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#he only joined the force because he's a dumbass who doesn't know how the world works
aspoonofsugar · 2 days
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Angel and Alastor: Masquerade
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Angel and Alastor are the first two demons to join the Hazbin Hotel, as respectively a guest and a staff member. However, both hide their real motivations and feelings towards the project.
On the one hand Angel deep down wants to change, but is too scared to admit it:
And I know I'm raisin' cane by every highway in Hell Maybe things won't be so terrible inside this hotel
On the other hand Alastor has ulterior motives, but he has yet to disclose them:
I'm hungry for freedom like never before The constraints of my deal surely have a back door
In other words, the two demons wear a mask and refuse to reveal their real feelings. This behavior is rooted in two jungian archetypes that can be used to describe Angel and Alastor's parallel arcs.
PERSONA AND SHADOW
According to Jung, the persona and the shadow are two complementary parts of the human mind:
The persona or mask is what lies in the light for others to see. It is what a person shows while interacting with the world.
The shadow or beast is what is hidden in the darkness. It is what a person represses and refuses to reveal to the world.
Both Angel and Alastor wear personas to hide their shadows:
Angel Dust: Oh ho ho, me? Fake? Wow, I had no idea. Guess that's why I'm an actor, dumbass.
Alastor: Just because you see a smile don't think you know what's going on underneath.
However, they are opposites in how they deal with this masquerade.
Angel embodies the persona, as he is linked to masks and lights (he peforms under flashing lights):
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He always acts to the point he is trapped in a neverending role:
Angel Dust: It's not an act! It's who I need to be.
So, he doesn't know who he is anymore. Is Angel Dust all there is? Or can Anthony still be found deep down?
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Valentino owns Anthony and has forced him in the persona of Angel Dust.
Alastor embodies the shadow, as he is linked to darkness (his powers make use of shadow-creatures):
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He represses his feelings behind a smile:
Alastor: A smile is a valuable tool, my dear. It inspires your friends, keeps your enemies guessing, and ensures that no matter what comes your way, you're the one in control.
As a result, his darkest instincts are slowly taking over, making him a threath to both others and himself:
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As Alastor hides his true intentions, his shadow grows bigger and more malicious.
The two demons perfectly sum up how dangerous the persona and the shadow can be, if left unchecked:
If one constantly wears a mask, it won't come off and will suffocate the person's self.
If one keeps on repressing their emotions, these feelings will grow stronger and find violent ways to come out.
Angel is a persona stuck to the face, whereas Alastor is a festering shadow.
The two characters' similar and yet opposite archetypes are so intertwined in Angel and Alastor's stories that they emerge in two additional ways.
1- Structurally
Angel is the only supporting character, who gets a whole episode dedicated to himself. He is the protagonist of Masquerade's A plot, whereas Charlie gets the B plot. He steals the spotlight (LIGHT)
Alastor is a character, who is never the protagonist of an episode. He gets development through the B plots, whereas others, like Lucifer, get the A plots. He thrives in the shadows (SHADOW)
2- Through Angel and Alastor's media motifs
PORN STAR AND RADIO DEMON
Angel is an actor, whereas Alastor is a radio host. These two medias tie into both the characters' bonds and identities.
Angel - The porn star
Bonds - In porn movies, actors fake pleasure on camera. Similarly, Angel Dust only knows fake love. He is trapped in unhealthy relationships and lets others exploit him. Be them Valentino or some random dudes in a bar:
Angel Dust: You don't think I can tell if someone spikes my drink? I do this all the fuckin' time!
At the same time, Angel himself approaches everyone in an overly sexual way:
Angel Dust: No activity requires more trust than BDSM, baby. No bond stronger than those formed through bondage!
It is not by chance that he suggests to bond through bondage. It is because for him sex equals bonds. However, this approach makes so he is unable to create genuine romantic relationships.
Identity - To act means to play the part of someone you are not, which is what Angel does all the time:
Husk: I see right through you and all this bullshit and how fake you are.
He hides behind his drag queen character to protect himself:
Angel Dust: Oh, please, baby. This body was made to be exploited. I got the arms, I got the stamina, I got the legs. I got the lung capacity. Oh, I got the legs. The gag reflex, the holes, the chest fluff everyone thinks are tits.
In other words, Angel's life is made of fake relationships (porn) and of a fake self (star). This characterization is perfect for a living persona.
Alastor - The radio demon
Bonds - Alastor's radio podcast is made of the voices of his many victims:
Mimzy: No one knew what happened to 'em, until these strange radio broadcasts started going out. All you could hear were screams. Every time an overlord went missing, there'd be a new voice screaming in the broadcast! That's when Alastor revealed himself as the radio demon, and anyone that would mess with him… well, let's just say, his broadcasts never lacked new voices.
He takes others' voices and souls to grow stronger. At the same time, it is implied Alastor has also the potential to amplify one's voice. This is why he symbolically shares his staff with Charlie and helps her go through to the Cannibals:
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This fits the shadow, as this part of the self is simply what a character represses, both positive and negative. Similarly, Alastor can:
Manipulate others' insecurities and take advantage of them
Help others realize their hidden potential, so they can grow
Identity - Radio stars perform only through their voices and have no need to show their face in public. In other words, this media lets people hide in shadows. Similarly, Alastor uses the radio-filter to mask his voice:
Alastor: (with absolutely no static) What just happened? notices broken microphone …fuck.
So, Alastor hides everything of himself, both positive and negative, behind a filter. That is why he is a walking shadow.
Angel and Alastor's medias are important also to explore their relationships with Valentino and Vox.
Valentino is a cinema producer and director. He frames himself as the reason of Angel's success, while profitting of the porn star's acting career (producer). At the same time, he wants to control and direct every part of Angel's life (director). He is Angel's abuser both economically and romantically.
Vox is the TV demon and Alastor's rival. In the real world TV and radio fought to affirm themselves as the preferred media and the former eventually won. Similarly, Vox and Alastor's friendship turned into animosity. In the end, Alastor disappeared and Vox took over. Vox is the future. Alastor is a "has been".
At the same time, Valentino and Vox tie into Angel and Alastor's respective archetypes. In particular:
Valentino is the shadow character that complements Angel's persona symbolism
Vox is the persona character that complements Alastor's sadow symbolism
All these ideas are conveyed by two songs.
POISON AND STAYED GONE
Poison and Stayed Gone are similar in how:
They describe Angel and Alastor's relationship with a Vee
They play with medias (cinema, radio and TV)
They use shadow/light symbolism
Poison - Love potion
Poison describes Angel's bond with Valentino through what is basically a pop music video, which starts like this:
Valentino: And… action.
This is fitting, as Valentino controls Angel from behind the scenes, both as a director (public life) and as an abuser (private life). The song itself is a mix of clips that juxtapose porns and musical routines with scenes of sexual and domestic violence. This choice emphasizes the contrast between performance and reality, as well:
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On the one hand Angel happily dances on-stage, enjoys drugs and money. On the other hand he screams in agony, while scared and trapped. At the same time, the lines between appearance and truth grow blurried. Angel is supposedly just filming a porn. However, as the song progresses, the violence becomes real and he is in pain as he is recorded. In the end, it becomes difficult to differentiate what's an act from what's not. Just like Angel struggles to separate his work-life from his personal life, pain from pleasure, persona from self:
I got so good at bein' untrue I got so good at tellin' you what you wanna hear I disassociate, disappear
He is untrue because he keeps wearing a persona (mask), which is why the song is full of references to the archetype.
Both in its lyrics:
Another lover underneath those flashin' lights Another one of those ruthless nights
And in its visuals:
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Before the video Angel's wounds are covered by make-up (a mask)
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Angel sparkles on screen (light), while he is being dragged away by Valentino
Meanwhile Valentino is directly associated to the shadow:
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He is the beast threathening Angel and using the spider demon's worst instincts against him:
Yeah, I know it's poison You're feedin' me poison I'm chokin' from the taste and I can't help but swallow Up your poison I made my choice, and Every night I'm wasted like there's no tomorrow
As a matter of fact Valentino encourages Angel's dependance on drugs to better control him. This is why "addiction" becomes a metaphor for his and Angel's relationship:
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The red smoke Valentino uses to tie Angel to himself may be the secret ingredient behind the Vee's love potion.
Theirs is an abusive bond, a love potion which poisons Angel's life, but is too irresistible to escape.
Stayed Gone - Radio Killed the Video Star
Stayed Gone shows Vox and Alastor's rivalry through a duet that starts with TV:
Vox: Welcome home I'm gonna make you wish That you'd stayed gone Say hello To a new status quo Everyone knows that there's a brand new dawn Turn the TV on!
And ends with radio:
Alastor: Let's begin… I'm gonna make you wish That I'd stayed gone Tune on in When I'm done Your status quo Will know its race is run Oh, this will be fun!
An inversion of what happened in the real world, where the superior technology conquered the market. As a matter of fact Vox is supposedly the future, whereas Alastor is "old crap":
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Vox: You're looking at the future! He's the shit that comes before that!
And yet, Alastor wins the confrontation. Why is that so? That has to do with Vox and Alastor's respective jungian archetypes:
Vox is the persona, as TV is a medium where you are asked to show your face on screen and to appear in the light
Alastor is the shadow, as radio is a medium that let's you hide:
While he hid in radio We pivoted to video Now his medium is getting bloody rare!
This specific juxtaposition is referenced in the title of the episode itself. As a matter of fact Radio Killed the Video Star is a joke on the famous song Video Killed the Radio Star, whose main thesis was that new technologies like TV would have conquered the show-business and forced performers to expose themselves more. Radio instead is seen as a more safe medium because a person can avoid revealing their appearance. In other words, TV is the persona medium par excellance, while radio is the perfect shadow technology. So, Vox and Alastor's musical number is built on light and shadow imagery:
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Vox starts the song speaking of a brand new dawn and switching the TV on, as the room gets full of light.
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Alastor ends the song transforming into his demon form and appearing as a big shadow on Vox's monitors.
Vox puts up a self-assured persona, who breaks the moment Alastor reveals the TV demon's secret:
Alastor: And here's the sugar on the cream He asked me to join his team (Vox: Hold on!) I said no, and now he's pissy, that's the tea! Vox: (glitches) You old-timey prick I'll show you suf-ffering! Alastor: Uh oh, the TV is buffering Vox: (glitches) I'll destroy yoo-o-u-u, you little—! Alastor: I'm afraid you've lost your signal
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As a result, there is a black out. That is because symbolically Vox isn't able to accept his repressed emotions. So, the shadow takes over.
In other words:
Vox is the persona, the light, order and the future
Alastor is the shadow, the darkness, chaos and the past
A person can't face their future if they don't solve their past. This is true for Vox, but also for Alastor, who is clearly as angry at Vox as the Vee is at him. The difference is that ironically Vox is slightly more open about his feelings.
This is a big juxtaposition between Angel and Alastor, as well:
Poison is a song where Angel openly sings about his trauma and contradictions. It is one of the most introspective songs in the whole season 1 soundtrack.
Stayed Gone is the closest there is to an Alastor's song and yet it is not his. Vox starts the song and Alastor steals it. It is Vox who exposes himself, whereas Alastor reveals nothing.
