#trying to get more people dependent on you. hmph

[impulsivedecisionsat3am]

do people actually have nice dreams or is that just propaganda from the melatonin industry? and also does anyone else get sequel dreams of previous dreams?

[onigiriico]

Kazui audio drama (t2) - English TL

[ links: Spotify / Youtube ]

I cannot believe my hs philosophy class came in handy as I was translating this. Thanks Milgram your references never fail to astound me

Aaanyways you know how it is,, feel free to send an ask or hit me up on Twitter if you’ve got any questions or other feedback re: this translation etc 💪 (<- sincerely hoping that Twitter DMs still work these days)

⬇️ translation under the cut ⬇️

(door opens)

E: I’ve kept you waiting, Kazui.

K: It’s been a while, Warden-kun.

E: Yeah… It has been.

K: Things have gotten pretty tough inside the prison, but… well, you’ve probably heard all about that from the others already, haven’t you?

E: Yeah… I heard that you protected other prisoners from Kotoko. I owe you my thanks.

K: That much is only natural. However… she really is strong, isn’t she? I mean, I’ve experienced some fights myself, but [going up against] a woman like her was a first.

E: Hm… Is she strong enough that even you can’t stop her from doing harm?

K: Well, in cases like this, it’s generally the heavier person who ends up winning. After all, if she really does have proper killing intent, I can’t afford to let her injure anyone. It’s difficult, isn’t it.

E: Is that so…

K: I was afraid that it’d come to this from the very beginning. There’s a lot of young kids here, too. It’d be hard for anyone to keep a decent mentality in a situation like this.

E: …You’re pretty rational.

K: I wonder. Maybe it’s because I’m used to violence. Even so… I couldn’t make it for Shiina-chan. I feel responsible for [what happened to] her.

E: …

K: Well, rest assured, though. As long as I can move, I’ll be protecting [the others]. After all, it’s pretty much just me who can fight her on equal terms.

E: Mikoto, too.

K: Ah… yeah. Like back when he went out of control, right? I can’t quite read him, though… If both of them were to attack us, it’s possible that we’d suffer a total defeat. 

E: A total defeat…?

K: If that happens, this prison game would probably come to an end as well. All of that depends on your judgment, right, Warden-kun? Who will be forgiven by you and who won’t be…

E: What are you trying to say?

K: If at all possible, I would like you to choose a method that will not get any more people hurt. That’s what I’m saying.

E: So you’re telling me to forgive you?

K: (laughs) Oi, oi…! Don’t look at me like that.

E: I’m the Warden. If I forgive you, I forgive you. If I don’t, I don’t. There’s no other factors to it.

K: (sighs) Wouldn’t it be okay? I mean, this situation with prisoners being hurt wasn’t what you wanted either, was it?

E: …

K: Just pretend that you’re looking at our sins, and make your judgment with the protection of the prisoners in mind. After all, nobody can read your mind – so that much craftiness would be fine, don’t you think?

E: Hmph. That’s a very “you” kind of pretentious solution.

K: It’s the most natural conclusion, isn’t it? Do you think it’s a sin to lie in order to protect people?

E: That would be Kant.

K: Kant?

E: A philosopher who stated that lying is inherently a sin, no matter the circumstances.

K: Huh…

E: Apparently, even if your friend is being chased by a murderer and the murderer asks you about their whereabouts, you shouldn’t lie, according to Kant.

K: That’s ridiculous. If you can save someone by telling a lie, that’s what you should do.

E: However… You killed someone with your lies, didn’t you?

K: … Ah… You forgave me, didn’t you? Aren’t you being especially strict towards me?

E: Am I?

K: Mmh, it’s obvious. You said you would figure out my murder by watching the footage of my mind. Is this the result of that?

E: You were unfaithful, right? That’s stupid.

K: Hmm…

E: The reason I forgave you was because I was lacking details. I still don’t understand your true feelings or how things got to that point, either.

K: I see.

E: It was extremely hard to understand. Even with all of that poetry, though, your self-absorbed nature was more than obvious.

K: Ohh my… That’s quite the sweeping generalization, even though you forgave me.

E: It’s a personal dislike of mine. People who act based on their sexual urges like that, that is.

K: It’s personal?

E: Yeah. That’s right.

K: That’s strange. I did think that, despite being neutral as a Warden, you had some things you dislike, but…

E: …

K: Isn’t it unusual to openly reveal a personal dislike as a personal dislike?

E: You’re splitting hairs.

K: Seems like you really disliked my crime… I get it! Maybe it was because you’re so young, which is to say… …

E: Hah? Stop staring at me so openly. It’s disgusting.

K: …

E: …! (punches him)

(clattering)

E: (sighs) Now I feel better.

K: — Ow…! What are you doing all of a sudden…?!

E: It was an instinctive reaction. Don’t take it personally.

K: Would you stop just punching me in the face without hesitation? … (sighs) Anyways… that’s how it is, huh? That’s how it is…?

E: Hah?

K: I didn’t even consider this a possibility… Personal impressions sure can be scary.

E: If you say any more things than this that I don’t get, I’m hitting you again.

K: Geez, cut out the hysterics… Hmm, if it’s like this, that explains some things, though. I don’t have kids, but I’ve heard that this is what it’s like.

E: Hey. Stop blabbering on while looking like you know it all. It’s obnoxious.

K: Hahaha! But you know what? You’re wrong.

E: …? What are you talking about?

K: You’re wrong.

E: …

K: You said I was unfaithful – in other words, that I cheated or committed adultery of some kind.

E: Yeah. That’s what I deduced from your footage.

K: It’s not true. It didn’t even turn into infidelity. It didn’t turn into anything like that. For me… In my case, you see.

E: … You’re married… You’re a married man, aren’t you?

K: Hm? Yeah, that’s right. Oh, right, I never told you, did I?

E: You’ve taken off your ring.

K: … Right… I did take it off, huh. Right…

E: Yeah.

K: Mh. … I do carry it with me, though. See? – I was forgiven. My feelings were validated. So… maybe that means that I don’t have to do this anymore? Thanks to that, I was feeling better when the second trial started… I really do feel sorry about that. Towards my wife.

E: If that ring is a symbol of punishment to you… There really is nothing that could possibly be more cruel towards her.

K: Mmh.

E: Marriage is something that both partners want equally, isn’t it? It’s something you can’t do if only one person wants it. Deciding to treat it as a punishment all on your own… You’re making a mockery out of it.

K: I really am. Ah… She must have thought so as well. My wife, that is.

E: I’ve said this before: You’re a liar. Those lies have killed a person.

K: (sighs)

E: I forgave you. While I wasn’t sure yet, I thought that it didn’t seem like you killed her directly, and with all sorts of things taken into consideration, I judged that your murder was not a sin. However. That doesn’t mean that I’m praising your nature as a liar.

K: Yeah. I believe you’re right about that.

E: In short – between love and hate, [I would say] I hate you. Remember that.

K: … I get that.

E: Huh?

K: I despise myself for lying, too. Being a liar, you see – it’s painful.

E: Heh. Then just–

K: So I’ve tried to change! I’ve tried to change. I have tried to stop lying to myself and others!

E: …

K: I’ve confided in others. I’ve tried to be myself! I’ve tried to just be the way I was born!

E: …Hey, Kazui–

K: It’s not my lies that killed her. She’s dead because I stopped lying to her! If I had just kept lying- She wouldn’t have died…!

E: Kazui��

K: I can’t live unless I lie. That’s how I was born… I’m pathetic, aren’t I?

E: (sighs) I really can’t seem to understand you.

K: …

E: Just when I thought you weren’t letting out any of your true feelings and cleverly hiding your actual emotions… Now here you are, drowning in self-loathing like this.

K: (weak laugh) An old man in unstable condition… that’s not something you’d wanna see, is it. Sorry about that.

E: You know, about Kant…

K: Ah, the one who said you shouldn’t lie even if your friend might get killed.

E: From his point of view, if your friend dies because you didn’t lie, there’s no causal connection between the two… or so I’ve heard.

K: I don’t think so, though…

E: Even if you don’t lie, your friend might survive. And if you do lie, your friend might end up dying on a different occasion. That’s the reason why you’re supposed to always tell the truth.

K: …That’s convincing.

E: It’s not really.

K: Yeah, it’s not.

E: It may not be, but… I thought that for someone who has failed in their attempts to be honest, it might be a [saving] grace so they won’t end up doubting honesty in its entirety.

K: …

E: I still don’t know what happened, but… isn’t it okay to be proud that you made an effort to be honest in the first place?

K: … You’re so kind all of a sudden.

E: I just said what I was thinking. And besides – I forgave you. I made it as if your sin wasn’t a sin at all. And yet, you don’t seem the slightest bit relieved.

K: I know right.

E: Everyone else seems more or less liberated by the fact that they were forgiven.

K: That’s right.

E: Just from that… I understand that having your feelings approved of by someone else can have a major impact on the development of one’s personality.

K: …

E: However… You have not forgiven yourself. That’s why you can’t change.

K: …

E: Alternatively, even if your lying self was forgiven… it would still do nothing to help you.

K: …Aah, you really are impressive. You think so much.

E: I am watching over ten troublesome prisoners, after all. Even if I don’t want to, I’m being relied on.

K: I haven’t forgiven myself… even if my lies are forgiven, it won’t resonate [with me]. It might just be both of these. All the lies I’ve told are tying me down. Ever since I was little, I’ve never truly opened myself to anyone. But in the end, people can’t be saved if they don’t [open up]. And by now, it’s gotten to a point where I can’t do it by myself anymore…

(machinery whirrs, bell rings)

K: I did think Milgram would be able to force its way past that, though.

E: Is that an attempt at provocation?

K: You didn’t manage to reach my sin.

E: …

K: Even though I want you to… Milgram isn’t so great after all, is it?

E: …Heh. Don’t push yourself too hard, after all that whining from earlier.

K: Ha. [This is] the wish of a liar who’s reached a dead end – come and figure out my lies, Milgram. And, Es… please, free me from these lies.

E: Yeah. Leave it to me. – Prisoner no.7, Kazui. Sing your sins.

[mlm-mod-taka]

Could I get Mondo Owada reacting to being called “pretty boy”? Preferably with easily flustered!Mondo. (I’m genderfluid, so masc or gn are both fine for me!)

CALLING HIM "PRETTY BOY" • mondo x gn reader

hello anon, thank you for requesting! i really missed writing for mondo, i seem to have forgotten how much i loved him. my crush on him is part of the reason why i chose taka! other than the fact that i love taka and relate heavily to him, of course. writing this made me remember why he was one of my favorites. thank you all for the support towards my return! it means alot to me. anyways, i hope you enjoy this, anon!

tws/cws: (flustered) yelling, mentions of past toxic masculinity.

|| -> mod taka <3

he'd be caught off guard by someone calling him "pretty". people used alot of words to describe him. words like scary, unruly, rude, loud, obnoxious, the list goes on. it happened so often that he got used to those kind of adjectives being attached to him.

there was also his toxic masculinity making things harder for him, as usual. he always thought "pretty" was something reserved for girls, and was meant to be taken as an insult if it was said to a man. he remembers a few of his physically weaker/shorter members being called a pretty boy by other gangs as a way to tease them.

he was trying to work on it though, with alot of help from chihiro and taka. being a man wasn't just about how you looked, it was about how you carried yourself and treated others, he needed to remind himself of that. even if it was a slow improvement, he was still making progress.

so when you stared dreamily at him as he dried his hair while letting out a big yawn, and you whispered "you're such a pretty boy" in a voice so full of love and admiration, his brain fully short circuited.

i feel like how he'd react after recovering from the initial flusteredness would depend on how long you two have known each other. but either way, he's definitely gonna blush and be super shy. this is mondo we're talking about!

if things were still new and fresh between you two, his nervous habit of yelling would activate, saying that he wasn't pretty, you were pretty! have you seen yourself? you were the prettiest pretty to have ever prettied! why are you calling him pretty instead?!

he sounds angry, but you knew he wasn't, this was just how he reacted to something he wasn't used to. you remember this is how he acted as well when you called him handsome at the beginning of your relationship. you just continued to admire him as he carried you in front of a mirror to show yourself just how pretty you were.

now, if you two have known each other for awhile, he'd react much less explosively, looking away with a blush as he pouted, grumbling "im not pretty..." under his breath while he avoided eye contact with you.

you simply continued to watch him with a smile while his face turned more and more red at your attention, trying to ignore the amused and loving look you gave him.

and he'll throw the towel at your face if you try to tease him about his blushing, resorting back to yelling about how you should stop looking at him like that, the blushing continuing to deepen as he storms off to calm himself down in the bathroom.

he just needed some time to warm up to you more, and to also warm up to those kind of words being attached to him. he'll get there eventually, you just needed to be patient and gentle with him.

the final stage is you two knowing each other for a long time, being completely used to the others attitude and sharing vulnerable things that youd never feel comfortable sharing with anyone else.

if you call him a pretty boy then, he'll still blush and act bashful at first, but will wear a cocky smile after he recovers from the initial reaction. "hmph. damn right im a pretty dude, and dont you forget it!" he lets out a laugh as he continues to dry his hair with a happy look and blush on his face.

as the time you spent together goes on, he'd be more and more accepting of new things you introduce him to. you helped him step out of his comfort zone and grow out of bad habits without rushing him or forcing him.

while he still thinks the adjective "pretty" doesn't fit him well, a compliment from his beloved is still a compliment from his beloved at the end of the day. he'll happily take it, after alot of nervous shouting and while wearing a red face.

and, you didn't hear this from me, but he's super flattered at being called pretty. he thinks about it at night, smiling to himself as he remembers how lucky he is to have someone that genuinely tries to understand him, and loves him for who he actually is. he loved you so much, he hopes you knew that.

[ryuryuryuyurboat]

this christmas, i'll give you my heart

synopsis: make sure you don't give it away the very next day

genre: fluff, slight crack at the end

characters: wanderer x gn! reader

warnings: reader is referred to in 2nd pov, wanderer may be slightly ooc, written from wanderer's pov

a/n: WAAAAAH SORRY FOR THE WAIT @mhiieee but! this is my gift to you for @2023gisecretsanta event, i hope you like it ueueueue happy holidays <33 likes, reblogs and comments highly appreciated!!

