#look upon my formatting and despair

[mariana-oconnor]

Types of AO3 Summary

Option 1 - The Excerpt:

The quickest, the easiest! Find a section of your fic that contains the main premise of said fic and also showcases your writing. Copy paste that into the summary box. BOOM! Done.

Best used for any fic, unless it's so short the excerpt would be the whole fic.

Option 2 - The No Frills:

Just a description of the fic. No need for drama. No need to complicate matters. Keep it simple, keep it safe.

Example: "A short character exploration of Blorbo's thoughts after Daisy leaves."

Best used for short fics, poems and fics where the style/format is more important than the plot. Or fics that tie directly into a scene/episode from canon or another fanfic.

Option 3 - The Hook:

Draw the reader's interest by giving them a set up with no conclusion. Introduce the main character(s), introduce the status quo, describe an inciting incident, leave a question in the reader's mind.

Example: "Blorbo is a barista at a coffee shop, struggling to pay their bills, but after handsome rockstar Obrolb walks into their coffee shop they find that they have to decide whether a chance at love is worth the cost of fame."

Best used for mid to long fic where there's a strong premise and follow through. Especially good for AUs. Can be expanded for more complex plots or used multiple times in one summary for multiple characters or subplots.

Option 4 - The Sitcom One-Liner:

"The one in which [over simplified description of one of the main plotlines]" This is essentially 'boil your plot down to the very simplest statement you can, oversimplify if possible. The more bizarre or unhelpful the better.

Example: "The one in which Blorbo learns to like cake".

Best used for fics with at least a little humour in them.

Option 5 - The Rule of Three:

Three is a magic number. Find three key moments in your fic and just list them. That's it. Often ends with 'not necessarily in that order' if used for comic effect. If it's an AU, establish that quickly (i.e. 'Star NHL player Blorbo…').

Example: "Blorbo makes a friend, falls in love, and almost burns to death, not necessarily in that order."

Best used for anything, really. Three is a magic number. The human brain loves things that come in threes.

Option 6 - The Trope Lure:

Why bother describing the plot? We all know AO3 readers are here for the tropes. Similar to The Sitcom One-Liner just using tropes instead of plot. Often followed by the phrase 'that nobody asked for'.

Example: "The Space western / A/B/O / Mail Order Bride fic that nobody asked for."

Often tacked on to the end of The Hook or The Excerpt as a tl;dr.

Best used for fic that plays its tropes straight with no shame or second guessing.

Option 7 - The Pre-emptive Strike:

(Not recommended) You just wrote this fic, the self doubt is consuming you. You feel the need to apologise profusely for your existence for no apparently reason. You feel cringe, you think the fic is cringe, you want everyone to know that you think the fic is cringe in case they don't like it and judge you for it.

Example: "So I fell in love with this pairing and had to write this. It's weird and terrible. Lol! I suck at summaries! Sorry!"

Best used for no fics ever. I cannot stress this enough.

(Seriously, I am begging you, don't do this. If you're planning to use this option, rethink it and do one of the others. I guarantee you more people will want to read your fic.)

Sometimes added on to any other summary as a strange disclaimer. (srsly. don't.)

Option 8 - The Unapology:

Embrace the mayhem, embrace the deep dark depths of your soul. The opposite of The Pre-emptive Strike. A combination of The No Frills and The Trope Lure that truly gives no fucks.

You have committed crimes and you are proud of them. You know what your USP is and you're going to make sure your target market finds you. Look upon my works, ye readers, and despair!

Example: "There aren't enough tentacle fics in this pairing, so I had to write one myself!"

Best used for fics with controversial/polarising tropes with all relevant details already clearly stated in the tags.

Option 9 - The Interrogation:

What if you wrote a summary entirely in questions? What if your readers had to read the fic to discover the answers? Who knows what will happen if you do this?

Example: "What happens when Blorbo McBlorbo gets his wish and Daisy doesn't make it to the plane on time? What happens when Obrolb finds out? How will this change Daisy and Blorbo's friendship?"

Best used for... I honestly don't know. This style of summary does not vibe with me. Mystery fic maybe? Sorry guys.

Option 10 - The Multipack:

Got a bunch of shorter fics in one work? No way of summarising them all without a wall of text larger than the Great Wall of China? This one is similar to The No Frills in that you're not describing the plots themselves and similar to The Trope Lure in that often broader genres and tropes are mentioned. What links those fics? Are they all in the same fandom? The same pairing? The same challenge? Just slap that right in the summary. A chapter list with 1-2 word trope/pairing summaries can be included or not.

