#same as i did through episode ignis

[pinkpruneclodwolf]

Wired Take—Chapter 2 is About Nature v Nurture.

Why Savanclaw chapter is about siblings relationships

Before I get into why Chapter 2 is about Nature v Nurture we're gonna unpack the Savanaclaw chapter and why it was actually the hardest chapter for me to grasp because of

1: How short it was—

21 episodes compared to Heartslabyul's 28, Octavinelle's 39, Scarabia's 41, Pomefiore's 69, and Ignihyde's 89.

Listen, I'll give Savanaclaw the benefit of the doubt when it comes to Pome and Igni bc they're later chapters meaning Yana had time to put more than enough effort, but Heartslabyul having 7 more episodes (plus the strong ass start from the Prologue) and Octavinelle having 11 more episodes feels weird asl, especially when you consider how iconic the Lion King is. Becoming the highest grossing movie in 1994 (it beat out Jurassic Park) not to mention the Lion King Broadway that's been running for 24 years, rakes in 1.6 mil a week, and has a gross value of 9 billion and counting.

And you're telling me it's the shortest out of the chapters??? Be fucking fr.

2. How the characters were characterized in a way that you'd have to read the next chapter (or personal stories) to grasp the fundamentals of those characters.

Cramming three hyenas into one boy was a choice and some change but I'm willing to say that Ruggie is a solid ass character, could there have been more? Absolutely. But Ruggie is holding his own pretty well.

Leona actually gets more characteration through Vignettes, Personal Stories, Events, and other chapters and I appreciate it because he was done dirty.

In his own chapter.

But Jack, the one non-Disney character and based off the wolf-dog in White Fang, written by Jack London. The story is about how the wolf dog is rescued from his abusive owner and slowly becomes domesticated through patience and compassion to a point where he protects the father of the man who adopted him.

And 3: How Leona's motivations were ruined because of how much his story ties into Scar's.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with Leona after Savanaclaw (bc he had his magical mental breakdown and came to terms with the fact he'll never be king... not) and the sure as hell isn't anything wrong with a "what if" version of Scar who didn't kill his brother and attends school where he can pretend he's king for little whilst that it looks like he's got his shit together and isn't fighting the constant inferiority complex that gets fueled whenever he's sees Malleus exist a likkle too hard...

However, in the face of Riddle (based off the Queen of Hearts) and how strictness ties into his character, how—despite relying on rules—he's actually pretty mischievous, how his mother essentially played God with his life from his very conception until he got to Night Raven and sharing motivations with the protagonist.

In the face of Jamil whose life was decided to be less than Kalim's because of the longstanding history of his family being subservient to the Al-Asim's to a point where his family told him not to overshadow Kalim, but even so he still yearns to be greater than who he is and be able to show the world that his life has as much of the same worth as Kalim's.

In the face of Azul (based off of Ursula) who had been ostracized to a point where he refuses to return to his original form, still keeps every secret, problem, and trait of his childhood bullies who wants to burn away the last vestiges of who he was before NRC yet is still ruled by his old world...

Leona falls short. His motivations are rushed, his backstory a watered down version of Scar's, and his OB scene barely memorable besides the cool ass fit.

Chapter 2 upsets me because Lion King came from Disney's Renaissance era, was the highest grossing moving of 1994 meaning people lined up to watch Mufasa die in a theater to a point that an entire generation is defined by remembering that one scene in that one movie.

Vines and memes centered around the scene and people shaking and crying and throwing up more than Simba did in the damn movie and you mean to tell me Leona rode on those coattails and still flopped????

The Devil is a damn liar.

In an effort to make Chapter 2 less eldritch than it is in terms of incomprehensiblility, I've decided to come up with a better explanation (and fix it) for Savanaclaw.

Only the real will understand.

1. How Short it Is.

I mention how Savanaclaw is the shortest chapter in the game, which is insane considering the game has no sense of time-frame—I would say the Overblots span over a month, but Octavinelle proves this wrong when Jade says "you were the one spying with Riddle the other day" in the JP translation which means Leona's Overblot was the "fastest".

But that makes no sense considering it takes, 3 days~ (making a timeline up) for Jade and Floyd to propose Yuu confront Azul, and when Grim and Yuu take Jack's proposal the Savanaclaw students literally say "Aren't those the guys that trespassed on our dorm the other day?!"

Savanaclaw takes place in October and Octavinelle takes place in November, if I recall most midterms start after 5 1/2 weeks into school, especially in colleges, meaning from the last two weeks in November should be prime time... And this is for a college, not a Highschool, and while NRC is based off of UK schooling they don't refer to the Mid terms as Finals because BrE doesn't have midterms, they have end of the year examinations and this is considered a recent development. [Though I cannot speak from the Brits I just read through a couple articles I will be linking below]

So, yes, I know that Octavinelle starts with Yuu and Grim waking up and then taking the exams but like,,,,, I refuse to believe charas are saying the other day and referring to a week or so ago.

Time is a social construct but it's a prevalent one for a damn reason.

Anyways, why is Leona's Overblot the fastest? Riddle starts accumulating Blot early on because it's a tutorial Chapter to show what you'll be dealing with, Azul doesn't start accumulating Blot around the time Yuu offers Ramshackle as collateral. (Or am I misremembering???) Which becomes a track record as Jamil, Vil, and Idia start accumulating Blot nearing the middle of the chapter and everything starts derailing into Overblot and it wasn't even Idia accumulating Blot, it was Ortho.

Leona does accumulate Blot but it's after the dorm leader meeting which is directly after Ruggie is shown to be the culprit which still threw me off.

The rant about not being told he couldn't be number one should've been reserved for a one on one conversation or after said convo.

I physically cringed when he started off his rant with that bc it sounds like he's in cahoots with whomever is causing students to be injured, he's lucky no one in that room took a moment to process what he said—ntm Azul reacted with interest when he proposed an alternative to defeating Diasomnia.

Leona got as far as he did not bc he was displaying smarts or cunning but bc the ppl around him were dumbed down/not paying attention to his words. Which is crazy since Leona is propped up to be NRC's top student in academics and he's sitting here in front of someone who discovered and honed their Unique Magic at 10. Merman who got bullied to the point of obsessively studying magic and discovering it naturally. A world class actor and model who knows multiple languages and multiple sports, and genius enough to create a poison strong enough to take the Dorm Leader spot of Pomefiore. Kalim who has (possibly) been advised to be very careful of his surroundings due to multiple assassination attempts, a genius who made a robot in his brother's image. Crowley who runs the show essentially throwing his motivations on the table.

Like,,,, get a fucking grip, save the villain monologing for after you're sure you've won.

Thing is, this goes on for the entirety of the chapter—The fakeout of Ruggie seeming like he's the one accumulating Blot since he's doing all the leg work and Leona throwing out his plans for anyone to hear, the whole point of Jack confronting Leona stems from the first year overhearing his conversation lmaooo.

You can throw your hat in the ring and say that Leona doesn't care. That he genuinely believes that he or Ruggie will get caught and stopped feeding into his complex of "if there's no immediate reward what's the point?"

But why the hell would start by injuring students for funzies if he thinks at a moments notice he'll get caught? Why go on a monologue ab how the Great Seven secured their positions through wisdom and cunning and have the table of Dorm Leader's (besides Idia) rallying behind him if he thinks Crowley will just pull him aside and call him out??

The math ain't mathing.

But it will.

Some events in the chapter need to be reordered.

Jack should approach Leona and tell him about the students dropping like flies—I genuinely believe that Leona should've allowed some students in Savanaclaw to get injured, it looks suspicious if the only dorm not suffering from losses is the one that wants to win the most.

Leona should dismiss his concerns or imply that he'll start investigating the matter and when Jack leaves, cackle evilly with Ruggie to set up the chapter.

You could bump up the Meeting scene but I'd keep it where it is, why? Because Azul can say, "due to recent injuries, if you want to swap students out of your previous roster it will be an additional fee; submitting your Magift forms late will also cost you."

This would imply that the dorm leaders already put in their Registration Forms and the process of changing students can be difficult because the VIP guests, Newsbroadcasters, and scouts will have to be informed of the decision.

Again, that villain monologue Leona through it was insane work, like he was the only one praying on his downfall. So I propose a different monologue:

"Denying students the chance to be number one?"

"You expect Savanaclaw, founded off the Tenacity of the King of Beasts, to lay on our backs and let that monster stomp all over us and our dreams?"

"Magift isn't just about physical prowess. Technique, magic; that lizard only relies on two of those components."

This is Leona's complex talking bc Sebek says that Malleus summons mountains and thunder during Magift because it's all based on spectacle. Think of it is the U.A. Sports Festival in MHA, it's all about spectacle and showing off in an effort to get noticed, which emphasizes another point:

The whole reason Leona is even doing this is bc a part of him believes he owes his dorm members a win. He assumed the Dorm Head's position and since then has lost to Malleus and thus cutting down the opportunities his dorm students can get, thus saying he will never be a true king.

Again, I said that if the scenes were played out right it could've been subversive. We still don't know who would OB between Ruggie and Leona (exactly like Jamil and Kalim) because after the meeting two Blot splatters appear and Ruggie attacks two students.

A lot of people have even said Ruggie should've been the one to Overblot bc Cjapter 2 trivialize Leona's struggles with never being King, relegated to a spare heir who will never see the seat because Cheka is sitting there.

His magic is said to be the manifestations of his people's fears: drought, famine. It wasn't a Unique Magic he discovered like the rest of the OB group, he was born with it.

Imagine your first display of magic being met with disgust and horror while your brother's UM (discovered later in life) is met with praise.

Play it up!!!

Leona has a good grip on his magic but with Overblot let him melt some stairs! Let him dry out the air! Let him have a conversation with his Brother (over the phone/face to face) and turn a door handle to sand/leave a trail of sand in his wake!!!!!

Have students complain about the growing frequency of sandstorms at Savanaclaw, how dry the air feels, have Jack's cacti nearly die!!!!

Stand up Savanaclaw damn!!!!!!

2. How the characters were characterized in a way that you'd have to read the next chapter (or personal stories) to grasp the fundamentals of those characters.

JACK, FIGHT BACK

RUGGIE, STAND UP

LEONA, GET UPPPP!!!!

The Chapters are there to help sell a character, to make you roll for them and get you invested in their arcs and growth throughout the story.

So why in the hell....?

Lemme ask yall this: Who are your fave characters in twst? What attracted yall to them? What was your fave chapter? What characters stand out to you?

I've scoured the twst tags and I've noticed that Savanaclaw ranks lowest amongst the people. Or they are never properly characterized in headcanons/yumeships.

Ofc we can chalk it up to the rampant racism that is within twst—I've seen yall hcs of Savanaclaw being smelly and full of jocks as if these students don't have heightened senses and would probably be the cleanest dorm in Night Raven, beating out Pomefiore.

Or the fact that yall characterize Savanaclaw students as only violent despite the fact they are a martial artist dorm (which requires discipline) as well as a dorm that is the major contributor in Magical Shift leagues (which is like football, you need good grades to even touch HS football not to mention College Football).

But I digress on that—Savanaclaw isn't popular bcccc the chapter was asinine.

Like I said, you'd need to read the charas Personal Stories/Vignettes to get a grasp on them whilst other chapters and characters (besides Pomefiore, Rook, Vil, and Epel are hard as hell to grasp, I tried to do a case study on Rook and was sniped twice)

Personal stories are meant to expand on a character and their themes, yet that's all Leona, Ruggie, and Jack can rely on bc they were written with failure on the brain and defeat in the heart.

The way Savanaclaw should've gone was characterizing Leona.

Someone who has a dichotomous relationship with his family, friends, kingdom, and public perception, the weight of being the black sheep, the scapegoat, ostracized for a power he was born with to a point that he gives up. He's stuck in a cycle of hubris, self hatred, procrastination. He wants to be praised bc he was denied it for so long, stuck in the shadow of the golden child that is his brother, his chance to be accepted swept away by his nephew.

When he graduates he will have nothing to return to but upholding an image.

He is stuck.

That right there is grounds for a reasonable Overblot. Bc I'm sure anyone has felt those feelings before—played those roles before.

And somehow Savanaclaw fails to show that and Ruggie steals the spotlight.

Thing is, I'm not even against Ruggie Overblotting bc the hyenas do eat Scar at the end of the movie.

However.

As much as I fw Ruggie Obing, I'm trying to fix Savanaclaw lmaooooo.

Anyways, Ruggie also is stuck.

Born in poverty with possibly no prior education, he has no mother his father abandoning him and the only person raising his us his grandmother, it's been implied that Ruggie's been picking up odd jobs prior to Night Raven—meaning he's lied about his age and the rich simply did not care. Children in poverty grow up with adult eyes, wisened up to the world in an effort to survive before the hole that is poverty consumes them. Adults hold child eyes because "hope" is the only thing keeping them going, Ruggie knows that one day he will look to the world with "hope" so having Night Raven choose him out of all kids is his golden ticket, surrounding himself with rich kids, mooching as much as possible until he can live a comfortable life...

That's also grounds for Overblot, especially when you consider Leona throwing everything back at his face and nearly strangling him to death.

