#which really defeats the purpose of playing it because i might as well just have written a choose-your-own-ending story

[sporco-filth]

cyoa slob game

I had an idea of making a game where each choice can make you more or less slobby Each day you get to make choices on what to do and move around the rooms. You get n things you can do per day. at the end of x days the game ends and tells you how unhealthy/dirty you ended up

I should note that I did start work on this using renpy but drawing backgrounds is a pain, especially since I wanted to have it so that things gradually get messier.

The image at the top of my blog (whatever the word for that is) is one of the bgs from it

I also wanted to make a visual novel of some of my stories but ughhh it's so much menial work turning story dialogue into game dialogue in the code... but the sprites for that i repurposed for this cyoa game.

[merakiui]

long-distance love.

yandere!azul ashengrotto x (gender neutral) reader cw: yandere, unhealthy behaviors/relationship, nsfw, phone sex, obsession, power imbalance, kidnapping, implied (cyber)stalking, non-con touching, characters written as 18+ note - sea witch, the magicord mod you've had intimate online relations with, is closer than you thought.

Sea Witch is a busy man.

His weekly schedules are almost always packed to bursting, each event meticulously arranged into open slots as if aiming to form a perfect puzzle. Times never conflict; he’s particular about how he spends his hours, and very rarely does he allow himself a break. It has always been work, work, work. He’s one of the city’s most affluent, eligible bachelors and yet he’s married to his business. Those who lust after him think it’s a wasteful shame. Azul finds it to be a relief far greater than any he’s ever known. He will never compromise the enterprise he’s built from the ground up just because of some flimsy, fickle feelings.

Originally, he had no interest in Magicord, a messaging platform that grants people from all over the world the chance to congregate on specific servers for mutual interests like anime and gaming. He only downloaded it because Idia Shroud, a fellow friend and business partner, lived and breathed the app, his online presence so profound it was almost like a second home. He’d swipe away notifications from his actual messaging app, too busy in a voice call with his group of dungeon raiders to bother answering important calls.

So he resolved to get on Idia’s level in hopes of improving communication. Although Idia’s level, as Azul often noted, was not exactly a place he wanted to be. While Magicord could be used for business purposes, that wasn’t what drew people in. Azul of all people knew very well which target audiences were being reached with apps like Magicord, and he was not one of them.

“To think I’d stoop as low as this,” Azul had once groused over a phone call with Idia, who was giving him quite a lengthy, not-very-needed-but-also-very-much-needed rundown on Magicord’s inner workings. “I hardly have time to play games, let alone socialize on this…app.”

“Aren’t you always going on about how adaptable you are?” Idia sniped back, not in the mood for normie criticism. The sound of clacking keys could be heard on his end. “And you’re the one who asked. Kinda defeats the purpose of learning if you’re just gonna complain.”

Azul rolled his eyes. “I fail to see the logic in downloading another app just to ensure my messages reach you. Honestly, you ought to start checking your email. Or, at the very least, go through your missed call and text logs.”

Alas, Idia had been stubbornly adamant about his preferences and so, much to his displeasure, Azul was forced to undergo something of a Magicord Training Camp until he emerged a pro. And being a pro meant knowing how to navigate his own profile and toggle between that and Idia’s, which was really the only tip he needed because that was all he’d use the app for.

But Azul has always had an innate itch for wanting to know something from top to bottom, inside-out, and the idea of not knowing every little detail about Magicord drove him insane. If there was an opportunity he could capitalize on, why should he risk squandering it with his elementary-level knowledge? So he spent his rare slivers of free time playing around in there, creating a server and wondering who could ever become so attached to an app when the world beyond the screen was filled with just as many, if not more, social encounters.

His introverted side understood the appeal. In fact, he loved the idea of hiding behind a manufactured persona online. He didn’t have to be Azul Ashengrotto on Magicord. Rather, he could rid himself of his dislikable traits and become an entity—an idea or a concept—rather than a flawed man who others might scrutinize ruthlessly.

So he became Sea Witch, and within just a week he’d constructed quite the comfortable server. The invite link was spread throughout the various branches of Mostro. It would provide employees with an online sanctuary, where they could easily connect should doing so in person prove complicated (as had been the case regarding Idia, which was the sole reason he’d even poured so much time into this effort). Most of all, it gave Azul the chance to keep watch from afar, silently sitting in wait and curating a collection of mostly unimportant intel. Mere gossip, if anything.

But gossip is just as good as the next scandal. He likes to be prepared, a razored edge on all sides.

As far as the company was concerned, no one knew who this Sea Witch character was and no one knew who spread the link. And as far as individual employees knew, this was likely just some overworked intern’s labor of love—a well-crafted server intended to function as a digital gathering place for those exhausted after a long day. And that was mostly true, but all of the potential blackmail he could gather, the information he could glean, and even the people he could keep a closer eye on in an online setting—all of that paled in comparison to the real prize he’d attained. This was of great importance. It was something that altered the course of his life, opened his eyes to the brilliant beauty of a first love.

It was there in that undersea-themed haven where he met you, the one who would add flavorful spice to the once bland, boring meal that was his life. And just after a few weeks of simple, cordial conversation, he realized a single taste of your kind companionship wouldn’t be enough to sate him.

Greedy to a fault, Azul wanted you in your entirety.

Which brings him to the present, where he’s currently leaning back into the expensive leather of his driver’s seat. He’s parked on a silent strip of road, in a more residential part of the city. It’s not very busy here, and his windows are tinted to avoid immediate recognition. Rush hour won’t hit until later, and he’s not due for any conferences. He has time. Plenty of it to spare on this little excursion.

“I wanna meet you, Sea Witch,” you admit, nearly whining through the phone. “Where’re you from? Maybe we’re in the same area.”

Azul smiles at your impatience. You just can’t get enough of him, can you?

Every weekend, you hop into a VC with him and chat for hours on end. At first he simply provided a listening ear when you wished to rant through text or call. You’d voice all sorts of complaints. Azul filed them away in the event that they might be useful in the future, initially intending to use such information to ruin you should you prove to be someone worth ruining. But the more he spent listening and scrawling notes on blank paper, the more he realized you were just overworked and struggling financially.

Upon making these connections and learning all sorts of facts from you regarding your life beyond Magicord, he felt compelled to help. Out of the goodness of his heart, of course, ever the benevolent saint. And you weren’t complaining when he offered to pay you for your time. In exchange for two hours of conversation, he’d provide you with the funds you needed to afford your necessities.

Somehow, throughout many months of give and take—with his giving being on the jaw-droppingly exorbitant side, always one to top his own ludicrous generosity—your hours-long conversations would sink beneath the surface of mere companionship. It was one-sided intimacy. Azul was careful with what he shared, building a mostly secretive profile for himself. He didn’t want to risk tarnishing your fondness for Sea Witch by sharing details that felt more like Azul and less like the effortlessly funny, charming, and eloquent Magicord mod you’d originally made contact with.

You didn’t seem to worry about compromising your own privacy, easily divulging a variety of fun tidbits about your life. You’d share the tiniest of details and he’d eat it up every time, hungering for more than just crumbs. That time you sent him a photo of the octopus macarons you’d bought from a local bakery because you were thinking of him? He remembers it well, and he’s constantly reminded of it when you text him about things you did over the weekend or hobbies you basked in. Sending photos of your houseplants, asking him for his opinion on clothes you were hoping to buy (which he was always more than willing to sponsor; all you needed to do was send the link and he’d purchase it), and even trusting him enough to fall asleep in the VC with him (arguably one of his favorite things about your unique relationship).

And he called it unique not because it was a bad sort of strange. Rather, it was unique in the refreshing sense. He’d never had an online friend before, let alone someone who would so willingly and readily indulge him. Granted, this willingness stemmed from the deal he’d cut with you and so you were really only doing these things for your own gain. But then so was he. It was a relationship built upon necessity. You needed money to survive, and he needed you.

So it was okay to fall into sleazy fantasies. It was all an act anyway, and it wasn’t like you judged him or his preferences. At least, not outright. If you did, it was silent. You were considerate and sweet; and you really did consider him a friend. Or so he hoped. If your casual conversations were any proof, it was obvious there was some sort of enjoyment and trust there.

Friendship or something more, he would have you. Whether that meant in the safety of his pocket, enclosed within his mobile phone forever, or in his penthouse, tucked away in his bedroom—he’d have you.

“I’m from a city, yes,” he answers, purposely cryptic.

“Obviously. Come onnn, Witchy. Don’t you wanna meet me, too?”

“I do, and one day we’ll meet. I promise.”

He listens to your irritated groan and his cock twitches in his slacks. Good god, your voice is a blessing—more heavenly than a cherubic choir.

“One day isn’t today, though.”

“Perhaps not.” He speaks to distract you from the rustling fabric of his pressed suit as his hand strays further. He spies his reflection in the rearview mirror, notes the flash in his irises. If only you were here, sitting beside him in the passenger seat. If only he could slide his own seat as far back as it would go, lie still and serene, and let you climb into his lap to spear yourself on his erection. Genuine leather be damned. He wanted your scent, your essence, your everything engraved into the very interior. “Humor me—if we were to meet right now, what would you like to do?”

“Mm, I’d want to get a good look at the man I’ve been talking to for nine months now.”

“Oh, you’ve kept track?”

“You haven’t?” Your laughter is fluffy and light—authentic amusement. “And I’d want to memorize your face so that I’ll never forget it.”

“May I ask why?”

“Because I’m so curious! You know what I look like—”

“Not entirely,” he interjects, sly and silver-tongued. “You’re a portrait half-finished in my mind. Not yet sketched to completion.”

And it’s true. From your shoulders down, you are a faceless beauty. He’s seen you nearly naked and fully clothed, in frills and lace, in latex and ribbons, in satin and chiffon. And yet, for all of the skin you’ve shown, he can’t place a face (or a real name, for that matter) to your body.

“Okay, poet,” you tease, and he’s already palming himself through the fine fabric of his trousers. “But I’ve still never seen an inch of you. You’ve never even sent a dick pic.”

“You’ve never asked.”

“Can I have one now?”

“Nice try.”

“Asshole!” you gripe, clicking your tongue in disappointment. “You’re the worst, you know that?”

“I’m aware,” he hums, squeezing himself, his breath coming out faint and haggard.

Yeah, he’s the worst. But then you’re the best at eliciting these sorts of reactions from him. The effect you have on him is utterly enthralling. Your ability to reduce him to a pliable puddle in just a few words—a mere few lighthearted, hollow insults—is truly impressive. He’d feel ashamed of himself if it wasn’t so good.

“You’re probably not even that big.”

“Would you like an exact measurement?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to measure it in person? See how many inches I could fit inside. I’ve been practicing with that dildo you sent me—the one shaped like a tentacle,” you purr, frustratingly coy. He wants your sinful lips wrapped around his dick right now—wants to fuck your throat sore and raw. Wants nothing more than to spill heavy and hot on your tongue so you’ll taste him for days. “If we met up, we could make that happen. Sooo, where’s my Sea Witch from? What part of the world?”

“Patience, angelfish.”

Even though he says so, he’s practically vibrating with excitement as he worries his bottom lip between his teeth. Soon. So soon. Very, very soon.

And then…

He imagines you rolling your eyes with your next words. “Fine, fine. I’ll be patient. But that’s not gonna stop me from fantasizing.”

“Well, what do you think I look like?”