Example: "A collection of Blorbo/Daisy/Obrolb fics based on Tumblr prompts. Chapter 1: Regency AU Chapter 2: Werewolves vs vampires Chapter 3: Ghost!Daisy Chapter 4: Space pirates!"

Best used for (obviously) works that are compilations of fic.

Option ? - The Void:

I said The Excerpt was the quickest and easiest summary to do. I lied, well... I didn't exactly lie. What is quicker and easier than not having a summary at all? After all, that's what the tags are for.

Example:

Best used for... nothing? Write a summary, guys. Please?

#AO3 #fandom #on writing #clearing out my drafts #long post #Qd #This list is intended for entertainment purposes only #I just came across a lot of fic summaries that followed similar rules #so I decided to post this about it #I'm sure other options are available #If you've ever used number 7 that's not bad of you #But my advice would be to not do that

[dross-the-fish]

Note: I got my tablet working briefly and was able to finish the lines before it crapped out again. Testing out a potential comic format to go with the drabbles. Don't know if it's going to be a regular thing but I thought I'd see how everyone feels about it. Adam’s Naming

The Creature sat in a chair that was uncomfortably small for him, his knees bent so that they nearly folded into his stomach. He watched anxiously as Watson pulled out his grooming kit and a pair of scissors.

“That mess of hair has to go, I’m amazed you don’t have lice,” the Doctor wrinkled his mustache as he methodically laid out his tools and began to separate the strands of black hair, first with his fingers to break apart the larger tangles without pulling then with a wide toothed comb.

The Creature, unaccustomed to being touched so casually, fought the urge to squirm away, “Parasites seem to find my blood unappetizing, I’ve never had to suffer their infestations on my person. A small mercy, I suppose,” he said.

“Be that as it may, I should hope that now that you are among people, you’ll be diligent with your hygiene,” Watson replied, grimacing as he picked up his scissors and snipped away the first oily lock, watching it pool on the ground in a snaky curl.

“I never anticipated that I would be among people. It is a foreign thing to be concerned with my appearance outside of hiding it from sight.”

“Have you really never had a friend?” Watson asked.

“No, never. The closest thing I had was a mere moment, I spoke once with an old blind man and he treated me kindly before his family drove me away,” the Creature fell silent, drawing up the memory of DeLacy’s smile and the gentle reassurance he’d given him.

“Do not despair. To be friendless is indeed to be unfortunate, but the hearts of men, when unprejudiced by any obvious self-interest, are full of brotherly love and charity”

It had been a lie, of course, but in the fleeting instance he had believed it, it had been so very beautiful to hear. Despite himself, the Creature had been unable to completely give up on wishing it could be true.

“What the old man gave me was no more than a crumb, but it was every sliver of hope I ever carried in my life and even now, after 100 years, I hold it in my breast and let it nourish me for want of richer food,” he confided quietly.

The scissors paused and Watson rested his hand on the Creature’s head, “Well, we’ll have to do better than that, won’t we? Seems to me a man ought to live off of more than crumbs. Let’s start by giving you a proper name, shall we?” he suggested kindly.

The Creature froze, his vision blurred and he could feel himself begin to tremble. This was not real, it couldn’t be real, no one who looked upon him and knew what he had done could offer him true kindness, much less give him a name. Victor had made him, had labored for months to bring him into existence and couldn’t bring himself to give him that! It was impossible! He refused to believe this doctor, a stranger to him, could give him that so easily. It was mockery, or a trick. It had to be. With a roar he shot out of the chair, sending it toppling, and turned to face Watson, incensed further when the old man didn’t flinch.

“Call me demon! Call me monster, or devil, or abomination! You know well that I have worn them all and each title has been fitting,” he hissed, lowering his head so that he was an inch from Watson’s face and the doctor would have no choice but to truly look at him. At his ravaged cheeks and the chunk of skin missing from the end of his nose. His torn, black lips distorted into a hideous snarl as he attempted to goad the doctor into screaming or attacking. I’ll kill you, he thought, show me you’re just like everyone else and I’ll kill you…

“Stop that this instant!” Watson snapped firmly as he righted the toppled chair, “Such carrying on, really. If you’re a monster or a devil now it’s because you choose to be. I’ll not entertain such utter nonsense. Now, you have a choice, you can sit in this chair, let me cut your hair and we’ll pick out a name for you or you can leave. I don’t care where you go but I have no patience for tantrums. If you want to stay with us you had better get a lid on that temper this very minute!” he tapped the back of the chair expectantly, never once breaking the Frankenstein monster’s gaze.

