#maybe they're working on some other part of the agency's plan?

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Underrated adorable thing Kyouka does is when someone gives her something to do and/or tries to show her something new and she gives it her full, serious attention.

It could be a matter of life-or-death. It could be delivering an important document. It could be taking care of a cat. It could be mixing a little candy. Doesn't matter.

Someone: *showing Kyouka a thing*

Kyouka: *staring intently, laser-fucking-focused*

What makes this so good to me is that it's nothing to do with her mafia training - she tends to go numb and distant when her assassin instincts kick in. When she focuses like this, it's driven by her genuine want to learn how to do the thing and do it perfectly. And yeah, part of this is also likely to do with her want to prove that she can do good things, but there are a million different ways she could go about this and she chooses... to watch people. To listen and learn and try her hardest at every single little thing she does. Honestly, I don't think this is anything she picked up from anyone - I think she's just like that. She gives everything she does her full attention.

And yeah, sometimes she gets a little too into it (tasing the guy she was supposed to deliver the files to, making a gigantic tower of god grub...) but she's got the spirit.

You guys she's so cute. She's SO cute. And also I think so incredibly strong for this. I don't think Kyouka fully realizes how much of her recovery is due her own consistent dogged efforts. Atsushi and the Agency gave her an opportunity and a safe home base and she took it and ran with it through her own conviction (in spite of all the setbacks), making herself brighter in the process.

[yazthebookish]

I loved all of what Sarah highlighted in her interview today and I'll elaborate a bit especially on the romance part:

In Maas’ fantasy worlds, love interests often exist as fated “mates,” with invisible strings between them that are powerful and often poetic. Readers can see the literary metaphors, like complementary powers between two characters. But other times, there are no metaphors, with their connection initially seeming random.

She's too attached to the mate trope and I like that she gives us different cases and scenarios for it, otherwise it'll be boring.

“Sometimes, I will write a scene with two characters that I’ve planned for them to get together, and then they have no …” She shakes her head slightly at me. “It’s like holding two dolls and being like, now kiss! And they won’t. … And then sometimes a different character will walk in and they will just” — she snaps.

I yelled at this part because it's as if she plucked the scene from Azriel's bonus chapter and used it as an example. Those parallels between Elain and Gwyn are intentional. It doesn't mean Elain is bad it's just their dynamic doesn't work as a couple and it was obvious to the author. I know she didn't specify who this was about but like, come on, who tried to kiss and which character showed up in a bonus chapter after that depressing scene and gave a glimmer of hope?

“It feels like magic in a way where, as much as I tried to plot out things years in advance, I let my characters guide a story. And they usually wind up with the people that they need to be with and who offer them the most growth and joy.”

I love this so much and allow me to speak about my favorite ship and its because the snippets we saw of Az and Gwyn together especially in the bonus chapter brought out a lighter version of Az. His scenes with Gwyn were light-hearted and the bonus chapter ends on a hopeful note for them. It's hard to deny that connection between them whether you theorize she's luring him or they're mates, those theories wouldn't exist if she had no ties to him (she's in his own chapter like come on).

I go the philosophical route with my next question: We’re talking about fate here, but at what point is a character the agent of their own fate? What happens if someone rejects their mate? (Listen, if I were Fae and I didn’t like my mate, whatever God chose for me is not my business.)

People are jumping the gun and assume this example is set to be Elucien but... we have Helion and Lady of Autumn likely being an example of a tragic rejected mates story (if you read ACOWAR and their history it's obvious they're mates). Maybe it's Mor and Eris and that's the secret that ties them to each other. We have other characters from other series too.

For a convincing mate rejection story in my opinion, it needs more than one book or it's a case that we see with side characters where we can see their history and the long-term implications of a rejected bond.

It's too easy of a story to have one person's central conflict be the words "no I reject you" and they're done. Again, this is not exclusive to ACOTAR but also her other series.

“That’s something I find to be very interesting,” she replies. “What if the forces that be put you with the wrong person? Or what if you just decide, eh, I’m not interested. … There’s a lot to explore within the concept of mates and your agency about it.

The concept of agency is something many readers in the fandom discussed especially when it comes to mating bonds and there were arguments on (would Rhys fell for Feyre if she wasn't his mate or would have Cassian fell for Nesta if she wasn't his mate). We know that some mates don't work out but stay together because their dynamic is unhealthy (Rhys's and Tamlin's parents). We got examples of a loveless mating bond already.

We also saw that Nesta didn't immediately accept the term "mate" because it would mean cutting off her last tether with humanity. It's not a matter of "you're my mate" "yes I'll be with you", the dynamic between the mated couple is important to explore.

“I’m not going to say if I am exploring it in future books or not,” she continues, “but it definitely offers a wealth of things to explore with this concept of freewill and what is true love. Is it something that’s destined? Or is it something that you make? Is it both?”

This part aligns with what I think about Elucien. We never had a mated pairing who knew they were mates but are not in love with each other. Every mated couple found out they're mates when they were already in love.

Can a destined love turn into true love? Or do you settle for a destined love without love being in the equation. Love wasn't in the equation for Rhys's parents, but love was the equation for Feysand and Nessian. Elucien was left unexplored for a reason and both Elain and Lucien view each other by label "mate", they didn't have a chance to get to know each other. So it's going to be very interesting to see them navigate their feelings for each other despite the mating bond.

I didn't expect her to elaborate a lot on this but I love that she did and I hope in future interviews she gives us more good bits about her writing and examples of the decisions she took for some characters and couples.

Didn't expect this post to be long but happy reading! I'm still reeling from HOFAS 🥲

[honeydazai]

୨୧·࣭࣪̇˖ 𝆬  ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʀᴇᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴛᴛᴏᴏꜱ 𝆬 𓏸

feat.: Dazai, Chūya, Kunikida, Ranpo, Atsushi, Akutugawa, Nikolai Gogol

content: implied f!reader because of some pet names, maybe—?

DAZAI knows about your tattoo. Of course he does. Still, he makes sure to raise an eyebrow while sauntering over to where you're presenting it proudly to the other Agency members for the first time, mimicking surprise.

He doesn't hesitate to openly compliment you on it; he's a charmer by nature and syrupy-sweet words fall from his lips with ease as he traces his fingers over the swirls of ink, gaze appreciative. He can deal with all kinds of reactions from you, but he's all the more pleased if you smile bashfully or blush a bit at the cascade of compliments he's showering you in.

“My, my, bella, and here I thought you couldn't possibly get any more interesting. That suits you awfully well, you know? Ah, the fact that I'm even allowed to lay eye on a being as gorgeous as you gets me get all excited.”

While CHŪYA is surprised at the sight of your tattoos, his lips curl into a smirk almost immediately. He likes tattoos a lot, and you having some only makes you all the more irresistible. To him, they don't just look amazing, but they're also proof of you being strong enough to endure the pain of getting them — whether you've taken painkillers or not beforehand doesn't matter to him —, and that's impressive in itself. He's awfully lucky to have scored someone this gorgeous and badass.

He might just have to ask you for your tattoo artist; yours are so skillfully done, the design is nothing short of amazing and, hey, don't you think he'd look hot with a tattoo somewhere?

“Those are a damn work of art, babe. Hey, where'd you think I should get one? I'm thinkin' hip. Gotta fit into the whole tattooed mafioso cliché, right?”

Honestly, KUNIKIDA doesn't expect you to have tattoos when he first falls for you, but he grows fond of them more quickly than he ever would have thought possible. They're a part of you, which makes them perfect in his eyes; perfect, just like you are.

Even though you might assume he's not too knowledgeable when it comes to the topic of tattoos, he has a keen eye for detail — he's quick to marvel at how well done yours are, how clean the lineart is and how artfully they decorate your skin. He might just come along if you ever get more tattoos, if only to check if the place is up to standards; the risk of an artist using an old used needle on you doesn't leave his mind until he personally makes sure you're in good hands.

“I have to admit that these are very nicely done, dear, and they suit you well. Really well, even. Are you planning on getting more in the future? What? No, I'm not against it. Of course not. Quite the opposite; I'm merely interested in the things you like.”

For someone pretending not to care much about your tattoos, RANPO stares at the ink decorating your skin quite a lot. He doesn't care enough to be subtle, either; the second your eyes meet when you catch him looking, he merely turns away o so slowly, his attention once more on a document or a piece of candy.

