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mycoolwritingcorner · 2 years

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Sailor Moon: Reignstorm - Chapter 1: Rei’s Dilemma

The Sailor Guardians thought they had finally caught a break. With Galaxia defeated, Ami and Makoto have finally confessed their feelings for one another, and Rei is trying to figure out where she and Minako stand, when out of the blue a mysterious new enemy arrives from the stars, with some very familiar tricks. Will our heroes be able to band together once more to defeat them, or will this new villain succeed in tearing them apart from the inside out?

(Note: This story takes place after my previous stories, Buried Feelings: Facing Love at Last and The Calm Before The Storm)

The cloaked figure descended upon the remains of what used to be known as Planet Nemesis. The planet, and the Malefic Black Crystal which it housed had both been destroyed in Death Phantom’s bout with Sailor Moon, along with the Death Phantom himself. Most had assumed there was nothing left to fear from this planet, that any threat it posed had been neutralized by the combined power of two Legendary Silver Crystals… they were wrong.

The figure sifted through the rubble of the shattered world for some time, before they finally found what they were looking for: a shard of the Malefic Black Crystal, roughly the size of Sailor Moon’s Silver Crystal, which contained the last of its power. The figure picked the Crystal up and held it in their gauntlet, feeling its dark energy surge through them. They cracked a smile underneath their cold metal mask.

“Oh… this will do nicely.”

…

“What do you mean you liked the ending?!” Rei shouted indignantly at Minako, who had come to the Hikawa Shrine to return some manga she had borrowed from her raven-haired friend.

“Um… that I liked the ending?” The blonde said while watching Rei place her manga back on her shelf.

“But they completely botched it! Her best friend stood by her through everything, was her rock for the entire series, and then at the end they decide that she should end up with some boring guy who she has, like, no chemistry with instead of her?”

“I thought it was sweet. I really liked the wedding scene at the end.”

“Oh that was the worst!” Rei complained.

“You just don’t like it because your ship didn’t happen.” Minako shot back with a smirk.

“No, that’s not it at all!” Rei refuted, a light blush crossing her face, “I’m just saying there was clear romantic tension between her and her best friend, and then at the end they decide to just throw alllll of that away to have her end up with a dude who’s about as interesting as a piece of cardboard!” The miko finished with a huff, earning a giggle from Minako. “What’s so funny?”

“You’re cute when you get all riled up about this stuff.” Minako replied with a smile.

The compliment caused Rei to turn a shade of red comparable to the skirt she wore as a Sailor Guardian, “Oh… um… thanks?”

“Anyways, I’ve gotta get going, are we still on for Friday night?” Minako asked as she began to make her way towards the exit.

“Uh, yeah, definitely.”

“Alright, awesome, catch ya later!” The blonde-haired girl said before taking her leave.

After her friend had left Rei sat on her bed in contemplation. She and Minako had been spending a lot more time together as of late. The two of them had figured, with their other friends running off together so often it made sense for them to keep each other company. Since they started, however, Rei noticed something was different about Minako. While mulling over the events of the past few weeks, she was drawn into a memory of the aftermath of the first of her and Minako’s escapades…

…

“Uh, hey Rei, what’s up?” Usagi asked over the phone, clearly confused as to why Rei had decided to call her out of nowhere so late at night.

“Uh, well…” Rei began, nervously twirling her hair while sitting atop her bed, “... I have a… hypothetical, for you.”

“You called me because you have a hypothetical for me?” Usagi questioned.

“Uh… yeah.”

“Oh pipe down, the movie will still be here when we’re done.” Usagi said out of nowhere from the other end of the line.

“What?”

“Oh, Mamo and I were watching a movie when you called.” Usagi explained, “Anyway, what’s your hypothetical?”

“Well… let’s say, again, hypothetically, that one of your best friends… I dunno, kissed you on the cheek out of nowhere, what would you think about that situation?”

“Well… it’s definitely not something I’ve ever experienced personally.” Usagi began, “I guess it would depend on the context?”

“Yeah, I uh… I guess that would make sense.” Rei replied.

“How about you, babe, you and Motoki ever kiss?” Usagi asked before Rei heard a voice talking in the background, which presumably belonged to Mamoru.

“What do you mean you can’t talk about it?”

“What do you mean you were sworn to secrecy?”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE WAS ALCOHOL INVOLVED?!”

“Usagi!” Rei chided, “Can we focus please?”

“Right, sorry.” Usagi apologized, “Anyway, it’s obvious this isn’t just a hypothetical so how about you tell me who kissed you so I can actually help you out?”

“Okay, okay, fine!” Rei conceded, “It was Mina.” The raven-haired girl said in a whispered tone.

“Oh, why didn’t you lead with that?” Usagi scolded, “Mina flirts with everyone, she probably just thought it’d be fun.”

“Right, right, obviously.” Rei said in agreement, “I just figured I’d get a second opinion to make sure that there wasn’t… y’know… more to it than that.”

“I mean… do you want there to be?”

“WHAT?! No, of course not!” Rei dismissed, blushing profusely, “Anyway, thanks for your help, gotta go, bye!” She finished before quickly hanging up the phone, Usagi’s words still echoing in her mind.

“... do you want there to be?”

“... Do I?”

…

The question had hung in the miko’s head ever since. Especially any time Mina would flirt with her which was… fairly frequently. Rei tried to heed Usagi’s words and just write it off as Mina being Mina but something about it just felt off.

In general she had been acting weirder as of late, especially around Rei. And she had all but confirmed that she had feelings for someone (who was almost certainly a girl)... was it possible that those feelings were for Rei?

What further confused the situation were Rei’s own feelings on the matter. She had never even thought about Minako in that way before, but now? She couldn’t stop thinking about it. And as far as Minako’s flirting, Rei would certainly be lying if she said she disliked it. Not to mention she had suddenly been noticing things about her friend that she had never paid much mind to before. Her long, flowing hair, her beautiful blue eyes, her lips…

Rei shook her head aggressively to get herself off of that train of thought, “Maybe I need to talk to someone about this.” She thought. As she began to mull over her potential advisors, she quickly realized there was only one person best suited to give advice on this front.

*The "escapade" Rei is referring to can be seen in my last story, The Calm Before The Storm.

And that was chapter 1! As for when chapter 2 is coming, I know I said weekly at the end of The Calm Before The Storm, but it is more likely for these to come out on a biweekly basis. Apologies, but with college keeping me busy that's just kind of the way it has to be. There will likely be some times when I'm feeling generous and post two weeks in a row if I'm satisfied with the chapters, but don't expect that every time.

But please, let me know what you guys think! Comments are very much appreciated!

And come back next time for Chapter 2: Gathering The Pawns.

Next Chapter

#MakoAmi #ReiNako #Sailor Moon #pretty guardian sailor moon #Sailor Mercury #Sailor Mars #Sailor Jupiter #Sailor Venus #usagi tsukino #Ami mizuno #rei hino #minako aino #makoto kino #sailor senshi #sailor scouts #90s anime

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tinyteenia · 4 years

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Siren’s: Analysis

Hello, here’s my first Lore Post for Borderlands. I’ve been pretty silent in the fandom, only playing the games and whatnot.

Warning: Spoilers for ALL three main games below!

In Borderlands, as we all know, are magical beings that can use their powers depending on which ones they have. The origins of the humanoid siren is sort-of unknown but assumedly they come from Eridians which aren’t humanoid but the power was passed on and that’s still how it is. It’s possible that all Sirens can choose their successor, we see that Maya and Angel have chosen one and we can see that it’s pretty direct too. As soon as one Siren dies, the powers can be passed on. There can only be 7 Sirens at a time, why this is hasn’t been stated or probably never will. Before 3, we were told 6 Sirens could be in existence at a time but as Nyriad reveals in 3...

“You must never find the seventh...”

Now, despite all the speculation that can be done. To try and find the 7th Siren would probably be impossible for its a character that’s yet to be revealed or is so obscure to guess them would seem rash and sort of silly, especially with the amount of characters who barely have any background. Not to mention it’s made to sound like they’re hidden in some sort and have never been seen.

Now before we move on, let’s get deeper into what is a Siren. So... What is a Siren? Well, outside of Borderlands, Sirens are:

In Greek mythology, the Sirens were dangerous creatures, who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and singing voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.

According to Plato there were three kinds of Sirens: the celestial, the generative, and the purificatory / cathartic. The first were under the government of Zeus, the second under that of Poseidon, and the third of Hades. When the soul is in heaven the Sirens seek, by harmonic motion, to unite it to the divine life of the celestial host; and when in Hades, to conform the soul to eternal infernal regimen; but when on earth their only job to "produce generation, of which the sea is emblematic". (Source)

However, it’s confusing since this doesn’t seem to fit any of Sirens. They don’t generate themselves with kin, purify anything(as we know) aren’t really celestial beings by this definition. You could say they are celestial due to the magical background, nevertheless it’s possible this connection is yet to be revealed. The Borderlands manual guide and Nyriad says that Sirens have also been called “Witches”, “Oracles” and “Angels” as well that “No official term exists” however by Borderlands 3 that seems that every term has been used for thousands, if not millions of years. Siren being the most common.

In the games and comics, however, Sirens are being of unknown origin, typically female, that have powers based upon certain things such as creating physical attacks, moving things, teleportation, machine manipulation and leeching power/life. At some time in the distant past, Sirens and Eridians lived side by side, possibly due to their similarity in ability. Sirens also have Tattoos/Markings on their body which singles them out especially. Another obscure and rarely seen ability is the ability to imprint memories and events onto objects via strong emotion such as excitement and trauma.

Some extra things about Sirens is that they and the vaults are definitely connected, Lilith even says she feels as if the Guardians wanted her to be in the Vault in the Pre-Sequel. What this connection is has not been revealed as even in 3, despite visiting many vaults, nothing happens any of the Sirens in the game that visit them despite the number of Sirens and Vaults being numerous, Sirens can also charge Vault Keys, making them usable. Another thing is that all Sirens typically find each other at some point, furthermore all Sirens will at one point be drawn onto Pandora at some point in their lives and it seems that point is true as every Siren, minus the 7th(as we know) have visited Pandora. All Sirens also have wings, usually in a very powerful form. Lastly, to use their powers more effectively, Sirens use Eridium. However, using Eridium is like a Drug, normal use is fine however, one can become addicted or even dependent on it to the point of death from withdrawal depending on the intake. Angel is so dependent once her source is removed, she dies. Lilith seems to just be mildly addicted, needing it and showing obvious signs of withdrawal.

Then, let’s talk about each Siren in the Series.

