#viola deserved better

[sonofanumbranwitch]

Literally Everything About Viola's Character Is Fighting Against The Story She's In.

I'm trying my hardest to stay more positive than negative about the ending of Bayo 3 but it's hard when even the game's own characters don't want me to be on board for this.

I enjoyed Viola for the most part. I feel like she does not have enough time focused on the more interesting parts about her, and she does not go through nearly enough development to warrant the games end. BUT, despite all that I do like Viola. But everything about her is telling me she doesn't belong where she's at in the game.

First off, nothing about her design says "Daughter of Bayonetta". She has nothing in her design that links her to her mother until literally the last scene of the game where she's wearing Bayo's glasses. In fact, their designs are about as opposite as possible. Bayo is long dark hair, and elegance, where Viola is Short bright hair and punk vibes.

Now parent & child designs don't need to be one to one clones of each other (hello B0rut0). But since Viola's identity as Bayo's daughter is supposed to be a major reveal, there should be at least SOMETHING tying them together. Like Enzo and Luka both say Viola looks familiar and I'm like, "What the fuck are you talking about?" Like give Viola dark hair, or maybe have her punk clothes be a spin on Bayo's style. SOMETHING!

And speaking of punk, punk is a style that has it's roots in individualism. It's about fighting back against oppressive ideas of society and carving out your own unique look. It is anti-authoritarian and anti-conformity.

Viola's theme is all about her wanting to break free and be heard. "I'm the ghost within you, you're my history, Beggin' to be free, but you don't hear me."

It's an anthem of wanting to break free and be recognized for who you are regardless of your history and to not fall back into that past.

Can't repeat this nightmare, this misery, In a book, that's tearing apart at the seams, In a loop, let's rewrite our history, Your time is up, but now the Fates got me.

And then of course we have how Viola keeps rejecting Bayo's nickname for and keeps insisting that she be called Viola. V-I-O-L-fucking-A.

Everything about Viola, from her design, to her theme song, to the words out of her mouth are screaming about how she wants to be seen for who she is as a person.

So how does her story end? With her adopting someone else's name and taking up someone else's identity. And that is just upside down moon logic! Viola deserves better than this. She isn't Bayonetta. She doesn't need to be. She's Viola and no one should forget it.

[pyro-madder]

was there confirmation from the devs that gascoigne has two daughters or did we all take the older one's words at face value when everything else in the game points otherwise

[at-soup]

Happy birthday my love, i hope today's a good one for you

@official-megumin

[nehswritesstuffs]

Lackluster

My brain: write this niche ship

Me (in an Uncle Stan voice): I don’t know how to respond to this.

Also me: *writes it anyhow*

3980 words; someone said it was rarepair month, which meant this has been haunting me and idk what’s going on but now everyone else gets to suffer as well; I guess we’re talking a post-Wano AU? Maybe shoving it into what we know? You know idk; moral of the story is that these two would look good together and there’s nothing anyone can do about it; please don’t ask me about the prevailing implications of this ship bc wtf no one has time to dissect that; I feel like this ship has the potential for something really neat, but they’d have to get over a lot of other shit first in order to get it past a series of one-night stands like this

Lackluster; The Polar Tang makes a proper stop in Dressrosa after the insanity that was Wano, leading to a bit of unexpected shore leave for her captain. [Law/Viola, mature rating]

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Okay, so, he lied.

Although Law wanted to push forward and see what was beyond Wano, he also really, really wanted to put distance between himself and the Straw Hats. Kidd as well, for that matter, but definitely the Straw Hats. Instead of going off towards the Pose’s locked reading, he had Bepo save it for later, instead going back along their prior route. There had to be somewhere for them to lay low for a while Strawhat-ya wreaked havoc, because as soon as they started again, they were liable to create an even bigger mess than before. Did Trafalgar D. Water Law wish to endanger his crew by bringing them within a Log Pose’s distance of those lunatics again? Not really.

Hence, going backwards. Just for a little bit. Strategically, as it were.

“Dressrosa? Really?” He stared at the port for a bit, then looked over at Bepo, who cowered at being caught. “You do know that I just came from here.”

“Sorry, but we all wanted to see!” the bear defended sheepishly. “It’s supposed to be a beautiful country…”

“…with beautiful women!” Shachi added. Law could feel the twitch in his lower right eyelid returning. Shachi and Penguin both appeared, ready to disembark based on the fact they were wearing clothes that were definitely not their boiler suits. “Come on—you can’t just decide that you get to have all the fun!”

“You were at Onigashima.”

“You know what the man meant,” Penguin said. In a tone—no less—as though there was no room for argument! “The guys and I all took a vote…”

“…I’m still sane, Cap…!” Ikkaku shouted from the back of the crew. Penguin closed his eyes and winced.

“…the guys, Ikkaku, and I all took a vote and, aside from the lone dissenter, we decided it’d be good to hang around Dressrosa for a few days. You said we should figure it out.”

“Yeah, but…”

“…and we figured it out,” Shachi finished. “C’mon—it’s not even like they’re worried about anything now that they’re cleaning up and it’s after the Levely. Live a little.”

“I hate you.”

“Heh—no you don’t.”

At that, most of the crew went and disembarked onto dry land, leaving only Law and the ones who already seemed to have drawn first lots. How long had they been planning this? He stood there for a moment feeling rather defeated before heading down below, because if he was going to be wandering around Dressrosa, at least he was going to be doing so in something other than the coat he saved her in.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Sitting down at a cafe, Law sipped at his coffee and honestly enjoyed the sights around him. With sunglasses on and leaving his hat in the Tang, he felt comfortably different enough to where few people would stop and bother him. In fact, no one seemed to take notice of him at all, which was a relief. He never liked being the center of attention, all things considered, and he was glad that he could simply give off the air of someone passing through.

Trying to ignore the sight of Clione and Uni on the other side of the square attempting to chat up some ladies, Law decided to dive directly into one of the newspapers he had acquired. Plenty of things had happened since they had disappeared into Wano, and it seemed as though the surprises were almost limitless.

“Are you sure you want to trust what’s printed in that fire-starter?” Law glanced over the top of the paper and saw he was no longer alone at the table. Viola, wearing her own set of sunglasses and a surprisingly tasteful skirt-and-polka-dot-blouse outfit as her hair sat pinned elegantly in a bun. He suspected it had been hiding in the back of her wardrobe.

“There’s some actual journalism, if you know how to look.”

“The comics page?”

“Mostly in the language being used, as well as corrections,” he shrugged. “Normal, accurate, fully-respectable journalists can get things wrong, which is why such a page exists to begin with. We’re fallible that way. However…” He laid the paper down and tapped the page full of small, barely-legible text. “…and for this to be a normal amount? A full double-spread on a bad day? It’s like they put out two completely different newspapers at once.”

“Hmm… you’re not entirely wrong,” she conceded. She played with the rim of her own cup and he could feel her eyes boring into him, hidden by the tinted lenses. “Word travels fast anyhow—what are you doing back here after causing that ruckus in Wano? Here I thought you’d want to chase a certain trouble-making carnivore down.”

“As strong and chaos-inducing as he is, he’s just a kid, and I got enough annoying kids on my crew to worry about some teenager who refuses to follow a plan.”

Her eyebrows shot up at that. “So you think of him as a child?”

“An insanely powerful and charismatic one liable to stress me into going grey by thirty, yeah.”

“Hmm.”

Viola sipped at her coffee and hummed. It was a surprisingly quiet moment for a bustling street in the middle of a rebuilding country, and yet there was something about it that sent the hairs on the back of Law’s neck in shivers.

“Maybe I did underestimate you,” she chuckled, putting down her cup and placing it and the saucer aside. “Then again, much of what I heard was myth and legend over the years.”

“Much of it was unfounded, I can assure you.”

“Possibly. I’ve had a bit of time to assess you for myself as well.”

“…and…? Do I pass muster?”

“You pass… something alright.” A smile tugged at her lips, twitching the corners up coyly. “Doffy might have mourned your loss, but I see no reason to wail and shed tears.”

“Not that way, anyhow,” he quipped. He immediately regretted his word choice—the idiots in his crew (and Strawhat-ya’s, let’s be honest) were really rubbing off on him—as her smile widened.

“Is this you saying you could… satisfy my curiosity? That you’re… up to the task?”

“Your last paramour, from what I understand, still thinks he’s twenty years younger than he really is—I’m surprised he could get anything going at all, let alone sustain it.”

She let out an undignified snort and laughed—warm and genuine. “I admit it wasn’t anything aside from practical maneuvering on my end, but sometimes it’s not entirely bad doing what one must when in the correct mindset.” He shuddered, which made her laugh again. “What? Too much for your delicate sensibilities?”

“Not delicate per say; just… he’s the last person I want to think about doing that right about now.”

“Fair.” Viola stood and gazed down at him, still smirking. “Want to not think about it for a while?”

“I’d like to think of it never.”

“Then maybe I can… help your memory replace that information with something else.” She placed a hand on his shoulder and leaned down. Her voice went low and she was so close that Law could smell her perfume—Alabastian, if he remembered a prior crew pitstop correctly. “You still remember your way around?”

“Of course.”

“Then don’t disappoint me, Trafalgar Law.”

Viola let her hand linger as she walked away, passing into the crowd behind where Law was sitting. He looked and she was gone—vanished just as discreetly as she appeared.

“Hey, Captain!” Law’s attention was pulled away from Viola’s disappearing trick, Clione and Uni suddenly appearing next to his table. “What’cha doing?”

“Never you mind,” Law grumbled. He downed the rest of his coffee and gathered up the newspaper, shoving it under his arm. “I’m just going somewhere quiet.”

“You know that’s pretty impossible, right?” Uni replied.

“Yeah, I mean, why would you?” Clione asked. Law stared in deadpan silence before he cast a Room and disappeared in silence.

Fucking hell… hopefully they saw nothing.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

After quickly depositing the newspapers inside his office in the Tang and dodging more of his crew, Law used his Op-Op ability to pop around Dressrosa, doing his best to figure out where Viola went. It was his Haki that eventually found her, walking calmly on her way to the edge of the townscape. He placed himself alongside her and locked their arms together.

“What took you?” she asked idly.

“Crew—they’re a rowdy bunch at times.” He heard her chuckle and he felt the tips of his ears grow hot. “What…?!”

“At first I found it difficult to believe that your crew is so full of mirth, but it does suit you,” she replied. They were now meandering down an unpaved dirt road, fields on either side of them and trees soon approaching. “They must be what keeps you from becoming Doffy’s true Corazón material.”

“Not entirely, but it does, yes, keep things lighter in mood,” he admitted. Law returned a nod to what appeared to be a passing farmer and then tried not to scowl. “Are you sure about this?”

“I have always been able to wander amongst the people—before, during, and after Doffy’s reign,” she stated. “The overbearing threat of him has ruined your sense of trust.”

“I can’t see into people’s minds and hearts.”

“There are some things I don’t need my Devil Fruit ability for, and that is often one of them.” He glanced at her—nearly his height in those heels—and saw the wistful expression on her face. “My father’s rule has been a good one, and the people are well-aware of the sacrifices I made to subvert Doffy. They will not give us away. If anything…” She trailed off in thought, not finishing her sentence. Law waited for her to complete the thought, giving up once they were under the shade of trees.

“If anything…?”

“Oh, sorry. If anything, I think they would be glad to see me acting normal for once. You know: administering law, representing the nation amongst other heads of state, meeting people…”

“The question remains as to whether or not I’m the sort of person they want you to be meeting with.”

