#no because as soon as I heard the motif and realized

[emisirrelevant]

guys guys guys, y'all, I just had my pulp musicals discovery of the day and I don't know what else to do with this information so those of you who are also pulp musicals fans, here you go.

I just listened to Once You Get A Look and close to the end, if you listen to the instrumental closely, you can hear the motif of Behind Me????

Matt Dahan you genius. Also I am devastated because it's technically calling back to Ep 1 but also foreshadowing with Rose I'm pretty sure, or at least how I interpret it now that I hear the motif.

And that's my brainrot for the day.

[linkemon]

Il limone (Bruno Buccellati x Reader)

Friendly reminder that English is not my first language. You can check my Masterlists both in English and Polish here. Consider supporting me on Ko-fi. You can also check out my commissions if you're interested.

Other oneshots can be found here.

[ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ] ᴛʀɪᴇꜱ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴘᴀɪʀ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴘᴀꜱꜱɪᴏɴᴇ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏꜱꜱ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʀ ʜᴜꜱʙᴀɴᴅ. ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪɴᴀʟ ꜱᴇᴛᴛʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴄᴏɴᴠᴇʀꜱᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɢɪᴏʀɴᴏ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜʙɪǫᴜɪᴛᴏᴜꜱ ʟᴇᴍᴏɴꜱ…

ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ: 1. ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴏᴛ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴꜱ ꜱᴘᴏɪʟᴇʀꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴊᴏᴊᴏ'ꜱ 5ᴛʜ ᴘᴀʀᴛ - ᴠᴇɴᴛᴏ ᴀᴜʀᴇᴏ. 2. ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ ɪɴ ᴘᴀʀᴛ 5 ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇᴅ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ɪᴛᴀʟɪᴀɴ ꜰᴏᴏᴅ ɴᴀᴍᴇꜱ. ɪ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰᴏʀᴍᴜʟᴀ.

Even now remaining, is that bitter Scent of lemon, that’ll never leave Waiting out the rain, I can’t go home until it clears away. Kenshi Yonezu, Lemon

[Reader] sat down with difficulty on the whitewashed rattan chair. There was a crystal jug on the table. She reached for it. But when she saw the lemonade, she withdrew her hand. Fate always liked to mock her. She contented herself with a piece of fruit tart. She laughed inwardly at the sight of the fork with a plant motif. Giorno may have had the title of boss of Passione but he was still a child inside. Unfortunately, the sweet taste of the baked goods left much to be desired, although she knew that Trish tried very hard. She made a cake especially for her arrival. She was certainly counting on praise from the long-time pastry chef. [Reader]'ll have to bend the truth a little to avoid embarrassing her.

There was an amazing view from the terrace. From a distance she saw how large the clusters of grapes were on the green shoots. The poles were barely able to support the weight. It became crowded around the brick building. Vineyard workers hurriedly put away equipment and baskets. A storm was coming. The sky above the horizon turned dark blue. The wind was getting stronger every moment. For now, it was only lightly brushing her hair but she knew that soon it would be tugging at everything it came across. She used to like this weather. She liked the feeling of something powerful coming, uncontrollable, unstoppable. The old excitement about this image was replaced by irrational fear. She had had enough of surprises. She's already lost enough.

She grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the table. Mista must have left them here with the lighter. Slight change. It doesn't seem like a big deal but he's never smoked before.

The events of six months ago affected them all. It became impossible to return to the previous state. They seemed the same on the outside but on the inside they had aged years. She knew this was true, even though they barely talked about it.

She lit a cigarette with a slightly trembling hand. She hadn't felt nicotine for a long time. However, before she could take a puff, she heard:

— Smoking is harmful to the child.

Giorno Giovanna sat across from her. The blonde didn't wear his usual black and green outfit. He was wearing a loose shirt and regular pants. She hadn't seen him like this for a long time. In fact, she hadn't seen him at all in a long time. She was pleased with this informal style. He must have seen her as some kind of family. Because wasn't that what they were now? A broken family united by trauma and longing?

— You may be the boss of the gang but you're not my boss. — She stuck out her middle finger.

Still, she put out her cigarette. She said it was a waste of so many years of rehab to start again now. Besides, she knew deep down that he had told the truth.

— Nice to see you too, [Reader]. — The smile was faint but noticeable.

She studied his face after the long separation. Only after a while did she notice the dark circles under her eyes. She asked herself if it was from work or if he suffered from the same thing as her — insomnia. However, she kept silent about it.

They talked about everything and nothing, making up for lost time. Until now, she hadn't realized how much she missed the company of other people. She wasn't left completely alone in the villa. Her siblings visited her regularly. But they were different. Chatting with them never had any trace of the same depth. They knew nothing about the stands and did not know the real reason for her husband's death. She couldn't blame them but it made the sympathy they showed her feel hollow. As if their words didn't mean anything true and sincere.

— Have I ever told you how I met Bruno? — she asked, watching him sip lemon water from his glass.

He shook his head. He must have felt surprised. They hadn't mentioned him in a long time. They did not scratch barely healed wounds. This became a silent agreement between them.

[Reader] went to the door and changed the sign that read "Open" to "Closed." Dusk was slowly falling outside, contrasting with the bright interior of the bakery. She liked moments like this. Her siblings were in the back, cleaning up after the day, so she had a moment to herself. A calm, slow melody came from the radio, mixing with their voices. The clock ticked quietly, counting down the time left until the end of the shift. The warmth in the room made her feel sleepy.

She pulled out a dozen trays from behind the glass window. There wasn't a single cookie left. Customers bought all the baked goods at an alarming rate. She was happy but it still wasn't enough. Her family needed more money. Treating her father for such an advanced stage of cancer cost a fortune. They used the last of their strength to make ends meet to keep him alive. Chemotherapy brought great results but every lira of costs went towards it. This meant that there was almost nothing left to pay tribute to Passione.

She reached for the broom. The floor needed a good cleaning after the whole day. She also ran a mop over it. The smooth and wet surface reflected the yellow light from the ceiling lamps. She sighed dissatisfiedly as she heard the jingle of the bell above the entrance. Probably, as always, someone will come in with dirty shoes and she will have to start from the beginning.

— Closed! — she said reflexively.

— I'd like to see the owner. — The calm, deep voice carried a note of command.

She turned around slowly. Whoever was standing on the doorstep was clearly no ordinary customer. He wore a pristine white, oddly tailored suit. Tattoos were visible on his slightly exposed chest. However, it was his gaze that made fear appear in her heart. Blue eyes looked at her with cold determination. It was their first time meeting each other but she knew immediately who he was. He came for the money.

The peaceful evening disappeared in a split second.

— I'll take you there in a moment. I'll just take the cake out of the oven — she said with as much calm as she could muster.

She went to the back.

— Get mother, now.

The siblings knew what to do. They had already had their bags packed. They also knew every escape route from the confectionery shop and the rooms upstairs. She saw terror on their faces. They knew this day would come and yet they still seemed surprised. She prayed that they would get out safely.

She pulled the warm tart out of the oven, then reached into the glove compartment. She felt for the gun at the bottom of the drawer and reached for it. The cool barrel felt heavy in her hand. She was learning how to shoot and yet the idea of ​​pointing it at a living person seemed unrealistic. She took a deep breath as she put it in her apron pocket.

[Reader] led the man towards the stairs. She hoped that he would be the first to enter and she would have an opportunity to shoot. However, nothing of the sort happened.

She opened the door to the small bedroom. The father must have heard footsteps because he was sitting propped up on a large pillow. He was breathing with difficulty.

The familiar smell of the drugs made her nauseous. The room was lit only by a small bedside lamp. She could have sworn the shadowy figure had shrunk over the past few months. She remembered it completely differently from her childhood. When her dad taught her how to bake he was a few pounds overweight and had a round face. Now the thin frame was covered with sallow skin. The remnants of gray hair fell onto his wrinkled face. Instead of recipes, bills were piled up on the nightstand.

She reached into her pocket with a trembling hand as she heard her parent explain that he didn't have enough money. Her ears were ringing. She expected everything. Screams, shots, fighting and blood. She was even ready to attack with her invisible friend if she could summon it. She had no control over it. Sometimes it showed up in crisis situations and got her out of trouble. She had no idea what it was. No one else saw it.

The man turned towards her. It was as if he knew she was planning his death.

— We will postpone the repayment of the debt.

He said just that and that's all.

He wasn't lying. She felt it. The navy blue irises did not hide any trace of falsehood.

Her lower lip began to tremble uncontrollably. She bit it until it bled, all the while repeating his words in her head. She had a hard time holding back the tears that wanted to come to the surface. She released the long-held breath, trying to pull herself together.

She went downstairs, still in disbelief at her luck.

— Is there anything sweet left? — asked the capo, grabbing the door handle.

The question caught her completely off guard.

— Lemon tart — she replied after a moment's hesitation.

Only she was able to eat it. She baked it every Sunday. It became a sort of end-of-the-week ritual. But it looked like she would have to do without it this once.

— I'd like to buy it. — He took out his wallet.

— It's on the house. — She took out a decorative box. — But I am warning. It is very sour. I haven't met anyone else who likes it yet beside me.

Their hands touched briefly as she handed him the paper bag. She was surprised to see that they were delicate. They didn't match the rest of the gangster's body at all.

— Arrivederci! — He disappeared behind the glass window of the confectionery shop.

— Then he started coming regularly. Even after my father died and the debt was paid off. You know the rest of the story. — She rested her head on her shoulder. — Sometimes I think that only he was able to eat this cake because the sourness could not overcome the bitterness of his life. — She laughed.

For the first time in a long time. This sound filled the silence that fell at the table. She felt strange about it. As if she was somehow betraying Bruno's memory. But then she remembered that enough mourning was enough. She promised herself that. She had cried enough. It's time to heal the wounds. A child needs a strong mother.

— [Reader]. — Giovanna looked at her hesitantly. — Why are you telling me this? I have the impression that there is a second meaning to this...

This didn't surprise her. As always, he was a good observer.

— I talked to Trish about it but not to you — she began.

The storm was getting closer to the vineyard. The wind tugged at the strands of her hair more and more each moment. She persistently brushed them away from her forehead. Just like her husband used to do for her. He had a tender look reserved only for her back then.

— I don't blame you for his death. What I said then…— She took a deep breath. — I was angry. At myself, at you and at him.

The memory of her own anger made her feel ashamed. The grief and sadness of the loss forced her to shout out the things she regretted. She shifted the blame. It was easier that way. It helped only initially.

After the funeral, she locked herself in a large villa. She didn't let anyone in. For the first week she only went to the orchard with lemon trees. She picked fruit and baked cakes. Continuously. It's always the same thing. She wasted a lot of food. She had no one to eat the pastries and she herself didn't even want to put the tarts in her mouth. She felt like vomiting at the thought of the sour taste. She kept telling herself it was because of the pregnancy.

During the second week, she walked on the beach every day. She spent hours at their favourite place. She collected shells and sometimes just lay on the sand. She would spread a blanket and listen to the sound of the waves all afternoon. Sometimes it occurred to her that she should simply run towards the distant cliff and plunge into the dark green depths. But she never went in that direction. She was afraid she might actually do it. And she was no longer responsible only for herself. So she stroked her rounding belly and told the baby everything that came to her mind.

Bruno was the son of a fisherman. The boat they were using sometimes was still at the docks. The yellow colour was getting on her nerves. One day she dragged it to the shore and painted it. She covered herself in white paint from head to toe. The clothes were only fit to be thrown away. That evening she went to bed tired enough to fall asleep peacefully. She finally wasn't plagued by nightmares.

The weeks passed. The family's first unannounced visit made her irritated. They seemed to tiptoe around her. Pretend nothing happened. Still, she saw pity in their eyes. She told them to leave. It was only three days later that she called to apologize. She needed time to collect herself. She accepted them only a month later. After a stiff greeting, the words started pouring out of her mouth. The previous denial and apathy were replaced by tears. She cried in her sisters' arms. She howled with grief. So long that she no longer knew who she felt sorry for — Buccellati, the child or herself. She fell asleep on the couch between her family. They covered her with a blanket, cooked dinner and took her shopping. Ordinary, normal life. She slowly recovered.

The most difficult thing was coming to the meeting with Passione. Her earlier outburst changed a lot in their relationship. They didn't explain everything right away. Insecurity, guilt and regret stood in the way. Some things were left unsaid. They needed a lot of time to repair damaged relationships.

Giorno was not at fault. She wanted to make him realize this because she knew he was consumed with guilt. One that she herself contributed to. [Reader] had already moved forward but he was still stuck in place. She wanted to fix it.

— Bruno would try to make his dream come true even without your help. Perhaps then many more people would have died and nothing would have been achieved. I realized that one day these drugs could be sold to our child and it terrified me. None of these deaths were your fault. It's high time you realized this.

The first cool drops began to fall on the terrace. They hit the boards steadily, creating dark spots.

— Thank you. — The voice seemed barely distinguishable from a whisper.

— There is one more thing I came with.

She had a feeling he wouldn't like it. She had no clue as to what she would do. She wasn't sure if he would grant her request but she had to try.

— Take Fugo back in...

She saw how much he wanted to interrupt her.

— Buccelatti gave me and my family a chance. — These words made him fall silent. — I know you think he's a traitor but he was only loyal to his old boss. I'm not saying you have to take him right away. You can give him a task or mission. Whatever. But don't throw away his help. I've known him for a long time. He misses you all too. Narancia's death took a heavy toll on him.

She didn't know why she was defending him. She had the right to blame him for leaving her husband. He did not take part in the deadly expedition. He refused to help his friends. On the other hand, thanks to this he survived. She knew he was sorry.

She has already lost too many people. Taking Pannacotta out of her life on her own accord seemed stupid to her. A longtime friend should stand by their side again. She was going to give him that chance.

— I will consider this. — He nodded.

She couldn't count on anything more.

— Do you need Trish? — she asked, getting up from her chair.

They picked up the dishes together. The boy held up the silver tray.

— I don't have any tasks for her at the moment. Do you want to take her with you?

— The villa is too big just for me. Childbirth is getting closer. I could use some help. — She stroked her belly. — And a change of scenery will be good for her.

— [Reader], are you there already?! — The girl entered the terrace.

Trish kissed her on both cheeks. [Reader] hadn't seen her so happy in a long time. She was happy that this visit evoked such emotions in her. That meant she had somehow pulled herself together.

— Where were you guys? — Giorno headed for the door.

— We went to buy her tights. — Mista looked tired.

He didn't like shopping. Especially with Una. She was extremely picky about clothes.

— They only had hopeless brands but there was a promotion for lemons. Mr. Pistol bought a few bags. I have no idea what he will do with them. I guess he'll feed the Sex Pistols...

[Reader] laughed.

— What are you laughing at? — Mista lowered his eyebrow.

— Nothing. — She waved her hand. — Just a coincidence because that's the name I chose for the baby. Meet Limone.

