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skydigiblogs · 9 months ago

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Alright, I made a blog so I could post this whole write up somewhere lmao.

My Friend Wants to Get Into Digimon: What Should They Watch?

(an extremely edited and expanded version of a guide I wrote for a friend of ours)

Bias notes: We have not watched all series subbed yet. We're about halfway through watching 01 subbed. I'm pretty sure we did watch Savers subbed at some point, but I'm rewatching it subbed right now and it sure doesn't feel fresh! My sub v dub commentary thus is a little thin in most cases.

Also, we have not watched certain items on the list such as Applimon, Last Evolution Kizuna, the most recent 02 movie, and a lot of other OVA releases (because God they were hard to find and our current rewatch has not gotten to them yet!).

Additionally, if you disagree with my opinions, tell me what series I'm underselling so I can find a new way to love it! :)

With that out of the way, what series of Digimon should you get your friends to watch? Vaguely in order of my most to least recommended (barring the Honorable Mention section):

[WARNING: THIS IS SUPER LONG]

->Digimon Tamers: a well-fleshed out series set in the real world as the digital world begins to influence and intersect with it. My personal favorite, it explores a lot of surprisingly complex themes (including the trauma of grief, consequences of escapism and nostalgia, and the place of violence in change).

While complex thematic elements are extremely common in this series, even from the anime's earliest days, I find Tamers to be an approachable series to get into for someone new to Digimon. It also has an interesting angle approaching its place in the legacy of the series, which can be appreciated by new and old viewers alike. In this series, after all, Adventure and 02 are just fictional series. Digimon aren't real... right?

Also this is the best dubbed series imo, even if Adventure has a soft spot in my heart. Many people will mention that there is nuance lost in the dub in certain characters, but as I have yet to watch through the sub, I can't personally speak to it and may have to write a follow up on this later.

Tamers also has lore alluding to the never-localized Wonderswan games, however, which may confuse some newcomers to the franchise. Bear this in mind.

Also, if your New Digimon Friend is super into Evangelion, this isn't even a question, just show them Tamers (/hj).

(->Bonus section for specifically the OVA, "Digimon Adventure," which was aired preceding Digimon: Adventure in Japan, but got mashed into the iconic and chaotic Digimon: The Movie, which i've put down below separately because it is a whole other beast.)

->Digimon Adventure: the original! The dub is a wildly nostalgic topic, and while some lore and character nuance is lost, it's still a good place to start. I have the freshest comparison to the sub right now since I'm on a watch of it currently, and the choices in the original give it a much more mature, emotional weight that, well...

Uhh. Look, I love and can sing "Hey Digimon" at the drop of a hat, but there's a time and a place for it lol. Hell, I literally quoted it in the unedited version of my write up, because it has such an iconic summary of the story.

I'll quote it here to even illustrate how well that song captures the premise as a bizarre digital isekau: "Seven young kids go to camp for the summer and wind up livin' in a digital land! Where everybody gets to meet his own digimonster: a digital companion, a digital friend."

As a song that plays for almost every action sequence after episode 32 or so, though? It feels like a cruel undercutting of the series' emotional maturity (though not bad enough that it didn't leave kids everywhere, myself included, with extreme nostalgia for the series and an emotional attachment to it). Music choices in the dub are very of-the-time loud and attention grabbing, so keep that in mind when selecting your choice of dub or sub.

At the end of the day, though, sub vs. dub for a newcomer I think will boil down to individual preference, and if the new comer can handle some occasionally hokey dialogue.

(->Bonus section for specifically the OVA "Digimon: Our War Game." it takes place between 01 and 02, and is overall just dope as hell. Finally watched this subbed the other day and the contrast between it and the dub are fascinating. I'm not elaborating right now though, but most of what I said above in the Adventure section applies here.)

->Adventure 02: I'm not sure I would jump straight into it without watching Adventure, but if your friend likes Adventure, then why not try the direct sequel? It's a little bit hit or miss for me at some times, but my most recent rewatch of the dub in 2020 was still a primarily enjoyable experience. It does some interesting things with the world Adventure introduced us to!

However, some of the same dub warnings still apply, as well as the fact that one of the main characters features heavily in the never-localized Wonderswan games.

Says in my notes here that I also wrote down that this series was "also pretty gay imo" and "if you do end up watching it, you'll understand why."

I have yet to watch this series subbed, and may report back once I remedy that.

(->The third OVA, "Hurricane Touchdown" takes place halfway through Adventure 02 iirc. It exists, and I've never watched the subbed version.)

(->The movie "Digimon X-Evolution:" a standalone movie released with Digimon World 4. It's about genocide and supercomputers. It was never dubbed into English, so thank God for fansubbers, the real MVPs. I would only recommend this movie if your New Digimon Fan friend can handle retro 3D animation. If they can get past it, this standalone story is pretty good.)

(->Extra long bonus segment on Digimon: The Movie (aka the dub quilt project FOX Kids mashed together out of three different OVAs): but like mostly for the meme. Like the dub is iconically funny?? It is whiplash incarnate, it's trying to use dubbing tricks to tie three unrelated stories together, it's...

It's a goddamn mess. I play this for friends I'm close with who I can't otherwise get into Digimon because at least they get to experience one of the most bizarre things I've had the pure joy of watching as a fan of this series. Our brother and I would rewatch this movie every year or so, sometimes just to see the dubbed section from Our War Game, sometimes to just revel in the sheer chaos.

However, if your New Digimon Fan friends have any interest in Adventure and 02, this movie spoils quite a bit of both series.

If that all sounds good, strap on in for some late 90s cheese. Whether that's gourmet or gone bad is dependent on how much nostalgia you have for dial-up shrieking.)

->Digimon Savers (or Data Squad, I guess?): depending on if you're watching the sub or dub, this is series 5, Digimon Savers or Data Squad. Personally, I would seriously recommend watching this subbed. The dub is watchable... kinda (unlike another series we'll be talking about), but be prepared for a lot of bizarre artifacts thanks to some Google Translate-tier work.

Digimon names suffer pretty bad in this regard, as well as one of the main antagonists. Also, like Adventure, a little bit of that lore perfume is lost in shipping. I have more on this topic I want to say in an essay I'll probably end up writing, but at the end of the day, both are still watchable.

This series is basically "Men in Black, but what if Digimon instead of aliens?" It explores themes of xenophobia and even a little sprinkling into corruption of the state (if you squint, that might just be me reading into it though). It's actually tied with Tamers as my favorite series, but because of some, uh... reasons... I'm hesitant to recommend this above what all I've said so far.

Our main character is a street fighter that regularly punches Digimon in the face so hard he can digivolve his partner.

No I am not joking. If that sounds like something your New Digimon Fan friends like, however, please watch it. The juxtaposition of Marcus digging his fist into a Mega Level digimon and the serious tone of some of the show is just. God. I love Savers.

->Xros Wars: I did not finish Boy Who Leapt Through Time so I'm not going to be getting into it. Sorry.

That said, at times, Xros Wars can kind of feel like a lot. It took me a lot of tries to get into it, personally, but once I did, I ate through it. The series differs from prior series in the way its Digimon mechanics work, but that might not be an issue for newcomers to the franchise.

In this series, factions vie for control of the Digital World through literal representations of different zones called Code Crowns. The main character's faction is helmed by the underdog self-proclaimed King of Digimon, Shoutmon, fighting against the Bagra Empire.

I'm fairly certain there's an entire genre of anime this series is styled after. I would tell you the genre if I knew it, though, so you'll just have to take that light summary above lol.

Do not watch the dub. You will regret it. The dub of this series was aired on Nick and heavily censored as a result.

HONORARY MENTIONS:

->Ghost Game: for if you want Digimon but what if it was Scooby Doo shenanigans for 67 episodes (but extra scary! this is a horror anime!). Idk, I don't have much to say. I liked this series, but from what I gather most people have a mixed reception for it, which is totally understandable. It's a better series for people who like the relatively plot-lite variety of episodic narratives, as opposed to Digimon's usual plot-thickening variety of episodic narratives.

->Frontiers: Digimon, but what if instead of partner Digimon, the humans turned into Digimon "Power Rangers" style? It's alright. That's the most my opinion on it really goes. It's only placed here because I have nothing super interesting to say about it unfortunately, so my persuasive efforts are a little moot. It has its fans, though!

->Applimon. I've heard nothing but good things about this series. I have not watched it.

OTHER DIGIMON MEDIA:

->Tri as an anniversary sequel to the Adventure series is... a little bit complicated. It references a lot of lore that didn't make it to the dub, so if you're watching it and confused... yeah, I was there too when I watched it.

->Last Evolution Kizuna is the sequel to Tri... I think? I haven't watched it. I'd like to, just because I'm curious. Other people can speak better to it though.

->02: The Beginning is the newest OVA. It also exists! I haven't seen it. Takes place after Kizuna.

->Also, there are a whole bunch of other OVAs that I really didn't put down here outside of the Adventure canon because all the series up to Xros Wars had an OVA or two. The only reason I know about where to put the Adventure OVAs is thanks to an old review blog I read a few years back. If I can find it, I'll edit the blog's name in here.

A friend said he's interested in watching digimon!! I just gotta figure out which one to start him with.

I'm leaning towards Tamers personally... just because it's a little more darker and might hook him in more. I've actually only seen Tamers one time all the way through too, back when it was on TV

#sky talks #i may have spent about an hour and a half editing and expanding this lol #if this is helpful to at least one person though it's worth it #and even if not i can use it for recommending digimon series to my friends in the future afdkjbakjdfba

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katwritessometimes · 4 years ago

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A masquerade themed collab piece for @lemonlordleah-shinzawa-kitten Citrus Dome Server

Read the other entries here!

Warnings/tags: Smut, Super slight exhibitionism/voyeurism (threat of being caught)

6k ish words (shout out to my lovely @teddieh for keeping me on track and helping me thirst over the discount Pikachu we all love lol)

Read it on Ao3

"Masquerade balls were something you’d only ever heard about in movies. You couldn’t deny the prospect was intriguing; donning your most elegant attire, confidence boosted by your anonymity, and the intoxication brought on by such a magical atmosphere. You and your fellow partygoers were almost doomed to desire, inhibitions washed away long before the wine and spirits started to flow.

The mystery, majesty, and potential for mischief were far too enticing to resist.

So, when you received an invitation to Midnight’s Masquerade, you didn’t think twice about accepting…"

Midnight spoke to you often about the extravagant galas she threw at least once a month. The hero had taken a liking to you ever since you started dating one of the up and coming hero’s at her agency Chargebolt. You couldn't deny the idea of attending one of her grand parties sounded appealing. Though you shrank back just as hard at the idea of being surrounded by Japan's top heroes. You’d met a handful of Denki’s pro friends, you'd even hung out with them fairly regularly, namely Sero sometimes Kirishima, and Hitoshi. But you knew he’d gone to school with a lot of Japan’s biggest names.

A soft hum leaves your lips as you shuffle through your mail, an elegant black envelope catching your eye. The matted black paper standing out from the normal sea of white, a delicate swirling blue pattern accenting the black. You drop the rest of the mail, attention immediately captured by the expensive and intricate-looking paper peeling back the pretty wax seal.

From: Mistress Midnight

You are cordially invited to Midnight's Masquerade. Join me and all the other guests in a night full of fun, mischief, and anonymity.

A black-tie event, Don't forget your mask~

You pause for a moment eyeballing the card, this was the first time Midnight sent you an official invitation. Normally offering you an invitation verbally. You smiled, she must have finally gotten tired of you trying to talk your way out of her invites in the moment. Before you could give it much thought you check off attending in the appropriate little box and tuck the rsvp card in the little mail-back envelope already provided. You smile at the Hero Midnight themed postage stamp dropping the card off by your keys so as to not to forget to mail it before moving on with your day.

You spend the next few weeks searching for the perfect dress, Kaminari reassuring you that nothing you could pick would be too much for one of Midnights parties. Still, you were a little hesitant to buy anything too insane. When you did finally come across the perfect dress the choice is easy scooping it up quickly with a wide smile on your face.

Three days before the gala Denki saunters into your shared bedroom with a shit-eating grin on his face. You raise your eyebrow at him as you dry your hair, fresh out of the shower in your favorite fluffy robe. Eyes immediately focusing on Denki who was clearly hiding something behind his back.

"Whatcha got there Kami?" You humm as your blond counterpart holds out a small not so elegantly wrapped box waving it at you. You laugh tossing the towel you’d dried your hair with to the side before crossing the distance towards Denki.

"Oh come on now Sunshine, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told ya what it was now would it?" Kaminari teases. You roll your eyes at him adjusting your bathrobe before taking the small box from him. You give him a playfully suspicious squint before tearing at the paper as Kaminari fully closes the gap between you. A warm strong arm settles around your waist as Kaminari presses himself against you. You relax into his hold absent-mindedly accept a kiss from him as you unwrap the gift fully.

Heat flashes through you as you get a peek at the present, finally understanding why Denki had walked in with the shit-eating grin on his face. You hear Kaminari chuckle as he leans in again, nuzzling at your cheek with his nose, his hot breath ghosting over your still slightly wet skin. You shudder pulling away from him a little to look at the small box in your hand. “Is this?” You mumble as your boyfriend’s hand begins to worm its way into the robe you’re wearing. Warm callous fingers exploring the soft plush flesh hiding underneath the soft fabric.

“I just thought.” Denki stars leaning back down towards you again. “We could have a little fun at the masquerade.” he hums lips brushing your collar bone. You stare at the toy through the transparent section of the packaging, light purple in color in a distinct U shape. One end of the toy had a rounded end while the other had a more flat textured end. Kaminari nips at your neck before pulling away from you, pushing the bathrobe off your shoulders exposing you to him. The cool air of the bedroom hits you all at once, your skin erupting into gooseflesh and your nipples slowly pebbling. Kaminari takes the toy from you, the ever mischievous smile on his face as he pulls it out of its packaging.

Kaminari holds the toy in one hand, the other coming down slowly to brush against your steadily warming cheeks. He hums as his hand trails down your neck, over your collarbone, and between your breasts before tumbling at your pert nipples. He chuckles as you whimper at the contact, continuing his decent warm callus fingers trailing down to your stomach before finally finding perch on your hip.

Denki lifts the toy up so that it is at eye level with you before speaking. “This end.” He says almost in a sing-songy voice thumbing at the rounded portion of the U shaped toy. The hand perched on your hip continues its descent down your body until his fingers are parting your folds. You shudder at the feeling, already worked up from his previous exploration of your body. You whine as he dips a tick warm finger into your aching core. “Goes inside of you here.” Kaminari’s voice is deep as he pumps his finger into you a few times. You squirm furrowing your eyebrows in frustration as he teases you.

“And this flat textured end.” Kaminari moves from the rounded end of the toy to the other flat textured end. The finger playing with your pussy leaving your warmth and you half whine half moan out his name in protest. Only to quiet again as Kaminari runs the finger now slick with your juices through your lips and up to your clit, pressing against the bundle of nerves in soft gentle circles. “Gets to stay nice and snug right here, pressed up against that pretty little clit of yours.” You moan at the stimulation, pressing yourself against him as he plays with you. Denki smiles, discarding the toy on the nearest surface before pressing a kiss to your lips. You whine into the kiss and Denki chuckles against your lips, his warmth leaves you all at once as he pulls away a smirk on his face. You’re left needy and pouting staring at the back of Denki's head as he walks over to the bedroom closet.

"Hey, hey no no get back here" you chirp once you settle yourself a little, watching your boyfriend put the toy away and shrugging off his jacket.

"Awe come on sunshine, where's your sense of dramatic build-up." Denki laughs leaning on the dresser, yellow eyes taking in your form. Naked bare, just for him and only him to indulge in, his gaze warms you up all over again despite the cold of the room.

"Dramatic build my ass, you came home got me all worked up. You'd be such a whiny bitch about it if I'd done that to you" You know you're being childish crossing your arms over your chest, even a small stomp of your foot for dramatic effect. The goofy smile on Denki's face never wavers, but you see it in the way his eyes turn from a bright yellow to deep honey gold. He’s in front of you in three long strides, his hand enveloping your face large fingers giving your cheeks a firm but gentle squeeze.

"Well Sunshine, I was going to play with you later after I'd washed off the day. But if you wanna keep mouthing off" Denki punctuates the last bit with a kiss to your nose. "You'll get nothing tonight, and I might not even go through with what I had planned for the party" His tone is firm but teasing and you definitely hold his gaze. He quirks an eyebrow at you still smiling, no real hint of disappointment with your bratty attitude on his face. You know you can keep mouthing off, get him to press you into the mattress, and fuck you just how you like. But you can tell when Denki is planning something, and his favorite form of punishment is denial. So you cave in with a sigh averting your eyes and resting the weight of your head against his grip with a dramatic sigh. Knowing that if you behave tonight you'll get to take part in whatever he's scheming for the next day.

“Good girl” Denki chuckles leaning in to kiss you fully on the lips, taking your bottom lip between his teeth, tugging at it lightly as he pulls away. Denki leaves you there a soft chuckle coming from him as he heads into the bathroom to wash off the day. You can't help the frustrated huff that leaves you.

You’re in bed when he comes out of the shower, spreading your legs for him in invitation when he spots you. Lust filled golden eyes rack over your body as you present yourself for him. Kaminari is on you in a flash, warm callous hands gripping your thighs harshly as he crawls up to your core. Large tongue lapping at your pussy, his fingers finding their way to your clit as he licks up your juices. Happy praise and teasing words spill from his lips as he eats you, keeping you panting and on edge all night denying you every time you’re near release until you're nothing but a blubbering crying mess beneath him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You squirm in the seat of the limo Midnight sent for you, fiddling with the intricate mask on your face in anticipation. You can feel the rounded end of the toy snugly inside of you, the flat textured end pressed up against your clit comfortably. Kaminari had devised a game to make the night more interesting, vibrator hot or cold he called it with a stupid smug grin on his face. You’d tested it out earlier that day, the insertable end stretching you nicely and when Kaminari activated the vibrating with his quirk it was strong but nice and quiet. Kaminari assured you no one would be able to hear the toy, but you would be lying if you said you didn't get a little bit of a thrill at the idea of possibly being caught.

Kaminari goes ahead of you to the masquerade the day of, parting ways before getting a chance to see your dress and sends you a text just as the limo you’re in pulls into the venue.

Kami: Don't forget, the stronger the vibration the closer you are. I'm already set up, ready when you are sunshine.

You shift your legs in anticipation at his text, a smile dancing on your lips. A soft sigh leaves you as you step out of the limo, taking a second to steady your nerves before heading into the venue. Briefly, you wondered if Midnight always pulled out all the stops like this. The entrance leads to a grand staircase, a gentleman taking your coat, and asking if you'd like your arrival to be announced. You thank him but decline before descending the staircase down to the main ballroom. Soft fairy lights and sheer blue fabrics draped over the banister as you make your way down the stairs to the main hub of the party.

