#picked up by like A Normal Heroic Adventurer

[faroresson]

I don't NEED to draw more art of Azarias and Salvadore but at the same time if I don't it just won't exist

I SHOULD be working on revamping and actually plotting my original shit but no the way that silly Pathfinder Guy and his Schrodinger's Ex Husband has a grip on me is driving me insane

[demonpiratehuntress]

fictional boys (Monster Trio + Ace, Kaku)

featuring - Zoro x F!Reader, Ace x F!Reader, Sanji x F!Reader, Luffy x F!Reader, Kaku x F!Reader

summary - their reactions to finding out you have a crush on a fictional character

warnings - slightly angsty in Sanji's part but otherwise none

a/n: Kaku is severely underrated and there is a shocking lack of fics for him

ZORO

You're always reading. This was normal for you, but Zoro had never seen you this engrossed in one before. You spent more time with that damn book than you did with him these days, and even napping with you was a pain because you always had it with you. And he didn't understand your obsession with it, until he overheard a conversation between you and Nami.

"So who's your favourite?" The orange-haired navigator asked excitedly, leaning forward for the gossip.

"(Random Name)," you answered just as eagerly, your eyes lighting up excitedly. "He's the coolest!"

"Right?" Nami agreed, a dreamy smile on her face. "And the hottest."

"Oh yeah definitely."

"Who's the hottest, now?" A familiar deep voice cut through before you two could get any further than that. Zoro stopped by the table, crossing his arms and looking unamused.

"A guy in this book," you answered your boyfriend, unaware of the hostility in his tone, "He's this really cool knight who-"

"I'm cooler."

You looked up at him in surprise, not expecting him to cut you off with those words, "What?"

"Your stupid knight," he clarified, "I'm cooler than him. And hotter."

You looked at Nami, who was trying her hardest not to laugh. Then you looked back at your boyfriend, who was looking at you expectantly. Waiting for you to agree.

"Zoro-"

"Oh, so you like him better than me?"

"No! I never-" You stopped, starting to smirk. "Wait...are you jealous?"

He glared at you, "I don't get jealous."

"Oh, alright then," you sat back, deciding to tease him. "Then I can tell you more about his heroics, if you'd like."

A growl followed your words, and the book was quickly pulled from your grip and tossed overboard. The silence was only broken by a splash, before you finally reacted.

"Zoro! What-"

"Mine," he suddenly lifted you up bridal-style, "All mine." He carried you off to his room to show you - remind you - who you belonged to.

"I'm way better than that shitty knight."

ACE

The last time Ace had seen you, you were reading. The next time he saw you, you were still reading. He had gone and had a whole island adventure while you'd apparently just lay on your shared bed with your nose buried in a book. He wondered what was so special and interesting about it, so when you went to go do something he picked it up and read a little bit of it.

"Ace? Are you actually reading something?"

You giggled from the doorway, watching as the second division commander jumped, startled, and dropped your book. He looked up at you, pouting slightly.

"Just wanted to see why it's more interesting than I am."

"It's not more interesting than you are," you denied, coming over to the bed. You sat down next to him, picking it up and checking if you still had your page marked.

"But you're ignoring me to read it!" He protested, crossing his arms. With that and his pout, he looked like an upset child. It was cute.

"I'm not ignoring you! It's just..." You sighed. "There's a character I really like and I want to see where his story goes."

"His?"

You realised your mistake too late. Ace's eyes narrowed, looking from your face to the book. For a moment, there was dead silence, before he suddenly burned your book to a crisp. Your eyes widened and you were about to scold him for that, but he quickly engulfed you in a bone-crushing hug, nuzzling his face against your neck.

"You don't need a stupid book boy, you have me."

"Portgas D. Ace, are you jealous of a fictional character?"

"W-what?! NO! I just...you know...you don't give me any attention anymore!"

"So you're jealous. Of a boy who doesn't exist."

He groaned, keeping his face buried in your neck so you wouldn't see the embarrassing blush that fell over his cheeks, "Not jealous. Just want you." Before you could tease him any further, he leaned up to kiss you deeply.

"I'm the only one who's allowed to have you, no one else. Not even some damn fictional character."

LUFFY

He doesn't think much of it when you spend most of your free time reading. He doesn't feel threatened by anything or anyone when it comes to you, but he is also very confused by the concept of fictional characters. So when he hears you and Robin gushing about one, he is only intrigued by what you guys are talking about.

"Did you get to the part where..." Robin was asking you, rambling on about one of the scenes in the book.

"I did!" You gasped, "And I loved it. Especially what he did."

With Zoro napping, Sanji cooking, Chopper making more rumble balls, and Franky and Usopp working on the ship, Luffy had nothing better to do than come sit and listen to you and Robin. When he heard 'he', though, his interest was piqued.

"Who's 'he' (Name)?" He asked curiously.

You blushed at his question, unsure of how to explain this to your boyfriend, "He's, um, he-"

"He's (Name)'s fictional crush," Nami answered for you, shooting you a playful smirk. She knew damn well what she was doing, and your eyes widened.

"Luffy-"

"What's a fictional crush?" He blinked, confused.

"Nothing!" You quickly responded before Nami could open her mouth again, "It's really nothing, it's not important."

"It means (Name) likes a boy in the book she's reading," Nami continued, "The same way she likes you, Luffy."

"NAMI!" The glare you shot her could make sea kings tremble.

"But why?" Luffy questioned, "(Name) said I'm the only one she likes like that."

"And that is true," you agreed, smiling as you gave him a quick but loving kiss on his cheek. Sometimes you were grateful for Luffy's obliviousness.

"Good, because I would have just fought him for you."

SANJI

Sanji was happy to see that you had found something to occupy yourself with while he was busy, so he wouldn't feel guilty about leaving you alone so much. He would bring you snacks and refreshing drinks while you read, happy to serve you and keep you satisfied while you enjoyed your mental adventure. But a conversation between you, Nami and Robin changed everything.

"(Random Name) is so hot," you were gushing as Sanji arrived with another tray of drinks, "Like, unbelievably hot. And he's so sweet, too. Definitely boyfriend material."

While Nami and Robin eagerly agreed with you, Sanji almost dropped the tray he was holding. His eyes went wide at your words, and he felt his stomach churn.

"My love...who are you talking about?"

He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but why would you openly talk about some other man in front of him? Is this how you felt when you saw him give attention to other women? He swore he would stop right now if it meant this person wasn't real.

"A guy from the book I'm reading," you smiled up at him, but faltered when you saw the look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he shook his head and forced a smile, "I'm glad you're enjoying the book, love."

"Sanji, he's just a fictional character," you turned to face the cook completely, "I wouldn't really date him, even if he was real. You know I only love you, and you alone."

Your words were reassuring, and Sanji was grateful it wasn't any real person, but the words 'boyfriend material' rang in his head again. He set the drinks down. Then, unexpectedly, he got down on his knees and clasped his hands together in a begging gesture.

"(Name), my sweet, beautiful girlfriend that I love more than anything else in the world, I promise to stop looking at and flirting with other women if you stop reading that book!"

You raised an eyebrow, realising that he really was jealous of (Random Name), "You really mean that?"

"Yes yes yes! Please!"

"You better keep that promise."

"I will, because I'm only yours and you're only mine."

KAKU

With Kaku's job being...what it was, you spent majority of your time at home in Water 7 alone. He was almost always away on missions, leaving you with nothing to do but turn to books to occupy yourself during the day. So in the absence of your boyfriend, it was only natural you would be drawn to fictional men as a way of receiving affection.

Kaku didn't expect to come home and find downstairs neat but empty.

"(Name)?" He called out, frowning when he got no response.

He came upstairs, finding you asleep on the bed with a book clutched close to your chest. He looked at the title - it was a romance. That made him feel guilty; he knew you didn't like romances, and that you only read them when he wasn't around. He tried to remove it from your grip so he could cuddle you instead, but this action stirred you and you slowly sat up.

"Kaku?" You blinked the sleep out of your eyes, then smiled softly, "You're back. Hi."

"Hi," he replied sweetly, returning your smile. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"It's alright," you reassured him, "I didn't realise I fell asleep. Must have read until I passed out."

He chuckled at that, before gesturing to the book, "What were you reading about?"

"This?" You looked down at the book. "Oh, I just heard from a friend it was good. And that the main male character is swoon-worthy, which he is. I can see why she liked it."

At the mention of the male MC, Kaku felt an unjustified and unnecessary bout of jealousy swell up inside him. You liked the guy in the book? Maybe if he had been here you wouldn't.

"You don't have to be jealous you know," you started to smile playfully. "He doesn't compare to you."

"I'm not jealous," he tried to deny it, but his rosy cheeks gave it away. "It's a fictional character, why would I be jealous?"

"'It'?" You teased, pulling him closer to you. "So jealous you can't even give him a pronoun." You laughed, and the sound relaxed the tense CP9 agent.

"Ha, ha," he replied dryly, wrapping his arms around you. "Come here."

"I love you, and only you," you smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Good, because it will only ever be me and you."

[rainydayz-nstuff]

Adventure Time

You can probably tell what I’m mostly going to be posting about 🫤 Anyways, this is briefly based on my own AT fanfic that I have.

So here is Finn x Ice Kings Kid! Reader (How you met)

Let’s start off with how you appeared since you’re human. Gunter found you while messing around in Ice King’s ‘research lab’

It was actually Simon’s old lab.

You, with very out dated clothes, were stuck in an Ice Pod where you’ve been asleep for many, many, years.

Ice King heard Gunter’s ‘wenks’ so he found both Gunter and a sleeping human

At first he asked Gunter if he had made a statue, then he opened the pod and you… nearly fell on your face.

Ice King caught you and realized you were still knocked out, and he kindly brought you to his bed and laid you down. He spent the next few hours pacing around the room and staring at you while he ate trail mix

When you woke up, he was chomping away and he was completely zoned out. Like, his pupils were huge.