His golden ticket turning to dust before his eyes.

No wonder yall fw Ruggie Overblotting, that boy was putting in the legwork!!!!

Jack is objectively the most normal mf in the TWST cast, I see yall try so hard to project Trey as normal and it's laughable bc the dude who literally asked to be ignored is the sneakiest mf in the cast, beat out by Rook and Jade.

Like Jack is easily overshadowed in the chapter and after. Only working when hes bouncing off of another character which is crazy bc he's based off of a feral wolf that slowly gets domesticated through compassion and kindness (a reason why he easily warms up to Yuu) him being all about just actually could work in his (and Yuu's) favor when you consider the fact that Yuu is the most proactive (read: forced) in stopping fighting Overblots.

Yet his character is never truly explored, even in his vignettes. Which is crazy work bc, like I said in a previous post, when Jack assumes he's in the right when that Justice comes into play he will shake you down.

He does it with Leona, Ruggie, Azul. FLOYD AND JADE LEECH BOTH??? Like that boy is a force to be reckoned with and somehow,,,,,,

Like I'm grateful Portfest is giving Jack crumbs but this should've been implemented, especially if you're going to sell what is essentially an Original Character in a game that focuses on Disney villains...

Which brings me to Crowley, who is also an Original Character based off of a real person—Aleister Crowley. A real life occultist who was dubbed "the wickedest man in the world." And that mf has been the basis for so many theories, esp popular ones like him being behind Mickey's entrapment in the mirror (it's going platinum in my delusions lmaoo).

So,,, why the hell is Jack?? Getting the short end of the stick??? See where Yana messed up was not expanding on Jack, Ruggie, and Leona.

The entirety of October is dedicated to Magical Shift they have enough time to plan, revamp, and execute Leona's plan. I honestly wanted Leona to come down on Malleus like he did to Azul, and THEN recreate the scene where Mufasa dies.

Thus leading to my next point!:

And 3: How Leona's motivations were ruined because of how much his story ties into Scar's.

Gonna give a strict rundown on what happens in Savanaclaw before we begin unpacking what should be changed and why:

As we know Savanaclaw starts of with Ruggie snatching the cutlet using his UM who then gives it to Leona, and they talk about his status as second Prince. Skip to the Dorm Leader meeting—which is where things pick up for Leona before dropping off the side of a cliff— he explicitly is against Malleus being inducted into the Hall of Fame, rallying the other dorm leaders (Excluding Malleus, obvi) and Crowley concedes.

Ruggie then breaks two other students' bones before prancing off, leaving Yuu to be tasked with investigating the strange circumstances behind the injuries. In that time Trey gets hurt and so Adeuce, Cater, and Riddle investigate those injured and on the possible hitlist to be injured.

In that time Yuu is taught Magical Shift, a game that while on the surface seems focused on brute strength and force ends up being a strategic game that has flashy spells to Wow the crowd.

Jack later ends up listening in on Leona and Ruggie discussing further plans. Fast forward and Yuu and the Investigation troop find out crucial evidence that points to Savanaclaw, but with no solid information they can't fly off the handle.

Thus leading to the final showdown: Ruggie procures a performance enhancing potion and recreates the march that killed Mufasa but—oh? It's all Cater clones? Heartslabyul warned Diasomnia and the other dorms in advance? Leona gives up and Ruggie tries to knock sense into him? The Investigation troop and Lilia give him a stern talking to?

He Overblots.

This is a pretty frustrated retelling of the chapter but I want to reiterate that Savanaclaw is the SHORTEST CHAPTER IN THE GAME and Leona only has a handful of scenes in the entire chapter, if I said he had 3 major scenes (EXCLUDING HIS OVERBLOT) you would assume I'm lying but 16-20 is a whole four episodes where he just ISNT THERE but you wanna know who is?

Ruggie and Jack.

I'm going to maul a small family and eat a couch.

It's not like Leona needs to show up to tell that his actions are harming everyone, other chapters have full on episodes where the Overblotee isn't there, however, it's that for everytime Leona isn't there Ruggie is—a sponge that soaks up and steals Leona's thunder and leads many to believe Ruggie is the one who should Overblot instead.

And the thing is, I want to say I don't care about how long Savanaclaw is because impactful storytelling doesn't need to bee stretched across say,,,,, 89 episodes but I can't lie, I believe many more people would rock with the Savanaclaw trio the way the rock with Octatrio if they had just a couple more episodes, a better vision and maybe coherent plot too.

But here are some things I'd change.

Emphasis on VIP guests, many royal families (especially Kingscholars) and scouts/recruiters. If Magift is supposed to be anything like College football it'd make sense that there would be an emphasis on recruiting and scouts as well as scholarship and internship opportunities. Savanaclaw is basically an all you can eat internship Hotspot, having Diasomnia usurp that means that internship/scholarship opportunities are becoming unevenly distributed

Sebek said that Malleus can summon mountains and thunder during Magift, meaning that Magift is about spectacle, which again harkens back to recruiters, internships, and scholarships. Magift is a big sport in NRC bc it showcases the overflowing potential and thus puts NRC in a position for more funding.

I mentioned VIP guests and royalty. Maybe Leona's brother is one of those guests? Maybe Cheka shows up? Maybe Falena attempts to reconnect with his brother through a sport he enjoys after years of being apart and nearly no contact? Maybe Cheka sneaks off more into NRC and is indentured into the Investigation Squad? Maybe Leona feels more pressure because not only is Malleus in line to be put on the throne but his Dorm might get washed in front of Falena and thus exacerbating his fears of being less than his brother? Maybe, maybe, maybe.

MORE 👏🏾 SCREENTIME👏🏾 FOR 👏🏾LEONA👏🏾 Have Leona have a dichotomous relationship with Ruggie, keep the audience on the feet and guessing who the hell will OB, I don't know ab twst en players but b4 the translations we had a TimeLoop theory and Leona Overblotting instead of (who we believed should've OBed) was essentially the golden puzzle piece when it came to those theories, entire theses and theories were built off the back of Leona OB being an error/change in the Timeline. Having the story alternate between those two? Twst jp theories wouldve carried over frr.

@/najmaviper already said this, but have Leona use his UM as a way to vent!!! Show that his grip is slowly loosening in the face of all these problems arising? Show that even with him learning to leash a UM that the pressure has his grip slipping!! That the divide between managing the innate magic he's been born with is growing thinner and its harder to grasp something that melds into a foundational problem!!!

Ruggie! Like I said society would advance just off principle of the Savanaclaw fake out! Make it look like Ruggie's gonna Overblot while also balancing the many reasons why Leona should OB as well!! Bc the hyenas ate Scar it would make sense thematically that Ruggie should also hold some burden of Overblot as Chap 6 said that it can have an area of effect and there have been instances of ppl OBing by proxy!!

Savanaclaw needs to be longer.

Now that we've gotten all of that out of the way. Here's my analysis for Savanaclaw.

Nature v Nurture—The Eternal Struggle of the Wild.

As we all know, the wilderness is a dangerous place to be in. To be vulnerable in the elements could very well cost you your life.

That is exactly why Jack London's White Fang, while not known, is still a profound body of work bc of the topic it tackles—The struggle of man v nature.

But we aren't talking about just the struggle of man v nature, we are talking about the struggle of man and nature, where animal and human begin and end and mix and blend.

It is through that that I present to you my analysis on Savanaclaw as a whole.

Leona, as we all know, had been ostracized and stuck in the shadow of his brother since the day he was born—this further exacerbated by the fact that not only are they born a decade a part (ten years apart) but their roles had already been decided.

Falena was destined to be king, and as such was whisked away into learning how to lead his country—to continue the reign of Kingscholars and make sure that balance and harmony would prosper in Afterglow Savannah.

Because of that, I believe that they never truly had a chance to bond—one always running away and the other always standing still; aimless.

It didn't help that Leona was a progidy, that his Unique Magic that he'd been born with essentially being a culmination of his people's fears— "I am your hunger, I am your thirst."

We know that when Scar had assumed the throne he'd allowed a disproportionate amount of hunting that led to food running scarce—I'd assume that Twst!Scar had such a devastating impact on Afterglow Savannah that droughts would forever be associated with him—I also believe that there is still an area of land in Afterglow Savannah that has yet to recover.

So, to be associated with someone who'd killed his brother for the throne, to be associated with droughts and famines, and to have a personality that wasn't favorable you could see now that Leona was doomed from the start.

Because it didn't just start with him being denied kingship—he was denied something essential.

Compassion. Attention. And love.

We can see that Leona doesn't yearn to be king, but rather he yearns for what he should've gotten as a child—recognition. Instead of his efforts being deemed less than his brother's by right of him being king and him being the spare what Leona really yearned for was to have that same attention on him.

Just for a moment.

And if I said that Leona's scar could've been borne from that want—that need to be doted on, to finally be free from his brother's shadow and not be compared to him would I be wrong?

Because at the core of it, what Leona was denied subsequently is what he begins to abhor. We see this when, despite many students of Night Raven coming to him when they face a problem, he actively avoids them. Despite his grades literally being a selling point at NRC you see him not trying at all to come to class. Despite him overseeing on of the most competitive sports in Twisted Wonderland, you see that he doesn't put in that same effort divided to Magift as he does his PE class (as seen in his PE vignette)

Because why strive for something that you know will not be given to you? Why put in effort that will be overlooked? Why do anything at all if there is nothing you can do?

But I wouldn't go as far as to say that Leona is entirely apathetic—moreso inert in his position in life. He was supposed to be the spare king, a thing to look forward to, but as of Cheka his role is now essentially moot. His achievements as a Magift player overshadowed by Malleus, who has been considered to be inducted into the Hall of Fame for his achievements—Something that Leona probably has already done and more but bc Malleus beats him out in sheer magic factor you can see why there'd be some bitterness in that.

He doesn't have to strive to be a king, but he wants to bc thats the closest he'll get to his brother and, in spite of his self sabotaging ways, ultimately have purpose in life.

I do not believe that Leona is lazy, but rather because he believes he has "no place" in life he finds himself meandering through it.

Savanaclaw is the best and worst that happened to him—because for a moment, he was separated from his title as second prince, for a moment he had a purpose.

Only to have it snatched away.

It's why I think that Malleus and Leona are direct parallels of each other at points. First v Second Prince, Treasured v Discarded, Fae v Beastmen.

Because the struggle of human v nature, the struggle of human nature, and the struggle of instinct are all things that have been written and talked about.

If Leona was raised better he'd be able to handle the disappointment, the dejection, and the shortcomings he faced. But that is an if scenario, and we know that if he were a better Beastmen he wouldn't have Overblotted.

However, for all his carefully crafted apathy we know that Leona still wants—we see that when he objects Crowley's proposal to induct Malleus into the Hall of Fame by arguing that everyone should have a chance to best him. Because to be in Savanaclaw is to have Tenacity, to claw for what you want regardless of birth order and predetermined circumstances.

In the end, we know that Leona has a competitive streak and clear cut goals—he wants to come out on top regardless of the odds.

And as we know, lions are group hunters, while reliant on their female counterparts male lions still have to hold their own.

The clear cut goal is—hunt and catch prey. There's nothing more and nothing less to be added.

And yet, his defeatist attitude always wins out in the end. A reality check that Leona had known since the beginning yet to hear it from the mouth of someone who, by virtue of being in Diasomnia and thus closer to Malleus (someone who would win by default), sends him over the edge.

Either way, even after his Over Blot I believe it's important to note that Leona does not truly change who he is fundamentally—its an act of defiance, because in the end he still gave it his all even if it was underhanded, even if it meant he'd possibly injure Malleus in the process.

In the end, after all those years spent being inert and constantly shifting gears to please that competitive streak in himself while also doing the bare minimum, he learns to go at his own pace.

He learns that he can't strive for a goal without truly, actively chasing after it. We see this in Chap 3 where he participates in Savanaclaw Magift training even mentioning that there is a RSA v NRC tournament coming up and that gives him the drive to train for it.

It might not be satisfactory, the fact that Leona hadn't drastically changed like Riddle and Vil had but it's a change that fits him. Because he'd lived his life wanting to have the odds play in his favor while actively sabotaging himself with his own defeatist mentality.

He doesn't change for the sake of changing, but rather he changes for himself and to make it easier to better 'hunt' for his goals.

[captainadwen]

Finished episode prompto. It was good though not my fave of the three DLC (thats still ep ignis) and honestly the robot monkey was more menacing than finding out the ultimate weapon of the mad scientist is a giant robot sandworm... snow worm....

Also I think it was a missed opportunity to not have Prompto VA also voice Besitihia. Maybe he couldn't get the Old Dude voice right?

That aside things I really liked:

- Prompto's combat even tho I hate FPS, so less about playing and more just the concept. Specifically I liked that he has close range option even tho never seen in game... it makes sense. Stealing weapons never got old either.

- that scene where Prompto is full on spiraling and shoots that MT in the face? 10/10

- also the burn the barcode option that was good

- ARANEA my beloved. Love how she calls him a kid. She's got to be over 30 me thinks, which is good because this game desperately needs more female characters....

