#plus this is a better way of introducing a character than my initial plan

[dandyshucks]

realizing i wanted to ask - how did u first fall in love w/ guzma (irl) ? :o (@dmclr)

ougghh (/happy) Clara you always ask such good questions omg 🫶

umm... okay so. i should give a general "abuse CW" label i guess fjfkdl but I'll keep it vague and to a minimum of mention! also putting it below the cut because I RAMBLED SO MUCH, SORRY IN ADVANCE

tumblr kind of went crazy for the guy when the anime finally introduced him in 2019 (it took SO long to get to him, over 100 episodes in the su/mo arc 😭) and at first i didnt think much of him rly, but then somehow eventually (a few months later) i found out through osmosis that he's got trauma going on and my ears kind of perked up a bit LOL

(underwater just to set it apart from the rest of the post so it doesnt blend in and get confusing fndkdl) screenshot of the post i rbed where i first mentioned liking him fdsjkl

around the same time, i was having some realizations about my own experiences with childhood and family etc, and there was some other stuff going on in my life (also. the plague started so uh. that too.) that was just kind of culminating in like. A Lot of stress and fear and stuff. so seeing this character who has experienced somewhat similar things was ... comforting in a way? shared experience or something, idk. plus I've always been a sucker for misfit archetype characters, especially if they make a little family out of other misfits :')

another big part of the intrigue (because my crushes always start with a sort of 👀 phase fdsjkl, I have to think somebody is interesting in some way and want to find out More about them, and then feelings develop from there) for me was just the fact that he was Angry. like... the way I've personally learned to deal w abuse has been to always be meek and fawn. so seeing someone who went in the opposite direction, to become angry and strong and defiant instead, was SO fascinating to me and I was very curious to learn more about him.

so I looked into him more, loved what i found, related to him a bit, accidentally by some random occurrence stumbled upon some bf audios of him somehow??, wished he were real so we could hang out, thought about how I'd act around him and started to feel a little flustered about it ... it's all downhill from there once u reach that point smh 😔😔 (/silly)

for a long time i didn't really fully step into s.elfship territory w him - i dabbled a little but he wasnt The Focus™ in my brain yet. also we (as a system) have had a host change since then, so there was a previous juno that was not Me (even though we kept the same main name between us two parts), and they didn't like the guy as much as Current Me does djfkdl - theres also some ... relatively significant personality differences between the two versions of Juno, so I think Juno2.0 (me) meshes with him a lot better now than Juno1.0 did in 2020/2021

and then last year, i found and joined the s.elfship community and um. I absolutely did not mean for him to become The Main Guy and never would've guessed he would be, but... well,, we dont always plan things i suppose, feelings just happen 😭

anyways. it maybe seems kind of messed up but his ~tragic backstory~ is what drew me in initially bc it helped me feel less alone and scared when i was Going Through some pretty major shit lol. and then after that, i just kind of took the character base that pkmn had in place and ran with it to build on it and sort of make my own version of him that I could be friends with and eventually fell in love with ^^;;

TL;DR it was a mix of timing, similar history of abuse, intrigue bc of our opposite reactions to the abuse, and um... the way he is like,, strong and builds a safe place for other young ppl who feel unsafe or not accepted in general society fdsjkl

i get embarrassed talking abt it bc ppl seem to really hate it when abuse victims are weak in any way and need help, but ... i do really like that he is strong in some ways and would be able to give me a sort of safe place to let my guard down and receive help and care (as shown by the way he provides a safe place for the grunts, all the misfits and outcasts of Alola) ^^;;;; honestly kind of a Big part of it for me (and for pretty much all my s.elfship dynamics) is that he is able to protect me and care for me, because I have not like. experienced that ever. at least not properly. when your parents are the ones being abusive, you not only do not experience protection and care but you're also being actively hurt in some way by the people who are supposed to keep you safe. so to be freely given care and safety is kind of crazyyyy to me LOL, that is something i like a lot about him :')

OKAY RAMBLE OVER. i really tried to keep this as short as i could but,, brevity is not a strength of mine (esp when it comes to him) LOL. THANK YOU for the question !!! its fun to look back at how it all happened tbh :]

[cartoonygothopossum]

Inside Out 2

Today marked the second time I went to the movie theater, since my move to New York state. Before any trailers for the movie came out, I thought that the five main emotions would've been enough to express a person's personality. So, it was a bit of a surprise when I saw in one of the trailers that there would be new personified emotions introduced. Design-wise, the emotion Anxiety looks typical of something you would find in a puppet show or in a work with cartoony monster characters. Envy and Embarrassment had clever designs, being noticeably tiny and large, respectively. Ennui's design kinda reminded me of Fear's, but looked more human-like. I also liked her deep, accented voice. The first movie never failed to make me tear up, so I was curious as to whether this one would too. Spoiler alert: I did tear up.

It was cool how Riley's sense of self was depicted as a tree-like structure, with the roots formed by important memories, and how her consciousness was depicted as a river with the objects that she thinks of floating in it. Instead of being thrown into the memory dump, it was interesting that unpleasant memories were transported to the very back of the mind. Who knew that Riley still enjoyed a preschool cartoon, had a crush on a video game character who could roll himself into a ball, and... burned a hole in her family's rug? I did not expect that the movie would combine different animation styles during the scenes with the secrets, but I still liked it. Jordan, that boy whom Riley met at the end of the first movie, didn't appear much, but seeing his face in the statue of crushes suggested that Riley did have a crush on him.

It was interesting how this movie put more focus on Riley's interest in hockey. Riley's friends Grace and Bree were nice girls. Though she initially hesitated, it was sweet of Riley to help out Grace when the latter dropped her coins in class. The racial diversity among the three was also a plus. Val was a cool girl, but still nice, kinda like Shank from Ralph Breaks the Internet. While I could understand why Riley wanted to hang out with Val, I felt bad for Grace and Bree. Things could've ended quite bitterly between Riley and Grace and Bree. But thankfully, the latter two forgave Riley at the end and maintained their friendship with her.

While it was good that Riley was more open about her sadness, I did not like how Anxiety took over her mind, to the point of kicking out the original five emotions. As I had suspected, Anxiety was like Fear, but cranked up! I think I read somewhere that Anxiety had evil plans, suggesting that she would be the main antagonist of the movie. Anxiety's actions did hurt Riley, but that made sense, considering how severely the emotion can consume your mind. After the original five emotions' difficult journey to return to headquarters, I was relieved when Joy finally managed to get Anxiety to let go of control. Though the new sense of self was partially formed by some of Riley's unpleasant memories, it was arguably even better than the old sense of self. All of us go through changes at some point in our lives, and I can safely assume that most of us have moments that contradict our core personality traits. The way Joy had Anxiety relax on the chair and think about things that Riley can control looked like a sort of therapy session for the orange emotion. I can imagine that Riley's parents, or even her friends, might have given similar advice to Riley.

So, yeah, I definitely enjoyed the movie. I look forward to re-watching it when it comes out on Disney+.

[yerbamansa]

Ohhhh my god, so I wrote a novel-length fic over the last five months and I just…need to write down some Thoughts on that, because it hadn’t happened before and I have no idea if it will again, just seemed worthwhile to collect myself a bit. To be clear: I’m…really proud of myself?? Who knew I had it in me! And I think it’s a fun read! I learned a lot! More under a cut if you care to read my ramblings.

The gdoc containing my initial outline of ideas was created on October 29, 2022. I shared it with the group chat from whence the idea came, because I was planning to participate in a daily prompt challenge in November so I wasn’t going to have time for it yet. By late November, quite a bit of work was happening in the doc—a proper outline with a three-act structure I borrowed from various writing tips websites and then wandered off on my own with. I’ve never written something this structured and long before, so I searched for some structure tips.

I found a few different forms (a 9-block, 27-chapter structure; a three-act checklist) that I ended up using almost like a self-survey/brainstorm. A couple passes through that, plus trying to work it out as a character/timeline spreadsheet, gave the whole thing a much clearer shape. I knew I wanted to alternate between Ed’s and Stede’s POVs, but not limit it to theirs. Early on I decided that Oluwande would be a third POV character because (a) I love writing him and (b) the crew’s perspective is REALLY IMPORTANT. Then, because I used Lucius as an outsider, he became the fourth POV, introduced at the beginning of act 2.

[ID: A bar chart showing word count by POV character. Ed has over 34,000 words, Stede about 26,000 words, Oluwande 13,000 words, and Lucius a little under 10,000 words. End ID.]

But it’s not like I had it 100% perfectly mapped out at a chapter level, nor did I know exactly what details would…emerge. Like, I knew the shape of the details, but I kind of worked them out as I got to know this version of the characters better. The outlining process was kind of my draft: I went through it to get to the point that I could sit down and outline each chapter (or two ahead, in some cases) and then write it.

Very few things were written out of order, but the scene where they’re trapped in the storage closet was written well before I finished chapter 1. And I thought it would happen later than it did. I really thought I was gonna enemies-to-lovers these guys! 😂

There were a TON of details/potential plotlines I thought about including, but ultimately decided not to, either because it was totally out of my lane to do it justice (ex.: literally anything to do with Ed’s heritage and food—I read up some and whew, it’d have to be its own story, and not really mine to tell) and/or because it would’ve overcomplicated/distracted from the plot as it unfolded. There was a whole thing where Stede was meant to pull a Christopher Kimball thing and screw over the magazine by starting a rival publication and, you know what, there was more than enough drama to mine from just the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen debacle(s).

The idea came from a group chat, and the same group chat was instrumental in helping me flesh out a bunch of character details. That was fun. That’s also where my main beta reader came from. It’s funny, I’ve written on and off pretty much my whole life, but rarely had an editor like this. It was very collaborative and challenging in the best possible ways, I think; especially with something this long, it really helped to have someone who knew some of what was in my head but wasn’t nose-deep in it.

While it hasn’t been a runaway hit or anything, it’s had by far more eyeballs than anything else I’ve written in this fandom. Definitely a lot more comments than anything else, which is fun. Some folks I really admire have said kind things and if that didn’t make me all 😊 well. (It did, though.) It was because of those commenters that I got a sense of how it was coming off—that it was, and could be, fun and frothy and still touch on subjects that were difficult (labor rights etc.) without making light of them. At least, that’s what I hope I pulled off in the end.

There were so many random little side routes and ideas that came up while thinking about and writing this that I really had to make a series. For the one-shots. For fuck’s sake, I put too much into building out this little world and this version of each character not to.

And if one of those ends up being some kind of E-rated fic involving Mary and Evelyn, like, posing for Doug with fresh fruit still-life and it turning into A Whole Thing, so be it. (It didn’t make the story text, but Mary and Evelyn are married and Doug is Mary’s guy who lives in the guest house out back. Also they make cooking YouTube videos together as a trio. There will probably be one-shots about them because Evelyn was too much fun to write.)

[lastoneout]

ough came up with something stupid self indulgent that I'm absolutely going to write haha can't wait for this to also become accidentally super relevant to this story plot and theme wise

[flockofdoves]

spent like 2 hours on this fb comment reccing black sails to a friend asking for tv show recs so i might as well post it here to save it for the future lol:

you should watch black sails!!!

to describe it.. its easy to start off by pitching it as a show about gay pirates as a way to appeal to a lot of people ive tried to get to watch it, but also, even if theres 4 main explicitly lesbian/gay/bi characters (plus side characters and one main character whos implied to be and written by the creators as deeply closeted) i think that can be reductive and doesn't do justice for what its really about. its a show about a lot of different people who've been marginalized to the outskirts of society, whether that be by class, race, gender, or sexuality. its about their different choices between trying to find a space they can survive within capitalism & colonialism though compromise and being collaborators with empire, and fighting for a better world, and the personal conflict of trying to to figure out how much domesticity one is willing to sacrifice when there is an immediate need for revolution.

it's also technically a prequel to treasure island, but that's not really something you have to worry about too much (if you've read treasure island before don't think about it too hard, and if you haven't, honestly that's how i went in and i think watching the whole show and only after i really got into it reading treasure island was a great way to engage with it, but you don't even need to do that). not to sound obnoxious but its like... a deconstruction of the idea of a prequel. and that ties into some of the other big themes of the show of narratives. the violence of how marginalized people are erased from history, how empire uses stories to demonize revolutionary violence while making invisible the violence needed to perpetuate capitalism and colonialism, and how different people use their personal narratives to justify benefiting themselves at the expense of others or to understand the necessity of building solidarity with people with other life experiences with oppression, and how ones personal history when combined with how one internalizes cultural hegemony will inform people's decisions even if they refuse to consciously look back on and narrativize their life.

my few caveats are that i wish that they did a more sensitive job with a plot line where one of the main characters, a black woman, is sexually assaulted (fortunately this plot line is over within the first part of the first season and there is no other sexual violence in the show), that i wish it had more writers and directors of color involved with it, esp black and indigenous creators, and that while it did go a lot farther with its engagement with colonialism and imperialism than i had initially expected, it could have been even greater if it had had a season 3.5 to flesh out some of its ideas and characters it was able to introduce at that point in the story.

but beyond that i really think its one of my favorite shows i've ever watched and theres just so so much to dissect within it. it was planned out from the beginning and always knew exactly where it was going to end, and there's so much care put into its dialogue and themes. it does require a bit of trust though, while on rewatch the amount of care put into everything even in early seasons is very clear, if you're wary from past experiences with shows with superficial similiarities, it might seem on the surface as if it is doing something more typical and is uncritically propogating imperialist/individualist/liberal reformist ideology. but even with that caution i had watching for the first time with no one giving me disclaimers like this i still had so much fun watching early seasons!!! and it only gets better from there!!!

sorry to write so much lol. i just really love it. would love to hear from anyone reading this if you decide to watch it!

[interact-if]

Day 8 of the interviews! Introducing the lovely Silvia 💙

Silvia, author of Echoes

Latino Heritage Month Featured Author

What do you remember?

You wake up in a strange house, your mind a haze of confusion. You need  answers, and to find them, you must explore. But you don’t have much time, and there is more than one mystery waiting for you.

Can you find the answers you need? Can you uncover the house’s secrets, and your own?

Echoes Demo | Read more [here]

Tags: mystery, horror

(INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT!)

Q1: So, tell us a little bit about the projects you’re working on!

My main project at the moment is Echoes, and I would describe it mainly as a mystery with a dash of horror. The main character wakes up in an unknown house with no memory of anything—how they got there, who they are. It’s up to the player to explore the house and find answers, though the answers they find might end up being different depending on what they do.The premise itself is quite simple and that’s on purpose—Echoes is kind of my way of dipping my toes into this medium, figuring out the mechanics and seeing how much I can do with it.

There are a few things I’m trying to achieve, though, leaning into an eerie sort of atmosphere. It’s (hopefully) got this kind of oppressive, overwhelming feeling that comes with not knowing, that comes when little things are just off enough that they’re unsettling but, at the same time, you question your perception of them. 

And it’s also a story about choosing what you want to know, and what you do with that knowledge. You might not be able to learn everything about everything in one go, or you might choose to refuse certain knowledge. You might also get to the end and decide not knowing would have been the better choice (or you might not). I think if I were to point to two main sources of inspiration for it that will hopefully give people an idea of the vibe I’m going for, then Mark Z. Danielewski’s novel House of Leaves and the video game The Stanley Parable are the big ones.

I also have a secondary project that is in the very early, brainstorming/planning stage right now, just a preliminary idea. It doesn’t have a title yet, but it’s a fantasy/romance story and far more driven by character interactions; the basic premise can be summarized as “soulmates but deconstructed”, because that’s a trope that I rarely see done the way I like.

Q2: What excites you most about using interactive fiction? What are some of the biggest challenges?

God, I love the variation. As a reader/player, I love going back to a game or story and seeing how different choices affect the outcome of things, and I love being able to do that as a writer as well. I like messing with the reader, too—I think that will become evident in Echoes—and interactive fiction has this quality where you have the expectations of a regular novel (plus the expectations of the genre) but there is absolutely nothing constraining you to them, you can do whatever you want. So that’s extremely exciting. I also really enjoy learning about the coding aspect of it, and honestly Echoes came to life as a coding experiment first, a story second.

In terms of challenges, I’m a very analytical thinker, and I think in details first. So, for me, a lot of that comes in that I usually think “oh, that would be a cool mechanic to implement” or “I wonder how I could add this specific interaction” and then I have to follow that train of thought back to how that fits into a story. Echoes is a little bit of that; the initial concept went through a few iterations until I settled on what it is right now (and it’s still evolving).

Insecurity is also a hurdle, as I think is the case for most people with any creative project. I think there are a few conventions in the IF scene in particular that people (both authors and readers) have internalized as rules, as the kind of thing you should do with your story because it’s what the community at large expects. To be candid for a moment, there is a part of me that desperately wants to play into that.

I think we all crave recognition in some form, and what easier way to get it? So it’s a constant push and pull of… will people hate this thing, will people simply ignore it, should I be doing something else? Do I want to be doing something else? Do I want to be doing this? But we move forward.

Q3: What has been something in your project you’ve had to do a weird amount of research for?

Libraries and filing systems. I won’t say why because it’s spoilers at the moment, but… yeah.

Q4: Which of your characters is most like you? How?

Echoes is interesting to me in this sense because it’s definitely a solitary experience for the player and the main character. The player character goes through the journey alone, and they are very much a set character rather than someone the reader can customize to their heart’s content—though the extent to which that is true only becomes clear later on.