You stared at him before blinking slowly. Finally, Ice King glanced down at you while letting out a hum. You locked eyes before he shrieked and started choking on his trail mix.

“Oh! Geeze, I’m sorry!” You instantly apologized.

Ice King recovered while taking deep breaths. You were now sitting up and he could tell you were kind of young.

Then, an idea hit him.

“I’m going to adopt you!”

“… You gonna what?

Ice king is now officially your dad (here you go people with daddy issues)

HES ACTUALLY A GOOD DAD NGL

He teaches you how to play the drums, the keyboard, writing fan fiction, ruling the kingdom, how he’s gonna kid nap possible wives-

You just let him rant on and on because he seems happy to talk with you

He’ll also offer to kidnap anybody you may be interested in, he doesn’t judge.

MAKES A CROWN FOR YOU! It never melts, and it looks like a mini version of his!

Cried the first time you wore it in front of him

Okay, onto the rest-

He set up a coronation to officially welcome you to the kingdom as his child.

Sends out posters, invitations, notes tied to rocks, and some people actually showed up (over half are kidnapped princesses because why not?)

Finn and Jake showed up because they found out about this coronation and thought it was a trick to lure in princesses or he kidnapped someone and was going to make them stay in his kingdom forever.

Right as the official Ice crown was to be placed on your head, they kicked the doors open and stopped the ceremony.

Ice King, like usual, got mad and instantly flew in the air to use his powers.

He flew up too quickly and knocked himself out when he hit the ceiling.

Before you could rush over to your dad, Finn grabbed your hand and whisked you away like a bride

He gave you a reassuring smile to try and convince you that you were now safe

It didn’t make you safe

“Hey! Put me down!” You struggled to get out of his grasp. “Seriously, who are you?!”

Finn stopped running before he sat you down. Your shimmery light blue, bordering white, outfit matched the icy floor. “My names Finn, and that was Jake.”

His toothy smile and heroic pose made you stare at him blankly before you turned around. “I’m going back to see my dad.”

Finn’s face fell and he tried to grab your arm. “Hey, wait! Don’t go back there, it’s dangerous!” He tried to warn you, but your brushed him off.

“Don’t care. My dad just got knocked out, and I don’t think Gunter knows how to use bandages.”

After marching back inside, you found your dad mumbling to himself. And Gunter was stuck in bandages.

After getting the little guy out, you helped your dad and picked him up to bring him to his bed.

All the guests had left after the ambush so you changed out of the ceremony attire, and then put on normal clothes only with the crown on this time.

Finn, very interested in who you are, spied on you and noted how… familiar you seemed.

You had never met before, but he felt like you were something he was missing.

Then he realized you were human.

He outed himself when he gasped before he also fell to the ground and made a loud crash.

You stood tall over him while he stared up at you. Your eyes glared down at his nervous form.

“Get out of here.” Your voice laced with venom, but oddly enough… he blushed.

Finn stuttered a bit while you raised an eyebrow. He then quickly got up, grabbed your hand, kissed it, then ran away

You never told your dad what happened, but you still didn’t comprehend what just happened.

[halflucidramblings]

I am so not normal about Mario and Luigi as characters. I think everyone should strive to be like them, because they really are great role models imho.

Mario is a protective, helpful, courageous go getter who smiles and yahoos at anything thrown at him. He never thinks twice about jumping into action if it means he can be of help to someone. He's willing to help, no matter how big or small the task. Not only that, he's humble in the way that he doesn't let his fame get to his head.

Luigi is the more compassionate and emotional one of the two. And in the way that he gets the job done in spite of his fears, you could argue that he's braver than his brother. And though he lives in Mario's shadow, he has all the love, admiration, and respect in the world for his brother and doesn't hold it against him.

Please allow me to go feral real quick...

I love these freaking plumbers so damn much, I am not okay. I would give anything for a chance to meet them in real life. They should exist in real life. It's not fair that they don't. I've wanted to be held by them since I first picked up Mario Kart DS at the age of seven. They were always with me as I grew older. And as I grew, I've come to appreciate them more and more.

You could learn so many lessons from their journeys, whether it be in a mainline game, an rpg adventure, or the movie. They teach us to be kind and helpful. They show us that it's okay to be scared, and that you can overcome those fears that hold you down. They show that the insurmountable odds are more manageable with someone by your side.

It's really incredible how so much life was breathed into these characters who started off as nothing but blank slates. These characters who were never meant to be anything have come to embody kindness, bravery, determination, compassion, and so much more. Is it any wonder why they're as beloved as they are?

They're so simple. Really, you could argue that they just embody generic heroic characteristics. But they're larger than life. They've become an inspiration to generations, and I wish that more people would recognize their worth as role models. More people should be like Mario and Luigi.

[velvetvexations]

The thing about comparing Kipperlilly's grudge to hating DEI and affirmative action is that those things are exactly what she's advocating for. The Bad Kids are not receiving accommodation for anything - and in fact Aguefort seems like the type to despise things like accommodations and would tell disabled people to pick themselves up by their bootstraps, but I digress -rather, they have direct connections to massive save-the-world plots three years in a row now that puts them way ahead of everyone else. Though they put in hard work, that doesn't change the fact that no one else working as hard as they can will ever equal being told to go stop a god from coming back and coincidentally your dad (a) worked directly with that dead god's primary agent in the past and (b) is now a super cool angel secret agent who will directly assist you in the task. Oh, and also, your teammate's parents are the dead god's primary mortal agents. And also they kidnapped your other teammate's dad because he's a powerful demon lord so now she's involved too. And you all happen to end up on Leviathan, where Fabian is an instant celebrity who immediately gets a cult worshiping the planks he walks on because they all work for his rich undead infernal dad.

The issue is that people keep mapping it to the real world and seeing "tragic backstory" like it would be IRL, which is a mistake. It's not a disability. They don't go to normal school to become accountants or NASA engineers, they are there to be doing exactly that shit that their backstories rope them into. Like, this isn't Buffy, they aren't saving the world incidentally, this is school for saving the world to pursue a career in saving the world. Spyre functions so differently from IRL that everyone is dramatically failing to comprehend the actual situation everyone is in.

And the thing about hating affirmative action is that it presumes someone only got into whatever not because they have skill, but because of their race or something like that. That's manifestly different from what's going on here. Kipperlilly has no doubt the Bad Kids are incredibly powerful and skilled - but their backstories gave them opportunities to use that power and skill that no one else will ever have regardless of effort or even luck. The Bad Kids can't go five seconds without tripping over the revelation that the BBEG for the year is one of their second cousins. That just doesn't happen to other people, period. The world revolves around the BK's in ways it will never revolve around anyone else so the Bad Kids will always get the massive adventures to save the world and be the top of their class because they're personally connected to the narrative.

Remember, Brennan has confirmed that other AA students do not do shit like that. They do exactly the sort of missions you'd expect them to - go in dungeon, fight monsters, come back. It's not "uh, the Rat Grinders should have just gone out and saved the world too", that's not how it works. AA students are not usually expected to, their rat grinding is just a more tedious and efficient version of what they would be doing otherwise. The BK's don't get involved with these plots simply because they're the most heroic heroes ever who seek wrongs to right, they do it because every single time everyone but Gorgug (who is for the most part absent major narrative stakes) was born someone that would get those in's, feats reproducible by no one else.

"Ah, but the Seven-"

The Seven prove the tragedy of it. Because Kipperlilly is right, but she's also wrong. The brilliance of BLeeM this season is that he's crafted a narrative inseparable from the meta of how the game works. In a very real way this is like the Dungeons & Dragons versions of Tron. The fact that it's a series of fictional TTRPG sessions is essential to the universe and it's story, in a Twin Peaks-ian way.

Because, see, it's not actually, technically magical trauma that gives out those narrative advantages. Magical trauma is just the most obviously visible side-effect. What the issue actually is is that, as everyone has noted over and over again, the Rat Grinders are NPCs, and it is therefore impossible for the world to ever bend itself around them the way it does for the PCs. Except, most are just saying that as a funny haha joke.

No, like, literally, that's the issue. They will always be in the shadow of the handful of people that the people constructing their world, their timeline, their very existence, has decided matter. They are doomed by narrative causality to be "boring". And I'm going to take a moment to say here, isn't it crazy no one is talking about this when we just got done with Neverafter which was all about this exact thing????? Like, literally the BBEG was the Authors. That is the situation here, more or less.

Anyway, there will never be a demon attacking that due to a curse is only vulnerable to hot licks from Ruben's guitar passed down from the first gnomish rocker. Mary Ann will never be the prophesized liberator of kobolds enslaved in dragon dens. Ivy will never find out her father was secretly a super-soldier for the Council of Chosen who before he was assassinated left her notes detailing a sinister plot within the government of Solace.

People keep having a hard time with this because it intuitively doesn't feel right to ever classify something like losing a father in any context to have some kind of bright side. But if you take nothing else away from this post, let it be this: Adventuring as it's done in Spyre is not something done in the real world. Adventuring is something everyone chose to go to AA to learn and put into practice as their long-term career. And in that, absolutely these things give the PCs a completely one hundred percent insurmountable leg-up on the thing they're all in competition for.

And it being completely insurmountable in that way further goes to show the difference between hating that situation and hating affirmative action. Even AA is not a guarantee that a specific member of the majority will lose out on something and a specific member of the minority will get it instead. As soon as the character sheets were rolled everyone else at Aguefort may as well have just gone home and started studying to be accountants because the main characters had been chosen. Or they could keep going and hope they get a spin-off, I guess.

But Kipperlilly does keep trying, for she doesn't really comprehend the true eldritch horror beyond her existence shackled to the bits of a bunch of comedians, and her solution is to adjust for those unfair advantages.

Which is affirmative action.

How is that not obvious.

[wardevilwins]

What is the point of a hero?