“Now isn’t that a fun question?” You mull it over. He can tell because you mutter a variety of ums and hmms in that soft, sweet voice of yours. “I think you’re tall and you have a handsome face that matches your equally handsome voice.”

“Yeah?” he encourages, undoing the belt, button, and zip on his pants one-handed. “What else?”

Your giggles filter into his ears, seeming closer than they actually are due to the wireless earbuds he’s wearing. “From what I’ve gathered, you seem to have expensive tastes.”

Sitting in his lavish, one-of-a-kind, custom-made sports car, Azul thinks you would be correct.

“I wonder what gave it away…” he drawls, his voice creeping an octave lower.

He places his phone in the cup holder, reaching to open the glove compartment and retrieving a tiny bottle of lube. Squirting a scant amount on his palm, he fishes himself, throbbing and pathetically hard, out of his boxers. His slick hand is a warm, welcome embrace around his silky-smooth shaft. He sucks in a breath through grit teeth, his eyes fluttering shut.

“Mhm, I wonder. It’s not the fact that you told me I should just buy a designer bag for work when I asked for recommendations. And it’s certainly not your ability to get me lots of nice gifts as if it’s nothing. So maybe it’s just your excessive generosity that makes you seem so rich?”

“Sure, we’ll go with that.”

“Speaking of that, what do you do for a living?”

“Guess.”

“Okay, Mr. Mysterious… Um… Hm. I think you’re a pilot.”

The whiplash that assumption brings is so seismically jarring he thinks he might go flaccid. Gripping himself with renewed vigor, he slides his fist along his length, slow and perfunctory, picturing you under his desk, your mouth open wide to receive him…

“A pilot… Mm, no, not quite.”

“Aw. My second guess was gonna be a contract killer. They make lots of money.”

“You have quite the wild imagination, angelfish. Even if I was one, do you think I’d admit that to you?”

“Maybe,” you tease. He pictures your smirk as it twists your perfect, pretty lips into something wicked. “For the right price, yeah?”

“Oh? Do elaborate.”

Please. Please keep going. Don’t stop talking. I need to hear you, closer, louder, clearer… More.

“What sort of price would I have to pay to get Sea Witch to spill his secrets?” you muse, your voice a tantalizing curl of syllables, but he suspects you already know the answer to your hypothetical. “I can’t offer you money, so you’d have to settle for something a little more…physical.”

He shivers, nodding his agreement even though you can’t see it. “Physical’s good,” he mumbles, foregoing eloquence in favor of filth. “Much better than—mm—than money…”

“Yeah? All right. Let’s see… You’re well-off and you might or might not be a contract killer. Do you wear suits?”

“I do.”

“Ooh, so you’re one of those contract killers.”

Azul can’t help it; he laughs, the sound tumbling out in a breathy gasp. “I prefer looking nice at all times.”

Languidly, his hand continues its idle pumping. He cracks his eyes open to peer at the pre-cum beading at the tip.

“Even if you’re just going to get messy?”

“Explicate the situation that’s leading me to soil my clothes. Details, angelfish.”

“Well, if you’re a killer who wears suits, you wouldn’t like even the smallest stain. It ruins your image, but if it was me…” You pause, probably for effect, and it works. His back arches with anticipation, fingers closing tighter. “You’d make an exception.”

“I would,” he admits far too quickly. “Always.”

“So you really would out yourself as a killer if I spread my legs for you?”

“No, but I’d let you dirty my suits.”

“Good. They’ll look better on the floor anyway.”

His breath hitches. Fuck, your every word is a siren’s song, leading him deeper into mist-clouded waters. He’d keep you pinned on his cock all day if he could. Why should you continue to work your mundane job when you could spend your precious hours with him instead? He’ll be your job. Seven days a week, during each of the breaks he’ll pencil into his schedules, you can visit him and he can empty all of his stress into you. And you’ll take it because you’re such an obedient sweetheart for him, always so ready to please your master.

He prays you can’t hear the salacious squelch of skin on skin as he works himself towards the edge, but a nastier part of him wants you to listen in so you’ll be reminded that this is your fault. No one else can possibly make him this messy. No one else is capable of rendering him a clumsy, lovestruck fool. You’re probably well aware of these facts, having brought him to this same edge numerous times in the past. Sometimes you would reach that tipping point alongside him, your gasps and groans joining his in an obscene duet.

Neither of you decided upon today’s development, but he thinks—knows—you’re intentionally stringing him along. You want this as much as he does.

“So was I right? You’re totally a contract killer?”

“I’m a businessman, angelfish,” he corrects, a silly, drunken smile softening his jaw. You make him feel so stupid, so warm and fond.

“So basically the same thing. Just as ruthless, no?”

“Please, you wound me. I’m always kind.”

“Ah, so there are others who get this treatment? And I thought I was the only one…”

“You are. No one could ever compare to you.”

He intends to tack my love onto the sentence’s end, but he stops himself. You’re not his love. Not really. You’re his angelfish, sure, but that’s different. That’s just a pet name befitting the aquatic theme he masquerades behind. And you’re not really Azul’s. You’re Sea Witch’s.

It’s Sea Witch you know and love. Beyond that, Azul is just Azul. And he’s nothing like the ideal he’s cultivated on Magicord.

He sighs and forces himself out of the turbulent trenches of his withering self-esteem. Now is not the time to contemplate which version of himself you’d be more preferential to.

You’ll have no choice but to love the real him. Soon.

“Really? I feel so special.” Impressed, you whistle and add, “I’ve gotta make you feel special, too.”

“You already have—”

“Not inside the VC. Come on, Sea Witch, don’t you wanna meet me?”

“I do. I really do,” he babbles dumbly, grinding his thumb into his slit and smearing pre-cum. He grits his teeth and tamps down a colorful word. How he yearns for this to be your hand wrapped around his length, tugging him to that far-off finish line. “I want nothing more than to—t-than to see you, all of you, in person…”

“So what’s stopping you? I could do a lot more in person than I can over the phone.” He has a smart reply for that, but it sticks in his throat. Pitifully, like the rightful debauched mess he is, he groans, low and guttural. “Let me turn the question on you, Sea Witch. If we were to meet today, what would you like to do to me?”

So many things, he thinks, a litany of smutty imagery flickering through his head.

But Sea Witch is classy (most days) and today is one of those instances. Or at least he’s going to make an attempt, however weak it may be.

“Take you to dinner,” he mumbles, executing jerky, quick motions in a daze, his cock weeping for release. He throws his head back, peers up at the interior roof of his car, and inhales sharply. “Take you all over the city if it pleases… I’d spoil you with so much finery—dress you up and then tear every article off…”

“And then?”

“And—god, fuck—wanna be inside you, angelfish… So badly—need you so badly. I wanna feel you and kiss you and hold you.”

He’s unraveling, strings pulled taut and fraying to extremity. Azul bucks into his hand and imagines it’s you, tight and warm, a sweet, snug embrace. He opens and closes his mouth, intending to beg you for more, but all that slips out are the tiniest huffs and grunts. He’s so wrapped up in his own ardor that he almost misses your quiet pants, every breath squeezed out of you as if you’re struggling to withhold your gratuitous moans. And it’s deplorable, really, the way his ears prick at these muffled sounds, the way his cock stands rigidly at attention, the way he’s falling through fragments of filthy fantasies, each one so close and yet impossibly far.

“I want you, too,” you mewl, tone wavering between shameless thrill and some sort of seventh heaven.

He wonders what you’re using to pleasure yourself. Are your fingers, slick and curled, rubbing up against those perfect, pretty spots that have you seeing stars? Or are you using the toys he purchased for your enjoyment? Maybe you’re lowering yourself onto the dildo right now, gummy walls clenching around girthy silicone. And maybe you’re tugging at your nipples, massaging them between the pads of your fingers, or maybe you’ve swapped skin-to-skin for a bullet vibrator instead.

Maybe—just maybe—it’s the mere thought of him that sets your flesh aflame with an intoxicating desire.

“And I want you—” you gasp, and his mind travels to all of the risqué photos you’ve sent, each one saved in a password-protected album on his phone— “I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything before. I want you to show me that no one else can compare to you. I want you to—mmh, hah—to hold me down in bed and fuck me until my legs are sore and I can’t walk.”

I will, he thinks, lashes fluttering on his cheekbones. He strokes himself quickly, chest heaving, tongue near-lolling out of his mouth as he pants like a hound in heat. I’ll do all of that and so much more. I’ll fuck every coherent thought out of your pretty head, keep you just smart enough to rely on me, turn you into the prettiest sea flower who’ll only blossom for me.

“I promise, angelfish. I promise I’ll give you everything you’ve ever wanted,” he vows, his nerves alight with lustful delight, “and you’ll never know misfortune again.”

“I—oh! I’m close, so close! Please, Sea Witch! Please don’t stop. Please fill me up and make me yours!”

The sheer vulgarity twined through amatory vehemence, coupled with his own hurried pace, has him tumbling down the slope, arousal peaking and spilling over in thick, creamy spurts. He has half a mind to catch his spend before it can ruin the pristine interior of his car, and he blinks down at the semen sullying his palm. Idly, he rubs his fingers together to test the viscosity, wondering how his fluids would look on your face, your stomach, your ass—or even pooling out of your hole in plentiful amounts.

That fantasy is enough to send blood rushing right back to his softening cock, and he wills those thoughts away with logic—complex calculations and the financial forecast for Mostro. There will be plenty of time to indulge in sexual cravings later. He reminds himself of this while he tamps down his zeal, his heart relaxing in his ribs as he sits with the slowly ebbing aftershocks of orgasm.

You seem to be doing much the same, for you’ve gone perfectly quiet.

“Everything all right, angelfish?” he whispers after a few minutes, his breath now evened out.

“Mm, yeah. All good over here. Messy, but good.”

“I’m comforted knowing we’re in the same boat.” He chuckles while fumbling to dig a cotton handkerchief from the depths of his suit jacket. He cleans the cum and residual lube from off his hands and dick before neatly tucking himself away. Soon, there will be no need for this charade. Soon, he can adore all of you from beyond the screen. “Angelfish, there’s something I’d like to tell you.”

“What’s up?” you murmur, your own voice settling into its usual cheery cadence. He suspects you’re just putting on an act to sound happier. That will change when you’re reunited in person because it will be real. Because there will be no point in pretending through the phone.

“Well…” Azul smiles, folds and unfolds the sodden handkerchief, and then straightens his posture. He should be on his way now. “Ah, it’s nothing. Never mind it. I’ll tell you later.”

“Whaaat? But you’ve made me so curious now. Don’t just leave me in suspense!”

“Then I’m afraid you’ll have to remain in that suspense indefinitely.”

“Ugh. You’re so annoying sometimes.”

He knows you don’t mean that.

“I’ll tell you soon, angelfish. Exercise a little patience. There’s no rush.”

“Easy for you to say. You know what it is.”

“That I do, yes.” He hums, considering his next words. “Would it help if I left you with a word of advice?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Everything.”

“Um. Okay, sure. Hit me. What’s your advice?”

Azul buckles himself in, starting his car via push button. It rumbles to life, smooth and steady. “Don’t fight so much, my dear.”

“Don’t what? Sea Witch, what are you talking—”

Your words are interrupted with a startled yelp. Azul listens to the struggle as if it’s a podcast enjoyed at sunrise. Things are toppled in the chaos; something shatters. He catches the beginnings of a blood-curdling shriek before it’s swiftly silenced. There’s more muffled scuffling before, eventually, absolute peace.