She wasn't sure if it would be appropriate. She was afraid it would remind her too much of the pain of loss. But now she felt confident that it was a good choice. Bruno had to look down on her and send her his favourite fruits. He sure had a great time watching it all.

— You have a vivid imagination — the man commented as he entered the building again.

The rain was breaking up in earnest. Streams of water poured from the sky, hitting the dark green leaves and drowning the unpacked, earthy paths. The entire vineyard succumbed to the wet weather. The sounds of thunder were getting louder. The woman felt that she was soaked to the skin. Clothes stuck to her body. The storm will probably continue to rage for several hours.

[Reader] headed towards the dry house. On the threshold of the door she realized that Giorno had disappeared. She looked around, shielding her eyes from the drops. She spotted him in the distance. He waded through the pouring rain. He stopped on a small hill and unfastened his brooch. For a moment she saw the shadow of the Gold Experience. Immediately after, the golden ladybug turned into a lemon tree. She smiled for the third time that day and went inside.

[smimon]

Something something hope confirmed something something I had no faith but kept going only to succeed in the most unexpected moment something something I was about to continue anyway but if I lose both the faith and the hope in the future, I should remember this one time it worked

This is a post about my creative process and it is very personal to me but it might be difficult to understand because I am not good with words and it is basically the very point here

So yeah many of the comics I make come from my need to communicate certain messages, and I am very bad at communication so it usually doesn't work.

I look at the "failed" stories and save them for later, hoping to perfect them when I have more skill, but in the meantime I recycle the same motif in a new story.

New fandom, new characters, new setting, new tone, new genre, same heart, same me.

And I keep adding them, rows of iterations of the same message dressed in new clothes like character skins in video games. And I keep thinking: I will return to you all and complete you all in the future, and this way my message will be heard, it will be heard in many voices until it maybe gets to someone.

Then something unexpected happened with giant K series. I explained it somewhere, this series is based on a kind of motif I have been using for years, every few years a new retelling, new layout, new skin, but at core always the same.

(How to explain it? It is a silly comedy series, but at the same time it can be a reflection of a strained mind, silenced heart, confused soul. I don't have the right words yet.)

And this time, for the first time ever, it worked. I managed to start posting it, I managed to complete the plot, I managed to make it consistent, whole, harmonic.

And I almost dropped the series soon after it started, ready to put it among its ancestors to wait forever for a revival. But a friend encouraged me to keep going, and after The Post I managed to regain faith in it myself. And then, just recently, I realized that I did in fact manage to tell the story. I alreay told it. This did not change much in the world, but it changed a lot in myself.

And I started to think that maybe I couldn't complete the message before because I didn't have the right material, not enough building bricks that could fit together to form the shape of my thought. And maybe I will never get to complete the other variants of this motif, because the tools I have used constructing them were not the right ones. It was always trial and error, and I am lucky to have somehow landed a way that worked.

(I can still use the plots built around the older takes to tell stories to entertain so it's not like they are useless or something. Also I love them dearly and will never leave them)

I don't know, I am just so happy this lil series got to exist, and that it brings people joy. It brings something else to me too, something I cannot exactly express with words. I might make another comic about it one day lol

[dearmahiru-archive]

Assigning Milgram Characters Mili Songs

combining my favorite media for maximum serotonin! i hope other people do milgram song assignments because i will listen to your favorite song if you tell me it reminds you of my fav milgram character.

(IF ES WAS HERE THEY'D GET STRING THEOCRACY OR EXTENSION OF YOU!!!)

Haruka — Birthday Kid

"In my dreams, you praised me and clapped. Then mommy said, 'It's alright, there's always next time. You did your best""

I was so tempted to put in Ocean Bby instead so I could post the spotify cover of a guy in the mili mascot costume smoking but. unfortunately. Birthday Kid is clearly the better Haruka song. Themes of wishing for a family, coping with loneliness, and believing it's your fault you lost everything. #Harukacore

Yuno — Sideshow Duckling

"Golden Rouge. The duckling rubbed it and thought 'I'm enough to win my own approval'."

I'm not too sure about this one but the overall story struck me as Yuno? It's a bit hard to explain but the sweet yet insecure swan revealing a darker version of herself and learning to love herself felt similar to Yuno's Umbilical/Teardrop arc. I feel like there's probably a better song out there though.

Fuuta — Rightfully

"Lubricate our blades with blood and tears, and your piercing screams are music to celebrate."

I'm not too sure about this choice but I think it's passable? The fantasy chanting, the knight motifs, the dnd refetence, rallying with a group to defeat an enemy, it feels #Fuutacore. Alternately I'd consider Iron Flower but that's solely for the fire motifs.

Mu — Mitsubachi

"Everybody has two distinct faces Don’t you agree? Are you saying you’re special? Oh stop dreaming will you?"

Some of my choices barely fit meanwhile Mu recieves the bilingual french-japanese song called Honeybee. I don't think I need to explain this assignment any further.

Shidou — Bulbel

"I’m still my insufferable self. Setting my hair on fire, giving you warmth. Hoping you’d realize I want you by my side. May the lilies bloom for me."

Wow, Shidou gets the coffin flower song who could have foreseen this. I think the song's theme of going through several sacrifices in exchange for the happiness of someone you love fits him well enough.

Mahiru — From A Place Of Love

"There's just so much work, too much work to be done. Committing to commitments. Hiding my indulgence. The freedom we sacrifice for love."

Mili has a roster of sad romantic songs so this is a honestly a tie between this song, Turtle Heart, and Bathtub Mermaid. However, I settled From A Place Of Love becausw the song's progression from enjoying eachother's company to being thrusted into marriage too soon and then realizing you regret ever being in a relationship together struck me as #Mahirucore.

Kazui— And Then Is Heard No More

"Would you say that someone who had every intention to be brave was a coward?"

Kazui got the soft ballad song again! It's hard for me to describe it but I think this is a good pick for him? Feeling dispirited because of your inactions and thinking about how your life could've been with someone who's dead. It really resonates with me but I'm not confident enough with my knowledge regarding Kazui.

Amane — My Creator

"I wish you were here, I wish you were here. You would have been so proud of my achievements."

I think Mortal With You is also a good Amane pick but I felt more inclined for My Creator. Sometimes it's obscure when Amane's talking about "Father" if she means her actual dad or her God. I think My Creator being about someone's abused experiment wanting the love of their Father/God/Creator fits her along with the religious motifs.

Mikoto — Camelia

"Nobody is born a fighter, there isn't enough space for all of us. You don't have to act so tough. No one can make you budge."

I hate this pick so much this is easily the worst but I couldn't find anything for Mikoto. I settled for Camelia because one of Mikoto's major themes is protecting himself, and Camelia is about an elder sister protecting her younger one by shooting a man. The reasoning is shoddy and if anyone can provide a better song I love you.

Kotoko — Paper Bouquet

"If the future needs a billion samples of flowers, I’m your reaper. I’ve no colour so the least I can do for you is endure."

Whereas Mikoto is protecting himself, Kotoko wants to protect others. There's lots of Mili songs where the narrator wants to do something for the sake of the one they love but in the end I settle on Paper Bouquet for Kotoko. I'm not too sure about but I think the chorus about "a means to an end," and having to bury a highschool student would be something that'd spur Kotoko into protecting those weaker than her. Does that make sense?

[darkfire359]

Thoughts on e2-e4 of The Terror

My friend and I finally got around to continuing my watch of The Terror. Some thoughts:

We clicked on the youtube link to e2 and it took us a whole ~5 minutes to realize that it was actually e3. We thought there might be some kind of flashback explanation to why this dead guy and his daughter were suddenly on the ship, but there kept not being one, and then we eventually realized the mistake.

I was sad to see a cat show up because the cat will probably die like everyone else. :( On the other hand, it did mean I actually believed Gibson's excuse to Irving for almost as long as Irving did. But as soon as he mentioned Hickey, I knew that it definitely wasn't pussy that he was interested in down there. ;)

Relatedly, I swear I've heard the phrase "Cornelius Hickey is a devious seducer" before, but I had NO idea it was canon. Amazing.

My friend, upon Irving suggesting that Hickey try watercoloring instead of gay sex: "Is he just ace and he thinks that's what it's like for everyone???"

Also, I'd heard people use rat motifs for Hickey before, and I'd just assumed it was for general vibes reasons, like him being villainous and sneaky maybe. But no, Hickey got a speech given to him about how the difference between men and rats is that rats fuck in the hold all the time and men "aren't supposed to". Wow.

My first reaction upon Gibson being such an asshole during his breakup with Hickey was to feel bad for Hickey and his inevitable turn to villainy. But then Hickey was such a bitch back to him! "I had dinner with the captain, he likes me, who knows what could happen there ;)" and all. Plus he just kept reminding Gibson that he was the one who topped (honestly unexpected).

Anyway I appreciated the bitchiness and how Hickey just takes that "devious seducer" descriptor and tries to roll with it by making eyes at every other guy in the show INCLUDING the megabear. My dude really felt that he needed to include that eye contact description in his report to Francis lmao.

Relatedly I really hope someone has written megabear/Hickey fanfiction. I don't even need to read it, just to know if it exists.

At some point my friend asked what it meant to be "punished like a boy" and I luckily knew the answer due to some OFMD fanfiction that I'd read. Though TBF I could have guessed anyway since "Hickey gets whipped on the ass" might have been literally the first thing I knew about The Terror going into it.

Surprised that Sir John got killed via megabear; I thought that for sure he'd be mutinied on.

It's kinda sweet that Francis went on the entire expedition because of Sophia's request to keep her uncle safe. But my friend and I agree that Sophia/Francis isn't actually a good ship because a. he seems to be way older than her, and b. it seems like she was legitimately turning him down, rather than just doing so due to pressure from her family (as it had looked like earlier).

Very curious to see what the show would look like from the perspective of the Lady of Silence. "Oops, I have a pet monster that shows affection by murdering things for me!" I'd watch the hell out of that!

Some lingering confusion:

How did Goodsir escape the megabear attack that killed Sir John? It seemed like he was with the group in the blind when the megabear struck, and then Sir John was the only one we saw running back. But then Goodsir is just back on the ship as usual in another scene?

Is it assumed that Francis just off-screen sent that group of 8 people south? It seems like Sir John dying mean that he wasn't going to lead it himself, but he seemed adamant about it even if he was willing to wait the one day for Fitzjames? There's a 5-month timeskip after that and they don't bring it up again.

What was Hickey looking for on the ship during the funeral? I'm guessing it was the thing we saw he had stashed in his hammock later? Drugs?

Why did Francis go out looking for the megabear with just a cabin boy? Earlier he was having groups of 6 people go. Seems surprisingly irresponsible for the guy who is usually the voice of reason.

[mikumanogi-blog]

2023-03-05 ”The rain in March urges the flowers to blossom “ Tereblog 19 [ENG]

Food scraps, none on hand, Teresa-pan! Hello everyone, I’m Ikeda Teresa 🥐

↑Recently on Nogiobi Aya came up with the catch prase “Zanpan, Zeropan, Teresapan”… recently I said that the members that fit the mold of the younger sister member was the troublesome Naonao and the adult-like Aya, but I need to make a correction on Yaaaa-ya!!!

According to Aya it was apparently based on “SDGs (sustainable development goal”, considering the current environment that makes Aya look really smart and wise, let’s all think about the future of our world together.

When I went out today it really felt too much like Spring. It’s warm now and I don’t think I’ll need my coat anymore right now, out of all the seasonal changes going from Winter to Spring is the saddest one, probably because there’s a lot of goodbyes…Since joining Nogizaka, up till now there have been an incomparable amount of greetings and farewells that my heart can’t keep up, but maybe I’ll become more used to it one day, is that what it means to become mature?

The title was something I suddenly heard when I turned on the news and I thought, ‘wow that’s really beautiful’ ☺︎

 In this blog I will talk about celebratory flowers ‘Iwaibana’ so it will be related to flowers…

祝花is not read as Shukuka but as Iwaibana, make sure you don’t make the same mistake again! Thank you very much. Thank you for all of the celebratory flowers, they had my penlight colors, my motif animals of ducks and pandas, as well as drawing to accompany it. Thank you so much for all of these different forms of love that you gave me.

When I walked around the perimeter I was so glad that I got to see them💐‎🤍

My mother also came to the venue, and seeing my names on all these flowers made her really emotions, she took pictures of every single one and sent them to me, I was so happy!

She also said she saw all of you, did you realize? Lol

When supporting me, my goal and wish is for you for you to enjoy your life, to enjoy yourself and be proud of the fact that you support me. Hearing my mother say that she saw all of these people in front of my celebratory flowers enjoying themselves and getting fired up made me really happy. I wonder if my dream will be able to come true, just a little bit.

There’s actually 7 5th generation members in this picture chatting away. If you find them all you’ll be lucky, please make sure to use the outfits of the members from the previous blog as a reference ☺︎

A picture from before I joined has surfaced, I took this picture while going to the doughnuts store at night

The muscat flavored hard gummies were really good. Everyone please make sure to stay be wary of getting hay fevor.

See you soon

#Tereblog #19 (new pollen allergy?)

https://www.nogizaka46.com/s/n46/diary/detail/101240?ima=3333&cd=MEMBER

[aspoonofsugar]

Jaune: Zero to Hero

Pyrrha: It's not about why; it's about knowing. Understanding dark and light helps us manifest our Aura. Everyone has some of both.

Knowledge, Creation and Destruction all lead up to Aura. This is just another way to say that they lead up to individuality, which is something Grimms lack:

Pyrrha: They are creatures of Grimm, the manifestation of anonymity.

Individuality is conveyed through Choice. This is why Choice is the most important and final gift. It is symbolic of self-actualization, which is what our characters are pursuing in their coming of age story.

Jaune’s personal arc comments the group’s collective journey and marks each stage very clearly.

In which way does it happen? And what do these stages mean for Jaune’s growth as an individual?

THE IGNORANT WARRIOR

Pyrrha: Jaune, do you... know what Aura is?

Jaune: Psch! Of course I do! Do you know what Aura is?

Jaune is introduced as inexperienced and ignorant. He lacks combat experience and knows nothing about key concepts like Aura, Landing Strategy or Semblances.

His journey starts because Pyrrha shares her knowledge with him:

She awakens his aura, his very soul and later on trains him, so she helps his body get stronger:

In other words, Pyrrha is the one who puts Jaune on the right path to become a true “hero” and a “warrior”.

This is Jaune’s objective since the beginning, but he initially pursues it in the wrong way:

Jaune: I don't want help! I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I want to be the hero!

He is fixated on an idea of hero which is outdated and has its root in toxic masculinity:

Jaune: Cause this is always what I've wanted to be! My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes! I wanted to be one, too. I was just never good enough.

This is why symbolically Jaune wants to be like his male ancestors. He wants to grow into “a real man”:

Cardin: Let's see how much of a man you really are...

And this is conveyed also through his Weapon:

Jaune: It's a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war.

