#now that I'm returning to work full time I will use the chance to shape up

[ungroomedcat]

I took off work today. I thought it might help my mood but I've only felt guilty. I'm feeling kind of down, not because of work, but a combination of returning there full time, the monotony of it all, my brother ill at home, I read this fic yesterday where the main character's watch got stuck as a symbolism for his life growing stagnant, and it really rubbed that old wound I'd thought I'd healed. I'm thirty one now, I didn't think I would still feel this way. And for a long time, I didn't. This year particularly had been going really well. But tragedy struck and I'm sitting here with an ache in my chest feeling pity for myself. If I could drink, today would have been a good day to.

[roosterforme]

Covering the Classics Part 17 | Bob Floyd x OC

Summary: Anna is giving herself one last chance to get her manuscript before she moves on without it. She has friends, a job she loves, and a man who believes in her. There's nothing else she really needs now, but she's going all in on a plan that is perhaps just crazy enough to work.

Warnings: Angst, fluff, espionage, adult language, 18+

Length: 3400 words

Pairing: Robert "Bob" Floyd x Female OC (this story is part of the Beer Boy/Sugar and Jake/Jessica universe)

Covering the Classics masterlist. Check my masterlist for more!

Bob watched Anna emerge from the bathroom in one of Jessica's cocktail dresses after he picked her up from work and brought her back to his house. "I'm thinking this one?" she asked, turning back and forth in front of his bedroom mirror while wearing the black and white dress. It was a little snug and also a bit short on her compared to how it would probably fit Jessica, but he thought she looked incredible.

"Yeah," Bob agreed, standing behind her and zipping it up. "It's perfect." Seeing her in wedding rings was startling to him, and he had to remind himself over and over again that she had borrowed them as a cover. As part of the ruse. That they belonged to his friend. That she wasn't reconciling with Kevin. "What time do we need to be at the hotel?" he asked, running his hand along her hip as she started to clip her hair up onto her head.

"Eight o'clock," she confirmed. "The cocktail reception lasts from eight until ten, and there's no way Kevin will want to miss a single minute with all of these people who seemingly worship him."

Bob tightened his hold on her, his distaste for Kevin clearly written on his face as he looked in the mirror over her shoulder. She told him he needed to change out of his uniform, so he was wearing a plain undershirt and jeans. He looked a bit ridiculous next to Anna as she swiped some eyeliner on in the shape of a cat-eye before coating her lips in a deep red stain.

"That's pretty," he whispered, and he was rewarded with her turning around to press a kiss to his cheek, leaving her perfect lip marks behind. He didn't bother to wipe it away. He was so thankful she wasn't trying to do this on her own, even though she seemed calm and confident. He didn't want Kevin to have even the slightest opportunity to be alone with her. "You'll call me if you need me to come in," he said.

"Yes," she confirmed for probably the fifth time. "I'll keep my phone on me."

"And you'll get out of there if you don't feel safe?"

Anna nodded up at him, looking so beautiful with a soft smile on her lips. "Yes. My manuscript is not as important as I am."

Bob kissed her deeply. She finally got it. She tried to swipe at the lipstick smudged on his mouth, but they left his house hand in hand with some of the stain left on his lips. He helped her into his truck and took his time driving up to Carlsbad as she navigated along the way for him. When he reached for her hand, she laced her fingers with his, and he chuckled.

"I kind of hate her rings on you," he muttered. "I wonder what Bradley had to say about that one."

Anna made a face when he glanced her way. "I'm sure he's still asking her to explain where they went, and the more she says my name, the unhappier he's going to be with me."

"Nah," Bob replied as he made a left turn. "You're one of us."

She squeezed his hand. "That still sounds almost too good to be true. And we do need to return her rings tonight so he doesn't have a full panic attack."

"That sounds fair," he murmured, looking for a place to stop his truck and let her out. The swanky hotel where Kevin's medical conference was being held was just up the block, and now his heart was pounding.

"This is perfect," she told him, pointing out the window before unbuckling her seatbelt. "Just leave me off right here." He put the truck in park, but when she tried to pull her hand away, he held on tighter. She paused and looked at him before leaning in to kiss his cheek and saying, "I got this, Bob. It's okay." When she tried once more to get out of his truck, he tugged her closer to him. "You have to let me-"

"Anna, I love you."

She froze at his announcement, but he was getting tired of not telling her. He'd been thinking it for ages. He thought he almost lost her before, and he wasn't going to let Kevin of all people potentially ruin her night without her knowing she at least had him to come back to. So as she crawled across the seat toward him, he repeated himself. "I love you."

Anna climbed onto his lap as her lips met his cheek and his chin. "I want to listen to you say that all night," she whispered, finally kissing his lips. "And I want to spend an hour telling you all about how much I love you. But I need about thirty minutes to get shit done first."

Bob laughed as he nipped at her smiling lips. "No rush. I'll still love you in thirty minutes." He would probably still love her in thirty years, and he was more than willing to tell her that later. But right now he had to accept one last kiss from her before he watched her hop down from his truck, put Jessica's high heels on, and start to head for the hotel entrance.

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

"You can do this," Anna told herself as she tried not to stumble in the shoes that were a half size too small with heels which were way too high. "Just stay focused." But Bob loved her! He said it, and he meant it, and now all she wanted was to run back to his truck. But this was her last chance.

It was ten minutes after eight. Kevin's schedule was giving her enough time to get what she wanted, but only if it went smoothly. Anna had never been much of an actress, but in this exact moment, she needed to pull off an Emmy winning performance if she stood a chance at getting into Kevin's room. She cleared her throat and squared her shoulders as she walked into the beautiful lobby, opened her clutch purse, and pouted in frustration. "Oh no," she muttered loudly. There were a lot of people around, chatting and heading to the bar just past the concierge desk. She threw her head back in faux annoyance and marched in the terrible shoes toward the counter.

"How can I help you this evening?" asked the young man behind the desk with a smile.

Anna sighed and set her clutch down and glanced at his name tag. She made sure the rings on her finger were shining under the light as she said, "In my rush to get to the wine bar down the block in time for cocktail hour, I left my new necklace and my key card in my room. Think you could print me a new one, Marcus? My husband just gifted me the necklace and expects me to be wearing it."

"Of course, Mrs...."

"Webber. Mrs. Kevin Webber. We're here for the Neurological conference. My husband is a keynote speaker." She had to fight back the urge to choke on the words as she forced a smile. 

"Right," Marcus replied, tapping away on his keyboard. "Webber.... I found the reservation, but it's only under your husband's name."

When he looked up and met her eyes, Anna wanted to run away, climb back into Bob's truck and give up. Her heart was pounding as she tapped her fingers on the counter and rolled her eyes. "He always does that when he books a room for work. But I'm definitely linked to his rewards account."

She tried to keep her face neutral as she awaited a response. There was no way Kevin would have taken the time to update anything so trivial. He was never one to take the time to update anything. That always fell to Anna. She watched Marcus start typing again as he said, "I'll just need to check your ID, Mrs. Webber."

"Absolutely," she replied coolly, pulling her New Jersey state driver's license that was about to expire from her clutch and setting it down for him. The longer he typed away, the more she started to panic. She wondered if Kevin was already having his first drink at the bar or if he had moved on to his second. As long as he was there, it didn't much matter to her what he was doing.

Finally, Marcus pulled a new key card from the drawer in front of him, programmed it and tucked it into an envelope. He conveniently wrote #609 on it and slid it toward her. "Is there anything else I can do for you this evening Mrs. Webber?"

She shook her head, picked up her license and the key and said, "I think this is all I need. Thank you, Marcus."

Anna turned toward the bank of elevators and counted each step. One, two, three, four, five.... She tried to keep her pace as unhurried as she could while still getting away from the desk quickly. She pushed the little up arrow and waited for the elevator to arrive while she glanced around the lobby to be sure there was nobody who had taken notice of her. When the elevator got there, she ducked inside and pushed the button for floor six and pulled her phone out to text Bob.

I got the key. I'm in the elevator.

When she arrived at the correct floor, she put her phone away and held onto the key card with shaking hands. She could do this. She knew she could. But one step onto the plush carpet, and she stumbled in Jessica's high heels. "Shit," she gasped, reaching for the wall as the elevator doors slid closed behind her. Could she really take Kevin's computer? Technically speaking, it was hers, too. They picked it out together. When he started medical school. She paid for it with her credit card. The one he then maxed out.

She pushed herself off from the wall, more pissed off than upset. Kevin didn't deserve her concern at the moment. He deserved nothing. Room 609. She found it down the left side of the hallway. Just as she raised the key card to swipe it, the door jerked open an inch, and she gasped. Fingers wrapped around the door from the inside as it opened slowly, and she ran as fast as she could for the stairwell, tucking herself inside just as she saw Kevin step into the hallway.

"Fuck," she gasped under her breath, afraid she might throw up. It was close to 8:30 now. He should have been at the cocktail party. Why was he in his room? Terrified that he'd seen her, Anna stood in the stairwell with her back pressed to the wall. She counted to fifty and then to one hundred, but the door never opened. When she peeked out into the hallway again, it was deserted.

"You can do this," she whispered, even as the thought occurred to her that he may still be in the hotel room. There was no way she'd be able to overpower him if he was. Before she could give it too much thought, she knocked on the door and then pressed her ear to it. When nobody answered, she did it again. Then she swiped her card, watched the light turn green, and pushed the door slowly open.

The hotel room smelled like Kevin's cologne, and she gagged, but after a quick inspection of the bathroom and closet, he was definitely gone. Her hands were shaking like crazy now as she checked the desk area for his computer, but it wasn't there. She dropped to her knees and crawled across the floor to his computer bag, but it was empty except for folders and pamphlets from the conference.

"Shit," she said, eyes stinging with tears. She made it this far, and she didn't want to give up now. As she crawled around the king size bed, she saw the computer charging cable on the floor, plugged into the outlet along with his phone charger. And there it sat, tucked halfway under the bed. The laptop.

Anna lunged for it, opening it and waking it up from standby mode. She was prompted to enter a password, and she smiled; Kevin never changed anything. It had to be the same one he was using since college. She entered it, and her smile vanished. 

Incorrect Password

"You're joking," she gasped. This was supposed to be the easy part. This was the last thing she was convinced would trip her up. Perhaps she had just entered it wrong with her shaky hands, so she tried it again.

Incorrect Password

"Fuck!" Panic was setting in now. Should she just take it and risk pissing him off if the manuscript wasn't even on it? Her intention had been to check before she did. Her gaze settled on the little fingerprint reader down in the bottom corner near the keyboard. There was simply no way. If he had taken the time to actually update his passwords, then he would have taken the time to remove Anna's fingerprint access as well.

She bit her lip and slid her index finger down to the reader, and she was immediately rewarded with full access to the computer. Her eyes went wide as she tapped on the search option and entered the file name of her manuscript and hit enter, and when it popped up on the screen she burst into tears. She scrolled down and it was there. It was all there.

"Fuck you, Kevin," Anna said, voice hoarse with emotion as she yanked the plug from the wall, wrapped the cord around the laptop, and made her way to the door. She needed to act completely normal right now even though she felt like her heart might burst into a million brightly colored pieces of magic. She rode the elevator down, praying that Kevin was getting intoxicated enough that he wouldn't realize something was missing from his room right away. For the first time in her life, she didn't even care if he brought another woman back with him, but she did almost feel bad for pregnant Alyssa back in New Jersey. Almost.

When the doors slid open revealing the bustling lobby, Anna nearly tripped for the last time. She took her friend's shoes off and held them in one hand with her purse as she started speed walking toward the exit. She didn't see Kevin anywhere, but that didn't mean much since he had been in his room when she got here. Now she was counting on Bob to be where he said he would be.

Once she was outside, she immediately turned to the right toward the loading zone. She started to run barefoot down the sidewalk, and that's when she saw him. He was perfect, standing there next to the passenger side door in his white undershirt, running his hands nervously through his hair.

"Bob!" she called out, her feet already aching, and he came racing up the sidewalk to meet her.

"You got it!" he whispered excitedly. "Anna, Baby, you got it!"

"It's still on here," she breathed as he scooped her up with everything still held tight in her hands. "I got in with my fingerprint and I saw it, Bob. I have it." He kissed the side of her neck once, but otherwise he didn't stop walking. "Did you see Kevin?" she asked. 

"Yeah," he grunted, setting her down and pulling the door open for her. "He headed the other way up the block. When he came out after you went inside, I kind of started to freak out a little bit. If I didn't hear from you again in five more minutes, I was going to make my way inside. But you didn't need me at all."

Anna tossed everything onto the seat and scrambled inside, anxious to get out of here, but not before she leaned down to kiss Bob one more time. "That's just the thing though. I'm pretty sure I actually do need you."

He was smiling as he said, "Let's go home."

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

Anna was holding the computer to her chest while Bob drove down the dark local roads of Carlsbad and got onto the highway. She didn't say much, but she looked so happy, and eventually her hand crept across the seat to take his. When he took the first street off the bridge instead of the second one, she asked, "Where are we going?"

Bob laughed. "Just because he hasn't been freaking out at you all night doesn't mean he hasn't been texting and calling me nearly nonstop."

"Who?" she asked, clearly puzzled as Bob drove through the quiet end of Coronado. When he pulled up in front of the Spanish Revival style house that had every light, interior and exterior, shining bright, she laughed too. "I almost forgot about the rings in all the excitement."

Bob watched as Bradley came running out onto his porch in his slippers, gym shorts, and his hideous tie dye shirt with a concerned look on his face. His wife was right behind him waving merrily from the porch in a bathrobe that looked too big for her as he ran down the walkway toward the truck. Bob watched as Anna twisted both rings from her finger and then rolled down the window, and in an instant, Bradley's entire head was thrust inside, eyes searching wildly.

"Do you have them?" he asked loudly, reaching for Anna's open palm and the rings. "Jesus Christ." He turned around and shouted to his wife, "They have them!"

"I told you they did," she replied easily, shaking her head. "It's not like she was set on stealing something tonight, Beer Boy."

Bob and Anna both started laughing as Bradley turned back toward them, looking much calmer with his wife's rings in his hand. "These rings are so important to me. Elvis himself married us in Vegas with them."

Anna patted him on the cheek and said, "And they're both just as perfect as when Advanced Calculus gave them to me earlier. They worked like a charm, so thank you."

He nodded and sighed in relief before heading back up to the porch with a lot more swagger in his step now. While he was walking away, Bob heard him tell his wife, "Put these back on immediately, Sugar, or I'm getting my Beta Gamma paddle out."

"Oh," Anna gasped as Bob started to pull away from the curb. "That actually makes a lot of sense," she muttered, holding onto the computer once again.

"They are in for a wild night," Bob told her, heading toward his house now. "And so is Kevin. In a much less fun way."

"And so are you," Anna said with a little smirk. 

"I don't have a fraternity paddle," Bob replied as his cheeks grew warm.

"We won't need one of those for a good time. You have a collection of poetry that you wrote about me, and I think I'd like to hear you read it."

Bob was already twitching with need. "Will you put your black bra and panties on again?"

"What do you think I'm wearing under this dress? As soon as I pull my manuscript from the cloud and copy everything over to my own computer, I'm going to spend the rest of the night thoroughly thanking you for believing in me when I didn't believe in myself. And then we can discuss the plans to banish Kevin permanently."

There were so many things he wanted to do, but he knew his list would have to start after hers was complete. They would take care of her manuscript and get rid of Kevin. Then he could bring up going on some actual dates before she moved in for good and let their books get all mixed up. He was itching to get back to the bookstore again. He was dying to take her to Chippy's.

"You don't have to thank me for anything, Anna," he said softly, lacing his fingers with hers as he drove. "But when you finally feel free, just promise me you'll stay."

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

Anna! You badass!! Let's banish Kevin back to New Jersey forever! Thanks @beyondthesefourwalls

PART 18

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[quirkwizard]

Final Chapter: A Look at the Ending of MHA

With the manga of My Hero Academia finally coming to a close, I thought I'd give my opinions about how the series ended. I will be covering everything from Chapter 424 to Chapter 430. This is going to mix my thoughts on the ending, a proposed rewrite, and a lot of responses to people's criticism towards it. Because I'm going to be real with you all: the past two months have been the most frustrating and exhausting experience I've had with this fan base. 

