#the question is which version .... i hope it's his green combat outfit so i can stare disrespectfully at him all day

[xxplastic-cubexx]

SUPPORT CHARLES-

wait what if its First Class Charles?

if its first class charles Respectfluly im shilling out one hundred dollars for the first comic skin available

[muthaz-rapapa]

Let’s talk TroPreCure! (^∀^ 🌺)

i’m so stupidly proud of this dumb pun “tropurikyua~”, hahahahaha

Last post of the year and wow is there are lot to be excited for!

I even had to make a list for the stuff I want to talk about and I’m sure I already forgot one or two things but we’ll get to them as we continue to float~ along the wave to February 28th, mmkay? :)

Now for what has peaked my interest so far. And yes, we have to talk about the following first:

1) HealPre the shortest Precure season??

Unless they plan for double features in February (which I doubt but you never know), HealPre is likely going to reach only 45 episodes long instead of the usual 48~50 before TroPre I’m using this shortening of the title for now so if there’s a better alternative, tell me and I’ll switch out begins its broadcast.

Understandable because the producers probably want to get back to their normal scheduling as soon as possible (toy sales, y’know) and I suspect pushing the start of the new season back by a month is the most they’re willing to compromise.

As for me, I’m quite happy about this since HealPre’s lost its hold on my attention a while ago so the sooner TroPre gets here, the better. Though the downside might be a scrambled climax and a rushed, underwhelming ending for HealPre (I dunno if it’s January’s titles that feel a bit messy or if the hiatus is still throwing me off) but whatever. We’ll refresh ourselves with the new blood Cures so it’s all good.

2) Tropical movie announced for Autumn 2021, no All Stars??

(source)

First saw this mentioned on Youtube somewhere but it’s all over the fandom forums by now. I mean, HealPre’s movie is set for March, the usual time slot for All Stars release. If Toei intended for there to be an All Stars in 2021, there’s no way they would announce the seasonal movie before it so speculations of them skipping it this year are probably true.

To squeeze it somewhere between March and October-ish would force them to readjust their budgets as well and I don’t think even Toei wants to go through that extra hassle after all the trouble the pandemic’s caused for everyone already. It’s just easier to resume All Stars in 2022.

That, and I think Laura being a major character in TroPre despite not having a Cure title (yet) would make for an awkward situation when the three latest teams gather so perhaps that’s also one of the reasons. But I’ll get back to Laura in a bit.

3) Cure Summer is a RAINBOW Cure

So god help me if I see anyone calling her a Pink Cure.

Yes, she’s the lead Cure for this season. NO, she is not a Pink Cure.

Look, even the official website has a rainbow overlay for her profile pic and text font while everyone else’s respective theme colors are a solid hue:

Therefore, RAINBOW.

In promotional material and merchandising, they’re probably going to advertise her primarily with pink bah and at worst, she might occasionally be labeled as a White Cure with multiple subcolors (her outfit is not pink-dominant) but definitely NOT. PINK.

...also, this goes without saying but f***yea, we finally got a lead Cure practically and unabashedly wearing the LGBTQ flag and you cannot tell me otherwise, Toei!

Own up to it! Declare Manatsu/Cure Summer as the Precure queer icon!

I’m not gonna stop yellin’ until you do! 😠

4) Laura = obvious midseason Cure is obvious

First of all, Laura is a babe. I already love her the best and she’s not even Precure yet. <3

Anyways, the set-up is pretty much in the description. Important main character who’s not a mascot, stated to have a self-confident personality and just speaks her mind (oooh, I like~ :D), magical/foreign being from another world looking for Precure to save her home, possesses her own special item(s), has aspirations to become the next Queen (so she’s a princess-candidate or something to that effect, I suppose).

We’ve seen various combinations of these traits in past midseason (and a few starter) Cures so nobody should be surprised when we all guessed that one of the Cures would be a real live mermaid.

The only question is why not just make Laura a Cure from the get-go if she’s introduced to us at the beginning (like Hime or Lala) and having a team of five with no unnecessary extra add-ons later on (like Smile).

Well, there’s a simple answer for that: formula.

Toei is afraid that if they don’t spit out some new animation sequence at the halfway and third quarter points of the show, the kids will lose interest and abandon the series altogether. Which means failed toy sales. Oh nooo... [/sarcasm]

...Yea. 

And this way they can also have Laura available in the Cure lineup for the next All Stars in 2022 instead of making her sit the fight out if we were going to have one in 2021. I’m convinced that’s gotta be one of the reasons. *shrug*

But ok, whatever. Her debut is gonna be later, that’s all. She’s a delayed Cure.  Midseason Cure, same difference.

Moving along to the more important stuff now like what’s her Cure name gonna be, y/y?

Well, knowing Toei, a translation of the term “mermaid” into another language is the most predictable route even though we already have a Cure Mermaid. Not like that ever stopped them from repeating words before (ex. Cure Happy vs Cure Felice). Though if they do go down that road, I hope they opt for the Spanish/Italian “sirena” and not the French “sirène” because the latter sounds too close to how Cure Selene is pronounced in Japanese. And, putting it nicely, we all know Japanese pronunciation of foreign words is as off kilter as can be.

Hell, even the the Portuguese “sereia” sounds aesthetic as hell so it’d be nice if they can just remember there are other languages that exist out there besides Japanese, English and French when making the final decision at the writing table! *stomps foot* >:/

Alternatively, “nereid” or “naiad” are good choices too but they remind me too much of Greek myths and Laura’s from the Grand Ocean which covers more than just a couple of seas (Greece is surrounded by three, btw) so...

I dunno. But whatever it’s gonna be, she’s definitely got a strong association with water and her powers will probably be based on that.

As for theme color, since there’s noticeably no blue or green Cure in the starter lineup, it’s likely she will take up that spot when she debuts around ep 20.

Pink is also open since Cure Summer, again, is technically not a Pink Cure and Laura’s hair and tail fin are hot and light pink respectively but looking at Laura’s design and concept, does anyone seriously believe that?

Her upper torso consists of aquamarine while the body of her tail is definitely some shade of cyan, implying they’re aiming for somewhere around the middle of green and blue on the lighter spectrum.

And yea, I’m aware that green and blue are considered exchangeable in some perspectives with how close some of their shades are to each other but officially, I think Laura’s gonna be grouped with the Green Cures.

Cuz of the hair. If Laura’s gonna keep it the same or a similar shade after transforming, that is. The Blues have always had cool-colored hair so putting Laura in with them might disrupt that harmony whereas if you put her with the few Greens there are (including Parfait), she’d fit right in.

I mean, we’ll see but that makes the most sense, doesn’t it?

On another note, I just want to say that I love how they added frills to her arms instead of letting her elbows go bare naked. It definitely makes her look more like a genuine mermaid than if she didn’t have them (remember, half fish doesn’t mean half the body :P).

5) Magical Items

Frankly, I’m tired of seeing the transformation device being a compact again even though one of the main motifs is make-up this season. But at least, as far as Precure compacts goes, the Tropical one is my favorite cuz of how cute and delightfully colorful its toy version looks! So I guess I’m okay with it.

The Heart Rouge Rod, though? ...I dunno. I think it would’ve been fine without that...straw (?) jutting out at the top. It looks weird, doesn’t it look weird? :S

As for the collectible clip-ons, I can live without those for the rest of my life. Yeesh.

Laura’s items, the Aqua Pot and the Ocean Prism Mirror.

Again with the portable, travel-size housing. *sigh* 😩

Alright, I can let this year slide cuz Laura (I’m so soft for her, omg) probably won’t be getting legs for 20 weeks so she’s got to move about on land somehow. But unless they’re really thinking about turning this idea of carrying your apartment around in your bag/pocket/purse into a reality (cuz that would be effin’ awesome), please be more creative with your toys.

On the other hand, I’m much more interested in the Ocean Prism Mirror but from what Kusyami (the Precure merchandise reviews I follow on Youtube) said in his latest vid, this is the ED dance item so don’t know if it’ll actually have an relevance to the story or not. But I did hear him mention it having something to do with the Queen as well and since Laura wishes to become Queen, maybe it’ll be important after all? Maybe it’s her transformation device?

That’d be super cool. Let’s continue the trend of the midseason Cure having a different transformation item than the starters. Honestly, we should alternate every other year or two but we’ve gone three seasons with all of them using the same henshin gimmicks up till HealPre and I just want a break from that.

6) Fin sleeves??

These look so impractical for combat so maybe it’s exclusive to group attacks.

And/or a sort of precursor to the super forms?

