and there's still alot of work for her to do. She only split half the curse because her expulsion from the coven forced her to address a mistake she made for once.

Season 2 and maybe more seasons looks like where she'll be earning her redemption. Hopefully she'll be forced to face more of her flaws and short comings and work on them.

Will she be forgiven?

Lilith from what has been shown has hurt;

Eda Luz, King, Amity, Willow and Gus. They all have different reasons to be hostile towards her.

Eda

She cursed Eda and almost subjected her to a faith worse than death, lied to her, mocked her. Kidnapped her apprentice and almost got Luz killed a number of times,using her as a sheild. She dragged Luz into the whole messed up rivalry. I don't think Eda will forgive her emediatly, after all, even if she can forgive Lilith for what she did to her, she would also have to forgive her for what she did to Luz.

She essentially kidnapped Edas' surrogate daughter, Eda was much angrier about Luz's suffering than her own "you hurt luz, you cursed me. before anything turns me to stone I'm going to tear you apart!" - young blood, old souls

Yeah Eda was fit to murder her sister, taking some of the curse probably only got rid of her homicidal desire towards Lilith, thats it.

Luz

I've seen some people make fan content in which Luz immediately forgives Lilith or comes round eventually to her when Lilith acts nice around the house.

That seems super out of character for Luz, sure Luz is characterised to be kind and sweet but if the final proves anything its that she has a ruthless streak that comes out when she tries to protect the people she loves, her family. Lilith has threatened the people she cares about. I don't see Luz letting that slide, and she would probably still be on guard. Luz may have accepted her help in young blood old souls, but that was only because she wanted to save Eda she told Lilith she didn't like her "whole deal" and she meant it.

Lilith would have to prove she's really changed for the better for luz to begin to for give her.

King

I like the idea of King and Lilith becoming friends simply for comedy perposes, if King were to forgive her and I think he'd be one of the closest to it out of the main characters.

They'd be a force of sheer stupidity and ego they'd be bad and good for each other, King weirdly enough would be more emotionally mature since he's learned things like you can't be posesive over people in really small problems it's a lesson Lilith needs to learn since she seems to resent Luz to an extent, thinking Luz was taking her sister from her "Edalyn is with her family, her real family. Go back to your world human this one is ours" - agony of a witch

Of course before this she needs to also earn his forgiveness, he wasn't there for agony of a witch but he did experience the fear and worry of losing eda in young blood, old souls the only person he had up until then was Eda " King and I, we don't have much in this world. we only have each other"- A lying witch and a Warden. Lilith helping rescue Eda might have helped improve his opinion of her, but Lilith would have to get over herself first to begin her redemption.

Hooty

I don't think Hooty would hold a grudge, mostly because he's comic relief and weird. Since I personally think no one in the owl house would be bothering with her, and I see her being forced to live In the shed. I think Hooty would be her only company and I think it would be unexpected and really funny if he's the first person/bird thing to open her eyes to her awful behaviour. You gotta start somewhere and Hooty is it.

Amity, Gus and Willow

I think Gus and Willow will be stand-offish until Luz and King forgive Lilith.

Once Lilith has developed more as a person she owes Amity an apology for how she behaved as a teacher. Amity would be mad after the covention episode, but almost killing her crush would make her protective of Luz, and wary of her in general.

Conclusion

Lilith hasn't been redeemed in my opinion, there's still alot of growth she needs to go through, she's made alot of terrible mistakes and decisions, its what makes her so interesting. I like her but she's a sh*t person, but she can learn to be less of a sh*t person.

I'm aware this is a kids show and she probably won't get all this development or she could get different character development and that would be awesome, its just my thoughts and opinions and I'm really excited for season 2.

[project-rebirth]

A Certain Irregular Mental Academy

Prologue - Reality Assimilation: New_york_disaster.

10 years ago, May 2nd, New York City, 3:27 PM

May 2nd was nothing more than an unremarkable day.

In the ever busy city that was New York, this day was as normal and average as the previous, and there was the expectation that the proceeding days after it would be the same. Every one was living out their own lives, free of the dangers that were lurking in the shadows.

Several children were playing in Central Park, a business man was getting off of work early, several politicians were in a meeting inside a building talking about public security, and a traveling business man had just gotten on a plane which took off and was now on its way back to japan, all so he could return to his wife and son.

It truly was an unremarkable day.

But within the next instant, that all changed.

A tremendous sound resounded through the air, followed by a blinding flash of light. The light was so radiant, it was even brighter than the sun itself. But those who were not in the immediate area, safe from such a light like the japanese businessman realized one thing and a fitting term for such settled on their minds before it was even revealed through the smoke.

Destruction.

A section of NYC had been utterly devastated by an explosion of great size. From that alone, one could already tell the number of casualties was going to be tremendous. There were not that many people that could have survived such an event in the immediate area.

The man, one Kamijou Touya was thankful that he was on a plane heading back to japan when he did. He had almost missed his flight and even though the airport he had gone to was away from the blast site, there was no telling what could have happened to him if he remained there for any longer.

The children that were playing in central park was not that lucky.

They were caught in the blast, but did not suffer a instant death like those in the epicenter. Those people had had their bodies burned by the flames, charred to a crisp while some were fortunate enough to only get a fatal burn, others were hit by shrapnel from buildings and other objects that pierced through their bodies, and then there were those who were completely blown away, landing on a tree or other object that either fatally injured them or had killed them on the spot due to the nature of the injuries.

A girl, age 7 and Japanese as well, probably was the lucky one out of everyone there. She had burns, cuts and bruises all over her body, but she had not suffered extremely severe wounds or died instantly. She laid on the ground, unable to comprehend what had happened, unable to even scream in pain as her mind had not been able to process the event that had occured so suddenly.

Only a few moments later did she scream, but not out of pain from the state of her own body, but rather from seeing the state that her parents, her friends and their parents were currently in.

Their bodies were unrecognizable.

Her screams were loud and haunting, but it was only one of many that were crying out for someone to save them.

The businessman that got off work and the politicians were all killed in explosion, as they were in the immediate area. At the end of the day, this was a great disaster that New York had not seen since the fall of the World Trade Centre, a fact that many thought would not have to live through again. At the end of it all, over 678,000 people were killed in the explosion, and 1,010 were injured, however most of those people had died as well due to blood loss.

But this wasn't just an accident.

At the end of the day, American politicians on both the Liberal and Conservative parties blamed the disaster on Syria, who they believed had planted a bomb to kill the politicians who were meeting at the time in Ground Zero, which not only led to their deaths but the deaths of many others who were unrelated.

Some felt that World War 3 would have started then and there, however in the end, the result was a war constrained only to the United States and Syria which was devastating in its own right. The results of that war was still being felt in that region to this very day.

But in reality, this had nothing to do with Syria. They were merely the scapegoat for such a disaster because the relations between the two nations was rocky at the time.

No. This event had far more reaching consequences than what was told to the public.

On that same day, an incident occured on the other side of the world. Over in japan, there was Academy City, a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the Tokyo Metropolitan Employment Area. It is a city of several schools and institutions of higher learning from kindergarten to university level that learn side-by-side along with the scientists who research on psychic powers and higher technology, the latter being one of the primary reasons for its establishment. It is the most advanced city in the world and its technology is said to be 20 or 30 years ahead of the world. It stood at the top of the world of science and technology as a result and has remained virtually unchallenged, even with the Romefeller Family and their many private institutions among others being competitors.

But Academy City had not avoided its own disaster.

This was not as bloody or destructive as the event in New York, but it was concerning in its own right. That day to Academy City had been known as Dark Thursday.

It was an event that caused the city to enter a citywide blackout, causing all systems to go dark, and to add on that, every esper who was in the city, regardless of level or status had entered a coma that lasted for 24 hours straight. To this day, officials had no idea how this happened and as a result, urban legend enthusiasts and conspiracy theorists had talked about both incidents on the internet. Some believe the NYC disaster and Dark Thursday were unrelated, that they were two separate incidents that happened at the same time, but some believed that there was a connection.

And although that was the case, no one was closer to the truth whatsoever.

Except one person.

Yes.

The disaster was not caused by Syria as the world believed, and Dark Thursday was not just a random spontaneous event that happened at the same time. The disaster was caused by one person who lived in Academy City,

His name is---

***

"Kihara Eiichiro-kun."

The cute looking teacher in a classroom of Nagatenjouki Academy called out, the name of the student garnering recognition from those inside. They of course knew who he was --- who didn't? As far as everyone there was concerned, he was a genius in every sense of the word. He was technically brilliant enough that he did not need to go to school, however he chose to do so anyway.

But that genius student was no where to be found.

"Eh? Where's Eiichiro-kun?"

The teacher asked, using a less formal way of addressing him. That would have raised some eyebrows in other classes, but this was normal here.

"Ah! Y'know, he did say something about taking the day off! Something about working on a project?"

"Is that so? Haaa, I suppose it's fine then..."

The red haired girl's comment caused the teacher to sigh. Of course, the boy in question did have excused absences due to projects he was undertaking, so this was not out of the ordinary as far as he was concerned. Still, it couldn't be helped and the class continued about its day.

But speaking of which, where was Kihara Eiichiro?

***

The genius was currently in his laboratory in District 19.

It was where he undertook more of his experiments which primarily consisted of himself as a test subject. He was a bit strange as far as espers went and even stranger as far as Kiharas were, partly due to his nature as a humane scientist. He refused to take part in experiments that violated the rights of other human beings, and it was because of his stance on this that he was shunned by most members of that twisted "family". Only those like Kihara Noukan were among the few that could tolerate him.

It was currently Janurary 25th, a Thursday. Indeed, thursdays gave Eiichiro a sour feeling due to the event it was linked to 10 years ago. He was the cause of Dark Thursday and the Cataclysm of New York due to an experiment he was undertaking at the time. Of course, no one save for the Board Chairman, the Board of Directors and most of the Kiharas knew that it was Eiichiro who had done this, but even so, it didn't matter that much.

Since that day, he had sworne that he would never experiment on anyone ever again, that he would only experiment on himself and himself alone. He didn't want for anything like that to happen again.  

Of course, Academy City had been recently rocked with incident after incident, the more notable ones being December 23rd, or the Red Moon Sky Event, an incident that resulted in many deaths, injured civilians and personal, and trillions of yen in damages. It was officially explained as an Esper going rouge but the similarities between that and the  Cataclysm of New York was stark. It gave Eiichiro a bad feeling.

And then there was the event that happened on the 21st of this month, ust a few days ago  where bizarre creatures were rampaging about, along with a tremendous explosion that had been felt throughout the world, another event that shook the world to its core. The fact was these sorts of incidents on the scale of what was happening 10 years ago and in World War 3 did not sit well with Kihara Eiichiro at all. Something was coming, and it was only a matter of time before that something made itself known.

"...."

But perhaps the most startling thing for him was the fact that something within him was...changed. To put it simply, he had something he did not have before.

A strange power in his right hand.

This power had the ability to send things somewhere, but where he did not know. All he knew was that he had this power and he had to learn how to use it, to understand it before doing anything else. One wrong move, and this power would send someone to a place they could never return from.

But despite not knowing of its origins or nature, one name came into his mind. It was a name that he felt was fitting for such a power.

"....World Rejector. I've read about a similar power confined in the right hand of another, but this is on a completely different level."

Kihara Eiichiro remarked, staring at the hand which held such a power.

These were not normal times.

There was much to be done in terms of researching and investigating.

So he would do it. As a researcher of his own standing, he had to look into this.