“I’ll take my chances.” She went off the road and onto a footpath, where she took him through the grey-barked, virgin cork trees until they came across a small house hidden from the road. He raised an eyebrow at her and she winked at him. “What? My sister and I used to come here as children. The past ten years, it’s where I came to be alone.”

“No one else knows?”

“My family, but they are all at Kyros’s today.” She unlocked the door and began to flit about the house, opening windows and letting the fresh air in. It had only one floor, with a kitchen and sitting area taking up most of the space, while two doors let off to the side—presumably a bedroom and bathroom. Viola slipped into one of the rooms for a moment and Law could peek inside, confirming his suspicions.

“This is all fairly elaborate for what I imagine is a one-time thing,” he mentioned as she exited the bedroom. She shrugged at that.

“We both deserve a bit more than an alley, and Doflamingo was never in this place.”

Ah. That explained… quite a bit, actually.

“Forget that though,” she continued. She placed her hands on either side of his jaw, thumbs brushing against his cheeks and her remaining fingers pressed against his neck, pristine fingernails gently scraping over his skin. “I want you to do precisely what you followed me here for.”

Taking that as permission, Law leaned down the small amount it took until he was pressing his lips against Viola’s. They were soft against his own and he able to taste the lip balm she used. One of her hands moved to his hair and held him firmly, allowing his own hands to wander towards her waist to settle right above her hips. She slipped her tongue into his mouth to press against his, teasing and daring for more. He complied, deepening the kiss. A moan escaped her and he grinned as he continued.

“It’s been that long?” he smirked. She pinched his shoulder.

“Shut up.”

“I think I remember you invoking a horrible image in my brain, which implied that you had been getting enough to avoid such a response.”

“I said: shut up.”

At that, Viola maneuvered Law a few steps backwards and pushed him down into a chair. He landed hard on the worn lacquered wood, hissing in irritation before he realized that she was leaning over him, hands braced on the table as she caged him in, their noses nearly touching.

“Do I make myself clear?” The irritation and surprise left his face, leaving only cockiness in their place.

“Crystal, princess.”

Finding that acceptable for the time being, Viola sat down, straddling Law’s lap as she began to kiss him again. She worked at unbuttoning his shirt as he held her hips this time, his thin fingers caressing from her upper thighs all the way to the hipbone. Once she had his shirt open and shoved off his frame, she placed her hands on his chest, feeling the tight muscle under skin and ink. He pulled her closer, bringing her chest flush with his and hiking up her skirt at the same time. As she gasped, he moved to begin kissing along her jaw, her throat, her pulse point, gently biting down before she twisted one of his nipples and made him recoil.

“Fuck!”

“No marks,” she ordered. “I can’t show up to court with love bites where just anyone can see.”

“Cover them with makeup.”

“That’s annoying, and less-than-foolproof.”

“I thought you said your people want you to… you know…”

“…the people, yes. The same cannot be said about my father and brother-in-law.”

Law cast a Room in response and snapped his fingers, making Viola’s blouse and bra relocate to another chair. Once she was rid of the garment he leaned her back and plunged his face between her breasts in order to bite the underside of her left one. She sucked in a breath through her open mouth, her entire body beginning to tremble.

Oh, he was good.

The Room still up, Law transported them both onto the bed in the other room, placing them on the edge of the mattress instead. Viola took the pin out of her hair and placed it on the sidetable, letting her hair fall down past her shoulders in dark waves. It framed her face as she brought him back up to meet her lips, shielding them both as they continued to kiss fervently. They ground their hips together as they leaned back onto the bed, with her feeling the rough trouser fabric tight around his erection, while he could smell how wet she was.

A few more moments of kissing and Viola decided to break the action, concentrating instead on slipping out of her shoes, skirt, and panties. Law did the same with the rest of his clothes, pausing as he caught sight of her entire body. It had been a long time since he had seen a naked woman outside of a clinical setting, and it wasn’t until right then and there did he realize how long it had truly been. She caught him staring and it was her turn to laugh.

“…and you were giving me a hard time,” she snorted. “You look like you might not even last five minutes.”

“I wasn’t the one bragging.”

“By teasing me…” She sat down on the bed and pulled him close to her. “…that was insinuating that you’d had better in the meantime.”

“Mmmhmm… sure…” He bent down onto his knees and began to message her thighs. “Any requests?”

“Just make it good, Trafalgar, and I trust you can use that ability of yours to clean us up properly afterwards.”

“Of course.”

He pressed a kiss against her inner thigh, then another, and another, moving up her leg until his nose was buried in soft curls as he kissed and licked at her folds, fingers helping along the way. He slid two digits into her and flexed, making the leg resting on his shoulder tremble.

“Tease me later,” she chided between breaths. He grinned again before leaning back and letting his tongue dart over his lips, taking in her salty taste. Instead he slowly kissed his way up her body, taking note of each curve as he lavished attention onto her. By the time he made it back up to her neck and jaw, her breathing had become erratic, if slightly, and he was at least slightly proud of himself for getting her so worked up so easily. With the taste of her still on his tongue, he kissed her deeply as her legs settled on either side of his hips and he eased into her in earnest.

Law’s vision went white for a moment as the hot, slick walls around him clenched. It was obvious that Viola knew exactly what she was doing from the start, but… fuck, he hadn’t been expecting that. He started up a rhythm, thrusting slowly as he coaxed little noises out of her. She felt so fucking good that he wasn’t entire certain how long he was going to last, given the distance since his prior liaison. Her back arched and her legs shook as she suddenly crashed into… something… turning her attention to him as he stopped.

“What…?” she frowned.

“Are… are you alright?”

“Yeah. I’m just…” She avoided eye contact. “…I guess I really did get by on subpar standards, didn’t I?” She gasped as he rocked his hips into hers again, punctuating the silence.

“Don’t force yourself to do what I’m here for,” he said. He picked the rhythm back up and laced his fingers with hers, holding their hands on either side of her head. Before long, both of them were riding their orgasms. Law rolled off Viola and laid on his back, gulping down air as he stared at the ceiling. “Better?”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “We’re not very good at this, are we?”

“Give me five minutes and we can practice being adults our age,” he offered. “By the end of the day, we might even be good at it.”

Something about the chuckle that escaped her suggested to him that she was amenable to that.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Exhaling heavily, Law found himself swimming back to consciousness feeling more relaxed than he had in weeks. Wait, months? It was at least months, bordering well on years, and he was glad for it. A reach with Observation Haki let him know that the woman in his arms was also awake, though also definitely enjoying the moment. He hugged Viola a big tighter, rubbing his face between her breasts.

“You are a bit of a pervert, aren’t you?” she chuckled. She began to play idly with his hair, running her fingers through it.

“I keep it well-hidden and in-check, unlike some people we know,” he replied. He looked at the bruise that was forming around where he bit and smiled inwardly. “We could shed tears and induce trauma with this.”

“I’d rather not.”

“Fine.” He disengaged himself from her torso and sat up, scratching his neck while stretching. “Did you still need me to…?”

“Yes—take care of it,” she huffed. He first popped Kikoku into his hands—how in the heck did it land on the kitchen table; he did not remember putting it on the kitchen table—and partially drew it from the sheath. Running a scan over Viola, he found where all his genetic variables were and plucked them from her reproductive tract, disposing of it all on a nearby dustcloth.

“I’d still take a tonic and watch yourself for a bit, but at least now aftercare is not such an emergency,” he said. Sheathing Kikoku and putting her bits back together, Law looked at Viola with a wan smile. “You’re right—maybe, in another world, things could have been different between us.”

“Pity it’s not this one, because I could stand to keep someone like you around,” she agreed. She eased him back down so that they could share one final kiss before departing the nest of blankets. “If you’re ever in the neighborhood again…”

“I’m no longer a Shichibukai, remember? You really should be turning me into the Marines right now, not fucking my brains out.”

“You are a national hero of Dressrosa—that negates the bounty within her territory.”

“It doesn’t work that way.”

“Sure it does. I said so.”

“Ah… how convincing…” he snarked. “I’m sure an Admiral would love to hear that reasoning.” He gathered his clothes and began to put them back on, feeling her gaze as he dressed. She lounged in bed as she watched him, not wanting to look away. “Enjoying the view?”

“While it lasts.”

He paused at that, considering their options. “Maybe not another world, but possibly just another time frame…”

“Let’s see what that charismatic kid does to the world first, then see what cards we have to play,” she said. “Maybe, if there is a next time, I can stock the kitchen prior and we can eat literally as well.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Once he had everything but his shirt on, he leaned over Viola and proceeded to engage in a long, tender kiss. Their lips eventually separated and he exhaled heavily. “See you around?”

“In some way, yeah.”

“Good.”

After finding his shirt in the other room, Law put the garment on and left the house, sword resting on his shoulder as he made the long trek back to the port.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-

It was well into evening by the time Law made it back on the Polar Tang, slipping inside without being noticed by his crew still there lounging on the deck. He made himself some coffee and grabbed some old fried rice as a snack and went back to his cabin, not wanting to be bothered as he settled in for the night. Much of the crew was likely to spend the night on land, which meant that there was going to be a peaceful, quiet few hours ahead of him.

“Oh, Captain!” He twitched as he heard Bepo call out to him, just before he was able to slip into the solitude of his quarters. The bear came up to him with some papers in-hand—of course he was going to hide in the Tang as she was cooling off and empty. “I’ve got the course plotted for the next leg of the trip. We should be able to get to where our needle set within a week of sailing, if the winds are right.”

“Sounds good, Bepo,” he nodded. Law then raised an eyebrow as he saw a puzzled look come over his navigator’s face. “Yes…?”

“You smell different,” Bepo noted. “Were you just visiting someone from when you were here before?”

“You can say that,” Law replied. All the years of practicing his mask of stoicism were coming into use as he was panicking on the inside. “Just some negotiations involving further port visits, that’s all.”

“She smells very pretty,” Bepo said. Fuck—busted. “I almost couldn’t smell it under all your sweat—it is really hot in Dressrosa, isn’t it?”

“It is very hot, yes,” Law agreed. “Let me know if something happens that needs my attention; there’s a Sora collection with my name on it in there.”

“Got it, Captain!” Bepo saluted and lumbered off, letting Law slip into his cabin and hurriedly lock the door behind him.

Too damn close… and yet… he sat down at his desk and opened the newspaper back up, seeing a photo of Viola at the Levely. Yeah… it was worth it.

[irisbaggins]

Spoilers ahead for the finale!

An aspect of the final battle that got lost after Viola's amazing attack, was the fact that Tula nearly killed her son. And that, I think, is something I would really like to delve my teeth into, to properly look at what happened.

The thing that struck me the most during Tula's attack on her son, was that Jaysohn did manage to snap her out of it. In the context of the story, Jaysohn grappled his mom to get her to stop, and even after getting viciously bit by her, he still managed to get her back to herself. He managed to get to his mom fast enough, and used himself to protect the others from the mindless being Tula had become. And, even when faced with near death, this little kid manages to get back up and attack the creature that did this to his mother. Not once did he blame her, having understood enough about the situation to realise his mom was not in control. He knows, he understood, that this was Phoebe, not Tula. And so, the moment he is able to free his mom, still wounded and near death's door, he goes after Phoebe so that his mom won't be taken again.

Tula, however, was aware of everything she did to Jaysohn. She was painfully aware of how badly she hurt her son, how she nearly killed him. And, as Brennan describes;

She is broken, in a way she has never been before. She nearly killed her baby, used as a puppet because she's alive when she should have been dead. The Blue that keeps her alive is what nearly caused her to kill her son. Tula nearly lost everything, yet, once more, it was hope and love that brought her back once more. Her son brought her back.