©2023 ryuryuryuyurboat. do not repost, translate, plagiarise, or modify in any way, shape or form.

masterlist

the wanderer— or kunikuzushi, kabukimono, scaramouche, the balladeer, hat guy (if you will) — has been through a lot, to say the least: first discarded by his creator, his mother, and left to fend for himself; then convinced to have been betrayed by his own friend; and finally left broken-hearted by a broken promise that could probably not have been kept in the first place. it would be a massive understatement to say that he absolutely did not find it easy to warm up to anyone at all. 

but then you entered the scene. 

you, in all your glory, came barreling in like a snowstorm, broke down all his walls, lodged yourself firmly in his heart and refused to leave– or maybe it would be better to say you found yourself a place where his heart should be? what a pesky little insect you were.

he’d grumbled and lamented when you dragged him out to “get some fresh air”, muttering under his breath about how irritating it was that you wouldn’t leave him alone— and yet he felt himself biting back a small smile when he saw the child-like shine in your eyes as you admired the lights that lit up the way out of the city, your hand gently tugging his forward. hmph, so you dared to lead the way? how insolent.

he’d vehemently refused to join you in laying down on the ground, insisting that he was perfectly fine just where he was, and he’d rather not soil his clothes with the “pure white snow”— because if he carried you back home there’d be twice the amount of germs exchanged between your clothes. no thank you.

he watched as you shrugged, sat cross-legged on the snow-covered path, and put a palm out. he watched as the expression of wonder on your face turned into an expression of awe, pure bliss lighting up your face as you watched the snowflakes falling onto your hand. right into the palm of your hand, exactly where you had him. 

he finally allowed himself a small smile (hidden behind his large hat) at the sight of you reliving your childhood memories: running in the snow, making structures out of it, pouting when it melted too quickly before you could do anything. he silently swore, in his heart, that he’d try his best to keep that innocent side of yours so he could protect your precious smile– er, he meant keeping that smile on your face so he could avoid any ugly crying scenes…

he doesn’t know when or how, but somewhere along the way, with how you kept pushing yourself into his life, you’d started to fill the void in his chest, and he’d started looking forward to meetings with you, started to become dependent on that ticklish warmth that spread through all the way to his fingertips whenever you showed your face. huh. so maybe he did have a heart after all. or maybe he’d found one– in which case, he’d endeavour to keep it safe from all who wished for its downfall—

splat! a cold sensation trickles down his cheek, then his neck, and seeps into the fabric of his clothing. you’re standing in front of him, that innocent grin still on your face, and a bundle of snow in your hand.

oh.

…

nevermind. he only promised he’d protect you from other people, after all! time to teach the fool who dared cross him a lesson.

taglist: @yinyinggie @lynyluvr @kazemiya @meidnightrain (send ask to be added to taglist!)

if you liked this, do consider dropping me a follow for more :>

[heaven-s-black-box]

Jealousy pt.2- Miyuki x gn!Reader

Return to File

Recovery date: February 22nd, 2022

Description: I really loved your hcs for Miyuki and Chris! Could I request an angsty thing (hc or scenario, whichever you’re comfortable with) about Miyuki getting jealous for whatever reason and distancing himself from his s/o? Maybe a bit of fluff at the end so it doesn’t hurt too much 🥲🥲🥲

Notes: Recovered in conjunction with research @curlyzensei, we thank them for their contribution.

Part: 1 2

Word count: 2 155

Back to directory

“Did you reach him?” Y/N asked, dropping down next to Mei.

They found it strange that Mei was frowning at their phone.

He handed it back and shrugged.

“I got voicemail, he’s probably still practicing,” he smiled.

“Hmph, you’d think he’d try and pick up. I get he’s got a lot on his plate, but he seemed kind of down over the break,” they huffed, rummaging through their bag.

“It’s Miyuki, he only thinks about baseball,” Mei snickered.

“Ya, which reminds me, what are your plans for tomorrow?”

“Hey!” Mei whined. “You’re so mean,” he draped himself across Y/N, “this is why Kazuya’s avoiding you.”

Y/N stopped fiddling with their bag.

“What?”

“What?”

“Why do you think he’s ignoring me,” Y/N frowned. “I think he’d know if I was ignoring me.”

“I mean, when was the last time you two talked?” Y/N stared at him. “That wasn’t over the break?”

The two stayed in silence for a moment before Y/N checked their phone.

“Mei get off me, it’s late.”

“No.”

“Meeii,” they warned, drawing out his name.

“Nooo, come stay with me! Let’s have a sleepover,” he laughed, not wanting to end their talk on a sour note.

“You’re such a child,” Y/N smirked, pushing him off their lap and laughing as he hit the floor.

Slinging their bag over their shoulder, Y/N carefully stepped over Mei and headed towards the school gates.

“Bye Mei!” They called, waving over their shoulder.

“Bye Y/N, tell your aunt I say hi!”

“Will do!”

---

Mei huffed in exhaustion as he grabbed another ball to pitch into the net.

It was Sunday, and practice had let out for the day, and like Y/N had said, his plans were baseball. Someone would have to drag him out of here by his shirt if they needed him.

His wind up was cut off by his ringtone.

“Huh?” He accepted the call and raised the phone to his ear. “Hey Kazuya, Y/N’s not with me right now so-”

“I…”

“Mhm?” Mei dragged the ball basket over to the net and began picking them up.

“I wanted to talk to you.”

“Are you dying?” Mei frowned, pausing for a second.

Miyuki rarely wanted to talk to him, especially one on one. Mei always had to start conversations with him, and even then Miyuki always seemed annoyed.

“Uh, I might be,” he chuckled nervously. “That depends, how mad is Y/N?”

“Suuuper mad,” Mei said, annoyance heavy in his voice. “They never want to speak with you ever again and they hope you drop dead!”

“Wait seriously?!” Miyuki yelled.

“No you idiot!” Mei yelled back. “Upset? Yes. Hurt? Definitely. But I don’t think they could ever be mad at you. Now answer a question for me.”

“I will not tell you anything about our team, give it up.”

“Wa- Hey! Is baseball really the only thing you think I think about?!”

“I mean…”

“Don’t hesitate!” Miyuki chuckled on the other end of the phone, and Mei sighed. “Why’d you hang up on them yesterday?”

Miyuki stopped chuckling, and said nothing for a moment.

“They told you, huh?”

“Nope! I was the one calling.”

“Oh… why?”

“I figured you’d pick up for them more than me, turns out I was wrong. Now answer the question.”

“I just- I needed time to think.”

“You should ask Y/N, they’d be willing to help.”

“I need to think about Y/N.”

“Oh.” The line was silent for a moment before Mei spoke again. “So you’ve figured it out?”

“That I’ve been a shitty friend?”

“Huh? No, that you like them. I mean, since when have you ever cared if people like you? I mean, you called me first. You must be reaaaalllyyy desperate to do that.”

“You’re being over dramatic.”

“Am I really?”

Silence again.

“Bye Mei.”

Click.

---

“Y/N. Y/N. Y/N.” Mei called as he ran into their class.

“Whaaaatttt?” They sighed as they closed their phone and folded their hands under their chin.

“Are you going to watch the tokyo invitational game?”

The tokyo invitational game against Wynd youth academy had just been finalized, and Mei had just been informed of his invitation to participate.

“Sure.”

“You’re not even gonna ask what it is?” He gasped.

“Mei at this point Inashiro games have kind of started to blur together,” they chuckled. “What’s got you so worked up about this one?”

“Because it’s not an Inashiro game! They’re asking a bunch of players from other teams to come out and we’re playing against a school from America,” he rushed out, almost tripping over his words.

“Mei.”

“Yes?”

“Back off.” They pushed on his forehead and he stumbled back in an over exaggerated manner.

“You’re so mean, you and Kazuya really are perfect for eachother,” he huffed, taking his seat beside them and pouting.

“It’s kind of hard to have a relationship with someone who’s ignoring you,” Y/N chuckled dryly.

“Ya well, you fell in love with Kazuya, pay the price.” They were both silent for a moment as Mei began to get his stuff out. “You should tell him.”

“Why? So he can continue ignoring me and I can think it’s because I like him? Because I prefer this over whatever that would feel like.”

“Okay,” he dropped his books onto his desk rather harshly. “I wasn’t going to say anything because I thought watching you two pine but this is getting sad and you’re making me depressed. He likes you, he’s just… Kazuya. And you like him, you’re just…”

“I’m just?” They goaded, raising an eyebrow. “Wait, why are you so certain he likes me?”

“Because he told me.”

---

Y/N sat outside the field’s fence, watching the temporary team warm up. The atmosphere was a little stiff, but they knew things would loosen up once they started playing together. New teams were always a bit stiff.

“Y/N-senpai?”

Y/N turned to find Itsuki standing nervously behind their bench.

“Hello Itsuki-kun, what are you doing here? Actually, silly question, you’re here to watch the game aren’t you?”

“Um, no-no,” he waved his hands in front of his face. “Actually, Mei-san actually asked me to come find you once everyone got here.”

“You know you don’t have to run errands for him, he’s a big boy. Despite how he acts,” they muttered.

“I don’t mind, besides he just asked me to remind you to meet him at the school gate after practice. Also I needed the study break,” he laughed.

“Hm, alright then,” they sighed. “Well, would you like to sit with me for a bit?”

“No, it’s alright. Have a good day Senpai!”

After Itsuki left, Y/N turned back to the field.

Warmups had finished and they were starting to make up teams. Mei turned around and waved at Y/N, earning a glare from the coach. But his over exaggerated display caught Miyuki’s attention, who followed Mei’s gaze and spotted them.

Y/N smiled and waved back, and Miyuki awkwardly returned a subtle wave.

---

“Late,” Y/N grumbled, flipping their phone open and closed as they watched the time tick by.

Y/N had left the field once the coach dismissed everyone to clean up and change, and had been waiting at the front gate since then.

Most of the people had already left, but aside from Mei, Miyuki hadn’t come out this way either and he would have to pass by soon if he wanted to catch the train back to Seidou.

“Look how sad they’re looking,” Mei hummed, leaning against the wall behind Miyuki. “You should go cheer them up, here-” he reached into his bag and handed Miyuki a can. “And while you're at it confess please, this isn’t funny anymore.”

Before Miyuki could start thinking again, Mei had shoved the drink into his hands and walked off.

“Thank me later!”

Miyuki didn’t move. 

The sun was setting, he was going to miss the train at this rate.

The only way out was through the front gate, and past Y/N.

Taking a deep breath, he rounded the corner and called out, “What are you still doing here?”

“Mei stood me up,” Y/N shrugged. “What took you so long?”

“Uh, personal crisis,” he chuckled awkwardly. “Uh, here.” He handed them the drink. “You still like this, right?”

Y/N stared at it for a moment before shaking their head.

“No.”

Of course Mei wasn’t going to make this easy on him.

“Mei gave it to you, didn’t he?” They asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. When he nodded, they laughed. “Come on, I’ll walk you to the station.”

“Wha-huh? But don’t you have a curfew?”

“Ya, but if we leave now I can probably make it back just in time, so hurry up. And can I have that?” They pointed at the drink.

“But I thought you didn’t like it.”

“It’s rude to turn down a gift.”

The two headed off down the path as Mei peeked around the corner and cheered silently. Now Miyuki just had to use his words.

“So, are you looking forward to catching for Mei?”

“Nah, I’m not allowed to. They don’t want people who’ll be going against each other in the next tournament to play together. Honestly, I’m relieved. I deal with enough idiot pitchers at Seidou, I don’t need to find a new one.”

Y/N laughed, “Sounds like fun.” They took a sip from the can before offering it to Miyuki. “I should come by sometime.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying!” He exclaimed, taking the can and cringing at the taste. “Too sweet.”

“You know that’s why I used to drink it, right? Because you wouldn’t steal it.”

“Hey! I don’t steal your things.”

“Really? Because I think I’m still missing a cap or two, and a book, and I’m sure if I went through my stuff I would find more.”

“Fine, what else do you do for my sake?” He huffed, handing back the drink.

The train station was coming into view.

“Hm, I don’t visit you or call as often as I’d like.”

“Huh?”

“Well… I see how busy Mei gets with practice and school and since you take forever to reply and stuff I just… assumed you wanted to focus on that. I keep telling you to reach out, I guess I just wasn’t clear enough about it.”

“I…” Miyuki took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I should have tried to stay in touch better.”

“I mean, I guess I could forgive you.”

“Rea-” Relief washed over Miyuki.

“If you give me a good reason.” Miyuki frowned. “What? I’m not gonna forgive you at the drop of the hat. I’m here, trying to keep this friendship intact and you finally geting that through your stupid head doesn’t change it. So I’ll forgive you if you give me a good reason too. Otherwise you just have to make it up to me.”

“Make it up to you how?” He asked wearily.

“Take the high ground here, Kazuya.”

“No- no, I think I want to avoid that.”

“Kazuyyyaaa,” they warned.

“Hey, look, I apologized. I’m opening up, doesn’t that count as making it up to you?” He asked frantically, jumping back slightly.

Y/N frowned.

“Kazuya. Telling me something I already know isn’t opening up. How about I tell you something you don’t know about me and you can tell me why you’ve been so… weird.”

“Like there’s something I don’t know about you.”

“Kazuya, up until the break you didn’t know I was on the student council. Or that I hadn’t seen all your games.”

“... fine. Throw your best secret at me.”

“Hmph,” Y/N smirked. “On the count of three?”

Miyuki’s brows furrowed, “What are you, five?”

“One.”

“Fine.”

“Two.” Y/N and Miyuki both stopped walking. “Three.”

“I love you,” Y/N sung out as Miyuki rushed through it.

Miyuki froze, eyes squinted closed and holding his breath. It took him a second to catch up to everything, and when he finally did he relaxed.

Y/N was standing in front of him, hands behind their back and looking over their shoulder.

“Really?” They asked, laughing. “Bit of a shitty way to show it, huh?”

“What?”

“Ignoring me. Bit of a shitty way to show you love me.”

“I-”

“Unless, of course, you were jealous.”

“Jealous! Wha- of who?!”

“Mei. Who, by the way, I have to remember to thank. He totally set this up,” they grumbled.

“Why on earth would I-”

“Train.”

“What?” Miyuki whipped around to see the train pulling into the station. “Shit! This,” he called as he ran the last bit up the platform, “isn’t over!”

“We can finish this tomorrow.”

“I’ll just call.”

Y/N waved as Miyuki rushed onto the train, before checking the time.

“Ah man, I am so not getting back in time.”

[sizhuyu]

Super late fic HAHAHA I've been so busy lately... I guess this is like a comeback? Anyways, hope you enjoy!

When I first saw you

It has been only a regular day in the daycare. Lan Wangji stays quiet in the corner all alone, other kids run around and play, the teacher calming the kids down clearly stressed. Once the teacher finally calmed everyone down he introduced a new playmate!

"Hi everyone, I'm Y/N. Hope we can all get along well"

Everyone greeted her and you smiled warmly and waved. Lan Wangji was surprised as he lift his head up and looked at your gentle but fierce E/C (eye color) eyes, he stared at you and you asked if you could sit beside him. He scooted a little and you sat down next to him, you talked to him and told him stories and all he did was listen.

"Hmm.. Is my stories boring? You aren't showing any reaction-"

"Continue please."

You were a bit shocked, you havent heard him talk and you were mostly doing the talking.. Nevertheless, you continued to talk and you see his lips curve into a small smile as he listens intently to your stories.

