#pass me more doomed yuri

[annikuza]

And if you look really closely you can see me get run over by a motorcycle

[branules]

Why do you like aeriseph, sorry if this comes off as rude but I'm generally not too involved in any fandoms so I can't figure out for myself why ppl like this that's just my dumbass lmao

ok i've sat on this one for like a week debating if i should answer or not but sure. i'll preface this by saying that there is no canonical basis for aeriseph in ffvii. like i can't stress enough how much i am making shit up because i like to have fun. but anyway.

the short answer is:

1. sephiroth and aerith are my two favorite fictional characters. 2. i like to draw my two favorite characters lezzing out, because i am a lesbian, and because my sephiroth is transfem. it makes me smile.

as for the longer answer:

i like how much aerith and sephiroth parallel and contrast each other. i like the idea of aerith of having a secret affair with the evil dead woman she is duty-bound to save the world from. not to mention this evil dead woman's ties to zack and the incident that took him from her. i like the idea of the planet's steward and calamity's child going against their natures because they can't resist each other, and it becomes haunting and tragic knowing aerith's eventual fate and the sort of eternal damnation that waits for sephiroth afterwards for doing something so unforgivable, considering she goes from godhood to immortal planet parasite unable to pass on. i find it soooo compelling to think that despite their feelings for each other, aerith ultimately loved the planet and her friends more, enough to do everything in her power to stop sephiroth with Holy, and that sephiroth chose an extraterrestrial brainworm masquerading as a mother over a kind-hearted woman who offered her genuine love. i like the idea of aerith drawing out all the human parts of sephiroth that sephiroth tried so hard to exorcise herself of. i could go on about this for forever but basically i just like doomed yuri.

some necessary addendums:

first, a lot of people like to imagine aerith and sephiroth as siblings. that's fine and cute and i totally get it, but that's not what i'm trying to do. i don't interact with a lot of aerith and sephiroth content that views them with that angle, even if it's cute, precisely because i don't want to cross those wires or make anyone uncomfortable thinking i'm trying to come at this from an incest or underage angle.

second, i want to add that i really don't fw the other aeriseph content i've seen out there lol. i just think i'm into aeriseph for fundamentally different reasons, considering i have no desire to depict them as a het pairing or create gooner noncon content and the like. it isn't that i'm better than anyone, i just don't want to be associated with what goes on in that pairing tag on ao3, and i can't blame anyone who doesn't like aeriseph for that very same reason. i have yet to see someone go about aeriseph in the same l way as i do (sighhhhhh </3) so until then i'm just going to continue playing with my barbie dolls in my locked ivory tower. i am delusional but i am free. hope this helps <3

[dedenneblogs]

my billions of hcs for ares, clarrise, + anyone else unfortunate to be related to the god of war:

- Ares looks like one of those cool, old, bearded grandpas on youtube that give life advice but the only thing he’d give you advice on is how to handle a motorcycle or how to start a war.

- expects ALL his children to know how to at least ride a bicycle, extra points if your able to handle a motorbike by 16 (yes he has a points system). One of the many reasons he doesn’t like Clarrise ☹️☹️☹️

- Wanted to get with Aphrodite ever since TTC. halted his plans when his chest hairs (yes you heard that right i shan’t elaborate) signaled to him that Clarrise was extremely gay for Silena. thought for a second to make another move after Silena passed but decided against it.

- was ecstatic to find out clarrise was a lesbian but only because he saw it as a way for her to “toughen up” and “be more of a man,” so still hated gay men+. Clarrise knocked some sense into him, he’s an ally now

- clarrise doesn’t forgive ares, she probably never will. Ares is okay with that yet he tries to be there for her. always

- Ares is an 80s movies nut. like. won’t shut the fuck up about 80s movies, it’s basically the only thing he watches other then monster trucks, history channel at 3am (he calls it his news source), and illegal cage fights he’s recorded over the years. was hyped when Ready Player One came out and forced Clarrise to come with him to see it. Clarrise liked Aech by the end but wasn’t impressed by the representation. Ares of course said he loved it, then watched again only to realize how shit it was. Ruined his day

- All the Arises have at least somewhat of a pig face, but it’s most noticeable in clarrise. Like. just take a pig, give it a human body. BOOM! Ares child

- Silena used to always tell Clarrise how cut she thought her pig face was. It made Clarrise less insecure. Sobs oceans when someone says something positive about her face after Silena dies. Ah…. doomed/toxic yuri

- Ares: RISE UP AND WIN!!! Clarrise and her siblings in unison: AUUGHHHHHHH

- Clarrise keeps in contact with Blackbeard. He’s an absolute w, always asks his little sister if she wants to find buried treasure or whatever the fuck pirates do in the 21st century. One day Percy introduced blackbeard and his crew to One Piece. things went downhill from there.

also side note i’ve already read 4 of percy jackson books from the og series so if blackbeard finds the one peice in chalice of the gods or whatever don’t @ me until i find out for myself

[phoebeejeebies]

I’m gonna be strange in ur askbox …

Pheobe and Melody thoughts!! uh mm m

pheobe knows that she’ll never see Melody again. At least not for a while.

But she’ll talk to her. Even if she can’t hear her.

“Uh.. if you can hear me in the fabric of the universe, I miss you.”

And she’ll ramble on and on about what’s going on in her life. Maybe she’ll cry a little. Maybe she’ll cry a LOT.

can melody hear her from the other side? Maybe . Pheobe hopes she can.

Melody can hear her and listens to every word. Melody memorizes all of what Pheobe says. Melody will memorize what Pheobe says beat for beat and play the melody (get it?) in her head over and over again when she misses that damn ghostbuster.

Melody wishes she stayed, sometimes.

Melody wishes she didn’t let go, sometimes.

It gnaws at her spirit - it gnaws at the peace she feels in passing on.

But Pheobe is reminded of Melody’s weaving into the fabric of the universe when it’s the perfect temperature outside, when she gets a rush of adrenaline, when nights are quiet and she can work in peace.

Melody sprinkles little things into the world, just for her Pheobe.

The stars shine a little brighter and maybe for a little bit , Pheobe feels whole again.

you make me sick. thank you for sharing. im ill. (all /pos) UUGHAAHNFGG you GET IT. PHOEBE AND MELODY are THEEEE doomed yuri. the way that this relationship will irreparably affect her for the rest of her life. moving on is hard enough, but knowing that you were in love with a GHOST GIRL and you see her in EVERYTHING you do. phoebe takes doomed yuri and ramps it up a little 😭😭😭

i read something that was similar recently. i forgot where. but phoebe would talk about her feelings when she things no one is listening but secretly hope melody is listening. it helps her move on, even if she knows logically melody is gone. but is she really? she's in everything. she was everything. tells her about her day, about her family. how things get better, get easier, get worse sometimes. healing has never been a linear process after all :')

and then on the other side, melody :''') manifesting good things for phoebe. partially because of the tiny tugging guilt melody has for her lack of honesty - because phoebe had grown on her. she goes out of her way to just make the world a little bit lighter, a little bit kinder, more beautiful. phoebe grows a fondness for the moon, for the stars in the sky. for the warm evenings and cloudy mornings, for the busy-ness of new york city.

phoebe makes an effort to go to melody's diner routinely. she becomes a regular. she just misses her. so much.

(i accidentally KEPT rambling in the tags. i didnt mean to T_T)

[cannibalsrider]

royal au! yachi x fem! reader and Yachi is a daughter of noble birth who was made to be a lady in waiting to the princess and heir to the throne due to the king feeling as if his daughter needed to broaden her circle of friends because she had always been seen more in the eyes of the church more than she was in court. It became a routine for her and Yachi to go to the church together to light candles the only sounds being heard were the footsteps of the nuns working at their tasks in the same room as the altar for the gods their kingdom for centuries had been known to worship as if it was burnt into the people's souls passed through each house more shown then the word of their ancestor's. Lady Hitoka had grown close with the princess it was like the poets wrote of the two soulmates even if it wasn't meant to be as a man and wife would be as if they had been born to be like the tale Adam and Eve the universe deriving from their souls. the flickering lights of the lit candles sitting in front of them each sent as an offering to the Maiden, The warrior and the many gods alike remind the pair that the love they hope to share would never be accepted the gut-sinking feeling of shame and self-loathing would never leave the ladies and that they had been born to bear the guilt of how they chose to love that they would be the shame of their houses to forever disgrace the names they had been born to "my lady if I could speak plainly?" lady hitoka had asked her voice had seemed so uncertain when speaking to the princess "you know you are always welcome to my lady" yn had responded back her voice always seemed to carry such a kind tone when speaking to the daughter of her fathers closest advisor "if you had been born of lower standings what would you have wished to become?" the blonde asked her kind eyes barley wanting to meet yns the rings on her hands had a faint glimmer of the jewels in the fires gaze It in a way reminded yn of herself and lady hitoka a flame drawn to watch the jewels in front of her for the rest of time "I believe id wish to have been a dragon handler they always seem to interest me just with the ideas of dragons being closer to the gods than any man" she responded hands clasped together in front of her in lady hitokas opinion the princess had reminded her of the former queen alysanne was her name? it had always been so fuzzy to her the memories of the former king and queen all she truly wished to remember was the times she and the princess would run the long halls of the large keep that yn was to inherit at the time of her father's demise in lady hitokas heart she hoped to know she would always be by the side of the princess it was always them never any other court lady or lords finding the attention of the princess the two of them finding comfort within the arms of each other it was the testament of their relationship to be forever doomed into remembering the notion they would never be able to rid themselves of the touch of each other the feel of the others hands against their skin the memories that they had sinned and that they would never be pure in their souls again as they sat there the only light flickering being the glimmer of the orange crackling flames of the candles set in a circle on the alter "it wont be the same" yn blurted out after no thoughts came to her she was to be married in less then four weeks it was bound to reach the ears of her head lady in waiting some day soon but she wanted to be the one to say it not having her hear it from another "what wont be the same princess?" she responded her voice always was too kind for yn to bear in the worst moments its like her heart was shattering over and over again at each word "i am to be married" yn told her not even trying to make eye contact with lady hitoka

mood board kinda cus i want yall to understand the vibes because I finished this after being told to write Doomed Yuri

[coolfire333]

Actually one more rant about a Specific Unnamed Fandom: starting to think some of you guys are a little bit sexist tbh (obviously not aimed at my mutuals or blogs I follow, just something I've seen in passing)

I know there's like triple the amount of male characters than there are women but I feel like I'm actually in the trenches fighting for (female character) some days and the worst part is said character is like literally integral to the plot. Like guys does anyone else want to talk about her. I love the men too but Please.

I also am super attached to minor female background character #3 so I understand the struggle of having to enjoy measly slivers of content of your fave but my god does anyone else appreciate the main women of this franchise. Or any female characters in the story at all. It is so dark in here.

ALSO the double standards when it comes to ships...!! It's all like "ooo enemies to lovers so good the toxic yaoi hits hard" (which ok that's true and valid) but I swear I feel like I'm going to get drawn and quartered by the masses for admitting I like a doomed yuri ship. Like be serious you guys, if these two characters were men this would be one of the most popular pairings in the series, I swear to god you'd be all over it like flies.

I think the reason people really don't like it is that they see it (and any questionably healthy/unhealthy ship involving a woman) as inherently victimizing of that woman and then they rush to be like "oh no it's bad just trust me I am a Feminist". Like if a man can make stupid romance decisions because Evil Enemy Man Is Hot and that's somehow ok then literally what is the difference??

Also also it is so funny to me because I look at an adjacent fandom and one of the most popular ships there is ALSO doomed/toxic enemies-to-lovers yuri, which really tells me that a lot of people's discomfort with my ship might come from a place of "oh noooo we must protect this pure sweet woman from Ms. Evil uwu" instead of a general "eh I don't like this ship", which imo is incredibly sexist and glosses over so much in order to put my fave girl on a little perfect pedestal. Like you guys she's kind and sweet to other characters but she's also kinda evil too if you think about it, literally nobody here is without evil!

If I had to wager a guess too, the fandom I'm speaking about from experience is mostly male while the fandom that likes (toxic yuri ship) has a larger female audience (and also more women characters in general) so uhhh...idk it's kinda telling to me...

Also shoutout to the people making really good genderswaps of the male characters because from what I've seen that also comes from a place of genuine female appreciation. Like ok make them weird women yeah!! I like that :)

Maybe I'm just talking around in circles but idk I swear the double standards are real. Let me post about doomed yuri without fear. Look at me when I talk about female characters in the fandom. It's ok to ship a m/f ship or even, god forbid, a f/f ship. Take my hand. Expand your mind to female characters more. It's good for you.

[aubins]

“Dearest Yuri...to think I would find you here.” If only the moniker was spoken sweeter from mirth curled lips, if only Arval was capable of lavishing affection curdled sickly in gentler tongues to a mockingbird who sings shrill more than soft.

In moons passed words shared had been more tentative, when friend was a tease on mockingbird’s lips and an offering lighter from Yuri's own indulgence was passed in a brief encounter in the stables.

Moons later, paper crumples as baked goods near identical in scent are pressed into mockingbird’s talons with a haste that betrayed the unbothered flicker of endless reds. A spur of the moment decision, catching lavender tresses in the crowd, a scent sweet and familiar from a stall steps away, an exchange conducted in a flurry of nimble hands almost quick enough to pretend their mind lags behind.

“Remind me to never seek you out if I require aid in fending off gargoyles.” Sharp tongued, keen eyed, and the routine they keep between them. “Not bearing any long lasting injuries from that one, are you?”

It is the lingering slither of respect Yuri had garnered from that exchange in the ruins of a city doomed to fall that prevents Arval from simply pressing corpse cold fingers to the skin of their wrist to check themselves.

