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makeste · 5 years

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BnHA Chapter 250: Why Is This Family Not in Therapy

Previously on BnHA: Fuyumi invited everyone over to Camp Todovid for a wholesome family meal because what could possibly go wrong. Kacchan and Deku proceeded to spend the evening blinking distress signals at each other in Morse code while Natsu shoved breadsticks into his purse and skedaddled after getting mad at Endeavor in a completely unexpected turn of events which absolutely no one could have foreseen. After dinner, Shouto had a heart to heart with Fuyu (and then Deku) about whether or not he was ready to forgive his dad, and meanwhile Endeavor said a prayer for his very dead son Touya. Poor Touya. He was such a nice boy. You know what he really used to like? Messenger bags. He’d put the oddest things in them, too. I wonder if Touya would still enjoy collecting strange and disturbing things in bags if he was still alive today. Alas. We’ll never know.

Today on BnHA: Some guy named Takami who just got out of prison decides to show up out of the blue and fucking kidnap Natsuo because WHY NOT. But before that happens, we get a nice scene of Kacchan and Deku sitting down with Shouto and Fuyu, who finally decide it’s high time they talked about THEIR SECRET DEAD BROTHER seeing as LET’S BE REAL, THAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS DINNER TO BEGIN WITH. So basically, (1) he’s definitely dead! For sure! 100% deceased!, and (2) Natsuo apparently blames Endeavor for his death, lol no big. Deku and Kacchan are for some reason super fucking chill about hearing this, and then Endeavor comes over and is all “TIME TO HEAD BACK” and omg I’ve never hated him more. And then as they’re driving away from Todofield Hall, Takami shows up and is all “HEY ENDEAVOR LOOK I KIDNAPPED YOUR CHILD AND I’M GONNA KILL HIM!” and holy shit but Horikoshi is just fucking with us now, though.

(As always, all comments are my unspoiled reactions from my initial readthrough of the chapter. I did a quick edit for grammar and clarity afterward, and added some ETAs in the process, but aside from that there are no changes.)

all right manga, do your worst. I’m completely spoiler-free on this one. watch it not even be a flashback, after all of that lmao

(ETA: lol I read these two asks after I read the chapter and they’re pretty great:

honestly this week wasn’t that bad, though! the worst part of it was the whole “only 13 pages again” thing honestly. next week, though, it looks like we’ll be in for some fun times. oh goodness.)

so it appears night has fallen on Todofield Hall, and hoooooooooly shit you guys, are they. are they all gonna have a sleepover at Shouto’s house, because fdszllk I. I’m gonna. ldskfjla

(ETA: [kicks Endeavor in the shins] why do you hate fun!?)

who is talking?? are these prison stripes??

so is this the Takami guy narrating, then? just like we all predicted last week. ???

(ETA: so I saw all these people going “wtf is this Hawks’s dad??” and I was like “lol what” and it took me longer than I’d like to admit to put two and two together, but anyways, long story short, “Takami” just so happens to be Hawks’s recently revealed surname (with the same kanji and everything -- 鹰見). so while every instinct in my body is screaming at me “gtfo no way they’re related”, it is an extremely bizarre coincidence, so uh. ?? I got nothin’, basically.)

WHAT THE FUCK

IS THIS GUY STALKING THE TODOROKI HOUSE. ABOUT TO BREAK INTO TODOFELL IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT WHILE MY CHILDREN ARE ASLEEP!? CAN THEY JUST NOT CATCH A BREAK

also I will never understand villains who get all smug about being captured alive. “your one mistake was not killing me when you should have!” like okay, so you’re admitting you’re a piece of shit who should have died, and that the hero totally could have done it, but they were nice enough not to so SHAME ON THEM, apparently

anyways I really don’t understand what’s going on at all lol. some guy looked up to Endeavor and then got himself captured by him for some reason. let’s continue I guess

oh lord it keeps getting creepier

-- oohhhhhhhh shiiiiiiit, is this fucker about to air Endeavor’s dirty laundry?? is that what this is about?

AHHHHH

NATSU SWEETIE WHERE ARE YOUR SELF-PRESERVATION INSTINCTS?? IT IS NOT SAFE! and also what the fuck, does Endeavor just not have any security in his home at all? surely he must, if for no other reason than the fact that HE HAS KIDS and he’s not always at home! I have to imagine that any pro hero with a family understands that they’re a potential target for villains and would take precautions. I wonder if we’re about to see this sneaky guy get wrecked

(ETA: nope, Endeavor really has no security whatsoever and Natsu got snatched while waiting outside for his Uber. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he was too busy missing his brother and being sad to remember that he actually has a quirk himself. c’mon Natsu.

-- actually, come to think, props to Horikoshi for once again bucking the trend and having a guy be the one who gets kidnapped and becomes the damsel in distress. I’m just going to assume that had Fuyu been the one to get captured, Endeavor wouldn’t have even heard about it until he received a text from her with a picture of the guy encased in ice and a caption asking “so dad, uh, what should I do with this?”)

BUT FIRST, WE’RE CUTTING BACK TO THE TODOROKI KITCHEN, WHERE TODOBAKUDEKU ARE CURRENTLY HAVING TEA WITH FUYU BECAUSE SOMEBODY UP THERE LIKES ME YESSSSS

hhhglkohhhhh myyyyy godddddd

I KNOW!!! WHAT’S WITH THAT! WE’VE WAITED 250 FUCKING CHAPTERS PUTTING UP WITH YOUR SLY-ASS HINTS ALL “ALL RIGHT THEN, KEEP YOUR SECRETS” but is it finally time now? IS IT??!

Shouto says it’s not exactly an easy topic to bring up, and okay, fair. buuuut also, this is the same child who ambushed Deku in a corridor back when they barely knew each other and was all “let me tell you all about my dad’s quirk marriage and how he abused me and my mom and how I got this scar” so like. what exactly do you consider “easy to bring up” though

OH MY GOD IT’S HAPPENINGGGGGGG

we’re getting DETAILS. ABOUT. TOUYA’S PAST fkdslfh holy motherfucking shitballs someone pinch me

she says it happened right after Rei got hospitalized, which yeah, we all figured based on the middle school uniform in the photo. so that definitely pins down his age then, doesn’t it? Shouto was six when that happened, so if Touya was in middle school he’d have been between 12 and 15. so it’s very likely then that he was 14, the exact same age as Fuyu, so therefore THE TWIN THEORY IS CONFIRMED! WE DID IT TUMBLR

anyways back to being sad though, because

can someone please hug this child?? what are you all even doing?! do you not see his face?? jesus christ

oh no oh my god are you serious are you

okay, before I go on to the next panel and commence FREAKING THE FUCK OUT, I need to stop here though, because the thought that the Todos actually were in the process of healing nine years ago and could have potentially been spared years of additional pain had it not been for this tragedy is. just. I fucking can’t. I need a minute here. god

anyway. so now on to the freaking out though, because

:) :))) :))))))) huh. you don’t say

(ETA: hmm in hindsight I promised freakouts and then all I did was go “:)” but please understand that the “:)” conveys so much more inner freaking out than words could possibly communicate. just picture me screaming and waving my arms around like a Kermit the frog gif okay.)

look at this you guys. this revelation is so stone cold fucking sober that it even got Katsuki to make an actual normal face for the first time in god knows how many chapters, wow

by the way, words can hardly express how much I appreciate that Katsuki is sitting here chilling out drinking tea with the rest of them and listening to this tale of woe and empathizing like a normal, well-adjusted person, though. I will never take that for granted. thank you character development gods. y’all are bros

anyways the face in question that Natsu was making is so fucking sad, and just. THEY ALL NEED HUGS. why is this family not in therapy

NO!!!!!!!!!!!