Years pass you and Lan Wangji hang out almost everyday. Telling him stories, ideas for stories, your hobbies, going to places where he and you both like, letting him try out new things and more! He really enjoyed your company (and paid for everything anyways) he wouldn't let you pay a cent/dime in any trip. Lan Xichen occasionally talks to you, he mentioned how his younger brother always had eyes for you and how Lan Wangji would occasionally tell him about you. You laugh and claimed you were just his good friend, you couldn't possibly think Lan Wangji would like you.

...

Until this moment.

(OOC!!! Lan Wangji! I think...)

"Y/N, may I ask a question?"

You hum as you continue to admire the balcony view of the Lan's summer house. You were a special guest that Lan Wangji invited and Lan Qiren was hesitant to allow you but Wangji was adamant. So, in conclusion, you were allowed! As your gaze softens looking at the calm waves of the ocean and the reflected sunset on the waters Lan Wangji took a deep breath and exhaled.

"What do you think of me?"

You chuckle

"You're my childhood bestfriend, the one person I always hangout with, the one person who has always been there for me like I have been for them, the one person I know I can depend and count on. You're a gentleman, a reliable one who respects people who deserve respect."

You warmly smile at him just like the first time you met him and you see him staring at you, his eyes widen a little.

"Honestly, you're boyfriend material. I don't know why your crush you mention hasn't noticed you at all. Hmph, what a blind-"

"You're my crush Y/N."

You were shocked. To think this crush he has opened up to you about was... YOU???

"Do you really think I'm boyfriend material? If so, please... Be my girlfriend."

"Wait, wait.. When did you start to like me?"

Lan Wangji took a deep breath again and spoke calmly.

"I liked you since you first approached me in daycare, I've only grown to like you since we always spent time together. I know I'm not worthy for your love and affection, I know I'm not your standard... But I will do my best to be your standard, I will do my best to exceed your expectations and be more than worthy for you."

"I've got to say Lan Wangji. You always exceeded my expectations... And I should be saying I'm not worthy, besides the fact you're about to take over the company after Lan Xichen I really think I'm not worth being here and I'm just grateful for you spending time with me."

"Y/N. You are more than worthy, more than enough, you deserve more, you deserve better. And I will be better for you. So please.. I shall ask again, will you be my girlfriend?"

[theadventurerslog]

Side Quest: King's Quest 1 AGDI Remake

Hey, guess what? New kind of entry. Sort of: my KQVI replay screensharing fits here too but tagging-wise, new, because I didn't think of it then.

There are sometimes going to be games I play I want to talk about but not do a full let's play style journal on, so that's what side quests will be.

In this case I got curious about the fan made remakes of King's Quest 1 - 3, which can be acquired here: https://agdinteractive.com/games/games.html.

So yeah here's yet another version of King's Quest 1.

Story and structure it's the same game. It's very faithful in that regard. However, it uses a point and click interface, although you can also walk with keys. It's essentially the same interface as V and VI down to config options and saving. There is also an option to turn off dead-ends. I don't know exactly how that affects puzzles but no doubt a worthwhile option for people who don't want to worry about that.

Visually it's very similar to and clearly based off KQ V and VI as well. Some of the screens have visually changed environmentally, which did cause me some confusion with my map.

And some things are still entirely familiar.

There is voice acting including Josh Mandel for Graham as he was in KQ V and the tiny bit in KQVI which was very cool of him to do. Although, his audio quality is noticeably different from the rest. He only speaks at the beginning and end however. All the descriptive text is decently narrated as well, though I am, I admit, spoiled by KQVI's narrator. I just love him.

Characters also have portraits.

The troll's an interesting take...

Here's the rat.

It's a bit of a mix of the AGI and SCI versions, more SCI than AGI. The Rumpelstiltskin puzzle uses the AGI solution with the backward cypher instead of simply his name backward. The stairs from the cloud land are the scarier SCI stairs however.

The beanstalk is still my enemy, though I had an easier time with it despite the SCI version also letting you click to move. I only fell a couple times!

On the other hand I had a lot more trouble with finding the path on the clouds and fell several times there...

Weirdly, the game in a way felt emptier to me. I think because Graham barely talks in the game and there isn't the text parser to play around with, so there isn't the opportunity to just try as much or type silly things. And there isn't a whole lot to interact with in ways beyond looking at them. (no talking to everything in sight like KQVI for example). Obviously your mileage would vary depending on how much you do goof around.

Some of the hot spots feel super finicky, so that could get irritating. I did discover when I was double-checking the help screen for something else that icons have a tiny red dot that act as the hit box point. Knowing that helped, but I still could have done with some broader or more generous hit boxes.

I think it could be good for people who want to play it but don't want to use a text parser and/or want to use the ability to turn off the dead ends. A bit more of a modern experience. Personally I think the SCI version is my preferred version, but it was an interesting jaunt anyway. II and III from what I've read and heard will have more interesting diversions and changes from the originals.

That all said impressive work for a fan project!

Three versions played now and I didn't get perfect points. I missed grabbing the slingshot. Hmph.

[thelediz]

Sonic Underground watchalong – final thoughts

So I watched all of Sonic Underground again, in the hope of finding inspiration for a fic I’ve been writing for years. Check out either the watchalong or the fic, if you’re interested!

Because I was writing notes, I was paying attention in a different way than I ever have before. It didn’t make me like it any more or less, but I think I was more aware of the way I was responding to it, and things I was thinking when I would normally just be passively watching. So now I have THOUGHTS.

First and foremost, I want to applaud the trashfire for its incredible use of show and tell. Because there’s a whole bunch that it told us, but there was also a whole bunch that it SHOWED, and sometimes those two things were completely at odds with each other. And I think that’s what’s resonated with me all these years. Because this was a very complicated world that it created, and yet the story it told was remarkably simple. And I found myself fascinated by it.

But GUYS. There was PLOT in this show. There were actual, important storylines that someone wanted to build up to something in future seasons!

The prophecy, first and foremost. Aleena could not reunite with her children until they were ready to become the Council of Four and overthrow Robotnik.

To do this, they had to learn to accept their divine rite (HMPH), but also understand the dangers of forgetting how to be kind and caring rulers.

Their medallions were driven by the Power of Harmony, and within that power was the ability to free people’s minds from whatever destructive force held it.

They needed to gather allies to defeat Robotnik, of which Knuckles was only the first of many. (Supposedly there was a French comic that continued this plot, but it died a quick death, from all reports)

There were two pendants that had both been split in two and hidden in distant lands. One had a map, the other gave Sonia the power to see what Robotnik was doing. The implication is that there would be at least two more.

Did they do any of this well? Hell no! But were they there? Hell yes, and I have Many Thoughts about how one could reboot this series to build them properly. Though I would lose the allies thread, and depending on Sega mandates, maybe swap it for a story about Sonic being destined for more than the crown. Because I like my Echidna Prophecies.

I’m shouting into the void, as I do, but if anyone is still reading and would be interested, hit me up on an ask and I will happily give you random character arcs and episode synopses that are whirling in my head.

But outside all that, I have some other thoughts:

It’s still a trashfire that I cannot defend, but dammit if someone didn’t care about this show.

I cannot emphasis this enough. Someone, somewhere, cared about this show and wanted it to be something. They didn’t succeed, but damn it did they try. There was no getting away from how cheap this show was, and how many sacrifices were made in the name of… well, what do I know they were made in the name of?

Because here’s the thing: I wasn’t there when it was made. None of us were. I joke and make statements about how this show was a quick cash grab, because that’s what it looks and feels like, but for all I know, this was someone’s first but legitimate attempt at making a new IP from the Sonic franchise. And yeah, they failed. They screwed up a lot. But I remind you that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as we currently know them, began life as a marketing strategy because no one could sell toys based on a gritty black and white Daredevil parody comic, and after the first season, SOMEONE cared enough to push for a second. And I bet there are plenty of badly aged episodes from that cartoon too.

It's poorly edited, messily written, and terribly paced, but there was something in it. And that something is worth celebrating.

I could have liked Sonia, if only.

Watching it this time, I wanted SO BADLY to like Sonia. And I can see exactly how I could have, with just… -gestures vaguely-

The problem I have with Sonia is that she is just immediately amazing. At everything. She goes from being a stuck up, sheltered aristocrat to the best Freedom Fighter in the Resistance without blinking, and the only reminder that she was ever anything else is that she’s a snob that likes girly things like fashion and makeup.

In the reboot (HAH), I would want to see her have to learn. I want to see her shoot for the first time and think it's easy, but then see her get shot AT, and see her panic. I want to see her sit in a strategy meeting, but then go out into the field and see someone get hurt because of an order she gave. I want to see her realise that not everyone lives like she used to, and that she WAS pampered, and she WAS spoiled, and she DIDN’T deserve everything she had – she was just LUCKY. I want to see her have a proper breakdown over Lady Windemere because robotocisation isn’t supposed to happen to good people. And I want that to be what spurs her into being a leader in the Resistance.

THEN I can handle her being the best at everything, and being so righteous with Bartleby, and smug with the boys. She needs to earn her skill, and she just didn’t.

Holy crap, MANIC. Just… MANIC.

I can recognise now that I liked what I was told Manic was, and what he could have been, more than the character he ended up being. Manic is supposed to be so complex and emotional, but they frankly didn’t have the time or possibly age rating to get into it, so he’s just…

He’s an eternal victim, but he’s also an eternal problem. He’s in over his head, and no one seems to notice except Sonic, who (in this series) doesn’t have the emotional capacity to deal with that properly. So I watched him this time with deep, tolerant breaths, thinking of young teenage boys that think they need to be tough or cool and don’t actually know how.

In the reboot (HAH), I’d want more time spent digging into that. I want him to get in over his head, I want that to be a problem multiple times, I want him to get mad about it and blame everyone else, I want him to rebel and hurt someone, badly, and for everyone, including him, to be horrified, and I want him to have to grow up and take the responsibility to make it better.

I want him to represent the people of Mobius, who turned their backs on the queen that wasn’t supporting them, only to find out they’d dug their own graves in doing so. And I want them all to get better.

The counters. I told you I’d explain them.

So when I think back on Sonic Underground, I often think of things that kind of annoyed me. Like Sonia’s love life. But as we can see from the counters, her love life doesn’t actually come up that often! BUT the fact that she has three (and a half – I’m still not counting Raphie) love interests in forty episodes, while Manic shows vague interest in one girl and one female robot, and the closest Sonic comes to ANY interest is some general campy behaviour that may actually just be his French animation showing is pretty significant.

Now, I’m showing my cards here, but I get very tired of romantic subplots in non-romance focussed shows these days. If they don’t contribute to the character’s story, I find it annoying and distracting. So in my reboot fantasy, I want to emphasise the Bartleby relationship, and get rid of EVERY. OTHER. LOVE INTEREST. Except maybe the fuccboi because I COULD MAKE SOMETHING OF THAT STORYLINE for the purposes of her character growth. But none of them (and especially not Knuckles) added to Sonia’s character, so it just felt like it was there because Girls Grow With Love, teehee, and screw you fiction tropes. I and every other little girl deserve better.

 The other thing that I remember is the inconsistent skills. Sonia has superstrength in (arguably – I was being pretty generous sometimes) in FOUR episodes. Of FORTY. WHY HAVE IT AT ALL? And Manic’s ability to pick locks or steal – it was more problematic than it was helpful, so why occasionally imply that he has ‘the magic touch’? And even Sonic! Can he take on a squadron of SWATbots single-handedly, or is Sleet looming over him an actual threat?

I was counting them because these were things that stuck with me, but when you actually count them up, they take up SO LITTLE of the story and the characters. It goes to show how quickly annoyances can overtake a narrative.

Sonic Underground was quietly and inconsistently beautiful

It was in its set pieces. It was in its character concepts. It was in its world building. Its opening scenes. Its bittersweet ends. Its side characters, who had so much depth and life outside of the main characters. It was in the heavily reality of its darkest moments, and the simple sweetness of its quiet ones.

Cyrus and his father. Manic and Sonic laughing as they played together. Sonic and Sonia exchanging glances with actual meaning. The birds that continued to fly in Robotropolis. Sleet and Dingo’s uneasy partnership, built on mutual goals and joined fear. Aleena’s irrational but all-consuming love, and her anger that echoed in two-sentence monologues.

This show had moments. And those moments have stuck with me. They will continue to stick with me.

There was beauty in this terrible show.

I can see Sonic growing from this show.

This is going to sound really weird, because on the surface, the character we see in Sonic Underground is almost unrecognisable from the character we see in contemporary games. There are flashes of him in Boom, and Lost World (nostalgia characterisation woo), but generally, he seems so different.

Until you dig in.

The more I think about Sonic as he is in Sonic Underground – about his situation, about the world he grew up in, about the relationships he has. The more I think about these things, the more I can see the tension and frustration and fear. And then I think about those things, and I compare them to the Sonic we know, who is free, and independent, and has friends he can trust to handle themselves…

I think about how hard that difference is.

And I know exactly where The Lost Prince came from.

And I know where I want it to end.

So if you’re interested… I mean, I have SO MANY reports I actually have to write, rather than spending time on fanfic, but… yeah, I think I’ll be finishing those last chapters this year. I hope to see you there.

[wuxiaphoenix]

A Cranky Bit of Advice: When Not to Preach

Had to deal with yet another “let me talk to you about Jesus” type at work, and it grated like... well, like an actual grater on an open wound. So. Here’s my attempt to narrow down why.

Doing this is abusive behavior.

The would-be evangelist is a customer talking to an employee. Employees are expected, generally required, to be polite to customers under any and all circumstances, even when the customer is making comments about their appearance, politics, or what have you that ought to end in smoking pistols at dawn. Customer service employees, in particular, are generally at the bottom of the wage heap and cannot afford to lose a job casually. Which means the evangelist is exploiting a power imbalance. And doing so to force another person to talk about one of the two things polite people are never supposed to discuss in public - politics and religion.

Let me say that more bluntly: By evangelizing at an employee, you are forcing another person to violate their conscience.

Think about it. If the employee is interested in hearing about religion - they’re on the clock being paid to take care of customers, not go to a Bible session. Every minute they spend hearing you out is time taken away from other paying customers. Managers notice. They notice a lot. That’s the kind of thing that can get you fired.

If the employee is not interested in hearing about religion, they have to either try to “um-hmm” their way past you, or lie about what they think. People are, very often, not in customer service because they love it; they’re there because they have bills to pay and family members depending on them. If you push them, they will lie.

If you’re comfortable with verbally cornering another person into potential financial difficulty or the occasion of sin - all I can say is, this is absolutely contrary to the idea that you should approach Christianity with humility and honesty.

And anyone who takes the position that “well, they’re just preaching the Word” - okay, so why do they never preach at other customers? You know, people who can tell them where to go in less than polite terms?

They don’t. They never do. They only go after people who can’t tell them to Stop That.

