#the beginning of blue's route is also complete

[bigidiotenergy]

Coming to and fro the Underworld should be no easy feat. They'd gone to the edge of their world in desperate attempts to flee Poseidon's seas and storms— but this remained no place for the Living. Odysseus IS mindful of that. How can he not be? But then how could he be SILENT as the Lord of this land tells him that the Underworld harbors its own dangers? How could a KING be silent when receiving threat, after threat, after threat? Maybe this Land was confusing him. Maybe all this Land does is bring out true nature. It was part of the unknown. A world exposing what the Captain cannot hide. But doesn't he try? Every possible route he can take— isn't it worth the risks so the Underworld cannot CONSUME him?

No. Odysseus does not know how far his luck goes. How easily Hades would be able to SMITE him given he's in his own domain— but he does know how far his opportunities go. If Hades had wanted his soul to join the others in the river, he could have done so already. Should have done so already. The same arrogance that comes from the little King is the same arrogance that had gotten them in this situation in the first place. The very thing that had made Polyphemus lift his club and strike the first six men down. A cockiness that seeps from his lively, mortal pores as he reveals his name to the Cyclops. Relying on a wit that had gotten most of his brothers sent here.

The Fates were not to blame for a King's PRIDE. The Fates are only a reminder that a King still remains MORTAL.

A purpose Hades adopts momentarily as those striking blue eyes bare onto Odysseus's soul. Such a POWERFUL look almost makes him back down completely. Enough to strike intimidation in any reasonable mortal. Until Hades's words echoed around the large cave that was the Underworld, their grasp tearing through his chest to weight his heart down right to his stomach. Eyes unable to hide the horror that resonates deeps within him. They can't even glance at the ship in the distance to make sure they're okay. His eyes refuse to leave the God of the Underworld. The king's heart rate spikes as the God only moves closer. And closer. Yet closer.

Do you miss the sounds of the waves? Captain... Odysseus's body tenses. Those voices... Do you miss the sounds of the seagulls? Captain... No. The Underworld God wasn't asking HIM these questions. Odysseus can feel it. The chill in the air. A damning cold breeze from the river itself. If only your mind hadn't been clouded- CAPTAIN! WHY WOULD YOU LET THE CYCLOPS LIVE WHEN RUTHLESSNESS IS MERCY?

The very presence of so many souls in the illusions this land gives him makes the King take a stumbling step backwards— only for his balance to fail him as he lands right against the rocky ground. Body trembling as tears begin to form in his eyes, no matter how much he does not want them to. Hades's laughter only rings in his head as it mixes with the voices of men he's failed. As it mixes with SCREAMS. The very suggestion of bringing these souls out of the river once more only forces him to scoot back. "No!" He cries, begging the God not to. "Please!" Begging to same souls who died begging him. "Pl-Please, Lord Hades!" Begging so desperately that his pleas interrupt the God of the Underworld. But they don't work. Hades only then PROMISES him to show that the Dead not only have been disturbed, but also livened once more. And it's all because of their Captain.

In the end, that divinity will always get a mortal to kneel. That's what Odysseus does. Head hanging low as he can only stare at the rocks below now. Shifting himself so the skin on his knees and shins rest against the rough surface. Hands adorned in braces spreading in front of him. The last time a God asked him to apologize, 552 men were sent here by that same God. Are apologies even enough for the Gods? "Ep-Epithet Hades, I-" He tries. He tries so hard to stop the trembling in his voice. What could he say? What should he say? "I— I'm sorry, King of the Underworld. I-" He bites his tongue. What will he say that will only end in more bloodshed?

The King of Ithaca quiets himself, head hanging lower. Maintaining that silence for a long time. Aren't you tired? Odysseus's shoulders slump immediately at the question, as if answering it with the gesture itself. His eyes finally trail upwards back to Hades's gaze. Wetness on his cheeks gleaming in the little light the Underworld emits. The tears in his eyes had fallen, soaking into his goatee. "I'm tired of not seeing my son and wife!" He sobs out before he can stop it. Of course he was tired. All he wanted was to rest his heavy eyes, soul, and bruised heart. Still, the king still keeps it in. He keeps it sealed. Hades could admire every dented corner. That consuming darkness.

But could Penelope? Could he even face her, knowing he's changed?

Irony,  once  it  touched  the  corners  of  the  God  of  the  Underworld,  always  was  welcomed  by  that  taste  of  eternal  tragedy  in  which  he  cannot  remove  the  aftertaste  of  his  lips.  So  far,  compared  to  Lelouch  vi  Britannia  who  managed  beautifully  to  screw  himself  up  in  middle  of  the  country  attached  to  his  name  (  which  would  remain  something  eternally  amusing  )  who  endlessly  was  trapped  within  the  same  symphony,  he  thought  he  had  escaped  it  ---  Impact  of  the  Underworld  towards  an  mortal  mind,  as  their  breathing  living  being  was  associated  to  the  heaviness  of  an  future  home,  sadly,  he  didn't  have  lot  of  examples  to  remember.  Deimos  couldn't  hardly  counting  at  one.  The  Underworld,  endlessly  present  at  his  side,  endlessly  supporting  him  and  embracing  him  with  an  protective  manner,  awakening  something  that  would  eventually  exploding  to  the  face  of  the  other  dimensions  ---  The  Underword,  touched  meanwhile  he  was  still  alive,  awakening  dormant  desires  who  always  has  been  here.  The  Underworld  unlocked  the  content  of  an  heart  rarely  showed,  in  same  measure  he  devoted  himself  to  exposing  differently  the  heart  of  an  Golden  Witch,  in  which  manner  another  blood  would  be  confessed  though  the  wounds  of  the  Emperor  of  Britannia.  One  tiny  moment,  remembrances  concerning  decades  had  to  be  remembered,  once  more.  One  tiny  moment,  the  slight  realization  maybe  other  outlines  details  had  changed  from  the  memory  he  could  embrace  in  the  moment  …

Odysseus  could  have  just  assumed  the  circumstances  he  had  decided  to  do.  Wasn't  it  lucky  ?  If  his  mood  hadn't  been  generous  at  the  immediate  moment,  if  his  heart  hadn't  been  opened  to  wishing  having  pleasant  fun  of  circumstances  pulled  by  the  Fates  ---  he  would  have  remained  trapped  within  the  Underworld  for  a  long,  very  long  time.  It  would  have  been  understandable,  right  ?  It  would  have  been  fair,  right  ?  Wasn't  the  most  respecteful  action  to  do,  once  entering  within  the  realm  of  the  Underworld,  to  request  permission,  to  showing  honor  to  the  host  ready  to  close  eyes  upon  one  necessary  digression  ?  Nevertheless,  Fates  weren't  kind,  wasn't  it  ?  Nevertheless,  Fates  always  trapped  him  inside  that  eternal  circle  of  Illusions,  isn't it  ?  A  silent  feeling,  a  dull  emotion,  then  awoke  heavily  in  his  expression  by  the  moment  that  one  sentence,  these  harmless  words  were  exposed  If  the  Underworld  is  like  every  other  isle  ---  bitterness  of  an  unparalleled  disappointment  from  what  he  kindly  called  these  pathetic  humans  as  soon  as  this  feeling  awoke,  betraying  his  features.  Insignificant  seconds  in which  composure remained the same as he  smiled  playfully.

Inside  other  circumstances,  back  when  he  was  having  fun  in  Italy  inside  his  illusionist  play,  that  beloved  Athena  warrior  would  have  pay  for  this  life  for  the  little  assumption,  and  oh,  the  litte  misunderstanding  on  the  matter  ---  wasn't  what  they  could  expecting  for  someone  called  an  foe  for  had  been  remaining  horribly  civil,  maybe  having  an  sharp  mouth  exposing  facts  themselves  didn't  wanted  to  look  at,  but  did  he  have  to  be  blamed  for  the  truth  ?  Old  habits  remained  yet  anchored  deeply  inside  his  prestance,  he  found  himself  forced  to  holding  back  the  exposure  of  an  divine  Cosmo  that  would  have  force  him  to  kneel.  At  the  second,  as  he  would  laughing  at  his  face,  as  he  would  show  him  the  foe  inside  him  ---  However,  no.  Provocations  after  provocations,  unfortunate  word  after  another,  that  had  been  only  consolation  he  had  received  from  Lelouch.  Silent  wound  of  a  heart  that  had  sought  to  be  compassionate,  despite  the  apparent  harshness,  began  to  flow  into  an  inner  blood  whose  pain  was  all  too  familiar.  As  an  reminder  still,  there  was  exposure  of  an  deeply  controlled  aura  as  an  physical  remembrance  towards  which  divinity  he  was  speaking  about,  before  ocean  eyes  losing  themselves  inside  Odysseus  eyes.  Wasn't  an  invisible  warning  that  under  other  circumstances  he  would  have  been  dead  worth  all  the  threats  in  the  world  ?  Athena  requesting  him  to  close  his  heart,  to  keep  his  emotions  unmoved  by  the  events  ?  Poseidon  requested  him  to  not  open  that  precious  lock  imposed  to  his  heart  ?  Oh,  how  naive  ! How unfunny ! How boring !

