#sora being his brother

[raelyn-dreams]

So I was looking through Rei's appellations and:

This is so fucking sad???

SHU CALLED HIM HIS FRIEND. HE'S STILL ONE OF NATSUME'S BELOVED NII-SAN'S. THEY LOVED HIM SO MUCH, THEY STILL LOVE HIM UNCONDITIONALLY.

Even when Kanata would've drowned himself if not for Chiaki grabbing him, even when Shu was being barely kept alive by a desperate Mika, even when Wataru smiled and tried to reassure them as he calmly walked to his execution, even when Natsume could only cry from the shadows - none of them ever resented him for it.

But Rei resents himself, because he couldn't save them, or Ritsu, or Koga, or anyone he cared about.

And that is why he can't let them be that close - it'll only hurt them more when he lets them down again.

[thetimelordbatgirl]

Why must a twitter post make me choose who has the worst parnets between Horrid Henry, Doofenshmirtz, Priya from Total Drama Island and Sora from Lego Ninjago??? They all got shit parents in different ways, there's no contest between them.

[akkivee]

hitoya unconsciously picking up kuukou’s style of training is so funny to me lmao

[reliablejoukido]

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[mayax81]

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[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Do you think it's weird that I was fine with Roxas finding out he was Sora's Nobody in Kingdom Hearts, but Adrien not being what we thought he was triggered my ick factor a lot? Do you think it's because we learned that about Roxas before we had a lot of time to get attached to him?

I was initially going to say that I can't answer this because I've only played Kingdom Hearts 1, so my knowledge of the later games is pretty limited. Then I remembered that my little brother is both obsessed with those games and the Mycroft to my Sherlock*, so I gave him a call and got the expert opinion (and a reminder that I need to play the Kingdom Hearts games so that my brother can talk about them with someone who understands story telling because those games apparently make a lot of... interesting choices.)

Here is the sum of my brother's analysis:

The two properties handled the concept of personhood and artificial beings in such wildly different ways that it would never even occur to him to compare them (though it was an interesting question once posed). A good portion of the later Kingdom Hearts games revolve around asking what a person even is. Should they try to make the Nobodies into people? Do the Nobodies even need to change to be people or are they people already? What makes Roxas different from other Nobodies? These questions start being asked very early on and, for all the story's flaws, you can tell that the writers are aware that they're dealing with a serious topic and that they're trying to do it justice.

Meanwhile, Miraculous introduces artificial beings who don't have true free will and then... completely ignores all of the ethical implications of that plot point. Emilie and Gabriel are good parents. The fact that the heroes have been killing off sentimonsters isn't concerning. Gabriel's commands are just a minor inconvenience to Adrienette and not anything that needs to be explored in a deeper way. He's still totally redeemable and it's fine that Adrien never learned the truth while his father was alive so that he could decide what that meant for their relationship on his own terms.

Given all of that, it's really not shocking that Kingdom Hearts makes you feel invested while Miraculous repulses you because the Miraculous introduced human sentimonsters for cheap shock value to the point where I firmly believe that it was a retcon. Meanwhile Kingdom Hearts planned major elements of the plot around the concept and set it up right from the start of the second game. If Miraculous had done the same kind of thing, then I doubt that most salters would be deeply upset by the concept. They still might dislike it, but it would be seen more as a matter of taste than as a true flaw.

*For those who don't know, Mycroft Holmes is Sherlock Holmes' older brother. Sherlock openly admits that Mycroft is the smarter and more observant of the two siblings. The same can be said of my sibling when it comes to story telling. Everything I can do, he can do just as well or even better. He's never seen miraculous, but knows the major plot beats from a mix of cultural osmosis and reading the occasional fanfic when an author he likes crosses fandoms. He is highly amused that no one he follows does anything save for fix-it type stuff and says it tells him everything he needs to know about canon's writing quality, an assessment I fully agree with.

[lesbomaticlove]

watched deadpool and wolverine and it inevitably had me thinking about these two idiots.

(inspo from this piece by thomas horndof)

spoilers for said movie below the cut among my au musings

Sanji as Deadpool -

I thought, rather than having cancer and going through 'experimental treatments', Sanji would have been made a mutant along with his brothers, basically just the way they are in canon. Sora would have tried to stop it, because she knew Judge's goal was to make weapons out of these children, and was successful only with Sanji - but since he still retained the mutant genes, Judge spent the entirety of Sanji's childhood trying to awaken them to get him on par with the others. They are mercenaries, and of course the most effective mercenary is one that won't die.

These enhancements take a really long time to actually awaken, though. As much pain as Sanji endured, he hadn't gotten close enough to death for it to save him.

He was nineteen and locked in the basement when the fire started. Nobody else was home, so nobody else got hurt, but he wasn't able to escape easily. He ended up with burns on 90% of his body, presumed dead by his family, but his healing factor kicked in just in time to save him.

He took up mercenary work, as it was all he knew and all he felt he could contribute, but was still determined to regain his humanity through it.

Over the years he got close to a small group of people.

Zeff, the grumpy old geezer that inevitably taught him to cook, and never judged him for his mutant genetics or scars. Also happened to be an ex-mercenary and kept connections to help with his work.

Franky, Robin, Luffy, and Ace- mutant friends, the primary x-men in his timeline.

Nami and Vivi, two of his favorite people in the world.

Usopp, his best friend and the regular ass guy thats been there for him every step of the way (yes he is the peter)

After a bit of a quarter life crisis, these nine people closest to him are at risk of being taken away from him forever, and it's his fault. He's determined to fix it on his own.

.

Zoro as Wolverine -

With little to no memories of his childhood or early life, the x-men are all Zoro has.

Until he doesn't. Until his adamant independence led to all of them getting killed.

Johnny. Yosaku. It was the discovery of Kuina's body that really sent him over the edge, a spiral that lasted years before Deadpool dragged him into his timeline. A timeline where Wolverine was dead, and the fabric of space and time threatened to fall apart.

[one-idea]

Here's an idea: time travel fix it, but the time traveller is Zeff.

Casually fixing what he can for his Eggplant's future Nakama, like bribing Mihawk with a nice wine to mention what Arlong is up to to Jimbe.

