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#it can also be one stick and collapse because of course it does
cherrydott · 9 months
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Rocket horses...?
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mysicklove · 2 months
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Toddlers are known to look at their caregivers to see how they should react when they trip and fall. Even if the stumble of their wobbly legs doesn’t hurt them, in many cases, they will still cry if their guardians fuss over them. Although, if the adult doesn’t give them a time of day usually the little beasts get up and go back to playing with their friends.
This phenomenon is pretty common for the toddler you raise. The small child seemed to master how to react during certain situations depending on who is watching him, you or his wicked older brother.
The three of you go to the park where Yuuji runs around the playground, letting out giggles and squeals when Nobara and Megumi play tag with him You somehow drift off on Sukunas shoulder on a nearby bench, closing your eyes and slumping against your boyfriend, content with the fact that he has his eye on the reckless child.
As to be aspected, Yuuji, after being warned very harshly by his “doting” brother to go slow when going down the steps of the playground, ignores the caution and sprints down the stairs only to miss a step and fall straight to the bark. It wasn’t a hard fall — his legs collapsed beneath him, and he landed on his knees with a plop. No harm, no injuries, mostly just shock of him falling a couple feet into the bark.
The first thing he does is look toward you, unconsciously questioning if he is about to cry out from the pain so that you can pick him up and coddle him. But he can’t catch your sleeping gaze and instead finds himself face-to-face with Sukuna.
His brother only raises an eyebrow at him, shaking his head as if to say “i dare you to cry right now”. The two of them make eye contact for longer than necessary, silent communication, and Yuuji sniffles, gulps, and slowly gets up before going back to playing.
The elder Itadori puts his hand in front of your eyes, blocking out the sun from disturbing your sleep and continues to watch his younger brother walk much more carefully up and down the playground. It was good to not coddle the boy; Sukuna didn’t want Yuuji to grow up spoiled; he was to be a man, strong just like him.
But of course, Sukuna happened to be raising him with you, a person with the biggest soft spot for the child. And so when you wake up from your nap, and Sukuna calls the boy over to leave, you notice the tiny piece of bark sticking out of the boy's leg. It was surface level — Yuuji didn’t even notice it, but still, the image looked much more gruesome than it was really.
You gasp and begin to fuss over his “injured” leg, asking the boy if he tripped and fell if he was hurt at all if he was okay. And suddenly, to Yuuji, it seemed that maybe that fall did hurt a little too bad. Maybe he wasn't okay like he thought.
Tears begin to well up in his eyes.
“Don’t you give me that shit. You’re fine. You tripped like five minutes ago, and I know it didn’t hurt.”
Yuuji shakes his head, ignoring his brother and rubbing his eyes while he looks up at you. “O-Owie…” he whines, rubbing at his knee.
“Poor thing, did you hurt yourself? I’m sorry baby, I wasn’t watching.” He reaches his hands up to you, and you scoop him up while he begins to cry into your neck.
It was a fake cry, obviously enough. It makes the elder Itadoris mouth hang open. “You little liar!”
“Don’t be mean, Sukuna.” You say, teasing him because you realized quickly enough that the boys “cries” didn’t produce any liquid from his eyes. You didn’t mind spoiling the boy either way.
Sukuna, realizing you also understood, lets out a dramatic groan, shaking his head before exclaiming, “Why am I surrounded by weaklings?!”
You just laugh at him, thinking about to a few years earlier during highschool. Sukuna was the one who would dramatize his pain whenever he got in a fight. You would listen to his whines (after he profusely exclaimed that he won by a longshot) over a busted lip and a black eye while you would fuss over him, just as you are doing to Yuuji.
He got into a lot of fights during highschool because Sukuna could never get enough of you fretting over him. He liked when you played nurse and coddled him, way too similar to the way you cooed at Yuuji.
The two of them, although Sukuna would never admit it, are way too similar. Both are strong and independent boys who happen to turn into whiny, attention-seeking puppies when you are around.
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amongemeraldclouds · 1 month
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no take backs
As the earth collapsed around you, your sworn enemy decides to confess his feelings for you with a kiss. So when the world doesn’t end, what happens next?
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Jess Mariano x f!Reader
Warning: 18+ only MDNI, fluff, slight angst, unprotected sex, piv, v!fingering, reader has anxiety (only plays a small part in the story), earthquake (no injuries)
Author’s note: Based on this request then I expanded on the concept. This fic is set after he left Stars Hollow.
✿ Masterlist | ✿ Jess Mariano Masterlist | 2.4k words
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“Just because I’m letting you drive me home, does not mean we’re friends,” you huffed as you climbed into the passenger seat of Jess Mariano’s beat up car. Vintage, he called it. You’d never admit it, but you found it cute how he was proud of it. To him, it was his key to freedom, going anywhere he wanted whenever he wanted. Except for when nature had other plans.
“Well, a coworker could take his other coworker home, okay?” He said, closing the car door as he slid his keys into the ignition and started up the car. You relent and gave him your address.
It was just your luck that the Earth’s tectonic plates decided to shift in ways that damaged your car, but not your mortal enemy’s. Perhaps it was karma and you were being encouraged to make amends with him in the name of world peace. Try as you might however, the word “peace” and Jess Mariano just did not fit.
It certainly did not feel peaceful being trapped in a car with him. Your cheeks blushed as you remembered how soft his lips felt against yours and the eager way they moved as if it was the final thing he would ever do in his life. And for a few moments back at the publishing house, tucked safely beneath a table while the world shook violently around you, you were both convinced it was your last moments.
It was confusing. The way your heart hammered and you didn’t know if it was from fear of dy*ng or the way his kiss invaded your entire being. From the moans it elicited from your throat, to the air it stole from your lungs, and the butterflies that rushed in your stomach. It was hard to tell if it really was just an earthquake or the mind-shattering truth that your enemy might not actually hate you at all.
Then it was over too soon. The air felt cold without him close to you and he was pulling you up from under the table.
“So we’re just not going to talk about it?” You asked, piercing the awkward silence.
Jess just shrugged and spoke casually, “talk about what?”
You narrowed your eyes at him, of course he wasn’t going to make this easy for you. But he had no right confusing you with a kiss after constantly making your life a waking nightmare.
“Jess, you kissed me,” you deadpan, addressing the elephant in the room. “Coworkers don’t kiss other coworkers.”
“A lapse of judgment in a life-threatening situation,” he dismissed, keeping his eyes straight on the road.
Your mouth curled, the sweet aftertaste of his kisses turning sour. You fumed in silence as you looked outside the window with unfocused eyes. You weren’t sure what you were more upset about: his denial or your disappointment - having to face the horrid fact that you also didn’t hate your enemy.
“Shit, the road’s blocked,” Jess drew you out from the thunder of your thoughts as you looked at the cars lined up ahead. It was like a scene from one of those post-apocalyptic films you’ve seen and dread sank in your chest. Perhaps you should stick to watching cheesy rom coms because this pessimism was not helpful at all.
“Can we go somewhere else?” You whispered softly, anxiety bearing down your chest.
Jess looked at you with concern. “Sure, let’s find somewhere we can park until things get better,” he replied with an equally soft tone and you hated it because he knew all about your anxiety and penchant for panic attacks. You didn’t like being weak around him, not if he could be sweet and caring only to take it all back when you’re fine.
He parked the car in between buildings, sheltered from the wails of emergency response vehicles and the rush of people trying to go home. You exhaled after going through rounds of breathing exercises to calm your anxiety.
“My my, a secluded alley. Jess Mariano, whatever do you plan to do with me?” You quipped, mildly accusing him or m*rder when the other meaning dawned on you, something that made you blush. Well, it was too late to back out now.
He smirked, “whose to say you’re not the one who wants to do things with me with that line of questioning, huh?”
“I wouldn’t do anything if I was the only one who liked it,” you hedged. Perhaps life was too short to keep denying your feelings. If there was ever a better time to learn that lesson, it was now. You just needed him to admit he felt it too.
“I don’t like the idea of being k*lled, thanks,” he scoffed as he plastered on a smug smile.
“You know that’s not what I meant,” you looked outside the window, an idea forming in your head.
“It sure is getting hot,” you comment innocently as you undid the top buttons of your blouse. Jess’ eyes followed your movement and you don’t miss the way his breath hitches.
“Better get comfortable, right?” You said, adjusting the car seat to lean back and you felt your blouse open slightly to reveal your cleavage. You were not going to make it easy for him to deny his feelings.
“Stop that,” Jess demanded while his eyes told a different tale of desire and longing.
“I don’t know what you mean,” you replied lazily. Two can play that game.
That’s right Jess, you thought, here’s a dose of your medicine. You continued, “this is much better.” You leaned your head back and stretched on the seat, aware of how your skirt inched up your legs.
You let out a satisfied moan, sighing in pleasure at thoughts of getting comfortable. If by comfort, you meant the satisfaction of derailing Jess’ denial and stubbornness. His eyes traced your legs then followed your chest when they rose and fell with your sigh. 
Jess grunted and you bit back a smile. “Okay, fine. So I kissed you,” he admitted.
You shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “You said it meant nothing, so why would it matter?”
“I never said it meant nothing, I said it was a lapse of judgment.”
“There’s a difference?” You raised your eyebrow, challenging him to continue.
He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he steeled himself. To Jess Mariano, telling the truth meant peeling back the layers of his sarcasm, which was as painful as stripping off his skin.
“You know when they say the world is about to end, you’d think your life flashes before your eyes. But all I could see was you. And it wasn’t just because you were in front of me. God, I closed my eyes, and all I could see was still you. Laughing at your own jokes, greeting everyone with a smile, typing away on your computer. It would be such a shame if I didn’t get to kiss you if that was the last thing I’d ever do, damn it. But then the earthquake stopped and we were fine.”
Your eyebrows creased as you let his words sink in. “Is it really so bad that we survived?”
He narrowed his eyes at you, “I don’t think I could ever survive you. You frustrate me because you’re just so…you! You’re not someone I could just kiss once and get out of my system. I’d always want more and then I’d inevitably screw it up. It was better that you hated me from the start.”
His eyes burned with untold stories of heartbreak and self destruction. Despite all the ways he infuriated you, you wanted nothing more than to hold him. You had a feeling you were just seeing who he truly was beneath his smug smiles and his devil-may-care attitude.
“Jess, I don’t hate you,” you confess. “Don’t just make it one kiss,” you continue, allowing yourself to be just as honest as him. “Have another one, and another, and heck - have all of me!”
He looked at you in disbelief, as if he wished for the stars and he was told he could have the whole damn galaxy. A spark of joy and hope ignited something wild in him that he no longer let himself think of past regrets and mistakes.
He inched towards you, looking into your eyes for permission and you bridged the distance in response, kissing him. It was fiercer than when you both thought you were on the brink of de*th, because this time, it was a celebration of life and the possibilities that lay ahead.
You felt it when he sucked on your bottom lip and you moaned in pleasure, a small sound for all the words you couldn’t say. How all those time spent hating him was just a shield from your admiration of the man who took destiny in his own hands and never let the world define him.
The man who wrote stories and downplayed them through luck and how ink fumes must have altered his publisher’s minds to pick him. He never once acknowledged his talent, but secretly you did with the way you underlined your favorite sentences and re-read his book as if his words could wrap you in a sweet embrace.
He always kept you at an arm’s length and made your life hell, but it was heaven just being beside him. And you never dared to admit it. Until now, when he’s unbuttoning your blouse as he unravels your secrets. His mouth moves to your neck, setting your body on fire.
“Wait, what if someone sees us?” You ask, a wave of sobriety washing over you.
Jess just smirked, his lips pink and swollen, hungry for more of your kisses. “That’s half the fun.”
You rolled your eyes but god - you needed him. “And the other half?” You asked, mirroring his smirk.
“This,” he just says as he resumes your kiss.