Jaune did not forge his own Weapon, but he inherited it. Crocea Mors initially represents the legacy he wants to live up to. However, this legacy, instead of driving him, slows him down because he can’t grow until he remains in his ancestors’ shadow. Jaune needs to develop his own individuality instead.

In order to do so, he needs to grow not only as a figther, but as a person too.

As a matter of fact, Jaune’s ignorance is not only limited to the world he has stepped into, but also to the people around him:

Jaune: That's easy for you to say. You've probably got guys clamoring over each other just to ask you out.

Pyrrha: You'd be surprised.

He is so self-focused that he does not notice others’ feelings and hurts them unintentionally.

However, Pyrrha teaches him once again:

Pyrrha:Tell her exactly what you said. No ridiculous schemes, no pick-up lines. Just... be honest.

 It is thanks to her that Jaune manages to become a better man:

He is even able to call Neptune out the way Pyrrha did with him:

Jaune: Then just go talk to her. No pickup lines, no suave moves, just be yourself. I've heard that's the way to go.

And as a result, even Jaune’s relationship with Weiss gets better:

Weiss: You said you were embarrassed at first. What made you come talk to me?

Neptune: You're looking at him.  You got some good friends looking out for ya.

Because the girl realizes Jaune is not only after her money or her romantic attention:

Weiss: All my life, boys have only cared about the perks of my last name.

But wants to genuinely be a good friend to her.

In short, Jaune starts the story as immature both as a fighter and as a person to the point that he is considered unfit and annoying by other characters:

Glynda: I don't care what his transcripts say. That Jaune fellow is not ready for this level of combat.

However, thanks to Pyrrha, he is given the chance to mature.

Not only that, but while other characters see a weakness and a nuisance in Jaune’s ignorance and inexperience, Pyrrha sees it as a possibility:

Weiss: Jaune, is it? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?

Jaune: Not in the slightest, snow angel.

Weiss: This is Pyrrha.

It is specifically because Jaune is new to Pyrrha’s world that he is free from bias:

Pyrrha:  That's what I like about you. When we met, you didn't even know my name. You treated me just like anyone else. And thanks to you, I've made friendships that will last a lifetime. I guess, you're the kind of guy I wish I was here with. Someone who just saw me for me.

This is why Pyrrha feels she can forge a genuine bond with Jaune. What is more, the girl has faith in his potential:

Pyrrha: It's all right. I used my Aura to unlock yours, but the energy that protects you now is your own. You have a lot of it.

She sees in him what others do not and helps him develop both as a man and as a warrior.

This is well highlighted by the metal motif the two characters share.

As @hamliet explains here Rwby has several characters linked to the seven metals of alchemy.

The goal of alchemy is to create gold thanks to a process of refiniment that purifies the metal and has it go through several transformations. 

The seven metals are nothing, but a scale that goes from the heaviest and most raw metal (lead) to the most purified (gold) passing through the others (tin, iron, copper, mercury, silver).

For a story, it simply means that a character goes through a process of change that leads to self-actualization.

In Rwby this idea is conveyed through specific characters embodying a metal (Ironwood, Penny, Mercury) or even thanks to metal motifs commenting a specific part of a character arc.

For example, Yang is associated with gold:

I am the golden one Who burns just like the sun

But Adam takes her arm away and has her regress in the scale of metals to iron. This regression is not simply physical, but psychological as well:

However, Yang re-affirms herself and moves forward. The first step of this process is to symbolically make her new arm “gold” again:

When it comes to Jaune, I think that he may be the character associated with lead aka the “prima materia” that needs to be molded into gold. Even if this is not true, metal is at least definately still a motif in his arc, as it is in Pyrrha’s. This is why both characters wear metal armors, differently from others.

Pyrrha is already close to her self-actualization and she reaches it in the climax of the Vale arc, where she completes her (tragic) arc and dies a Maiden.

This is why her armor is gold, while Jaune’s is white and gray. Pyrrha is at the top of the metal scale and close to the end of her journey, while Jaune is respectively at the very bottom and at the very beginning.

He is the embodyment of the prima materia that has potential for greatness, but only if he is rightly guided and if he himself works hard.

Pyrrha takes over herself the duty to help Jaune mold himself.

This is underlined also by Pyrrha’s semblance:

Pyrrha: Well, Ruby has her speed, you have your glyphs. My Semblance is polarity.

Pyrrha can control and bend metals and she shows her power for the first time when she helps Jaune against the Ursa, so that he can overcome his self-issues.

So, Jaune starts the story as the lead and is going through a path of self-refinement which will lead him to become gold, so more similar to Pyrrha herself.

Pyrrha offers him the basic knowledge to start this journey, but unluckily leaves him too soon and now Jaune has to move forward on his own.

THE CREATIVE AVENGER

Pyrrha: I want you to know that I'm just happy to be a part of your life. I'll always be here for you, Jaune.

Even after Pyrrha’s death, this stays true:

Blacksmith: That was some fine metal you brought me. Accents the white nicely. Where'd you get it from?

Pyrrha has become a part of Jaune.

This is a recurring motif in Rwby:

Penny: I won’t be gone, I’ll be part of you.

It is the idea that grieving is a process that leads to acceptance, but also to integration with a lost one. It is a way to have the deceased keep on living through the survivors.

In Jaune and Pyrrha’s case, this is conveyed through Pyrrha’s metal being used to enrich Jaune’s Weapon.

As stated by Ruby:

Ruby: Just weapons? They're an extension of ourselves! They're a part of us! Oh, they're so cool.

Weapons are symbolic of the self, just like Semblances.

What is more, Weapons and Semblances are also a declination of the dychotomy of body and soul, presented by the series.

Weapons are wielded by bodies, while Semblances are a materialization of the soul.

In other words, Pyrrha’s gold becoming a part of Jaune’s Weapon is symbolic of Jaune’s first step in a painful process that will lead him to overcome his partner’s death and to inherit Pyrrha’s legacy.

Jaune must keep on learning from Pyrrha and become more like her. As noted by @hamliet​, this is symbolized also by Jaune’s design aquiring more golden details as he goes on in his journey:

Jaune: Guess I was going to grow out of it eventually.

Ren: A sign of progress.

Jaune: Progress.

That said, grieving is not easy and Jaune must struggle with much pain and negative feelings.

This is why the changes he makes to Crocea Mors are finalized to increase its attack power:

It is because Jaune feels anger over Pyrrha’s death and wants revenge.

In the Battle of Haven he gives in to his fury and tries to kill Cinder. He is trying to superficially imitate Pyrrha’s sacrifice:

Jaune: If I die buying them time, then it's worth it. They're the ones that matter.

However, he is not doing it out of bravery or necessity, but out of recklessness and self-hate. This is why his actions lead to this:

Once again, Jaune risks to lose another loved one:

Jaune: No, no, no, no, not again! Weiss, c'mon, please!!

However, this time he is able to save Weiss thanks to his Semblance:

Jaune: My Semblance?

Nora: How else do you think you're healing her, dummy?

Jaune gives up on using his Weapon to fight and chooses to use his Semblance to cure. He chooses soul over body and Creation over Destruction.

At the same time, Jaune’s activation of his Semblance is meaningful on two levels:

Jaune: No. I don't think I'm healing her. Our Aura heals our bodies. It feels... it feels more like I'm using my Aura to amplify hers!

Nora: Wait, aren't you worried about running out?

Jaune: Pyrrha once told me I've got a lot of it. I still believe her.

First of all, Jaune’s Semblance is rooted in the idea that people heal themselves. His power is not to cure others, but to amplify others’ auras, so that they can become stronger and can heal. It is about bringing out the best in others. It is a power fit for a leader, but also an ability symbolic of Jaune’s own process of healing. He can heal himself through helping others to heal.

Secondly, Jaune’s Semblance is in itself a nod to Pyrrha. Pyrrha used her own aura to awake his and Aura Amp is simply an evolution of this idea. It is not about activating others’ auras, but it is a power that lets Jaune share his. It also makes good use of something Pyrrha noticed immediately aka Jaune’s huge quantity of aura.

In other words, Jaune ends up acting like Pyrrha in the Battle of Haven, but not because he fights Cinder, but because he shares his gift with others, just like Pyrrha did with hers.

Pyrrha is a part of Jaune both in body (Crocea Mors) and soul (Aura Amp), but Jaune must still truly understand what this means.

He makes progress in Lost:

Red-Haired Woman: She understood that she had a responsibility... to try. I don't think she would regret her choice, because a Huntress would understand that there really wasn't a choice to make. And a Huntress is what she always wanted to be.

This is the essence of Pyrrha’s sacrifice. Jaune comes to understand it and chooses to make a similar choice together with his team:

Jaune: I think... I think she knew she wasn't going to win. That she might not come out alive. But... she also knew she was the only one that could try.

Ren: So she did.

Nora: Maybe we should too.

Jaune: Yeah, we should.

In this way, it will be as if Pyrrha were fighting together with them:

Nora: Pyrrha may not be by our side anymore, but we can fight like she is.

Jaune: And in a way... she will be.

Jaune tries to overcome his anger and his sadness for Pyrrha’s death in order to keep fighting like she did.

So, once again he chooses this:

Ruby: I wanted to protect my friends.

Maria: Precisely! It is the desire to preserve life which fuels the light inside you. And to make no mistake, it is light. Preservation is an extension of creation, or, at the very least, an enemy of destruction. The Creatures of Grimm were made by the God of Darkness, but your light comes from his brother.

He chooses to protect life and this is the essence of Creation.

Once he confirms this choice, he is free to explore Creation’s potential and he does so in the land of Creation itself, Atlas.

He strengthens his shield instead of his sword:

And he trains his Semblance:

Oscar: Nice, your recovery is getting faster.

This all leads him to become stronger psychologically:

Ren: Him on the other hand... There's no fear at all. I can see it, he believes we're going to get this done.

That said, Jaune starts meeting limits to his new found strength rooted in Creation:

Jaune: Ah, sorry. No matter how much I boost you, they won’t go away.

Jaune: Did... I stop the virus?

Penny: No. It’s still there.

Jaune’s way to move forward is to heal himself through healing others. Still, what to do when this is not possible?

THE DESTRUCTIVE HEALER

Penny: No… there’s not enough time to heal me…

Penny: But there is something you can do…

What happens in Atlas is an inversion of Haven.

Penny pushes Jaune’s Semblance away and touches Crocea Mors.

Jaune is asked to give up on healing her and to speed up her death instead. He is asked to choose his Weapon (body) over his Semblance (soul) and Destruction over Creation.

This marks the characters entering the Destruction phase:

Leaving Creation (Penny) behind.

For Jaune, this means that his own self image that he has worked so much to build and to make his own:

And that has been enriched in Anima thanks to Pyrrha...is shattered:

At the same time, he is once again put in a similar spot as Pyrrha:

They both become unwilling agents of Penny’s death because of Cinder (and Emerald and Mercury in the first case):

Pyrrha: Ruby, I... I'm so sorry.

Ruby: Me too. But it wasn't your fault.

Jaune: She's right. Whoever was on that microphone... they're the ones that did this. And we have to make sure they don't take anyone else.

So Jaune’s journey to integrate with Pyrrha, to understand her and her struggle continues.

What now?

It is too soon to say because we have yet to properly start our journey through Destruction and what it is about.

That said, there are two things that are worth highlighting. The first is a motif Rwby is following, while the second is a general theme found in many stories.

1) As @hamliet​ has stated in many metas and as I have written here, Rwby is an alchemical story. Alchemical stories are usually marked by three important deaths. Each death is symbolically linked to a color. They are usually black, white and red. However, sometimes there can be yellow instead of the white or the red. This is the case here, where a resonant death is the yellow death aka Penny’s.

It is a death that happens while the characters are surrounded by yellow:

And it happens through a weapon called “Yellow Death” (Crocea Mors’s meaning). So, it is really not subtle. Penny’s death is meant to mark an important passage for our protagonists, just like Pyrrha’s one (the black death).

2) It is common in stories that deal with healers to explore the concept of death as well.

The basic idea is that a healer is a person meant to cure. That said, they will meet people impossible to cure and that will die on their watch. This is an unescapable truth a true healer must live with.

Let’s highlight this theme is found in works very different for genre and culture.

Let’s have two examples.

Scrubs aka an American comedy about doctors deals with this theme multiple times. In many episodes the characters must simply accept they can’t save a life, but must still not lose hope and keep on living themselves.

Yosano from the manga BSD says so:

Her backstory explores the link bewteen life and death further since it is shown that a power that cures fatal wounds can be used to cheapen life itself:

It is too soon to say if Rwby will explore a similar theme, but the fact that Jaune, (the healer) is the one that has to speed up Penny’s death might be a very powerful and poignant choice. This is true especially because Rwby does not refuse Destruction (and so does not refuse death), but presents it as a principle equal to Creation (so as a part of life).

THE CHOOSING HERO

Jaune’s arc is about living Pyrrha’s death over and over again with different scenarios and outcomes. This happens so that in the end he can finally overcome it.

So far, it has happened three times and each time has been in the climax of an important battle.

The Battle of Beacon has him witness powerlessly to Pyrrha’s death (lack of knowledge and passivity).

The Battle of Haven has him saving Weiss (creation).

The Battle of Atlas has him killing Penny (destruction).

What is more, every time Jaune becomes more proactive and conscious of what he is doing.

In Beacon he has no idea of what is happening. He works with little information and things happen to him without him being able to do anything.

In Haven his actions lead to Weiss being in danger, but he manages to save her. That said, he does not do it consciously. He unlocks his Semblance because of emotional stress. It is an unconscious choice and not a conscious one.

In Atlas he makes a specific conscious choice, but it is a choice that is forced on him because of external circumstances. It is also a choice that is meant to challenge and temporally break him.

In other words, he is slowly and painfully approaching Choice aka self-actualization. Right now, he has to face the consequences of Penny’s death, but this will probably lead him to finally enter the Choice stage and to complete his arc by becoming a “hero” aka gold (probably).

At the same time, this final choice will also be about healing and overcoming grief. It will be the final integration with Pyrrha and him being able to honor her legacy.

After all, we have been told from the beginning what Pyrrha’s fate would have been. We’ve just failed to notice:

Pyrrha: For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbound by death. I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee.

June and Pyrrha’s bond is eternal and she is meant to be the key character in Jaune’s arc. It is only through confronting and finally overcoming her loss that Jaune can finally self actualize and become the person Pyrrha has always known he could be. Pyrrha will symbolically be with him in this struggle. Her memory will protect and inspire him. 

[kotos-and-smiles]

The meaning of “I”

Chapter 104 spoliers!

Note 1. I’ll still be calling it “I” even though the translators are changing the way they translate it to be “peace,” because that’s what I’m used to calling it for now.

Note 2. Just a fair warning, this is a long post, but hopefully you enjoy!

