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maybe-in-another-nice-life · 10 months

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Wizard with a Gun [analysis and theory]

Because this new fandom needs content.

Firstly, an analysis of the Riders:

One Eye

Creative name, I know.

I think the bard is singing while they appear on screen, so it makes sense for One Eye to be The Hunter. The old hat and the brown coat with the gun with a wide muzzle make it look that way, plus the aforementioned one eye makes them look badass.

Or rather, makes her look badass.

Because I’m pretty sure One Eye is Hilda, the inventor of Gunmancy and the first wizard you meet.

Same clothes. Same yellow light. Same one eye. She even has a Worldbuilder in the animation, the same weapon she teaches you to craft.

And even makes sense for her to be the last one standing in the battle against Chaos, being the most experienced of them all and a past user of The Tower. But alas, she still died having her soul ripped out of her.

Giant

Possibly The Maker. They have a belt full of tools, although it is hard to see, and the scarf on their hat reminds me of the “We Can Do It” poster, so there’s a probability of the Giant also being a woman.

They carry a two-barrel pistol and died being immobilized by chaos tentacles.

Not much to talk about them, but they also have blue/cyan eyes.

Gremlin

Quite small, covered in rags, has a little mushroom on their head… reveals a bunch of eyes and tentacles underneath. Yeah, I think Gremlin it’s the Wild Swamp's Own.

The Gremlin also, for some reason, carries a giant machine gun.

They have green eyes and die being overwhelmed by Chaos.

Something else that I noted, but could end up being nothing. When one of their companions died, they immediately became enraged. Could show a deep loyalty/connection to the other Riders, or a great hatred towards chaos (or both).

The last three sets of characters were more complicated, at least for me. :)

Barbarian

The Barbarian, the figure that doesn’t have much focus in the animation, it’s also much probably a woman, since we can see her chest and such.

They’re literally dressing as a barbarian, so my bet is in they being the Young Chief Risin’, but they also wear a boar on their head, with the tusks protruding a lot, but that’s the only thing that can make the Barbarian the Weaver of Bone, and it’s very weak evidence.

The Barbarian has pink eyes and carries a canon. They died with the Sharpshooter in a big chaos explosion.

Sharpshooter

The Weaver of Bone??? Maybe? Nothing in their design says anything about it maybe aside from the great style, but maybe this is something more in the story.

The Sharpshooter possess a wide hat with a red feather, and a red cloak to mach. Sometimes they have three eyes, sometimes four, sometimes more, but they are mostly yellow.

The fact that they have yellow eyes made me theorize that the Sharpshooter is Hilda’s brother, but it’s a pretty weak theory.

They died with the Barbarian in a big chaos explosion.

The thing to mention is: Sharpshooter appeared in the first trailer, for those that didn’t remember them.

And finally:

The theory that I saw being passed around by the community: We, the Player, are one of the Riders that appears in the animation at the beginning of the demo.

See, the bard only gave titles to 5 wizards, and he also sing “Remember, remember” in one part of the song.

Which brings us to...

Fancy

the wizard with purple eyes that (I think) wears fancy naval clothing.

Literally, the first one to die at the beginning of the battle, being disintegrated on the spot by a ray from the portal.

No wonder the Cryptomancer was so disappointed we were the one to survive if that’s the case.

- One thing to mention: The fact “we” are so bad in the animatic, plus how the Bard calls the player “Kid” may imply the player is the youngest/least experienced of the Riders, so that could be the reason as Hilda’s reaction towards the player.

Anyway, Fancy is the only one similar enough to the character we created in the game, with the exception of One Eye and Gremlin, but these seem to have names attached to them, plus we know One Eye is Hilda.

But then what? Fancy died, how did they come back to life next to a broken down ship without memory?

I have no idea :D

But there’s a thing...

Fancy has skeleton hands, while ALL the others wear gloces, so maybe there’s something to do with it?

That’s all I have. :)

#wizard with a gun #wwag #theory #a game theory #wizard with a gun spoilers #spoilers #wizard with a gun demo

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elcomfortador · 6 months

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The opening scene to the 1968 movie Barbarella has its star, Jane Fonda, first appearing onscreen dressed in an astronaut suit that completely obscures her body. She removes her gloves and boots and, part by part, the audience sees that the person inside that suit is a woman. It's a bit of a striptease that plays off the audience's assumption that astronauts are usually male and this one would be too.

It's not just an eye-catching way to begin a film, however. It's also something that gets echoed throughout pop culture — and it's specifically something that seems to have influenced some early Nintendo games. The ending of Metroid, for example, has its protagonist, Samus Aran, appearing in increasingly fewer clothes depending on how quickly the player beats the game. It could be called titillating, I guess, depending on how adept you are at reading pixel art, but more importantly, it's a surprise reveal that plays off the audience's presumption that the person inside the space suit had to be male. (The instruction manual explicitly says Samus is male, however, but the surprise still might work even if you'd just played the game without reading the backstory.)

What's really interesting about this Barbarella-Metroid connection is that there's another Nintendo game that basically does the same thing only earlier. Released in 1985 and about a year before Metroid, Mach Rider is another futuristic sci-fi game where the player controls a hero who wears an armored suit throughout the game. You're never explicitly told Mach Rider's gender, but again, because most action heroes tend to be male and because most video game protagonists tend to be as well, a lot of people probably defaulted to thinking Mach Rider was too.

The follow-up Nintendo released for the VS. arcade system, however, does something surprising: as you beat each stage, you see more and more of a pixel art image of a woman in a revealing white leotard. You might dismiss her as some kind of damsel in distress or an eye candy reward for getting through the game, and a lot of people do, but I think she's made to look like Barbarella. The parallels between their outfits are striking, and I think Nintendo is evoking Barbarella to suggest that this video game, like the movie, also has a protagonist who is female.

All this is a preamble for my larger piece on the Barbarella-Metroid-Mach Rider connection, which I think is a good conversation to have if you're talking about early video game heroines and creators' decisions to either disguise, downplay or amplify their feminine characteristics. This one makes a nice follow-up to a piece I did on Bubbles, who is the first female Nintendo protagonist but only in the west, where someone decided she should be female even though the character's gender was not specified in Japan.

#metroid #mach rider #nintendo #barbarella #gaming

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maligknightsthorns · 9 months

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Camilla: A Fódlan Biography

PERSONAL INFORMATION

GENDER. Female

AGE. 27 (older than leo, younger than Xander)

HEIGHT. 5'10" 178 cm

BIRTHDATE. November 30th

CREST/HOLY BLOOD. Technically yes; she does possess unspecified blood of a First Dragon. If she were to have a specific crest, I would say the crest of Dominic

CLASS. School Counselor, a Wyvern Rider who specialized in Dark Magic

AFFILIATION. Kingdom of Nohr

BIOGRAPHY. Born the second daughter to a woman who wanted to use her daughter to better her own position. Wishing to stay near her siblings she came to the Officer's Academy. She is both an accomplished axe user and flier and holds a decent talent for dark magic. Perhaps unbefitting a princess, she is very affectionate to those she holds dear. She is enjoying her time away from Nohr's court.

PERSONAL HISTORY

Year ??? ~ Born to King Garon and an unnamed power hungry concubine

Year ??? ~ Survives the Concubine Wars and an assassination attempt

Year ??? ~ Sides with Corrin in her war for peace; upon its end, she largely focused on humanitarian efforts

Imperial Year 1180 ~ Enrolls at the Officer's Academy at Garreg Mach

INTERESTS. Corrin, Her Wyvern, Helping and caring for those who deserve it,

LIKES. Wyverns, Very Rare Steak, Cute but strong girls, her siblings DISLIKES. Lecherous men, people who hurt Corrin or her siblings STATUS. Princess of Nohr

CLOSE ALLIES: Corrin, Xander, Leo, Elise, Beruka, Serena, Deirdre, Forsyth

DINING HALL PREFERENCES

LIKES. pheasant roast with berry sauce, beat meat teppanyaki, pickled rabbit skewers, daphnel stew, gronder meat skewers, derdriu-style fried pheasant, grilled herring, fish and bean soup, two fish saute, bourgeoise pike, sauteed pheasant and egg, garreg mach meat pie,

DISLIKES. sweet bun trio, peach sorbet, onion gratin soup, country-style red turnip plate, fruit and herring tart, cheesy verona stew, gautier cheese gratin, cabbage and herring stew, small fish skewers, fried crayfish

DINING HALL NOTES

FAVORITE DISH.𓆱

"Mmmm How delicious!"

LEAST FAVORITE DISH.𓆱

"Hmm..."

WITH A support𓆱

“Are you still hungry? Here, take some of mine!”

TEAM TIME GUIDE

FAVORITE TEA. Almond Blend, Rose Petal Blend, Bergamot

CONVERSATION TOPICS. A new gambit. A strong battalion. Close calls. Equipment upkeep. Evaluating allies. Exploring the Monastery. Mighty weapons. Monastery rules. Monastery security. Potential training partners. Reliable allies. Someone you look up to. Tell me about yourself. The ideal professor. The last battle. Your ambitions. Capable comrades. Garden mishaps. Classes you might enjoy. Plans for the future. Cute Girls. Things you find romantic.