I love a time travel fix it with an unlikely hero. Because the Strawhats have a lot of information about what needs to be fixed. Their time travel fix it’s make sense. But the fun ones are their allies who know major events but don’t know everything.

(I saw someone try this with Mihawk and like the man only knows major events that the strawhats get into. Also he’s way more likely just to show up and watch the chaos while drinking wine.)

Zeff being sent back is so fun. 1) he’s a great character who obviously loves Sanji and would want to do what’s best for him. But also 2) he has no idea what half the inciting incidents are! How will he ever know what to stop?

He does have some information though. So let’s say he gets dropped 21 years in the past. He’s still a pirate. Ohara was just burnt last year and Rodger died 3 years ago (fact check me)

Most importantly Sanji is about to be born. His little eggplant is about to be born into one of the worst family on the sea. Well not if he has anything to say about it. He’s still Red-Leg Zeff, the pirate captain.

He knows they can’t do a full frontal assault but some sneaking around gets him to Sora. And a quick “how do you feel about taking all the kids and running?” She’s in. Anything to get them away from Judge.

And it’s stupid easy because they are babies who are only a few days old. Judge only cares about their test results he isn’t watching them. So Zeff and a few of his crew just nab Judges wife and kids, and quite a bit of loot.

Zeff is booking it out of there. But not without kick judge through at least one wall durning the escape.

He makes the decision to quiet the pirate life early. He’s got Sora and the kids to worry about. They open the Baratie early. He knows exactly which cooking staff he’s hiring.

As he separated from the crew he tells them that if they run into a girl named Nico Robin to bring her to him.

He starts establishing the Baratie as a location for all to dine in. But this time he’s focused on making connections. Keeping his thumb on the pulse of both pirate and government movement.

Raising the five kids he’s acquired along side Sora, the genetic programming takes but without it being supported as they grow eventually gets out of their systems. Sanji being the most in touch with his emotions followed by Reiju. Their brothers struggle with emotions but are a lot better and more adjusted than they are in cannon.

About two years into this restaurant one 11 year old Nico Robin is delivered by his old crew. The girl is super freaked out but he sits her down and tells her that’s she’s safe, he’s got ears everywhere and will know if the governmental coming after them, and he won’t let them take her. Plus who’s going to be looking for her at a high class restaurant. It also helps that he’s got a gaggle of children already so she can stay off the floor hanging out with the kids. Sora also dyes Robin’s hair purple and that with age is enough to make people not immediately recognize her from her bounty poster.

5 years later the red hair pirates a bouncing around the East blue and Zeff waits. Waits until one day Shanks comes in one arm short and bragging about his son. (It helps that Sanji and his siblings are helping out so Shanks and Zeff are just casually talking about their kids.) He grabs the captain and pulls him to the side and tells him that Luffy is in danger and that there is another little boy on that island, a boy who is the son of his old captain. Shanks thinks he’s crazy at first but he knows things about Luffy. The scar under his eye, and other things.

Enough to make shanks curious enough to turn around and find Luffy and his TWO new brothers. He quickly collects three children and returns to the Baratie. (Kicks door open while holding three children “you were right!” Zeff surprised by the third child but not mad) (I don’t think he knows about Sabo)

Luffy and Sanji get on like a house fire with Luffy loudly declaring that Sanji will one day join his crew as his chef. And Zeff is standing there watching them with a proud smile, because somethings are just meant to happen.

Meanwhile Shanks as turned to look at Zeff

“anything else I should know about?”

Zeff just snorts “a lot. You still friends with Hawkeyes or have you to made it official yet?”

(With the Baratie around earlier he had to witness young Shanks and Mihawk flirting, it was painful)

Shanks gets sad “he’s mad about well you know…” the missing arm. And Zeff feels bad about that but he had no clue how the man lost it in the first place so there was no way he could stop it.

“If you run into him tell him there’s a crazy kid in the east blue gunning for his title. If he wants to keep things interesting he might want to train him.” (The Baratie is Mihawk’s favorite establishment Zeff could also tell him but he has a feeling the swords master would listen to Shanks over him.)

This is how Mihawk shows up at a dojo where a 10year old Kuina and 9 year old Zoro are training. (A year before Kuina’s death) he sees their skill and hears Kuina’s father’s opinion about females and training. He knows it’s an opinion that is also popular in Wano where this man is obviously from, but it’s not the way the rest of the world works. He approaches and offers to take over the training of the girl “who won’t make anything of herself” and the “feral gremlin using sword handles for teething.” Kuina’s father isn’t to sure about all this but he can’t really refuse the greatest swordsman in the world nor will Kuina or Zoro stay once they hear about the offer.

Mihawk has now obtained one verbally polite girl who will break every rule the moment his back is turn and one backpack leash gremlin.

He and Shanks are regulars at the Baratie for parenting advice. Luffy meets Zoro’s and again claims him as part of the crew. Years later Zoro and Sanji argue over who will be the first official member (Sanji: Luffy asked me first! Zoro: but I was the first one to physically join the crew!)

But currently the three run a muck on the Baratie pulling pranks on their older siblings (Ace, Sabo, Kuina, and Reiju are all the same age) or just Sanji brothers (they are still learning emotions and will sometimes join in on the chaos, other times they are a rival faction but if they ever get to mean Luffy and Zoro put them in their place)

but eventually Luffy runs into Robin (she tries to stay out of the way as much as possible to not get the Baratie in trouble. Zeff tells her she doesn’t have to but Trauma is a thing) Luffy loves her instantly. She quitely reading a book and Luffy joins her for story time and she never gets mad at his interruption and is so patient with him. He looks at her with a grin of a small sun and tells her “when I’m captain you’re going to be on my crew!” Robin is a little freaked out because she doesn’t want to bring the world government down on this little boy. But Zeff talks to her later and tells her that Luffy isn’t a force that can be stopped. It takes time but in the next ten years Robin comes around to the idea of being on Luffy’s crew with Zoro and her little brother Sanji. As soon as Luffy claimed her he told the others. Sanji was pumped! Zoro just accept it but he comes around to really love Robin.