The Creature deflated, caught off guard and chastened like a child scolded by a stern parent. He sank back into the chair and folded his hands in his lap, the very picture of contrition. Watson softened and resumed his cutting.

“As I recall,” he said as he settled into a rhythm, the quiet snip of the scissors soothing his nerves, “You said to Victor that you ought to have been his Adam. Adam is a fine name; a good, strong, name and I think it suits you. How would like to be called Adam?”

Silence. A shuddering gasp, then in a small trembling voice, “I would like that very much…”

Watson leaned forward and gave Adam’s cheek a pat, not flinching at the exposed muscle under the ridge of his cheekbone but moved to pity by the wetness trickling down it, "Whatever you were, whatever you've done, put it behind you now. This is your new start, your second chance. Don't squander it, Adam."

#Frankenstein #Adam Frankenstein #John Waston #sherlock holmes #My writing #Crossover Au

[hulloitsdani]

Okay so the idea of a Kiran and Grima friendship dynamic is honestly one of my favorites in FEH.

Grima as a character was always intriguing to me, but he only became downright fascinating in retrospect of FE: Echoes. Seeing where he came from made his rather two dimensional villainy in Awakening gain a surprising amount of perspective and depth. This is a creature made purely out of a man’s insane hubris and was cursed to walk this earth for thousands of years as a result. He’s essentially Fire Emblem’s version of Frankenstein’s monster. This gave Awakening’s nature vs nurture narrative a significantly more fascinating base to stand on. Made it a bit more character driven, as you can begin to see why Grima holds the perspective that he does. However, there has yet to be a proper scenario in which we get to sit with him and explore the ideas that promises.

Which is exactly why I love the idea of Grima and Kiran. I do not think their dynamic should be dedicated to redeeming Grima via the power of friendship, as that’s more Awakening and Chrom’s brand. But rather, I think Grima getting summoned to Askr would shift the focus of nature vs nurture away from Robin and onto Grima himself. Robin got the chance to question this via their amnesia and now Grima gets to question this via this second start in a world wildly different from the one he walked for lifetimes. And Kiran acts as the off putting yet well meaning embodiment for what that could possibly mean. They are a weird, pitifully weak creature who has somehow succeeded where the scientist that made him and no doubt countless others after him have failed: They have the capacity to control Grima. This automatically means Grima has no intention to let them live for long, but they hardly have the same goals as those ambitious fools. Outside the demands of every conflict the Order finds itself caught up in, Kiran only uses their power to have interesting conversations with weird company. And when I say “use their power” I mean have tea with malicious dragon deity without loosing their head.

It’s hardly enough to get him to stop him from plotting a murder, as it’s only a matter of time before this goes south in his eyes. But it’s… intriguing to see such a comparably unmotivated individual in a position of such extreme power. The piqued curiosity leads to a the formation of a genuine bond as Mr. Wings of Despair Breath of Ruin realizes, “oh shit, I’ve encountered a being I don’t want immediately dead” and has a major existential crisis about it. It’s adjacent to Power and Nyaako from Chainsaw Man, but instead of a cat is Grima is watching this chaotic tactician earnestly fumble their way through this position thrusted upon them. And despite the light years of difference between the both of them, these two come to an understanding of one another that isn’t quite feasible by anyone else.

Meanwhile cut to the outside looking in perspective and this all looks downright insane. Kiran has befriended Fire Emblem satan. Has tea with him sometimes. It’s chill. Don’t worry about it. They say to Alfonse, who is realizing there is something not quite hinged about his tactician. Anna is crying because how the FUCK are they going to house a dragon the size of a mountain range. Sharena has been making cookies to go with the tea to give to the god of ruin this whole time.

#feh Ted talk #Sponsored by the illness #I should note that Awakening is my favorite FE game #baby’s first FE game #changed my brain chemistry #Even though Radiant Dawn is hands down the best one #I’m so so biased

[merlinficprompts]

I have a Merlin prompt I would like to submit!! Sorry for the formatting I’m writing this on my phone it’s 1 am and I’m feeling feral

Merlin magic is revealed to Gwaine when he has to heal a fatal wound. Gwaine and Lancelot are having a private conversation about it, using a code word for Merlin’s magic. An eavesdropping Arthur misinterprets the whole thing.

(conversation goes roughly like this)

“To be honest I’m kind of broken hearted. I thought I was the first one to experience uh.. Merlin’s ’talent’.”