A massive chandelier hangs up high illuminating the ballroom, bathing everything in a warm glow. There was already a healthy crowd of people mingling, everyone dressed in their most elegant outfits for the night faces adorned with equally intricate masks. Midnight had a clear black and blue color scheme going, intricate black flowers decorated the walls and some of the tables, accented by various shades of blue flowers.

You take a breath smoothing out your dress before searching the crowd for a familiar head of blond hair. You figured you’d take a strategic approach to finding Denki turning your attention first to the back corners of the ballroom eyes searching for familiar blond hair. A smile taking over your face as the toy buried in your cunt begins to vibrate gently indicating you'd started off in the right direction.

Despite your nerves at the beginning about not knowing anyone, this game of hot and cold you were playing with Denki made things much more bearable. You didn’t feel obligated to make idle chit chat with other random partygoers. Instead focused on finding your lovely boyfriend, the anxieties of having to socialize with strangers melting away. You head towards a door, the toy buried deep in your pussy speeding up significantly and you have to pause mid-step. Taking a deep breath to steady your nerves, bracing yourself against the door. You smile, pushing to open the door, certain Denki would be on the other side. “Found you!” the words come out playful tapering off in a soft moan.

You furrow your eyebrows when you realize the room is empty, it's some sort of small lounge, maybe a changing room for when there were performers in the venue. Vanity mirrors with soft lights run the length of one of the walls, a counter just underneath lined with chairs. A coat rack hanging in the back end of the room and a large fainting couch off to one side, another full-length mirror lining the opposite wall. You pout, the room was clearly empty despite the steady strong vibrations of the toy. With a sigh you close the door, leaning your back against it a little and you squeeze your thighs together. You didn’t think the toy would be much of a problem, the insert wasn't too bad. However, the portion that was snug against your clit providing steady simulation against the sensitive bundle of nerves was really starting to get to you. With a shaky sigh, you steady yourself and head off to see if you can find your favorite blond.

An hour and a half into the party you're dripping wet as you sit at the bar. You'd started your game with Denki twenty minutes into the party. Responding to the speed and his signals in an attempt to find your tease of a boyfriend. Though he was having none of it, the vibration peaking as you got closer sending shivers through you every time you finally caught a glimpse of the blond. Only to lose him in the crowd when the toy’s stimulation became too much, freezing you in your spot in an attempt to keep your composure. Denki disappearing while you’re distracted prolonging the game. You let out another frustrated sigh as the bartender refills your drink. Doing your best to squeeze your thighs together in an attempt to find some semblance of relief, Denki never lets the toy be consistent enough to allow you to find release. Edging you on and then turning the thing off just as your pleasure is about to spill over.

“I'm so happy you decided to come!” Midnight's voice snaps you out of your thoughts coming over to you. The ever-elegant woman is wearing a beautiful blue and black themed mask and gown, taking a spot next to you with a sly smile on her face. You smile back at her complimenting her dress and she waves her hand at you in dismissal.

“I saw Denki earlier with a shit-eating grin on his face but didn't see you. I wasn't sure if you were here at all.” You hum doing your best to pay attention but the toy deep inside of you started to vibrate intensely again, your walls fluttering as you clench around it. You try your best to hide the heat in your face and the tremble of your lips as the intensity of the toy continues to increase. Midnight chuckles resting her chin in her hand as she watches you, a sly grin on her face.

“I take it you're enjoying the gift Denki got you?” You choke on your drink at Midnight’s blunt words, sputtering a no as your face becomes incredibly heated. “Oh don't bother denying it, so what model did he end up going with?” Midnight leans closer to you the smirk on her face turned into a full-blown shit-eating grin. “Front and center, or center and back?” Midnight wiggles her eyebrows at you suggestively as you choke on your words trying your best to assure her it's not like that. “Little minx, I knew Pikachu was a freak, but I'm surprised you play along with him.” You groan unable to concentrate on anything as the toy begins to vibrate with the most intensity all night. You lay your head down in your arms on the counter, half-embarrassed by Midnight's words and half unable to function with the steady warmth pooling in your belly. You hear Midnight chuckle patting you softly on the back followed by the click of her heels as she walks away. Leaving you to pool in your embarrassment, upset that her words riled you up more than you’d already been despite the light tingle of embarrassment.

"Aren't you a pretty little thing." Kaminari's voice sends a chill down your spine. You stifle a moan sitting up and leaning into his warmth on instinct. Practically coming undone as the vibrator maxes out in speed. "You look absolutely stunning sunshine" His hand comes to rest on your bare shoulder, a spark of electricity shoots through you. You hum, doing your best to focus on his words as a steady pulsing being again against your clit.

“Den-” You can barely get your lover's name out as another spark that you know stems from Denki’s quirk running through you.

"Such a good girl, you've been holding on so well sunshine.” You let out a whimper and suddenly the toy goes completely still inside of you. You finally get the chance to turn your head looking up at your boyfriend for the first time that night. Any sort of sexual tension that’d been building over the night dissolves as you see his masquerade mask. You spiral into a giggle as your eyes meet lust-filled golden ones. You can’t focus on that though, all you can concentrate on is Denki’s mask as you try your best to stop your giggles. It’s vaguely mouse-shaped, black with golden details on it which on its own would be fine. The thing that pulled laughter from your lips was the awkwardly shaped snout that protrudes from the center of the mask golden whiskers coming out from where his cheeks would be.

“Really out of all the things you could have picked this is what you went with?” you chuckle reaching out to touch the whiskers on his mask as Denki pulls you out of your chair.

“I thought it was cool.” Denki pouts and you can't help yourself as you lean in for a kiss, the snout on his mask squishing against your own nose. Denki sighs pulling you towards the dance floor. You can't help the smile that takes over your face as he leads you into a slow waltz, a warm hand settling on the small of your back. You let Denki pull you in close, laying your head on his chest slowly swaying to the slow song together. Denki humming along with the music leaning his head against yours as you dance together.

You pull away from each other as the song ends, a joke about never expecting him to dance so slowly on the tip of your tongue but it melts away when your eyes land on his ugly mask again. You choke on your laugh, Denki lets out a snarl, a spark from his quirk flows through you, the vibrator inside of you springs to life. You bury your face into Denki’s chest muffling the moan that escapes you. “Not so funny when you can’t think straight huh sunshine?” Denki teases his grip on your waist tightening as he leads you off the dance floor. You pull away from him scrunching up your face in frustration as he smirks down at you. His usually bright yellow eyes blown out with lust turning them into that beautiful honey-gold color you loved so much.

“Need you” you mumble tugging on his arm with a pout.

“Someone's eager isn't she?” Denki teases letting you lead him along towards the back end of the venue. “Where are we going, sunshine?” you ignore him finding the room you’d first discovered earlier that night. “Sneaky thing, are you that impatient for me to fuck you?” A pleasant electric buzz spreads from where his hand is against the small of your back sending a shiver up your spine as you make your way into the still empty room.

Denki has you up on the counter within a breath of stepping into the dimly lit room. He’s on you then leaning down to kiss along your exposed collar bone. The whiskers on his mask tickling your cheeks, and you try your best to hold back a laugh at the sensation. Denki rolls his eyes as your snorts turn into a bubbly laugh. The snout on his mask twisted awkwardly and you can't help but laugh even harder.

"Awe come on Sunshine I'm trying to be romantic here" Denki whines a half-hearted pout on his lips. You try your best to stifle your laugh but can't help yourself. You reach out for Denki’s mask pulling it over his face and tossing it to the side. Denki beams up at you the dopey smile you love so much adorning his face as he helps you take your mask off as well.

“You did so well today Sunshine” Denki hums softly nuzzling his nose against yours before leaning in for a soft kiss. You smile into the kiss, fully intending on tease Denki about his odd little rat mask some more. Those thoughts however quickly melt away as warm hands sneak their way under your dress. Callous fingers sliding up your thighs, hiking your dress up along with them.

"Look at that you almost soaked through your dress” Denki chuckles, you whimper at his words embarrassment seeping into you. He continues to pull up the long skirt of your dress up and over your thighs before stopping holding the edge of the fabric up to your mouth. “Open” Liquid gold eyes sparkle as you open your mouth on command, taking the front end of the fabric into your mouth and out of the way. “Good girl” Denki praises a large warm hand stroking your cheek before trailing down to your chest. Denki gently pushes at your chest forcing you to lean back a little against the counter before sinking down to his knees.

Denki presses his nose against the warmth of your thigh, trailing slow lazy kisses against your soft skin. He brings a hand up to your thigh, squeezing the plush flesh of your legs as he makes his way to your already soaked center. Denki squeezes, a gentle shock trailing from his fingers and igniting the toy. You cry out, sounds muffled by the fabric stuffed in your mouth. Denki chuckles fingers trailing the outline of the toy currently buried in your pussy through your panties. You whine as he begins to tug on it gently, your walls camping around the toy not wanting him to pull it out just yet. You huff out a muffled “no” and Denki laughs sitting back a little tugging your panties down, a simple elegant lace. He smirks tucking it into his breast pocket before turning his attention to you again.

You hear Denki’s breath hitch as he finally turns his attention to your core. “Awe you're quivering.” he teases and you try to reach out to tug at his hair but he stops you with a tut. The toy is still vibrating as Deki slowly trails his finger around it, pressing his finger along the soft silicone. You take in a sharp breath, not expecting the extra intrusion and your chest flushes, warmth pooling in your cheeks in anticipation of where you think this could be going. Denki peaks up at you, his eyes blown with lust “What do you think sweetie, can you fit me in there too?.” your eyes widen at the thought and Denki begins to pump his finger into you the vibrations against you clit speeding up ever so slightly.

Denki stands up to his full height then, gripping your thighs and pulling you flush against him. “Please” you whimper out through the fabric in your mouth, way too worked up after all the stimulation you’d endured all day. Denki’s teasing smirk turns soft, pulling the fabric from between your lips before leaning down all the way to kiss you soft and gentle. He picks you up with ease, the perks of dating a pro hero, and heads off in the direction of the fainting couch in the corner.

“You were so good for me today, played along all night, I think my baby girl deserves her reward yeah?” Denki mumbles against your lips as he carries you, you hum a “please” into the kiss. Denki settles you on the small couch, guiding you onto your hands and knees before positioning himself, his own self-control waning. He bunches up your dress in one hand, fingers exploring your dripping core, the light purple toy still buzzing away in your over-stimulated cunt.

“I think you're more than ready don't you?” Denki hums and you feel it when he finally begins to press himself into you joining the soft silicone toy in your drenched pussy. You cry out in bliss as he finally penetrates you, a delicious stretch as he presses in deeper alongside the toy. You and Denki had played with toys together before but you'd never taken him and a toy at the same time in this way.

A shudder runs through Denki as he finally settles fully into you, using his quirk to ease the vibrations of the toy that was now also pressed snugly against his cock. “Fuck” he huffs out leaning his head against your back. You giggle through your haze “Yeah it's not so easy when that thing is vibrating up a storm is it.” You tease and Denki begins snapping his hips without mercy at your retort.

The hand not holding onto your dress comes up to grasp at your scalp pulling your hair and angling your head back allowing him to lean over against your ear while he fucks you. “Don't appreciate the snark darling.” Denki hisses in your ear before trailing open-mouthed kisses against your neck and exposed shoulder. You whine and his hand trails down from your hair to squeeze at your breasts over your dress. He manages to pull them out somehow, small pleasurable shocks running through you after every tweak and pinch of your nipples, complement of his quirk. You loved the way his electricity ran through you, a pleasant buzz that always felt intimate somehow since it was his quirk.

“You’re fucking soaked baby, taking me and the toy so well, you like being filled up like this don't you Sunshine? Stuffed nice and full with my cock?” You choke on your moans as he mumbles filth into your ear, too far gone to really respond in any way as he fucks into you. The stretch of his cock along with the toy gave you a feeling you'd never experienced before, one you knew you'd quickly want more of.

“Look over love.” Denki’s voice comes out almost in a growl as he fucks you, a moan slipping through your lips as you try your best to focus your lust hazed eyes in an attempt to comply with his request. Your brain is mush from the intense stretch of Denki pressing into you along side the toy providing consistent stimulation against your clit. You finally manage to lift your head from where he’d previously been pressing it against the couch. Your brain short circuits at the sight, the moan that leaves your mouth is filthy. You clench around Denki and the toy harder when your eyes land on the full-length mirror sitting parallel to you and Denki by the couch. Your breath hitches at the sight, you look completely fucked out of your mind.

Denki leans over you again, pressing you further into the couch as he continues to fuck into you. “Look at you, such a filthy mess. Letting me fuck you like this, with all those people just outside that door.” You whine, unable to take your eyes off the mirror. Denki’s tuxedo pants barely hang off his waist, your breasts spilling over the front of your dress. The long skirt of your dress held tightly in Denki’s grip pushed up and over your ass. “So good for me sunshine, greedy little pussy taking me so well. Look at how wet you are. Can you see your juices dripping down your thigh?” You whine as Denki continues whispering dirty things in your ear.

You drink in the view from the mirror, Denki's face is flushed red, his hair just as disheveled as yours. You focus on the way he looks fucking into you, the sight of his hips meeting your exposed ass, soft flesh giving way as you push back against him. You're able to watch Denki's face contort in pleasure for a moment before his honey gold eyes meet yours through the mirror and he gives you that goofy smile you love so much. You can't really process the feeling of watching yourself getting fucked, but you know that it makes the knot forming in your belly ever tighter.

“You’ve been so good for me tonight, do you think you deserve to cum sunshine?” the vibrator picks up again, strong pulses against your clit and you can't help the cry that leaves you. Denki shushes you hand coming over to cover your mouth his eyes never leaving yours through the mirror. You moan desperately into his palm, the sight of his fingers in your mouth through the mirror driving you insane. “Desperate little thing, it's almost like you want them to hear you. Is that what you want baby? Want someone to walk in on us and see how much of a greedy cock slut you are for me?” His words make you clench around him and he chuckles before pulling out and away from you fully. A desperately frustrated huff leaving you at the loss of contact.

You slump into the couch muscles sore, but the thought is quickly whipped away as the vibrator picks back up again. Denki helps you roll onto your back warm callous hands collecting the juices dripping down your thigh. With a smirk, Denki brings his slick coated fingers up to his mouth “So sweet just for me.” He purrs, trailing his fingers up your thigh again, small electric shocks stemming from his fingers and spread through your whole body, you can't help the plea's that slip from your lips.

“De- Denki please.” You whimper reaching your hands out to him, soft golden eyes staring into yours as he smiles down at you. “Alright come here Sunshine.” Denki coos gently bunching up the front of your dress, pulling the delicate fabric up and having you hold it in one hand. Denki ever so gently pulls the toy out of you, a desperate whine slipping from your lips, displeased with the feeling of being empty but the thought is quickly dispelled as he sinks into you again. Denki leans into you for a kiss guiding your legs up to settle on his hips as he picks up his pace again.

“So fucking sexy Sunshine, you feel so good like this my beautiful baby girl.” You bring a hand up to his hair tugging on it slightly. Denki chuckles warm callus fingers finding their way to your clit causing you to cry out. “You held on for so long sunshine, you did so good. But now it's time to let go yeah? Do you think you can do that for me, baby, do you think you can cum all over my cock like a good girl?” You don’t answer, unable really to form coherent thoughts, but concentrate instead on Denki. The sound of his thighs slapping against your ass as he fucks you, the way his hair feels beneath your fingers, the previous images of your reflections in the mirror. The delicious stretch of his cock as he fucks into you, his warm finger circling your clit, the filth he's whispering in your ear. Your eyes meet his honey-gold ones, Denki gives you a soft love-struck smile leaning in to kiss your forehead, then another tenderly on your lips.

“That’s my girl, I've got you,” Denki mumbles into your hairline, a gentle shock from his quirk on your already abused clit sends you over the edge and your cumming. Your cries are muffled against his tux jacket as Denki fucks you through your orgasm. You shut your eyes tight, toes curling in your heels. The pleasure that had been building all night finally releasing in a wave.

You go limp as your orgasm subsides, Denki stilling in you. Trailing kisses along your face and stroking your hair as you come down from your high. You bask in each other for a moment, nuzzling into his neck a happy content sigh leaving you. Denki pulls out of your abused pussy a few moments later and you whine. He chuckles teasing you about how pretty you look fucked out like that, juices dripping down your thigh but you can't really concentrate on his words.

You hear him as he cleans himself up before helping you sit up peppering your face with soft kisses, the smile never leaving his face. “God, I love you so much you know that?” He helps you up and you smile, leaning up for a kiss as he helps you off the couch and onto unsteady legs. Denki coos helping you smooth down your dress, and fiddles with your hair. You fuss with his clothes, fixing his tuxedo jacket and tie when you're done, he pulls you into his side and you both take a quick look in the mirror.

Laughter spills over both of your lips at the sight, Denki’s hair is a mess from where you’d been gripping it like crazy. Your dress is a little crooked and your lips are swollen, you chuckle as Denki wipes at the thighs of his pants. “At least it's dark, no one will notice it's wet.” You roll your eyes at him and turn to him fully leaning up a little bit to kiss him on the lips.

“I love you.” You whisper, Denki’s goofy grin goes soft as he strokes your cheek.

“I love you too Sunshine.” the soft smile on your face turns wicked then leaning down to pick up your discarded masks and the toy Denki had tossed on the floor.

“So, do you wanna mingle some more,” You ask with a smile on your face as you pull your mask on and hand Denki his.

“Or?” He asks adjusting the mask to his face head tilted cutely to the side as you open the door to the ballroom the noise of the party flooding into your small sanctuary. Denki comes over and you lean up to kiss his cheek.

“Or we can go home, and you can let me wrap my lips around your cock and return the favor.” you whisper into his ear, the way his golden eyes light up is all the answer you really need.

You catch Midnight waving as you and Denki head out for the night, a knowing smirk plastered on her face. Denki chuckles rubbing the back of his neck as you duck out of the venue throwing a wave behind him.

“She’s never gonna let this go is she.” You chuckle leaning your head against Denki as you settle into the limo for the ride home. He laughs, taking your hand in his and running this thumb over your knuckles before bringing your hand up to his lips.

“What that we fucked at one of her parties? No probably not.” you both break out in soft giggles as another mischievous idea sparks in the blond.

