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ootahime · 3 years

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what is utahime’s role in the future? — a prediction (manga spoilers)

part 1 (unedited)

I WAS ABOUT TO POST IT BUT I ACCIDENTALLY DELETED IT AND I WAS SO HURT FR!!!!! I HAD REWRITE THIS ENTIRE THING </33

part 2 is here!

in this post, i will be analyzing the information we’ve been given about utahime so far to form a prediction about her future role in the jujutsu kaisen series. if you’re as interested in utahime’s character as i am, please feel free to keep reading :3 (i’ll also be talking about her relationship with gojo a bit too)

soukatsu_ on twt!

kaikaikitan on twt!

utahime iori is a semi-grade 1 sorcerer working as a student supervisor/teacher at kyoto jujutsu high school. she loves drinking beer and going to karaoke. she’s also close friends with shoko and she’s not particularly fond of gojo most of the time. what else do we know about her?

hates sweets (funny she’s the complete opposite of gojo)

she’s great at singing and it’s a huge part of her technique

squabbling with gojo became a reflex :3

everyone absolutely adores utahime

loves watching soccer and baseball

a terrible drunk (worse than naobito zenin)

gojo is her main source of stress

let’s dive into her personality and abilities!

chapter 65

before i get into it, i think it’d be best if i were to explain the timeline because a lot of people seem to be confused about this one particular thing. utahime is born on february 18th, 1987. contrary to popular belief, she is not 3 years older than gojo. it is november 2018 in the story because gojo was sealed on halloween. if gojo was born on december 7th, 1989, that would mean that right now, he is only 28 years old. he has yet to turn 29.

the year is 2007. gojo satoru is a second year at tokyo jujutsu high school. the japanese school year begins in april which suggests that gojo is only 17 at the time (even if it’s not april, it doesn’t look like winter yet so it’s unlikely that he’s already 18). utahime is 20 because it is past february. she is a 2nd grade sorcerer at the age of 20. that’s not bad at all!

chapter 65 introduces young utahime and mei on a mission together within a cursed site. in real time, they’ve been gone for two days which is a cause of concern for gojo, shoko, and geto because the two haven’t contacted anyone since the beginning of their mission. the two begin to suspect something is wrong because the hallway markers they’ve set in place disappeared, and no matter how far they travel within the halls, the end is nowhere in sight. mei theorizes that the cursed spirit is overlapping the space as they travel forward. utahime agrees with this speculation and proposes a plan to escape the cursed spirit’s grasp by moving erratically. notice how she says that if one of them should escape, they can try to attack from the outside or call for help. if utahime was not capable of inflicting damage on anything then she would have told mei to escape and attack if she can while she waited to be rescued. however, she didn’t. she included herself in the sentence which leads me to believe that she is capable of going on the offense if needed.

keep in mind that at this point in time, mei is a grade 1 sorcerer. she is knowledgeable about all things involving jujutsu because she is experienced and skillful. we can see this aspect of her character illustrated when she theorizes that the cursed spirit is messing with the space they’re in. she chooses to go with utahime’s plan because she agrees that it’s the best action moving forward. this verifies that utahime is an intelligent girl that’s able to get along with pretty much anyone.

her intellect is demonstrated once again in chapter 79. she was able to deduce the possibility of there being more than one traitor and the fact that one is probably a higher up. she also narrowed down the mechamaru as the mole of kyoto not because he was acting suspicious but by process of elimination. she thought thoroughly of his technique and how easy it would be for him to manipulate devices small enough to be undetectable.

sure you can argue that she should already know all her students’ abilities and whatnot but you have to admit that it’s hard trying to sniff out the traitor when no one is acting suspicious. in addition to that, how did she know that there was a traitor in the top brass? i would have never guessed that tbh LOL (maybe bc im an idiot).

okay, now that we have established that she’s intelligent, let’s answer a more important question. is utahime weak?

chapter 33

if gojo calls utahime weak, does that mean there is some truth to it? well it is true that she is weaker than him because he’s the strongest and all. in my opinion, he’s just teasing her. he probably found that calling her weak is what really riles her up. maybe i’ll talk about why he loves teasing her so much in a later post. but anyway, gojo calls everybody and their mom weak. he even said jogo was weak and we know how powerful that guy is. gojo’s words alone do not indicate much about utahime’s power. in fact, i don’t even think he has seen her use her technique yet. he’s probably only ever heard of how it works. this is what i think their conversation about her technique was like:

gojo: hm? ur cursed technique is singing? can u show me?

utahime: what! no way!

gojo: why not?

*one of the classmates tells him that she can only use her CT once in a while because it consumes a lot of energy*

gojo: hahaha! u have to conserve cursed energy to use ur CT? why are u so weak, utahime?

utahime: i! am! your! senpai! respect! me!

what i’m trying to say is that gojo loves poking fun of people. we should not believe him when he calls someone weak because compared to him, everyone is weak.

this is a little off topic but let’s examine him telling her, “and you don’t have the nerves, utahime.” i think he’s trying to say that there’s no way she’ll ever do something like that because she’s not the type to put her students in danger. remember the soft expression and relieved smile on her lips when she said that she was glad the students were safe after the kyoto incident? gojo was directly in front of her so not only did he hear her say that, but he could have seen the look on her face too. even if he told her that she didn’t have the guts to betray the school to get on her nerves, he knew that utahime simply cared too much about the students so he ruled her out as a suspect right away. this is why he ultimately decided to confide in her and ask her to help him.

i’m a person who loves over-analyzing things. i really enjoy the dynamic between gojo and utahime. they’ve known each other for more than 11 years and although they always bicker, there is an unspoken feeling of trust between the two. gojo can do anything and everything by himself because he is truly the strongest person alive, but he still knows when to rely on others. him deciding to entrust utahime with such a job implies that he believes in utahime’s abilities.

chapter 52

she’s not using any cursed energy here--not to our knowledge at least. this is just pure skill. she was able to swiftly evade the swing from haruta. he was surprised himself considering the fact that he was right behind her. how do we know her CT isn’t speed? after haruta swung at her, we can see that some of her hair got cut off. if she was using her CT then speed should be her specialty. she should have been able to completely avoid the attack altogether but she didn’t. of course this isn’t a wow moment because jujutsu sorcerers should know how to dodge attacks, however, i’m just trying to get the point across that she’s not a defenseless person without her technique or others. let’s not forget that semi-grade 1 isn’t a weak rank either. you can’t simply be recommended to be a grade 1 sorcerer if you only can support others.

chapter 48

i want to bring up this panel. it suggests that utahime and takuma are sorcerers who have not experienced black flash and therefore, do not understand the essence of cursed energy as well as those who have like gojo and nanami. i find it strange how takuma and utahime were used to represent sorcerers who haven’t experienced it yet. is the purpose to demonstrate that there is a clear difference in skill between adult sorcerers like utahime and takuma compared to gojo and nanami? i could be nitpicking but the order of todo’s statement doesn’t line up with the sorcerers being shown. let me explain in depth. todo starts off by saying, “for those who have experienced black flash as compared to those who have not...” wouldn’t it make more sense to show gojo and nanami on the right side to represent sorcerers who have experienced black flash? that was mentioned first, after all. gojo and nanami should appear when todo says “for those who have experience black flash” while utahime and takuma should be shown right after to personify the second part, “as compared to those who have not.” i’m just making it more complicated than it actually is LOLOL i’m sure it really just means they haven’t experienced black flash yet, which is completely fine. i also find it fascinating how they used utahime to contrast gojo. with nanami and takuma it makes sense. nanami is someone takuma looks up to, he wants to gain nanami’s approval before he deems himself worthy of a promotion. what about utahime and gojo? what’s the purpose of comparing those two together when it’s obvious that gojo knows more about the essence of cursed energy more than anyone else? i might be delusional whoops

----

let me know what you guys think? this is only a part 1 so i haven’t gotten around to answering the question. i’m pretty much done with the second part, i just need to revise it a little. i think after i post part 2, i’ll try to interpret all the gojo and utahime moments in the manga >.<

#gojohime #gouta #gojo x utahime

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jayeray-hq · 3 years

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How He Shows You Affection: Sugawara Koushi

Requested by the wonderful @lavenderpup sorry it took so long! I took a hiatus for a while, but I hope you still enjoy it! 😊💖

Post Time Skip/Manga Ending Spoilers!

Warnings: Slightest itty bit of hinted NSFW!

How He Shows You Affection Master List - Character Masterlist

He Rubs Your Cheeks Together

“Hey, sorry I’m late!” you told the group, as you hurried up to them, “The trains were running behind schedule!”

“Don’t worry,” Kiyoko assured you, a kind smile on her pretty face, “You’re not the last one to arrive.”

“Is Koushi not here yet?” you asked glancing around the group. This was meant to be a reunion of the third years from the Karasuno volleyball team, but considering Kiyoko was engaged to Tanaka, and Asahi was dating Nishinoya, it had turned into more of a second- and third-years thing.

A familiar pair of arms around your waist answered your question as you were tugged into a firm chest, your boyfriend’s face rubbing up affectionately against yours as he asked teasingly, “Are you gossiping about me already, honey?”

Tanaka, who’d been standing surprisingly quietly next to Kiyoko politely holding her hand looked utterly scandalized at the display of public affection. If he was a sixties housewife he definitely would’ve been clutching at his pearls, though Kiyoko just looked amused and fond.

You’d grown used to how affectionate your boyfriend was, even in public and didn’t even blush nowadays, which always made him whine a bit, claiming he missed the good old days where you got flustered and stuttered every time he did it. However, you knew he didn’t actually mind given the smitten look he gave you every time you melted into his hold instead of stiffening up the way you used to.

His favorite move, and the one he almost always used to greet you was wrapping you into a hug from behind and nuzzling his face against yours, rubbing your cheeks together in a sweet affectionate gesture that never failed to make you melt.

You’d been a little self-conscious about it at first, especially since you’d gotten a lot of scandalized looks like Tanaka’s given Japan’s views on public displays of affection. However, the few times someone had actually said something about it, somehow your boyfriend had talked circles around them, and in the end, you’d get away with it, sometimes even getting fond looks instead.

A good example of this was your landlady, who’d glared and sniffed every time she’d seen the two of you when you’d first moved in. One conversation with Sugawara later and she’d changed her tune, claiming the two of you reminded her of her and her husband back in the day. Now you got fond looks, indulgent smiles and even cookies from time to time. She even went so far as to scold others who looked sideways at the two of you.

It was completely and utterly ridiculous, something you’d commiserated on with the other third years more than once. According to Kiyoko, Sugawara just had one of those faces that let him get away with anything. Given that she also had one of those faces you took her word for it, and for the most part let him do as he pleased, though you did try to stop if it looked like someone was genuinely uncomfortable.

“Koushi,” you scolded lightly, “You’re upsetting your kouhai.”

“Eh, he needs to toughen up some,” Sugawara told you, snickering slightly at Tanaka’s expression, though he did let go of you after one last affectionate rub and instead laced his fingers together with yours offering you an affectionate smile, “Especially if he’s going to do a good job taking care of Shimizu.”

“Suga-senpai!” Tanaka protested as Kiyoko giggled into her hand.

“Koushi, you know Shimizu doesn’t need him to take care of her, if anything it’s going to be her taking care of him,” you teased lightly, making your boyfriend and Kiyoko both laugh brightly.

“Your girlfriend is just as bad as you are,” Tanaka informed your boyfriend, though there was a definite smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

“I know,” Sugawara said, clear pride in his voice as he pressed an affectionate smacking kiss to your cheek, “Isn’t she just the best?”

“Really Suga, you shouldn’t tease our kouhai so much,” Daichi intervened, though he also looked incredibly amused by the whole exchange.

“Tanaka makes it too easy,” your boyfriend told him with a shrug, “Besides someone’s got to give him a hard time now that Kiyoko’s given in to him, that and none of the other second years are nearly as fun.”

“Speaking of second years, where are Nishinoya and Asahi?” you asked, chiming in to save Tanaka from Sugawara’s ruthless teasing as you finally realized who was missing from the group.

“We’re here!” A familiar voice called, and you turned just in time to see the rather comical sight of Nishinoya tugging Asahi down the street by his hand, practically dragging the larger man behind him, “Sorry we’re late we got distracted!”

“We can see that,” Sugawara stated dryly, his eyes tracing over their clearly rumpled and hastily put together appearances, “Asahi, just what have you been doing with our precious kouhai?”

The long haired third year immediately began to splutter as Nishinoya laughed loudly, clearly unbothered at the implication. The group of you set off together, headed for dinner, all of you laughing and smiling as your boyfriend teased his newest victim, with Sugawara’s fingers laced affectionately with yours, refusing to lose contact for even a second as you went about your night.

He Tells You He Cares

“Have a good day at school, and say hi to your class for me,” you told your boyfriend as you casually straightened his tie, and pressed a quick kiss to his waiting lips.

“I will,” he assured you with a bright smile as he scooped up his suitcase though he paused in the doorway to turn back and tell you, “I love you!”

“I love you too,” you assured him with a soft smile, watching as he walked out the door with a cheerful bounce in his step.

It was a routine that the two of you completed every morning almost without fail, and even when you couldn’t Sugawara always made it a point to tell you he loved you before he left to go anywhere. Even if you were asleep or he thought you were sleeping he’d still press a tender kiss to your forehead or cheek and whisper how much he loved you before walking out the door.

With so many repetitions and routine you’d think the words would lose their meaning, just a ritual part of your day with no thought or true emotion behind them. However, it simply wasn’t true.

You’d asked your boyfriend before why he insisted on saying it so often, you’d been curious, especially since Japanese culture didn’t put a large emphasis on saying the words out loud the way other cultures did.

As a teacher your boyfriend was incredibly articulate and usually able to express himself incredibly well. When you’d asked though he’d seemed to struggle to find the right words. He had gotten very thoughtful, and told you that it was because he wanted to remind both of you that at the end of the day he loved you no matter what was happening in your lives.

You’d been a bit confused about his reasoning at the time, and a little unhappy as well. You could understand maybe needing to remind you that he loved you, he shouldn’t need to remind himself that he loved you right? It just hadn’t made sense, and your boyfriend wasn’t able to properly explain, just insisted that it was important to him. You certainly hadn’t minded, and so figured there wasn’t any harm in it even if you didn’t understand.

You kept that mindset right up until your first fight as a couple after you’d moved in together. Sugawara had headed for the door to leave for a while to clear his head and let both of you calm down. However, he’d paused in the doorway and looked back to tell you he loved you.

It had taken away all the sting of him leaving for a bit, and reminded you that not only did he love you, you loved him too, and at the end of the day that was what mattered most, not whatever petty thing you’d been arguing about. The reminder was enough to help soothe you into a better frame of mind for when he returned. The two of you had been able to resolve your fight calmly and rationally after that, with apologies and ‘I love you’s on both sides.

His words about it being a reminder had clicked for you then, and from that point on you made it a point to tell him you loved him before you left too, something that never failed to make him beam at you, warm and full of affection.

It helped that you’d both promised that if ever there was a day when you didn’t actually mean the words that you wouldn’t say them at all. However you were rather almost certain that day would never come. You couldn’t imagine someone better suited to you than Sugawara who reminded you each and every how very much he loved you, and how much you loved him too.

He Surprises You

The sound of someone knocking at the front door pulled you away from the mindless scrolling you’d been doing on your phone and prompted you to pull yourself up from the couch, confused about who might be interrupting you on your day off. Your normal suspect would’ve been your boyfriend, but not only did he have a key, he was at school much to your mutual disappointment. However the day off had been unexpected, so he hadn’t been able to take a vacation day in advance and was not so irresponsible that he would call in sick when he wasn’t. He loved the kids too much for that.

It turned out you probably should’ve continued to suspect your boyfriend, as he was the culprit behind the interruption, if not the culprit himself. The delivery guy kindly passed you a bouquet of your favorite flowers, just the sight of them bringing a smile to your face as you signed for them, and then brought them into the kitchen where you could admire them.

The bouquet came with a handwritten note that read…

I hope you’re enjoying your day off! When I get home, let’s go on a date okay?

Love,

Koushi

You smiled a little helplessly at the familiar writing, realizing your boyfriend must’ve stopped by the shop personally to pick something out and leave a note for you to read. Your heart felt close to overflowing with affection for him as you snapped a quick picture of your flowers and sent him a quick text to thank him and that it was a definite yes to date night.

Your boyfriend had always been a thoughtful person, but sometimes it still caught you by surprise just how thoughtful he truly was. Sugawara liked to surprise people, and he’d told you once that sweet surprises were the best kind. Looking at your flowers you couldn’t help but agree with him.

He was always doing things like this for you, sending your favorite flowers, making you a cute lunch, buying something small that had reminded him of you and bringing it home as a gift. It never failed to make you feel soft, especially since it proved that he was always thinking of you. You loved it, though you’d told him more than once he was spoiling you.

Sugawara had just shrugged at the accusation and sent you one of his beaming smiles, the kind that never failed to make your heart flip over in your chest, and told you, you deserved to be spoiled. It made you want to spoil him too, the look on his face always worth it when you took time out of your day to make or buy something for him.

With that in mind you quietly began to plan a surprise or two of your own, your previously rather boring, if productive day brightening as you daydreamed about the things you’d like to do for your sweet boyfriend, coming up with several interesting ideas. Time practically flew by, and before you knew it, it was getting close to the time school was letting out.

Carefully you snagged one of the pretty blooms from the bouquet you’d been sent, and tucked it behind your ear, grabbing your things as you practically danced out the door. Sugawara was right after all, pleasant surprises were the best, and you were going to start by picking him up from school. You couldn’t wait to get started on all your ideas, hoping you could make Sugawara feel just as loved as he always did for you.

Like this? Please feel free to drop in to my ask box and make requests! Just make sure to read the rules first!

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#sugawara koushi #koushi sugawara #sugawara x you #sugawara x reader #suga x reader #suga x you #sugawara koushi x reader #sugawara koushi x you #haikyuu sugawara #sugawara koshi #sugawara kōshi #sugawara fluff #sugawara imagine #hq sugawara #how he shows you affection #JayeRayWrites

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distinguished-slacker · 3 years

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Anyone else wondering how does this girl’s demon look like?

And I think my popcorn has gone bad...

But seriously it pisses me off that when she had a chapter dedicated to her (chapter 45 when she almost sacrificed herself to allow the others run away from Crowley and chapter 70 when Aoi confronted her) Yuu had to butt in with his ‘family’ bullshit and steal the spotlight away from her. I am so upset like...Kagami you might love Yuu or whatever but let other characters have their own development away from him...especially the girls🤦‍♀️

And for those who loooove long posts and are somehow interested on unpopular characters like me I’ve got some cheap observations, complaining and theorising...

She is so pretty I am crying

For those who don’t know or forgot about it (I cannot blame you though), the name of Sangū Mitsuba’s demon is Tenjiryū. Their name literally translates to ‘Heavenly-Shaped Dragon’ or ‘Heaven-Shaped Dragon’ and let me get straight to the point; guys it sounds more badass than any of the other demons’ names we have! I find curious the choice of “Heaven” though since it doesn’t fit a demon🤔 Moreover, the demon of Mitsuba’s older sister, Sangū Aoi, is called Chijiryū, which translates to ‘Earth-shaped Dragon’ and I find so intriguing that out of all the cursed gears that the Japanese Imperial Demon Army must have in their possession, Mitsuba somehow happened to be compatible with one bearing a similar name to her sister’s demon.