*GASP* Does that mean they all eventually turn into mermaids? 🤩

7) Yui finally became Precure!! ���

lol, it’s all crack from this point on so don’t take it too seriously but man, after Yuni’s deceptive braids, I thought I wasn’t gonna see anything that reminded me of Yui for a while and lo behold, Sango.

kehehehehehe xD;

Though Yui might be closer to Minori in terms of personal interests (fairytales and storybooks).

8) Akira, the actual Onee-chan version

I didn’t think this when I first saw her but once I read “Onee-san” in her profile, there’s no saving you now. Sorry, Asuka. 😅

Also, damn, do her sandals make her feet look big! Compare them to the heels she wears as Flamingo. Are they even the same?! lololol

9) ...this sounds awfully familiar...

Translation:

Tokimeku Tokonatsu! [Exciting/Thrilling Everlasting Summer!] Cure Summer! Kirameku Hoseki! [Sparkling Jewel!] Cure Coral!  Hirameku Fuurutsu! [Flashing Fruit!] Cure Papaya!

Japanese reiteration:

Mallow/Mao: Pink no tokimeki! Lillie: Blue no kirameki! Lana/Suiren: Yellow no kagayaki!

….........

@Toei 

Care to explain yourselves, punks?! 

୧(ʘ ∀ ʘ ╬)

[peachyteabuck]

fashión (bucky barnes x reader)

Summary: At one of your best friend’s drag shows, Bucky catches your eye. Maybe it’s the alcohol, maybe it’s the dance pop blaring through the bar’s speakers, but for some reason you’re feeling a little more daring than usual.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Words: 2,536

Trigger Warnings: Blowjobs, shitty flirting, people are drunk and do sex things

Notes/Other: This was done for @propertyofpoeandbucky ‘s mystery writing challenge!! My prompt was “You’re my best friend. How could I put anyone before you?” and has been bolded within the fic! Also, I feel like this is the total opposite of what I’ve written recent but when I got this prompt I knew this wip was perfect for it. 

ask box / masterlist / commission info / ko-fi

Dating has always been hard for you. Friends and family have always tried to set you up on dates - as has Tindr - but nothing seemed to stick. No one ever seemed to do the trick.

“C’mon, babe…” your friend coos to you. You’re in a dressing room at some fast-fashion establishment, the wide and tall mirror forcing you to stare back at yourself. The too-bright lights burn your eyes, the top radio hits from last year only depress you, and the smell of weed and regret radiating from your skin is making you want a sandwich. “Listen, I know you don’t want to do this-”

Your sigh cuts her off. “Then why are you making me?”

She steps over to you, readjusting the floral jacket before speaking. As you look in the mirror you realize actually kind of…like it. Which is weird. “Because I know better than you, you’re a shut-in, and every moment you’re not being ravished by a muscular hot dude physically kills me.”

God, her brazen personality always catches you off guard. That’s probably why she’s the performer and you just sit alone in the basement of your shared home - sewing and eating and writing all day.

In the end, you don’t buy the jacket. Lucy ends up taking you to her favorite thrift shop and you pick up a deep blue faux-fur coat and some velvet heels in the same shade. Boujie? Maybe. But it’s something you feel confident in, so you don’t grumble too much when you see the total.

You both get to the club early so she can get ready, focus on turning her face into the inside of an elementary schooler’s pencil case – one young enough to understand that there’s never such thing as too much stationary (or too much color) but young enough to constantly be losing caps. As she steps into the threshold of the famous bar, Lucy’s met with jeers from janitors and bartenders and sound techs alike – all people ecstatic to see their favorite person like a dog left alone during a long work day. As she greets them with the same overjoyed smiles, you slip past the jolly merriment to the dressing room in the back of the building – her outfit bag and make up suitcase in your hands, her shoes and wig in your hefty backpack. Despite the outfit you’d picked out earlier you’re donning the same outfit you’d been wearing since the techie days of middle school – black jeans, black t-shirt one size too big, and all black sneakers. All the better to blend in.

Three hours later Lucy has officially turned into Boudoir Z, her drag persona and the username for her long-abandoned Neopets account. The club is packed with people, almost as tight as her dress is with her pads, and some old Kesha song thumps the floor to its beat.

“Are you ready?” you ask, double checking her hands for any loose nails.

She grins as wide as she does right before every show, eyes bright and sparkling like a child on Christmas. “Hell yeah.”

As her intro song starts you scurry away to find your way to the bar, hoping to grab something strong before the show really starts. You don’t really like attending your friend’s (or anyone’s) drag shows, they’re loud and crowded and normally that’s your definition of Hell. Sometimes, though, you can muster up the energy. For whatever reason, today seems to be one of those days. Or nights.

Whatever. Time is an illusion.

The first few beats of the song are long, edited for artificial pauses to build excitement in the crowd. You know the version of Lady Gaga’s Applause well, so it throws your entire brain through a loop when someone pumps into you when you try and grab your rum and coke.

“Sorry,” the guy hisses, immediately moving to make sure he didn’t spill any of his wine cooler on you. You’re about to brush him off, thinking he’s just another guy trying to cop a feel while the main attraction distracts from any protective butches within eye shot. But when you notice he’s carefully avoiding your chest – and pulling away when he notices the lack of dampness on your sternum – you allow yourself to give him a half glance at the brick wall of a man in front of you.

God, you’re so ashamed you noticed that. You’re also ashamed to notice his thick thighs, massive arms, silver hand with black lining, his perfectly mused brown-black hair, and beautiful scruff.

“H-hi,” you stutter, deep exhale one close to dramatic women in movies when they think they’ve seen God. Good luck ladies, I’ve already found him – he’s in the shadiest gay bar in NYC. you think as he shyly smiles at you with cheeks you want to shove between your thighs and lips you want attached to your-

“I’m so sorry,” he tells you, checking again to make sure he didn’t turn your shirt into a bar tap. “I got distracted by-“

You sigh. Of course, he was looking at Lucy. “It’s fine, really, I promise.”

In a brief pause between songs, you two lock eyes. Grey-green ones meet your own and fuck, he’s so dreamy.

“I’m,” he seems hesitant to introduce himself. “Bucky. Name’s Bucky.”

You murmur your own name while looking him up and down again. Black combat boots perfectly shined, black jeans tight enough to rival your own, and black hoodie thick enough for winter in Upstate Main.

“Aren’t you hot?” you blurt, alcohol loosening your brain’s tight grip on your thoughts.

The man, Bucky, shrugs. “I run pretty cold.”

Another few moments of silence dialogue between you two - and judging by his set jaw and the hungry look in his eyes he’s thinking the same thing you are.

But, if you’re anything besides an introverted stylist, seamstress, and occasional therapist for the person up on the stage…it’s a tease.

You lean towards Bucky’s ear, music starting up again. “Wanna come join me close to the stage?”

He smiles, picking his drink back up. “Sure thing.”

Lucy, as always, is dressed to impress. Or scare small children.

Either way one perceives her, she’s killing it.

The large, sheer nightgown’s puffed sleeves make the look even more dramatic. The black contrasts extremely nicely with her large platinum blonde hair, and combined with her large, maroon lips and thick, pointed eyeliner - it’s a nice reminder that drag is both an art and something weird as hell. Watching your best friend to what they love and truly one of the best experiences of your life.

The pair of you are off stage left, Lucy on the other side grinding on some speakers. As some Nicki Minaj song plays, you can feel Bucky bounce to the beat behind you. He’s got a surprising amount of rhythm, and as your hips sync his body presses closer and closer to your own. It doesn’t take long, maybe half a chorus for it to turn into full-on grinding, your ass pressed into his crotch so hard you’re worried he’s going to be bruised when he wakes up tomorrow.

Bucky doesn’t seem to mind, though, nipping at the outer shell of your ear with his lips pressed into the tender skin.

“You do this kind of thing often?” he asks, already deep voice now at a low growl.

You shake your head, moving to take another sip of your drink before answering. “Not really, but Lucy is my best friend so sometimes I get dragged,” you snort a little at your unintentional pun. “To shows and stuff.”

Bucky snickers a little. “That’s totally not what I was asking about, but you also don’t seem like the person who’d be friends with Boudoir Z.”

Your cheeks immediately heat hotter than the Equator as you attempt to backpedal. After a few seconds of stammering, though, the liquid courage surging through your veins comes to a head. “Can I suck your dick?”

You turn to face the man behind you, who seems just as surprised at your inquiry as you are. Still, with his eyebrows raised to his hairlines and his eyes wide, he agrees. “Fuck yeah, lead the way.”

The bathrooms here are surprisingly clean, even if the lock of the door doesn’t quite work. But, judging by the second Pink song of the night, you’ve got awhile before the masses become unoccupied and their bladders realize how much alcohol they’ve consumed.