Anticlimax in Chainsaw Man Part 2

Part 2 is garnering more and more criticism as it extends its excruciating middle portion towards the inevitable collapse. There are talks of Fujimoto losing the plot, skipping over important details, the story not making sense, Asa being flattened into a supporting character for Denji, and more.

To my mind, these criticisms center on the same thing: anticlimax.

The Falling Arc ends with the first major anticlimax of the entire Chainsaw Man series. That moment turned out to be a sendoff of many aspects of the series which had defined its identity in part one: the breakneck pacing, the grotesque monsters, the ultraviolence, the detailed rendering, and most significantly, the cycles of catharsis.

Part One was a face up rendition of the heroes journey: the cathartic cycle. This cycle was paralleled with the hedonistic cycle of consumerism. From the very origins of the series, Fujimoto was critiquing the heroic narrative by exploring a different perspective on the hero’s existence. In the lineage of Devil Man, Evangelion, Utena, etc. Fujimoto considers the harm that heroism does to the hero.

However, in part one, we don’t understand this dynamic until the final arcs of the series. The hero’s journey is played mostly straight, with exciting adventures, a lovable cast, a host of creepy monsters, despicable villains, cosmic fantasy. On the surface, this is normal Shonen Jump. The walls are closing in behind the scenes.

This is the mechanic behind the Makima turn. It is a reveal, but not a twist. We are well aware that Makima is not human, is suspicious, and has some malicious intent surrounding Denji. The reveal is what those intentions are, and what makes it so compelling is the nature of her intentions.

We learn that all the events of this story — the job, the romance, the organization, the friends, the family, the adventure — were being manipulated with the express purpose of destroying Denji. His cycle of catharsis was always leading him to his doom. It was made to destroy him. His tragic flaw is ignorance: he didn’t stop to think about what was going on.

Part 2 picks up on Denji in this same state. He is still chasing the cycle. He goes out, defeats the monster, everyone praises him. It’s great. However, we see the same lingering signs that something is off. The people he abandons in his fight against Cockroach. Corrupt government institutions using him as a popular spectacle.

But in the first Asa-focused section of the story, we the readers are also locked into the cycle. Asa follows the same journey — literally the same, from bat devil, to the eternity devil, to a final climactic battle where she faces her childhood trauma and arises an actualized hero. Or did she?

Because that isn’t what happened to Denji. The cycle of catharsis was not a journey of self discovery; it was a trap. A distraction. A cover for the underlying intentions of the state as embodied by Makima. Even the idea of Chainsaw Man as a hero was a part of the plot to destroy Denji’s life.

But with Asa, as we approach the apex of her story, right as she has asked Chainsaw Man to save her, and she herself is using her own powers to save him as well, overcoming her fear of the other to risk her own life, plummeting towards certain doom! How will they escape!

They don’t. They get eaten. And somehow Nayuta is there and she just saved them. ??????????????????????????????????????????

It’s like their powers didn’t even matter! What about all that character development? They just lose? And then it doesn’t even matter that they lost? Then what was the point?

What is the point of a hero?

Asa’s introduction ends with the series’s first anticlimax, but that will not be the last. In fact, it is only the beginning. Because for the rest of the series, it will be constant. Every single tension will be diffused. Every single horror will be dodged. Every build will break.

Let’s go down the list:

Denji is forbidden from being Chainsaw Man, and his identity is stolen. He isn’t Chainsaw Man anymore.

Denji thinks about rejecting Fumiko’s advances, but can’t.

It appears Fumiko and Denji will fight, but then they don’t.

Asa becomes a minor celebrity and cult figurehead, but we never see any of it.

It seems like Miri will be Denji’s friend, but he’s an insane cultist.

It seems like Miri and the other hybrids will go on a spree, but Quanxi stops them.

It seems like Denji, Nayuta, and Fumiko will have to fight a mob of monsters, but Quanxi saves them.

It seems like Yoru will fight Yoshida, but he runs away.

Denji fights and defeats the hybrids, but is attacked and captured by a random mob.

Nayuta is in danger, but we cut away.

Denji gets chopped into pieces, and is quickly put back together.

Quanxi appears again, defeats everyone, but immediately surrenders.

Asa’s time as a hero is explained away as a passing fad.

As a reader, I can’t lie, it is annoying. And aggravating. And it is so blatantly intentional that it pisses you off. Fujimoto is refusing to give catharsis. Even the climactic moment of Denji’s arc — facing down Barem in front of his burning home — is not catharsis. It is torture. More building trauma and tension. Never any satisfaction.

Basically, he’s narratively edging his audience. And face up telling you that this is what is going on too. He even does it as a gag during Fumiko’s introduction. He gives a little peek at the catharsis that he knows we all want to see, but he won’t do it. He can do it — he was doing it all through Asa’s development — but he is deciding not to, and showing you that he’s deciding. He’s playing with his cards face up, but folding every hand.

Asa’s celebrity being totally sidelined is by far the most controversial of these instances. Her introduction fully engages us in her hero’s journey — a true hero’s journey. She isn’t a hedonist like Denji; she has ideals. She is fighting to save people. She actualizes. She becomes a real hero of the city.

But we don’t see it. Instead, we leave her story and look at Denji, who explicitly can’t be a hero. And through Denji’s story, we see the other side. Asa’s heroism is Denji’s downfall. She is getting everything that he was after. We understand what Asa has by what Denji lacks.

Asa’s catharsis is hidden. Or rather, her heroic catharsis is hidden. We got to see her journey to becoming a hero — to taking Chainsaw Man’s place — but not what happens when she is living that life. The same kind of life Denji lived under Makima.

Denji had Makima rooting for Pochita, manipulating and deceiving him. Asa has Fami rooting for Yoru, manipulating and deceiving her. Makima made Denji a hero to manipulate the public. Fami made Asa a hero to manipulate the public.

So in some sense, there’s no need to show it because we’ve seen it all before. But you still could. And it would be fun. Everyone would like it. It’s fine to, right?

Right?

Running parallel to the anticlimax is a long winded critique of popular culture. Particularly fandom culture. That is to say, hero worship.

The members of the Church worship Chainsaw Man because he saved them. The media uses Chainsaw Man and Asa as distractions from the horrors of life under threat of devils. Fans of a certain idol are driven to stress and conspiracy by a scandal. Meanwhile, wars are breaking out, government facilities are being invaded, people are turning into monsters.

Their love of Chainsaw Man turns them into monsters.

Barem and Fumiko are a notable skewering of the real-world Chainsaw Man fanbase. Fujimoto roots his critique of hero stories in a critique of his own hero story. While it is a reckoning for his fans, it is more so a reckoning for himself and the impact that his story had on the world. What was the point of what he did? What did it accomplish?

As of writing, the story isn’t finished, so the ideas aren’t complete, but at least at this point (chapter 164) it doesn’t look good. We see Fumiko is lost in her sexual obsession, abusing her target. We see Barem is completely insane, overwhelmed by a glorification of violence. We see a vast mass of fans whose obsession is harnessed to turn them into mindless killers.

You cannot help but think about the Chainsaw Man fandom in the wake of the anime. Harrassing the series director, constant asinine opinions all over the internet, the discourse around MAPPA — not around Chainsaw Man at all. Egregiously horny art. Legitimately disturbing sexualization. Popular response focused on the action and violence, not on the meaning of the story.

Is this what he wanted? Is this what heroes inspire? Is this what happens when you give people catharsis?

Is this what heroes are?

So, for Asa, he doesn’t do it. He won’t do it. He won’t create a cycle of catharsis. He won’t make a heroic tragedy. Instead, he will divert, avoid, hide, pause, deny. When she follows the path, we look away. When we want the hero, we get nothing instead.

Fame — heroism — isn’t a triumph. It’s a flash in the pan. An illusion. A tool of distraction. A vector of misogyny — society. A corruption of the self. For the hero and the fans.

Denji’s long arc is the positive exploration of the negative space Asa’s story leaves. Look away from the hero at hand and look at the hero that was. Look at what it did to him, what it does to him. Think about what this story does to you. Think about what it does to the world.

We are done with the spectacle. We’ve left catharsis behind. We’re living beyond the high. So, what is there? What can there be? What other story can you tell? How do we relate, exist, outside of saved and savior? If the hero is a lie, who will save the world? Can the world be saved?

We’ll have to find out.

[musical-chan]

for the wip's game: Time's revenge!

It's a sequel to "You Want to Talk to Link, Right?" It was suppose to be funny but then it got serious and I wasn't sure what to do with it. Someday, I swear, I will finish this one.

**

Okay, maybe they went a little too far.

But none of them were waking Time up with the song.  They weren't distracting him in combat. Just, you know, asking him completely pointless and unnecessary questions, that's all! That wasn't so bad, was it? And of course, the more they knew they shouldn't be playing or singing or even thinking his song, the more it came to mind. Wild hummed it at the cookpot one night, completely innocent, and when the sound of his slate turning on startled him, he glanced over at the older hero, who was glaring at him as if to dare the Champion to touch it.  He laughed nervously and went back to preparing dinner, hiding his face with his free hand.

Of course, Legend enjoyed doing it on purpose. He suddenly had the ocarina on him at all times.  Any of his instruments would work but for some reason, using that particular one always made Time the most annoyed.  Everything would be normal and suddenly the notes would float out of the woods.  Somewhere Time would swear under his breath and somewhere else, you could hear Legend asking the hero if everything was okay, oh no problems, just checking in!  It's very useful being able to talk from a distance, isn't it?  Yes, it sure is.

Four walked around camp almost perpetually jumpy. He knew he had started it.  He knew there would be revenge.

Things settled down. Legend was right; it would take a while for Time to figure out if they even had songs, much less what they were. None of them knew; some of them had music they played but all of them suddenly decided they were not going to do that at all, at least for a bit.  Wild would still hum around the cookpot but the tune was nothing much and when Time eventually figured out the notes, nothing had happened.

But he was watching them.

And he was playing music every night.

