#like “well yeah it was a trick?? no way you thought you were seriously exiled”

[darlingod]

Jude in QoN: “Of course it was a trick” That’s what you said.

Cardan:

[yostresswritinggirl]

Scholars’ Chit Chat Prologue Submission

XXX

Cyno x Reader (Platonic, possibly romantic in the future)

*Lore dump warning

*Spoilers for all the Archon Quests and speculations of Teyvat

*Really it’s all serious talk

XXX

This is basically how you and Cyno met

XXX

The libraries of Sumeru are quiet, like how they’re suppose to be.

It is a new semester after all, the freshmen are still getting a grasp of the large campus, though Cyno does guess that soon enough they will be awed of this place.

Walking among the tall shelves, he tries to locate the section he had been researching on, but a voice calls out to him, breaking his concentration.

“Hey, you ever thought of why were you given a Vision?”

He turns to the source of the voice, only to see you there, sitting on top of one of the book shelves as your legs dangled from it.

“I would say that it is a question worth discovering with my entire life.”

“Huh, to think that you would answer so naturally… Wouldn’t one first ask who I am or ask why would I want to know that?”

“Because, first, I know who you are and second, those who come to this place seek knowledge.”

“Oh, so I had become the talk of school despite me being here for the first day?”

“Indeed, you were known as one who had declared to not take part in any sort of Mysticism studies yet aim to unveil the mysteries of this world. They called you naive yet you had earned the highest scholarship obtainable. It’s kind of hard to not let such news spread out.”

“Well, there are certainly advantages and disadvantages with this commotion, but that’s not my main focus anyways.”

“And may I ask what that would be?”

“To search for answers to fulfil my contract with the God of Wisdom.”

“Contract?”he questions, not capable of following your conversation, you slyly smiled at this.

“Unfortunately, this upcoming topic requires a fee to unlock~ I don’t mind sharing my findings to others, but when it comes to something as rare as words from an archon….”

“You get the idea, a price is required for everything after all.”

“…”

Cyno stared at you as if you were pulling his leg, but his reaction made you smirk even more.

“Oh, I won’t be asking for much, something like… Your name, perhaps?”

Suddenly realising that he hadn’t introduced himself yet and was reminded in such a playful matter, Cyno couldn’t help but let out an embarrassed chuckle.

“My apologies, I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Cyno, a pleasure to meet you.”

“Hmm… You know that one’s name is important, right? Names hold power, not necessary the one given by your parents but the one that defines your soul. There are quite a few stories mentioning that giving your name to someone is the same as giving a part of their soul to them.”

The male however lets out a laugh at your advice.

“Thanks for the warning, I’ll keep that on mind.”

“It was nothing, and to the end of my bargain, yes…’ you began as you jumped off the shelf, landing right in front of him. “Well, it’s more like a bet than a contract if I’m being honest.”

“Which is?”

“To find out the truth behind Khaen-riah’s fall, or more specifically, the reason behind the alchemist Gold’s fall, before I graduate.”

“?!”

The kingdom that had technology and Mysticism developed greatly even without an archon, then was destroyed five hundred years ago.

Not much is known about Khaen-riah, and yet...

Cyno, was shocked, no, shocked isn’t enough to describe how he’s feeling.

“That’s... nearly impossible, isn’t it? Just what sort of offer did he gave you to tip the scales-”

“If I succeeded, he would answer me anything I want to know about.”

“A-Anything?”

“That’s right~”

...

“What happens... If you fail?”

Everything comes with a price, as you had said.

“Then my life would be in his hands, for him to decide my fate.”

Despite only knowing you for not long, Cyno cannot believe what you had risked.

“Are you out of your mind?! What would you possibly want to know that you’re willing to-”

“To understand the laws of this world.” You answered one a simple matter.

“It has been so long that the human race had been existing and yet none of us came close in finding the truth of the world...”

“Or perhaps someone did, and they failed to tell anyone?”

“Even Khaen-riah itself is advance with Alchemy, history tells us that their greatest alchemist Gold fell and became quite a threat... But why...?”

“...”

“What I’m trying to say is that we’re too trusting towards the gods cause we’re told to do so since we were born, you know what I had learnt after being tricked once? Doubt everything when you first see it, question it’s existence and see if you can use another point of view to perceive it.”

“Why do you doubt the gods?”

“That’s because I believe in humanity’s wisdom. I believe that even without the gods, humanity can still take care of themselves as fine.”

“If you need to rely on someone else in order to live, then what’s the meaning of living in the first place?”

“This is... quite a lot...” Cyno mumbled.

“It is a lot to take in, I agree.” You nodded as you leaned against a shelf.

“Our senior Lisa left this place after mere two years and went to Mondstadt to be a librarian despite her being a genius the Academia hasn’t seen for 200 years... Is it because she saw something that nobody else realised?”

“So what you’re saying is... There’s more to the bigger picture?” Cyno guessed as you snapped your fingers. “Bingo.”

“But that being said, questioning the gods is the same thing as raging treason against this world... “ Cyno pointed out with worry. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“Indeed, *I’m trying to understand the rules of this chess game, so that humanity, the supposed audience of this game gets the chance to participate in it.”

“And if we can win this chess game or not, is entirely up to our legacy...”

“You have too much belief in humanity... Or should I say you have no intention of losing in the first place?”Cyno predicted with a sigh.

“Hm, seeing that you’re being so interested in our bet, perhaps you would like to become my partner in crime?”

Hearing this, Cyno finally realised that he was tricked at the point when he answered your question about his Vision.

“So that was what you were going after for all along, huh?”

“Haha, yup~ I mean, our archon didn’t state anything about not able to team up with others, so why not?”

“Able to ask anything from the God of Wisdom himself, what else more can a scholar wish for?”

Cyno understand that your words are trying to lure him, but in truth, who can give up this opportunity?

“I mean, even if we fail, I’m the only one who would lose anything so it really sounds like a pretty good deal to me~”

“And would you mind me asking for a warrant from you for the time I would be spending on this?”Cyno requested, surprising you for a bit.

“Well, how about my name? You’ve heard about me but haven’t known that yet, correct? With a part of our souls in each other’s hands, no one can run off easily, don’t you think so?”

“Alright I accept the of your con-”

“It’s a promise, not a contract.”

Cyno pauses at your sudden seriousness, he then takes notice of the frown on your face.

“...”

“You want this partnership to be built on trust and not just a piece of paper?” He guessed.

You softly nodded, trying not to meet him in the eyes.

But there’s no way that he would accept that, you two only just met after all-

“Then I promise, that I will be your partner in crime upon this bet against the Dendro Archon.”

Wha-?!

Cyno offers you a small smile. “Everyone has their own reasons, I too wish that I can understand you better within these few years... That is if you wish, of course.”

I’m glad.

“Yeah, likewise, Cyno.”

“I also by offering my name, promise that we will find out the laws of this world and allow humanity to earn the chance to be a part of this chess game.”

“My name is-“

XXX

*The chess game is referencing The Feynman Lectures on Physics, it is also referenced from Honkai Impact 3rd (another game of MiHoYo) Honkai Quest event by the character Delta, it is possible that it works as well for the world of Teyvat.

(One way that's kind of a fun analogy to try to get some idea of what we're doing here to try to understand nature is to imagine that the gods are playing some great game like chess. Let's say a chess game. And you don't know the rules of the game, but you're allowed to look at the board from time to time, in a little corner, perhaps. And from these observations, you try to figure out what the rules are of the game, what [are] the rules of the pieces moving.

You might discover after a bit, for example, that when there's only one bishop around on the board, that the bishop maintains its color. Later on you might discover the law for the bishop is that it moves on a diagonal, which would explain the law that you understood before, that it maintains its color. And that would be analogous we discover one law and later find a deeper understanding of it.

Ah, then things can happen--everything's going good, you've got all the laws, it looks very good--and then all of a sudden some strange phenomenon occurs in some corner, so you begin to investigate that, to look for it. It's castling--something you didn't expect.)

And welp, Exiled, mind me adding this?

-To their future child(ren)

And this is how your parents met//slap

With the Gnosis shaped as chess pieces and with MiHoYo’s other games referencing this...

Well theories will be theories until they’re truly revealed.

Until then Snowdrop’s gonna freak out on what the heck I just wrote

There will be continuations... Just please don’t look forward to it... OwO

Oh I do NOT mind AT ALL, Snowdrop. CONTINUE. This series looks so freakin cool and refreshing even!

[chronicallylatetotheparty]

Watching (the Adventures of) Merlin season one on Netflix

Episode One: The Dragon's Call

. . . I feel like going to the capital of the kingdom indiscriminately slaughtering magic users wasn't the best idea.

Why? Well, that guy did just get executed.

And now his mom is mad. You tell that sorry excuse for a king, witch lady.

I don't like Uther, in case it was unclear.

Wait... if you could teleport why not just grab your son and ditch before he loses his head? Literally.

Oh, wow. Arthur is a dick.

Morgana. We have no choice but to stan tbh.

Dragon, you're really rubbing me the wrong way.

That's right Merlin! We need more than Because Destiny Says So!

Where did the spiderwebs come from? That sleeping spell gives me Sleeping Beauty vibes.

Ah, yes. The old drop-the- chandelier-on-the-villain trick. :(

If she went after Uther instead of Arthur I would have no complaints.

Manservant? You call that a reward for saving your son?

Episode Two: Valiant

Snake!Shield

Oh, he's gonna- Yup, dead. That's what happens when you deal with knights who cheat.

Where did that guy even get a magic shield in the first place?

Is there a thriving magic black market or something?

I love Guin.

. . . I feel like Sir Valiant didn't think this through. If bite marks are visible.

Ugh, you're the worst Uther.

It's only the second episode! Did you forget who saved your son already?

Stop being a jerk Arthur.

Lol. Merlin bringing a dog statue to life in order to practice for the Snake!Shield.

Bye Valiant!

Episode Three: The Mark of Nimueh

Whatcha up to with that egg, new witch lady?

You gonna poison the water of all of Camelot? Seems like a jerk move.

Dang that's a lot of dead bodies...

No, I like Guin's dad!

Yes! Cure him Merlin!

No! Stop arresting Guin, Uther!

You tell him, Morgana!

That plague monster that hatched from witch lady's egg is creepy.

Dead monster!

Arthur is kinda oblivious to Merlin's magic ngl.

Yay! Guin's free!

What do you know about witch lady Nimueh, Uther? Hmm? Why she want you dead? Besides the obvious reasons.

Episode Four: The Poisoned Chalice

Wow, Nimueh really doesn't like Merlin saving the day.

Wow, Nimueh really orchestrated an entire diplomatic incident in order to kill Merlin while also ensuring Camelot is destroyed by its neighbor. Impressive.

I really like Merlin and Guin's friendship.

Dang. Merlin really drank poison in order to save Arthur.

Merlin saved Arthur's life, Uther! Let him return the favor!

Oh, wow. Arthur really disobeyed his father in order to save Merlin's life.

I didn't know Merlin could cast spells while deathly delirious. And several miles away from him too.

Uther you b****! The antidote is right there! Let Arthur save his friend!

Putting your own son in a cell is such a jerk move.

At least Arthur and Guin manage to sneak the antidote to Merlin.

Quick aside: Internet spoilers say Uther needs to die for Arthur to complete his himbofication- I mean character development. So, if you could get on with that? Thanks!

Episode Five: Lancelot

Wow, that's a very CGI griffin.

Lancelot is so precious- Uh, I mean effective! Saving Merlin and all.

I know, Guin. I know.

Always thought it was a stupid rule to only let nobles be knights.

You're really going to commit magical forgery for someone you just met, Merlin?

I mean, Lancelot is earnest, hardworking, modest, kind despite his tragic backstory and it's his childhood dream to be a knight...

Yeah, I'd commit magical forgery too.

Lol, knocked you on your ass didn't he Arthur? (The second time at least)

I don't remember griffins being man-eaters!

Uther stop arresting people! Ugh, you're such a classist.

Let Lancelot help fight the griffin, Arthur! You need all the help you can get!

Well okay letting him go was nice of you.

Lancelot-Merlin tag team!

Wow. Lancelot really strode in with Camelot's singular braincell by figuring out Merlin has magic.

(The bar is low, okay.)

No, don't take away the braincell! Stay! The griffin was a team effort!

Okay, Lancelot's lawful good tendencies are a little annoying but, hey, nobody's perfect.

Episode Six: A Remedy to Cure All Ills

Edwin, no. Leave Morgana alone.

Oh, beetles! Curse beetles! That's not creepy at all.

Gaius how do you know Edwin?

What diabolical plot are you hatching Edwin? Oh, you're replacing Gaius in the royal court. That's kinda rude.

Merlin's so happy meeting another magic user that isn't trying to kill him (yet).

Le gasp! Uther's purge killed Edwin's parents? WhO cOuLd HaVe fOreSeEn tHis!?

But seriously. No wonder Edwin wants Uther dead.

I know Edwin blackmailed Gaius with exposing Merlin but he also wants to kill Uther!

That gives him a pass in my book.

Gaius no. Let Uther die.

Edwin stop trying to kill Gaius! You're going to-

Yup, here comes Merlin and-

Edwin's dead :(

Well he was trying to overthrow the kingdom. That's... bad... I guess.

Episode Seven: The Gates of Avalon

That title is misleading. It's more of a natural portal/magic lake type thing.

Arthur saves a father and daughter from bandits (Which they hired but shhh)

And they immediately try to put a love spell on Arthur

For human sacrifice purposes of course

Idk why the Sidhe want a human prince's soul -look at him, you don't know where he's been- but that's the price for readmission

I wonder how the dad killed one of his own kind? Was it an accident or...?

Exiling the daughter too makes me suspicious of Avalon's justice system

Evil laugh is a bit out of place for someone who is trying to restore his daughter's immortality

(They are so whiny about being mortal. Hey, we put up with it all the time!)

The fairy-like Sidhe moving in accelerated time so they just look like tiny orbs of light was an interesting touch. The blue faces and razor sharp teeth is not a good look for them, lol

They make Arthur ask to be married ('cause it takes a while for the love spell to go into full blown mind control or something)

Prompting Uther to threaten to kill both of them

(I feel like they didn't think this through)

Morgana admonishes Uther for being the worst

He replies that first love rarely lasts and that Arthur is inexperienced in such things. Plus that Arthur only met the girl yesterday

... I can't believe Uther is the voice of reason this episode

He doesn't get any points though. Due to the whole "threatening to execution his son's 'crush' " thing

The daughter is having second thoughts about using Arthur as a human sacrifice

Dear old dad puts those to rest and they try drowning Arthur in the lake that is/is the portal to, Avalon

Merlin's really leaning into the whole "Cool motive. Still murder.", thing huh?

Like, he did NOT hesitate to blow up both of them

Episode Eight: The Beginning of the End

Why do magic users keep going to Camelot!? The king is trying to KILL YOU!

Wow, this grown ass man is threatened by a literal child... I hate Uther so much

Morgana is the MVP of this episode. I love her

Protect that druid kid!

I feel like you're being paranoid Uther

You tell him Morgana!

Dragon, no. Stop prophesying death and destruction.

Wow, this grown ass dragon is threatened by a literal child...

Aaaand Morgana got caught sneaking the kid out of the city :(

Uther she is your adopted daughter! Stop putting people in cells!

Arthur is gonna sneak him out now?

While Morgana distracts the king?

Yes, excellent. What could possibly-

Merlin stop listening to that destiny dragon! Hearing his voice in your head is no basis for trust!

Cutting it close... Yay! They made it!

Mordred!? MORDRED!?

THAT little boy is Mordred!?

... Okay, I'm more inclined to believe the destiny dragon now

Still think letting him die would be a dick move

Episode Nine: Excalibur

What're you up to with that tomb Nimueh?

Oh! It's some kind of undead knight. Yes.

Throwing down the gauntlet. Pfft! Always thought that was a stupid idea.

Also: that Black Knight literally crashed your party!

Ugh, knights.

Nimueh if you can just teleport into the heart of Camelot while Uther is alone why don't you just stab him? Grab one of those pointy things he likes so much and stab him in the back. Easy peasy!

Stealing this joke but Don't do evil magic kids. It fries your brain cells.

Wait, the Black Knight is Uther's brother-in-law!?

Arthur's mother died in childbirth!?

Uther asked Nimueh to use her magic so he could have Arthur!?

Equivalent Exchange!?

Uther went on a genocidal rampage because he didn't bother with the instruction manual of ancient and powerful magic!?

Actually, that last one is not surprising at all.

I can't believe they're using the Wife in the Fridge trope. That appliance hasn't even been invented yet!

Ooh, Merlin's going to use his magic to destroy the Black Knight so Arthur doesn't have to fight him

As he's killed two knights already

Aaaaand, yup, he's still there. His cloak didn't even catch fire...

Arthur stop being a bastard. It doesn't suit you

Dragon forged sword! DRAGON FORGED SWORD!

Only Arthur can wield it. Yup, got it. How could this possibly go wrong?

Uther drugged Arthur and took his place in the fight... I have mixed feelings about this.

Wait, the dragon was very specific about only Arthur using that super special sword! Oh, snap.

Well at least the Black Knight is dead. Again.

Oh, dragon is not happy.

I know the dragon said "where no mortal soul could find it" but are you sure you wanna throw it into Avalon, Merlin?

Those people were gonna suck Arthur's soul out of his body

Episode Ten: The Moment of Truth

The way this episode title just lies to your face like that...

Oh, you're Merlin's mother! Thought we had an anime protagonists type thing going on

I... would like to say Uther is being unreasonable when he decides not to cross borders to get rid of some bandits. But I can totally see everyone hating him so that's a no go.