YOU SON OF A BITCH!! JUST LIKE THAT YOU’RE RIGHT BACK ON MY SHIT LIST, ENDEAVOR!! CHRIST ALMIGHTY ARE YOU SERIOUS, SO WE’RE REALLY JUST GONNA LEAVE OFF THERE? “LOL SO YEAH, NATSU STILL THINKS DAD KILLED OUR BROTHER AND THAT’S WHY ALL THE TENSION” and Deku and Kacchan just nod like that is in any way a satisfying explanation rather than an INCREDIBLY OMINOUS STATEMENT which only goes and raises about A BILLION MORE QUESTIONS OMG. “oh okay, so he hates your dad because he thinks that he murdered your mysterious other brother we’re only just now hearing about. say no more. no further context necessary” fucking --

listen, you two. where the fuck are your investigative skills?? SOME SCOOBY SQUAD YOU ARE!!

oh my goodness gracious

listen guys, things I was not expecting to check off my character development bucket list today: Katsuki joining the Fuyumi fanclub and bonding with her over recipes. I wasn’t even aware that was on my list. BUT IT SURE WAS, AND IT’S CHECKED NOW AND I LOVE IT

also love that Shouto tells Fuyu to just text the recipe to him, and then he will share it with Katsuki. because they are best friends

also Deku is the only one here with any manners at all but oh well. we all been knew

(ETA: though to be fair, Katsuki asking for the recipe is about as big a compliment as one can give to a chef, and it kind of serves as a combination “thanks for the meal” and “everything was really good” tbh. shit, now I want her recipe.)

fdlkjfg

... [reaches out to gently touch the panels] so soft

-- BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S EVEN SOFTER?

[faint sound of my heart imploding] ah

oh my god his face

and Katsuki’s face too. boy are you jealous. to think you were all “WHY THOUGH!?” coming here, only to walk away from it all with a kickass new mapo tofu recipe as well as a new person to add to your secret list of people you would literally die for. awwwwwww

and Shouto. omg. this is the most bashful panel I’ve ever seen. what a blessed chapter

anyway so now they’re all driving away (back to school?? I think he said?) and Endeavor’s talking to them about their upcoming schedule. so I guess they are heading back to school, then

anyway so he wants them to work the weekend as well as two weekdays? damn that’s a lot of class to be missing, he’s asking them to skip literally half the school week (since they have Saturday class too)

wow you guys look at this panel

takeaways from this: 1.) I honestly would have thought Deku would be the one tutoring other people in English, if anything. as of the midterms, he was above Shouto in academic rankings, but more importantly he’s also the biggest All Might fan on the planet, and All Might spent a lot of time in America in his youth and presumably speaks decent English himself, so you’d think Deku’s English would be passable just from his obsession alone. but I guess you just can’t beat that fancy private school education

and the other takeaway: Katsuki doesn’t like being squished in the backseat of a cramped Japanese car with Deku and Shouto. this one is absolutely shocking. I’m gonna need a moment to process this for sure. anyways poor Deku, he’s probably getting so many elbows to the ribs right now. I hope he elbows back

(ETA: actually the fact that Katsuki is apparently sticking his head out the window here in addition to complaining about the cramped conditions makes me wonder if he’s actually getting carsick. my poor baby do you need some dramamine.)

guys, meet Endeavor’s chauffeur

so anyway this is a bit sudden but I have a new favorite character now. life is funny like that. does he remind anyone else of Major Armstrong

wow Endeavor is answering the question seriously

okay but shit, I really fucking love this answer, though. he’s so matter-of-fact about it. because the thing is, the question isn’t really “when did you start baby-sitting a bunch of kids”; it’s “when did you actually start caring about something other than yourself?” and the answer is that it happened when he finally reached the top and realized the responsibility that went hand in hand with that role. it forced him to finally look past just himself, and to think about what it really means to be a hero. shit, I feel another essay coming on, but it’ll have to wait for some other time lol. we still have to see if Natsu’s going to make it out of this alive

anyway so now Armstrong is chuckling and saying that status really does change people huh, and they’re driving on into the night

OH SHIT

THAT’S A NICE SON YOU’VE GOT THERE, ENDEAVOR. IT WOULD BE A SHAME IF SOMEONE... okay you know what, I’m not sure where I was headed with that joke, but in any case I can’t finish it because this isn’t funny at all actually, this is actually SO FUCKING BAD oh shit oh shit

NATSUUUUU

oh no he’s so scared oh fuck. fuck. he’s only 19, he’s just a kid still. god. why do I always get so worked up over these parts. what am I doing reading a shounen manga if I can’t handle seeing kids in peril. HORIKOSHI PLEASE BE KIND TO MY BABIES

holy shit

okay, is this implying that Katsuki was sticking his head out of the window in that previous panel?? I realize more important things are happening and this is hardly the time to dwell on this, but jesus christ my kid is out here trying to get himself decapitated. boy what is wrong with you

anyway so now something is going "pop” and I have no idea. ??

(ETA: lol I guess it was Endeavor? you know, how Endeavor sometimes just goes “pop” for no reason. that’s just the sound someone makes when spontaneously bursting into flames.)

far be it from me to start whipping out analogies about a mama bear and her cubs, but. damned if that ain’t what’s happening though. motherfucker, you mess with his kids? so would you like to die fast, or slow

so now some weird fucking shit is happening to the car, and I guess it’s this guy’s quirk again?

wow my man, so you’re really attacking the car with the three protagonists with SOMETHING TO PROVE in the backseat. you really do have a death wish

(ETA: on top of that, attacking the car mere minutes before the winter break ends, and with it, the deadline for “defeating a villain quicker than Endeavor.” HMMM anybody got some popcorn?)

now Endeavor is shouting “LET HIM GO!” because that’s what superheros shout when someone is being kidnapped

lol poor Natsu looks kind of awkward now

like, don’t get him wrong, he’s still scared for his life. but also he’s starting to get a bit of that same feeling that Katsuki and Deku were getting in the last chapter, like he’s suddenly found himself right in the midst of some grade A melodrama from which there is no escape. anyways don’t mind him, he’s just going to chill here in this big pile of bandages and see where this goes

so Endeavor is all “........... YOU’RE FROM SEVEN YEARS AGO!” and honestly that’s impressive. I guess the quirk is a pretty memorable one, though

wow now they’re suddenly being all coy with this guy’s name? what the hell

?? Natsu bud, I feel ya, this really is some awkward shit right here

ohhhh!

that’s the name of the chapter! well all right then, so at least that much makes sense now

so now Ending is apologizing to Endeavor, and wow, tons of essay fuel in these next two panels here

“you had so many things that I could never get” doesn’t this sound remarkably similar to Deku’s speech to Kacchan during their second fight at Ground Beta? huh

and also, I think we are slowly dancing closer and closer to the Thing Katsuki Lacks That He Needs To Learn From His Internship From Endeavor. what do you guys think? I have a lot of thoughts about this, but again, I’ll save it for another post seeing as shit is hitting the fan right now and all

OH SHIT

ARE YOU SERIOUS, OF ALL THE TIMES TO HAVE ANOTHER THIRTEEN PAGE CHAPTER! HORIKOSHI YOU ARE FUCKING KILLING ME HERE

well shit. okay so when he says “don’t make the same mistake twice”, he’s clearly talking about Endeavor letting him live the last time they met, but also I can’t help but feel like there might be some kind of double meaning here as well. the fact that he went from theft to kidnapping and attempted murder, on top of him mentioning earlier about how he went digging into Endeavor’s past, makes me wonder if he could possibly be trying to recreate a specific set of events. or is that crazy??

