#just two totally platonic best buds <3< /div>
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"whenever we do best friends tests we're absolutely incredible at it" ah, yes, my favorite best friends game, Date Night For Couples
#just two totally platonic best buds <3#dan and phil#dnp#dip and pip#phan#amazingphil#phil lester#daniel howell#my yap tag
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So, about how I see Link Click's Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi relationship:
As it stands in canon? Queerplatonic partners. And it's convenient for the plot that they're like this.
Because of Chinese censorship it can't be explicitly romantic, yes I know it. Let me tell why it's queerplatonic for me. The way these two have intertwined their lives and futures together?!
Owning a business and living together, that hint in ep2 (comparing them to the subtextually older lesbian couple who also came across as queerplatonic bc censure) where Xiaoshi wonders/fears if years down the line he and Lu Guang will separate/break up implying their partnership is for life as far as he's concerned (the parallel can be taken as a subtext romance too but follow me we're talking text), the way they were already going also on vacancies together three years prev in canon, etc...
Without entering on their complimentary powers and the way the dives need both of them if they want security in not screwing the past, and the inmense trust and vulnerability the dives themselves require?
They're not simply best friends either.
Those aren't the actions of normal, totally not queer friends. Cheng Xiaoshi checks out women on the dives, sure, (and men too when the host is feeling it which I love bc they can't address it directly bc censorship and then it comes across as Xiaoshi being super confident in his own relationship to sexuality/gender) but I don't think he would ever date bc Lu Guang is already there, filling that place in his life minus sex and romance but all that same companionship and intensity of feeling.
These two meet in what, the last year/s of High School and then proceeded to latch onto each other with a commitment reserved for romantic partners.
And I know you want to say, "it's the censorship! they'd be romantic and canon if not for the censorship!"
Are you sure? Are you sure the story would work if there were explicit romance in it? (I mean, if they could I'm pretty sure they would have nailed it anyways but allow me my a-spec delusions) Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang feel so much like an already established pair, they work like one, and Link Click is not about them coming together like many other stories. Are you sure this would work as BL?
There's a distinct difference on the way they start the show already like six years at least since they're best friends and three or two since they live together. That's not usually how it goes. I'm talking not just romances but every buddy or nakama anime/show, where the protag has to learn to work with who will be his best friend or rival. These stories usually have the same kind of plot progression as a romance which is why they work so well when you make the subtext text.
But a story where the main romance is already established and we're following a plot that has nothing to do with it? Much more rare, even stranger to find them well done although there are some very good ones and with the friendships instead of romo they're more common. For example, Soul Eater, which is all about the trials of it and how they hace to truly come to understand each other. That's Link Click a bit, but not even then.
Link Click juggling a budding romance between Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi with all the other stuff is going on?? Messier for sure. I don't know if people would have liked it as much or if the donghua would have been as well done.
As it is, Link Click has the exact level of emotional connection between our protags it needs to have incredibly high stakes emotionally and at the same time not need a detour by romantic scenes/fanservice that would derail the plot or the other charas importance. That it happens to be pretty queer anyways in a platonic way?
Nice for the aroace-spec folks watching the show xD
Btw, I'm pretty sure in season 3 we're going to get more of Lu Guang's PoV, the origins of their powers and the past between him and Xiaoshi. It'll probably dig more into the aspect of "testing their bond and coming stronger bc of it" which is were the romantic subtext usually comes through...
âunless you're very very good at writing like Arakawa in FMA, who nailed the brotherly relationship without tipping into incest subtext which I've seen more than a few writers fumble. or the latest D&D film for the platonic childrearing and partnership for a no familial example between a man and a woman also very very difficult to get right for writers dunno whyâ
... but until then, for now I'm incredibly satisfied by the canon.
The other read of course it that they're already a couple since well before the start of season 1, and to mentally edit what we saw in canon with that lens (it wouldn't be very difficult honestly) but reading only the text? Queerplatonic partners!
There also how Xiaoshi and Lu Guang don't have that anxiety/insecurity of their bond that makes it so easy to read the want for something, like a romance for shipping purposes. Despite the disagreements on the Dives or the trials of season 2 or Lu Guang keeping secret Cheng Xiaoshi future/past death they read very steady which is fun. I love some good established relationship, you can go to deeper places when the base is already secure and the risk is higher for the characters. Plus I love domesticity! Yes, I do my angsty/Gothic leanings notwithstanding. Don't you know you need a home for the Gothic to be effective?
#link click#meta#link click meta#lu guang#cheng xiaoshi#shiguang#my thoughts#all of this to say that I don't exactly ship them#Although I've been tagging fanart and meta with their shipname#bc I dont not ship them#honestly?#it's because despite it all I'm very much a canon girl so I can't help but see shiguang on that same romo-not romo limbo#canon present us with#loving the fics though#and Lu Guang is so tragic timetraveler for love coded is not funny#which is the reason I'm sure season 3 will give me that shift towards a more romantic lense to their relationship#also the way they made sure to sibling-fy qiao ling and cheng xiaoshi was fun XD#in conclusion: I think Link Click being a danmei wouldn't have worked#precisely bc it wasnt created as danmei the story as it is works almost perfectly#and right now Im not sure if I would want the romance at the expense of everything else the plot is doing#....qiang jin jiu did it well on the second half though#but it had the first part to go from a enemies-to-lovers and establishing the romance#I don't think I've seen a danmei start with a established romantic relationship bc the genre being a romance tells you that's#what's going to be centered#link click would had to be a just a time travel thriller with queer elements (which it is)#and I don't know#I'd love it but I bet we'll have lots of people annoyed/annoying bc they're here for the romance#Instead of taking the story for what it is#but then romance (queer romance) doesn't devalue the storytelling#ah the conflict of wanting a-spec queer stories VS censorship
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Hellsite Nostalgia Tour 2023 Day 224
The Things They Carried/The Caretaker
âThe Things They Carriedâ
Plot Description: while investigations case involving two soldiers just back from Iraq, Sam and Dean run into Coke and reluctantly agree to let him help
Would I Survive the First Five Minutes??: I would simply never voluntarily join the military. RIP this girl but Iâm different
There are so many scenes my boss could have walked through the break room and it HAD to be while Sam was silently researching the Mark of Cain and Dean loudly accuses him of looking at porn???
Dean is being so season 3 right now. He thinks his time is running out (though this time he doesnât know how long he has), and he just wants to go about things like normal and wants Sam to just be alongside him
I still donât LIKE Cole (you know, the marine Iâve spent too long complaining about even BEING in the show), but I can be compassionate that heâs lost his dad and will likely lose his best friend to things involving the Winchestersâ business
âMedium build and brown hairâ can describe SO MANY DUDESâŠ
I know you wanna protect your friend, but likeâŠhe smashed a wine bottle, cut a guyâs throat, and drank the blood off the convenience store floor, soâŠ
What if Kit kills Coke and then I never have to deal with him again?
Wtf, that thing looked a lot like the memory worms from Doctor Who, but instead of erasing your memory, it makes you wanna drink blood. And now oneâs in Cole, and heâs TOTALLY okay with Dean electrocuting him to get it out
Dean being so conflicted about almost killing Cole. Itâs wonderful. Dean who searched for the Father of Murder for a bunch of last season and this season, whoâs been killing all his life, but now that itâs someone who needs help but whoâs also TRIED TO KILL HIM AND SAM, heâs conflicted? Gorgeous
This rapid dehydration is taking a really long time
Deanâs so fascinating. Heâll tell everyone and their mom that theyâre not allowed to give up, that they have to fightâŠbut himself? Heâs not worth, it in his mind
I hope this is the last we have to see if Cole. Dean was able to save him, but Sam couldnât save Kit.
Can he stop calling them Sammy and Deano??
âThe Caretakerâ
Plot Description: The terrifying Skovox Blitzer is ready to destroy all humanity
I could never be an Eleven or Twelve companion. Iâd literally rather disappear from my normal life for as long as Iâd be with the Doctor than do this part time gig thing they all have. It looks EXHAUSTING
That said, Iâm still enjoying the very platonic sunshine & grumpy dynamic between Twelve and Clara. Probably because the sunshine one is still a little cynical and the grumpy one has a taste for the wondrous, and they truly like being together
I forgot the premise of this one is that the Doctor gets a job at Claraâs school while sheâs trying to juggle being a companion with her job and budding relationship with Danny
Itâs funny that sheâll call out the Doctor for trying to be mysterious when sheâs not stupid enough to not see heâs trying to be mysterious, and then Danny does the same to her the very next scene and thereâs no reflection of that
The opening credits are still REALLY bad
Well, heâs no Ten when it comes to going under deep cover. Whereâs your pocket watch that holds all your actual memories?? ThoughâŠnow that I think about it, at least youâre not just saying âPhysics physics physics physics physics physicsâ
Iâm fascinated by Twelveâs perception of humans. âItâs assembly now, go worship somethingâ WHAT, sir??!!
If you saw two kids just playing on a phone outside a gate, why would you assume that there was DEFINITELY a third in the abandoned building behind that gate? And thatâs what you get, blasted to bits by a robot looking alienâŠ
Ok but the Doctor becoming besties with Jane Austen and going on holidays together but then getting abducted by other aliens before forming a band with Buddy Holly IS an episode Iâd like to see
Omg the Doctor thinks Clara is dating the other English teacher and not DannyâŠ
âWhy are you talking like an idiot?â would be a WILD thing to say to a temporary school caretaker you barely knowâŠif it wasnât Clara to the Doctor Iâd be aghast
Oooo Dannyâs getting suspicious of the caretaker, me thinks
Sorry. Back on the comparing Ten and Twelve again. Youâre not going to get âI think youâre giantsâ lines from Twelve about humanity, even if he does care for humans just as much (DEEP deep down). But you also wouldnât get âYouâre weirdâ âYes, I am. What about you?â âIâm a disruptive influenceâ âGood to meet youâ âAnd youâ âNow get lostâ from Ten with any student he was trying to save
OH MY GODDDD HE THINKS SHE IS DATING THE OTHER ENGLISH TEACHER BECAUSE HE SEES ELEVEN IN HIM. STOP. And sheâs so excited he approves of Danny đ
DoctorâŠyou put one of your time bombs or whatever ON A FIRE ALARM?!?!
Oh no. Oh no no no no no. ThisâŠthis has got to look and sound SO CRAZY to Danny, and Claraâs just scrambling to do some kind of damage control, to hold on to both parts of her life as they crash into each other at lightning speed
Not Danny calling the Doctor Claraâs space dad đ
Ugh this hurts. This is probably the first time Claraâs said she loves Danny and itâs just after heâs figured out (some of) her big secret and as the Doctor is insulting him
(Omg he saw Clara hanging with a guy with a bow tie and went, ah yes, THAT is her boyfriend)
Why does she need to explain Danny to the Doctor?!
They really didnât build Danny up enough for this betrayal of sorts to feel earned
Theyâre both putting Clara in this impossible position. Itâs so unfair. Look. I GET why these two would hate each other but donât take it out on Claraaaaaa
One day, I hope Courtney âDisruptive Influenceâ Woods gets her chance to go to space
It truly took me til now to see how much the other English teacher looks like Matt Smith. Itâs not just the bow tie, itâs also the floppy hair (though the teachersâs has a bit of curl to it)
Courtney has nothing to worry aboutâŠitâs not the end of the world (unless the Doctor canât defeat the Skovox Blitzer). Her parents are literally arguing that thereâs been improvement since last year when she was a VERY disruptive influence
I DIDNT THINK TODAY WOULD BE THE DAY COURTNEY GOT TO GO TO SPACE đ Iâm sorry she didnât enjoy it as much as she wanted
Weâre getting so close to ACTUALLY getting Missy.
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It's the Cat's Life for Me
Pairing: Ranboo x Reader, Tommy x Reader, Tubbo x Reader, Purpled x Reader
Request: Can I have your take on the yandere boys (purpled, ranboo, tommy, and tubbo) with a cat hybrid reader? Don't overwork yourself and remember self care! <3
Word count: 1.6k words
A/n: This all platonic, nothing romantic. Also oops i didn't make it yandere- misread it.
Ranboo
Heâd definitely be excited to meet you, especially since youâre a hybrid. Heâs an enderman hybrid and you are? Oh a cat hybrid! Thatâs really cool! You two should hang out a few times- itâll be great.
When he realizes and puts the pieces together, he gets ultra excited. Most cats donât like water, right? So does that mean you donât like water or- oh you definitely donât like water! Or water in that way. Maybe water period- you know what he shouldnât and wonât try that again.
Now you two playfully threaten each other with water. You, at least, would have a squirt bottle at the reader for whenever the moment is right. Ranboo does the same. Think old wild west style shoot off. Thatâs what happens.
There has to be loads of cuddle sessions with purring. Specifically to calm one of you down. Or both of you. Doesnât matter, works all the same.
I donât care what Mojang said; endermen can and will be fluffy.>:( They have to be. So you just pet each other to help calm down. Either be pet or pet, that is the question. Honestly itâs a âwhatever you think works best for you budâ thing.
So I already mentioned how you helped with his anxiety. But I want to go slightly more in depth with it. Anytime he seems like heâs panicking, and you get his permission, you just flop on him and purr up a storm. The combination of weight, sound, heat and feeling is very comforting to him. Youâre like a living weighted blanket!
Also you totally nap on him during this time, making it impossible for him to stand up and do anything. Just designated chill time.
When this man enderwalks, itâs a whole cute show. Just an enderman hybrid, slightly hunched and walking around the server, muttering stuff in a different language. Then you got that cat hybrid thatâs following him and occasionally rubbing against him. Especially if they think heâs about to get into trouble.
Sometime heâll just pick you up and carry you around with him. Itâs the equivalent of a child picking up the family cat and walking around with it. He isnât properly holding you so you do that cat slinky thing where they just elongate like a slinky. You arenât pleased but you canât get out of his grasp.
Tommy
Okay kinda following the headcannon that Tommy has wings here. But when he finds out youâre a cat hybrid? Oh man this is so cool! What cat things can you do? Do you know? Want to find out? Want to commit science with him?
He will drop you from great heights and free fall with you. Itâs a fun activity only the two of you can enjoy together.
Before you hit the ground, heâll do his best to grab you and land. Other times arenât that fortunate so you just land on the ground yourself. Mostly on your feet but there were a few times Tommy messed you your angle. Heâll always make sure youâre okay by the end.
Like any bird, he will love to annoy you. There is no safe place. Look away or donât pay attention when heâs talking? Grab and gentle yoink the tail. Loves to just attack your tail when youâre relaxed or least expect it.
Once he realizes what effect catnip has on you, itâs game over. He can get you to do whatever he wants! After you play, rub, eat and sniff the catnip. And if he can get and keep your attention. Maybe this was a mistakeâŠ
Will absolutely get you cat toys. You donât enjoy them, yet you do. Itâs Tommyâs way of patronizing you but theyâre also so fun. Man what a conundrum....
His favorite toy to get you is a laser pointer. Easy entertainment for everyone! Plus itâs his secret weapon. Admittedly his newest. It was something he shouldâve realized ages ago. But now? Oh itâs his new best friend- besides you of course.
Losing an argument? Pull out the laser pointer? Wanting you to do something because heâs too lazy? Point that little red dot at a point where you pouncing on it gets his job done.
Play fighting is a very common occurrence between the two of you. Happens right out of the blue. You two could literally be chilling on a hill and then you two are wrestling aggressively on the ground.
Tommy also tries to spook you. Is it effective? Sometimes. Usually not. But when heâs able to get you to jump and just bolt away screaming? Man those are the best reactions! You jump so high too!
Tubbo
Aw man, here comes another fuzzy duo!! You two can easily chill out with each other. Itâs incredible. You both calm down together. And just chit chat so much. Emotional support friend? Sure.
Youâre so good with Micheal too. Micheal just wants to pet you so much. Big cat? But also human? Good friend? Cool friend? Soft and fuzzy friend!! Youâre like a giant talking cat to him, for lack of a better description. You can do human stuff. You just got some animal features.
Another duo that will just cuddle. Bring in Ranboo and Micheal while youâre at it. Make it a family cuddle session!! The little group will see two people cuddling and go âI must joinâ.
I feel he has an area to grow plants in Snowchester. He just has to. So you know what that means? Heâll grow you stuff! Load of cat grass and some catnip along with other greenery that you like to much on. He makes sure they arenât poisonous to cats- wait how much of that will apply to you? Do you know?
Okay so you two play fight, but much less aggressively than you and Tommy would. You two also include Micheal. Very gentle play fighting then. Like ultra.
You two fight with what your instincts are telling you. Mostly acting out on the funny animal behaviors thatâll make Micheal laugh or just to have fun with it.
He will get you so many soft things. Just so much. Soft blankets, fluffy pillows and so much else man. Especially trying to get the squishy and soft stuff so you can knead it. Honestly a very endearing sight. You purr so heavily doing it.
Now you two will do gentle headbutts of affection. Very gentle, mind you. You two are very wary of the horns that peak through Tubboâs fluffy hair. Sometimes the two of you wonât gently butt heads, but butt your heads against other body parts like the upper arm or shoulder. To grab attention and show affection.
Purpled
Now this relationship is going to be mildly different from the get go. There wonât be an innate sense of âwhatâs rightâ or how hybrids function as a being/person. See, Purpled is a human. You are a cat hybrid. Two very different species. The backgrounds and some of the body language is different, but you two manage quite well.
So heâll treat you differently than the other hybrids. Well, only a wee bit. Heâlll treat you like the others but in a different way, with a different tone to his actions. Itâs very sweet, but you tell him itâs not necessary. He still does it.
One of the cat-like things he found out was that you donât like water. People usually like water and some cats like water, yet youâre like a majority of cats. You despise getting wet. Attempts at smacking anything thatâs getting you wet was what clued him in on this. Specifically when he accidentally did it. Oops.
You two canât swim together. Napping is really out of the question because he has work and sleeping doesnât seem like the most interesting activity. Although relaxing, it isnât too productive.
Activities are hard to come by; stuff youâd want to do with Purpled is stuff he definitely doesnât want to do and vise versa. After a standstill on what to do, you two started to get creative with the ideas.
Building super tall buildings? Although not safe for Purpled, you can easily take the fall. Along with that, Purpled is more than happy to build tall things. You canât tell me otherwise because this man built a whole ufo.
Sometimes heâll even bring you on his mercenary missions. Itâs a cool way to hang out and have some more one-on-one time and you two get to work together. A very pog situation.
He tries to give you a part of the money; 50-50 for you guys. But you deny. It was his job, you just came around. Although not too happy about it, because you two worked together on this, heâll concede. After all, he can just slowly slip the money into your house.
On these trips you not only provide companionship but you also are more than ready to work. Maybe playing coy and cute for a patron at a bar to lure them out and away from the public eye to be executed by Purpled. Or it could be a simple distraction of someone running by. Maybe youâre able to pickpocket the target and get whatâs needed. Youâre a cute and fuzzy swiss army knife
He loves to get on higher surfaces than you and try to pick you up. Even if itâs only enough to just get your feet on the ground. You do the little cat extension thingy and he thinks thatâs super cool and funny. So heâll do it often. Though you try to object, claiming to not enjoy the process at all. Yet that smile and giggles say otherwise.