Sirens

(The below list and subsequent descriptions of each Siren will have spoilers regarding Borderlands 2 and 3, including some very important moments, do not go below if you do not wish to be spoiled on Borderlands 2 and 3.)

Here is a list of every mentioned/shown Siren, minus the Comics for apparently they are considered non-canon:

Lilith

Commandant Steele

Maya

Amara

Angel

Nyriad

Troy Calypso

Tyreen Calypso

Patricia Tannis

Ava

Lilith

The Original Siren as some would say, she first appears in Borderlands 1 as the playable Siren class, she holds the Phasewalk ability, aka teleportation. Nothing spectacular about her happens in 1, in 2 she is a leader of the resistance against Handsome Jack and regularly takes action in fighting with you. Lilith says in the Tiny Tina DLC that she used to be a DND nerd, which means she was probably an outcast from society especially due to her tattoos and interests and she was bullied as a child. In Borderlands 3, her powers are taken by Tyreen for the majority of the game and gets them back by the end. At the end, Lilith flies into Sun, saving Elpis and Pandora, her Phoenix symbol embedded into the planet. However, it is never said if Lilith is dead or alive, leaving it up to be a mystery. So whether Phasewalk will return as the next Siren’s powers is unknown.

Lilith’s name shares the her name with the true first Woman in Judeo-Christian lore, however she was turned into a demon and is closely regarded in evil.

Commandant Steele

Steele is considered the main antagonist of Borderlands 1, however, her appearance is extremely short-lived and to say she was dissatisfactory would be an understatement. Steele’s design closely resembles Lilith’s older design, which isn’t surprising. Her power is unknown and could be anything but Phasewalk. She also awakens the Destroyer or at least a part of it.

The only notable things about Steele is she proves(or is the first to prove) that Sirens can be on the wrong side. While this isn’t surprising, it’s juxtaposed to most Sirens that are on the quote-onto-quote Good Side and that the only things all Sirens share is fate to meet each other at some point. She also speaks in a Slavic accent.

Maya

Maya is the playable Siren Class in Borderlands 2. She’s from the planet Athenas and was used against the people of the planet to keep them in fear. However, she learned of the scheme and killed the religious leaders and then came to Pandora to become a Vault Hunter, during boarding the train she catches the view of Krieg who becomes infatuated with her. Maya’s Siren power is Phaselock, being able to create gravitational pulls and force to levitate things and people.

In Borderlands 3, Maya plays a more important role mentoring the young Ava and has chosen her as her heir of Maya’s Siren powers. She says Ava seems special and it’s not said why this is or revealed why, yet at least.

Maya is killed when Ava goes to the first Vault despite Maya telling her not to. Unbeknownst to anyone, Tyreen and Troy have already come to the Vault. Troy ends up leeching Maya and takes her powers, which kills her. Why this killed Maya and not Lilith isn’t entirely clear.

Amara

Amara is the playable Siren Class in Borderlands 3, she is from the Planet of Partali and due to her nature of fighting against evil she has been dubbed the “Tiger of Partali”. Her Siren power is Phasetrance, she is able to summon physical forms of energy to attack. She has no real importance to the Siren story so far other than sharing attributes with other Sirens.

Angel

Angel is an interesting character as she was in Borderlands one and plays a much different perspective of character. In Borderlands one she practically acts as an A.I guide to prevent the opening of the Vault and furthermore, the release of The Destroyer. However, the ultimate goal is getting Eridium from the Vault so that it can fuel Handsome Jack’s plans to feed Angel’s Phaseshift powers which allows her to interact with any technology she can and manipulate it thusly.

In her Childhood, Angel learned she was a Siren at a young age and began to manipulate the tech around her. One day, she was kidnapped and was going to be sold. Handsome Jack, her father and Angel’s mother can to rescue her and by accident, Angel killed her mother after activating a turret out of fear. This lead to Jack keeping Angel in solitude in fear she’ll kill more people. This fear of course is irrational as when Angel got older she was able to control her emotions.

In Borderlands 2, Angel acts the same as her role in Borderlands 1. However, this time she helps the Vault Hunters much more and even turns against her father in the end. Nearing the end of the game she has the characters assist her from being removed from her Eridium supply, killing her. Her death leads to Patricia Tannis getting her powers, when this decision was made or why is never explained.

Nyriad

Nyriad is an Ancient Siren, presumably human. She lived along the Eridians and seemed to know a lot about Sirens in general, meaning that this knowledge was probably more well known and supposedly lost to time. It is also said she is one of the last to learn the Eridian Language directly from the Eridians.

Nyriad used her powers to seal the Fake Vault that holds The Destroyer and fed The Destroyer all of the Eridian souls so that it made be satiated, even for a while. After this, she traveled to Nekrotafeyo and sealed herself and her ability to pass on her powers. However, when Typhon DeLeon and his wife opened the Vault, it caused his wife to transfer Nyriads Phaseleech ability to Tyreen and Troy.

Nyriad also left behind many recordings across the Borderlands using the Eridian Language, revealing that the Sirens used to form a “Sisterhood” where they would all come and join together even if one died, the next Siren is said to have always found her way to the Sisterhood.

Troy and Tyreen Calypso

Troy and Tyreen are a special kind of Siren. Tyreen is obviously the main Siren, however, Troy being a parasitical twin also gained Siren powers being possibly the first and only Male Siren. They are the Children of Typhon DeLeon and his wife and were born of Necrotafeya. Their powers initially are Phaseleech which allows them to leech the power and life from anyone they come in contact with and subsequently use their powers against. They inherited their powers from Nyriad.

During Borderlands 3, Tyreen and Troy are the leaders of the Children of the Vault cult, a vicious and murderous cult that obeys the Twin’s every will and command. Their desire is to open the Grand Vault and release The Destroyer and become literal Gods. During the story, they manage to steal Lilith and Maya’s Siren abilities and by the end, Tyreen absorbs Troy and soon Tyreen fuses with The Destroyer, but is ultimately killed.

Whether or not Phaseleech will be the ability of the next Siren character is unknown, but without many others left. It’s to be assumed.

Patricia Tannis

Tannis is a long-running character in the franchise. She’s an Autistic researcher and now Siren. Her ability is Phaseshift and inherits it from Angel. Nothing about Tannis being a Siren or before her status as a Siren is important. However, she is very intelligent and does take action when necessary. It seems by the end of Borderlands 3 she has become an incredibly important character as she is essentially the new Lilith.

Before Borderlands 3, she was alone at a research site which lead her to become delusional and psychotic.

During Borderlands 3, she unleashes her Siren powers after being contained and is able to save the Vault Hunter.

Ava

Ava is the pupil of Maya who has chosen for Ava to be her heir of the Phaselock ability. Ava became a pupil after Ava’s family died, Ava became a Ship Stowaway and soon lived in extreme poverty.

In Borderlands 3, Ava is a very immature characters, regularly acting out and speaking about how unfair she’s treated due to her age. This is ultimately what would get Maya killed in the events of Borderlands 3. Ava plays a very unimportant role in the game until the events of the second to final Vault where she awakens to her Siren abilities and is able to assist the team.

After this, it seems as if Ava will become a very important character to the Series.

End

Borderlands 3 in particular drew a very important note to Sirens, suggesting their upcoming importance in the near future. Not to mention the way in the Guardian’s Warning in the Pre-Sequel. Something is coming up for the series and it seems Sirens will play a very important role. What that is isn’t even hinted at but I theorize it’ll be something that involves the Vaults, Destroyer and Eridians. This of course is not surprising but to say there’s barely information to guess would be an understatement.

This post I will admit was just lore spattering and not really theorizing. I will update this post with more thoughts and more information as it is pretty generic “spout of what we already know”. But, I hope you enjoy anyways. I will try to make more Borderlands lore posts in the foreseeable future. Especially character analysis as this series has tons of good characters.

#Borderlands #Borderlands Lore #Borderlands 1 #Borderlands 2 #Borderlands 3 #Borderlands The Pre sequel #Borderlands Analysis #Siren Borderlands

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endysgirl · 4 years

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Sailor Mars Birthday Tribute

I am so late on posting this but I just did not have time to edit. For Mars I wanted to talk about her 90s anime version and her much better manga version.

Let me start by laying my bias wide open. I never liked Sailor Mars. As a kid I thought she was unnecessarily mean. She was and still is my least favorite, besides ChibiMoon. She’s beautiful, and her powers and attacks are awesome. As for how she fits into the overall scheme of things, I have major issues with how the anime portrayed her compared to how Naoko intentioned her. Frankly, I can’t help but view 90s anime Rei as an imposter and I’ll explain why...

Ok, first let’s talk about 90’s anime-Rei. We know she’s very hard working, goes to an elite girls’s Catholic school and wants to be an independent career woman when she grows up. Yet, for some reason (*cough*patriarchy) she sees Mamoru in season one and thinks he’s perfect so she’s gotta have him. She embarrasses herself going all boy crazy over him (he literally steps on her head and just walks away) and he seems like a typical clueless dude who doesn’t realize she *likes* him. I relate hardcore to Mamoru here. She’s so thirsty and he is so not. Then fast forward to after Endymion gets taken and Rei slaps Usagi calling her a coward. It’s meant to be some great emotional scene that some fans latch on to. Yet, it’s not Rei’s slap that motivates Usagi. It just hurts her. Go watch it again (epi35); it’s the voice of Mask from her memory, gently and patiently encouraging her, as always, that she is strong and can fight that spurs Moon into action. We’ve seen over and over that Usagi responds to patient encouragement over violence, just like when she does when she faces the baddest villains. Yet, the 90s anime always has Rei cutting her down. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just the patriarchy at work, trying to convince young girls that the boy or girl who’s mean to you really does care about you. It’s toxic and just plain stupid.

Now, am I saying 90s anime Rei doesn’t really care about Usagi? No. Not at all. She’s her Senshi and they share the same heart and the same dream to protect those they love together. Of course she loves Usagi. My issue is how the 90s anime portrays that dynamic. It’s spreading toxicity within female friendships and trying to sell it as genuine. I also understand that Mars’s fiery personality is what a lot of her fans love about her. I’m not saying that’s bad either, even if it’s an inaccurate representation of the character Naoko created. Apparently, it was Ikuhara that wanted the anime to change her cold and aloof personality to “fiery”. To perpetuate the patriarchal tropes I’ve mentioned, the anime tried to paint her as Usagi’s bff of the group, usurping Minako’s place. In the manga, Minako is the Leader of the Senshi and the one closest to Usagi in personality and in her role as the Leader of Serenity’s guards. Yet the anime is constantly trying to make Mars the one that is extra special to Usagi. Case in point, at the end of Stars the first voice we hear address Eternal Moon after she defeats Galaxia is Rei but in the manga, Usagi is drawn hugging Minako first. These little moments bother me, probably a little too much.