Things I liked but exasperated me:

- Ravus was the one to propose and plan the invasion of Insomnia. This literally never gets mentioned elsewhere? Same "tf game.why is this optional content and not a major conflict" as Ravus being put in charge of Insomnia after it falls and then repeatedly ditching his post

- Ardyn being a major force behind the MT process is... I'm not against it per say, but I'm generally not fond of narratives trying to pin All The Evil on This One Dude. I liked it much more when I thought Ardyn had just pointed Besithia in the correct direction a little bit, but Besithia did most of the work. Which is still a valid reading of the situation I think. I just really loved how Besithia began as just traumatized by seeing his comrades die and trying to find a way to stop that, only to go fully insane.

Things I wonder about:

- this is a huge area. I can't help but wonder if we were originally supposed to go through it in the main game.

- I haven't yet rescued prompto in main game so I'm very curious if the credits convo with noctis is dlc exclusive. It's good I really like it also prompto looks Rough

Things that amuse me:

- ardyn literally just scattered around all the relevant records in our path so I'm going to imagine that before this he spent a while listening to every report to find the most relevant ones to Prompto, Besithia Insanity ASMR

- Prompto you just took the snowmobile and left Aranea behind huh

- also he and Aranea just chilling at vending machines like a pair of loiterers is kinda funny

Overall fun time I guess. Wild to think none of these DLC were available at start of game. What in the world did people think prompto had gone through???

Also I genuinely thought MT were prompto clones themselves not just the prompto clones being robot fuel....

[gorematchala]

I think my final verdict on FFXV is that it sucks really bad but, as a movie, I like watching it suck cuz theres good stuff in there, and its just kinda fascinating overall

The game has absolutely no value to me in terms of actual gameplay. It's got bad combat on top of tedious open world bullshit. Don't care. But as movies on youtube...

Kingsglaive is actually kinda good, but that may be biased by the fact that Aaron Paul is the lead, and also that I watched it immediately after Advent Children which is the worst garbage ever. The story has two plot threads that proceed in a logical manner and then converge at the 70% mark and resolve in a satisfying conclusion. Thats all I can ask of a film. Advent Children sucks so bad I still can't believe it after 48 entire hours

The main game movie is mostly inoffensive even though it only kinda makes sense? It's totally fine once you get what's happening, but there isn't enough information in there. But I like Noctis, and Ardyn is the best. There are other characters as well

Episode Gladiolus is nothing

Episode Prompto was shockingly bad, like holy fuck. The shit opens on 3 minutes of walking in the snow, followed by Metal Gear, then Prompto has a meltdown because he finds out he was grown in a tube, which doesnt really seem to do anything for him. Like he isn't extra strong as a result or anything. So he tries to burn his barcode off and hes screaming and crying in the snow while I'm sitting here remembering how little of a fuck Noctis and them give when he tells them. Like all this shit happens and hes freaking out and they go yeah who cares. Then he spends 25 minutes shooting an RE5 turret at a big worm. Awful

Episode Ignis was kinda cool. I like Ravus well enough and Ignis is at least capable and good at what he does if nothing else. I think I came around on him despite his britishness because Prompto is annoying and Gladio is kind of an asshole for no reason randomly. And the realest moment in the whole base game is the two of them arguing over whether or not Ignis should be allowed to travel with them like he isn't there listening to them. That and Gladio dealing with his own frustration about everything that happened at Altissia by yelling at Noctis for being sad while Ignis is blind. Basically using Ignis's situation as justification to vent on someone. In the middle of this weird chopped up shell of a plot they take a moment to very accurately portray how the people around someone will often make their newfound disability about them. It was neat

Episode Ardyn was both the best and worst part of the whole plot. It justifies his motivation and shows you exactly how we got where we did, but at the same time, it sucks when Bahamut explains that none of this matters because it was preordained by fate. It made me feel for Ardyn because he almost existed outside that fate but was still bound by it. Cursed to spend his whole life waiting for Noctis to be born and kill him, just because that's the hand he was dealt by his own brother. Or was it his brother? Was it fate? Where did the plague come from? Why does melting people give him their memories? Why can he sometimes stop time? Who decided upon this prophecy? Why was Ardyn made the embodiment of darkness? Why did killing him solve the problem?

The whole thing is stupid when you view it as a series of events that happen just because they have to. But there's still something about it that makes me want to like it. Maybe it's just the ghost of Versus XIII. The promise of spending the game walking around that city instead of driving through the desert. Idk. But at the end of the day, Noctis is really good in Theatrhythm and he's fun to play as in Tekken, so I guess it was all worth it

[sweet-evie]

for the emoji asks: 💔💞✅🧠🤩

Thank youuuu! 😍🥰

💔 Is there a fic of yours that broke your heart?

Yes… There's been many throughout the years, but the most recent one is I Promised, Didn't I? It was written as a reponse to someone's request. They asked for an AU where Lelouch snaps at C.C. and his words actually hurt her.

Flavor: Hurt/Comfort. 🔥

I was all too happy to deliver. What I did not expect was for my heart to break alongside C.C. as I was writing it. Not gonna lie, there's a paragraph in that fic where shit got way too real for me.

💞 Who's your comfort character?

I have two, to be honest.

^ This man… He was my first fictional crush. I was eight when my cousin introduced me to anime, specifically Yu-Gi-Oh… It was downhill from there. To this day, I love living vicariously through Seto Kaiba, and I adore Blueshipping… So. Freaking. Much. 💙🤍

^ This boy speaks to my heart and soul. At first glance, I thought he was just a comic relief character while you play Final Fantasy XV, but holy shit! I've never connected to a character more than I've connected with Prompto. Let's just say, he and I have the same issues and anxieties. The only difference is, he found true friends in Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis. Unfortunately, I wasn't as blessed as he was. 💀💀

✅ What's something that appears in your fics over and over and over again, even if you don't mean to?

I answered this question in another ask, but there is more than one thing I keep repeating whenever I write... 😅

Aside from secret lovers tropes, there's also a lot of, "It didn't work the first time, let's make it work the second time around." Personally, I call it my 'Second Chances' fixation. It's been that way all the way to my old FFN account, and has even been pointed out by commenters a few times.

Again, that probably has something to do with how I was raised and other stuff, and I don't understand it, but I'm content to leave it at that. 😂

🧠 Pick a character, and I'll tell you my favorite headcanon for them.

No character was mentioned in the ask… But let's go with L Lawliet… 😁

I've written out so many Lelouch headcanons at this point, so let's shine the spotlight on one of my other fave characters. xD

I like believing that L owns properties around Europe. I just like the idea of L staying in a big ass tourist chateau in France or Denmark or Slovakia… He only uses one room of the big property and when he's not there, it's a tourist spot. Why does he own them? 🤷‍♀️ Just because…

With that said, I also subscribe to the fact that L is FREAKING LOADED. 💰🤑 Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't there official material where it says that he charges at LEAST 1 Million USD per case? (And he's solved 3,500 cases + he funded that Kira HQ Building with 20 floors without blinking an eye + that episode where Near yeets L's cash out of a building and uses it as a distraction to escape the rioters). He's picky with his cases as L, but he has 2 other aliases (Coil & Deneuve) and one of them charges exorbitant prices for a case too… Case in point, Coil's prices during the Yotsuba arc. I don't think it's difficult for L to invest in the stock market and make a shitload of money off of there too. He's smart enough to do that stuff. 😇

🤩 Who is your favorite character to write?

At the moment, I'm having WAY too much fun writing Lelouch, Light, and L… Favorite character to write of ALL TIME, is hands down, Seto Kaiba. My old FFN account has Seto Kaiba fics in it. 😊

[stuff-of-legends]

Stray Thoughts of FF15

Ff15's open world is iffy. It's a way to do grinding but the story picks up after a few chapters. So you wanna barrel through the story rather than travel. But it's a common issue with open world games. Combat is fun but hectic.

Episode Gladiolus has some DMC vibes. It's not the most consequential but still fun.

Episode Prompto aka Jester Snake aka Prompto's excellent adventure. It's a change of pace and kinda works.

Episode Ignis. It's probably my favorite so far. Not gonna lie, I wish these three dlc was set during the 10 year gap. I wished he use the grappling hook as a weapon. The Ravus boss fight is my favorite so far.

Episode Ardyn. I decided to play it before I finish the game. Its different than what I expected. It's fun being bad lol. Episode Ardyn does make Ardyn sympathetic and a foil for Noctis. But you don't really forgive him at the end. You get why he did it but you condemn it all the same.

I dub the post timeskip version of Noct- "Alan Noct".

The female representation isn't that good buts more common with Japanese media so YMMV.

I like the female characters but they are underused or in the case of Luna poorly used. The childhood friend trope was poorly handled but leaning to the arranged marriage aspect would've helped keep it fresh. It's more believable that they would grow apart over a decade than keep the flame. So having them navigate that gap would've been preffered.

I wouldn't mind episode Aranea and Luna tho.

[chancellorxofxtrash]

top 5 polyamory ships

Oh man. That's difficult. Let's go with what is in my brain mostly these days. I'm just gonna list ten, because fuck it

Ace/Keiwa/Neon/Michinaga (KR Geats) - they are everything to me and they are perfect and they mean the world to me

Tsukasa/Daiki/Yuusuke/Natsumi (KR Decade) - look when your three lovers hang onto your memory to pull you back to life---

Gokai OT6 (Gokaiger) - LISTEN. THERE ARE POLY SENTAI TEAMS. AND THEN THERE IS WHATEVER THE FUCK THE GOKAIS GOT GOING ON

Shinken OT6 (Shinkenger) - there is just SO MUCH here. A lord and his retainers. The inner conflicts, the REVEALS, the love, the pain. Fucking hell Miss Kobayashi why did you do this to me

Ryoken/Windy/Lightning/Jin (YGO VRAINS) - because I'm unhinged and I talked myself into Ryoken/Windy ages ago, and because Ryoken and Lightning are foils, To Me, and because Windy and Lightning are messy and complicated, because Origin/Ignis ships owns my ass, because---

Shark/Yuma/Vector (YGO ZEXAL) - do you have time to talk with my about my lord and saviour This Fucking Ship Holy Shit

Edo/Judai/Manjoume (YGO GX) - a grand total of two other people care about this but listen rewatch the Edo-Manjoume episodes of Season 4, and look into my eyes and tell me this isn't where it's at

Boonboom OT6 (Boonboomger) - they do mean the world to me, we are about halfway through the season and I love them so much, and they love each other so much AND THERE IS SO MUCH HAPPENING

Gai/Juggler/Naomi (Ultraman Orb) - crying screaming throwing up about all the STUFF that is here, and also it's very funny for the UFO chaser to pull two aliens. I also love to de-fridge Micott and give Naomi an alien girlfriend too

Mirald/Dorrikey/Doubs/Hackey (Vamp!) - again grand total of two other people care about this, but these garbage vampires mean the world to me. Because they are all introduced in books 4 and 5 only we have limited time with them, but Mirald/Dorrikey are technically fucking married, Doubs and Hackey have a great rapport, and we know Doubs and Mirald are on the same page a lot of the time and we do see Dorrikey call Hackey and---

Shit. Fuck already got 10 uhhhhh nooo I didn't even mention Jacuzzi/Nice/Felix/Chané from Baccano! or Mikado/Masaomi/Anri/Saki from Durarara!! which are canon as far as I am concerned or Hiromi/George/Olteca from Revice where LISTEN TO ME I HAVE A POINT IT CAN WORK WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE OLTECA BEHAVE A BIT or Kuroto/Emu/Kiriya from Ex-Aid that makes me go insane but okay I don't think we CAN fix Kuroto but uhhhh consider, but also there is hey wait a moment where are you going no come back I didn't even bring out my Kyuranger relationship chart or my cdrama polyships yet-----

[rhyske]

Thank you it's been a rough year but I am doing better and the horizon is looking brighter!~ ^^ <3

Luna was disappointing, to say the least, she doesn't really do anything other than wave her stick around and die. I didn't care about her like I did with the boys because I didn't really know her. she was just a nice girl I guess haha, so yeah could have been better. The boys are really well written though. Gladio is my personal favourite cause he is both a bit rough but also so soft. I've been waiting for VII remake to hit Game pass or Xbox in general, I'm like 99% sure it was announced it but PS have some exclusivity deal which is annoying. TT_TT

I haven't seen the second season of TLoVM yet but I've seen the campaign so I'm not really in a hurry. I have watched a good chunk of the 3rd campaign and it's pretty good and definitely funny. I think originally CR planned to make like just a short series through Kickstarter. then the community gave them a massive budget. they partnered with amazon prime, who I think have greenlit 2 more seasons after season 2, as well as the mighty nein series. It's just wild how it happened.