However, she was silent for the rest of the battle until Phoebe finally fell, and Jaysohn nearly died. She was quiet, too horrified with what she nearly did. Perhaps, had more time been afforded to that moment with Tula and Jaysohn before he decided to retaliate against Phoebe, there would have been...something...that went on. A focus on the fact that it was Tula who went for another member of their family, whilst Ava went for the ground and the reactor. What would that do to her, I cannot help but wonder. What did that do to her, in the immediate aftermath, when she could slow down and process what happened. She must live with the knowledge she nearly killed her own child, and that, had he been just a little weaker or just a little slower, she would've succeeded. She might have been able to bring him back, like she did with Sybil...but she would have to live with the knowledge that she took her son's life. And that thought is horrifying.

Yet, it makes her gentleness with Lukas later all the more significant. Even with the blood of her son on her hands, she still chooses to hope for a better tomorrow. She still chooses to give Lukas - and herself - another chance, another tomorrow. Bad things could have happened, but they didn't, and they all made it out. The "what ifs" will remain in the shadows, in the nightmares, but in the daylight, she will keep her head high. It doesn't lessen the impact of her deeds or her burdens, but it can make them bearable. And, with the addition of her son's refusal to blame her, it makes it just the little easier. She deserves a new tomorrow, too.

[nouearth]

happy one year to nouearth!

okay, to be frank, the one year anniversary passed on the 15th, HAHA. but it's better late than never, right? i got so busy that i forgot to make a post celebrating this mini accomplishment!

it's craaaazy how fast time flew by. i actually never thought i'd be doing this little hobby for so long? i tend to have a habit of abandoning stuff i create online, but i'm glad i decided to stick around for longer because i've met so many amazing people (even though 99% of them are anons) from writing.

for a quick story time, i started this blog because i was reading a ton of miguel o'hara x male reader stories right after seeing across the spider-verse! i couldn't get enough of him, as you can see... it all led me to creating this blog.

one of the main reasons why i did was that i just wasn't really satisfied with the content? majorities of the stories were involving top!reader, and i think we need a healthy balance of both! two weeks later since that movie dropped, viola! i'm here, and my first fic ended up being 'joy-cons' with barry allen, HAHA. but i think my blog received a lot of attention with 'servicing justice' because i remember waking up to 100+ notes overnight, which was crazy to me! and then my fic got flagged and that drastically increased, but we won't dwell on that too much.

now, a year later, and i'm at 3.5k followers! numbers don't really mean much to me, since i'm sure only a handful actually interact and most are abandoned accounts, but i'm appreciative of all the likes, reblogs, comments, asks, and most importantly, patience! i've never felt so much love for my works before (and frankly, i don't think i deserve them, HAHA) but i'm glad a few of my fics can make an impact on someone's life, even if it's just for a few minutes of happiness.

i'll cut it short now, so thank you all so much for one year of making me feel less alone in my little life! i feel like i should do a q&a because that seems fun, but LOL I DON'T THINK PEOPLE WOULD CARE.

now, onto the next year?

[the-primordial-archivist]

Squealing over thoughts on Hestia and Apollo bonding post- TOA and just sitting near an hearth and stoking the flames and talking. I think they'd really connect because:

Both are gods related to fire

The sweetest people on Earth

Apollo has always wanted a home and Hestia's job is basically that

Did I mention how lovable they are and how they deserve the world?

Hestia would understand Apollo (probably the only one who would)

Just an aunt and nephew bonding

Their relationship varies from mother and son to bffs

Apollo would absolutely take the form of a child because he feels so protected around her and because she is also almost always a ten-year-old

Child god apollo and child lester

JUST IMAGINE THEM BEING ADORABLE TINY LITTLE KIDS HUDDLED NEAR A FIRE

THEY'RE MY BABIES

Maybe Meg could sometimes join there little duo and they'd all just be kids warming their hands near a fire and tending to it and going from talking the about the deepest shit like death and their family issues to 'violin strings are better then viola strings stfu'

AND OMG JUST HESTIA COMFORTING MEG AND APOLLO WHILE BEING THE SAME HEIGHT AS THEM

Meg and Apollo's therapy sessions with Hestia.

[rosencrantzsguildenstern]

Viola is a gifted soccer player who's school has just cut girl's sports. When her twin brother Sebastian decides to go to London to chase a gig, Viola decides to enroll in his new school as her brother. "His" roommate Duke is both a complete hottie and the captain of the soccer team. In order to score a place on the team "Sebastian" agrees to help Duke get with his crush Olivia. However Olivia is totally gone for "Sebastian"! Shenanigans ensue as the difference between girls and guys in both love and sports is explored.

This is a hilarious and irreverent take on Twelfth Night starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum. It's incredibly quotable, tons of fun, and a great modern adaptation.

Shirtless Channing Tatum. Positive messages about masculinity! Very quotable. Random acting part for Vinnie Jones. Amanda Bynes at her comedy peak! The shoehorning in of a Shakespeare quote at the end from a play that isn't twelfth night! Peak 2000s romcom

A high school take on the Malvolio Gulling subplot. Sixteen-year-old Marshall Gardner is 1) straight-laced, 2) exacting, 3) judgemental, and 4) perfectionistic. And below the surface, kept hidden from the rest of the world, he’s 5) controlled by his obsessions and compulsions, 6) fixated on the number twelve, 7) hopelessly in love with his best (only) friend, and 8) horrendously imperfect. He’s also 9) universally disliked, 10) the self-made enemy of the former GSA president, 11) just a little too easy to trick, and 12) in trouble.

This book is sooooo fucking good it’s my comfort read!!! Max asks the brave brave question of what if twelfth night was about a high schooler who i want to squeeze like a stress ball and it makes me feel insane. 12/10 book of all fucking time please read it

THIS STORY FUCKS. extremely hard. i read it before i even read twelfth night and let me tell you it works just as well as a stand-alone story as a retelling. it uses the subplot of twelfth night revolving around the servants (which deserves more attention, as a side note) to explore gender and neurodivergence and the inherent horror of being sixteen and it executes every theme extremely well. if you have maybe half an hour to spare honestly sit down and read the whole thing right now. it's so good. sir toby is a lesbian. what more could you want

read the whole thing here

[writerblue275]

What to get each Heartsteel member for the holidays

Aphelios: 1. Stuff to decorate his studio with. 2. Moon-themed things. 3. Why do I feel like he’s similar to me and collects SOMETHING. For me it’s owl things (I fucking love owls.) and cool enamel pins! I could see Phel collecting really cool enamel pins or some sort of trinket. 4. To go with #3. A place to put said trinkets (for example a cork board/pin banner to hang pins on). [I should take a photo of my cork board that has all my pins and stuff on it so you can see what I mean!]

Ezreal: 1. Book discussing an ancient civilization he’s been interested in. 2. A book going over works of an artist/artistic period/movement he really likes. (I did that for my dad this year about an artist he likes and he almost started crying he was so excited. It was so fucking cute. I’ve been waiting to give him that book since JULY. 🥹)

Kayn: 1. Accessories for a guitar (like a custom embroidered guitar strap or picks). 2. I feel like he’d primarily play electric, but I definitely think he’d play/have an acoustic guitar. You can find some really cool wood-burned acoustic guitars for (relatively) cheap. (A good instrument is expensive (I know this from playing viola) but compared to electric guitars, acoustics are definitely more affordable.) 3. I have a fun embroidery hoop hanging on my wall and it’s all fancy and shit and it says “DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO” and I think something like that fits Kayn so perfectly. (I need to take a photo and post it for y’all. It’s one of my favorite things lmao.)

K’Sante: 1. A really fancy set of colored pencils and a really nice sketch pad that he can use for sketching out his designs. 2. A new sewing machine/sewing kit. 3. FABRIC. Get this man nice fabric so he can bring his designs to life! Especially if he’s shown you a design he really loves, or that you really love, get fabric for that specific design.

Sett: 1. Brand new fancy sewing kit he’s been talking about. (I absolutely love that he’s canonically a sewing expert. I fucking love it so much). 2. If not a full kit then a really nice seam ripper or specific tool he maybe needs an upgrade on. Could be customized to him. I think he’d love that! 3. Really nice set of pots/pans/kitchen utensils. (I’m thinking like the hex clad pans I keep hearing about.)

Sett Extra: You better get something for his mama!!! As someone who has a mother who is a knitting machine, I know exactly what to get. 1. Some really really lovely and fancy yarn. 2. Knitting pattern books that she doesn’t have. 3. A yarn bowl (it’s literally a bowl that the yarn sits in, and there’s a little hole or design that allows the end to come out so you don’t have to keep unwinding the yarn or anything. And it’s easy to keep your space neat while knitting. My mother LOVES HERS. My dad accidentally broke her first one and she was devastated! [A new/nicer one was her Christmas present from my dad last year.])

Yone: 1. Some god damn peace and quiet and sleep. This man needs a break lmao. 2. But actually, stuff to decorate his studio with (for example a funny little do not disturb sign that he can put on the door, some posters or something. 3. Maybe some small framed photos of the two of you that he can put on his desk. You’re his muse after all (and you help him not go insane during late nights.)

EXTRA-

Alune: She deserves some gifts toooooooo!! 1. This woman deserves a damn spa day. Do I even have to explain myself? Like she deserves some serious pampering. 2. Another one who I could see collecting something fun. Probably moon related lol.

[pinkexpertnerdghost]

"Colored Glass and Paper Flowers"

Lynette x Female!Reader

[ General: sfw, fluff, slowburn, oneshot, Lynette being a cat, Lynette being sassy, paper flowers, tea party, soft scenarios, very light warning for drowning;it's mentioned once though, Lyney being a protective brother and a third wheel]

Word count: 8.9k

(I Followed through with my impulse. Lynette deserves as much love as her brother

“Like…this? I’m not really sure this looks right.” You muttered. In your hands was a twisted thin wire connected with paper and fabric. It spread out at the top like some torn dress. 

The girl across from you hummed as she glanced at your creation.

“ Try untying it and redoing the pattern, remember to keep towards the right.” She spoke smoothly, her dark viola eyes returning to her teacup in hand. 

Twirling the creation in your finger’s you noticed the little tied knot in the middle. You internally groaned. That would be a pain to undo. Bringing it closer to your eye, you attempted to scratch it loose. You heard the sound of clinking porcelain. 

You grumbled. “This would be alot easier if you helped me now.”

The woman blew onto the steaming cup, she smiled cooly. “ I am helping, I’m keeping your tea at a good temperature. You're welcome.” 

You deadpanned. Was she actually serious? 

“ Oh really? That’s very productive.” You said sarcastically, the fabric knot not coming any loose by your attempts. 

“Very, actually.” She said without batting an eye towards you. There was a slight hint of superiority in her words as the ghost of a smirk was present on her lips.

You sighed. There really was no point in arguing with her. “ Fine. Whatever you say.”

“You better not drink my cup while I’m not looking.” You quickly added.

Lynette looked up from her cup. “ Of course. Besides, there are more than enough sweets here to have.” 

You both sat at a table in the shade. On the table was a tea set; two cups, two plates, a sugar stray with cubes and a teapot. Along with it were two tin trays of pastries and sweets. In the center was a vase with a bouquet of flowers.

Faux flowers. 

Yes, they weren’t organic flowers that grew from the ground up. Instead, they were made by hand, out of thin malleable wire, paper, and fabrics. 

How did you come to help her?

A few days ago, 

you were impatiently waiting on the Aquabus. It had been delayed for Archons knows whatever reason. You had a heavy bag to carry with you, setting it down on a bench as you looked down the river to see if you would see the bus in sight.