This. Is. Abusive. Behavior.

Worse, abuse wrapped up in a cloak of smug, hypocritical virtue, so just about no one calls them on it. Ever.

...Hmph. People.

[otomehoneyybearr]

Act 12

Episode 21: The What-If Future and The Certain Now: Sakyo

Working w/ Maybelle Lace, jujumin-translates, Fea

Note: As you read, you will see that some sentences highlighted in a different color, this is what they indicate.

Pink: Flashback

Blue: Characters are acting

𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍

Sakyo: (...I suppose this is the last time I'll see this signboard.)

Sakyo: ...

Sakyo: (I've made up my mind. Whether I’m resented or hated, I’ll bear it all.)

Paper Fortune: "We will surely meet again someday. 3 points luck. Small blessing."

Sakyo: Hmph..

Sakyo: (This stuff is really not that reliable.)

Manager: Kyaaaa! Stop itttttt!

Sakyo: Do it, Sakoda. Just go for the signboard.

Sakoda: Aye aye, sir!

Sakyo: (Yukio... Even so, I...)

Manager: Gyaaaah!

Sakyo: (At this theater, again...)

Izumi: "Aren't you going in?"

Sakyo: ...!

Sakoda: ...Boss?

Sakyo: …!

Sakoda: Are you okay? Do you have a cold? Or maybe you have something more serious...?! W-What would I do if you die Boss…?!...!

Sakyo: Shut up. Don’t be so dramatic. It's not that I'm sick.

Sakoda: If so, that's fine...

Sakyo: Let's cut it short for today.

Sakyo: I've got a place to stop by, so just drop me off here. You go head back to the office with the car.

Sakoda: Got it.

Sakyo: ...It's a wreck.

Sakyo: (But, at least the sign survived.)

Sakyo: (If she had arrived at the Mankai Theater even a little later that day...)

Sakyo: (Or if she had come on a completely different day altogether...)

Sakyo: (I could have destroyed this theater's signboard, filled with the precious feelings of so many people, with my own hands.)

Sakyo: (Even now, it's horrifying to imagine.)

Sakyo: (At the time, I thought it was the best course of action. That there was no other way to make this theater spark back to life...)

Sakyo: (But, she showed me a future that far exceeded my expectations.)

Sakyo: (As long as there was someone who always openly talked about their passion for theater, the future I feared would never come.)

Sakyo: (When she first took over as general director, she was inexperienced and unreliable, but as the performances went on, she grew quickly.

Sakyo: (Before I knew it, she had become a great general director.)

Sakyo: You're becoming more and more like Yukio..

Sakyo: (The way you become a bit forceful in order to create the best play, and the sparkle in your eyes when you talk about the stage, are very similar to each other.)

Izumi: Sakyo, you've been familiar with this theater for longer than you'd care to admit.

Izumi: And I'm willing to wager you cared deeply for it. Or should I say, care

Sakyo: ...

Izumi: There was an anonymous survey form from a Spring Troupe show that was loaded with feedback. That was you, wasn't it?

Sakyo: ...

Izumi: Would you come to the audition? Please

Izumi: You're a dependable presence in the training hall. I'm incredibly glad to have you.

Izumi: But I'll be honest—sometimes you really frustrate me, too.

Sakyo: What do you mean

Izumi: You don't place yourself on equal footing with the rest of the group. And it's not just because you're older.

Izumi: You don't ever try to vie or compete like Banri and Juza do

Izumi: If anything, you're always the first to step back and let everyone else take the reins.

Sakyo: I mean...

Izumi: Maybe it can be chalked up to seniority, but I don't think that's all it is. You're shying away from the idea of changing yourself.

Sakyo: What do you mean, shying away?

Izumi: What you said about having no business being on stage? That, right there. A part of you won't accept the fact that you might have a future acting in plays.

Izumi: But you know what? You're going to keep being in them. You have to. And you're going to be expected to do better than ever on that stage.

Izumi: The only way for you to get there is for you to step up even more than anyone else. Get the screw-ups out of your system. Stop playing it safe and play it for real.

Izumi: You'll never grow if you don't get experience. Let go of your past and look towards the future.

Izumi: You're not the guy who gave up on theater anymore.

Sakyo: ...

Sakyo: (It's already too late, there's nothing I can do about it. I made excuses for myself and pretended not to notice my true feelings.)

Sakyo: (It was that person's forcefulness, of all things, that grabbed my face and forced me to look forward.)

Sakyo: (I never thought that I’dd be immaturely competing with young people at my age.)

Sakyo: (I got caught up in the vigor of the Autumn Troupe and have been giving my all every day with no room to spare.

Sakyo: (...Just how much will she mess up my life?)

Sakyo: ...

Sakyo: We will surely meet again someday, huh...

Sakyo: (...I can't believe it really came true. I guess you shouldn’t underestimate the connections between people.)

Sakyo: I'm back.

Azami: Hey.

Azami: Here, this is from Sakuya.

Sakyo: A postcard?

Sakyo: (Come to think of it, he said he wanted to go on a journey to trace his roots.)

Sakyo: ...

Sakuya: "I feel like I'll be able to grasp something very important on this trip."

Sakuya: "When I think about my roots, what comes to mind is that day, which was the biggest turning point in my life."

Sakuya: "The other day, we talked about when we started the new Mankai Company."

Sakuya: "I'm glad that Sakyo lent money to Mankai Company."

Sakuya: "And I'm glad that Director and Sakyo were the ones who watched my first performance that day!"

Sakyo: ...Those ain't the kinda words you should say to a yakuza.

Sakyo: (...Sounds like you're in for a good trip.)

Ichiro: Furuichi, the Boss would like to see you.

Sakyo: I'll be right there

Sakyo: Excuse me.

Boss: ... Sakyo, I'm almost done with that thing you asked me to do.

Sakyo: Really?

Boss: Well, they're a shady bunch, doing all sorts of underhanded stuff. Information is also coming in from everywhere.

Sakyo: (...As expected of the old man.)

Azami: What are y'all talking about?

Sakyo: There's no way the yakuza can just stay silent and let them get away with all this.

Sakyo: This is the signal for a counterattack.

Boss: We should show them some gratitude in return.

𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍𑁍

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▼・ᴥ・▼

[yanderefairyangel]

Ok since the topic of localization have become very heated I'd though I give my opinion.

So I already made 1 post explaining the whole thing about my opinion regarding localization changes because some changes are sometimes inevitable.

Translation isn't about translating as close as possible to the original sentence, but as close as possible to the original meaning.

For example, in FEA, Owain and Inigo have a support conversation where Inigo pokes fun of Owain's chunnibyo antics and they end up saying this :

アズール : ふっ、君はわかってないね。失敗を恐れては何も学べないだろ？ましてや一人で悶々と 技名なんか考えてたら、学べるものすら学べないのさ！！

Inigo : Hmph ! You don't get it. If you are afraid of failure, then you will never learn anything, right ? (said the man who is to shy to dance)If all you are doing is worrying over which name giving to a weapon, then you will never be able to learn anything !

ウード:お前だって、活かせた試しなんてないだろ！

Owain : But you are speaking of something that never taught you anything !

Meanwhile the localization :

Inigo: You're guaranteed to lose 100% of the jousts you never attend, my friend. Perhaps you should name your next move, "Eternal Chastity."

Owain: Sure, why not? I've got the perfect teacher for it right in front of me!

Ok so here, the translation changed some of the lines in order to make them feel more dynamic. Owain is supposed to say something snarky, but whilein the jpn version it seemed enough, in English a literal translation would have been too flat.

So instead the localization just focused on trying to connect the line in the context to make it seems more natural. What Owain in the pg is saying is that Inigo isn't really the one that should be talking about learning something when his own experience lead him absolutely nowhere since he never succeded in getting a date so he doesn't learn from his failure at all. So they took it and came up with this genius line.

That for example is a good change cause it makes the dialogue feel more lively and natural and it doesn't change the meaning of what's happening, Owain is still roasting Inigo. They took in account the nuance and what the text was trying to exprim when making this change so there is no reason to complain about something that is done like that.

Same with for example, Rafal calling everyone "you" whereas in japanese he only calls people by their first name. In japanese it's supposed to show Rafal is irreverant, but in English we call everyone by their first name so it doesn't work. Hence they opted for him calling everyone "you" to restore this feeling.

This isn't a one way around. If you translate from english to japanese as well you will have to make adjustement to sound more natural.

For example, the English : You miserable wretch ! can simply be rendered by 貴様 ! In a same way, if you speak in japanese, you will see that you don't need to use the prounons "you"and "I" nearly as much as in English.

Example : "You are such a sweetheart" in japanese can be said as either あなたはとても素敵な人です or サムはとてもいい人です if the person you are talking to's name is Sam, because it can be seen as rude to use "you" in japanese so they usually prefer to use the first name of the person. And you might even add an honorific depending on the context of the relationship.

Sometimes, the best way to translate is to find a way to adapt with the original meaning rather then sounding to literal.

Example :

別人？でも、あの包帯は私が巻いたものです。

あれは一体・

literaly : Is it another person ? No, she is wearing the bandage I putted on her. What on earth is this ?"

That's what Alear is saying in chapter 10 of the game when they realized that Veyle was the hooded girl. I already covered that this was because Veyle was changing her speech. But since they are gone in translation, saying this no longer makes sense. The localization hence went for :" No, it can't be. But... that's the bandage I used to dress her wound"

Personally I would have translated it as " Why is she acting so differently ? I can't believe it's the girl I put a bandage on some say ago" because it's what Alear mean in reality : they are confused as to why Veyle acts so differently that they can scarecly recognize her

[fujoreads]

Umineko: Episode 1 // Review & Thoughts

I was initially NOT going to do this since I played Episode 1 long ago last year, but since I'm doing this from episode 3 to 8, might as well have these.

I have daily logs with my reading sessions' reactions and thoughts, but I'll try to find my highlights and summarize everything!

VNDB | Steam

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

CW: Murder (duh, it's a murder mystery); ableism + dysfunctional/abusive family talk

P.S.: There are youtube previews but they break inside my blog's theme, so they won't look as good, but I refuse not to show them, hmph!

This Episode was definitely more of an introduction, even though we seem to get introduced to new concepts, characters and even plot points with each chapter—just like with Higurashi. They do have the same author, after all.

One of the most common complaint I hear from folks about this episode is that it's too much of a slog at the beginning and while I can understand people's issues with pacing in general, I disagree. Maybe I just read too fast and am used to slow pacing, but I feel like people are just too used to having everything quickly presented to them without having to wait at all.

I see this same complaint with Higurashi and I gotta say: it's exactly BECAUSE it's not scary and mysterious from the bat, that when it does become crazy, you feel it. And it's gradual, even at that stage. You can see that as you go further: so far, this is the tamest episode yet and each ones outdoes the previous.

Anyway: I really enjoyed this as a first episode. It truly felt like an Agatha Christie and then it went 180 on it, just like I was expecting from Ryuukishi.

The incest jokes are fortunately short and quick to end, and I get why they'd bother so many people looking for a serious story, but at the same time I feel like people made too much of a ruckus over it. Battler is a horny teen and hasn't seen his family in 6 years; while that doesn't excuse him being a creep, this is clearly meant to be a funny scene and not be taken seriously. You can either laugh it off, roll your eyes or just ignore it, not drop the VN altogether—though if you can't take some tasteless jokes, you wouldn't last the entire ride for how long it is (lol)

I really like how similar yet so different the MCs from Higurashi and Umineko are. While they are both lovable perverts, Keiichi is quick to paranoia and doubting his friends; meanwhile, Battler shows a strong resolve to never doubt his family to the very end. ...This might age poorly depending on future episodes.

PLOT

Honestly, the score doesn't matter that much to me anymore. Especially not when I've read further and have been therefore corrupted with more exciting scenes.

This might be the less out-there scenario, and I appreciate it for what it is. This is basically Ryuukishi saying "hold on to your seats, this is gonna be crazy, but for now, just take it all in and get ready."

On the other hand, the family drama got INTENSE. Eva being voiced by Takano's VA makes so much sense, her being so sly and scheming. Poor Natsuhi, she's a bit too serious for her own good, but Eva is just a bully T^T

The scene where the first twilight happens is too much of a banger!!! I was not to control my emotions: I didn't know whether to dance or to grieve/be shocked. Ugh. But I'll talk more about it in my Soundtrack part.

Also, I just fucking love all the subtle (and not so subtle) references to Higurashi. It's really lovely to see a connection to one of my favorite VNs ever.

And those are my thoughts for the plot itself! I'll be talking about other aspects of the game after, but before, we still have the Tea Party and ??? chapters to talk about!

I knew beforehand there would be something akin to the All-Cast Review Session (from Higurashi) but it certainly surprised me. I was expecting a 20-minute read and I got 2 hours of reading AND a direct connection to the main plot??? Bonkers.

Plus, Battler was so badass the whole time, even if I called him an idiot a few times before this.

Oh yeah, and he was a bit of a savage at times LOL

(this hurt even ME)

CHARACTERS

Since this is the introduction, most characters are still very barebones compared to how far they've come where I currently am. HOWEVER! Ryuukishi is a fucking madlad writing characters.

Everyone feels like their own person with their own faults and liking points. Hell, he plays you like a puppet whose strings have been cut masterfully, shaping your opinion of certain characters just for that illusion to be broken along with our tame expectations of them.

Ushiromiya Battler

My cutie patotie, my little meow meow.

He started off a big incestuous weirdo but he's more mature than he shows, being all considerate for people around him and never being malicious. I love him.

Oh yeah, the whiplash I got from hearing Akasaka's voice is no joke-

Ushiromiya Rudolf

He's a dork and not a great father, it seems. I like his character but I know I wouldn't stand him irl. Though to be fair, I would be more like Maria—but we'll get there in a sec.

Ushiromiya Kyrie

MY WIFEEEE 🛐🛐🛐

I just love Kyrie no matter the episode. She's badass, reliable, but always mysterious. I never thought those "cool" mysterious characters were all that until I met her.

Ushiromiya Eva

MY QUEEN, SLAY 💅🏻✨ Jokes aside, she's a fucking great character. She might have a venomous tongue and be very shitty at times, but that's what makes her her.

Ushiromiya Hideyoshi

Hideyoshi is my utmost "can do no wrong" pick. What a wholesome and cute husband, especially to someone like Eva. God have mercy on this man.

Ushiromiya George

George is another cutie patotie, but he makes me a bit suspicious. I don't know, while Battler is just a pure-hearted goofball, George seems a bit more formal, more intentional with his behaviour and acting. Maybe it's just the glasses... Probably.

I gotta say though, some of the phrasing in his scenes with Shannon (or Sayo, I guess) are uuuuhm... I'd call this a red flag. Unless they were both into it, I guess lmao

Ushiromiya Krauss

I still remember my first impression of him:

He doesn't stand out particularly in this episode, so I won't make any comments. He does remind me of one of my uncles. As I said: insufferable.

