#so close to getting her rank 7 ???uh rank up scene??
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mocha-ghoooul · 1 month ago
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i love her
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opal-owl-flight · 5 months ago
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7. Do they take part in ink battles? What kind and how often?
Absolutely! Inksport leagues are what most of the NSS do outside of agent duties. Theyre a major part of most Inkfish's lives in my writing, a lot of the themes I explore revolve around uh. Sport Movie kinda dealios BAHAHAH (alongside rhe Horrors but shh. When it comes to ocs outside the NSS, Inksports are the main focus)
3s a turf war legend both topside and underground. They were there when the sport was something only the delinquents did, unregulated and dangerous, matches that moved at a fast pace and where they had to leave IMMEDIATELY after or be caught by the authorities. Squid Force eventually found this sport and started sponsoring a safer, more regulated version of it. 3 rose up the ranks all the same (while complaining abt how EASY it is now). Theyve been here since the start. Their splashtag is whispered in awe ans reverence. They are usually followed around by a gaggle of fans or press (please leave them alone qoskw). They still participate in trench turf to satisfy their desire to turf like the good old days. 4 and 8 and Neo3 have no clue about it. They show up with new light scarring and people think its from agent stuff they do on their own -- nope!!
They also play ranked. Tower Control is their favorite mode! Positioning is critical in all modes, but this one has some very specific spots they can exploit and the battles have a flow thats easily readable to them. Its the same route every time! Opposing teams move in pretty specific ways! Its like chess to them. Massages their brain just right.
4s a rising star in the turf leagues. She was great at it back in her hometown in the highlands (the sport has been established here for awhile), but she feels that people are intentionally throwing their matches against her because shes a clan singer. She wanted to have the Real Deal. Moving to Inkopolis, she had a taste of what real turf matches are like...and saw how much more brutal they are. She grit her beak and learned, explosively, in fact, how to play properly. She rose up the ranks quickly the second she found her main weapon class. Shes only ever played topside turf but she is a force to be reckoned with. 3 complains that the new regulations made the game "easier", but someone who grew with the rules can see that its added more complexity. You cant just brute force everything in here. 4 weaves around these added limitations with ease. One can argue shes just as good as 3, if not better...
Her favorite ranked mode is (obviously) Rainmaker. Sneaking around, getting up close and personal with the carrier or their teammates clumped around them is something she greatly enjoys. Holding the nuke itself also gives her quite the rush!! Literally. Shes so beefy that she can carry it faster than the rest of her team (Judd flags her for that, she has to slow herself down to keep the game fair for everyone else). The Rainmaker mode is also reminiscent of some of the ceremonies she does/participates in back in the highlands. Its her job in those ceremonies to call the rain. It involves moving from place to place, carrying a relic that will make her voice heard to the heavens. Despite her not liking how suffocated she was in her homeland, she admits that she misses it, as well.
8 is relatively new to the turf scene. Shes always yearned to be a part of it, back when she was still underground. Now that shes on the surface, she frankly doesnt understand why its such a big deal anymore. Its just a game?? Why are people sweating over this?? And why is all this violence so revered here?? I think her general dislike for combat/conflict may be due to her being raised in a wartime context. She got out of that life, shes not going to go back to it. Still, bc she adores hanging out with 4 (and later 3), she plays the more casual turf war leagues. She occasionally plays ranked modes (splat zones are a favorite), but she tends to stick to the casual side of things. The high octane action and vigilance of the pro leagues makes her uncomfortable...
Neo3 is very new to the turf scene. She compares it to the sacred salmon runs that shes been a lucky witness to (its her only point of reference, bless her hearts). A fight for honor! A fight to the death! And you get to keep living after them? Its the best of both worlds! She enjoys terrorizing the opposing team in any mode. Shes as tenacious and as stubborn as a salmonid that easily slithers over enemy ink. Hitting from blind spots. Easily overwhelms foes with strength and numbers. As annoying as a flyfish. Occasionally, she claws and bites her opponents...which gets her flagged down by Judd. Its fine!! Shes having fun here!
Her favorite ranked mode is definitely Clam Blitz. In salmonid spawning season, the survivors of the runs gather the dropped eggs around the battleground into the nesting grounds to hatch them. Neo3 is reminded of that time as she gathers clams. She defends them as if they were eggs. (And then you see her trying to crack the clams open so she can eat them after the match....)
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the-blossica-fan · 1 month ago
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Greetings!
Actors AU - who had the most intricate or expensive outfit? How would I2 designs be used in the AU? (Like Lucy questioning her design or Isolde having so many layers to put on)
And uh, we canonise the plushie saga into this au. So the plushies in this au are actual 'official' merch, so what its the reaction of the cast to the plushies?
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Hello there, Comrade!!
Vertiny it's no longer Halloween please stop spooking the R1999 fans/silly
So far, it might be Lucy's costume. You see, it's made out of real iron and the paint has to be made for every scene, they also have to ensure that Miss Lucy doesn't have any allergic reaction to the paint or any difficulties with the costume.
And repairs are quite the thing so, yeah. As for a close second, we have the garments. Spathodea has a similar problem but without the paint and Lilya's armor is also made with real metal and made by a professional, so... They paid quite some money for a singular garment. Luckily it was the most famous one.
How the i2 outfits work is quite simple, they do change clothes a lot in the series so they're not wearing the same outfit all the time except for the Foundation workers, who have to wear the same outfit. Vertin doesn't change often unless it's for relaxed scenes (she never relaxes), meanwhile Sonetto only changes in specific scenes like season 4 or season 7, and Matilda is the more free one because of her rank so she has quite a wardrobe.
Isolde doesn't actually complain, she's actually glad she doesn't have to change as much as she does in an opera. Those two dresses are surely something but she's fine with it.
Meanwhile, Miss Lucy sighs every time she has to get in her costume. It's a whole procedure that's quite annoying to go through every other scene. She did ask for a change of proportions but, well, they made slight changes so she could fit in the metal parts.
As for Lucy's i2 outfit, it's just the Actress having freedom from some parts of the metal body.
Miss Lucy: I have to say, I don't hate the costume but having to go through all that process is time consuming. Thankfully I always get a health check and ensure my safety.
Regulus is the one with the most outfit changes, she might even wear her usual clothes and call it a day. Makes Lilya and Vertin a little jealous since they're not allowed to change outfits.
Pavia willingly doesn't use his i2 outfit as much, he likes the colors of his i0 outfit so you will only see him in his i0, i2 is a collective imagination from the fandom (jk)
I can picture Vertin holding a Smallneider and making a video of herself sobbing while hugging it to feed the fans. She has a lot of fun with the plushies, holding them in her arms. And putting them in difficult situations
Meanwhile Isolde holds dearly a Kakania plushie because that plushie ACTUALLY pays attention to her. Isolde has made some bitter comments to Klara who's like "Oh? Yeah the plushie is so cute! It looks like a mini-me"
She's about to make a wedding with the Kakania and Isolde plushie to send it to Klara but she knows her thick head will not get that crap.
Then there's Lilya and Regulus throwing plushies at each other, "The plushie war" if you will.
Lilya: Hey, wanna play angry birds? I put the Arcana plushie in here and you throw the rest at her.
Regulus: Damn you're a genius. Lemme get the Vertin plushies ready.
Theophil: Isolde, could you please stop sobbing onto Mini Kakania? I can hear you from here
Isolde: Shut up Theophil, I'm depressed
Theophil: You're always depressed- Hey! Don't throw them at me!
Semmelweis is always seen with a Bela and Semmelweis plushie somewhere in her emo clothes, if you stare long enough, you'll see it. They're her emotional support plushies she sometimes throws at Valentina when she's unaware.
Oh and Matilda hates (liar) her duck plushie. She's NOT a duck. Mercuria and Kanjira have taken pictures of her cuddling up to that plushie like her sanity depends on it. Little ducking liar.
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ladygwyndolin · 8 months ago
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You're clearly a great fan of Murcielago's villain protagonists, but what are your opinions on the antagonists?
well you can't send me an ask like this an expect me not to rate each of them individually, but i assume you knew this. crafty, glasses! I'm gonna rate the primaries here but I'll rate the secondaries next. Only up to Silver Scent.
Arc 0: Unnamed Serial Killer
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Cringe loser, no swag, no style, unmemorable, no standards. Died in an accident. 0/5.
Arc 1: Tasuku Iimura
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Just kind of a big brute, somewhat sad backstory but doesn't really bring anything to the table. This arc isn't really about him though. 1/5.
Arc 2: Hyoue Satori
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Total patsy. Basically irrelevant as his only real contribution was bankrolling a cooler, sexier villain. 1/5.
Arc 3: Takeru Asagi
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We're starting to get somewhere. He's still fairly meh, but his MO and backstory are way more interesting than the previous villains and his genuine care for his daughter gives him a bit of heart. OFC, he pales in comparison to how amazing a character said daughter is, but I'll give him a point for trying. 2/5.
Arc 4: Gold Marie
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LET'S FUCKING GOOOOOOO!!!!!! I LOVE GOLD MARIE. Absolutely horrible and irredeemable monster, twisted in fun and unique ways, tragic backstory, gay, disgusting, and, well. Y'know. She's got. uh. well. Anyway, one of the best in the series, no question. 5/5.
Arc 5: The Rainy Day Killer
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Hands down the most terrifying villain in the entire series and it's not even close. I get the creeps just looking at him. It takes a lot to be a monster in a world as monstrous as Murcielago's, but boy oh boy does he do it. Great backstory, too. Gonna give him a 4/5 just because of how SCARY he is.
Arc 6: Marie Misaka
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Meh. This arc is more about Kuroko herself being the villain rather than this chick, so she barely gets any screentime and doesn't have much to offer. 2/5 cuz there's some implied gay shit at least.
Arc 7: Toukichirou Higaki
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Mostly a vehicle for more interesting side characters. His fighting style is cool, but his ultimate goal of dying in battle doesn't have any real weight to it. Pretty forgettable. 2/5.
Arc 8: Shin Tatewaki
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Boring villain from a boring arc. 1/5 cuz i think his scar looks cool.
Arc 9: Cobalt Conrad
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A very solid mad scientist archetype. I think his relatively friendly and calm demeanor persisting throughout both arcs he's in is great and I like that he came back as a villain in the first place. His ultimately plan is pretty simple and I feel like more could be done with him, but given that we haven't seen the last of him I think there's a chance we'll get new stuff from him too. 4/5.
Arc 10: Kurono
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YEAH BABY YEAH BABY LET'S GO!!!!!!!!! I LOVE KURONO!!!! Cool split personality ghost with probably the best fight in the entire series (due to the fact that Kuroko is hilarious throughout it) and sympathetic motivation make her extremely memorable. A lot of people rank Master Swordsman as their favorite arc, and while it's not my personal pick, scenes with Kurono make me understand exactly why so many people love it. 5/5.
Arc 11: Rose Marie
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Best boy with one of the best arcs. I looooove TTDUP and how fucked up it is, and this weird conjoined cannibal queen is what makes it work. The second most unsettling villain after the rainy day killer as well. Easy 6/5, I would love if we got more villains like him in the future.
Arc 12: Comedy Writer
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Easily the least threatening major villain and thus one of the least interesting. This is another arc where Kuroko eclipses the actual antagonist by a significant margin, so his only real noteworthy moment is when Kuroko kills the shit out of him. 1/5.
Arc 13: Hazuki Sendou
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Gross. Loser. Doesn't deserve Zenpachi. Keep that in your pants, loser. 1/5.
Arc 14: Yuusuke Arima
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A deeply tragic and sympathetic villain, and one who we get to know as a person far more than most other villains. Serial killer or not, I just felt really fucking bad for this guy. Not huge on his sudden double evil turn at the very end so I've gotta dock him a point for that, but I'm overall a fan. 3/5.
Arc 15: Mineko and Ayako
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Honestly it was tough for me to decide which one of these two was the "main" villain so I ultimately decided to just go with both of them because hey, it's my list. My verdict is that they did literally nothing wrong and should not be held accountable for any crimes whatsoever. 5/5.
Hopefully that answers your question!
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enbyhoshi · 2 years ago
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ao3 wrapped 2022
i tried doing this on twt and i accidentally closed the tab and i lost all of it so. tumblr it is!
before i start: i wrote 7 fics in 2022 (total of 72.5k words), 5 of which were posted during the first half of the year. at one point i was writing 3 fics at the same time which was Insane and i still can't believe i managed to finish all 3 of them in time. wow. anyways let's dive into it!
🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟
1. sweet like honey
fem soonwoo, 21k, M, 3/4 of the 'girls like girls (like boys do)' series
my girls.... i miss writing them so much. i truly wasn't planning on letting this fic spiral into the 21k words monster that it came out to - it was supposed to just be the scene where ww calls sy her gf (D-364) - but i don't regret it at all! they deserved their happy ending considering the angst i put them through lol. this was also the first time i wrote smut and it was an Experience
favorite part:
Someone calls Wonwoo’s name and they both come back to reality, turning back to their friends when Soonyoung realises two things, almost at the same time: 1) Minghao and Wonwoo don’t know each other, and 2) none of their friends know about what happened last night. None of them know about Soonyoung and Wonwoo, whatever they are — oh, hey, another thing to add on to the list of realisations kwon Soonyoung has at a busy dance hall post-performance: 3) she hasn’t asked Wonwoo to be her girlfriend yet.
2. baby, be my weekend
soonwoo, 22k, M, idol!wonwoo bodyguard!hoshi
el called this one of my best works in their comment and it has stuck with me since i read it. i had so much writing this fic i truly loved it so much!!! i also didn't expect the amount of love and attention it got ksdjghsdk i just wrote a silly little prompt me and my friend came up with! wow. sorry i don't have a lot to say for this if i loved it less i'd be able to talk about it more etc etc
favorite part:
The noise is getting louder though, heavy like someone is continuously stomping, and it sounds like it’s coming from- “Wonwoo!” He freezes in his tracks. He knows that voice. “Wonwoo! Wait!” It feels like it’s happening in slow motion: Wonwoo turns around, his heart at his throat, only to see Soonyoung running out of his apartment building still in the same clothes as ten minutes ago, getting drenched as he does. It doesn’t deter him from running towards Wonwoo, though, and Wonwoo doesn’t know what’s happening until Soonyoung grabs his face and kisses him harder than he ever has, pouring every single bit of his emotions into it. Wonwoo can’t do anything but kiss him back, pulling him as close as he can, wanting to feel nothing but Soonyoung’s body on his.
3. 노래해 (‘bout you)
fem soonhoon, 3k, G, university au i guess
GIRLS!!!!! this fic was so spontaneous i was thinking about how there's literally no fem soonhoon fics so i decided to take matters into my own hands hehe. i truly wrote this in two days just in time for pride month which is insane considering i was writing both my 1d fest fic AND my 96z fest fic at that time. what was i thinking.
favorite part:
“Remember that time when Jihoon-unnie talked about anime for six hours straight?” Seokmin says, lifting her head up from Seungkwan’s lap. “That’s probably the most I’ve heard her talk in one sitting.” “I was doing a ranking,” Jihoon says in an attempt to defend herself. “That no one asked you to do, by the way,” Seungkwan says. “You’re lucky Wonwoo-unnie and Jisoo-unnie are just as big weebs as you are.” “Uh, who’s the one between us who started playing volleyball just because of Haikyuu?” Jisoo raises her eyebrow at Seungkwan, who shuts her mouth and goes back to braiding Seokmin’s hair. “That’s what I thought.” Jisoo says, satisfied, and goes back to her bracelet.
4. still feel the same (and you will too)
soonwoo (+ others), 10k, G, wedding au
my 1d fest fic! probably my favorite fic i've written this year. i have a soft spot for kid fics and i have always wanted to write one so i'm so happy i got to fulfill that with this fest! i hadn't written babies before so i did a looot of research to make it as realistic as possible and it seems to have paid off lol. i still remember crying when i wrote the ceremony part (I’d marry you again if I could. I’d do it all over again. Just for you.) and the part where soonwoo dance (He looks at thirty-year-old Wonwoo now, older and wiser and the father of his child, the love of his life — and he thinks about how he doesn’t regret saying yes, not one bit.) also rule 63 is just so fun hehe
favorite part (i already mentioned my favs so i chose a different one lol):
“You say that but it’s gonna pass in the blink of an eye.” Soonyoung says. “One day you’re scrolling through the baby-cribs section at IKEA and the next you’re holding a whole newborn in your arms. Crazy how life works sometimes.” Minghao blinks at him. “Please tell me you didn’t get Byeol’s baby-crib from IKEA.” “I talked him out of it, don’t worry.” Wonwoo reassures her. Minghao lets out a heavy sigh of relief.