but just, hear me out. what if something similar to this went down before, with Touya perhaps being taken hostage by a villain (though it couldn’t have been the same guy because the timing is off, and also Endeavor didn’t recognize him right off the bat), and Endeavor making some critical mistake which resulted in him failing to save him, and Natsu then blaming him for that and holding him responsible for the death. honestly that makes the most sense to me, since I would think that “literally murdered his own kid” would be kind of a deal-breaker as far as the rest of the family ever reconciling with him. so yeah, this could get very interesting here

(ETA: hoo boy, so I’ve been browsing the bnha tags a bit, and it seems that a lot of people are interpreting the hints in this chapter very differently from me lol. I admit I could certainly be wrong about the “don’t make the same mistakes” bit having a double meaning. but like, do we really believe that Endeavor just straight up murdered his son and got away with it, or that it was covered up or something? or that he drove Touya to suicide? I think it’s much more likely that Touya pushed himself too hard, or that he accidentally got caught up in one of Endeavor’s attacks, or something along those lines.

what really struck me, though, was that a lot of people actually seem to be hoping for it to come out that Endeavor really is responsible, though. like, to the point where they’re prepared to be outraged if it turns out he’s not, and this part of the story doesn’t end up conforming to the narrative of Endeavor just being a sinister cartoon villain. and like, I don’t really know what to say about that. except that I really hate this idea that if an abuser is ever portrayed as something other than a heartless monster then it’s super-problematic and/or just bad writing. that Endeavor not murdering his son = Horikoshi endorses child abuse. or something. anyways I don’t have the spoons to really throw my hat into the ring here, but basically my opinion is that life is rarely just black and white in that way, and this story reflects that, and I think it’s absolutely the right call to make and is actually very good writing and I respect it.

and also like, it’s not some all-or-nothing thing here where he’s either a perfect saint, or the worst person to ever exist! what he is is a man who made some terrible choices in the past and abused and hurt the very people he should have loved and protected the most. and what he is, also, is a man who has realized the awfulness of the things he’s done, and is trying his best now to be a good person. what he is is a human being. and acknowledging that doesn’t mean that you condone the abuse; it simply means that you acknowledge that people are made up of more than just the worst things they’ve done in their lives. that’s it.

anyways, for all of my “not gonna through my hat into the ring” nonsense, I’m doing a pretty good impression of exactly that, so I’ll shut up now. damn you Endeavor and your controversy-sparking ways. what kind of psychopath looks at the fucking BnHA fandom and says “not bad, but you know what this place could use? more discourse.” you knew exactly what you were doing, you fiend.)

anyways I’m going to hope and assume that Natsu isn’t actually about to meet his end here at the hands of this bestriped man and his peculiarly thematic villain name and sinister bandage arrows (are they bandages?? maybe not since they seem pretty solid and he’s threatening to stab Natsu in the eye with one. idk). and for all of my joking earlier, this guy actually does appear to have a real, genuine death wish since he keeps talking about how Endeavor should have killed him before. so in addition to all this other drama, toss in an attempted suicide by cop as well! this fucking arc, man. goddamn

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pompeiibonzai · 5 years

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6 Things RWBY Volume 7 Needs to do

With RWBY Volume 7 literally days away, there’s a lot of speculation about what will happen to our heroes in Atlas. Volume 7 is shaping up to be a pivotal time not only for teams RWBY, JNR, Qrow, Oscar and Maria, but for the series as a whole. The group has come a long way since leaving Vale and Atlas needs to be the biggest challenge they’ve faced yet.

With that in mind, here are 6 things that Volume 7 needs to do in order to make this volume stand out.

1. Focus on Weiss

It can’t be argued that Weiss has come a long way from her introduction in Volume 1. Volume 4 especially laid the groundwork for Weiss’s development when she chose to forge her own path rather than stay under the cold thumb of her father.

Since then, however, not a lot of attention has been given to Weiss. We got a touching reunion between her and Yang (and later Ruby) and she certainly kept her cool when she set the Brunswick house on fire to stop the Apathy’s pursuit. Now, with the party arriving at Atlas, it’s important that the volume take the time to focus on her, her feelings about being back so soon after leaving, reactions regarding what Atlas has become and (hopefully) a showdown between her and her father – or at least Whitley. Hell, a reunion with Winter would certainly be welcome as would an introduction to the elusive Willow Schnee.

Of course, I’m not looking for the rest of the cast to take a complete backseat (some attention thrown Oscar’s way and how he’s dealing with his situation, would be nice), but the main focus of the volume when it comes to characterization needs to be on Weiss. The volume should take the opportunity to develop her character further, work on the relationship between her and Yang that was touched on in Volume 5, and lay the framework for continued relationship building with Blake and Ruby and maybe members of team JNR as well.

2. Show (Don’t Tell) the Civil Unrest in Atlas…and some Faunus Discrimination too.

RWBY has a bad habit of telling us a lot of things, but not actually showing any of it to us. Volume 5 spent too much time in the teams’ safe house and not enough time out exploring the Kingdom of Mistral. Not to mention that we have had our ears talked off about how badly the Faunus are treated, but to date have not seen much to back that up. With the exception of Jinn’s vision in Volume 6, exposition has been given by way of a lot of talking and little showing.

The trailer for Volume 7 teases us with scenes from a very dark city (Atlas? Mantle?) where the people are very unhappy and we hear a voice over from Weiss observing that “This isn’t right”.

It’s hopeful that this means we’ll actually get to see the affect the fall of Vale and the subsequent closing of Atlas’s boarders has had on the people of living in the kingdom. Has Ironwood gone too far with the idea of a military state? Has martial law been declared? Are things so bad that civil war threatens to tear apart the country if the grimm don’t get to it first?

Whatever is going on in Atlas, it’s vital that Volume 7 takes the time to show it to us rather than have Ironwood (or anyone else) simply explain the situation to Ruby and the others. In order of us to really grasp how things “are not right”, we need to see it for ourselves.

Same goes for some negative treatment of the Faunus. Mistreatment, even oppression, of the Faunus has been something repeated again and again over the course of the series, but not something we have actually seen much of. Granted, it’s not easy to write (much less watch) the cruel treatment of others, however, it is something that needs to be seen in order to carry any kind of weight. This is especially true if the audience is meant to be sympathetic towards the Faunus. Considering Atlas is supposed to be the most offending country when it comes to Faunus rights, Volume 7 absolutely must show how the Faunus living there are treated, especially during this time of social strife and unrest.

3. Ruby Learns that there are Consequences to Her Actions

Ruby really came into her own as a leader during the events of Volume 6, something that was a long time coming and was fun and rewarding to watch. However, there is a significant difference between being a leader and being overconfident to the point where you’re reckless – like diving headfirst up the barrel of a buster cannon during combat.

Part of being a good leader is realizing that your actions have consequences, not only for yourself, but for your team as well. This is a lesson Ruby hasn’t seemed to have learned yet and one she should have learned back in Volume 4 when she butted into the fight with Tyrian after Qrow told her to stay back. Qrow, fortunately, recovered from that encounter and for whatever reason, the event has never been brought up again. Furthermore, Ruby’s “We Don’t Need Adults” speech in Episode 9 of Vol. 6 (Lost) underlines the fact she has a lot to learn when it comes to the idea that her actions have consequences. Especially considering that no, Ruby, you wouldn’t have gotten to Mistral had it not been for the adults in your life stepping in and helping out.