I cannot believe this demon is of a lower series. I mean, it’s HUGE. Befitting of a dragon😤 It’s definitely either the biggest weapon in the whole series or the second biggest. I don’t know about size since Mitsuba’s axe and Shinoa’s scythe are differently shaped but in terms of mass I think the axe is heavier because it looks more compact. Also, my respects for the designer because I have never seen such a uniquely shaped war axe👌

You cannot tell me that Shinoa’s huge scythe bears the first progenitor of the vampire race while Mitsuba’s huge battle axe bears a mediocre demon oh god...

When you have a look at both Tenjiryū and Gekkōin here it’s hard to believe Gekkōin is higher ranked than Tenjiryū.

The gender is unknown although I suspect Tenjiryū is a male by looking at their muscular torso and biceps of their manifestation form. Lol it would be funny if Tenjiryū turns out to be another ripped demon like Gekkoīn because then that would mean we would have another scary demon-cute human pair😅 But I don’t really care about Tenjiryū’s gender or how they look like as long as they are not another androgynous child demon😒

Mitsuba probably has the most aggressive fighting style in this series. For being so small she sure has a lot of physical strength...and she was like this since she was 13 awwww

Tenjiryū’s manifestation into an army of multiple spectral, humanoid beasts (probably dragons) with sharp glowing green blade-like arms and heavenly blue flames is the coolest manifestation I have seen so far in this series.

Tenjiryū has two strengths: one, is that it works in two different ranges, these being close range and mid range, instead of a single range, and two, it is able to be used for both offence and defence.

This manifestation looks so scary in the manga because it reaches so high. As expected of a demon whose name has “Heaven” in their name. In my opinion, Tenjiryū has a scarier manifestation than Shikama Dōji and Gekkōin’s because unlike them, Tenjiryū surrounds the whole area and I am feeling claustrophobic pls.

But I think that the thing I probably love the most about what I’ve seen so far of Tenjiryū is that they fit Mitsuba’s personality. Their style is aggressive like Mitsuba’s personality but if you have a close look most of the times Mitsuba uses Tenjiryū is in order to “protect” or “shield” someone else which fits her caring nature. Especially if you consider that, as explained by Mitsuba herself in chapter 19, manifestation users want to avoid manifesting their demons as much as possible since letting their demons out weakens the host’s body and so leaves them vulnerable to attacks yet Mitsuba is always manifesting Tenjiryū. Such a brave girl🤧

Another thing that I find interesting about Tenjiryū is that all the times Mitsuba commanded them to do something, they always tried to do it which gives me the impression Tenjiryū is quite obedient to Mitsuba. I headcanon that despite the fact that Mitsuba seems emotionally weak, Tenjiryū likes her determination.

However, in the end, looking at Tenjiryū’s name or their manifestation is just something superficial since we don’t know their personality or true potential. So far, Tenjiryū’s manifestation has been used for grabbing something (Mika’s cut arm in chapter 52), as decoys (but are weak individually and they won’t work on progenitors), to protect someone and to slice The Four Horsemen of John from a distance.

Relatively, Tenjiryū is weak but if I remember well, in the fanbook the author said that the rank of the demons is not determined by how strong they are but by how easy they are to handle. Even Kagami went as far as to point out that with demons above the Dōji (or referred as Child too) series there is no clear difference in the strength of the weapons (and this is surprising considering how much the Black Demon rank has been glorified). Tenjiryū’s rank is Dakini, which is just below the Black Demons in the pyramid and above the Doji series. One thing that all Black Demon users have in common is that all of them have been subjected to human experimentation in the past and considering that Mitsuba is human, there is nothing she can do about it. The other requirement for Black Demon users is that they must have a strong willpower and resolution...but this girl has some serious self-esteem issues and indecisiveness behind all that “I am a Sangū/elite!” talk so maybe if she obtains a boost in confidence she will get stronger🤔

However, I don’t really care that much if Mitsuba stays weak forever. This manga doesn’t need anymore INSANE Mary Sues or Gary Stus who get sudden power ups just because they are genetically advantaged. I just want some normal, deep emotional development for her where she lets go off her survivor’s guilt and learns to accept herself for who she is because she has been so hardworking since little and to tell Aoi to go suck Kureto’s d*ck if she is so loooyal to the Hiiragis as she says but maybe that’s asking too much.

My hopes for Tenjiryū’s appearance reveal are small but I still try to remember that despite all that happened in the manga Mitsuba is still a main female deuteragonist with a lot of unaddressed potential and also for the characters in universe it has been less than one day since chapter 70 (while for us it has been almost 3 years) so it’s not like Mitsuba can do something amazing in that short time frame where the focus is on Yuu, Mika and Shinoa. Moreover, I remember Kagami saying that there is something waiting Mitsuba so I hope he didn’t forget about it💔

Additionally, some people have observed that humans and their demons share similarities so I wanted to point out a small observation for this human-demon pair. Mitsuba was born on the 7th of July, which is the day of Tanabata/Star Festival, a popular Japanese festival that celebrates the meeting of two lovers represented by the stars Vega and Altair, who are separated by the Milky Way and can only meet on the 7/7 once a year. I think this goes well with Tenjiryū’s sky related name :3

If Kagami doesn’t give Mitsu attention then I will do so and I don’t give a fuck if I am being annoying

#owari no seraph #seraph of the end #mitsuba sanguu #tenjiryū #sangu mitsuba #sanguu mitsuba #mitsuba sangu

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renegadewangs · 3 years

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Van Zieks - the Examination, part 11

Warnings: SPOILERS for The Great Ace Attorney: Chronicles. Additional warning for racist sentiments uttered by fictional characters (and screencaps to show these sentiments).

Disclaimer: (see Part 1 for the more detailed disclaimer.) - These posts are not meant to be taken as fact. Everything I’m outlining stems from my own views and experiences. If you believe that I’ve missed or misinterpreted something, please let me know so I can edit the post accordingly. -The purpose of these posts is an analysis, nothing more. Please do not come into these posts expecting me to either defend Barok van Zieks from haters, nor expecting me to encourage the hatred. - I’m using the Western release of The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles for these posts, but may refer to the original Japanese dialogue of Dai Gyakuten Saiban if needed to compare what’s said. This also means I’m using the localized names and localized romanization of the names to stay consistent. -It doesn’t matter one bit to me whether you like Barok van Zieks or dislike him. However, I will ask that everyone who comments refrains from attacking real, actual people.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10

Bring on the game's credits! BRING IT! The Resolve of Ryunosuke Naruhodo part 2 is here!

Episode 2-5: The Resolve of Ryunosuke Naruhodo, part 2

This is the first time in a while that I actually want to try other options to see what happens. The 'accusation' leads to some witty banter with a frustrated Stronghart, but 'report' is one that gets a reaction from Van Zieks himself. Ryu theorizes that 'since Klint was a well-bred and fastidious man, and knowing the end was near, he might have wanted to tie up some loose ends in all of his outstanding business'. Van Zieks immediately replies that his brother had no outstanding business.

DID I JUST GET PENALIZED BY THE DEFENDANT??? Just for implying his brother might've had some loose ends to tie up? Van Zieks really hates it when people show his brother even the slightest bit of disrespect, huh? Well, it's about to get a whole lot worse. Let's go for the confession option! Van Zieks definitely doesn't take kindly to this one.

“What are you saying? Do you even realise?! A confession...about the true identity of the Professor... That, that would mean...”

He fumbled his speech, there. We've never heard him do that before. And he's gone back to that bobbing, unsteady animation halfway into the above dialogue. Ryu insists it's the only explanation that fits. The man who murdered those members of the aristocracy wasn't Genshin Asogi at all, it was the one believed to be the fifth victim, Klint van Zieks himself.

Welp. We broke him. Stronghart remarks that Pandora's box has opened at last, making it clear he already knew what we just revealed. The gallery is outraged.

We've gone from well-bred to thoroughbred, have we? Susato feels very bad for Van Zieks, but Ryu asks himself whether such a brilliant prosecutor never suspected “what his older brother really was”. To clear up doubt further, he asks whether Klint Van Zieks owned a dog. Barok doesn't intend to dodge the facts of the situation, it seems.

Not what the concept art says, but it's possible Klint owned a different, smaller dog before Balmung. Van Zieks talks about how loyal the dog was and how it wore a jewel-studded collar which was stolen from the house “some years ago now”. This implies it was less than ten years ago, and must've been kept in the house as a keepsake even after Balmung passed away. Ryu and Susato bring up that they've seen such a collar; it was Selden's loot in case 2-2. They note the fancy B emblem on it, and this is the first time we find out that Klint van Zieks was a married man. His widow's maiden name was Baskerville. It's a little odd to me that for someone who thought so highly of his brother, Van Zieks never mentioned his sister in law before now. Conveniently, it never came up for the sake of a twist, I suppose. Either way, the emblem confirms the collar they saw was Balmung's. Ryu notes there was a considerable amount of blood on the collar (nobody washed this thing?) and while it could've come from typical hunting trips, it could just as well have been human blood. With that, the gallery begins to lean towards the truth that Klint van Zieks really was the Professor himself. Stronghart seems to have realized there's no way out of this now and announces that 'they may have the truth'.

Here comes that 'true nature' thing again, just worded a bit differently. Van Zieks doesn't intend to shirk away from it, though. He's open to the insinuation that his brother was, in truth, something truly horrible. Stronghart explains that Klint attempted to fight the growing darkness in London, only to end up being consumed by it. He also admits that after the fourth victim fell, Genshin showed up at his office, putting forth the accusation that Klint was the Professor. He didn't have any evidence and needed a warrant to get some, but Stronghart refused to anger the aristocracy based on the accusation of a visiting student, so he sent Genshin away. As a result, the man headed over to the Van Zieks mansion and Klint perished. Stronghart continues to admit that he was responsible for pinning the Professor's crimes on Genshin, right down to ordering Gregson to fabricate evidence. Sure enough, the late inspector's earlier claims ring true: it seems he did genuinely believe Genshin to be the killer, but was reluctant to falsify anything until Stronghart strong-armed him into it. The jailbreak agreement was also part of Stronghart's plan; he manipulated Genshin into agreeing by proverbially dangling his 14 year old son in front of him. Van Zieks brings up one more point: that Stronghart was the mastermind behind the Reaper organization. Not only does he admit to it, he calls it a “brilliant idea” and even takes credit for how his “minions” worked tirelessly to ensure Van Zieks was never accused of being the Reaper himself. What a smarmy bumhole. He insists it was all for the preservation of law and order across the empire, and the gallery is actually suckered into falling for this ploy. It seems as if he's going to get away with his masterminding without decent consequences. Kazuma now has one more question for Van Zieks, and it's the exact one Ryu asked himself earlier; did he never have any doubts about his brother?

“My brother's sense of justice was extremely strong. Perhaps...too strong, I observed. […] During the time of the Professor killings, my brother did not appear to be himself. But it was only once. Not more. Klint wasn't the culprit. That was my conclusion at the time. And I still believe that now. […] The third victim...was the Lord Chief Justice at the time. It was he who had recognized my brother's potential and trained him as a prosecutor. No matter what the circumstances, it's unthinkable that my brother could have killed his friend and mentor!”

So here, we learn that Klint wasn't an infallible paragon of virtue in his brother's eyes. Simply by saying that his sense of justice was “perhaps too strong”, a flaw is being brought to light. Younger Barok saw that Klint's need to ensure justice was overpowering him, and he also saw that during the time of the killings, something was off about his behavior. Enough to have the younger Van Zieks consider, for a brief time, that perhaps the Professor was him. However, the death of the third victim was like a lifeline to him, a flotation device keep him from going under- or perhaps more like a straw to grasp. It offered a sort of justification to him; a firm belief that Klint would never kill his own mentor and therefore he couldn't possibly be the Professor, and Barok was wrong to ever doubt him. However, it was just a very meager excuse to put his suspicions at ease and blind him to the truth. There are, after all, plenty of reasons why Klint would kill that Lord Chief Justice if indeed he were the Professor.

So Stronghart now tries to wrap everything up with a neat little bow, saying that's all the truth they'll be able to get from this trial and he'll present himself at the Ministry of Justice for whatever sanctions are deemed necessary. Since he's the Lord Chief Justice, I can't imagine the Ministry of Justice will give him more than a slap on the wrist. However, he says just a bit too much in his closing statement and Ryu jumps on that immediately. A third page of Genshin's will was hidden from everyone! Turns out, it was a personal message to Kazuma that they never bothered to send to Japan. Governor Caidin conveniently brought it with him and the contents are read aloud after some pressuring. With this last secret message left behind by Genshin, Ryu manages to find Klint's last will and testament hidden inside the Asogi clan's sword. GASP.

Oblivious to the shenanigans playing out in the Court Record section of the game, Stronghart once again tries to end the trial and even goes so far as to say Klint was basically insane when he took his mentor's life (to which Van Zieks objects fiercely). Ryu interjects, saying he has one more piece of evidence to present. When Stronghart calls the very notion absurd, Van Zieks once again raises an objection, pointing out that “this gentleman has an uncanny habit of producing evidence at the final hour that had escaped everyone else's attention.” Which, y'know, is true. That's how Ace Attorney works. I do want to draw attention to the fact that he said “this gentleman” as opposed to “this Nipponese” or even something like “this barrister”. He considers Ryu a gentleman now! So with that, Ryu has the opportunity to shove Klint's will in everyone's face and things escalate very quickly.

Ooh, his speech faltered again. He is shook! And it gets even better when he gets a closer look at the document.

Stronghart panics and demands Ryu hands the document over to him at once. When that fails, he even tries to forcibly adjourn the trial and get everyone to clear the courtroom. If that isn't suspicious, we don't know what is. It sure is satisfying to watch him squirm. Naturally, he can't actually put an end to the trial now- not with so many people watching, so the document is read aloud. It's revealed that Genshin challenged Klint to a duel, so that he might “depart this world with honor”. Klint goes on to write that he finds himself undeserving of this honor and that “the Japanese are a truly merciful people”. So here, already, we get the final nail in the coffin for Van Zieks's entire motivation for racial prejudice and for hating Genshin in particular. Klint never thought ill of Genshin, not even in his final moments. If anything, he was grateful for being put out of his misery and being allowed to 'depart the world with honor'. Genshin's actions were not betrayal; not ever. They were merciful. (COOL MOTIVE, STILL MURDER.) What we also learn is that while Klint did indeed take the life of the first victim on his own accord, he was then immediately identified as the culprit and blackmailed into the next three killings by someone else. You guessed it, it was Stronghart! Despite his earlier panic, he now has a myriad of justification ready, talking about how sacrifices have to be made for the sake of justice and whatnot. He also explains that he was the one who pressured Jigoku into shooting Genshin in the graveyard when Drebber showed up there. He acts like Jigoku is the only one to blame, but considering Stronghart was basically screaming in Jigoku's ear, I wouldn't be surprised if this poor man pulled the trigger by accident simply because he was startled by the shouting. Stronghart was the one who decided that Genshin needed to die and forced Jigoku to act, so Stronghart is the one ultimately responsible. Naturally, Ryu and Kazuma both attempt to argue Stronghart's justifications into the ground. At one point, Stronghart plays the victim card and asks them to acknowledge his 'struggle', but Kazuma insists that this jerk has done nothing and:

WELL. Okay. Looks like we've finally convinced Kazuma that Van Zieks is a victim in this whole ordeal, as well as someone who 'acts justly'. That's a wonderful way forward. With all this out in the open, though, Stronghart offers a literal round of applause. It's true; he's “done nothing” and “merely been surrounded by fools who've acted very rashly indeed”, which means he can't be charged with any crimes. We can't even prove he threatened anyone into doing his bidding, as he says it might as well have been “bargaining”. Thing is, bargaining with someone to end a third party's life is known as “contract killing” and is, in fact, illegal. I can't find any sources to verify whether it was already illegal in 1900 England, but I can only assume so, or people would've gotten away with murders very easily. I guess the bottom line here is that we can't prove Stronghart really did extort or pay anyone to take a life, since there's no material evidence for that sort of thing, nor anyone who can testify on it. Stronghart claims that the minutes of the trial will be heavily redacted to remove matters not related to Gregson's death, in the interest of preserving law and order, as well as to protect the queen. The gallery has now turned against us as well, chanting Stronghart's name.

Here we have a singular opportunity to deviate into the closest thing to a bad ending this game series has. Anyone who remembers the iconic 'the miracle never happen' ending in AA2, or even the bad endings in AA5 where either Trucy or Athena is implied to be killed by Aura, will be sorely disappointed by this one. First, to compare... In the standard ending, no matter how far along you've gotten in the trial- including proving that Stronghart was the Reaper- Van Zieks will still be found guilty. Stronghart will utter the words that he “would like to think however misguided, [Van Zieks] acted out of a sense of justice nonetheless”, and then pronounces the poor man guilty of crimes we've already proven were never committed by him. Now, in this slightly different ending, if you run out of all your penalty points because you fail to present Harely, the dialogue is tweaked. Stronghart declares that for the sake of justice, “the only correct course of action has been unanimously acknowledged by the clear majority here present. All mention of that which has been discussed in this courtroom today will be struck from the records. Barok van Zieks – Or should I say, Reaper of the Bailey... The heinous crimes committed by your brother, Klint van Zieks, will be lost in obscurity, this time forever. May you also find peace now as you join your sibling in the eternal darkness.”

And then, just as in the standard ending, Van Zieks is pronounced guilty and the doors slam shut. So effectively, the only real difference here is that Stronghart really rubs it in our faces that Van Zieks is taking the fall as the Reaper in the eyes of the public. He knows Van Zieks isn't the Reaper- everyone present in the courtroom knows it. However, since the entirely gallery is siding with the real mastermind, the minutes of the trial will be confiscated and destroyed so that the truth will be lost forever. Neither Kazuma nor Ryu reacts to this turn of events on-screen, which is a shame. Van Zieks doesn't fight the adjudication either, he simply accepts the verdict in silence- Hang on, where have we heard that before? Genshin? And didn't Van Zieks say that so long as his death served a purpose, he wouldn't mind dying over being called the Reaper? Stronghart certainly seems to feel that Van Zieks ought to be thrown under the omnibus and sent to the gallows for the sake of minimizing crime in London.

But we're not going to let the true antagonist of this game get away with his bullshit! Time to pull Harely's ears! Cue another (S)Holmeus Ex-Machina where it turns out the entire secret trial has been livestreamed to the Queen of England through holograms. By royal decree, Stronghart is stripped of his title and will be prosecuted for his crimes at a later time. FINAL BOSS, DEFEATED.

With Stronghart out of the way, Van Zieks has some closing sentiments to offer.

“Is that my brother left this world without a word to me.”

I can see why that might bug him. Van Zieks always looked up to his brother and shielded him from disrespect even a decade after his death, but Klint in turn didn't seem to want to leave any parting sentiments for him, not even a simple farewell. That's not the case, though! Susato points out there's actually more to Klint's will than was read aloud, so let's hear it now.

“Barok, you have always looked up to me, and now, you follow in my footsteps to become a prosecutor. It is my fervent wish that my unspeakable deeds should not hinder your advancement. I ask not for understanding, for none could understand my depravity. I ask only for forgiveness. Asogi is a fine detective, and a hunter worthy of respect. He has agreed to honour my final two wishes. The first is that this document survives. The second... I cannot commit to paper. I have confessed my sins to my wife. May she find resolution in my death. With my eternal gratitude to my Japanese friend, I rest my quill.”