He shoves you against the tiled wall, lips plush and a stark contrast to his scratchy beard. You want it between your thighs, you sigh into his mouth and a wave of heat rolls through your center. But that’ll have to wait for another time.

Locating his zipper as you kiss him is hard, but not impossible, and soon you’re able to free his cock from its painful confines. Bucky gasps at the rush of cold air, a sound that turns into a deep moan when you wrap an eager hand around him. Maybe some other time, some other night when you’re not fueled purely by endorphins, caffeine, and several glasses of bottom-shelf alcohol, you’d do some foreplay, maybe some dirty talk.

Now, though, your mouth waters at the sign of his hard length, and before Bucky can even get a good grip on your hair you’re spitting on him before taking him as far as your throat permits. He moans deep and guttural, jaw going slack and head leaning against the wall. One of his hands feels cool on your head and it’s nearly sobering, how the freezing material feels against the fire dancing across your skin. You’d question the (seemingly) nonhuman appendage, but the progressive soaking of your underwear and his cursing brings your focus to a pinpoint.

Every single one of his “oh fuck”s and “oh baby that feels so good”s drive you to take him harder, faster, and all too soon Bucky’s getting the message and fucking into your throat. Spit falls from your jaw to between your knees, some slick reminder of how gross this is. That only pushes you, though, to wrap a hand around his base with the other massaging his balls.

“Fuck I’m gonna come,” he moans, eyes rolling to the back of his head as both hands wrap around him. “Gonna fucking come down your throat, fuck.”

Fuck yes he is, you think, shoving him back down your throat one last time before the grip on your scalp gets impossibly tight and his thrusts suddenly still and his lets out the deepest, most erotic noise you’ve ever heard in your entire fucking life. The salty taste of him rolls down your tongue and down your throat, his whole body tense as he shoots his load into your mouth.

The second he releases your hair you fall back against the sink, air you’re gulping tainted with the taste of Bucky’s cum. He seems stunned, a little out of it, but still offers to reciprocate. It’s then you realize that Patti LaBelle is playing, and if you’re remembering the song correctly, you’ve got thirty seconds to be backstage and ready to help your best friend get de-dragged.

“Fuck, I gotta go,” you hiss, splashing cold water on your face and trying to calm your ragged breaths. Just before you can open the bathroom door, though, Bucky stops you.

“Wait, just,” he huffs, digging in his pockets for something. Quickly he produces a phone, and he hands it you with the “new contact screen” on it. “Please, give me your number.”

It’s obvious he’s the stronger of both of you, so you slam your fingers on the cracked screen to string together your phone number. It seems the man’s satisfied, because he releases the ajar door from your grip and lets you flee backstage. Lucy comes off just in time for you to meet her, ready with make up wipes and chapstick. Instead of taking both from you, though, she brushes past you to grab at a bottle of water – a surefire sign she’s not done.

You begin to protest, knowing she’s too drunk to lip sync to choral music, let alone her traditional encore playlist. But she waves you off.

“I’m just going to meet some people at the bar take some pics,” Lucy downs the entire 32 ounces of water in record time, barely getting any lipstick on the mouth of the thing. “Don’t worry, just…I don’t know,” she rolls her eyes at her own inability to speak. “Go kill a Westboro Baptist Church member or something, alright? Just…” she hiccups and starts to lean to the right, but adjusts herself before you can do anything. You steady her with a hand on her shoulder, and she lowers her face to yours and juts her lower lip out to pout. “Just wait up for me, okay. I don’t think I can find my way home alone.”

Before you can respond she pushes past you and into the screaming crowd, her shouts and shrieks almost as loud. A quick scan of the dimly-lit bar reveals no Bucky, and without his number you’re stuck putting her reveals back together and unused the unused supplies.

At the end of the night you meet Lucy back where you left her – only this time in black leggings and a purple NARAL shirt shirt three-sizes too big. As she wipes away at the thick cosmetic mask with a dirty make up wipe, your eyes meet hers in the mirror.

“I saw you with some guy tonight,” a smirk paints her lips as heat paints your cheeks. “Did anything happen?”

You bite at your bottom lip, hoping she won’t press further. Luckily, she remains covert, just giving you a once over before speaking again.

“Are you gonna run off with him and abandon me to do all my drag shit by myself?” She asks. Lucy’s tone is playful, but you can tell there’s a hint of seriousness to it.

You shake your head, tucking a bit of hair behind your ear and tucking your hands into your jean pockets. “C’mon, you know I’d never do that. You’re my best friend. How could I put anyone before you?”

Lucy turns around and smiles, perfectly white teeth especially pearly surrounded by the smudged deep purple lipstick and thick, black eyeshadow, a misplaced lash, and what looks to be a twenty-dollar bill stuck behind her ear due to excess wig glue. “Good, because there’s no way I could do Boudoir Z without you.”

Silence settles over both of you as she wipes off the rest of her make up (and pulls out the cash stuck in her hair and to her neck). The only sounds are her throwing loose powders and eye shadow into her make up suitcase and, soon, your phone vibrating in your back pocket. On the screen flashes a text from an unknown number, Bucky you think, and then another right after.

wanna see you again

when are you free

You smile at the screen, giddy like a middle schooler being asked out by her crush. “Hey, Luce…” you wait until she’s facing you to continue. “When’s your next show?”

[impracticaldemon]

The Festival of Love ~ Fairy Tail Fanfiction ~ With Time Travel! ~ Samurai Natsu! Barbarian Gray!

by Impracticaldemon | FFnet  | AO3 [Chapter 1 rated T] [Ch 2 will be M]

March 1 Prompt: Time Travel (Past) AU @fic-writer-appreciation

Author's Note: This story was intended to be a Valentine's Day gift for the lovely @nalufever. Actually, it still is! However, since it is very late, I have incorporated a wee touch of Saint Patrick's Day to go along with it.

Warning: Shameless use of faux ancient brogue (probably faux Scottish, but definitely faux), and a weird combination of canon Magnolia, sixteenth century Japan, and faux Olde English. I have totally abused "ye", since it sounded better than plain old "you". Thou, thee, thy / thine are generally used correctly, but no promises. This story has its occasional serious moments, but should not be taken too seriously.

~ Impracticaldemon

The Festival of Love, Part I - The Perils of Fairy Cakes

"So…" Lucy slid onto the bench next to Erza and rested her beer and elbows on the scarred wooden table. The tables were new—again—but they already looked like they'd seen several ugly bar-fights. Fairy Tail was like that.

Erza glanced up from her slice of cake in surprise. "Lucy? I thought you were off on a mission with the guys?"

Lucy frowned. "They were being even more difficult than usual, and after the third fight I told them to handle it on their own."

"Oh. I thought they were doing so much better these days, too." Erza sounded genuinely disappointed.

"Don't worry about it—really. I think all the pink hearts and glitter of our Valentine's Day party got to them, and now they feel the need to prove their, ah, macho-ness or something. Which brings me to my question—"

"The decorations were lovely," Erza murmured. Lucy shot her a suspicious look, but Erza had a dreamy expression on her face, and didn't seem to have interrupted on purpose. In the same kind of pensive tone, the red-head continued: "I thought that you looked very nice, Lucy. Also, Natsu was much better behaved than usual, which meant that Gray was as well. Or vice versa, perhaps…"

"Erza." Lucy took a gulp of beer and prepared to take the plunge. "Jellal's going to be pardoned any day now. Nobody's trying to lock him up any more. Why didn't he come to the party?"

Erza stiffened, and her cheeks gained a tinge of red.

"He was… busy. As well he might be, with everything that has happened. I completely understood, of course." She poked absently at her cake—a rare sight. "Besides, we are good friends who have overcome much adversity, but we are not… not… lovers." The red tint returned to Erza's face, but she continued with her usual resolve. "So there was no reason to attend such a party, really."

Lucy had to forcibly restrain herself from using Happy's line of "You liiiiiike him!" Instead, she chose her words with care, glad that she was only halfway through her beer.

"Well, we were sorry not to see him, of course. The guys are over any hard feelings, you know—if nothing else, they were seriously impressed with him for taming most of the Oracion Seis single-handed. So I was thinking that you might want to invite him—and anyone else from Crime Sorcière of course—to Fairy Tail's upcoming Lucky Shamrock Dance. Just as friends, of course." I can't believe Mirajane actually called it the Get Lucky Shamrock Dance, and I'm not going to share that information just now.

"We're having another party so soon? It's only been a week since Valentine's Day."

