#this might turn into a whole thing forgive me for dat

[tarczar]

some doodles I made in a sleepy/goofed up haze at night after I started thinking about a story about angol mois while I was in the shower

[danganronpafan777]

Teruya Otori x Reader Comfort

A/n: Things haven’t been going great, and I had a pretty shitty day. Decided to write this since Teruya is my favorite character, and I wish I could help brighten someone else’s day. Idk, I hate how this turned out and might delete it later.

Welcome to part 4 of ideas that no one asked for; under the cut for depressing themes

"...Y/n?"

At the sound of your name, you approached the door. It was a tiring day. Every day just felt like an opportunity to prove your worth by being useful, and every day, you failed. A part of you yearned for company, while another just wanted to be left alone with your thoughts. 

They knocked at the door. You were snapped out of your thoughts and opened the door. 

You recognized the voice of course, he was your boyfriend after all. 

"Yeah, Teruya?"

Teruya held his hand behind his back and looked up at you with his green eyes that never failed to make you swoon. However, his mouth seemed to twitch, and his eyes seemed to scan you before he finally spoke,

"...Is everything okay?"

"...?"

Everything was fine. That's what you told yourself. That's how you got through every day. That's how you got through the tears and the stress. That's how you got past your sob story that no one would care to hear.

"I'm fine."

Teruya continued to stare at you. He blinked a few times before asking again,

"..A-Are ya sure? Ya seemed a lil'... off today." 

Huh... no one else seemed to have cared. So why did he? Why would someone as kind as him ever like you?

"I'm alright, what about you?"

"...I wanna talk 'bout you." 

"What about me?"

You were beginning to feel irritated. Why was he wasting his time with you? Teruya was the heir to a giant company, and loved his job just as much as he loved his friends. Why was he throwing it away for you?

Teruya was hesitant in his response, instead using his hand to open the door a bit more. Now the two of you were completely face to face. 

"..."

"..."

"Y/n, can I hold your hand?"

You were confused, but slowly held your hand out. Teruya took it, curling his fingers around your hand.

"What's wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong, Teruya."

"...You're not happy right now. And I want you to be happy Y/n."

"It's not that simple."

"I-I know...but... whenever I was sad, my pops would always stay with me and bring me som' candy, and it always made meh feel betta. So I wanna do the same fo' you!"

You couldn't help but chuckle at his expense as he brought out your favorite treats, placing them on a nearby table. He was sweet. It was only natural that he'd pity someone like you.

"I don' pity yah! I love you, Y/n!" He cried. Did you say that out loud? How stupid were-

Your thoughts were interrupted as your boyfriend threw his arms around you. Teruya nuzzled into your shoulder, the same way you would nuzzle his neck whenever you teased him. 

Was he crying too? You'd never forgive yourself if you made him cry.

"I love ya, Y/n... and I'm here for you. I jus' wan' ya to know dat..."

"....why?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you here for me? Don't you have better things to do?"

"...There's nothing more importan' than you, Y/n."

What isn't more important than you? What did he even see in you? Couldn't he see that..

"...I'm worthless." The words slipped out. You didn't even bother to stop them. It was like you wanted to say it but hated yourself for it after. Just like every other goddamn thing you did in your life.

"N-No! You're.. you're not worthless, Y/n... Why would you think that?? I- I love ya! S-So much! I think about ya every day and I don' kno' wha'd I'd do without ya!" Teruya cried, looking back up at you and holding you tighter. His words made you feel nothing but numb.

"..."

"...Y/n... have I evah told you how proud I am of ya? I'm thankful for every day I spend with ya, and our whole class wouldn't be happy without ya! W-We all love you, Y/n. I know it's hard righ' now, but I kno' you'll get through it! I'm here for you. Every step of the way." Teruya's fingers fiddled a bit with your own. He kept eye contact, even as his face was coated in a light blush.

Your eyes burned a bit with tears, but you just held him and didn't let go. The two of you sat like that for a while, and you began to tell him about your day. He stayed quiet through your rant, rubbing your back and giving your hand a small squeeze every few minutes.

Whether you knew it or not, you were everything to him. Even if you thought the world was against you, he was always by your side. Even if the world thought of you as one person, to him you were the world.

Art by @hydrabeebers on Pinterest

[thebrownssociety]

Across The Serververse, Chapter 9

About an hour after the last chapter Bugs stood with his arms folded looking critically at the...thing that Marvin and Wile.E were telling him was a car. It looked, to Bugs’s critical eye, very much like a jagged rock. This would be because it was a jagged rock, a deep jagged rock, hollowed out to create a drivers seat, a steering wheel somehow forced into it and four wheels haphazardly slung onto it. In a bid to make it personal to him Pepe and Penelope had painted it orange and were proposing he call it ‘The Carrot.’ Not th most original of names, but there you go.

“So...lemme jus’ get this straight.” Bugs said, slowly. “Ya want me ta actually drive this thing?”

“Of course.” Marvin said, sharply.

“It’s perfectly safe.” Wile.E added. “Trust us. We’re geniuses.” 

Despite having the perfect set-up Bugs - with great effort - made no jokes or witty comebacks and instead positioned himself in the drivers seat, popped a helmet on [safety first and all that] put his seatbelt on and then raced off to join the others.

‘Sweet moither of carrots, this is fast!’ Bugs thought to himself as he zipped round corners and up and down the sides of hills. No wonder the Wacky Racers all seemed to look permanently startled!

After a good half an hour Bugs saw his first car and - tightening his grip on the wheel - pushed down the accelerator. The car lunged forward with such speed Bugs was left in the air for about two seconds before being pulled back into his drivers seat by the seatbelt. 

He landed upside down and hastened to right himself. When he did manage this the first thing he saw was a cliff coming towards him so he grabbed the wheel and turned away from the cliff somehow managing to end up back on the path. Heart nearly beating out his chest he panted and briefly thought of his house and nice comfy bed before giving himself a slap and readjusting his hands more tightly on the wheel. He WOULD get Sam back even if it killed 'im.

Bugs pressed down the accelerator and zoomed off, this time managing to stay on the track. He was on there a while actually, about 45 minutes before he saw the first car. Annoyingly it wasn't Sam's and Bugs wasn't familiar enough with the world of wacky racers to identify it. It wasn't Penelope Pitstop or Peter Perfect he knew that.

As he tried to overtake, one of the toons (a caveman) leaned over and whacked him on the back of the head with a club. "Hey!" Bugs cried as the caveman tried to batter him senseless. "Cut it out! Yer damagin' me ears!"

The cave man ignored him and Bugs - in a fit of anger - turned the wheel sharply causing the car to whack into the side of the cavemen's (there were two of them) car which, in turn, sent them flying down the side of the cliff.

There seems no need to go over every racer, but suffice to say that Bugs through a mix of intelligence; trickery and, in one if two cases, blunt force, managed to eventually reach Sam. Not that he was exactly hard to miss. The gold that his car was painted saw to that.

"Sam!" Bugs bellowed, trying to be heard over the sound of the engine. "SAM"

The pirate twitched and tightened his hands on the steering wheel, a grim line of determination on his face. In hindsight Bugs should have recognised that look for what it was. Sam was In The Zone. Any attempts to distract him would surely end in tears. However, in that moment, seeing as he was literally *that* far away from him Bugs grabbed a megaphone out of hammerspace and screamed into it. "YOSEMITE SAM!"

Sam - not expecting that - wobbled dangerously and his hands jerked of the wheel sending the car spinning of the road.

Bugs winced and braked making the car shriek as he did so. When the dust had cleared he looked left and right then hopped out the car and ran across to the wreck. "Sam!" He called, worriedly. "Sammy, are you alright?"

There was a long pause, during which Bugs started composing songs for Sam's funeral, then a pale hand grasped the wreckage of the car and - with a dramatic gasp - Yosemite Sam pulled himself out of the wreckage and mustered enough strength to look straight at Bugs and growl. "I hates you."

Bugs took the statement with good grace and, holding out a hand, pulled Sam from the wreckage. "An' dere I was t'inkin' you'd be glad ta see me." He said, teasingly.

Sam glared and, adopting the voice of a posh upper-class englishman [think Mac and Tosh] said. "It may have escaped your here notice, Mr Bunny, but you have just WRECKED MY CAR!"

Bugs blinked and shrugged, giving the easy smile that always worked with Daffy. "Eh...Oi crushed Wile.E under a boulder. He was happy ta see me."

Sam glared and pointed at the smouldering wreck that had once been a car.

Bugs followed his point and, feeling a stab of guilt, mumbled. "Yeah...so dat's not great..."

"IT'S WRECKED!" Sam screeched. "An YOU ah wrecked it!"

"Well..." Bugs murmured as the feeling of guilt intensified. "Technically you're hands were on the wheel-"

Suddenly without warning Sam's eyes welled up with tears and he started blubbing. "Ya don't understand! Tha' car-" He indicated the smoking pile of metal. "-took me 3 weeks ta make! To craft! From scratch! They wouldn't let me race until ah had a car!" 'They' Bugs presumed to be the Wacky Racers. "An' now I've got it it's-ah taken me four an' a half month to claw ma way ta fourth - fourth! - place! This - this! - was gonna be mah chance to crack at least top three! An' now it's gone! An' it's all YOUR FAULT! An' ya not even sorry!"

Bugs's guilt was to string for him to ignore now and he said, aiming for a placating tone. "Look Sam, I'm sorry, oi really am! I didn't know the car meant that much ta ya. We'll-" He thought quickly. "We'll get it fixed! Look, gimme a minute-" Bugs got a flag out his hammerspace and shoved it into the ground. "I claim this planet in the name of Earth!" He said, clearly.

As was expected Marvin appeared a few foot away from him and walked over with his own flag. "I claim this planet in the name of Mars!" He said, briskly. "Now, what is it you want, earth-creature?"

Bugs looked at him with a attitude that said 'really' and nodded his head at Sam. Marvin looked over at Sam and clapped his hands together. "Oh, Yosemite Sam! It's SO good to see you again!"

"Likewise brother." Sam said, gruffly as they hugged. "Now what can you do about my car?"

Marvin frowned and walked over to the wreckage. He made a few calculations and walked round the wreckage about five times all while muttering in Martian. Neither Sam or Bugs were fluent in Martian but they could pick up some words. 'Idiots', 'disaster' and 'time' being the main ones. Well after half an hour Marvin made the final notes on his checkboard and speed-walked over to Bugs and Sam, looking grim. Bugs and Sam immediately sat up and looked interested.

"The car is very nearly a write-off." Marvin announced, in his usual blunt fashion. "How it survived at all is beyond me. However it is fixable." He grimaced. "It'll just take a while."

"Eh...how long's a 'while', Doc?" Bugs asked, conscious that this whole thing was on a time limit.

"How long have we got?" The Martian asked, thrown for a loop.

The rabbit did a quick calculation. It didn't take long. "13 days." He said. "An' den Rhythm does Jones knows what. Give up hopefully. But de fact is we need ta get everyone back within those 13 days or they'll be..." Bugs couldn't even bring himself to say the words, a weird lump forming in his throat.

Thankfully Marvin understood [it helped that he had already been brought up to speed on the stakes offscreen a few chapters ago.] and he said, quickly. "Don't worry it will certainly take less than 13 days. Less than 13 hours probably, if we all work together and you listen to my instructions exactly without any fooling around..." Here he narrowed his eyes at Bugs.

Bugs was not an idiot. The meaning was clear and, although normally he might happily 'fool around', there was to much riding on this for him to do so. Really, strictly speaking, he should probably insist they leave Sam's personal junkyard behind, but he knew if he did that the pirate would never forgive him. And contrary to what people may think Bugs didn't want to upset his on-screen 'enemies' TO much...

"Well den." He said, brightly, clapping his hands together and smiling at Marvin. "Whadda we waiting for? Lets call de oithers and get fixin'!"