TEA TIME QUOTES

GREETING.𓆱

(1) "Oh I enjoy having tea with you.”

(2) “Shall I pour for us?”

(3)“Oh how intimate...”

FAVORITE TEA.𓆱

“It's hard to go wrong with this blend.”

FIVE STAR TEA. 𓆱

“Oh my for me?"

BEING OBSERVED.𓆱

(1) "You aren't looking lecherously are you.”

(2) “It's quite beautiful, we should go flying later.”

(3) “Do you... Need help?”

QUIPS.𓆱

"It's quite bright out today.” “Mmm...” “I hope my siblings are doing alright.” “Nice and hot...” “Would you like more?” “(Breathy moan)" “Are you busy later?” “Hmm I don't like such crumbly food...”

ENDING.𓆱

"That was quite lovely. We should do this more often.”

FINAL COMMENTS.𓆱

(1) “Oh my these students seem to have so many problems.” ANSWER. Nod, Sip tea (2) “What are your thoughts on breaking someones legs so you can be the one to take care of them?” ANSWER. Scold, Chat (3) "I don't wield a divine weapon like my brothers, but I'm more than capable of holding my own in a fight.” ANSWER. Nod, Sip tea (4) “Admittedly, there are some things I do not fully understand, such as why someone wouldn't want affection” ANSWER. Nod, Admonish (5) “I quite enjoy going out for a daily flight on my wyvern.” ANSWER. Laugh, Praise (6) “My biggest desire is to see my siblings happy.” ANSWER. Nod, Sip tea (7) "I adore my siblings so much, I can’t imagine anything bad happening to them. Please watch over them.” Answer: Nod, Laugh (8) "I often worry about Corrin and my siblings.” ANSWER. Nod, Chat, Sigh (9) “Some people are terribly cruel, do let me know if you find such people and I'll dispose of them for you.” ANSWER. Chat, Admonish

MISCELLANEOUS DIALOGUE.

GIFT GUIDE

FAVORITE GIFTS. Smoked Meat, Whetstone, Armored Bear Stuffy, Roses, Lilies DISLIKED GIFTS. Arrhythmic Textbook, Monarch Studies Book,

GIFT QUOTES

DISLIKED GIFT. 𓆱

"Hmm...”

LIKED GIFT. 𓆱

"Oh you're so thoughtful.”

FAVORITE GIFT. 𓆱

"Oh how wonderful!”

LOST ITEMS

Thorny Circlet A circlet as sharp as rose's thorns. Location found: Stables

Wyvern's Baby Tooth. A tooth from a baby wyvern. Would make for intimidating armor adornment. Location found: Training Grounds

Marked Map. A worn map with locations marked of where to travel. Location found: outside of the dorms

LOST ITEM QUOTES OWNER.𓆱

"Oh how did I misplace that!?”

NOT OWNER. 𓆱

"That's not mine.”

BATTLE QUOTES

MOCK BATTLE RETREAT. 𓆱

“hmm perhaps I held back too much...” ( *Byleth specific ) "Oh my professor you are formidable.”

FIRST KILL.𓆱

"Sweet dreams.”

MONASTERY QUOTES

CHOIR PRACTICE. 𓆱

(1) “I'm not the best singer.”

(2) "These notes are quite high...”

COOKING.𓆱

(1) "Are you certain we have to cook the meat so thoroughly?”

(2) "Cooking together is quite fun!”

(3) "Do not tell Jakob how this turned out or I'll cut your tongue out myself.” (Said with a smile)

TUTORING

INSTRUCT

BAD.𓆱

"Oh dear.”

Critique: Do you speak to Corrin and my siblings this way? Console: You're right, I'll try again.

GREAT.𓆱

"Of course I did well.” "Well you're a great professor.”

PERFECT. 𓆱

"Time to play!.” PRAISE. "I'll use this to help you and the others.”

TASKS

STABLE DUTY.𓆱

“I prefer to be in the sky to be honest.”

WEEDING.𓆱

"Ugh.”

SKY WATCH. 𓆱

“Shall we have a little race?”

CERTIFICATION EXAMS

FAILED.𓆱

"How can I help my siblings now?”

PASSED. 𓆱

"Did you have your doubts? I'm full of surprises.”

UPDATE GOALS

REASON. 𓆱

“Professor, I wish to continue my studies in magic. I do understand that it's odd for wyvern riders here to use magic, but I'd hate for my skills to go to waste.”

Flying𓆱

“I excel in the skies. Give me a chance to show you how.”

Faith��

“I want to be of use to others. I can cross the battlefield quickly to defend, but if I could heal as well I'd be even more useful.”

LEVEL UP

0 TO 2 STATS UP𓆱

“Hmph.”

3 TO 4 STATS UP𓆱

“Hmm...”

5 STATS UP𓆱

“I'll be of more use to you now.”

6 STATS UP𓆱

“Don't forget that roses have thorns.”

UPON REACHING LEVEL 99𓆱

“I'll protect them all.”

BUDDING TALENT

“Oh... That's new...”

NEW SKILL

“(chuckle)”

RECLASSING𓆱

(1) “I'll try this on for size.” (2) “This is different.” (3) “I'm not used to being... So covered....”

BATTLE QUOTES

WHEN SELECTED

FULL/HIGH HP 𓆱

“May I?”

MEDIUM HP 𓆱

“Let's go.”

LOW HP𓆱

“I will keep going.”

ENEMY DEALS 1 OR NO DAMAGE OR MISSES𓆱

“Aha ha ha ha!”

CRITICAL ATTACK𓆱

"You've been naughty!" "Sweet dreams!" "Time to play!" "Say night night!"

GAMBIT𓆱

“Let's go! Together now!”

GAMBIT BOOST𓆱

“You need a spanking!”

DEFEATED ENEMY𓆱

"Sorry, darling." "Aww..." "Did it hurt?" "Poor thing..." "Glad that's over with."

ALLY DEFEATS ENEMY𓆱

“You're so cute."

ALLY HEALS/RALLIES𓆱

“Thank you dear."

DEFEAT QUOTE

CASUAL𓆱

“I'll retreat for now… so I can come back and kill you all tomorrow!”

CLASSIC𓆱

"Oh! I can't die like this… What would Corrin do without me? I…I have just enough strength to sneak away for now…”

THE ADVICE BOX

"I’m worried about my siblings. They're all just growing up so fast! Perhaps I should cripple them in some way to keep them from leaving.”

>People grow up and leave all the time. >Even if they do leave, they will always come back to you. (Correct answer) >Please don't maim your family...

#time to play!#dash games #hhhhhhhh this took soooo long

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choerrypies · 1 year

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What’s your favorite Bobs Burgers episode list? :D

This will get multiple edits bcs i’ve only gotten to s5, so literally long list soon.

It’s like growing hair sorry

Also some of it might be out of order because I got confused and then got an even more painful migraine

Human Flesh

Crawl Space

Sacred Cow

Sexy Dance Fighting

Hamburger Dinner Theater

Sheesh Cab, Bob?

Art Crawl

Bob Day Afternoon

Food Truckin

Dr. Yap

Moody Foodie

Ear-sy Rider

Full Bars

Mutiny on The Windbreaker

An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal

Mother Daughter Lazer Razor

Nude Beach

Broadcast Wagstaff School News

The Outside Toilet

Topsy

Lindapendent Woman

Boyz 4 Now

The Unnatural

Fort Night

Seaplane

My Big Fat Greek Bob

Turkey in A Can

Purple Rain-Union

Christmas In The Car

Frond Files

Uncle Teddy

Mazel Tina

The Kids Run Away

Gene it On

Work Hard or Die Trying, Girl

Tina Tailor Soldier Spy

Midday Run

Speakeasy Rider Late Afternoon in the garden of Bob and Louise

The Gayle Tales The Nice Capades The Cook, The Steve, The Gayle and her Lover The Hormoniums The horse Rider-er Secret Admiral-irer Glued, Where’s my bob? Teen-A-Witch Ex Mach Tina Bob Actually Aquaticism Ain’t Miss Debating

[TBC]

i’ve spent 32 mins writing this, and I have a migraine, and I wanna barf, and I wanna explode, and I wanna dissolve into a puddle onto my bed, and then let my now puddle-like body dry out

Also you’re my first anonymous question‼️

(Last edited: March 20, 2023)

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amitieos · 2 years

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wacky races

With winter in full swing, every pegasus in Garreg Mach rejoices in the cold, crisp mountain air, playing and racing during their time outside. This is the season where pegasi perform at their peak, a perfect time for a racing tournament! The students have come together with the “White Heron Derby” to determine which pegasus is the fastest in the school. Grab your winged mount and get ready for a wild flight around campus. There’s a twist though: all riders are decked out in absurd hats and if you lose your hat, you lose the race! [Grants Flying +1]

Ice cold water runs down the back of her neck and beneath her uniform shirt. Elincia turns on her heel, away from Chrysaor, searching for the source of such an unprompted attack. All she finds is Patty, who refuses to meet her gaze. The younger woman’s eyes are wide and bright and the smile on her face says that butter wouldn’t melt. Crimea’s queen has questions about her rather unique headgear but decides to save them for later, instead rolling up a snowball of her own and taking aim. She sends it flying as Patty tries to pretend to be interested in something other than her victim.