If you let him, though, he'll gladly inspect each and every line, each dot and curve with utmost interest. You're his lover, after all; of course he's intrigued when he sees a part of you he hasn't until now. Really, he wants to know everything about it, even though he's got a few ideas about what they could mean — if they do mean anything — already.

“So, what about this one? Does it have a meaning? Yeah? Tell me, I wanna know. Actually, I know already. Well—, just tell me that I'm right, alright?”

To say that ATSUSHI is stunned when he spots your tattoos for the first time would be an understatement. Sure, it's not like he's never seen tattoos before, but he still didn't expect them on you — besides, yours look so cool, it's only fair that he's quite astounded, right?

He doesn't make the biggest deal out of it, but he'll listen eagerly if you want to explain the meaning or any design choices to him, nodding all the while and complimenting the work. If you ever get another tattoo, he might just come along — not to get one himself, he's not sure if that'd work with his quick regeneration ability, but simply to keep you company.

“These are amazing! I had no idea you had tattoos this cool! Do they have a meaning? Oh—, I mean, you don't have to tell me if it's too personal, of course. They're just so pretty.”

AKUTAGAWA isn't the type to mention your tattoos, though he is quite surprised when he sees them for the first time. Surprisingly enough, he quite likes the look of dark ink splattered artfully on your skin, and, for a moment, he even considers getting a tattoo himself, only to quickly decide against it; it'd be no use, given how he's fully covered up at all times either way.

If you want to get an actual reaction out of him, though, you have to be the one to bring the topic up, whether that's by showing your tattoos to him directly or just by mentioning them. While he's not a man of all too many words, he might eventually grunt out some appreciation — you're dear to him, after all.

“They look nice. What? You understood what I said just fine, don't play dumb. I won't repeat myself.”

Frankly said, showing NIKOLAI your tattoos is a mistake. He's immediately fond of them; really, his eyes light up at the sight and he's quick to grab you, pulling you closer to get a better look at it. It doesn't matter if you struggle — do you really think he'll let you overpower him? Besides, if you complain too much, he can simply cover the body part you've got tattooed with his coat and, well; his ability is quite useful in this situation, too. You really can't pull away when half your body is stuck mid-air.

He will get matching tattoos with you. If you ever so much as joke about it, be aware that he'll make it reality. What, you don't want a clown's grimace on your wrist? Well, too bad, because he thinks it'd suit you o so perfectly, and you wouldn't want to refuse him, now would you?

“Oh, oh, come look at this one, doll — don't you think it'd look just perfect on your skin? No? My, my, you're picky. I really don't think you could go wrong with a bird. Or, wait; could it be that you just want my name tattooed on you that badly, hm?”

notes: dedicated to @pseudowho <3 also, i'm finally watching season 4 and!! i like mushitarō lots. and jōno. jōno especially.

tag list: @pigeons-are-rad @cicada-teeth @dzaixchuu @hanakotheghost @shinwifexx @rhaeena @irethepotato @beandaifuku @the-foreigner @ranpobb , @arixsux , @dei-lilxc @atsyushi @satoruislove @pastelsbaby @marina-and-the-memes @texchou @shiggysredhead @savagemickey03 @rosepxtlz @nikolaiswife @okura-s @ladykatakuri @lunerenzo @berywritesstuff @xelia25 @yuuotosaka3 @double-black-dazai @alice0blog @fyodorstolenushanka @ttaiyaki @itsnovariella @black-rose-29 @fyodorscumsock @ayshaashaya @qxxstuff

@serenareiss @atsvsh1 @dilucshandholder @reiikonee @1-800-mocha @xvocadooo @hexiisexii @cupxfcxffee @jodidann @Happymoon16 @yumidepain @nchuuyahq @janeinerz @aaronthegreatestsimp @fanfiction-waifu @KimxKiba @Morigumy @villainouspotential @ashthemadwriter @mrsdostoevsky @nikolaisgoofyahhhat @yeonwoomyheartbelongstoyou

@hellgirlwhore @Itssara-chan @lyrstybsd @angelsrunes @wuaoqu @disa-ster @aspookyscaryghost @nikolaisboner @urgodmoon @polish-anon @arisu-chan4646 @eroscastle @somnobun @birbysaur

[sweetkpopmusings]

joshua best friend headcanons <3

a/n: this best friends series is giving me so much serotonin, and i love to see others enjoying it!! joshua is so cringe (said lovingly) and i am so very fond of him :,-) my break from work is over after today, so my posts will probably not be as frequent, but i promise this series will continue !! pics not mine <3

content: fluff | wc: 0.8k | warnings: none! | pairing: bestfriend!joshua x gn!reader | requests: open

he's the type of best friend that sees you two as a team

yes, he refers to you both as "the dream team" constantly

and he says it with his whole chest each time

like when one of his members asks what he did on the break, he'll answer "oh, y'know, just got the dream team back together"

they just respond (probably preceded by an eyeroll) "how's y/n doing?"

they're so unfazed by it but they'll tease him about it if you're around. if you join them at an event or a hangout, when you walk in the room they'll cheer because "the dream team is back together again!!!"

they're so dramatic but shua is eating it up actually

unironically will ask you, "is he bothering you, queen/king/my liege?"

he thinks it's so funny like it doesn't matter if you think it's funny he will stick with that bit forever

because he actually does care if people or things are bothering you

he will ask you how you are doing all the time

and he wants genuine answers

he'd never push you or anything like that, but he isn't asking you out of politeness or routine

as your best friend, he is dedicated to your wellbeing

he's so invested in supporting you

if you're trying to overcome a problem, develop a new skill, or complete some random 30-day challenge, joshua is right behind you the whole time

he'll send you encouraging messages, look out for tips he can send your way, and sometimes he'll even take part in it himself!!

truly a great cheerleader to have in your life :,-)

creates traditions for you two

he knows that life is wild and it can be hard to get together and talk as much as you want to

so he ensures that, regardless of what's going on, you two have things that bring you together

it could be based on a shared interest! maybe you both really like this one youtube channel, so you always watch the new content together

i would not be surprised in the slightest if he signed y'all up for silly subscription boxes

like yes there's a monthly service that sends you mini science experiments and yes joshua got you both a year-long plan and yes he expects "shua & y/n's science session" to be a whole event every time

it was somewhat of a joke at first because shua loves being ridiculous but you both ended up loving it so much that you looked forward to each new box

he's very protective of you <3

he's always looking out for you, so he is pretty invested in how people treat you

whether it's in the workplace, in your friend circles, in romantic relationships, and even in your family (bio, chosen, or otherwise)

he wouldn't meddle in your relationships, but he's not afraid to speak up if someone is not treating you with the respect and care you deserve

he always respects your decisions, but he will never hold back an opinion that is for your benefit.

he won't get mad if you disagree with him either like he's the king of promoting autonomy, agency, and self-respect <333

he works hard to earn your trust, which is why you trust his judgment

and he goes to you for the same thing

he nevers wants you to beat around the bush with him

your bond is too special for superficial pleasantries like that

you both know each other so well that it only makes sense to be transparent with one another

which is why he'll come to you with some of his biggest concerns, insecurities, etc

because you're the one person who can see him for who he is without him worrying about putting on a persona or performance

and he's so grateful to you for that, more than he could ever express

so after a heart-to-heart he'll just look you directly in the eyes and say a soft yet strong "thank you"

and then make a lil joke because whoa it got real serious and he's a lighthearted guy

takes a lot of pictures of you / you two together !

he will send you the pictures where you are making a funny face and threaten to use it as blackmail <3

if you try to do the same he'll just go "good luck, i'm beautiful in everything :-)"

and you're like yes but have you considered you're also an idiot <3

runs ideas by you for weird things he can do to shock his members

he knows the water bits always kill, but he's looking to take things to the Next. Level. so he's scheduling a meeting with you to walk through his bit prototypes and maybe even doing some trial runs with you

he's taking it so seriously and you're like wow you're a dumbass and he's like "thank you so much so what was your rating on the tearaway pants trick again?"

boy has a clipboard and everything i swear

joshua is just such a funny and strange guy who wants to add value to your life because you bring so much to his!! he'll always be there for you, rain or shine, and he reminds you constantly of how special you are :,-)

joshua if you're taking applications for besties please let me know and i'll submit my resume asap!!!