[ratremusagere]

Little Remus and Virgil

I'm sorry but I just thought of this idea and now I'm soft for this precious being.

Aka

Little Remus (and little Vee)

T/W fighting (brothers),weapons (Ro and Re), uneducated Roman, slightly unsympathetic Roman (gets better),

Remus was feeling something and he knew what it was but he decided to ignore it. Dee was with the others checking on Virgil and making sure he was okay.

He didn't feel like allowing his emotions to run free and he knew the perfect way to suppress his feelings. Physical pain! Now he just needed a victim.

He walked out of his room to see Patton standing in the living room with his back turned to Remus. Patton wasn't particularly paying attention so he knew now was the perfect time to strike.

Remus lifted up his morning star before swinging it down towards Patton's head. Just before it hit Patton's head however it came into rough contact with another blade. Drats!

"Remus! How dare you try and attack Patton while his back is turned! That is no way to behave!" Roman yelled at Remus. "Yeah, too bad you aren't the boss of me!" Remus said, pushing his weapon roughly against Roman's.

They kept shouting stuff at each other knowing what they said held little to no fire. "Well you're a dumb baby! You know that! Your younger than me and dumb making you a dumb baby!" Roman said shoving Remus harshly to the ground.

Remus knew Roman didn't mean it but for some reason that stung a lot. Romans words hurt him and then he got pushed. The mix of everything happening sent Remus into littlespace. He then let out a piercing shriek as tears fell down his cheeks and sobs racked his body.

Virgil, Deceit, and Logan all came rushing down the hallway at the cries of Remus. Deceit picked up Remus and rocked him trying to calm down the child. "Logan you and deceit take care of Remus I'll handle what's going on here."

Logan and Deceit left carrying Remus without any further questions. "What's wrong with you Roman? What did you do to Remus to get him this worked up!" Virgil demanded getting up in Romans face.

"Nothing, nothing I swear! All we did was some sibling fighting and pushing against each other's weapons!" Roman exclaimed.

"Ok Roman, Riddle me this then, what was the last thing you said and did before Remus had a meltdown?" Virgil said, crossing his arms angrily.

"Well uh I called him a dumb baby and then pushed harshly against his weapon which caused him to fall. But you can't blame me as he was in the wrong!" Roman said, trying to get Virgil on his side.

"Roman you doofus! I don't care who was in the wrong. You severely hurt your brother. I don't know if you knew this but he is a little Roman! Of course what you said hurt him!" Virgil said, scolding Roman.

"Eww is that, that one weird kink where you act like a baby! That's disgusting! Anyone like that is disgusting!" Roman said, grossed out.

"No Roman! No it is not! It's not that at all! You talk to Patton about it. He knows" Virgil said, running off to the others.

-To the others-

Virgil ran and collapsed into his momma lo's arms crying. At the moment he was younger than Remus by a year or two. Which also meant he was semi to full non verbal right now.

"Oh, love, what happened?" Logan said wrapping his arms around Virgil. "Ro sayd dat being wittle is disgusting! Also called wemus a dumb baby!" Vee said curling into Logan non verbalness kicking already which only happened so heavily when something bad happened to cause him to go into baby space so quickly.

Before Logan could respond Remus quickly jumped into the conversation. "Vee Vee it otay! I'm otay now an I'm suwe dat RoRo dinin mean it dat way!"

Virgil let out a whine. "Sh sh sh, baby don't worry it'll be okay" Dee said to Virgil.

"Momma Dee, wan juice pease!" Remus asked seemingly more demanding than asking but they couldn't say no to Remus.

"Awso gives Vee paci! He baby an baby need it!" Logan and Deceit laugh at Remus' words , quickly realizing how they'd forgotten that.

"Deceit can you throw Vee's paci to me when you grab Remus's sippy cup?" Logan asked picking Virgil up and moving into the bed with him.

"Sure Logan. Hey Remus, which sippy cup do you want?" Deceit asked pulling one of Virgil's paci's out and throwing it to Logan.

"I wan da octopi!" Remus said enthusiastically. "Of course baby, stay here while I go and get you juice" Deceit said chuckling.

"No! I go wit chu!" Remus cries grabbing onto deceit. "But- ugh fine baby you can come with me"

Virgil let out a whine and grabbed towards Deceit and Remus. "Whelp I think this will be a whole family excursion" Logan said chuckling picking up Virgil so he could carry him.

They all walked into the kitchen and Deceit sat Remus on the counter before grabbing the juice and pouring it into his sippy cup.

Everything seemed perfect but then Roman decided to walk in along with Patton. Virgil let out a whine/whimper hiding his face in Logan's neck.

"Go 'way Roman. You might be mean to me but u can no be mean to Virgie!" Remus said trying to get Roman to leave without being able to get off the counter.

"No, no kiddo. Roman isn't here to insult. Right Roman?" Patton said looking at Roman. "Yeah Patton," Roman said, chuckling awkwardly.

"Listen Remus I'm sorry for what I said. I didn't mean to hurt you and I didn't understand how offensive I was being. I promise I'll never say those things again, okay buddy?"

"Uh huh! I believed chu befowe u even sayd dat. But chu needa says sorry to Vee Vee! You made him sad an smol!" Remus says pointing at Vee before reaching out to Deceit to get his sippy.

"Oh? Oh. Oh!" Roman suddenly realized that virgil was a little as well and that he caused him to slip. "Vee, bud, I'm sorry for what I said. I now realise how mean I was. I hope you can forgive me?"

Virgil sat there for a second before he let out a soft rumble. "Vee appreciates and accepts your apology." Logan explained for him.

"Haha I'm glad!" Roman said, smiling happily. Vee let out a yawn and curled into Logan. "Seems like someone is sleepy. Isn't that right baby?" Logan asked Virgil. "Yesh" Vee whispered quietly.

"Well I'm gonna go put Vee down for a nap. Remus you wanna come with me and Virgil?" Logan asked Remus. "Yeah I go wit chu guys!" Remus said carefully, getting off the counter.

Deceit looked toward them lovingly as they walked out of the kitchen to their room. "Listen Roman never pull a stunt like today again, okay?" Deceit said using his scary voice.

"O-okay" Roman responded nervously. Deceit smiled in mock happiness. "Good" Deceit said condescendingly before heading to see his boys smiling for real.

[dreamingsushi]

Eternal Love of Dream - Episode 46

Since Donghua is now living Fengjiu, there won’t be a chance for the beast thing to happen, if you remember how originally how Shen Ye confessed his feelings for Alanre. Therefore, the turning point for Shen Ye to confess his feelings for Alanre won’t happen unless Fengjiu forcefully creates an opportunity.  That’s twisted, I pity very much Fengjiu for having to go through something like that. That is not nice.

To keep the timeline as close as  it is supposed to be, Fengjiu organizes a meeting between Shen Ye and Junuo. However, this time around she decides to go too, so she can satisfy her curiosity. Her coming though makes Shen Ye quite puzzled. Junuo thanks Shen Ye for saving her, but he doesn’t accept her thanks, the one she should thank is her father. The only reason is saved her is for his bloodline wouldn’t go extinct since he owes him. Junuo thought he had feelings for her, maybe a little, but he says he only came to have a little bit of fresh air, not to see her. They fight a little because of Alanre and he says that if he wants to be trapped with Alanre, it has nothing to do with her.

When they are done, Fengjiu calls Shen Ye over and offers him some tea. And while they talk, she drops tea on herself, making Shen Ye rushing to check if her hand is okay. It is, because it was only cold water and she did it on purpose. She tries to make him say that he likes her, but he won’t so she confesses instead of Alanre. It finally works, but then Donghua comes in and sees FEngjiu in Shen Ye’s arms when he got flowers and all for her... This is getting complicated, too complicated...

Then Fengjiu tells Shen Ye that she’s not Alanre and he already knows that. He asks her who she is and reight then Fengjiu sees Donghua. She rushes running after him, leaving Shen Ye back there. She really doesn’t care about him. And here I have to wonder. Does Donghua not have any trust in Fengjiu? She has been following him like a little puppy for thousands of years and would even throw herself from the top of a cliff for him - she did indeed. I think, in my humble opinion, that he should know better to trust a little bit more than that.

Shen Ye thinks about how Fengjiu blamed him for never telling Alanre that he loved her and he thinks of the past. He is pitiful, really. In the history of dramas, he’s probably one of the most miserable characters I have seen.

Donghua comes back drenched by the rain. He lies on Fengjiu’s bed and doesn’t want Fengjiu to leave him. She says to let go, she’s going to prepare hot water for a bath. For him. So he won’t catch a cold. Then, while bathing, he says he still owes her too much - true dat - so he will forgive her no matter what, that since she feels empathetic for Alanre’s story she started to fall for Shen Ye. She’s like, stop saying nonsense, so he puts his head under water and since he suddenly stopped talking, Fengjiu is worried he might have fainted and rushes in to check on him. Right then, he comes out and asks her how Shen Ye is better than him. It’s interesting here that for once, Donghua is doubting that he’s literally the best and that maybe somebody might surpasses him in some way. Must be hard on his pride. Fengjiu just answers that even the thought of comparing never crossed her mind, not like this. When she tries to leave, he pulls her into the water. I don’t know why, but I think this is disgusting. Maybe I am being childish but... he’s like naked in there, washing himself... That’s no way to treat a girl. He’s even climbing over her, this is so improper. I’m not comfortable at all with this scene. He says he thought about getting rid of Shen Ye, but it would have made her sad. So she says she likes him too much to like someone else and kisses him on the cheek. Before submerging herself in water, probably to hide that she’s embarrassed? But Fengjiu darling, that’s even worse. I am going to sound like a granny but... It’s a BATH so of course he would wear NO clothes in there. Donghua is so happy, he touches his cheek before going underwater too. I guess this was supposed to be cute? But maybe I am too perverted? I don’t know, I was uncomfortable throughout that whole scene and I hope this was classified PG13. Anyways, they end up sleeping on the same bed and here I am pretty sure they did naughty things.

Oh yep they did. Oh wow. Well. She had wanted him for thousand years. Anways, she prepares some purple sweet potato pastry as it is the tradition when a couple erm... consumes the wedding for the first time. Do you say that in English? I don’t know. If there’s a better way, let me know in the comments, always looking to improve my English. They eat sneakily so nobody would know and basically eat the same piece at the same time, Lady and the Tramp style much. That level of cheesiness though. I don’t think it matches with Donghua’s personality at all, but what stupid things one wouldn’t do out of love.

Su Moye sends a letter to Donghua so he would come back to help and finish the magic tool, since it’s in the last stages of fabrication. However, doesn’t seem like Donghua is willing to leave Fengjiu’s side anytime soon.

[grimweaver]

                                                          ~*~ 

          I jumped and whirled around, gripping the cloth over my chest— if my heart had leapt any higher into my throat, I would’ve been choking on it. Out from the shadows of a column, in the dimly lit hallway, stepped M’raaj-Dar, with his ears folded back and his teeth bared— the only way he had ever greeted me since the very first day I entered the Cheydinhal Sanctuary. I took a deep breath and whistled it out, pushing the anger back down before my face betrayed it.

           “M-M’raaj! You scared me half to death!” I gasped in a quivering whisper, forcing a smile on my face. “Sorry for worrying you, but I—”

           “I wasn’t worried. I don’t geeve a sliver of a damn about you. I’m furious because Farwil was een such a panic over losing you een town dat he conseedered have us all sent out to comb da city for you. T’ankfully, he passed out before making up hees mind and officially giving da order.”

           “Yes, Farwil can be rather infuriating at times. Sorry that he gave you so much trouble.”

           “Hee’s not da one dat I’m infuriated wit’. Eet ees you!”

           “Why? Didn’t Ocheeva tell you the reason I had to run off?”

