#sorry there isn't exactly a translation for the title

[basi-boy]

"下剋上" (Gekokujou) by Ichigyou-P feat. Kagamine Rin and Len (April 2, 2008)

[mypoisonedvine]

hiiii for the sleepover thing (so so so early because i cannot translate time zones for the life of me) do you think you could do aemond with either 8 or 150? your choice!

150: "Stop distracting me."

oh aemond I missed you <3 warnings: SMUT (18+ ONLY!!), breeding, cockwarming, dom/sub dynamics (sub reader) with 'king' and 'master' as titles for aemond

It's not like you were trying to be difficult, but you weren't sure what he expected of you; how could you not be all over him? He just looked so handsome like this...

He was so focused-- of course-- as he stared forward at the book, his eye following each line; you were content just watching him for a while, but then your fingers started tracing up his arm, your nails tickling his shoulder and chest... your lips pressed gently to his neck, following a line up to his ear, until you smiled by his jaw.

"I told you not to move," he reminded you in a stern mumble as he turned the page of his book.

"M'not," you pouted defensively. You knew because it was taking almost all of your willpower not to; straddling his lap with his cock resting deep inside you, all you wanted was to roll your hips and feel that perfect friction-- but he told you to stay still and keep him warm, and you wanted so badly to be good for him.

"Your hands are," he noticed, grabbing one from where it was petting his chest and gently moving it away.

"That counts?" you frowned.

"Of course it does," he scoffed, "it's moving, isn't it? I told you to stop distracting me."

You sighed and laid your head defeatedly on his shoulder. "Forgive me, my prince..."

You tried not to smile when he tore his gaze away from his book to glare down at you; you didn't want him to know that you knew exactly what you were doing. "Your king," he corrected.

You blinked up at him innocently. "Sorry," you cooed, "I forgot."

"Forgot?" he repeated with a hiss; you loved when he bared his teeth at you like that.

You loved it even more when he pulled your hair and let you feel those teeth on your neck, making you whimper in pain but grin with excitement at the same time.

"Forgot who you belong to?" he pressed. "I know you didn't. You know exactly whose you are."

He set the book down behind you, and his free hand came down to grab onto your thigh; you weren't sure it was permission to move, but your hips jolted a bit of their own accord.

"So say it," he demanded.

"Yours," you promised, "I belong to you-- my king, my master--"

He hummed in agreement as he pulled you closer, keeping your chest pressed to his as he started to barely move his own hips beneath you. Even just the slightest friction after all that waiting made you moan loudly. It was like your body had molded to fit him perfectly, and his cock shifting within you made you a little sore just as much as it brought you pleasure.

"I only belong to you," you rambled, hoping if you said more that you would get more in return. "Only you can touch me, I live to serve and please you, my king-- ohh, fuck--"

A low growl echoed in the crook of your neck as you finally started to ride him-- your pace still slow and patient, but with plenty of its own desperation. "I think I'd rather be your king than everyone else's," he admitted with a purr. "If I had to choose."

Your heart sang when he said that; you moved faster, holding tight onto his shoulders. You certainly couldn't guarantee that the rest of the kingdom would be as loyal to him as you were.

"So insatiable," he praised as he licked and sucked at your neck more aggressively, his hands guiding every movement of your hips encouragingly. "If I give you my seed, then will you let me read in peace? You just need my bastard in you to calm you down?"

"Y-yes, please," you begged shakily, "I would do anything, my king-- everything I can give is yours."

He smiled proudly, you could feel it against your skin: "Then that's what I want from you. Give me everything."

[shunin-gumis]

L4mps Main Story Translation

Designs of Happiness A01

Title: ep.1 Well-being by myself

Characters: Nagi

Summary: One night, an interesting radio show could be heard at the Flower Laundry...

JP Proofreading: aca @463ce6 on twt EN Proofreading: jes @arcanecrayonn on twt

No matter how hard I try, a worthless person like me could never trace after the path to "happiness" that everyone else gets to experience.

As the gentle loneliness of the night envelops me, I drift between fleeting moments of happiness, barely holding on to see the next day.

-It was one of those days.

Location - Flower Laundry

Voice from the Radio: Coming to you live from HAMA Studio no.3-

Arisa: It's Arisa and~

Teresa: Teresa's~

Arisa and Teresa: Intelli-radio: Aristotle~*

Nagi: Sonia, could you turn up the volume?

Sonia: Okay~

Teresa: The rain sure isn't letting up huh?

Arisa: True~ It's quiet but it's perfect for getting some me-time in, whether it's to study or get some reading done.

Arisa: As we were talking about before the commercial break, forgive us if we go on too long on the mechanisms of achieving Happiness, just blame it on this lovely night we're having~

Sonia: ...

Sonia: Nagi-shan, you've been working on your bike all this time, but you made sure to eat dinner, yesh?

Nagi: Eh? ... Ah.

Nagi: Now that you mention it, I might be really hungry right now.

Sonia: Geez~

Sonia: You're still in the middle of work, so I'll get you shumthing you can eat with one hand.

Nagi: Thank you, Sonia. If you weren't around, I'm sure I would've ended up a mummy by now.

Nagi: "A mummy was discovered in the middle of the city!" Could Flower Laundry possibly be the next new hot spot...

Sonia: Don't say shumthing so ominous. It's exactly to prevent unfortunate people like you from ending up in such sad situations that helper robots like me were created.

Sonia: Pleash wash your hands and wait there.

Nagi: When did it get so late...

Nagi: I should get the bike back in the garage for now...

Arisa: While countries and corporations were competing between themselves for economic growth, the end result was that most of our environment was destroyed, and resources dried up in the blink of an eye.

Arisa: Did humanity manage to achieve true prosperity after this? Was it worth the cost? The answer is a resounding "No". Although the country's GDP* has increased four, or even five-fold, the happiness-index has flatlined for the past 100 years or so.

Teresa: Wait, really? A 100 years ago, people couldn't even have their clothes dry automatically, right? They also had to wash the dishes by hand... No way, that reminds me, they even had to vacuum the dust off the floor themselves or something right..?

Arisa: I think they'd still be using brooms about a 100 years ago?

Teresa: No way~ That's way too retro for me! I can't imagine life without all the smart appliances we have now. I mean, a world with no food-printers? Yikes.

Sonia: Here you go, "fresh" off the food-printer...

Nagi: Right on time.

Sonia: On time?

Nagi: I was just talking to myself. Thanks for the meal.

Arisa: Okay, I get how much you love your smart appliances, but do all these materialistic things truly fill your heart? Does it really let you sleep better at night?

Teresa: Hmm, you do have a point. The more convenient things get, the more it feels like the world is telling me to be time and cost-efficient, but before I even realize it, I'm already doom-scrolling on dazzle*...

Arisa: "More convenience! More income!" Such concepts are shoved in our faces constantly... How about trying to remove ourselves from this endless equation? There's quite a few factions amongst the younger generation who never expected much from society nor themselves...

Teresa: Sorry, that's just not for me. Chasing after your dreams, working towards your goals: those are the things that make life worth living. Growing as you compete with others is part of it too. And then when you finally get your hands on the things you've always wanted with your own effort... It doesn't get better than that.

Arisa: That's right. That's why people have come up with a strategy guide-

Arisa: The era of learning the Psychology of Happiness is upon us!

Teresa: The Psychology of Happiness?

Nagi: What's that?

Sonia: Oh! There's a response on the shop's PeChat*, hm...

Sonia: Nagi-shan, we just got an order. The customer will be coming by in ten minutes to pick it up.

Sonia: They're requesting a bouquet that can cheer up their girlfriend who's feeling down about making a mistake at work.

Nagi: ―

Sonia: Nagi-shaaan.

Nagi: Ah, sorry. Can you ask them what her favorite color is?

Sonia: I already did. Apparently, she likes the color blue!

Nagi: Blue... Blue, huh.

Nagi: I think we can use the nemophila we just got in earlier today. Add in some large calla lilies and sky-blue baby's breath...

Nagi: Maybe some delphiniums and blue stars could work as accents...

Sonia: And what about the ribbon?

Arisa: To explain, the Psychology of Happiness is the study that aims to help anyone, of all ages and gender, understand how to engineer and replicate the mechanism of happiness in their own lives.

Nagi: Replicate... happiness?

Sonia: Nagi-shaan, are you listening?

Nagi: I'm listening. Could you bring out the thin, light blue ribbon from the back?

Sonia: Got it. I'll leave the card here too.

Nagi: Okay, thank-

Teresa: Wait, some people find it easier to be happy because it's hereditary!?

Nagi: What!?

Sonia: Huh!?

Sonia: Geez, don't scare me like that. What's got you sho worked up?

Arisa: That's right. 48% is already determined by our DNA.

Nagi: .....

Sonia: Nagi-shan?

Arisa: Just like how some people might find a dish spicier than others, some can experience happiness easier than their peers as well. This is a hereditary factor, determined by our genes from the moment we're born.

Teresa: No way! So what you're telling me is that half of the happiness we can experience in life was already decided while we were in our mothers' womb!?

Nagi: ......

Sonia: Are you okay now? The customer will be dropping by soon.

Nagi: ...! Right, I need to get this done quickly...

Sonia: I'll go ahead and cut the flower stems under water.*

Nagi: Thank you. Could you also get the blue gift-wrapping paper-

Sonia: I've already spread it out for you!

Customer: Um... I'd put in an order just earlier.

Nagi: ...Ah.

Nagi: Sorry, could you please wait for just a moment? There's just the finishing touches left.

Teresa: So, what about the remaining 52%? Don't tell me it's influenced by the environment we were born and raised in.

Arisa: Not at all, the influence from your environment makes up only about 10% of it. As for the remaining 42%...

Teresa: ... Is it based on our actions?

Arisa: Correct! This means that, out of 100% achievable happiness level, about 42% of it is within our control.

Nagi: Wow. I've never thought about it that way.

Customer: Huh?

Nagi: No, if I think about it, is that really possible?

Arisa: Just as how the right diet is different for each person, once you figure out the method, anyone can achieve happiness. How it comes to bear fruit for you, is up to you yourself.