Lady, you were in a whole different kingdom. Why for the love of Merlin did you send him to Camelot!?

We're off to save the village! Morgana and Guin are coming too!

A wild Arthur appears!

Morgana better at swordplay than Arthur confirmed!

Merlin! I didn't know you had friends!

Granted he's a bit rough around the edges but

Okay. If it were literally anyone else besides Arthur. I'd say he was right about lords and knights being useless snobs.

Actually. He's right about lords and knights being useless snobs. Ah, that felt great.

Wow, the homosexual subtext is strong with this one.

The girls can tell Arthur came for Merlin.

But get your foot out of his face! I don't care how royal it is!

Look at Guin over here calling out Arthur for being a dick

And talking him into letting the women fight. She's on a roll

Aw, Merlin's friend died. :(

And he took credit for Merlin's tornado (so Arthur wouldn't find out about Merlin's magic)

Episode Eleven: The Labyrinth of Gedref

Lol, that unicorn could use a haircut.

No, Arthur. I said a haircut not an arrow to the chest!

Bad things? What kind of bad things Gaius?

Uther what's the point of having an expert in magical lore if you're not going to listen to him!

And all the crops are dead. Fantastic.

I know it's a magic thing but stating outright that the blight only targets edible plants is still really unsettling.

And the water's turned to sand. Great.

Who're you and how come Merlin is the only magic user that can't teleport?

What kind of tests mister Keeper of the Unicorns, sir?

Arthur I know you don't want to believe it's your fault... But it's totally your fault.

Uther no. People are starving.

You tell him Arthur.

Oh, the "theif" was a test!

Aaaaand he failed the second one. :(

Merlin's got a lot of faith in Arthur.

It's interesting how the Keeper can only direct the curse caused by the unicorn's death. Or rather the trials surrounding the curse, but can't break it himself.

Unicorns have some powerful magic.

The Labyrinth was barely on screen for five minutes! Surely something with Unicorn in the title would be more appropriate?

Arthur drinking a poisoned cup so Merlin could live?

That's some strong parallels right there.

The Keeper of the Unicorns is such a troll! Sleeping potion, hah!

The day is saved, Arthur lies to Uther's face about killing the Keeper and the unicorn resurrects itself.

Still needs a haircut though.

Episode Twelve: To Kill the King

Whatcha up to Guin's dad?

Oh that guy isn't suspicious at all.

You didn't think it was shady when he asked to meet in the middle of the night!?

Philosopher's Stone!?

Wow, the guards found him quickly.

What- No! Don't arrest Guin's dad!

Uther, he's a blacksmith! Stop being paranoid!

Will you stop executing people!? That inn keeper didn't know that guy was a dangerous sorcerer!

No, nononononono! He surrendered! Why did you do that!? Guin's father was important to Morgana!

That's why she gave him the key!

Dragon has his priorities straight.

Shut up, Merlin. You literally blew up a father and daughter for trying to kill one(1) person. (No really, you could see their hands flying off.)

Morgana deserves a little murder. As a treat.

Yes! Get him! Kill the bastard!

No! Why would you make GUIN say that!? Who are you and what have you done with Guin!?🔪🔪

UGH, he literally committed genocide!

The "that would make me as bad as he is" DOES NOT APPLY!

What- Oh, he still has the fairy's staff.

No. Stop it! Let Uther die!

Oh, God, Uther is such an abusive piece of GARBAGE!

Stop! Don't fall for it Morgana!

*sees dagger being pushed closer to Uther's "heart"* Yes! Yes! YES!

*Morgana saves him* NO!

NO!

NOOOOOO!

*inarticulate ranting in the background*

Episode Thirteen:

Okay, the cgi might be getting a little better 'cause the Questing Beast is freaky

Old religion? What is that? And how come it's conveniently absent from the previous episodes?

Dang, they really here just casually gaslighting Morgana like that 😡

Merlin you know Morgana has visions! You couldn't have been a little more careful? She warned you. Now look at Arthur, he's got the heroic death disease

Granted that thing does seem like a handful

Why do you only act like a father when it's a matter of life and death? Why can't you be a father literally any other time!?

"The old religion is the magic of the Earth itself."

Well that sounds fascinating, dragon. Are you going to elaborate? No? Later then?

Soooooo, is the old religion actually a religion or is it a magic? It's really unclear...

"You will be a better king than your father could ever hope to be." Guin, you're back!

I expected a place called the Isle of the Blessed to be less... creepy

Nimueh! Whatcha up to girl? Plotting the demise of a kingdom? Not today it seems

Oh there some Equivalent Exchange type nonsense going on is there?

Arthur you were supposed to be in a coma not listening to Guin!

Oh. Oh, no.

Merlin saying goodbye as he prepares to trade his life for his mother's is 😢😭

Wow, that dragon really knew Nimueh would give Merlin's mother the curse and didn't say anything. The little b*****!

No wonder Merlin's mad at him. Stop breathing fire at him! It's your own fault!

Gaius, no! Not the dead mentor trope!

"You stood by and watched as our friends died." Damn, Nimueh isn't pulling her punches.

Merlin vs Nimueh! Ready? Fight!

Anime protagonist power up! Dang, Nimueh's dead... I feel like that wasn't supposed to happen.

At least no one else is dying. Since Nimueh's death appeased the Equivalent Exchange laws of the old religion.

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Z 260

Last time, Gotenks said he was out of ki to continue the fight with Majin Buu, so Piccolo did the only sensible thing and destroyed the door to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.   This had been his backup plan from the beginning.   By leading Buu into the Chamber to fight Gotenks, Piccolo knew he could blow up the door and trap them all inside forever.  

One thing I find odd is that there’s a lot more wreckage left behind in this episode than in the last.     Oh well, with all the artists working on this show, I’m surprised these continuity glitches don’t happen more often.    Anyway, Gotenks is pretty upset about this, because he really did have more power to fight, and only pretended otherwise to make things more dramatic.    He had no idea that Piccolo would be desperate enough to do this.  

Buu, on the other hand, is still trying to sort out the ramifications of this, since he didn’t know the HTC was actually a separate dimension from Earth.   Piccolo has to explain to him that he’s trapped here, and Buu’s first thought is that there’s no candy in this place.

So yeah, we’re only about a minute into this exile, and morale is already low.

Outside, in the temple of Kami’s Lookout, Mr. Popo reports that the door has been “closed off”, but they never actually show what it looks like from this side.   Everyone here just notices a rumble coming from that general direction, and I guess Popo saw for himself, but this is never shown to the audience.

All we really get is this staircase, which I guess must lead to the entrance to the Time Chamber.   That’s kind of a ripoff, if you asked me.    What happened to the door on this side?  I mean, it must be blown to bits, but what’s left where the doorway used to be?   Does the wall just continue across, unbroken?    Did the doorway sort of collapse in on itself, like a black hole?   

While I’m on the subject, it’s weird how the doorway seems to be in a completely different place than it was in the Cell Saga.   Then, the doorway seemed to be pretty close to the outside of the temple, but now, it looks like you gotta work your way pretty far into the building to get to it.   That’s one of those things that’s probably a continuity error, but you can’t entirely rule out the possibility that it’s supposed to be that way.    For all we know, the rooms and passages of the Lookout are constantly shifting and rearranging, like Hogwarts, only Mr. Popo isn’t a shithead, and he actually shows people where everything is instead of leaving them to fend for themselves.

Bulma’s upset to hear that the boys are trapped in the Time Chamber forever.    The Dragon Balls can be used to wish them back out, but that doesn’t change the fact that it came to this.    She blames all the men for standing back and letting children fight the monster for them.    That’s pretty rich coming from Bulma, of all people.   She’s been letting Goku and Gohan fight her battles for her for decades.   And she should, because they were super-duper strong.   She knows how this works.   Ox King, Yamcha, Krillin, and Roshi are four of the strongest humans on the planet, but they can’t even touch Majin Buu, and Bulma knows that.   Chewing them out doesn’t solve anything.

Inside the Chamber, Gotenks admits that he was fibbing when he said he was at his limit, which means Piccolo trapped them all here for nothing.    Piccolo is furious.   Why would Gotenks say something like that if it wasn’t true?!   And Gotenks is angry with him as well.   Why would he take such a drastic measure without warning anyone?    Because you said you were out of power, you little shit!   What’s amazing about Gotenks isn’t that he takes these situations so lightly; it’s that he’s constantly surprised that anyone else would take them seriously. 

While they argue, Buu throws a fit because he can’t have any candy.   

And somehow, his desperate cries open up a portal that leads back to the Lookout.   I never thought about this before, but could this be how the doorway to the HTC was originally created?    Some ancient Kami yelled really loud? 

The whole thing seems a bit convenient to me, but now that I think about it, it’s not like this is any less ridiculous than the notion of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber being here in the first place.   Maybe the boundary between dimensions is unusually permeable here, which made it possible to construct the permanent doorway in the first place.   Buu has just accidentally exploited that.

Anyway, Buu jumps through and makes it to the other side before the hole closes, leaving Piccolo and Gotenks stuck inside. 

The nice thing about all of this is that it does sew up an idea I had always toyed with after the Cell Saga, when the Time Chamber was first introduced.   Instead of using it to train Goku to fight the androids and Cell, why not just lure the androids or Cell inside?   Even if you don’t destroy the entrance, it’s supposed to vanish on its own if anyone spends more than 48 hours inside, so it always seemed more useful as a trap than as a training ground.   Like the Phantom Zone from the Superman mythos.

So it was always satisfying to see that Piccolo had the same idea in this arc, and it’s also satisfying to see why it wouldn’t work.    Given enough time and power, a bad guy could find a way to escape, just like Buu is doing here.   Maybe Cell wasn’t strong enough to pull this trick off, but he’d have unlimited time to train, until eventually he would become strong enough.   Maybe.   The point is that if Buu could do it, it just isn’t worth the risk.   

On the Supreme Kai Planet, Goku senses Buu’s ki immediately, and he wonders what’s going on, so the Elder Kai conjures up a crystal ball and tosses it over to him.   I’m curious if this has some connection to Baba’s crystal ball, but it’s probably just a coincidence.   

So Goku now has a front-row seat to watch Buu eat all of his friends.   

Back inside the Chamber, Gotenks begins to despair, but Piccolo tells him to quit whimpering.   Then he suggests that they yell really loud, just like Buu did.   If it opened a portal for him, then it ought to work for them, too.

Honestly, this just might be one of the most Dragon Ball Z things ever.   Not just the yelling, although that’s a big part of it.    What I mean, though, is that these guys just saw a monster do something impossible, and they’re like “Well, if he can do it, then so can we!”   I mean, that’s nuts.    Buu can liquefy his entire body.    Can Piccolo do that?    Buu regenerated from smoke.   Can Gotenks do that?   But this is no time for such negative thinking.   There’s screaming to be done.

Speaking of desperate measures, Krillin decides to attack Buu in a last-ditch effort to save his family.   He whispers to 18 to hide inside the temple while he keeps Buu busy, but they all know he can’t possibly win.    

In spite of the bad odds, Krillin seems confident that he’ll get wished back to life with the Dragon Balls.    How?   As far as he knows, there’s no one left to beat Buu.    Who’s going to wish everyone back?

So Krillin charges in, and his attack is brilliant, but it’s just not enough.   Buu evades him with ease, and zaps him with his Candy Beam.

And that’s it for Krillin.    For those of you keeping score, this is his third death in Dragon Ball.  If I’m not mistaken, only Chiaotzu manages to tie this record, but that’s still a ways off.    And Krillin dies a fourth time in Dragon Ball GT, if you’re willing to count that.  

The others flee inside the temple, which seems kind of pointless to me.   Buu killed 20% of the population while standing still, so it would be ridiculously easy for him to find them inside the temple.   But where else can they go?   18, Yamcha, Dende, and Videl are the only ones who can fly, and none of them could move fast enough to escape.    The rest of them are trapped on the Lookout.   Krillin probably knew that much when he tried to buy them time.   He knew he would fail and he knew his efforts would be in vain even if he succeeded, but he had to do something.

Even so, the cruelest part of this massacre is that 18 and Marron are literally the very next ones to die after Krillin.  

Somehow, Popo and Dende have already made it up to one of the higher levels of the temple, but they’re only safe for as long as it takes Buu to eat the others.

Then Buu gets sick of deciding which one to zap next so he just fires his Candy Beam in all directions, sort of like the Human Extinction Attack in miniature.   This is one of the most horrific scenes in the series, because the weakest good guys are completely cornered by the main villain, and he has absolutely no mercy.   Unlike Cell or Frieza, there’s no slowing this guy down, no reasoning with him, no chance of bargaining or stalling for time.  

And from the Supreme Kai Planet, Goku can only watch the slaughter unfold.   Gohan isn’t ready yet, Gotenks and Piccolo are apparently lost, and he’s stuck in the afterlife.

For my money, this is the moment when Goku is beginning to regret his plans for safeguarding the Earth.    He bet everything on Gotenks, and now the world population has been reduced to a single-digit number.   Would it have turned out differently if he had been wished back to life after the Cell Games, instead of staying dead for seven years?   Maybe not, but I think he sorely wishes he could go back, moreso than ever before.

Back inside the chamber, screaming hasn’t gotten Gotenks and Piccolo anywhere, so Gotenks decides to use his full power, and Piccolo hits him, because he’s sick of this little turd holding back for no good reason.   

So Gotenks obliges, and...

Hey, what’s good everybody?   GOTENKS CAN TURN SUPER SAIYAN 3.

He doesn’t like the way it looks, though.   Where did he get that mirror?

Piccolo has questions, but Gotenks says he can’t stay in this form for very long, so he finally gets down to business.  He yells really loud...

... and makes an opening they can use to return to Earth.

When Gotenks finally emerges, Goku and the Supreme Kai get their first look at him, and Goku is amazed to see him as a Super Saiyan 3.    Remember, it took him his entire life and seven years of being dead to reach that level.   Gotenks figured it out in under a week.   

But the scene on the Lookout isn’t pleasant.    Piccolo wants to know what happened to everyone else, and Buu explains that he turned them all into chocolate and ate everybody.

Even Bulma?

IT ATE EVERYBODY!

So this sends Gotenks into a rage.   You know, I’d have an easier time believing that if he hadn’t already lost two other parents to Majin Buu before this.   Seriously, Buu killed Chi-Chi less than a week ago from Gotenks’ perspective, and he acted like a total goofball this whole time anyway.   We’re supposed to think killing Bulma is going to light a fire under his ass now?   Pull the other one, it glows in the dark.

Even so, I dig this final still of Gotenks flying towards Buu, looking like he’s Batman or something.    Yeah, he’s a house of fire now, but give it about two minutes, and he’ll go right back to “Butthole Surfer Enziguri” and all that other nonsense he’s been doing.

[legendarycollectionjellyfish3]

So, thoughts about Cardan and the End of the Wicked King

So, I’ve been thinking about Cardan’s desision, because, let’s face, which one of us hasn’t been? And I think that there are a large number of factors that are contributing to his choices at the end of the Wicked King. Spoilers ahead, obviously.

1) I think that he wants to convince the Fae that he is a competent ruler. This may be a little more difficult to tell if you don’t have access to the bonus scenes from the book, but Cardan’s point of view extra scene, several things became very clear to me, one of which is that he is tired of being treated like a child.

“”You did very well,” says the Bomb, which is perhaps the worse possible reply, as though he were a child in need of encouragement.

Everyone treats him that way, like someone who ought to be lavishly praised for what, in others, could barely be considered competence. Before, he didn’t mind. It pleased him, sure it was a sign that he was feared.

Now he hates it.” (Pg 331).

To me, this quote shows that Cardan is well and truly done being treated as a child, and it is likely at this point that he started to scheme to prove that he was competent. I think that this the point that he might have also started to develop his connection to the land. Because, if you read the whole poisoning fiasco again with the knowledge of what he does in the last scene, you’ll note that he does not ever directly say that he does not know how to use his connection to the land. Rather, he points out that he has taken a mouth full of the land at Bomb’s request, which is true, but not a denial of his knowledge to use the land.

“He looks at her [the Bomb] with benevolent incomprehension. “Whatever do you mean? I just took a mouthful of the land at your behest.”” (Pg 291).

So he probably does, in fact, know about controlling the land at this point. And he’s determined to prove that he’s not just a kid on the throne. Which terrifying the Queen of the Sea and exiling Jude are both good ways of doing.

2) If Jude isn’t in Fairieland, Cardan can’t mistake Taryn for Jude because Jude isn’t in Fairieland.

Like, I think that this is a far bigger motive than people want to acknowledge. Cardan gave Taryn and Madoc half of his army because he thought that Taryn was Jude. Yeah, Taryn couldn’t command him, but she didn’t need to. And that’s also important.

“”But how did she make you agree?” I demand. “She has no power. She could pretend to be me, but she couldn’t force you—“

He puts his head in his long-fingered hands. “She didn’t have to command me, Jude. She didn’t have to use any magic. I trust you. I trusted you.”” (Pg 300.)

But that proves to be a huge problem here. Because while Cardan does trust Jude, whether or not it is a good idea, he doesn’t trust Taryn. He shouldn’t trust Taryn. Taryn has proven that she can’t be trusted. But as long as Taryn and Jude are both in Fairieland, there is always the possibility of mistaking them one for another. But if Jude isn’t in Fairieland, they can’t be mistaken on for another.

And, yes, you can say that Cardan should be able to tell them apart, but he was poisoned and sick. And this could happen again. It will happen again so long as they think him weak. Even if they think that he is strong, it may happen again. Mistaking Taryn for Jude is a real risk if he is sick with poison, even if he knows them both well.