“Sorry friend, me and Merlin’s first meeting was when he was.. sharing his ‘talent’ with me..”

“I won’t lie to you, when he first started doing it I was.. I was mortified.. but then it felt so..”

“Good?”

“Yes! Gods, I know I’ll be condemned if others find out but.. I’ve never felt anything like it. I’m not exaggerating Lancelot, I truly feel as if a whole new world has opened in front of my eyes. I want him to do it again, I want him to do and show me more. I’m greedy for it!”

“I understand you, sometimes despite the years I’ve known of his.. ‘talent’, I find myself yearning to experience it again. I could never ask him to do anything that put him in harms way though, should anyone find out..”

“I know. It’s such a shame he has to go to such lengths to hide his true nature. During it his eyes were so bright and at peace, it made me want to never let him go. It pains me knowing he suffers so much, hiding his true self in fear. I asked him if he ever planned to tell Arthur and he.. he looked so pain. He’s terrified of what Arthur would think if he found out..”

“I don’t blame him. While Arthur’s a much better man and leader than Uther, there’s still no telling how he’d react finding out about.. Merlin’s ‘talent’”

“Well I for one think there’s nothing wrong with it. Especially since I’ve experienced the benefits first hand. I’m telling you Lance, I’m a new man. I haven’t felt this at ease in a long time.”

“Oh yes, i suppose we just must be grateful that we can consider ourselves among the lucky few who get to experience his ‘talent’, and work to assure his safety in the future.”

Now utterly convinced that Merlin is a slag who prefers men, Arthur struggles with multiple emotions; ranging from embarrassment to having overheard Merlin’s private business, to despair that his best friend was too afraid to admit his preference, to outrage over the (assumed) knowledge that his knights are apparently mounting his ‘talented’ servant. He’s scandalized to think Merlin was so wanton, he should be indignant and offended that he shares such camaraderie with an unrepentant harlot. Yet, for some reason he can’t put his finger on.. he mostly just feels hurt and betrayed. He’s mortified over what that means, and finds himself in a panic over what to do now that he’s learned his best friend (who he doesn’t realize he’s in love with) is apparently a huge slut who fucks his knights (and he’s utterly incensed on Gwen’s behalf since Lance is courting her at this time)

Unsure of what to do, he finds himself at a loss and confides in Morgana about how he should act, and whether he should intervene in any way or mind his own business. Morgana, somewhat impressed, finds this hilarious, but becomes angry when she hears about Lancelot. Her judgement of Merlin sours and she finds herself stuck between telling Gwen or fighting Lancelot. From there everything just kind of snowballs. The knights try to correct the rumor but obviously since they can’t say they were talking about his magic, all other excuses seem poorly constructed and they’re unable to fix the problem.

Meanwhile around the same time, the son of a good friend/ally to Uther, who’s infamous for his carnal and shameless desires, catches wind of this rumor upon his visit to Camelot. His interest peaked, he seeks out to proposition Merlin, regardless of Merlin’s willingness.. (arthur saves him in time tho)

Merlin, on the other hand, has somehow managed to remain completely oblivious to everyone’s newfound attention on him, paranoid he’s detecting some snickers and nasty remarks thrown his away, but mostly unsure and too tired to think too hard over it. He’s too busy prioritizing protecting Arthur and finding new ways to perfect his magic that the thought of being with someone amounted to that of another meaningless chore he’d tack onto his plate. He’s come to the conclusion that he’s not destined to have a partner and settle down, the closest he supposes he’ll ever get is being by Arthur’s side as he gets his fairy tale ending, wife and kids.. Merlin is perfectly fine remaining on the side as always. He doesn’t know why his chest aches everytime he thinks about it.

Everyone’s misunderstanding everyone else, Gaius forces Merlin to listen to him explain safe sex between men and assures him that he loves him regardless of whether or not he approves of Merlin’s constant changing conquest amount. Merlin gets sexually harassed, Arthur is emotionally constipated so he rescues Merlin from bullying but also yells at him bc he’s mad Merlin’s being a hoe with everyone but him apparently. Uther hears one too many random out of context dialogues pertaining to Merlin’s sexual abilities, and Kilgarrah spends his entire interaction with Merlin cackling his scales off bc he saw what happens and he’s so excited for it to play out.

TLDR Merlin wakes up one day and suddenly everyone is convinced he’s a huuuuuge slut. Chaos ensues.

While the premise is crack-ish, I do want the story to be written fairly seriously/realistically. If anyone’s interested in turning this prompt into a full fledged fanfic, I’d love for it to be a very very lengthy one. So excited to see if this gets written!!