#mcyt x reader#tommy x reader#dsmp x reader#tubbo x reader#ranboo x reader#dsmp shipping#mcyt shipping#dsmp!tommy#dsmp!ranboo#dsmp!tubbo#dsmp!purpled#purpled x reader#dodo writing#c: tommy#c: ranboo#c: tubbo#c: purpled
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For that ask meme, I give you two characters: Wukong and Scorpion Demoness because I'm a useless simp
LACE YOU SENT AN ASK AFTER MY OWN HEART!!
Sun Wukong:
favorite thing about them: I love how complicated he is. He's such a complex, 3 dimensional, fully realized character with levels to him. There is so much about his past we don't know, but can infer based on how he interacts with the rest of the characters and the actions he chooses. I LOVE HIM.
least favorite thing about them: COMMUNICATE YOU DUMBASS.
favorite line: "You should have stayed buried."
brOTP: I thought about this a lot, I think (outside of him being a father figure to MK) my favorite platonic dynamic is the one I see often with Sandy in fanon. They have such a good brotp set up, especially if Sandy is Sha Wujing in disguise.
OTP: You know... as much as I still like ShadowPeach, I have to say I think there's a little something called EchoShipping that is starting to squirm into the spot the more I think about it. (... EchoShipping is... SyntaxSWK... because I am a predictable idiot.)
nOTP: Don't wanna get into ship drama here, but one ship... that I don't wanna name makes me deeply uncomfortable.
random headcanon: HE PAINTED THAT MURAL ON HIS WALL HIMSELF AND HAD MK DESTROY IT BECAUSE HE COULDN'T BRING HIMSELF TO AND AS TRAINING FOR DESTROYING LBD'S MURAL HE WENT TO.
unpopular opinion: SWK's choices make total sense if you view them through the lens of a hundreds of centuries years old monkey born of stone who has seemingly lost all of his friends in some way and isolated himself for possibly hundreds of years and is terrified of the fact someone who he thought was dealt with is back and can kill his student and the rest of the world if he fucks up the wrong way.
song i associate with them: Surface Pressure from Encanto (but like, Caleb Hyles' cover specifically)
favorite picture of them:
Scorpion Demoness:
favorite thing about them: I love how she is in one episode for such a short amount of time, but just enough is revealed about her that we get a good idea of how she feels and what she wants. Also: Amethyst.
least favorite thing about them: SHE SHOULD BE A RECURRING CHARACTER.
favorite line: "OK, FINE FINE! I'M A DEMON OK! YA HAPPY!?"
brOTP: Tang, best buds and/or adopted siblings. Whichever floats your boat.
OTP: You know. 83c But also her and Spider Queen is SO CUTE.
nOTP: ... I... have not thought about this yet? ... I dunno.
random headcanon: I think she gets used to Tudi in time and actually becomes genuine friends with him. ... a long time.
unpopular opinion: I honestly think it was kind of meh to leave her with Tudi, even if that did solve the problem I guess and they had to move on.
song i associate with them: Dunno yet, gonna think on that.
favorite picture of them: I actually would have picked a screenshot of her demon form, but she looks so HAPPY HERE.
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Tumblr thought it would be hilarious to delete all my work and not let me answer requests :').
YES I SHALL WRITE THE PLATONIC ANGRY PARENTS-
And thank you-I woke up and was talking to my friend in the morning and my brain just: jojo villain yandere dads. Mudad mudad mudad mudad anger.
Anyways, here they are- Do these even count as headcanons???? I dunno-
Dio, Part 1
Vampire form of course.
First thing first, We all know he'd be a great dad. Protective already, But make him a yandere platonic father? Oh boy, Trust me, You'd be spoiled and treated like royalty.
Now, I'm gonna say in this scenario you were on of his victims child. I'll say you'll be around 5 to eight.
Somehow you managed to catch his eye, Is it because your parent was just as bad as his? You reminded him of his mother? Or maybe you resemble him, and have three moles on your ear. Or, perhaps, A younger joestar? Either way, You somehow had him feeling like a father, and, according to one of my friends, Araki had said DIO would treat his children like they were royalty, And they would be so spoiled.
So, Mudad would end up taking you in, kidnapping, whichever honestly. He'd be holding you like a loving pet owner would, if you got scared, he'd probably be confused. Honestly he'd have you turned into a vampire quickly, as he knew he wouldn't be able to have children as a Vampire.
Truthfully, I think you'd end up never noticing how he'd occasionally pull you closer, or how he'd glare at anyone your age or older going near you. Or how he'd give you some strict rules, Like no dating anyone. E v e r. And why would you ever want to hurt your papa like that?! You wouldn't want to do that, right?! Of course you wouldn't! Dio knew you'd never betray him like that!!
Truth be told, he'd guilt you if you tried to go against his words. But punishments? No no, He'd never actually purposefully hurt you, Unlike his love interest, he'd NEVER want to cause you pain ever. He'd hate himself and wouldn't forgive himself for years. Centuries. Infact, he'd beg for your forgiveness.
The Pillarmen
And satannnaaaaa
First of all, You aren't a pillarchild. You'd most likely be some kind of god, vampire, or a young hamon learner. Or even related to the Joestars or Ceasar.
So, Let's say you're immortal who can walk in the sun. We all know you'd be the joestar side, Right? So, That means you'd end up hating or feeling pity for the pillarmen. First, You'd probably end up trying to make Santana hally when he awakens. Unlike with Joseph, He'd probably know not to attempt to attack you. Let's say you have symbols like Dio Over heaven, We all know how that would work.
You'd end up as a being worshipped by them, probably kidnapped after they destroy the Joestars.
Let's say they defeated Joseph and the others, and you were still a deity, You'd most likely be weaker then them in this scenario. They'd probably treat you like a kitten at first, like a baby before they all felt a connection. As if you were a child of their own, so they'd give you rules. And we all know how rules go with yanderes.
Let's say uh- you fell for a mortal.
"No. No."
[Crush name has fallen from a high place.]
"DADS WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUU-"
"NO CUSSING IN THIS CHRISTIAN MINECRAFT SERVER!"
or something like that :')
Honestly, You'd have bird dad, and a bunch of other dads. Santana would honestly be like the cool big brother honestly. You'd probably want horns too so-
They would totally buy you halloween horns to put on your head so you'd be happy baby
Now, Hamon user? They'd probably find you like a cute animal at first, probably going easy on you like it was a game of tag. Soon, they'd realize how weak and fragile you are, After all, You are just starting hamon. They'd probably kidnap you to spite Joseph and his side at first, before... Well, You didn't expect to become a vampire and treated like royalty when all you've been treated like is uh... Considering Lisalisa is your coach, I'd say you'd be happy if it was someone else doing this for you.
Josephs sibling? WOAH Joseph, When did you get a cute sibling? Pfft, Not your sibling anymore, They just adopted your ex sibling nerd.
But, All jokes aside, They'd probably be surprised that you were more mature then your brother, and...you sorta resemble a certain Coach... Oh, Humans all look the same, haha.
They'd probably kidnap you infront of Joseph just to make him feel guilt and rage, After all, Why not get their prized treasure and make Joseph angry? They'd give you more rules, until Joseph was gone, of course.
And, sadly, Not even you crying would stop them from making you into a vampire infront of your big brother, breaking both of your hearts.
Don't worry you got ice cream later smh.
Ceasars sibling? Mini pancake? Haha, They'd kidnap you as soon as they felt parent like tendencies. No denying them, infact, they'd make sure you saw ceasar get defeated by the ro ck. But don't worry! You have new parents and a brother-! Haha, Poor you.
Part 3 DIO AKA mudad!
Honest to god you'd probably have to be a stand user with a weak or strong stand, or, you were one of his kids he had with a lucky woman who survived and got a naked polaroid of him as a 'wow you lived! Congrats, now go have my kid lmao' gift. Or, Maybe you were a normal kid who was kind to him, even if he,,,, did some questionable murder infront of you. And maybe you were a young
Now, Let's say you were a strong stand user. He'd end up wanting to use a flesh bud until he realized... He never had a kid, that he knows of, and decided to raise you! At first he'd be upset you had a strong stand like your mudad, but realized you could protect yourself from those dreadful joestars! Congrats, You became a Brando! :) How unlucky, Considering this DIO would probably force vampire masks onto you, or even using fleshbuds as a threat. Either way, You'll always be papas baby!
Yoshikage kira.
Like I said in my first post of this, He'd want to have a nice average life. You having a stand wouldn't be a problem, Since he'd probably convince you Josuke and the others are awful and rude.
Josukes sibling? Well, He'd end up telling you he can help your brother with his murder issue if you come with him. You don't exactly have a choice since Killer queen would easily overpower you if you had disagreed. You'd end up being a normal and peaceful child before long, Infact, He'd have to pretend he had adopted you behind his 'wifes' back.
Hayotos friend he never talks about? Congrats, You are now stuck with a crazy and loving father! And a mother, I suppose. And you get your best friend as a brother! You'd never be able to leave, how sad. But, You'd have your new mom and your dad to talk to-! And killer queen cuddle time.
Now, Let's say you were his own kid. Wowzers! You think its normal for your father to bring women hands home, after all, You are pretty young and your father told you most adults do this. Ah. How enjoyable.
Doppio/Diavolo
Oh dear. You poor child.
Either you were related to trish, and he somehow felt like you wouldn't be a problem before they felt more of a father love towards you, Most likely somehow getting rif of the traitors and your big sister.
"Where's big sister?"
"Don't worry about her, She's spending time with your mother."
Smh quit LIEING you jERK!
But seriously, Doppio would be like the fun mom asking you if you'd like bake cupcakes in his spare time! Read you bed time stories and whatnot! Diavolo would be awkward and "wanna play baseball or whatever kids like to do these days?" Awkward dad alert.
"My kid is fine!"
The kid they kidnapped/raised:
Casually trying to beat another kid with a baseball.â€đđ
Honestly they'd insult everyone elses kids while here their kid is, casually scared of baseball.
Pucci
Papa priest! We all know he'd adopt you! I head canon him as gay, considering DIO and him were totally a thing.
So, He'd probably have you study Lord DIO bibles, and casually have you hate Jolyne. Probably even give you a stand, And even show you that DIO is the best! Worship! Protect yourself and all that!
Jotaro would probably scare you, so I can see you holding onto Pucci while Jotaro appears anytime, so pucci would infact love it when you snuggle onto him lime a cute kitten. Hell, you even Sneeze like a kitten!
Honestly You'd be kept under watch 24/7, but you'd think it was normal, after all, Your father would mever do something so awful like Those Joestars claim...right?
Diego
Oh wow- dino dad :)
Let's say you were a big fan of his, Then, Well,You wouldn't mind having him as a dad, Now would you? He is your idol, Right? Yeah. Yeah!
He'd probably carry you around upside down, Hot pants just questioning his sanity as he drops you a million times. Hot pants would probably end up carrying you most of the time.
Mama hot pants and father Diego. Y es.
And, Let's say you were traveling with Johnny. Congrats. You've put yourself in a even worse situation considering Diego would become worried and paranoid over those two idiots hurting you! And he hates the idea of his baby boy/girl/child being hurt by barbarians!!!
Even though he'd probably hurt you on accident if I'm gonna be honest.
Kidnapping isn't a very easy job, so of course he had to knock you out! What was he supposed to do?! Ask you to come stay with him forever?! No! Maybe! HuawhuKaia-
Honestly not too many rules, just don't leave his side ever! Except when going to the bathroom. You'll be tied to his horse. No whining >:(.
Funny Valentine
Honestly what did you think he was going to do? Pick some random child? No no, He'd choose the PERFECT child! You were so lucky! Wow! The daughter of the mos powerful man ever! Lucky you, Right?
No. You don't get alone time unless it's you sleeping or bathing. You wear what he wants, and no.
Dating not allowed. Bad. No no no no no.
"No. No dating. Your lips will fall off."
"but mommys lips didn't-"
"Your face will melt off."
Basically you'd be bossed around and treated like royalty, as long as you listen to you dad!
Honestly I don't know if this is headcanons, if if it isn't feel free to scream at me in the comments-
AND I AM SO SORRY ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO ACTUALLY ANSWER, SO I HOPE YOU SEE THIS AND ARE ABLE TO ENJOY IT??? I GUESS???
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Long Way Home | Bucky Barnes x Reader (Part 1)
MY MASTERLIST
Series Masterlist
Summary: As Dr. Barnes is about to begin his new job at Massachusetts General Hospital, he gets to work on a patient who was once involved in making medical history.Â
Word Count: 1870
Pairing: Doctor!Bucky Barnes x Doctor!Reader, Doctor!Steve Rogers x Platonic!Reader
Warnings: Heart Disease, Hospital, Surgery.
A/N: Give it up for another clusterfuck from yours truly. Thanks to my dearest @dramadreamer14â for the beta, as always. I DONâT DO TAGLISTS! Divider by @firefly-graphicsâ <3
September 29, 2020 - Boston, MassachusettsÂ
For as long as she could remember, Dr. Y/N Y/L/N had followed a strict morning routine. She began her day with a 5 am wake up call and a cold shower to get rid of the remaining slumber, followed by her usual forty minute drive to Massachusetts General Hospital while sipping on a freshly prepared green juice. She parked at the same corner spot in the employee parking lot, and entered through the sliding double doors that led her inside of the emergency room. She always made a beeline for the cafeteria to pick up two cups of decaf, and then headed over to greet the Chief of Surgery.Â
The moment she entered the Chiefâs office, she was quick to realize that things had changed. What was once the office of Dr. Anthony Edward Stark now belonged to a Dr. Steven Grant Rogers. âOh- shit. I totally forgot.â How could she forget that Tony was gone?Â
Change was the only thing in life that never changed. But Tony had been the one constant in her life. A part of her refused to accept that he was gone, even though she knew that it was his time to go. Itâs what he had claimed, and that wasnât even the worst part. The worst part was having to see Steve replace him. Not that he did not deserve the position or anything, but in her mind, no one could ever replace Tony Stark.Â
âGood morning to you too, Dr. Y/L/N.â Steve greeted the woman as he looked up from his emails, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he saw her enter his office with a sunken look on her face. âIâve been expecting you.âÂ
âI was only gone for two days, Steve.â She let out a sigh as she walked up to his desk. âI didnât think you would already manage to redecorate.â Not that it mattered, as it was Steveâs office now. But it was safe to say that a part of Y/N refused to accept that Tony had retired, and that Steve was the new Chief of Surgery. She had to keep repeating it in her head, hoping that her fucked up heart could eventually come to accept it.Â
Steve was one of the few people at Massachusetts General Hospital who knew of Y/Nâs relationship with Tony. She had been his patient long before she began working for him. Even after all those years, the two of them had shared a close bond. He knew that she might have a hard time adjusting to the fact that her beloved boss had left his post, only to be replaced so quickly.Â
âIâm sorry, Y/N.â Steve frowned as he closed his laptop, eyeing the extra cup of what he assumed what decaf that she had set on his desk. âIâm sure Tony misses you as much as you miss him.âÂ
âNo, he doesnât.â She shook her head, laughing softly. âHeâs probably glad that heâs finally gotten rid of me, if Iâm being honest. Heâs had to deal with me for thirty years.â
âYou say that like itâs a bad thing.â
âIsnât it?âÂ
âIs that decaf for me?â Steve asked as he motioned towards the cup she was still holding.Â
With a pout on her lips, she gave him a nod. âIf you donât mind me bringing you one every morning. Tony and I always spend our mornings having decaf and bitching about you.âÂ
âYou and Tony bitch about me every morning?â He asked her, though he was not all that surprised by that revelation. âDid he really hate me that much?âÂ
âIf he hated you, he wouldnât have asked you to be Chief when he was gone. He knows youâre a good surgeon, but heâs someone who doesnât like to be challenged unless heâs going to win.â Y/N slid the cup of decaf towards him. âYou were always giving him a run for his money, bud. He preferred to get it out of his chest before he starts his day.â She shrugged.Â
âWell, Iâll take the morning coffee. But as for the bitching, Iâm sure our newest Chief of Cardio would be more than happy to join you in on that.â Steve remarked, cheekily.Â
Oh right, how could she forget about Tonyâs other replacement? Steve was running the hospital, while some other doctor was coming in to run Tonyâs department. Tony had even suggested that he would also be her doctor, but Y/N was going to be the judge of that. She may not have control over who would be her boss, but at least, she could have control over who got to be her doctor.Â
âTony did say that heâs a friend of yours.â Y/N sipped her drink before looking up at Steve. âDo you think I should trust him with my life? You know, given that Tonyâs the reason why Iâm still alive.âÂ
Steve knew why Y/N was apprehensive about having someone else take over as her doctor. If she was having a hard time accepting him as her boss, he could imagine how hard it would be to replace Tony as her doctor. While cardiothoracic surgery was not his specialty, he was well aware of Y/Nâs condition, and the clinical trial that had saved her life. As a doctor, he could understand the patientâs concerns about transferring to another doctor, especially after thirty years of being treated by someone like Tony. But he had to reassure her, he would trust Bucky Barnes with his life.Â
âI would trust him with mine.â Steve admitted with a shrug. âYou can call me biased, but Dr. Barnes is one of the most reputable heart surgeons in the country.âÂ
âHeâs not better than Tony.âÂ
âNo one can be better than Tony. But since heâs decided to put his scalpel down and focus on running his foundation from New York, youâre going to have to accept that I wouldnât hire someone who did not live up to that standard.â He assured her.Â
âYou hired him because heâs your best friend from college.â Y/N pointed out.Â
He knew that it was a call out, but he was simply going to ignore it. âI know you donât like change, Y/N. But we want whatâs best for you.â
âWell, I promised Tony that I would meet with him before I decided if I want him to be my doctor. Hopefully, he lives up to everything youâve been saying about him.âÂ
âTrust me⊠heâs the best there is, for the hospital and for you.âÂ
If she only knewâŠÂ
Bucky Barnes stared out of his window as his flight was taking off, the view of New York City slowly fading away as he was leaving behind his home of almost twenty-five years. He never would have thought that he would be leaving New York like this, but he knew that he needed the change. New York had been where he had met Steve, where he had gone to college and medical school, where he had established himself a career as one of the finest heart surgeons in the country.Â
As happy as he had been in New York, there was always something that seemed missing in the life that heâd had there. No matter how hard he worked or how much he had accomplished, none of those accomplishments seemed to live up to the expectation that he had for his career. It felt as though he hadnât done the one thing that he was always meant to do, although he was unsure if he would ever be able to do just that.Â
The hour ticked by as he caught up on some emails, one of them from a certain Dr. Y/N Y/L/N from Mass Gen with the subject line as âPatient Consult Requestâ.Â
Dear Dr. Barnes,Â
Iâm aware that you will be taking over the care of a number of Dr. Starkâs patients, and that you have already received their files to begin reviewing. Due to your expertise in the matter, I have an urgent request for an in-person consult with you for one of my own patients. I have attached the relevant medical information.Â
Please let me know when you would be free to meet after your arrival in Boston.Â
Sincerely,Â
Dr. Y/N Y/L/N
Bucky pulled up the attachment to see that this patient had been born with transposition of the great arteries, and had been operated on by Tony Stark at the age of five. He had performed an arterial switch using what would eventually become the world renown Stark procedure, which involved the switching of the pulmonary artery and the aorta to their normal positions and connecting them to the right ventricle and the left ventricle respectively.Â
For a moment, he wondered if this patient was indeed the one who Stark had written about in his 1993 article about the Stark procedure. Needless to say, Bucky had been fascinated by the accounts of Starkâs clinical trial during the 90s that paved the way for many cardiothoracic surgeons like him.Â
If this was the same patient, it meant that he would be working with a patient who was involved in making medical history. But as excited as he was about that, he began to worry once he read further into the file. He came across a series of test results that concluded that this patient was currently experiencing aortic valve regurgitation, followed by a note from Dr. Stark that said:Â
Patient refuses aortic valve replacement.Â
It was a simple aortic valve replacement, but the thought that the patient was refusing the surgery made Bucky wonder why that might be. Perhaps being operated on at the age of five and having to follow up for almost three decades now would do that to a person. He wouldnât know, but he wasnât going to judge the patient for refusing surgery. Needless to say, it was now his job to convince the patient to have surgery, as it was best to repair the aortic valve. Hopefully, he can do it without geeking out about Tony's article.Â
And so, he wrote up a quick email to schedule the consult for this patient.Â
Dear Dr. Y/L/N,Â
Iâve reviewed the case, and I agree that it is urgent. I will be arriving at the hospital within the next two hours, and would be happy to meet with you as soon as I get in. Please let me know if this works for you. If so, I will come to meet you.Â
James B. Barnes
It must have been a few seconds before he received a reply.Â
Dear James,Â
Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly. I have no surgeries scheduled for this afternoon, so you can find me in my office. I look forward to meeting you.Â
Y/N
With that, he closed his laptop and looked down at his watch rather eagerly. Only a half hour left until he would touch down in Boston, and he could not wait to get to meet Y/N.Â
#aj writes#long way home#bucky barnes x reader#bucky barnes x you#bucky barnes x y/n#bucky barnes au#bucky barnes fanfic#bucky barnes fanfiction#bucky barnes fic#bucky barnes fluff#bucky barnes series#bucky barnes angst#doctor!Bucky#doctor!steve#doctor au
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Hey fren! Iâve decided I wanna start trying to get to know my moots a bit better so here is yourâŠ
Question of the day!