3) Cardan is still angry with Jude about her tricking him with the crown. No, seriously, I think he is. All the more so because he cares about her. All the more so because she promised him that he could leave. I do think that this is part of that. I do think that he is petty enough to want revenge. To a degree, I can’t even blame him, even if the trickery hurts.

4) I think that Cardan is protecting Jude. I know, this is coming farther down the list than some of you wanted. It was my first thought, first hope, too. And I do think that it is part of it. Cardan is looking to go to war, possibly, with Jude’s father and twin sister. Concern for her health is appropriate. And he does care. We know he cares. (That’ll be a separate post here one of these days, possibly today if I get around to it.) So, yes, I do think that’s a factor. But I don’t think it’s a huge one. Not like most people think.

5) Cardan trusts Jude, and he trusts her to come back swinging. He knows that she will come back swinging, he knows that she will come back for revenge, and that’s the point. In the Cruel Prince, Jude tells Cardan, “I am going to keep on defying you. I am going to shame you with my defiance. You remind me that I am a mere mortal and you a prince of Faerie. Well, let me remind you that means you have much to lose and I have nothing. You may win in the end, you may ensorcell me and hurt me and humiliate me, but I will make sure that you lose everything I can take from you on the way down. I promise you, this is the least of what I can do.” (Pg 76-77)

Cardan has not forgot about this promise. He is counting on this, counting on Jude’s anger, to bring her back to Fairieland, to bring her back to him. He trusts her to be angry enough, fired up enough, revenge driven enough, to end up back with him even if it is only as an enemy. He trusts her.

Anyhow, those are some of my thoughts about the whole thing.

All quotes taken from the hard copies of The Wicked King and The Cruel Prince

[brownskinsugarplum76]

Eye of the Storm, Ch 2

I've been staring at this and picking and picking at little parts for a few days. I need to let it go. Thanks to @callmethehunter for talking through some ideas.

This marks the last of what I had pre-written for this, so I'll be flying blind from here on. I hope to have more in a few weeks, but we'll see. 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 Thanks for reading. Please keep the positive vibes going as I get further into this thing I haven't done before. ❤️❤️❤️

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you gonna tell me where we're going?” Maggie asked as she fished her sunglasses and her keys out of her bag while they walked.

“Nope,” Robert responded. “I'll give you directions. But I can say it will melt in your mouth, and I'll make sure you get your fill.”

“I should've known you'd start before too long.” Maggie laughed. She couldn't see Robert's stare beneath his aviators, but she imagined his eyes were twinkling.

“I'm always up to my tricks, darlin’. But why don't I make one thing crystal clear…” He stopped and turned to Maggie.

He framed her face with his hands. “It's so good to see you again, Magdalena. “Bésame,” he said, moving in for a kiss that claimed her and hinted at much more to come.

“You remembered how to say it,” she murmured, nuzzling into his chest.

“And I haven't said it to anyone since our last time,” he said, kissing her forehead and smoothing her hair.

They started walking again. “I hope you might have some time to spend with me over the next few weeks? Can you stay with me?” Robert asked gently. “I'd love to see you as much as possible before all hell breaks loose in my life again. And in yours, too.”

“I'd love that. It's slow for us right now, too. It's exciting, but scary. It's--”

“--Like being almost at the top of the first hill on a bloody roller coaster,” Robert offered.

“That's exactly it! Everything is sort of calm right now, but once our tour starts… Who knows? Or, at least, I hope it will get chaotic, if things go well…”

“I'm sure it will go fantastically. I was blown away by the performance I saw a few years back. I'm sure America will fall in love with your music, too.”

“Thanks,” Maggie said, blushing. “Uh, I owe you a copy of the album, don't I?”

“Yes. Yes, you do. I want it autographed. And then, Mademoiselle Rock Star,” he looked down briefly before launching a mischievous grin at her, “I, your biggest fan, want you to sign my--”

“Dios mío, Robert!” She laughed. “You and your one-track mind! But I can't deny my fans,” she mused.

“Well, me, at least, anyway? Your favorite fan, I hope? I'd love the full service treatment from a budding rock vixen. It will be a fun change of pace for me.” He kissed her again after dialing his charm up to the max.

“I'll think about it. But you're not the only hot man in town who digs our music, you know,” she teased.

Maggie's words were playful, but in that moment, Robert realized her reality would mirror his, if her band was lucky. She'd be in the midst of a never-ending party atmosphere and a carte blanche of nighttime partners, if she desired them. The thought boiled his blood, but without a solid relationship between them, and the much more debauched, hedonistic haze that would resume in his life, he realized he had no right to be jealous. And yet…

Robert needed to stop that line of thinking and focus on the pleasures of the present. “Right. So, let's go to yours after our surprise stop, and you can get your things. Now, what do we have here? Does this cute four-wheeled bugger belong to you, then?” He examined Maggie's car, a red Toyota Corolla.

“It does, and I'm going to enjoy seeing you fold yourself up to fit in it.”

“I'd say I'm a bit of an expert at fitting in tight spaces… I believe you're familiar with my work, yeah? I can manage this, darlin.”

She hit his arm and groaned before unlocking the passenger door and walking over to the driver's side.

“Seriously though, I hope this won't be too uncomfortable for you,” she said when they were both seated in the car.

“It's a bit of a drive--halfway between my place and yours--but I'll be fine.” He patted her leg. “We'll walk around a little between stops, and I'll stretch my legs when we get home. I'll be right as rain.”

“OK, then. Lead the way!” she started the engine and pulled out of the parking spot.

***

Maggie watched the streets and the palm trees whiz by, and then the billboards on the freeway. She noticed one announcing the upcoming release of Presence. Robert noticed, too but kept silent. It concerned her a little that he didn't take the opportunity to brag about the album or this larger-than-life publicity. She decided to ask him later how he was feeling about his return to the spotlight.

It was her first time driving Robert around, but he had driven many times. He drove fast when cars thinned out on the road, but played it safe when the volume of traffic picked up. She realized it was a lot like his unspoken life philosophy: easygoing when a light touch was needed, but wild when he could get away with it.

They shared many happy road trips together, to the beach--their beach in San Diego--or to places like Joshua Tree Park and Hearst Castle. They were good travel companions. Robert had not been to most of the places in the early years, as the Riot House offered his preferred tourist attractions, so he paid rapt attention when Maggie divulged the secrets of her state. She smiled when she thought of all the memories they had built up. But it was not lost on her how it became more challenging for him to be a simple tourist as his fame increased, how much he was sacrificing to do memorable things with her. It meant the world to her that he risked the never-ending attention of his fans to be with her.

She kept her driving steady and vigilant. Robert turned out to be a model passenger, giving her ample warning before she had to turn or switch lanes, keeping her entertained with stories of his life in convalescence and tax exile, singing along to the songs on the radio with the same passion he delivered onstage. She could get used to the idea of regularly getting a private concert from him.

“What is a beauty queen if it don't mean that I'm your number one?” he sang with conviction, eyes closed. He surprised himself with how his feelings for Maggie bled through his singing, as well as the depth of those feelings.

“You don't have to be a star, baby, to be in my show,” they both belted out moments later. Maggie shot Robert a brief smile before turning her eyes back to the road.

“Ah! We sound damn good together, Maggie dear! We have to do it some more. I enjoyed singing with Sandy on the fourth album… Singing with a woman is much more satisfying than harmonizing with Jonesy. Bless his heart,” he drawled.

“Here's another good one!” Maggie exclaimed, as the happy disco groove of “Don't Go Breaking My Heart” started up.

They traded lines, and Robert interjected with direction updates as needed.

They sang another couple of songs. Maggie was overjoyed that she had run into Robert and was thrilled that he still felt the same way about her. She was looking forward to having a little more time with him than she'd had before, at a time when she needed to be with someone who would understand her excitement and her fears. She vowed to enjoy the time but not expect more; in the past, it had helped her to get out of each visit with her heart intact. It was especially important now, if she wanted to give her band its best chance at success.

She and Robert were close to the mystery destination, off the freeway again. She looked at him at a traffic light, admiring how the sun illuminated his cotton candy curls. He caught her looking, and a smirk turned up the corners of his mouth. “Oi, there's something on your face, love,” he said, his face scrunching a little in concern.

“Oh, what is it?” she said, mirroring his quizzical glance.

In a flash, his face switched back to mischief, and his lips were on hers, his hand cradling her head. They almost forgot where they were, until the angry sounds of car horns reminded them.

“Got a little too carried away there,” he said, chuckling to himself. “But, actually, we've reached our destination. Pull in here, and get ready for something delicious,” he said, announcing their arrival.

[raendown]

Pairing: MadaraTobirama Chapter: 9/18 Word count: 1983 Summary: When Tobirama is exiled from the Senju clan without warning, without even the chance to plead his case, it feels like his life is over. What does he have to live for now without his older brother to believe in him? Captured by the Uchiha in his moment of weakness, Tobirama slowly learns to live again with the last people on earth he would have ever expected to care for - or to fall in love with.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

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Chapter 9

Having never had it taken away from him in such a significant way until he was a fully grown adult, Tobirama never realized that freedom had its own disadvantages. Now he found himself standing at the gates of the Uchiha compound with his arms crossed tightly against his chest and all too aware that he wouldn’t be half as torn as he was at the moment if he didn’t have the power to do something about it. Watching Madara and Izuna’s backs as they disappeared in to the trees wasn’t the hard part; the hard part was knowing who they had been called in to battle with.

Knowing it was the Senju advancing against their eastern border left him off-balance, unsure of how to feel. It was they who had cast him out after a lifetime of love and devoted service. Should he turn his back and hate them now, stop caring for their lives simply because they had stopped caring for his? Logic told him he should be allowed to do just that.

And yet…

The very thought of Hashirama getting wounded still broke a part of him he had thought couldn’t break anymore. Thinking about any of his second and third cousins perishing in battle, about Touka giving her life in protection of the clan she loved so deeply, he couldn’t deny that he still cared for them all. No matter that he wished he didn’t, he would probably still care for them even if they had chosen to run a blade across his throat as he had once begged Madara to do. It wasn’t as if he could simply turn off his heart whenever it pleased him.

Should he have tried to stop the brothers from going, then? Asked them not to face the Senju in battle? Without Madara and Izuna on the field the Uchiha would drop like flies. There was no one else who could hope to face Hashirama and survive but how many Senju lives would be traded for how many Uchiha if they did or didn’t go? It was like an impossible math equation with no right answer and Tobirama had always hated questions that had no answers.

He almost felt like he should be there himself except he wasn’t at all sure what he would end up doing. Could he face his own brother in battle? Or his cousin? Yet to not take action would be just as terrible. To stand to one side and watch someone he cared for cut down someone else he cared for, no matter what crest they wore on their armor, he wouldn’t survive it.

Conflict raged back and forth inside him for hours until finally Madara and Izuna returned with the rest, dirty and tired, some of them bearing injuries but with no fewer clansmen than when they left. Tobirama didn’t stop to think. The two brothers had barely set foot in the house they all shared when he crashed in to them and pulled Madara in to his arms, holding on more tightly than he could ever remember doing in his life. His breath hitched when Madara gripped him back just as tightly.

“Are they–?”

“No deaths on either side,” the other murmured in his ear. He felt suddenly weightless without the leaden feeling that had been pulling at his stomach the whole damn day.

“Thank you. I’m sorry. Thank you.” A quiet noise of confusion escaped him but he leaned back gratefully for a moment when Izuna joined their embrace as well from behind, sandwiching him in the middle. It was hard to tell what he was supposed to be feeling in this moment but all he could focus on was how grateful he was that everyone was alive and well.

Madara pressed his forehead in to Tobirama’s hair, speaking very quietly. “Don’t ever apologize. Everything’s alright, Tobirama. We’re fine; they’re fine; no one got seriously injured.”

“I shouldn’t care.”

“Should or shouldn’t, you do. And that’s not something you need to apologize for.”

“Take him to sit down or something,” Izuna said, breaking away. “I’ll bring a pot of tea.”

Madara led him to the couch and tried to make him sit down but Tobirama insisted on helping him out of his armor first. When Izuna returned they both helped him as well to unstrap the minimal plate armor typical of Uchiha battle garb. Tobirama fretted internally over how they were leaving themselves too exposed and started planning arguments in his head for how he could convince them to wear something more protective until he was dragged down on to the couch at last and pressed firmly in between his two companions.

“How is this the first time that it’s hitting me?” Tobirama grumbled. Some genius he was letting his mind forget about something so big as the fact that his new benefactors were still at war with his old family.

“The Senju have been strangely quiet for a while now,” Madara told him slowly. “I think this is the first time we’ve faced them on such a large scale since we took you out of the dark. Until now it’s been mostly border skirmishes and chance meetings in other territories but no big clashes.”

“Quiet isn’t really how I would put it though,” Izuna chipped in. Madara nodded.

“I guess, yeah. They’ve been sighted absolutely everywhere but they’re not picking any fights. It’s eerie.”

Tobirama frowned and turned that over in his mind, looking at the information from all angles. It felt as though it should have been significant somehow but without any other information he was at a loss for how to interpret it properly.

After sipping his way through several cups of tea he settled down against Madara’s side in a mirror of how the older man usually treated him like a human sized pillow. He squirmed deeper in to the arm that wrapped around his back and closed his eyes to revel in the feeling of having precious ones close, appreciating it like he hadn’t before. Not all of the people he still considered precious were here but they were all confirmed as alive and for now that was enough. He trusted Madara not to have lied about that.

“Look at you cuddling,” Izuna teased, pushing on his arm to press him deeper in to Madara’s embrace. Tobirama huffed.

“I can cuddle if I want to.”

“Yeah, no one but Mads though. Unless you want to come over here and put your head in my lap?”

“Don’t be disgusting.” Turning his face in to the chest holding him up, he hoped the tips of his ears weren’t turning pink.

Although he would have to admit that Izuna was a little bit right. He did have a preference for Madara’s affection over anyone else but really his social circle wasn’t exactly large among the Uchiha yet so he figured it didn’t say all that much. Of the several who were friendly with him now he was still only quite close to these two and some of the children who had been shyly requesting his tutelage lately.

Tobirama stayed in his curled position for so long he had begun slowly drifting in and out, only half listening to the conversation still going on above his head, when he felt Madara’s fingers begin to absently trace up and down his arm. It should be illegal, he decided. No one should have the power to make him feel so safe and comfortable in a world so full of danger and hurt. It made him never want to sleep on his own again and he recognized that as a stupid thought even as it entered his head.

“Does he snore? Is he gonna start snoring?” Izuna sounded like he was trying not to laugh.

“Hush. No, he doesn’t snore.”

“You would know.”

“Shhh! Keep your mouth shut! What if he hears us in his sleep or something!?”

Madara’s whisper yelling almost made him smile but Tobirama found himself too interested to hear what they were talking about to interrupt them with a clean sign that he was still awake. Although he certainly was close enough to sleep that he felt ready to snore whether or not it was a usual habit.

“If he hears you in his sleep then he’ll just chalk it up to a dream, no worries Aniki.”

“Just keep quiet, alright? Quit it.”

“Oh come on. Everyone knows except him.”

An offended huff ruffled the top of his head. “None of you should be discussing this behind my back. It’s no one’s business but mine. And his. No, not his, I don’t want him to know yet!”

“Well good news for you, I don’t think he’s going to figure it out unless you dance naked in front of him with a banner that says ‘I have a massive dorky crush on you!’” Izuna laughed to himself, muffling the sound behind what sounded like a pillow, and it was all Tobirama could do not react. Staying still was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life as Madara whined piteously above him.

“I don’t want him to figure it out! The last thing he needs is to think I’m trying to trick him in to staying here or something.” Izuna’s laughter faded awhile while Madara continued. “He’s gone through a lot and he’s still dealing with it. Now isn’t the time to be adding something like this on his shoulders – especially since he clearly doesn’t feel the same.”

“Clearly, huh? I would say differently.”

“You would say wrong.”

“Says you. Haven’t you noticed how much closer he is to you than me?”

Madara’s body jerked as the arm around Tobirama lifted away for a moment, followed by the sound of Izuna getting the back of his head swatted.

“End of discussion.” Madara declared sternly. He returned his arm to where it had been, holding just a little bit tighter.

“Fine. Fine. I’ll keep my mouth shut. But let the record show that I think the smartest thing to do would be to tell him how you feel now so he can come to terms with his own feelings too and you can both live happily ever after.”

“Ugh. Don’t be such a sap.”

No answer came but after a minute Izuna got up and left the room, probably heading to bed. Left alone, Madara returned to stroking Tobirama’s hair in silence for a while, seemingly content to remain where he was for the foreseeable future. Eventually he did move but it was only to gently maneuver them both a little deeper in to the corner of the couch so that Tobirama could rest against his chest and he could snuggle his own head back against the cushions, ostensibly making himself comfortable for the night.

Tobirama remained silent and still until Madara’s breathing evened out and only then did he gently lift his head to stare up at the man who had taken him in and given him everything he thought he would never have again.

Apparently Madara had feelings for him. What he was supposed to do with that knowledge was something he would need more than one evening to figure out. Dating and romance had never been his forte. It hadn’t been on his mind in quite some time even before his exile and he certainly hadn’t expected to encounter those things here.

It could all wait for another night, he decided. Knowing he was dooming himself to a good round of teasing in the morning – and a little bit of extra confusion for his own heart – Tobirama laid his head back down and closed his eyes to enjoy the warmth of the embrace so freely given. Whatever complications may come from this revelation, here in Madara’s arms was still the safest place he had been in a very long time.

