#IMPORTANT THING I FORGOT TO MENTION HE DECAPITATED ME AND PUT MY HEAD ON A STICK | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

lupically · 3 years

Text

#F40B32 | RYOMEN SUKUNA.

genre | light fluff, light angst, very faint romance undertone

word count | 2616

warning | mention of death, mention of injury, mention of killing, decapitation

note | i just wanted to try my hand at writing for a villain that is obviously irredeemable in a semi-realistic way.

what happens when you are irredeemable? you will fall in love anyway.

but ryomen sukuna wasn't in love with you. after all, he had killed you one too few times to claim that he was in love with you.

the first time he killed you was out of instinct. you were an intruder touching his soul the way mahito did, except you barged in without any malicious intention. he had gazed over your fallen body with mild interest then; a mere mortal, yet you emerged from thin air into his locked tight domain without dying?

the second time he killed you was a choice. he gave you not a minute to explain yourself, even though you had wasted the minute asking questions about his identity and the skull-filled area instead of giving him any valuable information about yourself. he had been fed up, he was never a man of patience, so he killed you with a wave of his hand and returned to his dull life alone on his throne.

the third time he killed you—he did not kill you. there was no third time; people liked to say the third time's charm but sukuna believed no such superstition. he killed you twice already and each time, you came back unscathed, both your body and your memories. whether he liked it or not, killing you for the third time would do neither you nor him any benefit, so he kept you alive.

you were afraid of him. he could tell, and he meant for things to be that way until he realized it served as a misfortune on his part. in order to understand this mystery—your sudden appearance into his domain, as well as your inability to leave it and his inability to kick you out—he has to gain some piece of information about you, but you were too shaken up from being murdered to talk to him at all.

sukuna's patience was reaching a breaking point and he thought about torturing it out of you, but he understood that humans are fragile, way more fragile than your typical jujutsu sorcerer. he could accidentally kill you and you would return with no scars and more unwilling to converse with him than before. then it was the waiting game all over again.

he wasn't planning on going through such a dull ordeal again, so he left you be and waited for you to calm yourself down.

the first time you talked to him, you asked him a question.

"are you going to kill me?" you asked him.

sukuna peered down at you from his throne. small, frightened, curled into a ball with no desire to touch the skeletons at his feet, but you looked up at him out of politeness.

he scoffed, displeased. "no, but i always can."

the second time you talked to him, it was to exchange a brief introduction.

"ryomen sukuna," he hummed curtly then he nudged his chin toward you. "your turn."

you shuffled up to your knees and sat down on your heels. your fingers fidgetted at your lap as you timidly peered up at his tattooed, disinterested expression.

"[full name]," you said with a nod, unable to meet his eyes. "nice–nice to meet you, sukuna-san..."

the third time you talked to him, you flinched.

"ma–may i ask you two questions... if i can...?" you asked, for the first time standing up to face him directly.

sukuna leaned away from his propped-up arm. after taking a better look at you, accessing your figure analytically despite having seen you move around slowly for days already, he shoved his hands into the sleeves of his robe and he suddenly jumped down from his throne to stand before you.

you pursed your lips nervously over his looming figure, face heating up with terrible anxiety while your eyes darted down to the watery ground. oh, his presence has been so overwhelmingly deadly that you forgot your white tennis shoes were stained red and your pastel ankle socks remained wet. you did not dare to complain, not even in your head.

"i'll allow it," he said.

"where am i?" you quickly asked.

"an innate domain," he replied.

you have questions, but you decided not to ask. you only nodded after breathing out a soft sigh to calm your nerves. this man constantly sounded condescending, he was kicking open your comfort zone without actively doing anything that would make you uncomfortable.

"okay..." you said, "thank you."

"aren't you going to ask me another question?" he stated with a raise of his brow. "you wanted to ask me two questions."

you gulped, blinking hopelessly at the air as a grimace appeared on your face. "the first question was if i can ask you two questions, and the second one is about where i am... so that makes two."

oh, a meticulously cautious one, and somewhat humorous too he would give you that. sukuna scoffed loudly, but it was less out of annoyance and more out of disbelief of your incredible dullness. however, as plain as you were, he has grown accustomed to your presence; the scent of fear that bounced off of you and the fact that he cannot kill you at will.

"you must be dying to know what this place is, are you not, you brat?" sukuna asked.

when he saw the flashes in your eyes, he knew he had you down through and through. all you were was but someone who was too afraid to say what they want, which was just as he expected from you. you wouldn't cause him trouble, you never could.

reaching his hand out of his sleeve, he stayed silent despite seeing the way you flinched with your eyes shut at his raised hand. his movement had been slow, but that was an involuntary response, an instinct that he didn't craft into you. he wondered what it was.

"you can ask me three more questions," he said as he pushed the heel of his palm against the curve of your head. he was gentle at first, then he clamped his hand down on your head as he bent his waist to meet your eyes. he laughed. "i'll allow it."

he could keep you here. he has no choice but to keep you here, and he would kill you once he realized he has the ability to. but for now, perhaps he could act a little civil, something like a human being but one that people would hate to the core.

except he was met with a little obstacle in the way, which was that you were no bad company.

the first time sukuna gained a liking toward you was when you asked him a peculiar question.

"sukuna-san," you called one time when there was only silence within the innate domain.

you sat on a bed of skulls, one that you tentatively asked the king of curses to make you so you wouldn't have to lean on the rib-cage structure and sit in water for slumber.

he denied it at first. calling you names and threatening you about ever requesting something from him—a bed in his domain? fucking atrocious. but your insomnia was killing you; you hated the blood water and your neck burned whenever you wake up having it arched at the worst angle possible.

he did not grow soft. he just made one so he didn't have to watch you sleep in his peripheral vision.

"hmm."

"why do you think curses exist?"

he raised a brow at you. "did i not teach you that before?"

"you did, sorry," you nodded, "then do you believe in god?"

"where the fuck is this coming from, you brat?"

"from where i came, god is good. but from what i am seeing, whether from where i came from or here, everything goes against that value," you muttered loudly as you pulled at your fingers. "cursed spirits harm people. if i can argue that way, i think cursed spirits are harmful within themselves."

"if god is good, and god is real, why would this happen," you said. "why should we feel negative emotions? why do we have the ability to create cursed spirits? why do curses like you exist?"

he furrowed his brows in irritation. have you reduced him to mere curses? have you reduced him to nothing but a brainless being that only takes joy in the suffering of others? no matter how he approached your words, he felt infuriated that you could minimize his importance to simply being a bad person.

he was much more than a bad person, much more than just a pain! he has ideals, he has goals and ambitions, he has wit and strength! he has anger and malevolence and power beyond which your soul could ever contain and endure! he was ryomen sukuna, the strongest curse in a thousand years and more!

he will fucking kill you.

"i'm really glad you're here, though," you finished off softly, an unknowing smile on your face as you rubbed your thumbs weakly together.

he will kill you.

"for a long time, i was told my anger and hatred aren't real. that they don't and should not exist, and i learned to bury them to the ground so they never appear on the surface again," you said, your innocent smile audible to his ears and making his chest twitch with guilt.

"cursed spirits' existence is proof that my negative emotions are real. they may be a problem, but i am not crazy for having them because they're here. they became something, they're here and alive."

he will... he will kill you.

"i just think it's unfair to put the blame on cursed spirits and cursed energy alone when the society's standard guarantees the manifestation of them," you said. "if my anger got out to the world in the form of a monster and it hurt someone, i'll forgive it. i will forgive myself."

he...

"you don't need to hear this, i wish i had your confidence, but i have to say it," you looked up and smiled at him, "i'm a little glad you're here, sukuna-san."

he will kill–he will ki–

the second time, he went stoic.

mahito was too smart for his own good. the first thing he noticed when he entered the soul within yuji's body was the way sukuna has the collar of your shirt clutched in his hand and your body pulled close to his side. it was a glance, he had one small glimpse of you both before he was kicked out of the domain.

your face was riddled with tears—crying, disappointed, and frustrated, but why? for the transfigured human whose name mahito almost forgot, or because sukuna just had one of the most sadistic outbursts you have ever witnessed.

and sukuna, the king, the lord, the almighty—didn't he look annoyed. well, not annoyed, per se. angry, mad, overwhelmed, knowing, protective. very, very, very protective; glowing eyes that glared at mahito's patched up face, fingers that gripped at your shirt so tightly he could rip the fabric apart, an aura that was ready to spit any moment if mahito so much as reach a finger toward your direction.

you meant something to ryomen sukuna. mahito realized that, so the second time he entered the innate domain, he killed you.

right before his eyes, with a cunning and triumphant smile, your neck cracked and your skin broke, and mahito tore your head off just before he was once again beat out of the domain.

sukuna tried to heal you. he tried to seal your head back to your lifeless body, time and time again pushing your decapitated head against your haphazardly cut neck. but his reverse curse technique wasn't healing you. your skin refused to piece itself back together, you refused to come back to him. time passed and he was getting mad, he was going batshit crazy trying to force himself out of this body.

bastard! bastard! bastard! he was supposed to kill you! he was supposed to be the one to kill you! he would murder that patch-faced piece of shit! he would kill mahito! and he would destroy the whole world, light it on fire and kill all that wasn't worthy of his time! he would jump universes, light-years, the bloodstream of the galaxy to find you and bring you back to him. he would—

"sukuna-san, i'm sorry i took a while! i thought you were fighting–holy shit, is that me?"

the third time, sukuna admitted to himself.

"what kind of flowers do you like, sukuna-san?" you asked, voice drowsy and your legs dangling after you climbed on one of the bones of the rib-cage structure.

"why does it matter?" he asked from his throne, eyeing you carefully.

your were a clumsy idiot. you could fall anytime.

"it doesn't, but it's flowers," you mumbled with your chin leaning against the bone, eyes threatening to close. "sukuna... sukuna..."

"what?" he snapped.

"i like lilies, the red ones," you said with a silly grin. "will you visit me when i die? sukuna... will you bring... mmm... bring red lilies..."

he looked ahead. your death; your grave, decorated with red lilies, protected and preserved with his curses. your death—he gritted his teeth. he refused to think about it. it was a waste of time.

or maybe he simply hated the idea of your death.

sukuna has not gone soft. he was irredeemable; a killer, a curse, a tragedy to descend upon mankind. he was not good and he never would be, nor did he ever have the intention to be good.

still, from you, there was proof that he could be more. what was left of his being; his anger and his torture, what was left within the gaps of his hell, the rare softness that once was there, belonged to you now.

you were the vessel that pocketed all that he could potentially become if he wasn't born to be ryomen sukuna, a version of him that you have witnessed. within you, there was proof that he did not only exist to hurt people, but also to validate madness and pain, to acknowledge passion in its murderous wakefulness. within you, there was proof that within himself, there are pieces of what it means to be human and alive.

hearing your soft breath, sukuna looked up to find you asleep with your head against the bone. your arms barely supported your weight and you were threatening to fall off as you dozed with faint snores. he stared at you, his fingers twitching, then he finally waved his hand so he could bring you away from the ribcage and to where he sat.

he paid no mind to subtlety when he set you on his lap. his hand supported your back while he kept your head pressed against his shoulder. his other arm went around your body, preventing you from falling off the throne made only for him to sit on. when he was done adjusting to the new sitting position, he relaxed.

brushing the hair away from your face, he stared down at you with disinterest, but his heart pumped and pumped for you to be warm and well, his arms tightened for you to sleep soundly.

"i will bring you all the red lilies you want," he whispered, the back of his finger gliding past your soft cheek. you did not smell like fear when you fall asleep, you did not smell like fear now even when you looked at him. "i will allow myself that."

after all, ryomen sukuna was only fond of you. very, very fond of you.

556 notes · View notes

okeymakeydude · 4 years

Text

Headcanon: Ways to trust [Offense classes]

We all trust, a lot or a little, always do. We´re sociable and even the most antisocial person does the same, and our beloved mercenaries are no exception. Here, I´ll try to make some headcanons of the ways I think they��d do to show that they trust someone, at the end a snippet.

Here's the link of the last ones:

Ways to trust [Support classes]

Ways to trust [Defense classes]

Today, offense classes: Scout, Soldier and Pyro.

Scout

Becomes more touchable. Like Demo, Scout is a person who expresses himself better physically than with words, if there's someone he gets along, he won't be able to avoid doing so. He'll put his arm around their shoulder, pat on the back, grab their arm, smile more, and he'd feel more open with that teammate. If he becomes too trusting, he might visit them from time to time, to give them a hug. As long as the other mercenaries aren't around.

"Ma! here's the friend I told you about!". His hometown, his home and his mother are very important to him. He counts the days to return to the place he was born, and if he bring someone as a guest it'd be unusual. Doing this is an important step to his confidence. Mainly, if him showing his room to them, is like confessing his whole life.

"Something wrong, Scout?". Like father, like son, he hides his insecurities under his smile and a cheerful attitude, however, he will break down if someone close to him asks him that question. What it felt like to him to be the youngest of eight siblings, to be like the black sheep, the absence of a father and how his mother worked so hard to raise them.

His bat. His mother gave it to him as a child, but it was too big for his age and he had to use another one. But until that moment, he kept it as if it were a treasure, it has his name engraved on it and that makes it more special. Not to mention that back then, money was very difficult to get.

Snippet:

"Scout, it's a family vacation."

"Ye— but look, yeah? Uh, Spy isn't part of the family too and he's comin' with us."

"Heh you're right."

His partner smiled nervously, often forgetting that he doesn't know that Spy is actually his father, keeping such a secret isn't that easy. They were both sitting on some rocks outside the base, practicing baseball throws.

"Y'know my ma' loves you— not that way, like a son. She wouldn't mind if you came." He put one arm around his friend's neck and smiled. "C'mon, i'll be bored without ya!"

"... okay." However, they raised an arm to show that it was not yet over. "But I'm not gonna help you screw over your mother and Spy. I know your intentions."

"What? Why would i do..."

"Deal?"

He took a moment, he knew this was serious, so he was silent until he nodded and took their arm.

"Deal."

Soldier.

Becomes calmer. Look, he keeps screaming but let's say, a lil less when that person is around. He'd even sit next to 'em for a moment and be in completely in silence. It'd be surprising to see that he can be without opening his mouth for a long time. He may not say so, but when he does that, it's because he likes his partner's company and helps him relax.

"Huhah! Every American has to have their own secret space!". It's a remote part of one of the war camps, many know about it but don't want to go in. Showing this to someone and not getting annoyed, is something very important to Soldier, it'd look weird but he'd invite them to bring some food and have a kind of "picnic". Don't panic if the only view is a few of decapitated heads.

'What's mine is yours too'. As we know, Soldier always claims what his stuff is and doesn't like to share it. However, he'd make an exception if it's a friend who gets along very well. May sound silly but him leaving you something, even if it's a bucket, that means a lot, he really trusts you. Just... keep calm if he wants to gift his ear necklace.

The helmet. He has many but there's one that's HIS, don't touch it unless want to see a angry Soldier. However, if that person does it and he doesn't get mad, uff lucky one. No one knows why, but it's something he appreciates and often uses when an event is coming up, such as a party, a meeting or the Fourth of July

Snippet.

"Who made you the burger? Engie?"

"No. I did."

"Wha—really!? I mean—"His friend tried to hide their surprise with a smile. They looked closely at the food. "Man, this is awesome, delicious! Uh, by the way, thanks for..."

"It's okay".

Soldier responded with a grin before taking another bite. Both had planned to go his secret place but they forgot to bring their food, luckily, he had brought two hamburgers and he didn't hesitate to give 'em one.

"Solly, how can you shoot with this? I can't see shit."

And his helmet too. He couldn't help but laugh at the way they said it and reached out his hand to take it away, the two of them looked into each other's eyes.

"Practice, son."

"Will you teach me?"

Well, why not?

Pyro.

Like Heavy, they(Pyro) would spend time with you. It's a person who lets know when they likes or dislikes someone and if they does that, great! That person is a good one. They'd rather be with someone they get along with like Engie or Scout than with others,as long as they doesn't light a match in his room/workshop again...

The hugs never stop! Pyro loves to express their affection in all possible ways, mainly cuddling or holding the hand, they is very touchable. At first they would get a little insecure as not everyone likes their physical expressions so much but with time everything will change. Since they can't be understood when he talks, thwy just wants to show how much they trusts someone.

Gifts. They loves givin' presents to their friends and more when they're in the middle of a battle, they'll bring a flower and give it to their partner with great happiness and say; "Look what I've taken for you!". It's actually the arm of an enemy Spy but nevermind. You'll have a bodyguard during the whole game who will give you random things, they just want to let 'em know that you're important!

Balloonicorn. It's very special to Pyro and you can see it right away. It is always on their arm and they rarely leaves it. They doesn't like others to approach it unless they are people Pyro trusts very much. If they doesn't get upset when that person is even touching their stuffed animal, that's an achievement.

Snippet.

"I can't accept it, Pyro, ya need it more—" the friend was interrupted when the stuffed animal hit their face. "Ouch! Why did you do that!?"

"Mmph pff"

"It was just a nightmare, no big deal!"

Pyro muttered something as they stood beside em, they had found their partner taking a nap but they seemed to be scared of something, luckily the mercenary came to the rescue and woke 'em up.

"It's okay bro, thanks for saving me anyways." They laughed as they lay back and closed their eyes, they turned his face towards the pyromaniac. "There's still time for the next match, wanna take a nap with me?"

No words were needed, a hug was enough to say yes, they both put their arms around each other and left the Ballonicorn as a guardian.

Masterlist

#tf2 #team fortress 2 #tf2 scout #tf2 pyro #tf2 soldier #tf2 headcanons #tf2 snippet

126 notes · View notes

dammitadolfnomorecake · 3 years

Text

Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt 128

128

Lance had snapped. Being tired and hungry did that to a man. He’d hit the point of exhaustion where he’d gone over and lost the plot... Lotor held him down as Ezor stuck her arm in his mouth. Her blood tasted gross, forced down his throat until he had the strength to get free... Then had kind of lost it over everything. He’d tried to rip the door off its hinges, hands burnt because of it. His temper tantrum stopped by Lotor, but the damage was done and he was moved from the others. With his ego beyond his ability to rein it back in, it’d taken five vampires to hurl him away from his friends, earning him a black eye and a broken nose... yet a nicer room, despite the fact he promised to behave himself if they just put him back with the others. He hadn’t even seen Curtis as friend once the blood started flowing into his mouth. Everyone had just been a source of food, with his ego being okay with that.

