#whaaaat? faces are used for more than eating and seeing and punching?

[deva-arts]

They started dating some years after they met, but Sera was never really into the whole 'dating' scene before then. More like the broken bones and bloody fists scene. There's a lot of firsts for people like them.

(They smooch again.)

Bonus doodles under the cut!

Bonus 1!

She then had a migraine.

Bonus 2!

They might not have thought this through too well.

Bonus 3:

Haha, marriage! Eww!

[jaycewrites-192000]

Growl: Chapter 1

Charcter:

Kyotani Kentaro (Mad Dog)

Warnings: None. Slow updates

Summery:

It all started with a growl...

...Which was odd considering it came from a human.

(There might be some lacking in the teams/teammates and matches and I'm sorry if there is. I'll certainly do my best to describe the events of matches and the different personalities of each team members. That's all, thank you for reading!)

(just let me know if you want to be added) Tags: @etroman @theravencawsatmidnight

Your P.O.V

The shrill alarm shook me awake from my sleep, with a groan you sit up and slam the top of the alarm to shut it up. Groggily opening my eyes I grab my phone and turn it on, suddenly my tired eyes filled with panic as I saw the day and time. Monday, 7:20am. I was late for school! I was never late! I toss my phone aside and scrambled to get dressed and brush my teeth and hair. Because I was in a hurry, my hair ended up looking more messy than decent. But there was no time to fix it right, so I hurried to grab my school bag and phone before running downstairs.

I noticed that my mother wasn't here, which would explain why I didn't hear her yelling for me to wake up. I walked over to the fridge to see a note that read: "Y/n, I was called in early for work. Hopefully you remember to wake up early so you can eat breakfast. If not, I left you some cash so you could grab a snack on the way to school. I'll be back before dinner. Love you, -Mom." I internally thanked my mom before grabbing the cash off the table and running out the door. "I don't even think I have time to get some food on the way there." I sigh. Guess I have extra money for lunch then.

Finally I made it to the front gates of the school, Aoba Johsai High, I checked my phone. I had five minutes to spare. Picking up the pace I ran into the school, and through the halls, narrowly avoiding people while doing so. Avoiding all except for one, partially tall person. I yelped, tumbling backwards, I somehow managed not to fall over. The person I ran into turned back to face me. I felt my stomach drop slightly at the sight of the boy. He was tall, with a blonde buzzcut that had two black lines that started from the right side of his head that looped around to the left side. It kinda resembled a bee pattern. His glare shook me down to my core, piercing yellow eyes shot right through me. The dark bags under his eyes only made his glare more intimidating. But what scared me the most, was when he spoke. Or...growled?

"Watch it." His voice was gravely and deep. It was almost like he was snarling at me. Like an angry dog maybe? "I uh...sorry?" I mutter. The boy only clicked his tongue before walking away. "...What the hell was that?" I breathed before picking up my bag and walking into my classroom.

"Miss L/n. You're late." Said my teacher, turning away from the chalk board, book in hand. Ah! I totally forgot! Embarrassed, I bowed my head and apologized before taking my seat. I might have made it too, if it weren't for that angry guy earlier. I sighed and opened my books and got to copying what was written on the board. "Heeeey, L/n-Chan~. You've never been late before, what kept you?" A familiar voice whispered, interrupted my writing. I knew that voice all to well, with another sight you turned to see my, I guess friend, Oikawa Toru.

"I overslept." I whispered back. "I almost made it too." Oikawa chuckled as he leaned on his hand. "That's so unlike you L/n-Chan. What kept you up last night? Have a boyfriend you don't want me to know about?" He smirks. "No!" I whispered-shouted back. "I...I was watching anime." I mutter. Oikawa failed to hold back his laughter. "Oikawa, L/n! Keep it down!" The teacher scolds us both. "Y-yes sir!" We apologize.

"Hey. L/n-Chan, meet me after class in the gym. There's something I want to tell you." Oikawa whispers. You nod before getting back to work.

Normal P.O.V

Finally classes had ended, and you were on your way to the gym. You couldn't help but wonder what Oikawa wanted to tell you. "He better not try and ask me out again." You groan. The first time he did it was so embarrassing! And right in front of his herd of fan girls too! You thought they were going to hunt you down and murder you after what he did. "Jerk. This had better be good." You say before opening the doors to the gym. Inside, was the school's volleyball team, and their captain Oikawa as well. "L/n-Chan!" He ran towards you, trying to give you a hug, but you step out of the way of his path, causing him to run into the wall. "Dumbass." A brown hair male shakes his head. It was Iwaizumi Hajime, Oikawa's "best friend".

"Hi Iwa-Chan." You smile and wave. "Hey! That's my nickname for him!" Oikawa whines. "Hey L/n." Iwaizumi, ignoring him, waves back. "What brings you here?" He asks. "Oikawa told me to come here. He said he needed to tell me something." Iwaizumi glares at Oikawa. "You better not try and ask her out again Shittykawa!" You laugh at the infamous nickname for Oikawa. "I'm not!" Oikawa puts his hands on his hips. "I asked her here for an important reason."

"Like what?" You asked. "Well first of all, what do you think of our team? Though, I shouldn't have to ask that, we're obviously an amazing team, don't be shy, go ahead and say it." Oikawa says with a haughty tone. "Uh, yeah I guess you guys are pretty cool." You tell him. Oikawa scoffs. "Pretty cool?" He shakes his head. "Anyway, how would you like to be our manager?" You gave Oikawa a confused look. "Like, you want me to be your manager? Uh, I mean, I don't know. I've never really held much of an interest in volleyball, let alone managing an entire team."

"Whaaaat? But you have to be! We don't have a cute manager girl!" Your eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Oh shut it! I'm defiantly not going to be your manger if I'm just here to look cute!" You snap. "Please L/n-Chan!" Oikawa begs. "Leave her alone Shittykawa! She's obviously not interested!" Iwaizumi punches Oikawa in the back of his head. "Ow!" He whines.

"Sorry Oikawa, I just don't think I'm the right fit for your team's manager." You apologize. "At least think about it! I really think you'll like it once you get the feel for it. You'll even get the chance to make more friends." That caught your attention. You didn't have many friends, just Oikawa and Iwaizumi really. You didn't know the rest of the team as well as they did, you would have, if you had more of an interest in volleyball. But you didn't. Maybe this would be good for you after all. Before Iwaizumi got the chance to punch Oikawa again you stopped him. "Fine! I'll think about it, but this is not a yes, got it?"

"Oh thank you L/n-Chan!" Oikawa's mood took a turn for a brighter one. "You won't regret it I promise!"

"For your sake, I better not." You mutter. "I'm gonna get going. I'll see you guys later ok?" Before you head out the gym, Oikawa stopped you. "Wait, don't you want to watch us play? Maybe it will help you make a decision." You shrug and set your bag beside the bench. You didn't really have anything better to do, so you might as well watch. "We're just about to start, we're just waiting for a certain trouble maker to show up." Oikawa crosses his arms. Just as you were going to ask who this "certain trouble maker" was, the gym doors slammed opened. The loudness made you jump in shock, turning around slowly, you met the eyes of someone, you wished you would never have to see again.

It was the scary ass dude you ran into earlier!

"Mad Dog-Chan!" Oikawa greets him. Mad Dog-Chan?? You blink a few times, what kind of name was that? "It's about time you showed up. You get in trouble again?" "Mad Dog-Chan" rolled his eyes and walked in, he didn't even bother to spare you a passing glance as he entered the gym. Did he even notice you at all? It was probably better that way. "You should start getting here earlier. Hurry and get changed so we can start." Iwaizumi spoke up. Mad Dog-Chan nods. "Yes sir." He made his way to the dressing rooms. "Why do you listen to him and not me!?" Oikawa whines.

You walk up to Oikawa as soon as he was gone. "Oikawa, who was that guy? How come you've never mentioned him?" You asked. "He was suspended, so this is the first time he's practicing with us in a while. And as for me not talking about him, well, you saw how unpleasant he can be." You couldn't help but agree with that, you didn't want to make assumptions, but after your encounter with him it was pretty clear he wasn't the most decent of people. "Yeah, I know. I ran into him earlier, I thought he was going to kill me."

"Really? I feel sorry for you then." Oikawa chuckles. "Who is he? Mad Dog-Chan can't be his real name." Well no duh, who names their kid something like that? "His name is Kyotani Kentaro. He's a second year." You hum in response. "Is he any good? Playing volleyball I mean."

"Oh, I don't want to spoil that for you. Just wait and see sweetheart." You punch him in the side. "What did I say about calling me that?" You mutter. "Sorry.." Oikawa whimpers.