           “She told me what you told her… but eet’s not de truth .”

           Anger returned again and boiled in my stomach, and repressing it caused my whole body to shake. As if the test of will was not challenged enough by the way he spoke to me in such a condescending and hostile way, it must bear the pressure of his audacity to make accusations without proof to back them up! But I kept my outward calm and, going against my compass of comfort, stepped closer to ask him: “You think I lied to her?”

           “I know dat you deed! Do you know what da penalty is for lying to your superiors, especially when de Family is inconvenienced or put in serious peril because of eet?? First teeng in da morning, when Ocheeva ees awake, I weell report you to her.”

           I swallowed the hard lump of enraged screams and profanities, took another deep breath, and calmly replied, “The penalty for a false accusation is even greater, M’raaj, so I suggest you present to Ocheeva solid evidence of this transgression. Exactly what makes you so sure that I’ve lied to her?”

           “What you just presented; Dose clothes dat yer wearing, and de scents dat you carry een wit you— eet tells me dat whatever business you had was not official.” He leaned in close as he sniffed the air again. I’d never been so close to punching someone in the face without actually doing it—the only thing holding me back was the ever present fear of repercussion, thinking back on Lucien confronting me about my careless choice of words for the Listener’s wisdom, which should apply to any inclination towards a costly action as well:  “Please... you've come so far... don't throw it all away…” I clenched my firsts and stood still as a statue, fighting with all the strength I had to not even echo his look of revulsion. I had to be a good Sister, no matter what.

           M’raaj’s lion-like eyes widened. “Hmm… but… eet ees true dat you were weeth Lucien,” he snarled.

           “And that should tell you to bring this interrogation to an end.” Though I remained calm, the way the words came out sounded like I was returning his hostility. Even if I was successful at maintaining outward peace, I knew it wasn’t going to take much more for me to lose the battle and do something regrettable, so I brought the tense conversation to an abrupt end. “You know that this is a bad place to discuss business matters, so you must forgive me for denying you an explanation. But you won’t be left in the dark for long— it will all make sense when LaChance presents the strategy tomorrow morning. Please, be at peace and go back to sleep.”

           And with that I turned around, not even giving a curious glance over my shoulder to see his reaction, and marched into the women’s quarters with hope that sleep will come and whisk me away swiftly.

                                                          ~*~

           Unfortunately, for what seemed like half the night, I wrestled unsuccessfully with a large array of thoughts and feelings that had stirred since the meeting with our Speaker; the plan of entry and attack that was soon to be set in motion, unloading the burden of a long-kept secret upon LaChance, the ever increasing and transparently mutual desire between the Speaker and I, the agony over being forbidden to gratify it, and the dread for all the potential damage M’raaj-Dar might cause with his undoubted suspicion of fraternization.

         But surely he would not report his suspicion to the Listener , I thought. Because it would mean throwing LaChance under the wagon too . He has profound respect and admiration for him. For that reason, he wouldn’t. But doubt argued, Still, he could twist details in the story to spare LaChance any suffering and have it all concentrated on me.

           What M’raaj decided to do with what he learned was a wheel set motion that I didn’t have the power to stop. Desperately clinging to hope, I began the first sincere prayer to the powers of the Void, pouring upon them all the frustration of his unjust hatred of me and worries of all it threatens to steal from a life that was just starting to feel worth living. No sooner than a few seconds into that prayer, a pleasantly cool gust of wind swept over me— its sound having the faintest feminine whisper of something sweet and assuring, and the feel of a hand made of a silky vapor brushing over my forehead. This experience should’ve frightened me, but it didn’t. I felt nothing but peace, and I was at last united with restful sleep.

           However, when I woke up the next morning and remembered everything that happened, the peace was gone and the mood I was in was only slightly better than it was when M’raaj-Dar confronted and threatened me.

           I looked over at Ocheeva’s bed. It was empty. She was already up and out of the sleeping quarters— perhaps, I figured, waiting for me to do the same so that she could set me aside somewhere to talk to me privately about what M’raaj reported. I swallowed hard and worked up the courage to just get it all over with. Staying in bed and avoiding her was not going to help the matter or my anxious conscience.

           As soon as I made myself decent, I walked uneasily out of the sleeping quarters and into the dining quarters, where all of us were expected to gather at 9:00 am. There was someone there waiting for me alright, but it wasn’t Ocheeva. It was Vicente, sitting by himself and enjoying one of his rare opportunities to bask in the rays of the fresh, gold-hued sunshine. But he had no will to endanger himself unnecessarily by stepping out into the street, knowing that every minute of his exposure to daylight gives his death the opportunity to take him when a tragic event strips him of the protection of his enchanted robe.

((CONTINUED))

[mrneighbourlove]

Cruel Red Sea: Ch 7. Shock Recovery

The night passed, and turned into day. Bakura couldn't believe that Adda had actually left. He suppose she wanted to take care of her crew though. The last he saw was a huge gust of wind lift the ship out of the water, and fly just barely above the waves. She must have put in overtime conducting the Wind Waker.

Seer's family managed to fetch him from the sea. The blind man was gravely wounded and required immediate care. It took some time, but Naira managed to heal him along with the help of the mages who provided medicine and first aid. His heart muscle was inflamed and damaged, but he would live. Slowly but surely, he would be able to resume some since of normalcy, but not be able to withstand major strains upon his heart.

Rat sat in a chair beside Seer, refusing to leave his friend's side. Naira had healed him and promised to let him know when Seer woke, but Rat was having none of that. He would stay, no matter how long it took. Three days, and four nights passed before Seer roused from his slumber.

"Nnn..." Seer mumbled trying to focus his thoughts.

"Seer!" Rat jumped up from his place on the floor. He had to get some rest at some point, and decided sleeping on the floor was perfectly fine. "Seer! It's me... how do you feel?"

"... m... mmy... girls..."

"They're okay, they're okay."

Scarlet felt incredibly awkward staying after Adda attacked Seer and his pod. Major injuries had occurred from her using the Wind Waker. A few people even MIA. But she did her best to be supportive. Hearing Rat scream in excitement, she timidly knocked on the door. "Is Seer ok?"

"He's a little out of sorts." Rat replied as Seer mumbled incoherent words. "I think the a-painkillers Naira gave him made him a little loopy." He then asked. "Are the twins okay?"

"Mmmmy girrrrllss..." Seer slurred his words.

"They're okay, Seer, please just try to rest."

"Yes, Lex is moody, but Revy is trying to keep both of them in good spirits."

"Eh, nothing new there." Rat shrugged his shoulders. "Seer? You want some water?" He held up a cup to the man's lips. "Come on, a-drink a little for me. There we go, down the hatch..." Once the cook had taken a few sips, his blind eyes kept drooping. Even though he had slept for a few days, his body was exhausted. "Better?"

"Mhhmmhmm..." Seer managed to mutter.

"Good, good, just rest. I'll tell the twins to come see you after while, okay?"

"Mhhmmhhm." Seer dozed off into sleep again, snoring softly.

"... sweet goddesses." Rat sighed, his whole body relaxing slightly. "I was afraid we were going to a-lose him."

Scarlet nodded, never quite meeting Rat's gaze. She knew it was wrong to still have feelings for him, but she did. And she didn't know if he still hated her. "I-I'll make sure Revy is doing alright. Than I'll let you two go see Borghild. I suppose you'll want me to find a ship out of here soon."

"Nay, I'mma stay here with Seer for a while longer." Rat shook his head. "Borghild and Revy will be good company to you." He fixed Seer's blankets and replaced the rag on his head with a fresh one. "Look, Scarlet... you a-hurt me and Revy by leaving. I... never read your letters. I didn't want a-false hope. It's so much more than cruel hope. Saying you'll be free one day," He thought about his past when he was a gladiator. How many times did his boss promise freedom only to say it would never happen? "But always end up back in a-chains. You're here now and my Reveka wants to a-know you. She's better than me at forgiveness, she's got her mother's sweet heart." He paused and then added. "And I don't mean Borie's heart... I mean yours."

Scarlet flushed, taken by complete surprise. "R-rat. I.... I don't know what to say."

"Look, Scarlet, we all make mistakes. We's all a-human." Rat admitted. "Perhaps Reveka is right and I's being too harsh. I want to a-forgive you but... it's hard. Most of all, I don't want to see my Revy upset. If keeping her happy means you staying here, then that's a-fine with me." He said very quietly. "I cannot stand to see my little wee one sad."

"I don't want her to sad either... Can.... can you try to forgive me? So I can forgive myself?"

"If you give me time, perhaps I can." Rat told Scarlet softly. "I's need time."

"I... I understand." Scarlet brushed the hair out of her eyes. "You know anyone who'd like a strong axe swinging Gerudo here?"

"Heh, Revy does, if that answers your question." Rat added a few more logs to the fire to keep the room warm for Seer. "Though as far as single men? I'm pretty sure there's a-few who would fancy a strong woman."

"Hmmm. I should talk to ya about how Liz and Lex are doing so you can tell Seer."

"Oh? News about the wee ones?"

Scarlet took Rat's hand and lead him to a separate room away from Seer. "Meeting Adda has made big effects on them Rat."

Rat stood in the doorway, still wanting to be able to keep an eye on Seer.

"I's expected no less."

"Lex is angry in a rebellious way. Liz in a cold way. Seen both this behaviour in their mother."

"Hmm... I can't honestly say I's ever had this problem with Reveka." Rat rubbed the back of his neck. "She's such a sweet little thing."

"I know. But both need a mother in their life. Lex has been making drawings of being a pirate and dressing up as one. I think she really felt cheated she couldn't even talk to Adda."

"Lex doesn't understand that Adda is dangerous, could have put her in danger with all this war and fighting and plundering." Rat really did not know what to do. "Either way, Bakie's still here. Maybe she'll be sort of content at least getting to talk to him."

Scarlet looked at him in worry. "Those girls don't need another dad. They need a mom Rat. Gerudo girls can live without fathers. It's our mothers who shape us."

"Then I's lost for an answer." Rat gestured to Seer. "Direnors select mates based on their ability to survive. Seer... doesn't have much going for him. His family helps take care of him, but as far as a mate, he's had not one woman approach him. Even if one did show interest, Seer has always put his girls first."

"Then he better be more strict with them until they hit eighteen. After that... who knows. I think Liz will shut herself off and never let anyone close. Or worse, hurt those she lets close. And Lex... well knowing us Gerudo, you better get her man who can take care of all her needs here, or she might go after her mother."

"What do you suggest Seer do, Scarlet? He's done the best he can." Rat looked at his sleeping, injured friend. "It hasn't been easy for him, either. I... don't know how to help him."

"You never tried to cure his blindness?"

"No, his retinas were damaged severely when he was a slave." Rat shuddered visibly. "By a hot poker. That's why there's so much scar tissue around his eyes. If someone were to attempt to heal them, Seer would have a sensory overload, or worse a mental breakdown. His brain wouldn't be able to process the information. Dat's what they told me."

"That sounds like hogwash. Bet if you ever tracked down a great fairy, he'd be fine..." Scarlet sighed. "I know he's your friend, but in his condition... I don't know how well he'll function Rat."

"It's what the doctor in Hyrule said." Rat did not think Doctor Boveir had any reason to lie. "Seer would like have to... learn everything all over again, almost. Like he'd be holding a cup, but his brain would have to tell his eyes that it's a cup. Evidently, the doctor had seen it before." Unfortunately, Rat had to agree with Scarlet on this. "Aye, I know, Scarlet. Yet, Seer won't give up. He wants to be here with his girls... and the aftermath," He took a slow inhale. "We'll deal with it when it comes."

"Ok..." Scarlet didn't think anything by it when she gave him a hug. "You gonna be ok?"