[meny-sempai]

MO DAO ZU SHI IS A MASTERPIECE – part 01

OH MY GOD EP 15! That was so… UGH. I have so much to say, yet I’m speechless at the same time! Aaaaa! Ok, that’s it! It’s time!

The first season is over and I can finally talk about my experience with the piece of art that is Mo Dao Zu Shi. Yes, it is a piece of art and I will prove it to you in this short series of my thoughts about the show.

I just have to say – I’m not a native English speaker so bear with the mistakes I’m bound to make. I did read the novel, but only as far as the Exiled Rebels Scanlations translated it (thank you Rebels, you’re gods). I started reading the novel after the first airing of the third episode, so at the very beginning of MDZS mania – I went in blind and… it was FUNNY. I’ll talk more about that down below. And yes, I know a lot of spoilers, but I can’t say I know the whole story – If I start theorizing be aware that I’m just theorizing, I’m not actually telling the plot, but, just to be sure: SPOILERS ahead, I will use the facts I know for my analysis.

For the first two episodes I’m going to tell you my blind reactions and compare them with my impressions after finishing the season. My misinterpretations are hilarious and I admit I was really dumb. Enjoy my stupidity.

The rest of the episodes will have my impressions and analysis that I now have after finishing the show. There will be a few of these kind of posts on my profile because I can’t fit everything I have to say in just one. I don’t actually do analysis of shows here, because this is my personal art blog, but I sometimes make exceptions. As an animation student I just had to talk about Mo Dao Zu Shi. I want more people to see it. I want people to know that it is much more than BL.

So… Here we go!

INTRODUCTION – or, who the hell even asked for my opinion?

I’ve been a fan of anime/manga since I was 13, which was 12 years ago (I’m old, I know). Sure, I’ve watched Digimon, Pokemon, Bayblade and all that jazz when I was even younger, but that doesn’t count, because I had no clue about the concept of anime.

I’ve seen a lot of shit, I’m quite open to a lot of shit and if I’m in the right mood I can take a lot of shit, but I still regard myself as someone who has a good taste. The older I get the less time I have to take a chance at something I wouldn’t normally watch. Even if there is something I’d watch I usually end up not having time for it. Since I started studying and doing animation myself, my criteria for the quality skyrocketed. I long gave up on the three episode rule. One episode is enough to see potential if there is potential (some shows can still trick me – I’m looking at you Sirius the Jaeger).

Ok, ok, I’m not bashing on Sirius the Jaeger. I’m just saying the show had a lot of potential and threw it out of the window. If there was no Mikhail and Yuliy dynamics… Scratch that – if there was no Mikhail in the show, the story would have been completely empty. At least for me.

Since we’re talking about other shows, I’ll use this opportunity to declare Mo Dao Zu Shi as the animation of the year. Sure, the year’s still not over, sure I only watched Cells at Work, Free! Dive in to the Future, Sirius the Jaeger and BANANA FISH, but I still believe in what I say.

Sorry Cells, you’re cute, you make me care more about my body, you make me have weird feelings about Cancer (WTF). I wish I can show you to all the school kids in my country, but you’re not the best this time. Please, give me another season, thank you. Love the manga. Guys, please watch this anime!

Sorry Free, you… Pfff… Ok, yeah, FREE, I love you dude, thank you for all the sexy muscles and almost BL drama (and some actual deep moments). Thank you for all the Rin, we can never have enough of Rin. And thank you for Kisumi and Asahi – didn’t know I needed that. Thank you, but… yeah, know your place (hint: it’s right here in my arms).

Sorry Sirius, I wish you had more episodes to explore the story and the characters. Liked the OP and the animation.

Sorry BANANA FISH, oh god, I really am. Before MDZS I lived for you BF, I lived for you! I was an old fan of the manga and I was so hyped. I can’t say I’m dissatisfied with the anime adaptation. I liked a lot of things they did, the way they adapted stuff, added and changed stuff, but it was just too much plot for 13 episodes and the effects of it became clearer and worse while the anime progressed. I have no idea how MAPPA will handle the second season. My fingers are crossed. Guys, watch this anime. Even with all the flaws it’s worth your time. 

And yes, I watched Voltron and The Dragon Prince. This will be a really long post if I start on those, so I won’t.

So… YES. Mo Dao Zu Shi came out of nowhere for me and took the crown. Wow… where to start…?

How did I find this show…? Actually, how did this show find me? Well… It was my beta reader, I think. After 13 years of being a silent fan of Asian comics and animation, I decided to finally write a fanfiction. Surprisingly, it was for the small fandom of the Korean comic Noblesse (nobody cares, carry on). I don’t know why, but my beta told me about this new BL “anime”. When I realized it was Chinese I rolled my eyes. I’m an asshole, I know, but I just never liked anything I saw from the Chinese (I haven’t seen much, but what I saw was poorly animated/was in 3D and I’m not a huge fan of 3D). I also never liked the voice acting… Ok. OK, I admit! I never liked the language, ok? Shoot me!

Then… Everything changed when the Wen clan attacked.

Anyway… I was bored, I was lazy and didn’t want to do work for my university, so I said: “What the heck! Hit me with some Chinese BL.” I clicked on the first episode not even bothering to read the summary. Man… My expectations were the low of the lowest.

EPISODE 01 – or, what the fuck did I just watch and is there more of it?

Oh shit… I’m terrible at names, especially Chinese names! Am I supposed to remember all this, is this important? The clans, the wars, the titles? This is BL, right? Should I take out my note book? Fuck, pause it. Ok… Ok… I get it? Let’s just continue.

(When I look at it now it was pretty clear. I really am dumb. To be fair, you need time to get used to how they use names. And for someone who never watched Chinese animation seriously and doesn’t know anything about the culture it really was a lot of new information. But don’t let that stop you from watching it!)

Ughhhhh…. 3D… damn it. And it was going so well. Ugh, just look at those wings flapping! Are the wings broken? What the hell! Why do they do this?

(Lol, I was so triggered. XD The bird is actually fine. I like how the scene transitioned from the pupil of a scared man to the pupil of the crow. As if they were watching each other in the eye, only adding to the creepiness. The lighting is also great. Everything is dark and gloomy, fitting the “horror” atmosphere really well, yet at the same time the dark scenes are vivid and clear. It’s hard to make the misty night look clear and colorful. The flying is a bit iffy, but it doesn’t really matter because the effect of hundred birds covering the sky is strong and meaningful.)

Holly shit! This is amazing! Pause it! No, go back, I wanna see this again. Oh my god, that flute! The music is awesome, I’m having goosebumps. Ooohh, love the music, I never heard something like this. Oh, this dude is so cool. Red eyes and zombies and… What is this show about again? Zombie BL? Really? It’s not really zombies, right? Please don’t be about zombies, I hate zombies.

(Honestly, this scene is stunning. A really effective way to reveal a character. Especially a character that we are not sure whether he is good or bad. The most amazing thing for me about this is how they used music. It isn’t just the background music to accompany the atmosphere. It isn’t there just to tell something about the character and make him stand out (it’s not a character theme). The flute is not alone here, there are many themes working with it. Together they are not there to tell us “this is a scary action scene” so feel this, or “this is a sad scene”, or a “funny scene”. No. The music here is its own art piece. It’s actually there to tell us in its own language the story that we are seeing on screen. I don’t know how to explain it. For me, the way the music changed was perfectly synchronized with the way people were saying words, the way Wei Wuxian moved his head, the way the corpses stood up to attack. If I close my eyes I can see the scene by only listening to the music. This is something that regularly happens in this show. I don’t know how they do it, but I applaud to it. I can’t remember the last time the music left such an impact on me in the animation series. And this is just the first episode and the first scene. We have no idea who these people are. We are not expected to feel emotional for them. But I felt the connection. I felt like I was there and the corpses were about to get me.)

Ugh! 3D, you’re killing me! And it was such a cool intro! Ok, calm down, what are they saying? So… That’s the guy with the flute, right? No, it was Wei, but Wei Something else. No, wait, it has to be him. Go back. Yeah, it is him. What the hell is a courtesy name? Ok, never mind, try to remember.

Oh no…! More exposition, more names and clans! My brain is melting! Cool smoke/ink animation, though. Hmm, purple ring. Nice. That’s important, right? Oh! The amulet thing! Remember that. That’s gonna bite us in the ass later, ain’t it? Alright, so “Wei something” died. Killed by… shidi? So… the younger clan member? So…? This Wei also had his own clan? Am I getting this right? I’m probably not getting this right. Ugh, just watch the damn episode, quit pausing every goddamn second! It’ll explain itself.  

I like the OP! The similar smoke/ink animation and… Wow, ok, there are too many handsome guys here. I’ll have to focus. The music is catchy. I like the singer’s voice. Cool!

(I’m now quite fond of the 3D in here. The tortoise and everything. XD Also, in my defense - they have three names, like, come on. I didn’t see that coming. I don’t even have a middle name. Although, I do think having three ways to be addressed is pretty interesting. You can tell and convey a lot by just picking a name the character uses in his speech.

Fun fact no1. – at the time I couldn’t even recognition the names when they would speak. All of the words sounded the same to me, which was so unusual. I can now recognize a lot of words and phrases. And, I think… Well, you’ll see what I now think about Chinese and VAs. I’m just gonna say this: I’d like to learn Chinese just so that I can write a love letter to Guo Haoran.

Fun fact no2. – It took me 6 episodes to actually pay attention to the lyrics of the OP and ED and to realize that they are representing Wei Wuxian and Lan WangJi. That’s a really beautiful touch, very smart. And it brings so much meaning to the table when the ED changes. I don’t think I ever saw OP and ED used in this particular way.)

Well, this is getting really dark and interesting. This Wei may be a refreshing MC. Probably a good guy at heart, but shady as fuck and ready to kill. I do have another name to worry about, but Mo is easy to remember (“Don’t close mountain” – if you know what I mean :P). I wonder if Mo is important to the plot. I see potential for some twists here. 

2D animation is looking good so far. I like how they made us look from the protagonist’s POV. Really refreshing directing… hmm… Still not buying the Chinese, but Wei has a nice voice. The music is still great.

Bahahahaha! Scratch that, Wei is an idiot! Good to know that liquor is your priority, Wei! XD Omg the donkey, too, look at that face, look at the eyelashes!

The fuck is this shit? Are those people flying? While standing? Are they standing on something? What the hell? XD Man, that sky is nice. Oh! Oh, oh, wait, those guys! Those were the shadows I saw a scene earlier. Mmm… Attention to detail. Nice. Looks like I’ll have to pay close attention to every scene. Been a long time I had to focus so hard on an “anime”.

(10 minutes and I was already very intrigued. I didn’t know shit, but I was in. With all the pausing I probably spent 50 minutes on this episode, but it felt like barely 20 minutes had passed. At the beginning I paused a lot because I was too slow to read the subtitles (no, I don’t watch dubs, I’m just too used to Japanese and their culture references that reading subs is child’s play, but this was new territory for me). I also paused a lot because I felt I’ve missed something, or because I was surprised at how some scenes looked. 

I don’t pause that often now. Mo Dao Zu Shi trained me to see and hunt for detail. As I said, it’s been a long time since I had the need to carefully look at the backgrounds and pay attention to all of the characters’ expressions. Mo Dao Zu Shi tells a lot in silence and in small details. It awards you if you take time to look at the scenery. When I find something that I’d usually miss, I don’t necessarily feel smarter, but I feel the show is treating me as someone smart. MDZS respects its audience. It makes them think and remember. Which makes this show 100% re-watchable. I watched all the episodes 3 times. Some I watched even more – like episode 11. And I always have a new experience. I love coming back to it. Even when I work I play the episodes and listen to them. It’s interesting. Try it. Try just to listen to the audio. It has rare quality to it. The sounds and music are used wisely and a piece of music always has a legit reason why it’s played.)

Ok, this run is too slow. I get that he’s fat, but still, the foot exchange doesn’t fit with the distance he’s making. Also, the flying guys are not flying anymore. I got more info. And MORE NAMES. Kill me now. The info is interesting, though. Cultivators are Chinese exorcist, right? I really should have read the summery.

(I still think the running was not convincing. There are moments such as these in the show, but honestly, MDZS has fascinating animation and it only gets better in the later episodes (I’m not even gonna start with ep 11 – ep 11 will get its own post). The animators know what they are doing and the director knows how to make a scene work at full capacity.

Fun Fact no3. – D.Gray-man destroyed me. I now only know how to say “exorcist” the Japanese way.

MDZS also has a way of making seemingly stupid stuff look and be cool. Surfing on swords sounds pretty dumb, but when you actually see it and have it explained to you, when it has plot significance it becomes a fresh idea. I want to have my own sword to surf on!)

Well, hello… Lan… Jingyi ~ (How do you read this? O.O) Mmm… I’m digging the art style. Cute boys~

Also, Wei, you’re a fucking genius! XD The Oscar goes to you, my dude.

(… I still think Wei Wuxian is a fucking genius. I’m not gonna talk a lot about him right now, but I just gotta say that he is such a classic MC, yet at the same time he is so original. He’s just one of the proofs how great the writing this series has.

Speaking of writing – this show has some of the best dialog I’ve ever seen. Not only because of what is being said, but also because of the VAs, directing, music and animation. Dialog often has more than one meaning and always serves to deepen the characters and their relationships. I love how they use animation to show how the characters are truly feeling while saying something and what they actually mean when they say it. Everything they say has a reason and it makes you pay attention to other’s reaction to what is being said. I love how the character can say the same thing in so many different ways and that this is used to show his development and growth. I’m also amazed at how simple “hmm-s” and “mmm-s” mean so much in this show. 

I’m not saying character animation and rich expressiveness is something new, but it is rare and this show is really good at it. For example, quite a few characters laugh or cry but they all do it differently. They raise their eyebrows differently, they’re surprised and scared differently etc. This all sounds as a no-brainer, but it’s not so common. It’s difficult to pull off and I’m not saying MDZS is perfect, but it’s close.)

(Please… You think you can take down someone who spent his whole life perfecting the art of climbing up trees? Pff! You’re not Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan.)

(He looks so comfortable among corpses. It’s funny, yet so sad. These are all great hints for the mind-set of a character that you’ll miss at first watching, but you won’t forget about it. And when the memory clicks – it makes a loud click. Not a second is wasted in this show. Everything has a point. I’ll elaborate more on that with some examples in other posts.)

Bahahaha! I feel you bro! XD

But I feel you too. I mean, I don’t care about you, wench, don’t get me wrong, but it’s kinda sad. I’m liking these zombies. They’re my way of creepy and there’s potential for a deeper plot for them if it’s true that their personalities are still there somewhere. This just adds to the debate whether Wei is good or bad. The grey area… I love the grey the most. All 50 shades of it. And I’m enjoying the mystery vibe of this episode. Was there a mystery tag on this “anime”? Also, the fight scenes are not bad. And it’s cool how they all hate Wei but use his technics and knowledge. Realistic. Cool.

Oh my god! The colors! Whaaat? What the hell, look at that hair animation! And the music from that… string thingy- instrument – so cool. Ooohh, wait, this is the white dude, THE dude. Here comes the BL!

Ooohhh, I see what you did there. Kudos for you, director! Similarities and contrasts. Nice. And it’s over, I can’t believe it’s over! How can you cliff hang like that?! There’s a second episode, right? Mm, the ED is so pure. There IS a second episode! Well, while I’m here, don’t mind if I do!

EPISODE 2 – or, how I got everything wrong!

I bet he’s thinking: “The fuck is with this aim? The little shit almost killed me! I’m annoyed and amazed! Better play a fool and run for it.” But, seriously, that aim! Wei actually paused (love the little wobble effect on the arrow). And I have another name to remember! Ugh! And another color! Are they color coded? That could be helpful. Also, look at that tree. Wow… They’re blending the 3D backgrounds quite well with the 2D.

And Mo is important to the plot! Nice! So he has connections with the Yellow clan. The plot thickens.

I just gotta say – all of them have interesting designs. I wonder if every cultivator has his own sword. Bleach style or something. On the other hand, animators must be pulling out their hair because of all the details. XD

Cool little battle. Great camera work. They showed the difference between a student cultivator and an experienced one in an entertaining way. That soul summoning was nice too.

(This fight served as a nice show of power difference. It adds a lot to the future episodes where all of the main cast are students and have to face various trials. It gives us a hint at how powerful the clan leaders must be, it gives us a new perspective on the war and its casualties. We now get why many cultivators died so “easy”. It also hints at how talented students are different from the average which is an important detail in the plot. This little “unimportant” fight grounds it all and makes the levels in the clan system believable and palpable.)

This is really clever. Kudos for the reflection. Wei, haven’t you ever watched an anime? It’s clear the kid doesn’t have a mom. He probably doesn’t even have a dad.

(Ok… prepare for a full on fangirl attack.)

… My ears are tingling.

… This voice… Oh my ears, please calm down, something big is happening right now. Wait… Oh wow, he knows him! Look at the face he’s making, oh shit! And this new guy…! We haven’t even seen his face and he’s making threats! Hmm… Can’t say I don’t like that. Yeah, I like that… He’s gonna be the villain, isn’t he? I always like the villains and they always have the best voices. Well… if he’s a villain, let’s hope he’s hot-

Oh, wow, this is really good. The way the light appears, and that little shine of the… bell? Purple… Purple? The purple ring? Is this connected? Well, anyway, he has a pretty dramatic reveal and nice music – yep, he’s the bad guy. Let me see your face-

Wei… why are you so scared? They sure take their sweet time in revealing this guy. This may be more important than I thought. Don’t miss anything!

(Are you prepared?)