Then there’s the love triangle they tried to created with her and Mamoru. Fucking kill me. The love triangle garbage is just typical, patriarchal tropism within the storyline that has no place in the SM story in regards to Mars. Let’s make two friends like the same dude bc that’s drama that people have been conditioned to enjoy. It’s lame as far as I’m concerned. Let’s take a moment to remember the random, stupid and pointless scene in the curry episode where ChibiUsa and Mamoru run into Rei and after a moment of awkwardness they decide to go find Usagi together. Tell me that’s not the patriarchy trying to validate one woman’s place by using another woman as comparison instead of letting her stand on her own. 😒 And they’re trying to backtrack on the whole Rei liking Mamoru episode. This isn’t Rei’s fault obviously, I’m just using this scene to explicate why I don’t like the dynamic the anime created, and why that makes Mars a difficult one for me to get excited about.

There’s no way you can convince me that Mars’s bitchiness wasn’t a direct result of a “male perspective” (as Naoko called it). The idea that female bffs bully each other and cat fight all the time is ludicrous. As a 32yo woman (and lifelong Moonie) with a tight circle of girlfriends, there isn’t a single one of us who would tolerate such toxicity from the other, even at 14yo. It just isn’t realistic, unless it’s a bad relationship. I’ll give the anime credit for getting one thing right - her bravery. In both the manga and the anime, Mars is fearless. She charges into battle and gives it her all. She doesn’t let any doubt get in her way. She does not hesitate or dwell on self-doubt. And that alone is reason enough to love her.

Now, let’s discuss Manga-Rei. Because Adult-Moonie-Me LOVES manga-Mars. She actually appears in Codename Sailor V outside the arcade. She says the atmosphere is “disquieting” and leaves. In the manga, she’s very quiet and reserved. There is no bickering or cat fighting between her and Usagi. She’s also probably the most objectively beautiful of the Inners. She’s suppose to be “slender”, with long black hair and brown eyes which are sometimes seen as purple. When Usagi first sees her on the bus, she thinks she’s soooo beautiful. And another time, when they’re at the beach/pool, guys keep buying Rei drinks but she’s not flirting or giving them any attention, bc she is not boy crazy. Sis is enjoying those drinks tho.

Her awakening in the manga is very similar to the anime with the exception that’s she sees a premonition of Usagi and Jadeite that makes her go find the bus. Like the other Senshi, she is drawn to Usagi.

In her manga profile, her dislikes are television, modern society (the anime has her immersed in pop culture, going so far as to make her write her own songs and dance at the school festival), canned asparagus and men. It’s implied that she doesn’t like men or care for them bc of her father. He never had time for her and she doesn’t have a good relationship with him. Plus in a short story, she has a guy she likes but he chooses to follow her father’s footsteps into politics. So she kisses him and is like, boy, bye. ��🏽 She considers men emotionally weak, untrustworthy and is generally disinterested in them, even if they’re buying her drinks and fawning over her. Same, Sis.

She is described as beautiful and “reserved”, but “scary” when she’s angry. She so beautiful that when Mamoru’s underclassman, Asanuma, sees her, he thinks she would be the perfect girlfriend for Mamoru (who Asanuma thinks is perfect) and that she should be Mamoru’s ideal type. He’s really surprised that Usagi is so *ordinary*.

Rei has strong precognition and has an affinity to fire. Ironically, there is nothing in Shintoism about fire reading, so that must just be a shoutout to the Greek influence on the manga. I love her psychic abilities in both the anime and the manga. Random fun fact: Naoko worked at a Shinto temple for a while before or maybe during college.

Mars is one of the only Senshi, like Michiru, who can use an item as an attack in her civilian and Senshi form. Her “ofuda” (Shinto talismans) are powerful enough to disperse evil and make regular people faint (remember anime epi w/Unazuki’s mouth getting sealed and in the manga/crystal she accidentally “purifies” Usagi, causing her to faint). Mikos (shrine maidens) are known to use archery attacks, so civilian Rei was already proficient in archery before awakening as Mars. Also, just like Jupiter’s earrings stay on her when she transforms, Mars is always wearing a pendant and when she transforms, it attaches at the waist to her fuku.

Mars also, uniquely, has her own guardians: the Crows, Phobos and Deimos. In the anime, the crows never take human form as they do in the manga. In the Dead Moon arc, Jupiter and Mercury power up by speaking with their inner consciousness. But Mars powers up by speaking with the human forms of her crows. This is a great moment in the manga bc Phobos and Deimos basically tell Rei that’s it’s ok to not want or desire men and marriage. She is the asexual goddess everyone overlooks and I love this aspect to her personality. The Crows are the ones to give her the Mars Crystal which is her starseed. We also find out here that Mars pledged a vow of Chastity to Serenity in the SilMill. They don’t explain the reasons behind the vow, but considering Rei’s spirituality and serious conservatism, it’s understandable. Also, while Phobos and Deimos are named after the moons on Mars, in the Stars Arc it’s revealed that they’re from the Coronis and were acquainted with Sailor Lead Crow.

For the most part, Rei in the manga seems more boring than Rei in the 90s anime, but personally, I don’t think so. Reading the manga in middle school and seeing a female not *give*a*fuck* about marriage was awesome to me. She’s also kinder and she has far more respect for Usagi. She’s extremely popular at her school and has her own fan club. She carries herself with a certain dignity that reminds me of Michiru. She’s second in command after Venus. And let me end this by saying that Crystal gave Rei justice, and for that I am happy.

Happy Birthday, Mars! 🔥 🌙 ⭐️

P. S. Check out Allison Yarrow’s book “90’s Bitch: Media, Culture and the Failed Promise of Gender Equality” for more detailed analysis on how women in the 90s who wanted to have a home and a career got turned into the bitchy boss, bitchy girlfriend or bitchy best friend to subvert their quest for gender equality. I think Rei is the perfect example of this narrative. Especially when you consider men changed her nature in the anime from what her female creator intended for her. Also, check out the podcast on it https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unladylike/id1333193523?i=1000432317654 (podcast name: Unladylike episode 45. how to free the 90s Bitch)

Thanks for reading all this you wonderful Moonies!!!

#sailor mars #sailormars #rei hino #hino rei #90s bitch #bitchification #sailor moon #sailor senshi #sailor moon fan writing #hottest senshi #mahou shoujo #magical girl #pretty soldier sailor moon #rei #raye #anime #90s anime #manga

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forkanna · 5 years

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Commissions OPEN!

For a long time, I’ve been considering Commissions; IE, you pay me to write a thing, and I write it. But I’ve had a ton of other projects I was juggling so it wasn’t feasible before now. Some of those are taken care of, and also I have no money, so let’s give it a whirl!

This is on a trial basis: if you ask and I tell you I'm no longer accepting commissions, then that's it! Please don't be mean. I took a look around Tumblr and borrowed ideas and snippets from a few other posts to give me a better notion of how to do this. Seriously, this is my first shot so I'm doing my best! If you are interested, please read through the full rules and details in this post.

Commission Rate: $5 to get started and first 1000 words + $0.02 per word

Minimum Word Count: 1500 (IE, $15 is the minimum for a finished product)

Maximum Word Count: Depends on number of commissions/my availability (but generally, anything over 10,000 is a stretch)

[Further details:]

Main Universes (I can jump in easily!):

Frozen

RWBY

Sabrina the Teenage Witch (90s TV series)

Riverdale/Archie Comics (yes, including Sabrina lol)

Overwatch

Harry Potter

Sailor Moon

Solty Rei

Wizard of Oz/Wicked

Bucky O’Hare

Scott Pilgrim

Jessica Jones

Miraculous Ladybug

Veronica Mars

Stranger Things

(This list may be updated)

Other 'Verses (I'll have to brush up to do them justice):

Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Firefly/Dollhouse

Charmed, Ugly Betty, Everwood

Hayate the Combat Butler, Zoids:Chaotic Century/Guardian Force, Zoids:Genesis, Tenchi Muyo!, One Piece, Naruto, YuYu Hakusho, Hunter X Hunter, FLCL, Cowboy Bebop, Dragonball, Bamboo Blade, Chobits, and a decent amount of other anime I don’t feel like listing

Other Disney verses, such as Tangled, Moana, Little Mermaid, what have you

Batman, Superman, Spider-man, X-Men

Tales of Symphonia/Vesperia/Abyss

Star Trek (anything but Enterprise)

Star Wars (original or new trilogy)

Hunger Games

Divergent

A Series Of Unfortunate Events

Steven Universe

Miller-Boyettverse (this means Full House, Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, etc.)

Sonic (But please don't ask me to write Sonic... like I will if you really want me to but ugh, it’ll just give me ‘Nam flashbacks)

Extras (note that these fees apply even if you didn’t notice them lol) :

More than 2 characters: $2.00 per character (if they have more than a single line of dialogue lol)

Use of Original Characters (OCs): $3.00 per OC

OCs must be from the same universe.

EXCEPTION: See Cross-overs below.

I will not write anyone else's OC. It must be wholly owned by you.

All OCs requested as primary characters must have a biography or a link to a biography page (if such exists) submitted to provide for characterisation. I’m not a mind-reader.

Cross-overs: $5.00 per universe (and they must still be one I'm familiar with)

Alternate Universe (AU): $5.00

Please describe your AU in the request; use as much detail as possible so I have a clearer picture of what you want.

If it’s just a general “Modern AU” with no other stipulations (meaning I can just write whatever comes to mind), this can be waived.

Pairings that aren’t F/F: $5.00 (sorry, I just need the extra motivation for non-femslash ^^;)

I WILL

Write from fandoms other than those above, as long as you provide information about the characters and the setting. This will cost you $10 extra, because unfamiliar elements will take a lot more time/effort for me to research and get into beyond simply writing the story itself (and I may refuse outright if I’m just not comfortable, fair warning)

Write smut! You can't be surprised.

Write any gender/gender pairing. I prefer and am best at F/F, but M/F, M/M, and anything outside the binary are all well and good for me (but I charge extra; see above).

Trans characters count as their gender for purposes of fees. (IE, if it’s F/trans F, it is F/F; if it’s F/trans Male, it is F/M and will be $5 extra but I’m still totally happy to do it)

Write all kinds of kinks; if you can think of it, I've either already written it or would be willing to try. But there are exceptions: see below.

