#the physicality of the cast members playing them is honestly SPOT ON

[pitterpatkittycat]

When you’re at Disneyland, walking around Galaxy’s Edge, and you see Boba and Mando just walking around interacting with people and you can’t help but think, “… I have read so many stories about you. 😏😏😏”

[literallythebiggestfuckingsimp]

Our Little Secret

description: you and rudy have been sneaking around for a while now, what happens when you get caught in front of thousands of fans?😳😳

warnings: making out?? ooo and swearing oops (as a british person i can’t just NOT swear)

            Rudy’s lips smashed against yours, moving hungrily as his arms snaked around your waist. You gasped, arms moving to hook around his neck as he slipped his tongue in your mouth. You had to be on set in five, and you were just passing the time with your good friend Rudy in his trailer.

Between the two of you, neither of you were quite sure what you were. So far, all you guys had done was purely physical. Of course, there had been lingering touches, longing stares, stolen smiles. But you hadn’t talked about it. 

It had started with flirty jokes, and then, boom! It just kinda happened, if you were being honest.

Not breaking the kiss, the two of you stumbled backwards until you bumped into the table. You jumped up and he took his pace between your legs, detaching his lips from yours and turning his attention to the skin on your neck. You moaned, heading rolling back to give him more access.

“Hey, Rudy? You in there?” Your eyes widen at the voice outside the trailer door, freezing both yours and Rudy’s movements.

“Uh, yeah?” Rudy says, clearing his throat.

“Why’s the door locked, toot?” You could practically see the suggestive smirk on Chase’s face.

“Cause I’m about to take a shit and I didn’t want anyone to come in here and smell that,” Rudy replies, looking at you with a grin on his face. You rest your head in the crook of his neck, pressing your face up to it to suppress your laughter.

Chase laughs. “Alright, then, but have you seen Y/N? I’ve been looking for her everywhere.”

“Nah, sorry bro,” Rudy calls out when you shake your head at him. “I’ve gotta take this shit or I’ll explode. See you in a sec.”

“It’s good, bro,” Chase replies. “She’s gotta be on set now, though. I’ll find her, don’t worry about it. Probably went off to craft services or something.”

You glare at the door where Chase is stood on the other end, but your eyes widen wen you realise you’re gonna be late to set.

“Cya, man,” Rudy says, helping you down from the counter as you pat down your hair. Chase mumbles a “bye”.

You two wait until it’s clear, giving Rudy a quick peck as you subtlety sneak out the trailer door once you’re sure Chase is gone.

As you walk - more like jog - away, you look back. Through the window you salute to Rudy, and he salutes back with a maniacal grin on his perfect face.

♡

You’ve just finished shooting for the day, and straight away, you headed over to see Rudy. He’d slid you a note earlier in the day to meet him at his trailer once you were done.

Arriving, you were immediately pulled into a kiss by by the blond headed bimbo who’d stolen your heart. You smiled against his lips, happily thinking about the fact that you could finally call him yours.

Around two weeks ago now you two had finally sorted through your shit and admitted your feelings for each other. However, you’d both decided it would be better if you kept your newfound relationship to yourselves. You didn’t want to make things awkward if it didn’t work out, and, besides, sneaking around was fun. “Think of it as our little secret,” you had said.

You pulled away from the kiss and he pouted. Laughing, you pecked him on the cheek and watched as a smile took over on his lips. Rudy’s arms situated themselves around your waist as he laid the two of you down on the makeshift sofa in his trailer.

Rudy was lying on your lap as you played with his hair, occasionally kissing him as some stupid ass movie played on the TV. It was a nice breather from all the crazy scenes you’d been filming and you couldn’t feel more relaxed.

Well, that was until there was a knock at the door. You wasted no time in rushing into the bathroom, hiding as Rudy went to answer the door.

“Yo, dude,” you hear JD greet and you mentally cuss him out.

“Uh, hey, JD, Maddie,” Rudy says. “What’s up?”

“Why’re you being so weird?” Maddie questions, confused as to why Rudy seemed hesitant about letting them in.

“Me?” Rudy asks, shaking his head. “Nah, I’m not being weird.”

“Whatever,” Madison huffs. You hear her and JD walk in and mutter profanities under your breath. Thank god you had picked up your phone from the sofa or you would be toast. “We wanted to watch a movie and you have the comfiest couch.”

“What’re we watchin?” Rudy asks, bouncing on his heels. Madison shares a look with JD, confused as to what the hell was up with him.

“I dunno,” JD shrugs. “I gotta take a tinker in your bathroom, though. I’ll be right back.” He says, and your eyes widen.

“No!” Rudy calls out, and you search frantically for an escape route. There’s a window, but it’s kinda small, you’re not sure if you’d fit. Fuck it, you think as you hear JD and Mads confront Rudy about being weird.

“I just mean ... it’s kinda rank in there,” Rudy says, scratching the back of his neck.

“Disgusting,” Madison mutters.

“I’ll just block out the smell,” JD shrugs. “I’m desperate, bro.”

Rudy silently prays to himself as you fumble about the bathroom, climbing on top of the seat. You put one leg through the window as the footsteps land right outside the door, and  try to slyly maneuver yourself out with your phone in one hand. Your plan fails miserable and you tumble to the ground, landing in a bush.

“Fuck,” you mutter, sitting up and pulling leaves out your hair.

The door to the bathroom swings open and you run as fast as you can back to your own trailer. You ignore the confused looks of the crew members, and Drew calling your name as he sees you run past with twigs in your hair.

As soon as you get back to your trailer, you shoot Rudy a quick text.

I jumped out the window ;)

Jesus, Y/N. You good?

Yeah, just thank god for my super rad spy skills.

Sure, baby. Sure.

♡

You giggle as Rudy pushes you down on your bed, peppering your skin with kisses, making you laugh more.

Filming had ended and you were currently quarantined with the cast, stuck in yours and Madelyn’s apartment. After the release of the show, you had gained quite a big fan base and your time had been occupied with online interviews and live streams. You’ve barely had the chance to sneak around with Rudy, not wanting to raise any suspicions since fans had already started shipping the two of you, pointing out the way he looks and interacts with you, and vice versa.

You didn’t want to let your friends catch on. Not yet.

Swiftly, you flip you and Rudy over, straddling him as you pull him in for a passionate kiss. You must not have heard the footsteps creeping up to your room, or the door swing open as you kissed your boyfriend.

A quick shriek alerted you of someone’s presence. You scrambled away from Rudy, cheeks red and eyes wide. It was Madelyn, stood frozen in the doorway, eyes wide. Clumsily, she dropped her phone, the object clattering to the floor

“Fuck,” Rudy mutters, pulling on his shirt as you put your hands over your face in attempt to hide you embarrassment.

Madelyn stands dead still, frozen to the spot. “Oh my god, guys, I am so so so sorry! I didn’t know you two were-”

By now, you had alerted the attention of Chase and Drew, who came running over at the sound of a scream. It didn’t take them long to connect the dots, between your rosy cheeks and swollen lips and Rudy’s messy hair and flustered appearance.

“Oh, shit,” Drew swore, eyes wide.

“Uh, guys ...” Madelyn spoke up, chuckling nervously. “I was on live and they saw ...” she motions between the two of you with her hands, “that.”

Honestly, you think you could’ve died, right then and there. You scramble to grab Maddie’s phone from the floor, seeing the comments screaming about what they had just accidentally witnessed and quickly end the live.

“I’m so sorry!” Maddie squeals, cheeks tinging red. “I was planning on scaring Y/N and I didn’t think Rudy would be in here, let alone that you two would be-”

You quickly cut her off, scratching the back of your neck and biting your lip. “It’s fine, Maddie. Seriously, don’t worry about it.”

“Yeah,” Rudy clears his throat. “You couldn't have known.”

“Uh, well,” Drew chuckles. “This is awkward.”

“Honestly, I’m gonna need a good few shots to erase the embarrassment of this moment from my memory,” you state, walking through the door and towards the kitchen where a bottle of vodka awaits you.

“I second that,” Rudy says, following you and lazily placing an arm around your waist.

Chase grins, watching the two off you. “So ... “ he trails off, gesturing between the two of you with his hand. “Are you two, yanno, together?” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

You nod and Rudy smiles. “Yeah, we have been for a while now.”

“God, it’s about time!” Chase exclaims.

“You guys were pretty bad at hiding it,” Drew states, a grin of his own on his lips.

You mock fake offence, gasping as you poor the vodka into your shot glass. “We’ve been dating for four months, so, obviously not.” 

Madelyn’s mouth hangs open. “Four months?!” she yells. “And you didn’t tell us?”

Rudy shrugs, kissing your cheek fondly. “Eh, it was pretty fun sneaking around.”

“Agreed,” you say, smiling up at him. He meets your gaze, pecking you on the lips.

“Ew, you guys,” Chase groans. “Just because you’re together now doesn’t mean you can be all openly affectionate.”

Madelyn whacks his arm, rolling her eyes. “Shut up, they’re cute.”

“Nah, they’re gross,” Drew jokes, laughing. “Anyway, I made Mama Starkey’s casserole. Who wants some?”

“Me!” you exclaim, grinning excitedly. If there was one thing you loved it was Mama Starkey’s chicken casserole. Also, eating and drinking would be a good way to get your mind off the fact that practically the entire world saw you on top of a shirtless Rudy, making out with him.

A/N: AHAHAH THE WAY I DIDNT KNOW HOW TO END THIS SHDJSHJDH also pls excuse the crappy writing this was made at 4am last night😳

[saffron-nova21]

XIX. Secret Tours

Remember Me Masterlist

< Previous Chapter • Next Chapter >

Warnings: Strong language

A/N: I know, I’m so sorry about the lack of a read more, I might try to add one later, but currently, they aren’t working on my phone and my laptop is out of commission. I’m really, really sorry, guys.

...

With a sweet, but sleepy, smile plastered on your lips, you step away from the train with Atsumu, your bag slung over your shoulder, finding yourself excited to meet Tetsurō in person. You might not have known him for very long, nor had you met him in person yet, but all he’d been was a good friend to you. One you had come to need and depend on, with all that had been going on in your life. All of those lonely days, who had texted you and grounded you throughout all of it? Not your brother, not any of your team mates, no... It had been a stranger you’d met through Twitter, by pure coincidence.

He was the one who had knocked some sense into you to stop giving Rintarō chances. He was the one who talked you into telling Atsumu what had happened, rather than continuing to allow yourself to be manipulated. He had been the one to tell you that quitting volleyball club and practicing on your own would be best, with the way the other team members continuously made you feel like shit and gave you the cold shoulder.

When you spot he and his best friend standing there, the latter with a game in his hands, you nearly jump out of your skin as a jolt of excitement runs through you.

Looking at who who assumed to be Kenma, you found yourself touched that Kenma continuously glanced up to search for you, immediately getting the sense that he probably didn’t do that very often.

You end up walking towards them without a word to your best friend. Though Atsumu would tease you later on, saying you were borderline running to the two. When they caught sight of you, Kenma and Tetsurō go bug-eyed for a moment. Kenma’s arms fall a bit as his attention shifts to you, completely.

Both of them were quickly able to come to one conclusion: Any pictures of you did you no justice.

As you reach them, you stop just short of them, having to retrain yourself from leaping on them both... They’d been so good to you, it only felt normal to want to hug them.

“Hi,” you grin at them both, effectively breaking their momentarily stunned silence, your smile shining nearly as brightly as the sun.

A grin emerges on Tetsurō’s face as he shakes his head and offers open arms, to which you nearly jump in, hugging him tightly. Very quickly, he had become your anchor, being there for you and believing in you, when even your team lost faith in you and you could only hope your embrace conveyed all of the emotions that you couldn’t voice.

Hugging Tetsurō felt like hugging an old friend, or an older brother you never got to see. His embrace felt warm and it made this sense of security wash over you that you hadn’t felt in a very long time.

“Ready to go?”

“Of - fucking - course I am!” Your voice attracts the attention of people around you and makes Kenma look back down at his screen, being knocked from his trance. He hadn’t been staring, he hadn’t been staring, he hadn’t been stari — “I get to come and play volleyball with some of Tokyo’s best. Not to mention, Tokyo has some other-worldly pretty setters.”

Kenma doesn’t respond, his head just shooting up to give you a brief, almost confused glance look before returning his attention to his gaming device.

Though you don’t miss the reddening of his ears.

“Yeah, I meant you, Kenma, baby.” You grin, finally slipping from Tetsurō’s embrace to look at Kenma, who looks at you again.

Momentarily, the faux-blonde looks confused, before he lets out a small exhale, opening his own arms to you. Moving forward, you embrace him, without a care in the world that you hardly knew him. And as he rests his chin on your shoulder, you miss the slight smile that forms on his lips.

Pulling away after a moment, you allow Kenma back to his game, “You guys give some amazing fucking hugs. Just thought you should know.” You inform them, before turning to face an oddly quiet Atsumu.

You always complimented people a lot and borderline flirted with everyone around you, until you and Suna started dating. And now, you were back to being your normal flirty self.

Though Atsumu was the same way, consistently flirting with everything that breathed.

You both weren’t together, you’d just been flirting, putting your past feelings out in the open, and opening the doors to a relationship between you both maybe having a relationship one day.

There was nothing exclusive between you both, as far as you were aware. Not to mention that he was still talking up a storm with his fan club, just yesterday.

But apparently you were wrong.

...

You shouldn’t have been as excited as you were about touring Nekoma High. You’d be transferring for your final year of high school, leaving behind all of the people you’d met. Leaving, even if Suna could regain his memories any day now, leaving even though you and Atsumu had only just laid out all of your feelings out on the table, together.

As you approach the large gym, a smile forms on your face, eyes shining as if you’d just opened a present. Everyone around you could see the way you picked up your pace and held your head up higher, even if you didn’t quite notice it.

Entering the gym, you looked around, glancing at all of the people who looked towards you at your entrance. As much as you wanted to shy away from the attention, you couldn’t, just grinning as Tetsurō comes to stand next to you.

The realization seems to hit them, the teams walking over to speak and introduce themselves.

You were so caught up that you didn’t notice the way Atsumu watched you. Even though he introduced himself and conversed with his normal lazy smirk, he couldn’t miss the way you smiled.

For so many weeks, your smiles had been half-hearted. They hadn’t quite reached your eyes, and everyday, it seemed like you were dragging your feet, just waiting, wishing the days would come to an end. So how could he miss your first genuine smile in weeks? How could he miss the way your eyes lit up, while you looked around? How could he miss the way you spoke to them excitedly, without having to hold your tongue for fear of people attacking you for what you said? How could he miss the way you clicked so easily with these people?

That's the thing. He couldn't.

...

"I think you'll really like the people here, too. Of course, every high school can have a toxic atmosphere, but it hasn't really ever gotten half as bad over here as what you've had to deal with, in the past months." Tetsurō explains with a grin playing on his lips.

"Over here are some of our other clubs. I assumed you'd be signing up for the volleyball club, but in case you truly wanted a clean break, here you are." Reaching a hand to the bulletin, he pulls off one of the many sheets, filled with different clubs. "Do you want to look at the classrooms, or would you rather tour the courtyard?"

Thinking momentarily, you roll your shoulders in a nonchalant shrug, "Honestly, you said it yourself, the Chemistry classroom was the most interesting and you already showed it to me, so the courtyard sounds best."

With a nod and a teasing smirk cast in your direction, a 'this way, your highness' came from your friend.

Walking to the courtyard with Tetsurō, you smile, "So... Kenma. He's... Interesting."

The Captain goes bug-eyed at your words, though it's hidden behind a curtain of messy black hair, from the angle you're looking at him. He quickly hides it with a discreet shake of his head. "What happened to that setter of yours, that you were so in-love with?"

Embarrassment floods you, your face growing warm as your bring a hand to rub the back of your neck. "What-?" Your feigned ignorance doesn't fly with your new friend, though, who makes you drop your 'act' with a knowing look. "Look, I love Atsumu... But am I in love with him?" You sigh. "I told him that it might be possible that I attempted to move on with him... But I know how he's going to take it, when I tell him I'm changing schools.

"I love Atsumu, I do... But I know him better than anyone else. Except for maybe Osamu. And knowing him so well means knowing that he's not going to want to accept it. He's going to think I'm abandoning him and lash out. Then he'll feel guilty, but won't apologize, because he's prideful."

Tetsurō furrows his brows, looking at you, "Then what are you going to do? Just not say anything when you disappear, next school year?"

Looking around, you smile a bit up at the bright blue sky. A few fluffy white clouds decorated it, but otherwise, it was nothing but clear skies. It almost made you forget the fact that Atsumu wouldn't be able to handle you moving schools. He'd nearly lost his shit when you had changed middle schools and the only way that he had kept his cool was knowing you'd be going to the same high school together.

"I don't know."

Tetsurō nods a bit in understanding, opting not to say much more on the topic.

As Tetsurō continued to give you the tour, neither of you noticed the texts from Kenma, warning you that Atsumu had left the gym in search of 'the bathroom' and hadn't come back.

And you would soon find yourself regretting not checking your phone.

Tetsurō honestly hopes that you and Kenma get along. He worries about Kenma, for after he goes to university, and knowing that he's leaving someone behind who will make sure Kenma takes care of himself makes him feel a lot better.

Atsumu wants you happy. But he wants you happy with him. Even if you're not dating, he knows distance can ruin friendships.

You know that you're attracted to Kenma - of course, you wouldn't call it a crush since you only just met him, but you do want to get to know him more.

I hope you guys are enjoying, still!

You guys better be eating some food, drinking some water, and taking care of yourselves mentally and physically. But remember, no matter what, I'm proud of you and I love you. You're doing great, today. Even if you just got out of bed, keep it up, because you're doing great, alright? Things will get better, I promise.

Taglist:

@kookie-doughs @halesandy @ermahgerd-larry-and-ziam @kac-chowsballs @saltylettuce @its-the-aerieljeane @javj @ash-levi @babyshoyo @hiraeth-z @random-fandom-girl-24 @kodzuklutz @tsukkiswifeey @thollandx @pandauniverse @starylust

[terra-sprout-imagines]

S/O Surprises them at a game they said they couldn’t be at headcanons (Daichi, Sugawara, Kuroo) Part 1

Written By: Terra

Warnings: Anime spoilers for Season 2 (Daichi), Season 3 (Suga) and the Land VS Air OVA also known as “Riku vs Kuu” (Kuroo)

Request: How would Suga, Tanaka, Bokuto, Kuroo, Daichi and Hinata react to their S/O surprising them by showing up to a game that they had previously said they couldn't make it to? by @myheroesaretired

Author’s Note: Here’s part 1! This is my first time writing for Haikyuu so I would appreciate feedback! Part two will be written by Sprout because we both wanted to try writing for Haikyuu and show you guys what headcanons would look like from each of us. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy!

READ PART TWO HERE: Tanaka, Hinata, Bokuto - For whatever reason, this link does not show up on mobile, but part two is out and can be found on our blog

Sawamura Daichi

You were part of the music club at Karasuno, your specialty being the piano.

You had a huge recital coming up, so your instructor set up individual one-on-one sessions with each member so they could gauge each of your current abilities and offer more individualized feedback

Unfortunately for you, your one-on-one session happened to be the same day as the Miyagi Volleyball Inter-High Preliminaries.

You couldn’t reschedule your session with your instructor, but at the very least, your session would be over by the afternoon

That would leave you enough time to catch hopefully all of their second match

But only if they managed to beat Wakutani South first.

Out of all of them, honestly I think Daichi would be the most okay at hearing the news

I mean sure he wants you there, but he knew when you started dating that there was no way you’d be able to make every match

You already support him more than enough with what games and practices you do sit through

And he makes sure to support you in kind with your music

After all he knows how important it is to you

So when you had to tell them that you wouldn’t likely make it to his first match of the day

He just gave you a soft smile and pressed a kiss into your forehead.

“It’s okay, I know you’d be there if you could.”

“Just make sure you’ll be careful out there.” You responded.

He chuckled, “I always am.”

And that was all he said about it really

During the game, he wouldn’t be casting his eyes up into the stands looking for you.

He’d be completely focused on the game in front of him, knowing that you were still cheering for him in spirit, even though you were back at the school.

However, what Daichi didn’t know, was that the student with an appointment before yours had to cancel due to a sudden illness.

This meant that you would be able to come in early, and hopefully you would be there in time to catch your boyfriend’s match.

And sure enough, it was only a quarter after ten in the morning when you were rushing through the doors of the Sendai City Gymnasium where Karasuno was competing.

In your rush to find the doors to the stands, you happened to pass by the medical office.

You caught familiar swath of blonde hair in your peripheral vision that had you stopping in your tracks to do a double take.

Yachi was standing there just outside the door, her gaze clearly worried.

Realizing that someone on the team had been hurt, you turned on your heel to walk over to the young manager, wanting to check that whoever it was on the team hadn’t been hurt too bad.

After all, you had come to care for every member of the team in the time you had been dating Daichi.

Hearing someone approach her, Yachi tore her gaze from the door and to you, her eyes widening when she saw who it was that was walking towards her.

“Yachi? Did someone get hurt?” You asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder to try and calm some of her nerves.

“I-it’s Daichi!”

You felt a cold sense of dread wash over you upon hearing those words. Daichi got hurt?

“How bad was he hurt- is he okay?!” You snapped your gaze now to look at the white door to your right

“H-he and Tanaka both dove for the ball a-and they c-collided. The nurse said he would be okay, but that he needed to rest and let the bleeding in his mouth stop before he could go back. I didn’t want to disturb him, so… I’m waiting out here.”

You felt some of your worry go knowing that he was going to be okay and that he wasn’t seriously injured.

Of course, hearing that he was bleeding still wasn’t news you wanted to hear, but it was better than hearing that he had gotten a concussion or broke a bone or something.

“Thank you for waiting Yachi. You can go back to the game if you want, I can keep him company until he’s cleared to go back.” Your smile was gentle, reassuring as you looked back to Yachi.

She nodded after she asked if you were sure, tripping over a quick “thank you!” before she turned to run back to the match.

You took a quick breath before entering, opening the door carefully so as not to make too much of a disturbance as you walked in. You exchanged a few words with the nurse on duty before taking a seat next to the bed where your boyfriend was currently lying down with an ice pack pressed against his cheek and his eyes closed.

“Hey.” You cooed softly as you pulled up a chair to sit next to him. You reached out with your hands to clasp his free one in between your own.

Daichi opened his eyes, his gaze widening in surprise when he saw you sitting next to him before his expression melted into tender adoration. “Hey, I thought you said you weren’t going to make it.”

“The student before me had to cancel, so I was able to go in early. But how are you? I heard from Yachi what happened.”

His hand squeezed yours. “It looks worse than it is. A little more rest, and I should be good to go back in.”

You sighed in relief, before looking back at him with a playful glare. “I seem to recall you promising me that you were going to be careful.”

Daichi smiled in response, and at least looked a little guilty. “I’m sorry, I just got so caught up in the game that I was moving before I even had time to think about it.”

You shook your head, a smile upon your own features. You leaned over and kissed the top of his forehead. “It’s okay I forgive you. Now you better hurry up and get better, Captain. Or your team is going to win without you.”

His chest shook as he laughed. “You know, I think I’d like to see them do just that.”

Sugawara Koushi

It was the day of Karasuno’s match against Shiratorizawa

You had been to their semifinals match against Seijoh the day before, but unfortunately for you your neighbor’s son had woken up with a fever.

His mother had tried to call off of work to take care of him, but she was only able to take a half day after trying to plead with her boss.

Because of the last-minute nature of the emergency, she had asked if you would be willing to watch over him until she was able to get off of work until her mother arrived later that morning to take over.

Of course, you weren’t able to say no. Having watched her kid before on multiple occasions, you were quite fond of him, and besides, you weren’t one to turn away from someone who clearly needed your help

So you had sent your boyfriend Suga a message as you gathered some of your things, letting him know about what happened and that you might not make it to his game like you had wanted to, but at the very least you would make sure to watch the live broadcast and cheer him on from home.

And Suga, even though he felt a pang of disappointment at the news, would never hold it against you.

Of course having you there in person to cheer him and his team on was what he would prefer

But he would never get upset for you helping out someone else who needed it, especially since he likely would have done the same thing if the roles had been reversed.

Just knowing that you were out there cheering him on, even from far away, was enough for him

But even still he would find his eyes wandering to the stand as Karasuno took to the court, going directly to your usual spot in the stands only to fight down the slight disappointment every time he found it empty.

You were still there, cheering him on, just not physically. He would be okay… right?

At least that’s what he kept telling himself. He did understand 100% but it still sucked that you weren’t there, especially a match as important as this

So caught up in his own conflicting emotions, Suga found that the pressure of the match was starting to get to him when Coach Ukai called him over to put him in the game

His hands were so cold… when had they gotten that way?

He brought them together, trying to warm them up and get his head in the game. Karasuno was depending on him, and he wasn’t going to let them down. He wanted to go to nationals too after all

A sudden warmth enveloping his hands snapped him out of his own thoughts

He opened his eyes (when had he closed them?) expecting to see you in front of him

He couldn’t help the slight flicker of disappointment in his eyes when it was Kiyoko who came into focus instead of you.

She must have seen it, because she only smiled at him, pulling Suga’s hands away from his face and gesturing to the stands behind him.

“Someone’s here to cheer you on.”

Suga’s eyes widened at her words and he whipped around, a giant grin stretching across his face when he saw you waving to him from the stands

Your face was flushed, and you looked to be a little out of breath, clearly you had been in a rush to get to the gymnasium.

The moment he set his eyes upon you, warmth filled him and chased away the lingering chills.

As he played, he could easily pick your cheers out from the rest of the crowd, even above the deafening cheers of Shiratorizawa’s admittedly impressive cheer section.

From your spot in the stands, you couldn’t help the proud smile that you wore as you watched Sugawara on the court.

“You’re late, you know.” You turned your head to see Tanaka’s sister Saeko giving you a teasing grin.

“Better late than never.” You replied with the same grin

When the game was over, you were the first one to rush down to the court, not caring that you technically weren’t supposed to be there.

Suga was quick to a tight sweaty hug the moment he saw you running towards him

He placed a quick kiss to your lips resting his forehead against yours.

“I’m so happy that you made it.” He whispered

“I got lucky that his grandma showed up earlier than expected. I was able to get a ride to the gym with some friends from my class who were kind enough to wait for me.”

He let out a breathy laugh “I’ll make sure to thank them later, right now I only care about celebrating with you.”

Kuroo Tetsuro

You really wanted to be there; you really did with everything in your whole being

But you had a doctor’s appointment for the same time as your boyfriend Kuroo’s qualifying matches for Spring Nationals.

In the complete opposite direction of where Kuroo was competing.