I do have a couple of characters in my other project that definitely have more than a few traits I’ve lifted from myself—you won’t know them yet (for a while, probably), but there is a character whose name is Vila, a perfectionistic mage that I deeply relate to.

Q5: Does your heritage influence your characters as you create them? (How? Why or why not?)

I think, for me, it mostly influences the themes I like to write about. It’s not always intentional, but there are certain things that are very much recurring in my writing and for my characters: permanence and transience, belonging, the experience of leaving people and places behind.

Characters who deal with that sort of thing from all sorts of angles. I’m an immigrant; I’ve had to relocate several times, with all the uprooting that comes with that, and I’ve seen the experience happen over and over again in people around me. 

While I have never written explicitly about that experience, the consciousness of it permeates nearly everything I write. Echoes touches on that from a different angle, in an almost metaphorical way (though that wasn’t really the intent of it). The character I mentioned before, Vila, has a lot of that in them as well.

Another thing is that I am always, always thinking about language. I’m very intentional about it, because I deal with language and code-switching and the reality of being a non-native speaker of my main language, daily. I’ve honestly grown to think of my being a non-native speaker of English as a positive, a sort of added value when it comes to my writing, and I hope to convey that feeling to others too.

Q6: What is something you love to see in interactive fiction?

Mechanically? Playing around with the interface and how the story is presented to the reader, definitely. I think text-based interactive fiction is in a very privileged position in terms of how immersed the reader/player can become in the narrative—both in terms of character identification and in terms of not being constrained by the format in the way a physical/traditional book would be.

So I truly adore anything that integrates gameplay elements into the story and serves to heighten that immersion. I’m fascinated by the idea of having the reader directly experience (at least some of) what the character experiences; from little things like fake choices to convey the inevitability of an outcome, to glitching text, to anything that involves you as the player in a bigger capacity than just a reader. I just think it’s fun.

Mechanics aside, it’s wonderful to see how much interactive fiction can feel like a way to experience stories that just wouldn’t get told at all in more massive media. People, authors have the chance to incorporate their own experiences in the stories they’re telling and share that with others.

Q7: Any advice to give?

I do always feel a little weird giving advice, but let’s push through that feeling. If you’re writing, or thinking about writing, not just IF but for anything that has a dedicated community—I think taking a moment to self-reflect and figure out what you’re doing for yourself and what (if anything) you’re doing because you feel it’s expected of you can only be beneficial.

I do have something, though, specifically for writers who are non-native speakers of English: you don’t have to write like a native speaker. You really, really don’t. It’s so easy to feel insecure about it, I know that, but please believe me when I say we have a kind of perspective that adds to, not detracts from, our use of the language. Native speakers wouldn’t be able to do what we do, and that’s something to be proud of.

[rsmrymnt-tea]

I was excited for this lesson and then they were immediately like Mandatory Sports Thing and my heart dropped.

It was nice that they finally introduced us to the new characters except I don't like Thirteen 😭. I wanted to like her so bad!! She just reminds me of my primary school bullies. Its good that the new characters aren't immediately fawning over MC, don't get me wrong, but I fully would've cried during that meeting tbh. I am feeling a bit better about her design after seeing her with other characters surprisingly??

Anyway.. The trial is to get Thirteen and Raph to work together on the scavenger hunt?? MC's trial... Yknow the one who actually helped improve Satan and Lucifer's relationship? Who spent the entire first season mending the brothers relationships to each other? Their trial is to smooth out a relationship???

And then!! They went ahead and made the object of their scavenger hunt something that Thirteen has no problem doing?? At that point MC just needs to convince Raph to participate, and ensure that they can agree on a plan.

And maybe I'm dumb but Solomon's grimoire? Is that a reference to the Key of Solomon? Or Barbatos' grimoire which was given to Solomon? The wording makes me suspect the former, but also has that been set up in the main story at all?? Was I not paying attention and missed it?? And if a demon's grimoire can control them, what does a sorcerer's grimoire do?

Also what's with the way Asmo and Satan and Beel were acting?? On one hand the writers remembered that Satan has more to him than just cats, but on the other hand Asmo and Beel were just shoved into their own stereotypes??

Uhh all that to say it could've been worse I guess?? Though this lesson felt really short to me for some reason.

- 🐝

NONNIE SAME THOUGHTS so many same thought... I was willing to be okay with not being immediately told what the special mission was but then... Sports week? You're telling me I gotta relive memories of motherfucking intramurals with this arc????? When I said something about one of the trials being related to building/proving better relations with the denizens of the Devildom, this is absolutely NOT what I meant at all!!

(also my goodness I just ended up ranting even more under the cut hsdjkhsfdkg man Im so Sick of Being In RAD and Stuck As Mediator For Everything)

And gosh, I'm so sorry she reminds you of such awful times :(( I liked her when she started cooperating and all but that initial meeting gave me mixed feelings. Personally I understand why she's pissed at MC because Solomon gushes about them (and she fucking hates Solomon) AND they broke into her home AND messed with her candles, plus Solomon did steal something from her while in there... But trying to kill MC right off the bat??? At least Belphie gave MC some time to catch on and ponder about how dangerous and untrustworthy he is sdfhkjghsdfg

Though re: her design, being able to see the style differences in HD on my phone up close has actually made me dislike seeing her + Raph's sprite even MORE dkshdfg Sorry, I just... I have such a huge issue with differences in style like that (not just with the overabundance of color on her but just the way her sprite is drawn too >.>;;)

(Also it's not just me who thinks that Raph vibes like Belphie a lot, right? Except... A but more pathetic?? adhfjdf)

THEN YES THE ACTUAL TRIAL!! My head was in my hands and I honest to god just... had to stop playing for a while and go do something else because I was SO full of salt and vinegar. Like??? Diavolo, was it not enough that canon MC was instantly willing to help Belphie patch things up with his brothers the day after he killed MC?? Was the fact that MC was able to get Satan to calm down some about his hatred of Lucifer not enough? Or helping you and Belphie get along? I'm so??? Literally the main thing MC's had to do is helping the brothers get along??? Like heck, MC helped Luke grow out of his indiscriminate hate for demons like come onnnnnnnnnn

And dw nonnie I got so lost during that part too... I could've sworn it said 'the grimoire in Solomon's possession' but then they started talking like it meant Solomon's personal grimoire which I have no idea if it's a real thing? How is it that for all the exposition they love giving us, they don't give us exposition that THAT? Unless this is something that's been messed up in translation? My best guess is also the Key of Solomon because absolutely nothing has been said about humans having a grimoire beyond Beel acknowledging the Nightmare app on the DDD as being a super basic one aaaaall the way back during the time Lucifer nearly killed him and Luke voer Luke touching their grimoire. So I suppose it's a grimoire that, instead of controlling Solomon, would grant some level of control over the demons he has a pact with? Could've done with some exposition there for once, game... All the times you make MC look so stupid with giving us no choice but to ask for exposition when the explanation can be surmised from the name of what they're asking about, yet the one time I actually want an explanation I get none??

AND YEAH wtf I swear, personality and intelligence is something that no character gets to keep because they lose it the instant the plot needs the conflict extended or conflict lessened... Because Satan, Asmo, and Beel together in one team? That's a powerhouse right there. Satan the intelligent strategist, Asmo who can easily charm anyone into helping them out, Beel the muscle??? Give them brain cells and they'll be a formidable foe, but alas... We can't give MC too hard of a time :/

(Can you tell I'm particularly salty about this? Like don't get me wrong, thank you for the actual food, finally, but I'm still left like... Sour. The meeting of MC, Thirteen, Raph, Lucifer, and Sol in the student council room was SO good because we got little bombs of info and implied realizations with how they interacted. You mean to say Sol had more students than the one apprentice he had a nasty falling out with? And they supposedly always turn out to be awful? And Raph's likely only seen Lucifer now and is thoroughly surprised by how normal he is?

Also I can't be the only one who thinks that Solomon did more than just giving the reaper bad food to piss her off like. Pulling out a weapon and yelling at him to stay back right on sight??? Maybe the fact that she's never been able to win a single game against him in the thousand years they've known each other has freaked her out or something)

This lesson felt short too, but I think this time it's because a fair amount of stuff actually happened but didn't get to go far since it's all setup for next chapter? Also some of the little chapters were legitimately just too short, which I hate because they're proven several times that they can easily make them much longer.

[i-need-entertainment]

Haikyuu!! Boys and who’s sister they’d unknowingly date

**Keep in mind, it may happen that not all of these characters actually HAVE sisters, but let’s just ~pretend~ for entertainment purposes. I also put in names for the sisters, but feel free to put your name/an OC’s name and descriptions!!**

Characters: Akaashi, Washio, Konoha, Kita, Ushijima, Yahaba, Iwaizumi, Futakuchi, Daishou and Numai.

This has taken me...days.. I kid you not. THESE ARE REALLY LONG oOps

**I HAVE ADDED Numai Kazuma BECAUSE HE IS AN INCREDIBLY ATTRACTIVE MAN AND NEEDS MUCH MORE ATTENTION**

Akaashi Keiji: 

It was during the Tokyo training camp.

Akaashi was with Bokuto, Kuroo, Tsukishima, Hinata and Lev in the 3rd gym in the middle of another 3 on 3 match.

Despite his initial concerns they weren’t doing too bad. It helps that the other team was comprised of 3 middle blockers where no one adequately knew how to set, and their newbie (Hinata) was just a *little* bit better than Lev.

“TETSURO YOU JERK!!!” They all turned towards the door where a girl wearing a black t-shirt with red athletic shorts came running in, straight towards the middle blocker. Kuroo, who had a smirk across his face began to retreat. 

“Welp, looks like it’s time for me to go. See you guys later!”

“Oh no you don’t. Where did you put my phone?! It’s been missing for over 2 hours. 2 HOURS!”

Akaashi looked at the girl, noticing she was really pretty. She had beautiful brown eyes, and her black hair was styled into two French braids, which were bouncing as she desperately tried to attack the middle blocker.

“Try checking the club room, I saw him and Bokuto go in there earlier and come out snickering like idiots,” He heard an offended gasp from Kuroo and a ‘Hey!’ from Bokuto. “Thank you, at least someone here has some decency.” Akaashi nodded.

He didn’t really know what it was but he felt intrigued by the girl and he wanted to know more about her.

“I’ll come with you, I have an idea of where they might have put it.” The girl smiled and nodded her head. As they were making their way out of the gym he heard Kuroo say ‘simp’ while Bokuto asked ‘who is’, he stopped listening after that. He spends too much time with them as it is, it’s best to preserve the brain cells he can.

“I’m Azumi by the way, thank you for helping me, you didn’t have to do that.” Akaashi smiled, “I’m Akaashi, it’s not a big deal really You’re actually doing me a favor by getting me out of there.”

The girl, Azumi laughed. ‘She has a pretty laugh..’ Akaashi’s eyes slightly widened at his thoughts. He just met the girl! What’s wrong with him.

Pushing the thought aside he continue to chat and talk with the girl, learning she was also a second year and Nekoma’s manager.

They got to the club room and started looking for the device.

“Why did they take your phone?” Azumi sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “My best guess is for their own entertainment, Tetsuro is always doing things like that.” Akaashi nodded and tried his best not to appear as disappointed as he felt.

Of course she’s dating Kuroo, he’s smart, good looking popular. Figures...

“Sometimes I wonder why out of all the people on the planet I had to get him as a brother, y’know?” Akaashi’s head shot up at her words.

‘Brother?!!?’ He almost laughed at himself. Looking at the situation now it was obvious the two were siblings. He smiled, he still had a chance.

“Yeah I know the feeling. Sometimes I think, out of all the spikers why did I have to get Bokuto.” Azumi laughed again, “I don’t think Fukurodani would still be standing if you weren’t there to reign him in. Not to mention you’re a really good setter and vice-captain.” He felt the tips of his ears turn red as he tried not to stumble over his words.

The rest of the training camp went smoothly, the two became pretty solid friends and exchanged numbers making plans to meet soon.

He went home with a smile on his face and a warm feeling in his heart.

And then he realized, he had a crush...

A crush on Kuroo’s little sister...

oops.

Washio Tatsuki: 

Washio had just gotten out of practice, a really good practice actually.

Everything went pretty smoothly, Bokuto had no tantrums, he nailed a really good spike and it was just a good day all around.

Because of this wonderful day, he figured he’d go to a café he had been wanting to try.

It was a small little coffee shop that had opened about a year ago but he hadn’t had the chance to go yet.

He walked in and was seated by the hostess at a small table by the window.

“Hi there! My name’s Yui and i’ll be your waitress today! Can I get you something to drink?” Washio looked up to see a girl, somewhere around 5′7, with white/silver hair that was tied up in a ponytail. She had the biggest smile he had ever seen, heck she was probably the prettiest girl he’d ever seen.

He ordered his drink (focusing hard so he wouldn’t mess up in front of the pretty girl) and she gave him another bright smile.

“Coming right up!” She walked away going behind the counter to get the drink. Apparently the girls enthusiasm was contagious, because Washio swore he was feeling better than when he and walked in here. And he was feeling pretty good.

She also looked really familiar..but he couldn’t place just where she seemed familiar from.

Removing himself from his thoughts he turned his attention back to the girl, who was back with his drink.

I really hope this doesn’t sound weird or creepy, but do you go to Fukurodani?” Washio seemed a bit surprised by this, but he chalked it up tot he fact he was wearing his school uniform.

He nodded, “I do, do you go there too?” The girl excitedly nodded her yet. “Yup! I’d know that uniform anywhere! Oh! You’re on the volleyball team! Washio, right?” He nodded again. “Sorry if I seem random, my brother’s on the team too so i’ve seen a few games. You’re really good!”

Washio could feel his cheeks burning. No one had ever complimented him like this, well aside from his coach/teammates and family.

“T-thanks...it means a lot...” The girl smiled, a bit more sheepish this time.

“Of course...you’re actually my favorite to see play. My brother’s a spiker so I’m used to his antics but it’s nice to see talented blockers too. Plus, blockers are much cooler in my opinion. OH! I’m still at work, um, here...” The girl reached into her apron and gave him a little note.

“I hope we get to talk again soon, bye Washio!” Before he could even say goodbye the girl had pranced back to the kitchen.

Looking down at the note she gave him he could feel the blush on his cheeks but he didn’t care.

Because written on the note was the girls number, ‘xxx-xxx-xxxx, <3 call me~’ he smiled, he for sure was gonna call her later.

Before he could put the note away however he noticed the writing at the bottom.

...Now he knew why she looked so familiar.

Because signed at the bottom was, in adorably messy handwriting, ‘Yui Bokuto’.

Oh boy.

Konoha Akinori: 

Konoha had been chilling at home when his younger sister, who was a first year at Fukurodani had come home, announcing she had brought a friend home.

Standing up from his place on the couch he stopped in his tracks. In front of him was the prettiest girl he had ever seen.

She had medium length dark brown hair and beautiful gray eyes, she was taller than most females, around 5′6 would be his guess, but she was still a few inches shorter than him.

Looking at her, she looked...familiar? He didn’t really know where she seemed familiar from, school maybe?

He shrugged it off, deciding it wasn’t something worth driving him crazy.

She introduced herself (his sister introduced her really, the girl was pretty shy) as Momo, he didn’t catch the last name though.

Anywho as the afternoon went on the girls remained down in the living room doing homework, which they needed help with. Luckily Konoha was a few years ahead and had already gone through that, so he helped them with their homework.

Seeing as it was the middle of the year and mid terms were coming up, the girls would ask him for help a lot.

Now, he may not have the best track record of helping others (...i.e Bokuto with spiking *cOuGh couGh). But this was his little sister! And it definitely wasn’t because he had a *little* crush on Momo...definitely not...Okay maybe.

But it’s not like she didn’t have just as bi of a crush on him so..

Anyways, one day Konoha’s little sister, Azumi had to leave early for a doctor’s appointment but Momo still needed help.

Knowing her brother was a ~gentlemen~ and Momo didn’t have a problem with it she left the two alone.

They were both...nervous. I mean who wouldn’t be! They were both unknowingly left alone with their crush.

Konoha decided he’d just start a conversation, and with that conversation the two found out they actually had a lot in common!

Konoha found out she had an older brother, who also went to Fukurodani! She didn’t mention a name though..Oh well.

The two spent the afternoon chatting and getting to know each other! And he may or may not have gotten her number...For studying purposes of course!

At about 4:47 there was a knock at the door. “Oh, that’s probably my older brother!” Konoha nodded, but walked over to check.

He opened the door...”wASHIO!?!  What are you doing here?” The middle blocker looked just as shocked. “I’m here to pick up my little sister...” Konoha just about felt the color drain out of his face.

. . .He had a crush on Washio Tatsuki’s little sister. . . 

Oh he was dead. 

Kita Shinsuke: 

It was during lunch one day when a 2nd year had approached him, Reina Omimi.

She was very pretty with long silky black hair, slanted gray eyes standing out to him but what caught his eye the most was the cute smile on her face.

She asked him to tutor her, since she was having trouble in English, he agreed asking her to come to class 3-7 after school since he didn’t have volleyball practice.

So, the two started meeting each other after school on the days he didn’t have volleyball practice and she was free from her club activities.

He truly thought it was a coincidence.

I mean, sure there were similarities beyond their names but couldn’t have been that rare right? Besides it’s not like everyone with the same last name was related.