5. knock, knock, knock on my door
96z, 10k, T, uh. first time meeting?? strangers to lovers??? idk
my 96z fest fic! this fic went through a lot LOL. i changed the plot a million times because i was unsatisfied with it each time and at some point considered making it two parts so the Big Reveal would be a different chapter but it just didn't feel right. also i only considered it because i wasn't sure if i was gonna finish the fic in time LMAO. this fic is yet another self indulgent fic because like hoshi i have friends but none of them know each other and it makes bday plans so much harder... if only they could fall in love with each other and make it easier for me
favorite part:
“What are you thinking about?” What isn’t he thinking about. Their entire conversation. Jihoon’s words. Junhui’s words. Junhui’s smile and the way his entire face lights up with it. The way Jihoon starts blushing from his ears. Soonyoung kissing them goodnight. Soonyoung’s glossy eyes when Wonwoo sang for him at karaoke. He blurts out before he can think too much about it. “I like you.” Soonyoung opens his eyes and stares at him like he’s dumb. “I know. I like you too, Wonwoo-yah.” he says, easy as ever. “No, you don’t understand- I like you.” Wonwoo insists. “Like, I’m in love with you, I think.” Soonyoung continues to stare at him like he’s dumb. “I know. I like you too, Wonwoo-yah.” he says again.
6. pink where it's deepest inside
fem soonwoo, 3.5k, E, t4t pwp (also 4/4 of the 'girls like girls (like boys do)' series)
oooh boy. originally i started writing this right after i posted sweet like honey but i never finished it because i was too embarassed dfghdfg. right after i posted my 96z fic i fell into deep writer's block and i couldn't write ANYTHING but i knew i wanted to do smth special for the anniversary of this series and i thought well. might as well finish this i guess. huge thank you to el for betaing if it weren't for her this would've never seen the light of day god bless
favorite part:
Unable to wait any longer, she pushes Wonwoo off her a bit to take off her skirt and underwear when Wonwoo’s hands stop her. “Wait,” she says, looking into Soonyoung’s eyes, bashful all the sudden. “Keep the skirt on for me... please?” Well. What is Soonyoung supposed to do? Say no?
7. from luck to fate
soonwoo, 1k, G, pre-slash from the bodyguard au
i wrote this as a writing exercise to kind of get out of my writer's block for a bit and it turned out better than i expected so i was like you know what. i'll post it! i kinda wish it was longer but i think it's also perfect the way it is. also i loved writing seokmin he didn't appear that much in baby, be my weekend so it was fun to include him in this and show how it all started!
favorite part:
The guy Seokmin was talking to before, with the weird hair and striped sweater, holds a microphone in his hands, standing in the middle of the stage as he waits for his song to start. Soonyoung assumes that he must be a soloist or something. Probably a rookie too, if he didn’t recognise him. Or maybe he’s just unpopular. It wouldn’t be surprising.
🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟💗🌟
wow. that's a lot of fics isn't it! i can't promise how much i'll write or what i'll write in general in 2023 because i still haven't quite found my footing again but hopefully that'll change with the new year :) thank you for reading so far 💕
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auxiliarydetective · 1 year ago
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*pokes head from ground like a prairie dog*
i see you have an opla oc as well…? tell me anything you wanna share abt Cora pls!!
Yessss, I do!!! My darling Cora~ There’s SO much I could say about her but I don't know your level of manga knowledge and I don't wanna spoil too much (please read her fic, I'm begging, it's not a long read), so... Have 10 mostly spoiler-free facts and fun facts!
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1. Cora's full name is Akaito Coraline (pronounced Korahleen like in French for manga trivia reasons) and she comes from a long line of very famous tailors
2. Cora and Sanji were childhood friends and pretty much immediately become very close again when they reunite at Baratie. You really can't say who fell first and who fell harder, they are both down bad and being stupid about it. It's the same but also very different for Zoro and Cora, except they are being even more stupid about it. Like, I'm pretty sure they don't even know they're in love and it'll take years for them to act on it. And then we have Zoro and Sanji being Zoro and Sanji. Like, are you flirting or fighting? (Looking at you, plate scene...) These three, I swear...
3. Cora's main weapon is a rapier and she can use a large pair of scissors as a parrying dagger if necessary, but she prefers just not fighting at all or tricking her opponents. She's not too strong of a fighter, but I always like to say that, ignoring all personal relationships, if her and Zoro fought, the winner would probably be decided by luck within the first few seconds, simply because it's a rapier vs a katana. Either Cora stabs Zoro straight away and wins or Zoro slices Cora straight away and wins, since they both have no real way of dodging each other’s fighting style. Similarly, she could potentially beat Luffy in one stab because of her longer range. But if she has to go longer than a minute or so against either of them, she probably loses because they end up disarming her. Speaking of losing, she loses against Sanji. That's just it. If they even fought at all, he would probably dodge the first stab and the next second he kicks her rapier out of her hand. Then she'd have to try and strangle him with his necktie but that takes time and every second counts against Sanji, so... Yeah, she loses. I'd say she's probably rank 4 among the Straw Hats fighting-wise, quickly followed by Nami and then Usopp is just, well, poor Usopp. For now...
4. She does the crew's laundry because she doesn't trust anyone else with the laundry. Like, she took one look at those guys and went "nope, you’re not touching my clothes, nuh-uh". And she was right, the others have no clue what they're doing, except maybe Nami and Sanji, but Cora has very special fabrics and opinions, so... She does the laundry, no bickering necessary
5. Very much an Acts of Service kind of person in that her first instinct when she likes someone platonically or otherwise is to go "let me make some clothes for you OwO". If she sees one loose thread on your shirt or something, or a button threatening to fall off or a small hole or tear or anything, she's right there like "Want me to fix it for you??? Please, I love you."
6. Will wear heels anywhere anytime. If she can't wear heels, she'll go for platforms. Generally, it's fashion over function with her, even though she usually finds a way to combine the two. For example, all her skirts AND dresses have pockets and she tries her very hardest to also keep that rule in her designs. If it's not 100% snug to the body, it will have pockets. Otherwise, she'll make sure you get a matching bag/purse.
7. She definitely judges people by their fashion choices. If you're a villain and you're up against her, the first thing she'll do is insult your outfit and then turn your bad fashion choices against you by using your clothes as a weapon. Anything is a bad fashion choice when up against Cora and her devil fruit.
8. Speaking of devil fruits, hers is the Chiku Chiku no Mi or Sew Sew Fruit which allows her mastery over essentially all of the steps and items in the clothesmaking process. Not too practical for full-on battle because you can't concentrate on thin thread and complicated seams while fighting, but hella versatile in everyday life AND when fucking with people (take the double entdendre or leave it, I didn’t intend for it but... it's true-)
9. Traumatized as hell (I won't say from what, read the fic if you want a hint) but the Straw Hats are her emotional support idiots
10. Scared of touch but also chronically touch-starved. Once it settles into her brain that you are safe to touch and, most importantly, be touching her, she absolutely will become a cuddle bug. Remember how generally touchy the Straw Hats are with each other? She'll get there one day, give her maybe one more season or two
Aaand, to top it all off, have a bonus fun fact about her family name:
"Akaito" is derived from the Japanese "akai ito" which means "red thread" and refers to the red string of fate which binds lovers. Keep that in mind, it'll become important later in the story ;)
Thanks SO much for the ask! Feel free to hop in my ask box again anytime. I have many more things to share and I always love talking about my baby Cora
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ssaalexblake · 2 years ago
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FMA official translations reread/read, vol.2
I’d forgotten how brutal the pacing of this story was. The last chapter of vol.1 was Ed and Al comically stopping a group of protestors/terrorists working against the military as the hijack a train with a high ranking general onboard (this is in the story Before we explicitly learn that the amestris military is even slightly awful, let alone rotten to the core. Or that it’s a dictatorship. This is a gift for re-readers to find if you’re not the type of person to immediately question the benevolence of the military.) using absurdist alchemy and just buckwild strategies to gain the upper hand. All the while Roy is waiting on the train platform for Ed to do this work For him cuz he doesn’t want to. 
(RIP to General Hakuro’s left ear. I can’t say I feel sorry for you.)
Then in the very next chapter, the opener in volume 2, is a quick scene of Ed getting info on a bio alchemist and a scene change to Tucker and Nina’s house and the playful shenanigans, and then a mere 14 pages later (14 single, 7 double) Nina and Alexander have already become uncomfortably close. 
Brutal mood change from the light-hearted train sequence. 
Also want to smack Roy for his lack of compassion for Ed after this goes down because Ed Chose To Be A Dog Of The Military, conveniently missing out the part where he manipulated a small child in an exceedingly vulnerable state both physically and mentally, to join the military. And without him it’s exceedingly unlikely Ed would have ended up here. 
I love Roy, he’s wonderfully written and his motivations make sense, but here he’s just being an absolute asshole to Ed who is uh, 15 years old years After he was egged on by Roy to join up. I have an inherent disdain for how military recruiters prey on the vulnerable, which Roy absolutely and knowingly did to a 12yo, so this is the one area where i just want to punch Roy. 
I mean, if there’d been a reason to even talk to Ed and Al Maybe, but there wasn’t, he seemed to just not be able to help antagonising them. Gallingly rich for the man who was all ideals and The Military Helps People when he was way Older than the brothers. He’s just taking his own self disdain out on them. 
Can’t wait to see Riza wipe him out just for the satisfaction of witnessing it. 
Also, lol @ Scar telling the kid with a very close relationship with her dog that he’s letting her “go in peace” as what was done to her cannot be fixed. He then proceeds to effectively explode her head to murder her. That is not my definition of going in peace, but then again, i do not have Scar’s background. 
Chapter 5 over. 
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ravenadottir · 3 years ago
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would love to see u rate the LIs from best to worst suited for a very physically affectionate MC
alright, i'm only gonna do this for season 2, 'cause it's a lot of li's and explanations to go around. i think.
16. jakub. king of covid prevention in relationships in general.
15. priya. she's overcoming her own comfort zone and letting someone else in, and that can take some time. part of being alone is getting used to not having constant physical touch.
14. carl. he just doesn't know how much he likes/needs it until he actually has someone who loves him and shows it to be fulfilling. it's alien to him.
13. marisol. she's warm to people she loves, but even then, it's not excessively. "i know what i feel and i don't need to manifest it physically all the time." she does, but not like the other people in this list.
12. elisa. we don't have as much time with her in the villa, or much individuality in other events (or at all, fuck you cmm) but i have a feeling elisa is the type to say "uh, fine, come here" to look harsh but she likes it. it's not so frequent that she initiates it but i think she likes playing hard to get.
11. lottie. she doesn't like to admit how much she likes it, but it has to be very well placed, timing wise, otherwise she gets irritated.
10. kassam. "it loses all meaning if you do it all the time." if he's with someone who needs it a lot, he'll give in, but it's not his default.
9. lucas. he likes it, but "if you do something all the time it loses meaning." repeats itself here. we're talking about a guy that likes his space.
the warmer ones:
8. rahim. very warm, and i feel like he didn't get as much physicality in other relationships.
7. hannah. very into physical contact and cuddling, but excessive touching can be jarring to her.
6. bobby. he's more independent than we give him credit for. he's not really out here asking to stay close at all times, not like the others, but he does enjoy some touching and caressing, he's not moderating it.
5. felix. i reckon his reasoning to be the way he is it's because he never had as much affection. he's needy in that way, and deserving of a solid place in this rank.
4. arjun. the guy is actually the wizard of good hugs so his position has to be really high in this list. he legit enjoys it and needs it a lot more than other islanders in this list.
top 3
3. noah. he enjoys the warmth of being close so much it's essential. there's no way he's not cuddling up to his partner at all times, especially if they're watching something or just snoozing on a lazy afternoon. that goes for sunday mornings and after late-night reading sessions.
2. henrik. come on, the guy is a puppy, and in the game he's really physical, especially with his hands. i reckon there's a lot of grazing his fingertips on her arms while she rests on his chest, or caressing her cheek in that same position. he's really affectionate.
1. gary. king of cuddles, he's always asking for one in the game and intimate scenes. he loves physical contact whether it's a hug, holding hands, cuddling, you name it. he has to be number 1 because we have multiple evidence of it all over his route.
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thekrawratalksbnha · 4 years ago
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alright let’s talk: what is up with the todoroki family (bnha 291 analysis and theories aka 2k+ words of word vomit as i try to process this chapter)
so. we have new information and it’s not really what a lot of us were expecting. i know that i at least was expecting a story that aligned pretty closely to the story we got from shouto — just with a more, uh, tragic ending. 
but well…that was wrong. so lets talk about it. what we know about the todoroki family, what we assume and try to figure out what their deal is. 
so grab your beverage of choice, a snack, get comfortable, because this is probably going to be a long ride. 
where it started:
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ah yes. the sports festival. what an arc. and of course, it’s the arc that kicks of the “keeping up with the todorokis” arc we all know and love. here, todoroki spills his tragicTM backstory with midoriya and we are off to the races. 
it’s the conversation and subsequent thoughts from shouto that shaped our understanding of the todoroki family. 
so quick rundown of what was revealed:
endeavour bought rei. it was a quirk marriage and endeavour was only after rei’s ice quirk. 
shouto was raised to be a hero who surpasses all might, to fulfill endeavour’s own ambition
shouto only remembers his mom always crying
endeavour created shouto to surpass all might
generally implies that at this point in time, he doesn’t view shouto as much more than a means to an end (his perfect little doll, anyone?)
he’s not impressed with shouto’s rebellion
he views shouto as his greatest creation, his masterpiece
he was already in training at 5 years old, trained to the point in which he threw up (revealed in shouto’s memory)
shouto was kept separated from his siblings (revealed through memory)
rei states that the children are becoming more like endeavour and that she sees endeavour in his left side (revealed through memory)
endeavour sent rei to the hospital after that for injuring shouto (revealed through memory)
shouto had suppressed memories of rei and her encouraging him to still be a hero and that his power is his own
so wow a lot of information provided in this arc. and it’s really important to recognize that it’s this information that most assumptions were built off of. any new information provided up until now could reasonably fit into the narrative shouto laid out in his conversations and his memories, and so they were. 
but was that wrong to do? in re-examining this arc, and in light of new information there are a few key factors that should be addressed:
it’s almost entirely from shouto’s perspective. all the information we get is through shouto’s eyes. (with a little bit from endeavour — but not much)
shouto is a kid, the youngest and in this arc has already proven he is capable and did forget and misremember incidents and events. his perspective is in no way 100% reliable.
shouto only blames two people for the negative events in his life. himself, and mainly — endeavour. in this arc (though it has since seemed to change), he was willing to and did see endeavour in the worst light possible (for valid reason but nonetheless, he wasn’t inclined to give endeavour the benefit of the doubt)
the point of going over this? in moving forward breaking down the rest: it’s really important to consider that there is valid reason to believe that shouto could be wrong. or maybe not wrong, but not fully right either. like us, he’s probably made assumptions about his own family based on his own experience. and while most of it is probably founded and he has good reason to believe it that doesn’t mean it’s true. 
so how can we figure out what is true? 
other perspectives:
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good thing we’ve got a few other perspectives to look at. so what do we know from the other members of the todoroki family. 
rei has been pretty far removed from the family since her hospitalization. she’s been improving and now has a good relationship with most of her children. she actually vouches for endeavour to natsuo despite everything.
fuyumi lives with shouto and endeavour. she is the most vocal about wanting to give him another chance, and has hopes for them to be a family again.
natsuo was close with touya before he “died”. perhaps the most against endeavour out of the bunch. endeavour was a stranger to him but natsuo holds the neglect and treatment of shouto, rei and touya against him.
notice so far there is a pretty definitive through line here. 
rei and fuyumi both seem more inclined to give endeavour another chance. both reference positive attributes and fuyumi has admitted to wanting to be a family again. 
natsuo and shouto (to different extents) both never reference anything good endeavour might have done. the closest we get seems to be shouto admitting endeavour is a good hero. both never reflect on their relation to endeavour with anything resembling fondness. and while shouto seems open to idea that endeavour could try to be better, both have made it clear that they are unfamiliar with what a “better” endeavour would look like. 
the most important note here considering the new information: natsuo and shouto are the youngest in the family. natsuo is four years old than shouto, meaning most of his memories are probably from after shouto’s birth (ie after endeavour got his “perfect” child), with a few from a few years before. and obviously shouto has no memories of a time before he was born. 
fuyumi and rei on the other hand, both probably have a fair amount of memories from before shouto. fuyumi would have been around 7 at the time of shouto’s birth and rei of course has been around since the beginning. 
so why does this matter?
well because it makes it a lot easier to understand some of the information we received in 291. speaking of which, now that we’ve established all this — let’s dig into that. 
the pre-shouto family
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291 gives us the first time we see the todoroki family before shouto’s birth. and again, while making no arguments on whether or not todoroki enji was a good father or not, it’s clear that it was very different. 
some major points:
endeavour speaks about touya in a way that is very different from the way endeavour spoke about shouto back in the sports festival. and in general. it’s unclear if this difference is related to how endeavour feels about touya and shouto or if it’s a pre-atonement v seeking-atonement endeavour. nonetheless - it’s interesting to note. 
endeavour comments about being fine (happy?) with the fact that neither touya or fuyumi had his dream quirk. while he hadn’t forget about it, at the time he believed touya could fulfill his ambitions and wasn’t necessarily pushing for a child with the half-hot/half-cold quirk. 
touya wanted to train. the scene in the training room with touya was very different from the scenes with shouto. despite the harm his quirk caused him, touya seemed to be enthusiastic about training.
rei agreed to having more kids thinking that it would be good for the siblings to be able to encourage each other. the siblings weren’t separated before shouto to our knowledge. 
endeavour reveals that he kept searching for touya. 
an important note: all the perspectives—literally all of them—contradict each other to some extent. i talk about how all the todorokis are unreliable to some extent here, but for the purposes of this chapter: i’m assuming endeavour’s to be the most correct. largely because at the time of the events in question age-wise, endeavour was the most capable of remembering accurately. he could very well be downplaying things, or have misread situations — however, since his atonement arc begun, he’s been able to recognize some his wrongdoings and the pain he cause his family. i’m not saying his perspective is entirely true, just that it’s probably more accurate than dabi. regardless…
so once again i pose the question: what the fuck does all this mean?
well…
endeavour was probably kind of…okay, until ~around~ shouto’s birth. 
the implications of what that means for shouto sucks. but given the information we have, that seems like the most likely situation. but let me be clear:
i’m not saying he was good. i’m just saying he wasn’t awful yet.
and when you think about it, it makes a lot more sense them him being awful the entire time. it’s clear that no matter what, endeavour was after someone to succeed him and be better than him — but it’s the most overpowering when he talks about shouto. 
yes. he did marry rei at least partially because of her quirk. but keep in mind that we don’t have any reference for how they met/got married beyond shouto, who as previously established isn’t the most reliable in regards to his family’s dynamics. 