[starlightshadowsworld]

Bsd beast except the end is the beginning.

When Dazai individually met up with Akutugawa and Atsushi 4 and a half years ago. He tells them the truth of this world and the book.

And cheerfully tells them you heard everything? Good because if you dare tell anyone, we will all die.

Akutagawa calls him a liar and Dazai says oh? Shall I go tell your dear sister than? And Akutugawa realises this is the truth.

Dazai gives them both an option. Either they can go with him to his organisation or join another in 4 and a half years.

Akutagawa chooses the latter, which Dazai reveals is the Detective Agency. While Atsushi chooses to join him. Dazai saw this all coming but acts suprised anyway.

He tells them there's one other person who knows but doesn't tell them who. And that they'll meet some day and know. Because he's cryptic like that.

Well, Dazai lied about one thing. See he didn't actually tell Atsushi at the time they met unlike with Akutugawa.

Instead Dazai tells Atsushi everything, after training him and turning him into the Port Mafia's White Reaper. Atsushi finds it insane but believes him, because of course he does.

Dazai gives him one last order, to protect this world from the shadows. And... Well you saw the ending of Beast... Because only 2 can know the truth.

Atsushi witnesses it all.

Chuuya becomes the new Port Mafia Boss and Atsushi becomes his second hand. He tells Chuuya what he can.

Chuuya is bitter, angry and hurt, he knows whatever this was Dazai planned it. He doesn't know why Atsushi can't tell him, but accepts there's a good reason for it.

However, with Dazai's death Yokohama is plunged into darkness. The Port Mafia will slowly transform over the years to protect the city from the shadows. But those first few years after his death, are not easy for anyone.

4 and a half years later, Ryuunosuke Akutugawa joins the Armed Detective Agency, becoming a detective while Gin becomes a clerk.

One day at cafe Uzamaki, Atsushi heads go get some coffee in his civilian disguise.

And by chance he meets Akutugawa. The two becomd close, meeting regularly though Akutugawa doesn't know Atsushi's a part of the Port Mafia until he tells his friends.

And gets the "You've been having coffee dates with the White Reaper?!" From Kunikida.

Akutagawa reveals this to Atsushi excepting a fight but Atsushi admits to it. Akutugawa says why get to know me than? Why do this and Atsushi reveals he knows that Akutugawa is the one he's searching for.

Dazai told him before he jumped. Saying it was the least he could do.

Atsushi proves it and Akutugawa realises oh... Oh.

They end up continuing the meet ups, because they've genuinely become friends and know they need to work together to save the world.

Chuuya notices, puts it together they're the new Soukoko and decides that maybe it's time for the Port Mafia and the Agency to come together.

And strike an alliance.

[yumeka-sxf]

A chronological analysis on Twilight and Yor - Part 11

*This is part of an ongoing post series. If you missed the Introduction/Part 1, click here*

----------

When the "doggy crisis" is finally resolved and the Forgers are reunited, Twilight rightfully chews Anya out for running off by herself. But he then softens and asks if she's hurt, and when she tells him that Bond protected her, he makes sure to give the dog a sincere thank you for saving his daughter. As I said before, anyone who shows respect to animals gets character points to me, especially someone like Twilight whose line of work makes him distrustful of everyone and everything. It's not like he had any reason to gain Bond's favor at that moment – he genuinely felt gratitude for the dog and wanted to express it.

And of course, in classic Spy x Family fashion, Twilight's fib about being stuck in the bathroom the whole time causes the overly self-conscious Yor to assume it's from the awful breakfast she made (something that will have repercussions later).

When they go on their first outing with Bond at the park, Twilight muses to himself about life post-Operation Strix, something he hadn't done since he first adopted Anya. Compared to back then when he flatly stated that he'll send Anya back to the orphanage when it's all over, this time he says that the agency will do what they can for Anya and Yor even though he won't see them again.

It's obvious that Yor is attached to Anya, so he knows she would have no reason to abandon her even if he left the family. The terrorist crisis that had just occurred made him remember that his ultimate goal of ending the cold war is top priority. He reinforces his utilitarian view that this is what's most important for everyone's future even if it means sacrificing some happiness along the way…like Anya's, Yor's, and, though he won't admit it, his own.

Twilight does seem to feel regret about this as he recalls that he just told Anya that she has a responsibility to care for the newly adopted Bond for the rest of his life, yet he won't be doing the same for the child he adopted.

As for why he says he would never be able to see Anya and Yor again, in his mind, maintaining a relationship that's unnecessary for his work would just be a hindrance. I also think that he wouldn't want to put them in danger by having any association with him – they had just gotten dragged into the terrorist mission he was trying to take care of after all. I imagine he plans to do something like fake the death/disappearance of Loid Forger, or maybe say/do things to Anya and Yor that would make them hate him so he could easily break ties with them (hopefully that's not the case as that would be too heartbreaking! Of course, he wouldn't be able to fool Anya…but I digress). Either scenario would result in him not being able to see them again, at least not as the Loid Forger they've come to know.

Twilight reminds himself of this again soon after when he tries to help Franky woo the girl he has a crush on (which ends in failure). When they're drinking together at the bar, he tells Franky that people like them can't afford to have feelings for others as it would only end badly.

At this point in the series, we know that Twilight has at least some feelings for Yor and Anya (which will be pointed out by Nightfall soon) so perhaps he's saying this also as a reprimand to himself as well as a reminder to Franky? But Franky tends to be a "pot calling the kettle black," since he's the one who told Twilight back when they were pretending to be SSS agents to keep his emotions out of his daily life, yet Franky tries to pursue relationships with women left and right, without any emotional restraint (and will continue to do so even after he and Twilight have this conversation). And then there's Nightfall who, despite her constant poker face, does nothing but imagine lovey-dovey scenarios with herself and Twilight. Seems that, as much as spy people preach about keeping emotions out of the picture, emotions seep through even harder than normal. But while Franky and Nightfall don't lie to themselves about these feelings, Twilight does…will that make it all the more torturous for him when he can lie no longer?

Continue to Part 12 ->

<- Return to Part 10

[bungobble-my-balls]

This is a pretty old headcanon I had for how Poe was pre-6 years and during the 6 years, and my personal headcanons changed after reading 'To all I've loved, I loved alone' which I basically adopted as mostly canon, but I still think its fun so here it is!

(I was also listening to 'non-stop' when I came up with pre-6 years Poe so that inspired this a bit)

- Poe, as one of the smartest young detectives in America, has never lost a case and has developed an ego. He believes that his word is truth because he's never been proven wrong.

- Poe loses to Ranpo in deduction, and after suffering his first loss, he builds a resentment towards him and sees him as an egoist that mocked him. He's a really sore loser.

- Poe becomes obsessive over getting back at Ranpo. He starts venting by replaying the scenario between them in his novels, then he starts planning ways he could really get back at Ranpo. He wants to prove that he truly is the smarter and better of the two by writing a novel with a mystery Ranpo not only won't be able to solve, but will die when he fails.

(I have a headcanon that Poe can go into his own novels and can act as a part of the story he's written in them)

- Poe spends years with this goal in mind. In his quiter and lonelier moments, he finds comfort in his hate over Ranpo because at least its some form of connection with someone even if it's one sided, and at least its a purpose. With enough time researching Ranpo and his achievements, Poe can't help but admire the man he hates, which fuels him to REALLY want to write better and take him down a notch.

- Poe joins the Guild, and the other members think he's a bit of a freak but they're all freaks so they start found familying eachother, or maybe more like an office comedy with most of them. He gets on with Lucy because of their similarities, even if they butt heads sometimes because of the differences in their personalities, but there's enough similarities for them to form a bond.

- At some point, Poe's obsession over Ranpo leans a little...sexual...and after an accidental mishap in one of his novels he realises that keeping himself isolated while only thinking of his 'rival' probably isn't the best for him, so he makes an effort to actually go out and interact with other people more, not just for work either. Que Guild hangouts.

