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maulusque · 3 years

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Clone genetic enhancement ideas

So the clones were genetically enhanced, but i don’t really see any writers (in fanfic or in published stuff) really exploring what that MEANS beyond “clone very stronk”. Here are some ideas that would actually make clones significantly different from just a regular-ass human in peak condition.

-enhanced senses: eyesight, hearing, etc. I’m talking eyes like a HAWK

-better reflexes

-quicker information processing

-can hear sounds of higher and lower frequency than standard humans

-can see light of a broader spectrum than human standard

-learn quicker, retain information and skills better (potential problem: if you learn something the WRONG way, that way might stick really well)

-photographic memory (really useful for memorizing layouts and maps)

-immunity to various diseases

-can tolerate a wider range of temperatures and environments

-increased stamina and strength baseline. Clones can just run full-tilt for hours and hours and be like “ah a nice stroll”. Over long distances, they can out-pace jedi in the same way that humans can out-pace horses.

-higher tolerance of certain poisons/toxins (clones can straight-up drink ethanol, and get maybe a little tipsy)

-bodies respond quickly to physical stress, and slowly to the absence of it (basically, this means that physical conditioning results in stronger muscles and a stronger cardiovascular system really quickly, and it takes MUCH longer for a clone to lose strength and conditioning due to not exercising than standard humans. Think how much valuable training time is saved if they only have to go on a run like, once a month in order to stay in shape)

-increased ability to function through intense pain and acute injuries. Basically, semi-disabling the pain system so it’s less distracting. Probably not good for the survival of the individual in many situations, but an advantage on the battlefield.

-heal faster and better, with fewer long-term complications. Clones can dislocate their shoulders and NOT have the joint be permanently fucked up, because the Kaminoans re-designed the whole damn thing to suck WAY less.

-actually, unique internal anatomy. There’s probably a lot about the human body besides the shoulder joint that is actually just really stupid, and something no intelligent designer would actually build. So the Kaminoans can fix a lot of that stuff. Better knees, maybe. Stronger ribs. Maybe Cody punches droids not just because he’s a mad bastard, but also because his metatarsals are literally as strong as steel.

-Hearing loss/hearing damage? No problem, your ear can regrow those little hair-thingies that help you hear.

-Of course, it takes energy to maintain muscle mass, which is why human bodies lose it if we’re not using it. Clones need significantly more calories than standard humans. However, their digestive systems are enhanced to extract calories and nutrients from food much more efficiently, so food goes much farther. Potential weird side effect: maybe clones only have to poop like, once a week?

-You could probably extend that into increased ability to tolerate long periods without food/on low rations, despite the increased need for calories.

-wouldn’t it be NEAT if the kaminoans somehow designed self-repairing DNA. This would mean that others couldn’t take a DNA sample from a clone and modify it to create their own clones (basically, it protects their product. It’s like DRM for clones). This ALSO means that clones couldn’t get cancer, and that they’d be immune to radiation poisoning. So a clone could just walk up to a sphere of uranium at critical mass and pick it up. Maybe with oven mitts on if it’s hot. (this would also make it harder for a rapid-aging cure to be developed, but uhhhh fanfic writers find a way)

- “bred for obedience” I think most of this would have to be accomplished through tightly-controlled messaging and cultural norms as the clones grow up- basically, enshrining obedience as a desirable and almost sacred trait, to be prized higher than anything else, including the lives of your brothers. In the same way that we hear stories of people sacrificing their lives to protect their loved ones, the clones would grow up hearing stories of soldiers sacrificing their brothers’ lives to obey an order from a superior.

-SOME of the “obedience” thing could be engineered, though. Humans are already super social, but it would probably make sense for the clones to have an even greater need for social bonds. This would make for greater teamwork and coordination, and better unit cohesion, since the clones would be more inclined to prioritize friendship/agreeing with someone over winning an argument. It would also make it so they’d bond with their natural-born generals more easily, so they would obey them not just because they’re supposed to, but because they’d be much quicker to see them as a friend, and someone who’s trust they want to earn, someone they want to incorporate into their group and make happy.

-consequently, clones who find themselves alone do NOT do well. Isolation has a much more profoundly negative impact on clones than on regular humans.

-Originally, clones designed to operate alone or in small teams would not have the social enhancement- ARC troopers, spec-ops teams, etc. There wouldn’t be much of a noticeable difference in everyday interactions, but they’d also be vaguely weirded out by what they interpret as aggressive friendliness from their brothers, and their brothers would think they’re a bit shy and standoffish.

-actually this social modification would make it MUCH harder for clones to kill people. REGULAR HUMANS are already super bad at killing people- i remember reading this article about how as soon as soldiers have to point their weapons at actual people, their aim gets mysteriously much shittier. Even when compared to situations that are exactly the same, except they’re not shooting at other humans. So reconcile this how you will, idk.

-I imagine a lot of these enhancements would be accomplished not through DNA, but through microorganisms. Retroviruses could explain the DNA resistant to modification, and the increased healing speed, and possibly some disease resistance (do i know anything about retroviruses other than a vague concept of what they are? no i do not. will that stop me? also no.) Their metabolism can be partially explained through specially engineered gut microbes.

-not sure how they’d go about making clones “resistant to any stress”, because you can’t exactly turn off the trauma response in the brain without breaking a bunch of other things. They could probably do a bit of fiddling to make clones more resistant to chemical imbalances, and therefore more depression-resistant. I think most of the “stress-resistance” would have to come through training. Either they train the clones to basically suppress everything, which might work alright in the short term. OR they actually have systems in place that help prevent the development of things like PTSD and help treat trauma. Meaning the clones are literally trained in self-care, positive self-talk, talking about their pain with their brothers, and having community rituals around things like death and grief. I don’t think that’s super likely because one thing that’s integral to those concepts is the concept of “i am a person and i have worth, and if i feel angry about something bad happening, that is ok and valid” and considering that a whole lot of bad things happen to the clones all the time and their childhood is a whole boatload of bad all happening at once, i don’t think the kaminoans would want the clones realizing “hey wait a minute i’m a person and i don’t deserve to be treated this way and it’s ok for me to be mad at you”.

- the clones were supposedly engineered to be “less aggressive” but i think there was literally nothing more to that than a cover story for the control chip. The clones wouldn’t be raised with a lot of the aggressive western concept of masculinity, where anger is the default reaction to like, everything, and your personal pride is extremely important and also fragile (no offense lmao). So you wouldn’t have clones posturing and getting angry over perceived slights and fighting each other all the time, like everyone in-universe apparently expects to be the case. Anyway, why would you want your soldiers to be less aggressive? they’re literally supposed to fight and kill the enemy. You want them fully capable of getting angry, anger is the human response to fear and danger that lets us DO something about it.

-obviously the biggest component in how they behave would be how they are raised, but that’s an entirely different post

-Specializations! I imagine that initially, the Kaminoans had different clones with different traits engineered specifically to fill certain roles. However, as the war went on, they struggled to keep up with demand and had to start shoving clones into whatever roles were needed (hence Fives and Echo becoming ARCs, despite not being engineered as ARC troopers).

-Command clones would have better abilities in the executive function parts of the brain that deal with extrapolation, planning ahead, spatial reasoning, etc. They’d also have increased visual pattern recognition (like a pigeon)

-search-and-rescue troops would also have the pigeon pattern recognition abilities. The coast guard literally strapped pigeons to helicopters who would tap a button when they saw orange in the water, because they were better at spotting it than humans. Pigeons can detect cancer in microscope images of cells, because they’re that good at pattern recognition

-Pilots would have hella reflexes, excellent spatial awareness and spatial reasoning skills, much greater ability to process visual information, stronger hearts and blood vessels (to resist greater Gs of force), and they’d also be much shorter, to better fit into a cockpit. Which reminds me of Axe, that poor bastard from Ahsoka’s squadron over Ryloth who was almost eight feet tall. rip poor Axe, how did you even become a pilot, you long bastard.

-medics who can smell certain diseases. If you want to get a little bit out there, make the medics able to purr so they can sooth stressed-out patients.

-infantry would have even greater endurance than everyone else, as well as greater tolerance for, and ability to, remain constantly on alert.

-ability to fall asleep at will? that would be super dope.

-maybe more efficient sleep, so to an adult clone, 4 hours of sleep is genuinely sufficient.

-concept: clones can sort of turn down their bodily functions- slow their digestion, heart, lungs, the whole nine yards- to last longer in adverse conditions. Sort of a half-hibernation (or quarter hibernation- they’d still be able to talk and think, but they’d feel very lethargic). They wouldn’t be able to function very well, but it would be great for things like enduring intense cold, periods without food, low-oxygen environments, and it would be especially useful if you were wounded and waiting for help, since you could slow your circulation, meaning it would take you a lot longer to bleed out. This state could be triggered by a combination of physical actions such as sitting or lying still, breathing slowly and deeply, and focusing on slowing the heart down (humans can actually slow down their hearts consciously if you practice at it, this is basically that, but turned up to like 1100).

-one thing that never made sense to me was the whole “we’re running out of jango fett’s DNA, all the new clones won’t be as good, and we have to stop ventress from stealing the original DNA” because like, can’t they just, get the EXACT SAME DNA from the clones?? you know, the exact genetic copies? With all the enhancements already done? But now my idea is that the kaminoans have engineered the clones so their DNA straight up can’t be copied. The clone’s own body can obviously replicate it, but if you take a sample and try to extract the DNA, it just self-destructs or something. This is to protect their intellectual property, but also means that they literally have to use a couple of Jango Fett’s actual human cells for every single clone they make (and the fact that they then have to do all the above enhancements to every single embryo helps explain why there’s so many small mutations, such as hair color and height). So they kinda shot themselves in the foot with that one.

-of course since things like ADHD and autism have a strong genetic component, the kaminoans could theoretically engineer those out of the clones, but actually FUCK THAT so for whatever reason, that’s just not something they are able to do, and neurodivergent clones are absolutely a thing

#maulusque's stuff #meta #clones

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gemma-collins-ily · 3 years

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Jesper with s/o who really knows how to kick ass (aka sis was trained by someone)

Jesper with a Trained S/O

a/n - I love the pairing of Jesper and the pet name honey too much aaah. Also this was written over two nights when I was half asleep so forgive me if it isn't top notch xoxo 💗💝

Warnings: fighting, poison, bruises/cuts but no real mentions of blood or anything

Kaz obviously employed you because of how amazing you are at any type of combat

but when asked the specific reason, he had only responded with a cryptic answer that gave the Crows nothing

"They're an asset to the team. Just as all of you are."

you would train at extremely early hours of the morning, often seen jogging back up the stairs to your room drenched in sweat right when others first awoke

but no one knew what you were actually doing

until Inej caught you in the training room in the Slat, practically beating a punching bag

the funny thing was, you didn't look as though you were a street fighter, one who had developed their own adapted technique that would get them by in a scrap

your punches were calculated, muscles flexing in just the right way and stature perfect

it was the ideal stance for a real fight in a ring

she didn't say anything and instead decided to get up just a little earlier each day in order to observe you

she was caught when she let the door creak accidentally, but instead of kicking her out of the room you only offered to leave so she could use it

she refused and said she'd rather watch you

and she did from then on, you having no protest or apparent problem with it

sometimes, you'd go up against Inej and circle each other warily, not daring to underestimate the other

you had only been on a few low level heists with the Crows at that point, Kaz mercifully easing you into the work

but it was noticed by Nina that whenever it was necessary to run and hide, you could sprint with full stamina and hardly break a sweat unless it was done for a long amount of time

she also noticed your heart rate barely raised

she brought it up once

"Ugh, (Y/N), I'm so jealous, you literally must be super-human, how are you so energised?"

this was said through panting breaths as she bent to rest her hands on her knees, much like the others were doing

this meant in turn it wasn't really registered by anyone

only you

you didn't really mind people knowing you were trained in combat, but didn't flaunt it or let anyone know without them finding out

you would act casually when found out, downplaying your skills

everything was a threat in the Barrel, and saying one wrong thing near one wrong person could cost you your head

you hadn't stiffened when Nina said that, only nodding and grinning, leaning against the wall with your hands in your pockets yet not saying anything verbally

you knew how to play the game and in order to do that, you had to let them subconsciously dismiss the very idea itself

Albert Einstein iq I'm telling you

psychology at its very core

you know

it's all forgotten until they see your skills put to use on a heist

if you've watched now you see me 2 and watched the spectacular card sequence, the next part is basically that

your tactful hand at cards could beat Kaz Brekker himself

on the heist, you know one of Kaz's sacred backup plans

only one, mind you

so, it's like the card sequence

you're all going in as guests but you and Kaz will shoot the card with the information between you and your separate searches

"Hands the other way, ma'am."

Your hands flew the opposite way, palms now facing the guard as the card was quickly flipped between your fingers, and with a single, efficient flick of the wrist Kaz had it in his possession.

"Alright, on your way you go."

Jesper had only seen because he was stationed behind you, otherwise he never would have known it was so seamless

Nina told them later that kind of thing seemed to be a regular occurrence as your heart rate had been completely average

showing how confident you are, go bestie

it was true

you and Kaz had trained for that heist often however barely for any length of time at all

the best part for you was that you had been checking how noticeable it was and flipping the card back and forth between you in meetings

Jesper's eyes had widened comically when he observed the whole thing and his jaw dropped

you laughed as you stepped past and kissed his jaw, making it close promptly as he chased after you, desperate for answers

your cards can also be poisoned

and in another heist they doubted you

because they had seen you help pull something off but not use any as a weapon

you were motioned by Kaz to appear innocent until another signal was given, one of which only you and Inej had been paying attention to and so understood

but after you hissed at Jesper out of the corner of your mouth, he stayed subdued too

you remained eerily silent as they pushed you against the wall and searched your pockets

the cards were brought out and ridiculed, even if you had cleverly concealed knives, now you knew how you would kill these men

after the go ahead was given, you burst into action, swooping downward and catching the man holding you off guard

you collected the cards and grinned as you stepped back, now the front most Crow in your little pyramid formation at the end of the street

"And what are they gonna do?"

A malicious glint appeared in your eye as Jesper tapped your shoulder, thinking you had backed yourself into a corner here.

but then, your hand flew out and struck one clean in the eye, making them wail and drop to their knees as you flung another card, swiping a man's cheek

they did not fall until a minute later, that minute consisting of you whipping cards at them and Jesper tugging on your sleeve

he'd do that a lot, before he knew of your training and maybe after too

it wasn't that he thought you couldn't handle yourself, just that he wanted to protect you in any way possible

so pulling you behind him was a knee jerk reaction, desiring to save his loved one from any possible threat or danger

he would do anything for you, let a bullet pierce his chest, a dagger land in his throat, as long as you emerged okay

it was only later, when you got Kaz to pick up the cards, saying it would be easier to wash them with a cloth than learn how to balance the slightly differing weight of a new pack

you made Kaz do it because he had leather protection and knew of the poison darkening the edges of the cards to an inky black

they were kept in a special and specific packet so there was no possible way of you being hurt unless you were completely careless

that was completely unable to happen because you were wary enough to know what to do and what not to

but Jesper still insisted you left them in his coat after he found out, wanting you to be totally risk free

"What if you're not with me? How will I use my weapons?"

"Well, my darling, that will not be the case," he paused to snicker at his unintentional joke about the container then continued, "because Kaz will absolutely keep us together at all times."

You hummed thoughtfully, "How do you know that?"

There was an immediate answer, no moment of hesitation from your sharpshooter, "He simply can't handle how fantastically amazing I am on his own, knowing I am far superior and so will continue to pair us together to avoid having to face that foe."

"Jes, honey, he could partner you with Inej or Nina or Matthias, you know that, right?"

He was stumped and his mouth opened before closing once more.

the cards were still not handed back though

don't worry, new ones were purchased after Jesper insisted on 'clinging' to the other pack like a lifeline, according to Kaz

he did find out about this after you saved his ass in a fight with them

he was so mad, not that you'd defied him but that you had put yourself in danger with the cards

but after Inej pointed out he had to trust you at some moment in time, he softened

because how could you think he didn't trust you?

he didn't ever want you to have to answer that question and set about trying to rectify the situation

you received breakfast in bed and apology cuddles

"I trust you."

It was the mantra he had been repeating for days and you smiled as your hand came to rest upon his jawline.

"I know, darling. I know."

You were met with a soft kiss to your collarbone as his head dipped to fall into the crook of your neck, wrapping his arms around your waist in a tight but gentle hug.

He hummed before continuing, "Just wanted to make sure, honey."

the cards were left wordlessly on your bedside table, drawing a small sated smile from your lips

after he came to terms with the fact that you were a Dreg, a Crow, someone who would be targeted because you were entwined with him, he became just a little overprotective

not that you minded

just reassuring him often you were okay and he was too

after Wylan came along, you politely requested to know if he could make some kind of thing that would make the cards easier to collect

he came up with the idea of a magnetic substance that could be brushed over the centre of the cards, meaning if you kept one in your hand and waved it over the others, there would be no time delay in which you would have to pick them up

again

the added weight, even such a small increment, affected the momentum needed and angle necessary

for days, you were flinging your cards at a wall, barely stopping to eat, wanting to be useful

Jesper dragged you back to bed several times in the early mornings with coaxing syllables and sweet words, promises on how you would get it right tomorrow

"Sweetheart, just come back to bed. Wait a few hours and try again. You're so close to getting this. I just know it."

As you wrapped yourself in the comforter his hand came to stroke your cheek, "There you go, see, you were looking half asleep on your feet, doing yourself no good anyway, lovely. Or those cards."

when witnessing your physical combat skills, Jesper would let a surprised chuckle fall, not fully in control of himself

watching you flip an enemy who had underestimated you over your shoulder never got old

neither did seeing your boot swivel slightly on their chest as you proved just how skilled you were

awww such pure and innocent love

"Don't think I won't beat you in a fight again, Lion. Or there won't be another opportunity for you to."

"That's my partner!"

"Alright Jes, bit much but thanks for hyping me up."

Just as you turned and both of you were about to walk away, a cold and clammy hand clamped over your ankle and you instantaneously recoiled.

Then, before Jesper or the Dime Lion knew what was happening, your fist connected with his stomach, hand coming up to cover your false and exaggerated yawn.

