#mash rose-arc

[itsupermanti]

Fate/RWBY; Remnants of Silver Omake; Terror of a Doting Father

Ritsuka(quickly slamming the door to his team dorm shut behind him): GAH!!!

Hakuno(sweat-dropping as he watches his partner quickly placing some seals onto the door while Gudako simply looks up from the game she was playing on her Scroll to watch her brother’s freak out in confusion): This seems really extreme, even by his standards…

Ritsuka(quickly attempting to go through some hand signs he’s seen on various ninja anime): Rin! Hyou! Tou! Sha! Kai! Jin! Rei!

CRACK!!!

Ritsuka(crying out as he performs the last few handsigns wrong and his fingers crack): OWWWW!!!

Gudako+Hakuno(shouting out in alarm as they abandon whatever they were doing before in shock): YOUR FINGERS ARE ALL MESSED UP NOW!!!

Ritsuka(crying out in alarm as the seals on the door are burned off before a blond knight in black and red armor slams the door wide open while exuding a vicious red aura that would make even the oldest Grimm beg for a quick death): NOOOOOO!!!

(Artwork by “DumplingYumYum” on Deviantart)

Jaune(eyes shining a dragon-like amber as he glares at his daughter’s team leader): There’s no reason to run, Fujimaru…

Jaune(holding his hand up to present a bag of handmade chocolates): I’m simply here to deliver these chocolates to you…

Jaune(as he draws a black sword engraved with ominously glowing red lines on the blade): Now, battle your King and try to take them from me.

Hakuno(as he gets between his partner and the angry Huntsman): There’s no way!

Gudako(shivering as the image of a black dragon appears behind the “King of Huntsman”): You’re on some level that no humans should try to pass!

Jaune(growling as a flashback of Mash preparing the chocolates in the kitchen with help from Ruby plays in his mind): Chocolates that my cute, adorable daughter prepared…

Jaune(red circuit-like patterns spreading across the floor from his feet as his aura grows more intense as he presents the chocolates): IF YOU SAY THAT YOU DON’T WANT THEM, I’LL KILL YOU!!! AND IF YOU WANT THEM, THEN YOU’LL HAVE TO KILL ME!!!

Hakuno(crying out in alarm as Gudako quickly bolts for the closet to hide from the rageful father): SOMEONE’LL DIE EITHER WAY!!!

Hakuno(waving his arms around frantically as he realizes that he left his weapon by the door, right behind the angry huntsman): Maybe it’s just some obligatory chocolate…? Like a token of gratitude…

Gudako(smiling nervously as she pokes her head out of her safehaven in the closet to address their teacher as Jaune’s ominous red aura starts dying down): Right?

Jaune(his eyes returning to their usual blue with a crestfallen look forming on his face as Ritsuka and Hakuno slowly take a few steps away from the senior Huntsman): She didn’t make any for me…

Ritsuka(crying out in fear so loud that it could be heard all across Beacon): AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

[itsupermanti]

Jaune(shrugging his shoulders): But who knows? Maybe we get together during a time-skip and have kids who end up becoming the main characters for the “Next Generation”?

Ruby(gritting her teeth in annoyance): They better not end up as bratty as that one entitled, blond ninja kid…

One Sequel Series time-skip later;

Mash Rose-Arc(staring at her mom in confusion): …There’s no way either of you two actually said that.

Mordred Rose-Arc(crossing his arms in annoyance): I am NOT the “Boruto” in that comparison…

Pyrrha Rose-Arc(sweat-dropping at her older brother): That’s your big takeaway from this?

Ruby: Oh Jaune, I'm so happy that you came back from your training to help us. *Holds his hand* And that we can finally be together.

Jaune: Sorry Ruby, but it's not going to last.

Ruby: What do you mean?

Jaune: Everything that just happened was a non-canon movie. I'm still off on my solo training arc and we're going to forget about all of this soon.

Ruby: But we finally started dating after like... forever!

Jaune: 7 seasons.

Ruby: Well, are we at least going to get together for real soon?

Jaune: We get to hold hands in the series finale.

Ruby: BULLSHIT!!!

[superiorsturgeon]

RWBYJNPR: *waking up hungover after their graduation party*

Jaune: *crawls out from under Blake’s bed* …uuuhhhhh…I think I need a medic…

Ruby: *draped over the couch like a decorative blanket* …aren’t you a medic…?

Jaune: …

Jaune: …in that case, I’m the last thing I need…

[howlingday]

Meanwhile, at a drinking place...

Ruby: So yeah, Whitley has been working with Weiss on his singing.

Yang: Guess he's really practicing, huh?

Nora: (Slurping drink)

Whitley: (Gets on stage, Belts awful music)

Ruby: (Covers her face, Blushing)

Yang/Nora: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Whitley: (Singing)

Ren/Jaune: (Slide up, Provide awful backup)

Yang/Nora: (Cringing at their boyfriends)

Ruby: (Looks up from hands) Ugh...

[evony256]

SPOILERS FOR DRDT CH2 E14

Giving my thoughts on the new episode again! It's surprisingly fun

-I'm actually starting to like Nico more, they used to be the second character I disliked the most, but I really like DRDT's different take on the "shy character" trope. It makes it feel so unique and Nico far more relatable

-And just when I started to like Hu more, now she's back at the bottom again (I'm not saying that her character is bad, it's just that I don't really like the mom and emotionally-oriented character tropes mashed together. Those types of characters are usually pretty annoying to me...) Her rebuttal was cool though

-TELL HER CHARLES!!! (can you see that I'm biased)

-WHOA WHOA WHOA COMIC THINGY THIS EARLY???

-they're finally talking about the tape. Theorists, you can rest easy now

-god damnit why are all of the characters in DRDT so relatable. Rose I feel so bad for you girl

-TERUROSE!!! RORUKO!!! YURI!!!! WHATEVER THE FUCK IT'S CALLED!!! (It's not that I ship this, I just love the dynamic between Rose and Teruko)

-Teruko has developed so much in two chapters it's insane

-this might be bad for the Arden stocks

-EDEN ISTG IF IT'S ACTUALLY YOU THEN I HAVE NO HOPE FOR ANYONE HERE

-TELL THEM TERUKO!!!

-David are you being /srs or /j

-why are the chibis so cute. I love it when Drdtdev does this. Just add a little chibi there while they're trying to figure out who the killer is and to not get executed. Also why is the evil Eden one so cute

-"The only person I need to believe me is Teruko." I think you're asking for a bit much buddy

-Even David has started to grow on me a lot with this episode. The way he foils Teruko is so intriguing. I can't wait to see how their rivalry develops

-WE GOT TERUDEN TOO!!! LOVE WINS!!!! (it doesn't)

-Teruko is starting to work with others and maybe even believe in them a bit. I love to see her character arc growing even more. She is such a well written character. Teruko fans, rise up!!!

-[Eden hugs Teruko] DRDTdev you are diabolical.

-time to go to sleep since it's like 3 am for me rn lmao

10/10 episode, as usual

[orphicsong]

I want - no I crave more long-term, deeply developed ships. The kind that stay with you, that you can’t stop thinking about as an RPer. Ships that are carefully thought out, with rich headcanons and complex plots. The ones you get completely absorbed in, where you’re constantly thinking about them and staying up late to write just one more reply. Ships that make you so attached to the characters that you feel everything they do—the good, the bad, and all the mess in between. I want ships that we can truly build over time, seeing them grow through months of development, full of angst, but also sweet or steamy moments. And even ones where we can throw in a random line just to keep things fun !! Yeah, I’m definitely looking for more ships like that. So please, like… message me... whatever works !! However, if you only play white fcs or exclusively female muses, I’d prefer not to waste anyone’s time. Below are some plots I’m excited to explore—if anything catches your eye, please ♡ this post !!

𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐒

greek mythology .  pretty open to ideas for this plot. i’m down for it being a royal au, a modern au, a fantasy style au ( acotar esque ) anything really ! i have a.thena, a.pollo, p.oseidon, & a.rtemis. but i’m happy to explore others depending on what we decide the plot to be for this. maybe something percy jackson esque ??

hunger games . my thought is like ... we can probably do quarter quell or victors or something. thg has just always been one of my fave concepts to explore. !!! i'd love it if, in the event the characters got to the game, they could also like ... escape. rebellion arc. idk we love a rebellion & i become attached so fast ! also the pre-games activities such as the interviews, training sessions, etc i need it !!

fantasy . might be a hard find but a plot based on a world mash of the grishaverse and a court of thorns and roses. basically a multiverse in a sense ?? we would borrow the court system from acotar and the magic system from the grishaverse. fantasy is my cup of tea. the primary focus here would be on humans and fae, and obviously some scrumptious tension between the two !!

superheros . a superhero university rp based on gen v. could be godolkin u, could be a rival school. could be set in the universe and timeline of the boys or not. but same gritty satirical vibes, with everyone having silly off-brand hero names and costumes, and sky high-esque classes like how to quickly change into your hero costume or sidekick training and stuff like that. maybe some dc / marvel superhero vibes ??

harry potter . harry potter esque universe ! i'm open to any era, honestly, with both canon and original characters. im only on the third movie, but i would love to do something marauders era esque, or something that even takes place in hogwarts with our own muses ??

any plots & ideas you have / are dying to do!!

[raccoonfallsharder]

cicatrix .⋆☁︎:･꧂

chapter twenty-one. puntkick. [new 9/6] ✩

18+ only | rocket x f!oc | 21/40+ | wip | wordcount: pending. masterlist, notes, & moodboard. | chapter twenty-one. puntkick. ✩ ART: pearl's character design | pearl & rocket's bunk | heartspur scene | chapter one. nemotia. art by @/frostedwitch| rocket & pearl snuggle

diplomacy is attempted. see below for warnings & notes.

“The food is very good, kitten!” Drax interrupts, scooping another enthusiastic mouthful onto his spoon. “A far cry from the weak Sovereign mash.” Rocket’s ears flick back and the wicked glee in his face flattens. His eyes dart from Drax to her. “Don’t like that,” he says darkly, and for a moment, she thinks he’s talking about the meal. A flush of embarrassment curls up in her cheeks. “Call her something else,” he adds, waving his spoon at Drax, and it takes a second for pearl’s brain to catch up.

“Sorry,” she squeaks. It had been her fault, she realizes — introducing herself that way to Ayesha. What had she been thinking?  “I don’t know why I—“ “Don’t gotta apologize, sweetheart,” he says, eyes back on the starshield before he raises a brow and offers her a scowl. “Least not for that.” She winces.  “What else should I call you?” Drax asks, dark eyes fastened on her curiously. “Do you have a name?” She opens her mouth, then closes it. “Not really,” she says faintly, and she can feel Rocket studying her consideringly from his periphery. “Doll, I guess?” she looks askance at Rocket, and he shrugs.  “Whatever you want,” he says dryly, and he sounds a little hoarse. She twists regretful hands in her lap — she should have brought him water. “Just not — kitten is mine,” he says, and something in his voice sounds tight and strangled. Drax’s eyes widen comically. “Ah, of course,” he says agreeably. “It’s a love-name.” Pearl can feel herself blanch, the blood running from her face so quickly she goes lightheaded, while Rocket’s ears lay back more flatly than she’s ever seen them. 

read more on ao3 | masterlist, notes, & moodboard

this chapter is a bridge to the next arc of the plot, but i hope you enjoy it anyway!

a story about scars. two survivors learn about themselves, each other, hope, and the universe. a freakish little monster visits the high evolutionary’s bride on her wedding night. an adventure of intergalactic proportions ensues. aka raccoons make plans; the universe laughs.

WARNINGS for this chapter: heightened trauma-related anxiety. general insecurity. 

banners & rose dividers by @/saradika-graphics pearl dividers by @/thecutestgrotto taglist ♡ @evolvingchaoswitch ♡ @glow-autumz ♡ @wren-phoenix ♡ @suicidalshitstick ♡ @pretty-chips

[gingersp1ce547]

ok it’s jojoever i have brainrot now i need to assign stands to every qsmp eggs

ramon : Killer Queen - bombs + cat what more do i need to say

Chayanne : Pearl Jam - Just making extremely good food

Tallulah : Hermit Purple - Thorns design that reminds of Rose

Leo : Purple Haze - Color matches + rabid dog vibes

Sunny : Emerald green - using jewels to fight is perfect for her

Empanada : Paisley Park - don’t have an explanation, em just gives me yasuho vibes

Pepito : Bohemian Rhapsody - go make spider-man real king

Dapper : Gold experience - gruesomely killing your enemies with your knowledge of living creatures is such a dapper thing

Pomme : Sex Pistols - go my little sniper queen

Richas : Heaven’s door - Perfect for an artist with a taste for fofoca

Dude i saw the word sex pistols in the context of stands my brain went “part 5? PART 5!” Like a dog hearing its name being called so im more than happy to brain rot with you bout all of this!

-killer queen is so perfect for ramon. If he had it during the election arc, fit would have to have stopped him form making foolish a speck of ash on the floor after he arrested tazercraft

-chays fits so well from a symbolic, “stands are a reflection of ones soul” perspective too. Like even though he’s a warrior, at heart he the main thing he cares about is taking care of his family though both physical protection and just general wellbeing. Such a good pick for him

-Hermit purple is such a good pick with tallulah. Im imagining phil sighing as he pulls out another camera for her to destroy before they eventually start having super cheap ones on hand for that exact purpose

-Listen i see purple haze for leo, i get it i can see the vision. But my fugo loving brain refuses to let go of what purple haze means for him as a stand symbolically and wants to give it to q!cellbit EVEN THOUGH WERE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE EGGS.

Anyways in context of only assigning stands to the eggs 100% i think she should get out purple haze, but if were talking about everyone i also think born this way would be a really good fit for her and i cant quite explain why outside of the vibes just mathcing in my head

-sunny would so be besties with emerald green. Like tubbo would have to not only give sunny stuff but also it. I can totally see her giving it a nickname and its own room and stuff

-Your so right about empanda having yasuho vibes. Something about the crypticness of the power of paisley park coupled with all the shit both the characters have been though mashes really well together

- Bohemian rhapsody is so fucking funny for pepito. Especially because like idk if youve ever read any jojo’s fanfics but theirs this really good one called chimera were long story short the ascended version of dio from eyes over heaven goes to another universe and just fucks with the dio their by basically forcing him on a part jumping self-betterment arc? Anyways during it the author had the reason ungalo’s life became so shit was because he accidentally used his stand to make the story of holes come true with him acting as the main character and now every tine i think about that stand i cant not think of that.

But anyways him and roier would abuse the fuck out of his stand and it would in fact be hilarious

-As a giorno lover, dapper is so giorno coded. He would be so fucking unstoppable with that stand even without it being its requiem version. I can so see him using it to fuck with his dad for funnsies too.