Next

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Satisfied, Part 34

First

Previous

Next

~~~

A week later, she was waiting for patrols to start for the night. Her leather jacket and boots had come in, but they would only be of use for another few nights at this rate. The purple had reached her shoulders and knees.

Good thing she’d come up with a plan! She’d gone to a Halloween store and bought the most realistic Ladybug outfit she could find. It was pretty good, the only difference was that it was far easier to damage, but she could work with that.

Now, though, as the sun began to set in a beautiful scene, she was given the bad news: she was going to be working with Robin until they got along.

She laid back on the edge of the building, letting one leg hang over the side lazily. She rested her hands on her stomach and pressed her ear against the concrete so she didn’t have to move.

“Seriously, Bats? I don’t want to work with him.”

“Too bad. You and him need to get along better so you can actually have each other’s backs if need be.”

She huffed. “It’s not like I’d let him die. Maybe get roughed up a bit but that’s not my problem.”

“That’s not the most heroic thing to say,” said Nightwing.

She scoffed. “Well, who asked you, Dick?”

The silence on the comms stretched and she realized her mistake. She laughed awkwardly as her brain scrambled for an excuse. At least his was the easiest name to play off as a coincidence: “Sorry, was there a no swearing rule? I didn’t know.”

She could almost feel their sighs of relief even if she didn’t actually hear or see them.

Bats cleared his throat. “Right, well, there is one. Anyways, this is nonnegotiable. You’re working together. Stop complaining.”

She huffed and lifted her ear up a bit so she could curse him out without getting in trouble. Then she pushed herself up to a sitting position and closed her eyes as she waited for Robin to get there.

She rested her chin on her knee and hummed to herself.

A hand rested on her shoulder and she nearly fell over the side of the building. If they hadn’t been fast enough to catch her arm, she probably would have.

She sent Robin a glare. "You could be careful, you know,” she muttered as she got to her feet.

He crossed his arms. “Could be, yes. Just be glad I didn’t let you fall like I wanted to,” he said.

“Right, right. C’mon, we might as well get this over with.”

He rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly. “What do my brothers see in you?”

Marinette smiled cheekily. “You didn’t say that when you were drunk.”

His face reddened. “Because I was drunk, you can hardly count that against me!”

“Really? A lot of people say that you find out a person’s ‘true self’ when they’re drunk.”

“A lot of people are idiots,” he said with a hop to the next building.

She snickered and followed after him.

They jumped from rooftop to rooftop in relative silence. They both knew that arguing would only keep them distracted, they’d be more likely to miss something that was happening. As much as their presences annoyed each other, they still took their job seriously. They had to, this wasn’t something that they could allow to go wrong.

~

Their first fight together had... not gone well.

They’d won, sure, the criminals were in jail.

But...

She groaned as she pressed a soda can to the side of her head. It wasn’t going to help the bruising, but at least it felt a little better. “This is your fault,” she hissed.

He gave her an incredulous look before kneeling down to take a jar of honey off the shelf. “My fault? You’re the one who jumped in without going over a plan first!”

“Oh really? You thought you were going to think of a plan before Flamethrower-guy burned that family to a crisp?”

She plucked the honey from his hands and put it back.

He sent her a glare, only to raise his eyebrows as she grabbed his good arm. She pulled him through the store despite his protests.

She looked around for a while until she found petroleum jelly, bandaging, and a towel. She went to the bathroom and wet the towel.

He stared at her as she handed it over.

“It’ll help with the burns.”

He frowned and, with a small hiss of pain, wrapped the towel around his arm.

“Apply petroleum jelly a few times a day and make sure to always use sterile bandaging,” she said.

“You know a lot about this.”

She took a glance at all the people around them. They were still in costume, so it wasn’t a surprise that they were staring and taking pictures. She posed for a camera and then turned to answer him. “I have a lot of experiences with burns,” she said, which sounded a lot cooler than ‘I lived in a bakery’.

He gave a small laugh. They grabbed a bit of pain medication and went to the front.

He paid. Mostly because he was the only one who actually could get to their wallet in their costume, but also because he was rich.

“Thanks for the help,” he said awkwardly.

She sighed. “It’s whatever. C’mon. We still have a while for patrols.”

~

She raised her eyebrow at him as he pointed out a convenience store. She squinted to see better, but everything seemed fine. “Is there a robbery?”

He shook his head and hopped down from the roof. “Nope. Food!”

“No!” She hissed as she followed after him.

Apparently saying ‘no’ was not enough to deter him, because they’d ended up with two bags of chips and two coffees. She sent him a glare as she sipped at her drink.

“Whaaaat? I’m making sure we keep our energy up,” he said with a cheeky smile.

“How are you even skinny?”

“Says the scrawny baker’s daughter.”

She rolled her eyes and pulled a bag of chips from his hands. “You’re lucky any complaints I give to Bats would just be interpreted as us fighting again.”

“Yep.”

~

She’d unfortunately figured out the answer to a question she’d had. She touched a hand to the shallow cut on her stomach. She’d dodged the knife pretty well, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t painful. She could deal with the pain, the problem was...

The knife had cut through her costume like butter.

She zipped up her leather jacket and sent Robin a grin as he picked up the criminal for them.

“Are you alright?”

She blinked once. “What?”

“You zipped up your jacket. You wouldn’t do that unless you wanted to hide an injury, it’s too tacky for you.”

She scoffed, but after a while of him glaring at her she reluctantly opened her jacket to show him the cut. It wasn’t bad, barely even bleeding. Still, he reached into his tool belt and handed over some bandages.

She tried to hand them back over but he’d threatened to knock her out and do it himself. So, however reluctantly, Marinette ended up taking care of herself. It was a miracle.

~

She hummed as she tied off the criminal under her foot. “You still choreograph your moves too much.”

Robin scoffed as he picked up his own, who was knocked out cold. “Shut up, you Nightwing wannabe.”

She threw a rock at him, only for him to laugh.

~

A grin tugged at her lips as he hopped over to her, holding up two hotdogs. “Best food in Gotham.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’ve eaten my pastries, haven’t you?”

He smirked and handed one over. “I have. Still the best food in Gotham.”

Marinette stuck her tongue out at him as she took it. “So mean,” she whined.

He shrugged. “Eat one and say I’m wrong.”

She bit down...

Okay. It was pretty good. Amazing, even. Didn’t mean she still couldn’t be bitter.

He laughed when she didn’t say anything and rested an arm around her shoulders. “Told you.”

She huffed.

“Your food is still a close second, though.”

She couldn’t help the smile that broke across her face. “I’ll teach you to make some. Your brothers didn’t do great but there might still be hope for you.”

He snickered. “I heard about that. How bad was it?”

She shuddered and didn’t say anything, which was a pretty good response in itself.

~

He stopped suddenly and held a hand out to stop her. She gave him an annoyed glance before following his gaze. A man was being mugged in the alley below them.

The two vigilantes locked eyes and she tipped her head to the side. An unspoken understanding passed between them and they nodded in unison.

She dropped down behind the mugger silently. She reached out and tapped him on the shoulder.

They whipped around and she gave him a brilliant smile, waving. “Hello, monsieur,” she chirped, her eyes finding their way to his gun hand. Their hand had fallen slightly in their surprise. Good.

He looked confused for a moment.

Then she socked him.

He stumbled back a step, his hands coming up to touch his definitely broken nose. She didn’t give him a chance, grabbing the gun in his hand and twisting until he had no choice but to let go.

She smirked when he did so. However, much to her surprise, he didn’t stop fighting to nurse his definitely aching arm. He threw a punch to her face and she jumped back.

The gun clattered to the floor between them.

The two eyed each other warily for a beat before making a mad grab for the weapon.

Their fingers fumbled over the gun for a second and she reeled back in slight shock as a punch blindsided her.

The mugger stood over her, a gun pointed at her chest.

Her breath caught in her throat. She shut her eyes tight, her hands coming up to cover her face. Not again no no no please no --!

Something wrapped around her wrist. A small jerking motion and a bit of pain and then...

Weightlessness.

A gunshot could be heard behind her. Then another two, further and further away.

She crashed into a body and they both went sprawling, cursing as they skid over the ground.

They both groaned in pain and she sighed as she pushed herself up to a sitting position, rubbing her head. Robin groaned and sat up a bit as well, his eyes unfocused.

“Did we win?”

She sighed. “Not yet. Thanks for the save. You got the civvie away right?”

He gave a nod. This could have been to confirm he understood they hadn’t yet won, acknowledging her thanks, or to say that he had in fact gotten the civilian to safety. She opened her mouth to ask --.

There was a click from above them and they looked up to see the man, who was pointing his gun between them.

The two vigilantes glanced at each other warily. They weren’t in much of a position to fight, dazed and on the ground like they were, and she couldn’t help the anxiety building in her chest the longer the gun was pointed at her.

She knew what Robin was going to do before he’d done it. Her hand came out to stop him, but she was too late.

(Tw: murder)

He darted forward.

A gunshot rang out.

And then another.

And another.

Robin fell back to her side as her eyes found his. His mouth moved but she couldn’t hear it above the ringing in her ears. He reached out and gave her a little squeeze.

And then his arm went limp.

She swallowed thickly, her hand reached out and she gave his shoulder a little shake. “Robin?”

Nothing.

Marinette rounded on the criminal and pushed herself to her feet. He’d run out of shots, she knew it. That was six, he was out. Her hand went to her yoyo...

The man was beneath her, blood darkening what little scraps remained of his clothes. Her eyes found their way to the polka-dotted dagger in her hands and she felt bile build in her throat as she came to realize that most of the black polka-dots were coated in red.

She pushed herself off of the man quickly.

She’d never... why did this one affect her so badly? She’d seen her people massacred but she’d never... Even when Chat had died she’d still been able to keep mostly calm and win normally, so why...

She looked at her hands, which were still slick with blood.

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t...

Her eyes found their way to the lucky charm she’d summoned.

“Miraculous ladybug,” she whispered.

(Tw over. Robin died, she killed someone, use Miraculous ladybug to fix it)

She didn’t even wait for the ladybugs to fully disappear before wrapping Robin in a hug. “Never do something like that again.”

He didn’t respond, only giving her a short squeeze before pushing her off and walking to the criminal.

The man was wheezing and clutching his chest. Of course he was. Even if Miraculous Ladybug could repair all the physical damage done during a fight...

No one ever forgot how they died.

He picked up her yoyo from where she’d dropped it and used it to tie up the criminal.

They carried them to the police station in silence.

~~~

“I won’t work on this because I have schoolwork to do today” yea so that was a lie apparently

~

Taglist

@comet-kun @thatonecroc @trippingovermyfeet @swiftie-miraculer13 @nickristus-dreamer @moongoddesskiana @i-am-ironic @indecisive-mess-named-me @thebooki3h @insane-fangirl-of-everything @deepestobservationwombat @theymakeupfairies @fatimaabbasrizvi @clumsy-owl-4178 @fanofalittletoomuch @iamablinkmarvelarmy @nathleigh @lilkymilky @silvergold-swirl @dino-lovingreen-angel @thestressmademedoit @kissa-chan @ladybug-182 @alysrose-starchild @t1dwarrior-of-earth @spyofthenightcourt @rowanrouge @nik-nak-3 @momothefemur @aestheticnpoetic @labschaos @our-preciousss @mochinek0 @eliza-bich @mythogaychic @severelyenchantedwonderland @sashakoi @smolplantmum @bluesimani @tropestropestropes @kitsunebell @keepingupwiththemalfoys @sassakitty @2confused-2doanything @too0bsessedformyowngood @all-mights-asscheeks @demonicbusiness @meg-an-ace @fantasiame @qualitypeacepainter

<3

[guacameowle]

V’s After End - Notes / Opinion

Below the cut will be my reactions, opinions, & spoilers for V’s After Ending episodes & endings. There’s a sprinkling of ~thirst~ & a lot of confusion/screaming throughout. I am afraid I haven’t gone back to proofread the episode reactions, so they’re likely a little messy & misspelled. 

Episode reactions are at the top, separated by episode & endings. Long-winded opinion/discussion about the route itself is at the bottom.

Journey below at your own risk! xx

Episode 1

80 hourglasses for EPISODE ONE? Oh this man is EXPENSIIIIVE. How many episodes is this going to be? 8 TOTAL?! Goodness.

JUDGE OR FORGIVE?! Who am I judging & forgiving? Jihyun? Rika? Cauuuuuse... uhhhh.... that might change my answers a bit (a lot)

So this means there is going to be multiple endings, yeah?!

Probably hasn’t even kissed you yet & is already packing up, leaving, & asking you to wait for him. I WAIT FOR NO MAN (Jk I waited for this man for over a year. Fuck.)

Oh shiiiit. He’s leaving me his house?! Ok, I’ll wait. Have fun storming the castle! *waves*

Excuse me but does the news screen on Jumin’s tv in his room show a picture of Rika & a caption underneath that says “More Catfood”???

The bottom of the news reel also says “Does Jumin Han is Gay?” Please, release us. Let it die.

JUUUMIIIIN. DO NOT BLAME YOURSELF. Let us comfort each other in these trying times. *waggles eyebrows*

JAEHEE COMING THROUGH WITH SOME GODDAMN SENSE & LOGIC. MY GIRL!

SOMEONE GET THIS MAN HIS WINE! Ohhh, nevermind he’s been drinking too much. Let’s have some water now, Juju.

This man is mourning & distraught. I am so sad for him. & now they’re making him dependent on alcohol to relieve his stress? Uh, I don’t like where this is going.

If anything happens to Jumin in this ending I swear...

WE HAVE CHATS TOO?! Damn what a complex update!

Wait, Zen WANTS to see MC & Jihyun being lovey dovey? Zen’s an imposter. He’s been replaced. That’s the real secret of this After End.

Oh wait, he said he was lying. Whew.

It is weird giving replies in chats & not seeing little colorful hearts flying everywhere…

Zen coming in HOT with the “Do you think you can forgive Rika?” question. Woooow.

You bet your ass I asked if anyone has heard anything from Ray. I’m going to cry.

NEW SEVEN CG! SO CUTE! VANDERWOOD IN THE RAFT! SO CUUUUUTE!

“He’s an adorable shy man.” Instantly chose this option. Vanderwood is cuuuute. Yes, Seven, please tell Vandy that I called him adorable & shy. Then tell me his reply. Then give him my number.

Yoosung’s got a package. I’M SURE HE DOES. ::eyes emoji::

OH SHIT, JUMIN DROPPING THE DNA BOMB. Wait, riddle me why the fuck Jumin had access to Seven’s DNA in the first place...

Poor Seven, I thought he had already sort of knew/assumed the hacker was his twin. But I guess he didn’t really know until now?

Looks like I’m on the “FORGIVE” path. Unlocked a Jumin’s VA free chat. Alriiiight.

Episode 2

Ray? Omg my eyes teared up. IS HE ALIVE?! WHAT KINDA SHORT TEASE OF A VOICE IS THAT?! OMFGGGGG. D:

Episode 2 & I’m already fucking crying. Great. Awesome. Lovely.

Honestly, I’m glad they’re having this discussion about V keeping all this information to himself about Saeran’s existence & use within Magenta because that’s always had me side-eyeing V HARD. I’m still of the opinion that he should have told at least Seven & Jumin about everything sooner. I get that he wanted to save Rika, but he was responsible for Saeran. I’m still heated.

SAEYOUNG HAS GONE ROGUE!

Mailman route when?! Kidding. His voice is nice though.

“Burn the letter” JESUS, MC. CALM IT DOWN.

RIKA WENT MISSING. OMFGGGG. THIS AFTER END! I JUST WANTED TO KISS JIHYUN. WHAT THE FRICK FRACK IS GOING ON?!

“We found remnants of DNA that matched with those of Luciel scattered about in the remains of Magenta. Since the explosion was of no ordinary size….” My heart hurts. My head hurts. My soul hurts.

This super sad music is just making me feel worse. I hate this. I’m crying again. I’m getting emotional whiplash.

Ray deserved better. Full stop.

Rika & Saeyoung left alone & Ray’s theme starts playing. How fucking dare this game fuck with me. I’m literally lying on the floor in a ball, playing this game & crying. What the hell.

For a second I saw Saeyoung making that fist in the CG & thought he was about to punch Rika.

Wow can y’all believe Jihyun basically Noped the Fuck Out of his own After End?

Hey Siri, turn off Rika’s voice.

Seven is dropping a lot of truth. ::quietly sips my tea::

God, Saeyoung’s prayer to Saeran is heartbreaking. Props to this VA though, damn he’s good.

Still on the “FORGIVE” path. I’m going to have fun going back & taking the judgement path.

Episode 3

Jumin “THERE WILL BE NO MORE SECRETS” Han fucking coming through! My boy! God, I love him so much.

First sun reference we’ve had. I thought there would be more by now.

Jihyun is out there falling in love with an MC in his head that he’s hardly spoken with since he left. That… can’t be healthy, my dude.

Jumin showing up in the goddamn woods in his suit is hot.

Jumin Han is so so good, y’all. This conversation between him & Saeyoung is absolutely amazing. He’s doing his best to comfort & protect at the same time. He asked about Saeran. He’s encouraging Saeyoung to live, helping him understand he’ll come out of this pain & find new reasons to live. He’s struggling too, but he’s doing so much to reach out & help Saeyoung.

The line about creating a new family, one without blood ties, broke me.

Uhhhh…. who was that? “We found him but that woman is with him.” Saeyoung & Rika?

THE STRESS GAVE ZEN A PIMPLE. Can relate.

Hell yeah I flirted with Zen. He is still prettier than starlight.

“Why don’t you come over? :)” MC. GIRL. …. I like the way you think.

Yoosung: “WELL I’M NOT GANDHI.” I fucking lost my shit.

“Should I drive V’s car?” Uhhhhh YES.

“But you’re gonna have to drive thru the night for hours. I’m kind of worried.” Bitch, I’m from Texas. I got this. 8 hours is a SHORT TRIP.

The disrespect. They aren’t going to let me drive. I don’t need a man to drive me.

DID VANDERWOOD JUST? OMG DID HE? DID HE JUST SHOOT SAEYOUNG?! BITCH, I LOVED YOU????? & YOU DID THIS????

