#these should all have links for credit attached to them. i can kill myself if not

[garpond]

anyway look at my oc boy

this website is Not functional so heres the credits in order for the ones that didnt work -_-

1 2 3

4 5

6 7

8 9(meeeee) 10

[lady-plantagenet]

What hasn’t already been said: The Spanish Princess 2

Episode 1: CamelNOT

[Lively Music Plays]

I shit you not... that’s what it said in the CCs.

Tower of London (?)

*Catherine looks at the array of crowns like a museum curator and the proceeds to strut down the halls*

Wolsey: *gives her this strange look which is a mixture between damn girl and the eagle is my spirit animal.

Then Catherine gets fake detained and taken to Henry in what must be a strange variation of the whole Robin Hood/Maid Marian roleplay they historically engaged in.

... did she just call his erhm manhood his kingship? Well that’s original, I’ll give them that. Also funny how Bessie Blount initially looks on in fright... don’t worry girl that will be you soon.

———————————————————————

*the four ladies have a brunch friendship moment together*

I see Blount is among them... I see they are setting her up as Catherine’s friend in order to play up the whole betrayal.

Alright. Jokes aside, I realised how much I’ve played myself. I was inspired by @melusineloriginale ‘s sporks (which if all this TSP episode posts got you in the mood for PG show mockery I urge you to check out here - you’ll thank me later). In truth, Henry VIII’s early reign is a bit too late from my main area of focus for me to make intelligent jokes.

I’ll content myself with just bullet-pointing random thoughts that came into my head, and if some intelligent thought gets through, well that would be the pinnacle. In any case I’ll aim to not parrot some of the stuff that’s already been said, repetition can get annoying.

This image embodies this post, but maybe not the show. I’ve noticed those Starz productions get better by the end.

First Scenes:

- The recap just reminded me how much I will miss Margaret Beaufort in the coming episodes. I know her portrayal was innacurate but Harriet Walter just made everything better.

- They are making such a big deal out of this whole ‘we were crowned together, we rule together’ thing in this episode - it makes no sense. Catherine was an influential Queen but she was definitely no more than a consort and never saw herself as more.

- Ruairi’s new haircut is pleasing to my eyes.

- When she says ‘Abuelo’ it’s super adorable awww

The Ferdinand and Charles V scene:

- Bessie Blount looks so much like Ursula Pole lmao. Also they totally got the Pole children’s birth order wrong and UGH WHERE IS GEOFFREY POLE???

- I like Mary Tudor’s actress and her facial expressions. However, this whole polyglot image they are representing is innacurate. I am fairly certain she knew no spanish and I recall reading a contemporary account which said that she was not very learned.

- I’m pretty sure it would be considered bad luck to prematurely crown your son ‘Henry IX’ while you’re still alive.

- I actually like the whole Grape motif in this episode. It’s probably the smartest thing they’ve come up with so far for this episode. I know a lot of you will be all like ‘there’s no record of Ferdinand being abusive’ but this choice sort of makes sense when you recall Joanna’s treatment. Also I appreciate them for not being tacky and showing flashbacks of more overt abuse eg physical. The sugared grape is also fairly symbolic (the sugar is like a gilding, the grape easily crushable)

- OMG the guy from Garrow’s law is playing Thomas More!

- AND PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME IM NOT SEEING THINGS? Margaret Pole x Thomas More is happening?? Please god that is a historical crackship I am getting behind. Yes. This is what I’m most invested about.

Margaret Tudor and Scotland Scene:

- The whole ironic cutaway to Margaret being all depressed after Charles Brandon’s statement about her charming Scottish king is such a cliché movie technique.

- If this were a more artsy film I would think the whole setup resembling a stereotypical middle-class family breakfast was done on purpose for humorous effects or to create a link with the past. But here I don’t have as much trust in the producers. I think they just failed to capture the time period accurately.

- The modernisms continue: ‘Negassi please stop playing’ idk, there just something so modern about this for some reason ahaha

- Also again, I’m getting tired of all this ‘Catherine is basically queen herself’, ‘Catherine is a political genius’, ‘Catherine Catherine Catherine’ ugh. I don’t think the producers understand that Henry VIII was a very autocratic and traditional ruler. He didn’t make any show of joint-rulership (correct me if I’m wrong).

- The teeth thing is funny, smart and I liked it.

Back to Westminster:

- I like Ferdinand’s actor!

- Also Catherine’s response to ‘who are you loyal to?’ was not that smart. I feel like the producers wanted us to be impressed. What if Spain and England’s interests conflict, ey??

The Joust:

- I care too much for the whole Margaret Pole plotline. I’m so invested.

- I could watch a series of More and Pole just exchanging lines. I love the actors too and this is my hope for this series. The whole frustrated parents is SO CUTE.

- I didn’t know More tutored Reggie, I would be curious to know more.

- The way compton says groom to queen’s stool is freaking hilarious. He looks like a pervert.

- Henry Pole is a darling and must be protected at all costs.

- Oh Christ oh Christ that eyeball shot was just... good job on the special effects guys. Don’t know what the point of that choice was.

- I found the whole armour mentions after interesting, it looked so set up as a PR campaign because Stafford speaking about the armour just sounded like a statement agreed on beforehand ‘should have worn the same’ and the Catherine with ‘steel in the bones’ and Ferdinand’s impressed face (it was him playing them?)

- Am I giving this show too much credit?

- Also whats up with “God save the Queen?”

War Counsel:

- Henry VIII’s actor is quite charismatic in this scene. It’s almost as if Catherine is the hothead and Henry the wise one that speaks less but more significantly. It almost feels like they gender-swapped them.

The Bedchamber:

- Did Catherine breastfeed the baby? I thought it was Anne Boleyn. Doubtful... I’m tired of the trope of ‘you’re a good woman if you insist on breastfeeding the child yourself despite social conventions’. For a feminist show, the writers seem very attached to some 1950s perceptions of motherhood.

- I feel like the age difference between Catherine and Henry is well conveyed.

Scotland Again:

- ‘All the sheep were pregnant’ 👀 oh touché Margaret. oh my. Did she just?

- I know they are playing out this disenfranchised Margaret arc to reinforce how great Catherine and Henry are (cheap technique) and to build up to her involvement in Flodden (innacurate historically but I know what the show will do). But I will say this: the humour is pretty good in the Scottish scenes! But I know it’s unintentionally so... (I highly doubt they wanted us to laugh at Margaret hitting James or calling Alexander a pig).

Westminster and the baby chamber:

- What’s are those red splotches on the babies face??

- Oh that shot of Margaret and silent Reginald :((( it makes me sad.

- And now the Poles are at church! I just love the look of them.

- That scene of Maggie and Catherine was needed, as we didn’t get the best friends vibe much in this episode. The whole thing looked a bit pagan though, but it was nice :)

The whole Ferdinand’s betrayal segment:

- The grape motif again was fitting, him snapping the fruit right before she gets to it even despite her knowing what he’s like and what he’ll do, was a good parrallel.

- I’m tired of hearing of this ‘Camelot’. Even in the novel, Camelot was Catherine and Arthur’s dream and... can we just live it up with Arthur?

- Ursula Pole’s, Bessie Blount’s and Mary Boleyn’s actresses look way too similar.

- I fail to see why Catherine thinks she’s turning into her father... she doesn’t strike me as much of a game-player or subtle two-facer.

- I’m intrigued what will happen with Oviedo and Lina... I feel like they won’t stay in England long.

- He was made knight bannaret... nice... but why does he thank Catherine publicly for this? It was in Henry’s gift that he was made a commoner Knight.. if this transpired irl Henry would have been gravely insulter.

Catherine’s Dead Baby and thereafter:

- Guys. In all seriousness, I don’t think the TV series is trying to imply that Catherine killed the baby with her negligence. I mean, they are so bent on us liking her they wouldn’t do that. It would be a bit too ballsy anyway. Remember the red splotches I mentioned earlier? Could those have been a sign that he was already ill but no one noticed/was in denial?

- The pebbles in hands would have had more emotional payoff if it had been established earlier if you know what I mean. Basically, this episode is too fast and entire arcs begin and end within it which extinguished any build-up.

- Oh man Henry is so sweet in this, how will they build him up as the tyrant he was historically if they keep this up?

Scotland Again:

- I must admit, I don’t like all those nicknames they keep using. But somehow James calling Margaret ‘Meg’ is nice and seems fitting.

- What’s a hermana sister?

England Last Mourning Scenes:

- YOU DID NOT BUILD CAMELOT ughhh

- Why is Catherine giving the speech and not Henry?? It turns out Catherine was more emotional historically then the whole perception of ‘perfect queen of stone’ to which some people hold her. However, I doubt it would have been proper of her to give a speech in such a emotional manner.

Conclusion:

6.5/10

Some of the dialogue was stilted, the costumes are confused as to which era they’re supposed to be (aesthetically distracting) and many other characterisation issues.

I don’t have high hopes for this series in terms of cinematography or art but I sure as hell expect it will be entertaining. So far, everything is just getting set up and I find some aspects promising. As you can tell I am truly excited over how the Margaret Pole plotline. I am also interested in how Henry will be portrayed, with Catherine being so OTT and pushy this episode Im starting to Stan him more. In this show he appears sensitive and serene and kinda... adorable. Kind of like a little brother hanging onto his sister’s skirts.

But in a way that is a disservice to the real historical figure which would not tolerate such a representation. I am very irritated by this whole ‘joint-rulers’ thing which is just sooo innacurate. These STARZ shows have an obsession with showing women turn into men for the purposes of feminism - I see.

Catherine overpowers Henry too often and it sometimes feels like he’s HER consort. Of course, the feminism in this show is schizophrenic as we get the overemphasis of Catherine as a 1950s motherly ideal with the whole breastfeeding angle (“you’re better than other noble woman who would find this beneath them”, “they’re not as motherly as you”).

So the relationship dynamic between Henry and Catherine is a bit off at the moment, but oh well.

Mary Tudor is a bit distracting with her dark hair but I find the actress extremely endearing and promising. I know there will be emphasis on her storyline too and I hope they’ll not be clichéd with it.

[dillpickleinstrument]

Alice in Borderlands- Episode 3 Review below

(Pictured above- Chota, Arisu, and Karube in order from left to right)

(Second Picture - Shibuki)

Episode three of Alice in Borderlands is the big turning point in the series. Without spoiling too much, I can honestly say it was a bold move on the writers part. This review will have major spoilers in it, so if you had any interest in watching this, I would avoid this review.

That being said, everyone dies in the third episode. Like, everyone but our main character. How can they do that? I’ll explain… The episode starts off with the group discussing when they’re going to complete the next challenge, as Chota and Shibuki are reaching the end of their visas. They decide to go out the next day, the last day of the visas. Leading up to the game, we are shown how Shibuki slept with her boss to get promoted, so she doesn't want to die because that would mean that her actions were meaningless. After this scene, Karube is shown returning to his old bar to retrieve the ring he was going to use to propose to his old coworker.

Almost missing the check in because Karube was late, they arrived at a terrarium. Inside,they are told to put on goggles attached to a neck brace. A recording then informs the group that they are playing a form of hide and seek where a wolf hunts while the sheep hide. However, they find out that only the wolf will survive, so it is the wolf that must run and hide. In the confusion, Shibuki runs away in hopes to survive until the end. This causes different reactions amongst the other members of the group. Karube chases after her so he can either get the title of “wolf” and then run or kill her, whichever is easier. Then Arisu runs, trying to figure out how everyone can survive this situation. This leaves Chota to break down out of fear.

After receiving the title of Wolf from a battle with Shibuki, Arisu runs in hopes that some of the tools provided can remove the goggles so everyone can live. While this is happening, Karube is hunting him down to kill him until they start to discuss past memories with each other. This brings Karube back to a calm state and everyone decides that Arisu should be the survivor. They then go quiet to protect their life long friend. While Arisu is trying to find someone, the words of sheep hiding from the beginning are cut in between the scenes to give them new meaning. In the last seconds of the trial, Arisu finds Karube with his last words he says “thank you”. He then dies in front of Arisu’s eyes, the collar shooting a laser that ends him in a brutal fashion.

In all, I really enjoyed this episode; if anything, I would say this is my favorite episode of the series. It had it’s problems, i.e. trying to put a bunch of character development in one episode, but the gut punch at the end made up for it. Like Arisu, I found myself trying to find a way to save everyone, but when it came down to it, there was no answer that saved them, and that hurt.

At the end of the episode, the music ended right when the countdown ended leaving nothing but the sound effects of the garden around the main character; allowing the audience to comprehend what they just witnessed. The last shot of the scene was of the ring, reminding the audience that his love for his friend and desire for him to live was stronger than his ambition to marry the person he loved. This acted as a small story arc for the character as it started with him wanting to retrieve the ring even though his friends were running out of time. This action of selfishness was a form of foreshadowing to the barbaric nature he showed while he was fearing for his life over his friends during the game. However, Karube learned to let go and let his best friend live instead of him. (First link).

On a lighter note, I also liked the scene before the trial started when Karube was in the bar he used to work at retrieving the ring. With the light shining in and the flute in the background, it gives the audience hope that he can actually give it to the woman after all this confusion is over. Going back to the end, I loved the way the sound directors used violins in the score as Arisu searched for anyone to save and the text was flashing. The strings seemed to give more weight to the scene and helped the audience in the mood of sadness, and also the challenge of finding someone he could save. After the silence, the end credits kick in loud and proud. This almost reminds the audience that despite the sacrifice of his friends he must continue to participate in these cruel games. (Second link).

( Karube in the bar) https://youtu.be/ZTMLoJee1ak

(Arisu running and the death of Karube) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVKSOWR2xj8

[thelittlesttimelord]

The Littlest Timelord: Cracks in Time Chapter 1

TITLE: The Littlest Timelord: Cracks in Time Chapter 1 PAIRING: No Pairing RATING: T CHAPTER: 1/? SUMMARY: A little girl escapes the Time War when the Timelord’s return in “End of Time Part 2″. The newly regenerated Doctor must now raise the little girl while trying to find out why cracks in time keep following them around.

The Doctor came crashing through the ceiling of the Naismith Mansion and landed on all the broken glass. Through blurry vision, he picked up the gun lying next to him and pointed it at Rassilon, but it fell from his hand as he collapsed back down to the floor. The Doctor struggled to get up as Rassilon came towards him.

“My Lord Doctor, Lord Master. We are gathered for the end”, Rassilon said.

The Doctor lay on the floor, panting in pain. He struggled to his hands and knees as he begged. “Listen to me. You can't!”

“It is a fitting paradox that our salvation comes at the hands of our most infamous child”.

“Oh, he's not saving you. Don't you realize what he's doing?”

The Master ignored the Doctor. “Look around you. I've transplanted myself into every single human being. But who wants a mongrel little species like them, because now I can transplant myself into every single Time Lord. Oh, yes, Mister President, sir, standing there all noble and resplendent and decrepit. Think how much better you're going to look as me”.

Rassilon held up his metal gauntlet and every human was restored to their normal selves.

“No, no, don't. No, no, stop it! No, no, no, don't!” the Master yelled.

“On your knees, mankind”, Rassilon demanded.

Every human in the room got down on their knees.

“No, that's fine, that's good, because you said salvation. I still saved you. Don't forget that”, the Master told him.

“The approach begins”, Rassilon said looking up to the sky.

“Approach of what?”

“Something is returning. Don't you ever listen? That was the prophecy. Not someone, something”, the Doctor snapped.

“What is it?” the Master asked.

“They're not just bringing back the species. It's Gallifrey. Right here, right now”.

The humans in the room fled in fear as Gallifrey got closer to the earth.

“But, I did this. I get the credit. I'm on your side”, the Master said.

Wilf came running into the room. “Come on, get out of the way. Get out of the way! Doctor?”

“Help me, please. Somebody, please!” a technician begged. He was trapped in a glass booth.

“All right! I've got you, mate. I've got you”, Wilf said going into the open booth.

“Wilf, don't. Don't!” the Doctor begged as Wilf unlocked the other booth.

“I've got you. Come on. Go on”, Wilf told him.

The technician fled the room.

“But this is fantastic, isn't it? The Time Lords restored”, the Master said, rising to his feet.

“You weren't there in the final days of the War. You never saw what was born. But if the Timelock's broken, then everything's coming through. Not just the Daleks, but the Skaro Degradations, the Horde of Travesties, the Nightmare Child, the Could-have-been King with his army of Meanwhiles and Never-weres. The War turned into hell. And that's what you've opened, right above the Earth. Hell is descending!” the Doctor listed off.

“My kind of world”.

“Just listen! Because even the Time Lords can't survive that”.

“We will initiate the Final Sanction. The end of time will come at my hand. The rupture will continue until it rips the Time Vortex apart”, Rassilon told them.

“That's suicide”, the Master argued.

“We will ascend to become creatures of consciousness alone. Free of these bodies, free of time, and cause and effect, while creation itself ceases to be”.

“You see now? That's what they were planning in the final days of the War. I had to stop them”, the Doctor told the Master.

“Then, take me with you, Lord President. Let me ascend into glory”.

“You are diseased, albeit a disease of our own making. No more”.

The Doctor was back on his feet and aiming the revolver at Rassilon.

“Choose your enemy well. We are many. The Master is but one”, he said.

“But he's the President. Kill him, and Gallifrey could be yours”, the Master told him.

The Doctor turned and aimed it at the Master.

“He's to blame, not me. Oh, the link is inside my head. Kill me, the link gets broken, they go back. You never would, you coward. Go on then. Do it”.

As he was about to turn the gun back on Rassilon, a small brunette girl came running towards the Doctor.

“Someone grab her!” Rassilon demanded.

The Doctor trained the gun on him again as her small arms wrapped around his leg. She shook violently against him and he wondered how she had gotten there in the first place.

“Exactly. It's not just me, it's him. He's the link. Kill him!” the Master yelled.

“The final act of your life is murder. But which one of us?” Rassilon asked.

The woman to the right of the Doctor lowered her hands from her face to look at the Doctor and the little girl. The Doctor spun around to face the Master again. “Get out of the way”.

The Master moved and the Doctor shot the device holding the white point star.

“The link is broken. Back into the Time War, Rassilon. Back into hell”, the Doctor spat.

“You'll die with me, Doctor”, Rassilon said lifting his gauntlet.

The Doctor placed his hand on the girl’s head. “I know”, the Doctor said.

Rassilon aimed his gauntlet at the Doctor and the girl as the woman covered her faced again.

“Get out of the way”, the Master told him.

The Doctor picked up the little girl and moved off to the side as the Master attacked Rassilon with his built up energy. “You did this to me! All of my life! You made me! One! Two! Three! Four!”

Rassilon was forced to his knees as the Timelords disappeared in a bright white light.

The Doctor shielded the little girl’s body with his own as they were sucked back into the Time War. “I'm alive. I've…I'm still alive. We’re okay”. He raised up on his hands as the little girl sat next to him looking at him with her big blue eyes.

They heard a series of four knocks.

The Doctor looked over and saw Wilf in the glass booth.

“They gone, then? Yeah, good-o. If you could let me out?” he asked.

The Doctor sighed. “Yeah”.

“Only, this thing seems to be making a bit of a noise”.

The Doctor got to his feet and walked over to him. “The Master left the Nuclear Bolt running. It's gone into overload”.

“And that's bad, is it?”

“No, because all the excess radiation gets vented inside there”. The Doctor gestured to the other booth with his head. “Vinvocci glass contains it. All five hundred thousand rads, about to flood that thing”.

“Oh. Well, you'd better let me out, then”.

“Except it's gone critical. Touch one control and it floods”. The Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver. “Even this would set it off”.

“I'm sorry. Look, just leave me”.

“Okay, right then, I will. Because you had to go in there, didn't you? You had to go and get stuck, oh yes. Because that's who you are, Wilfred. You were always this. Waiting for me all this time!”

The little girl could see that the man was getting increasingly upset. She got up and walked over to him, taking his hand in her tiny one.

He looked down at her and chuckled bitterly. He was dying and she’d just begun her life.

She couldn’t have been more than 4.

“No really, just leave me. I'm an old man, Doctor. I've had my time”, Wilf told him.

The Doctor pulled his hand out of hers “Well, exactly. Look at you. Not remotely important. But me? I could do so much more. So much more! But this is what I get. My reward. And it's not fair!” The Doctor was practically crying at this point and the little girl didn’t like it one bit.

She wrapped her arms around his legs as she tried to comfort him the best she could.

The Doctor’s hearts melted. She had no idea what was going on, but was more worried about how he was doing. He sighed and picked her up. Her tiny arms wrapped around his neck and he gently hugged her before putting her down. “I've lived too long”, he said as he walked towards the glass booths.

The little girl followed him.

The Doctor turned around and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You have to stay here”.

She shook her head, but did as he told her.

“No. No, no, please, please don't. No, don't! Please don't! Please!” Wilf begged.