Off falls the hot pink top hat, tumbling to the ground. An artifical sunflower or two find themselved dislodged, littering the ivory snowscape.

“Got you back, Patty,” Elincia says with a bright laugh. She places a hand on the master thief's shoulder, grinning. “So is there a reason you’re wearing that ludicrous thing? Did you lose a bet or something?”

Elincia feels that she knows Patty well enough by now to joke around and playfully rib her. Such a gaudy accessory was very unlikely to be a family heirloom or something with deep sentimental value. Bending down, she places the vibrantly coloured hat atop her own head and giggles.

“Where did you even find something like this? It’s silly but I kind of want one for myself...”

@lockpicnic

#s:patty #t:wacky races #sorry it's short i just hand you a pegasus #it's also been ages but shhh #m:prologue #sp:flying

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bxldrsdraumar · 1 year

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ulfhedhnar

Among the new students are massive wolves unlike any that Fodlan has seen before: not monsters cursed by crest stones, but mounts that are frequently used by Elyos’ elite cavalry units. The Officers Academy has gone out of its way to import a small pack of these creatures, hoping to one day offer certification for aspiring Wolf Knights. However, these seasoned veterans prefer sunny afternoon naps and would rather ignore whatever nonsense that’s coming out of your mouth. You’ll have to earn their respect first. [Grants Riding +1]

(starter for @amitieos)

Sigurd was a skilled rider. He'd spent most of his life in a saddle, and the feel of a mount beneath him was as second nature to him as walking. When he began to get his bearings around Garreg Mach monastery, he was surprised to see such different breeds of horse on this continent, larger and much furrier than he was used to, but he took to them all the same, gradually building up his strength with short rides through the mountain paths surrounding the town.

So when a new wave of exchange students arrived with mounts of their own, he expected it to be of a similar vein – the more things change, the more they stay the same, after all, and he expected one mount to be much like another.

What he had not expected, however, was this.

"When I heard this was a training for 'wolf knights' I assumed it was metaphorical," he joked to his partner the seminar, a young woman who introduced herself as an instructor at the academy. The wolf was enormous, and though it seemed content to bask with its belly facing the sun, he ensured that he kept a respectful distance from it until they were better acquainted (and ensured also that his body was squarely in between the wolf and the young woman, for who knew if something could go awry).

"Are you...from this continent? This Elyos?" he hazarded at Elincia. "Is this an area in which you are skilled as well, my lady?"

#in character #thread: ulfhedhnar (riding +1)#interaction: amitieos #sorry this is late!

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tsunflowers · 2 years

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since I finally finished my heisei main rider girls I’ve been starting to think about what I’d do for other riders. might never actually do any of these but here are the ones coming to mind

gills: gotta be a horny fantasy warrior woman who wears a torn piece of cloth knotted around her waist as a skirt

another agito: the same but with more muscles and the unmistakable air of a warrior queen

g3: I think rider girl g3 is just wearing the cop uniform from agito?

knight: a cool goth in a long coat, what else

zolda: an 80s businesswoman with huge shoulder pads

femme: idk if femme should be a rider girl or a rider boy but either way they’re a phantom thief in a white tuxedo jacket

odin: haute couture queen of the masquerade ball

kaixa: similar to decade but more buttoned up, a businesswoman in straight leg slacks and stiletto heels

garren: east coast prep in an argyle sweatervest

leangle: it’s time to admit that leangle has always reminded me of a christmas tree so I think rider girl leangle is wearing a slightly tacky christmas dress that her parents forced to to wear to church. also it has a big spider on it

chalice: obviously chalice’s key point is the slim waist and wide shoulders so probably a tiny cocktail dress with a huge jacket or wrap that creates a heart shaped silhouette

hibiki riders would all basically look the same as hibiki with different colors and accessories. I don’t have any ideas for kabuto or den-o

saga wears a frothy white gown with a jeweled corset

ixa is a boxer I think. you know how boxers sometimes walk out in a robe belted at the waist. that’s ixa

diend: athleisure, sporty chic?

accel: literally just the same thing terui wears?

birth: I’m feeling like a wrap dress over leggings with funky boots and big earrings

meteor: probably an evening gown with a mermaid skirt

no ideas for beast or mage

ryugen: it feels too easy to give ryugen a cheongsam with a lot of hair accessories but also it would be so cute

mach: mach is just a flag girl or whatever you call the sexy ladies who hang out at racetracks as eye candy

necrom: sexy female mad scientist

brave: businesswoman with blazer and severe bob cut

lazer: I really want rider girl lazer to dress like kiriya but I think based on the suit she should be more like a spunky girl mechanic

rogue: slutty cocktail dress with man’s suit coat draped over the shoulders

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the-tactician-magician · 3 years

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I managed to get today's @flufftober2021 fic out relatively early yaaaay. But only because it's shorter lol.

Also as a heads up, the next several days will be non-Claudeleth fics. Just in case Claudeleth fics were the only things you wanted to read from me lmao. Anyway, without further ado~

Flufftober Day 16: Falling Asleep Together

Rated G, Claude/F!Byleth, 1039 words

“Ah. Here you are, Turkey.”

No response. Turkey the wyvern just snoozed on, but Claude could hardly blame him. This lush and open meadow, on the outskirts of Garreg Mach, was an ideal spot for a nap. Here, the afternoon sun warmed the earth and its denizens, a gentle breeze sang a lullaby as it blew across the field, and Turkey’s body practically sank into green, pillowy grass.

It was only too bad that Claude spent so much time looking for him. Imagine his surprise when he went to the wyvern aviary to borrow Turkey for some training, only to find him missing. The handlers told him that Byleth, of all people, had beaten him to it. She apparently took the gentle steed out on a flight to improve her wyvern riding skills. Which was a first, but not an unwelcome surprise, had Byleth not brought Turkey so far away from the monastery.

Where was she, anyway? If Turkey was here, then Byleth should be nearby to keep an eye on him. Yet no matter how hard he searched, Claude found no sign of her. It wasn’t like Teach to abandon her responsibility, so did that mean she ran into trouble? Nah, that couldn’t be right. Turkey wouldn’t just take a nap in the middle of a field while his rider suffered. Yet what else would cause her to disappear…?

Well, he had no doubt that Teach was safe, no matter where she was. She was a tough woman with an even tougher sword arm, so it was likely that whatever was keeping her down was in more trouble than her.

Having achieved a new peace of mind, Claude turned his attention back to the sleeping Turkey. Maybe he had the right idea. A quick nap might be just the thing he needed to refresh his thoughts before continuing his hunt for Teach. And admittedly, it would be a shame to waste both a fine day and prime napping real estate on senseless worrying.

He bent down and lifted one of Turkey’s wings up by an inch. The blissfully ignorant wyvern didn’t move a muscle. Claude mumbled half-apologies and half-reassurances as he lifted the wing higher in order to slide under it. Sleeping in a wide open space left him much too vulnerable, but a wyvern’s wing provided him with just the right amount of cover. Plus, he could huddle so closely to Turkey’s flank, he pretty much disappeared from view. So, under the sun’s gentle rays, atop his bed of grass, and in the warm presence of his draconic friend, it was no wonder that Claude fell asleep in record time.

---

The shifting of scales slowly roused Claude from his slumber. He could sense that Turkey woke up on his own accord, not because of any immediate danger, so he wasn’t in any hurry to get up. It was only when he heard a yawn, a human yawn, that he bolted upright.

Peeking out from underneath Turkey’s other wing was... his missing professor? Byleth blinked her bleary eyes as she tried to adjust to the sudden sunlight. It looked like she had been sleeping for a while, with her tousled hair sticking out in all directions and a faint line of drool from her mouth. But the real question was how she managed to slip past Claude? No, actually, how did he manage to miss her entirely? For all of his worrying, he didn’t bother to check underneath Turkey’s massive blanket-like wings. Not even once!

He snapped out of his self-depreciation when he felt Byleth’s wide-eyed gaze on him. She blinked again, like Claude was a fragment of a dream, before the vestiges of her nap faded from her face.

“Claude? What are you doing here?”

It took an embarrassingly long time for Claude to respond. He was still mystified by the series of coincidences that led them to fall asleep in the same meadow, at the same time, and nestled against the same wyvern. One might even say they fell asleep together, but then again, there was a huge wyvern separating the two of them…

“I just came out here to look for Turkey, and thought that this was a nice spot for a nap.” He eventually answered. “But what about you? You’re not a nap connoisseur, at least as far as I know.”

Byleth shrugged her shoulders. “After I did some exercises with Turkey, he fell asleep here and couldn’t be moved. So I decided to wait here until he woke up.”