Nagi: If half of it is determined by fate, and the other half is uncertain... Could it really be that simple? Then maybe it's also possible for me to.... No, it's probably just a waste of time in my case. I shouldn't get my hopes up. Just thinking about it is making me depressed.

Customer: Erm... Are you alright? You've been muttering to yourself for some time now...

Nagi: Ah... Sorry about that. Don't mind me.

Customer: Right...

Nagi: Thank you for waiting. This is the completed bouquet. Is it to your liking?

Customer: Wow...! It's beautiful... It's just how I'd imagined it, I'm sure my girlfriend will be happy with it.

Nagi: I'm glad to hear that- Ah.

Nagi: That's right, I almost forgot... Excuse me, would you mind handing the bouquet back to me? There's one last thing I need to do.

Nagi: Mu....

Customer: Mu?

Nagi: Mu.....nn!

Customer: Um, what exactly are you doing...?

Nagi: I've instilled some energy* into it. In other words...

Nagi: It's something like a good luck charm. When your girlfriend receives this bouquet, she'll be so happy that she'd be skipping along the pavement.

Customer: To the point of skipping...

Nagi: Oh but, even without my little charm, I'm sure she would be plenty happy just knowing she has someone who would get her a bouquet when she's feeling down.

Nagi: In any case, I hope the two of you can skip along merrily.

Customer: I-I see... Thank you...

Nagi: Thank you for your patronage.

Sonia: Thank you very mush!

Teresa: Whaat, is it time for us to go already? Too bad, I really wanted to talk some more~

Sonia: Phew... I'm glad we finished it in time.

Nagi: Yeah, it's all thanks to your help Sonia.

Sonia: It's a piece of cake!

Arisa: Arisa and Teresa, your guides for psychology, signing out!

Nagi: Anyways, good job. Let's do our usual thing.

Arisa: Let's meet again when the fountain of knowledge wells up again!

Sonia: A high-five right? 3, 2, 1..!

Arisa and Teresa: See you again!

Play Ivory MV

Notes:

Sonia has a bit of a lisp so I changed a few words to match her speech

Intelli in Intelli-radio is short for Intelligentsia

dazzle is a social media site in the 18trip universe

PeChat is a messaging app in 18trip universe

GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product.

Cutting flower stems under water prevents air bubbles from going up the stem and helps in keeping the cut flowers fresh for longer.

'Muuun’ is the sound he makes when he’s instilling his happiness energy/thoughts(念) into the flowers, literally.

Flower Language:

Flower Language is important to Nagi's character and a way for him to communicate his thoughts, so I'll always note it down whenever any are mentioned.

Nemophila Lovely, Wish for success, I forgive you, Clear heart

Calla Lily Gorgeous beauty, Purity, Gracefulness of a young maiden

Blue Baby's breath Gratitude, Luck, Innocence, Kindness

Delphinium You spread happiness, Clear and bright, Generous, Precious

Bluestars (Amsonia) Trust in one another, Abundant love

Fun fact: The flower passed around in Ivory is a Delphinium! Meaning Nagi spreads happiness, which is what he does by sharing his happiness 'energy' but also that he brings joy to those around him by simply being himself.

Next -> | Masterlist

[melverie]

"The one who reduced me to what I am now is you"

So @impish-ivy asked me to look at the English and Japanese versions of Solomon's and Nightbringer's conversation in 10-A, and there are two things in particular that I'd like to highlight a little (if you want to compare the two versions yourself, I've included the Japanese version, my translation of it and the English version of their entire conversation below the cut)

The first one is about this:

The Japanese version actually more closely translates to "The one who reduced me to what I am now is you" (aka the title). It's a small difference, but it adds a lot more malice to Solomon's words + it also slightly reframes that agreement of theirs that Solomon was talking about to imo

I still wish NB would focus more on its namesake so we could figure out what the relationship between Sol and NB is and what exactly happened between them but oh well.. We still have 6 lessons to go for this season, so maybe we'll get lucky and they at least drop a few hints for us

Anyway as for the second one:

"If you had chosen this, it would have been easy". The "this" is what I want to focus on real quick

Given that right before their conversation, Solomon was asked to choose between demons and angels (tho he ultimalety ended up chosing humanity), so it would make sense to assume that that's what Nightbringer is referring to. But since the meaning of "this" was never specified, it could also mean that the actual purpose of the test might have been to see if Solomon would be willing to abandon humanity instead

Considering that Solomon has now repeadetely asked MC to side with humanity, and how there's also been some emphasize on how demons and angels do not see humans as equals, it's definitely possible, at least

Anyway, translations below the cut for anyone that wants to read through them!

This is how I've structured it:

[speaker]

日本語バージョン (Japanese version) [my translation (I tried to stick as close to the original meaning as possible)] English version

⸺

???

......困った人だ [...you're a difficult person] ...You always have to be difficult.

???

いや、面倒な人だ、あなたは [No, a troublesome person is what you are] Or perhaps difficult isn't the right word. Troublesome is what you are.

???

もしくは、その両方ですね [Or both] Actually, I suppose both are true.

???

こちらを選んでしまえば、楽なのに [If you had chosen this, it would have been easy] If you'd only chosen our side, it would've made things so much easier.

Solomon

あはは。ご期待に添えなくて悪いね [Ahaha. I'm sorry for not meeting your expectations] Ahaha. Sorry to disappoint you!

Solomon

俺がそうしないことは、君も知ってる���ろう？ [You knew I wouldn't do that, no?] But you must know I wouldn't do that, right?

Solomon

どうして今さら俺を試すようなことをするんだ？ [Why are you testing me now?] So why are you testing me? Shouldn't we be past that point?

Solomon

俺の信念が揺らいでるようにでも見えた？ [Did it seem like my believes were wavering?] Did you think I might be questioning my convictions?

???

揺らいでいる、とは思っていません [I don't think it's wavering] Not at the moment, no.

???

ですがー [But...] However...

???

あの方......。 可愛い弟子のあの方が巻き込まれても [That person... Even if that cute apprentice should get involved...] What if your adorable apprentice were to get caught up in all of this?

???

あなたが揺らぐことはないのでしょうか [...would you never waver?] Perhaps then you might reconsider your convictions?

Solomon

それは脅しかい？ 悪魔みたいなことを言うんだな [Is that a threat? You sound like a demon...] Is that a threat? You know, you sound just like a demon...

Solomon

でも大丈夫。MCも俺と同じ気持ちだからね [But it's alright. MC feels the same way as me, after all] Still, it doesn't change anything. Because MC feels the same way I do.

???

あの方の本当に望むことを、自分なら 理解していると？過信しすぎでは？ [Do you think you can understand what that person really wants? Are you overconfident?] You think you know what it is your apprentice truly wants? That you can see inside the heart of another? That doesn't strike you as overconfident?

Solomon

そうでもないよ [Not really] Not at all.

???

その傲慢なほどの自信は いったいどこから満ちてくるのか...... [Where on earth is that arrogant self-confidence coming from...] You have confidence to the point of arrogance. Where exactly does it come from, I wonder...

???

あなたこそ、悪魔のような振る舞いを しているのでは？ [Aren't you the one acting like a demon?] Have you considered that you're behaving quite a bit like a demon yourself?

Solomon

悪魔のような振る舞いかあ。 でも考えてみたら、仕方ないことじゃないか？ [I'm acting like a demon? But if you try thinking about it, isn't it inevitable?] You think I'm behaving like a demon... Well, if you think about it, that's to be expected, right?

Solomon

だってさ [Because] I mean...

Solomon

今の俺を減らしたのは、君なんだから [The one who reduced me to what I am now is you] You're the one who made me who I am today, after all.

Solomon

そうだろう？　「ナイトブリンガー」 [Right? "Nightbringer"] Isn't that right, Nightbringer...?

[lastivkaa]

OK MY RANDOM YOUTUBE KNOWLEDGE FINALLY NEEDED

DIES IRAE is a Catholic sequence, a hymn-type thing, singing about the judge (Jesus) who will come one day, on this dies irae or "day of wrath" and kinda fix everything. In it, the character sings about the hope for forgiveness

JESUS ​​ARTHUR CANON LOL

That is, probably not quite. Dies irae is exactly the day. A moment, if you will allow me, if it was meant here, I believe that iudex would be used, which is literally translated, or perhaps Rex tremendae majestatis "King of terrifying will" which are both in this work.

Maybe I'm boring, but it's interesting. Because the song, although it is called wrath, is not really about that, it is about how cool Jesus is, and how he lived for people's sins, and how tired he is etc

What is more interesting, this title in the context of the show can mean both that Arthur and John judges in the context of the song, and that they are the one who sings, AND THAT they occupy both roles separately. Where I assume Arthur is one who judging and John is who been judged

It may look strange, but it makes more sense to them than the other way around. Yes, John is (part of) a God in this world, but it is Arthur who is more suitable for the one who "suffered for sins" and John is clearly the one who is still feels guilty of Arthur (for Arthur it isn't John but Frao)

I'm ready to fight for it with knives. Fuck the metaphor of God kneeling before a mortal and begging for forgiveness is SO FUCKING GOOD

[It is translation of my Ukr-language post, which I made while listening to the episode in parallel, so it may contain inaccuracies and just look strange, sorry]

[zzalina]

One day more or Sale el sol? Los Mis 2010

Okay so yesterday I made a post about Los Miserables 2010 and discovered there's more people who love it??? Someone asked me about the spanish translation of les mis and it was the straw that broke the camel's back for me to finally make a post. You have NO IDEA how long I've wanted to talk about this. Anyway, today I'll be talking about the 2010 spanish translation BUT I already have in my drafts a post comparing the spanish 1992, spanish 2010 and the original english versions. Without furhter ado, here are my thoughts about Sale el sol:

First things first: the title. "Sale el sol" means "The sun rises". I didn't use to like the translation because they could have gone with "Un día más" (as they did in 1992). It means exactly "one day more" and fits the music almost perfectly (you just have to pronounce it a little bit weird but nothing that isn't a common thing to do in songs). But then I saw this tweet:

"The phrase the sun rises instead of one day more to speak about resilience in a country in which the sun was used by fascists makes one feel mental peace, feel justice, feel art and revolution, it feels like recovering the light and coming out of the shadows"

A little bit of context: Spain was in a fascist dictatorship until 1975. There is a famous song from that time called "Cara al sol" ("Facing the sun"). It was the anthem of the Falange, a political party, but it's still used today by fascist groups. In this context, claiming the sun for a message like the one this song sends is really poetic justice and I just love it.

