#poorly drawn save for the last one because I think it’s silly!!!

[doctorsiren]

I scribbled this at the very beginning of August (before I was even on AA4, as you can tell by my lack of knowledge of what Trucy looks like HAHAH) but it’s silly so here you go

(edit: HELP I HAD FORGOTTEN TO INSERT ONE OF THE DRAWINGS LMAO)

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Don't Wormy About Me.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[byulsgrease]

sweet surprise

(moonbyul x fem reader, ~2k words, req is here)

cw: smut (basically just fingering + teasing byul for being a softie) - this is… soft. but also has no real direction. why am I like this

a/n: WHY IS THIS THE LONGEST ONE SHOT I'VE EVER WRITTEN?? WAS NOT MY INTENT IN THE SLIGHTEST JAKSLDF sorry in advance if flow is kinda off, I... cannot proofread to save my life. anyway I had this mostly written but then the purple kiss smn happened so I rewrote a couple parts to fit. happy halloween! hope this makes up for the fact that I didn't do kinktober or write anything halloween related this month 💀

Halloween night and she's working? Typical.

The only work you've done is somehow getting into this outfit and tuning into her broadcast, fighting to stay awake. What else is there to do while you wait up for her?

Her set’s cute though, arranged with fake cobwebs dotted with plastic spiders, pumpkins, and of course, candy. A lot of it. You can't help but laugh at the Snow White dress pulled over her sweats since she’s hosting the 7 dwarves of Purple Kiss, so you take the liberty of texting her during a song break.

You time the last message perfectly with the last few notes of the song, unable to stop the grin that spreads across your face when you know she's been caught off guard, rushing to adjust her in-ears and compose herself to speak again. Throughout the rest of the show, you can't miss the fact that her hand keeps returning to her lap. Probably feels like her phone's burning a hole through her pocket. Byul rushes through the outro, hand calmly waving bye to the camera but her eyes tell a different story, teeming with urgency.

You throw your phone on the bed beside you. thumbs twiddling restlessly with the ties on your outfit. No need to text, she’s definitely on her way home. Your eyelids dare to close, weighed down by the hour. Yeah, late nights are in her job description, but you’ve got a day job too. Thankfully it’s not too long before you hear her keys jangle just outside the door followed by the click of the deadbolt.

The sound makes you stand up abruptly, fumbling around trying to figure out how to position yourself. Didn’t exactly think that far, you realize. A little late though because you hear the door swing open, so you just stand in front of the bed with all the confidence you can muster.

“Wow,” she draws out, eyebrows raised as she stands frozen in the bedroom doorway, your favorite candy bar in hand. Good to know she kept her end of the deal. “Quite the surprise.” Her mouth suddenly feels… rather dry. She starts sputtering something incomprehensible about why, or how— but she’s just drawn to you with her mouth slightly ajar, abandoning her bag on the floor and tossing the candy atop it after closing the door with her foot.

“Aw, where’s the costume?” you whine. She gestures back at the bag on the ground.

“You really thought I was gonna drive home in a dress over my sweats?”

“I mean it’s all coming off anyway, princess.” Can’t resist the opportunity to call her that, can you?

“Is it now?” she chokes out as a blush moves through her face, trying poorly to keep her cool. Her hands stay clasped behind her back, eyes taking in your form while leaning forward slightly at the waist. You reach out a hand to pull her in for a kiss and she can’t help but relax into it, lips stretching into a smile against yours. It's not long before it deepens into a rhythm that’s bound to leave you both absolutely breathless if it keeps going for much longer.

She’s so tired that she could probably fall asleep on you, but she can’t deny how enticing this outfit is. It’s not every day you dress up for her like this, it’d be criminal to not appreciate it in full.

You steer her back into the closed door by the front of her shirt and bring a knee between her legs, body pinned by your thigh. Even though it’s your job to lure her in per the part you’re trying to play, you can't help but feel secure and at home in her arms. It feels silly putting this much weight behind a gesture, her arms casually draped over your body with hands coming to rest on your back. It’s not even overtly sexual and yet the sheer security of it all flusters you to no end.

You move to plant open-mouthed kisses on her neck and the hitch in her breathing makes her entire body momentarily freeze when your canines barely scratch at her skin. The artery underneath thumps erratically in response, anticipation warming every place your lips touch. Byul moves her head back and to the side with a groan, guiding you further into the crook of her neck with a hand, ring-clad fingers toying with the hair at the nape of your neck. You suck in hard, guaranteed to leave some kind of lingering proof to cover up later as her fingertips tug more decidedly at your hair in reply.

You pull at the front of her shirt again, guiding her away from the wall to push her onto the bed. She flops down softly, hair splaying out in messy tendrils over the sheets. You follow to straddle her waist between your thighs, laying atop her chest to give her a soft yet deep kiss with her head between your forearms. Your hands find hers to trace little shapes on the surface of her palms.

Byulyi absolutely adores being loved like this, affectionate intention behind every action. She’s just a big softie and in most contexts feels embarrassed to admit it, but moments like these with you are nothing but safe (and teasingly playful, within reason). So she’s okay with her body surrendering to your touch, grasping at your hands to hold them in hers as she kisses you back, gnawing gently at your lower lip.

It’s hard to miss the fact that she’s rolling her hips up into you, vying for more already. A teasing laugh escapes your throat when you give her a sweet peck on the cheek telling her to be patient as her face contorts into a pout. You sit up off her front to begin unbuttoning her shirt while she kisses at your face and neck, letting out a low chuckle against your warming skin when your fingers mistakenly fumble with the bottom button. Obviously, you’re in a bit of a rush to get her undressed, too.

"Hm, no bra?" you inquire lightly.

She just raises her eyebrows cunningly in reply. That means she expected you to do this, wanted to take the risk at work, knew you'd be watching, or took it off between the end of broadcast and getting home. Regardless of the real reason, your head shakes at her presumptuousness.

Her fingers tease at the edges of your outfit in the meantime, not-so-stealthily trying to figure out how to get it off. You whisper with assurance that she doesn’t have to do a thing, gently stilling them with a hand. She relaxes and smiles softly at the prospect, having you in the drivers seat. She might’ve laughed a little too hard the first time you tried to do so, which lit a fiery determination to prove yourself that night. Needless to say, she’s never questioned your abilities since. And she’s not really about to say no to being taken care of after a long day.

Byulyi can’t decide where to look— the subtle smugness plastered on your face, how your outfit fits in all the right places, or to watch every little thing that you’re doing to her with your hands, which now trail decidedly down her front. She hisses when your fingertips barely ghost over her sensitive nipples, moving down to drag over her abs. Sliding her sweats down her legs along with her underwear, she can’t help but feel a bit exposed. Your outfit might not cover much, but hey, you’re still covered. Her slender hands and arms come up to block her burning face, as if that does anything to abate her flustered state. Byul feels your lips ghost her skin, muttering praises as your fingers encircle her wrists, gently tugging at them hoping she'll relax.

With her backed all the way up against the headboard, you position your entire body between her legs with a thigh right up against her, wetness already dampening it as you push in ever so slightly.

“Fucking tease,” she breathes with eyebrows furrowed, remaining firm in her usual stubbornness to not ask for exactly what she wants. Having her squirm beneath you is nothing short of pure indulgence. You back off a little and slide a single finger into her heat, thrusting slowly with absolutely no resistance. It’s useless even attempting to hold back the satisfied hum that leaves your lips at how wet she is, the teasing deepening her flush further.

She clutches at your hand moving all-too-slowly inside her, as if she could even dream of controlling the pace. Her lips collide with yours in desperation, accompanied by a complaining whimper when you starting thrusting faster but much more shallowly.

Byul figures that if she can’t get what she wants, she just has to make you give it to her��� she’s surely too proud to ask straight-up. So when she reaches in and her fingers swipe over your barely clothed slit, she can’t help but sneer mockingly about how soaked the fabric is when you let out a pleasured sigh. Despite her outwardly poking fun, she’s always a little flattered that you manage to get like this just from working her up.

She eventually joins in your movements with her own hand on her clit, eagerly impatient as ever. Normally you’d make her stop but she’s tired, may as well help herself along in the way she knows best. Her vision blurs once you slip in another finger and start curling them inside of her, stimulation inside and out rapidly careening her towards the edge.

When you go back to kiss her lips again, you barely catch them in yours because she can’t keep her mouth shut, pleasured sounds reverberating freely from her throat. You move to kiss at her blushing cheeks and trail around to the shell of her ear, whispering lovingly about how cute she’s being, incoherent and unraveling just for you.

By the way her walls clench around your fingers and how her moans are pitching higher with every brush at her clit, she’s definitely close. Her free hand grabs at everything and nothing, finally clutching at the back of your neck to pull you in. She just wants— needs all of you as close to her as possible, indicated by the way she shakily moans your name, barely able to keep it together with a cheek carelessly smashed against yours. You whisper reassurances by her ear to remind that you’re there for her, and she just trembles in response to the gesture, wholly unable to do much else.

When her hips desperately grind upwards into the combination of both your hands with fingers in all the right places, you add in another. The fervent pace of hand movements in tandem with the stretch have her absolutely writhing, fully dedicated to pursuing her impending high.

Byul shudders against you with a stuttered cry as the orgasm wracks her entire body, becoming painfully aware of the sweat on her back making her glide against the headboard. Her hand leaves her clit and slumps to the side having ridden it out, but you unexpectedly thumb her throbbing clit while drawing your fingers out of her, sending one final jolt to her aching core. Her face twitches at the contact, chest heaving with deep breaths while facing the ceiling with her eyes shut, trying to ground herself.

You pepper kisses all over her face and hum sweetly against her skin, making her grin mindlessly. You take her in your arms as she comes to rest beside you, head resting on your chest. She’s taking measured breaths and her eyelids keep fluttering shut, but she can clearly make out the closures on your outfit now that she’s up close and more clear-headed. One of her eyes opens wide and shoots you a pointed look through her forced wink.

“I’m happy about the surprise, but did you really think I wouldn’t take care of you too?” she questions simply, hand snaking up your front to painstakingly undo every single tie on your outfit.

[ddarker-dreams]

Lunch Discussions. Team Bucciarati x F Reader🎀

[Scarlet Ribbons description]

Word count: 1.3k, somehow ?? Notes: this is probably the most lighthearted thing i’ve ever created. idk what’s happening here. it started as a silly idea in my head but I Could Not Stop. so here it is

“If you were stranded on a deserted island, who from this table would you want to be stuck with?” 

Mista’s question goes largely unnoticed. Fugo and Narancia are in a heated discussion on if classical or hip hop is better, Bucciarati and Giorno are speaking about business, and Abbacchio is trying to zone the chatter out. That leaves you to save Mista from the throes of embarrassment. Truth be told, this innocent question is an improvement from Mista’s usual discourse.

The gunslinger’s face lights up when you hum, considering the question. 

“So it’d just be the two of us? I can’t say I’d bring a radio or something?” You ask to clarify further. 

Mista shakes his head. “Nope, no bringing anything.” 

That means practicality is most vital here. You mull over what each of your teammates (and bosses), could bring to the table. It didn’t take too long to reach a definitive answer.

“For survival’s sake, I’d pick Giorno,” you decide, the aforementioned man’s attention going to you upon hearing his name. “Well, I guess it depends on whether or not the food Gold Experience makes is edible. If it is, we’d be able to survive a long time off of it. Say, Giorno, can you eat the stuff you make?” 

“I’ve… never tried, so I’m not sure. In theory, any life created by Gold Experience is the same down to the genetics of what it’s based on.” 

Narancia snorts and takes a bite of his salad. “It’s all fun and games until a coconut falls on Giorno’s head and he’s knocked out cold. Then all the sticks and sand he used to make the food would turn back in your stomach.” 

Huh. That makes for a grotesque mental image. 

Giorno tries to defend himself but Narancia is too busy readying his argument. “A coconut…?” 

“Clearly, I’m the best choice here,” Narancia decides, pointing his fork at you. Should that be considered a threat? “Aerosmith could get the attention of a nearby plane.” 

“Non-Stand users wouldn’t be able to see it, you dumbass. What are you going to do? Wait for a Stand user pilot to roll on by?” Fugo asks with a sigh, Narancia shooting him a nasty look. 

“You never know! I’m sure there’s one or two. Besides, why would anyone want to bring you along? Your Stand couldn’t even hunt for food, it’d turn everything into a big ol’ pile of mush.” 

Fugo clicks his tongue. “There’s more to survival than that. Food is a valuable resource, yes, but do you know how to purify water?” 

Narancia furrows his eyebrows together, considering the proposition. “You have to… purify water?” 

Now it’s Fugo’s turn to look at you.

“This idiot would give you dysentery on day one,” he states dryly. You hold back a laugh at the indignation on Narancia’s face. “I think my chances would be pretty good. At least I know what poisonous plants look like.” 

Mista’s simple question is turning into a complex cobweb of possibilities. He can’t help but notice the others seemed more willing to chime in the moment you entered the conversation. Silently, he tells himself not to take it personally. 

“Well, whatever. I’d pick [First]. She could make us a shelter and bridges to different areas. The rest of you guys can be boring and pick Giorno.” Narancia decides. You can’t help but feel a little honored that he’d pick you, a content smile on your face. His last comment makes you wonder if picking Giorno is the easy answer, due to the nature of his Stand’s abilities. Abbacchio, who none of you thought was paying attention, speaks up. 

“I wouldn’t pick Giorno,” Abbacchio places his headphones around his neck. “I wouldn’t pick any of you guys, actually. Aside from Bucciarati, you’d all be dead in a week, easily.”

Bucciarati clears his throat, realizing he’s now been roped into the conversation. “I’m glad you guys are having fun, but--” 

Mista is quick to rebuke Abbacchio’s claims. “I would not die in a week! I’d at the very least make it to two weeks.” 

“Like hell you would. Pistols would destroy your food supply on the first day.” Abbacchio counters. Hm, he’s got a point, you think. Pistols do have a notoriously ravenous appetite. Note to self, do not get stuck on an island with Mista. 

Mista puts a hand to his chin, contemplating. “Hm… actually, yeah, you’re right. Nevermind.” 

You blink, incredulous at Mista’s agreeable response. He gave up that fast?! 

“What if we kept it out of Pistol’s reach?” You tentatively speak up, trying to save Mista’s honor once more. He shudders at the thought.

“There is no such thing as food out of Pistols reach,” Mista sighs, to which his Stand cheers. “They will always find it.” 

An idea comes to mind. Clasping your hands together, you look at Narancia with a smile, who immediately returns it in full. “Oh, I know! What if we got on Aerosmith, and it flew us to safety?” 

Narancia likes the idea and nods his head vigorously. “That’s genius!” 

Fugo snorts, preparing a rebuttal in record time. “Yeah, it’d be genius until you both drop into the ocean.” 

“[First], did you forget what happened the last time you were on a plane with Narancia?” Abbacchio raises an eyebrow. Your blood runs cold as memories of Notorious B.I.G come flooding back. Actually, being on any form of transportation with these people seems to end poorly. Cars, boats, airplanes… 

“Come to think of it, you’re right about that,” you agree with a shiver. “Being stuck with Abbacchio might be interesting. Moody Blues could replay scenes from a movie to pass the time.” 

“It’d be a one-man show, but I guess it’s not impossible,” Abbacchio replies. Giorno, who had been silently watching the banter, decides to speak his piece.

“I agree with Narancia,” Giorno nods at you. “[First] would be able to treat my wounds, and I hers. We’d survive the longest.” 

“Oh, please. You guys just want to be stuck on an island with [First] because she’s c-” 

Abbacchio kicks Mista under the table, effectively silencing him. Beats getting stabbed with a fork, you muse. Bucciarati, who is doing his best to moderate the discussion, has remained noticeably absent. Not wanting to miss out on his input, you direct the question to him.

“What about you, Bucciarati? Who would you pick?” 

Your Capo thinks about it longer than the others. “Fugo’s plentiful knowledge of biodiversity would be useful. Though, if we’re taking Stands into account, [First]’s Scarlet Ribbons could make a net for fishing.” 

“Finally, a sensible answer.” Fugo sighs. 

“The real question is,” Mista takes a deep breath, placing his hands on the table. “Why is no one picking me? 

“I thought we already went over that,” Narancia replies.

“Aside from the little caveat Pistols presents, I’d still be a valuable asset. Did you guys forget that I survived prison?”

“Two weeks of prison, might I add,” Fugo corrects, to Mista’s dismay. “By that logic, Narancia would be the best choice.”

“Which I am--”

“You don’t even know how to make a fire, much less survive in the wild.” 

“If I shoot something long enough it’ll catch on fire.” Narancia shrugs. Fugo rubs his temple, fending off a headache that looms on the horizon. It looks like none of you are going to be reaching a conclusion anytime soon, talking circles around one another. Still, you feel as if this is the appeal of talking to them. You can expect it to be a thrilling adventure from start to finish. 

Everyone had been too drawn into the conversation to realize the waiter, who finally works up the courage to clear his throat, catching your attention. 

“The bill for today,” is all he has the courage to say. 

Mista, Narancia, and Abbacchio both motion to Giorno at the same time, who sighs and reaches for his wallet.

[flowerfan2]

Private Time - Chapter Two

Klaine, M, 4k, A03. Summary:  One thing about being in quarantine with your grad school roommates... you hardly get any private time...

Wow, the reaction to this fic has blown me away.  Thank you so much to everyone who reblogged and commented.  It’s wonderful to feel the Klaine love.

And since you asked so nicely, here is chapter two!

Chapter 2

Kurt Hummel prides himself on being able to survive just about anything, from small town bigots to drama school divas.  But this quarantine thing is really getting to him.

It’s not that he has any problems with his roommates, far from it.  He’s known Rachel since high school, and his fondness for her more than balances his aggravation.  Sweet and goofy Sam became part of their trio of friends last year when Kurt had thought about starting a band, and Sam had shown up at the audition.  While the band didn’t take off, Kurt will never forget Sam’s rendition of “Nothing On But The Radio.”  Priceless.

But then there’s Blaine. Even thinking about the guy makes Kurt go weak in the knees.  It’s not like Kurt to be so affected by a pretty face, even one peeking out from under wet curls as he scoots down the hall after his evening shower with just a towel wrapped low around his hips.  Kurt prides himself on his restraint when it comes to opening up to the possibility of romance, but with Blaine, it has been a challenge.

It started with that damn a capella benefit Rachel dragged him to.  As if he needed to spend an evening watching preppy kids grinning at each other while they sang poorly re-arranged pop tunes.  “It’s for a good cause, Kurt,” Rachel had argued.  “And it’s not just the college groups. Everyone at the university can participate.  I would be performing, too, if I wasn’t saving my voice.”

 And so an hour into a dreadfully dull evening of twenty-somethings trying to relive their high school musical glory days, Kurt had his first experience of nearly losing his mind over Blaine Anderson.  Amidst a sea of mediocrity, Blaine came on stage and performed Sondheim’s <i>Not While I’m Around</i> without accompaniment.  Kurt felt like he was coming apart.  He was so wrecked that he left the theater immediately after Blaine’s performance and spent the rest of the evening stalking around campus, furious with himself for losing his cool.

 That night while his roommates were still out, Kurt indulged himself in a way he hadn’t done in ages. First a lavender scented bubble bath, then a long solo session in between fresh, clean sheets.  It was okay to fantasize about Blaine Anderson, he was just a guy on a stage, Kurt didn’t know him from Adam (and he was way, way hotter than Adam with or without his Apples).  Kurt found himself humming “nothing’s gonna harm you, no sir” halfway through and didn’t even censor himself, reveling in the thought that his fantasy Blaine would protect him from all the demons of the world.

 After that, Kurt felt like he saw the guy everywhere – ducking out of the campus coffee shop, running in the early morning chill, giving Sam a warm hug before they parted ways after class.  Kurt had sort of known that Sam was bringing Blaine to see his performance of Macbeth, but had managed to block it out until afterwards, when Sam trotted backstage with Blaine on his heels.  Blaine’s shy smile and soft blush when he offered Kurt his congratulations had rendered him nearly speechless.

 And then the unthinkable happened.  They had held off on finding a fourth person to share the rent for several months, mostly because Rachel thought that sharing their single decent shower with two guys was as much as she could stand, but money was tight for all of them and it seemed silly to let the room stay empty.  Before they had even had a chance to advertise the vacancy Sam came home one afternoon with Blaine, announced that he had found them a perfect flatmate, and started giving Blaine the tour.  Kurt had nearly choked on his skinny margarita.

 There wasn’t much time to dwell on his crush before the quarantine, but now, Blaine is everywhere. Kurt tries to count how many different black polo shirts the man has, just to prove himself he could look but still retain a modicum of brain power, but he fails miserably.  Instead his eyes keep sliding down to where Blaine shirt’s is tucked around his slender waist, just before his red pants curve over the best ass Kurt has ever seen.  

 When Rachel announces her <i>private time</i> plan Kurt immediately knows what she is up to. If Sam and Blaine knew her better, they would have caught on faster as well – since when did Rachel Berry mind if anyone heard her sing?  It’s a lame cover-up, but before Kurt can open his mouth and say so, he realizes how useful Rachel’s plan could be.  So he stands up, smooths his hands down over his pants, and high-tails it upstairs to the privacy of his room before his pants get even tighter.

 That first night, Kurt doesn’t have any intention of participating.  He’s feeling rather superior, if he is honest with himself. Suddenly randy Rachel and lack of self-control Sam may be taking care of business, but Kurt Hummel doesn’t need any of that.  He puts on his headphones, pulls out an old voice lesson journal, and goes through some exercises himself.  Rachel may have been joking about the need for private rehearsal time, but Kurt is nothing if not career focused, and he hasn’t had much of an opportunity for honing his craft lately either.

 After he finishes the exercises in his journal, Kurt gets out his phone and some earbuds – he’s got some vocal tracks on his phone which split the parts, the lead coming through on one side and the harmony parts on the other. Just as he’s finding the track he wants to start on and fiddling with the left earbud, which for some unknowable reason keeps falling out of his ear, he hears a long, low moan.

 Kurt freezes, earbud dangling from his hand.  It’s Blaine, that much is obvious from the direction of the sound, and from the fact that it seems to be coming from right next to him, where only a wall divides his room from Blaine’s.  Somehow that one drawn-out expression of need has shot right through him, sparking through his entire body.  Kurt feels light-headed and almost forgets to breathe.