“Wilfred, it's my honor. Better be quick. Three, two, one”. He quickly ran into the booth and unlocked Wilf’s door.

Wilf ran out and a red light flooded the Doctor’s booth. He cried out in pain.

The little girl ran to the booth and started banging on the glass door with her little hands.

The Doctor curled up into a ball as the power shut down. When he looked up, he saw the little girl’s big blue eyes staring at him.

They were misty like she was about to start crying. She’d just met him though.

After a few minutes, the Doctor managed to get up.

“Hello”, Wilf said.

“Hi”, the Doctor replied.

“Still with us?”

“The system's dead. I absorbed it all. Whole thing's kaput”. He pushed open the door to the booth. “Oh. Now it opens, yeah”. He stepped out and immediately picked up the little girl.

“She’s going to be rather attached to you”, Wilf told him.

“Yeah”, the Doctor said stroking her hair, “Just us two now”.

“Well, there we are, then. Safe and sound. Mind you, you're in hell of a state. You've got some battle scars there”.

The Doctor rubbed his face and the cuts vanished.

“But they've…Your face…How did you do that? Wilf asked.

“It's started”, the Doctor told him.

Wilf hugged the Doctor, who just stood there. After dropping Wilf off at home, the Doctor took the little girl deeper into the TARDIS to find her a room.

He came across a door painted with stars and galaxies. When he opened it, it was a nursery. “Well, I guess this will do for now”, he told her. He laid her down in the bed the TARDIS provided and covered her up with a sheet. “Goodnight, little one”, he said, sonicing a night light. He left her in her room as he set off for his reward.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Doctor stumbled into the TARDIS and saw the little girl standing next to the console. “You should be sleeping”, he told her.

Her eyes went wide as she looked down at his hand.

It was glowing with golden energy.

He walked over to the lever and set the TARDIS in motion. “Whatever happens, it’s me and you”. He stepped away from her and she watched as tears filled his eyes. “I don't want to go”, he said and exploded with golden energy.

The little girl was terrified. She didn’t understand what was going on. The energy started various fires in the TARDIS and she grabbed onto a Y-beam.

When the golden energy faded, a new man stood there in the other man’s clothes.

“Legs. I've still got legs!” he rejoiced. He kissed his kneecaps before moving on. “Good. Arms. Hands. Ooo, fingers. Lots of fingers. Ears, yes. Eyes, two. Nose, I've had worse. Chin, blimey. Hair…” He felt his now longer hair. “I'm a girl! No. No. I'm not a girl”. “And still not ginger!” he said, seeing his hair was still brown, “And something else. Something important”. He looked over and saw the small girl. “Girl. But there’s something else…I'm, I'm, I'm…”

There was a loud bang and it hit him.

“Ha! Crashing!” he yelled happily. He grabbed onto the console. “Ha, ha! Whoo hoo hoo! Ah! Geronimo!”

[kpopseregi]

flowergirl. Chapter 2

(credit gif to owners)

link to chap 1 -- ( flowergirl. Chap.1 )

* flowergirl. Chap. 2

Genre : Soulmate AU

Pairing : Yunho X Reader / Woosan / Seongjoong

Warning : none except light curse words. 

Recommended playlist : Talk To Me- Red Velvet

Words : 1.7k+  

                The morning came. Yunho has never been so energized like that in his whole life. Even if it just for a moment, it’s already been a colorful life for Yunho’s. Just imagine if they were together. Ah, what a heaven. *RINGSS RINGSS* (sorry im bad at imitating those alarm clocks TT) Shit, he was running late, Hongjoong gonna spank his sorry ass. (He likes it tho :p) He wear his usual boyfriend’s look, to impress his soulmate, Nana. Speaking of her, he curious about that Wooyoung guy. Was he her’s boyfriend? Please no. He waited for her long enough. Damn it! Another daydreaming. He gasped after looking at his watch and races to the door.

-

                He arrived at Hongjoong’s place in 10 minutes with hope that he is not going to get killed by that tiny boss. Just his luck, Hongjoong was also running late. “Ayy lover boy, come here, I need you to arrange what Hongjoong has extracted 2 months ago.” Mingi smirked. Yunho was flustered. “What lover? You’re wish.” Too late, San has already informed everybody. As expected, Reporter Choi San doing his duty. Well,this is a big news as Yunho never has a girlfriend despite all his friend has one before encountered their respectful soulmate. ‘Saying about being loyal.’ Mingi shrugged. Heck! Even clumsy Mingi had ten and more before he met Aisha. Ehem.... for some experience. Damn, that tall girl already dominated Mingi’s little princess heart with her boyish charm. Blessed with great figure and athletic abilities, Mingi was so damn grateful. Suddenly...

                *BANG*  As they were about to do some work, Hongjoong slammed the door. Poor those big babies almost has mini heart attack. ‘Well,his expressions doesn’t seem that great’ Mingi and Yunho exchanged looks and thinking the same thing. (plot twist:real soulmate -.-). “Do I looks like someone who would cheat to you?!” That tiny man ask both of them. They just shakes their head. “Right!? How the hell he get that idea that I would cheat with my customers? How the hell did he even become my soulmate? Aren’t soulmate SUPPOSED to trust and understand each other? Why the hell this world has this soulmate thingy? I should just live in somebody’s pocket,” Hongjoong rolled his eyes. Then he slammed his workroom door. Poor doors. 

               “I didn’t even know Hongjoong have soulmate?” Yunho asked Mingi. “Well, how the hell you would know? They broke up just before you came on your first day. That’s why Hongjoong was a bit mean when he interviewed you. But don’t worry, deep down, he is a kind man. Damn, I cringed at that.” Mingi and Yunho laughed. “But... aren’t you supposed to stay with your soulmate through thick and thin?” Mingi just sighed. “It’s the couple decision to break up or to stay. But in returns, your heart is the one suffering. So it’s better to treat your soulmate well.” Yunho smiled. “Nice words, clumsy Mingi.” Mingi grinned.

                                  The bell rings to indicate new customer has come in. Yunho was about to greet the customer but the customer has backhugged him. He blinked. “Umm... who are you?” Yunho’s heart started to race, this time it’s not that ‘crush-looking-at-you’ kind but ‘shit-is-that-a-burglar?’ kind. “It’s me bro!” San yelled excitedly. Yunho sighed. “Bro you scared me!” Yunho whined. San actually was on his morning break to grab some coffee after his morning weather forecast news but decided to hang out at Hongjoong”s shop instead. “How’s my big babie Mingi doing?” Mingi popped his head from the store room. “Doing well Sannie! Aisha surprised me with a private event last night for our 2nd anniversary.” Mingi excitedly share his story with a dreamy face. San nods. “And you Yunho?” Yunho sighs. “Hopefully I can meet her today tho.” He pouts. “Where is that exactly?” Yunho just shrugged his shoulders. “I met her at the alleyway that goes straight to P.S flower shop.” San squints his eyes. “Is that what I think I heard? She has connection with Park Seonghwa then?” San mumbled. “What?” Yunho asks in curiosity. “Nothing! Oh, look at the time! Chief Kim gonna search for me, take care guys!” San headed toward the door. Yunho and Mingi just waves to his back.

-

                “Yah Nana, look at meeeee!” Wooyoung stomped his foot. “Shut the f up Wooyoung. You know I can’t even look at myself.” Wooyoung suddenly looked guilty. Yeosang nudged him. “Why the hell you said that?” “Sorry! I’m not used to it!” Wooyoung whisper-yelled at Yeosang. “You know she was sensitive about it right? Even she’s pretending like it was nothing.” Wooyoung just sadly stares at her. Yes, even if she was not perfect, Wooyoung still likes her. “Wooyoung, I know you’re staring at me.” Wooyoung just looked away. “When did I do that? You’re mistaken, sis.” Nana rolled her eyes. “BRO, YOU LITERALLY DID THAT WHEN YOU FEEL SAD OR GUILTY ABOUT SOMETHING, I KNOW YOU LIKE THE BACK OF MY HANDS.” 

                                 Wooyoung was startled. “How did you know that?” Wooyoung asked. “Let’s say I use my other sense better after I lost my eyes. Call that intuition. And bro, we literally grew up together.” Suddenly, Yeosang starts to speak, “If you didn’t butt in someone’s business, you probably can still see us you know.” Wooyoung kicked Yeosang’s legs. “Yeosang-ah, don’t be mean!” “What, I speak the facts only.” Yeosang shrugs. Nana bit her lips. “If you didn’t like befriend with someone who likes to butt in someone’s shit, then don’t.”  She left the table. “Sorry Yeo, but you’re being a dick. Wait Nana!” Wooyoung chases after Nana. “I don’t like to befriend with a stupid whose slow with his love life either.” Yeosang sips his tea.

-

                    Nana arrived at the rooftop of her school. Wooyoung quietly closes the door. “Am I being stupid Wooyoung?” Wooyoung shakes his head, ah, he forgot Nana can’t see him. “Nope, no at all, Nana.” “I didn’t even asked to be blind! I never thought it would backfires on me! If only... “ Nana sobbed. Wooyoung hugged her. “No, Park Nana. You did the right thing. You do know that God help someone who helps other people right?” Nana nodded. “Good, and you know Yeosang didn’t mean what he said right? He just worried like me and Seonghwa after the news. He is the one who panicked the most you know? Saying things such as ‘Wooyoung if something happens to my baby while you’re slow driving right now,you’re dead.’ He cares about you like a lot.” Wooyoung shuddered. 

                   “Okay, I should probably search for him.” Nana seems a bit touched and pulled back. Wooyoung saw the snorts attached to his uniform but didn’t say anything. “Sorry for that Wooyoung, to watching me crying my ugly ass” Wooyoung shakes his head. “As long as my princess happy.” Nana smiled. The nickname he used on her still used till today. Strangely, they’ve never fight. Just annoying here and there, mainly Wooyoung started it tho. This special bond they’ve shared till this day never failed to amazed them. 

-

                  They went back into the class. Other students badmouthing Nana right in front of her as they were jealous with how beautiful and smart Nana is before that accident happens. The badmouthing now has worsen since Nana became blind, saying she’s an attention seeker. And Nana just start loosing her confidence. Before, she would retort to those rumors strongly but now she’s scared they will be worsen and she can’t protect herself if Wooyoung and Yeosang were not around. But when Wooyoung came, they changed their attitude. Yeosang can’t stand this kind of behavior. “Hey you bitch one and bitch two. Stand up.” The girls who were badmouthing Nana stands up instantly. If Nana was a gun, Yeosang was a bazooka. That kid never losing a verbal fight even once in his life. Straight up burn everyone with his words alone.  

                   “Wooyoung and me didn’t fail our last year final exam on purpose and retake this year just to hear you bullying Nana. Your face doesn’t get approved even if you just wished to be our girlfriends. Even a tons of make up and plastic surgeries will not cover your ugliness because that comes from your heart. Yet you call an ulzzang and natural face like her an ugly woman? Apologize.” The girls were speechless and stuttered but before Yeosang could raise his voice, Nana grabbed his arm. “That’s enough, let’s go Yeosangie.” Yeosang just let her drag him away to their seat. Just in time, the teacher came in and the class starts.  “I’m sorry for earlier Yeosangie.” Yeosang just smiled and patted her head.

-

                 After the school ends, Nana went straight up to Seonghwa’s flower shop. She called for her brother, well, no one is answering. But, after a while, her heart started to beat fast. ‘Shit,not this again.’ She quickly went to hide behind the counter. The door’s bell were ringing and someone sounds breathless as if they just ran. ‘Fuck, I’m not ready to meet him yet!’ “You’re here right? And you can feel it too. Please, I’ve been waiting to get to know you..” Nana’s heart just a bit melted by his sweet voice. “Sorry, but I’m not ready to meet you yet. If you were willing, can we just exchanges name for today? We can take it slow.” As long as that is what his soulmate wants, Yunho obligated. Even if he’s already know what was her name. (Doesn’t want to sound like a stalker~) “My name is Jeong Yunho, and I’m waited for 20 years to serve my beautiful soulmate.” He said it so cheesily that Nana starts to blush. “My name is Nana, I’m sorry but I don’t want you to see me in this condition right now. Can you please leave? You can come when I’m stabilized myself tomorrow.” Yunho just confused and agreed with it as he doesn’t want to come off as pushy soulmate in their first meeting. After he left, Nana released her breath. She didn’t even realised she was holding her breath this whole time. But, she kind of wondering, what kind of face does he has? Dog-like? Cat-like? Doesn’t matter, she can’t see them anyways.  

[beautifulletdownfics]

‘someday, someday’ :: tumblr edition, #20

Harry 

For a brief moment I looked up across the space in front of me—beautiful Royal Albert Hall. The house lights were up and the stage empty and still. I was aware of the chilled air, the distinct smell of upholstered seats and comfortingly stagnant air took me back to all the times I stood in an empty venue the day of a show and just let myself be overwhelmed by the space.

My eyes dropped back to the program in my lap, cracked and folded open on the most precious few paragraphs I'd read in years.

There was so much I hadn't known about her.

… the youngest female horn player in the orchestra’s hundred year history …

… the youngest player to be invited to join the Blackpool Symphony Orchestra …

… finalist for the BBC Young Musician of the Year … winning the following year …

… Protégé of Maestro Vincent Ward …

“Holy shit,” I breathed aloud after my second read through, rubbing my hand over my chin as I scanned the whole page again. Nina was in the middle of the page, below her section lead, listed as Co Principal Trumpet. I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest.

The headshot beside Nina’s paragraph was beautiful—it captured her pretty eyes and was lit in a way that gave her mystery and soulfulness—but I was more impressed by the biography written in the program. I felt as though I needed a few moments to process each line. It was like meeting her for the first time all over again, and it was hard to attach the young woman I was reading about onto the Nina I knew when it seemed she was constantly underselling herself.

I'd never considered before just how humble Nina was, which was more a reflection on my not fully grasping the scope of her musicality than on Nina's attitude. Still, I was sure if I had been privy to the level of talent she was Nina would have still behaved the same way.

"I think Harry's going to cry," Max leaned forward and hitched his elbow on the armrest between us to look at Rodger on my other side, "He's read Nina's bio about a hundred times."

"I thought I heard sniffing," Rodger smirked, keeping his eyes ahead.

I looked between them both, "Would it really have killed either of you to sit me down at some point and just say 'FYI Harry, Nina's legitimately a genius.' I don't even know what half of these words mean but she’s amazing," I waved the program in front of Rodger's face.

He turned to looked at me, “Gifted,” Rodger corrected, “Nina's not just a genius. She's gifted. And it all means that Nina's way out of your league."

I rolled my eyes and hunched a little in my seat, "Thanks, mate."

"I'm teasing," Rodger said more gently. "Nina hated writing that. She might have even been a little bit serious when she said joining the orchestra wasn't worth feeling like such a twat, so I ended up writing it for her."

I smiled, imaging Nina having to write about herself in third person, "I can imagine. But she should be proud."

"That's what I told her," He said.

I scanned down the words again, "I didn't realised she went to Cambridge when she was sixteen. That's so young."

"They would have taken her sooner," Rodger supplied, "Richard was insistent she finish school with her mates first."

Nina's dad was also a discovery, she had definitely played down his status—whether deliberately or not I wasn't sure, although I was inclined to think it wasn't calculated. Nina spoke about her parents as parents, and she had only ever given details of Richard's job in terms of her family traveling around and living abroad depending on where he was working. I should have pieced together that he was significantly accomplished.

Reading the brief line about Richard certainly explained the Grand Tier seats we were ushered into and why he seemed to be stopped by half a dozen people in the foyer. Especially when I had only noticed one lingering glance aimed at me.

Richard was now standing next to his seat two rows above where Rodger, Max and I were seated, shaking the hand of a man who seemed to have a lot to say to him. I wasn't exactly sure what the title of 'Maestro' next to Richard’s name meant in classical music circles, but I knew enough to know the Italian label would be linked to some kind of prestige I'm sure was hard earned.

Something ugly balled in my stomach and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

Bree's father had weighed heavily on my brief relationship with her. In hindsight (and a little bit at the time as well) starting anything with the daughter of a record label executive had been unwise. Bree knew how to throw her father's name around and despite seeing the sinister side to it, the calculating and manipulative, I hadn't the good sense to avoid or stop myself being put in the situation I should never have been in. Even more stupidly, I was only ever halfway in the relationship—one foot out the door, or on the plane back to England—because while I liked her enough to physically be with her, I wasn't interested in anything more. All the while, I knew for Bree it was mainly about who I was and what it did to her ego to be seen with me. She was very in that world.

Nina wasn't from a world anywhere close to that, but I was certainly discovering a new world that she definitely was a part of. Everything outside of the actual music made Nina uncomfortable though, that much I knew. She was acutely aware of what was expected of her and I thought it was a credit to her for the way she fought against it to try to sort out what she actually wanted.

Gifted.

Nobody had quite let on how talented Nina was. I’d even been to a performance before, but that was only a few weeks into her joining the orchestra and so to now see her featured in the program as a soloist with her credentials clearly laid out I was coming to see how much my assumptions had undersold Nina. To have proved herself to the conductor and her seniors to such a degree in such a short space of time was remarkable in itself.

“Now you see why everyone lost their minds a bit at her quitting,” Rodger said quietly, pulling me out of my thoughts, “Whatever happened at Cambridge with that fucker sucked all this out of her,” He gestured to the room, “She’s brilliant, Harry. Brilliant. You don’t even know the half of it.”

“I think I’m beginning to,” I said slowly, my eyes flicking back to the photo in my lap.

+++

I hadn't been so enthralled by music in a long time.

It reminded me of the night of our first date when Nina and I went to see Les Miserables on the West End. I spent that night engulfed in music that hadn't previously moved me but suddenly with Nina did. I'd spent a good portion of that night watching Nina over what else was happening which was half of the magic. I would never have thought making a girl cry on a date could be a wonderful thing, but her emotional reaction had brought out one in me as well.

In Royal Albert Hall, my eyes were glued to her from the moment the lights came up on stage to reveal the orchestra and the conductor was introduced. I spotted her easily, standing in a back row on a riser with two other horn players. The first few pieces I watched her, hearing exactly where her part sat from seeing when she had her instruments to her lips and when she lowered it again.

I felt nerves like I've never felt before when she was introduced and started making her way to the from to the orchestra for the first song she was the soloist on. Her conductor introduced her as a “richly talented multi-instrumentalist” with “remarkable musical instincts”. I watched her while he spoke, she ducked her head but then graciously smiled at the audience, accepting the praise. I was surprised to see she stood with nothing in front of her—no music stand or sheet music.

I instantly readjusted myself in my seat and sat forward when I got a proper view of her. I hadn’t seen Nina today yet, and she had managed to skip over what she was wearing for the performance every time it had come up in conversation. She described it to me as floor length and boring, black and completely over the top. I squinted, annoyed she was so far away and craving seeing more.

It was floor length, with full lace sleeves but the dress was far from modest. It clung to her silhouette, mapping her curves perfectly with a low cut on her chest. What had me biting my lip painfully was the sinful split that went halfway up her thigh, showing off her legs and making the dress not at all boring and incredibly sexy. Desire for her burned, as if witnessing her talent alone wasn't going to be torture enough. My mind wandered back to having her up on my kitchen bench a week ago, my waist slotted neatly between the legs I was now trying unsuccessfully not to dwell on.

Nina’s performance was incredible, it started slowly and built. Nina commanded the attention of everyone and the melody was so beautiful and gentle my heart hurt with emotion. The sound from her instrument filled the room and witnessing the Royal Albert Hall alight with applause for her at the end of the song was overwhelming. I looked around Nina's friends and loved ones—everyone had tears in their eyes or were dabbing at their cheeks. Georgie couldn't seem to stop a very un-classical music whoop out, laughing at herself when it drew the attention of a few of the other audience members. Both Nina's parents had tears streaming down their faces, hands clung together.

After the second song Nina stood as the soloist, I clapped until my hands hurt and shook my head to myself in disbelief. Hearing a whole orchestra pushing her playing along, but feeling the tension in the fact that really she was leading them. The conductor was constantly glancing her way to make sure he directed the other players in order to showcase Nina's talent as best he could.

Nina's passion and talent was so attractive and it lit her up from the inside out. I was so proud to know her, even prouder to see that strength and power was inside her when I also knew some of the battles and struggles she faced.

There wasn't an inch of doubt in her performance, her shoulders squared and she was unwavering in her control of the notes she produced. Nina was a young woman capturing the entire Royal Albert Hall with her gift and I watched her gain the admiration and respect of them all.

I was baffled by the thought that I'd so seemingly just waltzed upon her in my life. I was initially so inexplicably drawn to Nina and had thought it was because she felt normal—she represented a kind of life and person that I'd come to appreciate the value in over the years. I was so used to people behaving strangely around me due to my public image that I had selfishly assumed she was intimidated by it.