Imagine how different things would've ended if the will had found its way to Van Zieks shortly after Klint's death. It would've prevented so much grief and so much prejudice, because if Van Zieks had learned that Klint still regarded Genshin with so much respect and gratitude even in this situation, he would never have blamed him for Klint's death nor considered it too great a betrayal. Everything that happened was in line with Klint's wishes. As it stands now, the words in Klint's will basically serve to scold Van Zieks for his attitude and hatred these past ten years.

Yep, there we go. The final straw. He's been truly, utterly embarrassed and made to confront his mistakes. When Stronghart explains how his ambition to become Attorney General is what prompted him to silence people like Watson and Gregson. Van Zieks asks him whether he ever bothered to count the number of brilliant people he had killed. Kind of a questionable remark, since Stronghart mostly had criminals killed. We don't even know for sure whether Watson was a good person or not; he comes across as a cowardly skeeve. I guess Van Zieks is mostly talking about Genshin, but even that is... Uh...

I received an Ask a while back, bringing up the matter that Genshin appears to be exonerated of any wrongdoing when the truth of Klint's death is revealed. That despite duels being outlawed and it being literal murder, Kazuma seems to take this truth as his father's name being cleared. Indeed, going over everything we've learned so far, it feels as if the narrative has set up both Klint and Genshin, and even characters like Jigoku and Gregson, as victims of Stronghart's manipulation. The thing is, though... Both Genshin and Klint took at least one life of their own free will, Jigoku pulled a trigger twice for the sake of his own career (and recruited someone into an assassin plot), Gregson conspired with a notorious assassin to commit over a dozen murders just because his boss told him it was the right thing to do... Feeling bad about murder or resorting to it because 'the other person is even worse and needs to be stopped' doesn't change that it's murder. It doesn't seem as if Kazuma or anyone else outright says their loved ones are absolved of any responsibility/their names are cleared, but it does really come across as if the narrative wants you to forgive them. So uh... Yes. This is something the game should have properly addressed, instead of just going 'oh, these poor people, all used as puppets by the final boss'.

Anyway, (S)Holmes takes the time to remind Van Zieks that he's the defendant in this case, not the prosecutor. Our old friend Santa Judge returns for the adjudication! Turns out, he was in the gallery all along. (Was he chanting Stronghart's name too?) He talks about how the darkness of the past ten years has lifted, in part thanks to a bright young star from the East. Awww, we've completely won over the judge! Van Zieks now also has something to add.

“I had the faintest of intimations. That if British justice, so warped and twisted over its long history, was finally to know change... This might just be the man to do it. But at the time, I wouldn't allow myself to acknowledge the possibility. I couldn't overcome my hatred of the Japanese, after the circumstances of my brother's death. Mr. Naruhodo...”

He takes a flourishing bow here, an acknowledgment that Ryu is worthy of his respect and perhaps even that Ryu is superior to him, then stands up straight again for the final whammy.

Ryu is shocked and Susato is brought to tears. We did it, y'all. We've secured the full, heartfelt apology. I'm not sure there's really anything to add to this, nor anything we could want from it at this point in time. Ryu doesn't say he forgives Van Zieks for his discourtesies, but considering how hard he worked to get this guy cleared of murder, that would feel kind of out of place. The forgiveness happened long before Van Zieks apologized, or so is the implication. (Is that the correct narrative path? Not at all, but I'll get back to that in the conclusion.) So after some more closing words from Ryu, Van Zieks gets his not-guilty verdict and court is adjourned.

In the defendant's lobby, Ryu feels a bit conflicted about how this whole thing went down. Susato tries to cheer him up by saying that everything will seem much better once he sees Van Zieks's smiling face. Indeed, in most other Ace Attorney games, this would be the point where at last, an emotionally distant defendant/witness drops their walls and allows themselves to smile (or cry). Just think of Gina, Lana Skye or even Athena Cykes when she cries tears of joy during AA5's ending. Hilariously enough, Van Zieks is not one of those characters.

This is a really fun subversion of expectations and Ace Attorney tropes. And I still believe his face got frozen like that. Even so, he's got something heartfelt to say.

“For you to have risen to the level of excellence you demonstrated today... Well, it's quite remarkable.”

Sounds like a hatchet job of a compliment at first glance, but the sentiment is there. It is extremely remarkable for a foreign exchange student who's only been in the country for about 9 months- and who only spent like 2 of those as an active lawyer- to rise to such a level that he not only uncovers the truth of the current case, but of a cold case from 10 years prior, which was part of a huge cover-up. Ryu points out that he exposed a most 'unpalatable truth' in court and that he feels as if he robbed Van Zieks of something precious. Van Zieks doesn't seem to agree. He reminisces on Stronghart's words.

“But that... That was just the feeble excuse of a coward. Only those with a steadfast eye for the truth have what it takes to fight the dark forces of crime. You made fine work of establishing that fact in court today.”

So once again, he's complimenting Ryu's courtroom performance. Not only that, but he's acknowledging (in different words) the earlier sentiment that the truth needs to come out, no matter how painful. Perhaps, indirectly, he's calling himself a feeble coward as well. Ryu and Susato are proud of Van Zieks's growth, with Susato saying that surely Kazuma would be smiling if he were here. Naturally, when he shows up at that very second, he isn't smiling at all. Like mentor, like disciple! Kazuma takes a polite bow before Van Zieks and congratulates him on his acquittal. Naturally, after watching Kazuma prosecute so ferociously for two whole episodes, that doesn't feel sincere. Van Zieks asks him whether he doesn't instead want to curse him. Kazuma apologizes for his earlier behavior, which does feel 100% sincere.

“Your father, Genshin... If I had been stronger, then perhaps... I made an unforgivable error of judgment. … I can offer no excuse.”

One more apology to add to the pile! And here we once again reach that question of whether the narrative is acting like Genshin should be absolved of all blame. In a technical sense, Van Zieks wasn't wrong to prosecute Genshin, since he did seriously murder Klint. That alone is already warranting of the death penalty, so the added crimes of the Professor on top of that don't change too much. However, I don't think Van Zieks's lines truly relate to the Professor trial itself. The error of judgment, in my eyes, can also be seen as the blind acceptance that Genshin betrayed him (as well as Klint) when there was actually far more at play. This notion that Genshin was a horrid traitor who abused their trust and hospitality was then allowed to grow into an irrational hatred which festered for a decade. Regardless of whether Genshin killed Klint, the insistence that the man's true nature was that of a monster was wrong, and I think that's what he's apologizing for. To be clear, he's not apologizing for racist sentiments uttered towards Kazuma or anyone else from Japan with these lines. This purely relates to his treatment of Genshin. However, he already apologized for his many discourtesies back in the courtroom and I think the racist outbursts were part of those discourtesies.

Kazuma says he can offer no forgiveness, which is totally fair. Kazuma isn't obligated to forgive this man. He does, however, admit that he has respect for Van Zieks, since he “fought for justice and the truth”.

Awww! Remember how in my very first 'strong thought about Barok' post, I pointed out that Barok almost appears to have been designed to be Kazuma's rival prosecutor instead of Ryu's? Yeah. Here we see it very clearly. The reconciliation conversation between these two feels like a much better resolution than the conversation between Van Zieks and Ryu.

So now Kazuma brings up that Genshin promised to do two things for Klint, but the second wasn't mentioned in the will. Mikotoba shows up to share a very heartbreaking tale about Klint's unnamed widow, the lady Zieks-Baskerville, who was hiding out in Dartmoor and passed away from childbirth very shortly after Genshin was executed. The newborn baby girl survived, though! Van Zieks blurts out that that makes no sense. “Why on Earth wouldn't Klint have entrusted the child to my care in that case?!” And that alone is already kind of tragic, but what really packs a wallop is this:

This means Klint and his wife deliberately kept the pregnancy from him. It's never explained why. Genshin showed up at the manor in the spur of the moment and Klint died that very same night, when his wife must've already been around 8 or 9 months pregnant. (she gives birth about a week or two later, after all.) Klint says that he 'confessed his sins to his wife', but that also must've been very recent, if not that very same night, since Stronghart was threatening to tell Klint's wife and brother of his misdeeds. Stronghart's hold on Klint would've weakened if he'd told her the truth months ago, which in turn implies the both of them decided not to tell Barok while she herself was still oblivious to the Professor truth. Honestly, it all feels like a vague plotconvenience.

What is explained is why the newborn baby wasn't entrusted to Van Zieks. It isn't because Klint had the amazing foresight to know his younger brother would become a salty, loner alcoholic; it's because he and his wife feared the truth of the Professor might come out. Heck, if Genshin had never been arrested for Klint's death, perhaps it would've come out for certain. “The girl would be forever branded as the daughter of the infamous mass murderer.” So the baby girl was distanced from the Van Zieks family as much as possible, with all of London unaware of her existence. This girl is, of course, Iris.

Right on cue, the Harely plushie activates to receive a call from (S)Holmes and Iris. She invites everyone over to 221B for a feast and makes sure to invite “Mr. Reaper” too. He very awkwardly declines the offer.

Humanization? Humanization! He does, however, give Iris his word that he'll present himself at 221B in the near future to express his gratitude. I think a big part of why he declined the offer was because he wouldn't feel at home during the big celebration when a whole group of people is there. He'd much rather visit Iris during a more quiet, private moment and that's sweet too. Plus, I don't think he's in the mood for a celebration, considering all the horrible truths he's learned in a single day.

So now Kazuma prepares to leave and asks Van Zieks to accompany him. The wording of “would you care to-” makes it very clear this isn't a demand, it's a very soft request that Van Zieks is free to decline. Not that he hesitates for even a second. Here's some more parting words.

“I believe... You saved my life.”

He takes a deep, flourishing bow and honestly I've lost track of how many times he's praised/thanked Ryu by now. More than Edgeworth thanked Phoenix, most likely. The prosecutor duo prepares to walk away, but Ryu calls after Van Zieks, asking him to wait. Which he does. Ryu asks him what he intends to do now.

... “Prosecutor van Zieks chooses death”??? In a way, he's thinking of pulling a similar move. He intends to publicize the full truth of the Professor, and I can only imagine that includes Stronghart's involvement in what went down 10 years ago. Maybe he'll even share the truth of the Reaper who's haunted the courtroom all these years. He believes that “once that's done, the Van Zieks family will be ostracised completely from London society.” (I don't think he means living family members, but rather, the legacy of the Van Zieks name and the rights associated with it.) So because of that, he intends to leave the capital as soon as he's free of his employment. Considering how easily this man took a five year sabbatical and adding in the fact that the Lord Chief Justice just got arrested, I expect his resignation could be as easy as packing his desk and leaving his office without saying a word. Kazuma, however, calls him a fool and a coward. He basically dares Van Zieks to keep going now that he's finally freed from the pseudonym of the Reaper. Van Zieks neither agrees with the sentiment nor shoots it down, instead saying it's unexpected to hear those words from Kazuma of all people. With that out in the open, they leave for realsies.

Just as Van Zieks doesn't attend the Baker Street party, he isn't there when Ryu's at the docks to return to Japan. I like to think Kazuma did bother to tell Van Zieks that Ryu is leaving the country, because withholding that information seems like a bit of a jerk move, but... Well. Not showing up at the docks to say some final farewells is even more of a jerk move on Van Zieks's part. Though it's possible he felt he wasn't wanted there, and may eventually ask for Ryu's address so he can write a letter (which is far less imposing than invading a heartfelt farewell with a scowling face). It's a shame, though. I would've liked to hear his thoughts on Ryu's departure.

We learn that Kazuma will “stay in Lord van Zieks's tutelage for the time being” to become a full-fledged prosecutor. Which is fine, I guess. It doesn't matter whether he's a defense attorney or a prosecutor; all that matters is the pursuit of the truth. What catches my interest is that even with all that bad blood and refusal to forgive Van Zieks, Kazuma still agrees to keep studying as his disciple. This implies to me that he sincerely doesn't believe Van Zieks to be a bad person anymore, and acknowledges he can learn a lot from this man. Which is not the same thing as being on friendly terms with him, but at the very least he's giving Van Zieks the benefit of the doubt when it comes to improving their... Well, their dynamic, I suppose I should call it.

On to the credits scenes we go! This time, Van Zieks legit does get a scene of his own, but before we address this one, I want to skip ahead real quick to Albert Harebrayne's scene.

“He sent me a very nice letter saying he'd like to show me around now that everything was settled. B-But what have I done? I was so excited, I picked this splendid hotel and now I can't afford the bill! Oh Barok! Come to my rescue again, please! I, I wish I could just vanish into thin air sometimes!”

Several things of note can be taken out of this little scene. First of all, with the Reaper nonsense behind them, Van Zieks seems to have wasted very little time with asking his best buddy to return to London for that sightseeing that was promised. Presumably, he even paid for the trip (again), since Albert still seems to be very low on money. This, coupled with the fact that Van Zieks was reading that letter with quite a bit of dedication in his jail cell, indicates to me that he's longing for the good old days, when he could smile and have friends. He's trying to return to a sense of normalcy and since Albert is still considered his closest friend, it makes sense he'd reach out to him instead of a relative stranger like Kazuma. Baby steps. Now, the fact that Albert says “come to my rescue again” sets the very clear tone that this guy believes Van Zieks has helped him before- during the trial, of course. It's another reinforcement of the notion that Albert is thankful Van Zieks chose the role of prosecutor in order to defend the teleportation theory, even if it meant that he himself would be branded a murderer. Despite his gruff exterior and blunt words, Albert thinks of Van Zieks as a sort of knight in shining armor who will come save him. … With cold hard cash, in this case, but it's the gesture that counts. Van Zieks might allow Albert to stay in his mansion instead, but it depends how high the risk of assassination is at this point in time. People are probably hating on the Van Zieks family now that the truth of the Professor is out.

On to credits scene of Van Zieks himself! We have confirmation by now that he hasn't retired as a prosecutor, since Kazuma already expressed his intent to keep studying under him. So we see Van Zieks in his office, addressing Klint's painting.

“In those days, when I was known as the Reaper, I felt your presence at my side. Once, unable to bear the burden of that grim pseudonym, I even retired from the courtroom. Despite everything, I still wear your prosecutor's badge with pride. But the darkness that beset me is no more. As you, too... Are no more.”

The first two sentences of this bit feel very disjointed and barely related to me, so I had a quick look at some fan translations. First is the sub translation on Youtube: “I could feel you standing by my side through the days in which I was called the Reaper. Yet there were times I could not bear the burden of that name, and left the courtroom far behind me.” The “yet” is very crucial, since it makes the insinuation that feeling his brother's presence was very important to Van Zieks, but the burden became so overwhelming that he retired anyway. Taisa the Gamer's script doesn't have a “yet” in it, nor any equivalent, but the sentence structure still flows well enough not to cast doubt on how he felt about Klint's supposed presence. Contrasting that, the localization's wording with “even” almost makes it seem like feeling Klint's presence was a negative thing- that he was overwhelmed by it and that this was the burden associated with the Reaper name, as opposed to the killings. Which can't possibly be right; he already admitted to us that the idea of his brother's ghost helping him was one of the main reasons he kept on being the Reaper. So long story short, the localization's take on these first two lines is a little off.

The prosecutor's badge thing, however, is spot on. Despite everything- despite the 'true nature' of Klint now exposed, Van Zieks still wears the badge with pride. We know the badge is symbolical, of course. He still believes in Klint's sense of justice and he's still going to openly admit to being Klint's brother- to being a Van Zieks. That's sweet. He goes on to say that the darkness within him is no more. To really grasp what that means, let's go back to the end of case 2-3 for a second. There, Van Zieks says that after his brother's death, he found himself in “a very dark place indeed”. In case 2-4, he mentions that he refuses to trust others to protect himself against betrayal, but has now sunk into a proverbial mire which makes it impossible to breathe. All of that is the same darkness he's referring to now, I'm sure. I don't believe depression can lift this easily; there's no way that darkness is no more. However, I think what he means to say is that it no longer has such a strong hold on him that it manifests in paranoia and irrational hatred. He has a chance now to start fresh and that's what he intends to do. He's striding away from that darkness, towards a brighter future. In order for a person to change for the better, they themselves have to want to change, and it looks like Van Zieks is all for that. Which at last brings us to the conclusion of this essay series! The conclusion, which looks back on the original query posed in Part 1, will once again include a load of screencaps. To keep the post size lighter, I'm going to put it in a separate post. I hope you'll look forward to it!

#dgs #dgs spoilers #tgaa #tgaa spoilers #barok van zieks #ALMOST THERE #HHHHHHHHH

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missnight0wl · 3 years

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What do you think of Rowan, Ben, Penny and Merula's Patronus? Though I don't like Merula very much, I still think she is able to conjure one.

I’m putting it under the cut because it turned out a bit lengthy.

Rowan

I used to think of an Owl for Rowan because, y’know, it's “a symbol of wisdom” and all. But when I got this ask, I remembered that I found the site on Irish Astrology just days earlier – the same Rowling was using for birthdates and wand wood of the Golden Trio. Interestingly, each sign has assigned an animal there, and since the rowan tree is one of them, I decided to check it to find out that it’s a crane or a green dragon. A dragon makes me think of Charlie, but I did a little bit of digging on another option, and I have to say – I think I’m gonna stick with a Crane Patronus for Rowan.

This is what I found on the Crane symbolism:

Throughout Asia, the crane is considered as a bird of happiness and prosperity. The Japanese, Chinese, and Korean traditions relate it to longevity and fidelity.

Aristotle wrote about this bird that it always held a stone in its mouth so that if it fell asleep and the stone would fall down, the bird would wake. Thus crane symbolism came to be linked with vigilance.

I also checked Indian symbolism since Rowan is part Indian, and I found this:

[The Sarus crane] is also known as the eternal symbol of unconditional love and devotion and good fortune.

Interestingly, cranes are monogamous and they mate for life. That’s actually why in Japan, they’re often incorporated in wedding décor!

Overall, we have pretty positive symbolism. The parts about devotion and unconditional love sum Rowan up as a friend pretty well. We also have a part about vigilance which again is pretty fitting for Rowan who was probably the most aware from all of our friends that MC is indeed in constant danger – and that’s why they were suspicious of Ben (not because they simply didn’t like Ben – let’s remember that Rowan and Ben were friends at the end of a day).

Admittedly, “in some cultures, the meanings of crane birds can be negative: they represent deception, a harbinger of death, and even the symbol of the devil.” However, it’s actually a bit meta, considering all the people suspecting Rowan of being a traitor.

Ben

I really like the idea of a Lion Patronus for Ben. A Patronus form is not only about representing one’s personality, but also “the Patronus represents that which is hidden, unknown but necessary within the personality” - and it fits Ben’s bravery so nicely. I talk here mostly about Old Ben, but that’s also a pretty old idea of mine. I mean, Ben was always super brave when his friends needed it, he just couldn’t really accept it himself. I also find it kind of heart-warming to imagine Old Ben being intimidated by his own Patronus at first, only to become more and more comfortable around it with time.

Another thing, I remember reading once someone else’s point that it could be a funny reference to the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz – which, now that I think about it, Ben would be probably familiar with as a Muggleborn!

Now, as for New Ben… Well, honestly, I don’t think that Ben would be able to cast Patronus Charm at this very moment. He probably still feels too much guilt for Rowan’s death and whatnot. Still, I remembered a discussion I had with my friend after Rakepick’s Patronus was finally revealed, and she pointed out then that male lions tend to kill little cubs if they defeat a previous male lion and take over his pack. Y’know, to eliminate wrong genes. And you know what? It’s kind of what Ben did with his old self. Before the end of Y5, Ben had a pretty good understanding of bravery. There was that very sweet moment in the O.W.L.s TLSQ, for example:

But then, the end of Y5 happened, and Ben was like: “Nope. I know no fear and THAT’S bravery”.