At the same time that the boys are all being adopted Zeff is making some calls and contacts. The Baratie has been open for over 9 years he’s got some high connections. He eventually gets a hold of Jimbei and tells him that Arlong is in the East Blue and causing trouble. (Arlong has just started in the East blue, Zeff has no clue of the time clock) he points Jimbei in the direction of Cocoyashi.

Jimbei gets their right at the time of Arlong raid in the village. He walks in right as Arlong and Bell-mére are having their confrontation. I don’t know exactly what happens (I haven’t met Jimbei yet) but he’s able to stop it.

Bell-mére asks how he knew they were in trouble and he tells them about the Baratie. The village wants to thank the man who alerted Jimbei so Bell-mére goes (she is a retired Marine and probably the best sailor.) and takes Nojiko and Nami with her. Of course Shanks is visiting with the boys and Luffy and Nami instantly hit it off. “This is my Navigator!!!” Shanks is laughing because the kids going to have a whole crew before he has a boat.

Once Luffy is ready to set sail he meets up with Zoro and the two head to the Baratie to pick up Nami, Sanji, and Robin. Zeff points them in the direction of Suyrup village to “get a ship” where they pick up Usopp and save Kaya. (This absolutely does not make Usopp’s feeling of inferiority worse by the time they get to Water 7. No way. It’s not like everyone else on the crew until Vivi and Chopper have known each other for 10 years. He’s not the odd man out in any way.)

Zeff doesn’t have a lot of information about their adventures so he can’t truly stop anything but he does know some thing. (Nami leaving the crew. Luffy and Zoro being from the east blue and having connections with Shanks and Mihawk (Mihawk totally goes the the Baratie to drink during the time skip. Zeff knows Zoro is his kid) he knows Ace is Roger’s son and that he dies. But he doesn’t know anything that isn’t in Sanji’s letters or the news paper (which is full of lies)

He makes the best decisions he can for Sanji.

He saves Sanji from Zeff as soon as possible

Accidentally saving Sora, Reiju, Ichiji, Niji, and Yonji

After Sanji set sail Zeff decides to expand the Baratie. It’s a chain

Patty and Carne take over the East blue branch

Reiju runs the one in the grandline.

Ichiji runs one in the west blue

Niji runs one in the south blue

The north blue doesn’t get one until Judge is dead they all agree on that

Yonji bounces from place to place helping as he is needed

Zeff and Sora open one in the New World.

Zeff might not know everything the Strawhats went through but he knows the major events and by having a home base in almost every sea he’s got ears everywhere. His old crew is still out there acting as ears for him and bring him news.

Anything he can help the Strawhats avoid or remove from their path he sends word

He tells Shanks about Ace.

Accidentally getting Luffy, Ace, and Sabo adopted

Saving Sabo from the Celestial dragons

Giving all three boys the chance to train with the Red Hair Pirates and learn Haki early while also getting a feel for the Grandline and New World

Ace’s death is prevented because he knows about Blackbeards plans and tells Ace to watch out for the man and to not trust him. It helps that Ace grew up with Shanks who never liked Blackbeard at all.

He tells Mihawk about Zoro

Kuina is accidentally saved

Both get to train with Mihawk far before their adventure. Mihawk loves it because the two are “trying to kill him” but they are also competing with each other and it’s MESSY they are so dramatic in their own weird way and he’s living for watching this gremlins fight while he drinks wine. When Perona shows up he finally has a goth child who wants to dress presentable and drink wine while making his other children. The family is complete.

He puts out feelers for Robin having no real hope she will show up

Accidentally gave her a loving home and help her feel safe while also preparing her for the adventure ahead.

He points Jimbei in Arlong direction. He has no clue what Arlong is truly up to.

Accidentally saves village

Saves Bell-mére’s life and kick starts the Strawhats.

The Strawhats still have a lot going on but because of advance trading some received as children and the stronger bonds.

He can’t do anything to Chopper, Franky, Brook or Usopp because their trauma is already passed Franky/Brook or he doesn’t know their stories well enough to intervene, Usopp/Chopper.

But he does make the safest home possible for his little eggplant.

[lemon-lime-behavior]

Rambling about French Sanji, ignore me

So it's pretty well accepted that Sanji's, like, french. Oda said that's the nationality he had in mind making him, he looks and acts pretty stereotypically french, and so we're all having a ball making him obnoxiously French (derogatory (affectionate)) and having him say merde and eating baguettes and what have you.

What we're all less in agreement on is if the Frenchitude came from Germa or Zeff (or both???)

Because unless Zeff is from the north blue too then it would need to be one or the other, right? But its hard deciding between them in my head because they both have interesting points....

Like on one hand if Zeff is the French influence that's good because the association with fancy cooking is part of the joke, and if Sanji's gonna go around being all French at people it would make more sense that he's emulating the behaviors of the father he actually likes, whereas if it was Germa culture he'd be more likely to try and suppress it.

On the other hand if Germa was supposed to be One Piece France that would make being One Piece French a more unconscious and implicit part of his identity, rather than something adopted. It makes French his native language which is what a lot of people are going for in their fanworks, and I do think Germa is supposed to be a bit reminiscent of France, or at least western European monarchies in general.

I guess I come down on the side of preferring Zeff to be French and Sanji just getting a basic grasp of the language from him. Enough to swear and name his fancy kicks. I prefer to imagine Germa being a bit more, well, germanic. Maybe even a smidge nordic.

Bah I don't know, it's sticky. The people who say fuck it and make Zeff Sora's long lost brother are probably the smartest among us.

[lloydskywalkers]

escape pod

dragons rising s2 part 2 is out that means PAIN TIME (cannot believe i got this to post with 2% service but please beware there are major major spoilers in this! if you haven't finished the latest dragons rising release steer clear)

Lloyd’s learned, a long time ago, how to ignore pain. 

It never quite works — pain doesn’t care for being shoved aside and silenced, and he’s also learned, on the steps of Borg Tower, the depths of his grandfather’s tomb, strewn among the shattered remains of Kryptarium Prison’s walls — it’s sure to remind you it exists with a vengeance. 

It’s taking that vengeance now. Now that he can’t distract himself with tournaments and battles and the exhausting adrenaline that beats out a steady alarm of go go go. 

The alarm’s still going off in his head, but there’s nothing left to do.