Sure, all the Links knew Time enjoyed music. He hummed, he played the ocarina. He even had that guitar that Wind absolutely adored and wanted to steal for his own.  The older hero had even mentioned using music to travel around in his era, though they hadn't seen it.  But he had never made a habit of playing that often.  Now it was all the time.  Some of them were songs he said were from his own adventuring days.  A bolero, a nocturn, a prelude.  About half of these, Twilight would look startled at and give Time a particularly intense look at but the older hero never commented on it.  One particularly hot night, he played an upbeat, spinning sort of song and suddenly it began raining.  Several of the Chain began to wonder if perhaps the Hero of Time had been misnamed; he certainly seemed to have used a lot of music in his past.

They got used to his playing.  Nothing had happened and even Legend got bored with contacting Time just to pick on him and everything returned to normal.

Almost.

Maybe Time was more chatty? He asked questions about the things they had gone through.  That wasn't terribly unusual. It was nothing particularly intrusive, more like how they had started, what it had felt like going off on some grand adventure.  Everyone started talking more about their experiences, even the old man.

New music began to show up in Time's repertoire around the campfire.  And one night, he played something that made Legend's toes tap along unknowingly.  He nodded his head to the beat; it was a brave sort of song, heroic, and it resonated somewhere in Legend's head in a way he didn't recognise.  He didn't notice when Time stopped, nor the smile on the man's face as he put his ocarina away for the night.

It became easier to collect songs after that.

[dabblingreturns]

A lukewarm defense of Kristen Applebee's.

I'm on fantasy high junior year episode 5 and things are not going well between Kristen and her godess.

And I'd love to say that it's because Kristen is a selfish dirtbag who doesn't know how to have a healthy relationship. But that wouldn't be fair.

I think the issue is a twofold.

One big issue is expectations.

Cassandra used to be a major diety. With thousands of followers and cults of mysteries before she was betrayed. She is used to reaching out and always finding a follower who is overjoyed to be touched by the divine.

Kristen on the other hand spent 15 years as the favorite Cleric of Helio. And was praised by her comunity for being the one that Helio talked to directly. As It that was an honor. But Helio had other followers he could tap, it wasn't just Kristen. The amount of worship Helio needed from Kristen was relitivly low. She was a long term investment for him. Helio was able to subsidize Kristen's power for a year after she left him, just in the hopes of getting her back. But circumstances have changed.

Both Cassandra and Kristen are used to working with excess resources but now neither of them have those resources that they used too. But they both still act as if they do.

And this is the problem. They keep not providing what the other needs because they can't, but are then suprize when the other also let's then down for the exact same reason.

Kristen isn't thinking and communicating with her godess 100% of the time because she is a highschool student who is busy saving the world and dealing with drama and being a dumb teen and sleeping. And that is normal behavior. She doesn't feel that checking in with Cassandra every five minutes about how every decision in her life might effect Cassandra is a reasonable thing to do. Because it's never been nessasity before and is a massive inconvenience in combat. Cassandra asking for updates while Kristen is in combat might get Kristen killed.

And Kristen not being able to provide the worship and attention is activly harming Cassandra even at times when Kristen can't provide attention. (Kristen should be providing more worship than she is, but I don't think she can provide as much worship as Cassandra needs)

But both Cassandra and Kristen keep treating the other as if they have limitless resources and thats not true.

The second issue is a fundamental misunderstanding how how Kristen liturgical nature.

Kristen is a really particular kind of saint. She's a Heroic Saint who does big miracle and has Revelations (tm) and changes the face of the world.

But Kristen is NOT a evangelical Preacher (tracker is but that's a differnt post) or charismatic leader. She doesn't have the skill with words or psychology or organization to create a church and recrute people. She has no talent for missionary work.

200 year from now she could become a great saintly example as a vessel through whom Cassandra saved the world. But currently she is a hot mess. (Heros often are).

But Cassandra is expecting a missionary, not a hero. So Kristen keeps failing in her eyes.

And Kristen is messing up and missing opertunities.

Kristen messed up by not going on social media after the Night Yorb and sighting Cassandra as the major diety involved.

Being the ASB president at Aguefort Adventuring Academy doesn't sound like it should help Cassandra but if Kristen played it correctly it could. Other students looking for a new diety might pick Cassandra if Kristen remembered to mention her more. Kristen could be a godly influencer. But she's so all over the place she doesn't.

Basically Kristen Applebee's could be doing better in a task where she has been set up to fail.

It's shitty for everyone, but if Kirsten could sail though this smoothly, she would gave to give up everything that makes her Kristen Applebee's.

[yournaothings]

Living the Dream: Chapter Three

@runaway-dream-au

@bored-animator (Here is Chapter three ;3)

(("Dream is an angel."

Maria's comment only helped Lily dive into the question that's been burning her brain since she heard what her mama said about Dream being an empath.

"Would you be able to remove bad things from a sleeping person?"

Okay everyone! You get a little look at the doctor!

Also, Blue and Ink are out on the hunt for their friend! Sh! Don't let Nightmare know! (Who knows what he'll do to the Multiverse..)

Characters and their Creators: Killer Sans: Rahafwabas Dust Sans: Ask-Dusttale Horror Sans: Sour-Apple-Studios Nightmare Sans: Jokublog XTale Sans(Cross): Jael Peñaloza/Jakei

Ink Sans: Comyet Underswap Sans (Blue) and Underswap Papyrus (Stretch): popcornpr1nce Dream Sans: Jokublog Fresh Sans : Crayon Queen Core!Frisk: DokuDoki))

Dream was nowhere to be found. 

Ink and Blue traveled to all the AU’s they knew Dream liked to go when he wanted to be alone; and well, he wasn’t anywhere. There was no sign of him or his positivity, and many monsters and humans confirmed that they hadn’t seen Dream for a while. 

Core!Frisk explained to everyone that it was important to keep Dream’s absence a secret for now, until they could figure out where Dream went or until he came back. It would be no good for the Multiverse to know that one of the strongest Guardians was missing. Not to mention what would happen if Nightmare found out… 

Blue stepped into Dream’s quiet and dark home, trying not to let the absence of his positive aura shake him as he started to search the house. As Core!Frisk said, Dream had left his weapon, crown, and cape behind. They laid out on his bed, having already collected a little covering of dust. Blue’s soul twisted in worry as he reached down to pick up the crown and very gently wiped away the dust from it, letting the gold circlet shine. It felt cold in his grasp when he held it. 

“Dream,” Blue whispered into the empty room. “Where have you gone, friend?” 

Stuffing Dream’s belongings into his Inventory, Blue turns away from the empty room and leaves the house. He had a Guardian to look for. 

-

“You can’t be serious, Blue.” Stretch, Blue’s baby brother huffed in disbelief. “I am very serious, Paps!” Blue exclaimed, his grin wide and cheerful despite the gnawing worry in his soul. “Dream has done so much for us! He would never abandon us in our time of need, so I will not either!” 

Stretch worries for his brother, where he’s going, Stretch isn’t sure he could follow. “Bro,” He begins, ready to talk him out of this dangerous plan of his to search the Multiverse for Dream. However, he caught a flash of something in Blue’s eye lights that made Stretch freeze. 

Sans is worried for his friend, and thinks the worse has happened.

Sighing once more as Blue turns to look at his brother, Stretch gives in a little. His shoulders slump and he looks so worried, but, “Be careful, okay?” With his brother’s acceptance of this very important mission, Blue grins wider and he strikes his normal heroic pose. “Of course, Paps! I always am!” 

He turns back to his belongings, and finishes stuffing anything important into his inventory. The sound of something wet splashing onto the ground startled both brothers, both glancing over to the wet inky spot on the ground as Ink slips from his portal. His grin was wide and excited. Another adventure with one of his best friends! 

Hm, I wonder where Dream was . Ink ponders, having already forgotten that their mission was to find exactly where Dream had wandered off to. “Ink! Right on time! I’m ready to go!” Blue tells him with his big grin. Another sigh leaves Stretch, he really hopes that Blue will be okay. He definitely will have to have a talk with Dream when he comes home. 

Blue and Ink wave to Stretch before they disappear into the inky black portal that Ink had summoned, it soon disappearing after their departure. 

-

Dream stood at Maria’s doorstep feeling rather nervous. He pressed the doorbell, hearing it chime inside the small home, and he waited. In his hand was a warm disposable pan of banana bread he baked for dinner tonight. Even though he was comfortable around Maria and her children, he was nervous. This was her home, he was invited to step into her private space. He was worried he might screw this dinner night over. What if his positivity made them so friendly and trusting? 

What if this was fake and he accidentally poisoned them with his positive aura -

The door opened suddenly, pulling Dream from his anxious thoughts. He startled with a small jolt and was quick to smile weakly. Kai answered the door, his smile warm as he invited Dream inside. “Come on in, Dream.” The Guardian relaxed when he felt Kai’s calm and friendly aura and he stepped inside. After shutting the door behind him, Kai led Dream further into the home and to the kitchen, where he pointed where to place the pan of bread. 

“It’s banana bread,” Dream began as he set it down on the countertop, just as Maria stepped closer to place a freshly baked casserole beside the banana bread. “I-It was the only thing I could think of to bring.” Maria smiled warmly at Dream. “Thank you, Dream. But, you didn’t have to bake anything for tonight.” Dream’s smile widened a bit more, the nervousness fading at how warm and nice Maria’s aura felt. It fed his soul and he knew if this kept up, he wouldn’t eat too much of their food. “Think of it as a “thank you” gift for helping me get comfortable here, Maria.” The older woman laughed brightly, her laugh beautiful and light. Her positive aura brightened more and Dream felt more at ease. “Well then, thank you again, Dream. I appreciate this- Lily will be very happy. She loves banana bread. At least now, I don’t have to bake any for a little while longer.” 

“Oh?” Dream chuckled, happy to have helped Maria a little by bringing his treat over. “And, where is Lily? Will Felix be joining as well?” He asks, and Maria nods as she works on the finishing touches on her casserole. “He will be joining us, yes. They went to visit Norah, and should be home soon.” 