Either way, I do hope that Ben will eventually return on his path of a healthy balance between his old and new self, and I have a feeling that a Lion would still be a pretty good match then.

Penny

Probably an unpopular opinion, but I always thought that Penny’s Patronus should be some kind of a predator. I once even proposed a Black Panther, but I didn’t have a lot of reasoning behind it, to be honest. Now, I think I’m gonna change it anyway, and I’ll say that Penny would have a Fox Patronus. This is information I found on it:

The fox is a natural trickster, and brilliantly charismatic. Those with this Patronus are often more reserved, but do have the social capability to speak to just about anyone. They are strongly ambitious and observant of the behaviour of others, watching key points in what others do and storing them for further reference, when they may need them. They are good talkers, meaning they can convince people to do what they want and make them think it was their idea in the first place.

Foxes are quick, intelligent and strongly ambitious. Although they are known for their cunning nature, they are very charismatic and easy to love. If your Patronus is a fox, you have an ability to think outside of the box and act quickly during emergency situations.

Penny is insanely ambitious about her Potions-making. She said on more than one occasion that she couldn’t pass the opportunity to brew more advanced Potion. She’s also obviously charismatic, and the part I might like the most is about “making others do what they want and even make them think it was their idea”. Because when you really think about it… it’s exactly Penny.

Like, making MC steal the ingredients for the Forgetfulness Potion and very similar situation again with the Draught of Peace (each time not even telling MC what it’s about until the very end). Making MC impersonate a Professor or a Prefect. All those situations could get us in pretty serious trouble. Yet, the best example in all of that is the Animagus TLSQ, in my opinion.

The quest started with the rumours that Talbott is planning to become an Animagus, and so MC got intrigued and decided to help Talbott get ingredients, hoping that Penny could make an extra Potion for them. But then, it turned out that Penny doesn’t make the Potion for Talbott at all, and she wanted MC to take it instead. Moreover, Talbott was already an Animagus, so the whole story didn’t really make much sense from the very beginning. Now, it might be the case of Jam City screwing up badly in writing, but it doesn’t change the fact that this is basically what happened: Penny wanted to brew the Animagus Potion, so she sent Talbott to get MC intrigued in the whole thing, so MC thought it was their idea while Penny could brew her Potion. Now, tell me she’s not a Fox – especially that again it could’ve been pretty dangerous for MC if anything went wrong.

There’s also a part about thinking outside of the box and acting quickly during the emergency, and funnily enough, it’s also kind of true for Penny. The thing is that she doesn’t act well in those situations – but that’s a separate problem.

Also, I don’t know if you can tell it by now, but I totally believe that Penny should’ve been a Slytherin, and I will die on that hill. Just a digression.

Merula

Hm, how about a Mole? Or a Rat? :D Just kidding, of course. Mostly…

Seriously though, I had a bit of a problem with Merula. I thought of a Skunk or a Frilled-neck lizard at first, y’know, because they try to look more threatening as a self-defence mechanism. I considered a Yorkshire Terrier as well because they’re always yapping at bigger dogs. And while they kind of fit Merula, they’re definitely not perfect matches. Merula has no dog qualities whatsoever, and even though her aggression is probably caused by a lot of insecurities, skunks and frilled-neck lizards don’t really harm whatever threatens them. Merula does harm, whether physically or emotionally, and she’s pretty calculated in that.

So, I kept thinking about something else, and there was one option I was coming back to. And even though I didn’t fully like it at first, I think I’ll stick to it, and I’ll say that Merula would have a Black Mamba Patronus.

Here’s some information about Black Mambas:

Cloaked in the color of death and measuring over 14 feet in length, the Black Mamba is regarded as one of the most vicious snakes in the world. It’s also one of the most venomous. (…) Unlike many animals, which simply have an anger problem, Black Mambas are driven by an extreme form of fear-based aggression. Being exceedingly nervous, the slightest sense that the snake’s escape route is compromised may unleash an attack of unparalleled ferocity.

There’s also an interesting quote from the discussion on whether or not they chase humans:

No, they absolutely don’t chase humans. No snakes chase humans. However black mambas are so high-strung they’re practically hysterical the moment something makes them nervous, and they’re really not very intelligent. As a result, these snakes are extremely prone to absolute panic. If you corner a mamba, its fight/flight reflex is triggered, and it will freak out and try to fight you to escape. This involves wildly throwing itself around and biting you like 60 times in a row, if you don’t get the blazes out of the way. (…) And they’re not very good at evaluating the level of danger they’re in. Or… much of anything.

… and that’s basically Merula. She’s in a constant state of panic that people are better than her. Especially in earlier years, she constantly felt threatened by MC’s mere existence, even when MC was clear they just don’t care about her – so she was attacking. All. The. Freaking. Time.

Moreover, snakes in general are often associated with deceit, so there’s that.

Of course, there’s also much more positive symbolism around snakes, like a rebirth, transformation, or heling. And while I have no doubts that Jam City won’t give Merula a proper redemption arc (because they're too lazy about it), she clearly is a character who’s supposed to be all about redemption. So, I guess that’s another reason why a Black Mamba would fit nicely, even though it seems a bit stereotypical for a Slytherin (then again, Merula totally should’ve been a Gryffindor, but that’s a topic for a different discussion).

#long post #hogwarts mystery #hphm #rowan khanna #ben copper #penny haywood #merula snyde #patronus #about characters #ask #anonymous

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theanimeview · 3 years

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My Nitpick Issue with Sherlock in Moriarty the Patriot

By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

It may surprise some of you to know that I have degrees in book reading and writing. While earning those degrees I studied one specific time period more than the others--that being British Literature from late-17th/18th century through the early 20th century. This is to say that it is a time period I know a little more about than you might think. And early 1900s is probably my favorite period out of that timeline, particularly England under Victoria’s rule.

And, perhaps, because of this strange obsession I have with the period, I presently have a small bone to pick over Moriarty the Patriot.

It’s not the minor inaccuracies of the clothes, nor the adaptation of character designs. It’s not even the adjustment to social tendencies depicted that are more Japanese than British-English of any period thus far either--because those kinds of things happen frequently in adaptations. And it's not Moriarty or his backstory too! Because, again, this is an adaptation, and liberties will be taken to fit the new story (besides, even in the original works by Doyle the man’s backstory was inconsistent).

My issue is with the character of Sherlock and his supposed “deductions.” Well, maybe more accurately it's with the writing of Sherlock.

You see, Sherlock is almost always introduced the same way in an adaptation. He makes a judgment about someone (usually about Watson or the Watson stand-in) and then proves it using his observational skills. This introduction is important because it clarifies that the world of the characters is one based on where common sense and science not only work but make sense. His deductions are logical and based on some semblance of rationality. Here is an excerpt from the original novel:

“I knew you came from Afghanistan. From long habit the train of thoughts ran so swiftly through my mind, that I arrived at the conclusion without being conscious of intermediate steps. There were such steps, however. The train of reasoning ran, `Here is a gentleman of a medical type, but with the air of a military man. Clearly an army doctor, then. He has just come from the tropics, for his face is dark, and that is not the natural tint of his skin, for his wrists are fair. He has undergone hardship and sickness, as his haggard face says clearly. His left arm has been injured. He holds it in a stiff and unnatural manner. Where in the tropics could an English army doctor have seen much hardship and got his arm wounded? Clearly in Afghanistan.'

How does this prove we are in a world where common sense and logic works? Well, because he didn’t pull any of these deductions from thin air. He just used his eyes and common knowledge to make a quick judgment.

In the example above, everything that Sherlock assumes is true and based on reasonable assumptions about the time period and about what he can observe of the person before him.

The tan of Watson’s skin is something he notes because London is usually dark and wet around this season, so you’re unlikely to get a tan. The way the man walks and stands is also a thing he can observe, and fresh military men walk very differently from the average citizen or gentleman. These two observations, coupled with noticeable injury and limp could lead one to think that maybe he has just come back from the current war (the First Anglo-Afghan War). Of course, maybe he wasn’t injured in the war at all--maybe something else happened; however, you can make a pretty good guess that an abled bodied soldier would not be home and looking for a room in the middle of war-times if something hadn’t happened to him on the battlefield.

My point is that all of Sherlock’s deductions come from observing details, paying attention to the basics of the world (such as the ongoing war or understanding rigor mortis), and using your senses. Sure, there may be a few things the average person doesn’t know that Sherlock does, but that’s because Sherlock has studied different things and to a more serious degree. The level of understanding is different, but not impossible to achieve in one’s own time or effort. And, as another note, Sherlock is not perfectly observant all of the time. There are plenty of examples of him needing to take breaks, of him closing his eyes to block out distractions so he can better focus on what someone is saying, and of him smoking to zone out for a bit so that he can come back to a problem with fresh eyes at a later time.

It’s absolutely vital to Sherlock’s character, and the original story, that all of the deductions are based on the “possible,” which is why the introduction of Sherlock in Episode 6 of this adaptation immediately irritated me. Here is the scene:

Side note: I’m sorry it’s shown as a poorly made gif--I literally could not find a copy of the clip with English subtitles on YouTube so I could not include it as a video. If you want to look at it in the episode itself, it starts at about the 13:00 minute mark. EPISODE LINK)

Here is what bothers me so much. Why would a mathematician be checking to see if the staircase on a ship fits the golden ratio? More importantly, why would that in any way matter to Moriarty as a character? Based on what we’ve seen so far of this character, and we’ve had 6 and 1/2 episodes to define him so far, none of Sherlock’s statement makes sense here.

Like, at all. (And I know that this also happens in the manga--doesn’t make sense there either.)

You know what would make sense though? For the time period and the character development we’ve seen of Moriarty thus far? A pause to consider-- and maybe even compare--staircases on the ship between the main steps for passengers and the steps for commoners or staff.

Why would that make sense? Oh, thank you so much for asking. Time to get real nerdy here for a minute:

Class issues were a serious problem in Victorian England (as they are now, though in a different way). These issues were not necessarily the same as depicted in the show but it was still consistently present throughout the society as a whole. (A good, short read on the subject can be found here for those of you interested: Social Life in Victorian England.)

One way that this issue came out was in the very architecture of homes. In Victorian England, nobleman homes and estates were built with main staircases, where the residents and guests walked, and servent staircases, where the staff and other temporary employees walked. The difference in these stairs was huge, as the servant staircases were basically death traps.

In the late 1800s, a mathematician (and architect) named Peter Nickolson figured out the exact measurements that would generally ensure a comfortable and easy walk upstairs:

BTW: Here is a great video on the subject and how they were death traps: Staircases in Victorian England

However, Nickolson’s math and designs were not used regularly in the design of houses for years to come.

By the setting of the story, and given Moriarty’s interest in maths, his understanding of class issues, and beyond--this kind of knowledge would make far more sense than searching for the golden ratio in a man-made set of stairs.

Moreover, the golden ratio is generally interesting to mathematicians (to my understanding) because it can be seen in nature frequently. It is a pattern found everywhere, from the way that petals grow on flowers, to how seashells form, to freaking hurricane formations! So why on Earth would Moriarty be interested in an architect's choice to use such a ration when planning a staircase?

He wouldn’t, I believe. Nor would Sherlock generally be able to make that assumption based on his time gazing at the staircase, distance from said staircase, nor angle.

So what can he deduce, if not that? Well, he may be able to deduce that Moriarty is a nobleman based on his attire. He may also be able to deduce that the man is a student based on age, as in an earlier episode we were told he’s quite young to be teaching in university and appears close in age to his students. Maybe he’s a student of architecture? But, if he’s a nobleman--as we suspect he is based on his attire--then it's unlikely he works a labor-intensive job or one close to it. So, he must be in academia for academic reasons such as mathematics. Physics during that time, as an academic subject, focused more on lighting, heat, electricity, magnetism, and such. And, Sherlock notes that Moriarty is specifically looking at the stairs, not the lights of the ship.

So, BAM! I’ve deduced Moriarty is a young nobleman who is likely a student of mathematics. Perhaps he’s recently had a lesson on staircases or another algebraic concept that’s caused him to pause with momentary interest.

It makes a heck of a lot more sense than finding a “golden ratio” in a man-planned and man-made staircase... don’t you think? And, maybe, we can even deduce that rather than a student he’s a professor who has just thought up an interesting lesson--though that would be a BIG jump from the data we’ve been provided here.

Deductions that come from major leaps in logic make it seem like Sherlock is doing magic... and he is--because it is magical that people find it impressive or believable. It’s not. And I would argue that the original character would find it insulting based on his comments to Watson regarding being compared to other fictional detectives.

Pay in mind, I have this feeling about several adaptations, so my judgment on Moriarty the Patriot isn’t technically exclusive. It just hit me so hard in my first viewing that I felt I needed to share because generally, this issue of deductions becoming magic rather than stemming from logic doesn’t happen in the first two minutes of meeting Sherlock Holmes.

So... yeah. Thanks for coming to my absurd history/lit lesson through Moriarty the Patriot. I appreciate you sticking with me to the end and hope it was enjoyable.

You can watch the series on Funimation.com right now at: https://www.funimation.com/shows/moriarty-the-patriot

Overall, it’s a pretty good series; although there was a lot more child-murder than I expected...

#Moriarty the Patriot #Yuukoku no Moriarty #funimation #analysis #character analysis #character #sherlock holmes #james moriarty

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dinosaurtsukki · 4 years

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housemates with shiratorizawa

helloo!! new headcanon series here hehe. i hope you like this very long set of headcanons!

how you ended up in a house with these guys:

they're such a tight-knit bunch considering the fact that they've been living in a dormitory throughout high school

it was probs semi or kawanishi who suggested getting an extra roommate to help with the rent (tendou and goshiki are accident prone they need someone to help pay for repairs)

so ushijima made and put up an ad for an extra housemate. although he didn't disclose the fact that you'd be rooming with 7 other dudes

you were kind of desperate for some housing at this point so you just went with it

the person who greets you at the door is shirabu. but its more like he saw you, your bag, and went back inside the house leaving the door open

you stood there for a whole ten minutes before kawanishi came up to invite you inside

you're instantly greeted by goshiki and semi cleaning the house like crazy. semi was punching a couch cushion so that it looked an extra soft pillow

tbh the only normal you see are ushijima and reon. they're probs the ones who interviewed you to see if you were a good fit as their housemate

despite how weird your first impressions of some of your housemates were, you were still keen to move in

and then that's when tendou decided to come home from the pet shop with an iguana

living there:

you're roommate ends up being shirabu because no one else wanted to room with him (jk they all drew straws and he was lucky)

he's a pretty good roommate: clean, keeps to himself, doesn't play music too loudly

except the fact that he ALWAYS HOGS THE UPSTAIRS BATHROOM

the bathroom might as well just be his because it's FULL of beauty products. also shirabu takes a million years to get ready that at this point, everyone uses the downstairs bathroom

lmao y'all get your revenge tho by using some of shirabu's products when he's gone

its particularly you, semi, tendo, and kawanishi who like to do that

kawanishi: *walks past shirabu*

shirabu: bitch, did you use my fucking Splash of Pomegranate with Exfoliating Sesame Seeds: Rainforest of the Sun Bath and Body Works shower gel?

kawanishi:...no?

semi and reon are both roommates and are probably the most normal people in the house which is saying something

also idk why i feel like they both have a thing for scented candles but they're too shy to tell anyone

like,,, they have a closet full of scented candles and everything

reon: hey, want me to light up Spring Lake or Summer's Kiss?

semi: Summer's Kiss all the way

that's why they always keep their door locked and whenever someone knocks, they quickly snuff out the candle and fan the smoke out of the windows

you: whoa, why does it smell so nice here?

semi: ...air freshener

is kawanishi the only sane, normal person in the house? yeah, probably

he's the one who remembers to get groceries and buy toilet paper and shit and he's so happy he has you to help him out

the thing is though, he's a NOTORIOUS prankster. like, nobody suspects him because they assume its tendou who put packets of ketchup under the toilet seat but no, it was kawanishi

but his favorite person to mess with is his roommate: goshiki

okay goshiki is a Heavy Sleeper and one night you and kawanishi decided to draw criss-cross stocking marks on his legs with permanent marker

goshiki is an alright housemate. he's polite, does his assigned chores, rarely gets into your privacy

but oh my god every morning at 5 am he wakes up the entire house BY BLENDING PROTEIN SHAKES

you and shirabu considered soundproofing your room or chaining goshiki to his bed

ONE OF THE HOUSE'S GREATEST MYSTERIES: how does goshiki cut his hair?

tendou knows you've been dying to know why so one day he's all 'do you really wanna know?' and you're like 'HECC YEAH' and he takes your arm and brings you to goshiki's room

in there you find him with a bowl on his head and cutting along the rim with his scissors

shirabu is also with him but he has a ruler for his bangs

its the only time they ever get along

tendou and ushijima has hands-down the most chaotic room set-up

for one, half of it, ushijima's half, looks like a traditional japanese house

you know that scene in BNHA where todoroki was showing off his room? yes that one

y'all are like 'how was he able to bring tatami mats in his room?'

and then tendou's half looks like a weird-ass storage room complete with an iguana tank (yes he kept it)

tendou probs has those color-changing lights too

and the funny part about it is that both ushijima and tendou are completely okay with the set-up

also tendou has the most irregular schedule ever. like,,, circadian rhythms just wasn't installed in the being that is Tendou Satori

like,, he'll be making mac and cheese at 3 am and just enter your room asking if you want anything

you: WHY WOULD I WANT MAC AND CHEESE AT 3 AM???

shirabu, who's still awake because he's a med student: i'll have some

ushijima on the other hand has such a set schedule and daily routine. he's the definition of 'working like clockwork'

you guys even use him as your clock because why not?

you: guys what time is it?

reon: ushijima just left for his morning run so probably 7am

the only thing is that ushijima,,, generally doesn't cook??

and by that he likes to eat raw vegetables. no seasoning, no nothing

and he always offers to make people snacks and he does it so sincerely that you can't help but accept his snacks

*insert scene of you eating raw carrots at 11 pm while studying*

house incident: everyone being a closeted fan of Naruto

everyone in shiratorizawa is a closeted naruto fan (except for a few but we’ll be discussing) and no i don’t accept criticism on this

goshiki MAY have rock lee’s signature bowl cut and sometimes walks around the house in leg weights but he doesn’t say who he copies them from outright

but EVERYONE ELSE

you started having your suspicions when you walked into semi and reon’s room looking for a pencil and found semi sitting in bed with a pile of tissues around him and his laptop on his lap

you guys stare at each other for a while and semi just quickly yells “I WAS WATCHING PORN”

you: I DON’T NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU’RE WATCHING

my boy semi was actually crying to that part in naruto when zabuza and haku died

his roommate reon on the other hand has a secret tattoo

it’s a sharingan tattoo and its on his back, just between his shoulder blades, which is why he doesn’t go around shirtless (his favorite character is itachi don’t @ me)

reon probably owns an akatsuki cloak too

kawanishi has an ENTIRE playlist of the naruto opening and ending tracks that he got from youtube and converted into mp3 format on youtube mp3 converter which he then downloaded and organized into a playlist with the album art when he was thirteen

sometimes you’ll hear him whistling Ikimono Gakari and everyone in the house is all 👂👂👂

tendou is the only one not lowkey about it but he’s not lowkey about anything he likes

and then one day you and tendou are in the kitchen and ushijima decides to watch tv while eating breakfast

while flipping through the channels he comes across the rock lee vs. gaara fight and he just decides to watch while eating

tendou’s like ‘wakatoshi? do you,,, like naruto?’

ushijima: is this naruto? it looks pretty cool

AND THEN YOU AND TENDOU JUST AMBUSH HIM AND GO INTO A TED TALK ABOUT HOW AWESOME NARUTO IS

while you’re busy ranting about it, semi, goshiki, and reon, who recognize the unmistakable Sounds of Naruto, creep downstairs

semi: oh, cool. it’s naruto

reon: yeah, used to watch it when i was a kid

goshiki: hmm, seems like an alright show

and then USHIJIMA LOOKS AT GOSHIKI AND THEN AT ROCK LEE AND JUST GOES

‘hey, you remind me of that guy’

AND GOSHIKI ALMOST CRIES

reon and semi end up sitting on the couch, trying to hold in their middle-school selves while watching

and then kawanishi comes in and he’s just like OH MY GOD NARUTO!!

now almost everyone in the house is watching. at that part when rock lee drops his weights reon and semi jump off the couch and cheer

they can’t hold themselves back anymore

last but not the least, shirabu, who came back from class, walks into the living room to find all of his housemates cheering and crying in front of the TV that’s playing naruto

shirabu: omg u guys are lame

goshiki, sobbing: WE’RE NOT LAME IF WE FOLLOW OUR NINJA WAY

shirabu: welL, OBVIOUSLY THE BEST FIGHT SCENE IS WHEN NARUTO AND ROCK LEE GO AGAINST KIMIMARO YOU UNCULTURED FUCKS

and then he runs up to his room before coming down with THE FULL BLU-RAY DISC SET OF NARUTO ALL THE WAY UNTIL SHIPPUDEN

basically you guys end up watching naruto all day and semi finally admitted that he wasn’t watching porn the day you came into his room

taglist (still open to anyone who wants in!): @montys-chaos @miyumtwins @strawberriimilkshake @pocubo @sugawara-sweetheart@akaashisbabydoll @laure-chan@therainroguefanfiction@atetiffdoesart@stephdaninja@oikaw-ugh@charliefredb@dramaqueenweeb1469@tremblinghearts@applepienation@doodleniella

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askaceattorney · 3 years

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Dear Anonymous,

I still have yet to play (or watch) DGS2, unfortunately, so we’ll have to save that part for another time, but I’d love to delve into the shared adventures of this adorable duo in the first game.