Dragon age 2 is also my favourite so far, haven't played the DLC though, it wasn't included in EA play which was pretty rude I'm not gonna lie haha. inquisition is fine but it just doesn't feel like dragon age to me, more like a generic fantasy game? I don't really find any characters interesting except for Varric and he was a vital part of 2 so they can't take credit for that to be honest. Dorian is pretty neat, he has a personality at least and he is pretty funny. The others are fine I guess. the inquisitor is pretty bland as well, apart from that just having them lead the inquisition out of nowhere was a weird choice, like they were maybe a criminal and they just let them take the lead. imagine if they would have gone with personality options as in DA2

blue inquisitor is like oh no my bad I'm gonna do my best to fix this and help everyone while everyone else is seriously suspicious of them and they are lowkey a hostage. purple inquisitor handling the situation with sarcastic humour and maybe tries to escape from the Inquisition (and fails) red inquisitor being rude and pissed at everyone while also blaming them for everything, tries to escape several times (and fails). i don't know but something like that could have been more fun and interesting maybe.

I started learning English when I was about 8 years old I think and yeah it was through school. I started learning more and faster due to playing games online though, in the beginning, I was very shy and not confident in my ability to speak, eventually, I made a friend that I felt comfortable talking to when I was 14/15 ish and I became fluent quickly after that. now my English is better than my native language and I speak English with my mom and my brother because it's just easier to express myself in English. my mom and brother are pretty much the same way too hahah. I was supposed to learn another language in school as well but I opted out because I am dyslectic ^^' 💜

Oh good! 💕 I'm glad things are looking up :D

Yeah Luna had so much potential. Noct loves her, or at least has a crush on her, for....some reason. They only met like, 10+ years ago and barely talked since. They write like, one or two sentences in a journal they send back and forth? That... Is romantic in theory, but when you think about it, that's not great. Oohh, Prompto used to be my favorite until Ignis' DLC episode came out. I cried in both, but his DLC surprised me the most and gave me new appreciation for his character. Gladio is a gentle bear. He kinda reminds me of a grumpy cat.

Oh yeah, exclusivity deals 🙄 Gotta love 'em.

Yeah, I remember they had plans for just like, one episode but the Kickstarter got like, millions of dollars which was enough to make about 15ish episodes? And then Amazon picked up the rest to make it a normal 20 some odd episode show. I didn't know about a season 4! That's awesome! Amazon is the one funding the Mighty Nein one too? That makes sense.

Oh yeah, Inquisition dropped the ball on so many things. Dorian and Varric are the only companions I remember too. I don't care for any of the others, which is such a shame. My Inquisitor was a Dalish mage, who doesn't believe in the Maker, but there's like, just one throwaway line about it or something and it's never brought up again? Their Dalish clan is never really talked about and their fate is left up to an optional table quest. It's so bad. And don't even get me started on the gameplay and pacing. DA2 had such memorable characters, even if you hate them. There's multiple companion quests for every companion, they have conversations with you based on things you choose, their conversations between themselves allude to them all having independent lives as well as friendships between them all outside of being dragged around by Hawke. It's just.... So good.

What is your native language, if it's okay to ask? Totally okay to not answer (: I have a friend, who is basically a sister, who has parents whose native languages are different, but both speak English. So she grew up with English being her native language. If I remember right, she isn't fluent in either of her parents native languages because of it.

I've started trying to read stories in my target language and it really helps a ton! To be engaged and interested in something that isn't just boring textbooks 🙄 Studying made fun!

[mistress-light]

Currently I’m really enjoying my German play through of FFXV. It does feel like a whole new experience. I am not that bothered by the German voice cast though (well perhaps the fact the Cidney aka Cindy sounds like she is a heavy smoker now, well she has a deep voice and I was shocked for a moment, cuz Y’all so used to that high pitched voice). I already stumbled upon some differences between the English version. Some parts are the same, but also some entirely different, and I really like that though, but it also makes me a bit mad at times xD

Some personal fav’s of mine until this point considering Luna and Noctis (I am still at chapter 1 so yeah taking things easy). This is from my own translation though, I am not a German expert, but kinda understand the big picture. 

Regis to Noctis when he is about to leave for Altissia:  

“Benimm dich im Beisein deiner künftigen Frau”

Translation: Behave in the presence of your future wife >:D

But also the teasing conversation between Prompto and Noctis does give a different tone:

Prompto: Flitterst du mit Luna nach der Hochzeit eigentlich direkt zurück nach Insomnia?

Translation: Will you immediately go back to Insomnia with Luna, after the wedding? 

Noctis: Wie? Irgendwann schon. Aber sicher nicht sofort. 

Translation: At some point. But not immediately.

Prompto: Mann! Kann immer noch nicht glauben, dass du heiratest! Wie fühlt sich so kurz vor dem großen Augenblick?

Translation: Man! Still can not believe that you are getting married! How does it feel being so close to the moment?

Noctis: Wie immer.

Translation: Like always

Prompto: Ach, Noct! Jetzt tu doch nicht so, als war dir das alles egal.

Translation: Oh, Noct! Don’t be like that, as if everything is the same (rusty translation here though)

Noctis: Eifersuchtig? 

Translation: Jealous?

Prompto: Bild dir mal bloß nichts ein. 

Translation: Don't let it go to your head.

So I am also really trying to look into the lore and stuff later on.

[mehbzz]

FFXV A/B/O au 18+ includes fingering, yandere, controlling behaviour, alludes to forced breeding, depression, mentions of self harm, low self esteem/weight issues. F!reader/Ignis/Gladio

So this was going to be a pretty dark forced breeding kinda fic but my mood changed and it ended up being half the beginning of a forced breeding fic and half depressed reader suffering from a depressive episode. The change in my mood is very noticeable half way though and probably a little jarring so we shall pretend that the second half happens a month or two after the first half, when the topic of kids has been soothed over and temporarily forgotten! No proofreading, no beta.

EDIT- Just correcting a typo that was annoying me!

“….having children.”

“What??” You’d been spacing out, a mixture of the Eos version of antidepressants you were taking and the fact that this meeting with King Regis was more than a little boring. Or had been at least. The end of Regis’ sentence shocks you back into reality abruptly.

Ignis shushes you quietly and you look at him aghast, but he ignores you, focusing on the King.

“Apologies Your Majesty.” Regis briefly glances at you then back to Ignis, “She is your mate? Bonded?” “Yes Your Majesty, myself and Gladiolus.”

Regis looks back at you “And the nature of your relationship with my son is….?”

Ignis answers before you can, “She is companion to all pack members.”

“Can she speak for herself?” Your gaze flicks to Ignis and he nods. “Yes Your Majesty I can.” You feel foolish and more than a little embarrassed as your voice echoes in the hall.

“Your pack keeps you close, understandably so, although I have heard you do not have much freedom?” The King watches you, waiting for a reply you think but you’re not sure what to say. “She’s very quiet isn’t she?” It feels like a jab, and you look at Ignis for direction who looks uncomfortable. He shakes his head minutely so you bite your tongue. Regis sighs and you feel a little like you just missed an opportunity.

“I believe that as Pack Alpha and as The Prince of Lucis Noctis should have first breeding rights.”

Ignis freezes and you bite your tongue so hard you taste blood. Breeding rights?? “I am unsure if that is something Noctis –“

“It doesn't matter,” The King interrupts with a wave of his hand. “I let my son live as independently as possible, and have allowed him to start his own pack but having an omega is an opportunity to continue the Caelum line. An opportunity we may not see again and one that should not be denied.”

You feel incredibly taken off guard with this whole conversation. “You cannot be – “

Ignis grabs your hand and silences you with a tight squeeze of your fingers. You must be dreaming right? This is not truly happening. The floor feels like its tilting beneath you and you have to look down at your feet to make sure it’s not.

“I will let you discuss it with Noctis and within your pack but I hope you will not forget my opinion or interest in this matter.” Regis gazes at you for a few seconds. “Apologise to Noctis on my behalf, I will not be able to make our dinner this evening.”

Ignis bows and you reluctantly do the same. You feel dazed. Ignis tight grip on your hand doesn’t let up as you leave the throne room. He keeps giving you concerned glances out the corner of his eye as you walk back to your quarters, but it takes you until you’re walking down the corridor to your room that you shake yourself out of your stunned stupor enough to say anything.

“Did we just negotiate over which one of you gets to knock me up?” You ask incredulous. He doesn’t answer you but he frowns at your choice of words.

“Ignis, you – please tell me I just hallucinated that whole meeting.”

He sighs “we will need to discuss it.”

“You are not serious. The answer is no!” “It's an omegas role.” He snaps and you flinch, not used to Ignis’ anger.

“My apologies. If the King has taken an interest we will need to discuss it.” he repeats.

“He cant make me have children.”

Ignis hesitates barely a fraction of a second but it’s enough to send a pulse of terror through you that he immediately picks up on. he stops, turning towards you and cradling your face in his hands. “I nor the rest of your pack would force you into anything you didn’t want love.” He lets you go and takes your hands again. “However it is the future of the royal bloodline, it will be something we need to talk about seriously in the future, whether we want to or not.” “We do not! I don’t want kids Ignis!” He flinches and something dark flickers across his face as he looks at you. It’s gone before you can interpret it as he turns away, pulling you after him as he continues walking.

You feel tired. “I thought I was your mate,” you say sullenly “not Noctis’.” “You are, unfortunately it’s more complicated than that.” You think you should be more upset by this than you currently feel. The medication you were on was new and felt a lot stronger than the antidepressants you had been taking back home. It left you feeling a little more numb and placid than you think you would have been otherwise.

He stops outside your room and pulls you into a kiss. Moaning softly when you immediately respond. He’s purring, trying to comfort you and you give in to the calm emotions it provokes, not wanting to feel the disorientated confusion anymore.

He leans closer, pushing you into the wall and his hand tugs up your dress until your thighs are bare. “You did well talking to the King, I was proud of you.” His praise makes you shiver. You thought Gladio was the one with the high sex drive but as his fingers stroke up your thighs you think Ignis is just as bad. Although a little more polite and less aggressive about it perhaps.

You're both quiet as his fingers slip between your thighs and he rubs softly at your clit. He presses harder and increases his pace at your gentle sigh and you turn to bury your face into his neck as the pleasure builds. You’re panting into his neck and he has his face buried in your hair, you’re not sure why you feel like you have to be quiet but you do your best to hold back your moans. He’s saying nothing, breathing hard he slips his hand up, pressing onto your abdomen before dipping into your panties and sliding a gloved finger inside of you. He gives you no time to adjust before he starts fucking you, like he’s desperate to make you cum. His palm grinds against your clit as he adds another finger, your orgasm is building fast, and as he continues his ruthless pace you feel another kind of pressure building slowly low in your stomach. It makes you gasp out his name in mild alarm, “Sl-slow down, I’m gonna pee!” He nuzzles against your ear, his purr increasing in volume. “No you’re not love, just relax,” he nips at your ear, “Let go for me.” He curls his fingers, stroking your walls quickly in just the right way to have your back arching. It’s a quick hard orgasm that takes you by surprise and has your whole body jerking and shaking as you ride out the aftershocks, biting into his shoulder as you try to control your twitching muscles. He seems a little disappointed but he’s still purring quietly and it helps calm your racing pulse. “Good Girl” he slowly withdraws his hand and removes his gloves. Leaning around you to open your door he gives you another quick kiss. “Noctis will be disappointed about this evening, perhaps we should eat together?” Your legs feel shaky as you enter, Prompto is sat on your couch, watching what sounds like a musical and Gladio appears in front of you, pulling you into a kiss before you can even say hello. The kiss Gladio gives you is ravenous, his teeth nipping at your bottom lip. Both hands squeeze your ass as you try to pull away, conscious of the growing slick between your already wet thighs. “Gladio!” He chuckles at your breathless gasp and pulls away, letting you go. He slaps your ass hard as you walk away, almost crossing the line into genuinely painful but he only grins at your glare. You wince as you sit down next to Prompto and he gives you a sympathetic smile. He pats his knee “Lie down.”

Head resting in Prompto lap you half-heartedly watch the musical as he enthusiastically tells you the plot. You gaze flicks between the TV and Ignis and Gladio talking quietly by the door. You can’t make out what they’re saying but you have no doubt what they’re talking about. You’re still a little shook from your meeting with King Regis but you trust your pack to look after you. --------- “She looked to me for permission.” “hmm?” “When the King spoke to her. She looked to me before answering.” Gladio surprises him with a kiss to his cheek. “We trained her well.” “It’s not the way I wanted this topic brought up.” Ignis says after a few seconds and relaxes a little as Gladio strokes a hand down his back. “I didn’t realise that was what the King wished to discuss.” “Relax babe. We’ll do damage control, it’ll be fine.” Gladio watches Ignis expression closely, “She wasn’t happy with the idea I take it?” “She said No. Emphatically.” They both stand there quietly, watching you as you’re subjected to Prompto’s retelling of the film’s plot. “Accidents happen.” Gladio says quietly. Ignis frowns. “She’s on birth control and heat suppressants.” “You're in charge of her medication Iggy” Ignis finally looks at him, but says nothing. “Who can really tell one little pill from another?” Gladio shrugs. “Just saying.”

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

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“Noctis said you cancelled your plans with him today.” Ignis stands next to your bed watching you. He frowns slightly when you don’t respond, gently pressing the back of his hand to your forehead. You push him away and he sits next to you on the mattress. He sits and waits watching you patiently until you give in and make eye contact with him. He's worried about you, it’s written clearly across his face and it makes you feel ill. You shrug. You're half expecting him to force you to go anyway.

“Bad day?”