"Erza. You're my friend and I love you, but you really need to lighten up." When Fairy Tail's most dangerous sword-swinger tensed again, Lucy smiled reassuringly—or hoped she did. "Erza, don't worry about it, we all do. Need to relax, I mean. Hence the socials, or whatever weird name Mira's calling them these days."

There was a rather long pause, and then Erza took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "Yes, of course. And it is important for the members of Fairy Tail to be in the best possible condition for the challenges ahead." Whatever they may be, thought Lucy to herself. "Very well," continued her companion. "I will ensure that Jellal—and the other members of Crime Sorcière—are invited to the Lucky Shamrock Dance. I expect that he—or they—will attend, once I explain how important it is."

They'll attend if they know what's good for them, you mean. Lucy nodded gravely, but surreptitiously flashed a thumb's up to Mirajane at the bar. The white-haired woman glided over a moment later, as cheerful and friendly as ever.

"I saw you mangling your cake, Erza, so I brought you a fresh slice."

"I didn't mangle it."

All three women stared down at the sad remains of Erza's cake.

"Yup, you did," stated Lucy. For once, Erza accepted her conclusion without further protest.

Erza and Jellal arrived together at the Lucky Shamrock Dance. Erza had been on-hand to greet all of the members of Crime Sorcière when they first arrived in town, and she'd intended to make sure that they were happy with the accommodations she had chosen. However, Richard had smiled gently and left immediately for Fairy Tail, saying that he wanted to find out whether Jura had arrived, and Meredy had gone with him, though not before giving her blue-haired guildmaster an encouraging pat on the shoulder. There was a new sadness around her eyes, which Erza ascribed to Ultear's disappearance not so long ago, but for the most part she seemed as cheerful as usual.

Since Richard and Meredy were the only members of Crime Sorcière who had elected to come to the Fairy Tail party, their departure had left Erza alone to chat with Jellal. Social small-talk was never an easy thing for either of them. Their feelings for each other ran deep, and Jellal seemed hell-bent on accepting unrequited love as his probable fate, which angered Erza, since she returned his love, and therefore his supposed self-denial was as much a penance for her as for him. She had yet to find a suitable way to express that sentiment to Jellal, since part of her understood his need for penance and absolution.

Fortunately, Lucy and Juvia had also been aware of how awkward the pair's meetings could be. They had ensured that Erza was prepared with the finest in "Lucky Shamrock" attire, all of it green, glitzy, and sure to break the ice, whether through laughter or revulsion. It had worked, too. Erza had to give her friends points for that, and it didn't hurt that she secretly—or not so secretly—loved kitschy clothing.

More than a few people turned and stared when Jellal arrived in a sparkly green top-hat, form-fitting white trousers with sequinned green bell-bottoms, and a matching t-shirt that read "Who Needs Luck When Your Hands Are Pure Magic?" Coaxing him into the outfit had taken some doing, but Jellal was always gracious when it came to Fairy Tail—and Erza. Erza's glittering green leprechaun jacket and hip-hugging mermaid-style skirt were really quite normal in comparison. She liked the giant, shamrock-shaped hairpin thrust through the top of her sweeping red up-do, however.

The "not actually a couple" made their way through the laughing, chattering crowd in search of drinks. Drinks duly obtained, Erza immediately moved to acquire two of the delicately frosted cakes piled high on a table near the bar. She made sure that Jellal took a couple as well.

"Now we're all set," she murmured with satisfaction.

"Alcohol and dessert—a well-balanced meal if there ever was one," Jellal agreed gravely. The wary tension that was now second-nature to him was gradually fading. Being at Fairy Tail and around Fairy Tail mages always relaxed him—at least, it did on the rare occasions that he visited for reasons that didn't involve the imminent end of the world, or Life As We Know It.

"Absolutely. Now then…"

They both raised their glasses. The sign above the cakes proclaimed that a toast had to be made for every treat taken from the tray.

"To good luck." Erza touched her glass to Jellal's and drained half the contents.

"To good friends." Jellal smiled at Erza, the weariness in his eyes replaced with soft appreciation.

"To true love." Shocked by her own words, Erza hurriedly clinked Jellal's glass and drank down the rest of her improbably verdant beer. (1)

A moment later, the world spun around her, vanishing in a haze of grey fog and glittering stars.

"What the bloody hell?!" Not Jellal's voice—Natsu's?

"Ignarr' them, peat-fer-brains! Get thy demonic arse o'er here tae deal wi' th' bluidy arrows!" Gray?

There was a lot of yelling going on, and the distinct sound of sword striking sword with unfriendly intent. Erza struggled to sit upright, but somebody had their arms wrapped around her and seemed reluctant to let go.

"Don't move. We seem to have landed in the middle of a battle." Of course. It would take a battle for Jellal to hold me like this.

"So I see—and hear." Erza looked around cautiously. A partial—and rapidly melting—ice barrier rose nearby, and had probably saved them from being the unwilling recipients of the business-like, near-meter-long arrows they could see arcing overhead. In fact, it was clear that the extreme arc was being used to get around the ice.

"Whoevairr y'arr"—the speaker seemed unnaturally fond of his 'r's—"ye'd best dae somethin' tae protect yer lady. We're in a rright bit o' trouble heerre, ye ken?" He looked like a slightly shorter, leaner version of Gray, although he wore an eyepatch over his right eye. His visible eye was a stormy, dark indigo.

"Aye—I mean yes—I can see that," replied Jellal, cautiously sitting up and eyeing the knots of combat around them. Most of the men involved—and the one woman—were wielding katana, the curved-bladed, single-edged swords of the country's past. And every person but themselves—and Eyepatch-Gray—wore kimono and hakama, and the brightly-lacquered armour of the ancient samurai.

"No, we are not in trouble!" The young man who looked like Natsu ignored Jellal and responded directly to his comrade. "Don't be such a poltroon, thou northern seek-sorrow! And thou didn'st even thank me for takin' out ye bows!"

"Watch thy tongue, tha fiery bastarrd! Bows or no, they've got mair men, and the Stairm-bringair ain't one tae trifle with! Not tae mention his warr-witch!"

"Is that Laxus?" Erza interposed, gazing intently out over the battlefield. Samurai-Natsu's camp was situated on a low rise, backed by dense forest. The combatants—about twenty or twenty-five a side—were fanned out in a slight u-shape less than twenty meters away.

Erza was quickly (if regretfully), slitting her dress up to her hips and stripping off her high-heeled emerald slippers. The turf was definitely too soft for stilettos. Nobody seemed to notice—or care—that she'd grabbed a long knife from a nearby pile. She was having difficulty summoning her own weapons and armour.

"Who, now?" The pink-haired warrior gave her an odd look. "Surely ye know the name of that blond menace out there? And the she-devil, his war captain? Meaning no disrespect, milady."

Jellal cleared his throat. "They both look familiar, but we're strangers here."

"Oh. Well, don't know how you ended up in the middle of our camp, but I've got to get out there before Graeg yells at me again—even though��he was the one to insist on coming back here to check on the prisoner. If ye want to help, feel free to borrow a sword, although"—the warrior paused, as if seeing Jellal properly for the first time—"ye don't exactly look arrayed for battle. Funny, I thought ye were when I first saw ye."

"We were dressed for a party, not a fight," Erza snapped, although there was often little difference between the two at Fairy Tail. "We'll be fine. Before you go—what's your name, and why are you and Storm-Bringer fighting?"

"Well, we have his other captain, ye see." Natsu's near-twin gestured at a hanging cage, from which a deceptively slender, green-haired man was surveying the battle, his expression sardonic rather than concerned. "I mean… it's the Love Festival this evening starting at sundown, right?"

Noting Erza's darkening expression at the obscure explanation, Jellal paused in buckling on a belt and scabbard. "And capturing Free—I mean that man—has to do with the Festival? I take it that the other side is trying to get him back before the sun sets?"

"Well, of course. Freed the Dark and Jana the Fair—though she'd be a whole lot fairer in my book if she wasn't so fond of torture—they're the Storm-Bringer's chosen companions, right? So obviously—"

"Whut, in the names o' ae the de'ils art thou doin' now, ya gorrrmless twist o' hot airrr?" Graeg was back and clearly irritated. His face might be familiar, but the leather bracers and body armour, and the massive, ice-edged broadsword were new. "Twas thy bacon-brrained idea that brrought us heerrrrre! Thou wanted tae 'test' the Staerrm-Brringair! Weel then! Gaet thysel' out therre an' test him, ya—"

"Coming, coming! Thou knowest what, Graeg? Thou should'st use thine ice to calm thy temper!" Their 'host' unsheathed his katana and swung it up onto one armoured shoulder, casually flicking the blade to set it on fire. He looked back at Jellal and Erza. "I'm called the Salamander, or Fire-Bringer, but if ye want to join our cause, then just Dragneel is fine. Good? Good!"