I have been writing this since the finale ended. In that time, I've been listening and taking in all the discourse of fans in order to make a more informed opinion. It's been miserable trying to read through all the thoughts people had about the finale. The sheer amount of opinions that were based off misinformation or misreadings of the series has been staggering. So, if I sound more exhausted or if the writing comes across as more scattershot then when I normally do something like that, that's the reason. And, as always, if you have anything you want to discuss, whether it be about the post or the ending, feel free to ask about it.

Review

Miscellaneous Notes:

So there are some bits of the story I wanted to talk about, but didn't feel the need to include full on diatribes about.

-Oh hey, Koichi from Vigilantes is here, that's so- and he's gone.

-Even when Izuku is his peer, Aizawa still finds time to be a jerk to his students.

-Mirio is the number one hero. Makes sense, but it does feel out of nowhere with how little Mirio has been relevant up until now.

-How on Earth is Miriko still working, let alone as a hero? She's down three limbs and in arguably worse shape then Enji.

-Man, they are really taking Kai to task these past few arcs, aren't they? I mean, I get why, but jeez. It's honestly sad to see what's been done with his character.

-I like how All Might's light returned to his eyes. It's a good way to show him getting his spirit back after all this time and reigniting hope in himself..

-So if Eri's horn is back, does that mean her power is back? Kind of wish we had something saying about why she isn't healing people. I get if it's her choice or the recipients choice not to do so, but there needs to be something for that.

Hospital Visit

This works as little cool down from the big battle, especially since we really needed to see some of the immediate consequences on the main characters. I actually like a lot of the stuff with Bakugou. After all this, he finally understands Izuku, shown by them getting similar injuries, and lets himself be emotionally vulnerable about wanting the two to be rivals. And we finally got some thoughts on part of Izuku here, like his regret about seemingly failing to save Tomura and how he doesn't feel hurt about losing out on "One For All". How he's glad that he even got this chance in the first place. I do feel the need to mention All Might saying that Izuku saved the "soul" of Tomura. I think a lot of people missed or ignored that line. It's important to Tomura's death, but I'll get more into that later.

Speaking of consequences, I don't mind Izuku losing out on "One For All". In the grander scheme of things, "One For All" doesn't need to be a thing anymore. With "All For One" gone, it no longer has a purpose to exist. And as we've all seen with All Might, someone holding that much power over he world is a problem, regardless of whether it's used for good or evil. Having it gone helps even the playing field and will push for the idea that people should rely on themselves and each other instead of focusing all on a single symbol. What's more, I think Izuku having to sacrifice it and lose it gives the ending a lot more weight. Because Izuku sacrificed the thing that made him a hero in order to stop Shigaraki. To me, that's one of the most defining aspects of a hero: the willingness to sacrifice something important to themselves to help others.

UA Stuff

All of the things happening at UA are fine.  I do like that Aoyama chose to leave 1-A of his own volition instead of being forced out. Plus, now Shinso is in the Hero Course. Good for him. I've never been all that invested in Shino's story, but this is a good way to get him into Class 1-A without making an exception or replacing any of the core cast members. I liked Mirio's graduation speech. I think it works with his arc of trying to inspire other people and trying to honor Sir Nighteye's memory. And they got to have their own little party. That's nice.

Honestly, I find myself having very little to say about all of this, at least the parts within the school itself. I'm all for a calm after the storm to talk about what happened and to build up characters. I'm honestly glad we're back at the school to help ground things after that massive battle. But I think there may have been too much time spent on this. It just feels a little longer than what's needed. Like the bits with the cotton girl feel like they weren't needed for the story and could have been better used setting up or wrapping up something else.

Todoroki Family Prison Visit

The Todoroki family drama has always been one of the stronger plotlines, especially in the latter half of the series. And I believe that it ended on a pretty strong note. It's to the point where I struggle to really say much about the resolution of it.  I do like how Shoto asks for something as basic as his favorite food. I also like how Dabi let go of his hatred towards Shoto, who was as much of a victim as he was in all of this, but still held on to it for Endeavor. Because in spite of what a lot of fans seem to think, the manga does take Enji to task and isn't saying he should be forgiven.

Dabi being in this condition is pretty awful, but I concede that it was necessary for him to have a resolution with the other Todorokis. I'll get to my thoughts on the condition of the villains later in the post. So for now I'll just say the metal coffin looks equal parts cool and horrific. I think it's too long at least in the wrong places. I understand that this is an important part of the story. But when it takes up so much of the chapter it's in, I feel like at least something should have been given to the other family members. They aren't the main players of the subplot, but they still could have used some resolution.

Afterburn

Now, there are those who say Enji got off too easy. Uh, no, he didn't. The man lost everything he strived for in the number one position, something that turned out to be totally hollow, and is left severely injured after the battle, due in large part to Dabi. Now the only thing that would bring his life purpose, his family, is all torn apart by his own actions. Now he's resigned himself to seeing his dying son, who hates him with every burnt fiber of his being, every day until Dabi dies. Enji's punishment is to live on, knowing what he did and failing to ever put his family back together. That's not a happy ending, that's a sentencing.

Which is something I do find frustrating about the end of their arc. While we get solid conclusions with Natsuo and Dabi, how Shoto, Fuyumi, and especially Rei feel about all this and their relationship with Enji is ambiguous at best. At least with Shoto and Fuymui, we had some idea of where they stood with their father before now, but Rei is still not clear. I'm not sure about the implications with Rei and whether she's still with Enji. I choose to think that she isn't just trying to help him out in the few panels we see them together, but it's not exactly clear. Which certainly does leave the door open for some... less than favorable interpretations.

Commissioner Hawks

I'm not sure how to feel about Keigo's conclusion. On the one hand, I don't mind where he ended up as the head of the Hero Commission. It's still a way for him to help heroes to make their lives easier without getting involved as a hero. And if there is anyone that can clean up the Hero Commission, it's the guy that's worked under them his entire life. On the other hand though, it does kind of feel like he did got off scott free for a lot of the stuff he did while under the Hero Commission, namely killing Twice. It never feels like Hawks personally was taken to task for his part in all of this. So now we have a murderer as the head of the Hero Commission. 

It doesn't matter if he was under orders to do it or not, nor if there were extreme circumstances that pushed him to such actions. The pragmatic side of me does see the reasoning of that, but the story enforces that what Hawks did is a bad thing and does so constantly. Nothing about the manga takes Hawks to task for what he did or makes it feel like he's been punished for that. He may have lost his Quirk, but we don't really know how he feels about that. Which is weird considering how much of his life came from having that Quirk. Unless his comment about not being ashamed of his "filthy wings" as long as he got to help Tokoyami? Maybe it will make more sense on another read.

Spinner and Izuku

I feel like this scene is pretty underrated. Heck, it may even cemented Spinner as one of my favorite villains. To me, it really goes to show the tragedy at the core of Spinner's character. That, for all of his desire to change things or help out his friends, he was too weak to see any change made for himself. So he attached himself to idols like Stain or Tomura. He was always manipulated or pulled by something else. Whether it be the radicalization of Stain or the machinations of All For One, his hopes were used against him, his mindless actions given meaning by peons. All it did was lose him everything. He was, ultimately, a kid who was in over his head and was turned into a monster because of it. The monster everyone saw him as.

And while I've heard some people complain about Tomura only having a message for Spinner, I think that's more about the relationship Tomura had with the rest of the League. They were aligned together for a mutual goal and had some care for one another, but I don't think they ever understood or were close to one another. Spinner is the only one Tomura had any kind of real closeness. That's the whole point of the gamer line, as silly as it was. So, while to the rest of the League, he was Shigaraki, the force of destruction and change, to Spinner, he was Tomura, a friend who he wanted to fight for. My only issue, again, is some unfortunate openness with the ending. Spinner writing a book to spite the heroes is fine, but it leaves this unfortunate implication that this book will be used to radicalize more people. I don't think that is the intention, but again, it's not very clear.

Everyone Do Your Share

I was originally frustrated by how much of the final chapters spent on the cleaning up of things, especially since there were so few chapters left. However, looking back, I do feel it's pretty important to reinforce the idea of everyone trying to help in their own way, no matter how big or small it may be. And in doing so, show the changes on every level possible. It's there to show how things are changing by how people act and see heroes. We've got the civilians doing their part to help the heroes, and we've got the next generation changing their perspective on heroism. All thanks to Class 1-A and their efforts. It's just a nice and efficient way to show things changing from a broader perspective.

Which leads me to the stitch mouth kid. I saw people begging that this kid would be the new Tomura and show that society is still bad and broken. As if something like that wouldn't undermine the entire point of the ending. The whole point is that anyone can be a hero in any way, as long as you are willing to reach out and help others. And people who see a problem can and should do something to help people. They should help when they have the chance before it is too late. So having the old woman reach out to help another lost child is a nice way to tie up that point. And the whole point of all this is that the heroes, especially Izuku, don't need to do everything themselves. 

The More Things Change

Many people were upset of the idea of aspects like hero rankings and the Hero Commission not being abolished by the time the series ended. I disagree. I never thought that the rankings themselves were bad or wrong, nor did I think the story ever shows that the rankings are bad. That only seemed to be an issue with Enji and that had a lot of personal issues behind it. Every other hero seemed to be perfectly content to do hero work regardless of the rankings. Now, the Hero Commission, I can understand more. It's shown to be morally gray with its power. However, I don't think the existence of this kind of system is inherently wrong. Having oversight to heroes isn't a bad idea. It's just that the usage of it use to a lot of problems. And most of those people that propagated it are dead and gone.

Further still, there are people that say nothing has changed in the setting. That, since these systems are still in place, it's always going to be like this. Again, I disagree. Because of the massive devastation wrought by Tomura, it gave Japan a fresh start with the current generation. This gives the country the chance to overhaul those systems, even if they are still around. At the end of the day, systems are made up of and by people. The story makes it clear many times how important it is to win the crowd over. And if you win the hearts and minds of the people, it could go on to propagate massive change to the system. If enough people want to change and push for it, things will change. Saying that "things didn't change because systems can't be changed" is such a horrifically pessimistic take on the ending.

The Death of Villains

I've mentioned it before, and I'll say it again: I don't mind Toga dying. By extension, I don't mind the villains dying either. While it may seem tragic and pointless for her to die, I do think that is kind of that point. And no, I don't think this means that she "couldn't be saved". I think it's more of a tragedy. She was the one that people could have been saved before, but it was far too late to help her given how far she had gone. And her dying isn't a failing of that. Because Toga's ultimate goal was to live and die on her own terms. Specifically, being able to express herself and her "love". And to a lesser degree, to have someone try to understand her. I think her dying to save Uraraka is a good end to her character. By extension, that's how I feel about a lot of the villains' deaths in this. They got what they wanted, tragically died in order to see it through to the end. At least there's some peace for them, in that respect.

There's also a matter of "saving". I think a lot of fans took this too literally. To me, "saving" was more about reaching out and trying to understand villains rather than simply fighting them. "Saving" was never going to be the same as "redeeming". Because let's be real, there is no redeeming these people. Not because they can't be redeemed, it's because they don't want to be redeemed, and I think it'd betray their characters to do so. They are unapologetically bad and have hurt a lot of people. Every member of the League is complicit in the deaths of thousands and throwing an entire country into chaos. They aren't wrong for fighting the system, they're wrong for killing countless people to do so. And I have to ask what the other options are? You either have them be forgiven and turn good, which would be insane given the crimes they committed and their characters, or have them locked up forever, which is a fate worse than death. At least in death they can have some form of peace by escaping the consequences of their actions and all the suffering they went through.

Izuku x Uraraka:

Yeah, I'm kind of confused about why it turned out like this. I'm ignoring all the shipping concerns that come from it. I'm more focused on the story and characters. The whole idea of Uraraka and Toga's shared story was about understanding your feelings, both towards yourself and other people. Especially how bad it is to repress and hide your feelings. The whole catalyst of Toga's story was her being forced to repress herself. So having this whole subplot end like this is really odd if Uraraka doesn't express her feelings. That's not mentioning all the hints, setups, and teasing that pushed these two as a potential couple that fell through by not having any conclusion. I honestly wonder why Hori, or his editors, decided to back down like this. 

Which, hey, now may not be the best time for a confession, but it's still jarring not to see anything come of it after all this time. Especially since so much of the chapter is about the two talking about their feelings. So why is it written like this? Now, I want to dismiss the popular concept that Hori changed this because of death threats between the two. While it's not something I'd put past obsessive fans, there hasn't been anything to substantiate the claim. So, barring rogue translators, my only guess is that Hori or an editor didn't want to do the reveal now and wanted to focus more on the important parts of the two's connection about inspiring one another. I can understand that, but it feels like a part of their dynamic is missing without any real acknowledgment of the two's feelings.

Izuku and Uraraka:

And I say all that to preface that I do like a lot of this scene and I do think it's important to each of the characters. Because Ochako is being open with her feelings here. It's just not the feelings that were being set up all the way in the first chapter. It's the two trying to connect and come to terms with their own failings with their villains. Only to have Izuku reach out his hand, reaffirming that sometimes all people need is a small act of kindness. Though it's hard to always do that, he's willing to do it because he's just that good of a guy. And having Izuku say that Uraraka is his hero is more heartfelt and important to these characters and the story at large then any confession could have been. 

And then we have the rest of Class 1-A coming to help as well. It works as a good parallel to Uraraka saving Izuku back during the Dark Hero Arc. It fits with the idea of heroes saving and helping one another. My only major issue is that I kind of wish we had gotten a little more with Izuku talking about his own feelings regarding Tomura, but we already got that back in Chapter 424. All and All: am I still disappointed that Izuku and Uraraka didn't have any romantic resolution? Kind of. It's less that I wanted them to get together and more I wanted some kind of resolution for it. But I still think what we got is good and that people are focusing way too much on what isn't there than what is there. Which I feel like is a problem with a lot of the ending, but we'll get to that.

Class 1-A Futures:

I do wish we got to see more of the future of Class 1-A, even if they were brief snippets. There are glimpses of Shoto and Bakugou. Bakguou's is alright, and I do like the final bit about no one connecting Shoto and Endeavor. I think that's a good ending for him. The most we get with any kind of detail are Shoji's and Urarak's groups. And I guess Shoji had a good future? Look, the Heteromorph plotline is arguably one of the worst parts of the whole manga. It may even be worse than the Stars and Stripes arc. So I can't exactly muster a lot of enthusiasm seeing it resolved by Shoji in the end. I suppose him thanking the people at the riot was nice? That whole part of the story honestly deserves its own post talking about it.

On the flip side, I'm fine with Uraraka's ending. Because I think people tend to conflate a lot of what makes up "Quirk Counseling", mostly thanks to people like Curious and Toga. One is part of a cult that wants to destroy society and the other most grievously targeted by it. From what we've actually seen of it, such as Tamaki's flashback, it just seems to be a lot of training and understanding your Quirk. Toga was just an unfortunate case where the system as it was couldn't help her and could only try and fit her into a niche. So I don't think expanding it is that big of a problem. Plus, expanding could include more extensive counseling that is more tailored to each child. I do think it's kind of odd that Iida and Momo seem to be stapled on to this ending, though. I'm not sure how this works as an end for either of them. I guess their roles as leaders of the class?

Great Teacher Izuku

Look, I don't mind Izuku having this job. Do I think there could have been other choices for this? Yes, but this is by no means bad. Being a teacher is a lot more respectable in Eastern cultures. Especially since he's teaching at the best hero school in the country, if not the world, it is certainly a high-profile job. And he is still being a hero in his own way and helping out the next generation as a teacher. More importantly, I still think that Izuku achieved his dream of being the greatest hero. The man brought down the greatest villain in human history and was one of the two people responsible for causing a massive shift in the way the world of heroes works. He is truly the world's greatest hero. There is no debating that. This is like some kid wanting to go to space to be the greatest astronaut. They not only go to space, they're the first person on Mars. They also stop the martins from invading Earth, killing the king of the martins, and save humanity. Now injured, they instead teach other cadets how to be astronauts. Would they not have success in their goal of being the greatest astronaut? I don't think anyone could match up with that.

