#I have Feelings about how he's been repeatedly shunned from standing with the other 3

[gottfrieds]

lays down. remember how canonically Vane is able to take down multiple wyverns completely by himself in one hit and how he has canonically taken on hoards of abominations while injured. remember how Cygames literally wrote that he's become strong enough to have maybe surpassed some of his idols but still constantly backlines him in stories

and how, injured and exhausted, he still withstood the power of an out of control faerie artifact to stop it. how his presence in Lancelot's life is the rock that keeps him going. ALL OF THIS IS IN-GAME TEXT CAN WE GIVE THE DOG HIS DAY YET (and also put him in Versus Rising-)

just, they'll write all this and then when it's actually time where he could do something with the ensemble they'll be like. no Vane cannot join because. he's not special enough. fuck you

#vane gbf #vane granblue #gbf #grabble #dogknight #yes this is belated from my twitter w/e #I have Feelings about how he's been repeatedly shunned from standing with the other 3

[why-this-kolaveri-machi]

it wasn’t power i coveted; it was acceptance.

Titans 3.06

y’know, i was just thinking the other day that 1.06/1.07 and 2.06/2.07 were the best episodes of their respective seasons, so i have great hopes going in to this one. fingers crossed!

as always, typing this up as i see the episode.

SPOILERS AHEAD

1. oh! um... that was a Cold Open, all right. *nudges* get it? cold? because it’s snowing? and two people got murdered in cold blood? eh?

... oh, i’ve just started.

1.5. i wonder if “i want to be sipping pina coladas on a beach with you” is the new “i’m just one day away from retiring.” i was so on edge after that--i kept expecting that car to explode. even so, the way they died wasn’t an anticlimax: brutal, and quick. 

1.75. so i’m assuming that’s the titular lady vic! this show better bring up why this doll was important or why these two cops needed to be killed, and not leave it to the ether like jericho’s little mindscape jaunt in 2.08 (i’m still dying to know what that was about???)

2.

i love how deliberately unappealing wayne manor is. 

(sorry for the pic quality. i don’t have hbo max! ssshhh.)

2.3. i love the many references to “home” and “our house” when they’ve been here for less than a week and saw one of their friends get blown into pieces. i mean, i unironically love it: home is where family is, after all!

2.5. i’d like to say that kom is playing some sort of long game here, especially given the build-up we had last season and some of the more niggling details this season: why did kom choose now to use her bond to lure kory when she’s been on earth for months? why did justin call kory now, just around the time that she started getting kom’s visions? and what about kom’s ability to exactly imitate other people? hmmm.

2.75. the reason i wrote i’d like to say is that i’ve made the mistake of assuming plot complexity where there is none; i was so invested in the jason todd orchestrated his own death theory for instance, when it turns out that oops! ra’s al ghul just happened to leave a little lazarus puddle in gotham, and oh yeah! scarecrow just happens to have a network of henchmen working for him on the outside and a fully functional laboratory and a weapons cache fit for a new supervillain in the basement of the high security psychiatric unit/prison that he’s in! 

(no i’m not bitter, why do you ask)

2.8. iiiii don’t know what to say about the implications of sex slavery being a thing on tamaran, so i’m not going to say anything at all. for now.

3. gotham, six years ago... wasn’t it five years before s2 that jericho died and the titans disbanded? and when was the flashback from 1.06 where dick let zucco die? i think it was after the events of 2.08: jericho? i can’t seem to find any transcripts or reliable information online, so i’m going to have to rewatch 1.06 at some point. 

(i love the old-fashioned batman music in this heist scene)

3.5. “security is a joke... it’s my way of keeping my dad on his toes”. what you’re an ethical thief now, like an ethical hacker? i don’t think that excuse is going to sell, barbara, on the day you do encounter a decent security system and your father is forced to arrest you.

(then again, gotham’s security is piss-poor. did you know that you could just walk into arkham asylum without any official clearance, ply one of its most dangerous inhabitants with contraband, and said inmate could get away with having an entire laboratory and weapons cache--NO I’M NOT GOING TO LET THIS GO)

3.8 so that flashback between dick and barbara was really cute! and also illuminating:

a) dick sounds so light, so... um. look. i have some apologies to tender to mr thwaites, because while i’ve always thought he does a fine job as dick grayson, i’ve never been terribly fond of his cadence as he delivers dialogue. it’s often monotonous, i thought, but then again, he’s usually delivering exposition or dealing with one soul-crushing crisis or the other. so i was pleasantly surprised to hear dick sound so carefree and alive in his conversation with barbara, laughing frequently, his emotions so bare and bubbling to the surface. it’s really a fantastic contrast to the traumatised and world-weary dick grayson that we see now, even more so than the costume department just bunging a backwards-baseball cap on mr thwaites’ head and hoping that will convince us of his relative youth. 

b) and god, when he wakes up from that memory, all alone in his bed, bleeding from bullet holes in his shoulder (bullet holes that are--in a somewhat convoluted way--barbara’s fault)? yikes. it’s great. you have my apologies, mr thwaites!

c) can you imagine dick just... crawling back to wayne manor, trying not to be seen by anybody, shedding his suit and just... collapsing onto his bed without even tending to his wound? the sheer emotional and physical exhaustion of it? 

d) it’s so interesting to see how barbara and dick approach the idea of legacy--a big theme on the show!--in this flashback. barbara is the one bucking the idea that she should follow in her father’s footsteps, while dick seems pretty content with the batman-and-robin setup, and even tries to get barbara to join their team (robin-girl. pfffft). obviously after this several traumatic things happen wherein dick ends up questioning and then resenting his role as robin, his relationship with batman or even returning as a vigilante at all. and barbara... ends up replacing her father as commissioner. it’s tragic, really. 

e) the dynamic between dick and barbara in the flashback reminds me of how it was between dick and donna in 1.08 and even between kory and dick in early s1. it’s like having an older, strong-willed woman by his side means he gives over the steering wheel for a while and lets himself... unspool, a little bit. it’s kinda endearing.

also:

*pinches his cheeks*

3. you know, we talk about dick and Eldest Daughter Syndrome, and that’s definitely valid, but here gar seems to me the embodiment of it, with all the emotional gardening and firefighting that he’s expected to do. he’s kind of the guy expected to keep his shit together and take care of everyone else while they are falling completely to pieces, unable to carve out time to process his own trauma. he’s also picked up dick’s and kory’s tendencies to bottle up their struggles and shun appearing vulnerable, and he’s struggling in the shadow of both dick and kory undergoing acute crises, his best friend (and frequent confidante) on the other side of the world, and seeing hank die, utterly helpless to stop it. 

i’m glad that he got a chance to tell dick even a smidgeon of what he really feels, and i hope this is at least a semblance of a wake up call for dick to actually sit down and work with the people he repeatedly calls family.

3.5. it’s heartening to see that dick immediately makes it his priority to go talk to gar. but don’t blow off kory in the process, man!

4. i’m really loving this dynamic between kom and conner--i get the idea that both of them consider each other as Unknowns, alien two times over. but conner’s only ever known the titans, who embrace being different, and kom’s only ever known... well. 

anyway, kory is Really Stressed, and honestly? #relatable. 

when you’re forced to bring an estranged family member to hang out with your friends...

4.5. i love that the titans are spending so much time in the kitchen. a real family!

5. jonathan crane is a creep and i absolutely cannot stand him.

5.25. how did he get a whole lab setup (in the basement of a hospital...?) with a bunch of whitecoats to work for him? how did he just waltz into the viewing room of an operation theatre when he’s one of the most wanted men in gotham right now? why is jason wandering around maskless when--presumably--as the adopted son of the most famous person in gotham he’d be a tad more recognisable than your average joe?

why do i expect this show to answer anything anymore?

5.5. that’s not necessarily a criticism, mind; i’ve said since season 1 that titans is very comics-like in this aspect, all about the Aesthetic and the splash-page splendour rather than the niggling unimportant details of how or when the characters got to said location. like. the camera gliding over the operation being set-up, lady vic bursting in and doing her murder dance (imagine the luck of the poor intern who chose this day and this surgery to assist) and jason, shocked and slack-jawed, framed by blood.

5.75. it’s a sobering reminder for jason that, though he chose this path in order to gain control over a world that seemed like it was rapidly spinning out of his grip, he’s only succeeded in handing over even more control to a man with an agenda that is very clearly not aligned with his own. he’s in too far to stop now, though.

5.9. i have a lot more thoughts about jason! saving it up for the end of this recap, though.

6. more kitchen time! i better see dick do some cooking soon...

(”our kitchen”! it still delights me! kitchens are So Important)

6.25. so much of dick’s issues have revolved around his relationship with bruce, so it’s completely understandable that in the wake of a huge crisis where bruce literally asks dick to replace him and be a “better” him, dick would default to all the worst things he learned from the man. and i’m glad kory’s having none of it, but come on, guys. the woman’s literally fetched her fratricidal sister out of a hole in the ground with no idea what said sister is going to do next and experiencing a burgeoning sense of guilt far, far beyond her history with the titans, and dick’s too far into his autocolonoscopy that he can’t see that she needs help.

6.5. “he services your urges”--well, as far as we know, kory is the last person he had sex with...

7. “i hope [gar] isn’t angry with me...” SIR! i thought you’d already spoken to him! smh, as the kids say. kory wouldn’t be needing to reassure you if you just took the effort to build two way emotional relationships with the rest of the team. @superohclair​ was taking about dick’s relatively low emotional intelligence? i agree.

7.5. “i got my own problems [...] you and barbara? fix it.” YOU TELL HIM, KORY

8. man i really like this weird, sad tension between dick and barbara--this sense that both of them are approaching the other based on how they remember them and are ultimately disappointed by the truth. barbara thought she could trust dick to... well, be a better batman, but dick has not only failed at that in her eyes, but repeatedly undermined her while exploiting the authority that she gave him. in dick’s eyes, this is nothing like the barbara that he knew, rebellious and ready to do whatever it takes to find something. 

like. this show sometimes really hits me in the chest about the ways it shows kids grow into adults and into caretakers, and the way it’s stop-start, the ways nothing can happen at all for a long time and then it’s Crisis Central all at once and there’s no space to breathe. the weird sort of sadness that comes with nostalgia. 

8.5. oracle name drop! i agree with barbara, any system that can just randomly tap into gotham phonelines is a monster.

8.7. (i don’t know if it’s my imagination, but is dick holding himself... differently in this episode? like that wound is definitely bothering him, and he’s running on fumes)

9. man, that was a really sweet scene between kom and conner. “feeling alien in your own world”... “not quite here nor there”

honestly this team runs on conner and gar’s faith in their value as a family, and it’s a sign of conner’s generous heart that he extends that opportunity to blackfire. this arc of maturation for him, where he’s now able to consciously choose which parts of himself he can use to do the thing he wants to so--save people--has been so fulfilling to recognise. this baby’s grown with the titans! and what he’s learnt is that people can get fucked up, but the titans is a place where they can be fucked up, and grow.