-Pomme would be so sweet to the pistols too, she would make sure they get the best treats. I think at first she would struggle with keeping them in line but with etoiles help she would be the perfect balance of stern and sweet.

-richas with heavens door would be the absolute worst. Like the biggest menace ever. He would use it on his parents to make it so they could never give him a bath again and then they would have to find a work around for what doesnt count as bath but still technically got him clean until their able to convince him to reverse it.

[itsniquol]

Animes That Fans Are Still Waiting To See Sequels For

With the recent premiere of the second season of Clone High through HBO’s Max streaming service and Netflix’s second season of the reboot of Bastard!; long suffering fans are finally getting more of the animated shows that they have spent over ten years waiting for. Hopefully streaming services will continue to listen to the people and start doing more reboots and sequels to what fans want to see. Here’s a list of seven other anime shows that anime fans are still waiting to see:

School Rumble

School Rumble is the anime adaptation of the Slice of Life, Romantic-Comedy manga of the same name by Jin Kobayashi. This over 20 episode animated series follows the ditzy but lovable, Tenma Tsukamoto, and the former delinquent who loves her, Kenji Harima. This show was brilliantly written with amazing comedic moments surrounding the typical misunderstandings and awkward moments among teenagers, along with personal revelations. School Rumble was definitely a show that would delight many within the Shoujo or Shonen fan-base, however the ending of the series seemed unfinished and left much to be desired.

Ouran Host Club

Take Hana Kimi and mash it together with Boys Over Flowers, and you get Ouran Host Club. Based off of the 2002-2010 manga by Bisco Hatori, the genderbending reverse harem anime continues to have a dedicated fan base still aching for more episodes. This anime follows the gender non-conforming Haruhi Fujioka who attends a prestigious private school on scholarship, and is forced to pay back a debt working as a host club member. Despite being a comedy this show has compelling character arcs and emotional moments, with positive LGBT+ representation. Since the anime concluded before the manga’s completion there’s definitely still plenty of story to tell and this show could easily follow in the footsteps of FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood or Hellsing Ultimate.

Kamisama Kiss

Having an original air date of 2012 this anime is based off the 25 volume long manga series by Julietta Suzuki of the same name. This show followed the recently homeless Tomoe who becomes a minor deity and gets a handsome yet short tempered fox yokai for a servant. This show had a nice concept with many lovable characters in the Supernatural genre with Romantic-Comedic elements to the story. Despite having two seasons, the story’s ending didn’t feel complete and hopefully one day fans can get more.

Utena: Revolutionary Girl

For so many people this 1997 anime was an introduction to the world of anime and manga and is highly regarded for its art style, and LGBT+ and Feminist themes. The anime is based off of the manga written by Chiho Saito of the Magical Girl, Action, and Fantasy genres. This story follows Utena Tenjou, a new girl at school who becomes involved in a secret European-style duel competition for “The Rose Bride.” The bride in question is a quiet and mysterious girl named Anthy Himemiya who is often treated more as a prop and less as a person. Utena fights frequently to defend Anthy yet is sadly betrayed by someone she considered a good friend. The anime ends with Anthy going out to search for Utena but we never know what happens after the fact. Even the anime film adaptation ends with no clear resolution so a reboot or a sequel series to settle people’s questions would be a great form of closure to the old fans while catching the interest of the new ones.

Mermaid Forest

After the success of Inuyasha, Ranma ½, and Urusei Yatsura, Rumiko Takahashi has no shortage of fans who would check out anything with her name attached. Back in the early 2000s there was an anime adaptation of her 1994 manga of the same name. In this anime the show’s two leads, Yuta and Mana, have been given immortality after consuming mermaid flesh which arguably the better of the two possible side effects. For the better part of the series the anime follows these two around during their travels until they run into another, much older immortal, who has developed an amoral personality. Towards the end we never know the fate of the older immortal nor discover if there is any possibility to reverse the side effects of the mermaid flesh. The anime just sorta of ends, so a sequel or reboot would be greatly appreciated.

Nightwalker: The Midnighter Detective

Anime fans who also enjoyed the Buffyverse spin-off Angel could easily adore the original 13 episode show. This late 90s horror-mystery anime follows the bishonen male lead, Shido Tatsuhiko, who fights to protect those from the harm or influence of terrible using vampiric abilities. One of the key figures to his past is the vampire Lord Cain who has semi-obsession with Shido and refuses to accept that he is no longer the killer he used to be and tries to get Shido to come back to him. The last episode ends with Shido experiencing the trauma of having to put down his teenage secretary, Riho Yamazaki, and being kissed by Cain who declares his love for Shido once more before fading away into darkness. This ending would’ve been fantastic as a season one finale but as a show one there just feels like so much that could be told.  

Descendants of Darkness

Based on the still on-going manga Yami no Matsuei, or Descendants of Darkness, this 2000 anime adaption is an excellent blend of mystery, dark fantasy, and supernatural with an extra helping of yaoi. The show’s lead is Asato Tsuzuki, a human turned shinigami who solves cases for the Spirit World alongside the recently murdered turned shinigami Hisoka Kurosaki. This anime did a marvelous job at keeping viewers guessing with different mysteries and entertained with action sequences. The artwork is magnificent as well. At the end of the show Hisoka pulls Asato out of a deep depression and they fight off the show’s overarching villain before concluding. However, since the manga has yet to officially end there’s still room to continue the story and there are many who would be eager to watch.  

[zeroducks-2]

So I know that all the apprentice Dick stuff isn't really canon and it only happens in tt03 and that in 'reality' there was a Renegade arc... But I dont know anything about Renegade beside the fact that its a thing. Maybe you could tell me more about it?

It would be my pleasure! Sorry it took me so long to answer, tumblr ate my post and I had to rewrite it >_>

The first thing to know is that despite fanfictions/fanarts tend to portray Renegade!Dick as the "follow-up" to the Apprentice Arc, or anyway conflating the two stories (kind of mashing up stuff from tt03 and the comics), the two situations couldn't be more different from one another. They are in fact completely unrelated both thematically and narratively speaking.

In the comics, the Renegade idea comes from Dick, Dick is the one that insists on sticking around Slade, and Slade never forces/coerces him into doing anything (he has barely any participation in the whole thing). It's actually more about Dick and Rose than Dick and Slade, and in fact the "Renegade" alias itself is very nearly a thing, in the sense that Dick comes up with randomly it at some point, Rose uses it once and that's about it. Slade never even calls him that, sticking to "Nightwing", "Grayson" or just "kid".

A quick sum-up: Dick needs info about the society of supervillains but can't infiltrate them, because Slade is on their roster and he knows Dick's real identity, therefore he would recognize (and out) him easily. So he comes up with the idea of trying to convince Slade that he's a bad guy now and he can be trusted by villains - really Slade never actually trusts him, but in the process of testing him Rose grows very fond of Dick, and eventually Dick manages to thwart the society's plans and kick Slade out of Bludhaven. More or less.

That's not my favorite iteration of Dick, and especially not my favorite iteration of Slade and Rose, but all in all it's a fun, enjoyable story that's very in line with the overall mood and style of the (in)famous "Nightwing 1996" run.

Since we're here I'll go on to provide a more lengthy explanation of the plot with screenshots for poignancy (and because they're fun), but if you're already satisfied with the answer and you don't want more spoilers, go ahead and click away :)

The "Renegade" arc.