It’s broken by Floyd’s petulant whine. “Maaan, Shrimpy was so difficult. Thought you said they were easy, Azul.”

“Understandably so,” comes Jade’s astute reply. “We did catch them when they were most vulnerable.”

Floyd hums his agreement. “Y’know, Jade, Shrimpy’s kinda cute…”

“They are, aren’t they, Floyd?”

“Whatever you’re thinking, perish it right now,” Azul hisses, features twisting into something dark. “Keep your slimy mitts off of my angelfish.”

There’s an unsettling silence. Azul rolls his eyes. They’re fishing for a reaction he refuses to give.

“Clean up whatever mess you’ve made.” He takes his car out of park and eases into drive. “And don’t let anyone see you. It’ll be a hell of a pain if neighbors make unnecessary reports.”

“Yeah, yeah. Heard ya loud and clear.”

“Very well. Farewell for now.”

The call is cut. Azul grips the steering wheel, smug.

Soon waits for him on the horizon. He will not be a minute late.

You wake on a bed, in a spacious bedroom with exquisite floor-to-ceiling windows, many stories up in the clouds. A brightly lit cityscape sprawls beyond the confines of this room, illuminated with the deceptive shine of promise and success. At first it looks foreign. But then you recognize notable buildings, each standing tall and proud amidst the rest, and it occurs to you that you’re in a stranger’s home, in the heart of the big city.

The room itself is plainly colored; it reminds you of a hotel or a room you might find in a real estate catalogue. Perplexed, you sit up and take pause as your unfamiliar surroundings prove to be more frightful than your own confusion.

Pasted to the walls are various printed screenshots from Magicord, each one detailing a conversation of sorts. You stare at the wall behind you, the one in which the bed is currently pushed against, and peer closer at the contents of these messages.

They’re all from you.

Endearing terms you’ve called him in passing. Gentle insults. Lewd flirts. Vents and rants. Photos you’ve sent of very insignificant things—houseplants, meals, clothes. And then there are the photos of your body in skimpy lingerie and cosplay, all taped to the wall like this is some abstract museum of the digital you. The you who, despite being honest most of the time, took solace in the world of Magicord. The you who’d grown close with the mod from that whimsical ocean-themed server. The you who is now trapped, your ankle enclosed in a cuff. There’s a lead that only allows you to meander into the attached bathroom if you so please, and you suspect it’ll pull taut if you try to leave the room.

“What the fuck?” you mutter, your stomach twisting with disgust.

You look down at your clothes—you’re in someone’s collared shirt, intentionally designed to be oversized so that it drapes like a nightgown—and horror prickles your skin.

And then he arrives.

He’s dressed casually in black slacks and a simple white dress shirt, primly tucked in with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. You stare for a long moment, studying his features as his familiarity dawns. Your mouth falls open in a muted scream.

He smiles sweetly, stepping further into the amber glow from the bedside lamps. “It’s nice to formally meet you. I’m Sea Witch.”

But that’s not what’s shocking about this. The real shock—the thing that has your brain stumbling in an effort to put the pieces together before the picture can crumble—is far more jarring than the kidnapping and the captivity. You find your voice then, and before you can stop yourself the words are falling out in a hurry.

“CEO Ashengrotto?!”

Sea Witch—CEO Ashengrotto—stiffens, his brows furrowing immediately. He gives you a sharp, dangerous look. A look that seems to radiate one unspoken question: Where did you hear that name?

“You… You’re A-Azul Ashengrotto,” you continue, swallowing thick trepidation. “CEO of Mostro. You opened a new restaurant last year—Crave, right? And the menu features celebrity favorites—celebrities like Vil Schoenheit and Neige LeBlanche.”

He laughs his disbelief, carding a hand through soft, silvery locks. “How…do you know this?”

“I work there. You visited once with your secretary for quality checks. We even crossed paths.”

Azul gawks, realizes he’s gawking, and clears his throat. “I… I see. Well.” He inhales, holds his breath for three seconds, and exhales. “This makes things rather…awkward.”

“When you said businessman, I didn’t think… I mean, how was I supposed to know? Your voice sounds so different over call than it does in interviews.”

“Of course it does! I never use the same inflection for those things.”

This cannot be real, you think, watching him flounder anxiously. Azul Ashengrotto is Sea Witch. This whole time… Nine entire months… I was talking to the CEO—to the city’s most popular bachelor—and I didn’t even know it. They write articles about this guy! He’s all over the TV! How did I never realize?

And then a very mortifying thought worms its way in: Oh my God. We both know each other’s preferences. He saw so much of me—more than I’d ever want him to see—and I heard too many private things during our calls…

“Let’s just…” You rub circles into your temples to quell the incoming migraine. “Let’s never talk about this again. You can buy my silence and I’ll move on with my life. I’ll even forget all of…” You glance at the Magicord conversations stuck to the wall and then the chain binding your ankle. “All of this…stuff. We’ll agree to call it a misunderstanding and life will be good, yeah?”

The bargain doesn’t seem to reach him. He continues to stare at you, his eyes glazed with an emotion you can’t place. Whatever it is, it’s stormy and dark. You don’t like it, and you shrink away when he steps closer.

“All this time you were right under my nose…”

Azul climbs onto the bed with you, the mattress depressing under the additional weight. Framed by the hypnotic radiance of the skyscrapers climbing heavenward, he’s certainly earned his place in every celebrity gossip magazine you’ve ever read. Articles debating whether he’s secretly committed to a relationship. Articles theorizing what his life plans may have in store for him. Articles discussing whether he’ll ever get married, if he’ll remain single for the rest of his life, if he’ll ever open his heart to the many people who hope to earn his romantic affections.

No one knows it—how could they when he’s so tight-lipped with the paparazzi?—but you are the secret variable the articles have yet to discover. You are the covert partner, the one who has won his heart, the one who now sits shackled on his bed.

What sort of tabloid journalist could ever spin this story?

You scoot further up the bed, your back pressing against the ornately extravagant headboard. Your knees are pulled into your chest, a futile attempt at protection.

“All this time you were so close to me…” He marvels at this, his baby blue hues locked permanently on you. “And neither of us knew. I could’ve had you much sooner had I just realized…”

You blink at him, your heart sinking with every passing second. “Mr. Ashengrotto, what do you mean by that?”

A pout tugs at perfect, pretty lips. “Why so formal, angelfish? We’re much closer than that, surely.” His hands settle upon your knees, gently pulling them apart. Your blood curdles with fear. “There’s no need to be so tense. It’s only me.”

“No… Please wait. Hold on!”

“Hm? If I’m not mistaken, this is what you want. You were rather vocal about your desires. You’ve always been. So why are you looking at me like that? I’m not scary, am I?”

You squeeze your eyes shut. “Please let me go…”

He clicks his tongue in disapproval, his tone patient despite the subject. “You know I can’t do that.”

“But you… You kidnapped me! Y-You had those guys hiding in my home and they…” You shake your head, unable to describe the sheer terror that had overwhelmed you when those creepy twins descended. Hopeless, you open your eyes to give him your most despairing look. Tears brim in your eyes, threatening to fall at the slightest prodding.

“Oh, my dear, did they scare you? They’re brutes who know nothing of how to treat a person with adequate care. You needn’t worry anymore. I’m here for you.” He cups your face in a fond hold, thumb rubbing soothing circles into your cheek. “Don’t cry, angelfish. You’re in good hands—my hands. And have they not been the most generous?”

“You’re crazy. Obsessed! How can you think any of this is okay? Look around at the walls! You’ve pasted our conversations everywhere—they’re practically the wallpaper!”

“What of it?” His hand slides down to grip your chin, forcing you to meet him at eye level. “I love you. I have for months now. And if those are the ways you choose to classify my care, so be it.”

Tear trails trace down your face. He leans in to kiss the rivers away, but they morph into the saltiest of seas.

“You may not approve of my affections right this very moment. You may hate me, think I’m monstrous, a culmination of all things foul, but you will love me. In due time, my dear. And when you do, the world will open and the chain will come off and you will know freedom under my roof.”

He has the gall to worship you with a loving smile. It poisons you with newly brewing abhorrence.

“So cry your heart out. Scream and kick up a fit. Do what you must. And when the floods subside, we can learn to love one another. Both at our best and our worst, within and beyond Magicord.”

[recurring-polynya]

In the years since I've been running this blog, I've made a lot of jokes about Renji's seemingly ill-thought-out plan of:

Beat Captain Kuchiki

???

Profit Be with Rukia again

but I was looking at his volume poem the other day, and I think that I am an idiot, and beating Byakuya has never been connected to seeing Rukia again. It's a smokescreen. He does have an actual, actionable plan of training and working hard enough to become a vice-captain (specifically Byakuya's vice-captain), and then approaching Rukia again as her social equal. We know that beating Byakuya wasn't a key component of that, because he was planning to do it as soon as she got back from her mission.

The thing about defeating Byakuya is that Renji is purposely setting his sights a few degrees to the left of the truth to keep from falling into depression and despair. Trying to get Rukia back is a thing that he can try to do and fail, and in fact, he very well may. Beating Byakuya is impossible. No one believes he can really do it, least of all himself, which means, paradoxically, he can't lose. When you fail to do the impossible, you can shrug and say, "well, it was impossible, what did you expect?

I mean, it's right there in the poem: "I am going to focus on reaching the unreachable because if I think about Rukia, I am going to kill myself." And I don't think Renji is a guy who has a suicidal bent--the fact that he pursues this line of thinking is proof of that. But what is the difference between a person who thinks about killing themself and someone actively works to not to...? I don't know. It's complicated.

One of the most fundamental themes of Bleach is the idea that Hollows are fallen souls who lose their hearts and eat other souls in order to ease their pain, but they only end up creating more Hollows in the process except that we see examples again and again of shinigami pulling this exact shit (Byakuya, I am looking at you). I cannot figure out if Renji's drive to distract himself from the pain of losing Rukia is a play to avoid falling into monstrosity, or if it's pretty much a direct route. I mean, this is basically exactly the path that Gin and Tousen take--which makes it all the more interesting to me that Aizen rejects Renji as unsuitable for his conspiracy.

I can't put my finger on any particular thing that separates Renji from other characters in this respect, aside from maybe his fundamental Renji-ness-- the fact that he has other friends and connections? That he has hope, no matter how dim, that he may actually reunite with Rukia some day? That he's just a guy who reaches for life instead of death? (Mildly off-topic, but if there is one other character that this is also true of, I think it might be...Matsumoto???)

Anyway, another thing I like about setting himself against an impossible goalpost is that this would be a terrible idea for a human with a finite lifespan, but shinigami have all the time in the world. Go ahead, pal, pursue your impossible tasks, live your truth! I read a lot of stories about semi-immortal beings, and I love love love it when they seem very human and then they do some batshit insane thing that makes you realize, oh, they very much are not.

My favorite way to break my own heart is re-reading the "Fate is a Millstone" chapter, where we learn that Renji was a hair's-breadth away achieving his real goal of talking to Rukia again, only to have Fate throw him a face-full of pocket sand. I think it's extra salt in the wound, to be honest, if he's been pursuing the impossible goal of beating Byakuya as a distraction for all these years, only to arrive at a place where Rukia's life literally hinges on him beating Byakuya, a thing which is not just theoretically impossible, but something Renji has spent 40 years becoming intimately familiar with just how impossible it is.