"I suppose this is where my secondary role as an investigator also begins."

---

A Certain Irregular Mental Academy

@tetsuwan-atom​ @xbloodsoakedx​ @musexcongregation​ @graceful-cure-swan​ @strykingback​

[faean]

Midnight x Gender Neutral Reader

Requested by: I really do not know or remember. Whoops.

Rating: T+; Innuendoes, Midnight being Midnight

Word Length: 1,287 words

Title: Playful Thoughts

-----

          (Y/N) (L/N), recent college graduate and holder of a Bachelor of Arts in Quirk History with an emphasis on its prevalence in art and culture, along with a minor in Hero Studies and Linguistics and some very important teaching credentials.

           Now on the path for a career, (Y/N) is hoping to be employed at one of the many Hero Schools that are spread across the globe; however, what you did not expect was to get a job offer. Much less a job offer from U.A., one of the most prestigious Hero Schools in Japan. Having read the letter over and over and over and…

           Well, it all seemed a dream come true. They were offering to help pay for any travel expenses should you need to relocate and even had suggestions on finding a home near the school. Your pay would be exceptional with ample opportunities for a raise if you go for a Master’s or Doctorate’s; you’d get full benefits within thirty days of employment; your own parking space; and you’d be teaching alongside Pro Heroes, including All Might!

           There was just one simple yet excruciatingly important little detail you missed in your excitement that you didn’t discover until already moved into your new apartment.

           ‘There will be a probational teaching period where you aid one of the teachers for a full school week so we may determine which class you would be best suited for.’

           Needless to say-

           “Shit…” you breathed out in a nervous huff. “I actually moved and applied for citizenship and everything, and I didn’t even bother to read the full letter.”

           Your anxiety grew rapidly, but it was just as quickly quelled as you reread that sentence.

           ‘…so we may determine which class you would be best suited for.’

           A sigh of relief escaped your lips as you sunk into the couch in your new living room. “I am hired, they just don’t know where to put me. At least I still have two weeks before school officially starts. Maybe I can meet with the principal and even find out which teacher I’ll be shadowing…” you said, trailing off as you began to imagine different scenarios.

           You only knew of a few teachers at U.A., mostly through the news and other media, and some of it from your own research. There’s Present Mic, though he didn’t strike you as someone into history and art other than music. There’s also Midnight, and she gave you chills, though she is an Art History teacher, so it may be her, which means having to get used to, well, Midnight. Then, there’s All Might himself, but you were pretty damn sure he’s teaching Heroics, and you don’t have the necessary licenses to teach that. Of course, there were a number of teachers at U.A., and not just in the Hero Department. There’s the General Studies (where you kind of hope to be put), the Support Department, and Business Classes…

           “I really hope I make it into the General Studies. Even though I minored in some heroic practices, I’m not really up for that sort of thing.” You said aloud, now laying sprawled across the couch as you continued to think.

           ---

           It was time. The first official day of school. Despite becoming fairly close with many of the teachers and heroes at the school, you still had trouble warming up to one, almost literally.

           The R-rated Hero: Midnight. (Or was it 18+ Hero? You were regretting not paying attention in your linguistics class, it would have helped a lot.) Every time she was near, she sent chills up and down your spine, and you tried to avoid her whenever possible. Until you learned that you’d be shadowing the Art History teacher for Class 1-A, Midnight. After learning this, you tried to talk to her more, but everything about her just made you a nervous wreck, and you couldn’t figure out why.

           Was it her outfit? No, there are countless scantily clad heroes and heroines out there, and at least she has a full body suit, even if her suit is the same tone as her skin.

           Maybe it was her Quirk? It could put people to sleep when they smell it, and it’s supposedly more effective on men than women, but you hoped you wouldn’t have to experience it for yourself.

           Perhaps it was her personality? She had no shame about how she dressed or acted, regardless of who was around. Her dominatrix personality both intrigued and terrified you, which means it probably works.

           Watching some media clips of her work didn’t help, either. Especially during the time where she wore mostly leather and nothing else. Honestly, you couldn’t figure out if you were scared or turned on, or both. Which only made things more confusing. That is, until you actually started shadowing her.

           She was an exceptional teacher, and she tolerated no disrespect. Though, you had to admit she could be a little harsh, even sadistic, when interrupted or insulted, which happened often, unfortunately (a certain purple ball-haired boy really made you wish you were in General Studies). Then, there was the fact that she was genuinely helpful. She made sure the students listened to you when you would take over, she walked you through the grading system, and she helped you prepare your own lessons. Although, there was one minor problem.

           The more time you spent with her, the more you started to adopt some of her tendencies. The confidence and no tolerance for disrespect were good, but then you found yourself thinking about innuendoes and retorts to them when something remotely suggestive was said. There was the oh so original ‘that’s what she said’ quote, but soon, those thoughts started to revolve around Midnight.

           I can help rip her suit off… for Quirk use, obviously.

           Those thighs can kill, and I will happily sacrifice myself for the greater good.

           Do I prefer legs, or breasts…? How about yes?

           Hi, yes, I would like to order one dominatrix in six-inch heels that will tower over me.

           All right, that last thought was more revealing than you, err, thought, and you realized you had to do something about it. With the students soon to return after they recover from the USJ Incident (you were grading some homework when everything went down, but without a proper hero license, you couldn’t do anything), it would be the only chance you got at speaking privately (heh) to Midnight.

           But… that wouldn’t be the case.

           “So, (L/N) … You wanted to talk?” Midnight spoke in a sultry tone; her arms extended on either side of you as she backed you into a corner.

           “I-I-I-…” you stammered, a blush spreading across your face and neck as your knees felt weak.

           Midnight was mere inches from you, her hand now resting on your shoulders as she wore a sadistic grin. “Seeing you tremble and stammer before me really turns me on, (Y/N),” her hands began to rove across your upper body, stroking your arms and ghosting over your chest and neck, “but I also really enjoy seeing you take control in the classroom.” She pressed herself up against you as she said that, and you almost fainted right then and there.

           Unable to form any coherent words, just small, embarrassing squeaks and moans, Midnight took control, and you didn’t want her to relinquish it.

           She took one of her hands to your chin, curling a finger under it as her thumb rested just beneath your bottom lip, ever so slightly parting them. She leaned in close, her breath tickling your ear as she moaned out “I think I prefer the former.”

           And all you can remember is her lips meeting yours.

-----

Two down, eight more to go. Have a magnificent Pride, and I hope you heathens enjoyed!

[dansnaturepictures]

My Cuckoo and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker first sighting anniversaries: Updated 

Celebrating 10 years today since I saw my first ever Cuckoo and 7 years today since I saw my first ever Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 

I wanted to do a special post to celebrate once more one of my favourite days in the year 12th April due to among other memories on this date two of my greatest ever birdwatching moments in the New Forest in the early part of last decade on this date. I wanted to a post following a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker sighting a few weeks ago and the fact which I can’t believe that its been a whole decade since I first saw a Cuckoo that’s gone so fast. But with me working from home and talking photos and doing posts every day still and weekend mornings quite busy as a bit of a knock on from that and other things I don’t have the most time to be able to do special posts so ones different to my daily blog. So what I have done is rewrite this post https://dansnaturepictures.tumblr.com/post/159498448669/my-cuckoo-and-lesser-spotted-woodpecker which I did on 12th April 2017 which was a rewrite of this one on the anniversary on 2015 https://dansnaturepictures.tumblr.com/post/116192400602/my-cuckoo-and-lesser-spotted-woodpecker, I have pasted the same text below adapting how many years its been when I mention it and other small bits but just before the end I have added some updates of things that have happened with these two of my favourite birds since 2017. On my social media I like marking anniversaries but never mark every anniversary every year, however this double anniversary is so special the date is etched in my memory so I just can’t seem to not do something to mark it every year so this is this year’s post which I may basically re-post for years to come as I did every year on Twitter since I believe with the 2017 one.

Ten years ago today I saw my first ever Cuckoo at Acres Down in the New Forest, which became one of my favourite birds, and seven years ago today I saw for the first time a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker at Pig Bush in the New Forest. The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is another of my favourite birds, and one I had dreamed about seeing up until this moment. As this post explores and I have mentioned before this is not just two separate anniversaries sharing a date but the sightings of these two special birds are intertwined for me. This is not just a tale about two of my favourite birds, but about two of my favourite places in the New Forest and the world and these moments being big parts of my connections with them.

On this day in 2011 we headed out on a sunny day for what I thought was a dog walk and landscape photography trip to Acres Down in the New Forest. At this stage I’d heard Cuckoos on 2 separate occasions, but never seen one thought I longed to. I particularly remember a day of near agony at Blashford Lakes nature reserve where we heard one calling the whole time pretty much but just could not see it this before we managed to see a Cuckoo. However when we arrived at Acres Down one of our top New Forest spots where we went on Saturday, and climbed the hill to look over the beautiful landscape I heard one again. It enchanted the landscape, and sounded very close. To my delight a scan of some nearby trees revealed a Cuckoo sitting in one and I was very happy. We literally heard Cuckoos (we believe there to have been 2 calling that day) the whole walk to Millyford Bridge and back from that point on. That two week Easter Holidays as I was still at school back then we went to many more parts of the New Forest, and heard Cuckoos at all but one or two of them and went onto see two more Cuckoos that spring which was extraordinary. So to go from being a bird I had never seen to one I was hearing on a regular basis and had a few sightings of was a really rewarding experience and just a time I’ll never forget. Thankfully my first Cuckoo encounter that Easter Holidays led to my first sighting of one, otherwise if we’d have got even two or three of those other places where I heard Cuckoos in before the sighting I may have been a little frustrated whilst you are always extremely lucky to just hear a Cuckoo their amazing and iconic call and its great when nature can tease and temp you and keep you so wonderfully addicted. 

As I’ve mentioned a lot before the heath land and ancient woodland of the New Forest national park is a great area for Cuckoos, and it’s so nice to be able to see them with their numbers declining across the country. Acres Down was a fitting and beautiful spot to see my first, it is one of my favourite parts of the New Forest and I only discovered it due to birdwatching namely Goshawk and Honey Buzzard species we went there to see, seeing our first ever Tree Pipit that day in 2009 too then after it became a very regular walking spot for us exploring so much the Cuckoo moment was the next big one here in terms of birdwatching. This began my love affair with the Cuckoo through seeing and hearing many more in the New Forest, and after less than a year of that day then years ago I proudly added it to my list of favourite birds. 

One of those other places where I heard a Cuckoo in the spring of 2011 in the New Forest was Pig Bush, one of my very favourite parts of the national park because I am captivated by its amazing landscape, it’s brilliant for wildlife and have spent many happy moments there I always say for me this is the best birdwatching spot in the New Forest exuding dedicated nature reserves perhaps for variety and quality of what can be seen there and its brilliant for all wildlife with many a day where we’ve seen an unbelievable list of species and very high quality species on a walk. Since 2011 Pig Bush has identified itself as the best place to see and hear Cuckoos in the New Forest in my opinion, over the last decade we have tended to hear one there most springs as it enchants it’s woodland and heath beautifully and some of my best Cuckoo sightings since 2011 have come at Pig Bush. So it’s fitting that my first Cuckoo and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker sightings share a date, because it was a Cuckoo that led me to our first Lesser Spotted Woodpecker sighting at Pig Bush seven years ago today.