HOLLY MOTHER OF GOD WHAT THE FUCK OH MY GOD WHAAATT??? Was he this beautiful in the OP? Whaaaatt? AAAAHHHHHH!!!! SCREENSHOT! WALLPAPER! GO BACK, REPEAT THE SCENE! YOU! YOU, MY BOY, HAVE ENTERED MY HAREM. Oh what a day to be alive! Mmmm, ok, calm down, we’ll draw him later, let’s try to focus. Jiang Cheng. Ok, it’s a more common name, I’ll remember him. Heh. Like I could forget this boy. Oh, no, not a boy, a MAN. This is a man. Uhuhuhu~

(Aaaand my mind was a bit hazy for the rest of the episode – you will see the results.

Fun fact no4. – Immediately after this episode I looked up MDZS on Tumblr and realized that the fandom is calling Jiang Cheng JC. Still under the effects of what I just saw I thought calling him God was quite appropriate.)

NICE PROFILE!!! Is he going to be the other love interest for the MC? Are we gonna see the cliché love triangle? If it’s with this dude, maybe it won’t be so bad~ Ok, seriously, watch the show!

Ok, the magic light here is a nice touch. This Jiang Cheng is a bit cold even to his nephew. He doesn’t recognize Wei, but that’s expected. Wei is strongly reacting to him. What’s the connection? Judging by the music – it’s sad? I expected something more, I don’t know, menacing? Evil? But it’s just sad. Maybe he’s not a villain. That… that could open so many doors… TO MY KOKORO.

“Feed your dogs.” Ouch, that’s dark. Someone really hates the “demon” cultivators.  

“Could this boy be…?” What? What is he? Want’s the connection? Should I know, did I miss something?

The white dude and my purple man clash! Holly, Jiang Chang sounds pissed (passive aggressive enough?), while White poster boy here doesn’t give a damn! XD Ahahaha! Could Jiang Cheng be the Chinese tsundere? No, no, no, let’s not call such a man a tsundere. It’s too early.

Oh, Uncle is the leader of the sect. Nice. How old is the Uncle? Is he married?

This obvious metaphor of concealing the light is distracting me from fangirling. It’s interesting how it connects with the Jiang Cheng reveal. I feel that… shit is about to go down.

I was right! He’s the ring! What does the ring represent? And he’s doing what I always do! I play with my ring like that all the time! Nice.

SCREENSHOT! Oh, but he’s pissed. Oh, but I love the way he looks at me~ I feel all mushy.

Ha! Interesting. He’s smart, he has some self-control. Refreshing. But don’t turn your anger at your nephew, please. Also, it seems like the white dude and the Uncle have some history. Hmm…

I thought so. The white dude was the one who killed Wei. The tragic love. I can already see it.

(Yep. I thought Lan WangJi was the Shidi who “killed” Wei Wuxian. You are allowed to face palm.)

Oh no… I know where this is going. And the music…

Oh man… It’s the second episode and I’m already having the feels. What happened, Wei?! I refuse to believe you’re a bad guy!

But, I get Wei’s reaction to Jiang Cheng now.

(I don’t know how it happened, but I was thinking… What if she was killed by Jin Zixuan’s sword? We know Wei Wuxian stopped using his. From this shot we know he wasn’t the one who stabbed her, so was it Wen Ning? It’s obvious he was involved in the tragedy. As far as I know SPOILERS Wen Ning killed Jin Zixuan. If the killer sword is the one we know – if it’s Jin Zixuan’s then Wei’s reflection in this episode has a deeper meaning.)

Bahahaha I feel you, honor student. I like the kids.

(Honestly, they balance the humor and the serious stuff masterfully.)

I died.

This is giving me Gantz PTSD. That shit gave me nightmares. Nephew is really bold.

(I believe Jin Ling has some of his Uncle Wei’s recklessness and hero complex, but he also wants to prove himself just like his other two Uncles. I’ll talk more about them in another post.)

Uuhh, Wei is playing the flute! Risky, I like it.

(Ok, people. Be prepared for the ultimate face palm.)

Oh my god! Don’t tell me he summoned his own body! This resembles the scene from the narration… and he’s wearing black!

I’m right! Nephew wants revenge! Great shot by the way. You can feel the rage in the movement.

(You face palmed yet?)

I really love the way they use the flute! It depicts the flow of the camera so well!

… Wen… Wen what? Wen Ning? Who’s Wen Ning? What? Wait, are they talking about the corpse? What’s going on??? O_O Who’s Wen Ning?! Did I miss something? What’s the full name of the MC again? Ugh… This is so tiring… Ok, never mind, enjoy the beautiful flute song.

Busted!

I swear to god, this guy is illegal!

Oh, boy he figured it out too and he’s… sadistically happy? Eh… But, I get it. If he believes that Wei killed his sister, I get it. And her husband? Did he “kill” the dad, too?

I can’t believe he has a whip AND a braid? And he’s purple??? Did someone look into my diary? Is it Christmas yet? XD Am I dead?

Did he just smile? Am I imagining things? XD I can’t figure him out!

Please! Don’t lie, white dude! “He’s path is uncommon”, yeah right, we all know what you want.

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I’VE SEEN AND HEARD IN MY LIFE.

(This would have annoyed anyone no matter who said it, but because it was Wei Wuxian, I think it was even more annoying in Jiang Cheng’s head. Wei Wuxian knows him too well. It’s even funnier when you know that JC is blacklisted. XD He’s no good even to the lunatic.)

And at this exact moment Wei knew he fucked up. XD This is golden. 

... Please DON’T turn into rape BL.

(It so DID NOT.)

Oh Wei, you’re no match for this guy! :D

Hmm, looks like we’re going back in time. I love me some juicy flashbacks. Can’t wait to see more.

... I can’t believe I actually like this zombie BL. I just hope they don’t fuck up the animation later on.

(And the rest is history. As you can see - I’m obsessed.)

-----

That’s all for today! Next posts will have more character, story and art analysis. Hope you liked this and please forgive me for making this so long. See you! 

[atopearth]

Shall We Date? Ninja Shadow Part 9 - Nakagawa Makoto Route + Blissfully Yours

I’m surprised Makoto called her out on her disguise so fast but I guess he’s not really one to waste his time dawdling and I like that he knows from the beginning that she’s a girl. I guess her conviction to protect her village and take care of it to the best of her ability struck Makoto to be something similar to his position . He also had to step in as the vigilantes head when Toru decided to abandon it, and he has lived as his brother’s shadow as well, so I guess there will be a lot of things they’ll have in common!😄

Lmaoo that she’s acting as his fiancee, they’re so cute. Makoto is such a softie though, he has expectations, but he can’t help but be worried, so when the heroine was on her first mission, he asked Asagi to use a shikigami to watch over her, it’s nice that he did that for Yuzuki when he had his first mission too! He’s such a great leader. Omggg I know it’s “punishment” but to kiss the heroine to prove to a random (he doesn’t realise it’s Toru) that she really is his fiancee is not very nice at all!

Luckily it was Shintaro that found out that she was a girl, since he’s the easiest to trick into thinking that it’s just a disguise and that she’s not really a girl haha. So cute how Makoto teases her all the time though, they’re so adorable~ Definitely wasn’t wise of the heroine to follow Willem when she got separated from Makoto but I guess it couldn’t be helped since she thought he was just any average merchant… Not sure what exactly Toru wants out of her though, does he want to assess whether she’s truly worthy of being Makoto’s fiancee or does he just want to see an agitated Makoto and that’s why he keeps making moves on the heroine? Omggg, it was so cute to see Makoto care so much about the heroine and be so honest about not wanting her to leave him and try chasing after them, I think he’s had enough of a scare, heroine! Let the poor guy take a break from worrying about you haha. It was so adorably funny when Makoto waited for Ukyo and the heroine to finish their mission so he could see if she was okay, and then when Ukyo put his hands on her shoulders, he immediately brushed them off and said “hands off”, Makoto is sooo cute! So funny when he kept calling her to do random errands for him as an excuse for him to keep seeing her lmao.

I’ve always thought about the possibility of someone killing people in the name of the vigilantes or something since no one knows who they are, so with this incident of someone killing a supposedly innocent woman in a way that only someone as skilled as the vigilantes could, it would be interesting to see how it unfolds. I wonder why Yuzuki thinks that Makoto would be killing these rich ladies that were after him because of a reason like his fiancee wanting him to get rid of these pests, that’s so not a Makoto thing to do, like ever. Like, just because he’s been acting different shouldn’t warrant such distrust… But ooh, so Makoto isn’t actually that well versed in fighting since he was devoted fully to his arts and planned to support Toru who was expected to lead the vigilantes financially through his paintings, but then Toru disappeared and he was forced to take it up and become the leader.

It felt so terrible to hear that Makoto was interrogated for an entire day… But at least he was able to hear that the heroine believes in him and that he could rest on her shoulder and feel comfortable and safe enough with her that he could sleep on her shoulder, it was really sweet and heartwarming to see that. I’m glad that Asagi believes in Makoto and isn’t as blinded by justice or as rash as Yuzuki. There’s not even any proof of it really being Makoto and yet he wants to take it to the magistrate’s office! Like seriously, you guys have been working together for justice in the vigilantes, why would Makoto kill these women for such a petty reason! I appreciate the others’ reactions much more since they are more neutral and are in doubt because of how suspicious things are but will not haphazardly deem Makoto to be the culprit so easily without further evidence.

Aside from Yuzuki continuing to be frustrating, the heroine hugging Makoto after he got officially suspended from the vigilantes was really sweet, their feelings have finally connected😊 Glad that they could finally show Yuzuki the trick to the smoke and show him that Makoto was accused wrongly. I love Makoto and her little interactions, they’re so hilarious and cute. But honestly, when the heroine got hurt by Willem’s gun, I was so happy to see Makoto so caring by watching over her every night and how concerned he was when she got hurt, it was just such a nice sight to see. So funny when he insisted on feeding her even though she was mostly better now. Lmao that he says he just doesn’t want to clean up after her if she spills her porridge, he’s so not honest🤣 Glad to see Yuzuki apologise to Makoto and for insulting the heroine since he was badmouthing the fiancee which was actually her hahah. But OMG, when Makoto kissed her a few times and then hurried back to his room without saying a word, HE WAS SO CUTE. DYING. Makoto is as wilful as usual towards the heroine but I love it hahaha.

Overall, I really enjoyed Makoto’s route, actually, I loved it. Loved it as much as Ukyo’s route so they’re my top two! I just loved how affectionate Makoto was, but he still tried to make it seem like he wasn’t into her but he totally was and that was so cute. The dilemma was also evidently relatable considering both their circumstances with their brothers etc and showing that they can stand through anything together, and how much they believed in each other and how that really solidified their relationship. Really enjoyed it, so happy! Gonna dig into the S2 now! Still find it really sad that Toru was captured as usual though, since I agree with him to an extent. So I guess having Tsubaki actually be a rebel against the shogunate that recognises Toru’s ideals and leadership qualities in being able to affect people is definitely something understandable. It’s kinda weird to see Hijikata be such a hot headed guy that isn’t good at calculating things ahead since I feel like I’m used to that calm type of Hijikata from other games haha.

I like Zeyo. He respects Tsubaki’s dream/goals even if he may not agree with it and thinks that since it’s his dream, whether it be unjust to other’s eyes or not, this is the path that he chose, so he’ll support him by watching over him as a friend and not doing anything. Maybe what Tsubaki is doing may seem wrong to others but it may not necessarily be wrong and I like Tsubaki’s firm belief in himself and Zeyo’s respect for that. It’s so hard to see Makoto feel so terrible over Toru’s exile, enough to kind of want Tsubaki to actually be able to take him away. Makoto really did respect Toru after all, and Toru seems to really care for Makoto as his little brother and wants to protect him and the place he lives in and that’s why he chose what he did I think, so it’s pretty saddening to see everything turn out like this… But yeah, Toru escaped with the help of Tsubaki anyway so…

Honestly, I’m not a fan of this S2. I felt like it added nothing to the story and only rehashed the problem in the first story without really doing anything about it again, since Toru got away and although Makoto laments over Toru, it doesn’t show anything beyond that, and he’s back to teasing the heroine like usual. It just felt like nothing happened tbh and I’m disappointed. Basically, first story was awesome but second, not really, very skippable lol.

[apathbacktoyou]

Oooh more prompts? Yay! Could I request #50 from your most recent list? 💙

yeees thank you🖤🖤

50 is “I love you.“ “Yeah, I lo-“ “No, as more.“

and lbr if it’s you and me involved in a prompt thing we all know the pairing i chose lmao

ao3 or under cut yadada

“You have a fan waiting in the atrium,”Azale announced with a grin, not bothering to knock as she barged into the dressing room.

“A fan?” Sinara gave her a quizzical look through the mirror, continuing to wipe the blood, sweat, and grime off her face.

They had people coming in now and then, trying to recruit fighters to their personal guard or as mercenaries, but those were hardly people she’d describe as fans. The fighting pits were something of an attraction, to be sure, but on the rare occasions soldiers got leave to participate, a higher rank was sent with them to supervise. A thinly veiled way of saying they’d better not try to get an offer of private work.

Azale shrugged.“That’s what Ukena said, anyway. I’m just s’posed to tell you to hurry up.”

Sinara scowled, but did as she was bid. If Commandant Ukena wanted her to speak to whoever it was, they must be important.

She didn’t manage to catch Ukena on the way to get a heads up on who was waiting for her. There was only a few dozen people she thought would get special treatment from the commandant, though, so there wasn’t too many possibilities. His attire narrowed those down even more. There had been rumours the princes would be in attendance. The sigil on his chest proved them true.

“There you are,”he said jovially, as she was still busy taking note of every insignia he wore. The younger brother, then. Kasius. He was talking all the while, and she must have missed a key part somewhere, because the next thing he said was,“I love you.”

“Excuse me?”she said, taking a step back. She wondered just how deep in his cups he was, and just how long Ukena expected her to entertain his nonsense.

“My brother was awfully certain you wouldn’t win,”he replied, as if that explained anything at all.“Certain enough to bet his favourite cruiser. I plan to wreck the thing, and since you’re the reason I can do so, I wanted to invite you along.”

She almost grinned at that. There was something charmingly petty to his sheer glee at the prospect.

“Well?”he prompted when she hesitated.

“Can I fly it?”she asked in lieu of an answer.

He considered that.“Sure. Are you a good pilot?”

This time, she couldn’t keep herself from smiling.“No particularly.”

“All the better,”he said, smiling brightly. He offered her his arm.“Shall we?”

Kasius was not one for boundaries, always a little too into her space, hands on her arm when speaking, sitting so close his shoulder bumped hers, leaning close to whisper some joke into her ear. She’d gotten use to it faster than she would have thought.

It was still rare for her to be the one to reach out.

Therefore it was hardly surprising that he trailed off when she took his hand. His gaze was somewhere between harried and hopeful when he fixed his eyes on her.

“It’s going to be alright,”she said. An empty platitude, really, but all she had to offer him right now. There was no knowing what punishment awaited them for desertion. Should the real circumstances somehow get out, they’d be lucky to be simply executed.

Somehow, her words still managed to get a small smile from him, or maybe it was her hand on his that did the trick. He intertwined their fingers.“You don’t really think that. But thank you for saying it.”

“You’re wrong.” She couldn’t have said where the sudden certainty came from but it felt true. Her thoughts were no longer racing the way they had been since she’d murdered his generals.“We’re going to be fine, even if I have to kill our way out of the city.”

Kasius laughed - a little shakily, perhaps, but entirely genuine. He leaned closer, resting his head against hers.“I love you, Sinara.”

She had no response to that, her heart stumbling over a beat. She’d never know how he could throw those words around so casually.

“There’s not enough fear. Not enough distrust.” Kasius was pacing and rambling, rambling and pacing. “We kill those with the lowest earnings. They blame each other for their debt, they try to scam others out of their units. But it’s not enough-”

“So make them do it,”Sinara suggested. Kasius did not like being interrupted, but she did have a certain leeway with him. And this had been going on for entirely too long, her patience with his monologuing running thin.

He fell silent mid-sentence, stepping into her personal space. She was long past the urge of stepping back any time he did it.“Say that again.”

“Make them do it,”she repeated. It was a terribly obvious solution, she thought, the way he always went on about having to pit the humans against each other.“If they owe too much money, they owe us a life. Theirs or someone else’s, it makes no matter.”

“They owe a life.” He said it as if the words left a pleasant taste in his mouth.“That’s good. Genius, really. So simple, yet so elegant. I love it.” He smiled, bringing his hands up to her cheeks. “It’s perfect, Sinara. I love you.”

Then he kissed her, fleetingly, hardly more than a peck, but enough to make her brain cease all activity for a full three seconds. Kasius was already continuing to talk as if that was something perfectly normal to do.

“A life spent, a life earned. A new chance until we have to cull their numbers again.” He smiled at her brightly, somehow oblivious to her state of shock.“I think we’ll call it a Renewal. What do you think of that?”

All she managed was a nod, fingers slowly raising to press against her lips.

Sinara stepped from the bathroom to find Kasius had made no progress while she was in the shower.“Still nothing to wear?”

He’d already been brooding over his clothes when she had woken up, and Kasius was usually never awake before her.

“Basha is ruthless,”he complained. He’d been fretting about her arrival for days now.“I won’t have her make a mockery of me again.”

Sinara barely remembered what their last dispute had been about. Wine selection, she thought, or something equally trivial.“I could always just kill her, if you want.”

He paused his search to smile at her.“I know. And you know I love you for suggesting it, but she has influence in all the right places. She may be our way out of exile one of these days.”