Mere seconds can be passed between them before a name hollers through the crowd, neither Arval nor Yuri yet the syllables ring a chime of recognition in ghost's ear as they withdraw in light steps to the call, throwing one last glance all mirth and pointedly ignoring the treats near abandoned into hands, a parting message rushed from curled lips.

“If you have found yourself in a sorry state, I'll be weaving through the crowd for a little longer. You just seem the type to get fussy if their feathers remain ruffled for too long.”

“Darling Arval...” A half turn, a sharpened smile. The saccharine sweetness is followed by a tilt of his head, an innocent flutter of lashes. “...where else would you propose I be found, pray tell?”

Gaze flicks briefly to the treats pressed into his hands, earning a raised brow if little else as fingers curl around it proper to stop from dropping it entirely. They are as befuddling to him as ever in these little moments of concern and care, because they see no reason for him to be owed such an offering when it is he indebted to them.

Yuri says nothing of it, of course, merely retracts his hands closer to his chest. Sharp words and teases are their most natural language— and he doubts Arval would appreciate a discussion brought to what they intended as a wordless exchange. (He would not appreciate it much, either. Would rather not acknowledge whatever the treats in his hands are supposed to mean, if anything at all.)

This is, in the end, what is most familiar. What is most safe. What does not risk crossing that line between them.

“I got out of there perfectly fine, you know,” comes the mockingbird's own sharp tongue, a glint of a challenge sparking in his eye. “Didn't even touch me. If anything, you ought to come looking for me if you're trying to run away from them. I'm quite practiced at it by now.” A dramatic sigh and a shake of his head to punctuate. “But fine, see if I still come to help if you need it. Maybe we can still throw you back into the ruins and see how you do.”

And then Arval is withdrawing in a rush, and Yuri lets them go for a beat. Where their gaze avoids the treats in hand, his drops back down to them.

Then, he catches them by the wrist after a few, long strides in the direction they try to disappear to, brow raised. Yuri laughs. “Where do you think you're going? You'll have to try harder that to ruffle any feathers at all.” The treats are held out to them here, an offering made with a sly grin. “Try this: share these with me and then eat the last one before I can. That'll really ruffle my feathers.”

[chaosprinceundivided]

Doom Approaches

The presence of Tzeentch cascaded through the restored fortress, flocks of Furies flew like raven murders in anxious circles and moments of contemptive rests on the turrets and stretching perches. From the dark stony hides to incadascant of shimmering blues, glittering violets, deep reds and rotting greens. Even with the focus of Chaos' wyrd magics spiralling in a brewing storm, there was a careful schedule made by the cults of magi, witches and conducting sorcerers to keep a tethering equality amongst the raving bands.

Sitting upon his throne of skulls and fused bones within pain-carved stone and ice, Rulek sat at the heart. The Mark of Undivided burning upon his barrel chest, he found reason to breath but his blackened heart beat. The ichor of malice filling his veins and bringing a mockery of life into his physical presence.

The Realms of Chaos were ironically locked to him and many of his daemonic servants, the Maelstorm kept him here and his power was limited for now. Many sacrifices and bloodletting had to be made to stretch the fabrics of reality to his new domain. However, Rulek had a purpose here and his burning ambition stirred under his breast.

"He can sense him...even now."

Near his throne in his parody of Kislev's court-room, the old seer stood. The withered lean upon his staff. The outward appearance of weakness and harmlessness would have fooled most but the Slayer of Ursun could taste the pacts upon the old wizard's flesh.

"Be'lakor..." The old man said, knowing whom he referred to. "was it worth it?"

Rulek's fingers tensed upon his throne to such a question. "To have sacrificed my kinsmen for a greater purpose, only to find weakness? To have slain a bear that couldn't protect itself? To make something worth all of the bloodshed?"

He questioned as if he forsee the questions before they were even made. He might have been transformed for seemingly only a few years since that day, but in the Realms of the Gods - it have felt like he had existed for decades. Centuries?

Yuri Barkov has long dead in the madness of revelation, betrayal and the games that the Gods demanded from him. There is only Rulek.

And the Daemon smiled along his draconic snout, the great fangs and sharp teeth behind an otherwise animal beauty. He laughed, mirthlessly so. "Does it matter, Old One? All that matters is in the now." He lifted a hand, the cold air visually pulled into his opening palm. The crackle of dark powers bouncing between fingers and along his skin before gesturing, slowly swirling the warpfire like a idle child amused by his own capability.

"And now, I am Doom. This stronghold is yet to be proper for my glory, I require more slaves. The skaven think me blind of their presence to the east and,' Rulek's eyes shined. A shimmer of azure passing before he breathed, there was a flux. A change of fates and reality, something that wasn't there before became a now.

'the Curseling slither with his forked tongue. Interesting..."

"Lord?"

"No matter. I gather my warriors. Whilst my lieutenants ensure the the Bay of Blades secure, I will take to the Black Gulch. We will see the ratmen's willingness to serve or be fodder to my power. Seer, you will accompany me."

"Yes, my Lord." The old man said humbly with a bow of his hooded head.

[batvillagers]

This is me asking about Vampire Apollo? Genuinely, please talk about him, I’m intrigued. But only if you want to lol. 🦅 (:

OMG so without giving a lot of unnecessary details -

in my extensive self insert-verse im a human vampire who met apollo during a doom metal/occult rock concert and we started dating!!!

but then isabelle, tom nook, copper, and booker all wanted to found a nice big island for them and their families and friends. unfortunately apollo's niece (one of isabelle's friends) got involved and invited apollo along, but my human vampire dude moved with him.

ummm some months pass and there's an extravagant midnight wedding on the island and a few weeks pass after that and it comes out that my self insert is a vampire!!! apollo asks to be turned because he doesn't want my guy to suffer alone.

and now we just terrorize the island together and be spooky forest nuisances C:

there's a lot more im omitting, like Artemis (apollo's sister) and her kids Valentina and Yuri (named after cosmonauts) because in the earlier games cranky villagers talk about having nieces, but that's for a later day

[theofficersacademy]

                                                 TEAM DIVA

                                          Nanna   Laslow   Yuri                                 Shez (M)   Ingrid   Azama   Elincia                                      Letizia   Ignatz   Edelgard   Merric

PROLOGUE [August 1st - August 3rd]

Tag: #UnscriptedDiva2022

Book Summary:

Delancey Simmons is a girl on a mission: to rise up from the dredges of her past and pursue her dream of being the next musical sensation. The public cries out for real music, something that isn’t processed and manufactured for mindless consumption... or so she thinks. A year has passed since Delancey’s “debut”, and all she has to show for it are three gigs at empty bars and a water bottle jingle.    Wavering from her convictions has never been Delancey’s style. But when a one-off submission to Stairway to Stardom nets her a live audition, she can’t help but be intrigued. It’s almost everything Delancey hates, but if it’s for a chance to grasp at the one thing she loves, contrived TV drama and hot guys won’t stand in her way.

Bright neon lights sear FIREY EMBLEMS: GACHA GACHA GO!! into your vision.

Some of you find yourselves dressed in very familiar clothes: the ones you have worn most throughout the war back home, though the quality leaves much to be desired. The castle you’re in—no, it’s not a castle at all, but even you could have been fooled. People buzz around the set with props and papers in hand, frantically getting everything into place. “Look here,” one woman says to you, pulling your chin forward and brushing rouge onto your cheeks. A man, holding a contraption similar to what the Projector brought to the Ethereal Ball, roams through your group, capturing images of all of you. “C’mon girls, give me something!” 

One woman’s voice rises through the din of a production in motion: “Firey Emblems! Your spirit shall shine...!”

—

"One, two, three—”

A band begins playing behind you. The massive audience before you erupts in perfectly-timed applause, smiling widely at all of you. Some of you have ended up here, sitting under hot lights and with strange contraptions pointed directly at you, following your every move. A trap? But everyone seems to be having a fun time. Everyone, that is, save for the one unfamiliar face in your ragtag group who is looking quite sullen.

“...That interview was a disaster. The quiz show will be even worse...”

What you know:

You’ve all been thrown into grand productions and have absolutely no idea what is going on. You are here. There is no escape from what lies ahead.

Nanna, Ingrid, Elincia, Letizia, and Edelgard are all on the set of an upcoming Firey Emblems: Gacha Gacha Go!! commercial featuring the stars of the newest season of Stairway to Stardom. They have all been dressed in the appropriate fashion, thankfully in clothes that look familiar to you, but you’ve heard whispers of more costumes...

There is a sixth member in your group, Delancey, belting out notes on the set.

Meanwhile, Laslow, Yuri, Shez (M), Azama, and Merric all swelter under the shining stage lights of The Kinda-Late Show with Ryan Schuyler. All of you are dressed in tight suits, each of you in a different corresponding color. You can see a busty woman lurking behind stage, watching you, pinching the bridge of her nose at you.

Behind you, a large screen looms overheard with all of your pictures and names displayed. Laslow, Yuri, Shez, Azama, Merric... and Julian, the grump spelling your doom.

What to do (suggestions):

Fake it till you make it, baby!!

You have until 11:59PM EST on August 3rd to make any changes to your inventory.

Follow the Diva sideblog. NPCs can be interacted with through this sideblog or through Tupper in your team Discord channel.

Interact with teammates to establish your roles. Remember, the Projectionist has written you all in as characters of the story.

Talk to Mod Bren for additional information.

[houseisekai]

House Isekai: A Realm Reborn - Part 4.5, One Step Behind

House Isekai ARR Masterlist Here

—

When Sitri's call for aid echoed throughout the worlds, only few were able to respond.

A week later, the former members of House Isekai that are able to respond quickly gather their gear and set off.

---

[Oath of Loyalty to the Supreme Being - OVERLORD OST]

Great Tomb of Nazarick...

Ainz waited on his throne, seeing the Floor Guardians enter one by one.

The first to enter was Albedo and Cocytus, followed by Sebas, Demiurge, Shalltear, then lastly Mare and Aura.

The Pleiades made sure the doors were closed behind them, and everyone knelt in unison.

(Albedo) "Lord Ainz, everyone is here as you requested."

Ainz nodded and stood up from the throne.

(Ainz) "I thank you all for appearing on short notice, but Nazarick faces a new emergency."

They remained silent as Ainz continued, walking down the steps.

(Ainz) "Much time has passed since we have crossed paths with House Isekai, and we swore that upon being called, we would answer."

Some of the Floor Guardians' attention were caught off guard when Ainz spoke that name.

(Ainz) "And it seems that time has come. Aura, Mare. What was the message you received?"

(Aura) "It was from this device we had on us, Lord Ainz."

Mare brought a small crest that was House Isekai's logo.

Mare pressed his thumb onto the middle button, and a voice rang out of it.

“This is Sitri Eisner of Garreg Mach Monastery. House Isekai, we are requesting immediate assistance from anyone that can hear this. If you are able, please arrive at Garreg Mach. This message will now repeat."

(Aura) "It was in my pocket, and to my knowledge we never have been given this, Lord Ainz."

(Demiurge) "So it just happened to appear out of nowhere? Interesting..."

(Ainz) Man, what the hell can't the Doom Slayer do? Anyways... "We have no idea what the situation is in Fodlan, nor do we know how long it will take to solve the problem. Therefore, I am putting together a small group, including myself, to help take care of the issue.

Everyone looked up in anticipation.

While most had no personal ties to Fodlan or even House Isekai itself, the thought of leaving their lord behind for years in that time was almost unbearable.

(Ainz) "Cocytus, Narberal Gamma. You two will accompany me into Fodlan.

(Cocytus) "IT WOULD BE AN HONOR, LORD AINZ."

(Narberal) "Understood, Lord Ainz."

Everyone else looked slightly disappointed, prompting Ainz to speak again to everyone.

(Ainz) "We will return as quickly as we can, and keep you updated on the situation. Should we require it, House Isekai will have the assistance of all of Nazarick once more. But for now, I entrust you all to keep the Tomb safe until our return.

(Everyone) "Yes, Lord Ainz!"

(Ainz) "Cocytus, Narberal, you will prepare yourselves for travel. Everyone else, as you were."

Everyone remained kneeling as the three of them left the throne room.

As soon as the door closed, Shalltear let out a large sigh.

(Shalltear) "Aww...I wanted to be the one to go with Lord Ainz..."

(Albedo) "Please, as if he would choose a pig like you to accompany him!"

(Shalltear) "I do not remember him choosing you to journey with him either, you fat cow."

Immediately they were at each other's throats, throwing insults at each other.

As usual.

Demiurge adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.

(Demiurge) "Pardon me, ladies. Albedo, would you mind giving the rest of us orders?"

Albedo finally stopped and sighed, turning to everyone.

(Albedo) "Pleiades, you are to attend to Lord Ainz and Cocytus's gear before they depart."

Yuri Alpha nodded her head and bowed.

(Yuri) "Yes, Lady Albedo."

(Albedo) "The rest of the Floor Guardians, we are to prepare for their departure."

Demiurge nodded and left for the door, followed by Sebas, Aura, and Mare.

(Albedo) "And you may call me a cow, but at least I don't need pads for my chest-"

(Shalltear) "HOW DARE YOU!-"

Even though they were close to the exit, everyone could hear them as their argument echoed down the throne room.

(Mare) "So um...how did we manage to get the message? I thought Slayer didn't like us."

(Sebas) "Perhaps since we all fought together, he felt that we should be included. After all, Cocytus was an Instructor for those children."

(Demiurge) "Do not sell yourself short either, Sebas. Many found you to be a good mentor."

(Sebas) "Hm. I do admit I am rather curious to how they are doing now. Perhaps I might ask Cocytus to inform me once he returns."