The trip seven years ago started out similarly to that of ten years ago today. We had just returned from Gloucestershire visiting Slimbridge and the International Centre for Birds of Prey and was a week away from going to Pembrokeshire and Skomer Island etc. for my Mum’s birthday so I expected a dog walk and a landscape photography day, but what I got was arguably my best ever birdwatching moment. I had always dreamed of seeing a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker due to my love of green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, and had heard they could be seen in Hampshire so wanted to kind of complete the set.

The endless search and unattainable quality had made me crave a sighting even more. Seven years ago today my wait ended in spectacular fashion. My Mum and her partner were looking at Redstarts in the wood at Pig Bush, but having seen these for the first time in 2014 a few days before at Ashley Walk in the New Forest I was more interested in the Cuckoo I could hear calling. So I walked in a little bit further in the opposite direction and scanned in my binoculars to see if I might catch the all-important glimpse of the Cuckoo, when I saw a woodpecker like bird flying with a black and white striped back. It was too small for a Great Spotted and clearly not a Treecreeper. So I confidently proclaimed “I think I’ve just seen a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker”. I wasn’t instantly believed but we walked a bit further towards the area anyway, when I managed to see the Cuckoo briefly sitting in a tree before flying off. I think I did know definitely I had seen the Lesser by this point it was just a case of seeing if my Mum and her partner could see it and get a glorious second look so this was an amazing few moments seeing two incredible birds for the first time in that year as well as one for the first time ever. Then soon afterwards the small bird flew back and went on a tree before setting off again, and we were all able to see beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker! I had seen the bird I had dreamed about and I spotted it too which I loved and gave me a great bit of clout in our small birding group for a bit, it instantly became a favourite of mine and it was another favourite the Cuckoo that had led me to it. At this moment I don’t think I’d felt more lucky in birdwatching, and I was on top of the world! What was also wonderful was that a place so precious to me had been the place where I’d seen the bird I treasure so much and I didn’t expect it at all. Looking back both the first Cuckoo and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker had the same impact for me of knowing in nature and bird watching you just can’t rule anything out because neither of these sightings were expected and in a way that made them and the memory of them all the moor sweet.

We got a second view of a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker maybe the same one in the exact same spot in the back of those woods at Pig Bush in the New Forest in March 2017! This was an equally as incredible and moving moment for me and the one tiny regret I had from the 2014 experience was not getting a picture of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker so I was determined to leave those woods with one that March as it gave us a longer display. I remember that day my Mum said “oh look there’s a Redwing” and Iooked up hoping for what might be one of my last sightings that winter of this migrant thrush but it had flown when I looked up. But a small bird then flew onto a branch and I knew instantly before I looked at it that it was going to see a lesser I think and I was ecstatic when I saw this bird again it was so powerful and phenomenal. I remember getting a safety shot with my normal lens then time stood still and my eyes did not leave the woodpecker for a second as I put my backpack on the ground and changed to my longer zoom lens. I managed the seventh picture in this photoset of this stunning bird that day. 

I am very pleased to say that we did have Lesser Spotted Woodpecker round 3 at the same place in recent weeks. After seeing one in 2014 and 2017 here, 2020 I wondered if we might see one there and it might be an every three years thing we did go to Pig Bush a few weeks before the first Coronavirus lockdown but it wasn’t to be. I genuinely assume the 2014 and 2017 bird, my Mum did see it in 2015 too but I wasn’t fast enough to see it, was the same bird but you never know what was around seven years on from the original sighting its a fanciful thought but maybe it was the same one. 2021 built on 2014 and 2017 in that gloriously it was a very much longer view. We spotted it on a branch and watched it weave and dance between the branches and even trees and really take in the splendour of this very special bird seeing its elegant and fantastic black and white striped back and cute appearance. We were on cloud 9 when seeing this sensational bird again. What’s more on this day it was one of our most extraordinary days ever for wildlife watching as minutes before we had seen the other bird I associate with Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, another favourite bird of mine I dreamt of seeing in the same vein as the woodpecker for so long since I was a child and it was interesting that I for the first time in 2014 just a couple of months before the Tawny Owl so they were always connected that an extraordinary view and bird to see on its own. We saw a ridiculous amount of other amazing species that day too such as Hawfinch, Woodlark, displaying Lapwing, Stock Dove, Fallow Deers running across a heath, an unusual for this location Canada Goose and more. Just like in 2017 I predicted the sighting a bit just seeming to know that like 2014 the magic was in the woods that day to allow us to see this which felt amazing personally with me for this bird once more. An epic moment which I’ve been proud to have this year and it may well define it. I took the record shots the final three pictures in this photoset of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker that day this year.

Cuckoo wise since 2017, after drawing a blank and not seeing one in 2016 the only year I did that in the last decade so far I did hear them that year though notably at Pig Bush, I have seen wondrous springs of the ilk of 2011 whereby we heard and saw or heard so many times at multiple locations and went on to see Cuckoos stitching together brilliant runs within years. This happened in the New Forest so much of course, Eyeworth Pond and Fritham rivaled Pig Bush and other strong area Deadman/Turf Hill for seeing Cuckoos. I took the first two pictures in this photoset of a Cuckoo still and flying at Fritham in 2019 a glorious early summer walk with so much seen that day too, I saw my first Cuckoos of 2020 there too. I also took the fifth and sixth pictures in this photoset of record shots of one in the Eyeworth Pond/Telegraph Hill area walk in 2018 and 2017 respectively. 

The brilliant Cuckoo run expanded to places outside of the New Forest too, notably Martin Down which is one of our very favourite places for the biodiversity of nature and views anyway where I personally might not have ever seen one there but I’ve heard plenty really allowing you to focus on the phenomenal experience that just hearing them is. One particular time hearing them was on the second May bank holiday in 2018 extraordinarily two days before the Eyeworth Pond sighting so that was some weekend when there we heard a couple including one calling very loudly in a bush right beside us! An exceptional nature moment in a year and in a group of years I have been lucky to have so many. 

But another top nature reserve, Thursley Common in Surrey, like it has done since we first went in 2017 for my whole hobby really (no pun intended for another of the key species there) has for Cuckoos added a new dimension to my journey with them. This is because we have twice got to see the famous “Colin” the Cuckoo who is a celebrity bird and people flock to the one bird laden field at Thursley in spring to see this legend. We saw him in 2018 briefly flying, but 2019 it went a stage further with him and another calling so well in the woods that day we saw him at the top of a tree staying there what felt like all afternoon and calling and we got crippling views of this Cuckoo when walking in the woods the other side of the trees from the field we were in some of my best ever views of a Cuckoo for sure and I took the third and fourth pictures in this photoset of him really standing out in my Cuckoo pictures over the last ten years for still shots of the bird. Over the last four years as I have done over the last ten I have been so pleased to hear the iconic call to sum up any spring, and feel how surreal and dreamlike it is when you get to purely hear a Cuckoo up close. 

The anniversary post from 2017 linked above has a picture I took of my first Cuckoo we ever saw a decade ago attached.

It still excites me now to think of the call of the Cuckoo and the look of the striped back of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker when these two monumental moments for me and my hobby happened, these are moments that will always stay with me, two of my greatest since I began birdwatching in 2006/2007 and what an honour its been to relive it with the species down the years. 

[soybeantree]

reisender

pairing: jinyoung!soulmate x (reader) genre/warning: fluff word count: 5.8k description: it isn’t through time that you go. but perhaps this whole thing would have been easier if you had. to a time where the two of you could be together. 

Consciousness slips in, and with it comes the knowledge that you are not in your bed. When you laid down last night, you knew you wouldn’t wake up in it. With a sigh, you reach behind you. The gesture is more habit than assurance. You know he’ll be there. Your hand runs across the smooth toned muscles of your best friend Jinyoung’s arm. He doesn’t stir. Glancing at the clock, you understand why. 

Carefully, you slip off the bed and out of the room. Moonlight greets you as you enter the living room. It spills through the wall of windows, reaching each corner of the penthouse. The space stretches around you, and you shiver in the emptiness. Crossing the living room, you open the balcony door and let the warm night air chase the chill away. Settling on the waiting bench, you cross your legs and lean forward to rest your arms on the balcony’s ledge. Seoul sprawls out below you. Buildings rise, their lights illuminated even at this late hour, while tiny cars zoom through the streets. Seoul has been your second home since you first traveled. You were five years old, waking up in an unknown city with no idea how you got there. Back then, magic had been your explanation for why some days you would fall asleep in your bed and wake up in Jinyoung’s. As you grew, so did your theories. You believed you were a mutant or part of some government experiment. Whether you know why or not, days like today happen.

Back then, traveling had been fun and exciting. A day out from under your mother’s shadow. A day to spend exploring with your best friend. Now… A weight settles in your chest as you contemplate the day to come.   “Do you know what time it is?” Jinyoung asks as he lowers himself onto the bench. The weight presses on your heart. You had hoped he would sleep longer. “Here or back home?” “Here.” “Early. Probably too early?” You glance at him, offering a simple smile. Bags droop beneath his eyes and his hair points in all directions. He stifles a yawn. “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” “It’s never too early.” He corrects. In the same breath, he asks, “What happened?” “Why does something always have to have happened?” You glance back to the streets below and watch as a car zooms around the night traffic.   “Because something has always happened. You’ve tried intentional travel before, and it’s never worked.” “There’s a first time for everything.” But your words hold no conviction. You wish he didn’t know you so well. Shoulders deflating, you admit the truth. “My mom showed up.” He stiffens, and you sigh. “She wanted to go to dinner, even invited my brother. It went how all family dinners go.” You want to leave it there and, for once, not burden Jinyoung with your problems. He sits in silence though, waiting. The words spill out as they always do. The dinner had started out calm as it always did. She and dad were doing great. Their life was practically perfect. The only thing that would make it better was if their children came around more often. When you informed her that you preferred to keep your distance, her mask began to slip. What an ungrateful child you were. After everything she had done for you, this was how you repaid her. You were blessed to grow up with parents who worked hard to provide you with everything you wanted. “She always manages to leave out the parts where she and dad would keep us up till two in the morning with their screaming matches, and how any slight imperfection was unacceptable. She forgets that I’m still in counseling for self-esteem issues which all result from her verbal abuse. And don’t even mention the disciplining which morphed into physical abuse because that sure as hell didn’t happen.” You exhale as tears prick your eyes. You rub them, forcing the tears away.   Jinyoung, who has sat quietly through your telling, inches towards you and wraps his arm around your shoulder, pulling you against his chest. You want to push him away, but his warmth surrounds you and eases the tension from the your body. The tears slip out, soaking through his shirt. His other arm comes around to rub soothing circles in your back. Eventually, the tears stop. The sun rises over the horizon. You peel your face from his shirt and rub the wetness from your cheeks. “I’m sorry about your shirt.” He shrugs. “It’s not the first shirt you’ve soaked.” The reminder pierces your chest. Clearing your throat, you straighten and face the sunrise. He places his hand on your shoulder, guiding you to face him again. His eyes search yours, and you offer a smile. “I’m fine now. Nothing like a good cry to get over a bad situation. What are you up to today, anyway?” He allows the abrupt subject change, a positive result of your long friendship. “Nothing. I have the day off.” You snort, and he cocks a brow. “What?” “You have a day off. Mr. Chaebol. Mr. I’m-going-to-surpass-all-my-predecessors. You haven’t had a day off since you were like seven.” “I have days off. You always happen to arrive on days when I’m busy.” He smiles. You shake your head. “Jinyoung, I’ve had worse days than this. I’ve made it through those without you rearranging your schedule.” Reaching forward, he places a hand on each of your knees and swivels you to face him. His face comes within inches of yours. “Today would be a free day, you being here or not. Now, let’s go inside. I want to change my shirt.” He falls back before standing up. You watch him walk away as you let your heart rate settle.