BUT while he did train touya, it didn’t seem to be as forceful as it was with shouto. if they were more of a family unit prior to shouto’s birth, a lot of rei and fuyumi’s accounts, feelings and beliefs have a lot more foundation. fuyumi’s aspirations for the todoroki’s to be a family isn’t unfounded because she has memories of a time that they were, unlike natsuo and shouto. rei’s belief in endeavour having the potential to be a good man makes a lot more sense if there was a time that he was. 
keep in mind that while the endeavour we know was very focused on the rankings, he did ultimately choose to be a hero. and that has connotations about his character. 
so at long last what is up with the todorokis. 
well let me give you my best guess:
what if enji and rei married — not necessarily out of love, but not a straight up arranged marriage either. i think maybe enji initially noticed rei because of her quirk, and they went through some weird strange version of courting. obviously, they had conversations because at some point he learned that about rei’s favourite flower. so maybe it wasn’t love. but with the information we have from all sources, i think there is a lot more we don’t know yet about this story.
they had their first kid, touya. when touya’s quirk developed, enji probably started teaching touya how to use it. the two of them probably spent a lot of time together and enji’s approach to training touya was probably much gentler than his approach with shouto. he also was well aware of touya’s weakness since it was a more extreme version of his overheating. nonetheless, touya wanted to be trained and endeavour could see the potential touya had, putting his ambitions on his first son.
rei and enji agreed to have another kid. rei wanted touya to have a sibling and enji was still hoping for someone with a balance of both quirks. when fuyumi didn’t have both, he thought it was fine and continued forward working with touya. 
now we have next to no information about the time around natsuo’s birth. my guess is that things were pretty status quo. the scene with touya and enji in the training room, touya looks to be somewhere between 5-7 maybe. so i’d guess that it took place somewhere around natsuo’s birth (probably shortly after)
i think that scene, is when enji probably started to realize the hard limit touya was facing with his quirk. which could have been the start of a downward descent. maybe endeavour started trying to train the weakness out of touya. maybe he got more intense. maybe he started neglecting touya at this point. it was probably the first big step onto the major slippery slope endeavour was about to go down. what he wants is no longer necessarily achievable and his ambition begins to get the better of him.
he probably was slowly starting to guess that maybe touya wouldn’t necessarily live up to his aspirations — but he still didn’t have a better option. 
and then shouto came into the picture. 
i’m not saying shouto’s birth was a complete 180 for endeavour. nor was it in any way shouto’s fault. but i do think it was the figurative final straw in enji’s descent. the catalyst.
by best estimate touya would have been around 9 when shouto was born (running off of the theory that dabi currently around 24). so sometime between dabi being 9 and 14, enji put all his attention onto shouto. 
and think about that moment: shouto is born and at some point it becomes apparent that he has the quirk endeavour has dreamed of. and the reactions start to make sense here. 
endeavour who has long since dreamed of this, forgets everything else. it’s a point of obsession for him. up until now, half-hot/half-cold was theoretical. and he fucks up big time. cuts off the other kids, is brutal to shouto, because he has a clear path to victory now. shouto just has to be perfect. and this cause not only for him not to really view shouto as a kid. but also to destroy his relationship with touya. 
touya still a young kid at the time goes from probably training and spending time with his dad everyday to never seeing him. after having the entirety of his life up till this point being told that he is endeavour’s successor, he’ll be able to do what endeavour couldn’t and then getting replaced, it’s a jarring shift. and it makes dabi’s grievances make sense. 
everything touya has known has changed going from being the favoured child to being completely ignored and neglected. and cue his rapid descent. his crying to natsuo about why he existed because he doesn’t know anymore. the fact that ultimately the belief up until this point was that he pushed his quirk too hard alone and that lead to his death. his taunting of shouto as a puppet for endeavour. 
meanwhile shouto is suffering through what we know he’s been suffering through. 
and yeah from here on out, endeavour is an awful dad. but as of right now, most of the evidence in my best interpretation of it leads to the idea that maybe he wasn’t as awful at the start.
but also, it gives reason for endeavour’s “redemption” arc. when he got what he wanted in becoming number 1, his whole reason for creating and hyper focusing on shouto was reduced to nothing. so he starts to realize the affect his ambitions have had on his family. the idea that endeavour could be capable of any sort of true atonement feels a lot more likely if you consider that he has and has demonstrated the ability to not be a flaming piece of trash person in the past. 
the want for atonement, todoroki enji’s current characterization just makes a lot more sense if you view it as something that didn’t come out of nothing. as something that was always there, just pushed aside in favour of relentlessly pursuing his goals. and it makes sense that the real bad stuff would have kicked in once it seemed like his idea failed with touya and then receiving exactly what he wanted in shouto. 
so yeah: that’s what i personally think is up with the todoroki family history. there’s so much to talk about and i definitely missed somethings so full apologies if i forgot about any glaring facts. 
there’s a lot more that could be said. and there’s some smaller topics related to somethings mentioned here that i want to dig into a bit more. 
until then, this has gotten way too long so anyone who actually made it to the bottom here—thanks! feel free to come yell at me about endeavour or dabi or shouto or anything else really. this is a super interesting arc and it’s great to see so many elements coming back into play. 
also i do want to mention: my whole stance on the “is dabi right? is endeavour right? who is good?” is pretty generally neither. i think endeavour and dabi are both very strong characters that operate in that morally grey area. while i’m not necessarily a fan of the endeavour redemption—knowing what we know now it makes a bit more sense to me. at the end of the day, right now, both have done awful things and neither should really be excused for what they’ve done. but no one has to be right or good. they are both deeply flawed characters and that’s what makes them very interesting to follow. so props to hori for executing them really really really well. love them or hate them, the parallel’s and arcs between endeavour and dabi are very interesting to explore, and i’m living for it. 
my opinion is in general to stop fighting over who’s right or good or at fault or justified and just like idk, enjoy the story. 
any way, i’m done. until next time!
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casmybelovedass · 4 years ago
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The Destiel Folder: Season 6
[Season 4; Season 5] Man, this season... an emotional rollercoaster
Episode 3:
Cas admits he and Dean "share a more profound bond." (15:35) uuuhmm okay
"You think I came because you called?" (16:31) cut to "I always come when you call" later on in E21
"When a claim is laid on a living sould, it leaves a mark, a brand." ... like a handprint maybe? (22:33) Cas basically called dibs on Dean and admits it
Dean, I get it, Cas looks hot when he fights, but you don't have to look at him like this (24:42)
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The amount of eye-fucking in this scene (25:56) almost 30 seconds (of Dean checking out Cas) of Old married coupleTM moments. Dean is worried about Cas dying again by the hands of an archangel. He just got attacked and wants to go out. But Cas has to go save the universe from a holy war. Basically a wife asking her soldier husband not to leave for the war.
[(26:28-26:30) Dean was totally looking at the BOOTY]
NOW FOR THE JUICY STUFF: Cas and Balthazar obviously had a history. More than brothers or war buddies. We could parallel them to Dean and Lisa: both old flames coming back after a long time and all.
Also, Balthazar can sense something is going on between Cas and Dean. It's so clear he can (35:26). ICWAW, we would assume Balthazar was an ex, getting jealous over Cas' new love interest
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Episode 6:
"You asked me to be here, and I came", OH what about the whole 'I don't come because you call' thing? (13:40)
How domestic is this moment. Cas pouring Dean a drink, trying to comfort him (14:03). He hates seeing Dean like this, and hates even more the fact he can't do anything about it
Cas knows Dean is hurt enough already, and doesn't want to get him involved with a war that's not his to fight (14:20), but still wants to help
Episode 7:
Second time Cas starts stripping in front of Dean and he just stares (2:32)
Look, all I'm saying is... they really don't have to stand THAT CLOSE to each other (4:07)
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Episode 9:
[Not a destiel moment but Dean struggling to say the words "gay guy" is too fucking funny to me (33:45)]
Episode 10:
Dean, will you not check out the angel in front of your brother, please? (11:54)
Dean is visibly uncomfortable at Cas watching porn practically NEXT to him, and having a BONER practically next to him. Understandable, but still... kinda gay (15:58) Look at Dean's face, my God (16:07)
[I'm screaming Dean looks like he's wondering what it'd be like to kiss Cas (25:29)]
"CAS?!" (26:23) the way Dean gets progressively more worried about Cas fading/being taken away and shit, kills me
[Cas is so fucking confused as to why Dean would suggest he'd let him have an hour alone with Meg (39:25), either that or he's embarrassed he might've actually wanted to. Meg and Castiel were cute together]
"If there's anything we can do-" "There isn't. I wish circumstances were different. *stares at Dean with puppy eyes* Much of the time, I'd rather be here." (39:46)
Also, Dean stares at Cas for 15 seconds, but averts his eyes when saying "We're your friends"? (40:01) Denial? Something's off. ICWAW, this would indicate tension, unspoken feelings
Just... the way Dean looks at Cas, and when he flies away (40:17) HIS EYES
Episode 11:
Balth jokingly calls Cas Sam's 'boyfriend', and Sam reacts normally, letting it fly over his head. When later in episode 17, Balth calls Cas "the angel in the dirty trench coat who's in love with you", Dean gets pissy. Just like later in 10x5. Touchy much? (13:48)
Balth admits he doesn't like Dean, and that "screwing him would delight me", but calls the one brother who threatened to crisp his wings, a "capable young man" (14:46). Jealous much? ICWAW we would read some sort of romantic rivalry between those two.
Episode 14:
This face... where have I seen this face before?
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Oh yes, here
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Dean looks at Lisa, the so called "love of his life", the same way he looks at Cas. Fuck my life
Episode 15:
"Cas" (Misha) starts stripping and Dean... stares... again (9:23)
"Well, Cas... now that you have your sword, try not to die by it." (39:53) Is it a saying? Or a reference to Dean being Michael's Sword? As in "He is gonna be the death of you"? And Balth looks at Cas THAT WAY?! (40:01) You can't tell me there was nothing between these two. Kill me now
Fucking stop being an old bitching married coupleTM already (40:25) you are hurting me
Episode 17:
Balth 'jokes' about Cas being in love with Dean (18:48) ICWAW we would read this as an ex being petty about the new love interest and teasing said love interest about it
Wow, jealous much, Dean? Again, ICWAW, this would totally be seen as jealousy for your crush's ex (27:30). And Dean, you're staring at Cas' lips again (27:37)
[Sam: "So, you killed 50,000 people for us?" Cas: *looks at Dean* "... No, I didn't... They were never born." (37:49) This is so stupid, but... sure, Cas... sure. That's what you ment.]
Cas makes a small speech about fighting for freedom, choosing your fate and all, while looking at Dean (38:55). OKAY SUBTEXT!!!
[As soon as Dean mentions boobs, Cas is gone (39:36) LOL]
Episode 19:
"It's not like Cas lives in my ass. The dude's busy. [...] Cas, get out of my ass!!!" "I was never in... your-" (4:28) and then they stare... Were you having unholy thoughts guys?
"Without your power you're basically just a baby in a trench coat" #MARRIED (10:38), "My friend is very sick." "I have a, uh... painful burning sensation." OH COME ON!!! (11:22)
"You know who whines? Babies. *pats Castiel*" (14:28) I'm sorry, pats him wHERE??!!
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Dean saves Cas again (19:38)
The way Cas says "Dean, Dean!" (23:09)... I'm so fucking weak, and look at those EYES! (23:41) kill me now
"The kid... The little kid, he's one of them." "... Unbelievable." "Yeah, I know, Cas. You told me, all right?" (37:48) #MARRIED
Sam and Bobby immediately think Cas might be betraying them (39:31), while Dean won't even immagine the possibility. "This is Cas we're talking about!" (39:52)
Episode 20:
Even tho Dean can sense something is off with Cas, he won't bring himself to admit it. And the eye-car-sex. That. (4:44-4:53)
"You're distracted. [...] Is that all you're holding, huh? See... the stench of that Impala's all over your overcoat, angel." (6:20) this has such sexual undertones. ICWAW, it would be MENT as having sexual undertones. Also Crowley ships it
Dean protects Cas even tho clear evidence is there, and even feels bad about lying to him (12:06). And Cas feels oh so bad about Dean trying to be loyal to him, even when he was starting to suspect (13:18)
Dean still refuses to acknowledge the possibility of Cas' betrayal (19:56). His speech about Cas... I'm weak. "He broke ranks, gone to the mat, cut and bleeding for us, so many frigging times. This is Cas!" (20:10). ICWAW, this would be read as Dean having feelings for Cas, and as those feelings were getting in the way of his best judgment
Cas goes against the King of Hell to save the boys... but Dean first (21:48), and Dean defendes him against Bobby and Sam, apologizing for doubting about him. Cas hates having to break their trust
The look on Dean's face as he realizes Cas had been lying the whole time... BROKEN (23:35-23:49)
Cas doesn't want Dean to have to sacrifice more than he already had for him (25:19), and when Crowley shows up, Cas' first instinct is to look back at Dean protectively (25:30), and does that again before following Crowley (26:17)
Cas wants Dean to be happy, stay retired, even tho he was so longingly looking at him moments earlier (29:09)
"You gotta look at me, man. [...] Look me in the eye and tell me you're not working with Crowley." (32:38) the absolute desperation in both Dean and Cas, how HURT they look. THEIR EYES! Dean looks devastated
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"I did it to protect you, I did it to protect all of you!" (33:09) one of the many "you, all of you" no-homo saves Cas pulls while talking to/about Dean
"I had no choice!" "No, you had a choice... You just made the wrong one." (34:21) how fucking hurt Dean looks. "Where were you when I needed to hear it?" THE EYES
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"I was there... Where were you? *flashback to Cas looking back at Dean*" I'M DEAD
"It's not too late. Damn it, Cas. We can fix this!" "Run. You have to run, now. RUN!" (35:33) and they do, but Dean looks back at Cas, and the way they look at each other... STOP (35:47-35:52) ICWAW, this whole scene would seem like someone trying to save their loved one, and OH boy, that stare exchange would seem either a silent confession or a reminder of their feelings for the other
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Cas visits Dean in the night, even tho they clearly don't trust him and don't want him there, and Dean leaves it be (38:06), and even apologizes for having to angel-proof the house against him
#MARRIED (38:28), "I'm doing this for you, Dean. I'm doing this because of you." (38:35) ICWAW... do I even need to point this out?
"Next to Sam, you and Bobby are the closest thing I have to family..." the look on Cas' face as Dean says this (39:15) "... that you are like a brother to me." did Cas' eyes just get more glossy? Poor baby. Also, ICWAW, by the way they interact, this statement would feel wrong on so many levels
"You're just a man. I'm an angel." ... why does it feel like Cas is telling that to himself more than to Dean? (39:43) "I'm sorry, Dean." (39:55) Kill me
Cas questions his decisions, asks God for guidance, the moment he understood he hurt Dean. He doesn't want to hurt Dean, but will do what he has to do to if it means he will be safe
Episode 21:
[Not a destiel moment, but "fragile masculinity" much, Dean? (4:20) "I was too busy having sex with women." (why do you feel the need to specify 'women'?)]
This Dean-Balth bickering has such current-former love interest fight vibes (8:52). Come on, ICWAW, this would totally be the case
Here's another Cas/Lisa parallel: how Dean acts here, looking for Ben and Lisa (13:11), and how he acts in S8 while looking for Castiel ("WHERE'S THE ANGEL!?")