(Aura) "Well anyways, we should go ahead and get everything ready, come on Mare!"

Aura and Mare used their ring and teleported away, Sebas doing the same.

Demiurge remained while the Pleiades walked behind him and to Nazarick's armory.

(Demiurge) "I do wonder how my Crest experiments have done in the many years that have passed..."

He fondly remembered capturing an individual here and there that was trespassing in Garreg Mach, trying out the implementations that he heard about forcing it onto people who couldn't wield one.

Alas, he couldn't continue it due to the invasion from the Adrestian Empire.

Shaking his head and returning his attention to the present, he teleported away and prepared for his Lord's departure.

...

Ainz went to his room while Cocytus and Narberal went to equip their gear.

With no one in his vicinity, Ainz took a loud sigh and faceplanted onto his bed.

[My Dear Personage - OVERLORD OST]

He wrapped the pillow around his head as he took another audible sigh into it.

(Ainz) "Of all the times..."

Honestly, Ainz was both happy to see them again, yet extremely annoyed by the timing.

God only knows what would happen back home. Part of him wanted to take a bet to see if Albedo and Shalltear would kill one another while he was gone. They must have been pissed that neither could go.

(Ainz) Cocytus was a staff member technically, so he would have no trouble getting along with everyone now that they were probably older. But Narberal? She'd probably fling profanities at them like she normally would, but MAYBE being with them would have tempered her...Well, temper.

Ainz spun around and looked at the ceiling, hands on his non-existent stomach.

(Ainz) ...Oh, right. I don't think they'll like Undead very much. Maybe I shouldn't go with my normal gear. Narberal too, she'd draw too much attention...I say, as the giant walking bug with four arms is going to be accompanying us.

He shook his head.

(Ainz) Maybe Sebas would have been better...No, there was that whole incident with that woman a while back. Demiurge would probably find more victims again, Albedo is a definite no...Oh, Aura and Mare! No, not them either. There's no elves in Fodlan. Damn it why couldn't that place just be a normal fantasy world?! Makes our lives so much harder.

He got up from his bed and his clothes transformed from his Overlord attire into the Dark Knight Momon.

The suit of armor clanked each time he took a step and looked at himself in the mirror.

Adjusting his helmet, he made sure everything was still fitting just right.

It had been a while since he last donned this armor. It was a nice change of pace, honestly.

He cleared his throat and was trying to think of what to say when they made their appearance.

(Ainz) "We return once more!...No, I think that's a bit too generic."

He put a finger to his chin and tapped it slowly.

(Ainz) Well, only SOME of them have seen me in this gear. Wait a second, who's even going to be present? And announcing we're with House Isekai is a good way of us to get shot...Well, not like it's going to hurt but still-

He snapped his fingers in a moment of clarity.

(Ainz) "Got it! From beyond the rift, we heed your call once again!"

He couldn't help but strike a mini pose, pretending as if he had his swords in his hands.

(Ainz) Yeah, that sounds kinda cool.

Ainz turned around and was about to walk out the door when he stopped in his tracks.

(Narberal) "..."

Narberal had the door opened, clearly intending to speak to him before he said all of that aloud.

(Ainz) "..."

(Narberal) "...Lord Ainz-"

(Ainz) "Narberal, what have I told you about knocking first?"

Narberal immediately dropped to one knee and had her head hang low.

(Narberal) "F-FORGIVE ME LORD AINZ! I-I had heard something and came in to check if anything was wrong! A-And...Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but that was very cool!"

(Ainz) She can't be serious.

Ainz noticed she was blushing.

(Ainz) She's serious.

Clearing his throat, not that he exactly needed to, he shook his head.

(Ainz) "Next time, do not forget to knock. That is a-"

(Narberal) "It is a crime I cannot be forgiven for-"

In the blink of an eye she had her sword to her neck, giving Ainz a mini-panic attack.

(Ainz) "HEY, HEY! LET ME FINISH!...AHEM! It is not a crime, Narberal. It is but a simple mistake. I forgive you."

(Narberal) "T-Thank you for your kindness, Lord Ainz!"

Resisting the urge to sigh again, he simply nods.

(Ainz) "Grab your gear from the Pleiades and meet Lord Cocytus and I at the entrance."

(Narberal) "At once."

Ainz closed the door behind him as he went down the hall.

He would just teleport, but for the moment he wanted some time to himself.

He could hear Narberal following him, though that was just because the Pleiades' room was on the way.

...He hoped.

As he was walking, he couldn't but look at her to see what she was thinking.

There was a tiny glint in her eye, looking down on the floor as she was muttering something.

(Narberal) "...yond the rift, we heed your call...!-"

(Ainz) "Narberal."

(Narberal) "Y-Yes milord?"

(Ainz) "...Please do not mention that to anyone, that stays between us."

Narberal's chest seemed to swell with pride. She would be the only one to have knowledge of his grand entrance to the pathetic humans of Fodlan.

She smiled and bowed slightly.

(Narberal) "Of course, Lord Ainz!"

Ainz took a deep breath through his empty nose and exhaled deeply.

Narberal didn't seem to notice.

Kazuma's Mansion...

[Dead Broke - Konosuba OST]

Aqua and Darkness walked through the door of his Mansion, noticing it was surprisingly quiet.

(Aqua) "Kazumaaaa! KAZUMAAAAAAAA!"

(Darkness) "Perhaps he is drunk again?"

(Aqua) "No chance, I drank everything here. KAAAAAZUMAAAAA!"

Normally he'd have responded by now, making the both of them scratch their heads.

(Aqua) "By the way, did Megumin ever get back to you?"

(Darkness) "Unfortunately not. She was busy with Yunyun in training her explosions."

(Aqua) "Figures."

Darkness checked on his room and noticed a few of his normal outifts were missing.

Furrowing her brow, she checked for his sword and finding it to be absent as well.

(Darkness) "I do believe he adventured somewhere."

(Aqua) "Eh? For what?"

(Eris's Voice) "Aqua? Aqua are you there!"

Aqua could hear Eris's voice in her head all of a sudden.

(Aqua) "Hang on Darkness, gotta take this."

She went to the other side of the room and put her fingers to her head.

(Aqua) "What's up, Eris?"

(Eris's Voice) "I noticed you were looking for Kazuma."

(Aqua) "Yeah, we got a message from Sitri saying she needed our help a little while ago. We were gonna get Kazuma and head out."

(Eris) "Oh, about that."

...

(Aqua) "HE WHAT?!"

Darkness sat on the couch while watching Aqua seemingly shout at nothing.

She just sat quietly, albeit a little concerned, while Aqua continued having her argument.

(Aqua) "HE JUST LEFT US, AND YOU SAID NOTHING TO ME?! AND PEOPLE HAVE THE BALLS TO TELL ME I'M A USELESS GODDESS WHEN YOU'RE HERE!"

(Eris's Voice) "C-Calm down, Aqua! I thought you knew!"

(Aqua) "DID YOU SEE ME GO WITH HIM YOU DUMB BROAD?!"

(Eris's Voice) "Sorry! Do you need me to get you to Fodlan too?"

(Aqua) "DUH!"

(Eris) "O-Okay, getting a portal ready! And again, sor-"

(Aqua) "SAY SORRY AGAIN AND I'M SICCING DARKNESS ON YOU!"

(Eris) "EEP! S...OPENING IT NOW!"

(Darkness) "...So, are we ready Aqua?"

Aqua shook her head and turned back to Darkness, shrugging.

A portal opened up in front of Aqua, Darkness getting up from the couch and adjusting her sword.

(Darkness) "Oh, I wonder what manners of horrid beasts are in Fodlan that require our attention...!"

Aqua could practically hear Darkness's drool coming out of her mouth.

Shaking off her disgust Aqua sighed.

(Aqua) "Let's get after that little NEET."

They stepped through the portal and it closed behind them.

[Out of Time - Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward OST]

(Aqua) "Alright now time to...Okay what the hell?"

The area they stepped through wasn't Fodlan or the Zanado Tower.

In fact, she had no idea what the it was.

Darkness looked at her feet and noticed they were standing on what appeared to be nothing.

There was nothing but a blue void in front of them.

The longer they looked, more memories began to flood the soft ripples through the floor as if it were water.

All of a sudden they could hear voices echo throughout the void.

Small picture frames flew past them at slow speeds, giving them time to examine it.

Some of the frames appeared to be moments from their memories, such as them meeting Kazuma or Byleth.

The longer they looked, more memories began to flood the area, seeming to come all over the place.

A majority of it seemed to come from House Isekai's members, but there seemed to be few they didn't recognize.

Darkness saw a blonde haired boy running in one of them, accompanied by some small floating...person?

She squinted her eyes to see where he was running in. It appeared to be some sort of environment not too dissimilar from the forests in Fodlan, but she couldn't be sure.

(Darkness) "I take it we do not know where this is?"

(Aqua) "I've never seen anything like this before."

Aqua continued walking forward and stopped when she saw something that caught her eye.

Darkness walked up next to her and examined it closely.

It looked like the denizens of Nazarick.

Ainz was in his black armor, side by side with Cocytus and that maid of his Narberal. Though she was wearing a small brown cloak and normal looking clothes.

(Aqua) "Hey, they're moving right now, right?"

They could see Ainz's arms moving, and quickly looked behind them to the other fading memories.

Almost all of them appeared to be still images since it happened in the past.

(Darkness) "There was one more moving behind us actually, though I'm not sure who that was."

Aqua slowly reached out and touched the frame where Ainz was, and it suddenly flashed a bright white.

(Aqua) "Eh?!"

(Darkness) "W-What's happening?!"

...

Ainz adjusted his dual greatswords as he looked to the Floor Guardians and Pleiades.

(Cocytus) "LORD AINZ, WE ARE READY TO LEAVE AT YOUR WORD."

(Ainz) "Denizens of Nazarick, we will return as quickly as we can. Take care of each other, and do not let this Tomb fall."

(Everyone) "Yes, Lord Ainz!"

(Yuri Alpha) "Narberal Gamma. Do not disappoint Lord Ainz."

(Narberal) "Yes, sister."

(Ainz) "Aura, Mare. Prepare the portal."

The two raised their staves, and a portal opened directly behind Ainz.

(Ainz) "Let's move it."

(Aura) "Did you do that?"

(Mare) "N-No, did you?"

(Albedo) ?! "LORD AINZ!"

He stopped walking and turned to her at the last second.

(Aura) "Lord Ainz, that wasn't us who opened it!"

Immediately, everyone drew their weapons out as the Pleiades leapt out in front of Ainz to defend him.

(Cocytus) "THERE HAS BEEN A SECURITY BREACH."

(Demiurge) "How did they get past our defenses?!"

(Ainz) "PREPARE FOR COMBA-"

(Aqua's voice) "DON'T SHOOT!"

(Everyone) "..."

Aqua slowly stepped out into view from the portal, arms raised.

(Aqua) "Um...It's just me-"

(Shalltear) "YOU!"

(Albedo) "It's that Goddess again..."

(Aqua) "Oh, great, it's the undead abomi-"

Everyone's weapons immediately were drawn out again.

(Aqua) "-IIIIIIIII MEAN-"

(Darkness) "Please move it."

Darkness shoved Aqua to the side and cleared her throat, getting on knee.

(Darkness) "Lord Ainz, it is good to see you once more. By chance, are you also answering the call from House Isekai?"

Ainz motioned everyone to stand down and nodded.

(Ainz) "You may rise, Darkness. And yes, we are."

(Darkness) "We would welcome your assistance in this matter, Lord Ainz. As it stands, Aqua and I were on the way, but have run into some...slight complications."

(Ainz) Has Darkness always been able to speak this formally? Then what the hell's with her kinky side?! "...I presume you were not the ones to open that portal?"

(Aqua) "Well, yes, and no. Kinda hard to explain-"

(Narberal) "Speak plainly or I will cut out your tongue, holy wench."

(Aqua) "Why I oughtta-"

Darkness punched Aqua in the shoulder.

(Aqua) "Ow! But she started it! Ugh, we opened a portal from our world but as you can see-"

Aqua stepped to the side for everyone to see.

(Aqua) "This isn't Fodlan! We got no idea what we're even looking at!"

Ainz, Cocytus, and Narberal looked into the portal and were only able to see a small part of the void while the frames flew in and out of sight.

(Ainz) "I see."

Ainz turned to Albedo.

(Ainz) "I want Nazarick on full alert, we do not know if something like this is going to happen again."

(Albedo) "Yes my lord. Please, be careful."

(Ainz) "We will. Narberal, Cocytus."

The three of them stepped into the portal with Darkness and Aqua, it slowly closing.

Before it fully closed, Aqua stuck her tongue out at Shalltear.

(Shalltear) "...That little bitch.-"

It fully closed, Aqua turning back to see everyone looking at the void they were in.

(Aqua) "I think we head forward?"

(Cocytus) "AND WHICH WAY WOULD THAT BE?"

Narberal squinted her eyes and saw something in the distance.

(Narberal) "I believe that frame has a moving picture in it, my lord."

(Ainz) "Hm. Let's go."

The five of them slowly walked across the void and to the frame in the distance.

...

[Briefing Time - The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3 OST]

Doomguy looked at the teleporter as the figures of Sharon and Sara began to materialize.

After a few moments, they came into being, Sharon looking relatively unaffected while Sara stumbled for a moment.

(Sara) "Woah! Alright definitely not gonna get used to that."

(Sharon) "Slayer."

Doomguy nodded in response, him offering a hand to the both of them.

Sara and Sharon took a moment to shake his hand firmly, happy to see a familiar face.

(Sara) "Glad to see you're doing well."