In short, both Angel and Alastor repress themselves, but at least Angel can be honest, as he openly sings about his depression and desperation:
Poison, I'm drownin' in poison I'm fillin' up my glass but it's always hollow Full of poison, I'm sick of the poison Wish I had somethin' to live for tomorrow
Alastor instead can't be honest, even as he sings alone:
"Great Alastor, altruist, died for his friends"? Sorry to disappoint… That is not where this ends!
This contrast becomes clear in the two characters' reactions to the Hazbin Hotel's Old Wise Man:
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Husk: Everyone likes to bitch to the bartender. I know everything about you and these motherfuckers at this point.
YOU'RE A LOSER, BABY
Husk offers wisdom to others:
Angel Dust: Oh, I forgot. You're the wise old bartender who's seen it all.
He does so with both Angel:
Husk: Look, if you've got a problem, you're not going to find the solution at the bottom of a bottle. I should know, I've been looking there a long time.
And Alastor:
Husk: You and I both know Mimzy only shows up when she needs something. That bitch is trouble, and who knows what kind of demon she fucked with to come running to you this time?
However, the two demons react in opposite ways.
Even if initially Angel gets angry at Husk, he eventually understands he and Husk are suffering a similar fate:
Husk: I was an Overlord once, you know. Yeah, and uh… It was nice to have that power. But when you're dealing in souls while also being a gambler, the stakes are pretty high. And losing a few hands can be more than a little dangerous. So when you're down on your luck, you turn to anything to…Keep you afloat. Even making deals yourself. So I know what it's like to… Regret the choices made… And knowin' ya can't take it back.
Even if eventually Alastor follows Husk's advice about Mimzy, he refuses to accept he and Husk are just the same:
Husk: Big talk for someone who's also on a leash.
Husk challenges both Angel and Alastor with the same knowledge: everyone in Hell is a loser. Angel might be a celebrity and Alastor a powerful overlord, but both have screwed up and are paying for their mistakes. If they admit it, though, they might find someone ready to help them, even in Hell:
Angel Dust: You're a loser, baby Husk: A loser, but just maybe if we Both: Eat shit together, things will end up differently
Angel sees a mirror of himself in Husk and chooses to empathize with him:
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Angel Dust: I'm a loser, honey A schmoozer and a dummy But at least I know I'm not alone Husk: You're a loser Both: Just like me
In this way, he can start accepting himself and can take off the mask suffocating him.
Alastor is confronted by his most vulnerable part in Husk and chooses to treat him cruelly:
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Alastor: If you ever say that again, I will tear your soul apart and broadcast your screams for every other disrespectful wretch who dares to question me!
This means he isn't ready to integrate with his shadow. He can't face his most disliked and repressed side.
At the same time, Angel and Alastor's respective interactions with Husk highlight another foiling they have:
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Angel is abused and controlled by Valentino. Alastor abuses and controls Husk. In other words Angel is a weak prey, whereas Alastor is a strong predator.
PREDATOR AND PREY
Angel is Valentino's prey, whereas Alastor is a predator of souls. This comparison can be explored in two different ways:
Angel and Alastor's foiling with respectively Vox and Valentino
Angel and Alastor's animal motifs
1 - Dark foils
Angel's conflict is with Valentino and Alastor's is with Vox. However, Angel foils Vox, whereas Alastor foils Valentino. As a matter of fact Angel and Vox are both self-made preys, while Alastor and Valentino are both wannabe predators.
Now, prey might be a little too strong for Vox. Still, what I mean is that both Angel and him are trapped in abusive relationships with Valentino. Sure, Angel's one is particularly bad because the difference in power is bigger:
Valentino: You think she can get you out of work? You know she can't do anything. I own you. Or have you forgotten that?
Angel is not only Valentino's romantic interest, but also his employee. Valentino literally owns Angel's soul and can do with him what he pleases.
Vox and Valentino are instead more or less on pair. However, there are hints about their bond being unhealthy:
Vox: 'Oh god. Here I go, Valentino.' Just another fucking day with Val. Hey-hey-hey. Fuck my life.
The Vees' introduction has Valentino violently lashing out and Vox being forced to deal with him. It is obvious their partnership has toxic undertones.
In short, Angel and Vox are sexually and romantically tied to Valentino, but deep down dislike him. And yet, they don't leave him. This happens because both have frail identities they mask with happy and self-assured personas.
So, Angel acts proud of his porn movies, but deep down he is unsure of who he is and believes he isn't strong enough to change:
Valentino: You actually think you can change? Addict trash like you doesn't change. I'll see you soon, baby.
Vox instead behaves as a successful businessman, but he is actually scared he would be nobody without his alliance with Valentino and Velvette:
Alastor: Is Vox as strong as he purports? Or is it based on his support? He'd be powerless without the other Vees!
Angel thinks he can't leave and Vox chooses not too. Still, both are limited by weak senses of self. They force themselves to play the prey.
When it comes to Alastor and Valentino, both are predators of souls. They prey on weaker demons, like Angel and Husk, but they also try to make contracts with stronger beings.
This is shown by the way they interact with Charlie:
Charlie: I'm taking your offer to help. On the condition that there be no… tricks or voodoo strings attached. Alastor: So, it's a deal, then? Charlie: Nope! No shaking! No deals! I… hmm… As princess of Hell and heir to the throne, I, uh, hereby order that you help with this hotel. For as long as you desire.
Valentino: Welcome to my humble sex dungeon. What can I do for such a-- Mm! Lovely specimen! You don't want a role, do you? Because I can make you a star, make us both richer than, well, your papito--
They meet the Princess of Hell and offer to enter partnerships with her, so that they can use her. Obviously Alastor is intended as a gray character, while Valentino as a pitch black one. However, they are pretty similar in how they manipulate others:
Charlie: How? I'll do anything. Alastor: Anything? Then… let's make a deal.
Valentino: Put something inside them. That's how I get the bitches to behave.
Alastor takes advantage of Charlie's self-hate and desperation to force her into a pact. Valentino uses drugs to make his employees dependant on him. And yet, they are both far from unstoppable.
Vox: Heh. What are you doing, Val? You're not going over there. Valentino: That slippery twink is gonna remember who owns him. I'm gonna FUCK everyone in that rancid shit hole, I swear to god! Vox: VAL- Hehe. Think about it.
Alastor: it's nothing I can't handle. Don't worry Husker. Who in their right mind would cross me? Husk: I mean, you've been gone a while, and it's not like anybody knows why.
Valentino is impulsive and leaves obvious loopholes in his contracts. Alastor is smarter, but he is not as feared or as strong as he would desire. They like the feeling of power, but their control over others is not as firm. A moment may be all it takes for them to become preys. They give in to violence and behave like beasts because they wanna make sure they stay predators.
Vox and Val are darker versions of Angel and Alastor. They are who the two hazbins might become if they don't fix their flaws:
Vox is a person who chooses to appear strong (persona) over being happy
Val is a slave of his worst instincts (shadow) and has no genuine relationship whatsoever
At the same time, it is clear the dychotomy between prey and predator isn't as cut and dry.
2- Spider and Deer
Angel is a prey and Alastor is a predator. And yet, their animal motifs say otherwise:
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Angel is a spider, a predator.
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Alastor is a deer, a prey.
Why is that so?
That is because Angel is repressing his most powerful and aggressive side. Alastor instead is hiding his most frail and vulnerable part.
Angel comes from an influent criminal family to the point that his spider motif alludes to their wide web of criminal activities. As a result, he lives a violent life, but chooses to distance himself from it in Hell. According to Word of God, he decides to leave violence and fighting (Anthony) behind to explore sexuality and love (Angel Dust). However, the end result is that he is now trapped in a different way. As a human, he is forced to cultivate his most masculine traits. As a demon, he is valued only for his feminine ones. So, Angel is a porn star, who hides a strong fighter:
Angel Dust: Eat lead, sucka!! I told ya. I can handle myself baby. Angel pulls out 5 extra guns and begins fighting the rest of the demons with Husk tuntil all the shark demons are reduced to blood and guts. Husk: Well, that was something I didn't expect to see. Angel Dust: Like I said, you don't know me. Sex ain't the only thing I'm good at. Husk: Good to know, cause this guy ain't that bad.
He is a spider tired of his own web, who ends up prisoner of a moth. The challenge is for him to reconcile his two sides (masculine and feminine) and to find people who accept him as a whole person. He must forge a brand new web of healthy and supportive bonds.
Alastor is a radio host and a serial killer who buries his victims in a hunting ground only to be mistaken for a deer and killed. In Hell he chooses to live as he did on Earth to the point he doesn't even change his name. He keeps being both a radio host and a serial killer. He simply fuses his two sides and becomes the Radio Demon. And yet, he is just repeating the same pattern, where he goes from predator (serial killer) to prey (deer). So, he is an overlord preying on overlords, that ends up on the receiving end of a detrimental pact. Symbolically, he hates this part of himself so much that he committs "cannibalism":
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He is a deer who eats deers because he can't phatom he might end up on the plate himself. He needs to feel a predator no matter what. And yet, he is a prey deep down and if he could just admit it and ask for help he might change his situation. If he accepted to step into the light and open up he might grow stronger. And yet, he is too proud and too scared. A deer frightened and confused by the headlights, who prefers to hide in shadows, where he feels safe and untouchable.
So, Angel is a prey who hides a predator, while Alastor is a predator who hides a prey. Throughout the season, these repressed parts start emerging.
Positively for Angel:
Angel Dust: Fuck off, Val. Valentino: Excuse me? Angel Dust: I said fuck off! I may have to put up with your bullshit, but you ain't fuckin' with any of my friends! Valentino: You forget who you're talking to? I own you, bitch. Angel Dust: Yeah, you do, in the studio. And you can do anything you want to me there, just like our deal says. But out here, I get to do what I want. So once again, FUCK. OFF.
He manages to slowly free himself of Val's toxic influence and by the end he stands up to his abuser. The spider is growing stronger and soon the moth won't be a problem.
Negatively for Alastor:
Adam: I'm going to wipe that shit-eating grin off your face, CAUSE RADIO IS FUCKING DEAD! Adam flies a few metres into the air and swings his guitar, sending a shockwave towards Alastor. When it dissipates, Alastor has been forced out of his full demon form and his microphone has been snapped in two.
He slowly loses control of his situation to the point that by the end he miscalculates so badly he is almost killed by Adam. The deer can smile as much as he wants, but in the end he can't escape stronger animals.
SAME PROBLEM, OPPOSITE RESOLUTIONS
Angel and Alastor share the same issue. They both can't accept themselves. However, throughout the season their stories go in opposite directions.
Angel makes progress in self-acceptance, so he can start cracking his persona:
Husk: Last day of afterlife, and you're not off snorting a line off some hunk's abs? Angel Dust: Eh, you fucked one cannibal pool boy, you fucked 'em all. Husk: I guess you have changed. Angel Dust: Hey, Charlie said live tonight however we wanted… so pour me a fresh one, and let's get to living!
Alastor refuses to face who he is, so he gets engulfed by the shadow:
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It will be interesting to see how their parallel arcs will keep on going in future seasons, how their intertwined conflict and foiling with the Vees will evolve and which role they will have in Charlie's story.