“I see.” Dream hums. He wonders how their visit went, but he didn’t want to ask in case it was a sensitive topic. This dinner was meant to be enjoyed. With how warm and inviting everything felt in Maria’s home, he didn’t want to be the one to ruin it all by asking about such a depressing topic. “Maria,” He jumped from his place and moved to help carry the dishes to the dining table. “Let me help you!” Marie smiled, “You’re the guest tonight, Dream-” He was quick to shake his head and carefully took the casserole dish from her hands. “I insist! It’s not too troublesome.” 

As Dream was setting the casserole dish down on the table, he found Kai finishing setting the table. It wasn’t a fancy set up, just a simple plate, butter knife, spoon, and fork. The glasses were placed at each setting, with a pitcher of iced water in the middle. Dream felt his soul warm at the sight, it reminded him of all the times he was invited to dinners after helping save a Universe. He felt a little guilty when he had decided he had liked Mrs. Bun’s dinner was better than most when it was all vegetables. 

“This all looks so lovely, Kai.” Dream gushed, his smile bright and warm, like the sun ; it surprised Kai for a moment as he looked at Dream with slightly wide eyes before he relaxed and smiled, laughing softly. “It’s nothing really. Just a simple dinner set up.” Dream shook his head no, his smile still in place. “It’s not just nothing . It has a warm and comfortable look to it. It’s inviting.” 

Kai was surprised once more, but this time he didn’t show it. He simply grinned and glanced towards his mother when she entered the dining room with the last of the food. “He really is an empath, huh?” Maria laughed softly and nodded. “Yes, he’s almost like an angel!” This comment had Dream blushing and he was about to deny being an angel when their last two guests arrived.

“Who’s an angel?” Felix asked, Lily following up with; “It can’t be Kai. The little snake!” She laughed when Kai flipped her off, immediately proving her point. Dream’s “Oh my!” was lost when Maria snapped her fingers at Kai and warned her children to behave. “You’re adults, I don’t have to do this with you!” She wasn’t truly upset, Dream could tell by her small smile and the way her soul warmed at the silly sibling rivalry. 

Lily walked up to her step mama and pressed a loving kiss to her cheek. “Sorry, mom.” She apologized before finding her seat. Felix was next to pressing a kiss to Maria’s cheek in greeting before following after his fiance. “Have a seat, Dream.” Maria instructed him sweetly, and he did as he was told, finding a seat at the end of the table. On his left was Felix, and on his right was Maria. On Felix’s other side was Lily, and across from her, on the other side of Maria was Kai. Here, Dream was able to face everyone. He couldn’t help but to study each and every family member, his smile widening at how positively happy they were. 

“So, who’s an angel?” Felix repeated his question after Maria said a little prayer before they ate. (It was a strange prayer, one Dream hadn’t heard before.) Felix reached for a hot roll first and began to tear it open before spreading butter on it. “Dream.” Kai said and gestured towards the skeleton monster with an easy smile. He went directly for the casserole first, his eyes wide with excitement and hunger. It was clearly a favorite meal of his. “Oh-” Dream blushed as he retracted his hand from grabbing a roll as well. He waited for the casserole to be passed around. 

“Dream is an empath, and he glows like an angel.” Maria explained why she chose to compare him to an angel. He was bright, and warm, and just so kind. “Are you an angel?” Lily asked, looking a little confused. Kai choked on his food as he found it hard not to laugh at her naivety and Felix grinned and shook his head. “It’s a saying, love.” Felix explained to his fiance. Her face flooded with her red blush and she waved her butter knife at Kai. “I know that!” Kai raised his hands, pulling away as if Lily was actually going to hurt him. She wasn’t . “Hey, why are you pointing that at me ?!” She jabbed the knife in his direction and narrowed her eyes at him and said with her lips puffed out; “ You laughed !” 

Maria shook her head at their playfulness and she cleared her throat to get them to settle. “Please, we have a guest here tonight, you two.” She was embarrassed- they were grown adults! She shouldn’t have to tell them this! ( Even though this wasn’t unusual. Every dinner together, Lily and Kai always playfully bickered .) “It’s quite alright, Maria.” Dream laughed softly. “They’re just having fun.” Still, Maria sighed and shook her head once more.

Lily placed her butter knife back down after fixing up her roll and she took a bite out of the tasty buttered bread. “So,” She said with her mouthful, but waited till she swallowed the bite to continue. “You’re an empath, Dream?” Maria sent a small warning glare to Lily before glancing at Dream in worry, she didn’t want this dinner to be uncomfortable for him.  Dream smiled kindly and nodded. “I am. I’ve been told by many others that I glow. But, I assure you, I’m nothing like an angel.” 

“So, I take it that when you feel happy feelings, you glow?” Lily continued to ask and Dream was still happy to answer her question with a nod. “Can you remove bad things from people, then?” She asked next. “Lily, please. Let’s just enjoy our dinner first before you start questioning him.” Dream calmed Maria’s worries, “It’s alright, Maria. I don’t mind. She’s just curious.” He explained before he told her what he could do, that yes , he could help remove things such as negativity from someone. But, it wasn’t permanent. 

Which was the reason he was always having to fight his brother when he came around and replaced the positive feelings with his negative ones . 

“Would you be able to remove bad things from a sleeping person?” 

Lily’s next question had everyone’s happy mood fall, where the tension began to grow. They all knew what she was meaning when she asked that. Felix froze in his seat as he tossed her question around in his head before looking at Dream with a heart breaking, hopeful look. Dream felt his soul tightened and he gently placed his cutlery down on the table and politely wiped his mouth with his napkin before he answered her.  

“I… Have never done something like that before. Everyone I’ve helped has always been awake…” He answered slowly, and it made his soul twist uncomfortably when he watched Felix’s hopeful look fade into disappointment and upset. “But,” He added softly, already knowing what Lily’s idea was. He glanced around the table at everyone, seeing how hopeful and scared they were. Their friend… Felix’s sister was hurting and nothing was helping.

Dream… 

I can’t save my brother.

I can’t save the Multiverse.

But, I can try to save this one person. 

Because, maybe…

Maybe this was why Dream fled his home.

This part of the Multiverse hasn’t been touched by himself or his brother, he could tell. There were no traces of his brother’s negativity. 

But there was something here that was causing harm to Norah.

Dream raised his ethereal golden eyes to give a focused look of determination to the family. His soul flared to life as he felt a little bit of his confidence slowly come back. This family depended on him, and he wasn’t one to turn away from a cry for help.  “But, I can try. For you all. For Norah.” 

It was silent around the table. Many were fighting tears, Maria wasn’t so lucky in her fight as a few stray tears slipped down her cheeks. Felix blinked his tears away, he was quiet, and unsure how to respond. After several months of his sister being asleep… After months of that stupid doctor being at her side and doing nothing … “Dream,” Maria said softly, breaking the silence. He turned to study her distressed expression. She wanted to remain hopeful, to have faith that Dream could help. But… “You don’t have to do this, you know.” Dream’s soul twisted with pain at her tone, so broken and sad. “I know.” He said gently. “But, I want to. I want to try .” 

After all, why else was he pulled here, to this specific AU?

-

After planting a seed of hope in their hearts, Dream was able to pull everyone out of the sadness that had settled around them. He easily pulled them into a more happier subject where he had talked about some of the fun he and his friends had. It helped the others fall back into the comfortable and warm feeling he had walked into earlier that evening. Kai and Lily bickered once more and almost started a food fight. In the end, Maria put them both on dish duty after dinner. 

Once everything was cleaned up, they dug into Dream’s delicious banana bread, filled with caring intent. Lily threatened to eat the entire loaf, Maria sliced the pieces evenly afterwards and thanked Dream for bringing the delicious treat over. 

Before he left their home, he promised that next time they go to see Norah, he would accompany them. He would check her over and go from there. He felt Felix’s soul cry, he was having a hard time believing Dream, but he held so hard onto that little seed of hope Dream planted it almost made Dream cry.  

He bid everyone a good night before he slipped out the door and started down the street- he was offered a ride home, but he shook his head and and said he didn’t mind walking. It was a beautiful night out, the sky was clear and the stars you could see were twinkling above. He felt confidence boost his soul as he replayed the night’s events. Before he moved here, he had lost hope at saving the one he cared so deeply for. He lost hope that he couldn’t save anyone . But, with this small family… With the way they looked at him with such heartache and broken hope… He felt the confidence squeeze his soul and he smiled. It was like breathing in fresh air. It was like a new beginning. 

Yes, this time… This time he could do it. He will save Norah!  

With a pep in his step, Dream made his way home and began his routine for bed.

—-

She could hear them. 

Felix.

He was angry again. 

At the doctor. 

No, no. He wasn’t a doctor- Felix! Felix he’s-

She couldn’t warn him. That doctor- he wasn’t human. He was only pretending . He was sucking the life out of her-

A tear slipped past her closed eyelid as she laid limp in her hospital bed, listening to Felix yelling at the doctor to do better or to get lost. He almost had to be dragged out. 

Lily was there to calm him. Thank the stars for Lily. 

Please, take care of him, Lily. Don’t let him do anything that would harm him. 

She cried. Silently. 

And when Felix and Lily left to go have dinner with Lily’s mother… She was left alone with the doctor. With that… Monster . He fed off of her sadness. He fed off of her happiness as well. 

What are you?

A strange, slimy(?) hand caressed her face, wiping away her tears. She was able to scrunch her face and slowly, oh so slowly, she opened her eyes to look blearily at the monster at her bedside. His grin was wide and sinister, his eye? Eyes? They glowed and it hurt her aching eyes. She had to close them as he drew in closer, his voice sounding distorted. 

“ No one is going to save you, Little Norah ~” He laughed, it echoing in her mind as she felt herself fall under his spell once more. 

—-

Screams for help echoed in his mind. 

A sinister laughter followed and swallowed those screams. 