Dragged through what Lance now knew to be a house and not some kind of warehouse, he chained to a bed by his feet and his wrists, a collar around his neck with chain linking to the chain between his wrists. The bars of the bed groaning with his strength, yet refused to yield under his force. Hit by the full realisation of what he’d done, he’d curled up the best he could around his chains, crying himself to sleep over how violent he’d been.

He’d been in the bedroom for a few days now. Away from the others they brought him food. Human food that did nothing for his blood cravings, and blood capsules that he’d forced himself to swallow down so his body was at least getting some form of blood. The other vampires seemed wary of him now. Despite being able to take him in his weakened state, they came in a group of five. Two would guard the door, one would throw his food on the bed, one was armed with a cattle prod and another with what Lance could only call a dog catching pole. The steel comprising the loop was no joke. It’d been wrapped with razor wire that he was sure would decapitate him if they felt he was misbehaving.

Next to the bed was a bucket, Lance barely had enough chain to roll over to use it, resulting in him messing up his clothes and the bed, not that his captors cared. He was permitted one 5 minute bathroom break a day, where the was observed for the whole thing and Mr Cattle-Prod would stand right up near him with the device hovering near his back. He’d make the mistake of moving too fast to grab toilet paper and had been dropped by the device so fast he’d smacked his head on the toilet. Still, Lance hoped for all his mistreatment that they hadn’t laid a hand on Curtis. Zethrid, Acxa, and Ezor all fell under Lotor’s protection. Curtis had no one now. He bitterly cursed his outburst and attempt to escape when they’d come to subdue him. Had he kept his head level, he wouldn’t have been taken from his friend.

This waiting thing sucked. All sorts of thoughts coming to mind. Their captors were careful. He hadn’t caught a whiff of Sendak’s scent, nor was his name mentioned. Nothing important was mentioned at all... so all he had time for was his own thoughts. Like if he’d ever see Keith again, or if he was destined to die... or if Lotor had been lying and in on it all, with this whole thing being a charade or an attempt to extract information from him. He didn’t know how to feel. He really missed Keith, but he missed his Mami in a whole other way. Coran would be taking care of her, yet Coran had nothing to say that could reassure her. Lotor had left VOLTRON instead of doing all he could to help there, where his help would have been more appreciated and they could have all been out of here by now. Sleeping was the only time he could relax... forced to deal with the cuts and scraped around his ankles and wrists if he moved too much.

He was never going to complain about Keith hogging all the blankets again. Nor was he going to complain about his boyfriend’s inability to human before coffee, not that it really sucked. Keith was too unbelievably cute as he stumbled around seeking cuddles and guidance. Lance was as scared as he was tired, and frustrated that he wasn’t strong enough to withstand this forced captivity. Keith would be strong. He’d be quiet, brooding, until he worked out how get himself free. He wouldn’t go around having tantrums. He would have figured out how to get the cuffs off by now. Lance had tried to channel Keith and pick the locks with his nails. All that’d happened was he’d chipped them. Biting them broke his teeth. He was quite certain his captures thought him insane. He was acting insane.

There was only so much he could do chained down to a bed. Thanks to his little outburst he didn’t even know the way back down to the basement, so if he did break out, he’d be caught without being able to do anything for the others. Fuck. He’d even take being locked up with Lotor for the company over his own thoughts... yeah, he really was going insane... but... if Lotor actually helped him... No. Nope. No. It’d been days locked up in the room with nothing. He didn’t even bother trying to initiate conversation knowing he’d be abused if he did. Had Lotor planned something then surely things would have been in place and his arse would have been rescued by now.

Keith was not above torture. He wasn’t the saint Lance made him out to be... but his friends were literally the only thing he had left now that he’d been sent down to the VOLTRON staff quarters. Isolated for his own good. What a load of shit. Shiro was still in the briefing room, where he should be... not sent to rest like a little kid when he could sleep perfectly fine in a chair beside Shiro

Hearing a knock on the door to his room, Keith very nearly called out to tell them to fuck off, before remembering the rooms were sound proof and he’d actually have to face whoever was on the other side of the day. He was supposed to be resting. How could when Lance had been gone six days now and Shiro had been working his arse off for the last 4? Dragging his body off the bed, he rubbed at his tired eyes. Sleep hadn’t been his friend. He’d slept when Shiro slept because he’d believed Shiro was okay and he thought maybe with his brother back in action they would have located Lance by now.

Hearing the soft knock again, it irritated him. Striding over he flung the door open to find Miriam standing on the other side. Shit. Yeah. He hadn’t been the best person around, and he definitely wasn’t winning any awards when it came to checking up on Mami. With her standing in front of him, he didn’t know what to say. Both of them staring at each other before Mami gave him a sad smile

“Oh, my poor boy”

Shuffling forward, Keith tensed as Mami wrapped her arms around him. The last person to hug him had been his brother. Mami was tiny in comparison. Her head coming up to his chest

“M-Mami?”

“I’m glad you remember who I am. I’d be very sad if you forgot me”

Way to make him feel even shittier about himself

“What are you doing here?”

“Call it an old woman’s hunch. I thought you could use some company”

No. He really couldn’t... but he couldn’t say no to Miriam. Mami squeezed him tight before moving her hands to grip Keith’s arms lightly

“Ah... I can hear your thoughts my boy. Don’t you worry, this old bird came bearing gifts”

Keith didn’t know when Mami had the chance to cook, only that she’d brought food down to him. The bag left by the doorway when she’d shuffled in for a hug. Opening the bag, everything smelt delicious, until he caught sight of a certain bottle

“Mami!”

Mami chuckled. He supposed he sounded how Lance did when he was scolding her. The bottle of vodka wasn’t full. Mami was definitely some kind of grandma rebel

“That’s to share. I know you haven’t been taking care of yourself. Lance would have kicked you into the shower by now. My nose might just fall off”

Okay. Maybe he hadn’t showered in a little while...

“My mind’s been elsewhere”

“On our Lance. I heard about what happened with our Shiro and the others. He wouldn’t want you letting yourself go like this. Now, there’s some soap in the bag, I want you take a nice warm shower, and I’ll get dinner organised”

How was Miriam so composed? Her youngest was missing. Possibly being tortured and she... was there. With dinner, alcohol and an ungodly amount of patience. Keith found himself questioning her good intentions. He’d let her son be stolen away. Lance wasn’t back and he was... being useless. He wanted to scream. He wanted to drag in as many vampires as he could and force them to tell him where Lance was. He was acting like the Keith he’d used to be. The Keith who had nothing to lose.

“Why? Why are you here?”

“Because my boy, it breaks my heart to see you suffering”

She had to be suffering too... He had no right to

“But Lance is your son...”

“And he’s your boyfriend. Our Lance is strong. He’d be broken hearted to see the man he loved in so much pain. I have faith that our boy will come back to us. Now off to the shower with you. I had to pull many strings to sneak away from Krolia. Woman was giving me more grey hairs with her worrying than I know what to do with”

Lance probably thought he’d given up on him. He wouldn’t rest if their roles were reversed. How could he look his boyfriend in the eye?

“Do you... do think Lance will still love me?”

Miriam chuckled at him, Keith feeling self conscious knowing she was laughing at him

“My boy. That son of mine is absolutely crazy for you. Always talks my ear off about you. He says your very stubborn, but very sensitive. He’s always at me not to tease you because he doesn’t want you be sad. He adores you. Gracious, you’re as bad as my boys, you need to take a shower, mister. I can’t let Lance be seeing you like this. He’d scold me for not taking care of you”

Heading to shower, the warm water hid his tears. Keith letting everything go as he cried out how much he missed his boyfriend. He missed his whole existence. The sleepy smiles as they lay cuddled up in bed together. The way he knew Keith needed his morning coffee and let him hang off him until he was caffeinated. The way he was the dorkiest and clumsiest vampire in existence. He felt like his soul had been cut in half and he didn’t know how to exist on his own after finding love with Lance. Trying to stay strong was exhausting. Nothing was going right and no one would give him his boyfriend back. He had Lance’s clothes but he feared if he handled them too much they stop smelling like him... and then he’d have nothing anymore. Keith already felt like he was forgetting what it felt like to hold him. To hear his voice.

Cried out and much cleaner, Keith climbed out the shower slowly. The warm water left him in a state ready to pass out in bed. Without a change of clothes he put on what he’d been wearing before, having to admit that he’d definitely been past due for a shower. Lance really would be kicking his arse for how he was acting. He was 27. He needed to be an adult... no matter how much everything hurt right now. Shiro would... Shiro would work this out... and Lance and Curtis would come home. Lance would tell him off for being a wreck, but Keith wouldn’t care because his boyfriend would be back and those who took him would have paid for it... slowly. Torturously slowly.

Heading back into the bedroom area, Mami had dinner all organised. She’d even had someone smuggle in two small glasses for the vodka. Drinking would change nothing. It’d only serve to make him more depressed, but one drink wouldn’t hurt, it might even take the edge off enough to finally rest

“You smell fresh as a daisy. Dig in, you need your strength”

He smelt like Mami. The soap that Lance always went to such trouble to buy because he knew she loved it. He wanted more times like that. More times of watching Lance fuss over Miriam with love in his eyes. The way Mami was looking at him... like... like she loved him, hurt

“Uh... thanks. I... know I’ve been a terrible partner to Lance... and I’ve neglected you...”

“Hush yourself. Lance is going to be found. I’ve seen enough airport security television to know he’s not getting through a cargo detector with those racing heartbeats of my grandbabies”

Keith hadn’t thought of things like that. The image of an irate Lance stuffed in a suitcase came to mind. His boyfriend would be so fucking pissed. Still, there were other avenues open if someone really wanted out of the country. Miriam seemed almost naive to think Sendak would waltz into a public airport and fly away to Zarkon’s territory. nearly half a moment later he realised that was the lie Mami was telling herself to keep going on strong. She had to believe Lance would come back, because the only other option was her son was dead... again. Keith wouldn’t believe that until he saw Lance for himself.

“Now, let’s have a good meal and a few drinks, then you’ll get yourself some much needed sleep”

Krolia had tried to be there for him... but she was better off being where she could be useful and not chained to his side. He was lashing out. Moody. Desperate for any kind of news and angry the Blades hadn’t found something despite all their work

“Thanks, Mami. I... don’t know how you can be so kind to me. It’s my fault he’s missing”

“Don’t you say that. Those people who took him are to blame. You’re not the one who abducted him. And if you are, I’m very cross at you”

“I wish I was... then we’d know where he is”

“I suspect he wouldn’t think of it as an abduction if it was you. He’d probably skip away merrily with a smile on his face”

“Probably. He’s kind of hopeless”

“He’s also lived a long time. He’ll be back home sooner rather than later. Now, eat your dinner. You can tell me everything you know while we eat. Lance often says I give good advice”

Keith resisted rolling his sore eyes at Miriam. She was so fierce and gentle... Lance would probably be the same with their twins. Fierce, gentle, and paranoid about dropping the baby... As for the whole “advice thing”, Miriam really did give good advice. He really should be going into detail, but this was Lance’s mother. She looked at things completely different to him and everyone else around them. She had a unique kind of “inside outside” view of the situation... There wasn’t much to be lost if he talked to her... he’d just have to leave out the scarier bits

“Yes, Mami”

He and Mami shouldn’t have been left unsupervised with the vodka. One more glass turned to two more. Keith’s tongue getting away from him as he spilled too much about how all of this was making him feel. With his defences down, he could have talked to Mami all night. She held his hand, rubbing her thumb over the back of his hand like Lance would. She filled in so many parts of Lance’s life as “their little secret”. The parts of his childhood that were happy felt every bit the distant memories they were. Lance learning to drive had to be his new favourite story. His boyfriend overcompensating for his sense, driving so slow Mami smacked him until he crashed into a stop sign... then freaked out. Noticing she’d gone missing, Krolia came to find her. Eyeing the glasses on the desk, his mother raised an eyebrow, Keith feeling ashamed for actually finally relaxing and talking to someone about what he was feeling. Things were different now. He knew Krolia cared for him, but trauma didn’t disappear and he felt weak for relying on Mami when she had enough on her plate.

“Do I need to seperate you two? Or ask who was leading who astray here?”

Miriam laughed softly at Krolia, maybe his mum wasn’t as cranky as he was mentally making her out to be

“Don’t blame, Mami”

“So she’s the culprit. Leading my son astray, whatever shall I do with you?”

Mami smiled at Krolia

“You could sit and have a drink with us?”

“I only came to make sure you two hadn’t snuck out. Pidge tried to. Matt’s decided she needed rest and has sent to her to sleep”

Mami nodded, abandoning her glass in favour of placing her other hand over Keith’s

“Ah, perhaps it’s that time. Keith, you should rest too, my mijo”

He still felt self conscious... and kind of didn’t want Mami to leave. Hearing about Lance was nice. The kid that loved soccer and dancing...

“What about you?”

“When you get to my age, you can just about sleep anywhere”

That wasn’t what he meant. He kind of felt Mami shouldn’t be alone either

“Do... you want to stay?”

“I’m flattered by the offer, but can you imagine how jealous Lance would be? If I was 30 years younger I’d eat you up”

Krolia covered her mouth as she snorted at Miriam, before composing herself into “mum mode”. Keith hoped he hadn’t offended her by asking Mami to stay instead of her. He’d just... Krolia had her son and knew where he was. Mami didn’t. She was old and... He didn’t know what he’d tell Lance if anything happened to her. He hated Luis with a burning passion, but he wanted someone with Mami. He wanted someone there to take care of her and make sure she wasn’t pushing herself

“Miriam’s right. You need to sleep, we can all see it. We’ll wake you if we learn anything, and I won’t be making a move without consulting you first. It’s hard to have hope, but all we can do is trust in Lance and Curtis to do what they have to do until we can bring them home. Matt’s heading down to Garrison tomorrow to collect a few things for Rieva and pick up Blue. Maybe you could go with him? Or make a list of things that Lance would like to come back to? Oh... I’ve got this back too... I know it’s customary to keep evidence, but I felt like you should have it”

Krolia tossed something into Keith’s lap. Keith realising it was Lance’s phone. He hadn’t been allowed to keep it. Lance’s laptop was bagged as evidence when Pidge’s was retrieved from her parents... so he’d really thought he wouldn’t be allowed his boyfriend’s phone. Hitting the power button, the screen lit up. He was Lance’s background. Fast asleep with Kosmo curled up in his arms. Keith hated the photo because it was him, Lance loved it for that reason... his doggo no longer that tiny now he was 8 months old. Feeling himself growing teary. He really fucking missed Lance... Miriam squeezed his hand

“We’ll bring him home. You’ll see. Krolia, can I tempt you into a nightcap?”

Krolia groaned playfully, before nodding

“Ooooh, you’ve twisted my arm. One when we get back to your room. You’re a terrible influence on me”

Mami cackled. Maybe Krolia could be the one who stayed by mami’s side. They got on so well, and Mami would have a protector by her side

“As I’ve been told. Keith, you get a good night rest. I’ll see you tomorrow. Remind me to tell you about the first time Lance tried to make dinner on his own when he was four. I’m sure that’s a story he’d never want repeated seeing he was naked”

Mami tapped the side of her nose mischievously. Keith kind of wanted to know that story, but he kind of really wanted to find some kind of video of he and Lance to watch on repeat until he fell asleep. He knew Lance had a habit of filming things... even when they didn’t turn out right and people were left headless in the frame

“Thanks, Mami... and thanks for coming to see me”

“You’re welcome, my sweet boy. Don’t forget you can talk to me about anything”

“I know... I just... yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“That you will. Not too bright and early though, need to put my makeup on and my teeth in... You never know when you’re going to need to bite someone”

Mami sounded like Pidge, but Pidge wished she’d grow up to be as badarse

“Right, that’s enough you two. Keith, don’t stay up too late. I’ll know if you are and take that phone back”

Krolia could try. She wouldn’t get very far. He had Lance’s phone and that was the closest thing he had to his boyfriend right now. He wasn’t going to invade Lance’s privacy. He trusted his boyfriend and his emails and messages were his private business. His photos though... those were fair game.

#once bitten twice stupid #oncestupidtwicestupid #ashratherose

7 notes · View notes

averagesmw · 5 years

Text

Penny Haywood x MC (3)- It's always you

Game: Harry Potter Hogwarts Mystery

Things to note: The finale for this wholesome little series Do let me know if you wish to see something with Merula, tulip or another scenario with the lovely Penny Haywood!

____________________

It's always you

The train had stopped moving, I had arrived at my destination, Hogsmeade. Apparently, Hogwarts was sometimes too exotic for its own good, I was still missing some of the ingredients for the soup I needed, so I asked Chiara to stay behind and take care of our mutual friend while I settled this down

I stepped down and headed into the cold, but cozy streets of this village. To Think Penny and I were just yesterday, to stop right in front of Hogwarts for a snow fight...come to think of it, that little adventure of ours was the reason I was here again in such short notice

Once in Hogsmeade, I took out a small note, detailing the ingredients I still needed for-

"Y/N! WATCH OUT!!"

I quickly looked away from my note and managed to duck just in time for a fanged frisbee to fail in decapitating me, just my luck. I then studied where it came from, and sure enough, I found a girl with short, spiky pink hair.

She was Nymphadora Tonks, a prankster, and friend I did near the end of our second year, quite an interesting addition to Hufflepuff if you ask me. Wait, how come every friendly face I've found so far is a Hufflepuff? Note to self, investigate later

"I'm so sorry, Y/N! I didn't see you just standing there! I knew that testing that frisbee out in the open wouldn't be much of a good idea"

She ran to me and helped me up while explaining herself. I found it hard to be mad at her, at least she warned me this time

"Well, I wouldn't exactly describe Hogsmeade as "out in the open", you know?"