"Aye, I'll be fine. These wounds won't hold down the old 'Renegade' for long." Rat gently patted her back at the hug. "You check on the twins, Reveka, and Borgie for me? Tell them I'm still with Seer. Oh!" He then remembered. "And Bakie too. He's a sneaky bastard."

"I don't think that's his name. But will do."

~

When Seer got better, both his girls checked on him. They seemed distant, but both thanked him for saving them from the cold water. Lex seemed precise on that it was the cold water, and not Adda, she was saved from. Liz pulled on Seer's shirt. "Do you need a heart transplant?"

"Heh, no sweetheart, I don't need a heart transplant." Seer assured Liz with a weak smile. It was still taking him a while to get back on his feet. He tired easily and had to rest more often than he liked. It was even a chore to chop vegetables for dinner. Slowly, he was easing back into his usual routine. "It's just a deep wound with some damage. I'll be back to my usual self in no time, but I'll just have to be a little more careful. So don't make me chase you around too much." He said in good humor. "Woe is me when you start chasing boys. I'll have to buy a horse to keep up with you and your sister."

Liz quivered her lip. "Is there nothing we can do? You're in worse shape than ever Dad."

Lex stopped drawing at the table to look at Seer. Her Daddy had been terribly injured. Why the hell did he have to play hero?

"Sweetie, sweetie, please don't cry." Seer could smell the salt on her face, and rubbed his thumb across her cheek. "Your Daddy indeed is in bad shape, but that doesn't mean he can't get better. Until death comes for him, he promises he's going to be here to take care of you both. Nothing is going to change that." He sat down on at the table and motioned for Liz to join him. "But first... we all need to talk."

"I don't want you to always take care of us. Why can't you take care of yourself as well?" Liz dried her tears best she could before she had a meltdown. Lex put down her drawing to pay attention to her dad.

"Elizabeth, that's the duty of a parent." Seer patted her head gently, kissing it. "To always care for their kid, until the kid can take care of his or herself. You and your sister still need me. So until you're grown and gone with a family of your own, I'll be here in any way I can." He set aside the cane he had been using to keep his balance. "Now... there's some things I'm going to say, and I'm going to say my piece and then you can. Understood?"

"Yes Daddy."

"Yes Dad."

"I know we all view things differently, and that's okay. You're allowed to have an opinion. However, you both are not allowed to do whatever you want, including putting yourselves in risky situations." Seer took a steady breath. "I know you are both mad at me, and that's all right. Lex, I know you feel that I took away a chance to meet your mother. Liz, I know you feel that I've been keeping secrets." He paused again to catch his breath. "Though I did what I did for good reasons. I wanted to protect you both. I was afraid of letting you get hurt." He sighed, clasping his hands together. "I was wrong to keep secrets from you. I honestly did not know you were mine until a few years ago, so for that, I am sorry. Though I swear I will keep treating you well and loving you just as I have in the past." Then he switched topics. "On the matter of Bakura, I did not know he was your father. He's proven to be somewhat... trustworthy. If you would like to know him better, I'm not against that. However, Adda, I did keep you from her for good reason. The woman is dangerous, manipulative, and she's at war. I was not going to let her take the both of you into the middle of a battle on the sea. I won't... I can't lose you two." He then held up his hands before the twins said anything. "If you wish to seek her out when you are older and of age, I won't stop you. Until then, then both of you are living with me. It is my job to protect you, provide for you, keep you safe, and love you. I will hear no argument against this." He stood his ground firmly. "You will listen to me until you can take care of yourself as an adult who is of age. What rules I make, what boundaries I set, is for your own benefit. Is that clear?"

Liz thought over his words carefully. She slowly nodded over every point. "Clear."

Lex didn't say anything.

"If there is something that is bothering you or you wish to discuss or think a rule might need to be loosened, then we will all talk about it together. I will hear your reasons, you will hear mine. I will not implement a rule without a good reason." Seer promised his girls. "As you get older, and show to be trustworthy, capable, and levelheaded, then we will talk about change." He turned his head in the direction of Lex. "Alexandria?"

Lex huffed and puffed, feeling the anger rising, until she finally let it out. "You're broken egg shells of your former self, 'Daddy'. You get winded stirring a pot of soup now. You can barely read a brail story, and you've thrown all family activities out the window. Why? Because despite how dangerous you claimed she was, you wouldn't even allow my mom the time to sit down and talk when she knocked on the door civilly and handed you flowers. Instead what did you do? You chased her out. You cornered her. And because you had to play hero, she scratched you back. You have no attraction to any woman, less than you did. You never gave us a mother. And I talked with Scarlet. There is no war. There hasn't been one since after our first birthdays. So you tell me exactly what you think a winded, blind man can do to make our lives better. The answer is you can't. We have to make ourselves better for the next five years."

Those words stung. Lex was bitter, hateful even, toward him. Seer worked hard the entire time he had the times to make them happy, to provide for them, and give them the love he never had as a child. All he wanted was to see them smile and grow into beautiful young women that would one day have families of their own. Though, it seemed in a few short days, he had lost them both.

"Even if there isn't a war, there are still people who come after her, who would use you and your sister to get to her. I refuse to let you two be collateral damage in a fight that doesn't even concern you." Seer chose his words carefully. "She was going to take you both away from me, Scarlet told me that as well, and I know I told you both the very same words. I played 'hero' to allow Adda to know I would not go down without a fight; that I would fight, and could fight, for you both, give my life if I had to, anything to keep you two safe and away from danger. And you dare to chose her instead of the man who loved you and provided for you all these years when she dumped you, abandoned you, and tricked your own birth father into thinking you were dead. Yes, Alexandria, that is the kind of so-called mother you have. Why do you think I wouldn't let her take you? You would end up dead, or worse, just like her."

The blind man then said through gritted teeth. "If the next five years is you hating me for doing what I had to do to keep you safe, then so be it. I will not have you growing up to be a lying bitch like Adda, someone who tricks others, who hurts others, who preys upon others' weaknesses for personal gain. Mother or no mother, I have my own reasons for not seeking out a female due to past occurrences. You have mother role models in the village as well as from my family. You are not without love there." He coughed once or twice before finishing. "Get used to it, Lex. I'm not dead yet. You can either take the options I presented or spend the next five years more so bitter than a Frost One. What's it going to be?"

Lex scowled. "You're no longer half the father I wanted. And I'll be listening to mom over you for a long time. But I suppose you don't care. After all, I can't be like Liz all the time, now can I!!! You’re the worst!" She pushed her chair out and went to her room, slamming the door in teen angst.

Liz got really quiet for a while.

Seer felt like the war was won, but the battle was lost. Mistakes were made, and things were said that could not be changed. All he could do now was wait and hope that within time, things would be better, perhaps even return to normal. Rubbing his chest, he could feel the tingles underneath his rib cage. The first to-do on his list was to recover. As soon as he was better, he could go back to doing his usual routine. Perhaps Bjarke would show him how to hunt better in the water and he could feel like he contributed more.

"Liz?" Seer asked his daughter very quietly. "Do you hate me as much as your sister does?"

"I wish I was never born... that way you wouldn't be hurt."

"Silly girl." Seer pulled Liz into a hug. "If you were never born, I'd never know the happiness of having such a beautiful, kindhearted daughter. You're my treasure."

"Lex is right... you hurt yourself. But it was because we were born. Now we  never play catch. Or go for runs in the snow anymore. I don't even know if you'll be alive for my wedding now." She looked up at him, sad and angry. "Why did you have to fight! Why did you have to prove a goddamn point Dad?"

"Elizabeth, listen to me," Seer held her cheek firmly, making her look at him, but not hard enough to hurt. "I'm not going to always be like this. I'll get better, I will. I've survived a lot of things I hope I never have to tell you about. Though I promise you, that I'll be there to play catch, go for a little run in the snow, and walk you down the aisle at your wedding." He then answered simply. "Adda told me I was a blind cook who couldn't even fight for my girls... and I proved her wrong. If she ever tries to take you again, she'll have a whole pod after her ships."

"...You should have just killed her... but now she is out there. And Lex WILL go to her..."

"I wanted to, love, I thought about biting her in half when I had her in my jaws but..." Seer sighed. "I knew if I did that, your sister would never forgive me... and I'd be no better than Adda."

"...I talked to Bakura. He want's you to send a request to the High King to make her a public enemy. At least capture alive. Some people on the docks got..." Liz paused, not wanting to finish. "They couldn't deal with the weather."

"I'll have to thank him for that, but I'll do so tomorrow." Seer wobbly got up from his chair and then righted his balance. "... you want to sleep beside of me tonight, sweetheart? I don't want you afraid or worrying about me."

“No… no I’m ok. And it wouldn’t be fair to Lex. I don’t think she hates you Dad. She’s just hurt… and dealing with this differently than we are.”

"Then I'll do my best to do better than my best." Seer placed his arm around Liz's shoulder as the two of them walked down the hallway to his bedroom. "Heh, your sister knows where to find me if she has a nightmare. Are you sure? If you get scared, you can always change your mind."

"I know Dad. I know."

Lex cried in her room, reading from the bottle she found. Walking by the shore yesterday she had a knack for spotting gleams of glass or jewelry. Inside, it was a gift from her mother. The letters from her mother kept her going.

"Hey kiddo. I'm sorry we couldn't get the chance to talk, or have anytime together. I wish I could have been a better parent for you. These next few years are going to be rough if I can’t get you sooner, but think of me. Don't hate on your dad's. They did what they thought they had to do. Probably an enemy of Uskar now, what with that attack. And it’ll be hard to replace the ships I lost. But hey, it wasn’t all bad. Got to do some cool things while I was here. Stole from this blonde Lorleidian woman without her noticing, built a snowman, and I got to see you and Liz. Your sister most likely hates me. I can understand that. But I want you to know, in my own broken way of showing it, I love you both. Tell Scarlet I hope the best for her, and she knows where to find me if she changes her mind. I hope she does. Don't worry, she'd never snitch my location. Speaking of which, made a map when you want to find me. So here's some tips to be a good lady though. 1# Find the cutest and richest boy nearby. Make him long for you. Sugar daddies will get you far. 2# You are a Gerudo. That is a damn fine trait. Work it. 3# Never let anyone walk over you. Some chick thinks she's better? You put her in her place. Have some other notes for you, but its minimal stuff. Remember Lex. I love you. You and your sister are gonna be Queens someday. ~ Your rocking mom, Captain Adda."

[backtodc]

As fun as it is to throw salt at Gosho I think this could be a good time to talk about some good DC cases. So, which are your top ten cases so far?

Hmmm, this took some thought–presented chronologically because I couldn’t pick preferential order XP

Billion Yen Robbery (013-016): Even disregarding its long-term impact on the plot, this case on its own had a good twist in how Akemi disguised herself and the lies she told to track down her robbery partners. I’m always a fan of people, rather than going for big heavy-duty disguises, just using little details of makeup and presentation to completely change their appearance. Ran’s big heart was evident in this case and how strongly she felt about “Masami”‘s safety after just meeting her twice, and this one also what is still one of my favourite ninja-Ran moments to date. Potential kidnapper/murderer across the street? Maybe we should call the police, or run down the stairs OR I GUESS WE COULD JUMP OUT OF A FIRST FLOOR WINDOW AND CHASE HIM ACROSS THE STREET AND DO A FLYING KICK TO DESTROY HIS CAR WINDOW AND ALSO HIS NOSE

Akemi’s death opens up a shitton of plot, and, despite how it gets slightly overused later on (not quite to “did you know Bruce Wayne’s parents got murdered” levels but definitely a biiiiit overused) it’s still one of the most genuinely tragic deaths, especially since Shinichi admitted his real name to her to try and offer her some comfort as she died. TEARS Q_Q

A Haunted Mansion Murder Case (017-019): The case that introduced the Ayumi, Mitsuhiko and Genta. I always think of this one quite fondly. It had a genuinely creepy atmosphere–the “haunted” mansion looks the right side of cliche-creepy, especially once it turns out there’s actually someone around, and honestly I can forgive the incidents of the kids wandering off alone and vanishing because they’re six, of course they’re gonna do silly shit like wander off alone in a haunted mansion. And the truth of the matter is something that’s vanishingly rare in Detective Conan, something I wish we saw more often: a crime of passion. 