What happened- they were so happy a moment ago. Who… Who was haunting their dreams? 

“Please,” She cried, sitting naked and afraid in front of Dream. Her long brown hair fell over her shoulders, covering her naked chest. Dream studied her, startled and afraid for her. He could hear her soft cries of hurt and fear. Her soul was cracking. All around them was nothing but the darkest black. It felt like it was moving, threatening to swallow them both whole if they stayed there too long. 

She slowly raised her head and those tears stained her cheeks as she looked up at him with beautifully round brown eyes full of pain.  “Please,” She repeated again in a sob. “Help me.” 

-

Dream woke from his dream? Vision? He didn’t know, but he lay there in bed, reflecting on what he saw. Was… Was that Norah? It had to be, right? The amount of pain and fear that was coming from her hurt him. 

Slowly, Dream sat up and moved to hang his legs of the edge of his bed. He reached up to rub his hand over his face, feeling exhausted. His golden eyes that glowed in the darkness around him shifted to look at the time; it was only three in the morning. He would be getting up in a few hours for work… He didn’t think he could sleep anymore after what he saw, what he felt. 

With a sigh, Dream stood from his bed, tossing away the covers that seemed to try and pull him back into bed and he made his way into the bathroom to take a shower. To wash away the sweat that gathered on his bones. To try and wash away the strange ominous feeling that suddenly gripped at his soul. 

“It’s going to be a long day.” He sighed softly to himself as he stripped from his pajamas and stepped into the warm shower. He couldn’t get the image of that woman out of his head. He knew exactly who that was. 

It was Norah . 

Her happiness had guided him to her consciousness. She was dreaming, but when he got to her everything changed and she grew afraid. Dream didn’t know what was happening to her, but the vision didn’t deter him from going to help her. He owed this family that, after everything they have done for him.

He closed his eyes and he let the water cascade down his body, and already he started to feel a little better. He couldn’t help anyone if he had negativity in his own soul. Being around Maria and her children will help him through the day, he was sure of it. He needed all the positivity as he could possibly get. A strange feeling deep inside his soul told him that he was about to face something unknown and troublesome. 

Dream opened his eyes and narrowed his gaze into a determined look. He was confident he could do this. He could save Norah. 

Just hold on a little longer, Norah. I’m coming.

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

Any idea of who the doc really is?

[queen-scribbles]

Breather

My SWtOR Secret Santa gift for @ishallobservethis! I had to do something with Felin soon as I saw she had a "tripped and fell in love by accident" arc with Koth. I love the Smuggler, I love accidentally falling in love pairings, and Koth always need more love. So I wrote them a little scene between chapters 7 & 8 of KotFE.

---

Despite her best efforts in the moment, Felin had never been all that good at subtlety. So it wasn't really a surprise when Koth caught one too many of her 'surreptitious' glances in his direction.

It was enough to prompt him to look up from his half-disassembled rifle, arching a brow at her. "Need something , Outlander?"

"No, um, I just... the stuff with the Heralds was... a lot." Felin set down the tools she'd been using to repair her own blaster. "Wanted to be sure everyone's okay after that, you know?"

"And I'm first on your list?" A wink. "I'm flattered. And fine. The rifle took damage, not me." He shrugged. "Not the first time I've been in a fight like that, anyhow."

Former military. Right. On the run for deserting because he had a conscience. He was used to danger, used to Zakuul and Asylum and didn't need her fretting over him. But I want to.

She didn't want to dwell on why that was. She cared about all her comrades in arms, that's why.

"Good," she said, clearing her throat. She picked up the tools and went back to work. There was just a little carbon scoring to clear away, but better to have it in working order now, under the circumstances. "I gotta ask, Koth," she started after a few minutes' companionable silence working side by side, "especially after that mess, what exactly did Lana tell you that had you all gung-ho to bust me out?"

"Bunch of stuff," Koth laughed, turning back to reassembling his rifle. "Findin' the lost riches of a crime lord, taking down some bigshot admiral--not to mention a near-mythic Sith. Or was he a Jedi?" He shrugged, brow furrowed as he slotted the casing back together. "Point is, she spun you up as this dashing hero who thrives on long odds."

Felin chuckled. "Somethin' like that. And what, your curiosity got the best of you?"

"Somethin' like that," Koth said, shooting her a grin. "Gonna take someone experienced with long odds and pulling down powerful Force users to deal with Arcann and Vaylin. Wanted to see if you were the real deal. She didn't mention you have a great smile, though."

She smirked down at the blaster. They'd traded flirty banter a couple times in the swamps; if he wanted to go again she was happy to play. "Can't imagine how that slipped her mind, it's one of my best features."

"Guess she was distracted by the skytroopers and Knights and wildlife chasing us," he deadpanned.

"I do bring a flare of adventure to the lives of most people I meet," Felin joked, biting back the odd little squirm that didn't want to see him hurt in the course of this adventure.

"Only most?" Koth asked, half-joking, as he secured the last pieces back in place.

"Some are too boring to be helped," she said with exaggerated drama, biting the tip of her tongue. as she finished and holstered her blaster. "Not you, though," she winked.

"Well, that's a relief," Koth said with a laugh. "Think I'd be a little intimidated if you found my life experience boring."

"You mean running from a galaxy spanning empire with a price on your head isn't normal for you, Vortena?" Felin said with faux-shock.

"Right now it is."

"Touché."

The hum of the engines shifted, rocking the shuttle just a little. The computer beeped, and Koth wiped his hands on his jacket as he leaned over to check it.

"We're dropping out of hyperspace," he reported. "Almost there. I should check on the Gravestone repairs when we land. If we're gonna use it to save the galaxy."

"Yeah, be bad for that hope--and the engines--to go up in flames when you try to take off," Felin said dryly. "Would hate for our dashing heroics to end before I have a chance to really see what y- the ship can do."

Koth chuckled, sent her a smirk. "Have a little faith, Outlander. Let me show off her moves." His expression sobered as a view of Asylum flashed outside the shuttle. "Be careful down there, huh?"

She nodded as they headed to strap in for landing. "Do my best."

The flicker of relief in his eyes made her heart skip a beat. Or two. Maybe she wasn't the only one worried.

Maybe she liked that thought a bit more than she should.

[silverlistenstothings]

hnnn okay but especially with twins running in the family, sparrow probably didn’t know how many kids he would end up having, we also don’t know if accidental pregnancy played a role in either/both hero and normal’s conceptions (like with the uncertainty over whether sparrow or lark is normal’s bio dad)

anyway imagine having this kid in the midst of the apocalypse, maybe being the first of the kiddads to have a baby. hero seems like a unisex name he and rebecca could’ve had picked out before they knew the gender, or maybe it just felt right. imagine holding this tiny baby with the name hero and being so unsure about what the future holds, so full of love and fear for the world she has to grow up in and everything she might become because of you and every messed up thing about you you’re worried you’ve passed on to her or will accidentally instill in her. but her name is hero and I don’t think you ever really get away from the idea that she is saving you, even if it’s selfish, even if that’s a horrible thing to place on a kid. you love her and she makes you feel less shitty. she loves you and needs you and being her father is the most worthwhile purpose your life has ever had. and her name is hero and she is everything everything everything and you would burn down this world and the forgotten realms and hell itself and every plane in between for her.

she’s a firstborn- it’s just different. because when you have your second kid, you understand a bit more what being a father is but the feeling still hits like a tidal wave, having this tiny boy in your arms. and the selfishness of naming her hero and never quite removing her from that word hasn’t left you, stands in stark definition now, and you’ve been fighting and fighting still for a safe world for her, and she’s a little older and you knew before, but it’s hitting more now that she is not inheriting the contentions real world you got to grow up in. she doesn’t have the sun, or the night sky. people raise their kids differently. there is this underlying tension in everyone, and she has never not known it and she has never not felt it living in everyone else. she almost never had a chance, with a name like that- hell, you’re still hoping she saves you, in that darkest most horrible part of you. it’s so exhausting to be fighting and half-hopeless and so filled with hate for yourself and to be carrying such a tangled web of feelings for your family, especially for your brother. it isn’t fair and you hate yourself for it but you hope she makes things better, because she always makes things a little better for you.

but with the second one comes all of that and you pass that exhausted projection on to him. you want all the hardship to be over, the horribleness within you to end. and it could end with him- he could be normal, normally swallows-oak-garcia. every good thing in you that never had the chance to grow up because the world ended because of the bad thing inside you and your brother, it can still grow here, inside him. and you’ll do a good job keeping all the bad stuff out and letting it flourish, no more familial stabbing or weirdness.

you never knew you wanted normal. when you were growing up you just wanted chaos, chaotic power and chaotic love and chaotic excitement and danger and adventure, duels to the death and glory and heroics. the ache of it took a long time to settle in. but now your day job still leaves you sitting on the edge of the tub at night wrapping yet another bandage around your arm. one of your best friends holds to blood and battle to feel real, revels in it and hates it, can’t seem to stay grounded without it. your wife slept with your brother and you know he’s sorry but you can’t quite tell if she is, or what she’s ever really thinking. who else would stay through all this, though, still be happy to bring a second child into this chaotic life with you. you will never never be normal and that used to make you special, still does in the worst way. but he could be. no barry or henry this time, it’s your turn to raise an oak boy and you will not fuck this up. he’ll be safe. he’ll be normal.

you love hero, so much. of course you do. but it’s normal you watch, try to protect, try to control-but-just-a-little-bit-in-a-good-way. she can be whatever and whoever she wants to be, you’ve always hoped she would be great. he can’t veer too far down your path, though, or your father’s, or your brother’s, can’t be too out-of-place, can’t indulge quite so much in that horrible little part of you you know he’s inherited. he needs friends but he doesn’t need a group like yours or your father’s. you watch grant start to realize that around the same time you do and you don’t fight the separation of your families. anything to make his life more normal. your father always told you and your brother what special boys you were, and now all you want for your son is for him to be desperately average.