Post the work on my blog and various fanfiction websites; you are paying for me to write what you want to read, not for you to be the sole "owner". Also, you can stipulate whether or not you are credited with having commissioned it, either with your name or just with a preferred nick/username/Tumblr URL.

I WILL NOT

Write anything that I ultimately don’t feel comfortable with. I reserve the right to refuse commissions for any reason with or without disclosing said reason. Do not push this or I may sever all contact.

Write non-con. Full stop. Dubcon, we can talk about it but I'm still not thrilled with the idea. Yes, I just said I'm dubious about dubiousness. (Superfluous note: this obviously extends to prepubescent characters because they cannot give consent, so just don’t.)

Write certain hard kinks. Scat and dismemberment are off the table; there are others but I’ll let you know if you hit one.

Write real people. This is a growing trend in the fanfiction community, and while I'm mildly iffy with it under the best of circumstances, it is off my commission table entirely. I’m not trying to shame anyone else but it’s just not my jam.

Do anything MLP. After what happened to Yamino, and then WebdogGate happening to me, I just... have an aversion. (There are other fandoms I won’t do but I will gently let you know if you ask about them)

Let you post the fic yourself. You will receive the file of the fic through email/messaging/file-sharing website, or simply by seeing the post on Tumblr/AO3 if you prefer, but you will not post it yourself and claim credit for the work. Just because you paid for it doesn't mean you are now the author; I’m not ghost-writing.

Write anything other than fiction. I’m not an Essay4Cash service.

NOTE: Asking for any of the things explicitly banned on my “I WILL NOT” list will probably get your commission request ignored.

MORE DETAILS

* I will respond to commission requests on my own time, checking when I can. If you are not responded to within 1 week you may request again. * Once I have accepted and begun work on a commission, I will generally try to contact again within 1 week, either to state the reason it isn’t finished or to hand over the finished product. You may contact me after that time to ask what’s going on. * PayPal is the only form of payment accepted at this time. All amounts are in USD. This information will be exchanged during discussions about the work in question. You can pay me via My Ko-Fi if that’s preferable (still uses PayPal), but I must know that is how you sent payment via PMs/email before you send payment so I can look for it. * The $5 initial fee (for starting work and the first words) is non-refundable, as are the fees for any extras you may have opted for, and that will be expected before any work begins. BUT DO NOT JUST SEND ME MONEY WITHOUT DISCUSSION OF THE WORK IN QUESTION FIRST. If I don’t like the commission idea and you already paid me, that’s on you, and I don’t want you wasting your money. * A brief excerpt from the completed commission will be sent for review prior to payment as proof of good faith. * The full commission will be delivered upon receipt of payment via PayPal. Unless I literally did not do something you requested (or did something you requested I not do), you are receiving the final product: don’t quibble over details or come to me with buyer’s remorse. Done deal, all sales final. * Your money is paying for my time and my work. If I really can’t finish your commission, I will do my best to get back to you and either discuss how to proceed or possibly a change in the work. (But legally speaking, you donated your money to me and it’s gone; don’t try something crazy like suing me to get it back because I have warned you. No refunds. But in most cases that will only be that initial $5 fee anyway). * Word counts may vary. I prefer to write a story to a natural stopping point, so I could go above or below the word count goal by a handful. I will not charge extra for overages unless it is substantially more, and even then I will likely ask you first if you have more payment to offer. * Your commission will be delivered in DOCX or PDF format in addition to being posted. Hell, if you really wanna send me another $5+printing/postage fees, I’ll print it out at Office Depot and mail it to you, signed. (Separate transaction/arrangement though.)

CONTACT ME TO DISCUSS ON TUMBLR, OR HERE (drawn terribly in paint to avoid spambots):

Thanks in advance!

#fanfiction commissions #commission work #fanfic commissions #fic commissions #writing commisions #jess the writer #jess the very broke writer

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therearemonstersinthedark · 7 years

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Astronautical Ch 6: Affirmations

A Guardians of the Galaxy Fanwork

Pairings: n/a

Genre: Adventure, general

Word Count: 5k

Rating: T to be safe

Links: Fanfiction.net || Ao3

Summary: Forgiveness is a curse word among galaxy class assassins, space outlaws, and maniacs.

Author’s Notes: Hey all! I know everyone's excited to get to Halfworld, so I hope this chapter isn't too slow for anyone. I have a few more key elements to get in place before jumping into action again, but then it's back to explosions and violence! Whoo! This Chapter is titled after Affirmation by Savage Garden. If you don't know the song I suggest giving it a listen. It's always been a favorite of mine and it fits my characterization of Peter and this whole chapter so well.

Astronautical Chapter 6: Affirmations

After a quick nap and a handful of painkillers Peter was up and ready to blow this two-bit waystation. It quickly became apparent, however, that his ship was not equipped for a one-handed pilot. That was how he found himself slumped low in his co-pilot's chair, arms crossed and 'sulking' as Drax had called it, while Nebula piloted his ship. Not like he was one to talk.

"Why are we traveling to this Knowhere place?" The ex-champion griped from the last seat. "We should be hunting Ronan down, not running away!"

"For the last time, we are not 'running away,' we are regrouping. There's a difference. I still need to find our other three teammates before we go doing anything stupid."

"About these teammates of yours," Nebula broke in before Drax could ask. "How exactly are you planning to locate them?"

"Well," Peter felt like 'I have no clue, I'm making this all up as I go along' was probably not the answer they were hoping for. "Knowhere seems like as good a place as any to start the search. It's a hubble of underhanded information and shady dealings, and my friends aren't exactly the subtle type, so someone there must know something that can help."

"Perhaps one of us will know something. Tell us about these friends of yours." Drax leaned forward in his chair, draping his elbow over the back of Peter's so he could look down at him.

"I guess the first would be Rocket. There's no forgetting that attitude. He's a weapon's expert, working as a bounty hunter or something when I first met him, swears like a drunk sailor, and, oh yeah, he's a raccoon."

"A what?" Drax asked, his face screwed up as though not sure if Peter was playing a joke on him or not.

"A raccoon." Peter tried again, but was only met with confused looks from both his companions. He may have hit a little snafu here. "A trash panda? ...Triangle faced monkey?"

No spark of recognition made it across their faces, so he decided to come back to that later.

"Okay how about his partner, Groot?" He thought he saw something flicker across Nebula's face at that and continued faster, staring at her intently. "A big walking tree. Like, 8 feet tall. Extremely nice, but extremely deadly. Only three words he sais are-"

"I am Groot."

Peter's face lit up at Nebula's words. "Yes! That's him! You've heard of him?" He was sitting up in his seat now, practically bouncing in place.

"I've met him." She replied, her face was drawn and tense.

"That's great! Where did you meet him? Maybe we can track him down."

"There's no need. I know where he is." Her face had morphed into something dark and unreadable, like she was thinking about something she found particularly unpleasant and Peter got the sense he wasn't going to be keeping this elated feeling for long. He almost dreaded the next question, but asked it anyways.

"Where, um, where is he?"

"On a planet in the Keystone quadrant." She stared resolutely through the windshield as she spoke, hands tight on the controls even though there was nothing around them and no steering to be done. "It's Known as Halfworld."

"Halfworld?" Peter repeated. That didn't sound terribly familiar.

"It's a sort of research facility- Thanos uses it to test weapons and to research certain, enhancements, for his soldiers. It's a closely guarded secret among his top generals."

"How do you know about this Halfworld place?"

"It's where he sent me for my last few... upgrades." Her voice had a chilly edge to it now, and she hadn't taken her eyes off of the windshield once. Even Drax seemed to be picking up on her mood and was uncharacteristically quiet.

"So, how far away is this place?" Nebula relaxed almost imperceptibly at the shift in subject.

"Not too far if we use the jumps. We could probably make it in a matter of three or four days." Three or four days sounded like an eternity, but he could hold it together for Groot.

"What is he doing there, anyways?"

"For the most part, I'm not sure. I was never too interested in their experiments. We met when my father wanted me to test out my newest enhancements against a worthy opponent." Peter's face screwed up into a wince at the mental image. Groot could take care of himself, but violence wasn't exactly his favorite pastime, at least not before being reborn on Xandar, and after having basically re-raised him from a tiny twig, all of the Guardians couldn't help but feel a bit protective of their not-so-tiny-anymore teammate. To find out that Thanos was using him for who knows what and pitting him against his enhanced children like a glorified punching bag was kind of hard to swallow.

A spark of anger flared to life in his chest, aimed at the cyborg currently piloting his ship as he imagined her harming his gentle friend but he shoved it roughly back down. Blaming Nebula for the things she had done under Thanos's control was no different than blaming Gamora for the atrocious things that she had done, he reminded himself.

"How heavily guarded is this place?" Drax finally spoke up, voice loud against Peter's ear, pulling him out of his spiraling thoughts.

"Highly. There are very few guards, but those that are assigned there are of the highest caliber, and there are several automated defense systems in place as well."

"Do you think you could get us in there?"

Nebula didn't answer right away, mulling over options or calculating plans, or whatever she did when she got out that emotionless doll face, perfected by years working as an assassin under the Mad Titan himself. Briefly he wondered if she had ever played poker. She would probably be unbeatable.

While she thought, Peter reached his good arm down into the bag of sweets he'd saved from Sakaar and pulled out a pair of sweet frosting coated pastries, passing one back to Drax who took it with a grunt of appreciation and settled back into his own seat.

"I can get us through into the main facility as long as Thanos has not thought to change the codes yet - I can't imagine he would believe we were headed there of all places, so that might earn us the element of surprise-. The difficulty will lie in getting us all back out alive. The security is geared more towards keeping things in than keeping them out."

Peter stared at his pastry while he considered the implications of this. A secret research facility with security that pointed inward was an unappealing concept on many levels.

"So we can get in, but not out?" The very beginnings of a plan were starting to form. Not an ember, not even a spark, more like the kindling was just starting to arrange into a neat pile. He could see Nebula nodding out of the corner of his eye. "Do you think you could get us in without tripping any alarms? Like at all?"

"As long as the codes have not been changed." Nebula repeated.

"Good. Good." A smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth. "And how well equipped would you call this security for an attack coming from the outside?"

"Your little M-Ship is hardly going to be a blip on their radars."

"Okay, but how about a fleet of M-Ships?" The tugging at the sides of his mouth grew more insistent and he sat up straighter as he spoke.

One perfectly shaped brow rose as Nebula finally took her eyes away from the window and looked at him directly.

"Do you have such a fleet?" She asked skeptically.

