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k-s-morgan · 3 years

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Hi Katrin! In reference to your previous ask about Ciels final smile of Kuroshitsuji 1, I just have to ask - why do you think Ciel is unhappy in his final moments?

I think I mentioned it a long while back in an ask I sent you (where I just dumped my ramblings about book of murder in your inbox - once again, sorry about that!) but Sebastian leaving Ciel in Paris didn't feel like a rejection to me.

Of course he senses the doubts Ciel clearly has about throwing his life away and I think misunderstands it. I don't think Ciel was second-guessing his revenge, but perhaps his readiness to die.

When Sebastian leaves him, he doesn't seem angry - that much is clear. Instead, he wishes him to "forget everything and have pleasant dreams", with a rather wistful expression on his face. And what this line ends up reading as is a bittersweet goodbye from the demon - an offering for Ciel to let go of his revenge and find happiness in the afterlife with his now soon approaching death.

I think he is disappointed because at some point he started to stop holding Ciel to human standards as he would everything else, but I also don't think he's resentful of it. Ciel is human and he can't keep expecting him not to be, so it was perhaps his fault for doing so.

Not wanting to die doesn't seem like something that would suddenly make Ciel's soul undesirable to Sebastian, so there must be another reason for him to let it go. He cannot offer Ciel life, since he knows that death is readily approaching him, but he can offer him an afterlife.

This offering almost acts as a thank you for the moments of excitement their contract had given his monotone life and I believe that is why he makes it.

He sticks around to see if Ciel accepts his offer, though already expecting him to, and is there to witness the very moment the boy rejects it. Gone is the uncertainty of Abberline's death and the Paris crisis, and Ciel, the Earl of Phantomhive, returns to him - sharper, colder, more ruthless than ever. Sebastian realises his misjudgement and returns to his side, ready for the final battle. Killing an angel. It's laughably symbolic.

I think it is at some point during this battle that Ciel fully acknowledges his feelings towards Sebastian. I completely agree with you - completing his revenge did not fulfil him. I don't think he felt victorious or triumphant from it, or even the satisfaction he might have expected from it. Like you said, he probably realises how wasted his life was in pursuing such a fate, but still understands that it was the only path he would've accepted, being who he was.

But that isn't to say he was unhappy. Just because it wasn't revenge that gave him fulfilment doesn't mean he didn't find it elsewhere. The smile he gives Sebastian doesn't read to me as bitter or condescending, but actually seems quite peaceful. And the reason for that, I think, is that he doesn't fear dying by Sebastian's hand.

Those same reddened eyes and fanged smile would be the last thing he sees – and was that really such a bad way to go? He knew how and when and by whose hands he was going to die, and not everyone could say the same. What's more, at this point, I'm pretty sure he would've realised what he was feeling for Sebastian, so I don't think he would be resentful for dying at the hands of someone he loved.

Sebastian, for him, had always represented the end. And a beautiful end at that. That's why the smile seemed peaceful to me.

He lets go of the bridge. Initially, I assumed it was a mixture of blood loss and a symbolic decision to let go of life and surrender himself to Sebastian, but from your analysis I actually think your idea about him wanting a final act of rebellion is wonderful. All Ciel really wanted was to be remembered by Sebastian, so why not send him one last gift? Let him have one last surprise before it's all over. Die on his own terms - it's a beautiful idea.

He dies in mid-air. We see the exact moment Ciel Phantomhive dies and exact moment his cinematic record blossoms from his lifeless body when the blood loss finally takes him.

It's a beautiful scene, regardless of how you analyse it and I absolutely love hearing everyone's interpretations of it since they're all so different from one another. Reading your analysis in this ask was particularly wonderful to me because it was such a different take from what I was used to. I tjust hought I'd share my view on the scene so I could hear more of your thoughts on the matter. Whether it's in literature or media, watching how the tone of a scene can change as the angle from which it is interpreted switches is perhaps one of the most interesting things you can do.

(My post about Sebastian leaving Ciel in S1 & London Bridge scene for those who are interested).

Thank you for this, I really love your asks, comments, and thoughts! I agree that Sebastian leaving Ciel in S1 wasn't a rejection - I think he was resentful to an extent (he sends Ciel several very dark looks when Ciel stops him from killing the Queen and when they are riding to the hotel), and personally, I see a mix of feelings when he's watching Ciel from afar later. He's quiet and thoughtful, and I think there is a storm of conflicting feelings brewing inside him. I particularly love your words about Sebastian being willing to give Ciel an afterlife.

As for how Ciel takes it... I think he's grimly determined to see everything through. I agree that he fully acknowledges his feelings for Sebastian at this point; I also think Ciel realizes he loves him at the very end of S1, seconds before Sebastian leans closer to take his soul. I imagine the entire life flashing right before Ciel's eyes, his adrenaline spreading through him chaotically and clearing his head in a way he's never experienced before. His reservations, stubbornness, reluctance to succumb to emotions - it's all going to lose its meaning because this is it. In a few seconds, he won't just be dead - he won't exist. I think Ciel is going to see everything with startling clarity, and he'll realize, "Oh. I love you," but of course he won't say it aloud.

I agree Ciel sees the beauty and the peace in being consumed by Sebastian, but at the same time, I see misery in him in those later moments. Sorry, I can't share gifs or even good pics right now, but here are some screens to illustrate what I mean:

I think he looks like in his darkest and saddest moments here. There is sorrow, bitterness, hopelessness in his eyes - he won, but it doesn't feel like it. Ciel always knew he was going to die and Sebastian was going to devour his soul, but now he is being proven right, it is finally happening, and I think he has mixed feelings on this. During their time together, he learned to enjoy life in his way. He enjoyed their games, being challenged, solving puzzles. He always knew it's temporary, but knowing and seeing it are two different things, and I don't think Ciel is as willing to die as he was before. The way he's startled when the Undertaker tell him he's going to die anyway even without Sebastian in the picture, Ciel's sudden burst of emotion when he tells Abberline that he had forfeited his future, his behavior afterward, how he was delaying the conclusion of their contract by holding Sebastian back - I think Ciel was re-assessing things.

This one breaks my heart in particular. In this specific moment, I don't think Ciel doesn't want to die in general, but he doesn't want to leave Sebastian. He's staring at him with emotions he never allowed himself to feel - he's ready, but he's wistful. He wishes things could have been different in some other world, that his book could have another ending, but he knows there is no place for what ifs in his life.

#black butler #sebaciel #kuroshitsuji #ciel phantomhive

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zenalios · 3 years

Text

Untamed Seas; 2 - Snake

Index (R18+)

Summary

Amphitrite, sea goddess, and daughter of Nereus, is less than willing to marry an Olympian, let alone Poseidon, the very god who overthrew her father. She does so nevertheless, in a desperate move to protect her sisters following Nereus’ absence.

The marriage is beneficial to them both: Poseidon gains legitimacy through a union with her, effectively solidifying his control over the seas, and Amphitrite guarantees her sisters' safety, along with all prestige due her status as queen.

The catch? She finds his domineering personality utterly insufferable, and he, the most fearsome god, resents being stuffed into an unwelcome marriage.

They have all eternity to make it work.

TW // Abuse - Verbal and Physical ; Abusive Relationship ; Forced Marriage

It came to pass that the night of the dance itself, the few amongst Nereus’s daughters who had stepped foot onto Crete were:

Amphitrite, the eldest of fifty Nereids and her sisters’ keeper; pretty Thetis, who came hoping to expand her social circle beyond the seas; sprightly and mischievous Galatea, twin to Galene, poise incarnate; another set of twins, Proto and Doto, who oversaw their voyage; and last but not least, the young Erato, loveliest of all her sisters, not yet a maiden, but who looked forward to the dance the most.

Thetis immediately set off for a nearby crowd of dancers, and the twins grouped together in search of the banquet tables. This left Amphitrite with Erato. The former rubbed at her temples, stifling an urge to groan. This was not going to be an easy night. In the week leading up to the event itself, all her family could talk about was the dance, her sisters boasting to the others about all the things they would do and the people they would meet; in turn, this only reinforced their mother’s worries for their safety, and led to further nagging imposed on her, the oldest. She felt a little squeeze from the small hand in hers. Amphitrite looked down.

“Wow, they just ran off like that,” Erato laughed, her radiant face enough for Amphitrite’s own lips to twitch upwards.

“They certainly did.” She agreed.

“Phi!” The pair turned to a beautiful nymph gracefully striding towards them in a cloud of blue satin, the swell of her belly prominent but never once hindering her movement. “Aunt!” Erato let go of her hand, rushing forward to tackle said relative. Amphitrite also drew near, brushing a swift kiss against the Oceanid’s smooth cheeks.

“Eurynome,” Amphitrite smiled, though it did not quite reach her eyes. “How have you been?”

A tinkling laugh burst forth from the Oceanid akin to that of a bubbling brook. “I have been just fine,” She chucked Amphitrite on the chin, then looked down at her belly, “And so has this one.” A silky hand reached for Erato’s head, ruffling it fondly, “And this one too, I see.” The older nymph peered at Amphitrite, the latter flinching backwards when a finger attempted to prod the space between her eyebrows. “Don’t frown, Phi, you’ll age faster than my children will be born if you do.”

“I’m not frowning!” Amphitrite protested, even as she felt her brow pulling together, which she rectified at once. At this, Erato erupted into giggles, still clasped at Eurynome’s legs, who soon joined her little niece in peals of laughter, till even the nymph being teased could not help but grin, her shoulders rolling with silent mirth. After they had calmed themselves, Amphitrite’s face was drawn in by Eurynome’s hands, both gently pinching and caressing her cheeks. “I am so sorry about your father.” Their aunt said, a sorrowful look passing over her gorgeous features.

Amphitrite leaned into Eurynome’s touch for a moment, then swallowed and removed her hands, “It’s alright.” However much she craved physical intimacy, it reminded her too much of what her mother was like once, all warmth and tenderness, now left tense and anxious in the wake of her husband’s loss. The sea nymph let out a good-natured huff.

“But thank you all the same,” she maintained despite the doubting look her aunt gave her, allowing her fingers to intertwine between Eurynome’s to give them a brief squeeze of reassurance. After that Eurynome had lingered a little longer to ask after Doris' state, leaving her nieces only when persistently called upon by a group of other similarly pregnant nymphs.

“Make sure you join the dances, alright?” She quickly squeezed Amphitrite’s shoulder, “I know how much you love to dance.” With one last kiss and ruffle to Erato’s head, Eurynome disappeared just as Thetis had, leaving the two Nereids standing in a corner.

The older of the two turned to her sister. “So,” She began, “What do you want to do?”

Erato shrugged, staring up at her. “I dunno,” she blinked. “I’ll do whatever Phi wants to.” Amphitrite felt a lump rise in her throat. Even in her childish innocence, Erato’s brilliance could not be concealed. There existed several reasons everyone called —no, expected —her little sister to become the loveliest Nereid of them all, one in particular being her smile, bright enough to charm all sea creatures in the near vicinity. On top of this, Erato’s eyes had taken on their father’s murky green ones and blossomed into a pair of emeralds coated with a ring of honey, made all the more obvious by the firelight now dancing in their depths.

For all their mother’s nagging and accusations of complacency, Amphitrite was by no means negligent when it came to her sisters, least of all if it involved Erato, nor had she brushed off Doris’s warnings as to Erato’s safety.

In truth, she was all too aware of how lovely her younger sister was and the numerous looks they had received upon arrival. Everyone present knew Nereus had disappeared, his wife and fifty daughters ripe for the picking in his absence despite being left in Oceanus’ hands. For all the powers they possessed, the Nereids were not related to the new king of the seas, effectively nullifying their royal status and the protection it conferred, the river god’s old age only worsening matters further. If others held back, it was only out of respect and common decency, a show of sympathy for the family during this period of mourning; once over, Amphitrite had no doubt they would pounce. She slowly exhaled. And even then it did not hurt to be cautious around the Olympians.

Amphitrite knelt before her sister, brushing away a wisp of hair that had fallen into the child’s eyes, provoking a little whine from Erato: “I can do that myself!”

“I know,” She returned with great affection. “I just wanted to do it.”

It was a little habit the eldest Nereid had picked up after many years spent watching over her siblings, something their mother found irritating as of late. Try as she might, however, Amphitrite remained unable to suppress her maternal instincts towards her younger sister, especially in such an unfamiliar environment, surrounded by potential predators.

She offered her hand to Erato, “Let’s dance?”

And dance they did, if only for a brief moment. Though Amaltheia had initially bleated out instructions regarding specific steps designed to depict Zeus’s triumph over Kronos, the goat nymph’s voice was rudely drowned out by the growing multitude of intoxicated revellers. At this, Amphitrite saw their hostess’s lips thin with disapproval. Further mortification ensued when it was discovered several amphorae had already been emptied of their contents. Soon after, the whooping crowd whipped itself into a frenzy, many a dancer grasping for a partner to twist and writhe against.

Amphitrite merely watched from the side, one hand on her hip, the other still holding Erato’s sticky palm, which had since tightened its grasp on hers at the display before them. “What are they doing?” her sister whispered to her, to which Amphitrite promptly responded, “Just dancing.” The older of the two could already hear her mother screaming for her to remove Erato from this indecency, or if she would not, then to at least cover the girl’s eyes —to do something, anything about it. Amphitrite glanced down at her sister. She had tried the latter, but Erato’s response was to tug her hand down and plead her case for watching.

At this Amphitrite sighed: her sister possessed the same level of persistence and curiosity as she did when younger; she permitted it on the condition that Erato did not ask to join, something Erato readily agreed to anyhow. Fortunately, the dancers' movements were beginning to resemble the very steps Amaltheia demonstrated at the beginning, albeit in a much wilder fashion. After they had stopped hollering, each danced in time to the tune of a pipe, some singing along and others only chiming in at certain strains, about a snake that swallowed its own.

“Many an egg did the snake consume, and still more it hungered to pursue.” A pinched voice intoned above the rest. She leaned down to whisper in Erato’s ear, tapping her foot along to the beat, “The snake is Kronos, the eggs are his children.”

“Oh.” Erato frowned, confusion evident from her voice alone. “Then where does Zeus come in?” Amphitrite tilted her head, humour colouring her voice, “When do you want him to come in?”

The words had barely left her when she felt a tap on her shoulder. The Nereid instantly whirled around, instinct driving her to pull Erato behind in the process. “What do you want?” She demanded of the satyr standing before her, whose first reaction was to look utterly terrified. Serve him right for disrupting their peace and quiet, a savage little voice echoed within her; she, who knew better than anyone it could not have been Erato, whose head barely reached her collarbones still. Did they take her for a fool?!

“Uhh,” the satyr began, flinching when Amphitrite drew herself to full height and snapped at him again as she so often did towards any unfamiliar male specimen: “Speak up!”

Only the faint sensation of something tugging at her arm jolted Amphitrite back to reason. She glanced over her shoulder at Erato, instantly feeling as though she had committed some kind of unforgivable crime. Curses, she was getting good at guilt-tripping. Had Thetis been teaching her? Amphitrite ran a hand through her hair. In doing so, she threw her head back, sucking in a deep breath. Fine. She nodded and let go of Erato’s hand, catching the grateful glance her sister sent her way.

Amphitrite folded her arms with an air of impatience. Was he going to speak or not?

“Someone wishes to speak with you, my lady.” The satyr blurted, his voice trembling all the while. The Nereid lifted an eyebrow. Who? She echoed the question her mind had set, albeit a little more vehemently, which brought about another flinch from the satyr. “Uh— Ah, they said they wished to meet you. That… that is all.”

Someone wanted to meet her. Amphitrite squeezed the tip of her tongue between her teeth as she tried to process the satyr’s message. Someone wanted to meet her without revealing their identity. She parted her lips to speak, then closed them again, finding her judgement insufficient. No, that was not all, she mused. There was something more to this. The nymph focused on a point just above the satyr’s shoulder, staring ahead at the banquet table where she now spotted the twins.

Amphitrite snapped her fingers. Surely it was their aunt? Despite the fact that pregnancy did not exactly hinder their movements, all Oceanids suffered from swollen ankles and feet, requiring them to rest every now and then. “You should have just mentioned her name.” She chided the satyr, who gave her a strange look. “Her name?”

“Yes, yes,” the Nereid filled in for him a little more cordially this time. “Eurynome. Our aunt.”

Despite the change in her tone, the satyr’s face had paled. Amphitrite now wondered what her aunt could possibly have said earlier to frighten him thus. Or maybe she had been too harsh on him after all. “Ah.” His mouth opened and closed repeatedly, much like that of a fish’s, Amphitrite thought bemusedly. She turned to her sister, who she found had moved to stand beside her. “Let’s go then, Erato—”

“Wait!” Amphitrite halted. “What is it now?” She allowed a sense of restlessness to enter her voice. The satyr seemed to shrink beneath her gaze. “They— They said you had to come alone.”

Amphitrite felt she had sighed one time too many tonight. Still she did so, it being the only outlet for her to express her annoyance. The Nereid lifted her chin at the being before her, “Why not?” Erato’s hand nudged hers, immediately causing her expression to soften once more. “Maybe Aunt Eurynome wants to ask Phi something really important.” And leave Erato alone like this?

As though the child knew what she was thinking, her skirts were being pulled in the direction of the banquet table; Amphitrite lifted her head, following the girl’s arm until four of their sisters came into view. “I can stick with them.”

Erato had a point. There they were: Galatea, Galene, Proto, and Doto, all loading heaps of food onto their plate as though they had been starved for eons at their grandfather’s home. Where they had been this entire time Amphitrite had no idea, nor did she want to know what sorts of mischief they had been up to. “Well, better than Thetis,” she deadpanned at last, who was nowhere to be found even. “Fine.”

At this, Erato tackled her in a big hug, both lingering for a while in each others’ embrace.

“Be good.” Amphitrite had tapped her sister’s nose, so turning and following the satyr into a nearby bend.

And that was how Amphitrite presently found her path obstructed by a ridiculously muscular god who had introduced himself as Zeus, king of the gods. You’re lying, she wished to say, but could not on account of the bandages wrapped about his fists —only Kronos had the ability to inflict bodily damage severe enough to warrant medical intervention, and Zeus had been the only recipient of those affections. Unfortunately, these observations only served to worsen the situation as she saw it. Hadn’t Amaltheia sworn to her mother that Zeus would not be coming? That he desperately needed his energy to recuperate?

Amphitrite grit her teeth in vexation. The god standing before her did not even seem to have just fought a massive tournament and won. Aside from a hideously distorted jaw and crooked nose, both of which warranted a copious number of bandages about his head, he looked to be in the pink of health.

“You are Amphitrite right?” She had been raised to respond to questions like these, but the sheer absurdity of this entire situation said she should not. Against convention, she went with the latter, dismissing the question with a glare; he ignored her silence, continuing to speak as a slew of questions swirled through her brain akin to the whirlpools her father used to create. On top of it all, how could she have been so foolish? The satyr had not given her a strange look because her aunt had chastised him, he could not possibly have known the name of a goddess he did not serve.