Anyways, soon enough the two had gotten so close, they started dating!

They had yet to meet each others families, not on purpose of course! It just didn’t seem like the biggest priority on top of everything else going on.

One day before practice the boys were in the locker room changing from their school uniforms into their practice clothes.

All was fine until *Atsumu* just had to bring something up..

“Say, Kita, I saw you with a girl the other day, who was it?” 

Kita, being unbothered by the question answered, “My girlfriend” the whole locker room went quiet before erupting in a chorus of ‘wHaT?!’, ‘who is it’ and other unintelligible things.

“Her names Reina, she’s in class 2-6 so I doubt any of you second years know her.” That instantly shut up the rambunctious (minus Suna) second years (Suna and Osamu are 2-1, Ginjima and Atsumu are class 2-3...).

...But it did intrigue a certain 3rd year.

“Shinsuke...what’s her last name?” The captain in question turned to the third year middle blocker.

“It’s Omimi, wh-...oh.” Realization hit him like a truck.

The name, the hair, the eyes, the brains...how didn’t he see it?!?!

After Omimi assured Kita he was fine with him dating her, the team got on with practice. 

But let’s just say it was a fun conversation to be had between Kita and both Omimi’s...

Suna Rintaro: 

To be fair, NO ONE knows how this happened!

SUNA doesn’t even know how this happened!

Anyways, Suna had been going for a walk (his parents had kicked him out of the house for the day for being lazy) when he bumped into her, Megumi Kita.

He recognized the name when she introduced herself, but he didn’t put two and two together.

Kita had brought her to practice about a week or so ago and had introduced her but Suna had been asleep in the club room so..

Anyways, megumi had been on her way home from the store when she and Suna collided.

Seeing as it was his fault and he wasn’t allowed back in the house yet anyways he offered to help her bring the groceries to her house.

When they got there they were immediately greeted by Yumie Kita (Kita’s grandmother), who insisted Suna stay until he could go back home. (*and her granddaughter was single and he is a very handsome young man)

Not being able to turn down the sweet elderly woman he gratefully agreed. The afternoon went on smoothly.

A few hours after his exile his mom texted him telling him he could go back home.

Wanting the two to spend more time together Yumie insisted Megumi go back with Suna, and to meet her older brother on the way back since he was nearby.

The walk was filled with playful banter and getting to know each other.

So when they got to Suna’s house he obviously asked if she’d see him again and she happily agreed.

It wasn’t until he tried to sleep that night he remembered why that name had sounded so familiar.

Fast forward two months, Megumi and Suna were happily dating, er happily dating in secret. Why? Because the two knew Kita would not be happy to know someone (from his team nonetheless) was dating his little sister.

It was during practice one day that the fateful encounter had occurred...Suna had mysteriously disappeared, and Kita’s little sister who had come to watch had disappeared as well...The team went on a scavenger hunt for the sleepy middle blocker, figuring the sister’s absence was just a coincidence.

Until they found them snuggled up and asleep in the stairwell...

Suna did a few extra drills that practice...

And for 5 practices after that.

Ushijima Wakatoshi: 

Okay...to be completely fair...he knew she was Oikawa’s little sister.

He met her at the beginning of his second year when she became the first year manager at Shiratorizawa.

Due to her sweet and kind personality, which he found greatly contrasted Oikawa’s he took a strong liking to the girl one she returned.

At first the two were just friends but as they spent more time together they developed feelings for each other.

Despite not going to the same school, and Natsuki staying in the dorms the Oikawa siblings remained close.

So Oikawa knew she went to Shiratorizawa...and that she was their manager...he just didn’t think she even TALKED to Ushijima.

Let alone that she was DATING him!

N E wAys Ushijima and Natsuki were out on a date, it was a Saturday and the two were out and about in town.

The two had just exited the café they were in when they heard a loud gasp.

Turning around the two were met with....basically all of Aoba Johsai.

And a broad range of reactions.

Oikawa looked DiSgUsTeD, iwaizumi looked conflicted, Yahaba showed a *hint* of surprise, Kindaichi looked scared and Hanamaki, Matsukawa and Kunimi were all laughing at their captain.

“wha-why-how-hUH!?!?! HOW DID THIS HAP-” He was promptly cut off by a firm slap to the back of his head. “Get over yourself loserkawa! You should’ve known you couldn’t control her forever!” 

Whining from the blow to the back of his head Oikawa turned to face the love birds, staring down Ushijima and proceeding to look his little sister in the eye.

After much mental deliberation (and another hit from Iwaizumi) he sighed and turned around, waving a dramatic hand in the air.

As he walked away he shouted, “Oh~ But don’t think you’re getting off easy now Ushiwaka,” He momentarily stopped to turn his head and give the two a *look. “We will be discussing this later.”

Yahaba Shigeru: 

 After a game ended he was headed towards the locker room when someone stopped him.

She introduced herself as Emi and said she wanted to say he played really well.

Yahaba, thinking she was really sweet and cute asked for her number which she gladly gave to him.

As he walked to the locker room, he couldn’t stop thinking about her beautiful long black hair that was perfectly curly. 

She really was quite pretty, one of the prettiest girls he’d ever seen.

Fast forward a week, he had asked the girl on a date and she’d said yes!

So now, he was headed to an address she had given him to pick her up.

She was running a bit late so she told him to knock on the door and her older brother would let him in.

Making sure he looked his best he got out of his car and knocked on the front door.

He almost choked when none other than his teammate, Matsukawa opened the front door confused as to why Yahaba was there.

To stunned to answer coherently, Mattsun’s little sister skipped past her brother and gave Yahaba a hug, explaining to her brother this was the guy she had been talking about.

...Yahaba knew he was in for it later when he saw the look Matsukawa was giving him...it was the same look he had perfected as a middle blocker.

Y’know, the one he used to intimidate his opponents.

Nervously gulping Yahaba promised to have her home at a reasonable time and nervously left with his date.

The next practice was a dreaded date for the poor man.

Iwaizumi Hajime: 

Iwaizumi had been racing the halls of Aoba Johsai (he was late to practice...) when he had accidentally bumped into someone, sub sequentially knocking them to the ground.

Looking down he saw that he had bumped into a girl he had seen around, Kanna something or the other.

Apologizing he was quick to offer her a hand up, which she gratefully accepted.

He helped her gather her things and discovered she was on her way to deliver some papers to the guidance office.

Seeing as he was responsible for them being knocked to the floor he offered to help her take them there.

On their way to the office Iwaizumi made some small talk and got to know somethings about the girl.

He knew the name ‘Kyotani’ but he didn’t think anything of it especially since she was so nice and sweet!

So he figured it was a coincidence the two had the same name.

After that day the two would meet for study sessions, lunch, etc. Until they eventually started to go on dates.

So when he asked her to be his girlfriend, she had agreed.

On this specific day the two had plans to hang out after school, but because of a quick team meeting after practice Iwaizumi would be late to pick Kanna up after her club.

She assured him it was fine and that she’d just meet Iwaizumi at the gym.

“The HECK are you doin’ here?” Iwaizumi turned from where he was chatting with Hanamaki to see his girlfriend had just walked into the gym.

“Shut up Kentaro! Oh, Hajime! Sorry if I’m a bit early, club ended sooner than I had expected.”

Iwaizumi walked over and gave his girlfriend a short kiss on the lips, which wasn’t that weird since they’ve been dating for a few months now and had kissed several times.

“Are you serious? Right in front of my salad?” The whole gym (minus one player) cracked up at Makki’s joke, Iwaizumi rolling his eyes.

“Chill out everyone, this is my girlfriend, Kanna-” “GiRLfRiEnD!?!”

The team now directed their eyes towards Kyotani, who was a mix between fuming and shocked.

“Oh shut it Kentaro! You knew I had a boyfriend.” Kanna rolled her eyes at her overprotective younger brother. He sputtered a bit before he could formulate a response, “yEah, but I didn’t know it was him!”.

Before young Mad-dog exploded Yahaba came over and dragged him by the collar back to the court to ‘practice his spikes’ or whatever.

Futakuchi Kenji: 

He swears it was an accident! 

How was he supposed to know she was Aone’s little sister?!

Futakuchi had gone over one afternoon to work on some homework with Aone.

When Futakuchi knocked on the door, a beautiful kind looking girl opened it, asking him why he was here.

Introducing himself as a friend of Aone’s, the girl let him in, figuring he was  friend of her brothers.

You see, before Futakuchi had come over that afternoon, Aone had warned him his younger sister had some friends over.

So naturally he assumed the girl who answered the door was one of those friends since the girl (whose name he learned was Niko) and Aone looked absolutely nothing alike!

She was also quite bubbly and extroverted, easily keeping conversation with the girl.

Being the absolute charmer he is he begun lightly flirting with the girl.

And IN HIS DEFENSE!! She flirted back.

IT WAS ALSO AT THIS TIME THAT AONE HAD COME DOWNSTAIRS.

A look of concern came over his face as he saw Futakuchi flirting with his little sister. 

Quickly walking over to the two, he pushed Futakuchi away (by his face of course) before turning to his younger sister who was frantically asking why he’d do such a thing.

“You know that guy on the team I always talk about.” Niko looked at him confused, “You mean the scummy one with a terrible personality?” Aone nodded and pointed at Futakuchi, “He’s that guy.” 

Futakuchi just yelled out a “HEY!”, knowing his friend wasn’t exactly wrong.

Niko just laughed, “He’s not that bad! He seems nice to me! Plus you never mentioned he was so handsome.”

Making a face of disgust Aone just shook his head muttering ‘It’s your funeral’ before heading back to his room.

The two hit it off, and despite his initial protests Aone is very happy for both of them.

Daishou Suguru: 

It was after Mika dumped him, he had been incredibly distraught and had gone to a local park to let his feelings out.

Unfortunately, it had started raining and Daishou hadn’t exactly been in the right state of mind so he had forgotten to bring an umbrella.

Just as it had started to sprinkle he had gotten shielded from the rain,

Looking up he saw a really pretty girl with black hair and warm gray eyes looking at him with concern.

Convincing him it was dangerous to be out in this weather, the two made their way to the safety of a nearby café.

The two talked for hours and as it turns out the girl, Yuna as he had learned her name was, had been going through a similar situation.

Exchanging numbers the two continued to see each other and eventually started dating.

They had yet to meet each other’s families due to both of them being busy, so they decided to wait until after the Spring High Preliminary’s since Daishou would be free after them. (Due to scheduling conflicts Yuna was not able to go to the Match, but consoled her boyfriend after they lost)

Knocking on the door Yuna let him in and the two hung out in the living room until everyone had gotten there.

Once dinner had been cooked the family sat down at the table, all except one who Yuna had said was still at practice.

About 1/4 of the way through dinner they heard the front door open, in walking Yuna’s little brother.

“Oh! I should have asked earlier but you two know each other don’t you Yuuki?” 

Daishou mentally screamed realizing his girlfriend’s younger brother just so happened to be the rookie libero he had targeted during the preliminary’s.

Stilling in his tracks Shibayama nervously shook his head, saying he had only gone up against him at the preliminary’s and that they hadn’t really met.

Seeing as Shibayama is a stand up guy, he didn’t say anything to his family. So all was actually going well until Mr. Shibayama said Daishou had looked familiar....

Yuna had not gone to the Match...but Mr. Shibayama and Mrs. Shibayama had...and they had now recognized Daishou.

Oh boy.

Numai Kazuma:

It was when Numai had dislocated his thumb.

After the match he had gone to the nurses office, where a very pretty girl helped him.

She introduced herself as Kaia, she was helping out with first aid since she was enrolled in a medical program at Nohebi.

When Numai heard ‘Nohebi’ he talked about how he was the Ace for the Boys Volleyball team.

Kaia then asked him questions and before the two knew it they were engaged in a conversation while she helped him with his injury.

The two bonded over volleyball, since Numai learned her little brother played, and he played as a wing spiker!

During the duration of his stay, he built up the courage to ask her for her number, which she of course agreed to.

Seeing as she had done as much as she could do for a dislocated thumb, she released him, opting to walk him back to his team (definitely nOt just to spend more time with him h a h a).

When they got to the club room, where the team had just finished discussing the game.

Numai opened the door a smidge before he paused, not noticing the team eagerly waiting behind the closed door.

Turning back to Kaia he took  deep breath before nervously asking the girl out sometime, which she also happily agreed to.

Little did he realize the girls reply had interested someone behind the semi-closed door, he hadn’t really cared what was going on until he recognized that voice.

When the team decided their ace had had enough fun, the quickly opened the door and pulled him inside, the whole team piling on top of him.

All except one...

“Kaia...what are you doing here..?” everyone turned to look at a now awake Kuguri, who had been napping after taking over for the poor ace.

Kaia then entered the room and gave her little brother a hug, congratulating him for stepping up.

Noticing the team’s weird stares, the eldest of the two siblings turned around before properly introducing herself.

“I’m Kaia Kuguri, Naoyasu’s older sister.”

The underclassmen went silent, since they didn’t want to seem disrespectful towards their ace, while the third years all started howling with laughter, Sakishima and Daishou being the worst offenders.

Kaia just shook her head before leaving her dumbstruck brother and a red and stuttering Numai behind to deal with his cackling teammates.

[pair-annoyed]

Anime I Watched This Fall

My first semester of college is officially over and the December holidays are upon us! I hoped to make one of these posts sooner, but I have been incredibly busy with schoolwork. Now that things have slowed down, let’s take sometime to reflect on things I’ve watched. 

These anime are listed in chronological order and encompass everything I’ve watched from 9/1/2020 - 12/15/2020

Like always, they will be rated on a 1-10 scale; 1 meaning complete garbage, 10 meaning masterpiece. I will offer my thoughts on what I did/didn’t like about each show!

1. The God of High School - 6/10 

Despite the stellar animation from MAPPA and my high expectations, I was really disappointed by how this series was treated. Most of the story’s crucial elements were handled poorly. I finished this series feeling more confused about the plot than when I first began. The power system is really cool, but poorly explained. More time should have been spent on exposition and world building for this series, instead the fights were given the most screen time. 

2.  Doukyuusei - 7/10 

I really liked the style of Doukyuusei. Granted, this was another movie I chose to watch primarily because of the hype surrounding it. The dynamic between Kusakabe and Sajou is an interesting one, and I also enjoy how the movies different acts were separated by the seasons. However, there's nothing that really sets Doukyuusei apart from other romance movies, its a little generic. Still, I enjoyed it nonetheless. 

3.  Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season - 8/10 

My opinions on Re:Zero’s second season are biased. This was, by far, the sequel I was most hyped for during the summer/fall anime season. I was so happy to see the story’s continuation and I’m looking forward to the season’s second part coming sometime in January. Re:Zero is one of my all time favorite series because of the way it handles it characters and power dynamics. I also really enjoy the show’s psychological aspects. If you haven’t already, give Re:Zero a try! 

4. Saint☆Oniisan (Movie + OVA) - 8/10

This was a wonderful comedy. I wasn’t sure how the subject of Jesus and Buddha living together would be tackled, but it was handled wonderfully. I was laughing for pretty much the entire movie. I love the art style and little references to both Buddhism and Christianity, plus the incorporation of Japanese culture. Saint Oniisan is a bright comedy, with two eccentric main characters. If you like a show that doesn’t take itself too seriously, and need a good laugh, I can’t recommend this more.

5. Clannad: After Story - 10/10 

Never, while watching anime, did I cry as much as I did while watching Clannad: After Story. I didn’t realize how much I related to Okazaki until I saw him grow up in After Story. I was left sobbing, especially after episode 18. I still, to this day, cannot listen to the Dango song without tearing up. The original Clannad is nothing special, but the continuation of its story its something heartfelt, emotional, and down-to-earth. I love Kyoto Animation with all my heart, and Clannad made me appreciate everything the studio has done just a little bit more. Thank you Clannad, for reminding me about the kind of person I strive to be. 

6. Nakitai Watashi wa Neko wo Kaburu - 5.5/10

The art in A Whisker Away was beautiful. The story itself, however, is nothing too enjoyable. I found it difficult to like our protagonist or her love interest. Nothing about this movie is inherently memorable. The emotional climax came far too early which made the second half of the film seem long and drawn out.  All in all, the movie has a wonderful concept, I just believe it could have been so much more emotional than it was. When I watch a move, I like to empathize with the characters. It’s difficult to do when the characters aren’t given the proper exposition to be empathized with. 

7.  Shikioriori - 6/10

This is less of a movie and more of a collection of short stories. Flavors of Youth is something you shouldn’t watch on an empty stomach, all of the food looks incredible. The same cannot beside for the rest of this feature. The stories themselves seems heavily clichéd. Much like A Whisker Away, the initial premise is intriguing, but the execution results in something that comes across as trying too hard and carries no emotional weight with the viewer. If you plan on watching, pay more attention to the artwork and animation than the actual plot. You won’t be missing anything. 

8. Vinland Saga - 7/10

Vinland Saga helped me get out of the rut that Clannad: After Story. Not only does this show have a great story, its action packed with lots of interesting fights. I especially enjoyed all the Nordic history embedded within the show. Its really unlike any of the other historical anime I’ve watched. I will say, it’s gory. But, compared to all the other things I watched this time around, I finished this series the quickest. Its good, its graphic, its fast paced! 