"Huh...another point to you"

I could tell she had not quite thought about it that way, perhaps she was so anxious to test her new contraption that she forgot about the safety of everybody else...why does that sound familiar?

"Anyway, what brings you to Hogsmeade?"

Her tone softens as she makes that question, and sure enough, caught my attention again

"I'm looking for some ingredients, it's important"

I handed her the note I was reading before our...err...encounter, she came up with an idea surprisingly quick

"Say no more, I think I saw a place on my way here, c' mon!"

Tonks started to lead the way without even asking me, she just threw herself to help me. I swear I'm ridiculously lucky to have friends like these sometimes

And so, we went deeper into the streets of the village and under Tonk's guidance, we found a place called "Dogweed and Deathcap", not exactly what I was looking for, but it would have to do

We approached the building, I held the door open for my friend, who thanked me with a smile before we both got in. The man working there greeted us and asked if we were looking for something in particular, to which I answered by explaining the ingredients I needed for my...potion, yes, it would be best to call it like that for the moment

Fortunately enough, they had the components and pointed us to the direction of where they were placed. This was going better than I thought, yet I could not feel my concern for Penny get any weaker if anything I was cursing myself for taking so long

"Wotcher, Y/N! I've never seen you so focused before! This potion must be quite important to you"

She was definitely referring to the notable absence of jokes or comments on my behalf, truth to be told, I could hardly think of any at the moment

"As a matter of fact, it is" I answered while placing the things on the counter, waiting for the

employee to charge me what was needed

There was silence after that, I handed the money and we took our leave, however, as soon as we left the store, I heard my companion's voice yet again

"Oi, Y/N, can I ask you something?"

We didn't stop walking since time was of the essence, but she certainly had my attention

"Go ahead"

"I'm not Snape to know every potion in existence, but I don't think that what we gathered were ingredients for a potion..."

Bugger, she was on to me

"...Is it for Penny?"

Out of pure surprise, I stopped walking to look at her, miserably failing to mask my surprise

"How do you know?"

A smirk decored her face for a couple of seconds, proud she deduced my schemes

"Word is she might have had too much fun yesterday and got sick. If anyone would be to brew her something to feel better, it would be you, Y/N"

I couldn't help but smile myself at this, Tonks was indeed full of surprises

"Since when did you become so good at deduction?"

"Nope, I just know my friends"

We shared a laugh after that statement, there was the Tonks I knew

"All too well, I might add"

While we were having fun at the moment, I still had a task, and we continued to walk back to the train station

"C' mon, I'll explain it to you on the way back"

We paid for passage and now on board of the Hogwarts Express, we started our journey back. In the meantime, I kept my word and told my prankster friend about my shared adventure with Penny the day before

...Keeping out some personal details, of course

"...That was quite the story, no wonder why Penny talks so greatly about you, Y/N"

Now that statement caught me off guard, I normally hated the attention, but coming from her? That was another story entirely

"She does?"

She couldn't help but chuckle at this, I might have sounded just as confused as a first year

"You should know by now. So, then your ingredients, what are they for?"

I could feel myself getting slightly more serious at this question, but not enough to kill the already happy mood Tonks set with me

"I'm going to trust you this small detail, Tonks. I owe you that after helping me today"

"It was nothing, Y/N, but I appreciate it"

She smiled kindly at me, but I just nodded before I prepared my exposition about the importance of this particular dish regarding Penny and a few more extra facts

"You see, back when I was a kid, my brother Jacob and I would sometimes fall sick because we wouldn't listen to mum's advice, who would have guessed that playing under the rain or the snow could get you sick? We certainly didn't, or didn't care enough to stop"

I heard her chuckle at this part, I found it quite charming myself, reliving those moments of my childhood was always a pleasure

"So every time we felt under the weather, she would make this special dish, chicken soup to help fight the symptoms and cheer us up in the process, you can't go wrong with that"

Then, feeling unable to stop, I kept telling that story, even the not so enjoyable parts

"So when my brother went missing, my mum...let's just say she didn't take it well. I recalled those times she helped us with that soup, so the first thing I learned to cook, or brew for that matter, was that soup"

"To cheer her up?"

"Exactly"

"Ahh...I see, so you're now doing the same for Penny by making this" Tonks was handling it better than I thought, she was invested in the tale herself

"I mean, it's pretty much my fault she got sick in the first place, it's the least I can do"

"Well, I think that is very sweet of you, Y/N. Let me know if you need help with anything"

"Now that you mention it, I might need your help to get into the potions classroom to prepare this thing" I motioned to the bag in my hands

The Hufflepuff grinned, nodding as an idea had already popped in her mind

"Perhaps I can test my fanged frisbee again. You know, without hitting you"

I laughed at this, admiring her enthusiasm. If that was her plan, I would allow it, as long as nobody would get hurt, of course

Nymphadora Tonks and I might not have been together for long, but we could coordinate without any problem when we had a common goal, so by the time we got back to Hogwarts, we already had a plan

Sneaking our way into the dungeons, stopping only for me to gather the ingredients I already had, Tonks and I took cover behind a wall. We nodded at each other and she put on her handler glove before picking up her fanged frisbee and walked towards the hall

She wound up and threw the frisbee as far as she could, catching the attention of the prefect immediately once he saw the device in the air and the pink-haired girl running away in another direction, it was now or never

The entrance to the classroom was empty, so I ran inside, placed the ingredients in a table and got to work. Chopping the vegetables, getting some water in the cauldron, all those things brought back the memories

Back to a simpler time, a time in which I was happy and I didn't know it, with Jacob, mum, and dad trying to make our way in the world...Oh how would give anything to see mum alive again...or getting to see dad again

...Or Jacob

...What the, when did it become so difficult to see? Bloody hell, I'm letting myself get carried away, focus, Y/N!

Think, what would Snape do in a situation like this? Oh! I got it

"Y/N, you incompetent fool, stop crying over my cauldron or I'll make you clean every single thing in this room for the rest of the year"

Yeah, that's more like it. Thanks, Professor Snape, maybe I'll-

"How's everything going, do you need any help?"

Needless to say, I was not expecting another voice in this room, especially when I'm not supposed to be there, so my reaction was what you would expect

"BLOODY HELL!!"

I nearly fell down thanks to this mysterious voice, who gasped when she saw this and helped me keep balance. When I looked back at her, I discovered that it was Chiara

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you like that!" She was clearly as startled as I was, but for both our sakes, I had to keep it quiet, or else this plan would fail

"It's alright, but what are you doing down here?"

"Tonks told me you were back from Hogsmeade, I thought you could use a hand to prepare this thing" She replied with that kind (still a bit scared) tone of hers

"Fine, I'm almost done with this anyway, please fetch me some bowls so we can bring this to Penny"

"On it" She went back and searched for the bowls, which were on the table as well, I came prepared so I brought them with me to avoid having to sneak into the kitchen as well

Once she had them in hand, and I confirmed the state of my soup, I concluded that it was time for the next phase of the plan

"Quick, let's get this to Penny. I'll bring the cauldron and you take the spoon and the bowls"

She did just as I asked and with a bit of effort from my part, I was able to carry the cauldron with me. Had to drink a potion to avoid getting myself burnt by holding it

Chiara made sure there was nobody watching before signaling me to follow her and so we did, sneaking out of the potions classroom and into the Hufflepuff dorms, which fortunately for us, were literally next door. We walked into the stairs, I was at first looking back at my partner in crime to make sure she was coming along

"Come on, time is of the..."

I stopped both talking and walking when I saw the last thing I hoped to find in the stairs: Penny Haywood herself, still sick and stumbling her way down, exposing herself like this, the girl could barely stand!

"Penny? What in the name of Peeves are you doing up!?" I whispered to her, in my best attempt not to raise the tone of my voice

"I...I can h-help..."

Was all she could say before losing her grip on the stairs, thus failing to stay still and now, she was about to crash into me...wait, what?

No second thought was given as the space to react was paper thin, I threw the cauldron to the side, soup included, and extended my arms, reaching out to catch a falling Haywood, it all happened so fast, the next thing I knew was that I was on the floor, with Penny in my arms and the broken cauldron on the floor

...So much for that plan

"Hey, PenPen, you alright?" I asked her in a mellow tone, only getting a slow nod from her as a reply

I sighed upon confirming her state, then I spotted Chiara with her hands on her mouth, eyes wide in shock. She tried her best to remain calm. I can't blame her for reacting like that, this was so sudden, guess I had the duels to thank for sharpening reflexes

"A-Are you alright? You fell down the stairs too, Y/N!" Despite the shock, Chiara too was trying her best not to scream, the broken cauldron was loud enough as it was

...wait, the cauldron

"I'm fine, please get her back to her bed while I repair this cauldron before someone else comes"

Following my example and regaining her composure, the silver-haired girl rushed in our aid, took Penny from my arms and helped her get up. Displaying care rivaling that of Madam Pomfrey, Chiara got Penny to walk back up the stairs, now it was up to me

"It came from over here" I heard an unknown voice say from the distance, it was now or never

Getting my wand out, I focused on the cauldron, the soup contained within it and sealed the spell with some of my own memories before a single word came from my mouth

"Reparo"

As if it was in reverse, the cauldron pieced itself back together, with the soup getting back into it and recovering its warm state within seconds. I know it's as good as new, but now I'm not as confident in my soup

I still picked it up and as fast as I could without spilling it again, I got back up the stairs and put the cauldron on a table nearby before closing the door immediately after my arrival, fortunately, we didn't leave any clues as to what had happened...aside from a loud series of noises

I leaned against the door, sighing in relief, with my hands covering my face as I heard the voices retiring from the scene just as quickly as they approached it, a problem was avoided. Once that unpleasant surge of stress left my body, I was met with an appetizing smell, the soup

"Y/N, over here!"

Without wasting any more time, I grabbed the cauldron and followed Chiara's voice. This place was much less populated, which was amazing for the plan, not a single soul to gossip about what I was doing there, for once

Shortly after, I entered the same room I first encountered Penny when she was sick, it was pleasant to find her back in bed and Chiara sitting on a chair next to it. She was still apologizing for leaving the blonde's side for as long as she did, but I told her it was no biggie

I mean, it was, but I was not going to call her out in front of Penny, especially in her state. I placed the cauldron on a nightstand nearby and asked Chiara to help our common friend drink a bit of water while I prepared a bowl of chicken soup

"Alright, Penny. I prepared something for you, this will definitely help you combat this flu. Be careful, though it's still hot"

I handed her the bowl, with a handkerchief under it to keep her from burning herself. At first, the young Haywood was surprised, she inspected the soup and smiled at me

She might not have been able to speak well at the moment, but that smile said so much in her absence, she was genuinely moved by this gesture and with the spoon handed to her by her fellow Hufflepuff, she gave the soup a try

I don't know why I found myself nervous when I saw this, it was like a chef waiting for the critic to review their latest masterpiece. The thing was, I'm hardly a chef, and I'm only giving soup to a...a very important person for me

That would explain why did I feel my heart flooding with joy, relief, and whatnot when I saw her reaction to the dish. She hummed in approval, her eyes were surprised by the taste

She loved it

"Wow, is it really that good?” I thought to myself, Chiara noticed this too and asked me if she could try some of it too

I agreed to it, that was the reason why I chose to use multiple bowls. As a Ravenclaw, I like to take precautions for everything, although I have to admit, sometimes it feels a little...unnecessary

A-Anyway, the girl served herself a bowl of soup and tasted it as well, the same reaction as Penny

"My goodness, Y/N, this tastes amazing!"

"But...it's just chicken soup" I stated, as confused as one could be

I mean, chicken soup was not known to be godly in taste, just for its effectiveness. While I was too busy with my own thoughts, Penny fetched a notebook and a qill, using magic to gather them closer, and she started writing, then she showed me what she wrote

"You should dedicate to making food like this!"

"I agree!" Chiara added and they shared a laugh

Honestly, I never found someone so amazed by this dish...well, aside from me, of course, but watching them, it felt...

This is what mum must have felt whenever Jacob and I enjoyed her soup

Hours passed and Penny seemed to be getting better by the minute, her ability to speak, while still recovering, was far better now, enough to fully articulate a sentence. We never left her side, even Tonks miraculously managed to sneak her way back into the room, I knew I could count on her

Together with the Hufflepuff ladies, we came up with so many things to do to help make Penny's day less boring and in fact, we played all kinds of games, from gobstones on top of the nightstand to a couple of quizzes of random things!

It was one of the best days I've ever spent, easily

With a world as wonderful and eventful as ours, it was so easy to forget the countless adventures one could have in their very room, as long as they're in the right company. And all it took was a snowball and butterbeer

So much fun that in fact, I didn't even notice the time, way past curfew and I was still in a house that was not my own. Filch would jump at the opportunity to punish me for something like this and now thanks to my own clumsiness, he could

Currently, I was alone with Penny, Tonks had sneaked out to pull some prank and Chiara left to feed the magical creatures she was supposed to take care of. When we were alone, we acted...different

What do I mean by this? Well, I was sitting on Penny's bed, with her resting her head on my lap. None of us seemed to mind this, not at all

Penny was quite comfortable with my visit, but when she caught me staring at the window, she soon realized the same thing as I did, changing the atmosphere of the room into that of worry, something I did not intend to do at all

"Do you really have to go?..."

She asked, voice weak but still cute enough to pull my heartstrings, a smile remained on my face, full of sympathy for that Hufflepuff girl who would never hear a no from me when asking for help

"I'm afraid so, it's past curfew"

Her gaze saddened, like a child that realizes that playtime is over, and now it was time to rest...wait, that gave me an idea

I leaned closer and with that same playful smile I showed whenever I was about to commit mischief, I whispered to her

"But that doesn't mean I can't do one last thing for you, though?"

"Like what?" Her eyes showed curiosity, intrigue

I chuckled and ran my hand through those golden locks of hers, much to her surprise

"Just trust me, this'll help you make it through the night"

Suddenly, the lights illuminating the room became weaker thanks to my wand, and soon enough, a gentle hum would leave my mouth

I started to hum a song for Penny, one that, like everything else I had done today, had a deeper meaning. This one was one of my personal favorites, from a decade long before I was born, yet I found the lyrics to be so special

But I never had a reason to sing it, until now, of course

"Whenever it's early twilight

I watch 'til a star breaks through"

I began to sing whilst looking at her, that purity in her eyes, full of wonder and curiosity gained a smile from me, without stopping my song

"Funny, it's not a star I see

...It's always you"

I could have sworn I saw her blush by this, yet, I kept going, stroking her hair in an attempt to soothe her

"Whenever I roam through roses

And lately I often do

Funny, it's not a rose I touch

It's always you"

Immersing myself into this melody, I closed my eyes, looking away as those words left my lips, sang with gentle care. I could feel Penny relax against my touch, even leaning closer to get comfortable

"If a breeze caresses me It's really you strolling by"

If I hear a melody

It's merely the way you sigh"

Tonks entered the scene, only to be silenced immediately by Chiara, who motioned her to be as quiet as possible, as they both peeked over to one particular room...

"Wherever you are, you're near me

You dare me to be untrue

Funny, each time I fall in love..."

I opened my eyes to look down at the beauty I had near me, her eyes closed in peaceful sleep, she earned one last smile from myself as I leaned closer to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead, making her smile without knowing

"...It's always you"

#penny haywood x mc #penny haywood x jacob's sibling #hogwarts mystery #mc hogwarts mystery