Cas saves Dean again (21:46). "I didn't ask for your help." "Well, regardless. You're welcome." #MARRIED
They are both on the verge of tears... "I thought you said that we were like family." (22:22) They hate this situation. They hate not being like always, close, friendly, family
"Dean... I do everything that you ask... I always come when you call. And I am your friend." (22:39) the way he says 'Dean' and how his voice trembles. Dean is basically almost crying now (23:45)
"Dean, I said I'm sorry and I ment it." "Thank you... I wish this changed anything..." "I know.. So do I." (37:45)
[Alright. I do believe Dean really grew to love Lisa during that year they spent together, but I don't buy the "I always loved you, ever since that one hook up on that one weekend we knew each other for" shit. Dean wanted to give a try to the whole 'apple pie life' he'd promised Sam, with a good woman he knew Dean had feelings for.
If he grew to love Lisa over a couple of years after 1 hook up, I'm sure he could do the same thing for Cas after over a decade (he for sure would have already If Cas Were A Woman)]
Episode 22:
["You've always got little old me." "Yes... I'll always have you." (30:26) These two... Come on, they HAD to be ex lovers!]
"We were family once. I'd have died for you. I almost did a few times (Cas did actually, twice). So if that means anything to you... Please... I've lost Lisa, I've lost Ben, and now I've lost Sam... Don't make me lose you too." (39:55) ICWAW, this would be seen as a straight up CONFESSION
The hurtful look on Dean's face when Cas says "You're not my family, Dean.", and the terror when he thought for a second that Sam might have killed him (40:39)
["You will bow down and profess your love unto me, your Lord... or I shall destroy you." ... okay, Cas, honey, I get you are tired of waiting, but this is not the right way to get a confession out of Dean (41:20)]
[Season 7>>]
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galaxina-the-pyro · 4 years ago
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How would you improve the episode AYA?
...wait...you’re asking me?
I...I didn’t expect this...
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The thing is is that I don’t think I could possibly come up with ideas for this better than, say, @authenticcadence18 or @springsfordays because their ideas are just too good (seriously, check them out, they have the literal best ideas for a rewrite of AYA, holy crap).
But if I were to rewrite it...hm...let’s make a checklist for stuff about AYA that just miffed me:
1. Plot B is fine. Plot B was probably the best part of AYA - Doof’s dilemma made sense for his character (and is hilarious), tied in with the name of the episode, and involved fun little shenanigans. My only gripe is that they didn’t go MONDO insane with it at the end, and said ending felt really abrupt.
(I also wish that, somehow, even Doof was involved with that “everyone knew” bit, but we’re gonna be scrapping that joke for this story - that joke is FUNNY, but it’s also degrading to Phineas, and is sorta a nice way of saying “yeah, you’re stupid for not noticing her feelings even though she’s not entitled to them - you’re the problem. It’s not like the episode is trying to hint at you two having switched roles, no, you’re the only one who was being oblivious and stupid.”)
2. We cut out Plot C entirely. Everyone trying to get Phineas and Isabella together was just...ugh. Why? And they had the audacity to compare what they were doing to all the AMAZING things they did when they were younger, like, guys - you set up some tables, decorations, and cooked them what I can assume to be a run-of-the-mill restaurant dinner - that has NOTHING on a rollercoaster through downtown. And their applause at that sweet but ultimately lackluster confession? Hurt. So much. Now that I think about it, it felt condescending, it unintentionally emphasized HOW uninspired this confession (as much as I love it) was, and it felt like they were taking credit for something they didn’t do.
And if we’re NOT gonna cut out Plot C...have Plot C be about FERB? Leaving for COLLEGE? Out of COUNTRY? Cuz I have a hard time believing that Phineas and Ferb are just OKAY with separating at such a long distance - heck, in “Candace Gets Busted”, FERB is the one who assumes that one day he and his brother are gonna own their own place together. It should at least be BROUGHT UP, don’t you think? (I’m conflicted on whether or not I’d keep Montessa in the ring or at least SHOW US how Ferbnessa happened, because I think what’s weirding people out is that they’re assuming that Vanessa literally waited for Ferb to turn 18 to start dating him - when I think it’s more likely that they kinda JUST started dating during the beginning of Summer? But I think stuff like that really SHOULD be explained because even though I don’t think it’s that weird, I understand why OTHER PEOPLE wouldn’t like the idea)
3. I kinda feel like this should have had more songs? I dunno why, I feel like this all could have been improved if we got a fullblown musical out of this (and...this may be me wanting a “What Might Have Been” reprise, lol) - like, make fun of HSM or something, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t have.
4. I kinda wanted to see more of the “where are they now”. Like, Jeremy, Stacey, Little Suzie Johnson, even that one couple with the lady who’s always like “what did you think, an anniversary dinner was just going to fall from the sky?” - I like stuff like that, it’s so much fun to think about. Also...I legit have so much anxiety over Perry never interacting with him owners ONCE in that episode, and even more anxiety over Pinky never making an appearance at all. Heck, if there was a good time to show us what the HECK happened to Django, now would be a great time.
5. I would have given the episode a unique intro, ala “Night of the Living Pharmacists” and “Last Day of Summer” - like, AYA is as much of a status quo shifter as those two episodes, why was it given the “Phineas and Ferb Get Busted” treatment?
6. Here’s a brilliant thought - NO ONE tells Phineas about Isabella’s crush? How about instead Phineas goes and wants to check in on her, because he really misses her and doesn’t understand why they don’t talk anymore (and he’s tried before, and they’ve nearly had conversations, but Isabella’s just too busy) - did he do something wrong? Is Isabella just too busy now? He needs to know. That should have been his priority, none of this “FrIeNd ZoNe” nonsense.
7. I would have made this into a near movie-length special. With all the topics that this episode brought up, particularly the whole “manipulating the situation” thing, I feel like a longer episode would have given them more time to talk about how stuff like that is...not okay.
[READ THE ACTUAL REWRITE OF THE EPISODE (well, my take at least) UNDER THE CUT!]
Okay, with those out of the way, how I would have written Phinabella the Movie...I mean...Act Your Age (I warn you, it’s not gonna be as good as @authenticcadence18′s or @springsfordays‘s ideas, so if you want quality stuff and not just mushy fanfiction fodder I’d check their stuff out):
I would have sorta made this entire thing take place during the “What Might Have Been” song - what that means is that it’s a collage of memories. How Isabella and Phineas met, how Isabella first got her “crush” (if you can really call it that, girl was full out in love lol), them building stuff with the gang during their canon ages, them going into highschool, Isabella ultimately choosing to give up her crush to maintain her friendship with Phineas (because her choosing to not be as close to Phineas because of a crush isn’t an option), Isabella’s first boyfriend (which probably’s gonna hurt a lot of fans, cuz I envision that to NOT be Phineas; but it’s Phinabella endgame, so relax); the episode just centers on the gang (mainly Isabella since it’s from her perspective) growing up.
Like, yes, all of the memories are gonna be Phinabella centered, but we gotta have SOME side-stories and junk, like maybe how Baljeet gets together with Ginger (and...how they break up...please don’t kill me), what ultimately leads Ferb to want to go back to England for studies (maybe it’s him wanting to be his own person and not wanting people to think he and his brother are just “a pair”), Buford...uh...something with Buford definitely, because I love him and he deserves it. Heck, maybe even the Fireside Girls can have their own arc with a graduation ceremony for their ranks (...what? I’m not linking stuff to the best fanfic ever, noooooo...why would-why would I do that?).
And maybe in this case Plot B SHOULD be different - maybe it should focus on how Doofenshmirtz first got to America, how he first met Charlene, what exactly led him to being evil in the first place, all that good stuff. Though, ultimately, that might be a little angsty - maybe there’s a reason why we don’t see exactly HOW Doof and Charlene divorced, because that could very well be the saddest scene ever, and it’s hard to put that kinda comedic spin on something so tragic (I mean, obviously there are comedies CENTERED on divorce, but like...they always SKIP the divorce part from what I’ve seen). Not to mention that this is a kid’s show, so...I doubt they’d actually show HOW it happened. This is just my thoughts. X’D
Back to the Phinabella.
Phineas and Isabella would have their confession during THIS part of the special rather than the very end (so, like...they’re still in highschool, and Isabella’s already broken up with that other dude in the story, and maybe Phineas had a girlfriend he just wasn’t happy with) - Phineas tries to do something big for Isabella, but it ultimately falls through because of Perry’s current nemesis (we never see who that is, lol), so he settles for something simple (at first he’s scared about it not “being enough” for someone like Isabella, but Ferb’s able to slap that nonsense out of him pretty quickly). He and Isabella spend the ENTIRE DAY together alone, leading to Phineas eventually singing a song he wrote for her to her, and the two have a cute little duet as a result (that has the opposite energy of “What Might Have Been”, so it’s important that somewhere in this episode that “What Might Have Been” is still a thing, it just doesn’t involve Phineas being aware of Isabella’s feelings, and it doesn’t involve Isabella trying to leave somewhere without saying goodbye, this would be more about Isabella, after trying to get over her crush, realizing that she still LIKES Phineas that way). They almost kiss, but they’re ultimately interrupted by Buford being Buford or something, but it implies that Phineas and Isabella are now a couple onwards from here.
Eventually it leads to a small party in the middle of Summer with the gang, with them playing some games and talking about how by the end of Summer, they won’t be seeing each other as much anymore because of college and stuff. They all remanence about the simple times - with Isabella eventually leaving (saying it’s because she needs to check on something, but really it’s because she’s sad that things are ending so quickly and she’s gonna miss everyone especially Phineas), and Phineas going after her to see if she’s alright (he’s oblivious, but he’s always been able to tell if she’s sad for the most part, save for maybe a few instances - but he’s older now, so he’s probably better at telling).
The two go for a stroll outside, and discuss the changes and stuff, how he and Isabella are ultimately going to have to work on a long-distance relationship and how Phineas is going to miss Ferb when he leaves the country, and how he’s gonna miss Isabella. And then they both realize that everything is gonna be okay, because they’ve literally dealt with worse situations and came out stronger for it - Isabella nor Phineas have any doubts in their minds that their relationship with each other or anyone else is going to sever just because of long distance.
Time moves onward, and there are a lot of changes (mainly talking about couples and other stuff - if it were me, there’d be endgame Buford/Gretchen and Ferb/Ginger of all people, and of course Candace and Jeremy would be married by this time). Phineas and Isabella are about to go into their last year of college, and decide to spend one more day together before they, once again, go their separate ways. The gang surprises Isabella by having made an ACTUALLY GOOD AND CREATIVE BACKYARD DINNER for the two per Phineas’ planning (the idea wasn’t bad, the execution was just lame imo), and long story short, Phineas proposes to Isabella. She obviously accepts, and everyone cheers for them as Isabella inner monologues about how change can be scary but it’s okay some mushy stuff about loved ones being there for you when you need them or something.
And finally, we cut to many years later, with Isabella as an adult now, looking out at the backyard of her current home, drinking some tea - this whole movie/special has taken place in this Isabella’s memories (if that makes sense), as she thinks on how she got there. The story ends with a child (we don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl) calling to her and calling her “mom”, and Isabella leaving to check on her kid.
And...that’s how I would have written “Act Your Age”. Again, I recommend this and this over my idea (because again, their takes on this episode are perfect, I don’t think anyone can top them), but if you like it then great. This was still fun to write out and stuff, and I hope you enjoyed it regardless. ^^;
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goodomensblog · 5 years ago
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Afterward - Part 13
A Good Omens Choose Your Own Adventure Fic
Here’s how it works:
I’ll write a scene.
At the end of each scene, you’ll be presented with 2-3 options for what the characters will choose to do next.
Comment or reblog to vote for your choice. I’ll count all votes after the first 24 hours after each update is posted.
Read: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12
(Another landslide winner! #2 was the clear favorite. Thank you for voting!)
Afterward - - - Part 13
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“If you want to keep that hand, demon, you’ll release me. Now.”
Crowley, despite very much wanting to keep said hand, does not let go.
When Gabriel reaches over his shoulder, pulling his Heavenly sword from the aether, Crowley twists out of the way. “Woah, woah, woah - hey! Hold on. Just wait.”
“Just wait?” Gabriel snaps, voice dripping with incredulity. “Heaven is under attack, and you want me to just wait?”
“What about Beelzebub?”
“What about them? Maybe - just maybe it’s a bunch of demons who are fighting my angels right now!”
“That thing, whatever it was we felt - that was not demonic, you know it as well as I do.”
“Then what the fuck are my angels fighting?” Gabriel asks, his knuckles going white around the sword pulled halfway into existence. 
From beyond the hall, the cries have grown louder, fiercer - more desperate. There is a static crackling in the air and the acrid, burnt smell of ozone.
Crowley, after risking a glance at the sword, releases Gabriel’s sleeve - and instead, grabs him by the wrist.
“Something,” Crowley hisses, “that was strong enough to bust into Heaven with one blow. Something that I’ve never encountered - and I once traveled all the universe hanging stars. Something that’s, by the sounds of it, carving through ranks of highly trained angelic warriors like butter.”
“That’s why,” Gabriel says, giving his arm a savage yank, “I need to-”
“That’s why you’re gonna want a bloody Lord of Hell in fighting shape!”
At that, Gabriel’s struggles momentarily cease. He blinks, scoffing, “You can’t seriously think-”
“I think that Beelzebub wants to live. And they - like Aziraphale and myself, are currently stuck in Heaven with you, a bunch of angels, and whatever the fuck that thing is. So be smart about this, you giant idiot. Save Beelzebub. Help us find out what they know. And maybe, just maybe we can all use Beelzebub, Lord of Hell, to help us get out of this god damned- er, blessed - augh - whatever! Predicament!” Crowley finishes, chest heaving.
It isn’t exactly a lie. While Crowley is certain Beelzebub, like a cornered cat, will indeed willingly fight whatever this thing is, he is not at all sure how battle ready old Beelzebub will be after just a handful of Hellfire. 
But Gabriel doesn’t need to know that.
White knuckled fingers loosen their hold on the sword’s gleaming hilt. Gabriel sinks back. Running a hand up and over his face, he mutters to himself, and sharp, ugly curses fill the spaces between his breaths. When his eyes open, his razor-edge gaze zeroes in on Crowley’s hand. “Seriously. Stop touching me.”
Crowley’s hand snaps open.
“I won’t abandon my soldiers. Not now. Not when they need me,” Gabriel says, yanking his jacket straight. “So you’ll have to retrieve the Hellfire.”
Crowley, who had realistically expected this conversation to end with one of them flipping the middle finger and the other attempting to administer a beheading, takes a moment to process this development.
“I - wait - you want me to-?”
“Yes. Obviously. Shut up.”
“Right. Okay,” Crowley says, and shakes his head. “Wait, where-”
“Do you remember where the records are stored?”
Crowley pauses at that. 
His memory of Heaven - it’s strange. In many ways, it blurs together, a mural of incandescent colors, textures, half-recalled musical notes, voices - that from up close, are nearly incomprehensible.  
But there are moments of clarity. As if he has, for a second, stepped back a pace, and sees just a glimpse of the full thing; an expansive mural that his mosaic memories press together to create. He knows he hung the stars. And he knows, from some forgotten space in him mind, where in these white marble halls the records are kept.
“Yes,” Crowley says, because he can picture the room in his mind now: those twin pillars on either side of that tall, golden door.
“It’s stored on the highest level, in the silver chest,” Gabriel says, curt.
“Got it,” Crowley says, already retreating - because now that Gabriel has given him the information he needs, Crowley doesn’t want to go and give the archangel a chance to change his mind. 
But Gabriel has already turned away. Black, polished shoes tapping smartly against white marble, the angel strolls down the hall and draws a gleaming sword out of the air.
Crowley is mentally mapping his route. He’ll need to take the first door on the right, then cross the atrium and - 
Gabriel’s shout catches him before he can leave.
“By the way, I’m not an idiot, demon. I do know that a single jar of expired Hellfire’s not exactly going to do any demonic miracles.” Gabriel stands at the end of the hall, violet eyes bright in the half light. “And I know Beelzebub’s not going to help anyone anytime soon.”
Crowley stops, turning fully back.
Gabriel lifts the sword, jabbing the blade in Crowley’s direction. “After all this is done, I will be in touch. I expect Beelzebub to share the information they promised me.”
Crowley stares, baffled. “What are you-”
“No - nuh - shush!” Gabriel snaps, waving the sword. “In my room, there’s a passageway out of Heaven. It’s behind the tapestry. After you heal Beelzebub, take them and go.”
“Ohh-kay,” Crowley says, trying to wrap his mind around this second surprising development. “You - that’s - uh - huh. You know, that’s actually pretty nice of you, Gabriel.”