❝   Do  you  have  so  little  regard  for  your  soul  and  those  of  your  men  ?  ❞  A  mental  echo  resonated  throughout  the  location  he  was  in  the  Underworld,  where  the  sound  of  his  voice  vibrated  in  two  instances.  He  would  resume  his  normal  voice,  but  he  had  this  ability  to  make  his  divinity  heard  in  an  insistence  different  from  the  words  pronounced,  which  was  necessary  for  an  apparent  calm  to  be  maintained.  By  losing  himself  in  his  illusions,  Odysseus  had  offered  him  a  familiar  reflection,  a  reflection  in  the  mirror  needed  to  expand  his  perspective,  to  understand,  and  to  remember  all  the  trials  he  had  been  through.  Did  he  think  he  was  free  from  the  trials  that  other  of  his  protegees  were  experiencing  ?  How  naive.  Maybe,  if  there  was  an  audience,  they  would  have  considering  Odysseus  gesture  as  something  terribly  brave,  nevertheless,  at  the  moment,  he  was  perceiving  an  simple  miserable  human  having  only  words  of  arrogance  to  defend  himself  in  total  helplessness  …  Odysseus  should  be  flattered.  Many  Athena  Saints  had  died  for  this  feat  of  courage,  had  been  magnificently  massacred  in  the  indifference  of  the  Underworld  as  a  result  to  be  hoped  for.  Quietly,  he  moved  closer  towards  that  famous  Greek  hero.  ❝   Do  you  miss  the  sound  of  the  waves  so  much  in  this  vast  environment  where  the  echo  can  extend  across  the  earth  ?  ❞  He  playfully  bounced  back  with  an  large  amused  smile,  reflecting  innocence,  when  the  water  previously  watched  served  as  remembrance  lock  for  awakening  inside  Odysseus  mind  that  familiar  sound  he  heard  during  so  many  time,  pushing  him  to  the  reminder  of  his  men  waiting  him  embraced  by  the  same  sound.  ❝   Do  you  miss  the  distant  sound  of  seagulls  ?  ❞  This  last  sentence  was  expressed  with  a  knowing  gaze  again,  embracing  the  irony  of  the  reflection,  and  of  the  experience  as  a  whole,  also  vibrating  that  sound  through  the  walls,  very  distantly,  very  inaccessiblely,  to  himself  know  that  melody.  ❝   If  only  your  mind  had  been  only  clouded,  Odysseus,  you  wouldn't  have  to  suffer  the  heavy  burden  that  your  unhappy  and  wounded  and  desperate  heart  has  suffered  until  now  ---  ❞ 

Your  Lands  remains  untouched.  The  Dead  have  not  been  disturbed.  These  sentences  generated  then  the  emotion  he  wouldn't  have  expected  another  human  to  ever  see.  A  distortion  of  laughter  in  powerful  emotionality  was  heard  through  the  walls,  in  which  ocean  eyes  imposed  an  condescendance  having  no  consideration  this  time  around  for  degree  of  smallness  he  would  feel  as  a  result.  ❝   Do  you  want  me  to  bring  each  soul  of  your  men  to  your  side,  begging  you  in  every  corner,  asking  your  charitable  soul  to  save  them  from  their  fate  ?  Do  you  want  the  sound  of  five  hundred  and  fifty-eight  men  free  to  lay  out  their  score  of  hope  for  you  ?  Do  you  want  me  to  send  for  them  at  once,  so  that  they  may  show  me  how,  in  no  way,  the  Dead  have  been  awakened,  they  who  see  your  liveliness  as  a  lost  hope  ?  Imagine  all  the  things  you  could  say  to  them,  Odysseus.  Imagine  all  the  things  you  could  remember  to  yourself,  while  seeing  them,  bursting  with  piety,  wanting  only  to  see  you  one  last  time,  wanting  to  stay  by  your  side  on  the  rest  of  your  journey.  ❞  Bitter  taste  of  a  warning  remained  in  some  of  his  words,  studying  each  moment  of  a  reaction,  wanting  to  see  in  the  terror  that  had  been  awakened  and  fragmented  each  time  a  thought  was  offered  to  him.  ❝   You  are  in  my  kingdom,  Odysseus.  My  brother  may  have  been  flattered  by  your  pleas  for  a  warm  journey,  but  an  open  door  can  quickly  close.  Perhaps  your  men  offshore  will  join  you  soon,  carried  away  by  the  waves,  carried  away  by  the  sound  of  the  seagulls,  and  the  hope  you  cling  to  will  slip  away  delicately  like  a  dream  …  ❞  Apologize  or  you'll  never  come  home,  an  echo  resonating  without  lips  moving,  remaining  presented  in  the  atmosphere.

Immediate  denial  who  resonated  afterwards,  by  the  moment  he  exposed  his  single  confirmation  upon  an  fact,  didn't  changed  the  sligth  emotionless  features  upon  his  face.  Not  that  he  admired  such  breakdown  with  an  sentiment  of  appreciation  …  Nevertheless,  no  matter  how  he  could  hide  himself  inside  an  illusion,  no  matter  how  he  could  please  himself  into  an  dream,  Odysseus  wasn't  as  blind  as  Lelouch  ?  The  King  of  Ithaca  wasn't  as  much  emotionless  that  could  be  the  Emperor  of  Britannia  inside  his  manners  to  present  himself  to  the  face  of  the  world  ?  Hey,  there  was  the  shadowing  presence  of  Deimos  all  around  him,  hey  there  was  the  shadowing  fragmented  power  of  Illusions  who  embraced  his  hands  …  dear  King,  you  wouldn't  mind  an  maintained  illusory  vase  breaks  into  a  thousand  pieces  ?  Wasn't  that  the  real  truth  of  your  heart  all  this  time,  trembling  with  fear,  writhing  in  despair,  longing  for  someone  to  tell  it  that  things  would  get  better,  that  hope  was  worth  it  ?  ❝   It's  only  the  truth,  Odysseus,  king  of  Ithaca.  ❞  There  was  another  giggling  escaping  his  lips.  ❝   I  am  not  the  one  to  blame  for  the  trials  you  will  still  have  to  live,  and  it's  unfortunate  that  your  refusal  of  my  hospitality  pushes  me  to  want  to  see  true  nature  composed  by  your  heart.  Aren't  you  tired  ?  Aren't  you  tired  of  lying  to  yourself  ?  Aren't  you  tired  of  keeping  all  these  emotions  inside  you  that  must  remain  sealed  ?  ❞  I  would  break  your  locks,  one  by  one.  I  would  observe  this  bruised  heart  in  every  corner.  I  would  admire  every  dented  corner  of  your  soul.

[godsamael]

*shaking and covered in blood* i finally finished LFS 2's common route how are you guys doing?

[johnbrand]

Silver Fox News

Out of breath, Richie shut the door behind him. The sun was already shining into his childhood home, the suburban frame one he had seen little of over the last four years. With his college a few states over, Richie was practically only home for the holidays, spending his summers at local internships that kept him away from where he grew up. He did not have anything against his town, or his dad for that matter; he had simply always been too busy. And now, freshly graduated and without a job quite yet, Richie had returned for the time being.

“Dad?�� Richie called out, searching the kitchen. Typically, his father waited for him once he got back from his morning run, seated at the counter with a morning coffee and whatever protein-stuffed breakfast appeased him. But now, Richie could not find his dad anywhere.

“Scott?” Richie tried, but no response. Sweat dribbled down his lean, hairless frame. He liked to keep slim and clean-looking, knowing it was attractive for the men he usually slept with. While quite the flirt back in his college town, Richie had yet to hook up with anyone at home. He still had not had that talk with his father yet.

Richie scouted a bit longer, eventually finding his father in the master bedroom. Digging through his closet, Scott seemed to be tossing out all his blue clothing. Anything remotely near that shade even. After another “Dad?” Richie finally caught his father’s attention. Richie had only been home for a few days now, but he had never seen his father so invested in a task and yet, so out of it completely.

“Have you watched the news this morning, son?” Scott asked, to Richie's surprise.

“Uh, no…?”  The sweat had already dried against his exposed frame by that point, so without bothering to take a shower, Richie followed his father out into the living room. He just hoped whatever it was his father wanted him to see would be short, as he was practically naked besides his running shorts. Grabbing the remote, Richie did not expect the first channel to be a Fox News affiliate.

“Really, dad?” Richie questioned. He had never placed his father as the conservative type. He had typically been more independent, while Richie’s perspective was wholly liberal. It was a bit strange to see the network, but maybe Scott had changed while he had been away in college. Speaking of which, had his father always been so salt-and-peppered on top? Richie also took a moment to appreciate his father’s musculature, which he had somehow not noticed until now.

Richie returned his eyes to the screen. On top of the typical Fox News logo was the word “Silver” in an old fashioned font. And instead of the typical newscasters, stories, and lineup, there was just a slide displaying some text. 

“Thank you for tuning into Silver Fox News. Your program will begin shortly.”

“Did you buy some kind of premium subscription?” Richie openly questioned his father, who seemed to be absorbed by the television. “Okay, you got me in front of the news; what did you want to show me?”

Richie’s answer came quickly. The text disappeared, revealing a simple red spiral with flashing commands. It was not anything special, but it was enough.

“Pretty colors…swirling…” Richie slurred after a minute, his tongue becoming heavy in his mouth. “Soothing, silky…the spiral is so…hot…I love…the spiral…I love this feeling…I listen…to the spiral…”

When major research institutions began to announce their predictions of voter turnout for the upcoming election, alarms began to ring off within the Republican party. An assumed 41 million Gen Z voters would be hauling into polling stations, with numbers as high as 43% confirmed to be liberal. It was a staunch difference, one that many leaders could not accept. So instead of following the traditional tactics to sway voters like they had in the past, they decided to take a new route. Why sway voters, when you could make them?

Thanks to the research and funding of a certain well-known tech billionaire, the necessary resources were simple. Leaders believed that the easiest way to eliminate the problem was by creating the solution in the most efficient way possible. Social aspects would include basic background, education, and upbringing. Physical aspects would manage age, size, and demographic. Mental aspects would focus on tradition, individuality, and compliance. But the beauty of it all was that the programmers did very little of the work. Instead, they simply utilized the victim’s preconceived notions.

“What does…being Republican…mean to me…?” Richie drawled, his voice having dropped an octave since the program began. Instead of installing a literal trigger into the victim, the channel exploited the stereotypical beliefs victims already held. “I must become…Republican…that means…middle-aged…suburban…uneducated…Christian…”

As Richie chanted his prejudices out like a spell, his body was subsequently altered. His age more than doubled, ripping away the hair from his head and leaving the beginnings of a horseshoe to splatter the rest across his body. Wrinkles and age lines began to form, but so did musculature as his body beefed up, becoming stronger in the way that most Conservative men naturally are. Daily maintenance of a large suburban home did that to a man after all. 

“Traditional…simple…heterosexual…” Richie continued as a beard formed around his lips. His past was rewritten to better fit the portrait he was painting. Sundays in church, dropping out of high school to later receive a GED, working hard to earn his privilege and not understanding why it was handed to others. Fear of God, fear of big government, fear of outsiders influencing how things were. Disgust for “progress,” disgust for pronouns, disgust for sexual interactions with other males. Pride in his country, pride in being a male, and pride in taking nothing from nobody.

“...handsome…masculine…arrogant…” Before this had all began, researchers already knew that many of their victims would end up the same, as the stereotype of the average Republican was firmly held. What they had not predicted however was the amount of people who held hidden desires for this “average Republican.” A hypothesis arose quickly: if the liberal holds stronger prejudices, then they will become a more attractive Republican. “...alpha…virile…superior…” The choice of naming their channel "Silver Fox News" had been an appropriate one.