"So cool." Was whispered from your sharpshooter as you stalked off, boots clicking on the gravel pavement.

he had forced you into a chair, begging you to let him take care of your now bruising knuckles and you begrudgingly agreed

"Wasn't so bad, huh?"

"Don't push it." Was the joking response as his arm slung over your waist, and his thumbs brushed over the bandage he had applied so carefully as his hand covered the one you had let hang at your hip.

"Wouldn't dream of it, darling. Don't have the foggiest why you would assume such of me."

if you ever couldn't handle the entire situation and obtained an injury, Jesper would stay by your side

when a minor one, like a small gash on your forehead appeared, he would insist on personally caring for it

and if major, he would hold your hand, allowing you to squeeze it as hard as you wanted when the pain became too much

the same went for the other way round, you giggling at bandages wrapped all around his head like a bandana

but only after you knew he was alright

if tears filled your eyes, caused by relief, his thumb would come up to brush them away and slightly pull the corners of your mouth into a weak and wavering smile

"I'm alright. I'm okay, honey, you just remember that."

the both of you would press gentle goodnight kisses to each others foreheads or lips, forgetting a bruise or cut

this would end in frantic apologies and inevitable laughter when you kept speaking over one another

basically, Jesper thinks you're so badass, amazing and fantastic, reminding you just how highly he regards you everyday

you will protect him and he will protect you, no matter what

#jesper fahey x reader #jesper fahey x you #jesper fahey fics #jesper fahey fluff #jesper fahey #shadow and bone x reader #shadow and bone x you #shadow and bone fic #shadow and bone fanfiction #shadow and bone #grishaverse x reader #grishaverse x you #grishaverse fic #grishaverse #jesper fahey headcanons

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celepeace · 3 years

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A monster-taming game recommendation list for fans of Pokemon

Whether you're a pokemon fanatic obsessed with all things pokemon past and present, or a veteran fan disillusioned with GameFreak's recent adoption of monetary philosophies and strategies reminiscent of other major game publishers, or looking for a monster-taming fix as you await new Pokemon content...

I'm compiling here a post of little-known games in the genre that Pokemon fans are likely to enjoy!

Under readmore cause long, but some of these games really don’t get the attention they deserve, so if you have the time, please read!

(I am also likely to keep updating and editing this post)

First up is Temtem!

Temtem is a game made by and for Pokemon fans, from the spanish indie developer Crema. Temtem is currently in early access on Steam and PS5, and is likely to remain in early access until sometime late next year. Full launch will include a Nintendo Switch release, too. Despite this, it has plenty of content to explore before full release. The developers are active, release new content on a semi-regular basis, and are responsive to the community as a whole and individuals if you happen to come across a bug you want to report.

Temtem boasts a wide variety of monsters to collect and train. It takes place in the Airborne Archipelago, a system of floating islands that orbit their star, the Pansun. The monsters inhabiting the archipelago are called Temtem, or tem(s), for short.

As far as game mechanics go, it has many similarities to Pokemon, but also many important distinctions. The biggest one, in my opinion, is that the element of chance has been removed from battle entirely. Moves cannot miss, have the same power constantly, and status afflictions have an obviously displayed countdown to when they will wear off (for instance, sleep lasts as long as it says it will last. Not 2-4 turns). PP does not exist, either. Your tems can battle for as long as their HP holds out. In place of PP, a new system called Stamina exists. Stamina is an individual stat, like HP and Attack. Each move costs a certain amount of stamina. If you go over the amount of stamina your tem has, the deficit is detracted from your health instead, and that tem cannot move next turn. Stamina passively regenerates a certain amount each turn, and items and moves exist that can heal stamina. All battles are also double-battles, you and your opponent will typically have two tems on the field at a time. This is just a few of the differences Temtem has from Pokemon, but they're some of the biggest ones.

Temtem is also a massively multiplayer game. You complete the storyline independently (or with a friend through co-op!), but in the overworld you can see other, real players moving around and interacting with the world. There is also public and area-specific chat you can talk to other players through. Despite this, all multiplayer functions are (currently) completely optional. You do not need to interact with others to complete the game.

Overall, Temtem is suitable for the Pokemon fan who is looking for a more challenging experience. Temtem is not a walk in the park you can blaze through with a single super-strong monster. For one, individual tem strength is more well-balanced than it is in Pokemon. There are very few (if any!) completely useless tems. Even some unevolved tems have their niche in the competitive scene! Aside from that, enemy tamers are scaled quite high, and you typically cannot beat them just from the exp you get from other enemy tamers. You have to do some wild-encounter grinding if you want to progress.

Temtem is a very fun game and I've already gotten over 100 hours out of it, despite only 3/5-ish of the planned content being released!

However, I do feel obligated to warn any prospective players of one thing: the current endgame is quite inaccessible. After you complete what is currently implemented of the main storyline, there is still quite a lot left to explore and do, but much of it is locked behind putting a lot of hours into the game. You kind of have to get perfect temtem to do the current PVE (and this is also somewhat true for the PVP too). By perfect I mean you have to breed a good tem and then train it to get the preferable EVs (called TVs in temtem). This takes... well, for a whole team... tens of hours. Of boring grinding. Some people enjoy it! But I don't. Regardless, the game was still worth buying because the non-endgame content is expansive and fun.

So overall, pros & cons:

Pros

Battle system is more friendly towards a competitive scene

Cute monsters

Lots of gay characters, also you can choose pronouns (including they/them) independently from body type and voice

Less difference between the objectively bad tems and good tems than there is in Pokemon

Lots of stuff to do even in early access

Most conversations with dialog choices have the option to be a complete ass for no reason other than it’s fun

Having less type variety in your team is less punishing than in Pokemon due to the synergy system and types overall having less weaknesses and resistances

At least one major character is nonbinary

Cons

Falls prey to the issue of MMOs having in-game economies that are only accessible to diehard no-life players

Related to the above point, cosmetics are prohibitively expensive

Endgame CURRENTLY is inaccessible to most players unless you buy good monsters from other players or spend tens of hours making your own. However I must add that the grind is great if you like that kind of thing and is quite easy and painless to do while watching a show or something.

Here is their Steam page and here is their official website.

Next is Monster Hunter: Stories!

This is a spinoff game of the Monster Hunter franchise released for the 3DS in 2018. If you're anything like me, and you've played the core Monster Hunter games, you've often thought "Man, I wish I could befriend and ride these cool dragon creatures instead of killing or maiming them!"

Well now you can! In Stories, as I will be calling it, you play as a rider rather than a hunter. Riders steal monster eggs from wild nests to raise them among humans as companions and guardians. And yes, egg stealing is a whole mechanic in of itself in this game.

This game works pretty differently from most monster-collecting games. You do battle (usually) against one or two wild monsters using your own, except you fight alongside your monsters too. With swords and stuff. There's armor and weapons you can smelt to make yourself stronger. Type match-ups also kind of don't exist in this game? Except they do? But not in a way you'd expect?

The vast majority of attacking moves you and your monster use fall into categories reminiscent of rock-paper-scissors. Moves can be categorized as power, speed, or technical. Speed beats power, technical beats speed, and power beats technical. The matchup of your move vs your opponent's determines how a turn will go down. If one move beats the other in matchup, then the winner's move will get to go and the loser doesn't get to do anything. If you tie, you both get hit, but for reduced damage. There's also abilities and basic attacks, with abilities basically being the same as pokemon moves, and basic attacks just being "I hit you for normal damage within this category". Also, you don't control what your monster does all the time in battle. You can tell it to use abilities, but what kind basic attacks it carries out is determined by its species' preference. Velicidrome, for instance, prefers speed attacks, but Yian Garuga prefers technical. Stamina also exists in this game in a very similar manner to Temtem.

Overall this game carries over a lot of mechanics Monster Hunter fans will find familiar (how items and statuses work for instance). You don't have to have played a core Monster Hunter game to enjoy Stories though! It's fine and is easy to understand as a stand-alone.

The story has some likable characters and is rather long (it was actually adapted into an anime!), for those of you who enjoy a good story.

I'd really recommend this one especially. If it sounds fun to you and you can drop $30, just do it. I bought it on a whim and I got a few weeks' worth of playing almost nonstop out of it, and I didn't even get to do everything! (I got distracted by Hades, oops)

Stories is also getting a sequel later next year on the nintendo switch! How exciting!

And yes, you do ride the monsters.

Pros & cons:

Pros

Large variety of cool monsters to befriend and raise

Pretty lengthy story

Every tamable monster is also rideable

Deceptively simple combat mechanics, easy to be okay at, hard to master

Incorporates some mechanics from early turn-based party rpgs like Final Fantasy for a nice twist on the monster collecting genre

Cons

Many monsters are objectively outclassed by other ones, making what can be in an actually good team more limited than you’d expect

3DS graphics inherently means the game looks like it was made 7 years before its time

Here is the Monster Hunter Stories official 3DS product page.

And here is Monster Sanctuary!

Monster sanctuary is a game that just had its 1.0 launch- meaning it was in early access and no longer is! Although the devs say they still plan to implement a few more things into the game in future updates. It is available on Steam, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PS4.

Monster sanctuary is a metroidvania twist on the typical monster collecting game, meaning it is also a sidescrolling platformer in which you use abilities you gain throughout the game to explore the world around you. The abilities in this case are the monsters you get! Every monster has an ability that helps you traverse the sanctuary.

Speaking of the sanctuary, the game is set in one. The monster sanctuary is a magically shielded area, cut off from the rest of the world, created by an order of monster keepers, people who befriend and protect the mystical monsters inhabiting the world. Humankind encroached too far on the natural habitat of monsters and were hostile to the native wildlife, so the keepers created an area of varied environments to safely protect and preserve the remaining monsters of the world.

Unlike many other monster collecting games, this game only has 5 types: fire, water, earth, air, and neutral. However, the types themselves do not possess resistances and weaknesses. Instead, each monster has its own assigned weaknesses and resistances. And yes, this can include things like debuffs, physical vs special attacks, and the typical elemental types.

All battles are also 3 vs 3! And unlike in pokemon, where you can only hit the enemies nearest, all monsters have the ability to hit any opponent they want. Turns also work a little differently in that speed doesn't exist, you just use 1 move per monster in your turn and then it goes to your opponent's turn. Your monsters hit in whatever order you want them to.

There is also a quite important combo system in this game, where every hit builds a damage multiplier for the next. Moves often hit multiple times per turn. Healing and buffing actions also build this combo counter. So what monsters you have move in what order really counts!

But the main mechanical difference between this and other games in the genre is how it handles levels and skills. Instead of learning a set move at a certain level, this game incorporates a skill tree, and you get to allocate points into different skills as you grow stronger. And jeez, these skill trees are really extensive. Monster sanctuary is a theorycrafter's dream. Each monster has a unique, specially tailored skill tree, making every monster truly able to have its own niche. You can make use of whatever monster you want if you just put thought into it!

And like Temtem, this game is not made to be beatable by children. I'm sure a child could beat it, but it's not made to be inherently child-friendly like pokemon. It's honestly quite difficult.

On top of that, you are actively encouraged to not just be scraping by each battle. Your performance in battle is rated by an automated system that scores your usage of various mechanics like buffs and debuffs applied, type matchups, and effective usage of combos. The rating system directly influences the rewards you get from each battle, including your likelihood of obtaining an egg from one of the wild monsters you battled (no, you don't catch wild monsters in this game, you get eggs and hatch them). If you're not paying attention to how the game works and making good, effective use of your monsters, you'll have a hard time expanding your team!

The music is also really good, it's made by nature to be able to play over and over and not get old as you explore each area, and the composer(s) really did a good job with this. Some area songs, namely the beach one, I especially enjoy, so much so I've actually played it in the background while I do work.

This is a game I would really recommend. If I made it sound intimidating, it is by no means unbeatable, you're just gonna have to put some thought into how you play. At no point did I actually feel frustrated or like something was impossible. When I hit a wall, I was able to recognize what I did wrong and how I could improve, or I could at least realize something wasn't working and experiment until I found a solution. It's challenging in a genuinely fun, rewarding way.

Pros & cons:

Pros

Extremely in-depth combat system

I genuinely don’t know if there’s an objectively bad monster in this game

Evolution exists but is completely optional, as even un-evolved monsters can be great

Entire soundtrack is full of bangers

Large and diverse variety of monsters to tame

Cons

Story is a little lackluster, but passable

That’s the only con I can think of

Here’s a link to their Steam page and the game’s website.

A kind of unorthodox recommendation is the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon series!

Likelihood is that everyone reading this has heard of this series already, but just in case anyone hasn't, I thought I'd include it! I would categorize this as a hybrid between the mystery dungeon genre and the monster collecting genre, because you recruit pokemon as you play and can use those pokemon on your team!

If you're unaware, the mystery dungeon genre is a small subset of dungeon crawler games where you progress through randomly generated levels called mystery dungeons. Throughout the dungeons, there will be enemies to fight and items to collect. The challenge of these games is mostly due to the stamina aspect of them, in that you have to manage your resources as you progress through the level. If you go all out in each fight, you will inevitably lose quite quickly. You have to learn to win against enemies while balancing your use of items and PP, so you have enough for the next fight, and the fight after that.

Pokemon mystery dungeon in particular is famous for its stories, the likes of which isn't seen often in Pokemon games. They are hugely story-driven games and are notable for the emotional depth they possess. It's pretty normal for the average player to cry at least once in the span of the game. There's lots of memes about that specifically.

This entry in my list is also unique for being a series. So, which one should you play first? It actually doesn't matter! Each storyline is entirely self-contained and requires no knowledge of prior entries. The quality of each entry varies and is a point of contention among fans. I say you should play all of them, because they all have their merits (though some more than others.... coughgatestoinfinitycough). They're mostly distinct for the generation of Pokemon they take place in. Rescue team is gen 3, Explorers is gen 4, Gates to Infinity is gen 5, Super Mystery Dungeon is gen 6, and Rescue Team DX is a remake of a gen 3 game but has the mechanics and moves of a gen 8 game.

My only real caution is that you play Explorers of Sky, not Darkness or Time. Sky is basically a combination of the two games with added items and content. It's an objective upgrade over its predecessors, and I honestly wouldn't waste money on the other two.

I’m not going to include a pros and cons list for the PMD series because I’m incredibly biased and it wouldn’t be an honest review.

Next is Monster Crown!

Monster Crown is a monster collecting game that seems to take heavy inspiration from early-gen Pokemon games in particular. It is currently in early access on Steam and is not expensive. I learned about it through the developers of Monster Sanctuary, when they recommended it on their official Discord.

The game has lots of charm and interesting creature designs, and an entirely new take on monster typings as well. Instead of monster types being based off of natural elements like fire, water, electricity, etc. Monster Crown uses typings that seem to be influenced by the personalities of the monsters. For instance, Brutal, Relentless, and Will are all monster types!

It also captures a lot of the charm many of us look fondly upon in early GameBoy-era games. The music is mostly chiptune, with some more modern backing instruments at times, and the visuals are very reminiscent of games like Pokemon Crystal in particular. Monster Crown is definitely the monster collecting game for fans of the 8-bit era!

The thing that stands out the most to me about this game is the breeding system. Instead of one parent monster passing down its species to its offspring, you can create true hybrids in this game.

However, it is very early access. I would consider the current build as an alpha, not even a beta yet! So temper your expectations here. I have not encountered any major bugs, but visual glitches here and there are quite common. The game also could definitely use some polish and streamlining, and is quite limited in content currently. But the dev(s) seem quite active, so I fully expect these kinks to be worked out in time!

The reviews are rather positive, especially for being in early access. I'm all for expanding the monster collecting genre, so if you're looking to expand your horizons in that sense, I would recommend you at least give this one a look! I personally had quite a bit of fun playing Monster Crown and am going to keep an eye out for updates.

Pros & cons:

Pros

Charming artstyle, appealing monster designs

Faithful callback to a bygone era of gaming

Controls are fairly simple and easy to get the hang of (and are completely customizable!)

Cool breeding and hybridization mechanics

There's a starter for each monster type!

You can choose your pronouns, including they/them!

Cons

Inherent nature of being very early access means can be clunky and unpolished at times

Also not much content as of right now, see above

User interface could use some redesign in places

Here’s their Steam page and the official website!

Here’s an oldie but a goodie, Azure Dreams!

This is one I actually haven’t played, mostly because it’s really old and therefore only practically accessible if you play it on an emulator, unless you're one of those old game collectors. Azure Dreams was developed by Konami and released for the PS1 in 1997. My impression of it was that it either didn’t sell well or only took off in Japan, because it’s actually really hard to find any comprehensive information about it on the internet.

Azure Dreams is a monster collecting - dating sim hybrid. You can build relationships with various characters and can pursue some of them romantically, although that isn’t the main draw of the game. There is also a stripped-down version that exists for the GameBoy Color, which forgoes the dating portion of the game entirely.

Azure Dreams is kind of like a mystery dungeon game in that you progress through a randomly generated, ever-changing tower using the help of the familiars you have accrued throughout your adventure. Similarly to Monster Hunter: Stories, you yourself also take part in the fighting alongside your monsters. Each time you enter the tower, your character’s level is lowered to 1, but your familiars keep their experience. Thus, progression is made through strengthening your monsters. To obtain monsters, you collect their eggs, just like in Monster Sanctuary (which, turns out, was at least partially inspired by this game!)

Due to this game being very old and on the PS1, the visuals leave a lot to be desired... but if you can get past that, Azure Dreams has lots of replayability and customization to how you play the game. To this day, it appears it has a somewhat active speedrunning community!

If you don’t mind the effort of using an emulator, and like old games, Azure Dreams just might be that timesink you were looking for in quarantine.

Honorable mentions:

Pokemon Insurgence (or any Pokemon fangame/ROMhack, really!) is a Pokemon fangame that introduces Delta Pokemon, which are really cool type-swapped versions of existing Pokemon. It’s sufficiently challenging and has a lot of variety in what you can catch in the wild, so you can pretty much add whatever you want to your team! The story is quite good, and the main campaign is multiple times longer than a typical Pokemon game’s campaign. Download it here!