There’s no clever trick to the murder: the son, Akio, just loses the rag under a torrent of verbal abuse and smashes his father’s head in with a candlestick. There’s no clever trick to the cover-up, either; his mother messed with the crime scene a bit and reported it as a robbery, and given that the family’s obviously very wealthy, money probably changed hands if any investigating officer did think to suspect anything other than a robbery. All she’s thinking about is protecting her son from the consequences of his crime; all he can think about is his guilt and horror over the murder he committed. The case goes from genuinely creepy to honestly tragic. It’s a proper emotional story, and at no point do any six-year-olds have to witness a human corpse, which I’m always in favour of. And I like Genta, Mitsuhiko and Ayumi and I’m glad they were introduced shut the fuck up

The Hatamoto Family Case (020-025): This was another case with good creepy atmosphere, a solid closed circle situation, classic big fucked-up family situation but at the heart of it, Natsue and Takeshi are a genuinely sweet couple who really don’t deserve all this bullshit and you spend the case really hoping for them to be safe and things to turn out okay for them, the traumatic deaths of several close relatives aside. The murderer is pretty sad, though I feel like Gosho intended him to be more sympathetic than he actually was–he certainly could’ve done with less abuse from his grandfather and been allowed to emotionally invest in his art more, but the cousins thing aside, murdering multiple people over a girl you’ve never even approached marrying somebody else with whom she’s had an actual relationship and is in love with is… not sympathetic. But I’m also glad that the nice chef uncle came out alright too, and that all three of the sympathetic family members reappeared in later cases since they were all very likeable characters. 

Moonlight Sonata (062-067): This one sticks in a lot of people’s minds, and I think it’s for the same reason that the haunted mansion case sticks in mine; atmosphere. This is another one with a good, genuinely creepy atmosphere from the immediate sense of “small town with a dark secret” we get as soon as the Mouri Detective Agency arrives on the island. Gosho was very good at building these atmospheres once upon a time, I would’ve liked to see him write a horror manga. The case is deeply tragic from start to finish, from the murders of the Asoh family, to the fact that Seiji/Narumi got the idea for the “curse” from playing a funeral song for a man who’d just had a heart attack after admitting to murdering their family, to the complex nature of Dr Asai’s grief and guilt that they felt the need to avenge their family but simultaneously called for a detective in the hopes that they’d be stopped, to their suicide at the end because they can’t live with what they felt obligated to do. There are Gosho’s usual… issues… with gender, and given the bigotry that became obvious later he probably had no clue at all what he was doing with Dr Asai’s gender, but I feel like they weren’t handled unkindly for an AMAB character living as a woman? I could be wrong and I wanna open this one up to the trans folk in the audience because I’ve never found a trans fan’s commentary on Dr Asai and how they think they were handled, but goddamn I still cry thinking of their suicide at the end and I appreciate that this was a one-off case that had a visible long-term emotional impact on Conan.

Magic Lovers’ Murder Case (192-196): As well as being an interesting murder involving some quite sympathetic characters, this is a really good case for seeing what Kaitou Kid’s like under the mask (or was like; I feel like he’s lost depth since this?) as expressed through Katsuki Doito. He came along to investigate suspicious user activity, but he joined the magic-lovers’ forum because he is a nerd for stage magic and stage magicians and enjoys nerding out about stage magic and stage magicians. He gets to unapologetically fanboy over his late father with other magicians, with is pretty goddamn cute imo. He also gets to show off knowledge and fondness for other magicians, and his knowledge of magic tricks is useful in solving the case, even though, by his own admission, he’s no detective, and it led to tragedy. We don’t really see how Kid felt about being unable to prevent that murder, since he was still being played as pretty mysterious at the time, but it was a good choice for his second appearance in DC imo since it cemented him as Not A Bad Dude. Also, Conan gets to be one of Those Shonen Protagonists by running across a burning bridge, which, y’know, is always cheesy, but also always kinda cool (the artwork was particularly effective imo)

Twilight Mansion (299-302): I genuinely enjoyed the gathering of the knock-off famous detectives and was pleasantly surprised by Hakuba’s appearance (back when I still held out hope that that kind of thing meant that Kid would get more involved in the plot). The mansion itself is actually quite gorgeously designed and rendered, especially at the end when the exterior crumbles, and again, DAT CREEPY ATMOSPHERE. I guess it’s officially plot-important now, too, which I just wanna say, I officially called nine years ago, but also I was hardly the only one calling BO involvement with Karasuma. 

Most of all, in general, I just really like watching and reading things involving skilled people being very competent at what they do, so the fact that ALL of the gathered detectives (save that one dead one) figured out what was up and were able to communicate and come up with a plan without revealing themselves to the brilliant detective BEHIND the whole thing, and the execution of that plan, were all very, very good and I liked it. I might reread this one right now, actually, while I’m thinking about it, I really do enjoy it top to bottom.

Golden Apple Case (350-354): PEAK interesting backstory on the part of Vermouth and Yukiko, a reasonably interesting murder, Yukiko’s RAD driving scene, and one of my favourite Ran moments ever. The confrontation with the serial killer/Vermouth is tense as hell, and the fact that Ran reacts instinctively to save his life and just can’t bring herself to drop him and let him die, to be responsible for a death, no matter whose, is a very powerful statement on the integrity of her character. She’s just to her core, and Shinichi does steal the moment a bit by helping her pull the serial killer up and getting the really good “you might need a reason to kill, but you don’t need a reason to save a life” line, but this still feels entirely like a Ran moment for me. We find out later that this incident had a profound effect on Vermouth, too, and is possibly the entire reason she’s hiding Shinichi’s secret from the BO and explicitly the reason she doesn’t want Ran to come to harm. Shame we haven’t had much Vermouth character development in a while because this stuff was JUICY.

Two Cases Under One Moon (429-434): An ICONICALLY good Bo-fightin’ case where everybody involved is putting in Maximum Effort. Heiji puts on an extremely good show as a fake Shinichi (the boy’s an extreme drama queen and Heiji does that very well), Yukiko’s disguise skills are valuable and well-used, we finally get the revelation that Vermouth has been Dr Araide for a while AND that she’s maybe immortal (…not… that we’ve gotten ANYTHING on that since..) AND we get the VERY interesting nature of her feelings concerning Shinichi and Ran. Also, we get Ran so concerned about Ai’s wellbeing that she hides in a car boot and then jumps into gunfire in order to protect her, GOD that’s SUCH a good Ran moment. Shinichi, Jodie and Akai all also get to be very brave and very smart and very badass, and ugh really I just wanna go back to everything about Vermouth in this case and explore more of that forever. Please. Also more Jodie, whose backstory we finally got in this case after revealing that she’s not Vermouth. What is it with interesting women disappearing as soon as their backstory is out MOVING ALONG 

Clash of Red and Black (595-609): This case is a cracking case. This one was long and complicated and many-layered and everybody involved was on their highest gears and it was great. Akai and Conan work as a fantastic team and Conan gets free reign to do some very good detective work for the FBI (I still believe he told Akai who he was during this case, it would make sense and undercuts how concerned I am with all of these grown adults letting a six-year-old run all around an active incident). We get a good look at the incredible power and cruelty of the Black Organization when they cause immense collateral damage just to flush the FBI out. We get the story on both Akemi and Akai’s relationship AND the Hondo family, and OH BOY THE HONDO FAMILY.

It’s also one of the most interesting Eisuke cases, imo, where not only does he do some solid investigation to find Mizunashi Rena, we get a glimpse of some real deep trauma over losing his last family member that’s driven him to be willing to attack Rena with scissors out of desperation to get answers about what happened to his father and sister. I mean, I am most definitely not advocating stabbing coma patients, but for Eisuke a lot of the trauma of your whole beloved family dying or disappearing was just implied and not explored, and then he got booted from the series immediately after things got interesting with him, so bleh. We also barely see Hidemi after this, and ?????????? because she’s a CIA agent who’s in DEEP to the BO after surviving a HORRIFYING situation where she has to proudly boast of murdering a man who was secretly her FATHER, who SACRIFICED HIS LIFE TO PROTECT HER… why are we dicking around so much with Mystery Family instead of exploring this one??? This case is kind of the last hurrah for anything interesting happening with the Hondos so I love it for that.

And I love the complicated counter-bluff involved in delivering Kir back to the Black Organization without looking like they were delivering her. Again, this was apparently in exchange for her assisting the FBI and she barely appears after this…? Nope this isn’t about salting at Gosho moving on

The Life-Threatening Broadcast of Love (804-808): I love this one solely and 300% for the part where Miwako Sato jumps out of a helicopter, shoots a noose off of her boyfriend’s neck, grabs him, wraps her coat around him to protect them and knocks both of them out of the range of a bomb blast at the last second, like the goddamn action hero that she is.

So in no particular order, those are my top ten: how about the rest of you?

[cxxxoticarchive]

“Why the door is open?” Luka did a questionable arch of his brows as he and Ian stepped out of the elevator and approached the door that led to Exotic’s den. The door was open, which caused a concerned and deep frown upon Ian’s features. “I hope this idiot is just taking out the trash.” Ian mumbled as he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