#kaminari denki #denki kaminari #my hero academia #my hero academia fic #kaminari smut #mha kaminari #mha fanfic #my hero fanfic #denki #denki kaminari imagine #kaminari x reader #kaminari denki x reader #kaminari denki x you #my hero academia reader fic #reader fic #kat writes #Lemon Lord Collab #my writing

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zehecatl · 3 years ago

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rec post for @f-eef that got too long for its own good, and is now just. a general rec post i guess

(as of writing, today is the steam summer sale! writing this before that goes live, so no guarantee everything on here is on sale, but! most of these are older games, so it’s likely. keep them in mind~)

- Iconoclasts my absolute favourite game, ever (along with OFF, but shh), if you check out one game from this list, let it be this one. it’s a genuinely almost flawless package, with gorgeous pixel art, fun gameplay, a really good story, and a cast of characters i just. adore. it’s so so so good, and three years later, i’m still not over it

- The Binding of Isaac so there’s this genre called roguelikes, wherein the whole gimmick is that, when you die, you gotta start from the Very Beginning; and the ‘point’ is getting better and better at the game, until you win! it’s super easy to just, play a few runs (they generally don’t last that long!), and then go on with your day, so it’s a really fun game to just waste time in, if you just wanna chill with some game. and, in my personal opinion, Isaac is the best roguelike game, with so much stuff to unlock, a whole slew of items to play with, and so much content it’s kind of unreal. i definitely think the DLCs are worth picking up, but it’s mostly for more content than like. actually being necessary

- Terraria it’s minecraft, but 2D. unlike MC, it’s got a bit of guidance, which i personally prefer, with bosses to fight and such. an absolutely BLAST with other people too

- A Hat in Time a 3D platformer, ala Mario, that’s just. super charming. it’s also really fun to play. i haven’t actually played the DLC’s, since i played it way back, but i’ve heard good things about Nyakuza Metro, which does look super slick, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

- Slime Rancher you are a slime rancher. you ranch slimes. it’s honestly just wholesome as hell, and just exudes happy vibes. mostly for running around and collecting slimes, ngl

- The Messenger really funky retro game, wherein you play a ninja on a mission. it’s primary draw is definitely in its gameplay, but there’s a surprising amount of story for this kind of genre? i honestly really just like this one. it’s neat

- Underhero you play as a cute minion, who kind of like. managed to kill the hero. and whoops, guess you’re doing his job now? it’s got that undertale vibe, though i’d say it’s less polished than it. HOWEVER, it’s absolutely lovely and it’s climax is REALLY good

- Hatoful Boyfriend bird dating sim. trust me. the ‘secret’ finale route is just. *chef’s kiss* fantastic

- Night in the Woods if you don’t mind having a very poignant sad time, oh my god, i could not recommend NITW more. it perfectly captures that period when you’re done with school, and suddenly your whole life is stretching before you, and you feel so so fucking lost, and overwhelmed and pained with it. it’s just. so good. a sadness worth experiencing

- Shovel Knight another retro game! this one is, pretty much, the king of the genre, and for very good reasons. the first one (shovel of hope) doesn’t have much story, but the latter ones really add on it. they’re honestly just, really solid games! with funky knight characters!!!

- Hyper Light Drifter man, it’s just a masterpiece. everything about it is perfect. it’s been like, five years, and it’s still one of the very best indie games

- Tell Me Why it’s currently free for june! and it’s a story game! plus, if you like the genre, the devs got the ‘Life Is Strange’ serie(s) to delve into!

- Cat Quest honestly, i just really like this little game. the gameplay is SO much fun, and everything else is just. really charming :’)

- Yoku’s Island Express metroidvania, where you play as a dung-beetle post officer, and the gimmick is that it’s pinball-y! it’s really fun, and very cute and just an all around good time :)

- Owlboy you play as an owl boy! named Otus! and you can fly around, and there’s GORGEOUS pixel graphics, and a neat story, and just. the BEST cast of characters. it’s delightful

- Yuppie Psycho + Count Lucanor just gonna bundle these two together, because they’re both REALLY GOOD. YP is the newer one, and is therefore probably ‘the better one’, but i like them both a ton! they’re 2D horror, but i wouldn’t say they’re that spooky? though that might just be because they’re pixel games! you explore spooky place, and weird stuff happens around you. just a really fun time :)

- Angels of Death my FAVOURITE rpgmaker game, it’s main draw is, a 100%, the main characters and the relationship that develops between them. i just love it a whole lot, and it’s got that lil’ tinge of horror that i, personally, fucking adore. there’s actually an anime based on this, but i haven’t seen it myself!

- Celeste curve ball! it’s a 2D platformer! it’s really good, got a ton of accessibility features, and has like. the tightest gameplay- and, on top of that, surprisingly emotional story!

- Bastion putting Bastion here, because it’s actually the only one i’ve properly played, but you could probably buy any of the Supergiant Games, and come out satisfied. Bastion is the oldest of the bunch, and is definitely a bit less polished for it, but i personally adore it; the gameplay probably hasn’t aged that well, but i think the story and presentation more than makes up for it

- The Darkside Detective funny point and click adventure, with great wit, and a pair of characters i kind of simply adore. it’s main draw is definitely its humour

- Littlewood very wholesome and chill farming game, that feels more like an RPG than something like stardew valley- i’d not recommend it over SV, but if you want more of SV, Littlewood might scratch that itch!

- Pony Island + The Hex absolutely adore both of these, though if i had to rec only one, it’d probably be Pony Island? they’ve both got that undertale-off vibe, though Pony Island definitely leans harder into it. very interesting plays, both of them

- Oxenfree another horror-ish game! primarily story-focused, but oh boy, what a story! i’m a BIG fan of this game, and the sequel was recently announced too! definitely worth a look if you like ghost shenanigans

- Creature in the Well wasn’t a 100% sure if i should rec this, but beside the finale boss, i really enjoyed my time with this! it’s this weird pinball inspired hack and slash, with some amazing vibes

- Kindergarten 1 + 2 they’re just fun little games okay. the 2nd is much more fleshed out, but the 1st one is really fun too

- the Henry Stickmin collection I JUST... LIKE THESE GAMES A LOT... i think you can find the old versions somewhere on the internet, if you wanna check them out first? idk, they’re fun!

- LIMBO + INSIDE personally, i like INSIDE more, but both of these are classics, and also they’re made by a danish team, and i like them a WHOLE LOT

- The Final Station i could not tell you why i like this game as much as i do, but oh my god. i love this game? it’s got a dying world, neat pixel graphics, big zombie apocalypse vibes, and a weird little story

- Year Walk i love Year Walk :)

- Smile For Me if you liked undertale’s lovely cast of characters, oh boy, you’d likely LOVE this game! it’s really, really, fantastic, and the epilogue (not in the actual game lol) hit me right in the feels

- Pikuniku just a fun little game! there’s not really much there, in the grand scheme of things, but it’s a wonderful little play, one of those games that just sets out to give you a good time, and absolutely success. i like it a lot :’)

- A Short Hike wonderful game, where it’s more about exploring the island than actively finishing the game. it’s real wonderful

- ULTRAKILL ANOTHER CURVEBALL! no idea if you like FPS, but oh my god. ULTRAKILL is so fucking good. just an absolute blast to play. there’s a demo to check out, and i’d definitely recommend it, because if it’s a genre you might like, you’ll love this one (OH also it’s in early access, which means it’s not finished yet! personally, i don’t mind that, especially considering this is more gameplay focused, but ya’ know!)

- My Friend Pedro it’s honestly just really fun to play, and sometimes i still think about the implied lore, and go all !!!!

- Little Misfortune another point and click! this one is pretty short, and is set within the same universe as their other game, Fran Bow, which is much bigger, but idk. i like this one. it’s dark cute

- This Strange Realm of Mine i honestly dunno how to explain this one, because it’s kind of weird and a bit odd, but i really like it, in all its weird poetic glory. it’s neat!

- Donut County you’re a terrible racoon who’s ruined the whole city with holes. it’s great and i love it

- OneShot another ‘gives me undertale vibes’, though this one was in development before UT, if i recall correctly! it’s so good, and it’s got some fantastic meta bits, and i love Niko. i love Niko so much

- Inmost gorgeous vaguely spooky game with a neat story... my favourite genre

- Sayonara Wild Hearts i’d call this more of a spectacle than anything else, but oh my god. what a spectacle it is! the OST is amazing, everything about it just hits right, and even if you suck at the gameplay (which i did), it really doesn’t matter, in my opinion? it’s just great all around!

#ze.txt #the sale likely just went live so #steam sale #hope there's something here to your taste feef!#i honestly haven't been playing any 'real' games in. A WHILE? so all of these are older-ish #and there's a bunch of good new games out there!#but here's my little rec post of older games :')#that i have. actually played #i think inmost is the only one i never finished? plus TECHNICALLY oneshot since it got a BIG update after i played it but shhhh #also TECHNICALLY also ultrakill but that's in ea so it doesn't count okay #i just love ultrakill so much. i had to rec it. I HAD TO #also keep in mind some of these probably require a mouse!! i know ultrakill DEF does #but you might have one?? i usually play on my big pc so i. would not know #oh also DST does have a single player version which is very good also

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muffinrecord · 4 years ago

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Honestly, re-reading Kazumi is like:

Warning: spoilers for the manga.

Wow this has a lot more fan service than I remember.

Why am I supposed to sympathize with this man who wants to bomb a place and not the detective who is trying to stop him?

Wow this has a lot more fan service than I remember.

You know, for such a hugely bloated cast, they actually do a pretty good job making sure each character is distinct from one another and has plenty of character + character development. Some of these characters are better realized than the ones introduced in Magia Record, and these Kazumi ones have way less screen time.

Wow this has a lot more fan service than I remember.

Is there another word for “fan service?” Because that implies I am a fan getting something out of this and that is completely not true. In fact, this is a fan disservice.

Wow this has a lot more fan disservice than I remember.

Things sure do fucking just happen in Kazumi, don’t they? One thing happens and then another, and then another.

Like, the things that happen are interesting but also they just happen. a lot.

Like the whole Yuuri thing could have been an entire series on its own but here it’s like a small footnote.

I don’t remember the girls going up on crosses. Huh.

Wow this has a lot more fan disservice than I remember.

Kaoru is literally the best character from Kazumi and I will fight anyone who disagrees.

The scene where Kazumi remembers she was previously wanting to get her old memories back... Only to realize she has no previous memories still hits like a truck, emotionally speaking. I don’t even like her character that much, the concept is just upsetting and sad enough on its own.

We have this long, sad but interesting look into why the characters are doing what they do (capturing megucas to prevent witchdom) and then Satomi comes out of nowhere and wants to kill Kazumi and I’m sorry but I laughed.

Wow this has a lot more fan disservice than I remember.

Why the fuck is everyone always in pain, crying, or in the process of dying here.

Nico is so good, even if she dies super early on. Sorry Nico.

Saki loving Michiru, and Mirai loving Saki, and Saki not really giving a shit about Mirai is kind of hilarious.

This series is so embarrassing to read with all the goddamn weird shots and ugly, gross outfits that I could never, in good conscious, recommend it to anyone, which is a shame because it has a lot of interesting ideas and I think the characters themselves are kind of great. Even when someone dies, we’ll still be shown flashbacks that fully flesh them out. Yeah, there is a lot of random shock value but I think that this series does a thing where it has shock value deaths but also doesn’t belittle or forget the characters after doing so.

But back to the ideas themselves-- I love that we have a character made out of witch meat (??) who is grappling with her urges to be witch-like. I like that we have these weird pseudo-witches who are really reminiscent of Pretty Cure (as they are normal people who return to being people afterwards and have petty motivations like “ur makeup sucks”). The questions around how wishes can make artificial people and how those artificial people would feel about it is interesting and I think the series could have done more to explore it.

One of these days I want to liveblog the manga, but also like, I feel like over half of it would be me posting screencaps screaming WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS NONSENSE so maybe I shouldn’t?

Also Kaoru is literally the best and I love this girl who has such a strong sense of justice that she’s willing to stand up to her team to do the right thing. I’m so glad I have her back on JP. I kind of want to do all of her SE to 60/60 just in honor of how good a person she is.

I mean no offense to Kazumi fans for my opinions-- though, I think even big fans would agree that some of the artwork is exploitive to the teenagers in it. There is certainly a lot going on in Kazumi though.

#Muffin Record #Kazumi Magica #Madoka Magica #Kaoru Maki #Nico Kanna #Mirai Wakaba #Satomi Usagi #Yuuri Asuka #Airi Anri #Kazumi #Spoilers

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ihatebnha · 2 years ago

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Ok but on the topic of fic genres, I’d have to say yes, I mostly don’t like enemies to lovers. I guess mostly because I just can’t handle angst?? I’d much rather see friends to lovers, strangers to lovers, or just anything that doesn’t involve angst, most nights I’d rather go my day without even seeing angst. And it gets sort of hard with feeling this way when I see all of this sort of angst and noncon and like I know people have preferences and they want to indulge in them which I hope they enjoy because it’s content they like!! But at the same time seeing just one genre dominate the rest is really tiresome to me, it’s hard trying to find fluff or anything like that with so much of the trope enemies to lovers popping up everywhere. It might just be me and my personal feelings on the matter but I much prefer sitting on a park bench in the rain with my fav holding their hand and laughing than having gut wrenching angst make me just deflate. But my heart goes to those who write that angst and the rare good ETL trope because they work hard on it and I’m glad their work gets to be shared [although sometimes the amount of reblogs is disappointing, but that’s a topic for another day]

….ok this was longer than i thought it would be

LOOOL no worries (me too, smh) <333

honestly, even though it's not the highlight of your words, i think you said it pretty well with "rare good ETL (enemies to lovers, for those new to the convo) trope..." because i would say execution is actually one of its main problems.

no hate to ANYONE of course, but so much of ETL is just like... super aggressive fighting and arguing, which is part of it, yes... but can also be done SO poorly to the point where it leads to everything else sorta falling apart, too.

and i think that's where enjoyment gets affected, as you talk about... because when i (we) look for romance, i want it to be romancey! not angsty!!!

...so when it takes too long to get there, isn't properly fleshed out, the fighting is too harsh or doesn't make sense (which is a problem i often see with bakugo, i'd say, along with weird depictions of him, just in general)... it's SO easy to dislike the story, and why the rare, good ETL shine so brightly.

but idk! it's a complex issue outside of that too because i'd say that like... taste is just apart of it, just like how you talk about how you'd rather read something sweet... so it's a combo of both, you know?

but anyway. you really captured it all here LOL <3

(and i just want to clarify, like... i would say dark content such as noncon is separate from ETL because it exists for different purposes, like, for ex. catharsis... so in this situation, it doesn't apply the same ALTHOUGH i do know what you mean about being able to handle it/liking it)

kisses!!!

#hopefully this makes sense #ive started and stopped like 5 asks and have all felt like my language has been off #but yea... this made me realize the reason etls are so weird #and i think it's what we all know but haven't verbalized... which is... it's easy to write a bad ETL lol and most people DO #and some people have more tolerance for anger/tension than others... which greatly skews the opinions of it #but also like. im so critical of stuff if i feel like things arent solved properly then im disturbed!!#haha lowkey i mean #but i want things to align and for the headb*tting to make sense #not for it to just be there for the sake of ... idk #and thats where it gets lost #the romance aspects too bc... when its done well it's not really angst? it's just storytelling #but anyway i feel for u anon #because seeing super argumentative stuff w/ bakugo just makes me roll my eyes LOOOOL like #so often its so bad #and tbh? where are the ETL reader inserts for characters like deku #i'd love to see it #anyway #BYE #ask #anon #caitie chats #booktoks tw #so u can tag <3

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dreamboatmomota · 3 years ago

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whatever you wanna talk about get as long as you want i want to see it !!

I want more details on oumota's relationship development too !

rubbing hands together...you are treating me thats for sure HEHE

i'll stick it under a read more so people that arent interested wont have to scroll a bunch to get past it!! THANK YOU FOR ASKING THOUGH i love talking about my AUs so much and it makes me so excited knowing other people wanna hear about it :sob:

for kaito and ouma's relationship, it is absolutely not friendly at first. kaito sees ouma as nothing but someone who wants to watch the world burn (ha) and ouma thinks kaito is naïve and knows very little about how the world works, which is a lot like galo and lio but thats kind of inevitable HAHA at first their rivalry is very one sided because of how ouma feels, kaito is just another annoying, close-minded firefighter. but when he catches kaito's spark of fire, he picks on him a LOT trying to get him to cough up his secret and face his hypocrisy and kaito's like "IDK WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!!" and for the most part he's kind of telling the truth since he's in denial about the whole thing. this isn't set in stone or very fleshed out but there'll probably be a scene in which kaito gets too ambitious in an ambush and gets himself captured since hes a and wants to be a sole hero, and ouma corners him and manages to get him to spark, which forces kaito to admit and accept that he's a burnish ouma doesn't think much of it at first, he's just satisfied to rub a firefighter's face in the dirt for once, especially one that's been so righteous all that time but. he realizes very quickly that once someone becomes a burnish there's no going back and that he can't exactly send kaito back knowing he'll get turned in for experiments and that no matter how annoying, he's gotta support other burnish. so he invites a very confused and lost kaito to their camp and comes to realize that kaito was never really a bad person but that he just had his head shoved very far up his ass about his own beliefs. even in their spars, kaito never had a problem with burnish themselves but that he just hadn't understood them very well (like galo). so ouma starts to treat him like he would any of his other subordinates and even though kaito is torn, it kind of helps lift his spirits and feel more accepted and once he comes to terms with everything he believed in becoming a lie, he's happy to work together to bring justice to everything (kinda like their plan in chapter 5...and the entire plot of promare tbh) so that pretty much sums up the details of it, i think they'd get very fond of each other and each one would kind of be like "how did i get this far without you in my life" mindset, like theyre just two puzzle pieces that had been lost all that time and now that they're together everything just makes sense. even if ouma wants to see the world burn. even if kaito is annoying. they realize they're not very different and that they work super well together as for anything i just wanna talk about, i'm kind of excited to incorporate maki!! i think she'd be a burnish, but she's a rogue because she doesn't trust other groups or think that revolution will change anything; she thinks they'd be safer if they separated from the non-burnish entirely because they can never change their minds (speaking from a place of fear). she still grew up in an orphanage, but had to fend for herself after she discovered she was a burnish and got shunned. i'd think she probably found some kind of clan of her own, probably burnish assassins, but she ran away because she thought it would hurt too much if someone she had cared about and got attached to got hurt since she believes its inevitable for burnish to get captured. so she stays isolated and works alone, only using her fire to defend herself i'll leave a list of my assignments and short ideas if i have them for everyone else!! kaede: burning rescue; their leader when kaito isn't talking over her and jumping head first into danger shuichi: burning rescue; their man of reason. same role as his detective work, essentially. he helps track burnish down during attacks gonta: burning rescue; he's their powerhouse and swears with his life to protect others miu: burning rescue; she basically takes lucia's mad scientist role and crafts up all the mech ! tenko: im not sure where i want her to reside on this, i think she'd work well with burning rescue. i definitely don't think she's a burnish though himiko: not sure with

her either, i think she'd be a non-burnish civilian rantaro: burnish civilian; hes very calm and doesnt really feel a need to use his powers or anything, but his sisters were captured and to him he's not sure why they had been taken or where they'd been taken to and the rage and confusion at losing them was what his abilities were born from. he doesn't trust the BR even though theyre very forgiving and determined to rescue everybody regardless of what they are, so he stays quiet about him being a burnish and wanting to rescue his sisters angie: burnish. i have no idea how she comes into play but she definitely recruits other burnish into her beliefs and it drives ouma nuts since he runs his own organization and her motives are entirely for personal gain kiyo: I HAVE NO IDEA. kirumi: no idea for her either, i figured she might work for the higher ups and even though it doesn't align with her beliefs, she's more dedicated to doing her job and is blinded by that.

tsumugi: right hand man of the higher ups. i think junko would probably fill kray's position but i have no idea how to flesh all that out rn HAHA ryoma: burnish; same backstory as his canon one, except he retaliated to the violence against his loved ones when his abilities appeared. he was immediately captured and accepted his life in confinement, even when faced with rescue/reluctant to accept escape

kiibo: I HAVE NO IDEA cuz hes already mech, i've leaned towards making him part of BR as one of miu's projects though

#anon #ask #oumota promare au #tagging it in case i ever want to come back to this as a point of reference #THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ASKING THIS ACTUALLY HELPED ME MAKE A LOT MORE THINGS CONCRETE NOW THAT ITS ALL WRITTEN OUT...