9.  Mononoke Hime - 7/10

It’s ironic considering how much anime I’ve watched that I have yet to watch all of the most classic Studio Ghibli films. Princess Mononoke is grittier than most other Ghibli films I’ve seen, but it’s message is positive and its characters are wonderful. I can’t really speak ill towards classics like these. I guess maybe my one complaint is that this movie could’ve been a faster pace. Other than that... I really enjoyed everything Princess Mononoke offered! I understand why it’s so popular.  

10. Howl no Ugoku Shiro - 8.5/10 

Can you believe it took me this long to finally watch Howl’s Moving Castle? Me neither!! This movie is so endearingly beautiful. I loved every second of it, from the characters to the soundtrack. So many iconic things come from just this one movie. I would like to take this time to thank my best friend for reminding me that Studio Ghibli films are wonderful! Thank you for watching this with me, I loved it! All in all, I regret not watching this sooner! 

11. Toradora! - 6.5/10 

Toradora took me a while to finish, just because I lost interest about halfway through. But, I powered through it, and ended up really enjoying the show! I’m not the biggest fan of the ending, but that’s just a personal preference. Somehow, this show also made me cry? I’m not entirely sure why because Toradora! is probably the thing farthest from sad. Apart from the show’s dull slice of life moments, it was super cute! A much needed light-hearted romance. 

12. New Initial D Movie: Legend 1 - 5/10 

Full disclosure, this is the only thing related to Initial D that I’ve ever watched. My band and I watched this expecting to hear some of that iconic Initial D music, itself all we got was a mildly confusing story about different types of cars. It was cliché and frankly a little boring. Although, I am still considering watching the original Initial D just so I can hear the music in the way it was original intended. I’ve got no other opinions on this movie. It’s best not to watch these movies without the context from the rest of the franchise.  

13.  Uchuu Patrol Luluco - 7.5/10

I didn’t really understand why people enjoy studio Trigger so much until I watched Space Patrol Luluco. I loved all the fun references to other studio Trigger works. I loved the humor, and I loved all the bright colors. The animation was extremely high energy, and the art style fits the show’s premise. Each episode was only 12 minutes long so it was a super quick binge. If you’re looking for something quick, light-hearted and comical, this is the perfect show to watch.

14. Orange - 7/10 

I owe a big thanks to a tumblr mutual for recommending this show to me! This holds the honor of making me cry by episode 3! I honestly did not expect the subject matter of this show to be as dark as it was. Usually when I see the genre ‘shoujo’ I do not associate it with a love story like that of Orange. The heavy subject matter made it a little too close to home for me, but I still really enjoyed this series. It reminds me off all the good times I had with my friends in high school, and of all the regrets I carry with myself to this day. 

15. 3-gatsu no Lion - 7.5/10 

March Comes in Like a Lion is another show that was a bit of a slow burn for me. Each episode left me feeling emotionally drained, so I had to take a lot of breaks while I was working on watching this series. Shaft, the studio behind this anime, holds a special place in my heart because I loved their work on the Monogatari Series. March Comes in Like a Lion is a little different. It’s driving force it is characters, and it was cathartic to watch our main character transform through the entire duration of the first season. I know the show’s second season is much better, so I’ll be starting that soon! 

16. Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei - 8/10 

I loved how artsy and smart The Tatami Galaxy is, but honestly I couldn’t watch too much at once cause it would hurt my head. I also couldn’t watch this show while I was tired because the speaking rate is much faster than typical anime. The Tatami Galaxy is so unique for its medium. I loved the different time loops and the crazy animation. The characters were fascinating. The dialogue, although very fast, it also fantastic. There’s an element of humor to this unique story telling, and I enjoyed ever minute of it! 

Currently Watching:

Hunter x Hunter - 6.5/10 (As of Episode 30)

I pride myself in having watched a lot of shounen anime, but I was reluctant to start Hunter x Hunter for years because I thought I would find it boring. I was oh so very wrong. Considering great shows like Naruto and Fairy Tail that fall under the same category, I expected Hunter x Hunter to be subpar in comparison. It gets a low score for two reasons. One, the power system was introduced a little too late and now I’m wondering if all the fights post episode 30 will involved nen in some way, shape, or form. Two, its still on hiatus. 

Two Cursed Additions For This List

Please to do not let these be representative of my anime taste. 

1.  Yarichin☆B*tch-bu - 4/10

I am a CLOWN for not knowing this was 18+. The only reason I watched this was to see why everyone was talking about the pink-haired boy with the glasses and tongue piecing. I know why now, and I regret it. This was a massive mistake on my part. But hey, at the least the art and ending song kinda slap? 

2. Euphoria (Dropped After 1 Episode) - 2/10

If you know what I’m talking about when I say Euphoria, I am so sorry. And no, I am not talking about the HBO series. Seriously, don’t google this. Don’t watch this. Don’t interact with anything related to this. You’re probably wondering, “Then why did you watch it?” I did not watch this willingly. You see, I have a very bad habit of starting anime and then taking months to finish them. I made an ultimatum with a friend, lost, and then was forced to watch this a punishment. Not a fun experience. I’m very glad there are no GIFs of this on tumblr...

[allalrightagain]

OH YES character ask game i was hoping it’d find its way here!! remus and harry please ❤️ (and/or anyone else you have Thoughts about!!)

XD Thank you! Remus and Harry are good ones haha. This took me forever to nail down specifics and I still didn’t succeed, this is the best I’ve got lmao. Under a cut because I think this is even longer than the last one 😂

favorite thing about them

Remus

I could write a whole essay on each of them—how/why I project on them, a hundred little things I think about regularly— but I will try to keep it short. What sticks with me about Remus, over and over, is how much he’s able to do with so little. He is going through it literally every day. I liked Remus a lot in initial reads, but it wasn’t until I returned to the books and fandom that he really started standing out to me. A direct quote of an annotation from my last reread (Dec ’19, which I never finished) just after he’s introduced says

“Not only is Remus a dementor hotspot as it is, but Lupin’s summer goes something like this: accepts job working at hogwarts, sirius escapes, he gets on the hogwarts express (without any of his now dead or imprisoned best friends for the first time ever) falls asleep, wakes up to a spitting image of his dead best friend and a dementor outside the door, best friend’s son who he hasn’t seen since said best friend died passes out on the floor and then Remus has to come up with a happy memory?? It’s really no wonder he doesn’t notice Peter is Scabbers. He’s got too much on his mind. Like grief.”

He has seen so much, and yet despite everything he still keeps moving, keeps fighting, keeps showing up when he absolutely is not expected to. All of his little gestures, the reaching out to grab Harry’s shoulder and then thinking better of it, there’s just so much going on in his head all the time and at least 60% of it is angst (and it should probably be a lot higher than that).

Harry

Harry has been my comfort character for almost longer than I can remember— that’s not an exaggeration, my dad read the first three books out loud to me the year I started kindergarten and I reread them every summer until the last book came out when I was in middle school. I have, no joke, spent more time thinking about him than the entirety of my college major and current career combined. I think the same resilience we see in Remus stands out in Harry (a HUGE portion of DIWF planning was outlining similarities between the two for a reason— they are absolutely mirrors), the same desire to be kind, to care even when it seems foolish. If I had to pick one single thing, it’s that; the empathy he offers to others (almost) no matter what. and on the few occasions he doesn’t, I was well ahead of him in telling them to fuck off

least favorite thing about them

Remus

Voted most likely to give his kid daddy issues :( I love him dearly but at the first sign of a hiccup Remus’s instinct is to be anywhere but here and justifies it by doing something productive wherever that “not here” is. See: reading during SWM, resigning from Hogwarts, the werewolf packs, the horcrux hunt.

Harry

Excepting the epilogue/CC which I do not count against him, of course. Idk if I even have a least favorite thing. Everything that comes to mind I immediately justify lmao. I guess he can be a bit of an asshole, and he’s very quick to judge the good guys from the bad guys, which mostly works out in his favor but sometimes means he justifies things he shouldn’t (or hates someone without much cause).

favorite line

Remus

Hard-pressed not to pick the scene where Snape and Remus (and Harry) discuss the Map in POA without Remus copping to anything. OR possibly “No one’s going to try and kill you until we’ve sorted a few things out." Love scary!Remus.

Harry

Too many to count— I just spent like 3 hours rereading bits and pieces and I’ve given up trying to pick just one, or even a couple. He’s got some really great sass backs, particularly to Snape, Malfoy, and the Dursleys, plus a couple really upsetting lines like “People don’t like being locked up” or “Parents,” said Harry, “shouldn’t leave their kids unless — unless they’ve got to,” but I genuinely don’t think I can pick a favorite.

brOTP

Remus

Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs <3 Although I do like Remus and Lily as friends.

Harry

Ron. 100%.

OTP

Remus

Ok this is just going to look like an unpopular opinion answer, but I love Remadora and Wolfstar about the same. Also Remus/Tonks/Sirius I love a lot. James/Lily/Sirius/Remus goes in honorable mentions.

Harry

Hinny :) Drarry I’ll read but you have to sell me on it a bit unless I’m in the mood.

nOTP

Remus

Snape. You would have to erase both their memories and give at least one if not both of them a personality transplant. Also Fenrir for obvious reasons.

Harry

It might actually be faster to ask who else I *do* ship him with lmao. I HC him as aspec so you really have to convince me if it’s someone besides my shortlist (basically needs to be a seeker or Ron). I will say I don’t understand shipping him with Voldemort/Riddle. Or Snape. I still don’t understand why that’s a thing.

random headcanon

Remus

Trans!Remus <3 <3 More specifically, he comes out sometime in his second year, which put a bit of a strain on his relationship with Lily, no longer being in the same dorm and also being enveloped into The Marauders (TM)

Harry

Aspec!Harry!! It’s not that he doesn’t (or can’t) be attracted to people, but he has to have a reason for looking. More often than not that reason is quidditch, because it makes him really look at their bodies instead of just thinking of them as people. Every once in a while someone catches him off guard and he thinks about them subjectively, but otherwise he’s got way more important things to think about than whether or not someone’s attractive *to him*.

unpopular opinion

Remus

Other than the ships? He wasn’t super angry at Sirius et al after the Prank. He didn’t like Snape any more than his friends, and while he did know there was danger in what they did, he also… didn’t care that much? They got away with it, just like they did with most things, and that was what mattered.

Harry

Unspeakable!Harry working in the death chamber, after a few years on the Aurors. He’s not particularly scholarly but he’s also smart and gets recruited just as he starts to lose faith in the Ministry again (shockingly politics you hate as a teenager don’t change nearly as much or as quickly as you might like, and being an Auror was always going to require a little too much press.)

song i associate with them

So many. I’m tempted to just throw the whole DIWF playlist up here and see if you can figure out which song goes to which (spoiler I can’t even sometimes). Alright, two each, from the DIWF playlist, and skipping the obvious ones (Empty Chairs at Empty Tables etc)

Remus

21 Guns by Green Day and Break Your Heart by The Gaslight Anthem

Harry

Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World and White Walls by The Maine

There. No repeat artists even. (WAIT I FORGOT ABOUT TAD. Urgh. Ok I can’t pick between them, It’s three straight albums of Remus and sometimes Harry feels. just. The Amazing Devil discography. )

favorite picture of them

Remus

Either this one OR this one (both by @lunapwrites)

Harry

If I had to pick one Blvnk Harry art, probably this one? but honestly anything she draws. (there are *many* other Harrys I love but this list would get very long very quickly)

Least favorite line, for the controversy

Remus

"And if, by some miracle, it is not like me, then it will be better off, a hundred times so, without a father of whom it must always be ashamed!" Is it showing his character (fault)? Yeah.. But it doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Harry

Sigh. See this post. (I don’t hold it against him)

Send me a character and I'll tell you what I think of them!

[toomanyrobins]

MINIMAL LOSS

summary: Spencer and Y/N head into the Separtarian Sect and are greeted with trouble.

pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

content warnings: few swear words, guns, character death, violence, cult behavior

word count: 3.7k

It had been a few months since Y/N had joined the BAU. Despite initial worries, she fit right into the team. She had joined the women for girls’ night and even helped Garcia plan JJ’s baby shower. Hotch was truly showing how much trust he held by sending the two youngest teammates on their own assignment. Y/N and Spencer were in a car in La Plata with Nancy, a CPS worker, on their way to Liberty Ranch. Spencer played the call for the three of them: “He comes into my bedroom and lays with me. He says it's god's will. I'm only 15. And I'm not the only one. Please help me!” 

Y/N turned to Nancy, “Who is the ‘he’?”

“I believe the ‘he’ that they referred to is the church's leader: Benjamin Cyrus.”

Reid flipped open the file and leaned forward so that Y/N could look at it too. She smiled appreciatively at him, “Benjamin Cyrus--No criminal record. No record at all, really. What else do you know about him?

Nancy shrugged, “It's rumored that he's practicing polygamy and forced marriages.

Y/N scanned the file as Spencer read aloud, “Do we know who the caller is?”

“Jessica Evanson is the one who the age fits, But...we can't be sure. I negotiated interviews with all the children. It wasn't easy.”

“Well, considering their view on outsiders, it would be best if you didn't identify us as FBI. Just use our real names and introduce us as child victim interview experts.” Y/N and Reid left their badges and gun in the car. The trio pulled up and was greeted by a single man lounging on the stairs. He seemed unimpressed by their presence and continued to read his book. Y/N noted that the act seemed a bit over the top and a definite attempt to appear nonchalant about their visit.

Nancy walked up to him, “I'm looking for Mr. Benjamin Cyrus.”

The man walked down the stairs, shutting the Bible in his hands, “You found him.”

“I'm Nancy Lunde. We spoke on the phone regarding the allegation.”

“Savages they call us because our manners differ from theirs.”

“We didn't come here to hear you cite scripture, Mr. Cyrus.

“Actually, It's a Benjamin Franklin.” Y/N smiled softly at the ever fact-driven Dr. Reid.

Nancy motioned at the two of them, “Y/N Emard and Spencer Reid -- they’re child victim

interview experts.”

“How far from God's word must we have strayed for there to be the need to invent a job called child victim interview expert?”

“We wish we didn't have to be here,” Y/N said.

So do we. But you are welcome, nonetheless. The children are in the school,” He pointed to the building behind him.

Nancy nodded and thanked him. The two women forged ahead, but Y/N stopped when she heard Spencer remark on the compound’s use of solar power.

“We're completely self-sufficient,” Cyrus explained, “Electricity, food, water. Ben Franklin said, ‘God helps those that help themselves.’ You look surprised.” Y/N noticed that Spencer was working to build a relationship with Cyrus and followed Nancy to begin interviews. They decide to start Jessica: the suspected victim. Y/N immediately noted the defensive posture that the 15-year-old held. Her mother, Kathy, stood beside her and looked much more submissive.

“So, what does a normal day on the ranch look like for you?” Y/N inquired.

“We go to school. We do our chores. And we treat ourselves and each other with the respect that God demands.”

“But you've never been off of the ranch?

Kathy spoke, “I brought Jessie here when she was 2.”

The young girl had a very sour look on her face and had her hands folded tightly in anger, “You've talked to lots of children in your work. Tell me, are their lives somehow better than ours? We devote ourselves to God.” Kathy put a hand on her daughter’s shoulder to calm her.

Y/N reassured the teen, “We are not here because of your religious beliefs.”

“Then why are you here?”

“We received a phone call alleging that an adult male member of your church was having inappropriate relations with the younger women here.”

“You're talking about Cyrus.”

Reid had joined them and heard the last bit of the conversation, “What makes you say that?”

Kathy tried to stop her daughter, but the indignation was clear. “Is it inappropriate for a husband to share a bed with his wife?

Y/N was shocked, “You are married to Cyrus?”

“Yes. Cyrus is my husband and a prophet. It's an honor to bear his children.

“Jessica, you're 15 years old. The state of Colorado requires parental consent.”

Y/N stared at Kathy and saw the regret in her eyes. She looked up at Reid, “She gave consent.”

Before they could continue to question, they were interrupted by members of the ranch coming in armed. They forced the three outsiders back and pointed their weapons at them. ”What's going on?” Nancy demanded. Three men came over and patted them all down. Y/N dug her heel into the man’s toe when she felt him linger. He groaned and stepped back with a scowl, nodding to Cyrus to confirm that all three were weapon-free.

“We just got a very strange phone call from a news reporter. Is there anything you want to tell me about a raid, maybe?” All three of them were shocked. Especially Y/n and Spencer since they knew that JJ had checked with other agencies before sending them in. Cyrus shook his head, “They don't know.” The men shepherded the woman and children through tunnels hidden under the buildings to a bunker filled with weapons. Gunfire could be heard overhead as instructions were given by Cyrus. 

Y/N and Spencer both saw how the guns lining the walls. She whispered, “Where did all these guns come from?”

Spencer shook his head, “I don't know. Garcia checked with the state police.” Nancy broke free of the group in the bunker and hurried up the church, thinking she could stop the raid from continuing. They heard the gunfire cease and he whispered again, “The raid is over.”

“What does that mean?”

“Either Cyrus convinced them to leave or this is over a lot faster than we thought.” When the men returned back down, Y/N realized that they were stuck in the compound again. Spencer inquired into where Nancy had gone and Cyrus explained that she had been shot by the Colorado authorities. 

“They’re pulling out.”

Reid shook his head, “Not for long.” They were stuck in the bunker while the male members of the cult all armed themselves. 

Y/N leaned over, “The team will have to be on its way now that a failed raid will be on the news. 