[uchihaharlot]

Once again, tumblr is holding my drafts hostage. I don’t understand why I can’t edit anything. So screenshot it is! 🤷🏼‍♀️

Now I am scared to even draft on here. 🥲 Probable typos, I’m in line getting tacos 🫠

Anyways, sorry this took so long! I find that during the week I’m not capable of allowing myself the creative freedom to write. Too many stressors!!

This is suuuuuper cute and hilarious to me! Lololol. And some of this might be short because I am actually still tired asf. Sort of tailored this their characteristics — prideful Madara, Submissive Obi, catch me if you can Shisui, and proper Itachi.

SFW; superiority complex Madara; shy Obi; enthralled Shisui; whipped Itachi.

Madara:

Immediately is thrown off center by this girl’s audacious behavior. Did she just spit at him? Ah hell no! Makes it his personal mission to take her down a few pegs. Absolutely does not tolerate a woman with more balls than him. Tries to subdue her, but she is too quick it seems. ‘Another Sharingan wielder, I see.’

Heh. Yeaaa, he is going to pretend like her insubordination or her being almost equally matched isn’t a huge turn on, this girl is just so brazen. She wears male captains livery and it drives him wild to no end wondering what she would look like in his. Madara will not admit any of that though, it would be accepting defeat. Oozes clan pride as she counters his every advance on her. If he was two steps ahead, it felt like she was six.

Obito:

Lol. Why am I like this with him? The second this girl overpowers him he is embarrassingly hard and emotionally stunted. She just gracefully kicked his ass and made a fool out of him! So he is going to avoid her at all costs, watching her from the shadows. Just…waiting to be her personal punching bag again. Lol. Anything to feel her soft hands on him. She is smart, Obi not so much. Catches on to his little game and says, ‘I think you just want me to put you out.’

‘Yes.’ Which is a complete understatement.

Shisui:

Let’s not bullshit here, Shisui was a bit worried when she made to fist him in the dick. He yielded as a last resort, those are incredibly sensitive and precious to him. They hold his next of kin, that and, he memory served him well. That shit fucking hurt. Offers this girl his hand as a truce, and then pulls her in to ask if she would go on a date with him. Heh. Yea, she would. A girl that wasn’t afraid to get a little dirty and even fight a bit unfair was someone he needed to have close. Not make an enemy of, probably almost falls in love with her if she picks some of the gravel off his shirt too.

Itachi:

Oof. Did this girl really tell him to eat shit? That’s the most profane language he’s ever heard out of a woman’s mouth. Itachi is good mannered, a genius and a gentleman. Though some weird feeling in the depths of him has his interests piqued. She didn’t act anything like your average kunoichi. Enjoyed pushing his buttons and Itachi liked the push and pull. Purposely widened the threshold of how far he could play this little cat and mouse game.

[onecinder]

I'm really late but rereading the recent webcomic chapters reminded me how badly Genos's psyche is deteriorating

Like, Genos has stated THIS is how he thinks of himself SO MANY TIMES. That he’s ‘thrown away his human side’, is ‘a being whose only purpose in life is to fight' among other things really shows just how much he's beating himself up -- and he has been for a while, it's just recently it's probably been triggered by Dr. Kuseno's death.

And this panel is even more disturbing. He sees Boros and says he's a 'pathetic being whose only purpose in life is to fight.... just like me', and that boros (and therefore himself) is just a living being deprived of his will and operated as a weapon.

But the most disturbing thing is that he then he proceeds to try and PUT BOROS OUT OF HIS MISERY. Like, that's basically implying that Genos would put himself out of his misery as well if he could, and that he very well might -- after all, he's got a history of drastically trying to self-destruct or taking actions that may very well lead to self-destruction. He's a hero, yes, but sometimes he comes off as a little too eager to throw away his life in order to save lives, or just defeat a monster. But a large part of why he's still alive is because Saitama stops him.

Which brings me to the other thing that's deteriorating -- Genos and Saitama's relationship (though that could be seen coming from a mile away, honestly. All the little cracks in their relationship have been played off for laughs and gags up till now, but knowing ONE, a gag is always the surface of something more serious.)

Even Dr. Kuseno acknowledged directly that Saitama had a huge part in keeping Genos human, in control, and feeling like a normal teenager, and not self-destructing.

Saitama used to be the thing tethering him TO his humanity, but now that he's not even there for Genos, and Genos is mad at him, and Dr. Kuseno, the only person with sufficient emotional maturity to comfort Genos, is gone, what's left to keep him from absolutely losing it?

When I saw these two pages, I could at first see it being construed as: Genos's belief in the humanity and goodness in people allowed him to let Metal Knight to go unchecked, and then he also believed in Saitama's ability to stop him and save everyone if anything were to go awry, and that's what 'clouded his judgement'. But obviously that isn't how it's supposed to be construed. He's definitely mad at Saitama (my shipper heart went through the five stages of grief reading it)

Saitama can't save everyone, not even Dr. Kuseno. This is another example of the consequences of a gag rearing its ugly head now... his unconcerned nature was funny at first, but Genos now feels Saitama is to blame for the whole situation.

Even at this particular panel, which is pretty early on, it's like Saitama knows that Genos is mad at him and that his self-control may be slipping away, and either doesn't really know what to do or decides to give Genos space.

This is the second time across 2 different mediums that Saitama's tardiness and nonchalance caused someone important to him/the people around him to get killed (for the manga, Genos himself, and for the webcomic, Dr. Kuseno.)

Yet he STILL blames himself and goes back to thinking he's worthless and powerless and a shitty hero.

But there's no denying it, he's super mad. Saitama is no longer the perfect idol he looked up to. It used to be such a gag that Genos was willing to do anything for Saitama, and admired him to the point it was borderline obsessive, but the consequences are really showing now.

Buuuut, maybe this is all for the best. A question I avoided confronting was when Genos would finally blow up. For a relationship to be healthy, I think it definitely requires for the people in it to have arguments, disagreements, and work through them together. That's what constitutes a strong relationship with proper understanding and communication.

Aaand if it's one thing these two are bad at, it's communicating their needs and listening to each other imo. (Even Genos misunderstanding everything Saitama says for something suiting his own 'vision' of him is played off as a gag as well.)

It's just that the consequences of these issues are exaggerated by like x1000 and the fate of many people relies on the health of this relationship, and on Genos's psyche staying intact, so... uh, I hope it's all for the best?

If they both don't come out the other end holding hands and slowly mending then RIP Saigenos :(

(sorry for this long ass post it probably could've been summarised in 20 words about 3 months earlier)

[mitsua]

With an S/o who likes to write about him

Warnings: none Genre: fluff

Series: Haikyū! Words' count: 0.41k

S/o's . . . GN!

Noticed you writing furiously as he just did a quick spike with Kageyama as usual. He was about to ask you what you thought about it but coach Ukai whistled meaning they were to start playing again.

He could only watch you from a side and he got genuinely curious as to what could be taking you so long to stop writing about. After the practice, Hinata finally ran up behind you to try and scare you as a joke, but got interested in your notebook's notes and doodles. They went from "Today Hinata jumped up to 333 cm high," to "I just found out he likes tangerine juice, just like his hair's color, how cute!" that, and there were some skills graphics as well. "You've written all that about me?" He startled you. You hadn't noticed him which was certainly weird 'cause normally he was all loud and laughs while approaching your seated form. Then the embarrassment kicked in. "I-I have, but I hope you don't find it weird, I do it just-because-uh-" 'god now you couldn't stop rambling.' "I like it so much! This is so detailed, I could never!" He continued, grabbing both sides of your book still from behind you and resting his chin on your head. "Would you let me read more about them again?"

When you end up getting together and as time passes by, if you do end up getting a job as a manager of Hinata's volleyball team, you'll find shelfs filled with notebooks written by you, about all kinds of things about him.

He finds comfort and so much happiness in all those words he sometimes gives himself time to read all over again when he's having a bad day or a couple of days before he has to leave your shared home to a tournament you might not be able to attend to.

He really takes in any drawback you tend to tell him to get better in any way you find it necessary.

Might get a notebook himself to write about you sometime and because he does not keep it as a secret since the start, it defeats all purpose on it 'cause he prefers to tell you about the things he notices you do himself and gets them all engraved in his brain.

"Hey, I noticed that everytime I tell you something particular about you infront of my friends you get embarrassed, why's that?"

Yeah, most likely something like that.

All writings' rights reserved © 2024 Mitsua. (Credit to the respective owners of the pictures and tagged anime character.) ⌇ my navigation!

Maybe I'm finally back with Haikyū! content?

[homestuckreplay]

acrobatically fucking pirouetting off the handle so hard i turn into my best friend

(page 607-614)

9/7/2009 Wheel Spin: Sburb Lore Verdict: i fucking wish :(

9/8/2009 Wheel Spin: Character Switch Verdict: HELL YEAH JOHN’S BACK !!!! :D

A couple of shorter updates compared to the bumper 13 pages on September 6, but it’s all relative, and would be silly to complain about.

The narration on p.607 tells Dave, ‘It is time to face your destiny.’ In the short term, this obviously refers to the trap that Dave’s bro has set up for him, but it also gets me thinking about whether destiny more broadly will play a role in this story, and if so, what Dave’s might be. On p.293, GG – who appears to have knowledge their friends don’t share – theorizes that saving the world is John’s destiny. Nannasprite in her exposition refers to John’s ‘purpose’ (p.427) but it’s left very unclear whether this is a fantasy-novel style Prophesized Destiny, or just a result of John choosing to play Sburb.

I think this might be intentionally vague in the story right now, either to allow for readers to theorize, or because Hussie hasn’t yet decided the exact nature of the story. However, when destiny is a theme in fantasy, a chosen one's destiny is usually to defeat a great evil. I think it'd be neat if Dave's destiny was actually to defeat Bro once and for all - probably the most evil character we've seen yet, and certainly the one who's most affected Dave's life - which would make this line on p.607 end up looking really prophetic and bringing things full circle.

I am wondering just how many Smuppets Bro owns, and what the turnover rate is like. There’s at least 20 in the puppet pile Dave’s stuck in, and a lot of them get sliced in half. Bro needs these for work and has a large collection to draw on at any time, but they’re regularly getting destroyed, so logistically I am imagining a large crate of a couple hundred Smuppets showing up at the apartment each week, which is a horrendous thought. No wonder they are in Dave’s dreams. The ‘puppets per square meter’ and ‘new puppets per day’ are probably much higher numbers than the equivalent for harlequins or wizards in John and Rose’s houses. If these decorative choices represent sources of alienation and anxiety for the kids this could suggest that Dave’s mental state is even worse than that of his friends.

Also I think that if Bro really wants to be Jigsaw so bad he needs to put some variety into his traps. Puppets every time is nowhere near as creative as the saw traps in the movie.

Page 611 repeats a Dave-Rose Pesterlog from p.522. I like when this happens – it clarifies where we are in the timeline, as well as giving the characters equal importance while showing both perspectives. Earlier when Dave referred to himself as ‘enrobed in chafing, wriggling god fucking damned puppet pelvis’ I did think he was exaggerating for effect, and was just describing the puppet-strewn living room with an overactive imagination. Reading this for a second time knowing that Dave is being extremely literal is very different – it feels like someone begging to be taken seriously and failing, instead of someone committing to the mutually constituted bit.