Ushiromiya Natsuhi

So far (currently on episode 3), this is her episode. Maybe we'll get further character development (I hope so!) but for now, this a Natsuhi-centered episode. She starts off rather traditional and even cruel to servants, but she quickly earned my respect as the leader of the group, when the murders start happening.

Kinzo acknowledging Natsuhi as an Ushiromiya made me tear up 🥺💗

So many queens in this game 👑

Ushiromiya Jessica

I find Jessica a bit lame as a character. Maybe I'm just an adult, but her whole teen drama felt a bit too much. I mean, I get it; hell, it could even be envy... My own mother is mostly a Natsuhi-type and I can relate to Jessica's feeling, but I have grown up more contained—afraid— than her, let's just say. (Growing up autistic + ADHDer and undiagnosed with a overworked mother who now rejects my official diagnosis does things to you lol)

Ushiromiya Rosa

Rosa started as one of my favorite characters. As the younger sibling to a Eva-type of sister, I could relate to her struggles so much. That is, until you see how she is as a mother. I can still sympathize with her own individual struggles and I don't suddenly hate her because she isn't perfect, but again, as someone who grew up undiagnosed and was the "weird thing" that freaked everyone out and shamed my mother for exisiting, Rosa's behavior towards Maria was hard to watch.

Ushiromiya Maria

I will say: Maria's behavior is a bit weird when the occult is involved, but I daydreamed my whole family would die in a traffic accident at 11 so I'd be free of them—who am I to judge?

I could relate SO MUCH to Maria. I swear to God, Maria is so autistic-coded it hurts: ecolalia (the "uu"s, even if it's also supposed to be a moe? trait lol), lack of facial expressions, special interests (occult, Beatrice), not understanding jokes (even if she is a child)…

She's just like me fr. Her meltdown over the Rose reminds me so much of my own childhood, even if I don't remember much. Beatrice should just adopt her, heh.

Also, pretty sure Maria is the one writing these character profiles.

Ushiromiya Kinzo

OOOOOOH BEATORICHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Nothing much to say, he's painful to listen to. I mean, I guess that's intentional so hey, the VA did a wonderful job!

I think this is how my family must feel as I shut myself in my room all day long, only leaving to walk the dog and eating lol

Shannon

As of this episode, Shannon isn't given much spotlight. I'll be commenting more next episode!

For now, she's my little cutie patotie (3)

Kanon

I didn't love Kanon at first, but he’s just a teenage boy, it’s understandable. I still don't love him, but he's grown on me.

Genji

Genji is an interesting character. I don't remember much from him during the first episode, but I basically saw him as the reliable type.

I wouldn't be too surprised if there were any Kinzo x Genji fanart, not that I ship them

Kumasawa

Ah yes, the only able to outdo Battler in the pervert lines.

Kumasawa is a fine supporting character, but we don't see much from her. I mean, there are some things about her during episode 3, but not really? I can't explain without spoiling, so I'll complain more when I get to it.

Nanjo

Nanjo's cute mustache my beloved. That's all.

Gohda

Gohda might be the funniest character, actually. The fact that he is just a random dude caught in the whole mystery is so funny to me.

Other than that, I absolutely hated Gohda this episode. He gets a bit less insufferable for the next episodes, but maybe it's just me sympathizing for the poor guy just trying to do his job.

Atmosphere & Soundtrack

FUCK. I LOVE BEING ABLE TO HEAR.

Seriously, what a divine soundtrack. Especially the ones by zts.

I just couldn't stop banging my head!

And I've heard Umineko has around 200 tracks—I can't wait to get through all of them <3

I'm kind of sad I don't know what else to say, but I'll just leave this video here. It's what made me pick up Umineko once and for all:

Ooooh I almost forgot about the Voice Acting, so I'll include it here. I LOVED IT. A lot of VAs from Higurashi came back so it's always fun to notice these little things. It makes the drama much better too.

Art

I've chosen the PS3 sprites. Yes, I know: heathen behavior. But personally, I love them. I know that compared to the OG art, they may not be as expressive, but I just enjoy them a lot more. I've grown to appreciate Ryuukishi's art a lot more as I played Higurashi, don't worry.

The Pachinko version, on the other hand, is fucking awful. Say what you will, I just can't swallow it down.

Writing

I know Ryuukishi's forte isn't his prose, but it's actually not bad at all!

I don't have anything in particular to comment on, so I'll make this one short. Great writing, even if a bit convoluted at times.

Mechanics & Gameplay

This is a weird section, as Umineko doesn't even have choices, let alone "gameplay", but hear me out: I'm playing with the mods.

The visual and sound rain effects, the lip sync, the overall visual effects... chef's kiss! I doubt my enjoyment would be so great without these. Call me spoiled, but they are truly amazing.

Final Thoughts

Phew, I wrote a lot!

Umineko is not an unknown work for those into visual novels so I don't think I have to particularly recommend it, but I am absolutely loving it. No wonder people praise it so much.

My final score for this episode is a solid 8.5/10, aka 4 stars!!

If you want to have an idea whether this is for you, don't drop it until the first murder happens, please! It's considered to have a slow start, so take that into consideration. If you're a fast reader like me, you'll get there in no time!

For reference, the first episode took me around 15~17h to finish, a length somewhat close to Higurashi's Episode 1. Episode 3 and 4 are said to be the longest ones and they average a total of 30h, but when you get there, you'll be hopefully fully immersed. I certainly am, at least!

Well then, I'll be writing my thoughts on Episode 2 soon! Look forward to it~

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Thank you for reading it all to the end! I’m working full-time and looking for another job to make my life possible; would you be so kind and consider giving me a little tip? It can be as low as 3 bucks and it’d make a huuuuuge difference!! If you tip 10€ (or higher), you can dictate my next read and be credited (if you’d like) on that review! Have a nice day!!

[0miss-anonymous0]

The Blood of the Ram

“Why do I need a history lesson? I've been studying here for a year now. You and Scarlet have taught me everything about the history of Otherworld.” Genesis asked, they’d been up since the sun was and they weren’t particularly happy about it especially since it was their day off. After spending a year in the custody of their eccentric teacher, Genesis knew he had a flair for weird and flashy things, but this was too far.

“Yes, that’s true but there is a history that you do not know-“

“The history of you?” Genesis drawled sarcastically. Giles turned around pouting.

‘Oh so it was that.’

“The history of me and Scarlet actually.” Giles finished his sentence by folding his arms and making a ‘hmph’ sound. Genesis rolled their eyes. 

“I thought there was no story of you two. You tried for centuries to woo her, she resisted and here you are, still trying and testing her patience.” And mine Genesis wanted to add, but didn’t.

“The story of how we met and how our parents made us. Not the story of our relationship.” He was still pouting.

Genesis raised their hand, “Usually when schools teach about reproduction they just say; don’t do it.”

Giles gave them a humorless glare. “Not like that! I meant how they used their magic to turn us into living beings. And how Scar and I met each other.” He had a triumphant smug look on his face when he finished.

Genesis was still bored.

“It started centuries ago,” Giles started. “Life and Death made a deal-” 

───⋆｡°✩☼✩°｡⋆───

The oldest being is the Great Creator. Through him everything in our world was made. He helped us in the Great War. Over the centuries He has split into multiple gods each one with a specific power and domain to rule over. The oldest of these being life and death.

Life takes the form of a beautiful woman, while Death takes the form of a skeleton in a dark wispy cloak. They have been friends for eons working in tandem with each other. Where there is life there will be death and where there is death there once was life.

Life is renowned and considered to be perfect in every sense of the word. She is beautiful and kind. Her most loyal followers are mostly comprised of the Druids. 

Druid teachings, depending on which tribe, are strict and harsh. The littlest misstep of a Druid could mean excommunication or even the death penalty. Their most worshiped deity besides the Great Creator is Life herself. She was known for giving every single person in the world a soul, and why wouldn’t she be worshiped for that? Everyone who was alive had her to thank for that. Without her creating them they would not exist. 

Vise versa to Life, Death was cursed and insulted. The few tribes who did regard him as important were vastly outnumbered by those who didn’t. Who would celebrate Death and his doings? Death is what takes away people’s loved ones every day of every year. The only thing Death was capable of was bringing sorrow and pain.

Death despised his job, he couldn’t fathom how anyone would think otherwise of him. He hated collecting souls. His least favorite was when he had to take the soul of a child. It seemed to increase every year, more and more murders, abductions, and suicides. And the kids who died only seemed to be getting younger and younger. It saddened Death to take them to the Underworld. Most of them were too young to comprehend what had happened to them. It wasn’t fair to the kids who suffered so much in their life just to end up dead.

Death had a wish, he wished for a kid of his own, to nurture and protect. A kid who would live life for those who did not get a chance to. He asked his oldest friend and confidant for a favor and she obliged, wanting to help her friend during his toughest time. 

Life used her powers to make a baby girl and from Death she asked for one thing to finish her. Death gave Life a piece of his bone marrow, which was used to finish the baby. The bone marrow was what caused her strange appearance and her powers. It made her truly related to her father.

She was born with ruby red eyes and the purest white hair ever seen. 

───⋆｡°✩☼✩°｡⋆───

“Wait hold up, Scarlet was born with white hair?” Genesis asked.

“Yeah, did you really think that her hair was naturally split-dyed?” Giles raised an eyebrow.

“Well over the past year I’ve seen how people from other races have different characteristics to humans, like abnormal eye and hair colors. That said, even some humans with magical powers have the same.” 

“So, yeah you did.”

“Yeah.”

“Stupid.”

“Shut up!”

───⋆｡°✩☼✩°｡⋆───

The skin on her hands and feet were transparent and revealed bone, making them look like X-rays. Her skin got more opaque as it got closer to her knees and elbows. Once it reached there it looked like normal skin however it was deathly pale and shimmered with a pearlescent sheen.

The little girl did not age quickly like a normal human child would. She was not human after all, nobody knew what she really was. She wasn’t human, her dad was a god but she herself didn’t have godly blood. Her father took the form of a skeleton, and she looked like part of one, maybe that was what she was? But she still looked human for the most part. She was just her.

She asked her father once what she was and he replied with, “You are my beloved daughter, Scarlet.”

“That’s not what I’m asking,” Scarlet complained “I want to know what I am not who I am.”

Her father chuckled. He knelt down so that he was eye level with his young daughter. He cupped her face, “You are a gift. The greatest one I ever received.” He kissed her forehead, stood, and went back to work. 

Work, work, and even more work, Scarlet’s father was always working. He never slept, ate, or even took a break. He was not a mortal being that required it, but that didn’t diminish Scarlet’s worry for her father. Even being a god she worried that he would one day work himself to death. That was an interesting thought, the Grimm Reaper himself working so hard that he died. Would he capture his own soul, would there be a new Lord of death to replace him, would the Great Creator or Life simply revive him? Scarlet hoped she would never get the answer to her question.

Scarlet watched her dad as he worked studying what he did, how he did his job. Over the centuries Scarlet’s powers manifested themselves. She had the same dominion over the dead that her father did, and with time and training she could be just as powerful as her father. That was the plan at least, she wanted to take her father’s place, she wanted to give him a break.

One time when Scarlet asked he had let her do his job for one full minute. In that minute Scarlet’s head was simultaneously flooded with information from both Otherworld and the normal world. People dying, people who will die soon, souls that needed collecting, restless spirits hoping for rebirth, corrupted souls needing exorcism, wandering ghosts in both worlds, live feed from every cemetery and burial site, newly deads needing judgment, and so much more. The information updated every second, every second billions and billions of things flooded Scarlet’s brain. She couldn’t keep up, she got a headache so bad that she couldn’t even open her eyes. Her eardrums popped, she started trembling, her brain felt like it was being torn in half like a sheet of paper, her bones burned under her skin. Scarlet felt like she was going to die.

           Then it stopped. Her father took his place at his desk once more. He took the burden from her, even though it was meant to be the other way around. Her father burst out laughing and tears of anger and frustration welled in Scarlet’s eyes as she wiped away the thin trail of blood from her nose. She was embarrassed, upset, and her head really really hurt. 

Tears streamed from Scarlet’s eyes, she was in so much pain the fact that she hadn’t blacked out from it would have amazed her if she still wasn’t feeling the after effects. Her father held her until she stopped crying, whispering to her how much he loved her and how proud of her he was. But she couldn’t be proud of herself. All she wanted to do was help her father and she couldn’t even manage that. In her mind it didn’t matter that he was proud of her, she still failed. Scarlet didn’t cry just because of the pain, but from the realization that she was miles away from her goal. 

After that day Scarlet practiced her magic more and more. Her aptitude grew and grew. Her magic might never be exactly as powerful as her father’s but it would still be a force to be reckoned with, a close second, and to Life that was something that did not go unnoticed.

For centuries Life watched Death and his daughter. She saw everything, how happy they were, how content. She wanted it. Life wanted a child of her own, one who could be better than Scarlet, one who would succeed where she failed, take over her job, and become her predecessor.

Therefore Life created Giles. Giles was made from the blood of Life and the body of her most faithful and devoted follower.

───⋆｡°✩☼✩°｡⋆───

“So your mom made you to be Scarlet, but better?” Genesis asked, a little confused. It was hard to believe. Giles and Scarlet were polar opposites, that’s why they worked together so well. Scarlet’s seriousness was balanced with Giles’s goofiness. Giles’s craziness was balanced with Scarlet’s calmness. Together they worked because they made up for what the other lacked.

“Yep dear old mom wanted a kid so she could pass down her ‘legacy’,” Giles sounded bitter. “I was made centuries after Scarlet was. We only look the same age because I was made to.”

“Scarlet’s older than you? I never would have guessed.”

“She’s older than me by centuries. My mom didn’t make me a baby like she did to Scarlet. Scarlet already looked like a late elementary schooler or early middle schooler when I was born. And you can’t really have a newborn compete with a preteen.”

The last sentence sounded like a joke, but Genesis could hear the seriousness in it. Genesis felt like they understood so much more now and yet nothing at all.

“In making me the opposite to her, my mom failed. Scarlet is serious and actually has a drive to do her father’s job. Likewise Scarlet actually loves her father. I hate my mother,” Giles said so matter-of-factly that Genesis winced.

Genesis viewed Giles as an older brother and spending a year in his custody, they learned how to read him well. They never met his mother, the goddess of life, they didn’t ask to meet her either. Everyone else always made her sound like the perfect woman and mother, but who knows the story better than her own son?

Genesis remembered Scarlet asking Giles about his mother once. Scarlet asked if he would ever let his mother meet Genesis or help them with their powers. All Scarlet was met with was a protective ‘no.’ Giles didn’t want his mom and Genesis meeting that was made abundantly clear.