“With an average flight time of five and a half hours between DC and the La Plata County Airport plus the half hour drive out to the ranch, I estimate that they’ll be here by 4 o’clock, maybe 4:30 depending on who drives.” Y/N and Reid stayed trapped in the bunker, covered by an armed member at the door.

Y/N needed grounding and turned to Spencer, “What is the playbook here?”

“If the BAU is put in charge, which I imagine they will be because we are inside, they will go for the minimal loss situation. Statistically, it is improbable that they will get every member out, so they will do their best to save as many as possible. With the indoctrination in cults like this, some will be too far gone. It will be impossible to convince them that what they have been following is a lie. They’ll first try to get out 1 or 2, then 3 or 4, and then as many as possible before it goes bad,” Spencer stopped talking and looked confused, “You haven’t told me to stop rambling.”

“Why would I tell you to stop? This is valuable information,” Y/N’s cheeks warmed, “Plus you have a nice voice. We are going to be here a while until someone gets in contact with Cyrus. Best to be informed and it seems that you’re a wealth of information, Dr. Reid.” 

Despite the situation, Spencer smiled and continued talking quietly to Y/N about the tactics used. She asked him questions and let him answer them with as much information as he had. Y/N had seen him get cut off by the others before, and she understood why they did it, but she realized he probably didn’t get to share to his heart’s content often and currently they had a minimum 6 hours of waiting ahead of them. That plan was cut short by Cyrus coming back down. He brought them all up to the church. The duo were off to the side, watching as Rossi came in carrying a box. He was patted down and Cyrus spoke to him. Y/N and Spencer were both careful to keep any hint of recognition off of their face, knowing that even a twinge of weakness could seal their fates. 

Rossi let his eyes pass over the duo, before turning to Cryus, “I’d hope you let me take the children.”

“Nah, they’re our protection. I remember Waco... we all do. They stay for now. While I pray for God’s guidance. Please don’t try to force us out.”

“No one’s gonna try to force you out of here.” The two men walked to the door and Rossi left again. 

The moment he was out the door, Cyrus ordered a member to prepare wine, “We are celebrating. Everyone drinks. Everyone rejoices. Because today we are one day closer to being with him.”

Y/N watched a scene unfold in front of her and brushed her hand against Spencer’s to get his attention, “Look at Jessica’s body language. The way she looks at him. She literally worships him.”

Spencer nodded, “There is no way she made that 911 call.”

They both watched as Kathy stood up to speak to her daughter, “Look how she comes between Cyrus and her daughter. She's inserted herself between them. I don’t think Kathy is as devout a follower as she wants people to believe. Cyrus isn’t the most important thing to her; Jessica is.” Spencer squeezed her hand in silent agreement. 

Cyrus began preaching from the front as all the followers drank the wine, “Acknowledge him in all things and he will guide your way. Drink to acknowledge him and I will guide our way. We will be with him soon. We drank the poison together. Mothers… Fathers… Children, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we fear no evil, for thou art with us.”

Y/N eyes widened and she looked up at Spencer, “What do we do?”

He shook his head, “Nothing.”

“We have to do something. These people just took poison.”

“Cyrus just told them they did. I think he's just bluffing. Just after he told them about the poison, he waited for them to start to react. Then, he nodded to Cole and he started writing. They're scanning the audience looking for reactions. They're writing down the names of the people who are crying.

Realization hit Y/N, “It's a loyalty list. So he knows who will follow him to the end.”

Cyrus spoke again, “Be still. There was no poison. Instead a test of faith. Because your adversary, the devil, waltzes about as a roaring lion, choosing whom he may devour. Watch each other for signs of weakness. You are your brother's keeper.”

After the test, they forced Y/N and Spencer back into the bunker. A guard again stationed by the door. It wasn’t long before Cyrus came back into the bunker, anger written across his face, “Which one of you is it? Which one of you is an FBI agent?”

Spencer and Y/N shared a look. “Why do you think one of us is an FBI agent?

“God will forgive me for what I must do.”

Spencer kept his face confused and innocent, “I--I don't know what you're talking about.”

Cyrus cocked a gun and pointed it at Spencer’s forehead. “One of you does. Who is it?”

Y/N knew that Spencer had built a rapport with the sect leader. She took a deep breath, “Me. It's me.”

Spencer looked at her worriedly as Cyrus uncocked the weapon. He flew forward and grabbed Y/N by her hair, dragging her into another room, “I told you not to put me in this position!” She tried to stand, but he backhanded her. She got up again, staring determinedly at him. This time, Cyrus threw her into the wall. Y/N crashed into a mirror and felt the shards cut her arms and face. He continued to preach while beating her, “Proverbs 20:30 tells us blows and wounds cleanse away evil.

Y/N remembered what Reid had said about the FBI trying to find a way to listen in, she had to stop them from coming in, “I can take it.” Cyrus thought she was antagonizing him and hit harder. She repeated herself, “I can take it.” Y/N hoped that the team understood that she could handle this fight and not blow the operation by trying to save her.

“Pride comes before the fall,” Cyrus punched her in the stomach and threw her to the floor. Y/N lay on the floor, trying to catch her breath after the last kick to her stomach knocked the wind out of her. He called for another man to come in, “Tie her up. Put her upstairs.

Kathy snuck into the room they had trapped Y/N in. She had brought a small first aid kit and cleaned the blood away from her face and removed bits of glass, “You should have told Cyrus who you were. He's a prophet. He predicted Satan's armies would come and lay siege to us.

Every inch of Y/N’s body hurt, but she knew she couldn’t give up. She looked at Kathy, “There's a name for that kind of prophecy-- self-fulfilling.”

“You don't know how dangerous It is to lie to him.”

“I know it would take a brave woman to defy him, Knowing the consequences. And that woman would have to have a damn good reason to do it. Kathy sucked in air when she realized that Y/N had suspicions about who made the 911 call that had led to them coming to the compound. She left the room and Y/N let her head fall back against the pillows, hoping that she was getting to the woman. 

She tried to track how long had passed but when the sun set, she had no measure of time. It hadn’t been long before the door to the room flew open and the same man who had tied her up entered. He roughly dragged her up and cut the rope binding her wrist. He kept his weapon trained on her and forced her into the church, where everyone else was. 

Cyrus stood at the altar, “It has come to my attention that some of our brothers and sisters have lost their faith in God. That they no longer love us. They want to abandon us. So when I call out your name, please stand.”

Spencer came up to her. She kept her eyes trained on the sect leader, “He looks pissed.” She turned to him and smiled softly when she saw the worry in his eyes, “Spencer, it's not as bad as it looks. I’ve had worse.”

“I'm so sorry,” Spencer scanned over Y/N’s body, taking in every injury inflicted by Cyrus. Moments like this, he hated his eidetic memory; knowing he would never forget the beating Y/N took to protect him. Their attention was drawn back to the members, 

“Look at who he's releasing. It's the ones who failed the loyalty test. I'll get word to the team. Wait for a sign from outside to indicate what time the raid will come.” Spencer walked away from her to speak to Cyrus. He turned and nodded to her, before she was dragged back up the room. Her arms were tied again and she was thrown on the bed. 

Y/N nodded off for a few hours, but had woken up when the sun had started to rise, cursing herself for falling asleep. Y/N situated herself on the bed and used her shoe to pull the blinds down. She knew that the glass needed to vibrate in order for them to hear her, “If you can hear me, I know you're coming. I can try to get the women and children down to the tunnel, but I need to know when you're coming.” She continued to repeat herself, when a red dot shone on the opposite wall, “Ok. Ok. I got you. What time?” The dot held steady for a moment and then moved 90 degrees. “3 a.m.?” The dot moved up and down confirming, “Understood. Reid is on the first floor somewhere with Cyrus. And, please, remember there are children here.” Y/N heard someone coming and dropped her foot, letting the blind close again.

Kathy came back into Y/N’s room. She helped her sit up and gave her a glass of water. This was Y/N’s last chance to convince Kathy to held, “Cyrus is planning a mass suicide. You made that 911 call.”

The woman shook her head regretfully, “This is all my fault. None of this would have happened if I hadn't of made that call.

“You were trying to protect your daughter. No one would fault you for that”

“There were other girls before Jessie. He--he would marry them in secret, and after a while he'd take another. And we weren't permitted to speak of it. So, when she asked for my consent, I wanted to just take her and run. But I was afraid she wouldn't leave him.”

“You wanted us to take her.”

“Well, I--I wanted to save her from Cyrus.”

“I can give you another chance. The FBI is coming here at 3 a.m. I need you to gather Jessica, the kids, the other women -- get them into the basement just before 3 a.m.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I have faith that you are a strong enough woman to do the right thing for Jessica.” Kathy stood and walked out of the room without another word. Y/N was left with the hope that she had gotten through to the woman. 

Only a few moments later, Kathy came back. She helped Y/N sit up and removed the bindings from her wrists, “You were right. They're setting the place to blow up. I told Jessie that Cyrus wanted her to gather the women and children.”

Y/N’s thoughts were on Spencer, “Where is the man I came in with?”

“He's in the chapel with Cyrus. It's 2:45, though, we gotta hurry.” Y/N and Kathy rushed to get the women and children down to the basement, careful to avoid any of the armed men. 

Once they got to the basement, Derek and Rossi were waiting for them. He rushed up to her, “Y/N, Y/N, you all right?

“Worry about me later, Derek. They've wired explosives.” Kathy and the agents rushed everyone out of the compound. 

“Where's Reid?”

“He's in the chapel with Cyrus.”

Rossi turned to her, “We gotta get you out of here.

“No. We've gotta get Reid!

Derek grabbed her shoulders, “I will get Reid. Get out of here. Get to safety. Go now.” Y/N nodded and followed after the rest of the members. She stayed watching the building as the other continued to run. Y/N had to know that Spencer was okay. The church exploded and Y/N fell to the ground, covering her head. Once the smoke cleared, she stood up, “Reid! Morgan? Reid? Morgan!”

“We're ok!” Derek called.

Spencer ran up to her and wrapped her in a hug, “Are you okay?” She nodded and he put his arm around her, helping her to walk to get medical attention. Only once he was certain she was getting help did he leave.

Y/N sat in the back of an ambulance as the paramedic pulled shards of glass from her arms, and bandaged and disinfected the cuts on her face. JJ came over to check on her, “How bad is it?”

“Everything is sore, but the worst is cuts from the mirror he slammed me into. They said I don’t even need to go to the hospital.”

“Take it easy and don’t move until one of us comes to help you. Understand?”

Y/N smiled, “You’re already such a mom, JJ.” The blonde laughed and sat next to her, one hand on her belly.  The rest of the night passed quickly and soon the team was on the jet back to DC. Y/N sat next to Spencer on the couch, “Hey.”

“Hey.”

Y/N gently pulled the book out of his hands and put her hand in his, forcing him to put all of his attention on her, “I need you to listen to me. What Cyrus did to me is not your fault. It was my decision, and I would do it again. Do you hear me?” Spencer nodded. Y/N smiled at him and handed him his book back. She tucked her feet under the blanket and put her head on his shoulder, exhaustion weighing her eyelids down. Spencer read to her, remembering what she said about his voice, until he was sure she was asleep. The team all shared looks at the familiarity between the youngest teammates and smiled.

When they landed, Spencer offered to drive her home. The duo ended up at Y/N’s apartment. They ordered Chinese food and Y/N let him turn on Star Trek and explain all of the science and how it was ahead of its time. By the end of the night, Y/N had her legs slung across his lap and a frozen pea bag on her bruised face. She fell asleep sometime during the fourth episode. Spencer turned the TV off and covered her with a blanket. He quickly put the leftovers and peas away, and even laid out some Advil and water on the coffee with a note for when she woke up. 

Y/N,

You fell asleep and I decided you need your sleep. I put the food away and the peas back in the freezer. Take the Advil when you wake up. You’re going to need it. Text me when you wake up and I’ll pick you up. You shouldn’t drive until you’ve healed.

Dr. Spencer Reid

[imaginationofacrazyfangirl]

Plotlines of BTS Music Videos According to My Drunk Ass

Just to be clear I am not promoting drinking to minors or anything like that. Plus I am of age so whatever.

Music Video 1: Fire

Let’s just put it out there that the whole plot of the music video is about a group of hooligans causing trouble around their neighbor hood. Moreover it starts with them and the reader hanging out at the town’s youth center. Supposedly they all (except Jimin) have grown up together, learning how to survive the streets and deal with the shit life’s thrown at them.

Now onto the key characters:

Min Yoongi: The badass gangster who enjoys causing chaos and mischief. He’s the one who creates the most drama by actively engaging in criminal activities simply for the fun of it. He constantly tags buildings and picks fights with other people. Think of it this way: Yoongi is the one everyone watches out for, because he has no problem meeting a pipe to your face.

  That said naturally his character is rather antagonistic and anti-social as well. While he does care about the members of his group, Hoseok is the only one he truly trusts to let in. Moreover his relationship with the reader is that of an older brother who finds their sibling annoying so they constantly bully them; that said anyone who messes with you better watch the fuck out. You are his pest after all.

Jung Hoseok: The brotherly bad boy who has way too much fun being naughty. Both Yoongi and J-hope share one thing in common, they enjoy being bad boys. However while Yoongi leans more towards apathetic chaos, J-hope merely enjoys the thrill and status comes along with the title. He is the type to cause trouble when others are watching or his friends are there, but never the one to plan it. Honestly Hoseok is a bit of a ladies man always bragging about his reputation to impress, but really he does that to everyone.

  He’s officially the group’s hype man. The one everyone trusts immensely, because at the end of the day what Hoseok is really proud of is his family (you guys) and does everything he can to protect/make you guys happy. Like Yoongi, Hoseok acts as a big brother figure towards. Unlike Yoongi, he’s always thrilled to see you.

Jeon Jungkook: The innocent newbie corrupted by his “big brothers,” probably rather self-explanatory. As the youngest Jungkook wasn’t around when the group started (the group being you and the Maknae line). In fact he’s the latest addition to the neighborhood, moving there with either his single mother or foster parents. At first the poor boy is so out of place in the neighborhood dealing with life and constantly bullies, it only adds to his misfortune that you meet him. Yes, you the reader can be blamed for introducing Jungkook into thug life (lol thug life); not purposefully of course you simply saw the baby bunny and took him under your wing. If anything you try to protect him, while keeping Jungkook away from all the trouble.

     To Jungkook, you are the mother/older sister figure he has never had. He cares deeply for you, practically following you around like a lost duckling. However Jungkook also idolizes the others and wishes to become like them. Thus, causing him to get into trouble.

Kim Namjoon: The muscles-first off let me say how sorry I am for this. Joon is legit my ultimate basis and the smartest of them all yet he plays the meathead in this plotline. Why? Oh god why? I don’t know, but he does.

   Namjoon is the second member of the group no one wants to piss off. Not because of any sociopathic tendencies like Yoongi, but because Namjoon punches harder than the six of them combined. He’s literally the armored shield that steps in between members and those who threaten them. Now I don’t have as much facts on him as the others, but I can say this: Namjoon is a follower not a leader here, and like Yoongi, he find you annoying-although he is less antagonistic about than other is. Also like Yoongi, he’ll beat the living shit out of anyone who messes with you.

Kim Taehyung: The introverted computer genius who prefers technology over people. In this plotline our bubbly Tae, plays an awkward anti-social computer genius who really doesn’t know how to interact with people on a massive level. Remember that character in tv shows, that is friends with everyone despite having odd tendencies and never leaving home? Well, that Taehyung. He spends most of his days playing computer or videogames, only to occasionally come up with some genius deceive or program that helps the group out. To outsiders, he’s a freak, but to the group he’s their family and no one mess with family.

    While Taehyung barely interacts with the others, the one person he does interact with is the reader. This is mainly because of your caring nature and patience. Out of everyone, you more than anyone accept his quirks. Which is why he has such a crush on you. Sadly our poor Tae won’t make the cut in this plotline.

Park Jimin: The stereotypical prep who pays the group to join them in their mischief. Now we are getting close to the heart of the story. Although not the antagonist of the plotline, Jimin definitely gets the ball rolling by bribing you guys into letting him join the group for a week or two. This boy is literally that rich kid rolling around in daddy’s money, but find life a bore. Like many others he idolizes the trouble you get into and wants in on that bad boy life. Initially he annoys everyone, but by some miracle he actually manages join by earning your guys’ trust somehow.

  Note you and him have an especially rocky relationship at first, thanks to his flirty ‘I’m hot’ attitude. To him, you are different from all the other girls. You are from the other side of the track making you a forbidden fruit. To you, he’s just a moron who doesn’t realize how good he has it.

Kim Seokjin: Ex-leader gone Captain America, he is the definition of bad boy gone good. Once the esteemed leader of your group of misfits, Jin now finds himself determined to move away from crime and go to college by playing sports. He wants to prove to you all, that succeeding in life is a possibility without committing crimes. This goal especially means a lot to him, because Jin sees himself as responsible for everyone in the group .Unfortunately turning over a new leaf has left him alienating the group and in turn getting alienated by them. He constantly struggles between staying on the righteous path and not involving himself in group matters. (Note: he can never stay away when one of you are in danger.)

What’s really interesting about Jin’s character is his relationship with you. Out of everyone in the group you are the one he cares most about. In fact it can be said you are the reason behind his drastic change and determination to leave the neighbor hood. Ironically though that doesn’t mean you understand his actions or reasonings. To you, abandoning everyone is unforgivable and you two often go head to head on your beliefs. In the end however, Jin is the love interest of this plotline.