(the mishap was that he had a novel where he'd written how he'd expected/planned for his confrontation with Ranpo to go, and there was a Ranpo 'character' in this novel. Poe would go into the novel and rehearse what he'd say, and the Ranpo character would respond however Poe assumes the real Ranpo would. He'd been going in this novel every now and then for years, constantly rehearsing and changing the lines where he saw fit. The last time he went in the novel, because his novels and characters respond to how he imagines them to play out, the Ranpo character started coming on to Poe because Poe was internally developing a sexual interest from his obsession that the novel recognised even if he himself didn't want to acknowledge it)

- The Guild prepares to go to Japan to get the Agency's business permit, and Poe finds out that Ranpo is part of the agency. After so many years, he can finally enact his 6 year revenge plan, and he's absolutely freakishly giddy. He seperates from the group, telling them that he'll handle Ranpo himself because its personal. When Poe doesn't come back after his meeting, some assume he might've been unable to outwit the detective and got killed or kidnapped. Meanwhile....

- Poe meets Ranpo again, and realises that he's...actually not much like the Ranpo he's been picturing all these years. And Ranpo doesn't consider him a rival, but an equal, and Poe is between stunned and having a crisis right now. He isolates himself again while the guild finishes their battle, because he's really not sure what to do now the last 6 years of planning did NOT happen as he expected, and the man he'd been obsessed with hating isn't actually that bad??? He's more nervous around Ranpo now, trying to figure him out and still unsure if this is all Ranpo's elaborate trick and that this is what Ranpo has spent 6 years planning on his end.

- After meeting Ranpo again, Poe's obsession turns from hatred to being whipped for him, but it happens too fast to process, and it's not like he hadn't felt this admiration for Ranpo before (even if it's a lot stronger now) so he still thinks these are feelings of rivalry.

So of course this headcanon is old and I don't completely see this as accurate to Poe, Ranpoe, or the Guild dynamic in canon anymore, but I think it's fun in a fanfiction way still.

[running-with-kn1ves]

(Miha-writing anon here! A little snippet of my interpretation of Miha and Manager's first meeting, along with how he maybe started falling for them! Hope you're doing good!)

TW for mention of dieting!!

“I’m excited to work as your manager!” You said, smiling at your new client. You were a rookie at the agency, rookies get rookies, so you were assigned to an upcoming idol, who had made his debut a few weeks ago. He was a great singer; you could see why his debut single had already gotten so popular.

Miha was oddly quiet, despite the outgoing persona he displayed during interviews. You two didn’t talk much outside of work, he was always training or rehearsing, while you sat at the office and managed upcoming events. The manager position wasn’t as glamorous as the movies made it seem, instead of having sushi with celebrities you sat at your desk and ate cold pasta out of a Tupperware.

You stood outside of the dance room, waiting for Miha. Standing on your toes, you peeked in through the door’s tiny window. Miha was following his coach’s moves to perfection. He wasn’t just naturally skilled; he was an incredibly hard worker, who never backed down. He’d extend rehearsal for hours just to nail one part of the song. You knew the distanced relationship the two of you had was normal, it was good even, but deep down, you wanted to know more about him.

Staring harder at the document did nothing, you couldn’t believe what you were seeing. As his manager, you received a copy of Miha’s training program, this time it was accompanied by a diet. This was just absurd, it was way too little, you looked in shock at his pre-planned meals, if you could even call them that. You stood up from your desk, marching over to the dance room. To your surprise, Miha was alone, sitting up against the large mirror.

“I already know…there always has to be something wrong with me, it’s like no matter how hard I try, it’s never enough”, he said quietly, face buried in his hands. You acted without thinking, sitting down next to him and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“There’s nothing wrong, Miha, you’re amazing, I’m so proud to be working for someone like you, nothing needs to be changed and nothing is going to be”, you spoke. He raised his head to look at you, his cheeks were damp with tears, it tugged at your heart. He was human; he couldn’t just be controlled how others wanted him to be.

“Do you promise? That things will stay like this?” He asked, his voice weak. Miha leaned against you and you couldn’t find it in you to be embarrassed, he needed it.

“I promise, I have an idea, let’s go get lunch!” You offered, smiling. He wiped his eyes and nodded. You helped him up, he didn’t let go of your hand, not even as you passed by other personnel.

You had a feeling this would be better than the movies.  

IM IN LOVE <3333!!!! Manager's strife is so real but Miha is so normal and realistic o(TヘTo) And that last line? Oho boy. If I was Miha I'd be attached too. I'd like to think that with all the pressure coming from everyone else, Manager is like that source of stress relief and shoulder to cry on for Miha, whereas everyone else expects him to carry the world with one hand.

Manager! Reader is there to advocate for him without any expected return ( except for, you know, an hourly wage) and they're oddly genuine. I don't know if It was picked up on in the original piece but you might've been able to make the assumption that Miha twisted some strings and made it so he was Manager's only client after a while. I don't think I made it that apparent but that was something I wanted to add to his story 😅. I'd think he gets possessive incredibly fast, especially knowing how genuine Manager! Reader is and how willing they are to help others. As his career grows and his status becomes more important, Miha obtains the resources to make it so Reader has to solely focus on him. Poor reader :(, but that's just such Miha behavior.

In this snippet I love how almost soft Miha seems! He naturally becomes more prissy and selfish the more attention he gets in his idol-hood, but I love him once being a naïve, bright-eyed newbie who just needs a helping hand. Ugh thank you for liking miha enough to write this anon!! beautiful work, maybe you should take this boy from me and do him justice lol

[linuxgamenews]

Discover the Excitement of Riddle Me Bunny: A Visual Novel Adventure

Riddle Me Bunny is a charming visual novel adventure game due to make its way onto Linux and Windows PC. Japanese indie developer Midnight Cupcakes brings their creativity and talent to life. Working to make its way onto Steam. Get ready for a fun and unique adventure with Riddle Me Bunny, the latest visual novel from Japanese indie dev Midnight Cupcakes. You can already add it to your Steam wishlist, so don’t miss out. Plus a native build is in the works.

Although it's still some time away, we will implement Linux compatibility in the final stages of development.

Here’s the reply from Midnight Cupcakes—they're using Ren'py to develop the game and plan to release a native build closer to launch. They're also excited about the challenge of supporting a Linux version too. What's Riddle Me Bunny all about? In this story, you’ll team up with Rabii Acerff, a slightly clumsy, bunny-eared girl, on a mission to solve the “Seven Great Riddles of the World.” Along the way, you’ll also meet some interesting (and sometimes competitive) characters from the “World Riddle Management Agency.” Since this is a mix of puzzles, choices, and some deep questions that will challenge the way you think about the world around you. The Story One day, a mysterious girl with bunny ears shows up in your life. Rabii Acerff is part of the “World Riddle Management Agency,” and she’s on a mission to crack seven ancient riddles. You’ve got a knack for mysteries, so she brings you along for the ride. Together, you’ll travel the world, solve mind-bending puzzles, and compete with other agents who also have their eyes on the prize.

Riddle Me Bunny 1st Trailer

Features to Look Forward To

Engaging Visual Novel Adventure Your choices in Riddle Me Bunny shape how the story plays out. You’ll face puzzles and questions that make you rethink what you believe and value. How you approach each riddle is also up to you!

Night Conversation System In between solving riddles, you’ll get the chance to have special nighttime chats with the heroines. These conversations help you form deeper bonds with the characters and can influence how the story unfolds. Get to know Rabii and the other agents better as you share your thoughts and grow closer.

Meet the Riddle Me Bunny Characters

Rabii Acerff She’s a lovable, slightly awkward agent from the “World Riddle Management Agency.” She’s sweet, though her clumsy nature can sometimes get in the way. But her heart’s in the right place, and she’s determined to solve the riddles with your help.

Ennis Acette Rabii’s rival, and maybe a bit too serious about her job. As a member of the "Riddle Rangers," Ennis thinks that cracking riddles is all about justice, and she’s not afraid to use some extreme methods to get ahead. Expect her to throw a wrench in your plans every now and the

And that’s not all — more characters will be revealed soon, so stay tuned! Don’t forget to add Riddle Me Bunny to your Steam Wishlist to stay updated on its release. This is one Linux adventure game you won’t want to miss, which is also coming to Windows PC.

[salitamaltita]

Soo... it seems that Kalafina is reuniting for their 2025 Anniversary Concert. The members have confirmed this via their twitter/X account, and the Kalafina_staff acc that has been inactive since like 2019 changed their profile picture and posted this announcement as well.