51 notes · View notes

toasttz · 5 years

Text

From the Tabletop #5

So, we arrived in Hell. With an opener like that, you know it's gonna be good. Or it would've been, had Hell not become the most boring place still technically within creation due to the last campaign. So Scarlet's personal mission (Admittedly fueled by some metaknowledge on my part and having like 3 new Solar ideas in line at this point) was to get in, get the clue for the One Piece, and then get the hell out of Hell. Magpie and Volkenstein kinda went along with my lead, but only because they literally knew no other way to exist by this point. Which kind of lead to their own downfalls over the next few sessions, courtesy of my willingness to just give PCs overly-generous trades in my haste. But let's slow it down a little. Our first mission was to head to the Veridian Plaza and the Pool of Drowned Poisons (our GM and Valentinian's player know way, way more about Exalted's frankly overly-dense lore than I, so I accepted this as part and parcel of being in Hell). Unfortunately, this got complicated fast by, of all people, Alabaster Albatross, back for her petty comeuppance against Scarlet and co. In a pretty big damn hurry to get on with it, Scarlet bartered Volkenstein away for a day's time in return for passage, which A.A. happily accepted, due to liking his muscles to a, frankly creepy, degree. So, enter we did, only to be told he were required to be in a bathing suit despite the fact that no one in their right mind would actually attempt to swim in the Pool of Drowned Poisons. The name alone should be dissuasion sufficient. Scarlet, of course, had a bikini on under her clothes and Magpie decided to stop by the gift shop which, also of course, they had. It is Hell after all. Inside, she met... well, Inferno Cop. Don't know who that is? Look it up on Youtube, you owe it to yourself. But, no, it was not Inferno Cop who then proceeded to just incinerate a demon, but Valentinian! In a rather badass sudden reappearance. Magpie, no doubt channeling aspects of Maxwell, asked Valley to become her mentor. Valley said "No" pretty damn quick. Scarlet had a rather amusing exchange when she followed in to see what was taking Maggie so long. Scarlet: Oh, hey, Valley. I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first? Valentinian: The bad, I guess? Scarlet: Maxwell's dead. I might have sort-of decapitated him. Valentinian: (100% monotone) Oh no. How sad. Scarlet: The good news is you get to be the Maid of Honor at my wedding! Valentinian: Wait... WHAT?! With Valley back in tow, we began shaking down anyone we could find for intel. This ultimately pointed us towards Master of the Eternal Golden Paradise's theme park - Super Happy Fun Land. So off we went! Unfortunately, it was guarded by a demon who, so long as he was in the light of the Green Sun, was unkillable. This posed a pretty significant problem on account, uh, the Green Sun doesn't... ever set. So we were initially repelled until Valentinian suggested we needed to make a dark deal to handle this. So we went to speak to the Ebon Dragon. A nasty piece of work, Scarlet initially offered herself for a "good time", but was quickly shot down, as the Ebon Dragon explained he preferred them "young". Pausing not for a moment, Scarlet offered him Magpie - 24 hours with him for 24 hours of darkness over the guard. Which he accepted with sadistic glee. The circle quickly changed the tune of the joke to "He's forcing her to play Super Smash Bros. Melee with tournament rules." Before long, the gate guard was dead (and we then joked Scarlet took an impromptu biology lesson after bisecting the poor bastard). For the next session, Valentinian's player was unable to join, so we agreed that he and the Oath Warriors went on to enjoy the theme park and take a load off for a time. Magpie and Volkenstein (who had returned from their respective times being sold off by Scarlet) basically scoured the park, but Scarlet ultimately found the clue (a statue of Master, pointing towards a particular star in the sky) which sent the trio into the Endless Desert. There, they found a bank, of all things. Just because the desert is ENDLESS doesn't mean there's not landmarks, apparently. Inside, we ask a random worker there to see the boss of the location. After revealing Master's journal, she was taken in to see the boss-man himself: Master's own son, Aladdin, the Dragon of the Desert Wind! It's important to note that if an Exalt procreates with a demon, the result typically ends up in a monsterous creature. In this case, a dragon, with his father's in-built desire to accumulate wealth. Which was apparent, as the room we met him in was flooded with gold and riches of all sorts. When Scarlet pettioned him for the next key, he explained that he couldn't give it to her, but she was free to take it... with the asterisk that if we chose the wrong thing, he would transform into his dragon form and devour us all. The only clue he offered us was "The thing most valuable to my father is the key". Magpie offered to take Aladdin, but he laughed her suggestion off and told us flat-out it wasn't him. I, with benefit of metaknowledge but still within the believable scope of Scarlet's ability, parse that it was money, but not just cold hard cash. Something that represented the full sum of his wealth. There, I found the first penny that Master ever made, on prominent display. Scarlet chose it and it was confirmed we chose the correct key. Upon returning and regrouping with the others, we learned the location of an Oath Warrior was actually nearby, in the castle of Zen. We met Ascendant Sword and Heavenly Sky, who also had a grudge against Zen, but the latter also had a bit of a grudge from an incident 2000 years prior, with Valley. This resulted in them having a few minutes of bickering before Scarlet stopped the problem by giving Valentinian a great big hug. I'll leave you to parse how that stopped the problem for yourselves. This resulted in Scarlet needing to return to the Black Turtle and sail it down to their current level. Hell is separated into different layers, which are dynamic and ever-shifting, adding to the omnipresent dangers of living or being in... well, Hell. TL;DR version, she got down in good time with the ship and its cargo of war mecha with little trouble. As the raid on the castle started, I PM'd the GM with a particular idea I had in mind and he signed off on it. So the battle opened with Scarlet, riding in her mech which was riding atop Gwyn's mech (almost forgot: Gwyn had left to escort an NPC back to her hometown, as his player resumed role as GM), belting out JPop songs from Macross 7 - Totsugeki Love Heart, in case you were wondering - as she rolled crazy well for her performance to draw all eyes up to her as she sailed in, smashing against the first wave and wall of the keep. This was all to allow Valley and Maggie the chance to infiltrate the castle with all the main defenses distracted. It worked beautifully, being one of my favorite moments in the entire campaign. Once inside, Valley found Orlando, one of his Oath Warrior fellows, under a berserk mind control curse - likely brought on due to the previously-mentioned "DO NOT TOUCH, THIS MEANS YOU, ZEN" sign. He was no slouch and Valentinian had to fight fiercely to down his raging friend. It even ended with me punctuating the battle by putting my blade tip-down through the cockpit of the rival mech, and Maggie... weirdly trying to engage in skinship with an unconcious Oath Warrior, no longer able to resist either his assaulters or the mind control he was under. It was uncomfortable for all of us. Afterward, we departed Hell and sailed for the South, towards Gem, where Master's first coin had been minted. This ultimately resulted in a complete and total clusterfuck. For context, Valentinian's player wasn't able to join this session, and Volkenstein and Magpie were just DETERMINED to drag the game to an absolute crawl. As we were barely heading through the pass to head into the desert proper (the non-endless desert this time), this conversation actually happened: GM: Okay, you guys need any last-minute things? Magpie: Yes! I want to get some snacks. GM: Um. Alright, you find the vendor. Magpie: I want caramel popcorn. GM (As vendor): Why are you asking about such high-fallutin' fancy goods there, girl? Me, OOC: They aren't going to have it, dude. It's the bronze age. Magpie: But it's my favorite type. GM: How would you have ever had it? Magpie: Well, Arilack... Me, OOC: NO! They wouldn't have it! That's a luxury good in this age, dude! Sugar is a luxury and they wouldn't have it here, let alone waste it making caramel of all things! The only viable alternative they MIGHT have is honey and they absolutely would not waste that on popcorn either. Hell, they probably wouldn't waste the corn either! Magpie: W-well, what about cheddar popcorn? Me, OOC: STOP! GM: Uh. Right. Let's get on the road. That more or less set the tone for the rest of the trek south. So, on that frustrated note, I'm going to pause here. Join us next time as the Seven Deadly One Piece campaign comes to a close and a new game full of crazies began. See you there!

#Tabletop RPG #Exalted #Third Edition #That Guy Story

2 notes · View notes

unikornavenger · 6 years

Text

Hear Me Out

Pairing: Platonic LAMP

Warnings: Hurt/Comfort (sorry it’s a fluffy ending I swear), food mention, detailed-ish panic attack(s)?, all caps yelling (of excitement that involve cookies), negative feelings, nightmares, cognitive distortions

Word Count: 2,261 words

Taglist: (Who’s she? Never heard of her.)

A/N: Wowww, this took so long. This gave me so many feels. Yeah, okay. Hope you enjoy the story!

Alright, onward with the story!

“AAAAAAAND that’s a wrap, people,” Roman shouted from in front of the television. Various sounds of glee escape the other sides' mouths. Virgil rolls out his shoulders and relaxes a bit. Knowing that all of the filming is done calms him down. Just a bit.

“Would anybody like some water?” Patton asks as he walks to the fridge.

“I suppose some oxidane would be satisfactory,” Virgil watches as Logan responds and simultaneously adjusts his tie. “I suggest the rest of you should have some, as well.” Ah, mother Logan has emerged.

The anxious side sits down on the steps and pulls out his phone to check if any notifications piled up in the hours they had been recording.

After checking out some art and relatable posts on Tumblr, Virgil hears a high pitched squeal coming from the kitchen.

“Uh, is everything Gucci, Pat?”

“Thomas Foley Sanders, WHY HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING ALL THIS COOKIE DOUGH?!?!”

Virgil switches off his phone to see Thomas walk up to his morality. “Oh, shoot, yeah, I forgot about that.”

Another squeal came out of Patton, “It’s not expired yet. Who wants to help their old pop make cookies?”

“Ah, listen, Padre,” Roman says softly as he rubs the back of his neck, “I’m really sorry, but I needed to get ready for Thomas’s collab tomorrow. I’m really behind and it’s just-”

“Say no more,” Patton held up his hand cutting off Roman, “I understand.” According to their faces, no one else notices the look of sheer sadness wash across Patton’s face. If you ask Virgil, he could tell you he had been sensing more negative emotions coming from Patton recently. He couldn’t exactly pinpoint why but he has been nostalgic lately. Maybe the moral side had something to do with that.

Princey shuts his mouth and smiles, “And I dearly appreciate that.”

“I’m so sorry, Pat, but we will definitely do it another time,” Thomas offers with a soft smile spreading across his lips. Patton mimics the motion.

“When you guys are done, we could use your assistance with the collab,” Roman says before leaving.

Virgil watches as Pat gives Thomas a tight-lipped grin in response. And with that their host grabs Roman’s hand as Princey sinks out in his signature pose.

He quickly pops back up, “BRING SOME COOKIES!” They sink down for the second time.

“Logan?” Virgil watches as Patton turns around and pouts in the logical side’s direction. His emotions just turned on the dime. It seems as if he’s really desperate for them to spend time with him.

“I.. uh... I guess I don’t, I don’t have to do anything.” Nice one, pocket protector.

Excited claps erupt from Patton’s hands.

“Before you ask,” Virgil stands putting his hands in his pockets and hunching his shoulders forward, “no, I don’t have anything to do and I can help.”

More claps, “Excellent! I love it when I get to spend quality time with my children!” Maybe Virgil’s assumptions had some truth behind them. “Let’s wash those dirty hands, kiddos.” Virgil walks to the sink and starts washing his hands next to Logan.

“Hey, hey, Logan.” He hums in acknowledgment. “Did you hear the joke about germs?”

He sighs tiredly, “No, Patton, I have not.”

“Oh never mind, I don’t want to spread it around! Teehee,” Logan groans and throws his head back in response, while the other present side snorts, clearly amused.

They dry their hands and the fatherly side takes out the cookie dough. Said side continues by giving Logan and Virgil instructions on what to do. Logan adjusts his glasses as he preheats the oven, and Virgil grabs the cookie sheet and scooper thing (he already forgot what Patton called it).

“I really missed spending time with you guys...” Logan hums in acknowledgment while Virgil feels a warm sensation spread throughout his chest.

“Sure you do,” Virgil mumbles.

“I mean it,” Patton sets down the spatula he was using to mix the almost fully-formed dough. “Thomas has been really busy lately and we have been doing so much to keep him motivated and functioning and we haven’t just...” He flails his hands around searching for the correct words. “been with each other... ya’ know what? Never mind.”

Virgil wishes that he would continue what he was going to say, but he couldn’t rack up the courage to encourage Patton to do so. He hasn’t been feeling too well since this morning.

The next few minutes go by smoothly, surprisingly. The cookie dough is safely in the oven and the timer is set. All they have to do is wait.

Virgil unceremoniously flops onto the couch while Logan sits on the armchair next to him and grabs a book that was previously left on the coffee table. Once he is done cleaning up, Patton grabs the remote and turns on the television to the news. The anxious side quietly puts on his headphones to block out the noise.

“Virgeeeee!” Virgil shakes his head. He must have accidentally fallen asleep. He takes off his headphones as he tiredly grunts in response. “The cookies are ready!” Patton sings excitedly. He shoves a plate of gooey cookies towards Virgil’s face. He instinctively flinches back.

Swinging his legs off the couch, Virgil hears a loud crash outside and flinches. “What was that?!” He asks slightly panicked.

Patton glances out the window, “Oh, the news person said it was going to rain today.”

“It’s meteorologist, Patton,” Logan supplies.

Virgil tunes out the rest of their conversation to a hum as he looks out the window hypnotized by the intense rain accompanied by the deafening thunder.

Suddenly, a flash of light covers the dark sky, and before he can even react, a clap of thunder shakes the house. He yelps and jumps backward from the glass pane. He can’t tell if it was just his imagination, but he swears the entire house shook.

“Are you satisfactory, Virge?” Logan’s voice sounds amplified in Virgil’s head. He slaps his palms over them. A hand touches his back. It burns him even through his hoodie. The pressure is removed, but the pain still remains.

“Kiddo?”

Shut up, shut up, shut up, he thinks, even though his mouth can’t form the words. It’s too freaking loud. My back is on fire. Thunder booms outside once again.

Virgil screams so loud that it strains his vocal cords. But the longevity of his voice box is not the thought in the front of his mind.

His knees hit a hard surface. He keeps screaming. He is truly horrified. Lightning could strike the house any second. They could all die from electrocution at any time. All the windows could shatter simultaneously; which would allow flying debris to hit any of them. Someone could be decapitated.

Light flashes outside of his closed eyelids. (When did he close his eyes?)

Is he whimpering? Sink out, sink out, sink out, sink out.

“Wait, Vir-“

Pat?

He slowly uncovers his eyes and sees a blanket of darkness surrounding him. He takes his hands off of the sides of his head. Breathing out to calm himself, he finds a strange comfort in the blackness of his room.

Waving his hands out in front of him like a blind newborn, he tries to feel around for his soft comforter.

Virgil craves to be drunk with fatigue just as the embarrassment of what just happened begins to sink in.

Something soft graces his fingertips. He carefully crawls into his bed and falls asleep as his head touches the pillow.

He woke up hearing voices around him. Did he sleep on a couch?

“Patton, it’s okay, you can’t expect too much from him.” Was that... Roman? “You should know that by now.”

“He’s right.” Logan? “Virgil was making progress, but he will always find a way to disappoint you.”

A disappointment?

Virgil opens his eyes only to be met with a wall of darkness. He tries to ignore the intense burning sensation behind his eyes.

Someone sighs defeatedly. “I guess you guys are right.” ...Patton? He... he agrees with Roman and Logan.

“Of course we are. However hard he tries, he will eventually always just hurt Thomas.”

“I guess he doesn’t actually enjoy spending time with me.”

Virgil’s breath catches in his throat.

“Padre, it’s just in his DNA.”

A sigh threatens to make his ears bleed, “I know, it’s just I wanted him to spend more time with us and get to know us. I even expressed those same thoughts to him. But I guess he doesn’t actually care about us.”

“Also,” Roman’s voice again, “was he actually scared of a little rain cloud?” The three sides laugh obnoxiously. “Such a wimp.”

Suddenly, he becomes very dizzy. He closes his eyes once more to stave off the nausea he begins to feel brewing in his stomach.

As the pain begins to intensify, he passes out.

“Why is he on the carpet?”

“I don’t know, Roman, and that’s not important right now.”

“Guys, I think he’s waking up.”

Virgil opens his eyes only to be met with... 3 blobs? He blinks once then twice to rid the world of a fog.

“Kiddo?”

“Dad?” He asks, fearful that Patton will hurt him.

“Oh my god,” the world returns to focus. He is on the floor with four faces staring back at him. Thomas, Roman, Logan, and Patton. “You’re all right!” Patton advances forward with his arms outstretched.

Virgil quickly sits up and backs up until he presumably hits a wall. The pain in his spine does not even register before he curls up in a ball and whimpers.

“I’m so sorry I hurt you, Pat. I really didn’t mean to,” he rambles quickly without taking in any air. “I just didn’t want to disappoint you and I didn’t want to come off as rude and I didn’t want to leave you and..” He gasps shallowly and can feel his esophagus closing.

“Virge, buddy, can you open your eyes for me?” His skin feels like it’s melting off, but he somehow manages to obey. He notices Patton’s face a few feet away from him. The others were farther away giving him some space.

“4, 7, 8.” Virgil nods and does the breathing technique. Once his heart rate is somewhat below elevated, he slumps against the wall behind him while crossing his arms in front of his stomach.

“Virge, can I touch you?” Patton speaks slowly and softly. The anxious side nods in agreement. He watches with glossy eyes as his head is slowly cradled in dad’s arms.

Tears leak out of his eyes, “I’m so sorry, Pat.”

Mentioned side shushes him, “You have nothing to apologize for, kiddo.” By the way his voice cracks, it is safe to assume he is kind of torn up by whatever just happened.

He sniffles as he pulls his head out of the blue polo and smudges his eyeshadow with the sleeve of his jacket. “I’m sorry, I-I-I.” He looks up to see the other three standing above Patton with worried brows. “Relax, guys.” His focus returns to the side kneeling in front of him and lowers his voice to barely a whisper, “I didn’t mean to bail, but I was scared of the lightning and I was being stupid. I didn’t want to hurt your-” He gasps. “Your feelings.”

Virgil holds back a flinch as Patton tries to comfortably rub his knee. “You could never hurt me, Virge. I understand that you are still adjusting to all of us finally accepting you. That’s fine; it’s a process.”

“But it shouldn’t be,” Virgil whines as he meets Patton’s eyes. “I couldn’t handle a stupid thunderstorm and it-“

“Wait, is that why you left?” Roman interrupts.

“What, yeah, please don’t laugh at me,” he breathes out quickly sinking into himself.

“Oh, kiddo, I was so worried!” Patton squeals out. “Just talk to us next time.” He remains quiet and he won’t meet Patton’s eyes so the fatherly figure continues, “I promise we’ll listen.”

“That’s rich,” Virgil scoffs.

Logan makes a tsk sound, which makes Virgil turn in his direction. “That’s a cognitive distortion, Virgil.” The anxious side turns away from Logan. He knows Thomas was struggling with that at one point and Virgil might as well be relapsing. “From now on, we will try our best to hear you out and try to help you in any way we can. Does that sound satisfactory?”

He can hear the same exact speech that was given to him a year prior. Barely anything has changed, but they don’t know that.

“Virge, I don’t think you believe us right now and that’s okay,” Roman speaks uncharacteristically soft. “We have promised in the past that we were going to change, and yet, we so miserably failed.”

“You have to talk to us,” Thomas states with a longing tone. “We can’t help you if you don’t tell us what’s wrong. And believe me, I would love to know what is happening inside my own head. I would love for you to be comfortable around me, your own host.”

“Thomas,” my voice sounds like a bunch of toads trying to communicate, “I am sorry I made you feel this way.”

“Virge,” he laughs dryly, “don’t apologize. I need you to talk to me about you. Later, because now calls for pizza.”

“Huzzah!” Roman exclaims gleefully.

“Is that good with you?” Patton asks carefully.

I allow a smile to creep onto my face. Things aren’t better just yet, but they are sure looking up, “Of course, Pat.”

#uni fics #fanfic #thomas sanders #sanders sides #platonic LAMP

24 notes · View notes

rutilation · 6 years

Text

So, I’m putting all my crack theories/observations about hnk in one place so that if any of them are proven correct I’ll be able to refer back to this and say that I called it.

The title of Ichikawa’s art book, Pseudomorph of Love seems to allude to her approach for Phosphophyllite’s changes. Whenever Phos loses and gains a new body part, it’s an act of compassion in some way. Except for the pearl eye, all of Phos’s alterations have followed this pattern

They lost their legs while trying to help Ventricosus, and gained their agate legs because Ventri decided to show them compassion and not stoop to the level of the Lunarians.