After listening to the whole story Genesis understood a little more now. Giles resented his mom for not loving him even though he was her child. Instead Life only made him in order to pursue her selfish desire. She made him for one purpose and when he didn’t fulfill it she cast him aside. Giles did the same. They’re relationship seemed irreparable. 

Giles clapped his hands together. “Anyways, enough about my family drama and onto more important matters. The Druids-”

“Giles, if you want to talk about it, her. I’d be happy to listen.” Genesis tried to reach out to him. But Giles closed himself off.

Giles gave a sad smile, “I appreciate it Mouse, I really do, you’re a kind kid. But there’s nothing to talk about that I haven’t already. Bottom line, despite popular belief to the contrary my mom is not a good person. Now on with the lesson.”

───⋆｡°✩☼✩°｡⋆───

The druids are one of the most prominent religions of Otherworld. Druids are mostly nomadic and travel the world healing the sick. They spread the word of the goddess of life and how she brought life to all around them, every person young and old.

Druid society is made up of the followers: those who joined the religion without any prior connection to it, the priests and priestesses: those whose families have a long history of druids and have never once left the religion, and the Druid council: comprised of the oldest members of each Druid tribe.

Anybody can join the Druids; species does not matter. But Druids have strict teachings and follow archaic rules and the littlest misstep can cause banishment from the tribe. The leader of each tribe is the direct contact with the goddess herself, other Druids can pray and worship her and are encouraged (required) to do so but the only one who can directly talk to her is an Archdruid. 

When a new follower joins a tribe they must first pledge their allegiance, this is done in a myriad of ways depending on the tribe. However the most common is a sacrifice of blood. 

Because followers do not have close ties to the religion they are not allowed to become priests or priestesses. Priests and priestesses are given powers beyond the typical knowledge of plants and healing that ordinary Druids possess. Priests have the power of truth; they can see a person’s character and intentions with a single glance, if they were to lie their fib would be made known to the Druid. Priestesses have the power of foresight and prophecy: allowing them to be able to see glimpses into the future.

Gender plays a huge role in position for the Druids. Only males can be priests and only females can be priestesses. Males in Druidism are leaders and if they take a wife he is expected to care for and become the sole provider for her and their children. Females in Druidism are expected to get married and bear children, because their husbands are the providers of the house; women are not permitted to work unless absolutely necessary.

───⋆｡°✩☼✩°｡⋆───

A knock sounded on the door to Giles’s cottage. Scarlet walked in with Nevermore, her pet raven, perched on her shoulder. “Good afternoon you two,” Scarlet said in greeting. “What are you up to this early? Usually you both are still in your rooms past sunset.”

“For your information Scarlet I was teaching an important lesson to Genesis,” Giles pointed to them to emphasize his point.

Genesis looked up from where they were drawing in their sketchbook. “Yes I can see that,” Scarlet said, smirking at Giles. “Genesis seems to be paying very close attention.”

Giles grumbled, Genesis sprang up from the couch and ran to hug Scarlet. “You’re supposed to be on my side, you little brat.”

Genesis stuck their tongue out at him. “You wanted me to be here. You said that you were going to tell them how we met for the first time, and you wanted my side of the story.”

“I am and I do.”

───⋆｡°✩☼✩°｡⋆───

As a kid Giles spent most of his time in his room. He didn’t leave unless absolutely necessary. It was his safe place away from everything and everyone. He could go in there and sleep and be drifted off into the abyssal numb happiness of dreamland. Things were more happy in fantasy than they were in real life, everything felt easier.

Giles lived with his mother although he rarely saw her. It felt like he was alone, like he had no family in the first place. Honestly he would have liked that more, all his mom ever did was berate him and yell. He wondered why she wanted a kid so much in the first place considering how incapable of loving someone she was. 

Giles was always told that he had to be better, he had to be perfect. It didn’t make any sense he was made for some fucked up plan his mom made for some pointless grudge that she created. The other party didn’t even know she was ‘fighting’ against them. What was the point in Giles trying if he was going against someone he did not know, who did not know him, and certainly didn’t want to compete against him anymore than he did them.

He could never understand his mother. She made no sense. All she did was prattle on and on about Death’s daughter, she refused to even say the girl’s name, like doing so would be poison on her tongue. She complained about her every day, how much Death loved the girl and how good of a child she was. She told Giles every day that she wished he were like her. Maybe that was why they were meeting each other now. Was this his mom’s attempt at giving him a friend or a good influence? He didn’t know, but he did know that looking at the girl before him, he realized something.

She looked to be the same age as him. She was hiding behind her dad. Giles let go of his mother’s hand and walked towards the girl. He extended his hand, “Hello my name is Giles. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s okay Scarlet, go on.” The girl, Scarlet, slowly walked out from behind her father. Giles could see her fully now, she looked…. strange. She reached her hand towards his, Giles tried not to stare, but it was hard. Scarlet looked a lot like a Halloween decoration.

“What?,” the girl squeaked and pulled her hand back. She didn’t hide behind her father again, which was good.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that I’ve never seen anyone like you before.” Giles took a step closer to her. She didn’t move back.

“I’ve never seen anyone like you either. What are you?” Scarlet asked in a quiet voice. 

“I’m Giles Vitus, son to the goddess of life and I’m a satyr,” He said pointing to his goat legs. “Although unlike other satyrs my fur is white instead of brown.” He chuckled. 

Scarlet chuckled too, her red eyes met his blue ones “I’m Scarlet Grimoire, daughter to the god of death, and,” she paused for a moment, “I’m afraid I don’t know what I am.” She looked down in embarrassment.

“Well I know for certain that you are way cooler than a Halloween decoration.” She laughed again.

Life made an over exaggerated yawn. Everyone’s attention fell to her. “Oh excuse me,” She knelt down to be eye level with Scarlet, “but your father and I have important business to attend to.” Life grabbed Death by the arm and began to pull him away.

“What about the kids?” He said looking back at them as he was dragged away.

“They’ll be fine,” Life replied, waving off his concern. 

───⋆｡°✩☼✩°｡⋆───

“W-What are you doing,” Scarlet asked. Her father had never left her alone like this. It was a little unnerving. Her father left with his friend and she also left her child behind, a boy who looked the same age as her, and now said boy was repeatedly walking around her in circles looking her up and down. 

Scarlet pulled the hood of her cloak over her face, closed the front around her body, dropped to the ground, and curled into a ball. “Now you look like a strawberry,”  Giles said, poking the part of her cloak’s hood that was sticking up in a point. 

Giles sat down in front of her with his legs crossed, “I was just trying to get a good look at you, but you’ve completely hidden yourself, why?” Giles tilted his head to the side in question.

“I don’t like how I look.” Scarlet’s voice was muffled from her hiding herself in her cloak. “I look human, but I don’t look like other humans.”

“But why don’t you like how you look? You look cool.”

“You said that I looked like a Halloween decoration.” Scarlet was still curled into a ball with her hood on her head, but now she lifted her head up revealing her face.

“And what’s wrong with that? Halloween decorations are cool.” Scarlet didn’t look impressed with the boy, the more she spent with him the more she wanted to leave. Giles scratched the back of his head, “Um, I’m sorry but I’m not good with words. What I’m trying to say is just because you look like you do doesn’t mean that you’re a freak.”

Freak? In her head Scarlet would use a lot of different words to describe herself, but that wasn’t one of them.

“My mom says that mortals waste too much time on things like vanity. Your appearance is important and you should take pride in it, but it shouldn’t make you who you are, only your personality and character can do that.”

Giles crawled towards Scarlet, when he reached her he sat up on his knees and cupped her face, “Scarlet Grimoire you are the coolest Halloween decoration I’ve ever seen.”

Her pale cheeks gained a rosy tinge to them, she put her hands on top of his and smiled, “Thank you.”

Giles felt his heart skip, he immediately let go of her and stood up. He brushed off the dust from the ground off of his legs, when he finished he held a hand out to Scarlet. She took it and he helped her up. Giles looked at the clasp of her cloak, it was in the shape of a skull and in its eye sockets were red gems. “Hey take your cloak off, I want to see something.”

Scarlet reluctantly obeyed and with shaking hands undid the clasp, giving her cloak to Giles. Once she let go of it Giles took off running with it. Scarlet tried to chase after him, but his goat legs made it impossible for her to get anywhere remotely close. Scarlet tried to yell after him to stop, but he kept going. It took all of Scarlet’s energy just to run fast enough to keep him in her sights.

Giles finally stopped when he reached the peak of the valley hills. He held the cloak up into the wind, it flapped violently against the breeze. When Scarlet finally caught up to him it was a second too late, he stood facing the cloak raised above his head and yelled, “NEVER HIDE WHO YOU ARE!” Before she could yell back in protest he let go of the cloak.

Scarlet walked towards Giles with anger written on her face. Giles realized his dilemma, he couldn’t run away unless he wanted to fall down a hill and if Scarlet decided to show him that she was in fact the daughter of Death she just might push him off. 

Luckily for the satyr neither of those things happened. Scarlet was mad but instead of enacting revenge she crossed her arms and looked at him with a disappointed look. “What was that for?”

Giles couldn't tell if she really wanted an answer to that question, but he gave one anyway, “Like I said you shouldn’t hide. Nobody will ever get to know you if you hide yourself forever. Call it rude but sometimes we need somebody to force us out of our comfort zones so that we try new things.”

Scarlet thought about what he said for a second, he was right. His methods and tact may have been awful, but he was right nonetheless. Scarlet brought her hands in front of herself, looking at the gloves she was wearing. She always wore gloves and her cloak, not seeing the parts of herself that looked abnormal made her almost believe that she was normal, almost. She took one glove off and stared at her hand turning it over and over, scanning every centimeter, looking at every individual bone. She held up the glove into the air and let it go, it sailed off into the wind’s wild and unpredictable current. She did the same to the other glove letting it join its twin in the wind. Scarlet thought she would feel different after relinquishing the gloves, instead she felt the same and her hands felt a little bit chilly.

“What’s wrong,” Giles asked looking at her disappointed expression.

“Nothing’s wrong, I just thought that I would have a different reaction.”

“Like, an allergic reaction?”

“Never mind, forget I said anything.” Scarlet shook her head in dismissal. Giles grabbed her hand and started looking at it. Instinctively Scarlet wanted to pull away, but she refrained from doing so. He studied her hand closely, admiring her. He looked at her with such inquisitiveness. She studied him too, looked at his face and noticed the faint freckles dotting his peachy skin, his pale blue eyes, his shaggy golden curls. Finally she looked down at his legs, he was in fact  a satyr. His goat legs were proof enough of that, the fur there though was white like her hair. Giles said that he was different from other satyrs because of it. It made Scarlet wonder if he ever met any other satyrs or if he stayed with his mom like she did with her dad. She looked back up at Giles, noticing his horns, they were barely an inch or two long. They were little nubs poking from the top of his head, barely noticeable through his hair.

Giles laced his fingers with Scarlet’s, “I want to take you somewhere, it’s not far.”

Scarlet clasped her hand in his, “lead the way.”

Giles took her to a small village. It was quaint and quiet, nothing like the hustle and bustle of Crystal City, New Haven’s capital. Shops lined the cobblestone pathway leading into a cul-de-sac of houses. In the middle sat a fountain with a dove on the top, the sacred animal of the life goddess. 

“I come here every once in a while to go to the sweets shop, they have the best cinnamon buns that you’ve ever had,” Scarlet could see Giles’s eyes light up in happiness thinking about the desserts. It made her excited to try them for herself.

Giles led her into a shop, a bell overhead tinkled with glee when the door opened. An old looking man looked up from behind the checkout counter, “Welcome in. What can I get for you today?”

Giles stepped forward to the counter, “I’ll have the usual please.”

The man let out a merry hearty laugh, “Giles it’s good to see you again.”

“He knows you?” Scarlet asked.

“Of course I know him, I’d remember the sound of those hooves and that voice anywhere. And judging by the sound of it you have a friend with you and a girl too.” Mischief was written along the man’s face, “is she your girlfriend by any chance?”

“No, we just met today.”

“Well maybe I’ll still be around when you do have a significant other. I’d love to meet whoever ends up stuck with you, they must be just as abnormal as you are.” Giles stuck his tongue out at the man.

“You’ve been here for my past 30 plus birthdays, I think you’ll still be around in a few more centuries, you’re a pure blood elf after all.” Scarlet took a better look at the old man, she indeed did see the signature pointy ears marking his heritage.

“That I am,” his laugh sounded like a kind grandpa. It made Scarlet smile.

She reached her hand up for him to shake, and instantly pulled it back remembering that she wasn’t wearing gloves. She looked at the old man’s face but there was no change, he didn’t have any reaction whatsoever.

“This is Myrkr, he and his wife own this shop here. I think of both of them as my grandparents. Myrkr is completely blind so that’s why he didn’t shake your hand when you held it up.”

“I’m truly sorry my dear, you must think me rude, I did not mean to offend you. Here,” He held out his hand for Scarlet to shake, she obliged, “now what is your name young miss?”

“Scarlet,” she replied in answer.

Myrkr was nice; he talked to Scarlet as if he’d known her for decades and they were catching up like old friends. He told her stories about the shop, his wife, and Giles to the satyr’s embarrassed dismay. Soon his wife came down from upstairs and greeted the children. She looked at Scarlet like any other person, and smiled at her. Scarlet looked at her too. She was human and if her husband looked old then she looked ancient. Her face was deeply set with wrinkles, her hair was a silvery grey, and her hands were bony and shook uncontrollably whenever she moved them. 

Myrkr led Giles to the kitchen, he needed help with getting Giles’s usual out of the oven. Giles didn’t hesitate to leave Scarlet behind in order to get whatever it is he wanted. 

“He seems to like you very much. I might not have centuries of experience reading people like my husband does, but he seems like he enjoys your company.” 

Scarlet turned to face the old lady. “I hope you two stay friends. You seem to have a genuine connection, he probably won’t tell you but he spends most of time alone, unless he’s here. I’m glad he comes by every so often, don't get me wrong. He’s like the kid me and my husband never got to have, but sometimes I wish he had better company than us old souls.”

‘Never got to have.’ Scarlet had heard before that bi-species couples had hybrid kids before. She’d seen some of them before too, but hearing those words she actually thought about how rare of an occurrence it was. Some species couldn’t mix physically and sometimes bi-species children were just a ball of health problems waiting to happen. Presently children with two different species for parents was becoming more common and with technology advancing in the medical field those children were hardly ever born with defects. The prejudices though, that was something no amount of technological advances could fix. People will always think what they want and that’s that.

Looking at the old lady Scarlet could see the smile on her face, instead of the sadness she thought would be there. “Promise me Scarlet that you won’t let anything bad happen to that boy. I may sound like a crazy old coot, but I want to know that he’s safe with you, that you’ll be there when he needs someone.”

Scarlet locked pinkies with the lady, “I promise.” She had never been more sure of anything else in her life. She would do her best to protect the weird goat boy. She made a promise and she intended to keep it.