Even though the appointment was just to remove the cast on your (previously) broken arm, the travel time alone was what worried you. Even with the earliest possible appointment time, traffic in Tokyo was never anything to joke about, and even taking a train to the gym would take more time than you were comfortable with.

It was kind of stupid how you broke your arm in the first place really

What was supposed to be a run in the rain to the nearest convenience store for date night movie snacks had turned into date night at the hospital while you got a cast fitted on your currently broken (and thankfully non-dominate) arm after you had stepped in a rather slippery puddle on the sidewalk.

Who knew puddles could be so slippery?

Certainly everyone else except you

And of course, the date to get your cast removed had been today of all days. But alas your doctor was booked solid all month so moving the date of your cast removal had been impossible.

Kuroo had known about this weeks in advance, but he was still disappointed that you wouldn’t be there to cheer him on like you usually were.

“Even if I don’t make it to today’s game, I’ll make sure to make it up to you by being there at Nationals.” You had told him that over the phone when you delivered the news about your appointment.

“You better.”

Still, as Nekoma lost their match to Fukurodani, and Kuroo looked to the stands to see Alisa and Akane cheering for their brothers, he couldn’t help but wish that you were there with them.

“You’re off your game.” Kenma had shown up behind him as Kuroo had been lost in his own thoughts.

“Are not.”

“Are too.”

After a solid minute of the two going back and forth in that manner, Kenma sighed and shook his head. “They promised they’d be there at Nationals, right? Then you need to make sure you keep up your end of that promise by making sure we get there.”

Kuroo sighed knowing that Kenma was right. He had to focus on the match ahead. Their next match against Nohebi would determine who would be taking the final spot for Spring Nationals.

He had to make sure that Nekoma wins, just so he could see your face, hear your voice amongst the crowd even once more cheering him on.

By the time, the match against Nohebi started, Kuroo was mostly back to his usual self

His determination to have you there cheering him on at Spring Nationals something he clung to in order to keep him in the moment and not fixating on the empty space in the stands where you would normally be.

The match however, proved that Nekoma was going to have to fight a lot harder than anticipated.

Yaku twisted his ankle early into the match, and Nohebi was living up to their reputation for being suck-ups to the refs.

It’s not that he doubted Shibayama’s skill as a Libero, but Yaku was a third year, and had a lot more experience in the position than his underclassmen.

Thankfully, Nekoma took the first set, and while they were switching sides of the court, Kuroo spared a glance back to the stands, immediately doing a double-take

There you were, gazing down at him with a wide grin upon your features, your now-free arm waving back and forth in wide motions.

Any weariness that Kuroo might have felt from playing vanished instantly when he saw you, newfound energy coursing through his veins.

You’d made it after all, and Kuroo knew that now there was nothing left to worry about except securing their place at Nationals.

When the game ended with Nekoma’s victory, the two of you were quick to find one another, Kuroo pulling you in for a quick yet passionate embrace and kiss.

“You were amazing out there.” You breathed against his lips as you two pulled away

“Of course I was. I had you cheering me on.” His lips were cocked in a smirk, but you could see in his eyes how genuinely happy he was that you were able to make it, even if it wasn’t the whole game. “How many speeding tickets did you manage to get on the way here anyway?”

You laughed and threw a light punch against his arm. “None, thank you very much. But I am lucky that I still got here in time to see the end of your game.”

“It’s okay, you’ll be able to watch all of the matches when we head to Nationals.”

[kumawrites]

what are you, my sugar daddy? (pt. 1)

☆ ushijima wakatoshi x reader ☆

☆ - 3.9k words

☆ - a/n: aight ushijima fuckers here y’all go. but like,,,, me too tho i’m a proud member of the ushijima club. alternatively titled, “y/n has good morals (unlike me) and ushijima really does not want to be sued”

☆ - taglist (ask to be added): @miceonmars

//

When you said you wanted to be hit by a car to pay for your tuition, that was a joke. A joke. Apparently, God didn’t quite catch that it was supposed to be a joke, and decided to bless you with what you asked for. A car! A car that ran you over at a crosswalk!

In retrospect, it was probably your fault. Sure, you were on your phone, too engrossed trying to read a tweet while walking, which was surprisingly hard as you couldn’t really keep focus on the words. But you could have SWORN that the light turned green. For you. Not for the car. You think. Well, maybe not. You really didn’t remember, too focused on the pain sizzling through your entire body to think straight. The (very expensive looking) car had hit your body head on, and while it wasn’t going too fast, you would probably be dead if it was, it was still a car. And your body was still in the street, just chilling.

And oh god, you still had to get to class. Not only were midterms just around the corner, but maybe you had spent too much time in class definitely not paying attention and rather playing a bootleg Club Penguin on your computer. Trigonometry is boring, and Club Penguin is not. But, your negligence to your studies was going to be your downfall if you didn’t actually start paying attention. And you had planned on it! Too bad your plans got ruined.

At least the sky was pretty today, and so was that guy. Wait, what? You’re well aware that there was a crowd surrounding your dead(?) body, but no one had really made it into your peripheral, probably too scared to move your body. You didn’t blame anyone for not getting too close to you, it was a good precaution to not get injured any further. But you noticed that one man was crouched over you, brows furrowed, phone next to his ear. He looked distressed. Wonder why? That was your last thought before you promptly passed out on the warm concrete.

When you came to, you knew you were in a hospital without even opening your eyes. The smell of the whole place was almost sickly, not surprising, hospitals are literally made for sick people. It smelled heavily of disinfectant and sadness. You hoped that you weren’t hooked up to a bunch of machines and that you weren’t missing any limbs. That would mean a longer stay, which did not sound optimal.

As you opened your eyes, you were absolutely blinded. No, not by the light, the windows were closed and you weren’t even next to them. But by the extremely attractive man, sitting in your room on his phone. Well, that’s new. It wasn’t like you knew who he was, no one that hot was actively associating themselves with you. You didn’t have time to process who the mystery man might be before we turned his head from his phone and locked eyes with you.

“Hello.” He spoke with a deep rumble in his voice. Wow, that’s hot.

You attempted to greet him in return, but your voice crackled leading you into a coughing fit. The man furrowed his brows, and suddenly you recognized him. He was the one that was crouched down by your body! While you were presumably coughing up your lungs, the man quickly left the room. And there he went. Maybe he was an angel. Maybe God sent him down as an apology for not reading the entire request. That was probably it. Hot people like that definitely didn’t exist in the real world.

Too focused on the crazy thoughts in your head, you didn’t notice that he actually came back! With a nurse! Oh. He came back?

So he was real, you deduced. Well, when you were able to get words out of your dry throat, you’d ask him his skincare routine. And workout routine. And well, his life routine at this point. It was like there were no faults, physically at least. He was probably a psychopath who broke into your hospital room to kill you. Yeah. That’s it.

You weren’t paying attention to reality, and didn’t even notice the nurse leave to go call a doctor. And then there were two. You only snapped out of your very deep and intellectual thoughts when he cleared his throat.

“Hello. Again. I apologize, it seems I hit you with my car.” His brows furrowed once again, and you were extremely tempted to tell him to stop, he would get premature wrinkles if he kept that up. But, you needed to have an actual conversation with this not so mystery man.

You took a breath and actually managed to speak this time, although it was still raspy. “Howdy.” Howdy? Did you really just say howdy? “It seems you did, huh?”

That was all you were able to get out before the nurse came back with a doctor. The doctor grabbed his rolly stool and sat down by your bed, explaining that you had only sustained minor injuries and were actually lucky since you didn’t hit your head. Your left leg, however, was a different story. Since that was the side you got hit on, your leg was basically in shambles. Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but you wouldn’t be able to walk for quite a while, having broken your bones in multiple spots. Well, that sure did suck.

You didn’t have a car, so you were forced to walk everywhere. But, that didn’t really matter at this point. It wasn’t like you would be able to drive a car with a broken leg.

Other than your broken leg, you were basically fine, and would be able to be released from the hospital in a few days. They wanted to run some extra tests, just to make sure you wouldn’t die somehow due to your injuries when you got home.

The nurse then switched out one of your IV bags and promptly left with the doctor, after making sure you didn’t have any further questions, leaving you alone in the room with the handsome man.

You didn’t really know what to say to start off the conversation, but luckily, he started. “Do you feel okay?” He questioned and you had to ponder that. Yeah, for the most part you did feel fine. But you hadn’t gotten out of the bed, and whenever you shifted your hips they ached. So, a solid maybe? But you didn’t want to make him feel bad, so you simply nodded your head.

“Yeah. Aside from the leg, obviously, I feel alright.” You shrugged as you examined your casted leg. Your gaze shifted from your left leg to the man, sitting a safe distance away from you. He looked rather stiff, with his hands properly placed in his lap. His posture was impeccable, and you bet he didn’t have back pain when we woke up in the morning, lucky bastard. You also noticed the very expensive looking watch, adorning his left wrist. Then you remembered just what kind of car hit you. It was for sure some fancy car, but you were no car expert, so you had no idea what model or even brand it was. But that meant this man had money. Good for him.

“I’d like to make up for it. If you’re okay with it, I’d like to pay your hospital bills.” Your eyebrows shot up, not expecting that. Honestly, you were ready to take the L and go into debt to the hospital. And then probably pitifully ring up your parents and beg for some money. It wasn’t like your family was poor, but they were for sure not rich. While they’re able to keep themselves afloat, you weren’t sure what a presumably large hospital bill would do to their finances. And they really weren’t responsible for you at this being, being that you’re in college and living on your own. So simply taking this stranger's money would be super easy, right?

It would! If you didn’t feel extremely responsible for the entire situation. Damn it good morals! Why did they have to come out now! Thinking back on the accident, it was most certainly your fault, and taking this law-abiding citizen’s money just rubbed you the wrong way. Yeah, he was rich, but he seemed genuinely extremely apologetic. If that was what the furrowed brows meant. You were just assuming. You were also assuming that he was a law abiding citizen, but his presence alone almost guarantees it. Almost.

“Don’t worry about it. I appreciate the offer, but this whole situation is for sure my fault. My carelessness led to your car, uh, hitting me. So don’t worry about it. I’ll just call my parents, and figure something out.” You said as you brushed your fingers through your ratty hair, attempting to get the knots out. It was a mess, and you couldn’t even see it. You wondered what you looked like, probably not hot. The man, however, did not seem pleased by your response, somehow managing to furrow his brows even more at your response.

“No, I insist. Please let me pay for your bills.” He seemed almost offended that you attempted to decline his offer.

Nonetheless, you weren’t about to allow yourself to mooch off of a stranger, even if he looked rich. “Thank you, but it just feels wrong, you know? They can’t be too bad.” Somehow you knew that sentence was going to bite you in the ass later. You gave him a slight smile and before he was able to respond to your foolishness, his phone dinged. He looked down at his phone, and abruptly stood up, and wow, he was tall. But you almost expected him to be this giant, since his whole being and presence was just like his height, large. You blinked at him, as he looked almost distressed as you kept looking at you and then back at his phone. He sighed as he slipped his phone in his windbreaker.

The man glanced around the room until he found a slip of paper and a pen. He quickly scribbled down something and then handed the paper to you. “I have to go, but here’s my contact information. Please don’t hesitate to call if you need anything.” And with that, he left the room. You looked down at the paper and read his name, Ushijima Wakatoshi. Huh. Sounded familiar, but you just couldn’t quite put your finger on it. You shrugged and put the contact into your phone, knowing that you would somehow manage to lose the paper if you didn’t.

You were fully prepared to never call him, however, still not wanting to make him pay for anything.

//

Your eyes almost fell out of your head as you read the bill. Was it even possible for a number to be that big? The amount of digits was almost offensive to look at, and your roommate, Kaori, seemed to agree.

“Y/N, that number is going to give me a migraine, please put it away.” She dramatically sighed as she sprawled out on your bed, next to your sitting, basically frozen body. You break one leg! Just one! And this is how much that costs? You’d have to sell your soul and kidney to even begin to pay the bill.

“If I throw this bill away, do you think it’d just disappear?” You asked, fully prepared to rip the paper in half.

“Hmm.. Probably not! I don’t think the IRS would be too happy with that. Wait, is that was the IRS is for? You know, I don’t know. But it’s worth a try!” Kaori and her many words of wisdom never seem to get old.

“Very helpful Kaori.” You sighed and flopped down next to her. She instinctively began to scratch your scalp, as a way of support. Whenever you were stressed or upset or anything, you’d come to Kaori and ask her to scratch your scalp. It felt good, and she knew where all of the best spots were. “I don’t know how I’m going to pay for this, especially without letting my parents know. They’d seriously castrate me, Kaori. I would be dead. Deceased.” You dramatically wailed, and Kaori just kept running her fingers through your hair.

“Didn’t you say the guy who hit you offered to pay for it?” She arched her eyebrow and you sighed.

“Yeah.. But I just feel bad? You know? Then again, he looked like he wanted to pay.”

“Then let him! There’s your solution. Call him up right now and explain that you’re just a little too broke to pay for them and would very much appreciate his financial support.” She sat up and removed her fingers from your scalp, causing you to groan. She grabbed your phone, unlocked it, you had given her the passcode ages ago, and opened your phone app. “I’ll even call him for you! Well, press the call button. You need to talk to him. What was his name?” She asked as she scrolled through your contact list.

“I don’t know, uhh, Ushijima? Yeah, Ushijima. I think?” You casually mentioned and didn’t even notice how Kaori���s eyes went wide with shock.

“Sorry, what?”

“Huh?” You turned your head towards her at the sound of her confusion.

“What.. What did you say his name was?” Kaori looked shell shocked and you had no idea why.

“Ushijima..? I forgot his first name, it was Waka something. Umm, Waka, Wakatoshi? Yeah, that’s it. Ushijima Wakatoshi. Why, do you know him or something?”

“Know him? Do I know him!? Y/N, he’s a D1 athlete! Ushijima Wakatoshi hit you with his car! Oh my God, Ushijima hit you with his mcfreaking car!” Kaori exclaimed, and you could only look at her in confusion. You genuinely had no idea who that man was, other than the man who ran you over, but apparently he’s a big deal. To Kaori at least. You listened to her as she spoke on and on about Ushijima and how great of a volleyball player he is. Apparently, in high school he was one of the top aces in the country. Honestly, you didn’t know what an ace was, but you nodded along to whatever Kaori said, knowing that she was a manager for her highschool’s volleyball team and a sports medicine major.

“So, basically, what you’re saying is, I got run over by a super famous athlete? Is that it?” You blinked at her as she finished her speech that was basically about the entire history of men’s volleyball. You learn something new everyday.

She nodded enthusiastically and re-unlocked your phone, in search of one name. “And that’s why you need to call him! Think about the scandal of it all! ‘Famous Athlete Brutally Runs Over Innocent College Student’! He definitely does not want that on the news.”

“Well, first of all it wasn’t brutal. The only thing broken about me is my leg. Second, I’m pretty sure I’m the one who caused the whole thing, so I’m not innocent. And finally, I’m not going to blackmail him into paying for my bills.” You rolled your eyes playfully at your roommate and she huffed.

“Fine, fine. At least call him so he knows you’re still, well, alive.” She handed you your phone back, and his contact was already dialed. You groaned at Kaori and put the phone up to your ear as there was no going back.

After about the fourth ring, the line was picked up. “Hello?” Ushijima’s deep voice managed to sound deeper over the phone, and you had no idea how that worked, but this wasn’t the time to think about that.

“Uh, hey, Ushijima? It’s Y/N, the person you, uh, hit with your car.” Was it even possible for you to sound even more awkward? Out of the corner of your eye, Kaori was muffling her giggling and you threw a nearby pillow at her face, which she caught. Stupid sports majors with their stupid athleticism.

“Hello, Y/N. How do you feel?” Even though you had only spoken to Ushijima once, you could tell what kind of person he was. Blunt and didn’t have a lot of words to say. He was probably the kind of person that didn’t bother sugarcoating anything. Respectable.

You hummed in response. “I’m okay. My leg doesn’t hurt, but I guess that’s because I can’t really feel it? Or something.” You bit your lip and an awkward silence fell over the phone call. “Um, how are you?” You asked completely out of formality and because you had no idea what else to say. Holding a conversation seemed like it wasn’t going to be easy.

“I’m fine. Y/N, I’d like to ask to pay your hospital bills once again.” Oh, you were right. He went straight to the point.

“I really appreciate it, but like I said before, I definitely caused the accident. It’s not your responsibility to pay for my bills. They’re, uh, not really that much anyways. Haha.” Could he tell you were lying? Kaori sure could, and even you could recognize how fake your voice sounded.

Apparently, he could tell that you were lying. “I asked to see how much the bill was when I was at the hospital, and it is not a small amount, Y/N.”

“Oh. Uh. Well, I guess you’re right. But still! It feels a little icky?”

“I don’t mind paying. My job pays me very well. I can easily pay your bills. Are you in college?” He asked out of the blue, following his not so subtle flex. Okay, he probably didn’t mean to flex, didn’t seem like that kind of guy, but boy he sure did.

“Sure am. I’m in my second year, dying.” Groaning, you remembered all of the schoolwork you have to catch up on after putting it off AND getting hit by a car. You wouldn’t be surprised if you failed Trig. But you probably shouldn’t.

He grunted in response. “Do you drive?” Ushijima asked another odd question that seemed to have come from nowhere.

You didn’t know how that had any correlation with the current conversation at hand, but you responded anyways. “Oh, no I don’t. I usually just walk everywhere, not that hard to do. Well, maybe now it might be.” The annoying realization that you couldn’t just simply walk everywhere had just hit. Again. When you remembered earlier at the hospital, you simply forgot all about it! A true way of solving your problems! But what an inconvenience getting hit by a car is. At least you got to meet someone who could be considered a celebrity. And he was hot! Really, it was a win-win. No, that’s a lie. Your leg is broken and you’re suffering from crippling debt. But you still met a hot guy!

“I’m going to pay the hospital bill, Y/N.” Ushijima bluntly stated and snapped you out of your daze You honestly almost replied with a ‘yessir’. He was just so confident, how could you argue with that? Wait, how were you supposed to argue with that? The whole goal of it is for him to not pay your bills, but how is he so damn convincing with just a few words? He’s truly an enigma.

“Please, Ushijima, it’s really fine. I think. Wait no, ignore that. I’m very much confident that I am fine. Yeah. That.” Your voice wavered as you panicked and your eyes darted to Kaori, watching your dumbass in amusement.

“Excuse me for a bit.” It didn’t seem like Ushijima had cared to listen to your babbling, and simply hung up. You put your phone down from your ear and stared at it. What? He just excused himself? Can he do that? Well, of course he can do that. It’s Ushijima Wkaatoshi, and at this point, you were pretty sure that he was capable of doing anything if he really wanted to.

Kaori crawled back next to you and tilted her head. “Did you hang up on him?” She curiously stared at your phone, displaying the recents page of your phone calls.

“Uhh. No. I didn’t, at least. He was just like, excuse me, and hung up?”

“Huh.” Kaori simply vocalized.

“Huh for sure.” You agreed.

Before you had time to even think a cohesive thought, for once in your life, your phone rang. You looked down at the display to see that it was Ushijima calling. Well, he did say excuse me, implying that he was coming back, but you didn’t really have the time to process his words before he hung up, just minutes ago. You stared at your phone before you answered, still trying to wrap your head around what was going on.

“Uhh, hello? Ushijima?” You answered your phone.

“I paid your bills. Please do not worry about them. They were quite significant.” You choked. Kaori stared at you like you had just grown two heads, presumably hearing Ushijima’s words. He, he just, did it? This man just paid your bills? Like it was nothing? Was he allowed to do this? It wasn’t like you weren’t relieved that someone else took care of your ridiculous bill. At this point, you were just downright impressed! Ushijima really just did that, huh. A true display of big dick energy, if you must say yourself.

It was almost impossible to find a way to reply to him, after all of this insisting that you were completely fine and he didn’t have to cover the bill. Apparently, you must be really bad at pretending since you were definitely not fine. Or maybe Ushijima is just incredibly perceptive. You weren’t for sure, and you also weren’t for sure if you’d ever figure out. Actually, you’re well aware that you’re a shitty liar.

“I would also like to cover your physical therapy and transportation until you completely recover.” Well that statement certainly gave you whiplash. It was almost as his expensive car ran you over again. He wants to what?

“Wait, hold on. Okay, so first, thank you for paying my bill, but really you didn’t have to. I’ve said this enough, but it really was my fault. And you don’t have to cover anything else, the hospital bill was just enough. I seriously can’t thank you enough, and I’m fine and alive. You really don’t have to do anything else.” You explained and hoped you didn’t come across in an ungrateful way. This man had just paid your unreadably expensive hospital bill, after all. He was showing you so much kindness already that you really didn’t know what to do. Your kindness acceptance meter was full.

Even after your mini speech, it still seemed like he didn’t care. “Please send me your schedule for classes and your address. If you want anything, do not hesitate to call me. That includes food, or anything you want. It does not matter. I have to go now. Please take care. I will see you soon.” And with that, he hung up, leaving you shell shocked. Did this mean what you think it meant? Anything? Seriously, anything? You were very much sure that this was far past the usual situation. Ah yes, the usual situation where a famous athlete hits a dumb college kid with his car. Happens all of the time.

But you were pretty sure that it wasn’t a normal thing to be offered food, or as he said, anything you want. Wait a minute. Wait a damn minute.

“So?” Kaori was looking at you expectantly.

“Okay so, I don’t know if this is how it works but, I think, just maybe, I got a sugar daddy?”

[curiosi-tea-writes]

Outcasts (One Survivor pt. 1)

Pairing: Din Djarin x Cobb Vanth

Setting: Survivor AU / Modern AU

Summary: Grogu begged his father to spend 39 days stranded on an island with 15 strangers, and who was Din to deny his son such a simple request? What he didn’t anticipate was meeting Cobb Vanth while on the island and developing the largest crush he had ever had on a person. But in the game of Survivor, you can anticipate nothing.

Disclaimer!!! : While you don’t need to have seen Survivor in order to understand this fic, it is based off of 07x07-08 of Survivor. (Also a bit from an episode from Season 6, though I cannot recall the episode.) So if you have not seen those seasons, read at your own risk. 

--------------------------------------------------

When Din had signed up for 39 days stranded on an island with 15 complete strangers, he was mostly doing it as a joke. His son was fascinated by the show, insisted that they watch it every week. Din thought he just liked the drama of it. It was Peli who brought up one day that Din should go on it. 

“Papa, pleeeeease,” Grogu had begged. And Din would do anything to please his son. So, he agreed to give it a shot. 

It was honestly fun, he had to admit. Seeing Jeff Probst in person was honestly one of the coolest moments of his life. And then he saw him.

Silver hair, just a little bit taller than him, gorgeous eyes. But the thing that caught Din’s attention most was his red scarf. Never mind that it was 110* on the island, but man could this guy pull off that scarf. 

Din felt it was destiny when he watched the man slide a red buff around his wrist, matching his scarf almost perfectly. However, his heart broke as he pulled a blue one over his head and settled it around his neck.

It slowly started to become an issue. Din would slack in challenges because the guy, Cobb he had learned after a day or two - though most of his tribe called him Cowboy, would show up shirtless. It was distracting to say the least. All of his tribemates were getting increasingly frustrated with him but Din couldn’t care less. His tribe was winning most of the challenges, so what was the big deal if he was like a deer caught in the headlights every time he had to go up against Cobb?

Sometimes Jeff would even call them out. During one challenge where they had to play a matching game, Din kept going to Cobb to ask him for items and Cobb kept going to Din.

“Din,” Cobb called with a smirk and he chuckled as his tribe groaned for the fourth time at him. When he got a hum in response, his smirk turned into a charming smile. “Do you maybe - possibly - have a seashell?”

Jeff laughed and shifted, crossing his arms. “Cobb, why don’t you just ask him what you really want to ask him?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Jeff,” Cobb tried hard not to laugh, “Din?”

“Can you see into my box, Cowboy? How do you keep doing this?” Din laughed and walked the shell over to Cobb. He tried not to notice how Cobb’s calloused hand lingered on Din’s for a second longer than necessary - the way their hands had been lingering on each other’s the entire challenge.

------------------------------------------

After what felt like far too short a time, Din’s heart shattered. 

“Noyapara, getting a look at the new Marseydotes tribe,” Jeff said as the other tribe came onto the beach. 

“Oh my god,” Fennec sighed and Din whipped around, his eyes wide.

“Cobb voted off at the last tribal council,” Jeff finished as Din tried not to show too much emotion for a guy he hardly really knew.

Fennec, the only member of Din’s tribe he had told about his little crush - really, she confronted him and he had no choice - took a step closer to him as Jeff continued speaking. “So close to the merge too,” she mumbled. 

That’s what Fennec kept telling him. “Just wait until the merge and you’ll be able to get to know him!” and “There’s no way they won’t keep him until the merge at least!” Din sighed sadly. The merge was any day now. They were so close and his tribe just had to vote him off.

“Alright,” Jeff spoke clearly, bringing Din out of his thoughts. “By now, you have collectively voted off six members from this game. And now, that’s gonna come back to haunt you.” The final ten players turned around and looked at each other. “Come on in, guys!” 

The six players who had been previously voted off came out on to the beach and Din and Fennec shared a bright smile as Cobb jogged out as the last person. It was impossible not to catch the wink Cobb gave him as he made his way past Din.

“Here’s how it’s gonna work,” Jeff started as Cobb took his spot on the third mat. “There are now three tribes - Marseydotes, Noyapara, and the Outcasts - the six people you have voted out over the last couple of weeks now have a chance to rejoin the game. Today’s challenge is for immunity. Whichever team loses to the Outcast tribe has to go to tribal council. That means, if both tribes lose, two tribal councils. Then, the Outcasts will have their own tribal council to vote in members to fill the slot of the people you just voted off.”

Din looked over to see Cobb and some of the other Outcasts smiling at each other proudly and Din couldn’t help the smile of his own. At this point, he was hardly listening to Jeff.

“Additionally, anybody voted back in from the Outcast tribe will be immune for the first tribal council following their return to provide them time to reintegrate back into the game.”

After explaining what they had to do for the challenge, all the Survivors took their places. Din watched, tied to the wooden gate, as one member from each tribe rushed to begin untying their teammates. Of course, Cobb was one of them. Fennec was flying through the knots for her and Din’s tribe but Din could see that Cobb was far ahead. He wasn’t surprised at all. 

Once he was untied, Fennec yelled at him to start helping with finding the key but he hardly heard her. “Djarin!” she scolded harshly, forcing Din’s attention to her. “Stop staring and help us!”

It wasn’t much use at that point. Cobb’s team had already gotten the key and was unlocking the gate. “Outcasts win immunity!” Jeff yelled and there was cheering from the tribe. He opened the other tribes’ gates and addressed them, “Two tribal councils. Two people will be voted out tonight, and two members will rejoin your tribes. You have the rest of the day to decide who’s going home. Head back to camp.”