Well, that’s a lie. 

Lloyd buries his face in his hands, obscuring the blurring portraits in front of him. There’s so much to do — so many promises to answer and so many failures to make up for.

Jay. 

Arin.

The Source Dragons, the Forbidden Five, his uncle, Pixal, Skylor, and on and on and—

Nausea overtakes him, and Lloyd gasps raggedly. The smell of the monastery courtyard was comforting, once. It’s the smell of home, the smell of familiar incense and earth and smoke and seawater and ozone and Kai’s terrible hair gel.

The smell of everyone lost and missing and gone.

When he’d first woken up after the merge, alone with only the empty silence, he’d thought — that was the worst it could get. It was everything he’d ever feared, and he’d thought, after he found Kai and Arin and Sora and his family one by one, that maybe that was the worst it would get. That things would get better. 

“Stupid,” Lloyd curses again. 

His fingers clench over the hilt that’s tucked beneath his gi, close to his chest. The Source Dragon’s blade feels impossibly heavy, but it hasn’t left his side — he’s too terrified of losing it, of breaking it, of shattering the trust someone else has put in him. 

Why in the world people keep trusting him, Lloyd still can’t understand. It’s not even Lloyd they’re looking to, is it? 

Son of Garmadon, with countless eyes turned toward him in anger and suspicion.

Green Ninja, with countless hands outstretched to him, for him to save. 

Conduit, another vessel for another power and another responsibility. 

Master, the stupidest title he’s ever thought he could take—

Failure. Failing and falling and failing all over again.

Is that all you know how to do, Lloyd Garmadon?

He’s lost his mom and his father and uncle. Lost Jay, lost Arin, and he can only hope no one else is next. 

Lloyd’s fingers clench in his hair, pulling hard enough to hurt. It’s a pitiful distraction from everything else. 

Fever still burns hot and familiar beneath his skin, leaving an aching weariness that makes standing feel nightmarish. It’s outweighed by the jagged line of fiery agony that cuts from hip to shoulder, every movement sending firecracker bursts of pain that leaves him shivering and dizzy. 

Stupid. Lloyd’s getting sloppy. How many times has someone backstabbed him before? How many near-misses has he dodged, instincts born from years of training just saving him?

Stupid. Lloyd doesn’t need saving. He shouldn’t need saving. Lloyd is the one who needs to save others and all he’s done on that front is fail.

“What do I do,” he whispers, to absolutely no one. “What do I do, what do I do, what do I do—”

Does he go after Jay, with Kai and Nya? That’s the strongest pull — Jay is his family, his brother, Jay is a missing piece that’s been gaping in his chest for years, now bleeding and raw and how, how can he just leave him—

But then there’s Arin, Arin with his kindness and enthusiasm and incredible potential and pain, Arin who Lloyd’s failed and how he can leave him with Ras, knowing what could happen—

But then there’s Sora, who he can’t possibly abandon either, and the rest of his family, who he’s just gotten back, and the growing threat of the Forbidden Five and the Source Dragons’ thundering instructions and the crimson-edged blade burning a hole in his gi and—

Okay. Okay.

Lloyd lets out a long, shaky breath, biting back a whine at the spike of pain that flares across his chest. 

He can do this. He has to do this. He’s pushed his body to breaking before. Again and again, this time isn’t any different. All he needs to do is—

Stars explode in his vision. 

He barely manages to avoid keeling over as something pulls hard, as if to yank him from his own body.  

No, no no—

There’s a thundering ache pulsing through his head, like the strike of Ras’ gong over and over again. Lloyd fights back a strangled mix between a sob and a curse. 

He hasn’t managed it yet, overcoming a vision and staying calm. It’s too disorienting, too awful — the world blurring away into violent reds, horrible flashes of future failures like a demented strobe effect. The terrifying sensation of losing his mind and losing his body and losing the ability to move, knowing the world’s moving on without him while he’s stuck somewhere in some half-formed future. 

It’s like Morro, forcing into his head and tearing his sense of self from him. 

Another searing flash of pain, another aching pull—

A sharp scream tears through the monastery, haunted and familiar. 

The visions scatter like dust, and Lloyd is on his feet before he can think. 

One turn, a room down from his own — Lloyd slams the door to Kai’s bedroom open with an aching shoulder and staggers toward his brother.

He’s already cut himself off, strangling the cry in his hands as he gasps for breath, but it’s unmistakably Kai who was screaming. 

Lloyd steps forward, hands held open, careful to make his presence known. His heart wrenches as he catches full view. 

In the dark, Kai’s almost a shadow of himself. He’s too-thin and gaunt, dark circles etched beneath his eyes, almost ravaged from his time in the Netherspace. He’d come back so strong, burning and fierce and everything they’d needed, that at the moment, Lloyd hadn’t realized. He’d completely missed the toll it took on Kai, and hey! There’s another failure to add to the list. 

Not about you, Lloyd scolds himself fiercely. Enough.

“Kai?” he says, reaching a hand out for his shoulder. 

Kai shakes his head, face still buried in his hands. He’s muttering furiously, sweat shining on his forehead.  

“Can’t — sleep, can’t, gotta — gotta move—”

“Kai,” Lloyd’s voice breaks. He knows the panicked fear in his brother’s voice too-well. Knows the live-wire adrenaline that forces you to push through exhaustion and pain and abandon sleep, the feeling of failure on your heels. 

“Kai,” he rasps again. “Kai, it’s okay. It’s me, it’s—” He blinks back tears. As if that’s going to be a comfort. Kai’s got the world’s greatest expert in failing people here, lucky him.

Kai’s hand seizes around his wrist. 

“Lloyd,” he croaks. The panic is his voice is ebbing, the tremors in his hands growing just a bit less violent. “Lloyd?”

Carefully moving his hand atop Kai’s own, he nods. “It’s me,” he says, trying to sound perfectly put together.

Kai makes a shaking, broken sound. 

“Oh,” he says. “Oh, I thought—” His hand tightens around his wrist. “You’re here?”

“Yeah.” Lloyd gingerly slides next to Kai on the bed, taking both his hands in his own. “I’m here. For real.”