Sadly, Kajiura will NOT be involved in this upcoming live, other than (obviously) Kalafina singing the songs she composed for them. She didn't know about this upcoming plan from the members, as well as the agency (I think it's gonna be handled by spacecraft again lol). Really shocking since Keiko and Hikaru will perform in the upcoming YK Asia Tour. Since she won't be involved, she can't and won't answer any questions regarding this upcoming concert, as well as the future of Kalafina. It seems that Kalafina will return for good but WITHOUT her involvement anymore. She expressed her regret and sadness about wanting to weave/make music for Kalafina in the future but she won't be able to do so anymore since it seems that Kalafina will have another producer. From some article maybe it's gonna be Satoshi Takebe who has produced some songs for Wakana (and it seems that he's Wakana's current producer as well? idk). She still supports them though because to her they're still wonderful singers and everyone has their right to choose their own path in music.

Now that I read it more carefully I think Kalafina will be managed by Spacecraft again and that's the reason why Kajiura will not be involved in Kalafina's future as their producer since I think all Kalafina/Kajiura fans know how badly things ended with them (them as in Kajiura+Mori Yasunori and Spacecraft).

It seems that Kalafina has vastly two different factions within their fandom: the ones that are fine with Kalafina songs being performed as long as it's within Kajiura family AND the ones that think that Kalafina is not Kalafina without the members Wakana Keiko Hikaru singing. Even when Kalafina songs were being performed in Yuki Kajiura Live we can see how different people react to the performance. There are those who are fine with it as long as they can hear Kalafina songs again and there are those who are not fine with it, saying they couldn't listen to Kalafina songs without Wakana and some even went as far as saying that Joelle (who mostly covered Wakana's parts in YKL) was deeply unsuitable for Kalafina songs that it was so bad to them (even though Joelle is a far superior vocalist than Wakana). The recent FSN concert where Keiko, Hikaru, and Lino Leia performed "ring your bell" even brought some drama in twitter-sphere because the "Kalafina is not Kalafina without Wakana Keiko Hikaru" faction was throwing some shades at the performance because some people thought that the performance made them felt like Kalafina was back. Kalafina was trending that day and these people thought that Kalafina as in Wakana Keiko Hikaru were back for FSN concert but it wasn't the case. They were saying that it wasn't Kalafina, it was Fake Kalafina/Imitation Kalafina, saying that it was Kalafina performing didn't sit right with them. Now that was a bit over the top but I can see where they came from.

Back then I said that Kalafina will benefit from having other composers producing songs for them because to me, Kalafina has gotten a bit stale with their anisongs tie-in being incredibly formulaic and their b-sides being a simple piano ballad that sounded like Kajiura composed for the sake of filling the single quota. I still want Kajiura to be their main composer but it won't hurt to hear some other composers as well in their discography. Now that it seems that Kalafina is coming back but without Kajiura whatsoever, I don't know what to feel or how to react. I personally really liked Satoshi Takebe's works for Wakana so I'm kinda fine with him being their main producer going forward, but I still want Kajiura to compose songs for them. When she hit, there was something really special that only Kajiura can bring out from Kalafina's voices.

Also I don't know if it'll make it awkward for Keiko who's still a main vocalist in FictionJunction to juggle between Kalafina without Kajiura and FictionJunction because she felt really strongly about Kajiura's music that she left Kalafina first after Kajiura's departure and she said in her announcement for Kalafina's comeback that the reason she came back after 1 year hiatus was because she loved Kajiura's music so much. But at the same time she consciously chose this and I respect her for that. It seems that Kalafina was truly her happy place that she now thought that it's fine to be Kalafina without Kajiura as long as she's in Kalafina. The members will still maintain their solo career and it seems that Keiko will still be in FictionJunction (edit: wait nvm now I doubt this lol), though with Kalafina returning I wonder if we'd see Kalafina songs being performed in Yuki Kajiura Live again.

That being said I'm kinda excited for the upcoming concert and while I know I won't be able to watch it since the ticket war is definitely gonna be insane, I think there's a huge chance of the concert being released in home media so I'll just wait for that.

[tobiasdrake]

So that's it. That's the truth of our case. We know who our killer is. In a way, we've known for a while. All that's left is to clinch it.

The deepest, darkest, and most tragic secret of this case. How did a murderer penetrate the inner lab?

The answer is, we wore Yakou like a hat. A hat made of knives. So, Kung Lao's hat. We wore Yakou like Kung Lao's hat.

Poor Halara. They're up there trying desperately to resuscitate Yakou but he's a) dying of incurable gas and b) about to get Soul Reaped anyway. I hope they don't blame themselves when it happens.

Fortunately, if all Fubuki did was crack the Panel Room with us unknowingly, she's off the hook and in no danger. Servan was more involved in Shachi's murder and the Labyrinth let him off with a stern glare.

Obviously Yakou. Also a part of me considered that the woman in question might be Yuma's mom but that's just because she has purple hair. I shouldn't make assumptions. Not everyone with purple hair is related to one another.

It's not even the right shade of purple. Though it could be tempered by Yakou's blue, maybe? Anime hair does that sometimes.

I'm way off base here. Moving on. Our killer is, beyond a shadow of a doubt....

So we can now say pretty confidently that Jawline is Fink the Slaughter Artist. But Fink never set foot in the lab. He was here to conceal the truth behind why Yakou is dead.

Probably to avoid blowback on the Master Detectives when their boss murdered Amaterasu's most important scientist. I said before that the stabbings seemed a) unprofessional and b) emotionally motivated. Both of those things make sense now.

Oh, that's why the photo was here. I figured he simply carried it around on him.

Did Jawline know that Yakou was his client? Or did Yakou wrestle the photo away from him during the struggle?

Sephiroth Vader has been defeated but Vivia's still going to defend Yakou from the cruel grip of the truth.

I'm sure Yakou sincerely meant that. Emotionally motivated. But it was also part of the ruse to disguise the crime as a professional hit. It ensured everyone would be looking at FInk, not Nocturnal Detective Agency, when the smoke settled.

At least, in theory. Didn't work out so well for us in practice.

Or that. I was right on the ball when I said it's weird that Fink would send us a note, and makes more sense if Yakou sent it to us himself.

That also covers his OOC behavior when he's suddenly gung-ho to rescue some dipshit Amaterasu scientist after weeks of telling everyone to lay low and keep our heads down.

In fact, a paranoid part of me wonders if this was the plan from the start. If Yakou was discouraging us from making waves because he didn't want us getting our jolly asses killed by the Peacekeepers before he had a chance to finalize this plan.

To disguise the truth, is what I've been going with. Let's see what Yuma says.

Nobody would think twice about four new corpo-cops suddenly patrolling the halls if everyone's running around trying to thwart Jawline. That makes sense. So it wasn't about protecting us.

That makes my heart sad. :(

That's when he went to the airlock. He didn't go the other direction; He used his lead to get there first.

Jawline was the only person who could have been responsible for the blackout. But since we now know that Jawline isn't complicit in the lab intrusion, it makes more sense. The blackout was part of the plan to kill Yakou, per Yakou's instructions.

For Yakou, it gave him a cover story. "Oh no, a blackout, we need to hurry up and get Huesca out of there before the killer gets him through all that non-powered security!" was what he used to separate from us and instill in us the urgency we used to crack the Most Locked-est Room Ever.

This is why the blackout was the most inscrutable piece of the puzzle. It couldn't open doors or disable Huesca's security. If anything, it made doors more locked until backup power switched on and it didn't matter anymore. It couldn't do fucking anything. There was no practical reason for it. It contributed nothing to this plan.

The reason it was useless is because it's a placebo. It was an empty threat designed to instill in us a sense of urgency and get us moving. Yakou used the blackout to get us in gear and push us towards our steps of the plan.

Yakou spent a long time working on this. It's super premeditated. And reliant on insider knowledge of Amaterasu's classified lab. Photo Lady had to have worked there. Maybe the second desk in that office was Yakou's?

Yakou put his faith in us to ferry him to Huesca. We did not disappoint him.

Y'know, it's weird but I'm proud of that. I mean, a man is dead but fuck 'im. Huesca's far from a sympathetic victim. I know that and I don't even have the full details on Yakou's motive. I know enough to know Huesca got what he had coming for him.

We did this, y'all. We worked together to make this happen. This isn't Yakou's victim. It's all of our victim.