"I might know a guy." He answered, the grin finally splitting over his face. "Do they have anything of value in the facility? Like an ancient and pricey artifact, high class weapons, piles of gold just sitting around...? Honestly, I can work with even just the rumor of something really good."

"I don't know about any gold, but the technology produced there isn't even available on the black market yet, and there may be several artifacts with sizable rewards sitting around in the research facilities... What exactly are you playing at?"

"I'm playing at having my ravager friends run a distraction to cover our escape in exchange for whatever we can smuggle out for them."

"You have ravager friends?" The seat behind him creaked as Drax leaned forward once more.

"Well, friends might be a strong word. They kind of kidnapped me from Earth, threatened to eat me, and then used me to steal stuff for them and squeeze into tight spaces... So not really friends, or even well-wishers most of the time, but for the right price, they could certainly be persuaded to point their guns at some out-of-the-way research facility."

"They tried to eat you?" Drax asked, his face scrunched up. "Is that common? Are Terrans considered a delicacy?"

"What?! No! What is wrong with you?!"

"Nothing is wrong with me." Drax looked downright offended as he puffed himself up and squared his shoulders. "And you are the one who said that an entire crew tried to eat you. I merely asked why."

"It was just an empty threat to keep me in line. Mostly. I think... We're getting off topic." Drax just shrugged like he thought Peter was being difficult and sat back in his chair again.

"The automated security could likely be overwhelmed with enough moving targets so the live guards would have to leave their posts to engage with the threat. If these ravagers of yours could hold their own against the security for long enough we could likely slip out and be off the planet before they realized what we've done. "

"Great! So we have the start of a plan."

Drax let out a huff from behind them.

"Sneaking. That is coward's work! That is exactly what I would expect from the sniveling dogs of Thanos, but I had hoped for better from you, Peter Quill. We should slaughter every one of those guards and raze the whole place to the ground."

"HOW DA-" Nebula's head whipped around so fast she probably would have had whiplash if not for the thousands of nanobots constantly repairing her bones and tissues.

"Whoah!" Peter interrupted, throwing his arm up between them before this could turn into a full-blown brawl in the cockpit. "Take it easy. Drax, this no time to be rushing into anywhere like a bunch of jackasses. If we get ourselves killed we're no good to anyone, and you'll never get your revenge. Is that what you want? To die in some far corner of the universe before you can ever even get close to Ronan or Thanos?"

Drax shifted uncomfortably in his seat, arms crossed and a scowl heavy on his face.

"And another thing. You have got to stop insulting each other- both of you!" He glanced at Nebula who wrinkled her nose at him but had returned to focusing on piloting the ship, apparently content to leave dealing with Drax to Peter for now. "If we're ever going to pull off something like this we're going to have to start getting along. As a team."

"Ravagers and assassins." The hulking destroyer growled under his breath. The scar on his right shoulder seemed to ripple as his muscles flexed, and his eyes flashed dangerously from the shadows of his lowered brows. "What kind of a person do you think you are to lecture me?"

"The kind who has a ship, friends, and a plan, and hasn't spent the last who-knows-how-long hiding away like a child in some colosseum on the outskirts of the known universe. You want to talk about being a coward?" Peter growled right back. It was a low blow and he knew it, but he was already running on minimal sleep, had a viscous headache, and his hand was throbbing even through the pain meds, and Drax's whining was getting on his last precious nerve.

Drax stood from his chair with a snarl to tower over Peter and for a moment Peter thought he had finally pushed him too far. From the corner of his eye he could see Nebula subtly reaching for one of her daggers, one hand still on the controls. Drax appeared to notice this, too, his eyes darting between his two crewmates before he relented with a disgusted huff and turned to stalk wordlessly towards the ladder leading to the cargo bay.

As his head vanished from sight Peter relaxed against his seat. Nebula returned both hands to the controls and seemed to relax as well.

"I have not called him any names since boarding this vessel." She informed him.

"Don't you start." He groaned, covering his face with his good hand. He had forgotten how much his first week living with the Guardians had felt like living with children. All combined they probably had the emotional maturity of a potato with a bit of mold growing on it. Although the potato probably wouldn't have tried to blow them all up for laughing at how it sneezed. If Potatoes sneezed, that is.

He was going to have to apologize to Drax later for what he'd said. For all of his idiosyncrasies, Drax had always been the most steady and self-possessed of his crew. Insults rolled off his skin like water off a duck and while he often pouted and made his displeasure known when things did not go his way, he was quick to shake it off and move on with his life, unlike Peter who could set a record for petty grudges, Gamora who let things fester inside of her under the guise of not caring, or Rocket who was always a ticking time bomb just looking for an excuse to go off. Even mentions of his family, which obviously still caused him great pain, were usually met with a level of humor and grace and he could speak of them with love and pride at their memory, not tainted by the bitterness of their loss. Something Peter had never truly been able to achieve with his own mother's death. To see him so emotionally raw and easily rattled was disturbing, to say the least.

He would give him some time to cool off before he touched on the subject again, though.

Peter finished off his own pastry, now a bit crushed and misshapen, before standing and stretching and announcing that he would be returning to his room. Nebula waved him away with a flick of her wrist and pulled up a navigation screen to study the nearby system.

Down in his room Peter reclined on his mattress headphones on and boots bobbing along to the music as he ate a second pastry, some sort of sweet loaf that was a peculiar shade of purple and tasted a bit like a cinnamon roll. The treats were starting to get a bit stale around the edges, but they still tasted pretty good. As he ate, he mulled over some ideas about how to talk Yondu into risking his fleet against one of Thanos's outposts. It probably wouldn't be easy to convince the man that the reward would far outweighed the loss he'd be suffering in damaged or destroyed ships, so he'd have to have a plan before he could hail the Eclector.

As he weighed the pros and cons of telling him about Groot he found his mind kept wandering back to Nebula reaching for her knives back in the cockpit. She still hadn't brought up the subject of her missing dagger, and he still hadn't told her that he had lost it back on the swirling purple planet vanishing quickly behind them. The thought of that conversation brought up an uncomfortable mixture of dread and guilt.

He wasn't sure what the origins of her matching knives were; whether they were just standard gear assigned to her, or if they were a specialized set that she held any sort of attachment to. It wasn't as if he'd lost one of her signature electric batons, so it couldn't be that bad, right? Signature weapon or not, the knife he'd lost had certainly felt perfectly balanced and very well made as it slid into the alien like he was made of warm butter, and he could feel some sort of swirling design carved into the hilt. He was sure he couldn't afford to replace it either way.

He polished off the second pastry of the day and reached down into the bag, now at the side of his bed, to root around for another. While he dug through the remaining options his fingers brushed against a wad of crinkled up paper. Oh yeah. In the mad rush to leave he had completely forgotten about the bracelet that he had picked up from the bazaar.

Sitting up and crossing his legs Peter pulled the paper ball out and unwrapped it in his lap, dumping the thin silver chain and sword charm into his right palm. He rolled it between his fingers and chewed the inside of his lip as a different sort of plan sprouted in his brain.

He had given jewelry to an uncountable number of women in his life, as gifts, bribes, apologies, and even a ransom or two. This felt different. Nebula wasn't so much a woman in his life, as a very prickly unofficial sister-in-law who had nearly killed him on several occasions, and might just pull out her other blade and bury it in his ribcage if she decided to take this as an insult.

Briefly he considered trying to find some sort of armor to slip under his shirt but quickly dismissed the idea. Now he was being a coward. With a deep breath to steele his nerves he stood and marched out of his door.

In the common area Drax sat at the far corner of the table, sharpening one of his blades with a sour look on his face and refusing to look up or acknowledge Peter as he made his way to the ladder. Another talk he wasn't looking forward to. Is this what his life was now? Awkward heart-to-hearts with Gamora's sister and this moping version of Drax? He deeply hoped that once he got the rest of the crew together things would return to some semblance of normal. He just had to gather them all together long enough to figure out how to get his timeline back and he could put this all behind him like some sort of terrible dream.

Scaling up the ladder, he found the Galaxy-class assassin right where he had left her, studying a map of what looked like a thin asteroid belt. Peter cleared his throat to get her attention, although he was certain she already knew he was there.

"Yes?" She asked, flicking the screen around so it displayed a different view of the same belt.

"Here." He said, stopping by the pilot's chair and holding his hand out towards her, fist curled around the bracelet.

Slowly, as though she thought he might be handing her a live grenade, she held her own hand out, palm up, and Peter dropped the fine silver chain and little gold charm into it with a soft clink.

"It's a gift." He rushed to explain when she gave him an incredulous stare. "And, kind of an apology."

Her non-bionic eye brow lowered suspiciously.

"I, uh, lost your knife on Liljhedahl." He confessed. "The guy I stabbed may have stumbled off with it and I-I'm sorry I guess."

Nebula curled her fingers around the bracelet, still not looking at it.

"And you thought this tiny trinket would replace my weapon?" She asked. He couldn't tell if she was angry or amused by this.

"No, not really, but it's just a gesture, y'know, like an 'I'm sorry I lost half of your really cool knife set so please don't stab me with the remaining one' kind of thing." He sniffed and shrugged his shoulders, feeling like a little kid under her scrutinizing gaze. "Look, if you don't want it I can take it back-."

"Fine." She said suddenly, drawing the bracelet closer to her body. "I accept your apology."

"Just like that?" It was Peter's turn to be suspicous.

"No. I expect it to be replaced. But in the mean time I will not stab you with the other one." It was definitely a spark of humor in her tone, much to Peter's relief. He had no clue how he was going to go about replacing half of a matching set, but he could worry about that later.

"Okay." He clapped his hands and flashed her a toothy grin. "That sounds good. I will uh, look into finding a replacement and I will hold you to the whole not-stabbing thing. Now I've got some business to attend to below so uh, see you later." As he spoke he backed up several steps and made a hasty retreat down into the lower deck before she could find a reason to change her mind.

Down below Drax was much as he had left him, but by now he had set his first blade aside on the table and was beginning to work on the second one. Peter took a seat straight across from him, leaning his arms on the table and trying to catch his eye.

"Hey man. I just wanted to apologize for what I said earlier." He was pretty sure he had said that word more times today than he had the entire time he had spent growing up with the Ravagers. "I took it too far and it wasn't cool of me to bring up your family like that."

The sharp squeal of the whetting stone against the heavy blade kept time in the silence that followed like a morbid metrinome.

"And it really wasn't cool of me to call you a coward. Again. You're not a coward. You're like the least cowardly person I have ever met. But we really need to start working as a group and that's not going to happen if you keep trying to pick a fight with Nebula every time you don't like one of our plans. You promised you would try to get along."