Which really meant that she fell asleep while waiting for him, but that didn’t need to be said out loud. Honestly, Claude was more touched by how kindly Byleth treated the infamously lazy wyvern, especially since she could be quite the taskmaster to her human students.

Still, Claude couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. “That’s our Turkey, always looking for an excuse to nap. There’s a trick to getting him up though. Maybe I can teach you that next time.”

At the mention of his name, Turkey nudged his snout against Claude’s side. Claude laughed again as he gave him a head pat or two or several.

“Next time.” Byleth nodded. “For now, we should head back before more people start searching for us.”

“Yeah. We don’t want anyone else to know about our secret napping spot, right?”

Byleth shot him a funny look, but Claude noticed a peculiar glimmer in her eyes. Did she… actually believe his kind-of-serious joke? That this meadow was now their special hideaway, in a sense?

He could see why she thought that, since he did offer to teach her more about Turkey’s sleeping habits, and with wyvern naps came the possibility of human naps. Claude was just more surprised by how agreeable Byleth was. He himself wouldn’t mind these ‘classes’, but he never would’ve figured that the stoic, hard-working professor would want to lay down and pass the time with a leisurely nap.

Then again, Byleth was just as mysterious as she was stern, and Claude wouldn’t have it any other way. Once the two of them fitted into Turkey’s saddle as best as they could, the great winged beast catapulted into the sky and back towards home.

#fe3h #fire emblem three houses #claude von riegan #byleth eisner #claudeleth #fics #flufftober2021

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recurring-polynya · 3 years

Note

Tokusatsu Au where Rukia plays the lead actress in a superhero action show. Renji plays one of the villains and they are The most popular ship in the fandom. Bonus points if Orihime plays the main villain and loves every second of it.

This was the very first prompt I got, and I fell in love. Unfortunately, aside from a brief period of being grotesquely fascinated with Power Rangers as teen, I know almost nothing about tokusatsu. I did as much research as I could and I attempted to watch an episode of Kamen Rider, but my eyes glazed over halfway through. Anyway, please forgive my inaccuracies, I wrote this with my heart.

ao3 | ff.net

🏍 ⚡ 🎬

“Uh, looks like we’re almost out of time,” the panel moderator for “High-Spirited Battle Clairvoyant Tomoe!: A Sneak Peak at Season 5” declared, “but would you be willing to take just a few audience questions?”

Head Screenwriter Kurosaki Ichigo glanced at Leading Actress Kuchiki Rukia out of the corner of his eye, and she gave a tiny nod.

“Yeah, sure!” he replied.

There was already a young woman waiting at the microphone, practically vibrating with anxiety. She was wearing a t-shirt that had ZabiTo4Ever!! handwritten in marker on it. Rukia knew, deep down in her bones, what the question was going to be.

“Hi, yes, hello, big fan of your work! My question is: are Tomoe and Zabimaru going to kiss this season?”

“No,” Rukia started to say.

“As you probably know,” Ichigo said loudly on top of her, “the show holds close to the core plot points of Kuna-sensei’s manga, although, because of her minimalist style, we do expand a lot of the dialogue and filler scenes. She has said in several interviews that High-Spirited Battle Clairvoyant Tomoe! is not a romance manga, so the odds of Tomoe and Zabimaru ever kissing on screen are very, very low.”

The young woman stared at Ichigo grumpily. “Does this also count Zabimaru’s secret college student identity, Satonako Takeru?”

Ichigo stared back at her. “Yes. It does.”

The next question came from a person wearing a full suit of HellKnight’s plasma armor made out of overlapping plates of cardboard. Rukia was kind of impressed by it. She wondered if he could sit down.

“Hi, Kurosaki-sensei, I am a huge fan of your work,” a voice emanated from deep within the cardboard. “I was wondering if you are influenced at all by fanworks, and if Episode 73: Pride is on the Line!: The Bake Sale Must Go On! was based in any way on the classic fanfiction, ‘Tell Me All Your Best Lies’? It’s the top story by kudos in the ZabiTo tag, which I might point out is the most popular shipping category on AO3.”

Ichigo cleared his throat gently. “I am contractually not allowed to read fanfiction, although I do enjoy fanart! There are some incredibly talented artists in the fandom, although for some reason, no one ever wants to draw pictures of Lead Screenwriters.”

“I’ll draw you, sleeping on the set like you always do,” Rukia offered, and that got a pretty big laugh. Rukia’s Tumblr of behind-the-scenes doodle comics was beloved among the fandom.

The next question was from a nonbinary person wearing a big poufy skirt and a hairstyle that would make their make-up and hair guru, Yumichika, sit up and take notice. “Hi, this is a question for Kuchiki-san! If the show is going to roughly keep pace with the manga, as it has done up until now, you should be shooting the storyline where Tomoe and Queen Bloodbuzz switch bodies later this year. I was wondering if you could comment on how you feel about filming that storyline?”

Finally! A good one! “Yes!” Rukia nodded eagerly. “I don’t usually like to speak for my fellow cast members, but Orihime and I are beyond excited about playing each other. We’ve been studying each other’s mannerisms and practicing already! Does anyone want to hear my Queen Bloodbuzz cackle?” She wagged her eyebrows as the audience cheered. “Here goes-- bwaHaHaHaHAHAHAHAAHAAAHAAAAAAAA!”

“Bonechilling,” Ichigo commented dryly as the audience erupted.

“Amazing, Kuchiki-san!” the moderator exclaimed. “I think there is time for one more, but this will be the last question!”

A tall girl in a full set of High-Spirited Battle Clairvoyant Tomoe motorcycle leathers stepped to the microphone. She was holding a notebook. “Hello!” she warbled. “In a 2020 interview with the Psychics and Sidekicks podcast, Abarai Renji was asked about his opinion on ZabiTo as a ship, and he replied,” she consulted her notebook, “‘Tomoe is such a cool lady and talented Battle Clairvoyant, and she always follows her heart and stays true to herself. I think that Zabimaru can’t help but be impressed with her, even though they’re enemies, and I always try to roll that into our on-screen interactions.’ I know that in the past you’ve refused to comment on the ship, but I was wondering if you had any thoughts on, y’know, his thoughts?”

“Well, he’s correct, of course, Tomoe is very cool and admirable,” Rukia replied, which drew a few laughs, although it seemed like the audience was leaning forward in anticipation of her answer. “Like I said, I don’t like to speak for other cast members. I’ll be doing a big cast panel with Abarai and Inoue and Matsumoto and Ukitake tomorrow afternoon, and I hope you all can make it! See you then!”

The moderator thanked them enthusiastically, and then Ichigo and Rukia slipped out the back guest entrance.

“Evasive as always, Kuchiki,” Ichigo teased.

“Whatever,” Rukia sniffed. “The higher ups say we’re not supposed to comment on stuff like that, and I was not commenting. By the way, how many secret fanfic accounts are you up to? Four?”

“It’s only three!” Ichigo paused. “I wrote that fanfic the guy brought up.”

“Of course you did,” Rukia sighed. “I do blame you personally for the popularity of the damn ship.”

“Me? Blame Kuna for making up two such sexy, emotionally constipated dumbasses!” Ichigo defended.

“Also, it’s not Ichigo’s fault that you and Abarai have insane chemistry.”

Rukia spun around, grinning. “Orihime!”

Rukia’s two co-stars, Inoue Orihime and Abarai Renji, the portrayers of Tomoe’s demonic archnemeses, stood in the hallway behind them.

“We sat in on your panel!” Orihime beamed. “You two were brilliant!”

“Don’t worry,” Renji added. “We were incognito.”

“Incognito” was relative, Rukia supposed, when you were at Tokyo’s biggest tokusatsu

convention.

Orihime was wearing a Zabimaru outfit so detailed that she probably could have won a prize down at the cosplay hall. She had the gravity-defying ponytail, the eyeliner, the insane widow's peak (complete with forehead tatts), the fangs, the motorcycle boots. The paper mache snake skull helmet was a little lopsided, but it was charming. She had her top zipped a little higher than canon, but that was forgivable, too.

Renji had taken the opposite tack of looking as much like a normal person-- or at least a normal Battle Clairvoyant Tomoe superfan-- as possible. Relaxed fit jeans and an oversized hoodie de-emphasized his ultra-fit physique. He was wearing a t-shirt with a very dramatic rendering of Orihime that said “Queen Bloodbuzz can step on me!” and a ball cap with the logo of Seireitei University, the fictional college Tomoe and Takeru attended.

“You think you’re in disguise,” Rukia pointed out, “but there are thousands of teen girls in this place with entire Tumblrs dedicated to your stupid face when you’re out of costume.”

Renji cocked an eyebrow at her. “You underestimate me, Rukia. I have bought… new sunglasses.” With a flourish, he whipped out a pair of the dorkiest wayfarers she’d ever seen, and flipped them onto his face. “I’ve disappeared! Who am I? Where am I?”