MY MAN CONNER

10. oh man i’m drinking in the gar-dick interaction in this episode like i’m three days into the desert and it’s the only source of water for miles around!

a) gar is absolutely not dealing with dick’s bullshit this episode and I LOVE IT. it’s such a far cry from the man who was idolising dick/robin back in s1 and expecting him to solve all their problems. dick is fallible, dick is fucked up, but he Tries His Best and that’s ok.

b) dick, huffing and puffing through that vent, unable to put any pressure on his left shoulder, trying to have a heart to heart with gar... fuck i love this asshole. 

c) bruce took in a kid who was suffering... “and made him into a weapon”. well. i absolutely agree with dick that it was bruce who put these kids into these horrible situations with him and they came away with a bucketload of trauma to add to the one that they already had. but we know that bruce was really trying with jason, and at the end of s2, dick was coming to acknowledge that bruce had offered him something that wasn’t just darkness. jason’s death and bruce’s reaction to that shattered that fragile progress.

d) “gotham got to me too.” i feel more sympathetic towards dick running off on his own than most, and it’s not just because i’m an unapologetic stan.  we’ve seen before that dick... devolves when overwhelmed, and he lashes out and makes ill thought out decisions and just Does Not Deal. it happened after hearing the news that deathstroke had returned in s2, and it didn’t help that everyone around him was reeling at the news, either. this time, however, he has his salvation in his family, and despite some stupid decisions like running off and kidnapping supervillains without telling his team, he’s been really on the ball this season. thinking clearly and logically, holding it together and working on a plan, thinking two steps ahead of the villains... yes.

e) gar needing to believe that jason isn’t beyond redemption... there’s a lot of blood on his hands, too, from when he was manipulated by cadmus last season. it makes sense why he’d relate to jason’s predicament, and i hope dick picked up on that.

f) my head just added a plaintive ow after dick jumped feet first into the storage room

i need, crave gifs of this scene!

11. *sits on hands* i’m going to talk more about red hood, i promise!

12. more gar and dick! is it my birthday??!!

(actually, according to the tamil calendar, it is my birthday! my “star” birthday)

12.5. excellent. dick using some implausible training that bruce taught him to solve a mystery? passing some of that knowledge onto gar? that proud smile when he sees gar perfectly execute moves that he taught him? MY HEART IS EXPLODING

13. aw, i love flashback!dick and barbara, they’re so cute <3

13.25. why does it not surprise me that the way he proposes a relationship to barbara is by saying “we make sense”? this guy can deduce exactly who was present where and what weapon they were holding from a garbled audio recording but other times he’s utterly clueless, and that’s a consistent character beat right from s1

13.5. so.... that’s why lady vic has it out for... barbara....? i don’t get it. it’s flimsy. but hey! the fun thing about titans is that i don’t have to get it. the payoff has nothing to do with the plot.

14. i can’t believe that barbara fell for that, but at least that wheelchair fight looked awesome, so.

15. oh yeah, i forgot that red hood bullied the mob into helping him and scarecrow... at least that explains the whitecoats and the elaborate set-up.

15.5. honestly i love how this dynamic between kory and kom is developing, though i wish more of the team would pay attention to it. time to call justin, i think!

16. i wonder what happened after that second flashback where barbara got hurt during that heist. did she give up on doing any more (maybe jim caught her)? was it because dick was called away by bruce and then the titans and got caught up in his own issues? maybe barbara froze him out because she wasn’t looking for the relationship that he was looking for? maybe the idea of doing that with someone turning into batman-lite was just... unappealing? scary?

whatever it is, it doesn’t look like dick ever processed the end of that relationship. it’s very intriguing to see where their dynamic goes next.

17. so.... what, did vic deliver some fear toxin to barbara? i... what?

17.5. and i TOLD YOU that they would never explain that doll or why vic attacked those two cops at the beginning! oh, titans. never change. 

18. did jason just randomly have tim’s restaurant burgled? god, i’m feeling a bit nauseous... are they going to kill tim’s father?

18.25. i feel like the rest of the season is going to wrestle with jason’s culpability in the horrible stuff he’s doing and i’m already seeing that prospect divide fans. on one hand, his story is taking a lot of oxygen away from other equally interesting story arcs, and he’s done some truly awful things, like indiscriminate murder, threatening to kill children, blowing up hank, and potentially killing tim’s parents. 

there’s something to be said for the kind of hold that crane has over him, and the so-called ‘anti-fear’ drug that he keeps plying jason with--he’s alone, drugged almost constantly (to the level of dependence), fresh from the trauma of being bludgeoned to death. he hasn’t conquered fear; he’s ruled by it. on the other hand, given that he’s the one character on the show given an obvious and identifiable ‘mental illness’ arc (maaaaybe dick too), one can argue that it’s irresponsible to show this progress into such violence: jason was vulnerable because he was struggling, and that left him vulnerable, but it took only a push before he became a fucking serial killer.

but that could mean we underestimate the degree of that vulnerability, and the mechanics of this universe where he fell into the clutches of the one supervillain perfectly designed to exploit that vulnerability. that helpless spiral into further and further self-destruction is all too real. it’s valuable to know that someone who has sunk that low can still seek help--actual help--and get it. 

18.5. i don’t know. it’s not a question i’m going to resolve at the end of an overlong recap at 1 in the morning. i don’t believe it’s even a question that titans can resolve. but i am interested in where they’re going next with jason.

19. this episode was genuinely great! i’m pumped for the rest of the season!

#titans #titans spoilers #meta #dick grayson #koriand'r #barbara gordon #garfield logan #conner kent #komand'r #jason todd #jonathan crane #a byronic cupcake #badass strawberry truffle #manic pixie pop tart #a tragic jalebi #this is a 3k+ MONSTER yikes

[sutekiyomitsu]

Two Sides of the Same Coin: An Analysis of AIRREAL in Re:FOLLOWER (2019)

Re:FOLLOWER (2019) is one of those TV dramas that you watch till the end and then have to watch from the beginning again. The identity of the enigmatic AIRREAL was one of the most intriguing questions that I had since the start and even after the final climactic reveal. Who is he? What does he symbolise? What is his relationship with Hitomi? Does he even exist? Let’s talk about the mystery of AIRREAL down in the cut below.

(So fascinated I was that I wrote an academic paper analysing his role in the drama and handed it in. Below is me finally writing what I wish I could write in that academic paper, because I have to sound objective and follow a word limit in academics. But I do not have to do that when I want to rant about Sato Ryuji on tumblr.)

((Also, spoilers ahead.))

AIRREAL is not real

The final revelation of in the last episode is, of course, the revelation that AIRREAL is not actually “real” in the fullest sense – that is, he isn’t a separate human being, but has only existed in Hitomi’s head the whole time. Hints about his non-existence are scattered all over the drama.

AIRREAL’s name, costuming, and behaviour

AIRREAL's name is taken from Ariel in the Tempest, a spirit (not a human!), which already hints at his non-existence. Furthermore, his name, unlike all the other direct references to Shakespearean texts, is spelt differently: AIRREAL. The two parts of the name "AIR" and "REAL" already raises the question of why it's spelt that way. Is he real? Or is he just air?

His costuming, particularly because Sato Ryuji is dramatic and asked for it, stands out from everyone else, who is dressed rather normally. He has bright blue eyes and coloured highlights in his hair that change from episode to episode without any explanation. Compare that to the naturalistic costuming that everyone else has and it highlights him as a strange character.

He never moves anything nor passes anything directly to anyone. In Episode 1, he tosses the book to Hitomi and Hitomi is seen catching it. In Episode 3, he drops the book on the table instead of handing it to Hitomi. When sitting down, he never moves the chair.

He never speaks directly to anyone except Hitomi, and nobody speaks directly to AIRREAL except Hitomi either. When communicating with Tomoki, for example, he does it exclusively through text. He never addresses anyone directly by speaking, other than Hitomi. In Episode 2, he appears to be speaking to the whole group, but nobody reacts to his words (with the exception of Hitomi). In fact, there are quite a number of times when he appears to simply speak into the air. Nobody reacts to him except Hitomi.

“Plot holes”

He appears in places with no explanation. Hitomi and Tomoki spend about an episode and a half infiltrating the Kurikara cult to get in their building and temple. However, AIRREAL suddenly appears in the hallway and the room with them (Episode 4), with no explanation to who he is. Nobody reacts to his sudden appearance. Nobody asks why he’s there. He just appears and enters the room as if he’s always been there.

Another example is when Hitomi is on the run. Hitomi and Mina have been running around randomly without a clear destination for about an episode, trying to dodge the police. Just then, AIRREAL somehow magically appears across the lake from them, with no explanation about how AIRREAL knew that Hitomi would be there, a completely random spot that Hitomi had stopped at to take a breath.

When passing tickets to Hitomi, Yuusaku gives him two tickets to the play (even though there are three of them). Hitomi goes to the play, and Tomoki looks up at the time and realises he’s missed it, indicating that the two tickets were most likely meant for Hitomi and Tomoki (who doesn’t make it to the show). What about AIRREAL? AIRREAL shows up to the play to watch it, but leaves in the middle of it later. But if CRESSIDA was a four-man group, why would Yuusaku only give two tickets to his three friends?

Cinematography

The camera uses certain shots that suggest AIRREAL’s immateriality. There’s a shot-reverse-shot in Episode 4, where AIRREAL mysteriously vanishes in the final shot. AIRREAL’s abrupt and sudden disappearances continues in Episode 6-7, where AIRREAL suddenly vanishes from the theatre and appears outside even while the play is still going on.

There’s also the ending of Episode 3, which portrays (the spirit of) the dead boy Taku appearing over the hill to symbolically represent that he has moved on. AIRREAL appears in the shot just after Taku’s voice is heard – and then Taku is seen coming over the hill. Placing AIRREAL before Taku’s appearance not only suggests that he is not actually there because it equates him with Taku, who is also clearly not meant to be seen as “real”, but also suggests that AIRREAL has brought Taku with him to say one last goodbye.

AIRREAL is often portrayed being in the distance as well, such as in Episode 7’s ending, giving him a distant, solitary feel compared to the rest of the characters.

The use of a low angle in the climax of Episode 10 where AIRREAL appears to be standing above Hitomi also gives AIRREAL an unreal feeling because he does not seem to be grounded in anything – the background behind him is completely white (presumably the sky). All of these shots contribute to the idea that AIRREAL is not actually a “real person” in that sense.

AIRREAL and Hitomi are the same person

Double exposure

The relationship between AIRREAL and Hitomi is hinted even in Episode 1. The use of double exposure and overlapping voices shows how AIRREAL and Hitomi are overlapping personalities, not two different people all together. This double exposure happens multiple times. It happens twice in Episode 1: First, in the intro flashback, which shows their voices blending into each other as well.

The second comes from an extremely jarring sequence, in which AIRREAL passes Hitomi while walking down the street. It is filmed in slow-motion and comes to a pause using a freeze-frame. There is a series of quick jump-cuts between the two of them, then a double exposure of a negative image onto the freeze-frame. In the negative image, their positions are the reverse of the freeze-frame, so that they appear to be "in" each other. Then, there's multiple double exposures of their faces flashing quickly. As the scene resumes into normal speed, they lift their phones at the same time.

Another instance of this double exposure happening is in Episode 6's climax. In this case, the scene starts with a series of jump cuts between Hitomi and AIRREAL's faces and then slowly fades AIRREAL's face in Hitomi. Another thing significant about the scene is that their voices also mirror this effect, starting with only AIRREAL's voice (even though Hitomi is shown to be speaking, so it's non-diegetic) and then fading in with Hitomi's voice gradually. There's an implication that even though Hitomi is speaking to the crowd, it is AIRREAL who is actually the one speaking through Hitomi. Their identities, voices, faces all overlap into each other.

Blocking

AIRREAL is also shown to be behind Hitomi. In the library scene in Episode 1, the camera quickly pans from Hitomi to reveal that AIRREAL is sitting behind him – AIRREAL is the driving force behind many of Hitomi’s actions. This blocking (of AIRREAL being behind Hitomi) repeatedly occurs. He is shown trailing behind Hitomi in Episode 3 as they walk towards the field, as the camera pans from Hitomi to AIRREAL (drawing an equivalence between them).