Those initial few times I'd spent time with her she seemed to do everything in her power to not be the focus. There had been something about her that I was so captivated by though, and everything I'd learned about her since only served to intensify that feeling and reassure me that my gut feeling that knowing Nina would be special was worth it.

And now to have been completely humbled by how much more special she was than I had first though. Nina wasn’t normal at all—not by a long stretch.

My feelings for her were on fire and I just wanted to have her in front of me so I could tell her how brilliant and dazzling and remarkable she was.

+++

The foyer was full to the brim with friends and family of the orchestra, all waiting with excitement for their loved one to appear from the door. The room was buzzing happily, and every few minutes another group of the musicians would exit from the backstage door and be met by happy cries.

Nina eventually emerged with her section lead, Ryan, they shared a few words and a hug before parting ways. I knew that Nina was grateful to him for reaching out and including her right from the beginning, it could have been a hard transition socially to be the new player but from all her reports she had settled in well with the group.

I watched impatiently as Nina's dad appeared in front of her first, pulling her into a tight hug. She had a leather jacket over her dress now, but the low cut and split up the leg were still deliciously prominent.

I tuned out of the conversation Rodger and Max had been having about the best venues they'd been to and watched the exchange between Nina and her Dad. I angled myself so I could hear them better, not wanting to miss Nina getting the praise she deserved. Her cheeks were flush but her eyes were bright and happy. My gaze dropped to her exposed leg and then slowly back up, I swallowed thickly.

She looked positively radiant, and she met my lingering gaze on her, smiling at me and then tilting her head to one side in question at whatever she saw.

"Magnificent performance," Her dad said, drawing her back to him, "You shone up there, bravo."

"Thanks Dad," She said over his shoulder as they hugged again, Nina's eyes met mine again and I winked at her, earning a deeper blush.

“I mean it,” He continued, “I wouldn't have said a thing if you’d decided to never play again. But I’m so glad you did, Nina. So glad.”

"Dad," She replied quietly, looking briefly at her feet.

"How do you think it went?" He asked, watching his daughter closely. Richard's question wasn't a pushy one, there wasn't a sense of him being a 'stage parent'. His question was genuine, encouraging.

"It felt good," Nina started slowly, "It's taken a bit of time to feel like I'm gelling with everyone. But tonight felt good."

He put his arms lightly on her shoulders and levelled down so she was eye height, "Tonight was good. So good."

"I know I was sat in a dark spot, you hardly would have seen me," She said bashfully.

"You were brilliant, I heard every note," Richard said with finality. "Your tone and the buoyancy of your solos were magnificent."

"I get all my talent from my Dad," Nina grinned cheekily, "I owe it all to him." He smiled, "You owe it all to yourself. I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks Dad."

He took her shoulders in his hands again and turned Nina around to face where the rest of us were standing, "You blew them all away too," he gave her a gentle shove in the right direction after pressing a kiss to her cheek, "For five minutes pretend you enjoy the attention, you've earned it."

I watched Nina take a deep breath before she stepped out, I hung back, feeling as though this was a moment for her family to have with her first.

"Darling!" Mae, Nina's mum got to her before anyone else, "You were spectacular! We're so proud of you!"

"Thanks Mum," Nina said, blushing when she looked back over to me and I was still watching her. I was passed worrying about being caught out staring at her.

Mae showed restraint I don't know that my own mother could have, still, I put it down to her understanding her daughter and knowing Nina didn't want to be made a fuss of, much less in the public foyer area. They had a conversation so quick I missed it when Bel and Georgia bumped into me trying to rearrange the bunches of flowers they had to give Nina.

"I'm going to go find your dad and we'll go back to the hotel," Mae hugged Nina again and kissed my cheek, "You come whenever you're ready. Champagne will be waiting for you."

She turned and left, and I watched her briefly as she approached Richard and as soon as he felt her arm on his shoulder the pair of them happily smiled at each other. The love between Nina's parents was obvious.

Nina's girlfriends engulfed her next and I was dragged back into conversation with Rodger and Max. They were bickering with Nina's cousin Josh about a film I hadn't seen but for some reason I needed to be a deciding vote on. I ended up turning to the smallest body, Nina’s youngest cousin, Olivier, who was looking around appearing to be a little lost in all the adult conversations around him. His eyes were trained on Nina though.

“I bet if you went and pounced on her for a hug it would make her night,” I told him, sinking some of my height so I was on a more even playing field with him.

His eyes widened and brightened as he looked up at me, “I want to,” He said, but then seemed to think better of it, “But my mum said I’m not allowed to get any marks on my new suit … Which means no tackling.”

Oliver’s hands brushed down the lapels of a suit that looked about three sizes too big and was probably brought large in the hope it would last him the next few years. It was clear that he had been specifically told tackling wasn’t allowed and I smiled, I could remember being that age and finding wrestling my cousins the best way to pass the time at family events.

“It is a very dapper suit,” I reasoned with him.

“Did you enjoy tonight, Harry?” He suddenly asked, all the guise of a kid who had been taught good manners and how to have conversation with grown ups. The words didn’t quite match the little personality I’d come to know him as, but I loved his effort.

“Very much,” I told him, mimicking his polite tone, “How did you like it?”

“Good, Nina is so good,” He gushed, “My dad says she’s a miracle.”

The admiration Oliver had for Nina was evident and it filled me with an additional serve of happiness. He was watching Nina being doted on by her friends shyly, despite the fact I knew they were familiar to him.

We both lifted our heads when the circle of girls beside us broke into laughter

"Georgie!"

I instinctively turned around when I heard Nina cry out her friend's name. She was bright red and trying her best to scowl at the other three who were all still laughing at her. My gut told me her friends were using me to embarrass her, just like they’d been doing all evening.

“Go sneak in,” I told Oliver, pointing to the circle, “I’ll run interference if any of them try to block you.”

He grinned at me and then shuffled forward, dodging under Sam’s arm and attaching himself to Nina’s waist in a hug. Nina’s face melted at the contact and she shoved the flowers back into Bel's arms, told her friends to "sod off" and wrapped her arms around Olivier’s body, swaying him in a hug. They had a little chat before Nina looked up and held a hand out to her other cousins who all briefly congratulated her before being called away by their parents to get back to the hotel. Oliver trotted after them all.

“Rodg,” Nina finally joined our conversation and the need to reach out for her had me clasping my hands together behind my back.

“Fucking brilliant,” Rodger said, throwing his arms around her and giving her a tight squeeze, “Lungs of steel.”

Max kissed her cheek and whispered something to Nina that had a gentle smile gracing her face, she nodded and gave him a hug that lasted a little longer than Rodger’s. I watched, knowing that despite his outgoing nature, Max had a special knack when it came to Nina. They were kindred spirits in a way somehow, she brought him down a level and conjured out a version of Max I rarely saw.

“Now, go talk to this dapper young man,” Max said loud enough to shake me out of my thoughts, he was smiling at Nina and pointing at me, “His jaw has been hanging open the whole night.”

Nina gave him her instrument which had been hanging heavily at her side or on the floor between her legs while she spoke to everyone else. He briefly confirmed the name go the hotel we were all heading to and gave her another one armed hug before walking away with a waiting Rodger.

Everyone else had cleared out of the foyer, Nina’s parents and extended family left into the night and her girlfriends were chatting to a young guy who had been walking around with trays of drinks earlier. He was bright red and looking around to be rescued from the band of attractive women before him.

"Hello," Nina said, smiling up at me.

“Hi,’ I returned, “Saved the best until last, right?”

She rolled her eyes fondly at being caught out avoiding me, “Absolutely,” Nina said, but then she softened slightly and an adorable pinkness rose to her cheeks, ”Thank you for being here, I’m really happy you came."

"Me too, I will honestly never forget tonight," I continued slowly, holding one hand face up out to her, "You were—are—astounding."

Nina put her hand in mine and let me pull me forward slightly, "Thank you," She said as I pressed my lips to my cheek softly and breathed in her perfume. I felt her squirm slightly. I desperately wanted to kiss her properly but didn’t want to risk it in such a public space. I was sure she was conscious of the beady eyes of her girlfriends and family on us.

“Can I also just say that dress is breathtaking. Truly,” I held her gaze for a second before curling my fingers around the bottom of her jacket and pulling it open a little more, “I am far from bored looking at you in it.”

“Harry,” She gushed.

“Oh, come here," I laughed, pulling her into a tight hug, "I thought I would burst from pride while you were playing. You're amazing. And absolutely gorgeous as well.”

"Alright Mr. Brit Award," She returned quietly, a rare acknowledgement of my job coming from her.

I settled my lips on the crown of her head and pulled away from the hug, but then draped my arm around her, "Trust me, if they gave Brit Awards out for talent you'd have a hundred of them before I'd figured out which way was up."

"Have they given you shit all evening?" Nina asked of her family, gracefully jumped the conversation away from my compliment and I smiled at her.

"Not at all," I dismissed easily, looking over as her girlfriends left through the automatic doors on the other side of the room to stand with Rodger and Max outside, “I really like your people.”

And I’d really like to kiss you right now.

"Are you going to come back for a drink, or do you need to head off?”

“I’m coming,” I assured her quickly, “Your mum has already checked twice. I’ll drive you and the girls … If they don’t get in a cab first.”

“I think they’ve already had a few wines.” “I can verify that,” A thought suddenly coming to me, “Hey, can you sign this for me?

I reached for the program that had been rolled and tucked into my back pocket, unfurling it in front her. Nina’s face was exactly the reaction I had been after—her eyes bulged and she looked absolutely horrified.

“Put that away!” She cried, covering her face on the page with her hands and pressing it against my chest, “Who gave that to you?”

I grinned, “I bought it, they were selling them as we came in.”

"You weren't meant to buy one!"

"Me specifically?" I was enjoying teasing her.

"Yes! You specifically!” She pointed a finger to my chest and I grabbed it in my own.

"You put my name on a list somewhere as someone who was categorically not to be sold a program?"

"I should have," Nina grumbled, she snatched the program out of my hands and held it behind her back.

I took a step closer to her so our chests were almost touching, before Nina could step away I'd wound my arm around her back and while I held her gaze I was able to tug the booklet out of her hand. She looked up at me quietly, watching my face closely. The only indication that she was affected by my being so close was the breath she had taken in and was yet to release.

If we were anywhere else right now I'd be kissing you silly.

"Breathe," I prompted her gently, sure she was thinking she same thing I was. "You should be very proud, Miss Lawrence. This is an extremely impressive wrap up. And if you won't sign the booklet for me then I'd like you to please come hold my hand while I get 'I'm dating a Protégé' tattooed on my forehead."

"You're such an idiot," She said quietly.

"Compared to you, we all are," I said back slowly, “Now, come outside with me so I can find somewhere to kiss you because I doubt you'll appreciate if I do it here.”

Nina held her breath again for a second but then squeezed my forearm where she had been holding it.

I smiled and nodded toward the doors, “Let’s get out of here.”

We got out the front and everyone seemed to have left already. If Nina was at all perturbed by them else leaving without us she didn’t show it.

“My car is this way,” I said, holding out my hand to her when she had finished wrapping herself up in her coat and scarf.

“They’re all such alcoholics,” Nina said, slipping her hand into mine, letting me lead the way.

We were both quiet on the few minute walk to the street where I managed to find a park earlier. I wasn’t sure what Nina was thinking about, but I was thinking about how fucking brilliant it felt to have her by my side. To be walking down the street of an evening, our hands linked, just being with her. But to have Nina want to be with me as well was breathtaking, and one that I’d found myself circling around all night. I watched that incredible performance and wondered what on earth that gifted young woman was doing with me.

The morning after I had learned of her depression I’d stumbled upon a similar feeling; Nina choosing me. She’d come down the stairs and sat next to me on the sofa, Rodger and her cousin watching her. To have Nina come and chose me in a room with the people who had always been there for her felt like a breakthrough I was overjoyed to have arrived at, even though in the moment it had churned worry in my gut at her pushing herself to it. Somewhere along the line something great clicked and Nina wasn’t as hesitant and nervous around me.

We got to my car and Nina went to walk to the passenger side. I didn’t relinquish my hold on her hand though and as soon as she turned to me in question I stepped right up to her and kissed her, mindful of keeping her new dress from touching the car behind her.

She took a breath under me, and I dropped her hand to frame her face with my own. I held my lips against hers for another second before moving my head to the side to start deepening it. As soon as my tongue parted her lips Nina opened up to me completely, she wound her arms around my back and moved her mouth against mine deliciously.

My hands went up under her jacket to roam her back, feeling the curve of her waist and then back up to trace the side of her breasts. She took a deep breath in at the sensation and stepped even closer to me, I didn’t hide from her just how turned on I was and she didn’t shy away from it either.

“Jesus,” I breathed, moving away from her mouth to kill down her neck where I had pulled her hair back, “You do crazy things to me, Nina Lawrence.”

Nina moved her arms up over my neck and pulled her body up mine slightly, her chest pressed highly against mine, giving me more leverage to move my lips over her exposed skin. She stumbled when they pressed against the shell of her ear and I laughed as I caught her weight.

“I haven’t made out against a car before,” She whispered, and I pulled back to look at her in the streetlight. She was flushed and the area around her lips was pink where I had smudged her lipstick. She looked utterly ravishing.

“Get in,” I said slowly, “Before I say something undignified.”

“Undignified?” She teased out with a wicked smile.

“Yes. Like asking how difficult would it be for me to convince you to stay at my house tonight?” I asked boldly, knowing I probably shouldn’t but being unable to deny the slight chance she might take me up.

“I thought we were going slow,” Nina countered. “That was before you were a protégé,” I hummed.

She laughed, one of her hands going up to her own mouth to remove any smudged lipstick. I raised my hand to get a bit she had missed, waiting for Nina to say something.

“The girls are staying with me …” Nina gave me an unsure but concerned look, letting the words hang.

I kissed her gently, “Say no more,” I said, not wanting her to gain any unease at thinking she had disappointed me. “Get in, let’s go.”

She reached up to give me a chaste kiss before turning to the door and opening it. I stood dumbfounded, watching her legs disappear into my car when the split of her dress rode up as Nina sat.

I walked around to the driver’s side quickly, pausing for half a second before I opened my door to take a breath and get ready for relinquishing Nina back to her family for the rest of the evening.

Nina reapplied her lipstick while I drove us across London to the hotel her family were staying at. I stole glances at her as I drove, she had pulled out some heavy duty looking lip balm to apply first and Nina easily explained that after a performance her lips were tender from the pressure from her instrument. She gave me a sly look when I suggested the kissing was my attempt at helping to soothe.

I drove into the car park under the hotel, deciding the exorbitant cost was worth not having to drive around the streets outside. Nina unclipped her seatbelt quickly once we had parked and she was out her door before I had collected my phone and wallet from the middle console. She had rounded the car and was waiting for me when I jumped down and pressed the lock key.

“Keen for a drink?” I asked, smiling at her, swallowing hard as I looked over her. Nina had taken off her jacket and had looped it through the small back evening bag across her body.

“Not particularly,” she said, taking a step closer to me. I looked down and the tips of our shoes were almost touching, her left leg exposed past her knee.  

“I swear to god, Nina,” I strained when I looked up and watched her tongue dart out over her bottom lip. She knew exactly what I was thinking and when she leaned forward and melted her body into mine all restraint I might have regained on the short drive flew out into the night.

She kissed me softly at first, holding back sweetly until Nina felt my hands curl around the back of her neck. We moved against each other hotly, I could taste the mint from her lipstick and her hair was crinkly from hairspray between my fingers. Making out with Nina was maddeningly sexy and I kept my hands where they were in an attempt to control my raging hormones while our mouths moved together.

It was when I felt Nina’s hands move from my back around to dance just above my hip bones at my belt that my own hands felt out to cover them to halt her movements.

“Neens,” I moaned, pulling my mouth back from her, “We’ve gotta stop.”

She pressed her lips back to mine for a brief second, “Sorry.”

I held my forehead against hers and shut my eyes for a moment, “Don’t bloody apologise. Don’t ever apologies for this feeling.”

“I really love you in a suit,” Nina said quietly, letting me tightly hold her hands. She looked down at my chest and then back to my face slowly.

It jogged my memory to something I couldn’t believe I had forgotten, “Give me one second, I forgot something.”

I rounded to the back of the car, popping it open and slipping off my suit jacket as it rose. Nina arrived at my side and watched with a confused expression on her face. When I started undoing the buttons of my shirt I smirked at the horrified shock that came over her.

“Harry!” She all but screeched, “What are you doing!”

“You’ll see,” I said cryptically, watching as she failed to keep her eyes from wandered down my bare chest when I pulled the shirt off my shoulders. My body hummed, more than anything to hold her like this, but I reached for the folded t-shirt Rodger had brought to the studio for me during the week.

“You’re going to hate this, which is why I love it so much,” I explained, leaning forward to peck her lips quickly. Nina’s eyes were wide as she watched me, completely baffled as to what was going on.

“I have no idea what is happening right now,” She trailed off when I pulled the white t-shirt over my head, pulling it down around my hips and then turning to face her properly.

“Ta-da,” I gave her jazz hands and a laugh burst out of me when Nina’s hands came up to cover her own cheeks.

“Harry what the fuck is that!”

Nina’s cousin Josh had messaged me on Whatsapp the week before asking what size t-shirt I was, and when he went on to explain the novelty shirts with Nina’s face on them and a music pun the family was getting made up. I was chuffed to be included in the joke, and he told me he’d give my shirt to Rodger for me to collect.

Her cousins, brother and Rodger and Max were all going to be wearing them when we got upstairs.

Josh had dug out a photo of Nina holding her trumpet up to be printed onto the middle of the shirt and underneath the words ‘Life without Nina would B♭’ in terrible, tacky font below. They weren’t made to look professionally done, which was part of what I loved about the shirts to much.

I grinned down at her, “Do you love it? Be nice,” I hurried in a mock pleading voice, “It’s new.”

Nina’s mouth was still hanging open, “You’re completely mad!”

My laughter spilled out, “Sure am, baby.”

[quarterfromcanon]

1-4. For the asks

Thank you so much for sending these! <3 

Once I started to answer them, I realized there were comparatively few recent television shows appearing on the list. I seemed to keep gravitating toward older ones I remembered from years ago. I took a handful of days to mull it over in case I was forgetting something, but nothing else comes to mind. Maybe my ongoing list of Shows to Watch During Quarantine will turn up some fresh results but, for now, it looks like I’ll be taking a little trip down memory lane. :) 

This turned out to be a pretty long and rambly post, so I’ll stow it under the cut!

Top 5 TV Shows 

1. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - I can’t imagine this surprises anyone who has been following this blog for the past two years or so. It brought fellow fans into my life, got me back into writing fic, and prompted countless tags of meta. It’s the show my mind drifts to on a weekly basis (if not daily) even a full year after the finale. Just when it seemed I’d reached an age where that level of intense fandom involvement and character attachment might be fading, it proved that quite the opposite was true. I’m very thankful to the series for that, and for the people whose paths have crossed mine as a result.   

2. Schitt’s Creek - This is my #1 Feel Good show and, though I’ve been dodging spoilers for the final season until it gets uploaded to Netflix, I get the impression that it will remain in that top spot. The world feels softer and more hopeful there. It’s healing for my soul. I’m going to have a dreadfully difficult time saying goodbye, but I’m glad there are six season to revisit whenever I want. 

3. Stranger Things - The theme song alone sends such a rush of excitement through me. I love the aesthetic and the atmosphere. I sometimes have mixed feelings about the romances but the FRIENDSHIPS sure do have a direct line to my heartstrings. I think the way they’ve combined media influences into their own story is really neat. You get something that’s new and engaging, but you can also go back and enjoy the sources of inspiration with fresh appreciation. 

4. Joan of Arcadia - I can’t help it. The snark, the jackets, the early 2000s songs, the performances -- the nostalgia for this show is so strong. It’s not without its problems, but it did have some really good things to offer as well. I remember an episode that was one of my earliest introductions to the concept of a trigger, and the effect it could have on a person if exposed to one of theirs. The series dealt a lot with grief and the many forms it can take (I STILL can’t hear Fiona Apple’s cover of “Across the Universe” without getting misty-eyed). I’m also surprised, looking back, at the somewhat positive way I recall them discussing homosexuality on the several occasions that it came up in the show. Not to give too much credit since I don’t think there were recurring canonically LGBTQIA+ characters but, for a kid who spent most days around closed-minded people of a certain religious leaning, it was meaningful along my individual journey. I’d like to provide the several examples that are most vivid in my memory:

A. A girl with short hair, short nails, little to no makeup, and a bulky leather jacket is generally assumed to be a lesbian by the bullies at school. The show directly confronts the fact that “gay” should not be used an insult, that identity should not be assumed without the person telling you so, AND makes sure that the character in question never pushes back by saying harmful things about lesbians despite not actually being one herself. 