Richie, or Dick as he would now be referred to, would certainly provide further evidence to support their theory. As the program finished, the new, Republican silver fox readjusted back into reality, finding his best bud Scott standing before him. Dick could not remember what had just happened, but he liked what Scott laid out as a plan for the rest of the day. Work in the garage for a few hours, run out and purchase the new Trump propaganda, and then end the night at a Hooters. Dick could not decide which part of the plan he would enjoy the most, but clutching his massive pouch, he knew which he was most excited for.

[junipers-archive]

Sweater

Word Count: 600

Includes: fluff! the team finds out about reader x Spencers relationship when you show up to work wearing one of his sweaters

"Y/n." It was Penelope, she was whispering conspicuously as you entered the office heading for the conference room.

"Goodmorning!" You answer quickly as you were already running late due to your much needed coffee run this morning.

She begins to trail after you. "Y/n."

You stop, now wondering what's wrong, especially as all the heads in the room begin looking towards you as you walk in. But it isn't until Derek speaks up that you're hinted as to why,

"So you and pretty boy finally did it?" Oh no.

You mind races trying to figure out how he knew. Did Spencer tell him? You'd agreed not to tell anyone at first so you wouldn't cause absolute chaos. But it's been sixth months you guess it's be perfectly reasonable if-

"Your-your Sweater...its Spencers." Penelope elaborates, calming you rampant mind, all at the same time making it spasm.

You look down silently at what you're wearing, its almost identical as your regular getup, but because you were really running late this morning you'd grabbed a sweater from the couch in your shared apartment on your way out.

Completely missing the fact it was Spencers. It had been a soft cobalt blue color crew neck, one of his favorites with little designs lining it in navy...and also one he wore quite often.

You stared in both disbelief from how you'd manage to grab the one he used most consistently and also at your own stupidity and how you'd failed to notice the whole car ride here.

You look up bewilderedly, to find your colleagues staring at you all in varying ways, Derek was grinning, Rossi was smirking, Penelope had taken to a worried/excited look, Emily was respectfully trying to hide her smile and even Hotch was pretending to read the papers in front of him to avoid eye contact.

You attempt a reply calmly but stammer despite yourself,

"I-I-we-um"

closing your eyes to focus your thoughts and breathe, you open them to find Spencer your lovely boyfriend entering or rather staggering into the room.

He had taken the long route so you'd show up at different times,

"Hi! Sorry I'm late-I just-I-What-why's everybody looking at me like that?"

Everyone shaking their heads and smiling to themselves ignored his question as Penelope began to brief all of you on the case.

You hope the subject will be forgotten.

But of course it won't be, and surprisingly its Hotch that asks once the case had been explained and he'd called wheels up,

"Are you two dating?"

Everyone was still seated, waiting for something to be said, and you could see the pleasure in all their faces as he uttered the question.

Spencer swallowed though, not having become aware of the situation even after you'd tried to pass him a note like some third grader.

It had read: I'm wearing your sweater!

To which he'd simply responded with, I'm sure no one's noticed.

Having of course not been aware of your previous interaction with the team.

"We-uh-well-" he tried to begin

"Yes. We are dating." You had to confirm it, knowing if you didn't it would only make matters worse in the long run.

To that Hotch gave his lopsided smirk, "I'm Happy for you, but I'm not thrilled to do the paperwork."

The team of course having heard, errupted in giggles, reminiscent of child like giddy as they finally took it as their cue to leave.

And as they filed out Spencer received several pats on the backs and "good going reid" from Rossi and Derek as you yourself had been berated with questions from Emily and Penelope and "I swear to god if he hurts you-"'.

But as you both shyly retreat, gather your things and exit you agree that the best reaction had been from Hotch as he whispered quietly before he left,

"Well I guess I have to let you room together now."

[diremoone]

layers | geto/gojo.

— short story

you’re their favorite kouhai, everyone at tokyo and kyoto knows this. they also know that if anyone or anything were to touch or harm you in any way, they would feel the wrath of the most powerful duo. and one day, someone is dumb and foolish enough to do exactly that.

note(s): this isn’t a full complete drabble with a complete ending, but it’s something I’ve enjoyed writing. flop or no flop, this was a fun piece to write :D But tbh I’m thinking about deleting it and redoing it, or adding more. or maybe a part two lmao??

****

Trees were nothing but a blur of green to your vision. The car was going fast, way too fast for you to make out anything but the simple colors blue and green.

You blinked several times, shaking your head to keep yourself from dozing off. You were tired, so very very tired from such a long and exhausting two days of being on a First Grade mission that turned out to be a bigger issue and much more than it was worth.

They should’ve sent backup with me…

You leaned your head against the back of the backseat. You closed your eyes for just a moment, then opened them again for just a few seconds. The process was rinse and repeat; the only way to keep yourself awake.

Don’t fall asleep. Don’t fall asleep. Don’t… Just… don’t…

“Hang on, Miss [Last Name]!” frantically spoke the driver. He was probably looking in the rear view mirror, seeing you laying back on the seat with your eyes opening and closing. More so of the latter.

You heard the sound of a dial, then the voice of your driver hurriedly speaking into it. Problem was, you couldn’t understand a single word he was saying. It was all so… incoherent. Funny enough, it sounded like you were underwater.

Your head lolled to the side again, eyes half open with nothing but the same blur of green outside the window. Your hand was still over the wound, covering it with as much pressure as possible until you got to the school.

Unless you passed out first.

You could only imagine your upperclassmen holding this over your head as a joke for the rest of your life.

If you got to a medic in time, that is.

——————————

Everything had been fine. Just fine.

Great, in fact, he muses.

Him and Geto had been getting some ice cream to satisfy his sweet tooth, while Shoko complained that he was eating too much while munching away on her own ice cream like a damn hypocrite.

“What should we do now?” Shoko questioned.

“Might as well head back to the school,” Suguru suggested. “It is getting late and—”

“You’re no fun!!” Satoru complained. “Why are you so by the book?”

The black-haired male gives his childish friend a look of both amusement and exasperation. Of course Satoru was going to be like this. It was in his nature to be as anti-rules as possible. Especially if it meant pissing off the higher-ups.

“Alright, we’ll go—”

Shoko holds up a pointer finger to halt the conversation. “Aha, hold up guys. Sensei’s calling.”

“Maaaan! What now?” Satoru whines.

Just as the white-haired male goes to complain some more, he realizes Suguru’s expression changes. And that he’s not looking at him anymore — that he’s looking at Shoko now. So Satoru does the same, and now he sees his brunette friend’s face sheet white, eyes growing red like she’s about to start crying.

“Okay. Okay. I’ll be there.”

She clicks the phone off and looks to Geto, the whites of her eyes beginning to become red.

“Shoko?”

“We need to get back to the school. [Name]-chan’s hurt.”

The two males freeze, eyes going wider than saucers. But that reaction doesn’t last but two seconds, and Suguru’s pulling out his fastest Cursed Spirit he’s got and finishing the rest of the route back to school on it with his friends.

He and Satoru turn to look at one another, and Suguru knew his heart was the only one beating wildly in nothing but terror.

The three of them watched as the car pulled up; they landed as soon as the driver got out of the car.

Satoru’s and Suguru’s breaths hitched the second they landed beside the car.

Anger. Rage. Was there even a word to describe how they felt?

The red of your blood became the red of their rage — the red being the only color that they could see.

“Shoko, can—”

Her hand is already placed on your left side, her Reverse Cursed Energy pumping through your body. But the damage was done.

Your head rolled to the back of the seat, right hand limp on your stomach and left hand open, hanging loosely over the edge of the seat. Blood covered your palms, all the way up the inside of your forearms and up to the crook of your elbow.

And how pale your skin was. Was anyone supposed to be that shade of skin color? Of course it wasn’t. They knew that already. You weren’t supposed to ever be this way. Their adorable kouhai that was just too sweet and too nice for the world they lived in was never supposed to end up like this: sickly pale, blood pouring from the wound in your stomach and knocking on death’s door.

Shoko finishes healing you after what seems like forever. In reality, it’s only just a few minutes. But in those few minutes, both Gojo Satoru and Geto Suguru come to a full understanding of something: they realize that you mean a lot more to them than just being their cute little kouhai. They can’t imagine you living in a world without you in it. Every thought of you not being there didn’t settle with them. They hated it. They weren’t able to envision coming to school without you passing by them in the halls. Seeing a world where they visited your headstone was unacceptable.

So many thoughts, so much anger, all accumulated within a matter of minutes that drives a permanent mark into their hearts and minds: that a world without you in it is not worth living in, and they love you too much to see anything else bad happen to you.

Suddenly, Yaga Sensei appears before them. Shoko moves out of the way so he can grab you, haul you into his arms and carry you to the infirmary where they have painkillers and other medicine. Shoko follows him, but Satoru and Suguru remain behind.

“Suguru?”

“Hm?”

“You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin��?”

“That we need to kill someone?”

“And that’s why you’re my best friend.”

———

Taglist: @vagabond-umlaut • @torusbabygoat

not the gojo x student reader you guys wanted ik ik but I wanted y’all to read this anyway so sue me 😭😭

[dairy-farmer]

Otome Game Isekai Au!

Civillian!Tim gets hooked on the villianess stories. Doesn't matter that the plot points are almost all the same because the details will be diffrent and he is so invested in all of them!

His all times favorite is definitly "The Dark Knight Academy".

The protagonist, Bruce Wayne, wakes up to find himself as the villianous principal who dabbles in necromancy to revive his parents and must figure out how to undo the almost complete ritual without exposing himself to his evil co-workers or his good co-workers who don't know anything about his deeds.

It was an interesting read even though he struggles to remember some details due to how long ago he read it.

Maybe he should re-read-*BOOM*

Oh no Tim died in a car crash:(

Oh well guess he's dea- Oh wait he got transmigated! :O

Now he's Tim Drake, son of marquise Jack Drake and Janet Drake, who got enrolled into the Knight Academy not to become a Knight but because it was mandatory.

Tim figures out that he's in his favorite story pretty quickly and then realizes he gets to met his favorite characters!

Bruce Wayne, who definitly just got transmigates due to how Tim had to practicly lead him to his own office while pretending not to notice Bruce's obvious lack of knowledge.