It’s agony when you pull away again just to alleviate your anxiety, “can we at least go to the back?” It’s not much, but it’s better than being right by the windshield.
“Spacious,” he nods, moving away so you could climb over to the backseat. You felt the heat of his stare behind you as you settled in. 
He promptly followed suit until your bodies are tangled again with him laying you down the seat, careful so you don’t hit your head. You bring your hand to his stupid hair and run your fingers through it. His hands return to your blouse and your back arches on instinct when he unclasps your bra and he takes a moment to look at you. “God, you’re so beautiful,” he breathes as he squeezes your breast while he licks the other, planting soft tender kisses.
In his car, the sirens and chaos faded. You were consumed by Jess’ touch, both curious and possessive at the same time. His free hand traveling down your leg as he caressed it, slowly making his way to your inner thigh. You can’t help the way you squirmed beneath him as you held your breath in anticipation. In response, you palm his erection beneath his uncomfortably tight jeans and you’re rewarded with a grunt.
He teased you through your panties and you open your legs for him as he moves the thin fabric aside to feel your soft folds. You bite your lip and try to stifle your moan, but Jess brings his mouth to your ear, “I need to hear you, you have no idea how long I’ve wanted this.” You cursed in response, your mind swimming in a haze of euphoria.
His fingers send shockwaves of pleasure as he spreads your liquid heat, exploring your folds and paying attention to which sensations left you whimpering. He exploited them skillfully, rubbing and teasing, eager to make you a moaning mess for him. You gasped when he plunged his fingers inside you and you arched your back, needing him deeper.
“Fuck, you’re so wet for me,” he admires as he pumped his fingers in and out. You moved your hips against his hand, needing more of him. He was finally here, doing things you used to just dream about, secrets stashed beneath soft covers in your moonlit bedroom.
“Jess, please. I need to feel all of you,” you begged and his eyes darkened.
“I’m all yours,” he replied as he removed his fingers and cleaned them off with his tongue. “Fuck you taste so good.” 
You helped him free his hard length and you don’t stifle the needy moan that escapes you this time when he fills you up. He takes a few slow movements before building up to a steady pace, the delicious friction making your toes curl. “You feel amazing, Jess,” you tell him.
He kissed you as he rocked his hips into you, a clash of teeth and tongue. There was nothing gentle in the way you moved against each other, it was pure want and longing crashing into each other. It was months of fantasies finally coming true and desires unleashed building in your core.
The car moved along with you, giving you extra leverage to find your rhythm. The irony was not lost on you that as the world shook around you once again, things were falling into place this time.
Filthy, desperate whimpers escaped his lips and you spread your legs wider, needing him deeper inside you. He squeezed your breast in response and teased your taut nipples, eager to worship all of you. You closed your eyes when you felt yourself teetering on the edge.
“Look at me,” Jess tells you instead and so you do. You see the lust and passion in his eyes and it’s enough to unravel you. Little earthquakes of ecstasy erupt through you as you shuddered against him. He increases his pace, eager to coax every last aftershock of your orgasm. It doesn’t take long before you feel his release warming your insides. He rests his head in the crook of your neck as he recovers his breath.
When he pulls out, you swipe his spilled seed from your leg and bring it in your mouth, enjoying the salty taste. “Fuck you’re so hot,” Jess breathes out. 
You grin. “So this happened. You gonna deny it?” You challenged him as he held you.
“Nope,” he said with a grin. “This happened. You’re mine and I’m yours. No take backs.”
“No take backs,” you echoed as you leaned in for another kiss.
It was perfect. The world could end at that moment and you would not mind at all.
Still you were glad to stay alive. Because then, you could always go another round, and another. So it goes.
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✿ Masterlist | ✿ Jess Mariano Masterlist
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sortasirius · 1 month
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I put myself through the shooting again to see what I missed and here's what I came out with (IT'S A LOT):
Jesus Christ the way Eddie looks at Buck immediately
That shot of them just staring at each other before Eddie falls
The way Buck just stands there, completely frozen, doesn't even try to protect himself
HE ABSOLUTELY DOES REACH FOR HIM. HE REACHES FOR BUCK BEFORE HE PASSES OUT
Buck crawling to him and saying "Stay down, I'm gonna come, I got you."
"Hey just...just stay with me, okay?"
Eddie's first and only question is "are you hurt?" to Buck...brothers I am in shambles
Buck like actively cupping Eddie's face and saying "I need you to hang on."
The way Buck almost like collapses when a firefighter bumps into him...
Also INSANE that his first thought on seeing Taylor is "no comment" YIKES!!!
God Oliver Stark...I am in awe of you always
You can tell Buck is trying SO HARD to keep it together for Chris. Like he doesn't want to make things harder on him but it's like everything hits him all at once and he just can't keep it in because telling Chris makes it real. And makes him think that he should have been the one that got shot
"He's a fighter" while wiping away his tears...oh my love
Him breaking down is a relief cry, he drops his phone and just collapses in on himself out of relief
"It's gonna be okay, Buck." I just...love Chris and Buck so much. I love them so so much.
All the tubes sticking out of Eddie I'm sick to my stomach
And Buck takes such effortlessly good care of Christopher, of course Eddie would make him his guardian
"Buck snores...loud." Chris my king
"I'm fine. I'm not the one who got shot." Well it's clear you wish you were babe and that freaks me out!!
It's so interesting the way the rest of the crew doesn't even seem to...clock that Buck isn't just being reckless. Like he's actively trying to die. Daring the sniper to take him out
The fact that Taylor just leaves, playing into every insecurity he has but he doesn't even TRY to fight her leaving when he sees Ana calling...I have nothing to say to this it writes itself
"He doing okay?" "Better than me." BYE!!!
When Buck says it would have been better if he had gotten shot you can tell Eddie is like...stunned at what he said, but he IS recovering from a, oh that's right, major gunshot wound, so it's not like he can say anything about it.
Okay sorry the comparison between Buck telling Eddie "I'm here. I got you." and Athena telling Bobby THE SAME THING after he got shot???????
"Because Evan." I think it's the only time I've heard Eddie use his given name. It means something when he does. In this case "you aren't disposable you bonehead. Not to Chris. Not to me."
Genuinely insane experience. 10/10 would recommend
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stevieschrodinger · 6 months
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Link to part five
Part six
Steve sits in the Beemer squeezing the steering wheel so hard his knuckles are white. He can't make himself let go.
He also can't seem to make himself leave.
His mate is in there. His mate who is carrying their pup. Steve's pup.
He can't leave.
It's a good ten minutes of Steve feeling like the world is collapsing in on him before the door swings open, and Wayne comes out, holding two beers. He opens the door and climbs in, sitting in the passenger seat, handing a beer to Steve, who takes it reflexively. He's pretty sure he doesn't actually want it. But Wayne chinks the necks of the bottles together in toast and says, "congratulations."
Steve starts laughing, it's a bit hysterical and it takes a few minutes before he can make himself stop. He does drink the beer.
"He told you?"
Wayne chuckles, "nah, of course he didn't. Clocked the positive test just sitting in the trash, but that boy hasn't thought more than thirty seconds ahead even one time in his life."
They sit in comfortable silence for a while before Steve admits, "I'm so angry with him."
"Think you've a right to that."
"I'm not leaving him."
"Didn't think you would."
They sit together, ten more minutes of silence between them before Steve admits, "I feel like he's stolen it from me...not the pup," Steve elaborates as Wayne raises an eyebrow at him, "the chance to do this properly. The chance to court him, mate him. Have a nice nest ready, a home together...and then pups. I still want it he's just...taken away my chance to do it all properly, I guess."
Wayne hums agreeably.
Steve sighs, "I should go in."
"Reckon." Wayne agrees stoically.
Steve had bought Eddie a spinning wool thing with a handle as a courting gift. Eddie had been so happy with it, something he wanted to organise all his balls of wool into...more square balls. Steve didn't understand it, but Eddie had been so happy he'd spent an hour playing with it and organising his small yarn collection while Steve watched, puffed up and proud his Omega was happy.
Eddie had smelled so much better since his heat, so much more like home and mate...and Steve just figured it was because Eddie was doing better.
Now he knows the real reason he's scenting so appealing; the pup.
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Eddie hides deeper in his nest. Whatever that thing was that he lost when his Omega went to ground, well, it's been back since his heat. It's been back ten fold. Eddie had never nested in his life, now? Now if Hawkins held some sort of nesting championships, Eddie would have won it three times this week.
He knew, knew for certain before he bothered to piss on a stick that he'd caught. He knew it was early to show, but his usually almost concave stomach was...not that anymore. He was eating more, some instinct driving him. He was tidying the trailer; sorting things he'd never bothered or cared about before.
So he'd known. Known before those pink lines had appeared on the test.
And Steve. Steve who is courting the hell out of him. Steve who nuzzles him and scents him and brings him home made cookies and pasta and meatballs. Steve who buys him things and holds him close and, even though they haven't done anything more than kiss a little since Eddie's heat, is happy to run gentle hands across Eddie when they nap.
Steve who had innocently investigated that oh so subtle curve to Eddie's stomach. Steve who didn't even question that there was something there until he caught what must have been a horrified, guilty look on Eddie's face. Eddie who had stammered out an apology, like an idiot.
He should have just told him.
He should have come clean, right at the beginning. But Eddie was harbouring a guilty fantasy where he gets to keep his pup and Steve, and he wasn't quite ready to loose it just yet.
He hears the trailer door from where he's buried in his nest. He hears his bedroom door and opens his mouth to tell Wayne to go away, but it's Steve who speaks, "we will be talking about this in the morning."
And then the mattress dips, the blankets shift, and Eddie is pulled into Steve's arms, Steve's hand resting delicately over Eddie's belly button.
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hoseokslefteyebrow · 11 months
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Imagine your dad being a Miguel O’Hara variant and meeting Miguel
Pairing : Platonic! Miguel O'Hara x Earth Bender Reader x Spiderverse
This is really just a really long rant about your dad meeting your dad from a different universe.
Wordcount: 2.2k (oops)
Miguel O’Hara Masterlist || pt.2
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Okay so I'm randomly imagining a variant of Miguel who's also living the spiderman life but hasn't been through nearly as much loss as Miguel. 
Like this Miguel (let's call him Miguel 2) has lost his wife, but not his kid.
For some reason I also imagine this universe to be something like the Avatar universe (the one with the benders) just without the presence of the actual avatar which is why they would also have superheroes. I also imagine Y/N's mum being an earth bender, which was passed down onto Y/N. And they're quite good at it as well.
Miguel 2 was bitten, but still has a few common powers as Miguel. He has no claws, though he does have fangs. He also has natural webbing and can stick to walls.
I imagine Miguel and Miguel 2 meeting because of an anomaly breech in Miguel 2's universe. And Miguel's utter and complete surprise when he meets a spiderman with the same build as him. ( The man lost his wife, of course he goes gym as well.) 
I also imagine the immediate panic Miguel 2 feels when a building collapses on top of you, and a bunch of pedestrians. Like the battle with this misplaced villain would already be raging head on, and suddenly he sees you being buried under a HUGE pile of building and he just sees red. And Miguel isn't sure it's him until Miguel 2 attacks the villain viciously and rips his mask of, using his fangs to knock the villain out with a good amount of venom.
And the surprise Miguel feels in that moment is amazing. Because he never imagined there was another him, never realized in the amount of universes he comes across. His surprise deepens when Miguel 2 runs to the rubble, his movements chaotic and panicky as he pulls rock for rock apart. Miguel 2 is also originally a nonbender, though his parents had been fire benders.
Now imagine Miguel 2's relief when a hole opens up from the ground not too far from him, and you climb out, calling him dad as you help out pedestrians. And now Miguel is surprised, and a little heartbroken. In this universe he doesn't have Gabriella, but he has you.