“You look really great, Orihime,” Ichigo said, his cheeks coloring a little bit. “Did you get Uryuu or Yumichika to help you with that costume?” In his continuing theme of doing things he wasn’t supposed to, Ichigo had finally started dating Orihime on the downlow around the time they finished up filming last season. It had done absolutely nothing for how shy he still got around her. They were, in Rukia’s opinion, cute as hell.

“Oh, no, that would be cheating!” Orihime replied, wagging a finger at him. “Well…maybe I did cheat, just a tiny bit. Renji helped me make the helmet and he held up references for me while I was painting on the tattoos.”

“Only the forehead ones,” Renji quickly added.

“He wouldn’t even offer feedback on my booby tattoos!” Orihime frowned. She leaned forward. “Rukia, how do they look?”

Ichigo turned even redder.

“Perfect, as in all you do!” Rukia replied loftily.

“What’s everyone got coming up next?” Renji asked. “I was thinking of slipping out and trying to pick up some real coffee.”

“I’m judging a villainess-themed cosplay competition,” Orihime chirped. “But I’m dying for a blueberry caramel iced latte. Renji, my henchman, pleeeeease!”

“Of course, my liege,” Renji replied in his Zabimaru voice.

It’s not like it had been a hard decision to accept the role of the motorcycle-riding, badass heroine of one of the most popular manga of the last decade, but it had turned out to be one of the best decisions of Rukia’s life. not just her career. Aside from a few of the money-obsessed executives, she liked nearly everyone in the cast and crew, but the fact that the fact that the ruthless, homicidal, literally Hell-spawned villains of the show were played by the two sweetest marshmallow people she had ever met just took the cake. Renji and Orihime had already known each other from some voicework they had done previously, and their excitement at working together on a live-action project had infected the entire cast from the start. Rukia wasn’t sure, but she strongly suspected that Renji was the one who had hyped Orihime up to ask Ichigo out.

“I have a writers’ workshop I’m moderating this afternoon, and I wanted to review the writing samples people sent in,” Ichigo said, scratching the back of his head. “I’d love to stop by that cosplay contest, though, at least for a few minutes.”

“You’ll be needing caffeine, too, then, eh?” Renji offered. “Hot, black, and in the largest cup they make, as usual?”

“Ugh, you’re the best,” Ichigo groaned. “You wanna power-up this season? Costume update? You know what? Maybe I’ll just have you defeat Tomoe once and for all, no one likes her anyway.”

“C’mon, you know I’m the world’s number one Tomoe simp, don’t do that!” Renji laughed.

Rukia rolled her eyes. “I’m free and I could use some fresh air. Besides, it’s going to take all your dumb muscles just to carry Kurosaki’s vat of coffee back here.”

“Cool!” Renji proclaimed. “We’ll be back soon!”

“Thanks, Renjiiiii!” Orihime waved.

“You need to stop off and put on a disguise?” Renji asked.

“No point in it, I always get recognized,” Rukia sighed, pulling her sunglasses out of her purse anyway.

“Here,” Renji said, plunking his hat on her head. “Maybe this will help.”

“Thanks,” Rukia replied, and then did a double take. “Whaaaaaat is on your head?”

“Shut up!” Renji laughed. He usually shaved his head when they were filming, because it made it easier to deal with the make-up and wigs, but since they were between seasons, he’d grown his hair out into a short, tousled mop of reddish-brown waves. He looked, for the lack of a better word, dreamy. “I shot a movie over the summer, and they wanted me to look softer.”

Rukia looked at him over the top of her sunglasses. “You didn’t tell me you were doing a movie!”

“Oh, it was just a little indy romcom thing. I wasn’t sure it was gonna pan out, I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”

“You were in a romcom? You’re kidding me!” They ducked out of a side door of the convention center into the bright sunshine.

“Yeah, it’s about a guy who goes to the gym to try to get ripped to impress a girl, and makes friends with me, this nice, already ripped dude who gives him lifting tips and encourages him a bunch. By the end of the movie, it turns out we have crushes on each other.”

“Oh, no, that sounds really cute, actually!”

“It was written by a woman who graduated from one of Ichigo’s writing workshops. The script was really snappy and Ichigo thought having someone like me as the gym guy would give it just a bit of campy cachet. You know what a good sense he’s got for stuff like that.”

“That was cool of you to go out on a limb a little,” Rukia replied.

Renji rubbed the back of his neck. “I’d been wanting to try something like that for a while, actually.”

Rukia blinked. “You aren’t… you aren’t thinking of leaving the show, are you?”

“Huh? No. No! No, the show means the world to me, I would never. But… it’s not gonna run forever, y’know?”

“I would have guessed you’d want to be a big action star or something!” Rukia said, throwing a few air punches. “That’s my dream!”

Renji stuffed his hands in the pockets of his hoodie. “Yeah, that’s what I thought I wanted when I first got into acting. I’d read the Tomoe manga, and I thought playing Zabimaru would be a good jumping-off point, besides just being a cool character overall.”

“Is that… not true?” Rukia frowned.

“Oh, I mean, I guess so! I didn’t really know about the fandom, though and… to be honest, I’m kinda into the idea that there are all these fans who think I’m complex and redeemable?”

Rukia regarded him out of the corner of her eye. “They just want to fix you.”

“Maybe! Ichigo made me read this one fanfic that was eight thousand words of the reader getting sick and Zabimaru making them soup? And feeding them the soup? I still haven’t decided how I feel about it.”

“How does he have time to find these things? Does he even sleep?”

“Anyway, it doesn’t hurt to be well-rounded and it was fun. I’m still mostly an action guy, but I wouldn’t mind doin’ something with a romantic subplot. A period drama or something like that. I look pretty good in hakama, you know.”

“I bet you do,” Rukia laughed. She squinted at him, but his expression was unreadable behind the shades. Renji didn’t have the classic leading man looks, not like her ridiculously famous older brother, but she could definitely see him as the best friend, the B-plot romance, with his cute, messy hair and that big doofy grin.

“By the way, I’m sorry you had to field that question about me spilling my romantic sensibilities on that podcast.”

Rukia laughed. “You didn’t even answer the question, either! These people are relentless!”

Renji stopped at a street corner and peered down the various possible directions they could go. “Which way feels like it might have a coffee shop?”

“You didn’t have one in mind before we left? I thought you knew where we were going!”

“Nah, I just like to go out and see what there is.”

“I can look up a map,” Rukia said, reaching in her bag for her phone.

“Let’s just go this way,” Renji said, stepping out into the street in the direction that had the WALK light. Rukia sighed and had to scramble to catch up with him.

“So, what do you think about it?”

“Huh?” Rukia asked. “Think about what?”

“Our ship. ZabiTo.”

“I can’t believe you just said that word out loud. And you know we’re not supposed to give our opinion on it!”

“Aw, c’mon, we’re not supposed to give public statements on our opinions. I don’t think there’s any harm in talking between ourselves. We’re in disguise, even.”

“‘Disguise’,” Rukia sniffed.

“You don’t like it, I can tell.”

“He’s a bad guy! Everyone always talks about chemistry, and that may be true, but I just don’t think that Tomoe could ever get over his acts of violence and cruelty.”

“Queen Bloodbuzz is cruel. Zabimaru is not cruel.”

“Okay, that’s fair, but still. He’s kidnapped just about all of Tomoe’s friends and or turned them into monsters at one time or another. He’s always setting Karakura Town on fire or flooding it with magic lizard goo. He ruined the sports festival.”

“Maybe the sports festival deserved to be ruined,” Renji muttered under his breath.

“Okay, you’ve got a point on that one,” Rukia admitted.

“It’s really clear though, that he’s got some agenda beyond just simping for Queen Bloodbuzz--”

“The simping for Queen Bloodbuzz is the most relatable thing about him, to be honest.”

“Granted. But, what if he’s got a good reason for everything he does, actually? What if he’s doing all of this against his own moral code as a means of infiltrating Hell itself and getting himself into a position of trust so that he can bring down the Lords of Hell from the inside?”

Rukia slipped her sunglasses down to the tip of her nose. “Does Kuna give you Zabimaru spoilers?” The reclusive creator High-Spirited Battle Clairvoyant Tomoe! was only barely involved with the television show, but she did privately meet with each of the cast members about once a year. Most of Rukia’s meetings consisted of Kuna giving her constructive criticism on her battle poses.

“No, mostly we practice sneering,” Renji replied. “But I gotta play the guy, so I gotta think about this, you know, what motivates him? I mean, you’re probably right, it would never work out. But unlike Tomoe, whose principles would call for her to ignore any attraction she has to him, Zabimaru has the freedom to pine for her, perhaps because his love is futile and he doesn’t think he deserves it anyway.”

“That’s kinda dark, dude,” Rukia frowned.

“Yes, well, that is the kind of character acting that netted me the 2019 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Best Villain Award, Foreign Language Category.”

“That’s literally what’s going through your head when you’re shouting that if I can’t make some sick motorcycle jump, you’ll turn all my friends into stuffed animal versions of themselves?”

“No, of course not! At those times I’m thinking about how much I love my job. OH! and what is that I see!” Renji struck an extremely Zabimaru pose. “A MISTER DONUT!”