They also use the idea of the sun rising in "La canción del pueblo/Do you hear the people sing?" (I'll make a post about that one too) so it really links the two songs together in a very beautiful way. I could speak about the title for hours, but let's go to the lyrics:

On the left you have the original english lyrics, then the 2010 spanish ones and then the translation to english so you can see the differences. Pretty similar tbh

Marius being so dramatic in every langauge

Éponine's verses are always so sad but there is something about her feeling like she doesn't even exist for Marius that breaks my heart even more 💔

There's a lot I could say about Enjolras' part related to the 1992 translation but that will be a different post. Now take a moment to appreciate how Daniel Diges sings this lines pls look it up I love him

As you can see, in the translation we sadly lose the repetition of "one day more" 😔 Also Javert saying that the revolution will be born dead conveys to me the certainty that he had that it was not going to work. The army won't have to do much because the revolution will die by itself (and he was right, the people didn't join 😔)

Honestly I don't fully understand the Thenardier's part in english so I can't properly compare it, but they're so caothic in both languages, this part is so funny.

My favourite part of the song 😭 In english "Do you hear the people sing?" is the title of another song but since that one is called "La canción del pueblo" ("The people's song") they couldn't keep the verse exactly the same. But it's the first verse of The people's song

Just Javert's part bcs it's different, the others are kept the same than previously if I'm not wrong. Once again, there's no repetition in spanish 😔

I find it funny that since the original one talks about dawn at the end they translated it to "un día mas", doing the opposite of what they did with the title. It made me wonder for years why didn't they use it for the whole song since it fits the music. But now I know and you know too.

If you made it this far thank you for reading the post. If you liked it, there'll be more and if you didn't like it I'm sorry but there'll be more because I have a lot to say ✨

[canirove]

Friends, lovers… and an orange | Epilogue

Author's note: And we've made it to the end! 😞 I must confess I was very insecure about this story when I started posting it and I still kind of am, I know it isn't one of my bests 😅 So the fact that you guys have read it and supported it, means a lot more than usual. I hope you like this last chapter (it finally explains what the orange on the title means 😅), and again, thank you very much for reading 💜

Previous chapter

Masterlist

A few years later…

“Mase, we are gonna be late for dinner.”

“We won't. C'mon.”

“Can we at least walk a bit slower? You know heels aren't my thing, and on grass…”

“Then grab my arm. But c'mon, Addie. I don't want us to miss the sunset.”

“It's just the sunset, Mase” she chuckled as they continued walking through the gardens of their Italian villa. Because after all the summers they had spent there, and all the things they had lived and that had made it feel like it was their second home, Mason and Adele had decided to buy it. 

“Today is your birthday, Addie. Everything about it is special.”

“I see… Is that the reason why you've made us all dress so fancy tonight?”

“Exactly. Only the best for the woman I love” Mason smiled, his dimple showing. 

The previous year they had celebrated Adele's birthday at the beach with a big barbecue, their friends and families wearing just their swimsuits. But this year, for whatever the reason, Mason had been super picky and planned everything for everyone to the point that he had made a schedule with all the things they were going to do throughout the day. He had even booked a day just for Adele, their mums, Jourdan and Rianne, where they had gone to a spa and then to shop their outfits for the big day. 

“Ok, so, umm…” Mason said when they made it to the spot he had chosen for them to watch the sunset. “Remember when I came to Italy to shoot my perfume campaign?”

“How to forget the perfume that started it all” she chuckled.

“Yeah” he smiled. “Well, half of the team was Spanish, and during lunch time we were talking about relationships and things like that, and one guy explained that in Spain to say that you've found your other half, you say you've found your media naranja.”

“Your what?” she laughed.

“My Spanish sucks, ok? Don't make fun of me” he replied, sticking out his tongue. “The literal translation would be to find your half an orange.”

“That's… weird.”

“It actually isn't. You are half an orange, and someone else is the other half of that orange. When you meet and get together, you make an orange, you complete the other. And that reminded me of us.”

“Are you calling me half an orange?” 

“Addie…” he sighed. “I'm trying to be romantic and you are making fun of me.”

“I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Please continue.”

“Oranges have always been important to us. Our first kiss was under this very same orange tree. A perfume that smelled like oranges got us into a mess that led us to getting closer and to you falling in love with me. And it was here again, under this tree, where I confessed my feelings for you, which also led us to finally being together.”

“Yeah, finally” she smiled.

“So yes, Addie” Mason said, taking her hands on his. “You are half an orange. My half an orange. And together we make the most perfect one, an orange that was always destined to be made of those two halfs, of you and I. Of us together. Like you once said years ago, we are soulmates.”

“We are” she smiled.

“And because you are my soulmate, my media naranja” he said with his bad Spanish, making her laugh while letting go of her hands and getting on one knee. “Adele Antonia Turlington, would you marry me?”

“Mase” she gasped when she saw the little box on his hand, the most beautiful ring inside it. “Mase I… I… Yes.”

“Yes?” he asked, his smile growing bigger by the second, his dimples showing in all their glory. 

“Yes” she repeated, tears already rolling down her cheeks. “Yes and a million times yes. I love you, Mason” she said after he stood up and put the ring on her finger. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“I think you are gonna have to say it again, I didn't hear you” he smirked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“I love you, Mason. My soulmate, my half an orange, my everything.”

“I love you too, Addie” he smiled before kissing her, cheers and clapping being heard somewhere.

“What… what was that?” Adele asked.

“That has to be our family and friends.”

“What?”

“They were watching” Mason said.

“What?” she repeated, this time louder.

“I wanted to remember this moment, so I asked them to hide and film it and take photos.”

“Aww, Mase.”

“Cute, uh?” he smirked. “But there is more.”

“More?”

“More” he smiled before taking the hand where her new ring was shining and starting to walk towards where the voices had come from.

“Mase, what… What is all this?” Adele asked him. 

“Our wedding.”

“Our what?”

“I know we just literally got engaged, but I don't want to wait, Addie. I want to marry you and make it official in front of everyone we love that I want to spend the rest of my life with you as your husband.”

“You… what… I…” she mumbled, looking from Mason to where their parents, their brothers, and some of their closest friends, like Jourdan and Rianne, were waiting for them. 

But they weren't the only thing that was making Adele's eyes be about to pop from their sockets. They were standing next to an arch made with white flowers and orange details, the sea and the town nearby being perfectly framed behind it. It was simple, but stunning. 

“Is this the reason why you've been acting so weird this whole trip and being so annoying with your schedule? Because you were planning it all?” she asked. 

“Yeah… Sorry about that” Mason said. “But I was so nervous, Addie. I wanted it all to be perfect. And I know you probably had in mind something bigger, something with more flowers and live music and…”

“I love it, Mase” Adele cut him. 

“Really?”

“Yes” she nodded, trying to not start crying again. 

“Then do you want to do it? Do you want to marry me?”

“I already said yes, didn't I?” she chuckled, showing him her ring. 

“You did, yes” he smiled. “Shall we, then?”

“Yes” Adele smiled back.

“Ok. Then wait here, I'm gonna tell everyone” Mason said before running towards their family and friends, leaving Adele alone with her thoughts. 

She was going to marry him. Him, Mason, her Mase. And she was about to do it in her favourite place in the whole wide world, the Italian villa where they had made so many memories together, the one that meant so much to them and that now was their home too. 

“I believe this is for you” Luca said, meeting Adele and giving her a big bouquet of flowers that matched the ones on the arch.

“Thank you” she smiled. “But shouldn't be dad the one walking me to the altar?”

“Love you too, sis” he replied, rolling his eyes.

“I didn't mean it like that, Luca. You know I love you and that you are my favourite little brother.”

“I am the only little brother you have, Addie.”

“Alex has always been like a little brother to me too.”

“Yeah, try to fix it now” he said, trying to look mad.

“I love you, Luca” Adele said, caressing his cheek. 

“I know you do, Addie. I know” he smiled. “Anyway, should we do this? I think Mason is starting to fear you may run away.”

“I'm not running away, you idiot” she said, hitting her brother.

“Ouch!” he complained. “You do love him, don't you, sis?”

“With my whole heart” she said, looking at where Mason was standing, Toni trying to tame his hair. “But you still haven't told me why dad isn't walking me.”

“Oh, that. He's marrying you.”

“What?”

“Yeah” Luca said. “He got some kind of certificate and is legally allowed to do it. So, ready to become Adele Mount?” 

“I'm not changing my last name, Luca.”

“Good” he smiled. “Then let's do this.” 

“Yes” Adele said, taking the arm her brother was offering her, her heart beating so fast in her chest she felt it was going to break her ribs. And as she got closer to where Mason was, she felt it could actually happen.

“You look gorgeous, Addie” he said.

“I look the same I did five minutes ago” she chuckled. 

“Are you ready, guys?” Adele's dad said, making them stop looking at each other like two idiots. 

“Ready” they both said. 

The ceremony didn't last long. Her dad gave a little speech, Jourdan sang one of their favourite songs (she had always been an amazing singer), and they exchanged their vows and the rings.

“And now I pronounce you husband and wife” Adele's dad said. “You may kiss the bride.” 

“Finally” Mason said, wrapping his hands around her waist and making her lean back like they do in movies, all while she laughed and held onto him. “How was that for our first kiss as husband and wife?” he asked against her lips.

“Perfect” she smiled.

“Just so you know, it is going to be the first kiss of many. Because I'm gonna be kissing you for the rest of our very very long lives together… wife” he smirked, his left cheek dimple showing.

“Looking forward to it… husband” she giggled.

“I love you, Addie” he said, brushing his nose against hers.

“I love you too, Mase” she replied before kissing him again. 

━━━━❃━━━━ FIN ━━━━❃━━━━

[saltsicklover]

Part Six

Here it is, and let me just say, I am so sorry in advance! My heart hurt writing this one...