ARK: Survival Evolved is NOT a monster collecting game BUT you do get to tame and fight alongside a lot of really cool extinct species, including but not limited to the dinosaurs we all know and love. This game is genuinely fun as hell, especially with friends, but I must warn you: never play on official servers. I highly recommend singleplayer, playing on a casual private server, or making your own server. Here’s the Steam page.

#pokemon #temtem #monster sanctuary #monster hunter stories #monster crown #azure dreams #pokemon mystery dungeon #pokemon alternatives

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chocoladieimagines · 3 years

Note

Can I request obanai x black fem reader hcs

Thank you for the request! Also, it might take a while for me to post for any other submissions because I’ve been busy for the past few days✨Enjoy!☁️☁️☁️

Obanai Iguro x Black! Reader

- You would be the first in existence to be offspring from two different species; a human and a demon. Meaning, you possessed the genetic traits and abilities that were dependent of both of the species. Henceforth, you were a hybrid of your gorgon-demon mother; whose skin was tiny plates of scales shaped as small diamonds. She had beady, abyss like dark eyes that could become light enough you’d see her slit pupils conveying her agitation. She had a head full of sentient writhing ringlets and viperous locks; who often shared their senses with her as their host, flitting their tongues occasionally to taste the air. As a hive mind, her kin of serpents would share the same emotions as her, her menacing gaze distributed among them into glowing eyes with pre-warnings of hisses to create an intense presence.

- She may release her petrification in optic blasts but can will it into a smaller intensity; easing it into a proximity of a trance otherwise hypnosis. The hypnosis includes a seemingly mesmerizing presence which often occurred after unwillingness to fight or inflicting harm on others.

- And your father, who was a demon slayer sent on a mission to kill a demon that has caused many disappearances of the younger demon slayers. Numerous of their bodies were statues in a refuge of a garden during the night, full of bulbs of pink to white and lilac Hyacinths and yellow tubular shaped blooms called Foxgloves that seemed to be fully tended to. Your mother could remotely taste her surroundings to sense all harmful and beneficial things in the environment from a distance without having to use her tongue to make contact on him.

- By also detecting changes and disturbances in the air, she didn’t have to see him to know where he was and made it known that if she wanted to kill him now she could. She didn’t say it tauntingly but rather out of defense, keeping herself hidden in the shade of the trees blocking the moonlight. “I didn’t want to become a demon. It wasn’t my intention to harm them.” She said. “Don’t you hear that there are no animals where we are standing?” He taken into account that she feasted off the blood of other animals. “Then show yourself,” He told her. “If you’re unwilling to put up a fight, then show that you give up to me.”

- After some silence, he turned around while he was armed with his katana. He faced her presence with the point of the blade pressured against her neck but her eyes were closed. He had to admit that for a demon she was breathtakingly beautiful, despite having to live with the burden of having snakes for hair and scales for skin as a demon. It wasn’t too long afterwards that he began protecting her, letting her stay in his home until the two grew affection for each other. Then came you.

- You naturally exhibited no physiological features of a demon; mainly retaining your humanity by the basics of your dark pigmented skin, the morphology in the coils and kinkiness of your hair, the brown in your eyes sunlight through a bottle of whiskey, and the fullness of your lips that could always be captured by your mother’s. Being beautiful by nature made them question of the percentage you inherited of being a demon: whether it was half, a quarter or even smaller of that chance. They wouldn’t know until you were older to be capable of developing a monstrous inner nature.

- When you were about the age of 8-9, you precociously underwent puberty; experiencing a stronger and intense phase of emotions. It consisted of becoming more irrational into a feral, violent and angered nature. This drew out your innermost abilities; enhancing your body’s condition into a supernatural durability, stamina, strength, regeneration and augmentation. Most significantly, you could transform into a demon; inherently manipulating your hair into venomous snakes, manifesting scales, remotely tasting and petrifying opponents into stone. As a result, you would be more powerful than either of your parents’ race.

- Once you learned about your powers, you wanted to follow your father’s footsteps of becoming a demon slayer. Your parents were often protective of you, since it wasn’t a thing for humans and demons to be harmonious, or to the extent of having compassion for each other. He retired from the corps, afraid they would learn of his ventures and capture your mother to kill her. To make it worse, a child being the aftermath could only precipitate further consequences. At first, it was a no, since he wanted two of the beings he cared most about by his side where he could see and protect them.

- Suddenly, it was found out that a demon was located near the area you lived. A serpent demon was staying close to a family known as the Iguro Clan, posing as their benefactor since they lived off an excessive amount of riches that had been stolen by the demon whom they worshipped. The serpent demon fed off newborn babies as an exchange for providing the family with wealth. Your mother wasn’t associated with her as far as the similarity of having snake like abilities, but the difference might not be distinguishable to other demon slayers.

-For that reason, you took it upon yourselves to slay the demon—saving the time of worrying that they could mistaken your mother as the culprit. By the time, the serpent demon had already killed all fifty members of the Iguro clan for letting their first born son—after 370 years—out of their sight and escape. She pursued him until she was able to catch him and nearly ate him. You were the fastest out of both of your parents and managed to slash her body into slices like pieces of fruit. Your grown claws was encased with a green substance, subjected to turn anything lacerated by them into stone. Her surprise-stricken body was frozen in the mineral matter, as well as the boy who was stilled into shock.

- He saw your slit pupils, bared sharp teeth and patches of your body peeled with scales, but then your features turned normal; regular brown eyes, square teeth and the areas of your skin healed. “Did...Did she just turn back human? But how?....” The boy thought to himself, falling further into astonishment. You softly looked into his hetero-colored eyes; one a golden yellow and the other turquoise like the deeps of a pool. You knelt to him, gently holding his hand, as you carried your actions out carefully so you wouldn’t scare him.

- “My name is Y/N L/N, I am not here to harm you. In fact, my parents and I came to save you.” You tell him with a smile, shortly frowning while he still sat in silence. “I’m really sorry about your family. I wish the world could be just as compatible, unfortunately many of us fall short because of trauma.” Soon, you both see a person in the distance, coming into view from the fog who the boy seemed to familiarize as his older cousin. She looked in fear at her surroundings until her eyes landed on him, darting towards him in anger.

- “It was your fault!” She screamed. “It was your fault Obanai! Why couldn’t you just let her eat you?! It was your fault! You killed us all!” She violently attacked and clawed at him as he only brought his arms to shield his face in defense. You shoved her off of him and due to your irritation of her actions, you didn’t realize your strength and pushed her all the way into a tree. She was still able to stand up, looking at you and Obanai in disgust. “It was because you escaped, that our family is gone.” She said to Obanai. “If I was her, I would’ve took the chance to kill you the day you were born!”

- You couldn’t believe the words she resented towards him. “How could someone say that to their family? You’re the only two remaining of your clan out of the whole world and that’s how you treat them?” You thought in disbelief. You wanted to chase after her and scratch her just as she did the boy, or even maul her for being so selfish. “Y/N,” your father said. “Stand your ground.”

- You took a deep breath, counting by ten to a hundred to calm down. Then you looked to Obanai whose eyes still aimed into the distance where his cousin had stormed off. You only imagined that he absorbed her words and started to lower himself into her negativity—believing her words. “Obanai, was it?...None of that is true.” You said to him. “Your family was obviously selfish and immoral to sacrifice their own kin for their own monetary gain.” “What would you know?” He snapped. “I was born in some dumb family because I was destined to die. I was created because I was meant to be fed to that demon, but she only kept me alive because I was precious...rare. Today was my turn...my sentence but I got scared. It was me who was selfish.”

- “You poor thing.” Your mother said, stroking his tear blotted cheeks. “Don’t put the blame on yourself. You were incarnated to bring your family to their downfall. They should’ve repented the misdeeds they’ve been inflicting on their people. It needed to be brought to an end.” “We came to rescue you and your family, but you’re welcome to be in ours.” Your father said.

- From that moment on, you would be Obanai’s adoptive family. Despite being siblings by law, he couldn’t help but admire your bronzed features. He adored the spectacle that you could retain your humanity, especially through the natural ability of your skin protecting you from the sun. Some could say that it was magic, but he knew for sure other demons would be envious of your enormous powers due to your complexion. You possessed the naturalness of being human; having emotions that could teeter you right from wrong. It allowed you self control and to preserve humaneness. Soon enough, he realized his observations were actually out of infatuation for you, much to his fear. As you two trained to become demon slayers, he wouldn’t confess his feelings for years, believing you were too good for him because he and his family were so tainted.

- You and Obanai made it into the demon slayer corps; Obanai taking on Serpent Breathing while you created your own breathing style through your powers. You can control your “death stare” otherwise the notorious petrifying gaze, into a dreamy inducement. Much like snake charming, which hypnotizes a snake (particularly a cobra) by playing and waving an instrument called a pungi, you mollified the energy—that made your petrification physical or tangible through different attacks—into a type of hypnosis. Your katana is covered with the energy; willing to manipulate it to emanate illusions that creates an illusive appearance of you.

- The illusions included mesmerizing psychedelic visuals such as contrasting colors, kaleidoscopic patterns to morphing objects, strengthening based on the susceptibility of the opponent. You simulate everything while your opponent finds themselves subdued into a trance. You may make them mirror your movements or else control the hallucinations into powerful coils constricting and immobilizing them as if you were a snake. All of these capabilities are based on different breathing forms you make with the physical energy surrounding your blade. If you were to make a mistake, this could break the process.

- You two made it far in the corps, working together as lower ranks and becoming each other’s strengths and weaknesses up until you became recognizable for your achievements and rewarded as Hashira. You were practically best friends, always seen together and recognized of having a “brother and sister” relationship as adopted. Obanai became protective of you, especially since you were secretly half demon and doing good undercover as a human. Associating some of the strongest members of the corps made being a Hashira stressful since you had to take on more missions. Although, you and Obanai would be paired together on missions because of the compatibility of your breathing styles, much to his relief.

- When it was brought up to the Hashiras that Tanjiro Kamado has been traveling with his demon sister, Nezuko Kamado, Obanai immediately thought of you. While the others refused to accept the siblings despite Kagaya’s sympathy for the two and willing to provide a letter that Sakonji (the ex water Hashira) and Giyuu will commit Seppuku if Nezuko harmed innocent humans, you found it heart wrenching that they still couldn’t look past it. Obanai built more empathy for people after spending his life with you, realizing that not all demons are harmful but in fact very much still human.

- Obanai was quiet but you expressed your opinion that you didn’t mind at all if Nezuko were to stay in the corps. It could truly be seen of the love they had for each other as siblings, that she’s retained her humanity through the memories she has of her family embodied into the life that needs protection. It was how she redeemed herself as a human, not a demon. However, while Sanemi Shinazugawa antagonized her by stabbing her, you were beyond pissed—not only with Sanemi but the Demon Slayer corps as well. You found it frustrating how the world was truly incompatible and inharmonious, Obanai could hear you silently growling next to him.

- He could see the pupils in your eyes contract into slits again as you glared at the actions being allowed before you. Your body shook from resisting to jump between them while he tried to lure her with his blood dripping on the tatami mats. Repulsive and discourteous. “Y/N,” Obanai spoke to you in a murmur with his hand feeling on your shoulder. “Stand your ground.” Listening to his words, you closed your eyes and sighed, leaning into Obanai’s touch. You’ve barely felt body contact from him before, unaware of the blush on his face as he could tell his actions calmed you down. After the victory of Nezuko resisting Sanemi’s marechi blood, you two were spending time together while you didn’t have any missions.

- You thought to yourself about your feelings for Obanai as you offered Kaburamaru, his white pet snake, some of your sucker. You giggled when the snake actually flitted his tongue against the candy, “See, I told you he would try it.” “He doesn’t know better.” Obanai said, making you laugh. “Would you like some then?” Obanai rolled his eyes but looked at you again. “What?” You questioned his sudden attention on you. “Nothing...it’s just...nothing...” He recanted. But you held his hand and softly smiled, unable to lose his gaze away from your eyes, another one of your subconscious abilities without having to use your powers.

- “I just...was always surprised how you could be so powerful. Not from being half demon, but evening it out peacefully with your human side. You can have empathy for other beings, noticeably with other demons. You’re also sitting in the sun right now like it’s nothing, instead it’s only making you prettier....”He tried to yank his hand away but you only held onto it and brought it up to your cheek, reassuring him. “...Really really prettier,” He continued. “I always felt this obligation to protect you. I always wanted to be pair on missions with you. I always liked you....” He managed to pull his hand away since you were surprised, mentally cursing himself of how he wasn’t supposed to confess to you.

- You brought up your hand to Obanai’s cheek, watching him as he tried his hardest not to blush. “I always liked you too,” You said. “I just thought it was wrong because my parents adopted you and you would by law, be my brother.” “....By law.” He emphasized. Not biologically, but by law. “Right,” you spoke. “But seeing you develop as a person only made my feelings for you stronger. I wanted to win your trust a-and your touch.....may I?” You looked at his bandaged mouth, knowing that would complete to winning each other’s trust. “You’ll think I’m ugly.” He spoke in a hushed tone. “No I won’t. I promise.” You held your hand against his cheek as you slowly began to undo his bandages with the other. His mouth was cut wide to his ears to appear as a snake’s, the flesh scarred as narrow threads of silver glowing in the sunlight.

- When you notice his slight panicked pace of breathing, you kissed him on his lips, feeling him melt into the soft sensation of yours. He attempted feeling his hand on you, like he did earlier, to pull you closer to him. You flowed with the vibes and pulled him closer, so there was no personal space between you two but the shell of your body protecting your beating hearts.

Thank you for reading! Please stay tuned!🤎🍫

#demonslayer #demon slayer x poc!reader #demon slayer x black reader #demon slayer x reader #Obanai x reader #obanai iguro x reader #Kny x reader #Hashira x reader #anime x black!reader

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natsukitakama · 3 years

Text

Headcanon : Reader being nice to Floch even though he is jerk

Request : Well since Floch seem to be a type of guy who criticize people then how about he criticize s/o as well but instead of her getting offensive, she actually thank him for being honest since she’s a type of person who’s okay with criticism and also want the truth since some people usually don’t do it because they’ll feel bad that they know it’ll hurt people and that s/o is also a type of person who sees good on everyone including Floch even tho he seem like a jerk guy she still sees good on him and really curious in how would he react 👀

Author note : Hi there I’m sorry for taking so long, I needed some time of my own hope you’ll understand. I found your request quite interesting considering this part of his personality isn’t the most attractive. But still it’s part of who he is. Anyway hope you’ll enjoy this (to be honest I struggled to finish it lmao also yeah I'm trying a new way to present my post one day I'll be satisfied)

Update : Because I got so much fun writing his reaction from a reader who is thanking him for his opinion while he was harsh on them. In this headcanon, they started as companion but then it would be imply that both of them are together or at least something is happening. Hope you’re fine with that.

Warning : Cursing / Floch being a mean / mention of something that happened in season 3 but its vague

Disclaimer : Not because I’m writing about Floch means I understand what’s he done, I won’t accept his action but I still believe he wasn’t developed enough. I won’t accept any criticism because my anon asked for Floch or because I write for him. If you don’t like it then do not read it ♡

I got a headcanon that look like this so see this as the other version ♡

Masterlist

The way you seemed to always accept every criticism never felt to amaze Floch. No matter who criticizes you, you’re always acting like it wasn’t a big deal. Worst he even noticed that you were glad to be critized. His first thought when he discovered that you were taking different opinion with a smile was something like « what the fuck ? »

How could you take negative though that easily ? What was your secret ?

For weeks he strongly believed that you were acting tough but when you were alone, you were crying over each word you’ve been hit on.

He wouldn’t be surprised I mean, everyone hates being criticized it’s part of our nature.

But you weren’t like this, after weeks of believing you were a liar at pretending that critics didn’t affect you, he then discovered that in fact you were taking it with serenity.

« It would help me to be a better a person » you once said to him

He didn’t get it. Like who do you think you are ?

Why aren’t you acting like Eren or Jean ? Why weren’t you angry at him ? Worst, why weren’t you defending yourself ? What was wrong with you ?

The fact that you were smiling everytime he was mean to you was getting on his nerve. For fuck sake could you at least yell at him ? At least he’ll know you were human.

He didn’t why but seeing you smiling at him, thanking him for his negative opinion got his sick. He could feel his stomach twisted as if he could throw because of your sympathy. Did you pity him ?

He even once heard a conversation between you, Eren and his crew that makes him even more sick :

« You know, you shouldn’t let him talk to you the way he did. This isn’t respectful. »

« Eren is right, want me to teach him some manners ? If it’s for you i’ll do it »

« *chuckle* Thank you Mikasa but I don’t think it would be necessary. I mean yeah he got a way to say things - »

« He is talking to you like you were shit »

« I wouldn’t say it like this Eren but yeah you got a point. Y/N I know you saw good in everyone but you have to admit that recently he is being mean to you »

« *sigh* As I was trying to say, yeah he is being mean with me but his opinion was actually good. I mean yeah I’ve been too slow during our training and yes I shouldn’t forgot to pack some gas with us. My point is he was right, he just got a way to talk to people »

« Come on everyone makes mistake and it wasn’t like HE thought about taking Gas bottle too. He got some balls to says that »

« Eren is right Y/N. »

« But he was still right. I mean he forgot but I forgot too, if no one is meticulous in real battle it could be dangerous. Besides he is not as mean as everyone thinks. I can see it, there is good in him »

« Well he is doing a good job at hiding it. Remembered how he talked to Armin when he woke up ? That piss of sh- »

« *sigh* Yeah he shouldn’t say it the way he did but you need to understand his point too. He was all alone with his friends and his commander which he used to worship by the way, he had to run with his friends knowing he would die either from stone or because he’ll be eaten by a Titan. For him Erwin was a hero, of course his first reaction was to want him to survive. Caporal Levi did it too, he wanted Erwin to survive he only have the injection because Erwin told him too. »

« Maybe. But I still believe this man has no education »

« *chuckle* you used to be a little shit too when you first came, acting all cocky because you were about to kill titans but everyone looked through it and now we all love our precious angry soldier »

Eren then proceed to grumble something about not being angry while everyone was laughing. How could you say that ? Why were you protecting him ? Did he ask you to protect him ? No ? Then why are you seeing all those things at him ? Why were you saying that he got a point when all he did was telling you how shitty you were. He was bullying you why were you nice to him ?