When Ryuunosuke first meets Susato, she’s nothing more to him than an ally in his defense in court.

He doesn’t see her again until he and Kazuma find themselves at the end of their rope.

It makes you wonder if she’s the one who founded whatever School of Interrupting at Just the Right Time so many Ace Attorney characters apparently went to, doesn’t it?

When she appears, “calm and dignified, in our desperate final moments,” to use Ryuunosuke’s words, she causes quite the stir. Luckily, the five minutes granted to her by the judge to present some crucial evidence is all she needs to help him and Kazuma pull off the first turnabout in Ace Attorney’s history.

The mysterious legal assistant’s wish for Ryuunosuke’s good fortune was granted, apparently.

Thus Ryuunosu-- Um... Is it okay if I call him “Ryu” for short? Thus Ryu’s life was saved by a humble young woman who had the courage and decency to collect, summarize, and present the evidence that turned the case around in the nick of time. After leaving to finish his acquittal procedures with a humble bow, she disappeared, never to be seen by him again.

Or so he thought.

Similar to Phoenix and Maya’s first encounter, Ryu and Susato's second meeting occurs under the most tragic of circumstances. His close friend and classmate has been found dead in his cabin on the ship he managed to smuggle himself onto. Unlike Phoenix and Maya’s situation, however, it’s the lawyer (or soon-to-be lawyer) who is initially blamed for his death. To make matters worse, the young woman who helped to save his life isn’t feeling quite so compassionate this time around.

Her anger and distrust are understandable, considering that the evidence seems to point to Ryu as the culprit, on top of the fact that Kazuma was her foster brother. Luckily, she’s polite and reasonable enough to hear Ryu’s side of things, and even claims that she wants to believe him, so the two of them are at least able to treat each other civilly.

That is...until he tries to start investigating.

There’s a bucket load of energy beneath that demure countenance of hers, it turns out. Her move even has a special name -- the “Susato Toss.” Who would’ve thought she came straight out of Street Fighter?

Thankfully, she still has a reasonable side.

By presenting evidence of his innocence, Ryu not only vindicates himself, but finally starts to gain Susato’s trust.

Sadly, her trust only lasts until a certain world-famous detective shows up to accuse Ryu of being a Russian revolutionary.

It’s hard to blame her, of course. Who wouldn’t trust THE Sherlock Holmes’s logic?

Nonetheless, her determination to find out more about Kazuma’s death is strong enough for her to begrudgingly continue the investigation with Ryu. One notable moment occurs here when he attempts to gain favor wither her by appealing to her love of mystery novels.

She’s no fool, of course, and only dislikes him even more for expecting her to fall for it.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say this was the “main characters don’t get along until they’re forced into a situation together” cliché. This situation may not fit that cliché perfectly, but it’s not too far off if you ask me.

When Ryu is finally allowed to investigate outside the cabin, Susato begins to show a bit more sympathy for him.

I have to give her some credit for that -- it takes a special kind of person to show compassion for a possible murderer. It also seems like she’s beginning to see Ryu as more of a human being than a heartless criminal. Baby steps, as they say.

From that point on, their dialogue begins taking on a more friendly tone. Thus Susato, whether on purpose or by fate, takes on the role of the first official assistant in Ace Attorney’s history. And boy, does she pull it off like a pro.

To make a long story short, their cooperative efforts combined with the ridiculous logic of a kooky detective (as well as the assistance of the less kooky Detective Hosonaga) bring them to the truth of Asougi’s death in the end. While this clears Ryu of the crime and offers some much-needed closure for both him and Susato, his death still affects them deeply.

Something wonderful stems from this tragedy, though -- a crucial moment, not only for the two of them, but also for the Japanese and British Empires.

With Asougi’s passing, the exchange program between Great Britain and Japan is forced into suspension, unless, somehow, a replacement attorney can be found before the ship reaches London.

It’s a shame it has to end this way after all they’ve been through together, but that’s just the way it goes someti--

...Oh. Well, then. Who would’ve seen that coming? (Besides us, I mean.)

And strangely enough, the young woman who once saw Ryu as a cold-blooded murderer has this to say about him becoming an attorney:

Thus a new attorney/assistant pair arises from the ashes of one attorney’s passing (pun fully intended), and the two of them step into a new journey in their lives together. And thankfully, it wasn’t exactly the cliché it appeared to be -- the two of them are now trusted friends, and Susato even offers to let Ryu toss her three times as punishment for not believing him. (It doesn’t quite end that way, but that’s beside the point.)

The first leg of said journey takes place in the “centre of the world” the incredible city of London. What a place to begin, am I right?

Thus their incredible legal adventure begins (or adventures begin, I should say) in beautiful Victorian Era Britain. To describe their encounters here briefly (and so I don’t spend a whole year on this essay), they learn together how the British court system works...

...about its imperfections...

...how it feels to pull off a turnabout in a British courtroom...

...and perhaps most importantly, about the value of trust.

To say nothing of their misadventures with Mr. Holmes, his young genius assistant, and several other unforgettable British folk.

And a fellow Japanese immigrant, too, of course. Who could forget him?

You know, I’m starting to wonder if he might be one of Larry’s ancestors.

The game throws one final curveball for the great legal duo before it ends. After telling Susato she’s the world’s best legal assistant, Ryu gets a very unexpected response from her:

When he attempts to confront her about it, all he gets is another Susato Toss.

What could someone like her, who’s already proven her worth as a legal assistant several times, be hiding? Unfortunately for Ryu, he’s unlikely to find out soon, since her father’s illness has called her back home, leaving him to pull off his next turnabout on his own. She doesn’t go without leaving behind as much helpful evidence as she can muster, of course.

But, as fate would have it, a storm prevents her ship from departing for at least half a day, giving Ryu and his new flatmates a chance to see her off. On top of that, it gives Ryu the chance to find out precisely what inspired Susato’s words of doubt.

He catches her preparing to throw a copy of the British Empire’s Code of Law into the sea. What would cause her to do such a thing?

It turns out she broke one of the rules by tampering with the scene of the crime, and another by concealing that fact. Her intentions may have been good, but her conscience became a little too heavy for her to let it go. She takes it a step further by claiming that, for one moment, she began to doubt the law.

She may not be wrong in stating this (she learned it firsthand in the British courts, after all), but it still caused her to see herself as a failure of a legal assistant. Luckily for her, though, Ryu had learned some things himself in the time they spent together.

While her methods were questionable at best, Ryu recognizes something in Susato that sets her and every just person apart from a criminal: a desire to protect the innocent. Whereas Chrogray used her tampering as a way to protect himself, her only desire was to protect Gina’s life and to ensure that Ryu would be able to prove her innocence in the end. In other words, her faith in the system may have been lacking, but her desire for justice, like Ryu’s, never faltered for even a moment. With that knowledge in mind, the two of them can part with a better knowledge of the law, a better understanding of each other, and smiles on their faces.

So, to sum it up, Ryu and Susato go from being friendly acquaintances, to a murder suspect and suspecter (for lack of a better word), to investigative partners, to full-fledged legal partners, and finally, to a legendary legal duo. Will their relationship ever go any further than that?

Also, full disclosure -- it’s been a long time since I watched Dai Gyakuten Saiban, so I had to do a hefty amount of re-watching in order to remember some of these details...hence why this essay took so long. Thanks for waiting!

And hey, how’s that for good timing?

Don’t know about you, but I’m eagerly looking forward to revisiting this unforgettable saga. And, y’know...doing it the proper way instead of depending on fan translations.

-The Co-Mod

#Anonymous #Susato Mikotoba #Ryuunosuke Naruhodou #Dai Gyakuten Saiban #Mod Post #Co Mod #Character Essay

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vickyvicarious · 3 years

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Ace Attorney Daemons - Prosecutors

Animal species and reasoning behind each choice under the cut, as well as links to other groups of characters!

Miles Edgeworth - Great Pyrenees. I originally started looking at big white dogs because I wanted to see if something similar to Pess would be suitable, and I think I found one. This breed is big and fluffy, which frankly I think would be needed for Miles growing up with the von Karmas. But honestly, his daemon is intelligent and powerful. Generally calm, but capable of leaping into swift action. However, it is at the same time at heart a protector (of livestock, traditionally) more than a predator. I think his daemon settling in this form when he is a teen would be a great way to illustrate his true nature, underneath all the Demon Prosecutor stuff (I expect he and she would be at odds for a while). Additional details I like are that these guys do tend to be more reserved with strangers and can be somewhat stubborn, and also they do shed a fair bit. I just enjoy the image of Miles having to constantly brush his gigantic floofball of a daemon and lintroller all her fur off his suits. A final thing, which I didn’t really intentionally plan, is that all prosecutors have bird daemons except Godot, who used to be a defense attorney, and Miles. So he stands out a little bit there, which I think works well too - he would be all the more determined to prove himself as Bratworth once his daemon settled in a form atypical for the profession.

Franziska von Karma - Harpy eagle. I put Manfred in the villains list since there’s no space for more prosecutors here, but it just seemed fitting to me that von Karmas typically settle as eagles. They are sharp-eyed predators, generally solitary, and look incredibly fierce, just in general. As for the harpy eagle in particular - they are huge, first of all; their claws are the same length as brown bears’. They are among the largest eagles in the world, and sometimes considered the most powerful. This seems only right for Franziska. They mostly eat monkeys, but can go after pretty much anything as they are at the top of their food chain. They can fly nearly straight up and turn their head upside down, and wait nearly a full day to snatch their prey. Franziska too is maneuverable and ridiculously determined. The head-feathers you can see slightly lifted in the photo are pretty cool, too; they rise up into a distinctive crest when the eagle feels threatened, and it actually looks a bit derpy. Which reminds me somehow of Franziska’s scornful “fool” name-calling and how it can often get to the level of absurdity. They are monogamous and fiercely protective parents, which I think can be a nice match to how Franziska really isn’t so heartless after all. And another detail that fits really nicely with her initial rivalry for Miles is that harpy eagles usually lay two eggs, but typically only the first-hatched survives. The other is ignored or even killed by its older sibling.

Klavier Gavin - Superb lyrebird. Female lyrebirds don’t look nearly as impressive as the males, and they don’t do the dramatic dances either. But they are still incredible vocalists, able to imitate sounds from at least 19 other species. And their songs tend to be mostly used during foraging and defending their nest, as opposed to attracting a mate. Obviously Klavier needs a songbird for his daemon, but I think the female lyrebird specifically is great because of those details. Her less exciting (though still pretty) plumage might not match his outer image, but he is one of the best prosecutors of the series, dedicated to the truth from the very beginning. He’s a lot more serious than he might come across, and his daemon reflects that. The typical songs match up with that too; he loves music and his daemon does too, but it’s not what either of them care about most, and the subject of typical female lyrebird songs show that well. Similarly, though a bird like most prosecutors, his daemon is not a bird of prey. He’s never really been in it for ‘the hunt’, after all. One last reason I like the lyrebird for him is that, contrary to most daemons being quite around people they don’t know well, I suspect his daemon would be fairly vocal and probably sing with him in his band.

Simon Blackquill - Japanese mountain hawk-eagle. Before you ask, yes. Yes I did choose his daemon from birds who look most like Taka. I mean, of course. The wiki listed three, and I looked them all up and thought the mountain hawk-eagle appeared closest. As a bonus, it has a Japanese subspecies, which is fitting for samurai man here. They tend to be quiet most of the time, though they have a distinctive cry. This seems fitting for Simon, as he is generally not super talkative. They hunt their prey from a perch, going after small mammals on the ground or other birds, so the perching on his shoulder all the time doesn’t have to change either. Another fitting detail is that females are extremely defensive of their nests and young, apparently willing to fight to death to protect them instead of getting scared away. They also watch and feed their young for a while after they could be self-sufficient. This fits so well with Simon’s willingness to be put to death to protect Athena, obviously.

Godot/Diego Armando - Asian palm civet. I took a slightly different approach for his daemon, and just googled animals that eat coffee. But I’ll get to that in a minute. First, they are nocturnal, solitary, and can just be hard to locate. This fits well with Godot’s whole ambiguous/mysterious thing he’s got going. They’re good climbers and quite nimble/speedy but still vulnerable to predators. Fitting, I think, since he was caught both as Diego and Godot. He tends to be clever to a point but then make a fatal mistake. They also are pretty adaptable, getting used to urban life quickly, which can relate to him adjusting easily to becoming a prosecutor. However, I would be lying if I said the main reason I like this daemon for him wasn’t because they eat coffee. More than just that, the coffee cherries (of which they are said to select only the best) get fermented in their guts, and when they’ve been pooped out, are used to make a very expensive coffee called “kopi luwak.” Now, granted, when I looked this up it seems that the result doesn’t taste especially good and is pretty much just famous as a novelty thing, but I think Godot’s daemon would enjoy coffee just as much as him, and I find the fact that he could, um, prepare his own if he wanted, hilarious.

Detectives, Feys, Misc. Lawyers, Villains, Witnesses, Wright Anything Agency

#ace attorney #miles edgeworth #franziska von karma #klavier gavin #simon blackquill #godot #daemons #aa daemons

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gorogorogorochansan · 3 years

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CP2077 OC ask game *:･ﾟ✧⚔️🤖🔮 [x]

PERSONAL.

1. what is their full name? do they have any nicknames? what are they and why did they get them? His full name is Maximilian Noirceuil Roquentin Vandermeer. Vandermeer to others, Max to his family. His mother just loves French literature and culture.

2. how old are they? how long have they been living on their own? 33 as of 2077. He’s been living on his own for 15 years since he joined Arasaka.

3. what are their astrology signs? sun/moon/rising. He was born on May 2nd 2044, which makes him a sun Taurus, moon Cancer and ascendant Leo.

4. what tarot card from the major arcana would you associate with them? The Devil.

5. are they religious or spiritual in any way? Not at all. Max is rather materialistic and self-indulgent at times.

6. which of the four elements would you associate with them? Air for intellect and mental intention.

9. which of the nine alignments are they? (lawful good etc) Lawful neutral.

10. which of the myers-briggs personality types are they? ESTJ, the Executive.

11. do they have any cyberware? is it cosmetic or is it weaponry/armor? He’s not into combat much, he prefers doing his job quietly if he can. Better yet - a silver tongue coupled with unsettling look can achieve a lot more than a weapon. Hands: Smart Link; Ocular system: Kiroshi Optics; Nervous system: Kerenzikov; Cyberdeck: Stephenson Tech Mk.2; Integumentary system: Optical Camo; Skeleton: Endoskeleton, Bionic Lungs; Legs: Lynx Paws.

12. what is their occupation? He likes to call himself a free artist but technically he’s a solo. Murder, sabotage, thievery, recovery, delivery - you name it and he’ll do it, quick & clean. A man of high standards he prefers to be silent, precise and effective about his work. Even during his Arasaka days he never shied away from hard or morally repulsive (to some) tasks. A job is a job and needs to be done.

13. if you were to choose a class for them, what would it be? The closest would probably be a Stealth Solo.

14. what is their weapon of choice? HJKE-11 Yukimura pistols & Electric Baton.

15. what is their preferred vehicle or transportation of choice? Black Quadra Turbo-R V-Tech.

16. how would you describe their style? Neomilitarism. Corpo chic through and through.

17. are they a early riser or a night owl? Normally he’s an early riser but not averse to adapt if work demands it.

18. share three songs you associate with them. Eisbrecher - Verrückt [translation] Dorothy - Wicked Ones Oomph! - Augen auf! [translation]

NIGHT CITY.

19. is your character from night city? if no, where were they born? what brought them to night city? if yes, what area of the city did they grow up? He is from Charter Hill, Night City. His maternal family is from North Oak but his parents moved to something more affordable before he was born. He worked his ass off to stay in Charter Hill on his own but after his boss Jenkins lost the power struggle in Arasaka, Vandermeer had to survive and look for a cheaper place.

20. where do they currently live? describe their home. Watson, Little China, near Sutter Street. He rents a small apartment that satisfies his needs, which turned out to be rather simple - a quiet (as much as possible), clean and efficient space that is suitable for living and working in.

21. do they have any favorite spots around NC? Lele Park in the evening and night. And Dark Matter club.

22. do they like to cook for themselves, or eat out? do they prefer restaurants or street food? and how do they feel about vending machine food? He can cook a few things thanks to his mom but generally prefers street food and restaurants. He finds vending machines repulsive.

23. do they prefer the city or the badlands? The city. He loves comfort, hygiene and availability of things only megalopolis can offer.

24. what gang/faction/corporation do they align with, if any? He prefers to keep balance and mutually beneficial relationships with everyone strictly for business. He always looks for people reasonable enough to bargain with.

25. which radio station(s) is their favorite? If it’s a car radio then it’s Vexelstrom most of the times. He likes hearing heavy rhythms in the background. When it comes to listening to music at home he has a variety of genres in his playlists from classics and jazz to heavy metal.

26. if they do merc work, do they have one dedicated fixer? if so, who? It’s Rachel Vogelman (another OC created by @bnbc). They used to be corporate rivals during their Arasaka days. To add fuel to the fire their colleagues believed them to be siblings because of certain visual similarities between the two. When Max lost his job Rachel was the only person he could ask for help. It wasn’t easy, and it still isn’t but they focus on the business side of things. Or at least try to.