Kai holds his hands so tightly it almost hurts, as if letting go of Lloyd will land him back in the Netherspace. He stares at their hands, expression easing into something that’s a lot less frightened and a lot more Kai. 

“You’re safe,” Lloyd says. “You’re safe, okay? I promise—”

Kai gives a wet snort, pulling a hand free to scrub at his eyes. “‘Course I am,” he says, voice ragged but sincere. “I got you here.”

Lloyd stares at him. It feels, just a little, like he’s driven the Source Dragon’s blade right through his chest. 

He opens his mouth, ready to assure Kai of — something — and—

Promptly bursts into tears.

“Wha- Lloyd, what’s wrong?!”

“I’m sorry,” Lloyd swipes angrily at his eyes. “I’m so sorry. I’m fine, I’m fine, I just—”

He feels like his chest is crumbling. He sucks in a breath desperately, and tries to find a smile.

“I’m just really glad,” he says. “I’m really glad you’re back.”

Kai stares at him, brow furrowed in worry. Something flickers across his face, the gentleness Lloyd remembers from when he was small, and then Kai’s arms are wrapped around him and he’s being held tight. 

“Thanks,” Kai laughs wetly. “I am too. Really, really glad.”

Lloyd tries to reply, but it gets lost in the lump that’s formed in his throat, his eyes burning hot. Zeatrix’s wound sings in pain as he presses tight against Kai, but it’s easier to ignore this time. Instead, Lloyd buries his face in Kai’s shoulder, and tries desperately to force back any more tears.

The wet warmth against his own shoulder is the only thing that makes him feel a bit better. 

It takes a moment, for the wracking shudders to subside, but Lloyd finally finds his voice again. If he was a better leader, he’d know exactly what to say. If he was a better brother, he’d find the perfect, comforting words for Kai, he’d know just what to say to make him feel better.

But Lloyd is neither of those things, and at his core, he’s still only pretending to be older than he is. 

“D’you remember,” he asks, voice a whisper. “What you said, back before we faced the Overlord the first time?”

Kai’s hold tightens. “That we’d look back on this, one day,” he rasps. “And laugh.”

Lloyd nods. “‘Cause it would be over. It would just be — a bad memory.” He bites his lip, hard enough to bleed. 

There’s a ragged, shaky sound as Kai exhales.

“Kai,” he whispers. “When’s it gonna be enough? When’s it gonna — when are we—”

Their poor, broken family, fighting for so long. Jay, who’s bruised and bled and put everything on the line again and again for others, lost and alone and shattered. 

What did they do, to deserve — why are they still — 

Kai suddenly pulls back. His hands seize around Lloyd’s shoulders, his eyes pinning Lloyd in place. Dark and burning, Lloyd knows them better than he does his own. 

“Don’t leave,” Kai says. “You can’t — you can’t leave. Don’t ever leave.”

Lloyd remembers — the breath knocked from his lungs at Kai’s first hug when they found each other, the only ones left after the merge. Relief so strong he’d cried himself to sleep that night, crammed into his brother’s bed as they convinced themselves to hope the others were out there, too. 

“Promise me, Lloyd.”

Another promise. The Source Dragon’s blade burns hot against his chest. This one, Lloyd hopes, he’ll find easier to keep. 

“I promise,” Lloyd whispers. “I promise.” 

[raconteur-wanpi]

OK, but really, I'm genuinely so sad this fandom doesn't talk enough about Vinsmoke Reiju. She's legitimately one of my absolute favorite characters in the entire story and a lot of people don't see how absolutely tragic she is.

Just. She had to stay behind. She had to stay behind so Sanji can be free, she could never join him. She can only live her dreams of escaping her horrible, horrible family vicariously through him, the only person left in that household she loved. And she had to let him go. Because if she left, an army would follow behind her to get her back; she's a "success" after all. And also because she had already deemed herself a monster. After Sora died, Sanji was all Reiju had left. And then she was alone. Stuck with them for 13 years. Stuck with the wolves. The only way to survive being to mould herself after them.

From the beginning, it was never slip up, never make a mistake, always be perfect or you're next. Pretend to laugh at the misery of the only person in your family you haven't lost hope in, knowing that he might hate you forever after this, feeling like a coward. But you're a child. A mere child, a little 10-year-old girl, and you're scared. And she already saw herself as unworthy of that freedom at that age. She's not like Sanji, she was born to play the role of a monster. Even with her intact emotions, she's still trained soldier. She has the symbol of Germa tattooed on her, how could she ever escape it? She has blood on her hands; not because of her own choices, but because of the commands she's physically incapable of disobeying. She looks at him and tells him he looks so much like their mother, but she denies to accept that so does she.

She's the firstborn, dad's perfect little girl, his first success, his obedient property. The man who she grew to hate so much, when she found out he was going to be assassinated, she didn't warn him, because she hoped it would actually happen. Even if it meant throwing her own life away as well. When she saw him beg for his life she just, rightfully, felt no guilt or remorse. Just anger and satisfaction, even as she herself was about to die, something that seemed she wanted happen. But when he got attacked later on, she showed concern, because unlike Sanji, to her he still is, dad. He's dad, who held you and called you his wonderful child. He's dad, who raised you and showed pride in you. He's dad, who potentially put some sort of authority chip in your brain and forced you to stain your hands in blood. He's the man who killed your mother. She hates him. She wants him dead. She can't stop seeing him as family, and shows concern when he's hurt. It's more complex than how her brother sees him, and it's visceral and real and upsetting.

She had to stay behind. And after all of that, she had to relive the goodbye to the only person left in her family whom she ever loved. God. I hope she gets to see Sanji again. I hope she escapes. I hope one day she finally gets to taste his cooking. She never got the chance to do that, didn't she?

[crepes-suzette-373]

Not having "Emotions" 感情 or "Emotions" 情: Germa 66/Vinsmokes

Analysing the 3 Vinsmoke boys, because Oda-sensei should know that things like disgust or anger are also "emotions", and Ichiji/Niji/Yonji all have displayed "emotions". Negative ones, but emotions all the same. So there might be something else going on.

In the raw, there is actually a difference in the exact words that they say the boys don't/shouldn't have. I feel that this is might be important, because that's the way kanji is. The nuance of the word usage can be different depending on the context.