B. A boy who is questioning is able to confide in his big brother and have a fairly calm conversation about it; the awkwardness mostly comes from neither of them being accustomed to openly discussing emotions, not from the possibility of a negative response regarding the subject matter. 

C. Another character is accidentally discovered to be gay (he only appears in the one episode, if my memory serves), and some of the leads have the opportunity to share that for personal gain. However, even though he is a popular jock who is a bit of a jerk in the hallways, the show makes it clear that the right choice is still to leave the telling of that information up to him and him alone. 

Like I mentioned, it can’t be said that representation was in abundance here - for instance, I don’t believe anything other than straight or gay was presented as a possibility - but any accepting acknowledgement in a faith-centric series was something for me to hold on to in my still-deeply-closeted days. As a final Very Important personal side note, this show brought Judith Montgomery into my life (pictured below on the left), and that feels like it merits a shoutout for being what I consider a rather significant marker in my awakening. 

THE OVERWHELMING CRUSH I HAD - and still have - is one for the books. 

5. Pushing Daisies - This is another show with an aesthetic I adore. The series has such a fun, whimsical energy. The crime-solving! The clothes! The cast! There's a lot to love. It’s the kind of world I wish I could visit... well, minus the evidently rampant murder rate. 

Top 5 Overrated TV Shows

1. Once Upon A Time - *deep sigh* I tried to stick with it for so long. I think I’ve seen five out of the seven seasons in their entirety. It just felt like everything got mired down by excessive (and increasingly convoluted) subplots, often for the purpose of tossing in as many fairytale and/or Disney characters as possible. Plus, quite honestly, there was too much emphasis on romantic love. For a show whose first season involved a curse being broken by [potential spoiler, I suppose] a mother kissing her son’s forehead, I ultimately found myself up to my ears in romantic ships. It reached such a stifling extent that, if you were not particularly attached to those pairings, there wasn’t a whole lot else to entice further viewing. 

2. Under the Dome - I don’t know for certain what the general public opinion of this series was, but it felt like the commercials always featured alleged rave reviews, so I figured I could include it here. I was vaguely interested in Season 1, mainly as a fan of Rachelle Lefevre’s work. Season 2 pulled me in with the introduction of a new townsperson and I threw WAY too much of my heart into that attachment, which backfired when that character was killed. I made quite the spectacle of my heartbreak, so much so that my family doesn’t let me mention this show around them anymore. :P Season 3 was, to phrase it delicately, not a great time. The series did introduce me to a few new-to-me actors, though, so that was cool. 

3. Bates Motel - Even the incentive of learning that the two characters I liked most share a lot of screen time later in the series hasn’t been enough to call me back to this one. I don’t know if it was the pacing that put me off or what, but the prospect of finishing the remaining seasons feels so daunting. There are evidently five seasons in total and I believe I’ve only seen two of them thus far. I will probably muddle through it someday just to see how it goes, but the fact that I am so disinclined to prioritize it made this feel like a fair addition to the list. 

4. Lost - My interest in this series unfortunately waned right before fervent fandom spiked. I don’t have any specific complaints that come to mind about what I saw; I just sort of drifted and then stayed away. Teachers I liked and peers I spent time with were starting to latch on to the show and I couldn’t find even the slightest inclination to give it a second try. However, did I still dutifully read all the latest installments in my friend’s Sawyer Ford and Kate Austen fanfiction when she passed me handwritten copies at lunch? Sure. I was glad it made her happy, even if I was no longer a viewer. 

5. Hemlock Grove - I say this as someone who still mourns the fates of some characters in this show, so I wouldn’t go so far as to claim that the series stopped being able to make me feel anything. I’m just of the opinion that, in some ways, it might’ve been better off stopping at one season. That’s where the book it was based on ends, and things just didn’t feel as cohesive after that. Season 3 especially was - borrowing from my above review of Under the Dome - not a great time. That being said, there are also certain elements from the book that I could’ve done without in the Season 1 adaptation but... well... here we are. 

Top 5 Underrated TV Shows

1. Picnic at Hanging Rock - Another one that won’t surprise followers of this blog. I have rhapsodized about it quite frequently since I found it a little over a month ago. It’s a period piece mystery miniseries with LGBTQIA+ representation, gorgeous costumes, and Samara Weaving. This felt specifically designed to wedge its way into my heart, and I’m quite content with the space it now occupies.

2. Dark - I’m so intrigued by the overlapping timelines with all of the morally gray characters. It’s possible to like one of these people in the timeline where they’re young but dislike them as adults, or vice versa. It also makes me think of Rant by Chuck Palahniuk a little tiny bit with the idea that time travel, specifically tampering with your own timeline, might make you physically and behaviorally unrecognizable to yourself. And the SONG CHOICES! I have gotten some solid new music selections from this series. 

3. Sense8 - I still need to watch the finale. I really do. But I knew it would make me sad so I’ve avoided it for... two years now? Pretty close, I think. The concept is fascinating and the cast is so strong. Plus the cinematography! They came up with some of the coolest ways to depict the link these characters share and what it’s like when they connect over distance. The planning and careful editing it all must’ve taken... I remain in awe. 

4. Penny Dreadful - There were definitely some story/writing choices I didn’t particularly like along the way, but I did get engrossed in the creepy goodness and the performances -- Eva Green’s Vanessa Ives most of all. It left me wishing for more period piece “monster mash” stories, because having all those classic characters in one place was a blast. It also helped me understand why Helen McCrory was once slated to play Bellatrix Lestrange because she can be terrifying. Oh and Sarah Greene in her Wild West outfits? Perdita Weeks with short red hair in fencing garb, and later in all leather with boots and a long jacket? I WAS NOT PREPARED AND I HAVE STILL NOT RECOVERED. I NEVER WILL.

5. Wonderfalls - There’s some cringe-inducing handling of certain representation in the series, but I have such a weak spot for quippy outcasts who become reluctant chosen ones (Joan Girardi in Joan of Arcadia, Wynonna Earp, Jaye Tyler in this series, et cetera). I also really love the sibling dynamics here. They bicker, tease one another, help each other out of trouble, and have rare but genuine heart-to-hearts. Caroline, Lee, and Katie all did such a great job blending their characters’ adult personalities with certain childhood attributes that rise to the surface in the presence of family.  

Top 5 Movies

1. Addams Family Values - I’ve rewatched this movie at least once annually since I found it in Media Play at age 13. Usually, I’ll play it around Halloween or, at the latest, Thanksgiving. It’s mouth-along-with-every-line level ingrained in my memory. I find myself leaning forward in my seat before favorite parts because I’m still that excited to relive them. Why this movie, and why this devotion to such a degree? It’s hard to explain, even to myself. I can tell you, however, that I hold up every other portrayal of the Addams characters to the versions found in this. Everybody in the cast just feels that perfect for their part. 

2. Clue - I was already pretty fond of this movie to begin with, but then my sister got older and claimed it as a favorite of her own, so now she just supplies me with further excuses to watch it repeatedly. It’s also been a bonding piece of media with a couple of close friends and such through the years. It’s incredible to think not everyone in it was the first choice for their roles; what everybody brings to the table is so top-notch that I wouldn’t have it any other way. I also LOVE knowing that it originally went to theaters with different endings depending on which showing you attended. I gather people weren’t terribly thrilled with the stunt back then, but I kinda think some moviegoers would be into that approach these days? Then again, one hit that tried something different tends to start a fad, so maybe I’d end up regretting the suggestion after a while. :P

3. The Craft - This. Movie. Yes, Act III is a major bummer even though I know it’s coming, and I’ll always wish it ended differently. Even so. This. Movie. I tend to headcanon mostly for shows and sometimes books, but The Craft is a beloved exception. I love so much about it: the magic, the music, the clothes, the settings, the dynamics within the friend group, the performances. I had no idea when I first got the DVD at 17 that it would become such a part of my life, but I’m so glad it found its way to me. 

4. Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion - The soundtrack is a glorious ’80s and ’90s treat for my ears. The colorful costumes are perfectly suited to the main characters’ version of the world. There are so many great lines and it feels like everyone is having a lot of fun in their roles. I LOVE HEATHER MOONEY SO MUCH. She’s my awful, scathingly sarcastic, little grungy grump and she fills my heart with joy. 

5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - I was pretty sure at least one of the three had to appear on here. I think, if I were to tally them all up, The Return of the King features most of my favorite moments, so it wins the spot. “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you!”, ‘Edge of Night,’ Éowyn in battle, The Army of the Dead, ‘Into the West’... I end up crying during the end credits every time. So, yeah, ultimately, I would choose the third part of the trilogy if I could only watch one. 

Phew, that’s it! All the questions answered, all the shows and movies listed! Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read it all, and thanks again to @monaiargancoconutsoy for sending in the prompts! <3

[sunsetagain]

Let's build Byzantine Generals flowcharts?

中文版互动创作宣

I'm on a 1-month business trip now so I could barely do anything with my Byzantine Generals comic until April. But I suddenly got a fresh idea: 

how about I open permission for any artists and writers who want to build their own stories based on Byzantine Generals settings? 

Like DBH the game itself, we can choose our own paths, but all these paths were already built by QD, how about we create our own? I've read many friends' comments, replies, DMs, etc, telling their own fantastic paths, which made me feel myself so weak, because I could only put effort in a single story path, but as you can see, Zlatko's house has so much potential which I've never expected before, and I can't claim they belong to me so no one shall put their hands to it. So I decided to open to any recreation based on Byzantine Generals settings.

Before I list the rules I still have something to say. You may think I'm so conceited that I dare let others create fanarts/fanfics for my own fan comic. I'm not. I don't force anyone to do this, you're welcome to join, to quit in midway, to build anything you want based on this setting: 

Connor was captured by Zlatko. 

And I'm only one among you all.

Rules

1, We have no rules in building these paths. You can build your own right from the beginning, Connor was captured by Zlatko. What happened before the beginning is also your decision. He can be saved by anyone you want, meet anyone you want, do anything you want him to do, kill Zlatko, rejoin anyone you ship with him, or even die there (you monster! XD). You can also create a branch from any point of my plot, I'm fully open with this.

2, Once you join, your default setting is that you allow others to build their own paths based on yours, and vice versa. Partial resemblance is acceptable, it's just like similar small branches and outcomes in the game. But if you do this, please give credit to those authors whose paths your stories are based on.

3, Always mark your path content at the beginning, the more detailed the better. Like: ships, contains OC/FOC or not, sex/violence warning, character death, bad/happy ending...so readers could avoid those they dislike.

4, Any forms of creations, any languages are welcome. We have google translate to understand your masterpiece! But if you draw a non-English comic, please attach the lines text so readers could copy and paste them in the translator.

5, You can title your story as you wish, but please also tag your creation with "Byzantine Generals", or remove the space to be "byzantinegenerals" if necessary. DM me or @ me, or submit the link of your work to this tumblr site:

@byzantinegenerals

to let me know your work. I will try to build an interactive page or zine for all your works in future.

6, all these online actions are free to be viewed, we don't earn money from digital forms of work. But you can sell physical copies of your own part if you want. "Your own part" means completely created by your own from the default beginning: Connor was captured by Zlatko. If your story was branched from other's branch, please don't make profit from it without the other's permission.

7, Once again, it's a game open to anyone who wants to join, but no one should be anonymous! Always give credit to those artists who inspired your paths.

Please let me know if you have any idea about rules to add on.

Actually I'm not sure how many would join in the end, or none. But thanks to all your fantastic comments, I have no regret to open myself to this new world full of interactive probability.

[derangedsilence]

Shuu Sakamaki

Permissions

Shipping?  Yes.  Singleship per verse with limited verses.  Please note - as stated on the rules page, orientation is typically listed as what the muses think they are.  Please note that sleeping with someone =/= shipping here.

Duplicates? Multiple ‘Yuis’?  What about character that aren’t on the dedicated castmates list?  Yes.  You can thrust Shuu at Shuu.  There’s also no issue with duplicates of canon, crossover, etc. characters that Shuu is already interacting with.  You want it, you got it.   To prevent destroying the validity of duplicate muses, I will sometimes think of things as ‘A Kanato did this’ instead of ‘Kanato did this’, which is a very subtle difference but prevents another muse from having to deal with the blame of an event they were not responsible for.  This will only be differentiated as necessary within writing.  I repeat: all duplicate muses will be treated with respect, not as ‘fakes’.  Any Sakamaki brother is a brother of his, regardless of how many Kanatos there are (for example).  We’re just going to, uh, slide past that as often as possible (and occasionally make jokes).

Multiple Shuus will be treated as though they’d somehow wandered into one’s world or the other via some enchanted, strange object or doorway in the Sakamaki household.  This allows them to interact, but prevents the concept that one is a ‘true’ Subaru over the other.  You have been warned.

Fighting?  A-Okay.  I’ve done a lot of fighting roleplay but it was in the past and I’m way more interested in the storytelling of it.  It’s better that we discuss the end result beforehand for smoother sailing, but we can improv it as well.  I do this from a storytelling perspective.

Harming? A-Okay!  Just be aware that this muse may harm or kill yours in turn!

Killing? A-Okay!  Please be aware, however, that should the need or desire to continue the verse arise, the death scene will be considered a what-if.  In addition, it is very difficult to kill this muse due to the pureblood resurrection abilities.

Can we send shippy memes / etc.? Sure, we can still explore what-ifs, drabbles and oneshot threads, but the main focus will be on the storyline here!

Can we know Yui has Cordelia’s heart, is possibly turning into a vampire, is surrounded by vampires, etc. and reference this to Shuu? On a case-by-case basis.  It should be discovered organically if it’s not something your character would be able to know already.  There’s plenty of situations where this would make sense.

Can we know about Shuu’s past before interacting?  No, not unless you have genuine reasons for it like being one of his brothers.

Can we have characters comment on the events of the timeline? Yes, if they “catch sight of”, “overhear a rumor”, “a familiar saw X”, or any other sensible reason, then characters can be aware of and comment on events.  I wholly encourage characters participate in Shuu’s life!  Please tell the story with me!

Can we rescue Yui Komori from the Sakamaki household? Unlikely.  At best, if you succeed in the first place, it’s entirely likely that they will find you, they will take Yui back, and they will kill one or both of you for this.  Or the Mukamis might take advantage of the situation!  Obviously, the exception here is the Mukamis, who are entirely expected to attempt this from time to time.

Can we reference interactions we’ve had with your Kanato, etc. to Shuu?  I mean...sure?  If you want?  I’m fine with using my muses for plot and timeline advancements for myself and those I interact with (within limits) but I’d also prefer to not be my Ayato’s Kanato and vice versa, so this would probably be limited.  You can still act like what’s happened has happened, though.

Biography / Stats

FULL NAME. Shuu Sakamaki ALIAS. Shuu-san (Yui), Dull Guy (Ayato), Neet (Yuma), Good-for-Nothing (Reiji) AGE. Appears 19-20 || Actually significantly older BIRTHDAY. October 18  GENDER & PRONOUNS. Male, he/him ORIENTATION. Heterosexual...? SPECIES. Vampire OCCUPATION. High school student of the night school known as Ryoutei Academy. 3rd year in HDB, 1st year of the college branch if assuming time has passed. RESIDENCE. Sakamaki residence, Japan

HAIR. Blond EYES. Blue BUILD. Fit HEIGHT. 5'11'' (180cm) TATTOOS. None PIERCINGS. A black stud on each ear, easily missed since he has his earphones in. ADDITIONAL MARKINGS.   Typically wears an mp3-player on his neck. OTHER. Left-handed

ZODIAC. Libra  ALIGNMENT. Neutral Tired  POSITIVE TRAITS.  creative, contemplative, calm NEGATIVE TRAITS. apathetic, lazy, fickle

BIRTH PLACE. Japan NATIONALITY. Japanese PARENTS. Karlheinz (Alive?), Beatrix (Dead) SIBLINGS. Sibling: Reiji (younger).  Paternal Half-siblings: Subaru and the triplets (Ayato, Kanato, Laito) EXTENDED FAMILY. Karlheinz's other wives, Christa and Cordelia. Richter (Uncle). EDUCATION. High school (likely several times over) SPECIES. Vampire NOTABLE SKILLS. musical (piano, violin)   LANGUAGES. Japanese, English FAVORITE FOOD. None

PUREBLOOD. Inhuman strength, increased speed, vision, hearing, and smell. Fast healing & healing saliva. TELEPORTATION. Can teleport instantaneously. FLYING. He can fly on a full moon. SWORDSMANSHIP. A OTHER. Very good at being used as a boxing pear when not motivated to fight.  Great at fighting polar bears. WEAKNESSES. Truly holy objects weaken him, but not by much.  Also, afraid of fire. DISLIKES.   Food that’s too sweet, worms, having to get involved and do things 

Appearance

[*Credit: Appearance section pulled directly from the Dialovers Wiki.]

Shuu is a handsome young man with slightly curled blond hair as well as light, ocean blue eyes which he inherited from his mother.  He has black studs on both of his ears.  He is always seen with his MP3 player attached to a wire which is wrapped around his neck and with the earphones always in his ears.

In HAUNTED DARK BRIDAL, he usually wears a light blue sweater over a dark blue shirt with dark pants.

In MORE, BLOOD, he wears a blue dress shirt with a white shirt underneath and brown pants.

His school uniform consists of the black school jacket draped over his shoulders and a beige sweater with a slightly unbuttoned white dress shirt.  He wears it with the black uniform pants and brown dress shoes.

Personality

Generally the epitome of a lazy panda that barely has the interest or energy to chew on the bamboo it’s holding.

Ever since events in his childhood, Shuu is apathetic and disengaged from life and those around him.  He neither wants to gain any interest in anything nor take any responsibility in looking after his five younger brothers and their home.  Though they tend to quiet, listen and obey when he does speak up, he will complain about having to deal with their problems.  

There is one great love in Shuu’s life: music.  And adult Drama CDs, sometimes.  But mostly music.  He’s always listening to it even when he takes a bath!  His preference is classical music.

Shuu has so little motivation that he does almost nothing, often needing to be persuaded and cajoled into actions that are necessary for him.  Seeking attention out with him despite his lack of interest in participating in the world around him will often be met with perversion and lazy harrassment.  

A man who gets too attached who would prefer not to feel any of it in the first place.

History

CHILDHOOD. Heavily restricted and controlled, Shuu was suffocated by the expectations placed upon him.  He ran away from home and met a human boy, Edgar, with whom he became friends.  Able to run between the demon and human worlds via underground passages, Shuu ran off to play with Edgar frequently.  Reiji, Shuu’s younger brother, destroyed Edgar’s village in a fire in the hopes of killing two birds with one stone: impressing his mother and removing Shuu’s happiness.  Edgar died.

Shuu blamed himself for Edgar’s death and came to fear fire.  With continued jabs from Reiji on his uselessness and pressure to become the Sakamaki heir from his mother, Shuu withdrew further and further into himself until he would do nothing unless pushed to by Reiji.

NEAR CURRENT.  Karlheinz manipulated circumstances to keep tossing experimental sacrificial brides at his children.  None could endure the blood loss, physical and emotional torment.  The sacrificial brides were too fragile and the Sakamakis broke their toys.  

CURRENT. A single sacrificial bride is surviving and enduring: Yui Komori.  Whichever brother obtains her will become the Sakamaki heir.  Without directly entering into a “relationship” with any of the Sakamakis, she endures her stay there.

Verses

Brief summaries of the verses for Shuu along with potential links for those less familiar with Diabolik Lovers but still want to interact with him.  For the sake of keeping things clean, encouraging community-wide and cooperative storytelling in roleplay, and not letting things get too crazy, verses will be limited.  More may be made over time as needed.

Summaries:

| DL Anime | DL More Blood Anime | Haunted Dark Bridal | More Blood | (Coming Soon)

VERSE - HAUNTED DARK BRIDAL

*This verse will be typically be the default, 'main verse'. In this, it is assumed that Yui Komori is staying at the Sakamaki household with some version of the first game having taken place. If the second game is included, it's with the idea that Yui stayed with the Sakamakis. Whether Shuu or one of his brothers winds up obtaining the Sacrificial Bride, Shuu’s life continues.

Verse Details | Tag: #V; SHUU; HAUNTED DARK BRIDAL

VERSE - MORE BLOOD

If for some reason it's absolutely necessary to differentiate between the verse above and a verse where More Blood has certainly occured, but Yui did not (at least initially) stay with the Sakamakis and instead is currently living with the Mukamis or was, until recently, still living with the Mukamis.  Rivalry abounds and attempts to procure Yui are likely.

Verse Details | Tag: #V; SHUU; MORE BLOOD

VERSE - MISC.

Posts that could take place in the Sakamaki or Mukami verses but involve duplicates (whether Yui or others) in the same scene in a manner that would be hard to pass off as typical flow for those verses.  Also includes nearly ANY time fellow characters are staying at the mansion, otherwise we’d end up with verses of 20+ additional characters hanging out in the Sakamaki villa.  