"I never made such a promise." He sighed, "I only said that I would not kill you two, and I have not."

"Well that's not good enough anymore." Peter snapped.

Drax paused in his sharpening to fix him with a thoughtful stare from across the table.

"I need a promise- a real promise, to try to get along at least until we can get this whole mess fixed and I can get us all back to the way things are supposed to be."

"You really believe that don't you?" Drax muttered, his voice had a weary quality to it now, like he already knew he had lost this argument and was resigning himself to something. "You told me on Sakaar that in your timeline I had once told you about my family, and that I had already achieved my revenge for them. Then I can take it that even if I help you defeat Thanos and return to your universe, my family will remain dead?"

The question caught Peter off guard. He swallowed thickly and fiddled with his cast. "Yes. They... died, long before we met. I would save them if I could, Drax, believe me, but I don't think that there is anything I can do to fix what happened to them."

From across the table Drax nodded as though he hadn't expected anything else and returned to sharpening his blade.

"I will give you my word to try, if you will give me your word that I will have my revenge at least, and that if there ever comes about any way to save my family you will tell me."

"I promise." Peter said without any hesitation.

"Then you have my word as well." Drax nodded to himself and seemed to settle back in the chair into a truely relaxed pose as he ran the stone over his already wickedly sharp blade. "Friend."

"Th'hell you want now?" The disgruntled captain demanded.

"Nice to hear from you, too, Yondu." Peter grinned back from his place in the pilot's chair. Now that they were on autopilot in open space he had reclaimed his rightful seat. "I have a proposition for you and the crew. How does weapons tech that isn't even on the black market yet and a few priceless stolen artifacts that could be ransomed back to their planets for almost any price you could name sound?"

"I'd say it strikes me pretty nicely. Keep talkin' boy-o." Yondu leaned back in his own seat and pressed his finger tips together.

"I have a hot tip about an outpost in a backwater waystation that has some pretty nice little treasures. I happen to be after something in particular at this location and would be willing to trade some cover fire for whatever else me and my crew can smuggle out of there."

"You and y'er crew, huh? Since when did your dumbass manage tah wrangle yourself a crew?"

"That's a... bit of a long story," he laughed. Peter was alone in the flightdeck right now. He thought it would be best to make the arrangements on his own. "but they're both very skilled and reliable, so you don't have to worry about our end of the heist, just keep the guards busy for a while and you can walk away from this with some very heavy pockets. So what do you say we meet up somewhere so we can go over the details and my crewmate can give you guys the rundown on their security measures?"

Yondu seemed to be seriously considering the offer and turned to mumble something to someone offscreen. Probably Kraglin. The voices were too low to make anything out, but when Yondu turned back to the screen it was with a toothy grin.

"A'right boyo. You got my interest. I'm finishing up a big job right now, but I'll send you some co'ordinates. Meet us there in three cycles and we'll work out our payment."

"Sounds great." Peter grinned back, switching off the communication feed and flopping back in his chair.

"That went well." She was like a cat! Peter spun around in his seat to see Nebula standing with her arms crossed to the side of the ladder. A heavy thunking of boots echoed around the room as Drax pulled himself up aftwerwards.

"Yeah. Three cycles guys. Lets get some rest in the mean time." Speaking of, he was feeling pretty tired himself. The nap on Liljedahl was nice, but what he needed was a real sleep.

Peter stood with a dramatic stretch and yawn.

"I'm going to sleep for real now. I'm beat. They should be sending the rendevouz coordinates anytime, so just plug them into this screen here when they arrive." He pointed at a small blue touchscreen to the left of his pilots chair.

"Rest well, Peter Quill." Drax clapped him on the back as he passed, making Peter stumble slightly under the heavy blow.

"Thanks." He laughed. "Good night, guys."

"Good night." Nebula offered with a nod, and if on her left wrist, the bionic one, a thin strip of silver flashed under the Milano's bay lights, Peter made no comment.

End Ch 6

#gotg #gotg2 #Volume 2 #fanfic #fanfiction #ff.net #Astronautical #gotg astronautical #Chapter 6 #Affirmations #Peter Quill #Drax #Nebula #Groot #Yondu #ravagers

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scgdoeswhat · 7 years

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I am SO EXCITED to share this! First off...

Thank you to @ssrevminibang for giving me the platform to finally do a Rei/Jadeite piece!

Thank you to @she-dreams-in-pink for writing such a beautiful fic! I love the way you brought their story (and in turn, my art) to life! I was geeking out not only with the plot you gave them, but the language and descriptions you used. It made everything come alive in my head, and it’s such an honor and thrill to be the basis of your fic!

Fic Title: Calming the Fire (AO3) Artwork Title: The Morning After (Imgur) Author: Dreams in Pink / @she-dreams-in-pink Artist: Silver Crystal Galleria / @silvercrystalgalleria Fic Rating: G Art Rating: T Characters: Sailor Mars/Hino Rei, Jadeite, Princess Serenity/Tsukino Usagi, Prince Endymion/Chiba Mamoru Relationships: Mars/Jadeite, Serenity/Endy Word count: 3886 Fic Summary: Sailor Mars has poured her life and soul into her duty as Princess Serenity's guardian. What happens when foreign emotions betray her, and nightmares of a grim future ensue?

A Mars x Jadeite story written for the @ssrevminibang Challenge.

Now for some background on “The Morning After”:

Inspiration: Rei and Jadeite are my absolute OTP and while I’ve drawn them before on a smaller scale, I decided to go big or go home with my first R/J published work.

I had 3 or 4 scenarios in my head, which included some pretty dark tones. I decided to scratch all that and went for something fluffy, because damn it, our girl needs some of that happiness!

I wanted to be original with what I came up with, and I don’t recall seeing a scene similar to this through the years. I also wanted to keep it simple, with nothing but them against a backdrop of wrinkled sheets.

One of the things that hopefully people pick up on is the look on both their faces...once you get over all that skin of course ;)

Technical info: Copic Markers on 9″ x 12″ Bee Stipple Paper. Scanned.

I usually use vellum or smooth Bristol, but decided to try Stipple out for this. When doing my test colors, I LOVED the texture and way the color popped off the page. Unfortunately this particular scan loses some of the vibrancy of the Copics but the texture is still visible when viewed at its original size.

I would love to eventually make a watercolor version of this and if I get around to it, it will definitely share!

*Prints without watermarks available. DM here or on Instagram (@silvercrystalgalleria) for info.

#sailor moon #sailor mars #jadeite #ssrevmb17 #senshi x shitennou #rei hino #sailor moon fan art #sailor moon fanfiction #rei x jadeite #mars x jadeite

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miragablog · 7 years

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Top 10 Mahou Shoujo Shows for Babies (Part 1)

I’ll be the first person to admit, getting into Mahou Shoujo is hard.

With the lacking amount of accessible critique and over the top presentation shows of the genre adopt,

It can be genuinely uninviting for many anime fans to get a foot in the door that is Magical Girl.

After my last video, I received a handful of comments asking about what I’d recommend as great gateway shows for a newbie.

While a recommendations list is all good and well, giving context to why these shows are worth your time is what i’m more interested in talking about today.

Before getting into the list I’d like to clarify that the choice being presented arnt tiered based on quality nor personal preference.

Some of these shows I love more than others and others not so much; However when recommending shows to try in a sub genre like Mahou shoujo, I find it counterproductive to introduce ratings when breaking down audience bias.

Also I’m judging the viability of these shows on their first five episodes, maybe a few chapters of the manga.

With that out of the way, let's get into the first section….

Kill la Kill

In a world where facism has taken hold of Japanese government, scissor blade wielding badass Ryuko Matoi is on a quest to avenge the death of her father. This brings her to Honnouji Academy, a school run by the iron fist of Satsuki Kiryuin.

For the sake of finding her father’s murderer, Ryuko must demonstrate pride in her body and fighting spirit with the help of a bloodthirsty seifuku known as Senketsu.

Let's say you made a magical cheesecake. Amongst the common choices, of strawberries, banana and cherries you dig through and find the tangy lemon that is Hiroyuki Imaishi’s Kill la Kill.

Trigger has done some fantastic work in its six years as a studio, revolutionizing modern anime as we know it.

However what I never hear ANYBODY talk about is how Imaishi and co.’s work has pushed the concept of the Magical Girl.Kill La kill is a bombastic, stylish addition to the genre and a fantastic entry point for introducing others to Mahou Shoujo.

It has a really fresh, fun take on the Magical warrior, in its most literal form. The use of a mascot character being the transformation item is rare enough, but including symbiote-esc elements to the costume as a whole is something i’ve never really seen done outside of comic books stateside.

While some may critique the shows use of “Fanservice” to be pandering or perverted, I don't think it should be a roadblock in trying KLK out. Most of the nudity presented serves into a message about confidence and having pride in who you are.

It's not trite BS like what you see in Queens Blade or (shudder) Master of Martial Hearts.

If you’re trying to get your little brother or a friend to try Mahou shoujo without having to preface starting crunchyroll with a disclaimer- about how your a real man, throw this on with a bowl of popcorn and a pitcher of lemonade. You’ll have a blast.

Shugo Chara

Amu Himamori is, for all intensive purposes, popular.

Or is she feared?

The “Cool and Spicy” character surrounding Amu pervades the relationships she tries to make with others.

Despite her crushingly shy nature, classmates interpret everything she does in a rebellious lense, perpetuating rumors without making the effort to get to know Amu outside of her reputation.

But in a miraculous turn of events, she is given the chance to rectify her social standing with the blessing of three strange eggs known as Chara, portions of Amu’s buried personality that act as guardian angels.

Originally watching the show while airing in 2008, I can say that Shugo Chara is a contender with the likes of Pretty Cure when it comes to presentation. I’m surprised I don't hear more people talk about the series to be honest.

Transformation sequences are minimal but catch the eye.

The concept of having multiple characters to change in and out of when needed lends to keeping the audience guessing, especially when paired transformations with new Chara come into play.

In combination, Peach-Pits colorful art design and Kenji Yasuda’s directing kept me glued to the screen.

While the shows premise isn't horribly original, Shugo chara stands out for it’s “heart on it’s sleeve” approach to character development.

Overall Shugo Chara has a very child friendly plot while addressing overlooked themes in most bishoujo.

Panty and Stocking With Garterbelt

Keeping this one nice and sweet as i’ve already mentioned Hiroyuki Imaishis contribution to the genre with Kill La Kill.