FOUND FAMILY
Angel and Alastor are the first two demons to join the Hazbin Hotel and they grow into members of Charlie's found family:
Alastor: They say the family you choose is better!
In particular:
Angel is set-up to become a sibling-like figure (he clearly projects his feelings for Molly on Charlie)
Alastor is framed as an evil mentor and a parental figure (his foiling with Lucifer makes it obvious)
At the same time, they are meant to challenge Charlie in different ways:
Angel is a protector (angel), who forces Charlie to deal with her pollyanna persona
Alastor is a dangerous manipulator (devil), who has Charlie deal with her repressed shadow
This is made clear in the episodes Masquerade and Hello Rosie:
Charlie: Okay… I could be so aggressively kind to Angel's boss… That I convince him to let Angel spend more time at the hotel!
In Masquerade Charlie is confronted by Vaggie about how much she repressed her aggressivity. For Angel's sake then Charlie tries to wear an "aggressively kind" persona, but it feels fake and it leads to a mess.
Charlie: flips Susan off FUCK YOU, YOU OLD BITCH!!!!!
In Hello Rosie Charlie is overcome by her negative feelings to the point she gives in to Alastor's request to make a deal. However, as the episode goes on, she manages to face her inner emotions and to grow more decisive:
Charlie: It's a feeling like a rumbling in your gut That you could finally be faced with A billion needy faces, I guess what I mean to say is For the first time in my life I might have to be ready for this Ready to be the one who's leading from the front Gotta come into my own Gotta come into my throne Gotta take charge and defend my only home And although I kinda feel unsteady Now I need to be ready for this
In short, Charlie herself wears a persona and has a strong repressed shadow. Angel and Alastor are the two characters who will help her face these parts of herself, so that she can grow into a powerful Ruler of Hell.
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sapphire-weapon · 11 months
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I saw you mention a few HC's where you think Leon probably sucked dick in college etc. and you're supportive of Chreon (I think?)
Do you support it just because it's fun and hot or do you think Leon is bi?
This is kind of a disingenuous question, isn't it?
The only point of shipping anything ever is because you think it's fun and hot. Do you think I headcanon Remake Claire taking Remake Leon's virginity because I think it's implied or intended canon? No, I do it because it's fun and hot.
And Capcom will never portray Leon as being interested in anyone other than women, anyway, so does it really matter?
If the question is: "Do you like Chreon for the same shallow reason you like Metaltango?" the answer is no. I ship it because I genuinely enjoy the connection between them, and I find it really endearing that, in the latter half of the series, arguably the most important person in Leon's life -- the person who cares about him most -- is Chris, and Chris has absolutely no idea that that's the role he's filling.
I also enjoy Serennedy for reasons deeper than Metaltango.
If the question is: "Do you honestly think that the text states that Leon is bi?" the answer is no for the reason stated above. Anyone acting in good faith will never try to make the case that Capcom genuinely intends for Leon to be read as anything other than straight and cis.
There might be some classically romantic tropes that get utilized between Leon and another male character (as is the case in my Serennedy post), but the intention from Capcom has never been and will never be for the player to see Leon as being genuinely romantically or sexually interested in another man. That's just the nature of the beast, whether we like it or not.
If the question is: "Do you headcanon Leon as bi?" the answer is yes, but it's complicated.
I don't think OG Leon has actually sucked dick. I also don't think he's ever had a chance to self-reflect long enough to actively discover or explore that part of himself. I also don't think he cares.
I headcanon that he's been attracted to other men before and has definitely jerked off while thinking about them -- but then he just went and chalked it up to "well everyone has gay thoughts" and stopped thinking about it because he doesn't care and it doesn't matter. If you were to ask him, he'd say he was straight.
Like, he would definitely give it a chance if some guy he was attracted to offered it, but he doesn't realize that about himself actively -- so, in his mind, he's straight.
Remake Leon is a little different. Remake Leon seems to be a bit more self-aware than his OG counterpart, and he's the one who I think sucked dick in college.
But, like his OG counterpart, I don't think Remake Leon likes to think about it -- but I think it's for different reasons. While Remake Leon is more self-aware, he's also a lot more repressed. Like, I think Remake Leon sucked dick in college because he could justify it to himself with "well, college is for experimenting, right???"
But then he actually really enjoyed it, and that attraction to other men never went away, so now he just tries not to think about it -- because he does still have a stronger attraction for women, so... no need to worry about it, right???
If it ever comes up again and he has the chance to hook up with another man again, cool. If not, all the easier for him to keep it to himself as a sort of dirty little secret -- as twisted and fucked up as it is for him to view it that way LMAO
If you were to ask Remake Leon about his sexuality, he'd try to wave it away with a "Who cares?" or a "Does it matter?" And if you were to press Remake Leon about it, he'd eventually cave and give a wishy-washy admission to being bi along the lines of "I don't know. I don't really have a preference. I don't think it matters."
I think he'd be hesitant to actually label himself as bisexual or even use the word at all. Part of it is because RE2make Leon was clearly more sheltered than OG RE2 Leon, so there's probably some element of a religious upbringing there with all the associated shame attached. But I think another (probably bigger) part of it is that, if he were to label himself as bisexual, it would carry the connotation that he was a member of a community that he doesn't feel like he's a part of.
Leon is literally The Man. He's a part of a government and a system that actively oppresses the LGBTQ+ community -- so, how can he, in good faith, say that he's one of them?
He's basically picked sides in a way that's really fucking stupid when you consider that he's not a G-man by choice, and he probably wouldn't have remained a cop for very long if the whole outbreak thing didn't happen. His blinders would've been ripped off pretty fucking fast, and he would've dipped the fuck out after he realized that blowing the whistle on Brian Irons was never actually going to do anything and he was just wasting his time serving a corrupt police chief in a corrupt system that actually hurts more than it helps.
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bisaster-energy · 3 months
Text
big believer in keiko and kuwabara being besties like. you're my best friend's best friend and instead of it being awkward they realize "hey i really like hanging out with you!" this is ofc extremely detrimental to yusuke who now has two people on his ass
they share textbooks keiko quizzes kuwabara til he drops and she asks for fitness advice. why do i think this? I simply think it'd be funny asf if Keiko randomly got abs of steel. yusuke walks in on them doing sit ups while testing each other on vocab and almost breaks into tears.
"Keiko stop turning kuwabara into a fucking nerd he's wasting all his time studying instead of goofing off" "yusuke shut up and feel my abs" "holy shit these guys are like rock hard" "right??"
Kuwabara gets glasses and yusuke genuinely thinks it's a bit at first but kuwa is like "man seriously I realized part of the reason school was hard was cos I couldn't make out the words in my books half the time I need these things fr" classic yyh collapse in shock moment
Keiko and Kuwa are there for each other when yusuke goes off doing god knows what in Makai. They know he'll be back but it can be shitty not knowing what he's doing when he'll be back. Kuwabara reassures her that Yusuke does give a shit even when he leaves and Keiko reminds Kuwabara of why he doesn't need to drop everything and join him. He'll be back he'll be back he'll be back.
Kuwabara can only make simple meals Shizuru forced him to learn and Keiko doesn't really cook even tho her parents own a restaurant so when yusuke is in the human world there's cheers and applause "finally I get to eat 🙏🏼" "aren't you guys graduating college soon how are you surviving when I'm not here" "get back in the kitchen boy" "yeah I need another bowl 😌" "im poisoning ur food"
because girls and guys apparently can't just hang out school mates are sure Keiko is dating kuwabara but some think she's with yusuke and others think the two are fighting over her and she just looks at them like they're stupid if anyone ever asks directly
as for Kuwabara nobody knows whether he has a gf or a bf cos sometimes a polite brunette with a sweet smile visits him on campus and they talk at a picnic table (she's seen hitting him sometimes tho) but other times a guy with slicked back hair and devil may care attitude like. swaggers up to kuwa when he's with some classmates and drops a homemade lunch in his lap "you forgot this dumbass" "ahh thanks yusuke you're a life saver 🥺" "just eat your food" inside is the cutest box lunch and yusuke's glare keeps the people kuwa was with from cracking jokes. kuwabara acts like this is very normal
anyway i just think it'd be cool if they hung out and yusuke was equal parts delighted and grumpy about it
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we-are-inevitable · 2 years
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it's time once again for unsolicited newsies opinions with jac! on the chopping block for today: a look into David Jacobs being the "mom friend", featuring classism in the newsies fandom. yay!
disclaimer: this is purely my opinion and i am not trying to start discourse. i don't really care if you don't agree! it's fine to have your own thoughts. these are mine.
moving right along, the biggest thing- and something i talk about quite a lot- is that it's interesting that people see Davey as the mom friend.
ok first of all, i feel like to be the """""mom friend""""" you have to be really well established into the group as someone who has been, is, and always will be a caregiver.
and davey does not fit this description!
also: "mom friend" is just a weird term in general; it just feels like a backhanded title for a friend to have. most "mom friends" are forced into- or force themselves into- the role because all they're """good for""" is caring for others and pushing themselves to the side
anyway! moving on
you're not just going to make a new friend and immediately label them as the mom friend, because you don't know their personality or how they mesh with the group, yet this is what the newsies in fanon seem to do with davey.
is davey loyal to the cause? absolutely! does he want what's best for the newsies? yeah! but he's never going to have the same history that jack has with the boys, since jack has been taking care of them for a while. if anyone is going to be the "mom friend," it's jack.
there's a difference between Davey making a speech at the rally advocating for workers rights and united boroughs, and Jack taking care of all of the newsies for as long as he's been the leader.
Jack is more of a family member, Davey is more of a spokesperson. joining the strike and coming up with the rally- which failed, as @jack-kellys pointed out- doesn't mean that Davey automatically replaces Jack as the parental figure of the group.
also, as @roideny pointed out in a conversation on discord, it's kind of... sketch? seeing people replace Jack with Davey?
Jack is undoubtedly the "parent" of the newsies. a lot of them don't have families, and he's had to step up. he's been stepping up. he's responsible, he has the newsies best interests in mind, and sometimes he can be a little selfish in his wants- hi, Santa Fe!- but it's because he's under so much pressure.
so why does the fandom take Jack and replace him with Davey as the "mom friend" ??
i think we know why!
it's interesting to see that people will see a smart kid who uses big words and is somewhat more well off than the other newsies and say, "yeah. he's the one who takes care of everyone."
as if Jack hasn't been doing that for YEARS.
wow !! the kid with an education and more money is the one who steps up and acts as a "parent" to the poor kids !! because the leader is a "disaster dumbass" who is also a poor orphan !! isn't it funny how that works out !!
and this idea coupled with the rising popularity of poc jack kelly........ do you see where i'm going with this? the connotations are there.
all i'm trying to say is:
there's so much in this fandom that just shows that everyone is only paying attention to the actors and the characters, not
how the characters interact with the world and class systems around them
how the characters interact with each other as products/victims of the systems around them
there's no denying that David Jacobs is a good and loyal friend. but you can't sit here and say that he's the one who tries to "tame" or "parent" the kids who are less fortunate than him. it just leaves a sour taste in the mouths of the audience.