Verse Details | Tag:#V; SHUU; MISC

SITUATIONAL VERSE TAGS

#V; SHUU; UNIVERSAL

Posts that can easily be assumed to have occured in either the Sakamaki or Mukami verses, typically answering asks, etc. that aren’t directly related to events unique to their timelines.

#V; SHUU; WHAT IFS & #V; SHUU; ONESHOTS

Likely reserved for one-off threads exploring a “what if”, a romantic meme that would otherwise be inappropriate, etc.  If a meme doesn’t quite fit with one of the existing timelines, it’ll get one of these.

Trivia

Had to repeat his third year of high school.

When you can’t faintly hear music coming from his earphones, he’s probably listening to really inappropriate Drama CDs.

Had a dog, once.

Tags

THREAD / WRITING TAG: #echoes in the halls; shuu

HEADCANONS:  #hc; dialovers; shuu

IMAGES: #itt // shuu sakamaki

MUSIC:  #music; dialovers; shuu

[solarbird]

Old Soldiers, Chapter 29 of 30, as we are near the end, gets a cut. Rating, novel: M (Chapter: T) Pairings: Widowtracer, Pharmercy Warnings: Intentionally unused until complete Summary: Decisions are made, some with more impact than others... eventually.

This chapter is worksafe. Click through to read. [AO3 link]

[All text in «angle quotes» translated from the Spanish.]

"Ana is safely at our facility in Algeria," Amélie informed Angela, as they loaded up for their return flight, back to Alicudi. Sombra had already headed off, job well done, to her favourite listening station in the north and some overdue snuggle time with her girlfriend flying in from the west. "She has been informed of certain new realities, and is... rather angry, as one might expect. And not, I think the phrase is, giving an inch?"

"Of course she's not," whispered Angela. "But... she is alive. At least there is that much."

"You did not cause Jack's death, Angela. He brought it to himself. Aggressively."

The doctor looked up at her oldest friend, and her once more than that, and shook her head, no, denying the comfort.

"I am not lying, Angela," the blue assassin insisted. "We do not lie, amongst ourselves."

"Amongst... ourselves?"

"Talon."

A small laugh. "Of course."

"Angela," Amélie stressed, "Jack Morrison was going to die today, one way or another. It was a certainty, a thing I know in my way - and it would have been at my hands, if no one else's. Of the options, I suspect you gave him the quickest, least painful death he could've met."

"A Mercy killing, as it were."

Amélie laughed, low, and dark. Lena would've loved that. I will have to repeat it, later. "If you insist."

"And that may all be true, but I am, still, the one who did it, the one who chose to pull that trigger." The doctor sighed. "I do not regret it, if that is what you are asking. It was not always inevitable, or necessary, but it had become so, perhaps... perhaps long ago."

"Good," Amélie said, putting on a gentle smile. "I am glad you feel that way."

She offered Angela a small box.

"This is yours, if you want it. Should you wish to be with us again, in the future."

Angela looked at the box - small and wooden, finely inlaid with gold, carrying the Talon insignia - and opened it. The twin pins she found it contained would fit the tabs of her collar nicely.

"...as a medic, and only that?" she asked, for her own sake.

"I assumed that would be your desire." Amélie smiled. "But if I am wrong, and you wish to enter as an assassin..."

"No," Angela laughed, softly. "I have killed... enough. But... as a medic..."

She took the pins, and attached them to her collar, one at a time.

"I have missed you, Amélie."

Amélie hugged her, strong and cool in her embrace. "I have missed you so much, and I am so glad you have returned. Thank you."

"But only as a medic," she said, thinking of her wife.

"Naturally."

"Good."

-----

«So, Gabe,» Laticia asked, as the Overwatch transport lumbered its way, low and slow, along the eastern coast of Mexico. «Where's that Sombra character from?»

Gabe looked over at the Los Muertos gangster. «Why?»

«'Cause I'm pretty sure I know.»

That's... bad, he thought. Goddamn, girl, have you figured out all our secrets? «Puts you ahead of me,» he said, carefully. «Let's keep it that way.»

«What. Really? Why?»

«Yeah. Really. And why is because there are several things in this arrangement we make a point of not knowing, and that's one of them.»

«...oh,» she said, thinking about it. «Oh.»

«Yeah.»

«I'll... keep it to myself, then,» she said, chewing on her lip. «Like the rest.»

«That's what I'd do,» he said, «if I were you.» He grinned, lopsidedly. «Sometimes, girl, you're a little too smart for your own good.»

She grinned, despite it all. «Not the first time I've heard that.»

«I believe it.»

The two sat together in silence, Gabe's feet up on the console, but away from the controls, making himself look more casual than he felt.

«Y'know,» Gabriel said, after a couple of minutes, «...there's no reason you have to go back to Los Muertos. I mean, you can, we're almost back to Dorado. But... we don't have to get there.»

«What d'ya mean?» the gangster asked.

«You are smart. And clever, too, which is different, in ways that matter. And frankly, you're not bad in a fight.» And you have nobody left to back to, he did not add aloud, but did think. Except the gang.

She gnawed on her response, briefly. «Where else would I go?»

«Ever been to Switzerland?»

Laticia blinked, and thought about it, and blinked again, eyes wide. It had been in the back of her mind, but she hadn't let herself consider it, not really. «...Are you...»

«It's been a while since I've had someone to train up. Been a while since I wanted to, too, but...» He shrugged nonchalantly, his hands in the air. «Look, you'll be a hell of a gangster if you want to be, and if that's what you want out of life, so be it, but... have you considered maybe stepping up a level? Signing up for the good fight?»

«...you're really serious?» she asked, sitting a little straighter in her chair.

«Absolutely.» He took his feet off the console, and sitting properly in the pilot's seat. «On my authority as Tactical Operations Director, Overwatch, I officially offer you ... let's call it an internship. Reporting directly to me.»

«Paid?» Laticia asked, pointedly.

The Strike Commander chuckled. «Paid. Yes. Of course. I could use an XO, and you're not ready for that yet, not by a damn sight, but... I think you could get there. It'll be hard work, there are a lot of gaps in your training, but...» He tilted his head, looking directly at her. «Want to find out?»

«Will I get a ride on one of those, what'd you call 'em, Sparrowhawks?»

Gabriel Reyes laughed again, and leaned back in his chair.

«Yeah. I'll get you a ride on a Sparrowhawk.»

«Aw yeah,» the former gangster said, putting her feet up on the console where Reyes's had been. «I'm in.»

Thank god, he thought, both glad she was along, and relieved he had one less thing to worry about later. But on the outside, he just gave her a stern look, albeit one with a grin not completely suppressed underneath.

«Feet off the console, ensign.»

«Sorry?»

«You heard. If we're gonna do this? We're gonna start immediately.»

«Do I have to call you sir now?»

«No,» he said, as he leaned forward, sending a message to air traffic control. «Commander Reyes will do just fine.»

«Aye-aye, Gabe,» she said, grinning, but not moving.

«What'd I say about feet?» he said, swatting her boots off the console. «You gotta learn to take orders.»

«Sorry... Commander,» she said, grinning, and straightening up in her chair.

«Much better,» he said, laying in the course to Geneva.

A moment went by, in silence.

«...is Ambassador Winston really a gorilla?»

Commander Reyes laughed, a third time. «Yes,» he said, «he is.» And I think you're gonna deal with that just fine.

-----

"Well," Angela said, as her flyer approached Geneva, and the Lunar Embassy. "Here we are."

Lena nodded from the pilot's seat, controlling the approach - back in her Tracer kit, and not even minding it a bit.

"Long way of gettin' here, but yeah, it worked out in the end... despite everything." She let out a little puff of air, a hoo noise. "So... y'gonna tell Ree?"

Angela nodded. "I must. I... could not keep such a thing from her, I think. I should not."

Lena puffed up her cheeks, making more noises with her breath. "Yeh. That sounds about right. I'd still be happy t'take the credit, but..."

"No," Angela looked down, at her hands. "If I have learned anything from this, it is... to own what I do. Including that."

"Fair cop," Tracer agreed.

"And also, on that note, I..."

"Hm?"

"I..." Angela swallowed, and tried again. "I am sorry that I did what I did, some weeks ago. I should not have acted against your stated wishes. I broke my word, and that was... wrong."

"Ah yeah," Venom thought, thinking back to the illicit bodyscan, taken against every agreement Talon and Overwatch had. "Y'did the wrong thing, Ange," agreed Tracer. "For the right reasons, but still. Could've cost us everything."

"I know." She knew Talon wasn't big into forgiveness, not generally, but she also knew she had a very large edge in that department, even if she did not wish to lean on that too heavily. "Can you forgive me, and - not just say the words, as you have, but... actually mean it? It is, after all... not what you are known to do."

"That's the funny thing, innit?"

"What?"

"I meant it, back at Alicudi, when I said I would. I'm really, really not gonna hold it against you. Not the scan, not takin' Jack down - hell, I couldn't do it, not that that point... not a whit of it. And not just 'cause why it all happened, either."

Mercy's heart kicked up a beat, as a cord of tension still held inside her released. "Really?"

"Really." Lena snorted a little. "Sorry if I was keepin' you in suspense, I had to let it churn for a while, get it all straightened out in my head. It's not easy!"

"I have also had a lot to think about, as of late, and so that, I understand. But... if I might ask... why not?"

"Well, for one thing, you're one of us, now. But more... I think... " She adjusted the flight attitude controls. "I think I kept Morrison - the old Morrison - alive in my head for a long time. Kind of my personal bogeyman for way, way too long. Even when we all thought he was dead, I was keepin' him goin', in my brain."

She shook her head, as the flyer dropped for final approach. "And that whole time, he wasn't th'... I dunno... the giant I thought he was. He wasn't that kind of monster, he was... he was just... just a bitter, delusional old bloke who'd screwed up big, livin' out what time he had left on the fringes, not really matterin' to anyone. Him and Ana both, holding on to what never had been... and I fell into it too." She looked a little regretful, at that. "What a waste of my time."

"He mattered, to some, even at that point."

"Maybe. But he didn't have to matter to me. Not like he did." She shook her head, again. "I bought into that whole statue thing, I guess. The propaganda. The Great Hero." Another dismissive noise. "I was seein' the myth, not the egomaniacal prat he actually was."

"Do you want an honest opinion?"

"Always, luv. Between us."

Angela took in a big breath, fortifying herself before answering. "I agree. You are right."

Lena laughed, nodding.

"But you are also wrong, and I mean it," Angela insisted. "He had been a hero. In the Omnic Crisis, he had lived that legend. He had done great things, before... whatever went wrong, in the years after. None of that is changed by what he later became - but.. I think...." She put her hands down, flat, on her legs. "The combination of the hero he had been, and the conspiratist he became... the terrible synthesis you were hating, and fearing, I think... had never existed at all, at least not outside of your own head. Not even if all the things he'd done were real."

Lena hummed, letting that sink in a bit, as well, clearly deep in thought. It's kinda different, she considered, if it's not some sorta great plan, innit? If he wasn't always some kind of evil demigod, or some kinda mastermind, or just a fool. If it just... happened. If everything he did, he did just because he... because he was coming apart, inside, before anybody even knew.

"That's fair," she replied, after another few moments, "and kinda sad. But also kind of deeper than I was goin', really."

"It is?"

"Yeh."

"Then I presume you will enlighten me...?"

Tracer shrugged off all the heavy thoughts, smiled, and waved through the glass at Winston and Fareeha who stood by waiting to greet them. She settled the craft down on the pad before looking back to Angela with her famous half-grin, unlocking her flight restraints.

"I just think I'm done holdin' onto grudges."

[steve0discusses]

Yugioh S3 Ep 2: The VR Zone Has a Hell Ton of Trees

Alright guys I am regretting the hell out of this teriyaki ramen bowl I just ate, so it’s a better time than ever to go back into this VR arc. Now that the Big 5 have made their speech, all of them quite fat and one with a cane although he doesn’t even have a body anymore, they are ready to send everyone down a series of...plot-shaped holes.

Like they were JUST in some sort of tropic zone, to go back to here and then go somewhere else and so like--this is still VR I think? Like I’m assuming they went VR the moment they entered this room but it is quite vague at what point they were officially in VR. Was it when their vision went fwisssh and everyone split into RGB layers or was it that they got knocked out with gas quite a long time ago and were just unaware that it happened? Probably a bunch of these things.

With this announcement we find out that everyone--and I mean everyone--has to play cards now, although I’m pretty sure half of them have duel disks and the other’s are like...not equipped? I mean it’s VR, so hypothetically no one at all needs a duel disk anymore but you gotta sell toys, so no matter what, Yugi’s going to be lugging this heavy sharp thing on his wrist, even when he knows he will soon be shot down a wacky hole.

The title of last episode, ps was “VR Nightmare,” but like, it’s actually fairly pleasant, compared to the blimp hell we were dealing with just a few episodes back. I mean I guess people are actively trying to kill us here but when are they not?

The audacity of this show. Every state in the US has huge ass fake castles in it leftover from the Rockefeller era. Where else are our Moms supposed to drag us on Day Trips so we can get our history credit for Girl Scouts?

Americans are hella good at creating fake historical sites--all you need is a 50+ year old house and some turret work possibly made by a reasonably well known architect and it’s like “yeah that’s a good enough castle for me! Can we say it’s haunted, too? It’s hella haunted! Come to my castle B+B!”

(read more under the cut)

Tea landed in some concept art that kind of looks like the underside of a mushroom. I dunno how I’d classify this rock structure.

And then Kaiba landed in his worst nightmare which was being in a normal park with one single straight road but somehow still completely lost. At least Mokuba managed to fall into the same hole as his brother to ensure that Seto wouldn't be lost for like the rest of this arc. Which was actually kind of an unintentionally hilarious animation.

*rare shot of the Kaibas actually taking a break*

Man, this is the closest they’ve gotten to a real hug in kind of a while. Like when was the last time these bros hugged? Pegasus’ castle?

Meanwhile, Noah is admiring his work from this throne room and it would be a whole lot more intimidating if he wasn’t in calf-high black socks.

His outfit is like a white school uniform so what gives with the black socks? Like of all the things to complain about on Yugioh (especially since I see Yugi’s hair looking right at me in the next cap) those socks though. Those are pretty inappropriate with this outfit, Noah. Especially matched with this God Throne you’ve got going on. Did not see socks like that matched with a chair like this.

Meanwhile Yugi is all by himself but that doesn’t matter at all because he is 2 (3) people. This strategy to isolate everyone only really worked on Serenity and Joey, TBH, since Tea is also accompanied by slightlylessevil!Marik (who hasn’t really said anything since the VR started).

I knew Bakura would be out for a while, but I didn’t realize it meant everyone else wasn’t even going to once acknowledge it, it is baffling. I mean I get they’re super distracted right now but your friend is DEAD.

Honestly I would not mind if the big 5 succeeded and we had to see some old men try and work with Yugi’s hair and alt rock clothing, deal with Pharaoh sassing them from a brain labyrinth, go to Yugi’s school where people get savagely beat up like every other day, deal with Bakura and Marik trying to body snatch and other magic assholery during class breaks, and through all that watching the Big 5 attempt to take over the world with their megacorp that no longer sells guns but actually sells like...children’s entertainment supplies which include the dueling roombas from S1. How on Earth do they actually think that getting a body would help them at this point? They would be Yugi Muto and that is the last face anyone would ever take seriously.

Pharaoh pops up and is like “I guess we’re doing this right now? Really wish we weren’t doing this right now.”

Anyway, because they don’t physically exist in this digital world, neither do God Cards, or any other card in their deck. So, now they have to make new decks out of a pool. Very convenient for the writing team, bad news for Kaiba’s intense and vaguely romantic relationship with his Blue Eyes. Really glad we spent a full season talking about how much these cards meant to all these people, from the magicians, to Joey’s Red Eyes, and then that one card that was Mako Tsunami’s Dad or something--really glad we learned all of that to just completely erase it this arc.

I sounded sarcastic just now, I actually wasn’t for once, I am so glad to just purge my mind of all those card memories for a little while. Just allow myself to forget. Ah. My mind is already so much clearer. It feels so good. I am very much ok with this soft reset, I kinda needed it.

Since Yugi is supposed to choose a Deck Master from his set of cards for this particular type of duel monsters duel, he goes right for the dark magician--since that’s his MO, but for some reason Kuriboh chose himself? Like this greasy thing just hopped out of the card and played himself.

Anyway Kuriboh is now their new Pikachu and well...this show has done worse cute-character-that-does-literally-nothing-else type things to me, speaking of, lets see what Serenity is up to.

This is a digital hellscape, Serenity.

Serenity, you are going to die here.

Serenity.

So because I just realized just now in Season 3 that Duke’s necklace is a hot, over designed disaster (much like Duke himself) I figured I should like...see what this necklace is supposed to look like. So I typed into Google “duke devlin necklace” and guys, turns out there is a LOT of Yugioh jewelry--and I don’t mean like fanart (which there is also a lot), I mean like officially, a lot of people in this show wear a lot of jewelry and so it was sort of hard to find a good pic of a Duke Devlin specific necklace--especially since it feels like most people just go for the dice earring because that’s way easier.

But what’s interesting about the Duke Devlin necklace, at least from my quick search, is that when we bring it to the real world, it gets a little lost, like a game of telephone.

Cuz I assumed that was a clown on his necklace--and there’s quite a few clown necklaces, but I’m also seeing skulls, I’m seeing gothic crosses, I’m seeing spikes and knives instead of crosses. Bro thought it was a flower for some reason--I kinda blew his mind just now when I pointed out it was a clown. Some people think it’s made of silver, other people think it’s sort of painted? (I assumed the cross was entirely blinged out with rhinestones--my honest assumption) No one can actually agree. Especially since Duke apparently changed his necklace for the movie. I know that because it looks a lot like the Legend of Zelda emblem, and some people had the actual Legend of Zelda emblem mis-tagged as Duke Devlin. Which sucks a whole lot for their SEO, and sucked a whole lot for me in my search to find a real actual Duke Devlin necklace.

Like, feel free to attach a link to a reply -- is there an official physical Duke Devlin necklace that Yugioh inc sells? Like I just want to know--officially--what the hell I’m looking at.

Anyway, back to the show, much like everyone else, these two are hopelessly lost.

Kaiba seems to keep forgetting that his Dad is clearly behind all this and would obviously have his old tech but like...Kaiba forgets so much I can forgive him this.

So, faced with roads that lead no where, Tristan decides to do his tried and true method of solving all of his problems.

And at the other end of the VR zone Tea is getting kidnapped after...being kidnapped by Noah while she was already kidnapped by Marik. This is three levels of kidnap, yes?

OH SHOOT IS THAT A ONCE DOOR. DID SOMEONE DO WHAT I HOPE THEY DID? OH SHOOT.

I will read their fanfiction start to end I swear to you I will do it if it exists and I will report back to you who dates Captain Hook and who is related to Henry Mills.

OMG It didn’t exist.

You have got to be kidding me.

I am beside myself, this is the only property known to man that has not been turned into a OUAT fanfiction.

Incredible.

That or I’m just really bad at searching for fanfics since I haven’t actually read any since my LiveJournal days. Like, when you’re basically immune to shipping, as I am, you just really lose the desire to read about 90% of fanfiction.

Anyway, the closest we have to a OUAT Yugioh fanfiction, to my knowledge, is that cap I made just now right there. Your welcome, Once community.

This is absolutely made of load-bearing drywall. Why do none of the sets of windows line up with each other and how many stories is this? Like 2.5? And you can stand on the roof I guess because it has handrails? It’s super weird.

Anyway, I just made a OUAT joke and maybe it’s because I knew shortly after we were gonna get--that’s right--an orphanage flashback. OUAT was basically 6 seasons of effed up orphan flashbacks so I feel pretty well prepared. Like bro was worried how I’d handle this filler but y’all, I watched the Lily arc in OUAT. I can do anything.

*slaps hands together*

Totes ready for these boys to have been given up for adoption via a magical tree and a memory curse, only to find out their real parents are 3 years younger than them because of a time loop. Make it weird, Yugioh!

Anyway, as always, if you want a link to read these from the beginning in Chrono order and without any comments and all that jazz here’s a link

[kingofthewilderwest]

Hi! I loved your leitmotif analysis of HTTYD2 and I wanted to know if you had one similar but for the first movie. I'm making my own color-coded map of all of the themes and mostly I just want to know what the themes should be called, not necessarily every instance of each melody (I'm going to find those myself). It would be helpful if you could answer, but if not, I can analyze the music and then find those instances in the film and name them myself. Thanks!

Hello there! Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed that analysis and it means a lot to me! I will admit that old leitmotif analysis was something I wrote in 2014 when HTTYD 2 had barely entered theatres, I’d only seen the movie once, and thus I based many musical analysis claims on memory. Thus, the analysis is in some ways inaccurate or outdated.