AIRREAL's phone

One of the biggest hints and also one of the reasons why some keen-eyed people were able to guess the big twist from Episode 1 is the presence of AIRREAL's phone in a key scene: the intro flashback. AIRREAL's phone is kept off to the side, but it's present in Hitomi's room, even though presumably AIRREAL is not there. When AIRREAL is introduced, we don't see his face at first. First, we see a shot of his back, then we first see his hand and his phone, before he slowly moves it away, revealing his face. AIRREAL's "identity" is represented through his phone, as shown in the later revelation in Episode 10, where they reveal that Hitomi has been carrying around 2 phones and texting from both of them, without realising it.

Mirroring

AIRREAL and Hitomi also mirror each other multiple times. In Episode 2, they both pause in their step at the same spot between the bookshelves while walking around the library. (In the behind the scenes commentary, Ryuji also mentions that they were supposed to mirror each other's actions, but Shun didn’t, oops.) In Episode 4, the shot-reverse-shot shows AIRREAL and Hitomi both pulling a book from the shelf at the same time. These parallels between them show their sameness.

AIRREAL is the Darkness to Hitomi's Light

So, AIRREAL and Hitomi are the same person, as revealed in the ending. What sets them apart?

AIRREAL represents darker instincts of vengeance while Hitomi is meant to be the beacon of justice.

Episode 3 epitomises the difference between them. AIRREAL sets up the entire incident: he is the one who lures everyone to the field so that Yui can kill Shuiichi's boy in front of him as revenge for Shuiichi's murder of Taku. But Hitomi calls Yui's father to stop her from going through it by making her realise that she needs to let Taku go. The balance between what is revenge and what is justice is very delicate, but justice (represented by Hitomi's intervention) wins. The shallow focus shifts from AIRREAL to Hitomi in the conclusion of the incident. They are parallels of each other, not polar opposites. In that same line of thought, revenge and justice are not opposites, but two sides of the same coin, and the fact that they are actually the same person reinforces that there is justice in revenge and vice versa.

Costuming and Personality

Their costuming and styling reflects their differences. AIRREAL is typically dressed in black and other dark colours, while Hitomi tends to wear brighter colours like yellow. When Hitomi does wear dark colours, it indicates that AIRREAL's influence is very strong in that particular scene. The flashback sequence, where AIRREAL presumably first appears to Hitomi, is one, because AIRREAL manifests out of Hitomi's grief and need for revenge. Another important one is Episode 5-6, when Hitomi confronts the Kurikara cult. Their identities in Episode 5-6 become roughly indistinguishable from each other, showing that his want for personal revenge for the cover-up his mother's death (by Inukai, the cult leader) and the justice that he is serving for the client have become indistinguishable.

In reverse, AIRREAL also becomes more 'real', or in other words, human over time. He loses his coloured hair highlights by Episode 8. In relation, his personality also becomes warmer over time. In Episode 3, he is willing to let the little boy die for the sake of revenge. However, he later apologises to Tomoki for endangering him in Episode 7, one of the rare times that AIRREAL shows concern for the collateral damage of his vengeance.

Final Confrontation

In the final climax of the series in Episode 10, when Hitomi fights Yuusaku, the most pivotal moment comes when the dagger falls to the ground and Hitomi reaches for it, saying that he must avenge his mother's death. Goto and Ogishima are framed in the background but frozen and out of focus, which indicate that the events that unfold are not actually happening but are occurring in Hitomi's head. AIRREAL then appears, standing over Hitomi, and takes over the fight, easily knocking Yuusaku to the ground and intending to stab him (yes, for real!). He quotes a line from Hamlet: “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below.” In Hamlet, this line suggests that even as he prays (my words fly up), Claudius’s thoughts remain in hell and are ungodly (my thoughts remain below), hence, his prayers are insincere and he remains unrepentant for his sin of murdering his brother. AIRREAL referencing this quote shows that he will have no guilt in killing Yuusaku as he believes it to be justified in his revenge.

Recall Episode 3, when Yui was in almost the exact situation. Hitomi, having experienced not just the death of his mother, but also the "Dog", who was accidentally killed by Mina. Hitomi realises that killing Yuusaku to avenge his mother’s murder would only cause him pain, and this, coupled with Goto’s voice (like Yui’s father in Episode 3) “wakes” him up. The camera cuts to a medium shot of him dropping the knife as if in a daze, and Goto tackles him to the ground. This is followed by a low angle shot of AIRREAL, who falls backwards, and a montage of different AIRREAL moments from various episodes.

Disoriented, Hitomi looks around and calls for AIRREAL. Goto and later Mina try to explain to him that AIRREAL has never been “there”, but that he has been AIRREAL the whole time, causing him to break down. His first friend and truest supporter does not actually exist, but has been within himself the whole time

The case of AIRREAL’s identity

So, back to the question. Who is AIRREAL? Why did Hitomi create him? In the montage that follows this realisation, we see different scenes of AIRREAL from various episodes, but with AIRREAL missing, showing that Hitomi has been by himself this whole time. In the voice over, Rei, Hitomi’s (or Nao’s, because that was his name before his mother’s death) mother, talks about how Ariel in the Tempest vanishes at the end of the story. As she says that, we see a shot of AIRREAL (from Episode 2, judging by his attire, by the way) walking away into the distance and vanishing. In Tempest, Ariel is bound to serve Prospero and fulfils various tasks for him, and when all of them are done, he is released. In the same manner, AIRREAL was created by Hitomi for a specific purpose.

I believe that AIRREAL was created because Hitomi could no longer bear the burden of his grief and deep-rooted anger about his mother’s death. Knowing that she had been murdered, Hitomi was unable to move on from her death, but felt entirely helpless to fight against those who killed her and covered it up. It is in this greatest state of helplessness and grief that AIRREAL was born. AIRREAL was created to help to take this darkness from Hitomi, and therefore Hitomi projected his deep and dark desire for revenge onto him. 

We can see this from AIRREAL’s own words, as he states that he will become Hitomi’s power/strength – strength that he needs in order to overcome his own helplessness and also his enemies (those who killed and covered up his mother’s death). He states this twice, first in the intro flashback and in the final confrontation, where he reminds Hitomi that he does not have to take on the task of killing Yuusaku by himself – AIRREAL is there to be the darkness, so that Hitomi does not have to be. In this way, AIRREAL protects Hitomi from being lost in his quest for revenge by taking it on himself.

Also, the name “Shiroe Kimito”, which is the reported ‘real name’ of AIRREAL (not that he has a real name but it was a red herring by the producers), is an anagram of “Kishimoto Rei”, the name of Hitomi’s mother, showing how the image of AIRREAL that Hitomi created was based on the memory of his mother. It is his memory of her that drove Hitomi to create AIRREAL so that he might be able to avenge her. Actually, even “Hitomi”, the name that he chose for himself after being released from prison, is based on his mother, showing that his whole life had been completely altered when he lost his mother and that his whole identity is based on that incident.

AIRREAL vanishes after the final confrontation, having fulfilled the purpose of finding out the truth about his mother’s death and captured the one responsible for it. Hitomi is finally able to move on with Mina, and like Ariel in the Tempest, AIRREAL’s role is finished and he vanishes.

Or is he?

In the very final scene, he looks back, before he turns and walks away. But the camera then cuts to AIRREAL again, who, much like in his introduction flashback, moves the phone away to reveal his face.

AIRREAL’s work is still not finished. Not yet.

(and if it weren’t for [censored] we’d actually be able to know what it is but unfortunately the sequel stage was cancelled and we cannot have nice things.)

AIRREAL and Hitomi are two sides of the same coin. AIRREAL is yin to Hitomi’s yang. They are different, yes, and AIRREAL embodies darker aspects of vengeance, but one cannot exist without the other. It is this relationship between AIRREAL and Hitomi, and therefore the ideas of justice and revenge, that characterise the themes of Re:FOLLOWER as a whole.

#esther analyses #re:follower #sato ryuji #nishime shun

[056crowshit6556]

Some thoughts on Dororo

Went back and watched Episode 8 of Dororo and noticed a small detail; turned into some thoughts on the anime and particularly of its protagonist Hyakkimaru. Contains spoilers in case you want to watch it but haven’t yet.

After Hyakkimaru faces the demon centipede, he, Dororo, and Saru go to Saru’s hideout where Dororo explains that Hyakkimaru may not be able to help them. 

Hyakkimaru is sitting down and throwing rocks repeatedly. At first I thought he was doing that out of frustration, and he probably was, since this was the first time his “sight” had been impaired.

Dororo and Saru agree to take down the monster together, and then the scene transitions into nighttime. 

Hyakkimaru is still out there throwing rocks (I laughed a little at this part because I thought, dude, give it a rest, it’s been hours and you’re still sulking lol), but then he hears Saru crying and stops.

He stands at the cave entrance, and even though he’s only had his hearing returned for a short amount of time, he’s already learned what the sound of crying is and what it signifies. And so he leaves, presumably to be alone again, perhaps to throw more pebbles at the rocks, not out of frustration but contemplation.

The following morning, Saru and Dororo fight the monster but are unable to defeat it. That’s when Hyakkimaru shows up just in time to inflict the first major wound and bring it down.

Hyakkimaru was able to figure out how to defeat the centipede because he realized that he could shoot arrows at it, creating sound, just like he had thrown pebbles at the rocks, causing sound to reverberate and signal the rock’s location. I think he realized this just as Dororo and Saru were facing the monster by themselves... which means he stayed up all night trying to figure out how to defeat it. And that makes me think that yes, at first he was just tossing rocks out of brooding frustration, but when he heard Saru crying, it made him more determined and focused to find a solution. There wasn’t a scene that explicitly showed Hyakkimaru figuring it out-- for example, a scene showing him throw a rock, it pings against another rock, the sound reverberates, Hyakkimaru’s body language shows that he suddenly knows what to do.

It’s one of the reasons why I’m convinced this anime is one of the most well-written, interesting stories I’ve seen in a long time. It’s hard to believe that a protagonist that barely talks or shows emotion for the first half of the entire series could be so captivating, but it’s small details like this that truly embody the old writer’s adage of “show, don’t tell.” And for such a quiet character like Hyakkimaru, he quite literally won’t tell, but certainly shows in subtle, somehow deeply heartfelt ways.

*Side note: [The narrator does explain what Hyakkimaru did, but it’s up to the audience to discern how he figured it out. It makes me wonder how many other details like this are in the anime. The most immediate example I can think of is in episode 4, after Hyakkimaru regains his sense of touch and pain. The samurai Tanosuke uses the demon sword Nihil to inflict a cut on Hyakkimaru’s cheek.

Hyakkimaru manages to dislodge the sword from Tanosuke by using his prosthetic leg, and then he does something that I think is very interesting: he attacks Tanosuke a second time, even though the demon sword is no longer in his possession.

Tanosuke falls down the cliff, and Hyakkimaru kneels down to the ground, touching the place where he was cut.

By this point, Hyakkimaru has already felt physical pain (he stomped his foot into the campfire at the end of episode 3). At first, I thought he stomped his foot into the campfire because he was experimenting with his newfound sense of touch, but now I think he did it because just moments before his foot brushed over it, startling him, causing him to think it was some kind of threat. That’s why he stomped on it.  

The fire made him feel pain, so in return, he tried to reciprocate that pain onto the fire.

But it’s like, he doesn’t get it, doesn’t truly understand it, until Tanosuke cuts his face with the demon sword. 