You don't answer and snuggle deeper into your duvet.

“Love?”

“I'm fine,” It’s an automatic answer and a lie. “Just tired.” Not quite another lie but close enough. You are tired. Just not the type of tired that's going to be helped by the 12 hour nap you want to take. You try to force a smile but it feels awkward and it’s obviously not convincing from Ignis expression.

He sighs and cautiously shifts a little closer but you flinch away when he goes to stroke your hair. It's a dirty greasy mess and the thought of Ignis touching it fills you with disgust and embarrassment.

“Don’t.” His nostrils flare as he scents you and the surge of hatred for that invasion of privacy makes you feel physically sick. Nothing is ever just yours anymore.

“Talk to me love, I care about you.”

“Why?”

It's a choked sob and you angrily bite your lip in an effort to stop the tears.

“Because I love you.”

“Well you shouldn't.” It’s a snappy angry retort but he doesn’t flinch or pull away.

He reaches forward, gently brushing some of your hair away from your face. “Sit up.” You scowl but you do as he commands. He pulls your hair gently in to a ponytail, combing his finger slowly through it to ease the knots before tying it with a band.

“Have you eaten today?” You shake your head reluctantly. You hadn’t even got out of bed today let alone eaten or drunk anything. “Have you taken your medication?” His questions and attention are starting to irritate you. You just want to be left alone. “Love?” You shrug. You genuinely don’t remember. “I can take care of myself.” “Can you?” You don’t reply, annoyed at his patronizing, but probably correct assumption and instead lie back down and curl up into a tighter ball and try to ignore him. He sighs and entwines his fingers through yours despite your attempt to pull your hand away.

“I will go get you something to eat.”

You don’t want to eat but you want to be left alone so you nod. He looks almost sad, maybe disappointed and it feels you with a surge of guilt.

”Tell Noct I'm sorry”

“You have nothing to be sorry for love, but I will talk to him?”

It's a question and it surprises you for some reason.

You don't want him to know, it makes you feel pathetic. Ignis notices the way your thoughts have gone and links his fingers back through yours. “He'll understand.” He squeezes your hand on the last word and you look up at him. Noctis is the one most likely to understand you know that but it's still embarrassing.

“I won't tell him anything you don't want me to, just enough to ease his concerns.”

You nod reluctantly, but the thought that Noctis could genuinely be worried about you feels absurd. “Will you be safe on your own?” his gaze sweeps down your arm as he stands, you know what he’s looking for, what he’s thinking, and you feel irritated at yourself for having shared so much with him in the past. The frustration at his question is unfair, you know that but you still feel it.

“I’ll stay.” Gladio’s voice interrupts your reply. You watch with increasing exasperation as they talk quietly by the door, wishing they'd just go away before Ignis comes back to you. You squeeze your eyes shut and try to ignore his intense gaze. He presses a gentle kiss to your forehead and entwines his fingers back through yours. You crack open an eye when he doesn’t move away. He looks so concerned about you that you find yourself crying before you can stop yourself. “I’m sorry.” It’s half choked half sobbed from your throat. “You don’t need to be sorry” he repeats. He makes no move to come closer and you feel grateful for that. You don’t think you can handle too much affection without breaking down completely.

“Why do you put up with me?” you whisper, voice cracking. “I don’t do anything, I can’t fight, I can’t help with hunts, I just do nothing. I’m a burden.” “Love.” he sighs. “You are not a burden.” He kisses your palm. “You are a part of our pack. Our omega. Our mate.” He kisses you. “We love you.” “Why?” you sniffle. You can’t wrap your head around it. He wipes away your tears with a sad smile, “Because I do, because it’s you.” You’ve fooled him somehow, tricked him into loving you. Your stomach twists painfully.

“I won’t be long.” “Ok.” It’s a weak feeble reply but he doesn’t pull away from you, instead waits until you let go of his hand. You watch him leave, expecting him to go and not return now he’s seen what you are truly like until Gladio steps in front, blocking your view.

He stands next to your bed, arms crossed as he looks down at you. “Can I?”

You hesitate in answering and he takes that as a yes.

“Move over,” he says expectantly. Pushing his way into your bed and nudging you gently with his elbow when you don’t move.

You feel guilty that he’s having to stay with you, the urge to make it up to him is strong. You hook your leg over his and slide your calf over this crotch. He grunts in surprise and grabs your leg. “Relax baby.”

“You don't want to?” You're not surprised really, you probably don't look or smell very attractive right now but it still hurts. Why would he stay if you can't give him what he wants?

“Always, but we're napping right now.”

You don't believe him, and even though you don't even want to have sex you still feel the sting of rejection. He notices and presses a kiss to your forehead. Grabbing your wrist he tugs your hand to his crotch. “I'm always half hard for you omega.” And he is. You curl your hand around the bulge in his pants and squeeze tightly. His hips jerk forward and he chuckles pulling your hand away to rest on his chest. “No, don’t be naughty.”

You slump down on his chest, somewhat sullenly, still a little sore from his rejection.

You lose yourself in Gladio’s presence for a while, his heart beat strong and steady in your ear. “Wanna talk?”

“No, just cuddle.”

“I can do that.” He tightens his grip around you, pulling you until you are practically on top of him.

The self hatred comes back and you tense. You try to pull back but he tightens his hold.

“What's wrong?”

“I'm –“ Was he really going to make you say it?

“I'm heavy.” You mumble it into his chest.

“What?”

“Aren't I too heavy?”

“No you’re perfect.” he slides his hands down your sides to your ass. “I love every inch of you,” he continues his movements, gripping your thighs. “You know how much Prompto goes on about these thighs? Gets me jealous with the amount of marks he leaves on them.”

You want to cry. He freezes as your breath hitches.

“We can work on it if it's something you really want baby.” He says it hesitantly, quietly, like he's scared of upsetting you further. Linking his fingers with yours he tugs your hand to rest over his heart.

You don’t know if it is something you want, you can’t separate the dark voice in your head from the logical one. But he’s listening to you. He’s not dismissing you, and he’s definitely not ignoring you and it makes the tears run freely again. Youre not worth such care. His free hand is still wandering, soothing strokes that start at the nape of your neck, swirl down your spine to your ass and dip just barely under the hem of your shirt. It’s a soft gentle caress and even when his hands slip a little higher under your shirt there’s nothing but love and tenderness in his touch. “You’re sexy and you’re smart,” he kisses your thumb, “funny, kind,” he makes his way along your fingers with each word, a kiss pressed to the tip of each one. “brave, and my favourite kind of brat.” he nips at your pinky with the last word, before moving onto your other hand. His hands still when he hears you sniff. ”Want me to stop?”

You bury your face into his chest to hide your tears. “Yes,” you hiccup “No.”

He squeezes you tighter and lets your hand drop, resuming his touch down your back.

“and I like you on top of me,” he says his voice dropping to a low whisper “I love watching you ride me.”

His horniness is predictable, and you smile into his neck, and although it doesn't last long it is a genuine smile.

“I felt that.”

You feel him relax underneath you, he’s not purring but you feel grateful for that.

You're still tired, still sad but the heavy dark emptiness in your chest lessens slightly as you lay there and listen to Gladio’s heartbeat. You feel like you can breathe a little easier. You turn on to your side away from him and all though he looks apprehensive he lets you go.

You shift and squirm until you are comfortable on your front and reach behind you to pull Gladio’s arm across your back. He goes willingly, only resisting when you try to drag him on top of you. “The weight feels good. Please? It makes me feel,-“ It’s hard to describe how it makes you feel exactly, “…safe.” You finish quietly. He opens his mouth to reply and you beat him to it. “No talking, just squish.” His amused huff rustles your hair but he does as he’s told, draping himself over you until your half wedged under him and wrapped tight in his arms.

“I lo-“ “Don’t” you interrupt him quickly, with a surge of panic. You can’t hear that right now. “I’m- I cant. Not now.” You’re pretty sure you’re not making sense, that he’s not going to understand. “Ok.” It's murmured against your hair, a simple acknowledgment but it makes you feel better. “Can I touch you?” You nod and he slips his warm hand under your shirt to rest across your ribs just under your breasts, holding you snugly against him. It still doesn't sit quite right. His affection, his obvious care, still feels alien, wrong, like it’s meant for someone else. The feeling that you’ve tricked them into caring about you and your depressed mood still linger, and probably will for a while. But you’ve been through this before, you’ve made it through this before, and with the sound of Gladio’s steady breathing in your ear as he holds you, the heavy emptiness in your chest lessens a little bit more.

[tenshiscientia]

The Dream

A long week of work had drained me and I was looking forward to playing Final Fantasy XV as well as watching all of my Final Fantasy animes and movies once I walked through my front door. Running up the front steps to my house, I opened the door gently, not wanting to scare my little chihuahua. She was terrified of loud noises and I did just about everything in my power not to make them myself. Dropping my bag at the front door, I leaned down and unzipped the sides of my knee-high platform boots and lined them up under a ebony coat rack which I then hung up my light over coat on. Taking the steps upstairs, I slid into my room and ducked my head under my bed looking for my little one.

"Ten-two babe, you under here?" I cooed softly.

Glancing back and forth under the dark space, I didn't see a small black and white form so I stood up and wandered over to a small chair that had a small open space under it that was covered with fabric. Pulling the fabric up, I leaned down peered through that shaded space. A small little black and white face blinked back at me, and I gave a smile.

"There's my baby." I giggle, reaching under the chair and pulling her to me.

As soon as I had pulled my little chihuahua out from under the chair, she snuggled her little body against my chest and buried her little face into my throat.

"Yes, baby Ten, I know. I missed you too. Sissy was thinking about watching my movies and animes and playing one of my games." I cooed at her, nuzzling the side of her head softly, "I was going to watch my Final Fantasy XV series. I have the whole weekend off and we can snuggle the whole time. Just like you love to do."

My chihuahua was a big cuddler, and I loved it. There was nothing the two of us liked more than me setting up some water for her next to my gaming beanbag along with some food, turning the air-conditioner on high so that my house was a fair bit nippy so none of my electronics would overheat due to extended play, and cuddling down underneath the fluffy Ignis/Ravus themed blanket I had decided to buy online. It was a time that the two of us absolutely thrived together. I was content playing my games and watching anything that was playing on the T.V. screen, and Tenshi was beyond happy snuggled down across half my lap with her face buried in my stomach until she wanted to go outside or to eat and drink. Eating and drinking was a necessity for me as well, but it was something I rarely did due to the fact that I only ate just once a day and snacked for the rest.

I would keep chips and some vegetable pieces on a nearby table, but other than that, the two of us could sit for hours on end together like that. A soft whine next to my ear was my only answer to whether or not Tenshi was okay with the plans I had made. Pulling my gaming chair over in front of my T.V., I gently sat her down in it and draped my blanket over her. Walking out of my room, I first went to the thermostat and turned the temperature down to a cool 68 degrees so the two of us would be comfortable. Then I made my way down the stairs into my kitchen to start gathering everything Tenshi and I would need for the rest of the night.

Pulling a tray out of one of my cabinet, I placed it on the island in the middle of the kitchen. Turning to the fridge, I pulled out some celery, carrots, a cucumber, an apple, some blueberries, some mushrooms, and some green peppers. I had eaten my normal meal earlier in the day, so I intended to snack the rest of the day. I smiled to myself, thinking about Noctis and how much he hated vegetables and how much Ignis always harped on him to eat them. I learned early in my life to enjoy them considering that I had trouble eating a lot of food and often had to limit myself.

I learned to eat healthy snacks, and for my main meals I would sometimes splurge and eat unhealthy things. Washing everything, I cut them into manageable pieces and laid them out on the tray so I could carry them up into my room. I then pulled two bowls down out of one of the cabinets as well, and pulled a jug of water out of the fridge. Grabbing the small bag of dog food that was inside the pantry, I dropped those into a small bag next to the island. Pulling out a few Mountain Dews from the fridge as well, I dropped those in the bag.

I then dropped a bag of Snickers, a bag of sour cream and cheddar chips in the bag. Looking around the kitchen once more to make sure I was happy with what I had gathered, then nodded my head satisfied. Picking up the bag and slinging it over my shoulder and picking up the tray I made my way back up to my room and set everything down on my desk. Slowly setting everything up, I took the two bowls and set them down on a mat that was a few feet away from my gaming chair. I filled one up with water and the other with a little bit of dog food.

Then pulling my Japanese style table that I always used to hold my food whenever I was gaming, I set it up next to my chair. Slowly spreading out my food on the table as if I was setting up a banquet for a queen, I stood back up and looked at the layout. A sleek black and white head poked itself up from underneath the midnight blanket that had covered it.

"Nope! Sorry silly, none of this for you! You might get some apples, but not right now." I chirped to her.

She tilted her head cutely.

"Don't you give me those cute angel eyes, missy! You know better!" I hissed softly, no anger in my voice.

The cuteness only intensified.

"Oh damn it..." I muttered, reaching down and picking up a slice of apple and breaking off a small piece and holding it out to her.

She darted forward and snatched it out of my hand crunching on it happily.

"You're lucky your cute." I cooed gently.