After a quick shower, you change into the clothes Jinyoung keeps for you whenever you travel. However, you fail to recognize the jeans and blouse, but you do recognize that their quality is much nicer than the clothes you bought for yourself. When you point this out, Jinyoung shrugs but gives no explanation. “What happened to the clothes I bought?” He shrugs again. “You’re impossible. There was nothing wrong with those clothes.” You defend as you two exit his apartment building and head for the nearest bus stop. Jinyoung has insisted on a visit to the local market for your outing. He also offered to drive his car. You politely declined. “Jinyoung?” You prompt when he still remains silent. “These are designer.” He stops after saying it, and while you can’t see his reaction - thanks to his sun glasses and face mask - you can guess at it. Shaking your head, you continue onward. “Wow, Jinyoung. I never realized how much of a snob you are. How much it must have pained you to be with friends with such a lowly peasant all these years.” The words sting, but you force lightness in your step as you spin around to face him. A grin splits your face. You hope it’s convincing. He steps toward you, his brows lowering beneath his sunglasses.  You skip a few steps back. “Don’t worry. Now that I know, I won’t force my presence on you any more. You’ll be free of me.” He reaches for you, but you twirl out of his grasp and dart for the bus. You arrive at the stop as the bus pulls up and quickly board as you school your emotions. Jinyoung boards as well and snags the seat next to you before anyone else can. You stare out the window, pretending to enjoy the view, until you feel a sharp pain in your arm. Head swiveling, you glare at the idiot. “Did you just pinch me?” He says nothing, but you can see his cheeks rise, the tell tale sign of his smirk. “You’re five. You’re literally a kindergartner who hasn’t learned self-control.” He still gives no reply and his cheeks rise even higher. “Why do I have to travel to you? Why can’t I travel to someone kind and considerate like your cousin Jackson.” You roll your eyes, facing the window again. But another sharp pinch pulls your attention back. “Do that one more time, and I will scar that pretty little face of yours. The tabloids will go crazy for that story.” He has the audacity to laugh. You raise your hand, and he stares at you. The sunlight shines through his sunglasses revealing a glimpse of the eyes behind. You lower your hand. “You’re lucky I’ve known you for so long; otherwise, you’d be a corpse.” “Always so violent.” He finally speaks. Curbing the urge to hit him, you hiss, “Says Mr. Pincher.”

The market is bustling as you two make your way through the crowded streets. The smells pull you towards countless stalls, and soon your stomach bulges with food. Your gaze lingers on the remaining food stalls, and you begrudge your stomach for filling so fast. Jinyoung pulls you away from the vendors and down a side street where other’s hawk their wares. You stop to admire shoes and clothes and tiny ceramics. When you stop in front of a jeweler’s stall, Jinyoung excuses himself, and you wave him away as you examine the pieces. The metal glistens with fresh polish and the stones twinkle in the sunlight, but your eyes settle on a simple leather thong with a polished black stone. Thin lines criss-cross its surface. From a distance, the lines would be invisible, but this close you can see the interlocked symbols they form. The symbols feel familiar. You reach out, your finger running over the smooth surface to feel the tiny fissures. “A Traveling Soul’s pendant.” Your hand jerks back. You stare at the old woman who appeared behind the stall. Wrinkles rise as she smiles. “A priceless piece for a Traveling Soul. Worthless to anyone else.” “I’m sorry?” Your confusion plays across your face. She laughs as she picks up the necklace and holds it out to you. You back away. “A Traveling Soul.” She nods to you, but you shake your head. “Surely, you know. After all you’re here instead of where you should be.” Her words still your heart and pull you a step closer. Your body leans towards her. Only Jinyoung knows you travel. You have kept the secret between yourselves all these years. No matter the questions asked by your families, you always found an alternate answer or refused the truth. Life was easier without them knowing. “But you don’t know.” She pulls the necklace back against her chest, offering you a sad smile. “How scared you must have been when you first traveled. You must have thought yourself so odd. A Traveling Soul is rare, their traits unique and more frightening than other souls.” As the woman speaks, her words pull the memories forward. The first time you traveled. You had cried for your brother. You didn’t know where you were. You couldn’t understand anyone. They all spoke so weird. When you woke the next day back in your own bed, your mother had beaten you for running away. That first year, you didn’t know why you traveled or when it would happen. You refused to sleep. You received so many beatings. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Shaking your head, you step back. “I have to go.” You continue backing away, bumping into another market goer. The apology is automatic as you dart past him. People blur around you as you search for Jinyoung. You find him in an alcove removed from the chaos of the market. He’s on the phone but waves you in, ending the call. “All finished?” “Yeah, let’s go.” The words come out in a breathless rush. He raises an eyebrow. You wave off his concern. “Trying to make it through that crowd to find you left me a little breathless. Not everyone has a personal trainer to make sure they stay in shape.” He nods but gives no response. Shaking your head, you walk back into the fray, not caring if he follows.

Consciousness slips in. You’re in Jinyoung’s bed. The alcohol was a mistake. Had you stayed up instead, cleaned your apartment, read a book, anything, you would be in your apartment right now. Drowning your problems in alcohol always leads to traveling. You reach back. Your eyes fly open, your hand frozen on skin. Soft skin. Curving skin. Keeping your breathing even and shallow, you retract your hand and turn your head. Your eyes confirm what your hand felt. There’s a woman in Jinyoung’s bed. A chill seeps through your body. She’s sprawled across his chest. His arms hold her. And if their bare top halves are any indication of their bottom halves, you know exactly how Jinyoung spent his night. The chill seeps deeper and settles in your bones. You need to move, but you find yourself frozen in this moment. Warmth comes in the form of a tear. It slides down your face, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. You need to get out of here now before either of them wake up. They both seem fast asleep. Offering a quick prayer they remain that way, you begin your slow journey to the bed’s edge. Smooth as a snake, you slide off the bed. The plush rug masks your descent. You sit on it for a moment, contemplating. The bedroom door is a few feet away and cracked enough for you to open it without having to worry about jangling the door knob. However, you are currently in your pajamas and have no intention of remaining in the apartment. You need clothes and money, and your stash of supplies is in Jinyoung’s closet, on the other side of the room. Suppressing a groan, you crawl to the closet and gather your things before heading out. The door squeaks when you open it, but neither stir. When you finally make it out of the apartment and can breath again, the reality of the situation washes over you and turns your legs to jelly. You collapse on the nearest bench. You’re not naive. While Jinyoung has never talked about women, you know they’ve existed. After all, he is young, attractive, and disgustingly rich. He has fan clubs. Those you have experienced first hand. But this, seeing him with a woman. Every time the image resurfaces, the chill spreads again, and breathing becomes difficult. The sun rises, thawing you and bringing you back to the present. The day stretches before you, but all you want is to sleep and return home. Sleep won’t come though. The image lingers in your mind, waiting for your eyes to close. You have to face this day, alone. It’s better this way though. You’re grown now. You can’t rely on Jinyoung forever. Standing up, you start to walk. You have no destination in mind. You just want to be anywhere else. The city passes by. People go about their business as the day begins. You notice everything. The slap of their feet on pavement, the bright colors of their clothes, the tang of sweat and asphalt. The stimuli overwhelms your brain, forcing out any thoughts. Before you realize it, you’re standing at the entrance of the city market. The food calls to you, but you ignore it. You came here for a reason. Traveling Soul. The term has nagged at you. You searched through books and sites but found no mention of the term. The woman is a loon, spouting nonsense, is the logical conclusion. But, that logic refuses to settle as fact. She knew about your travels when she knew nothing about you other than you had noticed the necklace. You want to know how. The market is as busy today as the last time you came. As you push through the crowds, you hope she is still here. It’s been a month since your last travel. She may have packed up shop and moved to some other city. You reach the side street and scan the stalls. Hope dwindles but then there she is. She stares at you through the crowd, a simple smile on her face. Her stare unsettles you. The urge to flee winds through your veins. You continue forward and stop in front of her. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out the necklace, holding it out to you. You stare at it, grateful you skipped breakfast this morning and wishing you hadn’t drank so much last night. “The necklace belongs to you. It won’t harm you.” With a tentative hand, you reach for it. Your fingers brush against the smooth stone. It’s warm despite the chill in the air which hints at Autumn’s approach. Your stomach eases as you pull the necklace from the woman’s grasp. “What does it do?” You ask, running your fingers across the etchings. “A Traveling Soul’s pendant allows the traveler to will their travels.” Your gaze darts to the woman. “You mean I could control it?” “Do you know what it means to be a Traveling Soul?” You shake your head. “Your soul is bound to another through time and space. A soul calls to yours, offering a home, and yours returns the call, traveling home.” The world around you stills as she speaks. The voices, the tread of feet, all goes silent. The Call sings to you. It has the cadence of Jinyoung’s voice, the warmth of his arms around you. You drop the necklace, and the world rushes back in. You cover your ears as the sounds threaten to deafen you. Your heart races and your lungs refuse to work. Gentle hands, their skin soft with wrinkles, cover yours and guide your face to warm eyes. Your lungs open as everything settles around you. The woman eases your hands from your ears and tugs them forward. She leads you around her stall and into a small tent behind it. She sits you down and busies herself in the corner, returning with a cup of tea. You sip the tea, the warmth flowing through you. The woman pulls up a chair opposite you. “Was I about to travel?” You whisper. The woman nods. “Why did it feel like that?” “You rejected the call. Your soul reached out, and you tore it back.” You nod, turning the words over in your mind, weighing their truth. The woman leans forward, holding out the pendant. You eye it with a shudder. “The pendant won’t pull you through. It is a focus, helping you tune into the call and follow it home. It will even keep you from traveling.” Your attention snaps to the pendant. You reach for it, and after a moment’s hesitation, grasp it. Warmth still radiates from it, but you have no sense of Jinyoung. “When you say, a soul calls to mine and I travel to it… the person I wake up next to is that soul?” She nods. “Does that mean that he’s my-” The words stick in your throat. Speaking them makes them truth. “Is he my soul mate?” She nods again. The tea cup rattles in your hand as you struggle to find your breath. Soul mates are rare. So rare as to become fodder for fairy tales. Few believe soul mates exist. “How do you know this? How do you have this?” You shake the pendant at her. “My grandfather was a Traveling Soul. That pendant was his. It has been passed from Traveling Soul to Traveling Soul for hundreds of years. He gave it to me before he made his last travel. He asked me to pass it on. I thought I’d never find you, then you stumble right into my stall.” She offers a watery smile. You look away, your eyes landing on the pendant which dangles from your hand. “Will it take me back, too?” “You want to go back?” As a child you would have done anything to stay here. In high school and college, you had researched exchange programs. You had applied for jobs, but nothing ever worked out. But, now? Jinyoung isn’t Jinyoung anymore. He’s Mr. Park. He’s the CEO of a multinational corporation. He has a life and as evidenced this morning, someone else with whom to spend it. All these years, you’ve been a side show attraction in his life. Someone who needed him, but never someone he needed. “Yes, I want to go back.” Her eyes hold yours, searching. She nods. “All you have to do is release the call. It won’t work now. The pendant did not guide you here, so it can’t take you back. But any travel it guides you on, it can take you back.” You nod. You’d prefer to travel back now, but you’ll settle for knowing this will be your last spontaneous travel. “Thank you for everything.” Standing, you hold your tea cup out for her. She takes it rising herself. “I am always here should you need me.” With a final nod, you leave. As you walk through the market, heading back toward the main road, you slip the pendant on. The stone is warm against your chest, and your heart thrums in response to it. You hope the reaction will subside. Your phone rings as you reach the main road. The phone Jinyoung bought for you when you travel. The phone only he calls. His ignorance of your travel was too much to hope. He would notice your missing clothes and things. The phone buzzes in your hand as you stare at his smiling face. Before the last ring ends, you answer. “Hey.” You draw the greeting out as you search for something else to say, but silence follows. “Where are you?” His voice is low and soft. Your heart tightens, and your breath catches in your throat. The image from this morning burns in your mind as you answer. “Downtown.” You can feel the hesitation in his voice. “When you arrived-” “Woah! Woah!” You force lightness into your voice. “Let’s, uh, not even go there. We both acknowledge what happened, and right now we both agree never to talk about it ever.” You emphasize the last word. “Y/N, we need to talk about this. What happened-” “Stop. I don’t want to have this conversation. You don’t have to explain anything to me. You’re an adult, Jinyoung. I know that. I’m sorry for intruding and making things awkward. It won’t happen again.” Your free hand goes to the pendant buried beneath your shirt. “I promise.”  You hang up and turn off the phone. He’ll call again. He’ll want to meet up. But, you don’t want to hear about the woman from this morning or tell him about the pendant and soul mates. Some things are better left unknown.