Omg my heart. Why do they play with my emotions like this. Whew. WHEWWW.

VANDERWOOD CG!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Saeyoung is getting a lot of love tonight from his two new dads- Jumin & Vanderwood. Soft love & tough love. Shouting love at you with a gun in your face is new though.

YES! LET’S LOOK FOR A BODY! I STILL HAVE A SHRED OF HOPE RAY IS ALIVE. C’MON CHERITZ, PLEASE.

“Would you mind giving me some spotlight now?” Please let this be foreshadowing. I would eat UP a Vanderwood route.

Is another agency trying to kidnap Saeyoung? I am confusion? His dad?

Still on the “FORGIVE” path. Yoosung’s VA has a cute voice. I liiiiike.

Episode 4

My Yoosung is so sad. This boy has a lot of hate built up in him. First for V, now for Rika &&& V. Goodness.

She? Who the hell is Rika talking about? She who?!

Seems like everyone is concerned that MC will pity or listen to Rika too much. Hmm. Hmm hmmm…

Jumin is getting shit DONE.

2 years flashback. ????

Mika?! Who the fuck? Is this the “she” Rika was talking about earlier?

What he hell kinda narrative? Who is this woman? Supposedly some other girl from the orphanage Rika was a part of. She’s introduced & being used as the device that implanted this idea into Rika’s brain that she had “a devil” inside of her? She’s the reason Rika broke it off with V? Why? This feel like it cheapens everything. & why the hell is she calling Rika “Mina”? Is that Rika’s real name & I just forgot?!

IS RIKA LYING? WHY DID SHE WAIT THIS LONG TO TELL SAEYOUNG ABOUT THIS “STURDY ROOM”? COULD SAERAN REALLY BE ALIVE? Or is she trying to trick Saeyoung into leaving the cabin?!

Ok so the twins’ father has to be in on this somehow. He’s probably the one trying to get Saeyoung, I get that much. Omg... what if the reason they didn’t find proof of Saeran being dead is because his dad snatched up the remains?! Or kidnapped him alive? Or or or

Still on the “FORGIVE” path. This is hard. I want to be mean. 😈

Episode 5

I don’t know why I go into this game thinking I will just get to kiss the pretty boy. Or any boy.

Ok so more hints dropped their dad is probably involved.

“I am waiting for a letter.” GIRL, FUCK V’S LETTER. HE IS NOT HERE. SHIT IS GOING DOWN. LIVE IN THE MOMENT. IF HE WANTS TO BE OFF SMELLING FLOWERS, LET HIM. I AM TIRED.

I hope hope hope they find Saeran. Please please PLEASE.

I FORGOT. IF RAY IS ALIVE HE IS GOING THROUGH DETOX ALONE BURIED UNDER RUBBLE & ASH. I AM LIVID! WHAAAAT! SAVE. HIM.

Zen’s “WOOOOW” made me laugh.

These new CGs are a delight. I like seeing the mix of characters in them, too. Zen’s hand is huge. ::eyes emoji:: 

Maaan, Yoosung really flipped emotional spectrums so fast about Rika. The boy is certainly driven by his emotions.

These philosophical type chats always blow me away. This game really does get you thinking about social constructs. Fun & educating. Huh.

Getting these dirty boys to wash their hands before eating.

SAERAN MADE IT OUT?!

THAT IS SAERAN’S COUGH. OMG. HE IS ALIVE?!?! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 SAERAN!!!!

Still on “FORGIVE” path.

Episode 6

Jumin, this is a very roundabout way to tell Saeyoung you care about him & just want to look after him. You long-winded, man. I adore you.

SAEYOUNG HAS MORE VALUE THAN JUST WHAT HIS HACKING ABILITIES CAN BRING TO THE TABLE! LEAN ON YOUR FRIENDS/FAMILY, SAEYOUNG. THEY CARE FOR YOU!

10 years?! I don’t know if that is a blessing or a curse. Lol. That’s a lengthy commitment for Saeyoung though.

“Why must we give up one thing once we get something else?” Yeah, Cheritz. Why must we give up one boy once we save the other boy?!?! Hmmmm???? Lmaoooo

Saeyoung in a suit & tie!!!!!!! Niiiiiiice.

How in the hell are they gonna wrap up this story?! It’s gonna be a cliffhanger isn’t it?! Omg...

Did these idiots just straight up leave Zen, Yoosung, & MC in a random cabin in the woods FOR DAYS & go back to civilization on their own? How long does it take to return Rika back to proper authorizes?! Goodness.

WHAT?!

WHAAAAT THE FUCK?!?!

V TOOK SAERAN?! WHEN? HOW? WHAT? 

MY JAW JUST POPPED IT DROPPED SO HARD. WHAT THE SHIIIIIT?!?!

Uhhhh lmao uhm why are they dressed like Jedi? Jihyun is giving Obi Wan vibes right now. I’m cackling, when I shouldn’t be. This is supposed to be a serious moment, goddamnit.

I know Jihyun probably thinks he’s doing right by taking care of Saeran but AGAIN WITH THIS DOING IT ON HIS OWN BUSINESS?! Saeyoung is devastated his brother & all the while Jihyun had actually swooped him away for some self-medicated detox tour? Just more & more secrets. I’m tired.

“Let’s wait until detox is done & you don’t wanna murder your brother. So I booked a flight for next week.” A WEEK? HA! YEAH RIGHT! BEST CANCEL THAT.

Oh, he just keeps booking & cancelling flights. Lmao. Ok. I am less judgmental now.

If Saeyoung & Saeran don’t get a reunion.... I will die inside.

Unlocked the “FORGIVE” ending.

Shit that costs 80hg too? I have nearly depleted what I had saved up!

BUT HOLY SHIT Y’ALL. SAERAN IS ALIVE! 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

“FORGIVE” Ending

This song is hauntingly beautiful.

Who is this speaking?

Is Rika high right now wtf?!

God is a woman.

I am so over all this sun talk. Let. It. Go.

Weren’t security guards left with them at the cabin?! Did Rika just WALK out?!

Of course she’s going to run away & get away with everything. Mhmm ok.

NOW THEY ARE COMING FOR JUMIN’S COMPANY?! I THOUGHT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE GOOD END WTF. I’LL FIGHT. DON’T COME FOR C&R. I’LL THROW DOWN. JUMIN BETTER NOT LOSE EVERYTHING.

So Rika is gone & for no reason Zen & Yoosung & MC are going to stay in the cabin alone? (& not have a threesome?!?!?!)

Jumin is literally putting his own company on the line to protect Saeyoung. This man is amazing. “We’ll rebuild.” My nipples are hard. Jumin has fully aroused me. I would have taken him right on a conference table.  

Welcome to Rika’s Ted Talk

Well.... I am pleased she stepped up & laid the truth all out there. Took us years to get here, lads, but we did it!

Twin cribs. Hmmm.

2 YEARS LATER?! SO THIS CONNECTS TO THE GOOD END OF JIHYUN’S ROUTE?!

2 years, huh... I would have shacked up with Jumin looooong before now. That man is a whole snack. Selfless, sweet, handsome, has a cat. I’m thirsty.

Jumin’s become an alcoholic?! Great. /s I guess this is meant to show just how drastic things are? That Jumin, our token rational & logical man, is resorting to a dangerous lifestyle as a means of coping? I’m heartbroken.

“Have I kept you waiting for too long.” Yes.

His gift better be bringing Saeran on stage because if he unveils a white puzzle I will lose my fucking mind. It is nearly 4am. I haven’t slept. I just want a smooch.

Omg I think it’s happening.

It’s gonna happen.

OMGGGGG

Please let there be a CG of this

IT HAPPENED!!!!! THEY REUNITED!!!! OMG!!!!!

LONGEST HELL YEAH BOOOOY OF MY LIFE

Pink suit pink suit pink suit PINK SUIT!!!! 💗

Ohhhh... Saeran has burns all over his face & his hand. Is his whole left side burned? My poor boy.

5 years later?!? (Mmmm think about mid30s Jumin Han though 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻)

*gasp* A BABY!

Holy shit, not a baby. A full child.

Awwww Saeyoung & Saeran live together!!

YEEESSSS. GET THIS LITTLE GIRL INTO STEM!!!! 

“When is Uncle Jumin gonna marry.” I marry him every few weeks, little girl. 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻 when I reread his endings.

“Daddy thinks he will never get married.” I am now sad. I want to marry Jumin.

Jaehee got a promotion. Good for her. It’s what she deserves.

Aw Lucy is cute. Surprised they didn’t give her Jihyun’s hair color.

Their house has a lot of windows. 👀👀👀 Floor to ceiling windows. 👀👀👀 Good for fucking against. 👀👀👀👀

THIS CHILD IS ALREADY LEARNING TO KEEP SECRETS. NOOOOO. BREAK THIS CHAIN!

“Daddy is good with secrets, too.” TRUST ME, LITTLE GIRL. WE KNOW. WE KNOOOW. Y’all the noise I made when I read this line. Scoff wheezing?! Full exasperation.

“But you tell everything to Mommy!” About fucking time, honestly. How long did it take for him to break his secrets habit?

Ohhhhh she’s adopted! That’s why she doesn’t have his hair color. Curious why they didn’t go with the biological child path? I certainly don’t mind adoption. It definitely feels like a sort of tribute to Rika.

Girl already has a crush on Zen. Ha! Giiiirl, same. Jihyun’s reaction was funny.

I wanna ride Zen’s motorcycle & his diiiiiiiii

7 years later & Yoosung is still addicted to LOLOL. Keep it up, Yoosung. Live your best gaming life.

Now she’s plotting murder against her own dad. Goodness. & Yoosung just TOLD her this entire dark plot of the game. Lmaooooo

What happened to Vanderwood? Did he accept working at C&R? How is he? Is he eating? Did he take a vacation away from Saeyoung? I need to know.

Jihyun’s speech to his wife is sweet. Now kiss!

Omg I can’t believe I didn’t get to smooch him at all. What.

What.

100 HOURGLASSES TO RESET?!?! HIGHWAY ROBBERY! I need to save up all over again for when (if) they drop a Saeran After End

“JUDGE” Ending

No, going back to the place you hate most isn’t a sufficient form of punishment for the crimes you’ve committed. You can’t just punish yourself & call it justice. Thank u, next.

Why the fuck is Rika called Serena now?! How many names does she have?! 

Is Rika really free & just doing her own apology tour?! No trial or hospital involved? I’m????

Yoosung’s dialogue makes it seem like he still wants Rika around. Flip flop. 

I do enjoy that Yoosung is a very emotional character, even if sometimes in the stories I don’t agree with him. He’s always very open & honest with how he feels, even if taken to extremes.

Jaehee’s discussion with Rika was very rational. As expected.

Damn Zen gave her the boot double quick.

Jumin: “You are a minus given a breathing body.” Ohhhhhhh my god. 😮😮😮 & he told her he wants her sent to a lab to have data collected from her. Jumin is ANGRY.

So this discussion with Saeran is meant to be in her own head, yeah?

Ok her discussion with Saeyoung felt real -ish again but then her discussion with Jihyun sounded bizarre & far-fetched again. So has she just been inside her own head this entire time?

What the fuck... is going on.

Wow, let’s toss in some sexual assault via clergymen to spice things up. Alright. /s What the hell is this?

This ending is fucking bonkers

Omg Zen’s robotic reply made me lose my shit. First time I’ve laughed because of this ending.

Poor Vanderwood. He sounded excited to have a line.

Sooo... the ending has just been a mock of how a Rika route would have gone if she had one?

Wait this was all just MC’s dream?! Rika’s dream?

& now Rika is in a coma?!? What? What???!! I’m... tired.

You know what, at least Saeyoung & Saeran are back together. Silver lining. The only silver lining to this madness.

Yoosung got a whole new look again. I’ll admit, for a hot second I thought he had become a cult leader & I was worried.

Sooo... the RFA became some sort of support group for Rika’s victims?????

Jumin doesn’t want to be a part of the meetings because he doesn’t particularly subscribe to their efficiency. Zen just doesn’t want to be involved because he doesn’t want the reminder. Jihyun basically just didn’t show up. So is this to mean the RFA has fallen apart entirely? Rename the group, change your ideals, be more open with each other, & formulate new ways to create charity events/fundraisers. Find a new purpose together! PULL. YOURSELVES. TOGETHER.

Ugh. Ugggghhhhhhh.

So, I’ve sat on this for a little under 24 hours. I let it sink in, in hopes that I could make better sense of it. But honestly, I don’t feel like I have. I feel perhaps this after end should have been listed in a separate section like the secret endings. These episodes certainly read more like a secret ending.

Rather than call this “V’s After End” I think it would make more sense to have called this “V’s Route After End” (or even “Rika’s After End”). This ending felt more like a means of giving closure to the route itself, rather than an acknowledgement of Jihyun’s relationship with MC. We were shown Saeran was alive, we were given Saeyoung & Saeran reunited with one another finally, we got answers as to what happened with Rika & how she ended up in Alaska, we found out why Jihyun was really away for two years, we had Saeyoung & Saeran stepping out from the hunting shadow of their father. Questions were answered, resolutions of sorts were given.

When I think of “after end” I’ll admit, I assumed we would be given a short snippet of story revolving primarily around Jihyun & MC post-good end, like we had for the other characters; not this dramatic saga between the end of the route & before Jihyun returns two years later. 