----------------------------------------------

Din breathed a sigh of relief as Jeff read the final vote and it was neither him nor Fennec. Both knew that pairs can go far in this game if they play their cards right and Din and Fennec were determined to add their names to the list of pairs that prove that statement. Fennec bumped his shoulder as they carried their torches back to camp. 

“Hey,” she whispered, “maybe Cobb will get voted back in and end up on our tribe.”

Din chuckled and shook his head, shifting to rest his torch against his shoulder as he walked. “Don’t you dare get my hopes up.”

-------------------------------------------

Cobb took his seat next to the other Outcasts. At first, he couldn’t believe he had been voted off and he was furious. He was easily one of the strongest guys out there, definitely the strongest in his tribe. But he knew his tribe was preparing for the merge. Boba had teased him endlessly at camp about his crush on the other tribe. Cobb and Din had hardly spoken, just quick comments to each other during challenges, but he knew there was a connection there- physical if nothing else. It was understandable that his tribe assumed in the case of a merge, he might flip his alliance to be with Din. Cobb knew that wasn’t the case, but his tribe didn’t. And now, after almost his whole tribe voted him off, that was definitely going to happen if he had the chance. Sweet revenge.

“Here’s how this is going to work,” Jeff started once everyone was settled. “You’ll all have the chance to plead your case as to why you should be voted back into the game. Then you’ll vote. Two names, on two different parchments. Two people with the highest number of votes get put back into the game.” Once everyone nodded their understanding Jeff smiled and gave his own nod. “Cobb, let’s start with you.”

Cobb sighed happily and turned to address his tribe of fellow outcasts. “All I can really say is that I know I kick their asses. If you want an Outcast to win the game, I think I’m your best shot. Once the merge hits, I know exactly who I’m going to align with. I beat any of them at any physical challenge and I’m quicker in puzzles than half of them. I think I have one of the best chances out of us to make it to the end of this game if I get back in.” 

Everyone nodded and Cobb’s head began to spin. All he could think was, “did they all just agree with me?”

He listened to the other Outcasts plead their cases and then it was time to vote. Cobb casted his votes and dropped them in the urn. His heart was beating impossibly fast as Jeff said the words that are typically so dreaded and now held so much hope, “I’ll go tally the votes.”

Cobb shared a look of hopeful anxiety with his fellow Outcasts as Jeff came back with the urn tucked under his arm. Jeff cleared his throat and smiled and all the Outcasts couldn’t help but chuckle nervously. “Once the votes are read, the decision is final. The two people with the highest number of votes will return to the game.” Cobb attempted not to cringe at the change from the usual dialogue. “I’ll read the votes.”

Cobb held his breath as he name came up first. Then again. The somebody else’s. Then his again. Then again. “Sixth vote- Cobb. That’s five, our first Outcast revived in the game.” Cobb felt someone pat his shoulder and another tell him congratulations but he could hardly process it. *He was back in the game!*

“Alright,” Jeff continued once the second person, Bo Katan, was chosen and everyone had congratulated her as well. “Bo Katan, Cobb, the tribe has spoken. Come on up here, and relight your torches.”

Bo Katan and Cobb shared an eager smile as they steadily dipped their torches into the fire at the center of the counsel area. Cobb felt a wave of pride as he looked back at the other Outcasts, seeing their excited faces. They had all agreed in their time together that whoever was going back into the game, everyone was going to be proud of them. Sure, everyone wished it was them going in, but the fact that any of them had the chance was more than enough for them all. 

“Now time to choose what tribe you’ll be going to.” Jeff held out a bag to the two of them. “Who’s going first?” Cobb nodded at Bo Katan with a smile and she nodded back before turning back to Jeff with a smile, stating she would. “Alright. Since you were from opposite tribes to begin with, if Bo Katan pulls a red buff, you’ll be returning to the opposite tribes. If she pulls a blue one, you’ll be returning to the tribes that voted you out.” 

He held the bag out to Bo Katan and Cobb held his breath, attempting to will the universe to have her pull a red buff. 

---------------------------------------------------------------

Din and Fennec had stayed up to wait and see who would come to their island. It was getting later and later and eventually, Fennec laid her head on his shoulder. 

“When Cobb shows up, don’t throw me off too quickly rushing to him,” she mumbled.

“Why do you keep saying ‘when?’” He questioned back, still fully awake. “What makes you so sure he got voted back in?” 

Fennec hummed and smiled. “Because, you two are destined.”

Din rolled his eyes. “You’re ridiculous.” He squinted his eyes a little to see out towards the ocean. He could just barely make out the outline of a boat. “Fennec,” he shifted his shoulder so she’d sit up, “they’re here.”

------------------------------------------------------------

Cobb leaned against a pole on the boat, taking in the feeling of the ocean mist on his face. He ran a hand through his hair before dropping it back into his lap. He let out a small chuckle as he rubbed the fabric of the buff on his wrist between his fingers. It had been such a long and taxing day. He could only hope that he would be able to get some rest once he made it back to camp.

He thanked the man driving the small boat as he hopped over the edge. He sighed as he took in the island before him, slowly making his way through the water towards the beach. He saw a familiar figure walking down the beach to meet him and he smiled brightly and honestly.

“I knew you’d get back in, Cowboy!” he heard them call to him with a laugh. 

He walked a little quicker to get up the beach before pulling the other man into a tight hug before pulling back and getting a good look at the other man. “Hey, Boba,” he sighed.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Din’s tribe walked out onto the beach first. Din’s heart raced as he willed himself to turn around to see the other tribe come in. 

“Marseydotes and Noyapara, getting a look at each other’s new tribes,” Jeff said as the other tribe entered. “Bo Katan voted into Noyapara and Cobb voted into Marseydotes at the last tribal council.”

Din could hardly contain his smile. Now if both of them could just stick around until the merge.

There was mumbling among the tribes, each talking about who was voted back in for the other tribe. Jeff cleared his throat, drawing the attention back to himself.

“As you have all figured out by now, this game is always changing.” Everyone chuckled and nodded. “It’s about to change again. Everyone drop your buffs,” he tossed a bag to Din who caught it easily, “and put on your new ones- you are merged.” 

Some members cheered, some gasped, but everyone had the largest smiles on their faces. Din reached into the bag and began pulling out the fresh purple buffs and handed them to the members of the new tribe. He tried not to care when Cobb took the buff from him the same way he had taken the sea shell just days prior. He also tried not to care that his face was burning, though he attempted to convince himself it was the heat of the sun. His heart jumped as Cobb started to say something but their attention was quickly drawn away from each other and back to Jeff.

Once the matter of which camp was better was sorted, the now merged tribe was sent off for a merge feast and getting to know one another. 

---------------------------------------------

When the food was done and everyone was broken off into small groups, Din excused himself from Bo Katan and Fennec to search for firewood. He wasn’t far into the jungle when he heard someone clear their throat behind him. With a jump he turned quickly to see Cobb just a few feet behind him.

“Sorry,” he laughed holding up his hands, “I didn’t want to startle you.”

Din sighed with a smile. “Good to see you back in the game.” He turned his back to Cobb as he picked up a dry branch. 

“Yeah, you’re telling me,” Cobb spoke softly, taking a few steps closer to Din. “I had been hoping the whole game to make it to the merge.”

“I think that’s everyone’s goal at the least,” Din tried desperately to sound casual, despite that he could feel Cobb’s eyes on him as he moved to pick up another branch.

Cobb chuckled and finally took the final steps up to Din to pick up a branch of his own, causing them to stand up straight at the same time, their faces just inches apart as they looked at each other. Cobb couldn’t help his smile as he watched Din’s eyes flicker down to his lips before coming back up to meet his gaze. 

“I don’t think everyone had the same reasons for wanting to merge as I did,” Cobb whispered, attempting to keep the atmosphere they had created.

Din stuttered for a moment, shifting the branches in his arms nervously. “And- uhm-” he cleared his throat, “what reason would that be?”

“You.”

There was a beat of silence as they stood inches apart. Din’s eyes continued to flicker up and down and Cobb would be lying if he said his weren’t as well. Din’s heart was beating impossibly loud, he was surprised he could hear anything over it, let alone hear Cobb’s breathing. Din took half a step closer and Cobb followed suit. They were impossibly close, both smiling brightly, having waited for this moment since the beginning of the game when-

“Hey, lover-boys! Hurry up with the wood, we need to boil water!” Boba called from around the bend of the path. Before shaking his head and walking away again.

Din and Cobb didn’t pull apart, just started laughing. They could feel each other’s breath and they took a moment to calm down.

“I suppose we should go back,” Din whispered.

“Yes, I suppose we should,” Cobb mumbled back, still allowing his eyes to flicker down and back up.

But neither moved. 

Before either of them knew it, Din quickly leaned in and placed a small kiss on Cobb’s lips. It was soft and sweet and Cobb thought he was in Heaven, he almost dropped the branches in his arms. It was over before it really began and Din was walking away with a smile. Cobb held back a frustrated groan because he didn’t get the chance to really kiss back. “Come on, Cowboy. They need to boil water,” Din called over his shoulder.

Cobb stood awestruck for a moment, watching Din walk away. He could still feel Din’s presence on his lips and all he could do was stare and smile.

“You coming?” Din called from up the path with a laugh. 

Cobb shook his head clear and grabbed another branch to add to his pile. He cleared his throat as he stood straight again and jogged to catch up to Din. 

They were only a couple of steps down the path when Din bumped Cobb’s shoulder with his own. “We should get fire wood together more often,” he spoke with a chuckle which soon turned into a laugh as he saw a light dusting of red spread across Cobb’s cheeks.

Cobb gave his own small laugh. “Maybe next time Boba won’t interrupt us so soon.”

“Let’s hope not,” Din replied as they entered camp and the conversation was quickly dropped.

The next time Fennec made a passing comment about needing more wood, Din tried not to laugh at how quickly Cobb volunteered. Meanwhile, Cobb tried to ignore Boba’s laugh at how quickly Din offered to join him. Both sent Boba a glare that screamed ‘don’t bother us this time,’ and thankfully he got the message.

[jawritter]

Doctor?

Request: Damn, your latest Dean smut story was amazing😍 and I also read your Masterlist, and girl, Dammn! I saw that you have written two Medical related request. So here's just one weird request, can you write some medical!kink or like Doctor!kink with Jensen? There so rare stories on these! It's okay if you say no😅

Warnings: Smut!! Roll Play, Doctor!Kink, Medical!Kink, Oral (Female receiving), language. Other than that I think that’s it.

Pairing: Jensen Ackles x reader

Word Count: 1850

A/N: As always all mistakes are mine! Please don’t copy my stuff! This may not be exactly what you where looking for anon, but it’s definatly something I’ve never done before. Sorry if it’s a little cheesy. As always feedback is gold! Hope you enjoy!

Well here it was, the last few shooting days for Supernatural. It had been a very quick nine months. Quicker than all other filming seasons over the last almost ten years you had been married to Jensen. 

It was now down to the last few days of shooting, and the end at this point was inevitable. The boys seemed to be taking it in stride, alone with the rest of the cast and crew members that make up everything that is Supernatural.

The hardest part over the last few days had to be the going through and breaking down of sets and things that weren't needed anymore. Propers were being taken by warner brothers to either be stored, or in some cases auctioned off from charities. 

Today the boys were going over to the costume storage trailer, going through it to pick an old costume to sign and then send it to be auctioned off for the charity of their choosing. It had been hours now, and you didn't expect it to go quickly. I mean you basically give Jensen and Jared the keys to a bunch of costumes. Those overgrown man children were going to be in there goofing off all night. Throw Misha in the mix and you weren't going to lie, you were slightly concerned for his safety. 

Jared had been doing all he could to get Misha these last few filming days. Getting in all the pranks, pies, and close calls he could before they yelled that's a wrap for the final time.

You were just about to settle in to catch up on an episode of the Walking Dead while you waiting for Jensen to come back to the trailer so that you could both go home to your home away from home, his apartment in Vancouver, for the night.

You hadn't even gotten five minutes in when you heard the door to the trailer open and close. You looked up from you movie that you had playing on your little laptop and couldn't help the fit of laughter that fell from your lips as you took in your husband. Standing there in Dean's doctors coat and dark blue scrubs from the episode 'Changing Channels' shot back in season five. 

He spun around for you with the most adorable grin on his face. "What! It still fits pretty good I think." He said with a proud smirk.

"Jay I thought you were supposed to be picking a costume to be auctioned off for charity. Not playing dress up." You said. Still trying to contain your fit of laughter.

"I've already done it." 

"This is the one?" You asked, you could see a hint of something mischievous in his olive green eyes as he smirked at you.

"Nope. Just thought we could... Borrow this..." he said, gesturing at himself. 

You blinked at him for a moment unable to stop yourself from biting down on your lower lips. He did look delicious in those scrubs. That honestly was doing very little to hide the fact that he was packing in the most important places, and he knew it.

He saluted over to where you were sitting. 

"I think your WAY past due for your physical ma'am." He drew out. Letting his Texas accent show just a little bit. You eyed the way that his white coat hung off of his muscular body and couldn't help playing along.. 

"Well Doctor. That's why I'm here. They tell you that your... thurow..." You tell him, and watch his eyes darken as he looks at you.

He gives you his best heart stopping smile. The one that usually makes your brain turn to mush.

"Well Mrs. I think you should make your way into my office so that we can get this started. Don't want to keep my patient waiting.." He said, Grabbing your hand and leading you into the small bedroom of his trailer. Shutting the door behind the two of you before his lips were on yours.

He kissed you breathless. His tongue invading your mouth, dominating yours. Stealing your breaths from you as his hands roamed your body. Breaking the kiss just long enough to pull your shirt over your head.

"Where are you gonna start Doctor?" You asked him sweetly. He gave you a wicked smirk that made you wetter than you'd ever been in your life, and he'd barely ever even touched you.

"Oh, this is gonna be a head to toe exam sweetheart. Starting at the ears." He nipped and kissed his way up to the shell of your ear. Taking it between his teeth gently sending a shiver through your body in the best way.

"Then we're going to check on that pulse." He whispered in your ear. kissing and sucking his way down your neck to your pulse point before biting down gently. Just enough to make a moan fall from your lips. 

His hot breath fanned over your skin as he chucked against your neck. His hands trailing up your back. Taking the clasp of your bra expertly in one hand and popping it lose like it was nothing at all. Letting it fall to the floor at your feet. 

"Then we're going to move you to the bed, and let me get a good check on these beautiful breasts." He said, Walking your backwards to the bed until the back of your legs hit the bedframe and you fell down gently on the bed. Crawling up the bed to the pillows. Jensen crawling over you, his white Doctor's coat hoving on either side of your bodies. 

He attacked your jaw line again with much more fervor than before, grinding his already thickening bulge against your covered core. Sending just the right amount of friction where you needed him most as his tongue graced over your nippes. Pulling each of them with his teeth. Letting them stand on end for him. Tracing the swells of your breast with his tongue. Leaving little love bites on the sensitive skin there. Before moving to the valley of your cleavage between your breast. Kissing all the way down your stomach to your hips. 

Pulling your pants and underwear off in one go, without so much as a word. Completely lost in his work. Sliding your socks from each foot. Kissing every new inch of skin that was revealed to him. 

"Then we're gonna make sure that those legs muscles work properly." Running his lips and fingers over your thighs, down to your knees watching as your muscles jumped and retracted under his feather light touch. Every touch sends waves of fire in it's wake. 

"Then comes my favorite part." He said, Lowering his head until his warm breath was fanning over your already soaking core before licking a strip through your folds. Stopping at your clit. Swirling his tongue around it before sucking it into his mouth. Your body arched off the bed and sounds fell from your lips that would have made a porn star jealous. Jensen ate at you like a starving man. Sending wave after wave of pleasure coursing through your body until you were absolutely shaking under him. 

When you thought you couldn't get any closer to the edge without falling over he slipped two of his thick digits inside of you, curling them and pumping them in and out of you in time with his licks at your swollen clit. Hitting that sweet spot deep down inside of you. Throwing you over the edge screaming as you came. His name falling from your lips as your body jerked around him, and your core clamped down on his fingers. He worked you through it until you had come down completely before crawling his way back up your body. Kissing you gently as you came back to him from you high.

Finally when your brain cleared from you post orgasm fog you slid his white coat down his shoulders and his shrugged it off of his body. Throwing it somewhere on the floor. "Your way overdressed doctor." You tell him as you pull at the tight blue scrubs shirt he was wearing.

"You know sweetheart I think you're right. Gonna need more movement if I'm gonna test those hips of yours out. These are a little restricting."

With that he quickly shed his scrubs from his body before throwing them on the floor alone with his coat. Leaving him bare before you.

"No underwear doctor?" You ask as you watched his thick length slap against his stomach. A bead of precume already gathered at his swollen tip.

Jensen shook his head as he rid himself of his socks. "Like I said, restricting."

You couldn't help but laugh as he spread your legs with his thick thighs. Grabbing his fully erect cock and pumping it twice before he lined himself up with you. Sliding the tip through your folds. Gathering up your slick. Nudging his tip against your clit. Sending a first wave of arosule to your core.

"Gonna test out these hips of yours now. See how much impact they can handle." Jensen said in your ear as he slid himself inside of you in one swift motions. A deep groan leaving both of your lips as he stretched and filled you up in a way only he could. Giving you little time to adjust before slamming into you at a fast pace.

The sounds of moans, and flesh moving against flesh filled the room as he pounded into you over and over again. Each drag of his thick length across your womanhood driving you closer and closer to your end. Your walls are already starting to flutter around him as his tip hits that sweet spot deep inside of you over and over and over again. His pace picking up almost to a punishing brutal pace as he drove both of you to the edge.

"Fuck Jay I'm close." You said as the coil in your belly began to tighten, warmth pooling in your core, your walls quivering around him with each hard thrust. His own pace started to falter above you.

"Cum for me sweetheart. I need to feel you." 

That was all it took. Your walls clamped down around him and he spilled deep inside you. Hit hot seed coating your walls.

When both of you finally had control of your breathing he pulled out of you slowly. Cleaning himself up in the bathroom before bringing a rag to you and cleaning you up. 

"Well doctor what do you think? Healthy enough." You asked him with a smirk as he redressed in his scrubs and white overcoat.

"I don't know sweetheart, I might need you to come in for a follow up next week. There may be some more... Test... I need to run.." He said, Leaning down and kissing your lips deeply before heading for the bedroom door.

"Were are you going? No Post sex cuddles for your best paitent?" You pouted innocently.

"Five minutes pretty girl. I gotta get this costume back before they catch my ass with it." He said with a wink. Leaving you laughing hysterically on the bed as he exited the trailer and ran back towards the costume storage trailer. 

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Tag List:

@deanwanddamons​​ @imabitch4jensen​​ @rvgrsbrns​​ @bi-danvers0​​ @onethirstyunicorn​​ @i-love-superhero​​ @akshi8278​ @alanegaming​

[coolgreatwebsite]

Cool Games I Finished In 2020 (In No Real Order)

Oh, hey! Right! I have a website! I’m like a week late on writing this, but what’s a week on top of an entire year of not writing, right? 2020 was... well, we all know what 2020 was. For me personally, it was simultaneously the best and worst year of my life. The worst in both ways you can probably assume and ways you definitely can’t (neither of which I’ll be getting into), and the best in ways I absolutely never would have guessed. That uncertain job I mentioned last year got very suddenly much more certain, at a much bigger company, for a much larger amount of money. That allowed me to get my own place, making my weird living situation much less weird. Still haven’t gotten the majority of my belongings off of the east coast, but if the entire world wasn’t currently fucked up by a global pandemic I’d have sorted all that out too. What I’m saying is that, for the third year in a row, my life has been a complete whirlwind that has left me very little time to get comfortable with any aspect of it. But I did manage to play more video games than I did last year! Which is perfect, because it’s once again time for another one of these. Here’s a bunch of cool games I experienced for the first time in 2020.

Astro’s Playroom (PlayStation 5, 2020)

My one word description of Astro's Playroom is "delightful". It's just an absolute goddamn delight. A total surprise too! Included with every PlayStation 5, Astro's Playroom is, in my opinion, one of the best pack-in games of all time.

First off, it's an incredible tech demo for the PS5's new DualSense controller. It was easy to brush off Sony's talk about the controller's haptic feedback and triggers as some Nintendo-style HD Rumble bullshit, but it really is incredibly cool once you get your hands on it. The game is obviously more than a tech demo though, or else it wouldn't be on here. It also just so happens to be an extremely solid and fun platformer on top of that. Astro controls exceptionally well and the levels are all well-designed and fun, even the gimmick vehicle ones designed to show off different features of the controller. It also has an oddly compelling speedrun mode, made all the more compelling by the PS5 notifying you when your friends beat your times and the ability to load into it within two seconds from anywhere on the console. But the biggest thing for me and, call me a mark, because I am, is that the game is an honestly incredible love letter to PlayStation history.

For the first time ever, Sony has pulled off a nostalgia piece without it ending up as embarrassing garbage in the vein of PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale. There's a Nintendo-like joyful reverence for all things PlayStation oozing out of every single corner of this game. There are so many nods and references and gags for literally every PlayStation thing of note throughout the the last 25 years, and then on top of that there's a whole heap more for the things that AREN'T of note that only hyperdorks like me would get! A sly reference to the ill-fated boomerang controller? Yep. A goof on the fat PS3's Spider-Man font? You betcha. A trophy you can earn by repeatedly punching a Sony Interactive Entertainment sign until it breaks and reveals the Sony Computer Entertainment sign it was slapped on top of? Yeah buddy. It's deep cuts all the way down, even up until the final boss which had me grinning like a total dipshit the entire time. The game is endlessly, effortlessly charming.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch, 2020)

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the perfect game at the perfect time. That doesn't mean it's a perfect game, I actually have some issues with it, but it could not have released at a better time than when it did. It came out at the very very beginning of everyone going into lockdown due to the pandemic, and it was the biggest game in the world for a couple of months as a result. I played like 300 hours and that pales in comparison to the amount of time many others put into it.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the most different Animal Crossing game there's ever been, and I'm of two minds on it. Like, I loved the game, I played a ton of it, but it's lacking so much of the stuff that made me love Animal Crossing in the first place. The series has been slowly trending in this direction for a bit now, but it's not really a game that happens around you anymore. It's all about total player control. You select where everything goes, you customize every detail of everything to your liking, hell, you can even terraform the landmass to be exactly what you want. Your neighbors take a backseat in focus and end up as little more than decorations with limited dialogue and next to no quests associated with them. Series staples like Gyroids are missing in action. Facilities and services that have been around since Wild World aren't implemented. It's similar to past Animal Crossing games in a lot of ways, but on the whole it feels like a different thing.

But like I said, two minds. New Horizons strays from what I truly want from an Animal Crossing game, but I can't deny that the game as it is is a hell of a lot of fun. There's SO much you can do and SO many options, it's super addictive. Plus it implemented my long-requested feature of letting you effortlessly send mail to friends online! Too bad the actual online play is as cumbersome as ever.

In conclusion, Animal Crossing: New Horizons is a land of contrasts. I'm kidding. It's good, but definitely missing something in a way where I can understand some people being disappointed in it. I had a ton of fun though, and I'm probably going to get back into it later in 2021.

Trials of Mana (Nintendo Switch, 2019)

Late in 2019, with the physical release of Collection of Mana for the Switch, I decided I was going to play through each game on it for the first time and finally find out what this whole Mana thing was about. I went into Final Fantasy Adventure (the first game in the Mana series, because every RPG had to be Final Fantasy back then) with zero expectations and found a totally serviceable little Zelda-like with light RPG elements. I enjoyed my time with it. I went into Secret of Mana with the expectation of it being a beloved classic and found the worst game I beat that year, hands down. That game fucking sucks. I get why it made an impression on people at the time, but it's just so so SO awful to play. Needless to say I was pretty disappointed. Honestly, I would have been disappointed even if I hadn't heard it was one of "the best games" for so long. It would have been a disappointing follow-up to Final Fantasy Adventure, a game that in and of itself isn't anything incredible. Secret of Mana is just that rotten.

I braced myself for more disappointment when (after a much needed vacation from the series) I started up Trials of Mana. This game had a reputation too, as a long-lost classic that never made it stateside. One of the best games on the Super Nintendo, criminally never released for western audiences! Like Secret of Mana before it, I'd heard nothing but effusive praise. Unlike Secret of Mana, however, I was very pleased to find out that Trials of Mana mostly lives up to the hype. From a gameplay standpoint, Trials is an improvement on Secret in almost every single way. It's not perfect. The menus are still kinda clunky, animations for things like magic and items are still frequently disruptive. But the main thing is it actually plays like a sensible video game designed by humans with brains. Attacking is responsive! Hitboxes aren't complete nonsense! You don't constantly get stunlocked to death! There are more answers to combat than casting the same spell for five straight minutes to kill your enemies before they get a chance to move! It's great!

On top of being an enjoyable video game to actually play, the presentation is top notch. Secret of Mana could be a pretty game with decent music in some spots, but Trials is consistently gorgeous and the soundtrack is across the board great instead of randomly having songs that sound like clown vomit. And while Trials of Mana doesn't have the deepest story in the world, it manages to avoid being completely paper-thin like Secret. The story actually kind of has a reason for being a bit straightforward, and the reason is that it has a really cool system where you pick your three playable characters from a pool of six. Each character has their own goals and storyline, some of which line up with other potential party members, some of which don't, and you'll even run into the characters you didn't choose as NPCs along the way. This and the relatively brisk pace of the game make it highly replayable.

I'm really glad that Trials of Mana made it over here in an official capacity, even if it was like 25 years late. It's as good as I expected Secret of Mana to be and singlehandedly saved my interest in seeing any more of the series. I'm aware the quality of what came after is very spotty, but I'll get to the rest eventually!

Final Fantasy VII Remake (PlayStation 4, 2020)

They (almost) did it. They (basically) pulled it off. They remade (a chunk of) Final Fantasy VII and (for the most part) didn't fuck it up. Ok, funny parentheticals aside, Final Fantasy VII Remake is astoundingly good coming off of over two decades of just absolutely dreadful post-FF7 sequels, side games, and movies.

Final Fantasy VII has been historically misremembered as this kind of miserable, angsty, brooding thing, both by fans and by the company that made it. FF7-branded media after FF7 itself is a minefield of changed personalities, embarrassing original characters, and monumentally lame stories. Final Fantasy VII Remake is the first post-FF7 anything that actually remembers the characters, setting, and plot of Final Fantasy VII and what made them memorable and special to people in the first place. Which isn't to say it's a slavish recreation! There's a ton of changes and additions, and I actually like almost all of them! Except for some really big stuff I'll touch on in a bit!