 Overwhelmed, Kurt panics. He scrambles to grab the noise-cancelling headphones and clamp them over his ears, and dives under his duvet.  It’s too much, and it’s inappropriate to think about, but at the same time it’s impossible not to imagine.  It’s Blaine, with his hand on his private parts, making that incredibly sexy noise just a few feet away from Kurt.  Kurt is never going to make it through this quarantine.

 By the next morning Kurt has regained his equilibrium.  He spends most of the day firmly (but not <i>firmly,</i> Kurt thinks, bad word choice, sternly, yes, very sternly, god that’s hardly better, hardly, stop it, I’m dying, I’m being slain by my own internal monologue) telling himself that he is not going to participate any further in Rachel’s ridiculous plan.  Tomorrow, their next scheduled private time night, Kurt will simply go for a walk. Walking is good for him, he could use the exercise and fresh air, and he doesn’t do it nearly as much as he should. He’ll even wear the new mask he made from a Prada dust bag (there’s no need to abandon style, just because there’s a pandemic).

 But on Thursday night when he tells Rachel he’s going out she cackles at him like she’s auditioning for the Wicked Witch of the West, and points with a shaking finger to the window. It’s raining, a veritable deluge. Kurt growls at her and goes upstairs.

 Fine.  It’s all fine.  He can do this.  It’s nothing to feel shameful about, even if everyone in the house knows he’s doing it. They’re all doing it too.  

 Kurt lights a candle (sandalwood), finds some of the expensive body lotion he saves for special occasions, and makes himself comfortable.  Soon his thoughts are wandering to how a certain someone looked this morning, sitting out on the back porch with Sam.  They had both been fooling around on their guitars, and Sam was teasing Blaine about how his hair kept falling into his eyes.  Sam had even reached out and pushed an errant, gel-free curl away from Blaine’s face…

 That should have been Kurt. He would have waited until Blaine finished playing a gentle love song (“the things you do endear me to you, ah you know I will… I will”) and looked up expectantly at him, a hesitant smile on his face.  Kurt would have leaned close to Blaine, seeing his long lashes flutter as he softly pressed his palm to Blaine’s smooth cheek.  Kurt would have threaded his fingers through Blaine’s dark hair, and they would have laughed together, barely audible to anyone else, and then Kurt would have pulled Blaine in for a breathtaking, awe-inspiring first kiss.

 Kurt climaxes with an unexpected grunt, and then presses his face into his pillow.  That was embarrassingly fast, even for a fantasy.  He’s going to have to do better.  At least he needs to get to the part where he can grab Blaine’s ass in his hands and give it a good squeeze.  Who knows what kind of noises Blaine might make when his ass is fondled just right.  Kurt might even have to think about sliding those tight red pants down over Blaine’s luscious curves, moving his hands up and down and around, letting his fingers explore and press in…

 Kurt realizes he’s getting hard again, and much to his dismay, he soon goes for round two like a horny teenager.  

 It rains all day on Friday, and Saturday morning is equally gloomy, ruining their plans to make lunch and take it to campus for an appropriately socially distant picnic. Sam comes up with an alternate plan that involves bartering for a packet of yeast (the sister of one of his rugby mates thought ahead and purchased large quantities from a restaurant supply store) and making homemade bread, and Blaine sunnily agrees to bike to the other side of town to pick it up.  Kurt volunteers some of his masks to use as a trade, and by noon, they are all assembled in the kitchen, ready to start their day’s project.

 Kurt has made bread a million times (okay, maybe just two or three), so they all look to him for guidance. It turns out to be way more fun than Kurt had expected, even more so when he keeps catching Blaine looking at him shyly from under those ridiculously long lashes.  When they all start giggling at the mess they’ve made and Blaine reaches out and tries to wipe flour off of Kurt’s nose, Kurt thinks he’s never been happier.

 That night they eat their bread with the remains of various cheeses and drink more wine than Kurt had thought they had left in the house.  He’s feeling loose and safe in his skin when Blaine flops down on the couch next to him, holding out a bowl of strawberries.  “These go great with the bread,” Blaine says, which is what they’ve been saying about everything they have eaten that night.

 Kurt doesn’t argue and pops a strawberry in his mouth.  “Yeah, they do.”

 Blaine focuses his big brown eyes on Kurt, and then leans in and draws his finger just along the edge of Kurt’s mouth, making him shiver.

 “Powdered sugar,” Blaine explains, and then shuffles even closer to Kurt on the couch.  It’s like he’d done earlier today, but this time his voice comes out in a caramel draped baritone.  “You’ve got a little here, too.”  Blaine touches a fingertip to Kurt’s cheek, and then then blushes furiously and lets his hand drop.

 Kurt can’t resist, Blaine is simply too enticing.  Blaine’s done all the hard work anyway, his blush speaking as eloquently as any Shakespeare sonnet.  “I think you’ve still got flour in your hair,” Kurt says, reaching out and twining a curl around his finger.  It’s just as soft as he imagined, and Blaine lets out a little sigh in response and leans his head into the touch.  

 Kurt takes a deep breath, his whole body trembling.  Blaine’s eyes rise to meet his, and Kurt cups Blaine’s cheek and pulls Blaine in for a kiss.

 It’s better than his fantasy, of course it is.  Blaine tastes of strawberries and wine, his stubble scrapes ever so gently against Kurt’s skin, and he’s warm and alive under Kurt’s hand.  They move closer on the couch, knees and thighs and shoulders pressing against each other.  Blaine’s tongue darts out to trace Kurt’s lips, and then Kurt opens his mouth and the kiss deepens, harder and gentler in turns, until Kurt forgets that anything else exists in the world except for this.

 When they finally part, breathless and wide eyed, Rachel and Sam have disappeared.  Kurt glances at the clock on the wall and sees that it’s after eleven.  Blaine’s glance follows his, and then he beams at Kurt, a mischievous look dancing in his eyes.

 “It’s private time,” Blaine says, and Kurt blinks at him, momentarily confused.  The earnest expression on Blaine’s face sure doesn’t look like he’s interesting in putting an end to their not-so-solo activities, and either does the hand he’s holding out to Kurt.

 “Care to accompany me?”

[goldenkamuyhunting]

Manga vs Anime: Episode 26 “Stenka”

Sorry, I’m beyond late, maybe because after such a nice start I was greatly disappointed. Anyway let’s start with Ep 2 of the 3rd series… which is the 26 Golden Kamuy animated episode with a warning...

Some data first.

This episode last 23:40 minutes and has an opening and an the ending. It covers 4 chapters of the manga, chap 144, 145, 146 & 147 for a total of around 77 pages (I’m discounting the covers) basically covering most of Vol 15.

The episode is titled ‘Stenka’, which is an original title for the anime, chap 140 being ‘The match of the century’, chap 141 being ‘Mister Loose Cannon’, chap 142 being ‘Russian-style steam bath, Banya’ and chap 143 being ‘Don’t kill the sea lions!’.

And now into the anime.

AFTER THE MATCH

Manga & Anime: Gansoku is about to leave the place in which Sugimoto and the others have fought when Sugimoto stops him. The two exchange some small talk, Gansoku congratulating for the match and Sugimoto asking him if he’ll take part to the stenka too, then proposes an handshake which he uses to value Gansoku’s strength. Gansoku leaves and Sugimoto is joined by the others but refuses to tell what has just happened although Tsukishima looks at Gansoku suspiciously.

There are just some minor differences:

- In the manga is implied Gansoku is walking away while in the anime he’s standing there, perfectly still.

- In the manga we see Sugimoto in the distance so it’s impossible to judge his expression. In the anime the camera is much closer to him but he has his hat so low it’s impossible to see his eyes, which makes him look threatening.

- Gansoku seems a lot more friendly in the manga, looking at Sugimoto with shining eyes. Sugimoto has a speculative expression as he talks to him, but he’s smiling and his question causes Gansoku’s eyes to darken. However they go back on friendly expressions when they handshake. In the anime they add a close up of Sugimoto’s eyes and then of Gansoku, making the atmosphere more tense also with the use of the music. They don’t show Sugimoto’s expression as he talks, in favour of showing he’s moving closer. Gansoku also remains serious, smiling only for a moment and we won’t see Sugimoto’s smiling expression until we’re shown they’re holding hands and their… aura? Is all around the place.

- In the manga we can speculate Tanigaki and the others came there walking calmly. In the anime they’re shown walking hurriedly, searching for Sugimoto.

My two cents: The anime idea to make Sugimoto look threatening when he calls Gansoku is interesting because it might lead the viewer into thinking he’ll attack him, surprising the viewer when it doesn’t happen… however they dragged the tense atmosphere too long, with Gansoku being too serious and Sugimoto too threatening. Even the others reaching the place running seems to set up the scene for something big and scary that just… doesn’t happen. While it’s an interesting interpretation of the scene  and an idea to raise tension, overall it lacks the atmosphere of the manga, in which Sugi and Gansoku appreciated each other, which will end with Gansoku and Sugimoto being friends and ultimately all the big tension of the anime ends up in nothing. But well, they tried and the flame effect is nice.

THE OPENING STARTS HERE

THE TAVERN

Manga & Anime: The Russian guy who’s in charge of the stealing of the dog tells Sugimoto’s group that rumours about them have spread and people view them as the guys who might beat the tattooed man. As the tattooed man will fight that night the Russian guy wants Sugimoto’s group to lose on purpose so he’ll gain a lot of money. To Cikapasi demanding to have the dog back he answer he’ll do so after they lose the match. At this Sugimoto attacks him, pushing him on the ground and ripping his hair. Tanigaki asks how Karafuto Ainu punish people and Enonoka explains they cut fingertips. The Russian says he’ll tattle them out to the tattooed man. The boys are not impressed. Koito says first they’ll slice his fingertips one by one until they get the dog back and then kill and bury him. Then they’ll go to the stenka, drag the tattooed man outside and kill and skin him. The Russian guy tells them he has info on Kiro. Tsukishima shows him Kiro’s photo. Sugimoto is interested but Koito would like to start cutting his fingers. Sugimoto tries to stop him, Koito, Tanigaki and Tsukishima agree that the Russian can’t be trusted but Sugimoto says he can’t ignore the man might have info that will take him to Asirpa.

There are just some minor differences:

- In the manga, although it’s Tsukishima who’s speaking, it’s implied the Russian talk in between Tsukishima’s translations (we see his mouth open and the visual tells us he’s saying something). In the anime the Russian’s mouth is always close and Tsukishima does this long, long translation all at once.

- In the anime they added a creepy shoot of Sugimoto’s eyes before he jumps on the Russian.

- In the manga the Russian is just sweating. In the anime the Russian is drawn completely terrorized, his face becomes blue and his jaw starts to tremble. He shuts his eyes as he screams he has still info on Kiro.

- In the manga when Tsukishima shows Kiro’s photo we get a panel with Sugimoto and then Koito says they’ll cut the Russian’s finger. In the anime we move from Tsukishima showing the photo to Koito saying they’ll cut his finger.

- In the manga Sugimoto had a normal expression as he said he couldn’t ignore chances that would lead him to Asirpa, Asirpa being in the background. In the anime he looks like he’s ready to start a fight and there’s no image of Asirpa.

- After Sugimoto says he can’t ignore chances to find Asirpa in the anime Koito put away his blade. In the manga there’s no such scene.

My two cents: I get they wanted to save time not showing the Russian speaking and then Tsukishima translating but the translation is so long it seems impossible the man said all that and then Tsukishima remembered it all perfectly and did a translation. It just feels as Tsukishima is monologuing instead than translating. Well, at least they let the guy speak afterward but the start is still pretty weak. To make up for it they handled it pretty well when it was Koito speaking and Tsukishima translation. Tanigaki’s ears are drawn very poorly and the same can be said for Koito in some scenes. I’m not sure what’s up with making Sugimoto’s group so scary. The Russian here is terrorized, where in the manga despite not being in a good position he was still in control. He’s a guy dealing with crime, possibly a criminal himself, and it makes more sense if he can remain calm in such a situation. Even the scene in which they show the Russian the photo in the manga looked less creepy. As Sugimoto was shown in between Tsukishima and Koito we could assume there was a pause in which the Russian had been given the time to speak and said nothing, leading Koito and the others to think he lied when he said he had info. In the anime there’s no such feeling and, although Tsukishima shows him the photo they immediately disbelieve him, making me wonder why showing him the photo in the first place.

PRIOR TO THE NEW MATCH

Manga & Anime: So Sugimoto’s group shows up at the stenka match where Gansoku drops his coat, so that they recognize him for a tattooed convict.

There are just some minor differences:

- In the manga Gansoku’s face is in the dark. In the anime it’s not.

My two cents: Nothing to say here, just that the anime seems to enjoy showing the boys.

WARNING: The anime decided to place in this episode Gansoku’s comments about what’s for him stenka and info about his past. In the manga this was showed previously, while Sugimoto’s group was having its first stenka match.

GANSOKU’S TWO CENTS ABOUT STENKA AND HIS PAST

Manga & Anime: Gansoku explains for him stenka is a form of self expression then explains that since he chose to express himself through violence the world didn’t understood him and he ended up in jail. But he was happy there due to it being a violent place, with Ushiyama being the only one capable to stop him, although he enjoyed the moments in which he stopped Ushiyama

There are just some minor differences:

- In the manga, Gansoku speaks looking straight ahead himself, with his silly excited expression with shining stars around him. In the anime he’s just serious and dramatical, looking up in the air.

My two cents: In the manga of course they use just one image to show Gansoku being restrained by Ushiyama but using a still image in the anime for this scene instead than… well, animating it, feels pretty bad. I mean they animated more the scene in which Gansoku is receiving the praises of the convicts for beating Ushiyama than that scene.

BEFORE THE FIGHT

Manga & Anime: Gansoku removes his glasses and turn and Tsukishima and Co recognize him for the man who was talking with Sugimoto. They question Sugimoto who doesn’t reply so Tsukishima figures Sugimoto just wanted to fight with him. Tanigaki asks what are they going to do with the match, if they’re gonna lose on purpose and Tsukishima points out Sugimoto clearly doesn’t want to do it. Koito reminds them if they don’t they’ll lose the chance to get info on Kiro. Sugimoto says he has a brilliant plan to solve everything so they can fight as hard as they want.

My two cents: The transition between this scene and the last is so bad we don’t get we’ve switched. It’s not smooth, it’s confusing.

CIKAPASI AND ENONOKA IN ACTION

Manga & Anime: Cikapasi and Enonoka see the Russian that helped stealing the dog enter in a house. They think the Russian is there to guard the dog and plan to get it back themselves.

My two cents: This scene is very short but the anime paid attention to show the characters’ expressions and this is good.

THE FIGHT START

Manga & Anime: The fight starts. Sugimoto gets punched so hard he flies back. Gansoku says Sugimoto should tell him more about himself. Sugimoto reacts by punching him back.

There are minor cuts and changes:

- In the manga we’re shown first the ceiling of the place as the fighters are told they can fight, then we’re shown Sugimoto flying back. In the anime we get an image of Gansoku while he’s still, then we’re shown Sugimoto’s group getting ready and then Sugimoto running toward Gansoku while the other remain still, before Sugimoto flies back.

- In the manga, after Gansoku tells Sugimoto to teach him more about him, we see Sugimoto punching Gansoku silently. In the anime were first shown Sugimoto looking furious and making a roaring sound before punching Gansoku, still roaring.

My two cents: Well, they expanded the scene, which is not wrong per se but showing Sugimoto being the only one to charge while the others remain where they are feels a little off. In the manga at least we don’t know how Sugimoto got himself punched back.

CHAP 144 ENDS HERE

THE STENKA CONTINUES

Manga and anime: The guy keeps on fighting but Sugimoto is starting to show weird signs, he falls on one knee, when another fighter stumbles against him he punches him, later he starts repeating ‘I’. Meanwhile Tsukishima, Koito and Tanigaki have beaten the other Russians so Gansoku tells them they should attack him together. He still pushes them all on the ground and then enjoys the people cheering for him when Sugimoto kicks him, causing him to fall. The people complain, saying it’s not stenka while Sugimoto begins to attack Tanigaki and Co as well. The people also try to attack Sugimoto and get punched away. Chaos ensues.

There are minor cuts and changes:

- In the manga Sugimoto is shown standing on his own. In the anime Tanigaki sort of supports him, resting his hand on Sugimoto’s shoulder. Also, Koito and Tsukishima’s positions are switched.

My two cents: Again the anime decides to go for a still image when the people has also joined the fight.

Really, guys this is animation not a manga. Animate those scenes! The rest is more or less faithful enough, although Sugimoto is creepier than the manga and there’s also more blood spraying around. On a personal note the ‘ore-ore’ scene reminded me more of “Hokuto no Ken” than of “Jojo no kimyou na bouken”, from which it was meant to be inspired but maybe it’s just me (and, after all, Jojo was inspired by Ken…).

SUGIMOTO LOSES IT

Manga and Anime: In the general chaos Sugimoto grabs a sickle (and then a hammer) and wounds Koito mumbling about the 7th division. Tsukishima understands Sugimoto lost it and warns Koito, the people start escaping, afraid of Sugimoto who, with the sickle, attack Gansoku, mumbling about the gold. Gansoku understands he was after his tattoo and escapes.

There are minor cuts and changes:

- In the manga the reference to the hammer and sickle presented in the USSR flag is much more marked as their position seems to match it while it’s not exactly so similar in the anime.

My two cents: There’s another still image where the people are meant to be running away. -_-

Really this doesn’t make the scene ‘resembling the manga’ this seems just a lack of will to animate it. The background music though, is Russian sounding and somehow makes the scene fun. For the rest even here the anime had been faithful enough. Also there are again two still images for the escaping Gansoku but as they seem to put more emphasys on the scene they might work.

That and I found them pretty.

OUTSIDE

Manga and anime: The people are escaping. Tsukishima, Tanigaki and Koito follow the escaping Gansoku, deciding to leave the dangerous Sugimoto on his own. Meanwhile Gansoku is attacked by a wolverine. Tsukishima and Co save him but then they have to escape from the wolverine together and hide in a banya.

There are minor cuts and changes:

- In the manga they showed first the scene in which Tsukishima and Co though they lost Gansoku and then the scene of Gansoku being observed (and later attacked) by the wolverine. In the anime they first showed the scene of Gansoku being seen by the wolverine and then the one of the boys searching for him.

- The anime cut Koito saying the wolverine is dangerous.

- In the manga the last to enter in the cabin is Tanigaki. In the anime they show Koito keeping the door open and being the last to enter in it.

- In the anime we see the door closing as the wolverine is jumping toward it, giving the impressing the door was slammed on the wolverine face. No such scene is in the manga.

- The manga devotes a background panel to the boy wondering what to do. In the anime they stretched the scene, giving it an excessive dramatic atmosphere, adding Tanigaki who desperately repead ‘hot’ as if he was being burned alive.

My two cents: There’s AGAIN a still image where the people are meant to be running away. -_-

Guys really, making it tremble and panning over it doesn’t count as animating it. I see MMV better done. It’s a bit ridicule how Tsukishima, who has already grabbed a wand, stops to talk with Koito and then runs to fight the wolverine. It makes no sense Koito keeps the door open to everyone considering he’s a spoiled prince. It would have been more logic for him, as he’s the fastest runner, to reach it first and get inside and, if someone were to stay out to keep it open, that one would have to be Tsukishima. I guess they made the scene in which they wondered what to do deliberately dramatic to contrast with the scene of them posing but it felt out of place. They seemed to be dying for the hotness in a moment and the next they were posing. On the other side at least the anime paid attention to their expressions.

On a personal note though I preferred the banya’s last scene of the manga but maybe it’s just me.

CHAPTER 145 ENDS HERE.

THE ANIME PLACES HERE AN EYECATCH

ENONOKA AND CIKAPASI’S PLAN

Manga and anime: Enonoka and Cikapasi find the house of the man who helped stealing Enonoka’s dog. They would like to free the dog but the door of the room it is in, is closed. Cikapasi consider shooting at it but then they manage to see the keys inside the Russian’s house.

There are minor cuts and changes:

- In the manga Enonoka and Cikapasi see the Russian going inside his house, peek inside and realize the dog is not there. This scene is cut from the anime.

- In the manga Cikapasi and Enonoka see the Russian coming back into his house after having gone to fed the dog. This scene is cut in the anime.

- The anime added Enonoka asking Cikapasi what they were supposed to do.

- The anime cut Enonoka and Cikapasi noticing the keys.

My two cents: While it’s possible to get a general idea of what’s going on, due to the cuts the scene is a bit more confusing.Enonoka asking Cikapasi what they were meant to do made me think to an attempt to portray her as the helpless girl in need to have ‘a man’ (well, a boy in this case) tell her what to do. I didn’t really apprecciate it.

INSIDE THE BANYA

Manga & Anime: The wolverine keeps hanging around the cabin so that Tsukishima and Co can’t leave. Meanwhile Gansoku makes more stream, and hits the other with a bundle of leafy silver birch twigs, the Venik. He claims since they want to kill him for his tattoo this will be a test of endurance about who’ll escape first. The guys attack him with the Venik, encouraged by Gansoku.

There are minor cuts and changes:

- In the manga Gansoku has an expression similar to the one of a shojo heroine when he says they’re there to kill him. In the anime he’s just serious.

- In the manga after Gansoku tells the guys to come at him at the same time they do it, although Tsukishima wonders what he’s doing. In the anime the guys are shown standing still. The scene of them attacking him will be later.

My two cents: They drew it differently from the anime and it’s kind of less fun but at least it more or less drives home the story.

ENONOKA AND CIKAPASI IN ACTION

Manga & Anime: Enonoka and Cikapasi try recovering the key but end up awaking the Russian who gets out of the house attempting to reach them and is knocked out by their trap. Then Cikapasi shots at the locket closing the shed. Sugimoto hears the shoot.

There are minor cuts and changes:

- In the manga the Russian is knocked out in a rather serious manner. In the anime the scene is funnier.

My two cents: When the anime shows people fighting, he recycles some scenes. This is not so great. On a more positive note I somehow like the colouring of the scene. Also I’m fine with cutting the part of Sugimoto saying they’ve to take part to it and Tsukishima being surprised by the ‘we’ because it will be discussed later, both in the manga and in the anime so in the anime it would become redundant.