I think this is when Hyakkimaru realized that not only are people capable of hurting him, it means he’s also capable of hurting other people. He is cut by Tanosuke, feels the pain of that just like the fire that burned him, and he lashes out just like he had stomped on the fire. If Hyakkimaru hadn’t regained his sense of pain, I don’t think he would have attacked Tanosuke a second time after dislodging the demon sword from his grip. It’s how he makes the distinction between Tanosuke and Dororo’s souls. One is trying to hurt him, the other isn’t. Tanosuke cut him, while it shows between Dororo and Hyakkimaru’s confrontation that Dororo is on the defensive.

The infliction and reciprocation of pain means that he’s an active participant in the world and that his, and other’s, actions do have consequences. Before this, he would continue fighting despite an injury because he couldn’t feel the pain. Having his sense of pain returned to him not only makes him more aware of his vulnerability and limitations, but makes him understand that others are also vulnerable too. It makes him understand what others would feel if he were to hurt them. There’s a certain level of self-consciousness to that, knowing what pain is, and it plants the first seeds of both empathy and maliciousness in Hyakkimaru, which become more complex as the story progresses. It’s true that experiencing pain made him more empathetic, but it also made him understand how he could hurt someone if he really wanted to, and that ultimately, his actions have consequences. Pain has made him a more active participant in the world, and a more active participant in his own existence. I don’t know if at this point in the story (episode 4) he’s aware of mortality just yet, because I think he begins to understand what mortality is after the death of Mio.]

Regarding episode 8, I don’t think it was an accident that the animators chose to show Hyakkimaru’s face when he’s watching Saru-- his bangs are slightly parted, revealing both his eyes. It’s a visual cue that he’s “coming out of his cave” in small increments. One of the biggest problems Hyakkimaru’s character has to navigate throughout the story is essentially learning to join the world, and subsequently, realize his place among humanity. He cared enough to check on Saru, to be near the sound of crying. Every now and then I try to imagine what Hyakkimaru’s world was like before he regained any of his senses or body, and really, I can’t imagine it. It’s not suffering in the way I understand suffering; it’s devoid of suffering, devoid of everything, which somehow is even worse (and it’s why I think Hyakkimaru gets more aggressive about obtaining his complete body as the journey goes on, because 1) he has been shunned and exploited by his family, feeling especially hurt by his mother’s rejection, and 2) the more body parts he regains, the more he realizes just how much he’s been deprived of for his entire existence). It’s like realizing everything you thought to be true is a lie-- Hyakkimaru’s existence, his “truth” was total darkness, empty oblivion-- and for him to have the first 16 years of his existence proved null completely destroys him and causes him to lash out erratically.

The scene of him tossing rocks, basically from sunset until sunrise, is just really interesting regarding Hyakkimaru’s problem solving skills, and it does make me wonder how many of these small details may have been subtly placed throughout the story.

For instance, in episode 5, Hyakkimaru isn’t wearing his scarf or cloak. It’s to show that the seasons are changing. The earth is becoming warmer, and so is Hyakkimaru. It’s a visual cue to show him “opening” up-- as Biwamaru put it, he’s like a creature coming out of his dark cave for the first time. This is also the part of the story where Hyakkimaru meets Mio.

There’s alot about Hyakkimaru and Mio’s dynamic that’s relevant to Jungian psychology (concerning the Anima/Animus). The gist of it is that Mio awakens the feminine Anima within Hyakkimaru-- he wakes up in the early hours of morning, hears a song calling to him, he follows it, traveling through the dark unconscious towards the source. Hyakkimaru’s awakening is appropriate, given that the classic hero’s tale, if the hero is male, will be and should be faced with the anthropomorphic archetype of his unconscious feminine nature (it’s one of the reasons that Hyakkimaru accepts the Goddess of Mercy in the last episode. The final phase of Anima development is “Sophia”, or “wisdom”, and is best represented by Guanyin, a mother figure who knows self-sacrifice is necessary for self-actualization).

It’s why Hyakkimaru doesn’t choose the path of a demon, or inherits the corruption of his father’s tyranny. 

He chooses the path of compassion, and I think it’s possible to assume that those seeds of compassion were first planted by Mio.

At the end of episode 8, Hyakkimaru acknowledges Dororo by saying her name and handing her the flower. It’s a gesture of kindness, of compassion in wanting to share something sweet and pleasing to the senses.

The more senses and body parts Hyakkimaru regains, the more he becomes an active participant in the world. Things don’t just happen at random-- he can be a part of it. He can feel the rain on his skin, hear the song of a kind woman, feel the sharp sting of a cut on his face.

There’s still some observations about the story I want to write about (Daigo’s treatment of Hyakkimaru’s body as his property for instance, and why one of the major themes in the story is bodily autonomy and individual sovereignty), but I’ll probably save it for another day. One thing I do want to touch on is why the last body part Hyakkimaru regains is his vision, and why from a storytelling perspective this makes complete sense to the viewer. To put briefly, vision is the most complex and paramount sense a human has-- our brains are actually “programmed” for visual information. From a metaphorical perspective, Hyakkimaru truly “comes into being” when he sees for the first time. It’s like when someone experiences something profound and they say “my eyes were finally opened” or “I finally saw for the first time.” Vision is associated with self-actualization, which is the final step a character undergoes in his or her journey.

There’s a nice parallel in that the first sensation of pain Hyakkimaru feels is fire, and the first thing he sees with his own eyes is Jukai and his mother Nui surrounded by fire.

This is one of my favorite lines in the entire anime. “Watch it closely, with those eyes of yours.” Hyakkimaru regaining his sight means there’s essentially nothing blocking him from the truth anymore. He can discern observation and make his own judgements. And Biwamaru reminds Hyakkimaru that everything he has done to get his body back is his responsibility, and that it would essentially be dishonest to avert his eyes from the consequence of his actions.

Dororo is a really great anime. I’ve been giving it a re-watch and I’ve noticed a few things I didn’t the first time around, particularly of how apparent the archetypes are used as storytelling devices.

I definitely recommend it if you haven’t seen it yet.

#dororo #hyakkimaru #my posts

[amintyworld]

The Truth Hurts- Part 3 - Finale (Sanders Sides)

A/N: Hey guys! I've been working on this one for a while, in fact this fic was probably the first on I've posted and I couldn't be more proud about finishing it. The other two parts are on my blog, and I'd reccomend reading those first just so you know what's happening. -Minty

Summary: Virgil, Remus, Logan, and Patton all go to confront Deceit to get Roman back.

TW: Many implied character deaths, past mistreatment, swear, and lots of fighting.

(I swear it has a happy ending!)

Remus and Virgil lead the pack, on the offensive. They walked into Deceit's lair, the air musty and thick. As they entered, Virgil could vaguely make out the outline of Deceit's bed and what looked to be a cracked mirror. If it weren't for the hallway light the room would be pitch black. A sort of uneasiness traveled throughout the room.

"Deceit? We need to talk." Remus said, pulling out his weapon defensively. Virgil pulled out his knife. 

Something didn't feel right, and Virgil could feel it in his bones. "Remus, wait-!"

The door suddenly slammed shut behind them, engulfing them in the pitch black darkness. Their vision obscured, Virgil's breathing quickened as nervousness crept  into his thoughts. Patton sparked a small light blue flame from his hand, and they grouped together, afraid of what lay unknown on the darkness.

"Stop hiding in the shadows, Dee. It's pretty cowardly." Remus said, annoyed. He brandished his weapon, bracing for something. Anything.

Deceit appeared a few feet in front of them, arms crossed. "Cowardly? I'd say it's just more my style, Rem." He smiled. Remus tried to hide his emotions as he looked up at his brother's crown on Deceit's head. Deceit smiled as the crown glimmered from the small fire glow.

Deceit posed. "Like it? It really grows on you, and I'm not one for shimmer, but-" He looked to Remus. "Now, we can finally call the shots, just like we've always wanted."

"This isn't what I want, Dee. I told you my brother was off-limits." Remus said, anger building.

"I didn't kill-"

"BULLSHIT!" Remus cried. "His crown is right on top of your head. YOU... KILLED HIM."

Deceit's face fell.

"What… happened to you, Rem? I thought… we were.. friends."

"Friends don't kill their friend's family." Remus spat. "Hand over the crown. Now. I don't want your room to get all bloody." He said, swinging his spikes weapon over his shoulder, almost to rest his arm.

He took off the crown and held it in his hands. "You know, I never really got you, Rem. You want to rule Thomas's Creativity, and yet...you won't kill your brother to achieve it. He's the only one in your way, and still..you protect him." Deceit's voice was small. "Why?"

Remus was silent for a moment. "Because...he's my brother. I love him."

Deceit started to laugh, clutching his sides as he bent over, laughing. Remus was increasingly concerned. "Dee…?"

"Funny...hilarious, you know. You used to say the same about ME." He looked up at Remus, his yellow eye glowing as he launched himself into Remus, knocking him to the ground. Remus swung, the spikes hitting him in the head, but Dee still pinned him down, only for brief dizzy vision by the impact of the spikes. He looked down at Remus, pissed.

"When they left us, shunned us for YEARS, I  was there for you, and you side with THEM?!" He yelled, slamming Remus's head repeatedly into the concrete floor which sent gashes into his skull. "Some family you have."

Patton looked at the others. "We need to do SOMETHING!" He said. He ran over and kicked Deceit off of him. "Get AWAY from him!"

Deceit fell, grabbing Patton's leg and forcing him to the ground as well. Logan rushed over to Remus to help, and Virgil pulled out his knife and ran over, seeing Patton in trouble.

"NOT ANOTHER STEP!" Deceit yelled. He flicked open his pocket knife and held it inches from Patton's throat. "The spell only NEEDS one, but there's always room for another."

"Patton, I-" Virgil said, shaking with fear. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to do something, anything, but his body refused to move as he froze.

Patton just smiled, shaking, and still trying to calm his friend. "D-Don't worry, k-kiddo, everything's gonna be just-"

The blade went through his throat as his breathing slowed and his body went pale. Virgil's breathing quickened as his hands shook. A small light blue light flew from his body as Deceit scooped inside a small glass jar with his red one. With a poof, Patton's body vanished, leaving behind the cat onesie always around his shoulders.

"You...you BASTARD!" He yelled, charging toward him in fury, swiping and stabbing,  tears flowing down his face. Deceit's eye looked at him intently as they fought. Deceit flung him against the wall, stabbing his shoulder through to keep him there.

Remus got up, head throbbing, not giving up and charging to attack once more. He wasn't giving up. Not now.

"You're a traitor, Remus. Almost as bad as THAT display back there." Deceit said. "I don't get ANY of you. They HATED you for years, they deserve to DIE for everything they've put us through!" Deceit kicked Remus square in the chest, and he fell to the floor. In seconds, the blade was pointed square at his chest. 

As Deceit swiftly approached, Remus punched him clean in the jaw, not going down without a fight.

"They've smacked you, BEATEN you." Deceit said angrily, tear after tear falling. "Every day, we'd come back and comfort each other. EVERY DAY, WE WERE HURT BECAUSE OF THEM!"

Remus was shaking from the adrenaline. He backed up against a wall, looking up into Deceit's hate filled gaze. He tried to gain an upper hand, but Deceit blocked any means of escape.

He had him cornered.

For a moment, Deceit shed his anger. "Me, you and Vee. We were a family."

Remus almost wanted to join him. He wanted to go back to those days when Deceit would read him stories when he was scared, or say how brave he was when monsters terrorized his nightmares. He wanted to go back to being vulnerable. Scared.

Then he looked up at him and remembered why they were there. This wasn't the same man who kissed him goodnight. 

He was a sicko who killed people.