Consciousness seeps in, and you know with absolute certainty that you’re still in your bed. The pendent kept you here despite the hell of yesterday. Today is not the first time. For the past six months, the pendant has kept you from traveling. Waking in your bed on what should have been a travel day always comes with a mix of emotions. Relief initially, but afterward comes the bone deep sadness. Today is the same. You miss Jinyoung. You want to reach back and know he’s there, hear his voice as he asks you what happened, be warmed as he wraps his arms around you. The world shifts. You shove yourself up, wrenching the pendant off and chunking it across the room. The world shifts back, and you clutch your head as you breath through the aftermath. Today is also not the first time you’ve nearly answered the call. Anytime you let yourself dwell on Jinyoung, you start to travel. It happens more than you would like. You’ve told yourself to move on. That your life will be better if you refuse to dwell on the past. But, telling yourself the same thing over and over again doesn’t make the ache go away. While you may be struggling with the separation, Jinyoung seems to be thriving. He and his girlfriend are on the cover of every tabloid. Being the heir of a multinational corporation means his personal life is public knowledge, and the public loves his personal life. Park Jinyoung is practically a prince, and the world loves a royal wedding. Every tabloid speculates on the inevitable wedding. The fact that she is the first daughter of another multinational corporation only fuels the stories. Seeing a headline advertising an exclusive of the top secret proposal hadn’t helped your mood yesterday, and thinking about it isn’t helping your mood today. Climbing off your bed, you cross your room and pick up the pendant. The stone is cold now, and it sends a chill down your spine as you slip it back on. You ignore it as you go through your morning routine. Your phones dings as you you finish lacing up your shoes. A message from Jinyoung. Taking a deep breath, you open it. - Can we talk? - The answer is “no” and has been every time he’s asked. While you haven’t cut him out of your life completely, you’ve pulled back. You had to. He knows you’ve seen the article. He always asks to talk when a new one comes out. - I’m busy today. Congrats on your engagement! - You send back before silencing your phone and grabbing your jacket. The excuse is true. You’re due at the hospital. You promised your sister-in-law you’d keep your brother company today. Opening your front door, you freeze. Jinyoung glances up from his phone. His brown eyes hold yours, and you feel the walls around your heart crumbling. You want to rest in his arms and let him tell you everything will be alright. Instead, you square your shoulders and push past him. The door closes behind you, the lock pad beeping to let you know it’s safe to go. “Y/N, please.” His voice is soft, but it pierces your heart. You stop. “We need to talk.” “I don’t want to talk, Jinyoung.” You sigh. “I don’t want to hear about her. I just- I just want to get over you.” You speak to the air in front of you. “Why?” “Why?” You whirl around to face him. “Because this is fucking ridiculous. It always has been. I’m a fucked up mess, and you’re the poor sot the universe chose to put me back together. Everything shitty that happened to me sent me straight to you. Do you know how pathetic that feels? I’m not strong enough to deal with my own shit, so the universe searched the entire fucking globe for someone who would be willing to help me. It found you, and you’ve been stuck with me ever since. “I found a way to stop it. I won’t travel again. So go home, Jinyoung. Get married. Lead a normal life for once.” The pendant is ice against your chest. You hold tight to that feeling; otherwise,  you’ll breakdown. You’ll crawl back into his arms and beg him to make everything better. Jinyoung stands by your door, his face an actor’s mask. “You think I saw you as a burden all these years?” You glance away, your mouth void of a response. “Y/N, I’ve been in love with you since you first appeared in my bed. Everyday, I woke up wanting you to be there but hoping you wouldn’t be because I knew what it meant if you were.” “But-” “No.” The word is a whisper, but it stills you. He continues, his voice soft but firm. “Please let me speak.” He walks towards you until inches separate you. “I’m not in a relationship with anyone. Yes, I slept with her. Once. It was a mistake, and I hate myself everyday that you had to wake up and see that. Please, forgive me and stop avoiding me. Even if you don’t feel the same way about me, I’m still here for you. Like I always have been.” Everything inside you shatters. Your whole world crumbles around you. “I have to go.” And you flee. The pendant burns against your chest as tears burn your eyes.

When you reach the hospital, you have gained a fragile control as you struggle to restructure your life around the truths Jinyoung revealed. Your brother greets you with a smile when you enter his room. The sight shifts a few pieces of your life back into place. “You’re awake.” You say as you take the chair by his bed. “You would be too, if nurses kept poking you for blood.” He tries to sit up, but you wave him back down. “I didn’t think anything could wake you after what happened.” Tears come. You wipe them away, breathing through them. Your brother saw. It’s impossible that he didn’t. “Don’t look at me like that.” You scold. “Like what?” “Like I’m some pitiful animal you want to save.” “You are pretty pitiful.” “Shut up, asshole. Why do I even worry about you. Death wouldn’t accept you even if you begged.” He smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Did something happen with you and your secret billionaire boyfriend?” “What?” Your heart jumps into your throat. “What are you talking about?” He sighs and settles deeper into his bed. “I’m not mom. I’m not stupid. Anytime, anything emotional happens in your life, you disappear for a day. Somehow and I don’t know how, you end up with that billionaire who’s on the cover of all those magazines. But, for some reason, today you’re here. So did something happen with you and him?” “How do you know I’m always with him?” You fluster. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “I already told you I’m not stupid. I’ve seen pictures of you two together. They’re always taken on days you disappear. And I’ve read you’re diary.” “Asshole.” You shout, ready to slap him. He opens an eye, and you lower your hand. “You are an asshole.” “And you’ve been keeping secrets from me your whole life. I think we can call it even. Now, can you answer my question? Did something happen between you and your secret billionaire boyfriend?” “His name is Jinyoung.” “Okay, did something happen between you and your secret billionaire boyfriend Jinyoung.” “He’s not my boyfriend, and he’s not really a secret anymore.” “Okay, then did something-” “Stop!” His smile dampens your reprimand, but he stops. The smile fades. Your brother stares into you eyes, all jokes forgotten. The words claw their way up your throat and spill out of your mouth. You tell him everything from your first travel to now. “Let me get this straight.” He says after you finish. “Your no longer a secret billionaire not boyfriend Jinyoung who is your soul mate and who you admit you love told you that he loves you, is not in a relationship, and apologized for sleeping with a girl which he really didn’t have to do because you two were dating, and you ran away.” “Yes.” He covers his face and groans. “I love you. I really do. But you are a dumb shit, sis. Why the fuck are you here?” Your mouth moves but nothing comes out. You’ve used up your words. “Stop.” He holds up his hand. “I’m going to give you sixty seconds. I want you to take this time and really think. If you can give me a legitimate reason for running, I will drop this subject and never bring it up again. Before you start though, if your reason has anything to do with you not being good enough or you have issues or anything like that, know that those are not legitimate reasons.” Sixty seconds ends, and you have no legitimate reason. “I need to go to him don’t I?” “Yes. You should have never run away from him in the first place. He’s a fucking billionaire. He could pay for all of my medical bills.” You snort. “So your encouraging me is just for personal gain?” “No, it’s because my sister looks like she just crawled out of her own grave and has for the past six months. If I happen to profit from this then so be it. But more than anything, I want you to be happy. Now, please fucking go. Staring at your face is not helping my recovery.” Standing up, you lean over his bed and give him a hug. He holds you tight, squeezing your shoulder before releasing the embrace. You step back, your hand going to the pendant. With eyes closed, you inhale and listen for the cadence of the call. The necklace warms against your chest. The sound tugs on your memories of Jinyoung, bringing them into focus. You cling to the memories, to the feel of him beside you, his smell, his voice. You exhale and the call silences. Opening your eyes, you find yourself in a hotel room. The view from the window reveals downtown. The hospital is blocks away. A breathy chuckle slips out. “Y/N?” you turn to find Jinyoung standing in the bathroom doorway. “How did you get in?” “I did it.” Tears well in your eyes. “I traveled at will.” His lips part. “How?” The word comes out on a breath. You shake your head. “Not important. I mean it is, but not right now. I promise I’ll explain everything later. But first,” closing the distance between you two, you stand an arm’s length away. “I’m sorry.” The words rush out. “I’m sorry for being so stupid. I freaked out when I woke and up and found you in bed with another woman, and I did what I always do when anything becomes too much. I ran away. Except this time, I was running away from you instead of towards you. Regardless of that though and regardless of everything I said before, my biggest problem is that I love you. I want you to be happy, and I don’t think you will be if you’re with me.” You hold up a hand, staving off his rebuttal. “But, I know that’s not my decision to make. I love you and want to be with you and you love me and want to be with me, and I am going to stop getting in the way of us. However, if-” “Please stop talking.” he steps forward. His hands reach for yours. They are warm and strong. The necklace thrums in response. “Can I kiss you now?” A nod is all you manage before his lips brush against yours. The kiss is light and soft, but in it, you can feel the echo of your heart. The necklace thrums against your chest as you wrap your arms around his neck and deepen the kiss.

[dokidokivisual]

Gochiusa BLOOM episode 3 impressions

Previously: episode 2, episode 1 (seriously, the number of notes on ep 2 review is too low...)

Welcome to another review of Gochuumon wa usagi desu ka? BLOOM. In this episode, the series explores a topic it rarely touched previously, which is school life. Unlike many similar slice-of-life series, Gochiusa rarely concerned itself with such a mundane setting, preferring the ambience of cafés and cobblestone streets. There were a few exceptions, such as the first half of season 2 episode 10, but this is the first episode fully dedicated to a school setting.

Another distinguishing trait of Gochiusa is that the group of main characters attends not one, but several different schools. In particular, there are two high schools: a “normal” one attended by Cocoa and Chiya, and an “elite” one attended by Sharo and Rize. Moreover, there’s a group of middle school characters on the verge of graduating. As such, the question of which high school will Chino, Maya and Megu eventually choose was bound to come to the forefront at some point. And that’s exactly what happens in this episode.

There’s a lot of interesting stuff to discuss, so let’s get down to business...