Miguel 2 helps the pedestrians climb up before pulling you into a hug. You're a little dirty because of the setting, and you've got a few scratches, but otherwise you're unharmed.
Miguel lets the moment happen, only snapping out of it when Lyla reminds him that he should be on his way to HQ.
And he really is about to leave without invading your lives, when Miguel 2 calls out to him and thanks him. Curiously asking who he is and where he's from.
Miguel can't help himself as he explains the entire story. Inviting him on the team. He also glances at you, before inviting you as well.
Now the entire society is surprised when Miguel walks in with not just an anomaly and another spider person, but also you.
And imagine your surprise when he reveals his identity. Only to realize that he's the exact same person as your dad. Your dad is also surprised, but the two are quick to start 'old men talk' as you would dub it. Also, your dad receives a watch, whilst you receive a day pass.
And even though you look physically not anything like your father at all, Miguel still feels that odd connection he felt when he saw Gabriella for the first time. He leads the two of you through the building, paired with an explanation about everything and nothing.
Eventually, he also tells Miguel 2 about Gabriella, and in turn Miguel 2 asks what she'd look like, if she looked at least a little like you, and if he had fallen in love with the same woman. Miguel glances back at you, only to notice you're gone. Miguel 2 simply shakes his hand at your disappearance  adding that you do that often when you're bored. It surprises Miguel how loose Miguel 2 is when it comes to keeping tabs on you, but than again, he did see how you saved yourself and a bunch of people within a matter of time. Miguel eventually answers his earlier question with a shake of his head, telling him Gabriella was more of a physical copy of him, and that he had fallen in love with a different woman all together. Miguel 2 hums, accepting the answer before they start talking more about the multiverse.
Miguel also finds out that Miguel 2 doesn't work for Alcamex, but for a company which specializes in creating medicine. He also finds out a lot about you. You're nearly 16 years old, and have a few close friends. You're horrible at school, unable to sit still in classes. You're also a great bender, and according to Miguel 2, one of the best the world might ever see. Miguel was very confused when he explained that you had fully mastered every subbending technique earth bending offered. From sandbending to metalbending to lava bending, you could do it all.
And Miguel couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Miguel 2 has got to spend more than 15 years with you, while he lost Gabriella at a young age. On top of that you seem to be thriving, and Miguel 2 doesn't need to lie to you. Doesn't have to hide his spiderman identity for you. ( When Miguel asked how Miguel 2 merely smiled and explained that it was a little hard to hide when it was just the two of you, adding on top of that that you share their hard headed trait.)
I can also imagine Y/N managing to find the rest of the teens (Hobie, Miles, Gwen, Margo, Pavitr, really everyone!) in spider HQ, and getting along with them quite easily. They all have a lot of questions about why you're here as a nonspider, and even more when you tell them your dad is coincidentally also Miguel.
I also think Y/N would connect best with Hobie and Ben Reilly (the one from ultimate spiderman- not atsv). Because Hobie does whatever he wants and Ben is continuously grumpy, and distant, a trait that goes well with your laid back extrovert personality. 
I can also imagine Y/N managing to grab a hold of a webshooter somehow, and being taught how to swing through by the rest.
I definitely imagine Y/N casually swinging into the lab and trying to impress her dad and Miguel by trying to swing straight onto the platform. Which you of course would miss, jumping too late and instead plummeting towards the floor. A neon red web shoots out on time to give you a really soft landing though, basically bouncing you on your feet before you're on the ground. 
Miguel had expected Miguel 2 to react as well, but he simply shook his head. When Miguel gives him a judging look, he shrugs, adding a 'trust me, they gotta learn the hard way'. Because Miguel 2 knows how you won't stop unless you fall flat on your face or break something. And so you start swinging again, this time making a funny landing on the platform with an 'oof' as you plop on your butt before getting up and dusting yourself off.
And than Miguel's watching as you and your dad start arguing. " Did you know that most spider people don't have organic webs? They use these things! Hobie let me use his- that reminds me you should meet Hobie!-" You babble on for a bit. Miguel watches as Miguel 2 simply smiles, hanging onto your every word before he replies. " Yeah well, we should be grateful we don't have web shooters in our universe." " Why not? Can't we try to make some? It'd be fun!" " No." " Why not? Give me one good reason-" " You're an earth bender. You're powerless in the sky." " Oh right, forgot about that for a second."
Meanwhile the other teens are all stood below the platform on the ground. Their surprise evident as they see how an exact copy of Miguel is smiling, obviously content with everything around him. It also isn't until you're tugging at your father's arm to meet your new friends that Miguel starts lowering the platform.
Miguel is in turn surprised to see Ben Reilly among the others, considering the male usually prefers to remain by himself. He also can't help but be fond of the way you speak, all enthusiast about introducing your new friends (even introducing Hobie and Ben as your new besties.) 
Eventually the group falls into conversation, and your worlds normalcy about bending the elements is brought up. Which in turn bring up your bending, to which Hobie in turn challenges you, saying you wouldn't be able to win from him. 
Miguel is surprised when you turn to him, asking if there's a space in which you two can spar. Miguel is surprised, having expected that you would ask your dad, but eventually tells you there is. To Miguel's surprise, Miguel 2 puts a hold on it, adding that you're defenseless without wrecking the building. Everyone is confused when you tell him about your wristbands, and showcase your pockets full of rocks in them. Even Miguel himself is skeptical, considering Hobie is definitely has the advantage due to the field. Miguel 2 eventually nods when you showcase your pockets.
And so the group finds themselves downstairs, watching a sparring field from the side. Hobie smirks at you, teasingly adding that you're free to tap out any time and that he'll go easy on you. You in return laugh, before telling him the same, except you won't go easy. Your battle begins and you don't attack straight away. Instead you avoid all Hobie's advances, avoiding kick after punch after elbow. It takes a while before you oppose his attacks. Neither of you have used your powers at this point yet. It isn't until he tries to punch you again that you react, blocking his punch, you throw a punch back yourself, sending him a step back. Hobie's surprised, and eventually takes off. He starts throwing webs at you. Nearly everyone (except for your dad) is excited when your bracelets start deforming with your movements, shaping them and reshaping them from blades to balls, breaking webs or misdirecting them, or sometimes simply jumping out of the way. Eventually, you manage to throw a good hard ball into his stumic, which causes him to let go of his web. Seizing the moment, you take your metal ball again, giving him a final blow to send him to the ground. You're grinning as you stand over him when he's laid on the ground, your body still in a fighting stance whilst your ball has divided into smaller balls, floating around you.
He smiles as he tells you you've admittedly won, and you help him up with a hand. You smile and nod when he tells you that you should come around more often, adding that he wants a rematch. Your dad also gives you that proud smile of his that he rarely gives you.
You and the rest of the teens have started conversation again, and now it's all about your bending. Miguel and Miguel 2 listening instead of participating. Everyone is surprised when you tell them that metal bending isn't your best skill, and the excitement grows as you Tell them about lava bending. Happy to show them your actual skill, you take a few rocks out of your pocket, and let them melt into a ninja star made of lava. Everyone's eyes are big, completely impressed by this skill. Even Miguel is left speechless (which isn't noticeable, but still.) It isn't until Miguel 2 takes a look at his regular watch that he tells you it's time to go.
You pout, and ask if you'll be able to come back sometime. Everyone automatically turns to look at Miguel, and he sighs before telling you you might, adding a lame excuse about how you're good to train with.
And so you'll eventually depart after greeting almost everyone in a hug before you all but jump through.
You might not be a spider person, but spider society is definitely also a place for you.
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Bonus:
" Y'know, I would've left you behind if you would have lost that fight with Hober." Your dad teases you over dinner later that day.
The two of you had decided on simple take out.
" His name's Hobie dad." You roll your eyes with a smile, before taking a bite.
" Besides, that's okay. I would have my hands on some web shooters by now. " You grin.
He sighs.
" You're never going to let that go, will you?" 
" No, I still think we should really give it a shot."
" No."
" Did you at least notice my pun? Shot?"
Your dad shakes his head.
" I should've really followed the instructions on those 'how to raise a kid' books."
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fleet-off · 11 months
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@aantinous’s marvelous tags on this post reminded me of the silly li’l shapeshifter snake!Vegas AU @theflowergirl Lily and I came up with over DMs a while back!
Snake!Vegas slips into the main family home pretty regularly pre-canon. Sometimes to spy. Sometimes to ruin Tankhun’s afternoon.
One day Pete catches the snake mid-troll! Tankhun is very upset. Pete obliviously sticks the snake in a Tupperware in his room to let it go once his boss’s ire dies down.
He drops a little food in the Tupperware. He doesn’t know what snakes eat, but what’s good for Petes is probably good for snakes?
He has a nice little workout after his shift. A nice little shower. A nice little dance around the room in the half-nude.
That evening he releases the snake in the yard and moves on.
Except now the snake? Keeps showing up at odd times?? Pete could swear it’s the same snake. It doesn’t look like a local species, maybe it’s an escaped pet.
“Maybe it’s just looking for a home,” he thinks, and doesn’t think about why that hits him so hard.
(Meanwhile. Vegas was in it for the spying, the trolling, and the mild voyeurism but now it’s—oh. Oh, he’s? Keeping me safe? This is…new.)
So there’s a snake in Pete’s life now.
Occasionally there’s also a snake in Pete’s bed, which is always a fun discovery in the morning. Still, Pete can’t blame a snake for being coldblooded, can he? And the snake has a cute little :) face. And it hasn’t tried to bite him yet. It may be bonded?
This is normal and fine.
(Getting into Pete’s room involves sneaking out of the minor family home, traversing the main family grounds in serpent form, and sneaking all the way up to the bodyguard quarters. Vegas has not slept with one of Kinn’s escorts in ages—he simply does not have the time.)
(Look, he’s getting under the skin of this main family dog who keeps getting tasked to follow him. It’s funny.)
(It’s turning into instinct. Like birds flying back to the same forest, like turtles returning to the same beach.)
(If he thinks too hard about it, he’s not going to be able to justify it anymore—he does not think about it.)
Vegas’s torture suitcase contains syringes and vials of hallucinatory drugs and neurotoxins in this AU. Just BTW. <3
The plot still plots for the most part, Pete still gets captured…the torment at the safehouse, though, is less Vegas taking his helplessness out on the guy who ruined his plans and more Vegas oscillating emotionally between “he was kind to me nobody’s kind to me what the fuck” and “he’s a representation of my weakness, he was kind to an innocent animal and I was stupid enough to play along.”
The later realization that Pete would choose to show empathy to human Vegas too? Ruinous.
So Vegas comes to torment or talk to or feed Pete during the day…and the snake comes to curl around Pete’s ankle at night. Pete does not know how the hell his snake got here, but he’s pretty delirious and appreciates the small comfort even if it’s a hallucination.
And of course the truth has to come out at the safehouse, because all truths come out at the safehouse.
So it’s invasive, and weird as shit, and a bit of a goddamn mess...but, like. Vegas was already invasive, weird as shit, and a bit of a goddamn mess.
The home thing is starting to make more sense, for Pete. A lot of things are.
(Do some snake-y features show up during the sex, too? Little bit of fang action? Maybe!!)
So the collapse. The escape. The return to a normal no longer satisfied by its stasis.
The second night after Pete’s return, he finds a snake curled around the leg of his bed.
He knows. He knows, he knows, he knows.
Miserably, he lifts the snake up onto the mattress beside him anyway.
Halfway through the night, he feels warm and solid and human curled up behind him. He doesn’t move.
In the morning, the snake is gone.
(How does this play out in the finale? Who knows. ^^)
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nonbunary-does-arts · 1 month
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Updated Anthro designs! Still not too sure about Saint... but the rest, I'm very proud of! Details about them, and a full line-up will be under the cut!