Salamander-Fire-Bringer-Just-Call-Me-Dragneel grinned at them, and then ran off toward a spot where the fighting was getting especially serious for the 'Capture-Freed' team. Graeg the Title-less eyed them suspiciously.

"Jest tae be clearrr"—Erza decided the extra 'r's got worse when Graeg was agitated—"if ye ain't on ourr side an' ye trrrrry tae pull anything, I'll drrrrive ice spikes intae yerr eyes."

"That's very clear," responded Jellal, face suddenly grim.

"Weeeell, a-rright then. Talk tae ye latairr, assumin' we're ae alive, eh?" With a last, measuring look, Graeg raced off after Dragneel.

"I'm all set," declared Erza. "But the question is, what should we do?"

"I'm really not sure." Jellal looked out at the approaching chaos of melee battle, which flashed with intermittent gouts of flame and arcs of lightning. "I don't think we know enough to pick a side without endangering possible innocents."

"There really aren't any innocents among us," called a cultured voice from the cage not far behind them. "But I don't recommend wasting your lives in a futile attempt to prevent Lord Dreyar from reaching me. Dragneel's a young fool, and the ice-maker is desperate to prove his worth, being a foreigner and all. I don't see why strangers such as yourselves should get involved."

"Is that so…" Jellal said softly. He walked closer to the cage and peered up. "Tell me, what about the Storm-Bringer's grandfather? Why isn't he resolving this problem?"

Thin green eye-brows arched in surprise over pale blue eyes.

"Lord Dreyar's grandfather is dead—he'd be eighty or ninety if he weren't—and my lord would never get His Royal Highness his father involved in a personal matter."

Erza was starting to get twitchy. As important as it was to learn the rights and wrongs of the situation, she found herself rather keen to challenge 'Jana the Fair'. Plus, Dragneel's embattled forces were starting to fall back toward them. In a few minutes, she and Jellal would be pitched into the battle no matter what. There were only modest, wooden fortifications in place, and nothing that would stand up to lightning. This was a field camp, no more, although it had clearly been set up ahead of time.

Fortunately, Erza thought that she could finally sense the magic of this place. It felt very raw to her, and difficult to control, but it was there. She hurried up to Jellal, and he gave her a knowing look, which she returned with a faint smile. To her surprise, he moved closer and gently squeezed her hand. It was odd, but… nice. With one glance and a touch, she knew that he was aware of what she was thinking.

"You're Freed the Dark?" Jellal turned his gaze back to the captive, keeping his face scrupulously neutral.

"Yes. And you and your lady?" The light eyes were keenly interested, and cold as graveyard marble.

"I'm Siegrain, and this is Lady Scarlet."

The caged man's eyes narrowed. "How odd. You are telling the truth, but saying very little. Most people aren't good at that—they like to talk about themselves, even when it's unwise."

"We all have our skills."

"Yes… I sense great power from both of you. Perhaps even enough to turn the tide for the hothead and his barbaric friend. Not that they're alone, of course, but they're the major players on the field today for their side. Right now it's not an even fight—they won't be able to hold me for another ten minutes, let alone the hour until sunset. I only gave my word to stay put until my lord reached this cage. You could change the outcome, perhaps."

Erza and Jellal exchanged looks. This version of Freed was distinctly different from their own. He spoke smoothly, and apparently honestly, but there was an undertone of malice to his words. It was as though he were evaluating them as interesting objects, not human beings. Siegrain had been rather similar; it was not a comfortable thought.

"What will happen to Na—Dragneel—and Graeg if they can't prevent Lord Dreyar from rescuing you?" Erza wasn't as smooth as Jellal, but she rarely felt the need to hide anything.

The chilly gaze seemed to sharpen for a moment, and then Freed's evil twin shrugged elegantly and looked down to brush a speck of dirt off his handsome, wine-red kimono. Both kimono and hakama were made of expensive cloth, judged Erza. Not surprisingly, the narrow scabbard—it wasn't made for a katana—was empty. She waited patiently for a verbal answer, despite her awareness of impending battle.

"Dragneel will be punished, but not killed, if that's what you're worried about. He's kin to the Dreyar family, and strangely well-liked for such an arrogant pup. He gets away with a great deal, though he's strayed far beyond the line this time out. As for Graeg, who knows? He's been a thorn in my lord's side for more than two years now, and is undoubtedly talented. He also has a knack for creative strategy, and I suspect that he was instrumental in my capture. The Salamander is extraordinarily strong, and quite intelligent, but impatient."

By the time he had finished, Freed was speaking to thin air. Moving with the sure understanding of those who have known each other, and fought together, since childhood, Erza and Jellal had already entered the fray at the pallisade.

[END of CHAPTER 1]

(1) Verdant, in this case, meaning not only green, but sprouting foliage (a four-leafed clover on long, slender stem). It was a little odd, but more ecologically sound than little paper umbrellas.

Author's Note:

 I hope you enjoyed Chapter 1! Please stay tuned for Chapter 2. Notes, comments, and reviews are always appreciated. Hearing from readers—in whatever forum—always makes my day.

@shell-senji @hidetheremote @hakuyamazakisensei @cherryb0mb79 @strawberrysweetlove35 @eliz1369 @canadiangaap @unashamed-shipper @dat-jerza @fury-ous @kazama-hime @sabinasanfanfic

[lovelypup25]

Soulless Butterfly

Since I posted it on FF.net, I thought that I might as well post it here too.

Summary:

"What!?" It was just an accident. What started off as a simple search for lost companions in the Ark, turned into a fall that will give our heroes a trip of a lifetime. Watch as our 3 main exorcist and their scientist companion travel through a world completely unlike their own. "You call that an Akuma?!" Or was it…? Rated T for Kanda's French and some future themes.

Before you ask, this takes place before Timothy's arc. So the gang haven't been to Paris yet.

Disclaimer: I don't own DGM nor MLB.

So without further ado~ It's showtime!

Chapter 1: The Great Fall

A white haired teen was walking in a large dark hallway. It looked like something out of a horror film. Dark, brick walls all around him. With torches lighting the walls as he walked along. There was a noise in the distance, it sounded like…whining? As the teen walked, the sound grew louder and louder, until he was in front of a large door. Gentle pushing on it, the door swung open and a golden light flowed out of the doorway. He took a step and his foot connected with a sheet of paper. And another and another.

"But BRIGITTE! I need those papers!" there was a [semi] masculine whine.

There was a women with curly, short hair that was holding a stack of papers in her hand. She had a blank expression on her face. In front of her, looking up at her from the desk, was a man with dark purplish hair that curled at the ends. He had a white uniform like outfit with a rose cross on the chest.

"You do not, Mr. Lee. These are just plans for another Komlin." She spoke, her tone slightly monotone.

"Which I need! Nooo!" The man whined once more as the plans were taken from him. The white haired teen just smiled at the elder in sympathy. Noticing his presence, the man spoke. "Ah! Allen! You're here! Come in." the chief beckoned him.

Allen stepped further into the messy room. The white haired teen strolled over to the Chief. He nodded his head and smiled to the women, Brigitte, before focusing his attention on the man in front of him.

"The others will arrive shortly."

"What's going on, Komui?" Allen asked, confused.

"Well..We...Let's wait until the others get here, then I'll tell all of you at once. I do not want to repeat myself." Komui explained.

Suddenly the door swung open and in stepped two tall men. One had had fire red hair that spiked in all directions, but held back by a black bandana with a green X embroidered into it and on his face a black eyepatch. The other had his midnight blue hair tied back with a woven red tie. They were dressed in casual clothing.

The redhead had a dark green, long sleeved shirt. With the sleeves ending at the a little bit past the elbows. He wore white pants with a black belt and large boots that covered the lower part of his pants, past his knee. At his waist was a small black war-hammer. The other had a sleeveless dark blue shirt on with black pants. It exposed part of a black tattoo that seemed to crawl on his shoulders and arms. Around his waist was a white cloth* that had a scale looking texture to it and held a long sword. On his feet were black boots.

"What's the Moyashi doing here?" the midnight haired one grumbled.

Allen glared at the swordsman, "It's Allen, Bakanda." he growled.

Bakan- The swordsman growled back and grabbed the hilt of his sword, taking a step forward. The white haired teen responded by pulling on his white glove.

"Now, now! Yuu! Moyashi! No need to fight in Komui's office! It's already messy as it is!" The redhead laughed.