BACK AT THE BANYA

Manga and anime: The boys are hitting Gansoku with the Venik. Koito wonders if this is part of Sugimoto’s plan and Tsukishima denies it.

There are minor cuts and changes:

- In the manga Tsukishima wondered what he was doing previously. In the anime he does it now.

- In the manga we see Gansoku and the boys hitting him, all in a single panel. In the anime we see the Venik being waved as Gansoku screams ‘more’ then we see Tsukishima and then Koito and Tanigaki hitting… but we don’t see Gansoku.

My two cents: I’m not really sure why the anime didn’t show Gansoku being hit. It’s not big but it’s weird.

ENONOKA AND CIKAPASI’S ADVENTURE

Manga and anime: Enonoka and Cikapasi are escaping with the dog, Enonoka using ski and letting herself be dragged by her dog, Cikapasi clinging to her. They see Sugimoto but he scared them and so they escape, chased by him. The wolverine senses them and runs toward them. Enonoka’s dog turns abruptly, causing Cikapasi to fall. Cikapasi, using the rifle, keeps it at bay. Ryu tries to distract the wolverine as Cikapasi tries to take a bullet for Tanigaki’s rifle. Sugimoto attacks the wolverine, the two of them fighting. Cikapasi charges the rifle and Tanigaki helps him fire and kill the wolverine. Gansoku then shows up to fight with Sugimoto.

There are minor cuts and changes:

- In the manga the panels show the boys together, then we get two panels placing more focus on Tsukishima first and Koito after, as we never saw them without clothes. In the anime they pan on all the bodies equally, starting with Sugimoto, then Tsukishima, Tanigaki and, at last, Koito.

- In the manga when he appeared, Sugimoto was much closer to Enonoka and Cikapasi and then he started running after them. In the anime he’s distant and only walks.

- In the manga it’s the dog which turned abruptly, in the anime it’s Enonoka.

- In the manga only one bullet fall (there’s the shadow of only one bullet) although they seem two because the bullet is likely moving. In the anime two bullets fall.

- In the manga there’s no sign of Cikapasi trembling, he’s just sweating and having some troubles correctly inserting the bullet. In the anime he trembles a lot.

- In the manga when Sugimoto attacks the wolverine the wolverine just avoid the blow and bites him. Only when Sugimoto attacks him with the hammer it jumps away. In the anime it jumps away immediately and therefore it won’t be close enough to bite him.

- In the manga the wolverine was between Sugimoto and Cikapasi. In the anime Sugimoto is between the wolverine and Cikapasi so, to reach Cikapasi, the wolverine gets around Sugimoto.

- In the manga the wolverine was charging at Cikapasi when the latter shoot him. In the anime it either charges at Sugimoto or plans to circle around him to charge Cikapasi… maybe it’s the latter as ultimately it was pretty close to him when it was shoot in the anime.

- The anime adds a scene in which Sugimoto has calmed down then turns toward where Gansoku is coming.

- In the manga Gansoku’s genitals were shadowed but you could notice their presence. In the anime, they seems absent.

My two cents: In the anime Sugimoto is too distant and, as he keeps walking, the two kids should have lost him immediately. The fact he doesn’t chase the kids fails to deliver in that moment Sugimoto was potentially dangerous for them too, which, added to how the anime depicts Sugimoto in between Cikapasi and the wolverine gives the idea Sugimoto was there to save Cikapasi and not that he was in a mental state in which he attacked everything that moved. I don’t really like making the abrupt turn Enonoka’s fault. The fact it was the dog’s fault was meant to contrast with how Enonoka’s dog is scared of the wolverine while Ryu will face it to save Cikapasi... and later in the story Ryu will become the head of the sled dogs. In short this is detrimental to Ryu’s characterization because it doesn’t show how superior he is. The anime somehow seems to depict Sugimoto more in control than he was in the manga. The one/two bullet/bullets mistake on the surface isn’t terrible but showing us one bullet was Noda’s way to remind us the single bullet theory that moved Nihei. As Cikapasi will inherit his rifle this was relevant.

CHAPTER 146 ENDS HERE.

SUGIMOTO & GANSOKU’S FIGHT

Manga and anime: Gansoke and Sugimoto fight, Gansoku realizing Sugimoto is filled with rage but not directed at him. Koito wonders if they should help, Tsukishima asks who of the two and Tanigaki points out how Sugimoto is vital to get Asirpa back so they can’t let him take more punches. As they fight Gansoku asks Sugimoto why, who and what he’s angry at. As Sugimoto thinks at his past it turns out he’s angry at himself, thinking he was useless to the people he loved. Gansoku tells him to forgive himself as he’s giving his all. Then the ice below them breaks, causing Gansoku, Sugimoto, Tanigaki, Tsukishima and Koito to fall into the water under the ice. Sugimoto goes back to normal and the freezing group rushes into the banya

There are minor cuts and changes:

- In the anime the add a scene with Sugimoto dropping the sickle and the hammer before tossing himself at Gansoku and punching him. In the manga it’s never showed when Sugimoto dropped those two objects, maybe when fighting the wolverine.

- In the anime Tanigaki seems much more calm and in control than in the manga when he said they’ve to stop the fight.

- In the anime Gansoku punches Sugimoto’s stomach so hard it causes him to throw up. No such scene is in the manga.

- There’s a huge divergence between what we see in the manga and what we see in the anime in regard to Sugimoto’s memories. In the manga we’ve Umeko telling him to take her with him, Toraji’s corpse and Asirpa as she told him she was afraid of what she would do if Nopperabou were to be her father. Then he remembers himself escaping from Umeko, the blood on Toraji’s photo, himself promising he would be with Asirpa until the end, Nopperabo being shoot and Asirpa seeing the scene. As we see those scene Sugimoto calls Umeko, Toraji and Asirpa, before saying he’s useless. In the anime we see an image of a blind Umeko with her child on her back, Toraji’s corpse, the bloodied photo of Toraji and Umeko, Asirpa walking in the snow with Retar, Sugimoto and Asirpa in the deerskin with Sugimoto crying, Sugimoto failing to grab Asirpa’s hand in Abashiri, Nopperabou being shoot and Asirpa watching the scene, all this as Sugimoto first makes intelligible sounds then says Asirpa and then tells he’s useless.

- The anime adds an image before Gansoku where to try to punch Sugimoto in which Sugimoto’s eyes light up and he seems really dangerous.

- In the manga Gansoku’s punch barely miss Sugimoto as it went in between his head and his shoulder. In the anime it’s below his arm, possibly completely off his body.

- In the manga we see Gansoku’s knee hit the ground, in the anime they give much more focus to how Gansoku can’t sustain himself any longer.

- In the manga it’s unclear what caused the ice to break, maybe it was Gansoku’s knee itself, in the anime it’s the boys running toward Sugimoto and Gansoku.

- In the manga the ice breaks in a realistic way, and only in a small measure, in the anime the ice breaks causing a huge hole and an excessive splash of water, likely for humoristic purposes.

- In the manga it’s implied Gansoku and Sugimoto hurries to walk away toward the banya while Tsukishima is busy pulling up Koito. In the anime they just stand there, trembling and saying they’ve to go to the banya. Actually somehow everyone is still, even Tsukishima seems to just stand there unable to pull up Koito…

My two cents: While it’s good to show Sugimoto dropping sickle and hammer instead than causing them to magically disappear the execution is dumb as Sugimoto grabbed them because he took them when he was too out of it to realize he couldn’t use them and even used them to attack Sugi previously so him dropping them now for no good reason doesn’t make sense. Tanigaki being so calm yet doing nothing to stop the thing makes no sense. The scene of Sugimoto remembering why he feels useless are a mess. In the manga is clear he feels useless to Umeko, because he couldn’t take her with him, with Toraji, whom he couldn’t save, with Asirpa, with whom he couldn’t be like he had instead promised, never mentioning he couldn’t save her father either. In the anime, although there’s a little space for Umeko and Toraji the implication seems more he only feels guilty for not being able to save Toraji or bringing the money to his widow… and considering the small time this receive it doesn’t even feel that big, Umeko’s importance completely removed as the anime decided to cut her from Sugimoto’s life and didn’t even try to ‘recover’ her in the 4th OAD. All the focus is on Asirpa, the only person he calls, first showing Asirpa with Retar and then her with him in the deerskin (and although Sugimoto was crying in that scene which the anime mostly messed up, it wasn’t because he was feeling useless), then the anime fails to remember Sugimoto actually hesitated in grabbing Asirpa in Abashiri so that she could escape safely, and didn’t just fail to grab her as the image seems to imply. All this basically pushes forward that what really matters to Sugi is Asirpa with Toraji being very minor. The anime clearly didn’t recognize the scene in which Asirpa told him she was scared and he promised to stay with her, and, apart for Nopperabou’s death, plastered in the scene wrong moments that weren’t related to Sugimoto feeling useless. To make up for it the anime seemed really focused in showing us it was Sugimoto who utterly defeated Gansoku, placing a lot of focus on Sugi in the moment before he punches him and making Gansoku miss in a more obvious manner. The group remaining still after they fell in the water is dumb. If they couldn’t move because they were trembling too much they would remain stuck there and die of hypothermia, they wouldn’t magically manage moving. Well, at least the scene of Sugimoto screaming the water was cold was good.

WARNING: The manga placed later the scene of Sugimoto not remembering his own plan.

ENONOKA PRAISING CIKAPASI

Manga & Anime: Enonoka praises Cikapasi for taking down the wolverine, although Cikapasi admits he did it thanks to Tanigaki’s help.

There are minor cuts and changes:

- In the manga we can’t see Enonoka’s expression and Cikapasi only seems embarrassed in the anime we do see Enonoka who seems very happy and Cikapasi blushes.

My two cents: I’m not sure why they had to show Cikapasi flushing if not to make ‘cuter’ his interaction with Enonoka.

WARNING: This scene in the manga was placed earlier.

SUGIMOTO’S PLAN

Manga & Anime: After an image showing Gansoku, Sugimoto, Tanigaki, Tsukishima and Koito enjoying the banya, Cikapasi and Enonoka spying them, Koito asks Sugimoto which was his plan and Sugimoto admits he has forgot it.

My two cents: Although in the anime too Cikapasi and Enonoka are peeking on the boys they’re hardly visible, as if the anime wanted to hide them.

SUGIMOTO AND GANSOKU TALK

Manga & Anime: Sugimoto and Gansoku talk, Sugimoto telling him he doesn’t want to kill him but others might therefore Gansoku should let them make a copy of the tattoo and find the gold, so Gansoku won’t be in danger any longer. Tsukishima suggests him to leave Karafuto and go to Russia to pursue the stenka. Sugimoto agrees then informs Sugimoto that he met the Ainu girl whose name Sugimoto said as she was with another convict, and how Gansoku thinks she was talking about Sugimoto.

There are minor cuts and changes:

- In the anime prior to Sugimoto talking, they added Gansoku asking him if they should continue fighting as Sugimoto still wants his tattoo.

- In the manga Sugimoto looks straight at Gansoku as he says he doesn’t want to kill him, while in the anime he’s looking at him sideway.

- In the anime they added Koito and co complaining about Gansoku causing more steam

My two cents: Maybe it’s just me but I get a different impression for this scene from the anime, compared to the manga. In the manga I got the feeling Sugimoto didn’t want to kill GANSOKU (because he grew to like him), in the anime the impression is more that Sugimoto doesn’t want to kill people to get their skin. Maybe it’s just me.

WARNING: In the manga this scene was placed after Asirpa told Ogata not to shoot tough enemies in the head.

FLASHBACK

Manga: Shiraishi tells Asirpa they should let the other guy do information gathering and they should just have some tea. As they’re seated on a table Shiraishi tells Asirpa the 7th division is probably still storming Abashiri so they should go search for bodies once the 7th division has left and that Asirpa shouldn’t dwell too much on it. Asirpa confesses she had to overcome her father’s death once before but she doesn’t know how to cope with the fact he betrayed the Ainu. Shiraishi assures her there should be an explanation, that somebody should know it and that she should stand by her father. Asirpa meekly agree. Shiraishi then goes and says that although he doesn’t have proof he thinks Sugimoto might be still alive as he wouldn’t die that easily. Gansoku, who’s eavesdropping them ears Asirpa saying that there’s no way Sugimoto would be dead as he’s Sugimoto the immortal so of course he’s alive. The flashback ends showing Sugimoto smiling as he hears what Gansoku overheard Asirpa saying.

Anime: Gansoku is in a teahouse, listening to Shiraishi and Asirpa talk. Shiraishi says in the past he said he couldn’t see him dying but… Asirpa asks him what he means and a depressed Shiraishi says since Sugimoto didn’t follow them there maybe he is… Shiraishi trails off, implying Sugimoto might be dead. Asirpa scolds him saying Sugimoto is Sugimoto the immortal. The flashback ends showing Sugimoto smiling as he hears what Gansoku overheard Asirpa saying.

My two cents: This is the second worst adaptation of this episode after the flashbacks when Sugimoto was thinking he was useless. In the manga Shiraishi was trying hard to support Asirpa and cheer her up, telling her not to worry, that her father should have had reasons for doing what he did and she’ll find them out, that she should stand by her father, that he believed Sugimoto was alive. On the other side Asirpa was still very troubled by the situation and worried about her father, but, like Shiraishi, believed/wanted to believe Sugimoto was alive, so Shiraishi didn’t have to cheer her up on that. In the anime they actually used this scene as inspiration for the mess that’s the final bit of Ep 24, so that Shiraishi and Asirpa would say the last two quotes, that Shiraishi couldn’t think Sugimoto would die and Asirpa would remark there’s no way Sugimoto would die as he’s immortal. This creates troubles because, of course, unless they retconned that scene out of existence they couldn’t have it here as well, same as before (proof that the animators didn’t think a third series would be done as they didn’t think in advantage at the troubles that change in ep 24 would cause). So what they did with the whole thing? Removed completely Shiraishi’s supportive behaviour, turning him into the one who needs to be reassured Sugimoto is alive, removed completely any talk about Wilk (as evidently in the anime he’s not important despite Asirpa doing all this travel to discover about her father and of course she wouldn’t be sad about his death or his actions, caring only about Sugimoto) to focus solely on Sugimoto, depicting how Asirpa is the only one persuaded Sugimoto is still alive… because he’s Sugimoto the immortal and they have such a deep bond, made more remarked by how the anime conveniently keeps on cutting away Umeko’s role. Really, all this is a horrible choice to adapt a scene, it takes away part of the characterization of both Shiraishi and Asirpa to again focus on Sugimoto and Asirpa’s bond as if that was the only thing that matters in the story. I was hoping the anime would stop doing this, especially considering how Umeko takes an important role in what happens on the ice between Ogata and Asirpa but now I’m starting to expect the anime will cut that scene entirely or twist it so that Ogata’s fanfic will be about Toraji. Will Ogata says Toraji’s name was Yuusaku? -_-

CHAPTER 147 ENDS HERE.

WARNING: In the manga the following scenes were placed prior to the flashback scene and therefore would still be part of chap 147.

SEA LION HUNTING

Manga & Anime: Ogata shoots a sea lion in the head but the latter jumps in the water and tries to swim away. Kiroranke warns Asirpa who shows up with a harpoon.

There are minor cuts and changes:

- In the manga we see Ogata is puzzled by the sea lion swimming away as if Ogata had never hit him. In the anime his face is expressionless and he shows no sign of surprise

My two cents: Deciding not to show Ogata’s surprise at seeing how the sea lion was unaffected by his bullet is clearly dumb, it makes it look as if Ogata hadn’t realized it or had expected it. They had put a lot of emphasis in how Asirpa was aggressive as she went after the sea lion. Basically I don’t really get why the anime kept the fact she was sad when she was at Enonoka. They removed her sadness for what happened to her father and showed her confident Sugimoto was alive… before showing us this. Honestly she had no reason to feel down when at Enonoka’s house especially since, as they didn’t retcon the ending of Ep 24 out of existence, Asirpa was already confident back there about Sugimoto being alive. *sighs* The anime is doing better than in the past series but they’re still trying to push the Sugimoto/Asirpa angle too much to the plot’s detriment.

THE ENDING STARTS HERE

EATING THE SEA LION

Manga & Anime: As Kiroranke and Asirpa prepare the sea lion they’ve killed they explains Ogata and Shiraishi about them. They eat the meat raw, Asirpa asking if it’s hinna. Ogata observes even if he shoots it in the head, he couldn’t kill it. Asirpa explains him sea lions have thick skulls like brown bears so if one wants to kill them, he needs to shoot the eyes or the ears, suggesting Ogata to not aim for the hear next time he wants to kill a strong one. Kiro smiles at seeing her in a good mood.

There are minor cuts and changes:

- In the manga Asirpa seems to offer the meat to Ogata (who in the panel is much more visible than Shiraishi) and worry because he gave him a too big slice which he has troubles chewing (as he’s the only one shown chewing it). Her ‘is it hinna?’ question, made as she looks at Ogata, closer to him than to Shiraishi who’s behind Ogata, also seems directed to Ogata although we can see Shiraishi too also had some meat. In the anime she seems to be offering it to both Shiraishi and Ogata, the anime focusing on Shiraishi eating it and then showing Shiraishi and Ogata having troubles eating it drawing Shiraishi in the forefront and Ogata slightly behind him. Her question about chewing seems directed to both and the same goes for her hinna question, which she does without looking at them as she feed herself a slice of meat.

- The anime adds a scene of Ogata cleaning his mouth with his hand.

- In the manga Ogata is seated when he says he couldn’t kill the sea lion. In the anime it’s implied he’s still standing.

- In the manga Asirpa reports how, if one wants to kill a sea lion he has to aim for the eyes or the ears and how there are folk tales between quarrelling bears and sea lion. There’s also an information box adding info. All this is cut in the anime.

- In the manga we see just Kiro smiling. In the anime we first see him working on cutting the sea lion while smiling then turning toward Asirpa always smiling.

My two cents: One of the cardinal points in the relationship between Asirpa and Ogata in the manga is how Asirpa keeps feeding Ogata and asking him if the food is ‘hinna’ or asking him to say ‘citatap’ and Ogata remaining silent. This makes the moment in which Ogata FINALLY says ‘hinna’ very relevant in Asirpa’s eyes. The anime destroyed this making this scene a mere group interaction in which there was more focus on Asirpa and Shiraishi than Asirpa and Ogata. I’m not sure why the anime removed how they’ve to shoot sea lion in the eyes or ears, as anime viewers will lose the irony of Ogata being shoot in the eye (you can view the quarrelling sea lion as Ogata and the bear as Sugimoto as Sugimoto was already compared more than once to a bear).

TO SUM IT ALL

Honestly, I was hoping to say this was a good episode for most of it. Sure, the art is not perfect (but it will probably fixed for the dvd release) and there was the abuse of still images when animated images would work better, but it seemed to work, going as far as to add small details until... until I saw the mess they did around the end.

Complete removal of Umeko’s importance for Sugimoto, reducing her merely to Toraji’s widow even when this is detrimental to Sugimoto’s characterization, cutting off mentions of Wilk and how what he did affects Asirpa, which becomes a ridicule idea since Asirpa is going through this trip exactly in hope she’ll discover the truth, excessive remarking of the bond between Sugimoto and Asirpa even when this is detrimental to Shiraishi or Asirpa or Sugimoto’s characterization, cutting of Ogata’s role and of his relation with Asirpa in a way that’s detrimental to his characterization. Then there’s the attempt to make Sugimoto more morally perfect than the poor guy actually is, which again affect his characterization.

All those things are things important for the plot and the characterization of the characters, they shouldn’t be cut as they’re much more relevant than the minor scenes the anime added.

Long story short, while for the most part is not a bad adaptation, it made some very poor choices on relevant scenes and this is VERY bad.

[dholwrites]

All The Little Things

Notes: Commission piece for @dialga Relationship: Crystal Exarch x Female WoL (Na’na Niall) Rating: G - General. (Very high fluff content) 

Ao3 Link

4 sweet moments between a knight and her prince after the return of the night.

1 Stars and the Moon

The stars danced before his eyes on the backdrop of a pitch sea. They sparkle together with the full moon, hung high and clear as the sun. Ever since Na’na returned the night to Lakeland, he couldn’t resist the way it pulled his eyes upwards. The way the tower walls glowed under the moonlight tugged at the memories of his youth; moments when he would hide out in high corners to read a book, discuss theories with NOAH, or catch himself daydreaming about Na’na. G’raha quietly chuckled to himself. It had been a while.

“There you are, I was wondering where you disappeared to,” a sweet voice called from behind him. Na’na had climbed up the stairs into his hiding spot, her footsteps barely letting out a sound. How she knew to look up here, he would never know. The sound of his heartbeat echoed in his ears as she moved to sit down next to him. His gaze lingered on her profile, captivated by the way her hair and ribbon played in the wind, a smile on her lips and excitement in her eyes. Thankfully, she was too distracted by the constellations to notice his staring. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? You can see all the stars from up here.”

“Yeah...” He trails off before turning his gaze back towards the sky. “It reminds me of the skies in Mor Dhona. I wish I could see them again.” With you. Those words fell at the tip of his tongue like lead, yet his heart flutters at the mere thought of being so balant about his affections.

‘It’s not as lovely as you.’ Would that be too cliche? Perhaps ‘you’re more beautiful than every star in the sky,’ would be a better choice?

“Oh, Raha, you silly prince.”

“Prince?! But- I- I’m- wh- w-wait a moment!” His heart leaped with joy at the nickname. His cheeks grew warm as words tumbled out of his mouth before he could catch them. Did his words slip without him realizing it? His train of thought came to a halt at the sudden warmth on his hand and side. Na’na had slid from her spot to be right next to him, resting her head against him. G’raha could barely calm his frantic heart before it leapt out of his chest at the soft hands taking his. 

His gaze begins to drift back towards her eyes as they light up at every constellation she can find in the night sky. Then to her lips, captivating him by how soft they look. Surely they would feel just as soft when he kissed her. His eyes continued to travel until they found their way to their intertwined hands. They felt so small compared to his own. His mind whispers to hold onto her, to keep her close even if she needs to leave. That still hadn't changed since he last saw her centuries ago. 

“Raha?” He snaps back into reality at the sound, blinking owlishly when they lock eyes again. 