"I don't think we are, Dee. Not anymore." Remus spat.

With that, Deceit swiftly stabbed Remus and dragged the knife through his flesh, torturing him as he screamed in pain. Logan looked up from helping Virgil at Remus's screams. He set the weaker side down as he summoned a sword. He looked calm as he walked over.

Remus clutched his chest as he winced, looking up at him with nothing but anger and hate. "I hate you." He said through clenched teeth as he poofed into the weapon he brandished, Deceit pocketing the small green light in the jar quickly.

Deceit turned around. "Now for you, Logic." He spat.

"Let's fight, Deceit. One on one. Swords." He said as he replaced Deciet's knife with an exact copy of his sword. "I like to play fair."

They clashed as Deceit charged almost instantly and Logan blocked. Logan pushed him away with all his strength, sending Deceit flying into a wall. Deceit grimaced from the impact. Ringing filled his ears, his vision shook. Logan slowly walked over as Deceit struggled to stand. He pointed his sword to his chest. Deceit struggled to find his weapon.

"You kill my friends, you hurt Thomas. Just give up, Deceit. You know-"

Logan's eyes widened as he looked down to see Deceit's sword clean through his stomach. He fell to the floor, bleeding. Deceit struggled to stand, pointing his sword at him. He coughed as he laughed.

"Found my sword." He grinned. The point of the sword rested on his heart. The smile quickly faded. "You know, you take everything from me, my hope, my...happiness, my family…"

Logan's face filled with nothing but regret. He remembered his faulty, cruel, 'Logic' from the old days. They'd smack them around every time they hurt Thomas. There was no debate, no explanation. Patton was always against it. 

God, they even thought they were 'helping'.

Virgil's vision was dizzy, but tried to stand. His shoulder dripped with blood. He needed to stop Deceit. That bastard needs to freaking pay. He saw him standing over Logan, sword pointing at his chest, and he tried to get to him.  He pulled out the knife and fell to the floor. He crawled as fast as he could, but with every movement of his body pain shot through him.

Logan looked up at him, sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry…"

"Yeah well, sorry doesn't cut it." Quickly, he speared the blade through Logan's heart, sending him screaming in pain. Deceit pulled the blade out and a dark blue light flew from the wound which he captured quickly in the jar.

Virgil stood. He breathed heavily. Deceit walked over. "How pathetic." He punched Virgil with such force he fell on the floor with the crash.

"The mighty Virgil, reduced to nothing."

Virgil struggled to get up again. He needed to get up. He couldn't just lay down and die.

"Y-you killed him…" Virgil said, nearly out of breath.

"I never did anything of the sort." Deceit said, getting down to Virgil's level. "A deal was a deal. There's nothing more than that."

"W-what deal?" Virgil said as he finally got to his knees. Deceit pulled his chin up.

"His life for yours. Fairly simple, really."

"Roman...saved me?"

"Died as he always wanted - a knight and shining armor." Deceit said. "That's the thing about the truth, Virgil. The truth always hurts."

Deceit walked off, picking up the items that remained. "You always wish it was different. In fact, if you weren't so stupid up on that mountain, Roman wouldn't be dead. It's your fault, really."

"Sentiment over...Virgil, you can finally pay for all you've done." Deceit said, finally done arranging the items and pulled out his dagger, ready to finish the job.

Deceit raised his dagger, and Virgil couldn't help but cry. He lost everyone he loved, and now, he was going to lose his life. It was all his fault because of that stupid trip.

Deceit brought the blade down, and-

It didn't move. Why wasn't it moving?!

Colorful lights emerged from each of the objects, and soon...each of the sides. They were made up of light and stood over their objects, making sure this wasn't how the story ended. The crown on Deceit's head was the only one who stayed dormant.

"You got this kiddo!" Patton called, hovering over his onesie. "We're here for you!"

Remus smiled. "You can stop him, Vee!"

Logan gave him a small encouraging smile. "It would be illogical to stop now, Virgil."

Deceit looked around. "That's impossible! I have your souls! You're supposed to be dead!"

Logan looked at him sharply. "Did you really think we'd just be gone, like that? We're a part of Thomas, and as long as part of us is here, we'll keep fighting for Thomas."

Virgil stood up, finding his balance. He coughed as he laughed. "Your plan's falling apart, Dee."

He tried to attack the others with all his effort, but they didn't take any damage. Remus pushed him into a wall, then Logan and Patton punched and kicked him left and right.

Deceit turned his attention to Virgil and attacked swiftly, sending him to the floor again. Just as Deceit was about to strike, Virgil grabbed his arm and flipped him over, grabbing the dagger.

"Not this time." Virgil said, blade inches from Deceit's throat.

"So what are you gonna do?! Kill me?!" Deceit yelled.

"Despite what I think of you, Thomas still needs Deceit." Virgil said. "But, you need to make all the wrongs you did...right."

"How do I know I'll fix it?" Deceit asked, what Remus had said weighing his mind. "Some things...are beyond repair."

"If I know you, Dee, you will."

----------------------------

Roman heard humming. It was soft and melodic, and he opened his eyes as he could vaguely make out a dark figure next to him.

Bright light filled the room, and he tried to move, but felt a surge of pain. He felt a warm hand in his, and his eyes soon adjusted to the light.

"Virgil?" He croaked. Virgil smiled. Tears filled Virgil's eyes. All his worries, his anger, his sadness melted away.

"H-hey, Princey."

#sander sides #logic sanders #morality sanders #princey sanders #anxiety sanders #patton sanders #deceit sanders #remus sanders #sander sides fic #mywriting #sanders sides angst #sander sides LAMP

[hotcocosharing]

Double Troubles - the reunion. Part 8

Recap or familiarize with what happened click here

Picking up a little further ahead than where it was left off; the cast of Glory Days 20 years later have come back together for a college reunion; with life experiences, maturity (we hope) and are all hoping, for the least to have a good time. Let the magic unfold.

OC Eriko Sato & Midori Katayani

Voltage Canons Yukihisa Maki, Shunichiro Tachibana, Toshiakia, Shinichi Kagari & Rikiya

Part 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

OC Eriko Sato & Midori Katayani

Voltage Canons Yukihisa Maki, Shunichiro Tachibana, Toshiakia, Shinichi Kagari & Rikiya

Midori’s POV

“Mommy! Pancakes! Plllleaaaease?”

“I think it’s time for you to go to bed.”

“Well then can we watch a movie? Frozen?”

“Alright. Pancakes it is!”

As darling as she can be - Sakura’s fascination with that Disney movie is really one I wish she didn’t have. Curiosity and inquisitive are both traits of hers I think are wonderful - yet if I (just as every other other in the world) has to hear ‘Let it go’ one more time, I might just scream. Batter into the bowl and pan on the stove. It doesn’t take long once we’re home and in a semi-regular routine for things to just feel /normal/ right. They say home is where the heart is - but for me, it’s anywhere in the world with my little girl. Flipping a few pancakes in the air and topping them with jam, berries, icecream and cream; it’s an unexpected knock at the door this late at night that catches both of our attention and causes my heart to skip a beat. Not in lust or love or possibility - yet in fear of what’s behind the door waiting for me.

“You stay here ok? Mommy will be back in a minute.”

The wide toothed smile framed by pancake filled cheeks pulls a chuckle from between my lips as I head over; knocking still occurring and begin to un-clip my earrings - dropping them into box on the hallway table, feet starting to sore as I wish whilst scratching my neck that I’d taken the shoes off earlier - the heels, my defeat. “I’m coming!”, I call tentatively getting up to the door; twisting the lock to the left and pulling it open - not bothered to check through the peephole although unsure of who was on the other side. Breath caught in my throat and eyes unable to shift from the man who stands before me, I smile and lean my weight against the frame.

“I thought you’d still be at the party. Come in…”, voice low, words short, mind churning a million and one alternative possibilities as to why he’s here, I figure that an impromptu introduction is in the cards - or so I felt until someone else is doing it for me.

“Hello! My name’s Sakura. Are you a friend of my Mommy’s? She’s making me pancakes. Do you want some? They’re my favorite. What’s your name? Why are you wearing a funny bowtie? Oh wow… you’re really tall. Can you pick me up so that I can reach the sky?”

Toshiaki’s POV

Taking Eri’s wrist without a second thought; it’s time to find some alone time and scrap up a little privacy as whilst she’s at face value, seeming to keep everything together - a sixth sense; jut feeling, just tells me this not so somber, lost little girl on the inside is about to cry. Closing the door behind us both in an equipment room - I fold my arms across my chest and wait in silence for the strike of conversation or at least, to what I’ve done, a reply. Not getting anything; I feel obliged - well no, like it’s a duty of care - for me to get to the bottom or at least help solve what is happening tonight.

“He can be a real dick - I know, but Eriko c'mon; you shouldn’t let a boy make you cry.” Cupping her face in between my hands; it’s a gentle swipe to brush away single rolling tears which threaten to stain her cheeks and hopefully make her smile. “So… nice jacket. Do I dare ask who it belongs to?”

Alright - so perhaps they weren’t exactly ideal words of choice, but the conversation is now flowing and converging; and through some kind of muffled out-pour of emotion and veiled fable, I manage to understand enough of what’s happening and well, has been. Maki - Eri - those two names enough linked up together; even this long after they’ve been in the vicinity of one another just lewd trouble. The jacket belongs to a guy she knows and from the name sounds familiar though I’d rather not jump to conclusions…. yet.

“You’re an intelligent, strong, able woman. I know that most guys are absolutely terrified by you and thus they revert to adolescent behavior but… heck… I think if you gave some people a chance you’d see that they’ve changed since college.”

The advice is obviously easier said than done - but I can tell it’s not enough. “As face value - I don’t think anyone was expecting you to show up tonight; and sometimes it’s hard to open up and allow something in that you spent years and years shutting out for one reason or another, but… the beauty of life is what we all get second chances. Or third, or fourth if we’re lucky enough - and I think, a girl like you Eriko just needs to be ok with that idea. That effort and purpose make changes, not pot luck. So c'mon… make those tears stop and then we’re going…”

'To where?’ I hear her manage out with a choke; a girl who made me see life for better rather than worse, take my hand as I offer to lead her out and away from this place of memories it’s time each and everyone one of us put behind us but not forget.

“Maki’s. It’s like a 20 minute drive from here…. and then… Midori’s.”

Shunichiro Tachibana’s POV

Eyes fixed on the glowing green eyes from the little human with one hand wrap around Midori’s leg while the other is waving a half finished pancake in the air. It isn’t exactly shocking to picture my ex girlfriend as a motherly figure since she has always wanted a family of her own- a desire I could not fulfill during our time together. But the puzzling question of the father’s whereabouts or her home that looks rather like a showroom from magazine than an actual home weigh over my shoulders- who is the father? Is there a man in the picture? Why did Midori invite me for a trip to Paris? Yet the curious gazes rising from below seems to be top priority now.

“Ummm yes, my name is Shun and wow pancakes. Oh I wouldn’t miss it for the world, your mother makes the best pancake, doesn’t she?” Feet hanging from the stool with lips covered in cream and maple sauces, I envy how carefree this little soul who has zero troubles on her mind but her favorite food and all the love from her mother.

“I came to drop this off.” Sliding the envelope alongside the table top, unsure of what appropriate facial expression I should be making. “You don’t have to come but it’ll be nice to see you.”

Eriko Sato’s POV

“That ass face is the last thing I wanna see right now. As for Midori, she pretended to be my friend, she’s afraid to tell what’s really on her mind cuz I was a trust fund kid! So she could think whatever the fuck she wants because I’m obviously dead to her. And if you EVER try to convince me otherwise, I swear, Toshiaki this will be the last time we see each other!”