“Yeah, no - zip it,” Gabriel bites out, shifting with obvious discomfiture. “The last thing I need is anyone finding a couple of demons and a bad angel in my private rooms. Take Beelzebub and get out.” And with a final jab in Crowley’s direction, Gabriel spins the sword with a flourish and disappears into a beam of screaming light.
“What a nutcase,” Crowley says to the empty hallway. 
He crosses the atrium at a sprint, keeping a careful eye out for angels - but the atrium and surrounding halls are empty. Heaven’s full forces have been mustered, then. It’s a sobering thought, and one that makes Crowley run just a little faster. 
 As he runs, he can’t help but think of Uriel and Gabriel’s conversation. God is….missing? Could it possibly be true? Crowley’s head tilts back, as if he might spy Her amongst the arched ceiling tiles stretching forlornly above.
She couldn’t be gone, right?
After all, where would She go?
The entrance to the Hall of Records is as abandoned as the rest of Heaven, and Crowley flings open it’s arched doors. The Records Room is - staggering. Crowley’s step slow as shelves and stairs rise up around him. His footsteps echo - from marble floors, between pillars, up winding stairs, and fading as they rise into the cavernous dome extending far, far above.
Crowley swears softly, and that echoes too.
As his shoe touches the first stair, he thinks of where he wants to be: the top floor; and when he reaches the second step, the domed ceiling is suddenly directly above him - and the top floor, bathed in gold, is before him, as though it had always been.
Crowley doesn’t have time for surprise or awe, so he focuses instead on the chest; which is sitting, unbothered, at the far side of the room. 
He half expects some kind of booby trap, so when the silver lid slides unhesitatingly open, Crowley can’t help but flinch back. 
Nothing happens. 
Brows lifted, Crowley peers tentatively over the chest’s edge. There, at its center, sits a black jar. Sniffing the air, Crowley can just make out the slightest hints of sulfur.
Tensing, he reaches a hand in - and is relieved when his fingers close over the lid of the jar. He draws it out - and breathes a grateful sigh when no traps spring and no alarms blare.
Kneeling before the chest, he cracks the jar’s lid. When roaring heat surges forth, he snaps the lid back.
“Yep, that’s the stuff,” he says, and screws the lid tight.
Crowley takes the stairs at a run. On the first step, he thinks of the ground floor, and on the second step, he steps confidently into - a room stacked with scrolls.
“Huh,” he says, craning his head back to look at rich oak shelves and the layers of pale scrolls artfully piled upon them. “You’re not what I wanted.”
Deciding to try again, Crowley is turning back to the stairs when faded paint catches his eye. 
He stops.
The mural is nearly entirely covered by shelves and scrolls. The visible section is a web of cracked paint and fading colors - a stark contrast to Heaven’s typically immaculate decor. But even faded as it is, Crowley can make out, clear as day, a Bentley - his Bentley, painted in peeling fresco. 
Crowley blinks. Rubs his eyes. Squints, and blinks again.
“That’s....weird.”
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rushing back with the Hellfire, Crowley has stumbled upon an impossible oddity in the Hall of Records. When faced with this strange omen, Crowley will…
Investigate. He doesn’t have much time to spare, but he can’t leave without uncovering the other side of this mysterious mural. 
Leave. The mural is strange, but time is of the essence. Crowley can’t risk the detour.
Please comment or reblog to vote! I can’t wait to see what you all choose :)
Part 14
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imjusthereforbatfam · 4 years ago
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Never-Ending Encore, ch 8
Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Chapter Summary: Yes, this is Gotham City but helping people isn’t a CRIME, Red Hood! Eden’s not afraid of some crazy nutzos! Er, well… Okay, maybe she’s a little afraid of some crazy nutzos, but… But that’s not gonna stop her from helping people when she can! 😤
Warnings: minor swearing, very minor mentions of suic*de and previous suic*dal behavior, very minor mentions of previous abuse, abuse forgiven/excused by victim (which I personally don't care for but this is how Eden currently handles/perceives her trauma so...)
---
Eden sat down at the table with a content sigh. The heavenly aroma of homemade garlic bread was more prominent now that the rolls were right in front of her. The scent, mixed with the expectation of company and the eagerness of having some Mad Mountain Fudge chilling in her fridge, made her feel incredibly at-home. Though, to be fair, it was more of a hope for company than an expectation.
Red Hood said he’d try to come this night or the next, but that didn’t necessarily mean he would. Admittedly, Eden's shier half – which vividly recalled Aaron’s earlier, uh… praises toward Red Hood’s… physique – wouldn’t entirely mind waiting a few days to see him. The rest of her was so excited, though, that she had to keep reminding herself it was okay if he didn’t come tonight. It wouldn’t be the end of the world. He was a busy man, after all, saving dumbasses like herself and doing… whatever an ex-mob boss might do to make a place like Gotham better.
Not that any of that stopped her from hoping he would come, of course. Nor would it stop her from being disappointed if he didn’t. Even so, Eden knew she was just one, very small person among a million other very small people in this city. She understood that visiting a random civilian like her, even with the world's greatest fudge in her fridge, couldn't rank very high on Red Hood’s to-do list. Especially in a city like this, filled with a thousand not-so-very-small people — many of whom were quite dangerous. 
Still, taking in her surroundings, Eden couldn’t help but smile. She was excited for him to come visit. The entire one-roomed apartment – not just the kitchen space – was clean now. She was back in the habit of making her bed every morning, and— okay, fine, the chair by her closet still held her not-quite-clean clothes, but at least they were folded now! Which was an improvement from the misshapen pile of before!
The once-crowded coffee table had also been improved. Now, it only housed her laptop, headphones, and one book (and notebook) at a time. The rest of her books and notebooks – aside from the pair she kept on the kitchen table – had a new home, piled neatly along the wall dividing the kitchen from the main living/sleeping space. They still needed a proper shelf, but the current setup worked for now.
Two plants with tall, twisting stems stood guard on either side of her slow-growing book collection, while a small, mismatched assortment of baby foliage in tiny, colorful pots sat along the edge of her kitchen table near the window. It wasn’t anything compared to rows and rows of crops back on the farm, nor the nearby woods she dearly missed walking through, but it still felt good to be around some greenery again.
Biting into a roll, Eden continued penning ideas into the notebook she kept on the kitchen table; new ways to make her place even homier, things that needed her attention, different possibilities to look into. Though it was the mortifying thought of Red Hood coming back to her apartment in its previous state that had spurred her into action, Eden now found herself genuinely starting to enjoy the little space.
Now that she was putting in the effort, her apartment was actually starting to feel… pleasant. Welcoming, even. And even though her neighbors were still ridiculously loud at times, Eden was finding herself happy with her little home. Enjoying the fruits of her labor whenever she paused to take it in... It was a very nice feeling.
Eden suddenly stopped writing. Her heart leapt in excitement as she looked to the far window, the one that led to the fire escape. It could be nothing, but she could’ve sworn she’d heard— The soft tapping repeated itself.
Scrambling up from the table, Eden flew to the window – nearly slipping in her socks – and beamed at the sight of Red Hood on the other side. He greeted her with a short wave of his hand.
“Hi there, Mr. Hood!” she greeted the moment she had the window open. “It’s so nice to see you again! How are you? Your fudge is almost ready, but it needs another couple of minutes or so to finish chilling. I hope that’s alright? I remembered you said you might stop by tonight, but I didn’t think it would be until later on so I— oh! Where are my manners?” She moved out of the way, her cheeks warming. “Won’t you come in?”
“Don’t mind if I do.” 
Eden smiled as he deftly climbed inside, pleased to find she could still easily recognize Red Hood’s humored tone.
“Smells good in here,” he said turning toward the kitchen.
She quirked a brow, glancing at his helmet. “You can smell with that thing on?”
“It has an automatic filtration system." He lifted his chin, apparently quite proud of it. "Keeps Fear Gas out, lets good-smelling food in.”
"Really?” She hummed, making a show of looking over his helmet. “It doesn’t look all that fancy to me, Mr. Hood."
He scoffed. “It’s a lot more high-tech than it looks, Cookie Girl.”
“Oh, yeah?” She turned up her nose, grinning, as she led him toward the kitchen table. “What kind of high-tech stuff does it have, then, hotshot?”
“All kinds,” he said unabashedly, not afraid to meet her teasing head-on. “There’s the obvious, like night vision, thermal imaging, incendiary devices, and high-frequency—”
“Hold on, wait.” She turned the words over in her head. “Incendiary devices? Isn’t that just fancy talk for bombs?"
“It might be,” he said confidently.
"You have a bomb in your helmet?" She made a humored face. “That doesn’t sound very high-tech, Mr. Hood. Or obvious.”
He hummed, leaning forward slightly, resting his hands on his hips. “You don’t believe me?” Eden could imagine him grinning at her.
She crossed her arms playfully. “No way. You’re just trying to get a rise out of me. There’s no way you have an actual bomb that close to your head. You’re not that crazy, Mr. Hood.”
He made an amused sound, tilting his head to one side.
Eden opened her mouth, then shut it. She looked him up and down, faltering. “Are… Are you? Mr. Hood, do you really have— Are you— Please tell me you’re joking. That’s— Do you?”
“Relax, Ede.” He said it comfortably, as if he called her that all the time. Eden blinked, trying to remember if he’d ever called her that before — or anything other than Cookie Girl. “It’s just for absolutely fucked situations where I don’t have any other options.”
Her eyes widened. “Wait— You don’t mean— You don’t mean—” She jabbed at her temples frantically, trying to sputter something out.
Red Hood watched her struggle until what she was trying to say finally clicked.
He jerked forward, his hands up. “Shit, not like that! It’s an escape thing, not a kill myself thing,” he explained. “I take it off and throw it like a grenade.”
“Oh. Cool. Okay. A grenade. That’s cool.”
“Breathe, Cookie Girl," he reminded her.
“I’m breathing! Totally breathing!” She took a huge breath for good measure. Then another. “Sorry, I just—” She shook her head, plopping into her seat. She looked at him, then, in realization, jolted right back up again. “Oh, sorry! Please,” she gestured to the spare chair in front of him, “have a seat.”
“I’m alright.” Red Hood leaned onto its back, watching her sit down again. Her face was red hot. “You okay?”
“Yes, fine, thank you.” She took a few slow breaths, her brows pulled together with worry. “Do you… end up in situations like that a lot? Where you have to blow up your helmet to get away?”
Just a few nights ago, there’d been an explosion on the Westward Bridge. One of her coworkers said a friend spotted Red Hood escaping the scene afterwards. Eden, becoming more accustomed to Gotham’s shenanigans than she cared to admit, hadn’t worried about him too much when she’d heard. In fact, oddly enough, she’d felt a bit proud. But maybe she shouldn’t have.
Maybe she was wrong to have assumed he was okay. Maybe he’d been in serious trouble. Maybe he’d needed help. Maybe she should’ve done something. Maybe she should’ve—
“Not really,” Red Hood answered, breaking her dizzying thoughts with a casual shrug. “It’s the last of my last resorts, and it’s pretty rare for me to be so off my game.”
“Oh. Oh, good. That's...” She sighed in relief, then smiled up at him. “I’m glad to hear it, Mr. Hood.”
Of course. What in the world was she thinking? Red Hood wasn’t some small-time, stumbling wannabe. Unlike her pitiful attempts at playing hero, he actually knew what he was doing. If she ever showed up to one of his firefights, she’d probably just end up causing him trouble and end up staggering home with a plethora of healing bullet holes and another encore under her belt. (Maybe two, if she was particularly unlucky.)
Red Hood pulled out his chair and turned it so that its back was nearly up against the wall beside them. When he sat down, angled the way he was, he had a clear line of sight of the entire apartment.
The move was familiar to Eden, but it surprised her to see it done so precisely and naturally. The only other person she’d seen do that – and do it like that – was Mama.
Mama always had to have an eye on her surroundings, so she rarely took a seat without her back against a wall or being tucked in a corner. The habit was one of many from her life before "Louanne Smith". They were so far ingrained into her psyche that if she ever tried to go against them the struggle was obvious to even the blindest fool. Though she feigned ignorance at having ever lived such a life, it had obviously taught her all the skills she now used to keep their “cousins” safe: how to observe and analyze even the smallest detail, how to fight and defend unflinchingly, how to disappear without a trace, how to… make other people disappear.
It made Eden curious to see Red Hood with a habit like that. On the bright side, it probably meant she didn’t have to worry about him the way she had been. If he was even half as capable as Mama was, chances were he could handle just about anything thrown at him — even in a place like Gotham.
But… on the not-so-bright side, she had to wonder...
Red Hood tilted his head slowly. “What?”
“Hm?” Eden blinked and realized she been staring. “Oh, sorry! I was just remembering my, uh… um… well, it doesn’t really matter, I guess. I just got lost in thought. Sorry.”
“You don’t have to keep apologizing.”
“Right, sor— I mean, uh, thank you. I guess.” Cheeks warm, she glanced around quickly for something else to talk about. “Um, would you like some garlic rolls, Mr. Hood?” She picked up the plate and offered it to him. “They’re stuffed with cheese.”
He leaned closer to the food, inhaling it. “So that’s what smells so good.”
She smiled. “Try some!”
He started to grab one when his head turned toward the kitchen. He looked into it a moment then lowered his hand, sat back, and said, “On second thought, I’m okay.”
Eden lowered the plate slightly, surprised. She glanced into her kitchen, wondering what he’d seen to change his mind. The space was perfectly clean and tidy, as she always kept it. The only thing “out of place” was the baking sheet cooling on her stovetop. Any other dishes were already drying in the sink wrack.
“Are you sure? I really don’t mind… I’m happy to share.”
“I’m not interested in stealing your dinner. Besides,” he added in a lighter tone, “I need to save room for the fudge.”
Eden nodded slowly and set the plate down. Glancing toward the kitchen again, she wondered what had tipped him off that the rolls were her meal for the night. The empty baking sheet? The drying dishes? 
Always have more than you think you’ll need, she remembered. That was a tried-and-true rule on the farm. They never knew when they were going to have company, so there was always more of things than Eden’s family could ever go through on their own — more blankets, more clothes, more toiletries, more food. Especially food. If there were seven people in the house, they made enough food for ten, and those extra servings came in handy more often than not.
“Can I get you something to drink, then, Mr. Hood?” she asked, picked up her pen and writing the old rule into her notebook. “I have sweet tea, orange juice… uh, water…” She paused, thinking. “Milk?”
He snorted. “I’m good.”
She quirked an impish brow. “Does your fancy, high-tech helmet even have a way for you to drink things? Some built-in twisty-straw component or something?”
He shook his head, edging forward. “Nope. Sorry. No twisty-straws.”
“Your helmet can be an emergency grenade, but it has no cool twisty-straw thingy?” She tsk-tsked, trading her pen for a roll. “I’m disappointed, Mr. Hood. It’s like you’re not even trying to impress me.”
He chuckled. “I’ll get right on that, Cookie Girl,” he assured, a smirk-like quality to his voice.
Eden shook her head at him, trying to hide her grin behind the roll.
He nodded to the notebook in front of her. “What are you working on?”
“Oh, just some ideas.” She pushed it toward him, inviting him to look. “I haven’t been treating this place right,” she explained, pulling apart the roll. “Acting like it’s a prison when it’s a home in need of as much tender loving care as any other.”
Red Hood hummed, going over her lists. “Hard to make a home in a neighborhood like this,” he muttered.
“Doesn’t mean I need to let it sit and rot like I was. It’s nice to have a place you’re at least a little proud of.”
He gave a half-shrug and nodded.
He flipped to a previous page in the notebook, glancing up to see if she minded. Eden shrugged, knowing most of the pages were haphazardly filled with everyday nonsense that likely wouldn’t mean much to him. He looked them over while she ate and she looked over him, a little embarrassed when he started reading out random thoughts.
“‘Mary: Superfluous, plain but extra, well-meaning but unaware’?”
“Uh, that’s a… That’s a thing for work.”
“What do you do for work? Evaluate assholes?”
She laughed. “No, no, I’m a…" She fixed her posture, feeling a bit proud. "I’m an actress, actually."
“A professional liar? Great.”
“Wha—? No! Lying and acting are two very different skill sets, Mr. Hood!”
“Uh-huh. Sure, Cookie Girl. Whatever you say.”
“No really! I’ll have you know I’m an awful liar but a really great— er, uh, well, okay, maybe not a really great actor— I mean, maybe not a great actor either, but, you know, I— Well, actually—”
He snickered, then moved on to the next blurb he could tease her with.
“Are all your notebooks filled like this?” he eventually asked, glancing at her collection against the wall.
She gave a half-shrug as she finished the last roll. “Some are more coherent. This one’s mostly for stuff that pops in my head while I’m eating or in the kitchen. It’s easier to have my thoughts written down where I can see them instead of fighting through them all in my head.”
“Makes sense.” He leaned forward brazenly. “Am I in any of those thoughts?”
“Not any of the written down ones,” she said with a laugh, assuming that was the real question. “I’m not that dumb, Mr. Hood.”