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blackswaneuroparedux · 4 years ago

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Anonymous asked: I really enjoy your erudite and literary posts about James Bond in your blog very much. Your most recent post about Connery as best cinematic Bond and Dalton as the best literary Bond was brilliant. Although the PC brigade have been inching towards making Bond a woman or even non-white, Ian Fleming’s legacy of a suave but cold hearted English gentleman spy hasn’t been completely trashed. As someone familiar with Fleming literary lore can you also tell me where was James Bond educated? Was it Oxford or Cambridge? I was having a discussion over Zoom with friends and the Oxonians like myself thought it was Oxford because in Casino Royale with Daniel Craig it’s made very plain it was Oxford. Your thoughts?

I appreciate your kind words about my posts on James Bond and his creator Ian Fleming. It’s very hard to ignore the cinematic James Bond because he is very much an icon of our modern culture that needs no translation to transcend across cultures. Alongside Sherlock Holmes, another British literary and cinematic export, the name alone speak for itself.

James Bond appeals to both genders very well.

For the men, Bond dresses well and lives in a care free way. He is both ferociously intelligent and resourceful to get out of any tight corner. He drives incredible cars (from the incredibly stylish Aston Martin DB5 to the incredibly awful AMC Hornet) and uses awesome technology (he is the archetypal boy with toys). He's not afraid to get down in the dirt to fight or engage in lethal gun-play and spectacular car chases. He sleeps with beautiful women, regardless how strong and independent they are (or even lesbian if we’re being honest about Pussy Galore).

For us ladies, while he's not averse to action, he's also a cultured gentleman with suave and sophisticated manners. He's also a generally pretty good looking guy. In many ways, he's a conventional male ideal. So while his conventional good looks and manners aren't for everyone, they hit right the sweet spot of what women like. For everyone, he's a spy! Not at a grey real world nondescript spy, but a cool spy fighting larger than life bad guys whose bland sartorial choices scream mad super villain. It's a very black and white world that James Bond lives in. These bad guys truly are villainous in the desire to re-order humanity, and we need a debonair British MI6 agent to save us from these mad men who want to harm us by laying waste to a bonkers Armageddon.

When all is said and done I think that what makes James Bond so iconic across gender and generations is what Raymond Chandler wrote back in 1959, “every man wants to be James Bond and every woman wants to be with him”.

That sounds about right. Men want to be him, women want to be with him.

I know my first introduction to James Bond was through my grandfather on my Anglo-Scots father’s side who was a dashing gentleman in his day with a long rumoured hush hush work for Her Majesty’s government firmly shoved under the carpet to avoid further discussion that he - being self-effacing and humble - would find embarrassing that would paint him in any heroic light. Years later he had bought his Bahamas beach pile in Harbour Island out in the Caribbean for the family to rest up from cold winters in Britain. Amongst his immense stack of books dotted around the place were (and still are) first editions of Flemings novels which a few were signed by the author as he on occasion met Ian Fleming when he would sail over to Jamaica (they were also OEs which helped). We were not allowed to touch these but instead picked up the dog earred paperbacks that still retained their 60s musty smell.

On my teen sojourns there I would spend time along with my siblings just reading anything we could find to take to the beach or lounge around in a hammock or a chaise longue. That’s how I came to read the Fleming books - really out of necessity to avoid boredom on a beach (which isn’t really my thing as I prefer the rugged outdoors). But I was pleasantly surprised how well written the books were and I actually enjoyed the stories; it was a refreshing change from the more heavy literary tomes I was trying hard to wade through. As for the Bond films, I watched them on film nights at boarding school; I remember having a school girl crush on Connery, Dalton, and Brosnan.

There are many reasons for the successful longevity of James Bond in popular culture and literature but perhaps one of the most pertinent to our discussion is that James Bond is actually a blank slate and therefore malleable as a character and so he can capture the current zeitgeist in time.

This ability of the film to adapt to different generations while remaining relevant is an important factor for its longevity. For example, the early James Bond films were unashamedly sexist with characters using women as objects and discarding them. In the most recent James Bond films, certainly starting with Timothy Dalton, there is a subtle change in attitude with a few chauvinist attitudes.

James Bond today is more serious, seduces fewer women, and is more respectful towards women in his life, including his boss. This shows how the film changes concerning the rise of feminism in the West. For example, Miss Moneypenny used to be a minor character in the very first James Bond films. Today, she is more formidable and doesn’t tolerate sexist remarks.

Perhaps it is precisely because of this blank slate malleability that has allowed different actors that have been cast to play James Bond their own way - rather than get a straight like for like Scottish sounding actor to replacing Connery for example the film producers went across to Moore via Lazenby for example - and letting each actor imbue the super spy with different moods. They each added their own colour from the same broad palate to create different tones. However, each of these characters maintained the essential character that defines James Bond. The actors have broadly stayed true to the inherent mix of character and class associated with James Bond.

For this reason I have some empathy towards your concern that Bond would be held hostage to the current zeitgeist of white washing or genderising everything so as to avoid being a victim of cancel culture. But it’s only empathy because I feel there is a danger of misunderstanding just who James Bond is and what he represents.

What do I mean by this?

I mentioned James Bond is a malleable character to the point he’s presented as a blank slate. This is ‘literally’ true - certainly as far as the books go. Ian Fleming doesn’t tell us much about Bond other than his appearance in his books. Indeed - as I mentioned in my past blog post on Connery as the best Bond - Fleming wasn’t convinced by Connery as Bond. He was reported to have said, ‘I’m looking for Commander Bond and not an overgrown stuntman’ and even dismissed Connery as “that fucking truck driver”. Fleming has good reason to rage. His Bond as written in the books was someone like him.

Like Fleming, Bond was an Eton educated Englishman; an officer and a (rogue) gentleman who was a lieutenant-commander in Naval Intelligence. As Connery began to wow and win over Fleming as Bond, Fleming had a change of heart. Fleming in his later Bond books re-wrote a half-Scottish ancestry for Bond as a tribute to Connery’s portrayal. Bond’s Scottish father was a Royal Navy captain and later an arms dealer, Andrew Bond from Glencoe; and his mother, Monique Delacroix, was Swiss from an industrial family. Bond himself was born in Zurich. Bond isn’t English at all but half-Scots and half-Swiss according to literary canon.

So I mention this because the question who can play James Bond is not as straight forward as it might seem.

But clearly we now have a canon of work, both cinematically and in the literature, where we have base line of who Bond is - or what audiences could possibly suspend their disbelief and go with what is presented to them as James Bond.

I do vaguely remember the hullabaloo and hand wringing around Daniel Craig playing Bond because he didn’t conform to the traditional tall, dark, and handsome trope of James Bond super suave spy. People couldn’t get past his blond hair. Some still can’t. But in my humble opinion he has been an outstanding James Bond and has reimagined Bond in a fresh and exciting way. Craig is in fact mining the Fleming books for his characterisation of Bond as a suave, gritty, humourless killer of the books. Dalton got there before him but that’s a moot point. To our current generation Craig has modernised Bond and dusted 007 down from being a relic of the Cold War to being a relevant 21st Century super spy.

Can anyone play James Bond OO7? Yes and no. It’s arguing that two different things are one and the same. They are not. James Bond is separate from OO7.

Can a woman play Jane Bond or a black woman or non-white man play Black Bond? Respectfully, no. That’s not who James Bond is.

James Bond is a flesh and blood character with a specific genealogical history - whether in the books or on the screen. This Bond has literary back story that is canon and makes him who he is. Bond does transcend time - he can’t be 38 years old for over 75 years in the real world - but at the same time his character only makes sense when rooted in a specific historic context we know existed (and still exists) and not some wishy washy make believe fantasy of British society. He’s an Old Etonian and therefore an upper middle class male product of the British establishment that is identifiable in a very British cultural context.

Jane Bond would have to have gone to Cheltenham Ladies College, Benneden, or Roedean I suppose if we are talking about equivalence - but such girls’ boarding schools were not the breeding ground for future spies (more likely they married them or became trusted secretaries in the intelligence services as well as flower arranging in their Anglican parish church).

I believe they are letting in black pupils on bursaries at Eton these days to be more inclusive but again it’s an an exception not the rule and Eton doesn’t even get public credit for the inclusive work they try to do because it’s not well known.

Moreover we know Bond loses his Scottish-Swiss parents in a skiing accident. I don’t mean to sound racist but I ski a lot in Switzerland and I can say you don’t really find droves of non-white skiers on the slopes of Verbier or Zermatt. Of course there are a few but it’s the exception and not the norm. Again, I’m not trying to be racist but just point out some obvious things when it pertains to the credibility of character that underlines who Bond is. You pull one thread out of the literary biography and the danger is the rest of the tapestry will unravel.

Of course one could try and go for a Black Bond on screen and then hope there is a huge suspension of belief on the part of the audience. But I suspect it’s a bridge too far. It just doesn’t fit. Audiences around the world have an image of who Bond is - British at the very least but also male (damaged and flawed in many ways) and coming from a specific British social class background that serves as an entree to a closed world of English gentleman clubs, Savile Row, English sports cars, and the hushed corridors of Whitehall.

Any woke film maker with an ounce of creative vision and talent and one who is invested in this would be better off creating a new character entirely - with their own specific biography that is both believable and relatable. Can you imagine an American James Bond? What a ghastly thought. Or worse a Canadian one? Canadians are far too nice and far too apologetic to produce a cruel cold eyed killer. But look what clever film makers like Spielberg and Lucas did with Indiana Jones and even later Doug Liman did with Jason Bourne - both fantastic creations that are part of the cultural zeitgeist now.

Or look at Charlize Theron who plays a MI6/CIA/KGB triple agent in Atomic Blonde or Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust in any of the Mission Impossible movies. I would eagerly watch any movies with these two badass women on the screen. All this talk about making Bond a woman or even coloured is just lazy thinking at best and at worst kow towing to the populist tides of PC brigade.

But I firmly believe one can have a female and a person of colour portraying 007. This is because James Bond and OO7 are two different things entirely. Many mistakenly believe 007 is Bond’s own code name and specific alias to him alone.

007 is a license to kill for a very specialised kind of intelligence officer. Bond has that privilege for as long as he serves at the service of Her Majesty’s pleasure. His 007 license can be revoked - and it has been in the past Bond films - and he’s back to being a just another desk jockey civil servant in Whitehall. So my point is OO7 is not sacred to Bond’s identity. Bond could continue to be Bond even if M took away his 007 license to kill.

The origins of the Double O title may date to Fleming's wartime service in Naval Intelligence. According to World War Two historian Damien Lewis in his book Churchill's Secret Warriors, agents of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) were given a “0” prefix when they became "zero-rated" upon completion of training in how to kill. As part of his role as assistant to the head of naval intelligence, Rear Admiral John Godfrey (himself the inspiration for M), Fleming acted as liaison to the SOE.

In the novel Moonraker it’s established that the section routinely has three agents concurrently; the film series, beginning with Thunderball, establishes the number of OO agents at a minimum of 9. Fleming himself only mentions five OO agents in all. According to Moonraker, James Bond is the most senior of three OO agents; the two others were OO8 and OO11. The three men share an office and a secretary named Loelia Ponsonby. Later novels feature two more OO agents; OO9 is mentioned in Thunderball and OO6 is mentioned in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Other authors have elaborated and expanded upon the OO agents. While they presumably have been sent on dangerous missions as Bond has, little has been revealed about most of them. Several have been named, both by Fleming and other authors, along with passing references to their service records, which suggest that agents are largely recruited (as Bond was) from the British military's special forces.

Interestingly, In the novel You Only Live Twice, Bond was transferred into another branch and given the number 7777, suggesting there was no active agent 007 in that time; he is later reinstated as 007 in the novel The Man with the Golden Gun. As an aside, in Fleming's Moonraker, OO agents face mandatory retirement at 45 years old. However Sebastian Faulks's Devil May Care (an authorised Bond adventure from the Fleming estate and therefore arguably could be considered canon) features M giving Bond a choice of when to retire - which explains why Roger Moore (God bless) went past his sell by date.

In the films the OO section is a discrete area of MI6, whose agents report directly to M, and tend to be sent on special assignments and troubleshooting missions, often involving rogue agents (from Britain or other countries) or situations where an "ordinary" intelligence operation uncovers or reveals terrorist or criminal activity too sensitive to be dealt with using ordinary procedural or legal measures, and where the aforementioned discretionary "licence to kill" is deemed necessary or useful in rectifying the situation.

The World is Not Enough introduces a special insignia for the 00 Section. Bond's fellow OO agents appear receiving briefings in Thunderball and The World Is Not Enough. The latter film shows a woman in one of the 00 chairs. In Thunderball, there are nine chairs for the OO agents; Moneypenny says every 00 agent in Europe has been recalled, not every OO agent in the world. Behind the scenes photos of the film reveal that one of the agents in the chairs is female as well. As with the books, other writers have elaborated and expanded upon the OO agents in the films and in other media.

In GoldenEye, 006 is an alias for Alec Trevelyan; as of 2019, Trevelyan is the only OO agent other than Bond to play a major role in an EON Productions film, with all other appearances either being brief or dialogue references only.

In Casino Royale with Daniel Craig’s first outing as Bond, we see in the introduction the tense exchange between Bond and Dryden, a section chief whom Bond has been sent to kill for selling secrets.

James Bond: M really doesn't mind you earning a little money on the side, Dryden. She'd just prefer it if it wasn't selling secrets. Dryden: If the theatrics are supposed to scare me, you have the wrong man Bond. If M was so sure I was bent...she'd have sent a Double-O. Benefits of being Section Chief...I would know of anyone being promoted to Double-O status, wouldn't I? Your file shows no kills...and it takes - James Bond: - two. (flashback of Bond fighting Dryden's contact in a bathroom.)

The OO is just a coveted position and nothing to do with who occupies it. Ito use a topical comparative example it’s like a football team in which a new star player would be given an ex-player’s shirt number e.g. Messi wears Number 10 for Argentina which is heavily identified with the late great Maradona. So conceivably there would be no problem having a woman or anyone else play 007. I think it would be an interesting creative choice to have a woman or someone else play OO7 and Bond is out of the service and yet he has to work together with this new OO7 - the creative tension would be a refreshing twist on the canon.

Your question about James Bond’s Oxford or Cambridge education is more easier to answer.

It really depends again which Bond one is talking about. The literary James Bond or the cinematic Bond.

In the Fleming books, James Bond’s didn’t go to Oxford or Cambridge or any of the other great universities of Britain. In the books Bond’s education is not gone into much detail. We know he was raised overseas until he was orphaned at the age of 11 when his parents died in a mountaineering accident near Chamonix in the Alps. He is home schooled for a time by an aunt, Charmain Bond, in the English village of Pett Bottom before being packed off to boarding school at Eton around 12 years old. Bond doesn’t stay long as he gets expelled for playing around with a maid. He is then sent to his father’s boarding school in Scotland, Fettes College.

Bond is then briefly attends the University of Geneva - as Ian Fleming did - before being taught to ski in Kitzbühel. In 1941 Bond joins a branch of what was to become the Ministry of Defence and becomes a lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, ending the war as a commander. Bond applies to M for a position within the "Secret Service", part of the HM Civil Service, and rises to the rank of principal officer. And that’s it.

In the cinematic Bond universe things get more complicated and even contentious as you alluded to in your question. It’s never made quite clear which of the two - Oxford or Cambridge - Bond attended because it depends on how much weight you attach to the lines being spoken in each of the films where it is raised.

In Tomorrow Never Dies, Bond is up at Oxford (New College to be exact since his Aston Martin DB5 was parked in the courtyard at the entrance). He is seen bedding a sexy Danish professor, Inga Bergstrom, to brush up on his Danish (to which Moneypenny on the phone retorts ‘You always were a cunning linguist’). But it’s definitely doesn’t mean Bond studied there as an undergraduate.

Casino Royale is the film many think yes, James Bond went to Oxford because it is mentioned by Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) as she sizes up Daniel Craig’s Bond on the train. Here is the full quote as said by Vesper Lynd, “All right... by the cut of your suit, you went to Oxford or wherever. Naturally you think human beings dress like that. But you wear it with such disdain, my guess is you didn't come from money, and your school friends never let you forget it. Which means you were at that school by the grace of someone else's charity - hence that chip on your shoulder. And since your first thought about me ran to "orphan," that's what I'd say you are.”

The thing to note is that it’s Vesper Lynd taunting Bond and even then she takes a wide stab by saying ‘Oxford or wherever’ because she doesn’t really know and Bond doesn’t oblige her with an answer.

That whole scene struck me as strange because she’s guessing by the cut of the suit it must be Oxford (or Cambridge). Bond is wearing an Italian suit (Brioni to be specific) and not and English Savile Row one that presumably someone of Bond’s taste and background would be sporting.

A more plausible answer if we are going by the cinematic Bond universe is Cambridge. Indeed it is stated explicitly by Bond himself. Can you guess?

You Only Live Twice which is has the distinction of being the only Bond film (as far as I can tell) from being set in just one country - Japan.

You remember the scene. Lieutenant commander James Bond has just had a briefing with M on board a submarine and is naturally flirting with Moneypenny on his way out. Moneypenny playfully tosses him a Japanese phrase book, saying he might need it.

“You forget,” Bond responds with an expression just short of a smirk as he tosses it back to her, “I took a first in oriental languages at Cambridge.”

So it seems James Bond is a Cambridge man.

A first means - as any British university student would know - first class honours. It’s the highest classification grade one can get in their undergraduate degree ie a ‘first’. Although at Cambridge, like Oxford, you can also get a double first in the part I and part II of the Tripos. Both universities also award first-class honours with distinction, informally known as a ‘Starred First’ (Cambridge) or a ‘Congratulatory First’ (Oxford).

Another oddity is he says ‘oriental languages’ when one got a degree in ‘oriental studies’ at the Oriental Faculty at Cambridge. That is until 2007 when Cambridge bowed to public and student pressure and chose to drop its Oriental Faculty label and instead adopted the name the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. Oxford still hangs on to its name the Faculty of Oriental Studies.

My only reservation about crowing over an Oxonian is how truthful was Bond being with Moneypenny in this scene?