However, my issue is with everything surrounding it. There isn't any set up for him becoming a teacher. It gives us the sense that this was the back-up option for when his real dreams feel through. Especially since Izuku gave everything he could to try and be a hero, and it doesn't happen until the very end of this manga. Which doesn't seem like the intention, since Izuku seems happy enough, but I heard a lot of people saying that. It's lacking in that catharsis and satisfaction that you'd expect from an ending. But you can have an ending that's not exactly happy and still be cathartic, and I think that still applies here. And another problem I have is that he's teaching at UA. Yes, he's helping out the next generation of heroes, but he's not helping out the people that need it most. The kind of people who don't make it into UA. The kind of people like Tomura, Spinner, and Twice. Those are the kind of people that should be getting help like this. Why not put him in a position with a much greater ability to help people? Finally, wasn't the whole point of All Might's arc? That there are other ways to be heroes and life outside of hero work? Why not have that aspect of the story be resolve with him instead of Izuku? He was already going down that route to begin with. Why repeat the same idea?

Walk and Talk

Again, I'm going to have to counter a major talking point I've seen in the fanbase. No, Izuku is not unhappy in his job. He seems to enjoy it and is in fact very good at it, as seen when talking to his students and the plate kid, Dai. He's only unhappy in one panel, in which he's being talked down to by Aizawa. No, Izuku is not forgotten by the world. He's mentioned in the same breath as some of the greatest heroes in the series, has his own statue with the rest of Class 1-A, and is so famous that people know his real name and is of such mythical status that people question if he is real. No, Izuku's friends did not abandon him. The most that Izuku says about that is that it's difficult for all twenty members to get together. He's still probably seeing them in smaller numbers. And I can tell you as someone who has had trouble even getting a quarter of that number of people into a single time slot, it's going to be difficult to get twenty people with separate schedules and lives together.

As for everything with Dai, it's fine. His perspective is pretty important as we get to see the changing worldview. With the demystification of heroes and the elevation of other roles in helping others, young people are now all getting into different fields. The talk around the statue is pretty good as well. Having Izuku effectively talk to a younger version of himself is a good way to close out his arc and all the insecurities he's had over the manga. However, part of me feels like this kind of talk should be done with the stitch-mouth kid. We do actually see him as a part of UA students with Kota. I think having Izuku end up talking to him about his Quirk could have been a good way to end his arc by having him be able to help someone similar. Not to say that the Dai stuff was bad or pointless. It just feels odd to include the guy that's supposed to be the metaphorical spirit of Tomura, put him in Izuku's class, and have them not interact.

The Suit

Again, this is another point where I don't have a major issue with it. At least, I don't have an issue getting the suit itself. I have some issues with the semantics. Did it take too long to build? I wouldn't say that. It was revealed in a piece by Horikoshi that it took all of All Might's vast resources to build, and it lacked a lot of the proper safety features. Having it take some time before it's battle ready for Izuku makes sense. However, that isn't in the manga, at least as far as I can tell. Maybe this makes more sense in the volumes, where stuff like this is included all the time. For real though, these people built this in secret for eight years, and they are just now letting him find out. Was there really no explanation you could have added to make that make more sense?

It creates this odd juxtaposition of endings as well. It gives the feeling of the story wanting to have its cake and eat it as well. Someone wanted Izuku come to terms with being Quirkless and to have a life outside of hero work. The other person wanted Izuku to still fight and be a hero. I also wonder why not just have be both at the same time instead of doing this twist. Make it clear that heroes have a lot more time, both thanks to Hawks and the contributions of the many heroes in the world all working together. Izuku doesn't need to be a full-time hero to save people and chooses to be a teacher to help people in a way that only he can do. That way, he can still be a hero that isn't necessarily the profession while being a professional hero without a Quirk.

Final Thoughts

Now, what are my final options for all of this? I think that ending was pretty solid, leaning good. I do agree that it's better than what is on offer than a lot of shōnen series and a good enough ending for the story. I'm not saying it's amazing or perfect. Though I do find myself more satisfied than frustrated. I get a lot of what the story is going for, and it makes sense. It just needed some refinement to really work. As for what everyone else has said about it, I honestly think that a lot of people are overreacting. I wouldn't go as far as to say people are "lacking media literacy" or that they are "reading in bad faith" like others have on either side of the debate. I just think this as a case where the context and delivery of it resulted in a lot of confusion. And more often than not, people will tend to go with the worst version of the implications. This is not helped by the leaks and bad translations which fans ran away with, as well the built-up hype and headcanons, which poisoned the well for a lot of people.

However, I cannot deny that there is part of the fanbase that is simply not getting the manga. I don't want to use the word "tourist", because that's a No True Scotsman fallacy, but it's starting to feel applicable here. The people who simply aren't reading the manga, whether it be through engaging with it solely through other people talking about it, or trying to look at it anything beyond the most kneejerk and surface level reactions. Because a lot of people tend to conflate what My Hero Academia is about or what its story is conveying. And unfortunately, those are the people with massive followings. Anyone with a differing opinion is drowned out in the sea of angry comments. And I think we really need to get away from that. What I'm saying is that you read the story as it is. Focus on what is happening and what it is trying to say. Don't force a meaning or headcanon on something that wasn't there and don't rely on word of mouth for what the manga is about. Just focus on what the story is trying to say.

My only hope is that this will pass, and calmer heads will win out. That once it's stepped outside the zeitgeist, people will be able to analyze it as a whole. If not, then I'm terrified to think that this will become My Hero Academia's legacy: a bunch of stupid jokes made by people who can't bother to read the official version of the story or try to understand a culture outside their own even when it plays a vital role within the story. If not, then I can hope that maybe something else will come to replace it. Because I'm not sure if this is truly the end. I've heard rumors that there's going to be something akin to Naruto: The Last or the Naruto Wedding Special coming out after the anime ends. If not that, who knows who other kinds of side material will come out to follow up on the world or characters. Which would make sense. The ending doesn't feel like an ending as much as it does "And the adventure continues." Which could be why I'm not as affected by this ending as other people.

There's certainly the cultural side and how that surrounds the manga. I'll always stand by the fact that this manga is a Japanese story by a Japanese author for a Japanese audience. And there's a lot of cultural context that goes into the series. I keep thinking about how a lot of Japanese fans seemed to like the ending and how much I wished I had the context to understand it. Another part of it is how much I'm thinking about Hori. Because for all the popularity of it, being a mangaka is one of the most stressful jobs in Japan. One where the artist has much less say over how their story goes. I'm so curious about what went on behind the scenes to make My Hero Academia turn out the way it is. Was all this Hori fumbling his own story, whether that be through incompetence or failing health, or were there outside forces pressing on him to do things a certain way? It's like how people became more forgiving of Kubo or Toriyama once they found out how hamstrung they were by their higher ups. I suppose only time will tell.

Rewrite

Now, time for the Rewrite portion. As a reminder, I do try to keep to what the manga does as close as possible. For example, I personally would just let Izuku keep some version of "One For All" if the ultimate conclusion was him still being a hero. However, it's obvious that Hori didn't want to go that route with it, so I'll be sticking to him getting with the suit.

Starting things off, we'll be in the hospital with Izuku and All Might recovering. We're told about "One For All" leaving him, and we'll get some reaction from Izuku about it. He will be sad but resolved. He may not have "One For All", but he's still alive. He's got the skill and will to help people without it. And he still wants to do that, even in his own way, because he still has value without "One For All". This could help soften the blow of Izuku losing out on "One For All". That and it's at least something to try to tie up Izuku's self worth issues. This will also be something confirmed by Inko, putting a nice little bow on all this with her being more properly encouraging of Izuku as opposed to how things were in Chapter 1.

Then we're going to reveal how many people want to talk to Izuku. Reporters are going to be hounding Izuku for his story, considering how he was key in stopping Tomura. Which he obviously can't do right now due to his condition. After some time, he will eventually recover enough to give a press conference. This will also be where we get the varying opinions on Tomura, having a panel overwhelming Izuku with questions and thoughts. Izuku is now going to use his newly found position to try and change things for the better. He's going to emphasize the importance of the role of the other heroes and not have it all focus on him. He's going to use it as a platform to talk about who Tomura was and why he did what he did.

It's going to be something emotional and vulnerable, something propping up Izuku as a person rather than the hero Deku, working to prevent another situation like All Might where everyone keeps putting them on pedestals. This way, we have both the validation of Izuku saving everyone and wanting to bring about change on the societal level. It shows him being a hero in the traditional way with the defeat of All For One, now he's being a hero in the non-traditional way. This will be cutting into some of the time we have at UA, but to me, I don't think a lot of what's in that part is ultimately necessary to what the story is trying to say.

For the sake of this, Hawks will still be working as the head of the Hero Commission. He'll talk about how he feels free now that his Quirk is gone and everything that came with it, more so than ever before. However, he still wants to make life easier for heroes so that they can feel this kind of freedom. He initially didn't want the position, but felt the need to take it on after everything that's happened and make things right, implying the guilt he feels over his actions. Plus, it has some nice irony of Hawks still being trapped within the Hero Commissions. So him taking the role is more of his own penance and a punishment.

So while Izuku is fighting on the public front, changing the hearts of the masses to enact change, Hawks will be fighting on the political and systematic front, using the devastation of the country as a fresh start. He'll encourage groups of heroes to work together rather than focusing on the individual. He'll push for a greater level of training or vetting when it comes to people who can get a license for hero work. Most importantly, a greater level of accountability and transparency in both heroes and the Hero Commission as a whole.

Lady Nagant will remain in jail, but it's more for reasons of atonement rather than wanting to wait and see how things play out. Hawks will try to offer her some deal or reduction as a way to make things right, but she feels like it's the right thing to do rather than trying to pretend it never happened. This will also be the part where we explore some of the points with Hawks we talked about earlier. Lady Nagant can even question if the Hero Commission is needed, but Hawks can talk about all the reforms he wants to do with it.

For Chapter 426, we're shortening the Todoroki family time, and it will only take up half of the chapter. I will have some confirmation on whether or not Rei was able to move on from what Enji did and do more to cement how Enji is alone now. He may be resolved to change and make things right, but he is not getting his family back. That ship has sailed. Instead, we'll be sticking to everything involving Hawks and Toshinori in the latter half of this, with him talking to Lady Nagant and him discussing his plans for changing the ranking systems in general. I think it'd flow a lot better, works with tying up another character so closely tied to the Todorokis, and gives us more time for other stuff.

However, we're keeping 427 mostly intact. I think Spinner's material is good, and everything that got brought up needed to be mentioned one way or another. The most I'd do is cut down on the ending gag, since it frustrates me so much, and some of the interviews since we may not need them as much with how I'll be changing things in those sections. I am removing the Kai part of the chapter as well. I like Kai, but this honestly feels pointless in the grand scheme of things.

The biggest change will be that I'll include a bit where, instead of Izuku saying to make it a comic book, he'll remind Spinner to think about what would happen if someone like Spinner read it. About how important a book like that could be and how it should be written, but also how it could hurt someone who reads it. Spinner will remain silent in response, thinking back on how he saw Stain and how he was puppeteered around by the likes of One For All and the PLF during the Final War.

I think you could do a nice parallel between Izuku and Spinner here. They were two young men who were ultimately racialized and hurt by their idols and their lack of self-worth. Again, it's showing Izuku thinking about himself more with what has happened to him and tying that to Spinner's own situation. Plus, it prevents something like Spinner's book from having the unfortunate implication of turning out to something like the MLA book.

We're cutting Chapters 428 and 429 in half and stitching them together. Specifically, all the stuff with the new Class 1-A and the Old Class 1-A will be removed. I just feel like we don't need to focus on this as much as other parts of the world or story. Preferably, I would want them to get together. With the Bakugou and Shoto being seen bit, we're throwing in Izuku as well. There needs to be some confirmation that people did in fact see him as a hero as well and confirm that the three are in fact the new Big Three of UA. I'm not asking this to be the norm of it like they do in Naruto. I just feel like there should be some external validation.

The fight between Toga and Uraraka will be around and released to the public. Her death will be seen as something tragic to the world and help spark the change we see later on with people empathizing with villains like her. This could also lead to Izuku seeing it and being the impetus for Izuku and Ochako talking about their feelings. Yes, this chapter will include a confession for Ochako to Izuku. It won't be during a breakdown, but it needs to be put in somewhere and might as well be here. I'll even settle for an implication. Up to you on whether or not you think this should solidify them as a couple, but I feel like you have to include that in order to complete all of the set-up in the series and especially with Toga.

The new Chapter 429 will instead be a two-year time jump into the future before everyone is graduating. We can still start it off with some of the "where are they now" bits, but not have it take up too much time. With the final embers of "One For All" starting to fade out, Izuku knows this is the end of him as a proper hero, but it doesn't matter to him. He got to be the greatest hero in history who literally saved the world. He doesn't define himself by having a Quirk or not and knows that he can still help people without a costume on. Izuku plans on either going into counseling, charity work, or even trying to get a job at the Hero Commission. Up to you on this one. He still wants to help and stop the various hurting people of the world from ever becoming like anyone from the League ever again. Make it clear this is something Izuku wants.

This is when Toshinori gives him his graduation gift: the suit. Between Toshinori's remaining resources, gifts and gratitude from the various people across the world, and contributions from members of 1-A, they were able to build him the suit. Toshinori kept it from Izuku because it wasn't ready until a few days ago, needing to be properly prepared and built as opposed to the rush job that was the dangerous prototype he used. Izuku, of course, has notes and ideas for improvements on the suit. Toshinori reaffirms that Izuku earned this, and he will still be a worthy hero and successor, Quirkless or otherwise. The chapter ends with Class 1-A and 1-B graduating. I know that two years seems short, but I think that the timespan is enough of a time gap to get the suit together, at least with how I am setting it up, and to have the embers of "One For All" fade. 

The alternative route is that, knowing that the embers are running out, Izuku still wants to be a hero. So he's spent the last two years trying to prepare himself for that, putting as much time into training and learning how to use equipment made for him. He doesn't care if he isn't going to be the top hero. He's going to do what he's already been doing: helping people, because that's all he really wanted out of life. That this whole experience changed how he saw himself and hero work. You could even say that it's the prototype for him, eventually becoming the suit. Maybe even combine them both, with the former being a backup plan after hero work. And while I have never been the biggest fan of the whole "Quirkless Hero" concept with how little it's supported in the world, I think we can let it slide because it's the finale. But I wanted to mention it because I thought it'd be an interesting path for the story to take.

Then the real chapter 430 will cut to the future, roughly five to six years. I could take or leave Izuku being a teacher, but for the sake of this, let's say that he is one. Heroes have more time off, so he decides to help educate people. We'll get a similar series of panels that will focus more on the world with how it is now, mainly in relation to Class 1-A. This will show a lot more of how the 1-A kids have grown and the affects they have on the world, like Uraraka actually interacting and helping a kid like Toga come to terms with their power to show how Quirk Counseling has become a tool to help people. I think we really need more scenes like that to really show that things have grown and changed with the world. Izuku's suit will have changed as well, commenting on how much he's been involved with the modeling and planning throughout his most current iteration.

Toshinori will be living his life and still teaching at UA. He talks about how all the kids want to be like Izuku, especially with Kota, and that they never stop talking about him. He jokes to himself about how he feels like he's been forgotten. Cut back to Izuku's old school with the kid in the back. Events will happen similarly to what they did in Chapter 430, with Izuku meeting a kid similar to himself at All Might's statue. There will be the usual stuff he said, trying to encourage the kid, making comparisons to himself, maybe even showing the photos All Might took of him when he was training. He gets a call about an incident and needs to leave. He tells the kid to never forget about the hero he can be and to never stop striving to be that hero. The final words of the series are the ever-iconic "Plus Ultra".  This is beyond cheesy, but if we're going to end the series, we might as well end it with some cheese.