“Right.” She wasn’t entirely sure she even wanted them to be allowed to leave the Lighthouse. Lines that oughtn’t be crossed had been crossed, and she thought that things might be more complicated back on Hala. However things were supposed to become more complicated when your boss was also your best friend was also your (rather more than) occasional fling. And with the way he tossed around the word love... well, he meant nothing by it.

She picked a random garment, to distract herself more than anything.“What’s wrong with this one?”

“Can I tell you something?” His words weren’t exactly slurred, but Sinara could tell that it cost him more of an effort than it should.

“Is it that you drank too much?”she asked, steering him towards his bed.“Because I’m aware of that.”

“That’s not it.” He sat down heavily.“Can’t you take this seriously?”

She decided to humour him.“Take what seriously, exactly?”

“I love you,”Kasius said.

She really ought to see a medic, she thought, the way her heart clenched at that. Clearly there was something wrong with her. She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.“So you have said before.”

“You don’t understand,”insisted Kasius, taking her hand.“I love you.”

Sinara wetted her lips nervously. He seemed to expect an answer by the way he was looking at her, eyes shining with some emotion she could not put a name to. He’d likely not remember any of this in the morning. There would be no harm in saying it back. Yet the words didn’t want to come out. She’d really thought she’d unlearned being nervous. Apparently not.

“Well, we’re friends,”she finally managed. He looked confused, then saddened.Obviously not the response he’d been hoping for. She cleared her throat, not quite meeting Kasius’ eyes.“Yeah, I lo-”

“No,”he interrupted.“As more.”

She stared at him, dumbfounded. Her hand was still in his. She pulled it away slowly.“You need to get some sleep.”

The sweat had long cooled on her skin, but her heart was still beating out a frantic rhythm.

She had spent weeks telling herself his words had meant nothing, that it had been the alcohol talking. And he hadn’t brought the matter up again, either.

But now he’d said it again, and there was no ambiguity to just how he’d meant it. Not with his breath so hot against her skin, not when she could barely tell where she ended and he begun.

She’d kissed him rather than answering, overwhelmed with just how much she had wanted to echo those words.

He was asleep, now, but for her any rest was elusive. She simply lay there, listening to his heart beat and willing her own to align with the calm cadence.

When she couldn’t take it any longer, she buried her face against his chest and whispered,“I love you, too.”

It felt right. It felt like home.

“Everything we’ve ever wanted,”he said.

But the way he was looking at her was already more than she’d ever dreamed.

There was no doubting how he felt, and she was past doubting her own feelings, too. It was time he got the same peace of mind.

“I love you,”she said.

She’d thought there’d been a look of ecstasy on his face before, but somehow, his features managed to light up even more at her words.

He kissed her, slow and soft and sweet. When they moved apart, neither could stop smiling.

“I love you, too,”Kasius said.

[atamascolily]

lily watches fma:b eps.48-52

My default emotion for this show continues to be bewilderment, between my worldbuilding headache and confusion about how the final battle can possibly take 10 episodes to resolve. But at least Hohenheim actually does something for once, and so does Yoki, so there’s that.

greed LOVES lan fan - OT3 ACCEPTED!!

so chi lets you see in the dark... or comes with being a ninja, okay.

(look, SO MUCH OF THE ALCHEMY WOULD MAKE SENSE IF THEY PLAYED UP THE CHI ANGLE, OKAY??? Fingers crossed that happens)

oh, hi, Roy's at Madam Christmas's again [ngl I love her]

pride sets the woods on fire so he can't be defeated by the darkness trick (which for the record IS still so weird to me)

wait, Madam Christmas is Roy's foster mother? What??

oh, I see why Pride is out of Central - narratively speaking, it means Mustang and Company can work without his interference. Seems like a poor choice on #TeamHomunculus, though.

(or do they just not care? or is it all plans within plans? I got nothing)

I love how Kain Furey is the cutest of the bunch

Pride eats Gluttony for the philosopher's stone, which is SUPER DUMB. he should have gone for greed (also, gluttony being eaten by a bigger monster is just... ironic.)

Gluttony's last words are for Lust, which just makes me sad.

okay, hohenheim finally stepped in and literally moved heaven and earth to trap pride. FINALLY.

both pride and al are out of the fight, but overall a net win for team good, at least temporarily if they can starve pride's human body.

greed decides to take advantage of this and kill father

Scar stops to ask for directions from random strangers and it's like "oh, you sure you didn't commit terrorism? seems like something you would do"

Kimblee kills a bunch of people and is mad that his suit gets dirty MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T WEAR ALL WHITE YOU ASSHAT

al: lol ur plan was dumb, we could have just run away. pride: but you didn't ;););) *drum beats*

and the sun rises on the Promised Day as Ed retrieves his cloak and swings it dramatically over his shoulders... beautiful shot there.

and we still have like 15 episodes to GOOOOOOOOO, so idk about pacing here.

mustang and co. kidnap mrs. bradley, only for the central troops to order everyone's deaths BUT mustang (b/c sacrifice). Mrs.Bradley breaks down realizing she's expendable (though bradley himself loves her, father doesn't give a shit about a random human)

They only shot the soldiers in the knee with the line of "if we were briggs soldiers, you'd be dead," lol. olivier herself chides mustang for being soft when she finds out. 

central is SO PERPLEXED when they realize that none of their men are actually dead as the battle continues

Rebecca shows up in a ice cream truck with a cartoon bear on it with more ammo.... and Maria Ross, back from exile.

(because sidelining her in Xing for most of the show was a mistake)

I think Rebecca's going to end up with Havoc, but we'll see. (especially since they bought all the supplies from Havoc's General Store, heck yeah!!)

Hohenheim re: Father - "if we smash his container, he'll die" uhhh, dude, why didn't you do that, like, YEARS ago??

also, what the hell are in all the pipes connected to the throne?are we ever going to find out what’s that about?

well, some of them are full of philosopher's stone juice because an army dude uses them to revive the zombies in the basement.... all of whom wake up screaming. #relatable.

time for a new opening! lots of rain, tears and blood, with winry watching ed sleep. and it looks like scar and bradley face off?

[ngl, I STILL have no idea how the pacing is going to work here]

So are the new zombie soldiers "homunculi" as well or is that only if they get a cool name/association with a particular sin??

The zombies rip the throat out of the military guy who woke them up - seriously, I don't get why he thought this would end any other way, especially given the lab-coated scientists pleading for him to stop, it hasn't been tested yet

oops ed just let the zombies out

someone sent sloth to kill olivier,  although why the fuck him I have no idea. (guess father has no one left??)

pride keeps banging on al's head and I'm sure it's for a reason BESIDES being as creepy as hell - its morse code to summon... kimblee!

[though why the FUCK this works and why the FUCK kimblee gives a shit, I have no idea]

one of the zombies eats envy, so this can only end well

yup he eats all the zombies so now he has more lives

pride says something really interesting when kimblee chides him for eating gluttony (a "nakama," or companion). pride says "we are not nakama. we are a collective"... so they really are just different personality attributes from father in different vessels.

BUT WHY, THO

seems like it causes more problems than it solves - see exhibit a, greed, who is here to cause problems on purpose

Heinkel remembers that damn philosopher's stone he pocketed ages ago - DUDE IT'S BEEN SIX MONTHS YOU THINK YOU WOULD HAVE REMEMBERED IT BEFORE NOW!!

kimblee has such a hard-on at the thought of fighting an alchemist with a philosopher's stone

that was a damn good fight, al! I'm so proud!

al rejects kimblee's false dichotomy and dudebro philosophy

who would have guessed sloth had superspeed?

okay, anyway lots of battles. Yoki hits pride with kimblee's car, I'm very impressed. 

roy does the ‘use alchemy to transform the outside of a vehicle so soldiers don’t look for it’... clearly those NPCs have no imagination whatsoever, lol.

oh, hey, it’s sergeant broussh - I remember in 03 you were actually relevant and here you are a poorly explored background character.

pride eats kimblee - either gluttony is having more effect than I realized or  pride is just always Like That

anyway, roy shows up to help ed fight zombies.

[gotta be honest, I'm getting kind of bored with 3 episodes of fighting and STILL ZERO ANSWERS about various things.]

[patron-saint-of-lost-cause]

@musuniverse this time I’m gonna start a new post before we get to the lengths of a holy scripture.

I never looked at ubbe that way. like I never thought that he’d try to be a parent. I only saw him trying to be a big brother (after all he is the only one actually worried about ivar’s emotional state; which is totally understandable; like dude just axed his bro) but you have a solid point there. he tries to be a father figure bc who else (besides floki) ivar got? bjorn doesn’t seem to really be there for them. at least not in the midseason finale of 4A. (which I understand; dude got his own fam and maybe bc bjorn did not grow up with them; he was already a man when he came back to kattegatt and after that he didn’t have any time to actually play with children due to fucking up england and francia; so he doesn’t have any deep connection to them?; I mean like look at them. they almost interact like strangers or like acquaintances but certainly not like brothers)

that’s something that always kind of fascinated me about the sons of ragnar. except ubbe and hvitserk none of them act brotherly towards each other. like sure we got that scene were they all lie on their backs and talk or where they decide to help ivar getting fucked, but besides that? okay sure ubbe and hvitserk seemed pretty angry the least when ivar killed sigurd but... I don’t know that’s it (oh and how bjorn did not really react to that at all; or at least I don’t remember his reaction; like lol guess I should just get as far away from the cripple as possible) I understand bjorn’s distance because they are his half brothers and he like really didn’t have any time to bond with them but the other four? they grew up together and still they are more like friends at best. (maybe it also has something to do with aslaug only focusing on ivar and ragnar never being there for them?)

yeah, like seriously dude. I want to see torvi treated like she deserves to be treated. I mean okay bjorn isn’t the worst of the worst. he treated her pretty decently (but like dude cheated on her and never married her so) but still I wanna see ubbe asking torvi to marry him and love her like she deserves to be cause she is so damn loyal and I love her development. oh and talking about that lagertha scene. I just realized ubbe was sitting between torvi and magrethe in that scene before lagertha came and shooed margrethe away, leaving ubbe sitting next to torvi. like maybe that was some kind of foreshadowing (tbh due to several disappointments in my life I’m never sure how clever tv writers actually are). ubbe ends up with torvi and margrethe gets exiled or killed by lagertha? sex with margrethe must be real good if they though it was love. damn girl knows some tricks in bed. yeah ragnar’s bloodline doesn’t seem to be into monogamy that much. except rollo. rollo seems like he’s doing a pretty good job at this point. at least as far as we know.

I think the women have like some secret kind of dwell they bath in that keeps them young. like if lagertha survives this season she’ll still look like she looked in season one when ivar is like a 56 year old man. I love how lagertha is bjorn’s mother and is probably like at least 20 years older but due to bjorn looking like a crusty old man they could actually be the same age. oh and btw bjorn - I’m still angry how bjorn didn’t actually care for his daughter and we never saw him get angry at aslaug for just letting her die. like I’m pretty sure sigurd told bjorn what happened (depends on how much bjorn believes a little child over an adult but okay) and I think sigurd is like the only one who really cared about siggy? like that’s why he was so bitter all the time because in that time were hvitserk and ubbe were away siggy became like his only sibling? I don’t know. just a lil headcanon of mine I guess.

hold on a sec. this just came into my mind. we know how lagertha is going to be killed by a ragnarsson and we all expect it to be this lil war and that it will be ivar. but I think she might survive a little longer (even though hirst already send her into a downward spiral and we know how that never means  something good *cough* ragnar *cough*) and maybe it isn’t ivar at all. sure people already thought about that bc it is too obvious and it’s probably going to be ubbe (bc well he has more chances to do so doesn’t he?) but maybe - if the gods will so - hirst was clever enough and thought nah this is also too obvious. so who got we left? bjorn and hivtserk. sure lagertha is bjorn’s mother so why would he kill her but okay wait let’s say it isn’t bjorn for the sake of the first theory. we only got hvitserk left at this part (as far as sigurd’s ass doesn’t turn into the walking dead). so it’s not logical at all cause we don’t have any indication that this could happen but hear me out. hvitserk’s patience seems to wear thinner and thinner with his brothers treatments of him. so maybe as the least likely to crave for power he just kills her (don’t ask me when and how just go with it) and he becomes to king of kattegatt (which would probably be a pretty short lived reigned cause he doesn’t seem to have any supporters who would fight for him and that’s why I don’t think this could actually happen except hirst has another illogical plot twist planned for us) OR the killed by a ragnarsson is a metaphor and bjorn actually “kills” lagertha because she sacrifices herself for him in battle or the like. which would be way more shocking and dramatic.

PS: If you reading this hirst I have no hard feelings if you steal my idea. just give us something good.

[barduil]

B’S FIC LIST

It’s been a while since my last multi-fandom fic list, so I thought I’d remake one. I didn’t include anything from before 2016 except one fic since they’re all… pretty bad, I mean it was my first year of writing, so yeah… but anyway! 

This list includes all the stories of mine I think are worth sharing, in chronological order, as well as the fanarts and/or aesthetics that go with them :) There’s quite a wide variety of settings and tropes, so if you’re new to my writing, you should hopefully find something that pleases you! Here we go!

** are personal favourites

THE HOBBIT

Petrichor (Bard/Thranduil) 14.5k, General Audiences, reincarnation, modern world, bookstore, books and cats • aesthetic, fanart 1, fanart 2, fanart 3, fanart 4

It's been six thousand years since Thranduil last laid eyes on his husband - Bard. The world has changed and the great Elvenking with it, lingering in the shadows of Men; as hope for a miracle festers within his heart that grows weaker with every passing day, the only thing keeping him going is a promise he made, many moons ago.

Those Colours We Share (Bard/Thranduil) 84.7k, Mature, soulmates, slow burn, 50s, post-war, animal shelter, sexual content • aesthetic (links to fanarts included in the caption) 

Had anyone told them, Thranduil Oropherion and Bard Bowman would never have believed they would see the world painted in colours again. Until that fateful day of December 1956, when one little boy entered a former soldier's animal shelter.

Forgotten Roads (Bard/Thranduil) 61.8k, Teen and Up Audiences, fantasy, roadtrip, creatures, shapeshifting, slow burn, asexual characters • aesthetic, fanart

When Bard's secret was revealed, he had no choice but to accept exile. Sent away with no hopes of ever being trusted or seeing his children again, Bard wandered across the country without purpose. Now comes a man with the promise of a new life at the end of a long journey, should he accept the stranger's request: to lead him through lands and dangers long forgotten, in quest of hope long lost.

Somewhere Only We Know** (Bard/Thranduil) 10.6k, General Audiences, Middle-earth, past major character death, fix-it • aesthetic 1, fanart 1, fanart 2, fanart 3

When the eighteenth month since Bard's death comes, Thranduil wakes on a strange feeling. He follows a mysterious blue orb through the ill trees of his forest, where he is shown precious memories of his ephemeral time with Bard. But is it a trick of his mind, a dream, or reality?

Crimson Water (Bard/Thranduil) 30.8k, Teen and Up Audiences, merpeople, merman Bard, childhood friends, forbidden friendship, forbidden love • aesthetic, fanart

“You're different,” it added, tilting its head slightly to the side. Thranduil meant to answer, but in one swift movement it turned, and disappeared under the water.

Bright Eyes (Bard/Thranduil) 2.7k, General Audiences, soulmates, tooth-rotting fluff, sequel to Those Colours We Share • aesthetic

Tilda bakes cake, Thranduil sings Disney songs, and Bard slow dances with an unusual partner.

hope, lost and found again, by the forgotten lake (Bard/Thranduil) 9.1k, General Audiences, fairy tales elements, centaur Thranduil

“Are you real?” Bard eventually asked, eyes wide. He held up his hand, and from the tip of his finger, poked at the centaur’s flank.

what was found and lost behind** (Bard/Thranduil) 11.3k, Teen and Up Audiences, post-war, 30s, reunions, father-daughter relationship, happy ending • aesthetic, fanart 1, fanart 2

Bard's been followed by ghosts all his life. When he and his family move to London, he doesn't expect one of those ghosts to come back from the dead—nor to be faced with his past, long concealed in a forgotten, old journal.

Warm, Cracked Hearts (Bard & his kids) 2.1k, General Audiences, character study, family, asexual character, angst, anxiety

One cold evening of winter, Bard faces the worries of his children. 

What We Want (Bard/Thranduil) 4.7k, General Audiences, university, asexual characters, slice of life, fluff, angst? I don’t know her, slow burn

Bard couldn’t be seriously annoyed with the project—he was glad something had allowed them the possibility of becoming friends. Even if it was something as frustrating as a huge assignment.

THE SILMARILLION

Under the Moonlight (Maedhros & Elrond) 2.4k, General Audiences, angst, adoptive father-son relationship • aesthetic

Elrond was no fool; such tears were not of a pain any medicine could heal. There was something else to them, too: they weren't just tears one spends in grief of kin or family. Elrond couldn't quite explain it, and so he asked, “Who is it, that you cry for?”

Home, by the Fireplace (Maedhros & Elrond) 1.6k, General Audiences, bonding, adoptive father-son relationship

“Elrond will come and find you soon enough,” Maglor said. He was back to working on his instrument. “Be kind, when he does—he only means the best.”

or Winter is harsh on Maedhros, and Elrond tries to help.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

The Way He Looks** (Gaston/LeFou) 2.4k, General Audiences, early days, pre-war, first kiss • aesthetic, fanart

Tentatively, LeFou risked looking up at him again. Gaston was looking out the window now, certainly dreaming of his next, successful hunt in the vast plains of the land. These were perhaps LeFou’s favourite moments; when they stopped to make camp in the forest or under the stars—and when they found peace here, at home, and he could watch Gaston bathe in the sunlight.