Dave’s bro referencing Sweet Bro & Hella Jeff – ‘where doing it man where MAKING THIS HAPEN’ – on a sinister note pinned to the crawlspace hatch with a weapon feels really insidious. Taking this piece of art that Dave made and is proud of, and turning it into something threatening, is upsetting to me. What does Dave get to have for himself? Is there an aspect of his life that his bro doesn’t twist into something evil? Does Bro know about Dave’s friends, and if so, does he work them into his schemes too? And yet it’s effective despite all this – it does provoke Dave into action, jumping up and escaping the puppet prison, leaving Dave’s story on the cliffhanger of what exactly Bro wants to ‘make hapen’ as we smashcut to John.

I am very excited to see what John and Rose get up to and I hope it is not famous last words to say that it will surely be less disturbing than what is happening with Dave. At the very least, I feel lighter and freer knowing that I don’t have to think about Dave’s bro for a few days.

[archiveikemen]

'Villain Wants To Bother The Little Robin' Story Event: Chapter 1

Jude Jazza & Ellis Twilight Route

This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection. I do not own any of the original content. Please support CYBIRD by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.

❥･• Warnings and FAQ

Victor: Kate… will you play the role of Her Majesty the Queen?

Kate: … It’s for a mission, right? Please tell me the details.

Victor: Ahh, what a quick response! You’ve grown so much as a fairytale writer, I… I…!

Victor: Emotional moment aside, you’re right, it’s for a mission.

Victor: An American ambassador is coming for a visit. According to our intel, there is word that he is planning an assassination attempt.

Kate: That’s a very serious issue… and therefore, I will be a stand-in for Her Majesty?

Victor: Yes. Jude and Ellis will be your bodyguards.

Kate: Why the two of them specifically…?

(Apart from Ellis, I don't think Jude would want to be “my bodyguard”.)

Victor: They’re experienced in handling violent situations. Should the ambassador carry out the assassination attempt, I believe they will be able to deal with it well!

(... They do seem capable of handling such situations smoothly…)

Kate: What exactly should I do as Her Majesty?

Victor: You will be receiving gifts, and have dinner at the evening banquet.

Victor: Basically, you only have to graciously accept the gifts presented to you.

Victor: The ministers will be present as well, so it’s OK for you to leave the complicated conversations to them.

Kate: Simply put, I just have to dress as Her Majesty and sit there… am I right to say that?

Victor: Yes! Her Majesty prefers to be quiet, so it’ll be alright if you remain silent.

Victor: Your voice sounds different from Her Majesty’s, which might raise suspicion. The two of them will follow up accordingly.

Victor: I understand that asking you to be a decoy is a difficult request… but you’re the only person who understands the situation enough to do so.

Victor: Will you accept the task?

(This proves that he trusts me as a fairytale writer. Moreover, Her Majesty's life is at stake here.)

Kate: Yes, I’ll do my best.

(Jude is a sadist who finds joy in tormenting others.)

(If I become indebted to him, there’s no knowing what he’ll demand for as payment. I can't afford any slip ups.)

(Ellis is kind and will do anything to make other people happy, but…)

(Because he will really do “anything”, I have to be careful so that he won't go overboard.)

(At any rate, in order to ensure that this mission will be successful without any troubles, I shall focus only on being a stand-in for Her Majesty.)

Kate: Victor, could you tell me more about Her Majesty's mannerisms? Such as her habits or anything that makes her unique.

Victor: …

Victor: Of course. I’ll tell you as much as I can.

After receiving some acting tips from Victor, I holed myself up in the library.

I wanted to learn a little bit about the royal family, the names and faces of the ministers, and the history of America and England…

…

(In the end, it feels like the more I study, the more overwhelmed I feel about my lack of knowledge. It made me feel more hopeless…)

I wore a crown, a veil that covered my face up to my chin, a pair of shoes to disguise my height, and an elegant gown.

I was already feeling defeated.

Jude: You fell asleep in the library, commoner.

Ellis: I’m glad you didn't catch a cold.

Kate: …!

Jude and Ellis stood on either side of me, laughing as if they had read my mind.

Kate: By any chance, was it… the two of you who covered me with a blanket?

Ellis: Yeah. Because you looked cold.

Kate: Thanks, Ellis.

Ellis: Jude pushed you back upright when you were about to slip off the table… with his knee.

Jude: That was because you were a hindrance.

Kate: Kicking a sleeping lady…

Jude: Calling some kid who played sleeping beauty in the library a “lady”? Don’t make me laugh.

Jude: You must’ve been working that little commoner brain of yours in your own way. How great.

Ellis: Mm-hmm. You’re studying hard to pull off pretending to be Her Majesty. You’re very great.

The former was entirely sarcasm, while the latter was a genuine and innocent compliment.

My facial muscles were confused about what facial expression to make.

(A- Anyway…)

Kate: I’ll be under your care for the next two days.

Jude: Decoy means someone who’s willing to die in another person’s place. Long story short, it’ll cost you your life.

Jude: … As long as the assassins are dealt with, it doesn't matter even if you die. Peace of cake.

Ellis: Don’t worry, I’ll protect you.

Ellis: I’m no good at politics and diplomacy… but I’m good at sensing when there are knives and bullets coming my way.

Ellis: I’ll do my best to support you so won’t have a hard time.

Kate: I… I’ll do my best too.

If Jude were something that’s tongue burning spicy, then Ellis would be sweet as sugar.

Being stuck in between time gave my heart no time to calm down.

(I wonder how Ellis is working for Jude.)

(Even though Jude isn’t the type of person to let people come close to him, he always has Ellis by his side.)

I remembered hearing that they worked together because of a contract.

(What on earth does that contract entail…?)

Jude: A commoner posing as the Queen will be easily exposed and gotten rid off.

Kate: Will Jude be able to do well as the Queen’s bodyguard with that sort of attitude and manner of speech?

Ellis: Jude is surprisingly capable of proper behaviour in public.

Jude: You might not know this, but this guy is crazy.

Kate: In what way…?

Ellis: Who knows? :)

Jude: You’ll find out soon enough.

(Are you saying that Ellis is no better at being a bodyguard than you? … Seems to me that it's the other way around.)

Ellis: … Hey, Jude, Kate.

Jude: Ah?

Kate: Yes?

Ellis: I have a suggestion—

Ellis: Let’s make a deal whereby if we succeed in this mission without having our identities exposed, we’ll fulfil one request from each other… what do you think?

(Fulfil each other's requests after completing the mission?)

Jude: What’s with that meaningless suggestion?

Ellis: I’m thinking of how to make this mission more enjoyable for Kate.

Ellis: What do you think…?

(So that’s what Ellis is thinking…)

I realised that since this morning, I had been unknowingly weighed down by the burden of wearing the crown.

(... Ellis is really good at telling how someone is feeling.)

Kate: Thank you, Ellis. We’ll do that!

Ellis: Fufu, then it’s decided.

(... Hm? But I heard him say “each other”...)

(I’ll have to grant requests from Jude and Ellis…)

Jude: … Just endure it as much as possible. I’ll be watching you make a fool of yourself while thinking of what “request” I’ll make you fulfil.

Ellis: Me too, I’ll be… thinking about what “request” will make you happy.

Seeing the two very different smiles, my facial muscles were once again unsure about what facial expression to make.

...

Chamberlain: The ambassador from America, Abel Edmund, has arrived.

The chamberlain loudly announced the ambassador's arrival, and the door to the audience hall opened slowly.

(... It’s happening.)

Jude and Ellis stood on guard behind me.

“Why did Her Majesty choose to be guarded by two unknown men, instead of the royal guards?” When I first entered the hall, I could hear the ministers whispering amongst themselves, however…

(Just one glare from Jude made their complaining cease immediately.)

(When Ellis smiled at them, the number of insolent stares decreased as well.)

(With the two of them around, my life will definitely not be in danger… it’ll be alright.)

I straightened my back and lifted my chin, fixing my posture according to what I learnt from Victor.

(I must focus on maintaining a regal attitude while acting as Her Majesty in front of the ambassador.)

Abel: I am greatly honoured to have been given the privilege of an audience with Your Majesty!

The ambassador was a man with teeth that glimmered in the light, and a smile as bright as the sun.

(Wow… he’s more frank than I thought.)

Maintaining my majesty, I nodded silently in response to his greeting.

Ellis: He looks lively.

Jude: Even if he keeps quiet, his face makes a heck lot of noise.

(P- Please don’t make me laugh!)

The point-blank commentary coming from the two of them standing behind me clearly stated their impressions of him.

Abel enthusiastically presented the various items he had brought with him as tribute.

(Even with a veil on, these items are dazzling…)

Once again, I felt overwhelmed by Her Majesty's power and influence as proven by the extravagance of the treasures gifted to her.

Abel: We have here an extremely rare avian species boasting feathers with vibrant colours. Its beauty is further enhanced by the magnificent sight of its outstretched wings.

Abel took a large bird resembling a parrot from its cage,

Abel: Please, have a look— ah!?

The parrot suddenly lifted its head and flew out of Abel’s hand.

(It’s coming this way!?)

Jude • Ellis: —!

[jinxed-thylacine]

I didn't realize how much people fundamentally misunderstand Eggman and Sonic both as characters and as a pair until now tbh.

No, Phantom Rider Sonic is not out of character for Sonic nor for Eggman. Let's look at right before Sonic accepted the Eggstreme Gear.

Going undercover is implied to be incredibly beneficial to Sonic, Tails, and Amy's plan, something Eggman agrees with:

Eggman took a sabbatical after Eggperial City was destroyed, then came across Orbot and Cubot watching the Clean Sweepstakes opening ceremony, and didn't like that he was being mocked:

He was at least happy to see Sonic and the Babylon Rogues squabble, but then Sonic got disqualified (which Eggman claims he hated because humiliating Sonic is his job), which gave Eggman an idea:

Since Sonic was indirectly responsible for Eggman's inspiration coming back, he felt like repaying him in some way:

And throughout the arc, Eggman is shown to have been honest about this (unless something happens in issue 74/issue 75). This scene from issue 69 sets up mutual benefit; Sonic can more easily create a diversion because he's disguised, Tails and Amy can more easily sneak onto the shuttle, and Eggman repays Sonic for getting him his creative drive back and also gets to watch the chaos that unfolds as Sonic disrupts the event as the Phantom Rider, which he wanted to do before Sonic, Tails, and Amy were disqualified (and Eggman gets to watch the event that mocked him get disrupted).

Sonic causing trouble on purpose for the benefit of the greater good isn't out of character, he just isn't usually so chaotic about it, nor that intentioned about causing chaos, because what he's doing doesn't require a chaotic course of action. He does it in Sonic Adventure 2 to some degree (this is made most clear, in my opinion, in the recaps before each level) and he literally tells Merlina in Sonic and the Black Knight "Guess I can't be the hero every time!" after being told "If you remove that sword and defeat King Arthur with it, you shall forever be the worst of knights, slayer of kings!" and proceeds to fight the Knights of the Round Table and King Arthur. That's just in the games, if we factored other media into this there's a lot more I could cover.

Now, to be fair, that tends to not backfire on him as bad as it could. In Sonic X, when he's destroying Eggman's mirror towers, everyone eventually realizes that Sonic is doing it for the benefit of everyone else; he doesn't care about that though. In Sonic and the Black Knight, once Merlina admits she was essentially scamming Avalon, Lancelot, Percival, and Gawain team up with him to stop her. In Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic's already a fugitive, so him causing some level of chaos to clear his name isn't something that really affects public perception of him.