Is this line meant to be taken seriously or ironically? Most people seem to take it seriously, despite much of Connery's dialogue being obviously ironic and playful. Certainly, Bond is shown to have never been to Japan before and is incapable of saying anything in Japanese other than the odd "sayonara" and "arigato." But then again Bond does know the correct temperature sake is meant to be served at. So there’s that.

Or it could be Bond was speaking a half-truth. I know speaking from experience as someone who very nearly read asian languages instead of my eventual choice of Classics that ‘Oriental languages’ at the ex-Oriental faculty in Cambridge can mean many other languages e.g. Sanskrit, Hindi, Farsi, Hebrew, Arabic as well as Korean, Japanese and Chinese. It opens up so many other delicious possibilities for Bond. If he read Arabic then perhaps he’s being deeply ironic with Moneypenny (after all she would have drooled over read his MI6 personnel file).

If you think I’m losing my mind then ponder on the fact it was Roald Dahl who penned the screenplay of You Only Live Twice. Dahl was not above snark. Indeed pretty sure he would have got a starred first in snark at any university.

Of course the most obvious explanation is that it’s plot armour as a way for Bond to just get on with the story by suspending the audience belief. Why wouldn’t Bond know Japanese? He seems to know everything else imaginable.

However if it ever was it’s now become canon as EON - the production company behind the Bond films - have stated officially for the fandom that Bond’s official bio has it that he went to Eton and Cambridge, where he got a first in oriental languages. So that seems settled then.

In hindsight it makes perfect sense that Bond went to Cambridge since historically Cambridge has provided the bulk of the spies not just for Her Majesty’s service but also for the other side, the Russians - the so-called Cambridge Spies of Philby, Maclean, Burgess, Blunt, and Cairncross, and a host of other traitors. We seem to be an equal opportunities employment service.

I’m sorry to disappoint you and other Oxonians that despite what you might think James Bond didn’t attend Oxford. Believe me as a Cantabrigian it gives me no pleasure to say this…..too much.

Thanks for your question.

#ask #question #james bond #bond #film #cinema #ian fleming #oxford #cambridge #oxbridge #university #education #cancel culture #culture #society #britain #british #personal

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queenretcon · 3 years ago

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Hey, hope its alright to ask!: with what you're saying about superbuddies being intended as a sort of send up of (other, lol) poorly characterised jli comics, do you think theres any way that actually could've been done well?? (it seems like a lot to ask of like 6 issues in a medium known for being unsubtle imo, but idk :/ ) could this have been saved ??? or like,, idk, Toss It All Out

Hi this is the funniest possible ask I could have come home to after getting a beatora quote from super buddies permanently inked into my flesh

for real tho ‘just throw it out’ is pretty much never my approach to JLI. love and respect to people who burn it all down and make something new with the ashes, but my whole thing is wanting to have all the pieces of the puzzle and force them to actually fit together

I think super buddies in particular tho has such good bones!!! the idea of a book that lets them realistically age and come back together and deal with all the ways they don’t fit together the way they used to is All I Want In This Godforsaken World. also I love formerly known as the justice League as a title.

I even kind of, in theory, like the idea of getting the original creative team back to make fun of all the terrible booster takes being published at that time, though I think you’re right to suspect that would be difficult for them to do well

I think the problem is just that they tried to put an earnest sequel and a satire of their legacy into one book that happened at like the worst possible time. I’ve mentioned before that Super Buddies is very of it’s time; there were a lot of books coming out then that were jli nostalgia bait that focused only on their wacky jokes and in-fighting and not on the deeper parts or the parts where they act like they like each other. And I do think Super Buddies is trying to mock that, but I think if the books had come out ten years earlier or tens years later, they wouldn’t have that aspect and it would be better for it.

I also think if super buddies had happened later, the creative team might not have as much of a chip on their shoulder? Like super buddies v1 happens after a decade or so of dc being horribly embarrassed by jli from pretty much the moment they get Giffen & dematteis off the book and not being very subtle about that. And while I can understand feeling pissy about that (I feel pissy about that, actually), I think that’s probably an influence on why super buddies feels so mean.

However, there’s also just the sad fact that jlis been described by the creators as ‘lighting in a bottle’ for a reason. Everything kinda of converged perfectly to make this weird, flawed, fascinating book that’s been so wildly influential on me as a person. And I don’t think putting the original creative team back together is ever going to capture the magic again, though dear god they keep trying.

#under a cut because I’ve been debating super buddies with myself for like half a decade i have thoughts #talk tag #ask tag #also it’s always fine to ask me jli takes I’ll ignore if I don’t want to deal with it and clearly I like to hear myself talk

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clansayeed · 4 years ago

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Bound by Destiny II, part 2 ― Chapter 9: The Arrival

PAIRING: Kamilah Sayeed x MC (Nadya Al Jamil) RATING: Mature

⥼ MASTERLIST ⥽

⥼ Bound by Destiny II, part 2 ⥽

They fled New York with one purpose. Find, hunt down, and return with a way to kill a vampire god. They abandoned their loved ones and survived the City of Shadows; had their trust broken and darkest secrets brought to light. All that... and Gaius still won anyway. But now that they have nothing to lose, Nadya and her friends are finally ready to do whatever it takes to see the King of Vampires overthrown.

They just have to avoid a vampire population eager to gain favor with their new monarch, the ruthless Order of the Dawn, and whatever plans Gaius has that involve Nadya captured and brought to him alive. So... easy-peasy, right? The worlds of both dark and light hang in the balance. The time has come for the Bloodkeeper to embrace her destiny. So if anyone wants to clue her in on whatever that means, now would be great!

Bound by Destiny II and the rest of the Oblivion Bound series is an ongoing reimagining project of the Bloodbound series and spin-off Nightbound. Find out more [HERE].

TAG LIST: @googlesentmehere, @cess02, @hellyeah90sbaby, @tayab12, @saratustra4, @imnotdonewiththeelementalists, @thepotatobleh,

*join the Tag List here!

⥼ Summary ⥽

It's the night of Vlad's masquerade ball, the most prestigious social event a vampire can attend. An entire ballroom full of faces and names every vampire in Europe knows... and apparently Nadya is going to upstage them all.

content warnings: language

[READ IT ON AO3]

A pretty big chunk of their plan relies on the staff of the Tepes Estate being just as snobbish and uppity as the man they serve.

So thankfully at least something is both easily predictable and surprisingly convenient.

Staff all around, and none of them pay the pair of them much mind. Beyond the fact that they get told by more than one footman that “guests really shouldn’t be back in the staff corridors” and receive multiple warnings about how “the Count has ensured all guests for the evening, (said while looking down the biggest snooty nose in all of Prague no less) no matter their prestige, will receive adequate time to sup on the serving staff,” and that they “really shouldn’t be allowing an undisclosed human on the premises but will look the other way this time,” Nadya and Cadence are pretty much left to their own devices.

Which means scurrying out of sight before any lone particularly loyal member of the Tepes household decides to go narc and everything ends up exploding in their faces anyway.

Because there’s no way on earth these full-face masques of theirs are providing any damage cover should their plans go KABOOM!

Nadya casts another look up at Cadence as they come across their umpteenth fork in the road. Watching him decide between right or left is starting to feel as nerve-wracking as actually choosing which direction they ought to go.

“You’re sure you know where we are?” You’re sure you know we’re going the right way?

“I’m starting to feel like you have less than zero faith in me, Nadya.” He probably thinks the glance down her way is a reassuring one. But the masque over his face is almost too neutral. It’s just a mask but it feels like it’s trying too hard, you know?

“That’s not it at all. This place is just…” A lot.

He barely remembers to reach back and take her by the hand before he chooses left in a hurry. Who knows how much time they’ve wasted just trying to find their way through this seemingly endless castle.

“It takes me a moment to recall the map Serafine showed me before we left, but I’m… ninety percent sure I know exactly where we are.”

“And the other ten percent?”

“Is trying to keep an ear out for party noises. So if you’ll zip it, thank you.”

Admittedly Nadya would have a lot more faith in this plan if it wasn’t just the pair of them, proven stumbling disasters that they are, relying on the apparently flawless memory of a man who literally introduces himself as ‘the one with amnesia.’ She understands the rationale behind it, just as she understands the rationale behind everybody else going through the front door like an entourage of normal party-goers. They have three prestigious faces and what Jax and Lily lack in clout they make up for in being practically invisible as nobodies to this upper echelon of attendees.

But shoving the two bigwigs of their gang — well, the most recognizable face in any room of vampires and the obviously human girl losing her freakin’ mind amid a cluster of the heartbeat-less undead — through the staff entrance with nothing more than simple masks to disguise them and trusting them not to mess up finding their way among the rest in time for some famed big reveal they still don’t know the full-on details of…?

Well if they live through this long enough to chronicle this part of their journey, nobody is ever allowed to even so much as imply via metaphor that Nadya never trusted her friends wholly and completely.

Actually if they’re talking about chronicling stuff, better they leave these more vague and improvised parts of their master quest to the footnotes. That way they can pretend they knew what they were doing the whole time.

For example Nadya isn’t gonna let anyone write down that she got so wrapped up in her thoughts about what may or may not get written down that she walked face-first into a brick wall.

OW.

Not a brick wall, actually.

Cadence turns around and catches Nadya’s mask just before it falls and shatters on the ground. Thank you vampire super-speed.

“Are you okay?” He asks, wide-eyed and worried, hesitant to give her back her disguise to take stock of how she really looks.

That’s such a loaded question though, so Nadya ignores it and rubs the redness on her forehead instead.

“Why’d you stop?”

The vampire takes a moment to look up and down either end of the corridor and even around the next corner. When he’s satisfied they’re alone he pries his own mask off with a groan; practically peeling his flattened hair from where its been stuck to his forehead the moment he put the darn thing on.

“Because,” with pursed lips he blows his fringe out of his eyes, “I’ve been talking this entire time… and even when I ramble you usually have some two cents or other to pitch in.”

That’s fair. Nadya takes back her mask with a sheepish shrug. “Sorry, got distracted.”

“That much is obvious. Care to share?”

“Not really. Care to keep going?” Not like they’re exactly full of free time, here.

He sweeps his arm in an after you motion, but keeps pace with Nadya’s shorter stride. “I can hear the string quartet by now. We’re close, but they haven’t begun the announcements Serafine told me to wait for.” So maybe they have a bit of free time. Got it.

Only now she can’t stop thinking about what will be on the other side of the big grand ballroom doors.

And Nadya without her set of note cards to at least help her through her dumb speech all because her dumb dress has no dumb pockets.

“You know I still don’t get why they wouldn’t budge about you not being discovered.”

“You don’t see me complaining,” Cadence says with a shrug; and actually now that he points it out…

“No, I don’t.”

He doesn’t need to look at her to know exactly why she says it that way, either. It’s not the first time they’ve had this talk. Probably won’t be the last either.

His sigh sags from his shoulders to his fingertips. “‘Surprise warmonger back from the dead’ might accidentally eclipse ‘reincarnation of the vampire Goddess.’ Can’t have that, now can we.”

“Cadence.”

“Nadya.”

They turn another corner in complete silence. Nadya’s ears strain to hear this quartet of his but nope, not close enough for her poor human ears quite yet.

Finally Cadence seems to decide on something. Gathering himself up all the way to his full height while fiddling with the porcelain in his grasp. “Actually… Serafine and Kamilah gave me the option. When they talked about prestige all this week it was largely assuming I might be able to pretend just enough to add to their collective fame. But they gave me the choice as to whether or not I wanted to try.”

“And you said no.”

“Of course I said no. I don’t envy you, Nadya. You have to do this regardless of whether or not you want to. But for the first time it feels like I’m not in that position, and I want to take full advantage of it.”

His face falls, voice going somber. “Surely you can see why.”

She can. She did, in the flesh, and while he’d been useful at the time she can still close her eyes and remember how easily Cynbel had threatened Jax, hurt Adrian and Serafine; how callous he’d been with her life even though she’d agreed with him at the time… Not to mention all the implied things that come with Serafine, always calm and cool and collected, losing her freakin’ marbles every time he ended up a part of the conversation.

He continues. “I don’t think I could have pretended to be him if my life depended on it. And if you think about it, your life does depend on it in a way. I couldn’t risk you like that. Not after how kind you’ve been to me.”

Her fingers brush over his arm. Cadence either takes it the wrong way or chooses to give a purpose to something so small; he bends his elbow and lets her arm slide into his like a proper escort to a proper ball.

“A lot of people’s lives depend on me pretending to…” Nadya can’t quite say it though, so she swallows it down. “I just have no idea what I’m supposed to do when we get there.”

“Understandably.”

“Seriously,” offering him a wry and dry smile, “that’s all the advice you’ve got?”

He mulls it over for a good and proper think. The effort is more than appreciated even if it doesn’t actually yield results. At least this way she gets to vent it out before messing up royally when the time comes.

Cadence stops first — their linked arms jerk her back and to turn and face him. “I wouldn’t call it advice, per se,” gee—great, “but maybe we both suck at pretending because we ought to be accepting, instead. Accepting who we… were. Possibly, in your case. That way we still have the chance to move on.”

It’s a sweet sentiment, but Nadya can’t help the way her nose scrunches up slightly.

“I don’t think that applies to this case, Cade.”

“Fair enough. Can’t say I didn’t try.” And that makes the pair of them laugh, no matter how weakly. Something neither of them knew they needed, nor how badly they needed it.

It doesn��t last long… but it doesn’t need to.

“You’ll figure it out when the time comes Nadya. You usually do.”

Usually.

In wordless agreement she and Cadence don their pretend masques with mutual reluctance. At least he doesn’t have to breathe in his. But it’s easier this time to see what his face really says beneath that neutral doll-like expression.

She smiles at him in return. Like many things these days they can’t quite see it, but the feeling is there.

When they get close enough that Nadya’s ears no longer strain to catch the occasional tittering laughter or melodramatic voice, Cadence diverts them yet again. This time for a staircase he just so happens to catch sight of out of the corner of his eye.

He keeps her close; closer than before. Practically hovering over her like a shadow less than a step behind her the whole way up. She pauses when he pauses, she waits when he waits, and trusts him enough to know her faith isn’t misplaced but some explanation would be swell any time he’s feeling his usual chatty self.

Crouched close to the ground (which is a feat for him, for her not so much) Cadence crooks a finger at Nadya to join him in inching steps along the carpet towards the railing overlooking the main foyer below.

Nadya is, understandably, hesitant. “What if someone sees us?” What if someone smells me, hears me, all-of-the-aboves me?

“Same principle as before.”

“Keep close and your blood will cover me up?”

He nods. Not like she really has any other choice. Well, that and the more snatches of conversation she plucks from thin air the more curious she is.

And when has her curiosity ever not won out?

Cadence’s cloak comes heavy around her other shoulder and all but smothers her. She grabs the edge and pulls it tight while making sure not to jostle it from his shoulders. For some reason she can’t shake the feeling like she’s hiding behind a curtain with her feet sticking out underneath.

But they’re here, so they might as well take advantage of it. So Nadya joins him in peering through the stone balusters to the hustle and bustle happening below.

The foyer had been beautiful already during her visit with Serafine and Jax the other night — Nadya would even go so far as to assume it was nearly completed. That assumption would have been vastly incorrect.

It’s not her contacts; she’s not seeing double. Every bauble and ribbon and glittering glassy gem brought along the entire family. There’s practically no surface without something shiny added in some form or another, and in many cases that shiny thing has a shiny thing has a shiny thing of its own on top.

On their own the decorations probably look gaudy and too-much. But when you fill the room with graceful vampires all dolled up in unique fashions and splendors everything else is lost in the background. Tasteful would probably have ended up the equivalent of a fifty-buck Party Town Supply budget. So at least the Count knows his audience.

She should be looking for their friends… and she is. But Nadya tells herself it’s being a good and thorough secret agent to observe all the other guests along the way. Two birds and all that. But it’s not easy to just sweep her eyes over the assembled masses in search of a few key faces. Not when each masque is a face all its own.

You’d think there are only so many combinations of colors, designs, and styles to make before they start getting repetitive. But that couldn’t be farther from the case. She gets it now, seeing everything and everyone from way up high and afar like this. The importance of not just the masque itself, but having the right kind of masque above everything else.

Masquerade balls are about hiding and blending in; being just another face in the crowd.

Les Visages de la Gloire is the exact opposite. And even that feels like the most watered-down way to put it she can think of.

A gentle weight falls on Nadya’s back and she shudders a gasp. When had she stopped breathing? Not for fear of being caught, but at the beauty of it all that could only be described as—literally—breathtaking.

Faceless in their full face-coverings and headdresses each more ostentatious than the last; not important enough to show who they are but still in competition with each other — still with deeds to announce and reputations to uphold. Half-masks covering the left side, the right side, the top of one and the bottom of another and all of them made uniquely for a single soul and nobody else.

Some vampires have masques that match their costumes. Others clash in a way that can’t be anything other than on purpose. Even from a distance Nadya can see the difference between carefully crafted metalwork and porcelain painted with glossy lacquer; can compare wood carvings with rich varnish and contrast that with the vast rainbow of matte colors on terracotta. Most are adorned with embellishments and jewels heavy enough to make her neck hurt just by looking at them.

Nearly all take full advantage of the fact their wearers won’t end up suffocating on the other side.

And I’m supposed to show them all up without so much as a sheer ribbon over my eyes? Yeah, Nadya’s confidence takes a knife to the gut just thinking about it.

“Over there.”

Not like Cadence’s finger isn’t pointing down to a massive crowd or anything, but that’s exactly the point — forgive the pun.

Though they can’t quite see double doors leading inside the castle from the exterior from their hiding spot, the sudden hush that falls over the idle crowd offers up an equally dramatic entrance.

It’s the kind of arrival that would be filmed in slow-motion. The kind that pans up from the purposeful echo of each expensive step; dragging over the exquisite details of their costumes in one long smooth glide all the way to the big reveal. And what a reveal it is.

Kamilah’s spindly masque may be made of steel but it curls over her sharp features with all the grace of a silken thread. It’s a face covering by only the thinnest margin of definition, with too many gaps in the framework to even pretend to conceal her identity. But after taking in the rest of the crowd… it’s obvious she’s the kind of face — the kind of presence — that simply can’t go unrecognized.

Everything about Kamilah, from her posture to her raised chin to her not-at-all-faked aura of superiority, demands recognition.

On the surface she’s the woman that Nadya knows; that she trusts and cares about so so much. But look beneath, something all too easy to do — like sweeping aside a mist, it’s impossible to miss how she’s so much more.

The Bloodqueen has arrived. And the entire foyer is speechless before her.

Without even moving a muscle the closest groups stagger back several more steps. Dozens of them nearly tripping over themselves and each other in their haste.

It’s no surprise that the space is quickly taken up by the two figures flanking Kamilah’s sides.

Serafine’s masque isn’t so much a mask as it is a scrap of lace just wide enough to earn the collective approval. As if anyone here doesn’t already know who she is regardless. But that’s how she can pull the look off if Nadya is remembering her explanation right.

No one would dare partake in Les Visages without knowing—without introduction—the woman who started it all.