Also I see some of you, curious about what's up with Monk: and here's your answer: Monk is also Nightcat here! I made these designs before the Watcher was revealed. Also, I promised myself I'd hold back on making a Watcher design until we see their powers.
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MONK - He/They
16 years old
Little Brother to Survivor, of course. Gourmand is their Auntie!
Aroace
Transes this little guy's gender.
Aside from being quiet, they're just a sweet lil guy.
They have some pet lizards... one of which is a red lizard named Jewel.
The bag contains snacks!
SURVIVOR - They/them
22 years old
Older sibling to Monk, of course.
Panromantic asexual
Sees a lot of themself in Big Sister Moon... often just sits with her to vibe.
Dating a scavenger named Blue! Only Blue is allowed to use she/her with them.
Found two slugpups while wandering with Blue, and is taking care of them, with Auntie Gourmand's help.
HUNTER - She/it
24 years old
After making it back to No Significant Harassment, Sig realized that Hunter was so fast that they could remove the rot before it became too late.
Lesbian
Why are its legs plantigrade? Well, she was a test tube baby!
Can't really talk, an unlucky strike from a scavenger cut her throat.
It knows sign language though, and have lengthy conversations with Spearmaster, who's like family to her.
Wants to help Five Pebbles out.
GOURMAND - She/her
38 years old
Aunt to Monk and Survivor
Bisexual
INCREDIBLY good at cooking. Can turn basically anything into a meal that can fill you for a while.
Dating Artificer, helping her heal from her deeply broken heart with kindness.
That and she will just hold Arti until she calms down from seeing red.
ARTIFICER - She/her
35 years old
Mother to Bubble and Seafoam, both are deceased.
Lesbian
Gourmand found her about to kill a scavenger. She hadn't even noticed the large slugcat until she was lifted in the air, arms pinned to her sides. Gourmand held on despite all the struggling, giving the scavenger time to escape... but it was only when Arti finally stopped struggling was she set down and talked to.
Under the long clothes, she's underweight.
Nobody really sees her eye underneath her hat... but Gourmand has. It always flusters her when Gourmand compliments her.
She's... hesitant towards slugpups. Her terror of losing her own still sticks with her.
Gourmand helps her a lot... she hopes one day she can repay the kindness she feels as though she does not deserve.
SPEARMASTER - They/it
31 years old
Aroace
Like Hunter, because it was a test tube baby, its legs are plantigrade!
Most messengers have their iterator's insignia on their person. In Spear's case, the amulet on their choker is the symbol of who their creator is.
Working with Hunter and Seven Red Suns to try and help fix Pebbles, or at least get him out of his superstructure before it collapses.... even if it itself is reluctant.
Pretty chatty actually! They and Hunter's conversations can go on for hours.
RIVULET - Any
27 years old
Polyamorous Pansexual
This little guy has been many places, though their favorite places to visit is the region that surrounds the iterator Chasing Wind.
They never stay in one place too long, but they always make sure to visit whenever possible.
Though you see him less than Saint, she's still always willing to tell the latest gossip... Very popular with the Scavenger King's group in the Outer Expanse to learn what scavenger politics are going on.
The only one who knows what Saint is capable of and takes it incredibly seriously.
SAINT - They/them
26 years old...?
Aroace
Quiet. Not mute, just... very quiet. Prefers listening over talking.
Very rarely do they ever show up. But it feels as though they're more... waiting for something.
Really only ever talks to Monk.
Some iterator logs think they saw Saint leaving Sliver of Straw's can... but that's not possible. Saint is still young. Sliver's death happened so many cycles ago....
ENOT/INV/??? - Any
???Adult???
What is even going on with this guy.
Never front facing... somehow.
Hurts for Moon to look at her for too long... other iterators get a malfunction in their systems.
Often found in deep in the Subterranean... most likely getting snatched by Train Lizards.
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floofanflurr · 5 months
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What's a Papyrus made of???
A SKELETON, OF COURSE!
Other than a skeleton.
PUZZLE PASSIONEERING, AND DARING TO A GREAT EXTREME? OR PERHAPS YOU MEAN MY ENDLESS HANDSOMENESS AND CHARM!
Well, those too! But how do people draw you? You aren't made of the same shapes as your brother, after all!
I AM MADE OF MANY SHAPES! GREAT SHAPES! SANS IS MADE OF... SLIME. OR SOMETHING.
He's made of circles.
THAT'S WHAT I SAID! SLIME, CIRCLES, BROTHERS—IT'S ALL THE SAME THING.
Hmmm, I guess you kind of have a point, but—
...Well! I digressed! Here's a little thing I put together containing a lot of my observations about how artists commonly draw Papyrus! There's a lot of variation, (a lot a lot!) but I have found some common trends! Like building blocks!
OR A PUZZLE!
A Papyrus-shaped puzzle!
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Not pictured here is the variation in the top part of the skull! (What I have depicted as a circle here.) Some people draw it more angularly, or even more like a square.
ARE YOU CALLING ME A SQUARE?
No-
GOOD! BECAUSE I AM ONE! A SQUARE, THAT IS! NEVER BROKEN A RULE IN MY LIFE, NO SIREE!!!
...Are you sweating right now?
NO!
...Hmmm. Anyway! This post is getting long, so there's more under the cut!
WHAT'S A CUT?
Well, this is a tumblr post, so that means that I want to put some of the longer content I make behind a read more line. That will collapse the rest of the text so that it doesn't make it too hard for people to scroll.
TUMBLER? SCROLLING? YOU SOUND LIKE SANS.
Sans uses tumblr?! Oh no...
...Well, onto the rest!
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There's a lot more variation of Papyrus's mouth. People can get really creative! But most of the common depictions I see follow these building blocks.
YOU MEAN PUZZLE PIECES!
Yeah! Puzzle pieces.
THIS PUZZLE NEEDS MORE SPIKES! IT IS DISTINCTLY LACKING IN THE DEADLY SPIKE DEPARTMENT.
Wait, no— Papyrus put that down! This is not a spike kind of puzzle!
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And finally, eye sockets! I've seen people do them in a lot of different ways, including like Sans's sockets but slightly longer. But again, this is how I see it done most frequently! And Papyrus has a lot of more extreme expressions, such as his eye boggle and his sparkling sockets that adds even more variation.
And that's it for now! There's still a lot I didn't go over, and I don't know if this could be counted as a tutorial? (Though if it helps, that's great!) I'm more just here to ramble about all the cool art I see of Papyrus!
I didn't get a chance to go over Papyrus's nose, nasal ridge, or the way people draw his neck. Not to mention the rest of his body! And his clothes! There's lots more common depictions (building blocks!) there.
PUZZLE PIECES!
Puzzle pieces. Like scarf vs. cape, gloves vs. mittens, round battle body or more square. (Or even a normal crop top!) Shorts vs. bowl, black tight material vs. bare bones...
That's not even getting into the AU Papyri! They also have common building blocks! (Puzzle pieces, I know.)
THEY AREN'T AS HANDSOME AS ME, ANYWAY! EVEN IF THEY ARE ALSO VERY GREAT.
Ahem. ...Debatable. (Fell gives you a run for your money in the handsomeness department—) ...Nah, you're right.
I AM, AND I KNOW IT!
(I'm also not as good at drawing them...)
Well. Needless to say, there's a lot to cover! And I've spent... huh. 7 hours on this so far! So I'll leave it off for now and maybe do a bit more if there's any interest.
WHO WOULDN'T BE INTERESTED IN ME? WHAT DOES SOMEONE AS GREAT AS ME HAVE TO DO TO GET SOME RECOGNITION AROUND HERE?
Never change, Papyrus. Never change.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE AN UNHEALTHY IDEAL! ...EVEN IF I DON'T SEE HOW I COULD GET ANY BETTER.
Huh. Surprisingly true.
Well. Thanks for sticking with this so long!
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How do you draw Papyrus? I'd love to see! Do you use any of these building blo... puzzle pieces?
OOOH ME TOO, ME TOO!!! I WANT TO SEE! YOU SHOULD ADD MORE SPIKES THAN FLOO, THOUGH.
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truly-twirls · 1 year
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among the stars - c. beomgyu
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Word Count: 1,437
Warnings: Reader is in a depressive episode, toxic behaviors, slight food mention
Characters: Choi Beomgyu
Genre: Hurt/Comfort (Reversed but reader is also comforted)
AO3 Link
Tags: @beomqutie
🌱🌱🌱
“You fell asleep with the TV on again.”
“And what about it? You would’ve still fallen asleep.”
So this is how tonight’s gonna go… dammit.
“Y/N, wouldn’t it be easier to just.. let me be here?”
Your vision was a bit blurred from the blankets and dried tears, but you could still make out the figure of your boyfriend sitting in front of you. You could see his eyes, and what was behind them.
Annoyance.
Truly, it was mostly worry that filled Beomgyu’s eyes, but the slightest tinge of annoyance was present and that was all you could see.
He was sick of this. Of course he was. You’ve been glued to this couch for the past day and a half, only getting up to use the restroom. Food? No. Shower? No. Water? Only because Beomgyu brings you a water bottle every now and then.
To be fair though, you slowly fell into this state over the course of two weeks. So at the very least, the switch was such a shock to you.
Nor to your boyfriend.
“Baby, I’m trying my best for you here, the least you could do is tell me what’s on your mind, yeah?”
Even that’s too much for you right now. No one asked him to stick around, you definitely haven’t. Why would he put himself through this? Does he pity you that much?
“Then leave. I never asked you to bother with this sack of shit. Door’s right over there, Gyu.” 
You didn’t dare meet his eyes as these sour words left your chapped lips.
“I never asked you to deal with how hard it’s been for us because of promotions, tours, late night practices, performances, have I? Why do you stay if I never asked you to?”
Your tongue felt knotted, blocking thoughts from becoming words with each breath. You know the answer, but for it to be reciprocated felt nearly– no, entirely impossible.
“I care about you, Gyu, I truly do. I love you, but this is different.”
“How is it different?”
“You’re out working on your career, making the most out of what’s being given to you, and here I am, rotting into this lump of leather. Tell me how us two compare to each other, it must be exhausting for you to waste any of the energy that you have at the end of the day when dealing with me.”
There was silence for a few moments as the man in front of you allowed your words, and his anguish, settle in.
“...What have I done to make you feel like this?” Beomgyu was fighting tears, but you didn’t notice. You still were focused on the wooden floorboards where your nearly empty water bottle sat.
“You must be feeling so over it. Over me. I was fine a while ago, but here I am again. Disgusting, not knowing what to feel other than hopeless. Not really sure about what. And everytime you see me on this damn couch, you have got to be annoyed. I know that I sure as hell would be if I saw myself fall into the same spot over and over again. Hell, I am fucking tired of this. So, I truly don’t understand why you’re still here, can you please just–”
“Please don’t finish that sentence.”
You wanted to oppose your boyfriend’s words, but a small hiccup made your head involuntarily jerk towards Beomgyu’s face.
He was crying. You made him cry. 
He wiped his cheek with the sleeve of his blue hoodie, letting out a dry chuckle, “I’m gonna be honest, that was a little mean, Y/N. I wish you wouldn’t see me like that.”
It was like a bucket of ice water was hurled at you, a breath of fresh air being sucked into your lungs. The weight of your epiphany almost made you collapse onto your tear-stained pillow.
Mean. That’s how your view of Beomgyu is being interpreted. Someone who’s so cruel and lacking sympathy when seeing their partner doesn’t bring them worry nor the desire to stick by their side. But rather it brings upon waves of disgust and resentment. Was that how you thought of Beomgyu as a boyfriend? As a person? 
No. Absolutely not. Quite the opposite, in fact. You’ve never met someone as patient as Beomgyu, someone who would drop everything they were doing to simply listen to your word vomit for thirty minutes, someone who was willing to understand your state of mind and navigate such treacherous waters.