I'm going to start out with Issue #110 which opens with Dick leaving Sophia Tevis, the daughter of a mob boss, and her mother in a safe place for Sophia's safety.

Dick is having a rough time with just about everything in his life. This happens soon after the whole situation with Blockbuster and Tarantula and the aftermath of that, also he recently broke up with Barbara, lost his job as a cop and has gone no contact with Bruce. Tim drops by to check on him, and during their conversation, Dick finds out that Bruce was going to adopt Tim.

Dick is very bitter, and Tim keeps justifying Bruce this or that way, as usual enabling his behavior (no hate towards Tim whatsoever btw, that's just how their dynamic tended to function). At some point Tim goes out of his way to reel Dick back in the situation...

...And Dick gets understandably very upset

I love how he's about to yell at Tim but then tones it down. He keeps doing it throughout the whole story, swallowing his emotions and then apologizing when "he sounds too much like Bruce".

Despite everything Dick insists on doing his job as Nightwing and refusing everyone's help, at the point that he's embittered enough for it to be believable that he'd be in a "I lost everything, I want to try a new path" situation. The problem is, as I mentioned before, Dick can't infiltrate the society and uncover their nasty plans because they have Deathstroke on their payroll.

So Dick decides that the only way he has to do this is convince everyone, especially Deathstroke himself, that he's done being a hero, he wants to be a bad guy, he's been slapped in the face one time too many and he'll prove it to him. Only Dick has to talk to Slade for this to happen, and this leads to what's surely my favorite two panels of the entire story:

The infamous "message received" text on the mirror of Dick's bathroom as he showers. Dick is totally unfazed by this btw, makes me think this isn't the first time it happens

Slade, dramatic motherfucker that he is, decides to show up in the middle of the night together with Rose (I'm sharing the panels again cause they're really cool)

A fight ensues but Dick is outnumbered and in his civvies, so it's brief enough. Have I mentioned that Slade is also an idiot? I think I didn't, so here's Slade being an absolute idiot:

I love this panel. I want to print it and eat it I am so normal about it

By saying "undercover with the bad guys" Slade is referring to the fact that Dick has been cooperating with the Bludhaven mafia, fact that actually helps Dick sell the whole "I'm a bad guy now" narrative. Which is what Dick insists upon, saying that he has no more reasons to fight the good fight. Slade isn't impressed, but he still offers Dick a bargain:

Basically the idea is that Dick will prove himself trustworthy by watching over Rose, teaching her, and making her involved in his own things, and so he does; what follows is a number of short episodes in which he and Rose go around doing apparently random tings, bantering in the meantime.

The reason why I say this is not my favorite iteration of Rose Wilson is because she's VERY BABY. Which isn't bad per se but I prefer a version of Rose which is less naive. Also, "Nightstroke".

In the meantime Dick has found out that the place where Sophia Tevis was hiding for her safety wasn't safe at all - her mother has been killed by cops and the kid has been put in a state home. Dick promised to go get her, and this is what he brings Rose along to do.

They rescue Sophia and Dick hides her in yet another place, and makes Rose promise that she won't say anything to Slade about Sophia and what they did. The first thing baby does when she sees Slade is tell him everything.

Basically Rose is trying to make it so Slade will love her, or something like this. I'm actually not sure, their relationship here is a bit confusing to be honest.

So what keeps happening is that Dick brings Rose along - since he does not have a choice on that - while doing his things, pretending it's bad guys things while it really is good guys things. But, he does give her some valuable lessons and the two do grow quite close in the meantime.

The issue is that Slade isn't easily fooled, and to make sure he's got Dick under his thumb, he kidnaps Sophia Tevis to use her as a bargaining chip, and to make sure Dick won't do anything that goes against the society.

The brown haired kid is Sophia, but really this looks more dramatic than it actually is since nothing really changes, or maybe we could say it even backfires - Dick keeps doing his things, and if Rose wasn't convinced initially, now that she knows Sophia is being threatened (and she knows Dick cares for her since Rose helped him save her), she believes Dick more easily when they investigate the society's business and Dick says "it's all part of the plan I swear I'm not doing anything detrimental to your father, if I did he'd kill me and he'd kill Sophia".

And finally we have Dick calling himself Renegade: Rose insisted on calling him Nightwing since there was no alternative, so Dick comes up with Renegade just to get her to stop using "Nightwing"

Soon Dick finds out that the society is planning to use the Bane toxin to create supersoldiers or something like this, and in the meantime he bumps into Arsenal who's legitimately concerned about him (especially because there had been news circulating about Nightwing cooperating with the Bludhaven mafia, and he's been pushing his friends and family away). Dick is forced to knock him out, and eventually Roy tells Oracle, who tells Superman, and it ends up with everyone really worried for Dick.

I'm not really sure how Slade knew Superman would have been involved (I might not remember about it but yeah, Slade knew Supes was going to get involved) and devises a plan to neutralize him: He fixes Dick's glove with a radio transponder and surgically implants kryptonite in Rose's missing eye. During the following confrontation with Superman, Dick nonchalantly says "yeah I'm a bad guy now fuck you", knowing that Clark can hear his heartbeat and can therefore tell that Dick is lying - but Clark reacts in a very upset way, Rose gets scared and jumps him.

A brief scuffle follows but soon enough Superman lets them go, and Dick goes confront Slade with Rose, informing him that he uncovered the society' schemes and that his plan backfired.

Then Dick tells Slade something something along the lines of "Rose loves me and listens to me, while you implanted toxic kryptonite in her eye socket, so if you don't go away from Bludhaven I'll put her against you".

and somehow it works, Slade "admitting defeat" and letting Dick go, but threatening him with "you don't know what you're messing with".

Which actually is what happens soon after with the destruction of Bludhaven, Slade dropping chemo on it and all of that. But that's another story.

So here you have it, the brief story of Renegade and how it existed as Dick's alias for a short time. It's not much something that comes from Slade, more like it tangentially involves Slade while Dick is doing his thing. Again for whoever is interested in reading it first-hand, it spans from issue 110 to issue 115 of Nightwing 1996.

[red-velvet-0w0]

For the ask game

12. Name of your favorite playlist?

32. Top five favorite vines?

52. Favorite font?

53. What is the current state of your hands?

55. Favorite fairy tale?

59. If you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

60. If you were an anime character, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

66. Favorite flower(s)?

67. Good luck charms?

71. Least favorite pattern?

76. What’s you favorite potato food? (i.e. tater tots, fries, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, chips, etc)

96. Desktop background?

wow thats a lot of them lets see

12)

32)

hard choice but probably

"whats that in your hand" "A KNIFE" "NO!!!"

"And they were roomates"

"roadwork ahead"

"two bros sitting in a hot tub"

"fuck this shit im out"

52)

cascadia code

53)

i have 2 hands fortunantly, though my wrists are very weak on both, and one of my hands has several scars on it that i usualy cover up with gloves. the scars have faded recently which i have mixed feelings about but i still prefer coverint them up.

55)

little red riding hood

59)

"now if youll excuse me I am going to kill god or die trying" or "I am going to throw myself into the sea"

60)

the cool fan favorite villain who shows up for 1 arc then dies and yet is in 90% of all fanart or the love interest who dies 5 minutes into the first episode and who never gets mentioned again outside of the first season

66)

blue roses

67)

i really wanna get a sea shell necklace or sea glass jewlery and i really feel like those would give me luck and keep me safe

71)

people shooting at trump and missing. i would break the pattern if i had the opportunity (for legal reasons this is a joke)

76)

you cant just make a girl choose like that potatoes are so delicious! but i would probably say clam chowder

96)

^^^ this panel from Aurora Webcomic chapter 22

[itsupermanti]

Write that Down! Write that Down!