 It was the first time he witnessed all these darkness at Exotic’s place. Heavy black roll down curtains were covering from floor to ceiling huge windows, and the whole crib smelled like cognac. Ian clenched his jaw as he listened to complete silence that remained in the penthouse. “Open all these windows, lil bruv.” Ian told Luka in a hope to keep the male in the living room. Carefully stepping, Ian went upstairs. He had chills biting on his skin, for some reason he had a very bad feeling and he didn’t want Luka to follow him just in case if the worst scenario would happen. As Ian finally made it to the second floor of Xotic’s penthouse, he walked towards the bedroom. He felt his legs getting heavier as his heart began to beat loud against his chest. “Xotti?” Ian called and gently pushed the door that led to Exotic’s bedroom. Ian stopped breathing and stepped inside, he felt his limbs getting cold. “Xottiac? Where you at, baby?” Ian called once again as he turned on the light. The bedroom was empty. Ian noticed that the door that led to the bathroom was open. “Bestie?..” Ian did another try, he really wanted to hear for a respond but he didn’t get any. Connor swallowed and went to the bathroom. That’s where he found him, on the marble floor, passed out in front of the toilet. Empty bottle of Hennessy, orange small pill bottle, empty as well. “What the fuck man!” Ian woke up from the shock that took over him and rushed towards the half naked body of his friend. “Xotic, you fucking idiot! Wake up, baby, yo, wake the fuck up!” Ian landed on the floor and laid Exotic’s head on his lap. Seeing foaming at Exotic’s sculptured mouth almost caused Ian to freak out but he kept himself together and began slapping Exotic’s cheeks repeatedly. “Wake up, wake up, wake the fuck up, yo, you hear me?” Ian now yelled at his unconscious friend growing mad, pissed and scared so his slaps became a little harder. “Yo, Luk!” Ian called for Luka and got up from the floor before grabbing Exotic upper body in a try to pick him up, but Ian was much shorter than Exotic so it turned into a little struggle. Soon, Luka appeared and a curse left past his lips. “Yo, help me to get him in a tub.” Ian instructed Luka and the other hurried to do what he was told. “I swear Imma fuck his ass up once he-...” Ian kept cursing out but Luka cut his words. “Ian, is he alive-..” Ian yelled back at Luka. “Of course he’s alive, he has no other fucking choice!” He went off on Luka yet he was afraid to think that things might turn the other way. “C’mon, help me.” Ian got in a tub and pulled Exotic onto himself as Luka assisted him by picking up Exotic’s legs and placing them in the tub. “Turn on the cold shower.” Ian was sitting in the tub holding Exotic close to himself. Luka turned on the shower and ice cold water hit Ian and Exotic. Ian began to shiver, wet clothes glued to his skin yet he could barely feel anything as Exotic took the last nerve of his. “Wake the fuck up, boi. Come on.” Ian grabbed on Exotic’s jaw and lightly shook it. “I’m calling 911.” Luka said pulling out his phone but Ian cut him off. “No, don’t. I wish we could but we can’t. He just got out, cops will be here. Kid on a damn probation.” Ian explained as little rivers of the cold water ran down his face, while the tub was getting filled with the Arctic water covering half of Exotic and Ian bodies. “Go find some clothes for us, bruv.” Ian told Luka, he knew it wasn’t the best scene to witness so he had to think of a good reason to send Luka away. The male left the bathroom while Ian kept shaking and slapping Exotic. “Come on, Exotic, don’t do this shit to me.” Ian didn’t want to believe that it was too late. He knows Exotic since their teen years, together they went through a lot, good and bad, fought each other and haven’t talked for months, but when everything was good they were best of friends, and even when Ian had much worse reputation than Exotic he still managed to be protective over his best friend and send all the love and support his way. And now, sitting here in the cold tub with almost lifeless body of his friend drove Ian crazy and scared as shit. Finally, Exotic coughed and his lashes trembled as his face scrunched up. Ian’s eyes widened as he gasped and grabbed Exotic by his shoulders and shook him harder. “That’s right, boy, wake the fuck up!” And finally, Exotic opened his murky dark cat eyes as they weakly looked at Ian. “Ian?” Exotic breathed out his friends name, it’s obvious he didn’t understand what was going on. “Imma fucking kill you, you fucking idiot, I fucking hate your bitch ass, slime!” Ian slapped Exotic’s face just to wake him the fuck up and bring back to life then brought his wet body close to his and locked him in a tight hug. “You scared the shit out of us. Fuck is wrong with you? Why you never told me you going through shit, Xotic? Why ya had to isolate and fuck yourself up?” Ian held Xotic close and rubbed on his body. “I almost lost my little brother, you bitch, I’ll never forgive you dat shit.” Ian hissed darkly, yet he felt Exotic’s hands clench onto him, probably he tried to hug him as well. “I’m sorry.” Exotic pushed out a whisper, that was the only thing he could do. “When ya ass will sober up Imma beat all the shit out of you, Imma smack that bitch ass birthmark off your face, you hear me?” Ian made a promise as he cupped Exotic’s face once again and looked deep into his dark eyes to make sure he was getting back to life. A faint smirk touched Exotic’s lips. “I like it rough.” Ian popped his tongue at Exotic’s remark and smashed his chest. “Fucking fool, eat ass with your bullshit.” But Ian chuckled, even when Exotic was about to fucking overdose and die he still managed to bring in his cocky ass jokes. “Let’s get out of this damn tub, my balls a whole ice ‘cause of you.”

[toonstarterz]

BECAUSE I’M NOT POPULAR, I’LL READ WATAMOTE: CHAPTER #137

Once upon a time, there was a girl. An unpopular girl. That nobody knew, nobody cared. She strived to be popular. To have dozens of friends and live the life of a socially fulfilled high school girl. After much time and effort, she had finally succeeded in her goal. She got friends. She got popular. She became normal.

But it wasn’t everything she hoped it would be.

And so Golden Week came around. She made plans with her new friends. And the popular girl can’t help but wonder...

“Is this really what I want?”

Chapter 137: Because I’m Not Popular, I’ll Prepare for Golden Week 

Okada: “Is my forehead that big?”

Katou: I wonder if Kuroki-san is doing anything after this...?

Tomoko: “Man, I’m tired.” 

Komiyama: [ Exactly what it says. ]

Y'all know the drill by now. Tomoko expects the least, ends up getting the most.

Katou is honestly a very difficult character to get right in this kind of manga. For a series as excruciatingly real as this, a beautiful, popular girl like Katou could easily come off as “unrealistic” or an “otaku’s fantasy” with the way she reaches out to Tomoko. But Nico Tanigawa manages to keep Katou within the realm of believability, and I think it’s because she treats everyone with motherly kindness. It’s her natural instinct, so it doesn’t seem forced in the slightest.

Yeah, buzz off, Kiyota! You’ve already exceeded this manga’s male quota for the next ten chapters.

It sure is swell that Tomoko’s friendship with Yuri has grown enough that even people outside of the loop can see how joined-at-the-hip they’ve become.

I’m getting flashbacks of the KBBQ dinner right now. Someone invites Tomoko, she invites Yuri, Yuri gives a double negative response, etc. What gal pals.

Again, more KBBQ flashbacks, only with a twist. At the party, Yuri took the affected role, stating that her decision to go would be based on whether Tomoko would. But now, the roles have switched with Yuri suggesting that Tomoko wouldn’t go if she wasn’t there with her. I don’t like where this is going...

Mako is totally the type to keep track of how she divides the time between her friends, always balancing a bail with a hangout. Such are the difficulties of being the “nucleus” friend.

For better or worse, Yuri‘s been taking Mako’s “rejections” in stride lately. Better, because that means she’s no longer unhealthily dependent on her best friend. Worse, because that could means she projected her attachment issues onto Tomoko and Yoshida. Have her insecurities been dissolved, or have they just been spread wider across their little quartet?

Mako and Yoshida talking when the others aren’t around is total friendship-baiting and I’m behind it 100%.

The ultimate tug-of-war between a mom who knows their daughter’s faults and a daughter who’s too stubborn to heed her mother’s concerns. 

Sorry, Yuri dear, but at that, I’mma callin’ shenanigans. 

It should be fairly obvious by now that Yuri is becoming dangerously co-dependent on her relationship with Tomoko. It’s not so much that Tomoko needs Yuri with her, but that Yuri needs to feel that she’s invaluable to Tomoko so that she herself can be validated. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy that can only get worse since Tomoko and Yuri are going in opposite directions, with the former becoming more self-assured, and the latter becoming more reliant. 

Katou rolling her sleeves up inexplicably raises her “mom” appeal three-fold.

For those who don’t know, this the same joke that happened when Tomoko peeked at Ucchi during the sports festival. Only eating rice is suggestive of just having done something exhausting, usually perverted in nature. Oh, that Nemo.

Still, it’s telling that Nemo actually made that joke and got shot down by Tomoko right in front of the others. Their bantering is usually kept just between them, but doing it within earshot could lead to some pretty tense situations if the others jump in.

That’s quite the unique face Yuri’s making. Not exactly anger or resentment, but there’s something negative about her expression. My best guess is exasperation, but low-key, as only Yuri could. And I hate to say it, but it’s pretty hypocritical of Yuri to get all bent out of shape about Katou’s smothering, when she herself came just to “support” Tomoko.

This might seem innocuous at first, it really speaks to Yuri’s non-indulgent behavior when receiving attention from others, as is very common of introverts. Just like how Tomoko chose something moderate when Okada treated her.

The whole exchange here is incredibly awkward, but it comes off more sincerely than it is cringeworthy. The kind of awkward that makes you facepalm is the result of knowing that the whole thing could’ve been avoided, or at least done better. Okada’s apology and Yuri’s dismissive forgiveness really couldn’t be handled differently, so while there’s this unspoken barrier between them, we can get behind it because you can tell Okada and Yuri are doing their best to clear the air.

Food porn.

Is it embarrassing? Yes. Is Tomoko going to do anything about it? Nah, she’s going to milk Katou’s motherliness for all she’s worth.

And let’s be real-Can you really blame her?

This whole “normie” business didn’t make a whole lotta sense to me when I first read it, but by comparing it to another label used in the West, I was able to make a connection.

Back in the day, the word “nerd” was a derogatory term, used to insult people who were into comics, video games, anime, etc. But by the turn of the last decade or so, this idea of a nerd became antiquated when people realized that the things that nerds were once ridiculed for were actually entertaining in their own right. The standard of being a nerd dropped to the point where mildly enjoying pop culture was enough to make you a nerd. And thus, when everyone became a nerd, nobody was. And the nerd became an identity that only the most hardcore of nerds could adopt.

I never realized until now just how much social stock Tomoko has put into having a boyfriend. You’d think that after her perceptions of the “normies” evolved, she’d understand that having a boyfriend or having a romantic relationship, in general, isn’t as valuable as society makes it out to be.

Now the whole “hanging out at the cafe” thing being normie...maybe.

Quickly researches the reputation of Aoyama Academy.

Oh. So like, Stanford or Princeton. Dream on, Tomoko.

Dat tiny smile on Yuri is too precious.

One thing that I’ve always wanted to see more of is Tomoko’s sense of humor at work. She doesn’t do it often, but the few times when she casually jokes around are met with positive reception, most notably with Yuri. While the readers are more used to Tomoko’s raunchy, crude humor, Tomoko can also play up the “I’m an idiot”-type humor. And it works especially with Yuri and Nemo, who can tell when she’s half-bullshitting them. 

A rare moment of genuine playfulness between Tomoko and Nemo.

Of course, because Tomoko actually is an idiot at times, it can be hard to tell when she being actually stupid, or being fake-stupid for the laughs.

Mama Katou doesn’t know this yet, so naturally, she has to protect her daughter from the mean bullies. Her dialogue here could easily come off as confrontational if it were spoken by anyone else, but as we’ve seen before, Katou is more of the “quiet rage” kind of girl.

Yeah, I saw the video of Cristiano Ronaldo defending the Japanese boy from the audience. Referential humor tends to be hit-or-miss, depending on whether the joke is sustainable without it. In this case, it’s the kind that can be lost in a few years time. So despite being a piece of common entertainment knowledge in Japan, once in while for the series is just enough to keep it fresh. 

I must admit, I used to think that Katou was a replacement character for Imae after she left. But now that we’ve had time to get to know her, I see that that’s not really the case at all.

Sure, Katou is caring and sweet like Imae, but what sets Katou apart from her besides her “mommy-ness” is her naivety. Katou has all the tenderness and effort of a guardian, but she lacks the sensibility...somewhat. But that bit of cluelessness is essential to rounding out her character, enough so that even this stylish riajuu can play the outcast in times like this.

Damn, girl. It’s one thing to view Tomoko as a good person. It’s another thing to see her as some societal paragon. Now I’m kind of hoping she doesn’t get corrupted by the Tomoko virus.  

Even though this is being played for laughs, it does key into an actual strength of Tomoko’s that none of the others have. That being, her extreme candidness. Tomoko, frankly, sucks at pretending to be someone she isn’t, but is incredibly impressionable when she's her unrestrained self. Yes, there’s a time and place for that kind of thing, but sometimes, an incestual eroge is exactly what you need to get your point across.

Precious Lil’ Bean and Jealous Lil’ Bean. Take your pick. 

Yeah, yeah, Nemo getting in Tomoko’s face is nothing new. However, what is new is how Nemo dishes it out and how Tomoko takes it. Nemo usually glowers over the girl as if to assert dominance, but she’ll occasionally crouch down, like a cheetah ready to pounce. Tomoko always cowers a bit during Nemo’s provocations, shrinking down with caution. But here, Tomoko doesn’t waver. She stays upright, even looking down at Nemo for once despite being obviously flustered. Stand your ground, Tomoko. Stand. Your. Ground.

Low-key bitching followed by buddy-buddy invitation equals the politics of friendships.

Sweetie, the girl can’t even bother to use your own name. What do you think?