What are your top five favorite TV shows at the moment and why?
Anyways have a good rest of your day fren!
Oh jeez ummm well I guess in no particular order
1. The first show that comes to mind is actually the one we've been watching here and there in my ASL class, and that's Switched at Birth! It's about these two families and their daughters, as the name of the show suggests, were switched at birth and proceeded to grow up with the other family, so now they're trying to cope and figure out what to about it and stuff. And one of the girls has been deaf since she was like three so there's a lot of, like, trying to deal with ableism about that. And, y'know, that's why we're watching it in an ASL class. Worth noting that there is teenager and relationship drama but even though that's not really what I look for in a show, imo it's still overall a really good show so far and I recommend it.
2. I think Switched at Birth is the only show I'd say I'm watching right now but I am also semi-patiently waiting for s3 of Miraculous Ladybug to come out on Netflix or Disney+ or anything so I can watch it and stop having to worry about spoilers on the rare occasion that MLB content comes across my dash. I'm pppppprrrreeeetty sure it's more well-known than Switched? Sooo I am going to take that as a valid excuse to not have to write a synopsis not get into explaining it bc also if I do I can't promise I won't go off on a ramble-y and/or rant-y side tangent.
3. I mean like I feel obligated to say Avatar the Last Airbender at least somewhere on this list. Like. C'mon. It's heckin' Avatar. It was such a good show for having been aimed at such a young audience. Need I elaborate?
4. Shoot, what else... Ooh! Glitch Techs! That's a cool show! Absolutely no idea how well-known it is in general but I really like it. It is sorta a more... I guess formulaic? show where each episode is kinda just its own deal for the most part and some baddie shows up so the protags have to go deal with it, y'know, like that. But at least imo and so far it's done a really good job of not feeling formulaic or repetitive, and I REALLY like that it lets the two main protags be opposite genders without trying to force their relationship into a romantic one. They're just best buds. Good platonic relationships are amazing and I wanna see more of them, opposite gender or not. Just. Being really close and supportive of each other without it having to be romantic.
5. And last but not least... Hmmm... This is like so super different from any other show on this list or even any show I can remember watching that isn't on this list, but honestly I think the only show I'd wanna put here is Top Gear/Grand Tour, which I think can totally count as just one. Shush. But yeah Top Gear/Grand Tour-- I watch it with my dad sometimes, and even though I don't speak car and I can't say I'm a fan of their often... inappropriately childish sense of humor, my dad and I do both really enjoy watching the guys go out of their way to mess with each other and screw each other over as much as as they can and just seeing things go hilariously wrong, as they so often do.
#this might've ended up being longer than you expected#althooooooouuuuuuuuugh you did say you wanted to get to know your mutuals better#so basically you asked for it and i will not be apologizing#:)
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OKAY NEO THOUGHTS NOW THAT IâVE BEATEN IT AND HAD TIME TO MARINATE. no spoilers for another day bc i havenât finished it yet, but i did go âno, why shanât i? i have the internetâ and watched the secret endings on youtube so those and the secret reports will be discussed. yeah. so hereâs some thoughts. iâm going to talk a lot about the more contentious things, i think. and again i havenât finished another day so nothing to do with that, but of course major ending spoilers for the main scenario.
these are my opinions both as a writer and a media consumer, so thereâs kinda two levels here. it is very freeform âas i think of itâ structurally so my sincerest apologies if itâs all over the place. i am trying to keep specific topics confined rather than splattering the same plot point/whatever all through the post, but itâs not like iâm posting a peer-revied academic essay here. itâs also fucking enormous and i would say sorry but that would be a lie.
the majority of the game, i actually really enjoyed. the localization was excellent and i canât praise it enough. i know people threw fits over the âhorrible overstepâ of... teenagers using slang. but did you know, in real life, teenagers use slang? even in japan, thereâs slang? wild but true! the dialogue was great, and while i canât say much re: the jp cast since i played in english, the newcomers for the english cast were spectacular. i actually think the newcomers were, in some cases, stronger than the returning cast. even in characters where i didnât like the voice (nagi had to grow on me, i admit it), they were a fantastic match for the characterâs personality.
the emotional beats re: character deaths, typically, landed the way i think the writers wanted; kanonâs death in week 3 had me devastated even though i could see it coming a mile away. i think thatâs a testament to the best parts of the writing; as soon as i understood how the current game was being run, i knew it was fairly inevitable that every other team would eventually lose. odds would be that, barring something like someone changing teams or a team merger, the majority of the other teams would be completely wiped out. i knew far in advance that kanon would likely not make it to the end of the story, but it still fucked me up when it finally happened not just because i cared about kanon, but also because of how much the other characters cared about her. some character deaths affected me far less, of course. i think kanon was the epitome of âthis hit exactly as hard as the writers wanted it toâ, but i do feel they fell short with others. ayanoâs lack of development really hurt my ability to be saddened by her death, especially when it was so clear that she set up her own possession as a trap for shoka. it undermined things for shoka in general, because while she was devastated to lose ayano, the game did a poor job at making their relationship tangible and meaningful. i felt worse (not necessarily sadder, just worse) about motoiâs death, and i didnât like motoi. speaking of him...
the biggest issue i have with the game is a chronic square enix issue. kubo is the Man Pulling The Strings, whatever, this is fine. the problem is that he, minamimoto, motoi, and arguably susukichi are the only characters in the game with dark skin. they are all morally grey at best. i donât think i need to elaborate on why this is an issue. weâre not going to pretend that racism and colorism donât exist in japan. iâm just going to say that all of the dark-skinned characters are either totally evil, excessively violent, and/or morally dubious. this is my biggest qualm, but i donât feel it needs more elaboration. yes, i know motoi turns it around in the end. yes, i know susukichi ultimately changes sides as well, and heâs ultimately portrayed as sympathetic. minamimoto is........ his own beast. but the fact remains that we donât get a single major character whoâs darker and unambiguously heroic.
second big issue is that while i understand the decision to keep shiki off camera until the very end for emotional impact, i feel like this was to the detriment of the story and to the detriment of said impact. she was mentioned, sure, and she was briefly seen from the shoulders down in a cutscene long before her introduction, but i feel that this was ultimately for the worse. her absence in the plot made her a borderline non-entity that can easily leave the audience going âwhy should i care about this?â on whatâs supposed to be a huge emotional cathartic moment. yes, people should know this is a sequel and neku and shikiâs friendship was a crucial part of the original game, and much of the endgame of neo makes no sense if youâre unfamiliar with the original, but their interactions in the ending felt incredibly shallow. and i think this is because of how little shiki appears and how isolated she is from her other friends. eri is unseen and unmentioned. she doesnât interact with rhyme. she hardly interacts with beat, using him as a translator at best. her other relationships are just... stagnant at best, ignored at worst, and despite having had just as vital of a role in the first game as beat did, she does nothing of import onscreen. her only narrative actions are âfix mr mew (mentioned but not seen)â and âbe sad about nekuâ. so, functionally...
for some reason (we know why) the story decided that the only thing that was important to shiki was seeing neku. but by holding off on this reveal of her, we lost the impact that their meeting could have had. because the game refused to show her it didnât show how much his absence was affecting her, which leaves their reunion feeling incredibly hollow. shiki was gone for upwards of 90% of the game. if not for the first game, this reunion would mean nothing; the narrative does a terrible job of reminding the audience that neku and shiki have a strong relationship and i donât know if itâs that they expected the first game to have done the heavy lifting, or they thought that what neo gave us was good rather than âgood enoughâ. imo this was an enormous failure and i wish we had gotten more for her both as part of the plot and as a character.
this was an issue present with rhyme as well imo, though to a lesser degree. i think they should have given up the ghost much sooner on confirming that the shadowed figure was rhyme; it was obvious by the time they showed us her silhouette, so i donât know why the narrative held off on showing her. they didnât have to introduce her to rindo (or give her the name splash screen) yet, but people who played the first game and are paying attention know itâs rhyme, so why bother hiding her? most of what rhyme accomplishes in this game is off-camera as well, but she has double the screen time that shiki gets.
the shiki thing is another symptom of a common squeenix problem these days, which is poorly-handled implied romantic interests. and i think that was also present with how the end of the game treated shoka. rindo and shoka as an implied romance in general did not bother me; more than a lot of squeenix protags, and perhaps primarily because of the excellent job the english cast did, i actually was unbothered by the suggestion of budding romantic feelings because it felt genuine. they actually felt like a pair of teenagers who were starting to be interested in each other, trying to play it cool and prioritize. this, and shokaâs characterization in general, is really helped by the reveal of swallowâs identity; it retroactively heightens her closeness to rindo specifically and offers enormous insight into her decision to help the team covertly. however, i think this budding implied romance was severely undermined by having other characters comment on it, especially because it felt so out of place timing-wise whenever someone commented. it was never warranted; there are times where they seem to be... not flirting, but not doing a good job of pretending there isnât an interest. this is not when comments come. the comments come when they are having a totally normal interaction that does not suggest any non-platonic feelings whatsoever.
up until the final day, i had fairly ambivalent feelings about the idea of them as the designated hetero pairing. i felt it was a vast improvement from recent shoehorned romances in squeenix properties. the ending made things much more contentious to me, specifically how shoka is vanished by joshua. the audience should at least have the suspicion that heâs reviving her, but the circumstances surrounding it are the problem more than joshua being a deus ex machina. itâs not the first time joshua was a troll re: reviving someone, but the context of why shokaâs revival is necessary is, well... unnecessary.
they barely foreshadow the shinjuku rules re: reapers, and i will freely admit itâs not remotely ooc for shoka to hide something like that until she canât any more. but they seem to be just a contrived excuse for shoka to be taken away... and from the framing of it, not from the player, but from rindo. which, i donât know that i need elaborate on why i wasnât fond of that. and i wonât lie - i know everybody beefed it in those cutscenes, including beat and neku. but when the dissonance noise grabbed shoka it gave me the exact same vibe as the demon tide grabbing kairi in kh3, and i donât think i need to elaborate more on why that would put a bad taste in my mouth and make me fearful for shokaâs future treatment in the game. i was worried that the narrative was going to yank her away from rindo like a prize being snatched from him, and it did! while i do also think itâs ic for joshua to fuck around the way he did when reviving her, it also seems contrived and brings up a major question.
if shoka is still playing by shinjuku rules, why does shibuyaâs composer have the ability to overturn her erasure? yes, i know, shinjuku is gone, but its composer is still active. surely joshua having the authority to do what he did indicates that on a cosmic bureaucracy level, shoka is a shibuya reaper. the secret reports offer a potential that joshua exploited a loophole by waiting until the second after the shinjuku rules resulted in shokaâs soul being dissolved in order to snatch it up, so perhaps the explanation is that her erasure meant she was technically no longer a shinjuku reaper and no longer beholden to its rules. but that doesnât answer a different question that honestly bothers me more than the admittedly sorta insignificant question of whether or not joshua overstepped in reviving shoka.
shinjukuâs game has ended because shinjuku has ended; why are its rules still in play for former shinjuku reapers? i am aware that shiba is the conductor âlegallyâ and he has made changes to shibuyaâs game, but theyâre careful to specify that the âex-reapers are erased at the end of the gameâ rules are from shinjuku and do not apply to shibuya reapers. is she considered by the higher plane to be joshuaâs underling and not hazukiâs? the secret reports confirm that the transfer of personnel from the destroyed shinjuku to shibuya was authorized by the acting conductor (uzuki) and this is standard procedure, everything was done properly. so âlegallyâ the formerly-shinjuku reapers are shibuya reapers, right? hanekoma notes in particular that itâs a culture clash leading to the shinjuku reapers being designated as such and that theyâre only nominally shinjuku reapers. why are a defunct gameâs rules still active?
the biggest issue is that shokaâs threat of erasure was unnecessary from a narrative perspective, especially given how quickly itâs introduced and resolved. what was the point of putting this in the story if five minutes later the issue is just dealt with, no effort, minimal tension, by a (narratively speaking, donât come after me joshua fans) minor character who doesnât even appear until after the plot is resolved? i honestly wonder if it was just the writers deciding joshua needed to do something so that his appearance in the ending wasnât just shallow fanservice for people who wanted to see the original gang. joshuaâs lack of action is also presumably going to be contentious with fans; iâve read the secret reports, and i donât feel that they sufficiently justify why he doesnât make any moves to protect his city despite being positioned both in his own dialogue and the secret reports as someone opposing shibuyaâs purification. i will talk about this a little later re: kuboâs motivations though.
i also think itâs kind of stupid that joshua sets up âfind her and you winâ and then... rindo doesnât do anything in that regard. he just bumps into her in the scramble. i know i already said i hate the idea of her being a prize to be won in a game but if theyâre going to set it up, why make it pointless in that regard? it feels so unnecessary. joshua portrays shokaâs revival/return as something to be earned, and unlike the ending of twewy thereâs no recognition that he was actually just fucking with them.
this is similar to my mixed feelings about kuboâs defeat. on one hand, i wanted to smash his face in personally, i have hated him the entire game. on the other hand, having him jesus beamed and rewritten out of existence without any warning or chance to resist was fucking hilarious and i actually laughed out loud. my speculation as to why he didnât get a boss fight is that developers worried about people having trouble suspending disbelief over the party being able to defeat an angel. ultimately i think the only way this could have been done was to have it be a boss battle where your victory doesnât matter, like the week 1 fight with susukichi, and have hazuki curbstomp kubo in the post-battle cutscenes. ultimately, i feel like this was a lesser of two evils; i donât think the âyou lose in the cutsceneâ approach would have necessarily been significantly better than what we got, i recognize that âthe battle didnât matter and you lose in the cutscene afterâ is a contentious game trope. and i would understand people struggling to accept the cast defeating a being from a higher plane without intervention from said higher plane. the only benefit would be the catharsis of getting to slap kubo around, which admittedly i kind of miss. having him as a secret boss was an option i guess but i think it would bring more questions than it was worth.
kuboâs motivation is also just bizarre; i understand that itâs given as him getting overzealous after carrying out his orders to purify shinjuku, but why? i feel like this could have easily been fixed/rationalized by âshinjukuâs surviving reapers fled to shibuya, leading kubo to consider shibuya to be an extension of shinjukuâ, but thatâs solely speculation. i do not know why kubo decided to also start an inversion in shibuya. they didnât give me enough information. his conflict with joshua is inexplicable and almost entirely offscreen via the secret reports. i do not feel like i have a grasp on why the plot of the game even happened. hazukiâs involvement is iffy; i canât say whether he initially approved of kuboâs overstep and changed his mind, or if he just took his time collecting his errant underling. the secret reports suggest the former, and hanekoma noting that the contentious nature of the previous gameâs events gives a speculative explanation for why no action was taken if hazuki was actually making moves against shibuya rather than kubo being out of line. hazuki could damn well have been lying, thereâs a precedent for composers being full of shit and telling bold-faced lies to protagonists, though in the previous game these lies were all eventually uncovered. this leaves me to believe that ultimately, hazukiâs statements regarding kubo acting outside of his given authority were mostly honest. but what i donât understand is why joshua took such a hands-off approach.
yes, he says he figured the main cast had it under control and would have stepped in had things gotten worse, but this appearance and statement comes long after rindo fails and shibuya is destroyed in multiple timelines. why did he not step in in the first timeline? i can speculate, but the game and secret reports do not do a great job in explaining why the proxy vs. proxy game even happened in the first place. kubo is hazukiâs underling, which makes joshua higher in the pecking order than kubo. if hazuki was capable of exorcising kubo instantaneously, why didnât joshua just flick him off the board like a flea before he even got started trying to cause an inversion in shibuya? in the epilogue of a new day joshua is seen in conversation with hanekoma, whoâs taking shinjukuâs inversion seriously, which seems at odds with how easily his fellow composer ends the problem.
retroactively, i guess i could rationalize this as him realizing that either shinjukuâs composer must be responsible for said inversion or that potentially shinjukuâs composer has been compromised in some way. and i can rationalize him failing to immediately jesus beam kubo as well - itâs possible that, as kubo was initially acting under the orders of another composer (assuming hazuki is still technically âlegallyâ one/at the bureaucratic level of one), joshuaâs hands were somewhat tied re: what actions he could take without potential consequences. it could be that joshua would get in big trouble if he took disciplinary action against another composerâs underling, but 1. the legal transfer of personnel should mean kubo is joshuaâs underling, not hazukiâs, see the shoka problem 2. hazukiâs status as a composer is questionable given that his territory is now purified and its game is defunct 3. given that kubo was acting outside of his original composerâs turf and outside of his initial orders (purify shinjuku) at this point i feel like that isnât likely. it could be that he was trying to avoid a conflict with hazuki himself. it may be that he considered it hazukiâs responsibility to retrieve kubo, but thatâs at odds with him choosing a proxy to combat kuboâs and his claims that he totally would have done something, really, he swears. they donât give us much info at all as to why joshua entered a game with kubo in the first place. i have reason to believe that somethingâs fishy in the secret reports, and i would like to see the japanese text, which iâll mention again in a few paragraphs.
i know the absence of shibuyaâs composer is partially, and perhaps primarily, âthere wouldnât be a plot if joshua fixed itâ. but it really feels like they just kinda tucked joshua in the corner and hoped fans wouldnât be like âhey where is shibuyaâs composer and why is no one mentioning them?â that part is probably for the same reason we donât see shiki until the very ending, teasing the audience by holding off on revealing him until the last second, but itâs jarring to me that shiki is mentioned but neither neku, beat, nor any of the reapers (!) think âwe should contact the composerâ. even if just to say âwe canât contact the composer, he is unreachableâ! i guess itâs to avoid people remembering how significant joshua is and thinking too hard about it, because joshua is simply too powerful of a character to be running around freely. the plot falls apart when you have a character whoâs so strong and, in his own words, kind of omnipotent, who could trivialize the conflict in an instant if he took action.
i feel like they surely could have given a more explicit reason for him to not be involved in the story, even if itâs a reason like âheâs in trouble with the higher planeâ. which could have easily been set up! hanekoma is clear in his reports that shibuyaâs impurification is highly contentious in the higher plane; people are big mad about it, potentially people higher in the chain of command than a composer. this could have been easily utilized as an explanation for why joshua is hands-off; heâs on a shit list and needs to step carefully as a result. but itâs just not addressed. hanekoma is unreachable according to his reports, and he notes that people are trying to contact him for help. are we just to assume that people have looked for joshua to ask for help in the past but it was so long ago that it isnât even worth mentioning now to the newcomers? according to other reports, the higher ups are pissed with joshua about his game with kitaniji and are turning a blind eye to whatâs happening with kubo in shibuya as a result. but this doesnât explain why the members of the shibuya UG never discuss the composer. hanekomaâs reports have him confused as to joshuaâs lack of action as well; he knows the context of whatâs going on in shibuya but doesnât understand why joshua is staying silent.
that said! the fact that hazukiâs motive for the destruction of shinjuku is never stated does not bother me too much. heâs placed in a position very parallel to joshua in the first game, and he even says he felt like he was following in joshâs footsteps. when you add his seemingly-genuine inability to understand why people care about shibuya, i feel thereâs enough evidence to... not dismiss, but nudge this aside as âHe Too is a misanthropic bastardâ; shinjukuâs destruction is a parallel to the intended destruction of shibuya in the first game. hazuki just carried on where joshua had a change of heart. the secret reports complicate this; it might be that someone fucked up in transcribing, but the reports i read online state that shibuyaâs composer, i.e. joshua, was responsible for the destruction of shinjuku due to a game with kubo. this does not make sense given everything else, including hazukiâs own statements and later reports, so iâm setting that aside for the moment as either an uncaught mistake either in translation or transcription online (most likely) or hanekoma not knowing the actual truth until receiving the post-purification shinjuku reports. hanekoma also suggests that hazukiâs goal was also the purification of shibuya, but as heâs not shibuyaâs composer this is certainly not his jurisdiction so iâm curious as to what exactly happened there.