Yuma's sitting here wrestling with the awful truth, trying not to crumble under the pressure of his world shattering. But I'm over here respecting Yakou more than I have since the day we met him. You did it, man. You beat Amaterasu's highest possible security in the bowels of their HQ and pulled off the crime of the century.

And since the plan called for him to die triumphantly anyway, a legitimate argument could be made that he unknowingly beat Shinigami too while he was at it. Yeah, go ahead and reap his soul. Take the last 45 seconds of his life from him. Not like it fucking matters anyway. He's already won.

Murderer Yakou is infinity times cooler than Detective Yakou ever was! Holy shit, where was this guy in all of our hangouts!?

More than anything, Yakou wanted nobody to know why he did this. Even after his death. I'd thought he was trying to protect the agency but it feels like this goes deeper than that.

I want to say he wanted to discourage us for our own emotional wellbeing but my guy was about to slit Yuma's throat before Ghost Yakou intervened. So. Yeah. This was definitely more about protecting Yakou than anything else.

He wanted to do both if he could help it but if push came to shove, he was ready to kill Yuma to defend Yakou's reputation. It was only Yakou saying outright, "Do not do that thing," that convinced him otherwise.

And. Yeah. We talked about this before but. Like. We're in this mess because the Peacekeepers decided apropos of nothing that we dunit.

Well guess what, fuckos! We did dunit. A stopped clock is right twice a day. Yomi's equation is belligerent nonsense but his result isn't wrong. If anything, the truth makes our situation worse. We have accomplished nothing by learning all of this.

As much as Vivia doesn't outwardly show much of his feelings, he believed in Yakou. He liked working here and he liked Yakou enough to trust Yakou implicity. He doesn't know why Yakou did this, but he also doesn't care. It doesn't matter. He stands behind it, whatever the purpose.

I don't have that same kind of respect for Yakou but I do find myself nonetheless in the same boat as Vivia. I don't know why Yakou did this, but I've seen enough - both of him and of Huesca - to believe he had the right of it.

The grave-dancing Robot Researcher was right.

[kimberlyannharts]

misc thoughts on Issue #119 -

= Aggressively heterosexual montage is aggressively heterosexual. It's a little frustrating to talk about because I know my bias towards Tomberly shows here but when the event itself is clearly trying to put all three romances on equal grounding, it's really obvious how halfbaked are the other two are compared to Tomberly, because Tomberly was the only romance with actual stakes and an arc in this. And Tomberly just has the luxury of being a thing ever since....issue #0 while this event was just the start of Zack/Trini and M*tt/Aisha. (Also, the Zack/Trini first kiss was oddly subdued for how much their romance has been a part of this and framed as the most perfect romance ever. Jason/Trini got like.......a sunrise kiss that took up half a page along with a cover and that's been reduced to "we made out a lot but overall it was nothing serious")

= Actually now that I think about it, is the point to all these romances that Billy feels alone by nature of him not having one? Because that's. well. hm

= Maybe I'm also bitter because the next scene is Trini/Kiya where they keep shoving it in our faces how Kiya is just soooooooo terrible and didn't deserrrrrrrrrve the Omega powers like Yale did christ alive. The comics' obsession with Kiya being one of their worst villains ever needs to be studied but also it's great because I love the toxic yuri

= Speaking of which how did Kiya find the Cosmic Fury Rangers on her trip. It's not like she left through the Arch to travel through time/dimensions or something, she's been traveling in this prime dimension's space. Also it sucks that the Cosmic Fury Rangers couldn't have a real part in all this. Amelia Jones: first female red ranger to not be important to the comics

= I still don't feel sorry for Rita. Sucks that you're in the dumpster and depressed but you literally unleashed Satan along with mentally and physically torturing teenagers

= Obligatory mention to how The Coinless established that the White Coin can't be split but we're just doing it here because we want to parallel how Tommy gave up his Green powers back in Kyle's run. At least it's allowing Tommy some agency and leadership in this event for once. And Kim reminding everyone it's his choice and the finger-locking was very sweet

= Evil!Tanya knowing about the Void when her memory of that was supposed to have been erased is another continuity error but at the same time it's really the only time in this event the Rangers turning evil was used to like....exploit their secrets and stuff. Still very odd to me that the cover where evil!Rocky and Adam invade and smash up the Command Center never actually happens in the story. Though weirdly enough next issue will have Dayne say SLAYER told them about the Void, which makes more sense as Slayer didn't lose her memories. whatever.

= Speaking of the corrupted Rangers, Evil!Rocky and Adam continue to be played weirdly for comedy despite how this is clearly supposed to be dramatic. That whole fight scene with them and Hyperforce Dad is particularly heavy with the ~witty quips~ and it feels very out of place, tonally

= White Combo suits are fine. They do what they're meant to do. Unfortunately Ranger Slayer's is probably the worst because of how....naked it looks compared to her previous suits. She should have kept her cape at the very least

= This is another one of the better issues of the event, since it genuinely feels like things are finally progressing because the characters actually have a PLAN and are going to work to PULL OFF THAT PLAN rather than everyone just kinda sitting around and twiddling their thumbs while the smart people do everything. It's a shame the next two issues will like.....immediately ruin that vibe because suddenly those plans get ground to a halt lmao

[agentgrange]

I have reason to believe, based on a rabbit hole I went down last night, that there is an ongoing war happening between the National Parks Service and the US Park Police. I take no joy in reporting that the National Parks Service isn't immune from ACAB, with the Park Police being undisciplined dickhead cowboys with unchecked authority in the greater DC Metro area. Even the local county police hate them to the point of leaking evidence the Park Police have withheld from the public and bringing manslaughter charges against Park Police officers following the killing of Binam Ghaisar. Charges that were only stopped by FBI intervention and a proceeding cover up. The legacy of which haunts the organization and colors everything that has happened in the last few months.

There seems to have been what I can only describe as a soft coup by appointing Jessica Taylor as park police chief. The park police union has been eroding the legitimacy of the National Parks Service (otherwise a very progressive liberal institution in comparison to basically every other US government agency) for decades now and I think the wider agency is trying to reign them in even if that means bringing in a rival ex Secret Service hatchet-woman turned EPA auditor. Its worth noting that the Secret Service have a long history of resentment towards the Park Police due to overlapping jurisdictions within Washington DC and their general lack of discipline with their rivalry often breaking out into outright hostility including the assault and detention of a black Secret Service agent. Being a former Secret Service agent, Taylor would be well aware of the Park Police's reputation before her appointment.

Her appointment was rushed through by Park Service’s associate director of visitor and resource protection Jennifer Flynn, seemingly against the wishes of the police union who expected the Park Service to rubber stamp their candidate like previous appointments.

To which I say-- Lol. Lmao even. The Park Police are clearly used to appointing their own oversight and have an incredibly disproportionate amount of power within the NPS that is increasingly at odds with the rest of the agency. All this in mind, it really reads like Flynn brought Taylor in as a deliberate outsider in the hopes of bringing more oversight to the organization that won't immediate fold to the union or engage with their over-up plans every time the Park Police murder someone.

Jennifer Flynn, for her part, doesn't come from the Park Police but instead spent her whole career as a Park Ranger working in various capacities. Maybe its just me but when you see her you think "oh yeah that's definitely what I would expect a park ranger to look like" unlike the hotdog necks at the USPP. While only the associate director, she's been working quietly and smartly to find ways to reign in the park police including amending their jurisdiction over "felony investigations of property crimes, and crimes against society such as serious drug related offenses" under the guise of staffing cuts. To be clear, she unilaterally made the decision that the Park Police may no longer investigate or arrest citizens for non-violent offenses. Again, I can't help but see this as a direct response from sympathetic members of the agency to the Park Police's killing of Bijan Ghaisar to gradually remove the Park Police's authority to carry out law enforcement except when absolutely necessary.

Its an interesting situation to be sure, and while I don't count these two ladies as any sort of socialist heroes on "our side" (they're federal enforcement officers at the end of the day) I'm willing to lend them critical support in their attempts to quietly defang the Park Police. Maybe its wishful thinking but I like to imagine based on everything I've read that there is some sort of concentrated deliberate effort being done here that's successfully circumvented politics by *actually wielding authority to drive positive change* even if they know the limits of their authority necessitates that they do it quietly. USPP clearly thinks of themselves as police officers first and members of the National Parks Service second, and are clearly at odds with the rest of their organization's values. I hope this continues until we see the Park Police be restructured into glorified mall cops with no institutional influence while the bulk of their role is taken over by more responsible organizations within the NPS like the National Park Service Law Enforcement Rangers and other special agents that prioritize the safety of the public over brutalizing people over property enforcement & petty crimes.