If you want to test your expectation or others of Mahou Shoujo while indulging in some vulgar toilet humor, then Panty and Stocking is worth checking out.

While shows like this may not be everyone's cup of tea, Gainax has definitely cranked out a fantastic parody addressing the more sexual undercurrents usually glossed over in Magical warrior.

You don't see many studios that have the confidence to implement pole dancing into their transformation sequences.

Atsushi Nishigori, Masahiko Otsuka, Yoh Yoshinari- Shit even my girl Sayo Yamamoto is here. With the diversity in staff, you’re bound to find something you like whether its the experimental realism in “Vomiting Point” or a saving private ryan homage with sperm ghosts in “Pulp Addiction”.

As someone who's watched all of Panty and Stocking through in both Japanese and English; I’d highly recommend the dub.

Not only does it help jokes stick but stays really close to the original intent while implementing some Adult Swim level humor.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably be swept away by the shows poppy, powerpuff girl-esc art and Teddyloid’s contributions to the OST, introducing punchy playlist worthy electronica. Just don't listen to it with your mom or anything.

Cardcaptor Sakura

Sakura Kinamoto is your typical fourth grader.

She's outgoing, participates in sports at school and is beloved by her fellow classmates.

One day, when returning from class Sakura hears a strange sound from her father’s study. Investigating the bookshelves, she opens a strange tome containing “Clow Cards”,

a magicians tarot deck imbued with the powers of aspected spirits.

However, with a gust of wind the cards are lost and with the help of the books guardian, Kero- Sakura must recollect the deck and discover her true self.

Cardcaptor Sakura is by far one of the least abrasive gateways into long form Magical Warrior.

I’m 20 episodes into the series and while I know I dont have the free time to watch another 50 I kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnnnnnddddddddddaaaaaaaaa dont careeeeeee?

The scenery is beautiful, pacing is mellow and everybody, whether it be top tier camcorder waifu Tomoyo to the cuckoo lander childhood crush Yukito will find a way to melt your heart.

When others talk about the typicality of magical girls, I find that Sakura presents many unorthodox takes on commonalities to the subgenre.

The show doesn't have transformation sequences, but rather invests its runtime on inventive fight scenes and dynamic character development.

On the Manga side the series is much more compact read, with about 12 volumes not including the newly announced Clear Card Arc. Mokona and gangs luxurious, carefully laid linework are in the forefront, taking a less hi-scifi approach than their other titles.

When it comes to wholesome, genuine Mahou Shoujo- Cardcaptor Sakura is a great series to snuggle into a blanket and watch with a friend.

Sailor Moon

YOU DON'T NEED A PLOT SYNOPSIS FOR THE DRAGON BALL Z OF MAHOU SHOUJO. IF YOU DO, YOU’RE EITHER LIVING UNDER A ROCK OR TOO YOUNG TO BE ON THIS SITE. FUCK.

Yes, the Dic dub is borderline horrible if you didn't grow up with it and the shows a popular prototype for what we now consider the Magical warrior, which for some is pretty stock. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT ISN'T FANTASTIC AND WORTH THE BINGE.

As far as Magical Warrior goes, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon is a staple introduction to modern Mahou Shoujo.

While early sections of the series do contain buckets of filler, the show makes up for it with a lovable, diverse cast, Beautiful transformations and a fun premise.

Season three alone, Sailor Moon S is arguably one of the best installments in the genre and worth every second of your time as it showcases director Kunihiko Ikuhara, of Utena and Mawaru Penguindrum fame.

The story is nothing too crazy mind you; but if you’re interested in Sailor Moon manga-wise, Naoko Takeuchi’s illustrations are TO DIE FOR, drawn with meticulous detail and colored with a mixture of ink and translucent watercolors.

Look i’ll even make it easier; because I have no life and completed the show six times. A month or so ago I put together a “Abridged Viewing Guide” for people wanting to cut out useless filler so if you’re interested the link will be in the description.

Sailor Moon broke ground in the 90’s for what is now considered a “typical magical girl”. Truly, You would be doing yourself a disservice passing the series up.

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littlesparklight · 6 years

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The first of the two things I’ve written for the first two days of femslash february! We’ll see how many days I manage to do, but I have some ideas rattling around in my head that might get some push with the help of the prompt table I’m using... So we’ve got Sailor Moon and Moonlight Garden here.

The first is some vague AU for Silver Millennium, Haruka/Usagi (or, well, Uranus/Princess Serenity), with the prompt opposites... not that it was written for that prompt, but it works, I think.

"Serenity, come with me." Her mother smiled from the top of the terrace stairs, a beckoning hand calling her forward, and Serenity hopped up - almost fell forward when her skirts caught, but Jupiter and Venus caught her with similar but different amused smiles. Smiling sheepishly, she waved the four of them goodbye and left them in the garden, rushing up the stairs and linking arms with her mother.

"Where are we going?"

For a second, her mother... hesitated, her look pensive and distant, before she shook her head, silver hair swaying in its tails, and the look turning into a tilted smile. It was half of a secret, the rest inviting her to knowledge if she was just patient for a little longer. Not that she had ever been that great at patience, but she drew her shoulders up and simply walked the shining corridors with her mother, until they came to a door like any other - she was pretty sure it led into a parlor, not one of her favourites, but really cute and airy.

"I think it's time you meet some particular people. You shouldn't have occasion to meet them often, but knowing they are there and what service they render might be important, one day."

The door opened under her mother's touch, a bare brush of her fingers, and swung open slowly under its own heavy weight. The Earth was visible as a perfect, shrouded half-circle in the upper left of the row of windows that took up one wall of the parlor, but the stunning blue-green orb, framed by light drapery at the windows, that'd first drawn her eyes was forgotten when the three people sitting on the couches in the room stood up. They wore suits much like her dear friends did, armour despite how light it was, the skirts short and decorative around their thighs. The light framed them, seemed to catch in their hair and skin and make them glow, and Serenity glanced to her mother, confused. There were other guardians than hers? The question was silent, though, and her mother tipped her head in equally silent answer, drawing her forwards into the middle of the room. Held her other arm out to the three by the couches, and the gesture alone drew the darkest of them forward.

"Guardian of Time, Sailor Pluto," Queen Serenity said, a small, private and strangely sad smile on her face as she took one of Pluto's hands and transferred it to one of Serenity's, Pluto kneeling as she gently squeezed the hand she was now holding, "she guards our home from the depths of space, but also has a very special charge. I wouldn't pull her away from it normally, but... this seemed important."

"Princess." Pluto's voice was soft, a dark timbre in the bright room, and Serenity found goosebumps slithering up her arm, a weight in her chest. Not because the beautiful woman was scary, because she certainly wasn't, but when she stood up, her bright garnet eyes meeting her own, there was... She almost wanted to cry, right then, because the distant weight in them was like the shadow of ages she sometimes caught in her mother's gaze, but more so. Besides that, however, she seemed... uncertain. Her eyes were on Serenity, yes, but her weight seemed poised to have her leave, not because she might necessarily want to, but it seemed to Serenity she wasn't comfortable, felt like she shouldn't be here.

"Pluto. Thank you for coming!" So she smiled and took Pluto's hand in both of hers, squeezing it. "I'm glad I could meet you."

And, she realized as she said that, she was. She might not know her at all, but there was some slight tension in the hand she grasped that eased up as she squeezed it, and she settled on both of her feet, heels clicking softly against the marble floor, at her smile, her words. It just made her smile wider, though it softened too. She didn't understand, but rather wished she could help. Pluto curtsied to her, a small, brief flash of a smile on her face and yet the look in her red eyes was unreadable, but soft, before she glanced to her mother.

"My Queen. I should leave."

Queen Serenity's chest shuddered with her breath, a bare moment of unsteady strain as she nodded. Leaned in and brushed a kiss to Pluto's cheek, and Serenity watched the exchange with wide eyes.

"Yes, of course. I apologize for drawing you away, but thank you for taking the time." And she smiled then, amusement and near teasing in her eyes at the word time, and Pluto chuckled softly. Shook her head and bowed to her mother, then, right before she left, reached out... let her hand drop before it brushed Serenity's cheek, and with a last look to her mother, she was out of the room.

The door closing behind them, the second guardian stepped forth even before her mother had gestured her forward, and Serenity watched with an embarrassing amount of guilty jealousy. She moved much like Mars did, easy elegance and grace in every movement, and while she often had the same sort of unthinking grace herself, it sometimes seemed so much trickier, more conscious than Mars ever were, than this woman seemed to be.

"Soldier of the Sea, Sailor Neptune She too guards the outer edges of the solar system against any thread from the outside." Her mother took Neptune's outstretched hand, squeezing it, then let go to let her take Serenity's hand herself, kneeling over it with the hand pressed to her forehead before she stood up, a small smile on her face.

"Princess. I am pleased to be able to meet you." Her hair almost seemed to move subtly, despite that there was no open windows or doors for a breeze to come through, and there was a light in her eyes that seemed to turn the blue into backlit water. Serenity caught herself staring, and ducked her head, embarrassed but, of course, not for long.

"I know you're probably busy, but hopefully it won't be the only time we do," Serenity said, the smile easy and becoming even more so when Neptune smiled in turn - there was a distance there that she couldn't figure out, a sort of fond longing, but it didn't seem judging, not by the way her hand was squeezed before Neptune dropped it, giving her own curtsy.

"If we're lucky, who knows?" She stepped aside, her hand briefly brushing the mirror that hung at her hip, but she didn't leave, standing by the door and clearly waiting for the third member of the little group. She might have glanced to Neptune some more, caught by the slim elegance that seemed to radiate from her, but the third came forward and when she looked up to meet her gaze, something in the young woman's face caught her. Much like the other two, she seemed distant, holding herself still and straight, but there was a weight to her gaze.

"Soldier of the Heavens, Sailor Uranus. Her service, like Pluto and Neptune's, is invaluable to the Silver Crystal's safety." Her mother's arm swept forward, but in comparison to the other two, she didn't take Uranus' hand. She brushed a hand against a slim, toned arm, but that was it, and Uranus nodded to her mother and then turned to Serenity with a certain alacrity in her movements. Took her hand surely, and then, she bowed, sweeping, efficient elegance in the movements, and with the sword at her hip, she could just as well have been wearing a suit and armour instead of her skirted uniform; it would have been just as fitting.