“Apologies, I can’t help but get lost in thought. I couldn’t help but think about the Source.”

Na’na lets go of his hand to wrap her arm around his back, pressing herself to his chest. “Even if you are here in this world, we can still see the same sky. Remember, no matter where you are and who you become, you will still be my ‘Raha’.”

With her simple words, a realization dawned upon Raha; if Na’na Niall hinted at wanting to touch a star, he would gladly put the entire galaxy into her hand. 

“You look at me like I’m a star in the sky,” Na’na jokes, giving his hand an affectionate squeeze.

G’raha lets out a small laugh, “Because you are.” 

2 Sharing a Meal

G’raha lets out a sigh at the sight of books piled high around him. Most of them were books borrowed from the Cabinet of Curiosity, while everything else he brought from the Source. Hopefully, at least one of them would help him find a solution to the Scion’s predicament. He owed it to them for causing this when he first summoned them here. Yet his mind started to wonder every time he attempted to pick up a book and start his new task.

Days flew by in a daze after their stargazing date, and G’raha had gotten even clumsier since then. Lyna had more than once saved him from tripping down the stairs, pulled him aside from running into a lamppost during an inspection, and made sure that he was actually paying attention to what he was reading. The captain had become increasingly distressed over all the accidents, despite his best attempts to assure her that he was definitely not getting sick. The source of his mishap is much more... personal. No one needed to know that he’d been daydreaming about the Warrior of Darkness, especially not if there was a chance that word would get back to her. 

His thoughts come to a halt when something sweet gets shoved into his mouth.

“ Rarararahaaa~” A familiar voice cooed from behind him. Not a moment later a piece of cake carefully balanced on a spoon appeared before his eyes, this time offering it for him to take it instead. Na’na had moved beside him with two slices of cake balanced on the other hand. “Say ‘Aaaaaaah~’”

“Aaaah,” he hesitantly opens his mouth and allows himself to be fed, the warmth of his cheeks coming back twofold. G’raha took the extra time to savor the piece, the sweet and fluffy cream with an equally light and soft sponge, the cake baked perfectly. “Did you get these from the market downstairs? They are perfect.”

“You can thank me by finishing a slice.” Na’na had already scooped another piece into his mouth, letting out a huff as he obediently chewed. “You shouldn’t be overworking yourself! I was hoping that you would take it easy now that the First isn’t in danger, but then I hear from Lyna that you’ve shut yourself in the study for hours again. You need to take breaks too, Raha.”

“I was just researching on how to get the Scions back home.” Well, at least he should have been. He’s been watching her go about her day, sometimes talking to the Scions and other times fending the weak from monsters. The way she moves, interacts, and fights captures every bit of his attention. And there is nothing he wants to change about it. “You told me that Krile believes that their lives could be at stake because I poorly summoned them to the First. I need to work to get them back to the Source before something bad-.”

“That is not a good excuse! You’ve been holed up here for the past few days without a break and I refuse to let you continue this until you get some sleep.” She shoves another spoonful of cake into his mouth without warning, only when she was sure that he finished did she take it back. He could feel bits of sticky cream coating his lips. “Since you can’t be trusted to take care of yourself, I’m going to do it for you.”

He barely had time to hide the grin that wormed its way to his face. G’raha felt almost a little giddy with joy as she worried about his health. It would be much easier to simply agree with what she says, but hearing her words always made his heart flutter. 

The miqo’te finally closed the book in his lap and set it aside. “Na’na, since I have fused with the tower, I do not need to sleep anymore. It does not affect my health to stay up for hours to get what I need done.” 

There was angry look that flashed across her eyes, one sharp and dark enough to kill a Primal. G’raha barely managed to suppress his laughter behind his hand; all he sees is the pout she is trying to hide behind the facade.

“You leave me with no choice.” A pair of lips meets his. Her lips. Her lips are sweeter than cream and softer than cake sponge. His breath caught in his throat, eyes fluttering closed as he returns the kiss. He could feel the drumming of his heart in his chest, his thoughts giving way to his senses. A delightful shiver runs up his neck when she pulls away and gently brushes his lips with her own. His focus remained at her lips. He felt drawn to her like a moth to a flame.

“Can I have another?” is his only hushed reply.

  3 Stories

G’raha had taken a break from his studies to see Na’na before she headed off on her next adventure, but the scene before him made him hesitate to join in.

“Miss Na’na! Can you tell us another story? Another one about the knight!” A flock of children swarmed around her, their joint efforts managing to lure her to the grass patch beside the building where more children were playing. Many of them had stopped their games to join the crowd. “But I wanna hear about the big monsters she fights!”

Among the crowd, a red haired mystel child stood out to him. Their short hair is much darker than his own, but the red shine is unmistakable under the sun. Would his child look like that? Heat burns at his cheeks at the thought, but he is reluctant to stop. A mystel child with red hair and golden eyes would be the heart of the Cystarium, and he had no doubts that their child would be doted on by everyone. 

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice you, Raha?” G’raha jumps back at the sudden voice. He would have tripped over his robes if Na'na didn’t catch his hand in time. She pulls him towards her, allowing him to use her as support to regain his balance. Once she was sure that he’s fine, she bows down to peek under his hood. Their eyes catching each other and causing her to break out into a grin. “Careful, I don’t think the Crystarium would be happy if they found out that their Exarch got injured on my watch.”

G’raha was going to wave off the children’s concern, only for Na’na to take his hand and drag him over. Some of the children scrambled up to their feet to greet him. Before he knew it, he was sitting at the front next to Na’na with her head resting against his shoulder. He could feel the curious, innocent stares directed towards them by the children, with some of the kids even whispering to each other. He made sure that his hood was still pulled up and over his head to provide him a refuge to hide his expression. 

His tail flicks and curls nervously, with the tip occasionally peeking out at the edge of his robes. G’raha had entertained these children before, yet now he wasn’t so sure what he should do, not without attempting to move away from Na’na. Luckily, she had already begun to spin her stories, one tale after another of the places and things she’d seen. A large plain where tribes of Drahns roam, where they would battle each other to claim the right to rule over all others. A kingdom of knights waging a war against dragons in a frozen tundra, and their descendents finding peace after a hundred summers. A princess that lives underwater, giant owls that protect books, and talking fish too.

He knows each and every story like the back of his hand, but hearing it being told by Na’na herself allows him to see it more vividly before his eyes. Be it the cold nipping at the end of his fingers and tail, the chatter of Reunion in his ear, or the ache of traveling in his bones. G’raha perks up when a fluffy tail suddenly brushes against his own, carefully stroking up and down before wrapping around the end of his own tail. A hint of who it is comes from the shaking of stifled laughter rumbling at his chest and the squeeze of her hand on his knee. 

“Na’na,” a voice calls from a distance. G’raha turns his head towards the source to spot a hyur approaching them. He’s dressed in dark armor with a bastard sword strapped to his back. He looked almost apologetic for interrupting her during her storytime, but clearly there are more important matters. “I need a bit of assistance with something.”

Na’na gives him a quick nod before slowly rising to her feet. G’raha went along with her, his hand lingering in her hold and reluctant to let her leave so easily. He watches as she apologizes to the kids for cutting the story short. The children quickly chime in with their complaints about the abrupt ending, also getting on their feet to complain. They only stop and start to split off into their group of friends after she made a promise to share more stories the next time she was free. 

“Looks like I’ll have to cut our time short as well, Raha,” she whispers to him as they follow the Hyur towards the main gate, their fingers still intertwined with each other. Na’na tugs at his hand to pull them to a stop just a few steps away from the gate. She was tapping her cheek with her finger, her eyes staring ahead without seeing. 

“Don’t push yourself too hard. You’ve already saved the First, surely everything else can wait.” It was a poor excuse to get her to stay, they both knew it. She had always been able to see through his words and find what he really wanted to say. Na’na gives him a wave of her hand, claiming that it would be quick. He wished he could go with her, to leave his duties behind for a moment and enjoy the adventuring life with her; taking down enemies side by side, spending nights cuddling each other around a fire, and hearing the rise and fall of her chest when they finally retire to bed.

“Na’na, next time, would you mind if I join you?” The words slip out before he can stop them. His entire body froze at the realization before his eyes slowly moved to see her reaction. Her own eyes widen at the question, ears perking up and shoulders stiff as if she doesn’t quite believe what she is hearing. Her gaze darts back and forth between him and the entrance. A lapse of intense regret crawls up the back of his neck in her silence. It’s enough for him to feel the cold sweat starting to form under his hood.

“You want to come on an adventure with me? Of course!” He lets out a sigh of relief, the tension slipping from his shoulders. Only for him to be pulled forward by his hood, Na’na’s lips colliding with his. A kiss that he returned back, returning her affection with as eagerly. Just as quickly as it started, she was gone. Out of his arms and already making her way towards an unknown destination. Her hand waving at him from a distance as she calls out, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon!”

G’raha could see the end of her tail was wagging with excitement that she wasn’t even attempting to contain. He bids her farewell, standing at the entrance of his great city until he can’t see her anymore. Only then does he turn around and make his way back to the Tower. His fingers reached up to trace where she had kissed and wished that he could feel them once more. 

Perhaps when she returns. 

  4 Running a Dungeon

He could feel it. The aether tingled under his skin and brimmed with energy. Every healing spell sealing cuts and healing bruises as he got them, yet they continue to come even when they are hurrying to the next nest of enemies. It struck him as odd, surely Na’na of all people should be able to tell? Still, he didn’t question her judgment and pushed on. 

Days leading up to their departure, Na’na poured over maps to figure out the best place that would best match both their skills. When he told her that any place would be fine, she was quick to point out how well he was doing when he was in Kholusia. She was blunt about making sure that she doesn't take him too far from the Tower. G’raha couldn’t help but let out a chuckle to himself, the one thing that is his source of power only turning out to be his greatest weakness. In the end, it’s worth it when he gets to see how much she frets over the little things. Yet, that doesn’t explain her healing. 

She settled with the Rak’tika Greatwood, it is close enough that he won’t feel sick 

Ancient trees scattered around with their branches stretching towards the sky and their roots cemented into the ground. The sun rays filtered through their leaves, giving the place an otherworldly glow. The only sight back in the source that might even compare would be the Black Shroud in Gridania, yet even then they couldn’t come close to how large the trees were here.

Before long, the moon had replaced the sun in the sky. The warmth of the makeshift campfire and sweet aroma emitting from the mug in his hand was more than enough for him to regain his strength. His other senses were more focused on the wisp of space between him and Na’na. The fire casts its soft light on her face, framing her portrait in a loving glow. Her eyes shone like amber in the morning sun. It felt like for a moment the world had stopped to marvel at her. He would gladly sit there for eternity if he could. 

He finally mustered up the courage to ask the question that had been on his mind since they had set out earlier. The small worry had bloomed into a huge concern, as she had been excessively healing him all day but still refused to rest. Even when he suggested they take a break. “Na’na, you were healing me for quite a bit today. Are you feeling alright? Is something wrong?”

Na'na smiles at him apologetically and moves in her seat on a large fallen branch to turn towards him. G’raha slides close enough for their knees and thighs to touch, even his tail moved to brush against hers, almost wrapping them together in an attempt to ease what nerves she might have. Was something troubling her? Has he done something wrong? Wait, what if his tanking skills need some work and she’s too sweet to tell him to improve? Had he been bad enough to warrant overhealing? He was slowly spiraling further into his mountain of worries, only for the gentle brush of Na’na’s hand to startle him back into reality.

“I have a Dark Knight stone. It’s not mine, at least not from the beginning. It was N’hect’s.” Her voice becomes softer and softer with every word, her gaze turning up towards the stars glittering in the night sky. His ears perk up at the name, one that sounds strangely familiar but he can’t remember from where. Her grip on his hand brought his attention to her sheepish smile. “He was my first knight, the one that showed me that chivalry can and still does exist in this world. When he… fell during the war, I decided to take up his job.”

Na’na shifts in her spot to pull out a small pouch from her pocket and drops its contents onto an open palm. It was her stone, a yellow rune carved onto the deep red background. He had only ever seen drawings of them in books as a way to pass down specialized abilities. This one was worn at the edges, and a few nicks and cuts showed its age. “During the war, we fought side by side. I got careless… It was a blow that neither of us expected and he was able to react first.” 

She closes her fist around it, eyes brimming with unshed tears as she tries to keep herself together. Her voice becomes small and tight as she tries to keep the emotions from leaking through. His own heartaches alongside her as she continues. “He lost his life to save mine.” 

“I have already lost him.” Her eyes tearing up looked like wells of gold, and he could see her pure love and honesty. Her hands dropped the stone to squeeze his own before she lifted it to cup her cheek. Her head turned slightly to brush her lips against his palm and melted his heart in turn.  “I don’t want to lose you too. You gave me hope. You gave me the hope that the world is worth saving. When we met, I was questioning if it was really worth all the pain that I was going through. Your kindness, your thirst for knowledge, and all the little things that make you so genuine. I’m scared that I will lose you one day too.”

“I know that you have been working yourself to death and you’re not alone anymore,” Na’na whispers to him like it was her best-kept secret, she reaches out to cup his cheek and turns him to face her. “Remember when you told me that you thought of me like a star in the sky? I don’t want to be, I don’t want to be somewhere out of reach. I want to be beside you. Instead I want to believe that the stars have led us together again, and I want nothing more than for us to remain that way. Taking one step after another, together. For the rest of our lives.”

G’raha attempts to blink away his unshed tears, but she continues to whisper sweet words. “My princeling, my Raha. You give me the hope to continue fighting this fight. That this world I fight for holds someone like you.”

“I love you.” 

Her hand reaches up to twirl a strand of his hair, her eyes fluttering closed and forehead pressed against his. G’raha finds his own eyes closing and feels the tension in his shoulders starting to break away at her words. Words that he never knew he needed so much. “At the end of my legends and stories, I want to be together with you. No matter what becomes of the Warrior in everyone’s eyes. I will find myself coming back to you, my beloved Raha.” 

Na’na laid bare her heart to him, every word causing his tears to slip until they were all running down his cheeks. G’raha takes in a shaky breath to calm his racing heart. Despite knowing how much she loves and cherishes him, his heart would flutter and his body grows warm whenever she said those 3 words. 

“I want to be with you through all your adventures. Fighting alongside you, sharing meals around a  fire, and sleeping beside you under a starry sky.” He finally found his words, opening up the deepest part of his heart for her to see. His palms feel sweaty and a creeping feeling of embarrassment comes up his spine to cover his face with a blush. Still, he shakes his head out of shame and leans forward, pressing his forehead against her. The world fell away once he felt her breath on his lips, and it was taking all his self control to not kiss her senseless.

With lips just ilms apart from meeting, he whispers out his confession. “Not just that, I want to see your smiling face to be the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see before I fall asleep. I want to see kids running around with my hair and your eyes, to be the shoulder you lean on, to be the person you seek out in a crowd.”

“I want to spend the rest of my life with you and only you.”

[theres-a-goldensky]

BL Show Review Series - My Engineer and 2gether

I am new to BL series, having only discovered them thanks to being stuck at home in quarantine. However, I’ve now watched enough of them that I feel like I have a lot to say and nowhere to say it. So I decided to write some reviews, talk about some issues that I had, and mainly get all of these feelings out of me. 

Disclaimer that these are my own opinions, and I don’t know where the BL community as a whole stands on these shows. If I disliked a show you loved or visa versa, no disrespect is intended! 

First up, then, are My Engineer and 2gether

MASTERLIST OF BL SHOW REVIEWS

MY ENGINEER 

Rating: 4/10 (Revised score: 6/10)

Main Pairing

The premise of this show is silly, but I was willing to let that pass if it was cute enough. It wasn’t. Not for me, anyway. The main pairing was very lackluster, and their courtship started off weird, with freshman Duen inexplicably feeling obligated to care for the older Bohn. Duen accidentally punches Bohn, but that interaction spirals into Duen letting Bohn bully him into buying Bohn flowers every day for a month as recompense. 

You get it from Bohn’s perspective. He clearly is interested in Duen from the beginning, and this is his inept way of flirting. But Duen going along with it at first, when he dislikes Bohn, is baffling. I thought there must have been something I missed. Was it because Bohn was his senior? 

The parts I found most charming about their story involved them interacting with their younger siblings. In particular, Duen’s love of his little sister was genuinely heartwarming. There’s a date scene late in the series that is the highlight of their story for me.

There is a ridiculous, drawn out arc about which one of them is going to top, which I was super done with before it even started. It ends with the message that, hey, anyone can be a top or a bottom and it doesn’t matter, but man did the story take its time getting there. It left a bad taste in my mouth.

Side Pairings

There are three additional side pairings happening here, which was at least one too many. However, the relationship between King and Ram quickly became the best thing about the show for me. The two of them together are charming, particularly the patient way that King enjoys Ram’s oddities and works to find a way to communicate with him anyway. 

Ram, despite being a side character, is the most developed person in the show. We see a lot about his family life and his interests. He’s fiercely loyal to his friends but also very shy. Over the course of the show, you see him feel hurt and scared and angry and in love, and all without him saying much of anything at all. 

The next side pairing is Mek and Boss. They are best friends and Boss calls himself Mek’s wifey. Mek is in love with Boss, to the point where he has a shrine of him hidden away in his room. It’s very sweet, even though you’re left kind of wondering, uh...why? What has Boss done to earn Mek’s undying devotion? It’s unclear.

Bafflingly, the actor who plays Mek was not speaking Thai in this. All of his lines were dubbed over -- very, very poorly -- and you can see that the words he’s speaking don’t match the words he’s supposed to be saying. I have no idea why they cast this person, though he did well given the circumstances. He has a very soulful stare that worked to demonstrate his pining. Watching him decide to help Boss get a girlfriend just because he wanted him to be happy was tough. 

If I were to recommend this series, it would be to follow these two side stories. You may enjoy the Bohn/Duen romance, but I had a hard time getting attached to them or believing their chemistry.

The final pairing was between Frong and Dr. Thara. I have nothing to say about them, honestly. It could have been completely taken out and nothing would have been lost. The actors did what they could with the roles. Both were charming, both were very, very attractive, but that couldn’t save this side story for me.

The acting was just so-so, though special mention should probably go to the actors who portrayed Mek and Boss, since they spent the majority of their scenes acting with someone who was speaking an entirely different language. 

There was very little tension and almost no stakes in this series, except between King and Ram.  

(Update: 9/27/20

Time sometimes changes feelings on a series, and in the months since I wrote this review, I’ve come to look more favorably on this drama. My love for Ram and King has only grown, and I’ve come to tolerate Bohn and Duen’s story more than I had before. Some of the early parts are even cute, though the back half still bugs me.)

***

2GETHER THE SERIES Rating: 5/10

Main Pairing

Win and Bright, the actors who portray the main characters of Tine and Sarawat, are both just...startingly good looking. They’re tall and broad and handsome. Tine has the sweetest smile and Sarawat can sexy brood with the best of them. I think the natural charisma of both leads did a lot to paper over the cracks of a thin story where the characters made nonsensical choices just to drive forward the plot. 

This is a fake dating story, which should be my JAM, ok? Straight boy freshman Tine wants to curb the attentions of Green, a gay man who is pursuing him. He decides to ask Sarawat, the campus dreamboat, to pretend date him so that Green will back off. It all makes sense so far, in terms of how these convoluted romantic comedy set-ups go. Sarawat refuses, and Tine starts up a charm offensive to get him to agree. Still makes sense. But then, once Sarawat commits to this plan, scene after scene goes like this: 

Tine: Sarawat, here comes Green! Pretend to be my boyfriend! Sarawat: [pretends to be his boyfriend] Tine: Oh no, what are you doing? People are going to think we’re dating!

Like, bro, he is doing what you have explicitly asked him to do! Often just moments before! What is HAPPENING? I get that this is supposed to be Tine feeling confused about his burgeoning feelings for Sarawat, but then show that by Tine being nervous or embarrassed. Having him lash out at Sarawat made no sense and got more frustrating as the series went on.

And look, I’m just going to say it: Win and Bright seem like they didn’t want to touch each other. They have major bro chemistry, but zero romantic chemistry. It got to the point, in the last few episodes, where I thought there was a translation error and I was misunderstanding the status of their relationship. By the tail-end of the series, former playboy Tine still looks a cross between confused and horrified whenever Sarawat tries to touch him. We never once see Tine happily kiss Sarawat. I don’t understand the choices that were made by the actor, director, and writers here. 

Every problem that occurs between Tine and Sarawat could be solved with a few clarifying words, but instead they get dragged on for the sake of drama. 

Furthermore, I know that BLs are fond of the “I’m not gay, I just like you” trope, but for the first 11 episodes of this show, Sarawat is coded as gay. Not bi. Not straight-except-for-you. Gay. He has a literal harem of women surrounding him at all times, showering him with gifts and attention, and doesn’t once appear interested. When his mother asks him when he’s going to get a girlfriend, the look that both he and his brother give her clearly reads, “Are you fucking kidding?” 

And yet, in episode 12, we are supposed to believe that his first and only other great love was a woman. It’s the way the book was written, I get it, but it rang false for me. 

Side Pairings

There were two side pairings. All four of the actors involved are BL vets who performed their duties well. 

Man and Type are interesting, but their story gets pushed to the side until the end of the series. However, while Tine and Sarawat’s story was floundering in the latter episodes, I was more than happy to watch this develop. Mike, who plays Man, has become one of my favorite supporting actors in these shows. He’s workman-like, bringing natural charm to his performances and always getting the job done. Seeing Man try to win Type over was fun even while it barely toed the line between sweet and creepy.

Mil and Phukong though? I was not here for any of it. Mil was a jerk and Phukong was a doormat. The way they ended the series was insulting to Phukong. I’d say he deserved better, but his insistence on going after Mil even though Mil was a genuine asshole to both him and his brother did his character no favors. The show wanted Mil to be redeemed by the end, but no thanks, I’ll pass. Phukong may not have deserved better, but Drake and Frank definitely did. I hated it.

Like I said, the actors are so likable and gorgeous, and the fake dating trope is such a classic, that I really wanted to like this one. The first few episodes were sweet and had potential, but the awkwardness between them that I assumed would go away by the end never did. 

MASTERLIST OF BL SHOW REVIEWS

(Send me an ask if you have a show you’d like me to review - with the understanding that I will be completely honest - or if there’s anything you think I forgot or got wrong in this review.)