Normally, I’m not fond of this kind of storytelling where the author tacks on additional, never-before-seen events to a previously seen memory just to add plot tension. The only reason I let this slide is because, as is soon revealed, this memory is more for Yuri’s characterization than for story direction. Plus, it’s interesting to compare how close they are now as opposed to back then. You win this time, Nico Tanigawa.

Taking the easy route even in college, eh, Tomoko? I expect nothing less from you.

Taking the easy route even in college, eh, Yuri? I also expect nothing less from you.

Lazy Sisters Unite!

Promised, my ass.

You’re killing me, Yuri, making me call shenanigans on you twice in one chapter. But yes, twisting your friend’s words into a promise just to suit your needs, and then playing the victim card when said friend doesn’t keep their “promise” is a serious friendship offense. As much as we will all want to Yuri have beautiful, lovely friendships with these girls, it suddenly makes a whole lot of sense why Yuri didn’t have these friendships in the first place. My emotional spectrum is out of whack right now, unable to determine whether Yuri’s behavior is a regression in character or a reconstruction of one.

Bless Mako and her patience.

Oh god, Nemo’s Yandere Stare is spreading.

Hmm, the extra text on Yuri’s date is ripe for some overanalyzing. My first instinct is to say that writing more of a description is indicative of Tomoko actually caring more about spending time with Yuri than she does with Nemo and Katou. But then again, it could just very well be that Tomoko didn’t want to be redundant and write the same thing over three times. 

Whatever the reason, at least she managed to write out Yuri’s last name. I might have died if she just drew a face with pigtails. 

This has always been one Tomoko’s key developments, realizing that being a normie or popular doesn’t give you a pass in life. Everyone has their own shit to deal with no matter how (un)popular you are, and now that Tomoko has gotten a taste of that, the next step for Tomoko’s personal journey could be one of self-actualization: 

Stay where you are and possibly lose your roots, or go back to where you came from and potentially lose what you gained?

Exact-a-mundo. A lot of people have criticized this manga for turning Tomoko into a normie and betraying who she was. But in my opinion, Tomoko is not a normie. Such a self-deprecating label is more defined by one’s personality rather than their social network. Tomoko knows a lot of normies, but until she stylizes up her hair, disregards her hobbies and pulls a Nemo, she’ll always be our lovable mojyo.

On a final note, it’s easy to see Tomoko as the dense protagonist of harem manga right now, and yet, these punchlines regarding her “pursuits” seem to be much more effective if you look at Tomoko’s “harem” as just platonic and devoid of romantic subtext (whether or not it’s actually doing that is another story). Perhaps it’s because while Tomoko is oblivious to everyone’s jealousy, she actually has a great deal of agency that is not often seen in harem protags. The girls are so responsive to Tomoko’s actions, and thus, the emotional core of the Tomoko’s harem actually carries some well-earned weight. 

Can we have more manga with a strong, platonic harem, please?

[thelordstears]

Eyyy, I did more writing. I usually do, but, here’s some cool shit

“ Because when someone spills blood just ta satisfy themselves, then they ain't quite human are they? They're just a beast, I spose. But in da process 'a slayin' a beast'cha stain your blood black, don't ya? Because that's the color 'a my heart these days. And though my heart beats for Jack, it don'it change the color 'a me heart. Because I'm a monsta', that's all war ever makes someone. Violence ain't never been necessary, but I guess it's human nature ta kill each other over disagreements.” - Natasha Law

“ I've fought for dis, bled for dis, but wot if, in da end all it ever was was a conflict that don'it change a damn thing? Nothin' ever changes I spose. Especially not war." - Natasha Law

"I'm far from home, lost in the echo of a daydream, fighting and clawing my way throughout this hollow cave of my cold memories. Life's beaten me down to a crisp, but I rise despite this crushin' weight on my shoulders, it's what Whinrich's do eh? We got fight in our bones, armies ta slay and demons ta tame.” - Cayden Whinrich

“ Life's been a wild ride, I've seen bullets hailin' from every direction, fought battles with swords and my wit alone while on a motorcycle with an eagle on my back. Might be exaggerating a bit, but what I'm sayin' is despite the struggles we gotta stay who we are.” - Cayden Whinrich

"If we're all sinners, and it's only normal ta sin, tell me why it is I'm condemned for da most natural 'a acts? C'mon, if we weren't born ta sin then tell me why we're born covered in blood. I was covered in blood when I was born, and I intend my life ta end the same damn way.” - Lind Blight

“ I am the ravagin's 'a war. I'm a haunted specter 'a the night, nuthin' more than black blood runs through these veins, and heh, I like it dat damn way. I'm a damn sinner, and ya best turn tail and run the other direction when ya hear my cackle echo in the damn wind. Cuz mate, that's a death rattle, and it certainly ain't mine.” - Lind Blight

“ Life is a bloody ride, and I can certainly say it's been bloody whilst bein' truthful. I've been sinnin' wif' a grin since the echoes 'a war rang in me ears. So call me war, mate, because I'm peace's end." - Lind Blight

"If the world's all that bad, then tell me why we got good hearts. C'mon, man, ya can't just forget beauty when you're surrounded by ugliness, ya believe what ya see, and when you're lost in nightmares, you forget dreams too are a reality.” - Ian Ikelfur

"If you believe in the magic of the heart, you'll go places as long as ya follow it. So follow that chaotic little fucker wherever it goes, sure, it might get broken a few times, but that's nothin' the magic of family can't fix eh?” - Sarah Brokowski

“ Life is about making memories, loving who you are and family. Family isn't someone who'll hurt you. Family is whoever will catch you when you fall. Not those who'll push you.” - Sarah Brokowski

”I’ve been fighting the darkness all my life, so what’s one more cold night? I've been throwing punches my whole life, sometimes ya gotta fight to survive, have all my damn life, so what's one more punch huh?” - Ariel

“ Life can be a bitch sometimes, but I beg of you, don't be a bitch in return.” - Ariel

”I could make a million bucks and a dream if only I had the faith the sun gives the moon when she sinks. But spose life sought to destroy me, and in some ways, it did. But in all this destructiveness, I found beauty, I found love, family.. and me.” - Jessie Villritz

“ You don't need money to be rich. You don't need a single penny, to have a dream.” - Jessie Villritz

“ I'm not gonna chase an empty dream, I'm not gonna pick up a rose by the damn thorns, not anymore.” - Jessie Villritz

”I am not in love with life, I am in love with the idea of it. Because an idea? An idea is everything and nothing at all, it's ugly whilst being beautiful, and idea can be anything at all, while a four letter word remains stagnant. The definition of life is the existence of an induvial human being or animal. But is that really, life? Life is freeing, it's beautiful, painful and everything in-between! An idea, is un-killable.” - Giancarlo Lopez

”Life is ever shifting, ever changing, we may witness many ends in our life, but never our own. Perhaps this is why death is such a foreign concept to the living.” - Caldiph Benzington

“ Everything done to me, is fault of my own. Even the scars I wear upon my battered and sinful heart. Because when you're such a sinful creature, karma is the reason for your scars. And I imagine I've killed so many, karma has battered my heart around as a kitty cat would a yarn ball.” - Caldiph Benzington

”What are delusions to a mad man but truths yet to be made? Hay not yet spun to gold. I am Rumpelstiltskin, making a mockery of the truth by turning it into a lie. You can say, "I am alive." But with one squeeze of my trigger, and I make you into a liar!” - Elliot Creglow

“My mother wishes I hadn't become such a sinful beast, she may not have raised me this way, but the world did.” - Elliot Creglow

“ My heart beats no beautiful melody, for something so rusted and rotten can not sing so wonderfully, it can only screech and writhe until it withers and dies. And so my heart screeches, echoing in my ribcage begging to soar, and yet I poison it with more lies and deceit.” - Elliot Creglow

”If all I ever was is destroyed ta nothin' but the atoms it was born from, am I ta rise anew or crumble ta ash and dust as if I never existed in the first place? I have found life ain't consistent, it's good one moment, bad the next. Life is horrific in all it's unpredictability.” - Doug Thorncross

"I'm just a bullet with no target, these days. Soaring through the air, I fly across the world only to slam into my own damn noggin. Sure, I could take aim and ricochet through the solar system until I found someone worth ending, but here I am, bloodstained rifle in hand, with nothing but my sins and my demons to accompany my haunted mind.” - Ivory Falcone

“ I played a damn game with my morality, and the darkness stared me dead in the eye, cracked that wicked grin of his, and let the words, "Checkmate," roll off his damn tongue.” - Ivory Falcone

“ One bullet could save a life, but the same bullet could unravel one. I've saved many with the gun by my side, but the bodies crumpled at my feet are often more innocent than not. And by God, that scares me to death." - Ivory Falcone

"It's a cruel world out there, and I fear I've been caught in the riptide of my sins, drowning on everything I never thought I'd become. Life has thrown me many surprises, but the fall of myself, was the worst one.” - Danny Savinwit

“ Oh my father taught me to be strong, but how can you be strong when the world makes your knees buckle and your soul whimper? And my brother and I, we'd rough house, but I imagine all I do is fight these days, if only to survive a little bit longer.” - Danny Savinwit

“ I guess, to survive these days, you gotta die. At least, part of you. Innocence ain't part of this new world, spose all we really got left is sins and hope. And hope ain't enough to keep us alive, these days. And hope dies when sins are committed.” - Danny Savinwit

“ It's almost as if God has made us into an experiment, as a cruel scientist would trap a monkey in a cage to see if it broke, I imagine God trapped us in the cage of ourselves, to see if we'd die, or survive in a way that killed us." - Danny Savinwit

“ If ya wander in the dark long enough, trust me when I say, you'll become it.” - Arnold Schull

“ I'm the lion inside 'a the den, and yet I'm also Daniel, fallin' inta the damn den, bein' condemned for me actions.” - Arnold Schull

“ Love is a lost game, mate. All it'll do is shatta' you in the end, so I've shut meself off, become numb. Because if I can't damn well feel, these sins won't effect me, just other's.” - Arnold Schull

“ I shut meself off long ago, let meself become nuthin' but a beast. I got claws, I got a crooked grin, and mate, I got a black heart, capsized by the sins 'a a bloody mad man." - Arnold Schull

"I've been dabbling in sin so long I think myself a devil when I've only brushed the surface of darkness with my fingertips." - Norma Borwick

"Eighteen years I ago I told myself my dreams where reachable. It's been eighteen years on the dot, and I found the statement to be nothing but a lie to keep me going." - Larry Devendra

"If this is life, then give me death." - Larry Devendra

"Tell me how it is, you can feel the sun's warmth, when your heart is ice cold and your blood is flowing every color you never thought you had in your paint box?" - Molly Chain

"Life is just a consequence of God's loneliness." - Osbourne Smithens

"When faith falters and lives crumble, sadly it is I, to blame." - Gusto Mellowrich

"I'd ask for forgiveness, but that doesn't change the past." - Gusto Mellowrich

"I won't feel guilty for what you did, but I will feel guilty for what I didn't do." - Gusto Mellowrich

How unfortunate, to see my silence used as a weapon."  - Sidgallio Kimley

"The bravado face I hold does not change the cowardly heart I wield." - Kitichiro Sagawa

"Regret is deafening, but by got, inaction is deadly." - Kitichiro Sagawa

"Death, has a purpose, as does life, but regret? It's only purpose is to break damned souls as they have broken other's." - Marx Veckwinheiser

"It is my belief that I am the very thing I condemn. Nothing more than a sin, really." - Salvatore Graham

"If ve cannot move on from past sorrows, zen how do ve ever heal from ze past we've lived?" - Sanders Krauss

"All a bullet's eva' done is unravel lives." - Shay Kellsworth

"Everyone believes you can be trusted, so long as your intentions aren't revealed until the time comes for the illusion you've spun to shatter." - Astonius Vistenblatt

"The world's put me in my place. I imagine it's nothing more than a cell of my own mind." - Christian Holden