When the Germa scientists say that Sanji should not have "emotions", the word they use is「感情」, which does mean all emotions for the most part (including things like anger, joy, etc).

However, Sora says don't take their "heart" 心 away. When you say someone is heartless, it doesn't mean that they have no "emotions", but they have no "pity" or "compassion".

Reiju also says that what is removed from them is just「情」, not 「感情」. 情 is emotion, but also specifically have the connotation of empathy, sympathy and compassion.

The same word when she says she "still has it" in contrast to the boys:

And lastly, from Sanji himself, calling his brothers "monsters with no blood or tears" 血も涙もない. This idiom means the same as "heartless" or "cold-blooded", meaning no mercy, no sympathy, no pity, no compassion. It does not mean "absolutely zero emotions", unless additional context specifies so.

My conclusion is that either Oda-sensei has been playing word games, or there's a slip-up in translation. The boys seems to actually do have emotions. What they don't have are empathy, sympathy, conscience, and fear. Just look at them casually throwing themselves off the roof, and laughing off their potential deaths.

The reason why they act so cruel might be because they have no innate conscience, so they just parrot and follow whatever Judge told them.

And, since Reiju said she was reprogrammed to always obey, I suspect there's a little bit of that in the other boys too. See Niji, freeze-stopping his kick mid-air because Judge says no:

(the force of it was so strong that Cossette, behind Sanji, was blown away)

What they do to Sanji is really horrible, but little kids brawl and beat up each other all the time. It's the adults who have to teach them "don't do that". Without anyone telling them no, and Judge even permitting it, of course Ichiji and the others act the way that they do.

I think there is the possibility that the boys might still have the ability to feel genuine affection inside them (since, you know, having affection for someone is honestly nothing to do with compassion or mercy). They just might not know what that feeling is, because they've never been taught to understand that.

There's Niji and Yonji being worried when Reiju and Judge were hit:

And the whole "Emotionless Excursion" cover story sideplot.

This is why I say Ichiji and Niji are acting like particularly evil tsundere dumbasses. For all their horrible comments, they're clearly capable of feeling concern. Ichiji less obviously so than Niji, but same difference.

We'll wait and see, I guess, what exactly is the extent of the 情 that is missing from those three.

[fangirlingpuggle]

Half asleep very very dumb one piece fic prompt where canon straw hats somehow end up in a modern AU waking up in their counterparts bodies and are so confused.

Luffy wakes up somewhere he doesn't recognize doesn't have his devil fruit powers and then runs into Sabo and Ace, while Luffy is freaking out suddenly Crocodile shows up, Luffy finding out Crocodile is his dad. Luffy is acting off and of course Sabo and Ace are in overprotective brother mode and Crocodile is in overprotective dad mode and already calling their doctor, who he has on speed dial because Sabo, Ace and Luffy are agents of chaos and it is not the first time there has been a panicked call to the doctors.

Although Kureha hasn't picked up because she's already got the freaking out call from Hiriluk who is freaking out because Chopper is freaking out because Chopper has not only woken up with his dad alive but is human, Kureha is to busy dealing with the pair of crying panicking messes to answer her phone for a while, and has a lot of missed form calls not just from Crocodile.

Mihawk is also calling haven come home to a freaking out Perona and Zoro, and for some reason Zoro is asking why Perona isn't floating. Her can only assume that a hit to the head for sparring finally got through Zoro's thick skull.

Nami and Usopp are also in major freak outs having woken up to dead parents now alive. Brook more the freak out that he is now alive as well as Yorki also being alive.

Sanji may be freaking out worst as he woke up to see all his siblings and went straight to panic attack, only to cause almost all his siblings into one as well, these Vinsmokes have been raised by Sora and Zeff after Judge got 0 custody rights in the divorce and all very VERY overprotective siblings Sanji has literally had to threaten all of them and get his mom to threaten all of them to be able to go out on a date with Zoro without at least one sibling hanging around as a shadow.

Robin and Franky have a different but still major freak out waking up together, and then proceed to freak out more when seeing missed calls from Tom and Saul.

Bonus: Sabo suggests calling Dragon to help out because he has been trying to parent trap their dad and Luffy's other dad who is like his mentor and he's been trying to get them, back together for years. Ace deeply deeply disagrees thinking their dad can do way better. Crocodile is currently 110% done still trying to call Kureha and also try and convince Luffy that no he is not made of rubber.

[baahsu]

The strawhats sail through a weird place on the grand line and zoro's teleported to the past

The catch? He doesn't go to shimotsuki village, but to germa instead

Zoro doesn't know a lot about the place or about its ruler, but the amount of soldiers he sees in the distance, the absolute grayness of his surroundings and the little bits of information sanji told him after wci are more than enough hints to help him guess where he is

Unaware of the change in time, though, figuring he was only transported to a different place in the world, he's ready to kick judge's ass and sanji's brothers' too if they're around, so he starts stomping around the castle grounds, looking for a door that can take him inside

Not surprisingly, the soldiers spot him within a few minutes and zoro, still putting on a fight, is taken into judge's presence (in the end he got what he wanted, to find judge, so he counts it as a win)

Inside the main room of the castle, judge eyes him up and down, staying a bit longer on the three swords strapped to his hips, and decides he'll spare his life if he's a fighter good enough to train his kids

Zoro raises an eyebrow, confused by what he means by that. Surely genetically modified adults don't need any training from him, but hey, he's not gonna say no the chance of kicking their asses being so easily handed to him on a silver platter

What isn't his surprise, though, when five kids enter the room

-

It doesn't take a genius to realize he somehow ended up in the past and he adapts to his new routine with some hiccups along the way

He keeps getting lost in the kingdom (and puts his money on it being all the snails' fault, it's obvious they keep moving and changing the layout of the place) and arriving late to the training sessions, but judge seems satisfied enough with his work and doesn't do much else other than to scowl at him

It doesn't take long for zoro to understand the dynamics between the siblings and he can't help but pay extra attention to sanji, making sure he doesn't push himself too hard to match the others while also making sure his brothers don't pick up on him

It might seem childish on his part, but he also gets into arguments with the boys more often than he'd like to admit

With sanji because he's always arguing he can endure more training or because the damn kid is scolding him for getting lost again (zoro can't believe this brat is as annoying as his older version!)