“My hero!” Rukia exclaimed, unable to resist an opportunity to shout dramatically. “I’m sorry I doubted you!”

“I think we should get some donuts, too. Orihime loves donuts,” Renji declared.

“Oh, for sure,” Rukia agreed. She was thoughtful for a moment. It would be easy to move on to a different subject, the subject being donuts, but she wasn’t happy with leaving the last conversation hanging. “Look, Renji, just because I don’t like the dumb ship, you know that’s not a reflection on you, right?”

“Huh?” Renji replied. “You mean you don’t mind if I like it?”

“Well… I mean, I don’t, I guess, but what I really meant was, er… we joke a lot, but Tomoe and Zabimaru are just parts, y’know? Just because I don’t think Zabimaru isn’t good boyfriend material doesn’t mean I…” Rukia trailed off, suddenly realizing what she was saying. “Um. What I mean is. You’re very nice and probably one of my favorite people I’ve ever worked with and if someone I knew wanted to ask you out, I would definitely encourage them to, A+ guy, I’d say, probably would make a great boyfriend.”

Renji pushed his sunglasses up onto his forehead and regarded her for a long moment. “For the record, Kuchiki, I think that both you and Tomoe would make excellent girlfriend material.” While Rukia stood there and gaped like a fish, he turned and pushed open the door to the coffee shop. “Ichigo likes crullers and Orihime always wants the most colorful thing they’ve got. Do you know what you want?”

“I need to think about it,” Rukia squeaked. She wasn’t talking about donuts.

🏍 ⚡ 🎬

Bonus: Here are my notes from when I was making up the show. I hope this wasn’t too confusing!

High-Spirited Battle Clairvoyant Tomoe!

based on a manga by reclusive mangaka Kuna Mashiro

Head Screenwriter: Kurosaki Ichigo

🌟 Starring: 🌟

Kuchiki Rukia as Yukimura Tomoe, a spunky college student who can see ghosts and fights demons from Hell! She rides a motorcycle!

Inoue Orihime as Queen Bloodbuzz, a Lady of Hell, who seeks to gather energy from the Living Realm so that she can become the Supreme Ruler of Hell. Very aesthetic. Much bees.

Abarai Renji as Zabimaru, Queen Bloodbuzz’s ruthless henchman. He leads a double life as fierce-looking, but gentle-hearted college student Satonaka Takeru! What is his long game??

#renji's birthday 2k21 #my writing #this was really hard to write actually #because i had to make up SO MUCH STUFF #i hate making up stuff #astute readers will notice that i just recycled rukia and renji's fake names from between tides #i am so in love with this au tho #especially ichigo and his false pretenses ao3 accounts

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dangerouscommiesubversive · 3 years

Note

Hi! I’d like to request #17, with Philip and Chase (and bonus Shoutarou with another Drive character, if you like). I just have this need for Philip to interact with all my favorite characters, and your W crossovers are delightful. ^_^

17. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Really, Shoutaro thinks, it shows a lot of restraint from Philip that he managed to wait a full week after discovering that Roidmudes were back in the world before he insisted on meeting one. Not that he’s unrestrained, of course. In fact, he’s gotten a lot better over the years about not overwhelming people with his academic enthusiasm. But there’s academic enthusiasm, and then there’s his increasing interest in the various unusual friends their junior Riders have picked up. He’d been practically vibrating with excitement since he first heard that Dr. Sawagami had run successful preliminary trials in her project to bring back the Roidmudes.

Of course, Philip could ask to speak with one or more Roidmudes all he liked, it had taken some time to arrange it. They’d had to talk to Terui, and he’d called Drive, and Drive had spoken to the four now-living Roidmudes, and then it had still taken two more months after that before anything could be scheduled just due to the tremendous problems Drive’s friends were having getting the Roidmudes legal status.

Now, though, the day's come, and Philip is enthusiastically shaking the hand of a man so color-coordinated that he could put Terui to shame and saying, "It's a absolute pleasure to meet you, Mr. Chase, thank you for coming, I appreciate it. Would you like coffee? I don’t know if you eat.”

Chase stares at him for only a very brief moment before saying, “Thank you, I do not drink coffee.”

Next to Chase--towering over him, in fact over all of them--is a man in a red coat with a thoughtful look on his face, and Shoutaro has to think for a moment before he recalls the last few messages he’d gotten. “And you’re...Heart, right? I’m Hidari Shoutaro, and this is Philip.”

Philip blinks. “This isn’t Mach? I thought Shijima Gou would be accompanying Chase to Fuuto. Shoutaro, I’m sorry, did I forget to introduce you?”

“It’s all right, partner, you were pretty excited. No, you remember the email, Gou was tied up with something last-minute.”

“By which he means he forgot that Professor Harley was going to be in Japan and expecting to see him.” Heart smiles, although he’s watching Philip with something that might be suspicion. “So I volunteered to come along, I’m always interested in making new friends.”

Chase glances at him. “You are overprotective.”

Heart makes a hm noise that doesn’t sound entirely like disagreement.

“Heart, Heart...” Philip’s eyes light up. “Yes, you’re also a Roidmude! Terui had said you weren’t interested in being interviewed, I don’t suppose you’ve had a change of heart? Forgive me, that wasn’t intended to be a play on words.”

Heart wavers for a moment, and Shoutaro can’t quite figure out whether it’s due to shyness or actual discomfort, so it’s probably fortunate that Chase is the one who answers. “Heart is not comfortable with discussing the past.”

“Ah. Yes, I entirely understand. Would you like coffee?”

“Now who’s overprotective?” But Heart relaxes visibly. “Yes, coffee would be wonderful, thank you.”

"Terui Ryuu said you and the other Roidmudes were having difficulties with your legal status, do you mind if I ask what they were? I know there are existing procedures for establishing the legal identities of non-humans, it's been done for two Bugsters in Seito. Well, three. Two and a half? Dr. Kujou is a complication."

Philip, Chase finds, is refreshingly blunt. He doesn't talk around issues the way many humans do, he cuts directly to the point, and moreover he seems pleased when Chase does the same. "There was an attempt to declare the Roidmudes property of the Japanese government."

"Oh.” Philip blinks several times, rapidly. “That's offensive, I imagine you all objected strenuously."

"Yes." Chase takes a sip of his tea. "And then once it was conclusively determined that we were people, there was the question of criminal charges."

"Really? Against you?"

"Against all of us. Heart, primarily. Brain and Medic were considered accomplices."

"I imagine your being a Kamen Rider helped with your case?"

"To an extent. I am not considered a threat. As it stands, we are no longer capable of causing gravity surges or otherwise wielding serious destructive force, and are under intermittent observation. The current legal debate centers around whether a Roidmude can be considered to have experienced mental duress."

“Hm. Really? Compelling. I wouldn’t think that was a debate at all.”

Chase considers this carefully before replying. “Why would you say that?”

“If Roidmudes are people, which they certainly are, then they can of course experience mental duress, or indeed any form of psychological distress.” Philip stares into space, hands wrapped around his coffee cup. “Unfortunately I’ve found that one of the hallmarks of personhood is a capacity for acute suffering. A being self-aware enough to love must also be self-aware enough to fear losing that which they love, and that fear can naturally be leaned upon by the unethical to coerce.” More staring into space. “Or simply to terrorize. It’s even more unfortunate when one realizes that unethical people of that type will likely always exist.”

“I...had not considered this previously.” Chase frowns, slowly. He’s experiencing an unfamiliar emotion--not that there are many emotions truly familiar to him, but this one contains elements of both surprise and happiness, and he is not clear on how one might express it.

He likes Philip, he realizes. He would like to be friends with Philip. Perhaps this is how Heart feels all the time.

“If this is the case, then in your determination, do Roidmudes have souls? I am not clear on what a soul is meant to be, but it has been the subject of discussion.”

Philip actually laughs. “The nature of the soul is one of the few topics on which I’m not the man to ask, for that you might want to talk to Ghost. In fact, I’m sure he’d be happy to discuss it with you. But in my limited experience with the subject--yes, I would think that Roidmudes have souls.” He takes a long drink of coffee. “Please excuse me if this is an indelicate question, I’ve been trying not to ask these things so abruptly lately, but my research indicated that Roidmudes have a more robotic base form onto which your human guises are layered, may I see it?”

They’re at the Windscale boutique getting Heart a suit.

They’d been discussing the Agency, and Heart mentioned having been a detective very briefly and seemed interested in the work, and this had led very naturally to talking about the boss, and from there to what Shoutaro had learned from him. Including, crucially, manner of dress, a topic that Heart seems fascinated by.

“I’d thought you could just sort of...shapeshift your clothing,” Shoutaro says. “At least, Bugsters do that, and Philip had mentioned that you do something similar.”

“Well, I can.” Heart plucks at the furred cuff of his coat. “But Tomari Kiriko’s suggested that I might adjust better to living among humans if I try to pick up some of their habits, little ones, and I like clothing.” A smile flashes across his face. “Mostly I’ve been borrowing things from Tomari Shinnosuke. He’s indicated that he’d like me to stop, though, because apparently he’s tired of having to come find me if he’s missing something he wants.”