"Da world don't like ya, don't show it why it's right, show it why it's wrong." - Daisy Gloria

" I am no real boy, I am but Pinocchio dancing upon the stage, wondering how life got to be this way, I see the spotlights, the twinkle in my eyes of glass, and the crack in my heart painted black. I seek the appraisal of Jipedo, yet know he's nothing but a figment of my broken mind, their is no fairy to grant me reality, no whale to swallow me whole, only sins in which I spread upon this barren land." - Nico Sanvitz

"Why fight when I can't even throw a punch in the right direction?" - Star Cloud

“Kneel at my feet, or I’ll kneel at your grave.” - Isiwoah Sakigowami

"Life can rather easily unravel my friend. All you have to do, is defy me." - Isiwoah Sakigowami

"Live your life avoiding danger, you'll avoid life." - Judson Boggs

"One could live their whole life in a cage whilst unaware if they're told it's freedom." - Cameron Ford

"I've found myself in the lion's den, with nothin' but my bare hands ta face off 'gainst my sins." - Zayfello Jinrock

"The powerful put the blame on those without it, because to them, even the most powerless of people, pose a threat to their agenda soaked in blood." - Victor Darsworth

"Carson, I don't think monsters are real, we live in fear of what hides under the bed, the whispers in the night, the boogeyman, but no matter WHAT we do, there is true evil out there that we should fear. I live, wondering what's real, and what isn't, but I do know, that there are GOOD people out there, a helluva lot better then me, Isabelle, you may call her normal, you may call her one of the ones ta condemn us, but all she does is HELP people like us. So look in the mirror Carson, and see who the real monster is." - Cruz Santinos

"I am starin' inta a dead man's eyes, for I know, my soul is damned, when faced with me, the sun looks the other damn way, and leaves me in the fucking shadows." - Greg Metals

"I think, I've started losin' myself to the damn flame, look around, this world is on fucking fire, and we're only addin' gasoline to the flame." - Bruce Willingfell

"I'm a bad man, doin' the best he can, with the worst parts 'a himself runnin' the damn show." - Meryl Dakota

"Don't got a clue why life treats the best ones, the worst, it's strange, has no rhyme, no rhythm, it's strange... something I've never understood." - Sandro Colorfeid

"Seems karma ain't real, cause if it were, it'd have rewarded good people, and left the bad ones to rot, but here we are, our only reward our own misery, but, yet, we're still good." - Sandro Colorfeid

"Those days, they were times when we were naive children, life comes with struggles, issues, pain, scars and trials and error, people like to think, they don't got issues, they got a pitch perfect life, but everyone hurts, everyone has scars, and some, ignore 'em. We have dreams, and we gotta, achieve em, sure, it may be the steepest fucking climb ever, steeper then even Everest, but, it's a climb that's damn well worth it. The tools? Your own two hands, your boots, and a glimmer of hope, because, all ya need, is a glimmer, cause it damn well grows into a glowing shimmer." - Sandro Colorfeid

"This world, heh, it's cold, cruel, and only the strong survive, whilst the weak are brought to wolves laps, served on a damn platter." - Bill Duster

"Did ya know, that in the brightest 'a days, shade is still just under the trees?" - Shawn Werdelstein

"If I wanted to make the world a better place, father, all I'd have to do is pull this trigger and watch you bleed." - Camilla Davidson

"I's found the price 'a my thievery and sinful ways weren't no sentence in iron bars. But a sentence set in the regret left inside my bones after every action crashed down on me like a damn wave." - Mitchell Castanis

"I have a single truth, and yet a thousand lies." - Will

"Perfection is a mask broken people wear to hide the broken pieces they wish weren't there. But like everything else, it is not perfect, and the mask slips away revealing the brokenness behind it, and showing what humanity truly is, broken, nothing more, nothing less." - Will

"I've learned in this world it's kill or be killed. You kill, or you die. Even before we tore the world to fucking shreds it was kill or be killed. The world's never quite operated right, never quite got what society needed. Always giving power to the fuckers who are going to cause more bloodshed. I ask one simple question, why the fuck do we give power to one man? Why do we let him own so much power, that he'd kill to keep it? So, this world needs people who will rise up, and say fuck you to the ones who don't want to give up their throne. I say, fuck leadership. If somewhere is truly functional, it's people will have a say in what god damn happens." - Richard Vanraker

"Someone once told me everything happens for a reason, that the scars were made to build me up. But all these scars have done is ruin me. Tell me, if everything happens for a reason, why did the world fall? Huh? Give me a damn reason society was meant to crumble. Because as far as my eye can see, is a world on fire. And when both your nightmares, and reality, is a world on fire, you learn the breathe in the ash and march on with burnt lungs." - Richard Vanraker

"Everyone is a ghost of who they once wore. The world falling only solidified this fact. Not a single man nor woman is the same as they once were. Everyone has changed in one way or another. For some of us, the world falling was a curse, for other's it was the remedy to our disease. Our chains. Shackled by the moral high ground we stand on and hold onto so tight. So now that the chains have rusted, and the moral high ground has crumbled. We're free. So what are we but ghosts of a world that died the day we watched fire consume everything?" - Dimarko Vanright

  "If ya look at life as if it were a game 'a pool, you'll realize you gotta make every shot count. And even if ya miss a shot, there's still plenty a shots left ta fix the one little thing ya just missed out on. So if you take a look aroundja, and really think about it, a missed shot is just another opportunity." - Jeremy Gumberton

"I was born inta a broken home, a broken life, and you say I oughta thank Jesus for dyin' for my sins? Then let me repay the damn favor, and die for his." - Saul Northutt

"The darkest incarnation of my family is those who would slaughter themselves for a mere nightmare disguised as the promised land of our ancient history." - Sidney

"Give me a blade, and watch what I do to my own heart." - Sidney 

[bbangjaes]

ahhhhh this is such a cute idea!!!! i’m actually like this (except i practically live in leggings)

tysm for this request i enjoyed doing this one a lil too much hehe

-mik

SF9 REACTION: Seeing Their Girlfriend In A Skirt/Dress For The First Time

Youngbin: 

Binnie would be v v v v v into you wearing a skirt or dress (i just see him really liking more feminine and girly girls but idk). I see him being in the middle of scolding one of his members (who would most likely be Hwiyoung lmfao) and then you walk in to tell him you are ready for your bubble tea date and his whole world just stops when he sees you. This boy would freeze tf up bc he was so surprised that you weren’t in your usual sweatpants and t shirt attire. No, you were in a flowery dress and boy was he here for it. He’d practically fling whoever he was talking to across the room (have a nice flight, Hwi) to get to you. He’d def tell you how beautiful you looked and would be on cloud 9 to have someone so smokin as a gf.

Inseong: 

This little shit would be cheeky af if you wore a skirt. He’d be laying down on the bed scrolling through twitter or somethin and you’d walk out of the closet with a miniskirt on bc all of your shorts were in the wash (i guess it’s Inseong’s lucky day *wink wink*). He’d see you walking past him out of the corner of his eye and he’d whistle at you, “Helloooo, gorgeous.” Having had it with his shit, you’d throw a shoe at him. He’d masterfully dodge the flying projectile, lick his lips like a little perv, and prob make a joke about it being pointless for you to even put that skirt on bc, with the things it was making him think, it won’t be on you for long (LOL I KNOW THIS DIRTY FORGIVE ME).

(FUCKING HELL THIS GIF ISNT MAKING THIS ANY BETTER IM SORRY)

Jaeyoon:

I feel like our honey voice would be very pleased to see his gf in a frilly dress of sorts. I imagine him taking one look at you and his face lighting up right away. He’d twirl you around and fake waltz with you like a complete loser bc he’d be over the moon to have you looking so cute and to have you be his girlfriend and no one else’s. He’d probably sing you a song all dramatically and say to you, “You look like a literal princess, Y/N. How did I get so lucky?” I also feel like the world’s biggest butt guy ever Jaeyoon would take the chance smack dat ass in celebration.

Dawon:

*crack knuckles* Moving onto the king of extra, the master of memes, and the gold medalist in the sport of being dramatic, Lee Sanghyuk (i’ll hold for the applause). This boy would not let it go unnoticed that you were wearing a skirt (he would practically scream from the rooftops that you were not wearing jeans like you usually did). You’d walk in the room where all of the members were hanging out to ask Dawon a question and his eyes would nearly fall out of their sockets and roll around the floor. He’d quickly look around at the other guys and their heads would all snap down to look at their hands or their phones or whatever so that he wouldn’t kill them for looking at you. He’d go over to you and sort of whisper-scream at you, “Y/N, WHERE ARE YOUR PANTS?” You’d be really confused and he’d smack his forehead bc you had no idea that you were dangerously close to giving him a raging boner nosebleed (I’m so sorry I don’t know what is wrong with me today I think it’s my hormones).

Zuho:

This boy would love love love to see his girl wearing a short skirt. When he saw what you were wearing for your date, he started blushing so hard that he looked like an actual tomato. Seriously though, I think he would like he had transformed into a literal fucking tomato he’d be so red (i think i said this in my bf post for him but i feel like he has a thing for legs so you wearing a skirt would murder him). He would be so flustered he that he wouldn’t even be able to speak, he’d just sort of grunt in shock or something (he’d try super super hard to not look you up and down bc he is a getleman but bruh he would be struggling).

Rowoon:

SEOKWOO WOULD GO INTO MOM MODE FASTER ZUHO CAN RAP WITH COINS IN HIS NOSE (damn, mik, that’s fast af). As soon as he saw what you were wearing, he would be both immensely turned on and horrified. This literal mom would sprint to you and use his giant body to shield you from the confused gazes that the two of you were receiving from the rest of sf9 (who would just be chillin at the other end of the room). He’d bend down to you and whisper, “Hi, sweetie, you look really really pretty today in that *gulps* skirt but I have a super comfy pair of sweatpants with your name on them in my room.” You’d look at him for a sec then smack him in the back of the head and go on with your business bc you’re an independent woman who don’t need no man telling her what to wear (fuck yea, you go girl). Don;t worry though, the defeated mom would live to fight another day.

Taeyang:

Hold on a second, I’m laughing just thinking about how lit Tae would be if you wore a skirt in front of him…….. ok, I’m good. I can see him just chilling on the couch and you walk past him in your short skirt and making him literally fly out of his seat and into space bc he’d be so fucking lit. This sunshine would dance for joy and probably body roll his way over to you and tell you how much his boomy boomy liked that (you know what i’m just going to own how much of a perv i am at this point). He’d tell you that, as much as he really liked it when you wore yoga pants, he might like it even more when you wore skirts bc FUCK YEA SKIRTS MAN.

Hwiyoung:

Cheeky lil shit Hwi would really like to see you in a skirt (though the mega perv would prefer if you didn’t have anything on at all, but that’s besides the point here). I imagine him just chillin with the guys and you walk in to sit down across from him while looking at your phone when you suddenly hear some noise that sounds like an infant crying (i’m laughing so hard rn idk why i just wrote that). When look around all confused bc srsly wtf was that, you suddenly notice a crazed Hwiyoung flying toward you. He latches onto you and whispers in your ear, “You look so pretty, Y/N” (sheesh, what a creep).

Chani:

This poor boyfriend would be in shambles if you wore a skirt. He wouldn’t be able to focus on anything. Like he’d be pouring himself a glass of milk or some shit and totally miss the cup bc he was too busy staring at you in your itsy bitsy skirt. Or if he was in dance practice, he’d space out bc he was thinking about you looking freakishly beautiful in a skirt. He would go through the whole day wanting to pull his fucking hair out bc of what you were doing to him. When he had finally had enough, he would pull you into a room where you two could be alone and just sort of hand you a pair of pants, “Please, end my suffering, Y/N.”  (idk why i made his reaction so angsty but it just felt so right)