With the others because they've somehow moved on from sanji and decied to pick on him instead

They mock him for arriving late, call him weak for needing to use three swords

It's annoying and he wants to kick them all in the head, but hey, if sanji's being left alone he counts it as a small victory

Reiju's the easiest one to deal with, she listens to him and is strong too. Zoro also notices she seems amused at the change of behavior from ichiji, niji and yonji, and seems happy that sanji's having a good time for a change

-

Zoro accidentally meets sora once, having somehow wandered into the medical wing of the castle, and she profusely thanks him for looking after her children. She's talked to reiju and sanji recently and they seemed to have been on high spirits

She also thanks him for making some progress with ichiji, niji and yonji, something she herself has failed to do. Zoro doesn't know what to say to all of that and just bashfully scratches at the back of his neck, "I'll keep doing my best" he murmurs

He turns to leave the room and closes the door to the sight of sora smiling (a smile that reminds him of older sanji) and waving at him. He nods at her and feels like a promise's just been made between them

-

The training sessions continue for a few more weeks, the kids, specially the quadruplets, becoming more and mora attached to him, but before zoro knows it, he's teleported back to his present time

Sanji looks at him differently every time they cross paths and zoro can see it in his eyes it's because he remembers him from his past

Their relationship becomes awkward for a few days, like sanji's taking time to process what's happening, before it takes a turn for the better

They barely need to talk, there's an underlying understanding between them, a deep trust that's been built long ago, and they become closer than ever

They still bicker and push each other's buttons, but they can now spend peaceful moments together talking about anything and everything, reminiscing about the past, dreaming about the future

They dock at an island a few days later and zoro freezes when he spots one of germa's ships

Sanji's taken aback too, though he isn't as stiff as zoro is, he seems more at ease, like he's wrapping his head on germa being actually there

They have no time to discuss what they should do as three people land on the deck in front of them

Ichiji, niji and yonji are clearly surprised to see zoro, just as the swordsman is to see them, but they also look incredibly happy, or as happy as they can considering the whole lack of emotions thing

Zoro looks at sanji, confusion clear on his features, and sanji tilts his head to the side

"Has seaweed finally gotten to your brain, marimo? After the fight in onigashima I told you I talked to my brothers in wci about how I ended up on the same crew as our childhood instructor. I even told you I thought it was weird you didn't seem to have aged when we met in the east blue. They suggested judge, that fucking bastard, must've injected something in you all those years ago"

Zoro looks at him like he's grown another head, eye widening as the new memories trickle into his brain

In the meantime sanji continues, bashful, "Maybe I left out the part where they said they wanted to meet you again...? A-and it was because I knew you'd refuse to do it- but they sounded as eager as they could sound so I told them I'd get in contact after we left wano to tell them what island we were going to next..."

Zoro blinks slowly and tunes out the discussion that just started between the brothers, something about ichiji, niji and yonji arguing they weren't all that eager and sanji snorting, claiming that "Yeah, sure you're not eager, you're obsessed!"

What he focus on, though, is on the fact sanji had, and is having, a normal interaction with his brothers, which is a complete 180 from what he previously knew about their relationship

A warm feeling spreads in his chest and sora's smiling face comes to his mind, reminding him of their silent promise, now fulfilled

But he doesn't reminisce for long, ichiji, niji, sanji and yonji soon crowding him, demanding his attention and that he fights them

Zoro smirks and pulls out his swords, getting into a fighting stance

Guess he'll have to do his best not to end up disappoint sora, then, though honestly, he doesn't think he'll have any issues with that

[sailing-ever-west]

The Vinsmoke men are misogynistic and it's so narratively important even though it's mostly subtext and never outright stated. None of them ever say anything against women specifically, and they don't seem to discriminate as far as who can be warriors, but their actions reek of it nonetheless and I can't stop thinking about it.

On the surface it seems like Sanji gives thought to treating women differently and the Vinsmokes don't, but it's clear through their actions that the only "equality" they're really upholding is that no gender is exempt from abuse and exploitation.

It's like when people say "well if you want equality, women should get drafted into the military too!" When the problem is that no one should be forced to join the military. That's basically exactly what Germa is doing.

Sanji's view of women is frequently flawed and a bit myopic, but he seeks to treat them with kindness and love and respect, whereas the Vinsmokes make no attempt at philosophy about women and just treat them horribly.

The most glaring example is probably Cosette, who they berated for making food they didn't like and then proceeded to beat unconscious solely to shatter her confidence and upset Sanji. And when Sanji is understandably enraged at their horrible abuse, they assume the reason is that he was physically attracted to her and didn't want the object of his attraction damaged (saying they didn't know he Liked her, and if the busted up face wasn't a dealbreaker they could make her Sanji's personal attendant, which also reaaally sounds like code for something else).

Another aspect is that despite having no emotions, the Vinsmoke brothers still seem to experience attraction to women. But it's not love in any sense of the word, just purely physical. They find Nami attractive, even wanting to arrange to keep her around when the Strawhats are captured by Big Mom (ew), and there's that scene of them and Judge in their private room surrounded by mostly drunken unconscious (and rather scantily dressed if I remember correctly) barmaids that were sent to them. Granted, nothing Happens in that scene, but the undertones are gross and we're only shown a small portion of the night. Whatever the case, it's clear that these women were not sent in to be equal, respectable company, but an objectified distraction to pair with alcohol, and were treated as such.

And then there are the internal family dynamics, which I think are the biggest and most important part.

To start, there's Reiju. On the surface she seems like she has the same status as her brothers, a modified Germa weapon capable of performing as her father wants. But whenever Judge talks about being proud of his children, he always emphasizes the triplets. Often he doesn't even mention Reiju, and his attention to the boys' training seems to be much closer than to hers. Her raid suit is also more sexualized, as though that's expected to be part of her arsenal. And of course, there's her name meaning "zero" while the boys are all numbered. She is the eldest, but she survives by being ignored, and it's clear that her father prefers her emotionless brothers. This feels symbolic as well since being emotional is often seen as a feminine trait, portrayed as a weakness. Judge hates weakness. And so he hates emotion, hates women.