[adore-laur]

WINDS OF CHANGE

— here’s an update on dad harry & the fam <3 please reblog/comment, or i will haunt you

——

You've been dreading this day since March began.

Every time you passed the calendar on the refrigerator, you averted your eyes so you didn't see the specific date circled with the words "Lovebug's First Day" written inside it.

Time ticked by in an unyielding manner. Like an apex predator lying in wait, it crept up on you and pounced, leaving you disoriented, helpless, and wounded. You couldn't mentally process the breakneck speed of reality sprinting straight at you. When you merely blinked in a daze, another month unfurled, leaving no chance to recover.

The day arrives with a strong western wind and a brilliantly bright sunrise that mocks your low spirits. You're awake before anyone else, which is rare. Sleep evaded you last night, your eyes rejecting the heaviness that always comes with sleeping in Harry's warm embrace. The restlessness was paired with a fierce ache clutching your heart and holding on tight until the early morning.

At almost four years old, your eldest daughter is attending preschool today. After being a stay-at-home mom since she was born, you're finally setting her free to grow somewhere new. It was always in the cards, considering you would like to get back to working part-time to help provide for the family. You love bonding with and nurturing both your girls, but you're eager to put your brain to use in a different environment. It's time to return to other identities besides being a mother and a wife.

You begin brewing coffee, then open the kitchen curtains to allow the sun to pour in. For some odd reason, the atmosphere feels different. It feels like your first day of school all over again, where there's that nostalgic zest in the air fused with an underlying fear of the unknown. It's impossible to describe lucidly, but its presence is strongly felt nonetheless.

Today will forever change your family's routine, and it will make you want to rip your hair out and also burst with pride. There's a tug-of-war match taking place in your heart right now. Your nerves feel frayed; anxiety's merciless hands are harshly plucking at the threads. It's like fighting a biological battle with no shield—your brain is futile against all the attacks.

The sound of the wooden stairs creaking dissolves your whirlwind thoughts. Harry appears, wearing a snug black sweater and athletic shorts. He yawns, the sparkling sunlight accentuating his face gorgeously—the neatly trimmed scruff on his jaw he kept throughout winter; the tired shape of his eyes; the wispy way his hair curls after his morning shower. It's a blessing to be able to see the serene side of him that just woke up and isn't burdened by stress.

"Hi, sweetheart," he says, taking the mug of black coffee you prepared for him and sipping with an appreciative hum. "Both kids are still asleep."

You simply nod, afraid that if you speak, your poise will crumble instantaneously. Your hands distract themselves by lighting the wick of a sandalwood-scented candle. A part of you falsely hopes the comforting aroma will calm you down, but you know nothing will break through the full-body anxiety you're currently experiencing.

"No cuddles in bed this morning?" Harry asks curiously, coming up behind you and wrapping his arms around your waist. He smells like his sage and citrus body wash. "I missed you. Thought we'd have a little cry session before leaving."

Did he really have to mention the elephant in the room? You force your tears to save their arrival for later and say, "Sorry. I'm just trying to avoid crying as much as possible today."

His sigh is weighted with emotion as he sets his mug down and massages your shoulders. "I'm losing my composure already," he admits, laughing weakly.

At least he's in the same boat as you. Being a father has cracked him open in the best way possible—he's more softened than ever, and these parenting milestones always make him tenderhearted.

You rest your head against his chest and say, "This is harder than I thought it'd be." Every outcome you predicted involved an aching heart. Now, in the thick of it, you're defenseless.

"Remember our first night at home with her?" Harry asks, applying pressure with his thumbs to get rid of the muscle knots in your shoulder blades.

"Yeah. You woke me up because she had the hiccups."

He groans into your neck, almost like he's reliving the panicked moment. "I was so scared something was wrong."

You recall opening your eyes in the dead of night, the mellow lamplight illuminating Harry's troubled expression. Your baby, so small and precious in his arms, had harmless hiccups leaving her mouth. While you were half asleep, you reassured him by saying it was probably because she fed for too long. He agreed, yet still brought her to bed and gently rubbed her tummy until they were gone. You two were learning and tag-teaming through pure exhaustion. It was tough, but the rewards came in refreshing waves.

"Then she threw up on me," Harry adds, shaking his head fondly.

You turn around and slide your palms under his sweater, feeling the gloriously warm skin of his sculpted stomach. "Remember when she said her first word?"

He smiles reminiscently. "Mama."

"You started crying, if I'm not mistaken."

"Because she recognized you. It was special."

"Are you surprised she didn't say Dada first?"

"No, considering I talked about Mama all the time around her." His knuckle strokes under your chin. "Still do."

You hum thoughtfully, welcoming the pleasant memories that replay behind your closed eyelids. "Our girl is all grown up now. What are we going to do?"

Harry tilts your head to kiss the sensitive spot behind your ear. "You and I will be okay. It'll take time, but we'll eventually sink into this new normal."

"You think so?"

"I know so. Our love is steadfast, and nothing will ever change that." He hugs you in an all-consuming way—it's intimate and infuses you with safety, warmth, and a hopeful spark that everything will patch together the way it's supposed to.

——

When the preschool comes into view, you get slammed with immediate sadness.

You toured it with Harry months ago, ensuring it was where you wanted your daughter to be during the weekdays. The curriculum focuses on outdoor learning and is nestled in a safe neighborhood only ten minutes from the beach house. The teachers, classrooms, and overall energy of the place made you less anxious, but now it's back with a vengeance, eating away at your calm facade.

Kids linger outside the building, the sun shining on the blacktop that's scribbled with chalk drawings. A few participate in supervised hopscotch, while others twist their bodies nervously. A gated playground area is off to the left, with colorful swings, slides, and seesaws. To the right is a woodsy area with a large sandbox and flower beds. The stone pathway is decorated with little handprints that must have been dipped in paint. It's darling.

In the rearview mirror, you watch your daughter kick her legs in excitement and hug her tiny ladybug backpack, all ready to go. She woke up happy as a clam and impatiently scarfed down the big breakfast Harry had made her. After that, Harry braided her hair while sitting on the front porch, the March winds and briny air bringing the spring season with them. Pictures were taken, hearts were broken a bit more, and then you all were off to part ways.

Harry to the restaurant; you to your part-time job. No babies to look after, just an empty house waiting to be filled with love again.

Your youngest daughter, who's ten months old now, sleeps peacefully in the car seat. She's getting bigger every day, and it's a double whammy to see both of your children become more cognizant. You want to curse time for being such a thief.

She'll be dropped off at the nearby daycare center next, which will further twist the knife. It's possible for separation anxiety to occur, and while you can handle it, your baby girl's reaction will be a mystery. You sincerely hope the transition from home to somewhere unfamiliar will be smooth sailing.

Harry parks the car and looks over at you unwaveringly. "It's now or never," he whispers.

You draw in a deep breath, then exhale slowly. "Let's go."

Stepping out of the car, you open the back door and let your daughter hop out. You'd walk her to the door, but you want to stay near your youngest.

As she bounces with anticipation, you open her backpack and double-check that she has everything—her lunch box, a change of clothes, sunscreen, and the comfort blanket she's had since she was born. You zip it back up and then unhurriedly help her arms into the straps, trying to stall what happens next.

Harry, never the one to procrastinate, kicks things into gear by crouching and cradling her head. "You have the best day, all right? Be kind, make friends, and have fun. I'll be picking you up later."

"Can we eat ice cream after?" she asks, clasping her hands and standing on her tiptoes. "And play on the beach?"

He kisses her forehead. "We can do whatever you want, lovebug."

You can envision it now. Harry will bring the girls home, exhausted from work. He'll make dinner and wait for you, then you'll all sit at the kitchen table and attentively listen to her talk about her day in great detail. Then, as the sun sets, he'll entertain her by the shore until he insists on bedtime. Come tomorrow, he'll do it again with the same steadfast devotion because that's what good fathers do.

"We love you so much," you say, petting her braided hair.

"Love you," she replies distractedly, eagerly glancing at the front door. "I gotta go now, Mommy. Bye, Daddy."

She turns, ready to break free, but Harry stops her and says, "Not so fast, little lady. Give us some love to get through the day."

She shyly hugs him. She's growing out of her clingy tendencies and becoming more independent, and you can tell by Harry's sad smile that he recognizes it too. She briefly hugs your leg before running to the front door, where teachers are waiting with enthusiastic expressions and name tag stickers.

Harry slowly stands, never taking his eyes off her. He's more adjusted to not seeing her as much during the week than you, but you know the sentiment of her starting school still weighs heavy on his heart. After watching her disappear, he slings his arm around your shoulders and guides you to the car.

Inside is where you fall apart. The first cry that escapes has Harry blowing out an unsteady breath and embracing you. Against your neck, he sniffles, letting his piled-up emotions finally fall to pieces. He's not much of a crier, but when he does, it's a raw sight to see.

"Reservation for a cry session? Table for two?" he says humorously, rubbing your back and lightly scratching it.

"We're so lame," you whisper, gripping his sweater like a vice.

"God, I know. I even packed tissues." Harry takes an on-the-go pack out of his pocket, plucks two tissues out, and wipes both his and your tears with them.

"Eventually, we're going to have to do this again," you say. From the passenger seat, you peek at your baby girl and shoo away the thought—you still have more than enough time with her before she starts school.

Harry kisses your cheek. "One day at a time, honey."

Undoubtedly, this routine will get easier. It will become second nature, and you'll discover the exquisite simplicity of watching your children grow before leaving the nest and soaring through the sky.

They came into this world like a soft spring breeze, carrying seeds and dispersing them into your life. The roots emerged from under your home and flourished into a bountiful garden. Each day, there are new blossoms to admire and appreciate. And each day, you aim to help them thrive with support from Harry's sunshine.

Try as they might, the winds of change won't cause harm. Your family's roots are firm in the ground.

——

[4soon1]

✦ Right person, right time; I'm gonna make you mine

✦ ━━━ what happens when sukuna meets an old acquaintance from ages past?

✦ pairing. sukuna/m.reader

✦ wc. 2.2k (3rd point of view.)

✦ cw. grinding / dry humping, dirty talk, descriptions of violence / injury, orgasm control, nicknames

⟡ usagi. rabbit / tanshi. wolf in sheep's clothing

⟡ repost from my ao3 account.

⟡ apparently i have no idea what i’m doing with my life. first post, wanted to share my work. :)

⟡ also, please excuse any grammatical mistakes you find as english ain't my first language.

“The arrow seems a little too much,” (Name) says, eyebrows furrowed, “showoff.” Sukuna's gaze, in an instant, turns to (Name) while Jogo stands there with wide eyes. A low growl escapes Sukuna's lips as his teeth grit and grind together in irritation. “You again,” he starts, “even after thousands of years, I still find you chasing my tail.”

As the remark escapes Sukuna's mouth, it only makes (Name)'s lips form a wide grin of victory as he succeeds in irritating Sukuna for the millionth time, all over again, even after ten decades. “It is truly a cherished sight to see you reveal your Jujutsu to such a low-grade curse, Sukuna.” (Name) says, immediately stepping back as the arrow disappears from Sukuna's hands, only to find random attacks coming from him. In return, (Name) ducks and avoids them, each step closer to Sukuna.

“You do not know when to quit, do you, Usagi!?” Sukuna yells, eyes full of rage as he transports right behind (Name). Yet (Name)’s eyes are already on Sukuna, far more than just a few steps ahead. “But it's true! Such a sight to witness after two decades of being reincarnated!” He responds right away, a shit-eating grin spread across his lips. “It has been a while since you last stretched, hasn't it!?”

One of Sukuna's palms lands firmly on top of (Name)'s shoulder, gripping with mighty strength as he forces (Name)'s body to a halt. (Name) still smiles through it all, even when he feels the rough shape of a hand holding him down. “Maybe now you'll learn that you shouldn't meddle about, Usagi,” Sukuna slowly says and (Name) just chuckles dryly at the threat, his hand gripping Sukuna's. “I don't think it'll work, just like it did not last time, Majesty.”

Just as those words left (Name)’s parted lips, Sukuna's hand greatly increases its hold on his shoulder, squeezing, feeling the bones of (Name)'s shoulder. “Still as irritating as ever,” he retorts hastily, in a pure venom-laced voice, “but I'm sure I'll figure something out,” he finished. A hand forming a fist, Sukuna strikes (Name)'s stomach, yet (Name)'s body doesn't move an inch in any direction. Wind around them forms from the sudden and fast impact of a fist and a body pressing together but factors stay the same in (Name)'s mind: drive Sukuna to the edge.

“Such foolish things do not work on me any longer,” (Name) remarks, taking in deep breaths after the impact. This only makes Sukuna's mind race with possibilities of just how much (Name) has changed. “You fool,” Sukuna says through grit teeth, gripping (Name)'s shirt as drops small rocks of flowing lava and magma make their way at (Name).

For a quick moment, (Name)'s expression morphs into something of a surprised gaze as Sukuna grips his shirt, making (Name) lose his footing. Sukuna uses this chance to slip his foot under (Name)'s legs, making him stumble, yet Sukuna raises an eyebrow as he analyzes (Name)'s face. A small gasp of surprise leaves (Name)’s lips as he falls onto the molten rock, hissing at the temperature difference. (Just completely ignore the fact that I forgot about Jogo. Again.)

It's Sukuna's time to grin, gripping (Name)'s hair tightly as he forces his arms behind his back, keeping him in place. Without much choice for movement, (Name) growls, eyebrows furrowed as he looks at Sukuna. “Is that all you got, fucker?” (Name) provokes, gritting his teeth together. Sukuna dryly laughs, an irk mark appearing on his forehead at that insult, “you should keep your mouth shut if you know what's good for you.” He warns, his grip on his arms tightening as (Name) squeezes his eyes shut, whipping his body around, forcing Sukuna to lose grip on his arms.

“Might as well play around like old times, wouldn't you say so?” (Name) asks with spite, kicking Sukuna's hind legs with force unbelievable for a human. Automatically, Sukuna dodges, to an extent, and jumps a few feet back—keeping a fighting stance. A grin spread across his lips once again, his body fired up just from the little sparring he's done with them. “You going to regret your choice, brat,” Sukuna lowly warns, grin widening as he attacks with speed and precise measurements. (Name) having no other choice than to block with his arms, he crosses his forearms together, creating an ‘x’ as he's pushed a few feet across the battlefield. Eyebrows furrowed, his smug expression replaced with an irritated one, thighs a little apart as they came to a halt.

But before he can register Sukuna's movements, Sukuna attacks again—jumping into the air with the intention of kicking him into his head with his foot, (Name) jumps forward up to Sukuna—letting a blow of cursed energy right at him. Sukuna's eyes widen a little, immediately switching to defense as he forces an explosion to deteriorate (Name)'s attack.

“Fucking brat,” Sukuna says, mostly to himself but also loud enough for (Name) to hear. (Name) laughs loudly, completely intoxicated with Sukuna's irritation. For both of their old bond of years and years fighting alongside each other (and with each other), both of them learned enough to get by when the other attacks. Sukuna knows (Name) so well by now, all of his darkest secrets, and so does (Name).

As Sukuna is still in midair, he switches back to his foot, the intent the same as before. As (Name) loses focus for a split second, still laughing at Sukuna's annoyance, Sukuna goes ahead with his attack and pushes (Name) down. The ground shakes as the concrete beneath both of them cracks split open, both falling down the hole into the metro station beneath them. Rubble falls down, creating friction—crashing altogether down around them.

(Name) lets out a rough cough as he lands onto the cold ground, right next to the rails, Sukuna lands atop him, firmly sitting against his crotch as he grins with victory yet rage because (Name) has halted a fight he wanted to have with Jogo. “Next time you won't be so lucky,” he grumbles, his hands reaching for (Name)'s wrists—pinning them above his head. Even though (Name) is reincarnated, he's still in a human body; meaning he still feels sensations, touches and pain.