[totally-normal-boy]

Utenalysis #1: Utena ISN’T Dumb

Every Revolutionary Girl Utena fan has heard jokes about how Utena is dumb. Most of us have made our fair share of them as well. However, However, even though she is an innocent character with a (sometimes frustratingly) optimistic attitude, she is not stupid. She’s an intelligent teenage girl being deceived by two very skilled manipulators who have exploited her desire to be part of a family. Anthy and Akio are actively discouraging her from asking questions about her situation, just like society actively discourages people from questioning unfair systems. To say that Utena is stupid oversimplifies an interesting character who is just as complicated as the rest of the cast.

In the Student Council Arc, Utena demonstrates that she is a clever person. At the beginning of the series, she asks perceptive questions that show she is looking for the right sort of information to help her figure out what is going on in the duels. In the second episode, she asks Anthy how she could be involved in the duels but still not know how they worked. This shows that she was suspicious about Anthy’s role in the duels, but she doesn’t get the answers she needs because Anthy deflects the question in two ways. First, she asks Utena why she wears a boys’ uniform, which Utena responds to by saying “because I like it." But then, after that, Anthy asks Utena if she’s bothered by having her and Chu Chu around, which leads her to introduce Chu Chu to Utena. This is not one, but three, different manipulation tactics. Anthy makes Utena come up with the answer to her own question, then she makes her feel guilty for asking it in the first place, and last she distracts her with a silly monkey.

However, even as Anthy discourages Utena from asking questions about the dueling games by giving her vague and confusing answers, Utena tries to use logic and reason with Anthy. From episode 3 up until episode 12, Utena tries to encourage Anthy to make more friends. This is a combination of her desire to give herself a sense of self-worth by “saving” Anthy and a projection of her own desire to be less lonely. To do this, Utena tries to be straightforward when talking with Anthy. In episode 3, she tries to explain to Anthy how her lack of friends is a problem instead of just dragging her along to the school dance. This is presumptuous of Utena because she is imposing her values onto Anthy. However, it does show how Utena is not completely oblivious. She is intelligent enough to understand that she needs to engage with Anthy's opinions.

Utena proves that she's smart in an academic sense, along with just an interpersonal sense in episode 4. In this episode, Wakaba tells Utena that she usually gets good grades in spite of doing poorly on her most recent test. This represents how even though Utena is a smart person, her intelligence will not help her succeed in the dueling games. Akio designed the dueling game so that it only benefits him. So, intelligent people like Utena and Miki, the duelist who is the focus of that episode, may believe that they can beat the system. However, Akio and Anthy are manipulating them both, and neither of them will be able to outsmart the system.

One of the biggest reasons that many fans think that Utena is dense or unintelligent is because she doesn’t pick up on the incestuous nature of Anthy and Akio's relationship. However, Utena has been bonding with Anthy since the beginning of the series. She has been bonding with Akio for almost as long because she started to view him as a mentor figure during the Black Rose arc. While it is impossible to deny that Utena genuinely views Anthy as her friend at the start of the Akio arc, many people forget that Utena also views Akio as her friend.

While the audience knows Akio is an evil person, Utena does not. She sees him as an intelligent older man who treats her as his equal, even though he is the Chairman of the school. While the audience knows that he is the Ends of the World, Anthy tells Utena that her brother knows nothing about the duels when Utena first meets him in episode 14. Utena starts lying on Anthy's behalf which incentivizes her to not connect Akio with the duels. If she did that, both her trust in Anthy and the illusion of her normal friendship with Akio would be broken.

Additionally, Utena does not find any reason to distrust Akio throughout the entire Black Rose Arc. While Akio is undeniably grooming her during this arc, he does not do or say anything to make Utena so uncomfortable that she will stop spending time with him. He is biding his time so that it will have the maximum negative emotional impact on her when he finally does take advantage of her. But to Utena Akio is smart, kind, and in a committed relationship. On the surface he seems like decent guy. He’s the Chairman of the school, but he’s young and cool, so she simultaneously sees him as both a friend and an authority figure. One could argue that she even sees him as a role model because he is simultaneously both someone who defies convention and lives up to the archetype of the prince. He has the power to be whoever he wants without being judged for it, which is something Utena wants as well. However, Utena wants this freedom so that she can define her own identity, while Akio uses this freedom to abuse other people.

Utena is drawn to both Akio and Anthy because Anthy lets her be a prince while Akio lets her be a “totally normal girl.” She can have both of her fantasies at once when she’s with the two of them by living in two separate worlds. The world of the duels lets her feel like a savior, especially after she protects Anthy from multiple people who were threatening to kill her in the Black Rose Arc. Even though Utena doesn’t remember the duels after this arc, she does still remembers protecting Anthy from the student council, none of whom respect Anthy’s autonomy. Utena never questions whether or not she respects Anthy's autonomy because she has been conditioned not to question her involvement in the duels. Anthy has encouraged Utena to try and fulfill the role of the Prince because that is part of her role as the Rose Bride. While Anthy gives her a chance to fulfill her dream of being a prince, Akio gives her the chance to feel like she is still a regular girl in spite of that. She gets the power that comes with being a prince and the societal validation that comes with being the princess.

By the time that Utena moves into the Chairman's office, she has good reason to purposefully avoid admitting that Akio and Anthy's relationship isn't as wholesome as she had originally believed. Early on in the Akio arc, Anthy apologizes to Utena on Akio's behalf, because she is worried that she was offended by him referring to the three of them as being family. However, Utena tells Anthy that it made her feel good because she doesn't have any family herself. As much as she genuinely values Anthy’s autonomy, she does want to uphold the system of her being the Rose Bride. While she wants to improve the system so that Anthy has more freedom, she does enjoy how the system gives her a sense of belonging she never had before. Later, she realizes that sense of belonging comes from her relationship with Anthy, and not her status as part of Anthy and Akio's family. However, by this point, she has yet to realize that because Akio is using the fact that she lost her family at a young age to manipulate her.

While the audience has known the truth about Akio and Anthy's relationship since episode 14, Utena didn't even start spending much time with both of them at once until she moved into the Chairman's tower. In addition to this, she does not have a framework for what a healthy family is supposed to look like since she grew up without one. Even if it doesn't seem like Anthy and Akio have a normal sibling relationship to her, Utena doesn't feel like she has the right to criticize them for that. They’re the first family she’s ever been part of and Utena seems to be uncomfortable with the general concept of empathy. She often shies away when Wakaba is extremely friendly with her, so one can assume that any sort of closeness feels unfamiliar to her. Also, the fact that she still believes she is helping Anthy keep the duels secret from Akio probably makes her feel like an invader in their family.

When Nanami moves into the Chairman's tower, Utena using her as a sounding board to validate her opinions about the true nature of Anthy and Akio's relationship. If Nanami agrees that they are a regular pair of siblings, then it must be true. However, if Nanami disagrees with her, Utena can blame Nanami for looking for evidence that Anthy feels the same way about Akio that she does about Touga. In episode 32, Utena tells Nanami that she thinks Akio and Anthy are sleeping in the same bed because they are "really close siblings." She already knows that Nanami thinks there is something incestuous about the relationship between the two siblings based on the conversations they had in the previous episode. So, if Nanami validates her theory now, then everything is all right. She doesn't have to reevaluate the way she's been living her life up until this point. She can have a family.

In the end, all that Utena wants is to overcome the pain of losing her family at such a young age. In episode 37, Anthy tells Utena that she wants herself, Utena, and Akio to stay the way that they currently are forever. But that's not Anthy's fantasy, it's Utena's. Utena is tired of feeling alone. She’s tired of feeling like she isn’t strong enough. She doesn’t want to have to rely on some man like a delicate princess, but she doesn’t really want to be a prince either. She wants to know that she can be free from those roles without being completely alone. And eventually, she does find that in Anthy. Even though their relationship was never perfect, they learn to see each other as people. They find freedom and companionship in each other, and that’s what makes their relationship beautiful.

[amethystaqua]

Of mugs and secrets (Or how Dante found out about your relationship with Vergil)

I finally finished after entire week of writing and editing! I never thought my first fanfic would be of 2223 words! I really hope you enjoy it! :D

The room was still dark as calmness reigned; the only sounds were the soft breathing on your ear of the man sleeping next to you. Vergil was spooning you, the warm feeling making a real struggle having to get up to start your day. You wiggle trying to move the least required, not wanting to disturb your boyfriend’s sleep, you almost made it, until he made some soft grunts. You froze fearing you might have woken him up, but he just turned to his side of the bed.

A smile found its way into your lips as you approached to kiss him ever so lightly on his mouth, then proceeding to leave the bedroom. You started to go through your day’s agenda in your head, the pendant paperwork waiting at work, visiting Nico to pick up your beloved, just repaired sword Polaris, and the appointment with a possible client. However, all your plans came to a halt the moment you notice a dark figure lying on the living room’s couch. Quietly you summon your spear Morgenstern out of thin air and approach the figure, looking around to see if something else was hiding in the shadows.

“Well now this is what I an exciting welcome (Y/N)” a sleepy familiar voice said making you jump out of the impression.

“My god… Dante! I was this close to stab you!”

“As you know, you wouldn’t be the only one sweetie” he sat on the couch while stretching his arms with an audible pop from his bones.

You met Dante when you were just a kid, with no family left, he rescued you from being a sacrifice for a greater demon since you were a Nephilim, however that seemed to be only the beginning of your problems. Demons appeared to be drawn to your blood like moths to a flame and thus, the week that you hadn’t been attacked by a demon, extremely uncommon. So instead of going to every orphanage or school you assisted to save you, Morrison decided it was for the best if Dante just adopted you. That way he could keep an eye on you, so no more civilians were put on danger, and also train you. Dante wasn’t in any sense qualified to adopting a little girl, but with your help (The motherly interventions of Lady and Trish, and some extra cash from Morrison) you two worked it out and in the process, perceived each other a bit like father and daughter.

“What on earth are you doing here?” you made Morgenstern disappear, heartbeat slowing down now that there was no real danger “And how did you get in?”

“Perks from my brand-new powers, and as for your first question… Let’s leave it I had kind of an emergency”

“Ok let’s review your concept of emergency” You leaned into him, taking carefully his face on your hands checking for any sings of cuts or bruises “does it involve injuries?”

“Not this time” he chuckled as you were still inspecting the rest of his body. After confirming the man was in one piece, you decided to head to the kitchen to start making breakfast with Dante following right behind you.

“An angry Trish or Lady?” you opened the fridge to start looking for the ingredients to make pancakes, you really stomach really needed some food now.

“Nah we just had drinks last week” he took a seat on the small kitchen table.

“Another powerful demon king about to be resurrected?” once you gathered everything you needed; you poured some flour along milk on the crystal bowl you took from the kitchen cabinet.

“Funny (Y/N) but no, not a demon, and somehow way more terrifying then one…Patty wants go out on a date with me” you almost dropped the egg you just grabbed for the batter, staring at him in disbelief on what he just said heard.

“Wait… so you broke into my apartment at” you looked at the clock next to the fridge “at 7:00 am just because you’re scared of a 19-year-old who wants a date with you?”

“I was coming back from a job! Morrison called me and he said a miss was waiting for me at DMC! Then I heard her voice on the phone! I’m not going anywhere with her when she’s faking a promise!”

“Dante…” Calm, take a deep breath you thought as you focused on inhaling deeply, he sure had a talent for making you lose your temper sometimes “are you serious? Both Morrison and I were there! I perfectly recall you saying when she’s turned old enough you would date her!

“Damn, so you’re saying she isn’t lying and I must keep my promise?”

“Yeah sure because I definitely want Patty to come on our already uncomfortable family dinners at Nero’s home” you answered sarcastically as you mixed the bowl’s ingredients “Just take her out to eat pizza or something, keep it as casual as possible so she doesn’t get her hopes up”

“Or... you could allow me to stay for a few days”

“Dante...”

“Please (Y/N) only 2 days!” he lifted up the chair and moved next to you “Just until she’s tired of stalking me!”

“Since you’re here not like I have much of a choice, do I?”

“I knew I could count on you!” Dante said while lifting you off the ground, on really strong hug just like he has done all these years since you were a kid.

“Be quiet!” you whisper loudly, squirming a bit in his tight embrace “Vergil is still sleeping!”

“Wait, what’s Verge doing here?”  he dropped you while looking at you quite confused.

Oh, you just fucked up big this time… Dante was the only one who didn’t know about your relationship with Vergil. Unknowing of your past together when he was V, Dante’s father instincts awakened, as he warned you to stay away from Vergil, after noticing the constant glances you shared with his twin, fearing his brother got interested in you just because you were a Nephilim.

“He uh... went on a job yesterday, and uh he got poisoned by a demon so he needed someone to cure him!” That was the only excuse your sleepy brain was able to scheme in those few seconds, thinking Dante would buy it… then you remembered the eldest son of Sparda never asked for help.

“So, he decided to come here was the best idea?”

“Yeah” you tried to smile at him to look as convincing as possible.

“My brother looking for you to heal him?... All right never thought I’d see the day the dumbass put his pride aside and ask for help!”

“Heh… guess he still remembers one of the times I cured him when he was V” You sighed in relief, turning your attention on the coffee machine to prepare some, thinking you got away with your little lie until…

“But why he didn’t return to Devil May Cry?”

“I-it was really late and cold outside so I suggested he spent the night here “blush adorned your checks, once you realized the size of the stupidity you just said. “Al-also, I needed to be certain I cured the wound properly.

Dante just hummed and returned to his seat, whether he believed that poorly made answer or not, he didn’t say it. You were about to change topic, but were interrupted by a growling.

“Geez...” you couldn’t help but laugh lightly “I suppose you haven't eaten anything”

“Can’t lie at this point” You smiled at him. Once the coffee machine finished you poured some coffee on 3 cups that you placed on the counter. With all the noise, probably Vergil would join you both for breakfast.

“Stay right here, and don’t touch anything” you said as walking past beside him.

A shower was really much needed. You were already a bit late and didn’t want to waste more minutes, after all, you could always buy something to eat at work if you didn’t have time left. On the hallway to the bathroom you found the elder son of Sparda already got up.

“Oh, hi I thought you were still asleep” you stood on your tiptoes to give him a quick peck on his cheek “Didn’t want to wake you up”

“To whom I must thank for making Dante grace us with his presence this early in the morning?” his icy blue eyes showing an evident annoyance.

“That would be Patty… apparently the poor girl really wants a date with your brother to the point she’s waiting for him at Devil May Cry as we speak”

“I’m afraid that doesn’t justify why he’s here” a frown taking over his features.

“Well… “you played with a loose lock of your hair “Lady and Trish aren’t home, Nico still wants to bang him and I’m not letting that happen, and finally Nero made crystal clear last time I spoke to him, he wanted Dante at least 10 mts away from Kyrie and Credo” Your best friends had just had their beautiful son, the last thing Nero needed was having Dante in their house with Kyrie so delicate after her pregnancy.

“Hmpf still he isn’t staying here” Vergil crossed his arms, his answer just as you predicted.

“Please I can’t kick him out of the apartment just like that! I bet if you were the one in his…”

“I would never find myself in such a ridiculous situation like this”

“Right, forget what I just said” you said a bit ashamed while scratching your head.

“Even if I did unlike Dante, I could find a solution on my own”

“My point is! He needs help” you cupped his face in your hands “I know we had plans but come on, it’s going to be just a couple of days” you gave him the best puppy eyes you could.

It wasn’t as frequent as you wished for Vergil to stay in your apartment, between your jobs and the constant efforts to hide the truth to Dante. That’s why those days where two of you just sat on a couch to read, or did any other silly activity together, became so precious memories.

“I promise I’ll make it up for you when he leaves” you whispered in his ear face turning red with the possible implications.

He pushed you carefully against a wall lifting you face and grazing with his thumb your plump lips.

“You should not take promises so lightly my dear angel” you melted at his words, his lips mere inches from yours “I fear you may have acquired my brother’s demeanors”

“Have I ever broken my word before?”

An almost imperceptible smile, one only you got to recognize adorned his face as he claimed your mouth on a passionate kiss, that to your perception didn’t last enough. But you didn’t complain once Vergil separated from you, the risk of being caught by Dante was way too high.

“He’s in the kitchen” you cleared your throat, trying to control your small gasps for air.

“I expected no less” he fixed his hair and clothes, erasing any sings of the kiss you just had.

“Welp I’m going to shower now, not taking long” you passed beside him and closed the bathroom’s door only to open it a few seconds later “Vergil wait! Geez I almost forgot; I left some coffee for you and Dante on the kitchen counter. I’m pretty sure you’ll know which mug is yours since your favorite mug broke in our tiny accident a few nights ago”

You winked playfully at him, but he only limited to clicked his tongue in disapproval and directed to the kitchen. Once Nico knew about your relationship with Nero’s deadbeat father (as she always called him) the mechanic wasted no time to tease, giving you a little present: a white mug with big blue letters that read I’m your daddy for your boyfriend to use. Obviously, once Vergil found out the existence of the mug, the first thing he wanted was to toss it on a trash can, but you didn’t allow it being a gift from Nico.

While you showered the guilt took over you for hiding Dante about you and Vergil. Maybe it was time to tell him the truth, after all, didn’t he always wanted for his brother to embrace his humanity and live a somewhat normal life? You stepped out of the bathroom once you finished, so deep in these thoughts that it wasn’t until you were on your way to the kitchen, that you noticed how quiet the house was. At this point you were so used to whenever the twins were together their heated conversations escalated quickly to an argument that sometimes required a third-party intervention, so the silence was really unusual.

“Ok now, is it okay for you guys to eat pan…cakes...”

Your voice lowered the volume as you looked at the scene before your eyes. Vergil and Dante were staring fixedly at each other with a murderous gaze, each one with a hand around the infamous cup, now you knew the real reason for the unusual silence, Dante must have assumed the mug was his.

“So…” you laugh nervously “I guess the cat is out of the bag.

The end

[ask-warlock-dowling]

You said we could request any character sooooo, um, about three with dear old Buzzy? (In the ask universe obvs)

Number Three: I may be an idiot, but I’m not stupid. 

|| Wanted to save this one for when we were in the midst of angst, figured now is as good a time as any! Here’s some sweet Ineffable Bureaucracy to break up the angst a little bit. Apologies if I screw up any interpretations, but I’ll do my best to keep it canon to our universe ||

Five years. In just three days, it would be five years. Sure, Gabriel may have been over six thousand years old, and sure he had no concept of an “anniversary” until Adam inquired about it, but he wanted to make things special. He also had to keep his plans a secret. He wanted to take Beelzebub somewhere special, and give them a gift. He had spent the last few days trying to make it perfect for his beloved. It wasn’t anything too big or flashy, but Beelzebub didn’t seem to drawn to things like that anyways. Gabriel had focused on wrapping this gift so much, he hadn’t heard the front door open, or footsteps behind him. It wasn’t until someone cleared their throat that Gabriel turned around. He tried to make sure Beelzebub didn’t see what was sitting on the kitchen counter behind him. 

“Buzzy!” He exclaimed. “Welcome home, dearest. How have you been? How was your day?”

He hugged Beelzebub, who was smirking. They leaned back after, and crossed their arms. “What’s that?” They asked, tilting their head slightly, trying to get a glimpse of the counter.

“Nothing! Nothing at all. Not uh, not a thing! Definitely not hiding a gift back there.” Gabriel lied, poorly.

“Gabe,” they started, “I may be an idiot, but I’m stupid.” Beelzebub teased with a slight chuckle.

Gabriel, however, wasn’t smiling. “What? Bee, I don’t think you’re an idiot! Or stupid.”

Beelzebub shook their head and held their hands up. “No, no, it’s an expre-” their attempt to explain was cut off.

“You don’t think that about yourself, do you?” Gabriel asked, taking both of their hands. “Because I think you are the smartest, most intelligent, most wonderful person I’ve ever met! You’re not stupid or an idiot at all.”

Beelzebub stammered, trying to hide the blush on their face. “Well, you, I, y-yeah.”

“Oh, i was going to ask you in a few nights but, oh I just can’t wait much longer! I know this may be some, silly little human tradition but, Beelzebub?”

“Yes, Gabriel?”

Gabriel reached behind him to take the box, and he dropped down onto one knee. he opened the small velvet box, exposing the ring inside. A black band, adorned with a purple gemstone. It wasn’t an amethyst, in fact it wasn’t any naturally occuring gem.

“Will you marry me?” 

Beelzebub hugged Gabriel tightly, the both of them now sitting on their knees in the kitchen of their cottage. 

“Of course I will.” 

Gabriel slid the ring onto their finger, then presented another ring. A silver band, with an icy blue gemstone as its centerpiece. Beelzebub took the ring, and placed it onto Gabriel’s finger.

“I made the gems, you know. They perfectly match our eyes.”

Beelzebub snickered and very lightfully and playfully “slapped” Gabriel’s face.

“You sap.”

|| Some fluff for everyone! @askbeelzebub @askarchangelgabriel @ask-the-ineffable-being cause y’all need it right now. ||

[captainlokispeople]

Aesthetic Bias Tag

I’m all about this shit, thanks @flyingsculptures

Your Bias?: Kim Seokjin

How did you discover your bias?: It was an accident. I came for Blackpink, got hooked on BTS and I found myself being drawn more and more to Jin with each video I watched. He wasn’t my ultimate bias to start, but he slowly wormed himself in to the point that I was just smacked in the face with the fact that I loved him lots. 

What’s the first word that comes to mind when you think of your bias?: Genuine.

What does your bias make you feel?: A deep sense of reverence for who I want to be. It’s fucking cheesy I know, but I hold such a strong sense of respect and love for Jin because he’s just so purely himself. He cares deeply for his members, he is strong/confident but unafraid to bend and break for his members, and he has this sense of true humility that you’d never expect. I just feel a sense of awe at times. 

When was the last time they made you cry?: There was this performance of Awake that Jin performed in Japan where he cried while he was singing. I hold such a deep, personal, connection to that song (same with Epiphany) and watching him cry while singing rung such a deep cord with myself, and the hushed crowd was mesmerizing, I fed into the moment. It was a soft cry that was building up and it just kind of happened. Now I can’t find that video to save my life :( -- also cried when he spoke about BTS’ almost disbandment at the beginning of 2018, he is very raw. 