“That’s Drive and his wife, right? We’ve never actually properly met, it’s sort of an oversight on Philip’s and my part.” Shoutaro frowns. “Do you live with him?”

Another flash of smile. “For the moment, yes. I was...revived...several months before the other Roidmudes, and they offered to let me stay with them. Mostly I watch Eiji for them and help Kiriko with housework. I’m learning how to cook. Brain and Medic are staying with other friends of Tomari Shinnosuke’s until the authorities can stop arguing about us and let us find a place of our own.”

“Well...” Shoutaro squints up at him for a moment, trying not to resent the man for being taller than him. “What kind of clothing do you like? I’m not exactly an expert on men’s fashion, but I like to think I know a little bit about it.”

This time it’s not a flash, the smile stays as Heart says, “Well, I have to say, the suits that Tomari Shinnosuke and his colleagues wear aren’t very interesting, but I do like your outfit quite a lot, it’s very sharp.”

So now Heart is trying on hats, and the Windscale salesgirls are losing their minds over how handsome he is. Normally Shoutaro would be a little jealous, they’re so used to him at this point that nothing about him is interesting to them, but he can’t quite bring himself to be. Not when Heart looks so pleased to be doing such an ordinary thing. Anyway, he’s letting Shoutaro pick everything out, and it’s so rare for someone else to be this trusting of Shoutaro’s fashion sense.

He also looks very good in a three-piece suit. But then, Shoutaro thinks, straightening his waistcoat, doesn’t everyone?

“What do you think of this one, my friend?”

Shoutaro looks at the latest hat Heart’s picked out and says, after a moment’s thought, “I think you look like a real man.”

Heart pauses. “Is that a good thing in this context?”

“Yes. The best thing I can think of, really. I mean, not that it’s bad to be a woman, but--listen, what I mean is, you look good, it suits you. Do you, uh, do you like to read at all?”

“Yes, sometimes, why?”

“We’re going to a bookstore after this, there are a couple of authors I think you’d enjoy.”

“Thank you for allowing me to examine you,” Philip says, when Chase shifts back into the human form that he’s finding more and more preferable to Proto-Zero’s, “it’s been a tremendous help to me. It’s--the many varieties of personhood that exist within the modern world are terribly compelling, but so few people are willing to speak about it at any length. Which I understand, but it does make study difficult.”

Chase nods. “I understand.” Beat. “You say personhood, but not humanity?”

“They’re hardly synonymous. Like circles and ovals. Every human is a person, but not every person is human. I haven’t always fit the precise definition of human myself.” Philip’s hand stills in the middle of a furious bout of note-taking, his face taking on a faraway look that Chase is learning to recognize. “What was death like for you? If you don’t mind my asking. Personally, I find the memory very difficult to grasp. Like a dream. I know that it happened, but when I reach for it, it slips out of my fingers.”

“It was...” It takes some time to find the way to phrase the answer. “Silent. And then when it ceased to be silent, it was because I was alive again.”

Philip nods, and takes more notes, and says, “Thank you for sharing that, I appreciate it. It’s...most people I know have never died. It’s difficult to explain to them.” The notebook snaps shut suddenly, Philip’s pen slides into its spiral binding right before it’s set aside. “Now. Is there anything I can do to help you?”

Chase blinks, slowly, several times, before replying. “How do you mean?”

“You. And your fellow Roidmudes. This is not an easy world to live in, especially when one’s personhood is treated as a subject for debate instead of a given. I would like--I hope that you’ll consider me a friend. I would like you to be my friend. And as a friend I would like to offer you and the other Roidmudes whatever help I can in establishing yourselves as people deserving of independent lives.” Philip grins at him. “At the very least I’m wonderful at winning debates.”

When Philip and Chase emerge from the garage, the first thing they see is Heart sitting in one of the front room chairs with an elderly gray cat asleep on his legs, and a much younger marmalade cat draped around his neck like an ungainly scarf. His red coat is nowhere in sight; he is, instead, wearing a black three-piece suit, a vividly red shirt, and a burgundy necktie with a heart-shaped pin in it. He's also engrossed in a book in English, although when they enter the room he glances up and says, cheerfully, "Hello."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Heart, I see Shoutaro's actually succeeded in his quest to get someone else to like Windscale as much as he does, you look very good. Are you enjoying Raymond Chandler? Shoutaro, is that Mrs. Mizuishi's kitten on our friend's shoulders? Where was he this time? Mrs. Mizuishi is a bit absent-minded," Philip says to Chase, "Chobi frequently wanders off when she's looking elsewhere."

"Yes, she called when we were on our way back from the bookstore." Shoutaro's sitting at the desk, in the middle of typing what looks like a list. "He'd only gotten up a tree, Heart helped me get him down. Mrs. Mizuishi’s coming to pick him up soon."

"And I see he has Mick's approval as well."

The gray cat opens one eye and gives Philip an unamused look, as if to say, “Yeah? What are you going to do about it?” only to begin purring when Heart absently reaches down to scratch his ears.

Chase sits down next to Heart while Philip goes over to speak to Shoutaro and is immediately investigated by the orange cat, who sniffs at his ear briefly and then gets up and hops from Heart’s shoulders to his. “What are you reading?”

“A collection of detective stories. Hidari Shoutaro gave it to me. He’s making me a list of movies that I might enjoy, I think I like detectives.” Heart leans slightly so that his arm brushes Chase’s. “It’s nice to have made a new friend. I hope the questioning wasn’t too intrusive?”

After a moment’s consideration, Chase says, “No. It was an enjoyable conversation.” He reaches up offer the orange cat his hand to smell. “I think it would be safe to say that Philip is a friend as well.”

Heart breaks into a smile. “That’s wonderful! I’m very glad to hear it.”

“However, I think we are expected to return to the city shortly.”

“Right, yes, I suppose we are.”

Over at the desk, Shoutaro pulls the paper out of his typewriter, blows on it to make sure that the ink is dry, and then folds it up and tucks it into an envelope. “Here, Heart, I’ve got that list for you. And my email address is at the bottom, please let me know which one you like best, you have no idea how long it’s taken me to find someone else who’d want to watch any of this stuff. I mean, Philip watches them with me, but other than that.”

Philip laughs quietly. “I do enjoy them, partner, I’m just not as passionate about them as you are.”

Heart carefully moves Mick onto the coffee table and stands up, reaching for a black hat with a red band that Chase hadn’t previously noticed hanging off the back of his chair. Chase, similarly, has to untangle himself from the orange cat, which objects strenuously to being moved and then promptly falls asleep in his chair as soon as he’s on his feet.

“I hope you’ll visit again,” Philip says as they’re shaking hands, “for non-research purposes, of course.”

Chase nods. “I would like that.”

Next to him, Heart tucks the envelope from Shoutaro into his suit jacket and says, “Maybe we can bring Brain along next time, I think they’d get along.”

They head out the door as a group, Shoutaro saying, “You’re going to email me, right, I need to know whether you like Spade or Marlowe better.”

“Of course, although I can tell you right now that just from the reading I’ve already done I like Marlowe quite a lot.”

One more round of handshakes as they all stand next to Chase’s motorcycle, and the last thing Philip says to Chase is, “Thank you again, so much. It was a pleasure to meet you. It’s wonderful to have new friends.”

Chase nods, says, “Likewise,” and resolves to visit again as soon as it’s feasible.

#philip #chase roidmude #hidari shoutaro #heart roidmude #fanfiction #toku-fangirl-2015

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yourlocalsewerdragon · 3 years

Note

heheheheheh hey dragon

Flynn: (narrating) This is the story of how I died. Don't worry, this is actually a very fun story. And the truth is, it isn't even mine. This is the story of a girl, named Rapunzel. And it starts, with the sun. Now, once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens.

[The drop falls from the sky]

And from this small drop of sun, grew a magic, golden, flower.

[The drop sprouts the flower.]

It had the ability to heal the sick, and injured. (Mother Gothel enters the scene.) Oh, you see that old woman, over there? You might want to remember her. She's kind of important. (Mother Gothel leaves the scene.) Well, centuries passed and a hop skip and a boat ride away there grew a kingdom. The kingdom was ruled by a beloved King and Queen. And the Queen, well she was about to have a baby, and she got sick, really, sick. She was running out of time. And that's when people usually start to look for a miracle. Or in this case, a magic golden flower. (Mother Gothel enters the scene.) Ahhh, I told you she'd be important. You see instead of sharing the Sun's gift, this woman, Mother Gothel, hoarded its healing power and used it to keep herself young for hundreds of years. And all she had to do was sing a special song.

Mother Gothel: (singing) ♪Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine. Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine, what once was mine.♪

Flynn: (He narrates.) All right, you get the gist. She sings, she turns young. Creepy, right?

Guards: We found it!