Althought info dumping about the setting was fun and Tim helped accimilate Bruce to his new world faster!

Dick, the swordmanship teacher, who was almost sacrificed in the otome game if you picked his route or was if you didn't. Althought in the manhwa he became something like a son to Bruce and watching their relationship develop made Tim feel warm! (He can't remember the details just the feelings he got when reading)

Tim gave his all at every sowrdmanship class because not exeling in front of his all times favorite just wasn't an option. He even got hugged after a duel gone well!

Then it turned out that Dick struggled to contain his anger so Tim put it upon himself to give that man some therapy and they ended up hanging out after school.

Jason, the magic teacher, who also become something of a son to Bruce.

If Tim remembers correctly he was cured by...someone...and the curse made him emotionally unstable.

The only reason that he didn't get fired was because the Og!Bruce didn't care and transmigated!Bruce didn't know at first and then got attached.

Tim struggles exceling at this class because his talent at magic is shit.

Jason, due to the curse, is very temperamental and yells at kids who struggle a lot, including Tim.

Tim, who forgot about that, yelled back because teachers are supposed to help not put students down!

This sets off an antagonistic relationship where Jason, in his anger goes too far in his demonstrations and hurts Tim enough that he needs to go to the school nurse, Leslie.

Jason gets a stern talking to but nothing more since Leslie knows about the curse and knows how it can't be controlled.

Exept Tim knows it can be contained and/or broken and since he doesn't want to get beaten black and blue again he embarks on a journey to do just that.

Bruce, for some reason, gets entangled.

They almost die but in the end they get the ingridients, Tim for the breaking of a curse and Bruce for one of his evil co-workers(Tim remembered that in the middle of the adventure).

After Tim breaks the curse his and Jason relationships begins to mend and they often have conversations in the library.

Damian, the prodigy who got enrolled in the same year as Tim even though he is much younger.

At first Damian hates Tim's guts solely because he somehow is at the same level as him when it comes to swordmanship!(Tim took his fencing classes back in his old world very seriously)

Then evil dudes attack the academy and Tim riskes his life to save Damian.

This sets of a chain of events that include but are not limited to:

- Ending up in almost the same classes in the second semester

- Getting a project that they need to do together

- Meeting eachother in the nearby town and hanging out(where they also met Bruce)

So Tim gets to become close with his biases.

He doesn't realize how close exactly until Steph, his best friend, mentiones how they all look at like he was something precious.

Tim thinks that she meant that Bruce's adoption problem included him now too and the other men treat him like a brother(he didn't have any siblings he could compare their behavior to to know for sure).

Steph knows that she meant it that they all look at Tim like how a Lover looks at their destined one.

cheesy harem isekais are made like a million times better if its tim wandering around accidentally fixing everything and pretending like he doesn't want to ask for autographs 💖💖💖🥰🥰🥰🥰!!

[tobiasdrake]

Ranma 1/2 reboot episode 4 opens with a deep cut.

Yeah, we're opening on the Ranma 1/2 SNES fighting games they used to have. Because fandom's like that sometimes.

(Now release a modern one.)

I was wondering if it'd be Ryoga or Shampoo introduced next.

(Because I don't actually remember the order they introduce characters in. XD)

Was hoping for Shampoo but I'll gladly take Ryoga. I hope we get to Ukyo before the end of the season. I don't expect we will. But I hope so.

IT BEGINS

Ryoga's legendary inability to find his way. This is a character who can be justified for crossovers by just wandering by. How did he get to Middle Earth? He's just that fucking lost, that's how.

My very first Ranma 1/2 experience, before I knew what the anime was, came from my cousin cosplaying Ryoga at an anime con. He rode an elevator up and down for like an hour just screaming, "Where's the door!?"

I need y'all to properly appreciate the route Ryoga took to Furinkan High School in Nerima.

Do you see that black circle? That is Tokyo. That is where he is trying to go.

The red circle is Shikoku. When he stops the boar and asks for directions to Furinkan High, this is where he is. He's got a long way to go.

The blue circle is Hokkaido, the second place where he stops to ask directions. He has made a complete journey from one end of Japan to the other without ever running into Tokyo.

He's just. So much fun.

"RANMA OUR TIME FOR DESTINED BATTLE HAS COME"

"...who are you again?"

Is pretty much the story of his life from here on out.

Ryoga is kind of a big deal. Of all of Ranma's rivals, he's the rival. He's the guy. Kuno's really more of a recurring nuisance and Mousse is more quirky than anything. Ryoga is the guy who really keeps Ranma on his toes.

Together, these two boys have a very long journey ahead.

...

Which only makes it more amazing that their rivalry is founded in something so petty and ridiculous, but that is the way of Ranma 1/2. Ryoga is homicidally furious because he was supposed to fight Ranma, but Ranma only waited three days for him to arrive at the vacant lot behind Ryoga's house rather than giving him the four days it took him. Ranma stood him up. The coward.

And all over a curry bun.

This is the magic of Ryoga Hibiki. He is an utterly absurd buffoon of a man who takes himself deathly serious. Blissfully oblivious to how entirely ridiculous he is.

He is the Tom to Ranma's Jerry but he thinks he's Vegeta.

Technically, it's his curse that he's so furious about. But. Like. He was already mad enough to follow Ranma to China. With his sense of direction. So pinning it on the curse is deflecting. Ryoga has a longstanding enmity towards Ranma born of a million micro-aggressions compounding into a spongey hatred that can't be easily untangled.

You can't just give him a bunch of week-old bread and then it's all good.

He doesn't even remember he's mad about that. Longstanding hatred eventually loses sight of why it ever started to begin with.

(And besides, Ryoga has more recent things to be upset about.)

I like the subtle build-up they lay out to the revelation that Ryoga too has a Jusenkyo curse. Starting when he says this.

It's interesting that he knows that. He should only know that Ranma stood him up and then left town. But he knows Genma took Ranma to China.

There's also his primary weapon that he fights with for most of the episode.

The story lingers on the fact that Ryoga's umbrella is ridiculously heavy. Even Akane can't lift it. The intense weight of the umbrella serves as a yardstick to show how incredibly strong Ryoga is.

And, later, how strong and determined to protect Akane Ranma is.

But there is one more interesting fact about Ryoga's umbrella that the narrative lets slip past without remarking on it: The fact that it's an umbrella. It's almost as if he's afraid of something in particular.

Something you might use an umbrella, specifically, to protect yourself from.

(Again, the way Ranma 1/2 integrates the malevolent effects of something so universal and ever-present as water into its storytelling, comedy, and action is so much fun.)

And it's in the way he takes personal offense at Ranma's comparatively benign curse.

Like. Yeah, Ranma has to suffer gender dysphoria sometimes but he did get off easy. At least he stays human. Other curse-bearers face a variety of drawbacks that Ranma doesn't have to deal with.

Nobody is going to try to cook and eat Ranma.

Of course, human misery is not judged on a curve. Ranma can be miserable with his gender dysphoria and be better off than other curse-bearers. Both of those things can be true.

But the way Ryoga loses his shit over Ranma's curse is another piece of well-placed foreshadowing about the true nature of his grudge.

Lastly, something I find... interesting... is this moment.

I need to unpack this. Ryoga's razor-sharp belt comes spinning down and slices off Akane's hair, with the implication that if she hadn't turned around to yell at Ranma just now, it would have been her head.

Ranma fucked up yet again in the middle of their argument and hurt Akane's feelings with the stupid-ass shit he says. Leading to Akane storming around, then whipping around to argue with Ranma right at a critical moment that saved her life.

But what really makes this fascinating is that it wasn't Ryoga that almost killed her by accident just now.

It wasn't not Ryoga. But it wasn't just Ryoga.

Ryoga brought the razor belt. But it was Ranma who kicked the belt out of Ryoga's hand. Ranma who sent it up into the air, and nearly brought it down on Akane's neck by accident.

It wasn't Ryoga that nearly killed her. And it wasn't Ranma either. It was the fight. And it was, specifically, a kick that was meant to end the fight, an attack Ranma threw in self-defense because the realization that he hurt Akane's feelings made everything Ryoga's about right now stop mattering.

When Ranma threw that kick, he no longer cared about whatever this shit is. He was trying to fix what he'd just screwed up with Akane, only for the unforeseeable consequences of choices he didn't realize in the heat of the moment that he was even making to suddenly come down on her like a razor blade.

It was his cruel words that put her in that spot and his shortsighted reflex that sent the blade into the air. But it was also his attempt to apologize that made her turn around and saved her from a much more grievous injury.

I don't.

Really.

Know what to do with that.

It's just. Interesting.

[anarchy-and-piglins]

After a mere half hour spent in the same room as these people, Philza has already been reminded of why he doesn't normally answer a summons.

The constant staring annoys him to no end. He supposes it's to be expected, what with his country's reputation for being a complete enigma. The Antarctic Empire is one of the lucky few nations that operates entirely self-sufficiently, producing all their own resources. They do not trade with other countries often. In fact, the mountain ranges that border the very south of their peninsula do not offer any convenient trading routes to begin with. And since that same treacherous terrain also cuts the empire off from the continent in such a way that passing through becomes a challenge in wilderness survival, they're mostly left to their devices. Some folks still believe Phil's nation is a myth, a story conjured up by fairytales.

So Phil coming all the way out here for Dante's attempt at diplomacy must be quite the sight. Most people will die without ever having seen the king of the Antarctic Empire, no wonder they have a hard time looking away.

That won't stop Phil from getting some satisfaction every time one of these pompous nobles cowers if he so much as flexes his wings and turns toward them. He's currently locked in a bit of a staring contest with a man across the room. Phil doesn't know if he's another royal or random noble, but he does know he can't stand the look on this fucking guy's face.

At one point the man smiles more broadly, as if pleased that Phil caught him staring. He bows his head a bit, with Phil half-heartedly returning the courtesy, tucking in his wings to keep them from flaring automatically with the gesture. However, this leaves Phil's elbow to bump into somebody trying to slide past him.

Phil didn't expect anybody to be there, the entire crowd had been giving him a pretty wide berth all evening. He's even more surprised when he sees it's a child, maybe ten or eleven years old. His fancy clothes and intricately braided pink hair with golden jewelry betray him as a prince.