Why am I posting this here???... Because so much of my writing has to do with the National Parks Service and the Department of the Interior. Here I am with potentially a genuine case of inter-agency intrigue while conducting completely unrelated research. You can't blame me for wanting to dig into this more and see where it goes. Consider this a story, food for thought, when thinking about these organizations.

[resurrection-of-soul]

Flashback | BIOHAZARD 12

Writer: Akira (日日日)

Characters: Keito, Tomoya

Keito: An important announcement? Are they going to disband or something? Tomoya: No, despite everything, UNDEAD is pretty popular, so I don't think they're just going to disband all of a sudden?

[ For the best viewing experience, please read directly on my blog! ♪ ]

Time: The next day.

Location: Inside the ES building, in the RhythLin office's lounge.

Keito: (Just what are you thinking, Sakuma?!) ("I'll be away for a while, so if anything happens at the office while I'm gone, I'm counting on you to take care of it." Seriously? To ask such a thing of me so casually!)

(…Ever since that performance of "Vampire Shogun¹," he's begun acting oddly familiar with me.) (Does he truly think that all our past transgressions up until now have been forgiven? That by working together, we've strengthened our bonds and once more returned to being "close childhood friends"?) (It's intolerable if he's entertaining such naïve thoughts. I feel like I'm being underestimated.) (…Well, even if he doesn't go out of his way to request it of me, I would still handle things at the office if it's necessary.) (Lately, UNDEAD seems to be in quite a sorry state, while Ra*bits are apparently caught up in a feud with some big shot²—) (So among the new talents at RhythLin, we, Akatsuki, probably have the most momentum.) (We have our own problems as well, but at least on the surface…) (That's why we must take the lead and secure a place for the younger generation within this well-established agency.) (For the sake of that goal, we go out of our way to show up at the office and greet the higher-ups!) (We take even odd jobs seriously, handling small tasks in place of our senpai!) (Currently, there's a deep rift between the big shots and the younger talents at RhythLin. We'll bridge that gap, even if just a little, and overcome this new era as a united front.)

Tomoya: Zzz, zzz... ♪

Keito: ...?! Mashiro? Bastard, why are you sleeping on the sofa in the lounge?

Keito: That's dangerous... I nearly sat down without noticing you. You could have been crushed.

Tomoya: Mnn… H-huh? Where am I?

Keito: Did I wake you…? Good morning, Mashiro.

Tomoya: Wuh?! Oh, g-g-good morning, Hasumi-senpai!

Keito: Good. A proper greeting is worthy of praise. That aside, why are you sleeping in a place like this?

Tomoya: Oh, uh, sorry… You probably already know about this, but things have been a bit hectic for us lately. Work's been kind of scarce, so we've been contacting a bunch of places to try and resolve the situation… I've been running back and forth dealing with that, so I got tired out and ended up falling asleep — something like that, more or less?

Keito: What are you, a stray cat? If you're going to sleep, do it properly in your own room back at Starmony Dorms. You need to rest in a bed, or you'll end up hurting your body.

Tomoya: Okay… But this is a crucial moment for us, so we have to give it our all.

Keito: Is there anything I can do to help?

Tomoya: Oh, actually, yes. There's something I wanted to ask. We wanted to try something using SSVRS, but UNDEAD is currently using the equipment. We need quite a few sets, so I was wondering if there'll be enough available for us.

Keito: Huh? UNDEAD is using it right now?

Tomoya: Yeah. That's what I heard from the person in charge when I submitted the equipment usage request.

Keito: They're supposed to be away right now, as part of some secret plan they claim to be participating in. Or could it be that they're using SSVRS as part of that plan?

Tomoya: Huh? I don't know anything about a plan or whatever, but UNDEAD being away right now is impossible, right? I mean, they're supposed to be making a live appearance in some kind of special program today.

Keito: A special program? Is that their secret plan? You're as well-informed about other units as ever, aren't you?

Tomoya: Haha, I guess you could say that staying in the loop is one of my strengths, or maybe it's just that I excel at what I like. Though, well, lately my idol otaku attribute is kinda being taken over by that Shiratori guy. Oh, look, it seems to be airing right now. An emergency special program, "Important Announcement from UNDEAD"— it says.

Keito: An important announcement? Are they going to disband or something?

Tomoya: No, despite everything, UNDEAD is pretty popular, so I don't think they're just going to disband all of a sudden? Hm? But something about what they're saying sounds kinda strange?

Keito: What do you mean? Let me see too.

Tomoya: Could you please watch it on your own phone~…?

Keito: Mm. …Hmm? What's this? Those guys are wearing unfamiliar outfits, aren't they? And the song they're singing— Is this their debut song? No, it's subtly different. If I recall correctly, this is one of the proposed songs for UNDEAD's debut live. However, due to various reasons, it was never actually performed…

Tomoya: You're pretty knowledgeable about this stuff, Hasumi-senpai. Are you also one of UNDEAD's fans?

Keito: Hmph. We've had various entanglements since their formation— No, since even before that. But why are they bringing out such an old, forgotten song from their early days? What are they up to? Are they planning to return to their roots? They've certainly seemed to be a bit lost lately, so a return to form may not be a bad idea? Hm, "HELLSING" is it? They didn't name themselves after the famous vampire hunter Van Helsing, right? The spelling would be different for that. With this spelling, the meaning becomes something like "song of hell." How ominous. What on earth are they up to this time…?

[ ☆ ]

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A reference to Learning from the Past.

A reference to Parallel World.

[greatwyrmgold]

There's an anime this season that I tried almost entirely because of a character named Magical Girl Anarchy. She has a punk aesthetic, and she's named Magical Girl Anarchy. Unfortunately, she took a back seat to some guy, and the plot felt like a YA dystopia which was trying to cater to privileged nerds' persecution complexes. Maybe it gets better, maybe the Otaku Hero dies at the end of episode 1 and it turns into a proper punk magical girl series, I dunno; I wasn't enjoying it, so I moved on.

That's not important right now. What's important is the name "Magical Girl Anarchy" and the magical girl team I've written to contain it.

Magical Girl Anarchy

The Lancer. Glam punk aesthetic, fire magic. The one who drives the team forward.

Anarchy has a strong sense of justice, and a stronger hatred of injustice (fostered in part by having been a direct target of great injustice in the past). She cannot abide unjust actions or institutions; living in a world full of both makes her restless, often to the frustration of her teammates.

You know how a lot of action heroes will encounter someone being attacked in a back alley by a corrupt cop or something, intervene, and then start a fight scene after the cop refuses his offer to back down? Kinda like that, except that (for better or worse) Anarchy doesn't give them a chance to back down. She gets into trouble pretty often, but usually manages to bail herself out before her friends get dragged into it.

She doesn't just pick fights with random assholes, though; she does that when she sees the opportunity, but most of her focus is on the villains (see below). Dealing with the source of the injustice is the best way to restore justice. And she desperately wants to do that. She gets frustrated when her friends don't seem as motivated to deal with them.

Anarchy's magical talent is to disrupt other magic, making it misfire; her loner tendencies are driven in part by disagreements on what the team should do, and in part by her feeling like she makes things worse for the others.

(She can do other magic stuff, too. It's just stuff all the magical girls can do, one way or another.)

Anarchy has tried to convince the other magical girls to start the band. (Anarchy plays bass guitar.) Unfortunately, she's the only one with any interest in music, and until Magical Girl Liberty joined she was the only one with musical skill.

Magical Girl Acuity

The Smart Guy, obviously. Goth/Business casual aesthetic, metal magic. The one who checks the team's route.

Acuity has made mistakes in the past. She's always tried to do what's right, but sometimes that lead her to doing something terribly wrong (possibly even being an ex-member of the villains' faction). She's driven primarily by a desire not to make those mistakes again, which means carefully planning, preparing, and of course analyzing those plans and preparations and her own mindset and anything else that seems relevant.

Acuity and Affinity get along well, with Affinity bringing up problems that Acuity can consider and work into her plans. These plans cover every base, but tend to be time-consuming (to Anarchy's irritation) and rigid (to Agency's).