Some final vestiges of their psychic connection tugs Nadya towards her; not physically so much as emotionally. Even without seeing Serafine’s features up close there’s a bittersweet ache in her chest that’s definitely not Nadya’s own.

The vampiress can offer up all the scarlet-lipped smiles she wishes. They are all hollow and fake. The simple act of being here causes Serafine nothing but distress.

And then there was Adrian.

Who, in comparison to Kamilah and Serafine, makes the women nearest him seem positively giddy and gleeful to be here tonight.

He wears his tailored costume perfectly; that wasn’t in doubt. It’s the masque that leaves him stony-faced. Gold rich and dark that catches every little flame on the chandelier over his head that covers his eyes but can’t hide the tension wracking his jaw.

He and Kamilah both wear near-identical rich crimson garnets inlaid just beneath their masque’s right eye. Shared stones for a shared Maker. But along his edges are thin metal spires, short but wicked sharp, that vary from the same gold, to steel, to a coppery hue.

A second glance confirms Nadya’s suspicions; Adrian isn’t the only one with those kinds of embellishments along the edges of their masques. Scouring a few of them from the crowd, the way they carry themselves and mirror Adrian’s ramrod-straight posture answers a question she didn’t know she needed to ask.

If the garnet labels him and Kamilah both as Turned by Gaius, then the spikes are the mark of the soldier. Any soldier; but one worth recognition for their service.

Which is everything Adrian doesn’t want. Everything he had worried over, and was working now towards overcoming in the wake of his past.

Nadya ducks her head hastily to catch her tear before it falls. Thankfully she’s quick enough. If only she could wipe away the reason for it just as easily.

Pull yourself together, girl, she scolds, and it’s just enough to do the trick and pull Nadya’s focus back to everything around them. All the stillness and nothingness and the way a room full of the undead hold their collective unnecessary breath waiting for what will happen next.

Which is exactly the kind of attention-grabbing showstopper the three of them are supposed to be. All eyes turned on the prestigious trio they are together, and away from Nadya and Cadence one floor above.

All focus on who they are, why they’ve come, what they will do; and away from the practically invisible dynamic duo that slips through the crowd towards the closed ballroom doors.

Behind her, Cadence lets out an impressed little “hah” when he finally manages to pick Lily and Jax out of the crowd. “I completely missed them. Did you see them sneak in?”

“No,” answers Nadya, but that’s actually a good thing. That was the whole point.

Without a word Kamilah takes one step forward. Her aura of command acts like an invisible shield that parts the rest; holding them at a respectable distance.

But the sudden shifting of the mass of faces and their masques gets dangerous when it turns right in their direction. If even one wandering eye looks up, they’re done for!

Without a word the vampire pulls Nadya backwards, letting the force of his bulk pull them out of eyesight in the nick of time. That was a little close, huh.

Nadya doesn’t get the chance to thank him though.

The moment she opens her mouth a loud echoing clang rings out below them, followed by the distinct shuffle of something heavy being dragged achingly close to the foyer’s marble floors.

Neither of them needs to risk sneaking a look.

Right on time. The ballroom doors have finally opened, allowing the first wave of prestige to spill forth out to the grand dance floor.

And though the shuffling of boots and sharp tapping of heels fills the vacuum of stunned silence as the attendees start to move, it’s not nearly enough noise to drown out the sudden and familiar exuberant laughter of delight that echoes across every polished surface below. The kind of laughter designed to be projected across adoring crowds; and carefully rehearsed to always seem full of intriguing promise.

What Nadya wouldn’t give to borrow a little of Vlad Tepes’ seemingly endless confidence for her own performance… looming ever-closer and starting to pick up real steam.

“Remember my lovelies! Faceless and no-names, see yourselves inside. New blood and the lucky virginal attendees right beside them!”

Her full-body shiver of discomfort is more than warranted. But Nadya only wishes she could be surprised at his… unsettling word choice.

“I’m suddenly very glad to be up here.”

She snorts at the wide-eyed stare looking out from Cadence’s mask. “You and me both.”

“Yes yes darling, oh you look a treat. And you there — you must tell me the story behind that engraving later, you simply must.” It’s really to their luck and benefit that the Count likes hearing himself talk so much. They can stay far away from the railing and still keep tabs on what gauge of prestige is next to be welcomed into the bal masqué proper.

They just have to wait until everyone—Vlad included—is inside. Everyone but the most prestigious of the lot of them. And when all eyes are (once again) on the Bloodqueen herself… they’ll have no choice but to witness Nadya’s arrival.

Having Kamilah by her side might just give her the kick in the metaphorical pants to do this thing. Not the literal though. There’s no way this practically bleach-white linen getup will survive a boot print, and especially not to the rear end.

Down below there’s a momentary lull; all but shattered by Vlad’s returning laughter now pitched higher than before.

“Why there you are, Serafine! Here I worried I had somehow lost track of your arrival in the excitement.”

His words are followed by two unmistakably wet noises; which Nadya prays are just over-dramatic kisses to her cheeks.

“Surely you jest,” she teases good-naturedly; said with all the humor of someone whose smile can’t possibly reach her eyes, “I see before me you follow the old traditions quite well. Showing the prestigious their due, their arrival witnessed by all who look to them in admiration.”

“Well of course! It makes for the grandest of entrances.”

“Ah, yes,” the elder vampiress croons, “and as the illustrious host yours would be the last, non?”

“Don’t worry darling — I would never claim credit for your centuries of contribution to our dwindling community.”

“Meaning?”

Somehow Nadya just knows Vlad throws his hair back unnecessarily as he laughs again.

“You can enter just before me, of course.”

“Then when, may I ask, might you suggest my blood-kin Adrian and I make our entrance known, old friend?”

Unlike Serafine, who at least pretends to smile while enduring the torture of his conversation, Kamilah’s question is cold and clipped. It rings with all the disinterest of the Kamilah that Nadya had met so long ago — and she’d place good money on the single raised eyebrow hiked high enough to be seen over her masque, too.

But if anyone could render Vlad speechless…

Nadya struggles to hear something, anything, until she catches the faint rustle of stiff and expensive fabric moving with haste. Vlad’s gesture of greeting, no doubt.

Just like she has no doubt that Kamilah and Adrian don’t humor him as long as Serafine has. It certainly explains the flustered, hasty way his next words tumble from his tongue with practically no filter.

“All the best surprises are the ones that sweep one off his feet. My humble gathering of our kind—nay, our family—from the nearest branch to the farthest root is made absolutely resplendent by the honor of your presence!

“Your Majesty, mon cherie —” —a beat, his attention likely shifting to Adrian— “— and Sergeant Adrian Raines, just when I had resigned myself to an evening of only the old and antiquated in renown. Here you stand before me, as handsome as the day we first met.”

Nadya quickly schools her bewildered expression — too long and it might get stuck that way. But that is flirtation if she’s ever heard it. Not good flirtation, but nevertheless.

“Vlad, as… lively… as ever.” Adrian just barely recovers, but now she’s dying to know what he had almost said instead. “Hard to believe it’s been nearly seventy-five years since last we met. Time… flies so quickly.”

“Oh pish posh,” replies the Count, “you wouldn’t know it but for the calendars. My memory of those chiseled features of yours obviously needed a refresh.”

He’s barely finished speaking when he gasps, clapping his hands together delightedly. “Speaking of memory! You’ll have to forgive my fright. As you all know surely, my recollection skills are of world-renown. Yet the sight of you all almost thrust me spiraling into self-doubt.

“And not without good reason! As I could have sworn you — the both of you, that is to say — had… cast aside your former titles.”

It’s just like before. Everything that pops into his head said without a filter all the way up until what he’s saying isn’t as vapid as it was at the start.

It must be so easy to write Vlad Tepes off at first glance. Just look at the public opinion of the guy. Nadya had, she’s humble enough to admit it. But the hard truth is that he is Vlad Tepes; he is Count Dracula.

But whether he’s all the things the myths and legends claim or not it can’t go ignored that he knows what he’s doing (even if it doesn’t seem like it). He knows how to play a crowd, how to stroke an ego. He’s a master of misdirection.

Has nobody pitched a Vegas residency to this guy yet? Seriously?

But if he thinks he’s going to out-wit someone like Kamilah he must have those leather pants on just a little too tight.

She doesn’t address his comment. Brushing it aside proves a much more important point.

“Shall Adrian and I wait patiently here while you and Serafine follow through, then?”

Vlad must be used to playing the ‘host with the most’ card, because he hesitates. But Kamilah wasn’t asking — she was just being polite.

“Yes,” he finally agrees, though surprisingly less strained than Nadya would have expected. “I would not dare nor dream of presuming your prestige. Nor would I separate the grand entrance of the progeny of our King.

“The three of you will have a most celebratory announcement, I give you my word.”

Did she hear that right?

Serafine offers a gentle tittering laugh. “I see no reason why you and I should not enter together, ma puce.”

“We shall.”

Vlad’s words die to the sound of heavy heels across the foyer floor. Too many steps to be one of her friends; but certainly more than enough for them to bring a person across the length of the room to where they are gathered.

Of course something is going wrong. They should have anticipated something going wrong. They had, her brain reminds her, and probably thinks its being helpful by doing so.

She dares to inch just close enough to catch a glimpse down below and spoiler alert — it isn’t helpful at all.

With his head held high, Marc Antony makes a bold statement in taking Kamilah’s hand without it being offered. Then he goes a step further with a half-bow and a kiss pressed to the back — or the ghost of one. He barely manages it before she yanks it from his grasp — in surprise, in anger, that’s not the part that matters.

With everyone fixated on the two oldest vampires in the room, Adrian dares to steal a glance of warning up to the railing. Wide-eyed and with pursed lips, the message when he gives the tiniest shake of his head is clear.

Nadya retreats, practically crab-walking backwards.

Cadence tries to help her sudden shaking panic with an arm over her shoulders. It’s the thought that counts.

“What,” he asks worriedly, “who is it?”

“Antony,” Nadya exhales, and the man goes rigid beside her. “It’s Marc Antony.”

#bloodbound #playchoices fanfiction #playchoices #kamilah x mc #kamilah sayeed #bloodbound mc #mc: nadya al jamil #adrian raines #serafine dupont #jax matsuo #lily spencer #marc antony #oc: cadence smith #vlad tepes #fic: oblivion bound #oblv: new chapter #oblv: bound by destiny ii #; my fics

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sukifans · 4 years ago

Text

PET • RI • CHOR

[n] a pleasant smell that accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather

ZUKO X OC SERIES

SUMMARY: a captured waterbender and the fire prince may sound like an unlikely pair, but kena never much cared about others’ expectations and zuko, well… he was just along for the ride

A/N: uhhh so i guess i’m writing fic again for the first time since i was like 15 thanks to quarantine. here’s a snippet of a zuko x oc i’ve been writing to gauge interest ig. i used to write h*rry p*tter fic and post it to a fan account i had and it got pretty popular even though it was garbage so... let’s see. here is my hat, it is in the ring 🎩 also thanks @beifongsss for answering my anon ask and being my first (and maybe only) tag lmao 🥴

⏎ MASTERLIST // PROLOGUE i » PROLOGUE ii

“I like your hair loopies.” The voice made her jump and throw the water she had been trying to bend from the pond at its source behind her. “Hey!”

Kena turned and saw a young boy about her age in red silk pajamas now soaked in water. His long black hair hung limply around his face, dripping. “Tui’s gills, you scared me! You can’t just sneak up on people like that!”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s okay. I’m sorry I splashed you.”

“It’s okay.” He shook his head, throwing water droplets everywhere. They both giggled.

“I can try to help, but I’m not very good yet. Here.” She waved her arms and hands in a waterbending stance, drawing water out of his clothes and hair. She pulled some out and discarded it back into the pond, but the poor boy was definitely still wet. “Sorry,” she said sheepishly, dropping her hands.

“That was so cool! I’ve always wanted to see waterbending in person.” His face lit up, golden eyes sparkling. She blushed and looked at her feet. “Sometimes I wish I was a waterbender. But what are you doing here?”

Her face was dark when she looked up at him again. “The Fire Nation invaded my village and took me and my mom as prisoners because we’re healers. She tells me we’re lucky to be alive since they’ve been wiping out waterbenders. I don’t know, though; I think I’d rather be dead than be a servant for some snooty royal.” She aimed a kick at a small pebble and launched it into the pond. “Now I’ll probably never see my dad, or my brothers, or my friends ever again.”

“Oh,” the boy said meekly, looking away. “I’m sorry that happened.” He didn’t know what to say to the girl.

“Yeah, me too,” she grumbled. There was silence for a moment before the boy smiled hesitantly again.

“I’ll be your friend here, if you’d like.”

The tension in her small body loosened when she slowly grinned at him. “Yeah, I think I’d like that. You seem alright, for a Fire Nation kid.”

“Thanks, I think,” he laughed. “What’s your name?”

“Kena. Well, that’s my real name. When they brought us here some weird guy told me my new name would be Ariye.”

“I like Kena better for you.”

“Me too. Ariye is a dumb name. I told him that but he got mad. What’s yours?”

“Oh, I’m-“ he started, flushing, then paused and looked behind him. “Someone’s coming. Go, hide!”

“What about you? Won’t you get in trouble?”

“No, no! It’s fine! Just go!” He shooed her away and she finally complied, diving into a patch of brush just as someone rounded the corner in the distance. She was about to make her escape when she paused to listen in.

“Prince Zuko,” a woman’s voice chided, “why are you out of bed so late?”

Wait, Prince Zuko? He’s a prince?

“I couldn’t sleep so I came out to see the turtleducks,” Zuko said. It wasn’t entirely a lie, after all — that had been his intention.

“Why are you all wet?”

“I... slipped, and fell in the water.”

The woman sighed. “Prince Zuko, you must be more careful. Come along, let’s get you cleaned up and into bed.” Kena slipped away as her voice got fainter and eventually disappeared from earshot. She felt incredibly stupid for going on and on about the invasion and how much she disliked being here to the prince of all people. She was surely in for it now. Her mother had always said her mouth would get her into trouble if she didn’t control it. A glimmer of hope rose in her chest, though, because Zuko had seemed really... well, nice. He didn’t rat her out or get upset when she spoke poorly of royals even though he apparently was one. Maybe not all the people of the Fire Nation were so bad... just most of them.

The next night, Zuko snuck back out to the turtleduck pond in the hopes of seeing the girl again. He was absolutely fascinated by her — she was probably the only person he knew who wasn’t, as she had said, “some snooty royal,” or someone who worked for one. That, and she was definitely the only waterbender he knew. He loitered in the grass for a long time before giving up and going back to bed. This cycle repeated for a week with no luck. Kena had said her and her mother were healers, so maybe he’d be able to find her in the infirmary. Now, just to come up with some sort of excuse to go there...

Kena nearly felt like dropping dead when a familiar boy walked into the infirmary, escorted by a servant. His eyes brimmed with tears and he was sniffling softly, holding one hand in the other delicately. Reluctantly and with her face burning, she bowed with her mother.

“Prince Zuko, what happened?” the older woman asked, leading him to sit on a cot in the corner of the room.

“Azula b-burned my hand,” Zuko whimpered, showing her his reddened skin. Kena’s mother tutted and waved her daughter over.

“Prince Zuko, this is my daughter, Ariye,” the woman said, smiling as she smoothed Kena’s hair. Kena bowed again, mostly to avoid looking directly at him.

“Nice to meet you.” Zuko beamed and she nodded stiffly, looking at a spot on the wall above his shoulder.

“You as well, Prince Zuko,” she responded quietly. “Do you need anything, Mom?”

“Yes. Can you get the burn salve while I heal what I can, my love?” Kena nodded again and scurried away as soon as she had the excuse. Zuko watched her as she searched cabinets at the other end of the room, snapping his eyes down to his hand when he felt the cool wetness of water against his skin. Kena’s mom was holding his hand with both her own, bending water around his seared flesh. His mouth dropped open a bit when the water started to glow. After a few moments, Kena’s mom pulled her hands back and bent the water away as the girl returned with a small tin in her grasp. He frowned when she still refused to look at him directly.

“Thank you, my dear,” her mother said. “Can you put some on the prince’s hand while I talk to Miss Sana?” She tilted her head to indicate the servant that had brought Zuko in who was standing on the other side of the bed he sat in.

“Yes, Mom.” Kena sat on the bed across from him as her mother stood and walked away with Sana. Zuko grinned again once he was certain the adults were out of immediate earshot.

“Hi, Kena,” he said, waving at her with his injured hand. It was no longer a blistering red, but the skin was still a bit stiff and dry. The salve would help with that, he assumed.

She furrowed her brow. “Why are you here?”

“I wanted to see you again. I waited by the pond in the gardens for a few nights but you never came back.”

“You did this on purpose?”

“Yep!” he said, obviously proud of his cunning plan. When she rolled her eyes, though, he deflated.

“That was dumb,” she scoffed. Her bluntness shocked him. Nobody ever talked to him, the prince, like that. Well, except Azula. But she was mean to everyone.

“What do you mean?” He looked obviously distressed and even a bit irritated. “I let Azula burn me so I could talk to you again!”

“You should’ve just pretended you felt sick or something,” she said like it was the simplest thing in the world. And really, it was. Zuko felt a bit silly now for all his dramatics.

“Oh,” he said. His cheeks were bright pink. Kena finally gave him a small grin as she gently held his hand, slathering the salve onto his skin. “Your hands are cold.”

“And your hands are warm.”

“Because I’m a firebender.”

“Well, I’m a waterbender.”

He hummed thoughtfully. “I guess that makes sense. It feels nice, though.” They were quiet for a few minutes while Kena delicately massaged in the weird paste. “Can we still be friends?” he asked suddenly. She looked up at him, startled.

“You still want to be friends with me?”

“Uh, yeah. You’re super cool!”

She blushed. “Even though I said that mean stuff about royals and all that?”

“I mean, you weren’t wrong. A lot of people around here are snooty.”

She thought it over for half a second. “Yeah, we can be friends. Like I said before, you’re not so bad, for a Fire Nation kid.” They smiled at each other, and it was settled.

A/N: i don’t know how to write dialogue for kids... anyways if this gets attention i might post more because i write when work is slow so! feel free to send me an ask/dm/reply/carrier pigeon. also sorry for the long post, mobile is ass and won’t let me do a read more cut ~~

#mine #atla #avatar the last airbender #atla fic #atla fanfic #zuko #zuko x oc #prince zuko #prince zuko x oc #zuko fanfic #yadda yadda #i don’t post on tumblr from any of my main blogs so idk what to tag things #yoink #avatar fic #zuko x reader #prince zuko x reader #the last airbender #zuko fic #petrichor

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hopelesshawks · 4 years ago

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Okayokayokay I haven’t seen this and I’m a huge Dabi stan as well as a massive Keigo stan. But can to do a female reader x Dabi where he hasnt seen his girlfriend do makeup because usually shes too busy with like college or something to do it and he comes over/she goes to meet him and sees her with really sparkly and pretty eyemakeup and genuinely doesnt know to to react? Bonus points if she wears one of his jackets or hoodies and its SUPER big on her extra bonus points if she wears leggings with it and he starts to feel some things👀

I’m mad at Dabi for things he’s done in the manga 😠 but let’s be honest I’d still let that asshole ruin my life. Plus he and I be runnin the Endeavor hate club together so 😌 I’m happy to write for my favorite beef jerky boy.