"Sorry," Phil says. He reaches out to steady the boy, but the kid flinches and steps back at his attempted touch, pulling his sleeves up over his wrists. "I didn't see you there, are you okay?"

The boy looks up at him and instead of answering, his blue eyes widen a bit. "You're the emperor of the Antarctic Empire," he says. The statement is delivered in a deceptively neutral tone, especially for somebody of such a young age. Phil is used to more dramatic reactions.

"I am. Call me Phil. What's your name?" Phil smiles gently at the boy. He always had a soft spot for children.

Again, he doesn't receive an answer. Instead, the boy's gaze moves across him for a moment, pondering. He grins slightly, but it's a strange sort of expression. Almost private. As if nobody else is supposed to see. "You're shorter than I thought you'd be," the boy says. Before Phil can blink or respond, he's disappeared into the crowd.

Phil is very much left completely flabbergasted.

Curiosity ever the greatest motivator for him, Phil walks up to the man who was staring at him earlier. The guy pales three shades at seeing Phil approach him, maybe thinking his rude behavior is getting retribution after all. But Phil couldn't care less about this man anymore.

He wants to know who the boy is.

"The child I was just talking to, do you know who he is?" Phil asks, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.

"Who- Oh, he's nobody, sir." The way the man blunders and becomes overly formal brings Phil little pleasure. "Prince Techno. From the Blade family."

"From the Blade family? What is he doing so far away from home?"

"He's King Dante's ward." 

Phil glances over to where the man is looking, in the direction of Dante himself. Techno is standing next to the king, head bowed a bit and seeming pretty disgruntled to be there. But when Dante lays his hand almost delicately on the nape of Techno's neck, the boy flinches again and forces a neutral expression on his face.

"You know how the Blade family is," the man says grimly. "Ferocious beasts of war, all of them. It's a wonder Dante has managed to secure an allyship. They even got close enough bonds to leave their son in Dante's care."

Thinking about the summons, about how Dante was a nobody three years ago who since managed to overthrow several small countries by using superior weapons and strategies - those the likes of which only the Blade nation is known for - makes several things click into place. Allyship? It makes sense. A lot of sense.

Then what is the uncomfortable feeling that seems hooked into Phil's gut?

(Maybe it's because of the flinching. Or because of how Techno seems to move around like a ghost. Or because when he pulled up his sleeves, Phil was sure he saw the faded blue and purple of bruises on the boy's pale skin.

The Blade family runs their kingdom in a similar way to the Antarctic Empire. They don't make allies. Only enemies.)

"Are you staying for the peace conference, sir?" the man is brave enough to ask, now that Phil has broken the ice. It's probably a question for many of them. Despite Dante's ruthless way of overtaking other countries, Phil's empire isn't threatened by him. He's only here as a formality. He has no reason to stay, no stakes in this game.

Dante pulls his hand away and it's like Techno can finally breathe again. Phil's eyes meet his for a moment, then the boy looks away.

"I think I'll stick around to see how things unfold," Phil says pleasantly.

[tenebraevesper]

Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Part 1)

Welcome to the first part of my personal elaboration on the topic of why ''Prime!Shadow is peak Shadow!'', or in other words, why Prime!Shadow is one of the best written iterations of Shadow's character.

Will I try to make proper arguments for his character writing? Of course. Will I also be biased as hell just because he's my favorite character? Absolutely!

So, if you can handle both of that, we should dive in!

Before I start, I suppose I should give a brief overview of Shadow's character and how he had been handled through the years. The general consensus seems to be that Shadow was at his peak as a character from Sonic Adventure 2 to Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) (as well as Pre-Reboot!Archie Comics during Ian Flynn's run), being someone who was deeply traumatized by the death of his sister Maria Robotnik, had his memories manipulated to get revenge on humanity, only to sacrifice his own life to save the world Maria cherished, losing his memories in the process and trying to carve out his own path, only to finally solidify his role as a protector of the world, even if his methods aren't always the most peaceful ones.

So, where does the idea of edgelord Shadow come from?

Yeaaahh... let's just say that Shadow's own game, Shadow the Hedgehog (2005), didn't do him any good in the character department, because it seems that all that people remember was that one time SEGA decided to give Shadow a gun and let him deal with an alien invasion. The confusing story routes didn't help either.

In time, Shadow's character went from a complex and layered character to something akin to Vegeta (no offense Dragon Ball fans!), much to the disappointment of everyone who understood character before he underwent this transformation. Also, I'm not counting Boom!Shadow in this because Sonic Boom is a different universe and its own thing, but I won't argue against the fact that Boom!Shadow's characterization as a complete jerkass didn't do Game!Shadow any favor either. That's not even mentioning the Sonic IDW Comics, where Shadow had many mandates tied to him that even the writers found it annoying to write him (although with the most recent arc where Shadow was shown, it seems that the mandates have loosened a little).

Of course, I might be missing out on some information, but this is the general gist of the history of his character. So, when Sonic Prime revealed that Shadow would be one of the major characters, you can bet that I was nervous about how he would be written and I decided to keep a close eye on his characterization; and honestly, I went from genuinely pleased to excited when I realized that Shadow was being written as a very compelling character. Not only that, but he also appeared to have gone through subtle character development over the course of the show.

Starting from the very beginning, I'm certain that you remember how Shadow's first appearance was basically him punching Sonic at the end of Episode 01: Shattered, a very impactful first impression that left us with more questions and headaches. The following episode, Episode 02: The Yoke's On You, gives us more details in regards to why he punched Sonic, seemingly out of the blue.

Shadow's proper introduction kicks off with him searching for the Chaos Emerald... and I have to ask, when was the last time we even saw Shadow genuinely smile? Was in the Mario & Sonic at The Olympic Games franchise? I don't really remember.

In any case, being clearly happy about finding the Chaos Emerald, he speeds off, only to suddenly sense that something is wrong and is met with a giant blue pulse of energy (released during Sonic's fight with Dr. Eggman) and a vision of Sonic using the Paradox Prism energy.

''Sonic!''

This expression just screams ''Something bad is going to happen and it's Sonic's fault! I'm going to kick his ass before he does anything stupid!''

We then follow Shadow as he searches for Sonic, clocking him square in the face for something he hasn't done yet. Eh, I'd say that this one wasn't really deserved.

Even before Sonic starts explaining his relationship with Shadow, we immediately get an understanding of Shadow's character. He is serious, works alone, quite fast and powerful, prefers to fight over talking things out, is willing to do anything to protect his home and clearly has a history with Sonic. Sonic proceeds to add how Shadow is his biggest rival, a buzzkill and that he totally roller-skates.

''They're air shoes!''

Did... Did Shadow just break the 4th wall? Did he just make a joke? Dude, not even Boom!Shadow got to do that and Sonic Boom was the epitome of wall breaking!

Yeah, let's just say that my jaw dropped when I heard this, realizing that Shadow's character in Sonic Prime will be different than what we got used to see.

So, after knocking the Rings out of Sonic (I mean that literally), Shadow questions him about what he has done, with Sonic pointing out how Eggman is the bad guy, clearly confused about why Shadow is attacking him.

''You literally shook the world!'' ''That's because I'm good! And powerful apparently! Jealous?''

After a bit of teasing from Sonic, he and Shadow get into a race, during which I had noticed something. While Sonic keeps teasing Shadow (and also having fun fighting him), Shadow tells him to stop and listen for once.

''Clearly you're angry, which is normal,... but I'm supposed to be on a bit of a mission here, Shadow!'' ''What mission?'' ''None of your business.''

Sooooo, have you noticed it too? Because there is something very telling in this interaction. If you haven't, I'll let it play out until the end. Anyways, to continue, Shadow knocks Sonic into a rock, with Sonic confirming another aspect of their relationship.

''Ughh, I know, we're fighting again. Don't worry guys, I'll calm him down.''

We now know that this certainly wasn't the first time they had a fight and it won't be the last time. Sonic points out that, whatever beef they have, they aren't going to settle it this way. While Sonic is right, I will admit, I had to gush over the excellent animation and fight choreography. X3

Sonic then hears an explosion from the cave where the Paradox Prism is and tells Shadow that he needs to get to his friends, only to get punched for his troubles.

''Learn to focus!''

Now that the flashback is over, what exactly is going on between the two?

First of all, the main thing I have noticed is that both Shadow and Sonic seriously have a problem with communication. Shadow knows Sonic is about to do something stupid, and from his actions (aka choosing violence over talking) he is trying to prevent Sonic from doing whatever he was about to do. It does paint Shadow as a bit of a jerk, but Sonic isn't completely innocent here either.

An observation I had made was that Shadow probably knows that if he tried to just talk to Sonic, Sonic would either blow him off and run away or just tease him back, which was confirmed when Shadow asks him on what kind of mission he is with Sonic responding that it's none of his business. I imagine that there were previous events where Sonic was doing something stupid and Shadow tried to stop him from making things worse, and that violence was indeed the answer to Sonic's antics.

If Sonic had explained to Shadow what the deal is, I'm certain that Shadow would help him out. Perhaps Shadow could've told him about his vision, but going by Sonic's behavior, Sonic would probably not listen to him.

This brings me to my second point - this moment establishes that, if there will be character development for Shadow, it will be mainly through his interactions with Sonic and them learning to work together and listen to each other, something I'm really excited to talk about in later episodes.

The flashback continues in Episode 03: Escape From New Yoke, where Sonic does the old ''Hey, look behind you!'' trick and Shadow falls for it, hook, line and sinker. Sonic knocks him into a wall and speeds off to where his friends are fighting Eggman, leaving Shadow to recover and follow him.

I do like how Shadow just shakes his head here. Even if he doesn't say much, you can clearly see what it is going through his mind. He's angry at Sonic, but acknowledges that this is just typical for his blue rival.

in Episode 07: It Takes One to No Place, we see that Shadow manages to reach the Paradox Prism cave, just as Sonic is about to shatter it.

''Chaos Control!''

Unlike Sonic's friends and Dr. Eggman, Shadow manages to use Chaos Control, preventing him from being shattered just like the others.

''Sonic!''

Instead, he finds himself floating in The Void. I'll leave what happened to him in The Void for the next part, but what is important to note is that he cannot enter the individual Shatterspaces, but he can communicate with Sonic every time the latter gains enough speed to use the Paradox Prism Energy.

''Sonic, it's broken! It's all broken!''