Title: Once an Asshole, Always an Asshole

Pairing: Robert "Bob" Floyd x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 4600+

Rating: R

Warnings: Swearing, Drinking, Cigars and Smoking, Crying, Angst, Pining, Robert Floyd (A warning).

Second Chance Romance!

Disclaimer: I do not own Bob Floyd, or anything related to Top Gun Maverick within this piece. Not Proof Read or BETA'd. All mistakes are my own.

I do not consent for my work to be edited, reposted, or translated.

You are responsible for your own media consumption. This is a work of fiction that may contain mature themes. If you are sensitive to those subjects, please do not read.

---

The group, Sunny included, make themselves comfortable at the tables near the pool table. It's their usual hangout spot, so they slip into their groove quickly. Nat and Hangman are now going head-to-head in a cut throat game of pool while Sunny and Rooster chat, acting as peanut gallery when the game requires it. Sunny basically had to push Nat into playing, convincing her that they will have two weeks together and more than enough time for everyone. Natasha grumbles as the game gets started but slowly put her game face on, not ready to loose to Hangman. 

"So, Sunshine, where are you from?" Rooster asks before taking a long swig of his beer. 

"Originally? Or do you mean where I live now?" Sunny shoots back, a twinkle in her eye that Rooster can't help but notice. Sunny brings a hand up to her necklace, playing with the small pendent between the tips of her fingers. 

There is something about her that reminds him of his Mom. Maybe its the way she instantly fills the room around her with light, like it's pouring straight from her soul. Maybe it's her carefree nature, or the way her bangs have come loose from her pins, the delicate curls falling into her eyes. Somewhere between the first sight of her, as he and Natasha barreled into the parking lot of the Hard Deck, and now, his soul decided that Sunny is exactly who his sister would have been if he had been fortunate enough to have one while growing up. They may not look alike, share parents, be from the same place, or even know each other, but his heart knows she is going to be a part of his life. Damnit if he isn't going to treat her exactly like the little sister he has always wanted. 

"I live in Colorado Springs now, I work at a book publishers office there. I'm actually hoping that they will take me on as a permanent novelist as soon as my first full length book is actually finished being written. I thought by now it would be done, you know? But life get in the way I guess, huh? I can't live off of publishing poetry for the rest of my life, that's for sure," Sunny tries to tuck the loose pieces of hair back into her clips but they keep slipping through her fingers. "I'm from Montana, originally, though!" 

"Oh! That's where that accent is from!" The pieces fall into place for Rooster, "I was thinking you were from somewhere down south but I couldn't place it!" Sunny is thankful Rooster grazed over the published books thing. Though she loves work, and she is proud of all that she has accomplished, its a real relief to not have to talk about work. 

"Oh yeah," A blush creeps over Sunny's features, her chest flooding with a color akin to her dress.  "Other direction!" 

"Where in Montana?"

"No where you've heard of," She tries to dismiss it with a wave of her hand, her other still toying with the pendent on her necklace. 

"Try me!" Bradley is confident, really, even though he knows he isn't going to have a damn clue. He couldn't name a city in Montana if he tried. 

"I grew up outside of Wibaux, south of I94, in Florence," Sunny's voice is quiet, the quietest it's been since she got into Hangman's pickup. She is still trying to pin her hair back, the frustration she is feeling making it increasingly difficult. "It's a little nowhere town, really. It was mostly school sports and lots of ranching. Not much to write home about," 

"Isn't Bob from Montana?" Natasha asks the boys, but they both shrug. "Maybe he was from Wyoming. Somewhere tiny, that I know for sure," 

Sunny laughs a bit, finding Natasha's lapse in memory amusing. For as long as they have known each other, Sunny has always been convinced that Natasha has a fantastic memory. She would have to, to fly that damn jet, right? 

"Did you guys have a big football following?" He questions, trying to keep the conversation going. Rooster wants to know her like the back of his hand, the yearning to add another person to his small patchwork family itching at his palms. 

Sunny drops her hands in defeat, the battle with her hair useless without a mirror. She rolls her eyes at herself, a thick sign falling from her lips. She takes a quick sip from her drink before putting her attention back on Rooster. 

"We didn't have a football team," Bradley looks at Sunny like she is crazy, the whole idea seeming nuts to him, "Big ones were swimming and basketball, actually," Bradley goes quiet for a second and so Sunny adds a small "Go Pronghorns!" with little to no actual pep to her voice. She waves her fist half heartedly in the air, the movement strange. 

They sit there for a moment longer, both of their faces twisting to awkward grimaces before they burst into fits of giggles, all of the awkwardness that begun enveloping them bursting in on itself and disappearing. 

"Were you a basketball or a swimming fan?" Bradley inquires from behind his beer can. 

"Are we talking the sport or the members?" The question earns Sunny a look from Natasha. She leans against the side of the pool table, Hangman behind her, lining up his next shot. 

"Don't even get her started, Roos," Natasha jabs playfully.

"What, I cared about sports!" Sunny attempts to defend herself, but the blush enveloping her skin tells otherwise. 

"You didn't care about sports, don't try and kid yourself," Nat winks, "You only went to the swim meets because you were just in love with-"

"Alright!" Sunny almost jumps out of her skin, holding her hands out in defeat, "I am going to run to the restroom, then hit the bar for another drink, does anyone need anything?" 

Sunny sends a glare to Natasha as she slides down off of her stool. She mouths 'I hate you' to her friend, her eyes holding no malice. 

"A round of beers please, my beautiful Sunny," Natasha speaks, trying to butter her up, "But hurry back! Bob just texted, he said he's five minutes out!" Sunny gives her a thumbs up before heading for the bathroom. 

She doesn't actually have to use the bathroom, just the mirror. She makes quick work of pulling the pins from her hair, the pieces falling down to their natural place. She picks up one by one, French twisting them back out of her face. After a couple on each side, secured with pins she washes her hands and heads out the door, her next stop, the bar. 

As she made her way through the crowd, she couldn't keep her mind from wandering. She thought of the Ranch back home and the world she left behind. She spots a young Airman, belly up to the bar, his blond hair pushed back out of his face. He can't be older than twenty two, his young features and baby face make him look about eighteen. He reminds her of Robert Floyd and her heart aches for just a second, but she  tries to shake that thought from her head as quickly as it came. 

If Natasha hadn't opened her mouth, maybe she wouldn't be thinking about him again. Maybe she wouldn't be feeling that pang of stale hurt in her chest, reliving that conversation over and over again. 'I didn't work my ass off to throw it all away over a girl like you,'  it still hurts, though it's different now. The pain isn't sharp as daggers and all consuming. Instead, it is wrapped tightly around her ribs and sometimes, it squeezes, constricting, reminding her that it's still there. 

She catches herself missing the smell of cherry tobacco, the scent still stuck in her nose. 

"You must be Sunny," A warm voice greets her from behind the bar. "I'm Penny," the dark haired woman greets, a kind smile spread over her lips. Penny looks like the personification of home. The warmth that emanates from her is almost stifling, but Sunny can't help but bask in it anyway. 

"I like your nametag, much better than the ones we usually get in here," The words are said with a wink, then blush spreads across Sunny's cheeks. Her hand comes up to feel the crinkle of the sticky nametag stuck to the front of her dress. 

"Yeah, that's me," Sunny smiles at her, the blush darkening on her cheeks,  "Can I please order a round of-"

"Beers for those two knuckleheads and the lovely Phoenix?" Penny finishes for her, already pulling the beers out of the cooler. "I've also got a Pepsi for you and a glass of water for Bob. He walked in a minute ago," Penny has everything down to a science, one that surprises and delights Sunny in equal measure. 

"How'd you know?" Sunny giggles, crossing her arms over her chest. 

"I have the pleasure of being engaged to the Dagger Squad's captain, so I know those guys pretty well, plus they are pretty much the only reason I stock beer in cans anymore," Penny puts the last of the drinks onto a tray with a chuckle. Sunny moves towards the tray, her fingertips grazing over the edge. 

"Phoenix has been talking about you coming since the moment she found out. Then Hangman gave me the rundown when he came in with Rooster," She explains, her hands working quickly as she wipes down the bar. Then, she grabs a cup of peanuts from behind the bar top, placing it on the tray, "It's all yours, take the tray with you, I'll be by to pick it up in a few minutes,"

"Thank you," Sunny speaks, pulling the tray up off of the counter, balancing it near her shoulder. Thank god for the muscle memory of her long forgotten waitressing skills.

"You've got one hell of a memory, Penny," Sunny compliments, shooting the older woman a bright smile. 

"Thank you, Sunshine," Penny winks. Sunny nods her head towards Penny one last time before turning on her heel, headed back towards the back of the bar. She dodges a couple of young Marines, both too caught up in their own conversation to see her coming. Sunny turns back to Penny, rolling her eyes playfully as she gestures to the Marines with a tilt of her head. 

"Oh, and Sunny," Penny yells after her, a light giggle laced though her words, "Welcome to Fighter Town!" 

Sunny navigates through the ever growing crowd, making her way back to the Daggers. She can't help but let her eyes wonder over the many uniforms that adorn the crowd. From flight suits and Peanut-Butters to BDU's and Veteran hats. It felt like everyone in the bar was wearing something to signify that they were Military affiliated. 

She feels like an outsider, someone from the wrong side of town, the wrong state, the wrong part of the country. Her world has always been quiet, from the sprawling plains of the family ranch to the stillness of her office. Her world is soft, made up of cricket sounds and book pages. This world is hardened exteriors and no fear. 

The world around her is bustling, sticky with stale beer and sweat. There is a constant underlying smell of jet fuel and saltwater across Fighter Town. It's all new and she can't help but wish Natasha would have prepared her better. 

She knew Natasha was in the Navy, of course she did. Natasha clued her into that fact when they first started talking, but what really secured that fact for Sunny was when a couple of Naval Officers showed up on her doorstep to interview her about her involvement with Natasha. Something about clearing those closest to her before she could be rewarded her Top Secret clearance. 