The combat in Final Fantasy VII Remake is great. I was super skeptical about it when the game was first announced, but they actually managed to make the blend of real-time action and turn-based RPG menuing fun and engaging. The characters all play super differently from each other too, which is a huge and welcome difference from the original game. The Materia system fits like a glove in this revamped combat system as well. The remixed music is good as hell, and the visuals are beautiful (outside of a couple of very specific spots that I'm kinda of surprised they haven't fixed in a patch yet). It's a well-executed package all around.

But alas, as always, there are negatives. For starters, this is only part one of the overall Final Fantasy VII Remake project. It goes up to the party leaving Midgar which, as you may or may not recall, is the first six hours of the original game. They compensated for this by fleshing the hell out of the Midgar section the game, ballooning the overall playtime to total of about 30-ish hours. The game feeling padded is a common complaint but for what it's worth, I didn't really feel it until the unnecessarily long final dungeon, There's also the previously mentioned and funny parenthetical'd changes and additions I don't like.

This is big time spoilers for this game so if you don't want that jump ahead to the next game on the list. The Whispers suck ass. Final Fantasy VII Remake should have been brave enough to be different without having to constantly derail everything in the most ham-fisted and intrusive way possible. You can have Jessie twist her ankle without making a spooky plot ghost trip her. I don't want to fight the physical manifestation of the game everyone thought they were getting as an end boss. If you're not doing a straight remake, that's fine, but have the fucking guts to stand by your artistic decisions without feeling the need to invent the lamest deus ex machina I've ever fucking seen. The last couple of hours of this game are 100% about the Whispers and are awful for it. It's a true testament to the strength of the rest of Final Fantasy VII Remake that this aspect didn't completely sour me on it. I can only hope that they stay dead and gone for good in the games yet to come and the remake can be different while standing on its own two feet.

I truly cannot wait for the next entry in the Final Fantasy VII Remake project. I'm excited for Final Fantasy VII in a way I haven't been since the late 90s. I have a bit of trepidation that they could royally screw it up. I mean, they already got kinda close, as I said in my last paragraph. But they got so much right in this entry that, for the first time in decades, I'm willing to believe in Square Enix when it comes to Final Fantasy VII.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim (PlayStation 4, 2020)

My one word description of 13 Sentinels is "fucking crazy". I realize that's two words, but shut up. A bizarre hybrid of visual novel, adventure game, and strategy RPG, 13 Sentinels not only makes that work, but makes it work incredibly well. 

The story is fucking bonkers. It's told entirely non-linearly and is purposefully dense and confusing, but it does an amazing job of hooking you with a cast of likable characters and some impressively well-paced twists, made all the more impressive by the fact that you can tackle the story in basically whatever order you want. I'll say it again for those in the back, the story is Fucking Bonkers. Wherever you think it's going, it's not going. Where it is going is PLACES. Seriously, if you want a wild goddamn ride, this is the game for you. The presentation is also stunning. It's a drop dead gorgeous game with a really nice soundtrack. Easily Vanillaware's best looking game, which is saying something seeing as looking good is Vanillaware's whole deal.

If I had to levy one criticism against the game, it's that the strategy RPG portion is just kind of ok. It's enjoyable enough, it doesn't get in the way and there's not too much of it, but once it starts introducing armored versions of previous enemy types it's kind of done doing anything different. It is really good at getting people to out themselves as having no idea what tower defense is as a genre though!

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (Nintendo Switch, 2018)

I haven't really historically been a "Musou Guy". Not to say I've actively disliked them, they're just not something I've seeked out very often or played very much of. Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition kinda turned me into a "Musou Guy" a little bit? It's good, surprisingly-less-mindless-than-you'd-think fun.

I actually super don't care about the Zelda branding. I think all the fanservice stuff is meh at best. What I do care about is that there's a ton of character variety and a metric shitload of content. There's so many different characters and weapons for those characters that all play differently from one another and SOOOOOO many levels to play. Like the story mode is, again, kinda meh, the real meat of the game is the Adventure mode and there's a ton of it. It's 8 different world maps, each based off a different Zelda game, with each square of the map containing a little mini-scenario with unique objectives and rewards. There has to be at least 1000 scenarios between all the maps. There's so much. And that's not even getting into some of the other side stuff like the challenge modes and the fairy raising. It's a crazy amount of game in this game.

And again, it's not as mindless as it'd seem. It's not really a game ABOUT destroying 5000 guys, it's an area control and resource management game where the 5000 guys are one of those resources. Knowing who to send where and when to fight who is way more important than pressing the XXX YYY XXX YYY on the more than one million troops.

I'd say that if you're even cursorily potentially maybe interested in a musou game, this is the one to try. And if you like it, it could literally be your forever game. A sequel came out recently too, and I'm looking forward to trying that out soon.

Phantasy Star Online 2 (Xbox One, 2020)

Phantasy Star Online 2 finally came stateside in the year 2020, eight years after its initial Japanese release and initial American cancellation. It's no Phantasy Star Online 1, but it is a really fun game in its own right provided you can find the willpower to break through its clunkiness and eight years of confusing poorly tutorialized free-to-play MMO cruft.

The main thing going for PSO2, and this is a major improvement from PSO1, is that the act of engaging in its combat is fun. The combat is just feels really really good. There's a bunch of different weapon types and classes, and once you find the ones that really click with you you're in for a good time, whether you're izuna dropping dudes with wire claws or literally doing air juggles and rainstorm from Devil May Cry with the dual machine guns.

The other stuff around that combat is weird. I generally like it, but it's weird. The story mode is one of the most bizarrely presented things I've ever seen. It apparently used to be something you'd seek out in the levels themselves, but presently it's just a list of scenes you pick from a menu and watch with next to no context until it makes you fight a boss sometimes. There's some weird moments in there that MIGHT have been cool if it were presented in literally any other way?

The systems and presentation are also way more... I dunno, pinball? Pachislot? In very stark contrast to how chill original Phantasy Star Online was, everything in PSO2 is designed in a way to maximize that flashy light bing bing wahoo you got ~*~RARE DROP CHANCE UP~*~  feeling. Which isn't to say I don't like flashy light bing bing wahoo, but it's a weird different thing.

Was it worth the wait? Yeah, sure! For me! This is another one that I played like 300 hours of! I haven't even seen half of it, I fell off right before Episode 4 released because it coincided with my move! I'm gonna go back and see all that shit! PSO2's fun! A different flavor of fun than the original, sure, but fun all the same. Another one that I'm glad finally made it over here.

Riichi Mahjong (A Table, 1924)

Holy shit I fucking did it I finally learned how to play Mahjong and it rules.

It started when I picked up Clubhouse Games for the Switch. I saw that it had Riichi Mahjong and something in my brain snapped. For whatever reason, I decided that this was the time I was going to rip the band-aid off and figure this shit out. It wasn't too dissimilar to the first time I decided to try eggs, but that's a different and much stupider story for a different time. I did the tutorial in Clubhouse Games, looked up some more basics and advice because the tutorial wasn't super amazing, and I kept playing while being aided by the game's nice helper features like the button that pulls up recommended hands. I kept playing and... sorta got it. I learned the basic rules, but none of the strategy. And then I stopped playing for a few months.

In that few months, for whatever reason, a decent amount of people I know had their brains snap the same way? Like a more-than-two amount of people I'm either friends with or following online also decided to learn Mahjong. I decided to get back on the horse and downloaded Mahjong Soul and I don't know whether it was perseverance or the power of anime babes, but this time I got it. I still refer to a sheet with all the hands and whether they work open or closed, and I'm by no means a master player, but I actually honest to god understand what I'm doing and it's an incredible feeling.

Mahjong has such a huge amount of what I like to call "Get That Ass" energy. It is the energy you feel when you get someone's ass. In Mahjong you are either constantly getting someone's ass or getting your ass gotten. Someone puts down the wrong tile and you fucking GET THEIR ASS DUDE! They're got!! They're a fucking idiot that put down the wrong thing and now you have their points!!! Or you draw what you need yourself and you're a brain genius all according to plan and everyone gives you points because you're so wise!!!! It's great!!!!!

Mahjong has long been one of those games where I'd say "I'll learn this someday" and never reeeeally actually try to learn, and I'm so glad I finally took the effort to because it's good as hell. And, truth be told, it wasn't THAT hard to learn? Like you can get to the point where I was where I didn't know the strategy fairly easily in my opinion, and once you do that It's just a matter of continuing to play to understand the rest. I highly recommended that you also go out and learn it if you similarly revel in getting that ass, it's so satisfying once you do.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon (PlayStation 4, 2020)

Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio took a big gamble with Yakuza: Like a Dragon. After seven games (more if you take spinoffs and remakes into consideration) they decided to focus on a new main character and, even more unexpectedly, they decided to change things up by turning the series into a turn-based JRPG. Their gamble paid off in spades. This is easily in my top 3 favorite Yakuza games.

The JRPG gameplay is surprisingly solid. There's definite room for improvement, but they nailed a bunch of it right out of the gate. Some mechanics are a little janky and I wish the job system was more fleshed out or just worked more like Final Fantasy V's, but they nailed one of the most important things and made the battles brisk and fun. It's a great foundation, especially for a team that's never attempted anything like this, and it's way more fun than the combat's been in any of the previous Dragon Engine games. I can't wait to see them iterate on it.

Everything else is top fuckin' notch. The music is great, the side content is fully fleshed out in a way it hasn't been since before they switched to the Dragon Engine, and I love the characters and story so much. Yakuza has a new main character in Ichiban Kasuga, and he's my son and I love him. Kiryu was great, and I love him too, but he was a bit of a passive protagonist. Stuff happened around him and he mostly just stoically reacted to it. Ichi is a much more active lead and it's great. He's a big lovable dope, and his tendency to keep an upbeat attitude and eagerness to leap into action is such a breath of fresh air. And it's not only Ichiban, since this is an RPG you have a whole party of characters and they're all great! Having them with you at all times bantering with each other and reacting to things is another great change of narrative pace, too. 

Yakuza: Like a Dragon just straight up rules. As someone who has historically not been too much of a fan of the Dragon Engine games, it's simultaneously a refreshing new take on the series and a fantastic return to form. I can't wait for what comes next. Wherever Ichiban goes, I go.

Moon: Remix RPG Adventure (Nintendo Switch, 2020)

After 23 years of Japanese PS1 exclusivity, Moon: Remix RPG Adventure finally got an English release this year for Nintendo Switch. I'm glad it did, because Moon isn't just the very definition of A Sebmal Game. It's the Sebmal Game missing link. In addition to being just a great video game, it helped me make a mental throughline for a bunch of games I love and a large part of my taste in video games.

To keep a long story short (seriously, I have a much much longer version of this saved in my drafts that I'll maybe finish someday), Moon turned out to be not the JRPG I assumed it was, given the title and basic story pitch, but a secret prequel to a game I love named Chulip. Moon's developer, Love-de-Lic, was formed by a handful of ex-Squaresoft employees, many of which worked on an extremely formative game I love named Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Love-de-Lic broke up in the year 2000 and its staff went on to form a bunch of different studios that ended up making a BUNCH of different games I love like Chibi-Robo, Freshly-Picked Tingle's Rosy Rupeeland, Dandy Dungeon, and the aforementioned Chulip. These games, when you make the connection and line them up, all have a very distinct weirdness in common that makes perfect sense once you've realized many of the same people worked on them. Figuring this all out felt like snapping a piece of my brain back in place, and it was really crazy to come to understand exactly how much this studio that formed and disbanded decades before I'd even heard of them had impacted my tastes and, hell, my life.

So what is Moon, for those who don't innately understand what I mean by "a secret prequel to Chulip"? Moon is an adventure game where you explore a world with a day/night cycle, learn about that world's inhabitants, and eventually solve their problems. Think of it kind of like The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, but if the sidequests were the entirety of the focus with no Groundhog Day time reset mechanic and none of the Zelda stuff like combat and dungeons. You play as a young boy who, after a late night JRPG binge session, is sucked into the world of the game he was just playing. Everything is off from the way it was portrayed while the boy was playing the game, though. The hero he had previously controlled is actually a silent menace, raiding peoples' houses for treasure and slaughtering every innocent animal that crosses his path in an endless quest for EXP. The townspeople seem more concerned with problems in their day-to-day lives than the supposed world threatening crisis outlined in the game's intro. It's up to you as the boy to investigate this world's mysteries, help the townsfolk, mend the damage the hero has done, and eventually restore love to a loveless world.

Speaking of love, I fucking loved Moon. I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved the music, I loved the way it looks (even though the Switch port is a little crusty in that basic emulator-y kinda way), I loved how constantly bizarre and surprising and funny it was. Like I said earlier, it's the very definition of a game made for me. It was essentially the progenitor of a long line of games made for me, and of games potentially made for me but I don't know yet because I haven't played them due to not understanding Japanese (UFO: A Day in the Life translation next please? Anyone from Onion Games reading this??). For as similar as Moon and Chulip are in their systems and pacing, I think I might actually like Moon better despite it coming earlier? It's not as full force maximum impact absurd as Chulip is, but it is a lot more playable and less obtuse once you get a grip on the time limit mechanic. You don't need a full strategy guide included in the instruction manual for Moon, and you don't need to exchange business cards with every single character to get information vital to finishing the game either.

I truly cannot recommend Moon enough if your taste in games ventures anywhere off the beaten path. Maybe this is a little conceited of me, but I assume if you're reading this article, let alone this far down into it, you relate to my video game opinions at least a little bit? You should play Moon. Everyone reading this sentence should play Moon. Moon: Remix RPG Adventure is my game of the year for the year 2020.

These games were also cool, I just had less to say about them:

Death Stranding (PlayStation 4, 2019): Death Stranding, much like Metal Gear Solid V, was a game I enjoyed for the gameplay and not much else. The story, characters, and writing were a huge disappointment for me, but man if I didn't enjoy lugging those boxes around and setting up my hellish cross-continental goon summer camp lookin' zipline network. Mr. Driller Drill Land (Nintendo Switch, 2020): I am a known Mr. Driller Enjoyer, and I enjoyed this Mr. Driller. Originally released for the Gamecube, Mr. Driller Drill Land is another long-time Japanese exclusive that finally came stateside this year and it's packed with new and novel twists on the Mr. Driller format. It looks super sharp, the music's great (also the credits music is the most impossibly out of place and extra as hell shit in the world and it's hilarious), and it's just a good ass time. The main campaign is pretty damn short, but if you're a post-game content kinda guy it has that and it's all super hard. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 (PlayStation 4, 2020): They finally made another good new Tony Hawk game, and all it took was perfectly remaking two of the best old Tony Hawk games! Plays exactly like you remember it with the added benefit of the best mechanics from up to THUG1, looks great, packed full of content, even has most of the music alongside some mostly crappy new stuff. It's the full package as is, but I do hope they end up adding THPS3 to it eventually. Mad Rat Dead (Nintendo Switch, 2020): Mad Rat Dead was a pleasant surprise that I only picked up because I saw a couple of people on my Twitter timeline constantly talking about it. A fun and inventive platformer where all your actions need to be on beat with the music. The gameplay feels great (aside from some not so great performance issues on Switch), the soundtrack is fun, and it's got a real good style to it. Demon's Souls (PlayStation 5, 2020): I love Demon's Souls and this is Demon's Souls. It plays exactly the same with some minor quality of life changes. I don't agree with many of the artistic changes, but there's no denying it looks incredible on a technical level. If you want to play Demon's Souls again or for the first time, this is a perfectly valid and fun way to do so. Groove Coaster: Wai Wai Party!!!! (Nintendo Switch, 2019): Groove Coaster is one of my favorite rhythm games, and they finally made an acceptable at-home version with Wai Wai Party. It's not a perfect replication of the arcade game control-wise, I have some issues with the song choices, and the pricing is frankly fucking ridiculous if you're not a Groove Coaster maniac like I am, but the same ultra satisfying gameplay is all there. You can even play it vertically in handheld mode! Flip Griiiiiiiip!

And we're done! Phew! Honestly didn't realize I played that many good games until I typed all this out. Thanks as always for reading this far. I'm gonna try and get back to regularly posting Breviews this year at the very least. Honestly don't know if I'll get anything else up on here, but we'll see. Here's to hoping 2021 is a little bit less of a nightmare!

[razorblade180]

Twin Snowflakes pt19: Skill, Sickness, and Skirts

Four hours into the day and no incident at school. So far so good, Summer thought to herself. It was pretty weird to be at school knowing Nick wasn’t around. The two never really saw much of each other anyways, but it was weird nonetheless. Summer sat quietly in the nurse's office with papers on her lap and a text book in her hand; the typical set up. Classroom temperatures and an abundance of not so nice peers made for a very dreadful school environment most days. It wasn’t all bad. Quiet time for most of the day was nice. Nobody or no one to bug her. Until the door swung open and Veronica disrupted the vibe.

“Yo Princess.” The girl said in a good mood. Veronica actually didn’t sound insufferable right from the jump. That nickname was still annoying though. “Do I have to pay you to use my name regularly?”

“I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, I don’t care about your money. It will never influence me. Eliza said I might find you in here. I thought she was joking but I should’ve known this is totally a thing you’d do.” Veronica looked around the sterile environment, devoid of anything interesting. “I’m supposed to be nice to you, but it’s shit like this that brings my opinion of you crashing down.”

“Whatever.” Summer groaned, rolling her eyes. “It’s not like it was high to begin with. Why are you even in here?”

Veronica took a seat on the bed next to her. She reached for one of those sticks nurses pressed down on people’s tongue and started scratching her nails along the edges. “For you obviously. I gotta be around a student council member and Eliza is taking a test. PE is your next class isn’t it?” The stick finally snapped from the friction. “Might as well try and be active and see the school. Being in one room all day is boring.”

Summer didn’t like anything she just heard. The worst class with Veronica? Why was life this cruel. She was a good girl, yet a trail came day after day to test her. “Umm you should rethink that. Valerie is in my class.Plus it can get annoyingly loud.” A cheap deterrent but Summer had to try something.

Veronica shrugged. “So? I’ll just stay away from that jock. Also I’m no stranger to crowds and microphones. That’s my life too, remember? I know how to adjust accordingly.

Summer frowned as she gathered her papers. “But-” Veronica put a finger over her lips to silence her. The girl slowly removed said finger and started putting Summer’s stuff away.

“We can make this suck, or we can make it tolerable. Let’s just both try not to step on each other’s toes and get through 90 minutes together, fair?” Veronica put Summer’s thing over the petite girl’s shoulder then got her on her feet. The slightly forceful push out the door made Summer yelp? “Why are we leaving now!?”

“Because I can phase us through the locker room door and get us changed before anybody shows up.”

“W...wait, you care about things like that? But you’re so….” Summer leaned further back to press against Veronica’s boobs. “Filled out.”

Veronica hit the girl on the head. Summer couldn’t help but notice the slight blush that appeared. “Don’t be so dense.” Veronica protested. “Just because I’m hot doesn’t mean I like stripping down to my underwear in front of others. And honestly, what’s with everyone and tits!?” She ranted, clearly passionate about the subject. “Nothing is fun about back pain. I also don’t need a bunch of entitled snobs staring at my ears and tails like I’m an exotic zoo animal. Changing early avoids most of that.”

“You eventually have to change again though.”

“I don’t have any classes so I’m not in a rush. I’ll just wait for everyone to leave or change someplace else.” Veronica looked at Summer annoyed. “Can you start actually walking or am I going to have to keep pushing?” Summer leaned forward and out of the way. She wasn’t expecting Veronica to hate changing almost as much as herself. They really did share a similar annoyance towards school. For different reasons of course. Kids looked at her scars and snickered. If Veronica felt like a zoo animal, then Summer felt like a freak show at a circus. That’s what those stares felt like anyways. Summer took Veronica by the hand and sped up.

Veronica jolted. Being grabbed like that was a pet peeve.“Hey! What’s with the pulling!?” Summer looked back at her and stuck her tongue out. “Don’t be pushy if you can’t take it. We’re gonna take a shortcut. It’s not like you really know where you’re going anyways.” Veronica mumbled under her breath. Admittedly she had this coming. Veronica had no choice but to listen.

xxxx

Back at home, Weiss was having her own set of problems in the form of her overzealous son. She had just walked in on him out of bed and reaching for his sword. Granted, he was looking leagues better than he was this morning, but that’s what medicine does! It didn’t mean he was actually better! Weiss put down the tray holding his lunch and medicine. “Am I going to have to get the black wig?” She crossed her arms and gave him the infamous mom look.

Nick gulped. Bleiss wasn’t a person to bargain with. “Let’s not be hasty hehehe.” His nervous laughter made his voice crack slightly. “I’m feeling so much better and staying in bed all day is boring, so I thought some light training…”

“That’s partly why you’re sick!” His mother exclaimed. “Your body needs proper rest.” Nick pumped his fist in the air and boasts, “My body has rested! I’m an Arc after all.”

Weiss remained unconvinced, giving him a look of judgement. Nick let out a defeated sigh. “Come on mom, I have to do something. I feel like I’m right at the cusp of a breakthrough. King of the Hill is mine this year, I can feel it.” Nick looked at his hands with excitement and frustration. He wiggled each finger before clenching his fist. “I just need to push a little more. Somehow.” He looked at his mother who was still judging him.

Weiss could tell he wasn’t bluffing, and neither was that video from the physical exam. What Nick did was beyond impressive and exceeded what she was doing at his age. It was also rocky as hell. There were multiple areas in his fighting style that needed severe ironing out. “It’s moments like these I think karma is playing with me. Winter had a difficult time reeling me in whenever I wanted to train too.” Weiss laughed a little, remembering those simpler times. They weren’t all fun and games but she cherished them wholeheartedly. “If you’re going to train then I’m going to be overseeing it and you’ll follow my rules.”

Nick’s eyes lit up like fireworks. “Seriously, the two of us!? Aren’t you busy?” Weiss shook her head. “I’m here taking care of you aren’t I? If we’re doing this then you should know swordplay isn’t the focus. You sir need to pay more attention to glyphs.” She pointed at him in shock. “I can’t have a son of mine slack off in a technique that’s built into his very DNA.”

It stung a bit to hear that but that’s because she wasn’t wrong. Nick knew compared to everyone else his glyphs were lackluster, especially to Summer. Her combinations and skill made him think she was constantly going through dust ratios in her head like an encyclopedia. “Well then, that took the wind out of my sails.” He slumped over.

“Practice makes perfect. Meet me in the garden in half an hour. Eat and take your meds before then.Also wear something warm.” Weiss said as she left.

“Yes ma’am.” Nicholas flopped onto his bed. At least it was better than doing nothing at all.

Thirty minutes went by in no time at all. Nicholas approached his mother wearing warmer clothes than his pajamas. He had chosen to wear some sleeping thermals over lounging sweatpants while his upper body was warmed by a thick gray hoodie. Normally the cold wasn’t a problem, but being sick made things a little harsher. The two stood on one of the four walkways that made the giant square garden. In the middle was a decently sized hedge maze that was surrounded by tea tables and various kinds of foliage. Apparently this was his grandmother’s favorite spot. Tea wasn’t her beverage of choice though. If it was then maybe she wouldn’t have drunken herself to an early grave.

Nick shook away the depressing thoughts. Weiss was doing the same by the way she briefly zoned out until Nick moved. He clapped his hands together. “So, what’s on the agenda?”

“Your video tells a lot about you. Constructing swords is a skill you don’t need to work on. It’s clear you got that down.”

Nick smiled proudly. “I didn’t get the nickname Gilgamesh for nothing.”

“That name also tells everyone just how bad you are at long distance and anything that isn’t directly connected to swordplay.” Weiss pointed out.

His smile turned sheepish, the pride snuffed out. “So I’m guessing that’s today’s lesson?”

“You’re half right.” Weiss grabbed his blade, Mort Froide, and placed it in his left hand. She was lucky her son was ambidextrous. His passion for dual wielding was to thank for that. She positioned his left foot forward and his right foot back; adding a slight bend to his left leg. “We’re going to put your body in positions that are normally opposite to what you’re used to. Do you know why?”

“Versatility? That way I can do sword and semblance skills with either hand?”

“Not only that, but to strengthen them and let you feel the difference in performance. Naturally you’re right handed, which means casting glyphs and swordplay is inherently going to be better on that side. Casting glyphs for you usually involves your left. It’s made it well trained, but it also means you’re rarely performing them as strong as you could be. Make a wall with your right and then with your left.”

Nick extended his middle and pointer finger while flicking his wrist up. A generic glyph formed in front of them in a second that was wide enough to cover both of them. He switched to his left to try the same. The delay was about a second longer and half of Weiss’s body was exposed. Not only that, the glyph looked slightly dimmer. He had never noticed the difference.

“Woah….who knew?”

“Your sister.” Weiss jabbed at him. “Not only is the size and speed different, but I guarantee that right handed casting can take and deal more damage. A helpful tip for Valerie. I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a subconscious amount of effort and aura going more into the left one too, but you’ve done it for so long that I doubt the difference is hindering you. Just something to keep in mind.”

Weiss pulled out Myrtenaster and slipped in lightning dust. “Our swords, like any other weapon, are conduits for our aura. Using our semblance with them is second nature and having both hands to perform glyphs by having them on the sword provides more power behind it. It’s not always viable unfortunately.”

“I know. Making the quantity and quality of swords around me helps when I do the stance you taught me. The one where you kneel and stab into the ground.” He twirled his sword once before taking a knee, piercing the ground as a demonstration. “I have the fundamentals understood. It’s the concentration I’m lacking I guess.”

Weiss agreed. “Believe me, it’s challenging. You can get to the level of focus, but you take too long to reach that point. Which brings us back to our lesson today. She handed him vials of lightning and fire dust. “You’re going to practice a practical technique, and an impractical one. The first one is time dilation.” Weiss could see her son’s face turn to despair, making her laugh. “Haha don’t worry, I’ll help you through it.”

“Mom we’ve been down this road before. It ended with me constantly getting shocked. I didn’t even pull it off.”

Weiss remembered that day. Nick couldn’t touch anything with static cling for hours. “Hey you’re a little older now. Asking that much of you was definitely on me. If you can learn to use it, then your swordplay automatically becomes better. Quick attacks are already your forte. Having this without Summer’s help will elevate you. Especially if you’re dual wielding.”

Nick couldn’t deny any of that. Time dilation was a move that would be perfect. Too bad he sucked! It was one of the few things he had no progress in. It was essentially the beginning of deep diving of advanced glyphs. “What’s the second lesson?”

Weiss pointed to the maze. “The infamous candle test!” She said b like an announcer almost.

It was one rough reveal after another. “No! I’m going to burn everything!” Nick wasn’t being a defeatist, but realistic.