Sonic is at first freaked out, thinking he's just hallucinating. I suppose that explains why Sonic keeps ignoring him in any subsequent appearances, despite Shadow trying his best to contact him and trying to explain him what to do, like telling him how he's lost in The Void and for Sonic to keep moving and to not stop (which also leads Sonic to find out how he can travel between Shatterspaces).

I suppose this can also be interpreted as ''Sonic leaves Shadow on read''. X3

Once Sonic accidentally gets out of No Place in Episode 08: There Is No Arrgh In Team, he is confronted by Shadow, who is absolutely furious. Not that Sonic notices, given how he had a really rough day himself.

''Shadow? Ugh, I don't have time to deal with whoever you are. I just wanna go home.''

''Home? Home doesn't exist anymore BECAUSE OF YOU!''

Considering what Sonic had done, yeah, this punch was definitely deserved.

As I said above, the first eight episodes are here to establish Shadow's character, his relationship/rivalry with Sonic and his own flaws (mainly the lack of communication on his part, choosing to fight Sonic instead) and it is clear that in order to overcome those flaws, he will have to work with Sonic (calm down Sonadow shippers, we didn't get there yet), something I'm excited to explore in the second part of this analysis.

#Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Part 2)

#Sonic the Hedgehog Analyzer (Masterlist)

[jellyfishoreo1206]

WE ARE NOT SEEING ENOUGH OF MIRAGE GUYS

So I'm taking matters into my own goddamn hands-

Meeting Mirage ;)

Either Noah or Mirage might be a little OOC, but I'm giving it a shot

Takes place after the movie, with fem pronouns

Enjoy!

-------

Dude, where the hell are you?

Y/N was currently sent a page to Noah, her best friend of 3 years. He was suppose to pick her up from work, as her car broke down and is still getting fixed at the mechanics, but it was well over 20 minutes and he still hasn't showed. He was suppose to be there at 7:30, and now it's almost dark.

I'kl be there in 10 minutes! Domething just csme uo

Several typos, whatever the hell is happening over there is really making him either rush or panic... actually those are both kind of in the same sense.

Letting out a sigh through her nose, Y/N quickly typed out a response.

Yeah, yeah. Better keep to your promise, Sonic.

Not even letting him respond, the H/C-nette shoved the device into her coat pocket. Sure it may be the beginning of the summer, but she get cold easily.

And I mean very easily.

"Man, I really need a hot shower right now."

10 minutes breezed by quickly, seemingly in a blink of an eye. About to page Noah again, Y/N stopped in her tracks when a honk sounded in front of her.

Looking up, her eyes widen in complete surprise at the image in front of them. Her best friend, Noah Diaz, in a fucking Porsche. Well, it looked like it seen better days, but still.

"Yo, you gonna get in or are you just gonna stand there looking so surprised?" Noah shouted from inside the car, a smug look on his face.

Snapping out of it, Y/N got inside the car, buckling in her seatbelt.

Once the seatbelt clicked, Noah started the car onto the route back to Y/N's apartment complex. 5 minutes in and the two are making small talk and all that before Y/N asked him a question.

"So, what happened?"

"Hm?"

"To the Porsche. Looks like Frankenstein's monster."

Noah let's out a small chuckle at the comment, "Oh uh, some guy sold it to me for a good price. Because it was all banged up and stuff. Couldn't even start."

"When did you get it?"

"Got it 2 months ago, still has some kinks that need to be fixed. But we've made some progress." He patted the dashboard in a comforting way, a somber smile on his face.

"2 months ago? Weren't you in Perú during that time? Also is Reeks helping you fix the car?"

"Yeah. I think I made a pretty good decision going there..also Reeks is just helping me get the parts, I'm mainly doing the fixing."

"Mm, pretty good job so far. I could help with the paint job? The blue and silver seems to be fading out, but I think it a fresh coat will make it look gorgeous."

After she finished that comment, the car felt like it heated up a little. Not too much to notice, but just enough.

"By the way, what did you do in Perú again?"

"Oh, to study for a job I was doing..got to see some of the landscapes and all that..and nearly died-"

"What was that?"

"Wha-nothing! Don't worry about it at all."

A silence fell between you too, an awkward silence to be exact. He's a little more fidgety than usual.. probably from exhaustion. It's something he does whenever he's very tired. Man, he must be more exhausted than usual.

"Sorry I called you so late, like right after your new job and stuff. It must be tiring."

"Nah I don't mind, you're my best friend after all. Just returning the favor when you babysat Kris last minute." Now Y/N absolutely loves Noah's family. First time she met them, it felt like a bond just, instantly clicked within. So from that day on, she makes a little time out of her day just to visit the Diaz family, especially Kris. He was so sweet, and like the little brother she never had. So whenever Noah or his mom were busy, she babysits him, and brings some food so they can enjoy together.

"I don't mind babysitting Kris at all. He's like a little brother to me anyway."

"Yeah, that's Kris. Best little brother I could ever ask for." A soft smile comes to his face, maybe he should bring some food from that burger joint his family likes, before he goes home so his mom doesn't have to cook tonight.

"Yeah..Hey do you mind if I put in my playlist?"

"Go for it."

Grabbing a mixtape from her pocket, she inserts it into the slot right above the radio, turning the knob to hear what was currently playing.

The familiar rhythm of Virgen by Adolescent's Orquesta brings a smile to your face, increasing the volume as one of her favorite songs plays through the car. Every so often, she would sing along to the lyrics, taping her fingers against the door.

What Y/N didn't know, was a certain Autobot mech was observing her in the passenger seat mirror, noticing the small things about her that seemed to have caught even more of his interest. The moment she got in the car, Mirage had to admit, she was PRETTY. And the compliments she said? Wooo that was feeding his ego.

And she was drop-dead gorgeous, in his optics, he doesn't even know her one bit and he's on his knees just from the sound of her voice. Oh her voice, don't even get him started on her voice. Most purest thing he has ever heard since he had stepped foot on Earth. Got her filling his tanks with a fluttery feeling, or as Noah sometimes likes to refer to, butterflies. What a weird thing to say. (Ngl, I head cannon Mirage to fall in love FAST)

After those few thoughts, the mech started observing her other features. Her eyes, hair, lips, cheeks, hands, even the smallest of moles/freckles that were dotted across her face. Oh and when her smile plastered her face, Mirage felt his spark beat faster.

She was a beauty, a beauty in her own category..

Sadly he wasn't able to admire her much longer, as they stopped in front of her apartment, the sky now completely dark. About to open the car door, the lock clicks, preventing Y/N from getting out. Thinking nothing of it, Y/N goes to unlock it, but it keeps repeatedly locking itself. With a huff, Y/N turns to Noah.

"Dude can you stop that shit?"

"It's not me I swear! Li-like I said, Mir-! The car was all banged up when I got it, still got a few bugs in it.." And as subtly as possible, kept kicking right above the pedals. Not to harshly, but to get the message across to stop messing around.

Finally after what seemed to be forever, the car doors unlocked, with Y/N getting out of the car, making sure to grab her tape. Running a hand over the hood, not noticing the shudder of metal, Y/N waves goodbye to Noah before entering her building, already getting excited for her hot shower.

When Y/N was out of sight and earshot, Noah turned to the radio, somewhat pissed.

"Mirage, what the hell was that??"

"Whaaaat? I did nothing wrong. Also, ouch. Do you have to kick me that hard? I'm still recovering y'know." You could hear the teasing smile on his face, pulling the recovery card whenever.

"Mirage you can't do that."

"Why not? Not like she noticed anything."

"You just can't!"

"Aww but I wanna keep admiring la angel bonita un momento más."

"..what."

"I wanna keep ad-"

"I know what you said, but, seriously?"

"You gotta introduce me to her one day, Sonic."

"Mirage she's going to freak out!"

"Mm but what are the chances she won't? Pleaseeee? I won't stop bothering you unless you say yesss~" He coos in a sing-song voice.

"Nu uh, ain't happening. Just because you're acting like a kid doesn't mean you're getting it."

"Fine. But whenever you give her ride home, I'll just keep locking the doors."

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Noah leaned back into the recliner, pinching the bridge of his nose out of frustration. Whenever Mirage says he'll do something, he will follow through. He's ambitious like that. So either; Stay with the no but have Mirage be a brat for who knows how long, or, just get it over with.

"Sooo..Is that a yes?"

He was quiet for a bit, before letting out a sigh,"Fine, fine! Yes, it's a yes."

"Hell yeah, baby! Oh I already have so many places to meet up for dates-"

"DUDE."

------

So that concludes my first post! I like how this (somewhat) turned out, but it's a first. I've made some edits to this and the second part will be out soon, so I'm sorry for keeping you guys waiting!

Part 2 here!

[decaffeinatedcupcakekid]

If I had to change something about Boruto, it’d be the characters. Not that they don’t have a good basis, it’s just that their potential was absolutely wasted. They feel soulless. Like they have no personality whatsoever.

And I know that factually they’re all very unique like Chocho, Sarada and Kawaki, they all have the potential to be very motivating characters in their own right.

Except they aren’t.

Kawaki is a mirror to Sasuke, we’re meant to see him as Boruto’s rival with a tragic backstory. A brother, a sun and moon narrative that’s a complete replica of Sasuke and Naruto.

And that’s where the problem lays. They’re all just replicas of someone else. The og series also had this issue of making new characters like old ones e.g. Sakura & Rin, Sasuke & Madara etc. but those were actually well done. This is just a cash grab trying to replicate the previous series.

The Boruto series should stop trying to be something it’s not and actually embrace itself as a new idea while also NOT ruining previous characters. Ame was left in ruin, something Naruto never would’ve stood for, the boy we grew to love in the previous series is unrecognisable. And I get it, people change, which would’ve been cool and all to see if it wasn’t so poorly done.

For what reason does Naruto genuinely have to act like this? Yeah, he has a village to run that’s been booming ever since the war, except he has advisors in Ino, Shikamaru, Sakura and literally every clan head is on his side. His village is best friends with every other village. There is hardly any conflict. And you’re telling me he can’t come to his children’s birthday party? Mr ‘I want to be Hokage so people won’t look down on me’? But also he wants that because he has no family so he wants the villagers to love him. And he forsakes his family, who’ve loved him since the beginning, so easily?

They ruin old characters to the point where they may as well be from another universe because if they were half the people they actually were, that’d stop the conflicts before they start. And yeah, maybe the previous main character overshadowing the new one is a bad thing, I get that.