The worst when he started to have a crush on you. Was he a sadist or something ? Why was he looking at you everytime you were training ? Why was he offended when someone compliment you ? You’re just in love bitch

Did he stop being mean at you ? No not at all, it would be out of character for him. BUT he started to be « gentle » about the way he critices you. For example he won’t told you that you suck at being a soldier because you were starting to feel tired because of the training instead he would scold you for not sleeping enough.

See ? He still gives you critics and some time he is a bit harsh but now you’ve noticed (even though you already did) that he was actually carrying about you.

So you started to thank him even more for his kind word, which disgust him. Why were you thanking him anyway ?

At some point he stopped trying to figure out if you were a masochist or just silly, he keeps scolding you everytime you did something wrong and he just shrugs each time you were thanking him.

But then you started to defend him even more, you weren’t just trying to justify his action by analyzing his behavior.

Now you were arguing with people who were telling some shit about him which surprised him. Why do you care ? He didn’t give a damn about some fools’ opinion nor should you.

But here you were explaining your point, trying to make them understand that no he wasn’t just a jerk and there were something more important to get to know. He froze.

« Come on Y/N don’t fool yourself Floch is a jerk have you seen him ? All he cares is himself. He is so fool of himself. Did you notice the way he is talking to you ? How could you defend someone like him ? »

« Because he cares about him and because I care about him too. You asked if I noticed the way he was talking to me, I did. He stopped being mean at me, and started to give me advice to help me during my training. He noticed my lack of stamina and told me to practice and sleep better. He scold be for always forgetting something and now I’m careful. All he need was to help me, how am I supposed to avoid fight when you’re clearly misunderstanding him. He is someone good, you just need to get to know him »

This time instead of feeling sick, he felt a little warm running into his body especially on his face. He felt … good ? He couldn’t explain it but yeah he felt right to hear you saying this even though he still didn’t understand why you were like this while you two barely talk together.

He wanted to confront you about.

Especially because he started to dream about you even more than before. That scene when you were defending him was keeping playing in his head, again and again. At this point you were always on his dream. Not that he will complain but he felt silly to be like this, like to him they were no way you were into him.

So one day when you two were cleaning the training room, Floch decided it was now or never. So after closing the door to be in « peace », he walked into your direction. Step by step he noticed that he got trouble at taking a deep breath probably because he was scared or anxious.

When he finally was in front of you, you noticed his frown and started to ask yourself what was wrong with him. He wasn’t so anxious, usually he came talk to you all cocky to correct you but now it was as if he was talking to Caporal Levi.

« Are you okay ? »

« Of course I am why wouldn’t I ? »

« I don’t know you look like tense. Did I do something wrong ? »

« Obviously yeah. I mean you’re always doing something wrong but that’s not why I’m here »

« Oh yeah ? »

« Yeah. »

« Then ? »

« Then what ? »

« Why are you here ? If you’re not here to scold me »

« I wanted to know why you’re acting so nice »

« I’m acting nice ? »

« Yeah don’t play dumb to me. I heard you talking with Eren and that bunch of shitty friends also I saw you with those stupid soldiers talking dirty about me. Why were you defending me ? »

« Why not ? I mean they are not angel either so I don’t see the point of being mean »

« But i’am »

« Excuse me ? »

« You said there’s no point of being mean about someone but I’m mean. Especially with you I remember correctly telling you that you being a soldier was a shame for humanity »

« Yeah that wasn’t nice by the way »

« See ? You’re smiling ! Why is wrong with you ? »

« What ? Because I can’t smile ? »

« No ! Not when I’m being mean at you that completely strange »

« Well then I’m a weirdo I guess »

« Okay I’m done I knew I couldn’t get anything from you »

« I’m sorry but I don’t see what’s wrong with my behavior ? »

« You can’t smile when someone is saying bad things about you »

« Why not ? You’re being honest. »

« But it’s mean »

« Yeah and ? At least you’re not trying to be nice with me when in fact you can’t stand me. I hate hypocrite I prefer when people are honest with me. Besides as I said before your critics were interesting it helps me getting better so I don’t see why I would be mad at me »

« I don’t get it I’m sorry, even if it helps you. You could at least slap me for being mean at you »

« Do you want me to spank you Floch ? »

« I- I say slap me and not like this I-I oh my god I can’t »

« *laugh* but you’re the one talking about slapping I’m sorry I didn’t know it was your thing I’ll take it in mind »

« YOU … Wait are you making fun of me ? »

« Maybe ? »

Then you just laugh and finish your duty, leaving a completely frozen Floch.

You’re kinda broke him, he didn’t know how to behave with you anymore.

Should he be glad because you’re not angry at him for being a jerk ? Or should he be concerned because you figure out something he didn’t want to admit ?

Again, he started to be less a jerk around you. But you noticed that it worked only for you. Floch was still… Floch around other people. He just tends to be soft with you, he stopped scolding you and in fact correct you each time you were doing a wrong move. And when you were loosing or forgetting something, he just gave you what you needed without complaining.

People were surprised, like they weren’t used to see Floch not acting like a jerk. They also didn’t understand why you weren’t treated like everyone else. Some of them got their theory but for now all they could notice was Floch not being as mean as usual with you while you were acting nice with him. For both of you that’s all matter

#request #attack on titan #attack on titans #aot #shingeki no kyojin #snk #Floch Forster #Floch x reader #floch forster x reader #aot x reader #snk x reader #Eren Jaeger #Floch x y/n #Floch x t/p #aot Floch #snk Floch

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miedemamadness · 3 years

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Vivianne Miedema: Dissecting the best strikers at Euro 2020 - The Athletic

There is an incredible variety among Europe’s top strikers at the moment, and that is reflected at Euro 2020. If you take the top goalscorers from the major European leagues, and then compare them to each other, they’re completely different players. It’s Harry Kane in England, Robert Lewandowski in Germany, Kylian Mbappe in France, and Cristiano Ronaldo in Italy. They’re all big names, but stylistically there is huge diversity.

I’ve always studied attacking players to try to improve myself. Growing up, I wasn’t really exposed to much women’s football, so I watched a lot of forwards from the men’s game. When you’re young, you have your idols. Mine was Robin van Persie. To this day, I try to examine players to understand what they do — movement-wise, technique-wise, tactics-wise.

Ronaldo’s record speaks for itself. He is now the top goalscorer in men’s European Championship history. After his two penalties against France last night, he has matched Ali Daei as the highest ever goalscorer in international football. Any footballer, at any level, can benefit from watching him.

I don’t think he gets enough credit for how he’s adapted his game over the years. I went back and did some research on his career — it feels like in every single season he made little tweaks to his game.

We all remember him at Manchester United. I was young then, but I still remember that excitable right winger taking people on, dribbling with the ball and shooting from outside the box. After a couple of years in Madrid, he converted himself into almost a second nine, just to the left of Karim Benzema.

Look back at his goals then: his striking ability and the power he generates is so good. He doesn’t need to put disguise on his shots, because he connects so well. Even if the goalkeeper knows where it’s going, he can’t get there.

But Ronaldo didn’t stop there. He continued evolving. When he went to Juventus, he started playing out on the left wing. He began dribbling again, and having a wider influence on the game. He was playing off a target man in Mario Mandzukic or Alvaro Marata, and then you saw something else happening to his game. It wasn’t just about goalscoring anymore, it was about creating too. To still be developing and changing at his age is pretty unique.

You can see that evolution in his physique too. He’s gone through such different stages. Once he got to Madrid, he really bulked up. He looked very strong, but his top speed was probably lower than it is right now. This summer he looks a little leaner, and he is flying.

We all saw his blistering run to score against Germany, covering 97 metres at 32 km per hour. To do that at 36 is incredible, but it wasn’t a surprise to me — I noticed that in one of the warm-up friendlies against Spain, he sprinted 60 metres in just seven seconds. That’s 32 km per hour. He’s doing this consistently.

He’s taken his game to a new level by making little physical adaptations. He’s worked out what he needs to do to make the difference on the pitch.

I try to do that myself. When we went into lockdown, I had four months training away from the Arsenal squad, trying to keep myself fit. I decided to work on running in-behind, to add a different dimension to my game. I was locked down with Lisa Evans, who is naturally super-quick and has always had that ability. We worked on it together so I could begin to introduce it to my play. Two years ago, I couldn’t have run behind 10 times in a match because I would have torn my hamstring! But now, when I see the opportunity, I can do it.

Of course, you need to have the stamina. Against Hungary, Ronaldo scored two goals in the last five minutes. That shows how mentally and physically sharp he still is.

His second goal against Hungary was not one of his most spectacular. Going through one-on-one, just a few yards out, he shaped to shoot before dummying past the Hungarian goalkeeper, Peter Gulacsi. It looked easy. It looked simple.

For a fellow forward, however, it was beautiful in its efficiency. The little touch he took to go around the keeper — how many other strikers would even try that? People say moments like that come from practising on the training ground, but that’s not right. This isn’t something you can learn in training, it’s something you pick up during your career. It’s something you earn through experience. It’s a sixth sense of knowing what to do in front of goal.

Ronaldo doesn’t panic. He knows that by taking it around the keeper, he turns a 50-50 chance into a 100 per cent goal. His instincts are perfectly attuned, his mind in perfect connection with his body. People say he is robotic. That’s not right either: you can only produce a piece of skill like that if you truly feel football.

When you’re analysing strikers, you can almost separate the tactical, technical and physical qualities of each player. Take Lewandowski and Romelu Lukaku, for example — there is a huge difference in style, but they’re both so effective.

I’ve watched a lot of Bundesliga this season, and Lewandowski — who scored two outstanding, and very different, goals against Sweden last night to keep his country in with a chance of getting out of the group — has such an instinctive understanding of where to be in the box. He scored 41 goals in 29 games — crazy numbers.

Yes, part of that is about knowing where the ball will drop, but it’s also about reacting to what other players do. That’s the difficult bit: you have to know your team-mates, and know your opponent — that’s what enables you to anticipate quicker than anybody else.

When I was at Bayern, Lewandowski was there too. I watched him train. He plays fully focused, all of the time. His concentration is unbelievable: even in the four-on-fours and seven-a-sides, you can see him looking at where the ball could end up. When a team-mate has a shot, his eyes aren’t on that player — they’re already looking at the goal, and anticipating where the ball might ricochet. It gives him a split-second before anyone else moves. The goals look simple, but when you break down all the work that goes into them, they’re far from it.

He does it so naturally. Personally, I don’t think of myself as a pure goalscorer in that way, I’m more of a creator. I’m always telling people I’m not a “nine” — but I score a lot of goals, so no-one believes me. Ciro Immobile is another predator who has shone in this tournament. He scored from outside the box against Switzerland, but it’s his goal against Turkey that sums him up: inside the area, first to react, first to the ball.

Lukaku is a different type entirely. His physique is something else. He’s got the body; he’s got the speed. The moment he faces forward and he runs at you, you’ve got absolutely no chance. He achieves such separation, so easily.

I love how he’s proven people wrong. When he was at United, people took the mick out of his first touch — but look at the way he’s played this season. His recent record for Belgium is absolutely ridiculous: 23 goals in his last 21 games.

Again, he deserves credit for the way he has evolved physically. I’m not saying he was overweight at Manchester United, but he didn’t have the same physique he has right now. For such a big guy, he’s now able to turn very quickly. You see that in his dribbling — he has such flexibility. He’s adding things to his game, and is a completely different player these days.

His athleticism means you can play him upfront alone, and he can run in behind time after time for the whole 90 minutes. You need that in this tournament — especially with so many teams playing a back five. When you’re up against three centre-backs, there’s obviously a lot less space for the striker. Personally, I hate playing against five at the back. To thrive, you need to engage your tactical brain.

There are different ways you can combat a back five: if they play a high block, like Russia tried to do against Belgium, you need the No 9 to make diagonal runs across the lateral centre-backs. It pulls them deeper and disrupts the line. Look at Lukaku’s two goals in that game — they both come from that very run.

If the defence sit in deeper, like Scotland did against England, then sometimes the striker really needs to pull one of the three centre-backs out. That can mean the No 9 coming back into midfield to drag his marker with him, enabling a No 10 or wide forward to run in behind. Kane has been criticised for playing deep, but tactically it’s the right move. His quality is on the ball, he needs to be involved — the issue is that, with England, he doesn’t have the same understanding he does with someone like Son Heung-min at Spurs. When he drops in, there isn’t the same movement in-behind. England are still a developing team, and those relationships aren’t there yet.

France are still trying to find the right balance too. For pure talent, few countries can match the trio of Mbappe, Benzema and Antoine Griezmann. The question is whether they can develop the relationships on the field quickly enough. Benzema joined the group late — though there are signs it may be clicking.

If it does, I’ll be watching. I’m still only 24. There’s still a lot to learn, and I believe I can still get better. Studying your contemporaries can only help you do that. At 36, Ronaldo is proof that the process never stops: keep observing, keep evolving, keep improving.

#vivianne miedema #arsenal women #arsenal wfc #womens football #football #euro 2020 #dutch #oranje leeuwinnen #arsenal #harry kane #romelu lukaku #ronaldo #robert lewandowski

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a-crimson-lion · 4 years

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Ultimatum: The Art of Lying In A Made Bed

(Or Why My Experience With Chapter 285 Is Contrary To Everyone Else's)

[Manga Spoilers Ahead. Also Opinions. Feel Free To Ignore.]

After Chapter 284, many fans were wondering how the story of BNHA would follow up on Katsuki's development. Now that Chapter 285 is officially out, fans are clamoring about Katsuki's latest acts of heroism, about how his arc is finally kicking it into high gear.

I'd be inclined to agree, but… you know how these things go.

[Heads up fans/stans, if you like Katsuki you might wanna bail. The word vomit that follows is pretty much incoherent and reflects my disaster of a thought process.]

I was looking forward to Chapter 285. I had my reservations on the execution of Chapter 284, but if the next chapter could follow it up and then some, I'd be pleasantly surprised. But then the leaks came out. And then the fan translation. And as of today, the official VIZ translation.

While everyone else is cheering for explosion boy, I'm just… done.

285 didn't get me to see how far Bakugo's journey has come. 285 didn't get me to finally root for him. And maybe I am making this decision prematurely, maybe I am missing something, but…

...the way things are going in the story I just- I just CAN'T root for him.

And I'm not saying the rest of you can't, if you're still reading. Katsuki is definitely a different person compared to Chapter 1, a better person, and he's definitely been heading on the up and up! If you can and want to support him, then by all means, go for it, don't let me stop you! It's just…

For me, chapter 284 was a wavering torch: a flicker of hope that sometimes dwindled, but was still there. Chapter 285 was the moment where I wanted to jump on the Katsuki Development Train, to finally gain some semblance of respect for him. But when I jumped, I landed on the tracks, and had to crawl back onto the platform.

I missed my chance to jump on that train. Whether it's because of previous circumstances or recent circumstances, I'll never know…

You probably wanna ask me at this point, "But Crimson, why DIDN'T Chapter 285 make you see the awe inspiring pinnacle of character development that is Katsuki Bakugo???"

To put it simply: it's a culmination thing.

For starters, there's a sort of… whiplash with Katsuki's development in the last few chapters. People like me will complain that Katsuki's development is too slow, in the case of the last 2-3 chapters, it feels like a switch was flipped, and now it's become too fast. Perhaps it's a me thing, but let me try to explain…

Shoto starts out as a standard background character. By the time he gets his spotlight in the Sports Festival, he comes off as reserved and antagonistic. After the whole "it's your power" moment, Shoto is finally able to accept the side he always hated. Then Katsuki fights Shoto, and we're shown he still needs time to grow; his left side comes with a lot of baggage he can't just brush off in the span of a single sparring match.

Fastforward to Hosu. Shoto's starting to take other people into better account. He's starting to learn to better control his fire. He's reconnected with his mother. His goal is no longer one-upping his old man; he has goals, people, that he wants to protect. He's coming into his own and wants others to do the same, like Tenya.

He joins the Katsuki Rescue Squad because, like Izuku, he had an opportunity to save Katsuki, didn't, and now he wants to make up for it. When we get to the Provisional License Exam, we're yet again slammed with the fact that his growth is still not done via Inasa, that there's still a bit of Endeavor he has to shake off, even if it was in the past. And he does progress towards that with the Remedial Course Arc. And while I have my opinions on the Endeavor Agency Arc, I'll admit that it was another development opportunity for Shoto and the Todoroki family. Shoto's growth comes with setbacks, but overall it's consistent.

Let's shift gears to Tenya, who's characterization I find fascinating. He starts out opposed to Izuku when they first meet at the Entrance Exam. He sees how Izuku is (for lack of a better phrase) "better qualified" at heroics thus far, reassesses his position, and apologizes whilst making amends. When Tenya resorts to LITERAL MURDER against Stain, the narrative does not let him go off without reprocussions. His arms are damaged, his supervisor's teaching license is revoked, and while he managed to avoid legal charges via police cover up, it still came close. Tenya listened to Stain's words, and opted to improve himself by that notion. He tries to set a better example, be a better class rep. It isn't a one and done.

Him lashing out during the Hideout Raid Arc is an offshoot of that. He doesn't deck Izuku just to be a dick; he's trying to knock some sense into him. They're so focused on Katsuki that they're forgetting about everyone else. Their friends, their teachers, their parents. If they f*** up like Tenya almost did at Hosu, they'll have hell to pay, and he doesn't want that. Of course, once they explain that combat/murder is not their M.O., Tenya tags along, if only to ensure the operation goes smoothly without this hitch. And again, Tenya keeps up. He looks after his classmates, looks after Izuku during the Shie Hassaikai arc. His growth is also consistent.

There are probably more characters I could elaborate on (Ochako, Momo, Eijiro, etc.), but I'll stop there. So, what's the deal with Katsuki's arc?

Well, it's… frustratingly back and forth.

It's one thing to have setbacks like Tenya and Shoto. It's something else entirely to have multiple setbacks and to keep trucking on with only abstract signs of development, but otherwise feeling like a very similar character compared to several chapters ago.