Doomguy motioned his head backwards, prompting them to follow him.

(VEGA) "Sara, Sharon. A pleasure to see you once more. As you can see, some of House Isekai has arrived."

The Persona Users turned around and smiled upon seeing the two enter.

(Sara) "Wow, you kids grew up quite a bit!"

S.E.E.S and the Investigation Team seemed to have grown up the most last Class VII saw them.

The Phantom Thieves more or less looked the same.

(Sharon) "It is good to see everyone doing well!"

(Akira) "Same goes for you guys!"

(Yu) "Is the rest of Class VII?-"

(Sara) "Just taking their sweet time. They should be showing up in a few days or so. But, we didn't come just to catch up unfortunately."

(Sharon) "What is the situation? We are aware some of us managed to get to Fodlan first."

(VEGA) "Correct. To sum it up, Rean, Kazuma, Aigis, and Towa were the first to answer, closely followed by Laura, Elliot, and Fie."

(Yu) "Then Naoto, Mitsuru, Ryuji, and Ann went in, though that was almost a week ago."

(Akira) "Concerningly we haven't heard anything yet."

(Sara) "Has anyone else decided to show up?"

(VEGA) "We have detected some teleportations though the cause of it is unknown, as well as the people who went through it."

Everyone looked up confused.

(Yukari) "Huh? There shouldn't be anyone else who can make these teleports happen right?"

(Kanji) "Well there was a buncha people we knew who could do magic shit, like...that one blue chick from Kazuma's group?"

(VEGA) "Aqua, the denizens Nazarick, Valimar, and Sothis were the only known individuals from House Isekai that could teleport at will. What we have seen has matched none of their signatures."

(Sharon) "If I may, perhaps it is Those Who Slither that may be causing this interference?"

(Morgana) "That's not impossible. Akechi only killed their leader."

(Teddie) "What if its the Church?"

(Ken) "That's right...We never saw what happened to everyone else after the Battle of Enbarr!"

Doomguy shrugged as VEGA continued to speak for him.

(VEGA) "While both may be still active in Fodlan, we are fortunate enough to have ruled out those possibilities. Our current theory is that the interference from Fodlan is making us unable to tell what's causing these teleportations.

(Chie) "Sooooo, what's the plan then? Are we gonna check out Fodlan too?"

(Sara) "If that many of us are in there, who knows how long it'll be until ;we can get out again. If its the same for you kids, spending another 7 years there isn't ideal."

(Sharon) "I believe it may be best for Sara and I to investigate for now. The Persona Users will be backup."

(Junpei) "Well hey, nothing says calvary's here than the scariest damn maid and fastest alcoholic..."

Sara raised an eyebrow at him, but sighed, refusing to comment.

(Sara) "Perhaps we can try something different rather than just following the kids?"

(VEGA) "We could attempt to teleport you to the source of the anomaly although the danger is quite high."

Sara and Sharon exchanged looks before nodding.

(Sharon) "We are willing to accept the risks."

Doomguy nodded and went over to the console as VEGA spoke.

(Vega) "Then we all bid you good luck."

Sara and Sharon walked over to the platform as all the Persona Users stood up in anticipation.

(Sara) "Come on, what's the worst that could happen?"

As Doomguy was about to press the button, a blue portal suddenly tore itself into reality, silencing everyone.

(Aqua) "What the hell is all...this?"

(Ainz) "Oh."

(Darkness) "...H-Hello everyone."

Cocytus and Narberal looked at each other and shrugged.

(Sharon) "...I believe this only opens up more questions."

[TO BE CONTINUED]

[philliamwrites]

The Dawn Will Come [Chpt.1]

Fandom: Fire Emblem Three Houses

Pairing: Dimitri x Reader, Claude x Reader, Edelgard x Reader, Yuri x Reader, Edelgard x Byleth, lots of minor pairings

Tags: #gn reader, # platonic love byleth & reader, #reader is a tactical unit, #angst, #slow burn, #subplots, #unreliable narrator, #pining, #remporary amnesia, #reluctant herp, #canon divergence, #lost twin au, #many chapters, #original content

Words: 5.2k

Summary: Waking up in a forest without any knowledge of your past and who you are, you join the house leaders of the Officers Academy to search for a way to return your memories. Unfortunately, the church has different plans for you, and Fate places you in the centre of a cruel game with deadly stakes. It certainly doesn't help to fall in love with a house leader who is doomed to be your demise.

Notes: Chapter 2 There’s also a playlist for this story that you can find here and here.

Chapter 01: A High Destiny

A high destiny seemed to bear me on until I fell, never, never again to rise.

[Mary W. Shelley, Frankenstein]

    It starts as it will end: in darkness.

  �� Black dots dance in front of your eyes, merging into dark shadows clawing at your consciousness. A dull throb pounds in your temple, a steady rhythm that speaks of life but isn’t enough to allow awareness of your surroundings. Memory is a foreign word you can’t explain, and trying to think of the past 24 hours is an unachievable task. Every glimpse slips through your fingers like sand, and the only steady reference point is the solid ground pressing into your hands and back.

    Slowly, you open your eyes. Treetops dance in the wind, towering above you like silent guardians of ancient times. The sun winks at you through thick branchesa and dancing green crowns, indicating it’s long past daybreak—but how do you know? Your memory is still a vast pool with no bottom and no means to dive into, and yet you think there’s a voice calling out to you, a heart-wrenching young, boyish voice—no, those are real voices ringing through the woods, appearing close to you. Alarmingly close.

    “You’re awake,” a woman’s voice starts, moments later followed by a corresponding face. Round, lavender eyes surrounded by thick, white lashes peak from above at you, blinking curiously. It’s an expression far from friendly, but not exactly hostile either, and of all the things you can think of at this moment, it is how strikingly beautiful she is. But before you can say anything, another person joins, leaning too close in for comfort.

    “You got us worried there, stranger,” a young man chimes in, squatting down beside you. His uniform isn’t exactly what you’d call fit for travelling through the woods. A heavy yellow cape falls over his shoulder, more fanciful display than practical use. But something in his posture seems very attentive, his broad shoulders taut like a drawn bowstring that won’t miss its target. “Weird place to take a nap, but hey, I’m not judging.”

    “I wasn’t—” you start, immediately struck by a throbbing pain behind your right eye that reverberates through your skull and wretches a groan from you.

    “Take it easy,” another voice joins, and panic spreads through you because of the amount of people surrounding you. Where the first man is a picture of warm colours—gold and sun kissed skin nourished on warm summer days, the other man observing you with a worried expression is clad in blue and black, blond hair falling into a pale face that carries the most striking blue eyes you’ve ever seen. Or so you think, because surely a colour like this, a blue stolen right out of the sky, wouldn’t be easily forgotten.

    More movement and rustling of fabric, and a chill settles in your bones as you begin to fear that you’ve run into a bunch of ruffians who’ve only kept you alive for so long because they’re hoping for valuable information. More people emerge from the underbrush, carrying large sacks and backpacks with billycans dangling at their sides. Among them, a tall man with a beard, clad in robust mercenary’s gear, steps forward, concealing another young woman with sharp features and unusual greenish blue hair.

    The sight of her strikes you like a bolt. It tastes like familiarity and the relief of being reunited with a long lost friend. But that is impossible. This is the first time you meet her.

    Is it?

    “You brats, I told you not to head off too far,” the older man bellows, crossing logs for arms in front of his broad chest. The first three take one big, polite step away from you, but don’t look apologetic at all.

    “I’m sorry for our hastiness, Captain Jeralt,” the girl says, her eyes darting from you still sitting on the ground to him towering in his full height above them. “But it seems we would have otherwise not found this person.”

    “This person who wasn’t really much conscious a couple of minutes ago,” the boy in yellow adds with a crooked grin. “How bad would it have been if someone else would have beaten us to it?”

    “No need to make me look like the bad guy,” Captain Jeralt interrupts with a raised hand before the boy in blue can join his friends' justifications. Instead, he turns to you and regards you with a scrutinising look.

    “What are you doing out here?” he demands. “Where’s your family? Friends?”

    “Uhm, they’re—” you start, but nothing comes to your mind. Not only that. You don’t know why you’re out here, where you are exactly … and basically anything that should come to you about your own person remains shrouded in darkness. “I don’t know.”

    Jeralt nods like that explains the very reason you’re still sitting on the ground like a misplaced cargo of cabbage. He kneads the nape of his neck, his face softening the tiniest bit. “And what’s your name?”

    Unable to hold his piercing eyes, you drop your gaze to the ground, curling your trembling fingers into the fabric of your wool jacket. “I, uh… don’t know.”

    If you thought you didn’t have their attention before, now their eyes are glued on your face in different levels of shock and disbelief.

    “A case of amnesia?” the blond male says, not quite managing to achieve the right balance between blatant curiosity and polite worry. “Does this mean you have nowhere to go? Don’tknow where to go?”

    “Goddess help you, Dimitri,” the other boy groans, running a hand through his short, brown hair. “Be any more tactless, will ya?”

    “He isn’t wrong,” the girl says, observing you like you’re a fascinating new specimen in her collection of strange things. “You need a place to stay. And help until your memories return.”

    If they return, you don’t dare to say because despite all things, hope still clings to you in the deepest corner of your heart, not allowing you to follow that train of thought and what it will mean for your future.

    “Then by all means, if you want to join,” Jeralt says, waving a dismissive hand in your direction. “I don’t think you kids accept a No, so I’m going to save my breath.” He turns around with a grunt. “Get them your horse, Byleth. We’re late as it is, and another night of Alois talking my ears off will make me do something I’ll regret.”

    The woman called Byleth keeps staring at you even as Jeralt walks past her and gives her shoulder a solid clap. You can’t say if she’s mute or just speechless because she’s filled with the same strange overflowing sensation like you: like a basin filling with water but unable to drain off. It appears you’re the same age, a couple of years older than the other three but still much younger than Jeralt, and yet the moment your eyes lock, it feels like there is something far older than any of you together passing between you. Something ancient.

    “Well, first off, on your feet, little one.” Strong hands curl around your elbows, hoisting you up in one swift movement. A wave of dizziness hits you like an unavoidable spell, and the pounding from before settles back behind your right eye.

    “Amazing, Claude,” the girl hisses, and quickly steps forward to steady you, pressing one hand against the small of your back where her strong fingers curl against the curve of your spine. Her other hand gently holds yours as she helps you regain your balance. “Excuse his manners. I promise not everyone from the Officers Academy behaves like a brute.”

    “The what now?” you ask, hit by another wave of dizziness that might originate more from the girl’s soft lavender fragrance rather than the world spinning around you.

    “The Officers Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery,” Dimitri provides this time. His posture is straight like an arrow, the stance of a soldier speaking to his officer. “That is where we attend as students and hence are going right now.”

    “And you want me to come with you?” you ask like you have the option to refuse and go somewhere else. Strangely, the thought of joining a group of armed knights and mercenaries doesn’t fill you with fear or anxiety. You’re about to tread into foreign waters, and yet your heart is calm like a still compass guiding you in the right direction.

    Claude clasps his hands behind his head like he’s got nothing to do with you feeling unwell at the moment. “Unless you have another place to be?”

    Luckily, your head does come clear and breathing becomes a little easier. You nod to the girl and she holds you a second longer before she nods back and lets go. “I guess not,” you mumble, looking at each one of them. Byleth still hasn’t moved. By now you can’t really tell if she’s looking at you or through you. Surely, she would have said something by now if she thought you were familiar, right?

    “Then it’s settled.” The girl nods solemnly, throwing her silky, white hair over her shoulder. “We welcome you in our company. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Edelgard von Hresvelg, heir to the Adrestian Empire.” Edelgard gives you a tight-lipped smile that quickly thins into a white line when the other two introduce themselves as Claude von Riegan, grandson of the Sovereign Duke of the Leicester Alliance and Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, future king to the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. None of these names ring a bell to you, but you nod, pretending to know exactly what they're talking about.

    “Okay, we need a name for you as well,” Claude proposes, tapping a slender finger against his chin. He has a strikingly sharp jaw that looks fit to cut stone. “Can’t have everyone call you stranger or little one now, can we?”

    “No,” you say. “Especially since we’re about the same height.”

    Claude laughs like you just told him the best joke he’s heard in years. “Soo, since we found you here … how about Glade? Or Woody?”

    “How about no,” you say with furrowed eyebrows.

    “Apologies.” Edeglard sighs and shakes her head, her expression a mix between disappointment and annoyance. “Claude isn’t much accustomed to the notion of consideration.”

    Claude rolls his eyes. “Then you come up with something, princess. Or is it impossible because you can’t take out the stick up your—”

    “Claude,” Dimitri half shrieks, his pale cheeks splotched with red dots. As he stumbles over his own words trying to apologise for Claude’s behaviour, Edelgard simply deadpans, “Bold words for someone in stabbing range.”

    The fourth in this round of strange people considers you with a blank expression, her steady gaze like a solid touch on your skin. Before a greater argument can break free between the students, Byleth says a name with a surety like she’s never said anything else in her life, and hearing it, this barely whispered word immediately lost to the wind, you just know it’s your name.

    “Yes, much better than what Claude proposed.” Dimitri nods, regaining his composure even though he’s still staring daggers at Claude. “It sounds more civilised as well.”

    “You didn’t even suggest anything,” Claude remarks, but the huff of annoyance quickly dissipates from his voice when he jerks a thumb towards Byleth. “That’s Byleth, by the way. Funny story is, we met her just a couple of hours ago as well.”

    “Fate must have brought us together here today,” Dimitri agrees with a solemn nod. “I swear on my honour as a noble knight from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus that I will see you safe to the Monastery. Lady Rhea will surely be able to help you there.”