But if they were going to character assassinate Naruto as a way to solve this, I’d rather they have him killed before the main Boruto series started. That’d cause conflict. The pillar of peace just dying. Or like, anything else. There was no need to ruin Naruto for a soulless series like Boruto that only focuses on power ups.

And I know there’s going to be people who think the power ups are cool, that the two blue vortex is actually kind of cool. But that’s because literally every other character from the Naruto series is gone so that they can’t overshadow Boruto.

Naruto and Hinata? In another dimension. Kurama? In Himawari and weaker. Sasuke? In a tree. Gaara? Also in another dimension. Everyone is gone, and yeah, it’s tragic, but the shock effect wore off after Sasuke, it’s overdone now.

Every single character with depth is gone or hardly in the series. Sakura gets to stay because she’s a medic ig but as soon as Sarada needs a more dramatic route to her story, I guarantee she’s getting sealed off too.

The authors are scared to kill off actually important characters from the og series but are more than willing to ruin them. Everything is about them. Not Boruto.

No one was going to be happy with Boruto, I get that, people hate sequels. But the genuine apathy radiating off of that work kills me. The shock factor is over, move on.

I have so much more to rant about but I’ll end it here or I’ll never stop.

[vaguely-concerned]

BEHOLD! The list of evidence for my bold claim that Pan and Freddie dislike each other ferociously on sight because they are, in some key ways and despite appearances, very similar people: 

- First instinct upon seeing Grace sad is to try to make her laugh to cheer her up. (See: Freddie’s very first lines in the game starting off as she means to go on, and about half the things Pan ever says or does lol. In the last scene with him before The Trial you can even tell him you’re there just because you wanted to talk to him and have something cheer you up.) General sources of levity and fun and play in Grace’s life if you seek them out. 

- They react with similar anxiety to the idea of Grace being really angry with them (Freddie’s surprised/dismayed “Why are you angry at me?!” in the red route of ‘I Can Teach You’, the millenia-old god of the wild hiding behind a tree for ten minutes because he thinks Grace might be about to yell at him lmao <3)

- Both of them seem to have similar interpersonal insecurities in general, judging by the enforced choice between them in ‘I Can Teach You’ (I love you both so much but oh my god. is this a constructive use of time or energy under the circumstances lol), softened and alleviated by the fact that at the end of the day the most important thing to either of them is that Grace is happy. It isn’t possessiveness, but there is an element of underlying ‘Hey. Hey I am your favorite right?? 🥺’ insecurity there that trips them both up to begin with. Once you play the game and go back to look at this scene again knowing everyone’s real motivations, they’re even coming from the same place deep down — genuine fear for Grace’s safety and wanting to help her. (Freddie uncomplicatedly out of love🥹, and Pan at that stage probably more out of a guilty sense of responsibility, though he does seem to take a shine to Grace herself pretty quickly as well. Also he demonstrably isn’t, uh. Completely wrong in saying Freddie’s involvement in this whole mess is likely to end in tears, even if he is being a real dick about it) 

- If you don’t choose either in ‘I Can Teach You’, they both show up within minutes of each other to watch Grace’s back in the Medusa quest anyway. One brain cell ping pong and no one notices because they keep trying to swat each other with the racquets whenever Grace glances away for a second

Sidenote but flirting with both of them one after the other in that quest is fucking hilarious, they’re just taking turns ‘Really? Right in front of my salad?’-ing directly at the camera (...listen I feel that there is a chance that as long as they kept Grace between them the whole time there could be a thing here. I think a possible universe out there where it happens at least once does exist if one cared to go seek it out. That’s all I’m saying.) 

- Seems a bit obvious but what else am I here for: both very drawn to Grace no matter what main trait you choose. Whether this is true vice versa is of course player-dependent, but it is one way you can play the game. 

- Incredibly similar defensive reactions to being picked on or sniped at (and no hesitation whatsoever in subjecting each other to exactly that immediately anyway haha) 

- A bit dark when you think about it, but they both express the sentiment that it would be better for them to step in and die if it means Grace lives. (Freddie very directly of course ;______; and then in ‘It’s time’, Pan in ‘The Trial’ and the little talk you have with him later in Athena’s office.)  

Matching ‘ride or die’ instincts once awoken, is what I’m getting at. Freddie gets extra points for sheer longevity and constancy, Pan gets extra points for getting there in a week. You’re both unhinged (affectionate) 

- They’re the only ones among the main cast wearing green, right? I think I’ve got that right? Well, Charon does too, I suppose, but he’s a bit more peripheral. (Persephone and Aphrodite wear blue-green, but that seems more associated with death and the underworld and the river of grief everyone keeps using as a metaphor throughout the game.) Somehow I find the idea/metaphor that once you get Pan out from under like three layers of bullshit he’s the same colour as Freddie (who is inarguably The symbol of devotion and steadfastness in this game no matter your choices) quite sweet. 

- Nerds. You know I am right. Slightly different kinds of nerd (Freddie is distinctly geek-flavoured and Pan collects rare books for sport sort of distinction), but still. Oh my god. Freddie should get the whole cast together to play D&D in the Reliquary post-game. It would be absolute carnage. It would be glorious hilarity. *GASP* no wait not the Reliquary, let’s go to the Underworld so Charon gets to play too. For the love of all that is good give this to me now please I need it 

- The only two people who think Freddie losing control of her powers and causing a dance number at a funeral is hilarious

In short this is a recognition of the self through the other (derogatory) situation for both of them and neither of them decides to take that with any dignity or grace (ahaha) in the slightest, I love them very much,  thank you and goodnight 

[ghost-bxrd]

So I was rereading your Owl Song series for the like. 5th time and when I saw this line, “"NO!“ It almost shouts, taking the owlet by his shoulders to stare intently into his eyes, “Nev-er. Jason is you. Ne-ver talon. Never."" I was hit by an idea.

Can u imagine an au where instead of Jason coming back to life by Superboy Primes punch it's by the Court? Batman didn't get all of them and they've been rebuilding, they had been looking to get Dick back and hey! What better way than turning Jason into a Talon as well.

Oooo yes! I think this has been brought up before!

@cyrwrites also did an awesome drabble about Dick thinking Red Hood is a talon (but before finding out that Hood is Jason), so definitely give that a read! I totally come back to it every other day because it’s that good.

But if we go down the route of Jason becoming a genuine talon? Oh boy, ooooooooh boy. So there’s possibility 1, where Jason keeps his memories and fights the court every step of the way until he manages to escape. Or 2, Jason forgets everything and the court turns him into their weapon.

Maybe option 2 would be more likely, with Jason and Dick clashing on accident and Dick managing to subdue Jay and then teaching HIM how to be human again and the two of them just chirping and hooting at each other—- BUT, honestly I think option 1 would be much more interesting.

Jason wakes up and he remembers. And everything still hurts and the people surrounding him are sticking needles in him and his vision shifts until the colors bleed away and back in wrong and he’s both cold and hot at the same time and he wants to call for Bruce, for Alfred, for Dick, but his screams are slowly morphing into bird like shrieks and oh, oh, Jason— Jason knows what’s happening. Knows for sure when he manages to free one arm and sees the veins on his skin shot through with black, necrotic electrum.

But Jason’s smart. He’s smart, and he endures, and if this is the Court then at least he’s still in Gotham. So Jason plays along. He’s good. He remembers how Dick used to act at the very beginning and Jason’s always been good at acting, and gods he’s going to get out of here and go home but first he’s got to sell this act and sell it good.

And it works. It works. The Court is ecstatic about his “fast progress” and before long he’s sent out on his first solo mission (with a couple of ‘babysitters’) but Jason grew up in the Alley, and he was Robin, escape artist is practically in the job description, and all hopped up on electrum? Yeah, it’s easy to ditch his babysitters (Maybe slit their throats if we wanna go bloody) and book it for Batman’s closest patrol route.

But for whoever’s patrolling that night? There’s suddenly a strange talon dropping down in front of them, cooing and trilling and struggling to form words but— but it doesn’t matter. The talon is clearly asking for help, is still clearly a child, and no Bat would ever turn down a child in need.

(Dick breaks down completely when they pull the hood off Jason’s head and his little owlet stares back at him with eyes that should be blue but are now a glowing gold.)

[isephierreo]

Byleth's Design

This post is a full analysis of Byleth's design, their Enlightened One class, and other things I found interesting about them. (I will also mention the Ashen Wolves house, but I will focus on the design of the house itself, not its characters.)

Hair

Byleth's hair is modeled after a wolf hairstyle (ウルフヘアー), and although the wolf hairstyle may not symbolize a particular thing, the word for wolf/wolves is according to lore "the beasts who guard the Blue Sea Star". 

Outfit

Male Byleth, Bishop, and Priest class all wear armor that covers the shoulders and upper chest.

EDIT: After searching, the name of the type of armor worn by the Byleth and clerics is Gorget.

while Female Byleth wears a nun's collar.

This indicates Byleth's connection with the church from the beginning.

The pattern on Male Byleth's chest is a stylized of the crest of flames, with the 3 tears below and the 3 rhombus in the middle together forming the pattern on his chest, and the tear above are the one on his back.

Or it may be a stylized form of the Sothis tiara.

Speaking of the Sothis tiara, the pattern present on the sleeves of their coat is also a stylized form of it.

The pattern on Byleth's back is a triquetra, the triquetra has so many meanings, which vary from culture to culture, that I fail to see what it stands for with Byleth. The closest meaning to Byleth and the Three Houses concept I found for triquetra is that it is "three-cornered and connected deeply with the power of three".

Of course, no need to explain about the Byleth's pendant. (Just a little explanation: the green part is similar to the Flayn and Seteth pattern but mixed with P4. Same thing with the pink part, it's a mix between P4 and P1.)

In general, the main color in Byleth's outfit is gray, which symbolizes a lack of emotion, and that represents Byleth's emotional state at the beginning of the game. Gray is also a symbol of neutrality due to being a shade between white and black, and in the case of a basic Byleth's outfit, black is a dominant color, while white is a subdued shade (in the case of Male Byleth, white is not visible, though under his armor), but when they become the Enlightened One, the roles of black and white are reversed. This is closer to the concept of yin and yang, where the black yin is darkness and the white yang is light, but the essence of each has the color of the opposite side.