Jack Kelly is more of a "mom friend" than David Jacobs will ever be (even though "mom friend" is a sketchy way to describe it). he's not constantly a disaster- he's a stressed teenager with the weight of the world on his shoulders, in charge of a huge group of kids who deserve so much better than what society is giving him. cut him some slack. he's not stupid, yet the fandom paints him to be this wild, impulsive, dumb guy who cant tell left from right. are we really going to ignore the entirety of canon? are we going to ignore everything Jack did for the newsies? intelligence doesn't equal education. as @the-calvarys-coming-out put it: Jack would've been unstoppable if he had the same resources as other kids.
in conclusion: our fandom as a whole needs to reevaluate the fact that this show isn't just about characters and fun friendships onstage. this show is about classism and class inequality. just be mindful that some of your opinions, headcanons, and ideas can are liable to go against this core meaning of the musical, and understand why.
and again, big thanks to @roideny @jack-kellys and @the-calvarys-coming-out for helping me get my thoughts in order! love you guys very much 💙
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divinitysheart · 2 years
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✤ (For Rex!)
Send me “✤” for a memory that brings them happiness
It felt like it'd been far too long since he'd visited Tantal, let alone with all of the friends he's made along his previous journey. They'd all been pretty busy lately, and understandably so, the falling of the World Tree and most the Titans coming together to create one whole solid land was a significant point in Alrest's history. One they didn't exactly have a name for, but he's certain it's gonna be a cool one.
All that could be heard is small talk about how life is going, how they'd been, and so much more boring small talk. It's so clear that none of them really know how to initiate a group conversation because they've been winded up so tight for their duties, more so than him. So he comes up with the genius plan of stopping for a moment to pick up the snow on the ground to roll into a ball.
And before anyone knew what was going on, he threw it right at the back of Zeke's head, which caused the older man to yelp out of shock. In which causes Rex to stifle the laughter that wanted to leave his mouth so badly.
" OI?! Who chucked a snowball at me? Was it you Nia? "
A snort leaves her mouth at the accusation, because she wishes she'd thought of doing so. " Pfft, I wish. But no, I actually didn't shellhead. "
The whole group has stopped now because Zeke simply need to know who had the gall to throw a snowball at him while he wasn't looking, and was refusing to progress otherwise. He already knew that I wasn't Morag or Brighid for they were standing by his side, and it certainly wasn't Pandoria either. Poppi is also cleared from the list solely because he knows that it would have hurt a lot more than it did.
Which leaves him with five suspects: Nia, Rex, Tora, Pyra, and Mythra. Though, the last three of course are the least likely suspects. " So, which one of you guys did it? Fess up now and I'll consider sparing you my snowball throwing-wrath! "
Of course they all have straight faces, Mythra's of course looking the most unamused by the accusation, " Well it's not me or Pyra. Or even Tora for that matter, we're all on the opposite side to you dumbass. "
Nia notices as Rex is trying to stop himself from laughing, which causes her to very easily piece together that he'd been the one to throw it at Zeke. And now she’s forcing herself to not laugh either, for this was far funnier than it should be.
This doesn't go unnoticed by Zeke, in fact he fully turns to them both pointing an accusatory finger at them. Oh well, the cats out of the bag now. " Oh you little..! Erugh! Fine, two can play it that game. "
And before Rex and Nia knew what was happening, Zeke throws a snowball at Rex, only to hit Nia who's now clearly ready throw some right back at him. " You're on shellhead! "
Nia proceeds to make a snowball of her own and throw it right back at Zeke only for it to hit Morag instead because Zeke dodged it. And while Morag isn't typically one to do stuff like this, she can't help but join in on the fun her friends were having. Needless to say, after a few snowballs had been thrown, it'd turned into a full out game of trying to see who could hit the most people, with Pyra and Dromarch. For some people have to be the responsible ones in all of this.
Rex can't remember the last time he's felt so free, and so much like a child without consequence. But it feels great and he almost wishes that this moment could last forever. Afterall, nothing brings him more joy than to see his friends so happy.
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favoniuscodex · 3 years
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the art of modernity [ prologue ]
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prologue - jueyun karst
pairing: xiao x gn!reader warnings: canon-typical violence mention words: ~1.8k words fic masterlist [ prev ] - [ next ]
chapter summary: you drag four of your closest friends to jueyun karst to chase after possible traces of the adepti. none of them expect for you to actually find any, but hey, anything is possible, right?
a/n: can't believe 'making xiao eat a chicken nugget and french fries' is becoming an actual fic but here we are. enjoy !! :D
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when you had asked yanfei the legal repercussions of disrupting jueyun karst, the entire brunch table had looked at you as if you had grown a third eye. kaeya had sat down the third mimosa he had been nursing, while childe had actually stopped speaking for once. yanfei giggled with intrigue and keqing had stared at you with an expression that screamed are you serious right now?
yet somehow, you had ended up in keqing's overcrowded car and made a road trip to fuel your farfetched dreams. sure, like any kid growing up, you had read percy jackson and the archons, but, unlike most kids, you had taken the myths of the archons seriously. shrines and ruins still sung praises of their names, but most liyuean mythology was treated as having no greater value than old folk tales. the world had moved on past the need of teyvat's expansive pantheon of the elemental archons, visions, and celestia, yet some scholars sought to prove the existence of the old gods. most of the time, their efforts were fruitless.
you, of course, were no scholar. you were simply a dumbass who graduated college and decided in their post-college/pre-settled life panic to go traverse the treacherous lands of jueyun karst. as prosperous as liyue was, jueyun karst still remained heavily untouched as there were areas that even rich moguls were scared to get their grubby hands on. why turn the beautiful mountains and swirling lakes into sprawling shopping centers if the entire area was rumored to be cursed anyways? so, the country had turned jueyun karst into a protected area in the form of a national park.
but now, with your car full of three and a half dumbasses (keqing certainly doesn't count and yanfei is only halfway to idiocy), you had decided to certainly ignore the title of protected area. you had full intentions of disrupting whatever you could get your grimy hands on. you wanted to see the adepti in action and, if others called you crazy for it, then so be it.
"gods, where even are we?" kaeya asks. his tone lacks the annoyance you would expect from childe nor the worried-yet-still-composed nature you would expect from keqing's words. so, you shrug him off with a simple wave of your hand.
"not really sure, but there's enough of us out here that we won't die, right?" you ask and kaeya stares at you blankly before turning to look behind the two of you at the three stragglers.
"keqing!" he calls, realizing that you are of no help. "where are we?"
keqing huffs as she approaches the two of you while yanfei and childe stagger behind her, both acting tired despite being some of the most athletic people you know. in typical keqing fashion, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a compass. kaeya stares as the compass needle spins around aimlessly in her hand, its connection clearly disrupted by some force in the area.
"oh gods, what does that mean? we're going to die. we're going to die out here," childe deadpans, panic creeping into his voice. yanfei swats him playfully on the arm before he can begin his usual theatrics, knowing full and well how childe loves living in the spotlight.
"dying in a protected national park is illegal," yanfei adds and kaeya stares at her with a baffled expression.
"what? are the police going to arrest a corpse?" kaeya asks incredulously and yanfei folds her arms over her chest, staring at him with narrowed eyes.
"didn't you want to be a cop at one point? shouldn't you be aware as to how arresting procedures work?" yanfei asks and kaeya recoils at her question.
"no, i was considering going into military like my dad. i don't wanna be a cop," kaeya shoots back and childe jokingly gags once he hears the word 'military'.
"military? yuck," childe says and becomes the next recipient to receive childe's incredulous gaze.
"didn't you literally join the fatui for two years?" kaeya asks but childe shakes his head.
"not like you have any proof," the ginger-haired man shoots back.
"i can easily acquire proof?" kaeya says, but keqing clears her throat loudly before the two men can engage in a full showdown of words.
"c'mon, guys, we have bigger problems to solve than childe's blatant lies," keqing redirects the conversation with ease but not before kaeya lets out a triumphant hmph at keqing's words. "like figuring out why this compass isn't working and figuring out how to get back because it doesn't work."
"ooh, maybe it's not working because there are ghosts nearby," childe says, but before yanfei and kaeya can engage with his dumbassery once more, you interject.
"it's likely just elemental energy or adeptal energy. i know you guys probably don't believe in them, but this is said to be the former realm of the adepti. wouldn't be surprised if there are traces of them left!" you say, voice far too cheery for the implication of your words. kaeya only shrugs at the suggestion that gods are watching over you as you travel through the park, yanfei only looks intrigued in a nearly-dangerous way, keqing looks nonplussed due to her strong belief that the gods no longer exist, and childe looks absolutely terrified yet is trying to act like he isn't.
"anyways," you continue. "maybe there's a domain!"
"ancient liyuean law forbids unauthorized entrance into domains without proper licensure from the adventurer's guild," yanfei says, as if knowing ancient law is a completely normal activity for a twenty-something-year-old.
"what is a domain?" keqing and kaeya ask at the same time before glancing at each other.
"i'm... not sure. pretty sure they have like... ancient monsters and stuff," you confess and, for the first time today, childe perks up excitedly, eagerly taking a step closer to you.
"monsters? like those uh... hollychirls? whatever they're called? how big do you think they are?" childe asks with an excited glimmer in his eyes.
"weren't you just worried about dying?" keqing asks, but childe ignores her question.
"so like... we're trying to find this domain, right?" childe asks, confused. "what are we looking for?"
"i don't really see why a domain would have adepti traces so we're probably better off looking for something else," you say and yanfei perks up.
"like that?" she asks, pointing off at something glowing faintly orange in the distance. you squint slightly in an attempt to better look at it, but you're unable to distinguish what exactly yanfei as pointing at.
"we might as well go see what that is," keqing says and you're slightly surprised for the purple-haired girl to suggest such a thing, but you figure she's just trying to find a place where her compass actually works. the spinning dial isn't too much of a concern for you since you're in no rush to leave, but the friends you've brought along aren't quite as keen on discovering the secrets of the adepti as you are, so you follow the herd as they begin to move over to the glowing orange light.
the five of you climb down, approaching what soon reveals itself as a stone pillar with a glowing chunk of cor lapis on top. it's certainly nothing new and is probably a protected relic, yet no guards are stationed in front of it. it's almost certainly been discovered before, so why isn't it..?
"oh, isn't this area usually flooded?" yanfei asks and everyone turns to stare at her.
"you've been here before?" keqing asks and you wonder to yourself when these people will stop asking questions and instead keep looking for hints.
"you guys haven't traveled to jueyun karst before?" yanfei asks, confused. "yeah, this area's usually flooded with water. i've never seen that thing before."
if it's usually flooded, then it was likely discovered before, but not relocated, you think to yourself and immediately break out in a sprint towards the cor lapis tower. sure, it was about the height of you, with the cubic chunk on top reaching the height of your head, yet you were more than satisfied with looking at the carvings on the side. childe is the first to catch up with you, using his long legs to match your pace. he sighs as you finally stop and watches as you frantically begin poking and prodding at the pillar.
"are you sure that's a good idea?" he asks, nervously. "what if it's a mechanism or something?"
"what's the worst that could happen?" you ask and childe sputters over his words.
"a lot of things!" childe insists, yet kaeya, keqing, and yanfei's joined arrival interrupts him from making an even bigger fuss.