The two angered males turned to the laughing redhead. Their glares sharped. Making them look like predators after a small rabbit.

"I thought I told you. DO. NOT. CALL. ME. THAT!" the two synced before glaring at each other.

"You guys!" the chief called to them, but was ignored.

"What? They're just names! Right Yuu-chan~!"

"Usagi," The swordsman took a step to the redhead, "You have 3 seconds."

"Guys!"

"Ahaha! 3? Aww! Don't hurt me Yuu-chan!"

"1." he took another step.

The redhead took a step back and chuckled nervously. "Haha..Moyashi! You'll protect me right?"

Allen crossed his arms and glared at the redhead, "Don't call me that, Lavi. It's Allen!"

"2."

"GuYs!"

"OK, ok! Allen won't you protect me!?" Lavi cried out.

"No." Allen looked away and Lavi dramatically gasped.

"B-B-but Moyashi!" he whined.

"3!" the swordsman unsheathed his sword and ran at the Usagi.

"EXORCISTS!" the leader yelled halting all action.

They trio focused their eyes on him as he fixed his glasses.

"Now that I have your attention. I would like to inform you of the task."

They just nodded-well two of them did, the other just Tsked. They sat on the sofa and glared at each other-well Allen and Bakanda did-before looking away. Lavi just chuckled.

"Ok, so...We, the science team, want to examine and inspect the Ark more closely." Komui started.

"What does that have to do with us?" Bakanda asked.

"I'm getting to that. And so, we sent some of our scientists in and well...They got lost."

"They got lost?!" the trio looked at him is disbelief.

"Yes! So, we sent more in...and-"

"Let me guess...they got lost?" Lavi laughed but stopped at the look on the man's face.

"They...did."

"So you want us...to go in and find them?" Allen questioned in disbelief. They know I get lost just as easily! I can barely make it to the musician's room some days!

"Exactly!" Komui visibly brightened up.

The swordsman stood up. "That is not a job for an exorcist, Komui." he glared at the leader.

"I know! But it's the only small job I can give you! I promise to make it up to you, Kanda, after this! But we really need you guys on this!...No one else wanted to go in and look for them." Komui cried. "Well...actually...except for one."

"Then let them do it!" Kanda growled.

"Bakanda, maybe we should help. I mean, the Ark is a very big place, it's easy to get lost. Four people looking would be better than one. I don't really mind helping. I do need to learn the Ark's layout." Allen reasoned with Lavi nodding in agreement.

"Besides! I'm sure Panda-Jiji would want me to document more on it. So I say, I'm in!"

Kanda scoffed and turned to the door, ready to walk out. He ignored Komui's cries and just kept briskly walking to the door. Until he was stopped.

"Ok! Bakanda! If you do this with us, then I'll fight you when we get back." Allen tried to bribe him.

There was a moment of silence. The three anticipated the swordsman answer. Each hoping he would accept.

"Fine. You're on."

The three broke out in cheers.

Standing in front of massive white gate, Allen was decked out in his usual uniform. Black and red along with gold. On his chest was a badge of the famous Ross Cross. He looked to his side and found his fellow exorcists. They wore the same uniform as him. While his was just a jacket and pants, they had their very own versions of it. Kanda's had a long trench cloak like jacket instead of the short one. Lavi traded the pants for his normal white ones, which transitioned to black towards the ends. All of them sported a type of long black combat boots.

Suddenly, he felt something round pop from his uniform pocket. Looking down he saw a familiar golden sphere. With a face of a cross, tiny horns, and wings. Allen smiled before patting the being. It grinned, revealing a row of sharp teeth. A sight that terrified others but made the exorcist's smile grow warm with fondness.

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's go in!" Lavi chimed.

Of all the days Link is gone...

Without turning back the three climbed up the stairs and into the light. Upon entering the Ark, Allen heard the shouts of a female. Considering how quiet the Ark is, it wasn't so hard to hear them.

"Rikei! Shifu! Where are you?!" the female yelled out.

Wait...is that?

"It sounds like they're coming from that way." Kanda bluntly pointed out. "Lets go."

He walked off. I guess he really wants to get this over with? Lavi and Allen shared a look before following after him. As they drew closer, the shouts got louder. Soon they found themselves behind a very familiar scientist.

"Hey! It's Allen's-Ack!" Lavi received a swift elbow in the ribs before he finished that sentence.

The female turned to them. Her brown hair was in long, twin pigtails with flower hair ties. She had small, round framed glasses over their big brown eyes. She wore a long white science coat over a blue vest, covering a long sleeved white button up shirt, and a dark blue skirt.* Once she had saw them, she brightened up considerably and her cheeks were colored pink.

"Mr. Walker!" The scientist waved her hand to them and Allen thought he saw hearts in her eyes when she greeted him.

"Ms. Lou Fa, It's great to see you again." He greeted her with a smile.

"Did you get my present?" she asked cheerfully.

The white haired exorcist nodded his head, "Yes, it was good! Thank you for that."

"You're welcome!" She seemed to glow brighter.

"So little lady," Lavi draped his arm over the small women's shoulders, gaining her attention. "We heard you calling out to your buddies. Are they lost as well?" his eyebrows wiggled at the girl.

Lou Fa nodded her head. "Yeah, they went in to find the others who were lost and now I can't find them." she looked down, sadness in her eyes at the fact her friends are probably lost.

"Don't worry, we're here to help look for them." Allen reassured her, not wanting her to feel saddened.

The scientist's smile returned and his widened. Lavi looked at them and smirked, confusing the cursed exorcist. What is he smirking for?

"Yeah, little miss. We got this! I bet Moyashi, Yu-chan and I can easily find them." Lavi grinned at them.

I'm not! Ugh! "It's Allen, Lavi." The name irritated Allen to no end. First it was Kanda, then Lavi. He did not need Lou Fa calling him that too.

Kanda responded by unsheathing his sword. Lavi ducked behind Lou Fa.

"Ah! Don't hurt me Yuu!"

The swordsman growled. Allen noticed how Lou Fa seemed to be scared. Her eyes wide and staring at the swordsman as Lavi hid behind her. Sending a glare at the crazy bunny before turning his attention to the angered exorcist.

"Kanda, calm down. You can take your anger out on Lavi later." Allen glared at the swordsman, ignoring Lavi's cry of disbelief when he mentioned that Kanda can pretty much beat him up later.

"Don't tell me what to do, Moyashi." he glared back at him.

"It's Allen! Bakanda! Or can you not hear?" Allen smiled evilly at him.

Kanda aimed his sword at the parasite innocence user, while Allen tugged on his glove once again. There was a sudden fire around them partnered with bolts of electricity flying. Their glares and battle stances stayed. Before they went any further, they were stopped by a cute "Ah-hem." Allen looked over and saw a blushing Lou Fa, with a cowering Lavi behind her-still.

"Well, since you guys are h-here, I suggest we start looking! I want to help!"

Kanda tsked and sheathed his sword, looking away. Allen sent him another glare before fixing his glove and straightening up. He directed a smile at the scientist.

"You're right, but are you sure you want to come with? You probably have a lot of other work to do."

She shook her head, her blush intensified for some reason. "I'm sure, my friends are more precious to me. I-If they are lost then it's my duty as a friend to find them."

Lavi patted the girls head and came out from behind her. "Now aren't you just the sweetest?"

The scientist blushed shyly at the attention. Allen smiled at her once again, proud and happy with her answer.

"So! Which way do we go?" Lavi asked, crossing his arms behind his head in a casual pose.

Kanda grunted and headed towards the left, totally leaving them behind, much to Allen's irritation. Lavi jumped up and followed the swordsman with a "here we go." Allen sighed and looked at the female.

"Shall we get going?"

Her face became redder and she mustered a small nod, following after the cursed exorcist. The quartet walked on with Kanda leading them. Lou Fa occasionally shouted out to her lost companions, earning no reply each time. Eventually they wondered into an unfamiliar part of the Ark. In this area, doors were colored differently. Almost like the time when they fought the Noahs inside the Ark, not too long ago.

They walked past a blue door with a sword carved in it. A ebony door with...is that an H? And various others. It was when they passed a normal brown door, did Lou Fa stopped walking.

"Do you guys hear that?" She asked.

Allen shook his head, confused. The other two repeated the action.

"I don't hear anything." Kanda grumbled.

"Listen." She put her finger to her lips, the universal sign of 'Shh' or be quiet.

Allen shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes to listen. At first he heard nothing, then he heard something...fluttering? Or was it flapping. He tried to pin-point the sound. It seems to be coming from-

"There, it sounds like it's from there." Lou Fa interrupted his train of thought as she pointed towards the brown door.