This is (in my opinion) Katsuki's problem. If we're going by what the manga stated, his arc technically started in Chapter 11: "Bakugo's Starting Line." But this is a rocky start. Izuku tells him about OFA right from the getgo out of guilt, but this neglects the fact that he's technically lying to everyone about it (including his new friends Ochako and Tenya), that OFA is a world-shattering secret, and that Katsuki is likely the worst person to tell this to considering that Izuku just handed Katsuki's ass to him and Katsuki was willing to use lethal force in their Trial. That aside, instead of say, sucking up his pride and opting to try and learn from everyone else, Katsuki doesn't really change strategies or approaches. He essentially does what he was planning to do since the start of UA; he's only crying because, SURPRISE, people are better than him. You'd think he'd expect that considering he called his middle school crappy…

After the USJ, once everyone had their "Lol Bakugo sux" moment on the bus ride, we get to the Sports Festival and everyone is clamoring to join Katsuki's team despite his apparent unapproachability. This feels less like something happened in the two weeks leading up to the Sports Festival, and more like history repeating itself from middle school. Moving on to the tournament, we don't even get to see how capable Katsuki is at serious combat. Two of his matches resort to Deus Ex Machina pulls, and the other two are in his corner by principle instead of difficult.

First off, Katsuki vs Ochako. I don't know why people praise this fight. For starters, it makes Katsuki HEAVILY OoC. Ochako is the only person he asks if she wants to back out before the match even starts. The ONLY person, which kinda undermines the whole "he didn't underestimate her" thing. Then he takes a reactionary stance the entire battle. Like, I thought we were still dealing with the "fist first" Katsuki. He does this to Eijiro, Fumikage, even Shoto, but Ochako? Stay still and then attack. Even if he did get his gravity removed, couldn't he just… propelly himself and let her have it. If he was proactive, he could have ended the fight quicker. Instead, he just plays sitting duck and headless chicken. If you're gonna have Katsuki win the fight, don't bulls*** it.

Which brings me to the final bit of that fight: the meteor shower. Having Katsuki blow that away after supposedly expending most of his energy earlier in the match just does NOT sit right. Ochako gets the upper hand, and then you just… negate that? You expect me to believe that Katsuki could generate an explosion at that magnitude, if nothing else? And what exactly does that do for him in the end? No one else tires him out for the remainder of the festival, which is pretty sketch.

(And yeah, I know I know "What part of her was frail?" but that's more of a retrospective thing than in the moment, coupled with the facf that it's never elaborated on again in any capacity, with Ochako or with someone else. It's a throwaway moment; a waste. Moving on…)

You really can't say much about the matchups with Eijiro and Fumikage. With Eijiro, it's an endurance match, and Katsuki apparently has infinite stamina and is on the attack. And he just… rushes him, which I'm pretty sure anyone else would do. Then with Fumikage, Dark Shadow is weak to light. Katsuki's explosions emit light on contact. Do the math.

And I am especially mad at Katsuki vs Shoto because one, he stays in place yet again at the start of the match, and two, he can apparently ignore his Quirk' weakness to low temperatures. In a gym uniform. Against a glacier the size of a building. Even with his power output, you don't see his explosions dampening in magnitude. It's obviously in his favor, which defeats any tension the fight could have had. It sucks, and in the long run, as a wise man once said, "Todoroki should have folded [his] ass."

Then we get to the Final Exams (ABOUT DAMN TIME) and… Katsuki hits Izuku for trying to cooperate, nearly gets knocked out once, and gets knocked out the second time around. He does not want to work with Izuku despite it being All Might, is petty enough to consider losing, and actively grumbles against working with Izuku. And all of his supposed self-preservation goes flying out the window when he's willing to try and beat All Might, leaving Izuku having to come and carry this boy out of the gate, which should not have let him pass.

Then there's the Training Camp attack. The second Izuku is mentioned, Katsuki decides to go AWOL, and while being kidnapped sucks, I am less sympathetic when you're boneheaded enough to help them capture you because you wanted to fight villains instead of getting to safety like the professionals recommended, all because of your one-sided hatefest with one of your classmates. Congrats, you played yourself.

Then we get to the Provisonal License Exam, which feels like a step in the right direction… until you realize this will boil over into Deku vs Kacchan 2, which will get both of them in trouble, which will give Katsuki insight into OFA while Izuku gets shunned by his classmates, and which will prevent Katsuki from the one ass beating that could have potentially taught him something. It's essentially the narrative covering his ass, and then he has the gall to be happy about other people potentially getting set back just because he was set back. Geez dude.

The Cultural Festival essentially undoes what the Remedial Course Arc accomplishes, having Katsuki look down on the rest of UA when he said NOT to look down on people earlier. And then his speech is still heavily antagonistic to the rest of the school, and to the idea of basic human decency and kindness in general. And if I'm being honest, that whole "he can play drums" feels like a big ass pull to keep him in the spotlight. At least the story brought back his ability to cook down the line.

The Joint Training Arc is just shoe horning in regards to Katsuki. It acts like his gearing up towards saving, but the circumstances are heavily, heavily in his favor, and not in a good way. I've already brought up how Katsuki won't get "saving" until the Endeavor Arc, and how here he's just doing it to show off, so I won't go into it here. Then apparently he gets to outwit a recommendation student 'cause why not? It makes him look more impressive than he actually is, even though he outright states he hasn't changed much if at all. Not to mention the narrative makes it sound like he was some sort of underdog, even though he only got kidnapped and didn't get his license. And I know those are big things, but not enough to warrant his victory feeling that triumphant. I'd probably buy it if he didn't win the Sports Festival or pass the Final Exam. Keep him in that slump for longer than you actually do, or it lessens the impact. And let's not forget, he might have been willing to help Izuku with Blackwhip via fisticuffs, but the second he realized he wasn't getting anything out of it, he noped out. And it's been what, almost 200 chapters since his "starting line?"

I don't have much to say during the Endeavor Arc (that was its own can of worms), but as for the War Arc thus far… here's what I mean by "whiplash." The arc begins in Chapter 253. By Chapter 257, Katsuki will demonstrate how much he just does not give a f*** about Izuku's mastery over OFA so long as it looks like he'll come out on top. By Chapter 274, when Izuku's gotta split, it'll look like Katsuki has been thinking about some stuff, but by 275 he's gonna throw that out the window so he can attempt to one up Tomura and Izuku, and then he'll nearly get killed for it. And we won't know what exactly Katsuki is thinking until a flashback in Chapter 284 (which chronologically takes place after 257), where he has a conversation with All Might about his past with Izuku. Or at least the bullet points. If you're me, the start of the conversation feels less about Izuku and more so about his situation: his situation with OFA. And as much as I want to believe there was at least one good kernel in Katsuki that he was too stubborn to let out with Izuku, I feel like Katsuki only brings up him and his capabilities now because he got a Quirk. That's what put him on Katsuki's radar. That's what forced Katsuki to take notice of Izuku, what caused him to be unable to ignore his own weakness. Because of a Quirk. That's… borderline shallow, if not remarkably so.

And even when Katsuki is attempting to save Izuku in 285, his first thoughts are still on OFA. And even if we go by the line of thought that Katsuki is thinking "Even if OFA sucks, it's still Izuku's Quirk." And that's nice and all, but the flashback makes it seem like the Quirk is still All Might's Quirk as well. That all of Izuku's worth is hinged on the fact that he got a Quirk now and therefore can't be written off. Maybe he doesn't owe this to his accomplishments, but the narrative is terrible in its implications that Izuku wouldn't have gotten as much attention without it. At the end of the day, Katsuki is still associating Izuku's worth with his Quirk. And as much as I want to vaguely, vainly hope that this will change later on, I'm already at my limit

...and now that I've said my piece on almost the entire narrative thus far, let's shift gears to a few more tidbits in 285.

Again, the flashback. I think it's significant that they're shifting the focus briefly on middle school again. But you wanna know what sent me the wrong way? They didn't include the god forsaken suicide instigation. They can show Katsuki gloating. They can show Izuku up against a wall. They can even show a notebook and Izuku's face during the Sludge Villain rematch. But they can't show Izuku reacting with sorrow mixed with almost fury. That can't show Katsuki threatening him with a mere "What?" and the sparks on his palms. They can't show Izuku standing and crying, small and defeated.

"BUT HORI SAID HE WENT TO FAR WITH THAT SCENE!1!" Blah blah blah, doesn't change the fact that it still happened. Doesn't change the fact that it should be addressed, at any capacity. Doesn't change the fact that the story had the balls to recall middle school but couldn't bring itself to remember the one thing that could get its audience raising eyebrows.

But that's alright, it gave you the notebook; clearly it's done enough.

And maybe in another timeline, I could have let my jaw drop when Katsuki was hit and the chapter title was revealed. "Katsuki Bakugo: Rising" It would have been pretty damn powerful too.

...but with all the previous crap the narrative has pulled, it feels like more shoehorning. It feels like more Erasehead stepping in and shaming the audience. It feels like more All Might letting Katsuki in because he's not completely familiar with the finer details. It feels like more people. In narrative parroting that Katsuki changed when he does the bare minimum, as a hero or as a person. I can't treat this development legitimately, because so many other "legitimate" developments pulled a "psyche!" and headed out.

So, I'm done. I'm done with Katsuki, done with hoping his development will be done in a somewhat satisfying manner. Done with people telling me "it's actually good though!" like I'm blind and deaf or something, when I have enough brain cells to formulate my own opinions, and we both have enough brain cells to leave each other alone if we don't agree. Maybe when the series ends and we can all look at this in hindsight, and Katsuki has either found a way to redeem himself, or remain deplorable, I might talk about it then. But for now. I'm drawing the line. I might talk about what we've gotten up to this point, but everything past 285 I'm taking with a grain of salt. 'Cause I'm sick of hoping for something that obviously won't come through, and it's better for me and everyone involved if I just pack up and move on. BNHA isn't just Katsuki's story after all.

And if you made it to the end of all this… I hope you'll either respect my opinion, or respect my thought process. That's all I can ask.

-Crimson Lion (27 September 2020)

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ticklefits · 3 years

Text

AO3 LINK! | tickletober day 2: HIDING.

yuri!! on ice | phichit chulanont & katsuki yuuri | words : 1130 | anon request

Professional skating means professional training. It also means aspects of the physical form, like stamina, are developed to become stronger and last longer than the average person's. Well, thank god for Yuuri enduring through Victor's professional training, because the amount of time he's had to hold his breath while crouched low under Phichit's bed would be astounding to the right few.

"Yuuri!!" Yep, he's definitely mad. Not the I'm going to rip your head off kind of mad ( i.e. Yurio's type of anger ), but the just wait until I find you and tickle the shit out of you kind of mad, because when an angel like Phichit becomes angry at you, his first method of punishment is of course going to be something inherently light-hearted.

Dark eyes widen when Yuuri notices Phichits feet within his line of sight under the bed. He knew he shouldn't have allowed Guang Hong to persuade him to prank his fellow skater, especially since it involved his social media, which is a nigh sacred thing to Phichit. It'll be funny, he said. Phichit will die laughing about it, he said. He observes those feet marching closer and closer to the bed and for a moment, Yuuri feels as though his end is near. On top of being embarrassingly ticklish, Phichit is frighteningly good at tickling and that goes double for tickling Yuuri specifically. He hears the closet door swing open and a huff of frustration falling from the other before he eventually leaves the room.

A few seconds of absolute silence pass and Yuuri, foolishly, believes he's in the clear. Slowly, like a prey feeling out the area after having been alerted to a predator, Yuuri crawls out from underneath the bed and permits himself a diminutive breath of relief. Something he let loose all too soon.

"Aha!!" Comes the loud, accusatory call from Phichit, who's reappeared back in the open frame of his door with an index finger pointed directly at his best friend. "You thought you could hide from me, didn't you, Yuuri!"

The aforementioned male squeaks and rolls onto his back, palms up and arms outstretched from his chest, as if in attempt to admit defeat before Phichit makes any moves.

"Ah! Um, n-no! Not at all! I was just -- uh -- making sure… you didn't.. l-leave your skates under your bed again! Remember last time? You ended up nearly tripping ov---" A little too late, but Yuuri quickly realizes that reminiscing on an embarrassing mishap of Phichit's, when he's already agitated with him, is probably not the wisest of choices; that’s further evidenced by the tanned youth’s cheeks puffing out with a pout drawn across his lips.

“I’ll have you know that I hang my skates beside my bed now, as a symbol of love and honor towards the sport!” Probably not the best place to hang those skates, considering they could fall from their hook on the wall and Phichit may still trip over them - but Yuuri wasn’t about to say that and speak his ticklish demise into existence. Not that it wasn’t going to happen anyway, because as soon as Yuuri attempts a rapid spin to stand and venture an escape, Phichit closes in and tackles him down onto the bed. Fingers jump right into action, scribbling all over Yuuri’s sides and stomach, whilst keeping his body pinned with his weight. The reaction is immediate; Yuuri squirms like an unearthed worm being beaten down by the sun’s rays, giggling already in hysterics. Curse his hyper - sensitive skin! Every scritch and squeeze jolts through him like an electric current and he’s only made extra sensitive by Phichit’s abrupt teases.

“Do you see? You wouldn’t have to deal with such ticklish torture if you hadn’t messed with my insta page!”

“Ahahahahaha! I-I’m sohohohorry! It wahahasn’t -- j-just mehehehehe!” The longer those slender digits torture his stomach, the higher of an octave his laughter raises. Yuuri’s hands fly forward to grip onto Phichit’s wrists to try and deter him in any way, but with the strength he possessed before now usurped by the ticklish sensations, grabbing onto his friend hasn’t proven useful at all. If anything, he’s only been encouraged to migrate elsewhere and Yuuri’s about to regret that decision.

“Now, you’re right, it wasn’t just you, and Guang will receive his punishment the next time I see him. Buuuut for now, all I see is you, so you’re getting yours first!” There’s a particularly playful evil lurking within the intentions of Phichit’s words and Yuuri swears he will never, ever prank the other skater again. Too bad for Yuuri, because Phichit isn’t quite done helping him learn his lesson. “Y’know, I’m still a good friend. Let me help you; I wanna make sure you’ve got the right amount of ribs!”

Oh no.

“Phi--Phichihihihihit, nohoho--!” It’s too late. Ignoring Yuuri’s mirth-laden request, those deft digits travel to the expanse of his ribs and begin to count each one of them, aloud, and to just to make sure Yuuri feels it, Phichit spends some time in between each bone, with gentle, maddening strokes that have Yuuri unhinging his jaw in ripe shrieks of laughter.

“Ohoho, I totally forgot about how ticklish you are on your ribs! It’s one of your worst spots right? Who would’ve thought?” He’s simply being a brat now and if Yuuri could form coherent thoughts, he’d already be planning a vendetta. For now, he’s buried in merriment, some of it obviously forced, but even he couldn’t deny how much fun he’s actually having, and Phichit would say the same thing. Still, even good things must come to an end, and the social media star finally trusts that his friend understands why it isn’t a good idea to prank him. His fingers halt, smooth themselves over Yuuri’s stomach, earning him a stray giggle, but then are removed altogether. Yuuri sucks in as much oxygen as he can, laying unmoving atop the bed, glasses all askew and hopefully, not broken or cracked.

Phichit slides off of the other, appearing rather proud of himself, hand on a hip, while its counterpart is extended to aid Yuuri off of his bed. “Now, I know you’re probably going to want to get me back…,” he starts and bites back a shiver at the small smirk spreading across Yuuri’s lips at his words, “However, if I let you help me teach Guang this same lesson, since it is partly his fault why you got tickled in the first place, will you let me off the hook?”

Yuuri goes silent, truly contemplating the ultimatum he’s given. He nods then, his smirk deflating into a smile as he stands up next to Phichit, who doesn’t see his hand behind his back, with two fingers crossed. “Count me in.”

#tickletober2021 #tickletober 2021 #yuri on ice #yoi #phichit chulanont #katsuki yuuri #ticklefic #tickling #fluff #two best friends being dorks

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shenanigans-and-imagines · 4 years

Note

Hi! Could you do whole alphabet for Echo too? I'm so inlove with your Rex one. So soft

A/N: Sorry, I couldn’t find a nicer gif of my boy. Also, REBLOG AND COMMENT IF YOU LIKE THIS! These take just as much time as a drabble or one-shot to finish. Spread the love.

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

Echo pre and post-Citadel is a cuddler. He cuddles, and talks, and tries to stay awake for as long as he can, because he doesn’t want to lose a second with you.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

He loves your legs. King of looking respectfully whenever you wear something with a short hem line.

Pre-Citadel, he liked his hands. They’re steady and true. Not to mention dexterous fingers which you seemed to appreciate.

Post-Citadel, he likes his eyes. They’re different from before, a bit paler, sunken, but still undeniably human. He needs to remind himself of that fact every now and again.

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

Pre-Citadel, he loved cumming inside you. Nothing felt better than the feeling of his cock buried in your cunt as you milked him for all he was worth. He could stay inside you forever.

Post-Citadel, cumming on his part isn’t really an option, but he be damned if he doesn’t try to make up for it by having you cum again and again.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

Wanted to have a three way with you and Fives. He wasn’t interested in having sex with Fives, rather he wanted to share you with someone he trusted. He thought about he and Fives taking turns with you until you were sex drunk and covered in each of their cum.

He’d never dare bring this up with you or Fives. All the same, even post-Citadel, he still thinks about it.

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Not a lot. He gets nervous around people he’s attracted to and often ends up repeating the last sentence they said on instinct. Some people find it endearing, but it hasn’t gotten him laid that often. He’s had sex once, maybe twice before meeting you.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Pre-Citadel, you on top and riding him into the sunset. Save a horse, ride and ARC Trooper.

Post-Citadel, you laying on your back allowing him a perfect view of your face as he fucks you with a vibrator. Bonus points if you dig your finger nails into his arms until they sting.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He’s the same both pre and post-Citadel. He puts all his attention on you, but every now something awkward happens. This makes him nervous, which means he rambles and says something that gets you laughing and then him laughing until you’re a mess of giggles. So a sweet balance of tender and silly.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

Pre-Citadel, pretty close shaven down there. He generally tries to keep all things neat and titty and that includes his private parts.

Post-Citadel, well there isn’t anything to worry about.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

Pre-Citadel, a nice balance of sweet and tender to just for fun. He called you beautiful every time you were together and tried to show how much he cared. But, there were times when it was just for fun. A pleasurable way to spend what limited time with you he could.