Okay, I’ve been meaning to start this blog for months now but I’ve had no idea how to just start so here we are. I decided what better way to start off than talking about the newest chapter because there is oh so much to talk about in this one chapter alone. The first thing I really want to talk about from this chapter is the club’s song for nationals “I” or “Peace” as the translators have started calling it. Despite the fact the club has been working on “I” for a lot of chapters now, we still don’t know about the actual meanings and motifs that are in the song or what feelings they’re aiming to put into it. I think we haven’t heard much about this because the club is still trying to figure it out for themselves. Also, I’ve been questioning for a while what type of song Takinami would write for the club, and that was answered in this chapter.

What we do know about the song is that it has the 4-person part with Chika, Kota, Momoya, and Yoshinaga, a part where all 9 of the club members play together, a part where melodies played by Chika and Satowa and then Takezo and Hiro will intertwine, and everyone has a solo. It’s also been emphasized over and over that all 9 people are needed to play the song. Takinami has only given his usual vague hints as to what meaning he put into the song, because like always he wants the club to figure it out for themselves. Until we get to ch.104, in which Chika interprets it in such the opposite way of how Takinami meant it that Takinami finally feels the need to give him a hint as to what the song means (and thank god, because I really don’t think that poor Chika would’ve gotten it at all otherwise).

In chapter 104, we learn that “I” is actually a piece that can be played with any amount of the 9 parts and still be a full song. This is a huge deal, and honestly blew my mind when I first read it. Takinami has specifically pushed the idea that everyone needs to be there to play this song, knowing full well that in actuality the song would be complete no matter how many people played it. Everyone is still essential in his eyes because the point is the desire to play with everyone and the importance each member holds to each other. Takinami even brings up the conversation he and Chika had before Ku-on, showing just how huge of an impact the whole situation with Ku-on had on Takinami. With the performance of Ku-on, he saw what this group was really made of and what they were capable of, even in less than ideal circumstances they pulled through an intensely emotional performance. Takinami finally found a sound he couldn’t ignore. The conversation Takinami and Chika have in ch.25, when Takinami tells Chika he shouldn’t perform and Chika responds that he really enjoys playing with everyone, that sentiment made it into “I.” Except now, the tables are turned and instead Chika still desperately wants to play, but absolutely will not if it means no one else gets to and thinks that he won’t be able to, and Takinami has taken a complete 180 on what his stance was during Ku-on. Unlike in Ku-on, Chika is, in a way, trying to drop out, and now Takinami is the one telling Chika to stay and play. I honestly love this whole conversation between them, I love how Takinami gets pissed at Chika for even thinking about withdrawing from the club, I love that he points out that Chika is only 16 and does not have to take everything on himself, it’s just so great and just what I was hoping for: someone to knock some sense into Chika.

Anyway, then Takinami gives us the first hint as to what he intended “I” to mean. To paraphrase “Stop focusing only on what the others mean to you, and begin to think about what you mean to them.” This is something that pretty much everyone in the club has a problem with. They care about each other so much, will stand up for each other, but they don’t think about the fact that all the others care about them just as much. Takinami is trying to shift the focus from “these people are important to me” to “what do I mean to them?” hoping that these oblivious teens will someday get it. This works for so many of the characters.

Firstly, let’s talk about Takezo. He’s been club president from the beginning, and he’s always been a great one but has really come into his own. I think everyone sees him as an amazing club president, a leader that holds them together and believes in all of them as a whole and individually. He doesn’t see himself that way. Takezo has the opening notes of “I”, it all starts with him just how the entire club was brought together by him. He’s explicitly stated that he sometimes wishes that someone like Satowa could begin the song because he’s worried about the fact that his is the first sound in the song. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to give a strong enough opening because he still sees himself as a bit inadequate. But how does the rest of the club see him? They see him as this strong club president, someone who’s always been there as the foundation, so why shouldn’t he be able to start the song and be it’s foundation throughout? So, it would help Takezo if he saw himself the way the rest of the club does, because then he’ll realize just what he means to them and hopefully see what they do in himself.

With Momoya, Takinami made a big deal about the fact that he needed to want to play with the club, and that he had to want it for himself. This ties back to the conversation before Ku-on that Takinami has weaved through “I”. But it was also important for Momoya to take up an identity with his sound, to decide to be something, and own up to being someone with a mutable sound. He can fit in, but it all needs to be his choice. Momoya has also never thought about what he means to the club, and they keep surprising him with how friendly they are and how much they care about him. They just want him to be himself and stay in the club. Hopefully he starts realizing that soon.

If there’s one thing that Chika is truly terrible at it’s realizing his worth, both with himself and with other people. As Tetsuki says in ch.99.5 “I bet Chika never thought that he himself could be thought of dearly by somebody else.” Chika still definitely struggles with that. He has no problem letting everyone else know how much they’re cared for, how much they’re valued, but when it comes to himself, he still doesn’t see how he could be a person someone thinks of as dear. He still sometimes gets surprised by little acts of caring. With all this stuff with Uzuki going on, he’s more worried about the wellbeing of the club, meanwhile all the members are more worried about him than the state of the club. I think that’s almost incomprehensible to Chika, and yet it’s there, and in the next chapter it will hopefully come through loud and clear just how much they all care about him, but especially Satowa as she literally won’t let him do this alone.

Satowa, too, is terrible at realizing how much she means to people, as shown by the fact that Chika and the others literally have to spell it out for her sometimes. She doesn’t like being a burden, she doesn’t want to do anything that would disrupt or upset their lives. But she doesn’t really see how much those people care about her and that when you care about someone like that it isn’t a burden. Satowa’s self-worth is low, at least in some areas, and she always puts the club over her own desires or feelings due to having hurt people before, specifically her mother. Hiro even tells her in Ch.92 that the club can withstand whatever emotions she decides to express, but Satowa doubts that. Satowa, much like Chika, needs to come to the realization that people care more about her than they do the club, and again, thinking of herself from the perspective of how much the other’s care could help her realize this and her place in the club.  

Chika and Satowa both are afraid of being selfish, they don’t want to come off as selfish and they want to put other’s first, but their own feelings realistically get in the way of them being entirely selfless. As Granny says to Chika in ch.77, you have to cherish yourself to be able to give to others and it’s important to think about yourself so that you can have a life you’re happy with. So, both he and Satowa need to start thinking of themselves in a more positive way instead of thinking it’s selfish, which could be helped if they looked at how other’s care about them, which is what “I” is all  about.

Now let’s talk about these two intertwining melodies, one of which will be played by Chika and Satowa and the other by Takezo and Hiro, the section Takinami seems to have set aside for the oblivious lovebirds. Takezo and Hiro have each realized, on their own, that they’re in love with each other, and yet haven’t made the connection that the other feels the same way. Part of this is preservation of the club, but seriously how do you not realize? With Satowa and Chika, it’s even more complicated, and I plan to make a full post about it, but they certainly have never really thought about how the other must feel about them. Later on in the chapter, after Chika’s conversation with Takinami, Chika literally asks Satowa what she thinks of him. Not only did Chika take in what Takinami had to say, in the only way he’d listen which is through koto song terms, he thought about it while he was having lunch with Satowa and was trying to ask her a very important question about it before they were so rudely interrupted by the reminder of just how insane Uzuki is.

I think especially for Chika, Satowa, and Takezo, (who I look at as the main trio) this message of realizing who you are to the people around you is a huge part of their journey. They all need to stop denying themselves their own feelings, which is basically what Takinami was trying to tell them with “I.”

So, I seriously wondered for a while what kind of song Takinami had written for these kids. What better meaning could it have than pushing these people to realize just how much they mean to each other and start focusing on how those they care about see them, not just the other way around? Especially for Takinami, who puts up with a lot but ultimately wants to help these kids and believes in them.

I’m really glad he gave Chika the hint though, because I truly do not believe these kids would’ve gotten what “I” is about if he hadn’t given them that push considering they all avoid thinking about how the other’s must care about them, some of them I think are even afraid to think of it. It’s so perfect and I’m so excited to see where they go with it.  

ps. I’m new to posting and stuff, so please be kind.

[wisehq]

Mission Debrief: Chapter 43

...IT’S HAPPENING! IT’S HAPPENING! IT’S HAPPENING-!

Alright, before we get into it- full disclosure; the hivemind is in full swing at the Operation Strix discord server, so pretty much anything I write here is going to be an amalgamation of all the conspiracy theories and reactions we vomited out as soon as the chapter dropped. On that same note, I think writing these the day after will start to be the norm. Just so I have the chance to calm myself before going on a twenty-page tangent about everything Endo may or may not be planning.

Okay [deep breath] let’s get into it.

First, let’s start off with Franky, before we get into the juicy stuff.

When the chapter first started, I thought we were going to get backstory on Franky. Endo seemed to be alluding to this on his twitter page, and I was actually interested in possibly seeing more about his and Twilight’s relationship. Of course that didn’t end up happening; instead we got another side story about Franky trying to get some action by finding a lady’s lost cat, but seeing as how it’s Franky we’re talking about it seemed appropriate. Also, how can I be upset when-

The princess herself arrives! I gotta say, I loved the lightheartedness of most of this chapter. Yor’s always a delight, and pairing her together with Franky was a smart move on Endo’s part. They built off each other’s wackiness and I love this moment with the two of them. Just like with Twilight, we see that Franky genuinely wants to make the world a better place (and also get rich along the way) and Yor’s so impressed with him. I also liked that moment where Franky is surprised to find Yor still playing Loid’s wife even when he isn’t there- much like how he was with Anya while he was babysitting her. Just another little nod to the fact that he sees the Forger girls as being more than players in a game of elaborate house.

Then- just a quick thing before we get into what I know we all want to talk about- it’s interesting to me that Franky isn’t a one-man operation. He has a whole network of informants that he works with, and it makes sense that someone in his line of work has a many ears on the wall as possible. It’s a surefire way to stay plugged into the goings-on of the Ostanian underworld, unless of course...

...They get taken out by Garden.

AGHGHGHGHGH ALRIGHT, OK LET’S GO-

Garden. We finally have a name for Yor’s group now; we thought it was The Shop for the longest time, but apparently that’s only part of it. Yor alluded to this briefly back in ch. 29 when she described The Shop was being in charge of information gathering, and once their job was done it was Yor’s turn to come in and do the actual assassination. In this sense we see The Shop was being more of a support role in the same way that Franky is, though it’s still safe to assume the Shopkeeper is still in charge of both The Shop and Garden. At least for now- until we get more information to say otherwise, anyway.

Of course, the interesting thing is our silhouetted figures standing in this panel- not to mention the fact that Franky states that all the members are capable of taking on a whole troop of soldiers (for reference, a troop ranges between 9 and 100 men, though it usually hovers around 50). We know Yor is capable of doing this, but now that we also know the other assassins of Garden are as well, it begs the question; is Yor’s strength truly a unique thing in this world? And if it isn’t, what could be the source of it?

OSO-R, the drug used during the Tennis arc, was described as being in its trial stages. I originally chalked up it’s fast development time as just being part of manga logic, although I’m now starting to question that theory. It’s possible the roadmap for OSO-R has been around for much longer than first thought, and may find its traces back to when the war had just ended. Loid describes Garden as having been around for some time. We also know that Yor was just a child when she started up her assassination gig, so it’s possible that she and others like her may be have been exposed to a serum similar to OSO-R a decade or so before. Given Ostania’s track record of human experimentation, the scenario is possible.

Also going back to what Franky describes as “the shadow government”; it’s interesting that we’re hearing rumblings of a government operating outside the public’s view literally one chapter after we were just introduced to the concept of a royal class at some point in Ostania’s past. There’s a lot of things that cab be construed from this (such as Garden serving an authority that doesn’t necessarily align with Donovan and the government) but listing everything would just turn this review into one long-winded mess. So instead, we’re gonna entertain a fun theory- one that may or may not be true, but if it *does* end up being confirmed later on down that road, you heard it here first.

*ahem*

Mr. Green is a part of Garden.

Allow me to state my case.

When ch. 39 came out, I found it very unusual that a brand new character we haven’t seen before got a majority of the panel-time alongside Damian and the boys. It wasn’t very suspicious at the time, given that we’d just been introduced to Becky’s maid Martha, so we all just assumed Endo was building up his side characters a bit. For all intents and purposes, that may very well be the case.

However.

I know one person in particular who latched onto this panel right here, and for good reason; why would a security guard stationed at a school nowhere close to the border know about code words being used by people trying to cross over illegally? Yes, he was supposedly in the navy, but the way he phrases it here heavily implies that these code words are a recent affair, or at the very least are still being used currently. Why would he know that? Even if he was in the military, it’s information that has absolutely nothing to do with being in the navy.

Mr. Green is also very strong; strong enough to make the boys think they were going down rapids when in actuality it was just him rowing so fast. Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever paddled a boat before, but it’s hard work- and it’s certainly difficult to the get that boat going at cruising speed, let alone fast enough to cause rapids. Yor’s the only one we’ve seen with strength like that and- yes, Green was supposedly in the navy, but at this point in time we don’t know anything else about him. We don’t know what he did after the war, nor do we know how he wound up in Eden Academy in the first place.

This is where we start going deep down the rabbit hole. Hang on.

This gentleman who we’ve never seen before is clearly aware that Garden exists, or at the very least is privy to Yor’s actual job. Much like how WISE has plants within Loid’s hospital, this man likely works to support Yor in some way. If such is the case, we can likely assume that- because the shadow government is supporting Garden- they would have their assassins posted in key areas for various reasons, likely to keep an eye out for traitors or to keep them spread out to cover a wide area should the need ever arise to deploy them.

We’ve only ever see Yor target traitorous politicians and outright terrorists (I realize this one is just a daydream, but you get my point). It would make sense, seeing as how she works at city hall and it would likely put her in an advantageous position when hunting them down. Of course, politicians aren’t the only people who might catch Garden’s attention. Given the amount of political and economic unrest that is currently going on in the country, there likely would be some people who would be fed up with the state of things. Such people may not be like Franklin Perkin- someone who would take direct action against the government- but instead would rather try to steer others towards a mindset that stands in opposition to Ostania. Such a person may try to target more impressionable people- people who are likely to listen and learn from an authority figure in their lives. People like...small children.

Eden students.

Garden. Eden. I see what you’re doing there, Endo.

Traitorous professors? Renegade academics? It would make sense to have a Garden assassin stationed at the most prestigious school in the country; the amount of information and contacts that are positioned around there are second to none, and what better way to suppress insurrection than at the source, at the very foundations of knowledge itself? Also, for kicks and giggles, let’s not forget that the name Mr. Green certainly fits with the plant motif Endo is going for with his assassin group (Garden. Thorn Princess. Briar. You catch my drift?)

Am I grasping at straws? Probably lol. I’d also like to reiterate that this is in no way all my thinking- a lot of crazy people put their brains together for this one, good or bad. But hey, it’s about all we can do until the next chapter! And at the very least, it’s a lot of fun to wonder what-if!

Also, BONUS

...She’s coming.