You were a researcher of sorts. An aspiring engineer working on a big project that needed raw materials in order to create the substances and items you’d need. A handful of items needed to be found underwater. Between the necessary diving preparations and the luck that the items you desire will even be on the seafloor, it would take a very very long time.

The sooner you got there, the better.

“Attention! Attention! We thank you for your patience, but we are here to inform you that the Elynas Line will be delayed due to unseen circumstances.”

“WHY?!” 

“We are currently working to resolve the issue as fast as possible. Again, we thank you for your patience.”

You grumble loudly. The people around you turned their heads to look at you with both shock and slight distaste. 

“ Oh, I um.” You suddenly became very regretful of yelling out in your frustration. 

“ Sorry about that. River rage got the best of me, happens sometimes no?”

The people looking at you turned back to their own devices. Sighing, you went ahead and grabbed your big heavy suitcase. Inside it had your gear, nets, and a nifty invention you had made.

It was designed to detect any Geo elemental structures; which mainly included precious stones and minerals. It would make a clicking noise when it came in contact with something. It was a heavy piece of equipment due to its weight and complex build.

“No use going out now. Maybe I’ll just try again early tomorrow morning.” You said, initial frustration gone but replaced with dissatisfaction. 

As you were heading out of the station you heard some laughter. Curious as for what reason, you turned around and noticed two women giggling to themselves. When they noticed you they had quieted down and sent you a very obvious judgmental glare. 

You looked around and behind you, and there was no one around other than yourself.

‘Ah, so that's how it is.’

You didn’t dress well today, so to say. You didn’t think there was a good reason to do so. You were going out to get work done, so you didn’t need the uncomfortable cinching of a corset or layers of skirt that would very likely tear while you were out. 

You wore a simple and loose white blouse that was left slightly unbuttoned at the top, some comfortable gray pants, and your best hiking boots. Your hair was styled in a fast and secure way so it wouldn’t be a bother. It was comfortable and practical. 

Every young lady when going out to town would look their best, smell their best and act their best. But today you just wanted to get work done no matter what you took on with you. As rotten luck would have it, you didn’t have the chance to go to work. So the judging look of some people would be the awaited circumstance in this situation. 

No matter. 

Before you went on back to minding your business, you returned the nasty glare to the pair. Not bothering to look back for their reactions, you hoisted your heavy bag up and walked ahead. 

“It’s just one misfortune after another. I didn’t bring my mobile suitcase, the Aquabus gets delayed, and now this? By the Seven, I should’ve just become a blacksmith like Doris.” You rambled. Sometimes doing field work was just tiresome, sucking the determination and the initial adrenaline on a new project. 

It was moments like these that had you questioning your entire career choices.

Just as you were going to leave the station, you noticed something.

“Hmm?” You squint your eyes to see clearly. 

Or rather someone? She looked to be standing solitarily down by the sand. She was standing there, unmoving. She was facing the open waters. You tried to get a better look at what she was doing.

You noticed that she had long silver gray hair that was tied into a low tail. She also looked to have some giant turquoise ribbon tied into a bow below her head. Speaking of which you noticed something curious. Atop her head were two small pointed tuffs, and…

Was that a tail? 

You were slightly confused until you remembered something. You read about genetic correlation and the biology of the living. In the world, there were plenty of other species besides humans such as yokai in Inazuma, and humans born with a history of feline or canine characteristics. 

It surprised you initially, because you had only read about such topics and have never really seen a person with said traits. Shaking off your initial shock, you also noticed that she didn’t breathe much. Her shoulders stood as deathly still as her stance.

She stood completely still. 

You were almost inclined to believe that she might just be some super advanced and detailed garde to blend in with humans.

You began to feel slightly worried.

Was that person okay? Did she get lost?

Did she lose something in the water?

You looked down at your case. You had your gear with you. You were going to head home and make do with what you had. Which wasn’t much since the bus never arrived. You had time to kill.

You carefully walked over to the person. Maybe if you were lucky, she’d say “Oh woe is me, I’ve dropped something and it sunk to the bottom. Who can go down and get it?”

A little far fetched but something like that.

In reality, you just really wanted a valid excuse to still go diving to find something useful. 

Not wanting to spook her, you made yourself known first. “ Hey there, are you okay? You seem a little zoned so I just wanted to check if everything was alright.” 

No response. She didn’t even turn her head to acknowledge you. 

Stepping closer you stood next to her. Keeping a polite distance of course.

You took a sneaky glance at her face. She had short cut bangs sweeping over to her left, and the hair to her right was braided. She had pale porcelain like skin and had these very striking dark viola eyes. There was also a little star mark below her left eye. 

Her expression was lax.

You were re-considering if this person actually was an android of sorts. But you persisted.

“ Did you lose something in the water? I have my gear with me if you want me to go under and search.”

Still no response. 

Oh no, now you really were considering if this person was in fact an android. You coughed into your hand.

“ This might sound strange but, blink twice if you're not an android?”

You continued.“ This might be very rude if you're a person, and I’m sorry if you are. But I’m just very worried! Really, seeing a person alone just staring into space would raise some concern, right? That’s just human decency to check if everything is okay.” You rambled, trying to explain yourself. 

You turn to look at her. No verbal response.

Until…

“ Exiting standby mode.” Her voice was silky but quiet. It almost made you jump back as to how out of nowhere it was.

She finally turned her head towards you and blinked twice. There was a long silence that followed afterwards. 

“ Ah, alright I see.” You shook your head to rid yourself of initial embarrassment. Her gaze felt intense, almost nerve wracking. 

“ A- Are you okay then? I came over to check in, you seemed sorta zoned out into the ocean.”

She blinked once more. “ No, I was just thinking. The water level is rising and I was checking if it was the same as last time.” 

“ Huh.”  Now you were also staring into the ocean. “That makes sense.”

“ It reminds me, there used to be hills right? Before all of this, this used to be a grassy valley. I remember sort of.” You laughed. 

“I used to coop myself up in my room reading and messing around with my gramp’s clocks, I never went outside much. But I’m pretty sure there was green here instead of water. Albeit kinda swampy.”

The woman beside you hummed in acknowledgment. “ I used to play in this area when I was a little girl. Alongside my brother, we would race to see who’d get to the top of the hill first.” She said as she went back to staring at the ocean.

You crossed your arms. 

“ People believe that this has been happening due to the prophecy, right? Even back then, I heard the adult’s discussing it thinking I wasn’t in the room listening.” You hummed.

“Yes.” The girl said “ Soon, the nation and along with our memories will submit and sink beneath the waves of the water. That’s what the prophecy suggests.” 

You felt a small shiver go up your spine. You loved diving, exploring underneath the water. But drowning? That was horrifying to think about. Sometimes, you would find skeletal remains underwater. Usually, it was marine life that drowned and couldn’t reach the surface in time for air. 

Shaking off the memories, you turned to talking about something else.

“ It hasn’t been too bad. On the bright side, the water helps on warm days. I don’t really like the sun, it makes you feel gross and humid.” You glanced down at your shoes. The sand ahead of you was darker as it had been soaked by the stretching of waves.

“Dipping for a nice cool swim is one of the best feelings. Diving has also slowly become more and more popular because of the abundance of water around.” You smiled. It was terrifying to think that the city might one day soon become a submerged underwater city. But until then, everything was fine and manageable. You didn’t need to think about the future when there were more important things to do in the now.

The girl’s eyes slightly widened, before resting back to a neutral expression. “That is a nice thought. I don’t care much for sunny days either. I prefer rainier weather.”

You nodded in agreement.

The sound of the waves rolling in was hypnotic, and the sun bounced off the water making the horizon a gleaming star. You couldn’t hear the gossip of the town people anymore. 

Your frustration felt back at the station and the gossiping women seemed to have melted away. You felt at peace.You liked this, maybe she had the right idea of just sitting here and thinking. 

 “We’ve been here standing and sharing past memories like we know each other. But, I never got your name.” you asked, raising a brow. 

The woman once again looked slightly surprised. “ Oh, right. Not many people really care about knowing about me.”

You were about to say something until she continued.

“Which is perfectly fine by me. I prefer to be by myself. I’m not exactly a people person, unlike someone else.” She said, her voice monotone until the latter statement. You caught on how there was a slight smidgen of emotion there.

“ But since you asked, my name is Lynette.” She said, raising a hand to her chest.

“ Nice to be your acquaintance, I’m [Name].” You smiled as you introduced yourself. 

Lynette nodded. Her dark purple eyes quickly scanned your person, she narrowed them slightly on your bag. 

“ Ah, this?” You asked, shaking your hand that held your case. “ I was going to go on a little expedition on the next island over, but the aquabus got delayed.” 

Lynette said nothing, but her gaze went back to your face.

“ You asked if I had dropped something in the water right? That you would dive in to search.” She asked.

You nodded. “ Yep. As you can guess, I was on my way to go diving. I need some material for my work and also, because I like exploring underwater. It really is a whole other world beneath the mirror surface.” You exclaimed happily. You then remembered what happened a short while ago, immediately crushing your small moment of happiness.

“Which is why I’m in a bit of a sad mood since my trip was suddenly canceled.” You sighed dejectedly. You look back onto the open water. It’s not like you couldn’t go and try the next day, but you were really looking forward to spending the day in the water.

Lynette stayed quiet for a few minutes. Staring out to the water, like you. 

“...”

“...”

It was quiet for a long moment. 

“ What do you usually find when diving?” She suddenly asked. Once again, you were almost spooked as to how sudden her voice just came in.

“ The normal stuff being shells, crabs, fish and sometimes lost items that sank to the bottom . But on rare occasions, I find useful minerals like iron, copper, and unpolished gems.” You said.

“Granted, I use a bit of help with my equipment. I mostly use my Scan Stretcher.”

Lynette’s head tilted to the side, her ears swayed along.

“ Scan Stretcher ? ”

“Ah, the equipment I made. It locates Geo elemental concentrations . When in the range of something, it will beep quickly.” You exclaimed with some excitement. “The name could use some workshop. But it saves flipping over stones and disrupting the ecosystem.” 

“I see.” She said while nodding her head.

You look back to the water. But for a moment, something glared in your eye causing you to blink rapidly. Locating where the light came from you noticed something in the shallow. 

Not wanting to get water in your boots- nor your socks -you kicked off your boots. Lynette had turned to you, eyes observing your every move.

Once you were done, you rolled up your pants to your knees and went out into the water.

“ Saw something out here!” You yelled back at Lynette who just stared confused. 

Bending down, you sift through the sand. The water was clear and blue as it rippled along with your movement. There was some seaweed, shells, and some tube fish that sunk into the sand as your hand hovered above them.

Aha! Found it. 

Picking it up, you raced back to Lynette. The water splashing as you kicked through. 

“Here it is! I saw something just a moment ago.” In your hand was a little crystal. It was a smooth piece of what you assumed was smoothed glass. It had a soft side, but behind it was a jaded clean cut that gleamed when the sun hit. 

Lynette leaned over to look at the shiny crystal. Her eyes grew with interest as it twinkled and shined as you moved it around to shake off the water.

“ Sea glass is very pretty, right? It’s so shiny and colorful it almost makes you want to eat it.” You said happily.

Lynette broke out of her shiny trance and looked at you utterly confused and maybe concerned.

“ Eat it? I’d assume there would be health issues if you were to eat glass.” She said flatley.

“ W-well, they look like hard candies and dessert toppers! If you squint they do.” You defended. 

Lynette shook her head as she glanced back down at your hand. She said nothing as the shine seemed to bounce from her widened dark viola eyes. It made them more enchanting in a way.