The episode opens with a shot of Aoyama Blue Mountain on a boat, which also appears in the beginning of season 1 episode 1. By the way before COVID you could totally ride a boat like this in Colmar. Just watch your head...

Yeah, this is under the bridge from season 2 ED. Filmed by me.

Anyway, I’m being sidetracked. What’s important is that this is the only shot where you could tell it’s morning, because of the angle of the shadow from the bridge. It is indeed morning, and we see Cocoa and Chino walking down to school. Seems the summer vacation is over and it’s already September? Cocoa, the self-described pikka-pika no onee-chan, tries to coerce Chino into committing to enter the same high school as her, while Chino is not sure about that. We’ve seen Chino being unsure about her future as recently as this season’s episode 1, and in regards to the high school choice the time for a decision is quickly approaching.

Soon we see Maya and Megu who are facing the same decision. Megu seems to have already decided on what Maya derisively calls the gokigenyo school. The greeting gokigenyo (ご機嫌よう) comes from the word “kigen” (機嫌) which means “mood”, and can be literally translated as “how do you do”. However the same word is also used as farewell, which often causes troubles for translators.

The concept of “gokigenyo school“ has been popularised by the light novel and anime series Maria watches over us (Marimite), which is also one of the most influential works of the yuri genre. This concept has also been parodied a number of times, for example in the excellent episode 5 of Flip Flappers.

Megu manages to convince Maya and Chino to come with her to a tour of this school, and we get a close-up of Maya hinting that she’s definitely hiding something.

Meanwhile at Cocoa’s school, the class president declares the theme of the cultural festival being “cafe”, and puts Chiya and Cocoa in charge of it, because they work at a cafe. It seems that Chiya is considered to be more dependable than Cocoa by her classmates, since she got a higher rank. Nevertheless, it is Cocoa who mostly delivers the speech to fire up the other students.

Note the usage of Chinese tally marks to tally the votes. The five strokes comprising the character 正 (”truth”) equate 5 votes. This method is popular across East Asia, even in Korea where Chinese characters are no longer used.

Also I’ve seen a lot of people were confused by the inclusion of “sex museum” as one of the proposals, which is how 秘宝館 (hihokan) has been translated by the official subtitles. This word, which literally means “the hall of hidden treasures” has been used by various establishments of this type in post-war Japan, however only few of them remain open now. I think “sex museum” is a bad translation because, while technically correct, it breaks mimesis, or in simpler terms, immersion. The English translation is so blatantly inappropriate that it would never make it onto this blackboard, whereas the Japanese word is obscure and innocent-looking enough that it just might. A better translation would be “adult museum”, in fact that’s what the most well-known hihokan, Atami Hihokan uses for its English title.

As proof of each other’s ability, Cocoa mentions Chiya’s triple tray wielding skill (お盆三刀流 obon santoryu) which has been demonstrated in season 2 episode 1. Chiya brings up Cocoa’s “basking in the sun” (日向ぼっこ hinatabokko) attitude which supposedly makes her popular among customers. This is a reference to season 2 episode 5 where Rize says Cocoa always either practices latte art or basks in the sun.

On the way back from school, we learn that Chiya is actually scared of the responsibilities placed on her, and her dream of becoming the president of Ama Usa An franchise (which has been mentioned in s2e1, s2e9 and maybe other episodes I forgot) might be ruined because of this. Cocoa consoles her, again showing her motherly side.

Back at Rabbit House, Cocoa explains how the upcoming festival will be exciting (wakuwaku) and fluffy/cuddly (mofumofu). This is one of several times Cocoa uses silly onomatopoeia to describe something in this episode (aforementioned pikkapika onee-chan and describing her school also as mofumofu in a latter scene). Interestingly, all of these lines are anime-original, and at this point seems like an intentional effort to make Cocoa speak in a more eccentric manner.

In the next scene Sharo becomes angry at Chiya for keeping secrets from her, and blows her cheeks, which makes her turn into a Fugu fish, according to Chiya. Fugu is famous in Japanese cuisine for being a highly poisonous but sought after delicacy, however in this case the comparison has to do with the tendency of a live fugu (as well as other pufferfish) to inflate its stomach, giving it an almost spherical appearance to deter predators.

Next there’s another anime-original CocoChino scene where Chino asks Cocoa about what her school is like. This is my favorite part of the episode because it’s just so adorable. Like, even the fact that Cocoa is drying Chino’s hair with a towel after bath shows how close they became. The direction and the delivery of the dialogue is masterfully executed. Cocoa would be really hurt if Chino chooses any other school, and Chino knows that. But Chino can’t admit she’ll choose her next school because of Cocoa, at least not yet.

Now we move on to the main plot of the episode, which is Chimame visiting Rize and Sharo’s school. Like I said in the preview, this episode covers chapters 10 and 11 of the volume 5 of the manga, which in-universe occur at the same time. However while it fully covers (and has the same title as) chapter 10, only the first half of chapter 11 is included. So about 2/3 of the episode are dedicated to the story of chapter 10.

Chimame attend a speech by “OG” Mate Rin. OG in this case doesn’t mean “original gangsta”, but “old girl”, which is a Japanese term for female alumni of some school (there’s also OB for men). Chino recognizes Rin as the editor of Aoyama Blue Mountain, and I’m not sure if Maya and Megu ever met her, so they don’t. When Rin recalls a senior who turned her life around, Chino recalls her chance meeting with Cocoa. In particular the phrase deai ga taisetsu (”chance meetings are to be cherished”) sticks with her. On the other hand, Maya seems to be interested in the fact that Rin was recommended for scholarship. Interestingly in the manga, Maya slept through most of the speech. 

The senior Rin was talking about was obviously Aoyama and we see that there’s actually a huge bounty placed on her. The currency sign consisting of combined letters G and U wasn’t seen before, with prices usually displayed in yen, but there was a Euro-like sign at an open market at the beginning of season 2 episode 1, which might be a shorthand way to write GU. Either way this currency must have a serious hyperinflation problem as the reward for finding Aoyama exceeds 10 billion GU. In countries affected by hyperinflation, a stable foreign currency is often used to perform economic transactions, which might explain why most of the prices are in yen.

But is there some significance to this exact number? Why, yes, 10/27 is Aoyama’s birthday! It is also the start of “reading week”, which actually lasts 2 weeks, until November 9.

After the speech Megu gets separated from the rest of the group, and the other two also get lost in the vast campus of the school. As seen from the above interior shot of the school, it is also inexplicably rabbit-themed (or maybe just this particular hall is), with golden rabbit statues and also a picture on the left wall with the kanji for rabbit (兎).

Through a series of misunderstandings Chimame end up infiltrating the school with Sharo and Rize providing uniforms for them to blend in. Despite having trouble to behave “ladylike” before, Maya naturally blends in once she treats it as a game, and even gets invited to a tea party. She makes a mistake though by mentioning moyashi (bean sprouts) which is considered a cheap and low-class food, but she’s saved by the fact that the rich girls don’t even know what that is, and Sharo explaining how to prepare it in a fancy way.

Eventually the groups meet each other and Maya reveals she has been recommended for scholarship due to her good grades. Perhaps she also treated her school grades as experience points to gain, as the title of the episode (and the manga chapter) ”The whole world is my experience points” seems to suggest. This is the idea behind a real concept of gamification, by the way.

There’s also a callback to the season 2 episode 8, where Maya asks Rize for advice while Chino and Megu are spying on her. It is worth to rewatch that scene, because it’s full of foreshadowing for this episode. Back then Maya thinks she’s the only one of the three to go to this school, but now she thinks there’s a good chance all three will still go to the same school. Chino doesn’t seem to feel this way though.

In the end we see Cocoa and Chiya joining the group, also wearing the elite school uniforms, which is briefly explained by them gathering supplies for the cultural festival. I guess the next episode will explain how they ended up there. In the manga even the fact that they have a cultural festival wasn’t revealed until this point. Also in the manga fukiya club president, Karede Yura, inexplicably appears for just one panel so that Cocoa and Chiya could thank her, without any lines. In the anime she appears just as (if not more) suddenly, however there’s some foreshadowing with her inviting Rize to a tournament earlier, and she gets quite a few speaking lines.

If you listen closely there’s a funny sound effect as she looks at Rize, and then at Sharo. I really liked her design since her first appearance in the manga, and Koi probably does too, as her role has greatly increased in the recent chapters. Consequently her single-panel background appearance has been expanded as well in this episode, she got her full name mentioned in the credits, and there’s even a Karede Yura character song included on the second BD volume (which includes this season’s episodes 3 and 4). All things considered, I fully expect Yura to appear in the episode 4 as well.

The episode ends with Chino looking at the sky with a worried expression. It just hit her that both Megu and Maya are going to a different school than she is expected to go to. As Megu and Maya have a clear path forward, Chino’s future has become even more uncertain, and she feels like the odd one out in the group. Now the part of the ending where Chino is suddenly alone makes sense:

this is basically her imagining the future where Maya and Megu leave her. The coffee cup transition symbolises Chino waking up and seeing that MaMe are still her friends and aren’t going anywhere. We’ll see though...

This time it’s Megu doing latte art in the ending, and the picture is of Chino and Maya dancing. The weird thing is, Megu wasn’t even present at this scene, so how did she draw it in such detail?

Also another random fact I noticed: Chino’s Alice costume actually appeared in the opening of both season 1 and season 2. Here’s a comparison for reference:

Anyway, that was the third episode of Gochuumon wa usagi desu ka? BLOOM and I hope you enjoyed reading my review. See you next week... or so.

[for-ests]

Lost In Your Light: Peter Parker x Reader (Part 3)

Part 1 / Part 2

[ my masterlist ]

(ugh im sorry my blog was glitching so im re-uploading,, my apologies for everyone on my tag list this version will stay up so give it some love <3) 

CHAPTER 3: SWIMMING 

Like the many nights before, the once chaotic city was now silent.

Yet, something wasn't sitting right with Y/N as she crept between the shadows, her senses tingling, searching far and wide for a desperate soul.

Silent didn’t necessarily mean vacant, but for some odd reason the streets were deserted. The girl could not find anything, not a person crossing the street, not a pigeon with a broken wing. The telepathy link was cold.

Y/N sighed breathlessly, stopping in her tracks. She had been running around for over an hour, miles from home without a single interaction. Most times, she would only be outside for five minutes and she would sense something.

The air hung thick with an unfathomable dread, almost as if someone was watching her. Should she turn back now and try to get some sleep?

That was a good idea. She was tired and had school in the morning. For once, Queens seemed to be peaceful. These days were odd, but they happened every once in a while. 

Y/N’s eyes scanned the street, second guessing herself. Was she really alone? It was rare not to be. 

Shaking away her nerves when she was positive nobody was tagging her, the girl turned to head back home. She barely made it down the end of the street before her hands suddenly burst into a bright, golden light. It was so powerful that she could physically feel the heat surging through her veins. It stung, causing her to wince forcefully as she tried to locate the signal.

Pure sensory overload consumed her mind. 

Where was it coming from? Y/N could almost hear the screams of pain in her ears, the agony becoming too much to bear. It was as if she was there, it was like she could feel their souls connecting, the mending soon became the most satisfying one she'd ever felt.

The power seemed to bring her new life, and she was ready to share it with the person or animal in need. Y/N held her hands in the air, her arms shaking from the intensity.

She started to panic.

Where are you? She called out desperately. Tell me!

The answer never came.

The light illuminating across her skin started to fade. The heat radiating off her body cooled.

Just as fast as it had come, the healing touch was gone. And that meant whatever had called out to her was dead.