Now with a smaller yet closer examination, Allen saw in the door a cat chasing a ladybug. There were also butterflies in the corners of the door. The odd thing was, this door had no handle. In where a handle would be, was just a flat, gold piece of metal. Where is the handle?

Allen watched as she walked towards it and pressed her ear against it. The scientists looked her their way and beckoned them. He and Lavi exchanged at look before walking towards the door. Now that he was closer, Allen could most definitely gear the fluttering. It sounded like a mass hoard of...butterflies. Could they be a certain Noah's Teezes?

Suddenly to his horror, the door flew open. It seems the woman pressed to much against the door. Causing it to open. He saw the fear paint on her face before she fell in. Reacting on instinct, the cursed exorcist sprung forward into the opened door way after the fallen girl. Thankfully he gripped her hand in time. Until he realized he jumped in as well and didn't grab anything to keep him from falling. In desperation, he reached out and took hold of a boot? It was Lavi's, he recognized. His eyes wandered up and saw the redhead being held up by his shirt by Kanda, who was gripping onto the door frame with his body leaned in.

How ironic to be in this situation again.

"What the hell is the big idea?!." Kanda grumbled.

"Ack! Ca-Calm down! I-I'm sure we can get out of this...like last time!" Lavi choked out.

Lou Fa couldn't help looking down into the darkness. It seemed endless and so suffocating. It was like it could swallow them whole any second now. She did not expect the door to swing open like that. It had no handle, surely it would've stayed close. Too bad that wasn't the case. Oh how horrible she felt. If only she hadn't leaned on the door! She would be fine now!

And I dragged Mr. Walker down with me too! He must hate me now!

She felt tears pool up in her eyes. She felt so unlucky. A burden. Useless. All the negative feelings whirled inside her and she almost didn't notice the flapping of a butterfly. Her tear shot eyes shot up and at the flying creature. It was all black yet seemed to give off a purple glow. And it was heading right her direction.

Wait are those the things in the reports about that one Noah?!

Panic filled her. She had read about the cruel butterflies that killed one of the exorcist and injured Allen Walker to near death. And now the same beast was coming her way?!

She tightened her grip on Allen's hand. A tiny yelp left her throat as she panicked. She let her body sway around, trying to stay away from the flapping monster. Quickly, she let her eyes go up to the cursed exorcist, trying to convey her fear to him.

He looked down at her and she saw his eyes widen. He must've seen the horrid bug. She felt his grip tighten before he jerked his arm up. Lou Fa felt herself fly up, her hand momentarily leaving Allen's. Making her panic, before she felt an arm quickly snake around her waist and pull her toward a warm, solid chest.

She looked up and saw Allen's face scrunched into a glare. He was looking past her. Suddenly, her cheeks felt warm and she let out a small squeak. She was in his arms! She was being held in his ARMS! For a moment, the poor scientist forgot to breathe. She could smell the hints of vanilla and sweet dangos radiating off of his uniform. It took every fiber in her body to keep her from actively sniffing the guy. I don't want to come off as weird!

Suddenly, they were swinging and twisting. Lou Fa noticed the butterfly still flying after them. With each twist, it flew around only to fly back when they twisted the opposite way. This kept going on and to her it was like they were dancing in air with the ability to fall to their death anytime. Ugh, how romantic...

"ACK! Moyashi stop moving!" Lavi choked.

"I can't help it! There's a Teez down here! It's after Lou Fa for some reason!"

"A what?!" Kanda yelled, sounding strained.

Lou Fa and Allen kept swinging and twisting. Which was not helping Lavi at all. The boot Allen held onto, started to move and twist as well.

"S-Stop! My boot!" Lavi cried out in gasps, his shirt choking him.

Unable to take the shirt's choking hold, Lavi moved his head around trying to get comfortable and free.

"Usagi! Stop!" Kanda yelled in irritation.

Lavi coughed and suddenly his head slipped out of the hole. The relief was instant, but the realization of the action hit him hard. In desperation, he reached out and grabbed Kanda's wrist, tugging on it. Making the swordsman's grip slip. Lou Fa let out a scream and they all suddenly went tumbling down. Allen let go of Lavi's boot in favor of holding Lou Fa so that she wouldn't get hurt by whatever impact they were facing. Lavi was flying down shirtless. Kanda was falling with a scowl in his face, his grip on the shirt tightened as they all fell.

"Wayzz?" a gentle voice murmured

The owner of that voice was a short Chinese man. He was wearing a red Hawaiian shirt with beige pants. He was kneeling on a large futon-like mat and staring out of glass balcony doors at the sky. It was clear and sunny yet he knew better. In his hands was a cup of piping hot tea. It's aroma waved in the air and gave the room a tranquil feel to it. Floating next to him was a still creature. It resembled a turtle. With a shell and everything. It's eyes were wide and focused on the sky. It seemed to be frozen in shock.

"They're here." it whispered.

"Who's here? Wayzz?"

Wayzz's big eyes glazed over and plump tears rolled down his tiny face. A smile spread on his face. It let out a fond sigh and whispered.

"God's Children."

It took a long while before their bodies came in contact with the ground. But when they did, Allen and Lou Fa hit first. The cursed exorcist's back crashed against a flat, stone surface and his spine shook at the force of the impact. He winced at the pain. In his arms was the frightened scientist woman, who was clinging to him and trembling. Allen cracked an eye open. He was assaulted by the sight of his companions falling towards him. Thinking on the fly, he rolled to the side and let them crash next to him. Dust flew up into the air and obscured his vision, momentarily.

He heard a chorus of coughs before a familiar growl. "Fucking hell."

A choking gurgle spoke up next, "Ack! Y-Yuu. You're...crushing...me!"

There was a 'tsk' before a ruffle of movement and a very dramatic gasp. Allen carefully sat himself and Lou Fa up. The dust around them settled and he saw a Lavi, who was gasping for breath, and a very angry Kanda. The swordsman glared their way and grumbled.

"What the hell?!" the look he was giving him was very accusatory.

"Don't look at me like that, Bakanda!" Allen shot him a glare, unintendedly pulling the scientist closer in his irritation. Not noticing that her cheeks were flaring up.

The two bickered bitterly back and forth. The bookman apprentice snatched his shirt that had fallen to the ground. He shook it out, letting the dust fall off it before sliding it back on. He twisted his head from the bickering children and focused his attention the surroundings. He walked forward and grabbed onto a stone railing and took in a large gulp of air. The boy stopped and stared at the sight that was before his eyes.

"Guys."

"It's your fault we landed in here!" Kanda growled.

"It's no one's fault Bakanda! It was an accident!" Allen hissed.

"Allen. Kanda."

"I'll make your death look like an accident, Moyashi!" There was the metal sound of a sword being unsheathed.

"Just go ahead and try!"

"Allen! Kanda!" Lavi shouted and they halted.

"Tsk, what?"

The red head looked back at them and his single eye gleamed with a confusion and disbelief. "You have to see this."

Okay that was Soulless Butterfly. I hope you liked the first chapter so far! The first chapter is never my best, but just stick with it. I promise that it'll get better.

*1: White Cloth - seriously...what is that?

*2: Description of Lou Fa(Rohfa) - I choose the newer look she has for this story along with a colored picture of her with a blue vest and skirt.

So shippings...I know how crazy both of these fandoms are with those...so just so you know. I already have them planned out. Alright? Alright!

Ciao-su~

[ellenlucasonlinedatingblog]

Sexuality in Color: Wakandan Women and Sexism in Black Panther

It’s been just over a month and a half since the movie Black Panther premiered in theaters, and it continues to be the number one movie five weekends in a row, and seventh highest in domestic U.S. box office history. This landmark movie has had an incredibly positive effect on the mainstream public. It is challenging Hollywood’s diversity and inclusivity issues; providing a positive representation of a modern African landscape beyond the war-torn and poverty-ridden stereotype that is ubiquitous in Western culture; and tackling issues of personal and national identity through the lens of diaspora.

But I’m not here to talk about those things, which are thoughtfully discussed in the links above. Instead, I’d like to talk about how gender dynamics and sexism do and don’t play a part in Black Panther. Why? Because a blockbuster film’s impact doesn’t just come from its cultural diversity or overtly positive messaging; small choices in aesthetics, dialogue, and character development can create representation that is deeply (and often subconsciously significant) to how each viewer relates to their own sense of self and gendered experiences.