However, I do have a few other analyses in which I’ve gone through some of the other themes, both in the HTTYD and HTTYD 2 expanded scores (not just the officially released soundtracks, since those are incomplete). In those analyses I made near-comprehensive compilations of that theme throughout the movies and discussed what that leitmotif means. I planned to do that with every single motif in HTTYD, and had it all mapped out……… but then tumblr became stricter with audio posting requirements, it didn’t allow me to post any of the music, and that project puttered out unfinished. I know the soundtracks well enough I could probably give you all the instances still, but it would take time I don’t have in life anymore, not to mention it sounds like you’re doing that project yourself anyway. ^.^ It’s interesting to see someone else doing a project that I started but never finished… I wish you the best of luck in your endeavor! That sounds great!

So I’ve made a quick video chatting about the themes as I remember them - that should help you with what to name them. I’ll quickly toss down the relevant links from my previous analyses (My blog’s #music analysis tag might get you a few more link… there’s a reason I tag shit so thoroughly for ya’ll so you can independently find this stuff yourself!), update comments where necessary from outdated posts, give preliminary thoughts on what I feel the remaining themes could mean, and leave you to your project! ^.^ Let me know if you post it anywhere because I’d be interested to check it out!

[Me playing “For the Dancing and the Dreaming” is here]

And uh, if you quote or cite or take any ideas from me, please give the credit and link to me where it’s due! Perfunctory and rushed as this admittedly is, this still took lots of work! Thanks!

How to Train Your Dragon’s Leitmotifs

Alpha theme

Prime example: Two New Alphas 2:56-3:52

This grand theme is about the great dragon leadership position: the alpha. It is first applied to Valka’s Bewilderbeast… but in the end of HTTYD 2, to the new alpha Toothless.

Astrid’s theme: [1] [2] 

Prime example: Romantic Flight 0:00+

This theme is often called by fans as “The Romantic Flight” theme. While there is a romantic element attached to this theme and it occasionally manifests in that connotation apart from Astrid, this theme is focused less on romance and more specifically on Astrid herself. 

Berk theme

Prime example: This is Berk 0:24-0:41

The theme most closely associated with Berk and the identity of the island itself. For instance, it’s always played at the start of HTTYD when Berk is being introduced/reintroduced. It’s paired with a sense of high-strung adventure, such as we hear in “Astrid Goes for a Spin.”

Berk at peace

Take the title of this theme especially with a grain of salt. My impression is that it’s a theme which is played in relatively calm, peaceful, or day-to-day moments. It’s Berk at peace, it’s characters having casual interactions. That’s what I recall, but I could be wrong.

Dragon protector / Toothless’ theme (HTTYD 2) [1] [2] [3]

Prime example: Flying with Mother 0:25-0:44

I’ve talked about this theme a lot, down to analyzing Flying With Mother as its own separate track. This is the theme of the protector of dragons - it’s what I called The Vigilante’s Theme at one point before I realized John Powell said he wrote a theme specifically for Toothless in HTTYD 2. This is the central theme of HTTYD 2 and it’s a theme that Toothless grows into. By the end of the movie, Toothless is able to adopt this melody as a dragon who protects all.

Drago’s theme

Prime example: Meet Drago 0:08-0:31

This menacing theme is about Drago and the threat Drago’s army possesses over the Barbaric Archipelago and dragonkind.

Hiccup’s relationship with Toothless

Prime example: Test Drive 0:22-0:39

This theme focuses on Hiccup and his interactions with Toothless. The music highlights how his opinions of Toothless (and more broadly, all of dragons) change - from something mysterious and feared, to something powerful, bold, and beautiful. In the end it becomes an anthem for how How to Train Your Dragon is a story of… well… flying on dragons!

Progress theme

Prime Example: New Tail 0:00-0:44

Not going to lie, I’m actually just sort of making an uneducated stabbing at this theme. I’d need to rewatch the movie and think about it more. This is more or less a placeholder name. But you never know. I could be right?

Stalka theme

Prime example: For the Dancing and the Dreaming

It’s For the Dancing and the Dreaming, essentially. This is the anthem of Stoick and Valka’s love for one another.

Toothless’ theme(?) (HTTYD) 

Prime example: Test Drive 0:00-0:22

I’ve called this the “Toothless in Trouble” theme in the past, like in that analysis you read from 2014. And it’s true we hear very specifically quoted when Toothless is in danger - for instance, in “Downed Dragon” 3:10-3:36. However, that’s actually just part of what the theme is for, because we also hear the theme in instances like the start of “Test Drive” - which is obviously not Toothless in danger. It’s also the prominent theme that plays when Toothless stares Hiccup eye-to-eye shortly after Hiccup has freed the dragon from his bonds in the woods.

Please, please, please take my comment here with a grain of salt, as I haven’t thought about this leitmotif in depth, but it could very likely be the case that this is Toothless’ general theme in the first movie. Given as it’s played when Toothless is in danger, and played when Toothless is being ridden in “Test Drive,” it could just be the dragon’s theme. In which case… you could talk about some cool motif melding, where the Berk theme and Toothless’ become played well together. Like that doesn’t say something about the melding state of this island’s civilization! But PLEASE take my idea with a grain of salt… it’s a preliminary thought of what this theme means in full.

Undeveloped as a boy

Prime example: Together We Map the World 0:00-0:34+

How to Train Your Dragon 2 focuses much on Hiccup’s sense of identity. At the start of the movie, he is unsure of himself. This here is a theme that demonstrates his lack of understanding in himself. It’s a wandering theme, just as Hiccup’s heart is a wandering heart. He travels the world because he feels unsettled inside of him about what his identity is. It’s to note that the last time we hear this theme play is when Stoick dies. Once Stoick dies, Hiccup can no longer question what his identity is, what his role is to Berk. He has to step into the role of chief. That is now his place and he is no longer an uncertain boy.

Interestingly, you’ll notice that what I’ve called Eret’s theme in the past is actually just a specific way of expressing this theme. It’s played in a very gallant and bold flavor which is why I initially mistakenly separated it off into its own theme.

War theme

Prime example: Ready the Ships 0:00-0:15

A theme focused on when the Vikings are at war or preparing for war, especially war against the dragons. Usually this theme is played in a heavy, dark matter. What’s interesting is we also hear a rather meandering, good-natured version of this theme even when Hiccup is wandering Berk’s forests attempting to find Toothless… so he can kill the dragon.

These aren’t all the melodies in HTTYD but these are most of the main and meaningful ones.

[bristolpusher-blog]

Rainbow Six: Siege and why I love it.

History of Siege:

Rainbow Six: Siege is a tactical FPS game developed and published by Ubisoft (more specifically Ubisoft Montreal) during December 1st. The game is currently approaching the end of its third year and has reached around 35,000,000 (35 million) players, but it didn't start this way.

Siege's official gameplay trailer was shown at E3 is vastly different to the game upon release. The game trailer shows tactical and long rounds requiring large amounts of communication with little room for error, stunning graphics and interactive animation between the hostage and other players. No operators were shown indicating that originaly everyone would be the games current operator "Recruit" but with their own special loadout and no abilities with customisation likely being very limited.

The trailer ends with a standoff between a defender and an attacker firing shots with no answer to who won the round (probably to show that both sides are infact balanced and have equal chance of winning). You could even take a helicopter landing onto the roof which is badass (And probably would've saved us from the spawn peak craze, but more on that later) but alas the game changed vastly at some point during production.

(I can't really talk about the beta as not only do I think it's not really important to understanding the history of siege as it played almost identically to day one release but I also have never played the beta version of Siege, However I will link a video to a closed Alpha gameplay video)

1st of December 2015: Rainbow Six: Siege is released to the world with 20 operators (and everyone's favourite: Recruit of course) these included: SAS: Thatcher, Sledge, Smoke, Mute. FBI: Ash, Thermite, Castle, Pulse. GIGN: Montange, Twitch, Rook, Doc Spetsnaz: Fuze, Glaz, Tachanka, Kapkan GSG9: IQ, Blitz, Jager, Bandit

Giving two from each to the attacks and defenders. (Attackers left, Defenders right) Your starting team depended on your colour. Orange was Defence and Blue was attack with the teams rotating roles each round while maintaining their colour.

But the operators were locked behind walls of money called Renown. Luckily however this didn't effect the game too hard as within literally one match you had your first operator in that division. But the prices rose if you wanted to buy an operator in the same grouping. So if I bought SAS Thatcher all SAS ops would be more expensive (Unless using R6 credits the in game paid currency). My first operator was GIGN Montange a shield operator and my last was GIGN Rook who ironically became my most played defender so I just wish I'd bought him earlier. Each operator has a unique ability which changes the playstyle with limited resources that cannot be reloaded even in the terrorist hunt game mode which gives you ammo boxes.

Here's a link to a video containing all operator guns, and abilities:

A season pass system was also announced by Ubisoft the first being Operator Black ice giving us two Canadian operators: Frost and Buck and this is what I think makes Siege so unique from other tactical FPS. These operations unlocked cosmetic items, new weapon skins (Most noted is the black ice renowned for being the best skin in the game) here's a list by Ubisoft of all rewards for the pass.

The JTF-2 operators, Frost and Buck, the Navy SEALs operators, Valkyrie and Blackbeard, the BOPE operators, Caveira and Capitão, and the SAT operators, Echo and Hibana. 600 R6 credits, R6 icon charm, premium pass until December 1st 2016. However these operators were available to everybody if they purchased them with free renown they got from playing matches (Around 150 if you lose and around 300 if you win) these operators cost a large amount but its not impossible as I did it myself to unlock Capitao.

In July 2017 Alpha packs were introduced. These unlocked through a sort of roulette wheel at the end of a winning game. The pack (if landed on a white bar you built up by playing games) contained cosmetic headgear and weapon skins until this season where Jager received a legendary uniform in Legendary Alpha packs. These packs are blind luck and you never know what they contain until you open them. If you have the season pass the pack percentage gets a 0.30% boost and when losing it goes up by 1.5% and when winning 3%. (Of course not including the additional bonus for season passes) these can be bought for varying amounts if Renown

These season passes continue until this day with free content such as maps, cosmetics and operators being released. (8 a year) As of writing this Grim Skies (Year 3 Season 3) is ongoing and the game is definitely had a few bumps this season with the introduction of Clash who's nerf patch hasn't been released at the time of writing.

And now the siege history lesson ends and my opinion begins. I LOVE Siege. I play it basically every day and never seem to tire of this. But I don't think that's just because of me being some addicted fan boy. I think that the reason Siege has become so popular and developed such a massive community is because the huge comeback it had. It was originally a huge failure with players leaving in mass. Thousands of videos on youtube pointed out its massive flaws until instead of abandoning it... Ubi started work. Bug fixes, anti cheat, graphics improvement. You name it, if the community asked Ubi delivered and they still do to this day. Even refusing to change Tachanka despite his huge meme status as being terrible simply because fans love him that way even releasing a cosmetic bundle called "Lord Tachanka" a huge fucking meme amoungst the community that the devs love too which just shows how tight knit we are as a game. While they did take a while to do it during the big Hack period they fixed that for fans and announced they would do so even before the big Youtubers jumped in on it.

Ubi revived Siege. And I can never really express just how thankful I am for that in words. I love this game and I can't wait for the next season or the next game.

Gameplay:

Now it's time to talk about the gameplay Holy shit is this fun. When something goes well and your team just clicks you forget you're playing a game. You're a squad of 5 elite special forces soldiers who's training has lead to an unstoppable wall of fire as your tear through your enemy and it only gets better when the enemy does so too. The rush you feel when a 1v1 comes after a long gun fight is tense and nerve-wracking as you feel your whole team watching you or calling info on cams or drones (More on that later) winning is satisfying and losing is crushing but you still don't want to give up. Because you know that with the right team and the right strats you can wipe the floor with even the best of players.

Games tend to last around 15 minutes in casual with three rounds won being the win and up to 30+ in Ranked. Each round has a drone phase where little black RC drones race around the map looking for the objective while defenders quickly reinforce the room with defences such as metal wall reinforcments, barbed wire, deployable shields, nitro cells (C4 explosive) and your defenders personal gadget. You then have 4 minutes to either complete the objective as Attackers or wipe the enemy team and vice versa as defenders.

There are currently 18 maps in Siege such as, House, Oregan and Presidential Plane with another map planned next season. My personal favourite is Clubhouse.

On your gun you can add various attachments such as scopes, grips and compensators. But it's hard for me to talk about that since it's mainly personal preference I almost always use Reflex but most like the Acog scope. Here's a list of what attachments you should put on guns according to Varsity Gaming who you should check out for tips and info on actual mechanics such as damage drop off on guns.

This brings us nicely to spawn peaking. Since defenders spawn 45 seconds prior to Attackers and there's fixed spawns Defenders began opening windows to shoot people as they exited a spawn area most prominently Jager and Bandit. This resulted in their Acog scopes being removed and eventually all Acog scopes from all 2 speed and 3 speed defenders giving a large advantage on the Attackers side as in long range encounters the 2.5x zoom of an ACOG will help massively. Here's another link to a video which marks all things removed or nerfed to the current date. It's still a sensitive topic today as spawn peaking still exists but you're much more likely to miss someone or get killed yourself when you do it.

10 years of content has been announced but people do still doubt it but personally I think it can be done. Considering we're about to enter year 4 and the game is only growing in popularity I see no reason why it's going to stop any time soon. Especially now its practically one of the biggest Esports perhaps only being outdone by League and Dota with Overwatch declining it its recent years.

Not to mention the huge profit they overturn in cosmetics Ubi made pro league and elite skins, the later of which unlocks special MVP animations when equipped and winning as the largest point scorer.

How to Play the game

Now let's discus the gamemodes. You have Casual and Ranked with Custom matches and Terrorist hunt being less of a central focus and an offline Situations mode for beginners to practice.

Casual matches assign random spawns, random defence points and has a cap limit of 5 rounds with a winner being declared after someone reaches 3 otherwise resulting in a draw which effects nothing and gives bad rewards considering you just both basically won.

Ranked gives you a choice of spawns, defence points and caps at 9 rounds with a winner either being declared at 4-2> or having to go to a 5 after it reaches 4-3. After winning a defence location defenders who won may no longer use that defence point until it reaches the overtime tie breaker rounds of 4-3 onwards where everything resets basically. Drone and round times are the same however for both casual and Ranked if an objective is being complete such as Hostage being extracted, Defuser is being/ is planted or Securing objective/contesting then like casual the timer will never end until someone either leaves the room or dies. If a user leaves a ranked match their space is never filled nd they receive a ranked match ban for 15 minutes which increases each time and leave penalty

All game modes feature a DBNO (Down but not out stage) where you will be knocked to the floor and a large + icon surrounded by a white circle slowly being ticked away by a red line creeping across will appear. Your vision will be impaired and movement reduced to a crawl. You will produce a blood trail leading the enemy to you if you crawl away. You can press and hold to stop movement but hold the blood in giving you more time to wait for a teamate to come help you up. Any damage you take will probably kill you and all revives (except Docs stim pistol and Finkas adredinal surge) will get you back up on 50 health and must be done when right next you the only exception to these rules is Zofia and Doc who can get themselves up if Doc has a stim left and Zofia needs no help at all and after a brief 5 second animation can get up on 1 health and continue to fight.

Gamemodes in Ranked and Casual are:

Hostage: Hostage must be extracted from defence point and taken outside to a red flare where you will extract him/her and win you can as with teammates kill the hostage instead of the minus 100 points and ban (and an additional -100) for killing two teammates like you may expect you're hit with an instant -500 points and an almost certain ban if you're not careful. And since Renown is given based off of points this will likely screw you out of any renown if you lose the match and don't receive the +2000 points for winning.

In Secure area you must enter the room with the container automatically beginning to secure it simply by being in the room however. A loud siren goes off wherever an enemy enters with a large "Contested objective" appearing above the icon that goes through walls for both teams if a defender is inside and a "Securing..." if not.

On Bomb there are two sites near eachother [A] and [B] with Attackers having to enter the room and plant a single defuser given to one member at the start of the round taking 7ish seconds to plant and 40ish seconds to defuse the bomb entirely however the bomb defuser can be destroyed by the defence team by approaching it and holding the button to defuse with the same 7ish seconds needed to defuse however during this time the defuser still continues to tick down and can pass the threshold of defusing the bomb while a defender defuses resulting in an attacking victory.

All of these gamemodes are 5vs5

Terrorist Hunt:

Terrorist Hunt features a range of difficulties: Normal, Hard and Fucking impossible (Realistic). These missions can either be done alone or with a team. Depending on difficulty team friendly damage is reduced so I'd recommend Team play if you want a lot of renown for not very much work at all.

Situations:

These missions have fixed objectives and must be done alone in single player. After completing all situations that teach you how to play you may take part in Article 15. A difficult mission in a realistic difficulty where you and 4 others must defuse 2 bombs inside the map Bartlett University with heavily obscured vision in yellow clouds filling the map obscuring enemies and the bodies that liter the ground.

Custom Games:

These allow modifiers for a 5vs5 with friends or less even allowing you to explore the map alone. You can change health, timers such as increasing defuse time, drone time, match time and the amount of rounds. You can even turn on pro league settings to have a tournament with your friends.

Shop:

Siege has an in game shop where you can purchase the previously mentioned elite skins and various other items such as weapon skins, Pro league sets and weapon skins, charms and even the glorious Lord Tachanka sets.

Final thoughts and review:

Siege is in my opinion one of the greatest FPS games of all time. It has incredible fans, Gameplay is smooth and fun and most importantly tense. If I could play just one game with all of you then you'd know how big a difference one person can make each match, how much communication changes the game and how often friends tk each other for cheesy spiderman jokes.

I highly recommend you purchase it. Or play a free weekend. With a starter edition being so cheap right now especially when a sale comes on the only real reason to avoid the game would be the toxic team killers we have. But since the new tk ban changes I've been teamkilled only 12 times. 2 by friends, 7 accident and three being toxic players. That's not however saying it doesn't happen. But trust me. Your teammates will straight up slam the fucker who does it. I don't think I've ever been killed in a ranked match except by Mira mains who want their walls or accidents especially at the higher ranks. I hope this helped you either get a look into my perspective on Siege. Or perhaps convinced you to give it a chance or reinstall. Trust me. Give it a chance like I did and you'll never regret it.

Informative Siege Videos:

Siege Youtubers:

And of course the best Siege Youtuber of all time:

(This is my channel. Subscribe if you want I only upload for fun which I'm pretty happy with)

[romanoartsless]

These two chapters are on the longer side so that’s why it’s a little late but you get more content, so I guess the pros out way the cons I guess.

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Chapter 36

    This area of town was rarely busy, Blackwing of all people knew this firsthand, but with the previous night’s events anyone and everyone gathered to gawk at the scene of the attack. The girl and the body were gone, but there were still dry puddles of blood and plenty of gossip going around. She’d heard people spreading rumors that the last magic user was the one who killed the man. Oh how these people were so ignorant to the killer in the crowd.

Throughout the day she tried to think more like Jackie might think. Right now she thought about how her gentle exterior made her seem so unassuming to everyone around her. No one would ever guess this innocent little girl would even think to step on a bug, let alone kill a man. Blackwing grinned at the thought. Maybe she was more like her sister than people assumed.

 Blackwing sat and people-watched for a few minutes before she had to take a second to look at something she saw. Long onyx hair, too familiar to be a coincidence, walked by, flowing gracefully on the dark green jacket and gold dress. The dress shimmered when the light hit it and held stark contrast to the jacket it accompanied. She swore it was Silvertongue.

 She wanted to reach out and touch her, talk to her, see if she really was her other sister. Blackwing missed her sister in a similar way as Caterina did. She wanted Silvertongue to come back, come back and be part of their quartet like nothing ever happened. No one understood how lonely a trio could feel.

“Funny seeing you here. It’s not like I came here expecting to run into you.”

Blackwing jumped at the sound of his voice. “Oh my gods, Crispin! You scared the shit out of me!”

“Were you busy staring at hot guys or something? Did I interrupt your man hunting?”

“Crispin!”

“Don’t worry, sweet little Blackwing, I’ve done my fair share of man hunting.”

She chuckled at his comment; both the part she was expected to laugh at and the fact he called her “sweet little Blackwing”. It wasn’t meant to be condescending and she didn’t take it that way. She just found it funny how ignorant he was to what she had done last night. And she was still sweet little Blackwing, just sweet little Blackwing who happened to have a body count.

She noticed Crispin watching her as they walked together. It hadn’t even crossed her mind why he might be until- “Blackwing, are you limping?”

“Oh!” Blackwing had almost forgotten about her limp until he brought it up. “I had an accident last night. It’s just more comfortable to walk like this.”

 “Can I carry you?”

“What?”

His face turned as bright red as a magic user’s eyes might be and a stutter was every other thing to come out of his mouth. “I’m sorry- I just thought you might want to take pressure off your foot. And like you’re small- well, not really, it’s more so that I’m big, you’re closer to average- so I could just pick you up and like-.”