[dizzydennis]

All Sonic the Fighters songs ranked!

Ever since Lost Judgment came out, I’ve fallen back in love with Sonic the Fighters. The music of this game is both unique and awesome! I’ve decided to rank every single song in the game with my thoughts on them! I’d love for you all to check it out!

--SONGS--

Never Let It Go – There was no doubt this song was going to be at the top of the list! You will spend a huge majority of your playtime in the Death Egg’s Eye as you get pummeled by Metal Sonic. It’s a brutal fight, but has a perfect song! That alluring piano at the beginning that leads right into the strings playing! It feels like something out of the Sonic OVA. It’s dire, it’s cool, and it’s exciting. Darn, I really wish they had put this song in the Super Smash Bros. games! It would’ve been so easy for this song to be annoying since you’re going to hear it so often, but it never gets old. When the higher octave kicks in, it feels like your fighter is going to triumph, but the piano that follows it soon after brings you back down to Earth when you realize that Metal Sonic still has the upper hand. I love this song and it represents Sonic the Fighters in a quintessential way!

Get Into the Wave – The Character Select screen didn’t deserve such an epic song. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite character select tunes in any video game. It’s epic, cool, and exciting. The bassline is even pretty cool! It’s a shame that in-game, you’d never get to hear the whole track as there’s a timer to choose your fighter. Regardless, I think anybody who has played Sonic the Fighters has found this one to be a cool bop!

Bonus Track 1 – This is simply a remix of “Get Into the Wave.” It could be heard in the options sections of the home releases of Sonic the Fighters, though it doesn’t appear in Lost Judgment. It’s a cool remix and feels like a bit of a prototype version to the final track. For a character select screen or an options menu, the song goes so hard! It’s great! I just don’t think this version sounds as good as the original. My blood still gets pumping though.

Everything – The Super Sonic theme; a song that 98% of player will never hear. The title is so fitting as this feels like EVERYTHING. You had to work so hard to get this transformation and it feels glorious. The only problem is that you will only hear it for half a round… and it’s drowned out by the sounds of your fists pounding into Metal Sonic’s face. Still the song starts with this mystical intro that then becomes this awesome club music! I can’t deny how much I love this song and it fills me with goosebumps to know I achieved Super Sonic; a feat I’ve only done twice in my life. It’s magical and just really cool. Seriously, it feels like it could be an action set piece or just some cool music to dance to. Either way, Super Sonic got a really sweet track!

North Wind – Remember in the 1990s when Sonic and Knuckles were the main rivals of the series? Well, this song captures it perfectly because any battle, (outside of the typical arcade ladder), between the Blue Blur and Rad Red will play this song. It’s honestly awesome! It swells up and down and matches the rivals’ intensity. I think for 2-players, this song would easily make both fighters feel amped up! I don’t have much more to say about it, but I genuinely think it captures this game and the characters very well!

 Come On, Mr. Sonic – This title sounds like Cream the Rabbit would’ve said it, but it actually belongs to Espio and he’s in Mushroom Hill. This whole thing doesn’t make a lot of sense, but the song is awesome! It starts off with a playful, almost mocking style that quickly gets into a cool and intense motif. Espio is a bit of a difficult opponent to get through; especially if you want Super Sonic, so it’s a fitting song! This song constantly gets stuck in my head too! I just don’t know why he’s in Mushroom Hill and Knuckles isn’t!

Fire Stone – The title makes no sense to me as it’s Sonic’s theme and he’s hanging out on top his floating masterpiece, the Giant Wing! It’s a great song though and feels more epic than intense. I love the way the song builds up as if the stakes of the battle are raising with every second. It may not be the best fit for Sonic’s personality, but for a fighting game… it’s awesome! Considering Sonic is towards the end of the arcade ladder too, I can’t say it’s ill-fitting.

 Black Bed – Auorora Icefield!? As the 3rd stage, with a difficulty spike, featuring Bark the Polerbear, located with an epic track to match!? Yes! Bark got an amazing theme that feels like it never gets old. The track has an aggressive beginning, but eases into a softer middle section that feels both calm and still energizing. There’s even a lyrical version you may have heard if you played this on Sonic Gems Collection. This is a fan favorite for a reason. (Yes, I spelt polar bear like that on purpose. That’s how the games does it.)

Sunset Town (Bonus Track 2) – This is an unused song! It was originally intended to be used for Honey the Cat, but because she was cut from the original roster, it fell to the wayside. Luckily, it was available as an optional menu song in some of the home releases of Sonic the Fighters. It’s a very cool song especially after the main chorus. I wonder what kind of stage Honey would have had! It’s a shame we’ll never know. I genuinely really love Honey’s design and would love to see her interact with the main cast. The song fits well and it was actually remixed in Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice. Who would’ve thought it’d end up there!

Lovers – The music for South Island. This is an excellent first song for this game. It reflects the colorful and peaceful environment of Green Hill Zone while feeling exciting for a fighting stage. It has a great bridge section and the song goes in a number of different directions. It’s also the theme for Knuckles! Why his song is called "Lovers," we’ll never know, but he’s got a good little tune!

KIYO – What does KIYO stand for!? I don’t know! But this song is part of the opening to the game. It’s a fun and catchy intro that has an energic and catchy vibe. It even has moments that are a bit sinister! I like it as it matches the visuals nicely and would’ve done a decent job of attracting players to the game to get all…. 8 Chaos Emeralds.

Try Again – The Dynamite Plant has a very playful song and that’s all too befitting for Bean the Dynamite! It’s a bit chaotic, but much more controlled than Fang’s theme. It has a great progression like you’re on the conveyor belt of a bomb factory; like a wild Looney Tunes cartoon or something. Definitely a fun listen!

Hurry Up – This song plays in the Death Egg’s Hangar when you battle Dr. Eggman. Except… it doesn’t. Instead, they just play “North Wind.” Which is… odd. If my memory is correct… this song doesn’t actually play in-game at all. Either way, the song is really cool, but it feels very short. Definitely has that self-destruction feel that a Metroid ending would give you. I like it and it’s another song that, even if it played on the stage it’s attached to, you would only get to hear a small snippet of.

Take Me Away – The ending theme is pure celebration! That little gun shot at the beginning feels like the start to this grand party! This song is so jovial and fun! Considering you just overcame such a tough, cartoony challenge, it feels good! It also helps that this plays over footage of you continuously punching Knuckles into a fence, whacking Amy with her own hammer, or just having Tails ricochet off the wall while you rocket him into the next time zone with a spin dash. You also gotta love how Dr. Eggman and Metal Sonic just fly off with that silly swing sound effect too! Good for them, they survived another space station exploding! Good times!

 What’s Your Name – The Name Entry has the dumbest song that doesn’t fit at all. It’s so damn happy, but it works! Especially after trumping Metal Sonic and Dr. Eggman! It’s a bit wacky, but a lot of fun and just feels good, man. Just make sure you put your name as A.... S.... S!

 Here We Go – Fang hanging out in Casino Night just sort of fits perfectly. His song is rather chaotic though! (Pun entirely intended!) Perhaps it’s a bit too uncontrolled? I like it and it’s fun, but it has a crazed nature that makes it a bit less enjoyable than it could’ve been. I’d love to hear a remix that reigns it in a bit.

 Back to Soul – The Flying Carpet is Amy’s stage. Huh? That’s a weird match up. Maybe it’s the Sonic-Sphinx or something. The song is pretty good, but also one of the weakest in the game. It just doesn’t have that memorable zing that other songs do. The section that focuses on the piano notes is particularly nice, but Amy didn’t exactly get the best song. Some parts can be a bit grating especially the background sound effects. At least the song takes an interesting turn at about two minutes in... but nobody is really going to hear that!

 Blue Garden – Tails is on a Canyon Cruise for this one and… I’m sorry to say that our favorite two-tailed fox got one of the worst songs in the game. It could be worse, but the main instrumentation is just too repetitive and grating on the ears. It suits our boy genius well enough, but doesn’t make for an enjoyable listen. At least his stage is awesome!

  --JINGLES--

Are You Ready? – This is just a 5 second song to start each round, but I had to include it. It’s a good intro to the next battle and I always sing to myself “Espio is clearly ready to go” to this tune. It’s sweet.

You’re a Winner – The Winner’s Fanfare is a really catchy little jingle. I like it a lot as you can feel relieved after a tough battle. Your character is also likely to twist their neck 360 degrees in a sudden, gruesome motion. It’s awesome!

 Emerald – This song plays when you get all… 8 Chaos Emeralds. It’s a good jingle for what it is, but I’ll be perfectly honest when I say that it’s not really anything to think about. I like the visuals it’s matched with.

Egg’s Fanfare – The mission complete music after you defeat Eggman! It’s a cute little jingle, but nothing more. Yay for victory!

Game Over – This certainly is a little instrumentation to go with the game over splash screen. It’s fine.

Continue – I really like the screen that this little song occurs on. The intro is good, but it’s probably the most forgettable track here. Not bad though.

[bibiana112]

"tbh I've got SO many more songs on zero escape" PLEASE SHARE THE ZE PROJECTION SONGS... I REQUIRE THEM

Oh shIT did NOT expect this xD BUT AIGHT *rubs hands together*

I'm gonna limit myself to 9 recommendations, okay? Both so I don't expose myself too much and so we're not here all day, also like a good part of them are Kurashiki sibs centric but if you came to me for this that's probably to be expected lmao

🕰️Chronexia and the Eight Seals Opening - Rewind Sooo if you don't know the deal with this one, it's from an anime directed by a youtuber that Absolutely Bombed and got trashed as soon as it's only episode came out, but the song is genuinely good. So, call that recycling when I heard the lyrics and gave it a super deep meaning by associating the vague time travel bs with Junpei as he's going through 999. Yo, it literally has a line that is "Till I find the right road. Once more, for Love and for Hope, for fate not known" like aww, it's like, half the leaf words :3

⚰️Marina - Pandora's Box Marina songs are always top notch, can't recommend her enough, and I often think her songs have Akane vibes. Though this one in particular feels like a Junepei song more so from Junpei's perspective, the bridge "I don't wanna be the bearer of pain just so we can survive" and so many other bits that are sung softly while being a clear jab remind me how much he wanted Akane to acknowledge the emotional pain she put him through All while praying that not all hope is lost for them to be together in the end

🎭 Splendiferachie- Reversible Campaign Certified Akane song, Hatsune Miku is even wearing a gas mask on it. This cover is so good and the lyrics very much have Junepei vibes too. It has a bit of a stageplay motif at times and many bits have SUCH Akane realizing it's another wrong path energy like "Oh... is this the end? Of course it's Not! Can't take it anymore-". Also like, the ending bit I don't even want to spoil because the lyrics break my heart within the context of, specifically, vlr Akane thinking about Junpei because at that point she would Really rather not have her feelings getting in the way :'3

⛓️Chicago - Cell Block Tango It's a bit of a meme song, and I definitely recommend the No Talking edit, but I LOVE IT. Vengeful but Justified ™ Kurashikis my beloveds. The bit "If you had been there, if you had HEARD IT. I bet that you would have done the same!" Makes me directly think about Light because yeah he was there, yeah he heard what went down, and yeah, if it was his sister he probably would have... Yeah. Man I could keep going with the lyrics on this one but it's very on the nose, no need of me spelling it all out lol

🎟️ JubyPhonic - Dramaturgy Kurashiki vibes because the song goes SO Hard with the whole stage play motif. Like, this one I could pick apart to draw parallels, like, Eeverywheere, gosh. I mean that, but for the sake of brevity I'll just say there are bits that sound like they'd fit Akane's perspective better, bits that'd fit Aoi's better, and even bits where I imagine them having an exchange! The briefest example I can muster is all the bits of "Well, take a breath 'cause you'll need it, so c'mon." or "Take a deep breath, you know how this will all end." as they're like getting ready and psyching themselves up to Do the Things. Aaahh there are like SO Many other good bits hhh this is one of my faves x3

🌹BlackBriar - Snow White and Rose Red This one is honestly just one of my favorite songs in general and i wanna recommend it, Friend shared it and let me know that the story is about two sisters after I thought they were wives at first because the singers are so gorgeous had no idea but, yeah, Rose Red is just apparently a way less known fairytale than her sister Snow White :v I don't care much for the chorus with the context of the Kurashikis, but the bits where they introduce themselves makes me think about how they saw each other before everything went to hell. And the whole story about them being forcefully separated... it honestly makes me emotional to listen near the ending when they're crying out for the other with these two in mind :'<

🌌 The Walking Dead Game - Don't be Afraid/The night will be over soon I almost didn't wanna mention this one since I can't quite pin down a specific version, there's a few depending on which characters sing and how far it goes, but I feel very strongly about it so here. The ominous short version used in the official ps4 trailer is one that makes me think about the endings leading up to vlr because it goes up to "Nevermind the blood red moon, the night will be over soon" HOWEVER the full version that is a duet by different characters is much more soft and hopeful and makes me think of the aftermath of every game Other than vlr, funny how that clicks together. Like, I can think of almost every character having the smallest bit of peace at next morning light after such terrible experiences, since the lyrics go up to "Beyond the dark comes something new. The Sun will be rising soon." All the kids after being saved, Lotus with her daughters, Clover and Light resting, Kurashikis relieved to have pulled it off, Akane and Junpei engaged, D-Team hugging, just.... all the fluffy feels man

🖱️Penelope Scott - Rät Phi vibes from this one just from the like how much bite the singer puts into this one? Like the attitude is So Phi and it has some bits that make me think about Sigma is some way too? I don't really have a consistent interpretation of how this would fit their situation but the vibes are So Strong. Like "I come from scientists, and atheists and white men who killed god. They made technology, high quality, complex, physiological. Experiments, and sacrilege, in the name of public good." and "When I said take me to the moon, i never meant take me alone. I thought if mankind toured the sky it meant that all of us could go." for example

☕ Penelope Scott - Lukewarm Again, not much of a consistent interpretation and has quite a few non family-friendly and/or intense bits that can be upsetting if themes of suicide are a big trigger for you (so uh headphones on, at the very least) it just makes me think of shifting as the concept is presented in general with stuff like "Slit your throat and die and wake up the next day" and other things on that vein, the way the songs goes it's about there being a repeated bad thing™ that starts to get numb "Oh what I would give to care enough to scream." so yeah, very close to what a bunch of characters go through so it depends, mostly I think of Phi, Sigma even ztd Junpei while listening to it

And that's it! Hope you enjoy giving these a listen Anon! This was fun and I STILL have many others if anyone wants to know Shout-out to all the songs I left out cause I'm making art based on them, fingers crossed for me actually finishing all of that!

[jokertrap-ran]

(光与夜之恋 Light and Night) Main Story Chapter 1-5: 命运的拐点 Destiny’s Turning Point Translation

“Destiny is like a gust of wind… Red leaves flutter, flying away in the face of it.  And it is when the winds pick up ― That you meet once more…”

"Oh? Come on then, I’m waiting.”