Her heart felt cold. Almost as frozen as the air.

She had failed.

Y/N hung her head low, clenching and un-clenching her fists, as if doing so would ignite the capability resting in her atoms.

Tears pricked along her eyelids. She hadn't cried since her mom died.

The memory of her mother made her feel just as empty and hollow.

The girl wiped her tears away, wondering what had just happened. That feeling was so beautiful. The glowing, the heat, the connection. She needed to feel it again. And now that it had disappeared, sadness and dread came flooding back. 

No. Not yet. 

Senses alert and eyes focused, Y/N bolted down the street. Tears streamed down her face, but she kept running. She needed to feel that power again. Whatever had happened was an unexplainable experience. She had to know more. Where did it come from?

Y/N kept running as fast as her legs allowed her. She passed multiple trashed lots and run-down houses. Not a single light shown through the abandoned buildings.

She kept running until the lights of Queens were a silhouette in the fog. The cement beneath her feet started to erode. Wider cracks criss-crossed through the pavement. She dodged potholes left and right.

Once she couldn't see in front of her, Y/N came to a stop. Her skin crawled.

Where was she? The girl blinked in confusion. She couldn't recall the last five minutes. It seemed like a blur. The girl pulled her phone out of her pocket and checked maps. Did she really just run another three miles out of town?

Fearful, Y/N stopped breathing. She tried to focus on the sounds around her.

It was complete silence. Not even the crickets were chirping. Her stomach wrenched. She was in the most dangerous part of town, the abandoned part of town. Whatever telepathic link caught her attention had unfortunately come from here. 

Y/N started to panic. Why did it seem like she was alone, yet feel like someone was watching her?

She took another step forward, soles crunching against the uneven payment.

And that's when a whimper echoed down the street. Y/N lifted her head in surprise, her senses erupting with a loud buzz.

She lurched forward with power, stumbling towards the sound. Y/N tried to keep her mending at bay. But she couldn't control it, the golden light starting to leak out of her fingers, floating into the air and swirling in the nighttime breeze.

The girl was in awe, eyes focused on her hands as they pulsed with light. What was happening? She had never felt this robust.

She clenched her fists and advanced forward. She wasn't going to fail this time.

Y/N ran to the end of the street, the power fluttering around her, lighting the way.

She stopped and listened to the sound again. A chain link fence stood in front of her. There was no grass from what she could see, only a sad looking dirt covered lawn. It was parched and littered with trash.

The change of atmosphere was odd. Usually she was in the heart of the city, where most of the abuse happened from public saturation. But now, she was in the middle of nowhere.

Y/N's eyes fell on the master lock a few feet away. She stepped towards it and held it in her hands. It was warm.

Her eyes drifted toward the house, and that's when she noticed a cigarette blunt laying on the ground, still burning.

A curse slipped through her lips. Y/N could feel the dog only yards away, waiting to be rescued. But she could also tell she wasn't alone with the animal. Someone was there.

She debated for only a second, then unhooked the lock from the gate.

It happened in a flash. Her hands were fiddling with the dog's collar before she even had the chance to look at it's face, before she even had the chance to stop herself. 

The sweet pit bull was laying on it's stomach, barely moving. Y/N held its face in her glowing hands and almost gasped. Deep lacerations were visible, covering her black muzzle.

"I’m so sorry.." Y/N empathized, brushing her fingers along the wounds and closing them immediately. After a moment of brief alertness, the pit bull relaxed in her arms. "That's it..." She cooed, checking the dog for any life threatening injuries. But she seemed fine, just thirsty and malnourished. She was in very bad shape. Was this what she had witnessed before? 

Y/N scooped the dog in her arms with ease. It worried her. She was so light, her condition making her useless for fighting. Why was she here? It was obviously a gang hideout. There was no other purpose.

And as if she jinxed it, the front porch lights flickered on.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. There were rumors that the electricity on this side of town had been shut off, but apparently that wasn't the case.

The girl started to slowly take steps toward the gate. She kept her eyes locked on the door, her heart racing in anticipation.

And then it flew open, revealing the dog's abusers. Disgruntled middle-aged men, all of them extremely angry to see their dog clutched in a teenage girl's arms.

Y/N bolted. She didn't even look behind her. Though she was almost an adult, she was too naive to contemplate the consequences of her well-mannered actions. Not everyone was kind, not everyone would let something like this go-- because their businesses depended on it, their lives did. 

She had a head start, at least it was something. She was quick, but she knew she couldn't hold the distance forever, especially with a dog in her arms.

She heard the men shouting and cursing. She heard their feet scuffing against the pavement. All five of them were coming after her.

"Fuck.... fuck... fuck fuck fuck!" She gritted her teeth, rounding the block and running back towards the city.

The criminals were hot on her trail. She started to regret her decision as images of her bludgeoned body flashed through her mind. There was no way she could get out of this. She was already exhausted, and she didn't have much energy left, the dog weighing her already sore legs down. They were going to kill her...

Y/N was too panicked and terrified to cry. All she could think about was surviving. And it was her own damn fault.

"Help!" She screamed, voice hoarse from lack of water. Her throat burned with each cry for help. 

"Somebody please help me!" She pleaded, almost stumbling over her own two feet. The main road was closer now, but she still had a ways to go until the police station. She wasn't going to make it.

The pit bull in her arms stirred. It whined softly, as if it was urging the girl to continue. Panting coarsely, Y/N kept up the pace. But with each six steps she took, her pursuers took twelve. She was running out of gas.

She yelled again, this time with more familiar surroundings. She was on the edge of town. Someone had to be around, even this late in the evening. Anyone...

"HELP ME PLEASE!" Y/N screamed at the top of her lungs, the men right on her heels. She heaved hoarsely, shaking with each step she took.

The girl felt like she was running in slow motion. Each step took a great amount of force, but she managed to round an alley corner.

She couldn't move her legs after that. It felt like she was swimming, the air so thick it was if she was inhaling smoke. 

The men were faster, and they surrounded her with ease. Y/N gasped for air, her back touching the brick wall of an abandoned corner-side store, stopping her fully.

This time she got a better view of their faces. Some had beards, some did not. One had no hair. One was wearing sunglasses. They were all different races. There was no way she was going to remember every detail after they raped and beat her into a pulp.

"You stupid bitch." One of them snarled, flicking his switchblade menacingly. "Whatchu on about? You gotta problem with how we run things round here?"

The dog whimpered.

They seemed just as tired, all of them panting heavily with slumped shoulders. Y/N scanned her surroundings just like the time before, but she came up with nothing. Not a single advantage over her attackers.

The tallest man held open his jacket, revealing a pistol holstered on his belt. "We're gonna make this easy okay?"

"You're really going to threaten me with a gun?!" She teased out of nerves, backing even farther down the alley. "Why don't you at least fight me like a man?" The words flew out of her mouth before she could hold her tongue. Y/N had never been so scared in her life, but something about these men made her so angry. She wanted to fight them, and she wanted to win. This situation may be straight out of a nightmare, and her biggest fear; but she wouldn't go down without a fight. There had to be some way out of this, yet her options were stretching thin.

The gang advanced simultaneously. Her words had no effect on them.

"O-or you could leave me alone." She had to stiffen her posture to hide how badly her legs were shaking. 

The obvious leader opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped abruptly by another.

"Didn't you hear the lady?" A voice asked sarcastically. The voice was music to her ears. "Leave her alone!"

All five heads whipped around in annoyance. Y/N's eyes followed their lead, her jaw unhinging at the sight of a masked man.

He was suspending upside down by a clear thread.

Her heart almost stopped beating at the sight of Spider-Man. He was there to save her, like the many others before her. 

There was no way this was happening.

Y/N didn't feel so hopeless after all.

"What the hell?" The man with the gun whipped it out from underneath his jacket and pointed it at Spider-Man, recognizing the individual immediately. He pulled the trigger, sending an ear piercing sound through the alleyway.

Y/N stumbled backwards in shock. The dog yelped in pain.

She fell to the ground, her ears ringing. The girl blinked, eyes focusing on the scene unfolding in front of her.

Bodies flew left and right. She watched punch after punch, kick after kick, but each attempt seemed pathetic compared to the agile and skillful masked man.

As the ringing dissipated, she heard the sound of his sweet laugh. It was weird, out of place, but it seemed youthful and it calmed her down.

Her eyes fell upon the silver pistol, laying just inches from where she was cowering in fear. It kicked her into action.

Y/N set the dog on the ground and weakly picked up the gun. She pointed it at the last standing gang member.

But Spider-Man was faster. The girl watched his foot collide against the criminal's skull, sending him to the ground in less than a second.

Spider-Man turned to her and held up his hands.

She gave him a confused look.

"Can you set down the gun?"

Oh.

Y/N gulped and tossed it down the alley. It skidded against the pavement awkwardly. "I-I..." She stuttered, still exasperated that she was talking to him. He just saved her. This had to be a dream.

"Are you okay?" He asked, stepping closer cautiously.

She was safe.

Y/N blinked away tears, nodding her head furiously. "Y-yes..." She literally thought she was going to die, her heart still pounding in her chest. "Thank you so much... Spider-man." The words sounded so beguiling on her lips. She was very attracted to him, and she didn't even know what he looked like.

She stared at him, blushing like mad as she studied the way his muscles moved flawlessly with each movement. He was so graceful, truly a hero.

The dog limped out of the shadows, as if knowing the fight was over. She looked a little better than before. But Y/N still had some work to do.

"You saved us." Y/N whispered, gesturing to the dog. "Thank you so much."

Spider-Man nodded. He was silent for a moment, as if putting the pieces together. If anyone knew about gang crime, it should be him.

"Did you steal their dog?"

Y/N shrugged her shoulders and leaned down to pet the animal. "Maybe."

"Why?" He asked with a curious tone in his voice. He still hadn't moved.

"Someone had to do something. She was going to die." The girl ran her fingers along a cut on the dog's ear. The wound closed slowly, but Spider-Man didn't seem to notice.

"The dog looks fine to me."

"That's because I healed her." The girl huffed. Did she have to be obvious about it? Why else would she be out on the streets at 2am?

He laughed.

Y/N glared at him. "I'm serious."

"Then show me." He lifted his arm, revealing a deep gash across his torso. It looked like the bullet had grazed him.

The girl stood back up, accepting the challenge. His dialogue was playful and she was still tingling with power.

Spider-Man set his arm down, wincing. He could be hurt in other places too. He had just fought off five men, who were now lying unconscious on the ground. There was no way he came out of that without wounds. She was worried, but made sure to keep her emotions hidden.

"Where else are you hurt?" Y/N asked innocently, even though the indications were clear. His knuckles were bleeding.

He stepped towards her, closing the proximity between them.

Y/N's heart started to race again. She had never healed a human.

Spider-Man lifted his arm again, his face contorting with pain.

The suit had been torn open in multiple places, revealing his glistening white skin. She could feel his muscles underneath the fabric. He was toned beyond belief. She blushed, feeling his gaze on her as she hesitated.

Embarrassed, Y/N kept her eyes away from his, and focused on the texture of the suit. It was rough, but flexible. Only a genius could have made something like it.

She ran her fingers along it to find a seam, and she felt him shudder underneath her touch.

"How are you going to fix your suit?" She asked, ripping it open further to take a look at the whole wound.

"Hey!" He whispered-yelled, almost elbowing her in the face. "What are you doing?!"

"I need to look at the whole wound." Y/N rolled her eyes, pushing his arm back up. "Now stand still."

"I'm a little woozy." He breathed. "You better hurry up with whatever you can do."