EDIT: iâve been informed by a helpful anon that this is not a mistranslation, the japanese secret reports do state that it was a game involving joshua that resulted in shinjukuâs inversion. with that in mind, i have figured out how to rationalize this and it solves a lot of problems: if it was a proxy game between joshua and kubo, then joshua must have been the opposition to shinjukuâs inversion. though you could argue that joshua is responsible for the end result, he didnât destroy shinjuku; his proxy lost, probably because kuboâs had the support of shinjukuâs composer. kuboâs overconfidence in running rampant in shibuya is now explicable and he may have been trying to rub it in that joshua lost.
if hazuki was still backing kubo post-shinjuku, this could explain why hazuki felt he could make decisions about shibuyaâs fate and wander around it; joshua had already overstepped onto his turf to meddle in purification, so he was returning the favor. at this point in time, i figure that joshuaâs proxy was either tsugumiâs brother (shinjukuâs conductor) or coco (sheâs noted to have inexplicable powers for a rank-and-file reaper, but joshuaâs opposition to her killing of neku throws this into question), and if we truly had a scrapped âshinjukuâs final gameâ plot then joshuaâs proxy could also have been neku. kuboâs proxy was presumably shiba. this actually answers a few questions that i couldnât rationalize when i assumed joshua was uninvolved (why would shinjukuâs composer be running a game against kubo when they wanted the same thing?), so iâm gonna chalk it up as an absolute win.
i think hishima as a character was... sort of nothing. he was just there. yeah, it was kinda funny how he dressed shiba down, but i donât know that the plot needed him. his role in the endgame could have easily been given to tsugumi without much fuss, and i feel tsugumi deserved a much bigger part in the narrative given how much she was hyped up by solo and final remix. she was so prominent and anticipated that the fans called her hype-chan for years before we had a name for her. this could also be folded into the problem with hiding shiki until the very end; it feels like we missed a whole sequence with both of these characters simply because the narrative refused to show us shiki. instead, weâre told that shiki showed up and fixed mr. mew, and somehow this freed tsugumi. i think the fact that they donât even give a flashback of this crucial event after shikiâs proper introduction is just a questionable decision. the story tells us that tsugumiâs release from the plushie is of the utmost importance and shiba canât be swayed without her, setting it up as a vital event, but it happens offscreen with no real interaction with the main cast. it also only happens after multiple failed loops, even though rindoâs interference is what prevents the meeting between coco and shiki to repair the plushie. i donât understand this from a logistical standpoint; if coco isnât pulled to escort rhyme, she must have met with shiki and released tsugumi in timely manner, but tsugumi does not appear until after you replay to get coco back to her original schedule. you could wave it off as âshe didnât get there fast enoughâ, but i canât accept that as a reason given the circumstances; itâs not like she would have to look hard to find shiba. this oneâs flawed writing; i know in a meta sense why she didnât appear, it was to build tension etc etc, but in-universe itâs a plot hole.
coco being so absent from the plot is also somewhat conspicuous. i wonder what reception of her was like in japan and if that influenced her lack of presence in the story. i honestly donât even know if she was received well by the english audience, all i know is that i did not like her at all in final remix. not from an âi donât like the villain because theyâre doing bad thingsâ perspective, from an âi donât find this character compelling and i think theyâre annoyingâ perspective. also curious as to whether or not her speech patterns changed in the japanese dialogue since final remix; i found her far less jarring and obnoxious in neo and i think itâs enormously because she stopped talking verbally in internet shorthand. overall, cocoâs retool was imo a change for the better, but sheâs barely there for me to appreciate how much of an improvement she was. it feels like thereâs an entire narrative we were set up for by a new day, yet itâs almost completely missing. the ending of a new day laid out this framework for neku and minamimoto to be forced allies in an unseen future game. i had mixed feelings about this conceptually, but the narrative setup was fairly transparent. not only does this not happen, cocoâs motivation in a new day and what ultimately happened were so lacking to me.
i feel like something got lost and we were originally going to actually see and perhaps play the shinjuku game that ended in disaster instead of just getting a summation and brief flashbacks of the survivors fleeing. this kinda ties in with my complaints about how hyped tsugumi was by solo and final remix, and then she turned out to have a very small (albeit crucial, via her trailer ability) and mostly unseen role in neoâs story. retroactively we learn that rindoâs visions are from tsugumi, but this is something she does entirely off-screen. all of cocoâs scheming was for nothing, because joshua was a deus ex machina and whisked neku away the second he died. this feels to me like cut content or rewrites; thereâs a whole gameâs worth of story that just happened off-camera and we got to hear a little bit about it. it wasnât enough, imo. i think doing it as a midquel is still possible, but itâs a hard sell to create a video game with a downer ending and we know shinjukuâs fate is already set in stone... even though a new day ended on the tragic cliffhanger of nekuâs death, itâs a little different since itâs coming as an optional postgame sequel hook after victory rather than the entire narrative you fought through ending in failure. i suppose it could be done with a Distant Epilogue now that we know shiba and most of his surviving reapers will return to rebuild shinjuku. ultimately i really think that if not for the concern about neku overshadowing the new cast, shinjukuâs purification could and should have been the prologue to neo. it would be a tough balancing act, but i do think it could have been done right and it would have done a lot for narrative tension with his absence if we had a prologue following him that ends in a cliffhanger re: shinjukuâs purification. nekuâs role in the story was done decently i think re: how big said role was, but a lot of circumstances surrounding his absence, legendary status, and reappearance leave much to be desired.
frankly, i just donât like how much they glossed over nekuâs three year absence. weâre given a vague explanation of what he was doing, but it isnât actually an explanation. definitely again feels like a plot rewrite situation; thereâs this huge blank space of neku doing nothing because there used to be a story that we were going to play through and it got scrapped for whatever reason. overall i feel nekuâs characterization was very odd and perhaps a little inconsistent in this game; he didnât have much of a personality at all, which i struggle to reconcile with the original game. we donât see how he reconciled with coco, itâs just dismissed entirely as âno weâre good nowâ. how are we good? why did you forgive her for playing murder games instead of just explaining shit? i know he forgave joshua for his gatekeep gaslight girlboss behavior in the first game, but we had context as to why he made that decision. also what the fuck was keeping him from coming back to shibuya, i donât feel like that was sufficiently explained either? for someone who was so hyped up by the narrative, i was a little let down by how insignificant neku ended up being to the plot as a whole. and again, his personality seemed very watered down and neutral despite the seriousness of the situation. why was he so mellow? the circumstances of his return i did really like, because... well, weâll talk about character relationships i guess.
i already summed up my feelings on rindo and shoka and i think iâll leave them on the note of âunnecessary elements dampened my potential for overt enthusiasm, but overall i feel neutral-positive about the suggestion of romantic interestâ which is a lot more than i can say about a lot of (semi-)official pairings. on a broader and more platonic scale? generally i have positive feelings about the new cast and their interactions; i feel like their development is more understated than nekuâs in the first game, his character arc is very in your face and the neo cast is not nearly as overt, but you can see the difference in how the team interacts across the three weeks. rindo and fretâs established friendship, not to be dismissive of it, does exactly what it needs to. i mean this in a completely positive way. itâs an established friendship, they feel like friends, and they serve initially as anchors to one another in the beginning of the game as a âyouâre the only person i know in this chaosâ setup. this contrasts neku in the first game in an excellent way because of how it highlights their biggest character flaws, which iâll talk about later; itâs important to rindoâs fatal flaw that he has someone to fall back and rely on in the beginning of the game in the same way that itâs crucial for nekuâs development that heâs surrounded by strangers who he must learn to trust and rely on in order to survive. rindo and fret can lean on each other in the beginning of the game, and as people who have known each other for some time, are able to recognize and appreciate each othersâ positive changes.
i do love the development of nagiâs friendship with fret, particularly how itâs sometimes but not always remarked on when she shelves her initial aloof attitude with him. i prefer when a narrative is more subtle on that kind of thing; pointing it out every once in a while is okay, but i donât want it shoved down my throat via dialogue that characters are developing an emotional bond. we can see that nagi is slowly becoming more receptive to fret and less likely to dismiss or disparage him. it seems like their initial relationship is that of two people who have opposite struggles; nagi is notably closed off in the beginning, but fret immediately approaches her with an unearned and offputting level of familiarity. their slow and understated (more noticeable with nagi than fret) development towards accepting each other as friends is mutually beneficial to them even outside of the context of their personal relationship; nagi opens up a little with everyone, not just fret. placing two people with very different perspectives on how to interact with new people in close proximity helped both of them grow. iâm sure other people have different perspectives, but i do not feel like they were being teased as a pairing which i enormously appreciate, i am tired of âpair the sparesâ shit. (minor note: i also appreciate how while fretâs crush on kanon was very overt and strong, she was also fairly clear that she considered him a kid and his feelings were never going to be reciprocated because of that age gap. i know, the bar is low, but thank god.)
i love how, despite nagi now having been confirmed as older than beat, as soon as beat joins the narrative he takes this hard stance of âiâm the one whoâs already been in this hellscape so itâs my responsibility to help the newbiesâ. he really embodies the big brother role so well in this game; he knows a little more about whatâs going on, this isnât his first rodeo even if itâs not exactly the same, so he considers himself to have an obligation to protect the others. he serves as sort of a physical and emotional rock for the team from the second he joins, becoming an excellent support for them both as a combatant and an older brother figure. he has experience in being both of these things, and i think beatâs writing is some of the best in the game.
despite his position as a former player whoâs back in the UG, he meshes with the newbies perfectly. he doesnât overshadow the rest of the team despite having more lived (ha) experience in the reaperâs game, he doesnât feel like heâs on a different level from them or anything like that. he fits in while serving an important unique role that he can only fill because of his prior time in the UG. itâs completely understandable and reasonable why rindo remains the team leader despite beatâs presence. heâs had a three year gap since his last game and doesnât even understand how he returned to the UG. heâs not a fish out of water, he knows the UG and the game. but heâs really truly gotta shake the dust off, and heâs trying to figure out what happened to him in the first place because he knows he shouldnât be in the UG at all. he didnât have a huge bump in intelligence since the first game, but itâs hard to dismiss him as a complete idiot. he has both large and small perceptive moments where another narrative might have chosen to keep him as the dumb muscle. in fact, his firm convictions serve an important role for the others - beat knows he didnât die and canât be convinced otherwise, and his confidence that heâs a living player is part of how rindo and gang realize they also arenât dead. heâs clearly not simply a comic relief character. another story might have positioned him as more of a mentor figure, but he plays to his strengths and serves to ground the team instead. beat is honestly a highlight of this ensemble cast to me. iâm unsure as to how much of that is simply because he was one of my favorites from the first game, but i really truly love beat in this game.
shoka and nekuâs late introductions to the team mean they have far less âwe are now firmly allies and friendsâ interactions with the rest of the ensemble for unavoidable reasons. i will say that the excellent casting and localization for the english version, particularly shoka, has done a lot to mitigate that issue; yes, the plot doesnât develop her relationships with the team as a whole as thoroughly as some of the others, but the combat interactions with her are so genuine that i found myself shocked when writing this because, well, those combat lines did so much legwork making her role in the party seem earned and cohesive. i had such a strong sense of her place in the team that just isnât reflected in the cutscenes, and i find that very interesting but iâm unsure as to whether itâs good or bad; i think itâs incredible that the combat dialogue did such a good job fostering this air of âwe are a unitâ for these characters and it really is a testament to the skill of these actors, but i do wish it was more prevalent in the cutscenes itself. beatâs established relationship with neku and their relaxed nature with one another does a lot to ease nekuâs entry into the group; he has an âinâ with a firmly established member and a well-written dynamic with him that helps him out here.
as a nekubeat appreciator i feel very fed and i hope thereâs an uptick in interest for the pairing following neo. i love how beat, who throughout the game is constantly forgetting who people from 3 years ago are (doesnât recognize his former superior bc sheâs wearing a suit now and canât even remember her name), immediately recognizes coco despite her changing her entire aesthetic specifically because heâs so angry with her for killing neku. heâs ready to throw down the second he sees her, which gives this feeling of âheâs been waiting for this moment for 3 yearsâ. because the narrative never addresses beatâs change in style, particularly that he wears his hair like neku now, i choose to believe itâs because the last time he saw neku was immediately after coco shot and killed him. it could be that this shitâs been haunting him ever since neku died. my city now, if you donât talk about it in the game i make shit up. both their cutscene interactions and combat quotes do an excellent job of maintaining the sense that these two have been close friends for a long time and distance hasnât changed that. they fall right back into old ways with one another immediately.
even outside of the context of me being a nekubeat shipper, their relationship and continued partnership (UG game context partnership) feels very genuine. neku and joshua call each other partner, but it rings hollow. iâm sure itâs partially the lack of screentime that makes it so they donât feel like partners any more than neku and shiki do, but the game doesnât even try to push closeness the way it does for shiki - more on that in a minute. beat is the only one of nekuâs partners that seems to have retained the same strength in their bond with him despite the three years; shiki and joshua are super absent in the plot, which really undermines their relationships with neku. iâve already talked about my problems with shikiâs lack of focus and how i feel it harms her relationship with neku, but as for nekuâs relationship with joshua, i think neo has taken an interesting approach that i feel will have a mixed reception.
it actually feels like neku and joshua ended this game on worse terms than the first one even though joshua was a far more benevolent figure this time around. neku is very clear about wanting to return to the RG despite this meaning he will have no access to the UG (outside of potentially text-based communication since rhyme paved the way for RG residents to bust into the RNS and... however it was that shokaâs fanGO account worked, since she and rindo were fanGO friends long before his entry to the UG) and doesnât show any hesitation or reluctance in stating this desire. he seems quite content with not having joshua be a part of his life, as opposed to the first gameâs ending where he extends an open offer to joshua to join his friend group. i understand how this would (and will) let a lot of people down, but i actually think itâs for the best. i have no real opinion on nekuâs capacity for forgiving joshua after the first game, good or bad, but i think putting distance between them in this game is the correct move.
i take this viewpoint especially given that after the first game, joshua did in fact choose this distance - neku invited him in, and he did not take the offer. it was his decision to not join nekuâs group in the first gameâs ending and he continued to remain separate from it in the three year gap; he may have masqueraded as a fellow player and peer in age, but joshua is not and has never been an actual peer to neku, shiki, and beat. his life experiences are so different from theirs that i would struggle to suspend disbelief that they have enough in common to maintain a close friendship. he intervened when neku was killed by coco and placed him in a safe area and gave moral support in the ending, and i think this is the most we should expect of a reforming (not reformed but in-progress) misanthrope like joshua. heâs an enigmatic figure sure and largely benevolent if inactive in this game, but he isnât a good person and he clearly considers himself to be on a different level from neku and his peers. hanekoma notes that joshuaâs somewhat reluctant to continue to remain separate from nekuâs group, but i think the narrative places him both objectively and in his own mind as someone who is just... from a different world. joshua chose distance, he chose to cut contact, and this is the consequence of that decision. i think thatâs a good lesson to teach; it may not be a given, but itâs natural that sometimes a friendship you ignore will fade. it doesnât necessarily mean the time you spent didnât matter, but you shouldnât be shocked if a plant you donât water wilts away.
i feel like that wasnât the intended takeaway, that it was just questionable writing that iâm reading too deep into, but thatâs how i feel about the situation.
iâm also incredibly grateful that hazuki was introduced as an age-appropriate option for joshua and i hope theyâll draw attention as a bastard boyfriends ship, both because i think itâs very funny and because i have opinions about shipping joshua with the teens. i know itâs contentious and iâm not going too deep into it, so what iâm going to say is this. the secret reports state in plain objective text that joshua downtuning his vibes aged him down and his true appearance is older. neither the narrative nor supplementary info state anything about how old josh was when he died or how long heâs been a reaper/the composer (reapers ageing is ??? as well, we donât know if itâs not a thing or if itâs optional or what). however, it is firmly canon that he is older than 15. if that canon upsets you then thatâs your problem to either work through or ignore indefinitely. suffice to say, joshua and hazuki do not have the schrodingerâs pedophile issue and i wholly support and strongly encourage that over the alternative for this reason and again because i find it funny and think they deserve each other. i hate to say hazuki is a healthy choice for joshua because i think both of them are just walking messes, but they are actual peers on the same tier of the higher plane pecking order and more importantly the disaster they could be as a couple has infinite potential.