Sunny never did tell Nat of the men who knocked on her door, dressed in uniform. She felt her world slow down at the sight of them, like it does in the movies when a Soldier dies; the world spun unbelievably fast the moment she found out Natasha was okay. Whatever she told them must have worked out; two months later she received an email from Natasha, boasting about her new clearance. Sunny couldn't have been happier if she tried. 

Still, Sunny feels that she is standing on the outside looking in, the way she has felt most of her life, until she catches sight of Hangman and Rooster. They are bumping shoulders with each other, both wearing smiles that light up their eyes. She can hear Natasha's laugh through the bustle, the sound makes her heart swell. The world feels just a little bit smaller, or maybe she is just a little bit closer. 

Her eyes catch Natasha through the crowd as she makes it to the pool table where Hangman and Rooster have begun a new game. Rooster is leaning over the table, lining up a shot to the corner pocket. That's when she sees him. 

Everything around her feels impossibly slow, her heart beat echoing throughout her body. She can feel it in her hands, fingers pulsing as she opens and closes her fists. Sunny takes in the sight before her, trying to concentrate over the whooshing of her heart in her ears. 

Robert Floyd is sitting next to Natasha, his blond hair cut shorter than Sunny had ever seen it before. It was cropped short on the sides, the longest parts at the top of his head gelled back out of his bright eyes. He had aged, of course he had, but instead of looking older, he just looked like a more mature version of the boy she had always known. Slightly bent, gold framed glasses sit slightly crooked on the bridge of his nose and he reaches up to adjust them often, trying to get to bent metal to sit correctly on his face. 

Sunny had never seen him so quiet; he sat leaning in towards Natasha, his ear in her direction, his hands laced together in his lap as he listens to whatever story she is telling him. The smile on his face is exactly the way she remembers it, slightly crooked as it lights up his entire face. 

The medals pinned to the chest of his uniform are perfect; from their color to their placement, hell, they are even lint rolled to perfection. They make her a bit nauseous, too akin to his letterman jacket in her eyes. It is strange to see him like his, so gentle, so pristine. There's no cowboy hat clutched loosely in his hand, his usual boots swapped out for well polished dress shoes. From where she stands, she can't catch even a hint of the tobacco that typically permeates from his clothes.

Her heart aches a bit for the loose, unkempt guy she used to know. From the lack of distinct cherry scent down to the missing pearl that usually cover his now plain buttons. Yet, it's the hair she misses the most. She loved his long locks, specifically the way her fingers felt threaded through them. He looks so much like a man now. 

Initially, Sunny feels the urge to run over to him and wrap her arms around his torso. She wants to press her ear against his chest and listen to his heart beat, just like all the women do in all of the books she reads. She wants that second chance romance moment- the one where the leading man takes the leading woman's face in his hands, looking deep into her eyes as he confesses all of his wrong doings. She wants to feel his hands on her bare skin again. 

Then she remembers that conversation again. It plays over in her mind once more. 'I didn't work my ass off to throw it all away over a girl like you,'.

Now, she can feel the anger bubbling up from deep in her. She wants to throw a beer at him, cover his pristine uniform in amber liquid, letting the tan fabric go dark and wet. Sunny imagines the pleasure she would feel watching the liquid fall from his frame onto the well polished leather of his shoes. She wants the revenge, the shouting match, the bared feelings of hurt and aguish. Sunny wants to yell at him in the way Miss Bennet yelled at Mr. Darcy, all anger and justified hurt. Maybe then, they would both be fraught with pain, just as she had been since the moment he walked away from her. 

But before she can do either, her body is moving on it's own accord. Sunny sets the tray of drinks down on the pool table, interrupting the game. Hangman and Rooster look at her with 'what-the-fuck' expressions, but she ignores them, instead stepping around to the other side of the table. Her movement catches Bob and Natasha's attention, drawing them out of their conversation. 

Bob looks at Sunny, his eyes darting from her eyes to her lips then back again, triangulating her features. He takes her in like she is his reason for breathing. She is stunning, that much he will admit to himself, from the way her hair is pulled back from her face, to the slight blotchiness of her skin, no doubt from all the crying Phoenix had been telling him about. 

Bob takes in a deep breath, letting Sunny's face fill in all of the blank spaces in the stories Phoenix has shared with him. He lets the image of her features paint each memory, bringing them to completion. 

He lets his gaze trail down her body, taking in the gentle pattern of her dress, the little yellow flowers spiraling around the bright red fabric. Bob has always been one for details. His eyes hit her boots next, his heart stuttering a bit at the sight. God, he has missed seeing people in boots, and a beautiful woman in boots? That might just do him in. 

When his eyes trail back up her body, they lock in on the pendent of her necklace. The distinct outline of Montana hangs from the delicate chain around her neck. Bob fights the quirking corner of his mouth, attempting to keep the large grin threatening his features at bay. Finally, he thinks, someone from home, someone he might just have something in common with.

That thought causes a wave of anxiety laced excitement to roll through him, his heart cresting over the wave of emotion as it rolls from his head down his torso. He tries to push the feeling down, the further away from his chest the easier it is to focus. 

Bob stands quickly, holding his hand out to her in greeting, ignoring the obvious look of bewilderment on her face, "Hi, I'm Robert Floyd, you must be Sunny! I've heard so much about you. It's wonderful to meet you!" His tone is light, friendly even. It squeezes her chest, her heart aching. 

This is not the Bob she knows. 

Her expression doesn't change and the wave of anxiety rolls back up Bob's body, taking his heart under the swell again. 

Sunny doesn't even move, she doesn't speak, instead, she stands two feet in front of him and her best friend, her head cocked slightly to one side. Her eyebrows are deeply furrowed, mouth slightly agape. Her eyes slowly move from Bob to Natasha and back again, all of the pieces connecting. She narrows her gaze to a pinpoint. 

"Sunny, what's wrong?" Natasha's voice is filled with nerves, her own anxiety peaking. Natasha could almost feel the confusion coming off of Sunny in waves that crest into pure negative. There is silence between the everyone for a minute before Natasha asks again, a little more force behind her voice this time, "Sunny, what's wrong?" 

Bob still hasn't retracted his hand. Sunny shakes her head at the sight. Everything finally understood. 

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me," Sunny's voice is almost silent, pointed, until she turns her attention to Natasha, "Robert Wayne Floyd, the 'sweetest guy you've ever met', your goddamn back seater is Floyd!"

Nat's eyebrows are furrowed and she looks at Bob for some sort of a clue as to what's going on. All he can do is shrug, having awkwardly retracted his hand after his name came flying from Sunny's lips. He was taken aback by the use of his full name and the venom Sunny's voice possessed as she spoke them. 

Rooster and Hangman are standing closer now, further from the pool table, their game and drinks long forgotten. The men behind Sunny are each on edge, unsure of the situation but ready to jump into action at a moments notice. 

Sunny turns her attention back to Bob, heat overtaking her skin and disbelief bubbles through her. Her eyes hold a distinct look of hurt as Bob scans over them, taking in the features of her face. 

"You have no idea who I am," There is no fluctuation to her tone. It was not a question. She wants to scoff, but really, she knows she shouldn't be surprised. This is Bob Floyd, after all. 

It was in this moment that Sunny realized just how much of a hold Bob still had on her heart. There was no room left to wonder as he stood in front of her, a kind but confused look written over the plains of his face. Somewhere in her subconscious she knows the wants to kiss him. Kiss that dumb look off his face, thread her hands through his too neat hair, and remind him exactly of what he walked away from. She doesn't move, instead, she clenches her fists, the feeling of her pulse thrumming thickly through her tightly curled fingers. Sunny wants to hate him, that feeling tangling in her chest, still so familiar after ten years. She should hate him, but she doesn't.  

Bob swears he can almost see the gears turning in her head, almost hear her thinking. Her expression is hard, concentrated. He wants to help her, to know what about his presence in this bar has got her all tangled up. He feels like he was left soaking wet under the hot sun, uncomfortable in the way his skin is almost burning under her gaze. 

Sunny brings her hands up to her face and Bob almost tenses at the movement. Sunny breathes deeply behind her palms before running her hands over her hair. Pieces come out of the twists, falling into her eyes. That sparks a bit of familiarity deep within Bob's brain. 

"Of course you don't," Sunny's tone is dry, un-humored and scratchy against her throat- she holds back tears. She draws her lips into a line, shaking her head. 

"What's going on, Sunny?" Natasha is standing now, positioning herself in between her best friend and her WSO. She shoots a lightly panicked look to the Pilots standing behind Sunny, her eyes almost shouting for help, like they might know something she doesn't. 

Hangman moves to step closer, answering Nat's panicked look with action. Bradley stops him with a firm hand on Hangman's chest. 

"Not yet," His voice is barely above a whisper, almost getting lost in the loud atmosphere of the bar. If the two men hadn't been standing so close together, Jake would've missed the words. With a grumble, he pushed Bradley's hand from his chest but stays put, heeding the warning. 

Maybe if Sunny hadn't been so upset she could've told Natasha that the man standing in front of her was the same man she had told her about so shortly after they began emailing- her first real heartbreak, the man who she had never really gotten over. Maybe she could have told her that she was literally teasing about Bob a few minutes before, talking about the one person on the swim team that she was in love with. Maybe she could have clued Nat in, but she doesn't say a word. 

Instead of getting over him, she ran. She ran from the family ranch, from her small town, from anything and everything that reminded her of Robert Floyd, because that was the only thing she could do to keep from breaking her own heart again and again and again. Sunny told herself she left to go to school, to become a writer, that she was doing it for herself. In reality, that desire got pushed to the back burner for a while, the need to be as far away from Florence had been forefront in her mind. 

So, in leu of offering any sort of verbal answer, instead of clearing things up, Sunny pulls her knee up, reaching into her boot, pulling a small pocket knife loose form the inside of the leather. There is a warn patch on the leather, where the knife has been kept there for some time, the brown now discolored form the many times the knife has been pulled from and put back into that specific place. It has been kept there for years.

Natasha and Sunny share eye contact as Sunny pulls the knife from her boot. Natasha's eyes are pleading, the creases on the corners visible. Her brows are furrowed, lips pursed. The whole expression screams 'tell me what's wrong, let me help'. Sunny, on the other hand, has her brows is raised giving Phoenix a clear look into her eyes. They swim with hurt and turmoil, something she usually sees in the eyes of new Seamen on the backends of deployment. Nothing could have prepared Natasha for seeing that look in her friend's eyes. 