First, let’s talk about The Good, in the form of the Dora Milaje, or the female bodyguards assigned to protect the Black Panther (and/or whomever holds the throne of Wakanda). Let’s take a second to celebrate how wonderful it is that these Secret Service agents are a group of badass warrior women from various Wakandan tribes, rather than a bunch of men in boring black suits and earpieces, like I’m used to seeing in blockbuster movies. In fact, to touch on costuming for a little bit longer, I just have to appreciate how beautiful (and practical) the costumes were. In looking at Okoye’s outfit, we see that unlike many female superheroes/warriors onscreen, her outfit is designed to provide coverage and flexibility for combat.

There is much debate about how the outfits of women in comics range from the impractical to the impossible, reflecting just how much these aesthetics cater to the men who would look at and sexualize these women, rather than the women who would see themselves represented as heroes and fighters. Rather than putting the Dora Milaje into tiny unitards or skin-tight jumpsuits that tend to draw the viewer’s eyes primarily to the women’s body shape, the costume designers chose to put together outfits that were functional first. The fact that these women dress like warriors and act like warriors mean that they are seen as formidable forces and valued for more than their aesthetic addition to the scenes. However, it should be acknowledged that historically, Black women who play fighters or warriors in comics or onscreen adaptations have often been forced into a hypersexualized “Amazonian warrior” stereotype (think Grace Jones in A View To A Kill, X-Men’s Storm, Pam Grier in Foxy Brown). While the Dora Milaje don’t show as much skin or aren’t as inherently sexual as their predecessors, it’s worth thinking about the history of racialized sexism and asking ourselves if they overcome or simply contribute to harmful stereotypes about Black women’s bodies.

Another Good Thing about Black Panther is Shuri, T’Challa’s younger sister, the princess of Wakanda, and possibly my favorite young woman on this green Earth of ours. Damon Young over at The Root highlights some great things about Princess Shuri, in that she is a shining force of pure joy, intelligence, and passion that essentially holds Wakanda together. Even at her young age, she has taken over the role of chief scientist for Wakanda, inventing new technological uses for vibranium that eventually allow for T’Challa to claim ultimate victory over Killmonger. That super-cool and high-tech Black Panther suit that provides protection and stores up kinetic energy with every impact, collapsible down to a beautiful silver necklace? That exists thanks to the dedication and ingenuity of a 16-year-old Disney princess in a lab coat. All without ever wearing revealing outfits, performing sexual innuendos, or interacting with a love interest. Take that, sexism.

The actress, Letitia Wright, said that her hope was that young women of color who watch the movie might see her role and think, “I’m not a superhero, but I can be a scientist or build the next spaceship, like Shuri.” I can only imagine the number of young black and brown girls that got to look up at the screen in the movie theater and see a bright and beautiful potential version of their grown-up selves. I know it would have made a big difference to me as a kid, especially now that I know Letitia Wright shares my same heritage – she is Guyanese! For someone who’s only ever met one Guyanese person outside of Guyana in their entire life, it’s a pretty big deal to me.

But for all that Okoye, Princess Shuri, and the other women in Wakanda defy sexist and racist stereotypes about Black women and women in movies in general, they face some of the same oppressive treatment that accompanies those lived experiences off-screen. Here come the Not-So-Good Things. CIA Agent Everett Ross, one of the only two main roles in the film played by white actors, seems very surprised when he wakes up in the Wakandan tech lab to see Shuri working on her projects and supervising his healing process. While there’s no outright dialogue beyond the sarcastic exchange of “Is this Wakanda?” “No, it’s Kansas,” it seems at that very moment that not only is he reconciling the fact that Wakanda is actually technologically advanced far beyond any place that he’s ever known, but that this young woman is in charge of this technology.

If we could read his thoughts, they might be similar to: What is this young girl doing here? She can’t possibly be the head scientist overseeing everything. Who’s in charge here? Shuri ends up explaining everything to him, guiding him and teaching him about Wakanda every step of the way, even through the final battle scene. This flips the script on the traditional sexist narrative in which a heroic white man swoops in and saves the day while the women and children of color cower in the corner and wait to be saved. There are examples of Ross talking over others and being culturally insensitive all over the movie, but one of my other favorite moments includes when Okoye and T’Challa are speaking in Xhosa in front of Ross, and he asks T’Challa, “Does she speak English?,” referring to Okoye. In return, in true take-no-crap fashion, she responds directly to Ross, “When she wants to.” She shuts down an ignorant question and demonstrates herself as empowered and much, much more sharp and aware than Ross gives her credit for.

I really appreciated seeing the reversal of an all-too-common power dynamic of white men speaking over women of color while also preserving those moments of tension and awkwardness between Ross and the other characters. As far as I’m concerned, these were teaching moments, in which we the public can learn from examples of a well-intentioned white male “ally” who oversteps boundaries and treats others as inferior purely out of ignorance. These are tangible examples of women of color actively combatting sexism and sexual racism, rather than just passively being witness to them. And beyond that, there are many examples throughout the movie of Okoye, Shuri, Nakia, and other Wakandan women being respected and honored as members of the community. Even in the way that Angela Basset’s queen mother character, Ramonda, walks through the room shows the command and respect that she is given by the men and women of Wakanda alike. I personally saw my own family’s matriarchal tendencies reflected in that Wakandan throne room, and I appreciated that the power and wisdom of women of color was at the center of it all.

But then along comes the movie’s villain, Eric Killmonger. There is a lot of debate out there about Killmonger’s approach to racial justice and the Wakandan revolution, and what I think of his political strategy is neither here nor there. But several of the strongest examples of misogyny in this movie came from his character’s willingness to commit violence against the Black women around him. Not even halfway through the movie, he murders the nameless young woman that he is traveling with simply because she is another person who might complicate his plans for domination. There is no regret or remorse shown by Killmonger – perhaps he viewed her as “collateral damage.” He goes on to ignore the proper rituals of respect that appear to be customary for Wakandan culture and chokes one of his female elders who disagrees with his orders. He injures Nakia, and cruelly and intentionally murders one of the Dora Milaje in front of Okoye. And, as icing on the cake, he almost kills Shuri, backing her up against a ledge, calling her “princess” as he advances on her while she lies cornered on the ground.

For all that he preaches about unity and justice for his fellow Wakandans and Black folks worldwide, almost every interaction that we see Killmonger have with the women around him is drenched in toxic masculinity. In watching these scenes, I found myself wondering, why was this targeted violence against women included in this movie? What does this say about Killmonger’s views towards women and other marginalized folks within his community, and what does this mean for this amazing movie to include this violence? Perhaps it was intended to shed some light on the way that women of color are often spoken over or demonized even within their communities, which would represent an important step towards addressing the intersections of gender and violence in communities of color. But a more simple and disappointing reason may be more plausible; maybe these examples of violence were intended to serve as yet another facet of Killmonger’s evil-ness as a villain.

Personally, I believe that that would be the equivalent of a cop-out. Rather than taking the time to address how a person who is dedicated to combatting oppression and lifting up their community can also subconsciously enact the very violence they are trying to prevent, reducing that person to a static, all-around “bad guy,” who enacts “bad-guy” violence, denies the dynamic and conflicting characteristics that make up real people’s experiences outside of film scripts. What the intentions of the writers and directors are, I can’t say. I can only speak to what it feels like to look on the screen and see, like I constantly see around me, women of color being hurt and killed at the hands of the men around them.

At the risk of sounding like all the other thinkpieces that have come out (and continue to come out) after the movie’s release, I am grateful for both sides of the spectrum of gendered experiences displayed in Black Panther. I believe that representation (of both positive, stereotype-shattering dialogue/roles, and of the tricky-to-downright-deadly aspects of sexism and violence against women of color) generates conversation and imagines futures that are different than the everyday experiences of marginalized folks. Since the movie has come out, I’ve seen multiple pieces that reflect on toxic masculinity and gendered violence in Black Panther, and have had a few eye-opening conversations with other friends of color about how seeing these representations impacted their own sense of self and community. I would love to watch hours on hours of footage of life in Wakanda and the women of the Dora Milaje being badasses without seeing a single instance of sexism or gendered violence, but I am grateful for the representation of the bullshit that women and femmes of color have to put up with in real life every day. It’s a good reminder of all the work there is to be done, in Wakanda and everywhere else.

Know of a blog, organization, or resource that belongs here? Send it to our curator, Al (that's me!), at al AT scarleteen DOT com.

Interested in contributing as a guest writer for our Sexuality in Color series, or any other part of Scarleteen? Check out our information for writers and then take it from there! Queer and trans writers of color of varied abilities and experiences are always strongly encouraged to apply.

sexuality in color

racism

sexism

misogynoir

movies

pop culture

superheroes

violence

toxic masculinity

racial justice

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