.........Also they have a band..........

Anyway that was extremely embarrassing to write, but I hope you enjoy my crazy plotlines and let me know if you want to read about the other ones I have.

[yusuke96universe]

Turles and Lord Slug Team Up Pitch

Introduction

Hello guys, after watching MasakoX's What If Turles Turned Good parts 1 and 2 [which act more like an origin story for him within the frameworks of modern Dragon Ball similar to Super Broly] I thought I would share an old headcanon origin I had for another Dragon Ball Z movie Villain, Lord Slug and how it could make for an excellent part in this What If story that has captured my imagination. Also, it opens up a lot of potential avenues for ood DBZ storytelling.

I know he's considered one of the most uninteresting Villains in the franchise since he is essentially King Piccolo from space, but rushed in an hour long movie. Let's face it, a lot of DBZ villains aren't inherently interesting characters and usually are introduced as Pure Evil tropes

Trope Talk: Pure Evil https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-XprjlATEo

Irrelevant backstory

very simple motivation

enthusiastic, zestful villainy

Pure self-confidence

Third -Act Breakdowns (where they are faced with what they truly fear and usually fail)

Afterward, they could be open to becoming a more nuanced character to explore as we've seen done time and again with cast of redeemed or evolved villains in Dragon Ball

A lot of the movie villains from the franchise would be more interesting if they weren't rushed or were expanded on and boy does Lord Slug bring a lot to the table if he is expanded on.

1) You could have Turles and Lord Slug form a dynamic duo that counterparts Goku and Piccolo. Turles is a trouble-making youth-filled underdog who has taken a shine to the crabby old man that is Slug. Turles could use a lot more modern methods to contrast Slug's far more traditional warmongering that he's developed over the centuries. (They did it a little in Xenoverse 2, but you could really expand upon it in a MasakoX styled What If) Plus, the Tree of Might likely has the ability to restore Lord Slug's youth since it canonically resurrected fossils, so Turles literally has the solution to Lord Slug's main problem plaguing him and is an open-minded businessman by nature. This hypothetical team-up of working together to gain more power, invade planets for their resources and overthrow the Universal order by killing Frieza before returning to enemies, acts as an inverse counterpart of Goku's and Piccolo's initial alliance against the Saiyans invading the Earth interfering with Piccolo's own conquest, but opened the doors for change in him and others.

2) Most likely these 2 would start off as enemies and have their forces face off against one another, but this struggle is a good thing in the long run because they could potentially provide each other, their own personal Third Act Breakdowns or at least teach each other recognize their own flaws and weaknesses to help each other grow as characters.

Lord Slug's backstory, retooled

Planet Slug

The most fun thing I found was that they gave Turles a proper origin story to build a character around, well I have a suggestion for a similar concept for Lord Slug that I think you guys could use in many different ways, but before that. Here are the facts. In the backstory I found in supplemental materials, it is stated by Guru that Lord Slug and other Evil Namekians could have possibly escaped the crisis on Namek and moved to far-flung planets in other parts of the Universe. One Super Namekian named himself after the Demon inhabited world he found himself on, known as Planet Slug. And judging from the movie, Planet Slug is most likely an icy or snow-covered planet since the Demons needed special suits to withstand the Earth's temperature.

By the way, I imagine that Planet Slug and its people could have a Mongolian theme. (I have a sketch I did for an alternate costume for Slug, but I don't remember how to post atm)

If say Lord Slug came to this planet and eventually took it over in the King Piccolo style, then I could see him having birthed a clan of Evil Namekian children to help him in this endeavor. So let's say there are about as many Namekians children as Guru or King Piccolo birthed, then they are likely different clans of Namekians on the Planet, including a Dragon Clan member capable of creating their own set of Dragon Balls. In this way, Planet Slug could act as an alternate substitute for Planet Namek, but one closely resembling how the team initially pictured Namek as a planet full of evil Piccolos, instead of the peace-loving farmers of Namek. Now, why would Slug be in space expanding his Empire and searching for Dragon Balls when his planet likely already has a set? In the movie, it's best not to think about it, but here is my idea.

Why Lord Slug is REALLY in Space

One of Lord Slug's offspring usurped him from the throne due to his old age and sickly body. So Slug was humiliatingly forced to flee his home or was looked down on as a non-threat banished him and his most loyal men off-world to live in shame and to never be seen again. So he is conquering other planets, partly because he is a refugee, but mostly because he is overcompensating for his lost and trying to help his ego by living in denial and reassuring that He is the Baddest Baddie who ever lived and terrorize/kill those weaker than him as he ever expands his empire, lamenting his old age and sickened body. He believes that if he was in his prime, he could take his throne back no problem and make them all pay for wronging him. Luckily, Slug doesn't need the Dragon Balls to regain his youth. If the Tree of Might's Fruit is capable of reviving fossils, it should be able to restore the Super Namekian to his former glory once again.

Turles's Crusher Corps vs Lord Slug's Army

A fun way they could introduce the factions to each other is as competition for a lush planet. Turles wants it for the Tree of Might, and Slug wants to freeze it for them for their conquest. They both are in each other's way, so they all fight it out. I think Slug has stronger minions, but Crusher Corps have better teamwork, and with Turles being in prime fighting condition, he would tip the scale in their favor much like Goku did in the movie.

At first, I thought Slug wouldn't be much of a match for Turles in his old and sickly state, a little trouble sure since he is the strongest, but that aged body wouldn't do him any favors. However, the first Google search result I got on Old Slug's Power level said he was at 79,000 so he's stronger than I first thought. (I thought he was around Nail's power level roughly in the 40,000) I also heard that Turles was around 19,000 but by the end of the movie was like 300,000. These power levels don't mean too much when reimagining the stories, just that Turles might have more of an uphill struggle. So, Turles would first have to eat some Fruit to win in a landslide and hopefully, the Terrafreezing process didn't ruin the Tree of Might's process.

Right before the killing blow, Old Slug might've mentioned something In desperation to save his own life. He could've brought up the Dragon Balls on his home Planet Slug/ Namek could grant any wish he wanted. This is just enough to stop Turles from following through with his attack, but it takes a little more coaxing for Slug to sell the legitimacy to Turles. A part of Turles thinks this might just be hogwash, but if this is anything like the Tree of Might, this could be a huge find. Another game-changer. He has his men take Slug with them as he checks in with the Heaters' database and finds there could be a kernel of truth to this tall tale. So Turles generously spares the old Slug's life for this useful tip which is met with some impatient ire.

If you hate being old so much, why don't you just use these Dragon Balls of yours to make yourself young again? -Turles

I would if I could, but... but I can't. I've been banished from my homeworld by my own children after they usurped me from my throne.-Slug

hahaha So you're just some washed-up old geezer trying to feel tough by throwing your power around at a bunch of weaklings. -Turles

Watch it! If I was in my prime, I wouldn't have ever let that rebellion get that far and even made short work of you and your men. If it weren't for that Fruit of yours, you'd be nothing. -Slug

WHAT WAS THAT. (composes himself) Interested in the Fruit are you, well I am not naive enough to let you ever sink your rotten teeth in one. At least, not for free. We, the Crusher Corps, are branched off of the Heaters' group who are known to deal in intelligence. If you have some more valuable information to pass on then, I could be convinced to trade off a leftover Fruit from our latest venture. Do you have anything else to offer me, old man?

(Slug’s low growling sounds are giving Turles just the biggest shit-eating grin on his face)

Slug could tell Planet Slug's coordinates, could act as their guide, or how to use their Dragon Balls, or even that they need a native speaker to use them and a password.

Turles throws him a Fruit as he is a businessman and honors his deals. This not only works in reviving the Elder Namekian, but the results are far better than expected by restoring Slug to his prime. Turles is both impressed and a little unnerved by this so he opens up a dialogue as he scans Lord Slug's new power. (he thought it would add a few decades back onto his old life since he seemed ancient, but it straight up made him young again) They discuss what had just happened and Turles's operation using the Tree of Might's Fruit to amass enough power for him and his men to kill Frieza and possibly overthrow him. Lord Slug in the meantime has been enjoying his youthful appearance and renewed vigor during the conversation, not looking Turles in the eye, but still expressing interest in this operation and compliments the plan. Turles offers a proposition to Lord Slug to join them on this endeavor if he helps them get those "Dragon Balls" he mentioned right before.

That's right. You're interested in the Dragon Balls, are you? Well, I am interested in that Tree of yours. It could keep someone young and strong forever, and this whole operation of yours is simply remarkable! -Slug

So you're in? -Turles

Remarkable enough for me to take it for myself! So I'll be doing just that! - Slug

Round 2 Super Namekian Rampages

The Super Namek overwhelms all of them, even Turles, after just eating a bunch of fruit, the gap is just too wide. He sadistically tortures them and strikes fear into their hearts. Turles isn't just put on the backfoot, he ends up on the brink of life and death. He needs to reach down deep, and something in him snaps, could be his Saiyan pride, could be becoming helpless and at someone else's mercy, could even be one of his men, that unbeknownst to himself, he had grown fond of perished, his regret for overly relying on outside gains to accomplish his ambitions. Don't know, don't care, but something doesn't sit right with Turles and this something acts as the catalyst for him to transform, but not into the traditional Super Saiyan we've all come to know. No, Turles goes into the False Super Saiyan state and overwhelms the Super Namek almost beat for beat like FSSJ Goku vs Slug from the movie, but this time, it lasts the duration of the fight. It's more of a SSJ Goku vs Frieza kind of fight with Turles's victory.

Turles diet of Tree of Might fruit has affected his body's genes and so when he transforms it's not the traditional SSJ form like everyone else, but the False Super Saiyan state that Goku used against Lord Slug. (The Saiyan loses their pupils and also uses SSJ's original color scheme with the flickering red and black hair and the orange skin with a lingering Aura effect) They could have a lot of fun with the benefits and drawbacks this form and its potential evolutions could have. False SSJ potentially falls into the theme of using Fruit as a shortcut to power vs earning the power legitimately or as a simple means to contrast with Goku.

Post Fight ~ Alliance?

Slug doesn't die though, or if he does, Turles is smart enough to revive him with the Tree of Might's extract in a similar way as the fossilized twins were. The reason is simple, Turles believes that Slug's knowledge of his people is going to be essential in the nearby future, and since he's shown whose boss by dominating the Super Namekian, they can now work together to overthrow stronger enemies like Frieza by using his Planet's Dragon Balls. The Crusher Corps gets a guide and an ally; Slug gets his revenge and the prospect of taking Frieza's empire for himself by joining this operation is too much for him to pass up. This is a temporary truce to defeat stronger opponents and gain power, but once that is over, they are going back to killing one another similar to how Goku and Piccolo formed an alliance against the Saiyans invading earth.

1) A Super Namekian could exploit their race's fusion ability through some method of Mind Control like in the original Broly movie. So Slug or his evil offspring could literally absorb one another or even someone as powerful as Nail or Piccolo if the influence is strong enough to join together. And Turles with the Heaters' resources might just be able to provide a means to provide Slug this, with some precautions of course.

2) Slug might have knowledge of Kai and Demon Realms considering he is both an older Namekian like Guru, and the fact that he Planet Slug is literally inhabited by Demons, a different breed of Demons, but still Demons nonetheless. In the games, the Tree of Might's Fruit had its effects amplified in the Demon Realm, but the same might be said if the Tree is planted on the World of the Supreme Kais or Beerus' planet. It's just a possible option for later down the line, but if there was ever a planet that could sustain that Tree and boosts its effects it would be one of these places.

This is it, I know MasakoX likes to do the space opera thing with multiple factions and also like to mix things up from the original story from time to time, so I thought Planet Slug would be an interesting means to do so and giving Turles a partner to bounce off of is typical Toriyama writing, could even open up new avenues to explore.

Am I expecting this to happen. Honestly, I have low expectations MasakoX and his team would do this and they got their own plans of inserting Turles into the main story likely connected to the character in the hood (who is probably Zamasu for some reason like in the Gero What If) or one of the Saiyans from Turles' team or even eager to get him into the main story with the Z-Cast, possibly trying to win Gohan to his side, but getting converted by him like what happened to Piccolo, but I don't mind. My expectations are low, but my hype is through the roof, and needed to share my fan theories with someone.

[infinitxes]

Anonymous said:

Hi again, i'm back again to share some more of my thoughts or rather... questions lol - How do you think Gojo would be like if that BIG feat happened and he had a significant other with whom he's sharing intimacy and utmost trust? I saw you saying he could be very needy and touchy which i actually agree with! Given the limitless and the whole metaphor that he rarely lowers his infinity, he is most definitely touch starved (as you said yourself) - I also think he would be afraid in a way, if that makes sense? To be touched like 'that' but i also think that that would be the ultimate experience for him and how he'll develop afterwards or grow as you will. I also love to imagine him being like this with Suguru if things didn't turn out the way they did, i think they'd definitely complete each other like no one else.

Also another question, off this topic; You said you don't ship Gojo with Utahime and you said their personalities don't match plus nothing would ever connect them in any thematic and plotlike way, so i wanna ask would you mind elaborating this further a bit? It's true i don't think they match at all plus Utahime deserves much better (like Shoko in my opinion, she seems to like her very much and is fond of her) I agree that Utahime trusts in Gojo and supports his ideals but they're really nothing much than colleagues and as you said, Gege has no intention whatsoever to introduce any sort of love life for Gojo as it's probably not the dynamic he envisions for his characters, which is understandable, this is a shonen afterall and not really a long run one but more story focused where "romance" ends in tragical ways like STSG for example. Let me know what you think, i'm really loving your thoughts on characters and you helped me understand some things!

Hello again, anon!

So to address your first question, I’m going to do so with satosugu in mind. I can’t envision another romantic relationship involving Satoru ahahah (not within the realm of canon anyway)! 

That said- I’d like to slip a related note here regarding my own portrayal of him, I do not plan on shipping my Satoru with any non-canon/original characters in the forseeable future. It’s too much of a leap for me, and I just can’t see it. Sorry!! I am however, willing to play around with canon characters. 

So if I understand you correctly, you’re asking me what I’d think Satoru would be like as a lover/if he had a love-life? I’ll go off of that. 

The ‘touch’ thing would definitely be a huge consideration for him. To reiterate, he’d be averse to it to begin with. But push past that initial boundary and you’d find that he’d start to get clingy. At that stage, touching and intimacy would go hand in hand. It’d be a huge indicator of his trust in his partner. Given time, I think being with someone like that would desensitise him, such that he’d become more open as a person and become less inclined to pushing everyone around him away.

Expanding on that, I think he’d become more willing to put his trust in others? I believe that he really trusted Suguru and had genuine faith in his abilities and strength (which probably made it so much worse when he went and defected). He’d begin to put more emphasis into seeing people how they really are- putting focus on their personalities and feelings rather than focusing on whatever bullshit his six-eyes spew at him. 

Finally, he’d be happier. I think the Satoru we know is an extremely lonely person, and this is a condition that was only exacerbated by first losing, then having to kill his best friend (his one and only!). His hypothetical attachment would ground him in some sense and really help to do away with the isolation that comes with his power and heritage. If Suguru hadn’t gone down his monkey-die route, I think we’d have gotten to see more of this side of him!

Those are my thoughts for now! I hope that addresses what you were asking ahahah!

[foxfire-midnight-wings-writing]

Spider Virgil! (Introduction)

So, I guess this is a bullet fic? I always liked to write like these but never knew they had a name lol. Anyways, lets go!

If you’d like to talk more about this AU, you can send me an ask at @foxfire-and-midnight-wings​ or on here. (Preferably only using this one for asks that could bring potential to expand on the story or universe, with the other one for smaller asks and non-canon talk)

[Next]

[Fanfic Masterlist]

Warnings: super long post, talk about spiders and spider traits (fangs/venom, extra eyes, extra legs, etc.) and the usage of them, talks of spider and snake bites/venom (aka non-sexual biting), general anxiety thoughts and cognitive distortions

[This is basically an AU where Virgil has some spider-like traits, similarly to Remus and Janus with their respective animals. No one is unsympathetic!]

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

First off, he has a little set of extra eyes underneath his 'real' eyes (only four eyes in total)

He got nervous before introducing himself to the other sides (aka the ‘light sides’) so he had Janus and Remus help him use makeup to hide them.

Janus & Remus understand bc while they like their animal traits they know he's always nervous about them.

While Remus only hides his octopus tentacles, Janus tends to hide his fangs, most his scales that aren’t on his face (ex: neck and shoulder), and his extra arms around many of the others.

Virgil has setules so he can climb walls and stuff, which is how he gets up and sits on places that shouldn't be sat on.

Also, he has 4 spider legs that are connected to the muscles on his back

One pair is positioned just underneath his shoulder blades, the other pair is around his mid-lower back

When he’s not hiding his legs, they usually are positioned as if they were giving him a weird hug (top are resting on his shoulders, bottom are wrapped a little bit around his torso)

Also fangs!

He has extended canine teeth that (surprise!) connect to a pair of venom glands on his neck

This means that his teeth are really sensitive too, though, which can suck at times

He had a bad habit of instinctually injecting venom into meat and stuff he eats, but luckily it doesn’t hurt him. Now that they’re all older though, all the ‘dark’ sides were able to adjust to their animal traits or habits.