He stopped in the middle of his statement when she answered his question by opening her arms in front of him. It took her aback when he did pick her up because she expected him to just throw her over his shoulder, but instead he picked her up bridal style.

Her face flushed and she thought maybe by hiding in the nook between his neck and shoulder, but the contact between their skin only made it worse. “Do you want me to-.”

“Yeah.”

Shit. She hadn’t been paying attention to anything he was saying, so now Crispin could be taking her to the castle and she wouldn’t even know, since she still had her face in his neck. She wondered if he could feel the heat from her cheeks on his skin. Dammit! She should stop thinking about this all together. Crispin probably didn’t even notice the contact. She shouldn’t be making as much of a big deal out of it in her head.

* * *

Crispin wanted to scream. She was touching him. Her nose ever so slightly nudged itself into his neck. It was the sort of nonsexual, intimate contact he always craved- the kind he questioned if he was even worthy of when he sat in the bathtub with a razor blade in his hand. The touch was barely there, but it was so comforting just to feel that small bit of affection.

“Crispin.”

The way her mouth moved on his neck sent chills down his spine. Was this what sexual people felt? Was this attraction? Was he attracted to Blackwing? No. He shoved that thought so far down in his mind. He didn’t want to undress her or have sex with her, and the thought of doing so almost made him sick, but he did smile whenever he thought about talking to her again. That wasn’t attraction, that was friendship.

“Crispin!”

     Her face was no longer in his neck and her big brown eyes looked up at him. “Huh?”

    “You just walked past our building. At least that’s where I think you were going. If it’s not then you can just keep going where you’re going. Sorry if I-.”

    “Oh shit you’re right. I was- uh- distracted. Sorry.”

    The two of them might as well have had cherries for heads with how red they were. He finally set her down and she limply walked to the door, opening it for him, but avoiding contact between their eyes. Tension had grown between them and the room turned awkward.

    Blackwing plopped on the ground only a few feet from the door. Crisping followed suit, but sat a good distance away from her. “So… what happened to make you limp?”

    “I uh… fell. Yeah, I fell.”

     “Ah, yes, and all those bruises on my mother’s arms are there because she’s clumsy.”

    “Well, about last night… that was me.”

    “Wait what?”

    “I, you know…” She drifted off, charading a stab with her right hand. “... that was me.”

    “That dude who attacked Amber Lynn? You’re  the one who killed him?” He paused then fell into laughter. “Gods, you’re hilarious. You?! You couldn’t hurt a fly!”

    She was almost offended at the sentiment that she could not be kind when she needed to be and fight back when she needed to. It was bittersweet. The things she needed to take down went easy on her but when she won, her credit was given elsewhere. “I couldn’t hurt a fly? Hmm. Are you sure?”

    “Hundred percent.”

    “Give me your gun.”

    “Okay okay okay, so I’m not going to lie, some days I want to die, but today is not necessarily one of those days. So like, I’m just going to keep it to myself.”

    Blackwing slid closer to him, batting her dark eyelashes as he hand began to caress Crispin’s face. He wanted to melt into her touch. That touch was so warm and welcoming. His stomach like fireworks. He put his hand on top of her’s and linked his green eyes with her brown.

    Oh gods, her eyes were gorgeous this close up. Most would say they were boring, average brown. They didn’t glow amber in the sun or shimmer gold when the light hit them. They were brown. But why didn’t the gods let people romanticize brown eyes? Her’s were beautiful and comforting and-

    “Ha ha!”

    She was already on the other side of the room when he snapped back into reality, twirling something around in her hand. “Jackie really was right. You men are so easily distracted by romantic tension. You probably thought I was going to kiss you.”

    Shit. It was his gun in her hands. She aimed it around aimlessly, causing anxiety to fill Crispin. “Blackwing! Be careful with that!”

    "You act like I’ve never wielded a gun.”

    “Have you?!”

    “Get some cans.”

    “Blackwing!”

    “Let’s go shooting!”

* * *

    “If you accidentally end up murdering me, please carve, ‘Fuck Shaw Petrov,’ into my forehead.”

    “I won’t accidentally murder you.”

    “You sure?”

    “I swear it on my life.”

    They had set up six cans on top of a bookshelf in one of the rooms. Crispin was hesitant, but when a girl has a gun, you don’t ignore what she tells you to do. He gave her six so she’s have the odds to shoot at least one done.

    Blackwing took around five minutes to shoot and aim. Crispin laughed. The gun was probably alien in her hands. But when she finally fired, it took her only a few seconds to shoot the first five down. She turned around and smirked back at Crispin. With her back to the last can, she stretched her right arm back and shot it down. All were down with perfect accuracy. “Blackwing Crow couldn’t hurt a fly my ass.”

    Crispin was utterly speechless. He never thought a sweet girl from east Novak would know how to shoot, let alone shoot that well. He wasn’t even going to lie, he found it sort of attractive. She now stood right in front of him and handed him back his gun. “We’re speaking in hypotheticals though. I wouldn’t want to hurt a fly, but if I needed to, I could.”

She waited a second for him put the gun in his holster before hopping onto his lap. He grunted. “There goes the Petrov line.”

“Oh my gods! I’m so sorry! Did I-.”

“Crush my dick? Yes.” She went to stand up but he grabbed her to stay. Crispin so rarely received affection and he wanted to savor every bit he got. “You’re fine, though. You can stay.”

He wondered if his voice always sounded this desperate. If maybe Blackwing secretly hated him and was only friendly towards him because she felt as though she had to. He knew it probably wasn’t true, but his mind always told him he was a burden. “Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you-.”

“You’re fine. I swear.”

The two of them had only been hanging out together for a month or so, but he’d grown quite attached to her in that time. It wasn’t a romantic attachment; it was closer to two souls who had been lifelong friends in a past life meeting again. He didn’t want to say she was his best friend because she still cared for Thomas, but Blackwing understood him in a way no one else did. He wanted to keep her as close as he could before his father found out about her. She’d be dead in 24 hours if Shaw knew about her.

This time it was Crispin who had his head in the nook of her neck and she ran her fingers fingers through his sandy blond hair. “I’m glad you killed him, Blackwing.”

“You’re glad?”

“I’m assuming it was a kill or be killed situation. I’m glad you’re here and not him.”

“But he was a Petrov man, he worked for you.”

“He’s not one of my best friends though.”

He felt her fingers stop and he realized what he just said. It wasn’t like he said he was in love with her, but it was still significant. “Oh shit- I’m sorry I- I didn’t mean-.”

Blackwing took his face into her hands and his face went burgundy. She pulled him closer and planted a kiss onto his cheek, then put his head back back into her neck and her hands went back to playing in his hair. “You’re one of my best friends, too, Crispin.”

As Crispin thought about it, he realized no one had called him their best friend out loud, to his face. It warmed his heart to hear it come out of someone’s mouth, in a genuine way.

The boy who thought he wasn’t worthy of love and the girl who loved too much; on paper they seemed incompatible, but the world worked in strange ways and sometimes knew what you needed even more that you did.

Chapter 37

    Even though, in the end, their meeting ended much sooner than he wanted and they got practically nothing done, Thomas was still elated to finally get his hands on the files. After Crispin left to visit his mother, Thomas headed out to the forest. Now knowing where to go much better than the months before, it only took him a few hours to reach the cabin. Through the window near the door he saw a head of purple hair walking around aimlessly. He tapped on the glass and Caterina jumped in surprise. He could see her mouth moving and anger on her face; he imagined she was cursing him out.

     Her black eyes looked straight at him through the glass. She walked closer and he began to hear the muffled sounds of her swearing. He awkwardly smiled and held the two files up to the glass which halted her yelling. Her eyes lit up and she ran out of view to where he assumed was the door.

    He was right. The door swung open and Caterina walked out in what looked like pajamas. She wore a pair of baggy pants and shirt and half her hair was pulled up into a ponytail. “You have my files?”

“Yep!”

He held out the papers for her and she grabbed them out of his hands like a child might take candy from their mother’s hands. She walked back into her house and Thomas to walk back out of the forest before he heard, “You coming in or what?”

As he walked behind her, he noticed the scars on the back of her neck that looked like they spelled out something. He didn’t dare to ask what it said, not wanting to open that can of worms. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with your hair up.”

“Because I don’t wear it up.”

“Why though?”

She rubbed the back of her neck where he assumed the scars were. “They don’t make purple hair ties.”

“What?”

“Hair ties come in normal hair colors and, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I don’t have a normal hair color. All my hair ties are brown and shit. I don’t like that.”

Thomas knew it was only partially true. He never thought about how simple things like hair ties might be a struggle for Caterina. It seemed like a superficial curse, to make someone look unnatural so they weren’t desireable, but it was a constant annoyance that couldn’t be covered without intense work.

Caterina sat down at the desk in her room and spread out the papers next to a large stack of files already there. She laid out maybe five or so next to the new ones to do what he assumed was compare them. Thomas stood back a few feet to give Caterina her space in case she found anything.

* * *

     No. No. Why couldn’t she just recognize his face? Why did her mind have to block out the things that mattered and only remembered a meaningless color? She was so frustrated, she wanted to take the table in front of her and flip it over. Her eyes began to wet and blurred her vision. “No,” she mumbled in her cries. “No! No!” She clenched her fists and a little bit of magic seeped out. “No! I just want to find him! I just want mother,” she was full blown crying at this point, “to be proud of me!”

She heard Thomas talking behind her, but couldn’t understand what exactly he was saying since she was still in her bubble of anger and frustration. Her fingernails cut into her palms and her hands hurt through the magic she didn’t mean to use. “I just want to make you proud! Will I ever make you proud?”

 Thud.  

“Thomas?”

Caterina turned around to see the captain’s unconscious body on the floor, his face as purple as his uniform. Shit. The magic she accidentally used must have sucked the air out of his lungs. This couldn’t be happening. Not another person. Not another life.

“Thomas!”

She crawled onto the floor next to his body and cradled it in her arms. Even with her weak magic, she knew she had to use it to save her friend- acquaintance.

 Her hand rose and fell over his chest in breathing like patterns. She tried to control the air around them and transfer some of it into his lungs. Sometimes she’d mix healing into the energy she put into him. “Please,” she’d occasionally whisper into the wind.

His breathing wasn’t quite steady yet, but it eventually came. She slowed down her magic so she wouldn’t overuse and now that he was breathing again she felt more comfortable doing so. She didn’t even notice when her fingers ran through his curly brown hair. It was a way she’d cope with stress if others were around. Jackie, Silvertongue, and Blackwing didn’t mind it at all, and sometimes found comfort in it as well.

A caramel hand went up on top of her pale one. “Is my hair soft?”

Caterina couldn’t help but have the corners of her lips curl up into a smile. She didn’t want to do it too hard, but she pushed him a bit and a laugh came out of him between coughs. “This isn’t something to joke about!”

“Then why are you smiling?”

“Fuck you!”

He couldn’t help but chuckle. “But is my hair soft? You didn’t answer my question. It’d be embarrassing if a pretty girl was petting my hair and it felt like straw.”

Her inked face turned bright ruby. He was probably just trying to butter her up, but she took that compliment and sent it off to the girl who broke every mirror in sight because she couldn’t stand the person who looked back at her. “Yes, it was soft.”

* * *

    It took Thomas a while to recover, but when he did, he headed to the door of the cabin. “Are you sure I’ll be fine?”

    “The magic has settled in by now, you’ll be fine.”

    “You sure?”

    “Thomas Arthur Dubroin, I am absolutely positive you’ll be fine.”

* * *

    He was not fine. It wasn’t the magic that was the problem, more so the pack of wolves that had him surrounded. He tried to pull out his gun, but with every inch he moved they would hover in closer. They growled every time he’d look around to collect his surroundings.

    He was trapped. He didn’t know what to do. He wanted to shoot at them but he couldn’t- he couldn’t. “Caterina!” he cried. “Caterina!”

    The wolves were angered at his yells. They moved in closer, their growls louder. Thomas could see the drool hanging off their teeth. This was when true panic set in. He couldn’t do anything to save himself. Even if he could grab his gun and shoot some of them because the rest would go in for the kill. He could give up or die trying, until-

    A rock came flying and crushed the head of the leader of the pack. The others went to sniff the dead body and turned their rage to something behind him when they realized their leader was dead. Half of them had shards of stone thrown into their eyes when they ran which stopped them so they could scratch them out. The others were drowned out of water, choking on nothing. When all of them were stopped in their tracks, the tree closest to them began to fall directly onto them.

    Some of them tried to run, but a force kept them still as it fell onto them, blood spilling everywhere. “Thomas!”

    His head spun around to see Caterina who seemed like she was about to faint. There was something in her eyes that drew him to them. He wanted to stare into them forever and listen to every word that came off her lips. He had to listen. He had to obey. When she did speak, he voice oozed of magic and he couldn’t not obey. “Thomas, take me back to the cabin. Make sure I don’t smash my head when I fall-.”

    He flew over to where she was and caught her now unconscious body before it crashed into the ground. Something in his body wouldn’t let him not do it. Without a thought, he picked her body up and carried it back to the cabin. When he got there, he opened up the door to her room and set her down on her bed.

    There was no force telling him to do so, but he felt the need to care for her. He didn’t know if she could get infected through this and he didn’t want to risk it. She was lying on the bed and he took the blankets and covered her with them. His hand pushed away her purple bangs and checked her temperature on her forehead. It was burning hot. He took out a cold pack, put it on her head, and sat in the nearby chair, waiting.

* * *

    When Caterina woke up, she felt the cold burn of ice on her head. She reached up to where it came from and landed on a cold pack. “What the hell?” she mumbled to herself.

    Thomas practically jumped out of his seat, waking from his nap when he heard her voice. “You’re up.”

    “Yeah?”

    “You overused on magic and passed out. I carried you in.”

    “Oh I know.”

    “Wait- how?”

    “I used compulsion on you, Thomas.”

    “Oh.” He sat rocking in the chair for a second before he asked, “How do the Crows get around if there are rabid wolves running around in the forest?”

     “Victor taught me to shoot when I was ten. When they came into my life, I taught them. After a while the wolves and other animals began to fear them and leave them alone.”

    He nodded in the chair and before the environment grew awkward he moved closer to her to aid her, but Caterina felt herself leaning away, uncomfortable with the closeness. It didn’t make her uneasy when she held him or when he held her because one was unconscious in each situation. Now they were awake and close- too close. “Let me ask you a question.”

    “Yes?”

    “Tell me how you, a Wrie boy with a Nell name, are the captain of the Novan guard.”

A nervous laugh came out of him. “You want long story short or long story long?”

“How about long story long.”

He went back to the chair and began. “Obviously, I’m Wrie, but how how it all began was with my sweet little Nell father making a business trip to Wrieland. While there he met Marianni Campirano and, to put it nicely, got her pregnant. Months after he went back to Arnell, a set of twin boys was born. And my mother just gave us Nell names to keep up with Nell tradition- hence Thomas and William Dubroin.

“When my brother and I were five, he came back to Wrieland, not expecting to be the father of twins. I was sitting at the counter watching my mom cook when he busted through the door. I remember so vividly his red eyes just staring at me sitting there.”

“Wait. Red eyes?”

“Oh yeah, my father and my brother are magic users- healers. Since William and I are twins, and it’s fairly common for twins born to a magic user and a mortal to have one mortal and the other magic user, so I’m mortal.

“He took all three of us and shipped us out to Arnell. We hated it. William was put into extensive magic training and my mother and I were not as lucky. We weren’t given an ounce of respect- not that William was, but he had it slightly easier. He had magic, he got respect, that’s how it worked in Arnell. Polar opposite of Novak.

 “We were all abused by my father- William for different reasons. On our sixteenth birthday I was just done. I found a body that looked like me and faked my death. Before I fled I killed my father. Made the whole ordeal look like a murder-suicide.

“I came to Novak to escape magic. When I got here, I met Victor and he took me under his wing, that’s how I got in the guard. A few months he- you know- and that’s why I’m captain.

“So there, that is why I, a Wrie boy with a Nell name, am the captain of the Novan guard.”

 Caterina didn’t know how to react. She had used the question as a way to keep him from getting close, but he ended up doing so in a different way. An indistinguishable feeling sunk in her stomach. Thomas had said everything so casually as if he wasn’t abused for his lack of magic for more than a decade in his life. “Do you hate me?”

“What are you talking about, Caterina?”

“Your father, he was a magic user. You came to Novak to escape magic. I’m a magic user.”

“The man who killed your mother had green eyes, but you don’t hate Jackie.”

He was right. She didn’t hate Jackie, nor her eyes. In fact she envied them, the freedom the Crows were given in their mortal eyes. She wanted to tell Thomas how he was lucky to have his brown eyes, but she couldn’t. He was abused in the same way she was. All because of something he couldn’t change. “I’m sorry he did that to you.”

“Don’t be sorry. He told me I would amount to nothing and I became captain of the Novan guard. I’ve gotten my revenge, it’s time for you to get yours.”

[seraphichan]

Exponent/Irenic/Decry

A continuation of this fic for @kahleniel! I know you wanted more of this au, so here you are! It took a while to get some words I could spin to my advantage, but the deed is done! I hope this quenches some of your thirst ;3