Be fair, play nice, don’t take it out on Toshi. Telling myself that repeatedly only makes my blood boil more, angry at myself- how could I let some history and bickering get into my head?! Who cares what they think of me? Midori, Maki, Shunichiro, Rikiya, and Shinichi haven’t stayed in touch or showed the slightest interest about my life in the past two decades so why does it hurt so damn much? They searched for me? How moronic could that doctor be? He knew I was going away but he never shows! I left him my contact with Toshiaki! Sweat begins to run down my face, yet the shivering chills make it hard to breathe as well as the few tears threatening to spill out for the second time.

A light tap is soon followed by a head popping through the door and my eyes couldn’t roll any further. Great, another guy, expecting his one on one time. “Awesome Shinichi, you’d take me home. Let’s take this reunion elsewhere.”

Shinichi Kagari’s POV

Streetlights hum along the empty streets, soft yellow glow of lights illuminating the apartment complex and closed stores nearly by. The emptiness seems right, matching the hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach while I drive along, stealing a few glances at Eriko every now and then, a bittersweet smile keeps curling from the corner of my lips. Satisfied at the unexpected outcome- leaving a reunion that isn’t even mine to begin with but having just the person I wish to see all to myself.

The breathtaking Tokyo evening view is nothing compared to the tall lonely femme fatale whose heart I’ve once captured and let go through my fingertips.

“Quite a view you’ve there.” The elegant turn around could easily set my cold heart on fire but the wave of sadness from her red puffy eyes does the opposite.

“You should have seen the bedroom.” She shrugs nonchalantly, lips forming an alluring grin that I have always found it impossible to resist.

“I don’t want to be a fool and assume,” a long overdue apology chocking in the middle of my throat as I blur out some lame excuse. “so do you prefer a warm cup of milk or a glass of wine before bed?” In hope to hear a witty remark about not going to sleep or some sort of kinky sex preferences might be her bedtime story, it’s a struggle of taking a step to join her or turn my back again. The sound of doorbell is yet to be determined as saving grace or distraction, nonetheless, the goddess of mischief heads towards the door and unfold whatever mess is waiting for us.

#glory days #double troubles #shinichi kagari #rikiya mononobe #voltage oc #voltageocrp #irresistible mistakes #after school affairs #eriko sato #yukihisa maki #toshiaki kijima #midori katayani

[repeatsfate]

A, K, R!!

vidya games!

K – game you’re most looking forward to? 

at the moment it’s super mario odyssey and pokemon ultra sun and moon! and, uh… my inner 12 year old is rearing her ugly head to force me to admit i’m also pretty hyped for sonic forces, oops. lOOK IT LOOKS FUN, OKAY…

i’m looking forward to fe musou too but also i’m pretty neutral on it– everything they’ve revealed has been super incredible so far and i’m looking forward to maining my birb, but i’m more interested in the confirmed fe16 and i’m looking forward to hearing more about that when the time comes.

R – most underrated game? 

hmmmm… while xenoblade chronicles itself would certainly fit the bill despite shulk being a giant meme now, i think i’ll take it a step further and go on to say xenoblade chronicles x deserves a bit more love than it got– 

despite the very real flaws with the game and some aspects of the story, a thing that draws me to it aside from the ‘if you can see it, you can go to it’ MASSIVE open world and setting on a foreign planet was just how human its supporting cast and even minor npcs are. the game does an excellent job of portraying raw humanity in both ends of the spectrum– where there are heroes, there are people even in man’s most desperate hour that took that second chance as an excuse to be horrible, horrible people. the encounter of alien life goes as swimmingly as you expect, with the remaining fragments of humanity split on how to deal with these new beings in their midst. some choose to try and form alliances and bonds, the others shun and fear the outsiders– many quests actually revolve around the racism in what’s supposed to be a safe haven for the aliens pledging themselves to humanity’s side. the conflict taking up the last leg of the game is one born of human grief and the sting of loss– and when you really get into the motivations behind it it’s so easy to understand why the person did what they did but also acknowledge yeah no you did bad buddy you gotta pay for it now. i just???? it’s so good????

the planet and creatures that make up the game’s setting are imaginative and beautiful, i honestly love just booting it up and wandering. sometimes it’s scary as all heck because OH GOD GIANT MONSTER OUT OF NOWHERE but also… that just adds to the immersion and feeling like you’re a tiny fish in a big, big sea… and when you’re strong enough to stand up to those monsters it’s the most satisfying thing in the world.

the musical direction is honestly up to taste- i personally adore xcx’s soundtrack, but those not a huge fan of hiroyuki sawano’s works might find it lacking. here’s a personal favourite! 

point is, it’s super fun, i want to do an araceli run sometime if i can ever be arsed to go back on my wii u or it gets a switch port, and a verse would be fun to play around with… i’m not a huge jrpg person, but i really really like xcx. also, fans of matthew mercer– he’s in this one, too! he plays lao huang, one of my all time favourite characters tbh

point is it is flawed, yes, but it’s also a very solid jrpg that i had fun sinking hours into and i’d totally do so again

A – favourite game of all time? 

my top fave game of all time? easy! it’s the legend of zelda: wind waker! 

it wins in both nostalgia points and a critical eye as i’ve gotten older– as a little kid, it was the first game i ever actually beat all by myself! the gamecube was the first home console i ever got to own– for a while i lived with my granny, who wasn’t very big on gaming if that makes sense? and then after moving back in with my mom she got me one for christmas and a friend lent me wind waker after i tried playing it at his house and repeatedly got stuck in the forsaken fortress. the excitement of finally making it past that and seeing this big, bright, beautiful world and story unfold before me has stuck with me to this day?? idk how to explain it i just. wind waker was an important game in my childhood, and i’ve played through it a loooooot– mostly i’ve noticed it was during times of stress or particular loneliness. everyone has that one game that’s been there™ for them during times of duress, and wind waker has always been mine. 

okay i’m read more-ing the rest of this because i… went on for a WHILE. which is also why i answered it last oops. tl;dr there are many reasons why i love this game and it’s still my fave even now that i’m nearly 23. 

as an adult, i’ve found that from a technical standpoint the game holds up really well, too– even without the hd remake on the wii u wind waker is still a very beautiful, stylistic game; a major benefit to having taken the art in a more cartoony direction is that it prevents the game from aging too much; if you were to look at the vanilla gamecube edition now, it still holds up amazingly! (meanwhile, i find that while twilight princess is still lovely, the more realistic art direction tends to date it a little. i could look at the original and just know the era it was made in, whereas if i never saw wind waker before, i would question it.) 

the textures are rather blurry, sure, but that was a product of the time– hypatia on tumblr actually produced a mod with hd textures for roms of the gamecube version– check out these comparasion shots of the then-work in progress mod versus the original textures… and then here’s a few polished shots of the mod with a few extra effects dolphin/ishiiruka can provide. in short, the original wind waker is a very, very beautiful game and age has done very little to tarnish that even with the remake’s updated graphics. 

but obviously graphics don’t make or break a game, though proper presentation is important– wind waker’s story also resonates with me deeply in various aspects. as an older sister, the initial quest to set out and rescue your younger sibling in danger caught my attention and held it fast; they do a very good job of making you feel attached to aryll, and the scene where she is kidnapped always tugs at my heartstrings every time i see it. watching this young boy who lived the world’s most quiet little life on a tiny island suddenly get swept up into this grand, big adventure to rescue someone dear to him and becoming an actual hero – despite having no relation to oot link whatsoever! – is the quintessential coming of age story that most people can relate to, and watching that change as the game plays out is always really sweet???

 it was nice watching link’s development through his little actions: the backing away from helmaroc king when he first storms the fortress and then confident staring it down the second time and then giving it what for– aside from ganondorf himself that’s my favourite boss in the game if only because of those moments of development. link’s not just some kid from outset in over his head anymore– he’s a hero who overcame the trials of the goddesses himself in the name of protecting his baby sister, and he will not fail again. and then, after he could easily just throw in the towel and take his sister home because he accomplished what he set out to do, link goes on and sees it through to the end anyways because restoring order to the world is the right thing to do– there’s no legacy of knights looming over his head like several of his other incarnations. there’s no grand kingdom, there are only desolate little islands. there’s a princess, but… he barely knows her. hell, she didn’t even know she was a princess until that moment. 

the story also touches on themes of death and the ends of eras… but also ends on a note of hope and new beginnings– clinging to the past only leads to ruin, and we must create opportunities for ourselves and the world to grow. hyrule is actually completely washed away by the end, and ganondorf goes with it– unless we assume breath of the wild is in the adult timeline, that’s it. he’s gone FOREVER in the subsequent games, with bellum and malledeus taking his place as the main villain. the kingdom link and tetra found is called new hyrule, but that’s all they share in significance– it’s their own land, just like the king said. that final scene of wind waker with the king always got to me– that message of hope is so poignant and powerful, i just. i don’t know how to put it into words, but it’s a scene i love dearly. 

then there’s the music and cast of characters, and even quests and gameplay? i know the sailing could get tedious but i always liked it; it was relaxing to me just watching the virtual waves and listening to that beautiful score?? the characters are all bright and unique and fun– they’ve got their own little lives and you can impact them in so many different ways and things definitely change once you do?? like starting windfall vs windfall after you do a few sidequests or even turn on the ferris wheel and lighthouse again feel so different? it’s a neat little detail i’ve always found!!

…i really need to stop rambling about wind waker now i actually dozed off a bit typing this post, oops.

#long post; #◈▏▐ ❛ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ sᴀᴛɪsғʏ ʏᴏᴜ / ʙᴇᴄᴀᴜsᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ. ❜ ― ( latrocinari ) #◈▏▐ ❛ ᴄʜɪɪ ɪs sᴘᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ. ❜ ― ( ooc ) #◈▏▐ ❛ ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ᴅᴏɴᴇ ʏᴇᴛ. ❜ ― ( meme )

[maiocworld]

A new start - First step to the top!

The story starts off a year after Milk started residing in Arty’s mansion and a week before the meeting with Nijiko (a rainbow goddess). This will be the finally chapter for a club admission on Instagram called Colorful.idols~

[A new start – First step to the top!]

Milk was taking a walk around the town that Arty had sent him and Hokori to run some errands. Just like usual, Milk wandered on his own, leaving Hokori to do the errands. It wasn’t that he disliked being around Hokori but he just couldn’t contain his excitement each time he gets to go out of that ridiculous mansion in a weird dimension.

 “Well, Hokori-chan will be able to find me somehow. Might as well look around this town!” Milk thought to himself while entering a store.

 Milk did not get why Arty did not allow him to go out on his own but allows Hokori to do so. He knows that it isn’t a matter of trust but something else and each time he asks, Arty would avoid answering or replies, “Try going out if you can.” It was frustrating for Milk to stay inside the mansion for a long period because it wasn’t helping him with his goal of being a top idol. Reasons being

1.       The mansion is in a weird dimension which means there is no address, so he can’t even send in his application for an audition.

2.       He can’t escape the mansion without Arty’s permission.

3.       The phone in the house can be used to call but not to receive calls unless they are registered by Arty.

The whole thing was strange to Milk since Arty was the one who told him to aim for the top as an idol in the ‘human’ realm when he first came to a month ago. Also, despite all the oddness, Milk felt that he could trust Arty and did not question who he was, why and how he ended up in the mansion.