When was the last time they made you smile?: Well fuck that’s hard because it doesn’t take much. I think when he scream yelled over a reporter because he didn’t want to kiss one of his members on the cheek (probs having war flashbacks). Or maybe when he tried shadow boxing Jungkook while they were cooking on Run! there’s so many moments its hard to keep them in line because he’s a goofy fuck.

What Reminds You of Your Bias?

- Sight: An early spring day spent waking up, filmed through an older recorder that leaves the screen feeling gritty and nostalgic of the world starting its day.

- Sound: The muffled sounds of teenagers laughing and playing, feet hitting the ground as they run and jump on each other, music not really filling the open air of a park but belting out some top 40s track, all heard through the walls of your old poorly decorated apartment. 

- Touch: Hands vigorously ruffling the fur of a soft fluffy puppy, fingers scratching behind the silky ears, and the warmth of the sun spilling in through your window making your skin feel warm and alive.

- Smell: Coffee and syrup, something sweet and energizing that is meant to provide you with the essence necessary to keep going. The scent of the freshly brewed coffee ticking at your nose while you eye the sweet maple syrup as the pancakes cook. 

- Taste: The bitterness of coffee meant to sharpen your senses and bring your reality into focus, the warmth of the coffee slipping over your tongue and saturating your taste buds with its acidity.

- Locations: Comedy clubs late at night where you go with your best friends and where the laughter is loud and raucous. Intimate restaurants where you get lost in the new sensations of foods you've never had before and you can enjoy the warmth of each others company without having to worry about others judging you. Under appreciated bars where you and your friends have become regulars and where you can shout and be silly without worry that you’re going to be asked to leave. 

- Feelings: A sweet sort of intimacy that only your best friends and those that you love have, where you can share a look or a gesture that sends you all into a tail spin of laughter or solidarity. This sense of deep reverence and appreciation towards others as you want nothing more than to love them calmly and completely because this intimate group of individuals are the ones you trust the most and you want nothing more than to see them smile. 

- Situations: Movie nights with your friends where the movie takes the back seat and your conversations take over to the point that when the credits roll you have to start the movie over again because you really wanted to watch it unfold before promptly forgetting about it once more. Driving in a car with your windows rolled down and your music turned up while you and your friends belt out the completely wrong lyrics to songs they swear they knew the words too. 

- Songs: “Awake” by Jin of BTS, “Another Night on Mars” by The Maine

- Books: “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Sailor Moon” by Naoko Takeuchi

Movies/TV Shows: Bridesmaids, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Clueless, Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Objects: Clocks, thick heavy quilts thrown over the backs of couches, your favorite plush toy, worn in sneakers.

Flowers: Bluebell, White Carnation, Calla Lilies. 

---

This was both time consuming and awesome. I enjoyed every single second of this tag and I wanna tag @nickirooks to see what she has to say. :)

[verosmoonshine-blog]

For a Fistful of Azerite...

(Takes place approximately 2 months ago, prior to his promotion in the Agents of Suramar) TW: Blood & Violence

Prelude | Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV (coming soon!)

As someone who once dedicated their life to the art of arcane, intensely researching the magical properties of their world, Veros knew that he would have to get a hold of Azerite somehow. The blood of their world was crystallizing at the surface, both a horrible outcome of the immense blade in Silithus, and a wonderful gift to the denizens of Azeroth. The mineral could transform life as they knew it.

Oh, if only people weren't so distracted by power and warfare.

In any case, Veros knew he would have to act. How to get his hands on such a precious mineral, he did not know, aside from showing up, upfront to the goblin miners in Silithus and plucking the gems from their fingers. It wouldn't be easy. It probably wouldn't even be worth risking his life over.

But when the rest of the world has just barely been exposed to a man who so dearly missed it for ten thousand years, any risk he had to take to learn more was justified.

Such a way of thinking brought the nightborne to Silithus, where the elf perched a distance off from the site of the wound. How long he had been standing there, gazing in horror at the incomprehensibly massive blade lodged into the earth, he did not know. The smell of metal, smoke and blood filled his lungs despite being far away from the digsite. He knew what he was going to see when he came out here. He read enough and heard enough, he thought, about the blade’s size and massive veins of Azerite sprouting out. But to see it all in person, to see it to scale and feel its raw power rock his entire body -- nothing could have prepared him for that.

He couldn't afford to be distracted though. He needed to to find a way to steal some of the mineral for himself. Watching the goblins hack away at it, knowing that they’d likely haul it off to use it for warfare purposes sickened him. He could do so much more with it without ever having to claim a life. He has to act now.

Veros stands to his full height, pulling his black mask over his nose and mouth. His mission is simple, an easy in and out stealth op. His time with the Agents certainly boosted his confidence and gave him the skills he needed; getting a hold of Azerite should serve as a means of thanking them, once he manages to study it. He scans the digsite again, taking in the view he had from the cliffside for a moment longer. He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath with his arms crossed on his chest, and falls forward freely.

Arcane swells and surrounds him, propelling the nightborne faster in his descent. With a shimmer of power, Veros allows the magic to envelop him fully, rooted deep in his runes and changing his body into pure energy. Just the very presence of the Azerite nearby heightened the former ley-walker’s spell, and he rides it, blinking forward several yards in rapid succession. He moves like a speeding bullet, becoming one with the arcane to navigate through the land until he finally hovers just above the destroyed land.

His body rematerializes as he slows, the arcane still clinging tight to him to keep him invisible. His feet hit the ground running, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he rides out his momentum, sprinting to the side of the massive blade. Goblins peppered the entire site, hacking away at the magnificent pillars of citrus and azure stone that sprouted from the earth. The closer he stood to one of those veins, the more he could hear its raw power sing to him, calling to him. He slows to a stop, standing between two blissfully unaware goblin miners, and gazes up at the Azerite. Oh, how rich it is in energy, he could sense it so! No amount of ley-walking or tapping could even compare to even the barest aura of power the mineral held.

Taking this entire vein was highly unlikely to happen, Veros knows. And now that he stands before it, he realizes he likely doesn't need as much as he anticipated. If it held this much raw, unfiltered power, then he needs only a sample, just to study.

Veros turns away, sprinting off to find smaller veins of Azerite. His runes hummed, absorbing the magic in the air to keep his invisibility spell fueled. His mind ran wild with the potential uses for Azerite. An endless power source, Azerite powered machines, enchanted armor, empowered ley-walking -- good Stars he practically salivated at the very idea of it all.

This should be the gift that saves the world, not ends it.

Filled with a burst of excitement, Veros picks up the pace, finally finding a nice spot with enough space away from the busy miners. Smaller ores of Azerite sprouted from the ground, highlighted by the sunlight refracting on the rock’s facets. A beautiful sight, Veros muses, and he wastes not a moment longer in retrieving his satchel. He held the enchanted bag in one hand, pulling a mace out and crystallizing arcane around it. Purple gems coalesce together against the mace, forming a jagged point to serve as a pickaxe. With a grin, he readies himself, raising the pick and striking it into the ore.

Only… it doesn’t hit the ore.

Upon bringing the pick down, the jagged gem catches onto something unseen midair, the tip of the pickaxe quickly painted with blood. Veros gasps, staggering backwards, his invisibility spell fading away with the distraction. The hidden figure before him becomes more clear, Veros’ pickaxe lodged neatly through the muscle of a forearm, blood dripping from the accidental wound. Veros backs away slowly as the stocky human man emerged from his stealth, clutching his arm and baring his flat teeth at the elf.

“Oh… Oh dear, were you invisible too?” Veros laughs nervously, frantically trying to find a way out of this. “Oh, s-silly me, silly me!”

The human lets out a shout, presumably in Common, and charges at the nightborne, drawing a blade faster than Veros’ eyes could track. The human slashes towards him, Veros just barely swinging his head back in time to avoid the fatal blow.

“Pray, do forgive me!” Veros shouts, blinking backwards to put distance between them. “Neither of us saw each other! Though I probably would have confused you for Azerite anyways, considering the blue and gold armor.”

The rogue leaps through the air, thrusting a hand forth to rain a dozen tiny daggers down on the elf. Veros yelps in fear, throwing his hands up and detonating arcane in the air, destroying the daggers and blasting back the human.

“You Alliance folks really don't like jokes, do you…” Veros grumbles, building a pillar of ice before him to prevent the man from coming closer. “A joke! Because I'm old, you know, I can't tell the difference any--”

A burst of smoke fills the air, and suddenly, the human is behind him, tearing the pickaxe from his arm and swinging it at Veros. Veros whirls around, just in time to watch the man impale the pick into Veros’ bicep. He lets out a cry, clamping a hand around the wound, only to feel the human’s boot come crashing against his jaw. Veros falls back, landing atop some of the pointed tips of tiny Azerite clusters, feeding into the nightborne’s pain. The rogue pounces, another set of blades drawn as he descends down on the elf. Panicked, Veros yanks his sword from his side, still in its sheath, and sloppily parries the attack. The human lands, and Veros pulls from the power of the Azerite around him, filling his runes with a golden glow. As the human steadies himself to strike again, Veros releases a powerful burst of magic from his body, his tattoos crackling with arcane lightning. The rogue is blasted back once more, landing swiftly on his feet and sliding backwards against the gravel with the momentum.

Veros rolls to his side, making the poorly thought out decision to rip the pickaxe out of his arm. He screams in pain as he does so, clamping a hand down against the wound, channeling fire to seal the destroyed flesh. It burned horribly, but with the attacker still pursuing him, he would have to deal with it later. A shell of arcane forms around Veros, catching the knife hurled at him just in time. When the rogue charges for him once more, Veros is on his feet, ducking from the rogue’s knives and closing the distance between them by inches. Veros grabs the human’s face roughly, shoving him until he fell onto his back. The nightborne stomped a foot onto the human’s chest, creating frost on impact and freezing the man to the ground.

“You’re a mean one, human,” Veros sneers, staggering away from the rogue. “Count yourself lucky I'm not a killer.”

He hefts his pickaxe, rushing to the vein he had his eye on, and with his good arm, he swings, messily cracking and ultimately crumbling the precious mineral into pieces with his untrained swing. It did not matter to him, though. So long as he got what he came for, it was a success. His heart pounds against his chest, a quick, heavy tempo that clashed with the swings of his pickaxe and the cracking of ice behind him. The trap he placed on the human would not last long, Veros knows, and he makes haste, scooping as many shards of Azerite as he could into his bag.

He hears the ice shatter behind him, and he leaps to his feet, stumbling as he tries to sprint away. The anxiety rocks him as he runs, the hum of the massive sword beside him only worsening the dear. The footsteps behind catch up quick, and Veros desperately holds back the need to scream before he finally whirls around, magic swelling in his hands, ready to strike the rogue.

All too late.

He did not register the blade, nor the human’s face as he came close. The rogue had unsheathed an unexpected sword, and as it pierces through Veros’ abdomen, painted crimson all the way to the tip of the blade that poked out of his back, Veros saw only yellow and white in his vision. His breath stops short in his throat, and vaguely, through his muddled sight, does he see the outline of the human’s snarl. With a horrid slick sound, the human yanks the blade out, leaving Veros scrambling for his breath, hopelessly reaching out and grasping at anything as he crumbles gracelessly to the floor. The runes etched into his skin glow erratically, pulsing with different colors of citrus orange and violet, matching his heartbeat and his feeble attempts to summon magic -- any magic at all -- to come to his aid. His hands twitch, sparking with power, and he rolls sluggishly, watching as the human begins to rummage through his belongings, looting the Azerite.

A novice mistake, Veros had made. He told no one that he was coming here, he came wholly unprepared for the mission, and ultimately, he dies here alone. No one would ever know why.

Veros coughs, blood garbled in his throat and spilling from his lips. The human had what he needed, and as life slowly slips away from Veros, anger and rage take the place of his fear. He had come all this way seeking knowledge, seeking to learn of their world and ultimately how to heal it, and this is how he loses? A nameless human would rob the man that desperately wished to see the sky again, rob him of his opportunity to rebuild his life into something worth it? He would let this human walk away with the very key he needs to advance his research?

He grit his bloody teeth, his fingernails scraping and digging into the hardened soil, grasping desperately until his fingers were inches in the ground. He did not come here to die. His purpose was not yet complete. One way or another, Veros is leaving with that damn Azerite.

As the human reenters his stealth, Veros roots himself, using all of his energy to grasp and siphon the rich arcane seeped into the ground. He feels himself connect to the ley lines, feels every crevice and vein of the arcane surround him, even to the base of the sword in the earth. He became an extension of those lines, and as he did, the overwhelming power coalesced in the earth rushes into Veros’ body, his runes glowing vividly as arcane overtakes him. The runes on his abdomen, however, had been severed with the human’s sword, and could not hold onto the magic as it needed to. The magic instead poured out, searing and tearing further through Veros’ wound. He screams, feeling the arcane crystallize in his wound, but he did not relent. Powered by pure magic and rage, the nightborne forces himself to stand, lightning lurching from his body and forming a storm around him, the ley lines continuing to pour energy into him. The human does not get the chance to remain stealthed, and he turns to see the nightborne thrust his hands forward, unleashing the power from the ley lines outwards.

Lightning explodes from his fingertips, blues and violets of incredible brightness filling the view of both men, releasing a shockwave of power forward that travels across, cracking the ground beneath their feet and igniting the arcane smoke left behind into brilliant flames. The human is caught on the onslaught, his armor destroyed by the magnificent display, his body tossed like a ragdoll several yards away. The explosion continues to crackle and echo throughout Silithus, a snowy, sparkly substance beginning to lightly rain down to the floor in the area. No doubt such a powerful spell would attract attention, but Veros hardly had the mind to think of those consequences.

Running on the power of arcane within him as well as adrenaline, Veros darts forth to the human, roughly snatching his stolen belongings off the man’s belt. The weakened human tries to fend him off, and as the man pulls a knife, Veros snags a broken shard of Azerite beside them, hefting the rock and crushing the human’s skull with it, feeling blood spatter onto his face with the blow. With that, the human fell still, lifeless and limp. Veros came down from the energy, slowly, realizing just what he had done. His blood as well as the human’s stained his hands all the way to his arms, and Veros fell back, landing roughly and with a squeak. His clothes had turned to a deep shade of crimson, soaked heavily with his own blood. As his power depletes, so does his energy, and he desperately holds onto consciousness. The world around him fades in and out of darkness, his limbs heavy and breath slowing. Oddly enough, he is comfortable lying on the destroyed terrain, despite the blood, despite the death and despite the fire. So easy it would be to shut his eyes and sleep here.

The Azerite continues to hum in his bag. Veros’ bleary eyes fixate on the chunk he used to slaughter the human, feeling his wound worsen as it fully dawns on him. He killed a man for a rock. He, who was not cut out for fighting, not meant for killing, had taken a life for this mineral. To die here would not make it worth it. The death would be for nothing but murder, and the stolen Azerite would go to waste. He has to get up, he has to take this home and make the risk and the life he recklessly ended worth it.

He wheezes, taking the chunk of Azerite used for murder and shoving it into his satchel. Ironic that he wanted to prevent such a mineral from being used to claim lives, only for he to literally use the rock as a tool for death. He could barely hold his arms up enough, but he forces himself, raising his satchel and watching it glow softly until finally, he casted his teleportation spell, sending the bag into its safehouse destination. The power is not enough to teleport himself, he realizes. There was a touch of sorrow, and he wondered idly: is it selfish to mourn your own death?

The question goes unanswered. He reaches for his hearthstone weakly, his vision finally giving out, the last of his strength spent on grasping the stone. He lay on the ground, bathed in a pool of his own blood, and after a long moment of stillness, he dematerializes, safe at last within the confines of Suramar.

Fifi would not be happy to find her friend porting into her room on death’s edge.

[achoirofcritters]

I would like to speak here about my Evie. In 2014, my great-grandmother, who had raised me my entire life, had a fall in the home. I transitioned into 24/7 caretaker, despite being in college at the time, and we had home-health nurses visiting every couple of days. Eventually, a case of pneumonia landed her in a prolonged hospital stay, where it eventually took its toll on her and she passed. My great-grandfather had died in a similar fashion a few years beforehand. So both of the people who had raised me were now gone. In that year, I lost the woman who had been like a mother to me, and the childhood home where I'd grown up, the only place I'd ever lived. College funds transitioned into get-a-home funds, and school got put on hold for a full-time job. I bought a house and became a home owner at 23. But grief led to some heavy depression, that I still battle off and on to this day, three years later. In November of 2014, I decided to take a trip to the Lexington Humane Society; I had a dream about puppies, I just wanted to play with dogs. See, I'd had a poorly bred miniature Australian Shepherd named Arcane who had been raised by the influences of my family; he was aggressive, had bitten me and drawn blood a couple times, and he was getting grumpier in his old age. I had wanted a dog that I trained, that had my sole influence, something I could do now that I was on my own. But I told myself... not until after Christmas. Then November, I stepped into that shelter. I saw a ball of skinny brindle bones in the corner of a kennel. Delicate, soft, sad eyes. A quiet little beastie; she never barked, never made a sound. Her kennel mate was growling and barking up a storm at us, a fussy creature named Eve, but the tiny little bully girl in the corner, named Bella at the time, never made a sound. Something about her stuck out at me, and I couldn't get her off of my mind. I had a meet-and-greet with "Bella" where her true personality shone, the timid, nervous waves melting off of her to reveal wagging tails, gentle puppy nibbles, and many kisses. A few days after meeting "Bella", I was adopting her. To me, she became Evelyn, or Evie, after the character from The Mummy. I was told a few things that her owner said when she was surrendered at 9 months old: "a lot of energy, she loves socks". "Pit bull" type dogs have three restrictions upon them at this shelter, no doubt due to the stigma of the breed, but I do agree that they're not for everyone. Evie is no more American Pit Bull Terrier than a dachshund is a corgi. But she's a blocky-headed bull breed of some sort, which is enough to condemn. We don't know her history, so all we can do is guess. In 2014, Evie was the best thing that could have happened to me. A saviour I hadn't realized I needed; the balm on wounds of grief; the best anti-depressant a girl could have. She had her issues; all dogs do. Things that made me think... I'd jumped the gun, I'd made this decision too rashly, I got a dog too soon. I wasn't ready for re-potty training a 10 month old dog, I wasn't ready to worry about resource guarding and crate-training, things I should have been prepared for. Live and learn. She was never anything other than extremely pleasant to any new person she met, however. And the issues grew thinner and thinner as we grew together, learned each other, and formed a life and a bond together. She adjusted to life with cats flawlessly; our giant maine coon mix runs this house and she knows it. This year, with the influx of foster kittens, she was never anything more than motherly and careful. No animal in this house is around small children or baby animals unsupervised. But Evie has never given us a reason to not trust her. She is the most tolerant creature of baby animals that I have ever met in my entire life. We learned quickly how amazingly receptive to training she was. I have a dog that knows countless tricks. I learned how different a dog could be trained with positive reinforcement, and how fulfilling the sessions could be for both of us. Evie was the first dog I ever trained to loose-leash walk successfully, the first dog to ever grasp things like "Bang!" and "Sit Pretty", she has a play-drive and an incredible desire to please. She is not everyone's perfect dog, but she is my perfect dog. I know it wasn't me. Mostly it was her. I'm still learning, Evie was my first dog "on my own", and she made it easy. We have our issues; a few negative experiences with other dogs and she's not partial to meeting new friends on the leash anymore. But we manage that. She's not reactive, and never barks at strangers or new dogs. She simply likes to introduce herself in a manner where she doesn't feel trapped and cornered. She has never shown any signs of animal aggression outside of feeling defensive around some new dogs. Puppies and small dogs are always welcome friends to her! She lives with 6 cats, and they've chased her more than she's ever chased them. Unless you are a car door slamming at 5AM, a school bus, or thunder, you have nothing to fear from Evie. One of my favorite memories of her interacting with strangers was at the UK Arboretum. This was within a year of adopting her, we take her on adventures often for photo sessions and just to get her exercise in, because she'd be a couch potato if we let her. A family was passing by with their toddler-aged daughter. The child immediately latched onto Evie and squealed and was instantly smitten with her. Evie greets every human being in the same manner: she rolls over, exposes her belly for some good belly rubs, and then will crawl closer. She stays low as if to say "I'm not scary!" She got acquainted with this toddler and the family was so enamored by how gentle and well-behaved she was. For a while, this little girl was just standing with both of her hands braced on Evie's bum, holding herself up, while Evie just stood there, thrilled as could be to be the girl's center of attention, and when they finally went their own way, breaking the two up was quite a task! People avoid her sometimes. That's fine. But there's never been anyone she hasn't wanted to meet. But my favorite time spent with her is nights snuggling on the couch. She lays next to me, tucked into a blanket, and dozes while we binge the newest Netflix series. The moments of quiet peace, where the world is still, and I just feel content. She'd run for days if I was running with her, but as long as I'm down for the count? She's happy to rest as well. We brought Astaroth home from an Australian Shepherd breeder last year to be her constant playmate. He adores her and trusts her judgment, enjoys stealing toys from her, and even smacks her with said toys to antagonize her to chase him. Many a times she has fallen asleep to him chewing on her ears until they are drenched with drool, ever since puppyhood. He was the perfect balance of chaos and mischief to our family. The two have never had a scuffle. Ever. This dog who is so perspective to others' anxiety, and has helped my friends through multiple panic attacks by being with them through them, who put smiles on my face and joy in my heart during a time where I had lost so much and felt so lost. She made me love dogs again; I learned to remember how astonishing the partnership could be. She's a powerful dog without knowing it, and no, not everyone should expect to manage such a muscle beast; she's bruised me in play accidentally because she doesn't know her own strength, but if I was too afraid to get a scratch or bruise here and there, I wouldn't keep pets at all. Dogs are domesticated carnivores and we should regard them as such, with respect, so no, I'm not going to tell you she's a pure, gentle angel made of cotton-candy and clouds. She's muscle, rambunctious energy and power, and she's got a mouthful of teeth that sometimes miss the toy and get your fingers. But that would be true of any dog. This dog came into my life at a time where I desperately needed her, and she's started a journey with me that means the world to me and is close to my heart. People can hate her due to her aesthetics if they like, because of her blocky head and short, brindle coat; I don't fucking like shih-tzus and the like. But you make this personal and all bets are off; I don't care how anyone else feels about my dog, whether they think she's ugly or what, but I trust and believe in her a hell of a lot more than I do some insignificant stranger on the internet. Evie's been in my life almost three years now; her third anniversary is approaching and will be shortly followed by her fourth birthday. I haven't changed my mind about her yet, I highly doubt I'm going to. And sometimes I wonder if I'd still be here if it weren't for her. She is the soldier combating my inner demons daily, just by being present, grounding me and giving me something to be responsible for. She gets me out of the house on days I feel like withering away in bed. She lays with me when I'm feeling melancholy. She makes me smile when her and her brother have silly shenanigans in the living room. And she makes my heart swell with the look of those starlit eyes of hers. My dog is better than anonymous hateful, nasty people will ever be. And I owe my life and my passion and my drive to her. Her love is more important to me than your approval.