The candle test was the epitome of a fire hazard. It was a difficult way of working on control and concentration to an obsessive degree. The objective was to light the candles set up on the inside of the maze as fast as possible by using their semblance. At novice level, a person goes through the maze lighting them one by one. That way control was the main focus. A step above that is to stand in the center and send tiny embers to each candle. That requires more concentration on directing the fire while controlling the output from the very start. A level beyond that was to do it from the balcony. That way you can see all the candles, but now you have wind to worry about. The flames needed to be strong enough to reach the candle while being perfectly on course so plants burn. Finally, there was lighting all the candles from the ground level from the outside of the maze. Nick could only get through the first two levels. Summer does the fourth option for fun…

“Mom, there’s no way you’re expecting me to do option four well, right?” He cautioned. “You’ll be putting out a lot of fires.”

“That’s fine. That’s what practice is all about. Repetition will make it easier because I’ll keep the candles in the same area I always do. Even if you get marginally better at this, then you’ve progressed more than you will realize.” Weiss rested her hand on Nick's shoulder. It was relieving to know that her child could still act his age. She probably shouldn’t be happy to see him nervous, but she was. “Think of it like this. Let’s say you can get past level three of the candle test in about three minutes. A level of control and concentration that swift will make everything you can already do faster.” Weiss put her sword down and held her hand palm up. A glyph suddenly formed then burst into a flash of light.

Nick closed his eyes briefly. Only to open them again to see a Sphinx the size of himself standing next to his mother.

“It’ll also bring you steps closer to everything you can’t do yet.” Weiss petted her creation. “That thing you did with your gigas is really impressive. It would be a tragedy if you couldn’t pull it off in intense, solo combat.”

Now he was fired up. He still wasn’t entirely sure how he pulled off what he did during the fight with the Paladin, but he did know that it would be a game changer if he could call upon it at will. If he could even be a fourth of what he was that day then he’d have a useful crutch. If getting to that point meant doing what he was bad at, then there was no time for whining. Nick placed a vial of lightning dust into the hilt of Mort Froide. “Let’s get to work then! Valerie won’t know what hit her!”

xxxx

“Why am I so bad at this!” Nicholas shouted off of the balcony. He had been doing the candle test for about two hours now. Time dilation was tricky but the basis of it was something Nick had the hang of, so they switched gears to this. A thing he couldn’t handle even if he had extra arms.

Weiss finished putting out the flames on the slightest burnt maze. At least it was warm enough outside to not need a coat. Both of them had switched to tank tops. “Give it one more good try, then we’ll take another break.” She encouraged enthusiastically. “Don’t worry about speed right now. Focus on concentration and control.”

“Okay…” Nick took a deep breath and got back into position. This time with his sword in his right hand. He raised it to the sky to make a fire glyph then brought it down in front of him.

“Might want to angle it a little higher. Have it arch through the air.” Nick followed hire instructions accordingly. He had twelve candles he needed to light . All in separate spots. The middle of the glowed brighter as a flame ignited. It grew more and more in size before the flame wrapped around itself to make a fireball. Concentration. Nick pulled his sword back and assessed his targets. He split the fireball into twelve smaller ones that went to the edge of the glyph like a clock face. This was control.

Beads of sweat ran down his from the heat and training, that was more rigorous than he thought it would be. “Aim and….” Nick thrusts his blade forward to send them flying. All twelve were on track this time thanks to Weiss’s advice, but only eight of them landed on their targets sadly. The other four fizzled out half way there. The boy groaned, irritated with his progress. Weiss could understand that. Between her family and Jaune, there wasn’t a soul around who didn’t strive for perfection in training.Nick went to raid his sword again but it was quickly pushed down by Weiss’s.

“Uh uh, break time.” She tossed him a towel for him to wipe his face, and screamed if he needed to. She did i that sometimes in moments like these. On the bright side, nothing was on fire that shouldn’t be. “I know this won’t mean much coming from your mom and all, but I think you’re doing pretty well.”

“What are you talking about?” Nick said, wiping his face clean of sweat and ash. “That means a lot. You’re the best at this mom.” He smiled which made Weiss smile. “Maybe I can ask Summer for insight when she gets home.”

“While you’re at it you should probably ask for singing practice with her since she talked you into a duet.”

Nick shuddered at the thought. “Ugh, don’t remind me. I’m not well enough to deal with the critiques of an idol that loves the stage more than breathing.” Summer was a nice girl most of the time. Not to mention reserved, but that changed drastically when it came to singing, Veronica, Shiva, and the heat of battle. Maybe it had something to do with adrenaline? She did enjoy snowboarding after all. “I think I’ll practice singing with you instead. It’ll be less trouble.”

“You’re just afraid of greatness.” Called out at Sumner from behind them. Her folks turned around in shock to see her standing there. “What? Lose track of time? Schools over.” Her attention was brought to her tired twin. Summer did not expect him to be training on a sick day, nor did it make her feel good about how she spent her time. Yet again, Nick was slowly widening the gap between them. This time it was in something she was good at. “How many candles?” She asked, mainly to boost her own ego.

“Eight. Not nearly as good as you.” He said in earnest. “Mind showing me how it’s done?” Weiss handed Summer her sword hilt first.

Great, now she felt a little guilty. Here she was happy to have a leg up on him and he praised her without reason. Summer grabbed her mother’s sword. “No offense Nick, but I can’t put how to do this into words. I just...get it.” She peeked over the edge to see the candles, then stepped back far enough to not see them at all. A fire glyph formed in front of her and with a flick of her wrist, one huge fireball shot up into the sky. It reached over the middle of the maze before bursting into twelve flames that landed right on the candle. Summer gave back her mother’s sword and walked away feeling accomplished. “Just keep at it!” She shouted.

Nick grabbed the tip of his towel and grunted into it. “No effort at all. It’s like she waved it like wand and the rest worked itself out.”

“I hope you know that you don’t have to reach that level of fluidity? Summer has a knack for glyphs the same way you have one for swordplay. Not that either of you are particularly bad at either if I do say so myself.”

“Hard to say that after today.” Nick mumbled, looking at the lit candles. “Hey? If Summer is so good at this then why can’t she summon more than a limb or two?”

“Well to put it simply, summoning requires a lot more than skill. Passion, need, you gotta put your all into it. You’ve done it before. Both of you did at the exam. What were you feeling?”

“Good question.” He sat down and crossed his arms, reflecting on the moment. “Desperate? I stopped thinking about myself and the test for a moment. All I wanted to do was make sure Valerie and Summer were safe, then poof. Next think I know I’m in armor.”

“Anything else?” Weiss was intrigued. She must’ve rewatched the final five minutes of that video at least a dozen times by now.

“Well after they were safe I wanted to end the fight as fast as possible. Huh, I wanted to win no matter what. Then I blacked out.”

Weiss has done that before. She couldn’t count how many times it’s been her vs a grimm that had hurt a teammate and all she wanted to do was strike it down. “I want you to keep that feeling in mind for awhile. Try and understand those emotions so you can use them whenever.”

“I’ll try. Who knows, maybe one day I can win a match against you.”

“Ha! Graduate from an academy first and become a pro first.” Weiss ruffled her child’s wild hair, making him laugh. “Don’t expect me to hold back either. You’re getting everything. From dragons to behemoths!”

The two kept laughing and enjoying their time together that they didn’t even notice Veronica had entered the room. A piece of her didn’t want to interrupt. Not just before seeing Nick laugh was pretty freaking adorable, but because both of them were way more in shape than she realized. Nick was still growing so that made sense, but Weiss!? Veronica wasn’t sure if she paid attention to Weiss’s arms but. They were cut! No wonder her own parents gush over her. It was hard to believe she pushed out twins. Veronica also took note of the lingering embers and fire dust in the air that surrounded the mother and sun. She’ll try to remember it for her fire and ice clothing design. Could be useful.

Veronica finally spoke up. “I take it you’re feeling better?” Her voice finally catches their attention.

Both of them look at her then gasp. Veronica stood before them wearing a white and blue cheerleader outfit. The skirt altered colors while the half shirt was white with blue stitches and Nick’s school name on the chest. The girl swayed side to side with pompoms in her hands. A smug smile spread on her face as her ears and tail bounced to her little dance.

“Sup!” Veronica sang, enjoying the reaction. Weiss and Nick looked at each other, then back at her. “I was gone for a day!” Nick exclaimed. “How did all of this happen?”

Veronica snickered, thinking about gym class. “I’ll tell you about it later.” She spun around for fun.

“Having fun?” Weiss smiled. “I guess today wasn’t like yesterday?”

“Nope!” Veronica cheered. “Are you feeling better? I can tell your breathing is still a little shaky and your heart rate is off.”

Weiss went back into mom mode. “Nick, are you still exhaust- uhh Nick?” The boy didn’t respond. He had spaced out watching Veronica. It took a minute to realize but the moment Veronica noticed that his gaze was on the swaying skirt and torso, her face got a little more smug. Not to mention red. Weiss bopped her son in the head to snap him back to reality. “Whatcha looking at?” She said with a smirk.

Nick’s brain finally started working again and noticed the faces staring at him. He immediately turned red and looked at the ground. “Sorry, I totally didn’t mean to...ya know.” Their laughter only made him redder.

“Well what do you know? The knightly prince is just like any other high school boy. Honestly if it weren’t for Valerie I’d assume you swing the other way sometimes.” Veronica joked, catching Nick off guard.

“Hey! Who would think that?”

Weiss rubbed her chin. “You do complain and avoid so many other girls.”

“Don’t agree with her! You did the same with rich boys!” He countered. Nick then remembered his mother had told him that she’s flirted with her own teammates countless times. “Actually...forget what I just said.”

“Yeah you were about to set yourself up.” If Weiss had her black wig then she wouldn’t think twice of letting certain escapades with Yang and Blake slip. Just for a good laugh. “Seriously, you okay?”

“Totally, can we keep going? I wanna try just a little longer.”

Veronica spoke up again. “Actually I was hoping to steal you away for awhile. I still need actual measurements for your clothes. If that’s not a problem. Summer already did hers.” She added for extra effect.

Weiss thought that was a good day. “I don’t mind cutting the lesson short soon. Give him like another twenty minutes. In the meantime you can unwind for school.” Veronica’s eyes got big. “Okay!” She did a backflip and phased through the floor where she should’ve landed. Suddenly it made sense how she might’ve been put on the team. Harriet lives for flare. A confident gymnast that always lands on her feet and is pretty well known would add to the tournament festivities while potentially beating out the school cheer teams.

“That woman really likes winning.” Nick thought to himself. “Alright, back to the grindstone!” He stood up with renewed vigor. Or whatever you would call a second win whenever you had a cold. He had twenty minutes so he was going to make them count. “That outfit would go to waste if I lose. Can’t have that.” There was something about the way he thought that made Weiss happy. He might be her child, but phrases like that were very Ruby like. He was just so sweet and turning into a fine young man. She couldn’t help but wrap her arms around him and hold him close. “I love you so much.”

Nick’s face was turning red again as he hugged his mother. In truth he could spend the remainder of training time like this in complete satisfaction. “I love you too.”

xxxx

Across the manor, Yang was paying her daughter a visit. Or least she intended to, but somehow she wound up peeking through the crack door of Vee’s room as the girl admires herself in the cheerleader uniform; doing generic poses and the occasional giggle. That came to an end however when Yang was caught in the mirror reflection with a cheeky smile on her face.

“Gah! Ma!!” Veronica said flustered beyond belief. Yang could only let out a hardy laugh as she entered the room. “Sorry not sorry, I couldn’t resist.” She said, hugging her embarrassed daughter. Yang was actually surprised Veronica let her hug her on the first try. Usually Yang’s arms would pass right through her.

“Well well well, somebody is in a good mood, and for obvious reasons.” Yang tugged at the uniform. “And you said nothing good would come out of school.”

Veronica playfully rolled her eyes. “Okay fine, today was pretty alright. Happy now?”

“I’m happy you’re happy.” Yang kissed her cheek and stared into the mirror with her. “We didn’t talk much after you came home yesterday or this morning. Holding up? Careful not to eat too much meat.Not that I mind, but you’ll be upset with yourself if you do.”

“Yeah I know. I’ve been pacing myself today. I’ll probably have a salad or something for dinner. Haven’t figured it out.”

Yang took it upon herself to sit at the edge of Veronica’s bed while her daughter started putting school stuff away. “You know I bet Nick would find it interesting to see the difference between starved and apex.”

The comment made Veronica cringe. She wouldn’t know how to feel if anyone saw her like that again, let alone Nick. “Let’s not test that theory. Acting like that in Atlas of all places wouldn’t do well for human and faunus relations. Speaking of which…” She pulled out her scroll and tossed it to Yang with a tab of herself on it.

Yang read the headline. “Menagerie’s Favorite Daughter Spotted in Atlas.” The picture itself wasn’t recent. It was Veronica on top of a car with a megaphone during one of many protests. Yang liked this picture a lot. Veronica had a fist raised in the air as people chanted with her and waved signs against an intense sunset. She looked powerful. “I guess they know now. Not that they wouldn’t with all the help you’re providing for the twins.”

“That’s true. I just don’t want people hassling me. I’m here to do my own thing, focus on my designs. Spend time with Nick…” she mumbled that last part. Yang heard it anyways. You would think a faunus with amazing hearing would know how to whisper. “How much does Nick know about your situation?” She asked.

“Are you referring to my physical situation, or my social one?” She hated that she had to clarify. Technically Veronica could think of three, but mentioning the third one would be a long conversation she didn’t want to have with anyone. She had it handled anyways. “Socially, I haven’t said anything much. Physically, I clarified things you told him behind my back.”

Yang had managed to forget about the part where she did that. “Oh yeah? I guess that’s a decent amount.”

“Not even going to deny that last part?”

“Nope!” Yang put her hands behind her head and walked around a bit. This always helped her think. “I’m not gonna apologize either for being concerned either. My options were your crush or the girl you’ve argued with since you were four. You don’t confide in me with everything and gods know that I couldn’t ask you to tell someone. You’d throw a fit!”

To say her options were limited was an understatement. Veronica could see that. It still felt invasive.Then again, that’s what parents are. “Point taken, even if I don’t like it.”

“Glad you can see it my way. Letting Summer know would be nice too. Friends knowing your struggles can be therapeutic.”

“We’re not friends.” Veronica aggressively stated, a slight amount of attitude came. “Being friends with a girl like her would only piss me off. I’ll be civil and nothing more!” She scoffed. Yang threw up her arms in jest. “If that’s what you want. I suppose I’ll settle for Nick knowing.” A devious thought came into her mind. “Better hope he doesn’t ask about heat.” Yang wasted no time bolting out of the room as Veronica got a deep blush and started shouting, her mind flustered.

“He doesn’t have to know about that! And you better not bring it up!!” That conversation didn’t have to exist. Those answers will be kept to herself even if it meant gluing her mouth shut. After that remark, Veronica desperately needed to cool off. Time for a shower.

xxxx

Turns out twenty minutes wasn’t that much time for Nick to make any further improvements. Disappointed, he walked down the hallway towards Veronica. He hadn’t been in that room since she showed up. He assumed it had to look like a boutique by now. Nick turned the counter and bumped into his sister unexpectedly on the way there. Summer had ditched the uniform in favor of an oversized ‘Boop!” shirt and sweatpants. Her studio headphones hung around her neck while her hands held two journals and a pencil. Nick knew this attire. Summer was in what he called, ‘Lyrical Mode.’

“Writing a new song?” He tried to peek at the journals but Summer pulled them closer to her chest. “Yes, and so much more.” She stated defensively. “Oscar thought I should try expressing more of my, let’s say inner feelings. I’m not really sure how it will be received though when it’s done. Piecing it together lyrically has been rough.” Summer looked down to read what she had and sighed. “Fortunately this one is more for me. Tournament wise I have a few ideas of previous covers people might like.”

Nick could tell Summer was deep in thought about this. She wouldn’t win awards if her choices in music weren't meticulously planned. “Well if anyone can pull off this halftime show and make it amazing, it’s you. But I hope you remember that we’re still in the tournament; can’t burn before our matches.” He reminded her as he chuckled nervously.

Summer pursed her lips and studied that chuckle. “Don’t worry, I won’t wear you down. Just get healthy and work on relaxing your jaw when you hold a note.” Summer patted his shoulder and went on her way. “Dad and I will be in the music room.”

“Hold on!” Nick shouted. “How did Veronica get a cheerleader uniform?”

Summer laughed. “Haha! I’m sure she’ll want to tell the story.” Now Nick was even more interested and sped off to the room. Summer stopped and turned around. “Wait, Veronica just got out of-” Summer didn’t speak fast enough.

Nick didn’t stop to think about knocking first. He simply walked in on Veronica wearing a shirt, only a shirt. If Nick thought the skirt was distracting then this was a full blown diversion. The purple shirt stopped right around her thighs and showed off her toned legs. Any movement could easily start showing a bit too much. The two teens said nothing; they just stared right at each other in shock. Nick slowly backed away while closing the door, then started walking away.

Summer shook her head at her idiot brother. “I know it’s our house but how’d you forget to knock?” She didn’t get an answer. He waved her off in embarrassment of his foolish screw up.

Veronica came running out of the room, black shorts appropriately around her person. “Wait!” she got down all fours and pounced once across the hallway, diving right through Nick and blocking his path. His blush was as red as her own. “I walk around like that at home, but I’m not home, so… oops.”

Nick couldn’t believe it. Why was she apologizing!? “No no, that uhh, that one’s on me.” He stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck. “Knocking was invented for a reason. Sorry.”

“It’s cool. Well I mean it’s not cool! But you know I uhh...it’s not like I’m…” Veronica had no idea what she was saying. “Mad, I’m not mad” her tail pointed back to her room. “Anyways, ready?”

“Y-Yeah hehe.” Step by step they eventually made their way through the hall again at a good pace. Summer could only write in her other journal, then one made for her feelings.

“Journal entry number 117: Some days it feels like I’m the least awkward person in the room. A very staggering feat to say the least.”

Part 18

[amtrax]

Megaton Girl FAQ Masterpost

Here is a bunch of potential questions that you may have about Megaton Girl for both new and long-time followers!

What is Megaton Girl?

Megaton Girl is a scripted podcast (which is to say a radio play) that I would describe as a superhero comedy with lots of action, adorable romance, and an overarching story. The pilot is available here and I highly recommend checking it out if you want an idea of what the style and tone of the show will be.

Okay, well what’s the basic story?

From the official description:

After getting struck by a radioactive meteor, Connie Opland becomes the latest contender in a world of super hero celebrities: Megaton Girl. With the help of her girlfriend and secret publicist Laurel Fitz, and her mentor and manager Kirby, Connie aims to dethrone the corrupt and arrogant Captain Valiant as the greatest hero in the world!

That sounds totally radical, dude.

Thank you, 90′s-slang-spewing question asker.

I have very specific tastes. How will I know if I like this show?

If you enjoy any of the following, you’ll probably really really like this show: Stories with LGBTQ protagonists, Marvel and DC comics, Megas XLR, Teen Titans, The Adventure Zone, Critical Role, The Thrilling Adventure Hour, Mission to Zyxx, Hello from the Magic Tavern, Sonic Boom, Swat Kats, and honestly just check it out. The pilot’s only like 15 minutes long, and I think you’ll really love it if you check it out.

Well, who is the show about?

Connie Opland AKA Megaton Girl: A snarky, bubbly and easily excitable young woman with a love of food and low tolerance for jerks. After a bad run in with a corrupt superhero named Captain Valiant, Connie gets struck by a meteor and gains super powers. She dons the persona of Megaton Girl and begins a career in super-heroics, hoping one day to dethrone Captain Valiant and give the world a hero that actually gives a shit. She’s not very bright or quick to the uptake, but she has a ton of grit and determination. No matter how many times she hits the mat, she’s always back on her feet and ready to fight back. She lives with her best-friend (and now girlfriend), Laurel, in a cheap apartment in Los Dioses, California. Powers: Super strength, flight, energy beam attack (expelled through mouth), enhanced durability. She still feels pain and isn’t completely invincible, but she can withstand a megaton explosion and walk away alive (though VERY hurt).

Laurel Fitz: A shy, composed and brilliant lady with wonderful artistic talent and a passion for documenting the feats of superheroes. She is the newest member of the Olympus Illustrated news team. Her job is to essentially write and illustrate comic pages documenting the latest superhero news. When she gets on the bad side of her boss (whom is secretly Captain Valiant), she gets humiliated and demoted in front of the whole bullpen. When Connie gets superpowers, Laurel begins to secretly rebel against her boss by publishing a website dedicated to documenting the feats of Megaton Girl. She also begins learning the basics of superhero coaching from Connie’s manager, Kirby, who sees a ton of potential in her. She lives with her best friend (and now girlfriend), Connie, in a cheap apartment in Los Dioses, California.

William Kirby: A grumpy, no-nonsense old man with a long, once-celebrated history of superhero managing. He represented and coached the best of the best for decades before being forced into an early retirement by his last client, Captain Valiant. He distanced himself from society and lived out of his gym locker room for 15 years, until Connie and Laurel popped into his life asking for help. He’s long past his prime, so he calls in favors from heroes around the globe and beyond to assist in training Connie to be a hero herself. On the side, he begins to teach Laurel how to be a superhero coach, seeing her as a worthy future successor to his business.

Chuck Bradford AKA Captain Valiant: A vain, pompous, power-hungry man who is a superhero in job title only. He does everything for personal gain, even when it comes to stopping crimes. Once represented by Kirby, he cast his old manager aside when Kirby refused to coddle his ego. He lied, cheated and beat his way to the top of the superhero world, and stood unopposed as the most powerful hero in the world for a little over a decade. To fuel his ambitions, he runs the Olympus Illustrated news outlet, wildly overemphasizing his own deeds and often minimizing the efforts of other heroes. There are few heroes who verbally oppose him (and even fewer who physically oppose him), as he has been known to turn the world against those who seek to bring him down. Powers: Super strength (amplified by years of bodybuilding on top of his natural superhuman power), flight, energy beam attack (expelled through eyes), enhanced durability (comparable to Megaton Girl, though with a much higher pain tolerance due to more years explosions and bullets in his face).

Doctor Menace: A bombastic, bumbling, over-eager supervillain with copious amounts of intellect, but none of the brilliance to put it to much use. None of his plans have ever succeeded, his inventions are in perpetual “early-access,” and no hero or villain ever takes him seriously. In spite of his endless list of failures, he sets high goals for himself and always gets back up after every failure, with just as much vigor and excitement as ever. He just loves being the bad guy, no matter what gets in his way. He dreams of one day being the respected arch-nemesis of a powerful superhero with whom he can be locked in ceaseless bloody combat for all time, and to join a league of supervillains with which he can begin his conquest of the world. Also he’s stuck in a too-small tin can of a mech suit. Haha. Powers: Extraordinarily high IQ, high tech armor and gadgets with seemingly endless resources to create more, and limitless determination.

I watched the pilot and I [totally loved it]. Where’s the rest of the show?

We’re working on that! We want to turn this into a full series and already have several episodes written, but in order to produce a full series we will need funding to make sure that everyone involved is paid for their time. One possible goal is to get the show picked up by a podcast network so that we can run the show like a podcast with commercials. Another possibility is Patreon or some other form of crowdfunding.

Is there anyway I can help with that?

The absolute BEST thing you can do right now is to share the pilot. Reblog it, retweet it, TALK about it. Get the word out, and I do mean the word.Use the #MegatonGirl hashtag on Twitter. Tell people what you think, because word of mouth is the best form of getting people to listen. Tell US what you think! Share your thoughts on the pilot, leave iTunes reviews, leave Youtube comments! We want to know what you think!

This sounds like it’s gonna take a while! I want the show now! And an Oompa-Loompa too, daddy!

PUT THE GUN DOWN! WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS, OKAY?! Alright, okay okay. How about we make a full first episode for now, and see what happens? We’ll produce a full origin-story episode about how Connie and Laurel become girlfriends, how Connie gets her super powers and begins her rivalry with Chuck, and how Connie stopped her first supervillain? It’ll be about an hour long and be a proper start to the series. That sound cool?

Looks like you keep your kneecaps today, sir.

Thank you for your blessing, gender non-specific question asker.

I have fanart/AUs/other fan related content that I want you to see. What’s the best way to get your eyes on it?

Tag me on Tumblr @amtrax or on Twitter (at)amtraxVA, and/or use the proper “#Megaton Girl” tag on Tumblr and the #MegatonGirl tag on Twitter! I have gotten some LOVELY fanart and I love seeing all of it, so if you have some and you want it seen, that’s the best way to get it seen!

Hey don’t you run away from me! I have other questions!

And I’ll gladly take them, any time! Either leave them in my askbox or Tweet it at me! I’ll always answer it as best as I can without spoiling too much of the show. I also put out a call for questions and art requests every week for Megaton Girl Megatuesday, so keep any eye out for that as well.

For now, I think that’s a good spot to leave this. I will update this later as necessary, but I hope your basic needs are tended to for now! Thank you for your time and hope you enjoy what’s to come next!

[margridarnauds]

ronan & olympe for the ship opinions? (also please let your previous anon know that they're the funniest person in the world and i love them)

So…interesting thing, there. And something I’ve been increasingly thinking about as I think back on my last few years of fandom, my evolving feelings towards M/F shipping, and how fandom, as a whole, treats M/F ships. I’m going to apologize in advance for the length since I KNOW you didn’t sign on for 1.5k words of reminiscence. 

Also: BEAGLE ANON, YOU’RE THE FUNNIEST PERSON IN THE WORLD. 

When I first started out with 1789, in about 2015 or so, I was actually pro-Ronan/Olympe. Like, I wanted NOTHING more than fix-it fics where they retired to the country and had babies. I listened to La Guerre Pour se Plaire for HOURS, getting caught in the gothic atmosphere and the passionate, conflicted lyrics. But, at the time, the overall fandom environment was…well. Not conducive to it. And I was young, and I wasn’t strong in my opinions yet, so I stood back and kept it to myself. I think that might be part of why I ended up backing away from 1789 when I did. Yeah, I liked it, but I didn’t have a strong sense of community, and most of the attention, at that time, was in the Mozart, L’Opera fandom, and I wasn’t a major picture there. I attended streams, yeah, but I wasn’t a CONTENT creator, and it was easy for me to fade into the background, I think. Maybe because I was too afraid to be a content creator, back then, because that would involve possibly expressing my own opinions. I accepted that Ronan/Olympe was No bad, terrible, awful based on that desire to fit in, because it was so much EASIER. Just like I accepted that French 1789 was a disaster, that MOR was much better, and that, really, it wasn’t worth the effort. Just an inferior musical. (The problem, of course, was that I NEVER liked MOR as well as I liked 1789. Maybe it’s better put together, but I don’t ENJOY it as much, and imo it drags quite a bit at a few places, a problem shared by its German counterpart.) 