“Good to know,” he said with a nod. “Speaking of dumb, though…” He leaned back in his chair and fished out a cell phone from inside his leather jacket. “I was wondering if you could help me connect some dots here.”
“Me? I don’t know what you could possibly need my help sorting out, Mr. Hood," aside from an urgent, impromptu lesson on goat milking perhaps, "but I’ll certainly try.”
“Oh, you can help a lot more than you think, Edie.” Red Hood set the phone down on the table and pushed it toward her.
Eden blinked again at his sudden use of one of her everyday nicknames, suddenly nervous. She looked down at the phone, at the picture on its screen, and her brows lifted in surprise. She immediately recognized the sleek, minimalist decor of Café Très Boissons and the slightly hunched, unassuming man who’d been taking her picture earlier that day. But more than that, she recognized the angle the picture had been taken from.
Turning to Red Hood, wide-eyed, she faintly recalled the faces of the boys in the corner booth. The younger two were obviously out of the running, but between the smiling one and the one in the red hoodie… It wasn’t exactly a hard leap to make.
“Wait, were you the guy—?”
“I have contacts all over this city,” he told her. “They keep me informed.”
Eden’s brow furrowed. She worked her mouth to say something, not really sure she believed him, but he leaned over the table and swiped the screen to the right, moving the conversation forward before she could. The new picture was taken closer to the scout and clearer than the first, better showing his face and overall frame.
“So imagine my surprise,” Red Hood went on, “when I learn a small-time heiress has a look-alike who can clock up a potential threat in a heartbeat, and it turns out that look-alike—” he swiped right again, this time to a grainy, blown-up picture of Eden, Veronica, and Aaron crossing the street “—is you.”
Eden stared at the picture: she and Veronica arm-in-arm, Veronica’s purse over her shoulder, a flippant expression on her face that didn’t seem to fit quite right. The picture was from an entirely different viewpoint, somewhere up in the air looking down on them, and of a far poorer quality than the first two.
“Security camera?” she guessed glancing up at him. His permeating stare was hard to meet through the angry “eyes” of his helmet.
“Traffic cam.”
Eden sank a little lower. “You’re making me feel like I’m in trouble here, Mr. Hood,” she mumbled.
“Aren’t you?” he accused. “You’ve practically got a flashing neon sign on your forehead that says In Deep Shit.”
 “No, I—!” She huffed and moved some hair out of her face. “I do not. I meant trouble like a kid with her hand caught in the cookie jar.”
“Funny.” He moved to rest his jaw on his fist. “I didn’t.”
Eden lowered her gaze, unable to meet the unbreakable scrutiny of his “eyes”. “I’m not in any trouble,” she muttered, rubbing her socked feet together under the table. “Not like that, anyway. I’m fine.”
“Uh-huh. Sure. Y’know,” he half-teased, “I think I’m starting to understand what you meant about being able to lie and being able to act.”
She struggled with a response to that. “What… What even makes you think I’m in that kind of trouble anyhow?”
“You want the short list or the long?”
She stared at him. His certainty was unshakable.
There’s no way it was that obvious she was in trouble… But it wasn’t deep trouble like he seemed to think. Just… ankle-deep trouble. That she was slowly sinking in. No big deal.
Besides, it wasn’t any of his business. Her “trouble” was just between her and her parents. And her siblings, sort of. And… probably the people Frank worked with... and for… But, like, at its core, it was mostly just her and her parents.
“It’s nothing big,” she promised. “Nothing vigilante worthy, anyway.”
Red Hood tilted his head, silently encouraging her to continue regardless.
“It’s just… family stuff.”
Just a looming fight between divorced parents; their adult child stuck in the middle and trying to put out the fire before it sparked. A totally normal thing for a totally normal "family".
Only, like… kicked up to a ten because Eden was a metahuman, her father was a superhero-obsessed farmer-turned-geneticist who basically stole samples of her DNA, and her mother was not afraid to get her hands dirty. Especially if she perceived something as a threat to her daughter’s well-being — which Frank’s recent work and actions could definitely be perceived as.
Plus, everyone in that facility seemed to know about her powers. Mama would not like that. That Eden regretted helping them – that she’d tried to rescind her consent, been denied, and her DNA taken anyway – just made the whole thing even messier.
The only way to hide any of it from her mother was to literally take the money Frank gave her for her "donation", run off, and hide away while she tried to string everything together. Because once Mama knew, Frank was a dead man. Unless Eden could figure out some way to cushion the information and keep her from digging deeper, there was no doubt in her mind that Mama would wipe every last trace of him – and his colleagues – off the face of the earth.
And Eden… Eden didn’t want that.
Despite everything he’d done and put her through, despite all the hurt and tears, part of her still thought of Frank as her father. As the man who read her stories every night and taught her to ride a bike and a horse. The one who called her “Champ” and always carried her up on his shoulders when they went into town. Who told her she was meant for great things, encouraged her compassion, always put her back on her feet… told her he loved her every morning and every night when she was young…
They were both older now, and him colder. He’d abused her trust and love in pursuit of his own goals. Again. This time with intent. But he was still the man who, above all else, wanted to help others. Eden knew that. He just… didn’t seem to mind hurting her in the process. And a part of her hated him for it, but she still loved him, too. She couldn't stand the thought of him getting hurt, or worse.
Which, you know, with her mama a hairpin trigger away from… removing him… sorta left Eden caught between a rock and a hard place. But, again, that wasn’t any of Red Hood’s business.
“It’s not that big a deal,” she stressed. “And anyway, Veronica’s the one with the scout right now, not me.” She swiped back to the picture of the man in the suit and pointed to him firmly. “He cared about getting her picture, not mine. Even if he mixed us up, it still means she’s the one in real trouble here.”
Red Hood hummed. The disharmony was hard to interpret, but she was willing to bet he was neither fooled by nor satisfied with her answer.
“What?” she shot back, crossing her arms, acting defensive to force the conversation forward. “It’s not my fault he confused me for Veronica.”
“No, but you wanted to keep him confused. In fact,” he reached over and swiped back to the traffic cam picture, “you did everything you could to make sure he thought he had the right girl.”
Eden lifted her chin, waiting for the real question. Red Hood studied her, possibly waiting to see if she’d answer it herself. Maybe blubber out something as she was wont to do. But she was determined to keep her mouth shut this time.
She tipped her head, politely prompting him to continue. When he didn’t, she huffed.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hood,” she said rubbing her forehead, “but I really don’t know what you’re trying to ask me here. I’m not a mind reader.”
He stayed quiet for a few more beats. His consideration shifted from her to the picture on his phone. “For now, I guess my biggest questions are why and how.”
Eden sat up a little. “Why?” she repeated, not sure she understood.
“Yeah. According to my source,” he said slowly, “you two,” he nodded toward her and Aaron in the picture, “figured out the scout was there for Veronica before she’d even entered the building and that he’d mixed the two of you up.”
“Right,” she agreed cautiously. “And?”
“And?” He gestured in front of him as though he’d clearly laid everything out on the table itself. “Didn’t it occur to you that if he saw the real Veronica, the scout would’ve pieced it all together and left you alone?”
Had that occurred to her? She couldn’t remember. Probably not.
But even if it had, Eden wouldn’t have wanted him to leave her alone if it meant throwing Veronica under the bus like that. Eden at least knew how she was supposed to act in that kind of situation, which was more than Veronica could probably say. And besides, no matter what might’ve happened, she would’ve been fine in the end. Veronica didn’t have that guarantee. Nobody did. Except Eden.
“It was better for him to bother me than her,” she said firmly. “At the very least it threw them off her scent for a bit. Hopefully, she can get some sort of security team or something before they get too wise.”
“They?”
“Whoever wanted those pictures in the first place,” she explained. “I seriously doubt that scout was taking them for his own sake, or he would’ve left the moment “Veronica” started noticing him.” She tilted her head at Red Hood and gave him a wicked smile. “Or did your source not mention that part of my theory?”
“He did,” he said simply. “All the more reason to want to stick your head in the sand, though, don’t you think? It’s what anyone else would’ve done.”
She frowned, finally realizing what he was saying. “You Gothamites are so weird. I’d have thought a vigilante would at least understand..."
“Uh, rude?”
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be, but… It’s just I think I figured out what you’re really asking me, and Aaron and Veronica asked me the same thing earlier, too, and it’s just…" She shook her head, finding it hard to wrap her brain around. "Y’all…” She huffed. “Y’all’re just so weird to me.”
Red Hood didn’t say anything.
“Sorry,” she said again, more genuinely. “But you’re asking me why I helped her, right? Even if it wasn’t… oh, how did Veronica say it?” She turned her head, trying to remember. “Wasn’t my problem, I think? Something like that…” She refocused on him. “Anyway, my answer to you is the same as it was for them: because it was the right thing to do.”
Red Hood made a short, unamused noise. “The right thing was pretending to be that girl? Putting yourself in danger?"
“The right thing was helping her,” she corrected. “And that scout had already taken my picture anyway, so…” She swiped between the pictures. “At least I stopped him from taking the real Veronica’s picture, too.”
“But now he’s got your picture.” He sat back and crossed his arms. “Which means his employer’s going to have your picture. If they don’t already.”
“Which they probably do, since he was using a cell phone," she pointed out.
He threw his hands in the air. “Exactly! And he could be some sick, psycho fuck!"
"Well—"
"This is Gotham, Ede," he went on, imploring her to listen. "Even if they know you're not Veronica, they'll know you tried to fuck with their plans for her, whatever they are. People get themselves killed for way less here. You know that, right?”
“No, I... I guess I hadn’t really…” 
So that was why a lot of Gothamites didn’t go out of their way to help others! Of course! There was no guarantee offering their hand to one person wouldn't put a huge target on their back with another. And nobody in their right mind would want to risk gaining the attention of one of Gotham’s scarier characters. It all made perfect sense now. Gothamites kept their heads down and only focused on their own problems because they had to. If they didn't, they could very well be signing their life away. And when people asked her why she was helping others, they weren't really asking her that; they were asking her why she was so willing to put her own life in danger for someone else.
But Eden wasn't like them. No matter what happened or what anyone did to her, she would be fine. She was always fine. It didn’t mean she had to throw on a cape and go looking for trouble every day like Frank had wanted her to, but it also meant she didn’t have the same excuse as everyone else. If she could step in and help somebody, she should. She was one of the few in this town who probably could. And, most importantly, she wanted to.
“I still would’ve helped her,” she decided. “Even if someone scary thinks I’m her for a little while, or gets mad at me, at least Veronica is safe for now.”
Red Hood stared at her, unmoving. It wasn’t clear what he was thinking or feeling, but Eden could imagine he might not like what he was hearing. After all, as far as he knew, Eden was just a totally normal, would-die-and-stay-dead civilian.
“I mean, if they have any brain cells at all, they should realize pretty quickly “Veronica” doesn’t look like she should, right?” she said trying to reassure him. “And even if they don’t, all they have to do is follow me home once and they’ll realize they’ve got the wrong girl.” She pointed out the window. “Even a total rock-for-brains moron would start scratching their head if Veronica Bradford came to a neighborhood like this.”
He followed her finger, seeming to consider her words. “Maybe,” he acknowledged. “But they’d probably just say fuck it and stick around anyway. Especially if it was some goon following orders.”
Eden bobbed her head from side to side, agreeing with the possibility. “They’d still figure it out eventually, though. Veronica’s a socialite. And I’m definitely not. Eventually, she’d post a Snapstagram story or go somewhere fancy while I’m hanging about here and things wouldn’t add up. And if they were still convinced I’m Veronica after something like that, then I don’t think they’re smart enough to be considered much of a threat to anybody but themselves.”
“Everybody is a threat in this city,” he warned her. “And the last thing you want is some twisted mother fucker knowing where you live. Especially if they think you messed with them.”
“I’d rather someone like that know where I live and make my life difficult than let someone else get hurt or killed because I didn’t help them,” she said stubbornly.
Red Hood let out a gruff, half-groaning sound as he sat back to stare up at the ceiling. "Of course you would," he grumbled. He stayed like that for a minute, perhaps trying to gauge how serious she was. He sighed, apparently finding his answer. "I don't get you. You freak out when a stranger shows up to warn you inside, but the idea of some asshole coming here and actually trying to fuck with you? That doesn't scare you?"
"In my defense, this is the ninth floor and it was my private fire escape. I had every right to freak out when some big stranger with guns and a mean-faced helmet suddenly showed up out of nowhere."
He huffed.
"And I'm not completely helpless, Mr. Hood," she told him. "I have a little fighting know-how under my belt."
"Uh-huh, yeah, sure. And how's your neck, again?"
"My...?" She blinked at him, then remembered the healed cut and frowned. "Hey, I'll have you know I was doing very well for myself until I got stabbed!" she said pointing at him.
He looked up again, this time as if asking a higher power for help. “So if someone broke in here with a gun or another knife, you think you'd be able to fight them off?"
“I'd be fine."
"So you do think you could."
"Not really, no."
He stared at her. “Y'know... a little lie might be nice right about now.”
"I could 100% fight them off no problem, Mr. Hood."
He groaned, covering his eyes. "God, you are an awful liar."
Eden tried very hard to suppress her giggles. “If it makes you feel any better," she offered, "I wasn’t planning on it. Pretending to be Veronica, I mean."
Red Hood sighed, but he lowered his hand and gave her his attention anyway.
"Veronica’s not very… Well, let’s say she’s not the most observant person around. And I know my foresight’s not exactly great in the heat of the moment, and I might end up paying for it eventually, but… I couldn’t just... not do something when that scout noticed her, you know? She needed someone to help her and she didn't even know it. So I just… did.”
Red Hood let out a sharp laugh, which sounded sharper with the distortion. He looked away, subtly shaking his head. “So you just did,” he muttered to himself. He turned to her again. “Didn’t you agree not to do anything stupid before I came by again, Cookie Girl?” he teased.
Eden smiled apologetically, then turned coy. “I did try, Mr. Hood,” she said sweetly. “And I promise that that was the stupidest of the stupid things I did. Which I’m willing to bet is still a million times better than the craziest thing you’ve done since the last time I saw you.”
He put a hand on his chest. “Who me? Do something crazy? Never.”
“Uh-huh. You sure about that? Because I’m pretty sure I heard someone say something about a red vigilante being involved with that big explosion Friday night.”
“Nope. Wasn’t me. Must’ve been Red Robin. I’m completely innocent.”
Eden nodded along, not admitting she only knew of the other vigilante because she’d thought Red Robin was just another of Red Hood’s names until somebody corrected her.
“Oh, completely innocent, I’m sure,” she goaded. “And what was it that you were doing oh-so-innocently while the bridge was blowing sky high, Mr. Hood?”
“Hey, the bridge is still standing, isn’t it? He made sure there wouldn’t be any structural damage. Just a little mess of things. He knows what he’s doing with shit like that.”
“Uh-huh. Yeah. I sure hope he does. Especially if he also has a helmet full of explosives.”
“Not to worry, Ede," he assured her. "I’m the crazy Red.”
“Oh. Good. I feel so much better now. Thanks."
He laughed.
“Wait.” She pointed at him. “Do you both go by Red?”
“We do," he nodded, "but Double R’s usually Red if we’re using shorthand,” he said crossing his arms. “They call me Hood to keep it simple.”
“Oh, well, that’s not confusing at all. Though I suppose y’all can’t exactly call him Robin. That’d be even more confusing.”
Red Hood scoffed. “Demon Spawn would have an absolute fit if we did that.” He looked to the side. “Then again…” He rubbed his chin, seeming to consider it.
“Um,” Eden lifted a tentative finger to catch his attention. “I’m sorry, but this is Gotham City, so I’m gonna need you to clarify: do you mean, like… a real demon spawn or…?”
“I mean I think he is,” Red Hood joked, “but, no, not really. That’s just what I call Robin ‘cause he’s a little shit.”
She perked up. “You mean Robin like… Batman's Robin?” He nodded and Eden scoffed with certainty. “Well, he can’t be that bad, then.”
Red Hood let out a short, sharp laugh. Something about it a bit painful. “Are you an expert on Robins now, Ede?”
“Well… no,” she mumbled, a little embarrassed. “But if he’s a Robin then… I dunno. He can’t be all that bad.”
“Have you ever met the brat?”
Eden shook her head slowly, fighting the urge to scowl.
No, she hadn’t met the boy Red Hood was talking about… But she’d met one of his predecessors. And that Robin? He’d saved her life. Not just from a fight or another encore. She could handle those things on her own. Poorly, sure. But she could.
No, what he’d saved her from was a life full of fights and encores. And pain. Endless, endless cycles of pain.
Without him, who knows where she’d be today. Who she’d be. Certainly not the person she was. Not the civilian trying to make the best of an awful situation by following her theatrical dreams. If he hadn’t knocked some sense into her, she would probably be what Frank wanted her to be. A… A hero. A constantly struggling, hurting, dying, pitiful attempt of a superhero.
Robin saved her from that. From a life of wishing every day, every death, would be her last.