Jihyun’s route revolved around him understanding his relationship with Rika & then distancing himself from that & trying to find himself. His route felt like it had more Jihyun x Rika content than it did Jihyun x MC content. This After End there was hardly any Jihyun x MC content as he was gone essentially the entire time. He really Noped Out of his own After End; I’m still a bit shocked I paid so many hourglasses for V content.... only to not be given V content. I admit, I feel foolish & cheated, somehow. I went in hoping for more content about a character I was interested in, only to be given this dramatic story revolving around a character I don’t particularly care for.

I’m disappointed that there is a Forgive or Judge aspect to this ending. 

In the Forgive path/end, the blame of Rika’s crimes & actions is pinned on Rika’s mental illness, choice individuals swaying her into taking particular actions ( “embrace your devil” ), and various circumstances she’s had to endure & live through. By introducing this new character (Mika?), are we meant to blame her instead of Rika? Is she a scapegoat since the idea was originally hers & not Rika’s, even though Rika was the one that enacted everything? On top of this, Yoosung is shown to be reading a psychology book & also comes to the conclusion that what Rika has done isn’t really her fault, but the fault of her circumstances. All of this feels like we were being ushered into forgiving Rika and feeling guilty if we don’t. Provided you do choose to forgive Rika, she finds her own inner happiness, becomes “her own sun”, and goes off to live her life in Alaska; no consequences aside from distance (physical & emotionally) from her once friends/family & developing a negative public appeal. This forgive path directly ties in with Jihyun’s good end, implying it’s the better (intended?) ending. That doesn’t sit well with me. MC shouldn’t have to forgive their captor & tormentor in order to achieve their own “good” end. 

In the Judge path/end, the other characters often show hesitancy when MC expresses she will never be able to forgive Rika. There are philosophical chats about what is actually good vs bad, what is just, & who is to decide these sort of standards. We are led to question if holding on to a grudge hurts ourselves or the other party more. And in the end, when we choose to judge Rika, the RFA falls apart; everyone is miserable. Again, the reader is left feeling as if their judgement was too harsh, too cruel, or uncalled for as the consequences of it have seeped out & negatively touched other people. Rika falls into a coma – doesn’t go off to live her life in Alaska, doesn’t find her own inner peace – & this is all because she was blamed or shunned for her actions, as opposed to being forgiven. Why does everyone’s happiness depend on MC forgiving her captor?  It all left a sour taste in my mouth.

I understand the discussion of what is truly good vs bad or what is meant to be just & unjust can go fairly deep, but I feel that discussion applies only to circumstances that are in a grey area. What Rika did (attempted murder, abuse, emotional & physical manipulation, drugging/brainwashing) is clear cut wrong. There is no question that these are bad decisions. It should not be up for debate whether these sorts of actions are “good or bad.” While I do not deny that Rika’s past (whatever it fully may be as I have not read her backstory DLC) has attributed to her behaviors, it does not excuse them. I believe that mental illness does not excuse someone’s actions.

These are two very extreme endings - either Rika gets off free from her actions or she becomes comatose & succumbs to a darkness. Why have these drastic differences when you can merge the two; have Rika go through treatment to help her, serve a punishment that is fitting of her crimes, help her grow & understand, then have forgiveness come later? There were several options within gameplay along the lines of “I hope one day I can forgive her” & “I hope she finds her peace.” I see nothing wrong with not having MC forgive Rika but still wish for progress to be made.

Everyone was happier in the end where you forgave Rika, though. And isn’t that what everyone wanted in the end?

Overall, I didn’t mind Yoosung & Zen portraying the voices that provide the philosophical discussions in the routes and this After End. In fact, I enjoyed the chats with them as I tend to find philosophical discussions thought provoking, even if I do not always agree with what these characters were expressing. While MM is marketed as a visual novel romance, it has never shied away from delving into deeper topics & oftentimes tries to provide a lesson. Perhaps this time, the lesson they hoped to get across, didn’t hit the mark with me.

Yoosung’s emotions were very extreme in this After End. I have come to expect Yoosung being very up front, unapologetic, & pushy with his feelings. In a game where so many characters are often keeping secrets, it’s almost refreshing to have a character that is so viscerally open. Personally, I found it interesting that Yoosung’s feeling towards Rika had flipped so drastically. It was almost as if he was now trying to overcompensate for his previous idolization of her. 

I’m still of the opinion that the world does not deserve Jumin Han. Through his own pain & suffering, through dealing with the disappearance of his dearest friend, through having to come to terms with the fact that a woman he once considered a close friend turned out to be someone so villainous, he has stepped up & even at one point risked his own company, reputation, & livelihood to protect someone he now considered family. He used his time & resources to help as much as he could. He sat & genuinely listened to Saeyoung & calmly gave input despite Saeyoung verbally lashing out at him. I’ll admit I hated that Jumin seemingly became an alcoholic, or at least heavily dependent on wine, during the stretch of time these After Ends covered. He was suffering, but because he needed to keep his shit together, he used liquor as his means of turning off his brain so he wouldn’t think too heavily about what was happening, otherwise he’d spiral. You can bet your ass that every time there was an option to choose “How is Jumin doing?” I took it, because this man needs someone to look out for him while he’s busy looking after everyone else. I love him. He remains my favorite. 

I am thrilled Saeran is alive. I am ecstatic Saeyoung & Saeran got the reunion I had been hoping for (& in both endings!). The doctor part of me really wishes his treatment & recovery occurred in a hospital, instead of some nature tour with Jihyun while wearing Jedi robes, but beggars can’t be choosers in fiction, I suppose. I am glad Saeran is safe, recovering, had the time to heal his relationship with Jihyun, & is living with Saeyoung now. It’s what I wanted for him.

On one hand, I can see why Jihyun kept Saeran being alive a secret (Saeran wasn’t ready to see Saeyoung yet, he was detoxing, he needed more recovery time, he needed the peace away from everything, if Saeyoung knew he would have gone after them immediately rather than wait for some time to pass) but on the other hand, I had had enough of the secrets. I am glad though that the story allowed for Saeyoung to have some hope that Saeran was alive. If the narrative had left no suggestion of hope & Saeyoung had fallen into a depression of sorts, then I feel when Saeran was finally revealed he [Saeyoung] may have not handled it as well. But Saeyoung was given a chance to hope, to grow, to finally relax/settle where he was, & was allowed time himself to recover from everything that happened, which I think helped in how he received Saeran’s reappearance.

Definitive proof that Vanderwood has grown to care about Saeyoung as a person?! Sign me the fuck up. That was amazing. I greatly enjoy Vanderwood.

With Saeyoung, I did enjoy seeing his range of emotion & reactions to this entire ordeal. He was desvasted, broken, distraught, angry. My heart went out to him & I felt his pain. His monologues were great. His reactions felt real. It was a bit jarring to see how readily he was contemplating suicide & how quickly he cast that aside as soon as some other bit of info to cling to came along. I understand, though, that this story took place in a short amount of time & the creators were trying to portray his progression in the time they had. I am tickled that he was offered a 10 year contract with C&R & that he readily accepted. I have enjoyed seeing him begin to accept that he can plant roots somewhere, open up to those around him, & not fear that he’ll one day have to leave.

I was originally miffed that Jihyun went off for two years on his own, seemingly to get over Rika, making MC wait around, before he could commit himself to MC. Knowing now that those two years were actually spent helping to rehabilitate Saeran in seclusion, I am assuaged. A bit.

I am, however, left feeling as though maybe MC isn’t meant to be with Jihyun. I’ve certainly felt as if there is more push to have Jihyun x Rika remain together as Cheritz still doesn’t give, what I would consider, adequate bonding & development between Jihyun x MC (not that 11 days of story in any of the routes could be described as adequate bonding time, lolol). Majority of Jihyun’s scenes (in his route) are about him reminiscing about his past with Rika, rather than discussions that may cultivation a budding relationship with MC. I like Jihyun, but it feels likes it’s been made intentionally hard to romance him. Maybe it was naive of me to hope we would get cute scenes of Jihyun & MC getting to know one another more, or be shown ways Jihyun made it up to MC for being gone for so long, or even a mini date story, or actually seeing the proposal happen, or even a kiss? But I did hope for all of that, so I can’t pretend I’m not sad we didn’t getting to see it. The romance between Jihyun & MC feels brushed aside, like an afterthought, & I was hoping that this After End would finally put it at the forefront of the story told.

While I don’t like how the situation with Rika was handled in either route, & while this After End was not at all what I was expecting (I just wanted to kiss Jihyun, omg), it wasn’t a total loss for me since the twins are reunited & happy, which I think may have been my biggest wish. The voice acting as phenomenal & I can tell how much time & effort Cheritz put into creating this mammoth, complex & thought-provoking story. I’ll be honest & admit that I am upset I spent so many hourglasses for content that seemed packaged as Jihyun content but turned out to be more about Rika, but nothing can be done about that now. 

If I had to pick an ending I preferred, it would definitely be the Forgive End, as there is more happiness for everyone I care about when it concludes. It was nice seeing Jihyun & MC have their little family, even if it was a very brief interaction. Their adoption of a little girl feels like a nod to Rika, of sorts. Perhaps that isn’t what Cheritz intended, & maybe there is no hidden meaning to why they adopted at all, but I am happy to see Jihyun & MC having brought a child into their home to create a family with.

The CGs are beautiful. Is there even a way to unlock the title page Jihyun proposal CG? I didn’t get it in my play-through at all. 

I didn’t hate this After End, but I definitely didn’t love it either. I guess it kind of falls in a strange floaty grey middle area for me, somewhat flat. Hopefully many of y’all enjoyed it! I look forward to seeing what they may give us for Saeran’s After End. I have a feeling that may be a wild story too.

[theo-loves-broadway]

If You Can’t Stand The Heat, Get Out Of The Kitchen (Tyrus Fanfic)

Hi!! So I was inspired by @scientifthicc‘s headcanons for Tyrus to write this fic! After writing the first chapter, I realized I loved where it was going, and decided to make it a chaptered fic! :D I only have the first one done, but if you could read and it leave me comments/kudos/reblogs/suggestions, I would be so grateful! I’ll post it on here, and the link for the AO3 version, as well!

LINK: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15287934/chapters/35465793

Snowflakes littered the Goodman's front yard as Cyrus watched the little white flecks dance by the window. It was a lazy Thursday morning; the snow fell hard enough the night before that the administration decided to cancel school. Cyrus, of course, was ecstatic when he heard the news, and couldn't go back to bed, so he spent time looking out the window. His mom and stepdad had already left for work, leaving him alone for the day. His mom had left food in the fridge for him to warm up, but Cyrus wasn't in the mood for reheated matzo soup. He thought about texting Andi or Buffy, but remembered that they were away on a trip to Arizona to help Buffy move in, so that was a dud. He took out his phone, and mindlessly clicked on Jonah's number, the cursor blinking monotonously;

[Cy-Guy: hey jonah, wanna hang?]

Cyrus sent the message without hesitation, and drummed his fingers against the table waiting for a response.

“C’mon, Jonah, answer the text,” he mumbled impatiently, “we both know you’re not ‘out with Andi’ today,” he added, mildly defeated. Ever since the Open Mic and Jonah and Andi’s kiss, Cyrus had been a little, err, a lot jealous, even though he tried to smile through it. He’d avoided Jonah for a while, but decided that the best way to handle the situation would be to talk to Jonah, openly and honestly. Why Cyrus didn’t feel as though he was going to faint was beyond him. Suddenly his phone buzzed, and Cyrus opened his text messages with anticipation.

[JoLamaJama: can’t. out with family. won’t be back till tomm. sry cy]

Cyrus sighed, almost in relief, as he extended his legs out over the edge of the couch. “Great, now what?” he grumbled, his stomach doing the same. Oh, shoot, I didn’t eat breakfast, he thought to himself, the house’s deafening silence hurting his ears. He needed to be hanging out with someone, anyone , for that matter. He scrolled through the limited list of his contacts and hesitated on one.

“I know the chance is really low,” he admitted, already typing out a message, “but what have I got to lose?” he added, hitting send, and reading the message he just sent.

[Cy-Guy: hey tj, do you wanna come over? my parents are out and i’m making breakfast, so you can have some too, if you like. if you don’t i get it that you don’t wanna hang out with a loser like me but, whatever]

And after he sent it, he immediately regretted it. “Geez, could you be any more desperate, Cyrus?” he scolded himself, “You were just starting to have TJ not dislike you, and you just send a text out of the blue? This is so sad, Alexa play Despacito,” Cyrus sighed, and the Alexa on the coffee table responded, Cyrus bopping his head to the rhythm. Just as the song reached the chorus, Cyrus’ phone buzzed, and his heart felt like it stopped.

[Not-So-Scary-Basketball-Guy: yeah sure, im down for that. be there in like 10]

“Oh my gosh,” he uttered, almost paralyzed with shock. TJ actually wanted to hang out with him? How? Why? Before he got too lost in his train of thought, Cyrus hurried around the lower level of the house to organize everything a little. He adjusted the pillows on the couch, arranged the chairs in the dining room to be just so, and then advanced towards the kitchen to get ready for breakfast.

“What do sports people eat? Kale?” Cyrus wondered aloud, looking through his fridge as well as his pantry. “TJ’s just going to have to suffer next game because we’re making pancakes,” Cyrus decided, getting out the ingredients for his famous Chocolate-Chip Strawberry Pancakes. He made them every year for his birthday, as well as his parents’ birthdays, and they were always a hit. To speed up the work, Cyrus pre-diced all the strawberries into small pieces, and ate a few in the process. In the middle of his preparations, the doorbell rang, and Cyrus nearly dropped the bowl of strawberries on the floor he was so startled. Wiping his hands quickly on a towel, he rushed to the door as to not keep TJ waiting.