Stupid, stupid, shit, stupid, she cursed internally. It almost made her wish this was a confession instead, from some random god that had fallen for her upon arrival. Almost.

“It’s very simple, Phi.” Their new king was saying, arms akimbo. Though he was no taller than Pan, who was the height of a young cypress tree, the width of his shoulders and position in which he stood made it difficult enough for her to attempt escape from this god she felt no desire to speak with. Amphitrite scowled; firstly, at the sheer audacity and disrespect he showed by using her pet name, a privilege she held dear and bestowed only upon her parents and sisters, or her future husband; secondly, at how her neck had begun to ache from craning upwards to look at such a disagreeable face.

The likelihood of him knowing she was displeased and enjoying her reaction was all too high. What a swine, she would have liked to call him. But that would only be a slight on the entire species itself.

Her eyes darted to and fro, searching for some form of escape, be it in the form of her sisters or aunt ─anybody, really, who could help. To her dismay, there was none. Thetis, who she had spotted flirting with a satyr when making her way here, was now nowhere to be seen, and the rest were likely still blissfully unaware of the present danger that lurked in the form of Zeus. He reminded her of a lamprey: one that had latched onto her, its prey, and now refused to let go. Amphitrite grit her teeth. He looked like one too.

“You see, ever since my brother went to claim his new kingdom,” He began as Amphitrite stretched her neck to stare over his shoulder at pair of amorous guests making their way in this general direction. “He’s been having some trouble dealing with its inhabitants ever since.” Which brother? Hades? Amphitrite groaned internally at the shadow cast over their faces as the two unknown revellers drew closer still, then stopped for yet another passionate kiss. Ugh.

Come on, just a little more, she urged the couple silently. “I’m sure he’s more than capable of subduing you all by himself, but that would only end in senseless slaughter.” Did he just say slaughter? Her heart thumped. Even if she was only half-listening, she knew what he was talking about —her people. “I don’t want that to happen since it’ll make me look really bad now that I’m king, so I need you, O daughter of Nereus, to help him legitimise his position.” Wait, Amphitrite squinted. They were moving, she realised. The couple were still on their quest for privacy, now at least a cubit away from the god king’s back. The nymph tensed with anticipation, waiting for them to bump into him. Closer. One foot. She grit her teeth. Come closer!

At that very moment, however, Zeus’s face suddenly appeared exactly half a foot away from her line of vision, as he swerved to avoid the couple altogether. Amphitrite sprang backwards immediately. Her only opportunity to flee had just been thwarted by this monster of a god. She bit down hard on her tongue to keep herself from screaming aloud in fury. Zeus studied her, an eerie grin on his features. “I’m sure you know who I’m talking about.”

“Hades?” She blurted, only catching the glint in his eyes after finally responding to his statement.

No, Amphitrite felt her cheeks drain. No. She refused to enter a conversation regarding the one god she detested the most in the entire cosmos, even more so than the one standing before her. And now she had broken her silence, she regretted falling for his provocation all the more. “So you do know.” He finally declared, evidently delighted at her expression. “I knew you were a smart thing.” Amphitrite cringed inwardly, her throat beginning to constrict.

“What do you want from me?”

Even as Zeus’s chuckle rang through her ears, his answer left her reeling back a few steps. “I want you to marry Poseidon.” What? The name itself made Amphitrite’s throat tighten further. The king of gods may as well have punched her in the gut. The nymph shook her head numbly. This had to be a nightmare. She secretly pinched herself, desperately hoping it was all a dream, that she was not presently trapped by Zeus on some mountain in Crete, that Doris had never, in reality, accepted Amaltheia’s invitation, and that she was instead tossing fitfully in her bed at this very moment.

But as fate would have it, the ensuing sting only confirmed her worst fears. There was no way she could conceal her anguish at the name Poseidon itself, the event fresher than Zeus’s own battle scars with Kronos, and far more short-lived as well. Everyone had heard of the Titanomachy, and how Zeus had earned his title as the strongest god in the universe, just as they knew of the lots drawn by Zeus's older brothers.

The first had earned the underworld, the second the right to conquest, and the third, authority over the seas. That third brother was Poseidon.

The very day Nereus set out to face his challenger, he had sent his wife and fifty daughters away to live with their grandfather Oceanus despite vehement protest from all, fearing the worst if he lost. Only, the worst did happen, and it was the last time Amphitrite saw her father ever again. Her fingers curled into fists at the very thought; they should have stayed or allowed her to remain at the very least. Ultimately she had not even seen Poseidon nor witnessed the battle itself. Instead, she had been forced to comfort her wailing sisters as all the waters in the cosmos trembled from the blows her father traded with some intruder from Olympus.

And on the fortieth day, when the ocean’s plates stopped quaking, the old sea god was nowhere to be found, his successor long gone, leaving only clippings of blond hair amidst the rubble. The ocean itself had opened wide and swallowed her father upon defeat. The memory alone caused Amphitrite’s chest to heave in short, jerky, breaths as she struggled to pull herself once more from this immeasurable, overwhelming, sense of grief the god before her had reignited.

Zeus grinned at her, “Can I take your silence as a yes, then?”

At that she froze over. There was a tightrope somewhere within her gut, she was sure of it. One that had been cut at with a blunt object and left to rot following her father’s disappearance. Then her mother and now the king of the gods, both of whom treated her like a child, insulting and stretching her limits beyond measure, every strand and fibre of her being fraying with every word they spoke. Above all however, lay the question of her marrying the very cause of her misery.

Help him? When he had destroyed her home and family? A strangled laugh escaped her. He was the main reason she, a saltwater nymph, who lived and breathed the ocean’s air for decades —centuries, even, was torn from her home in the wake of his victory; the reason she, eldest of fifty Nereids, had been unfairly charged with the overwhelming task of ensuring her sisters’ safety amidst a pack of wolves waiting to jump them all; the reason her mother no longer held any regard for her simply because she reminded Doris of her own lost love. Her? Marry Poseidon?

The rope snapped.

“No!” Amphitrite yelled for all the world to hear, losing her temper for the first time in her life.

“I will not!”

1 - Prologue ; 3 - Enalios, α

#untamed seas #ari writes #snv #shuumatsu no valkyrie #record of ragnarok #snv poseidon #snv zeus #poseidon record of ragnarok #zeus record of ragnarok #poseidon x oc #poseidon x amphitrite

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quazartranslates · 3 years

Text

Welcome to the Nightmare Game II - CH9

**This is an edited machine translation. For more information, please [click here]**

[<<< Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter >>>]

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Chapter 9: Resurrection Overture (IX)

{cw: threats of rape via beastiality (I’ve marked the worst of the content in question with ↓ ↓ at the beginning and ↑ ↑ at the end of those sections), brief transmisogyny}

This lesson caught him off guard, and Qi Leren was stunned for a while after the file was read before waking up as if from a trance.

Qi Leren, like many others, could easily let down his guard against his surroundings after the danger had passed, and such negligence was extremely fatal in terrible tasks.

"I’ve taken note," Qi Leren said gratefully.

Chen Baiqi snorted lightly and lit a cigarette: "Then let’s move on to the next item to test your physical fitness."

"How do we test it? Running?" With the last lesson of being blindfolded while avoiding throwing knives, Qi Leren’s heart was filled with worry.

Chen Baiqi blew out a smoke ring and sneered: "How can simply running force a person's limit?"

"..." Qi Leren felt that he was finished.

He saw Chen Baiqi insert a skill card into the card slot, and a heavy book appeared in her hand. She carelessly looked at the book as the pages turned automatically, suddenly brightened, and muttered to herself: "This is good, just right!"

As soon as the words “just right” sounded, a three-headed hellhound half the height of a person appeared at Chen Baiqi's feet. The three ferocious heads roared together and its thick canine teeth and dripping tongue made its fearsomeness soar.

↓ ↓

This strong figure, this fierce expression, and that thing under its crotch... Qi Leren swallowed saliva, his face went white, and his legs were weak.　

"This child was caught when I was practicing near Purgatory. He’s still in heat, full of energy, and has a strong desire to mate, and he doesn't mind whether what he’s mating with has two legs or four. He really is a warm and good boy." Chen Baiqi touched its ears and the three-headed hellhound excitedly reared up and looked at Qi Leren eagerly.

Chen Baiqi touched her chin again: "When I first entered this world, there was a very popular saying on the Internet... Oh, ‘it'll chase you, and if it catches you, it will 'hehehe' with you’.”*

*{E/N: A joke by Fei Yu-ching. The general gist of goes something like this: This person wants to go to a shop that specifically helps you lose weight. The cashier offers some packages of different prices. He picks one, enters a room where a lady is waiting in a bikini. She offers, "Chase after me. If you catch me, I'll let you 'hehehe' me". Thank you to Miko for this explanation.}

Although Qi Leren wanted very much to spit on her, this sentence had been out of date for many years and only middle-aged and old people would make such an old joke. However, Chen Baiqi had smacked the three-headed hellhound on the ass and under, her command, the dog growled and rushed crazily toward Qi Leren. Its enthusiasm was like an old bachelor who had been single for forty years and had met his new wife. Qi Leren screamed and started to run. He swore he’d never run so fast in his life!

But even if he had run a new personal record, the three-headed hellhound was still slightly faster than him. Even if he didn't look back, Qi Leren could feel the monster behind him getting closer and closer! He could almost feel its stinking hot breath spraying on his back, causing his chrysanthemum to tighten!

No way! If you continue like this, it’ll soon catch up to you! You can't just run!

I don't want to be knocked up by a dog!

Qi Leren, who was extremely nervous, mechanically pumped his legs and ran hard, and his brain that was struggling to consume oxygen didn’t have enough to think properly. A skill card? Primary Fighting couldn't make him run faster. Devil Etiquette... Stop it, becoming a succubus could only add fuel to the fire right now—he had specifically learned about succubus' data. This demon type with such an exaggerated sexuality would only make a field day for a stick. It was the most unscrupulous creature in the demon world, and the three-headed hellhound would only be more excited to see a succubus. After all, it was also a creature that didn't care whether the mating target had two legs or four, or even if it had legs at all!

↑ ↑

It was coming! Qi Leren felt the wind behind him, but he had already reached the wall of this huge basement. His mind went blank and he instinctively made a sharp turn to the right to continue running. But the three-headed dog behind him was not as agile as he was. Without time to break, it collided with the wall, causing the strong wall to shake.

Qi Leren, who was still desperate to escape, had a flash of inspiration in his mind: Yes, the three-headed hellhound wasn’t as agile as he was when turning, so he could take advantage of this...

Qi Leren looked back. The three-headed hellhound’s middle head had fainted, but the left and right heads were still giving orders to the body. It got up from the ground and continued to chase after him.

Qi Leren, with this train of thought, was much calmer this time. He didn't run around the room like a headless fly. Whenever he felt that the distance between them was close to a certain range, he made a sharp turn, and each time he managed to gain seven or eight meters from his pursuer. Wait until the next turn, when he was about to be caught up with, then repeat this old trick.

The three-headed hellhound, who didn’t have a high IQ, failed to see through his tricks and ran after him blindly. One man and one dog competed for endurance in this bitter mutual torture. Qi Leren’s legs that had surpassed their potential were almost numb. He was afraid the three-headed dog wasn’t much better. When he looked back several times, the three-headed hellhound had its three tongues lolling from its mouths, panting.

This was completely a competition of willpower. It seemed that Qi Leren’s determination to protect his virginity was better than the three-headed hellhound’s determination to mate. When Chen Baiqi finished smoking a whole pack of cigarettes, she’d finally seen enough: "Okay, let's end it there."

One man and one dog fell to the ground, four heads and six legs going on strike together.

↓ ↓

Qi Leren couldn't help thinking that if he was tortured like this every day, maybe one day he would have the terrible idea of "giving up resistance and lying down to accept it", and he really didn't want to do it again.

The three-headed hellhound was summoned back into the book by Chen Baiqi. Qi Leren looked at where it had just been enviously. It could rest, but he still had to be tortured by the head demon here. Yes, Chen Baiqi has risen to be a terrible demon coach in his mind, and he was just like the protagonists in comics who were spurred on, spending each day drowning in their own sweat.

"It's a pity, I thought I could look at 'man and nature'," Chen Baiqi said with regret.

Once again, Qi Leren felt his chrysanthemum tighten.

↑ ↑

"Intuition is okay, reaction and adaptability are barely strong, and physical fitness is still poor. You will report to me every morning at my store’s entrance, run to the steel bridge to fetch me two breakfast servings, and then run back. I’ll give you a watch. If you’re late, you’ll be punished by having to take my dog for a walk outside," Chen Baiqi smiled, speaking demonic words with ease and pleasure.

The dying Qi Leren couldn't help feeling sad, looking at Chen Baiqi with eyes full of bitterness.

"Get up, you can go home and report on time tomorrow," Chen Baiqi said with a smile.

"Surely I’ll be too sore to move tomorrow... No, I can't move now," Qi Leren said breathlessly.

"Oh, really?" Chen Baiqi said. Blowing out a smokey sigh, she walked beside him and raised her foot—the slender high-heeled shoe stamped between Qi Leren’s legs while he was off guard!　

Qi Leren screamed "AH" and rolled, narrowly dodging the foot that would have made him childless. The crisp high-heeled blow behind him scared him into a cold sweat.　

"You missed an opportunity to be a cute girl," Chen Baiqi said regretfully.

Qi Leren struggled to get up from the ground: "Thank you, this opportunity is not needed."

Chen Baiqi raised her slender eyebrows and smiled charmingly: "You’ll regret it."

On the way home, Qi Leren had been stubbornly thinking about Chen Baiqi's smile. He’d almost forgotten to ask her about buying a confidentiality contract. Chen Baiqi raised her eyebrows and didn't ask anything. He readily paid the money for his goods.

As he walked into a roadside public toilet, Qi Leren thought of cherishing his little brother affectionately. He had paid a painful price to keep it.

Unexpectedly, when he pushed open the bathroom door, he was greeted by a beautiful acquaintance. Her long curly hair was draped over her exposed shoulders, her gorgeous red lips were slightly opened, and her eyes were blurred as she swept towards Qi Leren at the door. It was the Illusionist Qi Leren had seen in Chen Baiqi's shop before!

"Sorry, wrong one!" Qi Leren subconsciously flung himself out the door.

The moment the door closed, he suddenly remembered... That thing in front of the Illusionist ... Wasn’t it a urinal from the men's room?

And the Illusionist herself, standing in front of the urinal at that time, had naturally lifted a heavy skirt and put her hand into the skirt to release its inventory.

Qi Leren felt his worldview collapse.

-----

Editor’s Notes:

I’ve honestly been dreading reaching this and the next chapter ε-(~д~”)

I want to give some forewarning that the there does start to be some notable transmisogyny in the series starting with this chapter, primarily in the form of misgendering. I haven’t read Part 3 yet and thus can’t speak for it (I will mention it in an E/N once I have and likely edit this one as well), but in Part 2 it doesn’t come up tremendously often as the character it’s in relation to, the Illusionist, is relatively minor.

However, the next chapter in particular is unfortunately entirely comprised of an extended joke centered on transmisogyny and sexual harassment. Nothing plot-significant happens in it and the chapter is entirely skippable if you do not want to read that.

As I stated before, as someone who is only working on a translation, I don’t feel that it’s my place to knowingly change or omit content. I do apologize for this. I will be providing the same sorts of warnings and skip-markers as I have previously in order to allow readers the best experience I can give under the circumstances.

As always, I encourage you to message me if you have any further questions or concerns about this or anything else.

-----

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#Welcome to the Nightmare Game #欢迎来到噩梦游戏 #danmei

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itsclydebitches · 3 years

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YYH Recaps: Koenma Appears

Welcome to episode two, everyone! Before we get to the recap proper, I want to continue down Nostalgia Lane for a moment. Remember how last time I mentioned a Hiei bookmark I used daily back in middle school? Well, I tore through an old "treasure box" I created as a kid (a collection containing everything from a shark tooth to a small book on witchcraft. You know, the important things every child needs) hoping to find it... but I didn't. It's a hard life we lead.

However, I did find some other YYH relics that I thought you all might enjoy seeing. Behold — and, if you'd like, laugh at — my collection:

First up is a picture of young Toguro and Genkai that I wanted to use as my bookmark, but found that it was too wide. For the record, I didn't (and still don't) care about Toguro much, he was just the byproduct of finding a cool Genkai picture. Not shown is the back of the image with the names of my classmates because I made them all sign this along with our yearbook.

God bless my friends for putting up with me.

Second is a collection of very pretty trading cards that I ordered from god only knows where. I have vague memories of not finding any at my local comics shop and convincing my mom to let me order on The Olde Internet. Did I want the trading cards to trade them? Absolutely not. They exist to sparkle and make my heart happy.

Finally, I've saved what is perhaps the best for last. Now, you have to understand that grade to middle school age Clyde did not have the education that she would receive later on, which includes a knowledge of the ephemeral nature of fanworks and the importance of accurate record keeping. What this means is that I have absolutely no context for this. No author, no explanation... just the image itself.

Was this a standalone fanart? A part of a fic? Some specific request or just the will of the artist? I cannot answer these questions. I tried a reverse image search (which is, admittedly, the extent of my tech skills) and you know what the single hit I got was? "Fiction." Thanks, google. So yeah, I can only assume that my child self considered Kurama giving a de-aged Hiei a bubble bath adorable enough to save, but the artist wasn't important enough to jot down for future viewing. Sorry about that, mystery artist. And, as should go without saying, if anyone does know where this came from please let me know! Though I suspect that this is a case of a YYH-specific site closing down and the fanworks getting lost along with it. That happened a great deal before the age of AO3 when volunteers decided to put their time and talent towards saving fanworks of all sorts...

But enough of all that. Let's get to recapping!

As we established last episode, Yusuke and Botan are on their way to the spirit world to kickstart Yusuke's ordeal. Watching this after over a decade of consuming other media, I really appreciate that Yusuke acts like a human person and asks lots of questions about this. When Botan is cryptic for the sake of the audience — we're going to see "the person" who can explain everything — Yusuke is justifiably like, and what person would that be?? I mean, this is also a way to establish basic facts for the viewer and it simultaneously feeds into Yusuke being someone who is difficult for the sake of being difficult — "If someone wants to say something, they should come to me!" — but it's just nice to see a character who doesn't accept cryptic BS because the story needs them to. If Botan gives an unclear, but ~dramatic~ explanation, Yusuke is going to call her out on that.

So she explains that they're going to see King Yama and Yusuke is all whoa whoa whoa, there's royalty involved? Suddenly, he's not so adamant that they come to him.

Botan tries to reinforce this rare spark of humility and demands that Yusuke be on his best behavior from here on out.

Pff. Yeah right.