The knife is hidden in Sunny's grasp before any of the Daggers can see it. She holds it with too tight a grip, her hands trembling, one around the folding knife, the other down at her side. 

This isn't her Bobby, that much she is sure of. The man in front of her is not the man she had kissed her and left her, the man who broke her heart. Hell, there isn't a smoke tucked behind his ear, there should be, there is always one. He doesn't smell like cherry tobacco. He doesn't smell right, and that makes Sunny's heart clench tighter. That's what decides it for her, the lack of distinct tobacco that usually clings to his clothes. 

This really isn't her Bob Floyd. This man in a stranger. But, she knows one thing for sure. 

Sunny throws the closed pocket knife at him, the object making hard contact with the center of his chest, thudding against him before clanking to the ground. It bounces unceremoniously under the table. Bob brings his hand up to rub over the area the metal came in contact with, but his eyes never leave her form. 

The moment that old pocket knife left Sunny's grasp, she wanted it back. She curses herself for letting the emotion take over her thoughts- the fact that she is still clinging onto any sort of hope that the man in front of her might remember her twists up her insides. She wants Bob back but she has settles for the only part of Bobby she had been able to hold on to She wants to carry it with her like she has been for the last ten years. She wants it the knife back, but it's too late for that now. It sits face down on the ground, discarded like she had been all those years ago.  

Sunny turns to walk away, tears threatening her eyes again. Before she goes, she is throwing one last sentence over her shoulder, directed right at him.

"Oh Bobby, once an asshole, always an asshole," 

[oshinohoshi]

Oshi no Ko Chapter 155 Thoughts

The chapter title is Happy End! Well, not for Hikaru. He's so broken we don't even see his face

The framing of this as the end of Ruby's revenge is interesting but um... what revenge? We haven't seen Ruby thinking about revenge since she lost her black hoshigan. This would hit a lot harder if Ruby had done anything lately to show she cared about revenge

It's a real shame because Ruby's lines in Ch 115 when she was doing the impromptu audition with Frill and Akane gave me chills

I still dream about the day my mother died, even now... will everyone I love end up dying?... I want to go to where everyone is. I want to die too. That's powerful stuff! Of course she would want revenge. But then she realizes Gorou is alive and everything is fine again (??)

As for Ruby's forgiveness, unfortunately that happened off the page (sadly that's become a running theme lately with how rushed things feel to me). Her conversation with Hikaru in Ch 147 is the closest we got to seeing her make that decision

And what exactly did she do in her acting to deliver that forgiveness? I'm tired of being told about it, I want to see it

I'm not sure why Ruby was chasing after Hikaru in this chapter with double black hoshigan if she was all set to forgive him but  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway, none of that matters because Miyako is back, hugs are back, Aqua is crying in his mother's arms and... OK BUT WHERE WAS MIYAKO UNTIL NOW? WHY DID YOU FORGET HER, AKASAKA? Never mind, sorry, this was an adorable moment

Someone finally remembered Yura Katayose. I really hope it's shown how Aqua realized she had anything to do with this

Nino jumpscare! I am obsessed with Nino's obsession with Ai. The toxic yuri is off the charts and I'm eating it up

Look at this poster. Nino could have simply cut her and Ai out of it but no, she took the time to cross out and scribble over the other B Komachi girls, presumably for daring to breathe the same air as Ai

If you have not, you need to read 45510 (translated by aihoshiino) which is not only the basis for the lyrics in Idol but a deep dive into Nino's psyche. It was obvious by this point, but we now canonically know that Nino is the narrator in 45510 because of the panel in this chapter where she hits the delete button

Wait, hold up, Nino is using an mp3 player? My god, she really is stuck in time isn't she

She has trash bags all over her house because this woman is a shut in who does nothing but watch videos of Ai, listen to old B Komachi songs, and stare at her poster. Honestly? Same. I see you, Nino, and we can be delusional together

I believe in another life that Nino healed herself with a lot of therapy and a yoga retreat, stopped putting Ai on a pedestal, embraced her sexuality, and confessed to Ai. They're now living with the twins in a small house on the outskirts of Tokyo. Nino writes a mommy blog called "My dream life with precocious twins: me, myself, and Ai"

Get it? See what I did there? Okay...

[understandableparadox]

Bottom of the barrel isekai: b-rank adventurer with an evil look becomes a daddy to the protagonist and his childhood friend.

Well if i'm reading it, that's a goddamn lie, hello! Pull up a chair, drink my tea, piss on my wife, you have the most control in this world because you are the specialist lil fella that can do not a lick of wrong! It's time for another bottom of the barrel isekai review! Today, you can read the title above, go fuck yourself if you think im going write it out every single god damn time.

Come out boys, girls and some other thing, frogs? Is that what the enbys like these days? Frogs? Anyways let's do the song and dance!

Our titular main character is a dude from japan, they wasted their live away being a disgusting fucking neet and playing video games all the live long day, being a whale in pirates 101 and domeing me from across the map as widow maker on royal!  

Anyways he fucking Dies and gets reincarnated in the game he and his singular friend dearly loved known as bright fantasy, now as we can see in the picture above, perhaps he reincarnated as some sorta giga god, perhaps his party abandoned him because they didnt understand the monumental boon a tax accountant has in another world… perhaps he was summoned by the king to Fuck his wife for him! 

Wait a second… is that a sharp detour…? FU-

Anyways gray is reborn as a Thug Npc, or someone with a dark background, his looks mean, he has a average appearance and some fucking sick shoulder gaurds.  He is a moody lil nobody, which is why it's such an insane hook to see it open with two children begging to be adopted by him in the opening

Now before you get too scared that we are running into uncharted territories since we haven't had anyone betray anyone and the MC has not turned god inside out, we get to dive back into the cool cocoons of familiar fantasy tropes with the adventuring ranking system. I'm not going to bother to explain it, if you got a letter grade in school then you know what it means. Get close to the A and that means you are the Big Boy adventurer who does the Big Boy quests. 

Now i do appreciate the authors restraint and only making him the Second Biggest boy and attempting to make him Not A Twink

We almost have a guy who is on a bulk and not a cut, sigh, one day. 

Anyways we pull back ground tall dark and who cares to learn that these two are matchstick kids. Dead broke kids who are attempting to sell flowers they have picked to the people on the street. They were attacked by nobody you are going to remember and get healed by gray. They then decide to beg him to save their ailing parents because I guess wonka isn't around to give golden tickets to get them out of bed or whatever. 

They tell them their names, one of them has the super special name of the Super Main Character. What a coinkyDink. Gray knows that if he is to be a villain (???) then his job is to avoid it. Luckily he went to the Katarina claes school of villainy and decided that ethical action is actually more important than meta narrative logic. 

Cut to Tiny tims lakeside property and we see the rest of the family living the fucking dream!

I'm so sorry, i have this mental tick where i accidently say “dream” instead of “nightmare”.

Also Stella is a vampire, why? Fuck you thats why. 

They explain that they have been getting by by the skin of their teeth through a combination of the street urchin grind set of selling flowers and getting church donations. Gray beats up some assumed child abductors outside and gives a somewhat creepy smile. 

Next chapter is about Gray stealing an orcs' balls to create a high end potion (viagra) to nobles so he can get enough money to buy something called a “home”? I'm not sure what that is exactly, i'm not sure what the translator was talking about, i've certainly never heard of someone “buying” or owning one for certain.

I don't actually have much to say about this guy, this is the guy who makes the ball potion for gray, I just like him, he has a funny face, I like looking at it. He looks like someone I would trade yugioh cards with while he tells me about his super cool oc and I would listen because he is a fun dude. 

But yeah, the manga is mostly about this guy being a slightly more psychotic late stage kratos, being a dad, trying to raise a bunch of random kids he found, trying to give the main character a taste of normalcy before the plot kicks and and shit goes sideways, oh and sometimes he brutally kills people. 

His main goal is to have a family and that's about that. 

So let's start getting into things. 

The title has no interest in creating an expansive world that is original, everything of it is meat burrowed and stitched into its own narrative to support its own plot line and to explain why this happens and why that is occurring at this point. Now I do not believe that this is inherently a bad thing. In fact it's fine. Not every single manga needs to be the next genre defining piece of media. In fact we need things that are average, we need things that build the genre or else we can never have exceptions to the rule.  The magic system, the team system, the classes, the guilds, the plot, it's all what you would expect from something with final fantasy inspirations. Semi (not really) complicated fighting systems that only make sense to pad out the loving tedium of a game. “Complete this many quests of this level to rank up.” “collect this many monster parts to complete the quest” and so on and so fourth ad infitum until god has to pop out and ask what the fuck is going on. 

The art is great in places. Most of it is very bog standard, you aren't going to get that much out of it if you are expecting groundbreaking designs that really make you scratch your chin in wonder at how they made something like that up. But it's very clearly competent and knows how to give each of its characters that needed cover before you read the book. People that need to look like unlikeable thugs look like unlikeable thugs, children that need to look sweet and innocent look sweet and innocent. The artist is really good at goofy expressions but they are a bit few and far between to really satisfy my desire for evil fucked up faces, oh kekegurui… if i didnt hate your plot so much i would be so much more obsessed with you… 

The tropes I've already gone over. It uses every single trope but more so in the way someone would do if they were playing a new game plus. You don't want to do the rigamarole of the heroes rise so you make them overpowered and whatever so they can get to the stuff that you have deemed important, that being fatherhood simulator and housing market simulator. The world is secondary to the plot the author wants so they grab the tropes they want to ensure they can focus on that part of the story with impunity while hand waving some other things and give ol daddy gray his badass moments to make the editors happy that this is infact enough of a power fantasy. You know, to keep those freaks that actually buy the manga happy. 

As for kink stuff, none that I can see. The author only seems to want women to fawn on the main character so they can complete the golden vision of the dead emperor abe of the nuclear family, perhaps hoping to tempt his blessing from beyond the grave… 

This was a little bit of a boreing read. I cant entirely recommend it, but if you want to see some edgy boredline twunk be a dad to a bunch of random kids he adopted then yeah, go for it lmao. 

