#160. & you are the future of a world i can no longer live within — reverse izuku (iactito) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

hxlfsoul · 4 years

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valentines asks / @iactito: Dark chocolate and white chocolate laid out in two small boxes that sit silently inside his desk. There's of course, no note left behind, but given the familiar emerald wrapping, one could deem it from a familiar face. ( Rev Izuku to Shouto, the good gift! )

HIS LIPS CURL INTO THAT USUAL BRIGHT GRIN AT THE SIGHT OF THE BOXES, fingers careful not to so much as crease the wrapping paper as he removed it removed it, eyes further brightening as he saw what was inside of the paper. He was quiet as he opened each to peek inside, almost not daring to, as if the magic of the moment would be ruined the second he did so. He is sure of who sent it, had been the moment he saw the vibrant green of the paper — it could not have been anyone else, no one else could ever care about him in such ways — & his eyes water, hands momentarily moving to wipe away the tears once he placed down the boxes back on his desk.

He does not eat more than one of each, not yet — as much as he adores Izuku & even though he trusts him with his life, he cannot be certain there is no ulterior motive behind the gift & he cannot be sure it was actually Izuku, for it could have been someone wishing to tease him, to get his hopes up only for them to be crushed. For a moment, he waits, anticipating something he isn’t sure of — he remains feeling fine, however, & he must admit that the taste of the chocolate, the way it melts on his tongue & the silky texture of it, is wonderful. It was not a gift made for any reason other to show love, that much is obvious, & his heart flutters for a second when he thinks of it, before he pushes down such childish feelings for a moment.

The idea of Izuku picking out or, if he dares to think himself special enough that the other may bother, making it with Shoto in mind, is one he should not entertain, for the fastening beat of his heart could be deadly if given enough time to be. The gifts themselves are dangerous — the other must have known what game he was playing by showing such blatant reciprocation of the feelings Shoto had held for so many years. No one would approve of a relationship between him, if only for Shoto’s reputation as being soft — he wonders if perhaps his softness has rubbed off on Izuku, if the other’s heart had fallen for the first to show it something that wasn’t cold, that wasn’t cruel.

It is unbelievable that Izuku would ever think of him as someone on the same level, as someone worth his time & energy. It makes his pulse race & he knows that these emotions will be dangerous for him, no matter how much he adores feeling this way for Izuku.

( how pathetic of you, shoto. they think. however, they do not have the strength to push away their rising happiness.

& if later, they walk to izuku’s room with that bright smile refusing to fade in order to hand him a box of hand-made chocolates that shoto had made, they wouldn’t breathe a word of it to anyone. )

#003. message received — ask answered #020. the killer in the mirror — reverse ( love )#160. & you are the future of a world i can no longer live within — reverse izuku (iactito)#iactito #164. said i'd never miss you & you'll never know — tododeku (iactito)

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theanimeview · 5 years

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Taking Too Long: A Review and Critique of Daughter of the Emperor

I remember finding Daughter of the Emperor about a year ago and reading late into the night to catch up on the 80+ (maybe even 100+ at that point) chapters that were already out. I loved it then--but now its been a year and I’m growing impatient. Let’s jump into why:

The story begins much like other reincarnated-as-a-princess stories of the isekai genre--in childhood. Daughter of the Emperor is probably the only series to spend as this much time focusing on the growing stage of our main character, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The story seems to be about Ariadna Lereg Ilestri Pre Agrigent (Aria or Ria for short) and the relationship she has with her tyrannical father, Caitel. Despite focusing on the comedic interactions Aria has with Caitel, the story reveals a lot of interesting context and seeds of information that seem vital to the progression of the story. The first seed we get is that Caitel has had other children before Aria, all of whom he killed.

What readers later find out is that Caitel has no plans to leave an official heir to the empire, so part of him letting Aria live has to do with her being born a woman with no right to inherit the throne. His feelings about an heir may or may not have changed as the story has progressed, but this is how we open. After the initial introduction of this murderous fact, the topic is briefly touched on several more times throughout the first 50 chapters but seems to have since gone to the wayside as a plot point.

With the introduction of Zayland (Aria’s cousin whose mother is trying to pass off as Aria’s half-brother) just past Chapter 100, one might think the topic would resurface, especially since Caitel is well-known for killing heirs with the country's leadership/councils finding little fault in his actions. (Even if they did find fault, he’d just kill them so “world leaders” or a council advising against him doing so means nothing in this story.) However, that is not the case.

Instead, Zayland seems to be the introduction of an even newer plot point as regardless of what Zayland’s mother says, Caitel believes Zayland to be his nephew, not his son. Despite Caitel’s anger, he does little to remove the boy or his mother from political power or the estate. Instead, Caitel chooses to move them into a secluded area of the palace until he can come to some decision--but we already know the decision, don’t we? Caitel plans to kill them--he’s just waiting to see if he can use them to lure out his brother first--a brother who had supposedly died when Caitel led the rebellion that made him Emperor. However, as soon as Aria and her father make up from their fight over the Zayland and Aria meeting, we get nothing. In fact, Zayland seems forgotten and, instead, our focus is drawn to Aria gushing more about how she's surrounded by cute boys who are too rowdy. My biggest criticism of this series is that exact situation happening over and over again in the work. The story sets up a lot of really great plot seeds to follow and develop the characters and their relationships as well as make for an exciting story then ignores them for whole seasons at a time, leaving them without a pay-off or conclusion until you basically forget they exist in the work at all. There are lots of examples of this outside of the Zayland arc and the talk of Caitel’s other children before Aria that have been dropped until further notice.