He was the most amazing person you’ve had the joy of meeting. 
And you made him think otherwise.
“Oh Gyu… No. No, no, no, no.”
You felt your limbs surge with newfound energy to slide off the couch and reach towards Beomgyu, who kept a solemn expression.
“I’m sorry. I truly am, from the bottom of my heart. You didn’t deserve that, you’ve been doing everything you could, I’m so grateful baby..”
“Then why do you refuse me? You almost shun me from this place whenever you feel like this. I want to be next to you through anything the world or the mind may throw at us.”
“It’s hard for me to accept the fact that I actually have support, I guess.. It’s not just me by myself this time..”
“And it’s never gonna be just you. We can rot on this couch together.”
You chuckled, knowing that’s not really what either of you want. “I think the ground will suffice for now.” You placed a chaste kiss on Beomgyu’s cheek and rubbed his back.
“I don’t see you like that. I never have, but I am scared that one day you might. But you never disappointed me, you have never hurt me, you never not cared for me. Gyu, my heart will be yours as long as I’m still remembered.”
You took a deep breath to calm your nerves as you began again, “I’m going to trust you won’t ruin it.”
He stared at you in awe, not only from admiration at how well you were able to articulate yourself finally after nearly a week of not being able to do so, but also from how thankful to hear such a confession. He knew how difficult it’s been for you to fully trust someone with your endearments, and to be that someone? His heart was soaring among the clouds and stars.
“Y/N, I’ll protect your heart with everything I have. I only ask for one thing.”
As sweet as the reconciliation was, Beomgyu was still hurt from the words earlier, rightfully so.
“Please don’t take your emotions out on me. I don’t want to become your go-to release. I want you to be able to talk to me but not yell. Promise me that we’ll learn how to talk these types of things out?”
You nodded along as he spoke, truly reflecting on what he was saying and brainstorming ways to be able to prevent such conflicts. You had work to do, and you wanted to be the best partner and person for Beomgyu you can be. And honestly…
You wanted to be the best person for yourself too.
“I promise, Gyu.” You pressed tiny kisses along the palm of his left hand.
Giggles invaded the room as he leaned towards your face and pressed several kisses on your face in return. Soft embraces as the two bodies fell over as you relished in each other’s comfort. You wiped any remaining tears from your boyfriend’s cheeks and kissed him once more.
“I love you so much.”
“And I love you so much more.”
- Two months later -
The two of you sat on a bench at a park near your apartment, the weather was chilly and the moon was shimmering in brilliance. You had just come back from a celebratory dinner with your coworkers after receiving a promotion, and Beomgyu had recently been given a week long vacation after a successful comeback. 
Your head found its place on your boyfriend’s shoulder, you mindlessly twirled the ring that had recently met your left finger. A promise ring. You still haven’t wrapped your head around the fact that after such a long line of heartbreaks and hurt, you had found someone who would become the support to your foundation, and to be there when there’s some instability.
You looked up at the night sky and learned that even in the light-polluted city of Seoul, among the stars there was always one being who’s spirit never diminished when you look at it.
And he was sitting right next to you, nodding off into a sweet slumber.
🌱🌱🌱
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rayshippouuchiha · 2 years
Note
... Chisaki Kai unironically pays for quirkless feet pics. None of the precepts bring it up and the rest of the yakuza grunts never know. (Precepts think its weird but also don't wanna die)
Oh my GODS what if
Izuku somehow looses his shoes during the raid and like, Chisaki SEES and looses his shit because holy fuck this guy should be quirkless. Everyone questions how he could recognize on sight (could lead to Izuku having to pay for medical supplies during middle school and You Know What fuck yea hes going to monitize his quriklessness, or just, Chisaki has mad attention to detail)
By the gods, you asked and now we shall all receive:
For all of the different, and often times horrifying, ways Izuku has imagined his side job finally being discovered, he can honestly say this scenario wasn't the one he saw sitting at the top of the charts.
Here, of course, being in the middle of the street, mid-villain fight.
Or if he's being more accurate about the parts that are really sticking out to him: mid-villain fight in front of his homeroom teacher, a half dozen of his classmates, numerous other pro heroes and police officers, and the little girl strapped to his back.
Izuku had always kind of imagined he'd forget to close his laptop or his mom would walk in on him setting up a shoot one day despite him being meticulous about making sure she's out of the house and well away before he ever even thinks about pulling out his gear.
He'd only ever briefly entertained, admittedly nonsensical and wildly sleep-deprived, thoughts about this particular scenario happening.
And yet, here he is.
Izuku's honestly not sure how, exactly, he'd managed to lose his shoes in the battle. Hell, up until roughly ten seconds ago he hadn't really even noticed all that much or been all that inclined to care.
All he'd been focused on was protecting Eri and kicking Overhaul into the next calendar year. Most everything else, including his lost shoes and destroyed socks, hadn't seemed anywhere near as urgent as those two issues.
But he's absolutely noticing and caring now.
Izuku is absolutely going to hunt down whichever one of his ancestors it was who pissed off a luck kami or caused someone to curse their entire family line to "live in interesting times" and set their gravestone on fire.
Because divine retribution or an ancient curse has to be the reason why he's in this position.
"It is you, isn't it, Yamikumo?" Overhaul rasps in his direction, expression twisted in what looks a lot like some horrible form of almost starstruck confusion.
"Aa-hh," Izuku sputters out a broken sound, mind still not fully willing to accept what Overhaul saying that name to him has to mean.
"It has to be," Overhaul keeps on, eyes fever bright. "You're even wearing the white polish I sent you."
That statement's enough to snap Izuku's mind back into focus. Because that means ,,,
"Mr. Clean!?" Izuku squawks out the username of one of his best and most loyal customers.
And, much to his ever-mounting horror, Overhauls' face practically lights up.
"Yes!" The villain practically crows despite the fact that Izuku still has him pinned to the ground, with one bare heel digging into his collar bone.
But then, Izuku can't help but think just a bit hysterically, given all that's just been revealed, he's probably enjoying that part of this entire situation.
"I'd recognize those beautiful toes of yours anywhere," Overhaul keeps going, one clearly broken and disfigured hand coming up to pet the top of Izuku's foot gently. "But how? I don't understand, Yamikumo. You're supposed to be quir-"
Izuku knows exactly what Overhaul is about to announce so he does the only rational thing he can do in this situation.
He shifts his weight and brings his other bare foot down heel first against Overhaul's temple.
The villain collapses the rest of the way onto the rubble beneath him, finally, blessedly, unconscious.
"Problem Child," Aizawa-sensei's voice from so close behind him, and not to mention the obvious confusion in it, sends a shaft of pure dread straight down Izuku's spine. "What the actual fuck?"
By this point, Izuku thinks as the edges of his vision begin to blacken, passing out is basically self-defense.
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ym-loreposting · 7 months
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Dark Matter: a profile
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Aside from King Dedede, the most reoccuring antagonist in the Kirby franchise are members of the enigmatic Dark Matter tribe. The tradition of Kirby final bosses being grotesque compared to the rest of the series really started with them and Nightmare in Kirby's Adventure. Unlike Nightmare however, Dark Matter went on to become somewhat of a series staple and when I think of spooky Nintendo lore, they often spring to mind. As such, in this blog post I want to explore Dark Matter.
Dark Matter Trilogy
The first appearance of Dark Matter was in Kirby's Dream Land 2, where it is the true final boss of the game. According to the game's manual, it was responsible for shattering the rainbow bridges connecting the rainbow islands together. It also possesses King Dedede and plans to turn Dream Land into a dark world to inhabit (specifically according to the Japanese Digital 3DS manual). What exactly this means is left unclear in this game. It apparently does this because it is lonely and wants friends, according to an excerpt from the January 2019 issue of the Japanese magazine Nintendo DREAM (translation from Wikirby):
最初に登場したダークマターには、友達が欲しくてちょっと寂しがりやなのでは…という設定も『星のカービィ2』開発当時の社内にあったようですので、今回のフレンズとハートの物語と親和性があるのではとも考えましたが、さすがにダークマターには今はまだ悪役を貫いてほしく (It seems that, when Dark Matter first appeared in Kirby's Dream Land 2, the developers had the idea that he was lonely and wanted to have friends. I thought that this could tie into this game's themes of "friends" and "hearts", but I'd of course prefer for Dark Matter to remain a villain for now.)
When all Rainbow Drops are collected in Dream Land 2 and King Dedede is defeated, the drops turn into a Rainbow Sword and Dark Matter emerges from Dedede. Dark Matter is fought in two forms: one resembling a swordsman and one an eye surrounded by darkness. Of the two, the latter is considered its true form.
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Dark Matter returns in Kirby's Dream Land 3, but with heavier guns. The plan is much the same as in Dream Land 2, but this time the stakes are raised. A ball of darkness with a red eye in the center emerges from the depths of space and shatters the rings of Pop Star.
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After arriving, the dark cloud spreads five tendrils to five corners of the planet and possesses six beings: Whispy Woods, Acro, Pon/Con, Ado and King Dedede. Kirby and his friend Gooey, who first appeared in Dream Land 2 captured by Dark Matter, set out to face this crisis. During it, they collect heart stars by helping the people of Pop Star and cleanse the darkness from each area by defeating one of the primary possessed beings. All of this culminates in a fight with King Dedede, who probably gets the worst deal out of the possession: a mouth and a Dark Matter eye in his stomach.
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If all Heart Stars are gathered, they become the Love-Love Stick after Dedede's defeat. In a similar scenario to Dream Land 2, Kirby follows up Dark Matter to the heart of the black clouds, the Hyper Zone, and defeats Dark Matter. After Dark Matter is gone, a new being called 0 appears. It is a red eye in a larger white body, from which it can spawn smaller Dark Matters. Once 0 is defeated, the Hyper Zone and the black clouds around it collapse. It is thus implied 0 is the source of Dark Matter and may have been behind the events of Dream Land 2 as well.
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Another thing that Dream Land 3 adds to the Dark Matter lore has to do with Gooey. According to the manual of the game, he is made of "the same stuff" as Dark Matter but he doesn't have an evil spirit. He also takes on a form similar to Dark Matter during the final battle, which later games have dubbed Mock Matter. Beings can thus be made of the same dark substance as Dark Matter while not being evil. This also adds an additional layer to Gooey in Dream Land 2, as he was captured in that game. Perhaps Dark Matter put him on Pop Star in the first place as a captive.
The final game in the so-called Dark Matter Trilogy is Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards and it involves a plot similar to that of Dream Land 3. Instead, this time the Dark Matter beings target a different planet: Ripple Star, where Fairies live. One of the Fairies escapes with the planet's precious Crystal and three Dark Matters give chase, leading them to Pop Star. This is how Kirby gets involved and the three Dark Matters do their possession shtick: on a Waddle Dee, Adeleine and King Dedede.
After Pop Star, the first world of the game, Dark Matter beings do not play a large role until the end of the game. But the game does introduce a whole slew of new Dark Matter beings. The first is Miracle Matter, who controls the black clouds covering Ripple Star. It has the appearance of a many-sided die, some sides covered in red eyes, and it can take on copy ability-esque forms: Bomb, Burn, Cutter, Ice, Needle, Spark and Stone. The black clouds controlled by Miracle Matter also spit out N-Z enemies, indicating they are made of darkness as well.
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The final major Dark Matter being in Kirby 64 is 0², who possessed the Queen of Ripple Star. If Kirby and his friends manage to repair the Fairies' Crystal, the darkness possessing the Queen is dispelled and forms the Dark Star. Inside lurks 0², who resembles 0 but also has an angel motif. This might indicate he is 0 resurrected from the dead, though the relation between the two has thus far been kept vague. Both 0² and Miracle Matter appear to be sources of Dark Matter and dark clouds, similar to 0 at least. When 0² is defeated, the Dark Star collapses similarly to the Hyper Zone and the threat of Dark Matter is dispelled once more.