 Milk went to the music section and looked through all the albums, trying to find a certain album by his favourite idol group. (Which he somehow happened to remember.) When he finally found it, he noticed another album behind it – ‘Star’ by ‘Starlight’ was written on the cover. For some reasons, Milk felt the need to grab the cd and pay for his things but just as he was about to take it off the shelf, someone else had taken it. As though snapping out of a trance, Milk shakes his head and began to head to the cashier.

 “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe that there was still one left! I’m so lucky!” a girl squealed behind Milk.

“It’s their first album and apparently, it went out of stock everywhere when it first came out! Can’t believe there was one more here,” the friend said.

 The girl was the one that had taken the ‘Star’ album and Milk wondered who ‘Starlight’ was. It made him feel kind of left behind, not knowing any new idol groups.

 As Milk exit the store, a girl with long obsidian black hair came running towards him. Hokori had done the errands rather quickly and was looking for Milk. Without changing her expression, Hokori asked Milk if he was ready to depart. Milk nods and they began to head to a more secluded area.

 Milk looked around and wondered if they were in the right place, “Hokori-chan, I don’t think this is the right place. Arty wouldn’t pop out a transferring door in the middle of nowhere.”

 Usually, the transferring gate back to the mansion is placed in a random door in town which will be activated when Hokori or Milk touches the door. Hence it felt odd for the two to be at a park where there isn’t any door in sight.

 “We are in the right place,” is all Hokori said as they walk further into the park.

 Once Hokori stop in her tracks, Milk feel a sudden sense of nostalgia. He wanted to ask Hokori but Hokori pointed at a bench, indicating that Milk should take a seat. Sighing, Milk heads to the bench and sat, not expecting anything to happen.

 “I wonder what Arty is trying to make with those— “

 His sentence did not finish as he felt his body being dragged downwards. Letting out a shrill, Milk shuts his eye tightly and prayed he wasn’t going to die. A split second later, the dragging feeling was gone and he could hear Arty’s voice.

 “Welcome home!”

 Milk blinks repeatedly before screaming, “I CAN’T BELIEVE THE BENCH WAS THE GATE!”

 Hokori jolt in surprise for a moment before putting the items in her hands on the table and retreated to her room. Meanwhile, Arty kept laughing and kept teasing Milk about how he looked like he was about to die during the transfer. Milk could only pout and threw a nearby cushion at Arty, who dodged it in time.

 “You’ve gone through that gate before but the reaction is so different,” Arty said in between laughter, causing Milk to tense.

 It was at this moments where Arty accidentally (or maybe intentionally) slips out things about his past that makes Milk curious but he was scared to ask. Milk was going to head to his room when Arty’s laughter suddenly died down. Arty was no longer laughing and she had a smile unlike the one before. It was her serious smile, the one she puts on whenever she wants to mention something important.

 “Milk, you went off on your own again,” it wasn’t a question but a statement.

 Milk froze. He knew that Arty had always emphasised on how he shouldn’t wander off alone but this time, it sounded and felt much more serious. He couldn’t utter a word as Arty continued.

 Arty took a step towards Milk, “You saw something there, didn’t you?”

 Again, he could not open his mouth and Arty kept talking.

 Taking hold of the bag in Milk’s hand, Arty takes out the content and smirks, “I guess you still don’t remember. That’s good,” she puts the album back in the bag and gave it to Milk.

 Arty turns around and began to rummage through the bag full of things she had told Hokori to buy.

 “I have just one question.”

 He knew that he should be retreating to his room instead of standing there, asking Arty something she would most likely dodge but something in him wanted him to ask even if he did not get a direct answer from her.

 Arty continued rummaging the bag but nodded her head briefly to show she was listening.

 “That town. Was that the world I was originally from?”

 Unexpectedly, Arty stopped whatever she was doing and turned to Milk. Thinking that she was going to avoid the topic, Milk turns around and was about to head up the stairs when he heard her answer.

 Picking up the bag, Arty answers Milk’s question as she walks pass him.

 “Yep!”

 She replied so cheerfully that it made Milk doubt her but he knew that Arty wouldn’t lie about such thing so he went to his room and tried to get some sleep before dinner. By the time dinner was served, Milk was back to being the overly hyped ‘cute girl’ in the mansion.

 It was a few days after that Arty announced Milk was ‘graduating’ from the mansion, “You’ll be living with someone else, in another world, starting this Sunday. So, we will be having a farewell party tomorrow!”

 Milk was excited to be able to leave the ‘isolation’ world (is what he calls the realm where the mansion resides), but he also felt a little anxious since he wasn’t sure if the people in the world he was going to would accept him as he is. Despite his over confidence and always saying that he is a girl, Milk knows that no matter what, he is still genetically a male and he wasn’t sure how he would take it if people were to shun him because of it.

 During the farewell party, the ‘stray cats’ (the ones that also resides in the mansion sometimes) appeared and Milk still wonders how they are able to enter the ‘isolation’ world without Arty conjuring a gate for them. Or maybe there is a gate somewhere that he doesn’t know. Once all the ‘stray cats’ had arrived, including someone he never met before, Arty began her speech.

 “Today’s farewell party is for Usagi Milk, who will aim for the title of top idol! Also, since it has been a while since we had this many people in the house, let’s party till we drop!”

 While everyone else were talking to each other over a drink (non-alcoholic drinks), Arty ushered Milk towards the stranger. The stranger had mid length dark brown hair and her eyes were of similar colour. She was much shorter than Milk but taller than Arty and she had a rather stoic expression on as she greeted them.

 Milk was introduced to the unfamiliar person. “Milk, this is Usogi Kira and Kira, this is Milk. He’s the one you will be taking care of,” said Arty with a smile.

 Usogi gave a curt bow and held out her hand which Milk took and shook. In an instant, he instinctively did his infamous greeting, “Hello! I am Usagi Milk, the number one cutest girl and aiming to be a top idol!”

 Topping it off with a pose, Milk blinks his eyes awkwardly as he awaits Usogi’s reaction. She gave a small smile and said, “Nice to meet you, Usagi-san.”

 Seeing that Usogi wasn’t disgusted by his high pitch (fake) voice and actions, he immediately felt that the days ahead, working together would be perfectly fine. “Call me Milk, Usogi-san~”

Before Milk could bombard Usogi with a bunch of questions regarding the living conditions, Arty drags Milk to his room.

 Upon reaching the room, Arty locks the door behind them and began to mutter something before heading to the window and opening it. Usually the window would not budge at all but maybe it is because Arty was the one opening it, the window began to move. Milk expected the scenery outside the window to be pitch black but to his surprise, it showed a pavement. He stares at it for a few seconds longer before facing Arty with bewilderment.

 “That’s your gate.”

 It took Milk a few moments to process what Arty had meant by ‘gate’.

 “So that’s how the ‘stray cats’ have could appear out of nowhere. They each have their own gates connecting their worlds to this one. But why would I have to have a gate? Does this mean I have to come back here in the future?” thought Milk.

 As though reading his mind, Arty said, “You must come by occasionally to give me a report on how you are progressing. You can also come back whenever you need help, though it comes with a price of course.”

 For a moment, Milk pouts at the word report but then his expression changed when a voice spoke from outside the room, “It is fine if I am the one giving the report, right, Arty?”

 It was Usogi. Apparently, the door had somehow unlocked on its own and Usogi had opened it and heard part of their conversation. Milk did not know how much Usogi knew about Arty but they seemed close though Arty acts friendly with pretty much everyone. Usogi walked towards Arty and whispers something that made Arty sigh and said that it is fine for Usogi to give the reports instead of Milk. However, Milk will still have to return at least once in every 3 months or else Arty will drag him back. Afterwards, Milk went back down to enjoy Hokori’s cooking for the last time before his departure the next day. He somehow managed to talk normally with most of the ‘stray cats’. That was how the farewell party ended.

 The next morning came and somehow the mansion was like usual as though the party had never happened and the people who had passed out were nowhere to be seen. Milk gave Hokori a brief hug which caused a change in the girl’s usually expressionless face. As they bid farewell, Arty mouthed something that Milk did not understand, so he brushed it off.

 Sugiwara Kouhei?

 It has been days since Milk began living with Usogi and he wondered if Usogi was really a girl or not when thinking about how messy the apartment was. They ended up cleaning the whole apartment on their first day and spent the following days walking around the city. Milk noticed that Arty had purposely chosen to send him to his original world and wondered if there was any purpose in doing so. During their walks, Milk would look high and low from applications to becoming an idol while dragging Usogi around who seemed to be staring at random things.

 Almost a week later, Usogi suddenly came barging in Milk’s room, telling him to get dressed as a GUY. At first it offended Milk but after some explanations, he gave in and dug out his old clothes that he was apparently wearing when he had first arrived in Arty’s mansion. Minutes later, they head out to a rather crowded plaza which made Milk nervous as he was dressed differently so he felt like his confidence had disappeared. Before he could back out of helping Usogi, a tall male with huge build and short black hair came running towards them.

 “Sorry I’m late— “

 The man did not finish his sentence when Usogi suddenly hugs one of Milk’s arm. Milk could only smile rather awkwardly at the action. The favour Usogi had was for Milk to pretend to be her boyfriend. Usogi did not bother introducing the two and began saying that she would not go out with the man because she has a boyfriend. The two threw some verbal insults at each other and it ended with the man walking away in anger. It was rather unexpected for Milk to see Usogi acting like that. He didn’t think she was one to swear so openly in public.

 Once the figure disappeared into the crowd, Usogi lets go of Milk’s arm and took a seat near the fountain. Milk follow suit and wonders if Usogi had liked the man but refused him due to some reasons. Choosing his words carefully, Milk asks, “Why did you reject him like that? He seems like a good guy.”

 Usogi sighs before answering with a laugh, “Well, he’s better off without me. Plus, I have to take care of you.”

 “So she did like that guy,” thought Milk.

 As they sat there doing nothing, Milk decided that he’ll be nice for the day and asks Usogi if there is anything she wanted. At first, he thought that she would make him buy something expensive or do something silly in public.

 “A song. I want to hear you sing.”

 It was a rather easy to fulfil wish. However, just as he was about to start, Usogi continued.

 “I want to hear it in your real voice.”

 He knew what she had meant. His original voice, not his (fake) high pitched voice but the one he has not used ever since his stay at the mansion. It wasn’t that he disliked his voice but something at the back of his mind had been telling him not to use it. Pushing back the thought, Milk nods at Usogi and readied himself to sing.

 [inserts a short cover of Milk singing: https://youtu.be/l7lfVLr5ZGU]

 Shortly after singing, a girl with rainbow twin tails approached him and said, “Your colour aura… let’s make it into my source of power!”

 An unknown creature that looked like a teardrop floated to Milk and a flyer appears out of nowhere. The flyer stated something about auditioning to be an idol and Milk’s eyes sparkled. Just before he could ask the girl something, she had disappeared along with the rather strange creatures. Milk turns to Usogi and grins from ear to ear.

 “Time to shop for clothes!” he declared in his high-pitched voice.

 Usogi could only sigh in resignation, knowing fully well that her wallet will have a hole by the end of the day. Just as they exited the plaza area and into the crowd, Milk accidentally bumps into someone, causing their cap to fall off. Without stopping, Milk continues onwards while Usogi picks up the cap and apologised to the stranger.

  Extra 1: [“I want a farewell party!”]

 This was during Milk’s farewell party. When Arty had dragged Milk somewhere, someone was drunk (on carbonate drink) and was pestering Hokori.

 “Isn’t it un..fairrrr?” the red head asks Hokori who just happened to be sitting beside him.

 “It’s… UNFAIR!” a pair of ears suddenly appeared on the red head before he continues, “When I ‘graduated’ from here, Arty dropped me into another world out of nowhere!”