Tai Rose-Arc(blond-haired with red streaks, looking at his older sister): Pyr, are you sure you know how to set up a tent?

Mash Rose-Arc(pinkish blonde-haired, sweat-dropping as Pyrrha turns to look at them): Yeah, you’re not exactly who comes to mind when we think of someone…“outdoorsy”…

Pyrrha Rose-Arc(rolling her silver eyes as their parents set up their own tent with their baby sisters Penny and Summer): Oh please~!

Pyrrha(as she unpacks the materials for the tent): Just watch and take notes you two!

Pyrrha(looking down at the fabric before her as her siblings pull out a pair of binoculars and a notebook and pencil respectively): Um…

Pyrrha(grabbing the fabric): I just have to carefully…

Pyrrha(as she accidentally rips the fabric): Oh…

Tai(eyes going wide in awe): Customization!

Mash(quickly writing in her notebook): Genius!

Tai(as Pyrrha starts beating the materials with her spear in frustration): She’s tenderizing the ground!

Mash(eyes wide): Of course!

Tai(frantic as Pyrrha finds herself entangled in the materials and struggles to free herself): Write that down! WRITE THAT DOWN!!!

Mash(frantic): DON’T RUSH ME!!!

Penny(seeing her oldest sister thrash around like an angry worm): Is big sis okay?

Jaune(sighing as he finishes successfully pitching a tent): Unfortunately, she takes a bit more after your mother Pen…

Ruby(teary eyed as she finds herself in the same predicament with Summer struggling to free her): Jaaauuuune! I’m stuck again!

[beebo-biris]

ok been thinking A LOT abt that utena post and i think it mainly boils down to the fact that while I think they missed the point of utena and anthy's relationship with: (kinda spoilers, i keep some stuff vague sorry it'd be much longer if I didnt)

utenas arc is about her role as a prince/man and letting go of gender

by the end they ARE in love. the show is explicit as possible with having to abide by not having a kiss. there is: on offscreen kiss in the credits, mentions of homosexualiety and homophobia in universe. utena referencing the fact that she is just a friend in the beginning, the s1 finale w/ utenas realization, series finale (there is no straight explaination given the context), the movie is actually explicitly gay. very much so

"all girls are like the rose bride" this is about gender roles and all of the girls in the story. its vauge and its symbolism, it is very hard to put together. (this show is HARD to piece together) the dresses they all wear, the uniforms, all back this up. this is about societal roles, anthy is the figurehead

Utena's uniform is a mash of the two, thats why she has booty shorts i think

the men that abuse and control ARE framed as bad, and esp touga and sionji are framed as multifaceted. it definatly does feel like they don't really get what they deserve (more so touga) bc Utena rebukes him gently, but that is bc of her complex feelings of leting go of the system. if you wanna take it one step further I believe she is in control of the relationship and not being manipulated or snything in the movie bc hes not real hes dead lol

Anthy's agency being manipulation is adressed, by utena, and it's understood. the audience is meant to sympathize with her, and the blame falls on akio. I feel like her being a villan goes against what akio is supposed to stand for, being the true manipulator. Is she a good person? no. But she is a victim

I could write more, i may later BUT

the OP of that post was right about the racism stuff. it' bad. i don't know why they decided to make her brown but it didn't have the best intentions, and they didn't think enough about the implications of the plot. The only 2 (technically 4? or 5? some are reflections or illusions but act like different ppl) ((which is ALSO weird)) brown ppl are not well fleshed out with race in mind, and that part of OP's points shouldn't be shot down. Utena needs to be viewed with a critical eye and the show is NOT PERFECT. it is quite flawed. it sucks because i love it and what it means to me, and what it means to have a show so complex that adresses so many things, but I'd be a liar if I said the race stuff was handled well.

[umbry-fic]

[Additional] Memory

Summary: [Another] story, of a time that came after the end.

After giving up her heart and her memories to become a true angel, Colette wakes up in a strange world she doesn't recognise.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia, Arcaea Characters: Colette Brunel, Hikari Rating: T Word Count: 4783 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 29/09/2023

Notes+Warnings: This was a fun little idea I've had for a long time. Spoilers for the entirety of Arcaea's main story, and for the Sylvarant arc of Tales of Symphonia. This fic takes place in a mash-up of Silent Answer Ending A and Silent Answer Ending B, long after the events of new Paradise(memory=null). But I think enough context is given here that you don't need to know Arcaea or read the previous fic to understand this one. Though this fic does spoil the previous one! In general, Colette is the main focus here.

Title from Additional Memory by Jin, which heavily inspired this story. (TW for suicide. Once again, I'm reminded how much Ayano is like Colette.)

~~~

Heavy eyelids opened to a blindingly white world.

She gazed at the sky that stretched out endlessly above her - a sky that was searingly bright and utterly empty, unlike anything she’d ever known. Not a cloud in sight, and there was no hint of a sun to be found. Yet there was light, so much that it almost burned, coming from some unseen source.

It took a while of staring blankly, her arms folded neatly upon her chest, hair trapped beneath her back, for a few questions to sluggishly fight their way to the surface of her mind. Questions she pondered, turning over and over in her head as she periodically tried to blink the brightness away. It reminded her of something, but she couldn’t quite recall what.

Where was she? What was she doing here? Who was she to begin with?

It could have been minutes, it could have been hours, it could have been days, that she spent lying there doing nothing but thinking before the memories returned. But return they did, rushing back in a torrential wave that trapped her in its relentless pull, submerging her beneath its wrathful force.

A dying world, fuelled by the pitiful remnants of mana that had crackled and drained with each second that passed. A sacred duty handed down by Heaven, branding her as the saviour of that rapidly deteriorating world, gifting her wings that shimmered in the starlight and stole all of her dreams from her. All those she had met on her journey, the offered hands she had clasped, smiling and praying that they would meet with fortune as she walked steadily towards her own demise.

The people she'd left behind, the shape of them held dear in her heart. The boy with an exuberant grin that had turned into desperate pleas at the end, begging her not to leave as she’d torn herself away.

Colette Brunel choked on nothing as she realised that she was arranged like the dozens of failed Chosens she had seen in the tower, floating and circling the stairs that had led up into the heavens. Silent and serene in death, unable to utter another word ever again. All that was missing was the coffin to complete the scene.

Scrambling to her knees, the illusion of idle silence utterly shattered, she scratched at her neck, at the gold that wrapped around her throat and the red, red, red -

Her nails met soft skin, nearly piercing through in her frenzy. There was nothing there. The smooth surface of the Cruxis Crystal, which she'd gotten used to running her fingers over to pass the long, quiet nights, was gone.

She didn’t know whether to be relieved as she shakily rose to her feet, her tongue tasting like ash, the mana that usually pooled in her back gone, leaving nothing but a void behind. She’d had her wings for less than a year, yet she felt naked without them. Weak and vulnerable in this strange place.

She'd known she would be leaving everything and everyone behind once she released the final seal, but this...

This wasn't Heaven. At least, not the one written about in the scriptures that the priests had always preached about - a paradise born from the kindness of the Goddess, where no suffering could be found and no judgement would ever be meted.

But didn't that mean...

Vehemently shoving that thought away, she set out with hesitant steps.

It would do no good to stay in this one spot forever.