His teeth grit together as his hips buck up against Sukuna, hissing through his teeth with eyes closed. “You don't get to claim this win,” he mumbles, irritated. Sukuna snorts at him, rolling his eyes as he stares down his opponent, “what the fuck do you mean I don't get to claim this as a victory for myself? Look at you,” Sukuna raises an eyebrow as his grin widens, “you're helpless, Usagi.” He says, without hesitation, observing (Name)’s reaction.

Though they were ‘partners in crime’ thousands of years ago, when Sukuna was at his strongest, he still had nothing on (Name). Yet now that (Name) had been weakened for years and even years to come, he's still powerful for being reincarnated as a human.

(Name) huffs in annoyance, trying to free his hands from Sukuna's grip with a cursed energy attack, yet Sukuna blocks it—twisting his arm. That makes (Name) yelp and hiss, uncomfortably squirming under Sukuna. “Asshole—” escapes his lips, voice cracking. Sukuna, still grinning, enjoys the sight below him—seeing (Name) squirm and tremble at the sudden blockage of their attack. “I'm not helpless!” (Name) quacks from irritation, eyebrows furrowed.

“Stop denying it—look at yourself,” Sukuna coos, pulling himself a little closer to (Name)’s face, “Usagi.” And that, almost, makes (Name) snap. An irritated sigh leaves his lips as he violently jerks his hips forward, eyebrows furrowed in fury. A small, cut-off ‘ah—’ leaves Sukuna's lips as he feels the pressure against his groin, not expecting such a notion from (Name). His eyes open a little wider, his grip on (Name)’s hands loosening.

“Call me that again and you're good as dead, Tanshi.” (Name) spits, taking in a deep breath as Sukuna still tightly holds onto his arms. Another dry chuckle leaves Sukuna's lips as he leans a little closer, “Tanshi, really? Couldn't think of anything better besides such a generic nickname?”

Embarrassment pools in (Name)’s stomach, turning his face away to the side—eye contact broken. He jerks his hips again, uncomfortable with the position he found himself in so suddenly. (Name)’s cheeks redden, a small tut leaving his lips. “Oh, shut up. It is not as bad as you make it sound,” (Name) responds. Sukuna chuckles at his retort as the sensation of pressure against (Name)’s groin grows—as Sukuna presses himself against (Name) further, growing quite comfortable in such a position. Yet (Name)'s dick twitches.

A small sound leaves (Name)’s lips, feeling Sukuna grind. Yet he stays still, a warm feeling forming in the pit of his stomach. “Is it, though? Are you sure, Usagi?” Sukuna teases, moving his hips the tiniest bit at a time, moving forward and backwards, “I have a feeling you haven't thought this through.”

“It's not that I haven't—” (Name) cuts himself off, a soft sound leaving his lips, “—haven't thought about it, no,” he hastily responds, eyebrows twitching the tiniest bit. “It just— just fits right; a wolf in a sheep's clothing.” He finishes, his fingers slowly curling as both of his hands form tight fists. Sukuna leans next to (Name)‘s ear, hot breath hitting (Name)’s neck—making a shiver smoothly scatter down his spine. He let out a shaky breath, holding back a sound.

“Why’re you—” Name begins, yet he's cut off by Sukuna as his lips part, eyes closing, placing a gentle peck against their neck, making (Name) squeak. Sukuna's sharp teeth sink into (Name)’s soft neck, puncturing thought the fragile skin like nothing; the sweet taste of blood on his tongue makes his hips buck against (Name)’s crotch a little faster—making (Name) let out a soft whine of surprise mixed with, sort of, arousal. (Name) doesn't utter a single word, too overwhelmed by the feeling—unfamiliar feeling of the human body's pleasure to utter a single word. He squirms, feeling Sukuna's groin grind against his most sensitive area. Feeling himself getting hotter, slick forming.

“Not the—” (Name), overwhelmed, mutters, “fuck—! What are you—” the pleasurable feeling only rising within his body as Sukuna's lips move further down onto his neckline, leaving smaller or bigger, red and puffy marks behind. “‘S not fun anymore, Sukuna—” (Name mutters, small voicings of pleasure leaving his lips, stuttering; slowly becoming an undone mess of mixed emotions. Yet Sukuna silences him with those rough, surprisingly soft, lips of his—forcing his tongue entry down (Name)’s mouth. One of Sukuna's hands lets go of (Name)’s wrists, the other still remaining, traveling down (Name)’s body—gripping his hip.

(Name) whines out, his quivering voice forming a soft whimper, hips buckling back—grinding, desperately needy. “Look at yourself; coming undone so easily,” Sukuna remarks as he leans back a little, breaking the kiss with heavy breaths. (Name) remains silent, eyebrows furrowed as the blissful blush engrossing their cheeks reddens, “at mere touches—just a little friction and you're mess beneath me,” (Name) lets out a small whine at Sukuna's words, missing the friction Sukuna provided just a few seconds ago. “You can't just—” (Name) takes in a deep breath, trying to calm down his raging, beating heart, “—just do that,” he complains, legs a little shaky.

“But did you make any effort to stop me, Usagi? Hm?” Sukuna responds, letting go of both of his wrists and sitting up—slowly grinding his groin against (Name)’s again. (Name) stays motionless, a few jerks of thighs here and there, staring at Sukuna with tear-filled eyes—small whimpers and hiccups leaving his lips. “‘Kuna, that's— that's enough,” (Name) mumbles under his nose, his shaky hand traveling to Sukuna's thigh as he tightly grips it. “How does it feel, hm? In a human’s body?” Sukuna teases, a shit-eating grin spread across his lips, taking ahold of (Name)'s hand and placing it onto his inner thigh, slowly nearing his groin, “does it feel uncomfortable? Or maybe you even feel arousal?” (Name) grits his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut from overwhelming pleasure. Pleasure builds up in the pit of his stomach, toes curling.

“It's— what is that—” (Name) squeals out, their hand gripping Sukuna's thigh as the King Of Curses only chuckles at their effort. “Never experienced such pleasure before, huh?” (Name) whimpers, small shutters leaving their lips as they try to hold back their best—to no avail. Something washes over him, thighs pulled together as his back arches. Lips apart, eyes wide open in confusion—pleasure overtaking his mind to its limit of comprehension of what it thought was possible. Not once did (Name) think of human bodies much, he never was the one interested in reactions and chemical changes. They were a curse, for God's sake! So why does this feel so fucking good? Sukuna only stares at (Name) with lust in his eyes, feeling them shake beneath him as they orgasm; a whimpering mess.

⟡ my ao3 account if you want to check it out. :)

[oceansssblue]

[THE BAD BATCH] — Soulmate AU

ECHO/OFC

WARNINGS: SOME ANGST (HAPPY ENDING), ECHO WITH SOME SELF-BODY ISSUES.

Echo stared at his now metallic forearm. He could almost picture it; the way his tanned skin used to show her name, the strange irreplacable ink shaping the five small letters that had changed everything back when he was a kid. His soulmate's name. His mark. His bond.

Echo had been nine when the five letters had suddenly sewed themselves onto his skin. It was just an uncomfortable itch at first; then, it burned. When nine year old Echo had dragged his right sleeve up to check his forearm, he had found a name.

<< Raine >>

Five small letters that gave him hope and cursed him all the same. His first feelings had been –after shock and confusion– pure joy and affection. Someone, somewhere in the galaxy, was destined just for him; a true match to his particular soul. Not his brothers, not just any clone; His.

Then, that joy and hope had been squashed away. Taken with greedy hands and harsh words. He still remembered the lecture the kaminoans gave him, amongs a few other lucky –or unlucky– clones. The hope and joy was replaced with fear, guilt, and sadness. Someone, somewhere, was destined to live in constant worry for him, or worse, forced to experience his loss with or without the chance to getting to know him. Because he was just a clone, engineered to fight a war for the Republic; and nothing else mattered at all. Not that name; not his bond. Not Raine.

Years passed, and little Echo kept growing into the soldier he was now with strict rules and a clear objective in mind; becoming an ARC trooper, protecting his Jedi general and the Republic, surviving fight after fight among the brothers who could. Survive. All thoughts of his soulmate were burried under a million worries and more than a dozen closed calls; under the grief he held for the death of too many vods and the anger and rippling sadness that threatened to bury him alive. Just keep fighting. Dont give up. It became his new mantra; and that he did, until the option was taken away from him too.

His memories of Skako Minor were, at best, hazy and mixed up. He saw numbers. He saw Fives, and Rex, his squad and all the manuals he had learned by page. He saw, but he didn't think. Or live. He was just something; part of the technology, of a system, not even a clone right then. He didn't realise how much he liked and needed to be just a clone until he started his long way to recovery after Anaxes and found out just how different he was from the rest of them now.

The death of his twin had been even more difficult to process than getting used to his new body and mind. He didn't recognise himself in the mirror; didn't recognise who he was without fives. But the Bad Batch showed him who he could be. He had hold onto that new oportunity while he learned how to cope with his new shape; how his complex interface worked, how to filter huge amounts of data in his head, how his legs and scomp moved. It hadn't been easy. It still wasn't. But he had learned to leave the past behind; how to focus on what he still had, and suddenly, with time, Clone Force 99 had become family in his eyes. After the fall of the Republic, he had sticked with them. One day, Echo would contact Rex and join the Rebellion, return to what he did best; until the Bad Batch found a safe haven, a place for Omega to grow without the fear of getting caught by the Empire constatly hugging her, Echo would cover their backs.

(•••)

"I'm still unable to comprehend where I could have made a mistake. I have considered every option I have been able to come up with; but something must obviously be escaping my mind. Your prothesis are failing to recuperate their full movility and speed and I can't seem to find the error in order to fix it so..."

Echo tried not to chuckle at Tech's constant mutters and rambling. They had just finished a mission for Cid in Ackerton three days ago, in which once again Echo had used his new abilities to infiltrate in an external security system to get the doors that they needed oppened. He had done that with no problem at all; but his legs had buckled right after achieving it and he would have had hit the floor if Wrecker wasn't there to catch him in time. It had appeared to be just a minor shock to his system, back then; with Echo quickly regaining his foot and finishing the mission swiftly with no other complications at all. However, the strange malfunction had repeated at least twice per day since then; and Tech, to the resident genious own greatest frustration, handn't been able to find the reason yet. That's why they were currently walking towards the supposedly best ingeneering workshop in a nearby planet, Osk; to, for once, get some external help.

"I'm sure it's nothing, Tech", Echo answered with his usually calm, soft voice, trying to put his brother at ease while he continued directing them through the route he was visualising in his head. "We'll get it fixed in no time".

Tech frowned in evident irritation. He was also worried for Echo, even if expressing in annoyment his lack of knowledge was the only way he knew how to.

"It is not nothing. If it were, I would have obviously found the malfunction and..." He started, but was quickly cut out by Echo's voice as the soldier stopped right on his track and scanned the building in front of them with interest.

"Clanks&Screws, that's our place right there" announced Echo, making Tech go silent for a tiny while he too scanned the workshop from the outside.

Echo nodded and walked towards the entrance without bothering to check if his vod was following or not.

"Can't believe we're leaving this in hands of a shop with a name like that..." Tech muttered, but entered the work place just the same.

At least the shop was kept clean and only slightly disorganized. Some chips, wires, drivers and half projects where abandoned here and there; but otherwise it didn't give off the impression of someone who just wanted to get money doing a shitty half job. Tech examined the space without hiding his curiosity; while Echo tried to locate the resident ingeneer, who was no where to be found.

"Be right there!" Shouted a voice from an adjacent room, right then, and once recovered from the surprise both clones waited patiently for the workers arrival. They could hear a feminine mumble across the opened door behind the counter. "Just make sure it doesn't crumble again, little bug".

They didn't have much time to ponder to whom she was talking to –though by the nickname, and considering where they were, it was probably some kind of techno droid– before a tall girl with chocolate brown hair tied up in a messy bun and black grease stains across her cheeks and hands walked towards them. She had caramell eyes, a small button nose and a very un-flattering work overall on. Even with her figure hidden from stranger's wandering glances, Echo couldn't help thinking how beautiful she was.

"What can I help you with, boys?" She asked, after scanning them in a fraction of a second that felt too long and yet not enough to the former ARC trooper.

Tech was quick to jump into his endless explanation and, surprisingly, the –probably in her mid twenties– woman patiently listened and nodded along. Further from feeling annoyed or irritated, she seemed to cling to each word as if she were gratefull to have someone who had done some research and knew what they were on about for once. She payed special attention at how Echo's neural system worked; her eyes turning to steal a glance from him here and there while Tech continued discussing posibilities and his thorough research. Echo awkardly –yet patiently– waited for the two ingeneering experts to come to a conclussion.

"Have you checked his neural interface, then?" She cut out, once she knew the googled man wasn't going to point out any adittional relevant information anymore, and Tech looked at her stunned.

"Oh, I can't believe I didn't evaluate the posibility of the malfunction coming from his central system! I went straight to the prothesis without taking into consideration that his neural conexion may have been seveered while tapping into the defence code web and..."

The young mechanic chuckled and turned to Echo. Those were two interesting men.

"Have you been having some sort of visual or processing weird alteration too, handsome?"

Echo blushed involuntarily and tried to remember.

"I... I have, actually. I didn't think too much about it, but I've been able to process data almost too fast. Faster than my usual rythim, at least. But that's not exactly a bad thing, right?" He asked, wearily.

She hummed and crouched down to grab a case of tools and placed it on the counter in front of her.

"Not painful, but not a good thing either" she answered distractedly, her hands roaming through the tools in search of a specific one. "It might be a sign that your prothesis aren't sending the necessarily signs to your neural system and therefore making it able to speed the conexions of other functions. Imagine your body is a circuit. If you eliminate or lower the charge on the colateral one that goes towards your legs, the other conexions will be able to work faster. That way you can sort throw data better, but loose movility, range and speed."

Echo didn't ever think that he would feel that atracted to brains; even if it were a desirable trait, he would have imagined that it would be more of Tech's thing. However, this woman knew what she was talking about; and he found the determined way she talked and moved and her easy, collected disposition refreshingly attractive. It helped she was pretty, too.

"Alright, let's have a look" she announced, once she finally found the rounded tool she was apparently looking for, and pointed at one side of the room to him "Can you sit on the stool over there and take off your shirt?"

Stating that Echo's cheeks burned brighter than a star would have been an understatement.

"W-What?" He could only managed to stutter, paralised.

The young mechanic laughed –a true, un-restrained, melodic sound– and showed him a loop-sided amused smirk.

"Not like that, handsome" she soothed him, albeit with a entertained twinkle in her caramel eyes. "I've seen a pair of similar neural systems like yours before, and you guys usually have a double entrance point to minimise the risk of overcharing and damaging a port. I assume you got one hiding there on your head implant and one on some spot on your spine, don't you?

Tech could still read the shock and hesitance on his brothers face and decided to gift him with some more seconds to collect himself.

"You are, indeed, correct. Your knowledge is impressive. I confess I had my reservations upon arrival, but I can see now that my doubts were unfair".

The young woman showed the goggled clone a small smile and waited for Echo to finally react. He did so with a million doubts and concerns running through his head. He was used to his body by now, but he wasn't used to others looking at it. He sat down on the stool regardless and slowly took his shirt off; staring down at the floor and trying not to fidget in his self-consciousness.

She seemed to understand what he was feeling and thinking about; as she quickly stepped behind his back without staring at his body more than necessary and reassuring him before actually starting to play with his head.

"I'm gonna do this as quick and swiftly as possible, okay? Just gonna plug in in both ports and run a quick scanning system first. If it is what I think it is, my program will find the severed conexion in no time and we'll get it fixed under fifteen minutes. Sounds good?"

Echo nodded in silence. He felt an electric rush zapping through his veins when the young woman connected to both of his ports; feeling slightly comforted while she talked him through what she was going to do. Her hand softly caressed one side of his neck; and Echo couldn't hold his reaction. He trembled; a feeling mixed with both panic and pleasure. She assumed it to be purely the first and her voice turned surprisingly soft and gentle.

"You alright there? It shouldn't be painfull at all. Just a few more minutes. Let me know if it does, okay?"