Post-Citadel, he’s still sweet and loving, but there’s more of an edge there. A quiet desperation, as if he’s trying to prove something when you’re together. The praises come more raggedly and a storm of unspoken emotion takes over him. It’s more intense.

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

Pre-Citadel, he didn’t do it that often and honestly a little embarrassed when he did. He can’t help but be paranoid he’s brothers will stumble in on him and he knows the ragging he’ll get if they do. Plus, it feels...well, a little childish when he knows you’re just a phone call away. At the very least with phone sex, you’re with him in some way.

Post-Citadel, there’s nothing to jack.

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Pre-Citadel: Fuck, he loves it when you call him a good boy. There’s just something about that little endearment that drives him wild especially with you fucking yourself on his cock like you own it. Add in some hair pulling and biting and he’s lost.

So, needless to say, total sub.

Post-Citadel: Still likes to be called good boy, but gets a different kind of satisfaction in pinning you to the bed. Has started experimenting with tying you to the bedpost and finding that he likes it. Developing some dom tendencies.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Pre-Citadel; your apartment on Courscant. Just a little home away from his brothers, completely your own with no chance of either of you having to do the walk of shame and getting shit for it.

Post-Citadel: same thing, but has expanded to his room on the Marauder.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Pre and Post Citadel; seeing you in a short tight skirt giving him a perfect view of your legs and proper framing of your ass. Pair this off with a few dirty words in his ear and he’s checking the clock every five seconds for his shift to end.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

Pre-Citadel: Pegging. You tried it once, he wasn’t into it, moving on.

Post-Citadel: No restraints for him. Nothing to take away his senses or any kind of agency. He needs a way out at any given moment.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

Pre-Citadel: split right down the middle between giving and receiving. He was an absolute mess every time you went down on him. His rambled and groaned and begged until his climax hit him like a train. He’d be a trembling mess once you were done with him.

On the other hand, he loved giving. If you decided to ride his face, he was a happy man. Maybe a little too enthusiastic and messy, but damn if it wasn’t satisfying.

Post-Citadel: It’s all about the giving and his technique has improved considerably. He has learned how to tease it out, make you squirm and even make a smug remark or two before finally letting you cum. This pacing also will keep him down there for hours.

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

Pre-Citadel: Fast and enthusiastic. He wanted to make you feel good, feeling energizing thrill when you were together and that meant wanted to make you cum fast and frequently.

Post-Citadel: He’s more willing to take his time. He wants to enjoy every second that he can with you and that means slow and steady, absorbing every little twitch and moan your body produces.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

Pre-Citadel: More often then you’d think. He wants to give you what you want, but if you guys ever worked together he feels like he needs to be ready to go at a moments notice. So that means a lot of quickies in supply closets and empty locker rooms. It was against regulations, obviously, but he did gets a kind of thrill in breaking the rules with you.

Post-Citadel: Not as much his thing. He really, really wants to take his time with you and he’s more than willing to wait. Honestly, seeing you so pent up for him sends it’s own kind of trill down his spine.

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Pre and Post-Citadel; He’s willing to experiment. You guys do your research and properly talk about it before hand, setting boundaries and safe words, if needed. If there is one thing you guys have always been good at, it’s communicating.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

Pre-Citadel: The rounds didn’t last so long (10 to 15 minutes), but he had a great recovery time. Number of rounds averaged about 2 to 3 per night.

Post-Citadel: Literally as long as you can stand, and maybe a little longer.

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

Pre and Post Citadel: Plenty of toys and frequently used; vibrators, dildos, handcuffs, cock rings, the works. If anything post-citadel, the number has expanded.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Pre-Citadel: Terrible at teasing. Just the worst. Cannot tease to save his life. Needs to give you everything the moment you ask for it.

Post-Citadel: Has learned how to tease and is an asshole about it.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Pre and Post-Citadel: Talks a lot during sex. Rambles about anything and everything that comes to his mind. It’s like a filter has been removed. It starts as desperate breathy whispers and end with loud declarations and pleading.

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

Pre-Citadel: He actually considered turning deserter for you. He never told you or anyone, besides Fives. But there were moments with you laying quietly in his arms, he wondered what would happen after the war. He didn’t know if he would have to say in the GAR or if he would be free to leave. And if he was forced to stay, would he? He couldn’t imagine keeping this up forever; meeting in dark corners, sneaking out to your apartment, as if what you were doing was wrong. If the war ended and the Senate decided to keep them as soldiers, he would leave. He would leave for you.

Post-Citadel: He still wonders about the war and how it will end. He wanted to be your husband. To give you children and a quiet life somewhere warm and safe. But, given what he was now, normal would never be an option. It eats at him in the dark with you pressed quietly against him. If he were a selfless man, he’d let you go. But he won’t. He can’t. He doesn’t want to.

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

Pre-Citadel: Standard issue thick clone dick. Can and will fill you up until you’re bursting at the seams.

Post-Citadel: The dick is gone and the Techno Union did not deem it necessary to get him a replacement one. Technically they do exist, but they’re ridiculously expensive and most won’t sell to Clones.

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

Pre-Citadel: Surprisingly high. Before he met you, he was convinced he was the horniest virgin in the GAR. So, when you did get together you guys were going at it like rabbits. Call it years of repression finally letting loose.

Post-Citadel: The drive isn’t what it was, but he still wants to give you pleasure. More like 2 to 3 times a week as opposed to every night.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Pre and Post-Citadel: Can and will stay awake for as long as he can. Even if you can see his eyes drooping, he’ll force them open for as long as you’re awake, rambling long into the night. He wants to be with you as long as he can.

#echo #arc trooper echo #echo x reader #arc trooper echo x reader #star wars #the clone wars #star wars imagine #the clone wars imagine #lemon

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twonderland · 4 years

Text

Octavinelle induction PROGRAM to NRC Headcanons 🌊💙

Summary: Ever since I knew that most of octavinelle students were merfolks I felt bad for them but also kind of admiration for the strength that they have. I mean, they are creatures of the sea that had to learn how to use their legs, learn to drink water, link up to a total different environment etc in order to attend their dream school. So i decided to make some headcanons of what the NRC program for merfolks would be and how our dearest eels and azul went through it !!

General headcanons :

- the program lasts one year, so the students have enough time to prepare physically and emotionally to changes

- It covers: “physical training” this one is for increasing muscle in legs and arms, also to strengthen lungs.

- “Emotional development” this part helps the students to take a liking to the land, seeing the benefits and searching their likings to it so they don’t reject it so much, it is also so they don’t get depressed for being away from their home and real form for too many time

- “Main physical reactions” this one teaches the students what reactions could their bodies have like hives, dry skin, swelling etc. so in case it happens to them, they ask for help to the infirmary

- “Food and drinks” this may seem easy, but it’s really tiring and not so fun for the students, they teach them how to swallow water, use their teeth, and some rules like “don’t swim right after you eat” “don’t run while you eat” etc etc. some merfolk creatures have a different digestive system, so they have to get used to their human form.

- He read really carefully all the program details when NRC gave him an archive where all the specifications where included

- He was doing a mental list like “oh, this sounds easy, I can handle it” or “hahaha it’s going to be so amusing to see Jade or Floyd trying this” .... but poor and unfortunate soul he was when he discovered how his mocking would turn to him too, all laughs died at the start of the program

- This is Azul, obviously he was also trying the see which students were struggling the most so he could offer his services to them, mentioning that he was capable of erasing their suffering for just a little price and a contract

- In spite of having to change his merfolk form, Azul could have been the most happy and comfortable about it of all the students of new entry, when he was about to enter his first year, Azul’s past of being bullied was still really fresh so changing of body was a relief to him

- The most difficult task he had to handle was learning how to walk, I mean, from having EIGHT tentacles with which he used to move to just TWO legs and in top of everything are SO RIGID and only can move them forward or backward for those stupid “knees”

- He really starts to think “I wonder if I can make a contract with myself ... “

- What he enjoyed was to prove so many different tastes in “emotional development” class. Underwater you can’t prove different tastes so he was quite surprised. Teachers tried to find what would catch the interest of the student so they had reasons to fond with land better, and the taste of pastas, confectionery, ad sweet beverages catch his eye... or better said tongue 😂

- Still to this day you can find him admiring his human skin when he’s alone, it’s so strange and at the same time really soft in some areas, the color is strange too, so don’t be surprised when you become a couple and he’s caressing your hands, if he thought his human skin was interesting Azul thinks your skin is way more beautiful (strange but cute) 😂💖

- It’s excited and a little bit nervous, but mostly curious. Attending to NRC was an interesting experience for a merfolk.

- Jade is sly and he’s thinking all the time what convenient uses could have the development of his training once he’s on land, for example, how can he improve with the movement of his feet so he can make almost no noise when walking behind someone, have enough strength in his arm so he can strangle Azul’s enemies more easily ... you know, the normal

- This goals make it easier to handle some troublesome tasks

- It was in “emotional development” class where he knew the existence of mushrooms, the teachers where talking about different topics, food, music, art, biology. Those little and puffy things stole his heart and at night you could find Jade searching mushrooms images on the internet (he also had to learn how to use electronic devises)

- It’s canon that Jade learned some recipes from Ruggie so I imagine that at the beginning (when Jade was still a beginner at cooking) He, Floyd and Azul had a lot of raw or burnt eggs for breakfast, they had to eat for a good time at the cafeteria

- Everything was color pink until he learned that some mushrooms could provoque some not so nice reactions in his body, he got this info from “main physical reactions” class

- Floyd and Azul witnessed a pouting Jade a whole day

- Jade got over it, but when you became his partner he got an amazing surprise, your cheeks where as fluffy as his beloved mushrooms !! (Weird way to compliment you but you have Jade’s love so who cares 😂)

- “Waaaaiii look at this Jade !! (Referring to the program) seems fun !! ne ~ ne ~ do you think that Azul will cry with this ?? Hehehe” Meanwhile Azul in the background “SHUT UP FLOYD”

- He’s like a child, he’s excited of what is going to happen during the induction.... that, until the pain begins

- “I DONT WANT TO DO ANOTHER “SQUAT” OR WHATEVER THAT IS” he’s the loudest student in the gym, you know that pain that stays in your body the day after you work out ? Well, Floyd felt it for the first time in his new legs and in great amounts

- The students have to increase their muscle volume so their new extremities are healthy, but Floyd doesn’t give a damn “Floyd, if you don’t train you won’t be able to go to class” “shut up Jade !! Neee then why don’t you carry me instead ? That’s way easier !!!” He’s clinging on Azul, or better said, crushing him “easier just for you dumb Floyd !! GET OFF ME !!”

- He’s a little bored since he was training with a bunch of merfolk guys so he couldn’t give them nicknames because they were in fact sea creatures

- Despite of all his complains, his legs were the ones with the fastest development in muscles of all class, that’s because it’s Floyd and happened two things : one, he can’t stay in one place for too long so you could see him jumping, walking or even dancing a little bit in his free time. And two: he learned what basketball was , surprisingly he has talent for the sport and his stamina and height helps him too

- Another thing that also catch his interest of being on land were the scent of things, so don’t be scared if he starts to smell your hair randomly one day, he loves your scent !!!

- Talking about you ... in a school full of guys he had fun putting in practice his art of giving nicknames to his classmates but when he met you ... he was sooo HAPPY !! You are so CUTE AND TINY AND SMELL GOOD !! And ... oh look at this

- YOUR HANDS

- your tiny hands, feet and ... well everything about you is more tiny than him and he adores that

- He still has a lot to learn and he would love to do it by your side !!

#twst octavinelle #octavinelle #twisted wonderland #twst #twst azul #azul ashegrontto #twst jade #twst jade leech #jade leech #twst floyd leech #twst floyd #floyd leech #twst headcanons

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tategamis · 3 years

Text

these are just some of the old short writings i liked from my previous tategamis, i wanted to compile them here : )

the first 2 are based on an au idea i had, that while humans die, constellations don’t, and there’s been generations of bladers who take up beys passed down from ancestors. so the beys remember rivalries from constellations from across generations, and that carries over to their bladers over time. and beys don’t directly communicate with words to their bladers, they use mainly sounds like ringing, and it’s up to the bladers to understand what they mean.

( 1 ) “In every life of its Blader, the rivalry is never lost.”

He’s only felt the ringing this badly once before.

It’s not a time that he’d like to think about, but Ginga can’t help letting the particular memory resurface.

The moment Pegasus had landed in his palm, just after his father had launched the Bey to him, right before the man had been buried beneath rubble.

Ginga almost physically remembers how he’d been overwhelmed by some sudden surge of energy—that’s the only way that he can coherently manage describing what he’d experienced then. The feeling of his entire body clenching in on itself, his muscles tightening, his head aching with the increasingly shrill ringing… It’d taken him everything to hurry out of the collapsing, lava-ridden cavern without stumbling and accidentally sending himself to his own demise.

In the midst of his recollections and trying to stifle the ringing in his head, Ginga grimaces. He wills Pegasus to calm down for a moment and reassures the spirit that everything’s all right. They’ll find out whoever is causing this, and it’ll be fine.

It won’t be the same outcome like when Pegasus and L-Drago had met back then, in his hometown.

There’s a sharp trill that runs through Ginga’s mind, and he grits his teeth. The ringing returns, but this time, it’s a tad subdued, and Ginga, now having more time to really listen to Pegasus, feels that this is a bit of a different message from the one that he’d gotten about L-Drago.

For what seems like the millionth time since he had started to, and finally bonded with, Storm Pegasus fully, Ginga thinks about one of the other famous legends—besides that of the Star Fragments—from Kouma Village.

The legend about bonding between Blader and Bey.

“If the Blader and their Bey are truly compatible, they will bond. You will hear your Bey’s emotions and feel as it feels, and your Bey will hear your emotions and feel as you feel.”

“But how is that possible?” Ginga had wondered aloud, peering at his father. “How can I hear my Bey’s emotions?”

Directing his gaze to his son, the man smiled. “Oh, you will understand one day, Ginga.”

“What’s it like?” Inquisitive and unwilling to drop the subject, the young boy had continued to prod.

Laughing, his father looked up to the night sky, filled with speckles of white, again. “It’s good to know you want to learn more. There is an ancient legend passed down here in Kouma Village that tells us about the experience of Blader and Bey bonding.”

He clears his throat and speaks, “‘The stars are seemingly endless in the sky, which is full of extraordinary things. Humans took great wonder in the realm above, seeing the stars that glittered in the midnight, and rendering from them, with a passionate creativity, the concept of constellations. Seeing the patterns that the stars created, and complementing it with the creation of the first Bey from a Star Fragment, humans linked the two. Humans believed that if Beys were born of stars, and the stars formed constellations in the sky, there was a powerful connection between them.

“‘Over time, it was true. The constellations in the sky became a part of the Beys in spectacular flashes of light, and although humans found it strange that powerful beings from the constellations were then alive in their Beys, they believed they had some purpose for doing so. Perhaps it was to spread Beyblade to others, or it was to protect the world from some kind of sinister force. Sensing that the latter would pose a troublesome problem, the first Blader bonded with the first Bey from the Star Fragment from Kouma Village. It was then discovered that through an unbelievably selective process of trust and dedication, if the Blader and their Bey are truly compatible, they will bond. The Blader will hear their Bey’s emotions and feel as it feels, and their Bey will hear their emotions and feel as they feel. They will develop, together, a true Blader’s Spirit.

“‘And so, over time, as more and more Bladers have come and gone, but Beys have remained the same, it is also said that when Blader and Bey have truly bonded, and when they come across another pair of an incredible bond, there may be some great reckoning between them. Whether that is a long-lasting rivalry since the beginning of Beyblade, or an unbreakable friendship across different eras of time, both Bladers and Beys will feel it, and they will be drawn to one another.’”

“But how do they know?” Ginga scrunched his brows together.

His father chuckled. “The legend says they can feel it in many different ways, but most Bladers feel it as a kind of ringing in their minds, unlike the typical humming of the voice of their Beys.”

It’d definitely taken some getting used to—having another presence in his mind, but not necessarily ever saying anything, ever making any noise, unless something caught its attention. Ginga lets a smile form on his face. It’s a presence that’s become his friend over the past year. And from what Ginga can tell from his friend, is that it doesn’t feel frightened.

Instead, Pegasus almost seems… uncontainable. Practically rearing to go, Ginga concludes. It’s clear that the spirit understands something that he doesn’t—something about whoever’s a part of that Face Hunter gang—and that’s what makes Ginga somewhat uncomfortable. Is it a mix of excitement and anxiety and heated old feelings that is coursing through Pegasus now? Ginga regrets that he’s not fully certain.

For a split second, he wonders if he shouldn’t have accepted these Face Hunters’ challenge, but then he’s met with another fierce trill from Pegasus, and he abandons the idea with a slight wobble in his step. Obviously, this person with the Bey that Pegasus is reacting to is important, and Ginga can’t help wondering if they could be another rival like Ryuuga. That’s enough to make him still support his choice of accepting their blatantly one-sided fight. But only one-sided through the lens of numbers.

Even if they’re a group, and he’s only got himself and Pegasus, Ginga knows they won’t lose. He grins.

“What’re you smiling about?”

Ginga notices that the purple-haired Face Hunter with the beanie pulled over his head is scowling at him.

“You’re not gonna make it out of this battle the winner, you know!”

Ginga knows better than to rile him up further, and he shakes his head. “We’ll see.”

The ringing in his head has only grown stronger, but Ginga does well in taking it in stride. He should try to get used to it, even if he doesn’t experience it often, because he doesn’t want an excruciating headache every time it does.

Continuing to follow the group of Face Hunters, Ginga steps into a construction site, the beginnings of the building’s metal framework rising high into the air.

He notes that there are many more of the gang members skulking about or actively leering at him on the unfinished structure. Huh, he wonders what kind of battle they have planned.

No matter, Pegasus is up for anything.

There’s a brief dulling in the ringing, and Ginga withholds a chuckle. Pegasus agrees.

Somehow, Ginga ends up center stage, it seems. He doesn’t really pay much attention to whatever is being said to him about how this is a “One Hundred Bey Battle,” as the ringing in his head returns full force, sending all other noises into the background, and guiding him where to look.