27. have they ever had run ins with the badges? He doesn’t like to attract unnecessary attention. Nobody likes when you’re the star of TV news.

28. are they quick to help a stranger in need or do they prefer to stay out of other peoples business? He most likely won’t help unless it can benefit him in any way.

29. do they have any favorite celebrities that frequent or live in NC? how would they feel meeting them? He doesn’t give a shit about celebrities. But he knows Michiko Arasaka, and their first meeting face to face left him baffled to say the least.

RELATIONSHIPS.

30. is your friend a social butterfly or more of a loner? Something in between. He hates useless small talks and fake politeness but understands their necessity when required.

31. who are their closest chooms in NC? He doesn’t have any. Never cared enough to rely on people and always expected a knife in the back. His most regular stable contact is probably Rachel Vogelman but they’re not even close to being chooms.

32. do they have anyone they would consider family? His mom and his sister are the only family he needs.

33. what is/was their relationship like with their parents? He loves his mother Jessica who raised him to be a well-rounded personality that can always land on his feet. She’s an economist with a good sense of humor and interest in arts. But he doesn’t have much emotional connection with his father Mark, since the guy is always busy with his retail business.

34. do they have siblings? He has a sister named Brit who is 15 years younger.

35. how would you describe their relationship with their family? Max is close with his family, although they’re all often too busy to meet regularly but they keep in touch.

36. who is their biggest enemy? Detective Marc Sanderson? Hard to say for now because there’s no official lore information on him yet.

37. tell a short story about your character with their best choom. His rivalry with Rachel Vogelman was almost comic at times, which only worked against them as their colleagues called them siblings on purpose. But since the two have mutually beneficial relationships now he can admit Rachel is pretty good at what she does. He won’t tell it to her though to avoid giving her the pleasure. They have both grown up after losing their corporate jobs but some habits die hard.

38. do they have a love interest? if so, who? His current LI is Michiko Arasaka. Initially he'd met her as Ichigo (a Japanese name that means strawberry) in a cyber sex VR club while he still worked in Arasaka. It was a series of encounters they both enjoyed until he abruptly put an end to it during his unemployment. He suspects she started digging info on him because she reached out to him some time after he had made a small name for himself as a solo.

39. are they in a committed relationship or do they date around? Given the social gap between the two and solely sexual nature of their affair it’s implied they’re in open relationship. Besides it’s unknown if Michiko is still married. However, despite loving sex Max can be picky because he’s slightly fixated on hygiene. Michiko also sparked genuine curiosity and creativity in him with her wild and magnetic personality.

40. has your character ever been in love? if so, with who? No, what is love? He won’t recognize it even if falls in it.

41. do they believe in soulmates? No, he believes in shared goals.

42. do they believe in love at first sight? A ridiculous notion.

43. describe their ideal date. Their idea of romantic evening is to hook up in clubs where it’s noisy and crowded enough to ignore them but also to tickle their nerves. Sometimes they have a follow-up in motels (Michiko knows all the right places) if they can afford it. I don’t mean financially of course. Currently such state of affairs suits both of them perfectly.

44. would your character ever get married? Theoretically he can but marriage is a serious commitment, and right now he’s not interested in making one. And when it comes to Michiko it’s a no-no for a variety of obvious reasons.

45. what was your characters first impression of their partner(s)? Michiko Arasaka was not someone he expected to see when Ichigo asked for a real life meeting. She definitely enjoyed the effect she made while Max was trying to figure out in his mind if this was a setup. She was bold, straightforward and irresistable - not like anyone he has ever met before. The whole situation felt like getting into a sports car without breaks. Once in a lifetime opportunity, a one-way ticket. And he took it. He suspects he’s not the first and not the last such input for her but life is too short for missing out the fun.

46. are they open about their relationship or low key? how would other people feel about them together? Somewhat semi-open. Max’s mom knows and she’s worried for him, although she knows he can take care of himself. And Michiko doesn’t mind him telling about her to his family as he has no friends and isn’t the type to brag, and she doesn’t care if anyone recognizes her in public. Her social circle wouldn’t care about him, and those who might won’t be able to do a thing about it.

47. share a headcanon about your character and their partner(s). Just one? I’ve already got plenty. • Michiko calls him Max and he calls her Ichigo or Ichi (one) because that’s how they’ve met and it's something of their inside joke, a secret; • Michiko keeps him at distance on purpose. She studied his profile long before they’ve met face to face and probably knows what he wants for breakfast before he even wakes up. So she knows Max has opportunistic tendencies like majority of mid-tier corpos. But another reason is that she also doesn’t want things to get serious and complicated between them because it can ruin the fun. She appreciates he doesn’t ask stupid questions or demands more attention than she can give him; • Michiko likes to подъебывать Max. I guess the closest English equivalent would be to tease - cracking suggestive jokes on him, giving him simple presents she finds hilarious, sending him nudes and demanding payment with his in the most inappropriate times. She is amused Max tolerates her shit so stoically - but she’s never malicious, disrespectful or obnoxious. In return Max knows it’s hard to impress someone who comes from the Arasaka bloodline & that it would be safer not to get on their bad side, so he focuses on making her feel good. And strangely it makes him feel good too. • Max loves to touch her hair. Michiko always looks flawless when they meet and he adores her for it. • When Arasaka Tower was under attack Max called her until she finally picked up as he was genuinely concerned about her safety. He asked if she was alright and offered to take her home but she refused. She doesn’t know he was waiting outside.

48. share three songs you associate with your character and their partner(s). Garbage - Bad Boyfriend Eisbrecher - Exzess Express [translation] Eisbrecher - Rot wie die Liebe [translation] Bonus: Dinah Washington - Relax, Max - a song Michiko likes to tease him with.

NSFW.

49. name three of your characters biggest turn ons. Mature, confident women who know what they want and don’t waste anyone’s time.

50. name three of your characters biggest kinks. Touching Michiko in public - it’s the kink of kinks.

51. do they like having multiple partners or do they prefer monogamy? He doesn’t like being in relationships. The secret to his successful affair with Michiko is that both are totally free of any commitments and expectations from each other. Normally he prefers flings, BDs and cyber sex. But currently his mind is occupied with one specific woman with blue hair.

52. do they watch porn or braindances? Porn is ancient, BDs are far more superior.

53. would your character ever make an explicit braindance? He doesn’t have the right implant for that. He might though but not with Michiko - he’s not that stupid.

54. do they have any cybernetic enhancements that serve sexual purposes? He’s no netrunner but he got himself a Stephenson cyberdeck that supposedly prolongs orgasms. Turns out the cyberdeck can be useful for other things as well, even moreso as now he doesn’t have a corpo protection and needs to be more careful.

55. do they have a preference for ‘ganic bodies or do they like modifications? He doesn’t like cheap implants. Other than that he doesn’t care.

56. name three of your characters biggest turn offs. Poor hygiene, naivete and girls who don’t know when to quit.

57. what is their ultimate fantasy? or ““secret”“ kink? Michiko is his ultimate fantasy now. There’s something liberating and intoxicating about having her at the tips of your fingers moaning your name. He feels like he can try anything with her and she won’t say no, although he is aware it’s an illusory freedom.

58. would they ever use any substances like aphrodisiacs, alcohol or drugs during sex? Yes because why not? It’s not necessary but it can’t hurt.

59. what is their wildest sexual experience? A corpo group sex party. It was fun but he doesn’t like joytoys, even premium ones. Had to do a medical check-up afterwards.

60. are they more submissive or dominant? Dominant. But one time Michiko cuffed him to bed and he didn’t mind.

61. does your character need to have an intimate relationship with someone to have sex? or do they prefer being unattached? Unattached is best at the moment. Though he’s not fully aware he’s currently attached.

62. has your character ever participated in group sex? In the past, during his Arasaka days.

63. do they like to sext or play over the holo? Why not both, depending on situation.

64. has your character ever ghosted someone after a sexual encounter? Yes because he doesn’t like attachment. The reason he didn’t ghost Ichigo was that she was always creative during their virtual meetings.

65. how would they react if they were ghosted by someone they like after a sexual encounter? If Michiko ghosted him he’d be probably pissed and then upset. But he suspects she’d tell him first because there’s a certain amount of trust between them.

66. do they prefer kink oriented sex or spontaneous passionate sex? Usually the latter but the former is good too.

67. how do they get down on their own? quick and easy or do they have to romance themselves a little? It depends on a moment.

68. in what outfit do they feel sexiest? how do they dress to impress? Naked is the best. He dresses sharp because that’s how he was raised and also because it makes him feel good about himself. He mostly prefers clean black suits.

69. do they like having music on while they have sex? share three songs they’d play while getting down. He usually doesn’t care but Michiko likes to put on something energetic and loud when they’re in motels. This is just to give the idea of the mood: Fatboy Slim - Ya Mama Beastie Boys - Sabotage Mylène Farmer - Des larmes

#oc: vandermeer #Michiko Arasaka #OTP: Michigo #Rachel Vogelman #others' OCs

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polaristranslations · 3 years

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Shinobumonogatari: Afterword

There is a suggestion to those so-called mystery novels that says that "Stories about murder are imprudent and really disgraceful", but it is really fundamentally just the case that they are imprudent and disgraceful, so if I am confronted with such a complaint head-on, I tend to lose the will to argue back. I can think of various rebuttals like, "They're just (friendly) mind games between author and reader" or "It's just fiction, so you should just enjoy it" or "It's a tradition that needs to be passed on", but basically those are just superficial vindications that were thought up after the fact, and it is quite doubtful that there is a reason to read a mystery novel other than "because it is interesting." In this work, Araragi-kun who has become a college student and Suicidemaster discuss this point, but even if we eat food to live, we eat meals because they taste good—or something like that. If the only reason we eat is to live, then the question would become why we add condiments to our food (putting aside Hanekawa-san, who doesn't use condiments), not to mention I can't help but think that anyone who says "Thanks for the meal" is enjoying themselves. Returning to the topic of mystery novels, a suitable rebuttal to someone criticizing them as "imprudent" could be to say, "Why do I need to be prudent?" (there have been many periods in time where being prudent was a necessity, so this rebuttal may not exactly be correct), but it's complicated by the fact that the sound criticism of them being "imprudent" is also a superficial critism. If you dig deeper, you'll find that "imprudent" and "disgraceful" are reasons they think of after the fact, and their first impression is often "I don't like how interesting it looks". Like this, it would be like arguing with your cards face down, and you might end up suspecting each other's true intentions—perhaps it may be groundless suspicion, or perhaps it may be entirely justified.

Anyway, this was the new season of the Monogatari series, featuring Araragi-kun in his first year of college. I was wondering what it would be like, but since I'd already written about Araragi-kun when he had come of age and found a job, I was able to write this surprisingly smoothly. For Araragi-kun, it seems that his campus life is not going to be as smooth, considering he suddenly has to work with Gaen-san, but I'm glad to hear that he was able to make some new friends. But, well, despite calling it a new season, I'd like to maintain the usual feeling of tension that this is already the final volume. With that, this was the twenty-third installment of the Monogatari Series, "Shinobumonogatari—Chapter One: Shinobu Mustard".

The cover was drawn by VOFAN-san, showing Oshino Shinobu with her sword drawn. Thank you very much. If possible, the next volume will feature Hachiku-jin as the main character, so please help me out again.

Nisio Isin

Translator's Afterword

The obvious question that may or may not be on everyone's minds—is the title of this arc "Shinobu Mustard" or "Shinobu Mastered"? I wouldn't be surprised if most people favored "Mastered", considering Shinobu's encounter with her former master Deathtopia Virtuoso Suicidemaster in this arc—however, the themes of eating and being eaten, together with the mention of condiments in the afterword, make for a pretty interesting case for "Mustard" being just as applicable. It could be a simple matter that the author saw the word "master" rendered in Japanese (masutaa) and found it amusing that it wasn't that far off from "mustard" (masutaado), so perhaps you could say this is a practical joke of sorts. While this translation had no choice but to choose one word over the other, I encourage you to think deeply about what the title could mean and come to your own conclusions. If you feel as if you've come even a smidge closer to this work as a result, I would consider it a great success.

On behalf of the author, I would like to thank you for reading "Shinobumonogatari"—but also, I would like to thank you for reading my translation, lacking as it may have been.

Polaris

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nanigma · 4 years

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Blue Lions Translation Chapter 1

Hey, everyone. Since I am currently on holiday and finally finished my latin exam, I decided to start up something fun for us to look at. I’ll make it my mission to go through the Japanese script for the Blue Lions route and translate it as I go. May it reveal neat things small and big.

Can’t promise I will actually make it through it all, but I’ll definitely try my best.

Before we go, I’d like to mention that I am without income this month and would appreciate any bit of help you can give me through my ko-fi account. Times are rough.

My comments in italics

Some small things to note as we start out in White Clouds. I only plan on translating the Blue Lion specific lines first. It just gives me less text to work through all at once. If my stamina lasts long enough, I might go back at a later point and do a translation of all the ‘neutral’ dialogue in between.

Chapter Dialogue

First meeting with the Blue Lions

アネット: えっ、新しい先生って、まさか……あわわ、あたし、友達みたいに話しかけちゃって……▼ 同い年くらいに見えたから、つい……！すみません、気をつけますっ！！▼

Annette: Eh, you mean the new teacher is... no way.. ahh. And I even talked to you like we were friends. ▼ You look like you are my age so... I am so sorry, I will be careful from now on!! ▼

[選択:構わない]

[Choose: I don't care]

アネット: そ、そんなこと言われても……。

Annette: Even if you say so...

ディミトリ: ええ、こちらの気が済みません。

Dimitri: Yes, it is on us to apologize.

シルヴァン: 先生が言うんだし、いいんじゃないですか？つーか、それを言ったらですよ、殿下……▼ そもそも、俺たちがあんたにこんな口を利いてるのだって、不敬もいいとこでしょ。▼

Sylvain: But the Professor said they don't care, so it's fine, right? And anyway, if we are already on the topic, your highness.. ▼ Since we've been talking to you so casually all along, a little disrespect can’t be that bad. ▼

ディミトリ: いや、ここは王国ではないんだし、それとこれとはまた別の話で……▼ ……だがまあ、先生がそれでいいならありがたくその厚意に甘えるとしようか。▼

Dimitri: No, this isn't the kingdom, so how we talk there is completely unrelated to how we talk here... ▼ However, if it is alright with the Professor, we shall take them up on their offer gratefully. ▼

イングリット: あの、ですが私には…… 染みついた癖というのは、どうにも……。▼

Ingrid: Um, I myself... I am not sure if I can go against my manners like that.. ▼

メルセデス: 難しいなら、無理することないわよ～。ね、先生もそれでいいでしょう？▼

Mercedes: No need to force it, if it's difficult for you~. I am sure that's fine with you too, Professor? ▼

Byleth nods

[If Byleth is female]

シルヴァン: 先生は器がでかいなあ、素敵だ！あっ、結婚を前提に、俺とお茶でも……

Sylvain: The professor has such a big heart, how wonderful! Ah, we should discuss marriage sometime over a cup of tea and-...

I had to look up what 器がでかいなあ means. Literally it would be more like “Your vessel is big” and I suspected something sleazy at first, but it seems Sylvain is innocent.. this time.

フェリクス:……待て、シルヴァン。こいつには用がある。▼

Felix: … Wait, Sylvain. I need something from her.

フェリクス……そういえば、先ほどお前に言ったな。剣を交える日を楽しみにしている、と。▼

Felix: … Anyway. You told me before, right? About looking forward to the day we cross swords.

Whoever uploaded the Japanese script speculated this line only shows up if you talked to him during exploration before. Which would make more sense. The localization rephrases it as “I’ve heard of you and wanna fight” which either means the above showed up regardless, potentially causing confusion for Japanese players who skipped talking to him, or the localization made it non-conditional. I’ll have to boot up my game at some point to check.

[Continuing for both Blyeths]

フェリクス: 後で訓練場に来い。まずはお前の腕を見せてもらいたい。▼

Felix: Come to the training hall after this. First things first, I want you to show me your skill.

ディミトリ: 抜け駆けとは感心しないな、フェリクス。その試合、是非俺も交ぜてくれ。▼

Dimitri: It wouldn't be right for you get a headstart, Felix. Please let me partake in that match as well.

English!Dimitri just comments that Felix is right to the point. But I like him teasing a bit here.

Also Dimitri used much more polite language before this, but has now switched to a more casual style, like promised.

フェリクス:……チッ。▼

Felix: … Tch.

アッシュ: あ、あのっ！　後学のため、僕も見学させていただきたいんですが！▼

Ashe: H- Hey! I would also like to observe the occasion for future reference.

ディミトリ: アッシュ。見るだけと言わず、お前も加わればいいだろう。▼

Dimitri: Ashe, leaving out the bit about observation, it would definitely be good for you to join as well.

メルセデス; ふふっ、怪我した時は私に言ってね～。ちょっとした傷なら、すぐに看てあげるわ。▼

Mercedes: Hehe, just tell me if you get hurt. I'll look after any scratch immediately.

ドゥドゥー:……殿下。あまり羽目を外され過ぎぬよう。▼

Dedue: … Your highness. Please do not overextend yourself.

ディミトリ: お前は心配性だな、ドゥドゥー。大丈夫、自重はするさ。▼

Dimitri: You really are a worrywart, Dedue. It's alright, I'll take care.

シルヴァン: なあ……親睦を深めるのに剣を交えるって、何か根本的に間違ってると思うんだけど？▼

Sylvain: Hey... doesn’t anyone think there’s something seriously wrong with deepening our bonds by swinging swords at each other?

イングリット: あら、そうかしら。そういうことなら、あなただけ教室で留守番してる？▼

Ingrid: My, is that so? In that case, I suppose you'll stay behind and watch the classroom for us?

シルヴァン: イングリット……お前さあ、ほんっと俺に対して手厳しいよなあ……。▼

Sylvain: Ingrid... you are always so harsh when it comes to me...

ディミトリ: ……先生。青獅子の学級ルーヴェンクラッセは、見てのとおり騒がしい学級だ。▼ いろいろと苦労をかけるかもしれないが、これから１年、よろしく頼む。▼

Dimitri: Professor. As you can see, the Blue Lions are a very boisterous class. ▼ We might cause you a lot of trouble, but we'll be counting on your for coming year. ▼

Exploration

Again, sticking only to the Blue Lions for this one and leaving out the lines they have when recruited or when you are in a another house for now.

[Annette]

Speech Bubble: I could swear I saw him...

アネット: こんにちは、先生。あの、ちょっと質問があるんですけど……。▼ あたしと同じ色の髪の毛で、しかめっ面の、暗ーい雰囲気のおじさん、知りませんか？▼

Annette: Hello, Professor. Um, I have a question for you... ▼ Do you know an older man whose hair the same colour as mine, with a frown on his face and surrounded by a gloomy aura? ▼

[選択:人捜し？]

[Choose: Are you looking for someone?] +Support with Annette

アネット: ……はい。ちょっと、事情があって……。もし見かけたら、教えてくださいね！▼

Annette: Yeah... There's a bit of a situation... Please tell me, if you see him, okay?

[選択:知らない]

[Choose: I don't know]

アネット: やっぱり、そうですよね……。ごめんなさい、変なこと聞いちゃって！▼

Anette: I knew it... I'm sorry for making you listen to such a weird question.