For example, early in the story, like chapter 5/6, Caitel executes a concubine, Segista/Faylene for making baby-Aria cry. Later in the work, we meet Layla, Segista’s sister, who will appear several more times as the story progresses. We don’t know much about her, but given her entrance and the few words shared between her and Aria over the years that follow, it's clear that the author(s) are setting up for her to play a more significant part in the story as time goes on. When, though? And what is Layla’s aim in getting close to the daughter of Caitel, even subtly? Is she out for revenge, or does she hope to groom a rebellion? How much longer will we have to wait for this story?

Let’s give another example, like the hints about Aria’s mother. Aria’s mother is a total mystery, but we have some indication that she might be more than just a deceased figure. It’s not because Caitel loved her that she appears to have some importance as one might think, rather it is because she might have witches blood or a special kind of magic that Caitel has not considered. Retouching on this plot point seed later in the work is the presentation of Ahin Richerun Genbosch, whose people and particularly those like him have physical reactions (such as marks appearing on their body) when touched by someone with blood like Aria’s mother which is mentioned sometime past Chapter 119. Yet despite being given this hint by another character in the work, or finding out about Ahin, Aria seems totally uninterested in pursuing the idea, choosing instead to focus on how cute Ahin is.

There are still more examples, like with Asasi who we spend perhaps the most time examining from Aria’s point of view. As we discover, Asasi’s mind is scared from the wars and battles Caitel has put him through, acting as a case study for what is likely to be a set up on how the wars have also scarred the country, but this is something we may never get the chance to see given the pace of the story. Particularly with this plot point, Aria never really gets the full picture, only hints of it, for her own good maybe but that excuse won’t work as she grows up and is shaped into a leader. Moreover, the story tries to paint Aria as some healing figure, but thus far she seems to only pause symptoms not heal anything--such as preventing Caitel from killing only while she’s in his presence and only acts as a distraction until he forgets what made him angry enough to kill in the first place, or relieving Asasi’s anxiety but only while she’s there.

Chapter 160 is perhaps the most frustrating to me, and its the latest chapter we have. I find it frustrating because once again, we are seeing the Kingdom of Praezia (Layla’s country) representatives with little to no reasoning on what sort of part they play. Praezia is probably the largest Kingdom compared to Agrigent (Aria’s country), but I’m getting that from context clues. However, Praezia is firmly under Agrigent/Caitel’s thumb, but how might this change? Well, we’ll probably not find out for another 100+ chapters since Aria was too busy thinking about Hazel, the new (or possibly just the heir) king/emperor of Praezia, to consider what was happening in the meeting between the kingdoms that was so important the welcoming reception was skipped so they could immediately jump into the discussion.

My issue, what I’m critiquing here, of this series, is that these plot points seeded into the story are often ignored or touched on too few times in the sum of 160 chapters currently available on TappyToons. When we do see plot development, it is quickly intercepted by Aria’s distracted nature or 20+ fillers of just Aria gushing over Asasi or playing around. While she was a child, I could maybe see the pause on these setups, waiting until she’s older to really jump into the potential politics of Agrigent or issues within the palace itself--but its hard to make that defense feel reasonable when it goes on for over 100+ chapters without much development beyond an introduction and no real close to any story arc since we’re really just following her grow up physically. It's also hard to feel like the defense is justified when you remember that this is an adult in a child’s body, so there is no real reason for her not to be interested in these more adult themes. It’s even more important to the story now that we’ve fast-forwarded into the future with a teen+ Aria. We should be seeing this political plot moving forward or at least see a re-introduction of an adult Zayland now that we’re progressing forward in time with some reflection of this subplot developed. We should see Layla and what has transpired. We should see something beyond “my playmates grew up but are still my playmates.”

Just to note here, I like this story. I like it a lot, which is why I continue to read it and why I even bothered to write this post even though I expect that it won’t garner much attention. TappyToons declares this series as a Comedy/Fantasy and had the story remained an examination of Caitel’s growth as a father and Aria’s effect on him then I may not have written this post. However, the story has gone past the point of comedy. (In fact--it never really seemed like a comedy in the first place given how early we are introduced to the serious life and death fight Aria seems to have at the beginning of her life and Caitel’s flippant attitude towards murder and execution.) The story is filled with potential and obvious set up for development into the politics of Agrigent and the characters we’ve been introduced to thus far only to be slowed to the point of amnesia of the points listed to focus on shorter subplots (if you can call them that), like playing tag and breaking a glass statue, “how will we tell Caitel?” sort of breaks which are really just filler.