~~~

In her past hours of walking, she had concluded that she was no longer in Sylvarant. Nor was she in Tethe’alla, the place she had once thought of as the moon but had learned was another world lying parallel to her home.

It was a strange world she travelled, what seemed like dust crunching beneath her heels with every step. Devoid of the sun and the moon, the sky itself alive, a writhing mass of what she thought were shards of glass - a roiling sea that refused to be tamed. Everything lacked colour, as if it had been purposely drained, shades of grey smothering every surface.

It was always quiet. Far too quiet. She couldn't be certain whether she'd retained her angel senses, but there wasn't a sound to be heard but her footsteps, the only noise in her head that of her growing panic, doing its very best to claw its way out. There were no signs of life, and she passed nothing but the occasional ruins - buildings that had once been grand but had crumbled to their very foundations.

Professor Raine would have loved it here.

The sudden thought made her come to an abrupt stop, her heart clenching and tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

She was pulled out of her head when a section of the sky fell, pieces of glass breaking away from the flock to approach her, prompting a small gasp to escape her lips. Reaching out with a cautious hand, she flinched when they skirted out of reach, before slowly, slowly floating closer again.

They reminded her, inexplicably, of skittish birds. Like the pair of nestlings Lloyd had rescued from high up in a tree, on a winter morning when she had still been the same height as him, back when their shoulders always brushed whenever they walked side-by-side. The two of them had taken care of the nestlings until the warm winds of spring arrived, heralding the melting of the icicles that clung to her windowsill. At the very beginning, before they’d warmed up to the two of them, Lloyd had constantly gotten his fingers nipped by their beaks. He’d scowled, and she’d giggled and soothed his stinging skin, and -

This time, when she opened her eyes, it was to tears trailing down her cheeks, gasping sobs filling her chest and leaving no space for breaths. Blankly, she registered that the glass had surrounded her, images flickering on their shimmering surfaces, like the strange magi-technology in the human ranches that had reflected impossible scenes on their bright screens.

With how much they swirled around her, it was hard to make out anything from the discordant images. Nothing much - except for a flash of a red sleeve, and the echo of a familiar laugh that wound a string tight around her heart.

She couldn’t help but reach out once more, her hand shaking, even knowing that the cracks in her heart would only spread with each memory she revisited. But then, perhaps it was better this way, that she would be the only one to remember those happy times, now forever shadowed.

Her life had come to an end, bringing the tale of the Chosen to a close. Not the tale of Colette Brunel, for it had never existed in the first place. Her story was one wherein her own existence was forbidden.

Sylvarant would never remember that a girl named Colette Brunel had existed. All that would remain in their memory was the saviour, an angel that would be revered in their history as a blessing delivered unto them from the Heavens. And no matter how much it hurt, she prayed that those closest to her would do the same. That their memories would fade into a dull gray, until it became second nature to brush it aside.

Still, she reached out, straining to reach with her fingertips, desperation flooding her heart.

The shard shot out of reach, and like the fool she was, she stumbled after it. It kept a tantalisingly perfect distance from her - close enough for her to think she could grab ahold of it if she was just a little faster, and far enough that she was forced to follow its strange, winding path, heading for destinations unknown. Even knowing she had sacrificed all of herself to give the ones she loved a chance to create new memories, she still could not bear to let go.

Was this her punishment? Surely she must have failed, must have overlooked some small detail that had caused the ritual of regeneration to come crashing down at her feet, displacing her from Sylvarant and throwing her into this desolate world that found itself with not a single seed of life. She must not have toiled hard enough, must not have carried the weight of the hopes and dreams of the land well enough, must not have…

She must have made a mistake along the way, the fault of which lay entirely with her.

“I can die without any regrets…”

A whisper, mocking her.

What a masterful liar she’d been, able to fool even herself.

~~~

A lone girl clothed entirely in white stood in the silent halls of a grand church, a shard of scarlet red hovering over her open palm. More shards swirled around her, whispering in her ears as they flowed at the edges of her dress, almost as if to lengthen it, to make it trail against the cold stone.

"So she'll arrive soon," Hikari mumbled, paying no heed to the shards and their behaviour. She stared intently into the shimmering surface of the shard of red, almost a twin to the one that had freed her soul from the shackles of lethargic apathy, that she had pressed close to her chest with shaking hands as she’d shut her eyes against the blinding white. Contained within was the memory of the girl whose soul this world of Arcaea had just ensnared. The memory of Colette Brunel - every decision she’d made, every secret she’d kept, everything that defined her and formed the core of her identity.

Normally, she wouldn’t have paid any attention when another lost soul found its way here to live out a second chance. There had been so many, falling through the cracks in the boundaries of this world she had created from a lonely wish. It was not much of a second chance they would encounter, robbed of their memories and unlikely to run into another soul, unable to escape this place that existed outside of time. There was nothing much Arcaea could offer but hollow glimpses of other worlds, other times, other memories where one could only play the role of the outsider, never able to breach the gap. Left to stew in solitude that dug claws into their skin and dragged them downwards, most fell into the abyss of madness, and she cared not to witness their descent. So she turned a blind eye and kept to herself, caring only for her own machinations.

But this girl… She had not truly died, and yet an echo of her had appeared regardless, her memories intact and locked tight in her heart.

Something compelled her to meet with this strange aberration. For she could understand the terrible weight of memories, countless regrets pressing down on one’s shoulders until it buried them.

Whenever she closed her eyes, she could still see Tairitsu’s wide eyes, their light fading as the sword gripped tightly in Hikari’s hand pierced through her stomach. She could still see Tairitsu’s smile, sad and knowing, on every copy’s face as it cracked and shattered on that very same blade, driven into a body painstakingly crafted from glass.

The same events had repeated tens, hundreds, thousands of times. She had long since lost count of how many times she had reconstructed the girl with the curious eyes and a kind smile, how many times she had ended her short life, for Tairitsu never, ever wanted to stay, hand always outstretched towards the truth hiding beyond the horizon. She could not bear to listen to the hatred that would surely twist that sweet voice if the truth came to light, but neither could she bear to never gaze upon that lovely smile again.

It had become routine long ago.

Even then, something in her heart twisted every time her sword found its target.

~~~

An awed gasp left Colette as she craned her head up to drink in the sight of the church before her, the matter of the shard she’d been chasing forgotten for the time being.

It was a massive building topped with an elegant spire that reached tall and proud towards the sky, a far grander structure than the Martel Temple she’d known all her life. It was gorgeous, yet even here, there seemed to be no life to its stone, its entrance dark and cold. Her gaze wandered to the stained glass windows that decorated the top, disappearing around a curve, depicting angels. Perfect angels standing with rigid backs, neatly folded wings and impassive faces, as if they had been sculpted from stone.

Tearing her gaze away from a reminder of all that she was not, she began to cautiously make her way into the church, inching between the piers and melting into long shadows. Approaching the girl that waited at its end, still as a statue.

With each step she took, her heart thundered louder in her ears, sweat forming on her palms, knowing that pale pink eyes were trained on her and had not left her once.

She recognized the madness that swam within them, enough to make her want to turn tail and run. It was not the cruel inferno that had resided within the Grand Cardinals, fuelled by the suffering of others, its tongues licking away at hope until it burned to ash. It was the empty gaze of those that had buckled beneath the crushing weight of despair, a bone-chilling brokenness lurking behind it. Not an inferno, no, but a simmering flame that could easily consume all if allowed to grow.