    “Okay. Thank you,” you manage, unable to connect a face to this name in your head that feels like it’s about to burst any second anyway. The only course of action lies within those strangers who are so willingly offering help that you can’t stop worrying it’s a ruse. But without anything to offer them except your life, there’s little coming to your mind that they can anticipate in taking you with them. Tthe fact that Byleth knew your name doesn’t sit right with you as well. There’s something waiting to be grasped at the tips of your fingers, and yet you lack the strength to embrace it.

    Following the little group of soldiers and students through the woods, you remain silent on the journey, only answering questions with approving or denying hums. How did you end up in this particular forest? According to Jeralt, you’re currently moving away from a village called Remire and towards the mountains to the northeast where the monastery lies tucked away between two mountains. Judging from the clothes you’re wearing, you’re a commoner, and when Edelgard pushed a slim dagger in your hand, nothing rung in intuitive knowledge about how to handle a weapon. Your mind remained silent, like an untouched chord.

    There’s little you can say about the first impression those people left on you. There seems to be a unanimous dispute between the three students, hanging palpable in the air whenever an argument starts that’s pregnant with implied insults or passive-aggressive comments. From that you gather there’s tension between the governing fractions in Fódlan, something else you’ve learnt from listening to them squabbling.

    Byleth and Jeralt acknowledge their bickering as if it was flies buzzing around their heads. They keep more to themselves and their mercenary comrades, indicating they’re really as much of strangers to the students as you. Their conversations are a lot quieter as well, their heads leaning close together for the illusion of privacy. More than once you notice Byleth sneaking glances in your direction, and every time you lock eyes, there’s something close to comprehension when she looks at you. The further you march through the woods, the less you try to meet her gaze. Reaching the monastery is the first step to regain who you are, or so you hope, because the opposite would mean you’ll continue stumbling through the darkness with no lead to your past or why you’re in this particular part of Fódlan, and you can only hope that this Rhea person really will be able to help you.

    A sound from the underbrush cuts through your thoughts.

    Thinking it might be an animal, you don’t let it bother you too much. No one else seems to have heard it, so maybe it was just your imagination. But your brain refuses to let it rest, and fails to push it away from your mind because something about the sound doesn’t seem to be right. The more you try to focus on it though, the blurrier it gets; the less you understand its origin.

    Then, you hear a voice from within the woods. It sounds like a slurred whisper.

    “What was that?” You stop in the middle of the road, looking around the thick trees. Claude barely manages to avoid walking into you. “What was what?”

    “There’s something here.” Unable to explain further, you wave your hand around for emphasis. He looks at your hand, incomprehension written all over his face. “And that something is what exactly?” he asks.

    “I don’t know.” You wave your hand wilder. “But I don’t have a good feeling venturing further.”

    “You may be still tired,” Edelgard offers, not hiding her irritation that the journey stopped. “It won’t be long until we reach Garreg Mach. You can rest however long you need inside the monastery’s infirmary.”

    “I’m not tired,” you hiss, hand falling back to your side where it clenches into a fist. “I just really don’t think we should go further for now.”

    “And why is that?” Dimitri inquirers. He raises a hand and the soldiers following them come to a halt, a murmur of unrest breathing through their lines, and it’s just enough that you question if it would be better to play if off and admit your mind is playing tricks on you due to exhaustion.

    But whenever you blink, a red veil falls over your right eye, blurring your surroundings. Little red dots move slowly in the distance through the forest. If you didn’t know better, you’d say it’s some sort of life form far away, slowly advancing on your position. “Because someone is coming,” you finally manage, scratching the thin skin below your irritated eye that’s started twitching slightly. “Someone is coming towards us from southwest. And I can’t say if they’re friendly or not.”

    Three pairs of eyes consider you like you’ve grown a second head. Only Byleth stares into the woods like she might find the strangers you’re talking about waiting behind the trees if she just looks hard enough.

    “Little one, are you sure this isn’t just an aftereffect from you hitting your head?” Claude offers, squinting into the woods. You’re pretty sure he’s staring directly at the moving dots but for whatever reason can’t see them.

    “Unless amnesia is suddenly another term for going crazy, I don’t think so,” you snap, unable to hold back the irritation raising to the surface.

    A whistle echoes through the tree crowns. Byleth snaps her head in the direction of the sound, growing all tense. She raises her hand into a tight fist, and all movement stills behind you. When you turn around, you see the mercenaries waiting in the underbrush like a flock of crows ready to swipe down on their prey. Jeralt breaks away from them and approaches Byleth, a frown cutting a deep wrinkle into his forehead.

    “Bandits,” he says, and quickly signs a hand gesture to the nearest bowman. He nods and disappears between trees. “Another mile away. If we stay on this road, we’ll walk right into them.”

    “Seven hundred feet, actually,” you blurt. Jeralt looks at you like you’re a cockroach under his boot. Another whistle cuts through the woods, one long followed quickly by two short. Byleth exhales audibly, and only now you notice she’s moved to stand beside you. “Seven hundred feet,” she mutters, her eyes fixed on you.

    Jeralt tenses. “How do you know, kid?”

    “I don’t know,” you mumble towards your boots. “I just see.”

    There’s an uncomfortable silence falling around you, and you’re too afraid to look up and read distrust in their eyes.

    “Does it matter?” Claude finally breaks the silence, sliding his bow from his shoulder. “They won’t be a problem with the knights and mercenaries on our side.” He jerks his chin towards Byleth, already plugging an arrow from his quiver. “You should really see her fight.”

    “Wait,” you say, reflexively reaching for the hem of his cape. “Don’t engage them yet.”

    Claude stops, one eyebrow arched up in a curve. “Beg your pardon?”

    “They come from the woods. Which means this is their hunting ground and they have the advantage. They have dozens of archers. I think they’re waiting until you reach a glade. And then open fire.”

    “Which means we’ll end up as skewers.” Claude scratches his chin and twirls the arrow between his slender fingers. “I can think of better ways to shuffle off this mortal coil.”

    Dimitri perks up. “You’ve read the Tale of Hamelot I gave you?”

    “I’ll give it a six out of ten. His soliloquies were awful.”

    “Boys.” Edelgard snaps her fingers impatiently as Dimitri opens his mouth to protest. “Not the time.” She takes your wrist and pulls it away from Claude’s cape, her hard gaze like a sharp knife. “Are we simply ignoring the fact that we have someone in our midst knowing the enemies’ movement and deployment?” she cuts in harshly. “Is this a plan to lure us into an ambush?”

    “You think someone would give away their comrades’ position just like that?” Claude eyes her wearily. “Don’t be so suspicious of everyone.”

    She glares at him. “I rather be suspicious than dead.”

    Which is a valid point and a trait you willingly admit to share with her, but that doesn’t really solve the problem at hand. Luckily, Dimitri seems to think the same. He doesn’t unfasten the spear on his back yet, but his fingers dance swiftly over the handle, immediately resting on where he can easily pull it from the straps if needed to strike down an enemy. “Fact is enemies are approaching,” he concludes, looking at his fellow students in search for a consensual ceasefire. “We must put an end to them before they target defenceless travellers on their way out of the forest.”

    “Spoken like a true crowd-pleaser,” Claude says, either unable or not caring to hide the mock in his voice. “We can resolve our new friend’s condition after we take down the enemy.”

    “I don’t agree with this,” Edelgard declares, but nonetheless unclasps the double-bit axe from her back and swings it on her shoulder like it weighs nothing. “But I accept that this is a more pressing issue.” The easiness in the movement robs your lungs of air, and even though there are more important matters to focus on, you wonder how her muscles play under her black uniform swinging around a thing like that. Your admiration comes to a quick end when Jeralt and Byleth close the circle. Her hand rests on the hilt of a short blade as she scans the underbrush, her body rigid with battle anticipation.

    “Let them come to us,” Jeralt announces. “Let them think they have the advantage.”

    “Your knigths over there move slow through the woods,” you say, gesturing at the waiting man clad in heavy armour and armed with shields. “But their amour can resist some stray arrows coming down on us. It’s the rearguard that will take them by surprise from another direction and—”

    “And charge their flank or rear to finish them off,” Jeralt ends with a crude nod. “Indirect approach. I thought of that as well.”

    Your mouth goes dry. The idea plopped seemingly out of nowhere in your mind, but yes, now that you think about it, that is the indirect approach tactic, first recorded after the Battle of Nicaea in … Faerghus? Or was it Adrestia? The picture in your mind is still blurry, but now you can make out definite lines of objects: Books with drawn pictures of pointing arrows and coloured lines, each lettered with a name or an approach in a neat handwriting that isn’t yours. The picture triggers another wave of dizziness, disappearing as fast as it appeared.

    “They’re going to faint in three, two, one…” Claude’s voice rips you back to the present. You glare at him and raise a fist to show how close to fainting you really are. He only laughs at the tiny fist in front of his face.

    “Enough brats, get into position,” Jeralt bellows, and the students scatter with a bouncing step in all their strides as they take the lead of a small unit.

    You’re about to retreat to the furthest point away from battle when Jeralt blocks the way. “Not you. You’re going with Byleth.”

    “I’m what?”

    “Byleth,” Jeralt nods to the young woman ahead of you, “will be the commanding unit and you’ll help her.”

    The world tilts a little as panic takes hold of you. “I can’t. I don’t know how to fight.”

    “You seem to know enough to plan a counterattack.”

    “That doesn’t mean anything.” Your voice sounds horribly piercing even to your own ears. “It was just a lucky guess.”

    “I don’t know what’s the deal with you,” Jeralt says with a finality to his voice that doesn’t allow objection, and this time you clearly see the head of a mercenary guild, one that gives commands with every breath. “But that wasn’t a lucky guess. You see what it needs to win a battle. So you guide them.”

    He turns around sharply and leaves, not bothering to check if you plan to abandon them. It’s madness. You should abandon these people, should flee from the fight that will demand blood and death. One, two, three … six steps and you’re standing beside Byleth, taking deep breaths. It doesn’t help. She eyes you sideways with a raised brow, and you flinch at the metallic rasping sound as she draws her sword.

    “I shouldn’t be here,” you mumble, staring into the woods. The red dots are approaching faster, forming into more recognisable features of humans. “I’m going to die. Without knowing who I am or why I’m here. This is the worst day of my life. I think. I don’t know. It has to be.”

    Byleth hums beside you. You can’t tell if it’s a thoughtful or an affirmative hum. “This might sound crazy, but I do trust you.”

    “Maybe you shouldn’t,” you say, struck by a sudden fear that this all is a fever dream and you're about to lead them into ruin. It’s enough that you don’t even notice this is the first time you two are talking to each other since your meeting.

    Byleth studies you out of the corner of her eyes, then says, “A very persistent voice inside me tells me I shouldn’t.”

    “That’s your survival instinct. Listen to it.”

    “Yeah,” Byleth says, and there’s something like a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. You blink and it's gone. “I might do that.”

    You don’t really understand what’s there to smile about, but the moment quickly disappears as silence settles, only occasionally disturbed by a bird sitting in the trees above you.

    “So what exactly do you see?” Byleth whispers after a moment, barely shifting in her crouching position. You on the other hand really want to move your legs before they go numb.

    “I don’t know why you guys even believe me,” you mumble, and pinch the bridge of your nose with your fingers, trying to stave off another rush of dizziness. “And I don’t understand it myself. It’s the opponent, in a way. I see their strengths and weaknesses, their amour and weapons. It’s like … it’s like the flow of battle is displayed in front of me.”

    Byleth hesitates a moment, then nods like everything is pretty much self-explanatory. You wonder if to her it really does sound plausible, as she is someone who is practically born in battle, a daughter to a mercenary who breathes battle and fighting. Before you can explain anything further, she ducks more into the bushes and silences you with a sharp hush, her body tensed. The first bandits approach the glade, their bows and arrows ready to strike as the Academy’s knights engage them. Swords and axes clash against each other, battle cries ring through the woods. Byleth gestures you to follow her, and out of the corner of your eyes you see the students do the same, moving around the bandits. From the distance, you notice Claude gesturing wildly. It’s a mix between pointing at himself and then at the space a couple of feet away from his unit, and though you’re unable to fully comprehend it, you shake your head. He gives a thumbs up and slows down until he halts inside the thick cover of ferns.

    Just when you reach the right angle, Byleth looks back at you, waiting for your approval, and after briefly hesitating, you signal with a short nod to attack. Edelgard is the first to emerge from the underbrush. She has a dancer’s grace and a seemingly unerring instinct for what her opponent will do next. Her axe cuts through the first bandits who are too surprised to regroup in time. Dimitri and Claude are quickly to follow her. The crown prince of Faerghus wields his weapon of choice like he’s never done anything else in his entire life. The spear is the instrument to a deadly song they know by heart, and whoever stands in the way of their melody is cut down swiftly. Claude doesn’t disappoint with his steady aim either, his eyes sharper than an eagle’s. He nocks his bow, draws and impales a bandit that’s been running toward a mercenary with a crooked nose and eye patch. The mercenary gives him an offhand salute and goes back to fighting a thug twice his size.

    And then there’s Byleth. At first you don’t see her as the battle’s chaos swallows her and she disappears between moving bodies. But once your eyes catch up to her again, it’s hard to look away. Byleth moves through the enemies’ lines like an avenging angel on a mission. Her sword arm causes havoc as it conducts the tact of death’s complicated choreography and one by one the bandits fall to her deadly dance. Strangely, what describes it the best, you think, is divine.

    The battle is almost over. The last bandits fall or flee back into the woods as they abandon their comrades who lay down their weapons and yield. A miserable sound of relief escapes you when you see the end nearing with little casualties on your side, thanking whoever watches over you and guides your weapons in victory.