He nodded, closing his eyes and letting her search along his files. It felt weirdly intimate, somehow. He tried to mantain his breathing under control and not think of Skako Minor. He was safe, now; even if someone was checking him like the half-droid he was.

"Found it" her satisfied voice popped up after some minutes, making Echo open her eyes and only then realising he was crushing Tech's hand on his own one. He let it go with a small apologising glance; his googled brother completely unfased by the act. "It was just what I thought. The security interface you tried to infiltrate must have sent a shock to your system that has somehow rerouted some of the conexions between your neural implant and your legs prothesis towards other circuits. That's why you can still move them but without the same speed, strength, and movility range. I just have to carefully rerout it back to normal and you should be good to go in ten".

Both Echo and Tech nodded in understanding, and they let the mechanic perform her art. Tech studied each step; making sure nothing was put out of place and learning along the way. She diligently worked in near silence for the next few minutes; muttering to herself here and there and turning the corners of her lips up in victory when achieving each step.

She finally sighed and very carefully and slowly plugged out of the man's ports. She threw her tools back onto their case and handed Echo his shirt, standing up in front of him and showing him a small smile.

"All done. Feeling good, handsome?"

Echo re-dressed and cautiously tried to flex his artificial knees and twist around. He nodded in relief. Tech did too, satisfied.

"Yeah. I didn't even realise it before, but it did feel different than usual. Now it feels just right". He looked up at her with honest eyes. "Thank you. What do we owe you for this?"

She walked back towards the counter while she answered.

"Usual price is 100 osseks. But it was a pretty quick repair, and I like you guys, so we'll leave it at 90, how about that?

Tech stepped in and extended his hand.

"We appreciate it. Unconviniently, we only count with its equevalent in credits. Would that pose a problem?"

She shrugged and waved a hand.

"Nah. I accept pretty much any sort of payment here. Just let me call bug in so he can scan those credits for me. Not that I think you guys are trying to fool me, but scammers are getting quite creative this days".

Echo nodded in agreement.

"No offense taken" he added, and she turned to the opened door calling her droid out.

"Four-o-nine! Move your little wings here and scan this credits for me, bug!

A small red CRX-technodroid calmly flew towards them; making chirping sounds while he inmediatly followed the human's order. Tech curiously glanced at both Echo and the droid before voicing his observation.

"Curious name for a technodroid" he started, tentatively, while she waited for the red bug to finish his scan.

"Is it?" She answered, distracted, saving the credits in a safe place and getting the change for them. "I named it after someone important to me".

Tech collected the excess back and dropped it in one of his numerous belt pouches. He just had a feeling about this. Could he be right?

"May I ask who? A family member, pherhaps?"

Her face filled with melancholy and a sad smile perched on her lips for once.

"It's someone who I've never met", was her quiet answer, and Echo felt his heart beat intensifying and threatening to burst out of his chest right then. He had catched up on Tech's suspition. But there was no way that beautiful woman was her soulmate, right?

His tongue felt stuck to his mouth. Fortunately for him, Tech continued his cautious research like he always did.

"You must have realised were clones, as intelligent as you are, albeit different than the mayority of us. Am I correct in assuming that that is his CT-number?

She seemed hesitant to confirm his theory, but ended up nodding and Echo felt closer to suffering a heart attack. This was it. This could be it. This could be the moment where his whole world shifted again and...

"1409, yeah. I cut it down to four-o-nine for short" she let out a nervous chuckle, reading their postures and understanding the direction of his questions with a growing heaviness in her heart. "Don't tell me you know him? After the Republic fell I assumed I wasn't going to be able to meet him. Everyone's on the run, nowadays, and..."

She grew silent, fidgeting with the end of her sleeve, and Echo swallowed his insecurities down. He glanced at Tech, who nodded at him and gave him the rest of the strength he needed to voice his confession out loud.

"I am... I am CT-1409. I... I'm your soulmate."

A million thoughts and emotions seemed to flash in the girls eyes. She stared in shock, stunned; looking at him a few seconds later with raw hope and anxiousness etched in every fraction of her face.

"If... if this is a joke, it's no fun" she whispered, without tearing her caramel eyes of him, and Echo couldn't stop staring back even when Tech's voice intervened.

"I can assure you Echo is indeed clone trooper 1409. We have no reason to lie to you; we've already achieved what we came here for".

She tugged her sleeve up. Without looking at her right forearm, she caressed the numbers on her skin. Echo trembled at the sight. It was such a reverent gesture, filled with such hope and warmth...

Her caramel eyes searched his amber ones; the stare she gave him was so intense it seemed as if she was searching his very own soul. And he was hers. His soul.

"Tell me my name. If you're my soulmate, you must have had it etched in your skin, once, too."

She needed confirmation. And he understood. Echo knew right then that she had been waiting for him even longer than he himself had. Because while her memory had been forcebly burried inside his mind, toppled with his hard life as a soldier, he was still fresh in hers; no-one told her to shut it down, to forget about him. And Echo understood once more all the lies that the kaminoans had tried to teach them about their soulmates too. It didn't matter if they met each other or not. It didn't matter if the clones succeeded in forgetting them. Their soulmates worries and fear for them would not change. Would not stop. And neither would their love and care.

"Raine" he whispered, as if she would dissolve in thin air if her name was spoken too loud "Your name burnt my right forearm when I was nine years old. I was told to forget... But i never truly did. It was the one order I never couldn't fully follow".

Her eyes filled with tears and she tumbled towards him.

"F-Fuck. Fuck... You-You are..."

She couldn't help herself. Some part of her understood the reservations he might have to being hugged and touched; but he was his soulmate, he was fucking there, and she couldn't do any other thing that throwing herself into his arms.

Echo couldn't bring himself to plant distance between each other either. A slight panic flew through his veins with the unexpected contact; but she was there, and surprisingly, she fiercely wanted him. And Raine was all he ever wanted too, even if he wasn't allowed to feel so.

She cried on his shoulder, whispering against his armour.

"I thought you might be... With the war and the rise of the Empire, I hadn't found you yet and I thought I might never..."

Echo moved his left hand over her back in a soothing caress.

"It's alright. It's alright, Mesh'la. I'm sure it was difficult, and we've... I've been through a lot, too... But we're here now. I'm right here, okay?"

She felt strong enough to push her face back a little in order to being able to look up towards him. She was tall, sure, but he was even taller. She liked that.

"I've been calling you handsome and trying to flirt with you since you stepped inside my shop, thinking I might find myself a hot date for a change and..." she let out a teary laugh, making Echo chuckle with her, too.

"And I happen to be your soulmate" he finished for her, showing a small warm smile. "You know, that actually makes me feel a bit better. I was worried that if I ever managed to find you, you wouldn't find this..." he gestured "Attractive".

She bit her lip and some of that previously cool collected cheekiness reappeared.

"Oh, handsome, believe me" her arms slowly wrapped around his shoulders and neck, and she grinned at him "I find you hot as fuck".

They chuckled and laughed together; both unable to resist each other anymore and joining their lips in a passionate –yet gentle– kiss. She melted in his arms. Kissing his soulmate, Echo, had to be the best thing she had experienced in her life.

Later that night, when Echo returned to the Marauder with the rest of his family –they all had agreed to stay for a whole extra week in Osk to give the young mechanic time to pack her things up and join them– Raine looked down to her forearm and caressed his four digits with a soft smile.

<<1409>>

She couldn't be happier; couldn't feel prouder of having his mark on her skin. And she couldn't wait to experience all that were to come.

THE END.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

AUTHORS NOTE:

That's it for this one folks! Please forgive any errors I've made; English is not my native language.

I really hope you've enjoyed this! And if you have (or even if you haven't, I accept constructive critisicsm) let me know in the comments! This is my first au ever in tumblr (i write fics on wattpad in spanish) and I'm sure I'll feel more inspired to continue if you do so.

Also, I accept requests! If you want me to write a story about a specific clone, with whatever theme or relationship you can imagine (i can also write dark stuff, smutt, WHATEVER) let me know in the comments or send me a dm!

Xx, Sky.

[mumblingsage]

The current WIP pitch is under the cut for all those willing to give feedback or simply curious about what I've been working on. I'm also still seeking beta readers -- if you're interested, please feel free to message me or drop a comment below, since I guess Tumblr's doing replies now.

Ransomed: Something More Than Honor

In this queer polyamorous romance, a wounded hero and his lovers find the courage to win back their broken hearts.

After two years as a prisoner of war, Konstantin Eadinford returns to a barony impoverished by raising a ransom he isn’t worth. He struggles to take up his responsibilities as his father's heir, dishonored by an escape attempt and carrying a heart gone rotten with betrayal.

He’s certain he can never share it with the two people who have come to care for him.

Catilyn, his wife by an arranged marriage, is spirited and creative, wary of what’s expected of her, yet intrigued by what she calls Konstantin’s charm. She approaches only so close. He hardly dares to look at her, much less touch her, after trying to keep her apart from all he did and felt while captive at Ausric.

Though a commoner, Nicolas Miller isn’t afraid to tell the future baron what he thinks. In his honesty and anger and wit, he burns brighter than any friend Konstantin’s ever had. Yet Nic is used to secrets, and to being kept one.

Cat isn’t afraid of Konstantin’s secrets, not in the face of her own troubles. When wounds from the past threaten the fragile peace built at Eadinford, she turns to Nic. Konstantin fears that revealing what he survived will mean losing them both. Yet with the strength of the three of them together, though they no chance at honor, they might build something more.

Content Information: This slowburn bisexual hurt/comfort romance includes (eventually ;D) explicit sexual content, both M/M and F/M. It also contains content that may be distressing as the characters survive in, heal from, and seek to change a culture of misogyny, homophobia, and physical, emotional, and sexual violence. These themes are treated both implicitly and explicitly.

The story concludes in The Heir, out DATE.

/end pitch

More rudimentary pitch for the sequel:

Ransomed: The Heir

“I don’t always know what to do with it. With what you give me.”

Konstantin, his wife Catilyn, and his lover Nicolas have created a sort of refuge in the months after his return from imprisonment. It’s not something any of them should expect to last.

The barony of Eadinford is a cruel legacy. Its expectations threaten the love they’ve built from the ruins of honor, and Konstantin remains uncertain how to fully open his heart when an open heart once wounded him.

When the chance comes to ransom the common men still held captive by their kingdom’s enemies, he, Nic, and Cat step into a wider world, one that holds potential allies—even friends—but old troubles, too.

As they win free of the past, their choices will shape the future and decide who will inherit it.

/end pitch

Tagging stormsbreadth because you mentioned being intrigued by an earlier version but were in full COVID recovery mode at the time!

[canmom]

Animation Night 178: Alberto Vázquez

Hiii everyone! Animation night is back. And I've a treat for you tonight...

So. One of the best things about running Animation Night is that doing this (almost) every week gives me a motivation to go roving out looking for stuff I'd probably never watch otherwise. And sometimes the stuff you discover ends up being just insanely good.

This was the case way back on Animation Night 25, the very first Halloween Animation Night. On that night, we took a chance on a film by Spanish director Alberto Vasquez called Psiconautas, los niños olvidados - known in English as Birdboy: The Forgotten Children. I'll tell you a little about that movie in a minute, but it completely blew us all away: emotionally overwhelming, deft in its handling of the heavy shit, and gorgeously animated. (4C were involved).

So. Psiconautas is set on an island inhabited by anthropomorphic animals. It is a land in a state of general decline - its industry collapsed, the land choked with gigantic rubbish dumps, and the people in spirals of futility. Birdboy is a kind of spirit of the land; his father, Birdman, was shot down by police on suspicion of drug trafficking and he now struggles to keep a monster contained inside him and protect the one tiny shred of nature and life. His friends, who steal the pills he needs to keep it in check, are dealing variously with intrusive violent thoughts, uncaring fundamentalist parents, and a parent's addiction manifesting physically in the form of a huge spider. They want out of this hellish island - and they have a plan: with a bit of money, they might be able to buy passage to the city.

But it isn't that easy. Their money goes only so far as a tiny inflatable raft. And in the vast rubbish dump they encounter the Forgotten Children, abandoned by this society and left feral. Birdboy is forced to let his rage manifest. I won't spoil how it ends but - it's not an easy one.

Born 1980, Vázquez got his start in book and magazine illustration, with a style of distorted proportions and watercolours, or murky black, textured shapes as in these illustrations of Lovecraft. He turned to comics in the mid 2000s - which is where Psiconautas was born, along with other works like El evangelio de Judas (Judas the Catholic Squirrel) (2007) and Alter Ego (2008). In comics his style is very heavy, with big blocks of dark hatching. Within a few years he got the animation bug, working together with Pedro Rivero.

At the time, my knowledge of Vázquez's style was limited to short films such as Decorado, which should give you a pretty strong sense of his style.

At first it seems like a series of brief joke vignettes - but soon of course the threads start weaving together, characters from one skit come back in another, the threads of causality start to break down as the main character goes to pieces. It's clever and striking, but of course the deliberate artificiality which is the point means it is all wrapped in a layer of irony, which blunts the impact a bit.

The short films were made with a tiny team, with Vázquez hmself filling in just about every role from writing through layout to cleanup, with only a few other people on board. His later works became much larger projects, pulling in artists from as far afield as the great Studio 4°C in Japan, though I believe the bulk of the animation is still done in Spain.

The result is something great. Psiconautas has its share of black humour, but it's more willing to go for real drama, taking the vibe from 'unsettling' to full on 'fooooof'. I'm so excited to see it again.

But the main reason to return to Vázquez tonight is... he's gone and made another movie!

Just as with Birdboy, Unicorn Wars takes a short film and expands it. This is actually one of Vázquez's earliest animated works, Unicorn Blood (2013) - a work with a rougher cutout animation style, depicting teddy bears who hunt unicorns to try to fuel their cuteness. In the short we see a condescending teddy bear Moffy lecturing and fatshaming his brother Gregorio, as they hunt a unicorn, with abruptly segues into montages of violent religious imagery as a voice sermonises on the necessity of slaughtering the unicorns. They encounter a unicorn, but Gregorio can't shoot before the unicorn throws itself off a cliff - and as Moffy rounds on him, he gets motivation to, well, do a murder. It's a highly stylish work as with anything Vázquez touches, with gorgeous music textures and great use of watercolour.

Unicorn Wars returns to these themes about a decade later. Now the teddy bears are fully in a Vietnam-style war against the unicorns. A troop of teddy bairs are recruited to the war, and we are introduced to the conflicts between brothers Gordi and Azulín and top recruit Coco. Naturally the deployment goes south fast, and these three bears are the only ones left alive. Things get very violent and occult very quickly. There's more than a little cannibalism.

I've been excited to watch this movie for like three years now. It dropped last year, and became available on BD this year, so I've finally been able to get my hands on a copy. Together with that, we'll revisit some of Vázquez's older works. I'm really excited, I've been wanting to run this one for aaaaaages. Now's our chance!

Now, I need to get some food before the shops shut, so the plan is to start in about an hour, at 10pm UK time - in the usual place, https://twitch.tv/canmom. Hope to see you there!

[rancidpancakebatter]

👤Firstly, congratulations!!! That's so exciting! Secondly, you reblogged this: "peter parker writes your initials next to his on the back of his skateboard, when he daydreams about you." and now I would love more Peter and his skateboard and his crush headcanons if you've got any.

If you don't think 98% of my brain function is solely dedicated to Peter Parker and his fucking skateboard then you are an absolute silly goose and I fear it's time to return to your pond. He is the very reason I got on one. That being said, yeah I've got some headcanons for it.

I plan to write a full fic for this later but here's what I'm thinking, right off the dome

Peter Parker is very possessive, but not in the creepy way, more in the "This is my person and I would lay down my life for them" way.

Peter Parker is also a romantic, a hopeless one even.

But how could he not be?

He was raised by the two most in love people in all of New York, maybe even the planet.

When he meets you for the time he's floored.

You're just so pretty, he can't even believe you're real.

And then you started talking to him. Him! He couldn't believe it.

You were so smart, even when tripping over your words you seemed to understand the power within them.