“Hey,” Cyrus said, awkwardness creeping into his voice as he tried to find something for his hands to do. “Come on in, Not So Scary Basketball Guy,” he joked, cracking a weak smile and stepping aside for TJ to enter.

“Oh, so now we’ve added ‘Not So Scary’?” TJ teased, taking off his shoes at the front door, “Thank goodness I’m not terrifying anymore,” he added, flashing a smirk of a grin as he shut the door behind him.

“Oh c’mon, you’re all bark and no bite,” Cyrus reminded him, crossing his arms in defense. His stomach growled and it sounded like there was a dying whale trapped in his gut. “And that means we should start making breakfast,” Cyrus mentioned, mildly embarrassed, as he led TJ into the kitchen. The countertop had all the ingredients for pancakes neatly organized into a small corner, and all the utensils were by them, ready for use.

“I’m really hoping you’re not going to make me eggs or something healthy like that,” TJ warned, taking a seat and propping his elbows up on the countertops.

“Whaaaat?” Cyrus drawled, happy he didn’t find kale in the fridge, “No way...Jose,” he added. Of course Cyrus would quote a musical, being the theatre nerd that he was. “Only pancakes, of course. The breakfast of champs!” Cyrus proclaimed, slamming his fist on the countertop, wincing in pain.

TJ laughed breathily, pushing his blond locks back. “Don’t hurt yourself before the food is made, Underdog. Afterwards, as long as I have my pancakes, you have my permission to roll down the stairs,” he joked, his eyes smiling along with his lips.

Cyrus merely rolled his eyes, putting his hands on his hips. “Okay, okay, I see how it’s gonna be,” Cyrus snickered, his eyes narrowing and his lips pulling into a devious smile, “you want me to slave away and make you pancakes?” he sneered jokingly, nearly dissolving into laughter.

TJ shrugged, looking down at the bowl of strawberries. “Basically,” he replied, popping a few pieces in his mouth, smiling while he chewed.

“Alright, well let’s make this a little more interesting, shall we?” Cyrus suggested, waltzing around the kitchen mischievously. “How about a challenge, oh competitive one,” Cyrus quipped, glancing at TJ, “you and I are gonna have a pancake battle. And if, or should I said when I win, you have to buy me baby taters for a week,” Cyrus said. “You in?”

TJ looked up at Cyrus and smiled, the shorter boy starting to wonder if this was such a good idea anymore. “You know what? Yeah, bring it on,” TJ accepted, cracking his knuckles, “And when I win, you need to come to my basketball games for a week, with those megaphones,” TJ dared, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms and legs. Nevermind the fact that TJ had never in his life cooked anything other than eggs (which he burned, by the way); he wanted to win.

“Deal,” Cyrus confirmed extending his hand for TJ. They shook hands and only then and there did Cyrus realize how soft TJ’s hands were. He didn’t expect from someone who probably lifts weights and handles a basketball all day.

“Alright, Underdog,” TJ started, carefully tugging his sleeves up to his elbows, “let’s do this thing,” he added with his signature smirk, the one that looked like he’d punch the living daylights out of you.

“On your mark, get set, bake!” Cyrus cheered, rushing for the ingredients. He’d made the recipe a thousand times (well, more like 15) so he knew exactly what he was doing, expertly measuring the dry ingredients, and combining them with the wet, tossing in strawberries.

TJ, on the other hand, had literally no idea what he was doing, so he tried to copy what Cyrus was doing. When Cyrus added some white powder (baking soda, he later learned), TJ would try to do the same. What he couldn’t properly see, he would eyeball the amount; unfortunately, this lead to him adding ¼ cup of baking soda. TJ lunged for the flour, accidentally knocking it down in the process, and a cloud of flour formed, looking like it was snowing indoors, as well as outdoors. After the cloud had settled and the boys had finished their coughing fits, they looked at each other and laughed, doubling over.

“You look like Frosty the Snowman!” TJ snorted, ruffling the flour out of his own hair. “Here, let me,” he started, brushing through Cyrus’ hair, Cyrus shutting his eyes to block out the flour, as well as to not embarrass himself in front of TJ. He kept his eyes closed for a few more moments, before opening them, the light a little brighter than he remembered.

“It appears you may not be as talented as you thought, Kippen,” Cyrus chuckled, setting his bowl of pancake batter by the griddle, already smoking from the heat. Muttering something under his breath, TJ grabbed his bowl of what one could consider pancake batter, and set it on the other side of the griddle. TJ’s batter looked much lumpier than Cyrus’s, and it didn’t have as many strawberries or chocolate chips, since TJ ate most of them before he started. Cyrus poured a few ladles of the batter onto the griddle, the sound of them hitting the metal filling the air. TJ attempted to replicate what the shorter boy did, but the pancakes ended up being misshapen, and he burned almost all of them. The boys stacked their pancakes on plates, and set them on the table, both of them looking at them for a while.

“Well,” Cyrus said, feeling mildly bad for TJ, “I, uh, do you wanna try mine?” he asked, pushing the plate towards him. TJ pushed his plate of pancakes towards Cyrus, the look on his face one of fear.

TJ took a bite of Cyrus’ pancake, and you could practically see the serendipity rush into his body. “Good lord, Underdog,” TJ started, finishing the rest of the pancake in one swift bite, “open a breakfast business,” he complimented, grabbing a second pancake. “Now you have to try mine,” he urged, munching on Cyrus’ pancakes.

Tentatively, Cyrus grabbed one of TJ’s pancakes; it was soft to the touch, but one side was almost completely burnt, and it felt quite dense. He took a careful bite and immediately regretted it. Waaaay too much baking soda, he thought to himself, trying to smile. “Mm, it’s uh,” he mustered, faking a smile, “an interesting flavor...and texture,” he added, forcing himself to swallow, shuddering.

“I know that it’s garbage, don’t even try,” TJ corrected, Cyrus immediately dropping the act.

“I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to hurt your feelings,” Cyrus admitted, quickly pushing TJ’s pancakes aside and stuffing one of his own into his mouth, visibly relaxing.

“Guess you won,” TJ muttered, defeated, “just let me know when you want baby taters,” he added, getting up to leave.

“Wait!” Cyrus exclaimed a little too excitedly, grabbing onto TJ’s sleeve to try and pull him back, his face heating up. “I-uh, you know, I could showyou how to make pancakes, you know, better ones?” he suggested, letting go of TJ’s shirt and fiddling with his own.

TJ knitted his brows together in confusion. “You seriously want to teach me , TJ Kippen, kitchen disaster, how to make pancakes? ” he questioned, crossing his arms.

Cyrus felt himself shrink into his own body. “Uhm, yes?” he squeaked meekly, clearing his throat to sound more confident. “Uh, I mean, s-sure, if you’d like to. Anyone can cook. Says so right in the movie Ratatouille,” he mentioned, testing the waters with a weak smile.

TJ thought it over for a few moments, before grinning. “You know what? Sure, let’s make some more pancakes. Anything is better than those ones,” TJ muttered, pointing to the stack of monstrosities that were TJ’s batch of pancakes.

The duo got to work, Cyrus reading off the proper measurements to TJ, and TJ following the directions exactly. This time, thankfully, none of the flour spilled on the ground. By the end, TJ had a luxurious batter ready to be made into pancakes. He spooned the batter onto the griddle, and waited until they were ready.

“Okay, I think they’re ready to be flipped,” Cyrus informed him, handing him the flipper for the pancakes. TJ tried to flip the first one, but it ended up folding in on itself and turning into a pile of batter.

“Told you I couldn’t do it,” TJ sneered, putting the flipper down in frustration. Cyrus walked up to him slowly and took it into his hand.

“Here, let me help you,” Cyrus suggested placing TJ’s hand near his own and walking over to the griddle. Gently, he helped TJ slip the flipper under the pancake, and successfully flip it on the other side.

“See!” Cyrus chirped, not letting go of the flipper, “I told you I could teach you,” he added with a knowing smile. Glancing down at the flipper, he tore his hand away, feeling tingly on the inside.

“Uh-huh, whatever you say, Underdog,” TJ scoffed, placing the flipper down, and breaking the pancake that they had just made in half, handing one half to Cyrus.

“Mm, see? So much better!” Cyrus exclaimed, swallowing the rest of the pancake. “You may not be half bad at this, Kippen,” he chuckled, taking a seat on one of the kitchen stools.

“Mm-hmm,” TJ murmured with a tiny smile, sitting by Cyrus in one of the other stools. The boys ate their pancakes in relative silence, save for the hum of the heater. When they were all gone, the boys leaned back in their seats, letting out simultaneous sighs of satisfaction.

“I, uh,” TJ started, hopping out of his seat, “I wouldn’t want to overstay my visit,” he added, almost inaudibly, but Cyrus caught it. Was TJ actually capable of saying something, dare he call it, polite? Cyrus scrambled to get out of his chair, taking a step towards TJ.

“You’re not overstaying your visit, dude,” Cyrus reminded him, looking up at the taller boy, “ I asked you to come over, remember? I mean, you can leave whenever you want, but I’m not gonna kick you out. Besides my parents won’t be home till late, so you’re welcome to stay as long as you want,” he offered kindly.

“Oh,” TJ said lamely, putting his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels. “Thanks,” he added after a slight pause, unsure of what to say.

“So, what do you wanna do? We can watch TV, or, I mean, if you’re still hungry we can eat something else. We have leftover matzo soup, but I wouldn’t recommend that,” he suggested.

“TV sounds nice,” TJ agreed, and went to take a seat on the couch, slumping down in his seat and putting one leg over the other. Cyrus made a comment on how that was bad for his back, but TJ just shrugged it off and flicked through the channels, finally settling on watching Family Feud.

“Legs! Just say legs, my gosh,” TJ said exasperated. The question asked about what body parts men might describe as “long” on a woman, and the second person had just said forehead.

“You’re really into this, huh,” Cyrus observed, glancing over at TJ. His face was slightly red from yelling at the TV, his knuckles losing color as he gripped the edge of the couch.

“It’s not my fault I can’t handle their stupidity,” TJ half-joked, before his smile faded, “Can’t even handle my own stupidity,” he added, biting down hard on his lower lip, ignoring the TV for the first time.

Cyrus frowned, feeling his heart audibly break for TJ. They both knew that TJ has dyscalculia, but that didn’t mean that he was any less of a person, or rather, a student.

“TJ,” Cyrus said softly, shifting slightly towards him, “you’re not stupid. So you need some help with math, so what?” he added, TJ’s gaze not leaving the ground. “You’re not stupid, and you never were, TJ,” Cyrus continued, tapping his fingers on the edge of the couch. What had started out as an innocent hangout had turned into a more serious conversation about TJ’s “stuff”. Cyrus hadn’t noticed through all his therapeutic messages, but hot, angry tears were streaming down TJ’s face.

“Stop,” TJ croaked, and Cyrus immediately turned his attention to TJ, seeing how upset he was. “Let’s face it, Underdog,” TJ muttered, his voice breaking when he spoke, “I’m pathetic. I mean, look at me,” he added with a squeak, peering at Cyrus. His face was pale, his cheeks wet with tears, and his eyes were red and puffy. He looked so...defeated.

“You’re not pathetic, TJ,” Cyrus assured him, pondering as to whether or not he should give him a pat on the shoulder, “emotions are normal to have and to show. I am literally a walking sack of emotions,” he joked, earning a small chuckle from TJ. “But seriously, don’t beat yourself up like that, man,” Cyrus warned him, giving a gentle pat on his shoulder to cheer him up.

TJ shrugged, pulling his sleeves down and wiping his tears, trying to make himself look more presentable. “Thanks Underdo--Cyrus,” he edited, smiling weakly, “for not, you know, freaking out and not thinking that I’m stupid,” he added, the episode of Family Feud coming to an end as the clapping faded. Cyrus just nodded, happy that his friend was feeling a little better.

“I actually should get going, this time,” TJ told Cyrus, standing up, “I have basketball practice soon,” he said, advancing towards the door. Cyrus followed him to say his goodbyes.

“So, uh, I’ll see you later?” he asked, unsure if TJ would want to hang out with him again, judging by today’s events.

“Of course, dude. Remember, I owe you baby taters for a week,” TJ reminded him, slipping on his boots. He opened the door and was greeted by a flurry of snowflakes, littering his hair.

“Oh, wait one sec,” Cyrus sputtered, rushing towards the closet and pulling out a black beanie. “Take it...it’s cold outside, and it’s snowing,” he observed, handing the beanie to TJ, who took it and adjusted it on his head.

“Thanks,” he mustered, his smile evident in his crinkling eyes. “I’m, uh, I’m free later today, say around 6?” he suggested, already on the other side of the threshold.

“Yeah, sure! That works,” he chirped, bubbling up inside at the fact that TJ actually wanted to hang out with him again.

“Cool. Thanks for having me. I’ll see you later,” he concluded, giving Cyrus a small waves before heading out the door and braving the cold and the snow. Cyrus watched as the little white speckles dotted the black beanie that TJ sported. Once he was out of sight, he shut and locked the door, and took a deep breath. Today is going to be one hell of a day, he thought to himself, sitting on the couch and watching the next episode of Family Feud.