(anyway I saw your post about hero and normal’s names and they probably didn’t fully understand their parents’ reasons for naming them the way that did, so of course that’s gonna just breed sibling resentment, but I hope someday they’ll be able to stand back from it all and see their father and realize why, and see each other and understand a bit better what was placed on each of them)

Hey man. Maybe it’s because it’s two am but this shit hits. I’m shaken and speechless. Good Fucking Post anon. You are so right.

[itzpris15634]

So Estennie (Esteban x Vinnie that is, I really like this ship name actually, sounds pretty) with 3, 4, 5, 37, 60. See? I even restrained myself and picked only five numbers :D

oh that is indeed a pretty ship name! Estennie. very nice. let’s do this!

3. Do they wear the other’s clothes? (sweatshirt, bandana, necklace, etc.)

Esteban doesn’t really (he’s a bit too big for Vinnie’s clothes anyway) but Vinnie- well you already know he’ll forever be at it lol. His favorite item from Esteban is his signature colorful ruana. Esteban insists that he can always buy a new one for Vinnie if he really wants it. But Vinnie will begrudgingly admit that he mostly keeps the old one, because well- it’s Esteban’s. It has his smell, all the scruffs and scratches from his daily use of it, it’s warm and it’s just so him… cmon.

4. Which one is more protective? Who needs to be ‘protected’?

Gonna give this one to Esteban over here. Yeah, most of his stories are straight up fake, but he still has that heroic attitude. So he’ll get super protective of Vinnie. And while Vinnie doesn’t necessarily need need it, he really goes 😳 when he sees Esteban go all protective for him like that.

5. Describe their cozy night in.

They’re wrapped up in a blanket together on the couch, just cuddling. Conversation pops up sometimes. Esteban tells stories- real ones from his real life, this time. None of the fabrication and the exaggeration. It’s not daring or adventurous, but mundane and normal. Vinnie finds tat he likes it that way. Just the two of them, sharing their thoughts and feelings, just happy to be together.

37. Which is more likely to swear?

They’re pretty equal. Kind of. With Esteban swearing justttt a bit more. Like, they don’t swear every second/word, mostly just as a way to “intensify” their speech if needed. Or if not that, then to be more casual with the people around them.

60. Who pulls the other closer when they’re sleeping?

This reminds me of me asking this with ReddSprinkles too- anyway, Vinnie will do that but only when Esteban is asleep. Or, at least he thinks Esteban is asleep, anyway. Cause he does catch on and starts pretending to fall asleep so he can actually witness Vinnie pull him in, conscious and awake.

Bonus headcanon: they’re the kind of couple to take turns with who’s the big/little spoon ^^

[pagesofkenna]

Book asks! 3, 4, 22?

Book asks!! ty and if anyone wants to send me more...

3: What were your top five books of the year?

Difficult to narrow down - I read some read duds this year, but I also read some great books. In the order in which I read them:

The Rest of Us Just Live Here (Patrick Ness). Saw the cover at the library years ago, knew immediately I needed to read it, and I chanced upon this copy at a book giveaway, and I was not disappointed. It's a generic heroic YA fantasy... but it's about the normal kids living in this town where the generic heroic YA fantasy takes place. The fantasy novel is literally happening in the background and it's so well done.

Legends and Lattes (Travis Baldree). Read this mostly to get inspo for my own D&D-inspired novel, and it's really solid and a fun read! Ex-adventurer decides to settle down and open a coffee shop. Love me a cozy take on a fantasy adventure setting.

The Girl and the Ghost (Hanna Alkaf). My middle-grade pick for this year. Girl inherits a pet evil spirit from her witch grandmother; half the story is from the ghost's POV, and half from the girl's. Really good exploration of relationships and friendships and how we harm the people we love.

Icebreaker (A L Graziadei). One of those queer YA novels I read within 24 hours lmao. It's a gay college hockey story, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover it's also mainly a mental health journey.

Bear Town (Fredrick Backman). The other hockey book I read this year lol, what a book. Something awful happens in this small lake town at the edge of the forest in rural Sweden, and over the course of the novel the author unpacks with careful precision everything that leads up to and falls out from this awful thing. I borrowed this from the library and then bought it to own afterwards bc I loved it so much.

4: Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

Fredrick Backman was someone people have been telling me to read for years and I finally get why. I picked up Anxious People after reading Bear Town and loved it as much if not more.

In that same vein, Patrick Ness is someone I knew was a good author, but 'The Rest of Us' was not what I expected from him, and I realized he was a much better author than I realized. I also read A Monster Calls later this year, which is what he's most famous for, and that was also not what I expected it to be, so I'll have to check more of his out.

22 What’s the longest book you read?

Single volume pagecount, The Starless Crown by James Rollins. The worldbuilding here was really cool, and I think I liked the writing (I read it back in June), but my main memory is... there are twothree big elements in this fantasy/scifi story that match up with a scifi/fantasy story I was writing for NaNoWriMo one year?? It's truly so surreal to see someone else's take on a convoluted premise you also thought up.

Also honorable mention to Scum Villain's Self-Saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu. I tend not to count series in my book counts (I only mark the first book on Goodreads when I read it), instead 'tracking' them as one title. Given that this was four volumes of at least 300 pages each, I think this is the longest (multivolume) title I read this year.

[unauthorizeduntitledportal-work]

Chapter 2: A New Subject

In Adventure Core’s mind (or rather, his programming), it was a mighty shame he was a personality core and not some normal robot or computer. Why? Being a personality core gave him the ability to be annoyed, almost agitated, if not already extremely agitated. It also put him with Space and Fact Core, two of the remaining cores. He was gliding along the rail after a heroic escape from their insane facts and annoying shouting. His spirits lifted a little as he got his well-deserved break.

That was ‘til an alarm started blaring. The facility has basically been dead for months. Years? What could be happening? He used his connection with the rail to make it follow the sound. If someone was in trouble, it was his job to save them, right?

The alarm and lights were coming from the Extended Relaxation Center. There, Space and Fact were quick to meet up with him. The three cores didn’t venture in, but were up high enough to see what was happening without interfering. This was Wheatley’s job anyway.

Speak of Wheatley, and he shall appear. Adventure Core watched as the blue, mildly panicking core made his way into the chamber. He couldn’t make out what the dumber core was saying as Wheatley used his ability to turn on the lights just as a human woman woke up. That woman was…beautiful.

Fact thought she looked okay. He didn’t really care. He just followed Adventure Core because he loved the audience.

Space followed because…he did. Adventure Core eventually led them to where the Portal Gun was kept, grabbed it, and the three cores were on their way to find the new test subject lady. Space followed blindly, too busy thinking about, well, space.

Wheatley nervously watched as Chell traversed the facility and emergency tests. She was his ticket out of here and away from the job of guarding humans. Escaping might’ve been easy at one point, but now the facility was falling apart. Wheatley didn’t know what Chell could do alone. She might have brain damage, afterall. The portal gun would be a great help, of course. So, they (Wheatley) made a plan to find it.

Adventure figured that Chell must be going through the emergency tests and glided around on the rail to find her. With the two other cores trailing behind him, they went from room to room. Until they finally found Chell and handed her the portal gun to use.

Chell was thrusted into more tests, allowing the cores to continue with business as usual. They naturally tried to use their main functions to do their original jobs. Though, there wasn’t much to do with scientists or more test subjects around. They usually busied themselves with the upkeep of the facility.

The Adventure Core was looking over some computers while Fact and Space worked on scrubbing graffiti off a nearby wall. There was a small pile of rubble on the desk that he dismissed until noticing a glint underneath. He quickly brushed the rubble off to discover a very old nameplate underneath. He picked it up and turned it around. Dr. Alpert. That must’ve been one of the old scientists. It wasn’t an unusual find, so he quickly dismissed it and continued wandering around the labs and offices. The other two followed him.

Something kept poking at his curiosity though. Maybe…No, he shouldn’t. Well, what could it hurt? His pride? His blood pressure if he had blood? Most likely.

“Hey, uh, Fact, have you heard of the name Alpert?”

“Alpert is the name given to people and aliens that are believed not to exist.”

Of course.

It was just about an hour or so until they ran into Wheatly and Chell again. Per usual, all four cores remained on their rail while Chell was able to roam freely below. Fact barely listened as Wheatley explained the rails and rules to Chell. Of course, he already knew all of this. He expected everyone to listen when he interjected with his own facts, though.

Space excitedly yapped about space until Adventure got very annoyed and made him stop. That was one of the hardest things for Space to do. He ultimately failed and continued talking about his main and only passion. Even as Fact malfunctioned. The growing annoyances must have been what forced Wheatley to decide to leave the rail and join Chell. Even though he might die. Despite being the most cowardly, he was the first to leave his rail and fall to the floor below.

Wheatley was off the rail.Yet, he was on the floor due to Chell not catching him. He wasn’t dead, though! Brilliant! Figuring out how to stand and install the update to do so proved to be a challenge, though. But he was free to join Chell and escape the labs now! Now, if only he could get Chell to say anything...

[manorinthewoods]

"Anything."

"Anything!"

"Can I plant the universe in it?"

The Keeper of Heroic Elixir frowned. "You have to be able to fit it in the dirt."

"The limitations on this are still downright Semantic," I said. If I were a more pious hero, I would have prayed to the Keeper of Speech and Law, but no responses ever came from the immense array of geometry in the sky, so I saw no point.

"...I don't like your tone," said the Keeper of Heroic Elixir. "I have heard that tone so very often."

I examined the dirt. It looked to be enough to firmly plant an object of a cubic meter in volume, at maximum.

I picked up my reward and got to work.

Experiment 1; Human corpse

With some prior experimentation, I had determined that, planting a seed in the spring, I would always get useful results in the autumn. I'd spent around a decade testing this. Luckily, I had time to spare for the hundreds of experiments I'd thought up; even ignoring the ability to plant multiple crops in tandem, the Keeper of Heroic Elixir had recently rewarded me with a vial of eternal life for my latest impossible feat. He had told me, off the record, that he had done so because he was very much looking forward to seeing the unique problems I would generate, as they would almost certainly require heroic intervention. (I have already created a dozen problems of minor heroic class. Turns out, once the plant has grown for a year in the magic soil, it can be transplanted without further issue.)