I turned away and pulled off my shirt, tossing it into the hamper over near my bed and pulling on my sleep shirt that was on my bed. My jeans met the same fate as my shirt and I slipped on my night shorts. Walking over to my PlayStation, I picked up my controller and turned on my console as I was walking back to my chair. Lifting my blanket, I set my controller on the table before lifting Tenshi and settling myself into the chair. Lowering Tenshi into my lap, I let her get comfortable before tucking the blanket in around the both of us and reaching over and picking back up my controller.

By now my PlayStation had booted itself up and was displaying my Devil May Cry 5 background. I was a die hard Final Fantasy fan. But I loved Devil May Cry too, so every so often my background would fluctuate between a Devil May Cry background or a Final Fantasy background. I clicked through the Icons that were displayed on the screen and settled on the Episode Ardyn Prologue. Ardyn wasn't my favorite person, but if I was going to go all the way through this series, I was going to do it right.

Starting at the very beginning and going to the very end. Setting the controller on the table beside me, I dipped my arms beneath my blanket and wrapped them around Tenshi a little, settling in to watch the movie. The beginning of the epic tale of Final Fantasy XV.

[chasingfigments]

So today marks my two-year anniversary of what I consider my entrance into the FFXV fandom. \o/ I spent probably...three weeks? after finishing the game desperately going through AO3 and trying to find a fic that would help me cope with my grief, and while there are many EXCELLENT post-game fics, I couldn't find the one that would do exactly what I wanted it to. Then I did a lot of crying and got myself an AO3 account and started posting fic, and I'm still here.

Anyhow, some folks on twitter (HardNoctLife, Avianscribe, and MathClassWarfare) said I should re-share my old fics. So! Here's a rec-post that's all me, I guess. XD Broken down by my arbitrary categories.

TIME TO BE SAD ABOUT THAT ENDING

The Shape of Vanished Things || Teen, Gen, Ignis POV, ~6k || My very first FFXV fanfic, and I spent most of my time just crying through it. Takes place in the immediate 24 hours after Noct's death, and it's basically the boys just dealing with his body and having a funeral and being so very sad.

Down to Embers || Mature, M/M, Prompto POV, ~6k || Have you ever thought about the Last Camp and though hmmm, this is good, but how could it be WORSE? That's this fic. Enjoy Prompto trying to keep his shit together after he finds out Noct's not back for good, he's only back to die. It's tagged Mild Sexual Content, but really it's mostly just two boyfriends trying not to cry.

Drowning From the Inside Out || Teen, Gen, Prompto POV, ~5k || Inspired by the realization that hey, the world would probably turn Noct's death into a holiday, huh? That'd probably be a pretty miserable experience to have everyone celebrating your boyfriend's death, huh? Not officially a sequel to Down to Embers, but it may as well be. Extra shoutout to angry!Prompto, because he deserves more screentime, dammit.

FUCK THAT ENDING, FIX IT NOW

The Breaking Light || Teen, M/F and M/M (but seriously those are background), Noctis POV, ~16k || Noctis and Luna get to explore the beyond, then Noctis gets yanked into the world of the living, so he goes to spy on his friends and see they world they've rebuilt in his name. You'll cry happy tears but also don't ask me how the magic works.

What Fades Away (WIP) || Teen, M/M, Ignis POV, ~12k currently || Of course Ignis isn't going to just let Noctis stay dead when he can gamble his memories of Noctis against the chance to save him. The elevator pitch is Orpheus and Eurydice + Chess with Death. Ignis descends into Pitioss to retrieve Noct's soul after the Dawn.

FUN TIMES WITH GAME MECHANICS

Steel Under Skin (WIP) || Mature, M/M, Gladio POV, ~27k currently || Wanna watch Gladio and Ignis repeatedly murder each other for training purposes and then revive one another with phoenix downs all the while figuring out early adulthood and maybe (someday) their feelings for each other? Excellent. I may actually be good at fight scenes.

Blackout || Teen, Gen, Noctis POV, ~6k || When you've got to rely on electricity to keep monsters at bay, isn't it fun to imagine what would happen if the power went out? The boys get woken up by screaming at an outpost and discover the lights are out and the daemons are here.

SOFT FIC THAT SHOULDN'T MAKE YOU CRY

An Anxious Rhythm || General, OT4, Prompto POV, ~5k || Noct's back pain is acting up, and Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio fuss over him and make sure he feels better. T-T That's it, that's the fic.

Prophecy, in Plain Text || General, Gen, Ignis POV, ~4k || When Ignis turns eighteen, he is told that Noctis is the Chosen King. And Ignis, being Ignis, starts researching. Mostly an excuse for cute with a background of lore building because why not.

HEY, LOOK, POLITICS

My most popular fics by far! This was just supposed to be a one shot, then a series of one shots, and now I'm eight chapters out of twelve into the current installment (which isn't the last one), so it's a little out of control:

Emergency Protocol Talk || Teen, Gen, Prompto POV, ~5k || In which Noctis tells Prompto he's gotta run away from danger.

Emergency Protocol Activated || Teen, Gen, Prompto POV, ~6k || In which Prompto is very bad at running away from danger.

Emergency Protocol Lockdown || Teen, M/M, Noctis POV, ~13k || In which we see the same fight two more times and Noctis is angsty about his romantic feelings in a locked room.

Emergency Protocol Fallout (WIP) || Teen, M/M, Prompto, Noctis, and Ignis POVs, ~32k || In which pretty much everyone is miserable and lying to each other about something.

EVERYTHING GOT JOSSED, BASICALLY

A Moment's Consideration || Teen, Gen, Ignis POV, ~2k || Ardyn is so very Done in this POV switch on the scene from Episode: Ignis where he asks Ignis to join him.

I FINALLY COLLABORATED WITH SOMEONE

Borders of Divinity (WIP with crazyloststar) || Teen, M/M, Prompto and Ignis POV (but I'm writing Ignis), ~5k posted || Will appeal to people who equally enjoy lore fuckery and being tormented by unrequited pining. AU where Noctis lives a secluded, touch-starved life in the Citadel due to prophecy, and Prompto joins Noct's guard. Featuring dramatic hand-holding, an excess of feelings, and extreme suspension of disbelief.

[howaboutalittlehelpneos]

So since I've been saying nothing but good things about Vrains, I feel it's only fair to counterbalance my positivity with negativity that no one asked for. Why? That's just the kind of bitch I am, so here are my problems with Vrains.

So many of the duels in Vrains are heavily favored towards more... How do I say... Plot centered characters. Yusaku, Ryoken, Homura, Lightning, and Bohman have the highest amount of wins in the series, while other supporting characters are left to fall by the wayside. The infuriating thing about it is that they're usually characters that are set up to have intimidating past win records, and you're told that these characters are supposed to be the best at what they do, but they end up losing almost all of their duels.

Because of the fact that some characters are established very solidly in the “they will never/almost never lose” category, any time one of the side characters happens to go up against them, there’s never any real sense of suspense. There’s no room to wonder “Are they going to win this one?” because you already know that no, of course they aren’t, they don’t have enough main character energy to pull off a win. Vrains suffers from the same problem GX did with being heavily centered around their protagonist, and while there are more people aside from just Yusaku winning duels, the fact that he never loses and that his rival only loses three times throughout the whole show kind of makes the problem worse. I like Yusaku, and I think Revolver is okay, but man, it gets kind of tiring seeing Emma and Go and Blood Shepard and Spectre and Aoi and Akira constantly get dunked on any time one of them happens to duel Yusaku/Revolver/Bohman/Lightning.

I’m especially mad about Emma losing all the time despite having one of the best decks in the show, where her only win in all 120 episodes was against Shima. Shima. I love him, but it’s not exactly something to be proud of. It isn’t even like it’s an issue of the writers not being able or willing to let a girl win a duel because they did perfectly fine with Aoi! She had an okay number of wins under her belt, so it’s even more infuriating to me that the only other relevant girl in the show gets to win one (1) duel. Against Shima. God damn it.

This is just a personal gripe, but. Damn it. I wish we’d gotten to see more of Earth and Aqua. They kind of got the Rin and Yugo treatment from Arc-V, where we get to see them together only in flashbacks, Aqua got kidnapped, and Earth was only with her for a few minutes after saving her before he had to push her away so she wouldn’t be in danger (as opposed to just pushing her out a window because of mind control), and then Earth got captured and basically tortured to death. Both of them end up dead by the end of season two, they do not get to come back, and that is the end of them and their love.

On another Ignis related note, Windy. Windy is made out to be this horrible, irredeemable villain for almost the entirety of his screentime, only for them to drop the bomb on us that he was actually never evil to begin with, he was just reprogrammed by Lightning to make him that way. Well, that’s good, right? Now that we know Windy was only acting that way because of his code being altered against his will, we’ll finally get to see what the real Windy is like-

No. We don’t. After Windy has been reverted back to normal, he never says a Word in the few brief moments we get to see him again. The most we get to know is that his real eye color is purple.

And now, since I’ve completed Vrains... The ending with Ai’s existence supposedly causing the end of the world. I take issue with the whole apocalypse setting they tried to show us being brought about because of Ai because they never show us... How. In 5Ds, with Yusei being left alive and going on to become Z-ONE, they actually explain how his desire to save everyone was eroded over time until he came to the conclusion that sacrificing the city to save the entire world was a necessary evil he was now willing to go through. We don’t talk about the plot twist they pulled in that arc, it didn’t happen, don’t know what you’re talking about. With Ai... They don’t give us anything beyond his existence leading to the apocalypse. We never get to see how it got so bad, if it was something Ai himself did, if Ai somehow changed from just wanting to live in peace to wanting killing and violence, all we know is that if he lives, the government comes after him with tanks and blows up the whole city??? Which like. Seems just a Bit excessive to blow up buildings and waste tons of innocent lives just to get to one gay robot. You’d think they’d be more specifically targeting him instead of just laying waste to everything in sight until they eventually kill him. 

If Ai being alive is really going to cause all this hell, to make it believable to the viewer when we’d only ever known Ai to want peace, they’d have to show us some event in the future that caused Ai to change his views on humans being his allies, but they don’t give us any of that. They had the building blocks, but couldn’t stack them up in a way that made that scenario feel plausible. To top everything off, after making Playmaker kill him because of his dangerous existence leading to the end of the world in the future, no for real guys stop laughing, the final episode resurrects Ai at the last second, just showing us a glimpse of him coming back into existence somewhere in the Cyberse, with Playmaker assumedly going out to search for him.

So... All of that was pointless, then? Is the future still going to be a barren hellscape because Ai came back? The whole point of his assisted suicide duel with Playmaker was to make sure he wouldn’t be alive anymore to cause the end of the world, but if you give us this glimpse of him being somehow brought back, then what was the point of everything we just watched? Can Ai exist or can’t he? Fuck me man, I know it was probably just put in to satisfy fans to show us “haha sike he’s not dead, don’t worry”, but if you want the future safety of everyone in this show to hinge on whether or not one person lives or dies, then can you at the very least make up your mind on whether they live or die? FUCK. 

Well... I think that’s about everything I have to say, minus a few smaller personal gripes like “why couldn’t we see Roboppi again” and “for a whole season being dedicated to his safe return, we sure did get to see very little of Jin after he got rescued”. Yeah, I think I got it all out of my system. All in all, I did enjoy Vrains, and I do look forward to going back and watching the whole thing subbed, but... Yeah. You know me. Just gotta complain about the things I love. :P

[scratchface]

Sorry if this bothered you, but I'd like to hear your overall thoughts on Vrains.

No bother, no bother! Sorry this took awhile to answer, I wanted to slowly put together my thoughts.

I know I’ve been kind of distant from the fandom for awhile, but I still love Vrains, and those days in the fandom were really fun! Even if things got a bit wild (I like wild, I like discourse, and I especially enjoy pissing certain individuals off). And I’m really grateful for everyone I met and befriended through Vrains, especially the DS discord crew. It was a blast, through and through.

As for my final, hindsight thoughts on Vrains, have this sort of pros and cons like ramble:

I really loved the core characters—Yusaku is by far my favorite YGO protagonist, and the most refreshing. I love his independence, his ferocity, his tenacity, and so much more. His backstory is incredibly interesting, the Lost Incident is a really gripping concept, and not the kind of thing I expected from a YGO series. Not to mention Yusaku has the best play style and the coolest aesthetic. Ai always managed to walk the line between charming and ominous perfectly, always leaving questions regarding his motives and true intentions while being genuinely entertaining and likable. Ryoken is my favorite YGO “rival”, thanks to the depth of his character, the complexity of his role in the story, and the development he undergoes. Not to mention his design is probably the best to come out of modern YGO, well worth the long wait it took for it to be revealed.

That said, the minor characters ranged from mediocre to practically nonexistent to outright detrimental to the development of the plot and the show as a whole. Some of them, like Ema, were decent, interesting additions that added a bit of flavor to the setting and the storyline. Others may as well have not been in the show at all, and others I can only wish were so unobtrusive. Whenever Aoi was involved in an episode, the writing, particularly the dialogue, would notably and painfully dip in quality, sometimes becoming near nonsensical or outright contradictory to what was happening on screen. As I’ve pointed out before, a lot of Vrains’ issues arise from the writers trying to force the same minor characters into being relevant to the story instead of inventing new ones or switching in other characters that would make more sense thematically. They kept trying to push the same four circle shaped characters into square shaped holes.