*Light and Night Master-list *Spoiler free: Translations will remain under cut *Join the Light & Night Discord (＾▽＾)~ ♪ *Main story tag will be #For Light and Night

MC: Uh oh, now I can’t run.

I stood rooted to my spot, brain blanking out.

??: Why aren’t you saying anything? Am I that terrifying?

I resisted the urge to nod in the heat of the moment, knowing that it wouldn’t do me any good to provoke him now. I lightly shook my head in response.

MC: …I didn’t see anything earlier.

??: Then why are you trying to escape?

His voice was calm and composed, much unlike my shaky one.

However, that soon changed. His voice took on a commanding tone, frigid and icy.

??: Turn around. Let’s have a talk.

I recalled that in movies, no good ever came out of having seen the villain’s face. I shook my head once more.

??: Must I make you?

Following a chuckle, the hand removed itself from the door and hovered close to my face. His hand was so close that I could feel the chill radiating off his fingers.

There was a faintly discernible scent of black cedarwood handing in the air. My instincts screamed danger.

My heart jumped, for fear that he’d take things a step further. I abruptly whipped around to face him.

❖☆———————————★❖

A man was standing in front of me within arm’s reach, looking down at me with a playful expression on his face. His eyes were sharp, with something wild and dangerous flickering within its depths.

??: Now that’s more like it.

He backed away a little, using his other hand to dangle the earring before my eyes.

❖☆———————————★❖

??: Did you lose this?

I frantically shook my head like how one would shake a rattle. Suddenly, I realized that something wasn’t quite right here. Why did he ask me if I’d lost it?

Is he testing me?

I tried my hardest to remain calm, holding tightly onto the phone I’d hidden behind my back as I felt around for the emergency call button.

??: ……

Who would have thought that he’d actually lean down, clasping onto my hand with a start. He slightly raised his eyes, fixing me with a calm look.

??: And what do you think you’re doing?

MC: Nothing.

??: You suspect that I’m the one who stole it, yes?

MC: ……

??: Then how about you take a guess? What do you think will happen if you get in the way of my business?

I could tell that he was evidently trying to egg me on. I was already a nervous wreck from being completely seen through by him, and since he’d already caught me red-handed in the act, there wasn’t much sense in trying to hide it anymore.

MC: This earring was something an acquaintance of mine lost. My brooch has also gone missing.

MC: And I saw you in the corridor right before things started going missing!

The man raises his chin after a few seconds of silence, releasing his hold on me.

??: Give me your hand.

I didn’t know what he intended to do with it, but neither did I have the courage to ask, so all I could do was to stick a hand out just like he asked.

He placed the earrings onto my awaiting palm and jabbed his finger behind him.

??: Take that and follow me.

I held onto the ruby earrings, stunned. The thought of running away and making my escape flashed to the forefront of my mind when I saw that he’d already proceeded a couple of steps forward.

The man turned back to look at me coldly, as if he was issuing a silent order to follow.

With no other choice, all I could do was to hold tightly onto the earrings and follow him to the corner of the roof.

❖☆———————————★❖

There was a wooden box there, not the jewellery box or the apple box kind that were frequently used in the competition, but an old cube that had been hollowed out in the middle with a couple of scratches at the sides.

He pointed to the box, gesturing for me to look within.

Cautiously peeking into it, I saw a layer of hay spread out on the bottom of the box. It appears to be what looked like a bird’s nest, with two bluish-purple feathers nestled within.

And the centre of this “nest” was filled with earrings, hairpins, rings… Heck, these were all the accessories we lost!

❖☆———————————★❖

MC: What are they all doing here!?

I whipped around to look at him in shock, forgetting my fear.

??: The thief hid it here. I found it.

??: Weren’t you missing a brooch? Have fun looking.

Is he for real? Is he not making this up on the fly…? Does this mean that he's… really not the thief?

Almost as if he’d read my thoughts, the man shrugged his shoulders and stepped a couple of steps away, turning his gaze up towards the night sky. I remained wary as I bent down and sifted through the pile until I found my missing brooch. I gave it a thorough check.

❖☆———————————★❖

MC: Thank god. It’s still in one piece…

??: Found it?

MC: Yeah.

The man moved away from the wall he had been leaning on, straightening up as he headed towards me. The heavy clouds finally moved away, revealing the moonlight that filtered down, illuminating his features.

He wore a look of indifference, his lips pressed into a thin line. He even had a great well-defined jawline.

❖☆———————————★❖

Suddenly, a memory flashed across my mind— The contestant that stood atop the highest point of the podium took off his helmet, looking towards the crowd below the stage.

Something clicked as the figure in front of me started associating itself with the image that An'an had once showed me. I widened my eyes incredulously.

❖☆———————————★❖

MC: No way! You're… Osborn!?

He stiffened for a while before his expression returned to his usual aloof one.

Osborn: You know of me? Looks like word of my name really travels.

…It’s really him!?

I only found myself puzzled even more despite having gotten undeniable affirmation from him. I just couldn’t connect the idea that the well-known racer was actually the same guy suspiciously sneaking about on the rooftop at night with our lost items.

A multitude of questions filled my mind.

MC: How did you find them here? Even the police couldn’t.

Osborn: Well, those two feathers there.

MC: This is…

Osborn: Feathers of a Purplite Bird. They like to gather shiny things and bring them back to their nest.

I suddenly recalled that I’d seen these exact same feathers inside my jewelry box. So… I was actually the one who’d misunderstood his intentions?

The realization hit me hard, followed by a bout of embarrassment. I wanted to say something to explain myself out of this awkward situation, but Osborn only smiled lightly at me.

The wind blew leisurely past the roof, bringing refreshing coolness along with it.

☆Light Choice: Trust him 

I decided to give him the benefit of doubt, trusting him since I'd already managed to ascertain his identity.

Besides, it was more important to focus on the contest given the current situation.

MC: Alright then. I'll believe you. Although... What are you doing here this late?

★Night Choice: Still feel a little skeptical

MC: But it’s so late now. What are you doing here? Besides, how did you know that we lost stuff?

Osborn: For someone so cowardly, you sure do have a load of questions.

Osborn: I’m no different from you. I’m still here because I’m looking for something I lost during rehearsals.

Osborn inclined his head, taking out a bracelet from his pocket.

It was a silver nameplate bracelet. Osborn held it up, lightly shaking it.

The nameplate had a two-headed snake motif on the front, with some English words and numbers engraved at the back.

❖☆———————————★❖

I couldn’t help but to feel as if something was off about it, but there was no real need for me to be delving deeper into it. It was more important to focus on the upcoming competition.

MC: So, what do we do about the rest of the stuff?

Osborn: I’ve already informed the police, so the rest of the missing items should be returned in due time after they’re done wrapping things up.

MC: Great. Then, seeing as how the issue has already been settled… I guess I’ll better be going now.

I nodded to him before making a speedy escape towards the exit. However, the weight nestled in my palm reminded me of something that I’d overlooked. After giving it some thought, I halted and turned back around.

Osborn: What now? Can’t bear to leave?

MC: I should put this brooch back. Else, the numbers won’t quite tally when the police do a count.

I placed the brooch back into the box and was just about to leave when my fingers accidentally brushed against the blueish-purple feathers. Suddenly, I was hit by an inexplicable wave of grief that filled my chest.

It was as if all my senses had suddenly dulled. All I heard was an odd, yet clear birdsong that made itself known to my ears, sad, forlorn, and speaking of immeasurable grief.

I hurriedly retracted my hand, suddenly feeling my senses revert to normal as I returned back to my body. Everything returned to normal, making what I’d just experienced seem naught but a brief trance of sorts.

MC: Do you hear something?

Osborn: Hear what?

He looked at me questioningly, seemingly not having heard the same thing I had.

MC: …Nothing. It must just be my imagination then.

I hesitantly made my way towards the door, mulling over the peculiar experience I just had while I opened the door. However, the door didn’t budge.

A chuckle sounded in my ears, carried along by the wind.

Osborn gave it a hard tug. It swung open with a loud clang.

It looks like the bolt had just gotten stuck.

Osborn: Looks like you’re not only lacking in the courage department, but strength as well.

Osborn: You’re welcome.

He looked me straight in the eye, a hint of a mirth flickering across his eyes.

MC: I’ve yet to even thank you…

Osborn: Oh? Come on then, I’m waiting.

MC: Thank. You. Very. Much.

I’d long since lost the fear I’d felt earlier. I met his gaze, biting out every word of thanks.

His attention had been starting to wander, his eyes moving elsewhere. However, he whipped back around upon hearing that, raising an eyebrow in question. I ignored him, dashing right downstairs.

It was only until the girl’s figure had disappeared down the stairs that Osborn shut the door to the roof.

A purple-coloured bird appeared under the covers of the night sky, letting out a shrill cry as it hovered mid-air.

It fluttered its wings, it’s entire body exuding inky black mist that seemed to devour everything in sight.

Osborn: Great to see you here. Now that spares me the trouble of having to go looking for you.

He raised a hand, deep blue flames erupting from his fingertips.

❖☆————— ⊹ For Light & Night⊹ —————★❖

Previous Part: (Chapter 1-3) | Next Part: (Chapter 1-7)

[possiblyhomer]

One random idea in the middle of the night and about 20 days later, it is done. An Elros ship fairytale au. No complex plot, character arcs or anything, just a simple fairytale about doing good things and getting rewarded for it, completed with plenty of rule of 3's and talking plants and animals. May I present to you,

The traveler and the dragon

Once upon a time, there was a young maiden who travelled across the lands to find a place to call home. Her name was Elpis and she was known far and wide for her beautiful golden hair, eyes that shimmered like the sun's rays on the ocean waves and skin as soft as a flower's petals. Her beauty, however, was infinitely outshone by her kind heart.

One day, her search lead her to a peaceful forest. Though the citizens of the nearby village had warned her of a terrible dragon that lives in the forest, whose presence spell doom for all who is near it, the girl couldn't help but be drawn there by the forest's beauty. Elpis didn't realize she was lost until the clear blue sky turned pink, the young traveler frantically ran through the forest in search of a shelter, but by the time the sun had set, all she found was a cavern. The moment she stepped in the cave though, a loud roar echoed from deep within the cave, then came a dragon, it's scales a deep red and it's horns as dark as a moonless night. The dreaded beast angrily roared at its uninvited guest as she stood at the entrance to its cave and glared at her with glowing eyes.

"Please, o great dragon, I am but a lost traveler trying to find a place to call home, please find it in your heart to let me take shelter!" She pleaded.

The dragon stared down at the young woman before it as if searching for any lies. The maiden stood there patiently under its harsh gaze before the dragon huffed.

"Very well, I will allow you only three nights in my cavern, if you return for a fourth time, I will eat you where you stand." It warned before letting her in.

That night, as the worn out traveler prepared for sleep, she noticed the blood and ashes covering the dragon. Curious, she asked it:

"Great dragon, why do you harm the citizens of the nearby kingdom?"

"Because they have stolen the stars my mother had put on my horns to make them shimmer even in the dark." The dragon replied.

The next morning, as Elpis set out to find a home, but she could not find one. On her way back to the dragon's cave, however, she heard a cry for help and found a baby bird that has fallen off its nest. The kind-hearted traveler gently picked the little creature up and put it back in its home.

"Thank you, kind traveler!" The bird chirped. "Let us repay you, traveler! You can stay with us and call this tree your home! We'll soar across the sky freely and travel to wherever we want!"

The girl only shook her head. "Thank you, little bird, but I cannot stay here, for I cannot take to the skies like you do." She replied.

"Then how can I repay you?" It asked

The traveler thought for a while, then answered:

"Can you tell me how to make stars shimmer once again on the great dragon's horns?"

"For that, you will need to see Clotho the spinner, follow the path I made and you will find her there!" Said the little bird.

Elpis thanked the bird and before her, a different path appeared. She walked down the path and at the end was a little girl holding a spindle. Clotho smiled at her as she filled a cup with light.

"Sprinkle this on the dragon's horns and the stars shall return to him." The child spoke before vanishing with the scenery, leaving Elpis at the entrance to the dragon's cavern.

"Have you not found your home?" The dragon said with irritation.

"I have not, but in my search I have found what has been stolen from you." The maiden said, sprinkling the light onto the dragon's horns, which made it glow softly in the darkness of the cave.

"You do not owe me anything, for I have let you stay on my own accord. Yet, you still showed me kindness even though it was unnecessary, for that, I thank you."

That night, after the dragon and the traveler had exchanged their good-nights, Elpis noticed how the dreaded beast shivered as the wind flew through the cave. Puzzled, she asked it:

"Great dragon, why do you shiver against the wind?"

"Because my wings can no longer keep me warm, for their feathers can no longer regrow." The dragon replied.

As the sun rose the next day, Elpis once again left to find a home, yet she could not find a place to call home. As she tried to find her way back to the cavern, the traveler saw a fish trying to swim up a fall and on top of the fall, its brethren cheering for it. The kind-hearted traveler used a large leaf to catch it, then released the fish amongst its family.

"Thank you, kind traveler!" The fish said. "Let us repay you, traveler! You can stay with us and call these waters your home! We'll swim and splash around in the cool water and never get tired!"

The girl only shook her head. "Thank you, little fish, but I cannot stay here, for I cannot breath underwater." She replied.

"Then how can I repay you?" It asked

The traveler thought for a minute, then answered:

"Can you tell me how to make feathers grow once again on the great dragon's wings?"

"For that, you will need to see Lachesis the allotter, follow the river downstream and you will find her there!" Said the little fish.

Elpis thanked the fish and before her, a boat appeared. She floated down the river and at the end was a woman holding a staff. Lachesis gently caressed her as she filled a globe with silver water.

"Pour this on the dragon's wings and his feathers shall return to him." The woman spoke before vanishing with the scenery, leaving Elpis at the entrance to the dragon's cavern.

"Have you not found your home still?" The dragon questioned.

"I have not, but in my search I have found what you have lost." The maiden said, pouring the water onto the dragon's wings, immediately, feathers as red and vibrant as the sunset sprung forth wherever the water touched.

"Thank you, my friend, you did not have to help me at all, yet you have done so much. The night ahead is cold and your journey ahead a long one, so for tonight, let us share the warmth of my feathered wings."

That night, as they huddled closely under the dragon's wings, Elpis felt a tear drop from the dragon's eyes. Worried, she asked:

"Dear dragon, why do you weep?"

"Because I can no longer return to the home I missed so dearly." The dragon answered softly.

As the next day came, the dragon and the traveler lingered in their farewells and with a heart heavier than any stone, the traveler turned her back and walked away. Soon, the sun had started to set, as she tried to find a place to stay for the night, the maiden found a field of flowers with a single wilting bloom, the kind-hearted traveler gave the flower water from her own bottle and it soon sprung back to life.