Giles and Mykyr came back wheeling a large pan rack from out of the kitchen. On the rack were, brownies, cinnamon rolls, macaroons, and assorted cookies; chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, oatmeal, sugar cookies, and even some that Scarlet had never heard of.

In the end both Giles and Scarlet left the shop, each carrying their own large box of desserts and a smaller, but still big, bag of candy. The kind couple said goodbye to them and they both promised to come back soon. 

“Your teeth are going to rot.”

“That won’t stop me, besides I’m part goat. They’ll grow back.” Giles kept eating his candy. Him and Scarlet had barely left the shop and he already plowed through almost a third of the treats that he got.

“Goats don’t grow their teeth back. That’s mainly a reptile thing, the only mammals who can are elephants, kangaroos, and manatees-.”

“BORING.” Giles made an over exaggerated drawl of the word, “fine then I’ll enjoy it now and then later I’ll brush 20 times will that make you happy?”

“It’s not about making me happy, it’s about your health.”

“Fine then Scar, how about I eat one more cinnamon roll and 3 more pieces of candy, then I’ll go home and brush my teeth 20 times.”

‘Scar’? Well nobody ever called her that before, she wasn’t opposed to the idea. “Deal goat boy.” They shook on it and as promised Giles had three more pieces of candy, which he made sure were the biggest pieces that he could find, and one last cinnamon roll.

The two continue walking along the cobblestone path. Until they reached the cul-de-sac. They sat down on the rim of the fountain and talked. It was fun, the most fun Scarlet had in years. She had fun back at home with her father, but she always felt like she was annoying him and monopolizing his time.

“There’s one more place that I have to go. I’ll be right back.” Giles sprang up and took off down the cobblestone pathway where the shops were. In a blink he was a dot on the skyline, how Scarlet ever kept him in her sights when she was chasing him, she had no idea.

She got up from the rim of the fountain and peered into the water. It was a clear blue and glittered in the sunlight. She could see her reflection in it, more clear than any mirror. She looked to the top of the fountain, the dove, in its beak was a rose; the sacred flower of the goddess. The dove itself was made of pure marble, not a single impurity on its white body. It made Scarlet think back to seeing the goddess earlier that day, she looked perfect, the most beautiful woman to ever exist. Scarlet looked back in the pool. She looked past herself on the water’s surface and at the bottom of the fountain. Miscellaneous coins sat at the bottom, probably from people making wishes to the goddess. Scarlet reached into her pocket and pulled out a gold coin. She held it in between both of her thumbs and index fingers, she closed her eyes and made a wish, relinquishing the coin into the fountain.

“She’s amazing isn’t she?” Scarlet jumped at the unexpected voice.

She jolted around to see a man dressed in a Druid priest’s robe. He must have been stopping by to preach in the town. 

“I think so, I met her earlier today. She seemed nice, although she also looked a little bit irritated. She was very pretty, the legends of her beauty are true. There is no woman more beautiful than her.”

“I’m glad we agree on something,” the man tilted his head to the side and smiled. “You said that you met her earlier today?”

Scarlet shook her head, “Yes, her and my dad are best friends. They went off to talk and left me and her son together.” 

“Is that so?” The man asked the question like he didn’t really want an answer.

Scarlet hummed in agreement.

“BLASPHEMY!” The man screamed. His kind demeanor was gone, his skin turned an angry shade of red, like he was badly sunburned. His pupils seemed to constrict to almost nothing. He lunged for Scarlet, grabbing her by the hair. He pulled her up and off the fountain making Scarlet’s scalp burn and sting in pain. She started crying.

“Stop that infernal crying you devil,” he shoved Scarlet into the cobblestone pathway. Her head hit it with a painful crack, blood seeped out, black, the color of tar and bitumen. The priest pulled his hand away from her hair, making sure to keep her pinned down with the other one around her throat. He looked at his hand covered in her blood and grimaced. He flicked it trying to get some of her blood off his hand, “you dare taint a holy man, you shall pay for this,” he leaned down and whispered in her ear, “with your life.”

Scarlet was in pain. Her head was throbbing, her eyes burned with tears, the loss of blood was making her vision blurry, and the loss of oxygen was making it hard not to pass out. Scarlet went into a fight or flight mode unwillingly using her powers. Through the cobblestone skeleton hands tried to break through the rock. Barely 3 of them succeeded, with Scarlet slowly losing consciousness she couldn’t keep it up for long, luckily for her the priest let go of her. She couldn’t summon any more reinforcements but she could control the ones that she did have. The skeletons lunged for the priest swinging wildly and unpredictably. The priest drew his sword and tried to cut them down, only for them to reform and attack again. 

Scarlet watched the battle from where she layed on the ground, without her breathing being obstructed she was slowly regaining consciousness. However she was still weak due to the blood loss and focusing her power on the battle. She couldn’t keep it up, not for long. Her body would give out before she won the fight. She knew there wasn’t anything she could do. So she gave up, she decided that she put up a good fight. The skeletons disappeared back into the ground listening to the daughter of Death. Memories of the day flashed through her vision, she guessed that she was dying, it was okay though. If she died then she would just go back to her father. What would he say? Would he be proud that she fought to protect herself? Would he be disappointed that she used her power against a mortal? She’d know the answer soon. She smiled, Giles would be proud of her, her friend would be proud that she fought. 

The priest's heavy steps landed on the cobblestone with a thud. He was charging for Scarlet, hands gripped tightly on the hilt of his sword. The sword was raised over his shoulder, building momentum with his run towards Scarlet. 

Scarlet didn’t try to move. She was content with her life, it was way longer than most and happier too. She let her eyes drift closed giving into the darkness and she felt the darkness climbing up her legs, to her arms, her head. It was warm and soft, she felt like she was embraced in a hug.

She reached out and felt something in front of her. She opened her eyes and there he was. Giles had his arms wrapped around her cradling her head in his hand holding her close to him. His goat ears were drooped in sadness and fear. He was crying, babbling unintelligibly asking her if she was alright.

Scarlet’s throat was raw and scratchy from crying and screaming earlier, but she managed to croak out a single word, “fine.” Giles hugged her tighter and Scarlet felt like she was being choked all over again.

Scarlet was down the cobblestone pathway where all the shops were. She was outside the sweets shop. Myrkr and his wife were standing next to them.

His wife, Matilde, knelt down to them. “My husband used his powers to get you away from there. There are perks to being a shadow elf even if others say the contrary.” It was meant as a joke but Scarlet couldn’t laugh, she was barely there. She was barely breathing.

Matilde moved to help Scarlet up so her and her husband could carry her inside. 

A throwing knife grazed her making a sizable slash from her shoulder to the opposite side of her collarbone. Matilde snapped her head towards where the knife came from. There was the priest charging straight for them Matilde ran for him but the second she got even a  foot away from Scarlet and Giles she fell to her knees, “you will pay for this,” she spat out as unconsciousness filled her body.

Myrkr cried out for his wife. He yelled at the priest demanding to know what he’d done to her. “Don’t worry old man. Your wife is fine, she’ll wake up soon enough. And so will you.” 

Before he could ask what he meant by that, he felt drowsiness filling his body. He soon too fell to the ground as his wife had, a small throwing knife sticking out of his stomach. “Can’t say the same for that demon.” He refocused his attention to where Giles was holding Scarlet. “Get away satyr this doesn’t concern you.”

“Why are you doing this!” Giles screamed, voice cracking with tears. “She didn’t do anything to you, to anyone!” He looked down at Scarlet’s face, she looked pale and lifeless, even for her. She felt colder than usual too. Her breathing was shallow and choked. Giles’s tears rolled down his cheeks and onto Scarlet’s face.

“Suit yourself kid.” He ran for him. Giles ran too leaving Scarlet on the pathway. He made sure to lay her on her side so as not to worsen her head injury.

Giles charged forward with his horns. They jabbed the priest into the gut making him stumble back and clutch his stomach in pain. The priest redrew his sword and ran for him. Giles kicked the priest in the leg making him trip and fall on top of him. The sword went flying and got stuck in the cobblestone path, giving Giles an opportunity to strike. He kicked the man in the stomach; he reared back, stumbling in pain. He fell to one knee grasping his stomach with one hand. He coughed into the other, droplets of red painting his hand. 

Giles didn’t bother looking back at the priest; all that was on his mind was Scarlet. If he could just get to her, he could run while carrying her and get her to safety. 

The priest wasn’t done yet though he picked up his sword from where it stuck into the ground. Giles had his back turned, Scarlet in his arms trying to pick her up in the most efficient way. The priest was behind him and before he could act the sword came down. 

It sliced through the skin on Giles’ back, tearing a pained cry from his throat. A huge cut went from his right shoulder all the way down to his left hip.

The priest dropped his sword and stumbled away in terror. Giles held Scarlet close to him. The priest tripped on the now rocky and beat up ground. He fell back, crying and mumbling as tears ran down his face. His face was pale and terrified. He was screaming like a mad man. He was backing away while still on the ground, he was using his hands and feet to push himself away.

The priest knew he messed up the second he saw it. He expected red to seep from the wound that he inflicted on the satyr, not gold. Gold came from his wound. Not gold like honey or a kind of yellow. No, metallic and shimmering gold ran down the satyr’s back. The blood of Life herself. The girl he thought was a demon was telling the truth. He thought her demonic powers were deceiving his holy ones.

It happened instantly a loud boom and a flash of light ricocheted through the town. There she was in her true form, a silhouette of pure golden light. The priest bowed, his forehead touching the ground.

“My lady, it is an honor to see you.”

“What transpired here?” Life didn’t bother with pleasantries. 

The priest explained, making himself sound like the victim. 

“Do you dare doubt the power that I bestowed upon you priest?”

“No my lady.” Terror shook his voice.

Life glared, “You dare to deceive me as well.”

The priest tried to say something but he couldn’t. “Hold your tongue. I know exactly what happened here. I was just giving you a chance to confess, show you a little mercy before your punishment.”

Sweat dripped from the priest's brow. “Punishment? But my lady I was only trying to get rid of that demon.”

“You mean my daughter.” Another figure appeared and the priest went numb with fear. He dared to look up and instantly regretted it. He was literally looking Death in the face. His skull head couldn’t articulate like a human face could but he knew that anger was written all over it.

“You attacked the daughter of Death, my dear friend, which she told you. But you doubted the power of truth that I bestowed upon you. You disrupted a peaceful town. You attacked an innocent couple who was only trying to help defend the kids and finally.  You. Attacked. My. Son.” 

The priest cried for forgiveness and mercy. “I would have been merciful if you had told me the truth, but alas you didn’t. Instead you chose to lie to me to cover your own sorry skin.” The priest swallowed a lump in his throat.

“But I am a merciful goddess if nothing else.” Life feigned pity in her voice.

“Thank you, my lady.” The priest’s voice seemed to beam with hope.

A wicked smile crossed Life’s face even though nobody could see it. Giles knew, he always knew when his mom was planning something. “Since this all happened because you tried to kill my best friend’s daughter I’ll let him decide what becomes of you. But know that your power is gone and you are no longer a Druid. Any family that you have is now disgraced and might be ridiculed for it. Tata.” With that she disappeared into a cloud of glittering dust. The way she so merrily and cheerfully said that made Giles’s skin crawl.

The priest’s pants darkened, tears streamed down his cheeks, and soon consciousness left his body. 

“D-did you kill him?” Giles asked.

Death shook his head. “No, killing him would be too easy of a punishment. He deserves to live out his life in exile and disgrace.”

Death walked towards Giles and picked up Scarlet from him. “Thank you for protecting her and being here. And for being her friend. I want to thank you young one, is there something that you want?”

Giles didn’t hesitate. “I want her, I want her to be my friend, to be by my side for the rest of my life, if harm comes to her ever again I want to be there for her.”

“Then I offer you these words: put her above all else.” Death turned to Myrkr and Matilde, who were starting to wake up.

“You two also protected my daughter and you didn’t judge her when you saw how she looked. For that I thank you and I ask what you want in return.”

Myrkr bowed, “My lord I want you to shorten my life to be the same as my wife’s.” Matilde gasped in shock and horror.

“My love you mustn’t.”

“It is what I want. You are a human and me an elf. I will live centuries long after you have departed from this world and that my dear is a world I do not wish to live in. What good is life if you cannot enjoy it with the one you love.”

Matilde cried tears of happiness and ran to kiss her husband. “I will do you one better. Your lifespan will now be the same as your husband’s. When the time comes I will collect you both at the same time. You will be together in this life as well as the one after.”

The couple thanked Death and he left carrying his daughter in his arms. Giles followed the god and he led him home. Afterward Death took his daughter back to their home.

───⋆｡°✩☼✩°｡⋆───

There were stars in Genesis’s eyes. Every story they heard of the pair only heightened how much they admired the duo. To Genesis’s brief sadness though, they remembered that Scarlet had worn a red cloak when they first met her. They didn’t remember her wearing gloves though, so progress is progress. They would leave it at that and continue.

“Yeah, I’m pretty cool aren’t I?” Giles sounded smug. Scarlet jabbed him in the hip, causing him to jump and clutch his side.

“Don’t forget who left me alone ‘Mr. Cool’. You should never leave a lady alone when you escort her somewhere.”

“Oh come on, that was centuries ago. Give a man a break.”

Giles and Scarlet started ‘arguing’ like they usually did. It made Genesis laugh every time. Both of them were so comfortable and happy around each other it warmed their heart.

“I have a question though. What happened to that priest and Myrkr and Matilde?”

“That’s actually two questions you just said them in the same sentence.” Giles said.

“Matilde and Myrkyr are still happily married and working at the sweets shop and I don't know what happened to the priest.” Scarlet looked to Giles for confirmation.

Giles shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know either. Genesis if you want, one day we can take you to the shop.”

They jumped up in excitement. “Really!? I’d love to, let’s go now.”

“Nah, let’s not, it's getting late Mouse and I’m tired.”

“It’s only 3pm.”

“And that’s my nap time.” Giles emphasized his point by booping Genesis on the nose. “‘Night ladies, love ya.” With that he left to go to his room.

In his room Giles started crying remembering that day. It was happy for the most part, so many wonderful things happened: he met Scarlet, he got to see Myrkr and Matilde, but most importantly the candy and cinnamon rolls he had were divine. Bad things happened that day too, that he didn’t mention.

He would never admit to it but his relationship with his mom was more messed up than he cared to share.

───⋆｡°✩☼✩°｡⋆───

Giles walked through the door of his mother’s house and was immediately met with a slap from the goddess. His cheek stung, but he didn’t reach up to touch it. He’d stopped doing that decades ago. It stung but it was faint and barely there, pain immunity was a real thing. Giles was living proof of that: physically and emotionally.

“Don’t you ever embarrass me like that in front of my friend again.” Life scolded, she sounded like she’d been crying. Her voice was gravely and threatening to break. She turned away from her son and went back inside her room.