In the comics, specifically the Phantom Rider arc, it does backfire on him once he's revealed to be the Phantom Rider, and there's some indication in issue 76's solicitation that there are going to be long-term effects in regards to Sonic being the Phantom Rider, meaning this would be the first time Sonic feels long-term effects for playing the villain (I'm actually surprised it took this long but whatever lol). The aftershocks might not be as bad once Clean Sweep is revealed to be untrustworthy, but there are still likely going to be some trust issues within Sonic's friend circle, which will be the worst ramifications we've seen from Sonic's chaotic good antics thus far.

Sonic is not against working with Eggman if there's a level of mutual benefit in it, and usually it happens because of some potentially world-ending catastrophe (Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic X, Sonic Heroes, Sonic 06, Sonic Frontiers). I actually think Jimbotnik sums this up best; "If I can't rule the world, I might as well save it!" However, Eggman is not above teaming up with Sonic if, from his perspective, the need arises, even if the world isn't about to end. If there's even a shred of mutual benefit, they are willing to work together. The Phantom Rider arc just has an example of them teaming up for, on Eggman's end, petty reasons.

Eggman's not above teaming up with Sonic if there's mutual benefit and Sonic's not above playing a villain for the benefit of the greater good. Phantom Rider arc is not out of character for either of them.

[shanksxbuggy]

Pls pls pls rant more about ur theories and thoughts abt op and this recent chapter i need ur analysis sm thank you for ur posts ur one of shuggys greatest blogs!!!

Thank you for liking my humble little offerings!! Every day I toil in the shuggy mines ⛏

In this spread, if Oda really did intentionally put a mirror parallelism between opposite forces, then it might imply that Buggy and Shanks would clash in the future because of their differing ideologies.

I’ve also seen people worrying that the parallels might signify a battle to the death, where only one side can come out on top. Basically pairs with contradicting desires that conflict with each other.

So I’m thinking, what kind of conflicting ideology between Shanks and Buggy would put them on this level?

Out of all people in this race - his arch-nemesis Blackbeard, the authoritarian government who slaughters innocents - it’s Buggy who mirrors Shanks as his polar opposite.

What’s interesting to me is that Shanks seems to have his own plans for the One Piece.

Since Buggy is about materialistic greed and wants to find the treasure for his own gratification (not for any grander scheme involving the fate of the world), when I think about the opposing side, maybe Shanks wants to destroy the One Piece so no one can have it, which would put him in direct conflict with Buggy’s interests.

Imagine there’s a big pile of treasure and priceless artifacts, and Shanks says ‘well I’m going to destroy all of this so no one can have it’. That would be enough to piss Buggy off and start a fight.

When Shanks uses the word ‘get’, the word he uses has the implication of ‘take by force’ or ‘steal’, almost as if someone else has it.

If I consider the possibility that Shanks plans on destroying the One Piece, this wording could imply he’s going to ‘take away’ the One Piece from anyone trying to possess it.

Since Buggy’s goals are selfish, as his direct opposite, Shanks’ goals might be selfless. Shanks doesn’t want the One Piece for himself, and if anyone does want to claim it, they’ll have to defeat him to do it. So in that way, he’s safeguarding it.

Just from how different Shanks’ expression is from the other Emperors, it’s like he’s the only one who’s not having a fun pirate adventure hunting unknown treasure.

Compared to every other ‘opposite parallel’ in this spread, Shanks vs Buggy seems very different. They’re the only opposites who actually care about each other despite their differences. Compared to the other matchups, their conflict seems kind of petty and personal.

I don’t think Shanks and Buggy will truly have a fight to the death. I’m not sure Shanks would even be able to fight Buggy seriously.

If they ever were to face off against each other, it might end up being like the challenge between Dorry and Brogy, where it’s a match between two people who care for each other and in the end won’t be happy seeing the other person lose. Unlike everyone else who’ll probably have to kill each other to stop their opponent, Shanks and Buggy have the desire to save each other. So their outcome won’t be the same as everyone else.

Honestly, besides comic relief and leading characters like Mihawk and Crocodile to the One Piece, Buggy doesn’t look like he has much of a role in the final battle royale. He isn’t important to the main plot or Luffy’s development, he isn’t strong and doesn’t have useful information, he doesn’t represent some moral good or ideology, even as a villain he’s not so evil that he needs to be defeated. So what is his purpose, why did it have to be Buggy with this important role in the finale? It’s likely that Buggy, as a character, exists for Shanks’ endgame.

Whatever Shanks’ endgame is, Buggy will play an important part in it, because narratively their fates were written to be intertwined. They were set up as narrative foils from the start, and even more so now they continue to foil each other. Buggy was written for Shanks, though we don’t know for what future purpose it’ll be. Whether they’ll cause each other’s downfall or save each other’s lives, some kind of redemption arc for Buggy or character resolution for Shanks, they’ll both have an effect on each other’s fate.

It’s all just me speculating, of course, because I crave analysis.

When did this answer get so long! I started writing this out and it just went off on its own and kept going.

[cursedvibes]

I see a lot of complaints lately that Sukuna is too strong and that the protagonists could never defeat him because they are so much weaker. Everything seems hopeless now that not even powerhouse Gojo is here.

For one, I'd like to say that that is very much intentional. A villain should seem like an impossible hindrance, he should be someone who makes the heroes struggle and lose, sometimes often. Not every strategy is going to work or else the story would become very predictable if everything works out on the first attempt. On top of that, jjk has established that the whole point of Sukuna is his overwhelming sense of self and his disregard for others which in turn makes him so inhumanly strong. If you want to be as strong or stronger than him, you not only need some innate skill, but you would have to throw away your humanity as well. Yuuji's entire purpose was to oppose Sukuna in that regard. He is weak, but he cares for others and he has a will that Sukuna can't break no matter how much he tries. So the way to defeat Sukuna isn't by becoming stronger than him, that would only buy into his ideology and not fundamentally challenge him. It is what Gojo and Kashimo tried to do and they failed for it because that is the wrong approach. Yuuji has to be the one to break Sukuna's ideology of the strong, that might makes right, only this way could he truly win over Sukuna. Because at the heart of it their fight is a struggle of ideals. Sukuna himself announced that his goal is above all else to crush Yuuji so he won't get up anymore because Yuuji makes him question himself, his philosophy, his entire life and by defeating him, he proves himself and his way of thinking/living to be superior.

The question remains how exactly they will accomplish this. I don't know the specifics, but I think it will have to come down to hurting Sukuna's soul, to attack him at his foundation. Yuuji's punches to shake the bond of Sukuna and Megumi's souls, Jacob's Ladder's attack of the cursed object and Maki's Split Soul Katana are what have shaken Sukuna the most and in a way he can't easily recover from. It's not about strength, it's about shaking up Sukuna's very being and his root in this world. I also think Megumi will have to play a role in it. With Yuuji's help he could find the will to stand up against Sukuna and if not regain control of his original body, at least hinder him long enough for the others to kill Sukuna once and for all. Sukuna knows he has Megumi buried deeply and crushed his spirit, he's confident that even if Yuuji reaches Megumi, he could never be a substantial threat because he has accomplished with Megumi what he wants to do with Yuuji. He is weak and broken and had to submit to his will/soul. That confidence has to be shaken up.

We'll have to see about the rest, but those are two points I think are very important in defeating Sukuna. I also think that Sukuna has to release Tengen for that plot point to have a satisfying end. Tengen just dying inside Sukuna would be very unsatisfying, waste a whole lot of setup and also make for a pretty bad final fight because Sukuna is a very simple villain and one that is only really important for Yuuji. If he doesn't get defeated, Sukuna won't destroy Japan, he won't fundamentally change the foundation of jujutsu society, he is build on it and their adherence to strength after all. He doesn't pose a systematic threat and inspires change like Kenjaku did and to make up for Kenjaku's presence no more being the greater looming threat, we only have Tengen and the merger to fill that hole. So Sukuna has to release her at some point.

I'd also like to say, that I acknowledge that the current situation and how Gege has set Sukuna up are not without its faults. I know that defeating Sukuna through strength isn't the way to go because of, well, the entire message of jjk, but I also think that Sukuna's struggle with Yuuji and their opposing ideals have fallen short in this final fight so far. The fight in Shinjuku is far too formulaic. It feels like the protagonists are doing a relay race and Sukuna is just passively standing around and lets them do their thing, casually swiping one person away, so someone else can fill their spot. This will hopefully change soon, but I also think there was too little focus on the thematic meaning of this whole fight. We got Sukuna reflecting on his ideals or lack thereof, but then nothing really came of it so far. He boldly claimed to want to crush Yuuji's spirit only to not change anything in his approach towards the main characters and more importantly Yuuji. Instead he's distracted by Yuuta and Maki and whoever else catches his fancy, similar to the Higuruma situation. It just feels like there is a personal approach missing in this fight and it's more focused on flashy action than characters.

It worked well in the past, like for example I think Kashimo's fight despite being short was actually very well written. It wasn't just about Kashimo's strength, it was about their understanding of the world, their values that are similar to Sukuna, but don't entirely line up. It felt more like a discussion than a fight, a feeling you also get with Kenjaku and Takaba and other important fights in the series like Maki vs Naoya. Currently, there is more of a focus on chapping away at Sukuna's strength than anything substantial. It is there in parts, but I would like more. But again, this could improve in the future. At least Sukuna finally seems to take things seriously now.

[oneatlatime]

Atla season two predictions

We're halfway through season 2! I did a post on my thoughts on the show and its characters when I reached the halfway point of season one. My thoughts are mostly the same, and there's only one new character of note (all hail Toph!), so I thought this time I'd mark the halfway point by taking wild stabs at predicting where the rest of the season is going to go. I'm going to try to do at least one prediction per character. This is entirely guesswork. Once the season is done I'll come back to this post and see how prescient/stupid I was. Without further ado...

The season finale will have Azula as the Big Bad and introduce the Fire Lord as the Big Bad for season three. This is exactly what happened in the finale of season one: Zhao was big bad and Azula was introduced. So less prediction, more extrapolating based on existing data. It was a winning formula in season one, so I'm hoping the writers will do it again. I'm also hoping that Azula will follow Zhao's fate because quite frankly I don't like her very much. Tl;dr, Azula and her crew will get swallowed by a giant badger mole spirit.

Toph is getting a subplot. She feels like a character with nothing left to work on, and now that Aang can earthbend, her purpose is accomplished. So she needs another purpose in the story. That, or they're going to leave her behind at some point. I wonder if she's in season three? She'd better be. So either Toph is going to remain a character with no need of an arc, in which case her subplot will revolve around something she already excels at, or the writers are going to throw a curve ball and reveal a heretofore unknown weakness that she's going to have to work around. If it's the former, my money is on one of the idiots from the pro-bending tournament hunting her down to avenge their humiliating defeat at her hands. If it's the latter, my guess would be something intellectual that plays on her high society background. Political intrigue? Spy work? A cult? Maybe she finds out that her parents are colluding with the fire nation? Tl;dr SuperToph, somehow.

Appa comes back. This is not a prediction, this is a DEMAND. He breaks free of his captors (seriously, he went down way too easy), runs away into the wilds of the earth kingdom, and following some innate air bison sense, stumbles upon a lost colony of his fellow bison who escaped Sozin's genocide. (and have somehow remained entirely undiscovered for a century despite being each the size of a house and able to fly to boot well the earth kingdom's got a lot of empty spaces just go with it) They spend a few weeks chilling until Appa gets found. Season three can end with Appa's Air Bison Hunny showing up with a baby sky bison. Tl;dr Papa Appa.