"Thank you, kind traveler!" The flower sang. "Let us repay you, traveler! You can stay with us and call this field your home! We'll bask in the sunshine all day and bring happiness simply by looking so pretty!"

The girl only shook her head. "Thank you, little flower, but I will not stay here, for I no longer search for a home." She replied.

"Then how can I repay you?" It asked

Without hesitation, she answered:

"Can you tell me how to help the great dragon find a way back to his home?"

"For that, you will need to see Atropos the cutter, climb over the big grassy hill and you will find her there!" Said the revived flower.

The traveler thanked the flower and went on her way. At the other side of the hill was an old woman holding a scroll. Atropos kissed her forehead and handed her a beautiful golden crown.

"Put this on the dragon's head and his way back home will show itself to him." The woman spoke before vanishing, Elpis looked forward, only to realize that she was now standing before the dragon.

"Have you not found your home? Have you forgotten my warning?" The dragon asked in surprise, yet he seemed more relieved than angry.

"I have found it, but I have also found a way for you to return to yours." The traveler smiled as she put the crown on the dragon's head. Before her, the dragon turned into a handsome prince and the cave where they stayed together gave way to a beautiful kingdom.

"I cannot thank you enough, dear traveler. I am Moros, I was the prince of the dragon kingdom, but I was banished from my home because of my cruelty! But you have shown me so much kindness and helped me realize my mistakes! I love you, dear Elpis, would you be willing to come with me to my home?" The dragon prince said, extending one of his hands to her.

The traveler took his hand and told him:

"I would love nothing more than to join you, my dear prince, for I have realized over the nights we spent together, that my home, and my heart also, lies with you."

The prince held the traveler in his arms as they returned to the kingdom of dragons, where she was gifted her own pair of beautiful golden wings. The dragon prince and his traveler were soon wedded and with eachother by their side, they lived happily ever after.

The end.

A/N: Please know that I, as the author, had every intention of giving human form Moros cool claw hands, but as it didn't really fit with the whole fairytale motif, I had to, very reluctantly, leave that detail out... (╥﹏╥)

[summonerscenarios]

hi juno, i just saw sugar cubes with cat motifs that could double as emergency snacks on twitter today and it's the cutest thing I've ever seen!! that being said, how would the feline transients (of your choosing ofc) would react to MC giving them those cat-shaped sugar cubes for their Valentine gift? thank you in advance! (´ ∀ ` *)

sdfghjgf yikes it’s like 1am but IT STILL COUNTS. HAPPY VALENTINES FOLKS hope ya’ll are treating yourselves with the love and appreciation you deserve!! and here’s a lil post for the day, hope ya like it~!

---------

Durga

With Valentines coming up, Durga wanted to be one of the first to give you a present for the holiday, which means of course she’s gotta be the first to get there and get you something to blow the rest of the competition out of the water. It looks like you had the same idea however, as the pair of you just about barge headfirst into one another right outside of the Yoyogi dorms, sending the pair of you, and your respective gifts, spilling across the floor. It’s a humorous flurry of asking why the other got there so early, apologizing for the collision as the pair of you drop to your knees and check on the packages, and in the mixup Durga ends up picking up your package instead of her own.

Thankfully, the contents haven’t spilled over but the packaging is more than a little ruffled, and as her thumbs move to smooth the wrapping back out she spots the little name scribbled into the top corner. Her name, to be precise.

Durga lifts her head up to look over at you as you hold up her package, and from the expression on your face as you look at the little attached tag that she’d scrawled your name onto, you’re just as surprised as she is. You can’t help but laugh - what are the chances that you both ended up running into each other after looking for the other? Durga finds herself laughing along too at the sight of your grinning, and once it dies down you start urging her to open up her valentines gift; you really wanna see what she thinks of it!

While Durga tries to avoid sugary stuff, she can’t really deny her sweet tooth when you’ve gone out of your way to get her something so sweet, and that, coupled with the cute little cat motifs make her cave before she even sees your face, hopeful that she’ll like them. Plus, it’s valentine's day, right? She can make an exception juuust this once...it’s a stroke of luck that they’re the perfect thing to snack on while watching you open your own valentine’s gift, hiding her face in the box seeing your expression light up once you’ve peeled the wrapping away to look at the present she got you as a show of appreciation (and maybe something more who knows…)

Tezcatlipoca

It was the little cat motifs that sold you on buying the sugar cubes - they were just too cute to pass up! And it didn’t help that as soon as you’d seen them the first person that came to mind is Tezcatlipoca, if anything it’s what convinced you to buy them just for him to enjoy with valentine’s day coming up! Wrapping them all up was fun too - it had taken a while to get the kind of paper you were looking for, along with getting it all wrapped up and looking presentable enough to impress. There was a lot of care taken into getting them all the way over to the base, including having to bribe some of the luchadores with treats to slip the box past with you (which you would have done anyways, it was fun seeing them bristling with excitement when you’d pulled out some chocolate boxes you’d got just for them), but you’re sure it would all be worth it once you actually got the gift handed off to the jaguar therian - he’s all about sacrifice, so maybe giving would be nice for a change~!

That ends up going about as well as one expects, and you realize that once you pull the gift out from behind your back and hold it out to him the moment he whirls around, flashing him a beaming smile as you present it to him. Deadass thinks it’s a trick at first - he stares down at the box like he's waiting for some kind of test as if you’ve got a hidden trick up your sleeve, which unless he’s expecting the trick to be those tiny little cubes of sugar (in which case someone spilled the beans on your gift), is completely unwarranted. In the end you have to explain that because it’s valentines day, a day where you share your affections to others in the form of gifts, you decided you’d get a little something for him, with it being a holiday and all. (that he of course knows...maybe...not.)

That’s when Texcatlipoca takes the box off of your hands, and you’re kind of anxious watching him peel away the wrapping and pull out the small container of treats. He flicks open the lid with ease, and is greeted by rows of small, finely decorated sugar cubes, with cutesy cat faces and small, paw shaped confections for good measure. Adorable is the best way to describe what you’d gifted the feline, and as his eyes flicker over the lid of the container to look at you, you find yourself giggling and sheepishly rubbing the back of your neck as you explain that when you’d seen them you’d thought of him, so who better to give it too, right? You’re quick to add that they serve as great emergency snacks in a pinch too, hoping the double use was as appealing an idea to Tez as it was to you.

He’s not one to be outdone by your gifting gesture, so be warned that upon accepting your gift Tezcatlipoca is going to see this as a chance to outdo the gesture tenfold before valentine’s day has come to a close - you’ve caught him off guard with your small gift, and he’s going to return that sentiment in abundance, excited to see how you’ll react to the surprise.

Sitri

Sitri’s opening up more to valentine's day this time around, though you still thought you’d twist up the gift from the typical chocolate that people give out and think outside the box in terms of valentine’s gifts. The only trouble was picking out what you were actually going to buy - you wanted something that would make for a nice gift, as well as something that Sitri would appreciate and enjoy, so you’d wracked your head thinking of the perfect gift for the upcoming holiday.

That’s when you’d come across the sugar cubes - you’d actually heard about them from Ryota when he’d gushed about a store specializing in cat themed treats and how they were coming out with a valentine’s line. It was the perfect place to start looking for a gift, and so as soon as you had a free moment, you’d stopped by and managed to snag yourself a box of the cute little cubes before they’d gone out of stock. You had the option to get them pre-packaged, but you’d instead opted to hand-wrap them yourself so that you could include one or two other little goodies that you’d gotten for the occasion. It took a bit longer than you thought it would have, but by the time you’ve got it packaged up and tucked neatly away in a little gift bag, it’s right in time for valentines day, so you’re eager to head out and deliver your gift to the feline transient first thing after school. 

Even though you’ve gotten him valentines gifts in the past, Sitri’s still surprised and a little flustered when you come up to him, holding out the gift bag to him with a warm smile and greeting of “Happy valentines, Sitri!” as you present him with the gift you’d picked out. That reaction is only amplified once he opens the lid and looks down at the cute cat cubes looking back up at him with adorable faces and whiskers decals to really seal the feline look the treats have got going on. Admittedly, they’re not usually the kind of thing Sitri goes for, mostly thanks to those years chasing the ‘cool cat’ ideal, but as he’s opened up more, as well as with your expression anxiously waiting for his response, he finds himself not minding the gift in the slightest. If anything, he’s more worried about the gift that he got you - you’ve put so much thought into his gifts, he hopes that your gifts can hold a candle to them as he fishes out his own gift to give to you.

Nomad

With valentine’s coming around once again, you were determined to get Nomad something this time around. Sure, you’d gotten him things in the past, but those had mostly been in the form of time spent together going out to eat places and such; this time you wanted to go out of you way to get him a gift from the heart, something that would help convey your appreciation for the gruff tiger therian. Even if it was just a small little gift, you were set on going out and getting him something, which is exactly what you do the moment the shops start setting up for the holiday in question...you just really wish you had a better idea of the kind of thing that Nomad would like to receive. 

You don’t really peg him as the chocolates for valentines kind of guy - he’s worked enough valentine’s gigs you’re sure he’d like an alternative gift for a change - so you’d sought out something you wouldn’t normally have picked. Which is what led to you finding those sugary treats, and the moment you looked at them in the little decorative boxes on the display stand, you just knew that those were the treats you were going to gift Nomad with.

You don’t end up giving Nomad his ‘gift’ face-to-face however. Something came up that pulled you away from being able to give them to him in person (because seriously, what is with you getting dragged into other people’s problems during the holidays? You need a break), so you ended up having to leave them back at his office. By the time that he finally returns to the office he finds the small, cutely decorated box perched precariously right in the middle of his desk, with a small note attached to the top. Confused, but interest peaked enough to approach, the therian plucks the note off with one hand and picks up the box as he settles into his desk chair, reading over your hastily scrawled message.

‘Sorry I couldn’t give this in person but I hope you like em! Apparently they double as emergency snacks, that’s neat,huh? - call me later and tell me what you think! xx’

Popping open the lid of the box, Nomad soon finds out what your message was talking about, and he plucks up one of the cubes between his claws as he holds it up, brows quirking as he takes in the cutesy cat motifs that have been meticulously molded with the sugar cubes to make an undeniably adorable design. He shakes his head a little at the thought of how much bother you must have put yourself through getting so worked up trying to find these little sugar cubes. With that being said he definitely ends up keeping them - after all, imagining how excited you’ll get is enough to make him pluck a few out to try as he fishes out his phone to give you a call.

[mightbewriting]

So I came to W&H and B&E in an odd way. I'm a long time Dramione fic reader who like many of us doubled down on in 2020 to find comfort in a bananas year. I kept seeing W&H on everyone's rec list, but for whatever reason kept putting it off. Then I heard about the prequel and decided to wait for that to be finished, read it, then do W&H. But once it was finished, I saw you recommended W&H first so I was like okay I'll do that. I struggle with impulse control but am trying to do better so when I saw the audiobook for W&H I was like perfect, I'll listen rather than read that way I won't gobble it up in a day. Ha well that did not work, I listened to the first 3 chapters (at that time those were the only chapters they had recorded) then instantly ran not walked to A03, reread said chapters, then continued on. At Chapter 4 of W&H, I thought hmm maybe I'll read them simultaneously. I continued that way maybe through Chapter 13 of B&E and Chapter 7ish then fully committed to W&H first. I cannot imagine reading these fics in real time because reading them in full, back to back was the most intense glutenous binge and it's taken over my life in the best way. I have been living in your fictional universe for the past two weeks. I started a list of all the parallels and callbacks and eventually had to call it because they are innumerable. I'm awed. In literal awe. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Your writing - the individual words of your vast vocabulary, the way you string said words together into hilarious, heart breaking, heart stopping, beautiful, and visceral feelings is astounding. It's hard to explain but even good writers (and/or an intriguing plot) sometimes do not create an overall immersive feeling. But the feelings your words evoke are all encompassing and truly universe building. Like it's not just the wording or the plot or the charters but all of it together come to make something even greater than the sum of their parts. Your writing, your universe of W&H, S&S, and B&E live in my mind and heart and in an embarrassing amount of screenshots of passages on my phone and in voice memos to myself as I don't have anyone irl to fan girl with. When I think of your words and the world you built, I'm reminded of a Taylor Swift lyric: "it cut deep to know you, right to the bone". That is how I'd describe your writing's effect on me, but in the best way.

Your brain's capacity to plot, plan, and flawlessly deliver W&H THEN B&E? Idk how you kept all the threads and plot points and moments and timelines in check. My head aches just thinking about how you wrote these stand-alone but also inextricable works of art. Like how does one's brain function in such a level? And it's especially telling in B&E because we knew where we were going but I still gasped, screamed, squealed, giggled, had to put my phone down, clutched it to my heart, fist pumped, stopped half way through just for a minute to breath and take it all in, and overall looked and acted as an utter idiot during each and every chapter because while I knew where we were going I also had no idea! I'm just floored you managed to keep us at the edge of our seats with a prequel? Who does that? You do!

The texts in the final chapter of W&H devastated me, literal chills. I think about that daily. It's exactly what H and we needed. Just like a reminder of what they went through. It reminded me of Chapter 41 of B&E. Like a summary of where they had been and where they are now.

The other thing that rattled in my brain is the motifs of choice and time, life kind of boils down to those two things huh? But choice especially. It's funny because choice is so prominent but at the same time how W&H and B&E give off soulmate vibes even though this is not a soulmate fic (also are the rumors true...?!) because despite time turners, breakups, and lost memories, they always come back together. But more on choice: it's just as Draco says - in a million scenarios he'll always choose her and he feels lucky she chose him just once. But of course with W&H, she does it twice. And she does it in both timelines of B&E, and of course that's the problem when Draco realizes he has not done the same hence heartbreak 1.0. And just god - he wants her to have a choice with the potion, a choice with her memories, and stops the timey wimey madness by realizing he's taking her choice (and in a way H started it by taking away his choice and leaving the first time). And then those parts about how he chose her, she chose him, but they could not chose each other. This motif, these callbacks. I'm flabbergasted. It's just hitting me now that you extend the choice to us as readers - we get to choose whether H get her memories back or not.

Theo in all your Wait and Hope universe, but especially S&S broke me. Blaise asking who is taking care of Theo when he's taking care of everyone else? Theo's literal and figurative demons? Yikes. Those were unpleasant looks in the mirror for me. I'm glad Theo has his Blaise. Where's mine haha? Also just shout to your underrated Blaise. The fact that he might be my favorite of the Slytherians in your stories says a lot since he doesn't say a lot haha. But he packs such a punch in all your works.