[Dimitri]

ディミトリ: 近く、学級対抗戦が催されるそうだな。訓練を怠らないようにしなければ。▼ 先生は、俺たち生徒個人の能力を把握し、的確な指導をしてやってほしい。▼ 実りある戦いにするのはもちろんだが、戦うからには勝ちたいだろ、先生。▼ 大修道院は初めてだと言っていたな。折角だ、俺から簡単に案内させてもらおう。▼

Dimitri: We will soon be holding a mock battle against the other classes. We mustn't neglect our training. ▼ I wish for you to ascertain each students individual abilities and instruct us precisely. ▼ It's sure to be a rewarding experience either way, but of course I want to win, Professor. ▼ You mentioned this was your first time at the monestary. In that case I shall give you some basic information on it. ▼

[選択可:施設の利用]

[Select: The use of facilities]

ディミトリ: 大修道院内の施設は、士官学校の生徒や教師にも利用が許可されている。▼ 例えば、食堂では��の者と食事を共にでき、訓練場では一対一の稽古ができる。▼ ここで生活する人々の話に耳を傾けながら大修道院内を散策してみるといい。▼

Dimitri: The facilities inside the monastery are permitted to be used by all the students and teachers. ▼ For instance, you can go to the dining hall to enjoy a meal with others, or go to the training hall to have one-on-one matches. ▼ It would be a good idea to lend an ear to what the people living here have to say, while you wander through the monastery. ▼

[選択可: 掲示板とクエスト]

[Select: The bulletin board and quests]

ディミトリ: 大修道院の各所には「掲示板」がある。先生は、見たことがあるか？▼ 掲示板には、各所からの依頼や門前にある市場の情報が掲示されている。▼ こういった依頼に応えることで、使えるようになる施設もあったと思う。▼ 掲示板の情報は、頻繁に更新される。毎節、一度は確認しておいたほうがいい。▼

Dimitri: There are various bulletin boards throughout the monastery. Have you seen them, professor? ▼ On the boards you'll find requests from various places posted, as well as information on the market in front of the gates. ▼ By responding to these requests, I think you will eventually be able to use more facilities. ▼ The information of the board gets updated frequently. It would be best to check them whenever you have the chance. ▼

[選択可: 行動力]

[Select: Activity meter]

ディミトリ: 当然のことではあるが、何の施設にしろ利用すると相応の時間がかかる。▼ 一日を無駄にしてしまわないよう、計画立てて行動した方が良いだろうな。▼

Dimitri: Although this should be obvious, an appropriate amount of time passes as you use each facility. ▼ It would be best to carefully consider your activities, so that you do not let an entire day go to waste. ▼

[選択可: 指導レベル]

[Select: Instruction Level]

ディミトリ: この士官学校の教師は、極めて高い水準の指導力を求められる。▼ 生徒だけでなく教師も、分野を超えた知識を習得し、研鑽に励まなければならない。▼

Dimitri: The professors at the monastery are expected to meet exceedingly high standards of leadership. ▼ So they too, not just their student, must strive to acquire knowledge outside their field and study diligently. ▼

[Dedue]

ドゥドゥー: 殿下はお前を信頼すると仰った。ならば、おれがお前を信じない理由はない。▼ お前が殿下に刃を向けるというなら、話は別だがな。▼

Dedue: His Highness told me he trusts you. Therefore, I have no reason not to believe you. ▼ If you ever turn your blade against him, it will be a different story however. ▼

[Sylvain]

[If Byleth is male]

シルヴァン: よう、先生。��してるんなら、一緒に街にでも出ませんか？▼ まだ見ぬ美女を捜しに……。……いや。冗談です。そんな目で見ないでください。▼

Sylvain: Hey, Professor. If you are free, would you care to go into town with me? ▼ I'm still looking for beauties I haven't seen yet and... No. I was joking. Please don't look at me like that. ▼

[If Byleth is female]

シルヴァン: よう、先生。暇してるんなら、一緒に街にでも出ませんか？▼ 美味い飯を出す宿場を見つけたんですよ。これは、先生を誘うしかないと思いまして！▼

Sylvain: Hey, Professor. If you are free, would you care to go into town with me? ▼ I found an inn that serves the most amazing food. I feel like I just have to take you there! ▼

[Felix]

Speech Bubble: ...It's you.

フェリクス: ……何か用か。▼

Felix: … Need something?

[選択:剣の相手を]

[Choose: Spar with me] +Support with Felix

フェリクス: ……ふ、面白い。▼

Felix: .... Heh, interesting.

English has him explain he doesn’t have time right now. Presumably because nothing happens after this. lol

[選択:用はない]

[Choose: It's nothing]

フェリクス: なら、さっさとそこをどけ。目障りだ。▼

Felix: Then get out of my way. You are blocking the view.

Felix is extra special rude here, since you can also translate the second line to calling you an eyesore.

[Ashe]

アッシュ: あ、先生も植物を見に来たんですか？凄いですよね、ここの温室は。▼ 王国では見たこともないような薬草や、珍しい花がたくさん植えられているんです。▼

Ashe: Ah, did you come to look at the plants too, Professor? This greenhouse really is amazing. ▼ They are planting all sorts of vegetables I haven't seen in the kingdom before, and a lot of strange flowers too. ▼

[選択:あまり興味が……]

[Choose: I'm not really interested..]

アッシュ: あはは、そうですよね……僕も、教わるまで植物なんて全部同じだと思ってましたから。▼

Ashe: Haha, yeah before I was taught about them, plants all seemed the same to me too.

[選択: 詳しいの？]

[Choose: Are you well informed?]

アッシュ: 僕の養父が詳しいんです。見分け方や、調薬なんかも教えてもらいました。▼

Ashe: My adoptive father is the one who is well informed. He taught me how to tell the plants apart and care for them. ▼

[Continuing]

アッシュ: 先生も、気が向いた時に花を眺めてみるのがいいと思います。楽しいですよ。▼

Ashe: I think it would be a good idea to look at the flowers whenever you can, Professor. It's a lot of fun.

[Mercedes]

メルセデス: この士官学校に来る前はね～、王都で、魔道の学校に通っていたの。▼ アン……ええと、アネットのことよ。アンとは、そこで仲良くなって……▼ あ、ローレンツもいたんだったかしら？▼ 少し年上の私にも親しくしてくれるアンは私にとって、かけがえのない親友なの～。▼

Mercedes: You see, before coming to the academy~, I attended the school of sorcery in the capital. ▼ Ann..- I'm talking about Annette. I got to know Ann at that place.... ▼ Ah, I think Lorenz also attended? ▼ Although I am a bit older than her, Ann got pretty close to me, so I consider her an irreplacable and dearest friend of mine~. ▼

[Ingrid]

イングリット: 青獅子の学級ルーヴェンクラッセの名は、ファーガス神聖王国初代国王の尊称から取られているんです。▼ 青き外衣を翻す“獅子王”ルーグ様。多くの騎士道物語に活躍が描かれています。▼ 書庫には、いろいろな書物があるはずです。もちろん王国史や、騎士道物語も。▼ 是非、読んでみてください。きっと新たな発見があるでしょうから。▼

Ingrid: The Blue Lion's name derives from the honorary title of the first king of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. ▼ The „Lion King“ Loog, always garbed in blue. His deeds have been immortalized in various chivalric tales. ▼ The library ought to have many books about him. Historic accounts as well as chivalric tales of course. ▼ Please read them if you get the chance. I am sure it would give you a new perspective. ▼

Pre-mock battle discussion

ディミトリ: いよいよ模擬戦か。はは、腕が鳴るな。先生はどうだ？▼

Dimitri: It is finally time for the mock battle. Haha, I am eager to put my skills to the test. How about you, Professor?

[選択:楽しみだ]

[Choose: I am looking forward to it]

+ Support with Dimitri

ディミトリ: 良かった。先生の采配、期待してるよ。俺たちも、勝利のために力を尽くそう。▼

Dimitri: I am glad to hear it. I have high hopes for your command, Professor. We shall also give everything for the sake of victory.

[選択: 勝てるかな]

[Choose: „I wonder if we can win“]

There’s nothing listed in the script. I wonder if it’s a gap. Again, something to check for later.

[Continuing]

ディミトリ: 大丈夫だ。手強い相手かもしれないが、きっと勝てる。▼

Dimitri: It's all right. Our opponents may be difficult, but we will surely win.

クロード: やあ、お二人さん。作戦会議かい？　俺たちも交ぜてくれよ。▼

Claude: Hey, you two. Having a stragey meeting? Please let us join in too.

ディミトリ: 勘弁してくれ、手の内は隠すものだろ。相手が強敵なら、尚更だ。▼

Dimitri: Spare me, Claude. It's only natural to keep our hand concealed, isn't it? Even moreso if the opponent is so formidable.

クロード: そりゃあ光栄。ならば期待に応えて、俺たちも奇策を用意しておかないと、なあ？▼

Claude: Now that's an honour. To live up to such expectations, should we come up with some plans of our own, or..?

エーデルガルト: ええ、貴方たちがどんな手で来ようとも、それを上回る戦術で打ち破ってあげる。▼

Edelgard: That's right, no matter what you may come up with, we shall tear it down with superior tactics.

ディミトリ: いや、張り切るのはいいが……。あまり、無茶をしないようにな。▼

Dimitri: Uh, it's nice to see you so invested... Just don't overdo it, okay?

エーデルガルト: へえ。敵の心配をするなんて、随分と余裕があるようね、ディミトリ。▼

Edelgard: Huh, you must feel pretty confident to be worrying about your enemies, Dimitri.

クロード: おやおや戦いはまだだってのに、そんなに熱くなって……我が学級は楽をできそうだ。

Claude: My my, the battle hasn't even started and you are already fired up like that... My class should have an easy time of it.

ディミトリ: そういうつもりじゃ……いや、悪かったよ。何はともあれ、実りある戦いにしよう。▼

Dimitri: That's not what I-... No, I am sorry. Whatever happens, let us make it a rewarding experience.

エーデルガルト: ふふ、それはこちらも同じよ。そうでしょう？▼

Edelgard: Hehe, the sentiment is mutual. Isn't that right?

Okay, so this line is skipped entirely in the English script and it is Dimitri who asks the question. Maybe because it does sound weird that Edelgard would single out Byleth for this when they are on opposing sides, but I can’t be sure. Would need to find a playthrough of the Japanese version to confirm.

[選択:お手柔らかに]

[Choose: Please go easy on us]

クロード: おっと、先生の本心はわかってるんだ。負ける気はないって顔に書いてある。▼

Claude: Now just wait, I can tell how you really feel, professor. Your face has „We won't lose“ written all over it.

[選択: 負ける気はない]

[Choose: We won't lose]

エーデルガルト: そう。貴方がそう言うのなら、手を抜いてあげる必要はなさそうね。▼

Edelgard: I see. If you say so, there is no need to hold ourselves back.

[Continuing]

マヌエラ: あらあら、みんな揃ってお喋りかしら？すっかり仲良くなったようね。▼

Manuela: My my, you've already gathered for a nice little chat, haven't you? You seem to get along perfectly well.

ハンネマン: 君たちが親睦を深めるのは大変結構だが、そろそろ作戦会議の時間だ。▼

Hanneman: Although deepening your bonds with each other is quite animportant matter, it's time for the mock battle to begin.

クロード: もうそんな時間か。それじゃ、お二人さん。また後でな。▼

Claude: It is already? In that case, I'll be seeing you two later.

エーデルガルト: 貴方たちの力量、確かめさせてもらうわ。▼

Edelgard: I shall determine your abilities.

Before the Battle

ディミトリ]さて、そろそろ開戦の刻限か……。勝敗は先生の指揮次第だ、頼んだぞ。▼

Dimitri: Now then, it's about time for the battle to begin... The outcome depends on your orders, Professor. We are counting on you.

I skipped most of Jeralt’s dialogue cause it’s mostly the same every route.

[Turn one]

ローレンツ: クロード、お前の浅知恵など必要ない。僕とイグナーツ君で敵の出鼻を挫いてやる。▼

Lorenz: Claude, your shallow tactic won't be necessary. Myself and Ignatz are going to hinder the enemy's approach.

イグナーツ: ええっ、ボク！？まだ心の準備ができてませんよお……▼

Ignatz: U-uh, me!? I haven't mentally prepared yet...

English simplified this to “I’m not ready yet”, which is also correct, but it sounds a bit more adorable in Japanese.

クロード: やれやれ……向こうの先生を侮ってないか？油断すると痛い目に遭うと思うがなあ……。▼

Claude: Oh boy... are you making light of the professor we’re facing? If you're too careless, I think you'll be in for a painful experience...

エーデルガルト: ドロテア、貴方も前に出てくれる？敵を中央に誘い出したいの。▼

Edelgard: Dorothea, can you go ahead as well? I want to lure the enemy into our midst.

ドロテア: 了解、エーデルちゃん。私にお任せあれ。▼

Dorothea: Understood, Edel-chan. Leave it to me.

エーデルガルト: フェルディナント、ヒューベルト。二人は敵が来たら足止めを……機を窺うわ。▼

Edelgard: Ferdinand, Hubert. If the enemies approach, you two will stop-.... wait for your chance.

Edelgard has a weird pause in this sentence in Japanese. Like she is reconsidering something maybe?

フェルディナント: ふっ、任せてくれたまえ。私一人でも役不足なくらいだとも！▼

Ferdinand: Hah, simply leave it to me. I’d say this is too simple a task, even were I alone.

ヒューベルト: くくく……貴殿一人では力不足ゆえ、主は私の名も挙げたのですよ。▼

Hubert: Hehehe... It is because of your own lack of skill, that my lady brought up my name as well.

Hubert has the most stereotypical evil anime villain laugh of all time. The only reason I didn’t translate it as “Muahaha” is because it doesn’t flow as well in English.

[Defeating Lorenz]

ローレンツ: チッ、この僕が負けるなんて……。模擬戦とはいえ腹立たしい……！▼

Lorenz: Tch.. To think I could be defeated... Even for a mock battle, this is most irritating.

This is cut down a bit in English

[Defeating Ignatz]

イグナーツ: あはは、やられちゃいました……。新しい先生の指揮、流石だなあ。▼

Ignatz: Hahaha, you got me... The new teacher's commands are really something.

[Defeating Hilda]

ヒルダ: もー！　あたしなんて、放っといてくれればいいのにー！▼

Hilda: Come on! You could have just left little old me alone, you know!

[Defeating Hubert]

ヒューベルト: むう……新任の教師の力の一端を、見られただけで良しとしましょうか。▼

Hubert: Well... I suppose I'll have to be satisfied with simply having observed the new teachers strengths well enough.

[Defeating Ferdinand]

フェルディナント: エーギル家の嫡子たる私がそんな…… くっ、もっと鍛錬しなければ……！▼

Ferdinand: To think this could happen to a son of House Aegir... ugh, I'll have to train more.

[Defeating Dorothea]

ドロテア: あら……新しい先生は、随分なやり手みたいですねえ。▼

Dorothea: Oh my... the new professor seems quite capable.

[After defeating the other Golden Deer]

クロード: やってくれるね、先生。これは本気でかからないとな……！▼

Claude: You did well, professor. I'll need to take it seriously from here..!

[If Edelgard gets close before the Golden Deer are dealt with]

クロード: ２つの学級と同時に戦おうってのか？へえ、たいした自信だな。▼

Claude: You going to fight two classes at once? Heh, that's some self-confidence you got there.

エーデルガルト: 勝機が見えたわ……。黒鷲の学級アドラークラッセ！　一気に畳みかけなさい！▼

Edelgard: I've spotted my chance... Black Eagles, go forth as one!

[If Claude gets close]

クロード: この森を利用して敵を迎え撃つぞ。みんな、援護してくれ！▼

Claude: We'll attack our enemies using these woods as cover. Everyone, back me up!

[Approaching Claude by going around the woods]

クロード: おっと、回り込んできやがったか……。こりゃ強引に迎え撃つしか手はないな。▼

Claude: Oops, you got around... Looks like I'll have to use brute force.

[Byleth vs. Claude]

クロード: 俺は戦術はともかく戦闘はからきしなんだ。だから手加減してくれよ、先生。▼

Claude: Aside from tactics, I'm not much for the battlefield. So please go easy on me, Professor.

Byleth: ….

クロード: 真顔で頷かれると困るが……。冗談ってのは、わかってるよな？

Claude: Going along with such a serious expression is quite unsettling... You do know that was joke, right?

[Dimitri vs. Claude]

クロード:……なあ、王子様。お前、実はエーデルガルトに惚れてるんじゃないか？▼

Claude: … Hey, Prince. You're actually pretty sweet on Edelgard, aren't you?

ディミトリ: 無駄口を叩くのはやめておけ、クロード。隙だらけだぞ。▼

Dimitri: Stop with the idle chatter, Claude. It leaves you wide open.

クロード: おっと、その落ち着きっぷりは外れか。動揺を誘ったつもりが、残念、残念。▼

Claude: Oops, that didn't phase you at all. I was trying to make you slip up, what a shame.

[Defeating Claude with other Golden Deer still around]

クロード: あらら、やられちまったか……。他の奴らの活躍に期待するしかないな。▼

Claude: Tsk tsk, you got me, huh... Looks like all I can do is put my faith in the other's efforts.

[Defeating Claude after the other Golden Deer]

クロード: おっと……油断しすぎたか。金鹿の学級は、これで敗退だな。

Claude: Oh... seems like I was careless. Looks like this is it for the Golden Deer.

[Defeating Hanneman]

ハンネマン: 実戦を積んだ者��指揮は、流石に違うな。我輩が手も足も出なかったよ。▼

Hanneman: As expected, having actual experience with commanding in battle really does make a difference. I couldn't hope to measure up.

(If Manuela is still around)

マヌエラ: 去年あたくしの学級が勝った時は、褒めもしなかったくせに、その態度の違いは何！？▼

Manuela: When my class won last year, you didn't give me any praise, so what's up with that change in attitude!?

[Edelgard getting close after dealing with the Golden Deer]

エーデルガルト: 隙のない見事な用兵ね、先生。こうなったら、正面から当たるしかない！▼

Edelgard: You really are a peerless mercenary, Professor. In that case, I'll have to strike from the front!

[Byleth vs. Edelgard]

エーデルガルト: 何においても貴方を倒さないと、勝利はなさそうね。行くわよ！▼

Edelgard: It seems no matter what, there can be no victory without defeating you. Let's go!

[Dimitri vs. Edelgard]

エーデルガルト: ディミトリ、勝負よ。ここで優劣を決しておくのも悪くないわ。▼

Edelgard: Face me, Dimitri. No harm in testing our mettle here.

ディミトリ: ……いいだろう、受けて立つ。君が相手であろうと、手加減はしない。▼

Dimitri: … Very well, I accept. I can't hold back with you as my opponent.

エーデルガルト: そうこなくてはね！▼

Edelgard: That's the spirit!

[Defeating Edelgard with other Black Eagles still around]

エーデルガルト: 私を撤退に追い込むなんて……。厳しくなりそうだけど、頑張って。▼

Edelgard: To think I'd be forced to retreat... Things might seem bleak, but do your best.

[Defeating Edelgard after the other Black Eagles]

エーデルガルト: そんな…黒鷲の学級アドラークラッセが、こんなあっさり負けるなんて…▼

Edelgard: No way... the members of the Black Eagles shouldn't have been defeated so easily...

[Defeating Manuela]

マヌエラ: やるじゃない。これ以上、無理をしたらあたくしが医務室のお世話になっちゃうわ。▼

Manuela: Now wasn't that something. If I push it anymore, I might be in need of the infirmary.