As far as she was concerned, she owed that boy every good goddamn thing in her life. So to hear Red Hood call her hero a brat or a demon spawn, even if it was a completely different boy, even if Red Hood obviously knew him a thousand times better than Eden knew the one she’d met… Well, it upset her. In her heart, “Robin” was still the boy from her childhood.
Though, even she could admit it was hard to remember him clearly after so many years. She could remember the way he’d spoken to her and how it had impacted her, but not most of what he’d actually said. She could remember him joking and laughing with her, but not the way it sounded. She could remember the way he’d smiled and offered his hand before lifting her up into the air, but the scene was fuzzy.
“Sorry,” Red Hood grumbled, rubbing the jawline of his helmet. “I guess you’re more of a Gothamite than we thought.”
“Huh?” She squinted at him, confused. “No, I’m not. What do you mean?”
“Well...” He leaned back, spreading out slightly. “People these days tend to be pretty protective of their Robins. Even when this one first started out and was swinging his sword everywhere—”
“This one’s got a sword?” she blurted out, shocked. 
“Yeah, a katana. He hacked up a couple of goons pretty good with it, too. Which I thought was great,” he said gesturing to himself, “but B didn’t.”
“B? As in… Batman?” she whispered.
He snorted at her. “He’s not the boogeyman, Ede. He’s not gonna jump out of your closet if you say his name too loud." Despite saying this, he was clearly doing a quick survey of her apartment.
“Wow. I feel so reassured,” she droned. “Anyway, no, I should be the one apologizing. You clearly know this Robin well, so if you think he’s a—” her mouth twitched slightly “—a brat then... you… probably have your reasons for it. I suppose. And I should... respect that,” she half-snarled.
Red Hood clapped slowly. “Wow. What a beautiful performance, Edie. How’s it feel to be such a great actor?”
“Oh—” she reached over the table and shoved him “—shut it, you!”
He just laughed her off.
“You better start being nice to me, Hood," she said standing and moving toward the fridge.
“Or what?” he asked confidently.
She grinned at him. “Or you’re not getting any Mad Mountain Fudge,” she teased right back.
---
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wovenstarlight · 4 years ago
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YWBK update: chapter 26 + liner notes
yesterday will be kinder has updated! you can read chapter 26 here, or start from the beginning here
as always, commentary below the cut
Yoojin🐉😊
watch this space....
In preparation for it, Han Hyunjae temporarily requisitions Yoojin’s laptop and combs through the internet looking for photos of the Hunters that he thinks his family should know about in advance. He goes down one too many internet rabbit-holes, takes way too many screenshots, transcribes a summary of the notes in his future diary, then painstakingly puts everything together into a neat little presentation for them.
picture HHJ reading his fifth article wondering where the sung family heir has disappeared to and being like 👁️👁️👁️👁️
had a little giggle to myself about “future diary” that phrasing was definitely on purpose. will exclusively be referring to it as this now
“Right,” he starts, clapping his hands together, after Yerim’s been sent off to play with Hohyoung.
LHH is so much of a background figure.... i want to see more of himself but he likes his privacy.... he’s got his girlfriend and his baby sister and yoojin who’s wormed his way into his good graces by way of Living In Same House but that’s kinda it....... he’s always lurking in the background instead of showing up on screen. come here hohyoung oppa i just wanna talk
Even if Yoojin’s right, Han Hyunjae still has to protest. [...] But he can’t keep it up when Jiyeon looks at him like that.
KJY has the world’s best Stern Mom Voice and Disappointed Mom Glare and to her great delight they work even on fellow adult HHJ. she will use this power For Evil
The other S-ranks are Moon Hyuna, leader of Breaker Guild, and Bak Mingyu of Hanshin Guild.
OK FOR THIS PART I STRAIGHT FORGOT ABOUT HANSHIN GUILD AND I WAS COUNTING UP ON MY FINGERS LIKE WAIT... IF YERIM WAS THE EIGHTH KOREAN S-RANK WHO WERE THE SEVEN BEFORE HER.... (for those curious they were 1. sung hyunjae, 2. han yoohyun, 3. moon hyuna, 4. song taewon, 5. bak mingyu of hanshin, 6. choi sukwon of MKC, and 7. yoon kyeongsoo of soodam. but. i forgot about the last three altogether.)
“Oh, blond guy,” Yoojin says, unimpressed. “Yeah, I’ve seen him on the news and stuff.”
Top 10 Funny Yoojin Moments (I JUST THINK IT’D BE REALLY FUNNY IF HAN “HAVE I MENTIONED IN THE LAST 5 MINUTES HOW HANDSOME SUNG HYUNJAE IS” YOOJIN DID NOT GIVE TWO SHITS ABOUT HIM IN THIS TIMELINE....)
Han Hyunjae takes a moment to double-check that he really doesn’t have Noise Resistance (L), and looks back in time to see Yoojin rubbing at his eyes and glaring at the screen. 
HEHEHE...... A SECRET TOOL THAT WILL HELP US LATER
“Hyunjae-yah,” Jiyeon says, looking at the photo of Sung Hyunjae on screen, “this man looks—” “LIKE A PIECE OF WHITE BREAD,” Yoojin bellows. [...] “HYUNG THINKS HE LOOKS GOOD? [...] Oh, god, he kinda does, [...] but like, in a trashy romance novel cover way.” [... Jiyeon] gives the computer screen an assessing once-over. “He looks like the models in cologne advertisements.”
this part of the chapter was planned waaaay back in august 2020 and i actually crowdfunded these descriptions from the s-class server dshblksjdfkblsdfb. the original suggestions (thanks to server members for these):
“bland whitie potato with a slap-on seme personality”
“tacky valentine’s day/mom’s cologne advertisement”
“the face of the dude on the cover of all my mom’s trashy romance novels”
and tbh HYJ does think he genuinely looks good but like, disgustingly good, you know... also Hyung Likes Him so [19 gun emojis]
also me handwaving moment of mild homophobia because like. jiyeon doesn’t know yet AND homophobia is a thing in this world BUT i don’t really wanna do, All That (we already did it with HYJ once), so.
“Do S-ranks get rich?” Yerim asks as she enters, because apparently everyone’s coming for his life today. Han Hyunjae closes his eyes and lies down on the bed while Yoohyun calls out an affirmation over his head. “Then I think— oh! He looks nice!” He cracks open an eye just in time to see her nod. “I think ahjussi should marry him for the eye candy and the money.” She beams very wide. Han Hyunjae closes his eyes again and tunes out the loud conversation going on around him. And wishes, not for the first time, that he’d picked literally any other name when he first got here.
yerim says gay rights cuz she’s like 12 rn and she straight up does not really care. but says it in, like, the most frustrating way possible.
sometimes you just need to lie down even as the world keeps throwing shit at you. just lie down and nap for a little bit. especially when the shit in question is the alias regret you had literally back in chapter one of your 25+ chapter story. this is gonna come back to bite you in the ass Very Fucking Soon babe!!!!
You Oh this is like the 17th one I got wrong I swear this course is trying to kill me
me, flicking on that EPSON brand projector,
(i have. been having a Time of it.)
[Yoojin🐉😊 called you (21:35)]
that’s minutes and seconds babey... you can pretty much guess the content of call from context :(
well, uh. most of call. some internal plot and Realizations happening right at the end of those 21 minutes, 35 seconds. namely:
Yoojin🐉❤️
:-)
or i dunno you can be my roommate and we can both leech off my rich and prosperous baby brother!
[extremely sad voice] heehoo... they... care each other....
YMW’s parents are kinda shit ngl. they care about him, but unfortunately, that does not show through in their care for him, ykwim? if they just paid attention to what he was actually talented at and encouraged him in his efforts.................
well, he wouldn’t have met HYJ in canon. but he would also have been a lot happier!! and YMW deserves to be happy!!!!!!!! YMW fucking rights!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You When you came with me to drop off Jihui’s standee. 
they finally remembered her name sjfbklsjdfbl
Yoojin🐉❤️ OH right i was talking to one of my new commissioners about their piece realized they were an old friend of hyung’s
HEEHOO.... HONKS MY LITTLE CLOWN NOSE yoojin forgot to ask about pronouns but that’s okay they’re figuring that stuff out still
Yoojin🐉❤️ it’s getting late the kids are going to bed i have to turn off the lights 
you can take the caregiver out the role of caregiving but he will still think of his baby siblings as his kids
Part of that is changing his behaviour. Hyunjae and Yoojin sit side by side and watch as Suk Simyeong gently coaches Yoohyun on how to interact with others and present a neutral, if not friendly, exterior.
[same voice as ingredience] neurodivergence.....
try and look them in the eye, or at least look somewhere on or near their face, if eye contact is too much
yoohyun, who’s the type to look people in the eye without blinking until they inevitably look away because then they don’t try that eye contact shit again later:
tbh i kinda made up shit for the Training In Formality section i don’t know shit about being Formal and Polite. hope i got it right :pensive:
“He’s not good with touch,” Hyunjae cuts in. [...] “Sorry,” [Yoojin] says apologetically to Suk Simyeong, crossing the room and gently pressing a hand against Yoohyun’s back. The kid slowly stops rocking and leans into the touch as he talks.
he’s not good with touch, Usually..... there are exceptions :-) every time i think about this being canon i go insane. wow. love and trust and faith.
Suk Simyeong nods understandingly, giving the closed door a considering look. “If that’s the case, perhaps he can take over part of the preparations,” he offers.
SSM who’s frothing at the mouth wanting to know more about this dude who apparently did some killer business deal with the head of Dungeon Task Force who all the dungeon people are gossiping about on their phone calls while they cart around unassuming A-rank businessmen: PLEEAAASEE fucking involve him PLEEEEASE make him involve himself in business with me
Still, Yoojin’s work is fairly repetitive and boring, so Hyunjae and the women pull out a pack of UNO cards from somewhere and start playing while he works, not paying much attention to either of the boys.
plugging my Han/Bak family playing UNO art here, please reblog like and subscribe,
He stares down at Yoohyun’s hair. Yoohyun’s wavy hair sits there judgmentally. Yoojin bemoans his budding career as a stylist and admits, “This… isn’t working.”
i’m sorry sweetie... hair isn’t your forte :( you can still do fashion if you try really hard
(fun fact about this whole scene, yoohyun not being able to straighten his hair until he could control flame resistance is Certified Canon!)
“No, shit, don’t get up.” Yoojin flaps his free hand at him distractedly. Hyunjae and his need to do everything himself, jeez. “I mean, like. The iron is not. Straightening.”
“hyunjae and his need to do everything” says the man who a few paragraphs ago wanted to be hair makeup clothing and management all in one
“Okay, but why is it not working, though? Is the iron not turned on?” Wow. Wow! Yoojin wonders suddenly if Yoohyun ever felt as homicidal towards him as Yoojin’s currently feeling towards his big brother. If he ever had, then it’s frankly stunning Yoojin’s survived as long as he did. “Do you think I’m stupid,” he snaps. “It’s plugged in.” “Yeah, but did you turn it on.” “You know what, why don’t you touch it and see?” Yoojin unplugs the straightening iron for a minute so that he can take it over to Hyunjae, presenting it to him with a flourish. The heat will hold on for the few seconds this takes. “Come on, touch it right now. I dare you.”
zmur put this into words better than i can, she described this part as “the feeling when elder siblings doubt your intelligence”--
“What if you used a regular iron. Like for clothes,” Hyunjae says, completely ignoring Yoohyun. Yoojin hums thoughtfully.
--and this part as “THEY ARE RIGHT TO DOUBT IT !”
“Killjoy,” Hyunjae mutters so only he and Yoojin can hear.
(should doubt your elder sibling’s intelligence too, once in a while. keep them on their toes.)
“HAN YOOHYUN YOU TAKE YOUR HAND OFF THAT RIGHT NOW,” Yoojin and Hyunjae and Jiyeon holler in perfect unison.
parental instinct for particular phrasings of commands
“Flame Resistance,” Yoohyun reads out. “S-rank.” It’s not heat resistance, but it’s pretty close, so it probably still applies.
hum hum the flame skill works on heat as well, huh
Yoojin’s watching Hyunjae idly when the flickers start up at the edge of his vision again. He blinks, rubbing his eyes idly, and looks back up in time to see, just for a split second— 
HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE VISION PROBLEMS WAS IT? RUBBING HIS EYES WAS IT??
“Eh? It didn’t? I’ll… I’ll try it again, one second.” Nothing, for a second— but no, there is, pale flashes here and there. Yoojin shakes his head and blinks. They die down, then start up again. Fainter, this time. Why? 
gonna say this here because i accidentally set it up as a Thing there’s. there’s no reason. whether the message shows up or not is pretty much random error.
“Ahjussi has an L-rank skill?” Yerim demands. “That’s so cool!” Jiyeon and Yoohyun and Yoojin stare at Hyunjae in silence as he returns Yerim’s eager high-five. He cowers when he notices them.
these three are already so mad and they don’t know that between S and L there’s SS and SSS. they’re gonna be SOOOOO mad. anyway yerim remains the chillest in the room
“So, say you needed to cauterize a wound in an emergency, and you didn’t have access to healing items or Hunters. You could drop the Resistance there, set it on fire, and just… sear it shut.” Yoohyun blinks, an intrigued look coming into his eyes, and looks down at his own forearm. “That’s true, I could probably…” “Yeah, food for thought, I suppose.” “What the hell?!” Yerim yelps. “Though it’s up to you if you want to try it. I still think your hair is fine as is, we don’t have to—” “That’s horrifying,” Yoojin blurts. “No, I should know how. In case something happens like you said. How do I do it?” “Now hold on a second,” Jiyeon says, voice rapidly rising in pitch.
sometimes i think about how dungeon stuff made yoojin significantly more chill with violence and murder and self mutilation in some cases. and how he comments specifically (i think this might be in a slightly later chapter, possibly unreleased) that people like myeongwoo who don’t have those extra years of immersion in the dungeon culture still reject and avoid violence and killing whenever possible. really makes you think
anyway! i saved some extra commentary for those okay with spoilers. continue reading at your own risk. extra large warning in case you’re skilling
SPOILER WARNING FOR THE BELOW CONTENT!!!! IT DRAWS ON INFO FROM UNTRANSLATED CHAPTERS, POST-170S AT LEAST!
“How many of these people did you personally know?” “Not many!” “So one, then,” Yoojin concludes. “You don’t know that!”
HE DIDN’T SAY THAT YOOJIN WAS RIGHT, THOUGH..............
“Why did you pick his name out of everyone’s! I thought you weren’t in touch with S-ranks. I thought you picked a friend’s name!”
:)
they wanted some kind of bedroom decoration for a family member, counting sheep or something, i forget 
a sheep, for a family member of one of han hyunjae’s old acquaintances, is it
19 notes · View notes
rachelbethhines · 4 years ago
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Digimon Adventure Shipping Masterpost - Part 2
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Part 1 
Sora x Izzy (Kora)
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Pros:They’re both the most level headed of the group and there’s relatively little drama between them. So if you want something sweet and cute that’s stress free, then this could do ya.  There’s also the added bonus of breaking up the Tai/Sora/Matt triangle. 
Cons: They’re also kind of boring. They don’t play off one another in any interesting way. They’re just generally nice to each other and can work together as a team, and that’s about it.  They also rarely interact outside of the group. 
Personal Ranking (5/10) Eh..I can see it working and I don’t mind it as a refreshing break from the drama, but there are more interesting ships out there for them.
Sora x Mimi (Mira)
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Pros: These two were the only two girls on the team for a long while, so naturally they spent a lot of time together on screen. They’re best friends, and therefore a lesbian’s dream team of a pairing. They got that opposites attract vibe, they’re relatively drama free, and they’re still other girls on the team that they interact with so it’s not like we’re losing the only female friendship on the show if you ship them.    
Cons: Mimi is largely absent in 02, so we get less interaction between them than other Adventure characters. Also, while there are other female friendships none are quite as close as these two and so you may prefer them as platonic. 
Personal Ranking (6/10) Like with Kora, I can see them working, and I do indeed like Mimi-centric ships a lot, but I kind of prefer them as a friends since for the longest time they were the only female friendship on the show; back when I was first watching.  
Sora x Joe (Joura)
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Pros: These two spend a lot of time together in Adventure. There’s lot of one on one interaction for them up episodes for them. They work well as a team, while still being different enough to make for an interesting interactions.  Also if you have the love triangle, Joe and Sora are seen suspiciously close together during the epilogue.  
Cons: Sora is in a canon ship already, if that matters to you. Plus Joe may not be your favorite, as he’s pretty decisive. Then there’s the fact that he and Sora do bump heads more so than Sora does with anyone else. It’s like a tei between Tai and Joe over who can annoy Sora the most in season one. 
Personal Ranking (7/10) This is my second favorite ship for Sora, but that’s probably because I just really like Joe a lot. 
Sora x T.K. (Sokeru)
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Pros: This ship is oddly popular in certain sections of the fandom. I’m guessing for the same reasons why Yamakari is liked. Sora is very protective of TK in season one. While their interactions do taper off after that point, they’re still seen hanging out together in 02 and Tri, at times.  