Unfortunately for me, planting a human corpse did not work out, nor did any other sorts of corpses. Flesh seems to fail to agitate the soil into growing things. However...

Experiment 2; Human skeleton

Bone seems to work just fine.

The product of my planting two human skeletons in the soil (one disassembled, one assembled) was an enormous bone garden, as expected. A sage's analysis revealed that it is, indeed, magically potent human bone, bursting from the earth. I offloaded this product onto a necromancer, naturally.

Experiment 3; Dragon tooth

As expected, it grew warriors. Unexpectedly, the dragon tooth has grown into a soldier tree. This tree simply grows fully equipped and disciplined soldiers of exceptional skill. It also grows fruits which contain seeds of more dragontooth trees, and with some crossbreeding, I managed to make the dragontooth tree grow orcish soldiers as well.

This product was sold to an enterprising villain. I have heard that he has used it to create a massive marauding army which sustains itself mainly upon cannibalism. I am impressed and heartened.

Experiment 4; Golden apple

Although I'm transitioning from a hero to a sage (and I expect I'll turn into a villain eventually), I still found some time to adventure while my garden was growing. This lovely golden apple the Keeper gave me successfully grew exactly what was anticipated: a tree of more golden apples, despite the fact that golden apples do not, in fact, have an actually accessible tree. The Keeper is theolegally obligated to inform heroes of the supposed origins of the golden apples, the Tree of Eden, but the Tree of Eden does not exist, and this is a well-known fact. Now it does, in fact, exist. I naturally entrusted it to a sage for safekeeping.

Experiment 5; Various metallic objects

My landlord threatened to repossess my magic garden if I didn't pay rent, so I planted some gold, silver, and various basic treasures in the ground, along with a mithril shield, adamantium katana, and iron sword.

My treasures all grew into an entwined golden tree which has many bulbs that it fills with jewelry, gems, and gold and silver coins. Unfortunately, this tree does not have any way to reproduce. I still sold it, although I directed it to El Dorado instead of normal merchants (gotta keep the economy safe somehow).

The mithril shield unfortunately became a mithril briar. Completely indestructible, and the mithril unfortunately cannot be used for forging, as it is highly flammable and produces toxic smoke. This briar overran the entire land and I needed to get a hero to help me with it. Luckily, the weapons didn't get overrun by the briar.

The katana produced a ninja bush. It grows ninjas. I sold it to a ninja-employing villain, because I have no use for ninjas. The iron sword, on the other hand, grew into a singular person who has many sword-related abilities. I christened him Kargob and sent him on his way.

Experiment 6; A magic globe

This magic globe contained a miniature universe. It grew into an incredibly large sunflower. Each sunflower seed is one of the magic globes. This was an immense success.

Unfortunately for me, the sunflower seeds knocked into each other too much and broke, merging together into a single patchwork universe which ripped a hole in the sky above my garden. A Keeper was formed from the chaos to manage the new pocket universe, which I hear is now very stable and coherent. Unfortunately, I have no ownership of it, and the History Books don't even attribute its creation of it to me, which is very upsetting.

Experiment 7; Book

The Keeper of Heroic Elixir granted me a book describing all of my heroic deeds, as I had by that point become a true sage. I planted it in the ground. It produced a tree (most of these seeds make trees, curiously) which appears to create books examining alternate timelines where I had done different things. Curiously, none of the alternate histories-of-me mention the magical dirt. I sold the tree and the book-fruit it had made to a historical society. I believe they have descended into holy war over it.

Experiment 8; Living human

Having finally found someone who could breathe dirt, I planted them in the field of magic. They emerged as a weak yet extraordinary Keeper, a mammoth tree built entirely out of dendritised human bodies. Although quite interesting, with the base being a massive and very pregnant womb, a group of Keepers came down to my property to cut down the human tree, as its upper branches were getting scarily close to the Solar Earth (which remains above my garden) and were potentially going to invade the nascent planet. This was very sad, and I held a funeral for this brave soul and their brief apotheosis. (I'm not sure what they did with the womb, but I wasn't allowed to observe them remove it, so I assume some eldritch wood-fetus was inside.)

Experiment 9; Human heart

Produced a number of heart-bushes which have hearts on them. The hearts rot immediately after ripening as they have no source of blood. I sold most of the bushes to a cannibal clan in the highlands, who tell me that their garden is going very well.

Experiment 10; Pizza

In response to the demands of the gang of children I acquired*, I planted their favorite variety of pizza in my magic soil. It grew a pizza tree, as expected. It was not very interesting. Most of my creations aren't.

*A baby tree grew in my garden. I don't know why, or how, as I didn't plant it. I suspect someone may have broken into my garden and planted a baby-related object, although I doubt they planted an actual infant or an infant corpse given my previous experiments with humans.

Experiment 11; Steam engine

Produced a horrifying abomination, a hybrid of steel and wood which rapidly ran rampant under the light of the Solar Earth. Heroes were not able to stop it, although it was thrown into the upper atmosphere (along with a significant quantity of my dirt), where it continues to grow rampantly. I will not do this again, although the industrial aberration appears to see me as a father and occasionally drops various bizarre industrial products upon my house, most of which are strange novelty items.

Experiment 12; Explosive device

I'm not sure why (either I angered it or it considers it a gift), but the steam god dropped a bomb into my garden while I was out shopping. It failed to detonate, but used internal mechanisms to burrow into my dirt and grow. This resulted in a tree producing similar explosive devices, which are filled with tiny seeds made out of gunpowder. Planting these (even in mundane soil) results in artful gunpowder imitations of ordinary plants, which somehow maintain rigidity despite being made of explosive dust. Sparks still detonate them.

Experiment 13; Dragon skull

The hapless elder dragon near my home somehow lost her skull the other day, although she seems to be none the worse for wear. She offered the skull to me, so I planted it in the dirt. I am not sure what the product is yet, but it has many wings and has burned down my house.

This is only a small sample of my products, I fear. I have committed hundreds of abominable acts of botany, and most of them have required heroic intervention to solve. I'm not sure how I am neither a villain nor a Keeper, but my current status is acceptable to me.

"The treasure is dirt?" "Yup, magic dirt, absolutely anything planted in it will grow and bear fruit"

[the-things-ive-seen]

The Swords of Ditto: Mormo's Curse

Play Again? Hell No.

Spoilers, obviously, but The Swords of Ditto is a video game series about you, the player, taking after your predecessor and wield the sword of Ditto, a sharp blade that levels up and unlocks dungeons protecting magical toy weapons. You must use this weapon to seal Mormo, a dark deity, and help Puku, a light deity, in order to protect the island of Ditto and save the world from Corruption! It's a fun series with light-hearted elements and incredible artwork, and I would recommend playing it right away!

...OR I would if I didn't become disillusioned with the series, finish it with intense, exasperated dissatisfaction, and then forgot about it for several years.

I'll admit, the game stuck with me. It's a beautiful game and the main game is as smooth and polished as the cover above. It plays well and you can end your first run-through somewhat satisfied and ready for more. Things quickly go to sh!t on the second run-through.

If you haven't guessed already, this game is a rogue-lite, which is a game where every time you lose, you keep some progress made with levels and fights, but you have to start the entire game map over. It also randomizes the map so it's a different playthrough each time. That's actually one of the game's mottos.

Each adventure becomes its own legend, both distinct from those that came before it and part of a heroic legacy that bind together. -Steam Page

"So the game looks good, plays good, and seems to have some lore. What's the problem? It's not like the game forces you to replay it just to finish it completely." Actually, hypothetical voice in my head, it does. A lot.

It takes 6 successful run-throughs, using the Icon item as a sacrifice, to finish the game. You have beat the exact same game six times. Trust me, that is exhausting, especially when you've already picked up all the lore notes and you've talked to every NPC that seems to be inexplicably immortal. I think this problem comes from the fact that normally in roguelikes, you unlock more areas, items, and enemies as you're forced to start over, Inscryption being a good example of this. Here, you play through the entire game, which is borderline identical to the first time around, and you stab, escort, and fetch quest your way all the way around to the same exact boss, with a slight modifier.

God, the modifiers. If this game didn't do its best to purge my memories, I'd be pulling my hair out. The Sentinel comes to mind first. An indestructible enemy that follows you around the map, following you in and out of dungeons, putting an emphasis on time and movement. Good mechanic. It would've been a cool idea if I didn't have a very clear memory of the entire game map, randomized or not. So it's just a distraction, not a threat. Worse, it's used three times during the completion run-through, so it wears out it's welcome almost immediately.

Okay, I'm starting to drag this out. Let's try to quickly summarize the plot. Spoilers again. Puku and Mormo are actually friends. They found a guy, the player/you, who can control fate. In a convoluted attempt to both contain and test the player, they created an elaborate illusion to see if the player was brave and true of heart. (yes, it was seriously all a dream) And if you read all 52 lore notes, you now have half of the true story, since Ditto isn't real and no there isn't an epilogue.

I don't imagine anyone was particularly impressed with this ending, but at least it can't get worse. No literally. It can't get worse. The game's over. No more lore, no extra secrets, no bonus dungeon. You got a new skin in case you want to play the entire game for the 17th time. It's done.

I know I'm being pretty hard on a game that, apparently, is the successor of an older, somewhat less successful version of this game. But I have to draw the line somewhere. This isn't Shovel Knight Dig, you can't lure people with a beautiful game, and then drag them through repetitive gameplay for hours on end. and if you are going to do that, then it better have a phenomenal ending, not a footnote about how you were kidnapped by two magic bugs because they think you're weird.

Seriously One Bit Beyond, I see you do good work, but I hope this isn't the last bit you worked on.