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The final game to introduce a Dark Matter being without much ambiguity is Kirby Squeak Squad. A lot of the game revolves around collecting a particular treasure chest. When it is opened by antagonist Daroach, he is enveloped in a black smoke and turns dark. After his defeat, it is revealed he was possessed by Dark Nebula, a being with an eye similar to both incarnations of 0. It has hallmarks of a Dark Matter being, such as possession, a red eye and even has elemental powers similar to Miracle Matter. It also seemingly creates a black hole near Pop Star after it is released. This all makes sense, as its Japanese name is ダークゼロ or Dark Zero. In addition, it is also not called Ruler of the Underworld in Japanese but 暗黒の支配者/あんこくのしはいしゃ (Ruler of Darkness).
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It is interesting to note that this Dark Matter being was not roaming around freely in space, trying to create dark worlds or wanting for friends. Instead, it is sealed in a chest and Meta Knight seemingly knows this, as he tried to keep the chest out of the hands of Kirby and Daroach's Squeaks. This potentially suggests there is a history of Dark Matter invasions that goes back futher than just Dream Land 2.
Origins of Darkness
Starting with Kirby's Return to Dream Land for the Wii and under the directorship of Shinya Kumazaki, the Kirby series became more lore focused. Of this new era of Kirby, Star Allies goes the most in-depth about Dark Matter through the being of Void Termina, the final boss of the game.
Void Termina itself is not a Dark Matter being, but more of an empty creature that is influenced by the energy that surrounds it. This is explained in an interview with Kumazaki. Due to this, during the final battle, he takes on the appearance of Kirby and Dark Matter. Kirby because it is the first thing he sees when being unsealed and Dark Matter due to the darkness gathered by the people trying to revive him.
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The people trying to revive Void Termina are a cult who worship him as a God of Destruction. According to their leader Hyness, they also worship "matters most dark" and they revive Void Termina by assembling a vessel he is contained in. This is the Jamba Heart, which consists of smaller Dark Hearts, and it is this darkness that Hyness and his minions gather. The Dark Hearts possess and twist the people that grab them, similar to Dark Matter possession. Due to this darkness, Void Termina takes on the appearance of Dark Matter during the final battle.
There is more background to Void and his relation with darkness however. According to the Japanese description of Void Termina, True Destroyer of Worlds (Phase 2), he is the originator of four types of matter: Soul, Heart, Dream and Dark:
夢ドリームが、闇ダークが、魂ソウルが、心ハートが… その物質に 混沌と可能性が全て集い、淵源の祖となり 生誕する。 (When the matters of dream, dark, soul, and heart gather... and combine with chaos and infinite possibilities, the ancestor from the origin is born.)
And according to the description of Hyness in the The Ultimate Choice mode, Void produced darkness at some point in the distant past before being sealed in the Jamba Heart by four heroes:
"All that was written about Void Termina in the ancient scrolls was the progenitor of darkness was vanquished by four heroes of yore, using four spears of the heart."
Void producing darkness may be the ultimate origin of the "Dark Matter" substance in the universe, which in turn may have given rise to 0, 0² and Dark Nebula and the rest of the Dark Matter beings produced by them. The "Dark Matter" substance is likely what is seen in Dream Land 3 and Kirby 64 forming Hyper Zone and Dark Star. Of note is that upon the collapsing, many Dark Matter eyes can be seen in Dark Star, similar to the red eye in the Hyper Zone.
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Other appearances
In the Kirby series, there are several other beings that might be made of or are connected to Dark Matter, though it is a lot more loose:
Dark Matter Clone: a clone of Dark Matter's Dream Land 2 incarnation made by the supercomputer Star Dream. It appears in the Meta Knightmare Returns mode of Planet Robobot, which is set in a world parallel to the main Kirby one. It only appears in its swordsman form and wields the Rainbow Sword, based on its memories of his defeat at the hands of Kirby.
Dark Mind: a being inhabiting the world that lays in the Dimension Mirror. Its true form looks like a fiery version of 0 and it formed from evil minds gathering and being born in the mirror according to Kumazaki. These "evil minds" may be a form of darkness/Dark Matter substance. Of note is that Shadow Dedede, another being spawned by the Dimension Mirror, has similar attacks to Dedede's possessed form in Dream Land 3. A mix between Dark Mind and Shadow Dedede, King D-Mind, appears in the two Kirby Clash games.
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Dark Crafter: a single-eyed smoke being that drained Dream Land of all its color in Kirby and the Rainbow Curse. It operates by possessing Claycia and during its fight, it is revealed that under its colorful appearance, it looks like it is made of darkness.
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Conclusion
That is most of what there is to say about Dark Matter lore-wise. A persistent enemy in the Kirby canon that is made of pure darkness and can twist the minds and appearances of those it possesses, with a potential origin that goes back to a being worshiped as a God of Destruction. In short, a black of darkness spot in a series that is otherwise mostly cute and wholesome.
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the-kr8tor · 6 days
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Ty for the tips! I've managed to get something down aha Also apparently- seeing from someone else- Spiderman/woman/people cannot get drunk because of the enhanced healing power..they can only drink to enjoy the taste...hmmmm...*eyes Hobie suspiciously* Daily Hobie HC! Honestly I feel like Hobie does have a tattoo (lotus with a hidden semi-colon), and probably a few stick and pokes done as well. He loves the fact that you enjoy coloring in his tattoos when you feel stressed, since you also use him as your own stressball, absent-mindedly kneading at his tensed muscles while you focus until he's just dough in your hands. Yet he (feigning) hates how mischievous your giggle sounds as he shudders in response to your makeup brush tickling his skin with every brief stroke. Like- the audacity? How dare you laugh at him? Only he can laugh at you>:( He longs for when you're done, so he could immediately tackle you and blow raspberries against your skin. As much as you're convinced that he usually just does it to get it over and done with, he'll never admit how much he actually loves it. He enjoys feeling the warmth of your hand knead at his sore skin, with the other giving focused strokes within the black confines of his tattoos. Hobie loves seeing how relaxed you become afterwards, almost always falling (quite literally) straight into cuddles directly after, which he cannot help himself but indulge in. It's always better when you both are just relaxing with each other for a day, where the stress of Spiderman-ning trickles away the longer he's in your presence. If you make a small mistake, he can always tell by the way you silently huff, followed by a slightly firm rub on the area where you messed up, before being replaced by the same ticklish strokes. Hobie exaggerates that he puts a lot of trust in you whenever you do these things, trusting you to not immediately resort to tickling him when you're done. However, you know it isn't true. He expects you to tickle him, especially since he does it whenever he can to you. It's no surprise you want payback As soon as he feels you tickling him, he makes sure to turn over as soon as possible, grabbing you and peppering kisses to your face, all until you collapse next to him on the bed, gasping and trying to get air into your lungs as a result of laughing too hard. Hobie smirks towards you, dragging the covers over you both before resting his hands on your hips, pulling you into a snuggle. He'll whisper multiple teasing remarks against your temple, before pecking at it and meeting your gaze with a smirk. If you try to shut him up by covering his mouth with your hand, he'll immediately go to bite you. Not hard, of course. He's still gentle, but you'll be able to feel it. He'll place a few nips here and there on your shoulder and whatever he can 'eat' (reach) because his excuse is that he's a sweet tooth. And sometimes, you're too sweet to resist. -🐦‍⬛
Ofc, angel!! Glad I could help ❤️
Augh I know!! No hangovers for him while he takes care of you when you're the only one who's feeling the after effects lol
Daily Hobie HC!! 🎉
Using Hobie as our personal colouring book and then some cuddling after? Is that heaven? Bc sign me tf up!!!
Bonus points if it's raining or snowing outside 🥰
Him blowing raspberries on your skin never gets old! It's the intimacy and the playfulness that gets me all mushy inside 🥴
Alexa play too sweet by Hozier!
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MY THOUGHTS ON EPISODE 7X08
First off: RIP RICO PRIEM. There needs to be better safety precautions and LAWS put into place, not just contract negotiations, to ensure the safety of all cast and especially crew. No one should have to die to see our favorite show get made. We can week a few weeks/months between episodes if that is what it will take. Our little weewoo show is not more important than people getting home safe.
-honestly, tell him how it is Amir. Bobby affected more lives than just the 148 he took. As much as I love his growth and how he’s healed, the trauma extends past his victims into generational trauma that will probably be felt for several generations.
-it’s so emotionally jarring sometimes to see fun loving bobby who’s worked hard to piece his life back together. and then also remember, he’s the cause of 148 lives being taken. like....how does the man have a job? he would not experience the same treatment of the freedom he’s been allowed post apartment fire if he was a man of color.
-i love how the characters are flawed and not perfect people.
-MAY GRANT where you been my baby
-Athena/Bobby goals 🥰
-so bobby comes from a long line of abusive alcoholics and has been a people pleasing emotional therapist for most of his life, good to know. good. to. know.
-i haven’t personally been too fond of the whole amir’s gonna burn the building down because it kind of plays into stereotypes of black men being violent and unable to work through their emotions in a healthy way.
-i do think race aside, it’s a possibility but after tonight’s episode, it’s not something i wanna be dead set on or right about because fighting fire with fire is not good for anyone involved, no matter how much gut wrenching pain they’ve caused you.
-i mean the cartel is a storyline they haven’t touched on before. i wonder what’s next? bridge collapse? plague outbreak? eddie being demisexual?
-side note: that guy’s flowing long hair is actually so pretty
-his mother should have stepped in more
“you can keep your amends, i didn’t ask for it. it doesn’t mean a damn thing to me.”-oh damn damn DAMN they got me crying on bridgerton day AGAIN
-oh please don’t tell me bobby learned how to cook out of trauma of almost burning his house down because he had to take on the role of his mother after she left his alcoholic father
-Bobby Nash? Nah. Bobby BURNT.
-Get up Amir! Don’t die! You’ve come too far! (in the wise words of my father: a black man can’t ever catch a break, can he?)
-is he actually a ranch worker? don’t trust a man with a truck you don’t know kids. DONT DRINK THE WATER. ITS GONNA KNOCK YOU OUT.
-of course the guy with the car WAS HIS GRANDSON
-did i not just tell you to not take candy from a strange man you just men in the middle of nowhere?
-BOBBY NASH DOES HIS OWN STUNTS
-ommercial break mantra to calm myself: athena will always find you, don’t worry. do what you gotta do to survive guys.
-back to bobby/amir: i think it’s important for bobby to meet someone who can’t forgive him for what he’s done, who no matter how much he’s grown, will never be able to see him apart from the trauma and pain he inflicted. it’s more realistic.
-Who Can It Be Now? Song by Men at Work
-Bobby’s dad dies in an alcoholic accident after he verbally assaulted him for being a kid who was left on his own to figure things out is INSANE TIM MINEAR SHIT.
-i don’t think he’s alive anymore bro...
-is bobby can drop to his knees and pray or something?
-welp he dropped to his knees
-poor little bobby
-NOT HIM BLEEDING ALL OVER THE SCRAPBOOK WHAT IN THE WORSE THAN EVAN BUCKLEY TRAUMA IS THIS SHIT WTF THAT’S UNCALLED FOR NO WONDER HE BECAME AN ALCOHOLIC JESUS CHRIST
-stay alive by matt alder
-I hope Amir sticks around. I like him. He keeps things emotionally interesting. I needed a good cry.
-commercial break thoughts: where tf is charlie now? i didn’t realize how much older he was supposed to be
-BIG PROPS to the makeup team
-i like this new girl, hope we see her again. her hair is flawless.
-acting pro peter krause
-“i live my life just trying not to make anything worse”
-michael jamal warner. incredible work tonight my man.