Season one was very strong and remains by far my favorite. It had its weak moments, aka the Anothers arc, but otherwise had an engaging storyline, an epic revenge plot, and a poignant ending with some great, standout duels, concepts, and execution.

Season two had its ups and downs and rock bottoms. There were parts I really enjoyed!…Probably. Hanoi/Revolver’s comeback kicked ass at least. I was very excited for the other Ignis and lost kids and extremely disappointed when that went pretty much nowhere. Takeru was alright, though I kinda wish early fan theories had panned out and he did get a villain arc or something, because that would have been sick as hell. In comparison to the hype, what we did get from him was kinda bland. The oscillation between SB being a cocky challenger and a fanboy was weird and not executed well, and outside of the SB persona, Takeru himself could be kind of boring. Still, SB had an awesome design and I liked Flame and the other Ignis, especially Earth and Windy. Earth’s death still gives me a pit in my stomach. Bohman really struggled to fill Revolver’s shoes as primary antagonist and boy did it show, and Aoi’s weird virtual identity crisis was clunky and tiresome.  

Season three was…not what I wanted? I was dying for a villain arc for Ai, and he had his moments! But mostly everything that could have been awesome fell kind of flat. It really lost momentum and suspense. But I enjoyed the exploration of Ai and Yusaku’s relationship that we got and found the ending interesting enough. I wish more characters actually had to, like, suffer or pay for all the horrible decisions they made. Not just the KoH, but SOL characters like Akira and BS too should have had to at least start over from scratch or something. Thematically it felt like the writers completely lost their grip on what was set up in season one, which was probably the biggest disappointment to me.

So yeah, in the future, if I rewatch Vrains, it’ll probably just be season one. Nevertheless, I’m very fond of the show and immensely glad they took the risks they did with Yusaku’s character, backstory, and motivations.

Also, Playmaker’s flawless duel record FTW. May it live on forever that Yusaku is an undefeated beast.

[winterune]

Was supposed to post this on Mamo’s birthday, but ended up saving it on draft, and now 5 months have passed... ^^;; Well anyway, here’s my Top 5 Favorite Mamoru Miyano Roles.

#1: Rintarou Okabe - Steins;Gate

LOLOLOL ok, Okabe’s a dork, and I love him. Mamo as Okabe was one of the most memorable roles I ever had the chance to see, especially his persona, Hououin Kyouma. Okabe in that first few episodes before the story finally kicks in was so embarrassing that when me and my brother started watching this, we wondered if we should just drop it. So glad we didn’t, though, haha. This boy is perfect in his imperfect way. His character is so well-written. Steins;Gate was so well-written. I love him!

#2: Masaomi Kida - Durarara!!

Durarara was just packed with all sorts of cool characters. I don’t think I have one character I really dislike. Kida is one of the earlier Mamo roles I encountered and it was very memorable. I don’t think I ever see any anime with a story like Durarara. A vastly diverse cast of characters with a seemingly unconnected plot points that at one point converge beautifully and left me feeling awed. Ah~ so this is what they were trying to tell. Also, you can’t get enough of all the easter eggs in these anime’s. Sad that the three-part second season wasn’t as awesome as the first season. I wish they’d animate more of Baccano, though (as I heard there are still material to be animated yet), and also Narita Ryogo’s other works. 

#3: Ignis Scientia - Final Fantasy XV

I’m still salty over XV. I was so hyped but the end product didn’t live up to my expectations. The gameplay was fun, but...it still had so many potential. Mind you, i have not played any of the dlcs, but even if i did, i don’t think it could really erase my saltiness that easy. Sometimes, I still wish there are more of the Versus XIII elements that made the end cut, because from the rumors I’d heard, Versus’s premise sounded much more solid than what we get. But, I know this particular title has gone through quite a development hell during its time, so I’ll stop there. Anyway, among the XV cast, Ignis is my best boy. Maybe I’m biased because Mamo voices him, but really, Ignis is the best character in the game! Not only is he cool, but he cooks (lol yeah I guess I’m mentioning that) and he’s a somewhat strategist?, Noctis’s adviser, and I don’t know why but I just believe that he’s the one person that will always stand by Noct. His cool-headedness always helps Noct whenever Noct can’t think straight. Also, there’s that line from the Episode Ignis trailer, where in the Japanese dub he says: saisho kara kimeteita. Nani ga orouto, Noct wa saigo made mamorinaku, which roughly translates as I’ve decided from the very beginning. Whatever happens, I will protect Noct until the end (or something along that line, forgive me if it’s not entirely correct. i’m still learning the language hehe) right before he wears the Ring of Lucii. And hearing Mamo say that still gives me goosebumps. He is very devoted! I love him!

#4: Osamu Dazai - Bungou Stray Dogs

I still have mixed feelings toward BSD, but I still find myself watching every season it releases haha. I was interested in Dazai (because of Mamo), then found myself disappointed. Then fell in love with him in the Dark Era arc or whatitsname (Dazai’s past arc), and fell out love again once we’re back to our daily BSD life. But, he’s still a cool character...sometimes, and Mamo as Dazai is both cool and fun. 

#5: Ryuji Sakamoto - Persona 5

Yeaahhh! Ryuji!!! He’s cute and fun and I love him and he’s the best friend Ren needs! There’s nothing more to say than that :D

Now, for some honorable mentions

HM1: Riku - Kingdom Hearts

Yeah! Riku, my boy! How can I not make this list without mentioning him? Though I have never played KH in Japanese, but from the clips I have seen, I just have to say that Mamo as Riku is AWESOME! His voice sounds sooo cool!!! #eargasm I didn’t like him at first, but he’s that type of character that slowly grows on me. He’s not like your shounen-hero-stereotype Sora. He was taken by darkness, and he used his own power to overcome it. It was a long journey, but he’s learned to keep the darkness at bay, to find the confidence in himself that he’d be okay. The darkness is still there, but he’s embraced it. He’s a cool character!

HM2: Koutarou Tatsumi - Zombieland Saga

God! This anime is stupid. And Tatsumi is stupid. He’s even more embarrassing than Kyouma xD But Mamo is awesome and tbh, Tatsumi kind of reminds me of Mamo himself lmao

HM3: Tamaki Suou - Ouran Koukou Host Club

This pure and precious boy xD Tbh I haven’t finished Ouran (OK, I’ll be watching Ouran after this lmao, and read the manga after that xD) but Tamaki was so memorable. He’s an ikemen. You’d think with how he exudes all that princely aura and how the girls are just fawning over him, he’s not the type to be embarrassed and blush that easily. But he is! Just like Mikorin HAHAHA. He can be stupid sometimes and he doesn’t catch on quickly to most signs. He’s so pure and precious and endearing! (But i kind of shipped Haruhi with Hikaru in the anime haha).

HM4: Shuu Tsukiyama - Tokyo Ghoul

Yeah...mentioning him because Mamo was awesome as Tsukiyama. Another one of that gaudy voices you know and love (but feel embarrassed at the same time and can’t take him seriously no matter what).

HM5: Taichi Mashima - Chihayafuru

Another one of my best boys. He’s just the type of guy and character I love! Earnest and kind in his own way and he’d do anything for the girl he loves. Mamo’s voice was so soft voicing him. I really want them to end up together and I think (based on the two anime seasons) that Taichi suits Chihaya better than Arata. Gaaah this love triangle is killing me! 

[thewizardmus]

Pokemon Conquest Secret Santa Submission

I got the list for @dieweissekatze and everything is under the cut. Happy Holidays, and I hope you enjoy!

HC’s 

Heroine(alone)

>Grew up on a farm near the border with Ignis with her parents

>Very much out of her element when it comes to being a Warlord, she just managed to protect the farm from several of Hideyoshi’s goons >very good at general management and finances, but in the diplomacy aspect of leading only really succeeds due to her natural charisma and friendships with the other Warlords >Down time is often reading bad novels and snuggling with Eevee

>Once tried eating a ponigiri, it didn’t go well, kinda like the Spongebob episode where Spongebob eats SnailPo

Motonari(Alone) > writes poetry in his down time, doesn't think its very good though

> cannot stay awake at night for the life of him, he’ll fall asleep at his desk if he tries to force himself > frequents the same tea shop often enough that diplomats are sent there before his castle

>childhood friends with Motochika, and they bicker often, sometimes dragging Hideyoshi into it.

Heroine/Motonari >grew closer after the events of the main story, as Motonari helped teach Heroine to run the country

>Heroine happened across one of Motonari’s poems and loved it, Motonari still hasn't figured out if that means it was good or bad.

> Both can’t stand the taste of coffee, its a tea only household

Hanbei/Kanbei(professional)

> Hanbei stays awake all night and runs a different sleep schedule

>Hideyoshi almost fired Hanbei because of his lazy attitude until Kanbei showed him how much Hanbei did while Hideyoshi slept

> they work on a sort of circle where 2 of them are always awake, Hideyoshi just wakes up at the end of Hanbei's day

> Kanbei is the only one who can cook on the trail, Hideyoshi is too impatient for a decent meal and Hanbei falls asleep too easily

>Hanbei handles all the finances and trade balancing for Of his, while Kanbei takes care of security and diplomacy

Hanbei/Kanbei (romantic) >when Hanbei sleeps, he cuddles next to the warmest body he can get his hands on, normally his Mareep or Pikachu, but he also clings onto Kanbei's coat

>Kanbei loves running his fingers through Hanbei's hair. 

>Kanbei also leaves little messages for Hanbei as he sleeps. 

>Hideyoshi didn't  figure out that the two are dating until Oichi asked how their relationship was going. 

Mini Fic:

Mistunari groaned as Kiyomasa's sleeping form kicked him in the ribs. He slumped upward and pushed himself up. As he looked back down on his sleeping traveling partners he saw that the two of them were both encroaching on his futon space. Mistunari silently accepted that he wasn't going to get back to sleep any time soon. Mistunari shuffled his way out of his shared room with the two fools. Once he opened the door he heard another set of footsteps to his side, when he glanced over he found Pawniard at his side. Mitsunari rubbed the side of Pawniard's head and lifted a single finger to his mouth. 

Mitsunari and Pawniard tiptoed away from the room toward the main building of the Aurora Warlord's castle. The traveler shivered in the cold winter air in the little time that he was outside. Both Pawniard and Mitsunari covered their eyes as the early sunrise peaked over the castle walls. 

Mitsunari entered the main building unsurprised that he wasn't the first person awake but the scene he beheld left many questions. 

The Aurora Warlord was giggling to herself as she wrapped one of the Ignis Warlords subordinates, Hanbei, in loose loops of ribbon. In Hanbei's lap was a small sign reading, "I'm your present". Even from his distance he could deduce that the sign was the Aurora Warlord's handwriting, Mitsunari had to read Hanbei's writing once and it was a sloppy mess that put Masanori's scribbles to shame. Mitsunari was about to leave and take his chances with the two buffoons, when he heard the Greenleaf Warlord speak.

"Now dear, what if, perchance Sir Hanbei wakes up before Hideyoshi and Sir Kanbei bring Lady Oichi here?"

"Pssh, c'mon 'Nari. Hanbei sleeps like a Snorlax, he's not gonna wake up anytime soon." The Aurora Warlord continued snickering to herself. 

"I must say I can't say you're wrong there. But I feel as though this is a major breach in Sir Hanbei and Kanbei's privacy." Sir Motonari countered. 

"I mean the two of them gotta start being more proactive eventually, Oichi told me Hideyoshi didn't even know they were dating. This is just a bit of a push, and funny. Can't forget it's funny." The Aurora Warlord once again devolved into a bunch of snickers.

"Dear, I cannot stress how much their love lives are not our business. I can accept watching from afar and idle gossip with Lady Oichi. After all it is entertaining but this is a step too far. Don't you agree, Mitsunari?" At this the Greenleaf Warlord turned to Mistunari, who was unsurprised that the experienced Warlord knew he was watching. Seeing the Aurora Warlord gawk at his appearance was a treat, however. 

"Please don't attempt to use me as leverage in your argument. I only came to see when breakfast will be ready. It's probably the only way to wake up those fools." 

At Mitsunari's mention of breakfast, the Aurora Warlord perked up. 

"Oh right, should probably get that started, after all even if Ignis is just a hop, skip and jump away the trek from Dragnor is pretty long and I'm sure Oichi and Kanbei will be pretty peckish." She pushed herself off the ground, scooped up her art supplies used on the sleeping Hanbei and skedaddled out of the room.

"Dear, only you would say that after a two week long journey someone would just be 'peckish'. Her sense of judgement, I swear. My apologies Mitsunari, i suppose food will be ready soon" Motonari grumbled under his breath, before following after his girlfriend. Mitsunari sighed to himself before Pawniard tugged at his clothes, then pointed toward Hanbei, who was still wrapped in ribbon, snoring peacefully. “Its too early to deal with, let someone else take care of him.”

[3w-writer-with-wings]

Next Yu-Gi-Oh! anime - new series or a crossover?