I came back to 1789 around…2017, with the European Musicals Streaming event, with the Takarazuka one totally stealing my heart, specifically Lazare/Ronan. Suddenly, I was IN, and I was creating content. Yeah, most of the French musicals fandom didn’t give a flying fuck that I was creating content, with most of my support coming from my friends and Takarazuka fans, but I was CREATING CONTENT, for the first time since I joined fandom. I was finally starting to figure out my way in fandom, finally starting to get noticed. In 2018……..for reasons I won’t give out, at least publicly, there was a massive rift in the old French musicals fandom, a lot of bridges got burned, and, naturally, I was far enough from the fire. But this DID give me a shot at carving out my own 1789 experience, for once, without them hanging over my shoulder. I do think that the reason why the 1789 fandom’s as strong as it is now is because of that rift, because it left a sort of power vacuum. Suddenly, there was a space for other French musicals, and we didn’t have to worry about the constant comparison to MOR. BUT. Keep in mind. 2-3 years ago, the overwhelming consensus on Ronan was pure, unadulterated hatred. There were a few Ronan content creators in an already small pool, but the general consensus was that Lazare was better in every way and Ronan was a terrible protagonist.  (I know fully well that some old members of the French musicals fandom, to this day, won’t engage with Ronan content. At all. And I can say this as openly as I do because I KNOW they don’t follow me.) As a Peyronan shipper, I was in an awkward place, especially as time went on and I realized that I actually did like the little shit. One half of my OTP was absolutely beloved, one half was hated, and, while there was definitely some content on the Tumblr side of things (I definitely did NOT single-handedly invent the ship out of thin air, I don’t take credit for it, and I’m grateful to everyone who kind of. Took me in), the fan fiction side of things still tended to lean Ronan/Olympe. If, today, it seems like the fandom consensus is Ronan/Lazare, that’s because I fought tooth and nail to get my own place in the fandom. 

I…suppose you could say that I justified my place in the fandom by tossing Ronan/Olympe under the bus. It was easier, that way. It meant that I could forge alliances with anyone who wanted Solène/Olympe instead, though I was still on dangerous ground since I still wanted precious Lazare with Ronan, and, of course, the show would be better without Ronan. (You’ll note that the VERY FIRST fic I ever published on AO3 was Solène/Olympe. Why? Because I knew it would be a safe option to test the waters. That. And I really did just write it the night before my GRE.) But, at least I wasn’t a Ronan/Olympe shipper, right? I was safely gay. (Biphobia, thy name is fandom.) When I talked about Ronan, I talked about him as gay, I talked shit about Ronan/Olympe whenever I had the chance. All properly tagged, of course, in the proper channels. I’ve never been the sort to actively hurt someone who DID ship it, I just took pains to not associate myself with the Icky Het Ship. When I talked about Ronan, I talked about him as GAY, VERY GAY, not a hint of bisexuality to him. Because if he was bi, that might mean that Ronan/Olympe had a leg to stand on, you see? You’ll note that, to this day, I almost never acknowledge Ronan/Olympe as a thing that HAPPENED in any given fic continuities, because it was so much easier if he simply fell into Lazare’s arms instead. Wiping that little spot clean. And. Well. Here I am. About 5 years after I first got into 1789. And, looking back, I wonder if it was REALLY that bad, or if I just nodded my head because it was easy at the time, since it’s only been in the last year that I really, really began to develop my own spine. (Honestly, props to Marie Antoinette the Musical and, specifically, Morléans as a ship for that one.) For the most part, I’m proud of how far the fandom’s come in the last five years, and I’m proud of the work that I, individually, have done to help get it there, whether it was streams, gifs, or fanfics. But sometimes, I do worry that anyone coming in who ships Ronan/Olympe, like I used to…might feel out of place, and I never want to treat them like I was treated back in the day. 

Do I ship it? Not really. That ship’s sailed for me (I didn’t mean to make that a pun but here we are). I’m fairly firmly Lazare/Ronan and Solène/Olympe (though I’m not as firmly pro-the latter as the former, simply because I REALLY don’t have as much material to go off of there.) Not just because of the old pressure, but just because…looking at it in, say, the French cast…there’s really no chemistry there. At all. The Takarazuka Olympe looks mildly terrified to be in Ronan’s presence at any given moment. I DO actually kind of like it in the Toho production, especially with Teppei Koike and Sayaka Kanda, since the two of them fit together SO naturally and their voices are like two pieces of the same puzzle, but I’m not sure it’s something I’d particularly want to create content for. In fact, when I tried to write Ronan/Lazare/Olympe as an OT3, my HARDEST dynamic to write and justify was Ronan/Olympe. I do think that “La Guerre Pour se Plaire” is a stunning song, musically, it’s probably one of my favorite French musical songs. I do kind of tend to see Ronan as gay, simply because Takarazuka Ronan in particular is………..forceful, to the point that I can see him forcing himself to believe he’s in love with Olympe in order to distract himself from Lazare. I feel like the French cast, while arguably realistic in it showing Ronan/Olympe’s relationship having problems, also shows a couple that, really, beyond the physical attraction, couldn’t have made it work had both of them survived. And I feel like fandom, back in the day, was far too willing to take Olympe’s side over Ronan’s in that dispute, ignoring how Olympe’s own relationship to her side of the conflict is…kind of toxic to her. And while Ronan went about it in an ass-backward way (“I will kill your friends and family! To remind you of my love!”)……..he did make some Points. And Toho Ronan/Olympe, particularly Teppei/Sayaka, are more two kids in love who just want to give it a shot. (Kato Kazuki/Nene Yumesaki were more….forceful, manly hero/prim and proper governess with a spine of steel. Which is OKAY, but not really personally as interesting to me.) I do give the Toho credit for really, really making me see that, okay, it might not be for me, but it CAN work on stage. Mostly. (I still hate that forced kiss.) 

 I will say that there are times where I find myself writing Lazare rather similarly to Olympe in terms of him going through the same feelings of guilt, shame, and duty, and I’m just like “....hm. What have I really changed? Did I just substitute Lazare’s face for Olympe because it was easier? Or copied the existing dynamic and pasted a dude’s face over Olympe’s?” (I do think that there are definitely DIFFERENCES to Olympe VS Lazare, it’s just...eerie in those individual moments.) I do think, at the end of the day, the story of forbidden love during the French Revolution....we’ve HAD it before, in the La Revolution Française musical, and in my opinion it does work best as a queer narrative. And, unfortunately, Ronan/Olympe just...isn’t developed particularly well enough on stage to justify it as an EPIC ROMANCE. 

Overall, I think that I’m fairly settled in my ways at this point, but I also don’t hate it to the extent that I once did. It’ll never be my favorite, I can’t really see them getting married and having kids, and, frankly, the relationship just isn’t as interesting to me as the alternatives since we’ve SEEN it played out on screen, and I can’t really see myself making content for it or really engaging with it in any meaningful way outside of reblogging gifsets/reading fics, but like. I don’t HATE it anymore. I’m neutral to its existence. And, when it comes down to it, I have read fic/engaged in content for it, because, at this point, it’s STILL part of my favorite musical. If I could have done things differently….maybe I would have stayed with it more, for longer. Maybe I’d have written that happy country babyfic (you know. In 18th century France. Where raising babies in the country was so painless). Maybe I’d have gone over to Peyronan earlier and not looked back. Maybe I would have written Ronan more consciously as a bisexual man instead of a gay man. Who knows? Maybe I’m just a tired bitch these days and so am hyper-dissecting everything. But I definitely never want anyone coming into the fandom to think there isn’t a place for them just because they ship Ronan/Olympe. 

[cherry-valentine]

Fall 2019 Anime Season

Here’s what I’m watching:

Stand: My Heroes is an otome series that’s pretty and refreshing in that it stars an adult lady protagonist who has a career - she works as a “scout” for a new program that works to gather talented individuals (all handsome single men, of course) from various fields to solve drug-related cases. The art is nice and the music is above average, with really cool opening and ending themes. My biggest issue with the show is that it has way too many characters, many of whom look very similar. Honestly, for the first few episodes I could only tell some of them apart by their voice actors. Luckily the show has some very well known voice talent. It gets a bit easier as the show becomes a little more episodic, dealing with small groups of the men at a time. But still. If all of these guys were in the game, it must have been hell trying to get all the endings! The overall plot is a little vague but I do like that the heroine is independent and respected by the men on her team. There are a couple of the usual tsundere guys but they mellow out pretty quickly. The show is interesting and attractive to look at, but it would have benefited a lot from narrowing its focus and cutting down on the number of hot guys (now that’s something I never thought I’d type).

Ahiru no Sora is a new sports anime about basketball. It actually follows a similar plot setup to Hinomaru Sumo - a talented player starts at a new school and goes to join the club of his favored sport, only to find it overrun by violent delinquents whom he’ll have to defeat (via his sports skills) in order to officially join the club and start a team. The protagonists even share the same problem of being considered way too short to participate in the sport they love and also the fact that their ill mothers gave them encouragement. The biggest difference, however, is that Hinomaru was already a very accomplished and even somewhat famous sumo wrestler when the series begins, whereas Sora is talented but has never even played in a real basketball game, making him very much an underdog. He’s a likable character, as are the delinquents that gradually come around to playing basketball with him and cleaning up their acts. I was a little annoyed by the fact that there is a peephole the guys use to watch the girls changing into their uniforms. Not by the fact that it existed, because it’s actually kinda realistic that delinquent teenage boys would do something like that, but by the fact that Sora is shown this peephole in the first episode and is never seen doing anything to close it up despite becoming friends with one of the girls and him being presented as a moral, upstanding guy. I hope they address it in the future because it kinda bugs me. On the plus side, the main female character (there’s always one in any sports anime) is a very talented player on the girls’ basketball team, rather than the team manager or whatever. I like that she’s a player of the sport rather than just a fan or support character. Also, the fact that Sora’s main source of inspiration is his mom, who was a famous basketball player herself in her youth, is pretty cool. Overall, the show is enjoyable even if it feels a little overly familiar.

Hoshiai no Sora is a revelation. It feels like a very important moment for anime that will no doubt be talked about for years into the future. Be warned that I venture into possible spoilers territory here, though I don’t share any plot details. I started the series because I saw boys holding tennis rackets in the artwork, fully expecting “just another sports anime” (which is fine, because I love sports anime). What I got was a very big, very nice surprise. Hoshiai no Sora is a sports anime, in that it follows a sports team and spends some time showing training routines and matches with rival schools. But it’s also a realistic, nuanced, heartwarming, and often painfully traumatic coming of age story about the boys on the tennis team, most of whom have compelling back stories or home lives.  Almost every parent in the show is an absolute nightmare, to the point that when a non-terrible parent shows up, every commenter on the episode was immediately suspicious of them. It should be clear by now that there are some massive trigger warnings to apply to this show. There are rather graphic depictions of child abuse, from physical to verbal to emotional, and all of it is horrifying (and kudos to the show for recognizing that there are so many different forms of abuse and all of them are traumatic). Thankfully, the show is not all doom and gloom. In fact, the show is one of the sweetest, most uplifting, most touching series I’ve seen in years, mostly due to the fact that these traumatized kids are all so supportive of each other. They’re kind to each other, even if they bicker here and there about silly stuff. They defend each other from bullies. One character in particular goes to some rather extreme lengths to look out for his friend. It’s also very important to note that the show tackles issues I’ve legitimately never seen addressed in anime, at least not in such a respectful and tasteful way. One character in particular is first presented as gay (and it seems all the other characters are aware that this person is gay, and the tennis team will NOT be having your homophobic bullshit, thank you very much) but then is revealed to be non-binary/questioning their gender, and the show seriously spends almost an entire episode talking about this, about gender identity, with one character relating the story of the transgender man who practically raised him. An anime series actually, seriously, discussed these issues. As a straight, cisgender person, I can’t speak for how accurate all of this was, but judging by the reaction to the episode by folks in the LGBTQ+ community, I’m willing to assume the show did a great job. I’m also willing to bet that somewhere in Japan, there are young people watching this that desperately need to see it, that desperately need to hear the positive messages presented (protagonist Maki kindly gives encouragement and support to his non-binary friend, and at times it feels like he’s speaking to the audience). I know some of this stuff would be considered spoilers, but honestly, I feel like more people would give this anime a shot if they knew it featured all this awesomeness. The art is lovely. The music is great. This is a series that needs to be watched by as many people as possible. Don’t sleep on this one, please.

Boku no Hero Academia Season 4 is more of the same. I’ve already talked several times now about my issues with the series (how female characters are handled in general pretty much sums most of it up) and I’ve already talked about how much I enjoy the show despite those issues. This season introduces an interesting and imposing new villain in Chiaki, who has a cool design and power. I’m also pleased that the show seems to be making an attempt to actually let the female characters DO STUFF, as well as introducing some cool new lady heroes who actually have interesting powers. So... yeah. A good show got better. Special mention goes to new character Sir Nighteye, who is a perfect example of how voice casting can really make or break a character. I would have found him pretty boring if he wasn’t voiced by the supremely talented Shinichirou Miki, who brings all his various characters to life in such a vivid way, I’ve never come across one I didn’t like.

Special 7 falls into the “urban fantasy” genre, the kind we see a lot of in anime lately, with supernatural elements mixed in with modern life. In this case, we have races like elves and vampires living peacefully alongside humans in the modern world. The story follows a certain police unit made up of various fantasy races and humans formed to deal with a terrorist group called Nine who aim to bring back dragons (something about dragons used to rule the world or maybe terrorized the world, I don’t remember). There’s a nice mix of characters in the core team, many of whom will feel familiar. They’re still fun though, and their chemistry as a team and as friends is one of the main reasons to watch. I’m particularly fond of the vampire lady named Shikisai who uses a samurai sword and is, from what I can tell, the most physically badass member of the team. She also appears to have an adorably sweet home life with her husband (or boyfriend?) and is just generally a cool chick. The animation is okay and the music is above average. The plot has several mysteries that are slowly being revealed, but has enough humor to keep from getting too serious. Fairly low on my watch list, but still has a solid spot.

Psycho-Pass Season 3 is a show I was looking forward to. I still think season one was one of the best anime seasons in the past ten years. Season two was good but couldn’t really contend with season one. The movie was great. The OVA’s were great. I was pretty hyped for season three, and so far... eh. It’s okay. Honestly if it were a new show I’d probably rate it much higher, but as a continuation of a story like this, I’m finding it a bit lacking. At times it actually does feel like a new show. There are two entirely new protagonists, who are both interesting and likable, but neither immediately gripped me the way Akane and Kogami did in previous seasons. Some elements of the show seem to contradict, or at least stretch, the world-building that had already been established. New protagonist Arata has an ability that verges on supernatural (in a show that has never had supernatural elements at all). They try to explain it away as something “anyone can do” with enough practice, but that sounds ridiculous when you see his ability in use. We also see “abandoned” areas where there are apparently criminal groups just... living there. Doing whatever. I guess they’re supposed to be like Yakuza, which makes zero sense in this series. If you can escape the oppression of the Sibyl System by just walking across town to an abandoned area, why did a character in season one have to flee the country? It just seems to fly in the face of all the setup that came before. Overall, this season has a general feel that doesn’t gel well with the rest of the series. That being said, taken on its own, it’s still entertaining, with high production values that afford it smooth animation and excellent music. The stories so far have been fairly engaging, but they give off a vibe of “really well done fanfiction”. But whatever, I’d watch paint dry to get an occasional glimpse of Kogami.

Carry Over Shows From Previous Seasons: Black Clover Diamond no Ace Dr. Stone

Best of Season: Best New Show: Hoshiai no Sora Best Opening Theme: Black Clover Best Ending Theme: Diamond no Ace Best New Male Character: Toma (Hoshiai no Sora) Best New Female Character: Shikisai (Special 7)

[chapitre7]

Alexandria Chapter III

The Untamed [陈情令] | Mo Dao Zu Shi [魔道祖师] fanfiction

Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Yīng | Wei Wuxian (Wangxian)

Time Travel/Sci-Fi AU

Chapter I | Chapter II

Read on AO3

Maybe he said the right thing then. Or maybe they were trying something new, after monitoring him doing nothing for days on end. Whatever it was, the balance of his days is tipped in his favor as Wei Ying is let out again the next day, and the day after, and the day after that. He makes a quip about it, something spontaneous that barely filters in his mind, and Lan Zhan stuns him with a simple, “Wei Ying is not a prisoner.”

 Wei Ying has a vague notion that he was once imprisoned in his life, but it felt like it was dirtier, miserable, undignified. And if they hadn’t kept him in that room for so long, observing, measuring him from the strands of his hair to every component of his blood, what would he have done after taking his first breath? If he had simply been unleashed into the endless hallways as soon as he had woken up, might his heart not have stopped at the first sight of the monstrous machines used to study the sciences and man? It’s too complex a thought for Wei Ying to ponder, so he just settles for the fact: he’s not a prisoner, and Lan Zhan shows him everything.

 There’s a room full of objects kept inside glass boxes. Swords, armors, handwritten notes on tattered paper and cloth, women’s hair accessories, and even clothes. His own robes are at the center of the room, perfectly propped up as if he were inside them, the informative sign only indicating his approximate time period.

 Lan Zhan doesn’t look him in the eye when he says, “They said they can only name renowned figures in history...”

 Wei Ying just laughs, brushing his embarrassment off. “And there are no records of a conqueror Wei Ying, right?” He holds his chin in mock contemplation. “But I’ll have you know that I was fairly well-known in my time. Every time I entered a big city, people would go, ‘Wei Wuxian? Get that troublemaker out!’, and I had to use all talismans at my disposal to lose them!”

 Lan Zhan tilts his head slightly, slowly blinking. “Wei Wuxian was your... courtesy name?”

 “Yeah! The sects learned it quickly because I wasn’t, er, particularly known for respecting their inner rules.”

 Lan Zhan nods. “Wei Ying was a deviant.”

 He gasps, at both the tone and the slow blinking of his eyes. Lan Zhan! Teasing him! His voice is a pitch higher when he bites back, “I was once a distinguished sect disciple too! Lan Zhan!”

 He doesn’t need to know their language to understand the scholars’ glares as he runs after a rather smiling, enabling Lan Zhan, and, biting back a grin, feels that he’s slowly regaining his place in the records of infamy.

 ***

 The moment he steps into the library, Wei Ying knows it’s his favorite place in the whole facility. Even though he has never been a good student or a friend to books, he’s certain about it. There’s no other place with such wide, clear windows, from where he can see, but not hear, the rustling branches of ancient trees. Every scholar in the common room only has eyes for their portable computers, tapping away in what Wei Ying has learned is a form of writing, or making waving motions to read complicated texts that make them frown. Here and there, Wei Ying spots someone with a physical book, the kind he’s familiar with, and he’s thankful that not all things have to die.

 Lan Zhan slides open the doors at the center of the common room and keeps them that way only long enough for Wei Ying to waltz in. Soft blue lights against a dark atmosphere take the place of the gray, overcast sky of the common room. Every other space in the massive building is cast in such bright, white lights that Wei Ying can’t help but marvel at the faerie lights that seem to float like lanterns cast into the night sky.

 “To preserve the books,” Lan Zhan says beside him, voice low, too close to his ear. Wei Ying suppresses a shiver and enters the maze without a plan, brushing a hand against his cheeks, suddenly too warm.

 His fingers hover over the spines and he’s more disappointed than he thought he would be that he can’t read any of them. Every time someone enters the same aisle he is, he turns his back and walks away, never in the mood to be scrutinized, especially when he’s unable to use any of his usual defense mechanisms of deflection.

 After a while, despite thinking the archives are pretty with the lighting, setting him in a paper forest, he wants to call Lan Zhan from where he’s watching him, from the other side of the aisles, and ask for a livelier place, maybe where there’s food and less grumpy faces, and he really is walking towards him when he catches something out the corner of his eye.

 He can read that spine. He stops and pulls, gently, hoping the book won’t fall apart in his hands. What are the odds he had already read it once? Low, but when his eyes fall upon the verses, he can’t help but let out a curt, delighted laugh.

 “Lan Zhan,” he calls out and winces once his companion approaches him. He feels inappropriate despite Lan Zhan not chastising him to be respectful in that section, that pocket space with no one around to hear or see them. Licking his lips, he tries again, in a loud whisper, “I can read it!”

 Lan Zhan hums. “This is the collection that I helped put together.”

 Wei Ying’s starts, head turning in his direction, fingers still barely touching the words he didn’t know he had missed. Lan Zhan seems to admire the collection with as much wonder as Wei Ying feels.

 “You did?”

 “Yes. A portion of them is from my family’s private archive, whatever we could save from the fire. The rest I gathered from all over the country.”

 He pulls another book from the shelf; there’s no dust to brush away, though those pages carry the weight of centuries.

 “Whenever we were called about an uncatalogued tome, I’d go and bring it back here.” He puts the book back, aligning it perfectly with its neighbors. “We have representatives in many cities.”

 “So that’s what you did before you were in charge of me, huh.” Wei Ying focuses back on the book, flipping the pages with the respect he had for Lan Zhan’s work. “Must have been an adventure for you. Wandering around, rescuing books.” He chuckles at the image, at the absurd seriousness of Lan Zhan retrieving books like they’re his precious children. Maybe they are, if a single poem Wei Ying read in his youth can bring him so much familiarity, such unexpected comfort.

 “...I volunteered for you.”

 He freezes, having half a mind to close the book and hold it with two hands, lest he drops it from his loose fingers. He looks up and Lan Zhan holds his gaze, eyes dark in the blue light, but he knows they’re clear as a cloudless day. There’s no pretense in them, no gloating or teasing, just the truth, fluttering an echo in Wei Ying’s stomach.

 “Wei Ying is not a prisoner.”

 The proximity is suddenly too much for him. He wants to go, shifts to put the book he’s holding back in its place, but there’s warmth pressing against his side, a hand covering his before he can let go of the book. Wei Ying lets Lan Zhan pull his hand down, and gently pushes it against Wei Ying’s chest.

 “Take it,” he says, words direct but falling into the cadence of a question, a request that Lan Zhan can’t phrase well, perhaps just as taken by the sudden gravity between them. It ought to be studied, Wei Ying vaguely, inanely thinks, and smiles in spite of it, or maybe because of it.

 “Thank you,” he says, this time to Lan Zhan’s face, this time definitely basking in his small, shy smile. As they walk back to the entrance, Wei Ying quips, “Ah, if only my teacher could see me now, willingly reading the poems he tried to make me memorize!” As if he really could remember the face of his strict, sputtering teacher at the Cloud Recesses, who used to yell at him for being the worst student he ever had.

 As if he were going to think about anything other than Lan Zhan opening that book in a faraway city, long fingers flipping the pages as if touching a flower’s petal, reading the same words of longing that Wei Ying could, pale sunlight at his back and that smile on his lips.

 ***

 “You mean we are at the Cloud Recesses?”

 “It’s not called that anymore, but yes. It’s where it used to be.”

 He honestly feels a bit stupid. It’s not exactly an unfamiliar feeling, in either phase of his life. Having been a student at the Cloud Recesses in his youth, he should have remembered the way of the mountains, the seriousness of the sect members, their dedication to knowledge and discipline, and, well, he should have caught it at the Lan. But in his defense, he’s an amnesiac warrior who just happened to travel several lifetimes into the future, so Lan Zhan would forgive him for his slip.

 Lan Zhan never teases him as he would, if their positions were switched. Not that Wei Ying is a bully (he could be, if he wanted to), and not that Lan Zhan doesn’t have his own moments of mischief, though they’re sparse, barely even there, like meaningful blinks as Wei Ying reads a character completely wrong when he’s supposed to be very much literate and very much the former disciple of one of the big sects. There’s all that and then there’s the unwavering attention he gives him, like the duteous student Wei Ying has no doubt he is. All of it, sitting with him, drinking tea, supplying him with books that were published long after he had been gone from the world but still in a language he can understand, Wei Ying knows it’s all part of his job, but there’s also a sense of comfort, of uncomplicated friendship. Wei Ying had broken off his deepest relationships, had barely connected to anyone again after that, but he holds on to this fragile hope. If he didn’t, if he believed his time with Lan Zhan was all simple research, waking up to the future would be so much harder.

 “What was it like?”

 And Lan Zhan makes it so easy. He adapts to his rhythm, as if Wei Ying had never been playing the wrong notes in their song. Turning his eyes up and his focus inwards, he paints all of the images that his mind can conjure. The flowing white robes as the disciples walked through the halls, the yelling of his teacher when he gave the most outrageous answers to his problems, stealing fish at the back of the mountain with his friend instead of attending his afternoon classes, the snow reflecting a timid sun in early spring. When he mentions the time he saw bunnies with colors and spots as diverse as the many sects on the land, Lan Zhan shows a small, barely perceptive smile, and he files that away with all his good memories. Lan Zhan really makes it easy, even to remember, even if it’s just flashes, by allowing him to become a familiar figure at the facility and the facility to become familiar to him. If he had never trusted him, would he still be wilting away in his glass case? And if it were anybody else, would his own laughter resound, defy his neighbors’ white noise, and cause the past and the present to converge, like two rivers that finally meet as one?

 “Ah!” He snaps his fingers, causing Lan Zhan to blink. “Gusu Lan sect members used to be proficient in music, even going as far as to use it as a weapon. Can you play any instrument, Lan Zhan?”

 Lan Zhan hesitates before shaking his head, and Wei Ying deflates.

 “Can Wei Ying?”

 “I can, actually!” He’s quick to place his elbows on the table again, leaning forward, looking up at Lan Zhan. “My mother taught me how to play the dizi, but I haven’t played one since...” He waves his hand, recovering with a smile. “Do you guys have one? Or something like it?”

 Lan Zhan brings a finger to his lips in thought, and Wei Ying files that image, too.

 “I’ll look,” he concludes, and the promise is enough to make Wei Ying glow.

 It takes a few days of Lan Zhan masterfully dodging his eager eyes until the morning he walks into Wei Ying’s room, as usual, and just stands at the doorway for long seconds.

 “Lan Zhan?” Wei Ying questions with a tilt of his head. Lan Zhan opens his mouth once, closes it, then speaks.

 “Come.”

 He goes, because Lan Zhan calls and because Lan Zhan rarely calls, curiosity and anticipation tingling inside of him. They tread through corridors Wei Ying must have seen a hundred times already — although he wouldn’t be able to tell you which way was which still —, being so bold as to wave at the scientists he walks by. When Lan Zhan takes a turn and they reach double doors Wei Ying is certain he has not seen before, his cheekiness dissipates.

 Wei Ying wishes he knew why this ice tower that replaced the airy Cloud Recesses couldn’t afford to have a single open area. He’s deeply ignorant of how much the weather has changed, the phrase “We’re burning down the world” still replaying in his mind whenever he glimpses at the outside, but he wants to fill his lungs with the chilly air, run and lose himself in the smell of wet leaves, crush the pristine white rocks that paved the courtyard under his feet. What he gets, as Lan Zhan leads him to a new, different building, is a long corridor surrounded by glass walls and ceiling, like they’re on exhibition to the creatures outside. “Ancient troublemaker in black and his well-mannered, good-looking companion who tries to keep him out of trouble”, reads his mental sign of them. He chuckles at the thought. What would Lan Zhan have been like in his time?