    That is until you see something, and at first you aren’t really sure you see it. Veiled by a red haze, a gruesome scene unfolds before you: As Byleth is focused on helping a soldier back up on his feet, a bandit strikes her from behind, wedging a dagger through her spine and into her heart. When you blink, the scene is gone and with it the red veil covering your surroundings.

    You don’t think twice. Jumping out of your hiding spot, you quickly recognise what will be Byleth’s murderer. Only he never gets the chance to approach her. With everything you’ve got, you charge into him and send him flying on the ground, you on top of him. The bandit groans, groggily turning on his back to see what struck him, and before you can start to fear for your own dear life, Byleth is beside you and rams her sword into his throat, silencing him forever.

    She looks down at you and you feel like she knows what just happened. Why you jumped in. It’s in those keen, piercing eyes that speak of a unimaginable wisdom. She reaches a hand out to help you up, and when you stand, the last bandits have been secured and the chaos finally settles. That is when the throbbing pain in your right eye doubles you ever, the pain akin to a pinprick of ice hammering into your skull. The pain makes you sick as stars explode behind your closed eyes, and the more they dance in feverish circles, the harder you press your hands against your eyelids, trying to smother the pain by pressure. It doesn’t work.

    Unable to breathe properly, your stumble, and when you move your hands, your fingers smear something warm and wet across your cheeks.

    Someone takes in a sharp breath. “Your eye,” Byleth breathes, a hand raised but remaining hanging in the air like she’s unsure if it’s okay to touch you. In the background you hear someone calling out you’re bleeding, and it takes a few seconds to understand where you’re bleeding from. Your right eye cries blood when the pain finally knocks you out, darkness falling onto everything.

[popwasabi]

“They Called Us Enemy”: George Takei Recalls Interment and Its Cautionary History

Written by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott

Illustrated by Harmony Becker

 This past weekend I got to make my annual pilgrimage to the nerd Mecca capital of the world; San Diego Comic-Con.

It’s a fun and often exhausting experience between panel hopping to see your favorite movie or TV show actors speak and standing in line often for hours just to see them or to buy merch in the Dealer’s hall.

(At least it wasn’t hot this year.)

Every year though, somehow or another, I always meet at least one celebrity be it intentionally or accidentally. Last year I got to run into Billy West, best known for his voice acting roles on Ren &Stimpy and Futurama, the year before that it was MMA legend Josh Barnett who is a huge comic book geek and before that I met my all-time favorite TV composer Bear McCreary. This year I got to not only meet, but cross a massive name off my bucket list, in George Takei.

(^It me...)

Takei needs no introduction of course; the outspoken OG Star Trek alum is now firmly an internet personality of sorts and hugely popular figure amongst my generation and nerdom alike. But he wasn’t there at Comic-Con to talk about Star Trek or any number of Science Fiction related items to his acting past. No, this time he was here to promote his new graphic novel “They Called Us Enemy” based on a much darker period in his life; the infamous internment of Japanese Americans in concentration camps across the country during World War II.

Takei has never been shy about his opinions on politics and society and definitely very open about his time in those camps but this graphic novel helps not only shed a light on his own personal experience there and all the nuanced feelings that came from that but just how deplorable Executive Order 9066 was on American History.

Now, with the recreation of concentration camps this time along the southern border indefinitely imprisoning migrants seeking asylum in our country, Takei’s graphic novel reminds us all why this is so wrong and why we should not turn our backs again.

“They Called Us Enemy” is one-part history book detailing key events, people and often distressing quotes from our politicians on Japanese-American concentration camps but three-parts a visual and written history of Takei’s family journey from pre-WWII internment to the present. Through his parents, his father a first generation Japanese American, his mother second generation to how the events of Pearl Harbor unlawfully stripped them of their dignity, they try their best to make sense of the situation while keeping their children from baring the weight of this shameful period of history. What is an “extended vacation” for Takei and his siblings is a prolonged agonizing experience of doubt, humiliation and degradation for his parents and the toll it takes on his father especially is told through the panels of this graphic novel.

I think the most astounding thing about this graphic novel is that it isn’t especially bitter. It’s upsetting for sure, and bitter in parts, as Takei certainly wants his reader to feel how his family felt through this period in American history but he makes a point of showing how inevitably in all things in America, the wheels of justice may be slow but they do not stop moving forward as long as there are those willing to fight for it. How Takei’s family handles this humiliating and degrading experience is both brave and sad all at once. Takei, for his and his younger siblings, part are completely ignorant of the situation they’ve been forced into and his parents do their best to keep things as normal as possible for them through this ordeal treating it as a long “vacation” for them. They do this despite the fact they’ve been forcibly torn away from their homes, given no time to pack their things, given nametags like cattle and forced to sleep and live in conditions befitting of farm animals.

America may not have led anyone into death camps, during this period, as the Germans did with the Jews but as Takei points out it was still based on fear of a perceived “enemy” and still forced Japanese Americans into these horrid conditions and to do things that our constitution and Bill of Rights explicitly states against for its citizens.

But for Takei, as a child back then, it was an adventure of sorts for he and his siblings that was shielded by his parents to keep him from grasping the full scope of what was really going on. In this way, the graphic novel is somewhat bittersweet; sweet that George and his siblings through the tireless effort of their parents was able to enjoy some level of a childhood within the camps but bitter that as he grew older he finally understood why he was there.

Through Takei’s writings and Harmony becker’s wonderful illustrations we get a grasp of the simultaneous joy and pain that Takei associates with this period in his life; how his mom, when given little time to grab her own personal belongings when the soldiers came, grabbed only things for her children such as sweets and a sewing machine to fashion them new clothes in the camps as to keep their childhoods alive, and how his father helped organize camp leadership and helped lead these disillusioned Americans who had no idea what the future held or if there was a future there at all.

It was in these camps in fact that Takei discovered his love for acting and theater, as funny as that may sound, as camp members were able to show movies within its barb-wired fences. Takei would use this inspiration when his family returned to Los Angeles to become an actor down the line and eventually take up his famous role as Sulu in “Star Trek” and the reason largely was because of the camps. As the graphic novel states Gene Rodenberry (Star Trek’s original creator) wanted a show that envisioned a future where a diverse cast of people worked together for the benefit of all humanity and having an Asian American not only be present in this cast but be a resourceful, responsible lead was paramount. Takei understanding how taking on a role that could give Asian Americans agency in popular media wanted the part immediately as it could help show the country that people who looked like him weren’t the enemy.

Fifty plus years later and he is still advocating for that representation and need for diversity today.

(Being God damn fabulous at it too)

The graphic novel does lay out many things that most average Americans are probably not familiar with; the fact that much of these Japanese-Americans belongings were liquefied and sold off after they were taken from their homes, that many of them tried to join the fight against Japan after Pearl Harbor but were turned away because of their race, and of course after the US finally needed more troops they conscripted members of these very same camps, people they had openly vilified and wrongly detained, to enlist later to become the 442nd Battalion the most decorated group of its kind during World War II.

It’s again infuriating and uplifting all at once; as Takei points out the people who chose to enlist from the camps were as much patriots and heroes as those who chose not to and who could blame them? Many Japanese Americans saw it as an opportunity to prove they were indeed Americans and show the country that had wronged them that they were as patriotic as their white counterparts. For the others it was an act of civil disobedience showing that they didn’t need prove anything to the country that had turned their backs on them.

Takei’s family chose the latter in this regard and nearly lost everything in the process.

The path toward justice is often a long and degrading road for victims and the unjustly accused. For Japanese Americans during this time it took damn near half a century before reparations were made and by then many of its oldest prisoners had passed away not knowing that America had admitted their guilt. 

Its sad and if reading about this part of history and seeing what’s happening now at the border doesn’t make your blood boil, I’m not sure what will.

“They Call Us Enemy” does a great job of not only informing Americans on what happened during this time period and Takei’s very personal story in between all that, but offers a stark warning about repeating the mistakes of the past as we are now at the border. We cannot keep going with this cycle of endlessly vilifying folks for simply looking the part of “the enemy” regardless of their legal status or us being at war with countries that happen to look like them. 

I’m of the mind that people deserve inalienable rights regardless of citizenry. Locking up people and throwing away the key indefinitely and ripping children from the arms of their screaming mothers (Something we didn’t even do to Japanese Americans) without trial is FUCKING WRONG PERIOD and ill-befitting of country that self-labels itself as the “greatest” on Earth.

If we are to pretend we are the good guys in any of these types of conflicts we better start acting like it. FUCKING NAZIS in Nuremberg were given trials after World War II; you cannot tell me an “illegal” doesn’t deserve a chance at a hearing.

I’m often very angry and bitter about the state of the country these days and where we appear to be trending as a society but Takei’s book is not all doom in gloom when it comes to its warning on where we currently stand on justice. As the graphic novel states:

Our strength as a country is that we are capable of change, we are capable of becoming the pillars of democracy and justice that we profess to be through the valiant efforts of those who fight for it. Whether it was the Abolitionists of the Civil War period, Martin Luther King during the Civil Rights era or for these wrongly interred folks, Fred Korematsu, Yuri Kochiyama, Wayne Collins, or Daniel K. Inouye, we will always find a way to move forward as long as brave individuals come together to fight for what’s right.

We can be those brave individuals too, so long as we stand up, voice our disapproval and move the needle of our democracy. We still have all the power here to affect change. We cannot let the wrongs of the past continue on in our present, our democracy and the very fabric of decency, respect, and justice depend on it. Takei’s family and 120,000 plus Japanese Americans who suffered through this depend on us being better for the present and future.

Don’t turn your back on it. Not now, not ever.

[crackimagines]

Daisy and Sunshine (FE: Three Houses Full Fic)

All 3H AU’s Listed Here!

—

DOOM Paralogue

On the Doom Slayer's day off, he loses track of his beloved pet Daisy, and he goes on the hunt to bring her back. He finds out quickly his day off is about to be put on hold...

----

“Against all the evil that hell can conjure,

All the wickedness man can produce,

We will send unto them, only you.

Rip and tear, until it is done...”

----

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP-

SMASH!

[Life at Garreg Mach Monastery - Fire Emblem: Three Houses]

Doomguy rose from his bed and looked over to the side. Before he smashed his homemade alarm clock, it was about 8 in the morning.

Once he finished stretching, he looked at the calendar and sighed in relief. 

Sunday.

Being an instructor for House Isekai was tiring work. Even though he never spoke, there hadn’t been a day for these past few months where he hasn’t sighed out of disappointment.

Compared to the other houses, this one was trying to herd several cats.

Megumi, Cocytus, and if it ever got too bad, Byleth had to try and calm them down.

Sara did nothing to help and in fact only added fuel to the fire.

(Hayden) “Must you keep destroying the alarm every morning? We do have to keep an eye on our resources.”

The voice speaking was one of the AI’s that Doomguy had on him when he was transported to Fodlan. Personally he would have preferred if it was just his main assistant, Vega, here but he made do with it. It’s not as if Hayden could do anything.

Ignoring him, Doomguy got dressed in his Praetor suit and checked his rabbit pen.

Daisy was normally still sleeping at this hour, but she was wide awake. Her head turned to Doomguy.

Getting a small hay cube, he held his hand out to her, which she nibbled off his hand.

Nodding in satisfaction, he left his room for breakfast.

At the mess hall he met up with Megumi, Sara, Cocytus, Byleth and Seteth.

Once they all grabbed their plates and food, they sat down at a table near the entrance. More and more students eventually poured in and the Mess Hall went from nearly dead quiet to extremely busy.

(Sara) “Finally, a nice old Sunday! These aching bones need to rest.”

(Byleth) “...I don’t recall you doing anything other than do lectures, Sara-”

(Sara) “Exactly! Teaching is hard work, ESPECIALLY with the kiddos that we have!”

(Seteth) “Hmph, that I will agree with. House Isekai’s students seem to be more high maintenance than any of our three houses.”

(Megumi) “You have no idea, but it is fulfilling work!”

(Cocytus) “INDEED. SEEING THE YOUTH SLOWLY BECOME BETTER AND BETTER FIGHTERS IS A REWARD IN OF ITSELF.”

Doomguy nodded in agreement.

(Sara) “Bah, enough talking about classes already! I’m gonna be drinkin’ the day away as soon as breakfast is done!”

(Seteth) “My goodness, it is not even twelve yet!”

(Cocytus) “I SUPPOSE I WILL BE ASSISTING ANY STUDENT IN THE TRAINING HALLS TODAY.”

(Byleth) “I haven’t decided yet.”

(Megumi) “Neither have I. What about you, Slayer?”

Doomguy put his hands to his helmet’s chin.

He wasn’t too sure himself. He supposed he could read for today. It’d make a nice change of pace.

Doomguy shrugged at Megumi and went back to eating.

After everyone finished their breakfast, they all went their separate ways.

...

Turning off the chainsaw, he had finally finished making a makeshift hammock for himself and sat down. He put his helmet onto a leftover parts of a tree he had punched off.

Opening his book, he continued where he left off.

Dungeons and Demons, 6th Edition.

As he read, the morning slowly turned into early afternoon, students and staff passing by and waving hello at him.

He waved back, but hadn’t moved from his spot in hours as he tried to better understand how to play this new tabletop game.

A little later passed and the sun was still shining nice and warm over him. It seemed like the rules and lore within this never seemed to end, so he put it down to catch a small break.

It was then he noticed his helmet’s visor was glowing.

Raising an eyebrow he put the helmet back on and Vega’s voice appeared on screen.

(VEGA) “Slayer, your pet rabbit Daisy has escaped the cage.”