[sevensoulmates]

So I remember you saying that when tv studios are making their shows, nothing is left to chance and every decision they make is carefully put together, right? And when they first revealed the title for the fourth episode I didn't really knew it was the name of a song by Ella Fitzgerald, it's only recently that I read the lyrics of the song and it must mean something right? Because it's obviously a love/pining song.

Btw I was meaning to ask about your favorite Eddie/Buck moments that made you think "There's no way this is platonic" of course you don't have to explain in detail if you don't feel like it or don't have the time but it's always joy to read what you have to say about buddie 🙏😄

Hi there! Sorry for the delayed response! As typical of me, my opinion on episode titles is gonna be on the realistic side and this answer is kinda rambley. Obviously, episode titles reflect the content of what the episode will be about, but it isn't always exactly what it seems on the surface. And that's on purpose, we usually get episode titles in advance before the episode airs and they don't want it to spoil the entire thing (hence why I don't think "placeholder titles" like "henren begins" or "buddie begins" are real).

911 has been known to borrow some of their titles from well-known movies. Examples: "Love, Actually" -> "Buck, Actually", "Oceans 11" -> "Oceans 9-1-1". "Brawl in Cell Block 99" -> "Brawl in Cell Block 9-1-1".

They've also been known to copy super common phrases. Examples: "Careful What You Wish For", or "The One That Got Away".

They also use quite a lot of questions in the titles. Examples: "What's Next?" and "9-1-1, What's Your Grievance?" and of course a million 911 puns.

When it comes to song titles, that's a little harder to judge. Song titles often have common phrases like the ones mentioned above in them, so some titles could coincidentally overlap with song titles. One example is "Wrapped in Red" which is also a Christmas love song. Or they have episodes like "Love Is In the Air" where the song is also played in the episode ending montage. These are also just common phrases and don't necessarily have to be associated with a song.

"Buck, Bothered and Bewildered" is a bit of an odd case (as is "You Don't Know Me" but for a different reason), because it is undeniably the title of a very well-known song. But plenty of other shows have made use of the title and song in episodes before so it's not exactly unprecedented.

In my opinion, I don't think we should be taking the song lyrics themselves 100% at face value and expect them to translate point for point into the episode. That's just a bit unrealistic. BUT I do think the overall vibe of the song, and the general meaning of the phrase "bothered and bewildered" can be taken as a general idea of overall themes that will be explored in the episode, but not just for Buck, even though his name is titular this time. Episode titles almost always refer to the general themes that ALL prominent characters with arcs in this episode are feeling. So chances are it will apply to Athena, Chimney, and Eddie too. My speculation is likely that Chimney is also going to be confused by Buck's actions (and possibly something to do with Maddie) And Eddie will likely also be very very bothered and bewildered by Buck's actions and feelings in this episode. Maybe Tommy too?

I am fairly positive this episode will provide huge hints and steps in the right direction toward buddie canon. And I also want people to remember that characters DO NOT always have everything figured out. Just like normal humans, they can misunderstand their own feelings, not recognize the truth/gravity/context of their feelings, and even LIE (straight to the audience's face) about their feelings. Here is where learning how to (realistically) read subtext and not be afraid of it comes in.

As for "friends wouldn't do that" moments, well I think @useramor explained it best with their post here. ALL of buddie's moments could have a platonic reading to them, but it's the extra layers of desperation, hiding feelings unnecessarily, the lack of boundaries, the merging of entities, and the way they can never actually acknowledge or define their relationship in any true way, that makes almost all of their moments ALSO read as romantic. In my opinion, if writers want a moment to be read as entirely platonic with little to no room for romantic readings, there are ways to do so where at least most of your audience will understand. Instead, the 911 writers tend to place nearly all of buddie's interactions in a platonic-romantic limbo, and I personally think that's on purpose. Biding time, if you will.

[switch]

I'm trying to figure out Vlad's speech pattern, do you have any tips on writing his dialogue?

ohh yeah that's tough. i struggled with that for a while and i'm still not 100% sure how exactly i'd put it to words since i kinda just started feeling it out...

uh i think one thing that especially helped with vlad for me was really listening a lot to his voice acting and then just sort of... imagining how his particular deep and kind of slow-spoken and kingly cadence would translate to and sound in written dialogue... does that make sense...

i mean one, uh, 'nice' thing about vlad is that he doesn't have a lot of written dialogue. between his gameplay/my room lines, his interlude, the gray collar event, vegas, valentine, and halloween revival, plus his relatively sparse dialogue in apoc, you can basically look at... everything he's ever said in, like, a day for reference (heck i've got like a 10 minute video of every single line he says in the apoc anime). i will say that some of his early my room lines do have a bit of an odd feel to them, though...

uh, anyway, as for more specific tips... uhhh.... he tends to use more refined or formal or even old-fashioned-sounding language, but critically without sounding excessively flowery, either, as he's often also pretty direct and conveys authority in the way he talks at the same time. especially if he's giving some kind of speech, or talking about something before battle, or scolding someone (apoc and vegas). he says stuff like "fool," "unsightly," "end yourself", "i thank you/you have my gratitude" etc... when he does get more poetic or indirect is in higher bond levels where he starts alluding to things more than outright stating them (bond 5, bond 10, ascension 4), so that's also situational.

it's also sort of shown/implied that he lightens up a bit more when dealing with kids or teenagers in chaldea, and obviously the protagonist, but he really never feels casual even at his most relatively casual or happy state. when writing him i'd definitely recommend veering towards more formal language than you might think is necessary vs risking making it sound too casual, as i would say it sounds out a lot weirder fast when a vlad is accidentally written even a bit too casual than it does when he's written maybe a little excessively formal. he also doesn't seem to laugh a lot outside of brief "heh"s or "hehe"s or even the occasional "oho". he seems to go "hm" or "hmph" sometimes if he's contemplating things or not happy about something... maybe it was sort of a weird translation, but the end of his interlude 1 where he just outright says "sorry for forcing you to accompany me" instead of anything more... noble-sounding feels like kind of a rare big deal thing, for him.

a lot of fan translations outright write him into using "thee"s and "thou"s and "canst"s and such, or at least having him switch to talking like that in certain situations, which i do definitely think works contextually for him. he doesn't use contractions a lot of the time ("there is" "i am" "it is" "i shall", etc) but he does still use them sometimes, (there's multiple instances of "i've" and "i'll" peppered around at the least), so it's not a hard and fast rule- it seems to just be more dependent on who he's talking to and whether or not it works with the flow of that particular line of dialogue. he tends to address other people by titles of some kind rather than by name.

actually i do remember one time the way vlad talks was described to me as something like the way some kind of dark anime villain would talk. he talks like an anime villain who isn't actually a villain...

ugh does any of this make sense, i don't know, so much of this is situational.......

[tetrakys]

this was never in the history of forever ever gonna happen and i understand why it didn't and why it won't but i would've died 1000 deaths for a male mc in mcl. not even just in new gen, i would've loved to be gay asf in hsl, ul and ll too:') this isn't like a critique or anything but a guy can dream right😂😂?

lol anyway, just wondering if maybe you have any recs for otome with male/gn mc? or if not if you know someone who might? mcl is the only one I've ever gotten really into so i don't know about any other games like it 🙃

I'm sorry, friend. I really wish you and everyone were able to play the game as you wish and wouldn't have to "adapt" to what is available. Unfortunately some features like a male MC or multiple f/f routes are too expensive for a small company like Beemoov.

Tbh I haven't seen many otome games with a male MC around, otome by definition have female protagonists. There are lots of BL games around though (BL = boys love) where the MC is gender locked as male and all the crushes are male. I've never played one so I can't recommend any but if you look for BL games I'm sure you're going to find a ton!

Other than BL/yaoi games, there are games with no visuals of the MC so you can assume they are whatever gender you prefer (oten they let you choose pronouns). Generally these games have no illustrations or they do but only show the crushes alone without the MC. A few names I can think of are Arcana, Obey Me, Touchstarved (only the demo is out at the moment), When The Night Comes and other games from the same company (iirc there was some drama around it but I'm not informed). Again, take a look around because there are many! I think these games are generally referred to as Amare games, because they have the same formula of otome games but aren't strictly aimed at a female audience.

The only otome game with visuals I can think of which attempted to have both female and male MC and also multiple routes (5 male and 5 female) is Sweet Elite. However, I would say that it failed in this attempt, because in 12 episodes of the first season, there is only one episode with 1-1 illustrations with the crushes, then there is one episode where there are illustrations of the crushes alone, and everything else is group illustrations, max 2 or 3 per episode. (To me it ended up feeling more like a friendship game than a romance game.)

So, clearly, it's even more proof that when games have a big visual component and also offer customisation, it's basically impossible to have two genders MC. Unless it's a huge company producing them, but I'm not even sure that's the case because Is It Love? games for example were produced by Ubisoft and they didn't even offer look customisation, let alone gender customisation.

Another suggestion I can give you, is to check out mobile apps such as Chapters, Choices and Episodes. These aren't exactly otome games, but more similar to romance books translated as games. They have huge libraries and several titles are either gender locked yaoi or you can pick your own gender. You can even customise the looks of the MC and the crushes, but of course there are no CGs.

Oh, and one last thing that comes to mind, another option for you could be to check out dating app simulation games, basically fake tinder apps, they have lots of crushes each one with their own story, you can choose pronouns but your avatar will never appear in game or in CGs. A few names I remember are MeChat, Love Link, Love Verse, but I'm sure there are more. The stories can be quite entertaining so I suggest you check them out. (I remember MeChat had both a Lysander and a Castiel lookalikes).

So really, there are SO MANY games around that there's no need to stick to one where we have to adapt to game features we don't like. Ultimately MCL's main target audience are straight, cis women (with a very small offering of f/f routes) and I wouldn't stick to it if I weren't one. I remember when I started playing 11 years ago and I was looking for more games in a language I could understand and I could find very little, now instead there's so much competition that there's something for literally everyone.