I will admit that the fight with Tyrian showed Ruby’s sense of responsibility (“I can’t stand by while someone gets hurt”). However, she hasn’t quite learned about taking responsibility when her actions cause problems for others or puts them directly in harm’s way, or risks her own life needlessly. Ruby needs to learn this lesson and she needs to learn it the hard way.

We all make mistakes. Let Ruby make her own that have serious repercussions not only for her but to those who follow her. Let her face those repercussions. Doing so will not only make her more relatable as a character, but will help her to continue to grow into the great leader and hero she is being set up to be rather than being a girl who can do no wrong (even when she does).

4. A Limit to the Silver Eyes

Ruby has learned to control her Silver Eyes too easily and too quickly. Yes, it took her two tries in order to use them on the Leviathan at the end of Volume 6, and she didn’t freeze it permanently, but she still was able to do it just with the meager information Maria had given her earlier in the volume.

The other two times Ruby used her eyes she was under great emotional distress and she had little to no control over what she was doing, much less an understanding of what she was doing. This is what made the concept of Silver Eyes so appealing and so mysterious. The appeal was taken even further when it became obvious that not a lot of people knew anything about the Silver Eyes (if anyone did at all), and that Ruby was going to have to figure it out on her own and we would figure it out with her.

However, by the end of Volume 6, and after one conversation with Maria (in which the huntress didn’t provide Ruby with much information we didn’t already know), Ruby seems able to use her eyes no problem and against a gigantic beast that was supposed to be an imposing threat against Argus. The issue here is since she was able to use her power on something so imposing, any time she doesn’t use it on much smaller grimm will come across as being forgetful at best and negligent at worst. It also mitigates any threat the grimm still have, turning them into more of an annoyance than anything else.

This can be avoided, however, if Ruby learns that there is some kind of limit to her power. I’m inclined to believe that there is considering that in Maria’s flashback, she only used her eyes against one nevermore and only after she had defeated the first using her weapons. This is only a theory, of course, but a limitation on the power will keep it from becoming too powerful too quickly and keep the grimm a reasonable threat.

5. A Reconciliation (of sorts) with Ozpin

Volume 6 changed Ozpin from a righteous and wise figure our heroes followed without question and humanized him, giving him flaws and faults and casting him in shades of grey. I loved every minute of it!

But Ozpin has had his time to brood and has made it clear that he hasn’t completely retreated to the recesses of Oscar’s mind. So, now is the time for him to attempt to reach back out to the people who are still carrying on his mission, with or without him.

Let’s be clear here: Ozpin was 100% in the wrong for keeping secrets from those who were loyal to him. However, I can sympathize with his reasoning and I can certainly sympathize with the overall reaction from Team RWBY and Qrow when his secrets finally came to light. But here is the main take away from this scenario: no one is absolutely right or absolutely wrong. No one is meant to be. It isn’t about who is right and who is wrong. I mentioned this before, but its about taking responsibility for the decisions you’ve made, right or wrong, good intentions or no.

I’m not talking about total forgiveness here. There was a gross betrayal of trust on Ozpin’s part and he should have to work hard to gain that trust back. However, having him reach out to the group, and having them respond (perhaps having an actual conversation about what happened), would provide for some fantastic character moments during quieter scenes. It would also be a great parallel for Ruby, as she too comes to understand that there are consequences for her decisions as well.

6. A Defeat at Atlas

The end of Volume 3 changed everything for RWBY. Though technically Ruby, her team and her friends weren’t completely defeated at Vale (the relic there still remains unclaimed...as far as we have been told...), they were shown for the first time that there are forces closer than they think that are incredibly strong and just how unprepared they were to face them.

Volume 7 needs to do something similar. The convergence of Watts, Tyrian, Cinder and Salem (along with her flying monkeys) on Atlas at once is the perfect time for our antagonists to re-establish their threat to RWBY and Co., as well as to us as an audience. Salem, especially, needs to continue to be a considerable looming threat and its time that she come out of the shadows to show our heroes just what she is capable of and why their mission against her is so important.

Now, I’m not calling for Atlas to come crashing down to the ground (though wouldn’t that be a spectacle), but the group needs to experience some kind of loss – either the loss of a relic, a maiden or even a teammate – to show them how far they still have to go if they ever hope to stand up to Salem…much less the gods themselves.

There you have it. The 6 things that (I think) RWBY Volume 7 needs to do in order for it to be as epic as I think it could be. There are a couple other things that I’d like to see this volume: Some good team combos (we got a great teaser with Weiss and Ren in the scene that was recently released), learning more about Summer (come on! Its been 7 years, throw us a bone already!) and Ironwood sporting the world’s best beard. However, that’s more of a wish list and doesn’t really have a lot of baring on whether or not the story will be good. Maybe I’ll do a post sometime between now and when the volume premiers talking about that. Maybe.

#rwby #rwby vol7 #ruby rose #weiss schnee #salem

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lyssala · 7 years

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Time

Pairing: Terra/Aqua (and lots of brot3), Kingdom Hearts

Setting: Post KH III

Words: 5169

Rating: K

Notes: Okay so I never intended to post any of this haha I usually like to dabble in new fandoms to get the grip of it before I publish anything but I felt as though others might be in the same boat as me. The I’m so desperate for new material I’m just gonna damn well do it myself lmao So this was a prompt suggested by a friend for Ven plotting to get Terra and Aqua some time together. I’ve written a few little one shots from their perspectives (which are unpublished so far haha) so it was interesting to take a stab at it from Ven’s perspective. It was also nice to explore their interactions in everyday situations since really we’ve only seen them interact under stress or distress. So lots of headcanons went into this to build off how I saw the characters. It was fun! I might do it again haha Also please forgive me if I get anything story wise wrong. I tried to remember/research as best I could but man, there’s so much to this series lmao

AO3

Ven didn’t understand. Okay, he got the exams were coming up and he knew a lot of weight was riding on that for both Terra and Aqua, that they were probably under a lot of stress. At the same time though he didn’t understand why they were flat out avoiding each other. It wasn’t a competition. It’s not like one would pass and the other wouldn’t. Yet for the past few weeks Terra and Aqua who were usually inseparable where barely in the same room as each other unless they had to be.

Ven didn’t like it at all and not just because it meant he was left alone, sitting on the couch, with his chin in his hands staring at absolutely nothing. Yeah, it was boring, but he felt like his best friends were fighting and he didn’t like that. Sure, Terra and Aqua bickered but they never stayed mad and really they weren’t even mad that Ven could tell. They were just…distant. They were like the best friends Ven ever knew, they weren’t supposed to act like this. It was weird honestly.

That was when he knew he had to do something. It was close to midnight when he left the living room, knowing full well if he was caught he’d be sent right back to bed. He was careful sneaking into the kitchen and carrying out all the snack foods he could fit in his arms (chocolate chip cookies for Aqua, chips for Terra, and the rest of the cake for himself…or you know if the others wanted any too). He laid out all the food on the small table in front of the couch and set out to drag his friends in so they could spent some stress free time together. If they could just relax maybe things would go back to being normal.

Aqua was on the training grounds, only a few lanterns and the moon shining down on her as she moved gracefully for through her routine. She was like the moonlight, just a flash of silver and blue. It was so different watching her than watching Terra; he was grounded, firm, and powerful but Aqua almost danced through her moves, always graceful and never missing her mark.

Ven waited until she paused before he called out to her. “Aqua!”