On their arms, the Byleth wear silver armor. Due to the purity of silver so high that it reflects like a mirror, it symbolizes seeing the true self in our depths. All of this points to Silver Snow, Byleth's own route, who they are discovering more about themselves and their Nabataean heritage. As for the reason that silver is only in their arms, it is because the arms symbolize acceptance and embracing life experience.

As I already mentioned in my previous post, the white and pink in Byleth's outfit are the colors of the ribbons of Sothis' hair, symbolizing their association with her. Besides, the color of their dagger is the same as the colors of her dress, blue, black, and gold.

A little note: many might think that the Byleth's dagger cross-guard is the same as the house leaders insignia inverted, but in fact it is completely different, at least within the game model. 

(The house leaders insignia itself differs from one work and design to another related to the game, and it can only be noticed after an audit.)

Enlightened One

One of the most notable things about Enlightened One is definitely the color purple, whether it's the crest of flames or the signature color of Byleth, Sothis, and the game itself. Purple is the color of the Sahasrara, also known as the crown chakra, is the seventh energy center in the chakra system. It is the highest point in the body and acts as a bridge between our physical selves and nirvana. Notably, Enlightened Byleth's tiara contains purple, unlike Sothis and Rheas' tiara. 

Like the Nabataeans, the Enlightened One's design has stylized parts of Sothis's design, as well as Rhea's.

A velvet scarf, in particular, is worn in the same style as religious or sacred-role characters in the franchise.

There is also a similarity to the dancer's design. This goes with Emblem Byleth being a dancer in Engage.

Especially since Sothis's design is more like a dancer. And the tiki's design itself looks like dancer.

Enlightened One has a pattern on the back under the cape, which is probably the crest of flames. This goes with Seiros and Dimitri, who also have their crest on the back under their cape. Claude doesn't have his crest in his Wyvern Master design, but he does at least have one in his Barbarossa's quiver. The only one without a crest on the back is Edelgard, which instead has an empty heart, which may indicate a stark contrast to Byleth.

Fencing Style

Byleth's style of carrying a sword is similar to that of the greatsword, which requires it to be carried on two shoulders due to its heavy weight.

The development of such a style is most likely due to training to wield a sword at an early age.

Although Byleth's animation is similar to the other characters' animation of wielding a sword, Byleth have a distinct animation in their final strike.

While all characters jump up to strike, Byleth hold the blade opposite to the ground and then direct it upwards during a lunge. It's like dragging a heavy sword across the ground to deal a fatal blow, and that's one ways to use the greatsword.

But when the Byleth became enlightened one, their sword-wielding style became lighter and more graceful.

They spin as if it were a dance, then counter a straight line strike with balance. They hold their left hand in a fist at their hearts as it glows as if they are praying, and then they release it with the faith power they have gathered.

The armor on Byleth's right arm is somewhat similar to the Immaculate One.

This indicates that the Byleth's right arm, which holds their weapon, represents the Immaculate One, an ability Rhea/Seiros has rarely used to end dangerous situations in battlefield. While Byleth's left arm, unarmored and unarmed, indicates Rhea/Seiros's ability to end wars with her bare hands with minimal casualties, as she did with Nemesis.

Going back to the Ashen Wolves, everyone is surely aware of the contrast in the colors of the Academy and Abyss students' uniforms. As I mentioned in my previous post, the colors of the Academy uniform represent Sothis, while the colors of the Abyss uniform represent Byleth. White, silver, black, gray, purpue. This refers to the concept of dualism, which is commonly used in the Final Fantasy series.

[rollinouttahere-writes]

I was thinking about this AU where Kaku runs off with Lucky and decided to share my brainrot with the class, here you go:

Despite Kaku's fears that they would be hunted by the government until the day they died, they actually give up fairly quickly. Kaku disappeared during a Buster Call. The possibility that he died and was blown to bits is hardly unreasonable. There is a bit of a search for him given the lack of a body to confirm his death with, but after they catch up with the rest of CP9 and see he isn't with them, he's dismissed as being dead. Cipher Pol agents are so broken in and brainwashed that the World Government never even considers the possibility that he deserted. As long as Kaku stays away from locations that are frequented by the Marines/World Government, he'll continue to be considered dead.

His fellow CP9 members also assume him dead when they're unable to find him. It's shocking to them, but it's also not hard to believe that a cannonball could have taken him out after he was defeated by Zoro. It's not until they catch wind of Lucky's disappearance that they begin to question it. Kalifa and Lucci remember how fond Kaku was of her and find it more than a little suspicious that both of them vanished at Enies Lobby. But... There was a Buster Call going on. Maybe she was killed, too. That much fire power would have easily destroyed any bodies left behind. They question if he's still alive and with her, but they're never able to confirm it. They keep it to themselves when they're sought out for CP0. If he is alive... then they want him to have his peace.

Kaku's highest priority after he escapes with Lucky is to get out of the Grand Line. He knows that bouncing around the four Blues will be the best way to evade detection.

It takes Lucky about a year after her kidnapping to completely cave and settle into her life with Kaku. By that point, she is convinced that the Straw Hats have abandoned her. The hurt morphs into resentment and she goes from sad to bitter. She's so mad that she drops the nickname Lucky and reverts to using her real name again.

Lucky's tendency to latch onto any scrap of affection given to her benefits Kaku immensely. She's hurting from her perceived abandonment and clings to him like a lifeline. She was already close with him before the year mark. After it, they're acting like a normal happy couple. Kaku's sweet words and gentle touches leave her wrapped around his finger quickly and she becomes very clingy and dependent towards him.

After the year mark, she is a lot more open to Kaku's desire for children. Instead of changing the subject, she starts engaging with him on the topic. By the time the Straw Hats reunite, Lucky and Kaku could very well already have a child. Kaku wouldn't have a preference for adopted vs biological children, he's happy with whatever Lucky prefers. But if they take the adoption route, it comes with the risk of him bringing home the entire orphanage because he couldn't choose.

A reunion between Lucky and the Straw Hats would be messy. She isn't willing to listen to them or believe that they didn't abandon her. She is especially resistant if her and Kaku have a child together at that point because she wants to maintain her happy family and resents the Straw Hats for trying to break them apart.

This would be the only scenario where she truly sees their yandere tendencies. She finally sees how far they're willing to go now that they're making her do things against her will by separating her from Kaku. She's scared and feels stupid and naive for never seeing this in them before. Any attempts from the Straw Hats to bond with her again and prove that they never meant to abandon her are met with a cold shoulder. She's afraid to engage with them and just wants Kaku back. It would take months for her to start to trust them again, but she would still want to leave and go back to Kaku and becomes more and more distressed when they won't let her.

Bonus: Luffy would get very emotional upon learning about cat Ace. Even when he's frustrated with Lucky for being so stubborn, it warms his heart to know how much she also cared about Ace. He finally makes some progress in mending their relationship when he starts telling her stories about Ace from his childhood.

[blues-sues]

It had been a year.

Though part of her suspected it had been longer. It felt like an eternity.

Sometimes she felt like the only peace she could truly find anymore were these night walks with her son.

He'd been born a few months before it happened. Yet he didn't understand a thing, of course. He was merely a child.

One who tugged now on her wrist, with a distressed whine as he looks over his shoulder, brows furrowed.

"Stain? What's wrong?" She turns her head to look down at him in concern. She knew her son was extremely prone to having sudden rushes of anxiety. She'd hoped the soothe bell around his neck would improve it, but it had only lessened a small amount.

"Scarf!" Once the word escaped him, Pigment had never turned as fast. Looking back on it, she's not sure why. Perhaps part of her hoped her father remained out there. But she knew the answer all too well.

It had been a year.

Fate was a despicable thing, taking her father. She'd thought maybe she'd stop having hope that he'd come back. She knew he was gone. And she knew she wouldn't see anything as she turned around.

"Stain, there's nothing there. You needn't worry." She tries to comfort him but the young Mewtwo doesn't take his eyes off the tree. Her frown depends.

She gives his hand a gentle squeeze, but he still doesn't avert his gaze, instead beginning to wave one of his arms, his legs beginning to bounce as he rocked on his feet. "There! There!" He squeaked out, scrambling to hide behind her hip. Pigment breathes out.

"I'll check, okay? Just to be sure." She offers. Stain looks up at her, his eyes wide before his chin lowers in the tiny symbol of a nod. Releasing his hand lightly, she glides herself closer to the tree, peering her head around it.

"I told you, nothing's there."

And nothing was. She wasn't sure why he'd been so panicked. He's rather skittish, but still, not enough to be startled by well..air. She decides to come to the conclusion that perhaps he saw some sort of other 'mon on its night route.

"Ma! Saw Scarf!" He's waving both hands now, his fur spiked as he looks around with nervous glances. A strange detail to keep bringing up. Her heart sinks as her own mind recalls a scarf, her hand drifting up to clasp at the bandana over her shoulders.

A swift shake of her head as she leans down and lifts Stain into her arms, tucking his head against her chest.

"It's alright. I'll protect you."

And so, a hum emerges from her. A tune that once it reaches Stain, it causes his eyelids to flutter downwards, a tiny yawn escaping him as his trembling slowly starts to cease.

Perhaps she should've checked behind the tree twice.

A shadow looms there now, his eyes narrowed as his fingers grip the fabric he wears. The blue was now much darker. His fingers now claws.

He'd changed after death, he'd noticed. So had the world, it appeared. After all, it had been a year.

How foolish of he to think it could all stay the same.

_______

End.

Woop that was a long one. I came up with this during school.

I'd had the general idea for a while after seeing some of Tc's asks about what if Scarfy died and decided to do a little something.

My backgrounds aren't top tier but the flowers in the front are Forget-me-nots.

For clarification: this isn't supposed to be bashing on these characters for not recovering in a year after Scarfy's death. It's meant to show that grief lasts a long time. And sometimes it takes time to completely settle. Pigment is still sort of coming to terms with it, part of her struggling to believe he's truly gone.

These characters belong to @xxtc-96xx !!

Also, in this, I made the choice that after a Pokemon dies, they become y'know a ghost. Or in Scarfy's case, a ghost fusion. He became a Haunter fusion since Pig technically has Gengar blood and I'm pretty sure Stains would-be fusion is a Gastly.

I might do more doodles and such about this, but here's the first! I genuinely really like this idea and may or may not have gotten some inspiration from Ghosting by Mother Mother.