Okay, after singing your well deserved praises and fan girling and marveling at your works (god this is so long, I'm so sorry!), at long last my ask. I still cannot get this out of my head: what did Theo mean in Chapter 1 of B&E when he suggests to Draco “I know that. Maybe you could—tell her some of—” some of what? I zeroed in on this as soon as I read it and it's been rattling in my brain ever since.

um. hi? holy shit. i dont know how to process this. i am resisting the impulse to cringe away from the level of praise happening here because i really need to learn how to take a compliment but oh my god? i am not...this is just...wowzers. you are very literally too kind to me. i have melted into a puddle of feelings in my reading chair here. 

so, first things first: thank you. these are some of the nicest things i’ve ever heard about my writing and i can guarantee i will come back to this ask when I'm feeling like i suck and need a motivation boost. i can’t deny...it feels really nice to know that at least one person out there caught and appreciated some of the insane attention to detail i forced upon myself lol. so thank you. truly, thank you so much for saying such amazingly kind things that have short circuited my brain!

and im sure my friends at @etl-echo-audiobooks will be over the moon to know that their recording work was such a hit! your trajectory reading these stories is so fun and hilarious and probably the most unique reading experience i’ve heard so far xD

also, please be advised that your analysis on choice in these stories is probably going to live in my head rent free for the rest of my life. i feel seen, you know? you just...picked up what i was putting down and it feels really nice to know that it worked for you! 

and ok. your question. that little dash of ambiguity i was planning on leaving open ended. but let it be known i can be plied with compliments. i can’t just *not* give you something in return for such a lovely and kind and thoughtful dose of joy you had absolutely no obligation to give me today. 

so, in my mind, after draco’s house arrest ended and before he went abroad for his mastery, he and theo had an extensive (most likely drunken. also blaise was probably there too) night of reflection where they kind of just looked back at their childhoods and the war and the history of blood purity and just sort of went: “what the fuck?” i imagine draco probably confided in theo that when he went abroad, he planned to just try and pretend like none of it mattered, to see if that was really true. and draco probably kept him updated via owl (even though draco did not write enough and theo had feelings about that) so that by the time draco returned and we have theo asking that sort of trailing question, the implication at the end is “what if you told granger some of your realizations about it all?” so...not all that exciting? but there you have it!

in conclusion: thank you! you are too kind! i appreciate your thoughtful commentary SO much! i’m so happy you enjoyed these stories. and i hope the explanation of what theo was going to say wasn’t too underwhelming.

[sushiburritonoms]

DinLuke #38 if you're still doing these prompts! :D Been really enjoying reading these, haha

Look my darling @lulollymint, I tried so so so hard to write a normal cop story, but I kept getting stuck. So I hope you don't mind that this goes incredibly off prompt and probably isn't what you were expecting. I don't even know what genre or motif I was working with, its just mashing things together for the lols. I hope its ok!

Also warning, there was a lot of F-bombs in this one, to fit the AU Din I was going for. Sorry?

AU Fic List

38.cop/person getting a speeding ticket au

The moment Din saw the familiar white GT-86 fly by him, not even trying to slow down this time, he groaned and flipped on his lights with more force than necessary. “Damnit, not again.”

Was there even a point to this? Everytime he handed this driver a ticket, it mysteriously disappeared in the system, thanks to his all powerful Mother.  Christ, Din hated this guy.  He was tempted to just turn around and find another place to patrol. But no. One day the driver could kill someone at those speeds and anyways it was the principal of the thing, even if this rich asshole would never face consequences of his actions. It was an unjust world but Din was forced to live in it, for Grogu’s sake.

Usually when they did this song and dance, the GT obediently pulled over to the side of the road as soon as it caught sight of him.  This time it took several minutes, until Din was close to calling for backup. At least they were on a rural road and there wasn’t any other traffic heading out of town at this time of day. After several tense minutes the GT finally swung to the side of the road in a sharp, sudden movement. It wasn’t the most graceful stop he’d seen from the man, but Din was too pissed to care.

“Fuck.” Din growled as he slammed his driver side door shut. Maybe he should drag him to jail this time, let him stew in a cell for a few hours before his mommy came and got him this time.

“Again, Skywalker?!”” he hissed as he made it to the GT’s front window. It was already rolled down and waiting for him.  “Third time this...month…”

The words died in his mouth the moment he caught sight of the bane of his existence.  Skywalker looked up at him, one eye almost completely black and swollen shut, his face covered in scratches that were still slowly oozing blood.  He had his left hand on his wheel but his right hand was just gone--his arm ending at the wrist.  How was he even changing gears in that car?!

“Hey Officer Djarin,” Skywalker rasped. “This really isn’t a good time, can we--” he gave a wet cough, “--do this, l-later?”

“Jesus Christ!” Din put his hand through the open window and popped the door. “What the hell happened to you!”  He pulled it open and immediately reached over to shut the engine off. Skywalker tried to bat his hand away from the ignition but Din easily dodged him.

“‘No don’t,” Skywalker groaned. “Please don’t--I have--have to keep going--”

“The only place you’re going is a hospital,” Din said grimly as he caught sight of Skywalker’s bloody blue checkered shirt.  Had the pretty boy been in a bar fight? At...2pm on a thursday? Din sighed as he reached for his radio. “Darjin. I have a 105, requesting a rig to South Socorro, next to Mumble’s Turnaround.”

“No hospital!” Skywalker gasped, shouting over dispatch’s reply. “No, please, you don’t understand, this is the only way. I have to leave town--”

Fuck. It had finally happened.  The pretty boy must have done a hit and run.  Din craned his neck to look at the front of the car. “Who did you hit, Luke?”

“Nobody,” Luke rasped.  “Please, you have to let me go.  You will let me go.”  The young idiot tried to raise his only hand and wave it at Din’s face and the moron was lucky that Din wasn’t as trigger happy as the rest of his hillbilly squad.  Din grabbed his hand and frowned.

“Christ you’re on some sort of drug aren’t you? What did you take? Spice?”  Jesus, where was his ambulance?  He used his free hand to hit his radio. “Dispatch, confirm?”  He waited to hear from Omera, but instead of an answer his radio made a high pitched electronic wail that was piercing. “The hell?”

“No no no noooo,” Luke gasped. He was staring at Din’s radio with a sheet white face.  “Please not now!” He tried to pull his hand away from Din’s grasp.

“Luke! Calm down before you hyperventilate.” That’s it, Din was putting him in his squad car, where he could lock him in if he started to violently hallucinate.  He reached over to unbuckle Luke’s seatbelt only to realize the moron wasn’t wearing one.  So instead he just raged silently as he dragged the other man out.

Luke’s legs buckled the moment he stepped out of the car. “You have to leave,” the boy mumbled. “Before...too late.”

“Whatever, your highness,” Din sighed, using Fett’s most innocent name for Skywalker.  He started to drag the other man to his car, noticing at the same time that it was a lot darker outside than it had been two minutes ago. He looked up and saw clouds suddenly  blocking the summer sun. That was odd. It had been a clear cloudless summer day earlier. “Fucking climate change.”

It was while he was trying to maneuver Skywalker into his back seat that he finally noticed the strange tattoos the man had on his left and right forearms.  They were thick green lines that swirled in weird sharp geometric shapes and angles, almost looking like words in an alien language or something.  The right arm tattoo ended with Luke’s wrist. The left spilled into his hands and even down his fingers. They looked expensive and very new, with ink that was so bright it almost looked like it was glowing.  Din didn’t remember Skywalker having any tattoos the last time he’d pulled him over. But then again, he was also sure the last time they’d met Luke also had a real fucking hand.

“Nice ink,” he said finally, unable to bring himself to ask the other man if he’d always had a really amazing prosthetic hand and multiple massive tattoos. He was losing his touch--what was he thinking, letting Cara talk him into transferring into this hellhole state? As he chastised himself, his right thumb moved to caress the closest line on the other man’s arm without thinking. But the moment he touched it, a painful sensation almost like electricity shot through his hand and down his spine. “Fuck!” What the hell was that?!

Luke also jerked. “Don’t touch me!” His voice sounded low and full of pain.  He looked down at his arms with his one good eye in horror. “Oh God! It’s too late.”

“What hell are you on?” Din said, just as he felt a sudden icy wind blast past them both. It was strong, dragging leaves and other debris over their car and pelting Din’s unprotected back with small pebbles. “Ow! Damn it!” The sun had disappeared, and the world around them had taken a sinister grey color.  He instinctively pushed Luke back, into the protective shelter of his car.

Then he heard a terrible, low laugh, so close it felt like there was someone inches next to his near. He flinched and turned...and saw no one. The back hair on Din’s neck stood straight up and he found himself reaching for his gun. All his instincts were screaming and when he looked back at Skywalker he yelped because now Luke really was glowing bright green.

“Din.” The sudden use of his first name jerked his attention from the glowing green marks on Luke’s arms to his face.  His unbruised blue eye was clear and full of determination. “Move.”

Din found himself scrambling to let Luke drag himself out of his car before he could even blink.  It was like he was possessed.  He watched as Luke took several unsteady steps until he was in front of Din and facing the empty road. He stood in a wide ready stance, with both glowing arms held out at his sides.  His left hand was open, palm forward and his right stump was a bright ball of green fire.

The unnatural wind blew again, making Din flinch against dust kicked up in their faces.

“Drive away,” Luke commanded, as he continued to face the road.  “Leave.”

Din’s body started to move towards his front seat, but he stopped it just as his hand touched the door. “No!” He rasped.  Instead he made his hand pull his gun and he found himself pointing it at the empty road in front of them instead of at Skywalker like he should have done.

Luke sighed. “You’re too honorable for your own good.” Gone was the cheerful yet annoying voice Din had become used to hearing. Skywalker sounded like a stranger, an unnatural being. “Stay behind me and whatever you do, don’t turn your back to him.”

“What--”

Between one breath and the next, the devil himself arrived. Without a flash of light or possessed gale force winds, it suddenly just appeared. It had a red and black demonic face, a head covered in horns and had glowing yellow eyes. It was dressed in all black robes and had a glowing black sword in it’s right hand.

“Maul,” said Luke. His right stump twitched and suddenly his hand was back and it was holding a glowing green sword. Except it wasn’t his hand, not really. It looked like it was made of light instead of flesh.

“Chosen One,” said the devil.

“Oh fuck off,” said Din.  Chosen one? This guy?!

Maul smiled, all sharp teeth. “I’ll kill the human and eat his soul.”

“As happy as that would make my mother, I can’t let you do that,” Luke replied.

“Then I’ll use his corpse to kill her too,” Maul hissed. “Then your sister and her unborn babe.”

“HEY!” Din shouted. “Nobody is using my corpse for anything.” Also he was pretty sure Governor Padme Naberrie would be fully capable of killing the devil herself.

The devil laughed and before Din could let loose one of his bullets into him, he disappeared. Then he reappeared inches from Luke’s face, his black sword swinging for his neck. Din shouted but Luke was already moving like he was a character from the Matrix. He brought his green hand and sword up and there was an explosion of energy.

Then the fight was on. Somehow tiny Luke pushed Maul away from him, but the devil stopped in mid air and swung towards him like he was launched from an unseen hand. Luke parried and ducked, more agile than his appearance would suggest. He slid underneath the demon and leapt to his feet. Maul landed on the ground and launched another attack, swinging the black sword up over his head. It hit Luke’s glowing hand sword with a crackle of energy. They swung, parried, swung and parried again, moving in a blur too fast to Din to see them clearly. He kept his gun out, pointed vaguely in Maul’s direction but he knew he was more than useless here.

Luke was beginning to tire. Din could see it in the way he was swinging his hand and the way his legs were shaking.  When Luke had launched Maul several feet away from them, Din turned to see if he could reach his rifle in the back of his car without the two noticing. But as he did that he heard Maul hiss in triumph and suddenly he felt an intense burning in his back, like a hot poker being buried into the middle of his spine. He couldn’t even let out a cry as he dropped his gun.

“NO!” Luke screamed.

“Didn’t the boy tell you,” he heard Maul hiss in his ear. “Never turn your back on a Sith!”  Din gasped, unable to form words as the world dimmed and he fell to his knees. He felt like he was being slowly dragged backwards, out of his own damn body.

Just as he started to see black spots in his vision, he heard an inhuman roar.  The pulling sensation stopped and he felt himself slam face first into the ground. There was the sound of growling and he heard Maul shriek. Bright lights flashed over his head.

Then he felt himself being lifted up into someone’s arms. There was air rushing past his face. He struggled to open his eyes and the first thing he saw was his squad car rapidly disappearing as they left the ground in a rush. He also saw shimmery white scales, like the kind you would see on a snake, and impossibly, a white leathery wing flapped in and out of his vision. He heard the wings pushing through the air and another loud roar.

“The fuck!” He gasped.  The arms around him tightened. Din’s head was pressed against Luke’s shoulder, his arms wrapped around him and holding him against the back of some sort of living, breathing FLYING thing.

“Hold on!” Luke said grimly and they flew through the air.

“ARE WE ON A FUCKING DRAGON?!” Din shouted.

“Technically it’s my GT!” Luke yelled back.

“WHY THE FUCK IS YOUR CAR A DRAGON?!”

“That’s what you’re gonna fixate on?” Luke said incredulously. “Fine, yes! It’s magic, now shut up and let me concentrate!!”

“Your arms are still glowing!” Din said, his brain completely broken. He could feel energy pulsing through Luke’s bare arms, their heat licking at his skin. It felt good, because he was freezing, so cold he felt like he could barely move.  “What--what is that? What are you?!”

He felt Luke sigh and suddenly there were lips firmly pressed against his, swallowing the torrent of panicked words that were trying to spill out of him. He also felt the freezing cold that had its grip in him ease, replaced by warmth. It felt like Luke was pouring fire and light into him and when he pulled away a moment later, Din saw that Luke’s face was pale and full of worry.

“Better?” He asked, words barely audible over the flapping of dragon wings.

Din nodded wordlessly.

“Right, ok. Everything is under control,” Luke said, more to himself than Din. “We’re alive and you have most of your soul left, so everything is going to be fine, just fine. Ok? Right, calm down.”

“I am calm now,” Din said. Well mostly.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Luke replied. He tightened his grip on Din and sighed. “Not gonna lie Officer Din Djarin, we’re pretty screwed right now. But I’m gonna get us somewhere safe, I promise.”

“How do you even know my first name,” Din exclaimed.

“My mom’s the Governor, you don’t think I wouldn’t have her lookup Navarro City’s best and brightest police officer?”

Din frowned. “You just did that to erase your speeding tickets.”

“Maybe,” Luke chuckled. “You gonna arrest me now?”

“Yes,” Din moaned. “So very yes.”

He heard Luke laugh and tug him closer to his GT/Dragon as they glided together through the bright summer sky.

---

Obviously the dragon was inspired by Lulolly's X-Wing dragons! I know nothing about cars, I just picked a GT-86 because I like the way they look and they're not that crazy expensive. I think Luke might drive one.

Previous Responses

30: tourist/knowledgeable local au (Din/Luke)

19. parents meeting when they take their kids to class au (Din/Luke)

15: meeting in the E.R/A&E au (Din/Luke/Boba)

40: Soul destroying exes meeting again after not speaking for years au (Din/Luke)

25: Library/Avid Reader AU Part I (Din/Luke, Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon)

Library AU part II (same)