But “he can send you to oblivion forever if he wants to!” is a suitable enough threat to cow Yusuke for now. Which is interesting considering that a few hours ago he was happy to accept hell as his rightful ending. Granted, we could argue that there's a big difference between hell and oblivion — a character may not be afraid of punishment in the same way they are a lack of existence — but I'd say this ties more into Yusuke's development at the wake. Now that he's accepted that people care for him and that he should strive to return to them, the threat of having it snatched away actually means something. Even if that line is otherwise positioned as a comedic moment.

Botan flies them through a portal where we see the River Styx below and Yusuke comments on how big everything is. At first I was like, "What are you talking about? You were just flying over some major city in fictional Japan, wasn't that big too?" but this line makes more sense when they reach the palace and you realize that yeah, it's big. As in, the camera blurs while tilting down its length to show how insanely tall it is. Yusuke and Botan are tiny gnats at the gate's entrance.

"Oh man, what a pad!" Yusuke says and sure, that's one way to look at it lol.

Botan announces that she has a "new arrival" and the gates open for them, but so far there's no one else around. One part of me wants to question the time and budget put into this scene because shouldn't there be, like, thousands of people? Even just waiting outside? The idea that this is the hub of the underworld and that Botan is responsible for ferrying all the souls, yet she is guiding just this one (1) dude for a solid day is, from a world building perspective, kind of nuts. But beyond the need to develop Botan as a character (she can't be a part of the story if her job is treated realistically, with all the endless work that entails), I think this choice functions rather well from an atmospheric perspective too. Meaning, this moment is supposed to be rather tense for Yusuke. He just died, just found out the afterlife exists, just discovered a desire to get his life back, and is now about to meet a King who can toss him into oblivion if he's rude — which Yusuke always is. So this is a Very Dangerous Moment and their relative isolation feeds into that. As does the setting. Yusuke flinches back from the hallway, saying that it looks like a giant throat, so he is now literally walking into the belly of the beast.

Suddenly, the size of the palace isn't an indicator of awesome wealth, just general intimidation. Also, check out the spikey purple mountains in the background and the harsh reds of the scene, especially compared to the soft yellow of the river. All of it is designed to create an, "Oh shit" reaction in both Yusuke and the audience.

Yusuke's image of King Yama matches these surroundings:

Oh wait! Wrong character ;)

He's massive, red, shadowed, and poses a formidable threat. And how does Yusuke deal with threats? By fighting them! Even those he can't hope to beat. Remember, this isn't a situation where Yusuke has any power here, but he still desperately holds onto the possibility that he might. What if he gets off a punch on King Yama's nose? Then goes for his eyes? Yeah, that'll work!

Overlooking the fact that it absolutely would not — Yusuke's fantasy conveniently skips how he escapes Yama's clutches — what exactly is Yusuke hoping to accomplish here? Somehow take over the entire underworld? Escape as a ghost and live out his afterlife in hiding? We don't know and that's because Yusuke doesn't know. He doesn't think ahead, he just obeys this instinct to fight. An instinct that, crucially, overrides everything else. Botan has already told him that all Yusuke needs to do is be polite and everything will be fine, but it's not even that Yusuke believes that he can't achieve that; that he knows himself too well and, fearing a slip, starts planning for a potentially inevitable confrontation. There are simply no plans outside of battle plans. Yusuke just hears about someone vaguely intimidating and his brain jumps straight to, "How do I beat him in a fight?" no matter the odds, or that other options are readily available to him. Again, much of YYH's characterization occurs though its comedy, so outside of the general humor of witnessing this fantasy, it actually does a stellar job of reinforcing precisely who Yusuke is. In life the only thing he had going for him was his ability to fight. It was his one joy, his one skill, arguably the one good thing he did if we frame those reflexes as "saving" the kid... so is it any wonder that fighting dominates his every thought? It's all he knows.

And, as we'll see down the line, that single-minded obsession is very useful to the spirit world.

For now though, Yusuke finishes his absurd plans to take down King Yama and Botan asks what in the world he's muttering about back there. Which is an unintentionally hilarious line because by the end Yusuke is not muttering, but full on shouting. Botan. How did you not hear him?

Not important. They reach the next door and we get our first inkling that all is not as Yusuke (and we) expect when Botan leans into an intercom to say that they've arrived. Tech in a fantasy spirit world? This feels not only out of place, but rather... mundane? That's the point. When the doors open Yusuke expects his super scary monster, but gets... a whole lot of monsters that aren't scary at all!

The underworld is run by various demons (or ogres), though their looks are contrasted with the harried office worker personalities they've got going on. Someone is running by with a comically tall stack of papers. Someone else is shouting into a cell phone. The first two demons we see cross paths, looking like they're about to punch one another, just as Yusuke expects... except they're just dramatically getting out of the other's way, worried not about the hierarchy of this realm, but the fact that someone is behind schedule. The nerve!

"This place is a madhouse!" we hear somehow shout and yeah, that's the joke. The afterlife is just as chaotic, overworked, and — ultimately — boring as any human office. For all the strangeness of seeing hundreds of demons, this is familiar.

Which, alongside Botan's bubbly nature contrasting assumptions about the Grim Reaper, is one of the first instances of YYH undercutting the viewer's expectations in terms of looks. No one entirely looks the part they play in this tale and if you're trying to teach people to look past surface characteristics... there are worse ways to do it. Horrifying creatures with horns and sharp teeth? Nah, they're just chill dudes trying to do their job. Cutesy girl who looks like she belongs in a mall reading magazines? Nah, she's the Grim Reaper. Terrifying delinquent with a spine-chilling reputation? Nah, he makes faces at kids and saves them from cars.

Of course, the "nah" isn't accurate either. These are monsters with horns, Botan is a cutesy girl, and Yusuke is a delinquent with that reputation. The message isn't so much that people look like Thing A, but get to know them and you'll discover they're actually Thing B, it's the idea that you can be A and B (and C, D, E...) simultaneously. People — or rather, seemingly simple archetypes — can, in fact, embody multiple characteristics at once.

We'll get our third example in just a second.

Yusuke makes a comment about this being the "dead people stock exchange" — accurate — and Botan leads him to a more ornate door past all the desks. It's clear they've arrived at King Yama's office, since she's bowing and formally presenting him to... someone. Yusuke looks around for the giant beast he's imagined, only for a tiny voice to hail him from the ground.

Looks are deceiving!

“This is Yusuke Urameshi and he’s honored to meet you." Botan knows what's up. She knows Yusuke isn't going to express anything of the sort without some prompting. Too bad he's busy cracking up at this apparent child running the show. Side note: Yusuke has a fantastic laugh.

He even goes so far as to accuse Botan of lying to him.

“Why would I lie about such a thing?!”

“Why would the spirit world be run by a toddler?”

It's true! That’s a legitimate question! I love that Yusuke asks questions. The "toddler" goes on to explain that he's actually the "mighty Koenma," son of King Yama, though he's lived fifty times as long as Yusuke, "so watch your mouth." Assuming Koenma knows and/or remembers how old Yusuke is — fourteen — and is good at math, that puts him at seven hundred years old. He looks good for his age!

"And in addition to knowing the secrets of the universe," he says, "I am quite potty trained."

You've gotta love Koenma.

Yusuke's attitude changes drastically once they get down to business. Koenma produces an egg, saying that Yusuke's ordeal is to hatch it and face what comes out. The hatching part isn't difficult, all he needs to do is keep it on his person. The challenge is in the fact that this egg will feed off his spirit energy and that energy in turn will change what kind of creature develops. If his spirit is wicked and cruel, so will be the beast and it will devour Yusuke upon hatching.

However, if his spirit is good and kind, the beast will become a sort of guardian, guiding him back to his living body.

Note though that throughout this conversation the egg is always a "beast." It's a "monster." It's not necessarily intentional, but there's a strong bend towards the negative here in the description that really emphasizes the whole "ordeal" aspect. Koenma briefly reassures Yusuke that he can remain a ghost if he prefers, but he's already made up his mind. Despite another threat of being lost to a void — this time through spiritual digestion — Yusuke takes the egg almost without hesitation.

He regrets it later though.

"I can't believe I did that."

Can we blame him? I'd be nervous about some egg feeding off the energy of my soul too and I'm a former, almost straight A student (damn you, math) with no life-altering regrets and a general desire to put as much good into this world as I'm able. I’m boring. But what if those occasional, mean little thoughts you have add up? What if the prejudices you're still unlearning stack against you? Does the egg care about what you do, or only how you feel about the act? This sort of test would eat me alive!

Maybe literally.

Good thing Yusuke doesn't have time for an existential crisis!

Just as he's beginning to regret this decision, Botan points out that it won't matter if he passes if he doesn't have a body to return to. Now, why wouldn't he have a body? Maybe because his mom is set to cremate him tomorrow.

Whoopsie.

Yusuke is, understandably, distraught. We get another excellent exchange:

“Botan, is there any way for ghosts to communicate with living people?”

“Yes.”

“SO ARE YOU GONNA TELL ME?”

I swear, Yusuke is the only smart protagonist. I mean, he's dumb as a sack of bricks at times, but that's neither here nor there. Bless this fictional boy for reacting like an actual person.

Botan explains that people are more attuned to the spirit world when they're asleep, so Yusuke can deliver a message to someone in their dreams. Seems easy enough. They first head to Atsuko, but find that she's raging drunk and nowhere near sleep.

"You fool!" she yells. "No one gave you permission to die!" Atsuko continues to yell about how plenty of people survive car accidents, so why couldn't you? "Were you mad at me, Yusuke? Didn't I raise you right?"

Botan comments on how sad the display is. Yusuke's response?

“The only thing that’s sad is now she’s got one more excuse to act that way."

Y'all, that's some mature shit for a goofy shonen anime. Yeah, Yusuke recognizes that, while she's obviously heartbroken, his death has just given her another reason to do what she's been doing for years: drinking herself into a stupor. Toss in Atsuko putting the blame on Yusuke — "No one gave you permission to die!" — plus the belief that she did do a good job — "Didn't I raise you right?" — and it paints a rather bleak picture. This is by no means an uncommon theme. Negligent parents, whether they're framed that way or not, are pretty common in shonen series, but it's still rather jarring to re-watch this as an adult and go, "Oh. The situation’s like that." It's honestly a lot when you remove it from YYH's otherwise humorous, casual context.

Yusuke heads to Keiko's next and finds her sound asleep, commenting on how her room looks more "girly" than when they were kids. Check out that smile!

He's about to try and deliver his message, but Keiko is in the midst of a nightmare. “She’s crying… what’s wrong?”

Oh my god. Remember how I just said Yusuke is also the densest protagonist around? Example A right here. You just died, you fool! You just saw Keiko collapse at your funeral. What do you think is wrong??

We get a peek at Keiko's dream where she is — shockingly! — thinking of Yusuke. He's far out of reach, walking away and unresponsive to her calls. Keiko soon trips and Yusuke disappears completely.

Luckily, she has the real thing at her bedside. Yusuke tries talking to her and at first it's unclear if this supernatural stuff is really working. That is, until Keiko murmurs about how heavy he is.

Reassured, Yusuke delivers his message that Keiko needs to help Atsuko pull herself together and, most importantly, call off burning his body. We get this very soft and pretty background to establish their yet unspoken feelings for one another, though Yusuke gets close with, “I’m coming back. I don’t want to see you cry anymore" as he brushes her tears away. Aww.

Keiko wakes, thinking at first it was just a dream, but no, "I'm sure I felt it."

The next morning she heads to Atsuko's to explain the dream, only to first hear that Atsuko had a dream too, this one about Yusuke "living in some other world full of ogres and he kept knocking them down until he became their leader." It sounds absurd, of course, but it brings Atsuko some comfort to think of her boy in a place like that and Keiko backs down. Right, she'd only had a comforting dream too.

Now, there are two important parts to this exchange. The first is that this is an excellent example of how you let the characters drive the story, rather than forcing the characters adhere to the plot you've come up with. Meaning, in the latter situation, our cast would have needed to have their personalities twisted and the viewer's suspicion of disbelief tested to give Yusuke what he needs: a sleeping family member willing to believe his message. But it absolutely makes sense for Atsuko to be drunk rather than sound asleep, so Yusuke can't rely on her. Likewise, it absolutely makes sense for Keiko to be asleep, but not believe the dream once she's woken up. After all, how many times have we been persuaded by something in the dead of night only for things to look more logical and less likely in the morning? The characters act both like themselves and like people who do normal, people-ish things, which means that Yusuke runs into more conflicts. That's good! It not only raises the tension and stakes — now he has less than a day to convince someone — but makes his inevitable success feel that much sweeter. A less well written show (cough-RWBY-cough) would have had the characters change their personalities, behave in unlikely ways, or just come up with a sudden, contradictory solution because Yusuke needs to keep his body. Instead, Yusuke actually has to work for that within the bounds of the rules established and the likeliness of each plan succeeding. The first one fails? Move onto plan #2.

Second, this dream of Atsuko's has some cool implications within YYH's world. Meaning, we're about to learn in just a moment that some people are naturally more aware of the supernatural than others, even when they're not asleep. We'll also see down the line that spiritual awareness tends to run in families... so perhaps Atsuko possesses more than the average mother? I'm not saying it's necessarily intentional on the author(s) part, but we can choose to read this dream as evidence of spiritual awareness — true insight into the world Yusuke was just in and the fantasies he'd had about conquering it — rather than just a coincidental joke for the viewer. After all, Yusuke gets his own spiritual awareness from somewhere...

(Okay, so there's totally another, canonical reason for that, but we can have both!)

So, as Yusuke puts it, “This dream business isn’t gonna cut it.”

“There’s always the final method," Botan says.

“You always this vague?”

I am literally living for these interactions.

Botan explains that the more extreme form of communication is possessing a living person, but there are two rules attached: it has to be someone you know and the vessel has to be someone who is quite spiritually aware, as discussed above. Atsuko isn't a contender because the story hasn't acknowledged that she might be sensitive, that's just my own headcanon now. Yusuke outright says, “In that case I’m screwed. There’s no one like that!"

Cut to good old Kuwabara.

At first it looks as if he's just oh so conveniently sensing a spirit right when the audience has learned he has this power, but in reality it's Yusuke and Botan flying behind him that sets it off. Again: this show is pretty good about keeping things internally consistent, rather than making choices because That's Just How Stories Work, I Guess. Kuwabara's friends note that he's acting strangely and I love this detail that apparently one of the guys is new to their group because the other two need to explain that this is the "tickle feeling." Ever since Kuwabara was a boy he's been able to sense the dead around him. Some nice, some... not so nice.

He looks directly at Yusuke — even though he's not able to see him — and declares that what's following them is “A puny low-level ghost, like a haunted racoon or something.”

I'd support Yusuke's anger more if he hadn't just exclaimed his surprise that Kuwabara serves a purpose 😂

Yusuke is pissed enough though to proclaim that he won't do it, nuh-uh, no way is he possessing this guy's body. Botan's response is one of my FAVORITES in the WHOLE SERIES:

"Here's my impression of Yusuke: look at me, I’m burning!”

Literally 75% of this series is just about a found family sassing one another and I love it.

Obviously this helps Yusuke remember his priorities and he grudgingly agrees to the plan. Botan prepares Kuwabara's body somehow — idk, spiritual magic or whatever — and warns Yusuke that he only has an hour to find someone and warn them because a human body can't handle possession any longer than that. Sure. I buy it.

So Yusuke takes control and please ignore the incredible ethical issues here. The show will never acknowledge them again.

He blurts out, “Hey, check it out! I’m inside Kuwabara, feeling smooth!"

Istg I don't remember the series being this unintentionally gay. I don't even ship Yusuke/Kuwabara and I'm digging the possibilities here lol.

Back on track, his friends drag him with, “Looks like he’s back to normal” because again, 75%. What's not normal though is Kuwabara (Yusuke) suddenly charging down the street to leave them behind. He heads straight to the restaurant where Keiko's parents work, demanding to see her. They're rightly concerned about this stranger barging in and screaming for their daughter.

Upon asking who he is/why they should tell him, Yusuke makes his biggest mistake: “Because it’s me, you guys, I’m Yusuke!”

Obviously the time limit and raw emotion of knowing who he is has outweighed the knowledge that, you know, no one would believe that. Yusuke has spent the last two days bopping around as a ghost and familiarizing himself with some of the afterlife's insanity. The knowledge of what's normal for everyone else — AKA, not dead boys appearing in strangers' bodies — is not at the forefront of Yusuke's mind.

So, Keiko's parents react accordingly! The father in particular is disgusted by this claim, going so far as to threaten Yusuke with his knife and outright insult Kuwabara's looks: “Yusuke was never ugly like you… we were close family friends with that boy!" His wife chimes in that this kind of joke is particularly heinous on the day of his funeral. Between Atsuko drunkenly blaming Yusuke for his death and Mr. Takenaka grieving for what he might have been, this is one of the few times we see someone just sad for Yusuke's passing, exactly as he was and without regrets or criticism. "We were close family friends with that boy" paints a nice contrast to the delinquent persona Yusuke was cultivating.

As he's thrown out of the restaurant he says, “We should have special passwords for times like this!” Fun fact, my family does! Well, not this exact situation lol. I was given a password as a child to memorize in case my parents ever needed to send someone else to pick me up or interact with me in any way. If the stranger didn't know the password, I was to kick up a fuss. I rest easy with the knowledge that this password would not doubt assist me if I was ever in Yusuke's position!

With Keiko's parents a bust, Yusuke starts sprinting to everywhere she frequents with the hope of running into her. Or at least he tries.

Yusuke is suddenly waylaid by a group of nameless teens with a bone to pick with Kuwabara. And you know what? I like it. I wonder how much of my praise stems from coming off of RWBY Volume 8, but it's just so nice to watch a story where the plot — simple as it is — hangs together. We've established that Kuwabara is a street fighter. Last episode we watched him start a fight with Yusuke. Yusuke is on a time limit. Now Kuwabara's tendencies have created a new hurdle for Yusuke!

Needless to say, Yusuke kicks butt, even in Kuwabara’s body.

As one guy is passing out he says, “Man that hurt! I didn’t think anyone could throw punches that hardcore except Yusuke Urameshi."

Yusuke: “Darn, giving Kuwabara a good name." LOL

You think this challenge is finished though? Nah. Over the course of about half an hour Yusuke encounters a comical number of people trying to get even with Kuwabara.

As always, I like the nods towards this writing decision to help justify it, with Yusuke wondering how Kuwabara has pissed this many people off. If you want to pull off something that has a low chance of happening, it can help to give the characters a "Seriously?" moment. If both they and the audience are on the same page over how ridiculous this situation is, the audience is more likely to accept it once the character does.

By the time Yusuke escapes his hour is nearly up. However, thanks to some coincidental plotting, he spots Keiko's friends just across the street!