While Phos’s own self-hatred tempted them to chop off their arms, it was only when the ice floes preyed on their desire to save Cinnabar that Phos accidentally-on-purpose lost their arms. Antarc initially dismisses the gold and platinum as useless, but when they see that Phos is not-so-subtly projecting their own feelings of uselessness onto the metals, Antarc changes their tune and decides to attach them to Phos. In a roundabout way, Antarc is trying to communicate to Phos that they aren’t useless ;_;

Phos loses their head trying to save Cairngorm’s arm, and Cairngorm decides to give them Lapis’s head. While they kind of can’t help but project Lapis onto Phos after they wake up, the fact that they were willing to give up their own head, and the fact that they finally admitted to themselves that they don’t believe any of the gems will be brought back indicate to me that they did this out of genuine concern for Phos and not because they’re trying to resurrect Lapis.

Edit as of 5/11: I totally forgot about this, but Phos loses Lapis’s hair trying to shield baby Morga and Goshe from the lunarians.

Edit as of 6/12: Phos had to have some pieces chipped off from trying to help Cinnabar. They also lost the piece of their leg they offered to Variegatus.

Because the pearl eye is the exception to this, and is primarily associated with betrayal on Phos’s part and manipulation on Aechmea’s, I suspect it’s going to be replaced later on in the story, maybe by a red pearl, which is closer to how the pearl is described in the whole seven treasures thing. (and just as an aside, I totally buy that Ichikawa is referencing the seven treasures with Phos’s new limbs. She said in an interview that Buddhist sutras about gemstones are what inspired her to write the story in the first place so I think it’s safe to say that she’s familiar with the concept.) I also think that Phos will get this possible new eye from Cicada, because he is a cinnamon roll.

I also think that Phos choosing to get rid of one of their alterations and replacing it with a more positive one would be a good way to progress their character arc while also forwarding the work’s themes about identity. Perhaps the solution to the tragedy of Phos slowly losing themselves is gaining the capacity to choose how they change, which I find a lot more poignant than edgy pondering about how Phos isn’t Phos anymore–I find that take in particular to be a rather un-nuanced appraisal of Phos’s situation, and it bugs me how common it is.

I think that the lower half of Phos’s torso is going to be the next thing to go, leaving only their chest (metaphorically, their heart) behind. There are several bits of visual story telling that lead me to think this is a possibility. The first is in the various non-permanent injuries that Phos suffers throughout the series. I may be reading too much into things since there are only so many ways for Phos to break, but it’s possible they function as visual foreshadowing:

loses their arms and legs in the first chapter after getting caught up in Kongo’s attack

loses their arms while trying to grab cinnabar

is completely dissolved by Ventricosus (I’ll come back to this.)

left eye gets knocked off by one of Aculeatus’s tentacles

arms get shattered after Kongo yells at them

an arm gets broken after Phos falls off the roof of the school

they get cut in half by a lunarian’s arrow

their face is punched off twice by Cairngorm

they destroy their head during a mental breakdown, and then get punched in half by Jade–in more or less the same spot where they got shot before

lol I cannot keep track of all the injuries they got against the explosive shogi pieces

Cairngorm shatters their torso

Aechmea slices off their limbs

Every single one of Phos’s more permanent losses has been preceded by at least one injury to the exact same area. In the first half of the manga, it was mostly losses of their arms and legs, in the second half, we see a lot of Phos getting either decapitated or bisected.

Another bit of visual storytelling comes from the anime. The director has stated in an interview that he had a long chat with Ichikawa and is aware of future events not yet depicted in the manga. While he obviously wasn’t allowed to overtly hint at said future events, there’s one bit of anime-original content that might hint at Phos’s future changes. The abstract scene of Phos being put back together after being dug out of the shell is very different between the anime and manga. In the manga, they slowly coalesce out of a stream of Cinnabar’s mercury. In the anime, Phos forms out of a liquid of their own coloration. What I want to focus on is what the camera emphasizes in this scene. It focuses on Phos’s feet, arms, pelvis, head, and then their eye. Apart from their pelvis, these are all parts that Phos eventually loses. I suspect this scene was actually the director trying to include some visual foreshadowing.

Assuming I’m right about Phos losing half their torso, I think Padparadscha is going to be what replaces it. Despite their few appearances, they’ve been given a lot of narrative weight, and have a similar coloration to carnelian, ruby, and amber–which are the different interpretations of the red gem written of in the aforementioned sutra. Not to mention all the lotus symbolism surrounding them.

I think that the new Morga and Goshe are actually reincarnations of the old ones, only they were reincarnated as the others’ gemstone. New Goshe’s personality matches old Morga’s and vice versa. The fact that they heard Phos calling out to them in their dreams while Phos was dreaming of the shattered gems seems like a dead giveaway to me. Although given how bad the translation is, I could be misinterpreting Goshe’s words. That said, I do think that Phos is actually somehow psychically connecting to the dead gems in this scene and not just dreaming–the fact that it’s the first full-color scene we’ve had since the beginning of the manga just screams “Pay attention, this is important!”

I’m not the one who came up with this theory but I certainly agree with it: I think that the reason the gems were ground into a fine powder and not just turned into jewelry is because it allowed the Lunarians to extract the gems’ inclusions, and that’s what the human particle is made of. In which case, the dusted gems are well and truly dead, and no amount of reconstruction will bring them back. In my view, the thematic core of the story is about coming to terms with change, loss, and death. Bringing back the lost gems would undercut this theme.

However, I have a feeling that Antarc was actually kept alive. This is one of my crackier theories but please bear with me:

As much as I love Phos to bits, Antarc would probably hate the person Phos has become, which means Ichikawa could still forward those themes I just mentioned even if Antarc was brought back. Things would never be the same between them.

The fact that Aechmea had a replica of one of the broken pieces of Antarc’s face ready when he met Phos is reeeaaaallllly suspect. At the very least, it means that Aechmea has been interested in Phos and has expected them to come to the moon eventually for a while now. Why on earth would he just happen to have a piece of Antarc on him otherwise? My theory is that when Aechmea became aware of Phos’s new arms and the fact that one of the seemingly static gems was rapidly changing, he took an interest in Phos and decided to spare Antarc so he could use them as leverage. (Not that he really needed to since Phos was dumb enough to do his job for him and bring a bunch of potential hostages to the moon. rip)

Going back to the situation with Morga and Goshe, I think it’s possible something went wrong when the Lunarians tried to extract their inclusions which lead to their inclusions dying, and thus why Mora and Goshe were reincarnated whereas none of the other gems appeared to be.

Also going back to when Phos got dissolved and eaten, I think it might be foreshadowing that by the end of the story, Phos will have lost all their original parts. Or maybe it’s just supposed to clue us in early on that the story we’re reading will be about how Phos is broken and repaired, both literally and metaphorically. One or the other…

I’ve noticed that apart from Phos (and kind-of-sort-of Cinnabar,) no one appears on the volume covers more than once. Since they’ve been pretty active recently, I suspect that Euclase and Jade will be on the cover of volume nine. On a related note, I think that Cinnabar will finally crawl out of their dust jacket hovel and onto the cover in the final volume.

The Lunarians briefly mention a gem called Apophyllite after they collect Phos. The fact that there used to be a gem who was the same color as Phos, as well as having a name with similar etymology–and said etymology refers to both gems’ breakage no less–makes me think they might be important later. It wouldn’t be the first time Ichikawa casually name-dropped someone crucial to the plot many chapters before they became relevant.

While Kongo couldn’t understand Ventricosus, the way he talked about the ice flows made it sound like he could understand them. So I think the ice flows must be speaking some human language.

The Admirabilis all seem to be named after the shapes of their shell. Aculeatus means spiked, and he has a spiky shell. Ventricosus means swollen or distended, which may refer to her round snail-like shell. Variegatus means multicolored, so if we ever see her shell, I expect it will be very colorful. I also think Variegatus herself might be bluish green like Phos, since the chapter focused on her definitely invited parallels between her and the old Phos, what with her outgoing personality, the fact that her people see her as a little kid and don’t take her seriously, her tendency to get herself in trouble, and her desire to venture past the safe confines of her society and explore the gems’ island and the moon. Not to mention the fact that Phos themselves could be described as variegated at this point in the story.

Melon has pikachu powers as a sort of fantasy take on tourmaline’s pyroelectric (generates a charge when heated) and piezoelectric (generates a charge under applied mechanical stress) properties. But hemimorphite is also strongly piezo/pyroelectric. I theorize that the reason the two were paired up was so that Hemimor could teach Melon about their electricity powers, and that we’ll see Hemimor using said powers sometime in the future.

Everyone’s already talking about that intriguing shot of the human particle after Phos gets the pearl eye, so I don’t really have much to add to that discussion.

Also, I’ve seen people speculate that the gems are all super short because of how tall they are compared to Kongo. I don’t know if I buy this though, because that assumes that Kongo is as tall as an average human man, which has never been confirmed. When we see Aechmea stand next to Phos, he’s not much taller than they are. In any case, I think it’s a bit too early to speculate on how tall the gems are.

Well that’s about all I can vomit out of my brain for the moment. And despite the wall of text I just wrote, I don’t have much of an idea of how the story will end. I’m excited to see what Ichikawa will say with the ending regardless of how happy or sad the story ends up being. Knowing her, it’ll at least be interesting.

#i'm back on my puzzlebox bullshit #land of the lustrous #houseki no kuni

198 notes · View notes

nezzfiction · 6 years

Text

ENMY Chapter 54 - The First Profane Maiden

Chapter Synopsis: As tensions between Yang and Cinder rise, more insight is revealed into the Fall Maiden's mysterious ambitions.

Team RWBY is disbanded, and Yang must find herself new allies. For her, that might very well be yesterday’s enemies. Joining up with the likes of Emerald, Mercury, and Neo, the four will comprise Team Enemy.

Links to read the series: Ao3 or FF.net

Or hit the jump below

The First Profane Maiden

The best people possess a feeling for Beauty.

The Courage to take Risks.

The Discipline to tell the Truth.

…And the Capacity for Sacrifice.

Ironically, their Virtues make them Vulnerable.

They are often Wounded.

…

And sometimes,

Destroyed.

In the midst of a forest experiencing the peak of winter, Raven stood on an unnatural patch of lush, green grass. With her was a young boy, whose height barely reached her waist.

“She’s gone, Argent. It’s what Bean and I said,” Raven spoke into her scroll.

“……Are you sure?”

“Bean can’t sense her, and I can’t find a trace of her in the Never Realm. If that wasn’t enough, this should convince you.”

Raven turned on the camera on her scroll and transmitted a video feed of what was before them.

Centered in the patch of luscious green land, was a headstone carved of finely polished boulder. The workmanship was uncanny, and the environment just so. The ones who erected the monument made certain it would withstand the tests of time.

On the headstone, it read:

One who Championed the Future.

Who stood tall among Remnant’s finest Huntresses.

Headmaster of Haven Academy.

Loved by Friends, Family, and Students.

Here rests, Victoria Stein.

…

Argent recognized the craftsmanship immediately.

“Masa…” he let out a soft mutter. “If she was the one who made this, it cannot be a lie.”

“I’m sorry, Argent.”

“…...Both of you should return to the armada. You’ve been away long enough. If you are attacked now, there would be no assistance.”

“I am truly sorry.”

“Are you?”

Raven paused, and was about to flare with anger, when she remembered all the things that happened between them. Also, the man was clearly grieving. This was a time for understanding, not defending some petty sleight.

“I am, Argent. You have my sympathies.”

“…”

“I’ve lost siblings before. It was when I was young, and we were never truly close, but I know the pain. I doubt you’d take the offer, but if you ever want to talk… the offer stands.”

“I see.”

“Arge—”

“I must inform Henry. He will not believe it coming from someone else.”

“Tell my father—!” Bean tried to hop within screen view. Raven leaned lower to him. “Tell my father, I am sorry I failed him.”

The Prime Minister shook his head.

“You did not fail him. It is us that failed her. You must take great care, Bean. Your father would not be able to stand losing you as well.”

“I… I understand.”

“Stay close to Blake and Raven.”

“…Instructions will be followed.”

Bean was about to say something more, but shut his mouth.

Raven immediately caught it and knew. It was these precious few moments, these small and humble words that held the most importance. But if never spoken, something would be lost forever. Time can never reverse, and matters left unsaid was a tragedy she experienced too often herself.

She gave Bean a gentle prod on the back. The boy looked up at her face, which all but told him to speak his mind.

“I… I never knew the subject called, Victoria Stein. She… was my mother?”

Argent expressed a bit of confusion. “I suppose, in a sense.”

“I would request her information disclosed to me.”

“…I can arrange you access to her archives.”

“I meant—I request the Prime Minister personally disclose the information to me,” he spoke quickly, but awkwardly. “Father does not speak of her much. Curiosity, peaked. Personal interaction, no longer viable. Would like to know.”

Finally understanding the meaning behind Bean’s words, the elder man smiled. His eyes glossed, unable to bury his emotions.

“Yes. I would be happy to speak about Victoria with you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“No. Thank you, dear boy. We shall be in touch soon.”

The call ended.

Raven and Bean stared at the grave for a while.

“My gratitude, Commander,” the boy said.

“……Remember this, child. Never leave anything unsaid. Ever.” Raven sliced open a portal and plucked a white rose from it. “Never give in to the chance that the words you leave someone aren’t your last. Cut a few simple words short—and you can carry regrets that will eat at you for the rest of your life.”

“You reference previous experience?”

“……Yes.”

“A mother?”

“No. Someone whom I loved more than anything and anyone in the world.”

“They sound important.”

“Yes.” Raven spoke a silent prayer before laying the rose at the grave.

“She was my moon on peaceful nights.

And the bell that chimed my happiness.

Now, the nights are dark.

And my ears can’t hear a thing.”

* * * * *

“…”

“That. Is not disturbing in the slightest,” Cinder groaned, waking up to the blank, empty stare of Penny from across the room. “I believe sleeping arrangements had myself and my subordinates in one room, with the rest of you in the other.”

[I was ordered by Emerald to announce when you were awake.]

“An order she did not think through thoroughly, it seems.” Cinder saw the beds beside her empty. “Where are they?”

[Training, as per usual scheduled routine.]

“Training. I remember when those two shuddered at the word.”

The woman threw off her covers, dressed, and went into the living room.

There, she found Team ENMY sitting with their backs against each other, eyes closed. From what Cinder could tell, they were probably in the middle of running a hallucinated simulation. A practice she had originally designed.

[Cinder has awakened!]

Penny yelled through her internal loudspeaker.

“BAH!! Freakin’ hell!” Emerald gasped, along with her other teammates.

“Em, don’t just bring us out like that!”

“Yeah. It’s my fault your friend freckles over there almost gave me heart failure.” Realizing that her boss was awake, Emerald swiftly regained herself. “Evening, Cinder. Me and Merc didn’t want to wake you, so we thought we’d let you sleep in a bit longer.”

“I see. Never do so again.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“I will oversee your next training session. It would do well to grasp how much you two have grown—and what more you have to improve on.”

“About that, do we even need training anymore?” Mercury cut in. “I mean, bringing up the obvious here, but we’ve got two powerhouse Maidens.”

“I’d hate for the both of you to return to your old slothing habits. So, yes. Your training will resume as it always has, but under my supervision. Have our fake identities been prepared?”

“Just *huff* got ‘em!” Junior ran in out of breath, while passing out several passports. “Only the best, for the best.”

They each took their forged credentials with an obvious scrutiny.

“‘Masamune’? You’ve spelled this one’s name incorrectly.”

“‘Hermes’. Sounds like an STD.”

“What in the hell is an ‘Aladdin’? Is that a guy’s name?”

“‘Rapunzel’? Really?”

“‘Cinderella’. Hm.”

“GUYS. That’s the point of fake IDs. They’re fake. They’re not supposed to actually sound like you.”

“I can’t believe we’re paying you for this,” Emerald clicked her tongue and badly threw a stack of lien to Junior, which he almost dropped.

“No. Of course, no ‘thanks Junior’ or ‘you’re the best, dude!’ Forget that I saved your lives that one time.”

“You had keys in your hand, and you tossed them to us. I wouldn’t exactly call that saving us from a giant, lava assassin, but sure. AND we paid that debt back, and then some. So, no more milking that tree.”

They all gathered around the dining table to have some breakfast/dinner. While Neo, Yang, and Masa were on the cooking shift, Emerald read through news articles on her scroll.

“Can you believe this? ‘Heroes or Menaces?’” She showed them the title of the news article and the picture below of Team ENMY laying waste to a street full of gangsters. “Conveniently forgot to mention that those assholes attacked us last night for the bounty.”

“Heh, chumps. But seriously, what exactly happened to these two?” Junior asked.

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean, how did blondie get a massive upgrade. And I remember this one being freaky before,” he nodded to Cinder. “But these two just solo wiped the concrete with all my business rivals. Like, what’s the deal. New workout routine? Steroids? Or new workout routine AND steroids?”

“None of your business, beardo. Back to what’s really important, our fame just kicked up a few notches. Will these fake IDs hold up?”

“Of course! You can see for yourself. Perfect replicas of Vale Army IDs to get you train access, then Atlas personnel credentials to get you the rest of the way. I pulled a lot of favors to get you these. All you need now are pictures. My advice, don’t look like yourselves.”

Neo instantly morphed into her dark-haired, green-eyed persona.

“Were is so easy for the rest of us,” Cinder commented.

“Mine says I was injured in combat?” Mercury furrowed his brow. “Says I lost both my legs from an airship falling on me.”

“Better than me,” Yang snarled. “Says here, I got my arm decapitated by one Ruby Rose.”

“LOOK. I thought it would sell better if your backgrounds read soldiers returning to Atlas as injured combatants,” Junior huffed.

“That’s actually pretty smart,” Emerald approved.

“Not too insensitive?”