-what in the offbrand huge hulk loke tommy/buck/eddie are those firefighter dudes
-DONT DO IT LITTLE BOBBY YOU ARE A CHILD WHY DID THEY LEAVE HIM ALONE
-I WAS RIGHT THEY TRY TO BURN BOBBY’S HOUSE DOWN WTF I WAS RIGHT I BET ITS THE DAMN CARTEL
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chibivesicle · 1 year
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Trigun Stampede - Episode 8 - Our Home; time for a flashback since Vash passed out.
With all of the paradoxical pacing of the series, we were due for a flashback to give us more Vash information since we got Wolfwood with a side of Livio, last week.  This is sort of taking various elements and hits of flashbacks from the original anime and manga and with our breakneck pace, compressing them down.
We get the birthday celebration with Vash and Nai.  It seems this version is in line with the manga where only Rem is awake at the time on their ship as opposed to the anime with several crew members manning the vessel.
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We are not surprised that Vash is elated at the party and Nai is being grumpy.  It also points out early on that despite being twins, Vash does not appear to have any plant abilities; thus, he needs to eat, sleep etc while apparently Nai does not.  Thus, the brothers aren’t parallel in their abilities at this moment in the Stampede narrative.
In the artificial park, Rem is being a doting mother on the two of them, happy that they have come into her world.  We haven’t learned yet that her long term significant other had passed away yet, spurring her to take the current job as a Seeds team member.  There is also the subtextual fact that it is clear she’d been thinking of having a family with that man. 
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Of course things take a turn for the worse and it jumps to the point where their escape pod has crashed it Nai’s monologue is more complete including the line that Vash gave him a passcode that allowed him to hack into the system and change things.  Thus, this makes his previous statement of being an accomplice to the events makes more sense now.  However, instead of being forced to travel with Nai after the catastrophe and sticking with his brother out of guilt and not understanding Rem’s last message to him, in Stampede Vash flees from the start. There is a horror scene of dying people reaching out to him and Vash runs off screaming and apologizing before collapsing in the desert near a group of survivors.
He wakes up on a ship with a woman confirming that he’s an independent plant.  The apparently are on ship three which did not crash and are trying to survive what happened.  Wow, love how simple it is for Luida to confirm that Vash is a plant with a simple flashlight!  It was better in the original that it was not all that obvious that he was a plant.
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We also learn that the woman with dark hair is Luida from the original uncrashed ship and the man is a much more mature version of Brad.  The Doctor with the hat appears to not exist in this story line at all - or at least is not a senior member of the leadership team at this point.  The ship is surrounded in a sandstorm that conceals it from the outside with bursts of lighting soooo . . .
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yeah, the sandstorm at the end of episode seven is clearly and indication that they caught up to Vash.  And Vash is currently passed out having the flashback like he did on the Sandsteamer in the original anime and manga dreaming about Rem.
It is also cannon that the uncrashed ship is protected by the harsh winds around it.  The difference is in the anime, Wolfwood is the one who points out that they can’t avoid reality of the surface while in the manga, they are working much more covertly to assist on the surface.  As they can still send out a distress call to humans elsewhere which becomes important later on in the manga with the return of humanity and more independent plants.
Anyhoo, as the flashback continues Luida tries to be compassionate to Vash while Brad is a dick.  The writing for this entire flashback is meh at best.  We get it, they don’t trust him because he’s a plant and Vash at the moment isn’t very interested in living.
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We learn that they tried to recover the black box from ship five and any of Rem’s possessions which appear to be a journal and some photos.
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Brad is trying to recover the data from the black box and the flashback follows a tried and true plot point.  They don’t trust Vash, keep him locked up and he’s not too motivated to eat. This is much more subtle than the manga where Vash actively did try to commit suicide and was saved by Rem upon learning about Tessla’s fate.
Finally, to give Vash a plant ability, he learn that he can talk to the plants.  So, when a plant starts to malfunction he comes in to save the day.
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Of course for dramatic plot purposes, this happens right when Brad was able to recover Rem’s last message to Vash and we get to hear her line that the ticket to one’s future is blank.
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With Vash saving the day and helping the group survive, he gets upgraded from questionable plant independent to normal person with a room!  Luida also notes that Brad helped convince the rest of the crew and things progress as we would expect.  He slowly integrates into ‘normal’ life and starts to interact with people like a human.
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Time passes and he continues to grow and we see a change in him.  He’s lost the weird plant markings on his body which marked him as youth and no longer appear on his teenage body as he travels around with Brad assisting in plant mental health counseling.  What does he do?  Chat with them, make them feel better and it fixes the problem?  If only it were that easy and additionally, it is skirting around the manga issues of plants having lifespans and the horrible abuse and suffering that dying plants are subjected to.  Maybe we will learn this later?
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His hair has become messier and the darker undercut is now visible.  Honestly, having Vash be a plant whisperer is cute and all buuuut . . . if you look at his personality in the original manga and anime, him being friendly with the plants is expected of his personality, since he was.  Of course he’ll talk to all the plants and help them calm down or assist.  We get this early on in the anime as he consoles a tired and exhausted plant with a bottle of Wild Turkey as a tribute.
This also is the key plot point that ultimately is how Vash is able to defeat Knives.  Knives could also communicate with the plants but convinced them to work with him out of any anger or resentment towards humans or consumed them by sheer force and willpower.  Which he then mentally cut them off from him to keep his independence and force them to his will.  It was the fact that Vash knew each individual plant from his 150 years of wandering that he was able to convince them to turn on Knives - no group of individuals are a monolith or united in a single goal.
I yawned as the episode progressed since it went as expected.  Vash gets a thank you from the rest of the group for being a plant whisperer and saving people etc etc.
I do think the scene was exceptionally well animated.  Though the backgrounds are rather lacking and sterile despite Vash’s photo wall, which looks just like White’s various photo walls in her UK childhood home or in the HL hospital where she’s trapped.
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Vash is thankful for his gift of new clothing and the scene where he hugs it while thinking of Rem is touching.  We get the link to red geraniums and Rem’s love of them as well as how that determination will manifest through Vash’s own actions as he gets older.
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But we gotta stick with the writing on easy mode and generate an unnecessary conflict between Vash and the ship three crew which is only there to force him to run away.  Brad eventually is able to discover that Vash lied about what happened.  Knives is alive and we can be certain, tricked Vash into giving him the access codes to cause the disaster.  Brad spouts of xenophobic nonsense making a very snap judgement as Vash flees out into the desert night.
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The two of them search his room and Luida finds his hand written note that he needs to atone for the sins of his brother.  Ah, yes, here we get a glimpse of the massive amount of guilt that Vash is always carrying in the originals masked by his silly behaviors.
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Of course, Brad feels bad and Luida declares that they need to rescue him.  The flashback then briefly returns to the present timeline.  Vash wakes up in a room, similar to the one he had on ship three.  For the first time we see him without his sunglasses!  Took you long enough Studio Orange.
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He bolts up from his dream/flashback and orients himself in the moment and we see a picture is on display on the table facing him.
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The picture reveals the team from his wall when he was a teen as a plant whisperer.
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And we know Studio Orange isn’t subtle, so Vash asks aloud if ‘they’ saved him.
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Of course they did Vash!  I said last week that was what the sandstorm was that approached and picked up our four person team.  He then looks forlorn and glances down at his robotic arm.
The episode then shifts back to end on the flashback where Vash met up with Knives five years after he’d been rescued by ship three.  The man in the white coat has to be Conrad along with two generic copy paste goons with a mirror tool applied.
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They are on an abandoned ship with red and implied to be dead plants.  With that they then zip to the ending credits!
Overall, this episode was a bland back fill.  The only positive was that, for once, they took a few seconds to breathe and slow down the all action all the time pace.  However, this would have served the narrative a lot better around episode four or five.  The pacing not the actual story reveal.
It sounds weird, but getting the motivation to watch episode eight was real as the series is losing my interest an attention.  Part of it is just a ‘me’ thing.  Reflecting on my initial reaction to the series, I realized that I came into Trigun Stampede with unrealistic expectations for this new version of it.  And now that the artistic directions are super clear, it doesn’t have much overlap with the original anime and manga.
And as I’ve stated many times previously, even with the vast differences with the ‘98 anime and Trigun Maximum both stories get at the same moral questions and dilemmas.  Is Stampede going to get there? Right now, no.  It isn’t going in that direction.
One element of Vash’s flashbacks that I have missed is the song he associated with Rem.  In the manga, it is simply sung indicated by musical notes and makes him reflect on her and the ‘98 anime was storytelling gold with a creation song being implied on humans re-creating civilization out of the ‘wild’.
Rem’s song - Sound Life was brilliant in the original anime.
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It is things like this which really added to the vibe of the series and set a theme. But, I am biased to the original OST and really think it was totally on point for the anime.
Overall points from this episode:
1.) Characters that again, have changed - Luida and Brad.  In the original manga, neither of them are older than Vash.  This already implies a compressed timeline.  The entire point is that they are younger humans who grew up always knowing Vash from being children to adults.  We have lost their unique perspective which was crucial to understanding how others viewed Vash. Brad is even more simple minded than in the originals which is a disappointment but we know the writing is threadbare.  Luida again is stripped of her strong female leadership qualities and becomes Rem 2.0 for Vash.  They are shadows of their former characterizations.  Boo.
2.) Female characters continue to be stripped of their character and qualities from the originals.  We’ve already lost Milly Thompson.  Meryl Stryfe was uwu-ized and made junior to Roberto.  Now, Luida has become Mom 2.0 to replace Rem.  Can there be a single female character who has the original independence and not being pigeon-holed into an extremely outdated gender norms/behavior?  It is 2023 in a sci fi anime.  If the ‘98 version was less obsessed with gender roles and the manga wasn’t obsessed with gender roles - why does Stampede want to go down this path?
3.) Reactions to the series in general.  I wish there was an easier way to get data about the reactions to the series.  I want a Gallup Poll for all the data on the viewers of this show!  However, I can’t help wonder if there is a clear divide in the reaction to Stampede based on viewer demographics.  My gut is that likely women and the strong LGBTQ fanbase of the originals are not as impressed by this lackluster effort at Trigun.  The Golden Kamuy fandom had a lot of women and queer readers and I can see how the same group would like the original Trigun and Trigun Maximum.  It seems counter-intuitive at first, but the more you think about it, they easily would have a similar type of readership besides the typical seinen demographics.
Most of the youtubers who have made comments appear to be men, and they are like - oh its fine, sure, I miss Milly but its alright that I have found.  I wonder if they don’t realize that by removing a key female character from the cast is a disappointment.  Yet, I’m not going out of my way to determine who has the loudest voices on the internet either singing praises of Stampede or hating on it hardcore.
I partially disagree and agree with a recent review that dropped today.  I agree with that review that it is an entirely different series, that there is nothing wrong with the CGI and that the loss of Milly was a bad idea. However, I disagree with that review feeling that it is still Trigun and the review is overly optimistic about Stampede thinking the Gung-ho Guns will be better (? some are already dead or likely eliminated due to not fitting the vibe) and Wolfwood will get the chara development which he deserves.  And mainly that the review says that Stampede is more in line with the manga and I’m guessing this follows with the assumption that the manga is always better than the anime with the terms of ‘filler’ and ‘too slapstick’.  I’ll have to wait until that reviewer speaks more about the manga, but I am not of the mindset that manga = better than anime but reading the manga helped me to understand aspects of the anime and also appreciate the differences between both forms of media.    I don’t want to fall into the diversity/representation rabbit hole, but those were things that the original content got.  If you stop and look at Kekkai Sensen/Blood Blockade Battlefront, Yasuhiro Nightow continued on to create another diverse cast of characters.  He cleverly shifted human racism to be xenophobia towards Beyondians in the world of Hellsalem’s Lot.  Leonardo Watch is accepting of all species and friends with them as well as the entire rest of the Libra main cast.  The fact that a part of Manhattan excludes Beyondians with armed guards speaks volumes to the author’s critiques of modern day society.