“I guess you're right. They do sort of resemble sweets” She said as her mouth curtly frowned. 

You nodded triumphantly, as she agreed with you. 

“ I think I saw some more back there. You can join me if you’d like.” You politely offered. Lynette looked to you, and then out to the water. 

“ No thank you. It would be bothersome if I got my outfit wet. However,” She walked over to your case and stood next to it. 

“ I’ll watch over your things from here, alright? ” 

You nodded. “ Thank you. You didn’t need to do that.” You smiled thankfully. “ I’ll probably pick out a handful of glass and quartz. I won’t take long, promise!” You said quickly before jogging back into the water. 

“ Entering Idle mode.” She spoke, although she kept her eyes on you the whole time. She saw you bend down, and kneel into the water sometimes;not caring if your pants got wet. She saw you have this focused expression. Periodically she noticed how your eyes would gleam and your face lit up if you’d likely found something. 

Lynette noticed that keeping on her poker face was slightly difficult this time. Only slightly of course. 

When you were finally done, you came back to the shore, your hands cupped together.

“ See, told you I wouldn’t take long!” You giggled in pride. 

“ Exiting idle mode.” She spoke, her lax expression falling into a more natural one.

“ I think I have a pouch in my case. Lemme see.” You neared your case and Lynette stood aside. Pushing the case down onto the sand, you placed your glass pieces down onto a little pile.

In your case in a small side pocket you had a small wooden board, a bottle with a perfume nib, and rolled up pouches. Getting out the board and spray, you cleaned the sand off the glass. Once that was done, you quickly placed the pile into a pouch. Not before swiping two pieces of glass. 

“ Here. Since you couldn’t go out to find some, I brought you these two to keep.” You extended a hand to her. “I noticed how you kept staring earlier at that piece, so I’d figured you’d like to take some home.”

In your hand were two oval shaped glasses. Their surfaces were smooth and soft to the touch. There were two colors; a seafoam green and a transparent one with purple and indigo streaks running horizontally. 

Lynette eyed the two glasses in your hand. She extended her hand and picked off each one. She brought them closer to her face and raised them up so that the sun shined through them. She finally looked back at you. 

“Thank you. You didn’t need to bring me anything, but the gesture is appreciated.” 

You shook your head. “ I wanted to. Partly, to make up for it earlier. I assumed you were an android. Again, I’m sorry.” You averted your eyes out of embarrassment of ever assuming that.

“It’s fine. You wouldn’t be the first to assume.” She replied immediately.

“Also, for disrupting your alone time. I didn’t know until you started talking to me. It’s really peaceful here. I can see why you chose to space out. It’s a nice place to meditate.” You continued. 

Lynette said nothing but stared ahead into your eyes.

“ I’ll probably take my leave now. If not to work, then to change my clothes.” You kicked a foot, motioning to the soaked pants. “ I might catch a cold if I stay any longer by the shore.” 

“ I’ll get going now, goodbye. It was nice talking to you.” You said, as you quickly put your shoes back on and picked up your suitcase. As you left Lynette had not stopped looking at you, until you disappeared from view. 

She stood back and faced the water again. She rolled around the two glasses in her hand. 

She notices the soft shine that would bounce off them, the smokey turquoise that was the color of one piece. The purple and indigo stripes on the other looked like ribbons tying together around the crystalline stone. She began to think of the encounter she had with you. 

She was suddenly in the mood for some deserts. 

She took one quick glance at water, before turning on her heel back towards the city. For some strange reason, she felt like biting the precious stones. Until reason came back to her making her scoff at the thought. 

You saw her more often as you would sometimes leave your place for food or materials from nearby shops. She would be out and about, sometimes you spotted her on a table with a tin of sweets next to her, sometimes she’d look to be zoning again. 

You regularly say hello to her given the chance. Sometimes she’d return the gesture, other times she only spared you a quick glance. You later found out that she was a Magician’s assistant. A very famed one in the city in fact. You internal facepalmed yourself when you saw the silver haired girl on some promotional performance poster.

You should’ve recognized her sooner, but you don’t exactly have time to go to see Trials or any other theatrical performances. You’d usually catch small snippets of gossip during your weekly commutes. You were either too busy tinkering at home with some machines or underwater.

Slowly, she started to talk more. You noticed that she really wasn’t a people person, not that she was exactly shy, but she was just very kept to herself. 

On some days, you'd catch her sitting in a cafe by herself. Usually cooling down a piping hot tea cup. You would sit by her and just talk. She didn’t protest to your company,  although at the beginning it was mostly one sided.

“Hey, how are you?”

“...” She looked at you briefly, it was a soft and casual glance. 

“I’ll take that as fine. Anyways, what tea are you trying this time?”

She stirred her spoon in the cup. “Chamomile.”

“ That’s one of my favorites. Although, sometimes I go overboard with the sugar. Only sometimes.”

“...” She gave you a look. A silently judging look.

“ Really! I try to remember to go easy on that now.” You shrunk a little in your seat given her gaze. 

She was quiet for a few seconds before glancing back down at her cup. “Good.” 

You sometimes would go through the trouble of passing by the same cafe once and a while. Soon enough, you found two teacups on the table. Slowly she started to converse more, granted it was simple short phrases to get the conversation moving.

“ When I was extracting some copper, I got pinched by a crab. A shell fell onto my hand and then a pincer came out.”

“ Go on.”

“ It’s hard to yell underwater! The sound just stays confined in your helmet, it’s really weird. But I managed to shimmy the crab off and get the copper. He left a little red mark on my hand though.” 

“ Wow, really?”

“ Yeah. It wasn’t too bad though, it just caught me off guard. I really thought it was an empty shell.”

“ I see.” Although it was very faint, you were certain you heard the small suppressed hiccup of a giggle. 

Pretty soon, afternoon teas were usual. Although it was never voiced, you realized that Lynette had begun to notice your appearance quicker each week. Walking from a distance, she’d turn her head and make eye contact with you before you sat down. 

The usual little meeting once or twice a week has led you to the situation you are in now. 

This time the table was fuller; there were two teacups out, a tray of small desserts, a small pile of colored paper and fabric, another pile of thin wire, and a blue vase.

“ This is different…Did you decide to take work outside?” You asked. 

“ Sort of.” She said as she just narrowed her eyes at the supplies. “ It’s part of something planned for tomorrow. I just got stuck with making them.”

You nodded, you sat down across from. “ I see. What is it? If you don’t mind sharing.”

“ Flowers.” She immediately answered.

“ Oh, the vase makes sense now. How many exactly?”

“Two arrangements.” 

Your eyes traveled over to the bunch of fabric. Next to it were three flowers. Your hand traveled over to one, as you lifted it closer to you. Its ‘petal’s’ were carefully folded pieces of paper, its stem felt incredibly soft and smooth, and its bud was a tough feeling material. You brought it closer to your face; it smelled like nothing. 

“ You already made a few?” You look up to Lynette. 

“ Yes. But I am taking a tea break now.” She calmly said as she reached over for the teapot. 

“I take it that you want me to help you out then?” You ask with a small teasing smile. Lynette was a closed off person, so it was odd of her to work on personal matters on an outside table.

Lynette said nothing, but her ears did slightly twitch upward before relaxing. 

“ If you don't mind.” 

You leaned forward and grabbed some wire and a handful of fabric. “You’re lucky I don’t have anywhere else I need to be today. I’ll help you.”

You furrowed your eyebrows as you grimaced.

“But,”

Lynette looked up, perplexed.

“Could you maybe, teach me how to do this?” You managed to ask.

Lynette stared at you in disbelief. 

“ I thought you were an inventor. I would assume this would be a sitch for you.” She asked, genuinely confused. 

Your face became slightly warmer and your lips turned squeezed into a line. “ I know my way around machinery, but not this sort of thing. If you were to ask me to make a mechanical rotating bouquet that sprays perfume, I could do that.” You hummed thinking about it.

Lynette thought for a moment. A hand came up to her mouth. Her shoulders shook slightly and her fair face became a little rosier. “ You remind me of my little brother. He’s also good with machines, but anything else he’s a bit shy.” 

You felt your pout morph into a small grin. Try as you did, you couldn’t suppress it. You hadn’t seen Lynette be so expressive in the past time you’d known her. But her smile was contagious, it made her face almost glow. 

“ I’m serious, this isn’t the same thing I’m used to!” You defended. 

Lynette had calmed down and had a resting smile. “ I can show you. Just pay close attention so I won’t repeat myself.” 

Lynette had scooted her chair closer into the table, and had set her teacup at a nice distance. She leaned forward and took some materials of her own.

She made a flower in a slow paced manner. Short direct instructions followed each movement of her hand. 

“ Here. You messed up this crease.” She set down her flower as she leaned over to you. She got really close to your face, and her hands gently took hold of your wire. Her hand gently put firmly gripped on your’s to stop you. You became slightly nervous, holding in a breath. 

“Watch carefully, alright?” She spoke, her voice a lot clearer and louder due to how close she was. You had always known she had a soothing voice, but at the moment it sounded ethereal. 

Ethereal? You felt the corners of your face get hot.  

You watched as she flattened out an edge and tucked it into a fold, but your mind became slightly dazed. Your eyes were glued to the paper flower but you felt your chest feel tight. 

“There, you should be able to make a few by yourself now.” She leaned back into her seat. You looked back up at her face. She still had a smile on, but her beautiful purple eyes gleamed encouragingly. 

It was odd. She had always had a look in her eyes;a faraway look, almost glassy. But as you looked at her, they felt warmer. You knew that she was always pretty, but at this moment she looked absolutely radiant. 

“ Yeah, I..I think I got it.” You managed to speak up. “Thanks for showing me the ropes, I should be fine.” You quickly glanced back at your paper flower. 

You had to distract your brain, there’s no way you’d tell her what you thought of her. That would make your tea times awkward or maybe she didn’t see you like you saw her. You didn’t want to ruin this odd but nice friendship you had with her. 

Lynette nodded. “ Good. An extended break is in order for me then.”

You snapped back up to her. You grumbled. slightly jealous that she gets to sit back. “At least make me a cup okay? This is gonna take a while after all.”

Lynette nodded, “ That’s why there are two cups on the table.” After some time - way past Lynette’s self proclaimed extra break time - you became slightly frustrated. 

“This would go a lot faster if you helped me right about now.”

 “ I am helping, I’m keeping your tea at a good temperature. You're welcome.” 

“ Oh really? That’s very productive.” You said sarcastically, the fabric knot not coming any loose by your attempts. 

“Very, actually.” She said without batting an eye towards you. There was a slight hint of superiority in her words as the ghost of a smirk was present on her lips.

You sighed. There really was no point in arguing with her. “ Fine. Whatever you say.”

“You better not drink my cup while I’m not looking.” You quickly added.

Lynette looked up from her cup. “ Of course. Besides, there are more than enough sweets here to have.” 

After some time, many snacks, tea and mishaps, the bouquets were finally finished!

The vase bloomed along the top with various colors and shapes, all sorts of paper flowers flew in all directions. The vase would probably weigh triple its initial weight. Most of the material’s were almost gone, save for three wires and scraps. 

“ That took a while but it’s done! It looks so pretty too!” You leaned a bit back to admire the arrangement from a distance.

Lynette mirrored your motion. “ I have to agree.”

Most of the sweet snacks were gone and the teapot was out of tea. You had found that making flower’s was oddly relaxing. After the many little mishaps, you had figured out the way of flower making. And it only took about four misshapen paper flowers. 

“ It’s already getting late, I should get going.” You stood up from your chair. “ Do you need help carrying it out?”

Lynette shook her head. “ It’s fine. I’ll manage.”