“Oh, it’s insensitive. But it also tickles me, so whatever. Looks like Mercury has to put on the old, ‘you hit me with your car’ routine again.”

“How’s this?” Mercury cleared his throat. “THEY GOT MY LEGS!!! OH GOD! THOSE BASTARDS GOT MY LEGS!!! THE AGONY~~~!!!”

“Okay, maybe we add shattered jaw to your list of injuries.”

“I still can’t believe everyone bought that,” Yang commented in disbelief.

“Like suckers for suckers. How about you? Think you can act like when you first lost your arm?”

“You mean, when I was angry all the time and hated all of you, and didn’t talk?”

“Yup.”

“You just want me to look angry all the time and not talk, don’t you?”

“Yup.”

“……Yeah, I can do that,” Yang rolled her eyes.

“Great. Only problem is, unlike the rest of us, anybody with eyes will recognize you a mile away. Maybe, do something with your hair?”

“Dye it black,” Cinder immediately recommended. “I think it would look rather fitting,” she grinned.

Emerald, Yang, and Neo simultaneously twisted their expressions at her words.

“That. Was a joke.”

“Ha-ha,” Emerald tried to laugh forcefully. “Um, also, I think you might need to change your appearance too.”

“I do?”

“A lot of authorities know about you—especially Atlas officials. And you’re also really…”

“Yes?”

“……Eye-catching,” Emerald blushed.

“Hm. I suppose you’re right.”

“Someone, gag me now,” Yang moaned from the side of her mouth. “Oh, but I could ugly you up a bit. Then, no one would recognize you!”

“A haircut, then. Something short.” Cinder turned to Neo, who was setting the last dinner plate. “If you would do the honors?”

The petite girl nodded cheerfully.

Waiting until they were out of earshot, Yang whispered to Neo with a chuckle.

“Hey, do you think you can mess up cutting her hair?”

The girl violently flicked her nose.

“GAH! Really? I thought you’d be all for doing that.”

Neo puffed her cheeks and jabbed Yang’s chest with her finger.

“Okay, okay, I got it! You take your hobbies seriously.”

She continued to poke her.

“‘Friend’, huh? Cinder is?”

Neo nodded with crossed arms.

“…Why?”

The petite girl threw her a hard look.

Just because you hate her doesn’t mean I have to too.

Don’t be stupid.

Neo turned and walked away.

Back at the table, Emerald continued reading off various news articles.

“Mistral’s pushing hard from the east. ‘Vale forces are faltering.’”

“All according to plan, it seems,” Cinder commented.

“They’re losing the war on purpose?”

“Calculated retreat. Vale’s army is drawing them as close to Atlas’s forces as possible, while making it difficult to gain ground. They plan to force the war into a long-term contest of attrition. It’s the only viable option they have.”

“Hm? ‘Atlas campaign is halted’?”

“…Elaborate.”

“A large portion of the Atlesian Fleet has been recalled back to the Kingdom. They’ve taken a secure post in Vale, but right now, it doesn’t look like they’re continuing with the invasion.”

“Has a reason been given?”

“Nothing said here.”

Cinder held her chin in thought.

“I don’t like it. We’re moving up our departure time.”

“I must reach Atlas as soon as possible.”

* * * * *

“So, they finally got their asses over here,” Coco muttered, while watching an incoming ship from the harbor.

“It’ll be so great to see them again!” Velvet smiled excitedly.

As soon as the ship docked, a Faunus girl stepped off its outstretched plank.

“Always have people begging to be smuggled out of Atlas—but smuggling people in?” Ilia shook her head. “Well, I got your order. Including two Shade Academy students, safe and sound.”

Filing off the boat behind her were two male figures. One with short hair and an enormous glaive mounted on his back. The other with dark orange hair and whited irises.

“Did you boys miss us?” Coco smirked.

Velvet ran up to Fox and Yatsuhashi, and threw her arms around their necks. They supported her weight as they hugged her back.

“It’s great to see you again, Coco,” Yatsuhashi replied.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get sappy on me. We got a lot of work to do. Team CFVY’s reunion party can wait. There’s a big meeting starting soon.”

“Where is Weiss anyway?” Ilia asked.

“…She’s got her hands full with something else.”

“Uh huh. I was wondering if the rumors were true.”

Coco tilted her sunglasses down.

“What rumors?”

“They say the heiress is dead.”

“She isn’t. It’s business as usual.” She tilted her sunglasses back up. “Vel?”

Velvet let go of her reunited comrades, and handed Ilia the data for the next batch of Faunus waiting to be smuggled out of the Kingdom.

“Alright. Well, along with your friends, this week’s shipment of Dust is underneath the floor of the lower deck. Just crack that baby open, when you wanna move it out.”

“Our people got it from here.”

Ilia nodded.

“…Send Weiss my best, then. Tell her she should show herself at the next shipment.”

“Does she need to be here?”

“No, but yeah. She does.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Ilia’s tone lowered and she rested a hand on her hip.

“It means, me and Temujin made a deal with her, not you. No offense. If she’s not around, our business is done. That’s just professional practice.”

“I don’t get it. She’s here, she isn’t here. What does it matter if you still get what you want?”

“Heh,” Ilia chuckled. “See, that’s why you don’t. You’re a mercenary. You’ll work for anyone who pays the right price. People like us? My people? We only work with those we trust. And as weird as it sounds, we trust Weiss to do what’s fair.”

“You’re right. That is weird.”

“Look, I’m sure you’re a really cool gal with your shades and brand-name clothes, but if I don’t see Weiss next week—you don’t see me. We crystal on that?”

“…Yeah. Fine.”

“Now, if that’s all, I got a job to do.”

The girl walked past them and vanished into the streets.

Once Ilia was gone, Velvet walked to Coco’s side.

“This is bad.”

“I know. One thing at a time, Vel. One thing at a time.” She turned to Fox and Yatsuhashi. “Alright, you two.” Coco led them to a waiting car, and tossed them a pair of trench coat jackets and sunglasses from the trunk. “We’re hitting the ground running on this.”

As Team CFVY was driven to the Silbern Mafia meeting, Velvet filled their comrades in on the situation.

“This information is classified and should stay between us. At the moment, Weiss is asleep and we can’t wake her.”

“Do you know who’s responsible?” Yatsuhashi asked.

“Someone who we thought was an ally, Hades,” Coco snarled. “Apparently, he fed her magical fruit or some bullshit. Did the same to the Winter Maiden too. Now, they’re both out of commission.”

“With Weiss gone, Coco and I have been running the organization in her stead,” Velvet continued. “Unfortunately, the work is becoming more harrowing. We need help, which is why we asked you two to come.”

Yatsuhashi and Fox nodded with recognition.

“We’ve tried to cover for Weiss’s absence, but as you’ve seen at the docks, rumors are starting to spread of her disappearance. To be honest, there are a few individuals who are trying to take over Silbern. That, and we are entering strenuous relationships with the other organized groups in Atlas, including the White Fang.”

“This sounds worse than you described,” Yatsuhashi said.

“Much worse. Feel like trailing it back to Vacuo?” Coco snickered.

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Knew I kept you guys around for some reason,” she jabbed him with her elbow.

The team reached the meeting place and entered the abandoned theater. Members of the Silbern Mafia had already filled in the seating. Compared to when Weiss was in charge, the cascading waves of discussions did not cease upon their arrival. Something that irked Coco at the back of her mind.

As they strode down the aisles, murmurs and whispers rose. Some commented on how Weiss failed to show again. Others questioned who the two new members were. Everywhere they turned, it seemed doubt dwelled in their numbers.

As the acting boss, Coco couldn’t help but aggravate under the difference of treatment between her and Weiss. If she was being honest, she thought she made a better leader. At first, the girl thought it was because the members were averse to change, but she was growing to realize it was something else entirely. She touched on it earlier in her conversation with Ilia. And she certainly felt it now.

Weiss had a specific personality—a charisma. She inspired people and drew their trust. She was tough, but fair to all. People had faith in her judgment, because in a way, she made herself completely transparent. There was no questioning her intentions. Within every action, they could see Weiss truly aspire an equality in the Kingdom. For not just people to rise, but to rise together.

It was something Coco could not do.

She took her seat center stage with the rest of her team standing at her side.

Not a second after she did, one member stood and puffed out her chest.

“I propose a vote on new leadership!”

Team CFVY froze immediately, while the rest of the auditorium nodded and voiced agreement with the proposal.

Is it over already?

Yatsu and Fox just got here.

I thought we could get them to calm down if we produced results, but we might not even get a chance to.

Crap!

CRAP!

“I…”

“Once Weiss returns, you may place forth a request to vote for new leadership,” Velvet’s voice echoed with the acoustics. “Until such a time passes, we will operate as business per usual.”

“Except we can’t!” one of the members yelled. “One of the aristocrats must’ve gotten her. We need to pay them back!” another shouted.

“Everyone, calm down.”

“We should just join the White Fang, instead. It was stupid trusting a Schnee,” a Faunus protested.

“Please, you all know the good she’s done.”

“She’s right! If Weiss Schnee isn’t leading this outfit anymore, I’m outta here!”

“Weiss will return shortly. We promise that. She is currently busy with another emergency.”

“Liar! Our birds at the Schnee household told us she hasn’t been there for a while now.”

“…!”

Velvet was going to make another excuse when Coco held her hand.

“You tried. You really tried, but it’s okay.”

“Coco?”

She sighed, and depressingly thought, ‘what would Weiss do in this situation?’

…

Yeah, okay, let’s give it a shot.

“Alright, everybody. Listen up,” Coco stood.

The audience was still in an uproar of debate.

“EVERYONE, SHUT THE FUCK UP RIGHT NOW!!! OR I’LL OPEN UP SOME NEW EARS FOR YOU!!!”

““…””

“Thank you. *Ahem*. It’s true, the princess is out of commission—for now. She’s sleeping away while we’re all freezing our asses off trying to revolutionize a Kingdom. Typical, right?”

A few chuckles came from the crowd.

“While Weiss is getting her beauty rest, we need to pick up the slack. A lot of you have followed us this far. When she came out with her true identity, not one of you left. That means something. I know it does, and I know you guys think so too, cause let’s be honest folks—none of us expected anyone to stay after that. But here you guys are.”

Coco took a deep breath.

“All we’re saying, is hold out a bit longer. The princess isn’t dead. We’ll find a cure, and when we do, she’ll be back on her feet. Come on, who else is going to fight for you like she has? Is there anyone else you’re willing to trust like that? The White Fang? The other crime syndicates? The aristocrats? Let’s not kid ourselves.”

Much of the audience nodded with some mumbles of acceptance.

“Look at all of you; Faunus, Human, poor, rich, middle-class, military, civilian. Weiss was able to bring you together for a reason. She doesn’t just fight for one of you, she fights for all of you. And I think, that’s worth waiting around for. At least for a little longer.”

The theater was silent for a long stretch of time.

…

Then one voice spoke up.

“What’s wrong with her?”

Coco was surprised, since it was the first question about Weiss’s well-being. She coughed and shrugged.

“She literally ate a bad apple, got sick, and fell asleep. Like, not even joking.”

The audience erupted into laughter. Atmosphere in the abandoned building eased.

A few words of, “Food poisoning? She’s sick with food poisoning?” or “I guess the boss is still mortal, after all” made their way through the crowd.

“Um, if the temporary leadership needs help, the Mantle Loyalists will provide support!” a young girl piped up. “Also…”

“What?”

“If we’re talking about a sleeping princess and a cure to wake her up....”

“……You’re going to suggest that? REALLY?”

“A true lover’s kiss should do it!”

More laughter erupted down the rows of seats.

“I volunteer!”

“Me! I’m a great kisser!”

“I don’t know. I think the boss is likely to the kick the crap out of anyone who disturbs her beauty rest! Hahaha!”

As more of the members joked, Coco fell back into her chair shaking.

Whattaya know.

Sometimes honesty is the best policy…

Just as she was starting to relax, Velvet came to whisper in her ear.

“On that note, I think it’s time we tell Ruby about Weiss.”

“……Yeah. Been putting that off for a while, but the kid’s better off hearing it from us than anywhere else. Was not looking forward to that conversation.”

The thought dampened Coco’s mood, but at least the most immediate problem was resolved. She wondered if Weiss would ever understand how strangely she affected these people. How she inspired them.

Now, all we need is for our princess to wake her ass up before Ilia’s next shipment.

* * * * *

A jolt of energy passed Yang’s senses and made her look outside the train.

Their group had been traveling with Vale’s reserve armies for a few hours now. The train had stopped to refuel, and most of the passengers were fast asleep. Including Neo and Masa, who nestled closer to her on each side.

Ever since gaining her newfound powers, Yang found no problems dealing with the weather. Her perpetual warmth was quickly taken advantage of by her teammates, who clung to her like a lifesaver from the cold.

Along with her self-sustaining heat, she gained what she could only describe as a heightened sense of energy. Her eyes did something similar, but this was different. Almost as if Yang could read into the space where fabric of reality and Never Realm overlapped. And it was this strange form of intuition that revealed to her a burst of power some distance away from the train.

She looked across their compartment, and saw Emerald and Mercury without their own Maiden body-heater. Yang remembered Cinder leaving earlier, but pretended not to notice.

After carefully untangling herself from her allies, the girl made for the fluctuating energy signature outside.

…

“Are you guys actually asleep?”

“No, but I was enjoying the peace and quiet, Mercury. Plus, it’s too cold to sleep without Cinder or Yang around.”

Emerald, Mercury, Neo, and Masa opened their eyes and sat up.

“Okay, so everyone’s thinking the same thing I am, right?”

“No one. Ever. Thinks the same stuff you do—”

“What’s our new team name? Are Masa and Penny included? Cause I kinda feel like they shouldn’t be.”

“We are not, this one says firmly, not wanting to be associated with your team’s infamous reputation.”

“Cool.”

“Merc. We have more important things to worry about than team names.”

“CYNEM is what comes to mind.”

“Not a high priority. And what the hell is CYNEM?”

“Cinnamon. Like cinnamon cruncha munch.”

“You’re only thinking that cause it’s one of your favorite cereals.”

“So?”

“We’re not naming our team after a freakin’ cereal.”

“Fine, but you explain to Cinder why her letter’s not in the name when that fun topic comes up.”

“Burn that bridge when we cross it……… And it’s CMYNE. Carmine, you dumbass.”

“What the hell is carmine?”

“It’s a kind of red color. Which makes more sense than ENMY, actually.”

“Ah, yeah. Now that I think about it, our team name does kinda break that rule. How come we went with that? I mean, you noticed when you first came up with it, right?”

“Sure, but I thought the team was going to be super temporary, so I didn’t care. Now, we’re just stuck with it.”

“I like it though.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“I don’t really wanna change it to whatever the hell carmine is.”

“Naming’s hard.”

“So, next question.”

“God! There’s more?”

“Who would win in a fight between Yang and Cinder? I mean, really.”

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“Everybody knows you love Cinder, but let’s be real. Who do you think would win?”

“……You know what? No. I’m not gonna guess who would win if they fought.”

“Not even if we put lien on it?”

“……No! I’m not doing that!”

“I think Yang would win.”

“Merc!”

“What? I’m not saying I’d let Yang kill Cinder if it ever happened. I’m saying maybe, possibly, if they fought, 1v1, no handicaps, final destination—Yang might win.”

“That’s messed up. Why?”

“Just a feeling I got.”

“Mr. Mercury’s assumption is accurate.”

Emerald and Mercury whipped their necks to Masa, accompanied by a crooked stare.

“Wait, why do you think Yang would win?” Emerald asked.

“Hm. It is true they are both Maidens, and under correct circumstances, neither would be stronger than the other.”

“But?”

“But Cinder is fundamentally flawed, this one surmises. Her power is incomplete.”

* * * * *

On the edge of a ridge, Cinder clutched her burning eye and screamed.

Fire and pillars of molten glass rose around her like a hellish nightmare-scape. The earth itself broke out in an endless bramble of dark, polished crystal. The Maiden warped the surrounding environment itself by raw power alone.

At the edge of her manifested territory, glass shattered from a mighty blow. Cinder knew who it was, without seeing her. As more ash and fiery flakes fell from her body, the woman felt her Aura overflow, begging to be unleashed.

Her counterpart appeared from the tree line. Glowing feathers rose in her wake. Eyes piercing with crimson. Yang didn’t seem at all surprised to see the other’s outbreak.

Cinder stopped covering her eye. She stopped trying to fight the pain. Instead, she embraced it.

Although Yang just arrived, she read into the air and knew what to do.

Her arm cocked and triggered, propelling her towards her opponent. In response, Cinder erected a wall of molten glass spears to block her. Flame plumed and bust down the barrier.

The Fall Maiden propelled back with rocket propulsion. In her hands, she materialized a bow and arrow. She pulled the string made of energy, and loosed a number of razor edged projectiles.

Yang parried every one of them with her gauntlets. When Cinder reached groundside, she closed in and brought the fight into close quarters. A furious combo of kicks and punches were exchanged, miniature shockwaves detonated with each meeting.

Though the battle bordered on cataclysmic, it was nowhere near a life or death conflict between Maidens. If anything, it was a simple spar. No more than an exercise, or flexing of muscle.

…

When Cinder finished expending her excess energy, she sat on the cliff of the ridge.

“You can’t control it, can you?” Yang stood next to her. Not close enough as friends would, but not so distant either. “Do you know why it’s happening?”

“It is none of your concern.”

“Yeah. It actually is. I keep wondering when that’s gonna happen to me.”

“You have nothing to worry about, I’m sure.”

“…What’s that mean?”

“Nothing. Unlike you, I must devote special care in keeping my power in check.”

“Didn’t look that way just now.”

“I merely thought it was convenient you were here, and took advantage of the opportunity presented to let off a little steam.”

“Hmph. Right.”

Cinder grimaced. She disliked Yang, but even more so in this moment. This moment of weakness.

“If you’re having trouble, tell Emerald and Mercury about it,” Yang said. “They shouldn’t have to put up with you fronting like you’re alright.”

“It is not a concern.”