The homogenization of Stampede makes it seem sterile, unrealistic, and out of sync with the sci fi element.  Thank back to the original Macross and you have a more diverse cast than in Stampede.  Macross has a lot of other issues like the horrible sexism that is of the 80s, but hey, at least a future society is global and represents the visual diversity of humanity. I’m a bit scatter-brained today, but what I’ve gotten from Yasuhiro Nightow’s works whether it be Trigun or Blood Blockade Battlefront is that he has comments on diversity and acceptance along with morality of a society and of individuals.  Coming from a much more homogeneous society that still struggles to deal with its own indigenous peoples that have been relegated to second class status for over four hundred years and all dressing that come along with that form of governmental and cultural oppression.  Golden Kamuy did a good job of this up until the final arc which fell flat (see my previous metas on the topic) and even a series like Samurai Champloo brings in those groups  focusing on Christians, Ryukyuans and Ainu characters either as main charas like Mugen or having an impact on others.  Fuu’s father being a Christian who had to abandon her and her mother and the Ainu character they cross paths with, on the run from the Edo government in its early days of the ‘civilization’ of the north which gets the spotlight in Golden Kamuy’s late Meiji era focus.
Nightow’s stories thrive on having a larger society in which his main casts exist in and work to protect.  This was highlighted by the comment I got about the loss of all the normal people on the planet - which existed in the ‘98 anime and manga.  This also explains why B3 works so well in NYC turned into HL.  People are working to allow others to have normal lives and protect what is important to them.  It brings a realistic humanity to the stories which is what Stampede is missing.  These series never shy away from all the terrible things humanity may do, but that it is always balanced out by those who strive to follow a higher calling/moral code etc.
Anyways, I’ve blathered on far enough with this week’s episode which didn’t really give me all that much to chew on.  It was necessary Vash backstory.  We have a different timeline of events.  We have all the characters who are both older and younger at the same time.  It was predictable and boring.
Clearly, the next episode will continue the flashback and Knives is gonna cut of Vash’s arm like in the manga, Luida and Brad will help him and we should see Wolfwood, Meryl and Roberto as well.
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The Cowardly Lion - Translation (弱虫なライオン)
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Please do not repost/retranslate without permission.
I have also made a version which includes the members' notes found in the script.
[Reunion and the Lion’s entrance - Forest, nighttime]
Theo and the Tin Woodman are making a bonfire in the forest.
Theo: Wow… it’s warm. Also, watching the fire is calming… And there are even fresh nuts and warm soup. If I were on my own, I would have collapsed from hunger because I wouldn’t know what to eat.
Tin Woodman: Anyone can do it once they get used to it. More importantly, I'm sorry I can't make you a proper meal. Hunger destabilizes the psyche. Make sure to eat well. For my sake.
The grass makes an ominous rustling sound. 
The two get ready to defend themselves against the noise.
Theo: …!?
Tin Woodman: … What’s that…!?
The Scarecrow comes towards them while shouting loudly.
Scarecrow: AAAAH!!
Theo is surprised by the talking Scarecrow.
Theo: AAAH, m-monster…!!
The Tin Woodman quickly picks up a nearby stick and strikes the Scarecrow.
Tin Woodman: Suspicious individual!!
The stick hits the Scarecrow's body and sends him flying away.
Scarecrow: (sound of getting hit)
Despite the loud noise, the Scarecrow seems unperturbed as he gets up.
Scarecrow: How cruel! Unprovoked violence! It's a good thing I am a scarecrow, because if I had been a human, I would have been seriously injured!
Tin Woodman: No matter what your intentions were, you’re the one who jumped on us!
Terry comes running up after him.
Terry: Hey! Don't leave me behind!!
Theo peeks out from behind the Tin Woodman.
Theo: That voice… Terry!!
Terry: Eh!? Theo…!? Is that you, Theo!?
They hug each other right away and rejoice.
Theo: Ah…
Terry: I’m so glad…
Theo: I missed you…
Terry: Me too… I was so worried about you.
Theo: Yeah. I’m sorry.
Terry: I didn’t want us to end up in a situation like this after a fight.
Theo: Yeah…
The Scarecrow calls out, apologetic for disrupting the good atmosphere.
Scarecrow: … Excuse me~. I'm sorry to interrupt this joyous reunion, but may I have a moment of your time…? I'd appreciate it if you could help me get the straw back into my body.
They stop hugging each other and run up to the Scarecrow.
Terry: … Oh, sorry! I didn’t forget about you… okay?
(Interval)
Scarecrow: So, if you were both looking for each other and were going to the Emerald City for that purpose, does that mean your goal was the same?
Terry: That’s right! My wish to see Theo was granted before I even asked Oz for help.
Scarecrow: But you’re going to the Emerald City, aren’t you? I want a thinking head.
Terry: Of course! We’ve already come this far, and I want to know more about this land. Right, Theo?
Theo: … Yeah.
Tin Woodman: Plus, you have to ask how to get back to Kansas.
Theo: … That’s right.
The grass makes a loud rustling noise.
Theo: … W-What is it now…!?
Tin Woodman: Another one of your acquaintances…?
Terry: No way! We were the only ones caught in the tornado!
Scarecrow: Then…
A lion jumps out with great vitality.
Lion: (shouts)
The four of them are frightened to the point of screaming in terror.
Intimidated by the sight of the Lion, they gather closely together and embrace each other.
Theo: … Goodness!!
Tin Woodman: … So big.
Scarecrow: … He looks strong.
Terry: … A lion!?
The Lion tries to chase them away.
Lion: Grrrr… Get out of here, right now!! This is my territory!
The Lion swings his fist.
Lion: Otherwise, I’m gonna hurt you…! I’ll tear your body apart with these sharp claws!
Scarecrow: My clothes will be ripped to shreds and all the straw will come out!
Lion: Graar! One bite with these fearsome teeth will shatter even bone!
The Lion clicks his teeth.
Tin Woodman: If holes are punctured into my tin body, oil will leak out!
Lion proudly recounts tales of his heroism.
Lion: A terrible death awaits those who defy the Lion, the king of beasts. I can’t remember how many casualties there were so far…! If you understand, leave everything behind and walk away from here!
Terry, who is the smallest of the group, stands in front of the Lion.
Terry: I don’t want to!
Theo: T-Terry!!
Lion: Such a little thing! Do you want to get eaten…? You’ll be gone in one bite.
Terry: We can’t afford to be eaten in a place like this. We have to follow this road. The road to the Emerald City!
Now in a dangerous situation, reality begins to dawn on Terry.
Terry: And then we’re going back to Kansas!! I’d rather be in Kansas than in this kind of danger. That’s why I won’t surrender!
Theo can’t hide his surprise at Terry’s words.
Theo: …!
Gradually, the Lion begins to quail at Terry’s bravery.
Lion: … That’s quite the respectable declaration of war. But… Do you think you can defeat me with your bare hands?
Terry takes the axe that the Tin Woodman was holding and walks up to the Lion.
Terry: In that case, I’ll take your advice. I’ll be borrowing this.
Tin Woodman: … Ah! My axe…!
The Scarecrow covers his face as if he can’t stand to watch.
Scarecrow: Even if you have an axe, with that size difference…!
Terry swings the axe wide.
Terry: … Haa!!
The Lion ducks to move out of the way.
Lion: … I give up!! I surrender!! 
Terry staggers. The axe falls to the ground.
Terry: (stops himself from falling) Whoa~!! Hey, don’t you suddenly move out of the way!!
The Lion suddenly becomes timid and starts to get frightened.
Lion: … I, I’m sorry… I didn’t think he would really stand up to me… I just wanted you to get out of my territory, I never intended to hurt you.
As he imagines it, he cowers and trembles.
Lion: No way… Facing an opponent many times larger than oneself… If it were me… I would have been terrified and unable to do it…
Tin Woodman: You… are a lion, correct…? Aren’t you strong…?
Lion: … Lion, the king of beasts… Everybody judges me based on my appearance. They think that I am strong, brave, and terrifying. One small roar and they take to their heels.
He sadly holds his head between his hands.
Lion: But I’ve been a coward since I was born. I’m nothing like what people think I am… I tried desperately to pretend to be like that, but I didn’t change.
The Lion speaks with pitiful gestures.
Lion: When I was with someone, I felt like I was expected to be brave, so I pushed people away… I scare them with my roars like I did earlier.
The Lion tears up.
Lion: I hate myself for being such a coward that I can only act like this… I feel so miserable and sad… Since nobody understands me and I can’t change.
Theo: Lion-san…
Lion: Even now, just thinking about what just happened… makes me feel like my heart is about to jump out…
The Tin Woodman tries to comfort him in his own way, praising him.
Tin Woodman: … If it’s about to pop out, it means you have a living heart, and that's something I'm very envious of.
Lion: I-Is… that so?
Seeing this, the Scarecrow joins in.
Scarecrow: He’s right! Lion-kun, the fact that you worry so much means that you have a real brain! It's really great to have a thinking head, you know? I’m only made of straw, you see!
Lion: The heart and the brain may be important… but what I want is courage… I want to be someone who isn't a coward.
Terry pats the Lion on the shoulder.
Terry: Then come with us to ask the Wizard of Oz for help! Lion! From now on, you’re our companion!
Lion: Are you sure…? I threatened you, remember?
Terry: But I know you had no intention of hurting me! If anything, it was I who ended up threatening you. So don’t cry anymore!
Terry walks up to the Lion and wipes away his tears.
Terry: Now you don't have to suffer alone! I’m your ally!
Lion: Ally…?
He gently, softly strokes the Lion's cheek.
Terry: Yeah, I'll stay by your side until you get your courage, so don’t worry! … You’re not alone.
The Scarecrow cheerfully enlivens the scene.
Scarecrow: Good company on the road is the shortest cut! In times of trouble, we can be there for each other.
The Lion nods slowly.
Lion: Thank you…
Tin Woodman: Besides, many beasts will make way when they see you, right? It is a blessing to be able to advance without conflict.
Theo: Lion-san, you too are a necessary companion on this journey. I think you should be confident, you're incredible.
He clenches his fists tightly.
Lion: Not just with words, but also with actions. I’ll definitely repay you for welcoming me as your companion.
Scarecrow: Yes, that's the spirit! Well then, shall we get going again?
Lion: Graar!!
Scarecrow: Graar!
The Tin Woodman sees the two of them and tries his best to imitate them.
Tin Woodman: G-Grar...?
Scarecrow: Not like that~
Lion: Put more pressure on your abdomen!
Tin Woodman: Even if I try that, I'm all made of tin…
Terry approaches Theo, who was watching their companions from a distance.
Terry: Now we’re one step closer to returning to Kansas!
Theo: That’s right.
Terry: At first, it was fun and like an adventure, but I felt lonely when I couldn’t be with you, and this world is just plain scary when you don’t know what’s going to happen… I always thought Kansas was a boring place, but it’s better than here. Above all, our families are waiting for us.
Theo slowly nods.
Theo: Yeah… I’m sure they’re waiting… We should go home.
Terry smiles as he looks at Theo’s face.
Terry: You’re always right, Theo~ You never say anything wrong, do you? You always know everything from the start. That’s why you stopped me from leaving for so long, isn’t it?
Terry gives Theo a strong pat on the back.
Terry: As expected of my best friend! But for now, let’s enjoy this adventure to the fullest until we get back to Kansas! It’s something we can only do now!
The crystal ball and the magic wand make a sound, resonating.
Oz and Glinda were watching the five of them using magic.
Oz: The adventure of these five, with their future on the line, begins now…!
Glinda: Believe in your companions… and believe in yourselves…
⬤ Insert song “Unmei no toki” Oz & Glinda
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