 The new building is so much somber, Wei Ying resents that he’s spent all this time plagued with mourning white. The walls are blue, still light, but easier on the eyes, and the floors aren’t as shiny, as echoing. Every door they walk by has a different cloud design and it’s so strikingly dissonant with the impersonal building he had come to know that he realizes there’s no way he is in anything other than the facility’s personal quarters.

 Lan Zhan’s room is around a corner and there’s no room beside his, only one across from his own. A window touched by the rain is placed between the doors and Wei Ying wonders if Lan Zhan looks outside every day, at this place that used to be the Cloud Recesses. Would he think of the past that he studied or the future that no one yet knew?

 Most of the room is carpeted in dark blue, and only modestly furnished. There’s no clutter or unnecessary item of any sort; in fact, the only things that catch his eyes other than the small kitchen in the corner, the closed cabinets and dresser, are a few books, stacked neatly in a suspended shelf; a clear, thin vase devoid of flowers on a nightstand by his bed, and a simple incense burner next to it. Even Lan Zhan’s bed is hidden away by curtains of a sheer fabric, like a starlit sky, and along with the incense, it slightly shifts Wei Ying’s impression of the man. That maybe his direct words and straight posture hide a child-like dreamer at odds with the rest of the stern scientists. Given the far look in his eyes when he took Wei Ying to the projection room where he stood with him in the depths of the ocean and the poems he picks for Wei Ying to read, it’s a harmonious image. Wei Ying is suddenly consumed with the thought of driving that side of Lan Zhan out, to play with it like they’re still teenagers, and not men in their twenties, hiding away from authority figures so they can sneak out after curfew.

 There’s something else that catches his attention. On the low table at the center of the room is a black box, which is exactly what Lan Zhan motions to him before he walks away to make them tea.

 Wei Ying sits on a cushion and brings the box closer to himself. There’s an elegantly thin, golden line running along the edges, and Wei Ying traces it, excitement fluttering in his stomach. Flipping the latch open, he can hear Lan Zhan speaking in the background as he gasps. “I had to reach out to correspondents farther than I had initially thought would be necessary. I’m sorry it took so long.”

 It’s more than worth the wait. In fact, looking over the sleek, black instrument, and the striking red tassel adornment that mesmerizes Wei Ying when he picks it up, it’s probably a lot more worthy than his own technique. How long had it been since he last played, and how much longer still for his stiff, thousand-year-old body to remember the positions of his fingers, the correct way to breathe?

 Wei Ying had nothing to worry about in the end. As soon as he brings the dizi to his lips, he remembers, much like he would always remember his master’s fighting style, the way to run from one roof to the next without ever losing his footing, like a cat. The melody that blows from his lips is a sweet nothing, an invitation from him to himself, come, come sing with me again. Opening his eyes, he glances at a Lan Zhan frozen in place, a teacup in each hand, eyes only slightly widened, lips slightly parted, staring right back at him. The attention delights Wei Ying, and so he takes the dizi back up and plays him a song.

 The songs from his hometown are lively. His fingers work with enthusiasm, his eyebrows rising at Lan Zhan, who forgets to touch his tea, before he closes his eyes and immerses himself in reliving the melody. The rhythm mellows, a cue for dancers to go to their assigned spots, before it picks up again, dazzling like a bird perched on a branch, singing at the clear, early morning sun. As he finishes and reopens his eyes, he sees that Lan Zhan is smiling the widest he’s ever seen. Why would they deprive him of the simple happiness of music? Lan Zhan’s fingers twitch in the momentary silence, ready to move along the notes again.

 “Any requests?” Wei Ying asks, a little teasing, mostly overflowing with pride, heart beating unusually loud against his ears.

 “I don’t know any songs. Wei Ying should choose.”

 Wei Ying smiles a crooked smile, half heartbroken, half contemplative. Since he’s in the Cloud Recesses and in the presence of a Lan, surely there’s something he can—

 Ah.

 Wei Ying’s notes rise and fall, like the course of water, carrying, carrying one’s consciousness, a leaf helpless against the current. The long notes take a swirl, enrapturing the listener, the leaf dancing around itself in the water; a singer’s lullaby. He remembers being told by arrogant Gusu Lan sect members that the Song of Clarity was one of the hardest melodies to learn and that was precisely the reason why he did his best to learn it. And in that room with such an honest admirer, Wei Ying can even feel his golden core come to life again, just barely a spark, infusing the section of the song with the tranquility of a night’s sleep.

 Breaking away from his own spell, he lowers the instrument and looks at Lan Zhan’s reaction. His eyes are half-lidded, lost in a moment or a note or a thought.

 “Do you like it?” He asks and Lan Zhan nods, humming his answer, still taking a few more seconds before meeting his gaze. He doesn’t say anything but Wei Ying doesn’t look away; he rests his chin on his palm, elbow propped on the table, and leans closer to his friend. “I can teach you.”

 He looks visibly shaken to Wei Ying, though none of his gestures are capable of being loud. Chuckling, Wei Ying raises his free hand, index finger pointed up.

 “On one condition.”

 Lan Zhan seems to hold his breath, but Wei Ying might be thinking about himself.

 “Can you teach me how to read and speak your language?”

 Lan Zhan blinks and Wei Ying leans closer still, letting out a dramatic sound, forehead touching Lan Zhan’s shoulder in one of the techniques that used to do him wonders when he asked his sister to make his favorite dish.

 “Please? I feel like I’m constantly at a disadvantage by being illiterate in a place full of scholars.”

 “I’ll teach you.”

 The answer is so swift that Wei Ying chokes on air, coughs a few times, feels Lan Zhan’s hands touch his elbows in support.

 “Really? You don’t have to ask for permission?”

 He’s too close. He can see how long Lan Zhan’s eyelashes are when he blinks, likes the angle of his bangs and how they barely cast a shadow on him, can’t help looking at his lips when he repeats, “I’ll teach you.” Then Wei Ying is nervously backing away, hands quickly acting to place the dizi back on its case to save face, clearing his burning throat, unable to stop the pulling sensation at his middle.

 “Thank you, Lan Zhan!” He says quickly. “I’m going to be the best teacher and student!”

 When he gathers the courage to look up, Lan Zhan has a skeptical eyebrow raised, because he did pay attention to all the stories of Wei Ying’s youth, and the laugh that bubbles out of Wei Ying is easy and genuine.

[somniumoflight]

Crossover Idea #6 - My Hero Academia and Katekyo Hitman Reborn!

Izuku and Bakugou end up reincarnating into the KHR world

Okay, so, the funny thing about me is that even if I’m not overly familiar with a fandom, I WILL read fanfictions from that fandom so long as they’re a crossover with a series that I AM familiar with.  And I’ve been reading a lot of KHR/BNHA fanfics lately because of that, and have thus become passingly familiar with Izuku/Deku (precious green bean who is also swole AF because crazy training regimen) and Bakugou (resident jerk who probably has major self-esteem issues hidden under that explosive shell).  

I have also read enough of that particular crossover to notice that whenever reincarnation or interdimensional travel happens, it’s usually the KHR cast ending up in the BHNA world and not the other way around.  Though those fanfictions I HAVE read that dance to that tune are awesome, there’s some missed potential for chaos there. Thus this dumpster fire of an idea: what might happen if members of the BHNA cast ended up in the KHR world?  

And of course, since they are the characters I am most familiar with in terms of personality at this point, my brain suggested I make Izuku and Bakugou suffer by having them be the victims of my crazy brainstorming.  Sorry, Deku, you don’t deserve this.  (Bakugou, on the other hand, definitely deserves a bit of suffering.)

So, here’re some ideas for this crossover.  Again, I must reiterate, I am not overly familiar with BHNA’s plot, even if I am now somewhat familiar with the two main(ish?) character’s personalities and such, so these ideas will lean heavily towards the whole KHR side of things and not the BNHA side of things, and I might get some details wrong.

Izuku and Bakugou are both Pro-Heroes when the stories start, having long finished school at U.A.  I’ve seen posts about their relationship improving later on in the manga… barely… and I’m a sucker for the jock-and-nerd-friendship vibe of their relationship in fanfics anyway, so let’s say they were slowly but surely ending up friendly rivals again instead of whatever toxic dumpster fire they were before okay

Anyway, long story short some group of villains gets lucky and somehow manages to kill both of them while they’re on duty. Both Heroes are then reborn into the KHR world to the local equivalent of their parents from their last world.

Izuku’s mom is still Inko, but instead of being a civilian single mother Inko is actually the wife of the spare heir of a yakuza family who attempted a coup and failed badly, and is therefore under watch all the time.

The Bakugous, on the other hand, are also related to Yakuza through “Kaachan’s” mom, but they’re not directly involved with yakuza-type stuff anymore because they live in Namimori and as such are kept under watch by the Hibari family.

Inko is still friends with the Bakugous, but because she’s kept under firm watch by her husband’s family she hasn’t been able to take Izuku to visit them, and Izuku’s smart enough to realize that asking about them would probably get his mom in trouble, so he never brings it up despite REALLY wanting to see if Bakugou’s around too.

Izuku’s life is sort of normal apart from the “heir to a yakuza family” thing up until he’s like eight years old, at which point one of the other heirs to the family takes over and decides he wants to get rid of the spare heir and his mother so that nobody else has claims to the family. Inko ends up dead, (sorry Deku) and Izuku ends up going Flame Active as a Sky with strong secondary Lightning Flames.

Izuku ends up making a break for it after his mother’s death, and remembering what his mom said about the Bakugous makes a beeline for Namimori.

Bakugou, on the other hand, while all this has been going down, has actually been living a pretty good second childhood despite the lack of Midoriyas around.  Namimori’s pretty peaceful most of the time despite the number of Flame Actives and former mafioso and stuff living there.  Still, Katsuki was bored out of his mind for like the first five years of his life because after years upon years of fighting criminals and villains such a normal civilian life is just plain BORING to him.

This boredom eventually leads to him going kinda vigilante once he’s trained himself back up to snuff (as much as you can when you don’t have a Quirk anymore, which he’s pissy about), but since he’s still a little kid in a town full of criminals that’s pretty dangerous.  Eventually, though, some stupid assassin tries to off a little kid in town, Katsuki tries to stop him, he nearly dies, and then boom, Dying Will Flames activated.

Honestly, I was torn between having Bakugou be a Storm, a Cloud, or a Sky, because all those Flame types kinda fit him based on what I know of him from canon, but eventually, I decided the best thing ever to do here was make Bakugou have Wrath Flames because those are the closest the KHR world has to his Explosion Quirk, plus having him run around as a mini blonde Xanxus screaming DIE at everyone that pisses him off would give the mafioso glorious conniptions and probably make the Varia go WTF and it would be amazing

Seriously though, Bakugou and Xanxus are incredibly similar.  They both have similar anger issues, they both have similar power sets even without Kaachan having Wrath Flames, they both have similar verbal tics (“trash,” “extras,” all the cussing), heck they’ve even got similar physical appearances, what with red eyes, spiky hair, and both refusing to wear uniforms correctly (i.e. not actually giving a damn about fashion most of the time haha). Bakugou’s basically just a mini blonde Xanxus who decided to go into Hero work instead of Mafia work.

Huh, maybe I should make the two of them related or something.  I mean it’s not like we actually know much about Xanxus’s actual blood relatives, right?  Besides then we’d be able to make the Mafioso have yet MORE conniptions because “oh no all of Xaxnus’s being Xanxus is hereditary.”  

Anyway yeah Katsuki gets Wrath Flames, which he is delighted about because he’s basically gotten his Quirk back, and since he is who he is he’s not at all subtle about having those Flames either, which means he’s basically blowing shit up all over the place as soon as he figures out how.  This eventually results in Hibari – as in the one we know from canon – trying to bite him to death because he’s “disturbing the peace” or something and somehow one thing follows another and the two of them end up sparring a lot and hey would you look at that, Katsuki’s made a friend just as violent as he is for once.

During this period of time Bakugou also properly meets Tsuna, who was the kid the assassin that made him go Active was after, and though at first he doesn’t want anything to do with the kid (“he’s more useless than Deku was at that age, damn”) he eventually sort of ends up beating up the kid’s bullies when they’re off school grounds, mostly just because he can (and because he won’t admit that the kid reminds him a lot of Deku and definitely won’t admit he’s got a bit of a soft spot for people like that)

Eventually, though, the thing with Izuku’s family happens and the green bean stumbles into Namimori.  Some of the local thugs try to beat him up only to get pummeled by Lightning-enhanced fists, and then Katsuki turns up partway through the beatdown and yay, they’re finally actually reunited in this shit world, they’re not alone.

Bakugou ends up bringing Deku home with him and Deku basically refuses to leave and just kinda clings to him for long enough that Bakumom and Bakudad just throw their hands up and adopt the kid. He’s Inko’s kid anyway, it wouldn’t be right to leave him with a stranger, and having someone as sweet as him will help keep their son out of trouble, right?  (WRONG)

After Izuku turns up in town and things settle down a bit he proves he’s just as “crazy” as his new brother/best friend by being just as crazy about fighting as Kaachan is.  Hibari dubs him an omnivore after the first time he picks a fight with the shockingly swole green cherub and Izuku joins Katsuki in the whole vigilante thing they got going on

Also, Izuku kinda adopts Tsuna as a little brother of sorts, because he sees the same things that Katsuki did with the kid stumbling around and all the bullying happening, only instead of leaving it be other than beating up the bullies like Bakugou does he actually goes so far as to actively help the kid out, and ends up dragging Bakugou into the whole thing too.

So basically by the time Reborn arrives in Namimori Tsuna’s got two friends that will literally punch anybody who messes with him in the face, and also who are two former superheroes who do NOT approve of their little brother figure being forced into the mafia like this.  From then on a lot of canon events get de-railed because Katsuki and Tsuna are both playing a game of keep-away to keep Tsuna away from Reborn (or at least trying to, they’re still little kids at this point and he’s the World’s Strongest Hitman, so they’re giving him less trouble than they think they should).

Also when the Varia eventually roll into town Katsuki and Izuku are literally having none of that shit.  None.  Also this is when the Varia see that Katsuki is basically a mini blonde Xanxus and have their WTF moments galore, Xanxus included.  They’re not the only ones, nobody on Tsuna’s side of things was expecting a second Bakugou to turn up out of the blue.  (Tsuna: “Oh my god, oh my god, Katsuki-nii, there’s two of you!”  Bakugou: “Shut the hell up.”)

And that’s literally everything I have on the idea.  I love this idea a LOT, seriously, SOMEONE needs to write something like this even if I don’t.

[winterune]

Well, that’s one more anime ticked off my 2019 watch list. I still have...I don’t know how many I have left ^^; Maybe I’ll finish those spring leftovers first haha, then maybe I’ll finally watch the part 2 of Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 (for which I would need to rewatch part 1) and Vinland Saga. Well, anyway, let’s get into it.

Hoshiai no Sora - Thoughts and Musings

This anime was...one hell of a ride. Okay, maybe not as much as Beastars was (though, Beastars wasn’t really emotional per se, but rather an anime that tackles really heavy topics), but the emotional roller coaster throughout its 12 episodes was really something to reckon with. Honestly, I wish this was a two-cour anime instead of a one-cour, because the 12-episode run doesn’t give it enough time to really flesh out all their characters and give everyone a satisfying ending. 

I mean

As long as he’s alive, we will never be free. I’m ending this.

What kind of ending is that??? *flips table* (beware of spoilers)

In its heart, this is a story about trying to find your place in a world that is trying to box you in. It’s not just your average sports anime about a weak sports club trying to gain its reputation back. It’s more than that. We have this cast of seemingly stereotypical characters, but right from the very first episode, we’re immediately given a tease of a dysfunctional family in our two main leads: Maki with his single mother as a parent and his abusive father still terrorizing them from time to time for money, and Touma who doesn’t have a good relationship with his mother for unknown reasons. And it turns out, the rest of the team member has their own issues to deal with. 

Rintaro, being a child born out of teen pregnancy and was then put up for adoption. Though he has loving parents, it still doesn’t erase the confusion and incompetence he had felt because of it. (I kind of have issues with how his parents told him he was adopted when he was still only 10? 11? I think that’s a bit too young for him to know he was adopted. I mean, an elementary school kid is suddenly being told that the parents he has always known has never been his real parents. It would get him thinking: why was he adopted? Why didn’t his mother take him? Was he unwanted? Was he a mistake? Huh, I guess that’s why I can’t do anything right. I’m a failure. I was a mistake. I shouldn’t have been born.)

Itsuki’s mother, in, probably, a bout of depression, poured hot water all over his body when he was only 1 year old.

Shingo, who doesn’t seem to have any problems, lives with a step-mother who is only protective over her daughter while dismissive over him. He doesn’t seem to be overly bothered by it. In fact, he adores his little sister. He’s probably learned to deal with his step-mother’s behavior. 

Taiyo’s parents are quite overprotective and overbearing, but at least I don’t think they’re doing any real, permanent damage to him. 

Tsubasa, though has wonderful relationship with his brothers, has a father with high expectations and will not settle for less, who won’t try to understand why he dropped soccer and took up soft tennis. Who won’t get off his case, saying that it’s stupid, that it doesn’t do him any good, that you’re better off studying instead of joining such a stupid club. And he actually slaps him, right across the face, causing Tsubasa to fall off the stairs and break his wrist, one month before his big game. And yes he looked shocked at what he had done, but he didn’t do anything; he just stood there, he didn’t even chase after him, as if he was justifying his actions to himself. Like, dammit! Don’t you know what you’re doing to your kid? You’re already hurting him emotionally and you slapped him?! I will say that Tsubasa’s story hurts me the most, because this kid, this happy-go-lucky kid who always smiles and laughs when he’s with his friends, cries as he runs out of the house. And can I just say that Toshii’s voice acting was just...spot on? To the point that I think I cried harder because of Toshii’s voice breaking when Shingo found him outside the house, when the doctor at the hospital asked him if he wasn’t pushed off the stairs, when they were talking in that park and Tsubasa hates how his father kept bragging about his time with his soccer team and never listens to a word he says, never sees him for who he is, because he’s not his brothers and he wanted so badly to play in their game. 

But then we have Nao, with that kind of negative overprotective, overbearing, emotionally abusive mother and an indifferent father. It hurts. Hearing his mother talk hurts. Imagining myself in Nao’s shoes hurts. There are the kinds like Maki’s father, who knows they’re a jerk by abusing their own kid. Then there are the kinds like Nao’s mother, who, as Maki said, doesn’t even realize they’re abusing their children, justifying their actions by saying it’s for their kids. She’s blind to Nao’s feelings. All she cares about is what she wants. It doesn’t matter what Nao wants, because I’m her mother and I know what’s best for my son. What she doesn’t know, however, is the permanent damage it’s doing to Nao. Sure at the “conclusion” to Nao’s arc, Nao seems to have find the strength and will in him to shut out his mother’s words, but we also see something different. Nao’s mother is only going to let him off the hook this time. Which means she will probably be worse than she had ever been once Nao comes home from the match. 

And finally, one of the most important of all: Yuuta’s arc, where he questions about himself, his gender, the role that is expected of him, and how he feels as if he doesn’t quite fit in with the boxes already laid down by the world. Also his desire to find an answer but also the fear of coming to terms with it, not wanting to disappoint his parents but all the while wanting to find a place he feels like he belongs in. Very realistic. Very relatable. I’m not entirely sure how it is seen in Japan, but in my country, due to strong religious beliefs and traditional values, people with “questionable” gender identities are seen as a sin, a violation, improper behavior - some might even call them a shame to the family. So, I really appreciate the director and his team writing quite a realistic portrayal of the lgbt+. I don’t hold anything against his mother, however, as I understand her feelings exactly, even as I would like Yuuta to have the freedom to learn and discover who he is and what he wants to be. 

Even Mitsue, whose family wasn’t shown much, says that her parents don’t approve of her drawing. But that’s what she wants to do. That’s what she wants to be good at. She’s not good at studying. She doesn’t have passion for it. She likes to draw, but even people on the internet says her drawing isn’t good (when in fact it’s quite good). She’s not good with people and her classmates make fun of her. She’s haunted by an inferiority complex, social anxiety, frustration that she doesn’t fit in this world. 

This entire show is like a How Not To Be A Parent 101. I do think some are stretching it a bit too far, but I understand what the director’s trying to say. A parental figure is important in a child’s life. Even if you have a crappy life, even if you’re bent on pushing your dreams and expectations to your children, even if your spouse doesn’t appreciate you any longer, that’s no reason or justification to “push the blame on your child”, to abuse them, both emotionally and/or physically. 

When you don’t have a good parental figure, a good family environment, it will scar your children for life, and these children will start looking for a place they can belong to outside of their families. Whereas Nao’s mother said that the soft tennis club is a bad influence for Nao, I’d say it’s a good thing Nao found his place inside it. With a mother like that, and a father who doesn’t care much about what happens to him, Nao could have done a lot worse. And yet there’s this sports club made up of misfit children, who are hiding all their pain behind their smile and laughter, because this club is the only place where they can be themselves. Where they don’t have to worry about overbearing/indifferent/abusive parents. In this club of misfits, everyone has everyone else’s backs. When one’s down on the low, someone else will try to lift them up. 

This club is their refuge, but in a way, I also think this is their sort of escapism. Because once they’re back in their homes, their lives return to being pressured and trapped under the expectations of their parents. Why I think it is an escape is because, neither of them really grow from it, aside from, I guess, Shingo, Rintaro, Itsuki, and Taiyo. They have either learned to live with their families or showed positive development. Nao’s mother is still a problem, Yuuta’s journey of self-discovery is still long and winding, while Tsubasa still has yet to make amends with his father. Not to mention we have Touma, whose mother just basically told him over the phone that she despises him and is getting a divorce, and Maki, who’s bent on killing his father. 

This is not a story of self-healing. This is a slice-of-life story that is trying to tell how bad parenting affects children, especially children in those early adolescence years, when they’re just beginning to learn who they are and what they want to be. It’s not a story of how these children can overcome it. The club acts as their refuge, but not a place of healing. And if their psychosocial development took on a negative turn (see Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development), especially like Maki’s case, well you can imagine what will happen next if he’s not given the proper treatment. 

As a final note, I would like to say the sports aspect is a bit weak. The soft tennis matches were too easy, too straightforward, as if the staff didn’t really care what happened in the matches. Well, the main story isn’t in the matches, so there’s that. Also, I would like to say that how they dealt with Maki’s father in episode 5 was also weak. I mean, what’s with Touma yelling at him? To me, it was a bit out of character for Maki to let Touma meet his father (I’d thought he was the type to say, no, that’s all right, I’ll deal with him myself, though I think Touma would have forced himself inside Maki’s house nonetheless). And that spontaneous outbursts about killing him? It was very cringe-worthy when I saw it, but now that I think about it, though it was probably Toma’s heat-of-the-moment outburst then, Maki certainly took it seriously with how he was holding that knife in the end. 

[itsclydebitches]

RWBY Recaps: Volume 6 “Our Way” (The Finale!)

We made it, folks. Volume 6 is finally over and my god what a disappointment it turned out to be. 

I’ve danced my whole life and I had an instructor once who gave a lecture on choreography, cautioning us that the order you put your pieces in is just as important as the pieces themselves. Though each comes together to create a whole, your audience is more likely to remember the first and the last piece—so make those two count. Volume 6 began strong with the relic and the lore, and then ended on a flat, uninspiring, illogical note. Sadly I know what part of the performance I’ll be remembering from here on out.

However, first let’s tackle what we didn’t get this episode. There was no flashback to Oscar at Argus, re-characterizing his outing as something significant that might actually impact his growth as a character. Rooster Teeth really just… did that. They gave us an exact repeat of episode four, had Jaune physically assault Oscar, no one stepped in, no one bothered to check if Oscar was okay, we set him up staring morosely at the door, a two week cliffhanger, and then we really got an episode all about Jaune’s emotions while Oscar bought new clothes and made these people a casserole. He immediately accepted an incomplete apology, went so far as to speak like he thinks he’s going to die… and the group just smiled at him. Because remember, right now they only care about outsiders—which Oscar still very much is—when they’re helping and not getting in the way. Which Oscar has now promised to do. The finale gives us a brief moment where Ruby tries to praise Oscar for his efforts and it just rang as incredibly hollow to me. It’s easy to be kind to people when everything is going your way. You show your true colors when things get tough. RWBYJNR has repeatedly demonstrated this volume that when push comes to shove they’re willing to throw Oscar (and Ozpin) under the bus.

I’d need an entire, separate recap to detail exactly how horrible their treatment of him has been and how worrying it is that the story continues to frame this behavior as not just acceptable, but the actions of heroes. Suffice to say, if you have friends who seem nice on the daily but use you as a punching bag whenever they need an outlet? Do me a favor and get far, far away from them.

In the interests of moving on, another thing we didn’t get was any mention of Raven. A few friends theorized that last volume’s end credits scene (where Tai spots Raven using his portal) might finally come into play, but no such luck. More importantly to my mind, Yang still hasn’t said anything about Raven being the Spring Maiden, so that continues to be a secret she keeps while heaping more judgement on Ozpin. We’ll get to that later.

We didn’t see that true reconciliation teased in the last shot of the opening. Ruby never fought grimm with arms like those, let alone in a sewer tunnel… even though one was right there at the farm. I’m honestly starting to believe what others are saying about whole episodes being cut to make time for GenLock. Something happened this volume because the writing took one hell of a nosedive. It’s not just that I don’t agree with the messages the show is expressing, it’s that we have dangling threads, confusing “twists,” and what honestly feels like half-assed storytelling. Like they knew they had to complete the volume but just weren’t feeling motivated, so they chucked together something shoddy and left it at that.

(We also didn’t get to hear what Ruby bought them all at the gift shop. I realize this is a comparatively tiny thing, but to my mind it was a missed opportunity. They could have bookended the premiere and the finale, revealed that tiny mystery, told us something about Ruby based on the gifts she chose—the fandom keeps complaining that she’s one-dimensional—and if she’d picked up something for Ozpin at the time, that would have been an easy moment to have the group start reflecting on their behavior, a reminder that just a few days ago he was an important member of their team. Obviously I doubt the gifts survived the train crash, but there’s no reason why Ruby couldn’t tell them about it; a quiet moment before they reach Atlas. Like the shorter season length though, this episode was short for a finale. We were barely given enough time for the plot, let alone any reflection.)