Project Make Zuko Decent gets a new CEO. The current one sucks. Some new character is going to be introduced to provide Zuko with both the motivation and the guidance to become a decent person. Iroh's had a season and a half and made pretty much no progress; Zuko's spent all of season two trying, and has made himself somehow worse. Maybe not worse, but certainly more worn out. Time for new blood. I'd like to think that this show is above cliche, but let's be honest, it's going to be a love interest. They tried it with a kid brother in Zuko Alone and it didn't work. So some nice earth kingdom girl. Like Song, but with more backbone. Maybe she's really good at swords. They can bond over that. I feel like Zuko would be easier to connect with over something he knows he's good at. It would be less fraught than bonding over bending. She also lost her mother to the fire nation; they can bond over that too. The writers laid the groundwork in Zuko Alone, might as well use it. The more Zuko can empathise, the faster he'll get decent. I hate to see a character who exists solely for 'Man Pain' or 'Man Growth,' but let's be honest, Zuko is not self-aware enough to grow without some major hand-holding, and Iroh isn't volunteering. I know that Zuko is on the cover of my season three DVD so his 'get decent' arc has to be complete by the end of season two. Tl;dr Zuko gets schooled.

Sokka has been underutilised this season (as has Katara), so he's going to get something major. The Library set him up to lead the gang to that Earth Kingdom town who's name I forget so they can share the date of the eclipse with the king, but you know Aang isn't budging until they get Appa back. So for the next few episodes, Sokka will be in Master Tracker Mode, using all the skills he learned at the South Pole and more to rescue Appa. There can be flashbacks to him learning the skill from his dad/grandfather/uncles/Bato, then flash forward to see him applying that skill successfully, adapting it to a different climate and incorporating insights he's gained since the show started. We had Zuko Alone, now I want Sokka Alone with the ghosts of his family. Although I don't think Aang would be willing to sit out on Appa retrieval, so Aang's going to have to be urgently needed for Avatar reasons right when Sokka stumbles on the clue that is the key to finding Appa. The group splits and reunites to see the earth kingdom king, Sokka triumphant and Appa in tow. Tl;dr Sokka channels Liam Neeson with probably a lower body count.

Momo is going along with Sokka for aerial reconnaissance.

Katara needs something juicy too. She's mastered waterbending, so her growth has to be personal rather than skills-based. Maybe she gets her world view challenged? Maybe she meets an evil earth kingdom or water tribe person? Evil to the core; she's already met bunches from both nations who are stupid/malicious. Hang on - I forgot about Jet. So she meets an evil water tribe person. In the earth Kindgom. Somehow. Maybe she meets a good fire nation person? How about a fire nation healer/doctor/army medic? Someone who can show her that firebending isn't all bad. Can you heal with any element other than water? I have no idea, but it would be cool if you could. If you really want to challenge her, a fire nation firebending healer who is genuinely compassionate to people of all nations, but who is also proud to be a fire nation citizen and fond of their nation. That would REALLY confuse her. Doubly so if there's some healing technique that she desperately needs to learn from this person. Katara seems like the type to think that one person = one opinion, and that there is only one right opinion, ever, in all things, and that is hers. Show her someone complex, hypocritical, layered, but still a force for overall good. Tl;dr let's torture Katara.

Aang! It's been a while since his duties as Avatar have conflicted with his personal convictions. Actually, it's been a while since his duties as Avatar have come up at all, apart from training and getting chased for being the Avatar. Aang is going to encounter some problem that can only be fixed by an Avatar, likely something like the giant panda from season one. Maybe pissing off the Owl spirit causes unrest in the spirit world? Maybe Aang's going to have to fight a war on two fronts: fire nation v. other nations and spirit world v. physical world? Or maybe Aang's going to have to mediate in a spirit world civil war? Aang's got enough friends in the spirit world that maybe the giant panda and his friends take offence to the owl mouthing off about the avatar and it snowballs from there? It seems to me that pissing off a spirit is the kind of mistake that should have consequences beyond that spirit's episode. And this need for the Avatar comes up just when there's a solid lead on Appa, so Aang has to learn to delegate the Appa-finding to his friends while he's off saving the world. Tl;dr Aang has to do some Avataring.

Iroh needs to get his act together and come up with a better plan than following Zuko at a safe distance. This is more of a wish than a prediction, because Iroh's still very much a big old question mark to me. It's easier to predict what the child/teenage characters are going to do, because apart from maybe Toph, they have limited and already defined means. But Iroh's lived decades. He could very easily have resources, skills, connections, knowledge etc. that viewers haven't seen yet that he could call on at any time. He could pull anything out of the blue and I'd believe it, because that's how the world works when you're a sociable person who knows how to talk your way into things and has spent decades doing so. There have to be some earth kingdom collaborators around from his invading days who could be blackmailed/flattered into helping Iroh and Zuko get back on their feet. Tl;dr Iroh phones a friend. I can see the plot for the rest of the season ending in three ways:

A)Sokka's news about the eclipse causes the earth king to arrange a direct strike on the fire nation capital, killing Azula in the finale. The fire lord escapes, Azula gets promoted to fire nation martyr, and the war enters a new, worse, heightened, far more scorched earth/bloodthirsty state at the start of season three.

B) The Earth King says "yeah kid, we've had star charts for millennia, we know about the eclipse, they know about the eclipse, it'll be the one time their defences are at their absolute highest, this plan is dumb as hell, go away." This is the one I think is most likely.

C) News of the eclipse never reaches the earth king, because it turns out that unless the local king is your nonagenarian former best friend, getting a royal audience is hard if you're a water tribe nobody, and maybe his friend is the Avatar, but he's also twelve, and even in a kid's cartoon letting twelve year olds have a say in national policy is a bit of a stretch. The eclipse nonsense remains a one-episode occurrence that was just the set up required for Appa's Appa-napping, and the rest of the season is spent de-Appa-napping Appa, until a surprise appearance by Zuko jr. and her girlies in the finale.

[yulin-pop]

⤷ ✧ Trust my Power!

Gender neutral

- order 57 | Headcanon | first years

Note: I don’t know how this popped into my head but reader that claims to have great magical power that got locked away when transported into Twisted Wonderland, who’s very haughty and childish about it. I wanted to write more for Sebek

Ace Trappola

He’s not sure if he should believe your tales of being a strong magician in your own world. It’s a bit silly to him. You boast about how strong you were and how many people you saved.

“These magical hands have saved countless lives!”

“Uh okay?”

Maybe he would’ve believed you but you just talk about it way too much. He’s brought this into questioning and he loves seeing how defensive you get over it. He asks extremely detailed questions about your magic and how many monsters you’ve defeated.

The more you explain, the dumber you start sounding and you visibly get worked up about it. Literally yelling and stomping your feet at him. He thinks it’s sorta cute, so he continues to make fun of you.

Also apart of the teasing is him purposely not helping you. You could literally be dangling off a cliff and hes just leaving it to you.

“Ace! Help mee!”

“Use those magical hands of yours, Prefect.”

“You can catch these magical hands too!”

But honestly it just makes you boast about your old power even more, which prompts even more teasing. It’s a cycle.

He didn’t expect you to be smart. You’re not as dumb as he thought you were gonna end up being. Ace is actually really smart but he’s lazy and doesn’t want to put in the effort most of the time. You make fun of him because of that so he might start actually trying.

Deuce Spade

He’s a bit suspicious by your initial claims of having a magic before you appeared in Twisted Wonderland. But whatever you say I guess. He plays along and just smiles.

He doesn’t enjoy ruining your fun so he just goes “wow really?” Every once and while but in his head he’s like “are they okay?”

He honestly thinks your memories were messed up when being transported in the coffin. There’s also apart of him that finds it admittedly cute.

Ace and Deuce talk to each other about it and kinda agree it’s strange but they accept it.

Deuce tries to stop Ace from teasing you some much, because you get really pissy and start screaming.

“Ace, you need to stop. Look at them.”

“I AM a hero, right Deuce?”

And your face is literally completely red with tears in your eyes. He can’t say no.

Deuce goes to you when he wants to show you a new spell or practice something. But he never knows what he’s gonna get. If he gonna get insulted, praised, or criticized? Whatever he gets, he tries not to take it personally.

Jack Howl

He’s the direct “you can’t be serious” one. He just doesn’t believe you, as mean as that sounds. He will ask about it with, he doesn’t want to offend you but like is your head okay? What’s your screentime on your phone??

You’re very adamant on it and get upset when you’re being questioned, mistaking it for making fun of you. In the end, he decides to just to let you have your fun.

He actually listens when you talk about your magic. You get into long rants about it that usually ends up getting interrupted but he always just sits there and listens.

He also the one that drags you away when you get into arguments with people. You are a little snappy but Jack doesn’t acknowledge it as aggression.

He’s also the one that explains to people that you’re a little eccentric. Some people think you’re insane but you’re actually just silly.

But he respects you, he knows your genuine in some ways. You have similar values as him. You’re really ambitious too. So he’ll credit you for being an honest person.

Epel Felmier

He just wants you to shut up. He doesn’t really care that you’re a little bit crazy however you talk a lot. As long as Vil or Rook aren’t around, he’s just very mean.

And of course you’re mean as well. I think his pride also wants to prove that he’s better than you. You got a good score? He got an even better one. He knows it’s unfair in terms of some subjects since you can’t use magic but he still makes snide comments about that.

He calls you a liar that you never had magic to begin with but there’s no telling if you’re telling the truth or not.

Rivals with Epel? Sure but probably won’t end up well. You both need to learn to keep your mouths shut because recently you’ve been getting scolded for arguing during class.

He doesn’t like to admit it but you’re pretty good. You are overly confident about your academics but at least you have the grades to back it up. Epel? He’s pretty average, nothing too special but he pushes himself to be better than you.

Your insults are not personal, mostly because you hardly know anything about each other. But if you happen to learn something personal about him, you don’t say anything about it. Same with him, there’s no need for low blows in this petty rivalry.

Sebek Zigvolt

Okay I think that you two could actually get along. He actually believes your story about having your powers locked away. He’s very stubborn so nobody can convinced him otherwise.

You actually don’t mind him being so loud and uptight. You actually kinda match his energy but in a different way. Contrary to popular belief, you two would not argue about Malleus.

“Who’s Malleus?”

“Oh Malleus is —“

“Oh wow! He sounds incredible, godlike even.”

You would praise Malleus together. But you two don’t talk about Malleus that often (some people don’t know that Sebek has an actual personality and his dialogue doesn’t revolve around Malleus).

Everybody was surprised at first but then they thought about it more and realized that you two were practically made for each other. Sure you two can have some heated debates but it’s on useless topics and hopefully you two are mature enough to get over the disagreements.

You two have gotten kicked out of the library for talking too much. At first you were whispering but then you started using your outside voices and that’s when you started getting death glares from other people.

It’s easy to see that Sebek seems less stern when talking with you. He still stays his usual loud self but there’s a different air around him.

[strqyr]

Thanks for finally convincing me to block you.

Anyone who has that much sympathy for a dumpster fire like Adam Taurus is someone I need to see less often.