[toonstarterz]

BECAUSE I’M NOT POPULAR, I’LL READ WATAMOTE: CHAPTER #138

Welcome to the first episode of Tomoko’s Speed Dating Arc! Our first contender is the resident “shy maiden”, Yuri Tamura. Her hobbies include listening to music and punching people. Today’s date will include a walk around a college campus, lunch at a local eatery, and shopping for new digs. How will Tomoko fair against this unreadable cutie? 

Find out right after the break! 

Chapter 138: Because I’m Not Popular, I’ll Check Out Colleges

My only comment here is what in the name of all that is good is with Yuri’s big ass purse?

In Tomoko’s eyes, Mako may as well be Yuri’s shadow, so it’s totally understandable that she’d be shocked that the girl came alone this time. Of course, Yuri’s lack of self-awareness means she didn’t even consider how that might throw people off.

There she goes again with the “same as me” comment to put her and Tomoko in the same boat. Little does she know that being in Tomoko’s boat is guaranteed to end in a mutual sinking.

Just look at these fashionable ladies in their adorable outfits. Tomoko, obviously, putting extra emphasis on the “casual” with her loose-fitting clothes and trademark hat to cover that shaggy hair. Then we have Yuri, super reserved with her puffy sleeves, plaid skirt with a screentone pattern that doesn’t hug the fabric at all; and her socks n’ sandals combo.

One thing to note is how they do the opposite of their uniforms regarding skin exposure. The long skirt-wearing Tomoko now has her bare legs visible, whereas the short skirt-wearing Yuri only has her knees exposed. Perhaps it’s a matter of self-confidence between a private (school) vs public setting. Tomoko has no issue showing more skin to strangers, while Yuri would feel self-conscious displaying herself to people other than close friends.

Or, you know, I’m just overthinking it again. 

Chiba West University: Where the Adibas-wearing students go to drink coffee at Sudobucks while doing homework on their Marosoft PCs.  

As encouraging as Yuri makes this sound, a part of me thinks that Yuri is also pushing herself so she can one-up Nemo and Katou. Hey, a little pettiness can be a good motivator.

Post Traumatic Ogino Disorder triggered.

Yuri-sensei would be an absolutely adorable teacher. Unfortunately, her quiet demeanor would make it easy for the little kiddos to walk all over her. Luckily, what she lacks in assertiveness…

...she makes up for in unjustified corporal punishment.

How refreshing it is that Yuri doesn’t automatically get annoyed by Tomoko’s opinion, and instead asks for her reasoning. Though Tomoko may be an idiot, it’s nice to see that Yuri recognizes that her friend is intelligent in ways that she isn’t.

Word for word from the Ogino’s Meddling Career Counseling chapter. I’m starting to think Tomoko will eat these words one way.

Hey, c’mon now, Tomoko. You used to be quite the stupid preteen yourself.

But in all seriousness, this assertion makes perfect sense for Tomoko. Her personality is one that is very incompatible with itself, hence her rivalry with Komi-something. Having to deal with hormonal and emotionally vulnerable middle schoolers would probably hit too close to home.

AHAHAHAHA, I’m totally not guilty of having thought the same thing when I was in high school...haha.

But you know, this harks back to what Nemo said about girls that act like a hive mind. When you do something to break away from the group’s dynamic, you become the “outsider”. The friend the other ones don’t necessarily hate, but are often ignored simply because they’re unlike the others.

In other words, you become the Ucchi.

Isn’t it obvious, Tomoko? She just wanted you to think that you both have more in common than you might’ve thought. Even if it means some opportunistic fibbing.

Given what we’ve seen between Yuri and Mako’s friendship, it’s both surprising and not surprising that Yuri doesn’t know about Mako’s career goals. We like to think that as BFFs, Yuri would know more, but as recent chapters have shown, Yuri doesn’t necessarily put in as much into the friendship as Mako does.

This may be the first clue to suggest that Tomoko could overtake Mako’s role as Yuri’s best friend.

So cults on campus have started to become a thing, eh? I really do enjoy these little details that show how even university life isn’t all flowers and sunshine. If the series ever extends into Tomoko’s college life, this would be an interesting field for her to maneuver around.

It must be said, the detail in this background of the campus courtyard(?) is very well done. The perspective really keys into how expansive it must be. I sure wouldn’t be surprised if Nico Tanigawa went and visited some colleges themselves as a reference for drawing up these upcoming chapters.

Unless you go to one of those party schools, the idea that college students are a bunch of wild social butterflies is false. In my experience, university kids are more reserved in their everyday life because being a rowdy bunch is too financially/socially expensive. They simply don’t have the luxury of being super extroverted all the time. If you have the means to go to a prestigious school, then you’re going to be doing a lot of studying. And if you go to a party college, then partying is what you’re going to end up doing. Such is the nature of the millennial.

Yuri’s dilemma is linked to a common issue revolving around the purpose of school: Do you go there to learn book smarts or street smarts? What is more important, knowledge or networking? For someone with low ambitions like Yuri, having to make a long-lasting commitment like what type of college life you desire can be a huge burden on one’s shoulders, especially when people expect you chose for reasons that go against your very nature.

But yes, Tomoko’s reasoning is incredibly sound,  and one yours truly learned the hard way. A major fallacy in the job hunting process is that employers are more likely to hire people who are more outgoing or easy to work with than someone more knowledgeable but less socially experienced. This practice is often quoted as “It’s not what you know, its who you know”, and can be a real obstacle for introverts like Tomoko and Yuri.  

I appreciate how the frame focuses on this young lady to the side when Tomoko talks about studious college kids. Everyone knows the model of a good university student is a slim, bespectacled lady in a conservative skirt who secretly lewds the brothers from Osomatsu-san and drowns her troubles in beer.

Also, I see you casually smiling there, Yuri. Just like the old days.   

How sweet! Thanks to Tomoko’s reassurance, Yuri lets loose her earnest insecurities, openly declaring how much Tomoko’s presence means to her. Surely even Tomoko would not be so blind as to ignore such–nevermind.

I’m suddenly reminded just how long it’s been since the first field trip arc. No way Tomoko would make the same mistake twice, right?

Phew, thank goodness!

Bull. Shit. You totally were.

Whaaaat? Tomoko watches normie programs and not just otaku-pandering anime? Like, omigawd how can I relate my own degenerate lifestyle to Tomoko if she has slightly positive attributes?

Ah, Yoshida. For being such a transparent, pure-hearted delinquent, even she isn’t the type to make people feel terrible right in front of them. I had a feeling that Yoshida and Yuri would talk about Tomoko behind her back, especially in the earlier chapters. Not maliciously like Minami, but disconcertedly. Cause let’s face it, you’re bound to get uneasy when you hang out with Tomoko for the first time.

I’ve always wondered, what’s Yuri’s take on the whole “Yoshida is a delinquent,” business? Nearly everyone else can agree that Yoshida has delinquent tendencies, even if they aren’t as vocal about it as Tomoko. But Yuri has, to my knowledge, neither agreed nor disagreed with this sentiment. Perhaps that just means Yoshida’s yankee-ness is inconsequential for Yuri. Whether she is or isn’t, Yuri isn’t about to treat Yoshida any differently than she has before.

NOTICE: We regret to inform you that ToonStarterz nearly broke his laptop trying to give a fictional character a comforting hug through the monitor. He’ll be back shortly after contemplating his life choices. 

Only Tomoko can take the image of Yoshida as some kind of gangbanger and spin it into an encouraging speech for Yuri. What glorious trash she be.

Yeah, Tomoko’s mind has always been a little warped, as Yuri once thought. She always seems to take a little too much pleasure in seeing the depravity/vices of others, like how she wanted to have lunch with Hirasawa just to hear about her supposed sexual exploits. As Tomoko becomes more comfortable in her own skin and comes to terms with her own degeneracy, her delight in seeing it in others could be her own twisted sense of empathy at play.

Despite everything, I think Tomoko has more or less stopped acting condescending towards Yoshida’s delinquent status. Nowadays, she views that side of Yoshida with an air of fondness, even spinning it into something positive for Yuri’s sake. It’s a development that actually works for Tomoko and Yoshida’s friendship. Tomoko hasn’t really stopped accosting her, but she’s managed to entertain herself through it. Thankfully, Yoshida’s proven that much of Tomoko’s shittiness doesn’t really bother her, and even seems to gravitate towards those kinds of friends.

And best of all, it’s that frankness from Tomoko and Yoshida that inspires Yuri out of her bubble of inaction. 

That-a-girl, Yuri. Show her how reliable you can be. 

Still, she needs to learn that friendship isn’t just a give-and-take. Sometimes you end up having to give and NOT take just to stay afloat. Meeting them halfway isn’t always viable, but in true friendship, the other person knows how that feels too, meaning you can reach an equilibrium because of that mutual imbalance.

Even though Yuri is not one to give out half-hearted sympathies, when she does understand you, her empathy levels are top-notch. 

The last 137 chapters of the series flashed before the readers’ minds.

There’s a Moment in every good manga where the main character will say or do something that instantly endears them to you. That makes you think, “This is so me!” or “#ourgirl”. For a series that’s as socially aware as this is, Tomoko rejecting a purchase simply because she doesn’t want to give in to a higher entity’s persuasion is one of those key Moments. Stay woke, Tomoko.

If it were from anybody else, I feel like Tomoko would have gotten ticked off over a comment like that. Perhaps its because it’s Yuri, and Tomoko knows she isn’t the teasing type, and therefore, must be genuinely convinced that it wouldn’t fit Tomoko’s style.

And Yuri’s role as the replacement Yuu officially begins. Sorry, Ucchi.

As disturbing as it sounds, getting harassed by Tomoko like this is actually a mark which symbolizes that Tomoko’s gotten comfortable enough with you to see you as a close friend. Yuu’s the only one to have this, er, “privilege”, and I can’t help but find that freakishly meaningful.

Has Watamote seriously reached a high enough standard that simply wearing a cold shoulder top is enough to be considered fanservice?

Yes. Yes, it has.

Many of us readers were waiting for the moment when Tomoko realizes that Yuri is actually pretty sex...er, beautiful (sorry, calling Yuri “sexy” or “hot” just feels WRONG to me). This may mean that Tomoko is going to start lewding the girl in her mind. Now considering that Tomoko is all bark and no bite, that might actually be flattering to some degree. Maybe.

Ah, good times. Good...times.

I see, so it’s not actually the perving on girls that Tomoko enjoys. It’s the thrill of seeing someone swim in dangerous waters. The contrast between goodness and “badness” which inevitably leads to a firecracker display of embarrassment that Tomoko eats up like the nasty she is.

Once again, we’re reminded why Tomoko had trouble making friends in the first place.

I’m actually glad that Tomoko is under no illusions. This behavior is scummy, and she knows it. That said, she has her self-serving limits. By mentioning how she couldn’t do this before with the others, she knows that harassing normies like Nemo or punks like Yoshida would lead to her downfall. Whereas Yuri, whom Tomoko suddenly realized is a “pure n’ plain” girl, would likely not retaliate too much from a little sexual harassment. 

Doesn’t mean she won’t push her luck.  

You tend to forget that for being a quiet, introverted girl, Yuri is no pushover. She won’t go out of her way to actively antagonize you (usually), but when you try to push her into something she disagrees with, she’s solid as a rock. 

Take that, readers! Nico Tanigawa ain’t about to throw you two bones in one chapter.

I...wouldn’t put it past her. But that may actually be why Yuri has been so essential to Tomoko’s growth. Tomoko’s friendship with Yuu is solid, but Yuu’s sweetness was a crutch. Because Yuu accepts Tomoko wholeheartedly, the latter never had any motivation to really change herself. Yuri openly disapproves of Tomoko’s negative qualities, and it’s ultimately made the girl a slightly better friend.  

Sometimes, Nico Tanigawa uses the manga medium to their fullest advantage. In this case, playing with the dialogue and speakers. There’s nothing to indicate who’s saying this monologue. But that’s exactly it:

Both Tomoko and Yuri are thinking about this. These concerns and desires are applicable to each of them. Different as they are on the outside, they are, emotionally, more similar than they ever realized. 

This is a common defense mechanism for introverts. To avoid a blow to their self-esteem, they don’t put high expectations on their social lives. That way, they won’t be disappointed should those friendships drift apart. 

But sometimes, you meet some people. Maybe even just one person who you just click with. You can’t imagine drifting away from them because you feel like you lose so much. And suddenly, the protectiveness you feel by keeping everyone at a distance is penetrated by the very few who you’ve managed to embrace. Then you realize, late as Tomoko often does, that the path of least resistance is no longer viable. All that’s left is to march down the path full of risks if it means you get to keep what’s at the end of the rainbow.

Without a doubt...

The. 

Sweetest. 

Moment. 

EVER.

Nowadays, the chapters of Watamote end in one of two ways. A cringy, but non-meanspirited gag, or a bittersweet, but heartwarming self-reflection. The last one happens sporadically, or it’d start to lose its meaning, which is exactly what we get here. Tomoko is not an overly (deludedly, in the past) optimistic person. She’s more of a realist now. But when faced with a thought that hits the middle of being optimistic or pessimistic, Tomoko will steer more towards the latter. It’s a much healthier mindset that stays grounded in reality, but looks more towards the bright side. She didn’t have to call Yuri by her first name. But a small part of her told her that maybe, just maybe, getting a little closer to Yuri would lead their relationship towards something more.