Ginga looks up, and up, and then there.

It’s him.

The second that Ginga sees the boy laying on a hanging crossbeam, he knows it’s him.

And Ginga’s pretty sure that the other adolescent, with his keen pale blue gaze trained only onto Ginga’s form, knows there’s something up as well.

Suddenly, there are Beys everywhere, and ah, seems as if he’d missed their launches. Ginga pushes back the ringing and turns his attention to the matter before him.

“I accept. Whether it’s a hundred Bladers or a thousand.”

As he attempts to attune himself with the whims of Pegasus, he ignores the Face Hunters’ heckling. He hopes the ringing will stop, but he doesn’t think it will.

Ginga can faintly hear Kenta—he wonders how the younger Blader had found him, but doesn’t question it for now—yelling from beside him to not go through with this awful match. As what seems to be popular belief, the fight apparently is heavily skewed in favor of the Face Hunters, and it nearly spells disaster for him and Pegasus.

However, he knows better.

“Remember Kenta, a Bey’s attack power doesn’t come from its attack power or its stamina, and it doesn’t matter how many there are!” Ginga declares resolutely, remaining still as he feels inside himself Pegasus’s spirit, running rampant with enthusiasm.

It’s at this moment that teen lounging above sees something else to confirm his suspicions about this Ginga Hagane in front of him. As if the mysterious and obnoxious ringing in his mind isn’t enough.

He’s glowing with an odd, sapphire aura.

The Lion spirit dwelling within his Bey growls, and the Face Hunter’s leader can feel it.

Ginga Hagane, huh?

The moment he launches Pegasus and calls its full name, the ringing changes.

As Ginga lets his Bey tear through the hundred others, he can hear Pegasus singing. It’s a strange, light—but still loud—humming in the back of his mind that he’s felt in many instances before, though this time, it’s much more intense. Ginga can now confirm that Pegasus is excited. Pegasus isn’t at all scared of the old rival it seems to have in whatever Bey that that guy possesses.

In fact, Ginga’s sure that Pegasus is delighted, by the way his chest seems to loosen, and his hands seem to be tingling.

Only seconds tick by before Pegasus is throwing the Beys into a spiral of ashen blue as it continues to pick up speed. Then, Pegasus is tossing them out of its tornado, and Ginga can feel the taunt that his Bey is sending out to the other, egging it on to reveal itself and fight.

Ginga can barely hear the clattering of Beys over the ringing in his head. He watches as they tumble down to the ground around him, and he looks up, a grin on his face as he catches Pegasus.

“Like I said, the difference between winning and losing is the Blader’s Spirit.”

He watches as the teen with the piercing blue eyes finally stands.

“Ginga Hagane, Storm Pegasus…” His adversary grins as well. “You feel it too, huh?”

Ginga’s not surprised that those are the other boy’s first words, and he nods his head. What does surprise him is that the ringing in his mind begins to pulse out, and Ginga thanks Pegasus silently for giving him respite. Perhaps Pegasus figures that it’s important to hear what this rival has to say.

“At last, it seems an opponent worthy of me and my Rock Leone has made himself known!” proclaims the Face Hunter’s leader with a smirk as he holds his Bey forward.

It catches the light in a strange way that Ginga knows isn’t natural.

“Who are you?” Ginga asks, and he can feel Pegasus nearly answering the question for him. Buzzing, and then ringing, the two alternate, and Ginga gently reminds his Bey to settle down for a second.

“I’m Kyouya Tategami,” the spiky, green-haired teen introduces haughtily, and Ginga swears he sees an emerald aura flaring to life around him. “This should be interesting.”

Pegasus ignores his suggestion, the ringing grows louder, and Ginga can feel his Bey’s spirit tugging in his mind and energizing him. Its behavior screams to him that this is a challenge it won’t let go, that it’s been searching and searching for this rival, and it’s realized that ever since it’d become Ginga’s partner, it’d known this day would come. In every life of its Blader, the rivalry is never lost.

Ginga holds Pegasus tightly in his fist.

Interesting, indeed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

( 2 ) Once more, we meet again.

Kyouya doesn’t expect to meet anyone competent here, but this is the only way he can go to the World Championships, so he toughs it out. Chances are, the Bladers who’ll make the Savannah team with him won’t be terrible and irredeemable. They just won’t be anywhere near his level. That’s fine. He’ll be pulling most of the weight anyway, since it’s his goal to reach Ginga and be the one to defeat him.

He’s not going to get his hopes up about his teammates. There’d be no chance to be “disappointed but not surprised,” then.

That’s why he is surprised when the ringing starts in the back of his mind, loud and unrelenting.

Kyouya mumbles a curse, but he’s careful not to let it show that his head is almost being ripped in half from inside out. His lips tighten into a frown, as Kyouya finds it’s the easiest expression to maintain when this happens. Shakily raising a hand over his face, Kyouya points his gaze downwards, his bangs hiding the pain flashing through his eyes.

Sometimes, he really hates when Leone does this.

The green-haired Blader pushes back against his Bey’s spirit as he tells it that yes, yes, there is someone here with a Bey that connects with him. That Leone has had ties to this other spirit before. Yes, he understands, now please stop. The ringing dulls for a moment, but the stinging continues to pulse in the back of his mind every now and then. He knows that this Bey wasn’t an enemy of his Leone before, as the pain associated with a foe is much different. It’s searing. Gouging, almost. At least this one… This one is a bit more tolerable.

Enduring it well, Kyouya focuses on the fact that Leone has identified someone with a Bey who’s worthy of his attention.

He’ll see about that, though.

There’s another noise underneath the now dulled ringing, though. It’s more like a soft buzzing, as if Leone’s softly growling, but not because danger has been detected. Kyouya wonders about it. Perhaps another Bey spirit? [1] Clearly not belonging to someone with as much perceived strength to make his head almost split, but enough to be identified by Leone. Kyouya supposes that he’ll keep that notion in the back of his mind for now—quite literally and figuratively.

After the selection tournament rules—which Kyouya had only half-listened to—had been declared, he, along with the other Bladers, walk to their respective stadiums. He readies his launcher, and when the countdown reaches its end, he’s prepared to clean out the competition in seconds flat. He doesn’t want to spend more time than needed on boring preliminaries.

The second that everyone launches, Kyouya grimaces. Leone is reacting even more to that Bey, even though it’s not in their stadium. Ugh. Just because it’s spinning and active now.

Overriding the pain with sheer willpower, Kyouya scowls and yells, “Leone!”

He smirks when he sees Leone’s tornadoes juggle his adversaries’ Beys around mercilessly. In an instant, the moment the thought crosses his mind, the tornadoes break, and Beys are raining down from the sky. Clatter, clatter, clatter…

And that’s that, Kyouya thinks as Leone hops back into his hand and sends a surge of energy throughout his body. Still telling him about that other Bey, huh.

Kyouya ascends the steps to the announcer’s platform where the winner’s bracelets are up for retrieval. He snaps one around his wrist and observes the other two matches. The vantage point is much better up here for seeing who the owner of the Bey is, and as Kyouya’s gaze sweeps over the blue stadium, he knows.

It’s the Blader with the orange and brown hair.

It’s him.

Leone sends out a stream of incoherent buzzing into Kyouya’s mind when the Blader’s Bey finishes off all its opponents, and Kyouya is certain that it’s him even more.

He stares up at Kyouya, and when they make eye contact, a harsh trill zaps through Kyouya’s mind, and no more confirmation is needed.

The second Blader to claim victory makes his way to where Kyouya is, and he takes a bracelet for himself. Kyouya lets silence brew between them before he crosses his arms and decides to say something.

“Ally? Rival?” Kyouya grunts out first, as he glances sidelong at the Blader standing beside him. He’s pretty sure that his new teammate has felt the same things he has. There’d be no way that his Bey had been silent throughout this whole competition.

The shorter teen laughs, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. His laughter is warm and musical, clearly indicating his genuine amusement. On the other hand, Kyouya doesn’t find anything about this all that entertaining.

The stranger spends a good amount of time chuckling, and Kyouya is impatient to be enlightened on why what he’d said was so funny.

“Why not both? It’s what Horuseus has been telling me,” replies the stranger, finally, tilting his head to the side. “More specifically, ‘friend.’”

“Horuseus?” Probably his Bey, figures Kyouya. And then he hones in on the last word, “friend.” Kyouya almost repeats the word. It leaves a bitter expression on his face, even though he hadn’t even said it. Just thinking about it irritates him. The other Blader senses Kyouya’s guarded annoyance, and he chuckles.

“He isn’t the most approachable, is he?” is how the Egyptian teen understands Horuseus’ humming in his mind. He thinks to himself that this outlander isn’t, but he’ll do his best to get along with him. After all, they’re teammates.

“I’m Nile, by the way,” the Horuseus Blader introduces himself, ignoring the fact that he has yet to hear a comment about their Beys’ association.

“Kyouya” is the prompt and sharp response he gets, and Nile smiles thinly. He can tell that Kyouya is an outlander. He’s not judging by looks, since that can get you nowhere, but rather by aura.

Horuseus tells him that there’s something different about Kyouya, and Nile can’t help agreeing.

This time, Leone sends a wave of soft humming through Kyouya’s mind. The green-haired Blader almost imagines it as his Lion prodding him with a paw playfully, an attempt to subtly make known its feelings about interacting with this rediscovered “friend” in Nile’s Bey. It certainly seems what Nile had said about their Bey spirits’ past is true, Kyouya admits a bit wryly as he watches the last battle royale play out. If Leone had let its guard down so easily around this “Horuseus,” then Kyouya thinks that perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to have a teammate like Nile. However, trust would still have to be built and earned, no matter what Leone tells him, Kyouya reaffirms.

“I look forward to going to the World Championships with you, then, Kyouya,” Nile informs him politely. Thanks to Horuseus and his own judgment, he can sense that Kyouya has the drive and desire to win, a limitless resolve, and brazen determination. Merged with the nearly unparalleled synergy between him and his Bey’s spirit, it’s all overwhelmingly noticeable. Perhaps just as strong as his with Horuseus.

“You mean ‘winning the World Championships,’” corrects Kyouya without missing a beat. “I have no interest in losing. Especially not to a certain someone.”

Nile blinks back his surprise and then shakes his head, a laugh bubbling from his throat. “Of course. I should have known that you don’t think small, from what Horuseus is telling me about your Bey.”

“I don’t.” The humming grows louder, and he sighs.

Kyouya tries his hardest to push away the inkling of the idea struggling to take front and center of his mind. He tries and tries, but knowing that Leone is fully backing the notion too, Kyouya lets it into his thoughts.

Perhaps it would be all right to become “friends” with Nile.

As much as Kyouya doesn’t want to think about it, he realizes, much to his chagrin,

he’d like to.

[1]: Scorpio‼ DEMURE!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

( 3 ) Reliance.

Mei-Mei shuffled out of her room, blanket pulled over her shoulders as she stumbled around in the darkness of Beylin Temple. A small paper bag was clutched in one of her hands as she rested her other against the wall to guide her way to the kitchen. As much as she hadn’t wanted to get up, she knew that she probably should. She’d awoken with a sore throat, and even though she hated to admit it, she was sick. Mei-Mei knew what that meant: She’d have to face dire consequences in skipping training tomorrow, or go to training and perform poorly.

Either meant that the boys would make fun of her, and Mei-Mei hated it.

Even though she’d proven herself as a strong Blader, one of the best at the temple, the same stupid boys would always try to pick fights with her and make her look bad no matter what.

It really was annoying since most of the other boys were quite fond of her after she’d earned her place at Beylin Temple.

She sighed. She didn’t have time to think about that. She just had to get to the kitchen, make herself her medicine that she’d brought from home, and hopefully feel better once she’d gone back to sleep.

After wrapping her blanket around her tighter, Mei-Mei filled a kettle with some water and set it on the stove to boil. She took a seat at one of the dining tables and rested a hand against her face as she blinked sleepily. She really was tired. It was only truly hitting her now, but she’d definitely overworked herself during the first few months that she’d been here.

It wasn’t her fault, really, though. All the training, having to prove herself, the annoying other recruits, waking up so early…

Mei-Mei hadn’t even noticed that she’d drifted off into slumber until someone was lightly tapping her hand.

“Huh? What?” She looked around confusedly before seeing that Da Xiang was standing on the other side of the table, a fond expression on his face.

“I hadn’t expected to see you here, up so late, Mei-Mei,” he observed, his head cocked to the side in mild surprise.

She looked at him flatly. “Oh, I was just trying to make my medicine… I got sick, or something.”

“I see, that’s too bad.” Da Xiang moved back towards the stove and reached into a cupboard for a mug. “I hope you feel better soon.”

“Yeah, thanks.” Mei-Mei wasn’t really watching him, her mind still a bit foggy from how tired she was, and the fact that she very well could be running a fever.

Da Xiang had already poured the hot water from the kettle into the cup and opened the bag of medicine that had been on the counter top. He hoped that the teal-haired Blader didn’t mind, but noticing that she was nodding off again, he figured that she wouldn’t. The older teen pulled a spoon from one of the drawers near him and set it in the mug as he examined the medicine and read the handwritten characters on the bag. Ah. He was familiar with this.

Popping open one of the small pouches, he poured its contents into the mug and began to stir it, before adding a little bit of cool water to it. He watched as the water turned brown, and he smiled. It reminded him of what his mother used to make him all the time when he was sick.

“You should take more time for yourself, go to sleep and take a day off tomorrow,” Da Xiang suggested, still mixing the herbal drink as he turned towards Mei-Mei, the cup in his hand.

She seemed to have snapped awake, glowering.

“Well, it’s either that I don’t go to training and everybody makes fun of me, or I go and then I fall flat on my face because I’m sick, and everybody still makes fun of me,” she grumbled, folding her arms and tugging her blanket around her closer.

Merely smiling at the younger girl, Da Xiang placed the mug on the table and pushed it towards her. “Here.”

Mei-Mei hadn’t even realized that he’d been preparing her medicine for her, so when he set it down in front of her, she blinked up at him in slow acknowledgement. “Oh. Thanks.”

She dreaded drinking the medicine, for its taste was foul and its texture was not pleasing at all, but Mei-Mei took a large gulp of it anyway before gasping for air and stating disgustedly, “I hate this stuff.”

Da Xiang chuckled softly before sitting across from her. “It is quite awful, isn’t it? But it’s good for you, so drink up.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” replied the girl with a scowl, not directed at him though. “You sound like my old grandma.”

This time, Da Xiang laughed quite loudly before remembering that everybody else was asleep and hushing himself instantly. He murmured quietly, “Well, that’s the first time I’ve had someone tell me that.”

Mei-Mei was in the middle of taking another sip of her medicine when Da Xiang said, seemingly out of nowhere, “You have another option, you know.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” She’d set down her cup after grimacing obnoxiously, and then tilted her head as she stared at the Temple’s top Blader.

“You said that everybody will make fun of you if you skip training or if you go to it and do badly,” he brought up, resting a hand on his chin.

“Oh. Yeah. Well, it’s true,” Mei-Mei said with a deadpan. She stared at the brown medicine with a frown.

Da Xiang shook his head. “I say that you take time to rest and take of yourself for the next few days. No one will tease you over those days and once you’re back.”

“I’d like to see how that’d happen,” she answered without missing a beat, her tone anything but optimistic.

“I will make sure of it. Everybody gets sick, and it’s nothing to be worried about.” Da Xiang stared seriously at Mei-Mei, his emerald eyes sharp and cool. However, the girl could see that there was a hard look to them, and she hid her shock.

She blinked before bringing up the mug to her lips so that it’d block her face, and that Da Xiang couldn’t see how she was embarrassed. No one had really stood up for her before; she’d have to do all the standing up for herself, well, by herself.

“Thanks…” mumbled Mei-Mei into the cup, her voice echoing into the ceramic slightly. She finished off the rest of her medicine as Da Xiang laughed softly at her reaction.

“It’s no problem. Besides, even with a few days more of training than you, most of those guys out there are still long behind you in skill,” he pointed out, taking the mug from her hand once she’d placed it down again.

He stood up to wash it, and Mei-Mei was about to protest before he turned to her and recommended gently, but firmly, “You’d better head off to sleep. Don’t worry about this, I’ll clean up.”

Mei-Mei got to her feet and tucked in her chair before inclining her head slightly and saying, “Thanks, again, Da Xiang.”

Da Xiang looked back at her and smiled thinly, addressing her by name telling her that it was no problem.

She was about to turn out of the kitchen when she’d realized that he hadn’t called her by name, but… She thought about it again, and recognizing that he’d changed the tone on his words, she understood that he’d called her “little sister.”

Mei-Mei grinned, and as she left the room, she said loudly enough for Da Xiang to hear, “Thanks, big bro.”

Da Xiang’s smile widened a little, and he waved shortly at her. “No problem.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

( 4 ) To consume.

Zeo stared blankly at the wall in front of him, his knees drawn up to his chest. He had fallen deep in thought, about the same thing he’d been poring over for the past few weeks. Angrily, he clutched his knees and glowered, and his brows pinched together when he was reminded just why he was here again.

It was all Masamune’s fault.

Digging his fingers into his unruly tresses, Zeo screamed, frustrated.

No… He seemed beyond mere frustration… He was incensed, a wild rage lashing out inside him as he screamed again.

He didn’t care if someone could hear him beyond his room’s walls. No one else really cared about him here. No one else wanted to know how he was feeling. And Zeo didn’t care about them either.

He was only here for Toby, and because Masamune also didn’t care about them. He and Toby, his best friends. Zeo gritted his teeth and snarled.

Training in the day seemed to get his mind off the maddening thought, for the most part, as he was preoccupied with bearing the Arrangements and harsh exercises. Zeo admitted that he did think about why he needed to be the best Blader, but when he was alone, in his room, in the quiet night…

He always ended up coming back to it again—letting his fury boil as he thought about Masamune running off to fight Ginga.

As if that was supposed to be helpful for Toby’s recovery, Zeo scoffed to himself. He’s just completely selfish. Always saying he’ll be number one, all by himself, huh?!

Zeo began smashing his fist against the wall, over and over, uncaring towards any bruises that would surely splotch all over his knuckles tomorrow.