P.S. - the Aussie would hate you. See, he takes guidance from his big sister of what sort of people he should trust. He's been smitten with her since he was 8 weeks old. Astaroth is a lot less trusting of strangers than pure, kind-hearted Evie. So if you're gonna hate one of my dogs, go ahead and save some time and hate them both.

Something I wrote and published today on my photography FB page about Evie, in light of strangers on the internet harassing me and attacking her and Astaroth.

[rwbyremnants]

NOTES: Sorry for letting two weeks pass, didn't mean to lose track of time. Hope you like the update! Things are gonna start moving a little quicker plotwise now; not NECESSARILY because of what happens in this chapter, but it will affect things. More to come!

=Chapter 13

“Hey, Snow Bunnies! Check out where I am!”

The camera panned over to the backdrop of Times Square. Lights flashed and blinded the viewer, turning everything into a smear of colours as it slid back to Weiss’s poorly-lit face, grinning from ear to ear. Her other hand nipped a strand of white-blonde hair behind her ear as the first raised the phone on its selfie stick a little higher.

“Big things are gonna happen in the Big Apple! I’d say more, but who wants all their surprises spoiled? Certainly not me! See you soon!”

As she waved vigorously before tapping the button to stop recording, Yang approached from behind the camera and chuckled. “You sound like the biggest cheeseball.”

“Quiet, you. The fans like to see that I’m happy and my energy is up. Don’t ask me why, but it’s kind of… reassuring? Just watch Demi Lovato’s stuff, it’s all either silly or inspirational. They expect me to be positive and they have every right to expect it by now. I can’t let them down.” Then she put the phone and the selfie stick away. “Now let’s go before someone watching my Insta realises where I am and tracks me down!”

Even as she said that and they turned toward the Yamaha, there came a squeal of several young female voices from deep in the crowd. “Uhhh, too late – get on! Now!”

Yang didn’t wait, but picked her up and stuck her on the seat. They were roaring away from the curb just as a knot of superfans broke through the rest of the throng, starstruck looks in their eyes. What a lucky near-miss.

“Are you sure you’re going to be alright?” she asked Weiss as she dropped her off at the bus a short while later.

“Stop worrying,” her principal sighed with a roll of her eyes, handing her helmet back. “I’m fine. You are not our entire security team. Go see your sister.”

“Okay.” Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she darted in for a quick peck on her lips, making sure it didn’t turn into anything longer just in case they were caught. “See ya soon.”

“I’ll be counting the seconds.” The smirk made sure that Yang didn’t know whether or not she was being sarcastic.

The streets of Manhattan were terribly busy at all times, and almost impossible to navigate. However, equipped with her bike and the GPS on her phone, Yang did manage to find her way without losing herself in the shuffle. Also, without having to untangle the clusterfuck that was the subway map. Now that they had taken care of Weiss’s little social media check-in, they could get on with the rest of their night.

A quaint little place in the upper east side was where Ruby and Penny had selected for their meeting – at Penny's insistence, her being the native. Chinatown would be the more desirable place for dining, since it would remind her of her dad’s cooking, but it was a lot further away from both where the tour bus was parked, and Penny's home in Astoria. A reasonable compromise.

Finally, she managed to find a decent place to park, pretty close to the small bubble tea establishment for which Penny gave her the address. Yang had never tried bubble tea herself, but when Penny and Ruby insisted, she couldn't exactly say no. She had chosen the very same outfit that Ruby and Weiss helped her purchase the first time they met up, a small token that she hoped Ruby would recognise.

As she stood on her toes to try and find the two, she spotted the same mess of ginger hair in a corner booth, sat beside what she thought was Ruby. So right away she headed over, sitting herself down on the seat opposite.

"YANG!" Ruby gasped, then grinned as she threw her arms forward – and was stopped by the table between them. "Hllgg! Whoops, heh…" Scratching the back of her head sheepishly, she sank back down next to Penny. "But I'm so glad to see you, sis!"

"Right back at you, nerds! Happy Easter!" Yang grinned, settling herself down opposite Ruby. The other two had already gotten their drinks, but Yang wasn't too concerned. She just wanted to catch up with her sister. "I still can't believe you're here! How the heck did you pay for your ticket?"

That caused Ruby to blush slightly, and she glanced at her companion out of the corner of her eye – who was currently sipping tapioca pearls up into her straw. "Well… Penny paid my way. One of her dads is a lawyer, so…"

"Hmm?!" Accidentally swallowing one of the bubbles unexpectedly, Penny had to cough and beat her chest to try and force it down right. Once sure it had settled, she quickly looked around to Yang. "S-sorry. Yes! Dad paid for one half of her flight, and I've offered to pay the rest out of my savings. I get more allowance than I usually need, so I was more than happy to!"

"Cool. Well, as long as you both don't mind! I'm so glad you’re in town." Quickly bringing out her phone to check the time, Yang scratched the top of her head nervously. It would be four hours till she could see Weiss again. No matter how confident she was that Weiss would be alright on her own, she was still worried.

"Wow, are we that boring already?" Ruby attempted to joke when she noticed Yang checking the time. But when Yang didn't answer immediately, her smile slipped a notch. "Wait, are we?!"

"Huh? Oh! Nononono! I was just seeing if Weiss messaged. I'm just… it’s my job, y'know?"

As Yang rested her cell phone on the table, Penny stood up, looking over at both of them. "I'll fetch Yang a drink while you two catch up on things, shall I? You did say you had lots of Weiss-related questions."

"Oh! Um, sure! Yang, what'll you have? I like the melon one," she added in a whisper.

"Um… I've never actually been to these kinds of places before. Y'know what, fuck it – surprise me!" As Penny nodded politely and left, Yang looked over to her sister again, quickly flipping her cell phone over so the screen was down – proving she was giving Ruby her complete and undivided attention. Where to start?! There was so much she wanted to say about their touring together that she hadn't had time to before. About the attack that happened, about Weiss in general, about Blake…

In the end, she settled for something else. "So… Penny's pretty nice, huh?"

Both of Ruby's cheeks lit up as she grinned, pushing her glasses further up her nose. "Oh yeah, she's totally the best! I can't believe I got so lucky with her as my roomie - I mean, she's cute, she's smart, she's nice, AND she actually cleans up sometimes instead of being a slob like-" Her words clipped off when she realized she was about to say "like you", but she had the good grace to look slightly abashed for the near miss.

Yang simply smirked at the near slip. Ruby tended to only ramble this much about a subject if she was very passionate about it, like with Weiss, or her studying, or Zwei. Things were beginning to add up in Yang's mind…

"So being here instead of home, that was your idea? Or Penny's?"

"Penny's. I mean, we both kicked around the idea of hanging out in New York sometime, like, a lot, but she was the one that asked if I'd wanna do Spring Break here and stay at her family's place and all that." Then she grinned. "Isn't it exciting?! I'm in New York City!!!"

"Yeah! It still blows my mind that we're the other side the country, and you're here at the same time!" After taking a glance to see how far Penny was down the queue, she turned back to Ruby, slinging an arm over the empty chair next to herself. "So, what are her parents like?"

"Oh, her Dad's super nice, really chill and homey!" Then her expression turned a little more uncertain. "Um… her Father, on the other hand… it's not that he's mean to me or a bad person, he's just kinda strict, and hard to warm up to, I guess."

"He really does sound like Weiss's dad…" But as soon as she let that slip, she quickly snapped her eyes open. Yang wouldn't know that unless she was extra close to her idol, and that was the last thing she wanted Ruby to suspect. "I-I mean, like, he's pretty strict with the rules I have to follow. No photos, no unscheduled signings, yadda yadda."

However, Ruby wasn't quite that thick. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at Yang, contemplating. "Why are you acting so funny about Weiss's dad? Is he being mean to my sister?" Suddenly, she shot to her feet. "I'll show him a thing or two about how my sister gets treated!!!"

"Ruby! Ruby!" She held her hands outward, trying to gesture for her to sit back down before any more attention was drawn to them. Checking the coast was clear, she laughed before whispering, "I meant mean to Weiss. Like… she's not allowed to do what she wants, dress how she wants, think for herself. She may be a popstar, but she still has so many rules set by him that she kinda feels boxed in sometimes."

"Oh…" That didn't seem to cheer her up much, but she did at least sit back down. "That's really not cool; I mean, she's such an awesome person – and obviously she's accepting of you, and she was so nice to me! She’s great how she is! So what's the point in him being so, so… control-ey?"

Yang shrugged her shoulders. "That's what I don't get; she’s got a better head on her shoulders than most people ten years older than her, and yet he treats her like she’s five. I mean…" She looked around a moment. Sure, she wasn't about to let the fact that Weiss and her were an item out of the bag, but there was a factor she remembered Weiss's father telling her before the tour began, one that Yang always cringed at when she remembered. "Even if she wanted to, I'm not allowed to let her, y’know, take anyone back to the van. If that's not controlling, I don't know what is."

"You mean she can't even have friends over? To her own tour bus?!" A little slow on the uptake, she seemed to eventually catch on to what Yang was implying, and the little sister blanched. "Ohhhh, you mean- WOW, that is SO none of his business! Geeze!"

"I know, right? He has no right to dictate that kinda stuff…"

But the blush was only growing against Ruby's cheeks as she fidgeted with her cup, staring into space. "I mean, if Weiss happens to find somebody she likes, and wants to take them back to her room… kiss them, play with their hair… maybe even let them give her a back massage… or I could go lower than her back…" Then she sat bolt upright, mortified. "THEY! They could go lower than her back! Not me, I didn't mean me!"

Shit. Of course, how could she forget? Ruby had a huge crush on Weiss. Considering the more recent circumstances between them, that made her big sister start to feel very awkward. After all, this was now her girlfriend Ruby was talking about – but she definitely couldn’t say she felt weird hearing her talk that way about her now, since their relationship was on the down low. Curling a finger through her hair, she tried to look to one side to shield her own blush.

"Y-Yeah… I mean, she can do what she wants. None of her dad’s business."

"Exactly! Up to and including massages! Or more!" Whispering to herself, she added, "No, don't think about 'more' - you promised not to do that!"

Yet again, Yang couldn't look at her sister. She'd give this all away if she asked her to stop, but to let her continue was only making things more and more uncomfortable. Scratching her head, she said quietly, "Don't tell her dad, but I… tend to look the other way when her… partner visits."

"Partner? Oh, so she…" Then her eyes went really round, and she leaned as close as she could, hissing under her breath, "Y-you mean Weiss has a secret lover?! And the tabloids have no idea?!"

That only caused her blush to intensify. Thankfully, she figured Ruby wouldn't suspect a thing. "Oh yeah, for a little while… somebody already close. But I can’t say anything – and you didn’t even hear this much from me, okay?!"

Something like a tiny squeal sounded deep in Ruby's throat, but muffled enough so that no one from other tables would probably notice. "I'm so freaking jealous! Wait, so who is it? No no no, don't tell me – I shouldn't know, oh I shouldn't know about this, but I wanna know so bad!"

Finally managing to handle herself enough, she looked back around, letting out another small nervous laugh. "Maybe when the tour is over. It's… really no one special. But she wouldn't want that info getting out anywhere – and I know you would never do anything with it, but you can't be too careful who hears."

"Who hears what?" Penny asked, placing the drink down in front of Yang. From the looks of things, she'd chosen orange juice to go with melon bubbles. Sitting herself by Ruby's side, she went straight back to her own tea, even though most of the bubbles had gone.

“My point exactly,” Yang snorted.

"N-nothing!" Ruby laughed nervously. "Just, you know… stuff! And things!" She gestured between Yang and Penny. "So, um, this is my sister; Sister, this is my Penny!"

Instantly Penny's eyes were just as round as Ruby's were, a blush joining the freckles on her cheeks. One of those words was certainly the cause. Leaning in toward Ruby, she nervously whispered. "R-Ruby, I thought we weren't telling her about that yet…"

"About what?" Her eyes crossed slightly as she ran back over what she had said, and then she slapped herself in the forehead. "D'oh! Th-that wasn't what I meant, I just got my words all mixed up!"

"So… your Penny, huh?" Yang could turn it to her advantage this time. At least it shifted the subject away from Weiss for a little while, and eased Yang's worries. As a bonus, she loved watching her sister get embarrassed.

And Penny wasn't helping at all when she just covered her face instead, groaning loudly into her hands. "Gosh darn it, Ruby, she knows!"

Slowly but surely, Ruby started melting down into her chair, covering her head with one of her various hoodies; today, it was a green one with a big white symbol in the middle from some comic book series or other.

"So I take it Ruby's the dominant one in this relationship! This just gets better and better!" Yang was teasing, quickly drinking a large portion of her tea. It wasn’t bad, even if the sensation of the tapioca pearls sliding down her throat was a little weird. But mostly, she was just glad to have it as a welcome distraction.

Although it seemed the other two needed it more. Penny especially, who could only cover her face with her hands. Although realising Ruby was vanishing under the table, she quickly pulled her back up. "Don't leave me alone with her! It was you that made it obvious!"

"Well… well it was… OH SHUSH, I didn't mean to and you know it!" All that was visible was her nose and mouth, and even then you could still tell she was beet red.

"Come on, your big sister wants details! Who asked who? When did it start? Were you roommates before or after it happened?"

Yang was going to keep insisting until one of them gave an answer. And now that she had ran out of drink and was left with just the few bubbles, Penny knew it was going to be her. Clearing her throat, she looked over to Ruby nervously as she held her hand under the table, and then back to Yang. "Well… Ruby and I were roommates from the beginning. We got along rather well, liked many of the same movies and books and things… and the relationship developed into a more romantic one from there."

"Yeah," Ruby added quietly, finally peeking out now that Penny had made it acceptable for them to be more open. "Um, I mean, I've never had a girlfriend before, so this is super new to me, so… but I mean, um… I can't imagine life without her now. Is that weird, this soon?"

Oh, the things that Yang wanted to say about her own experiences. Especially those recently. But for now, she had to smile, and simply shake her head. "That's not weird at all. First love makes people feel all kinds of ways. I mean, you know what I was like with Blake…"

At that, her sister tilted her head slightly. "Yeah, you said in a text that you saw Blake again, right? Was that… I dunno, awkward? Not awkward? Like I said, this is all new to me, so I don't know how it is seeing old girlfriends or anything…"

"No, actually! I think… I think we both needed it. I mean, we left on a somewhat bad note before; not fistfight bad but… heartbreak bad. But we're almost to the besties level again now. She has a new boyfriend now who seems pretty cool."

"Aww," Ruby sighed. "Was meeting the boyfriend weird? Yet again, another thing I know nothing about, but that seems like it would be worse than just seeing her again by herself."

Yang was half way through chewing one of the bubbles as she shook her head, swallowing before continuing. "Well… At first it was, sure. But after a while, nah. He seems like a down to earth guy, reminds me of me before I came out. Guess Blake has a type!"

At that, Ruby smiled slightly. "Really? You think maybe he's…"

She gestured to Yang with her cup, a very non-specific gesture that would make nothing obvious to anyone who didn't know about the bodyguard's gender history. It took Yang a moment to realise, until she gasped, "Oh! No. Least… I'm pretty sure he's not." But on that note, she gazed into nothing for a moment, trying to remember what she could about him. Specifically, a comment about sizes. "Aaand from something Blake said, I don’t think he’s a trans dude, either."

"That'd be cool, though! You could be buddies!" Then she glanced at Penny slightly nervously before adding, "And, um, maybe you can give him some… tips? With Blake? What she, uhhh, enjoys?"

"Ruuuubyyyy!!!" Yet again Penny was hiding her head in her hands, cheeks as red as Ruby's usual hoodie. All of which was making Yang smirk and chuckle to herself. Penny was just as much fun to wind up as her sister was!

But nonetheless, she leant in toward her, whispering, "Never underestimate the power of some dedicated foreplay. That's all I'll say in public."

Which was plenty to make Ruby turn even redder than Penny. "Ummmmm I have go to the bathroom!" she squeaked as she hopped up, sprinting for the corner of the establishment.

"Hey, don't leave me alone with her! Ruby!!!" But Penny was left with no choice as she watched her girlfriend vanish into the bathrooms, left only with a red face, and the now laughing older sister. As she ran her hands through her mass of ginger hair, she laid her head on the table and groaned. "This dinner is going to be so embarrassing…"

A very self-satisfied Weiss Schnee strolled into a mid-sized music store in Midtown Manhattan. By all online reviews, Williams Music was known for having top-of-the-line instruments, even if they didn't have a lot of variety due to space constraints. However, she was after was one specific instrument – which they definitely stocked. She had called ahead to be completely certain.

Spotting an employee lingering by books of bass tabs, she said in a polite-but-frank voice, "Excuse me. I need to purchase a guitar."

"Other end of the store," was the abrupt response of the store clerk. Her look was fitting for this type of establishment; bright green hair swept to one side, with a purple hoodie on top to hold it together. She certainly seemed the type to spend many hours tuning her bass under a blacklight. But despite the fact that all she was doing for the moment was chewing gum and reading, she didn't even stop to look at who asked her.

"Yes," Weiss began again, mood only slightly dampened by the attitude of the clerk. "I'm sure that's where they are located. But I'd like to make sure I get the best you have."

The employee finally set her book down. Of course, her attitude was still no better as she first looked her form up and down, before she started to pace toward the back of the shop. She didn't even stop to check if she was following! After all the preferential treatment she had received the past couple of years, Weiss was sorely tempted to whip off the sunglasses and the beanie she had stuffed her hair into. Why shouldn't her star power command a little respect? But she had promised Yang she wouldn't take unnecessary risks, and she aimed to keep it. Besides, it was kind of nice to have someone treat her just like anyone else for a change.

Finally, they arrived at an array of guitars along one wall. Most of them were various high-end electric models, racked up next to electric basses. However, there were six or so acoustics on display, and they all looked nice enough.

"Excellent! So… which one would you recommend? I'd pick the most expensive, but that's not always the same as buying the best."

"If you got money to burn then go for the Epiphone, I don't care." Turning back around toward her, she gestured to the black guitar, one that had a few white markings painted over it. There was no immediate response. Picking up that she was unimpressed, the clerk sighed. "What skill level is the player at? Unless it’s you." The last was tacked on purely for spite, insinuating that Weiss couldn’t possibly be a musician.

"Expert on Guitar Hero." After a few seconds, Weiss folded her arms. "Fine. She's got some real talent that I want to encourage – and I intend for the guitar to reflect her talent level. Also, I want it to last a long time, so nothing made with flimsy parts."

Looking at the racked up guitars again, the punk paced down slightly to the plainish yellow guitar, one that had a mottled brown-and-red pick guard below the sound hole. "Then you want a Yamaha JR1. Pretty mid-range pricewise, durable. For her skill level, it'll be the best choice."

"Hmm, that particular brand would be quite fitting…" Brushing over the surface with her fingertips, Weiss eventually took it from the employee and hefted the weight. "Seems solid enough.” Then she played a couple of easy chords, tuned a peg very slightly and tried again. It piqued the employee’s interest a little more, though she didn’t comment directly. “Does it come in any other colours? This finish is nice, but seems a bit… common. If the sound and quality will be the same, I would rather get her something that shows I put more thought into the gift."

"Nothing stoppin' you gettin' a paint job. But we have a catalogue of the ones we offer right… here." Picking out a small book from the shelf under the display, she quickly flicked through the pages until she found the Yamaha section. Then she handed it over to Weiss.

After a few seconds, Weiss took her sunglasses off and clipped them to the front of her shirt as she glanced down the selections. There weren't many besides the yellow finish; a natural one, a cherry red one, and one that seemed to take the yellow one and add a dark stain around the edges. That one appealed to her the most, and she had a suspicion Yang would appreciate it, as well.

"Do you have 'Tobacco Sunburst' in stock at all?" she asked as she looked up.

"Maybe, but I don’t- don’t…"

When her eyes caught those of her customer, she found herself completely freezing solid. She knew that face, those eyes, the white hair… even the voice. It'd snapped just who she was talking to at last. Weiss Schnee! THE Weiss Schnee was there in that very music store!

But she couldn't let her know that. Not yet. First, she had to be sure this was her, and do her job. So instead, she nodded. Voice now a slightly higher pitch, along with an awkward smile, she tried to sound as detached as before – and failed. "Sure! Let me just go fetch one from the back room for you!"

"Uhh… thank you. Oh, and if there's a matching case for it, I'll also take one of those!" But the woman was already retreating, so she simply hoped she had heard her request and turned to browse through a potpourri of guitar picks that were littered about in a basket.

As her assistant wandered into the store room, her mind was completely abuzz. Even though she was set on her task, she couldn't stop thinking about what she had just saw. 'That was Weiss! Holy shit, that was actually her, in the flesh! You've been trying to get into one of her concerts for well over a year and she walks in, and you treat her like crap – way to fucking go, Reese! Why are you like this?'

When she found the selection of guitars, she grabbed the finish she had asked for. The nicest one in the stockroom; it was the least she could do. And on her way back, she went to look for a case that would match it fairly well.

'Okay, calm down… It still might not be her. But if it is her, she'll have a tour bus or something, right?' She picked up a yellow ones that had a tribal dragon design over its casing. Something was telling her this would be the one she would want. 'That's it!' she thought as she made her way out with both items. 'Get Arslan to ring her up, then you can sneak out and follow her on your break! If it's not really Weiss, you come straight back. If it is, can you imagine the stuff you'd see?!'

When Reese returned from the stockroom, Weiss had selected two or three picks that struck her fancy and was inspecting a tuba out of boredom. When her eyes alighted on the case, complete with guitar tucked inside, she began to smile.