Once again, I like this story, rather the potential it has--I wouldn’t have followed it for a year and made notes on all these plot points if I didn’t, but I’m really growing impatient by how little the story of this work has actually progressed. If it's a romantic reverse-harem story, make it that and stop seeding political unrest with Praezia. If it's a father-daughter comedy, make it that and integrate boys interest into something Caitel needs to learn about when raising a daughter. But please stop jerking other readers and me around with the potential for so much more that will probably be forgotten by the time it’s actually brought up again.

I think the perfect conclusion to this ranting critique is a response I had when Aria tells the readers in Chapter 160 that she likes her trivial life: “No kidding.”

If you want to read it, the series can be found on TappyToon.com.

#daughter of the emperor #Yunsul #Rino #analysis #review

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hxlfsoul · 4 years

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@narrationis

EVERYTHING SLIPPED THROUGH HIS FINGERS. There had been so many times he had been simply a touch away from something he wished for — from Toya the day he left, from freedom while he still lived with his mother & from falling apart under the weight of his own emotions, weighing heavy on his shoulders & his heart & his mind, when love would never be returned & he fought for it regardless because that was what it meant to adore.

Love was not his, it did not exist for him & he was starting to wonder if it ever would, for he had loved & loved & loved but all he had done was lose & it hurt, it was like knives in his heart whenever Izuku would reject his affections & his care & anything Shoto attempted to offer him. He knew, of course, that perhaps he shouldn’t push him, shouldn’t reach & reach for something that didn’t belong to him, but he wanted Izuku, wanted everything he had.

( they would rip his heart out only to hold it, they would destroy him only to rebuild. they were too merciful to dare try to hurt him, but that didn’t mean shoto didn’t want to try & perhaps they loved too much, to show care to someone who could feel nothing but anger. )

❝Izuku. Is there anything I can do to be helpful today?❞ The smile stretched across his face is joyful yet it isn’t quite genuine, melancholy tinting the edges of his usual expression as he reached out, not daring to hold his hands yet he held his own out, hoping that perhaps Izuku would take them for once & allow Shoto to have that small bit of affection. However, he knew if Izuku dared give him an inch then he’d take a mile & perhaps that was why the other never allowed him to be close, because he knew he would push boundaries until something broke, whether it was his heart or Izuku’s fingers.

❝If you need anyone taking care of, just let me know, or I could go & get you some breakfast or I could carry your books...❞ Perhaps he was being overeager & that was why Izuku pushed him away time & time again until there was no time left, only seconds falling from his fingertips as he ran out of time & like the sand of an hourglass, it would all fade away eventually until there was nothing left of Shoto but glass.

( they wanted to walk by his side for the rest of their life, but that was not for them, that was not what they were allowed — even so, shoto would let izuku ruin them if it meant that, just for a moment, he would be allowed his touch. )

#014. the entangled lines of fate — threads #020. the killer in the mirror — reverse ( love )#160. & you are the future of a world i can no longer live within — reverse izuku (narrationis)#narrationis #164. said i'd never miss you & you'll never know — tododeku (narrationis)#shoto just wants attention i'm sorry

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hxlfsoul · 4 years

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messages / always accepting. @narrationis: "I need you to get out of here." He presses a hand against his shoulder, fingers curling within the fabric of his shirt. Izuku's injured, there's blood, and it's seeping into his vision. "Get out of here, Shouto. Get out and be free, I'm begging you." ( oops reverse angst. )

HOW COULD IZUKU EVER THINK HE’D LEAVE HIM LIKE THIS?

There was, of course, the temptation to listen — to run, to flee, to be with his brother again & to be happy, but Shoto was a loyal man, fiercely so, & how could he ever leave behind someone he loved? ❝I can’t.❞ Mumbled, the words were barely audible as he knelt down in front of Izuku, gently cupping his cheeks. For a moment, he was silent, simply staring at him with sad eyes & a sadder smile playing on his lips. ❝Not like this, Izuku.. If you want me to leave after, so be it, but I’m not leaving you like this.❞

He wondered when he’d started to put Izuku before himself, when he’d fallen so deeply for someone that he’d stopped being selfish. Perhaps, if he’d been like this when he was younger, before he ever met Izuku, Toya would have taken him with him — but he knew he shouldn’t be thinking like this, not when Izuku needed him, not when for once maybe he could do something good for the first time in his life, not when he could save someone.

❝Even if it kills me, I’m not leaving you.❞ It would, wouldn’t it? Being around Izuku when he was always telling him to go, staying for the other when he’d be happier elsewhere — but would he be? Would he be happy with the gap in his heart Toya left was whole but the ache of lost love would consume him? He wasn’t sure, in the end, if he would feel more empty without Izuku or if the other was all that kept Shoto from being complete & it terrified him, the idea of chasing the emptiness his brother left behind only to leave a larger hole where Izuku’s presence had been, & he didn’t know if he ever wanted to find out.

❝... Unless you have a good reason why I need to leave, I’m staying.❞

#003. message received — ask answered #020. the killer in the mirror — reverse ( love )#160. & you are the future of a world i can no longer live within — reverse midoriya izuku #narrationis #164. said i'd never miss you & you'll never know — tododeku (narrationis)#this made me sad #i hope you enjoy it

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