In this case, that meant he trained himself not to automatically inject his venom into stuff

Remus was the first to find out about venom milking, because it’s Remus

Because both Janus and Virgil have fangs + venom, he knew that they were constantly worried about accidentally hurting someone and not having an antidote. So he brought up the idea to them

Luckily, they were all young when they discovered this so there weren’t any inappropriate jokes about it, but Remus makes them a lot in the present (along with the vore jokes, which everyone hates)

Basically, for those who don’t really know, the way people make antidotes and medicine to help with venom from animals like spiders and snakes is through extracting the venom by a process called “milking”

So they ended up experimenting a lot and they eventually made their own antidotes to both Janus and Virgil’s venom

And once they both also learned how to bite things (and as a result each other) without using their venom

(Snakes and spiders can do what’s called a “dry bite”, basically they bite without injecting venom into what they bit)

This revelation ends up with Janus and Virgil often threatening to bite the other person, sometimes if they fight they actually do

The antidotes have been helpful on the few occasions one of them injects a tiny bit of venom by accident (which was extremely rare, and only ever happened when they were younger)

Virgil and Janus still regularly milk and make their antidotes, and they usually keep some of both in all three of their rooms for emergencies

(sometimes they do it just because they can, and end up giving it to Remus so he can do weird experiments with it in the Imagination)

Also, the hissing? Janus is a snake, so that makes sense. But Virgil?

Well, after a little research, they ended up finding out that spiders make a low hissing noise called “stridulation”. So technically, spiders hiss too.

Virgil uses that against Remus when he tries comparing him to a kitten, and he threatens to bite him

[The Present Situation w/ the Other Sides]

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

He was planning a big reveal for the ‘light’ sides at one point (before he was accepted) but he never went through with it

Because Accepting Anxiety happened, he was worried he'd lose the friendship/acceptance of the others due to his traits. (Anxiety and cognitive distortions, y'know? Plus, he saw how freaked out Patton and the others were by the spider decorations in his room, how could he expect them to react any different to him?)

And so he continues to hide them and his other abilities

which is an absolute pain because while he can easily cover up his extra pair of eyes, he has to be very careful about not showing anyone his fangs

And don’t get me started on how hard it’d be for him to get into his jacket and positioning it just right so his legs aren’t being squished but they aren’t very visible

Fun fact! That’s why he always appears on the stairs. he can easily hide them by leaning against the wall or positioning his back to where no one can see them

But he still gets little urges to do things spider-like because of his anxiety.

For example: crawl up the wall and go in corner = no people = safe

So to fill that little spider instinct to crawl up places to get away from people he takes to sitting in places he shouldn't.

Top of the fridge, the counter, anywhere he can get while being able to reason his way out of being questioned on how he got up there

To his surprise, no one stops him. If anything, Patton calls it cute and Roman basically encourages it

And so things go on like normal, and he always takes off his makeup once he's in his room.

Sometimes he indulges a bit and climbs the walls

He has a small resting area that looks similar to a hammock (but it’s practically a nest of blankets) that’s connected to his walls. Sometimes he’ll sleep up there because it’s off the ground and away from everything

he tends to lay on his stomach and to spread out as much as he can when up there

(Janus and Remus find it hilarious, but Virgil points out that Janus can’t say anything because he does that too)

No one has seemed to catch on that he has spider traits, and he is extremely relieved about that

Then Janus comes along and introduces himself to Thomas and the others.

And then Remus joins in too.

And while none of them are on bad terms, Virgil gets more and more worried someone is going to point out their animal traits and ask him if he has any.

And he worries because he doesn't know how to respond

He can't just say

"Oh yeah, all the 'dark' sides have animal traits and I've just been hiding mine from you in fear of rejection and that you'll all hate me. By the way, my anxiety is making me not say anything about this because I'll have a panic attack just thinking about telling you, and so I haven't said anything about it, and the more time that passes makes the anxiety about telling you guys worse which causes me to put it off even more. And it causes a spiral from there that often makes me whole myself up in my room for days on end."

So he tries to prevent anyone from asking about the 'dark' sides by making it seem like he left them on extremely bad terms.

It takes a minute for Janus to realize it’s not the normal banter they throw around, it’s something more desperate and anxiety-ridden

Janus catches onto his plan very quickly, and when he can he gets Virgil alone with him and Remus to talk it out.

Virgil tells them about his fears of rejection and how none of them know about his spider traits (especially because they went to his room once and Patton was freaked out just by the spider curtains, making his fears worse)

So they all make an agreement to help Virgil hide his traits and to make a plan to help the others not ask them about each other

And then Remus just goes "so you're saying I can fuck with my brother? That's the plan, right?"

Cause he is so on board as long as he can cause chaos.

And what better way to cause chaos than by pretending to be in an arguement or on extremely bad terms with a close friend, forcing the others to watch it happen and be uncomfortable as they argue back and forth

Janus just agrees because he likes being dramatic and it's not like they didn't banter a lot before now, they just get to make it public and more "serious" than before

(They all know it’s just because he wants to be part of the Drama™)

They make a list of things they can and cannot make jabs/remarks about

And then they prepare for the chaos

(Note: This is not them being “unsympathetic”, they all agreed on the plan and all know what they are signing up for. The entire purpose is to make the others think that they have bad relations with each other, which some may interpret the arguing/jabs as the characters being “unsympathetic”)

[The Chaos Time Begins]

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

So this all happens before Selfishness v. Selflessness, right?

Which is what makes the entire courtroom scene funny to the ‘dark’ sides, bc they all were planning to have that be when the drama really started to take off

When in the courtroom and Janus makes the comment about Virgil’s name, he really wasn’t expecting that, but after the initial panic passed he was like ‘I mean, alright I guess’

He didn’t really want them to know anything about his full name (Virgilius), but it wasn’t going to really hurt him

(He just wanted to avoid any of the references or jokes Roman and Logan would definitely make because he already got enough of it from Janus and Remus)

and the plan worked! almost a little too well, though...

After the courtroom scene ends, there’s a couple days of silence where everyone just. Doesn’t talk about it. At all. The ‘dark’ sides were prepared for this, so it’s not too bad for them, but it makes Virgil feel very awkward when around the others.

Then, after the third day of awkward avoidance, Patton and Roman gather all of them in the living room to try and make sure everything is okay.

Unfortunately for them, Patton had also invited Janus up there because he saw the tension between him and Virgil

And Janus physically restrains himself from showing how excited he is because this is the perfect way to make the Drama™ officially known

Virgil is just chilling on the couch waiting for everything to spiral, because while he appreciates the effort, the fighting is completely intentional. So there’s no stopping it now

It goes about as well as you can expect

While everyone else except Janus starts talking, Janus just patiently waits until someone brings him into the conversation to start making jabs. (mainly because he knows that the others actually have stuff they need to talk through first, before he derails the conversation)

They all are able to get to a good conclusion about the situation, misunderstandings are talked through, and now all that’s left is dealing with Janus

And as soon as Patton starts talking to Janus, he gets excited because the show can finally begin

Roman: Now, I know not all of us really like him, but- Virgil: like him?! That’s funny, princey, because I really fucking hate him! Janus: Oh, come on, Virgil! Just lighten up a little. You’re seeming a little... dark. Virgil: Don’t. Patton, trying to prevent them from arguing: Hey, now, kiddos! Let’s take a moment and just step back to breathe, yeah? We don’t want this to- Janus: become a truth-telling session between us and Virgil? Patton: become an arguement.

The others try to help Patton defuse the situation, but it doesn’t work. If anything, it makes the situation worse because Janus uses them as fuel for some of his arguments.

Virgil: Yeah, keep talkin’ pal! I’m sure they really want to hear it from someone who makes it his job to harass everyone Janus: Well, sorry about that Sir Emo, but I couldn’t hear you over the sound of you leaving us. Oh, wait! Sorry, you don’t want to remember being a ‘dark side’, now, do you? My apologies! Roman, frantically glancing between the two: Wait, wha-? Virgil, standing up: Oh shut it, you treacherous snake! Like you ever even wanted me there. You’re probably glad I’m gone, huh? The cold from your room is starting to affect your heart! Not like you had one, though. Janus: Why, you-!

They start arguing and slowly they start getting louder and louder

Eventually, they’re yelling insults at each other, and everyone else is at a loss for what to do

Then, in what seems to be the ending of the argument, Virgil yells “I never wanted to be there with you in the first place, you bastard!”

Janus takes a moment to pause, and then he just says “Right, of course. My bad, Virgilius”

The living room is quiet as Janus sinks out, and Virgil just stands there shaking

He knew it was going to happen, and he knew it was just his name, but the acting and drama was becoming a little too much. It started to feel too real to him, and he knows that’s just his anxiety speaking, but he still feels the tears gathering in his eyes

Patton tries reaching out to him, but Virgil says “I’m going to my room” in a broken voice

The others watch helplessly as he leaves, and eventually they all break off to their own rooms to think about what just happened.

[carewyncromwell]

POTC AU go time! Pictured above are fresh-faced pirate Charlie Weasley, the mystical witch of Tortuga Chiara Dalma, and so-called “Pirate Dragon” Samantha O’Connell @samshogwarts! Looks like these three are a bit over their heads...let’s see if they can get out of it!

For those of you who appreciate my mini-history lectures surrounding real Caribbean pirates of the 17th and 18th century (please let me know if you do, I will happily geek TF out if it’s something you all like XD) -- Tortuga is an island in modern-day Haiti. It was originally a Spanish colony, settled in the 15th century not long after Mr. Despicable himself Christopher Columbus “discovered” the New World. Despite this, and despite the, er...tempestuous relationship between Spain and its neighboring countries, Tortuga ended up also hosting both English and French settlements, largely made up of buccaneers, in the 17th century. Buccaneers were an ancestor of the more classic “pirates” we think of today -- the biggest differences were that they were privateers, meaning they worked on behalf of a country and only attacked ships from other countries (i.e. a British privateer like Sir Francis Drake would only attack Spanish or French ships), and that buccaneers specifically congregated in that area of the Caribbean (namely, Tortuga and the island of Hispaniola) alone. Historically, however, Tortuga stopped being a great place for buccaneers to gather before the end of the 17th century -- specifically when treaties were passed officially banning those old privateers from attacking foreign vessels during times of peace, circa 1680. This also effectively killed off the buccaneer as a profession, until the War of Spanish Succession turned a lot more privateers who had fought during the War into the more classic 18th century pirates we think of today. During the most famous period of the Golden Age of Piracy -- namely, the third and final wave after the War of Spanish Succession ended in 1714, which hosted all of the best known pirates like Blackbeard and which both the Pirates films and this AU is set in -- it would’ve been far more common to find actual historical pirates in places like St. Mary’s Island off the coast of Madagascar or (I’m not kidding) Port Royal, Jamaica, which was quite frankly NOT the beautiful, upstanding city we see in the films. In truth, it actually prospered under piracy, until Port Royal’s leadership finally decided to crack down hard on pirates circa 1720. In this project, though, for the sake of iconography, I will treat Tortuga very much the way Port Royal would’ve really been historically -- a pirate island which, in this time period, was suddenly barraged by the pirates’ enemies and was immediately no longer a safe place for pirates to hide in. (Of course, historical pirates were much less likable or sympathetic than the pirate characters in this AU are, regardless of how objectively hard their existence was and how frankly horrid the world was in general for anyone who wasn’t upper-class, white, and male back then.)

The so-called “seven seas” have gone through a lot of “shuffling around” over the centuries, as our understanding of the world has grown. The phrase was first used by the Ancient Greeks, but back then of course, they didn’t know about the existence of bodies of water like the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. In the Pirates films, there are nine Pirate lords for the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans, as well as the South China, Caspian, Adriatic, Black, Mediterranean, and Caribbean Seas. I’ve slimmed down the number to just seven for the sake of referencing the so-called “seven seas,” and also because with the Pirate King, that would then give us eight pieces of eight, which seems like a much more logical number than nine pieces of eight. (Plus, to me, the Caspian and Black Seas are kind of weird choices to have Lords for as the Caspian is land-locked and the Black Sea can only be sailed into through a narrow channel in the Mediterranean...and from what I can tell, there wasn’t much 17th-18th century piracy specifically centered around those two seas either.)

Previous part of the AU is here -- whole tag is here -- and of course Jules Farrier-Weasley belongs to @cursebreakerfarrier and Finn McGarry / Davy Jones belongs to @theguythatdraws. <3

x~x~x~x

In the nearly three weeks since Jules, Bill, and Charlie said goodbye to Carewyn, the three had practically been thrown head-first into what piracy truly meant. Sailing aboard the Artemis hadn’t been as glamorous as the stories Jules grew up with, but trying to steer the Revolution with only three people aboard without enough food or drink to go around, all the while knowing that just about no ships they might come across and very few islands they might land on would be friendly to them, was something that didn’t sink in until one was left sitting up all night thinking it over. Everything the three owned now -- everything they were -- was either on their person or on this ship...and if anything happened to the ship, they wouldn’t just lose the belongings they had on board, but also the only way they could transport themselves out of danger and the only “home” they still had. No one would likely even know anything had happened to them until days, weeks, or even months afterwards. It was like nothing tethered them to the Earth at all -- like they had no gravity and could just fly up into the air at any time, disappearing forever without a trace.

There was a freedom to it, of course, knowing that you didn’t have to be defined by how you were born or what arbitrary value society placed on you...and yet, the freedom came at a cost.

The three Weasleys arrived on the island of Tortuga within four days. Truthfully it wasn’t really a place a lot of people would enjoy visiting -- it was loud, filthy, seedy, and treacherous, and yet, it was a safe place for them to fill their bellies and get their ship repaired and outfitted with new crew members.

There were a few pirates who initially balked at the idea of joining the crew of a ship captained by a woman, but before long, Jules made a name for herself in Tortuga after she was able to out-maneuver two drunken men twice her size in a fight, the first by ducking under his arm and then smashing a bottle of rum over his head to knock him out and the second by stealing his own pistol out of his belt and pointing it right between his eyes until he backed off. 

Charlie couldn’t help but grin as the pirate rather cowardly slunk off like a dog with his tail between his legs.

“Bloody hell, Jules!” he laughed. “Reckon you scared him so bad he’ll be running off crying to Mummy...”

Jules crossed her arms, the man’s pistol still in her hand. “Well, he had it coming. Not wanting to be on our crew I can accept, but I am not a thing he can pay for.”

“You can’t be bought, period,” agreed Bill lowly, shooting a rather dirty look at the man’s back as he secured an arm around his wife’s waist. “Least of all by a disgusting cur like him.”

Charlie gave a low whistle.

“Blimey, Bill, a man of the Church, swearing like that?” he teased. “Whatever happened to turning the other cheek?”

“Ecclesiastes 3:8 -- ‘there is a time to love and a time to hate,’” said Bill coolly. “This is not a time to love.”

Jules smiled wryly up at Bill.

“I might have to disagree,” she said amusedly, as she tilted his head down enough to ensnare his lips with her own.

Not long after they arrived, Orion and the crew of Artemis met the Weasleys in Tortuga, as planned. It was good to see some familiar and friendly faces, in a sea of insincere smiles and shady looks. Orion immediately introduced the crew of the Revolution to a few of his “friends” on the island -- Andre Egwu, a rather fashionable pirate who had once been both a tailor and a French privateer; Erika Rath, the rough-and-tough owner of the Faithful Bride tavern, who had been a pirate herself before settling in Tortuga to offer a safe place to those who were too ill, young, old, or otherwise unable to sail anymore; Ethan Parkin, Skye’s father and a retired pirate himself, who, despite being a rather egotistical sort that disdained Orion quite a bit, still was always willing to do the crew of the Artemis and their associates a favor, for the sake of his daughter; and a pirate solely called “Face Paint” who was known on the island for being a master of disguise that could not only look like anyone they wanted, but also make other people look like just about anyone else too.

Andre and Face Paint were able to help out all three Weasleys with their wardrobes, so that they “fit” a bit more with the pirates of the island. Bill picked out a new belt that could better fit a scabbard for his sword, and Jules finally got a hat worthy of a captain -- a forest green tricorn hat trimmed with silver embroidery. Charlie was even able to snatch up a pair of boots made of a black scaly material that reminded him of the pictures of dragons he’d see in books as a kid. Charlie had expected Andre to encourage him to shave too, since both he and Bill were already getting a bit stubbly since they hadn’t shaved since they left Port Royal, but Andre actually discouraged this.

“If people know you better without a beard, then you should grow one,” he advised. “The more different you can look from how you did before, the better the chances you’ll have of not immediately being recognized, if you collide with the wrong person. In general, my advice is to change your look up every four to six months, just to throw off the authorities.”

Bill, Jules, and Charlie also accompanied Orion on his visit to the far corner of Tortuga, over a small lake to an eerie-looking worn-down shack on stilts in the middle of the water, which was the home to the resident “witch” of Tortuga.

“Have you ever met a witch before?” Jules asked Bill and Charlie.

Both Weasley brothers shook their heads, looking a little disconcerted.

“She’s truly not as terrifying as everyone makes her out to be,” said McNully reassuringly. “I’d say there’s only a 63% chance she’ll curse you if you make a wrong move.”

Charlie shot him a flabbergasted look. “Oh, that’s encouraging.”

Skye gave a light “hmph!”

“My best piece of advice? Try not to make eye contact and let Orion do the talking,” she said under her breath. “The witch can do favors for you, if you somehow get on her good side and give her proper payment...but she doesn’t trust easily.”