He only continued to slam his hand against the wall when he realized that he was holding back annoying tears, a burning behind his eyes. He wasn’t sad at all, no. He was just beyond pissed. And with no one to turn to, no one to listen to him, no one to understand why he was so angry… Zeo stopped the angry tears from coming out at all, and he closed his eyes.

He’d already cried once, when he spent his first night at Hades Incorporated’s training facility, when his rage had overwhelmed him. Zeo remembered it clearly. The first thing he’d thought about when he’d fallen onto his bed was that he didn’t know what the hell was going on with his body when he’d been shoved into an Arrangement pod. He’d never been so terrified before, and it had hurt more than anything he’d ever experienced—

Zeo had stopped that thought and lifted his head slowly as realization dawned on him. No. What had hurt more than anything he’d ever experienced…

Masamune betraying him.

That had hurt him more than anything he’d ever experienced.

Zeo had let the tears fall from the corners of his eyes when everything came crashing down around him. He was stuck in this place he knew nothing about, and he’d practically signed himself up to be some kind of experiment. He had no friends here. Damian and Jack were far from being his friends, and in all honesty, Zeo got a bad feeling from the two of them. So, he was alone, his rage threatening to consume him whenever he was awake, and he was hurting.

But even though he was feeling all of this, Zeo told himself that he had to endure it. This was for Toby. It didn’t matter what happened to himself if Toby was all right. That was it. A plus would even be that he would have the chance to crush Masamune if he ever saw him again, since he’d become much stronger here.

Opening his eyes, Zeo scowled.

Oh, yes. He would become “Number One,” and he’d show Masamune who was the true winner.

A wicked smile played upon his lips as he laughed shortly to himself, his fist idly hitting the wall in a slow rhythm, the action more subconscious than anything.

“Abandoning me and Toby like that, huh, Masamune, it’s just like you… Just like you…” Zeo repeated out loud, his teal eyes dead despite the rage that bubbled within his soul.

Zeo had long gotten used to the fact that this room was nothing like his own, where there was a pretty window that always filtered in soft moonlight to help him fall asleep.

This room was completely different. There was no window, and practically no light even slipped in from beneath the door’s crack. He’d first felt trapped when he had stepped inside, but now…

Zeo was alone in the darkness, but he was perfectly all right with it. He wasn’t trapped, no, he was just fine…

This was the way to help Toby, the only way…

And, with another short laugh, Zeo murmured to himself, “It won’t be long.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

( 5 ) I think I know you, and I do, don’t I?

“Time is such a funny thing, isn’t it, Ginga?”

Ginga looks over to his right, and he can faintly see the silhouette of Hyouma’s sprawled out form beside him. It’s dark, but the lack of light pollution in Kouma Village lets the moonlight and faint starshine guide Ginga’s eyes to his friend.

Before the Pegasus Blader has a chance to ask what Hyouma means, his childhood friend chuckles. “It feels like we were just here. Another day of playing in the fields gone by, and then laying down in the grass at night and stargazing. It’s like things haven’t changed since when we were younger.”

“Yeah.”

Ginga closes his eyes and thinks back to those times. He vividly remembers the two of them excitedly playing tag among the tall grasses dotted with pastel pinks, blues, yellows, and oranges from the blooming wildflowers. In the midst of his recollections, though, he can sense that Hyouma isn’t done speaking, and he’s right, for in a few a seconds, Hyouma continues, “But I guess I’m just reminiscing too much. Things have changed, and the year’s almost over.”

Ginga feels like he heard a good amount of bitterness in that. He scrunches his brows together as he opens his eyes and lets them wander from brightest star to the dimmest, his fingers absently brushing through the cool grass around him. He wants to ask what Hyouma means by, “Things have changed,” but he can’t bring himself to do it.

He knows what he means. The Nemesis Crisis. The world really hadn’t recovered from that yet. He’s not sure it ever will.

“As much as it feels like this is the same as it was when we were younger, it isn’t the same, is it?” Hyouma whispers, closing his eyes.

“Yeah, it’s not.” Ginga smiles wryly, his lips barely lifting.

He really does understand what Hyouma means when he’s talking like this,

…But then Hyouma says something Ginga doesn’t really understand.

“I’m not sure this world can really offer you much anymore, with how you’ve been clearing every single challenge coming your way,” chuckles Hyouma softly, and this time, for sure, Ginga can detect a hint of bitterness in his friend’s voice.

The chilly night breeze washes over the both of them.

Ginga’s eyes soften, and a thin smile appears on his face.

“What are you talking about, Hyouma?”

The Aries Blader’s eyes snap open. He can’t read Ginga’s tone. That doesn’t happen often. He can’t tell if it’s indignant, if it’s dubious, if it’s shocked, or if it’s amused. Hyouma’s lips curl downward slightly. He doesn’t know what to say. So he just keeps his gaze pointed up at the starry night sky instead and hopes that Ginga will perhaps clarify the ambiguity of his response.

Hyouma hears Ginga laugh, and he relaxes. Ah. Ginga’s playful. Amused. He had expected him to say something somewhat nostalgic and somewhat wistful at some point, huh.

Hyouma’s kind of glad that it’s too dark for Ginga to see him.

“There are always things that this world has to offer that make me happy that I’m here. My friends, Beyblade, the little things in life…” The red-haired boy laughs again and nudges Hyouma with his shoulder. “Like spending time with you, Hyouma! My best friend. I don’t need a huge challenge just to make me happy.”

Hyouma lays there, stunned, for a moment, as he finally peers over at Ginga. There’s that signature, bright grin on his face that Hyouma can barely recognize in the darkness, but all the same, he knows that smile when he sees it.

“That’s just like you, Ginga…” murmurs the boy with periwinkle hair, a hand raised toward the sky as he idly connects some stars with his fingers.

“Well, I can only be me, right?” Ginga muses, slightly teasing as he tucks his hands behind his head. “And you can only be you!”

“Yeah.” Hyouma smiles. He drops his arm back to his side.

“I’m glad that we’re us!”

Hyouma looks over at Ginga, who’s looking back at him.

“Yeah… Me too, Ginga.”

There’s a silence between them, but then Hyouma speaks once more,

“And just like you, you’ll leave again.”

That gets Ginga to sit upright and stare down at Hyouma, who has his eyes closed. Ginga doesn’t know what to say. The disjointed direction their conversation has suddenly taken veers Ginga straight into a swirl of mist. What is Hyouma thinking?

Hyouma opens his eyes, and Ginga expects them to be—wants them to be—sharp, furious, and defensive, but instead… They’re sad.

Ginga brings his knees up to his chest, his shoes tearing at some of the grass beneath him.

He hadn’t really expected Hyouma to look mad at all. He just wants him to be. It’s easier to have Hyouma be mad at him than for him to be sad that he’d probably leave for Metal City again. Or somewhere else in the world, and not with Hyouma, who’s bound to guard Kouma Village.

But, Hyouma’s right.

“I’m sorry, Hyouma. But Ryuuga had to be stopped…” Ginga mumbles, crossing his arms over his knees and digging his chin into the crook. “I’m sorry, Hyouma.”

“You didn’t even tell me you were leaving,” answers Hyouma immediately, his voice gentle, but sounding more defeated than firm.

Ginga doesn’t reply.

The wind blows by.

Hyouma’s right.

“I’m sorry, Hyouma. I should have told you,” Ginga finally tells his friend as he apologizes for a third time. He feels so guilty. Hyouma’s never so forward with his emotions, and that makes this even worse. He looks away from Hyouma, who’s now sitting up and gazing over at him.

“I know,” Hyouma responds shortly, his eyes now focusing on the sky as he tilts his head back.

Another pause of silence.

Ginga can feel his brows pinching together. He hadn’t wanted to hurt Hyouma at all. But he knows he had. He’d known when he’d seen him the first time after descending the summit of Mount Hagane, with all his other friends nearby.

“I know you’ll have more things to do out there in the world, and I’ll be here.” Hyouma hasn’t looked away from the stars. “But… you’ll still be my best friend, Ginga. I understand you better than anyone else.”

Ginga lifts his head, and then he meets Hyouma’s eyes.

There’s no hint of anger in them, and Ginga feels like it’s okay to smile. He understands Hyouma better than anyone else, too, and Hyouma knows that too.

“And you’ll always be my best friend, Hyouma.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

( 6 ) Golden light.

“Just about finished.”

Bao pinched the folds of the last dumpling in his hands, an unsuspecting smile curling onto his lips. Having always been rather fond of spending his time in the kitchen now, Bao deemed the event of preparing breakfast quite relaxing. Perhaps the subtle warmth slowly filling his heart wasn’t solely from the joy he found whenever he was cooking, but because he was cooking for more than a just a few. For the first time in many, many years. The auburn-haired teen admitted that he could get used to this, despite how early it was in the morning. It was peaceful, and quite a change of pace from the years he’d spent wandering along with the other Beylin Fist Bladers. Yeah, he could get used to this. The first pink and tangerine wash of dawn hadn’t yet appeared over the darkened horizon, but Bao loved the tranquil and the soft reminders of home both inside and outside the temple walls.

Edges of burnt gold crinkled as his subconscious grin only grew wider, and he chuckled to himself as he examined the spread of food he’d prepared. Quite the party he’d be feeding today, as was routine. They wouldn’t show up for a little while, so there was still time for him to cook the rest of breakfast.

He had a few skillets ready as he finished gathering the dumplings together to cook, and he confidently surveyed the rest of the food he’d set out. There was a huge pot of rice porridge dabbed with a delicate balance of green onions and preserved duck eggs, rolls of youtiao set beside it as a complement. Large bowls of wheat noodles sat next to the plates of steamed custard buns that he’d also readied since yesterday. Leftover tofu pudding from the night before also joined the ranks of food, and Bao nodded to himself. Everything looked good.

The quiet sizzling of the dumplings filled the kitchen as Bao placed them on the skillets, his motions smooth and practiced. This was almost as rewarding as winning a Bey Battle, Bao thought, slightly entertained by the notion. Nothing of the sort would have ever crossed his mind when he had first joined Beylin Temple and when he’d departed from it. He really had changed. Of course he was working to be an even stronger Blader than before, but sometimes it was the little things like these that pleased him the most. Making the most use of his capabilities would never grow tiresome, and if this suited him as a person as well, then he didn’t mind. In fact, he welcomed it. The domesticity of it brought him back to a time when he hadn’t been consumed by vengeance, and he could be the young man he was.

Bao thought that he was lucky. He was really, really lucky. Everything was back to normal now. He didn’t have to worry as he had before.

He was in the middle of transferring all of the cooked dumplings onto serving platters when a familiar voice floated into the room.

“Oh man, tell me you didn’t—you made custard buns, Bao? Those are like, my absolute favorite!”

Ah. The only thing he had to worry about was Zhou Xing and Mei-Mei’s black holes of stomachs.

The hurried footsteps told Bao that Zhou Xing had dashed over to the food in question, and a characteristic laugh followed from the Virgo Blader. “Heeey, these are cute! I like the little pink and white petals you’ve got on them too. You’ve got an eye for taste and style, Mr. Chef.”

Bao prided himself on being collected and cool for the most part, with not much fraying his nerves. However, it was the nickname and such blatant flattery, or perhaps such meaningful praise—Bao still couldn’t quite pinpoint the flamboyant superstar’s compliments sometimes—that sent the faintest of blushes to his cheeks and pushed ripples throughout the calm pool of his composure. He wasn’t often the center of attention, that was for sure. Being brought into the spotlight for something other than a sound play during a battle was something that Bao hadn’t quite gotten used to yet. It was typically only a commendation from Aguma that made him childishly giddy inside and almost brought his carefully sculpted façade of indifference to ruin. But, here he was, the flutter of satisfaction and happiness touching his heart, a smile edging out his previously serious expression.

“I thought it would be nice to have them today. Spring is just around the corner.” Bao kept his voice level as he walked toward the rows of dining tables around the kitchen corner, a dish of dumplings in his hands.

“Look at you, being all one with the aesthetic,” teased Zhou Xing as he brought over a bowl of noodles to the same table.

Bao merely snorted in an attempt to brush aside his qualms about how to reply to another compliment.

More Bladers began filing into the kitchen, variously sized clouds of sleep hanging over their heads. They exchanged greetings with the others already there, and Bao could only smile when he saw them carrying the rest of the food out of the kitchen.

Without even having to say anything, Chi-yun was beside Bao in the kitchen, prepping a kettle of boiling water for tea.

“Which?” The Lacerta Blader hadn’t bothered to look at Bao, but the latter knew that Chi-yun was debating between a canister of high-mountain tea and simple green.

It was like this every morning, somehow a little ritual between them.

Bao hummed as he readied another kettle for steeping the tea leaves. “Green, today.”

“Mm.”

The clinking of the tin made Bao stare fondly at his own can in his grasp, and with a brightness in his eyes even he wasn’t aware of, he suggested, “Let’s add some rose petals in there, too.”

“Okay.”

Neither of them had to turn to one another to know that they were both smiling.

When the water was hot enough, Bao and Chi-yun headed toward the others, teapots in hand. The rest of the Bladers were already eating, and as was the norm, chatter filled the room. Zhou Xing was always surprisingly excitable in the morning, perhaps a product of his dedication to Blading born from the promise at the last World Championships.

“Always stirring up quite a ruckus, even for so early in the morning, aren’t you?” mused Bao with a gentle smile, his tone exasperated but the teasing light in his eyes revealing his true feelings.

Zhou Xing shrugged and snapped up a steamed custard bun between his chopsticks, the hasty action only seeming to emphasize the crux of his accompanying words, “Well, it’s hard not to when there’s such good food around! Your cooking puts everyone else’s to shame, my man.”

Ah. Bao would confess only to himself that he couldn’t quite handle Zhou Xing’s flamboyant, but open-hearted nature. He hadn’t really encountered anyone like him before, and even though he had been at Beylin Temple for months, he was still working on how to approach the relationship with him. Perhaps his uncertainty stemmed from the obvious observation that they were quite differing in personalities.

“…Thank you,” Bao finally pronounced, his voice low as he let the smile win out. “Don’t exhaust your words, Zhou Xing; you sing my praises much too often.”

With a huff, the brunette waved his chopsticks—bun and all—at the Crown Blader. “Stiff as always, Bao. Compliments are meant to be given out, you know.”

Bao swore that he heard a chuckle from behind him. He pushed down the rosy heat budding on his face when he could almost confirm that Aguma and Da Xiang were not so silently laughing at him.

“And hey, it’s kinda hard not to, when you get good food like this. I mean, I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of it.” Zhou Xing nodded, affirming his assumption before stuffing the custard bun into his mouth.

“I agree! You’re the top-tier chef, Bao!” piped up Mei-Mei from the seat across from Zhou Xing. Enthusiastically, she stacked a sizeable pile of dumplings onto her plate and began plowing through them.

Absently wringing his apron, Bao felt his smile turn a bit lopsided at the next bout of acclamations that was gradually taking over the majority of conversations in the room. Part of him knew that there was nothing to be so embarrassed about, for the people he was surrounded by were his friends. But another part of him felt uneasy, unsure of how to reciprocate the kindness of their words properly. After all, it wasn’t like he was the most pronounced with his emotions or quite keen on letting them know how he felt. It was a defense mechanism he’d long set in place from his earliest days, and it was going to take a lot to break it down. He was safe here, but his subconscious couldn’t let go of the past so easily. He could get used to making breakfast in peace every morning, but he was still working on getting used to the love that came along with it.

“Now, now, I know Bao best, and he’s just a tad bit embarrassed by all your compliments. Give him some time, all right?” The half-joking, but half-serious remark from Aguma startled Bao out of his reverie, and he almost turned on his friend with a sharp, reprimanding utterance of his name.

Surprisingly, Aguma had acclimated well to the new environment of Beylin Temple, and much more quickly than Bao had. The last time Bao had seen Aguma act in such a carefree and lively manner had been when they were both still very young, and he wondered why he couldn’t bring himself to do the same. Was it a matter of principle, or was it because of the reservations he couldn’t let go of? The lock around his feelings jangled almost noiselessly, but Bao heard it anyway. A reminder of all of this that Bao knew he had to overcome. Cooking for everyone was one of the first steps he’d taken to shattering such limitations—to integrate himself into their lives once more. It was still tough, though. Bao discovered that as much as he enjoyed being reassured by the glow of friendship radiating all around him, he was at a loss at times, too.

“Chi-yun was quite the same in the past,” Da Xiang commented with a knowing grin. “It’s no wonder that the two of them get along so well.”

From his place beside their leader, the blue-haired boy sent a peeved look in the Kirin Blader’s direction. A flat declaration of his name followed, “Da Xiang.”

The playful banter among them eased him out from behind his wall, and Bao couldn’t help smiling behind his hand. It was true that he and Chi-yun had been the most receptive to one another upon the remerging of Beylin Fist with the main temple. He couldn’t deny that at all.

And so, Bao also couldn’t help letting the mildly snarky remark from pushing past his lips, “Meddling seniors seem to be both our problems as well.”

A roar of laughter chorused from the room, and Bao forced his expression to remain neutral at the unexpected, animated response. Chi-yun cracked a smirk at that, and Bao took a seat beside him as Da Xiang and Aguma exchanged a glance.

“Cheeky juniors seem to be both our problems as well,” retorted Aguma as he reached forward to lighty flick Bao in the forehead.

“Nghk—!” Bao reeled back in stunted shock before shaking his head and letting a laugh get the best of him. “…Sure.”

Aguma returned to his bowl of rice porridge with a chuckle, and Da Xiang laughed as well. Chi-yun looked less than amused, but even so, mirth twinkled in his coral eyes.

And in Bao’s eyes, there was such a tenderness unknown to him that he feared he would never be able to explain it. As he bit into the fluffy steamed bun, he wasn’t sure that he ever would have to.

All it would take was for his friends to look at the raw emotion in his eyes in that moment, and they would understand. For now, as long as he still was traversing the winding path of his emotions, this was all right. Even if he wasn’t inclined to speak about those very emotions, Bao was sure that his eyes would never convey anything but the truth of his feelings to his friends.

That was enough, and Bao could say that he was undeniably happy, with or without words.

#metal fight beyblade #oh this was a time.

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