She quickly turned her head to him, a frown on her lips. She only made her keyblade disappear when he waved at her. “Ven?” she asked as she walked closer to him. “What are you doing out here? Is something wrong?” Aqua looked concerned, like she was about to reach for his forehead.

Ven only then realized he was standing outside at near midnight in his pajamas. “Oh! Oh, yeah everything is totally fine.”

She looked like she was waiting for another explanation.

“Um, totally fine, but would you mind coming with me? Back inside?”

“Ven…” Aqua glanced back at the training ground before looking to him. “I…”

“Please? I have something for you.”

That seemed to do it. She gave him that smile she had whenever she caved. She reached up to brush some of his hair from his face. “Okay, whatever you’d like.”

Ven grinned and grabbed her hand leading her back to the castle and back into the room where all the snacks still laid out on the table. “Ta-da,” he said. “I thought you might be hungry.”

“Oh, Ven,” she chuckled; even if she wasn’t hungry at all she was still humoring him. “You’re too sweet.”

“Okay, sit down, I’ll be right back.” Before she had a chance to object he was out the door.

If Aqua was in the training grounds then Terra must be in the library. Or already asleep in his room, or asleep in the library. It was one of them.

Thankfully for Ven, since waking up Terra was a nightmare he could sleep through anything, he was sitting at one of the tables at the center of the library with one lantern guiding his reading. The last thing Ven wanted to do was scare the older boy, so Ven stood in the doorway, door open behind him. Terra looked like he was reading intently but his eyes didn’t look focused. It looked more like he was zoned out, thinking about anything but what he was doing.

“Terra?” he said as quietly as he could.

Terra glanced up but he didn’t seem too surprised; he must’ve heard Ven coming. “Yeah, buddy, what’s up?”

“Will you come downstairs with me?”

Terra gave Ven a look similar to Aqua though Terra scrunched his forehead much more than she did. “Is something wrong?”

“No, just thought you’d need a break.”

Terra hesitated but Ven gave his biggest grin and the brunette was already closing his book. “Alright. My eyes were starting to blur lines anyways.”

Ven didn’t wait; he already started to head back down the stairs and hallways, though he kept track of Terra’s footsteps knowing he was still following.

When Ven walked back into the living room, Aqua was sitting on the couch though she didn’t touch any of the food. She looked up when he walked in and if she was surprised to see Terra come in the room she didn’t show it at all.

“There,” Ven said, plopping down on the ground in front of the table while Terra sat at the other end of the couch. “Now we’re all together.”

He didn’t have to read their minds to see the guilt in Terra and Aqua’s eyes. They glanced briefly at each other before looking off in other directions.

“It’s okay, I know you’re busy,” Ven said, trying to imply best that he wasn’t upset with how they treated him but how they were treating each other. “I just thought you guys might need a break. Together.” Okay, maybe he hadn’t mastered subtlety yet.

Aqua opened her mouth to say something but Terra leaned forward, clapping his hands together. “Well, thanks, Ven, that was kind of you.” He gestured to the table. “Let me guess, cookies are for Aqua, you grabbed my favorite chips, but the cake?”

“Oh, you know,” Ven shrugged, tracing his finger over the cover of the cake. “For…for us all.”

Terra laughed lightly. “Have at it.”

“You’ll never sleep if you eat that whole thing,” Aqua said, always the voice of reason.

“Let him enjoy it. He can just fake sick in the morning and sleep in.”

“That’s what you used to do,” Aqua’s voice was a little stern but there was a smile pulling at her lips. “Whenever you snuck too many snacks from the kitchen in the middle of the night.”

“And it worked didn’t it?”

“Until Master caught on and made you train anyways.”

It was working. They were smiling. This was so much better. Ven went to uncover the cake when he quickly realized he forgot drinks. “Oh! I’ll be right back!”

Neither of them bothered to stop him as he ran out, heading back to the kitchen to grab cups and the nearest drink he could grab. Well, the second one; the first one was a sweet soda he knew Terra didn’t like. Juggling his newest addition to their small feast, he hurried back into the living room.

“Okay, now we have…” Ven trailed off the moment he walked in front of the couch.

Terra was sitting on his end of the couch, his head leaning back against the pillow and long legs sprawled out in front of him. Aqua was curled up on the cushions, the top of her head touching his leg. When Ven first came here, plagued with his own nightmares he snuck into their rooms enough times in the middle of the night to know sleeping near each other brought them some form of comfort. Maybe that’s what they needed right now.

With a smile, he placed down some of the cups, and headed back up to his room (but not without grabbing the cake first).

Ven knew everything had changed. The world was a very different place than it was before, though that wasn’t all a bad thing. He was back home; well, what was left of his home. It wasn’t exactly the bright world he remembered but Aqua and Terra were with him. They were all alive and they were home together.

It was a little strange knowing over ten years passed. Even now, as he sat at the dining room table, watching Terra cut up vegetables to cook for dinner, Aqua doing some of the dishes behind him, it was like nothing changed. None of them even aged a day while they were all apart; not physically at least.

Ven didn’t really remember his time…away so it was hard to say how it impacted him. Terra said he didn’t remember much either but Ven had a feeling that was a lie to spare their feelings. He saw the tentative glances, the uncertainty in Terra’s step, how his smile didn’t always reach his eyes, and how careful he was not to be too close to either of them. Also, he was terrible at lying.

Aqua on the other hand was an incredibly good liar. Ven never really knew when she was being honest with him or when she was just trying to make him feel better. He supposed it was because she was so sincere about everything even when she lied a little, she still only had their best interests at heart. She usually didn’t lie too often though. She told them what she remembered of her time in the Realm of Darkness; if anything she simply left the things out she didn’t wanna share which he understood. Even if things were upsetting her, she always put on a smile and did whatever it was she needed to do to get the job done in a way only she could do.

But Ven knew she wasn’t sleeping well, if it all. Aqua had these dark circles lingering under her eyes for weeks now, thinner than he remembered her being, and even though she tried to hide it her physical strength was weaker. Not by a lot, but enough for him to notice and if he noticed then Terra definitely noticed; which probably made him feel worse, like it was his fault. Even though by now he had been told a million times it wasn’t. Ven knew it didn’t matter what people said, sometimes it was only what you could believe. But it would only make Terra more cautious and more distant, which Aqua would then notice and make herself worry more but not be able to tell him for fear of making it worse.

It was a never ending circle with them sometimes; that at least didn’t seem to change. If anything, they still knew how to dance around each other just right; except it was almost worse now. When they were younger one of them would break, they’d fight, one would make the other laugh, and they’d be fine again until next time. Now they were almost even too afraid to fight with each other, like if they said the wrong thing the other would just vanish. Ven could understand the feeling after all they all went through, but at the same time he sometimes wished just to hear Terra’s annoyed outburst and see Aqua get that stern look on her face. Then at least things would seem more normal.

Ven sighed and looked down at the book he had opened on the table. He was pretty sure he read the last line about five times already.

He supposed for himself, the first real shock of it was when they did finally get to go home. Their world looked like it aged for ten long years with no one to take care of it. What used to be a clean and beautiful land was overgrown with weeds, rubble littering all areas; it was dried and worn out. At least the castle reverted back to what it used to, the sun shining high in the sky again, but even then it lacked the brightness it used to hold. They all set to work to get it looking back like the place they used to live, for people to come visit or even stay, train, whatever they’d like. It was hard work every day but they were together, all three of them were together again.

Ven wasn’t unhappy, he really wasn’t. The world was different, sure, but it was better now. There was no immediate lingering threat anymore. They were safe to lead the lives they always wanted but things were different now. Their home was a little emptier, and little quieter. It wasn’t just the presence of their Master or the people who used to visit either.