 The red head named Ark kept complaining about how Arty mistreats him the most out of the other residence. Meanwhile Hokori did feel sympathy for him but it annoyed her that he was slurring all his words, so she took out something that Arty had given her and showed it to Ark before throwing it somewhere else. It was a picture of a girl with twin tails. In an instant, Ark changes into his red panda form and began running after the photograph.

 I wonder how Arty knew he would be complaining… then again, it is Arty.

  Extra 2: [“You are trash.”]

 When Milk first arrived at Usogi’s apartment, he was greeted by trash everywhere. It was difficult to even find the cleaning tools and it frustrated Milk that Usogi kept giving excuses to keep really (really) old items instead of throwing them away.

 “They are trash not memories, so hurry and put them in the bag,” Milk says for the umpteenth time.

 Usogi squints her eyes and flares out that they are not trash, “They aren’t trash! They are my memories, a part of me!”

 “Then, YOU are trash,” Milk said with an eerie smile before Usogi gave in and chucks the old items into the trash bag.

  Extra 3: [The man called Sugiwara]

 A man was in a hurry as he pulls his cap down and walks into a crowd. Without looking ahead, he collided into someone and his cap fell off. In that split moment where he saw the face of the person he had bumped into, a word – or rather, a name – came out of his mouth as the person disappeared into the moving crowd.

 “Milk?”

 A moment later, a lady had picked up his cap and apologised to him. He nods his head absentmindedly and the lady runs off.

 “O.M.G! Isn’t that Sugiwara Kouhei?!”

“From Starlight?”

 Suddenly, the man called Sugiwara was surrounded by a group of fan girls and was trying his best to get away.

 The lady that had picked up Sugiwara’s cap stopped in her tracks and looks back.

 “So that’s Sugiwara Kouhei…”

  End~

 Bonus chapters will be up in maybe a few weeks to a month!

#usagi milk #oc #usogi kira #original characters

[titoslondon-blog]

New Post has been published on Titos London

#Blog New Post has been published on http://www.titoslondon.com/whos-the-most-feminist-disney-princess-of-them-all/

Who’s The Most Feminist Disney Princess Of Them All?

Rex Features

When the first trailer for the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast was released last November, the two-minute clip set a new record for most views in its first 24 hours alone.

Since then, the remake, which sees Emma Watson playing the bookish heroine, has supplied us with plenty of 1998 nostalgia–illustrating, once again, the remarkable staying power of the Disney princess. But with Beauty and the Beast's entrance into the modern era–and what a tumultuous and monumental era it is–our childhood protagonists are now subject to modern scrutiny.

While Belle serves as the poster child for brains-before-beauty, Watson has given the princess a more realistic, feminist makeover for the revamp. “In the animated movie, it’s her father who is the inventor, and we actually co-opted that for Belle,” Watson told Entertainment Weekly. “I was like, ‘Well, there was never very much information or detail at the beginning of the story as to why Belle didn’t fit in, other than she liked books. Also, what is she doing with her time?’ So, we created a backstory for her, which was that she had invented a kind of washing machine, so that, instead of doing laundry, she could sit and use that time to read instead. So, yeah, we made Belle an inventor.”

The original set of princesses were created between 1937 and 1998, meaning that the OG fairytale leads lack the advantage of more modern Disney ladies like Tiana, Rapunzel, Ella, and Merida, who lean more heroine than princess simply because of the time they were sketched. But with the imminent arrival of Beauty and the Beast, we found ourselves wondering: How do Disney's original princesses stack up in 2017? To be respectful of each princess' circumstance–they're all feisty in their own right–we created a matrix that compares their level of defiance to their intentions.

Read on for our full analysis of the original eight, their stories, and their fairytale flaws.



1. MULAN


Backstory Refresh: When the Huns invade China, the government calls for one man from every family to join the Chinese army. In order to keep her aging father home, Mulan bandages down her breasts, lobs her hair with a literal sword, and goes full male to join the forces. Even though her initial military skills are weak and she needs to endure daily training sessions where in her captain repeatedly sings that he’ll make a man out of her, Mulan becomes a pretty badass warrior. Her true gender is only ever discovered after she is slashed in the chest by the Hun leader. Ultimately, she is the key player in rescuing the Imperial City and Emperor and her super buff captain falls in love with her.


Fairytale Flaw: N/A. At no point her story does Mulan stray from her true feminist ideals and strong family values.


Modern Day Translation: Modern day Mulan would stick to her non-gender conforming standards of style and behavior even when she develops a baby crush on the stereotypical hot jock. She would put her family and friends over herself and throw support behind their causes.



 

 




2. BELLE 


Backstory Refresh: When her father is trapped in the Beast’s castle, bookish Belle sacrifices herself to take his place. When she’s not gossiping with the fine China, she is gradually befriending the Beast, who is a total jerk (albeit his mood has certainly suffered from being shunned from society). When Belle finds out her father is in danger, she returns to the city. Meanwhile, Gaston, the vain village hottie who feels entitled to Belle’s affection, goes after the Beast but ultimately dies because he hates books and you can’t survive in this world without intellect. Belle, apparently chill with body hair, smooches the Beast and he returns to his true chiseled form, Prince Adam.


Fairytale Flaw: Although Belle ultimately falls for a man well outside of society’s traditional standards of attraction, she also falls for a man who is totally domineering and emotionally immature because she believes she can change him.


Modern Day Translation: Belle can spot and take down a misogynist at the drop of a baguette. But her determination to better a man who treats her poorly despite how it may inconvenience her (like being held prisoner in a castle) is a bit naive.



 

 




3. JASMINE




Backstory Refresh: Princess Jasmine spends her days avoiding arranged marriages to high falutin royal suitors and her nights sneaking out of the castle to hobnob with the middle class of Agrabah. Here, she meets man-of-the-street Aladdin who shows her common decency and so she falls for him. Still, he requests that his genie make him into a prince so he can deceive Jasmine into loving him, but she assumes he’s just another royal and is uninterested in his newly gained socioeconomic status. Ultimately, Jasmine is awarded the opportunity to choose who she wants to marry (her father literally changes the law that said she couldn’t) and she chooses “street rat” Aladdin.


Fairytale Flaw: Jasmine pretty much holds her own against the oppressive standards, which pretty much say her marriageability defines her status as a woman. She does, though, at one point, reduce herself to an object of sexual desire in order to seduce Jafar.


Modern Day Translation: Jasmine is a strong, empowered woman who believes you can be equal parts smart and sexy. She chooses a poor boyfriend to financially support, going against the traditional man-saves-a-woman narrative because he emotionally supports her. Unfortunately, sometimes the only power a woman can wield over a man is physical, but Jasmine uses her sexuality for a pretty noble cause.



 

 




4. CINDERELLA


Backstory Refresh: After her father dies, Cinderella lives and works for her evil stepmother and stepsisters. She is literally enslaved and used as the family servant. With the help of a fairy godmother, though, she is able to attend the royal ball where she encounters a prince who becomes immediately smitten with her. She only has until midnight and flees the ball, leaving behind her trendy, but definitely uncomfortable, glass slipper. The obsessed prince uses his privilege to force every eligible maiden to try it on until he finds Cinderella and marries her.


Fairytale Flaw: TBH, Cinderella doesn’t have too much opportunity to stand her ground as a captive in her own home. But she does defiantly make it to the ball, even if she only wanted to go to find a man.


Modern Day Translation: It might not push the most progressive narrative, but you can’t knock a girl for wanting a night on the town to manhunt with her friends.



 

 




5. POCAHONTAS 


Backstory Refresh: Pocahontas is the original free spirit. She is a walking flower crown full of beauty and good vibes, which is exactly why she doesn’t want to marry stern warrior Kocoum. When the white English settlers come and set up shop on Native American land, Pocahontas encounters the very Aryan John Smith, whom she quickly becomes enamored with. They kiss and basically set off a war between the settlers and the tribe. Smith is sentenced to death, but Pocahontas stops her father (the tribe’s chief!) just as he is about to kill him. When Smith asks Pocahontas to return to England with him, she declines, choosing instead to stay with her tribe.


Fairytale Flaw: Although regarded and remembered as one of the fiercer Disney princesses, Pocahontas endangers her entire tribe and actually gets a couple people killed to be with a guy.


Modern Day Translation: There’s no denying Pocahontas is a true badass female. But a man is rarely worth losing your connection to your family and friends. She makes the right decision to ultimately put her romance to the side and stay with them, but she sort of owed it to them after all the drama.



 

 



6. SNOW WHITE


Backstory Refresh: In order to avoid having her heart cut from her chest (upsetting!) by for her evil, super vain stepmother, Snow White flees into the forest. There, she encounters seven dwarves whom she befriends. She works in their cottage, cooking and cleaning, while they mine diamonds during the day. She’s poisoned by the queen, though, and falls asleep. The dwarves think she’s dead and build a rather stunning glass coffin to lay her to rest above ground. A year later (!!!), she is visited by a prince she met prior to her escape into the forest who smooches her and wakes her from her slumber. They live happily ever after even though Snow White was essentially decaying for an entire year.


Fairytale Flaw: Snow White is the most passive of all Disney’s leading ladies. She never tries to escape her servitude to her nasty stepmother and her first instinct upon arriving at a cottage full of little men is to cook and clean for them.


Modern Day Translation: She might be the most passive, but she’s also Disney’s oldest (Snow White and Seven Dwarves was released in 1937) so we’ll give her a pass on the lack of progression.



 

 




7. AURORA, "SLEEPING BEAUTY"


Backstory Refresh: After Maleficent basically condemns Aurora to die on her 16th birthday (by a sewing wheel of all things), another fairy alters the curse to have her fall into a deep sleep instead, only to be awoken by true love’s first kiss. Aurora is then raised by that fairy and her two fairy sisters and essentially exists to aimlessly walk about a beautiful scenic forest while singing, which she genuinely seems okay with. She meets and immediately falls in love with a charming man with an impressive tenor. After the fairies tell her she can’t see him again, Aurora runs off and is, of course, manipulated and led to the spinning wheel where she pricks her finger and falls asleep until prince man wakes her up with his mouth.


Fairytale Flaw: Sleeping Beauty shows absolutely no real drive or need to create or find a purpose for herself. She only displays any level of passion when she, as a teenager, is told she can’t date the random singing boy she met in the wilderness.


Modern Day Translation: Sleeping Beauty aimlessly wanders through life until she falls victim to her own naivete and needs to be saved by a man.



 





8. ARIEL


Backstory Refresh: Fiery red-headed mermaid Ariel is fiercely curious and interested in a world beyond her own. In fact, she hates her own neighborhood so much and wants to be human so badly that she’ll do anything to be “part of that world,” even if it means disobeying her king dad and regularly spending time at the surface of the ocean gazing at humans. Without any contact at all, Ariel falls in love with human man Eric, who has two legs and well-coiffed hair. She visits sea witch Ursula and trades her magical singing voice for a pair of legs to woo him with. After a ton of drama and her father being turned into a polyp on the floor of the ocean, Ariel is actually saved by Eric. Her excessively forgiving father turns her fin into permanent legs so she can marry him.


Fairytale Flaw: Although inspiring in her rebellious nature, Ariel misdirects her defiance, risking her and her father’s life for a dreamy land-boy. She trades her voice and her home to be with a stranger she saw playing flute for a few minutes from a distance.


Modern Day Translation: Impetuous and passionate as she may be, Ariel committed the most disempowering sin when she gave up her voice for a man. And then, after all that trouble, her father still has to grant her freedom.





This article by Lindsay Dolak originally appeared on InStyle.com.