on the girls side of things, i am still mad about eriâs absence not just because itâs a relationship shiki had that just got ignored. i know the story wants us to believe that neku and shiki have something but shiki and eri had more. iâm sorry writers you made a more compelling f/f ship by accident in the first game and i am not invested in the one you weakly suggested between neku and shiki here. if you made shiki have more of a role in neo maybe iâd feel differently, or maybe you would have screwed it up worse. weâll never know. i think itâs a shame that they couldnât make me care about neku and shiki as a pairing, but it is what it is.
i was briefly worried that the game would try to suggest something between kaie and rhyme because sometimes people lose their minds when a boy and girl stand next to each other, but i was quickly set at ease with that one. they felt like two people who are starting to straddle that line of acquaintance/friend in a believable way despite how little interaction between them we see, and i appreciate that. i was also briefly worried that fret would develop a crush on rhyme based on his initial reaction at being introduced to her, but again quickly dismissed. can you tell iâm a little gun shy about strangled âhim boy her girlâ romances in fiction these days? yeah. iâve been let down too much recently by bad writing.
i think all of the party members could have benefited from more development with one another outside of combat lines - i would like to see more interaction between nagi and shoka, or neku and fret, etc - but that would come at the expense of the narrativeâs pacing. i think it could have been done by tweaking certain details, but ultimately i can accept this as a sacrifice made in the interest of keeping the narrative from getting bloated.
i wanna talk briefly about the new main cast a little.
rindoâs ups and downs re: development are much more subtle than nekuâs were, but with the secret reports in mind i feel his arc is actually pretty excellent. i think we could have done with a little less of fret pointing out rindoâs increased confidence and how he becomes more assertive, i think the audience is smart enough to notice that on their own. but iâm a huge fan of how the narrative quietly places rindo in this position of a leader who fears that responsibility, but nonetheless has to grow and accept it. hanekomaâs reports may spell it out in plain text postgame, but the narrative already told us in our own way that rindoâs development stalled when someone else entered the cast who could take over for him and this is demonstrative of a(n understandable) lack of maturity and failure to grow. nekuâs fatal flaw was his rejection of others, and so he was forced by the narrative into a position where he had to learn to trust them; rindoâs is that he relies too much on them and the narrative forces him to stand on his own.
while i think this is a little muddled (he was right in some instances to not make hard solo decisions; thinking specifically of ayano, it was absolutely the right call to ease shoka into this inevitable loss rather than forcing her into the situation unilaterally) and i wish we saw more consequences of his initial waffling behavior, rindoâs indecisiveness is an actual flaw that i think a lot of people can relate to and i think it contrasts him wonderfully with neku without being heavy-handed. rindo working through it from ârelying on others to make choices for him -> still valuing the input of others but not wholly dependent on them -> capable of making difficult calls without anyone else to support himâ was subdued and while it had realistic hitches in the form of other characters who he could consider authority figures, it was steady and imo very good. heâs a teenager coming into his own, stepping out of this world where others in his life - motoi as an0ther, shoka as swallow, presumably his parents, teachers, etc - have made the big, scary decisions for him or guided him through them, and into a place where there arenât these people to guide him. heâs surrounded by people who either donât know anything more than he does, or donât care about his best interests; heâs clashing and changing and it forces him to grasp and accept his own autonomy rather than falling back and relying on someone else to fix things when itâs too frightening or difficult.
we can talk cultural differences re: the level of autonomy and responsibility thatâs right for teenagers but iâm not really interested in drawing hard lines there. this is a coming of age story; as he approaches maturity, rindo is learning how to be an adult. i think thatâs a classic and important narrative concept and itâs done well here.
fret, interestingly, is imo a case where the subtlety didnât work out. to me, there wasnât a huge distinction between flippant âtelling you what i think you want to hearâ fret and âgenuineâ fret. his initial interactions with kanon donât seem different from their last conversation; maybe he comes off as less initally honest in the jp version, or maybe this one was a writing fumble. maybe itâs just me, and other people donât feel the same way! he seems to be a far more static character in a strange way; the narrative tells us that heâs developing via other charactersâ dialogue, but it doesnât seem to support that. to me itâs a failure of âshow, donât tellâ - i donât take a hard stance on âshow, donât tellâ as some kind of holy rule of writing, there are plenty of situations in a narrative where telling is perfectly acceptable and i think rigid adherence to showing and not telling can result in a bloated narrative, but in this case i feel like thatâs where the narrative failed. it failed to support fretâs development outside of other people telling him heâs changed. i like fret, but i feel like in this ensemble cast fret and nagi kinda serve more as nominal protagonists and are more strong supporting characters than true leads.
as for nagi, i love how, despite it being low-hanging fruit, not only are there no real digs at nagi for being a vocal fangirl of a visual novel dating sim, it actually ties perfectly into her character as someone who understands people. dating sims are about people and relationships. how people interact, the importance of conveying your feelings, the consequences of bad communication; thatâs what nagi is obsessed with. and rather than this being a detriment and making her avoid others, it ends up priming her to have healthy friendships because her gaming taught her to value knowing other people. it takes her time to actually open up, but rather than the video games closing her off to others they actually set her up to be an excellent friend. elestra in general could have been a subject of enormous mockery, but instead itâs viewed in a very neutral way and is given the implication of universal appeal by fret picking it up in the epilogue. nagiâs not in the spotlight for most of the game, but the payoff of her monologue to fret about being human was immense and was one of the best bits of dialogue in the entire game to me. itâs not going to be as iconic as hanekomaâs âopen up your worldâ and âenjoy the momentâ, but i truly think itâs one of the only parts of neoâs dialogue that approaches its level.
shoka is a character that i think is better on the replay, and i say this as someone who was very fond of shoka the first time around. i thought she had a lot of personality in her mannerisms alone, and i firmly appreciate how she wasnât a one-note tsundere character. she had some of those minor elements, but subdued and with a reasonable context - sheâs hot and cold with rindo and his team because sheâs supposed to be working this rigged game to erase them, but sheâs already rindoâs friend in a different context and is struggling to reconcile these two parts of her life. knowing her motivation as swallow gives so much retroactive depth to her actions; she was circumventing the game itself not just because she was exhausted by it or unease with shiba like some of the other turncoat reapers, but because rindo was her friend from before the story even began.
i will say that i didnât actually fully call swallow being shoka simply because at first i had the impression that it would be rhyme (before rhymeâs role in the story became clearer), and admittedly by the time the climax hit the mystery of who swallow was had kind of dropped out of my mind completely, but i think it does a lot to develop shoka. whether this development being retroactive is strictly good or bad as an issue is subjective; neo is a game that has a built-in chapter select, so replaying the game and rewatching the cutscenes with the full narrative context is incredibly easy. however, for a lot of players, if youâre replaying the game itâs with a specific goal of getting something you missed earlier in-game, so youâre rushing through those cutscenes trying to get to that completionist bit. i think a line could have been walked re: giving more of a hint that shoka was swallow before the very end without fully giving it away, but i definitely think the rewatch value is more subjective and based on how you specifically play the game. if youâre here looking to watch all the cutscenes again now that you know everything, shoka being swallow is a huge treat regarding changing the context of her behavior - if youâre fast-forwarding trying to find a pig, itâs totally wasted.
i would have liked to see more of shokaâs backstory and interaction with the other shinjuku reapers for sure, and i wonder if this is another thing along the lines of âwe were supposed to see more of shinjukuâs final game than we didâ; if weâd gotten more of shinjuku, we certainly would have seen more of its reapers. i talked briefly about how i feel like ayanoâs death didnât hit the way i think it was intended to, but if the game had let us see more of her as a shinjuku reaper i feel like the entire plot would have benefited. it would have benefited shiba as well honestly; they tried to have him as a repentant ânow i shall fix what i destroyedâ character at the very end, but i donât feel like they did a good enough job portraying that he had changed and he was brainwashed so it fell flat. if weâd seen more of shiba as the compassionate leader who deserved the loyalty of his reapers that they say he was, the contrast would have done a lot to help define the tragedy of his backstory. overall i think this is another âwe lost a chunk of the plot in rewrites or somethingâ issue, which i admit is not based in anything like interviews. itâs just my speculation because it feels like something that was supposed to be here got left behind - i canât say if iâm right, or why it happened if so. it just feels to me like the shinjuku reapers besides shoka went fairly undeveloped not because of writing/lack of screentime alone but because we lost big pieces of shinjuku content entirely. itâs insane that we only learn in the secret reports how tsugumi became trapped in the mr. mew plush to begin with; to me, this screams âwe had to cut somethingâ, and the more i think about it the more convinced i am that we were originally meant to see more of shinjukuâs inversion. hell, the secret reports just flippantly inform us that tsugumiâs brother was shinjukuâs conductor and heâs why she survived - but he goes unnamed and unseen, mentioned only in a piece of postgame content that many players may never unlock.
shinjukuâs final game is just left as this incredible story that was never told, with a cast who we barely see. again, it doesnât bother me that they never explained to us why hazuki purified shinjuku. but i do wish we could have connected with its reapers to see how they reacted to its impending fate; who was on kuboâs side, who was trying to protect shinjuku? who knew what was happening, and who was just swept up in the chaos? how did the purification affect them emotionally after their escape to shibuya? just from the secret reports we see that tsugumiâs brother is this tragic hero of another story, the conductor opposing the executor and fighting to save his city before ultimately sacrificing himself to keep his sister alive. this is enough content that it could have easily been a standalone, but it wasnât. i think thatâs a damn shame. iâm sure there are people who are already chomping at the bit to write about shinjukuâs tragic final game and itâll make a stunning fanfic in the right hands, but this is a big gap for fanfiction authors to be filling in.
this was mostly a narrative thoughts dump, but i wanna say just a couple of things about the combat: overall i liked it! i was significantly overleveled for the vast majority of the game partially because i was having fun with the combat, i feel gameplay was very intrinsically motivating. because of how the food system worked, being overleveled didnât mean too much since it only affects HP, but i also was eating constantly so i was in fact just OP for much of the game. so i suppose, take my gameplay commentary with a grain of salt because i was busted quickly. if i hadnât been such a powerhouse from early on, i expect my gameplay experience would have been much different.
my biggest complaint: there were some significant issues in enemy design related to battles being timed and the timer having consequences. some enemies were a reasonable/intuitive pain, say, elephants being bullet sponges and chameleons having an invisibility mechanic. these things made them challenging, but in a sensible way. like, of course a big honkinâ elephant has a ton of HP. i think that chameleons in particular could have been tweaked; you have to be very close to them when theyâre invisible in order to lock on, and i think this could distance could have been extended a bit to minimize frustration. likewise, it felt like party members that get grabbed by a t.rex were trapped for ages; i feel this could have been tweaked as well. i know a lot of people had issues with wolves for this same reason, but their comparative frailty and my pin choices meant that i quickly overcame wolves and they became a minor nuisance at best until endgame introduced a beefier wolf. even then, i found t.rex noise to be much more of an issue because of their sturdier nature and higher damage output. these are minor gripes; i didnât like seeing these enemies, but i didnât hate seeing them. no, hereâs what i hate: rhinos and pufferfish.
to me, these are the most annoying enemies in the entire game outside of maybe a handful of bosses. i feel they were poorly thought out in general. the tendency for rhinos to put themselves against the arena walls and the delay on pufferfish exploding after their HP hits zero do not mesh well with that battle timer. i find myself very frustrated by these enemies because it feels like iâm being punished not for a lack of skill or bad decisions choosing weak pins, but simply bad luck. very few pins can circumvent the rhinoâs front guard and the hitbox for their guard feels enormous, so i canât imagine iâm the only player having difficulty herding them out of corners to actually damage them or get beat drops. thereâs a postgame dive with a big noise rhino, and it was my worst experience with the entire game because it just kept backing into a corner. i quit that dive multiple times because of how much time i wasted with the rhino; i changed my pins like crazy trying to take advantage of elemental weaknesses or use pins that could circumvent the guard. but it wasnât about what pins i was using, it was just bad luck with hitboxes. when i finally got the gold rank on that dive it wasnât that i did anything significantly different, the rhino just didnât park its ass in the corner that time.
as far as i know, and i hope iâm missing something that someone can enlighten me on, there is no way to prevent pufferfish from inflating and exploding outside of a killer remix. i have not discovered any way to make them explode faster. the amount of time it takes for them to blow up seems to vary not by species but by individual, iâm not sure if itâs being triggered by proximity to a party member or what but i know sometimes one of those little shits will inflate and chase me across the entire arena before finally exploding. in a chain battle, that wasted time adds up. the pufferfish issue could have been severely mitigated, if not entirely fixed, if the gap between HP hitting zero and explosion was just the time it took for them to inflate. that would have basically eliminated my needless frustration with them. but instead i just... donât know how to make them pop faster.
in normal combat, your post-battle score is primarily just bragging rights/making yourself feel good to have gotten a good grade. but when it comes to dives, where the timer directly decides how many of the finite friendship points you get, the appearance of a rhino or pufferfish specifically is something i approached with dread and disappointment. i already mentioned the postgame dive giant rhino specifically being a nightmare, but this was a reoccurring element for me through the entire game with just normal rhinos. i know rhinos are a returning enemy and kept their front-guard schtick, but the shift to a 3D environment has made them a much more (imo needlessly) difficult opponent.
regarding the pin system itself, i was enormously disappointed to learn how the multi-pin input worked. it turns out that you can only have multiple pins using a single input no matter how many multi-pin wields you unlock; gone were my dreams of having 2 Y-input pins and two ZL input pins (i played on switch). the inability to multi-pin wield uber pins regardless of how many uber slots you have filled is also a huge bummer. i feel like in the postgame i should be able to be an absolute god of destruction, but this didnât pan out.
this seems to be a switch issue, but autosave was the MVP of the game because i had a few cutscenes crash or freeze (the one with kuboâs reveal seems to be a common source of a crash on the switch version as it fails to load the 3D cutscene); this was annoying and needs fixing, but it was slightly mitigated by autosave kicking in immediately after boss battles. i was crushed thinking i was gonna have to go through the shiba fight again after kubo crashed my game, so the relief i felt upon loading up again and going right into the cutscene was immense. donât get me wrong: cutscene freezes and particularly crashes are a big problem that a game like this shouldnât have launched with, but at the very least i didnât lose my progress on that crash. related, i appreciate the ability to speed through cutscenes youâve already seen, but i do wish we had the option to skip them entirely because that would have saved me from the freezes that i had to manually close the game and lose progress for.
a more minor complaint that i admittedly am unsure as to how to fix (maybe utilizing the d-pad instead of having it be camera/target select alongside the right stick?) is that i do not seem to have much control over which character my camera centers on in combat. typically selecting the pin thatâs equipped to them will focus the camera to them, but every once in a while iâll be locked to someone whose pin is rebooting while my other party members are actively attacking on the complete opposite end of the arena. i have no idea why this happens. if iâm missing something please let me know. the static nature of the overworld camera took some adjusting to, at first i was offput but i got used to it quickly. if camera was fixed position in combat it would have been a nightmare, but it being fixed in the overworld isnât the same beast.
this has gotten obscenely long, so props and condolences to everyone who has made it this far. i wanna end on a high note because i want to reiterate something: i have so many criticisms here and thatâs actually praise. i enjoyed so much of this game that iâm critical of where it fell short specifically because itâs such a strong contrast to how much i felt it did right. the main story was pretty strong in general, though some character interactions were lacking. the plot itself i didnât talk a lot about because i thought it was good. there wasnât much to say, they did a good job! the dissonance noise being created from deleted timelines was great, i loved that. i donât feel like predictability makes a narrative bad, so itâs not like i was upset when it turned out replay was (gasp) part of a dastardly scheme. for me, foreshadowing is an excellent thing even if sometimes i wish it was handled a little differently.
i vastly prefer this gameâs vague sequel hook with minamimoto over how final remix ended a new day; that sequel hook i hated and it had me so worried about neo. thankfully a lot of my fears didnât come true, and i am very happy overall with the game we got. if another game is greenlit, i would hope it progresses with a mostly new cast; as long as we stay in shibuya some supporting characters can and should be staples imo, like kariya and uzuki, and i hope to see more of whatâs being set up with minamimoto even if not necessarily with him as a protagonist. but overall i think twewyâs worldbuilding lends itself much more to a rotating cast if it develops into a full franchise; thatâs just the nature of the UG, and i would like to see further installments taking advantage of that and allowing characters to have a complete arc and then retire from the narrative naturally.
iâve got some pigs to erase and some bosses to slap the pins out of, which iâm sure will take me some time. another day certainly has a secret boss and/or time trial boss rush, so iâll take a look at that sucker soon as well. iâm looking forward to continuing my playthrough, and i expect to sink quite a few more hours into this game. i really truly enjoyed neo despite my qualms, and iâm leaving the main storyline behind for postgame stuff with almost entirely positive feelings and a hopeful stance on the potential future of the series. i know this was a long-ass post, which is why itâs beneath a readmore, but to anyone who cared enough about my thoughts to keep reading the whole thing... thanks for the time you spent, hope you got something positive out of it!