YYH does a decent job of making its characters feel like they have their own lives outside of what's immediately happening on screen and we get a good example of that here. We pick up the girls' conversation partway through, both of them worried about Keiko's state of mind and, given that we'll see in a second that Keiko was in the store with them, it implies that something happened to reignite this worry. They're off enjoying their day, doing their own thing, there was an event we're not privy to, and now we catch the response to that. It just helps make the characters feel more well-rounded even though they are, at their core, one-dimensional background characters who don’t even have names yet.

Case in point: the one girl is still concerned with their image. "People are starting to say things!"

Yeah, your friend's childhood friend just died. Hopefully they're saying, "Poor thing."

Anyway, Yusuke runs up to ask where Keiko is only for both girls to run away screaming. Turns out his face is messed up from the numerous fights and Keiko's friends are easily scared.

Luckily, Keiko comes out just a second later and Yusuke is faced with the challenge of how to convince her in, oh, about five minutes. Remember, we've already established through Keiko's parents that just saying, "I'm Yusuke" doesn't work. That's why he hesitates. It's not just drama for the sake of drama, he's stuck.

“I’ve known her my whole life, there must be something between us that only I would do!”

Yeeeeaah. About that 😬

Suddenly inspired (I suppose that's one way to put it...) Yusuke runs up behind Keiko and grabs her breasts. “Keiko, nice uniform! They’re so squishy!”

It goes without saying that, like flipping her skirt up, this isn't okay. More specifically, the problem lies in the story framing this as a joke for the audience, something to laugh at despite Keiko's discomfort, rather than the concept of two childhood friends actually be that comfortable with one another. But, as already established, this is one of the more ehhhh aspects of Yusuke's characterization that, luckily, will mostly disappear as the story goes on.

Note though that the show clearly wants us to think highly of this. Not just as a "joke," but as a smart solution to his problem and more evidence of their inevitable relationship — the background becomes the same soft, bubbly background we saw during their dream conversation. And, admittedly, it does work. Keiko instinctively slaps Yusuke hard enough to knock him to the ground and he starts laughing, saying that he doesn't care what anyone on the street says, she hits the hardest.

What I do like about this is that the assault isn't the only thing Keiko bases her faith on. Not only has she already had the dream, we get to see Yusuke from her perspective, showing all the mannerisms she picks up on by superimposing Yusuke's real body over Kuwabara's. Indeed, she says as much: “I knew it was you from the first time you spoke…and it’s not just your stupid gags, or how you laugh. There are ways you move and speak that in a hundred years I wouldn’t forget."

Catch me crying in this club!

Knowing she believes him and that he's almost out of time, Yusuke reiterates his message: please don't burn my body and also keep Mom on track. Only, you know, it's phrased far better than that lol. As he speaks, both Yusuke's and Kuwabara's voices overlap until the latter grows fainter and only Yusuke's voice remains. His body too. It's a nice touch, avoiding the awkwardness of Keiko having this moment with a stranger, even if that is what's happening on some level.

“I know I’ve been a bum to you at times, but please wait for me."

His hour up, now we can get the awkwardness! Kuwabara comes out of his weird trance thing to find Keiko crying against his chest. Wow, he thinks, this girl must be really into me!

God, to have the confidence of Kuwabara.

Of course, Keiko quickly realizes it's not Yusuke anymore and slaps him too for cuddling her closer. My favorite thing is that when she does this a crowd INSTANTLY appears. I mean they TELEPORT in. We needed an audience for Kuwabara's shame and YYH delivered, all logic be damned.

“Um, sorry about that!” Keiko yells as she runs away, because she's a good person who recognizes that weird spirit things just went on and Kuwabara isn't actually to blame.

“No, that’s okay. I probably deserved it," Kuwabara responds because he's also a good person and I didn't appreciate him nearly as much as I should have as a kid.

Keiko runs all the way to Atsuko's place where she finds her dressed for Yusuke's funeral. She blurts that Yusuke might still be coming back and Atsuko goes, "He already has." Turns out she opened his coffin to "smack him one more time for leaving me" — yikes — and found that his heart had started beating again, just as Koenma said it would.

Being in a shonen anime, they apparently decide to just trust Keiko's message rather than, idk, taking him to a hospital or something.

The camera tilts up to show that Yusuke has been watching all this, including that both women break down again and comfort one another. Aww. How heartwarming.

What's less fuzzy though is this mysterious egg. Yusuke takes another look and finds that it has developed a heartbeat too, presumably in time with his body's. He theorizes that he did decent things today, right? But Botan (teasingly) points out that he did beat up a lot of other kids. Rather than getting angry, Yusuke remains uncharacteristically pensive, emphasizing the magnitude of what this means for him. He's got to get it right.

No pressure or anything! We'll have to see how Yusuke balances his karmic scales in the next episode. Until then, I'll try not to put all my TV time into Star Trek: Voyager :D

See you then! 💜

#YYH #Yu Yu Hakusho #YYH recaps #mymetas

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archadianskies · 3 years

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trying my best; trying to find happiness

→ on Ao3

@dbhrarepairs Wednesday Day 3: Past & Future • Separation; post-revolution Daniel/Leo

A missing scene from [heavy with hoping]

He remembers going to Greektown specifically to visit Bellini Paints when he first moved to Detroit. It had been a small detail he remembered from an interview with Carl he watched in school; Carl Manfred had pure pigments imported via Bellini Paints and mixed his own paints by hand when he couldn’t find the right premade tubes.

Sixteen year old Leo had treated it almost like a pilgrimage, visiting the store his father relied on to create his masterpieces. Sixteen year old Leo had been so full of hope, so full of yearning to connect with his biological father. What an idiot he’d been, that sixteen year old boy desperate for approval from a man who’d been more than happy to keep their relationship purely monetary.

Bellini Paints is no less beautiful thirteen years on. The walls are lined with jars of pigments and illuminated with soft ambient lighting. All the cherry lacquer cabinetry has a pleasing rosy hue to the wood, and the polished brass knobs and handles aid in the stately, regal aesthetic of the brand. It feels old and timeless, an institution that will remain even when he is long gone.

He’s no longer that naive, hopeful teen and though he’s left that Leo in the past where he belongs, he feels no anger or frustration towards him. How could he? All that Leo had wanted was to connect with his father and be loved; surely seeking love and approval from a parent isn’t asking for the world?

Not that it matters now, anyway, not when Leo’s got a brother now- a Manfred that matters in a meaningful, healing way, and it’s for that Manfred that he makes the trip to Bellini Paints. Which is now closed.

“Ah shit,” Leo swears, rolling his eyes in exasperation as he stands in front of the locked store.

*~*

He remembers going to Greektown as chaperone for Emma and her friends one weekend to watch a movie at James & Carter cinemas. There were four children in total, including Emma, and one other domestic android, an AX400 accompanying them. Daniel paid no attention to the movie, but what he does remember was Emma’s fascination with Bellini Paints.

The children had been chattering away avidly after leaving the cinema, discussing what they’d just watched, but they’d fallen into a hush when they passed the store. He remembers Emma’s delighted gasp, remembers her walking to the window and peering inside at the rows of pigments on the shelves.

“Hey Daniel, which one matches my eyes?” She’d asked, and he’d pointed at one of the jars in the top right hand corner. She’d laughed so brightly, and then her attention turned elsewhere and the moment was over, the moment lived on only in his perfect memory.

They’d gone to Essie’s Bakery afterward because Caroline specifically did not like the place but Emma loved the buttercream cupcakes there and she knew her mother would say no, but Daniel would always say yes. Even that Daniel in the past had been well on his way to deviancy because even a direct order from Caroline became meaningless when Emma pleaded for leniency.

He wonders if someday Emma will visit Essie’s Bakery of her own volition, and buy one of his buttercream cupcakes, because that’s where he works now, now that he is alive and free and has been given a second chance. He loves it here because he can hide out in the back and just create food to be consumed, and no one can eat baked goods unhappily. That he can somehow contribute to someone’s happiness is enough for Daniel, more than enough, and certainly far more than he ever deserves.

The workday ends and he packs up, cleans up and locks up. Daniel wraps a scarf around his neck made of chunky blue yarn that Simon knitted for him because Simon is good, and kind, and all the things Daniel used to be but isn’t now. He’s trying, though, he’s trying very hard because Simon believes in him and Daniel loves him too much to disappoint him.

He makes his way towards the bus stop only to bump into someone outside of Bellini Paints.

“Oh, sorry-!” The young man looks familiar, and Daniel recognises him from a few days ago.

“Leo?”

“Danny?”

“It’s Daniel, I told you that,” he corrects automatically, bristling. “What are you doing here? Bellini’s closes at 6pm.”

“Ugh, I thought I’d have enough time after my therapy session to swing by and grab Markus’ pastels order,” the young man groans, jamming his hands in his pockets. Leo Manfred, human brother to Markus Manfred, leader of Jericho and object of Simon’s unrequited affection. Daniel’s interacted with Markus several times now and doesn’t care much for him despite the whole ‘saviour’ thing. He’s grateful, no doubt about it, but anyone who Simon fixates on and loves so openly only to fail to return such affections isn’t so great in Daniel’s eyes.

“They’ll open at 9am again tomorrow, though if you’re in a rush, Vincent’s here by 8:30am,” Daniel points out, thinking fondly of the genial EM400.

“Uh, no, I value my sleep,” Leo rolls his eyes. “But I’ll swing by around lunch probably. You heading home now?”

“Yes, if I catch the next bus it should line up with when he leaves your place and we can take it home together,” Daniel nods and Leo shrugs.

“I’ll call you a cab- that way I can go home and Simon can continue on with you,” he takes out his phone and opens an app. “Don’t worry, I’ll put it on the house card. The old man’s got plenty to spare and he’d be more than happy to pay for Simon to get home safely.”

“Simon, but not us,” Daniel drawls as Leo snorts back a laugh.

“I mean, we’re all in agreement here though aren’t we?”

“Yes, Simon is always the priority,” Daniel replies without hesitation.

A taxi pulls up and Daniel climbs inside as Leo takes a seat opposite him. He generally avoids interacting with humans but for some reason Leo is the exception. He’s so stubbornly blasé about Daniel, so readily casual with his invitation of friendship that he can’t help but accept. It’s as if Leo’s willing to pester him into becoming friends and truth be told, Daniel wants it, Daniel wants someone to want him. Simon does, and that’s why he loves him, because Simon has a way of stubbornly killing him with kindness when everyone else loathes him.

“So, the other day Simon was telling me he was at the DPD for some important meeting or other,” Leo begins, hands gesturing animatedly, “and all he could focus on were the shitty store bought muffins on the meeting table. Which got me thinking of how you could make some of your amazing pastries to totally wow them, and give Simon the perfect window he needs to talk to the Anderson brothers.”

“You want me to bribe the DPD into silence so we can set up my brother to not be with yours?” It’s so stupid it makes Daniel want to laugh. Stupid, but plausible, and really, it’s for Simon and they’d both do anything for happiness. “I’m in.”

He’ll do it for Simon, but who knows, maybe there’s a little scrap of happiness held in store for him in the future too.

#leo manfred #daniel pl600 #danleo #detroit: become human #dbhrarepairsweek #annie writes: dbh

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currywaifu · 4 years

Text

𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: pansy 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩: hyodo juza/reader 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: sfw 𝐰𝐜: 3.3k words 𝐝𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨: Pudding~☆ ~, Anne, & ballpoint✨

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: reader teachers juza how different flower colours can mean different things 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: this work is a part of the flower shop event, a series of unconnected flower shop AU one-shots

“Will you let him stay for a while?” Tsumugi asked you, your eyes immediately shifting to the tall, purple-haired man beside him. Though his expression was tough, he refused to even spare you a glance save for the when he first entered the store.

“Well…” you trailed off, still a little conflicted on what decision to make. On one hand, it was hard to refuse one of the flower shop’s regulars— especially when the explanation behind his sudden request reasonable enough. On the other hand, as nice as Juza probably was on the inside, if he was just going to stay silent the whole time it not only would be awkward, but there was a chance he’d scare some customers away.

As soon as the thought entered your head, you felt a little awful. He literally hasn’t said a word to you?

Making up your mind, you slowly nodded in response. “I don’t mind. He’ll just be observing the flowers, right? And looking at the reference book?”

“Yes, that’s pretty much it. Thank you for accepting,” Tsumugi turned to look at his junior, patting his arm lightly, “see you back home.”

“Thank you for your patronage, Tsukioka-san.”

“… see you, Tsumugi-san.”

As soon as the blue-haired man left the building, all was silent again.

What were you supposed to do? Would he appreciate you showing him round the store? Telling him about all the flowers? Do you ask him about what he needed to know for this role? Would he prefer to be left to his own devices and do it on his own?

When he suddenly called you by your name, well, surname, you’re caught off-guard. You turned to face him, and though he still can’t look you straight in the eyes, he at least knew you were listening.

“… sorry, I’ll try not to be a bother,” he says, frown still present but voice unexpectedly genuine, “…might scare your customers away, though.”

He didn’t sound sad about it, resigned if anything, but you found that you were kicking yourself anyway despite him not knowing what was going through your head a while ago. While you couldn’t comfort him or anything, there was at least something you could do to help him.

“Juza-kun,” you said, and for the first time, his eyes met yours. Perhaps if the two of you were to lock gazes at another place and time, you would have been intimidated; enclosed at the space of your flower shop, you somehow figured you’d end up enjoying his company.

“Would you like to see some flowers?”

…

Sunday.

“… don’t really get it,” Juza muttered, the pads of his fingers carefully brushing against the petals, “why I got chosen for this role.”

You paused your previous ministrations, setting aside your spray water bottle to look at him questioningly. By the manner Tsukioka-san explained Juza’s situation earlier, he made it seem as though the latter was enthusiastic to play this role— was he mistaken?

“What do you mean?” you asked, walking over to the same spot Juza stood. Neither of you faced the other, as though you two were talking to the vibrant colours instead.

“Flowers are delicate,” the petal slipped from his index, “I’m not,” he said matter-of-factly.

Neither of you could deny that.

“… maybe you’re focusing too much on thinking of flowers generally,” you replied, the silence consuming the both of you thereafter.

The two of you barely talked the rest of the day, the only other time the two of you glanced at each other was when he said his farewell.

Monday.

Coming back from school for your shift at the shop, you didn’t expect to run into the purple-haired man on the way there.

“Juza-kun?” He stood quietly at a street corner, his stillness making you wonder how long he’d been there. Weren’t… weren’t people looking at him suspiciously? Did he notice? What was he doing?

He greeted you back, and you found yourself in an awkward stare-off with him for a few seconds. With a cough, he darted his eyes away from yours. “You weren’t at the shop,” he replied gruffly.

Oh, was he waiting for you?

You let out a little laugh as you asked him to follow you, failing to miss the small hint of surprise on Juza’s face as he walked behind you. The walk was quiet, but your mind was noisy with questions.

“Did you want to look at the flowers again?”

“… thought about what you said.”

You couldn’t react immediately, already stood at the storefront. Stepping into the shop, you greeted your co-worker and your companion quickly distanced himself, taking to the assortment of potted plants instead.

“Is that delinquent your boyfriend or something?” your co-worker whispered quietly, peeking behind you worriedly. You stopped in the middle of tying your work apron, narrowing your eyes.

“What?”

“He was standing outside a while ago,” she explained, “but he left pretty quickly. I thought he was being shady, but then he comes in with you?”

You sighed, rubbing your temples. Right, you didn’t get the chance to mention Tsukioka-san’s request from yesterday. You didn’t think you had to?

“He’s not my boyfriend,” you corrected, immediately shutting down whatever notion she had in her head, “Tsukioka-san asked me to help him with something.”

You almost giggled at how quickly she perked up at the familiar name. You bet he didn’t even realise how popular he was.

As you bid your adieus in advance, you exited the storage backroom and nearly yelped at the sight of Juza hunched over the counter, looking through the reference book.

“Are you looking for something specific?” you asked, leaning onto the counter to peer over the pages.

“… yesterday, you said I was being too general.”

You raised your eyebrows. Was he still thinking about that? “Guess I did, yeah.”

He flipped over another page, eyebrows furrowed as he skimmed through the content in front of him. You were sure he was trying his best to absorb the content, but you had a feeling it wasn’t working out as well as he had hoped.

You placed a hand over the book, and though you barely covered anything he got your intention pretty quickly.

“That’s going to take you forever,” you insisted, angling the book to face you instead as you flipped the pages over to the table of contents.

“What do you need for your characterisation, anyway?” from the corner of your eye, you could see the gears turning in his brain.

“Something happy,” he started, and you found yourself mentally listing down all the readily available flowers that fit into that meaning. Should be easy enough, there were many flowers that corresponded to happiness—

“Something calm,” he continued, and you found yourself turning around to look at him incredulously. “Something innocent.”

Was he gonna keep going?

“Something passionate, and something about new beginnings.”

“That’s a lot,” you stated the obvious, racking your brain for any flower that could possibly mean all of those. Maybe even a set of flowers from the same family? Happiness and innocence were often associated with each other anyway, and there were many flowers that meant passion anyway— though more on the love side of things. The other two, though…

“I’d need to look a bit more into that,” you apologised, eyes flitting from name to name to find a similar flower, “did Tsukioka-san say anything that could help?”

Juza let out a small hum, “he gave me a list.”

You thought he’d pull out his phone or something, so you couldn’t help the small laugh as he brought out a ripped out piece of notebook paper from his pocket. As soon as he handed it to you, you found yourself ticking off the flowers that wouldn’t work— whether it be obscurity or having a too vague meaning.

Lavender… Lily… Magnolia…

You stopped at the next flower listed. Oh, that could actually work?

“I think I have a reference for you,” you said. Unbeknownst to you, Juza subconsciously registered that as the first time you smiled at him.

Tuesday.

Why weren’t you surprised he would be at the street corner?

“Juza-kun, just wait inside the store,” you told him, a little exasperated. You understood his intentions, but he didn’t have to keep waiting outside every time for your arrival? "What if I got back a little late?”

“S’fine,” he mumbled quietly, falling into step with you, “it was only for a few minutes.”

“Ouka High is a lot closer, though,” you reminded him, “at this rate you’re gonna end up as a landmark.”

The conversation fell short again, the background noise filling up your silence. The door chime rang as you opened the door, and you checked in with your co-worker while Juza found himself with the flowers again.

“Did the delivery—?”

“Yep, it came today! Aha, he’s actually looking at some of them right now?”

Thanking her, you headed over to him and stared at the vibrant pink.

“Gentleness,” you said, loud enough for Juza to hear you, “pastel pink pansies mean something along the lines of gentleness and innocence.”

With Juza’s head bowed down, you thought he himself looked a lot like a pansy— a flower that resembled the human face, intelligent and pensive, nodding forward late in the summer as though deep in thought. The colour of his hair didn’t help diminish your imagination, either. After minutes of silence, he finally spoke up again.

“Muku,” he muttered. You tilted your head in confusion.

“Muku?”

“… my cousin,” he explained, “is a lot like this flower.”

Maybe it was your imagination, but somehow he sounded, looked a little softer.

“You must be pretty fond of him,” even if he weren’t to reply, you knew you already had your answer.