Had almost finished this and then tumblr mobile glitched out and deleted a hefty chunk of it 🥲 BUT WE PERSEVERE so it’s a little later than I wanted to post it but it’s here!

Your fingers hover over the keyboard as you stare at your screen in shock. Your eyes go from your essay, to the clock, and then back to your essay. You’d actually finished. Holy shit, you’d actually finished. The clock reads only 8pm and yet here you were with a fully fleshed out and proofread essay. You had anticipated the damn thing taking you well into the night, as evidenced by your choice of comfy clothes. You wore your favorite pair of leggings and one of Dabi’s hoodies you had kept from the last time he had spent the night at your place. He still didn’t know you had it and would probably throw a hissy fit when he found out but it’s worth it. The sleeves extend to the tips of your fingers and the bottom hem reaches your mid-thigh, not to mention the material had long ago been worn soft so wearing the thing is way cozier than any of your own hoodies. In summary, the hoodie is yours now and if your boyfriend has issue with that he can fight you over it.

As you came to terms with your suddenly free evening, you briefly debate texting Dabi to see if he’s free, but then it occurs to you that going out to see him would mean changing clothes and you are far too comfortable for that shit. You lean back in your chair and think for a moment. How should you fill your sudden free time? Your eyes land on your long abandoned makeup bag and a smile brightens your face. It’s been ages since you’d experimented with make up but now there’s nothing to stop you. So you grab your makeup bag, rush into your bathroom, and spread out the tools on your counter that you’ll need to make your masterpiece.

Dabi is in a mood. It isn’t a bad one necessarily, but it sure as fuck isn’t a good one either. Instead of hanging around the league, where surely at least one of those idiots would grate on his nerves and truly turn his mood sour, he had decided to pay you a visit instead. He vaguely remembers you saying something about an essay the last time the two of you talked, but he was also fairly confident he could convince you to abandon it in favor of entertaining him instead. Which is how he found himself scaling the balconies outside your apartment building until he found yours. He tried to tug the door open only to find it locked. He tugged it a second time still no luck. He decides the best move is obviously to break the glass of the door and just climb in that way.

The sound of the glass shattering draws you rushing out of the bathroom only to watch your boyfriend climbing in through your balcony door. “I- you- wha- DABI!” You sputter as you take in your broken door. “What? Door was locked,” he shrugs. “YOU COULD’VE KNOCKED! I swear to God...” you start to lecture but Dabi tunes you out because he’s just noticed your appearance. He had never seen you wear more makeup than concealer and maybe some eyeliner, and even that was a rarity since classes and work typically occupied your time and energy too much for you to bother putting in even that much effort. Now, your eyes are beautifully framed in silver and blue, eyeliner winged perfectly in a way he’s sure must’ve taken several tries (he knew all too well from the multiple times you’d had to stitch him up that you didn’t have the steadiest of hands). Dabi isn’t one for compliments so he’d never admit it, but your eyes have always been one of his favorites of your features and the work you’d done highlighted them in the best way possible.

When he finally drags his eyes away from yours, they begin to drink in the rest of your outfit. God, how he loved you in leggings. You almost never wear them when you leave the house so it’s a treat when he does catch you in them. It’s your hoodie, however, that really captures his attention. It’s massive on you and vaguely familiar. He stares at it in confusion for a long while before finally it clicks. Something hungry and possessive begins to burn in him as he very carefully says, “(y/n),” causing you to pause mid-rant, “is that my sweatshirt?” “What? Oh! Yea it is. Why? Problem with that?” you reply cheekily. Dabi takes several steps closer to you until he’s well within your personal space. “Take it off. Now.” “Ugh, I know you’re possessive of your stuff but come onnn, it’s comfy!” you protest. “No babygirl, you’re keeping the hoodie after this. I mean take it off,” he tries again as his hands find your waist and pull you against him, “before I have to burn it off.”

Oh...

That you could do.

#dabi #bnha dabi #dabi x female reader #dabi x y/n #hhrequests #my hero academia #bnha #hopeless.olivia

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magioftheseas · 4 years ago

Text

Review x Routes

Recently I finished Collar X Malice, an otome that is...really good! And also topical, lmao. Overall I super recommend it. Otomes in general are super underappreciated as a genre and that’s so sad! Especially when you have gems like this! There’s five routes, so I’ll give some (mostly) non-spoilery thoughts now!

General Synopsis

A terrorist organization named Adonis is in the works. After several months of horrific and seemingly random murders done in the name of injustice while counting down to an apparent X-Day at the end of the year, Shinjuku has been placed under severe quarantine, with the gun ban lifted in hopes that civilians can protect themselves where the police have failed. Ichika Hoshino is a young officer in the newly instated Special Regions Crime Prevention Office, which is a glorified customer service job and mostly has Ichika answering concerned calls. During a patrol, Ichika is captured and collared by Adonis, told that if she wishes to survive, she’ll have to investigate the X-Day cases. But she can’t alert her fellow officers. Instead, she has to recruit the help of a shady detective organization, each person with their own reason for investigating...

Mineo Enomoto

A very sweet and wholesome slowburn! Mineo is a himbo with a tragic backstory that relates to the events of the X-Day incident he’s (allegedly) investigating. Very simplistic and upfront about its themes and message, so it’s on the more basic side but I find Mineo’s likeability more than makes up for it. In addition to Mineo, there’s also more focus on Kazuki, Ichika’s rebellious teen bro, who is like...baby. Baby boy. Their previously estranged relationship is the most mended here, so if the romance isn’t enough, at least come for the family fluff! The side-characters are super likeable too, especially Isshiki. That said, while the first culprit is a fun albeit shallow character, I felt second/main villain of this route was more tell than show. That said. This is objectively the best route on a revisit (after completing all the others). 9/10.

Takeru Sasazuka

Maybe you’re a masochist who wants to be talken down to instead. But you don’t want a guy that’s super macho, more...soft and cute...but still with a sharp tongue and a bitchy streak. Takeru’s the guy for you. He’s also anti-guns. What more could you ask for, really? In all seriousness, while I can be fond of these types, I did like this one more for the plot and the understated-ness of the romance. I actually think it would’ve benefitted from more...smut. I think it would’ve benefitted from having smut. Unfortunately (or fortunately???), otomes are sexless (even if they’re not chaste), so while things get suggestive, it stays rated T. Despite the fact that the game is rated M. Anyway, this is a story about revenge without being super edgy and graphic, which I appreciate. Also there’s some stuff about gaming addiction. If not for the ending super dragging, I’d actually think pretty highly of it despite not completely jibing, but yeah. The ending super drags. Still. The culprits are good. 7/10.

Kei Okazaki

He actually doesn’t go here. Kei’s part of the Special Police (which are glorified bodyguards), assigned to look after Yanagi’s “detective agency” for monitoring purposes. Thus, he actually doesn’t know Ichika’s situation, but he’s still very much interested. That can only go well. (Note: It does not.) Anyway, Kei’s my absolute favorite and I think his route is more or less perfect despite Kei’s pushiness as a romantic lead. Said romance ties really well into the plot not by any connections in the backstory but through its themes. It’s so clever! It’s also deeply emotional with some truly astounding voice-acting! So great! Also includes a heartwrenching critique against how violence against women is overlooked and downplayed by police. Definitely one of the most heartbreaking cases in the game, and the main culprit as a villain is also just incredible as not only a tragic (but terrifying) character, but also-also a foil. He’s a vast improvement from the one in Mineo’s route. 10/10!!!

Kageyuki Shiraishi

He’s only avaliable after completing any of the three routes above. Shiraishi is...rather enigmatic and aloof, being someone that Ichika actually hates at first, lmao. He’s apathetic but good at reading people, which makes him uneasy to be around. He gets better. His route is definitely the most about growth, both for him as a character and his relationship with Ichika. It’s definitely impressive and ambitious, I feel, even if I think he’d be better suited for...uh. Like. Dangan Ronpa. Or something. Maybe Ace Attorney. Lmao. That said, he’s a good route...except for the literal last minute. Which sucks. Fucking ass. Holy shit. His route could’ve been a 9/10 or even 10/10 but that ending is so bad. It’s like a 1/10 ending at best. God, poor Shiraishi. Deserved Better/10.

Aiji Yanagi

The true route! The last......and least, imo. Rip. Sorry, Yanagi! As the final route, the romance has to actively compete for focus with the plot revelations and it comes across as not only unbalanced, but underwhelming. Despite Yanagi also being objectively perfect husband material, I personally had a hard time feeling engaged with his relationship with Ichika. Also Ichika isn’t as reliant by necessity on Yanagi as she is on the others. Which *would* be good, except it makes Ichika’s strong attachment to him off the bat feel more sudden and more...forced. I also wasn’t nearly as attached to the main-main villain as I was to the many side-villains we had met until that point. But, it had some interesting elements and I liked how other characters were used and characterized. Yanagi’s relationships to the other male characters are all good. One character, who’s introduced more in Kei’s route but we only get to know here, is actually pretty charismatic and interesting. There are good elements here, but it needed more fleshing out. Rather unfortunately, this *is* the longest route, too. I feel bad. The writers must have seriously struggled. 6/10.

Overall, please play this game. I didn’t even get a chance to talk about how great Ichika herself is. Or the other female characters for that matter.

Ichika more like Ichiban...ka...

#Magi Blah #recommended #collar x malice #ended up upping yanagi's score because I felt bad lmao

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tailorvizsla · 4 years ago

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A Proper Mandalorian Courtship - Chapter 1

Title: The Armorer and an Introduction Word Count: ~2350 Pairing: Paz x Reader Rating: PG-13 Warnings: Cursing, canon-typical violence, crack humor that’s also serious Summary:

Mandalorian courtship is very simple: declare your interest in someone, spend time together if they reciprocate, and get married after a year or so. Getting married is even easier – simply swap the vows and announce it a few days later to the Tribe so you can all celebrate the happy news. Then spend the next few months fending off the nosy Elders (who all want to know when they can expect to hear more little feet on the ground). At the end of it all, Mandalorians court the same way the rest of the galaxy does.

Except for Paz Vizla. Despite his Traditionalist background, he goes about this courtship and marriage business in a very nontraditional way...a very, very, very nontraditional way. This can also be found at AO3. Chapters: 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

📚 My Master List 📚 Author’s Notes:

This is my first attempt at a multi-chapter story in a very long time.

I’ve been working on this since February. It’s been finished for a few weeks now, but I’ve been procrastinating in posting because I have had such a hard time justifying why Paz behaves the way he does even though we only see him for like 3 seconds in the series. I’m not sure if anyone else does this, but I like having a reason to write a story, even if it’s just to get the fluff out. For this, I wanted to flesh out Paz’s character for future works, but I have had such a hard time figuring out the words for it that I just...didn’t post. It felt wrong to continue forward without being able to explain to myself why he does what he does. Something that @plexflexico said in one of their responses to a review I left resonated with me and finally inspired me to post this publicly.

“Paz might have had less than a minute of screen time, but that time was VERY enlightening because both scenes were at moments of great tension and high emotion. I felt that any man who could succinctly put his people’s plight into words, and was so angry over this betrayal by someone who should have known better that there was no way this was simply a brute. This is a man who thinks and feels, deeply.”

This. This is exactly what I couldn’t find the words for. This, to me, is Paz Vizla. I have seen stories/HCs that portray him as a brute in an attempt to show him as a strong, confident, and masculine character. I am not fond of that portrayal because it lacks depth. I don't see that from a man whose culture embraces competency and skill before gender or sex. For those of you who have not read Asterism, go do it now, I promise you will love every single word. @plexflexico perfectly captures every emotion and thought of each scene just perfectly. This is Grade Amazing Super Plus Rank writing and Plex deserves an award for their work. And also for the inspiration because her Paz is the man everyone who wants a man deserves to have in their life.

The Foundry is the most sacred place for any Tribe blessed enough to have one of its own. It is the physical manifestation of the Resol'nare: education and armor, self-defense, the tribe, the language, and the leader. Here, children and new recruits receive their first set of beskar'gam and swear their oaths to follow the path, making the Foundry the spiritual birthplace of every member of the Tribe.

At night, when the work is finished, and the flames are dimmed, the young and old gather within so they may learn from and educate one another. Most importantly, this is where most individuals begin their first lessons in Mando'a, under the guidance of the Elders. The foundry is where the armaments are made and dispensed for the protection of each person and the Tribe as a whole. When a hunter returns with their offerings, they return to the Foundry, and disperse it to those who depend upon them for sustenance and care. Finally, the Foundry serves as a place for the leadership to gather.

Armorer has had the distinct honor and privilege of being both armorer and leader to her people for many years, though she is now only the armorer for the tribe. Upon joining with tribe Marell, she relinquished her role as the Alor. However, the respect and authority she commands is not diminished in any capacity. Should Alor Dezha not be available to decide on a course of action, the Tribe will come to her, and her decision will be both supported and respected. Dezha respects her a great deal, and he will often seek her opinion if his path is unclear. Despite the differences in their interpretations of the Oath, they have come to live in harmony with one another. They strengthen what is weak in each other, and that is how it should be in a flourishing Tribe.

Tonight, she once more has the honor of being part of a marriage ceremony. Lifting her heavy hammer, Armorer brings it down onto the glowing ingot of metal, watching as it flattens and spreads under her blow. She continues to strike the metal with slow, methodical precision until it reaches the proper thickness. Then the Armorer takes it back to the flame, where she allows it to glow blazing white. It only takes a few moments, and she returns it to the anvil. The steady clang clang of her hammer is punctuated only by the occasional trip to the flames.

The union of two Mandalorians in marriage is – and always has been – a joyous occasion, for that union brings forth stability for the children and the Tribe. Traditionally, the parents take turns hunting, or if the Tribe has the numbers, both parents will hunt together, and leave their children in the care of the rest of the family. Having that one trusted person, the one who knows their every strength and weakness by their side, leads to success, both in the field and at home.

She pauses once more to check the ingot. When she sees it is properly folded, she divides it in half, and begins to form each blade precisely with her smaller hammer. Two Mandalorians, forged into one soul and body by marriage, whether they are together, or they are apart. Two blades, made from a single piece of steel, to symbolize that union. When they are formed to her satisfaction, she takes the blades to the oil vat and quenches them, a satisfying hiss escaping the bubbling liquid.

Then she returns to the forge, narrowing one of the flames to begin the differential tempering process. Here, the tang and the edges of the blades will be hardened to resist shattering, yet the spines will remain flexible, so that they may flex as needed. Once joined, the couple hardens themselves to outsiders; instead, they will turn their affection and respect inward, so they may grow together. Where one is brittle, the other is flexible, and together, they become stronger than they would be individually. She withdraws the first blade from the flame just as the pale amber color creeps to the edges of the blade and plunges it directly into the water bath to cool.

It takes hours to sharpen the ceremonial blades on the grinding belts, but she works steadily and carefully, honing the edges with precision. The hilts are left bare; they will be wrapped by the parties entering the marriage. When they speak their vows, they will exchange blades, so they may carry a piece of the other with them when they are physically parted. She nestles the blades into separate boxes lined with soft fabric. When she delivers the blades tonight, the newlyweds will handle the rest on their own. Armorer lowers the heat of the flame before she returns to her quarters. There she draws the curtain across her living space. Exhaling, she takes a seat at her low table with a pot of hot tea to await being summoned by the Elders to acknowledge the vows. Her shoulders are tense and tight. It is a good sign of hard work.

It has been many years since she has witnessed a proper Mandalorian courtship unfold and blossom into marriage. The Armorer has known from the start that Paz would be the one to fully embrace the traditional ways. Now, he has chosen to make himself an example to the younger Mandalorians and enter the bonds of matrimony. Her heart swells with pride as she imagines the future progeny they will gift to the Tribe, whether they are born or found. However, she takes the time to close her eyes and pray to the spirits. The newlyweds will need guidance.

Hopefully, the wedding night will not result in nearly as much structural damage as the courtship had.

The first time Paz ever laid eyes upon you was shortly after the Armorer had finished negotiations to join with yours. It took nearly three weeks of negotiations, but your Tribe had ultimately yielded. No sane alor would turn away a dozen Hunters and their children, anyway. Paz admits that he did not find you all that impressive at first. You were – and still are - pretty average. Your armor at the time consisted of a bes’kar helmet and a steel chestplate that looked like the Armorer’s. Everything else was made of leather.

Tradesperson, he thought to himself, and he put you out of his mind.

As time went on, Paz came to like you, and even enjoy spending a few minutes with you here and there as his duties allowed. Even though you openly admitted that were an average warrior (at best), you did your job freakishly well. You had made your desire for a large family vocal, and that, combined with your skills, had caught the attention of several Hunters visiting to deliver the latest news. According to the Elders, the offers of marriage had come flooding in the instant you completed your first hunt, even though you hadn’t completed it until your twenty-third birthday.

When the average Mandalorian completed their first hunt by their nineteenth.

And Paz completed his on his seventeenth.

It didn’t take long for him to understand how you earned the loving-yet-frighteningly-accurate nickname shu’shika from the Tribe – you truly are a tiny disaster. You are dearly loved by your Tribe, but there is a tendency for things to break while you are around.

You are stubborn to a fault. That Paz can deal with. Over the past thirty or so years, he has had plenty of practice to out-stubborn his subordinates, and he always wins. The same holds true with his bounties. With you? There have been a few situations where he has come dangerously close to cracking and losing his temper. It is only your terrible self-defense skills and his affection for you that keep him from simply putting you in a headlock until you submit.

Paz sometimes wonders if you provoke him on purpose because you know he will not throw fists with someone who lacks proper training. He takes no pleasure in winning a fight if it was never a true fight to begin with.

Far too often, you get mouthy with him, to the point where he sometimes wants to grab you around the waist and launch you straight into the lake for being such a brat. You are never truly disrespectful, but you have no problem telling him what you think. Even when he does not ask for your opinion. He does, however, appreciate your honesty with him, since others are usually too intimidated by him to be as direct as you.

You’re kriffing fearless, to the point of recklessness. His threats to launch you into the lake have gone from true threats to playful teasing, and it always earns a laugh from you.

Your forgetfulness…it is truly obnoxious. At this point, he has stopped reminding you to pick up your shit. He has grown used to simply picking up your things off the floor (or the couch, or the tables, or the showers), stuffing them in a bag, and dumping it all on your table in the workshop. Just like everyone else in the Tribe does for you. Or, if he wants to see you, he will pocket your datapad until you come wandering into the common areas, and hand it over without a word. It never ceases to amaze you that Paz somehow seems to know exactly what you are looking for.

Paz has no doubts that if you ever set your bucket down, you will lose it. He kind of finds it endearing. But only from you. He has no problems holding armor, weapons, or personal property for ransom if some idiot leaves it unattended.