Acuity's primary magical talent is healing, but she also has a knack for enchanted items, particularly ofuda. These are useful as a way of extending her relatively shallow magical endurance, but they're less flexible than spells cast on the fly, and obviously she can't use any if she didn't prepare and bring the right talisman.

Magical Girl Agency

(The "control over actions and their consequences" definition, with a dash of "action or intervention, especially such as to produce a particular effect".)

The Big Guy. Himekaji gyaru aesthetic, wind magic. The one who keeps the team moving.

Agency sympathizes with Anarchy more than the rest of the team, because they have similar backgrounds. While Agency wasn't the victim of as much violent injustice as Anarchy, she has more experience with the banal injustices inflicted on entire communities, partly because she's older and partly because Anarchy spends more time getting into trouble than talking with other

True to her name, Magical Girl Agency wants everyone to have control of their own lives. This ideal drives both her overall goals (such as opposing the villains) and her methodology. She dislikes micromanagement and detailed plans, believing that it's better to give each team member the flexibility needed to make decisions based on their immediate circumstances and self-understanding.

Her magical talent is celerity. She powers up fast, casts her spells fast, and recovers her magic fast. It lacks the intricacy of her teammates' powers, but it works; she can't do much that the others can't, but she can do more of it, with more force behind it.

Agency has an interest in meteorology. She hopes to be a meteorologist when she retires from magical girl-ing...unless she can master both magic and meteorology to the point of controlling the weather, which she thinks would be a more productive use of her talents than simple research.

Magical Girl Affinity

The Heart. Shiro lolita aesthetic, ice magic. The one who keeps the team on track.

Affinity comes from a moderately wealthy family—not the 1%, but people who are doing pretty well in this society. She was a sheltered child, growing up ignorant to the evils of the world. She had the wool torn from her eyes in her adolescence, and joined the magical girl team shortly thereafter.

Affinity doesn't have as well-defined a motivation as the other girls; she wants to help people and make the world more like the ideal world she thought existed. This dispassionate hope means that she's the most likely to balk at the group's plans, particularly when they risk compromising the girls' ethics or safety.

Sometimes this means pointing out genuine problems with their plan, sometimes it means groundless anxiety about things the girls have to do, and it's not always clear which is which until it's too late. Every angel needs a devil's advocate, but that necessity doesn't mean her teammates appreciate all Affinity's worries. Anarchy in particular is prone to seeing them as excuses, and even Acuity gets irritated when Affinity prods at a plan they all spent hours or days working on.

Her magical talent is to connect other magical girls, letting them combine their strength to be more powerful than they could ever be apart.

Affinity frequently gets into arguments with Anarchy, which is symbolized by the fact that Anarchy's talent does not work well with Affinity's. Anarchy has to be left out of the Affinity-facilitated team moves to keep them from going out of control, until the two of them undergo some character development together.

Magical Girl Amity

The Hero. Magical girl seifuku aesthetic, earth magic. The new one.

Every team needs a new, comparatively generic member so the audience has someone they can relate to and who needs stuff explained to them. Moreover, that member can act as a straight man. And Amity is that.

On the team, Amity has two important roles. First is her magical talent, which ties into her narrative role more than her personality. Amity has some power that's either critical for the heroes (leading to them reaching out and recruiting Amity) or dangerous to the villains (leading to them targeting Amity, forcing her to join the team for her own safety).

Second is her role as a mediator. She finds compromises between the other girls' different approaches and opinions. Sometimes this means being the tiebreaker when the rest of the team gets divided over something dumb; sometimes it means wrangling a dialogue between the two sides as they collectively try to decide what the best course of action is.

Amity herself isn't as strong a personality as her teammates, and that's okay.

Villains

What would this magical girl team fight? I haven't put much thought into it, but I feel like a character named Magical Girl Anarchy shouldn't just fight generic bad-vibes monsters. She deserves an antagonist who directly opposes her values. Something human, yet omnipresent. Something obsessed with control. Something...institutional.

(Which is, to be fair, what the Magical Girl Anarchy from Magical Destroyers fought. I just don't think it's an interesting institution, or that it's fought in an interesting way.)

Maybe a secret cabal of powerful businessmen, rentiers, and politicians who use magic covertly to secure their investments. Maybe a council of warlocks who rule society openly, using their sorcery to legitimize their power and their power to strengthen their sorcery. Maybe the plutocrats of a cyberpunk-tinted world, to which magical girls are as disruptive as anarchists. And these figures shouldn't be The Big Bad, so much as manifestations of social forces that can never be fought directly.

But those forces can be opposed. And the individuals are causing harm, of course, so they should be individually stopped. The balance between stopping villainous plans, opposing the institutions which enable those villains, and directly helping the people hurt by villainy is probably one of those things the team spends a lot of time arguing about.

[larathia]

Some structure notes on the ADA (or: Why Dazai's In The Middle of Everything)

One of the first things Atsushi learns about the ADA is that there's really only one detective in the place - Ranpo. The ADA was built for his sake, is run for his sake; Fukuzawa's way of giving Ranpo purpose.

Most of what everyone else does is 'assist the police' or bodyguard/delivery work, something where a Gifted's skills make the task easier or safer. Officially, anyway. Less-officially, we followers of the story know that the ADA is also basically the group that takes care of threats to Yokohama so that the government agents don't have to be called in; at the 'citywide threat' level they're basically the city's first responders.

This kind of means they need someone smart to strategize and manipulate and plan, because the ADA is less than a dozen Gifted in a city where the Mafia has easily got four to five times that many Gifted (all combat trained and willing to kill) and without some SERIOUS strategizing, the ADA should logically be steamrollered in any kind of conflict.

The ADA has Ranpo, but while Ranpo is one of the older members of the ADA, he's also majorly immature for his age - otherwise Fukuzawa wouldn't have needed to create an entire agency just to make sure Ranpo had a job. Part of the maturation process is giving Ranpo people he can care about even if they're not on his intellectual level. Give Ranpo a reason to put that brain of his to work.

For Ranpo, the entire conflict with Decay of Angels has been one massive wake-up call; that if he's not paying attention his friends, his mentor, will die. I'm actually looking forward to seeing where Ranpo goes after this arc, because it's been a lot of kicks in the head for him.

But back to the point. While Ranpo is (slowly) waking up to the idea that he has friends and he should maybe learn to use his unparalleled intellect to protect them, the ADA needed a strategist. A genius strategist.

Enter Dazai.

In story terms, Dazai is not the hero. Not the sidekick, or the villain. In story terms he's the Mentor; that's how Atsushi sees him, and that's the story role he fulfills. (Don't get on me about how well he mentors, that's a totally separate discussion.) You've seen Dazai's role in a hundred other stories.

In Star Wars, he's Obi-Wan, filling Luke in on the world he's entering, teaching the basics of what it is to be Jedi, with a history that allows for relative wisdom to be passed on.

In Arthurian terms, Dazai is the Merlin to Atsushi's "young Arthur". (Although structurally, he's also the Merlin to Ranpo's 'young Arthur', in that he shows Ranpo ways to use his great intelligence to deal with threats). This is why Dazai's always in the middle of things, but the story's never about him. Functionally, his role isn't to be the hero - it's to show other characters how they can be the hero. And, really, that they need to be the hero.

Structurally, the ultimate fulfilment of this role requires the Mentor to step back, so that the hero can step up into that void and fulfil their potential. In most cases, the Mentor does this by dying - which I have to say has made the choice of Dazai to fill the role kind of intriguing. But it's worthwhile to note that not every Mentor dies as part of the story - all that's really required is that they be unable to help the budding hero. (Merlin, forex, got trapped in caves of ice.)

Dazai's already been taken away from Atsushi by being in Muersault. Ranpo got messages, but really Ranpo is a lot less 'along the path' than Atsushi is on his hero-journey; I mean, Decay of Angels is really where Ranpo seems to have finally learned he needs to pay constant attention or his friends get hurt. Atsushi, by contrast, is nearly ready to work on his own. (Not quite ready. But, otoh, about as ready as Luke was when Obi-wan got killed, so...)

Because Dazai's doing a kind of double-mentor role, he's always in the middle of everything while never being the Point of anything. And I wish I could know whether he's going to die or not, because he's pretty interesting and I'd rather he didn't (but then, that too is part of the Mentor role, isn't it? you don't WANT them to go...)