“ Alright, I’ll see you next week then?” You had asked as you picked up your tea cup and plate.

You heard no response. You were about to leave when you felt your wrist be held. You look back and see Lynette standing up next to you. 

“ Yes, but before you go I..” She paused and cleared her throat. “ If you want, I can reserve you a seat for the show.”

Your eyes slightly widened. But you quickly recovered and nodded your head. “ Sure! I can make it.”

Lynette exhaled and nodded in agreement. “ Great then.” She took out a playing card from her sleeve, and had a concentrated expression fixed on it. 

She waved it around in her hand for a few moments and covered it with her other. When she opened her hand, instead of the card was a red ticket decorated with golden stars around the edge.

“Ta-da, here you go. Keep it with you until tomorrow evening.” She extended her hand to you with the ticket. You plucked it out of her grasp and blinked rapidly processing what just happened. 

 “What? How did you do that?!” You asked very confused. 

Lynette chuckled quietly, she brought a finger up to her lips. “ A magician never tells their secret, that rule also extends to the assistant.” 

You pouted, but thought about what you saw. Her slight of the hand was impressive, so if you’d have to assume it was just a quick motion too brief to notice. Then again, it was still impressive. 

You read the content of the ticket, you saw the location that it would be at the local theater of the Court. 

“ I’ll see you tomorrow then, I’m excited to see your show!” You looked back at her with a bright smile. Lynette’s purple eyes stayed trained on you, not saying a word for a moment. 

She then shook her head. “ I’m excited too, surprisingly. I just thought it would be nice since I’ve never seen your face in the crowd. Not once.” 

You rubbed your wrist as you chuckled nervously. “ I’m just not one who goes out to watch a trial or concert. I mainly work, read, sleep and travel out for business purposes.”

“ I would assume you’d be quite popular. You're intelligent, resourceful and not to mention easy on the eyes.” She hummed.

You coughed into your hand, still having a nervous smile on you “ That’s nice of you to say, but either way thank you for the reservation! You didn’t need to do this, I could've gone out and bought the ticket myself if you had just told me too!” You talked a bit faster than usual.

The silver haired girl shook her head. “ It’s fine, I wanted to do this.”

You left after saying your goodbyes. 

Lynette felt odd. She had talked a lot more than she usually did. Normally, after today, she would be socially drained. 

But she strangely didn’t feel too tired. As she bunched up the fabrics, her mind raced and analyzed what had happened. 

She concluded that although she did feel drained, it wasn’t as major as she would’ve assumed. If it had been up to her normal standards, today’s exchange would’ve been a grand total of a 35% decrease in her social battery. But it only felt like she had lost 6%.

She recalled how comfortable she felt around you. Which struck her as more odd. Normally the people she would feel the most at peace with were a select few; the closest being her brother, ‘Father’ and her little brother. But with you, she felt safe and comfortable. Or so she concluded.  

She paid close attention to you. She had deduced you weren’t a person who possessed any sort of threat or harm within the first three days of knowing you.

She found you slightly clumsy and a bit reckless at times, but you were smart. Smart enough to construct and operate machinery and technology with expertise. Something that she lacked, her and machines were… never a good combination to put it simply. 

She found your stories amusing, they were unlike what most girls gossiped and talked about. She found out that although you were outward and expressive, you kept your life private and to yourself. 

You were an oddity to her. But a nice oddity to be with. 

Before you left to see the show, you thought about what you would wear. You only had a few select good clothing. You put a nice looking outfit together; a (f/c) above the knee skirt with (dark/pastel) stockings, a long sleeve button up, and a matching (f/c) coat. You went light with the accessories, a silky scarf tied around your neck and (dark/pastel) gloves. 

You debated whether or not to wear some perfume. But you remembered something, Lynette didn’t exactly like strong smells. You remembered how she would slightly flinch whenever a person with a strong smelling perfume passed by the table. 

You wanted to talk to her after the show, and if you did you wouldn’t want to overwhelm her with strong smelling perfume. So instead, you opted for some drops of the soft smelling perfume on your wrist. Its smell was a lot calmer than the more popular spritzing bottles among ladies. It mellowed out after getting rubbed in. 

You had made something, the day you got home from making paper flowers. 

With the learned knowledge in how to make them, you made a little gift for Lynette. Performer’s would be given flowers, praise and Mora after a performance right? So with some sea glass you had left to spare, you made a flower brooch.The brooch was the size of your palm. 

The center of the flower was a polished glass which was as blue as the inside of an underwater cave. Bending the wire, you made green fabric leaves around the bottom of the petals. The color of the flower itself was a rose gold, the petals alternating from the rose and golden brown. 

You carefully placed your little trinket in your small handbag. 

You sat in your cushy seat as you looked around. The theater was very decadent, a lot of thought went into the architecture of the interior. The large red curtains on the stage made a satisfying humming sound as they were pulled back by some pulley system. 

And the show commenced. 

Each trick after another left you on the edge of your seat. You never exactly expressed your excitement verbally, but you were laser focused in on how each trick was pulled off. The magician Lyney has a strong charisma. It was the exact opposite of what Lynette was, if it wasn’t for their similar appearances you wouldn’t think they would be related. When Lynette was brought in onto the stage, you clapped. It is only natural to support someone you like.

Perhaps that’s why she held onto your gaze the most. The rest of the audience were more focused on Lyney, as the assistant was mostly quiet and overlooked. 

She looked around the audience and spotted you. You couldn’t exactly see from your seat, but her lips twitched up into a barely noticeable smile. Lyney kept up with his performer’s face, but he was slightly shocked to see a trace of emotion on his sister’s face. She was usually poker faced when on stage, he thought. What could’ve possibly enabled her to smile slightly on stage?  

The show carried on, and you were impressed at how nonchalant Lynette was while her energetic brother wow’d the audience. They did make a good duo however, it was complimentary and worked well to keep the people transfixed on the magic show. 

Once the show had ended, you stood up and clapped. You began to understand why the town’s people liked performances. It was a momentary window into fantasy, a way to detach yourself from the reality of logic and truth. 

The two bowed on stage as Lyney exclaimed with great pride the end of the show. 

As everyone was making their way to the exit, you scooted about to congratulate Lynette and her brother. You managed to spot them talking around the stairs. Lynette almost immediately noticed you as she glanced past her brother. This caused her brother to hum curiously as he turned around to see.

“Ah, why if it isn’t one of our dear audience members! What brings you here mademoiselle?” Lyney smiled brightly at you.

“ Hello [Name], I’m glad you made it. So, how was the show?” Lynette asked. This caused Lyney to momentarily widen his eyes in shock, as he whipped his head back around to look at his sister.

“ It was wonderful! I can see why people hype up performances. You did great by the way! If it were me, I don’t think I could pull off a poker face like you on stage.” You smiled nervously.

Lynette smiled and hummed. “ I’ve been doing this for a while with my brother here. You get used to it after some time.” 

Lyney slowly looked back and forth between you and his sister. 

“I’m right here y’know! Ouch,my feelings.” Lyney 'cried’ at his sister. Lynette rolled her eyes and looked back at you with a ‘see what I mean’ kinda look. You snickered but discreetly hid it with a cough. This caused Lyney to turn his attention back to you. 

“ I see you are well acquainted with my sister Lynette. May I presume a friend of hers?” Lyney asked, with a kind smile on his face. 

“Er, I’d say we are.” You said nervously in front of Lynette’s brother. 

Lynette came up to stand next to him. “ This is her, the one I told you about. The girl I spend drinking tea with.” She clarified. 

Lyney placed a hand under his chin and glanced at your face. His gaze didn’t feel as carefree as it was, it felt like he was analyzing you. His eyes narrowed slightly, and you suddenly felt cold. Like a whiplash it went away the moment you felt it, he put his hands on his hips. 

“Any friend of my sister’s is a friend of mine! [Name], was it?” He extended a hand for you to shake. Politely you nodded and went in the shake.

He gripped your hand and shook it enthusiastically, although it did feel a little tighter than most shakes should. Maybe he just had a good grip. 

“ Nice to meet you too.” You said, as you forced a small smile. Lynette watched this all unfold with a worrying glance at her brother and a pity one for you. He finally let go of your hand, although he still had a grin plastered on his face. It felt oddly forced. 

“ But moving on, I actually came to give you something.” You look back at Lynette, trying to recover from meeting her weird brother. 

Lynette’s ears folded upward in surprise as her eyes widened slightly. You found it quite cute, her little expressions that sometimes shined through her resting poker face. 

“ Remember when we made flower’s yesterday? Well,” You opened your handbag and dug through its purse until you found it. “Ta-da! I took my newly learned skill and made this.”

You showed her the flower brooch you made and Lynette eyed it down with great interest. You swore her eyes were like saucers. She stepped a little closer. 

“ I had some sea glass spared in a drawer and made do with the leftover wire from last time. I smelted the pin on the back side and used some thinly pressed copper for some petals.” You excitedly explained the process. Lynette all the while admired the brooch in your palms. Some of her silver hair fell forward, and you had the urge to tuck it back. But refrained as one, you didn’t know how she would feel about it and two her brother was behind you. 

“Wow, you did all that? I must say [Name], this is beautiful.” Lynette hummed, a serene smile dressed her lips.

You felt your chest feel flutter and warm at her compliment. “ Y-yep! I made it for you! It isn’t odd to give friends flower’s especially after a performance, right? So here, for you.” 

You felt a small pang, friend wasn’t the right word to describe her to you. 

You’ve had some friends before, but you never felt anything like this before with them. 

You remembered how when the spotlight was shining down on her on stage, it felt like you momentarily forgot to breathe. She was as beautiful as the many flower’s you made last evening and as elegant as decadence. It wasn’t often, but sometimes she’d make jokes that would leave you both surprised and slightly flustered. Even when she said nothing at all, she could calmly listen to you rant about some diving mishap or your current projects. She once and a while told you about her siblings. She cared deeply about her family, willing to sit down and listen to them whenever they needed it. You came to learn that she had a big heart despite her outer concealment to her emotions.

She was a beautiful person, both inside and out. It sometimes hurt you when she said that not a lot of people care about her as she is just the assistant. Beneath the title of assistant, lied a wonderful person you wished the world saw as you did her. 

Lynette took the brooch from your hand and brought it close to her. Her fingers tapped the metal petals and admired the shimmer of the dark blue glass. 

“ Thank you, you must’ve worked hard on it. I’ll keep it close to me.” She hummed, her eyes still glued on the gift. 

Lyney looked from a distance with an unreadable expression. He scooted close to the two of you and took a small glance at the gift. He was slightly impressed, he would see the amount of care and precision it went into putting this elegant flora together. 

“My my, I must say [Name], you are a talented young lady.” Liney said in awe. 

“ Of course she is, I've told you about it. She’s an inventor and diver, like Freminet.” Lynette said as she looked momentarily at her brother. 

Lyney nodded rapidly and placed a finger to his chin.

“ Yep, like she said. It’s nothing to flaunt about though, most people from here know their way around the cogs and grease.” You said with a shy expression. 

“But that’s all I came here for. Once again, you did amazing Lynette. Thank you for inviting me to see the show.” You smiled gratefully at her. 

Lynette stared at you, her dark purple eyes magnified slightly. She nodded and a little smile made its way to her face. “ Thank you for your kind words, [Name]. Feel free to come to the next show if you have the chance too.” Her voice sounded light, and warm. 

“Sure, yeah! I’ll do that!” You agreed almost immediately. 

You waved Lynette and Lyney goodbye. Lyney enthusiastically waved you good bye while Lynette just smiled and kept her eyes on you as you left. She still held the brooch by her side. 