“You think they don’t notice, but they do. The way you toss and turn in your sleep. We all know. How you have nightmares of still being stuck in the Never Realm. They’re just too nice to tell you.”

“…And you are not so nice.”

“No. I’m not.”

“Heh,” Cinder chuckled. “Not very compassionate of you,” she remarked with a snide.

The two stared out into the open space for a while. Nothing but still air in their surroundings. Any ambient noise was muffled by snowfall.

…

“Why are you doing this?” Yang asked.

“Doing what, pray tell? You’ll have to be more specific.”

“All of this, what you did before, what it all leads to. Why do you want to destroy Atlas so bad?”

“Emerald and Mercury haven’t told you?”

“No. I didn’t want to put them in that position either. Figured it was better to ask you myself.”

“I simply want what is rightfully mine.”

“And what’s that?”

“The keys to the Kingdom…… along with my personal freedom.”

Something about Cinder’s words and tone struck a chord with Yang.

“Freedom?” she asked.

“Yes. Don’t you feel the same?” Cinder asked back expectantly.

“You already have it. You can walk away, find some small place to live with Merc and Em, and just—”

“There are those who will never stop hunting me, never stop wanting me dead. In order to live my life, I must have power. It is my raison d'etre. My calling. Surely you understand that more than most. I can read it on your face. You seek your own brand of freedom. The two of us…”

“If you give me that, ‘you and I are not so different’ spiel, I will literally knock your tongue down your throat.”

“Hmph,” Cinder scoffed. She plucked a few frosted blades of grass in her hand. When she blew them into the wind, they turned into burning embers. “Emerald tells me you’re fond of fairytales. You and your sweet little sister.”

“…”

“Have you heard of the First Profane Princess?”

“……I don’t like that one very much.”

“I’m sure you don’t.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s where my story starts. You want to know why my first ambitions involve the crushing of Atlas? Then, allow me to tell you a tale. One unfiltered and unsoftened for the ears of children.”

“……I’m listening.”

…

With that, Cinder began to narrate with an enticing, smoky voice.

Long ago existed a prosperous Kingdom.

As a nation, it was young. Only one of the few permanent settlements to exist outside of Mistral.

The environment was cold and harsh for living. An everlasting Winter all year round made survival rather treacherous. A commonality among mankind’s pioneering years.

Though the Grimm that inhabited the lands were powerful, the land also yielded large amounts of Dust, with which the people defended themselves by. The citizens of the Kingdom struggled, but for the most part, grew happy. This was considered due to the benevolence of the royal family, or more commonly known then, as the Mantle Monarchy.

The Queens chosen to lead the Kingdom were famed for being exceptionally selfless in their rule. They gave resources freely. They never taxed heavily. They worked tirelessly for their people, overworking themselves to the point of sickness.

How admirable, is it not?

This trend continued until the turning point of one of the Monarchy’s fateful generations.

Two sisters were considered candidates for the throne. While one was a true heir, the other was only a step-sibling.

Now, I’m sure you’ve heard the most popular part of this tale.

To choose the next ruler, a test was conducted. Whosoever’s feet fit perfectly into the shoes owned by each presiding generation, was the one meant to rule.

An inane concept, substituted for something greater. If there ever was such a thing, it was created to make sure those of a specific genealogy inherited the throne.

And we know what happens next.

The true heir was favored to rule. She was benevolent and selfless, just like those that came before her. She was loved by the people. And with the throne, and the power that came with it, the heir was set to bring more good to the Kingdom.

But the evil step sister grew jealous and greedy.

She killed the true heir.

But because she was not a full descendant, her feet did not fit the shoes. So, she sliced off pieces from her feet. Some say her whole heel was carved. She did so until the shoe fit.

The First Profane Princess.

And with her, started a Game of Thrones, as it were. The royal family blackmailed, injured, and murdered each other for the right to rule.

That is what the former Kingdom of Mantle is known for now.

Now, comes the part where I ask how much you’ve been paying attention.

So, Yang Xiao Long.

Have you discerned the tale underneath the tale?

…

“……The Profane Princess didn’t just kill her step sister for the throne.”

No. She did not.

“She killed her for the Fall Maiden’s powers. She was the first to kill a Maiden to gain their powers.”

And started a bloody tradition that continues to this day.

The First Profane Maiden.

My ancestor. My legacy.

Cinder formed a shard of blazing molten glass in her hand.

“That’s… pretty terrible.”

“The ‘evil’ step-sister is painted rather convincingly as the antagonist, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Is there any other way to look at it?”

Cinder crushed the polished crystal in her hands with an ear-splitting snap.

“What the stories and the histories forget to mention is that war loomed on the edges of the Mantle Kingdom. That the First Profane Princess killed the step-sister she cherished with all her heart, because she knew she was too weak, too selfless to win the war for them. In a sense, she too was so selfless as well… And it led to self-sacrifice. The princess took actions knowing full well what those around her and in the future would call her. A monster.

Cinder formed a twisted smirk.

“Virtues have a way of weakening one, even if they have the power, they refuse to use it out of some misplaced sentiment. That was the fault of the true heir. She would have surrendered her Kingdom away for the sake of peace, if allowed to live. Knowing that, I wonder who was truly the antagonist of the story.”

“You’re not going to convince me you or your ancestor were misunderstood victims. This lesser evil, greater good crap is just something people hide behind to do messed up shit.”

“And you believe those most purest of virtues are in the right? Surely, you’ve learned better than that on your journeys.”

“I know owning principles isn’t everything. But throwing them away and making your own rules is just as stupid. Like everything, there’s a balance. Right or wrong doesn’t exist. Only the actions and decisions people move forward with, and the consequences after.”

“My. No wonder you were deemed worthy.”

“……What do you mean by that?” Yang kneeled beside Cinder and grabbed her collar. “What do you mean by that?” she asked again through gritted teeth.

“So, very compassionate is Yang Xiao Long. A true Maiden of Spring. The first in a very long time, I think.”

“Answer me!”

Yang’s temper boiled. She was called compassionate and worthy by Victoria Stein upon accepting the Maiden’s inheritance. Back then, she assumed they were just parting words, but were they more?

Cinder grabbed Yang’s wrist and peeled it off.

“There was an older way the Maidens were chosen. Not by those who had slain them, or those held in their final moments. They originally meant to stand as judges for their successors. The inheritance was promised to those who held the purest virtues given on the premise of the very first Maidens.”

Cinder touched her freshly short hair for a second, and continued.

“In the beginning, the Four Maidens went in search of a key to helping their people. On their journey, they met a powerful old man that gifted them with the Magic to save their Kingdoms. For Mantle, at its earlier conception, was ripe with corruption, the immortal gifted the Maiden who exemplified Selflessness. For Vacuo’s Maiden, whose lands were the most defeating of all, he gifted their most Hopeful. And Vale, whose people suffered from sickness and poor health, he granted power to its most Compassionate.”

Yang paused.

“That’s why there’s something wrong with your powers,” she tensed. “You killed for your inheritance.”

“Indeed. On the other hand, you removed the thorn from a lion’s paw, as it were. Compassion,” Cinder repeated with emphasis.

“And what about the Winter Maiden?”

“I’m not sure. I can fathom a few guesses, but whatever virtue Mistral’s savior personified has been lost to time.”

“Hm,” Yang repeated the words. “Hope. Selflessness. Compassion.”

“An optimistic ideal. But we know the flaws that lie there.”

“…”

“Hope can lead to Naivety. Selflessness can lead to Sacrifice. And Compassion…”

“Yeah?”

“…Blindness. You can see so much of what makes someone flawed that you forget they are that same darkness no matter what reason they have. How often has your compassion blinded you to what things truly are?”

“Not for a long time,” Yang answered bitterly. “And?”

“And, what?”

“The First Profane Maiden. The Mantle Monarchy. Where do you come in?”

“Mine is not so grand a tale. Twenty years ago, the Monarchy was overthrown. In its ruin, rose the capitalist empire of Atlas. My family was stripped of power. The Fall Maiden’s inheritance, taken and hidden away.”

“…”

“To ensure we would never rise again, we were hunted. As a child, I was almost killed simply for bearing my last name.”

“……And then, my mom saved you.”

“Yes. Raven did.” Cinder’s expression softened, before hardening again. “And I swore I would never feel so powerless again. To live a life that wasn’t my own—at the whims of Atlas or Salem. Never again. I’d die before that happens a second time.”

“…”

“As such, my only option, the only way I can exist, is through the destruction of Atlas.” She spoke with a fire. A confident certainty Yang had so rarely seen in others. An almost undeniable draw, like gravity. “And I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t enjoy watching its disgusting Kingdom burned to nothing but shadow and ash.”

Yang closed her eyes.

She hated how much she could empathize with Cinder. Powerlessness and the desire for freedom were things Yang knew too well. They were more than enough driving forces to cause anyone to seek less-than moral methods. She compromised in her own way, after all. Not to the lengths Cinder had, but in another time...

The woman took Yang’s chin in her hand, and they locked intense gazes.

“Emerald was born to be a thief.

You were always meant to fight.

…

And I?

My destiny

Is to Rule.”

#rwby #cinder fall #yang xiao long #emerald sustrai #neopolitan #mercury black #rwby fanfiction #rwby au #ENMY

3 notes · View notes

pirirps · 7 years

Text

mythbusters starters: season 5

i guess the moral of this story is, don’t paint your airship with rocket fuel.

this ingredient is made of blur. and this ingredient has some blur in it too. this is very dangerous. don’t mix blur with blur.

that took almost ten times longer than the hindenburg took to burn. the entire hindenburg.

if you’re getting chased by a crocodile, you can easily escape them by running in a zigzag pattern, because they can not turn corners.

they’re fishnet stockings.

oh no, they’ve got feathers on them still!

megadope!!!

duuuuudearonomy!

is everybody okay?

oh noooo! the crocodiiiiiilleee!!!

this should solve the mystery once and for all.

you want three zeppelins in a day? we’ll give you three zeppelins in a day.

these things are always catchin’ on fire!

and that, kids, is the textbook definition of “irony”.

next up on discovery: the world’s deadliest piñata!

why are they hissing?

i’ve been watching a lot of professional wrestling on television, so i’ve learned a lot of wrestling moves, and i’m gonna test them out on this crocodile.

there’s only one thing left: plan c. and that’s c for “crazy”.

that’s crocodiles… but what about ALLIGATORS?

this thing is going to buuuuuurrrrnnn.

if you’re driving around with a truck full of birds, and the birds take flight, will your truck get lighter?

the birds will be too fat to fly!

____’s pain threshold is way lower than a pigeon’s.

is that photoshop?

oka [voice cracks] ay.

the only evidence they have is this photo and accompanying reports.

his ocd kicks in– that’s “obsessive crash disorder”.

ooooohh, five bucks?

[smashing things with a sledgehammer] i am! so! sick! of! _________!

bueno! that’s spanish for “good”.

i’m gonna do my pole dance.

just had to mention the weather, didn’t you?

_______ makes it look so easy when he does it!

team unity is the first casualty.

seeing as ______ and ______ are rejecting each other’s reality and substituting their own, this argument is going nowhere.

i guess it didn’t happen exactly the way it was reported.

i wanna see some carnage.

okay, escape plan: same as last time.

i’m givin’ up.

i think it’s gonna be a web-shooter.

i’m ready. [covers crotch with hands] yeah, i’m ready.

see what happens when we pull this string.

with thoughts of unemployment crowding his mind, how could he fail?

is he saying “red rum”?!

no, my dog voice doesn’t work.

look into my eyes… deeper… you will fall into a deep, deep sleep!

exactly! except we won’t kill people.

can i be hypnotized to do something against my will?

i know he’s not that good an actor.

just because we can’t do it doesn’t mean it can’t be done.

i don’t like the idea of this.

this is trickery.

the only way that any of that would’ve made sense is if music started playing and he started taking his clothes off.

this is the burrito.

that’s high explosives, huh? it looks more like a taco.

you’re gonna shoot my hat off?

i’m gonna shoot your hat off.

oh, can we break out of jail? i’ve always wanted to do that!

yippee-ki-yay!

when they made _____, they broke the mold.

so this is what you were expecting all along, and you were just gonna watch us bumble around with this?

just imagine what i could do with steel-toed boots.

i’m sick of being the guy that throws up on camera.

i’m afraid of commitment and i don’t think that’s gonna change.

you’ll know it works because i’ll come back with, like, purple eyes.

spin me, baby.

come on! i wanna see you blow chunks!

attaboy!

i just can’t stand those things. they freak me out.

that 100% sucks.

i didn’t want to listen to you going “dude, it’s totally okay. dude, it’s totally okay. dude, it’s totally o–”

the fake blood department would have its hands full.

i’m tired of being the ______ guinea pig.

you know when you haven’t eaten for a while, and you’re just throwing up bile? yeah. this is just bile.

never leave your position, _____!

boys will be boys.

well, actually, i heard this one about this guy, and he had a jet pack?

why does it smell like this? what did he keep in here?

all in the name of science, of course.

y’know, something tells me that this is, maybe, not the best of the options.

if you’re thinking that a refrigerator is going to contain a grenade, you’re dead wrong.

we’re what you’d call “experts”.

you can jump around, make cat noises, do karate chops, all kinds of adolescent behavior like we know you love to do.

what makes you think i have a ninja costume?

well, maybe we should start by finding a real ninja.

i’m hoping _____ won’t get hurt too bad. a little bit is good.

jimmy choo can rest easy.

decapitation hazard, everybody!

people say i’m not that quick.

[trying to sword fight with a measuring tape]

[clapping] yaaaaaaayy!

not many people know this, but ______ comes from an ancient line of nine generations of shoe-tiers.

come, silent walrus! let us storm the castle! i will don my safety gear!

the important thing is that i look damn good.

______ were not at all above trying to encourage the belief in their supernatural powers.

they wanted people to fear their magical powers.

do it like your life depends on it.

thanks for that motivation, ______.

don’t think of it as a competition… but it is.

a ninja must go to the bathroom before he swings his sword.

he hasn’t looked this incensed since star trek was cancelled.

this thing’s starting to look like a monster. pretty soon you’re not even gonna recognize it.

everybody knows being caught on the rebound doesn’t count.

he stopped it with his head.

hai! ikimashou! – that’s “let’s go” in japanese.

whoo! if i had any dignity, that would have been humiliating.

i’m stealthy as the night.

don’t i look like silent death, bringing justice in the night?

so i notice you have all your fingers.

wow, you have a lot of confidence in her. more than we do.

so you mean all those ninja movies were not true?

it’s water. it’s… got something else in it. but. it’s water.

there’s nothing _______ would rather do than play in a giant tub of goo.

ohh, that’s so funky! ooooohhh, duuuude, that feels so wrong!

come on in, the water’s great!

is that legal in baseball?

it’s ever so slightly totally illegal.

something’s gonna go somewhere it shouldn’t, we’re gonna have mayhem one way or another, but– what the heck, it’s all in the name of science, right?

it’s a brand new, high-speed, intricate rig with multiple moving parts. seriously, what are the chances that it’s going to work the first time?

[cupping hands over mouth to make walkie talkie noises] one small step for man… one giant leap for mankind.

aaaaand the bat is still there.

swing like you’re pissed off.

do you watch ANY sporting events?

yeah, i watch sports. i watch robot combat.

how ‘bout humid balls?

there’s actually a lot more to baseball than you might think.

great. because there’s nothing we’re better at than organized sports, right?

HEY batta batta batta, SWING batta batta batta, SWING!

is it a bird? is it a plane?

it’s fight club– superhero style.

no one can run at the speed of light, no one can spin webs, and no one turns green when they get angry and has super-strength.

if we’re gonna do this in true superhero fashion, i think you all need to put your underwear on the outside of your pants.

it’s a key component on the belt of… nocturnal echolocating flying mammal man.

in a never-ending fight against crime, superheroes often have to leap tall buildings.

we’re gonna have to do this one for real, man. we can’t fake it this time.

it’s a little bigger than batman’s.

i’m not in really great shape like batman is, but, you know, i’m gonna try.

that’ll feed my family for a month!

you all set, batman?

i’m all set, boy wonder!

i don’t remember batman having this much trouble.

ladies and gentlemen, there’s a new superhero on the block.

if you guys don’t mind, i’m just gonna lie here for a little while.

superheroes big and small are getting put to the test.

he’s that guy who could punch people so hard he left a scar in the shape of the skull on his ring.

if we can’t punch each other, who are we gonna punch?

as we know, ____ was raised by robots.

i need these two in adamantium, and these two in kryptonite.

his name is porkloinio. he’s an evil… pig… man.

our comic book criminal is down for the count.

you know, i can’t me _____man all the time. sometimes… i just have to be _____.

batman probably didn’t get it on his first try, either.

let’s go be batman.

what’s in the bag?

i like how she does the little hair flip.

holy awesomeness, _____!

this is gonna be the coolest batmobile ever!!!

holy air-cannon, _____!

this is actually the most dangerous thing i’ve built in a long line of dangerous things.

oh! newton’s laws! we forgot newton’s laws!

who says superheroes don’t bleed?

it’s not good for the image to be seen taking the elevator.

while it may look like an abandoned aircraft hangar, it is, in fact, a super-modern superhero training facility.

god, i hate these things. gimme a ladder any day of the week!

yeah, i still have to come up with a name for this thing. i’m thinking… “nocturnal echolocating flying mammal man’s cable shooter”.

this is all a little frightening.

this is definitely harder concrete than anything i’ve ever seen before.

curses! foiled again!