#neo twewy#neo twewy spoilers#this turned into a behemoth. im so sorry#I CHECKED AND IT'S OVER 11K WORDS#I'M SO FUCKING SORRY
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hi caly boo its ur đ anon! i finally finished the most brilliant darkness and oh my lawd iâm in spain without the s. to put it shortly: U DID NOT DISAPPOINT BESTIE, and it seems unreal that u and ur mind and this fic even exists bc every moment is just polished to perfection, while simultaneously every character is polished to a sort of imperfect perfection(?). i have so many questions and things to say idek where to start, and tho im not good with words and even worse at deciphering hidden meanings, here are just some of my thoughts that i remember from the story.
hello my dear!!! eee im gonna answer separately since i think iâll be very long-winded as usual but first of all thank you so much :(( this fic is actually very full of subliminal messages and hidden nuances that are weaved throughout which i think could be quite confusing so i apologize for that! if i had managed my time better, i would have adjusted when i started the fic to account for managing those aspects of the fic but alas iâm terrible at time management and i suck so. anyways.
first of all, ngl halfway into the story i lowkey forgot this was a wooyoung fic bc SANNN and also bc wooyoung appeared like 3 times lol. even after it finishing all that, i still had my doubts as to why this is a wooyoung fic, or more like why is san this significant in a wooyoung fic. im still a bit slow on these pls forgive me and im just curious why u made it like that.
i think yeah the most interesting thing about this fic is the emphasis on san over wooyoung. and when looking over it yeah i could have switched san and wooyoungâs characters and called it a day, but wooyoung really in my mind acts as the integral turning point for decisions made in the story.Â
the goal with the fic wasnât really to be hyperfocused on the pairing itself, but rather the emotions and thought processes of each character (aside from wooyoung). wooyoung was kept intentionally mysterious and a bit set apart from the rest of the fic because his role in story was moreso an abstract of hestia, the goddess of the hearth and home. wooyoungâs character appeared in times where y/n was struggling with the thought of home or adjusting to the new changes in her life! wooyoungâs pairing itself was actually intended to be solely platonic at first, but as the story went on i thought having mc develop feelings for him added another turning point in the fic!
moving on, the second biggest question i had is the whole hestia!wooyoung and cafe aurora situation. i did a bit of reading on hestia and only found out that she was the goddess of hearth, which might explain the fireplace and the kind of homey feeling to the cafe. and âcafe aurora not really existing to mostâ part, which was already hinted at wooyoung randomly disappearing, mc never seeing the cafe before or wooyoung only bringing people he wants into it. i get that him inviting mc must suggest her significance to him, but why was he so adamant about his friends not mentioning him or the cafe to mc before that? wooyoung is quite a mysterious character i think, and given that this fic is supposed to be about him, itâs a bit odd that thereâs still so many things left unknown, but its kinda cool that way nonetheless and im guessing u would also like to explain that further outside of the story too.
i think my biggest regret about this fic is the fucking summary.... i wrote that summary well before i even started writing the fic thinking it would go in that direction but it didnât. and since this fic was for a collab, i left the summary as is because i genuinely cannot for the life of me figure out a better one. but iâm trying to figure out a better one. but i really fucking hate the current summary because itâs not at all what the fic is truly about and i hate it.
however, i donât hate the fic itself, and the reason why i donât is because i got to play with both my writing style and how i displayed the story. for this collab we were asked to pick a greek god and one of the seven deadly sins, and i selected hestia and sloth. and initially i had intended to have sloth be represented by the readerâs depression, and wooyoung be a more ârealâ depiction of hestia. i shifted gears very early on in the fic but what it became is moreso abstract realizations in the characters.
sanâs character is meant to be this idea of sloth, and itâs mentioned several times that he doesnât want to move forward, he wants to go slow, he wants to stop moving so fast through life, and those things point to him being a depiction of sloth
wooyoungâs was harder to encapsulate in a more abstract way but you hit the nail on the head really with the homey feeling of the cafe. beyond that, mc talks about just naturally feeling at ease and comfortable with how things are with wooyoung and being around him, and he takes up this role of being the likeable, warm, cozy, comforting character. it all comes to a head in the last scene where he brings both y/n and san into the cafe.
and again wooyoungâs character is meant to be most mysterious and abstract, but if i had had more time to fully flesh out the fic, i think i would have liked to touch more on him. at the same time however i left it more open-ended and open to interpretation. the significance in him inviting mc in and not being mentioned by the others sooner is twofold. one; the others never really had any reason whatsoever to mention wooyoung. he was a friend outside the circle who never joined in with them when mc was around. i personally in my own friendships donât mention friends outside the circle by name or anything, just kinda vaguely talking about them unless im certain the people know who this person is. the concept of wooyoung having to invite mc in was more nuanced and vague as well, intentionally so, but that was moreso meant to represent this idea of âyou canât make a home somewhere where you arenât invitedâ so y/n couldnât fully make a home of the place she was in without being invited in and welcomed in, but again thatâs something i wish i had more time to fully flesh out.
the hongjoong speech about love (and also the interaction with seonghwa after that) deserves a standing ovation of its own đ unfortunately, or not, im not actually going through the emotional turmoil regarding love the same way as hj or mc to be able to fully relate to his words, but the whole âif you dont love what u see in the mirror then u dont love itâ mentality really hit me hard, and iâd like to hang onto that when i make decisions in the future haha thank you wise caly! seonghwa and hongjoongâs story is also beautiful, and just like mc said, the more i look at it the more it hurts :â)
the hongjoong speech about love was meant to be something very jaded and specific to his worldview. it actually isnât wholly how i view love personally, but it was a perfect description to how both he and y/n perceived the love in their own lives. mostly thanks to their own emotional turmoils. the mentality of the mirror quote is something that i think i also struggle with, which is why i included it. itâs hard to do, but even in friendships, i think itâs necessarily to stop and look at the person you were before this relationship and then the person during this relationship. if you donât love the one you are now, then maybe itâs a sign to reflect and see the bigger picture, so that was a lil reminder to myself and iâm glad it touched you as well!!!
âdo you love him, or do you love the idea of being in love with him?â - haha i see what u did there (or maybe i didnt please dont laugh at me if i didnt). its still so good everytime i see it bc i keep finding myself loving just the idea of things time and time again even when this makes total sense to me oof :/
heh yeah again with the more abstract concepts this one was more direct and âclicheâ but i fully wanted that cliche in the fic because i thought it suited the situation where mc was constantly struggling with a version of san that she thought she loved vs the version of san she got every time they were together
despite how enlightened she seems to be, mc still made the same choices, and i wanna smack her for it and pat her back at the same time. and maybe also bc of the fact that she feels so differently for the two men that i feel like no ending could really justify her decision, so ending in the vague is probably the best. your ending might kind of allude to someone more than the other already, and tho i still donât think heâs the best one for her based on just my pov on love, i kinda agree with you. but again, this raises the question of, why a wooyoung fic and not a san fic?
and yeah the whole knife in the chest at the end of it all is that she was still too scared to face the music so to speak. but really i would say she made the same choices up until the conversation on the balcony with san. and youâre absolutely right, the reason i chose the ending the way i did was because either way, thereâs no justification. and actually although it might seems like i was alluding to someone specific, san being in the cafe at the very end was moreso to represent that as much as they fought, he still very much loved her and wanted to be loved by her. it was kinda an open casket ending there were no nails in the coffin, the choice between wooyoung and san still stands and an argument could be made for either of them! i think this is a fic that i could see myself revisiting one day with two endings - one for san, and one for wooyoung.
something i didnât mention earlier about wooyoungâs character being left intentionally mysterious was that he was representing a new and budding love. the honeymoon phase where youâre falling for someone you donât even really know. you are the reader arenât meant to really know who wooyoung is because of that beyond what you read about him, so his past and such was left out intentionally to represent that idea of âhey wow im in love with a stranger!â whereas san was this gritty love thatâs bad for you. and there are pros and cons to each just as with anything!!
so,,,, why a wooyoung fic and not a san fic? well i picked wooyoung for my collab so he was one of the main focuses of the fic regardless of which direction i took with it. as for why wooyoung wasnât more forward, i already answered that but !!! i view it as both a wooyoung fic and a san fic. both are highlighted characters with main pairing roles!
i literally just woke up to write this and am going back to sleep ahaha so i apologize if this makes no sense. i somehow felt like iâve read so much yet so little at the same time, maybe bc there are still so many things i havent fully made sense of, and thatâs where i hope you come in and enlighten me. i still stand by my word that this fic deserves so much more recognition despite the lack of explicit smut bc of how much more youâve explored through character building. love you caly and thank u for working so hard <3 â đ
no worries my beloved i hope you go back to sleep and get lots and lots of rest!! and i hope my response helps enlighten the not so clear things as well dgjdklfg but really thank you so much. it was a long fic and hard to get through at times, but as a whole, iâm proud of it and what i created, so thank you for recognizing my efforts and appreciating them đ„ș
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Part 3 Invader Zim Fanfiction Review
Part 1 and Part 2 can be found here!
Before we get started, as always, please let me know if any of the links provided donât work, so I can correct them as soon as possible! I also welcome recommendations! So if thereâs a fic that you donât see on any of the lists, that you think I (or anyone else) should check out, please share! This Hyper-fixation Train is not slowing down and I need enablers 8D
And as a friendly reminder, anything crossed out is considered a Spoiler so read those parts at your own risks! And on to the Review!
Maneem Mekrelmar Danem Sempadinum Scarazial and Zaygam by @hecallsmehischild
This is a six part saga totaling 242,514 words. Originally posted on Fanfiction.net on an unknown date in the early 2000s and re-uploaded to Ao3 on 05-26-2016 and marked complete on 08-18-2016 (though the total write time was estimated 7 years). There are a total of 174 chapters.
Iâm going to do something a little different with this one because it is a six part series. Iâm mostly going to review it as one fic with a quick rundown of the different segments. So Iâll only provide the link for âManeemâ but you should easily be able to find the rest from the there. If I review each one individually, by the time I got to âDanemâ and the others, they would all have to be scratched out due to spoiling revealed plot twists from both âManeemâ and âMekrelmarâ. However, because of how long and complex this whole thing is, I am going to need to delve a bit more in to spoilers than I like just to cover the over all plot, so be warned! I will say this series was AMAZING and would probably be best read blind! There are so many exciting twists and reveals and the Author (You may recognize from the Part 2 reviews such as âSpacejerkâ and âMisdirectionâ) as always, is able to pull you into the story, make you fall in love with these characters, and does not pull any punches when it comes to emotional drama! I teared up during the epilogue! This Author has made me cry on two different occasions now!! If you love soap operas, youâll love this series! Â
âManeemâ We start off with Zim finding out that his mission on Earth was a joke. In a state of shock, he wonders out into the streets of his neighborhood. He is not wearing his disguise and is very obviously an Alien. Dib finally gets what heâs always wanted, and Zim is arrested. Zim then goes to court (stay with me here lol), and a Judge sentences him to spend 3 months living with a host family to prove that he is not a danger to society. If he fails to do so, then he will be surrendered to the Swollen Eyeball for them to do whatever they please. And this is where we meet Della, Tom, Mikko, and Tiana, theyâre original characters that play very important roles throughout the whole saga, I love them all for different reasons but Della and Mikko are definitely my favorites <3! This is a Found Family Fic. Della and Zimâs interactions are rocky at first but so sweet and wholesome later on, and Mikkoâs growth from a frightened mute little girl to a spitfire fighter is done so well and I just absolutely adore her! Although, in the beginning, there is definitely a lot of headbutting, as the saga goes on these characters become Zimâs family, and they really grow close. The first half of âManeemâ is mostly Zim settling in with this new family of his, so a lot of slice-of-life fluff and drama. But soon, Dib hacks into Zimâs PAK and reveals that Zim has had a truly horrific up bringing, complete with brutal torturous training and both emotional and physical abuse. One punishment Zim had to endure during training was being exposed to a new alien species called a Morflar. Morflars are like living shadows that hunt and eat Irkens, slowly killing them in the most bone chilling way possible. Morflars play a pretty big part later on. But something else is revealed in Zimâs memories that truly gets the plot moving! After seeing something truly horrific, Dib kidnaps Zim at gunpoint and forces the alien to take him to Irk for a rescue mission. Here is where we meet Gloria (I wont say much about her due to spoilers but I really fell in love with her and her relationships with other characters by the end of this saga!). A few things happen, and âManeemâ ends shortly after a second trip to Irk for a rescue is successful. Overall, âManeemâ is a pretty quick read, and due to its age (about 12 years old) it is missing a few of the finer details that the Authorâs more recent fics have. However, even in these earlier chapters, the Author does such a great job with emotion and character interactions, that you hardly notice the jumping in scenes. And the writing style really improves later in the saga! Itâs just obviously different from how the Author currently writes, so thereâs a noticeable difference if you read their more recent fics first, but if you read this one first, then you wont even notice any of it, and you will truly be blown away when the writing improves later on.Â
âMekrelmarâ takes place about two years later, basically Dib wants revenge for what happened to Gloria, and convinces Zim to reluctantly tag along. Chaos ensues and Zim ends up being left behind on Irk, leading to a bit of torture and another rescue. Here is also where the Swollen Eyeball starts to enter the story in a major way, though they really donât start to shine until âDanemâ. The Author also does something with Gazâs character in this series that is absolutely enjoyable and clever! I will not spoil it but itâs clever and works so well with the world the Author builds here. Even if the reveal is a little out of the blue XD
âDanemâ takes place five years later, and here is where a lot of crazy stuff really starts to happen! There was actually a real-life five year gap between âMekrelmarâ and âDanemâ, so not only does the writing style improve, but the Authorâs ability to foreshadow really shines here! You can tell that the next four segments were all well planed out, as a lot of different twists and mysteries are introduced and slowly hinted at, before finally being answered many many chapter later! You wont be able to put it down! We start to learn a bit more about what Gaz can do. And Zim just has an All Around No Good Very Bad Time with a lot of stuff, I know I say this a lot, but this Author is so good at emotional trauma!! We also get a special surprise in the form of a familiar bond reveal, the Author does such a great job with the reveal too, itâs hinted at and you can almost guess what it is, yet it still takes you by surprise when it is confirmed! I was screaming out loud with how well done it was, and how excited I was about the implications of what the reveal would mean for the rest of the story. Mikko also continues to get some character growth and I gotta say, I really do love her X3. Thereâs more stuff with the Swollen Eyeball as well, which gets dark just as a heads up, thereâs a bit of gore and psychological damage. Itâs all very well written! Weâre also introduced to another new character who plays a larger part later on, Agent Tunaghost, sheâs one of the few characters who actually uses logic and is smart enough to know that everyone else needs to see a psychologist lol. Also, trying to avoid spoilers, the Author does an absolutely amazing job at a character redemption, someone who you absolutely despise in the first two segments becomes a beloved character in this one going forward. Itâs so well done! This Author really writes trauma, angst, and emotions so well. Though fair warning, there is a Character Death in this segment. Towards the end of âDanemâ, I really fall in love with a particular character and their behavior towards Zim (XD man itâs really hard to say stuff without spoiling it, like I donât even want to name the character because that will spoil stuff from the first two segments)
âSempadinumâ takes place almost immediately after âDanemâ, and it is an emotional roller coaster (lol I feel like I say this a lot, but seriously the Author is sooo good with making the reader feel for these guys!). It mostly focuses on Gloriaâs recovery from all the horrible stuff thatâs happened to her in the past, as well as a budding platonic relationship that I truly was platonicly shipping and gushing over by the end of the saga! When you read it, youâll understand why Iâm emphasizing platonic lol, but seriously I absolutely adore these two together! Tunaghost is again the only one to actively suggest a psychologist for these poor folks, too (and sheâs 100% right). Also, the Earth is in danger (cause of course it is) from the Irken Armada, and the Author has a really clever way to save it that really got me gushing over this characterxcharacter relationship lol. Overall âSempadinumâ is very well written, with great character development and exploration of their emotions and traumas. Plus thereâs so much happening plot wise, that I canât even touch on because of spoilers!! And sooo much foreshadowing shows up that isnât answered until very far down the road, showing that the Aurthor planned everything out and did such a great job writing it all! We also start to get a few more hints on the Big Bad that first appeared in âDanemâ, though we wont really see them till much later, and let me tell you, You will Never Guess the true identity of this Big Bad! But once theyâre revealed, the hints laid out up to that point can be puzzled out. Lot of hindsight needed though XD
âScarazialâ takes place immediately after âSempadinumâ with a very heart wretchingly emotional wedding. Weâre also introduced to Riddick, who is an absolute delight! As with a few other character introductions in this saga, Riddick starts out a bit as a jerk (though absolutely fun), trust me, youâll love him by the end! With a few more appearances from the Big Bad, and a few other mysteries that need to be solved (that I canât hint at cause it involves characters and spoilers from previous segments) âScarazialâ ends with Zim finally snapping and going insane, and it is really a fun/terrifying thing to watch!
âZaygamâ takes place immediately after âScarazialâ, and is the last of this six part saga. I canât say much without spoilers other than it wraps up every loose end perfectly and the epilogue got me all chocked up! I actually had to pause reading for a few hours and I still ended up losing a few tears when I picked it back up mid-chapter! One thing I can say, there is an odd introduction of a new character, it seems a bit out of left field, and doesnât make any sense at first (especially since it comes immediately after an April fools chapter lol), but trust me, if you keep reading to the end you will quickly fall in love with this idea that is presented, and everything else that this 6 part saga has to offer!Â
Please give it a read!
13/10 Very long, but so so good! The writing, plot, and characters are so well done and the depiction of emotional trauma and ptsd is handled well. And the Character redemptions are amazing, plus the ships!!! This also has my hands down absolute favorite depiction of Red!
Between The Stars by andystarr aka @andyyoureastarr
This fic is 2,111 words. Originally posted on 01-04-2020 and so far only has one chapter.
Iâve reviewed this Authorâs fics before, but this is a brand new one! And although there probably isnât enough of it for me to truly review it, based off what is out so far and the Authorâs other works I am 100% confident that I can recommend it! The Author introduces a new alien species that appears to be blood thirsty similar to the Irekns, they discover Dib post alien abduction via âthe really dumb aliens who think heâs [Zim] a human and try to fuse him with stuffâ from the show. Dib ends up killing his captures before his supposed ârescueâ and the chapter ends on a pretty ominous note.Â
?/10 Since thereâs only one chapter so far I donât want to give it a rating, but knowing the Authorâs other work Iâm sure itâll have a perfect score.
Breaking Routine by GalaxyCuup aka @galaxycuup
This fic is 6,188 words. Originally posted on 12-02-2019 and last updated on 12-13-2019. It has two chapters so far.
This is another one thatâs a little harder to review since itâs still so new, but the two chapters that are out so far, are so well written, and hold so much promise for the future! This is a species swap AU where Zim is human and in Hi-skool and Dib is the Irken Scientist who has come to Earth to study and research it. The Author also posts pictures IN THE CHAPTERS!! They are so good!! The characters are very well written and their interactions are fun to watch. Plus with this being a species swap, it means their personalities are still sorta there, but their cultures and up bringing are very different so they react to things differently than their canon selves would, which make it a very fascinating read and a fresh take from all the other versions of these two that Iâve seen so far. Zim is his usually hot headed self, but being a teenager it seems to get him into more trouble than he deserves, while Dib has that air of infatuation and child-like wonderment with the planet Earth and everything new around him. Iâm very curious to see where the story goes from here and what these two will do if Dibâs Irken self is ever revealed.
?/10 Itâs still new so I canât quiet give it a full score, but I see a lot of potential and the unique take combined with the artwork is so good that I definitely recommend it, and look forward to reading more.
Chomp by VelociraptorAddict aka unashamed self promotion
This fic is 12,280 words. Originally posted 12-31-2019 and last updated 01-18-20. It is updated weekly and so far has 4 chapters posted.
We start off with an introduction of a new Alien species, not much is revealed about them at first besides the fact that they require to âBondâ with others in order to survive off their own planet. More is revealed little by little as the story goes unfolds. This alien is sent to Earth/Urth to gather information for an upcoming invasion, and ends up forming a Bond with a young girl to do so. This girl later moves across the country and starts going to skool with Dib. One day she makes the mistake of admitting she doesnât believe in Bigfoot, which leads to Dib confronting her to try and convince her otherwise. However, during the conversation it is revealed that she does believe in ghosts, and Dibâs need to be validated for his belief in the paranormal, means that he quickly sees this girl as someone who will actually listen to him. So he attaches himself to her and assumes theyâre friends. Unfortunately for the girl, she has a pretty big secret that she doesnât want this potential paranormal investigator to find out, the Loughran.Â
Unfortunately, it is not a secret sheâs able to keep for long. Dib quickly becomes suspicious that she must be hiding something, when another new student (Zim), comes to their skool and Dib accuses him of being an Alien. The girl seems to flip between agreeing with him and denying the existences of aliens all together and Dib finds it very suspicious. When a fight breaks out at recess between Zim, the girl, and something invisible, Dib quickly and adamantly demands answers!
This part of the plot moves pretty quickly, but it is simply the set up for whatâs to come.
?/10 It doesnât feel right scoring my own fic, but I will admit the writing style itself could use a bit of improvement and it could definitely use a lot more descriptive text. However, the character interactions and dialogue portions are done well enough. And Iâve been doing enough of these fic reviews that itâs about time I put my money where my mouth is and started writing my own, right?
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Friday Nights (6)
Full series: 1 2 3 4 5 (more coming soon)
Word count: 1480
Genre: Honestly idk, maybe a little angst but mostly fluff?