“So, are you going to tell me why you seem particularly happy today?” Lyney asked curiously. “Does it have something to do with the mademoiselle inventor, perhaps?”  He tilted his head, his smooth voice teasing. 

“I’m leaving now.” Lynette flatly said, as she spun on her heel and rushed back to the stage.

Lyney watched in amusement as his sister fled. He sighed however, and that smile turned into a small frown.

 He loved his sister, and he was worried. Could he entrust you with the heart of his sister, which has been guarded as much -if not- more than his own? You didn’t seem like a bad person. All he could do is be there for her and make sure you wouldn’t bring her any harm.

You came to every show you could. Each show you brought her a paper flower you had made beforehand. 

Pretty soon, with all the paper flowers Lynette had kept receiving from you, she could make a bouquet.  

Outside the limelight of the stage, you continued to have your little tea parties with her. 

After a particular show, as you tried to find her to give her a new paper flower, something zoomed around. It was a black cloak outline with teal.

“Surprise!” You heard a familiar voice exclaim. You quickly turn around and something comes crashing into you.

OOMF! 

You dropped your flower in surprise but quickly wrapped your arms around her. You craned your body back as the suddenness of the momentum.

You laughed slightly scared but also out of happiness. Her silver hair tickled your face.

“Hey! What was that for? I thought you didn’t like physical contact?” You asked in between your giggles. Early on, you had noticed her aversion to any sort of hug. You hadn’t questioned it but respected her boundaries. It didn’t sway you and you still had continued to talk to her as much as you could. 

Lynette shook her head. “ I just wanted to surprise you this time, that's all. And I knew you wouldn’t expect this.” 

You were slightly surprised but understood. “Then with your permission, could I surprise you for three seconds?”

Lynette, still in your arms, turned her head over curiously as she gave you a small nod.

You smiled happily. Her weight was almost nothing to you, you were used to carrying around heavy equipment. 

Using your force, you lifted her slightly off the ground, and spun her around. You counted the seconds in your head.

One

She gripped your arm in slight surprise as she leaned back to look at your face. Her skirt and tail had swung behind her as did your dress spun around your torso. 

Two

Lynette figuring out what was going on, let a smile spread along her face. Her silver hair swiped against her face as the light breeze from the spin enveloped the two of you. She leaned her face closer to you, and you could hear her giggle under her breath. Her eyes crinkled slightly as the joy was evident in her face. 

Three

As you promised, you came to a slow stop and set her down. She still had a grip on both your arms, and her face was a more relaxed smile. There was a small pigment of rose on her face. 

“Ah! I dropped my flower, hold on.” You knelt down to pick it back up. 

You presented the flower to her, it was a paper rose that had paper pink petals and the ends were powdered lightly with a golden powder. The center had curled wires with tiny bits of smooth pale yellow glass.

“Here.” You extended it to her as she plucked it out of your hand. You smiled nervously, “How many flowers have I given you now? Surely well over three bouquets worth.”

“Five actually.” She held your paper flower close to her and her smile was teasing. 

“If you would let me, I’d make a thousand more paper flowers for you.” 

Lynette’s eye’s widen and her slightly rosey face became a shade darker. Her expression didn’t budge however, making her redder face more noticeable.

“ That’s a nice thought.” She said quietly. 

You realized what you said, and immediately mirrored her flustered expression. 

“ Ehem, I should go now. I just remembered I forgot my helmet at home! I was going to go diving after the show.” 

You robotically tried to flee, until something grabbed your wrist. Quickly turning you around with a surprising amount of force, you faced the silver haired girl again.

In almost the same amount of time, you felt a little nudge by your face. It took you time to process but a tiny pair of cool soft lips were on your cheek. 

Lynette leaned back with a lax expression, but her face was now a pale pink color. “ I’d keep each flower you’d make me close to my heart, alright?” 

Your face was blanked with shock as your hand came up to your face to touch your cheek. 

“ Alright.” You had almost whispered, your mind still buffering to realize what happened. You felt your face’s temperature rise by the passing seconds “Tea time as always?” 

Lynette nodded. “ Yeah.” 

“I’ll see you then.” You managed to say, turning to leave. 

Lynette watched as you left, the paper Rainbow Rose held close to her chest. Once you were out of sight, she let out a held breath.

That wasn’t bad. It wasn’t bad at all. 

She felt her energy had risen a good 75% after that. She headed backstage with a small smile on her face, internally proud of herself. 

“So, mademoiselle inventor eh?” Her brother’s voice suddenly broke through the silence. Lynette turned to Lyney with narrowed eyes. 

“ I approve, don’t worry.” Lyney cooly said, the playing deck in his hands danced as he practiced. “ I bet she’ll get along great with Freminet too, make him come out of his shell.”

“ I can see that.” Lynette said, fidgeting with the paper rose’s petals. 

“ If she stomps on your heart, however, I’ll have to make her disappear for my next act!” Lyney said joyously, completely masking the ominous threat with a light hearted voice.

Lynette once again sent him a sharp look. “ Don’t you dare.”

End.

A/N: I love both of them, but this goes out to all the Lynette enjoyer girlies! Also, there isn't much fic about her so here, one for contribution :D

[sonofanumbranwitch]

Viola Should Have Had More Weapons.

I feel like Viola really got screwed over in the gameplay department. Her blocking mechanic has already been pretty divisive but on top of that her only weapon she uses is about the single most generic weapon you could've given her. Like why would anyone choose to play Viola over Bayonetta unless they were trying to challenge themselves but limiting their options?

Because of this Viola doesn't really feel like a Bayonetta character to me. She feels more like the generic idea of an action game protagonist that games like Devil May Cry helped to solidify. And so her gameplay feels a lot more generic.

I was brainstorming ways this could be fixed and I came up with two ideas that kind of stack on each other.

First, Not only would I give Viola more weapons I would have given her the ability to equip weapons to her hands and feet like Bayo could in the first 2 games. This option seems to have been removed to accommodate the demon masquerade mechanic and I'm honestly fine with that. But Viola doesn't use demon masquerade so not only would this option give her more gameplay variety, it would help her appeal to players who miss that aspect of the games.

My second idea came to me because I'm really not a fan of Viola's weapon just being a generic katana and also how her design doesn't tie her to her mother Bayonetta in any way. She needs something in her gameplay that ties her to her mother so players can be more opened to accepting their relationship.

So I thought, "Hey why not let her reuse the weapons from Bayonetta 1?". Viola's mother, B0, seems to be a variation on the first Bayonetta so it would make sense that she trained her daughter to use the same weapons she did during her adventures. Now Viola has a fair size pool of weapons to use, and she has something that connects her with her mother. Plus people with nostalgia for the first game get to reuse some of their favorite weapons again.

In this hypothetical change, Viola's main weapon would be the Onyx Rose, (Both because B0's version of Scarborough Fair, Whittingham Fair, was lost during her fight with Singularity, and because the shotguns fit Viola's personality more). And she would gain access to other B1 weapons like the whip Kulshedra, the Durga claws, the Lt. Col Kilgore etc.

She could still use her block over dodge since she is still an Umbra Witch in training, and just have Cheshire's charm on her body somewhere or have it move around based on what weapon she has equipped.

[changingplumbob]

New Goth: Chapter 4, Part 3

Sleepover to break in Milton's new rooms then Harvestfest begins

The waiter comes along and places their order down. Just one problem, the dishes have been swapped around.

James: Excuse me I-

But the waiter has already left

Alexander: Guess I get the taco then

James: *pouts* Joey would probably say it was some kind of glitch

Alexander: *laughs* like a… between sessions glitch

James: There’s a lot of steam coming off this, I hope I won’t get burnt

Alexander: it’s probably decorative smoke, I don’t think they could serve something that would burn people. It would be a lawsuit waiting to happen

James: Well it tastes nice

Alexander: Now about Milton, you’re not really thinking about sleeping on the floor are you

James: If it’s what will help him feel comfortable in his new room, I will do it. He deserves to feel safe

Alexander: I just worry you’ll get sore

James: Weren’t you just saying how young I was

Alexander: Yes but that was-

James: We’re doing the sleepover. Then, with some luck, we can have our bedroom back to ourselves and the cats. Not that I’ve minded woohoo in other places but I do miss some stuff we can only do on the bed

Alexander: *laughs* I see your point, okay, sleepover it is

Alexander searches for the sleeping bags to carry up to Milton’s new rooms while James helps Milton move all of his clothes in, as well as his old toys from the Goth house. Finally we are ready to sleep but, better take a quick photo first! Can’t believe I didn’t have a proper one with these three.

5am...

Hamlet: *meows loudly* I really must protest at this locked door! I should be able to roam anywhere

Milton: *sleepily* Hamlet? Sorry buddy, your dads just don’t want you getting stuck in here

Hamlet: *meows* I haven’t seen them for hours though. HOURS

Milton: You really shouldn’t just wake sims up, especially on the weekends. It’s Harvestfest today, how am I supposed to stay awake

Hamlet seems undeterred from meowing so Milton decides to give him a pet and a play to satisfy him for a while.

At a more reasonable hour the sun rises and Harvestfest begins. First mission is to find the three gnomes (which I just have to say was near impossible in this mansion) and appease them for the day. Then while the humans don’t get special outfits, the cats become honorary tacos for the next while in celebration of the day.

Alexander: Your cat is knocking out the trash again

James: Our cat

Hamlet: *meows* Ew mum, that’s gross

Gertrude: *meows* You should try it, so much to explore

Hamlet: *meows* I’m fine here

Milton: Do you have to make such a mess Gertrude? I’ll probably have to clean it up

James: We have to do cleaning before our guests get here anyway

Alexander: I’m on cooking, think you can set the table Milton

Milton: Sure. Guess what? No nightmares last night

James: That's wonderful

The Chopra’s have arrived! Toddler Viola, child twins Savannah and Mercedes (your reminder that Savannah is in pink with hair clips, Mercedes is in blue with no hair clips), as well as their parents Rahul and Cassandra. First to get Viola in the high chair, then get some hugs out of the way. Milton and Savannah autonomously hugged despite having a low relationship which was adorable.

Alexander: You look… nice

Cassandra: *laughs* Yes Mr subtle, I am absolutely pregnant again

Alexander: Thought so. Congratulations to all of you

While Viola babbles incoherently to Milton he smiles and nods. Down the table the rest of the family is getting stuck into the ham Alexander cooked.

Alexander: Okay Viola, here’s your plate

Viola: Mama?

Cassandra: It’s your food, eat up green bean

Viola looks at the food questioningly but once she pats it she realises what it is and happily flings it about while eating the odd bit here and there.

Cassandra: Do you know how long the adoption process will take

James: I imagine since we’re not wanting an infant it shouldn’t be too long

Rahul: The sooner the better with kids

Mercedes: What is… a dog shone (adoption)?

Cassandra: You know how you and your sisters came from inside me, well your uncle Alexander and uncle James are going to get a kid that came from inside someone else

Milton: So... I’m getting another sibling or a cousin?

James: Not exactly. They would still be a niece or nephew technically

Alexander: But that doesn’t mean you can’t include them like a sibling or a cousin

Hamlet: *meows* Ham for Hamlet? Someone is too kind

Rahul: Your cat is trying to eat the food

James: Hamlet, no!

Alexander: I’ll just put the leftovers it in the fridge where he can't reach them, give me a second

Cassandra: Do you want a boy or girl?

Alexander: I’d settle for one who doesn’t judge me and James, gender doesn't matter

James: They won’t judge you love, don’t worry. I’ll have a proper talk with the social worker

Savannah: So… we’re going to get a cousin finally?