Blood on his Hands (Gaston/LeFou) 3.8k, Teen and Up Audiences, pre-movie, wartime, protective Gaston

"Was the man even still alive?

Gaston didn't know, and didn't care.

Hell, if anything Gaston hoped he was; he could suffer some more and die later."

or Wartime Gafou drabbles

He Loves Me (Gaston/LeFou) 3.5k, General Audiences, pre-war, first kiss, pre-movie relationship

LeFou glanced at Gaston, and watched his chest rise and fall to the steady rhythm of his breath. He thought back to the day when they’d been lying on top of the hill, and he’d asked Gaston, “Why are we friends?”

The answer had been simple, and easy back then; today, though, LeFou thought that it might have meant something different, for they were now older, and perhaps, a lot more wiser, too.

Reflection** (Gaston/LeFou) 7.7k, General Audiences, post-movie, Gaston lives, healing, scars • aesthetic

While Gaston heals from the fall that almost claimed his life, LeFou, hurt by Gaston's betrayal, struggles to come to terms with the aftermath of the battle.

OTHER

Not the End (Emmett Fields/John Cantrell, The Raven) 823 words, General Audiences, post-movie, fix-it

She stops by the door, fingers around the doorknob when she hears it. As the nurse had said, there's someone in the room already, and Emily can hear his voice, hushed and almost trembling. She's heard that voice before, but not like this—she's heard it strong, and confident, and commanding.

Today, it’s none of those things.

Old Friends and Broken Promises** (John Moore & Laszlo Kreizler, The Alienist) 2.1k, General Audiences, post-books, character study, angst

Months have passed since the Beecham and Hatch cases—but their shadows still linger over John's life.

Oh, if the Dead Could Weep (Héctor Rivera, Coco) 1.8k, General Audiences, pre-movie, angst

Héctor thought that being dead was already bad enough—until the first time he tried crossing the Marigold Bridge.

Sooo that’s it! There are other stories on my account that I didn’t include, either because they’re not any good or because something bothers me about them, but if you wanna give them a read, no one can stop you! but please don’t

Kudos are much appreciated, and comments mean the world to me. Even a few words would make my day!! It's never too late and even a tiny one would be wonderful. ;w;

I’ll also take this opportunity to thank @piyo-13 and @johnsmoore, who beta’ed most of those stories. Thank you so so much my friends, my fics and I would be nothing without you <3

[impracticaldemon]

Gajevy of the Shinsengumi New Chapter: The Oath of the Exiles, Part 2

by Impracticaldemon

See source link for link to FFN. I’m at Impracticaldemon on FFN. Words: ~2600

Summary:  Levy is a servant girl at an inn in Edo-period Japan (1864). She doesn’t know much about her past or her powers, but the red-eyed police officer she “meets” during a police (Shinsengumi) raid on the inn seems to have some ideas. New Chapter: Levy now has her guild mark and is an official member of the Guild in Exile. Conversation with Gajeel about the darker nature of the Oath of the Exiles. 

Chapter 8: The Oath of the Exiles, Part 2 Prompt: Marriage/Living Together

Author's Note:

Once again, I have decided to post a short (~2600 word) chapter, rather than wait to complete the whole story.  I hope you enjoy this! :) ~Impracticaldemon

Saitō-san and Yamazaki-san—or rather, Gray-san and Lahar-san—left the Vice Commander's office with Levy. Erza-san stayed to speak with the Vice Commander, which didn't seem to surprise anyone. Levy was very curious about the two of them, now that she knew that they were contracted to be married. After all, a marriage contract was a serious thing, far more important in many ways than the wedding itself, which was more of a party.

When they reached the small inner courtyard frequented by the executive officers, all three of them stopped by common accord. In Levy's case, it was more a question of being deep in thought and automatically coming to a halt when the men did.

"Congratulations, Levy-san," Gray-san said in his usual quiet voice. He bowed a little to her—she hurried to return the bow, as he was one of the most senior captains—and then turned and walked away to his room. Levy sensed that although his face and eyes remained as serious as ever, he was pleased with her.

Even as Gray-san reached the door to his room, which opened onto the courtyard, a big man with long, shaggy black hair came loping toward him. Gajeel was still wearing his blue and white Shinsengumi jacket and iron-reinforced headband, so he must have come right here from his patrol duties. He looked as though he were suppressing the urge to run, and his strides made quick work of the distance between himself and Gray-san.

"Jellal-san timed things as well as usual," murmured Lahar, putting a hand lightly on Levy's shoulder. "He made sure that Gajeel would be finishing up his rounds when you received you mark."

Levy's eyes were fixed on her mentor, who was speaking in low, emphatic tones to Gray-san. She could tell that the captain's responses neither surprised nor pleased Gajeel. Yet, despite a fierce scowl, Gajeel nodded to Gray-san at the end of their brief conversation and parted from him without any notable acrimony.

"Gajeel is handling things well," Lahar noted, sounding pleased. His hand was no longer on Levy's shoulder, and in fact he had moved a step away from his trainee. Levy glanced at him to make sure he wasn't being sarcastic, but he appeared to be serious.

"Watin' for me, are ya?" Gajeel walked up to them and stood glaring down at Lahar.

"It seemed possible that you would stop by," Larhar agreed, "and this place is much more private than the soldiers' compound."

"Hnh." Gajeel finally looked directly at Levy, and he drew in a breath and seemed to make himself let go of his annoyance. "How you doin' Shrimp? Don't mind me, I'm just a little tense 'cause I've been expecting this and wonderin' how it would go."

"I wish you'd been there." Levy clapped a hand over her mouth and felt herself turning red. "I-I mean everyone was great, and Erza-san was there, and nothing bad happened—I'm fine, I swear!—it's just that I guess I'm used to you being around."

"Now that's saying something," noted Laharl, amused. "It's taken me years to be able to say the same."

"Har har. Don't you have some patients waiting for you or somethin'?"

Lahar-san smiled slightly and bowed to Levy. "Congratulations, Levy-chan. You did well."

A moment later, the Shinsengumi's biggest and second-smallest warriors were alone in the pleasant courtyard. Unlike the main practice yard and most of the rest of the land around the two compounds, this area had gardens along the outer walls and greenery planted around a pretty cherry blossom tree in the center, near where they stood. The shade from the tree alleviated some of the heavy August heat.

"I guess I should be congratulatin' ya too, huh?" muttered Gajeel.

"I—think so?" Levy hazarded, unsure of her companion's temper.

"I'm happy that it all went smoothly, at least. An' I'm glad Titania was there—fierce woman, but a good friend for ya."

Levy nodded.

"Guess we should go back to our room. I need ta change and get somethin' ta drink."

"Gajeel…" Levy hesitated. "What's wrong? Why are you—why were you—so anxious?"

A large, heavy hand came down on each of Levy's shoulders. "Well, gee, it might be 'cause if ya'd chosen wrong then they would've killed ya!" Gajeel gave her a short shake. "An' I've put a lotta work inta ya now kid… don't want it to be a waste, do I?"

"But—the memory block?" Levy asked, trying not stagger.

"Yeah, that." Gajeel frowned. "Thing is kid, it's not super-reliable these days, even with the Yōsei like you. It relies in part on an iron-binding and, well, some of us don't mind iron"—he gave an ironic half-bow—"and all of us have had to learn ta live with it."

"Oh, iron's never bothered me at all—" Levy broke off as the implication hit her.

Gajeel gave her another small shake. "Figurin' it out are ya? They already knew that. Lahar would've told them as soon as you told him about conjurin' iron."

Levy was staring blindly into Gajeel's broad chest. They had known all along—Gray-san, Lahar-san, and Jellal-san, even Erza-san— they had known that her options were to swear the oath or die. A spell bound in iron almost certainly wouldn't seal the memory of a Fae who could conjure iron.

"They said I didn't have to die," she heard herself protest aloud, knowing that it was already a moot point, but reluctant to admit that she'd been deliberately tricked and put in peril of her life.

Gajeel shrugged. "They had ta tell ya that, Levy-chan. Otherwise it wasn't a free choice. The oath has to be freely given—that's always the most binding magic, ya know? I mean ya don't but… think about it."

Levy nodded numbly. If the only alternative were death, it was hardly a free choice. And of course it made perfect sense that a promise made under coercion had far less value.

"But now that I know?"

"Doesn't matter now. The promise was freely given, that's all the magic cares about. Remember that: there's a reason that humans don't trust the People. We don't lie and we can't break our promises, but we're damn good at gettin' what we want. Well… the dragon-folk like me an' Natsu tend to hit first and talk later, but the Yōsei and the Oni are known for how well they can spin a story." Gajeel tipped Levy's face up so that he could see her eyes. "The demon-folk are pretty powerful even without trickery, and they rarely care about human lives anyway. But the Yōsei, especially the purebloods, are awesome at magic but not exactly built to take punishment like the rest of us."

The chin in Gajeel's big fingers tilted up a fraction further.

"I am not weak, I'll have you know! I'm much tougher than I look!"

"I know that, Levy-chan. All the magic folks are tougher than they look—and can usually hit harder than ordinary humans, too. But see, I could take apart a human crowd without breaking a sweat." Gajeel seemed to be pulling his accent back together. "You still need to refine your magic. And you can't even use your magic in public without making life ten times more dangerous for yourself in the future—not unless you're very, very careful and a Guild Master gives you permission."

Levy stared at him, processing this along with everything else. "So, just hypothetically, if I found myself outnumbered or outclassed in a fight and used magic to get out, and somebody noticed, I'd be in trouble?"

"Yep. First off, the crowd would be scared and they might unite to tear you apart—a mob's a scary thing, don't kid yourself—and secondly… well, you'd most likely be sentenced to death by the People."

Levy shook herself free of Gajeel's loosened grip, and he didn't try to hold her.

"What is it with you people and death?" she demanded angrily. "How about, you know, a few days in jail, or a fine, or something? People—I mean people in general, not the People, gah!—anyway, people make mistakes. It happens."

"Yeah, but the Exiles are being hunted twice over. We don't want humans to remember that we really do exist—at least, the world doesn't seem like a safe enough place for that yet—and we can't let that bastard Laxus and his crowd start to identify magic with the Shinsengumi. Because one mistake with magic could get all of us killed. So"—Levy interrupted him.

"Does it work?"

"The Ban?" Gajeel considered the question seriously. "Yeah, I'd say that it works. It gets pounded into us all our lives and I'm guessing there are a lot of the People who would let themselves die or get injured rather than use magic around humans without permission."

"But what about the man Freed—somebody mentioned that he was an Oni working with Laxus, right?"

Gajeel stared at her sombrely. "Mmm-hmm. What about him?"

"Well, he didn't seem to be hiding his green hair. I mean… that would make people wonder wouldn't it?"

"It's complicated. It's… politics."

"So tell me, then. I mean I'm stuck now, right? A member of this big happy family? By my own free will?"

"Levy…"

Levy was glaring at the ground, fighting back tears. She finally belonged somewhere. She'd been momentarily happy about that. But now it seemed like her life still hung in the balance. After all, she didn't know anything about the politics everyone kept talking about. Maybe she was on the wrong side after all. The man—demon—Freed… She brought his human alias to mind: Amagiri Kyūjyu. Well, she hadn't gotten to study him, obviously, but he had seemed polite and he had actually helped Gray-san to stop the infighting between the Satsuma and the Aizu warriors.

"Yeah, I can almost hear what you're thinking, Levy, and I get it. But, okay, what about us? I mean, you came looking for me didn't you? You must have decided at some point we were okay—or at least a better alternative than the streets. You don't know anything about the other side, but that also means they could be even more ruthless than we are, you know? At some point you have to decide to trust your instincts."

The words tumbled over her, somehow both coherent and incoherent. She closed her eyes against the tears—she had taught herself how not to cry a long time ago, after all. She could hear anger growing in Gajeel's voice, and something else. Levy pushed the unwanted panic away and concentrated. She had often found that understanding the unspoken emotions was more important…

"You were worried about me."

Gajeel stopped in the middle of trying to sort out his next sentence.

"Duh. I mean—of course I was. See, I know you now. And you're pretty good at blending in and saying the right thing. But when it's important, when you care about something, well, you tell it like you see it."

"You thought I might say I wouldn't take the oath?" asked Levy.

"I…" Gajeel stopped and tilted his head up as though scanning the sky for inspiration. "I guess it's a risk analysis thing. Jellal's a straight-up guy, but there's no messing with him. Ah… dammit, Shrimp. It's like this: the percentage of the risk was low, but the consequence of failure was too high."

Levy furrowed her brow. She thought she understood, but Gajeel deserved to have to explain it properly.

"Try that again in real words, Gajeel?"

"Jeez, and you Yōsei are supposed to be so smart!" He took a look at the small, frowning face, and the tightly cross arms. "Okay. I was almost certain that you'd take the oath and join us—so low risk of there being a problem. But if you didn't then you were probably going to die." Gajeel paused again, and then added, very quietly. "Wasn't sure I could live with that."

Levy had to struggle not to respond to that implicit warmth. She had a sudden desire to bury her head in Gajeel's chest; it was embarrassing. There was a short, rather uncomfortable silence.

"That's why you weren't there," Levy said at last, when she could speak easily again.

"Mmm."

"Guess they think you're dangerous, huh?"

"You could say that." Gajeel was studying the sky again. "My history ain't exactly spotless."

Levy remembered Keiko-san's body sprawled on the kitchen floor and the wrenching pain in her arm when Gajeel had dangled her off the floor to question her. Then again, the Shinsengumi had suffered serious injuries as well as three men killed.

"You mean your history with the others? Like Natsu-san?"

"Yeah."

"On the bright side, that's before my time." Levy shook herself, like a puppy shaking off water. "Right. You're right. The people here have trusted me—even if they'll kill me if I screw up—and I've trusted them too. I owe Lahar-san for teaching me. I owe you for looking out for me—and for bringing me here at all."

"You need to be more careful about throwing around obligations like that, Shrimp! Honestly, I keep forgetting how little you know. The People take statements about owing favours awfully seriously—I thought I told you that!"

"Then I guess you'd better teach me more. I'm a good student."

For some reason, they were smiling at each other now. It was embarrassing. A moment later it got worse. Gajeel spun around defensively, but too late, as a sarcastic voice floated over to them.

"Don't you two already have a room? You—"

"Shut it, Flamebrain! Just mind your own business!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's what I'm trying to do, you know? But—"

"We're leaving, already! Come on, Shrimp, let's go—like you said, you've got lots to learn!" Gajeel gave Levy a small shove and then turned baleful red eyes on Natsu, who was grinning hugely.

Levy wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but she had caught enough of it to want to leave just as much as Gajeel. She was quite sure that she didn't want to spend any more time under Natsu-san's sharp green eyes. Plus, hadn't somebody mentioned that all the dragon-folk had very keen senses? Who knew how long the pink-haired man had been listening.

Gajeel, for his part, wasn't all that concerned about what Natsu might have heard, but the guy had a damn good nose, even for a Dragon, and noses were far more accurate at reading emotions then people realized. Problem was, ever since the Split, and Lucy's trauma, Natsu hadn't been the same. Not that tact and sensitivity had ever been a big part of the Dragon-clan skill-set, but in the past Natsu had always been one of the kindest people in the Guild; now, he sometimes let bitterness get in the way. Gajeel decided that he'd break the rule against brawling before allowing Natsu to continue with his unwelcome teasing.

"Oy—Metalhead!"

Gajeel paused at the entrance to the courtyard, gritting his teeth and feeling his hold on his temper slip. This had better be important… He jerked his head at Levy to let her know that she should keep going, and then scowled back over his shoulder at Natsu. "What?"

Natsu grinned at him. "Commander Kondō says all captains have to be at lunch today in the meeting room for some important announcements. He mentioned you specifically, so you'd better hurry. See you then!"

[END of PART 2]

A/Note: I hope you enjoyed this "part-chapter". Comments and reviews are always welcome. I'm still hoping to post the rest of the chapter this weekend! Looking forward to writing the sweet parts.