"Ooh… you know, I think that complements the guitar quite well."

'That's her, definitely. You've listened to more than enough interviews to know her voice.' She handed both items over to her seemingly famous client. Now she just had to get away for a while.

"I figured it did, y'know, the whole torched thing, plus a dragon. Now if you head over to my friend at the counter, they should be able to put it all together as a package deal for you; we’re having a promotion for guitars bought with cases. Knock off a few bucks."

"Ah," Weiss said with a polite smile as she took the case. By now, they both knew that the money didn't matter to someone like her, but Weiss didn't know Reese knew. "Well, that is much appreciated. Thank you for the assistance." Then, with a slight nod, she headed off toward the counter to complete her transaction.

"No, thank you…" She spoke quietly to herself as Weiss headed to the counter. Her plan was in action. As Weiss was being served, she made a quick dash to the staff room to sign herself out for break, then grabbed her skateboard and headed out the main doors into the hustle and bustle of the outside crowd. If she blended in, she knew Weiss would never have any chance of noticing her…

Sure enough, by the time Weiss was through talking to the dark-skinned woman with bleached-blonde hair at the counter, signing warranties and declining to become part of their mailing list, she had forgotten about Reese entirely; she was too focused on having made one of the most important purchases of her life.

"Yang is going to love this," she whispered to herself as her burly security guard motioned to the cabbie who had kept the car idling for her as she shopped. The man hopped out and helped her situate the large giftwrapped case in the back seat, where Weiss would still have plenty of room to sit next to it on their way back to her bus, the guard taking the passenger seat.

Thankfully, the traffic was rather slow in the area. Which meant that she couldn't easily keep up with the taxi in the traffic without having to get her own, but she managed – even if she did have to hastily warn some of the bystanders to jump out of the way. Every time there was a red light, Reese had caught up again, even if it had managed to get a few metres down the road.

Within twenty minutes or so, they were back to the parked bus. As the guard assisted Weiss with her things once more and Weiss tipped her cabbie generously, Reese was keeping an eye on them from a distance. It was definitely her, and the bus proved it one hundred percent. Now was the next issue: getting in unnoticed.

The guard held the door open so Weiss could struggle with the overlarge case. It wasn't all that bulky, but then again, Weiss was not an especially big person. Then she was inside and out of sight, the guard remaining outside of the door.

'This is gonna be a little tougher than I thought,' Reese mused as she hid her skateboard nearby. What were her options? She could hardly pay off a guard, not when she was barely making enough to afford an apartment in the Bronx. Nor could she fight him down. The only other option was…

A window. Weiss had left one of the windows at the rear of the bus wide open, presumably to let in the fresh air while she was out. It wasn't in the eyeline of the guard, and so pacing to it was simple. Keeping out of sight of him, she walked around to it, listening out for any possible sign that Weiss would be out of the way so she could enter, or at least just have a look…

A light humming was coming from the window. Not loud enough to signal that she was in that room itself, but she was definitely in the bus. Then the sound of running water gave away her location. It didn’t stop, which meant a shower, not just washing her hands; perfect. She wouldn't be coming out for a while.

Hauling herself up and straight through the window; she tried to make no noise whatsoever. And landing on the sofa meant she did that with ease. She'd done it! She was inside Weiss's tour bus!

"Oh man, nobody's ever gonna believe this," she whispered quietly, heart pounding in her throat. Where to start? What was she even doing in there?! The main room didn't have much to offer of value; just a few tables and seats, the wrapped guitar in its case, a couple of pairs of boots… though she happened to notice one pair seemed a bit too big for the diva herself.

Curiosity was getting the better of her, and when she looked toward the main bedroom area, she couldn't resist. As quietly as possible, she made her way inside, nudging the door closed behind her to make sure she was hidden that while longer. Yet even there offered very little in actual items that would make for a really cool memento. Was Weiss as pure and dull as everyone believed?

However, one thing did catch her eye in an unexpected place. In anyone else's household, she would have turned her nose up at the sight, but here, there was a story to tell in the laundry basket. One she couldn’t believe. On top lay a pair of black shorts, stained with the telltale remnants of a wild night. That added with the bigger boots she'd seen…

‘Weiss isn't the innocent, All-American sweetheart everyone thinks she is,’ she thought to herself with a quiet chuckle. ‘Shoulda seen that coming…’

Suddenly, the sound of running water stopped. There were shuffling sounds from inside the bathroom; it wouldn't be long now before the diva emerged, and the bedroom was her next likely destination. Eyes snapping wide open, the intruder realised she didn't have much time left. She needed to take something if she wanted people to believe her! Some kind of trinket that wouldn't be noticed, but enough to prove it.

Spotting the hairbrush on the small dressing table, she quickly nabbed it, forcing it into the large pocket of her hoodie and making her escape to the door. That would have to do. But as she opened it, she realised her escape plan had come too late.

Standing before her was Weiss herself, one towel tucked around her torso, and another wrapping up her hair in a makeshift turban. Those were the only things covering her flawless white skin. For a few seconds, she merely blinked at the girl who was somehow in her bedroom – and blushing from being this close to a nearly-nude celebrity. Then she opened her mouth, and the first words out of it were almost inane.

"Um… can I help you?"

Her intruder didn't even have any words. All she could do was stare back at the underdressed diva in front of her, blinking herself a few times to try and focus. Her mouth did work for a second, as if she could come up with anything to say that would fix this situation.

Until she made a quick dash toward the open window again.

"HEY!" Weiss shouted loudly, pelting after her. "Wait, wh-what are you doing in here?! And where are you going?!"

She almost cut off her retreat, but not fast enough. The intruder had already thrown herself out the window, dashing away from the scene. The damage had already been done; a complete stranger had been in her home, raided through her things, and made off to tell the tale.

But what she didn't consider was the bike pulling up just by the bus from the opposite side. Yang had managed to get back early, with the thought in mind of using the shower herself before they headed for dinner at Penny's. But upon dismounting, she could hear a strange amount of shouting…

All Weiss could think to shout while half of her torso was hanging out of her living room window was, "STOP! THIEF!!!" One arm held her towel over her chest while the other was levelled in the green-haired punk's direction as she snatched up her skateboard from where it had been stashed behind a trash can.

There was no hesitation. Instantly Yang was in pursuit by foot, dashing right past the van and heading the same direction as the green haired thief. In the busy streets, it was a difficult chase, especially when numerous people were looking around at them, curious of what was happening.

But having barely made it past one block, the chase was over. Yang had launched herself forward, latching her arms around the green haired thief and tackling her to the ground, sending her skateboard flying backward in the opposite direction. Despite her requests to be let go, Yang held firm, managing to adjust her position to pin the girl's hands behind her back, where she held them firm.

"What's the big deal?! I didn't take anything valuable! I just looked around!"

"You can talk to the rest of the security team about that. Now move it!"

Unconcerned about the growing crowd around them, Yang had hauled the green haired thief to her feet despite protest, keeping her hands restrained as she walked her right back to the bus's location. At least that way, the security could hold her until authorities were phoned, and Weiss could get answers she needed.

By the time Yang returned, Weiss was wearing a simple white dress and green flats that didn't particularly suit each other, but they had been pulled on in a hurry. Her hair was still in the turban. A crowd had gathered outside the bus, one or two people snapping pictures with their phones, and she certainly didn't want to be caught with a towel that could fall off at the worst possible moment.

"Thank you for grabbing her," Weiss sighed in relief. Then she fired back up at once. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself – and I can't believe you followed me here from the store!"

Teeth gritted in mild pain, Reese struggled in Yang's grip. "Hey, what do you expect?! Not every day a popstar comes in. Real question is, someone as big as you, why'd you leave a window open?!"

The comment only made Yang angry for Weiss. Right away, she pulled the girl's arms in tighter behind her back, growling lowly. "Because she's still a person? An open window ain’t an open invitation into somebody else’s home! You ever consider that before you did this?!"

"Exactly!" Weiss agreed heatedly, hands on her hips. "You have broken the law, and I'm afraid you're just going to have to live with the consequences!"

"Come on, anyone would have done what I just did! It doesn't matter if I broke some dumb law or not! Anyone would have jumped at the chance to get a sneak peek into Weiss's life – which as it turns out ain't so innocent after all!"

That response earned a few gasps from their gathering crowd, not to mention, a rather horrified look from her bodyguard. There wasn't anything to give things away inside the bus, was there?

"Wh… I don’t understand, what are you talking about?" Weiss breathed, quietly enough that the others gathered would not overhear. Her blood was running cold, her palms tingling.

"Some of the clothes in there aren't yours, and some of your laundry is… extremely dirty."

Right away, Yang knew. She remembered leaving the shorts she had used to wipe away the remains of that night in Weiss's laundry basket. But what angered her more than this intruder knowing that business was knowing that she had been in her bedroom. It was such a violation. Before she could reflect on that for too long, she forced her toward the nearest security staff to hand, trusting them to hold onto her instead. Any longer and she knew she would have ended up doing something she regretted.

But Weiss wasn't above a low blow. She followed, keeping an eye on Yang's clearly upset features out of the corner of her eye. As the police sirens began to reach her ears, she leaned in and grasped the collar of Reese's hoodie.

"Listen, you. Maybe I do have a personal life outside what I let my fans know about. But it's still my personal life – and you're still the one who broke into my bus AND went rifling through my laundry! How can you stand there and judge me?!"

"Because everyone else is gonna do it anyway. You really think cuffing me’s gonna change that?" Reese shook her head. She looked scared, but also angry at being forced to own up to her own actions. “God, all I wanted was to get a souvenir and a story! You really forgot where you came from. Well, good luck sweeping this one under the rug.”

Those were the last words the scorned fan spoke before the security staff hauled her away toward the oncoming police cars. An ominous warning that this was going to change Weiss’s life. But she didn’t know anything – not really. Whether it was the ramblings of a crazed fan or not, Yang didn't care. All she did was glare at the woman as she was forced into the back of a squad car.

But upon noticing how big of a crowd had actually gathered around them, that seemed to be the last straw for her. Raising her hands upward, Yang practically spat, "What's everyone gawking at, huh?! Show's over!"

Once the suspect was in custody, an officer had taken Weiss’s statement, as well as Yang's; finding out she was employed to protect Weiss's interests seemed to be enough to satisfy their curiosity as to why she had chased down Reese on foot. They did turn up the hairbrush in her pocket, but it could not be returned yet; it was evidence now. The fingerprints from her window provided only one clear set; there were others inside, but they were so muddled up with her own and Yang's that it didn't matter. None of the police even gave the laundry a second glance – luckily for them both. It was such a cut-and-dry case of a fan breaking in to steal a single item that there seemed to be no need.

But now they had to deal with the consequences of Reese’s outburst. It may be just a minor inconvenience for everyone else, but for Yang and Weiss, this would have widespread effects. Even if Yang's reputation was completely unharmed by the transpiring events, Weiss's was potentially under threat. All it took was one silly rumour to potentially ruin her reputation, and get her in major trouble with her father. Yang cared more about that than anything else.

Taking a seat in the sofa, she hesitated a moment before she asked, "You okay?"

"No," Weiss sighed, face in her hands. "I feel so stupid – I shouldn't have left the window open, but I wanted to air out my musty bus, and it was only… I thought the guard being with me at all times would have been enough, he should have been enough! Why can't people just… just let me live my life?!"

Rather than say anything else, Yang sighed deeply, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her body in close. The very idea that this whole thing happened was enough to make Yang's blood boil. But she couldn't let that feeling take over. Weiss was her priority. And she was going to do everything in her power to make her feel safe again.

"You're right, it should be enough." Yang repeated, stroking her shoulder softly. "Don't blame yourself, you're allowed to have a window open, it's not like you're a prisoner."

"But I shouldn't have to post a guard at every corner of the… oh, never mind. I just hate this." Sighing, she leaned back against the couch. "And now I don't feel comfortable here, I… god, I just want to be home in Nashville for once."

Looking around the bus a moment, Yang count understand why. The idea someone had been in here without either of their knowledge, even if no harm came to her… the thought of someone rooting through their personal belongings was enough to make Yang's skin crawl.

"Well… we could always book a hotel room or something. I mean, we're here for all your gigs, right? It’s gonna be a while."

"Suppose you're right. And… and maybe that sounds okay, but I don't want to draw undue attention to this by having people camp outside the hotel, trying to figure out why I'm there instead of my bus."

"Ugh… you're right about that. What else can we do?" Leaning forward, she ran a hand over her face as she tried to think. The bus wasn't the best place to be at the present, and hotels would draw attention. It was a shame that they didn't know anyone in the city that had a place of their own-

Then Yang suddenly snapped her fingers instead. They did know someone in New York City. Perhaps not with a place of their own, but it didn't hurt to ask. And with that knowledge in mind, she pulled her cell phone back out of her pocket, quickly typing away.

"Let’s try for a plan B."

[irinapaleolog]

What is Star Wars about, really? It’s a good question, one we’ve pondered for 42 years. Star Wars is so broad, so dense, and at times so frustratingly transparent, that you can graft just about any sort of meaning onto it. And yet, its mass appeal is often distilled to one word: Star Wars is about hope. But what does it mean to have hope?

Everyone will offer a different answer. Hope can mean defiance in the face of adversity. It can mean happily ever afters. It can mean togetherness, family, friendship–those little things worth fighting for, even knowing they’re temporary. At its best, Star Wars captures that, freezing tiny moments of hope in amber. Luke, Leia, and Han hugging after the destruction of the Death Star. Anakin Skywalker clutching the face of his pregnant wife, Padmé. Finn and Poe escaping the tyrannical First Order.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the final film in this epic saga, is meant to tie a bow on the franchise, which began with A New Hope. Reasonably, one would expect those messages to come through more elegantly and emotionally than ever before. But the result is instead a sad case of confused identity. It’s a film that thinks it’s doing what it needs to, while ultimately delivering a series of rushed, soulless, and ill-defined points of logic. It’s “hopeful” if your idea of hope is tragic and cyclical to the point of feeling regurgitated. There are moments of optimism immediately staked through in heart in favor of “the next big set piece.” It’s a cruel and unsatisfying ending to a forty-year legacy, and one that feels openly critical of itself and everything it stands for, but shrugs its way to the finish line instead.

The Disney era of Lucasfilm was fit more for profit than integrity from the get-go, and the need to rush out a new episodic film loaded with the original’s stars felt as bankable as it was inevitable. Suffice it to say, the Star Wars sequel trilogy attracted critics, but the first two films shuffled through a variety of production woes to successful, appealing conclusions. J.J. Abrams’ The Force Awakens paired a new cast of characters with our legacy trio–Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher)–creating a spark of whimsical magic that overshadowed its derivative setbacks. Rian Johnson delivered a wild animal of a sequel with The Last Jedi , a surprising and frankly revolutionary studio blockbuster that turned the series’ larger story on its head. It was as divisive as it was fertile with big, new, promising ideas. The film ended with the Force decentralized from a few exclusive bloodlines and democratized, reigniting hope in the galaxy.

Unfortunately, The Rise of Skywalker picks up on none of those loose threads. The film begins with a flippant dismissal of many if not all of The Last Jedi‘s themes. The opening crawl explains that Emperor Palpatine has inexplicably returned (and I do mean inexplicably–we never learn how), and has been orchestrating the First Order experiment from the beginning. Somehow, he groomed Ben Solo into Kylo Ren from afar, and now locks his sights on Rey from Jakku, our unruly, orphaned Force user and Kylo’s counterpart. From the outset, Abrams shrinks the Star Wars universe back down to a more immediately interconnected, even insular size. Palpatine is back because, uh, sure, why not?

The story plays out as antagonistically as that. Abrams, returning as co-writer/director to replace Colin Trevorrow, demonstrates a bewildering sense of his audience’s wants and needs. Does he think we don’t care about the mysterious resurrection of the saga’s most selfish and mystifying villain? Is he purposely leaving gaps in the story for canon material to fill in? Did he think a single thing out beyond “looks cool, feels OK, boom, bang?” Who knows. But the movie opens with the reintroduction of Palpatine, them immediately launches us into the Millennium Falcon, where Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac) quickly discover that there’s a mole in the First Order. We’re then teleported to a new Resistance base where Leia trains Rey (Daisy Ridley) in the ways of the Force. Before we’re oriented in this location, we’re shuffled into another adventure jam-packed with MacGuffins, whirlygigs, and ultimately dead ends.

The adventure is poorly defined and confusing, but Abrams doesn’t expect us to be smart. He’s content to race through every would-be meaningful moment at the quickest possible pace, exploiting that whiplash effect to distract us from the story’s garbled plotting. We know that our heroes are on a race to find Palpatine, and are looking for something called a “wayfinder” that will lead them to his location. There are only two wayfinders, and Kylo Ren finds the other one in an opening scene. Abrams creates a sense of urgency, but we don’t really know why, and no one seems convincingly terrified that the universe is on the brink of absolute annihilation. At least the original trilogy only featured one Death Star at a time, and developed centralized locations that defined personal stakes and brewed emotion. This film has a whole army of planet-destroying ships, locations with no names or personalities, and characters previously emphasized who are here utterly left to the wind.

And that’s the real failure of The Rise of Skywalker. It mishandles literally every character, except, arguably, C-3PO. Rey gets tacked onto a legacy story that erodes the entire thematic heart of not just The Last Jedi, but even Abrams’ own The Force Awakens. By some disgusting leap of imagination, she’s Palpatine’s granddaughter. Rey’s parents weren’t actually alcoholics who sold her for drinking money (a bit never reconciled), but good people who loved her enough to protect her from Gramps, and apparently, themselves. Finn (John Boyega) is suddenly and inexplicably Force sensitive, which is a nice little treat and possible nod to the end of The Last Jedi, but is only really employed to detect when Rey’s in peril. Outside of one nice moment with Jannah (Naomi Ackie), a fellow defected stormtrooper he meets on the road, his arc from indentured villain to Rebel hero goes largely unaddressed. Worse, even his relationship with Poe feels weirdly underdeveloped.

Poe (Oscar Isaac), meanwhile, is very much “present,” but that’s really all he is. He became something of a de facto leader at the end of The Last Jedi, but Abrams fails to hint at any sense of real authority or growth here. He bickers with Rey and continues to act like a self-important flyboy, echoing a roguish Han Solo-esque fearlessness, but where his presence is maximized, his importance really isn’t. His story and Leia’s should be more interconnected after she taught him a valuable lesson last time around, but the loss of Carrie Fisher unfortunately obstructs his development as a character. Using a mishmash of unused footage from The Force Awakens, they try to conjure her spirit elsewhere, but it doesn’t totally work. That said, the movie at least attempts to do right by her legacy.

Further, Leia’s death in the film helps create two of its best moments. She uses a last ounce of strength to send Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) a memory of his father, Han, who reappears with some paternal advice. It should be a silly moment, but tonally it absolutely works, sold completely by the fine work of Ford and Driver. As father and son reconnect, Kylo Ren finally transforms back into Ben Solo–he tosses his jagged lightsaber into the abyss and goes off to save Rey, who he loves. This whole sequence is preceded by a lightsaber duel where Kylo is left mortally wounded; Rey heals him, and confesses her feelings for the man he could be. Love–and hope–seem temporarily destined to win.

And they do… sort of? The third act is where The Rise of Skywalker totally loses sight of everything it’s trying to be. Rey is drawn into Palpatine’s lair, and there’s a lot of business about Sith and Jedi that doesn’t really make sense. Above them, the war between the “Final Order” (Palpatine’s new name for the galactic baddies) and the Resistance rages, a total lazy mirror to the end of Return of the Jedi. Palpatine wants to funnel his strength into Rey via some ancient ritual, but Ben shows up. Ben and Rey fight together against Palpatine, Rey summons the spirit of all of the Jedi who ever lived, and she beats her grandpa with his own superpower (in a very Harry Potter-esque showdown) before dying. Ben uses the last of his life power to resurrect her–a nice mirror of their Death Star scene earlier in the film–and they kiss. But he then dies, leaving Rey once again as the galaxy’s only real Force of hope. She temporarily reunites with the Resistance–who defeated the Final Order with the help of Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), appearing in the movie just long enough to serve as a deus ex machina–before jetting off to Tatooine. And finally, Rey takes on the last name Skywalker and sees Luke and Leia’s Force ghosts. The end.

Unbelievably, a lot more happens than that. Abrams introduces Zorii Bliss (Keri Russell), a fun, masked ex-fling of Poe’s who’s super cool but completely inconsequential to the plot. Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose Tico effectively takes a Resistance desk job, which feels particularly insulting after everything she accomplished in The Last Jedi. There are more “Force Skype” scenes between Rey and Kylo, and Rey confronts her own inner darkness, manifested in “Dark Rey,” while Abrams introduces a cute new droid named D-O, and throws a lot of other random things at the wall that never stick (like a visit with the ghost of Luke Skywalker during a temporary detour to Ahch-To). It’s as messy as it is ambitious, and Abrams and co-writer Chris Terrio’s deserve some credit for spinning such a clotted web that you’re frequently distracted from all of the holes in it.

But then there’s the whole hope thing. And there’s really no cohesive sense of it here. As a series-ender, this story should resonate more than it does. The Last Jedi contends with the past more, and better, than Skywalker does; it wrestled with the sins of the Jedi and Sith, and kicked open a bigger door for generations to come. Skywalker says nothing about where they, or we, go from here. It ends with Rey abandoned and alone, except for her Force ghost friends, on another desert planet. The one person in the galaxy who ever understood her dies. And he evidently doesn’t redeem himself successfully enough to become a Force ghost. Is death really the only avenue to peace and purpose? Effectively, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Leia Organa all died to save Ben, who then died to save Rey. What is her next step? The movie doesn’t say, or seem to know. It’s a domino effect, with nothing but tragedy at the end of every spill.

That idea could work if the moments in between felt rewarding, or the losses served larger narrative or thematic ideas. But in this story, meant to be a conclusion to a single film, a trilogy and a nine-film saga, they don’t. Rey, Finn, and Poe share only a superficial sense of camaraderie. Their future adventures will lead to moments of happiness and enlightenment along the way. But why does Abrams ignore or de-emphasize those feelings? In The Rise of Skywalker, hope is little more than a ghost. And after more than 40 years, it’s one that Star Wars is still chasing, with no real end in sight.