Good luck with your search, let me know if you find anything you like! 💕

[kosukeiichi]

Oh my god I accidentally submitted the ask before I can finish I’m sorry 😭

I was trying to say: how do you feel about the unironic “kairi and keiichiro are like brothers” take. Or “they are like son and father” take which is probably the worst one and I only see it on reddit. Like you can read them in many ways but there are… blatantly wrong ways

i'm putting this in , going to wear that " de-facto best lupat page " with pride .

anyways !! i've been waiting for forever to get this down on my page . it's something i've put a lot of thought into .

basically , sure yes there are a lot of interpretations on what exactly is the nature of kairi and keiichirou's relationship . but i'm someone who enjoys reading into subtext and really dissecting the why of everything . such as , if they were supposed to be brothers , why would the themes of episode 30 be that of " someone you admired " in a romantic nature .

a lot of people bring episode 30 up a lot to also defend the whole , kairi sees keiichirou as shouri thing , especially with that one scene in the end , but i think that scene is supposed to show that they're not similar at all . sure , they both play a part of " someone who is good " in kairi's life . but if they really were trying to make a callback to the brother , wouldn't the writers make keiichirou say a similar line to shouri instead of what he did .

it's not hard to realize that keiichirou's " you lent me a hand back then , after all . " and shouri's " you waited for me even when you didn't want to . " have completely different meanings when it comes to kairi , right ? shouri's words imply that kairi's doing good by letting someone else do the good . meanwhile keiichirou says it like kairi had a hand in helping too .

that's why , i don't think the scenes of episode 30 were comparing keiichirou and shouri as a " big brother " figure , but more of a " person who is good " figure is kairi's life .

not to mention for episode 30 ... sure the gangler's lupin collection had nothing to do with kairi and keiichirou at first , but even so , in the past we've seen the song and collection chosen to represent an episode fit with the episode's theme before . so , why would they make the episode's collection be la vie en rose ?

la vie en rose is a song by edith piaf . the title translates to " life in pink " or " life through rose-coloured glasses " . it's a love song , you can definitely find the english translations online . now don't tell me , this isn't what a small part of kairi is feeling ... if he could allow keiichirou in , if he could show his true feelings , maybe he could wear those rose-coloured glasses .

again , it goes back to the whole kairi sees himself as an inherently bad person thing , with shouri and after that keiichirou being the " good " , the opposite , the person kairi looks up to and longs for but they may never cross . because ... kairi is a bad person , isn't he ? how could he ever be like them ... he doesn't even deserve to be with them ...

another thing i'd like to point out from episode 30 before i move on . why would they put in the throwaway line about arsene giving splash to the girl he fell in love with ? that line was insignificant , and it wasn't even a joke . UNLESS you read it as a parallel to kairi and keiichirou's relationship . after all , it was keiichirou who gave kairi splash , wasn't it ?

there is a possibility that they were meant to be sibling-like since the start . but it's sentai , guaranteed some of these episodes were only written weekly , things change all the time and i think people should take that into consideration as well .

now here's the fun part , talking about it from the actors' perspective ... !!

i'll start off with giving them what they want i guess . in an photobook interview , when w red was asked , what do they mean to each other , kousei yuuki answered that keiichirou is like a brother to kairi .... he then proceeded to say that it's different from how shouri is kairi's brother , and different to how keiichirou cares for both tsukasa and sakuya . he ends with saying that they have a " special relationship " , that kairi is a " special person " to keiichirou .

so well ... tell me i'm not reading too far into this , but isn't this kind of giving the feeling of ... how do you describe the close relationship between two men , they can't be in love right .... they just can't right ... it really feels like the whole historians would call them close friends thing .

moving on to THE MAN OF THE HOUR !!! THE ONE CARRYING US ALL !! IT IS ASAHI ITOU COMING IN TO CHANGE QUEER TOKU HISTORY !!!! LEADING UP TO kairi is lgbt - he kissed !!!!!!

okay , so . first of all , i'd like to preface this by saying that while asahi has not been vocally supportive of the queer community , he has been in multiple queer or queer coded roles and talked about how his character's experiences should be listened to too .

and kairi is certainly no exception ... asahi itou has said before in a magazine interview , he is very considerate when playing kairi . he understands kairi as a character , that he has " two faces " . asahi plays him as such . he says how first he always considers kairi's feelings , before acting as the figurative and literal mask he has on . so clearly , asahi cares about this role very much .

and i've spoken about it before , the many times asahi has said how much kairi loves keiichirou . sure the word he used was the less extreme " suki " or like , but even then , why would he say that if kairi could , he'd want to tell keiichirou he loves him . sure , some part of it might be pandering to the fans , and some might try to argue that we shouldn't listen to what the actors say because they're not the writers . but the thing about tokusatsu is , especially for the main cast , the actors also have a role in building up that image of a character . so why shouldn't we listen to asahi ?

anyways i'm sorry for ranting on about w red when you only asked about the whole brothers thing , but it felt appropriate to assess all sides of the relationship too . meanwhile , for the father and son thing .... i think redditors should look into therapy or watch some family movies or something because JUST BECAUSE ONE MAN CARES FOR ANOTHER , IT DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY MAKE THEM FAMILIAL !??!?!

that's all , i guess ... if you have any more questions and want some things to be cleared up , feel free to ask !! this goes for anyone on my blog as well , my turbo autism about lupat never stops

[osshisan]

hello, about the new enstars fan post where you say that most of the story is sort of unavailable, where do i start digging? you mentioned the wayback machine and the wiki, is it the fandom wiki? + do you recommend a specific story to start with?

OOO thank you for asking i'm so happy to help with this! i hope you don't mind if i write under the assumption that you're a complete beginner with enstars lore >v<)7

(this is also going to be just for the first game (referred to as "!-era"), since i'm actually less read on !!-era (the second game/the one that got localized) than i am with ! . i think it's necessary though since ! has the most basic necessary lore in it. this means the newer units, alkaloid and crazy:b, won't be mentioned-- SO sorry if you were hoping to hear about them in particular)

putting under a cut to not clog peoples' dashes! i'm so sorry this is about to be long but important es stories are going to be even longer so. prepare

where do i find the stories?

using the wayback machine to browse the ensemble stars fan wiki is a great, easy place to find a good majority of !-era stories! you can still use the direct site to preview stories for summaries and involved characters, but unfortunately since happyelements struck the fan wiki for copyright and got every translation hosted on it taken down, wayback is the only way i know of to access links to stories that were hosted there.

here's the link i usually refer to for quick access to stories on the wiki! this one will bring you right to the main story. to branch off and find others, use the Story tab under the wiki's title!

if a story you want to read isn't on the wiki, or you'd just rather read from a different source (wayback runs a little slowly + search bar won't work, and fandom wiki is... what it is), a quick google search is still likely to get you where you want to go. many fan TLers still host their story translations in places like tumblr blogs, dreamwidth pages, twitter threads, or other personal websites!

most basic lore please start here - main story and The War™

the Main Story in ! covers trickstar's revolution of yumenosaki against the status quo enforced by the student council, led by eichi (also leader of fine). you're about to get very acquainted with trickstar; other units do play important parts but trickstar are your protagonists for now. what's equally important about mainsto though is the introduction to dreamfes, SS, and how these idols are actually battling it out through singies and dancies. it'll get you familiar with how things work around here in ye old enstartown, how wild and absurd stuff can get, and you'll get brief intros to several characters and units as well! not everyone but... most of them

after mainsto i strongly recommend reading the Reminiscence stories (aka The War™) !! these take place 1-2 years before the main story and contain VERY juicy general lore for the series. if you aren't leaning towards any units after main story, you probably will be after these. the war stories also provide REALLY important context for character development of LOTS OF THESE GUYS. you don't really have to read them in chronological order (i didn't), so if you're curious: Crossroad features Undead and Akatsuki (particularly rei and keito), Marionette features Valkyrie (past), Checkmate features Knights (get ready for leo tsukinaga), and Element features Fine and Switch (this is a big one). Wonder Game, though it isn't exactly a reminiscence story, is also good to add on-- there's some more on ex-fine and switch in here!

"i read the necessities, now what?"

THE FUN PART: LET THE HEART LEAD, BABY!!!

hopefully from reading the main story and the war someone will have caught your eye, whether it's a particular unit or one or two characters on their own! from here the best path to take is just to follow whoever you're interested in and want to know more about! there's lots of stuff going on with like every unit so the world is your oyster... and if you're lucky you'll get worms of the brain like me and my valkie disease <3

the best resource ever for where to go next is this reading list spreadsheet !! i use this ALL THE TIME; it's sorted by unit and further by individual character to point you to stories that will teach you about your chosen guys.

and that's about it!! SO SORRY if you weren't expecting such a wordy response but i am cursed with verbosity and this series has So Much. i am also thrilled to help people enjoy enstars because for as long as i spent making fun of it, i've actually come to really like and enjoy it... it's definitely a lot of reading but i've had so much fun i haven't minded at all. i hope you can have some of that fun too..!!! love and peace...

[mxanigel]

coming for the fic title game "Putting together broken pieces"

This has been sitting in my ask box forever and I'm so sorry it took me this long! (reference post here)

But now that I'm starting to get swallowed up by BG3, though I'm still in Act 1, I like the idea of this title being related to Vix supporting the companions they're closest to, specifically Shadowheart and Gale.

Vix grew up learning to respect life and the forces in the world around them. (Sometimes learning the hard way, like when their storm magic went out of control.) Respecting life doesn't mean avoiding violence or deadly outcomes at all costs; it means understanding that each life has value, a creature's actions affect that value, and their value must be considered in relation to the value of what's alive around it. But respecting life does mean respecting oneself as part of the ecosystem, and a person can't keep learning and growing and changing if they're dead. Thus Vix isn't a fan of recklessly endangering oneself or pursuit of self-sacrifice.

It's probably not much of a spoiler at this point to bring up Gale's early-game need to consume magic items. But what he shared about why he needs them, what he'd do if he couldn't sate what's inside him... that hit Vix hard. And then he said "If you do not give up hope, neither shall I." Vix isn't exactly a radiant, joyful, hopeful person. But they're inspired to be that for this misfit crew. An inspiration that carries over to their interactions with Shadowheart, one that eventually translates into a love that, honestly, Vix isn't ready for.