If there is even a single power cable in a wide-open room, you will invariably find it and trip over it. Stairs have to be clearly marked with vibrant tape to remind you of their existence even though they’ve been there for ten kriffing years. Your navigational skills are nonexistent. It is all Paz can do to refrain from simply attaching a tracker to your backside to keep you from getting lost whenever someone takes you to the market.

The first time he had taken you to the market, he lost you within forty-eight seconds. He panicked the entire time he looked for you. Fortunately, he found you trying to dig enough money out of your bag to buy some ice cream, with no regards as to how you were going to eat the kriffing ice cream with a damn bucket on your head.

Sometimes, Paz feels like his relationship with you is going to give him a full head of grey hair before his fiftieth birthday. But he thinks you are the most beautiful disaster he has ever seen in his life.

You get his dumb jokes and laugh at his silly puns. You let him steal the end pieces of the bread when you bake. You try so damn hard to improve your hand-to-hand combat skills, even when Doctor Shen threatens to tie you to a bed to keep you from hurting yourself. You turn to him first when you want to learn a new technique. You play hunters-and-prey with the children for hours, like you don’t care that the others are grumbling about you spoiling the kids. You listen to him ramble about whatever random topic he has picked up that week, and while you may not know anything about it, you ask questions and take the time to learn more about what makes him happy. You even offer to share your tiingilar with him, even when you only have a quarter ration of it.

He has spent most of his forty-four years alone in life. His eight-year relationship had ended exactly ten years ago when his partner chose to commit adultery. He was on the verge of proposing marriage when he caught them in his bed. Neither had been wearing their helmet. It was a privilege his partner had never granted him, even after nearly a decade together. After that gut-wrenching betrayal, something had shattered in him. Paz invested himself in his work fervently, his bitterness turning him away from the possibility of a long-term relationship. Now that he is older and wiser, he feels a sort of emptiness to his days. Like his successes mean nothing without having someone to share them with. He wants someone there to encourage and support him in his hunts. Someone who is not as cynical and burnt out from the constant threat of death and war. Someone who still has that shereshoya – that Mandalorian lust for each new day and every experience that it brings. That brightness in your soul draws him to you like a moth to the flame. It is your hidden gentility that has him so happily trapped in your orbit.

He wants to make you strong where you are weak.

He wants you to make him strong where he is weak.

Seeing you waiting for him at the shooting range brings a spring to his step. Hearing your laughter at one of his awful jokes makes him glad he wears a helmet so no one can see the ridiculous grin on his face. Smelling the sweet, flowery soap that you use makes his knees go all wobbly, though he’s not sure if it’s from affection or just from age. Just feeling your hand brush up against his makes him turn into a sweaty, flushed mess.

Paz Vizla feels like he’s strapped to the wing of a TIE fighter spinning out of control as it plummets to the ground below, or something like a fully-grown rath’tar has wrapped itself around his heart to squeeze. His belly is jam-packed with spice-crazed minochs and his heart is pounding wildly. When he thinks about kissing you one day, maybe just gently pressing his helmet against yours, his heart gets so full he can barely breathe.

You make him Feel Things he has never felt before.

Paz Vizla turns into a hot kriffing mess under his armor when he is around you, and he wants off this malfunctioning jetpack.

Feel free to leave comments, concerns, or critiques. I love all sorts of feedback <3

#star wars #the mandalorian #paz vizla #paz vizla x reader #paz vizsla x reader #romance #humor #the armorer #din djarin #original characters #tailor's world #tv: the mandalorian #paz vizsla x f!reader #paz vizla x f!reader #tailor writes #series: a proper mandalorian courtship

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quirkwizard · 4 years ago

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Top 15 Strongest Quirks

What is the most powerful? This question that has plagued the anime community for generations of fans. From the olden days of Dragonball, to the modern works of Dragon Ball Super. So, in celebration of 1500 followers, I thought I would try to form my own list of what I believe are that best of the best in terms of Quirks. But before I begin, some ground rules for this list:

-I am taking the Quirk as they are at their base with the average user. “Decay” might be able to destroy entire cities, but it couldn't do that at the start, hence why it is not on this list.

-I am keeping personal biases out of this as much as possible. If I think a Quirk is strong enough to be on this list, it is on here, regardless of my like or dislike of the Quirk itself.

-I am taking everything into account about the Quirks when writing this. So it’s not just a competition of what Quirk can blow stuff up the best or which Quirk beats another Quirk. It’s everything the Quirk is capable of and what is holding it back.

With all of that in mind, here is what I believe are the Top 15 Strongest Quirks in My Hero Academia.

15. Creation

The user has the ability to make non-living items from their body. With that description on it’s own, it is easily one of the most versatile abilities in the series. Being able to create anything you want from your body, pulling out whatever tools or items whenever the situation calls for it. The user could fulfill whatever role was needed of them, making medical supplies in one hand and a canon in the other. And all of it’s based around having fat cells to burn, a resource that is very easy to gain and is hard to burn through the point of being dangerous.

So why is at the lowest spot on this list? That would be what I think is the biggest drawback. The user has to learn everything they can about what they are making, down to the atomic configuration. No matter what you are trying to make, it’s going to take a lot of brain power to use this Quirk at all, let alone effectively. The thing is that most people aren’t going to be smart enough to take full advantage of the Quirk. It isn’t only helped by someone as smart as Momo, it needs someone as smart as Momo to be used to the best of its ability. However, I still feel like someone could still take advantage of it even if they weren’t smart, which I think is a testament to the Quirk’s abilities.

14. Meatball

While many rightly retch at the idea of this Quirk, I think that can distract from just how good it is. Just the idea of manipulating any and all raw flesh just has so many interesting and varied uses. I went over how much could be done with it before now, so I won’t go into detail here, but lets just say I think there are plenty of ways it could be applied given what we were shown the Quirk is capable of. Even if we were to judge it by it’s one showing, it’s still a pretty great ability to have, able to completely subdue an opponent from a range. That and scare the life out of anyone else.

But what keeps it so low on the list is how much the Quirk works against itself. It’s all about manipulating flesh off of the user’s body, leaving them without their body parts and much more open than before. What makes it even worse is that the user can still feel everything their body is going through, even if they are removed from it, making any usage of it much harder because people can easily damage it. And having it all be based around concentration is just the icing on the cake. It just leaves the user too open, causing them to spread themselves out too far. I still think it is a great Quirk, just not good enough to break into the top ten.

13. Dark Shadow

One of the more unique Quirks in the series, “Dark Shadow” offers a lot of strange abilities. Not only does it make it so the user always has a second ally to watch their back, but it’s malleable nature make it so it can be used in all kinds of fun ways like making armor around the user, making it slither between small cracks to get around, or even using it to fly. And that’s before it starts getting dark. Even during its weakened form in the light, it’s still a strong fighter that can keep the distance between the opponent and the user. And it’s just going to keep getting stronger when it gets dark.

But the problem with that is, when it is at its most powerful, Dark Shadow is an uncontrollable mess, completely acting outside of the user’s control. It’s strong, yes, but that kind of power is next to useless if the user cannot rein it in. The user might as well be a passenger, watching as their Quirk mindlessly destroys everything around it and hope it doesn’t break something the user doesn’t want it to. But the bigger issue is the weakness to light and reliance on what time of day it is. One is really easy for an enemy to take advantage of and the other the user has zero control over. And if Dark Shadow is beaten back too much and retreats in the user, they might as well be Quirkless.

12. Hellflame

A Quirk with a dangerously appropriate name, “Hellflame” was an obvious pick for this list. Ranging anywhere between regular flames to searing white hot fire. In terms of raw destructive power, it’s certainly one of the best in the series. And unlike a lot of other Quirks with a focus on offensive uses, Endeavor seems to show a significant amount of control over his flames. Again, power without control is next to pointless, so having that kind of sway over the fire really means a lot. Plus the user can fly with their Quirk, which is always a major bonus.

Why it’s not any higher is because of two reasons. One, it’s still a pretty big risk to use this Quirk. Not only does it heavily hinder the user’s body, slowing Enji down greatly when it was pushed in a fight, but the user cannot control the fire they make, potentially leading to some serious damages. Second, there isn’t really a lot of uses for the Quirk. The user can fly and they can burn stuff. If not that, they can burn more stuff. You can make slight changes to how you burn things, but you can’t do much else other than burning. It’s all offense all the time and if I was only judging by offensive power, it would certainly be a lot higher. While limited in its application, it still has more than reason to be on this list.

11. Compress

Man, if this Quirk got on the list it must be pretty marblelous. But seriously, safely shrinking down objects can have a lot of applications both fun and powerful, whether that be as a whole or selectively. And going by the biggest thing the Quirk was used on, a boulder that was larger then a police car, there are a lot of things the Quirk can be used on without any damages to the target in question. The user can quickly hide and transport whatever they can get their hands on, hiding objects that no would would expect to come out of such small orbs. It gives them a lot of creative freedom as far as uses go.

And if push comes to shove, the user can always tear people apart by compressing them into pieces, bypassing defenses. Though it can still be breached from the outside, as seen with Aoyama, limiting it’s capturing ability. But it’s big issue is that it isn’t very outwardly powerful, relying a lot on the user being smart enough with it to apply it properly. Another is that, while effective in what it does, the Quirk itself is rather limited. It can store objects and damage targets via selective storage. While those in of themselves are highly applicable, they still are somewhat limited, making me hesitate to put it any higher on the list.

10. Earth Flow

“Earth Flow” is really one of those abilities that gets overlooked by everyone. Which is a shame since it is such a powerful Quirk. Not only because earth is everywhere, giving the user one of the most widely available substances to control, but earth is such as a malleable solid that it can be used in plenty of ways. Making walls to defend themselves, crushing people under a wave of earth, or using that control to make Earth Beasts. She doesn’t even need to be touching in directly, as seen when she was trying to fend off the decay wave and even when she was able to control her Earth Beasts from afar.

It’s such a versatile ability, only complimented by the abundance of the resource the user can control. The only real problem here is that the earth itself is pretty weak, falling apart after a few attacks. Now while that may not seem like as big of an issue with the average person, considering that most people in the series have some kind of ability that could destroy or hinder the earth takes away some of its menace a bit. I mean the UA students were able to tear through them, with even a lot of the weaker students being able to take them down. Sure they had a little hero training, but it’s still something to note given the Quirk’s performance.

9. Flight

Another often forget Quirk in the fandom, that does not stop “Flight” from earning a deserving spot on this list. Allowing the user to fly around completely unhindered, a massive advantage in any kind of situation, what makes it even better is how the user flies. By forming a barrier around the user that it allows them to fly, it grants the user a lot of protection, both while flying and from damage as a whole. They can even spread it to others, protecting them and flying around. It’s certainly a good Quirk, but it is rather limited, just giving it a lot of mobility and defensive options. I almost didn’t even put it on the list.

And then I realized something: “Flight” has next to no real weaknesses. Sure, the barrier weakens whenever the user wants to spread it out to something else, but that’s hardly enough to really be that common of an issue since it can still allow the user to fly and protection the without any real problems. Even when it was spread out, it could still protect the user extremely well, able to keep Captain Celebrity safe from an onslaught of bombers while he was holding up an entire building. So the user could just enjoy the use of this Quirk full time with no real issues, hence why it is so much farther up on the list.

8. Black Hole

Surprising no one, the ability to make a black hole at the tips of your fingers makes it on the list of the strongest Quirks. Even if it is quite a simple ability on paper, one cannot deny the sheer destructive force that the Quirk can bring as an overwhelming vacuum of death. It’s not even like you have to touch someone to use it like you do with other deadly Quirks. The power to create a devastating vacuum is literally at the user’s finger tips, not even needing to get that close in order to completely eviscerate someone at the atomic level.

Now most people would put a Quirk like this much higher on their lists. But I’m still trying to take everything into account. That being said, there isn’t much else to the Quirk. It’s got destructive power in spades, but that only means so much, not really being to branch out from that limited scope. It also has the same problem I mention before about power being next to meaningless if someone cannot control it. Not so much that the Quirk is a threat to the user, just that the Quirk is a threat against everything else.

7. Manifest

The big thing that puts “Manifest” on the list is the number of things the user can do with it. As long as the user eats something, they can apply it to anywhere on their body, having it seemingly scale up to their size. That just opens up so many possible ways to use it since the Tamaki doesn’t even seem limited to regular food. As long as he can eat it and stomach it, he can use it with his Quirk. The user can even combine traits together, as seen with Tamaki and his coconut-octupus fingers, making for even greater potential uses.

And unlike other Quirks, it’s much easier to use and is far more reliable in comparison. All the user needs to do is eat something, even if it is only a small sample of it, and they can use it up to twenty four hours. So as long as the user is eating at all, they should reasonably have something they can take advantage of. However, while it is one of the most multifaceted abilities on this list, it is lacking a lot in raw power, mostly relying on the user’s own competence and whatever is around them at the time to carry them through a battle. Regardless, it’s still a great ability that anyone would be lucky to have.

6. Whirlwind

It’s hard to explain this one because of how obvious the reasoning of why "Whirlwind” is on here. The user can control air, something that is always around us. You would legitimately have to go out of your way to find a place without air. Even if we just go by the little we’ve seen of it, I still would put it on the list at this high. Inasa has such amazing control over the battlefield, able to push people and objects around with his power. That’s not even mentioning how he can enhance his body, pushing himself around and flying forward, another major advantage of the Quirk.

It’s not even like the air itself is weak, easily able to carry around people, or that the user lacks control, easily controlling the currents to move said people safely. The biggest reason why it isn’t any higher is because its a Quirk that focuses a lot on offense and mobility. It does both of those extremely well, but it’s lack of defensive options make the user a glass cannon. It’s actually similar to “Hellflame”, ironically enough. The main difference here is that the user has a lot more control and an easier to work around weakness, putting it a higher spot on the list. In spite of it’s lack of panel time, I am more than confident that “Whirlwind” earns its placement.

5. All For One/One For All

Out of all of the Quirks I put on this list, this was the one I worried about the most. I’m sure if most people were doing this list, they would put these two at the top spot or spots one and two respectively. I know most would put “All For One” over “One For All”, but I’d say they are about even. In spite of its growing power, “One For All” has always been seemingly able to keep ground with “All For One”. “One For All” can travel between host, able to pass on the memories and powers of the previous hosts, giving them a great wellspring of power to work from. “All For One” can steal Quirks from other people, able to pass them onto other people or apply the Quirks to their own body, capable of handling multiple Quirks at the same time.

Here’s the thing though: both of these Quirks are similar in that they need a lot of time to build up power. “One For All” is indeed an amazing Quirk, but it needs to be passed on between person to person, slowing gaining power as it travels between its hosts. “All For One” can take Quirks from other people, but we don’t know the process of that what else the Quirk is capable of. If I was ranking Quirks by how we see them in the series, these two would definitely be at the top. But I’m ranking the Quirks at their base with an average user. You need to remember that both of these Quirks needed over two hundred years to get to the level of power they have now. Not only is that extremely unfair to other Quirks but, in most cases, the user won’t be able to reap the benefits of it. However, I cannot deny the extreme potential both of these Quirks offer.

4. Half Hot Half Cold

Basically just being two Quirks in one, one of which might as well be another “Hellflame”, “Half Hot Half Cold” has more than enough reason to be on the list by that descriptor alone. But luckily, it has plenty to bring to the table on it’s own. With the ice offering a large amount of defense, the fire granting a dangerous amount of power, and both sides giving the user superb mobility, it really is a Quirk that can cover any role the user wishes. This matched with it’s stunningly large area of effect turns the user into an elemental powerhouse.

And unlike other Quirks of this caliber, Shoto has been shown to have a fine control over the ice and fire itself, ranging from large attacks like freezing over half a stadium or place ice over a comparatively smaller spot like someone’s leg. But what makes it one of the best is how the Quirk counters itself. It’s the only real example where the Quirk can prevent its own weakness, able to remove any icing over or overheating the user will have to deal with. Honestly, the only reason why this Quirk isn’t higher on the list is because I just think the Quirks above it are better.

3. Warp Gate

Being able to open portals is inherently powerful ability its own, instantly moving around wherever the user wishes. Being made of smoke is just another layer of powerful. The user is hands down one of the most valuable assets on the battlefield, easily moving people in all sorts of ways. With how the Quirk is a vapor that the user controls, it can easily cover a lot ground at a rapid rate, spreading themselves out over anywhere they are needed. And it’s major weakness about knowing coordinates is easy to deal with considering how easy that information is to learn and that the user can still apply the Quirk as long as they are within line of sight.

To top it all off, the user is effectively intangible, able to counter almost any attack that comes their way by either letting it teleport through their fog or just redirect it back at the person who attack them. It’s highly versatile ability with a lot of uses behind it, making it difficult justifying it at any number lower than three. Though it’s not without its flaws. Again, like “Manifest”, it lacks a lot of direct power. It’s a Quirk that relies more on the other person messing up rather then the user taking the initiative or having allies around that can take advantage of the portals. Plus it can be pretty slow in terms of actual use given how Kurogiri needs some set up to use his Quirk properly.

From threatening to cut enemies in half through closing portals, to relocating people to convenient positions, to making a quick escape when this go awry, this Quirk can cover plenty of ground.

2. Rewind

No surprise that this Quirk is so high. The only real surprise for many of you is that it is not number one. With something as nebulous as “reverting people to a previous state”, it gives a wide range of usage for the Quirk to work with. Everything from healing injuries like they were never there or even erasing someone from existence. In theory, the user could even undo any mistakes they did with the Quirk. It’s not wonder that it’s considered such a powerful ability, both in the series and in the fandom,

For starters, the massive control problem the Quirk has certainly is an issue, making all the amazing uses of the Quirk next to impossible to use properly because of how the Quirk can get out of control. And I don’t think that’s a case of Eri’s age. A lot kids her age seems to have great control over of their Quirk, so that’s something that likely apart of the Quirk. The use of the Quirk also seems to put a heavy toll on the user, something people don’t seem to talk about, leaving Eri hospitalized after using it on Izuku. However, I cannot deny the power and usefulness of such an ability,

1. Overhaul

Anyone who has been on the blog for long enough should not be surprised at this being number one. This Quirk has power, both in how it much it can do for the user at its base ability and how it can be applied. Being able to reshape matter, taking it apart and putting it back with such fine detail, opens a lot of doors in how it can be used. The user just has so much control over everything they can get their hands on, to the point where it is crazy to even think about. That’s not even mentioning how the user can just erase someone with a single touch, turning them into a fine paste on the wall.

And what’s the big drawback of this Quirk? The user needs to be touching whatever they want to use the Quirk on. The power to dissemble and reassemble any solid matter in any way the user wishes, including people, is only limited by the fact it is based around the user’s hands. And what makes it so much better a lot of other Quirks on this list is that the user has complete control over the process, able to selectively remove parts they don’t want, to the point where they can bring back someone they just murdered in pristine condition. It’s not trading out power for control because the user has both in excess. And that’s not even getting into the crazier stuff like fusing people or bringing back the recently dead.

#My Hero Academia #Quirks

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