(also on ao3)

~~~~~

They took the main road through Mitras to the upper portion of the city where, Levi could tell by smell alone, only the best of the best lived. It was an appropriate place for a councilor to reside, though the house they arrived at was much more modest than Levi expected, and to the ones in the vicinity.

Moblit pulled the cart around back to the stables, Hange and Mike following to put their own horses away. Erwin disappeared briefly, returning with a set of restraints that were sturdier than the hemp rope that currently bound Levi.

“Just a precaution,” he said to Levi. “I’m sure you understand.”

Given the circumstances, Levi did. He frowned, but didn’t fuss, as Moblit put them on. Mike was watching him with a wary eye and Levi was confident that if he made one wrong move the larger man would have him pinned in seconds.

“I’ll draw you a bath,” Erwin said before going inside the house.

That piqued Levi’s interest. He liked the sound of that.

What he didn’t like was the fact that Mike carried him inside. The chain connecting the shackles on his legs was long enough that he could have walked by himself. He grumbled the entire time, only ceasing his complaints when they entered the bath chamber. Erwin was nowhere to be found, but there was a steaming tub of water.

Mike sat Levi on his feet next to the tub, then he bent over and pull a small knife from inside his boot.

“What are you doing?” Levi asked, taking a step back.

Mike gave him a tired look. “Removing your clothes. Don’t worry. We’ll give you new ones.”

“Take these off and I’ll do it myself,” Levi said, holding up his shackled hands.

Mike snorted. “If you don’t want me to do it, I’m sure Hange will be more than happy to.”

Levi looked around Mike to Hange who had dragged in a chair from the hall and sat themselves in it. They waved at Levi, eyes alight with excitement at what Mike had proposed. Levi looked back at Mike.

“Just try not to nick me,” he said and Mike smiled.

To his credit, Mike cut off his clothes quickly and had the decency to avert his eyes to Levi’s nakedness. A quality that Hange apparently did not possess as they continued to stare at Levi well after Mike had turned to dispose of the shredded clothes in a waste bin by the door. The glare Levi gave Hange didn’t deter them either, so Levi was subjected to their gaze as he half climbed, half fell into the tub.

“Soap,” Mike offered once Levi had maneuvered himself as comfortably as he could in the water.

Levi grabbed it from his hand and started scrubbing at himself. He hated that it had to happen like this, but at least they were letting him bathe. He was dusty and dirty and this is what he would have been doing if he was still free anyway.

A knock sounded on the door and Erwin poked his head in.

“Is the water warm enough?” he asked Levi.

“Yeah.”

“Wonderful,” he said as he came in the room fully, dragging a spare chair behind him, much like Hange did, and setting it next to the tub where he then sat. What was with these assholes and watching him bathe?

“My apologies, this must be awkward,” Erwin began.

No fucking kidding.

“But we need to talk. I’m confident you can do both at once. Then you can eat and get some rest before tomorrow. It’s sure to be a long day.”

“Fine,” Levi mumbled, continuing to scrub at his skin even harder. “You just need me to vouch for that thing that blinded the fuck out of me, right?” he asked, remembering Hange’s comment from their trip outside the city.

“Yes, but not just that.” Erwin paused as if gathering his thoughts. “What do you think about the state of things?”

Levi wanted to reply that he’d rather be unchained and bathing alone and not here, but he knew that wasn’t what Erwin meant.

“Pretty fucked--”

Living in the wild wasn’t easy, even if Levi had been doing it all his life. No one from the walled cities, or even it’s outlying settlements, traded with him or anyone else from his clan. The only ones that did were members of other clans, but those deals were precarious at best, and often what one clan needed, every clan needed. That’s what led to the pillaging and stealing of passing caravans. They were just desperate to survive.

Sometimes, though, even that wasn’t enough - it seemed that the people under the protection of the kingdom were just as bad off these days. The prolonged war up north was starting to affect everyone. Raids were becoming more and more common. And not just on the outlying settlements by the members of the clans. The reverse was happening as well. The Ackermans had already had to move three times in as many years because of raiders that were kingdom citizens. They kept going deeper into the woods where everything was twice as harsh and twice as unpredictable, and twice as likely to get them killed.

“--but so what? It’s been fucked since before I was born. What do you expect me to do about it?”

Erwin opened his mouth, but before he could speak there was another knock and, this time, Moblit came in. The fucking gang was all here and Levi sunk deeper into the tub in his annoyance.

“For Erwin,” Moblit said, entering the room completely and waving a piece of folded paper in his hand. “Probably a summons,” he continued as he walked over to Erwin and handed it to him. Moblit didn’t look Levi’s way and for that Levi was grateful.

“Thank you, Moblit,” Erwin said.

Moblit nodded and Erwin broke the waxen seal, read over the contents twice, an amused look on his face.

“You’re quite right, Moblit, it is a summons. ‘For recklessly endangering the innocent lives of the City of Mitras with the illegal habitation of a feral Wildling of ill-repute.’ How expected. But it looks like I won’t have to notify anyone in the morning, after all. The guard beat me to it.

“The council doesn’t like me very much, you see,” Erwin said, attention turning back to Levi.

“Yeah, I gathered that at the gate. You leave a pile of horseshit on their doorsteps or something?”

Mike snorted, mouth twitching into a brief smile. Hange cackled, almost falling out of their chair.

“Moblit and I were both very young and very drunk,” Erwin said airily and Moblit coughed, cheeks pink.

“Wait, seriously?”

“Mostly, though,” Erwin continued as if he had never made the remark, “it’s because I have ideas.”

“Good ideas,” Mike elaborated gruffly.

“And those ideas make me dangerous.”

“As dangerous as a ‘feral Wildling’?” Levi asked.

Erwin smiled. “Not quite. Not yet, anyway. But I hope to change their minds on that account, to convince them that you should be kept in the land of the living.”

“Do you think you can do it?”

“Yes.”

Levi raised an eyebrow at him skeptically and Erwin laughed.

“But it won’t be easy.”

+++++

Of course it wouldn’t be. Not if Levi couldn’t even get in the council chambers for his fate to be debated in the first place.

“This is hardly necessary,” Erwin said after the third guard frisked Levi.

Levi snorted in agreement as the fourth man stepped forward to pat him down. It seemed that each councilor - eight of the fuckers in total, not counting Erwin - had their own, personal body guard, and that each of them were going to make sure Levi was clear of any and all weaponry, and dignity, before he was allowed to enter the room.

“I am with Erwin in that regard,” piped up one of them in agreement. He was an older man with deep wrinkles under his eyes, and the only hair on his head was a thick mustache beneath his nose. He had a calculating smile, just like Erwin, but there seemed to be more good humor in his eyes.

Levi was glad he was enjoying himself at least.

“But, Councilor Pixis--” began another.

“The man is obviously well-restrained,” Pixis continued, nodding at Levi’s shackles, which had, once again, been changed.

Levi still had the chains around his feet. His hands, however, were now in closely linked cuffs that were connected together by a single iron ringlet, and the cuffs themselves were attached to an iron bar around his waist by a short chain barely the length his own middle finger. Which he was very tempted to raise at everyone in the vicinity. Instead he merely made the comment:

“Can’t even scratch my own ass.”

Pixis chuckled while the rest of the council murmured in disapproval, but the search of Levi’s person ended and he was led into the room, made to stand on a small podium in front of where the counselors took their seats. Only Erwin stayed on the floor as he was the one under inquiry. He took an easy stance, one that told Levi this happened quite often. Mike stood a few steps behind him and to the side in the same way. He looked bored at best.

Levi, himself, was eager to get this show on the road. Half because he wanted to know if he should start thinking of a plan to make a run for it - shackles be damned - and half because he realized earlier that morning that Erwin never answered his question from last night of what any of Erwin’s plans, beyond validating the blinding weapon, had to do with Levi. After Moblit had come in Erwin had left and Levi had been clothed, fed, and put to bed, all under the watchful eyes of either Mike or Hange.

“We will now commence this session. I, Darius Zackly, as current electorate Head Councilor, will act as moderator. By your leave, gentlemen.”

“Let’s get to it then,” a man said immediately. He had beady eyes and the worst haircut Levi had ever seen. Levi already hated him. “Councilor Smith, why have you brought this scum--”

“Levi,” he spat. Fuck this guy.

“What?” the man sputtered, equal parts pissed and surprised that Levi had spoken out against him.

“Levi,” he repeated.”This scum has a name and it’s Levi.”

“Upstart little--”

“The councilors,” Zackly interrupted, “are advised to call the Wildling by his name from this point forward as I have a feeling this whole proceeding will go faster if we do.”

Levi smirked at the man and he bristled.

“Please continue, Councilor Sannes,” Zackly said.

“Why have you brought Levi,” Sannes corrected with disdain, “to our city and to us?”

“Previously the council approved the development and testing of a new weapon using ‘synthetic magic,’ as created by my colleague Hange Zoe, that would stun, but not kill. While we were originally aiming to use this on a boar, or something of similar size, we instead caught Levi and brought him back, which can be considered a much more fortuitous capture than a mere wild animal.”

There were intrigued hums from the councilors, they seemed impressed. All but one, anyway.

“But how do we know that’s actually what caught him?” Sannes asked.

“It was,” Levi said irritably.

“He’s lying.”

“Councilor Sannes,” Erwin began, “what reason would there be for him--”

“You bribed him, obviously.”

“Fuck off,” Levi said.

“Excuse you?” Sannes squinted at him.

“I said fuck off. If it wasn’t for that shitty thing do you think I would be here right now, talking to all you assholes? Yeah, it worked. I’m living fucking proof.”

The council erupted into loud murmuring. Zackly had to strike his podium with his gavel several times before they quieted.

“He’s blunt and bad mannered,” Pixis said, “but I think his presence is, truly, testament enough. We’ve caught many a boar and deer, but we’ve never managed to catch a Wildling before. They are very slippery.”

There were rumbles of agreement - except from Sannes who looked like he had just swallowed his own piss - and Levi stared at Pixis curiously. Erwin said the members of the council didn’t like him, but this guy seemed alright. Maybe he was just using Erwin as a pathway for his own means, but as long as it kept Levi alive, he didn’t care.

“So, you have presented us with the Wildling Levi as evidence that your weapon’s experiment was successful, is that correct, Councilor Smith?” Zackly asked.

“Yes, sir.”

“And you wish to continue with the development of this weapon?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Very well. Granted.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Now that leaves us only one matter left to discuss. Do we release Levi back where he came from or do we have him hung?”

“Actually,” Erwin said.

Levi breathed a small sigh of relief. Finally, he could get some answers.

“I believe he should stay here, very much alive and unharmed.”

Wait. Stay here? Why would he? Levi didn’t realize that’s what Erwin wanted from him. He was hoping he would get to go free. He’d kill some of these uptight assholes first, if Erwin wanted, but he wanted to go home in the end.

“For what purpose?” Zackly asked. A good question.

“To attain peace with the Wildling clans.”

A hush descended on the council. Sannes was the first to speak.

“Impossible,” he dismissed.

Levi, grudgingly, agreed with him The clans rarely got along with each other. Levi staying in Mitras wouldn’t fix that.

“Cooperation then.”

Sannes scoffed. “What’s the difference?”

“In cooperation we can still despise each other while also still striving for the same goals. It’s all a matter of keeping that hate in check for the greater good.”

There was an unspoken “Much like I do with my relationship with this council” that hangs in the air. Erwin allowed it to disperse before speaking again.

“The war in the north has been raging for years. The people are tired. They don’t just need victory, they need hope. Let Levi be that hope.”

“He’s hardly diplomatic material,” said a different man this time. He had shittier hair than the Sannes guy and a goatee that made it look like a rat had shed on his face.

“You insult me, Councilor Dok. I would never suggest such such a thing. No, I was thinking more along the lines of fighting power.

“Have him fight for us, whether it’s repelling bandits or dissuading the enemy forces up north. Let him inspire our people, show them that Wildlings can be fierce and loyal, and fight for our cause. Let him inspire his own, so that they may join him.”

“Wai--”

“And should other Wildlings choose to do so?” Pixis asked, as if Levi hadn’t started to speak.

“They wo--”

“Hire them as mercenaries.”

“Mercenaries need to be paid,” Zackly said.

“Will you lis--”

“Do it with the land regained. Turn them from soldiers to subsidy farmers.”

“And Levi would be the catalyst for all of this?” someone else asked.

“I’m not--”

“That is what I propose.”

“Why would he agree?” Sannes finally spoke, as condescending as before, and fuck if he wasn’t actually making the most sense right now.

Erwin nodded and Mike stepped forward, yanked Levi’s head back. Levi was about to curse at him, but then he felt the steel on his skin and he froze. He glanced at Erwin out of the corner of the corner of his eye. His face was impassive, unreadable.

“If he will not cooperate,” Erwin addressed the council, “then we will just catch another - maybe more - that will. It has been proven, by the council’s observation, by Levi’s own word, that we have the means.”

Son of a bitch.

“Well, what say you, Levi? Will you help us in this manner?” Zackly asked him.

“I…” Levi started, but trailed off. He was in shock. Erwin, the fucking bastard, had tricked him; trapped him in this impossible situation where he had to agree or he was dead. And Levi had walked right into it.

At his hesitation, Mike pressed the blade hard enough to Levi’s throat to cut the skin. Levi could feel as the blood started to trickle down his neck.

“I’ll do it!” Levi said, voice high pitched in his panic.

Mike stopped, looked at Erwin, who nodded, before he moved the blade away.

“Okay. Fuck,” Levi breathed. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

“See, gentlemen,” Erwin said, “he values life much like we do.”

“His own maybe,” Sannes mumbled.

“It is two sides of the same coin. If he forsakes our lives, our goals, then he forsakes his own.”

The was more murmuring, a strike of the gavel, and then they took a vote. It must have gone well because Levi was still alive. He wondered, though, for how long. And if death would have been an easier option in the end.

Levi knew only one thing for certain: he had been pulled from a pit of vipers by the tail of the worst viper of them all.

[derangedsilence]

Ayato Sakamaki

Permissions

Shipping?  Yes.  Less likely if the muse isn’t Yui, but not impossible.  Singleship per verse with limited verses.  Please note - as stated on the rules page, orientation is typically listed as what the muses think they are.

Duplicates? Multiple ‘Yuis’?  What about character that aren’t on the dedicated castmates list?  Yes.  You can thrust Ayato at Ayato.  There’s also no issue with duplicates of canon, crossover, etc. characters that Ayato is already interacting with.  You want it, you got it.   To prevent destroying the validity of duplicate muses, I will sometimes think of things as ‘A Kanato did this’ instead of ‘Kanato did this’, which is a very subtle difference but prevents another muse from having to deal with the blame of an event they were not responsible for.  This will only be differentiated as necessary within writing.  I repeat: all duplicate muses will be treated with respect, not as ‘fakes’.  Any Sakamaki brother is a brother of his, regardless of how many Kanatos there are (for example).  We’re just going to, uh, slide past that as often as possible (and occasionally make jokes).

Multiple Ayatos will be treated as though they’d somehow wandered into one’s world or the other via some enchanted, strange object or doorway in the Sakamaki household.  This allows them to interact, but prevents the concept that one is a ‘true’ Ayato over the other.

Fighting?  A-Okay!  I’ve done a lot of fighting roleplay but it was in the past and I’m way more interested in the storytelling of it.  It’s better that we discuss the end result beforehand for smoother sailing, but we can improv it as well.

Harming? A-Okay!  Just be aware that Ayato may harm or kill you in turn!

Killing? A-Okay!  Please be aware, however, that should the need or desire to continue the verse arise, the death scene will be considered a what-if.  In addition, it is very difficult to kill Ayato due to the pureblood resurrection abilities.

Can we send shippy memes / etc.? Sure, we can still explore what-ifs, drabbles and oneshot threads, but the main focus will be on the storyline here!

Can we know Yui has Cordelia’s heart, is possibly turning into a vampire, is surrounded by vampires, etc. and reference this to Ayato? On a case-by-case basis.  It should be discovered organically if it’s not something your character would be able to know already.  There’s plenty of situations where this would make sense.

Can we know about Ayato’s past before interacting?  No, not unless you have genuine reasons for it like being one of his brothers.

Can we have characters comment on the events of the timeline? Yes, if they “catch sight of”, “overhear a rumor”, “a familiar saw X”, or any other sensible reason, then characters can be aware of and comment on events.  I wholly encourage characters participate in Ayato’s life!  Please tell the story with me!

Can we rescue Yui Komori from the Sakamaki household? Unlikely.  At best, if you succeed in the first place, it’s entirely likely that they will find you, they will take Yui back, and they will kill one or both of you for this.  Or the Mukamis might take advantage of the situation!  Obviously, the exception here is the Mukamis, who are entirely expected to attempt this from time to time.

Can we reference interactions we’ve had with your Kanato, etc. to Ayato?  I mean...sure?  If you want?  I’m fine with using my muses for plot and timeline advancements for myself and those I interact with (within limits) but I’d also prefer to not be my Kanato’s Ayato and vice versa, so this would probably be limited.  You can still act like what’s happened has happened, though.

Biography / Stats

FULL NAME. Ayato Sakamaki ALIAS. Yours Truly (himself) AGE. Appears 17-18 || Actually significantly older BIRTHDAY. March 22 GENDER & PRONOUNS. Male, he/him ORIENTATION. Heterosexual SPECIES. Vampire OCCUPATION. High school student of the night school known as Ryoutei Academy. 2nd year in HDB, 3rd year if assuming time has passed. RESIDENCE. Sakamaki residence, Japan

HAIR. Red EYES. Green BUILD. Athletic HEIGHT. 5'8'' (174cm) TATTOOS. None PIERCINGS. None OTHER. Left-handed

ZODIAC. Aries (Aries/Pisces cusp) ALIGNMENT. Chaotic narcissist POSITIVE TRAITS. energetic, passionate, outgoing NEGATIVE TRAITS. sadistic, hot-tempered, narcissistic

BIRTH PLACE. Japan NATIONALITY. Japanese PARENTS. Karlheinz (Alive?), Cordelia (Deceased / Haunting) SIBLINGS. Full Siblings - Laito, Kanato. Half-siblings (shared father): Shuu, Reiji, and Subaru EXTENDED FAMILY. Karlheinz's other wives, Beatrix and Christa. Richter (Uncle). EDUCATION. High school (likely several times over) SPECIES. Vampire NOTABLE SKILLS. Basketball/sports LANGUAGES. Japanese, JSL FAVORITE FOOD. Takoyaki

PUREBLOOD. Inhuman strength, increased speed, vision, hearing, and smell. Fast healing & healing saliva. TELEPORTATION. Can teleport instantaneously. FLYING. He can fly, but only during a full moon. SWORDSMANSHIP. A+ OTHER. Can control and summon familiars. WEAKNESSES. Truly holy objects weaken him, but not by much. DISLIKES. Raw cuttlefish, studying without a clear goal

Appearance

[*Credit: Appearance section pulled directly from the Dialovers Wiki.]

Ayato is a slender young man with unruly, reddish-colored hair spiked at the ends, narrow green eyes, and a fair complexion. He also wears a black stud on his right ear.

In Haunted Dark Bridal, he usually wears a white shirt that has brown bordering the top and bottom of the shirt with a black jacket and brown scarf. He wears it with blue jeans with a belt attached to both sides of his pants that hang down and go around his pants.

In MORE BLOOD, he wears a black jacket with a red hoodie underneath. Under the hoodie is a white shirt with a black V collar. He wears it with black pants. He also wears a chain necklace.

His school uniform consists of the typical black school blazer with an unbuttoned white dress shirt and a undone red tie around his neck and the right collar of the shirt. He dons black pants, the right leg rolled up to his knees, and a pair of red and black sneakers.

Personality

Attention-seeker, mischief maker: Ayato is a difficult, uncontrollable troublemaker. He is rebellious, brags about himself, and occasionally demands that everyone call him Ayato-sama (while referring to himself as Oresama, often translated to ‘Yours Truly’).    

Narcissistic and self-centered, Ayato looks down on others.  He loves bullying and teasing others.  

He can be vulgar and has regrets about it.  The first thing he’ll notice when he looks at a woman is her chest.  It’s not unusual to catch him coming up with nicknames that bear varying levels of insult: Pervert (Laito), Hysteric (Kanato), Tableware Otaku (Reiji), Shichisan Megane (Reiji again), Hermit/Shut-In/Etc. (Subaru), Dull Guy (Shuu), Smartass/Bastard/Asshole (Ruki), Bandage Guy (Azusa), and Chichinashi/Titless/No Tits/Breastless (Yui).  He has no problem telling his brothers off.  In addition, he frequently insults his deceased mother and his father.

Ayato is passionate about torture devices, including the Iron Maiden.  He even has one that he removed the spikes from so he could use it as a bed.

History

CHILDHOOD. Ayato is the oldest of three triplets. He is considered this due to an old Japanese tradition where the last one to be born is considered the oldest in a multiple birth. Thus, Ayato is considered the oldest, Laito the youngest, and Kanato the middle triplet. Ayato received the most attention from their mother, Cordelia, and the one who endured her abuse and pressure to become the heir of the Sakamaki household. Cordelia fostered an obsessive need to be number one, to be the best at everything. Physically, mentally - whatever it was, whatever goal was to be had, Ayato was expected to meet and surpass it. Ayato often tried to spend time with his brothers Laito and Kanato or do things other than what his mother requested of him. When this was caught, Cordelia would punish him in a variety of ways including drowning him in a lake. She wouldn't even accept meager attempts at gaining her favor, such as the occasion when he built her a sandcastle. Cordelia destroyed it, claiming that such a thing was not worth showing if it wasn't real in the first place. Ayato was the first to truly hate his mother and the first to turn against her. Eventually, this led to her death once they were older.  It’s probably accurate to say that no one hates Cordelia as purely nor as much as Ayato does.

NEAR CURRENT.  Karlheinz manipulates circumstances to keep tossing experimental sacrificial brides at his children.  None can endure the blood loss, physical and emotional torment.  The sacrificial brides are too fragile and the Sakamakis tend to break their toys.  

CURRENT. A single sacrificial bride is surviving and enduring: Yui Komori.  Whichever brother obtains her will become the Sakamaki heir.  Without directly entering into a “relationship” with any of the Sakamakis, she endures her stay there.

Verses

Brief summaries of the verses for Ayato along with potential links for those less familiar with Diabolik Lovers but still want to interact with him.  For the sake of keeping things clean, encouraging community-wide and cooperative storytelling in roleplay, and not letting things get too crazy, verses will be limited.  More may be made over time as needed.

Summaries:

| DL Anime | DL More Blood Anime | Haunted Dark Bridal | More Blood | (Coming Soon)

VERSE - HAUNTED DARK BRIDAL 

*This verse will be typically be the default, 'main verse'. In this, it is assumed that Yui Komori is staying at the Sakamaki household with some version of the first game having taken place. If the second game is included, it's with the idea that Yui stayed with the Sakamakis. Whether Ayato or one of his brothers winds up obtaining the Sacrificial Bride, Ayato will move forward.

Verse Details | Tag: #V; AYATO; HAUNTED DARK BRIDAL

VERSE - MORE BLOOD

If for some reason it's absolutely necessary to differentiate between the verse above and a verse where More Blood has certainly occured, but Yui did not (at least initially) stay with the Sakamakis and instead is currently living with the Mukamis or was, until recently, still living with the Mukamis.  Rivalry abounds and attempts to procure Yui are likely.

Verse Details | Tag: #V; AYATO; MORE BLOOD

VERSE - MISC.

Posts that could take place in the Sakamaki or Mukami verses but involve duplicates (whether Yui or others) in the same scene in a manner that would be hard to pass off as typical flow for those verses.  Also includes nearly ANY time fellow characters are staying at the mansion, otherwise we’d end up with verses of 20+ additional characters hanging out in the Sakamaki villa.  

Verse Details | Tag:#V; AYATO; MISC

SITUATIONAL VERSE TAGS

#V; AYATO; UNIVERSAL

Posts that can easily be assumed to have occured in either the Sakamaki or Mukami verses, typically answering asks, etc. that aren’t directly related to events unique to their timelines.

#V; AYATO; WHAT IFS & #V; AYATO; ONESHOTS

Likely reserved for one-off threads exploring a “what if”, a romantic meme that would otherwise be inappropriate, etc.  If a meme doesn’t quite fit with one of the existing timelines, it’ll get one of these.

Tags

THREAD / WRITING TAG: #echoes in the halls; ayato

HEADCANONS:  #hc; dialovers; ayato

IMAGES: #itt // ayato sakamaki

MUSIC:  #music; dialovers; ayato