Flynn: (he narrates.) The magic of the golden flower, healed the queen. A healthy baby girl, a princess was born. With beautiful golden hair. I'll give you a hint. That's Rapunzel. To celebrate her birth, the King and Queen launched a flying lantern into the sky. For that one moment, everything was perfect. And then that moment ended.

(Mother Gothel, aged again, sneaks into the nursery. Rapunzel is asleep in her crib. Gothel lifts a strand of Rapunzel's hair and draws a pair of scissors from her cloak)

Mother Gothel: (singing) ♪Flower, gleam and glow, let your powers shine, make the clock re----♪ [shocked gasp]

(She cuts the strand. It turns brown and falls upon the mattress, powerless.)

Flynn: (narrates.) Gothel broke into the castle and stole the child. Just like that... gone. The Kingdom searched and searched, but they could not find the Princess. For deep within the forest, in a hidden tower, Gothel raised the child as her own.

(Cut scene to the hidden tower. Gothel is brushing Rapunzel’s hair.)

Rapunzel: (singing) ♪...save what was lost, bring back what once was mine, what once was mine.♪

Flynn: ( narrates.) Gothel had found her new magic flower. But this time she was determined to keep it hidden.

Rapunzel: Why can't I go outside?

Mother Gothel: The outside world is a dangerous place. Filled with horrible, selfish people. You must stay here, where you're safe. Do you understand, flower?

Rapunzel: Yes, Mommy.

Flynn: (narrates) But the walls of that tower could not hide everything. Each year on her birthday, the King and Queen released thousands of lanterns into the sky in hope that one day, their lost Princess would return.

[18 Years Later]

(Pascal hides behind a flower pot and camouflages himself)

Rapunzel: (shoves aside curtains) HAH! Hmm, Well... I guess Pascal's not hiding out here.

(Pascal chuckles, then Rapunzel's hair snatches him up. He shrieks.)

Rapunzel: GOTCHA!!! That's twenty two for me. How about twenty three, out of forty five? [Pascal shakes his head no] Okay, well, what do you want to do? [Pascal points his tail out the window, indicating that he wants to go outside] Yeah, I don't think so. I like it in here and so do you. [Pascal pouts] Oh, come on Pascal, it's not so bad in there.

{singing} 7a.m. the usual morning lineup, starting the chores I sweep 'til the floors all clean. Polish and wax, do laundry and mop and shine up. Sweep again, and by then it's like 7:15. So I'll read a book, or maybe two or three. I'll add a few new paintings to my gallery. I'll play guitar, and knit, and cook and basically. Wonder when will my life, begin. Then after lunch, it's puzzles, and darts and baking. Paper-mache , a bit of ballet, and chess. Pottery, and ventriloquy, candle making. Then I'll stretch, maybe sketch. Take a climb, sew a dress, and I'll re-read the books. If I have time to spare, I'll paint the walls some more, I'm sure there's room somewhere. And then I'll brush, and brush, and brush, and brush my hair. Stuck in the same place I've always been. And I'll keep wondering, and wondering, and wondering... Wondering, just when will my life begin?' Tomorrow night, the lights will appear. Just like they do on my birthday, each year. What is it like out there, where they glow? Now that I'm older. Mother might just let me go. {end of singing}

[Cut scene to the castle. Flynn Rider and the Stabbington brothers are leaping from building to building before stopping.]

Flynn: [Standing on top of the castle] Wow! I could get used to a view like this.

Sideburns: Flynn, come on.

Flynn: Hold on. Yep, I'm used to it. Guys, I want a castle.

Sideburns: We do this job, you can buy your own castle.

[Inside the castle]

Guard: (Sneezes)

Flynn: Oh, hay fever?

Guard: Yeah. (He turns around to see Flynn leaning against the pedestal, with the crown in his hand. He turns back around.) Huh? (turns around and sees Flynn, who is now escaping through the roof) Wait, what? Hey, wait!

Flynn: Can't you picture me in a castle of my own? I mean, I certainly can. Oh, the things we've seen and it's only eight in the morning. Gentlemen, this is a very big day.

oh no

oh you've gotta be kidding me

#why am i being bullied rn #i didn't even do anything #dragon shows what you seek #~aravenclawdaughterofhades~

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jtavington · 3 years

Text

Edelstance flashback

SSAU

Edelgard turned the model soldier in her fingers before putting it atop the map sprawled across the war table. "We can send Count Bergliez's men across the Airmed and Randolph's men can rendezvous with them before they cross the Myrrdin. And from there it's a straight march to Derdriu.” And if they could take the city, the faction of the Alliance opposing the Empire would crumble. And if they crumbled, the war would at last be over.

She wiped her brow. Over, at long last. All the bloodshed and sacrifice of the last five years would be vindicated and she could build the new order for which she had given up all that was precious to her. "I will speak to Lord Randolph on my way through the Oghma Mountains and make sure he and his stepbrother can cooperate for that long."

Hubert scowled. "I would remind you again that traveling to Garreg Mach—alone, no less—is a foolish risk. At least take a bodyguard."

"I can take care of myself." She touched Rhea's blade at her hip. "There's no need to reassign men to indulge my whims.”

"They will not be there. And if they are, the reunion will not be a pleasant one."

"I'm merely feeling nostalgic." Those few months at the Academy had been like a dream. She had been an ordinary student when she was forced to don mask and surplice. Battle had been a mere game. She had made friends, and though her head had told her that they would abandon her once they knew her true plans, her heart had dreamed of those who had chosen her because she was Edelgard, not because she was the Emperor. It was not wrong to pretend for an hour that dream was reality.

And perhaps…

"As you wish, Your Majesty." He bowed and left.

Edelgard stayed in her chair, staring at the figures that represented the armies of whole nations. She still had nightmares of the battle at Garreg Mach: of riders crushed under their horses, of students barely more than children run through by her soldiers. By her. It was one thing to say that her path to a just world was paved with blood. It was another to decapitate the knight who had supervised your stable duty because otherwise he would linger for hours from his stomach wound. And it was another to raise her axe against her teacher. She had told herself that she had known it was Byleth's destiny to oppose her.

The truth was that she had not known. She had allowed herself to hope that she might be understood in loved. She hoped still, against reason, against sense, that she would mount the stairs to the Goddess Tower and her teacher would be returned from the dead and that she would remember that blood was not all there was to Edelgard's dream. They would descend the stairs to find the rest of the Eagles and all would be well.

"Darling!" Constance emerged from her laboratory. Her blue gown was stained with ash, but her smile made her eyes crinkle. She came to Edelgard and gripped her forearms, heedless of the damage to the Imperial regalia. "You'll never guess what marvelous discovery I've just made!”

Her glee was infectious. "A singing teapot?"

"Close. I should have a prototype of one by spring, but for now...ta-da!” She let go of one arm so she could whip something out from her cloak. It was…a rose. A very lovely rose, especially for being out of season, but just a rose.

“Thank you?”

“Is that all you can say in the presence of such marvelous sorcery? Behold!” She ripped the petals from the bud and strew them on the ground. Edelgard watched as each transformed into a gem. Here a diamond, there a garnet, and over there an amethyst. None any larger than her fingernail, but they glimmered like stars as the light hit them.

"It was quite the challenge to keep them from turning into sugar cubes instead, but I managed it," Constance continued. “We can't have the guests eating the wedding decorations."

Edelgard stared at her. The last five years had been choked with tragedy and betrayal, but they had also given her this beautiful, maddening woman who had taught her that the world was still beautiful and that her heart still beat. The wedding was scheduled for just after the spring planting. If all went according to plan, the war would be over by then, and the new Empress would rein over a continent at peace. They would be the last generation to ever fear being bred for their Crests like cattle. The children who came after them would marry as they pleased, without the obligation to carry on the line. All Edelgard had to do was take Derdriu.

"El, are you brooding again?"

Edelgard allowed herself to smile. "Now why would I brood?” She seized Constance around the waist and pulled her into her lap. "I merely wanted to look at my fiancée.”

“Elise, we're here.” Byleth's voice yanked Edelgard to the present. "Do you want to see?"

Edelgard blinked. The palace vanished, replaced by the night sky. A ship's deck listed gently under her, and sheets cocooned her body. Ravens cawed and sailors shouted and tramped around her. She bit her lip as she had every day for the past three weeks. Her reverie was only reverie. She was Edelgard von Hrevelg, last Emperor of Adrestia. Hubert was dead. Constance was dead. She was alive, for a value of the phrase. Byleth had chosen her. She had fulfilled Edelgard's schoolyard fantasy of becoming her wife. They were fleeing a victorious church that wanted her dead. And she was on a ship. Surrounded by water.

She craned her neck and pushed with the arm that sometimes obeyed her commands. Her view shifted, but only enough for her to see up to the sailors' chests instead of their waists. She wasn't the only passenger who was journeying on the decks instead of below. Most were poorer refugees. A few were like her, laid out on stretchers or pallets so that they could be spirited away in the event of an emergency. If she had a mind to ask one of those bandaged souls with a missing limb had probably been reduced to a shrieking wreck by the sight of a rat in the hold as well.

Byleth frowned. "Do you want me to pick you up?”

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