"try putting your palm flat on the diamond," yanfei suggests and you take a step back. with a steady hand, you lays her palm flat against the side of the pillar, in which a diamond has been engraved onto its surface. around the group of you, the remnants of water begin to glow orange as the pillar emits an even stronger, unnatural glow of energy. the pillar begins to vibrate rapidly and yanfei lets out a small, knowing laugh while the rest of you watch, wide-eyed and confused by the moving pillar.
yet, all that happens is that the cor lapis situated on the top of the pillar falls off, landing on the side of the pillar with a resounding crack. the four of your friends immediately move over to look at the now shattered chunk of cor lapis on the ground, yet you gravitate towards the stone pillar. on the spot where the cor lapis fell, a single name is etched into the stone, as if this pillar is supposed to mark a specific area.
"'xiao'?" you breathe, reading off the word on the pillar.
"what's xi-" kaeya begins, glancing over at you, but before he can finish, a flash of green appears on the opposite side of your friends. your lips part in shock as you watch the deity appear before you. a mask rests on his face and a polearm rests in his hand, yet despite his disguised face, you can sense the anger rolling off his form in waves. his green hair ruffles in the wind as his free hand reaches up to lower his mask. infuriated amber eyes pierce into yours, but the adeptus speaks before you can.
"i am adeptus xiao. how dare you mortals infringe upon jueyun karst and disrupt my land?" xiao seethes and, for once, all five of you are silent as the yaksha points his polearm at you.
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floating-mid-air · 3 years
Text
The Princess Of All Saiyans
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Masterlist
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Hey guys! Chapter nine is here. And this one is a fun one. As always, I hope you enjoy. And if you have any comments or questions regarding this fic, feel free to let me know.
Also if you've been following this story for a while, then you'd know how inconsistent I am when I post chapters of this story. Sometimes it takes me two weeks to write another chapter, and other times it takes me an entire month. So if you're interested in being notified whenever I post a new chapter, you can join my tag list here.
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Chapter 9
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Vegeta and Raditz land simultaneously, both Saiyans carefully observing their surroundings. All of the Dragon Balls have remained in place, but that provides very little relief. There isn't a trace of your presence, not a footprint, not even a stray hair. "Y/N!" Raditz shouts at the top of his lungs. This was a severe mistake on his part. For his own sake, Raditz better hope the Ginyu force hasn't heard all of his commotion.
Vegeta paces back and forth, his hands knotted through his hair. "Relax, Vegeta. She couldn't have gotten far." Despite Raditz's calm words, his tone gives him away completely. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that he's just as anxious as Vegeta. 
Raditz's advice doesn't seem to calm down the prince even a little. In fact, he only seems to grow more distraught. "Raditz, you don't understand. I never disclosed the location of the Dragon Balls to her."
Raditz furrows his brows at the smaller Saiyan. "What the hell, Vegeta!" Never in his wildest dreams did Raditz ever imagine himself shouting at the prince. He didn't even notice that Gohan and Krillin had joined them. Hopefully, they've picked up bits and pieces of the conversation because neither Saiyan has the patience to deal with their idiocy at the moment. "Just--- What the fuck were you thinking?" Raditz doesn't understand. How can Vegeta go from ordering someone to stay glued to your side at all times to leaving you to fend for yourself on a foreign planet? It's only been a few weeks. How can he have gone through such a drastic change in such a short amount of time?
"If I knew the Ginyu Force was coming, do you think I would've left her alone!" Their bickering is doing nothing to help. In fact, it's probably making the situation worse.
"Alright. How about you both calm down." Krillin decides to jump in and play peacemaker. "Y/N seems more than capable of taking care of herself. We need to focus on the threat. We need to get this over with and summon the dragon before something bad happens."
Both Saiyans turn to the smaller earthling, glaring daggers at him. "Who gives a damn about immortality right now! You don't know the first thing about my sister! So don't stand there all high and mighty and act like you do." Krillin hit a nerve, but it wasn't just in Vegeta. 
The earthling wants to revive his friends, but there is something he doesn't understand about Raditz. You've been the faint speck of light in his otherwise shitty world, the only friend the Saiyan has ever had. Even though he stood with his brother, you're still a priority over the resurrection of a handful of puny earthlings. 
"Interesting to see where your priorities lie, Geta!" Your legs have been sticking out of your handcrafted shelter the entire time. It's funny to see what details people miss while they're in a state of panic. You lean forward, revealing yourself to the abnormal group. Now your entire body hangs off the mountain.
Four sets of eyes look up at you, all with varying responses present on their features. "Oh, thank god," Vegeta whispers, at an octave low enough only for him to hear. Raditz places a hand on his chest, sighing in relief as Vegeta's features contort in displeasure. "What did I tell you about pulling shit like this? Get your ass down here!"
You jump down, landing in front of the Dragon Balls. This ensures that you maintain a safe distance away from your brother just in case he decides to kill you. "Don't get your panties in a twist."
Vegeta's nostrils flare, complemented with his entire body shaking with rage. "You scared me half to death." You expected a lecture, but he's not even raising his voice. You may have freaked him out more than you originally intended.
Your lips curve upwards. "That sounds like a you problem, big brother." Something is particularly satisfying about throwing his own words in his face.
"I suppose I deserved that." His features soften. "I'm just relieved that you're alright."
Raditz walks over to you, slinging an arm around your shoulders. "Well, what did I do to deserve that scare?" 
"Collateral damage Raditz. Call it a happy accident."
"Enough of the chit-chat. Now let's---" Vegeta cuts himself off as you all lookup. You can sense the Ginyu Force, and they're heading straight for you. You grab Raditz, pulling him into the homemade cave. The others were facing the Dragon Balls. There would've been no time for them to get up here as well. Your higher altitude could be used to your advantage since you'll have the element of surprise. 
It's a bit cramped, but when you created the cave. You never expected to share the space with a Saiyan of Raditz's size. He takes up more space than you and Vegeta combined. You both watch the Ginyu Force land in front of a trembling Gohan, a frozen Krillin, and an aloof Vegeta. You really hope the Genius Force doesn't do those god-awful poses. You've already been traumatized enough for the week.
You decide to keep a close eye on Captain Ginyu, who is currently exchanging pleasantries with your brother. Well, as pleasant as it can get for two beings who are about to murder each other in cold blood. Followed by murmurings from various members of the Ginyu Force and Recoome's delayed laughter. "Just hand over the Dragon Balls, Vegeta. No need to make this any harder than it has to be." Vegeta's posture remains stiff. It's clear your brother isn't going to budge. Their little group is going to have to pry that orb from his dead body. "Come on, Vegeta, be a sport. We already have five." He gestures to the spheres behind him. That means Frieza will have five. Can you really trust those neanderthals to hold onto their Dragon Balls? No, you were raised to trust no one's capabilities but your own, not even Vegeta's. 
Jeice looks around, his green eyes scanning around the area. "Where's that gorgeous sister of yours, Vegeta?"
Vegeta glares at the red man. "Even if my sister was here. I doubt she'd be interested, Jeice. I mean, she never has been." Oh, your brother knows all about your history with the mutant Brench-seijin. He's overly flirty, and you reject him. It was a vicious never-ending cycle. If Vegeta had no self-control, he would've murdered him years ago for even looking in your direction. In his eyes, Jeice is unworthy of a woman of your status.
"Well, with Raditz out of the picture, there's no chance for Saiyan offspring. So I figured I'd shoot my shot." You cringe. You're not sure which idea is more repulsive, a relationship with Jeice or procreating with Raditz.
"Even if you were the last man in the universe. My sister wouldn't so much as glance in your direction." Vegeta and Jeice continue going back and forth as an idea pops in your head. This may be your only opportunity to get your hands on a Dragon Ball. You're only chance to put a fork in Frieza's plans for immortality. 
You silently climb out of the cave, dropping to the ground. The others can unmistakably see you, but they make no expressions alerting the Ginyu Force of your presence. You grab the closest orb before promptly flying back to the cave. Call this your insurance policy for when Krillin and Vegeta ultimately screw up. You escaped that entirely undetected. Is the term elite just thrown around loosely in the Frieza Force? Because that's what you're starting to think.
You hand the Dragon Ball to Raditz, directing your gaze back outside. "Those scouters of yours can't detect Dragon Balls, can they?" It was a rhetorical question. Vegeta knows they don't have that type of technology yet. You know how your brother thinks, and this is a faulty plan on his part. "Then you lose!" Vegeta pivots, launching the ball at an alarming speed. It would be a fatal blow to the head if it hit someone. 
Burter takes off, chasing after the orb. He flips in the air, catching the ball with ease. You swear, Vegeta can be such a dumbass sometimes. He knows Burter rivals you in speed. He may even be a bit faster than you.  
You shake your head, turning to Raditz, lowering your voice to a whisper. "Here's the plan. When I formulate a distraction, you're going to take the Dragon Ball and get the hell out of here. And Raditz, go hide the damn thing, somewhere no one will find it." He grins from ear to ear, causing you to glare at him. You know how this moron thinks by now. "And do not hide it with that Earth woman. That will just get her killed."
"What if that's my intention?"
"I don't think little brother Kakarot would be very pleased with you, but it's your call." You stand in silence for a moment, your piercing gaze lingering on the Saiyan. "Though, I can assure you. If Frieza gets his hands on that Dragon Ball. I'll kill you. In the most graphic and painful way, I can imagine." He gulps nervously, rapidly shaking his head in understanding. To Raditz, you're the only life form that can still sound menacing while whispering. 
You revert your vision back to the little gathering outside. And as you assumed, Krillin lost his Dragon Ball as well. Ginyu decides to take Vegeta for himself, which doesn't go over well with his team. They're acting like a bunch of children. It's almost comical. "Fine." The Captain sighs. "I'll take the Dragon Balls back to Lord Frieza. You all can sort this out amongst yourselves." They chant Ginyu's name a few times. They kinda remind you of a cult.
The four lower members of the Ginyu force move to stand in a circle. "So the winner gets Vegeta. And for second place---" Guldo is cut off by Recoome.
"The rest. Make the two runts a set. Together they'll be more equal to Vegeta." Oh, that can't be going over well with your brother. The fact that Recoome would declare that those two are his equals must be sending his blood pressure through the roof. 
They begin playing rock paper scissors. This must be how they decide their battles. It's like a game to them. Every single match ends in a draw. At this rate, you could be stuck up here forever. 
You doze off until you hear Recoome cheering. The endless match must have finally ceased. "Ya! I get Vegeta!" Fate can be an amusing thing sometimes. Vegeta must be ecstatic, getting to show the moron just how much stronger he is than those pathetic runts. 
"Of course, I'm stuck with the runts." Guldo wines. He's the last creature who should be referring to anyone as a runt. You could squash that little freak like a bug.
Ginyu approaches the Dragon Balls, picking them up with his telekinesis. He counts them before snapping his head toward the dumbest member of the Ginyu Force. "Recoome! There's only four here!"
Recoome scratches the back of his neck, that classic confused look on his face. "I'm sorry, Captain Ginyu. I thought I counted five."
Jeice turns to his superior. "I told you we shouldn't have trusted him with counting the Dragon Balls."
The Captain takes a deep breath, attempting to keep his composure. "It doesn't matter. I'll search for the missing Dragon Ball. It's probably with Y/N anyway." He takes off, heading in the direction of Frieza's ship. Well, that takes out your major concern. The others are child's play compared to Ginyu.