Pairing: Jake x Amy (with platonic others in the squad)
Warnings: Minor swearing (let me know if I need to add more)
Summary: After Amyâs breakup with her boyfriend, Jake and Amy establish a weekly binge watching night and both avoid their feelings for each other.
A/N: Chapter six!
**Please note that the warnings, pairing and genre are for the whole series so it varies chapter to chapter.
Jake POV
I'm super pumped that it is Friday again. When I walked into the precinct this morning I was smiling so much that even Scully and Hitchcock noticed and asked me what was up. Luckily Amy wasn't around at that point otherwise she would find out how much I care about her. My mood was only slightly dampened by the fact that I had to go do door duty which is the absolute worst. Apparently because I was super late for work this morning (does forty five minutes count as super late???), Charles had already gone to the apartments to start talking to some of the neighbours.
Not wanting to have Charles be mad at me I rushed straight over, stopping on the way to buy some of the gross octopus balls that he loves so much for some weird reason.Â
"Hey, what's up?" I greet as I get there. He doesn't reply because he seems a bit peeved at me, which I have to admit is for good reason. I decide to try again.
"Look, I'm really sorry. I got you some octopus balls to make up for it." I say holding out the bag to him.
"Scrumptious, thank you Jakey, you know I can't stay mad at you." He responds very enthusiastically.
"You know buddy, you may not want to say that all the time."
"Say what?" He asks me. "Do you mean scrumptious? Why shouldn't I say scrumptious Jake? scrumptious is an amazing word, in fact you could even say the word itself is scrumptious."
"Ok" I say in a slightly high pitched voice while faking a smile trying to get him to shut up. He doesn't take the hint and keeps muttering. I mostly tune it out until it becomes a problem.
"So what's the deal with the case, did you find out anythi-" I am cut off by his yells.
"Scrumptious, scrumptious, scrumptious!" I stare at him shaking my head for a moment. He is my best friend but sometimes he can be so weird. A quiet "excuse me" brings me out of my thoughts about Boyle. I spin around to find a gorgeous woman (not as gorgeous as Amy) who looks to be around my age smiling hesitantly at me.Â
"How may I help you?" I ask her.
"I am one of the residents in this building and when I got home from work just now the cops over there told me I needed to come talk to you." She tells me smiling in a very cute way.
"Ok I'm just going to need to ask you some questions, this is just standard procedure, no need to stress." I explain. Tilting my head to the side, I see that Charles is giving me two big thumbs up and his signature grin that he always does when he thinks I'm in love. I roll my eyes at him when the pretty neighbour isn't looking but secretly I'm glad. Him doing this means he truly thinks that I'm not into Amy anymore which is a total lie but it is definitely best if he believes it. If he knew how much I was into Amy or even worse about our weekly Friday watching Friends tradition he would go crazy. A small cough breaks me out of my musings and I turn to the woman sheepishly because it is the second time in a matter of minutes that I have zoned out. Luckily from their expressions both Boyle and the woman seem to assume I was just staring at her which is kind of embarrassing but fine. In order to slightly preserve my dignity I push all thoughts about Amy to the side (or at least I attempt to) and start taking the statement.
Amy POV
When I arrive at the precinct this morning I'm the first there as usual. I decide to get a head start on some paperwork for a case I'm working on so I head over to my desk. Although I try to concentrate fully on the forms I'm filling out it can't fully distract me from my traitorous thoughts. If a few months ago someone had told me that I would fall in love with Jake Peralta I would have asked if they were insane. Now however I can't stop thinking about him. I'm so distracted that I don't even notice that Captain Holt is here until he is standing in front of my desk.
"Detective Santiago, I'm going to need for you to go bag some evidence at the scene of the drug bust." He says with a unreadable expression on his face.Â
"Of course sir, I'll be on it right away." I respond trying to seem as professional as possible and not like I was just thinking unprofessional thoughts about my co-worker.Â
"Good" He replies and walks off into his office. I decide to get started on his task right away. Hopefully it will take my mind off of Jake and put it back into work like how it should be. Plus there is the added benefit of not having to see Jake right away because it would only inflate his ego if he knew how excited I get about our show watching sessions, not to mention it would be extremely embarrassing. Right now nobody in the squad knows what we both do on Friday nights. It's not like we set out to hide it, we just didn't tell anybody because if they found out they would make a huge deal out of it and think it was a date or something like that which it is not, no matter how much I wish it could be.
Evidence bagging did not take my mind off of Jake at all. In fact I'm so desperate that I kept imagining what jokes he would make about the criminals. Luckily I still have more time to try to get my mind off of him before seeing him because I need to label and put away the evidence in the evidence room. I don't even say hello to anyone as I enter to precinct, just go straight to the evidence room. I'm kneeling down near the back of the room to put something away when I hear footsteps and then the door. The voices turn out to be Charles and Jake and even thought my mind is screaming at me to stand up and reveal myself to them apparently all my common sense flew out the window because I stay hunched over to try to hear what they are talking about. Jake's voice reaches me first.
"So why did you drag me in here Bud?" He asks.
"Because you've been super happy all day." Boyle responds. Just for a moment I allow myself to believe that it could be for the same reason I'm so happy but I quickly dismiss it. He probably just had a cool case or something, it's not like it's a crime to be happy.
"So?" Jake's voice echoes my thoughts. "It's not a crime to be happy." I smile at the fact that we both thought the same thing before I cover it up, realizing what a dork I'm being.
"No, but you're different happy today." There's a long pause and I can't quite read what it means but I think it's because Charles is thinking. I start to wonder if they left because the silence stretched on but then I hear a long gasp.
"You hooked up with someone didn't you!" He accuses.
"Sort of." Jake responds. I hurts a little bit hearing him say that. He's been on plenty of dates but every time he dates someone new it hurts just a little bit more. I listen carefully wanting to hear about whoever has caught his attention.Â
"Do you remember that really pretty woman that was neighbours with the victim?" He says. Charles doesn't say anything so I assume he nodded. "Well she gave me her phone number and I called and we are going on a date tonight."Â
"Ok Jakey." Boyle says clapping Jake on the back. I hear the door open and their footsteps fading away but I still don't get up. Jake is going on a date tonight which means that we can't watch Friends together. A single tear drips down my face but I wipe it away and remind myself that I am at work and I need to pull myself together. I shouldn't be sad about the Jake thing because it's not like anything was ever going to happen between us. Thinking about it logically doesn't stop the pain but I do manage to hide my feelings and get work done for the rest of the day. The only difference is instead of working late like I usually do I go straight home after my shift to wallow in self pity.
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The Best Mistake Pt. 3: Championships And Diamond Ponies
Never in a million years would you have thought that you'd become best friends with a man like Delsin Rowe. Not that it's a bad thing, but very different from most things you've done. Certainly you never imagined you'd be filling your bag with rolls of tape and cutting out stencils late at night, all in preparation for an illicit art piece with a certain Akomish friend. Maybe that's what drew you in. Delsin isn't like any other person you've met before, heâs different. He is lively, exciting, bold, outspoken, creative, he is everything captivating, and a total bad boy. However, you never dared to say any of these words directly to his face, you already know better. It would only increase his cockiness and you'd never hear the end of his gloats. Still, you knew you'd always have a retort ready and he'd always mock right back and that was basically all part of a daily routine for you and Delsin. The roots of your friendship.
All it took was a few stencil jobs, running (lots and lots of running), coffee shops, and an aerosol can to build a relationship as thick as thieves. A relationship strictly platonic of course, that's how you prefer to keep it. Youâre currently having too much fun with you partner in crime and therefore want absolutely nothing to ruin it. Yet that never stops Delsin from being his usual charismatic self, which leaves you to question yourself if there is a possibility for something more. Only to be followed by you shrugging off the question and completely abandoning the thought...at least for the while.
And so here you are sitting on the floor by the feet of your bed, cutting out stencils for your first original piece in preparation for the next day. With headphones in your ears blasting off "I Wanna be yours", by Arctic Monkeys, you start to replay the memory of your first time creating a tag with Delsin in your head.
'Are you sure this is a safe spot?' you asked.
Delsin rose from the floor with two rolls of tape in his hands and delivered you a smirk, 'Pfft yeah, totally. Now c'mon stop being paranoid and help me tape this thing.'
You complied and picked up two spray cans and handed one to Delsin.
'Ooh i love the sound when you-,' you shook the spray can and let the sound of the metal ball clashing within the walls of the can finish your sentence.
You giggle to yourself. Never did you really get tired of that sound or the smell. Now it became a habit. Itâs fun.
Your phone shuffles on to the next song and so you start to hum to "Arabella,". Man, the Arctic Monkeys have good music. The music is blasting so loud from your ear buds that youâre pretty sure if someone were to walk in your room right at that moment they would totally be able to hear your music clearly. However, unbeknownst to you, Delsin had climbed up your fire escape and had quietly crept into your room.
He stands still as he observes the area until he spots you sitting below the feet of your bed, peaceful and undisturbed. Boy, was that about to change. His left eyebrow quirks up in mischief as a sudden idea hits him. Very, very carefully he begins to climb onto your bed, slowly crawling towards the end until he is practically next to your unsuspecting form. Slowly, he lowers his head to your level. By now youâre suspecting movement behind you but are too late to react before he-
"BOOO!!!!"
"AHHHHH!!!! OH!! YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" you say through gritted teeth in attempt to keep your voice low but at the moment you are more concerned with recovering from your mini heart attack.
You bring a hand to your chest and release a breath you didn't know you were holding in. Delsin on the other hand is literally rolling of laughter on your bed with a pillow clutched to his face to muffle his laughs. Unamused, you get up and begin to pelt him with your two spare pillows. Delsin is caught off guard but quickly retaliates and manages to drag you onto the bed and into a full on pillow fight.
You release a low shriek as you fall on your bed and start to thrash around, aimlessly swinging your two pillows. Amused by your tactic, Delsin laughs and mimics your comical yet potent strategy, using his spare hand as a personal guard for his face.
"Watch the face, watch the face!" he warns, " you hit the face, this friendship ends!"
"The only ship in pillow fights are championships!" you retort as you stand on your knees and ambush him with your pillows.
He lowers his arm shielding his face, "Oh so that's how it's gonna be?"
Big mistake.
Setting his guard down puts him at an extreme vulnerability, even if for a millisecond. That is all you need. You expertly cease the opportunity, hitting him with your left pillow and went in for a second hit but he deflects it with his arm and hits you with his pillow successfully knocking you off your knees.
"Okay...okay...okay," you say between breaths and laughter before collapsing onto one side of the bed with your legs dangling. "Tie?"
He releases a tired laugh and tosses his pillow onto your stomach before collapsing onto the opposite side of you, "Tie."
"How did you even get here?" you ask as you take the pillow from your stomach and put it under your neck.
"Reggie drove me," he simply replies.
You scoff, "I meant how did you get in my room?"
"Oh," he smirks. "It was a lot easier than you'd think."
"And the heart attack??"
"Okay that was just for fun and partially payback."
"For?...." you sit up from your current position and Delsin slowly rises after you.
"Foorrr stealing my beanie!" he swiftly steals the burgundy hat from your head, putting it back on his head and lays back down again.
"Aw," you frown, you had forgotten you even had it on you at the moment. It's a miracle it managed to stay on during the entire pillow fight. "Pfffftt I looked way better in it anyways."
"You'd look good in anything, babe," Delsin quickly counteracts.
"I'm not your babe," you say as you rise from your spot on the bed and carefully go back to your previous spot on the floor to continue the stencils, making sure your ever reddening cheeks are not in Delsin's line of sight .
"But you're a total babe."
You roll your eyes and scoff as you begin to cut out more stencils. "You know, you really shouldn't tempt me while I'm holding scissors. Wouldn't want anything to happen to that pretty little face of yours."
He rolls over on the bed and rests his head on his right palm to face you, "So you think I'm pretty?"
You scoff again and resume cutting out stencils, "Is there a reason why you're here?"
"Oh feisty are we today?" he finally rises from the bed and walks around your room."Yâknow I love how climbable your room is. Seriously, it's like it was meant specifically for me to sneak into," he says as he picks out a book from a shelf and begins to observe it.
Without breaking concentration from your current task, you reply, "Well Iâm glad the alternative to my front door suits you so well. You know my dad would never let you walk in through the front entrance."
Surprised by your comment, Delsin narrows his eyes and places the book back on its previous spot on your shelf, "Wow, (Name) thanks. Knowing your dad hates me so much that he wouldn't let me through the front door if I tried really means a lot to me," he says sarcastically as he takes a seat on your bed.
You feel a little muddled by his tone. You can't quite place your finger on it but regardless you attempt to lighten the mood a little, "Well technically he doesn't hate you, he doesn't even know you exist."
"Speaking of which, you're doing a real good job keeping your family in dark about all this," he motions to the stencils. "How does it feel?"
With this question asked, you put down your scissors and sigh, "Necessary. My mom can be understanding but my dad- not so much. Who knows, maybe one day I won't have to hide who I really am," you roll your eyes and continue to cut out stencils again. "Then I'll ride my diamond pony off into the sunset. With double the horns for double the awesome."
"Wait, horses don't have horns, don't you mean like a unicorn?"
You bring your legs closer to your chest and rest your head on your knees as you pretend to cry and release a muffled, "Let me and my diamond pony beeee."
He lightly chuckles and folds his arms across his chest, "Well you don't have to hide who you around me. You know I don't."
"That's true," you pop your head out, "you haven't changed much since the day I first met you. Don't get me wrong though, it's not a bad thing"
"Hmph. That's funny because I don't wish I could say the same about you."
Perplexed and slightly offended you put your scissors down and turn your attention to Delsin, "What?"
"Well," he says as he moves to sit down on the floor next to you,"when I first met you, I obviously didn't know you as well as I do now. We actually became pretty great friends, therefore I'm glad I don't get to say that you haven't changed much since when we first met. You're more than just a pretty girl I met by the bay."
It's become a usual habit for Delsin to flirt with you. Yet it was moments like these, when he'd act and say things like that, that would leave you lingering with curiosity. Could there be something between you two or was Delsin just being Delsin?
Regardless, you decide to play along, "So you think I'm pretty?"
"Oh I think you're way more than pretty," he smirks.
You release a low chuckle in response to his compliment. Then suddenly a clever yet cunning idea strikes your mind. You turn your body to face him and inch closer and promptly his actions follow yours.
"Believe me, pretty would be a major understatement," he adds.
"Is that so?" you learn in a little closer.
"Definitely," he purrs.
"You know I'm kinda glad you snuck in through my window tonight," you lean in more, now only mere inches separating your faces.
"Why's that babe?" He leans in closer.
You lightly scoff at his remark. If only he knew.
"So....-," you trail off to make the pretense of you closing in the gap between you and Delsin.
"So you can help me finish the stencils!" you laugh as you swiftly stand up from your spot on the floor, leaving behind a very confused Delsin to fall onto your previously occupied seat.
Realizing what just happened, Delsin releases an evil chuckle and rubs his chin,"That was cruel, (Name), real cruel."
You stand triumphantly with your arms crossed and a pout on your lips, "Aw really?"
"Very," he says as he stands up and walks over to you. "But too can play it that game," he pokes you by your rib, earning a loud giggle and flinch from you.
"What, are you ticklish there?"
"What? No!" You protest.
Not buying your protest he pokes again and you release another giggle and quick jump. Amused, he starts to poke you continuously at your new found ticklish area.
"Del...sin....stop!" You plea between breathes and giggles.
Somehow in the midst of laughing and slapping Delsin's hands away, he manages to entangle his arms around your stomach getting an even better leverage in your apparent tickle fight. For a moment you had forgotten where you are and how loud youâre being. That is until you hear a knock at your bedroom door followed by your mother's voice.
"(Name)?" She says, causing both you and Delsin to cease your actions, his arms still around you.
"Is everything okay in there? I thought I heard-"
"Uh-erm yeah mom. I just- stepped on a... lego! Yeah, yeah, you know how annoying that can be," you say as you side glance at Delsin's face hovering over your shoulder, his lips pursed and face turned the other direction to avoid your glance.
"Legos? Do you still even have those-"
"Everything is fine mom, I'll be downstairs in a second okay?"
"Okay honey."
You wait until you hear your mother's footsteps descend the stairs before breaking free from Delsin's hold.
He mockingly pouts at your escape before asking, "Did you really used to have legos?"
"Yeah..."
"Cute," he chuckles. "So did I actually. But I kept getting mad when I accidentally stepped on them. Those things really hurt like a b-"
"(Y/N)!" Your mom calls from downstairs.
âI think she needs you for something,â he lightly giggles.
"Coming, mom!" you yell towards the door. âWait here Iâll be back in a few,â you say to him as you exit your room.
Delsin nods resumes to observing your room. He really did take a mental note of how easy it was to access your fire escape and even wondered why the thought didnât occur to him before. As he walks around your room he notices the many pictures you have up on a bulletin board of your friends and family.
âOkay...think she mentioned you before...and you I donât knowâŠ,â he says as he ogles the photos.
âAh, thereâs the infamous cousin of hers,â he smiles as he recalls you telling him of how your favorite cousin was the one who drove you to the Akomish reservation on the day you and Delsin first met. âGotta make sure to thank you when I see you⊠in person because now youâre a photo and⊠okay just shut up, Delsin.â
He continues to observe your room and starts to look for any pictures of the two of you. When he canât seem to find any he begins to feel a little disappointed until he accidentally knocks over a book from your desk and from it slips out a small polaroid picture of the two of you.
He picks it up and he immediately remembers the day the picture was taken. You two had gone out to the park since it was predicted to have been a very sunny day. And it was until it started to unsurprisingly rain. You had left your umbrella at home and so Delsin decided to use his sweater to shield both of your already damp forms. His height made it easy for him to get coverage over the two of you and thatâs when you pulled out your polaroid and took the picture.
âCheese!â You said, catching Delsin off guard but he still managed to put on a ridiculously cheesy smile for the picture.
âOh man, this oneâs a keeper!â You said as you showed him the funny photo of the two of you. Drenched clothes, outstretch arms and big bright smiles.
âWhatcha got there?â You ask as you walk into the room, interrupting Delsinâs reverie.
âHmph? Oh I-uh found this,â he hands the photo to you.
âOh, I remember that day,â you say happily. âWe got fucking drenched but your off guard smile is priceless,â you laugh.
Delsin merely laughs and smiles as you observe the photo. However, once you put it back in the book it was originally hidden in, his smile falters.
âWhy donât you have it up like the rest of your photos,â he asks.
âWhat and risk it being seen by my parents?â you say as if the answer is the most obvious thing.
âOkay,â he scoffs. âItâs kinda hard to not be offended by what you just said there. Is being friends with me that much of a burden to you?â He folds his arms across his chest.
âWhat? Of course not I just-â
âListen I know you wanna keep the tag stuff a secret but why do you have to hide me from everyone?â
âIâm not! My cousin knows about you and some friends too,â you clarify. âThey actually kinda wanna meet you, they say you seem really cool and fun.â
âWell Iâm glad the cousin and your friends approve but would it really be that bad of a thing if your parents knew about me?"
You try to say something as you just stare at him but nothing comes out.