Now that VRAINS is over, it is time for Yusaku to pass the torch to the next protagonist and start a new story from the start. Knowing Yu-Gi-Oh! Series, the next protagonist and their story will likely be a brand new one... or we might get something different. Considering all that we know from the news so far, a new spin-off could go two ways:

1)      A continuation of ZEXAL, ARC V and VRAINS

2)      A brand new series with a new protagonist

Now how could a continuation of the last three series even be possible? Well, it is just a speculation for now, but here is the thing – all three of them have relatively very open endings. The first series ended with Dark Side of Dimensions movie, with Atem finally be able to return to the afterlife and Yugi graduating and on the way to create his own game. GX ended with all main characters graduating and Judai finding fun in duelling again. 5Ds probably had the most conclusive ending since it nicely showed the futures of all Signers. Not to mention Bonds Beyond Time movie really nicely connected their stories together.

Compared to those three series, ZEXAL, ARC V and VRAINS had far more open endings. Yuma might’ve obtained Numeron Code and rewrote the future in the best way possible, but the adventure itself is not over yet since the series end with Yuma and his friends on the way to the new mission. 

ARC V probably had the worst ending since the last arc went downhill and failed to deliver a proper ending. Still with Yuto, Yugo and Yuri now inside Yuya, this adventure could still continue as Yuya would likely try to find a way for other Yu boys to exist now that all dimensions have merged. Who knows maybe there is another Numeron code hiding somewhere that will save the day.

This brings us to the most tragic ending in the series VRAINS. There was no Numeron Code this time nor was the protagonist still hopeful in the end. Yusaku’s story has been a tragedy from the start and ended up even more tragic. Still, there was a tiny bit of hope in the end that may hint this is not over yet:

First, Akira states that VRAINS not only connects to Cyberse, but to many worlds. He doesn’t specifically state what kind of worlds, though considering how much of a role multiverses played in series so far, it could be anything. First three series mostly focused on duel monster worlds with many characters having abilities to travel there and communicating with duel monster spirits. 

ZEXAL went a step further and made it more believable with a use of science fiction: Earth, Astral World and Barian World are all considered worlds at different places in universe, accessible only by alien beings like Astrals and Barians. ARC V went into details about dimensions and nicely incorporated an idea that all four dimensions used to be one and Yu-boys used to be the same person that split in four. Due to the merge at the end, the world of ARC V is considered as a single world but there were also hints of other worlds still being present. Back in Original dimension, that's exactly what Leo Akaba has been researching and he even half-confirmed it when he found out that duel monsters created by solid vision project body heat. Duel monsters were in fact alive and solid vision connected them with an actual world they came from and that's why Zarc became so unstoppable. He's been using solid vision to the point where his dragons materialized completely and in the end even En's couldn't destroy him – they simply split him in four in order to weaken him.

Now VRAINS doesn’t actually include any other worlds, but it deals with another important plot point – a creation of artificial life. Dr.  Kogami used Lost Incident to create six different AIs with free will for which he believed will create an even better world. He was so obsessed with it that he didn't even consider it will go wrong and once it did, he was even ready to literally nuke network system and people in it. Ignis did create their own world, but they didn’t want to share it as it rightfully belonged to them and they would likely continue with their lives there (in case Lightning didn’t go on with his plan). And what's more – they also created life in that world – Cyberse Monsters. If Ignis and Cyberse Monsters were indeed alive is up to debate, but one thing is real for sure – Ignis acknowledged their existence as to being alive and that's why their deaths were so sad.

It is not clear if that little eyeball at the end of VRAINS was really Ai, but if it was (https://3w-writer-with-wings.tumblr.com/post/188222599160/yu-gi-oh-ending-theory-spoilers here is my theory that supports this) then Yusaku has one more mission up ahead – reunite with Ai.

And this is where the new Yu-Gi-Oh series will likely begin – with Yuma, Yuya and Yusaku about to begin a new adventure. Reunions played a major part in not only last three series but in all YuGiOh series so far: in Waking the Dragons arc Atem was separated from Yugi and had to save him from Dartz, Judai literally fused with Yubel, Yusei defeated Z-ONE with a power of all Signer dragons combined, Astral and Yuma were kept getting separated and then reunited, Yuya was reunited with his counterparts and even Yusaku and Ai nearly became fused. Bonds Beyond Time already had Yugi, Judai and Yusei together, so there is a great chance new series will connect Yuma, Yuya and Yusaku. The commercials known as Duel Hour even included a few moments where Yuma, Yuya and Yusaku appear together. I know there is one with Yusei and Yusaku as well, but just think - maybe those were the early teasers for the next Yu-Gi-Oh series!

While the first three protagonists were connected by time (Yusei's Crimson Dragon who can travel through time), I believe the other three protagonists will be connected by space. While the first three series are confirmed to be connected, the other three are left to our own interpretation. Zexal is confirmed to be connected to the first two series but not 5ds. The proof was shown in the episode where Yuma visits Duel Lodge and finds the statues of legendary monsters from first series and GX like Dark Magician, Blue Eyes White Dragon, Neos and Cyber End Dragon, but there is no sign of Signer Dragons or other significant monsters from 5Ds.

ARC V went overboard and literally based four dimensions on four previous series and even included an actual Heartland from Zexal plus several alternative versions of characters who appeared in previous series. While VRAINS doesn’t include any connections to previous series, it still includes all summoning methods except for pendulum which means pendulum really is exclusive to ARC V only.

So how could those three protagonists connect? In Bonds Beyond Time it is Yusei who travels to different times, so it will likely be Yusaku and it would make sense since VRAINS ended with him travelling to unknown part of network. Maybe he will be reunited with Ai, but to get to him he will find himself in completely different dimension that VRAINS connected him to. Let's say he ends up in ARC V dimension and while he tries to find way back, he runs into Yuya. Other Yu-boys sense something in Yusaku like his Link sense or something, and Yuya being Yuya offers to help him out. Maybe they even end up in a tag duel or something, and Yuya learns about Link summon and Yusaku learns about Pendulum summon. I would love to see Yusaku having fun duelling for once by participating in an action duel and maybe he even remembers Ai's words to not be afraid to make friends, and recognizes Yuya as his friend. Maybe they even have a moment when they talk about their past experiences and see they have more in common than they think.

From that point on their main goal would be to find Ai and maybe even a way to get Yu-boys to exist. There could also be a new threat, serious enough for Yuya and Yusaku to team up. Maybe they visit Heartland again and it is still not completely restored and Yuya tells Yusaku about the war of dimensions and how he lost his counterparts and he understands Yusaku's pain. Maybe that's when they are attacked by a new threat and that's when Yuma enters the picture. Maybe that new threat is the same one Yuma was about to face at the end of ZEXAL and Yuma merged with Astral follows it to alternative version of Heartland that is now a part of ARC V. With the trio complete, they have a new mission now: take care of the new threat, find Ai and find a way to bring other Yu- boys back.

This is more than enough material for new series and would surely love to see these three interact. With a new threat there is tons of ways this could go, either by them trying to bring back Yuya's counterparts and finding Ai or dealing with other missions that are connected to new threat.

Another hint that ZEXAL, ARC V and VRAINS will continue is the fact that we currently (as of December 12th 2019) have absolutely no other info other than the series will come out in 2020 and will celebrate 20th anniversary. When 5Ds was still ongoing, we already got shots of Yuma and Astral at the end of the episodes, same went for ARC V shots at the end of ZEXAL and even VRAINS scenes were already popping up towards the end of ARC V. It's been more than two months since VRAINS ended and we still don't have anything and we likely won't until 20th December. This might suggest that producers wanted to make this crossover a surprise and won't reveal it until the time is right.

While this new crossover could be possible considering it has been done in the past with ARC V and Bonds Beyond Time, there is always a chance that the second option will be done instead – brand new Yu-Gi-Oh! series with a new Yu-tagonist, rival, best  friend and so on. It is also possible that there will be a combination of both – with a new protagonist joining the Yuma, Yuya and Yusaku on their quests. But for a stand-alone YuGiOh series what can we expect? Well, one thing is for sure – the protagonist's name will start with Yu- and will have an impossible anime hairstyle. I checked several videos, blogs, ideas and other posts about what other fans wish to see and I tried my best to gather up all info in order to structure my idea for new YuGiOh series.

 What yugioh fandom wants? :

Back to magic, ancient cultures and mysterious artefacts concept (possibly another culture – we had ancient Egypt, Nazca culture and references to ancient Rome and Greece, maybe medieval Japan, China or ancient Mesopotamia or the culture of Native America)

Ability to talk with Duel Spirits

Female protagonist (or better treatment of female characters)

Two main protagonists who are siblings

Back to the tournaments

Isekai style aka. transported to the Duel Monster world

Adorkable protagonist

Well-developed antagonists (like Dark Signers and Barian Emperors) or multiple unpredictable antagonists (like in VRAINS)

Something new

Connected to the past series (like ARC V)

Missions/quests (like Number cards collecting in Zexal)

So here is my idea that hopefully incorporates the majority of before mentioned tropes.

I would love to see a female protagonist who is a mixture of Yuma and Jaden/Judai aka. loves trying out new things, is very energetic and friendly and is fascinated by a card game. Insert the protagonist who is kinda like Astral and Yusaku aka. someone who used to love the game but no longer sees it as fun (he was a duelling prodigy and participated in tournaments since a young age, but the pressure and demands for being the best broke him down mentally) though he still likes the card game itself. I imagine that he would design cards or work in a card game shop like Yugi and would be a shy and quiet type of a character, kinda like a mixture of Yugi, Yusaku and Astral. He would basically be like a male version of Luna/Ruka from 5Ds (from what I remember she was a duelling prodigy too, defeating tough opponents since she was three and would probably continue participating in duels if she hadn’t fallen in a coma and became afraid of duelling in tournaments ever since). Just like Ruka, he would maybe also have an ability to communicate with duel spirits (please bring this troupe back, I absolutely loved the connection between Judai, Johan and Ruka with their duel monster spirits!).

So here's how I imagine the first episode: the female character just lost a duel to one of her classmates and his friends are taunting her for being stupid, inexperienced and that she generally sucks at cardgames aka. "Oh, girls can't play this." She either brushes it off with a smile or goes berserk saying that she will get better and that they will be sorry when she wins in some sort of tournament. Then she looks at her cards and realizes she should change it a bit since she keeps getting lost what to use. So she goes to the very same shop where the protagonist is and stares at different cards for hours until the protagonist steps to her and says the closing hours will be soon. Maybe that's when her more vulnerable side is revealed and she admits that she indeed doesn't have much idea how to improve herself and that she will never be able to even participate in a tournament. The protagonist asks her why she wants to play the game so badly if she is not even close to average and she admits some personal connection to it (maybe a person close to her played the game with her when she was little but is now no longer there and she remembers that person whenever she plays OR she simply loves the concept of the game and wishes to learn more).  That makes the protagonist remember of days when he was playing the game for pure enjoyment and he didn't care who loses or wins and decides to help her build a deck and walk her through basics. He sets the sign of the shop to CLOSED and takes his time going through different cards until it is very late and she has to go home. He gives her some cards that might fit her duelling style and gives her a few tips. She thanks him and promises to stop by the next day for more lessons. But the next day she encounters the same group of classmates who again mock her until she agrees to duel, even though she wanted to practise more. This time, using the boy's advice she really pays attention to what he taught her and is doing great until her opponent deals a great amount of damage and she is close to giving up. Then - the protagonist appears next to her, who has been watching the entire duel (he visits her school in order to give her more cards) and simply encourages her to not give out hope, take a deep breath and see what she can do. He basically becomes her duelling partner and leads her through the game. The girl so claims her first victory and the boy tells her he was only a guide and she overall beat her opponent herself (similar to how Yugi helped Joey during his first few duels), though she still needs to learn. Her opponent can't believe he just lost and to very (consideringly weak) cards (she had more powerful ones before adding the new cards) and continues to mock her, but then the boy (either removes his hood or fixes his hair) steps before her and says that every duelist has to start from zero just like he did and the guy recognizes him as a champion that's when episode ends. The preview hints that the boy was a duelling prodigy and in the next episode he teaches her some valuable lessons about duelling while she tries to encourage him to duel again. He could also show how cards are made, like how he makes a design, comes up with stats and other info and has it printed. The card-making was briefly shown in first two series, how Pegasus made Egyptian God Cards, how Chumley/Hayato went to work for Pegasus and young Jaden/Judai designed his own custom cards as a child (that were actually made and sent to space).

From this point on it could go many different ways: maybe it starts with the protagonist helping the girl train for a tournament while someone from his past blackmails him into participating as well, threatening to expose his secret, maybe the duel monster spirits start appearing whenever he makes a new card (they didn't before, meaning the girl in a way awakens his ability to talk with spirits), maybe someone wants to kidnap him for his abilities, maybe the girl has secrets as well.... there are many possibilities and I would watch the hell out of this spinoff XD I'm currently writing a similar yugioh OC insert fanfic since I really wanted to explore the concept of card making since anime didn't really do much with it since GX. We need to know where cards come from!

What do you think the next Yu-Gi-Oh! series will be about?