This chapter really set the bar for Tomoko’s Golden Week. Let’s see how Nemoto and Katou fair following a tough act like that. 

[cutesyhunter]

Ink stained mirror Bonus

A bonus chapter that if you want can skip

*- are for important breaks in the story such as a time skip

Mary was helping Norman clean up a mess in the projection room, spilled a lot of stuff and they didn’t want to call wally since it didn’t seem that big to call him in.

“So how’s your wife?” Mary asked throwing some of the ruined bread in the trash

“She’s all good, just doing what she does best: ruinin' the house” Norman said, he looked proud

“That’s great! How are your kids?”

“They’re doing great, thriving wher’eva they plan to go”

“I’m happy for you then” Mary looks up with a grin as they finish up

“ ‘preciate it doll” Norman smiled back down at her, grinning face, helping her up.

Suddenly they hear vigorous steps coming and banging up the stairs.

“Mary! I got a great idea!” Minnie said her excitement clear

“Don’t shout, I’m right here” Mary said

“Sorry, I’m just super excited!”

Norman mumbled something about Minnie acting like one of his children on a sugar high

“What is it? And please don’t shout dear.”

“You remember that letter, our parents sent us?” How could she not? They’d just got it this morning.

“Of course”

“And how I wanted to send something more personal than another letter, telling them boring ol’ stuff like how we’re doing and stuff”

Mary raised an eyebrow like ‘don’t say that but continue’

“How about we show them!” Minnie said to Mary’s big eyed face

“What you going to send your parents a projector?” Norman asked, making both Mary and Minnie snort with laughter

“What? No” Minnie calmed down from her laughs “I was thinking a photo!”

Mary stopped laughing, saying in a quiet voice “Minnie we can’t afford that…we don’t even have a camera” she liked the idea but they couldn’t afford it, if they wanted to eat

“Weeee don’t” Minnie put emphasis on the ‘e’ “but I know someone that does”

“You do?” Mary was surprised that Minnie would know someone that owned something like that.

“Yeah I know someone who owes me some favors.” Minnie said proudly

“But aren’t photos expensive? I know they’re not as much a film” She looks at Norman proudly as he nods, her stupid grin coming back

“He owes me” Minnie said again

Mary looked about ready to repeat herself but Minnie beat her to it “He. owes. me. Biiiiiiiig”

How big did he owe her? Mary questioned to herself

“I called him about thirty minutes ago and he’s on his way” Minnie said

“wait what?” Mary mumbled, Norman was just being chill about their conversation

“Weeeee should probably make sure Joey doesn’t know, since he could fire us” Minnie gave a strained smile

“why didn’t you think of that earlier?!” Mary’s voice went higher at the realization, meaning she was mad

“well I thought our clothes are still clean, it’s pretty early and his schedule was open, and I really wanted to get a photo to the squirts n’ mom and dad as soon as we could”

Minnie was sentimental about things like that, hell she was still wearing the locket and cross their mother had given to her, Minnie wasn’t even religious.

Mary could only sigh since she did things like this far too often then she should

“Lets go greet him! Come on!”

“All right! All right! No need to drag me! Goodbye Norman!” Mary said Minnie pulling her down the stairs

“see ya” Norman waved goodbye to the girls

*

Minnie dragged Mary all the way up to the first floor, they saw Minnie’s friend before he saw them, he was just looking around curiously

“Salty! You found the place!” Salty looked down at Minnie words

“Little hard to miss there Tomato” “well considering you get lost to the bathroom I wanted to make sure my favorite Rag-a-Muffin made it here safe” They exchanged smirks at each other, then Salty picked Minnie up and gave her a big old bear hug, which she returned until Mary swore she heard a popping sound from both ends.

They both let go laughing their buts off.

“Um…hello salty, nice to see you again” She waved shyly, using her other hand to push her hair out of her face

“Always a pleasure” His hand had practically engulfed hers last time she shook his hand, salty was massive with few tattoos hidden somewhere, so to know he had a hobby that involved art wasn’t strange just unexpected.

“So we got you for an hour, so let’s get to it…and avoid our boss”

“Wait what?” Salty seemed just as surprised as Mary had been moments ago

“Your boss doesn’t know t’m here” Salty asked Mary since Minnie wasn’t going to give a straight answer when she knew she was in trouble

“No…and he might fire us if he sees you” Mary said

“Why? You’re not giving away secrets as far as I can tell”

“Our boss is an ass” Minnie told him

“Minnie hush!” Mary told her thinking the man would hear them

“Sound terrible…” Salty rubbed the back of his neck nervously

“Enough talk! Let’s go!” Minnie dragged Salty to the drawing nook to begin their operation: gift for parents and squirts

*

“I like this rooms energy” Salty said once he stepped into the drawing nook

“Thanks!” Minnie said “So we agreed three pictures one-“

“Hold up. We agreed only on two.” Salty told Minnie, Mary looked at Minnie waiting for the argument

“Yes we did, but I figured I’d go ahead and owe you big to give them another picture” Minnie told him, Mary looked back at Salty

“But what if I’d said no?” Salty pointed out, Mary looked at Minnie

“Then I’d be disappointed but I’d understand.” Minnie replied, Mary looked back at Salty, the big man had an amused look on his face

“Oh fine. I can’t say no to such a sappy request” Salty told her, making Minnie grin with a smug kind of happiness for a successful trade, Mary giggled at her face.

“So whatcha thinking you smug tomato?” Salty asked Minnie

“I actually do have an idea! Mary and I show some of the drawings we’ve been animating for the camera! Sound good?”

“I love it!” Mary told her

Salty shrugged “sounds good to me, get the pictures and hold them up”

The two looked through them and made their decision, Minnie held up two pictures, one with Bendy and Alice dancing, the other with Mary Mirror in a fortune telling booth, and Mary held up a picture inspired by a jam session all the characters at once l, including the butcher gang, she’d been inspired by Minnie’s drawing and drew it; Boris on the banjo, Bendy on the violin, alice on the microphone, Mary on the guitar and the butcher gang on different instruments; Edgar on a harp, Barley on accordion and Charley on piano.

Minnie had admitted that one looked better.

She’d gotten a few too many comments on the butcher gang, that there was no way they’d play those instruments, but Mary thought it was cute and the instruments suited them, honesty she was just proud she’d managed to finish it at home, it was a small scene but it made her happy.

Salty adjusted the camera, telling them to stand a little closer and snapped the picture.

“Cute scenes” He commented

“Thank you” They both said flattered, Minnie was grinning from ear to ear, Mary put her hair behind her ear

“All right let’s go take the next picture! I got an idea for the music room!”

* They’d only had to hide once in a room on the way there since Joey was walking in the opposite direction, waiting until his footsteps pass in the empty office

“You make it out like the guys scary, he doesn’t very big” Both the twins shush Salty

*

A few years shaved off their lives but they were finally there!

“I don’t like the energy in this room much…”

“Whaaaat! Why not?” Mary asked Salty

“It feels dark…”

She was about to question further what he meant but something else interrupted them

“Holy Moly!” They jumped to see Wally staring up at Salty

“Who’s the giant that looks ready to punch someone?” His wide eyes looking up at salty who just snorted

“The giants none of your concerned” Minnie said using a tone she never used with Wally,

“But-“ Wally began

“Who ‘re you?” Everyone jumped once again, Salty let out a curse since it was close to his head instead of below him

“Norman! Stop sneaking up on people” Minnie called up at the project room

Before Minnie could get more frustrated, Mary just introduced Salty “Wally this is Sylvester Woods, we call him Salty, Salty this is Wally Franks”

The two stared at each other awkwardly, Salty held out his hand and Wally shook it, they hear a cracking sound and a yelp from Wally

“Sorry” Salty said as Wally tried to shake the pain out of his hand

“Salty that’s Norman Polk up there, Norman this is Salty”

“How’ ya doin?” Norman waved casually

“I’m ok” Salty nodded up to him

“Moving on, I was thinking Mary with her guitar and-“

Salty started coughing “Bleh! What’s that terrible smell?”

Mary and Minnie could have turned to stone at that moment, and they could have cracked into a million pieces when someone else was coming through the door

“Hey what ar-“

Well, that explained the smell, it was Jack.

“….Hi?” He says seeing a really big guy and the twins staring at him

“Am I interrupting something?”

Before the twins could respond, Sammy came in looking like he was talking to Allison until he bumped into Jack and this scene

And they had the exact same questioning eyes as Jack.

“What the hells going on here?” Sammy turned his stare at the two red heads

“You wanna cover this one or should I?” Mary asked Minnie

“You please” Minnie said gritting her teeth in frustration since they didn’t mean to be seen by everyone in the office

Mary told them that they were taking pictures for their parents a few states away

“I see…” Sammy said, Jack tapped his chin

“That’s sweet” Allison giggled

There was a tension to the room

“Will this take long?” Sammy asked “I don’t think so” Mary told him

“come on!” Minnie said, she said frustrated

“all right” Mary said exasperated by Minnie’s behavior

“So I was thinking that Mary you could play your guitar and I could be that stick waver!” Minnie told her the idea

“Stick waver? You mean the conductor?” Sammy pointed out, making Minnie pout

“Yes that” She said, she points at Sammy without looking at him

“don’t point” Mary chided

“It’s kinda bland” Salty said getting Minnie a little more frustrated, looking down with a harder pout

Salty thought it over, looking down at the other few and looked up at the projectionist room but the man wasn’t there anymore making his shiver, clearing his throat

“Why not take a picture with these guys” Salty pointed to them

“Don’t point” Mary chided again

“No thanks I’m gonna go get some ice or a brace for my hand” Wally said going to the little nurses room

The three look at each other, Mary honestly liked the idea

“It can be like a jam session!” Mary smiled at them

Sammy huffed letting out a ‘fine’

“Yeah sure!” Jack shrugged

“I’d love to” Allison said

They got to the places with their instruments, and Allison at a microphone. Minnie tried to be the conductor but she still looked ridiculous so they gave her a tambourine and she looked good.

“Your parents will love this photo” Salty said making the twins really happy

“All right I got an idea now!” Mary pulled Minnie over to the front of the recording studio, Mary talked to her.

The two started giggling, Minnie put her arm around Mary, the smaller twin had to lift up slightly while Mary had to bend down slightly. Minnie pressed her cheek to Mary’s in affection.

It was a sweet sisterly photo, Which Salty immediately took.

“All right! Now we have to get you out!” Minnie said dragging Salty out

Mary let out a huffed laugh

“Still wanna jam?” Jack asked

“yes,” Mary nodded going to sit down.

*

Minnie didn’t know it would take forever for the photo’s to get done, they hadn’t heard in forever.

Until Salty came to the drawing nook and gave them the photo’s and a copy of the old one.

“thought you’d want it”

They did, so they both gave salty a kiss on his cheeks for being amazing.

[oldmangilmore-blog]

Stolen Light

CHAPTER 2

After their fun at the beach Shieru and Haiba set off to different directions. Shieru journeyed to meet Darius at the old sawmill on the far east side of the Grimwood forest while Haiba set out on a personal quest. One that involved getting reacquainted with past foes... While they were travelling Darius was already busy with training at the old sawmill.

-Aargh!!!! Not good enough!!! - he yelled while desperately trying to pick up a massive log. His hands were covered in bruises and cuts and his face was no different. He had been training the whole time after he left the tavern. Feeling that his body isn't responding to his commands he tried to push himself even further.

Shieru arrived at the spot and saw Darius training.

 - My, my. What determination.. Reminds me of Haiba - she smirked. She watched as Darius made his final attempt to lift the log up, however he turned pale and fainted. Shieru walks up to him:

-Yup, you're a mirror image of Haiba in his prime, I guess. - she stared at him for a moment then kneeled down to see how he was. - So reckless.. - Shieru put her hand over his chest and healed him. The wounds on his arms started fading right away, his pale face returned to normal. Darius opened his eyes to see Shieru smiling.

- ... What? Lady Shieru..? What are you... When did you get here? -  A few moments ago. You know, you don't have to push yourself so far.

- I must.. If I ever hope of becoming as strong as Haiba sensei!

- sigh.. I don't think that's possible Darius my boy..

- WHAT?! Why?

- Haiba gained his power when he joined the Raven Claw. He sacrificed a part of himself to become what he is now, but that power comes with a huge price. A shadow assassin is only able to use the power of darkness while he creates chaos and destruction, but Haiba somehow found a way to bend that rule.

-Whoa... Maybe I could learn that too..

Shieru hits Darius on the back of his head.

- No. Haiba said that your future lies with life and nature magic.

- But Lady Shieru! --he rubs his head

- No buts.. While you're our student you have to listen to us. Don't like it, train by yourself.

- I'm sorry. Please, teach me. -- he bowed.

- Well there's  no need for bowing, haha. (I frikin love this - she thought while smirking). - Now.. Let's start your training! Are you ready?

- Yes ma'am!

- First of all let me explain how aura's work. The world around us is filled with all kinds of energy sources, for example my light magic or Haiba's shadow magic. There are all kinds of different sources of magical aura's around the world. In my time I fought with a lot of different opponents with fascinating powers. For example one of them could create animated golems from earth and make dirt as hard as steel. Another one manipulated the power of lightning. He was so fast that even I couldn't beat him by myself. My former master stepped in to help and that's how we defeated him.

- Awesome!!