âWhat?â He steps closer. âYou afraid they wonât approve of you hanging out with âsome delinquentâ?â
âHey, that's not true, and you know i don't give a rat's ass about what my dad thinks," you say, almost bitterly.
âThen why hide me?â
âWhy do you suddenly care?â
âWhy do I care that my alleged best friend won't even admit to me being her best friend in front of anyone else but me?!"
If his outrage isnât seen in his eyes then it sure as hell is heard in his voice.
You briefly glance at the door before calmly urging Delsin to keep his voice down.
âNo, yâknow what, how about I do you one better?â He says as he walks to your window.
âDelsin, wait!â you follow him and catch him as he still has one foot in your room and the other on the fire escape.
âThanks for the clarity on our relationship,â he says before finally leaving through the fire escape.
Again you call out his name but he either doesnât hear you or he simply chooses not to. However, after the fight you two just had you donât blame him if he chose the latter.
You walk over to your stencils and slump down to the floor as his words and the look of hurt in his eyes just repeat over and over and over again in your head.
âThanks for the clarity on our relationship.â
âOh fuck,â you sigh and rub at your temples. âWhat did I just do?â
#infamous second son#delsin rowe x reader#delsin rowe#reader#i wrote this so long ago and kept putting off posting it on here so here we go
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Arc V Month Day 6: Favorite Familial/Platonic Relationship
ITâS TIME FOR ANOTHER TOP X NUMBER CAUSE MAN DO I LOVE THE RELATIONSHIPS IN THIS SHOW!!!!
Ok this list is not in any order because ranking this was RLY HARD...so anyway hereâs ten family/platonic relationships I like from Arc V
Yuya and Yoko
Iâll never stop talking about it but Yoko is one of the best anime parents EVER. Itâs so nice to have a mom in a shonen anime who is a) present and not dead, b) actively involved in her childâs life and development and c) has her own backstory and personality. But this isnât a post about Yoko, this is about her relationship with Yuya.
Theyâre just such a hilarious parent-child couple tbh; Yoko is loving and supportive but also more than willing to crack out the tough love when she thinks he needs it. And Yuya loves his mom right back, respecting her input and being inspired by her. We need more parent-kid relationships like this in media!
Reiji and Reira
In a totally different fashion from Yuya and Yoko, hereâs another family relationship that I adore. The thing about these two is that honestly? Their relationship is messy, and not always healthy, and I love that sort of dynamic. Reira starts out as overly dependent on Reiji, and while Reiji respects their needs and feelings, he also has a very paternalistic, âI made you who you areâ view towards Reira in the beginning as well. The fact that they are not actually related also stirs the pot a little for this unusual relationship. Neither of them are emotionally stable and both of them have things to learn, unlearn, and grow from especially in regards to each other. But in the end both of them really do care about each other. Reiji truly, legitimate cares about Reiraâs safety and well being, and Reira really respects and trusts. Theyâre not a perfect family, but they are a family despite their beginnings, and I really, really love this take on a sibling relationship.
continued under the cut cause this is already long and i donât want to clutter peopleâs dashes lol
Yuzu and Yuya
Ok weâve hit all the family relationships I wanted to hit, so now itâs onto the friendships! I really, really love Yuya and Yuzuâs relationship. Theyâre just so real, lol, theyâre childhood middle school best friends who hang out, make jokes, inspire and push each other to get better, and irritate the crap out of each other. They are each otherâs inspiration and motivation and their reason for fighting; theyâre each otherâs ride or die and itâs basically the whole plot of the series lol.
Sora, Yuzu, and Yuya
Again, I just!! Love these kids acting like kids!! Theyâre such a cute, fun trio, teasing and irritating each other, teaching and learning from each other, and just being silly. And it really hits my heartstrings to think about how Yuzu and Yuya were Soraâs first ever real friends, his first experience having people who cared about him and his wellbeing, which was was so paradigm-shifting for him that almost without even thinking about it he put his life on the line to try and secure Yuzuâs safety. Yuzu and Yuyaâs trust in Sora despite all that happened was so heart-warming, too. Theyâre just such a sweet trio and I love them so much <3
Yuya and Gongenzaka
THE MANLIEST OF FRIENDSHIPS... They have SUCH a supportive relationship? As much as they consider themselves rivals, they are absolutely friends first and foremost. Both of them push each other to be better, but will instantly drop everything to help the other even if it puts their own chances or even their safety at risk. Theyâre the absolute bestest buds and I love them.
Dennis and Gongenzaka
I mean I kind of ship this too, but Iâm putting it on the platonic friendship list because thatâs where I really like it the most. I almost wish theyâd gotten just ONE more significant interaction past their duel, because they were so cute! Dennisâs happy-go-lucky energy (and deep buried sense of guilt thatâs shrouded beneath that) meeting with Gongenzakaâs no-nonsense, disciplined and straightforward honest self is just such a potent mix that leads to so many interesting possibilities. They are absolutely the definition of âopposites attract.â
I could talk about this forever because I adore nearly every dynamic in this show, but I think Iâm gonna stop it there for the time being haha;;;; I love Arc V and itâs relationships ;w;
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An O.C. for Your Asses!!!
I wanna see if the characters are legit before I move forward with this short story im working on (I'm a character first kinda guy, so I work inside-out) leave any form of constructive critique you wish, they are still works in progress, thanks!!
Augustine Harriet Andersson
Age:22
Sign: Gemini (sun) Cancer (moon) Virgo (rising)
Height: 5'8
Eye Color: Formerly dark-brown, bleached to a pastel-hazel because of some dark magic fuckery
Hair Color/Cut: dark-brown,q shifting variations of a fade, whose design changes somewhat based on his thoughts and emotions (yes, this is an enchanted fade)
Build: lean, lightly muscled from years lifting cauldrons in his grandfather's potion shop
Notable Features: Dimples; left-dimple is deeper than right, multiple piercings on each ear, artificial left eye (looks organic but to magical eyes, it looks otherwise)
"Have you ever been like...fundamentally angry? I feel that way...like at my core, there's this rage that seethes and coils at the pit of my stomach, everyday, like a python that can't quite squeeze his prey all the way to death. Everytime I think I've grown up, forgiven something or someone or myself, there's this anger that tightens right back up all over again...like it's reminding me of something. Somedays...I feel like that feeling will petrify everything I've ever loved about myself, and I'll just be another slave to outrage and ego and pain...just like everyone else...haha, then I'll really be a normie."Â -August Andersson, on his depression and internal anger issues.
Augustine Andersson is a witch-boy. But you could probably already tell that from looking at him: the way his eyes are almost constantly fixed towards some unseeable infinity, the way air molecules hum with fresh, manic energy around him, how he seems to absorb sunlight and the way his brown skin would filter the glow as a result of his connection to the natural...it was all very off putting to others around him for most of his young adult life. And as we all know, no one likes a freak, so such years had a hand in building his current trust issues, feelings of great anger and inadequacy, and all the tics and tricks he uses to keep such feelings at bay. He's not at a total loss; at his core he is a humanitarian, deeply compassionate and available to those who have managed to capture his heart, as well as wild and humorous. However, he keeps a tight lid on his darkest feelings and insecurities, out of fear that they may be too much for those around him (also, he might accidentally call forth a vile arch-daemon on accident, but that's neither here nor there.) After finally having had enough of his mundane time amongst the humans, he vanishes from his college campus one day and takes to the open road, hoping that like the many young, angsty teens in the movies he loves, he will find himself in his own solitude. But the best way to deal with oneself is when confronting someone else, and after a close-call with a reckless (and very cute) motorcycle rider on an interstate, August will be forced to deal with every single part of himself, the good, the bad, and the strange...
A few more things about him...
1. His father is Afro-swedish, hence his last name.
2. Loves to travel and is nomadic by nature.
3. He gets a special kind of warmth out of being moderately petty at all times.
4. He loves open spaces and bodies of water, as well as hikes through mountains (ok so he only went once in Vegas, so sue him, he really liked it!)
5. Surprisingly low maintenance, really just likes being around people that are happy, and the feeling easily rubs off on him.
6. Both positive and negative emotions easily rub off on him.
7. Can get caught up in moments of warm content, given his unstable interior life, and can get lost in wasting/spending time.
8. Gets restless easily.
9. Budding film buff, faves include Kill Bill vol. 1&2, Her, Moonrise Kingdom, Gone Girl, Blue is the Warmest Color, Moonlight, & Mean Girls.
10. August's father is very engaged with politics and civil rights, so in honor of that, he decided that his son's middle name would belong to one of the greatest figures of the civil rights movement: Harriet Tubman.
11. Favorite new movie is The Favourite.
12. Due to a lack of acceptance of his full self and the full spectrum of his sexuality, he is judgemental of others and holds them to the same near-impossible standards he holds for himself.Â
13. Things he expects from others: To read his mind and conjure what he wants without saying, to have his needs and boundaries respected without actually stating so, for others to fit in whatever box he thinks they should be in, for everyone's intellect to be slightly lower than his own, but high enough not to annoy him with silly questions, ect.
14. Listens to Lorde, J. Cole, Rex Orange County, Frank Ocean, Lana Del Rey, Tyler the Creator, Young Thug and assorted film soundtracks.
15. Enjoys playing into his double-sided nature when it suits him, and has a secret glee in melding into different roles depending on who's around him.
16. Is attracted to more eccentric personalities in platonic and romantic relationships
17. Smokes weed to escape boredom. (and his problems)
18. Smokes weed because he likes the feeling.
19. Is secretly a little ratchet, but he'll kill you if you say so, it'll fuck up his reputation as the quasi-sociopathic erudite.
Magic House-Thoth
Augustine is a member of the Sacred House of Life, witches whose magic is passed down from the Egyptian Gods themselves. August himself is a descendant of an African slave-witch, once known as Ashe. She was taken to Egypt as a typical piece of cargo from zealot raiders, and was sentenced to a life of building the pyramids. Or so she would have thought: Thoth, the God of Magic and Knowledge, took pity upon her and beguiled her to follow an invisible force into the desert one night. He then revealed himself to her in his ibis-headed brilliance and bestowed upon her a set of choices: he could free her now and set her loose across the desert with all the things she would need for survival, or he could give her secrets and wisdoms unknown to man at the time, but she would have to frequently return to him for lessons. Ashe always prized knowledge and growth over any material thing, or even something such as freedom (I prefer to disagree myself). And secrets from a God must count for that much more, right? She indulged in option two. Thoth grinned and whispered to her the mysteries of life, the secrets of the stars, and the riddles of worlds lost and intangible, he spoke magick into her very soul. She would then use her newfound knowledge to fool her captors, freed any slave that would believe in her, and with her wits about them, guided them across the desert to build a library-like sanctuary, in honor of Thoth. The former slaves then learned from the god's teachings, passed through Ashe, and became witches and educators in their own right, and Ashe came to lead this new coven of magi. This is how the House of Thoth became to be.Â
Magick: As a member of house of Thoth, August has the ability to manipulate various aspects of the moon, writing, hieroglyphics, knowledge and sciences, and the progression of time. His particular specialty is the creation of Moon Dust, a substance used as a medium for most of his spells. By gathering various quantities of mineral, be it: crystal, rocks, pearls, aluminum, or even silvers and golds, he can channel his magic into them and break down and rearrange their atomic components into a corrosive, abrasive substance that also tends to stick to objects due to an electric charge. This dust is also dangerous to breathe in. He tends to carry around a pouch or two on his person, as trying to create some on the fly is nearly impossible given how much time and intricacy is needed to create the substance. (I mean, working with just a pile of plain old rocks would take a couple of hours to convert, let alone harder or more distilled substances.) Spells that he has mastered so far include...
Spell of Refraction: A spell in which the moondust bonds to whomever or whatever August desires (sans the harmful effects, it's enchanted in this state) and whatever is enveloped in dust turns invisible via light refraction.
Spell of Revelations: He can spread his moondust over an area and have the pieces cling to imprints of negative emotion or dark magick. A spell used for forensic work.
Spell of Retribution: An offensive spell that uses moondust to its fullest offensive powers and creates small funnels of dust to ravage the opponent. The largest funnel made could surround a fully grown man.
Golemancy:Â Can create golems out of the moon dust he has formed, usually no larger than a human toddler. They tend to take form roughly resembling lego-men (he was a big fan of the Lego Expanded Universe as a child), but one can easily be fooled by their size: each golem has the strength of three men, and can combine to further power themselves up.
There are a few spells that don't require the moon dust...
-The Veil: A surface-level illusion layered directly over the skin. This allows the caster to look like whatever he wants to look like and sound however he wants, but can be broken if struck with bad intentions (like a slap from an offended woman on the street)
 -Somnus: A very old, yet practical spell. Also one that does not require moondust, this handy spell induces sleep. Those affected by this spell will not remember being forced to sleep, but they will have active and vivid dreams for distraction. Also necessary for Dream Diving.
-Dream Diving:Â A skill Augustine has yet to master, this allows the caster to astral project into one's consciousness for complete access to the afflicted parties mind, if the brain is distracted by dreams. August has gotten stuck in several public nude dreams, and it takes long hours to remove oneself from another's mind.
-Illusion CastingÂ
-Temporary Madness Inducement
-Script Magick: By writing down a word or phrase on any surface that can be sufficiently marked on, whatever has been written manifests somehow, just so long as it is within his power. He can't create miracles with it though.
Top 10 Roadtrip Songs
Sobriety- Sza
No Role Moldelz-J. Cole
Sacrifices -Dreamville, assorted artists
Grown Up Fairy Tails- Chance the Rapper, Taylor BennettÂ
My Boy-Billie Eilish
U.N.I.T.Y.- Frank Ocean
West Coast: Lana Del Rey
Cruise Ship-Young Thug
400 Lux-Lorde
Let Em Know- Bryson Tiller
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@fluffbingo
Prompt: Soulmarks
Fandom: Voltron Legendary Defender
Couple: LancexKeith
Also on AO3
I decided to go for a âsoulmarkâ type that I didnât see for a while now: the âyour chest glows when you are close to your soulmateâ trope. Last time I saw it was in the Hijack fandom about 2-3 years ago.
Most people were born with a symbol on their chest, which would start to glow if you were close to your soulmate, until it reached a bright vibrant color when you were standing in front of each other. Lance heard how his parents met through this the first day of highschool and he had hoped deeply that it would happen to him too. Now in college, he hoped everyday that he would feel and see his chest glow a bright blue color. But so far, no such luck. And it was saddening him.
He was desperately romantic and imagined a million times how he would suddenly have the symbol just under his throat glow slowly, then he would look around him and spot someone that experienced the same phenomenon, and he would love them eternally. It was only in his dreams so far.
His friends tried to distract him from these thoughts, assuring him he would meet his soulmate soon. Lotor and Allura especially. They met their last year of highschool and Allura understood her friend. She, too, had waited impatiently for her Meeting and she assured Lance he just had to be patient, fate was gonna be kind to him soon.
His internet friend was telling him the same, to not think about it and just let it come at the perfect time. Lance was glad he had Keith. Although they never met in real life, the guy knew him so well, sometimes Lance felt like they knew each other since childhood. And he was ecstatic, because Keith was transferring to his college! Hunk had been his best friend for years, but they both felt they were not as close as before now, with Pidge getting in the middle and being all sciences and mechanics with Hunk while Lance didn't get these things, and Keith didn't either so they bonded over an old animated show about robot lions in space, and more stuffs as time got by.
Keith would be in the same dorm, maybe they'd be on the same floor, and Lance was just jumping up and down at the idea he would have his other best friend so close to him. Pidge was on her laptop and she whistled with two fingers at him.
âHey, loverboy, I know your bud is coming soon, but could you not be so stressed out? You're gonna put a hole in the carpet at this rateâ
She said it with a smile, obviously messing a little with him. Lance apologized and went to the window. They were in his and Hunk's room, and Keith was gonna be there any minute now. Lance bit on his thumb's fingernail. He just couldn't wait. He knew what Keith looked and sounded like, they had skyped each other a lot after all. He didn't know why he was so thrilled to see him, it was a little much, even for him.
Then, after 10 more minutes, Lance's phone made a sound and he looked at it. Keith texted him, saying he just arrived. Lance texted him immediately that he was coming to the entrance of the dorm building and ran out the door without a word for Pidge or Hunk. Both looked at him go without stopping him. Pidge looked at the bigger boy.
âHe has a crushâ she laughed.
âYeah, he does... and knowing how important that soulmate thing is... I'm worriedâ
Pidge's smiled dropped. Ah, yes, that. She suddenly felt bad for Lance, too. But soulmates were not always romantic, maybe Lance's relationship with his soulmate would be platonic? So, why wait and flee all relationships before your soulmate?
As for Lance, he was grinning like an idiot as he went down the stairs. After two flight of stairs though, he stopped and his eyes widened. He was wearing a white t-shirt with blue sleeves, so he didn't miss the sudden blue coloration he could see on his chest. His mouth slowly opened, because he totally didn't expect to meet his soulmate today. The glow was still a little weak, but as he resumed to go down the last two flight of stairs, it became stronger. His heart was racing, what were the chances to meet his friend AND his soulmate the same day? He should have guessed, new students would come all week after all.
He took a breath to try to steady himself. He just had to look for someone with a glow on their chest. He quickly wondered what color theirs would be. He put his hands on his chest, hiding the glow a little from unwanted eyes, and stepped outside. He looked around but saw nothing. Until he noticed a mop of dark hair. Keith looked around the parking lot, his back to him. Maybe Keith could help him spot his soulmate?
He started to walk to his friend, his eyes not leaving him for a second. If he had just been able to look at his chest, he would have noticed the glow only grew stronger with each step he took. He was a few steps away from him when he called.
âKeith?â
His friend turned around sharply with a gasp. Revealing a red glow taking up most of his chest. And Lance finally put the puzzle pieces together. It seemed like Keith did too. He was hesitant to get closer, so Lance did it for him. They ended up face to face, almost chest to chest, and their red and blue mixed into a nice purple. Keith's lips and breath shook as he was staring at their chests. Lance took his hands gently, steadying the black haired, his violet eyes leaving their contemplation to fix Lance's blue eyes.
âHey there, soulmateâ said Lance in a whisper.
Keith's face illuminated, a big smile tracing on his lips.
âNice to meet youâ said Keith fondly.
Lance slowly ran his hands from Keith's hands along his arms and hugged Keith's shoulders. The black haired hugged him back, a heavy exhale leaving him.
âI'm so glad to meet you... I wanted to meet you for so long...â Keith's voice was uneven, probably because he was choking back tears.
âMe too, Keith. I'm glad it's you...â
He was aware people were looking at them, but like he cared at this moment. The first contact with your soulmate was an amazing moment to share, and no one would ruin it for them.
âLance?â
âYeah?â
And he felt a gently kiss on his jaw. Lance thought for a moment he was on a cloud before he reciprocated with a kiss on Keith's temple.
From the window on the 4rd floor, Pidge and Hunk were dumbfounded. Pidge had rubbed her eyes a couple of times already, because there was no way! No way was Lance's soulmate his crush and internet friend! It was so cliché and totally not possible. It was like...
âIt's like a romance movieâ commented Hunk with a fond smile.
Still, there they were, chests glowing and arms around each other in an intimate hug. Pidge started to smile as well.
âAt least, Lance won't have to choose between his crush on Keith and his soulmate...â
They exchanged a little laugh of approval.
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