You pay minimum attention to Guldo's battle with Krillin and Gohan. You're more focused on finding an opening for a distraction. You begin to notice significant holes in their fight. Guldo will be in one area and then magically appear in another, and he's not teleporting. If he was, you would've been able to track his movements. Could the rumors about that green freak be true? Can he really pause time? They must be. That's the only feasible explanation. So under the assumption that Guldo can stop time, the earthlings don't even stand a chance. No matter what they do, that four-eyed freak will always remain one step ahead of them. 
You do, however, pick up on something. Guldo appears to hold his breath before every skip in time. That must be a limitation in his abilities to pause time. So if those two can somehow prevent him from holding his breath, they should be able to best him. You know what, scratch that. Those two probably haven't picked up on his abnormal behaviors.
Though, the earthlings do appear to have the advantage at the moment. And the rest of the Ginyu Force won't let Guldo forget it. They're heckling him so loud that you can hear them clearly from all the way up here. Guldo's kinda like the Raditz of the group, just a lot less respected. 
Guldo tosses the pair up into the air as a strange yellow light surrounds them. He's claiming it's a paralysis attack. That doesn't sound good for the earthlings. 
Krillin and Gohan struggle almost as if they were trapped in invisible bindings. As far as you can tell, they're immobile. If Guldo felt the need to resort to such dire tactics, he must think that he can't take out the pair any other way. So when the earthling and the half-breed combine their strength, they're mightier than Guldo. That's quite impressive considering how weak they were back on Earth.
"Now I'm gonna show you what happens when you embarrass me in front of the boys." You clench your fists, your nails digging into your palms, as you watch Guldo intently. As much as you hate to admit it, you're going to need those two runts. So if Guldo were to kill them, it would be very unfavorable. He uses another mind trick to pull a tree from the ground, using the bottom end as a makeshift spear. He points the weapon at the pair, taunting them. He's gonna impale them with a fucking stick. What a pathetic way to go.
You do wonder why Vegeta hasn't intervened yet. He's never played by their rules before. So what's stopping him now? Your brother may simply believe that Gohan and Krillin deserve to die. For not adhering to his warning regarding the weakest link of the Ginyu Force. It's not below Vegeta to be that petty. You can't blame him though, those two fools have no sense of self-control.
The slimy green creature's obnoxious cackling invades your ears. Honestly, Guldo's just pissing you off more than he was before.
Amidst the chaos, you jump out of the cave, flying a bit to distance yourself from suspicion. You shoot a purple beam at Guldo, efficiently decapitating him. Raditz seems to have gotten the message since he checked out with the Dragon Ball sometime during the commotion. He better hide that thing somewhere safe because his life depends on it.
"Did you really think I'd let a creature as pathetic as Guldo kill anything with a drop of Saiyan blood!" Your voice booms causing all eyes to land on you. You place a hand on your chest, fixating your gaze on the Ginyu Force. "I'm hurt that you didn't include me in your little game."
"Oh, our apologies Y/N." Jeice's thick accent invades your ears. "We should have assumed. Wherever Vegeta is, you're always somewhere nearby."
You swear you can hear faint grumbling. You just can't quite locate the source. Your eyes scan over the ground until you discover the origin of the sound. Long story short, it was Guldo's severed head. So his species can survive decapitation, good to know. "Defeated by a damn Saiyan. And the weaker one at that." You could run circles around that little freak. If you went head to head, he wouldn't even be considered a challenge. Guldo's giving himself far too much credit.
Vegeta chuckles darkly. "Well, don't worry." He strides over to the talking head. "You won't have to deal with that shame for long." Vegeta finishes the job, eliminating that embarrassment of the group of supposed elite warriors. 
The three remaining members complain about Guldo's demise, but it's not for the reason you may think. They're more upset about the impact his absence will have on their ridiculous pose. You wish you could say you were surprised, but you've known those idiots far too long to believe anything else.
The half-breed and earthling walk over to you, identical expressions of gratitude apparent on their faces. "We owe you one, Y/N." You roll your eyes at Krillin. It was a simple business decision. And it was nothing more than that. 
Gohan nods in agreement. "Ya, thanks." You cringe at his gratitude. Why are they thanking you? You killed Guldo for your own selfish reasons.
"Your lives had nothing to do with it." Well, at least Krillin's. If Guldo did kill the half-breed, it would've been an embarrassment to your entire race in hell. "I needed a distraction. I saw an opportunity."
"She's right, so pull yourselves together. Your lives are incredibly insignificant to us." Vegeta's lying. Your brother knows you need them. He's just far too prideful to admit it.
Burter turns to Jeice, morphing his hands to prepare for another excruciating match of rock paper scissors. "Alright, Jeice. Winner gets the Princess, and the loser gets stuck with the two runts."
Jeice shakes his head. "No, Y/N's all yours." He turns to you, his green eyes meeting your own. "I could never lay a hand on a lady as fine as the Princess." You suppress a gag, deciding to keep your mouth shut. If you were to respond, there's a good chance you could end up fighting both of them.
Burter furrows his brows at his comrade. "Are you sure?"
"Ya, go crazy, Burter." It's actually a reasonable match-up. You and Burter both have incredible speed. I guess you'll finally find out who's faster.
Now with Guldo out of the picture, it's Recoome's turn to fight Vegeta. He reminds you a bit of Nappa. Since he lacks any form of self-control. His punches at your brother are erratic. He even almost hits you, Krillin, and Gohan several times. If Recoome were to hit Krillin with that kind of force, there's no doubt in your mind that it would be a fatal blow.
"Don't go killin them all yourself!" Jeice is second in command to Ginyu, so his authority over Recoome makes sense. "I get the two runts, and Burter get's the Princess of the monkeys." One minute Jeice is flirting with you. The next, he's demeaning you. Talk about mixed signals.
You watch Recoome and Vegeta trade punches, and it's starting to lack any value of entertainment. Vegeta's covered in blood while Recoome's armor is chipped, and he's now missing tufts of hair.
You begin to grow impatient. This will be the first time you've been challenged in a while. "Yo, Burter! Let's just get this over with now. We'll make this battle a double feature." 
"Fine with me." The two of you distance yourselves from Recoome and Vegeta, commencing your battle as well.
Their gazes flicker back and forth between both battles. They were so enthralled in the action that neither Gohan nor Krillin noticed that Raditz had joined them. 
Gohan and Krillin stick to the sidelines. They're in no hurry to fight Jeice. Even though he's significantly smaller than Recoome and Burter, Krillin doesn't think Jeice's smaller size will give them any sort of advantage. 
"Raditz?" Jeice looks far from pleased. He's always been jealous of the Saiyan. Not for his strength, rather the envy stems from Raditz's luscious mane of hair. It took Jeice several years to grow his hair to an adequate length, while that fool was born with that full head of hair. Raditz meets his gaze, an arrogant smirk overtaking his features. As he waves at the green-eyed man mockingly. "But--- Y/N said you ran off!"
Mid-battle, you turn to Jeice. Without even looking, you still manage to keep up with Burter. "I'm a compulsive liar, Jeice! It's a nasty habit."
Jeice huffs, crossing his arms at the largest Saiyan. "Raditz is mine. I'm throwing him in with the two runts." A chuckle escapes your lips. He's underestimating what the three of them could accomplish together. Jeice is letting his own petty feelings cloud his judgment. How arrogant.
Krillin's brows furrow as his eyes linger on you. There's something that isn't quite adding up. He turns to Raditz and Gohan, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Hey, guys. I've been thinking about something. Remember back on Earth how Vegeta said that Saiyans get stronger after battle. Well, Vegeta's gotten stronger after several fights, but do you see Y/N? She's still able to effortlessly keep up. Even though she's barely lifted a finger. How is that possible?" The earthling's eyes widen as the gears begin to shift in his head. "Unless. Is she stronger---"
Raditz's hand covers Krillin's mouth, lowering his voice to a deadly whisper. "Silence, you earthling. Keep that big mouth of yours shut."
Krillin's teeth sink into his captor's hand, successfully freeing himself from the Saiyan's clutches. Several muffled phrases of obscenity escape Raditz's lips as he rapidly shakes his hand in an attempt to soothe the pain. "She is. Isn't she?" The look on Raditz's face told Krillin all he needed to know. "But you knew that already, and I bet you know why too. I wonder how Vegeta would feel about this?" His last sentence was clearly a passive-aggressive threat toward both you and Raditz. The earthling wouldn't be dumb enough to follow through with that threat, would he?
Raditz scowls at Krillin. How dare this pathetic little weasel attempt to threaten him. "Not a word to Vegeta. If you value your life. I'd stop talking now. Vegeta doesn't know, and it would be very unfavorable if he found out, for all of us." His tone shifts, his eyes flashing with vulnerability. "Something bad happened to us as children, and Vegeta still doesn't know about it." He returns to his menacing demeanor, your shared childhood trauma getting pushed to the back of his mind becoming yet again a distant memory. "So you will stop your absurd thoughts now. Or I can assure you. The second you resurrect your feeble friends, I will single-handedly slaughter them, and then you will follow." Krillin gulps, nodding in fear. He better pray Vegeta heard none of their conversations because he has a feeling Raditz will stick to his word.
Raditz thinks he knows all your secrets, but he's only aware of the tip of the iceberg. Below the surface lies pain and suffering the older Saiyan could never imagine from you. You keep these secrets to protect him, to protect Vegeta, and most importantly, to protect yourself. But if either of them were to find out the truth, your life as you know it would come crashing down. If they were to find out your greatest shame, your pride would be in shambles, and they would know the truth. You're just a weak Saiyan who's an embarrassment to her family name.
You're not exactly sure how much time has passed. You've completely blocked out the entirety of your surroundings, remaining focused on your battle with Burter. You can't joke around as you did back on Earth. There's no room for error today.
The two of you take turns beating the absolute hell out of each other. If you keep this up, there will be no end to this anytime soon. You shriek, spiking up your energy substantially. Burter's eyes bug out as his scouter explodes. Those pieces of junk are really no match to this energy-sensing technique. 
Even though you've blocked out your surroundings, you know the two of you have moved a significant distance away from the others. You could even be on the other side of the planet by now. In the back of your mind, you can't help but worry about your brother especially, now that you're so far away. Recoome may be an idiot, but he's a strong one. You have to remain focused. You can't help Vegeta if you don't help yourself first.
You begin to get the edge over Burter. Now he's attempting to block your attacks, but due to his large size, he's failing horribly. A couple more blows, and you'll finally be able to knock him down. You've taken down guys much larger than Burter, creatures who were triple his size. 
Over the years, you've learned to use your smaller size to your advantage. Making your opponent's sheer size more of a nuisance than a strength. Burter begins to struggle further. He's now barely able to keep up with you. "I'm the fastest being in the universe! How can one of you monkeys be faster than me?" You scowl at him, finding no humor in his statement as rage boils inside of you. 
Unknown to you, you and Burter aren't alone. Goku has been watching your battle in awe for quite some time now. He knows he should've left to find the others, but he just couldn't help it. He can't take his eyes off of you. This is the first time he's seen you fight, and you're much stronger than the Earthbound Saiyan believed.