Giles went upstairs to his room too. He got ready for bed and did what he always did when he was home; he went to sleep. His mom could yell and hit him all she wanted to later, but right now he let sleep embrace him. The abyss of happier, more peaceful places was where he wanted to be, not the real world with pain and suffering.

He went to sleep and he dreamed of a beautiful girl.

[switch]

I'm trying to figure out Vlad's speech pattern, do you have any tips on writing his dialogue?

ohh yeah that's tough. i struggled with that for a while and i'm still not 100% sure how exactly i'd put it to words since i kinda just started feeling it out...

uh i think one thing that especially helped with vlad for me was really listening a lot to his voice acting and then just sort of... imagining how his particular deep and kind of slow-spoken and kingly cadence would translate to and sound in written dialogue... does that make sense...

i mean one, uh, 'nice' thing about vlad is that he doesn't have a lot of written dialogue. between his gameplay/my room lines, his interlude, the gray collar event, vegas, valentine, and halloween revival, plus his relatively sparse dialogue in apoc, you can basically look at... everything he's ever said in, like, a day for reference (heck i've got like a 10 minute video of every single line he says in the apoc anime). i will say that some of his early my room lines do have a bit of an odd feel to them, though...

uh, anyway, as for more specific tips... uhhh.... he tends to use more refined or formal or even old-fashioned-sounding language, but critically without sounding excessively flowery, either, as he's often also pretty direct and conveys authority in the way he talks at the same time. especially if he's giving some kind of speech, or talking about something before battle, or scolding someone (apoc and vegas). he says stuff like "fool," "unsightly," "end yourself", "i thank you/you have my gratitude" etc... when he does get more poetic or indirect is in higher bond levels where he starts alluding to things more than outright stating them (bond 5, bond 10, ascension 4), so that's also situational.

it's also sort of shown/implied that he lightens up a bit more when dealing with kids or teenagers in chaldea, and obviously the protagonist, but he really never feels casual even at his most relatively casual or happy state. when writing him i'd definitely recommend veering towards more formal language than you might think is necessary vs risking making it sound too casual, as i would say it sounds out a lot weirder fast when a vlad is accidentally written even a bit too casual than it does when he's written maybe a little excessively formal. he also doesn't seem to laugh a lot outside of brief "heh"s or "hehe"s or even the occasional "oho". he seems to go "hm" or "hmph" sometimes if he's contemplating things or not happy about something... maybe it was sort of a weird translation, but the end of his interlude 1 where he just outright says "sorry for forcing you to accompany me" instead of anything more... noble-sounding feels like kind of a rare big deal thing, for him.

a lot of fan translations outright write him into using "thee"s and "thou"s and "canst"s and such, or at least having him switch to talking like that in certain situations, which i do definitely think works contextually for him. he doesn't use contractions a lot of the time ("there is" "i am" "it is" "i shall", etc) but he does still use them sometimes, (there's multiple instances of "i've" and "i'll" peppered around at the least), so it's not a hard and fast rule- it seems to just be more dependent on who he's talking to and whether or not it works with the flow of that particular line of dialogue. he tends to address other people by titles of some kind rather than by name.

actually i do remember one time the way vlad talks was described to me as something like the way some kind of dark anime villain would talk. he talks like an anime villain who isn't actually a villain...

ugh does any of this make sense, i don't know, so much of this is situational.......

[aeoki]

Sandstorm - Epilogue 3

Location: Chuugoku Region Qualifiers Stage Characters: Hinata, Yuuta, Adonis, Kouga, Kaoru & Rei

Kaoru: Hehe. But well, everyone had it pretty rough this time around, so I’m glad we’re all feeling motivated.

I think it’s impossible for us to turn the tables around from where we currently are, but if you say we can, Rei-kun, then I get this strange feeling that it’s actually achievable.

Adonis: Yeah. Sakuma-senpai has always been reliable.

Kouga: Hmph! It’s way too late to be motivated, ya know! You two seniors are always like this! Won’t you guys ever learn!?

Rei: ………… *Ignores Kouga and looks away*

Kouga: Hey, stop that. I bet you think it’s funny that I get upset everytime I get ignored, right!?

Kaoru: Ahaha, isn’t it nice that you have a new trademark routine?

Adonis: Yeah. Let’s try to see things on the positive side, Oogami.

Yuuta: I don’t really care what you guys are going on about, but please get to work~ The performance has already started, you know~?

Hinata: Ahaha. It’s been a while since they last saw each other, so they probably have a lot of things to talk about.

Yuuta: But even so, they should be doing that in the waiting room. Your fans were feeling pretty sad and lonely too, so don’t just keep the party within yourselves~

If you turn out to be useless, then maybe I’ll trick you guys and have you removed again~?

Kouga: Huuuh? You should stop getting a taste for that and snap outta that character. You just pretended to be evil to trick the management, right?

We know you’re a good kid deep down.

There might be people who’ll misunderstand and think you two are coldhearted and ruthless villains, so be careful!

Adonis: Yeah. You cannot entertain them if they fear you. And you won’t be able to get closer to the people you want to make happy. That’s a fact I know all too well.

So don’t make such a scary face and smile, Yuuta, Hinata.

Hinata: Huh~? I’m always smiling though~♪

Yuuta: Yeah, yeah. We’ll do what you say, senpai~ Since we’re a pair of obedient and good little kids in the end.

Kouga: …You fool.

Yuuta: Ow ow!? Don’t ruffle my hair like that, please! You brute! And I even had it styled all nicely!

Kouga: “~......♪”

Yuuta: And he just ignores me. Didn’t you mum teach you to treat others how you’d treat yourself?

Hinata: Ahaha. The one who taught us that was our dad, though.

Yuuta: He didn’t teach us anything – Just nagged us. The toxic parents always say not to cause trouble for other people, right?

“♪~♪~♪”

Hinata: Oh, geez. You care too much about dad, so it sounds as if you like him a lot instead~ …Yuuta-kun?

Kaoru: Hey, Hinata-kun.

Hinata: Hm? What’s up, paisen? Do you want a kiss or something? Oh my, my big brother’s watching, you know~!

Kaoru: You’re like Rei-kun and totally inconsistent in character, huh~

It’s fine though. Things are more fun when it’s harder.

Well, anyway…

Hinata: Woah, please don’t try to unsheath your sword! I know it’s just a prop, but it still scares me!

Kaoru: Heheh, I’m imitating what Souma-kun does~♪

Hinata: Yo, Japan! Kyaa~ Hakaze-senpai, you’re so cool~☆

Kaoru: …There’s something I wanna ask you, but is that okay with you?

Hinata: …What? Are you gonna lop my head off depending on how I answer?

Kaoru: Yuuta-kun was probably serious, right?

Hinata: …………

Kaoru: He seriously tried to crush us.

Adonis-kun and the others probably misinterpreted it in a positive way and as a result, they thought he was just acting like the bad guy.

But did things really end up that way?

Rei-kun obviously has a good sixth sense, but Adonis-kun and Kouga-kun are the opposite. They can’t read the room and don’t really think all that much.

Hinata: Woah, that’s harsh.

Kaoru: Yeah. It’s because they’re both so pure that they can always see the truth. They won’t ever miss the most important part.

So if Yuuta-kun’s real intention was to trick the management, then Kouga-kun and Adonis-kun would’ve been able to tell.

But as far as I’ve heard, they were really confused.

They seriously got angry at Yuuta-kun who had betrayed them and they were practically fists away from each other. That’s what Rei-kun told me.

I think Kouga-kun and Adonis-kun were angry about the fact that Yuuta-kun had seriously betrayed them. 

Yuuta-kun was serious about tricking us and as a result, he was accepted by the management…

And tried to use us as fodder to rise to a higher position.

Hinata: …………

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂ Next Chapter →

[stepswowdsen]

【KagePro】 KuroEne play board games together 🖤💙

Intro

KuroEne play board games together (Shitpost)

Don't these images work great for the "No you" Uno Reverse card... 🔃

More of a lighthearted idea but I just remembered how on Christmas Eve I was playing card games and board games with my cousins.

So the board games and card games we were playing were like President (Card game using the traditional deck of 52 cards), Uno, and Tapple. And it just made me think of ideas of KuroEne playing together.

I would love to see KuroEne play card games together like Old Maid. It’s the card game where you have to discard pairs (if you have any) into the pile, and draw 1 card from another player’s hand each turn, hoping that you’re not left with the Joker card (Old Maid = Joker) at the end of the game, otherwise you lose.

Saeru sounds like a nightmare to play against 😭

Ene is up against the embodiment of knowledge

F: Ooooh Tapple, Kuroha is an entire dictionary himself, he'd win so no questions there

I guess Uno is the only fair one here for the both of them. I haven't seen President yet

Me: I'm just going off of what I remember, but basically with President, you're trying to get rid of all your cards the fastest.

(It's hard for me to explain through text. Sowwy)

The highest ranking cards are Jokers (can bomb any card), then 2s (work as bombs but Joker can bomb anything). And then traditional Ace, King, Queen, Jack are under that

So when a player puts down a card, then other players have to put down a card of either the same or higher value. So if a player puts down a 2, then it can clear the pile of that round. Though, Joker is a guaranteed bomb. The player who puts down a Joker can then choose to start and put down what they want

But you can't have only a 2 or a Joker in your hand at the end of the game, or you automatically lose. So, you try to get rid of your lowest ranking cards, first, strategically, then use 2s and Jokers in the hopes of getting to start the round and discard a card you want

F: Ooohh, yeah I've never heard of this one before, but it seems to be a... gamble type of game? Like it depends on the cards you get

Me: Yeah it's definitely luck based cuz the people who get 2s and Jokers are obviously at an advantage. Though people can win, even without having any.

Me: Even thinking of other card/board games... 😭 Chess is basically his win tbh. Especially since it's strategy based

F: Imagine Monopoly. My fav

Me: OH yeah Monopoly is fun

Me: YEAH. Tapple is like... You get a prompt (ex. Name something that is the colour red) and then each person has to go around naming something (and they press the timer at the start of their round). And then they press down the starting letter they used so it can't be used anymore

F: You gotta admit...

Me: DAKLSKSDSDKLDSKL

You know he would call her out on it though 😭

Me:

Kuroha: It's cute how you think I haven't noticed you putting the pieces in your pockets when you think I'm not looking.

Ene: ‼️

Ene: Hmph!!! (//>3<//)

F: You gotta admit Ene eating the pieces would be hilarious though

Me: 😭😂

Technically... her android body would probably be able to take it yeah

Old Maid

Cuz like with Old Maid, for example, you're hoping the other player takes the Joker if you have it. Since each turn, you take a card from another player

If Ene takes the Joker card from him (not knowing), he'll just watch her reshuffle her deck and memorize where the cards go to ensure he doesn't pick that one

She probably tries to reshuffle them every turn in response to this, but he still manages to remember cuz of course he would

So the goal of Old Maid is to discard your pair cards into the discard pile, and NOT be the one left with the Joker at the end of the game, otherwise you lose. Each turn, you discard your pairs (if you can), pick up a card from the deck, and then pick 1 card to choose from another player’s hand

I HC’ed that if Ene takes a Joker card from Kuroha, he just memorizes where the Joker card got placed into her hand when she took it from him, and he memorizes where the card goes when she reshuffles her deck. At first Ene shuffles it manually, but then reshuffles them via the common card shuffling methods (ie. Riffle Shuffle), but he still memorizes it. Eventually she just says to shuffle their cards underneath the desk or something or to put up a piece of cardboard in front of their cards when they shuffle, so that he can’t pull this shit anymore. Tho it wouldn’t affect him much anyway

Uno

And then with Uno. I think she wants to kill him fr guys when he stacks two +4 on her

Ok so I had a thought of how, in Uno, when someone puts down a +4, but then the other player can challenge it if they also have a +4 card in their hand, and if the person who originally put it down doesn’t have another +4 card, then they just take both +4 cards (and have to pick up 8 cards total).

I HC’ed that would happen with them. And when it does, Ene wants to bite his head off verbally.

Joker Card 🃏♦️

I think it’s cool to think about since Kuroha/Saeru is canonically Joker themed in the Playing Card set drawn by Sidu.

Kuroha’s smug expression in the Joker card art by Sidu is one of my top fave arts of him ever. It’s SO good. It’s so Saeru-esque… It fits him so well…. I love the compositions too

And also the Snakes and Golden Apples = Immortality fits with his character theme of rewinding the world so he can live forever (seeking Immortality)

The silver branches are so that it fits with the Black/Gold/Gray colour scheme (his main colours), so the sacred golden apples can hang from them in the composition, but I never knew silver branches + golden apples was usually associated with the Underworld in Celtic mythology, which is really cool as a coincidence.

As a parallel, he succeeded at Immortality via killing Takane, and Takane/Ene getting Opening Eyes → Immortal cyber body

Irt other symbolisms (aside from this art), I also get reminded of Uroboros (a snake eating its own tail to represent the eternal cycle of destruction and rebirth), and the World Egg myth with Kuroha/Saeru

Uroboros is just my HC.

And the World Egg myth is just cuz I got reminded of it lowkey. Since it has the imagery of a snake wrapped around an egg.

Misc

Though it is true that regardless of what they’re playing (shooter games, etc.) he’ll just throw the game sometimes by letting up at the end just to see how Ene will react after she wins, and also because he’s curious what will happen.

Like I feel like they would tend to do those kinds of bets because of how competitive Ene is. The outcomes could just be wholesome, or it could lead to intimacy.

If either of them lose:

Ene: Ok, I lost the bet, so, I’ll do whatever you want. Within reason, of course!

Kuroha: I’ll be your willing servant for the rest of the day (^-^)

Tapple

Me: Oh yeah with Tapple... The one where you come up with a word with the letter it starts with, according to the prompt. And each letter gets used only once during the entire game, so when a player puts the letter down, you have to use the others, and go until the whole thing is filled

I think he just wins at any games involving strategy or memorization. Playing with him sounds so frustrating fr LMAO

F: Yep I'm a little familiar with Tapple, I've seen people play it. Now imagine if the prompt is "diseases" and Kuroha pulled out the "Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis"

Misc

Me: I wonder what other kinds of fun shenanigans they could pull off...

F: A "loser cooks dinner" type of scenario. Maybe??

Me: Ooooh cute... Though, Ene's body in my KuroEne AU is an android body so she doesn't need to eat though. And I imagine Saeru doesn't need to eat, but he can eat if he wants. The idea of Saeru cooking is cute though. Murderous wifeguy

F: Let my malewife HC stay alive

Me:

Douman: Wifeguy, malewife, wife, whore

Xanxus: Wifeguy

Idate: Wifeguy, whore

Kuroha/Saeru: Wifeguy, whore

Kuroha/Saeru is a wifeguy and a whore to me. The vibe is different than a malewife

Douman is a wifeguy, malewife, and a whore. Making them stronger than God.