For now though, let’s dive into the actual episode. We open on a field where an airship lands, Neo transforming as she steps out. That really is a powerful semblance. She can create copies of herself, disguise herself, and (as we’ll see in just a moment), disguise a whole freaking airship too. Granted, that last one seems to take some effort, but as this finale will inform us later, it doesn’t really matter how tired you are. If the plot needs you to do a thing with your semblance, you’ll manage it. Somehow. 

Cinder arrives in a new outfit as well and, like Neo’s, it’s pretty damn skimpy? I haven’t bothered to bring this up before because on the whole RT writes it’s mostly female cast very well, but considering how many other criticisms I’ve got today, why not chuck out one more. Meaning, why do these designs continually have to promote sexiness over practicality? Weiss, Nora, and Ruby all fight in skirts—hastily justified as “combat skirts”—and at least half the women on this show fight in heels. Yang sports short-shorts. Both she and Blake have bare midriffs. Now Neo is in a top that looks like it’s held up by a prayer and Cinder is sporting lingerie-like knee highs. There’s just no reason to design characters like this, especially when a good chunk of your cast is made up of teens. Cinder says herself that Neo will soon need snow boots. Just dress her appropriately for the weather from the start. You know, like how we didn’t get with Team RWBY while traveling through a kingdom filled with snow. Apparently Weiss wearing a scarf is enough to combat hypothermia for the whole team.

And yes, I realize costume changes require new models to be made, but that’s precisely why you should design your fighters as fighters from the start. You’re battling giant monsters? No one would wear heels. Or skirts. Or expose their midriff. It seems pretty convenient that aura supposedly protects them, eliminating the need for armor, and yet now it’s only our most masculine character—Jaune—who still bothers to wear it. Neo and Cinder are just the most recent examples of, “Why the hell would you wear that to a fight?”

Well, maybe these two will freeze to death before they ever reach the group… They’re heading to Solitas too and though they didn’t do anything in this scene besides reveal new and impractical clothing, I was more interested in their brief discussion than I was in the entirety of RWBYJNR’s fight. At least I’m comfortable in how I feel about Neo and Cinder. They’re bad guys. They’re gonna do bad things that the story frames as bad. They’re usually fun to watch. I don’t get frustrated and confused whenever they come on screen nowadays.

Cinder says, “Someone once asked me if I believe in destiny…and I’m happy to say I still do” as we get a final shot of them planning their nefarious deeds. We’re getting a lot of references to Pyrrha this volume—this, the statue, Ruby’s memories later—and taken on its own that’s fantastic. In a season though where Pyrrha’s death is subtly ‘justifying’ the group’s awful behavior and acting as a reminder to the fandom for why they unjustly hate Ozpin? Ehh…

We close on the villains and open on our “heroes” with rousing music to signal the upcoming battle, which… isn’t really a battle at all. The Leviathan is steadily approaching Argus and the Atlas personnel are calling for Cordovin. She’s still stuck, yelling about how “This is your fault!”

And it is. However, once again Cordovin’s exaggerated attitude makes it easy to ignore the fact that she’s right. She’s racist! She’s arrogant! She’s screaming and sounds like a child! Clearly our group is the mature ones here. Look at how calmly Ruby faces her down in contrast… It reminds me of how people (particularly women) are told that they’re being “Too emotional” in this conversation and therefore all the points they’ve made are somehow invalid. Of course Cordovin is emotional. A group of kids just lied to her, stole from her, started a battle against her, and destroyed her mech right when her city is about to be overrun by grimm. I’d be screaming in frustration too.

Though of course, most don’t view it that way. I agree with what others have pointed out, that if we’d been given a calmer authority figure saying the exact same things—No you can’t go into Atlas. Why would I let anyone other than Weiss cross a closed border?—it would have been easier to see exactly how horrible the group’s actions are here. As it is, Cordovin’s personality acts as a distraction. One more way to present the group as heroic when they’re anything but.  

Yang and Blake arrive on the scene, wanting to know what the hell is going on. Yang asks, “Is that a giant grimm?” and Weiss responds, “Yes…and we just ruined the only thing capable of stopping it.”

That’s an admission of facts, not necessarily an admission of guilt. The group acknowledges that they ruined the one defense capable of taking out a grimm of that size, but as we’ll see, there’s no regret attached to doing that in the first place. It’s just summarizing the situation for Blake and Yang.  

Granted, we get a moment where Ruby looks worried/potentially sad as they fly away from Cordovin, but what does that mean here? Is she sad about what she’s done? Or just worried about this new situation? Their actions have been so extreme that the story can’t afford to be vague about the characters’ emotions here. Plenty of people will (and are free) to read this moment as Ruby experiencing fierce regret at her choices the last few hours… but it’s just as easy to attribute her expressions to fear about the coming battle. I’m not inclined to give these characters the benefit of the doubt here. They haven’t earned it.

Regardless, we cut to the airship where apparently Yang and Blake have already told everyone about Adam. That was not the sort of thing that should have happened off screen. By all means, be practical. There’s no time for a long-winded conversation with the Leviathan bearing down on Argus, so have Yang announce that they’re okay, yes something happened, we’ll explain things later. Now you’ve established that this very important information will be conveyed either on the airship later, or at the beginning of volume 7.

What a waste. This is the end of a villain we’ve had since the Black Trailer—the first time our protagonists have killed a fellow human being—and that admission is regulated to the 30 seconds it takes to fly from Cordovin to the middle of the fight. Ruby hugs Blake and tells her she’s safe, but that’s it. That’s currently the extent of the team’s reaction to this huge revelation and like JNR learning about Salem, the audience has no idea what sort of details they received. Do they just know Adam died in the fight or that they deliberately killed him? Did Weiss hear about the brand? We don’t know. Hopefully this conversation is given more weight in volume 7, but given what else we’ve seen lately, I’m not counting on it.

Maria then interrupts with one of the most jaw-dropping lines of the episode: “I suppose I have to be the bad guy and say it, but getting the lamp to Atlas is still our top priority.”

Are we for real right now? Where was this calm, level-headed, pragmatic Maria when she was pissing off Cordovin with cashews? Or cheering at Ruby rejecting all adults? Now she starts trying to think rationally? But of course, when she does stop her manic cackling it’s to suggest something horrific. Yes, Maria. It does make you a bad guy to want to abandon a city to the grimm you brought here. She realizes that everyone is dead if they leave, right? That without the mech or silver eyes Argus has no decent way of stopping that Leviathan? Maria is meant to be the Grimm Reaper, the greatest huntress of her generation, and the writers think it’s appropriate to not only have her encouraging a bunch of kids to recklessly commit treason, but then condemn a whole city to probable death for their mistakes?

No, the relic is not the top priority. The relic is a side mission. The top priority has always and will always be protecting humanity. At least Yang, Blake, and Weiss realize this. They say firmly that they’re not leaving and Ruby gives a little shrug like, ‘Guess we’re not leaving then.’

(They really like having Ruby treat her mistakes as jokes, don’t they?)

So Ruby announces she has an idea, the one the whole fandom saw coming a mile away, and the next second Qrow says, “Eyes up, everybody” because they’ve reached the Leviathan. Ha. Get it? Eyes up?

Okay. I’m done lol.

We get shots of the terrified Argus population, including Terra and Saphron. 

Ruby asks Ren and Jaune to mask the ship which, reminder, they shouldn’t be able to do. Ren maybe, but Jaune just used all his aura to protect himself and Nora from getting splattered by Cordovin’s arm. Then he was thrown into a boulder for good measure. Last episode he couldn’t even stand without hanging off of his teammates. Now we get exactly what I was afraid we would: the plot needs someone to Do A Thing so aura burnout is conveniently forgotten. Jaune gives a confident smile. Of course he can boost Ren’s semblance and cover an entire airship!

Keep in mind that we just saw Neo dropping in exhaustion after a second of using her semblance on a whole ship. Granted, her ship is bigger, but she’s also presumably at full strength right now. If we were bothering to follow the rules established by this world, I highly doubt Jaune would have been able to pull this off.

Meanwhile the Leviathan has easily taken out Argus’s first barrier. “It tore straight through…” Oscar whispers, reminding me that he hasn’t had many encounters with grimm. If I remember correctly he mentioned to Ruby that there was an occasional one on the farm (as expected), but they must have been pretty weak if an untrained kid can take them out with farm equipment. Oscar then goes straight to Haven, battles people at the Academy, gets on that train where he fought some manticores, but then he didn’t get to see the Apathy for himself. This seems to be one of the first times Oscar is seeing grimm at all, let alone one this deadly. No wonder he sounds shocked.

With the shield destroyed in an instant the Atlas personnel start giving the order to evacuate… when Ruby interrupts them. No worries, fine people. I have a plan! Wait, why should we trust you? “I’m a huntress.”

No you’re not, Ruby. Literally and symbolically, you are not currently a huntress. Ignoring for a moment all the stunts you just pulled, undermining everything a huntress is meant to uphold, that is a formal position. It’s a title that embodies great power in this world and you achieve that title by studying four years and graduating from an academy. You don’t get to call yourself a college graduate because you did one year and then studied on your own. Same with being a doctor, or a lawyer, or literally any titled position. Ruby (in continuing with the theme of this volume) is lying to that Atlesian soldier. She’s misrepresenting herself, claiming she’s something other than what she actually is: a half-trained teen with a current chip on her shoulder.

This is also another moment where she ignores Qrow when he yells for her to stop. The issue isn’t about who’s right here—whether Ruby should tell the others about her plan or not—but that Ruby is consistently ignoring everyone around her to charge forward with whatever plan she personally thinks is best. Qrow told her not to attack the Atlas military… look what happened. Qrow told her not to go stare down Cordovin’s missiles and try to make an impossible shot… look what happened. Qrow told her not to stubbornly stand her ground against a mech when the rest of her team is beaten and exhausted, and though Ruby survives, it’s only by the will of Plot Armor. She leapt into a freaking cannon. She knocked herself out. You’d think after all this Ruby would at least pause a moment to give Qrow the time of day.

It ultimately doesn’t matter though because their ship is still flagged as hostile. Atlas isn’t going to help them on what clearly looks like a suicide mission. We get a close up of Ruby daring to do what no one else can or will. “Fine… we’ll do it alone if we have to.”

…which is precisely the problem. Atlas backing off might feel like a consequence—Oh no! Their actions lost them their backup!—but all it does is get the extras out of the way (who just happen to be adults) so we can more easily focus on the protagonists (who just happen to be teens). It’s a reward. They don’t actually need the airships here, as the group is about to demonstrate, so this ‘consequence’ is absolutely meaningless. It would be something entirely different if, say, the story actually framed the soldiers as necessary to distract the Leviathan and Ruby had to admit her faults, begging them to help despite her mistakes; if the story made it clear that teamwork was a necessity. But there’s nothing like that. This is meant to read as the hero’s crowning moment.

Also, as an aside, why in the world would Ruby tell them to wait on the rest of their evacuation? What if—a wild thought here—something went wrong? Like literally every plan you’ve ever come up with? Isn’t it better to get people to safety while you try out your idea, just in case it all falls to pieces? This is just one more moment of Ruby’s overconfidence putting others at risk. She’s endangered her team, herself, and an entire city this volume… and has learned precisely nothing from it.

But we’ll come to that. Right now Ren masks the airship’s approach, conveniently keeping it up just long enough for them to reach the Leviathan, and then he’s out. They still didn’t make it in time though. The Leviathan sends out another stream of fire that takes out the second shield and hits the top of a tower in Argus. Needing to get closer, Yang and Nora distract the Leviathan while Ruby rides in on one of Weiss’ summoned lancers. I did appreciate Blake briefly supporting Weiss as she works to keep her semblance up. Whatever else, this volume has been good about brief, non-partner interactions. 

We hear Ruby encouraging herself as she flies in and then she chucks her communicator into the water to concentrate. I thought something would come of that? Why bother having Yang interrupt her if there wasn’t a serious issue (it takes another long moment for the Leviathan to turn on Ruby) and why full on get rid of the communicator if that choice wasn’t going to come into play later? Eh, whatever. Far from the first time we’ve had setups that go absolutely nowhere. This volume is full of them.

So Ruby does as Maria taught her: cycling through memories of her family and friends, trying to drum up that fierce desire to protect them. 

I did appreciate that Oscar, Qrow, and Maria get brief appearances… but again, the one team member who isn’t shown is Ozpin. Apparently Ruby now hates him to the point where he’s not even a part of her very generalized thoughts about who she wants to protect. I mean she met Maria three days ago and the woman now means more to her, apparently.

(For the record, I say this because Ruby knew Ozpin primarily in his headmaster form and is drawing largely from volume 1-3 material. We might have seen him in the new engine, easily. The shot of Oscar we’re given is also the one from the training room where Ozpin didn’t speak until Ruby left. Alongside Ozpin’s absence this volume, that’s the closest we’ve ever seen Oscar as only Oscar. That choice says a lot in my opinion.)

Eventually Ruby’s memories start to segue into darker thoughts and… okay. I’m confused now. Why is thinking about bad memories the thing that doesn’t let the silver eyes work? Not only were those moments where fierce protection would be at its strongest, but Ruby has only ever been in horrible situations when her eyes went off: Watching Pyrrha die, watching Jaune about to be killed, watching Blake about to kick it via Apathy. You’re telling me that during those times Ruby somehow thought about bright and happy things, not the horror of the fact that her friends were in the process of being murdered? If anything, those flashes of Yang without her arm or Penny cut into pieces should be the very thing that does set her eyes off.

Instead they fail. Ruby opens her eyes to find the Leviathan turning her way and then, as a friend of mine pointed out, she gasps out a “What?” and looks down at the relic.

No. That relic has very conveniently done nothing the entire time the group was trekking through the woods, staying at an abandoned farm, driving who knows how far, and running around a new city. You’re not going to tell me now that suddenly it’s the cause of the Leviathan turning away from people currently attacking it. Either the relic’s draw is strong enough that Oscar should have been in trouble on the train, or it’s not strong enough to act as a justification here. The relic is the new Qrow’s semblance: turning off and on when the story wills it.

In a panic Ruby yells for Jinn, which is less the “clever” choice Jinn says it is and more a potentially clever gamble. The last time they used Jinn every creature in her vicinity remained active. Granted, all those creatures were human or faunus then, but Ruby wouldn’t know if she would freeze the grimm as well. Regardless, her gamble pays off (because of course it does) and we get another example of how the protagonists are currently super special people who can never do any wrong.

Jinn: “You do not seek knowledge, but just this once I will give it freely…I will not allow you to use me without a question again.”

Why? That’s the question you have to ask for all your characters’ decision. Why are they doing this? What’s their motivation? Jinn provides none. She has no reason to let Ruby off the hook for summoning her without a question, especially since she frames that as another bad choice that she’ll (somehow?) punish Ruby for if she does it again. But this time, once again, our protagonist is let off the hook, purely because she’s the protagonist.

With this very generous second chance Ruby re-shuts her eyes, thinks only of the good times, including a memory of Summer Rose. The fandom has been waiting a long time to see her outside of a covered photograph.  

Ruby manages to activate her silver eyes. It works—mostly.

I mentioned previously how the show needs to introduce some downside to the silver eyes so that Ruby isn’t suddenly over powered against every grimm from here on out. This is a downside… but an odd one. The grimm turned to stone, but not all the way? Sort of just a stone encasing that it partly manages to break out of? Okay. I mean that works, but it’s a pretty easy downside to overcome. The grimm is still stopped in its tracks, giving the others plenty of time to take it out.

And, as always, pay attention to how it’s all framed. Despite not working exactly as she intended, this is meant to be a moment of victory for Ruby. She’s succeeded in her trial by fire. She’s single-handedly saved all of Argus. The music is rising, the people are cheering, people who have no idea what silver eyes are and will now start up legends about this girl. Who was the huntress with the magic-like power none of us understand? Ruby Rose. The girl who stood toe-to-toe against a Leviathan grimm and won.

This would indeed be a wonderful moment if it weren’t Ruby’s fault the grimm was there in the first place. Like her own claims of “I’m a huntress,” this moment misrepresents Ruby to the people. No one is going to learn that she’s the one who endangered them, only that she’s the one who came to the rescue. She’s fixing her own mistake and then allowing that to stand as a heroic act.

I was so looking forward to Ruby learning to wield her silver eyes. Not like this though.

Cordovin arrives with her pinned arm gone, ready to finish taking out the Leviathan, and she’s suddenly stupidly cheerful about it. Again, characters need motivations. If their outlook on a situation changes we need to see why that happened, especially when moving from such extremes. In a matter of minutes Cordovin went from shrieking at the group to not just sunnily helping them—which is a practical consideration. As she herself says, “I was sworn to protect the people”—but also letting them go.

….there is no reason to let them go. None. It goes against Cordovin’s entire characterization, the logic of the situation, and nothing has happened in the last few minutes to change her mind. This is the story at its laziest: “We don’t have a reason for Cordovin to let them go. She’s just gonna. Because they’re heroes.”

During this conversation we get an “I’m sorry” from Ruby and that’s admittedly something, but like Weiss’ comment about destroying the mech or Ruby’s worried looks, what is she apologizing for? Because she doesn’t seem very contrite right now. The framing isn’t telling us Ruby has anything to be ashamed of. She’s the star in this moment. So that ‘I’m sorry’ feels less like an admission of wrong doing and more, ‘I’m sorry I had to attack you and that it almost got everyone killed. But I absolutely had to. No doubt. So I guess I’m only sorry that fate screwed us over. It’s not like I had a hand in this mess or anything.’

All of which is to say: there are no consequences. None. Zip. Nada. No one in Argus died (despite the fact that all those flying grimm apparently bypassed the mass of terrified people to go battle with the airships on the opposite side of the Leviathan??), no one was arrested, no Ironwood or Winter, no Ozpin coming to their rescue, no problems with aura, the mech still manages to fight, the airship still manages to fly, no one was even reprimanded for their behavior. This volume we have seen the group betray a man they were demanding trust from, steal a secret they knew nothing about, force him to relive thousands of years of trauma while taking in the personal history that was never theirs to see, verbally and physically assault him to the point where he has to remove himself from their presence, they repeat that on an innocent kid days later, do absolutely nothing to make up for that, show no remorse for their actions, steal military property, plotted to mess with one of the few remaining relay towers the whole world depends on, beat up Atlas personnel, chucked them out of a plane, started and continued a fight with a special operative that endangered an entire city of people, destroyed a city’s primary defense, risked straining kingdom relations, nearly got friends killed with these foolish stunts ….and nothing. Not a single consequence, punishment, or reprimand. RT set up a situation where the group makes horrific mistakes and then had them learn nothing from them. Far from it. They’re rewarded, telling the audience that provided you have power—be it physical strength, access to resources, or the knowledge of a super secret mission—you can do whatever you want. There is no single stupid, illegal, dangerous, or callous thing you can do that isn’t ‘justified’ with, “Well I literally could do it, so I guess that means I’m allowed to do it, right?” Our title, “Our Way,” definitely embodies the morals we’re given this season.

I’m honestly disgusted with this volume. Just as a piece of media. This isn’t a story where we’re following anti-heroes and are well aware that they’re committing horrible deeds. This is a story about traditional heroes who are now using anti-hero means, something the story has just straight up ignored. I really didn’t think RT would take things this far… but here we are. This is apparently our group now and I personally think they’re awful.

And ugh, there’s still more of this episode. We cut to the group flying that night and Maria comments that “We should have just enough fuel to make it.” Wow you… literally didn’t think anything through, huh? No one even bothered to find out if they’d have enough fuel to not crash land in the ocean halfway there. Wonderful. 

We get another entirely illogical conversation between Qrow and Ruby. He tells her she, “Did good out there today, kid” despite the fact that Qrow was consistently (and correctly) trying to get her to not do the things she was doing. Is it too much to ask for Qrow to have a firm and honest conversation about her making reckless decisions instead of more unearned platitudes? And then Qrow lowers his bottle which… what? Alcoholism doesn’t work like that. Much more importantly, no one has tackled his drinking this season. Or the reasons he was drinking in the first place. Literally, Qrow’s semblance, his place in the war, Ozpin’s secret, none of it has been addressed. He has no reason to suddenly put aside his flask like he’s actually learned something. Does RT think we’re going to just imagine scenes that never actually happened?

(I mean, that’s what fic is for, but that’s… fic. The canon should at least be attempting to hit a higher bar. This is their job, not an unpaid hobby done late at night when you’re exhausted after your own full day of work.)

Qrow and Maria also have a conversation about how he was there to “Catch them when they fell. Literally, if I recall,” implying, again, something that didn’t happen. Yes, Qrow literally caught Ruby when she fell from the cannon, but that line is meant primarily in the metaphorical sense: You were there to support them, keep them from doing something stupid, steering them back to the right path, etc. That’s what Qrow tried to do, but Ruby consistently ignored him.

This is all such a mess. Though we do get some nice shots of Blake and Yang sitting together—lots of hand-holding now—and Weiss comments that she’s glad Yang was there for Blake. Yang corrects that they were there for each other, confirming the lesson they learned off screen at some point. 

A conversation starts up once again painting Ruby’s recklessness as awesome heroics. Among her clique she’s all bashful now, no more arrogance when there aren’t outsiders to push back against, and Ruby tries to foster attention off on Oscar. He corrects them about landing the airship… he didn’t actually do that himself.

Oscar: “I didn’t land the ship on my own.”

We get a flashback to him panicking as the ship crashes, but this time we hear Ozpin saying, “Stay calm. It’s going to be okay.” Back in the present Nora immediately freaks out, “He took control?!” and Oscar corrects her with no, he helped guide me.

Let’s unpack this a bit. First of all Ozpin would have been 100% justified in taking control, just like he was justified in taking control at Haven when Oscar was going to get them killed by stubbornly insisting that he fight Hazel. Like everything else in this volume, each situation has its own context. Just saying, “Ozpin took control of Oscar without permission” sounds bad, until you bother to acknowledge that dying is kinda worse. It’s like if I see a 14yo boy running towards a road an I yank him backwards. Technically I just took away his agency—I haven’t allowed him to keep running forward when he wanted to—but I did it so he wouldn’t get hit by that car. If Ozpin had taken control to keep three team members, including everyone’s precious leader, from dying a horrible death via airship crash… that’s a good thing.

But he didn’t. Even now, even after everything, Ozpin is so careful to give people as much choice as he can. He assessed the situation and decided that he could guide Oscar without taking away the use of his body, the sort of consideration most people wouldn’t even bother with during a time of crisis. And think about those lines. “Stay calm. It’s going to be okay.” The last time Oscar spoke to Ozpin he was forcefully stealing the means to allow the rest of the group to betray him. Now here Ozpin is, not angry, just endlessly reassuring. 

Then he leaves again. Everyone realizes Ozpin is still doing his best to give everyone what they supposedly want, right? I mentioned ages back that the group wants a contradiction, to have Ozpin fix their problems without having to deal with Ozpin as a person, and now he’s managed that. He comes in, saves their lives, then leaves so no one has to deal with the apparent horror of speaking to him. His level of selflessness is off the charts and it astounds me that anyone thinks this man is a cruel, manipulative puppet master.

…and then there’s Yang.

Yang: “Does that mean he’s been watching us this whole time?!”

Oh yeah. I don’t like Yang much nowadays. I forgot because the last couple of episodes the show isolated Yang with Blake. She’s good with Blake because she actually likes Blake and is probably in love with her. But put Yang with someone who isn’t willing to enable her misplaced anger (Maria, Ozpin) and suddenly she’s not a very kind person anymore. Like the rest of the group right now, Yang’s basic, human empathy doesn’t extend beyond the confines of their team.

Plus, what does that accusation even mean? She makes him sound like some sort of peeping tom and not the leader she was following three days ago. Yang realizes, right, that Ozpin isn’t allowed a body of his own? That he’s connected to Oscar? That anything Oscar sees Ozpin automatically sees too? There were admittedly questions about whether Ozpin was connected to the outside world while locked that deep in Oscar’s head, but Yang makes it sound like he physically left and then started stalking the group without their permission. She makes him sound like Adam.

I really can’t with this group right now. Man arrives to save the lives of the people who betrayed/assaulted him and their reaction is basically, “How dare you even look at us?” The worst part is, you know a huge chunk of the fandom is going to agree. No matter what Ozpin does, even literally saving our title character’s life, it’s somehow twisted into an act of manipulative cruelty.

Also gotta love that Qrow is sitting right there and apparently doesn’t care about this conversation. He only interrupts with a smile to tell them they’re in Atlas.

Which is, admittedly, gorgeous as hell. I do like these shots a great deal.

The only thing that ruins the view is the fleet of airships above, stationed like they’re expecting a battle. This seems to connect to the army we see Salem building in the post credits scene… but how in the world does Atlas know about something like that? Did Ironwood hear something and come up with an excuse to scramble the fighters? Or are they prepping for something else entirely? An attack from another kingdom?

Regardless, we end on one of the personnel telling the group, “Welcome home.”

After the credits we see Emerald and Mercury utterly horrified by something below. We pan down to see Salem creating grimm from the pool… and then making them grow wings. My first thought was, “That guerrilla is going to need a much bigger wingspan to accommodate his weight.” My second thought was, “Oh. Flying monkeys.” That should tell you something about what my brain considers a priority.

Hazel comes in and reminds Mercury and Emerald of an old saying: “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” That’s admittedly unexpected. Looks like after hearing that Ozpin reincarnated and ruined her plans for the Spring relic, Salem has decided to get her own hands dirty for once. I hope we get to hear more explanations for this because she’s apparently kept to the sidelines for generations and now, pretty randomly, decides to announce her presence to the world by leading an army? Who knows. It wouldn’t make less sense than anything else RWBY has given us lately.

And that’s it! We’re done! Hallelujah I need a break. Well, pseudo-break. I still intend to upload my other recaps to tumblr, dive back into our older episodes, and there are still asks to answer. So meta-ing is far from over, but it’ll be less intense than 4000+ words every Saturday lol.  

Thank you all so much for reading. I’d sill be writing these with an audience of one (me), but it’s way better when there are others as well. So kudos to you all—and happy hiatus!

Other Details of Note

Neo is fully wearing Roman’s hat now and Cinder canonically wears Louboutin heels lol.

A bit of an odd note, but Cordovin’s repetitive screams about “This is your fault” almost sound painful. Like she’s physically in pain. Obviously that’s not the case in any literal manner, but there’s something horrible about watching the group destroy a part of the mechanical body she’s currently inhabiting and then just abandoning her, watching as she tires and fails to move. I really can’t emphasize enough how callous this group has become to anyone not in Team RWBY or JNR.

I enjoyed the red of the Leviathan glowing under the water as it moved. Nice touch.

“Never get used to that view,” Maria says, once again framing her eyes only as a joke and never a legit issue when it presumably would be.

Yang has ditched the casing on her arm after Adam’s attack. Maybe she and Blake can go arm/weapon shopping together.