Tags:  @nalufever @shell-senji @eliz1369 @ftfanfics @fic-writer-appreciation

[punkscowardschampions]

Buster & Rio

Buster: Typical that I come back to an empty house without you Rio: What a depressing waste, like Rio: Could always throw your own welcome back party Buster: Tempting Buster: The lads have been harassing me for weeks, like Rio: Aww Rio: put 'em out of their misery Buster: Fuck it Buster: Might as well start as I mean to go on, yeah? Rio: Exactly Rio: Gotta keep busy somehow babe Buster: What are you doing? Rio: What I'm always doing Rio: 🤑 Buster: Working or working though? Rio: Ha, uncrackable code that Rio: Working, now going to the flat Rio: Lord knows no one knocks in this gaff Buster: At least with me gone that's the worst you'd have to explain if someone burst in Buster: So you're welcome Rio: True 😂 Rio: ✋ for dodging that bullet Buster: I'd take the mercy kill Buster: There'd be no more need to sneak around then Rio: Hmm Rio: 'til you realise we're exiled from dubo and london Rio: then where'd we go? Buster: Somewhere else Buster: Somewhere with some sun for a start, like Rio: Wouldn't hate that Buster: Exactly Buster: The weather's shit here right now Rio: Just in case you didn't know summer's over, like Buster: Doesn't mean I have to be happy about it Rio: Don't pout, baby Rio: ruin your back to school photo Buster: You've got loads of time to cheer me up before that Rio: Do my best Buster: I'll do my best to make you miss me Buster: Be easy then Rio: You know I already do Buster: Yeah but I want you to miss me as bad as I miss you Rio: How do you know I don't already? Buster: You wouldn't be able to concentrate if you did Rio: I dunno Rio: Can make it work for me with what I've gotta do Buster: You gonna make me spend to see it? Rio: Things haven't changed that much Rio: How rude Rio: You got a party to organise though, and friends to give much needed attention 😏 Buster: Just gonna make me beg then, yeah? Buster: Rude Rio: You still have to put some work in, boy Buster: I knew you weren't worked up enough, babe Rio: 😇 me Buster: Things haven't changed that much Buster: Your words Rio: Caught me Buster: You wish I could Buster: You wanna be in these arms so bad Rio: 😖 Why you teasing me Buster: You gotta get that 💰💰💰 Buster: I'm helping Rio: So helpful, you Rio: 😒 Buster: I can always change tact Buster: What would be more helpful to you, baby? Rio: Be here or stop being so cute Buster: [Sends selfie] Buster: Does that help? Rio: Ugh 😍 Rio: I miss you Buster: I love you Rio: I love you too Rio: Hold up Buster: Changed your mind or what? Rio: [Away for a long ass time cos fuck you Drew] Buster: Babe? Rio: My bad Rio: Unexpected visitor and progress Buster: Indie's back Buster: Well that's good Rio: Not yet but it's getting sorted Buster: Alright Buster: Who was there then? Rio: Drew came 'round, he didn't know I'd be here obvs, just doing some work himself Rio: but he actually apologised for the other night Rio: and he's gonna talk to Indie Buster: Seriously? Rio: I know, right? Rio: Unexpected Rio: but thank god, so over this drama Buster: Yeah Buster: Thank Christ I don't have to worry about that cunt now Rio: He was really decent considering Rio: got rid of whoever he was with before they could get an eyeful too 😶😰 Buster: Good Buster: And you're okay, yeah? Rio: Yeah, I'm fine Rio: I hope Indie comes back Buster: Like with everything he said and did Buster: You're not just saying it 'cause you want Indie back Rio: No, no Rio: Promise Rio: He was really nice Buster: Thank fuck Rio: Seriously Rio: Had forgot he had a key Buster: Me too Rio: 😂 Had to tell the stream I wasn't about to be murdered/doing some kinky roleplay for 'em Buster: Fucking hell Rio: Stepping it up some to keep the edge on my competitors Buster: 😂 Buster: You've got my heart going for all the wrong reasons, babe Rio: Soz, baby Buster: I'm just glad you didn't get murdered, like Rio: Cheers Rio: That's how you know the honeymoon is over 😏 Buster: Don't Buster: I ain't marrying you even if you threaten to murder me Rio: 😂 Rio: so gutted Buster: Get your own fortune, cheers Rio: Who's out here getting fake murdered for the coin, huh? 🤔🤔🤔 Rio: Always doing the most and getting the most Buster: Give it a few days and you'll have plenty of competition Buster: I'm already doing assigned reading whilst planning a party here Rio: 🤓 Buster: Shut up Buster: I gotta do it sometime Rio: Only joking Rio: It's hot Buster: [sends selfie of him reading] Buster: I know Rio: Don't ruin my fantasy, dork Buster: Well now you're not gonna get the rest of the pics Rio: Babe Rio: 😞 Buster: Keep your fantasy Buster: 😏 Buster: That's what you wanted, yeah? Rio: No Rio: I want you Buster: [sends some more pics but not the good stuff] Rio: Fuckin' tease Buster: learnt from the best Buster: you're the biggest tease ever Rio: Glad I've taught you so much, like Rio: don't be using it against me though, ain't ready to come for the master yet 😜 Buster: 😂 Buster: Am I not? Rio: 🤫 Rio: If you're gonna try then get prepared for me to go harder, like Rio: not gonna hold back 'cos you're an amateur, baby Buster: I leave the country and suddenly you're feeling brave enough to call me an amateur Rio: What you gonna do about it? Rio: 😋 Buster: Get on a flight to sort you out Rio: I wish Rio: Seriously...I really fucking want you right now, my body misses you so much already Buster: I ain't opposed to leaving my party before it even starts Buster: It's not like I need the distraction if I've got you Buster: And you know how you've got me too, 'cause it's the same as always Buster: There's too many walls in this house I could push you up against and I really fucking want to Rio: Oh God Rio: no, we gotta be good Rio: can't break this soon Buster: I don't wanna be good Buster: Tell me I have to Rio: You've gotta Rio: You've put it out there now, the keener guests will be on their way already, like Buster: Yeah Buster: Fuck's sake Rio: You'll have fun Buster: 'Course Buster: I just want you here too Rio: Obviously Rio: I know I am the party but Rio: gotta be places, babe Buster: With jokes like that, yeah Buster: You gonna go see Indie? Rio: Should let her come to me, I reckon Rio: make sure Drew has sorted it Rio: Imma go out with some friends, see who's about Buster: You're right, could be more bullshit from him Rio: I don't see why Rio: he's trying to make good, finally Buster: I don't reckon it is, I'm just saying Rio: Yeah Rio: Anyway Rio: party time for all Buster: Do you know where you're gonna go yet? Rio: Me and Rian are starting at Hang Dai 👌 Rio: s'good craic Buster: I'll warn them you're coming, like Rio: 🖕 Buster: You all out of politeness now I've left? Rio: Nah, so well-behaved in fact that your 'joke' cut me real deep Buster: Poor baby Rio: 😒 Gonna drown my sorrows Buster: I'd tell you not to go too hard but I ain't gonna be that hypocrite Rio: S'alright, soak it up with the Chinese Rio: No one to impress tonight Buster: I'm still gonna be able to see your posts, remember Buster: Impress me Rio: Boy, I know my angles Rio: and I know what you like Buster: If you don't by now you really do need to drown your sorrows Rio: Psh Rio: can't even try and come at me with that Rio: and my mates need know excuse to be coming with those 'rounds Buster: 😂 Buster: Literally the only thing our friends have in common Rio: Real talk 😂 Rio: Tell 'em I said hi Buster: I ain't saying shit to James from you though Rio: Oh no Rio: what a shame Buster: For him yeah Rio: Bless him Buster: He's a prick Buster: Save your blessings Rio: Why hang with him then Buster: If I hold him to it I'd have to do it with all of 'em Rio: Fair enough Rio: a lot of effort Buster: Yeah Buster: Not trying to waste my time with that Rio: Understandable Rio: they at least have their uses this way, yeah Buster: Exactly Rio: Hmm Rio: What am I gonna wear Buster: Are you sticking with the 'nobody to impress' bullshit or not? Rio: Wasn't planning to rock up in my sweats regardless babe Rio: boys that aren't you are friggin' useless, how can I work out the vibe and match from 'idk some jeans' Buster: Don't be trying to match Buster: Make your own vibe Rio: Solid advice cutie Buster: More importantly, what am I gonna wear, though Rio: Forreal Rio: gotta show 'em what they've been missing baby Buster: Easy Buster: If they ain't impressed they ain't coming in Rio: 😂 Rio: One way to keep the guest list down 😉 Buster: Well, yeah I can't trash the place day 1 Rio: not with that attitude Buster: I'm not in the 24 now, babe Rio: Exactly Rio: step your game up, before you'd just tell me the maid would clean it up to piss me off Buster: She doesn't come every day we're not royalty Buster: Just act like it Rio: Don't party like it Rio: don't need to see you in a nazi uniform or with your pasty arse out thanks Buster: 😂 Buster: [Sends booty selfie because he's silly] Buster: I was gonna throw outfit suggestions at you but you've sorted it Buster: Cheers Rio: 😏 Rio: well, the SS uniforms were Hugo Boss so Rio: right up your alley that Buster: Shut up Rio: 😂 Rio: I love you Buster: I miss you Rio: Yeah Rio: it's shit Buster: At least school will distract me Buster: Never thought I'd be saying that, like Rio: Gonna ace it Buster: Standard Rio: Yeah Rio: you work hard too though Buster: It's the one thing my parents reckon that isn't bullshit Buster: Gotta work hard as well as play it Rio: Amen Rio: I'll second that Buster: Cheers Buster: It's what none of the lads can get their heads around Buster: It can't be a game all the time, fuck that Rio: Unless they planning to live off their Ma and Pa forever Rio: tragic Rio: assumedly they'll get handed a cushy job by said Pa though so won't even see the consequences of 🙄 Buster: Yeah Buster: And a missus with her own set of rich parents is pretty likely Rio: S'who you know Rio: won the genetic lottery, like, well done yous Buster: 🥇 Rio: You ain't fooling anyone, babe Rio: know me for starters Buster: I don't need to fool anyone Buster: It ain't no trick I'm actually this good Rio: 😏 S'one word for it Buster: What's your word then? Enlighten me Rio: You know my word Rio: 'cos you hate it Rio: cute Buster: Maybe I miss it Buster: Or just love you enough to put up with hearing it again Rio: I'll call you later, no doubt when I'm fucked up and you can hear all about it Buster: Yeah? Buster: Good Rio: Let you miss me a bit first Rio: 'Course Buster: I already do Buster: A lot Rio: [sends highlights from stream earlier] Rio: how much i miss you Buster: Jesus Buster: If it's any consolation I spent so long in the shower missing you earlier that it's a good thing my parents aren't struggling to pay any bills Rio: I know, imagine how good it could've been if I weren't interrupted, but that's the story of our lives init Rio: that is not what I'd call consolation Rio: damn Rio: over here needing a cold one now Buster: You won't be wanting the footage then. I'll save it for another day Rio: BUSTER Buster: Yeah? Rio: Please Buster: [Sends video because tell me everything ain't waterproof in the future like bitch my phone already is now] Rio: 😻 Rio: I'm literally drooling you're so fucking hot Rio: like gimme Buster: That's just what happens when I think about you Buster: You're so fucking hot and I want you so badly Rio: Fuck Rio: when can I come see you daddy? Buster: Now Buster: But seriously, I need you here soon Rio: Next weekend maybe Buster: I'll make it work if you can Rio: 'Course Rio: not that long of a flight, even if I have a Saturday shift Rio: I need you Buster: I love you Rio: I love you Rio: Go get ready Buster: You too Buster: We can do this Rio: 'Course Rio: 👑 Buster: You know it

[gravetells]

Author Amy Lane on what makes Green’s Hill so special #Quickening #LittleGoddess #UrbanFantasy

If you’re a fan of urban fantasy and you haven’t read Amy Lane’s Little Goddess series, you MUST check it out. The series has a lot of similarities to Laurell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series, but without the retina-burning horror elements and the out-of-control menage. Little Goddess is what Merry Gentry could have been. Don’t let that fool you into thinking this series is “safe”. Vulnerable (the first book in the series) will break your heart, and each new book after it will shock you in ways you can’t predict. But that’s what makes this series dynamite. Author Amy Lane is here today with some personal perspective into what makes Green’s Hill (the series’ home base) so very addicting.

Welcome, Amy Lane!

Why Green’s Hill

I’ve heard it from a lot of people over the years—they wish there was a place like Green’s hill. I mean it’s not perfect—privacy is an illusion, monogamy has all sorts of drawbacks and somebody is literally trying to kill you at every turn.

But the pros are also easy to spot: beautiful people, sexual freedom, guaranteed job security doing whatever you like that helps the collective, and let’s not forget immortality or at least a generously increased lifespan.

Who wouldn’t want to live there?

But people who stop at eternal sex and excellent job training are missing the point.

Mental health problems and drug addictions are sort of my milieu. Not mine personally—in fact, a lot of people I hang out with would be hard pressed to remember seeing me drink more than a glass of wine or a single mojito, and there’s a reason for that. But I’ve seen up close the damage done to lives and promising futures and families when self-medicating one problem with another gets wildly out of hand.

When I was teaching, there were a lot of times I saw the signs of kids who were about ready to fall through those same cracks. There wasn’t much I could do for them—helping them pass English, telling them they had a future, helping them find someone to talk to—in the end, I spent less than 4 ½ hours a week with a kid, and much of that was in the company of 35 other people. (California public schools, where class size is no joke.)

And I had a fondness for kids that nobody else seemed to see. The natural smartass—that was my kid. I didn’t care much if they were always on time—what I liked was a kid who knew how to be late. If a kid got to school late every day, entered the room, sat down, and started the warmup so silently that I didn’t see her, seriously? Why get mad? My personal rule of thumb was that if it didn’t disrupt the learning, I didn’t give a rat’s ass, and the kids who bought into that idea were the kids I showed up for every damned day.

So one day, I was driving to work, and got stuck behind a giant hulking land yacht, rumbling at the U-turn where most of the late-ish teachers were idling. As I was staring into space, pondering the latest urban fantasy novel I’d read, I saw a hand with a cigarette hanging out of the window—the sort of bored smoking that a veteran nicotine addict indulges in.

Then I recognized that kid.

I loved that kid.

She was one of my favorites—she’d already submitted to nursing school, and while she wasn’t top of her class, she was definitely going somewhere.

But the nicotine addiction made me so sad.

Because she wasn’t even eighteen, and that was a thing that would follow her through her entire life. I wanted a do over for her—a chance to re-negotiate that part of her life, to come out with the promising future she’d earned and the zero addictions she deserved.

And then (because seriously, this was a frickin’ long light) I thought about fantasy stories. Why did they only serve the introvert, the super smart kid, the exiled nerd? That always seemed sort of self-aggrandizing to me. I mean, yeah, I was that kid, but I didn’t see any of my favorite kids in my books. The disenfranchised. The ones who didn’t test well, or whose hostility got in the way of their brains sometimes. Remember—this was 2000/2001. There was an entire market of YA books of kids who got addicted to meth and then raped by their dealers (no, I’m not kidding!) but there wasn’t much hope in the way of redemption for those kids.

And not only that, but those books… they always made sex seem like such an awful thing. If you have sex, you’ll break up and you won’t be a virgin for your next boyfriend and that’s BAD! Don’t have sex or do drugs because you’ll become perfectly irredeemable as a person and nobody will ever want you again EVER. OH MY GOD, EVERY MISTAKE YOU MAKE WILL BE HELD AGAINST YOU AND YOU WILL BE JUDGED FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!

That’s not the way life works!

Or it shouldn’t be.

One kid doing X at a party shouldn’t get him put in jail for years. One kid who gets high and laid shouldn’t be given up on—ever. And once the addiction started, what then? What happened to that kid whose self-destructive spiral just can’t seem to end?

Because we all know where it does end, don’t we? We’ve seen the commercials and read the literature often enough.

I didn’t make a conscious decision to write Green’s hill that day—but I was writing. When I wrote Cory and Adrian—and then added Green to the mix, I needed Green and Adrian to have a bigger purpose than themselves. They needed to be doing something important, otherwise if Cory ended up with them, she was just trading in one small town dream for another.

And then I realized what job Adrian would be perfect for. What purpose Green’s skill at sex and healing seemed to lend itself to.

If your number one tenet is no shame, and your creed is sensual and consensual, you are the perfect beings to help unfuck the young and the lost, the addicted and the despondent

These two characters—they were agents of redemption. If your number one tenet is no shame, and your creed is sensual and consensual, you are the perfect beings to help unfuck the young and the lost, the addicted and the despondent, those who have been told that their mistakes have rendered them worthless, when the human being who made those mistakes is, in fact, shining and pure and good.

This idea of the found family has become the cornerstone of my writing since then. The theme of forgiveness and empathy being stronger than hatred and shame has crystalized as one of my most dearly held beliefs.

And when I write about Green and Cory, Bracken and Nicky, and dear, darling, beloved Adrian, I am drawn again to the magic of Green’s hill, and reminded that the true magic—forgiveness and unconditional love—are the most human of enchantments.

Forgiveness and unconditional love are the most human of enchantments @AmyMacLane #GreensHill Click To Tweet

  New to the Little Goddess series?

Start with Vulnerable. This is a series you definitely need to read in order! Grab your copy on Amazon below*:

Buy or reserve your copy online at*: Amazon (Kindle) | Dreamspinner Press

Quickening by Amy Lane Published by DSP Publications on May 2nd 2017 Genres: LGBT, Gay, Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Pages: 316 Add it to your To Read shelf: Goodreads

Find the Author: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Amazon

Little Goddess: Book Five, Volume One Cory thought she’d found balance on Green’s Hill—sorceress, student, queen of the vampires, wife to three men—she had it down! But establishing her right to risk herself with Green and Bracken had more than one consequence, and now she’s facing the world’s scariest job title: mother. But getting the news that she’s knocked up takes a back seat when a half-elf hunts them down for help. Her arrival brings news that the werewolf threat, which has been haunting them for over a year, has finally arrived on their doorstep—and it’s bigger and more frightening than they’d ever imagined. Cory throws herself into this new battle with everything she’s got—and her men let her do it. Because they all know that whether they defeat this enemy now or later, the thing she’s most afraid of is arriving on a set schedule, and not even Cory can avoid it. The trick is getting her to acknowledge she’s pregnant before she gives birth—or kills herself in denial.

About Amy Lane

Amy Lane has two kids in college, two gradeschoolers in soccer, two cats, and two Chi-who-whats at large. She lives in a crumbling crapmansion with most of the children and a bemused spouse. She also has too damned much yarn, a penchant for action adventure movies, and a need to know that somewhere in all the pain is a story of Wuv, Twu Wuv, which she continues to believe in to this day! She writes fantasy, urban fantasy, and gay romance–and if you accidentally make eye contact, she’ll bore you to tears with why those three genres go together. She’ll also tell you that sacrifices, large and small, are worth the urge to write.

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from Author Amy Lane on what makes Green’s Hill so special #Quickening #LittleGoddess #UrbanFantasy