Peter gets bored easily.

One of the downsides of being smart.

Even if it's a new concept he doesn't need much explanation to grasp it.

May taught him a trick when he was younger.

She taught him to doodle shapes, geometric patterns, in his notebooks.

That grew and morphed into him doodling all kinds of things, on all kinds of things.

While he doodled his mind would often wander.

It would wander to you.

He thought of you a lot.

He thought about how happy you made him, how amazing and special you are. He thought of how, if given the chance, he would treasure you and treat you like the amazing gift you are.

You ran circles around his mind and graced the margins of his chemistry notes.

All of his schoolwork was adorned with anything related.

There were hearts because you owned his.

There were stars because you had worn a jumper with some star-shaped elbow pads a few times and he thought you looked adorable in it.

There were vines of ivy wrapping down the side because you had told him one time that you loved plants and you were excited about the new one you had gotten.

(He wants to say you called it a "pathos" but he knows that's not right)

But when paper wasn't readily available, his skateboard always was.

The deck he was sporting before was once a white deck that he has scribbled all over.

it was like a journal, of sorts, to him.

It was mostly covered in equations as Mr Botts resented Peter having his board in class, so Peter used it for all of his notes and to show his work.

To prove it was necessary, of course.

Not to be petty.

Because Ben taught him better than that.

But since his worst subway experience ever, he had to replace his deck as the other was broken against his arm.

He sat bored at lunch, and with nothing better to do, he flipped over his skateboard.

He doodled all the same things, starting in the middle, with the cap to his sharpie between his lips.

He wrote poems and prose and all of his woes.

But mostly it was you.

It was always you.

You'll have to wait for the rest of the fic bc I got an idea for this whole "initials" thing and I know the fluff I got planned is gonna be so sweet it's gonna make all of us cry because we don't have a Peter Parker

[godspeedmajortom]

Miscellaneous Malevolent musings now that I've caught up with the podcast releases...

Loved the "Dunwich Horror" vibes in season 3

Seasons 2 and 3 worked better for me than Season 1, I think because the shape of the arc and the overall goal was clearer

Could do without the amazement at "ruins older than this country," though. America is such a recent creation, and there were people here well before it. Ancient structures should not be inconceivable. Not that I want to go in the HPL direction of native peoples being corrupted by eldritch gods, more that it's ignorant to assume there was nothing here before the colonists. There are better ways to marvel at the impossibility of a place, like the scale of the structure or an unnatural texture or shine or echo or non-local stone (like obsidian in New England lol).

Not sure if this has been confirmed or refuted anywhere, but I headcanon that Arthur wrote the “Some Would Call It Madness” song

Arthur, John is not your conscience. He has no authority to tell you whether you're a good man. He's still learning what "good" means. He's a friend who can provide a second opinion at best. I know you're lonely and you want reassurance, but he does not have the human frame of reference to give you a valid answer. Sorry, dude.

On that note, Arthur seems to have two categories for beings: person and monster. Monsters are evil and should be punished, people deserve respect and can grow from their mistakes. I don’t think he has a clear philosophy yet for what distinguishes them, beyond his gut feelings or rationalizations for his actions (see: cultists are irredeemable and deserve what's coming to them, certainly not people who maybe made a bad choice, got in over their heads, and could use a second chance). Like, John is right that he and Yellow are fundamentally the same, however much Arthur wants John to be in the Good and person-like category. The main difference is that Arthur trauma bonded with one and came to like him, then expected the other to replace him immediately under different circumstances and was disappointed when he didn't. I'm not sure where Arthur puts himself on the person-monster scale. I mean, he considers himself a person, and he typically thinks he's in the right. But he toes the line with cruelty sometimes in a way that does concern him, and he still has so much guilt and shame about Faroe. He's complicated, that's the point of the story. I can see him going full "he who fights monsters," or embracing mercy and forgiveness as human virtues.

Arthur giving the cana water in the prison pits takes on a new light after hearing the whole "I am the captain of my ship" poem and hearing what happened to Faust

Petulant child John is still the best. He is especially childlike in Ep29. The movies! The handkerchief! He has so much ambition and so little agency.

On the other side of the John coin, I'm very curious about how John actually killed Emily and Parker, especially given his limited power on Earth. I imagine it's something that can occur in the ritual of opening his book. The details will surely be revealed at the least opportune moment.

Speaking of coins: Kayne, you sick fuck, I love you, what are you, what the hell game are you playing. He clearly has more direct influence on Earth than the King in Yellow, and he has some kind of influence in the Dreamlands/with the King to return John to Arthur. Presumably, he needs both John and Yellow, maybe also Arthur, for whatever he’s planning. Or maybe he just wants to be entertained by Arthur inevitably blowing up at John for lying to him and betraying his trust again. Fun times for everyone!

[pesterloglog]

John Egbert, Terezi Pyrope, Vriska Serket, Rose Lalonde, Roxy Lalonde, Jake English, Tavrosprite, Dave Strider, Karkat Vantas

Act 6, page 7479-7485

JOHN: oh, hey terezi!

TEREZI: H3LLO, 3GB3RT

JOHN: guess our plan worked out pretty well, huh?

JOHN: this session is in MUCH better shape than the last time i saw it.

JOHN: you really bailed us out!

TEREZI: YOU'R3 W3LCOM3

JOHN: i mean, not that... you SPECIFICALLY had anything to do with it.

JOHN: you were as much the beneficiary of your future self's crafty schemes as i was.

JOHN: so don't get too smug!!!

TEREZI: NO, 1'M PR3TTY COMFORT4BL3 B31NG SMUG, 4ND T4K1NG CR3D1T FOR FUTUR3 M3'S 1D34S

TEREZI: 1'V3 4LW4YS B33N ON 3XC3LL3NT T3RMS W1TH MY FUTUR3 S3LF

TEREZI: SH3 4ND 1 G3T 4LONG F4MOUSLY >:]

JOHN: pff, ok. whatever you say.

JOHN: oh, that reminds me...

JOHN: i know the scarf agenda wasn't really YOUR idea per se...

JOHN: but do you have any idea what all that stuffed dragon shit was about?

JOHN: did that like...

JOHN: actually serve a purpose in the time line?

JOHN: or were you just fucking with me?

TEREZI: 1 W4S 4LMOST C3RT41NLY FUCK1NG W1TH YOU

JOHN: ok, wow. great.

JOHN: good to know.

JOHN: thanks for that, terezi. that was a really awesome use of our time.

TEREZI: 1'M GL4D W3 4R3 1N COMPL3T3 4GR33M3NT

VRISKA: W8, what?

VRISKA: What's this a8out stuffed dragons?

VRISKA: Terezi, what stupid thing did you make John do?

TEREZI: 1 JUST S3NT H1M ON 4 F3W TOT4LLY 1ND1SP3NS1BL3, M1SS1ON CR1T1C4L 3RR4NDS 1S 4LL

TEREZI: NO B1G D34L

JOHN: yeah, forget it.

JOHN: long story short is, i got owned, the end.

JOHN: by the way, good to see you again vriska!

VRISKA: Good to see you too, John!

JOHN: it's cool that you're alive now, instead of being a cunning ghost pirate.

JOHN: i think your, um, *ways* probably are more valuable to have here, in the land of the living.

JOHN: at least... i hope so??

VRISKA: I couldn't agree more!

VRISKA: I never got a chance to thank you for knocking me out a few years ago. I mean... o8viously? 8ecause I was unconscious.

VRISKA: 8ut thanks for that. I was 8eing an idiot, and deserved it.

VRISKA: And as a 8onus, it apparently saved my life???????? So, thanks.

VRISKA: You're a real friend. ::::)

JOHN: don't mention it!

VRISKA: I've received quite a few 8eatings in my time, and not only did I have each one coming, 8ut they all led to 8ig changes for me, on the road to 8ecoming the impecca8ly evolved person I am now.

VRISKA: So 8y that measure, it was pro8a8ly the most critical smackdown of my entire life!

JOHN: that's cool.

JOHN: if you ever need another really important punch in the face, just let me know. i'm your man.

JOHN: rose!

ROSE: Hi, John.

JOHN: hi!!!

JOHN: nice to see you, alive and well again.

JOHN: not to mention in the correct time line!

ROSE: Yes, you did it.

ROSE: I'm still a bit unclear on exactly what it was you did, but whatever it was, you sure did the hell out of it.

JOHN: yeah!!!!!

ROSE: Thank you for returning with my m-

ROSE: My, um.

ROSE: M,

ROSE: My Roxy.

ROXY: :D :D :D :D :D

ROSE: Thank you for returning with my Roxy, is obviously the remark I meant to say, and is the statement of a reasonable person.

JOHN: of course!

JOHN: really, it is so good to see you.

JOHN: i'd give you a hello hug, but you seem kinda tied up at the moment.

JOHN: oh my gosh, how cute.

JOHN: hello, um...

JOHN: jake, right?

JAKE: I...

JAKE: Yes.

JOHN: you sent me a letter once, right?

JOHN: in the box full of weapons, and a rabbit?

JAKE: Oh.

JAKE: Yeah.

JAKE: Um yeah that was me.

JOHN: thanks for that!

JOHN: that was cool. it made me really curious to meet you.

JAKE: Right.

JAKE: Me too.

JOHN: ...

JAKE: I mean.

JAKE: Curious to meet you not me.

JAKE: Not the letter i mean that didnt make me...

JAKE: I mean i was always curious to

JAKE: Dog gone it.

JOHN: what?

JAKE: Just

JAKE: I had stuff i wanted to say when we met.

JAKE: Theres so many people here.

JAKE: I dont...

JAKE: Sorry.

JOHN: it's ok!

JOHN: i understand, i'm shy too.

JOHN: let's catch up some time, just you and me. man to man.

JAKE: Ooh!

JAKE: Roger that.

JOHN: oh, hey tavros.

JOHN: looks like... you're here too?

TAVROSPRITE: hHHHHELL, dEFINITELY,

TAVROSPRITE: bUT, dON'T WORRY,

TAVROSPRITE: i'M NOT VERY SHY,

JOHN: yeah, i know.

TAVROSPRITE: sO YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO SAY AS MANY THINGS TO ME IN A CONVERSATION, aS YOU WANT,

JOHN: that's, uh... nice to know.

JOHN: maybe later!

JOHN: hi dave!

DAVE: hey bro

JOHN: you're back, and alive!

JOHN: all because of me.

DAVE: i guess thats the thing were all accepting as true yeah

JOHN: it's ok, there's no need to thank me.

DAVE: i mean i wasnt going to but like not as a means of being an arbitrary dick to my number one childhood pal from the past

DAVE: i have literally no first hand cognizance of ever being in danger i just fucked around on a meteor for a bunch of years

DAVE: and here i am and so are you

DAVE: which i think is pretty dope

JOHN: it is very dope. :)

JOHN: hey karkat, don't leave me hanging here.

KARKAT: WHAT?

JOHN: there is more than enough fist bump to go around for everybody.

JOHN: i left it hanging there just for you, but you are leaving me high and dry here dude.

DAVE: karkat holy shit where are your manners

DAVE: leaving a fist unbumped like that this is a new low

KARKAT: OH MY GOD

KARKAT: YOU DIDN'T LEAVE YOUR FIST THERE "HANGING" FOR ME

KARKAT: YOU FIST BUMPED DAVE, THEN WITHDREW YOUR FIST TO SAY SOME THINGS

KARKAT: AND THEN RE-OFFERED YOUR FIST TO ME, THE *MOMENT* YOU SAID DON'T "LEAVE ME HANGING"

KARKAT: I SAW YOU WITH MY OWN EYES!

JOHN: karkat, wow that is really pedantic!

JOHN: and now you actually ARE leaving me hanging, in order to explain your nonsense.

JOHN: i'm this close to revoking your bumping privileges!

DAVE: god damnit

DAVE: here

DAVE: strider to the rescue

DAVE: the fist bump has been secured

KARKAT: DAVE NO

KARKAT: FUCK!

KARKAT: I WANTED TO DO IT OF MY OWN VOLITION!

KARKAT: THIS DOESNT'T COUNT, IT'S NOT REAL

JOHN: oh, it's real buddy!

KARKAT: NO, I'M GOING TO FIST BUMP YOU LATER, WHEN I'M FEELING IT, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE FUCKING NATURAL.

KARKAT: MARK MY WORDS!

JOHN: we'll see, karkat.

JOHN: we'll see.

DAVE: wrecked

JOHN: hey dave...

JOHN: why is jade asleep?

JOHN: and also teen nanna.

JOHN: or, jane i mean.

DAVE: oh uh

DAVE: yeah vriska had to knock them out

JOHN: what??

JOHN: why?

DAVE: they were kickin up a ruckus

JOHN: can you wake them up?

VRISKA: DON'T WAKE THEM UP!!!!!!!!

JOHN: !!!

DAVE: yeah we cant

DAVE: some kind of brainwashing thing going on

DAVE: gotta keep em napping

DAVE: especially jade im sure you know what kind of crooked ass baloneyfuck powers she got

DAVE: cant let her turn those against us

JOHN: right.

DAVE: she should be pretty psyched to see you though

JOHN: you think?

DAVE: yeah

DAVE: um

DAVE: i dunno if you know this or not but

DAVE: apparently along the way our version of john died

DAVE: so she made the whole trip without you

JOHN: oh no!

DAVE: yeah this timeline was gearing up to be pretty tragic i guess but then you sorta deus exxed out of nowhere and spared us those sadtimes

DAVE: i mean from your point of view i guess it isnt deus ex shit you were just the normal john you always were all zipping around like a nerdy hypergod saving everything from whatever

DAVE: but from our standpoint you just kinda yanked yourself out of random ass nothing but hey you know what ill take it

JOHN: man.

JOHN: i had no idea.

JOHN: i guess that's what typheus meant?

JOHN: that's so sad...

JOHN: poor jade!

JOHN: i can't believe she had to spend all that time on the ship thinking i was dead...

JOHN: i mean, i guess i WAS dead. but...

JOHN: you know what i mean.

JOHN: are you sure we can't wake her up for a second, just so she can see i'm alright?

VRISKA: >::::|

DAVE: feel free but i have a feeling youll just be joining her nap if you try

JOHN: darn.

JOHN: i guess we'll have to catch up later.

JOHN: hey, what about dave sprite?

DAVE: dead

JOHN: noooo!

JOHN: that sucks too!

DAVE: yeah

DAVE: i guess so

JOHN: you guess??

DAVE: its a weird subject for me

DAVE: like

DAVE: the guy was always on borrowed time wasnt he

DAVE: i mean that was his whole "thing" right

JOHN: i dunno.

JOHN: i'll miss him anyway, even if he isn't the "real dave".

JOHN: i kinda feel bad for ever thinking of him as a less real version, actually.

DAVE: yeah hes me and exactly what i would be like if i was a moping existential bird so its kind of embarrassing to even talk about ok

DAVE: i guess it is """sad""" but you know a lot of versions of me have died

DAVE: lots of versions of all of us including you

DAVE: isnt whats important that certain dubiously categorized iterations of ourselves are all alive here and now and hanging out

JOHN: yeah, that is what's important!

JOHN: i guess there will be time to reflect on everything that was lost later, like dead time clones and double dead ghosts, or other such hogwash.

JOHN: right now i'm still so excited to see everybody.

JOHN: there's so much crazy stuff for us all to catch up on...

JOHN: i don't even know where to start, it's overwhelming!

DAVE: dont stress over it

DAVE: we still have some time to kill before shit starts getting real in this session

DAVE: at least according to our vriska in chief

JOHN: what do you mean?

DAVE: all the bad guys are still just outside the incipisphere

DAVE: they wont converge here until a few hours or so

DAVE: so lets all just sit back a while and shoot the shit

DAVE: and i do mean empty our clips into the shit, like really pump that turd full of lead

DAVE: right up until she gets bossy again and commandeers our fly brotimes with more shrill tactical exhortations

JOHN: ok, that sounds great!