Wednesday.

You were running. Somehow you got distracted by the new cookies they were advertising at a cafe near your high school. Perhaps it was because of your ongoing situation with Juza, but as soon as you read the words “dessert” and “edible flowers” you made a bee-line for the store.

… and you ended up buying more than one, too. A whole pack of 6, actually. Really, who could blame you? The blue, pressed pansies atop the honey glazed lemon shortbread cookies looked absolutely scrumptious!

But now you were in a rush to get to work, and in your haste, you accidentally bumped into someone. You found yourself a little shocked as you looked up, familiar purple hair coming into vision.

“Oh, Juza-kun,” you greeted, “you’re actually not at the corner today?”

“Got dismissed late,” he said with a shrug, “you?”

You let out a chuckle, lifting the paper bag so he could see. “I bought some cookies after school. I thought the flowers on them were cute,” you explained, and for a split second, you swore Juza’s eyes widened slightly.

“… cookies?”

“Hm? Yeah. Do you like cookies?”

“… they’re fine,” he turned to face sideways, though that didn’t hide the pink blooming on his cheeks.

Oh?

“I’ll give you one later,” you said, doing your best to stifle the laugh that threatened to escape. How unexpected! That was kind of cute, actually. “We’re going to keep blocking the sidewalk at this rate, we should go.”

Somehow, the silence wasn’t so awkward this time, a little calming, even.

Thursday.

That was weird. No sight of Juza on the way to the flower shop— was he running late? Would he not be coming today, after all? For some reason, the thought made you a little sad. Perhaps you were starting to enjoy his company, after all.

Your co-worker gave you a knowing glance as soon as you entered the building, and any confusion immediately dissipated as you saw your purple-haired… friend? (Did he consider you two as friends?) by the yellow pansies.

“Juza-kun!” you greeted with a smile, pleased to hear him say your name as he greeted you back. Even with just this much, you were glad to have crossed a new boundary with him.

You nearly ran over to him, only stopping midway as you heard quiet laughter. You turned to face your fellow florist, holding up your work apron.

Aha, right.

“I’m only doing this as a favour to Tsukioka-san,” she mimicked as soon as you stepped in the backroom, “he’s not my boyfriend~”

How was this woman older than you?

You groaned, trying to put on your apron as fast as possible before bolting out the door. “Byeeee,” you said, hiding from her line of sight as you rushed over to Juza.

“Hey,” you greeted again, alerting him of your presence, even though he probably already knew you were there beforehand.

“Haven’t seen this one yet,” he commented, eyes a little narrower as he looked at the bouquet of yellow blotch pansies. “You said they meant happiness, right?”

The corners of your lips turned upward. “Oh, you remembered!” you said in delight, if not a little proud, “yep! Happiness in general… but,” you trailed off, causing your companion to look at you with interest.

“Is there another meaning?”

You laughed a little awkwardly, not meeting his gaze while not exactly avoiding it either. “I mean, it’s more of a personal interpretation, so it’s not really important.”

You could still feel his eyes on you, making you feel a bit self-conscious. Aha, seriously, the atmosphere between the two of you was already good— what were you doing?

“… I do think your opinion is important, though.”

You coughed, looking at him with a mixture and disbelief. Surprisingly, he didn’t retract or back down from his statement at all, further amplifying your flustered feelings. He remained unbothered, almost as if he somehow didn’t realise your reaction?

“Um, well,” you began, “you know how there’s like a dark coloured blotch within the yellow follower?”

Juza hummed in response, letting you know that he was following.

“On one hand, I think it could mean pretending to be happy even though you’re in a dark place,” you explained, “but it could mean finding happiness even though you’re battling your inner demons…”

He doesn’t respond for what seems like minutes, and you have half the mind to quickly change the topic. Your interpretation was probably a bit of a reach, wasn’t it? Too edgy, perhaps?

“… that was good,” he said, “I liked what you said.”

Though his praise was simple, you found yourself beaming anyway. It… was nice to know that he appreciated what you said.

Before you could get another word in, you heard the door swing open. You should probably attend to that.

You turned your back to Juza, about to walk away from him until you felt a tug on your arm. You stilled, wondering what could have possibly prompted the sudden contact.

“Juza-kun?” you asked quietly, voice unexpectedly shaky.

“… your apron is loose.”

“Oh! Thanks, I, uh, probably didn’t tie it properly,” you reasoned, your arms reaching back behind you to tie it, a somewhat futile attempt but an attempt nonetheless.

You failed to notice the cherry red blush on Juza’s face, to focused on trying to remove your own.

Friday.

“So how many colours are there?”

“Way too many,” you answered, “like sometimes they come in one colour, sometimes two or three; sometimes pastel, bright, or dark— all of them probably have different meanings too.”

You propped your elbows on the counter, hands cupping your face. In the past few days, you were able to accompany Juza wherever in the shop, but Fridays tended to be more busy compared to the other weekdays, causing the need to be heedful for incoming customers.

“So even more colours to learn…” you laughed out loud. How seriously was he taking this? Just for one flower?

“I mean you only really need to stay until you have enough info to flesh out your character,” you pointed out.

He didn’t reply for a while, and you had nearly worried that something had happened back there, but Juza piped back in the conversation eventually.

“So red symbolises passion, right?”

“Yep!” you said, fingers idly playing with the loose thread of your apron, “though I supposed a lot of red flowers mean passion and love, huh.”

“… and the white pansies?”

“It can mean purity and spirituality,” you started to explain, “but some say that when you give it to someone, you’re telling them to give you a chance.”

The room fell silent once more, but over the course of a week you didn’t mind it anymore. It was a little comforting, actually, having someone around— not even to help you with the shop or anything, but just a friend to talk to.

As you were about to close the shop, Juza appeared in front of you.

“I think I have my character figured out now,” he told you, and you felt yourself swelling with happiness and accomplishment.

“That’s great! Our hard work finally pulled through!”

The tiny hint of loneliness that you felt got left unsaid.

“Sorry for bothering you all week.”

“Trust me, I wasn’t bothered at all!”

Saturday.

“Huh, he’s not gonna be here today?” your co-worker asked as you arrived for your shift, “I legit thought you were joking about just helping him out of the goodness of your heart or whatever.”

You smiled a little sheepishly, “he already figured out what to do for his role. I’m sure he must be busy practising now, so I probably won’t see him around.”

You pretended to not see the look of sympathy thrown your way.

Sunday.

Two weeks had passed since you last saw him, and you chided yourself for thinking that the shop felt a bit emptier lately. At what point did you get so fond of him?

Even now, on the way to the shop, you found yourself stopping at the street corner, as though he’d be there again and was just too shy to enter without you.

Seriously, just what were you doing? Friends could go a while without seeing each other, it wasn’t a big deal.

Or at least that was what you told yourself for a grand total of three minutes, because that all came crumbling down as you saw his familiar figure standing outside the flower shop.

“Juza-kun?”

You approached him with slow steps, briefly wondering if you just went through some next level hallucination, but the closer you got the more evident that he was the real thing.

“Umm, is there something you need?”

His eyes wouldn’t meet yours, not unlike the first couple of days you spent with him. “… here,” he unloaded the two things into your hands, one of which you recognised while the other was a mystery.

You checked the envelope first, a pleasant surprise greeting you.

“A play… your play ticket?” you asked him, and he nodded as though to confirm your assumption.

“I remember you said you weren’t busy during that time and day, so…” with a gentle smile, you tucked the ticket back inside the envelope for safe-keeping.

“I’ll be there to support you, for sure.”

With the mystery item set aside, only the white paper bag with the flower logo was left. Somehow, even without opening it, you already knew what the contents would be.

“… they had other colours and flavours for the cookies,” he said as you took out the small box of 6, “the ones with the white pansies are vanilla and cinnamon flavoured, and the ones with the pink pansies are dark chocolate and raspberry flavoured.”

It took a while for you to comprehend the situation, still a little befuddled by him even appearing again until you realised what he was trying to say.

“White and pink pansies,” you said with a laugh, before ushering him back inside the shop.

You suddenly felt a lot less lonely.

“ thank you for your hard work today at the flower shop! here, feel free to take home these pansies with you~ ”

【 pansy 】 admiration, remembrance 【 pink pansies 】 gentle tenderness, innocence 【 blue pansies 】 calmness, trustworthiness 【 yellow pansies 】 happiness, bright disposition 【 red pansies 】 passion, love 【 white pansies 】 innocence, purity, “take a chance on me”

“ maybe you’d like some more flowers before heading home? ”

-ˋˏflower shop masterlistˎˊ- | -ˋˏfic masterlistˎˊ-

#a3!#a3! act! addict! actors!#a3! juza #juza hyodo #hyodo juza #cafe: dessert menu #nathya's flower shop #a3! game #a3 actor training game #a3! actor training game #a3 imagines

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vccservice · 4 years

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comtesse-d-edessa · 5 years

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not all porn is about degrading women it’s not all sex trafficking and if a woman or man or anyone wants to sell his or her or their body then it’s their choice you can have sex with anybody and it can be pleasant or a bad experience but just because there’s a camera it’s bad? if you actually looked at porn sites especially the ones about bdsm and intense scenes they speak to the actors at the end to ask how their experience was and they all had a positive one sex sells and people are consumers

Okay this is a lot and there’s only one punctuation mark so I’m gonna answer each point separately for my own clarity. Also included is your second, shorter ask.

1) “not all porn is about degrading women” I mean I guess there is gay porn. But seriously, the attitude surrounding porn speaks volumes otherwise. The way porn videos are described, the fact that domenstic violence and abuse are popular categories, the way pornographers speak about their performers off-set—and the biggest thing is that porn is, indeed, inherently degrading. It cannot not be degrading because the act itself degrades women (and men).

Porn reduces women to sex objects. (It also reduces men to sex objects. Basically everything I am saying in this post could pretty much go for men, too, but I feel as though the people who I tend to ‘look up to’ in terms of knowing their stuff about the porn community tend to have different attitudes towards male porn actors than female. I have seen, although I have not had the time to really look into it, the fact that oftentimes female porn actresses suffer abuses at the hands of their costars. I haven’t really formed my own opinion about that, and the specifically female experience of porn involvement is kind of gender specific, but like, I don’t think only male porn is any more acceptable than male-female or female-female.)

as I said, it makes women a means to an end. I believe that is always degrading, no matter what is happening. And because you say 'not always’, i think we can agree that at least the majority of porn is degrading to women. But later down in the paragraph you excuse porn by saying that it is a choice of the woman to act in porn [thus to be degraded]. But I think that the degradation of the act is not cancelled out by the fact that it is performed for money, and you think that a degrading act is acceptable if it is for money. I’m not making a value judgement on that, I’m just saying what I think the difference in our point of view is.

Also, how much 'degradation of women’ would there have to be in porn (as an industry, if you believe that there are 'non degrading’ pornos) for you to not want to support it anymore?

2) “porn is not all sex trafficking” First I have been remiss in not indentifying what sex trafficking is. I am someone who lives in one of the sex trafficking capitols of the US, and during my HS years a big sex trafficking development (I don’t want to be too specific) occurred which lead to all of the HS students in my area being given a lot of training and education on sex trafficking and the warning signs, etc. Sex trafficking is not being pulled off the street into a van and never seen again except in pornos. Like, I’m not saying that sex trafficking victims are not kidnapped because some are. But the majority are extensively groomed into it so that they 'consent’ to it. Some do it because they have been manipulated by their pimps, who might also be their 'boyfriends’. Some do it because when they showed up for a 'photoshoot’ they were raped on camera, and they are being threatened with the release of their 'sex tape’ and told they might as well become a pornstar anyway. Some do it because they or their families are being threatened. I just want to clear up that there is a ton of different ways women in the sex industry are trafficked, and that it is not as though all of these women were just pulled off the sidewalk and into porn. There are plenty of ways much more subtle than that to traffick a woman into sex work, and they are not readily apparent—or possible to identify at all, really—to the porn viewer. Anyway, just wanted to clear up. Onto my next point: can you guarantee that you have never seen a trafficked woman in your porn? If not, what is the acceptable number of trafficked women you would accept in your porn? What amount of trafficked woman would induce you to give up porn?

(Wow, only on the second statement. This is gonna be a super long post I guess. Sorry to all scrolling.)

3) “and if a woman or man or anyone wants to sell their body, then it’s their choice”I have mentioned that a lot of the time, it is not. And that isn’t something to take lightly, but I will not focus on it for too long since you do not appear to think sex trafficking is a big problem in the porn industry/a reason to not support the porn industry. But also, just because someone is choosing to perform an inherently degrading act (acting in porn) that doesn’t mean that the act it’s absolved of its degradation.

4) “you can have sex with anybody and it can be a pleasant or bad experience but just because there’s a camera it’s bad?”Porn is not two people having sex and a camera is there. Porn is two people who generally would not choose to have sex with one another recreationally, having performing porn (oftener and oftener, violent, humiliating, and 'hardcore’ sex acts being involved) specifically for pay.

Porn is not real sex. It’s showbiz. Granted, this is showbiz that can leave its performers diseased, injured, and with psychological trauma. The gruesome side of porn is all too real, but comparing it to real sex would be like comparing High School Musical to a real world high school experience. It is a visual product designed to create a reaction, not to simulate real life. And it is undeniable that over the years as more and more people demand and crave more and more hardcore porn, porn has only gotten farther and farther away from anything close to a depiction of 'real sex’. I only wish someone would tell that to the men who feel entitled to try to enact these gross fantasies out with their significant others, and for the women who feel as though they could never measure up to something that is literally not reality.

But you might want to retort with 'homemade’ porn, the conceit of which is a real-life couple engaging in recorded sexual activity either for themselves only or for a wider audience. Being a big fun-sucker, I don’t like those either. It is not uncommon for those videos which were recorded with the intention of never being made public to be made public, in acts of 'revenge porn’, and this would not be easy to tell to the porn viewer. And also, it still ties into the fact that by recording sexual acts to use for sexual gratification, the body is still made into a sex object, which I have said I think is inherently degrading. I don’t think people’s bodies should be used as objects, even if they are doing it to themselves. See my above point about consent not negating the problems with an action.

5) “if you actually looked at porn sites, especially the ones about bdsm and intense scenes, they speak to the actors at the end to ask how their experience was and they all had a positive one”

I am aware that this happens.

And yeah. They’re performers. The people asking this are the people who pay them. I’m sure for literally any organization, you could find a group of the people who rely on them for money and get them to say whatever nice things the organization wants about them. Surely you can see why every porn actor is under extreme pressure to agree that they had a good time with whatever happened during filming, not even mentioning the women who are sex trafficked (I know you think it is “not all” which I’m sure is technically correct, but you must agree then that they do exist) who have to agree that they had a good experience for reasons I’m sure you understand.

And every time, the experience is positive? Even when you yourself say, there are at least SOME trafficked women doing at least SOME degrading porn, every experience is positive?

All I’m saying is that this is an incredibly bad quality-control check. Even from the (false) assumption that porn itself is not bad, and only abuse or injury on-set are what can make an individual porno bad, then this is an obviously totally ineffective actual strategy for keeping the “bad” parts out of porn. This is just the flimsiest of excuses to allow people to justify the consumption of increasingly violent porn. And people grab onto that desperately to try to ease their consciences, even though I cannot honestly believe most people think that that’s actually an accurate way of telling whether or not a porn actor had a positive experience.

(Take this porn performer’s experience, for example. https://jezebel.com/porn-actress-nikki-benz-sues-mindgeek-brazzers-co-sta-1825143669 )

6) “sex sells and people are consumers”

You’re not wrong, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay. Just because people will consume something doesn’t mean that it should be consumed. I hate to be the 'slavery allegory’ person, but people really did used to buy slaves. (I mean, they still do in some parts of the world.) but “slaves sell and people are consumers”, while being an antebellum USA reality as much as your statement is a reality of 2019, does not actually mean either of the statements are making a value judgement. Just because the world is one way really, really doesn’t mean that that is at all okay. People kind of suck. The world kind of sucks. Morals are not decided by popular opinion.

Also, sex does not sell. What porn is selling is not sex. What porn is selling is, again, the devaluation and degradation of the human person. And yes, people consume that. And increasingly, it is normalized in society so that people feel othered for not doing it, so that girlfriends are mocked for not liking it, and it is laughed off as just a thing that men and women do. So more and more people consume that degradation.

On your next ask—

7) “How about porn categories that don’t degrade anybody?” See #1. It is not the acts performed in porn (though they are increasingly humiliating and extreme) which make it degrading so much as the fact that porn itself is degrading. To everybody.

8) “when it’s just regular couples having sex, is that wrong too?” Yes. See last paragraph of #4.

Here are the sources you asked for:How porn negatively affects the brain and sexual/romantic relationships:https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1988.tb00027.x^^ “After consumption of pornography, subjects reported less satisfaction with their intimate partners—specifically, with these partners’ affection, physical appearance, sexual curiosity, and sexual performance proper. In addition, subjects assigned increased importance to sex without emotional involvement.” The abstract.

https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/access/nnbckv.pdf^^ porn consumption made people place less emphasis on sex with emotional connection, less expectation of fidelity to a partner/from a partner and more accepting of affairs, no longer desire marriage or children, and thought more highly of male-dominated relationships. It also made people (men and women both) ascribe shorter prison sentences to rapists and to be less affected/moved by rape.

https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-porn-affects-sexual-tastes/https://fightthenewdrug.org/why-consuming-porn-is-an-escalating-behavior/https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-porn-affects-the-brain-like-a-drug/^^ porn is addictive and porn consumption becomes more 'hardcore’ and extreme over time.

https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-porn-damages-consumers-sex-lives/#c11^^ porn is making people bad at 'real life’ sex (again, porn is not sex.)

https://humantraffickingsearch.org/the-connection-between-sex-trafficking-and-pornography/^^ the link between human trafficking and pornography, although there are many more articles which will discuss this, I will just link this relatively short one and the source for THAT one, http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/FarleyRentinganOrgan11-06.pdf^^ “In every country, almost half of the respondents said that they were forced to make pornography while enslaved in sex trafficking.”