Your fists clench as your entire body convulses in rage. It's not often you'll lose your temper like this. Goku swears that he saw your irises flash a shade of red. He rubs his eyes, glancing back at you. Your eyes have returned to normal. Maybe Goku is just seeing things. If you knew someone was watching, you would've kept your temper in check. 
Burter sends a blast of your energy your way. Which you dodge by teleporting behind him. You use all of your body weight to knock him down to the ground. You won't mock him like you typically do after defeating a foe. You won't take the chance of giving him an opening to strike back. In the palm of your hand, you create an orb of energy, disintegrating his head. Successfully, taking out your second member of the great Ginyu Force.
You fall to your knees, desperately gasping for air, before grabbing your side, wincing in excruciating pain. Damn, Burter must have nicked you good. You look to your side, noticing just how much blood has leaked through your armor. This is gonna be an issue, though you've fought through worse. You stand back up to check your body for any further damage. There seems to be no other physical damage to your form. Your armor is a bit ripped, though. 
"Wow! You're really strong." You gasp, moving your fist, aiming it at whoever is in front of you. They swiftly catch your fist, preventing you from attacking. Their grip is secure enough to stop you from escaping, yet at the same time pleasantly gentle.
You move your gaze upwards, finally gathering the courage to look them in the eye. Your brows furrow as Goku's dumb face enters your field of vision. "God, Kakarot! When the hell did you get here?" You shake yourself out of his grasp, taking a few steps back, putting some distance between you two.
"A while ago." He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "I got distracted by your fight." So he was observing you the whole time. Why does that make you feel incredibly self-conscious?
"Of course you did." You sigh, moving several strands of hair out of your face. Goku steps closer to you, bringing his hand to meet your forehead. It's so big that it takes up the entirety of your forehead and even the top of your head. "Kakarot. What the hell are you doing?"
"Just be quiet for a second." It's official. Goku has lost what was left of his mind. "So it is true. You guys are working together. And that Frieza guy is a much bigger deal than I thought." How does he know about all of that? And why is he still touching you?
You slap his arm, convincing him to remove his hand. "And why's that?"
"Because you're afraid of him."
Your face flushes. "I'm not scared of Frieza. I'm not afraid of anything." Your cross your arm, averting his gaze.
"Yes, you are." He pouts. "I saw it." Kakarot saw it? How the hell--- Did Kakarot acquire the ability to read thoughts? Is that even possible?
You decide to divert his mind from his accusations. Knowing Kakaort, that shouldn't be hard at all. "Since when can you read minds?"
He rubs his chin, lost deep in thought. "I don't know--- I just had a feeling."
"Well, let's go. And new rule." You bring your hand up, pointing your index finger at the buffoon. "Stay out of my thoughts!"
He holds up his hands in surrender, nodding. "Are we gonna go find that Captain Ginyu guy?"
"No. We have to go make sure that Recoome and Jeice haven't killed the others first. Don't bite off more than you can chew." Goku has this aura around him. You can tell he's gotten stronger. He just needs to learn how to get his priorities in order.
Okay. All you have to do is pin down someone's energy. There are at least four sources to choose from, so this should be fairly simple. You shut your eyes. This should help you concentrate adequately. 
"Ohh, what's that?"
Your head snaps toward Goku. "What?" You swear the man has an attention span equivalent of an insect.
He bends down, observing the ground intently. "It's like a green string."
"A green--- Kakarot! Don't!" But you were too late. He's already yanked the tripwire.
The ground concaves beneath you, causing you to lose your footing as the two of you fall down into the pit. You fall on top of Goku. Unintentionally straddling the Saiyan. And if you thought this situation couldn't get any more awkward, you'd be wrong. Goku's arms are wrapped securely around your waist, holding you in place. Your heart feels like it's beating out of your chest. And your face feels like it's been set aflame. As your eyes lock, your face only turns a deeper shade of crimson. "D-Don't touch me!" You're stuttering. What the hell is happening to you?
His brows furrow. "You're the one who fell on top of me!"
"It's not my fault." His classic pout spreads across his lips. "How was I supposed to know that the ground would collapse?" 
"W-Well, you're the reason we're in this mess!" You stand up, wanting to get as far away from Goku as possible. You don't like the way you feel around him. The only time your pulse should be racing like this is during combat.
"Well, it wouldn't be called a trap if you could see it!"
"I don't get why you're so mad. Can't we just fly out?"
You snicker as your lips curve upward. "Give it a shot, Kakarot." You know it won't work, but at least his failures will provide you with some quality entertainment. It would be a pretty pathetic trap if you could simply fly out. Goku flies up, slamming his head on the invisible barrier. You break out into a fit of laughter as he falls back down. Goku jumps back up, rubbing the back of his head. "Ouch. Did you know that would happen?" Your giggling dies down as Goku begins looking around the hole. "How did this place even get here? Is this Frieza's work?"
"No. It's definitely the work of the Namekians. Frieza wouldn't be able to formulate something so elaborate in the amount of time he's had. Besides that dictator never does any of his own dirty work."
"Well, let's just sit back and relax. I'm sure we'll be fine. Someone will have to find us eventually." He has such a laid-back attitude. Maybe another alien baby crash-landed on Earth. Because with every second that passes, you're finding it harder to believe that Goku has Saiyan ancestry. 
"Oh, ya, let's just relax." You mock him. "While the others are probably getting chopped up into little pieces by the remnants of the Ginyu Force as we speak!"
"Why are you always so negative?" Is he serious? Do you have to spell out why this is potentially a very dire situation? You'd think he would show more concern for his son.
Your hands meet the sides of your head. You're practically yanking your hair out at this point. To say you're frustrated would be an understatement. "God, why am I constantly getting trapped in enclosed spaces with your idiotic bloodline! First, it was your spawn, then it was your moronic brother, and now I'm stuck with you. And you're somehow the worst of them all!" Goku just stands in front of you like a statue with that goofy smile plastered on his face. "And stop smiling when I yell at you!" 
Being stuck down here with Kakarot will be the ultimate test of your willpower----
-
Will the others make it to Y/N and Goku in time? Or will Y/N kill Goku before they even get the chance? Find out in the next chapter of The Princess of All Saiyans!
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protag-rantaro · 4 years
Text
"Confusion and Familiarity" Prologue [PART 4]
Written by the fantastic Mod Tai!
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Ding Dong- Bing Bong!
A bell? Rantaro and Kirumi looked at the monitor in front of them and 5 little bears were sitting on the couch. 
"Everyone, make your way to the gym, please! The opening ceremony can finally begin" and with that the monitor turned black once again.
What the hell? what ceremony are they talking about?
It didn't took long for everyone to gather in the gym. Soon the chatting started and the gym became pretty lively.
"Hmm, it's pretty amazing seeing all 16 of us Ultimates gathered together" Kaito showed everyone his thumbs up with a carefree grin.
"Pardon me, but… we should be on our guard. We don't know if and when danger will strike" Keebo reminded everyone and the group became silent for a few seconds.
"D-Don't say that… I'm scared, so scared! I don't know… what to do..." Kokichi sniffed and Rantaro carefully watched him.
"You don't have to be scared! Atua will protect us all!" Angie smiled brightly and Kokichi's mood quickly changed.
"Ohhh, that's a relief! Pheew!!" Kokichi noticed Rantaro's stare and stuck his tongue out with a funny grimace. 
What a weird child. But in the end Rantaro couldn't help but laugh about the grimace.
"Seriously, is y'alls heads full of weed or somethin'? I'll whack them out of your skulls if you need me to!" Miu called out annoyed from all the noise and different chatter in the gym, but suddenly a loud, familiar noise could be heard in the gym and then huge robots appeared before us.
"Wow, Keeboy! Are you related to those monsters?" Kokichi pointed at those monsters with a mischievous grin. 
"O-Of course not! That's robophobic! Stop those comments right now, Kokichi!!" Keebo was angry and Kokichi was laughing, but the fear was clearly visible in everyone's eyes, even in Kokichi- and Keebo's eyes.
"These aren't monsters! These are Exisals!" one of the monsters- no, Exisals spoke. 
"They're highly mobile, bipedal weapons platforms" they continued proudly. "Weapons?" Someone called out from the back of the group with a panic.
"Alright, chill out, no need to panic… We're probably not in danger, because if they wanted to kill us, they would have done it by now" with that Rantaro casually walked over to the Exisals.
"You clearly want something, that's why you have the guns, right? Wait, let me guess… you're gonna force us to do something and if we don't do it...we will get hurt" Rantaro continued with a hand in his chin. "Well, you have our attention. So what do you want?"
"Huh, aren't you a clever guy..." Monosuke spoke in a mocking way.
"I will start! Listen up! Here is what we want you dumbasses to do-" 
"KILLING GAME" suddenly Monokid was cut off from Monodam, who didn't said anything until now.
"Hell yeah, It's a-"
"KILLING GAME" Monodam interrupted Monkid again.
"H-how DARE you, Monodam!" Monokid yelled angry and upset.
"Hey, if I-I heard him correctly-" Keebo whispered to himself.
"My sweet little cubs~" a new voice was echoing through the gym and Rantaro felt a shiver down his spine. 
"That voice!" Monophanie called out, the other cubs stopped fighting and the lightning in the gym shut off.
"I am the God of this world!" a new bear, similar to the Monokubs appeared on the stage.
"It's the one and only Monokuma! Nice to meet ya~!" He announced himself, ignoring all the confused looks from the students.
"Even when the prologue is going wayyy too long and is very tiresome to read and write- I will allow it, because you cubs are sooo cute!" Monokuma seemed like he talked with himself, but to be honest… who knows who he is talking too?
"Well, that may be, but I'm more concerned about the "Killing game" you have mentioned earlier" Rantaro walked up to the front, but Monokuma only chuckled mockingly.
""I want you students with your Ultimate-level talents to participate in my killing game!" Monokuma stared down on us, waiting for a reaction.
"Gentlemen not hurt people!" Gonta shouted,but Monokuma was unimpressed by that.
"The academy is surrounded by a huge wall. You can't escape and as long as we have the Exisals… you can't defy us. In other words I have the power of life and death over each and everyone of you! Muhahaha!" and again Monokuma laughed hysterical as if all of this was the funniest joke he ever heard.
"Y-You gotta be kidding me! Why would friends kill each other?! You're totally insane!" Tenko yelled with all her courage she possessed.
"... Who said you guys were friends? You are all enemies out to kill each other! But the point is that it's not enough to simply kill someone. You also have to survive the class trial" Monokuma talked very close to the microphone he was holding.
"What is the punishment if you get exposed in the so-called class trial" Kiyo asked and Monkuma smiled satisfied.
"Simple- it's an execution! If you do a crime, you get punished. That's the most basic rule-  up this is a Killing game so the punishment should be a bit more… permanent and that's all… so let's start this heart-pounding killing school semester already!"
"Ohh, before I forget- youre free to murder however you like too… stabbing, strangulation, poisoning and then we have: shooting, drowning, crushing your victim to death. I don't care, you can use any method you want and you can kill anyone you like… That should be all- I wonder how it will turn out, puhuuhuhuu~" Monokuma added and with that a big chaos started in the gym.
"Risking our life in a killing game… how absurd" Kiyo crossed his arms unimpressed from Monokuma's speech.