But at the root of it all, really, is Sora. Sora who's choices and body and children were stolen from her for an abusive man's ideals about war and domination. We don't really get to know how much choice she had in her marriage, but given Judge's royal status and the fact that they obviously share zero values I think it would have to be a strategic political arrangement at best, and something she got no say in at worst.

The kids are all named in a numbering system, which also reeks of Judge not letting her into the decisions. And, of course, there is the absolutely horrific experience of being forced into prenatal surgery to genetically modify her children against her will, to the point that the only way she could exercise any agency was to poison herself in an attempt to save even one of them. She was literally just a baby-producing machine to Judge and it couldn't be more blatant.

The violent, self-centered, and misogynistic Vinsmoke brothers are born directly from a woman's choice being taken away from her. Kind, selfless, and loving Sanji is born directly from her one act of defiance, and then later saved by his sister's one act of defiance as well (after which, she was programmed to be obedient).

Basically, the Vinsmoke family is built and preserved on the abuse and exploitation of women, and Sanji is the black sheep for many reasons, but I suspect a rather large one is that he's the ultimate antithesis to that.

[jubileemon]

Orihime Inoue: A Case Study in Shounen Genre

Orihime Inoue from Bleach is often perceived by fans as the "damsel-in-distress" and "designated love interest" in the shounen genre. However, this perception overlooks the complexity of her character and the psychological factors that contribute to her portrayal.

Self-Doubt and Insecurity

Orihime struggles with her insecurities, which are deeply rooted in her traumatic past experiences, particularly being bullied for her hair and the loss of her brother. Growing up in a household where she was mistreated by her abusive parents, Orihime found solace and stability in her brother, Sora. However, his untimely death in a car accident shattered her sense of security and left her emotionally vulnerable.

Living alone in Karakura Town, supported by a distant relative under the condition of maintaining good grades, Orihime bears the weight of her past trauma while navigating the challenges of everyday life. Despite her academic success, she grapples with feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty, haunted by the specter of her past and the loss of her loved ones.

Orihime's self-doubt and insecurity manifest in various aspects of her life, from her relationships with others to her own sense of worth. She often second-guesses herself and hesitates to assert her needs or desires, fearing rejection or disappointment. This can lead to her actions being misinterpreted or overlooked by others who fail to grasp the depth of her emotional struggles.

Reluctance to Express Feelings: Throughout the series, Orihime often hesitates to express her true feelings, particularly towards Ichigo. She harbors romantic feelings for him but struggles to convey them openly due to her fear of rejection and uncertainty about how he may perceive her.

Questioning Her Worth: Orihime questions her own worth and abilities, especially in comparison to her peers. She often doubts whether she is strong enough or capable enough to make a difference in the battles they face, despite her evident bravery and determination.

Seeking Validation: Orihime would've sought validation from others as a means of bolstering her fragile self-esteem. She often looks to Ichigo and her friends for reassurance and approval, seeking validation of her worth through their acceptance and acknowledgment.

Feeling Like a Burden: Orihime struggles with feelings of inadequacy and guilt, believing that she is a burden to those around her. She internalizes a sense of responsibility for the hardships faced by her friends and allies, feeling guilty for not being able to do more to help them.

Self-Sacrificial Tendencies: Orihime exhibits self-sacrificial tendencies, often putting herself in harm's way to protect others. While her bravery is admirable, it also reflects a deep-seated belief that her own well-being is of lesser importance compared to the safety and happiness of those she cares about.

Kindness and Helping Others

Orihime often puts others' needs before her own and goes out of her way to make people happy, even at the expense of her own well-being.

Throughout the series, Orihime often prioritizes the well-being of others over her own, particularly in her role as a healer and supporter. She uses her abilities to heal injuries and provide emotional support to her friends and allies, even placing herself in danger to ensure their safety. Orihime frequently makes personal sacrifices for the sake of others, demonstrating her selflessness and willingness to put their needs before her own. For example, she volunteers to accompany Ichigo and his friends on dangerous missions, knowing the risks involved but choosing to help them regardless.

Orihime's people-pleasing behavior is rooted in her desire for acceptance and validation from those around her. She often goes above and beyond to make others happy, seeking approval and affirmation as a means of feeling valued and appreciated in return.

Feelings of Love

Is anyone else bugged by the fact that Orihime has so far not actually confessed to Ichigo or given him any further indication of her feelings since her saying goodbye to him while he slept?

Orihime harboured romantic feelings for Ichigo throughout the series, but struggles to express them openly due to her own insecurities and fear of rejection. Her love for Ichigo is evident in her actions, such as her unwavering support for him during battles and her willingness to sacrifice herself for his sake.

She might've feared that confessing her feelings to Ichigo could jeopardize their friendship or lead to rejection. This fear of rejection could stem from her past experiences with loss and abandonment, causing her to hesitate to take the risk of confessing her feelings openly. Orihime's insecurities could also play a role in her reluctance to confess her feelings to Ichigo, since she struggled with feelings of inadequacy and unworthinenn, leading her to question whether Ichigo could ever reciprocate her feelings.

Orihime's admiration for Ichigo as a hero figure may lead her to prioritize his well-being above her own desires, causing her to suppress her own emotions for the sake of his happiness.

Misinterpreted Jealousy

Orihime's jealousy towards Rukia, as described, seems to stem from her perception of Rukia's ability to pull Ichigo out of his depressive state during a difficult time. Orihime's statement about feeling "useless" suggests that she struggles with feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. She truly believed that she was unable to have the same positive influence on Ichigo as Rukia, leading her to doubt her own worth and contribution to their relationship.

Why Orihime Deserved Her Happy Ending?

Orihime's happy ending in the final chapter of Bleach brings her full circle, providing her with the companionship and love she longed for throughout the series. By marrying the man of her dreams and even starting a family with him, Orihime finds the fulfilment and connection she craved, no longer alone in the world.

Despite the trauma and hardships she faced, Orihime remained hopeful as she never gave up on the possibility of finding love and happiness. Her marriage to Ichigo and the birth of their son Kazui represent the culmination of her dreams and desires, marking a new chapter in her life filled with pure happiness.