The tone in his voice indicated that he still didn't believe her. How annoying.

And with that thought, she channeled the power from deep within.

Y/N gasped, the glowing yellow light seeping from her fingers, much easier than before. She hadn't even felt any pain.

She glanced up at Spider-Man as she worked. He was still, but watching. She couldn't see his reaction because of the mask. She wanted more than anything to pull it off.

She set her hand on his wound.

He flinched.

If fate was real, and controlled by a higher power, she believed they wanted this moment to happen. He was supposed to save her, and she was supposed to heal him.

Y/N's fingers ran across the lacerated edge, commanding it to close.

It did, and the blood flowed back into his body. She pulled her hand away with a smile, proud of her work. Actually, she was overwhelmed with joy, but she managed to hide it. Spider-Man already had to save her, she didn't want him to think she was crazy for being so excited. 

There was a slight indication of bruising, but otherwise, it looked like nothing had happened. There wasn't even a scar.

The girl stepped away, nodding triumphantly.

He stared at her hands as the glowing disappeared.

"Incredible." He whispered, touching the spot where the cut once was. All he ran his fingers across was soft skin.

She glanced at his hands. "May I?"

He nodded, fascinated by her power. His was by accident, but hers—this girl seemed to have been born with a gift.

And she was attractive. A literal angel if he could say it. The most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and so, so powerful in a way he had never witnessed. 

Being in her presence made him feel dizzy, but that could also be from the loss of blood.

Y/N took his hands in hers. His hands were bigger, rougher, and much more masculine.

She smiled at him. And with ease, relieved him of his bruises. There was a moment of hesitation as she touched his skin. Y/N felt more powerful than ever, a new feeling pulsing through her veins. She felt like she was on fire in the best possible way.

The girl flipped over his palms in shock, just to get a better look at them. Her skin left his, but he didn't notice; he was too infatuated with the girl.

Spider-Man felt a burning sensation, but it was somehow comforting. How did she do it?

Y/N watched his movements closely. "Do you have any more wounds?" She tilted her head, awaiting his answer.

He couldn't speak.

"On your face?" She reached up, inches away from his mask. Spider-Man watched her lips, her tongue glossing over as she stared him down, intently and sensually. The boy’s eyes flickered down, and then up-

His spider senses flared loudly, snapping him out of the trance. His hands shot up and grasped hers.

Her eyes widened, but not in surprise. It seemed she had anticipated his actions.

"It's there for a reason." He warned. But the tone wasn't angry, it was gentle.

He released her, and added, "Thank you."

She grinned, unable to deny the excitement she was feeling. She felt alive. "I'm only giving you what you deserve."

The compliment sent his senses into a frenzy. He had to remind himself that he was in costume, this wasn't like school, this wasn't a silly crush. He had to hold an image in the suit, and he knew that if he spoke-- he would stutter. So to keep that from happening, he remained silent.

They stared at each other for a long time.

"My name is Y/N, by the way."

He turned to leave, but she was persistent.

"What's yours?"

Spider-Man looked over his shoulder. Her eyes twinkled under the dim lighting when he turned back to look at her. He had to admit Y/N was convincing.

But he knew she was different. She was just like him.

So for that advantage only, all emotional feelings aside, he told her.

"It’s Peter."

Her lips curved slightly at the edges. "Well Peter-" His name sounded like a spell when she spoke it. "I'll see you around."

✭✦✭✦✭

Tag list! comment if you want to be added! part 4 will be coming in the next few days

@spn-assemble-seven​ @eridanuswave​ @fallisflame​ @used-avocado​ @pluckypete​ @vanillanestor​ @averyfosterthoughts​ @wherewecomealive​ @magicalturmoil​

[killscreencinema]

Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4)

We all have a precious work of art in our lives that made a profound impact on who we eventually grew up to be, whether it be an album, a painting, a movie, or especially nowadays, a video game.  Final Fantasy VII was that for me, and when it came out in 1997, it would go on to define my high school years.

Which would go a long way towards explaining why I never got laid during those said years.  Le sigh....

All kidding aside, I never got laid in high school mostly because I was a mess when it came to the social scene.  I had trouble connecting with others and taking what I perceived to be “big risks” like going to parties, joining after school clubs, or -GULP- asking out a girl I liked!  I was very withdrawn socially, but I did have friends, and one of them, whom I’d consider my best friend, managed to get his hands on the original Final Fantasy VII before I even owned a PlayStation (I had foolishly bought a Nintendo 64, believing the next Final Fantasy was going to be released on that). 

My friend and I were already very close, but we bonded even more as we experienced this new adventure together.  He had his own save file that he was pecking away at, but he created a new one for us both to play whenever I’d spend the night or vice versa.  The both of us were completely immersed in this world and these characters.  It was one of a few positive experiences I can remember from my high school years.

The reason for this preamble is to make you understand how much this game means to me on an emotional level.  So when the remake was announced years ago, I was extremely apprehensive.  First of all, Square Enix is a pale shadow of its former glory as Squaresoft.  Final Fantasy XIII was a goddamn mess and Final Fantasy XV was a step in the right direction, but hardly the stuff of legends like its PSone and SNES predecessors.  The Kingdom Hearts games... well, I’ll eventually talk about the rest of those in my blog.  Suffice it to say, I had completely lost faith in Square Enix as a company, whereas there was a day I’d play ANYTHING they released because I knew it would be quality.

So lets get to point - did they fuck up Final Fantasy VII Remake as well or is it an absolute masterpiece? 

Well... that’s kind of a hard question to answer right now as this is only “Part 1″ of what I assume will be a trilogy of releases that comprise the actual FULL game.  However, judging this game alone, I’m going to lean towards masterpiece... with huge “but”.  I’ll talk more about that below and warn of spoilers before I get to it.

Make no mistake about it, though, Final Fantasy VII Remake (part 1) is a goddamn masterpiece.  The care put into the game by the development team is evident from top-to-bottom, with even the most minute details from the original faithfully adapted.  However, this isn’t a strict beat-for-beat retread of FFVII, nor did I expect it to be.  While the game follows the basic story almost exactly, some tweaks have been made here or there to better pad out both the gameplay and the story as a whole.  I had no issue with any of these changes, until the final chapter revealed the implications of them, which I guess I’ll discuss next to get it off my chest...

SPOILERS

During the last chapter, your party is confronted by Sephiroth outside of Midgar, who then goads you into entering the “Singularity”, where you finally fight the ghostly “Whispers” who have been stalking you throughout the whole game.  These Whispers are a significant part of the new story “tweaks” that have been added, which I found annoying at first, but didn’t really mind so much as the story went on until now, because it is revealed that they are “arbiters of destiny”, whose jobs are to ensure fate plays out like its supposed to.  During your fight with them at the end of the game, after defeating each Whisper boss, the characters experience “flash forwards” to important story points in the future, such as Aerith’s death and the summoning of meteor, implying that they have more or less nullified these events now as a result of defeating “destiny”... I think.  Part of my problem with this portion of the game is Square Enix’s current “naval gazey, head-up-their-asses” story telling style is in full effect here, and I began to get Vietnam flashbacks to the completely incoherent plot of Final Fantasy XIII. 

Square Enix, it’s so simple - part of why Final Fantasy VII endures is because it’s a great story ALREADY.  By all means, give it a tweak here and there to give the characters more depth or make the story more dramatically impactful, but for the love of Jenova, please don’t tell me it’s going to turn into a philosophical shit show about the nature of destiny and fighting fate.  More importantly, Square Enix, please don’t tell me you are going to change CRITICAL plot points for shits n’ giggles or to “swerve” the audience.

For one, Aerith has to die. I love Aerith, especially his incarnation of Aerith in the Remake.  She’s so sweet and yet has a delightfully mischievous personality.  She’s absolutely perfect.  But the reason why her death still haunts fans of the game to this day is because THAT was the point in the story when shit got REAL.  The stakes were raised and Sephiroth cements himself as an evil son-of-a-bitch that must be stopped.  He doesn’t kill her just to be evil either - he kills her because she’s actively trying to foil his plans by using her white materia.  However, unbeknownst to Sephiroth, her death is what ultimately triggers the white materia to work when it needs to most.  It’s kind of like how Obi-Wan Kenobit warns Darth Vader “If you strike me down, I’ll become more powerful than you an imagine”, but in this instance it actually makes sense.

So that has to happen.  It can’t be Tifa, or Yuffie, or Cid, or Marlene, or some other swervy “gotcha” bullshit - it has to be Aerith. 

Secondly, Sephiroth must successfully summon the meteor - it’s in the fucking logo for crying out loud!  I can’t imagine what “imminent threat” for the whole world they could do instead.  Fat Chocobo gains a massive amount of weight and jumps on Midgar?  It’s baffling to imagine the developers would even *flirt* with the idea of changing these important story elements of the game, so hopefully we’ve all just hysterically misinterpreted the meaning of the last chapter.

Oh, one more thing - the final boss fight with Sephiroth was dumb too, if only because it cheapens the eventual actual final boss fight with him at the end of the game.  I liked how in the original he was basically a phantom that kept evading your party, leaving behind Jenova pieces for you to fight instead.  It’s like how in wrestling, a heel character talks tough, but then runs away when the “baby face” comes out to confront him.  Fighting Sephiroth now, not to mention beating him, kind of makes him look weak sauce.  Ohh legendary SOLDIER, my ass - I beat him at the beginning of the whole story.  To borrow from Star Wars again, it would be like Luke fighting Darth Vader in A New Hope and kicking his ass immediately.  Vader sure wouldn’t seem like much of a threat after that.

Anyway..

SPOILERS OVER

God, sorry, this review is out of control and much too long, but I have a lot to say!

Okay, so my worries above aside, the game itself is very well done.  The graphics are beautiful, despite the environment being a constant barrage of grey, industrial imagery (hey, that’s Midgar for ya).  They find ways to change things up visually, depending on what part of Midgar you’re in, such as Sector 5 having more greenery than usual (cause, you know, it’s Aerith’s home, so that makes sense!).  Wall Market, the “red light district” of Midgar, is a treat for the senses, especially at night, what with all the lights and the music playing everywhere.  It really feels like a lively, party town. 

One major change that had me, and probably a lot of FFVII purists, concerned is the combat system.  Gone is the turn based combat of old, replaced now with a more fast paced hack-n-slash style reminiscent of a From Software game than Final Fantasy (though not even as remotely as sophisticated).  However, I enjoyed the change, as this makes the battles much more engaging and fun, as opposed to the tedium that can come with turn-based combat, not to mention random encounters.  You can still use magic, items, and Limit Breaks like in the old days, so it still feels like the original, but with tweaks that make it better.

And you know, that pretty much sums up my super long review nicely - the game feels like the original but with tweaks that make it better.  Even the soundtrack is improved, which is a feat I didn’t think possible considering the original FFVII’s soundtrack is some of the best video game movie ever composed.  The Remake does a superb job of weaving in certain themes and remixing themes at appropriate points in the story.  “Aerith’s Theme” is more tear jerking than ever, while “One Chosen by the Planet” (otherwise known as Sephiroth’s theme) is even more chilling and fearsome than ever before. 

So overall, I fucking loved this game.  I rarely get emotional while playing video games, unless you consider cursing and screaming “emotional”, but damned if this one didn’t constantly give me warm and fuzzy feelings (especially whenever Tifa was onscreen - *growl*).  I’m eager to play the next part and explore more of this “new” world, despite my concern it might be “too new” in the worst ways.