NOW LET’S GET OUT AND FIGHT SOME CRIME!!!

what is it with you and these robots?

i call the gun!

well, that’s gonna suck.

i can’t believe this is my job.

right, so here’s your motivation: you’ve just robbed a bank and you want to get away.

you know, this is my first surgery ever, aaaaaand– i feel like it went pretty well. i didn’t even go to med school, either.

i feel so sci-fi!

it’s probably gonna explode and she’s gonna lose her arm. i can’t wait to see that.

look, i think we’re already on enough government watch lists. let’s watch this one go.

that doesn’t seem very… logical.

now that’s an enterprising idea.

the ninja is making a comeback.

we killed the ninja!

yeah, but the law in the us and the uk is different.

where are we gonna get a car that can go 200 miles per hour?

this thing is beautiful. i think i’m gonna cry.

where’s the satellite radio? where’s the cup-holder? this is very primitive.

that’s on purpose. that’s what’s supposed to happen.

it’s really only demonstrable through telling a story.

the police are coming, so let’s wrap up and get out of here.

can i fire this one? can i? can i? can i? do you mind? do you mind? is it alright?

you’re a freak!

now all we need is a 40-AA bra.

a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.

i can’t look.

i just don’t know if these express me. i think i might want a different color.

is this as disturbing as i think it is?

it’s even more disturbing than you think it is.

[tosses bra on your face]

you need some help, big guy?

you didn’t take off your shirt, did you?

what are you, nuts?

it’s kinda dark in here. maybe we should light a fire.

it’s a bad idea to cross the streams.

he’s going through a rebellious phase and wanted to upset his mom.

ugh, it’s like you’re a mind-reader or something!

you pushed me out of the way, what the hell was that?!

i was giving you more of a challenge!

i like to live my life halfway like an action hero and halfway like a cartoon character.

[racecar noises]

i remember it like it was only yesterday…

i figure if you wanna get out of a ticket, short skirts and crying is still the way to go.

________ only works if the officer is human.

once the bumper goes back on, it’ll be fine, no one will know. … until they crash.

one car. almost two miles of runway. no speed limit. it’s just another day in ________ paradise.

i’m gonna have a fire suit on, a helmet, the whole nine yards. just in case i crash. and burn. and stuff like that.

ah, _____. ever the optimist.

based solely on my own intuition and on now practical experience whatsoever, i estimate that we can get this car up to 100 miles per hour.

let’s see ______ bat his baby blues now!

we’ve caught you red-handed!

i dunno, old man, maybe you just don’t have what it takes.

nitroglycerin? that’s explosive!

i mean, we break everything we touch.

when you say “we”, you mean “you”.

it’s going to be… potentially… the most lethal thing i’ve ever built.

this thing, if it works, will definitely kill you.

it’s like frankenstein’s laboratory.

well, y’know, normally the paddles don’t have serrated edges, but this is a homemade defibrillator.

think we could go get first place in the science fair?

this doesn’t look dangerous enough. you think we should go get some buckets of water to stand in? or turn on the sprinkler system?

just put your safety glasses on.

she made it!

yeah, i’m sure my mom will watch this later and she’ll be like, “augh! not again!”

it’s open season on speedsters.

you know what? i’ll save you some time. it’s probably illegal.

i’ll eat my hat if this is legal in even one state.

it’s enough to make your hair stand on end!

want an umbrella?

that seems reeeeeeeeeally reeeeeally really dangerous.

lots of water? large amounts of electricity? i don’t see a danger in that at all.

i… didn’t think it was gonna hurt me. i thought i had that one under control.

can someone unwrap me?

turn off the camera and help me get out of this thing!

i love being wrong.

you did very good, sweetie.

well, i’m pretty sure no one is going to sell us nitroglycerin.

can i drive the car?

all that’s left now is to gently break _____’s heart.

i’ve got a little somethin’-somethin’.

nice work, speedy gonzalez.

we’ll be checking in often.

weren’t you a bugler in the civil war?

trust ____ to turn a trombone into an instrument of torture.

why don’t we let the narrator explain?

nag, nag, nag.

you’d think we would learn.

it’ll toast your waffles to almost 3000 degrees.

it’s in the danger zone.

excellent! danger!

[smashing things with hammers] ABANGADABANGADABANGADA–

did you see the death star when it went out? i want an explosion like that.

_____’s mug is looking smug.

i bet you’re wondering why i’m standing here holding a plunger.

it gets me all steamed up just thinking about it.

_____’s going to be playing cowboy.

okay, so, the ranch actually has a psychic horse.

god, this seems like a really stupid idea.

deedoo! deedoo! deedoo! fashion police!

do you feel any heat? in your pants, i mean.

our patient is sick.

jim morrison, eat your heart out!

there’s no way of doing this without looking creepy right now.

he’s a genius… a demented genius!

are we gonna have to amputate his legs?

badabing, badaboom.

welcome to the ______ clubhouse!

tight jeans look very foxy.

this kind of stress on a regular basis can’t be good.

it just goes to show, there’s danger everywhere.

did you know what was lurking in your basement?

do either of you want my jeans that were dragged through horse manure?

gee, that sounds like fun!

i’m gonna go talk to him, find out what he knows.

have i ever told you that i sing in _____’s band twice a month?

he was voted in germany the sexiest tv star alive, second only to david hasselhoff.

i was a small wookiee in star wars episode 3.

no you weren’t, because i would have seen you, because i was also a small wookie in star wars episode 3!

i haven’t been this excited since my last cage match!

we have a few friends in law enforcement.

you ever get the feeling people are watching us work?

zis… it may look like simple clockwork, but… i seenk of it as a map of ze most complex clockwork art, like ze planets. it is not a planetary gear, but i seenk of it as a planetary gear because each thing, like a planet, moves in its place and goes where it should. it is not only a map of ze planets, it is also a map of ze atom! in zis vay, the microcosm is the macrocosm! and phylogeny recapitulates ontology!

that is so creepy!

i feel a total kinship with the guys who made this thing.

it put a dent in a quarter inch of steel.

i’m very pleased. and terrified.

our criminal mastermind has the details.

oh, this sucks. this went from fun to not fun.

is your first name salvatori?

i got the third degree.

my happy-slash-erotic thoughts are puppies licking my face and scantily clad women.

i don’t like people asking me unexpected questions like that. i’ve seen montel. i know how they get people.

_____ and _____ are involved in a steamy affair.

it’s a ballsy plan.

what can i say? i’m not cut out for crime.

i didn’t bring me bikini. did you bring yours?

[driving right past the building] we are looking for… the _____…

that sucks. that sucks!

have you ever ridden on the bus long distance before?

i don’t wanna take this test. can i opt to not take this test?

i think he’s dead.

it’s shiny. it looked like a fun thing to take.

well, looks like we get to take that cross-country trip you’ve been talking about.

i might forgive you, but not for the next two days.

now drop and give me twenty.

c'mon, c'mon, we need to come up with something!

so in all of your eclectic careers, have you ever gone and gotten a pilot’s license?

this is all alien to me.

why’s it telling me not to think?

unfortunately, i died. and all of my passengers and my crew died with me.

hey, it’s like we’re stormchasers!

that’s a bird, dude.

so that’s what they look like inside…

[addressing the beeping computer] what? what? i don’t know what to do?

i– i– i– crashed. i crashed. i landed in some farmland about ten miles out of denver.

adios amigo!

OH SSSSSHHHUCKS!!!

we’re doing point blank! can’t you tell? i’m keanu reeeves!

i have a feeling this will probably be a new high in terrifying moments in my life.

what are we, like, ten?

[UNINTELLIGIBLE HIGH-PITCHED SCREAMING]

I’M ALIIIVEEE!!! I’M AAAALLLIIIIIIIVVVEEE!!!

so get this–

ever since people invented planes, they’ve been wanting to throw themselves out of them.

we’re gonna go to some hot night clubs.

i just gotta remember to breathe, not shit my pants, not pass out, and not scream like a little girl.

______, i’m frightened!

what kind of special treat do you have for me today?

for your sake, i hope so! [maniacal laughter]

are you gonna stay in-character this entire time?

when it comes to magnets, i’m your guy.

it looks like a watch, but it’s not.

it’s really good that we get this chance to bond.

it’s a classic james bond maneuver.

in the words of dr. no: “we never fail, mr. bond.”

i’m sick of these monkey suits.

moneypenny never packed a piece like this!

it’s best not to anger ______ when he’s got a steel girder in his hands.

well, i’m just gonna go for this and hope for the best.

i’m gonna be rc-ing this boat. and then maybe i’ll let _____ sit in it and then let it go out of control.

allow me to demonstrate with secret agent yarn.

anyone else feeling like an evil genius?

today, propane tanks. tomorrow– world domination!

you’ve had your last martini, _______!

as many times as we do this, i don’t get used to how much fun it is.

i mean, it seemed like a good idea at the time.

let’s go get a couple of martinis.

have you lost your damn mind?

cowabunga! let’s rip it up!

i am ready to rip it and– shred some– some stuff. did i say that right?

is it really impossible to fly a lead balloon?

yup, the insurance doesn’t cover that.

robot! i knew it!

ready to hang ten?

how’s he gonna hang ten? he’s got no feet.

you look nervous.

yeah, spank that water!

is it just me, or is he trying to clone himself and make a little army?

the ingeniously named "step 2" is complete.

i still want more... balloon-ness.

if someone says it’s impossible, we just take it as a challenge!

the kids can’t help but destroy their creation.

#meme #*mine #rp starters #sentence memes #sentence starters

7 notes · View notes

drink-n-watch · 5 years

Text

Guys, have I told you how lucky I am to work with Crow? He is always supporting and incisive. I can count on him and it’s a big deal. For instance, I am way late with this review. I’ve been burning the candle at every possible end and then some, so after I watched Demon Slayer yesterday, I dashed out the door got back late in the evening and just collapsed without putting my end of the post together. I do that a lot. Crow has never so much as grumbled if anything he wants to know if I had fun and is genuinely happy for me when I did.

I’m not blushing at all. No sir. Not one little bit!

And it’s not just me. He goes out of his way to shout out other blogs in his episode reviews. That’s a lot of work, believe me! He’s always happy to answer questions and help other bloggers out and to this day, I have never seen him ask for anything in return.

No, you didn’t accidentally stumble onto my Crow appreciation post. I have a point, and it’s this: having a social support system with people who honestly care about you and want your happiness changes everything, as we learned in this week’s Demon Slayer!

And she brought it home! Swoosh!

I’m impressed! It’s thematically perfect. And you’re right — social support is important. As far as this episode goes, I’m dying to talk about the “family” and my new favorite character Shinobu (but I don’t want to say it too loudly for fear of offending her…), but I think it’s best we follow the forms.

So, I’m bold his week and there will be spoilers. I know, saying that is repetitive, but I’d really hate to spoil something without warning someone first!

So this week was the long-expected conclusion to the Spider Forest arc. Or at least I assume. And although I knew (we all knew) that this is what was going to happen (i.e. Demon Slayers rool, demons drool – now let’s get outta here), I personally didn’t expect it to happen quite this way! How about your Crow?

I think it’s safe to say what happened took me by surprise. Now, part of it I probably could have guessed, but even that part had a Demon Slayer spin on it. While last week was all about spectacle, this week was all about playing with expectations.

I was both exhausted and exhilarated to see Rui get back up. The fight had already lasted a while and was so visceral and punishing that I wasn’t sure if I could take more. But at the same time, I love that Rui is a genuine threat, one that Tanjrou may not be able to deal with yet, no matter how hard she tries.

I had expected Giyuu ex Machina last week, I had to admit Rui’s revival had me so surprised I almost forgot about Giyuu. Almost, not completely, the boy is kind of unforgettable.

The fight was great as usual, but you know what I got out of it? “Giyuu is unreachable”. That’s how Rui put it as his threads were being blown away the second they got close. I think this will be a metaphor that comes back. Giyuu’s strength and calm have built an impenetrable wall around him and he is alone now. We’ll see if Tanjirou can change that. Any thoughts on this awesome fight or the foreshadowing?

First, did you see Rui use webbing to pick up and reattach his head? That was creepy and effective!

I remember thinking why isn’t the body disintegrating and then….

You know, when Rui explained that he’d cut his own head off to prevent Tanjiro from doing so, I almost felt cheated. Part of the exhilaration last week was a product of Tanjiro and Nezuko working together to take down an unstoppable foe. Learning they’d actually failed hurt.

But as soon as Giyuu announced he was about to use Total Concentration, Water Breathing, Eleventh Form, Dead Calm, I was as surprised as Tanjirou. And I forgot all about my disappointment.

I think your point about Giyuu is insightful. Nothing gets to him; nonone can touch him. In a way, he’s the perfect antithesis of Tanjirou in that the latter’s in this for his family, whereas (as far as we know), Giyuu is alone. Now that you’re mentioned it, I’m really interested to see where this goes!

ven though Giyuu made very quick work of the situation, a demon never goes gown that quickly, and we finally got an explanation of what’s been happening here through Rui’s extended backstory, and boy was it sad.

Oh sheesh, pretend I said this at the beginning of the post: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. LOTS AND LOTS OF SOILERS!

I got you covered!

See what I mean, you can count on this guy!

Rui is incredibly strong and somehow got permission to spread his blood, something usually taboo among Demons. Rui’s blood is so strong in fact that it can transform demons that take it in, in Rui’s likeness. Although it’s an imperfect and impermanent transformation. It also grants these demons exceptional powers they did not have before. That is what Rui’s family is. Just a collection of random demons Rui took in. That’s why instead of names they have functions such as Big Brother or Mother.

None of them care about Rui or each other really. And Rui, having lost all memory of his human life, was forcing this charade because he felt the need to recapture something. Although he didn’t really know what anymore. One thing is for sure, he did not manage to create a family.

I think one of the scenes that hit me most was seeing mother revert back to her true form. As a seemingly very young demon. Believing her to be a lost woman in an abusive relationship with “father” was one thing, knowing that she’s a random little girl demon forced into this bizarre play is a completely different type of nightmare. One I’m less familiar with so it makes it scary. One that could potentially still encompass the other as well. How about you Crow, what were your takeaways from Rui’s home life (they use to be a very large family I notice…)

Seeing them all sit around the table for a family “dinner” was surreal. The utensils were cracked and broken. There was no food. Just a fandom collection of demons, united in fear of Rui, taking on the form of the family with none of its substance.

What really drove home Rui’s deranged state was how, as you pointed out, we started out with a pretty large family — but by the current timeline in the story, there weren’t many left. And they weren’t killed by Demon Slayers! Kumo Oni Ane (sister) betray another family member, just to show her worth to Rui, was both horrifying and understandable. Rui tortured the other sister, then tied her to the top of the house facing east. Seeing the betrayed sister begin to cry as the morning sun struck her and turned her to ash kinda summed up everything wrong with Rui’s delusion.

In the tail end of the episode, we catch up with Big Sister, now alone and the super scary butterfly demon slayer lady. I have to admit the butterfly kimono design sure works well in movement. Good collaboration between character design and animation there. That fight (like most demon slayer fights) was delightful to watch.

And butterflies are often carrion creatures that feed on corpses. This weird overlay of fragility, beauty and grim appetite somehow personifies the character well.

A lot of people think that the girl is a demon. I can see why. They are probably right. A tiny part of me is wishing that she isn’t. She isn’t strong enough to decapitate a demon for one. That’s unusual as we have seen demons always have greatly increased physical strength. But maybe this case is special. She also doesn’t seem to sense other demons… Something is off about that girl. I’m not saying she’s human, that may be even weirder but I’m thinking she may be a hybrid or a “something else”.

Maybe it’s just me, but I think Shinobu stole the show! Sure, Giyuu was his normal awesome and cool self. But Shinobu… When she pinned Kumo Oni Ane to the ground and asked her how many people the demon had killed, she already knew the answer. She was just giving the poor demon enough rope to hang herself with. Did I just say “poor demon?” In this context, yeah, the demon was really at a disadvantage. Shinobu was so cheerful, and so upbeat, and so beautiful, that when she talked about how she was going to have to torture the demon to satisfy justice, the contrast was almost hard to articulate.

Statements like “Let’s both give it our all!” — where Shinobu’s all would be inflicting torture and sister demon’s would be healing from the torture — were within a context that was outside my experience. Did you catch how she lamented that she was weak to kill a demon by decapitation, but she compensated by creating a demon-deadly poison? It was chillingly in character for her to add, “I’m also rather awesome!”

And her swordplay…

You’d think the character impressed me or something!

For me, it was all about Big Sister.Thie fierce drive for survival she has that overrides everything else. Betraying friends, associated even her own self without hesitation in order to survive. It’s pIt really created a tangible ethos with powerful motivation that my mind latched on to.

Well, this is a short review by our usual standards. The episode was great in my opinion. I really liked it. And it once again showed that Demon Slayer works better when our three boys aren’t roughhousing together (or at all). But it was also a plain, straightforward emotional tale. I think this one is best felt rather than overanalyzed. And I respect that Demon Slayer has the range for those sorts of stories as well. How about you Crow?

I’ll echo your observation that Demon Slayer has the range for both the glorious combat from the previous episode and the quietly developed, emotional horror of this episode. It takes skill to pull off either; even more skill to pull off both. I’m impressed.

I also liked how the last shot was of Rui’s severed head on the ground, facing the thing he wanted most but couldn’t have — or could not ever have had given his technqiues.

He was facing Tanjirou, who couldn’t even stand. He had barely managed to drag his body over to Nezuko. Now, he had wrapped his arms around her unconscious head. All he could do was say her name.

And all Rui could do was turn to ash.

At least, I hope he turned to ash. I guess we didn’t really get to see it!

Reviews of the Other Episodes

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 01: Cruelty

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 02: Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 03: Sabito and Makomo

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 04: Final Selection

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 05: My Own Steel

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 06: A Friend fo All Humans

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 07: Muzan Kibutsuji

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 08: The Smell of Enchanting Blood

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 09: Temari Demon and Arrow Demon

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 10: Together Forever

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 11: Tsuzumi Mansion

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 12: The Boar Bears Its Fangs, Zenitsu Sleeps

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 13: Something More Important Than Life

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 14: The House with the Wisteria Family Crest

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 15: Mount Natagumo

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 16: Letting Someone Else Go First

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 17: You Must Master a Single Thing

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 18: In which Tanjiro Dispenses Good Advice

Review Of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 19: The Bonds That Tie Us And A Family Affair

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 20: In which Tanjiro Dispenses Good Advice Guys, have I told you how lucky I am to work with Crow? He is always supporting and incisive.

#action #anime #Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba #Horror #shonen #supernatural

0 notes