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vault752-blog · 5 years

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hi! i was wondering if you can give more insight into the everyday life and amenities in the vault? do people have a lot of material possessions, what type of clothes they wear, what kind of food they eat and if food's hard to come by or rationed? is there a monetary or rationing system? sorry for all the q's, i just want to know the setting more! tysm

thank sooo much for these lovely questions. i lovelovelove making headcanons about the vault tbh. i think the appeal of the fallout shelter/vaults concept is that u can really make it anything u want!! i planned to make a post about it soon but no better time than the present~~!! (might make a better, more organized and detailed post of headcanons in the future.) this post is quite L O N G, but i think also quite informative, so i hope our members take the time to read through it c:

dwellers definitely have their own material possessions, whether inherited from family (first generation dwellers were allowed to bring in a limited amount of precious items), obtained from within the vault (ex. the standard yellow jumpsuit dwellers are given to wear if they don’t have any clothes of their own, outfits crafted in the outfit workshop, etc.) or brought in from the wasteland by explorers (ex. clothes, blankets, weapons, armor, etc.). when explorers bring in supplies from the wasteland, the overseer distributes them equally among dwellers, or gives them to whomever needs them most (ex. better guns and armor are given to guards and dwellers who work in rooms that are easily accessible to raiders or are frequented by radroaches or mole rats). though explorers are tasked to bring back items that can be useful for making things (ex. duct tape, hammer, glue, animal hide, etc.) or for improving work rooms (ex. a microscope for the laboratory, scissors for the barber, books for the classrooms, yarn for the outfit workshop, etc.), it’s not uncommon for dwellers who are friends with explorers to ask them to bring back little trinkets (ex. pocketbooks, toys, holodisks, etc.) you can use this list of items that can be found in the game itself as a reference! (oh, and explorers are all given a pip-boy!)

as for clothes, all dwellers are given a standard plain yellow jumpsuit, but it’s their choice whether they want to wear this uniform or something else. the fashions/trends in URK at the time the dwellers moved into the vault was 80′s/minimalist (yes, irony! but urk made it work–think 80′s style with minimalist color palettes), so styles haven’t changed muchsince then. there are definitely a handful of girls walking around in scrunchies, pale pink leg warmers, off the shoulder tops and ruffled skirts; as for guys, preppy 80′s fashion dominated, but it’s not uncommon to see a bomber jacket or two. there are no uniforms that are room-specific, but it’s typical for dwellers that work in the same area to wear similar clothes to work (ex. workers in the nuclear reactor are commonly seen sporting military fatigues or radiation suits, medbay and science lab workers are seen in white clothing like lab coats, guards are seen wearing metal armor,etc.) feel free to base your ideas off of this canon list of clothes!

as for food, the vault uses food synthesizers and hydroponic farms to produce food. all food consumed is made within the vault to ensure that it’s not affected by any form of radiation (although irradiated water has caused a number of deaths in the past.) recycling is a big, big thing in the vault, and recycling rules are followed strictly. vault-tec also stored a sizable stockpile of packaged food (ex. just-add-water noodles, heat-n-serve tv dinners, dried fruits, etc.) in the vault, along with emergency food rations for desperate times. vault-tec claimed that dwellers won’t run out of food for up to 400 years. at the present time, the vault has no problem with food production, as there is a large, active garden, and few dwellers to feed. (you can even find The Official Vault Dwellers’ Cook Book by Vault-Tec and the URK in the vault’s library! starring popular urk favorites such as kimchi jjigae, tteokbokki, etc. typically, this is used by diner workers.) dwellers can order food at the diner at any time, which serves dishes that are largely composed of vegetables–meat dishes can only be found on the menu about twice a month, and the meat is usually from vault-tec packages since the vault doesn’t raise livestock. there are also a few vendor-bots around the vault that can provide snacks and beverages.

as for the vault’s monetary system, dwellers barter with each other to trade personal affects such as clothes, blankets, books, trinkets, etc. necessities such as food and water are made readily available to dwellers at any time. there is no strict rationing system in place except for gambling chips at the game room and alcohol (both of which all dwellers have equal and limited access to–

gambling chips can only be acquired twice a month from the vendo-bot that supplies it at the door of the game room–this bot logs dwellers’ usage by requiring a fingerprint scan everytime a dweller withdraws chips. additionally, gambling is done only for fun and not for profit. any gambling chips won cannot be exchanged for any kind of prize and must be given back to the vendo-bot.

dwellers are entitled to two glasses of the vault’s stored alcohol every month, that which they can acquire at the lounge, and must consume before they leave. similar to gambling chips, a vendo-bot oversees the provision of alcohol and requires a fingerprint scan for each glass acquired.

legal drinking age is 19!

note that the overseer has the power to grant exceptions (ie. water purification canon being given access to more alcohol than the rest), and that dwellers think so highly of the overseer that they see these exceptions as well deserved and a mark of good work done for the vault–that doesn’t mean no one will judge you, though.)

lax rationing is a system that has been passed down from the very first overseer and the first generation of dwellers. most of them were quite spoiled on earth, and remained quite spoiled in the vault. however, instead of a strict rationing system implemented by the overseer, there exists a strong culture of being judged for taking excessively. gluttony is seen as a very ugly trait. for example, eating at the diner five times in one day is extremely frowned upon, and might even result in other dwellers thinking that you’re lazy and not working hard enough.

as for amenities, vault 752 is quite luxurious. the materials used and the furniture appear to be of high quality and all the rooms offered by vault-tec are available to be used (ex. game room, lounge, etc.) all rooms are open to all dwellers.

most of the headcanons about the vault are taken from fallout shelter, the game itself, however, there are a few differences here and there~~ i hope this was helpful. sorry it was a little allover the place hhh. this is just general stuff, so members can feel free to make more specific headcanons of their own. (might be helpful to check out this fallout wiki page about technology in the vault!). if u have any more questions, we would be more than happyto answer them!

#Anonymous #faq #WHEW #THIS IS SO LONG LMAO SRRY

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michaelandy101-blog · 3 years

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18 Humorous Out-of-Workplace Messages to Encourage Your Personal [+ Templates]

New Post has been published on https://tiptopreview.com/18-funny-out-of-office-messages-to-inspire-your-own-templates/

18 Humorous Out-of-Workplace Messages to Encourage Your Personal [+ Templates]

In terms of the ultimate days earlier than trip, folks are likely to fall into one in all two camps: 1) those that watch the clock incessantly, and a couple of) those that are so busy earlier than they go away, they could even overlook to place up an out-of-office (OOO) e mail message.

For those who’re something like I’m, you in all probability fall into workforce two. That does not go away plenty of time to get inventive. However in case you plan forward, you may have the ability to craft some hilarity.

On this put up, I’ll go over what an OOO message is and share a few of the finest examples I’ve discovered on Google, in addition to a number of from my coworkers).

Out-of-Workplace Message

An out-of-office message is an automated e mail despatched by an e mail account that’s quickly not being checked by its proprietor. Each new e mail to this account will set off the out-of-office message, which is distributed on to the unique e mail’s sender. Most e mail service suppliers can help you activate this feature and customise your message.

Often known as “autoresponder emails,” out-of-office messages run the gamut. From humorous, to intelligent, to snarky, this message can each present your persona and let senders know that, properly, you’re out of workplace.

Whilst you can hold it easy, you too can have some enjoyable with it.

What ought to I placed on my out-of-office message?

First issues first: let’s go over the fundamentals of an OOO e mail. In your away message, you sometimes embody the next:

A fast “I’m out of the office” phrase.

The date or time vary you’ll be out.

Who to achieve out to in case the sender wants quick consideration.

An indication-off.

Placing all of it collectively, your autoresponder would learn one thing like:

“Hello there,

Thanks to your e mail. I’m at present out of workplace till mm/dd/yyyy. For those who need assistance, e mail my colleague at [email protected].

Finest,

[Name]”

However that sounds boring, proper? Fortunately, there are methods to boost your OOO message by including humor in simply the correct locations.

For those who’re feeling caught, attempt our free OOO email generator to draft a message that completely captures who you’re and the place you are going.

Featured Useful resource: OOO Email Generator

Create your OOO email by clicking here.

Humorous Out-of-Workplace Messages

I’ll e mail you again as soon as I’ve defrosted.

If discovered, contact somebody aside from me.

I’ll get again to you after I return to civilization.

If you could attain me, journey to my residence land of Florida.

I do know I’m purported to say that I’ll have restricted entry to e mail, however…

Hello, I’m Troy McClure.

The unhealthy information is that I’m out of workplace. The excellent news is that I’m out of workplace.

I’m at present out of the workplace and doubtless chilling on the seashore. Get pleasure from your work week.

Are you able to guess the place I’m?

Vacation revelry and debauchery forward. Proceed with warning (in case you dare).

Thanks a lot to your e mail. I find it irresistible already.

Die Laborious Quiz.

Listed here are 10 issues I’m grateful for.

I’m busy watching Christmas films. Catch ya later.

Thanks to your consideration throughout this festive or not-festive time.

I’ll get again to you as soon as I’m again from my long-awaited journey to the fridge.

The doorbell simply rang. It’s the usdriver. He’s loading me onto the truck.

Out-of-Workplace Messages for Trip

1. “I’ll email you back once I’ve defrosted.”

Most instances, when folks go on trip, they journey to a heat, tropical place…

However a few of us simply aren’t as fortunate. Or if we’re touring in the course of the winter and heading up north — properly, we’re going to run into some snow, aren’t we?

Whereas this will not show so lucky for us, we will use the poor climate for comedic aid. You may even embody a screenshot of the climate forecast for a way of realism. Not solely will it give senders a chuckle, but it surely’ll additionally generate a specific amount of empathy — which is commonly the important thing to good content material.

Instance

Thanks to your message! I’m at present buried in snow and can get again to you as soon as I’ve defrosted on January 2nd.

And in case you suppose I’m mendacity…

Image Source

Gotta go, my fingers are frostbitten. If you actually need me, both get a shovel and dig me out of right here, or attain out to my colleague Anna — who’s not frozen below snow with frostbitten fingers — at [email protected]

2. “If found, contact someone other than me.”

In case your e mail consumer permits it, you possibly can at all times simply use a picture to precise your out-office sentiment, like this one. In spite of everything, they are saying image is value a thousand phrases — and visible content material continues to be important to profitable marketing.

On this picture, you are letting folks know you are OOO with a “Missing” discover on a milk carton. Genius. Simply watch out — this form of autoresponder is finest for inside emails, not for autoresponders that get despatched to prospects and purchasers.

three. “I’ll get back to you when I return to civilization.”

For those who’re touring to a distant, mountainous space, why not jab some enjoyable at your lack of WiFi in your autoresponder? Plus, that makes it much less seemingly that folks will anticipate an instantaneous response or proceed to e mail you after the primary attempt.

Instance

Hello there,

Sorry I missed you — I’m unable to get to my e mail proper this second. Why? I’m on a backpacking journey, surviving on Spam, actually good water, and path combine. You need to see the celebs out right here.

I’ll get again to you after I return to civilization. Or to an space with WiFi. Or to the workplace on Might 10th. Whichever comes first.

For those who need assistance proper now, e mail my workforce at [email protected].

four. “If you need to reach me, travel to my homeland of Florida.”

When one in all my colleagues went on trip, he despatched an out-of-office message that was each intelligent and sensible. First, he despatched the recipient on an imaginary scavenger hunt to “the highest peak of the tallest mountain.” He used humorous absurdity to make it clear that he wouldn’t be checking e mail whereas he was away.

Plus, he integrated a pleasant method to let folks know that in the event that they actually needed him to learn their emails, they need to in all probability ship them once more after his return. Not solely does that hold the sender accountable by saying, “If this is really important, you know when to reach me,” but it surely additionally helps him really vacate his work whereas he is away. And that is laborious to do.

Beneath is an instance you should utilize for your self.

Instance

Hey!

I’m on trip till July 18th. If you could attain me, right here’s what you’ll have to do:

First, journey to my homeland of Florida.

Climb to the best peak of the tallest mountain.

Discover a uncommon flower (no specifics, after all… It’d be dishonest).

Put the flower again, as a result of because the previous climbing rule goes, “Leave everything as you found it.”

If you perceive that flower, you’ll know to achieve me. Belief me. You’ll know.

In case your message requires a response quicker than that, please e mail my supervisor at [email protected].

If you wish to ensure your message will get a response ASAP after I return, please ship it on July 18th. I like to recommend utilizing one in all our sales automation tools to schedule it now, when you’re enthusiastic about it.

5. “I know I’m supposed to say that I’ll have limited access to email, but…”

Josh Kopelman’s trip e mail is a traditional instance of taking a blunt strategy at OOO messages.

Not solely did Kopelman handle to show his out-of-office message into an epic poem of types, but in addition, he really went by way of the difficulty of making a delightfully snarky, vacation-specific e mail tackle for his recipients.

Giving the choice to contact an e mail tackle containing “interruptyourvacation” supplies two issues — 1) A dose of humor, and a couple of) discouragement from really doing what the identify suggests. Plus, he prefaces it with a request for empathy, by explaining that he promised high quality time to his household.

Positive, Kopelman is truthful about the truth that he is on trip, however he additionally lets the recipient know that she or he can be interrupting essential household time if the primary choice is chosen. It states a degree merely and makes use of humor to keep away from making it sound like he needs the reader to really feel responsible.

Beneath is an instance you should utilize for your self.

Instance

Hello there,

You bought this e mail instantly (traditional autoresponder conduct), which suggests I’m out of workplace on trip.

Whereas I hypothetically may attain my e mail, whereas I hypothetically do have my cellphone readily available, and whereas I hypothetically do have entry to WiFi, I’d slightly take pleasure in time with my household. My children are rising up on the pace of a supersonic jet, and if I blink yet another time, they’ll be 35. And I’ll be 73. And I don’t need that.

For those who nonetheless want to achieve me, you’ll be able to e mail [email protected]. Or you’ll be able to e mail my assistant at [email protected]. They will level you in the correct route.

Trying ahead to reconnecting as soon as I’m again.

6. “Hi, I’m Troy McClure.”

When one in all my colleagues is out of the workplace, he would not fiddle. The truth is, he is turned his auto-responses right into a operating collection of commentary from fictional cartoon character Troy McClure.

Every time McClure makes an look in these out-of-office messages, he “speaks” on behalf of my colleague and alludes to the earlier auto-responses through which he starred. It is a gentle type of self-deprecating humor — as if to say, “I know, I’m out of the office again” — made solely funnier by the made-up teaser title included within the final line.

Do not be afraid to make use of a pop cultural reference that the viewers would acknowledge. As an alternative of bemoaning your absence, they will have one thing enjoyable and acquainted to snigger at.

Instance

Image Source

Hello, I’m Troy McClure. You may bear in mind me from such out-of-office messages as Avenge My Demise if I Don’t Return from DMEXCO and Bye Now, I’m on an Absurdly Lengthy Biking Journey.

I’m right here to speak to you about somebody you already know. Catalina Wong is out of workplace till September 27. She needed me to let you already know that she’ll get again to you after her return.

That’s all for now. Look ahead to me within the upcoming out-of-office message, It’s Not a Hangover, It’s Meals Poisoning — I Swear! And be secure on the market.

7. “The bad news is that I’m out of office. The good news is that I’m out of office.”

You may present simply how thrilled you’re about your trip whereas nonetheless offering an apology (of types… not likely).

Instance

Hey there — I’ve obtained good and unhealthy information for you. Let’s go along with the unhealthy first.

The unhealthy information is that I’m out of workplace. The excellent news is that I’m out of workplace and having fun with elotes in Cancún.

For those who can’t anticipate a response, my colleague might be completely satisfied to care for you. Simply e mail them at [email protected].

I’ll be again on February seventh.

eight. “I am currently out of the office and probably chilling on the beach. Enjoy your work week.”

That’s it. That’s all. Easy and to the purpose, this message will let folks know that you would be able to’t reply to messages.

That mentioned, watch out with messages which can be this curt. Be sure to’re acquainted sufficient together with your viewers — and your boss, for that matter — to know that this form of out-of-office message might be met with a snicker, and never with annoyance.

9. “Can you guess where I am?”

There is a time period that we like to make use of round right here referred to as “snowbirds,” which is used to explain those that as soon as resided within the northern a part of the U.S., solely to flee to hotter elements of the nation in the course of the winter.

And though my colleague had blended emotions about her personal mother and father becoming a member of that inhabitants in Florida, she could not be too upset when her dad urged flying down from Boston for a Crimson Sox spring coaching recreation.

Naturally, she needed to take the day without work — and could not let people know with any previous generic auto-response. As an alternative, she made a guessing recreation of it in her out-of-office e mail, which you should utilize for your self, under.

Instance

Hey there,

I’m at present out of the workplace, having fun with some peanuts and Cracker Jacks with my household. Are you able to guess the place I’m? That’s okay, you’re busy.

In case your message is pressing, worry not — we’ll get it addressed. Attempt doing one in all two issues:

Ship me an e mail at [email protected].

Simply kidding. That’s not an actual e mail tackle.

Attain out to my supervisor at [email protected] in my absence.

I’ll be again within the workplace on 7/19 and can fortunately reply then. Have an excellent weekend!

Vacation Out-of-Workplace Messages

10. “Holiday revelry and debauchery ahead. Proceed with caution (if you dare).”

If you’re out for the vacations, how will you specific your thrill for the season with out sounding, properly, tacky?

How about warning folks of what’s to come back? Check out an instance you should utilize under.

Instance

Hey there,

Cautious. Vacation revelry and debauchery forward. Proceed with warning (in case you dare).

By which I imply to say: I’m on vacation, I’m positively sunburnt, and I’m sorry I missed your e mail.

Don’t you are worried: whereas I fake to be Santa in entrance of my children, my colleague, Hannah, will cowl for me. Simply e mail her at [email protected] in case you want pressing help.

Take care, and don’t get too carried away with the sunbathing!

11. “Thank you so much for your email. I love it already.”

This vacation out-of-office e mail is unquestionably on theme, if not slightly passive aggressive. For those who’re getting emails in the course of the holidays, why not deal with every part you obtain that season like the current it’s, and ship a thanks be aware?

My snarky colleague positive did in his out-of-office message under. We ship thank-you letters in response to vacation presents, so it is solely pure to anticipate the identical gesture in our work inboxes …

Instance

Hey there,

Thanks a lot to your e mail. I find it irresistible already. It’s wrapped so properly in its charming topic line that I simply knew this message was going to be one thing particular. Items like these simply don’t come round on daily basis.

Sadly, I’m going to need to return your message. Because it’s the vacation season, I’m at present away from the workplace. Once I return, I’ll give your e mail a great strong learn and discover that your request is strictly what I wanted in any case! However till then, I’m going to maintain it within the inbox so it doesn’t get broken and revisit it after the vacations are over.

Joyful holidays!

12. “Die Hard Quiz.”

Try this message from a HubSpot worker that definitely turns the tables on the e-mail sender. Proper while you thought you have been the one requesting motion, the recipient despatched again an project — a enjoyable one, a minimum of.

Whereas the sender waits to your response to their e mail, take the sting out of your absence by involving them in a vacation survey, just like the one under.

Instance

Sorry I missed you. I’ll be out of the workplace and gradual to reply till after the break. Whereas I’ve you, although, assist settle an argument amongst my colleagues and me:

Die Laborious Quiz

What was the very best Die Laborious film?

Die Laborious 1: The Workplace Christmas Get together Gone Improper.

Die Laborious 2: Airport Conspiracy.

Die Laborious three: Samuel L. Jackson. Sufficient mentioned.

Die Laborious four: Cyberthreat.

Die Laborious 5: You need to in all probability not choose this one.

Unattainable! It’s like selecting a favourite little one!