(if Hannemann is still around)

ハンネマン: マヌエラ君を退けたか。我輩も心してかかるとしよう。▼

Hanneman: You took out Manuela? I should be carefull myself...

[After winning]

ジェラルト: よーし、そこまでだ！今回の模擬戦の勝者は……！青獅子の学級ルーヴェンクラッセだな！▼

Jeralt: All right, that's enough! The winners of todays battle... are the Blue Lions!

ディミトリ: この勝利は皆の活躍あってこそだ。ありがとう、よくやってくれた。▼

Dimitri: This victory was achieved by all of us. Thank you, you did well.

[After the battle]

ディミトリ: ……先生！ここにいたのか。捜したんだぞ。▼ 今日は、みんなで食事にしようと思って。反省会を兼ねた、祝勝会だな。▼

Dimitri: … Professor! This is where you were. We've been looking for you. ▼ We thought we should all go to the dining hall to eat something. A victory feast to serve as our debriefing, basically. ▼

[選択:祝勝会？]

[Choose: A victory feast?]

ディミトリ: ああ。ほら、あれだけ戦ったんだし、腹も減るだろ？▼

Dimitri: Yeah. Come now, you must be hungry after all that fighting, right?

[選択: 自分も？ ]

[Choose: Me too?]

ディミトリ: 当たり前だろ。今更、何を言ってるんだ。

Dimitri: Of course. What have I been telling you so far?

[Continuing]

シルヴァン: ほら先生、早く来てくださいよ。今日の殊勲者がいなきゃ、始まりませんって。▼

Sylvain: Hey professor, just hurry up and come. We can't well start without the most distinguished of us.

アネット: そうですよ！　私たちが勝てたのは、先生のおかげじゃないですかっ。▼

Annette: That's right! We only won thanks to you, professor.

フェリクス: ……そこの、正攻法しか知らん猪よりは、幾分かまともな用兵だった。▼

Felix: … Compared to that boar, who knows nothing but frontal attacks, your tactics were somewhat decent.

イングリット: フェリクス。あなたは本当に、隙あらば殿下に因縁をつけて……。▼

Ingrid: Felix! You’re really trying to pick a fight with his highness at every opportunity...

Bit less of a direct reprimand than in English

ディミトリ: いや、いいんだ、イングリット。事実、先生の采配は見事だった。▼

Dimitri: No, it's fine Ingrid. Our professor's orders truly were amazing.

Lacks the line about encouraging to speak freely.

メルセデス: ……それにしても今日は疲れちゃったわね。私、お腹が減ってもう駄目かも……。▼

Mercedes: Either way, today was really tiring. I seem to also be quite famished...

アッシュ: あはは……実は、僕もです。そろそろ食堂に行きましょうか。▼

Ashe: Hahaha, me too, to tell the truth. Let's go to the dining hall already.

ディミトリ: ……なあ、先生。あまり、嬉しくはなさそうだな。▼

Dimitri: … Hey, Professor. You dont seem very happy.

[選択: そんなことはないが……]

[Choose: That's not the case...]

ディミトリ: そう言う割には、眉一つ動かさないから。▼

Dimitri: Even as you say that, your eyebrows aren't moving an inch.

Sounds a bit weird, but that’s how he puts it. Aka, you are as expressionless as always.

[選択: よくわからない……]

[Choose: I don't understand...]

ディミトリ: ……まあ、無理もないか。▼

Dimitri: ... Well, I guess it’s understandable.

[Continuing]

ディミトリ: 先生。俺たちはまだ出会ったばかりだし、難しいのかもしれないが……▼ 俺は、先生とも喜びを分かち合いたい。折角、こうして一緒にいるんだからな。▼ きっと、それはみんなも同じだと思う。 ……ほら、一緒に行こう、先生！▼

Dimitri: Professor, we've only just met, so this might be a bit difficult... ▼ I want us to share in each other’s joy. After all, we're finally here together like this. ▼ I am sure the others feel the same. … Okay, let us go together, Professor. ▼

#nanigma translates #3H #blue lions

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greekgeek21 · 3 years

Text

Percy Jackson & The Avengers: Convergence - woah! shy guy is a bear now!

Oyasuminasai! Or Ohayoo! Or Konnichiwa! And if you were wondering, yes, I am taking Japanese as my language. So if I ever find a way to incorporate Japanese into this, I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!! Sorry, sore subject.

Anywho! I'm sorry for taking too long to update. I was lazy and didn't feel like it. It's as simple as that. I also found some REALLY good fanfics to read recently, and they are super long and have sequels so yeah you know how that is, right?

Now on with the story! Stay safe and happy reading!

- your author

Ω ♆ Ω

"Well, this makes our job a whole lot easier," Percy said.

Percy looked around and saw all of the avengers besides "Thor." Magnus had told them what the real Thor looked like, and from what they saw on the news, this version of the guy was not the real one. Annabeth had theorized that they were aliens who had taken to calling themselves gods when Percy had asked about it. Whether they were real or not, Percy still immediately disliked gods in any form.

"What are you doing here, Mr. Jackson?" Director Fury asked, leaning onto the table.

"Yeah! What are you doing in my tower?" Tony asked, finally tuning into the conversation.

Percy smirked, and Annabeth knew what he was about to say would be offensive to somebody, but he spoke before she could stop him, "We're here to do your job."

Tony scowled, "Listen here, kid. We deal with serious threats, and we don't have time to help you. Plus, we're the Avengers, and you're kids."

Annabeth narrowed her eyes, a small blow to her pride being felt, "Unless you want to die, you need our help. We deal with this stuff on a daily basis."

Okay, so they don't really deal with it on a DAILY basis, but close enough. Besides, the guy's ego needed to be knocked down a peg. Annabeth was even thinking about showcasing their skills to prove their worth.

"I think we got it handled, kids," Steve said, holding out a placating hand.

Piper thought it was the perfect time for her to butt-in, "Oh really? So you know where the green fire comes from? And how to put it out?"

At their silence, Piper gave a smug nod, "Thought so."

Fury saw this getting out of hand, so he brought it back on-topic, "Mr. Jackson! I asked you a question. Does your answer mean you are offering your help in this case? And does that mean this is a part of your world?"

Annabeth and Percy seemed to be having a silent debate with each other, and it seemed that Annabeth was winning. And when Percy answered Fury, it was obviously not what he wanted to say.

"We are here to help however we can. This is equally a part of our world and yours," he said, voice monotone like he was reading from a script.

Annabeth seemed satisfied with his answer, but she also wanted to add her own part, "We would also prefer that we keep our involvement as inconspicuous as possible. The gods know you guys have trouble with that."

"Hey! I take offense! And did you say 'gods'?!" Tony exclaimed.

Everyone ignored him, and only paid attention to what Steve said: "Are we really going to be bringing kids into this, Fury? I don't like this."

Fury sighed, and answered on his way out for the second time, "Yes, we're doing this. Get acquainted with each other, no fights, same expectations. And I don't care if you like it or not, Rogers, we're doing this. Jackson! Can I speak with you outside?"

Percy nodded and followed him out the door.

"What do you know that we don't? Are you telling them what you are? Are the other kids in there like you?" Fury rounded on him as soon as the door was closed, speaking in a whisper.

Fury didn't know what could be considered an insult to these new gods. He was treading in unknown territory here.

"We don't know much more than you, probably. And no, we're keeping what we are a secret. We're all the same, though," he answered, choosing his words very carefully.

Percy suspected that Tony Stark had eyes and ears everywhere, and would no-doubt try to figure out their secret on the first night. His job was to make sure that didn't happen.

"Be careful, Jackson. These people don't like secrets," Fury warned, walking away without another word.

Percy tried not to take the man's words too seriously. Doing that would just distract him from the quest. They needed to deal with these bombings quickly, and then go their seperate ways from the Avengers. Telling them their secret was NOT a part of the plan.

With a deep, preparing breath, Percy reentered the meeting room. Inside, he found both groups glaring at each other in silence. It was clear that nobody trusted each other, and that needed to change. If they were going to fight together, they needed to have some semblance of trust. Without that, they weren't going to last that long.

"Hey, guys! Why don't we start with introductions! I'm Percy," he said, clapping his hands together.

It was clear that nobody was buying his cheery mood, but at least Hazel was willing to try.

She said, "I'm Hazel."

"I'm Piper, and that idiot over there is Leo. We've forbidden him from speaking, so he's not able to introduce himself," she stuck her thumb in Leo's direction, who was literally bouncing on the balls of his feet.

It was a miracle that he hadn't caught on fire yet, honestly. Usually, at least his nose will start smoking when he gets too excited.

"Jason," Jason introduced.

"Hi. I'm Frank," Frank said, nervously twiddling his thumbs.

Annabeth's glare intensified when she said, "Annabeth. Not Annie, or Beth. Annabeth."

Percy smiled, slinging an arm over his girlfriend's shoulders in hopes of calming her down. She was way too high strung in the moment when they all needed to be relaxed and open.

The demigods looked at the Avengers, waiting for their introductions. Some of them didn't really need it, but it was nice to be formal.

"I'm Captain Steve Rogers. It's a pleasure to meet you all," Steve nodded his head in greeting and pointed to each Avengers respectively, "This is Dr. Bruce Banner, Clint, Natasha, and I'm sure you know Tony Stark."

"Of course they do, Capsicle. Why wouldn't they?" Tony gloated.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, but Leo couldn't hold his tongue any longer, "Oh my gods! There are so many things I need to ask you about! Why did you keep the name Iron Man when the suit is obviously made of a nickel-titanium alloy? Why don't you protect the arc reactor more? With the amount of power that thing holds, you'd think you would take bet–"

"Leo! Shut up!" Piper yelled, charmspeak weaving through her words.

His mouth immediately shut and was physically withheld from opening again. Piper seemed satisfied with her work when Leo attempted to speak again, but his lips weren't moving.

"Gods, I love charmspeak," Frank murmured under his breath.

"I know, right? But sometimes it can get a little annoying. Like when she doesn't realize she's using it, and then you do exactly what she wants, no matter what? I mean, that's a little..." Percy trailed off, realizing he had let his ADHD get out of hand, "Sorry."

Annabeth fondly smiled up at him.

"Can we get back on track, please? How are you kids going to be able to help us?" Clint asked, speaking up for the first time.

"Can we address what this Leo guy just said?!" Tony exclaimed.

"We have...special abilities that make us fit to deal with these kinds of things. Usually, we'd deal with this on our own, but...this is the first time it's been done like this. Our people don't usually work with your type of people," Annabeth ignored Tony, hating to admit that they were different from the mortals.

"What kind of abilities?" Natasha asked, scepticism lacing her words.

The demigods shared looks with each other, all evidently asking Percy and Annabeth what they should do. Their decision was to show them.

"They're hard to explain, but we can show you. It might be easier to be somewhere with more room, though," Percy answered, looking around at the small space they were all standing in.

"We can do this in the living room. I need a drink, anyways," Tony said, exiting without waiting for a consensus.

The rest of the group followed him, albeit a little reluctantly in some cases. Percy made sure to pull Annabeth to the back so they could talk. He was worried about his control. His powers did not like to be used in small areas. The ocean did not like to be restrained to precise movements. That's what he was worried about, and he told Annabeth that.

"I'm not sure about this, Wise Girl. I still haven't really had enough practice since 'that place,'" he whispered.

Annabeth pecked him on the cheek, "You'll be fine. I trust you, but you need to trust yourself. I know you have control over your powers. Just look at what happened at the Brooklyn Bridge!"

He was still tense, but her words did have some effect. He was at least willing to try now, even if he refused to do anything big. He would only do something basic enough to prove he was capable, but nothing dangerous. Percy wasn't Leo; he wasn't in this to show off.

"Now let's catch up. You know we can't leave Leo alone for long," she cracked a grin, trying to defuse even more of his tension.

Percy forced his troublemaker smirk back onto his face before lacing his hand with Annabeth's, and walking in the direction the others had gone. They found them in a large room with a very open-floor plan. Off to the side, they could see Tony fixing himself a drink at the bar. Everyone else was sitting on the unnaturally-long couches, the Avengers on one and the demigods on the other.

Everyone seemed to be waiting for the two to join them to start. That or none of them had the guts to go first. But with Leo there, it was most likely the first option.

"Who wants to go first?" Annabeth asked as she and Percy sat down.

Leo seemed to be pleading with his eyes, and Annabeth, for some reason, decided to pity him and let him go first. With a simple nod of confirmation, Leo shot up from his seat and went to the side, where there was more room.

"Keep it low-key, Leo," Jason warned, knowing full-well nothing his friend did was low-key.

"Of course, Lightning Boy! I get it!" Leo reassured.

He positioned himself in a square stance before lighting his whole body on fire. If it was possible, Leo defied expectations of how not low-key he could get.

"Oh! Somebody put it out!" Bruce exclaimed, rushing over to Leo.

Before anyone could start dousing him in water, Leo turned it off, revealing himself free of burns. Luckily, he had been wearing one of Calypso's fireproof outfits, so his clothes had stayed intact. His skin was covered in a thin layer of soot, and his hair was letting off some smoke, though.

"Tada!" he proudly said.

Tony's interest seemed to be piqued, "That was awesome! How are you still okay? Is it some sort of mutation?"

"Something like that," Annabeth answered for him, fearing that Leo would let something slip on the first day.

She knew there was a high chance that their secret would be revealed at some point, but she wanted to prolong the mystery as long as possible. That meant constantly watching what the others said, especially Leo and Percy.

"Frank! You're up next, bud!" Leo pointed at the chinese teen.

Frank seemed to shrink in on himself slightly before convincing himself to stand confidently and walk over to replace Leo on the scorched floorspace.

"I'm not really sure what to do, so...I'll just do this," he said, before turning into a guinea pig and back quickly.

Percy shuddered, bad memories flooding in. He would never look at celery the same way again...

Tony did not seem impressed, "So...you can change into a rodent? How's that gonna help us?"

Frank straightened up again before staring right at Tony as he turned into a grizzly bear, raising on all fours and letting out a growl. Tony seemed to be in a state between fear and curiosity, but before he could speak again, Frank turned back and walked back to his spot on the couch between Jason and Hazel.

"I stand corrected," Tony muttered before going and taking a seat himself, a brown drink in hand.

"I guess I'll go next. You guys have kinda already seen what I can do, but I guess I'll showcase it again," Piper said, standing up but not moving to where Frank and Leo had.

She looked around the room and its occupants before choosing her targets, "Tony, pour your drink in your lap."

Tony got a dazed look in his eyes before he robotically moved his glass over his lap, tipping it to the side and letting all of the liquid drop onto his legs. When it was all gone, he snapped out of his fatigue and jumped up.

"What the hell happened? Who did this?!" he explained, looking down at his pants.

Natasha actually SMILED, "I like her. We need more girls around here, especially ones who can do that."

Tony turned to glare at Piper, "You did this!"

Piper only smirked smugly in response, "Yep. I did. Now, sit back down."

Tony complied immediately, causing his team to break out in laughter.

"We call it charmspeak. Only Piper can do it," Annabeth informed the Avengers, "Jason? Why don't you go next?"

"Alright. I can't do anything too major, since we're inside, but I think I have an idea," he said, moving to the same open area.

He glanced around before zeroing his gaze on a power outlet in the floor. He reached out a hand in its direction, and slowly, a string of electricity snaked its way out of the outlet. It built in his hands until it was in the shape of a ball, and then he stopped gathering it. He tossed the ball between a couple times before throwing it at Tony's chest, causing his arc reactor to glow brighter.

Jason smiled and went to sit back down again, "That's what I can do."

"Cool," Clint commented, "What about Hazel?"

"I can do this," Hazel stated simply, breaking a chunk of concrete off the floor before placing it back in place.

She didn't even move from her spot, the only part of her moving was her arm. She made it seem effortless, but if more attention was paid, someone could see that a beat of sweat had formed on her brow. Unnatural minerals, like concrete, were harder to control.

"Impressive," Steve sat forward, "What about you, Annabeth? What can you do?"

Before she could explain that she didn't have any powers, Percy answered for her, "She's a genius. Plus, she can fight, like, really well."

"Very eloquent, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth teased, but her smile was thankful.

He knew she was self-conscious about being the only one in the Seven without a demigod power. But he also knew that she didn't need it. She was the best at everything else already.

"I'll be testing that later," Tony said, clearly telling the truth.

Annabeth sat up straight and looked him right in the eye, "Looking forward to it."

"The only one left is you, Percy. What can you do?" Natasha inquired.

The superspy had noticed that the boy had tried to sink into the background. He was uncomfortable with answering the question, and that meant that it was worth pressing for. She wasn't afraid to do it, either. Natasha didn't like that Fury had kept something from her, and she was determined to find out the full story.

"Um...well, I can control water, basically," he answered, squirming under all of their gazes.

"Can you show us?" Steve asked, tone gentler than Natasha's was.

"I guess. It'll be something really small, though," Percy responded.

He saw that there was a vase full of flowers and water in the corner, and he chose that as his example. He held out a slightly-shaking hand in its direction and called the water to him. The familiar tug in his gut was almost indecipherable when the water trickled out and into the air. It did the same thing as Jason's electricity when it formed a line to his hands before forming into a ball. Percy held it above him, eyes narrowed in concentration, and willed it to become the shape of a small spear. He focused his attention on a spot between Clint's open legs and through the water-spear at that area. It hit its mark and dissolved on impact.

After it was over, Percy let out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. That had been far too easy to do, and it worried him. His powers were growing, but he didn't want them to. He had to concentrate on only that small amount of water so that he didn't accidentally burst the pipes running all throughout the walls. When he wasn't using his powers, Percy could contain his reach and not make anything explode, but when he let the water in, it was like a sensory overload. You would be surprised how much water runs through a skyscraper.

"Yeah. That's what I do," Percy shrugged, sitting back down and choosing to ignore the awed stares he was getting from most of the Avengers.

"He's just being modest! He can do so much more awesome stuff! Like when he and Jason created–" Leo began.

"Leo! Stop talking!" Piper yelled, noticing Percy's discomfort.

Leo would have been grumbling if he could open his mouth, but he couldn't.

"Those are some basic abilities we have. We are all trained in combat and in various weaponry. I'm best with a dagger, but I can use just about anything you give me," Annabeth steered the conversation away from Percy.

Her boyfriend sent her a grateful look.

"Can you show us a little something?" Natasha asked.

"Sure," Annabeth answered, pulling a celestial bronze dagger (not the one Luke gave her, of course) from her thigh-strap.

She aimed it at the small space under Tony's arm, and quicker than anyone but a demigod could notice, she threw it with perfect accuracy. It lodged itself in the couch in that small space, not even nicking Tony one bit.

"Hey!" Tony exclaimed, eyes widening.

"You're fine," Clint rolled his eyes.

"So...yeah. That's us. You'll learn more about our fighting styles as we fight together, but that should be enough for now. Well, you should know one more thing: Percy can't use a bow. At all. Don't even let him NEAR one. Got it? Good," Annabeth said.

"I love you, too, Wise Girl," Percy remarked.

"Uh-huh," Annabeth mumbled teasingly, leaning into his side.

Ω ♆ Ω

I hope you like this chapter! I'll try to be better at updating, but we both know that's a lie. This would not be possible without my beta reader, nightskywithrainbows, so show them some love by reading their stuff on Ao3. Remember to comment, follow me, and like! Stay safe and happy reading!

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#pjo #Percy Jackson and the avengers #percy jackson #the avengers #mcu #annabeth chase #Leo valdez #Tony stark #heroes of olympus #the seven #team up

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