Cons: Once again their interactions are limited to mostly group settingings. They also have the same age gap as all of the 02/Adventure pairings. Given how most of their moments are in season one where that age gap makes the most difference, there’s little to go on post Adventure.  
Personal Ranking (4/10) Yeah, not enough interaction to sell this one for me. 
Sora x Kari (Sokari)
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Pros: More femslash options. They’re mostly drama free and are very similar in terms of personality. Also, when placed together they cancel out each other’s respective love triangles. 
Cons: All of the same cons as Sokeru. Also they are very similar personality wise and so their dynamic may bore you. 
Personal Ranking (3/10) Yeah, count me as one who finds them boring. Add in the age gap and lack of interaction and this ship is a no go for me. 
Sora x Davis (Daiora)
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Pros: It’s basically Taiora but without the triangle bullshit. Also Davis is very good for unrequited romance pairings. 
Cons: Even less interaction than Sokeru or Sokari. The age gap is still present even though it doesn’t matter as much in 02. 
Personal Ranking (5/10) I do really like Davis, and fanworks have shown that they make a cute pairing. But only as like a one sided crush thing, so their dynamic is limited. 
Sora x Yolei (Soyako)
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Pros: Much like with Taisuke and Yamasuke, Sora is in that mentor to friend role for Yolei, but with slightly less of an age gap.  Also more femslash options, which are indeed rarer than the slash ones, just cause there are less girls than boys in this show, sadly. 
Cons: They’re kind of Mimra light as yolie is very similar to Mimi in terms of personality. Also while they get some moments in 02, that ends as soon as we get to other seasons. 
Personal Ranking (4/10) Meh...I’d rather just go with Mimra. 
Sora x Cody (Sori)
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Pros:On the one hand they so rarely interact that you can shape their relationship post Tri into being whatever you want it to be. 
Cons: On the other hand they aren't ever seen together outside of the group and it’s only in 02 where their age difference would most matter. 
Personal Ranking (2/10) I guess there’s a certain freedom in being able to take a relationship in any direction you want to without it being pure crack or non-canon. I just don't know why you would want to when there’s so many other options out there. 
Sora x Ken (Kenora)
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Pros: Uh... They both wind up in ridiculous careers that aren’t suited to them? They’re both shoved into canon relationships without proper build up for them? Wanna cause drama for drama sake with a cheating route? 
Cons: Are these two even friends? Out of all of the 02 and Adventure characters these two probably get the least amount of interaction. At best I’d call them acquaintances who just so happen to have mutual friends. 
Personal Ranking (3/10) All the same cons as all the other 02/Adventure ships but taken to the max. I only rank it higher Sori because there’s a slightly less age gap. 
Sora x Jun (Junora)
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Pros: With these two you can pull a Korra/Asami and cut Matt off at the knees. If you’re pissed at how 02 handled relationships this can be cathartic.    It’s also a femslash option that winds up being very different in dynamics from the other yuri pairings in the show. 
Cons: Jun knows of Sora’s existence, and they’ve shared scenes together. Yet they’ve never talked to one another, and I’m not sure if Sora even knows who she is.  Then there’s the fact that Jun is very decisive in fandom. 
Personal Ranking (7/10) I really like Jun. I also like the potential dynamic that her and Sora can have. I also like getting back at Matt after the way he treated Jun. So this ship is a win/win for me. 
Sora x Meiko (Meiora)
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Pros: Lots of interactions and shippy moments to work off of.  It’s the ‘moe’ dynamic but made gay. Triangle drama free or increased triangle drama, take your pick.  
Cons: Just like with Meichi and Meimato, how much you like this ship will depend on how much you like Meiko as a character. If you thought her annoying in Tri, you’ll no doubt be annoyed by this. 
Personal Ranking (6/10) This is like Sokari but made good? Kari as she gets older becomes more Sora like and Sora as she gets older becomes more Kari like. But Mei remains the woobie/soft girl through out, so you get the protectiveness and lesbian interaction minus the awkward age gap. 
Izzy x Mimi (Mishirou)
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Pros: It’s ‘beauty and the geek’ but with an added twist. There’s some of those awkward crush moments in Tri if you like that, but mostly Izzy is very confident and assertive, just like Mimi. They tend to call out each other’s bullshit the most often. Also Mini is perhaps the second character Izzy hangs out with one on one the most besides Tai. 
Cons: The crush in Tri comes out of almost nowhere and feels like pandering. Izzy never seemed to care for Mimi in that way before and indeed was annoyed with her more often than not. Then somewhere in the middle of Tri the crush was just completely dropped altogether without any resolvement one way or the other. 
Personal Ranking (6/10) I’ve warmed up to it somewhat since Tri. There is a basis there, but it does feel very forced at times, and I don't get the overwhelming love for it. It’s merely ok at best. 
Izzy x Joe (Jyoushirou)
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Pros: Geek meets Nerd!  That’s about it. If you really like these two characters then they work just about as well as any other ship in the show. There’s also the comedic elements to their interactions together to play off of.   It also nips the Izzy/Mimi/Joe triangle in the bud. 
Cons: They have more moments together than Sora and Izzy, but not more than say Joe and Matt. It’s brief comedic moments when we get them together and not many serious or deep interactions. 
Personal Ranking (5/10) Eh..There’s a foundation there to build something off of, but for whatever reason it just doesn’t gel for me.  
Izzy x T.K. (Takshirou) 
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Pros: They’re closer in age then some of the other 02/Adventure characters, and they do interact often in all three seasons. 
Cons: Still most of those interactions are either plot related or group scenes. There’s not a whole lot to go off of. 
Personal Ranking (4/10) I don't get why someone would ship these two, yet I wouldn’t be outright opposed to it if they did. 
Izzy x Kari (Kokari) 
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Pros: Same pros as Takshirou
Cons: Same cons as Takshirou
Personal Ranking (4/10) for the same reasons as Takshirou. 
Izzy x Davis (Daishiro) 
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Pros: I guess if you like the Taishiro dynamic, but not enough to break Tai up with one of his more popular ships then this could be an option.  
Cons: It’s Taishiro lite with all the added problems that comes from shiping the 02/Adventure cast. 
Personal Ranking (4/10) For the same reasons stated as for Takshirou and Kokari.
Izzy x Yolei (Koyako) 
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Pros: Of all the 02/Adventures ships this has the smallest age gap. The age difference between her and Izzy is the same a Izzy the rest of the adventure gang. As such they spend a lot of time together.  They also have a similar dynamic to Mishirou, but with the added dimension of Yolei being a nerd as well. She can keep up with Izzy’s technobabble and often assists him in his projects. 
Cons: Izzy does have a reduced role in 02 like the rest of the adventure gang, though not quite as bad as some. Meanwhile Yolei only appears in 02 except for like a cameo here and there. So while they do interact one on one on occasion it’s not a whole lot.   
Personal Ranking (7/10) To me this has all the pros of Mishirou, but none of the cons. They’re both assertive and capable of calling out each other’s bs, but they also have a deeper understanding of one another can more in common to build off of.   
Izzy x Cody (Kori) 
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Pros: It’s the mentor/friend dynamic again. They have a lot in common and are seen hanging out together a lot.  
Cons: Same age difference as with the other mentor ships and like with Koyako they’re scenes are limited to only 02.  
Personal Rankings (3/10) It’s got more of a basis then the other Cody ships thus far, but that’s not saying much. 
Izzy x Ken (Kenshirou) 
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Pros: Uh.. It’s assertive nerd boy meets shy nerd boy, I guess? There’s also the whole former villain thing for some added angst if you want. 
Cons: Not a whole lot of one on one interact and when we do get it it’s mostly plot exposition 
Personal Ranking (4/10) I put this on the same level as Takshirou, Kokari, and Daishiro
Izzy x Jun (Junshirou) 
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Pros: It breaks all of the triangles involving both of them. They’re both fun characters. Pair the spares.  They both went on that camping trip once.  Comedy.
Cons: This ship is as close as crack as you can get without being full on crack. They’ve met, they know of each other’s existence, and they’ve been in the same scene together more than once. But they’ve never actually talked with one another on screen before. 
Personal Ranking (7/10) I just like Jun. I don’t care who you pair her with, it’s entertaining because she’s enterianing.  
Izzy x Meiko (Meishirou) 
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Pros: I guess if you like both characters then you’ll like this ship just fine. Can double as a pair the spares in order to resolve the Izzy/Mimi/Joe tringle. 
Cons: Mei has less interaction with Izzy than some of the rest of the group. Also it’s dependent upon how much you like Mei as a character. 
Personal Ranking (5/10) It’s not bad, but give me Junshirou, Koyako, or Taishirou over it any day of the week. 
That’s part 2, will carry on later in part part 3 
23 notes · View notes
ranma-rewatch · 4 years ago
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Episode 16: Shampoo's Revenge! The Shiatsu Technique That Steals Heart and Soul
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I can’t believe it, 2020 is finally over. Or at least, it will be on the day this goes up. From where I’m writing it, we’re nearing the finish line, but haven’t yet reached it. Part of me wishes I could have finished season 1 in the same year I started this blog, but I’m getting close to there anyway, so I shouldn’t despair. This episode...yeah, looking at the episode title, I cannot remember for the life of me what the Shiatsu Technique is. By next paragraph, I’ll have rewatched the episodes, and I’ll know. See you in a second!
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That was an...interesting direction for Shampoo’s introductory arc? I mean, it’s her second episode, and she’s barely in it. I think I’ll have quite a bit to talk about, but I will say once again I’m holding off on doing a Shampoo Character Spotlight just yet, just because I want to have more material to discuss.
So, anyway, the episode starts with the Tendo’s asking Akane to wake up Ranma, and it’s made clear once again just how angry and jealous she is over the whole Shampoo situation. That doesn’t get any better when she relents but finds that Shampoo is snuggling in Ranma’s bed with him, without him knowing. She dumps water on them, activating the curse, Shampoo tries to kill Ranma, he turns back, she wants to kiss him, it’s a bunch of hijinks.
As Ranma and Akane walk to school, they bicker a little more fiercely than usual, now that the spectre of Shampoo’s affections have come into the picture. Ryoga is chilling on a nearby rooftop, and he’s actually ready to leave. He’s being very angsty, upset that Akane only likes him as P-chan, and knows that if Akane ever admits to loving Ranma, it would break his heart. He tries to head back on the road, only for him to get hit by random water throwing lady’s water, at which point Shampoo finds the piglet in the road.
Next scene, the amazon breaks down the wall of Ranma’s classroom to give him lunch, which as it turns out is Ryoga, though he hasn’t been killed or ever really cooked. Still, Akane and even Ranma are concerned, even if Ryoga doesn’t really appreciate the latter. Angry at Akane ruining her plans for Ranma several times now, Shampoo gives Akane the Kiss of Death, but Akane doesn’t back down, and is ready for a match, despite the fact that Ranma seems absolutely sure that Akane has no way of winning.
By the time Ranma gets to the place they are fighting at, the match is already over. Shampoo is gone, and Akane is unconscious on the ground. When she wakes up, she feels rather refreshed, but is more than anything confused: Akane has no clue who Ranma is. It isn’t regular amnesia, either. She still remembers her classmates, Ryoga, even Ranma’s dad.
After a lot of Ranma trying over and over again to remind Akane who he is, which even fails when Ranma activates his curse, they eventually go to Dr. Tofu. As it turns out, he knows what did this: the titular Shiatsu Technique. It actually has a much longer name, but I will stick with that. Anyway, Ranma’s dad was passing by and saw the whole thing. The move is actually just washing and styling the person’s hair, but using specific herbs and massaging scalpel pressure points to specifically remove memories of a single person.
The only way Dr. Tofu can imagine curing it would be with more Chinese herbs, so Ranma takes Akane out on the city to try and find Shampoo and get what they need. Only thing is, Shampoo shows up at the clinic right afterwards, because it turns out she’s been living there, working with Dr. Tofu.
So, that’s the episode. I’m going to start with some things I didn’t like as much, before getting into what I thought actually worked. The entire premise is just a bit...odd? Like, I have to admit I’m kind of down on amnesia plots in general, just as a matter of personal preference, but even if I wasn’t I feel like using one in the middle of a main character’s introduction arc is a tad bit strange.
I talked a bit last week about how I find that shows using jealousy as a way to show much a person cared about another is kinda sucky, so I won’t go over it again, except to say I’m still not a fan. I’m even less a fan of the fact that Akane is still being looked over as a fighter. First she never really got to fight Kodachi, and now that Shampoo is here they get...a fight we don’t see that only lasts a few seconds.
Shampoo is an amazon warrior, I get that. But I just find it annoying that they completely sideline that conflict for the amnesia one, when giving Akane an opponent to fight who is better than her would be a great way to make her grow. Even if we got a real fight and she lost, it could be something to build on later, a way to see where Akane is as a martial artist. Sadly, this series doesn’t really take Akane seriously as a martial artist, so that wasn’t ever going to happen.
Only other small thing to cover in the negatives column is that I didn’t really like the whole comedy bit of, “Uh oh, Ranma shows Akane his curse, but she thinks he’s a cross-dressing pervert!” It’s just...yeah, I don’t have the mental energy to dive into that topic, let’s just say it left a very bad taste in my mouth.
So, what did I like about the episode, then? Well, quite a lot. As much as I dislike the general idea of doing an amnesia plot here, I liked some of the specifics of it. The fact that not only had Akane forgotten Ranma, and only Ranma, but that it seemed as though she couldn’t even form new memories of him, no matter how much he or others tried to make her understand, definitely added urgency. In a good way.
I also found myself liking the technique itself, strangely enough. The fact it’s just washing the person’s hair, but with special martial arts stuff, is just kind of amazing, ridiculous in that exact Ranma 1/2 kind of way. The fact that all of the characters treat it dead seriously, none of them laughing at the idea, also helps make it even funnier.
Speaking of funny, the slapstick was pretty on-point this episode. It wasn’t quite as funny as some other episodes, but I definitely was at least smiling for a good portion of it. The whole scene of their class trying to help Akane remember Ranma was pretty funny too, in English and Japanese.
For something more heartfelt, I love that after half an episode of Ranma teasing Akane, of so many episodes of Ranma kind of being a jerk, his immediate response to her forgetting him is to do everything he can to fix it. It goes uncommented on so far, but he clearly hates the idea of Akane never knowing who he is. It could just as easily have been done with Ranma not caring in the slightest, being an aloof jerk, but this shows that Ranma does genuinely care about Akane, even if he often has a bad way of showing it.
Ooh, also, on the characters front! Ryoga! My boy! I haven’t really talked about it in a while, but I’ve been kind of unhappy with how Ryoga is being portrayed for a while now. Ever since his arc, he’s just been chilling as P-chan, only turning back to try and take Akane from Ranma in some way. He’s been very scheming and underhanded, which doesn’t fit what I remembered of his character at all.
This episode was much more like it. Ryoga fits so much better as the brooding boy, stuck in the moral dilemma of what to do about his position with Akane, scared of how she might really feel. More of this, please, and less of him making schemes to steal her.
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So then, how does this episode shake out, on the whole? Well, I don’t think it’s a surprise that I wouldn’t say it’s as good as last week’s. In fact, it’s dropped quite a few places. Just barely in the top half of episodes I’ve seen thus far, I’m putting this episode just above the Ranma vs Ryoga fight and one spot below the big fight that ended Kodachi’s arc. So, here is the new ranking.
Episode 7: Enter Ryoga, the Eternal ‘Lost Boy’
Episode 12: A Woman's Love is War! The Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge!
Episode 15: Enter Shampoo, the Gung-Ho Girl! I Put My Life in Your Hands
Episode 9: True Confessions! A Girl's Hair is Her Life!
Episode 2: School is No Place for Horsing Around
Episode 6: Akane's Lost Love... These Things Happen, You Know
Episode 13: A Tear in a Girl-Delinquent's Eye? The End of the Martial Arts Rhythmic Gymnastics Challenge!
Episode 16: Shampoo's Revenge! The Shiatsu Technique That Steals Heart and Soul
Episode 8: School is a Battlefield! Ranma vs. Ryoga
Episode 11: Ranma Meets Love Head-On! Enter the Delinquent Juvenile Gymnast!
Episode 4: Ranma and...Ranma? If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Another
Episode 5: Love Me to the Bone! The Compound Fracture of Akane's Heart
Episode 1: Here’s Ranma
Episode 3: A Sudden Storm of Love
Episode 10: P-P-P-Chan! He's Good For Nothin'
Episode 14: Pelvic Fortune-Telling? Ranma is the No. One Bride in Japan
Next week, I think we’re finishing this arc? I’m not completely sure? We’ll have to see? All I know is, the penultimate episode of the season is titled “I Love You, Ranma! Please Don’t Say Goodbye”. Sadly, unlike Ranma, I do have to say goodbye, but only until next week. See you all then!
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