Not to mention the glass spinning around the girl, an unquenchable hurricane following an unknown rhythm. The shard that had led Colette here had long since disappeared among its fellows, and she had no hope of picking it out from among them. The horde followed the other girl’s every movement, crowning her in glory, as she finally moved. Her white dress swirled around her legs, the strange, sharp contraptions floating by her side snapping into place by her shoulders - mechanical wings that flared behind her.

Here too, in the flesh, were graceful angels, carrying themselves with hardened steel in their spines.

"You've arrived," she whispered, raising her head, a strand of pale hair slipping to rest on the pink rose on her shoulder. "Welcome."

Taking a deep breath, Colette pulled herself upright, certain that every action she took now might determine her fate. This could be an opportunity to learn the truth, to find out how she’d ended up here. Or it could spell her doom once more, the raw power hiding beneath the surface of the other girl poised to explode at any moment.

"Who are you? And… where am I?" she asked, taking care to ensure her voice didn’t shake, the expression on her face smoothing into blankness from years of practice.

“My name is Hikari.” The answer was given to her easily, lips curving into a smile. “And this is a world of memories.”

Memories? Genis would have scoffed and exclaimed the impossibility of everything, yet she was inclined to believe the words fed to her, continuing to search for a single shard among dozens.

“Let me show you.”

That was all the warning she got before an iron grip wrenched her wrist up, those pink eyes now inches from her face. Hissing in pain, she tried to pull away, but was unable to do anything as a single shard shoved itself against her fingertips, a shock of cold slamming into her body.

The world around her warped, greys turning into vibrant green as the heady scent of soil flooded her senses -

The cicadas chirped lazily in the hazy darkness that clung to the space between trees, streaking over sturdy bark and painting them almost black.

Lloyd made a soft sound in his throat when her hand found his, their fingers slotting together as perfectly as they had when he'd first grabbed her hand outside the schoolhouse, grinning as bright as the sun, on the day they’d met.

If she closed her eyes, she could still see the light of the oracle superimposed against her eyelids. Blinding white light that signalled the end of life as she knew it, curtains falling on the daydream she'd lived all this time.

When tomorrow arrives...

"Just so we don't get lost," she whispered, not wanting to disrupt the sanctity of the soon-coming night, the sky still painted with messy strokes of pink and orange.

It was a ridiculous thing to say, a feeble excuse that didn't hold a candle to the lies upon lies she'd already told in the short life she’d lived. She'd walked this path between Lloyd's home and Iselia hundreds, perhaps thousands of times. She could count the exact number of steps needed, knew where to jump over roots that had burrowed through the ground, and knew where to duck to avoid low-hanging branches.

She just didn't want to let go.

Those russet eyes she so loved held a question in them, but he didn't voice it. He only squeezed her hand, his laughter filling the silence, a sound she soaked in, desperate to memorise.

"I won't let you get lost, silly."

She pressed closer to him, savouring the warmth that radiated from his side as they walked ever closer to an ending that couldn't be avoided. Trying to commit to memory the shape of him, unable to bring herself to curse the weakness that had led her to get this close in the first place.

At the end of the path, she told him she would see him again tomorrow, the lie burning her tongue. The words she truly wanted to say stayed locked in her heart, a truth she couldn't divulge for fear of breaking his.

Another promise she would have to shatter.

A goodbye, even if he didn't know it.

The sensations faded as she crashed to her knees, shivering uncontrollably, staring unseeing at what once was a forest and now was the drab floor of a church she’d been standing in minutes ago. Or… What felt like minutes ago. In truth, barely any time had passed at all, Hikari still standing a hair’s breadth away, having let go of her wrist.

It had been so vivid, nothing like her own recollections of precious moments, which seemed so pitiful now. It was like she'd just turned sixteen again, making preparations to leave everything she’d known behind to set out on a journey that she wasn’t certain she would survive. Not yet possessing the knowledge that Lloyd would chase after her, again and again, all the way to the end of her preordained fate.

The words she’d wished so much to say that day were still on the tip of her tongue, and she swallowed them down with the bitter taste of reality, salt stark against her lips.

"This is a world of memories," Hikari repeated as she lowered herself to Colette’s level, the gentleness of her voice sending a shudder down her spine. The shards had come to a complete stop, floating at irregular intervals around the two of them - the calm before the storm. “And I have the power to gift you paradise.”

“Paradise…?”

Naked yearning dripped from her voice, unable to be held back, as her fingers absentmindedly rubbed against the red marks left on her wrist, the physical sensation clashing with the ghostly echo of warmth lingering on her palm. It felt as if her chest had been split open, leaving her heart to bleed all over the floor from its jagged, open wound.

She had once thought that to give up one’s heart until no tears could fall and nothing could bring a smile to one’s face was the worst fate that could befall a person. Yet perhaps it had been a blessing all along, one that had slipped through her fingers. It would mean never having to experience this torment, enough to sunder her heart in two as she witnessed all that she had left behind. From the very beginning, she’d been nothing more than a coward, secretly glad that she would die at the end - for death should have spared her from this.

"It hurts, does it not?" The whispers seemed to come from all around her, despite the fact that Hikari hadn't shifted, her hand raising to cup Colette’s cheek, soaked in tears. The surface of each shard rippled in time with her words, thorns of fear pricking at Colette’s skin at the veneer of kindness presented to her, her breath catching in her throat. "To remember. Those who come here never do. It must hurt, to know that you can never return."

"You can live again," she offered. "I can make a world for you, one where you can be happy, where you will never need to remember all that burdened you in your past life. You have already given up so much. Do you not at least deserve to let go of all that pains you?"

Sitting at a table with a pencil in hand, pondering her math homework as Lloyd snoozed beside her, sunlight filtering through the window and illuminating the dust motes that danced in the air. She nudged him with a shoulder, giggles bubbling from her throat as his only response was to mumble something under his breath. Reaching for her phone, still blowing up with messages wishing her a happy sixteenth birthday, she wondered what tomorrow would bring…

The scene faded slowly this time, bit by bit. The wood of the table, covered in pencil scratches caused by clumsy hands. The sky outside the window, a lovely blue that signified a perfect day. The cosy room, filled with the dreams of a child, whose only consideration for the future was a mild curiosity over what it would bring.

It was perfect - a lovely dream that stabbed yet another dagger into her heart.

“Living a normal life… Isn't that what you've always wished for?"

There it was, the wish she had locked away long ago, the key rusty and lost. A wish she had attempted to forget by surrounding herself with the warmth of her friends. It was tempting, to accept the offer given to her for no price at all, to finally be given a reprieve from the ache deep in her soul. And yet…

She remembered a teacher who had known of her fate, and had done her best to give her a fulfilling life. A young elf who had been unfairly chased from his home, and had displayed such bravery over the course of their journey. A mercenary who never spoke much, but had given her advice on how to weather the angelic transformation. An assassin, who had cared so much for a world that wasn’t even her own.

Most of all, she remembered a boy who had never cared about her role, who had torn through the facades she put up and reached the scared girl hidden beneath.