"Well, it doesn't seem like it will be boring, though!" Kokichi had this mischievous look on his face again and didn't seemed to be care at all.
"That- That has to be a lie, right? Right??" Tsumugi was trembling near the corner of the gym. She looked really scared.
It was so loud that Rantaro couldn't concentrate on who was talking in the first place. Impossible to keep track, he took a deep breath.
"We won't participate in your game, Monokuma! Nobody is interested in your game about killing or getting killed" Rantaro spoke up and Keade quickly joined him.
"Yes! We won't accept that! We will never accept that!"
"Well, as the headmaster it's my job to force you to play…but a resistance makes things always way more entertaining for everyone~"
What? Everyone? Who is he talking about? 
Rantaro thought for a second, but he got cut off by the squealing laughter from Monokuma and the Monokubs in the Exisals.
Everything is so messed up!
The academy is surrounded by a cage,
16 Ultimate students are trapped in this academy…
talking stuffed animals and deadly weapons.
new friends forced to play some kind of killing game!
and against our will… we became characters in this totally messed up story.
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in-tua-deep · 5 years
Note
oof five leaving behind his daemon would be so painful because he comes back and she's still not settled and that persistent ache in his chest from having her be far from him eases but he also has no idea how to react to her and part of him wants to insist he doesn't need her (as he does with all the things he's forced himself to get used to lacking)
i can’t believe i have an au of an au lmao this is how far i have fallen 
Honestly Five not taking Pancha with him to the future would be HEARTBREAKING because you know she’d hide it, she wouldn’t want to let Reginald know she was still around so she might actually run away,, i don’t remember if daemons need to eat or anything because they’re made of dust but she’s unsettled - she could go off and live in the woods as a bird or a squirrel or a hare or a bee or a butterfly or anything. She’s a daemon set loose without a human to keep her to anything
But then again, she’s also Five’s soul, and at the end of the day Five loves his family enough to spend his entire life trying to make sure that before anything else, his family survives. He doesn’t save the world for the world’s sake, he does it for his family. He could have stayed with the Commission. Or he could have jumped wildly back in time with far looser equations if he didn’t care where he ended up so long as it wasn’t the apocalypse. 
In this au he’s also trying to get back to Pancha but the point remains
So Pancha probably doesn’t just fuck off. Not entirely. She’s unsettled. She can turn into an ant or a mouse or a dozen other small creatures to sneak around the house under everyone’s noses - and she watches
I want to say she goes to Ben, because Ben has some built in protections and also because in the dream she went to Ben and I can’t discount my subconscious that would be rude. But legit though, she might not want to put any more problems on Vanya or she might just believe Vanya can’t help her because Vanya is ordinary (Reginald’s dismissal of her was not just a surface level problem), but she knows that Ben is quiet and that he can keep a secret and most importantly, he can protect her if discovered. Ben has a very violent and uncontrollable power, Reginald wouldn’t cross him lightly
except Ben dies
but Tamaya remains, just like Pancha does, but Tamaya is settled she doesn’t have the same safety that Pancha does, can’t turn into a gnat in the blink of an eye - easily overlooked, so Pancha sought out Ben for company but Tamaya needs someone to hide her
and Tamaya chooses Klaus, and Pancha follows, and wow Klaus how come ur mom lets you have THREE daemons
and Klaus would be shocked because daemons are supposed to die when their humans do, but these two didn’t. (Pancha insists that Five is alive, he’s just lost to her. Klaus and Rowan and Tamaya probably don’t really believe her, but she doesn’t care because she knows, in her dust, that Five will come back)
and he does
Pancha grows used to life with Klaus and Rowan and Tamaya, she crawls into the mausoleums as a spider under Reginald’s nose and keeps her brother company, slides through cracks as an ant and curls comfort around Rowan. They leave and Klaus is on the streets and Pancha is canny and capable of spatial jumps and she’s willing to steal in the name of her family she lets Klaus lean on her strength
and they go to the funeral, all five of them. Klaus and Rowan and Tamaya and Ben and Pancha, though the others only know about two of them and Pancha curls up with Tamaya in the form of another rat in Klaus’s hoodie as Ben follows only seen to two of their number
and the world splits apart in the courtyard, and there’s a figure falling though, and Pancha is clawing her way out of Klaus’s pocket and shifting and leaping forward because that’s her boy. And Five is a fucking mess because it’s one thing putting on a brave face seeing your dead siblings alive again when he’s had forty some years to process that, but Pancha is the other half of his soul and that’s a wound that can’t heal
and Pancha is chewing him out and yelling at him to never ever do that again or leave her behind and he’s an idiot and Five is clinging to her just as much as she is to him and they’re both crying because for the first time in so many years they are whole and she knows their collective soul is so much older than their bodies but she doesn’t care and Five doesn’t even care that he’s thirteen again because how could he care when it feels the most right he’s ever been??
and the others are standing there, shocked, and no one exactly didn’t notice that Pancha hadn’t fallen from the portal and that she’d been on Klaus’s person but that’s put aside as Pancha in the form of a tiger grabs onto Five’s skinny wrist and yanks him to go into the house because she can feel the gnawing hunger in his gut and the gentle pain of almost-at-limits-but-not-quite and she raided the kitchen with the squad earlier so she knows that there’s peanut butter and marshmallows and bread and Five knows exactly what to do
and in this universe, Pancha has a pack. A squad. She’s spent the last seventeen years as Klaus-Rowan-Tamaya-Pancha-Ben and she’s not about to let her dumbass person go off on his own without her and she’s just as much not about to ditch the people who supported her
and Five, after that first incredible relief and rush and wonder, tries to push her away
(Pancha learns why later, when she’s staring at the Handler and feeling that rush of wrong wrong wrong because there is no daemon at the Handler’s side. Pancha stays small, stays as an ant sticking against Five’s skin until the right moment when she bursts forward and no one expects it because the commission doesn’t know everything, they thought she died in their separation because they didn’t start watching Five until after the jump, when they were so far apart. Five was a temporal assassin infamous for his lack of daemon just like the Handler was infamous in the organization for her own lack. So no one expected Pancha bursting from her boy’s sleeve and shifting in a flurry of teeth and claws to thoroughly destroy any who would dare try and get between her and saving her family)
but like,, Pancha isn’t about to let the other half of her walk away so easily not even if she has to turn into something big and sit on him and she can jump as well and can always feel where he is and so she’s not exactly going to let him get away with anything
so Klaus and Ben and Rowan and Tamaya get roped into pretty much all their plans because Pancha will stand for nothing less and Five is willing to sacrifice a lot to save his family but he’s not quite willing to sacrifice his soul. Not after just getting her back.
So it changes things, because the most important part about their shared power and ability to go far from one another is this: if one tugs, the other can answer. They can jump to one another’s sides in moment of need. So when Griddy’s is being shot up and Pancha and Five already argued about going off alone, Pancha pops up to smash some idiots with her boy. When the manor is being shot up and Klaus is kidnapped, Pancha pulls hard enough that Five is practically yanked through the portal instead of jumping himself. Maybe the rest of the family doesn’t notice Klaus’s disappearance, but Pancha does
and as she yells at Five, there’s no point in stopping the apocalypse if their siblings die first and Five remembers finding bodies, bodies and dust and he didn’t even see Rowan’s body because Rowan was dust and at least he had something to mourn for Klaus and fuck - Pancha’s always been able to get him to do exactly what she wants so they go and rescue Klaus
(sorry Dave, Klaus probably doesn’t meet him - but Eudora Patch gets to live because Five and Pancha yank her out of the way and save her life as well as rescuing Klaus and so you know what hell yes Patch and her terrier daemon get to follow Klaus and chew out Diego because what the fuCK diego and joins their saving-the-world-squad because I love her and would die for her)
also Tamaya would come in super handy honestly because if they’re looking at Klaus-and-Rowan and Five-and-Tamaya then no one is looking for Pancha because who the fuck expects another random daemon to exist everyone knows that people don’t have two daemons. They’ll look at Tamaya balancing on Five’s shoulder (all according to plan) and they won’t look any closer because why would they?? Ben and Pancha team up to slide invisibly wherever they need to get because Pancha abuses her unsettled ability to adapt and change eyyyy
at some point Klaus is probably going to awkwardly address the fact that Pancha is unsettled and Five is going to brush it off
but honestly like all this espionage and the new tight knit bond between Klaus-Ben-Five-Rowan-Tamaya-Pancha doesn’t help the underlying issue: Leonard and Vanya and powers that should have never been hidden
i don’t know how this au would end but i would hope they manage to stop the apocalypse bc they would try so hard to do so :(
I just want all these dumbasses to be HAPPY is that too much to ask
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thissmycomingofage · 6 years
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Luke Castellan, a Hero ?
Rick thinks he is, the demigods think he is, heck, even the gods think he is cause at the end, Luke goes to the Elysium.
But me, I've always and I'll always think that... yes he has taken a good decision, at the end. But no, for me, Luke Castellan is not a hero. Maybe he doesn't deserve to go to the Fields of Punishments, but, in my opinion he didn't deserve this too good treatment.
He did too much bad things : he has killed, threatened and manipulated his friends. Honestly I can accept his hatred against the gods, he had good reasons to hate them, like the demigods who had joined him. My problem is not his motivations, that's his actions.
Percy Jackson
In the "Lightning Thief" Percy is an innocent and young demigod (as old as Annabeth) who has been forced in a quest in order to save his mother. And Luke try to kill, before he starts to become a real threat. But, again, I could accept his action against Percy. After all they are enemies and they don't know each other very well.
No the true problem is how he acts with Annabeth, Thalia, and all the other demigods.
Demigods
For the demigods, it's clearly said that a lot of them had been killed between the fourth and the fifth book by Kronos's army. So good job Luke ! You have protected them very well, but after all it's true that implicate them in a war is the best way to save them !
Seriously, except Annabeth, Grover and Percy, you can't make me believe that any demigods would forgive him. They have lost a lot of friends, only because mister Castellan wanted the gods to claim their children (and again his goal is completely incoherent : destroy the gods and save the demigods is impossible to put in the same plan) !
Thalia Grace
Even her has turned the page, and he was his first friend and she has to accept this after she had spent 5 years as a tree (Which is very mature, I think. She has accepted that his friend (and probably crush) was gone.), she was ready to kill him in order to protect his friends and the world... Unlike... some child of wisdom... Annabeth Chase.
Annabeth Chase
Ok, to be honest : I understand. Annabeth was treated like a monster by his family, and Luke was her first crush and with Thalia she thought she finally had a true family. Then Thalia became a tree, and Luke was the best support she had.
BUT, Thalia was clearly in love with Luke too, and even the girl describe as impulsive and characterial was wise enough to fight him. So for me the love is not a good reason.
(And at the end, apparently (even if it's complete bullshit) Annabeth was never in love with him... but Luke was in love with her... bullshit).
He can "try" to save her if he wants in TBOTL, but in the TTC he treated her like crap and was only interest in Thalia.
So... I'm sorry. But even if his stupid little war had help the demigods' situation to evolve. Luke is, and will always be an idiot who prefers the fight over the deal, and a dumbass who's ready to kill a lot of demigods in order to stop the gods to make children (and forgetting all the very young demigods who live in the nature and will probably be killed by Kronos)
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