- Indeed. Now for types of aura's that you can use. You can actually use any kind of magical aura, but specific ones are more powerful than the others. For example I could use Haiba's dark magic, but it be weak. If you are a life and nature aura, then using death and chaos magic will be near impossible to you. Did you get everything so far?

- Umm..  I guess..

- Excelent! (He didn't get shit, did he...?) How about we skip the boring theory and try practice, huh?

- Okay, sensei!

- Awww, he called me sensei! -- she thought.  Now I'll teach you how to form a weapon from the energy you wield. Hold out your hand like this and close your eyes. Now, feel the energy around you, we are in a forest for a reason. This is your main battle environment, you can accumulate the most magical power here. Draw energy from your surroundings into your hand. *a faint green light starts glowing around his hand* Good, now to actually form a weapon, you have to imagine it's shape and size. Try it. *the light starts taking shape of a dagger* Good!  Now to make it into solid matter you must infuse it with your own energy. The feeling in your chest is your own life energy, send some of it to your hand to form the weapon. *a bright white light flashes and a green dagger appears in Darius' hand*

- I DID IT!!!

- Well done, now.. Try making a sword.

- Yes ma'am!

Shieru and Darius practiced for 5 days straight. In the mean time they got close and started bonding like mother and son. After almost a week of training Darius had already learned the basics of creating objects from magical energy. Seeing that Shieru knew it was time to pass on her student to his next mentor.

- Well, kiddo, your training with me is complete!

- Really Shieru-sama? Did I do as well as you expected??

- To be honest you did even better. I didn't think you could get the basics in just 5 days. I'm proud of ya!  --- winks

- Awesome!!! - he yelled as he jumped in the air

- Alright, your new sensei should be waiting for us already.

- Who will teach me now, ma'am?

- You'll see -- she says while smirking. -Jesus.. I hope they don't flip when they see each other -- she thought to herself.

Shieru and Darius travelled to the town of Asur where a new mentor was already waiting.

AT THE TOWN OF MATTREFORD

The market of Mattreford  was as busy as ever. Shieru asked Darius to get her a few groceries while she went to take care of business.

- Meet me at the farms outside of town in an hour or so, alright? Ohh and take this necklace. It's enchanted to protect you whenever you get hurt, but it doesn't mean you can get reckless with it. - she hands him the necklace.

- Yes, sensei! - Darius replied as he ran off.

Shieru smiled and was on her way as well. After running the errands Darius met Shieru at the farms. She was talking to someone, but Darius couldn't make out who it was, because the person was sitting behind a tree. The boy got closer and got noticed by his sensei.

- Heyyy Darius!!! Come here!

He quickly ran over to her, bowed and gave her the groceries.

- Darius meet your battle training instructor.

The boy stared with fear and excitement into the dark figure behind the tree. He was shocked and got frightened after he realized it was Haiba.

- Whaaaat??? Him!? He'll kill me! - he screamed with a pale face.

- Now, now.. Don't freak out, I talked with him and he agreed to train you. Didn't you Haiba?

- As much as I hate to admit it.. Hmm. So, you say you taught him the basics?

- Yup!

- Well, then show me, boy. Form a weapon and attack me - Haiba said with an emotionless face.

Darius was shaking and didn't know what to do.

- Come on, you can do it! - Shieru yelled.

- Right. Here goes! - he calmed down and started channeling energy into his palm.

Darius instantly made a sword which was a lot stronger than the one he forged when he first started training. He formed a fairly tough green elven sword and looked Haiba straight in the eye full of determination and courage. After a brief moment to focus he charged Haiba head on.

- Take this!!! - he yelled while swinging his sword.

Haiba just stood there unarmed and waited for the attack. He then blocked the incoming blow with his arm and shattered the sword. He then punched Darius in the gut and kicked him away a few meters.

- Hmm.. Well she did teach him how to create a weapon.. But he clearly has no idea how to use it. -- he thought to himself

- If you get up after my next attack, I will train you. If you don't I'll finish you off - Haiba said with a stone cold face.

Shieru continues watching. Darius slowly gets up.

- Now, show me are you truly worthy of being trained by me! - he yelled while releasing a dark shock wave at the boy.

Darius had no chance to dodge that so he braced himself, focused all his energy towards his crossed arms and took the direct hit. The blast sent him flying away. He felt down with his clothes burned up and his body fully covered in bruises and burn marks. Darius clenched his fists and slowly stood up. Barely standing and shaking he looked at Haiba with a smile, as if he was trying to say "I beat you".

- Hmm.. I see.. - Haiba noticed the necklace Shieru gave to the boy. - So you gave him a healing talisman too, huh?

Shieru smirks.

- Well a promise is a promise. I never go back on one. You are now officially my student!

Darius smiled and fainted.

- He's one tough fucker - Haiba smiled as he looked down on the boy.

- His determination reminds me of you a bit.

- Maybe.. Listen, Shieru. I want you to  go to Asur and find Old-man Sho. He used to run a small guild in the city. See if he still does and if so aid them. I owe the old geezer a favor and he sent a letter asking for help.

- Why do I have to return your favors???

- Because I agreed to take this kid as a student for you!

- Touche~

- Before you leave patch the kid up, so he's battle-ready. I want to start his training as soon as possible.

- Understood.

Shieru sat down to heal Darius while Haiba stared into the distance thinking. Few moments later Shieru stood up, nodded and left Darius with his new master.

Haiba took him to a tavern in the far east side of Mattreford.

-Eat up, kid.. We have a long day ahead of us.

- Yes... S-sensei..

- AND STOP CALLING ME SENSEI!!!  Come on.. Eat or I will eat everything myself..

As soon as  Haiba finished his sentence he started mowing down the food from the table like some sort of beast.

Staring at the food being demolished with surprise. - Boy.. His appetite is as big as he's scary.. Right I need my strength - he said as he started eating as well.

After a full 5 course meal the two left the tavern and went to enjoy a relaxing stroll through the park.

- Umm.. Master? Why aren't we training?

-Training comes later, right now we are digesting our food. Just go with it..

After a few hours they wandered to the hot springs.

- You have to be kidding me... HOW IS THIS PART OF OUR TRAINING?!

- Just shut up and get in - Haiba said as he leaned back in the steaming hot water.

- I swear this guy is just finding excuses not to train me..

After spending the rest of the evening in the hot springs Haiba and Darius set out to the tavern in the southern side of town. While walking through a dark alley Haiba asked:

- Yo kid.. Do you know why we did the things that we did today..?

- To waste our training time?? - he shouted with anger

- To show you the good side of life.. But now.. You must experience the dark side too..

As he finished his words a dark aura started surrounding Haiba and the alley seemed to be fully covered in darkness. Dark images of Haiba's past started showing up. Darius saw horror filled images of entire villages being slaughtered cities razed and people begging for help.

- This.. This is the dark side of life.. My side of life... If you trully think you can deal with images like these on a daily basis.. -- The atmosphere turned back to normal and Haiba's aura disappeared -- Then we'll continue your training tomorow.

Paralyzed by fear Darius just sat there, shaking. He spent a few moments thinking about all the horrors that his master showed him, then stood up and followed him to the tavern. He wanted to ask about his masters past, but every time that thought crossed his mind the images kept showing up again.

THE NEXT MORNING

Haiba and Darius went back to the forest near the sawmill to continue with training.

- Alright.. Seeing as you are still determined to fight after all the things that I showed you..

Darius clenched his fists and nodded.

- Let's begin your training. Firstly form that sword of yours, just try to make it stronger than last time..

Darius silently closed his eyes and started accumulating energy in his hand. He managed to create a sword even more powerful than in the past.

- Good, I see you're improving. Now.. (Haiba forms a blade similar in size) Your real training begins now! - He said as he charged his student head on.

Darius managed to block the incoming attack and was surprised to see his master smiling.

-Very good.. Always keep your eyes open while in combat and always be aware of your surroundings, not all enemies use weapons like these some might control the environment and attack your from any direction. Keep your guard up! -- A shadow that formed behind Darius slashed at him but he managed to dodge the attack. Seeing his student smile Haiba knew they were at a mutual understanding.

A month has passed and Haiba decided that Darius was ready to take his training to the real world and left the training grounds at the sawmill. The two heroes made their way towards Asur. When they exited the forest Darius gazed at the Town of Asur. It was every bit as beautiful as he imagined. In the town of Asur several guilds took residence. Among those guilds were such as small factions of Raven claw and the Sky Brotherhood, but their factions here were relatively small compared to the Capital. Haiba and Darius entered through the gates and made their way to the eastern side of town where a small guild called Wolf's Fang. The two lads approached the guild.

- So cool.. -- He looked up at the emblem above the guild's entrance.

- Alright let's go in - Haiba said as he pushed open the doors.

The guild wasn't what Darius expected it to be. There were only about 10 people all looking grey and moving around slowly.

- What happened..? -- Darius asked

Haiba is approached by Master Sho, the current guild master of Wolf's Fang. The old man was half the size of Haiba and skinny beyond belief.

- Hey Old man Sho.. How are you holding up, where's Shieru?

- Ohh you know trying to hold this guild together.. This guild is like family to me.. But after you left the whole family started tearing itself apart. Some left for other guilds some took up wandering and some passed away.. How is Maya holding up?

The atmosphere in the room changed for a second, you could actually feel the tension and the sadness that filled the room.

- I see, I am so sorry my boy.. I didn't know..

-It's okay Master. Where is Shieru?

- She is on an escort mission for some fancy lord. Our work has been low paid and we barely had enough to keep the guild running but Shieru brought a new line of work to our guild. She should have been back by now I don't know what-- Sho couldn't finish his sentence as Shieru jumped Haiba from behind and squeezed the life out of him:

-HAIBA-CHAAAAAAN!!!! I missed you sooo much!

- Let go! You-you're killing me...!

- So, how did you do my boy, did Haiba hurt you? - She started checking Darius and poking him all around.

- No lady Shieru, I'm actually fine, sensei was rough but I think the training he gave me really paid off!

- Good, we'll test out your newly acquired skills in our next mission - she said.

- Wait what? - Darius got confused

- You are now a part of Wolf's Fang, boy. You will form a team with Shieru and carry out several missions to boost the guild's income. In the mean time I will go recruit a few old friends of mine to the guild. Take care. -- And with those words Haiba turned into a shadow and faded away.

- Alright, let's go meet the others! -Shieru pushed Darius foward

- There aren't many people left but those that stayed are really kind and caring. This is Rey, he is a very skilled bowman and could shoot an apple from 3km away!

- Hi, I'm Rey, it's short for Reinold. I really hope we can be friends! - he said as a heartwarming smile covered his face

- Hello Reinold, I am Darius, I really hope so too! -- They shook hands and hugged.

- Alright, meet the others, this Buzzer, our barkeep. He is really good at cards so watch out! - Shieru laughed

- Nice to meet ya kiddo, friends call me Buzzer but the name's actually Bernard, feel free to use either! - He smiled and Darius saw his yellow teeth. Buzzer was a big fellow, probably twice the size of Haiba, had a big brown beard and a bald head. His chest was covered in scars and he was missing two fingers from his left hand.

-Next off we have Arno, the cook.

- Heya! -- He waved and dropped his hat which revealed his bright red hair. He was quite clumsy.

- Also we have Tina (she smiles and waves from her desk while filling in paperwork), she handles all the paperwork and business related stuff. Also Tunner..

- WHAT'S UP LITTLE MAN, THE NAME'S JEFF BUT YOU CAN CALL ME TUNNER! - He yelled as he jumped all around sticking his tongue out.

- Yes.. He's weird like that but don't be fooled, he's quite a strong mage. He uses his aura to generate music which either makes his enemies move the way he wants to or he can animate surrounding objects.

- YEAAAAHHH!!! -- He shouted as he made the tables dance.

- Anyway.. The last but not least are the Nami sisters, Kitto and Yuro. They come from the eastern kingdoms.

- (simultaneously) Please to meet you, Darius-kun!

- I am Kitto, the telepath.

-And I am Yuro the water mage.

- Kitto is a really strong telepath mage that comes in handy when you need to dish out orders to guild members that are away. And Yuro's healing magic is really powerful, she may in fact surpass mine one day. -- Shieru explained while patting Yuro.

- Alright, since you met everyone.. I think it's time. Darius, as the master of Wolf's Fang I hereby accept you into our guild, you are now officially a member of Wolf's Fang! (Everyone's cheering and come in for a group hug)

-Thank you so much guys!!! -- Darius sheds a tear.

A few hours pass as Darius gets to know the other members more better. Shieru and Master Sho start talking in the distance.

- He really is forming a bond with Rey. I think they will be a great duo one day..

- Like you and Haiba?

- Maybe even greater.. Speaking of Haiba.. When will he come back?

- I believe we will see him soon, he gathered info on the people he wants to recruit some time ago.. Right now he just needs to convince them to join us.

- You didn't exactly explain to me why are we doing this.

- Raven Claw is planning something.. I don't know what, but.. Over the past year a lot more guilds have been completely wiped out.. We survived only because of Haiba. He may not be an official member, but every time we were attacked he was there and we managed to pull through.. And Sky Brotherhood isn't doing anything about it.. I fear that they have conspired and are planning something together..

- Well whatever it is we'll stop it. Together.

- I really hope we will.. Not many strong guilds are  left in the kingdom of Lucudiana, but those that are fear Raven Claw too much to do anything about it.

- Don't worry master, if I know Haiba, he'll fix this. (Thinking) I hope... To be continued...