[forensicated]

Firstly I apologise for a lot of errors lately spelling/word wise. I'm dealing with a new keyboard and the finger-familiarity isn't quite there yet. It's definitely getting better however, not quite as many hashes instead of pressing return finally! (different shape/size key now)

Smiffina Episodes - Episode 292

Again not strictly Smiffina but we are tying up loose ends that affect them.

It's the funerals of Ken and Andrea today, this poor lot aren't half polishing their colleagues off quickly lately. We're not quite at firebomb levels of the early 2003 eps, but we're not that far off.

Reg is worrying how many will actually turn up at Marilyn's funeral in a few days "How many funerals will they want to go to?" "Marilyn worked alongside us." Gabriel tries to reassure him. "Well so did Andrea, but noone's going to go to her funeral, are they?" Reg adds.

*5 mins in, Gina tells the gathered uniform relief that Ken's family has requested close colleagues only. Reg is attending to represent Uniform. They agree to meet in the pub for drinks in his memory. Reg is also making a collection for flowers for Andrea. Not many give to the collection - though Gabriel adds a tenner. Neil is asked and drops in a handful of notes. "She wasn't all bad was she?" Adam catches up with Neil and reminds him that he should be attending Ken's funeral and not Andrea's as his absence would bring unwelcome speculation.

Outside Ken's funeral Neil and Reg stand together, he tells Neil that it sinks in when you see the coffin. He's dreading Marilyn's funeral because he really loved her and she was the most special person he'd ever met and he can't believe that he'll never see her again. A silent Neil has the same written over his face. Phil comes over to distract Reg and gives Neil the chance to slip away to attend Andrea's funeral. Pippa, Neil's wife, arrives at the funeral a short while later saying that she thought he'd need support. Phil panics and tries to contact Neil to warn him. He doesn't catch him but he covers with Adam that Neil got called away. Pippa isn't so easily fobbed off and asks Phil if he's having an affair. Phil can't answer - or look at her. She puts two and two together and finds him laying flowers at Andrea's grave.

Pippa as always is full of class and uses her barister skills to break down what happened between Andrea and Neil and they discuss it whilst walking/sitting in the graveyard. She quietly and calmly tells Neil it's not his fault, he was seduced by an undercover journalist who milked him for information. She promises they can move on, Neil isn't so sure.

At the end of the shift, uniform and CID gather together for a speech and to pay their respect to Ken and Marilyn. Andrea isn't mentioned until the very end. Neil meets with Adam and asks him for some time off to work on himself, his feelings for Andrea and what's going on with his marriage.

Laura and Gabriel talk, she tells him he's different and clearly has changed as he's calmer. Gabriel smiles. "Maybe I'm a changed man."

[roegadynroost]

FFXIVwrite 2023 - 03 Familiarity

The muggy climes of summer were finally giving way to cooler autumn air, but has always Gridania stayed green and verdant despite the shifting seasons. This early in the morning, before the sun peeked over the great boughs of the Shroud, the chill was enough to make anyone want to retreat back inside and return to the warmth of their waiting beds.

Alas, All Saints' Wake was less than half a moon away and it would be a busy time for the botanists' guild, thus it was that instead of doing her usual tasks for the day Crystal Ash was finishing up a bit of meditation early this morning. She was dressed in a ratty old dalmatica and a pair of her most worn tights, layered so that she would be warm enough to deal with the morning, but in nothing so cumbersome that she could not shed it when the sun rose into the sky.

Stillglade Fane was only a short walk from the Greatloam Growery, and with a warm smile on her face, she made her way to answer the call for help with the harvest. Crystal was far from the only early riser, there were already half a dozen others doing their best to make quick work of the waiting plants. Gourds of all color and shape, including her favorites, pumpkins. Currants, acorns and all manner of delicious treats waiting to be picked. 

Fufucha, the guild master was one of the early risers, already in the field doling out instructions and helping to pick the product. Crystal got out her heavy gathering gloves and waited her turn for the Lalafellin woman's attention.

"G'morning Ma'am! I'm hear to help! What did you want me on?" Crystal interjected when she saw her chance.

Fufucha's wide pretty eyes looked up from the squash she was examining, a bright smile finding her lips as she recognized the rabbit-earred girl. "Oh Crystal! I'm so glad you're here." Fufucha exclaimed, stepping past the plot to greet her. "I know you're busy with your other guilds so I'm happy you could still spare us some time."

"Of course, I wouldn't miss autumn harvest for anything." Crystal nodded, returning the smile before adding. "And I won't lie, I was hoping to get first pick of the pumpkins, there is one I have been eyeing every time I come with the fertilizer."

Fufucha chuckled, but left it at that before assigning Crystal her area, unsurprisingly the pumpkins. 

Crystal loved getting to harvest the gourds, she loved their different hues, she loved the delicate curl of their vines and she above all else loved their flavour. She could spend the whole day tending them, and she did so very often. It was past noon before she realized the time, and only then did she notice because Fufucha scolded her for not stopping for lunch like everyone else.

By now a dozen more had joined in and the harvesting was in full swing. Crystal stretched and shed her gloves. She tucked them in at her waist where she had tied her top by its sleeves, her eyes slowly scanning the field as she made her way back up to the hovel. There were all sorts helping today, Elezen, Lalafell, Hyur, Miqo'te, even a couple other Roegadyn to her surprise. She was all the more astonished when coming down the way from the hut she spied a pair of rabbits ears in the crowd atop the head of a young man. 

Crystal blinked, her footfalls stopping altogether. She was not in the slightest worried about how it would look as she was all but ogling this stranger. She simply could not believe her eyes. At a quick glance he might have been mistaken for a Miqo'te if not for the lack of a tail, but when one really took the time to take in his visage there was no mistaking the tall elegant ears spouting from his crown.

The man himself was much shorter than Crystal, by a head or so from what she could tell from her spot. His pale skin was kissed by Nophica, freckles dotting the bridge of his nose. His hair covered one eye, and she could not see the color of it. The other eye was a brilliant amber, and his hair itself was a vibrant auburn, nearly the same familiar color that she saw whenever she looked into a mirror. 

Crystal would have kept gawking if not for the strangers eyes meeting her own and snapping her from her stupor. She quickly closed her mouth. Had she had it open? She must have looked incredibly strange there, and surely he would say something about her curious staring. She readied herself but the awkward confrontation.

"Oh hey, you're here for the harvest too?" His chipper and familiar tone was so unexpected that Crystal almost looked around to see if he was talking to someone else, but as he came closer staring up into her bewildered face she knew he addressing her. 

"Ah, yes. Yes I am." Crystal replied, brows nit in confusion as she wracked her brain to figure out if she'd spoken with him before. She had not. There was no way that she would have met him and not remembered. If the look on her face bothered him, he didn't show it. His handsome face was bright and excited, the suns rays causing him to shimmer in the days light. He looked so genuinely excited to see her she couldn't help but keep up the facade of familiarity. "Are you enjoying harvest?"

He quickly nodded, a small hum in confirmation his reply before he spoke. "Yes, I am. Though it's much harder work than I expect. It's great to have so many in the guild around at the same time. I'm learning a lot in a short amount of time."

Crystal couldn't help but smile and nod back. She wanted badly to know more about this stranger and was about to form a reply when a shout from behind her interrupted and she looked over to the source.

"Honeyrust I could use your help over here!" It was Sandre, struggling to get a particularly large gourd into a wagon.

"I'm coming boss!" Honeyrust shouted back in alarm, moving forward to close the distance before stopping to give Crystal his attention once more. "Sorry, I gotta get back to work! We'll catch up later yeah?"

"Yeah, of course. Talk to you later Honeyrust." Crystal smiled down gently, the test of his name on her tongue came out in a very amused tone, as if she knew a secret he did not. If he noticed it he did not speak on it, he was already on the move again.

"See you later Thyn'a!" He called over his shoulder, jogging away to where he was called.

Authors note: I wasn't going to do the extra credit days, but seeing as the 24 hour deadline is not in effect yet and I had a spark, I figured I should take advantage of it!!

[darkpoisonouslove]

Last day I heard Revenge by Tentacion and since then I can't think about Griffin and Valtor and so many diffrent way they both could've end!

But the question that came along for me was if Griffin had the chance to kill Valtor, do you think she could've done it? Don't get me wrong, I know she wouldn't have the power. But if the CoL find any way to kill him (something where they need a sacrifice from anyone else), do you think she would/could do it? It was right after she left the coven and if she would do it, it would kill her with him.

I can see her that she could think her sacrifice is something like her redemption for the things that she did in the past. But I don't know if she was at this time already at a point where she accepted that she could be the one who kills him. Like, mabye she already know that there could be no other way because she knew Valtor would never stop but do you think she was ready/ ever thinking about that it could be her who would kill him? And COULD she actually do that at this point?

Uff, I'm so sorry I hope you understand what I tried to write. Please forgive me for my bad english

Lot of Love

ANON! That song!!!!!! It wounds me, in the best way possible! Thanks for that.

I love that question. I'm kind of working right now on something that deals in some kind of capacity with what you're asking so I'll insert a snippet below. But first, let's talk about this!

From what I gathered the idea is that killing Valtor means that the other person also has to die. In which case Faragonda would sooner sacrifice herself than let them even discuss the possibility of Griffin doing it. She'll be damned if she lets Valtor take Griffin away from her (again) in any way, shape or form.

As for Griffin, I headcanon that she was suicidal right after she left the Coven because of the situation with Valtor, her own sins, and because the Coven killed her mother. But in my version she doesn't get to meet Valtor again for about half a year after she leaves him. By then she's recovered somewhat from the suicidal impulses and wants to help the Company because she wants to fix her past mistakes. I don't think she would mind sacrificing her life to kill him. If anything, that might be the thing that would allow her to proceed with the spell because she can both make up for the damage they did and NOT have to suffer the knowledge that she killed him.

I think it'd be way more interesting if they could kill him but the spell is somewhat obvious meaning that he would know what they're planning as soon as they approach him with it. So the only way to actually use it is for Griffin to do it because Valtor would never believe that she's capable of going through with it and killing him. I also don't think she'd be able to kill him. She knows she has to, that this is the only way to truly protect people from him but she can't bring herself to do it. And I think the others from the Company would get that, as much as some of them don't believe in the strength of the love between her and Valtor.

And this is a good segue into the fic snippet:

She didn’t remember getting on [the ship]. She couldn’t forget the ballroom, the ardor of Valtor’s touch. His hands may as well have been covered with Faragonda’s blood. Sooner or later they would be if it depended on him, if it depended on her to stop him.

Marion startled when Griffin's–bloodshot–eyes found her across the ship from where she was keeping an eye on her. Her back straightened, taut like a bowstring, and a wave of unbearable heat radiated off her again. Her magic gathered in her palms – just in case.

Griffin wet her lips and forced her voice through the maddening tickle in her throat, as if full of cotton. “You have to kill him.”

Marion acknowledged her returning sanity with an imperceptible nod. “We will.”

Her power lingered in a halo around her and her tense shoulders didn’t relax, giving no illusion that Griffin had any place in her plans or her inner circle.

She was no fool.

Also, here's the song because it also goes with the fic:

[dream-meister-translations]

MAIN STORY : CHAPTER 2 PART 11

━

Following the attack on the Grand Crossroads we returned to the Laughing Cat House to rest our battle-weary bodies…

EST : The police sent a report. Extensive property damage and more than a few civilian injuries, but no fatalities.

EST : Crow and Gran, as the first to respond to the attack, we thank you for your aid and leadership.

GRANDFLAIR : …So the police aren't mad at us?

EST : Well, things would have only gotten worse had it not been for you and Crow.

EST : I made sure to emphasise that part to the police.

GRANDFLAIR : Thank you… That's much appreciated!

EMMA : That's a relief…

CROW : But what about Mateo? We can't rest easy until we've purified that thing.

NOAH : Seemed ilke you guys were in pretty rough shape…

GRANDFLAIR : …The enemy black fairy was exceptionally powerful. We didn't stand a chance against him.

NAVI : Yeah, yeah, so you're saying we were too weak, is that it?

ITSUKI : …No one's saying that…? Navi, why are you so angry all the time?

NAVI : Do you have any idea how annoying it is being asked such things?

ITSUKI : ……

HIMMEL : Well, well… It would seem we're being affected by that other black fairy's miasma.

EVAN : I don't remember much of anything but it was an extremely sickening feeling.

EMMA : I'm just glad everyone could make a full recovery.

NAVI : It's that guy in the hat's fault. He pisses me off…

CROW : That guy with the that was working with those two dark night thugs. I think he said his name was Nanashi?

ITSUKI : His power's the real scary thing.

CROW : He was being possessed by Mateo but the difference between us and him was huge… Dammit…

ITSUKI : And that's not all… He also knew about Eden and Emma…

━FLASHBACK━

NANASHI : Eden awaits.

NANASHI : I’ll be waiting for you at the End of the Road. And thinking of you all the same.

━END FLASHBACK━

EMMA : …I don't remember… Any of that…

CROW : ……

More questions than answers continued to surface one after another until Est's firm voice cut through the tense silence.

EST : My apologies for changing the subject but may we talk a little amongst ourselves?

EMMA : Yes. Of course.

EST : Thank you. Now then… Kai, Sion, Gui…

KAI / SION / GUI : ……..

EST : I don't blame you for disobeying me when I told you to stay here.

EST : On the contrary, I think it's a good thing you were able to bravely follow your own initiative.

EST : Many of the people you helped have come to me to express their gratitude.

KAI : Sensei...

EST : However… You fell prey to your emotions and failed to properly assess the situation around you…

EST : You failed to work together, and almost hurt the very people you were trying to save as a result.

EST : If only I'd only been there…

GUI : I-I'm sorry…

KAI : …A-Apologies…

SION : ……….

SION : No… If you'd left me to it, I'd have figured it out on my own…

KAI : Sion, you fucker…!

SION : It's true. Our fight was all your fault. If you hadn't been there, none of this would have happened…

KAI : You say that one more time!

EST : Enough of this!

KAI / SION : …Hmph.

EST : Do you even understand the gravity of the situation you're in? What could have happened? There's no way to fix a mistake like that.

EST : Reflect on this. Long and hard. Before you finally do something you truly regret…

KAI : ……

SION : Tsk… I just…

SION : I'm better than this…

SION : Dammit!

GUI : Sion…!

EMMA : Sion, wait!

━

SION : …….

I follow Sion out the room, calling out to him.

EMMA : Sion…

But Sion never once looked back as he disappeared into the depths of the mansion…

[187days]

Day One Hundred Seventy-Eight

My school is getting a new SRO next year, and he was at the front door with the current SRO this morning, so naturally I had to tease him about the rumors that would inevitably spread because of his presence. After that, I hung out down in the office because we'd scheduled an interview for our open social studies position that morning. The Principal and Dean 1 were both still a bit worn out from graduation- it's a lot of stress and work to pull it off, it seems!- but they rallied.

After that, I went up to teach my first two sections of Global Studies. We cheered about it being the last full week of school for them (two days of last classes/final exams next week, too) and then they spent their class time working on their multigenre projects. They're really taking shape now, and most of the feedback I was giving was minor stuff, fine-tuning. I'm happy they're all still engaged because sometimes this week- after the seniors have gone- is really tough.

Since the seniors are gone, I have Block 3 off, and today I spent it cleaning out the social studies office, taking stock of our supplies, and so on. That was a good project to occupy my time.

During Block 4, I had another interview, so Mr. F covered those sections for me. I got the first one started, though, and apologized that I was gone two classes in a row (since I'd also gone home sick on Friday). There was some banter about that, but my students also very nicely said they were glad I was feeling better. I hoped I'd get back up to my classroom before the afternoon bell to see the students in my last section of the course, but I didn't quite make it. I did see a bunch of them as they were headed for the buses, though; they shouted "Hi, Miss M!" and "We missed you!" and stuff like that, which kind of made my day.

I went home for a couple hours, then returned to the school for spring sports awards, which gave us a chance to celebrate our amazing track season. It was one last chance to see the seniors- graduates now!- and hug them, and tell them how proud of them I am.

So it was a really good day with a lot to it. Only a few more till summer!