Submit

13. “Here are 10 things I’m thankful for.”

This e mail comes from one other one in all my colleagues. The aim of this e mail is to intercept messages throughout Thanksgiving, and the way in which through which it does so is, properly, with thankfulness.

The humorous and charming e mail template under retains the boldness of your colleagues with a listing of issues anybody who works in an workplace is grateful for. In fact, be at liberty to customise this record in response to the quirks of your personal office. Thanksgiving is the proper time to disclose them.

Instance

Since I’m out of the workplace for the Thanksgiving weekend, I’ll reply to your e mail with a listing of 10 issues I’m grateful for:

Copiers that collate

Co-workers that brew extra espresso once they empty the pot

Donuts on Mondays AND Fridays

When IT shocked me with a brand new laptop computer AND remembered to switch my recordsdata

When You-Know-Who died on the finish of e book 7

Dry-erase boards that really erase

The courageous soul who cleaned out the fridge

Once I’m early to an all-staff assembly and rating a desk close to the door

HR lastly despatched a memo telling folks to STOP clipping their nails at their desk

OOO autoresponders

Have an excellent Thanksgiving, and I’ll get again to you Monday.

14. “I’m busy watching Christmas movies. Catch ya later.”

There is no disgrace in utilizing Christmas to take pleasure in your childhood film tastes, however there’s disgrace in not sharing that cute facet of your self when individuals are attempting to achieve you in the course of the holidays.

So, take a lesson from @courtwhip, editor at PEDESTRIAN.TV, who wrote the above hilarious out-of-office e mail, totally stocked with mentions of the very best films from the 1990s. (By the way in which, “Splinter” is from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and as everyone knows, he loves pizza.)

Beneath is an instance you possibly can use for your self. Properly, it’s the identical e mail.

Instance

Oh hey, it’s Christmas, what are you doing emailing me?

I’m extraordinarily busy watching Dwelling Alone, Die Laborious, and the 1994 Ninja Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Christmas Particular on repeat till the brand new 12 months.

I would cease for meals and bathroom breaks, I additionally may not.

No matter my normal well being and hygiene over the foolish season, I’ll be again within the workplace on January 2.

Catch ya then, don’t overlook to purchase a pepperoni pizza for Splinter.

15. “Thank you for your consideration during this festive or not-festive time.”

Terrified of offending a coworker who could or could not rejoice the vacations? Fear not — I’ve obtained the proper e mail for you. If this OOO message does something significantly properly, it is that it respects the differing views, religions, traditions, and opinions of your coworkers — whereas amusing so many others.

It’s additionally an excellent impersonation of a robotic. So if that’s up your alley…

Instance

Hey,

You’ve reached Michael Abioye’s inbox. It is a normal discover informing you of Michael Abioye’s absence till January 2nd, 20XX. He’s at present partaking within the traditions of a sure vacation, which can or is probably not denominational or non-denominational. Instance Firm is by no means endorsing or not endorsing mentioned vacation, nor encouraging or discouraging workers of all demographics to interact in celebratory actions. Thanks to your consideration throughout this festive or not-festive time.

Sincerely,

Administration

Out-of-Workplace Messages When Working from Dwelling

Working from residence? Attempt these OOO messages to let folks know you’re taking a break.

16. “I’ll get back to you once I’m back from my long-awaited trip to the fridge.”

For those who’re taking a trip and staying residence, your purchasers or coworkers should still anticipate you to pop into the workplace and reply their e mail. Use this autoresponder to allow them to know you’re actually not out there — even in case you’re bumming round on the sofa.

Instance

Hey,

Thanks to your e mail. I’m on trip. On the sofa. Consuming chips. And bingeing Stranger Issues for the eighth time (don’t inform anybody).

Sadly, I can’t reply your e mail (despite the fact that my workplace is three toes away). I’ll get again to you as soon as I’m again from my long-awaited journey to the fridge. Purchased tickets on TripAdvisor and every part.

I’ll be again within the workplace on the third and can get again to you then.

17. “Alexa, play Vacation by Dirty Heads.”

Do you personal an Alexa? This is likely to be the e-mail for you.

Instance

“Alexa, play Vacation by Dirty Heads.”

And… it’s enjoying within the background as I write this e mail. Guess what? I’m on trip! And I do love my occupation.

Your e mail has been acquired and I’ll get again to you as quickly as I get again to my residence workplace. Now, how do I flip off this Alexa factor?

18. “The doorbell just rang. It’s the UPS driver. He’s loading me onto the truck.”

On this e mail, you’re a UPS package deal getting delivered to your trip vacation spot. Ah, I want UPS provided this service.

Instance

Hey — you’ve reached my inbox, however maintain on, the doorbell simply rang. It’s the usdriver. He’s loading me onto the truck. Dang, it’s stuffy on this truck with all these packing containers. He’s taking me right down to… Oh! Florida! And now I’m on the seashore. Thanks, UPS driver!

The united statesdriver is scheduled to choose me again up on the eighth. He ought to ship me again to the workplace by the ninth (assuming he’s not late like he was this time).

Don’t fear — I’ll wrap myself in bubble wrap so nothing breaks.

Humorous OOO Messages By no means Fail

Are you totally impressed by the inventive out-of-office messages above? It is time to write your personal — your upcoming trip is determined by it. Attempt HubSpot’s OOO Electronic mail Generator in case you’re feeling caught, and bear in mind, an out-of-office e mail doesn’t should be boring. Quite the opposite, it ought to inform and entertain. You don’t need folks hating on you since you took a much-needed break.

Editor’s be aware: This put up was initially revealed in December 2018 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.

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elliottnkzm612-blog · 4 years

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The Urban Dictionary of tiktok app

In this short article, we will consider 14 of the most phenomenal mechanics that have aided Tik Tok come to be one of the most downloadable application in the App Store in 2018. Chat apps were the brand-new social networks in 2019, continuing the trend of numerous previous years. Dear users Out TikTok hacking program is presently in beta mode so For any type https://ttfansgiveaway.club of mistake and problem we are extremely sorry as well as we will try to solve every problem ASAP. Those that pay attention understand that for the last six months there have been extra individuals wanting web content than those making content, so it was a simpler area than any other social networks system to develop a following.

ByteDance, TikTok's moms and dad business, is under investigation by the Treasury Department's Committee on Foreign Investment in the USA, the Associated Press reported on Friday, for its 2017 deal to buy U.S.-made video clip messaging app-- the same year it released TikTok, a version of a previous app that is just readily available in China, which currently has more than 26 million active monthly users in the UNITED STATE

I don't think it's my most intriguing video, however a person (human or robot) that draws the strings at TikTok has actually decided to keep showing it to new customers, and if they view it through the cycle continues. Despite its short presence, Creeping plant ended up being a cultural touchpoint in the UNITED STATE, with lots of users embracing its six-second time limit as a creative difficulty.

TikTok and Snapchat ought to have excellent years in 2020 for marketing considering that the GenZ niche is infamously hard to reach, even as Instagram tries to create a much healthier individual experience. Expect if among your video clips has actually been shared by 100 individuals, you can anticipate 100-500 followers from that share.

Once you choose to help drip-feed your voters this suggests we progressively send them on the day or two or else 7 days, this produces entities look organic to assist TikTok along with every one of the people whom happen next a person. The TikTok algorithm utilizes machine finding out to review the high quality of every video submitted.

According to The Edge, some users were ' shookt' 'ś(as the millennials would certainly say), when they opened their app on their mobile phones as well as found out that it has actually been changed by a brand-new logo design and name TikTok. It allows users to get more than 10,000 followers and also likers for free. With our TikTok followers Hack device services all these things are ended up being a little bit much easier.

In some cases, the users like a certain video clip as well as wish to download it. In order to download and install the video there specifies function added by the platform. As content systems seek more genuine as well as relied on systems, blockchain's impact on the future of social sharing as well as word of mouth will evolve as well.

If you're uploading scrap on any kind of social networks platform that's not getting interaction, it'll be revealed less. So take a look at Development Akademie to find out organized growth strategies to get as well as retain consumers from leaders at Google, Amazon, Job A, Netflix, TikTok, N26, and also extra. A novice customer can have absolutely no to 10-20 likes for their video clips while a highlighted individual can have absolutely nothing less than 1k likes.

As video, conversation and also pc gaming have become key environments for micro-interactions in conversation, the applications as well as platforms that finest incorporate them tend to do very well-- such as Facebook, ByteDance and Snapchat Inc that are all raising their global marketing market share.

By Spawning Released TikTok Followers & Buffs Near Your very own Description We Need to VERIFY That you're Human and also never ever A Robotic. If you are additionally creating the video clips then our TikTok likes Hack can aid you in enhancing the variety of likes promptly as well as easily. Web content as well as area aren't the only points adding to TikTok's growth.

In instance any individual is dealing with concerns while making use of the TikTok likes Hack tool then correct assistance is readily available there. You'll free on your own from TikTok followers if you possess advertised outfitted in calendar month. Yes, you listened to right we can hack TikTok now. At the end of 2019 Instagram and Facebook decided to start to conceal likes on messages.

Present you with an entire guarantee for practically any command Deal Frank UK TikTok Friends. She is taken into consideration to be the first Indian to strike a million Tiktok followers. Because individuals are investing more sessions of much shorter period on their favored apps as our focus changes along with digital change, it's.

youtube

These videos are connected with a details time frame. This details will certainly provide you the required prank in order to traverse after that dominate TikTok's gathering event. TikTok admirers take place beginning as a result of the millions. In October 2019, Facebook sued NSO Team, an Israeli cybersecurity firm, for making use of WhatsApp to hack phones.

I like TikTok. The surge of specific niche apps, new platforms, Esports, game streaming, and also chat concentrated youngsters suggests the stickiest applications for youngsters will certainly be those that are one of the most fun which can preserve the peers of accomplice. Individuals will share your videos with others similar to you see others' video clips on your timeline, shared by your friends.

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keegames · 7 years

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“It’s Not For You” - A Medium’s Breadth

With the recent release of Cuphead, an action-packed run-and-gun title with gorgeous art emulating the style of classic Fleischer Studios cartoons, a discussion on challenge in games has reared its ugly head once again. A few articles positing that the game needs to allow its challenges to be skipped have appeared on gaming websites, and responses declaring that the authors need to insert themselves inside themselves have sprung up in comments and on social media. Those who willingly align themselves with GamerGate and the modern, dangerous alt-right movement that it helped spawn are using this game as yet another way to spew their toxic sense of entitled superiority towards anybody who thinks differently from them. It’s a bit sad that a labor of love like Cuphead has brought out such anger in people, but like many controversies, there’s a real discussion to be had that’s being drowned out by frankly idiotic rhetoric.

I’ll keep things simple: no video game is for everyone who plays games.

The basic concept that everybody has unique tastes may sound so obvious that an article on the idea is unnecessary, but let’s explore it anyway. Most people purchase a game on the assumption that they’ll enjoy it; this is the core of entertainment in general. We make these assumptions based on information available to us about the game. This information can include video footage, screenshots, pre-release impressions, and more. However, if one makes an assumption of enjoyment based on one element of a game while not taking into account another that they end up disliking, then the consumer may end up feeling disappointed. Many times this isn’t the player’s fault; if a particularly frustrating segment of a game isn’t shown before a purchase is made, then a player feeling betrayed when they reach that section is understandable. However, sometimes a lack of research from a buyer leads them into being disappointed in a way that was easily avoidable. I think that frustrations that spawn from having to repeatedly play boss fights in Cuphead until you overcome them fall into the latter category.

Cuphead made a splash in the gaming community thanks to its wonderful visuals, to the point that I think that many people bought the game because of those without stopping to pay attention to what kind of game it really was. The information was readily available, however; Cuphead is a run-and-gun 2D action game, a decidedly old-school genre built on intense challenge. The cornerstones of the genre include series like Contra and Metal Slug, which are widely known to be difficult games, and the old-school challenge that permeates this style of game is present in Cuphead as well. I suspect that people frustrated with Cuphead’s difficulty wouldn’t normally play something like Contra or Metal Slug, but were entranced by the game’s amazing art and animation. If these people had put the gameplay style in their mind first, they probably would have skipped it entirely.

Now, here’s the catch: not wanting to play intense, challenging arcade games is PERFECTLY FINE.

What the screaming bozos latching onto the “journalists aren’t good at games” shit-flinging narrative are missing is that their constant put-downs of people who don’t like intense old-school challenge games come from the exact same place mentally. Just like those journalists who don’t think games should be exercises in repetition until success is reached, they think that games should ONLY be that. These self-proclaimed gamers use their narrow view of what video games are as a badge of superiority when the medium offers much more, and has for many years.

The idea of games as things other than hardcore challenges dates back many, many years, which throws a damper on the tendency of these gamers to look back on the late 80s and the 90s as a time of “pure” games. For example, The Secret of Monkey Island, a game about exploring a world and having humorous interactions with many characters, had no way to actually lose at all, and that came out in 1990! SimCity, the seminal city management simulator, was released a year earlier and had no singular full goal or win condition at all, though it had a number of scenarios that a player could challenge themselves to build a successful city through. The kind of player that would enjoy exploring and interacting in The Secret of Monkey Island might find themselves utterly annoyed with, say, Mega Man 3, a challenging NES platformer released in the same year, and vice-versa. And that’s the beauty of games, really. The basic concept of interactive computer entertainment can manifest in so many different ways that saying that a specific game should change to fit your tastes, or that people who don’t enjoy a specific game are worthy of scorn, is just doing a disservice to the medium.

Basically, what I want people to get from this article is that there are SO MANY different games that offer SO MANY different things. Games that you would never be interested in playing offer things to people very different from you. Not only that, no single developer is obligated to please you, specifically, with their game. They might not be making it for you or for people who like the things you do. And that’s perfectly fine. The only thing that’s not fine is talking down to developers OR players of games that aren’t your style.

P.S. For the record, my gaming tastes skew towards more linear/arcade-style action games with deep mechanics where mastery is expected for completion, higher scores/ranks, or both. This is not an absolute rule, however. Sometimes I do enjoy more story-based games that are less focused on mastery if the plot and aesthetics sweep me up.

P.P.S. If you’re wondering why I use some more heated language and style when talking about far right gamers, it’s because I think they’re fucking scum. Sorry if it seems unprofessional, but this blog is a hobby anyway.

#video games #gaming #game design #video game design #cuphead

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h-eckers · 7 years

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Shed Your Skin

Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4

A/N: I am shamelessly in love with this story line, even though the writing may not be perfect and I’m really nervous about it. There is a part 2 already posted. This was always designed specifically to be multi-part, I’ll explain that more in the note on part 2. No spoilers.

P. S. This isn’t a Bughead fic by any means so I didn’t tag it as such (I’m sorry, guys), but the pairing is included in part

Summary: Being a newly inducted Serpent comes with unforseen benefits for Riverdale’s most poetic soul, like cool jackets and … personal bodyguards???

Word Count: 3,226

Warnings: gang activity, swearing, drug mentions, (Bughead angst, if that counts as a warning.)

Serpent sympathizers.

That’s what the Southside called them, and it applied to those in the area who weren’t Serpents themselves. These were the people who had no problem inhabiting the same space as a notorious gang, some had ties or dealings to members, others simply chose to approve because it did nothing to bother them. What turned out to be an unexpected blessing to Riverdale’s resident writer, was the family he was placed with on the Southside were exactly that, a family who openly referred to themselves as “friends of the Serpents.” When Jughead had confessed his connection to the gang, mentioning his father’s home left empty, the family under whose care he stayed simply allowed him to do what he pleased as long as he kept them out of it. In mere moments he had gained a freedom he was unused to, and yet one that so deeply comforted him.

This freedom is precisely what led Jughead to be sitting on the couch in his father’s currently abandoned home, aimlessly flicking through channels to find a suitable background noise for his writing. After all, there was much to update in his book, many a mystery solved and waiting to be immortalized with words against a page. The night was cold, but the sanctity of familiar walls, and the old heater in the corner, coated with dust, provided a gentle and welcoming warmth as well as an obvious fire hazard. The light from the kitchen twisted and stretched itself, struggling to illuminate much past the room it was in, only lending a soft and muted glow to the living room where the young writer had found comfort, lost in his own words, alone in his home for the first time in years that felt like centuries. For a moment, he felt peace.

The problem with the current state of Riverdale, however, meant that peace was short lived, and Jughead’s serenity was destroyed with a loud and repetitive banging on the front door in place of a polite knock. He stopped for a moment, contemplating whether he should answer it or leave it and let them believe there was no one here, he decided on the later. Even from their aggression towards his front door he could tell it wasn’t a person he’d enjoy speaking to and right now, he was comfortable in being alone. So he didn’t move from where he was, letting the demanding pounding on his front door die down, hoping to fade back into contentment, but again his wish for that was completely shattered when he heard the unmistakable sound of a key being put into the lock. Standing quickly, he turned to the door expecting the only person he could think of who would have keys apart from himself, when his eyes met that of the newly arrived body, just through the door, he sighed a heavy sigh.

“Hey, dude.” The unfamiliar girl smiled, shutting the door and shoving her keys back inside the pocket of her dark jeans, “I figured you might be here.”

“I’m sorry, have we met?” Jughead stumbled slightly, still caught up in the shock of the intrusion of a stranger.

“Nah, not yet, but I’m Y/N.” She grinned, holding out her hand for him, Jughead hesitated upon seeing the dirt and grease there. She chuckled, retracting her hand to wipe it against her leg, avoiding the leather on her jacket “Oh, shit, sorry, I was working on the bikes right before I came out here.”

“I’m Jughead…” His voice was strong, and yet carried a clear tone of caution, which one would expect in a situation such as this one, “and why are you here?”

“I know who you are, dude, your daddy talks about you all the time, I’ve seen you around. He actually gave me the keys to this place when I went to see him today… well, he asked the sheriff to give me the keys, same thing though really.” She explained causally, shrugging off the question and wandering into the kitchen as though the home was hers.

“Why?” Jughead asked, already growing impatient with her, perhaps because of her demeanour or maybe it was the fact that she seemed to know more about the situation with his father than he did. She walked over to the sink and started cleaning her hands, scrubbing the grease away with the dish soap left neglected on the counter, his eyes followed her, staring at her back when she turned to the sink, only then did he notice the Serpent embroidery across the back of her jacket, hold against the black and a perfect explanation of how she was acted.

“Us Serpents aren’t exactly the favourites right now, there’s been target attacks on us now and I’m here to house sit for the boss kinda, mainly I’m here because he said you would be.” Y/N shrugged, looking around for a clean dish towel and shuffling through drawers until she found something to dry her hands. “You’re one of us now, right? We look out for our own.”

There was a silence that crept up there, as Jughead’s eyes drifted back to the jacket they’d given him, sling over the back of a chair, on display. “I hadn’t really thought about it.” He admitted absently, his eyes moving back to hers, immediately he saw the worry on her face, as though she was looking at a child lost in a store, with no sense of direction.