Ven looked up from his book that he had now given up reading to look at his friends still lingering in the kitchen. They weren’t paying too much attention to him or each other, Terra choosing to focus on whatever he cutting up now and Aqua humming lightly to herself as she slowly cleaned a pan from last night’s dinner. Despite the fact Ven saw the tension that lay between them ever since they returned, times like this it was easy to watch them fall into an easy rhythm of working around each other. Terra would look up to see where the bowl he needed was and she was already handing to him, or he’d hold out a knife he didn’t need any more and her slightly soapy hand would be there to take it from him. They were partners for so long now that even doing the smallest tasks together was usually effortless.

A smile pulled at Ven’s lips as he watched a cup covered in water and soap slip out of Aqua’s careful grip only to have Terra catch it before it fell to the ground. He passed it back to her without a word, though even Ven could see the teasing glint in Terra’s eyes like he wanted to comment about his reflexes being better than hers. It didn’t need the words apparently cause she reached up to hit her hand against his shoulder, though not without trying to hide her own amused smile, to push him back over to the counter. It left a wet mark on his sleeve as her hand lingered just a little longer than a playful push would, his eyes watching her before they both went back to their own tasks.

Ven admittedly didn’t always know. He was young when he came to live here, and really that’s how they had always been; teasing and bickering but a special sort of devotion and loyalty. Ven didn’t give it too much of a second thought. He loved them and they loved him; that was all that really mattered. It wasn’t until they finally got Terra back, when he was the same person he always was before, that Ven really knew. Terra had been quickly tackled to the ground by the two of them, and through the mix of laughter and tears Ven realized that Terra and Aqua looked at each other very differently then they looked at him.

He felt a little stupid afterwards cause looking back it was so obvious to everyone except maybe the two of them. He kinda thought that would be it cause that’s what happens when you realize you’re in love with someone; they’d come home and he’d have to remember to knock before he went in any door. Instead he found them battling their own demons and pushing each other out. Ven didn’t get it, but he had never been in love like that either so it was probably way more complicated than any book he read made it out to be.

“Do you need any help?” Aqua asked, drying her hands with a hand towel as she looked over to what Terra was doing.

“Absolutely not,” he snorted in response.

“Excuse me.” She tossed the towel on the counter before placing her hands on her hips, though the action was lacking any real anger. “I used to cook dinner for you all the time.”

“Yeah.” Terra side eyed her, a little bit of a smug smile on his lips. “And every time it was your night to cook Master promised he’d bring me food later if I pretended to eat it and make you happy.”

“You’re such a dirty liar, Terra.” She reached up like she was gonna hit him again as he was already laughing as he poured the cut up vegetables in the nearby bowl.

Sometimes it was still like this, reminding Ven of the way their home used to be. He reached a hand up to his mouth to try and stifle his own laugh. It didn’t work as the both of them looked over at him. He knew they didn’t necessarily forget he was there, but they kinda forget he was there. It never bothered him; he really only wanted them to be carefree like that all the time.

“You’re on my side, right, Ven?” Aqua said. Her tone was normal but her eyes were pleading with him a little bit. She really didn’t like to lose anything.

Terra was making a face at Ven, like the thought alone was gross. Terra could tease all he wanted but Ven knew if she put food she made on the table they’d both eat it with little complaint just to make her smile.

“You make the best cookies.” Ven settled on not lying but also making her feel good too.

She watched him for a second, like she was trying to figure out if that was a win or not. “I’ll take it,” she said with her usual smile.

“It’s fine.” Terra had his back to them, pouring whatever he had in the bowl into the pot on the stove. “Just about done anyways. We’ll have a little time while it cooks if you guys have anything you wanna do while you wait.”

That’s usually what happened so Ven knew Aqua would probably go off to the library and Terra would hang around the kitchen watching the food and snacking on what he could find. Ven would choose one to stay with depending on how he felt but the thought made his stomach sink a little. It’s not like they didn’t do things together, they spent all day fixing up various parts of their home usually together and they ate together but their down time was just different. Mainly cause he got the feeling Terra and Aqua avoided each other when they had nothing to distract them.

A memory lingered in the back of Ven’s mind, from back before. It wasn’t the first time he got that feeling. Ven really didn’t know why at the time but it was easy to recognize now for what it was. Even then he knew something was wrong. Sure her and Terra fought sometimes, they were rivals in their training but it was never aggressive; just always trying to push each other to be their best. At least, that’s what Ven saw when he watched them. When training was done Terra would tease her and Aqua would pretend to be mad at him but they’d go off with Ven and spend their down time together either outside watching the stars, or playing games, just having fun.

Something changed the older they got, the closer the exam started to loom. It was kinda like it was now; Terra noticeably distanced himself which hurt Aqua’s feelings but she didn’t know how to approach him so she just let it happen. To be fair, then or now, Ven didn’t know how to approach either of them about it too. Back then he just thought they were stressing themselves out to much, that maybe they just needed a break to relax some.

“Well, I guess I’ll go to the library then,” Aqua said, pushing some of her bangs from her face. “Just call me whenever it’s ready.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t read that whole place by now,” Terra snorted, wiping his hands on a towel.

Judging by the numerous talks Ven hated at the time that Master gave him about growing up, and his friend’s ages at the time, Ven realized they probably felt their relationship start to change and neither knew what to do about it; kinda like right now too he supposed. Even though the exam happened shortly after that night, they seemed a little better after Ven forced them in the same room so maybe…

“Who says I haven’t?” she waved her hand at Terra as she started to head for the door.

He was still watching her though he made no move to stop her. So it was up to Ven, right? But he was pretty sure luring them with snacks wasn’t gonna work this time so what was he supposed to offer?

She already had the door open.

“Uh, wait!” he sputtered.

Both Terra and Aqua stopped what they were doing immediately. She quickly moved back into the room, a concerned look on her face. Oh, whoops. He didn’t mean to make them worry.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, looking almost like she was gonna come try and feel his forehead or something.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine,” he said, trying to give her a smile.

Terra had moved to lean his elbows on the counter as he watched; his forehead furrowed like it did when he was concerned over something. “Then what’s up?”

Aqua was still standing near the door waiting for his answer too.

Well, crap. He didn’t really have an answer. He should’ve thought this through better. “I, well, you know, just thought we could do something together.”

“Of course,” Terra said. “What did you have in mind?”

Crap. Crap. Crap. “Um… we could…” Ven really wished he thought this through. He tried to quickly scan through his memory for everything they used to do together that didn’t involve training. Inside so Terra could hear the alarm go off on the stove, all three of them, somewhere nearby… “We could play a game!”

“A game?” Aqua asked. “Like a card game?”

Oh, that was a good idea. “Exactly,” Ven nodded, like he always knew what he was talking about. “I’m sure there’s some we used to play in the library. Will you, both of you?”

This time it was Aqua who caved first. “Absolutely we will,” she said with a kind smile.

Terra gestured to the door. “Lead the way, Ven.”

Did he mention they rarely said no to him? He left his book on the table and left the kitchen to take them to wherever he wanted really. The first floor of the castle was pretty much finished; the upper floors still were getting worked on so he figured the same room they used to play in seemed fitting. It wasn’t too far away from the kitchen and had places to sit and a small table to play on, though Ven didn’t quite plan on getting that far.

Terra was the first one who flopped down on the couch, breathing a sigh of relief as he stretched his legs out in front of him.

“Don’t fall asleep, old man,” Ven said. “I have to go find a game first.”