Normally he would have let Daisy explore and come back on her own, since she had a habit of doing that anyway, but he was in the mood to stop reading for the moment, so it was a perfect excuse.

Knowing already where her favorite hiding spot was, he put his book down on the log and went down to Abyss.

[The Forgotten - Fire Emblem: Three Houses]

When he turned the corner, he was greeted by the Abysskeeper.

(Abysskeeper) “Oh, hey Slayer. Got something to report.”

Doomguy stopped walking and nodded at him.

(Abysskeeper) “We got that shipment of supplies we’ve been needing for a while thanks to your assistants. So thanks.”

Doomguy nodded again and grabbed a piece of paper nearby. Quickly scribbling onto it, he showed it to the Abysskeeper and pointed towards the paper’s drawing.

It was an extremely crude drawing of a rabbit.

(Abysskeeper) “Ah, your rabbit. Yeah I saw her run by, she’s fast on her feet. Think she went towards the former classrooms.”

Doomguy gestured his hand upwards as a sign of thanks and went towards that direction.

As he was walking, a familiar face emerged from the corner.

(Hapi) “Oh, Teary. What’s up, Daisy got down here again?”

Doomguy nodded.

(Hapi) “Hmph. Alright, I’ll help you look for her, wasn’t really doing anything anyway.”

Not needing to say anything further the two continued walking and searching every crevice for Daisy. After about 10 minutes of searching the classrooms, they decided to see if anyone else had seen her.

(Yuri) “Oh, hey you two.”

(Balthus) “Heya.”

Yuri and Balthus were in the main room with Angelica, and Sharon.

(Angelica) “’Sup?”

Sharon bowed.

(Sharon) “Good afternoon!”

(Hapi) “Supplies still being brought in, Yuri-bird?”

(Yuri) “Yeah, figured we would’ve been done about half an hour ago. Just how much were you able to get?!”

(Sharon) “When you’re as convincing as I am, you can get whatever you want!”

(Balthus) “That’ uh...ominous.”

(Angelica) “And that still didn’t answer his question.”

(Yuri) “Well anyways, we appreciate it. We’ll be good to go for the next few months with what we have. But I digress, what brings you to our humble abode, Slayer?”

(Hapi) “Teary’s rabbit got lost down here again. We were wondering if you saw it.”

(Yuri) “No idea, but I can send word for everyone to keep an eye out if that’ll help.”

(Constance’s voice) “AAAH!”

Everyone spun around as Constance ran in.

(Constance) “T-THERE IS A HIDEOUSLY LARGE RAT THAT IS SCURRYING DOWN HERE!”

(Yuri) “That should be nothing new, but a large one?”

(Angelica) “Would that rat happen to have been a light brown color?”

(Constance) “Yes! It had massive ears and-”

(Hapi) “Coco, that’s a rabbit.”

(Constance) “A rabbit does not move like that! They hop around in an adorable manner, not bolt around at super speeds!”

(Sharon) “Well, looks like we have found your rabbit!”

(Yuri) “Which way did it go?”

(Constance) “Ugh, we are chasing it?! Let’s see, this way!”

Finally chasing her down towards the arena, she was sitting in the middle.

(Sharon) “Oh, I have not been down here in a while!”

(Angelica) “Wait, what?”

(Balthus) “Er, long story short, she, Megumin, Momon and Nabe, and Akechi were down here a couple months back. They actually helped us stop that Demonic beast in the cathedral.”

(Hapi) “Yeah, pretty sure I saw Sharon slit so many throats down here that some of the stains are still here.”

(Angelica) “Huh, so THAT’S what the whole demonic beast attack was about.”

Doomguy did have some recollection of defending the town during that period of time.

(Constance) “Now, mister Slayer shall you get your rabbit, please?”

Doomguy nodded and knelt down, trying to catch her attention.

Instead of running to him, she ran away in terror.

(Yuri) “Huh, that can’t be good.”

[Woven by Fate - Fire Emblem: Three Houses]

A portal slowly started to emerge, with red alerts blinking on Doomguy’s screen.

(VEGA) “Alert! Demonic presence detected!”

Doomguy’s eyes widened as he quickly got up. He instinctively reached for a gun but had none on him.

(Hapi) “Ooooh crap!”

(Balthus) “Demons, seriously?!”

(Constance) “Did you sigh, Hapi!?”

(Yuri) “Everyone, just get ready for whatever’s coming through that portal!”

Everyone pulled their weapons out as Doomguy walked closer to the portal.

“Slayer...I have found you once more...”

(Balthus) “Uh...are they buddies?”

(Hapi) “B, does it look like they’re friends?!”

(Constance) “Then what is he?!”

(VEGA) “That is a Marauder.”

His voice was coming from nowhere, in which they were all confused by.

(Hayden) “Do not be concerned of where his voice is coming from, focus your attention to the incoming portals!”

Behind the Marauder appeared several demonic beasts, some from Fodlan while some others came from Doomguy’s world.

(VEGA) “He will handle the Marauder, I recommend taking out the smaller beasts so he may focus on his task.”

Angelica cracked her knuckles.

(Angelica) “You got it!”

(Yuri) “Everyone, on me!”

Doomguy was looking back at the group and was relieved. VEGA and Hayden would be ensuring they’d be alright.

(Marauder) “How amusing. You think that they will be safe.”

Doomguy slowly turned to the Marauder and gestured towards him, daring the Marauder to even try.

They circled each other as the Marauder activated his Rune Axe, and Doomguy’s wrist blade shot out.

(VEGA) “Your team’s current objective, Rip and Tear!”

----

[Super Gore Nest - Doom Eternal]

UNIT SELECTION:

Begin the slaughter?

>[Yes] Yes

Victory Conditions: Rip and tear the enemy commander.

Defeat Conditions: Leave the area not filled to the brim with demonic organs.

----

Doomguy threw the first swing, the wristblade bouncing off the Marauder’s shield. 

The Marauder retaliated by swinging the axe overhead, crushing the concrete beneath him as Doomguy dove out the way.

A demonic imp jumped onto Doomguy’s back. Doomguy grabbed the imp by the throat and slammed it down onto the floor, his boot completely crushing the upper skull with its guts and blood splattering onto the floor.

The shoulder cannon spewed out flames behind Doomguy catching a demonic beast into flames as it howled out in pain.

Doomguy countered the Marauder’s axe with his wristblade, and used his freehand to gut punch the Marauder.

Staggering backwards, several hell hounds formed next to the Marauder and charged Doomguy.

(Marauder) “YOU WILL FALL, USURPER!”

(Yuri) “I can’t believe that guy’s so used to this!”

Yuri got his sword out of a demonic beast as another one tried to eat Balthus.

Balthus managed to punch it away, making it fall back onto its side.

Sharon used her wires to tangle it’s mouth shut as she threw her knife into its eye.

(Hapi) “His name is Teary for a reason, Yuri-bird!”

(VEGA) “Actually, his name is-”

(Hapi) “Not now, VEGA!”

Constance used her magic to disintegrate several demons into dust while Hapi did the same with her magic.

Angelica grabbed one of the demons and slammed its face into the wall, and kicking the head so hard into it, it exploded.

Another one tried to swipe at her, but was grabbed by Balthus. He snapped off its neck before slamming it into the floor, with him stomping it to death.

Angelica turned to Doomguy and noticed just how many enemies were around him.

(Angelica) “Some of us need to back him up!”

(Hayden) “That is ill advised, Rogner. Getting in his way is a good chance for you to lose your limbs.

(Sharon) “We should leave him to his fun, yes?”

(VEGA) “That is the recommended course of action. Several more portals appearing behind you.”

A demonic beast came charging out with everyone diving out the way.

With the last of the hellhound being punched so hard, the skull exploded into fragments, he checked his surroundings and noticed a massive shadow above him.

Doomguy spun around and ripped apart the jaw of a massive demonic bird-like beast that tried swooping in, using the upper beak to stab it in the skull while using the lower beak as a makeshift weapon.

Several more demons tried to rush him, and were immediately impaled with the sharp end of the beak.

The Marauder fired an energy projectile from his axe and flew towards Doomguy.

He threw the beak at the projectile, letting the beak and the demons stuck in it get cut in half as he charged the Marauder.

The Marauder charged and the wristblade and axe clashed against each other.

The Marauder brought out a shotgun and was about to fire before Doomguy headbutted him, and grabbed it from his hands.

He ripped the gun in half and threw it to the side, taking out one of the Marauder’s main weapons.

(VEGA) “Friendly portal inbound, we are dropping a weapon for you, Slayer.”

A blue portal appeared above Doomguy, and he raised his hand upwards and caught his super shotgun.

Finally having a gun again, Doomguy started to smile underneath his helmet.

The first Demon that tried to rush him got the barrel in its mouth, its head completely blowing apart into tiny chunks.

Reloading, he looked at the group of demons enclosing around his group. His shoulder cannon shot a grenade out behind him as he rushed to help.

Angelica and Balthus shattered the skull of a demonic beast with the force of their punch while Yuri was dodging swipes from several imps.

Sharon’s wires grabbed and wrapped around their necks as she pulled them over to her.

It tried clawing Sharon, but its head was immediately sliced off from the garrote going through its neck.

She continued smiling as she threw her knife at an imp’s head attacking Yuri, which he grabbed the dagger and drove it into mouth of the last imp.

Hapi and Constance closed the last portal with their magic before making it explode, the demons around it bursting into limbs with blood flying everywhere.

(Constance) “Such detestable creatures!”

(Hapi) “We keep killing but there’s so many!”

A flying demon was about to attack them from behind until it was grabbed out of the air by a hook.

The hook suddenly closed in with Doomguy flying towards it and ripping the beast in half with his wristblade.

(Hapi) “Teary, any chances of this fight finishing up soon?!”

He looked at Sharon and pointed at her wires.

(Sharon) “Oh, you require this? Of course, mister Slayer!”

He nodded in thanks as he held the wires firmly in his hands and turned to Hapi, gesturing towards the Marauder who was running towards them.

(VEGA) “Everyone, the last of the demonic forces are closing into your position, a defensive line would be recommended!”

Hapi ran ahead of Doomguy and readied her magic while Doomguy was catching up behind.

(Marauder) “A friend to the Slayer? Then allow me to open your eyes to this-”

Hapi interrupted him by shooting a fireball at him, which he reflected with his shield.

(Hapi) “Shut the hell up, would you?!”

The smoke disappearing, the Maruader took his chance and swung towards Hapi, only to be blasted in the chest by Doomguy who was now standing in front of her.

Wasting no time, Doomguy used Sharon’s wires and wrapped around its neck, and he kicked him towards Hapi.

Hapi used dark magic and blasted the Marauder upwards into the air.

Tugging the wires forcefully down, the Marauder went crashing down into the concrete, shooting up several bricks upon impact.

Using the wristblade to stab into his eyes, he used the wires to get him out of the hole, shot a grenade into it, then threw his body back.

Using his suit’s dash, he went over to Hapi and shielded her from the explosion that sent body parts and blood raining down on the arena.

No one was spared from a shower of gore that landed on them.

Yuri and Balthus looked slightly annoyed while Constance was screaming that so much bits of guts was on her.

Angelica made a noise that didn’t decide if it was a swear or sound of disgust while Sharon stood completely still, her smile not even twitching.

(Yuri) “Well...didn’t think a rabbit hunt would turn into a demonic invasion.”

(Balthus) “Sure was fun!”

(Constance) “UGH! HOW REPULSIVE! I MUST SHOWER AT LEAST 3 TIMES TO GET THIS SMELL OFF ME! AND MY DRESS IS RUINED!”

(Angelica) “Eugh, son of...Well, at least it’s over.”

(Sharon) “I would be happy to wash everyone’s clothes if they wish for it!”

Doomguy’s shoulders relaxed as he turned to Hapi.

There was only bits of blood on her, but she looked more annoyed than anything.

(Hapi) sigh “Finally that’s over with.”

(Constance )”H-HAPI?!”

Doomguy cocked his shotgun back and turned to the side, blasting a demonic beast that came charging in.

The blast sent skull and eye fragments scattering into the air as it stopped in its tracks, sliding across the bodies and debris.

(Hapi) “Thanks. Now, let’s go find Daisy, yeah?”

(VEGA) “Daisy is currently hiding in a small hole to your right.”

Doomguy nodded and motioned for Hapi to follow. Everyone else joined him.

[Life at Garreg Mach Monastery - Fire Emblem: Three Houses]

Doomguy emerged from the entrance of Garreg Mach alongside everyone else, while he held Daisy in his arms, softly petting her to calm her down.

Byleth passed by and stopped, looking at all of them.

(Byleth) “...Is...everything alright?”

They were absolutely soaked in blood and giblets, all of them standing awkwardly.

Doomguy nodded at Byleth.

(Hapi) “We’re uh, we’re fine thank you. Everything’s fine...How are you?”

(Yuri) “Hey, professor.”

(Balthus) “Pay no attention to our gut soaked rags, professor!”

(Angelica) “Yeah, don’t mind us.”

(Sharon) “Excuse us, we had a bit of a struggle down in Abyss.”

(Byleth) “I can see that.”

(Constance) “P-Please direct us to the baths, Professor Byleth.”

(Byleth) “...To your left, up the stairs.”

Everyone went towards the baths to get washed up.

...

Once everyone was finally washed up and went their separate ways, Hapi went with Doomguy to this room.

Doomguy set a small tea set down at the table and poured them a drink.

After a few minutes of silence as they ate some snacks, Hapi laid against her chair.

(Hapi) “Thanks, Teary. That hit the spot.”

Doomguy nodded as he drank the remainder of his tea.

He looked over at the cage where Daisy was resting comfortably.