Rahul: Yes you are

Milton: You know I'm sitting right here Savannah

Savannah: *scoffs* You make a deal about being our uncle all the time *pulls face*

Milton: Oh yeah, good point

Mercedes: If you wanted to stop making a show about it, that would be great

Gertrude: *meows* Where did all the ham go

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[helen-cooper-fan-account]

Guys stop with the Sebastian hate smh

I feel like sebastian is just far too sad to think of long term things + I think he was rather dependent on his sister so he doesn’t really know what to do on his own. Personally I don’t think Sebastian and Antonio were hooking up or anything during their time together, I think the two just became very close which led to Antonio falling in love with him. I think sebastian was far too caught up in his own grief to even notice Antonio’s feelings. Antonio did say he loved Sebastian a lot but in a very poetic way, a lot of people reading twelfth night don’t even realize Antonio means romantic love. Sebastian in most productions and even just in the script itself seems to be more emotional about his sisters “death” than viola is of his, I feel like he’s the more emotional while viola is the more logical. He acts on impulse and spur of the moment feelings rather than thinking like his sister does. He’s a bit stupid, but not without a heart. I think he marries Olivia just because he’s so lost and confused and happy to be wanted like that in such an upfront and understandable way so he just went with it. It was a certainty in his uncertain life. In the end he and Olivia only stay together out of convenience. They most likely wouldn’t be happy together. As for Antonio, perhaps if he was straight up said “let’s get married Sebastian!” Sebastian would’ve understood, however you also have to remember that Sebastian is upper class, maybe it’s not that he’s unaware of Antonio’s feelings but that he just can’t reciprocate due to societal norms, Olivia was a safe option. Or maybe his feelings for Antonio were just too much and with Olivia it was just like a quick fun feeling that made him feel better. Another interpretation I have is in the line “my kind Antonio, I can no other answer make but thanks.” Which is in response to Antonio talking about his love. I performed it as if I were saying “Antonio, I understand what you’re saying but I just can’t think of these things now, so I simply give you my thanks.” Or my reading before I decided to make Sebastian zesty was “Antonio, I understand what you’re saying and I’m sorry but I don’t reciprocate so all I can give you is my thanks.” Antonio being left in jail sucks tho however loads of productions make sure to include him getting out which is either done super sad or more happy.

Anyway I am Sebastian’s no.1 defender y’all are attacking the wrong stupid Shakespeare character 👿 may I redirect your hate toward Claudio from much ado about nothing? Hero deserved FAR better than him.

(Making this a proper post cos I can)

[ultimateinstrumentpoll]

welcome to the ultimate instrument poll!

exactly what it sounds like - a tournament to determine the best (tumblr’s favourite) instrument.

submission guidelines

anything capable of making music welcome - including things that might not technically be instrument (like singing) (we are using instrument in the broadest sense here)

slightly silly/impractical/otherwise unusual instruments allowed and encouraged (like the octobass - please google if you haven’t heard of it, one of the most impractical instruments i think)

probably no fictional instruments unless you can make a really compelling argument for why they should be included

if you’re submitting an obscure/fictional instrument please give me a good description/link to wiki page/etc so i can find the right thing to include (and if you have a particular picture you’d like me to use, send that as well)

the number of submissions required for an instrument to be included will probably depend on how many submissions there are overall, as well as how intrigued/convinced i am by them

also the viola will get in automatically because i play it and am not above some moderator bias (sorry)

propaganda is both allowed and encouraged! though please tag me so i definitely see it

all polls/similarly important posts will be tagged with #ultimate instrument poll

please send your submissions below !

submissions will remain open for 2 weeks (probably) (so till the 20th May)

anyway i think that’s everything ! if you have any questions/any of this is unclear please send me an ask :)

go wild !

some other polls i’ve been enjoying/ to spread the word

@mfshipbracket @17-million-years-of-pining-poll @thing-fight @character-of-all-time @the-ultimate-tournament @colourcontest @best-animal-bracket @unreliablenarratorpoll @book-was-better

(also, this seems like an obvious enough concept that it might already exist, so if it does peace and love to other poll makers <3)

[inosukes-boar-mask]

My opinions on every single Rochester in season 4 because im bored as fuck and also i wanna yap yap yap a lot

(i arrange them base on who appeared first throughout the game)

Archie- honestly, i hate him because he's such a brat but at the same time i kinda felt bad because i really do think that he used to be a really good, sweet boi back then. And I know he's such a pain in the ass to deal with but honestly he doesn't deserve to be abused like that by his dad. He must've been so traumatized everytime he sees malcolm bruh (honestly if i were him i would feel the same way as well)

Rockley- a cool guy and i wish he appeared more because he's really interesting. He's one of the decent Rochesters out there. He just wanna make some chocolates and sell em. Just a funny, chill guy that i would be friends with. He's cool as fu-

Leopold- one of my favorite Rochester. He's such a nice guy and if i was in the motp world he'd be the only person that I'll trust the most. Honestly he didn't deserve to die like that. Dude's just tryna innovate Concordia and he supports it by hosting and funding world exhibition blah blah blah and also, i feel so bad for this guy. Like he just wants the Rochester name to be a good one and despite all of the atrocious stuffs his brother had done, he still didn't do bad stuff and he didn't got influenced by Horatio (fuck Horatio man all my homies hate Horatio)

Veronica- she kinda fine but damn you Veronica you're such a bad mom. Also I wonder what the fuck happened to her since she really didn't reappear after Archie's death. We didn't even know if she grieved on her son's death or she probably just didn't give a flying fuck about it. She's quite interesting though. I really wished we get to know her more and what her thoughts are about this morally corrupt family and what are her roles as Malcolm's wife.

Horatio- fuck u man fuck u. He's such a vile man and i think this old stanky dude is actually born a MENACE since the start. Like seriously??? You took advantage of those Irish and Italians to fight and kill each other. Also bribing the police and putting all of those sane, innocent, good people in the asylum just because they're interrupting your plans to establish a republic 😤😤🖕🏻 a big FUCK YOU to this guy btw. Glad Viola doesn't see him as his own father now. (Yeah i mean he also did took advantage of being Viola's dad after finding out that Viola was his illegitimate daughter and also, hanging out with your daughter just to tamper or to steal evidence??? Fuck u man)

Larry- bro's getting on my nerves and he's annoying as fuck. Like dude we get that your rich but please get your shit together you're 35 😩😩🖕🏻 also you're a freak man why would you just dissect the shit out of Sandra and steal her heart just because she offered you a job to the city hall 😩 like what kinda motive is that????

Clarissa- ehhhh idk about her I honestly don't care about her though... But yeah, I think she's either a nice and a decent person or she could be a big POS. I don't know. I'm neutral when it comes to her character and we didn't know that much about her because she got killed.

Bernadine- *plays the intro of I bet on losing dogs by Mitski* My most favorite Rochester and I also feel so sad for her. She deserves so much better.... At first I didn't like her because of how arrogant she acts in case 41. But then I felt sad for her in case 53. She feels so guilty and she blames herself for Leopold's death. Wishing that she should've warn him earlier on. She knows and had seen a lot of shit her family is doing.... This girl only just want a normal life as an aristocrat and then there's her uncle who threatens her to throw her out in the asylum and also, her older brother who's violent and has massive anger issues. She was literally at her lowest during this case and it's actually sad that one by one, she loses each of her family members. (They either go to jail or die) Also wishes that she appeared early or more though. She really is one of the most interesting Rochesters out there and she literally carries all of the burdens that she experienced in her family.

Patricia- I also felt bad for her too. She didn't deserve to suffer like that. Imagine you've been in the asylum for years. Slowly becoming more and more insane because of the environment and the doctors there.... She was thrown out there just because she's speaking up against her husband blah blah blah.... (This is why all my homies hate Horatio fuck Horatio)

Malcolm- man fuck this guy. What a big piece of shit. What a fucking pig. Bro literally cares more about his job as a senator more than the death of his own son. "He who loves his son is diligent enough to discipline him" my ass. You're just straight up beating the shit out of him. 😒 There are many other ways to discipline Archie yet this mf chose to beat the shit out of him. Also, he's so corrupt that he would do such vile things to keep himself on top and to get more power. Literally a true definition of a Machiavellian. He's also just like his uncle as well. (And I wouldn't be surprised if he also has an illegitimate child though. Like seriously though i think this could be possible since Malcolm is a regular at the brothel)

Anyways this is all i just finished my yapping session now

[j2zara]

just took immense psychic damage at the thought of j3 giving j2 tips on how to seduce jace into being nicer to him.

adjfkelfjakl the thing is that i think ultimately J2 has always been better at sweet-talking Jace than j3 is completely by accident b/c J3's charm works on everyone except for jace. However, there's a secret twist to that in that Jace THINKS b/c he understands J3 so well that j3's flirting doesn't work on him but. It does. It kinda does. It's a whole game in j3's head. He can't let Jace know how good he is. There are levels to this.

Anyway. for some reason my brain wasn't registering this as j2j3 fodder but. God j2 is so easy to love. And even J3 who has always been in tension with j2 feels the same way. I just. I was so enamored with J3 teaching J4 how to flirt but i think it would be equally as like. J3 making it all weird and flirty but also maybe kinda... cute? When it's j2's turn, too. Just b'/c J2 is so earnest and awkward about it (he's a LOT more naturally good at this than J4 is who is an offputting little freak but he's still like. such a baby doe). That J3 is like. Aw <3 (but also he's like. I get why everyone is so obsessed with you. and doesn't give a shit about me. Infuriating)

And honestly I think J2 at first is like. Maybe a little offended or trying to give pushback? Like. I shouldn't try to manipulate Jace, that would be messed up! Besides, I could never pull that off, jace would see right through me (his brain is cooked b/c he will do weird shit like rearrange jace's bookshelf all the time and doesn't care but flirting to get what he wants? No way). But j3 is like no this is foolproof. Besides j2 deserves some niceys (i'm assuming J2 is the he in question, but tbh i also think like. J3 could be like maybe if Jace is in a good mood... this could be a win for everyone)

I actually think this would be such an interesting (read: funny) conversation too bc like you've said before J2 gets up puts on the least revealing outfit possible every day and Porter goes absolutely crazy for him so J3 is like. Ok what is the jace strat for this. Jace is not falling for the manic pixie dream girl shit (he's right but he's a little wrong, Jace is a sucker too). J2 is kind of annoyed like. You know i'm not as helpless as you guys think. I was the one who pursued Porter. Which was not something that j3 knew (nor what happened to him, even though he was fully inviting Porter to make the first move. he's so very Of Jace). But how Bluejay of him. He's like. I just. Told him that I liked him. And how much he meant to me. (which J3 is like. Ew. but only to hide the fact that inside he's like. Hm. Maybe that is kind of sweet. Maybe i'd love to hear something like that too. Who said that)

But like. J3's having a hard time concentrating b/c J2 is such a good little pupil who takes every lesson and touch from j3 so well. And gives everything such a good college try even if it's a bit clumsy and awkward and its so annoying b/c J2 is not as good at this as J3 but he's still somehow still endeared. He really believes J2 could do it. There's a little bit of like. You have talk to him like you make every idea that is yours actually came from him. But he's quickly like. Ok you can't do that "i'm so hot and i know it" thing that Jace (and I) do just. Be yourself or whatever. Now you try on me. Practice on me.

The problem with this (for j3) is that J2 cradles J3's face and looks into his eyes and when. He gets into the spirit of things. He literally. canonically starts spouting verse... He goes full viola sent to woo olivia in twelfth night. J2 can wax poetic completely earnestly, J3 is so fucked <3