Any other abusers you want to defend?

you know it kinda defeats the purpose of anon when i know who you are, right? might as well put your name on it lol. but since you're here brightening my day, lemme talk more about adam, sienna, and the white fang in general:

(fair warning: this will get critical.)

did you know that sienna never admonishes adam for killing few humans—they had a whole short made for him, if she did it would have come up, but all she does is praise him as an "extraordinary resource for this organization"—and that the white fang was executing sdc board members under her leadership? that she wanted humanity to fear the faunus, to know they demanded respect, which not only shows that blake fundamentally disagreed with her methods—"and the worst part was, it (sienna's methods of "violence where violence is necessary") was working. we were being treated like equals. but not out of respect... out of fear."—but is the dumbest, most macho way to go about things?

(trust me, i would know, i live next to russia.)

where sienna considered the line crossed was attacking the academies, because she believed it would start a war with humans that the white fang / the faunus couldn't win, which adam disagreed with, believing they could. that's their main difference, and there's nothing saying sienna wouldn't be fine with the attacks if she knew it wouldn't start a war or if she believed it was a war they could win.

"violence where violence is necessary" becomes incredibly flaky stance when your goal is to cause fear, ya know. i think there's a word for that, actually, especially when it's done for political cause. something about... causing terror? terrorist, maybe?

but sure. sienna "bringing a human to this location is grounds for execution" khan would definitely have problems with few humans dying during the targeted attacks she's all for. adam's definitely the only problem here, going off the path sienna set him for by... following in her footsteps. uh-huh.

one other thing about the adam short: there's a scene of sienna, adam, and ilia fighting against androids in some sdc place with blue lights and all despite the very obvious security breach happening in front of our eyes. but the moment the human security forces show up with their guns raised high and shooting at them right out the door, sienna and adam continuing the fight while ilia—the one who was redeemed—takes off her grimm (read: monster) mask, the lights turn red.

they're not being very subtle there. almost like the stance the show is taking isn't just against killing humans unnecessarily, but straight up the issue is the faunus fighting against their oppressors at all, and both sienna and adam crossed that line.

or, that's how it comes across, at least; this is a show that's partially build around colors, made by a company that also played lots of video games. they know what blue and red imply.

sorry you apparently can't feel an ounce of sympathy for a fictional character who was written as a child slave and branded on his face despite how he was written later in his life. admittedly, i find it weird and funny how you draw the line at me talking about adam in the same manner as i talk about cinder—well, not really. i haven't called adam "my bby <3" yet. guess i could start, though, just for you?—but i'm sure you have your own justifications and excuses ready for that.

i know you probably won't see this if your claims of blocking me are actually true, but who knows. maybe your friends will get it for you. maybe you continue to come back, clicking on that "show anyway" or whatever the button says when you click on a blog you've blocked to see if i've answered your little call for attention.

and sorry that nuanced takes on characters upset you. i know tumblr is the Reading Comprehension The Site™ but remember, in the words of blake belladonna: there's no such thing as pure evil :) (even when the writing sure does its best to vilify the white fang willing to fight their oppressors.)

[doomednarrative]

Alright. I said last night I’d write up my actual serious thoughts about the Chain Scenes in Kabuto and I will indeed deliver on that promise.

I think the biggest thing to remember when it comes to both Yaguruma and then subsequently Kageyama wearing the chains together is When It Happens, because it doesn’t happen for no reason, theres’s something specific that sets it off.

It happens not long after all of This:

it happens after Yaguruma is given the chance to take up TheBee again by Tadakoro, something that he adamently refuses to do, saying he’s found his purpose/enjoyment in living in the hell that he’s chosen for himself.

But Kageyama, who still hasn’t completely lost his faith in being heroic, in doing things on the side of Light, isn’t as keen on just giving up this chance like Yaguruma is, so he instead rushes towards it. He takes back TheBee, and it goes about as well as expected (read: he fails at it yet again.) And afterwards, when he’s laying on the ground defeated, he reaches out to Yaguruma again, the only person who still looks at him as an equal even in the aftermath of failure, and basically asks if he can fix things for him.

And the thing that kills me is in that moment, after Kageyama’s defeat with TheBee deciding he still isn’t worthy of it anymore, we see this happpen:

TheBee literally presents itself to Yaguruma again. The offer of "you can be the one to use me again, I find you worthy once more" is on the table. And he Still refuses it.

And I think what kills me with this is that TheBee here ends up saying two different things at once in this One scene, for both Kageyama and Yaguruma. To Yaguruma, watching Kageyama try out TheBee again, trying to play the hero on the side of Light, and once again failing so hard at it, it kinda ends up reaffirming what he was already believing, that the two of them are in hell and there’s no point to even Trying to play the hero, because it ends badly every time they try. They will always be failures, so why try to change it? They’ll never live up to Tendou and the others, so it’s better to stsy together in the darkness.

And yet, by the very nature of TheBee offering itself to Yaguruma again too, it’s also contradicting that entire notion. It’s basically saying to Yaguruma’s face "Are you really so set in those ideals? Are you sure you’ve really killed off that part of yourself that wants to do good?"

And it ends up being Right in that, because what does he do the very next scene??

He goes out on his own as Kickhopper not only to defend Kageyama for getting his ass beat, but also to help Kagami and Tendou to defeat a Worm together.

And it’s something he clearly doesn’t think super well of himself for doing, because while Kgaeyama is happy to see him after all is said and done, he’s clearly annoyed with both Kageyama and himself for the whole thing:

He’s starting to see that Maybe, Kageyama isn’t as wrong as he wants to think he is, and that having him around is actively challenging the ideals of darkness and hell that he was fine and comfortable being in all this time.

Which then leads us of course to The Chains:

Yeah, the chains are funny/weird as hell and quite a reaction to thinking "hm, I’m failing in my edgy ways, I need to reinforce my beliefs somehow so this drastic measure seems like it’ll help do just that." But when you actually take all the context into mind, it kinda Makes Sense why he does it (and why Kageyama then joins him, because he seeks approval and acceptance and he knows following Yaguruma’s example will get him that.)

Yaguruma’s not cool with the fact that his own supposed beliefs were being actively challenged by those around him, he doesn’t want them to be. He doesn’t want to believe in the possibility that maybe he’s still capable of being good and that it’s Worth doing so. And so he brings out the chains as a way to force his hands Away from doing Anything that might interfere with those beliefs. If he literally cannot act on things due to being bound up, then it’s a problem solved for him and one he no longer needs to worry about.

[daipeanutsaiban]

Hii is it okay if I ask you about what you think everyone's relationships are like for a fanfic I'm planning to write? Like, since you're a multishipper, what do you think caused Genshin to report Klint to Stronghart before confronting him? Why do you think Lady B was alone, far away, during her hour of need? What do you think of their characters in general (you mentioned you like Klint having parallels to Kazuma, do you have any more ideas?) or who they are like/who they contrast? What role does your version of Mycroft play in this story? I'm sorry I'm just so curious to know everything- sorry if this is weird or creepy and promise I'm not trying to idea steal for my fanfic, I have a lot of ideas of my own I just wanna get other people's perspectives!!

hi, not weird at all! i'm happy you're asking me!!

when it comes to genshin, i feel like that hinges on how you choose to characterize him since there is little that we do know. genshin came to great britain as a visiting student to learn about their police and judicial system. as a guest in a foreign country, it's not unsurprising he would choose to defer to stronghart's authority on the matter (of course, this is before he learns about stronghart's direct involvement). on the other hand, we know that klint and genshin were friends- close enough that klint knew he couldn't lie his way out when confronted by genshin (due to genshin's skill as a detective, or affection, or both. and by this point...klint wanted to be stopped). if genshin was aware of this, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that a part of him wished to avoid coming to terms with the fact that he'd be ruining a lot of people's lives by exposing the truth (in a fun parallel to ryuunosuke), such as lady baskerville's. following that train of thought leads me to believe that he was close enough with her, or at least well-acquainted through his friendship with klint and barok that he weighed the decision to report klint with serious consideration. it's implied by his conversation with yuujin in the prison that genshin is the one who relocated her to the house where she gave birth in, so i can't help but believe he prioritized her and by extension her child's safety as he is a father himself. (and therefore was disappointed and angry at klint for jeopardizing their well-being with his actions.......which he ended up doing as well in a deliciously ironic night of bad decisions. lmao)

i have MANY questions about lady b (what did they do with the body after iris was born?? did holmes take care of that? it's not like they could report it to the authorities, that would defeat the whole purpose of being low-key...like did they make a deal with lowgate cemetery or some med students ...again😭). honestly, in answer to your question, i was surprised that she was completely by herself with zero staff but that does speak to the gravity of the situation so i understand the logic. however, and this might be an unpopular opinion/hc, that leads me to think that she believed her own family to be untrustworthy to look after her and iris. it's my headcanon that klint and barok's parents passed away when klint was around 14 (paralleling with kazuma losing his father, and then his mother the following year), so she would not have had any relatives on the van zieks side either to entrust her child to. i really wonder what her (and maybe by extension genshin's) plan would have been, had klint been executed following a proper trial. (i have some ideas, but that's for a later comic..)

regarding klint and kazuma, i fully believe that they are meant to be narrative parallels with the additional irony of ryuunosuke being more similar to genshin than his own son, because just like klint, kazuma has been "corrupted" in his pursuit of justice- until his friend makes him see clearly again (which is perhaps one of, if not my favorite moment in the entire game. i love ryuunosuke so much waugh). hm, they're also both older siblings now that i think about it haha. i wouldn't say i have many hcs adding to their similarities though, canon already does a good job at it so i don't have to say anything LOL. although in an everybody lives; no one dies modern AU setting i'm absolutely convinced that kazuma would consider klint to be the most annoying person on the planet, but that's because i love when things are funny lmao.

finally, thanks for asking about mycroft! he's not relevant to the main plot of the games, because i like to keep my fan characters as canon-compliant as possible- and since he and sherlock are both people of extremes, it's believable for iris to not even be aware that she has another uncle outside of barok, at least during the game timeline. mycroft has a low threshold for social interaction on a daily basis, and with his younger brother being a "world-famous great detective", he's asked sherlock to not talk about him. (mycroft does know about iris's existence, and might have met her once as a baby.) as for what role mycroft plays, he's a huge influence on sherlock and pushed him to pursue his ambitions in establishing himself as a detective, even if he questions sherlock's approach sometimes lol. while mycroft, like in ACD canon, would be considered "more apt" at deduction, sherlock has more social aptitude and mycroft actually considers his younger brother to be the better detective since he's hurt a lot of feelings in the past. he's the kind of person who looks like he doesn't care, but actually cares a lot. he's also arrogant but hates attention because i love characters who are a walking paradox.

as you might have seen in a previous post, i decided to have him and klint be childhood acquaintances (and later on, friends). keeping in line with my hc of the van zieks losing their parents very young and klint becoming a Lord way too early, having contact with people who aren't nobles like the holmes family from a young age helps to ensure that he stays more open-minded than his fellow lords who are likely all at different stages of corruption, and the same goes for lady baskerville. mycroft and klint are both older brothers, too, so there's something to start relating to each other with in spite of their very different personalities (their first impression of each other was not very good to say the least haha). the doodles in the post i linked are actually concept drawings to figure out everyone's dynamics because i really want to make a fan game where all the kids have one day to solve a mystery. it's extremely self-indulgent and might never get made but working on that project is super fun 🥰

there was a lot to cover for this question and i feel like i've barely scratched the surface since i could talk about dgs for hours but this post is probably super long already LOL. if you or anyone else wants to ask more specific questions on this or literally anything else please go for it!! and of course, best of luck to you with your fanfiction 🙏🐰💖