(Hapi) “By the way, thanks for saving our butts there. Not that I had any doubt that you would’ve left us anyway.”

Doomguy didn’t say anything, but Hapi knew he would have said “No problem”. Or at least that’s what he gestured.

(Hapi) “...Ya know for being a person who never speaks, you’re a really nice guy.”

Doomguy tilted his head in confusion but she just chuckled.

(Hapi) “The scariest man alive serving tea and caring for a pet rabbit. I’m sure girls like me would just be swooning.”

Doomguy waved his hand dismissively.

(VEGA) “Perhaps we can get a dating site when we get back, Slayer?”

(Hayden) “As if.”

Doomguy punched the wall to signal to the both of them to shut up.

(Hapi) “I said that as a joke but now I’m pretty curious...”

Doomguy glared at her.

(Hapi) “Alright alright, forget what I said!”

She continued to chuckle as he sighed through his helmet. The two continued to sit in silence as his attention was brought over to Daisy.

Daisy was woken up by the sound but looking at Doomguy. He walked over to the cage and fed her small hay cube, which she nibbled off his hand.

Nodding in satisfaction, he went back to the table and enjoyed a quiet tea time with Hapi.

[officialao3fandomlastforever]

After going through all of the anime I watched this year, thinking it over, and really narrowing down my choices, I finally came up with cohesive thoughts on anime that really stuck out to me this year out of the ones I watched. Not everything I watched was from this year, but I did watch some weekly releases from 2020′s line up. It’s just none of them really stuck out to me in a way that made me want to talk about them as much as the ones listed here. 

Keep in mind, this is just my opinion. I’m in no way saying that you liking any of these or disliking any of these is invalid in any way. This is just my thoughts based on my own tastes and opinions. If you wanna see the complete list of anime I’ve seen in my lifetime, you can check out my MAL profile here. 

I’ll only be giving my brief opinions on them here, but if there’s any titles you want me to write a full review of, let me know in the comments or ask box. With that said, it’s time to go under the cut and get to the full list! 

Best Sci-Fi goes to B: The Beginning

This anime gave me a rush I hadn’t felt since watching Psycho Pass for the first time, and the way they fit so much into 12 episodes has me really hyped for the upcoming season 2. 

Best Fantasy goes to Children of the Whales

WHERE IS OUR SEASON 2, J.C. STAFF? WHERE IS IT? I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW. 

Best Movie goes to A Whisker Away

By god did this get emotional, and I absolutely loved it. 

Best Short Series goes to Skull Faced Bookseller Honda-san

Please for the love of god everyone, be good to retail employees. We’re begging you. Do it for Honda-san. 

Best OST goes to Revue Starlight

I may or may not have been blasting the music of this anime on repeat. It’s way too catchy.

Best Slice of Life goes to Flying Witch

You like Kiki’s Delivery Service? You like Non Non Biyori? Check this one out.

Best Sequel goes to Aggretsuko Season 3

Capitalism sucks but hobbies and friendships keep you going. 

Best Drama goes to March Comes in Like a Lion

If you haven’t watched this one I would like to respectfully request you drop everything and please check it out. 

Best Comedy goes to My Next Life as a Villainess - All Routes Lead to DOOM!

By far one of the funniest isekai series I’ve seen in a while and is the perfect level of cheese. Please give it a watch when you can. I’ll be checking out the light novels it’s based on. 

Best Community goes to Tamako Market

By “Best Community” I mean this has the best community in terms of its cast and setting. And Tamako Market has one of the most adorable and loving community setting I’ve seen in a while. 

Best Re-watch goes to Yuri on Ice!

It’s Yuri on Ice. I like it. It’s a comfort food sort of anime. 

Best Friendship goes to Girls’ Last Tour

If I had to watch any two friends wander an empty post-apocolypse wasteland together, I’m so glad it was these two. They balance each other out perfectly and it’s really nice watching them deal with something like this together. 

Most Surprising Enjoyment goes to Food Wars!

I was not expecting to like this one as much as I did, but I’m really impressed with it and love it quite a lot. 

Guilty Pleasure goes to Ace Attorney the Anime

Yes I am aware peoples’ opinions on whether or not this is a good adaptation. No I do not think it is actually as bad as people make it out to be. And there’s a lot of greatness in the anime original additions. Also, it made me appreciate Turnabout Big Top and that is no easy feat. Kudos AAA.

Gave Me the Biggest Smile goes to The Royal Tutor

I wrote a full review on my thoughts on it. Please go watch this anime and read the manga. It’s so good. 

Most Mediocre goes to Luck and Logic

The concept was good and the animation was really nice, but I think it needed a full 26 episodes to really flesh out its lore and characters more. Loved Natewantstobattle’s VA work though. It suited the main character well. 

Most Heartwarming goes to Alice and Zoroku

You like the trope of “man adopts little girl who has special abilities and becomes her new dad”? Imagine that, only instead it’s a grandpa.

Most Underrated goes to R.O.D. Read or Die

Honestly I hadn’t even heard of this one until looking through a bunch of random anime suggestions on MAL, and I’m really glad I picked this one out to be part of my “12 to watch in 2020″. 

Deserved Better goes to Stars Align

This anime is so good, and the reason it’s here? Is because we technically only got the first half. The studio cut down the episodes from 24 to 12 when the team was knee deep into production. This anime deserved to be completed. 

Most Adorable goes to BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense

Main character maxes out her defense and becomes OP and finds exploits faster than the devs can patch them out. And it’s way too cute. 

Most Disappointing goes to My Hero Academia Season 4

Listen. The Overhaul Arc is my second favorite arc in the whole manga so far. I wanted to love this season. But the way the anime handled the pacing was incredibly disappointing. And the animation is a bit of a downgrade compared to seasons 2 and 3. 

And now for the TOP TEN I WATCHED THIS YEAR (from top to bottom here)

THE TOP TEN ARE:

Children of the Whales

Girls’ Last Tour

March Comes in Like a Lion

My Next Life as a Villainess - All Routes Lead to DOOM!

B: The Beginning

Barakamon

R.O.D. Read or Die

Flying Witch

BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense

Stars Align

And that’s it! Hope you all enjoyed this list and I wish you all a better 2021!

[ichika27]

Destruction Flag Otome

With a long title like “ Otome Game no Hametsu Flag shika Nai Akuyaku Reijou ni Tensei shiteshimatta“, manga and LN readers have been shortening it to the English title “Destruction Flag Otome” and it’s what I called it as I read the manga before the series’ announcement. The official English title for the anime series when it came out however is “ My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! “ which is a bit more closer to the English translation of the original title. I’m just putting this out there cause I’d still be calling it DFO as everything else is too long haha

Now, to get to my thoughts...

Story:

Catarina Claes (or spelled “Katarina” if you’ve been reading the manga) is a spoiled rich little girl engaged to a prince. Her attitude and personality changed when she gets a bump on her head, went unconscious for a while and got all the memories of her past life back - memories of her being an ordinary high school student. As she also realized that, unfortunately for her, this new life of hers is basically the same as the otome game she played in her past life and that she’s been reincarnated as the game’s villainess!

Having nothing in her future but death or exile, Catarina strives to change her future and avoid all the doom flags she could or have a back up in case her life gets overthrown into chaos like the original Catarina’s from the game. Little did she know that she’d change much more than her life with her plans.

Characters:

Catarina Claes - a spoiled rich girl who remembered her past life as an oridnary student when she got a bump on her head at age 8 and realized she’s now the bad guy in a different world similar to an otome game she played before. Since then, she’s become a nicer but stranger person to everyone around her. She plans to survive to adulthood by making sure she can defend herself when the time comes or have a back up plan in case she gets exiled. She’s pretty dense and so she doesn’t notice herself turning into the heroine instead.

Geordo Stuart - the prince engaged to Catarina. Geordo is well-known for all his abilities, looks and intellect. He was supposed to fall for the heroine and kill the villainess like in the original game but due to Catarina changing into a much nicer and more interesting person, Geordo falls for her instead. He’s probably the most straightforward on the guy’s side with showing his feelings for Catarina unfortunately for him, she is really dense.

Keith Claes - Catarina’s adoptive brother. His powerful but hard to control Earth Magic became a source of grief for him as a child and was the reason he isn’t with his biological family anymore. Resigned to being alone, Catarina’s kindness towards him is what made his life happier and what got him to falling for her alone which is contrast to his otoge counterpart that became a playboy. He’s pretty overprotective and is just as frustrated as the rest for having too many rivals for his adoptive sister’s affection. Out of all the rivals, he clashes with Geordo the most.

Alan Stuart - Geordo’s twin brother whose engaged to Mary. He’s competitive but feels inferior to his more well-known and much praised sibling. He ended up competing with Catarina as a child and her support towards him made him realize and appreciate the abilities he has that’s better than his brother’s. He became friends with Catarina and has fallen for her, too although unlike everyone else, he doesn’t actually realize this (it also doesn’t help that there’s a certain someone making sure he never does).

Mary Hunt - a shy girl whose engaged to Alan. Her family situation made her quiet and unsure of herself until she met Catarina who friendship and kindness made her open up. Her love for gardening is what got the two of them to bond as she helped Catarina with her vegetable garden. She grows up to be the most proactive of all Catarina’s harem with her being straightforward like Geordo but also more possessive making sure no one else gets the lead but this doesn’t stop her from being real friends with everyone else.

Sophia Ascart - with her white hair, pale skin and red eyes, other people think badly of her or outright bully her making her quiet and nervous with only her family to depend on. That is until she met Catarina who befriends her the first time they met and told her she looked beautiful. Her love for novels is what got the two to bond. She likes Catarina as well but unlike the rest, she wished for Catarina to marry her brother Nicol instead. Unbeknownst to her and everyone else, she has something else connecting herself to Catarina.

Nicol Ascart - Sophia’s older brother who cares for her a lot. He hated how everyone else treated and viewed his sister that meeting Catarina has been a different experience for him as Catarina never berated Sophia and even complimented her. He maybe quiet and doesn’t talk much but he’s smart and good-looking that he’s very popular to a lot of people (and Catarina couldn’t deny the boy’s good looks either). He likes Catarina but doesn’t actively pursue her the same way everyone else does.

Maria Campbell - the heroine of the otome game “Fortune Lovers”. She’s kind and sweet and hard-working but it’s all overshadowed with the fact that she has the rare light magic and the rumors surrounding her. Despite the bullying and her difficult family life, Maria never gives up still gives it her all although she is lonely... until she gets saved by Catarina from bullies. Catarina’s encouragement and friendship helped her and she ends up happier and surrounded by supportive friends. She also ends up falling for Catarina instead of any of the actual love interest.

Atsuko Sasaki - Catarina’s bestfriend in her past life. Acchan has played Fortune Lovers before and has given Catarina advice, hints, and some spoilers in her past life which helps her currently as she tries to avoid her doom flags. Despite being from Catarina’s past life from Japan, Acchan slowly gains a much more important role in the story as time passes by.

Thoughts:

First of all, I was super duper excited when I heard this series is gonna have an anime version as I decided to binge read the manga online before I saw the announcement. The OP is catchy as heck and is perfect for the show! The Ed is pretty good as well. The character designs is close to how it is in other adaptations which is great! The show is colorful and bright which shows that it’s pretty lighthearted most of the time (and of course something intense happens in the end haha).

Now for the episodes... they rushed the childhood arc a lot and cut off a lot of things that isn’t part of Catarina’s harem which is sad cause the manga sort of did the same (although it retained some backstories for certain non-harem characters). It would’ve been okay but they rushed the beginning only to add filler episodes in the middle of the series. Don’t get me wrong, I liked some of the stuff they added as they gave a bit more focus of some of Catarina’s harem members but it’s still sad we never got to see focus on the other people Catarina helped and influenced (like her parent’s argument regarding Keith or the gardener who taught her and his connection to the family, etc.). They did give Anne’s backstory screentime though so that was good.

I also don’t know how to feel with them revealing early on about Acchan’s “role” in Catarina’s new life. Like, a few hints here or there is nice but they gave the entire reveal before the finale even happens. It’s not really that bad if you’ve only watched the anime but for me, personally, I liked the reveal in the manga better cause it felt more intense and dramatic. Their flashback about Acchan and in her POV was awesome but it would’ve been nice if it was shown when that reveal happened. That’s just my opinion though.

Overall, it’s pretty fun and good and where else can you find a reverse harem + yuri harem at the same time? I’m not sure if any other series tried this before but this series certainly pulled it off nicely. I don’t usually like dense harem protagonist since the romance part of the show gets nowhere but it works very well in a way for this show. Plus, we can’t really argue that they fell for her too quickly when her new life is basically in an otome game which, if you’ve played a bunch like I had, knows that it’s kinda normal? lol

A new season has been announced for next year which follows the 2nd part of the series with new characters joining in. It’s exciting cause unlike the first part, Catarina has no idea about this as she passed away before the new game for Fortune Lovers was released so the new members of her future harem would be a surprise not just for us but for her as well!

And with that, thank you for reading this far! Hope the next season would be just as fun and entertaining as this one. I know I didn’t include a certain character in the “character” section of this but I’d rather not put too many spoilers here just in case new people decide they wanna watch it. I do hope the popularity of this series starts the “reincarnated as a villainess” story trend for anime cause I’m really hoping for “Observation Log of the Fiance of the Self-proclaimed Villainess” to get it’s own anime version. That one’s pretty good, too!

Also, I ship Catarina with Acchan haha. I have since the manga reveal so the added stuff about her and the flashback with her life with Catarina was very fun (and heartbreaking) to watch. 2nd to that are Keith and Alan who got some sweet moments with her. I do ship her with everyone else and wishes she could gain the harem ending though haha.