"Princess." Uranus knelt then, and kissed the back of her hand in the same movement, and all Serenity could think of was she moves like the princes on Earth. Not that she was supposed to know that, and maybe it was that they moved like her, but either way her heart was suddenly beating quick and heavy in her chest. Serenity curled her hand a little more around the one holding hers without thinking, and as if in answer, long fingers enclosed more tightly around the back of her hand, a strong thumb pressing against her palm. It was like a brand. "I've been waiting to meet you."

Uranus looked up, and while the smile was teasing, nearly inappropriate, maybe, and it stirred a secret heat in her chest, it was sincere and Serenity hoped her mother hadn't noticed. Laughing, she squeezed the hand holding hers and surely the pink heat in her chest would stay there (she hoped it was). Secret, like the look she'd just gotten.

"I hope I lived up to your expectations!" She wondered how she could, with the beautiful Neptune at the door behind them, but the thought was fleeting, a delicate bird gone on a wind that smelled green and fresh, so much like the wind did on Earth, and the moment of open warmth in Uranus' expression made her hope she had.

"Of course, Your Highness. How could you not?" Uranus was as serious as anything as she stood up, bowing again over her hand, and Serenity could swear her shoulders were wider in that moment, her hair a little more wind-swept despite there being no wind in the room, the windows closed. "I'm merely happy to get the chance to confirm it in person."

Their gazes met, and while they each let go to let their hands drop in the same movement, it seemed the grip lingered, like time had slowed down. Serenity wasn't sure why, but the soft curves and sharp lines of Uranus' features drew her in, and the light in her eyes, not as distant any more, made her want to lean in, warm it up further. Uranus' weight shifted, and perhaps she'd intended to lean in down towards her as well, but she turned it into a half-pivot away as their hands each met a thigh, their grip well and truly lost.

"Well, I'm, glad. Thank you so much for taking the time," Serenity said, and that wasn't what she wanted to say - she'd wanted to say something like she'd said to Neptune, about hoping they could see each other again, but these Guardians had their tasks, surely, and they were Guardians besides. The fluttering warmth of her chest didn't belong, just as much as her constant desire to go down to Earth shouldn't exist. Serenity swallowed the words and smiled, turning around and curtsying to both of the Sailor Guardians by the door.

They left, then, and the room seemed... emptier. Serenity frowned, staring at the door, but even the twisting, stunned giddiness in her chest couldn't distract her from a thought that bubbled up. One, two, three... plus her own four friends...

"Mama, what about Saturn?" Serenity asked, glanced up to her mother, and swallowed at the look on her face, even if the measured look wasn't angry and didn't even seem to really be levied at her.

"Saturn sleeps, and should be left sleeping, darling. Come, let us go back to the garden."

They did so, and if Serenity was disappointed to not pass Uranus and Neptune on their way to leave, well... no one needed to know.

#femslash february #sailor moon #usagi tsukino #haruka tenoh #harusa #lightart

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endysgirl · 5 years

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Sailor Cosmos and Eternal Moon

Hi! I’ve been writing about my favorite scenes from the Sailor Moon manga and decided to post them here. This will basically be my thoughts and analysis of specific characters and scenes in the manga, with some anime comparison.

The first scene I’m choosing is my all time favorite. It’s from the last volume of the manga, where Sailor Cosmos is at the Galaxy Cauldron with Eternal Sailor Moon and calls Eternal Moon the “true Sailor Cosmos”. There’s a lot to unpack here and it’s completely different from the anime, so for those who haven’t read the manga, try to put aside some of what you know because it doesn’t all mean the same thing.

At this point in Stars, Eternal Moon is at Galaxia’s palace close to the Galaxy Cauldron. She’s watched all her Senshi be murdered and Galaxia has turned them on her, making them brutalize her with attack after attack until her wings are ripped off. Sailor ChibiMoon and the Sailor Quartets have come from the Thirtieth Century to help, but they can’t do much. Chibi Chibi holds ChibiUsa’s hand to show her through visions what happened to Mamoru and the Senshi. When Galaxia finally throws the reanimated Mamoru into the Cauldron, ChibiUsa disappears much to the grief of Eternal Moon and to the astonishment of the Sailor Quartet.

As Eternal Moon faces Chaos, it says to her:

“that white radiance...the power of the Milky Way’s strongest light! It has come to me at long last. I am Chaos. One who failed to become a heavenly body, and the ruler of the dark heavenly bodies in this cauldron. My child, who has inherited the power of the cauldrons beautiful light... with your hand, you have illuminated evil heavenly bodies of darkness, my fellow siblings born from the same sea… Your radiance grows from their blood splatter, your name has thundered across the Milky Way. Incarnations of evil darkness that roam the Milky Way, seeking the power of light… All those whom you have vanquished are manifestations of me! Each and every one of them set out to cross space-time from here… You are all siblings! It was your destiny to come to this place. Where there is light, there is also darkness. Darkness summons light, and light, in turn, summons darkness. We are fated to pull each to the other. Just as we have originated from here, as one. And now, the time has come once more for light and darkness to clasp hands! Now hand over your power to me, strongest Guardian of the Milky Way, Sailor Moon! The moment has finally arrived when my long desired wish to replace the cauldron and rule the entire universe shall come to be!”

This is an intense moment and a huge revelation as to the powers Sailor Moon holds and how it works in the universe. She is a heavenly body, just as her Senshi are, and just as Chaos is. They are siblings in a way, all born from the Cauldron and constantly seeking one another, whether for good or ill - is irrelevant. Their mere existence means they will be drawn to each other. This is important because this idea of heavenly bodies being drawn to each other is the reason why her Senshi have always been drawn to her, and her to them. And it’s the reason why they are able to be reincarnated together at the end of the series.

As Eternal Moon thinks on what Chaos has said to her, she thinks about how she’s always fought to protect her comrades and those she loves. But now that they’re gone, is it worth it? Sailor Chibi Chibi uses this time to finally speak. She implores Sailor Moon to destroy the Cauldron completely even if that means destroying the birthplace of the universe. Even if that means Stars (heavenly bodies/senshi) will never be born again. Because, she says, the future is filled with never ending war and she, Sailor Moon, alone will have to bear the burden of it. Eternal Moon wonders at what Chibi Chibi says. She wonders if she will be the one to swing the scythe of death this time. Galaxia then says that even if that’s true, a new Cauldron could form bc conflicts cannot be so easily avoided. (This is a pivitol moment for Galaxia, where she finally understands the true meaning of being a senshi. But I’ll save that for another post.) Moon agrees, saying, “brand new futures will keep coming into existence. And there will be light and darkness there, war and hope, life and death, and happiness and sadness. I am sure it will all exist again. Everything… That is what this universe is!”

Chibi Chibi is stunned and wonders how Moon can have faith in the future of this universe. Galaxia looks at Moon, thinking that she is the Guardian who can embrace anything and everything. Galaxia finally realizes in this moment what it means to be a Guardian and what her place as a Senshi can be. In that moment her bracelet breaks and she enters the Cauldron with the implication that she has a chance to be born again. This leads to Eternal Moon telling Chibi Chibi that “hope and the future await at the end of war.” And she’s going to make it happen. She gently reprimands Chibi Chibi not to abandon hope for the future either, saying “have faith that our star of hope shall never be extinguished. For so long as that star shines brightly, we’ll be alright. Because we won’t lose.”

And this brings us to one of my top scenes in the manga, where Chibi Chibi changes unto Sailor Cosmos, kissing Eternal Moon on the cheek. Moon acknowledges that the reason Metallia, Death Phantom, Pharoah 90, Nehelenia and Galaxia came after her power is the same reason she seeks out her loved ones and comrades. That they are all, each, lonely heavenly bodies, pursuing each other because “we want to be together. Together as one.” It’s an astounding moment that is devoid of judgement and hate. Moon chooses to embrace *everything* inside the Cauldron in order to save everything (this is lambda power/Cosmos’s power). As she throws herself into the Cauldron, it’s not an act of hopelessness but the opposite. She calls to all the crystals in the cauldron and the Milky Way, to her comrades and those scattered across the Milky Way to give her strength. Sailor Cosmos watches as the crystals that were scattered into the Cauldron from Galaxia are illuminated and start making their journey to their home planets where they will regain their original forms. The Sailor Quartet aren’t sure what’s going on but Cosmos explains that Moon didn’t sacrifice herself, instead this regenerative power arose from all the crystals in the Milky Way at Moon’s urging. She says it is the Cosmos crystal’s ultimate power, Lambda power, which restores everything to the static Cosmos. She then finally introduces herself as Sailor Cosmos causing Sailer Ceres to gasp and declare her as Sailor Moon’s ultimate form. (It has been speculated by ChibiUsa that Chibi Chibi could have been her daughter or her sister but now we know that’s not true). Cosmos explains that in the far distant future, she’s been waging war against Chaos. She’s lost all her comrades and has been fighting alone. She came back to this time to find “the me of this era” and convince her to destroy everything so that Chaos would never gain back power. Cosmos tells Ceres that the Eternal Moon who just saved the Milky Way is the true form of Cosmos and when she gains that much courage to face the future, that’s when she can be called Sailor Cosmos again. She then tells them that ChibiUsa will be taken to the thirtieth century from the cascade of power coming out of the Cauldron and with a wave of her staff, sends the Quartet back to the Thirtieth century. So she’s got powers over space and time too. While there’s a lot of speculation as to who Cosmos is despite Naoko saying that Chibi Chibi is the future Sailor Moon (therefore making Cosmos=Sailor Moont), I do think it’s clear that she is Sailor Moon but she’s from so far into the future, we don’t know what has happened or how many life cycles she has gone through. Her silver crystal power has obviously continued to change, becoming the lambda power which is drawn from the Cosmos, not just the Moon. For this reason, I refer to Sailor Moon as a Creation Goddess.. Her true nature is one that obliterates anything you think you’ve known so far in the series, and perhaps is the reason why the final lines in the manga, spoken by Mamoru refer to her as “forever immortal. For you are the most beautiful, shining heavenly body of all time” with an image of Usagi and Eternal Moon together.

If y’all read through all that, thank you so much. This is my all time, ultimate favorite part of the whole Sailor Moon series. I love her strength and depth of character and power. This is the scene that truly makes me excited about Sailor Moon, and I hope for those who haven’t read the manga, that you will. I love the anime and I love critiquing it bc the manga exists in which to base that critique off of. But as a big Moonie, I can separate my love for them while also loving to analyze the juxtaposition of the two.

#sailor senshi #sailormoon #eternalsailormoon #sailorcosmos #mangamoments #sailormoonmanga #sailormoonstars #bishoujosenshi #bishoujosenshisailormoon #sailorchibichibi #chibichibj #sailorquartet #sailorceres #galaxia #chaos

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