“Need I remind you again, I’m not that much older than you.”

“Yeah, but I don’t fall asleep in the middle of the day.”

Aqua covered her mouth to hide her laughter, especially when Terra arched an eyebrow at her. “What? He’s not wrong.”

Terra kicked his legs up on the couch. “Yeah, see if I make any room for you.”

That was a lie. The moment she sat down to swat at him, he moved them for her. Ven almost rolled his eyes. And people though he was naïve. “Okay, I’ll be right back. I’ll see what I can find.”

“Do you want any help?” Aqua said, probably already standing up to follow him but he was already halfway out the door.

“I got it,” Ven called back. “It’ll only take a minute.” Maybe he had gotten better at lying himself cause neither gave any opposition.

Okay, so he felt a little bad lying to his best friends but at the same time it was for them. Maybe if they could just talk about whatever was bothering them, they’d see what Ven saw. Granted, that wasn’t a strong point for either of them. Terra was never big on words especially regarding his feelings, and Aqua tended to like to hide how she was feeling so she could always seem like she had it under control. But maybe if they could just talk, they’d be happy too.

Ven slid to the ground outside the doorway. It was so quiet in there he couldn’t tell if he was too far away to hear anything or if they just weren’t speaking. Maybe he felt a little bad at eavesdropping too but he had to know if it was gonna work or if he’d need to try something different next time; maybe plan a little farther ahead too.

“Terra, if you lay down you really will fall asleep before Ven even comes back.”

There was Aqua, so Ven supposed he wasn’t too far away.

“Yeah, well, maybe you should give it a try sometime too.”

There was silence for a moment. Well, that was fast. Ven didn’t quite expect one of them to bring something up like that after a second of being alone. It kinda made him wonder how much they really put on appearances for his sake.

It sounded like she started to say something but she didn’t get very far.

“Don’t give me any of your excuses, I know you. I know how you operate.” Terra paused for a moment. “What is it? Nightmares?”

“Sometimes,” she said, though her voice quieter than before. “Sometimes I just don’t want to.”

He sighed; not really exasperated, just tired. “It’s the dark isn’t it?”

Her silence seemed to be her answer. “I just…what if I go to sleep and wake up and this is the dream. What if I’m still there?”

“Aqua, you’re not.” His voice was firm but it was also gentle, soothing. “This is our world. Ven’s here, I’m here. You’re home.”

“But I’ve dreamt of all that before, of here, of you.” She must’ve realized her mistake because she didn’t go on after that.

“Oh?” Terra asked, and Ven could hear the amusement in Terra’s voice. “Did you now?”

“Shut up, you know what I meant.” She didn’t sound mad but she did sound a little flustered; clearly she didn’t mean to let that bit of information slip.

“Tell me, please, what was I like in your dreams?”

“Annoying, just like the real you is.”

Ven heard Terra laugh probably because Aqua was hitting at him somehow. Ven tried not to smile, even though he knew no one could see him. It was just, this was like how it used to be. He really just wanted them to be happy, whatever that meant to them.

“It’s okay to be afraid, you know,” Terra said, his voice sounding a little more normal. “You don’t always have to tough it out. Just don’t let it run your life.”

“Ah,” she breathed. “Takes one to know one I suppose.”

“What?”

“You. That’s why you’ve been keeping Ven and me at an arms distance away. You’re afraid too.”

It was Terra’s turn to be quiet. “It’s different.”

“It’s not. You were deceived and manipulated. That wasn’t you. This is you, laying on the couch and teasing me, waiting to play a game with Ven even though you’re exhausted.”

He gave some kinda grunt, clearly wanting the conversation to be over. That was Terra, more than willing to help his friends but never wanting to accept the same for himself.

“Are you afraid you’ll hurt us?” And that was Aqua, who always finished what she started.

He laughed, but it was sharp and bitter almost, disdainful. “I already did, haven’t I?”

“No, not aside from pushing us away.” There was some kinda shuffling on the couch but Ven couldn’t tell due to what. “Our Terra would never hurt us.”

“You’re such a sap,” he mumbled.

“Maybe, but it’s true.”

There was a pause.

“Alright, come on.”

There was more movement and then silence again. Well, at least if they were still talking Ven couldn’t hear them. He waited a moment longer but still nothing. He supposed maybe he should at least pretend to finish what he was doing. He did feel a little guilty for listening when they didn’t know he was there, but really it was for everyone’s own good. They did talk, maybe Aqua would be able to sleep better now and maybe Terra would realize neither of them was scared of him. Ven knew it probably wouldn’t be that easy, but it was a start.

Ven walked back into the room ready to announce he couldn’t find anything but if they wanted he’d try harder, which wasn’t a lie. When he rounded the corner around the couch he found he really didn’t have to say anything.

Much like when they were younger, he came back to find them both passed out on the couch. Terra didn’t quite fit anymore, one foot draped over the arm rest while the other was tucked up under Aqua’s legs. She was sleeping beside him, her back to his chest, and one arm hanging over the edge of the couch. Terra had one arm was tucked under his head and the other resting over her waist, hanging with hers over the side.

Ven was admittedly a little surprised, though he shouldn’t have been. Aqua probably hadn’t gotten a full night’s sleep since they got back, and it would be naïve to assume Terra could sleep through the night too. They probably just felt an ounce of comfort and passed right out from exhaustion.

Well, he had to think with a knowing smile, at least his plan worked somewhat once again. Man, he was actually kinda good at this; though he realized it was probably just because he knew them like he knew the back of his own hand. Ven even betted that they’d sleep a whole lot better if they stayed together like he knew they used to as kids. Ah well, that was a plan for another day.

For now he left the room, making his way back to the kitchen. The timer Terra set was still ticking away as Ven sat back down at the table. He knew when it went off he’d just turn the stove off and move the food over till they woke up. He flipped the page in his book as he settled in to read. After all, they had all the time in the world now.

#terraqua #teraqua #birth by sleep #wayfinder trio #my fics:kh #so I've been writing and publishing fanfic for like 12 years #and posting in new fandoms never gets easier lmao #I hope its not terrible?#I just love them a lot ;-;#and I had to get some feelings out #I also just don't see the tags updating very much #so I wanted to contribute #lettheworld #canonversekh

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xavierfiles-blog · 7 years

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Entry 088 - Bishop

Name: Lucas Bishop

Code Names: Bishop

First Appearance: Uncanny X-Men #282 (Nov ‘91)

Powers: Energy absorption and redirection

Teams Affiliation: XSE, X-Men, X-Force

About

When I was young I had a weird idea that I was just fixated on. I wanted the next Metal Gear Solid game to give Solid Snake a teen sidekick who could be his best friend and also do all the cool spy stuff. In retrospect, I can see why this was a worse idea than tricking your audience into playing an anticipated squeal staring a totally secret new bishōnen character instead of a gruff, Nick Fury looking dude they expected. The idea stuck with me because kids don’t always want to be their heroes, they want to hang out with them. They want to be Robin, not Batman. It’s a strange but understandable tic in fandom but it is why things like self-insert fan fiction is so big. More than anything else, Lucas Bishop was a fanboy who got to live the dream of being best friends with his heroes, and you know what? It kinda worked.

Portrayed by Omar Sy

Lucas Bishop was born of Australian Aboriginal parents in the late 21st century. Years ago a red-haired girl known as the mutant messiah had restored the X-Gene after the events of M-Day but lost control of her powers and accidentally killed over one million baseline humans. The world’s response was to round up all mutants, brand them with an “M”, and place them in relocation camps. These were the camps Bishop and his sister Shard grew up in. These were the camps where they watched their parents die. Raised by their grandmother, Lucas and Shard were raised on the stories of X-Men, mutant freedom fighters of the past. It was these stories that would drive him for the rest of his life.