“It’s no problem,” she said quickly, noticing the hesitance in him and offering her most gentle smile, “even if you decide you don’t want to be, your daddy’s for you a life time pass to protection.”

He didn’t say anything, there wasn’t much to say. In all honesty, he had no doubt that she could protect him, She was scruffy, not the cleanest but he could only assume that was the fault of working under old bikes before she arrived, and there were tattoos showing from under the cuffs of her jacket even though she looked about his age, but her eyes made her seem older, there was no doubt she had seen things, things that age a person, things that change them. “Look, uhm, I know it’s bit weird but do you mind if I shower real quick?”

“Yeah, yeah, just through there.” He mumbled, pointing in the direction of the bathroom.

“I know.” She smiled again, partially awkwardly but overall it seemed apologetic, she scurried away to get clean.

It was an unsettling feeling, despite everything, Jughead had always been resolute in how he felt. He knew what he wanted without a doubt at any time and yet he sat across the room, staring at the jacket he was gifted, thinking back to his short experience at South side high, and thinking about Betty, and Archie, and all he’d left in Riverdale and for the first time in as long as he could remember, he was completely unsure.

The truth was, the Serpents we’re beginning to look better and better as an option for him, they had welcomed him with open arms like no one ever had, despite how different he’d assume himself from them. This girl, though abrasive, seemed kind and open, she hadn’t tried to lie to him, and she’d accepted him readily as though they’d known each other for years, a nicer treatment than he’d received from some of his closest friends in the recent past. It was a battle raging in his head between what seemed right and what felt right, and at the moment the feeling was what he was chasing.

The thoughts he had found himself consumed by all vanished at one with a gentle hand on his shoulder, he looked up at her, fresh faced, wet hair tousled about her cheeks in wild waves, and she was wearing one of his dads old shirts tucked into her jeans. “You alright? I came out like fifteen minutes ago and you’ve just been staring at that jacket.”

“Thinking.” He said with a tight smile, watching as she retracted her hand and pulled on her jacket again, falling onto the couch with a soft ‘oomph’.

“Y'know, you don’t have to make up your mind straight away. It’s okay.” Her smile was genuine, gentle and purposeful, and he believed her entirely.

“You’re not really what I expected, considering you’re a member of a notorious gang.” He chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair. She raised her eyebrow at his sudden attitude change, but chose not to question it yet for fear of scaring it away.

“What?” She grinned, “Dirty, scruffy, bike mechanic who almost busts down the door before using the key doesn’t work for you?” She mumbled, grabbing a cushion and hugging it to her stomach. There was something endearing about her, she was honest, and for so long living in a town with so many lies, and where everyone seemed to try to be someone they weren’t, it was refreshing to say the least.

“I guess you have a point, but in any case it suits you.” He said, her cheeks burned slightly and she couldn’t help the small smile that decorated her lips for a moment as she tilted her head, never breaking eye contact with him.

“Your dad told me about how charming you were, said we’d get along. Even once said he thought we’d do good for each other.” She hummed softly, and he nodded, “You’ve definitely charmed me, Jug. I hope he was right about the rest of it.”

“I think he could have been.” Jug admitted, and perhaps it was too soon to say such a thing but it wasn’t as though it was a lie.

Y/N opened her mouth to reply, when there was a knock at the door again. A normal knock this time as opposed to the vicious barrage against the door the girl in front of him had inflicted not long ago. Jughead looked to her for an answer and she simply shrugged, “We don’t knock like that.” She smirked and he could only laugh as he got up to answer the door.

“Hey, Juggie, you didn’t answer any of my texts. I figured I’d come and check you were okay.” Her voice was already laced with worry, or anger, or possibly a cocktail of the two as she looked up at him. Jughead cleared his throat.

“Sorry, I guess I just got distracted.” He sighed, smiling for her and a small smile is what he got in return, “I am sorry, you know I wouldn’t ignore you intentionally.”

“I know, I was just worried, especially when I called your host parents and they said you weren’t there.” The concern was clear, he felt it in his soul and immediately felt the guilt that came with knowing he’d upset her. “I figured you’d be here.”

“Uh, do you want to come in?” He asked after a moment, things seemed tense, he’d been living on the south Side for just under a week now and he’d seen or spoken to her every single day but the way they interacted had changed. Things seemed stilted when they spoke, their kisses grew more chaste and empty, and he was aware that it was all him. She hadn’t changed but in the space of a few days, he had, in ways he hadn’t even fully realised for himself yet.

“Of course.” She smiled softly, moving carefully past him to wander inside, all of a sudden a fabricated image of Y/N flashed up in his mind, of her shoving past him ungracefully to get inside. For some reason, that made him grin.

Y/N had become entirely absorbed in a late night re-run of Friends, focusing on the show as a way to tune out the conversation she wasn’t a part of, when Betty wandered in and saw her, she stopped, confused. After a moment of being ignored by the freshly showered girl on her boyfriend’s couch, Betty cleared her throat, as politely as possible given the situation. Her attention was pulled away from the screen and towards the blonde in the living room. “Oh, hi!” She said happily, muting the TV to give the newly arrived guest her full attention, Betty wasn’t in the same place. She turned to Jughead.

“Who’s this?” She asked, completely ignoring the girl herself. Y/N didn’t appreciate that.

“My name is Y/N, and I’m perfectly capable of introducing myself.” Her expression and tone didn’t change from that energetic excitement, and yet there was something different, something sarcastic, something threatening slipping out with her words. Betty blinked at her, eyes going wide.

“Sorry,” She stammered slightly, “I’m Betty.” The other girls face lit up again immediately.

“Oh! You wrote that article about us right?” Y/N queried, “Thanks for that, sucks to hear what they did to your locker though, m’sure we’ll get ‘em soon enough though. You don’t have to worry for much longer.” She winked playfully, somehow making the incredibly ominous statement seem light hearted.

“You’re a serpent.” It wasn’t a question, nor was it something Betty appreciated apparently, she turned back to Jughead. “You know you can stay at my house if you need to, Jug.”

“I know, but it’s okay here.” He chuckled, as the blonde rested her hand on his arm, concern written across her face, “Really, everything’s fine.”

“Yeah, I’m just housesitting, body guarding.” Y/N tried to joke, perhaps ease some of the awkwardness she felt, it didn’t work, especially when Betty ignored her.

“Jug…” She said softly, like urging. Pushing him to say something else, to leave with her.

“Betty, every thing’s under control.” He said again, his brow furrowing.

“Okay,” She said tightly, obviously unimpressed with the decision, “well can I at least get that Blue and Gold stuff from you?”

“Of course. It’s in my room.” He mumbled, looking towards Y/N for a second, an indiscernible look in his eyes, trying to convey something Y/N couldn’t decipher, but whatever it was, it was near to worry. He turned his back hesitantly and walked into the next room. Y/N smiled.

“Yeah, so I’m just here to house sit while FP’s otherwise occupi-” She was cut off, Betty’s voice, low and quiet intersecting with her light-hearted attempt to make conversation.

“He’s not one of you. He belongs in Riverdale, with his friends.” Betty dragged out the last word, as though rubbing in some scathing insult like Y/N had been Jughead’s friend for ten years and not ten minutes. Y/N’s expression dropped slightly, not into anger but into a certain smugness, a serpentine smirk painting her soft lips.

“I think that’s for him to decide, don’t you?” She asked, that threat in her voice simultaneously drawing Betty to respond and urging her to run.

“He has decided.” She said, her strength of composure never wavering externally, though inside her heart quaked with an uncertainness. Y/N stepped forward menacingly, only an inch taller than the other girl and yet towering above her head.

“Maybe he has, but I don’t know if it’s what you think.” Y/N hummed, her tone close to sultry though it was only meant to scare the blonde girl before her, and it did, oh it did. “After all, you may have written a cute little article for his daddy, but I’ve been riding with FP since I was knee high. You could write a full trilogy and id still win by miles, sweetness.” She spat, her words dripping with venom that only a serpent could produce.

“That doesn’t matter,” Betty swallowed, a darkness coming into her eyes that made Y/N grin as the other’ hands clenched, nails to palm in violent collision, “you don’t get to win that easily. FP and Jughead are different people.”

“True,” Y/N shrugged, stepping back, “but who says they can’t grow to be closer. Bond over a pool table at the Whyte Wyrm?”

“Jughead would never. That’s not who he is.” Betty practically growled, only eliciting a chuckle from the other girl who simply fell back onto the couch, staring Betty down with narrowed eyes.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you that snakes shed their old skin, princess?” She smiled. Betty opened her mouth to speak, interrupted only seconds before implosion by Jughead re-entering the room. The tension hit him like a truck, and he saw his girlfriend clutching her own hands, glaring at the other girl on his couch who had gone back to watching the TV as though nothing had transpired.

“Is everything okay?” HE asked, hesitant as to the response, Y/N didn’t respond, Betty turned to him with eyes aflame.

“I need to talk to you,” She growled softly, “alone.”

Jughead followed her outside. Y/N stayed put and listened, muting the TV again and sitting back on the couch to listen to the blondes hysterics, smirking to herself at Betty’s colourful description of her, terrible words falling from her innocent lips in vitriol of the she serpent. None of her words caused any injury, it’s not as though she hadn’t been called worse before, never though, had it been this entertaining. She listened to them argue for what felt like hours, noticing Jughead’s words in her defence despite their recent meeting, the argument had turned from her quickly though, to the decision Jughead was to make about his future, about where he was to belong. Eventually their voices faded into non-existence, with tense endings, she listened to Betty leave and waited while Jughead stayed outside for a few moments, gathering his thoughts she could only assume. During that time, she raised the volume on the TV again, though her attention stayed singularly on him.

When the door opened and he walked back into the room, Y/N said nothing. He said nothing. At first the two of them stayed locked in a mutual silence as he sat and rubbed his face, the frustration fading with each long breath he took. “She doesn’t like me.” Y/N finally spoke up, though her eyes stayed on the screen.

“I know.” He sighed, leaning back in the chair he sat in, though his eyes raked her form though searching for something he needed to find, as though she wore the answer on her body and maybe she did. Y/N rose from her seat, rolling her shoulders and grabbing the jacket they’d gifted Jughead from the back of the chair it laid on, walking over to him and holding it out to him in offer.

“It’s still yours if you want it.” She said seriously, there was something in her eyes he trusted and even more there that he was terrified of.

“I could lose her.” He said, as though asking for something. Some clarification or answer of the million questions racing through his mind at full speed.

“I’m not forcing you.”

There was a moment of quiet, and he stood to face her, stepping forward and grabbing the jacket still in her hands and they stayed for a moment, with locked eyes in wait, and locked fingers on leather. “We’re together?” he asked, and she knew exactly what he meant, it wasn’t about the two of them. It was about a family, about stepping into a world he knew nothing of.

“Ride or die, Jones.”

And he took it.

And he put it on.

And everything changed.

Jughead tags: @princessjughead @unicornqueen05 @andforthecoating @mrs-fangirl @aselfishllama

Everything tags: @gryffndor @itsjaynebird @vanessa-sanch-blog @lost-in-wonderland-x @annoyingsibling @bex09

#riverdale #riverdale imagine #riverdale fic #jughead #jughead fic #jughead imagine #jughead jones #jughead jones fic #jughead jones imagine #jughead x reader #jughead jones x reader #serpent!jughead #serpent!jughead x reader #serpent!jughead imagine #serpent!jughead fic

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tomthelokilizer · 7 years

Text

Home, Thomas

Request: A fic where Tom and “you” had been friends for a really long time and just suddenly realized that you loved each other

Summary: Childhood friends until one day, one of them realizes they have grown a bit fond of the other.

Tom Hiddleston x Reader

Word Count: 1550

A/N: I seem to have lost the message with the request in it, but I hope this satisfied it! Sorry! Also, the phrase at the end is an old saying, so... Yeah.

"Put me down!" _______ screeched. "Make me!" I responded, a smile creeping upon my features. "Oh, I don't think you want me to do that," _______ boldly stated. "Then I suppose you won't be getting down any time soon," I remarked with an audible smirk. Suddenly, two fingers were jammed onto a pressure point in my neck. "AH! Really?" I asked incredulously as I plopped her on the ground. I can't believe she did that, I thought with a silent chuckle. "I warned you that you wouldn't like it," she replied, arms folded across her chest in triumph. "Well, I thought we were having fun," I stated in a matter-of-fact way. Well, I was at least. "Your definition of fun has always been a little off the mark," she retorted, an eyebrow quirking up. "Well, I do protest," I responded in mock suffering, "Your definition of fun is reading newspapers in ridiculous voices." "Don't you bring up my newspapers," she commanded with finger pointed at me. She sure is cute when she's feisty--- What are you thinking, Tom? She's like your sister. Pull it together.

"Oh hey," ______ chatted, pulling me from my thoughts, "did I tell you about the new guy at work?" I quietly shook my head in response, curious as to what kind of story this newcomer would present. "Well, his name is...," she took a momentary pause to remember before drawling out the name, "Jack, I think. Anyway, the other day..." She was reporting the previous day's events in quite an animated way, but all I could think about were her eyes. Snap out of it, man. You need to listen. I pulled myself out of my dazed state and began to refocus on her story. "So, at that point, I happened to get a good look at him, and I must say," she took a pause, purely for dramatic effect, "he was quite the looker despite the whole Lion King scar thing going on over his eye." "Really?" I inquired, mildly peeved for some unknown reason. What is this feeling in my chest? She has spoken numerous times about other men, but I've not once experienced this. "Well," I continued, "I'm going to have to meet this young man and give him my stamp of approval if you plan to make some advances, young lady." "But dad," she whined, looking up at me with those puppy dog eyes with which I had become so familiar. "No buts," I responded firmly in a fatherly tone. "Yeah, he had a nice one of those too," she remarked wistfully, seemingly staring off in the distance. I merely laughed to myself as I shook my head in amusement. "But, that's beside the point," she remarked, prying herself from her former day dreaming state, "I have a coffee date with him this coming Friday." I hummed in response. "And you need a chauffeur? Or some adult supervision?" I teased. "Why, yes, of course," she quickly quipped, returning my jesting tone, "how else can I be expected to meet him there?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As Friday morning rolled around, I was oddly anxious over this apparent date that _______ had arranged. I can only hope that "Scar" will treat her politely. Jack, I quickly corrected myself. His name is Jack. No need to be churlish. The hours slowly ticked by, as I waited. What I was waiting for, on the other hand, I had no clue. I nervously busied myself by responding to emails, cleaning out my closet, and dusting all of the furniture. It has to be past 1:00 by now, I reasoned with myself, Surely, she would be through. I cautiously glanced down at my watch. 11:13. Well, damn. Giving up on the cleaning, I resolved to walk down to the local cafe and acquire some lunch. After hastily ordering, receiving, and consuming the meal, I stood to leave and make my way back to my residency. A thought crossed my mind. I wonder if they're still at that coffee shop. It wouldn't be that out of the way to go check on her-- No. I shook my head as I reprimanded myself. I will not spy on her simply to curb my own anxiety. She is her own person and when she is finished, it will be her choice as to whether or not she decides to tell me about it. By the time I had returned to my flat, it was 12:03. I suppose I could text her and ask how things are going, I mused to myself as I meandered throughout the living room, ultimately ending up on the sofa. As I moved to reach into my pocket, a soft vibration occurred from the offending pocket. Pulling out my phone, I noticed a new text message from none other than _______. "Please call me" was all it said. Curious and a slight bit worried, I immediately pressed the call button next to the name. It rang. And rang. And rang. "Hello?" A curt female voice sounded on the other end. "_______? What's wrong?" I inquired, allowing my concern to be quite evident in my voice. "Hey, so you know how we were talking about chauffeurs?" "Yes," I responded, curious as to where this was going. "Well, would you mind picking me up at the bakery in town?" "Of course," I replied, "but what--" "It's quite the story," she interrupted, "I'll explain when you get here" "Be there in ten, then," I reassured. Before I could hang up, her voice came through, quiet and hesitant. "Hey, Tom?" "Yeah?" There was a slight pause. "Thanks," she finally finished. "No problem, I'll be there in a bit," I concluded as I grabbed my keys and waltzed out of the flat. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pulling into the bakery's diminutive parking lot, I took note of ________. She sat outside at one of the small tables, chin resting on her palm as she absentmindedly stared into the distance, distractedly picking off bits of peeling paint from the table. She doesn't look utterly distraught, which is ultimately best, I suppose. Stepping out of the car, her eyes instantly focused on me as I pulled up a chair next to her. I should probably wait for her to offer an explanation before asking. She smiled softly at me. The kind of smile that could melt hearts. More specifically, yours, Hiddleston. I think I love her. "So, you are probably wondering why I am sitting all by my lonesome outside of bakery after a date with one who was quite the looker," she sighed despondently. Mimicking deep thought I replied, "No, the thought never crossed my mind." I coated every word with heavy sarcasm, as I smirked at her. She readily reciprocated my smirk as her eyes lit up. Those eyes. "Well, it turns out that 'Jack' was not really 'Jack'," she sneered as she proceeded to inform of the unbelievable date -- and not the good kind of unbelievable. Interestingly enough, this 'Jack' figure ended up being some sort of hacker who had stolen the identity of the actual Jack. She added that her work had sent out an email with this information, just to alert its employees, but her coworker texted her personally to inform her of the scandal. Once she questioned her date on this information, he immediately began to clam up and left her alone at the bakery. "I suppose I should have just had him meet me here instead letting him pick me up," she resigned, a mirthless smile creeping onto her features. "Or, you could had employed a chauffeur," I jestingly suggested. Her smile immediately transformed into genuine grin. "Well, Hiddleston," she declared, standing to her feet, "let's blow this popsicle stand." "Yes ma'am," I agreed with a slight solute. As we made our way to the vehicle, I followed her to the passenger side, opening the door for her. Before she entered, she turned suddenly to me and stood there, searching my eyes. It was as if she could read every emotion through my eyes. And truthfully, I was trying to say the words I could not vocalize through my eyes. She smiled, soft and meek. "Thanks again," she expressed. She tilted her head as if to finally sit, but then failed to move further. "Something wrong?" I inquired. "Yeah," she whispered as she once again turned to me, "I don't know why I've never done this before." Before I could request what she was referring to, I found myself locked in kiss. Shocked by the sudden affection, I was slow to react, but as she made to pull away, I fervently returned her sentiment. Her arms slid behind my head as mine found their way around her waist. As we mutually pulled away, I was left speechless as I searched her eyes for an answer before finding my voice. "Why haven't we done that before?" I echoed her earlier statement, an evident smile taking its place on my features. She giggled in response as she slid into the seat of the car and I made my way to the other side. "Where to ma'am?" I asked, adopting a professional tone. She pondered a moment before answering. "Home, Thomas," she responded quirking an eyebrow, "and don't spare the horses."

#Tom Hiddleston #Tom Hiddleston fanfiction #Tom Hiddleston x Reader #Tom Hiddleston Imagine #request

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