“And likes anyone even more rarely,” added McNully, though he sounded more thoughtful than Skye. “Orion’s one of the few people I’d say she does favor a bit...though I reckon that’s because they go back a ways, and Orion’s not really like most pirates...”

“It’s pirates especially she doesn’t like,” said Skye. 

Charlie frowned. “If she doesn’t like pirates, then why is she here, on an island owned by pirates?”

“I reckon witches probably don’t have a lot of safe places they can live as it is, Charlie,” Bill pointed out somberly. “Even the Bible says you should not suffer a witch to live. She probably lives here because she doesn’t have much choice.”

When they reached the dock under the shack, they tied up their boat, McNully staying behind to watch it while Orion, Skye, Jules, Bill, and Charlie climbed the ladder up into the shack itself. It was a bizarre place with various bottles, model planets, and other such trinkets dangling from the ceiling, and toward the back of the single large room was a table covered in a dirty grayish white tablecloth covered in spots and stains.

The witch called Chia Dalma was almost ethereal in appearance, from her long, flowing white hair to her sea-blue eyes to her bloodless, porcelain skin. She wore a rather worn, clearly second-hand dark red dress and a full-moon-shaped locket around her neck. She also considered all of Orion’s party with considerable distrust in her eyes -- Charlie felt like he was being X-rayed. Orion, however, acted as though he didn’t even notice the scrutiny the others were getting and spoke to Chia very pleasantly after giving her some incense and a jar of candied pineapple.

“How are the stars sounding, to you?” he asked. “From what I’ve seen, Venus is particularly bright, right now -- I would think you’ve heard a lot about love, in your conversations with the night sky.”

Chia finally tore her critical eye off of Charlie to turn to Orion, her posture still noticeably guarded.

“Yes,” she said, “though I believe there’s a reason you noticed Venus’s brightness in particular, as opposed to the rest of the planets’ movements.”

Her voice was very soft and understated, enough to make you freeze where you stood and hold your breath in a subconscious attempt to hear her better. Despite this, her discerning look on Orion was considerably less suspicious: if anything, it looked almost curious.

A flicker of a smile teased at the corners of Orion’s mouth. 

“...I suppose I may have.”

Bill and Charlie both shot Orion looks out the side of their eye. They had a feeling they knew exactly why that was.

Bill and Jules had talked to Charlie about their suspicions about Orion and Carewyn, and although Jules had been very supportive of it and even Bill acknowledged that Orion did seem to feel genuine affection for Carewyn, Charlie himself still felt a bit uncomfortable about it. To him, Carewyn was his twin -- although in a lot of ways, she was more like Bill personality-wise and Bill and she were clearly the best of friends, Charlie and Carewyn had still been two peas in a pod for a lot of the War. Because they were seen as twin brothers by the Navy, they were often positioned together and ended up supporting each other whenever Bill -- the person they both loved and trusted more than anyone else -- wasn’t around. This whole experience was the first time he’d really been apart from Carewyn since he’d first joined the Navy...and with Bill now married to Jules and the whole world suddenly being against them...Charlie found himself missing his “twin” more than ever.

‘Orion’s not a bad bloke,’ Charlie thought to himself. ‘If Carey really likes him, I’d understand, but...I just don’t want things to change anymore than they already have...’

Becoming estranged from Percy had been hard enough. Knowing that Bill and he would drift apart as his older brother made a life of his own with Jules, and thinking of Carewyn making a life of her own with Orion, while he himself was left on the sidelines...it was a thought Charlie didn’t like wallowing in.

Chia regarded Orion with a more solemn look as she took a seat at her table.

“It would behoove you to take a more complete look at the planets,” she said lowly. “There’s friction growing between Saturn and Uranus.”

Orion’s eyes narrowed, though his expression remained typically serene. Charlie glanced from Orion to Chia.

“...What does that mean?” he asked.

Skye shot him a look as if to warn him to be quiet -- Chia turned her attention to Charlie, her blue eyes boring into him with such intensity that Charlie flinched back a bit despite himself.

“Saturn represents Law -- a rigid structure,” she answered lowly. “Uranus, his father, represents Disorder -- Unpredictability -- Rebellion and Reformation. It suggests that there is to be great upheaval, very soon -- a large shift, the likes of which none of you have seen in your lifetimes.”

Charlie’s eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Bigger than the War?”

Chia’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“That was a War fought solely for the advancement of a few,” she said, her voice noticeably cool. “However big it felt to you, Charles Weasley, it merely reinforced what was already there, and so it will ultimately be forgotten. Only the ripples of that War -- the ones we feel, in this moment -- will leave any real impact.”

Charlie wanted to ask how Chia knew his name, but Orion spoke before he could.

“Can you tell which planet is rising, of the two?”

Chia glanced up at the model planets over her head pensively. “Right now, no. They’re on a collision course in the night sky, set to eclipse each other...but I can’t say which will fall first...and what will fall here on Earth, in response.”

Chia’s eyes drifted from Orion to Charlie to Jules, narrowing a bit more critically as she considered each of them in turn.

“One thing is for sure, though -- when two such powerful planets meet, it signals the end of an age. Whatever’s born from the ashes of that end may be up to whomever is fortunate enough to survive.”

The group left Chia Dalma’s feeling considerably less comfortable than when they arrived. Despite this, and despite how weirded out he was that she’d known who he was before he’d even told her his name, Charlie had to admit to himself that she didn’t seem as scary as Skye or McNully had made her out to be. She kind of reminded him of the ocean in a way -- mysterious and intimidating, sure, but ultimately something worthy of respect. Even just the way she spoke seemed to hint to her being much older than her face would suggest.

No one in the group had any idea what Chia Dalma could’ve meant when she discussed “an great upheaval” until over a week later. That was the day that the Flying Dutchman arrived on the shores of Tortuga and, without any warning, opened fire.

It was Hell the likes of which even Bill or Charlie had never seen. Cannonballs blasted through buildings, smashing windows and shattering walls. Before long, whole buildings were coming down and crushing people as they fled. Then the Flying Dutchman’s crew came ashore, undead and rotten and crusted over with barnacles and sea-life, as if they’d been swallowed up and spat back out of the sea itself -- and they killed and captured by the hundreds, with both swords and nets.

Then the Captain of the Dutchman himself, his octopus-like face visibly furious as his lobster-like claw clutched at the front of his chest where his heart should be, turned his ire on the settlement itself.

Cutler Beckett wanted him to send the pirates a message, did he? Well, then...he’d send them a message they’d see for miles.

With a click of his claw, Jones conjured up a large, flaming cinder, which he then chucked at the Faithful Bride. In an instant, it was set ablaze...and all of the pirates trying to hide inside the tavern were soon forced to flee and be captured, or burn to death. The fire spread from roof to roof, and soon all of Tortuga was in flames.

In the midst of the chaos, the crews of the Artemis and the Revolution hurried back to their ships, preparing to retreat. As Charlie ran behind Jules and Bill, however, he stopped abruptly when he caught sight of a white-haired figure being shoved around inside the crowd. It was Chia Dalma. She looked like she was trying to push through, but the horde was quickly devolving around her, trapping her in once spot.

Making up his mind very quickly, Charlie darted back the way he came.

“CHARLIE!” cried Bill.

“SET SAIL!” Charlie bellowed back. “I’LL CATCH UP!”

“CHARLIE!” Jules shouted too.

“Wait -- !” 

Was that Orion’s voice? Charlie had never heard him sound tense like that before. Nevertheless, he couldn’t stop. He pressed on, unsheathing his sword as he pushed and shoved the other pirates aside.

“Move! Bugger off!”

Finally he was able to make his way over to Chia Dalma, just in time to block a block a blow from a shark-headed sailor’s sword.

“Oi!” he said angrily. “Leave the lady alone, you toothy maggot!”

The two immediately started to fight, until Charlie managed to get the upper hand by slashing at his flipper-like leg and then shoving him back off his feet through the window of a house.

He turned to Chia Dalma.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

The witch’s gaze was just as piercing and guarded as it had been before as she analyzed Charlie’s face.

“Yes,” she said softly.

Charlie offered her a smile, even as more sailors charged at them.

“Stick close to me, all right?” he told her.

“You can’t win against the crew of the Flying Dutchman,” said Chia very gravely.

“Not with that attitude!” said Charlie almost cheekily. Seeing the severe look on her face, he said a little more seriously, “Look, I get that you don’t trust me -- I don’t know you at all either -- but I’m not just going to sit back and watch someone die if I can help it. And if this is the crew of Davy Jones, you’ll die if you stay here.”

The sentiment seemed to cause Chia visible pain. Her eyes abruptly hardened.

“Do not speak with such certainty about Davy Jones,” she said very sharply. “He may be a heartless being now, but that doesn’t make him devoid of conscience, or of feeling.”

Charlie frowned deeply and was prepared to ask Chia what she meant, but before he could, he soon found himself faced with another crew member from the Dutchman with a face covered in barnacles and starfish and had to immediately go on the attack again.

Charlie fought off three other fishy sailors, beating them back as best he could as she tried to steer himself and Chia back toward the docks. But as more time passed, the flames engulfing the nearby buildings only grew. Soot and ash rained from the air, making it harder to breathe by the second.

Charlie struggled to breathe normally as he fought the sailors away from Chia Dalma, but there were just too many of them, and just like with the cursed crew of the Revenge, they didn’t go down easily. Somehow, he managed to steer Chia to the dock, where the Revolution was still floating close by, their anchor already weighed and a ladder dangling off the edge.

“COME ON, CHARLIE!” cried Bill.

Coughing hard, Charlie brought an arm around Chia Dalma, pushing her slightly forward.

“Go on, climb up -- ”

BAM.

All of a sudden, Chia whirled on Charlie, grabbing hold of him and shoving him backward and to the ground just in time to avoid a giant explosion of flames that collided with the dock. The force of the explosion made the ocean water around the island crash, shoving the Revolution back with the force.

“CHARLIE!”

“CHARLIE!”

Charlie could hear both Bill and Jules’s voices as the ship was thrown backward away from the island by a massive, torrential wave. His heart gave a spasm of terror as he stared at the red-hulled ship being tossed like a bath toy in the chaos.

“BILL! JULES!”

Within moments, Charlie and Chia Dalma were surrounded by the Flying Dutchman’s crew. Charlie immediately stood in front of Chia protectively as they were encircled. The witch, for her part, looked disconcerted by the Dutchman’s crew’s appearance, but not in the way that she looked afraid -- if anything, she almost looked deeply troubled.

“There’s reluctance, in their eyes,” she murmured.

Charlie glanced back at her. “Huh?”

Chia’s lips came together seriously. “You know the purpose of the Flying Dutchman?”

“Yeah -- it’s supposed to ferry the dead.”

As Charlie considered this, he realized that this was strange. Why would a crew that was supposed to ferry those lost at sea into the next life be attacking Tortuga?

Chia nodded solemnly. “They’re not here of their own free will. Neither they nor Davy Jones...have come here because they wish to.”

Charlie felt his jaw clench as he stared down the circle of sailors holding up nets and pointing their swords at them as they prepared to capture them.

“Maybe they haven’t, but that doesn’t make them our mates,” he muttered.

Just as it seemed that Charlie was out-numbered, there was a loud rumbling down the street. A whole cart full of barrels were rolling right down the street, right at them.

Chia abruptly grabbed hold of the back of Charlie’s shirt and in an instant, the two had levitated about four feet off the ground, just in time to avoid the throng of barrels knocking over the Dutchman’s crew like nine pins.

As Chia and Charlie slowly returned to the ground, they were joined by another pirate -- a rather striking blonde with emerald-colored eyes. She held a pistol in one hand and her sword in the other as she rolled down the street on one of the barrels, jumping off of it to land on Chia’s other side.

“You both all right?” she asked, as she lifted her leg just enough that she could catch the barrel she’d arrived on with her foot.

“...Aye,” said Charlie after a moment, still a bit in awe about having just been floating in the air like a cloud. “Thanks, uh...?”

“Samantha O’Connell,” she introduced herself quickly.

Charlie blinked. “The Pirate Dragon?”

Both Samantha and he immediately had to duck to avoid a grenade being chucked over at them. It seemed some of the Dutchman’s sailors had recovered from the “barrel attack” and were coming back.

“Look, I’m all for introductions and ‘how-do-you-do’s,’” said Samantha with a wry smile, “but right now, we’d better move!”

Urging Chia in front of her, she then ran down the street away from the dock, Charlie at her heels.

It seemed that the infamous “Pirate Dragon” and Charlie also had a mutual friend in Orion Amari. Despite persuading both crews to “keep to the Pirate Code” (namely, that whoever falls behind is left behind), Samantha nonetheless had enough honor to -- upon seeing Charlie and Chia had been separated from the others -- backtrack enough to make sure they got away too, even if it couldn’t be on the Artemis or Revolution.

“I have my own ketch here at the eastern dock, which I’ll be taking back to my ship,” she explained as they ran. “There are a few others you can choose from, to steer yourself and Ms. Dalma here to Shipwreck Cove -- you’ll be safe there...”

“Shipwreck Cove?” repeated Charlie.

Chia Dalma’s eyes flashed at the name.

“The home of the Brethren Court,” she murmured very icily.

Samantha shot Chia a frown.

“Look, I get it if you don’t like going to another pirate haven, but it’s really the safest place, now. I doubt even Jones himself knows how to get there -- and once all the Pirate Lords assemble, we can come up with a plan to deal with this.”

Samantha immediately boarded the small blue-painted boat, preparing to cast off. Charlie was frowning more deeply than ever in confusion as he jumped aboard a neighboring red-painted ketch.

“There are Pirate Lords?” he asked.

“Of course -- the owners of the seven Pieces of Eight, representing each of the seven seas,” Samantha said logically, as if it were common knowledge. “Or at least six out of the seven -- the Piece of Eight representing the Pacific Ocean was lost after its Lord, Bartholomew Sharp, died...anyway, Orion’s one of the Lords too, so he’ll be able to show your sister-in-law the way and you can meet the rest of your crew there -- ”

Charlie could hear a lot of shouting and pillaging growing louder in the distance. Soon the Flying Dutchman’s crew would be on top of them again --

He quickly threw out a hand, offering it to Chia Dalma. “Come on -- we’d better hurry.”

Chia glanced back in the direction of the flaming city, her blue eyes narrowing. It almost seemed like she was conflicted.

“Listen, Ms. Dalma,” said Samantha sharply, “Jones is under the control of the East India Trading Company and the British Navy.”

Both Charlie and Chia Dalma straightened up abruptly, visibly shocked.

“I overheard Jones say that Beckett’s orders had been to ‘send a message to all pirates.’ That can only mean that Beckett has some leverage over Jones and has impressed him into service. We can’t hope to deal with Jones until we deal with Beckett’s leverage first, and to do that, we have to deal with Beckett.”

Chia once again looked at the flaming buildings, her eyes rippling with emotions Charlie couldn’t read. Then, at last, she closed her eyes, swallowed, and turned to Charlie, taking his hand and boarding the boat.

“See you in Shipwreck Cove!” said Samantha, shooting a bright smile over her shoulder at Charlie. “Good luck!”

Charlie watched her go, before weighing anchor and immediately setting sail with Chia Dalma himself.

The crew of the Flying Dutchman only arrived just in time to see the two ketches already floating off into the distance and out of sight. Chia herself stood at the railing of the boat long after Tortuga had disappeared over the horizon, holding the moon-shaped locket around her neck in her hand. Charlie pulled on the rigging to pull the sail toward the starboard side, glancing over at her with some sympathy.

“You knew Jones...didn’t you?”

Chia glanced back at Charlie, her eyes very unreadable. Then she returned her gaze to the horizon.

Charlie secured the rigging, knotting it tightly.

“...I understand how hard it is, to have to leave someone behind. There’s someone I’ve left behind too -- two people, in fact...who are also probably having to bow to the whims of Cutler Beckett, even if I’m sure they don’t want to...”

The memory of Percy’s pleading face and Carewyn’s stoicism in the face of her heartbreak both rippled over his mind.

“Charlie – don’t do this – think of Mum – think of us – ”

“I want you on a vessel so strong and so fast…that I can never catch up to you again.”

Charlie closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling heavily.

“...Sometimes, though...the only way you can really help them is by leaving them...however hard it is.”

There was a silence. Charlie opened his eyes and headed up to the helm, turning the wheel to help steer the boat through the waves.

While he was piloting the boat, however, he was interrupted by the soft clink. Chia Dalma had placed something on the edge of the deck within Charlie’s reach.

“This is for you, Charles Weasley,” she said.

Charlie blinked and picked it up. It was an old pewter button encrusted with gold and decorated with the icon of an anchor and an intricate cursive “S.”

“Oh, ah...thank you,” said Charlie awkwardly. He turned the button over in his hand. “...What’s the ‘S’ stand for?”

“Sharp,” Chia responded. “Bartholomew Sharp.”

Charlie straightened up. “The Pirate Lord Samantha mentioned?”

Chia inclined her head in a nod. “That is his Piece of Eight. Sharp abandoned his duties as Pirate Lord of the Pacific Ocean long before dying in prison in disgrace, and since then, it has been largely forgotten, by both pirates and honest explorers alike. It’s the last untamed sea, of the seven...”

Her blue eyes bore into Charlie’s face.

“...And now...it will be your responsibility...Pirate Lord Charles Weasley.”