Larry Stroman, Mark Farmer, and Matt Milla

Mutant freedom fighters known as “The Summers Rebellion” broke down the walls of the camps and freed those inside. In the chaos, Bishop was separated from his family and raised by a thief known as The Witness. He claimed to have been an X-Man in his past and told Bishop of the betrayer that destroyed the rest of the X-Men and the Son of Askani who protected the red-haired girl. Bishop found his way back to his sister and they were both recruited by a new mutant police squad known as the XSE, Xavier’s Security Enforcers. They trained hard and became the youngest officers in the program’s history. Bishop was consumed by his dedication to the job and chased the time traveling mutant Trevor Fitzroy back decades to the late 20th century where he finally came face to face with his heroes, the X-Men.

Whilce Portacio, Art Thibert, and Joe Rosas

The X-Men were displeased by Bishop’s militaristic attitude and willingness to kill but Bishop was simply in shock. These were the X-Men, his X-Men, and he would fall in line to learn from them. Bishop struggled to understand the customs of the time but desperately wanted to learn. He and Storm grew close and he quickly became a strong field commander. He was constantly on the lookout for a way to prevent his future and often battled with Gambit, who he believed to be the traitor to cause the fall of the X-Men.

Jim Lee, Art Thibert, and Joe Rosas

Bishop was among the X-Men to travel into the past and try to stop Legion from killing Magneto. Legion went to kill Magneto but his father, Charles Xavier, took the blow in his stead. This caused the world to rip into an apocalyptic splinter timeline and Bishop was the only one to remember the world as it was. He sought out the X-Men of that world and convinced them to make the world right again. Through great struggle and sacrifice, the X-Men of the Age of Apocalypse sent Bishop back to the moment Charles was killed. Bishop absorbed Legion’s blow and redirect it back at him, killing the young mutant and fixing the time stream.

Bishop returned to the X-Men, always on the lookout for the traitor. That traitor was revealed to be Charles Xavier himself as Onslaught. Bishop was key in his defeat but felt aimless when Xavier was gone. He traveled to Shi’ar space with the other X-Men but was separated from the team and paled around with Deathbird saving alternate realities. He was captured as one of The Twelve and returned to the X-Men after that event finished, looking for a new purpose in the past.

Kevin Lau

Bishop joined Storm’s X-Treme X-Men on the hunt for the Destiny Diaries and was essential in getting the squad legitimized as mutant law enforcement officers known as the XSE. He began working as a detective in a Manhattan neighborhood called Mutant Town on the Middle East Side. He investigated a mutant gang war and got to the bottom of a new, dangerous street drug called “Toad Juice” alongside his partner Izzy Ortega. It felt good to be a cop again but it all came crashing down when the Scarlet Witch depowered all but 198 of the world’s mutants.

Phil Jimenez

Bishop remembered the stories from his childhood, this is how it started. Soon the red-haired girl would be born and that could only lead to the camps. He kept this knowledge to himself, how could he tell his friends that their only hope would lead to the enslavement of the mutant race? Bishop was at the mansion when he heard of the first mutant born after M-Day, and he knew it was time to act. He chased down Cable, he remembered the stories of the Son of Askani fathering the girl and knew that is where she would be. He succeeded in incapacitating Cable and drawing his gun on the newborn, but he is attacked by a mutant hunting monster known as Predator X who bit off his right arm. He saw Cable and the child begin to teleport into the future and fired wildly at them. This was his last best chance before they escaped to the time stream and he intended to take it. The shots missed their target but one caught Charles Xavier. Bishop had spent his entire life idolizing the X-Men but now he had killed their leader and became their enemy.

Chris Bachalo, Tim Townsend, and Brian Reber

He made his way to Forge’s workshop in Dallas, stole a cool new robot arm, and began blanketing the future on the search for Cable. After an unsuccessful ambush in 2043, Bishop realized that he had to fight this war smarter. Cable could be anywhere on the planet at any time in the future and Bishop had to restrict that. He became a destroyer of worlds, killing billions to make continents inhospitable over hundreds of years. He didn’t care about the lives he destroyed. If he could prevent his future from happening, if he could kill the baby Hope, all of this would go away, right? These weren’t real people he was killing, they were just some mistake of a reality. That’s what he told himself at least. As Bishop tried and failed to destroy her, Hope grew into a young woman and she defeated Bishop with her father’s help. They were not content to leave this shallow husk of a man somewhere he could find them again. They destroyed his time travel device and sent him to the shallow husk of the Earth of 6700 AD, he was forced to live and die on the world he had razed.

Denys Cowan, Sandu Florea, and Pete Pantazis

His entire life, Lucas Bishop was a fighter, and this was no different. He wandered the wasteland until he was found by the Brothers of the Order. They were a group dedicated to protecting humanity from their dark shadows known as Revenants, beings the Shi’ar called Mummundrai. Bishop became a hunter in their order, seeking penance for what he had done to hope. The Revenant Queen known as the Great White Owl learned of Bishop and enacted a plan to travel back to the 21st century and establish world domination. She succeeded in coming to the modern era with Bishop but was eventually defeated by the X-Men. Bishop experienced deep sorrow for what he had done in the future and his one-time friend Storm decided she would help him make amends.

Adrian Alphona and Christiana Strain

Hope Summer’s was not so quick to forgive the man who had tried to kill her since the day she was born. The villain Stryfe orchestrated a situation to place Hope in a locked room with a bound Bishop and a sharp Psimitar as some elaborate revenge plot against Cable. Bishop begged for forgiveness but he understood that he deserved to die. Hope chose not to kill him in cold blood and the two reluctantly worked together to stop Stryfe. Since that day, Bishop dedicated his time to understanding the present to see if he could prevent any horrible futures. When Psylocke sent out a psychic distress call, Bishop was one of the X-Men who received it, and he worked with her to prevent the Shadow King from taking over the world.

Must Read

I am just going to tell you that my favorite Bishop based property is incredibly self-serving. It is Bish & Jubez by my Battle of the Atom co-host Adam Reck. It is a delightful adventure about a tough soldier and a spunky teen looking for a piece of junk food. It is so worth your time so check it out. The first volume is complete (you can read the whole thing here) and the second titled Bish & Jubez: The Age of Stryfe is just about to wrap up.

Ranking

I think Bishop can be a fun character if a little stiff. His villainous turn was fantastic and understandable; however, it did serious damage to the long-term health of the character. His redemption in Uncanny X-Force wasn’t convincing and current writers seem content with acting as if he didn’t commit global genocide. Another character that was ranked based on uneven writing was Warlock, and I frankly like that little robot dude better. Under him is Domino, another character I like, but don’t love. I do think Bishop is more flexible in stories than Dom so he can slide in as the new number 44 in the Xavier Files.

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Make sure you check out my brand new podcast BATTLE OF THE ATOM. It’s where Bish & Jubez creator Adam Reck and I talk about every single X-Men story that ever existed and rank them from best to worst. Episode 6 is up and talk about that time George RR Martin and Stephen King wrote an X-Men book together. Make sure you subscribe on any of the following platforms (or others, I’m not picky) Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Stitcher | RSS.

Click here if you want to see the full ranked list, with links to every entry in the Xavier Files so far.

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Next week we got ourselves some Bishop! See you then!

#Bishop #cable #Days of Future Past #Hope #X-Men #xmen

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