"I can't." The words slipped out, Hikari’s stare turning frigid as she dropped her hand, shifting away. Perhaps she was sealing her fate, but she couldn’t stop the words from spilling out of her, tripping inelegantly over each other. "I can’t forget what I’ve been through, nor the choices I’ve made. These memories, no matter how painful, are still precious to me.” She shook her head, fingers tightening on the fabric of her clothes. “I don’t want to forsake the truth for an illusion. That would mean dishonouring all the sacrifices that came before me.”

"If this is to be my punishment for not being a good enough Chosen," she whispered, smiling sadly, "then I accept it. I will bear this burden. And I will sin no further by seeking reprieve."

The air itself seemed to turn solid all of a sudden, forcing her prone to the ground with heaving gasps. Above her, shards sliced through the air, faster and faster, until it drowned out all other sounds. She could only watch, words escaping her, as the walls and the ceiling itself unfurled into ribbons of glass, spiralling away to reveal the sky and all that remained of the grand church that had once stood in this very location - broken pillars and scattered rubble.

"You have your wish, then," Hikari hissed, a burning rage erupting from within her that matched the turbulent motion of the shards. "You will not be remembered, and you will never be able to leave. Those precious memories of yours will haunt you for the rest of time. If you so desire to gaze upon the truth, then you may have it."

With a dismissive flick, a single red shard materialised in the air, hovering just within Colette’s reach. She stared at it with wide eyes, watching her own image reflected on its surface.

“May it bring you fortune, Chosen One.”

In the distance, footsteps echoed.

And then there was nothing but blissful silence.

~~~

The truth. What was so appealing about it that people simply could not avert their eyes? It had brought her nothing but pain. To cling to it seemed absurd.

Was happiness not a good enough reason to forsake the truth? Those had been the very words she’d told Tai, over and over again, yet Tai would always find her way to the church, and she would always remember. And she would always die by Hikari’s hands - an inviolable rule of this world, one that she couldn’t bend despite the power she yielded.

The girl she’d left in the ruins of that very same church was similar to Tai, in a way. They had suffered all their life, yet still, they pushed on with a smile, refusing to yield, strength hidden behind soft words and a demure face.

Hikari came to a stop, knowing not where her feet had carried her. It mattered not.

How many days, months, years had it been since she'd first awoken here, surrounded by shards of Arcaea depicting nothing but joy? So much of it that she’d gotten drunk on it, only for it to drive her to the brink of losing herself in its overwhelming brightness.

The girl would shatter, the instant she realised that wonderful "truth". All she had done was for a lie, and in another time, another world, Colette Brunel had already awoken from her curse, clutching a precious birthday present close.

This one was nothing but a copy. Even then, the pain she felt was real. But it was too late to save her. There was nothing to be done but to wait to pick up the pieces.

For now... for now, she would simply make preparations. Her heart sang a single wish, a wish to see that gentle smile framed by black locks once more. She yearned to feel the warmth of Tai’s palm pressed against her own.

She had missed Tai’s embrace so very, very much.

~~~

A few shards of glass remained in the ruins of a church, unheard whispers spreading amongst themselves as they watched the newest arrival - another girl, drowning in grief she couldn’t control. Just as they had watched every other girl, so too would they watch this one, observing the tragedy of her story as it unfolded.

They watched as she reached out with trembling fingers for a singular scarlet shard, hugging it close to her chest. Her grip was so tight that the shard cut into her fingers, causing more red to trail down her arms in a trickling river.

They watched as she raised her gaze towards the sky, perhaps to catch sight of the twinkling stars that had been her companion for many a sleepless night. But there were no stars to be found here, in this strange, alien world. There would be no opportunity to count them, as a gruff voice disguising kindness had told her to do. There would be nothing to refer to as she recounted the stories that had been whispered to her on rooftops, by a gentle boy whose cheeks had been kissed by the cold. There would be no crackling of the fire, no soft breaths coming from Genis as he slumbered next to his sister. There would be no scent of miso soup, still wafting from the thoroughly emptied pot that Sheena had laboured over.

They listened in silence as she began to softly sing, her voice carrying through the air. A hymn, praying for salvation from an ever-benevolent Goddess.

They did not respond, continuing to churn in eternal silence. A song heard by no one, swallowed up by this endless world.

There would be no salvation, now and forevermore.

[howlingday]

Cult of the Bunny

Setting - Jaune is a cult leader.

Jaune: Hello, my children~!

Jaune: We begin today's sermon immediately upon my return from the great crusade. First, I'd like everyone to give a big welcome to our newest member of our family, Hazel.

Flock: Hello, Hazel! Hi! Welcome, Hazel!

Jaune: Hazel joins us from Haven!

Flock: Ooh~!

Jaune: Yes, yes. And I'm certain he doesn't mind me when I say, he put up a good fight! But in the end, I was able to guide him to the path of truth!

Flock: Hooray~!

Hazel: Yeah, well, I'll get you next time.

Jaune: You'll definitely try~!

Flock: (Laughs)

Hazel: Ha ha... Yeah, it did get kinda violent, though.

Jaune: It was pretty messy.

Jaune: And now, my second announcement, I have gathered mushrooms for tonight's soup!

Flock: Yeah! Woohoo!

Jaune: Lie Ren, would you kindly prepare... tonight's...? Where is Lie Ren?

Jaune: ...Where is my husband?

Nora: (Sniffs) Fearless Leader... Lie Ren... He passed while you were away...

Jaune: Oh... Oh, I see... (Lowers head) He will be greatly missed... Most certainly by me...

Flock: (Lower heads in sorrow)

Jaune: ...

Jaune: (Points) Alright, you! We're married now!

Blake: (Gasps)

Flock: (Cheers)

Blake: Oh my! Thank you~!

Jaune: Here is your marital robe.

Blake: (Puts it on, Squeals) IT FITS~!

Jaune: And could you please prepare tonight's soup?

Flock: WOO! YEAH! I FUCKING LOVE SOUP!

Blake: Anything for you~! (Kisses him)

Flock: Aw~!

Yang: ...Lucky bitch.

Jaune: Now, before I begin, is there anyone who is not present?

Pyrrha: Whitley, my lord. He is in the pillory.

Jaune: For what purpose is he being punished?

Pyrrha: He was caught desiring... other company.

---------------------------------------------------

Whitley: (Sniffles) I just said I missed my mom.

Blake: Silence, traitor!

Whitley: ...I'm hungry.

Blake: I said shut up!

---------------------------------------------------

Jaune: (Writes) Ab... sent...

Jaune: Now, first order of business; fight pit!

Flock: YEAH! WOO!

Jaune: The combatants will be... Cardin and Ruby!

Cardin: Hey, that's us!

Ruby: (Decks him, Crowd cheers) I always wanted to do that.

Jaune: We all have!

Jaune: That concludes today's sermon. Before we leave, is there any further business you wish to discuss? ...Yes, Oscar?

Oscar: Can someone take care of Lie Ren's corpse? It's really starting to stink.

Flock: (Murmur agreement)

Jaune: ...I'm sorry, what?

Oscar: Like, we tried throwing flowers on him, but it's not working.

Jaune: ...

Jaune: WHAT?!

[luqlustra]

We finished the mini arc of the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Monster Mash. TLDR: The party got turned into Pokémon by Blacephelon and was forced into a game show like format dungeon.

-Silke had a lowered intelligence and kept casting from her rod of fireworks which kept scaring people.

- Rose tried to fire a cannon which failed, but she looked cool doing it.

-Silke kept dancing with the boss and setting off spells with metronome as the room was being set on fire.

-Rickie kept throwing the worst shade to the BBEG every time her plan started unravelling.