I love this idea!!! I probably wouldn’t write it myself, but it’s so funny, beyond the embarrassment factor. I would love to see it though! If you or anyone else writes this idea, message me so I can post about it!

#fanfic writing prompts #bbcmerlin #merlin #arthur pendragon #writing prompt #merthur

[niqhtlord01]

Humans are weird: All War is Deception

( Please come see me on my new patreon and support me for early access to stories and personal story requests :D https://www.patreon.com/NiqhtLord Every bit helps)  

“It’s a rough business Jim, but those are your orders.”

Admiral Holt looked like he had just taken a bite of a Zepeian bitter fruit, and though Captain Jim Harrington could only see his second In command from the corner of his eye he imagined that she had the same expression.

“You are to delay the Quoan fleet for as long as you can in the Bental system while the rest of the coalition fleet musters at Ja’brim.”

Jim nodded and gave a crisp salute to the admiral as the communication line went dead. No sooner had it gone silent did his second speak up.

“Permission to speak freely?” Janet Kent asked while the rest of the bridge crew busied themselves.

“Granted.” The captain replied as he began opening a series of charts detailing the Bental system. She approached to stand by his side and spoke in a hushed tone.

“Our latest estimates project the Quoan fleet to be over fifty vessels strong, with their flagship the latest model carrying enough firepower to match ten ships.”

“Don’t forget they are reportedly led by War Master Akonus,” Jim said half smiling, “the sacker of a thousand worlds; though personally I think he’s throwing in some moons to boost his number.”

Janet bit back a retort and clenched her fists in frustration.

“Sir,” she said through clenched teeth, “I need you to take this seriously; there is no way we can fight that kind of armada with two old frigates, one cruiser, and a handful of cargo carriers.”

Jim stopped looking through the charts and rested his hands on the computer terminal.

“I know we don’t stand a chance in hell against them.” He turned from the terminal and looked at his second; his once carefree expression now hardened and cold. “But they don’t.”

He tilted his head to the left and Janet saw he was pointing at the crew. “They know the odds are up against us and it is our job to assure them that we are fully in control of this situation.”

Janet looked past the captain and saw the faces of the crew. Though many of them were still managing their duties, they all shared looks of despair and dread. She imagined they were going through the motions now to keep themselves from dwelling on the fact that they had just been ordered to stand their ground and die like the heroes of old, and it was just dawning on some that they would have liked to live a bit longer.

Jim put a hand on her shoulder and she could feel the trembling from it. He was putting on a performance that would have been worthy of the poker tables of Neuvo VI, but inside he was just as tense as she was.

“Do you understand?” he asked. Janet straightened up and nodded back. “Good.”

He let go of her shoulder and returned to observing the system charts.

“If it makes you feel any better I have no intention of fighting the Quoan head on.”

Janet’s eyebrows furrowed. “But our orders-“

“Were to delay,” Jim said cutting her off, “and that is what I intended to do.”

He turned back to the charts and highlighted several sections. “Ever hear of a man named Tzu?” ---------------

Seven days later at the edge of the Bental system the Quoan fleet arrived. Rupturing the fabric of space their jump drives decelerated and returned them to normal space one by one arrayed in a perfect crescent battle formation. The final ship to emerge from their jump was the flagship, the Carrion.

Adorned with row upon row of gun decks and fighter bays, whose size dwarfed every other ship in the armada several times, it was safe to say that it was like someone had strapped starship engines to a fortress and sent it cascading through space.

Nestled near the prow of the ship was the bridge where War Master Akonus readied himself.

“Fleet wide transmission,” Akonus commanded and a communication link was established with all Quoan vessels, “shields to max, power lance batteries, prepare fighter wings for launch, and begin scanning system for enemy contacts.”

A chorus of acknowledgements came back as one the fleet prepared for battle. Akonus was well aware that his movements were known to his enemy and that they were no doubt rushing to gather their scattered fleets into a single force that would match his own. Before they could pose a threat however, he would intercept them one by one and destroy them before moving on to the core worlds. The first portion of his plan now revolved around locating and destroying any ships in the Bental system before making to the next jump point.

Given the suddenness of his attack Akonus doubted that any significant resistance would be encountered. At most he expected a few border patrol ships and merchant craft but nothing substantial enough to be anything more than a speed bump.

“Scans are detecting several vessels in front of us.”

Akonus looked up at the display monitor to see four enemy icons blink into existence.

“Prepare to open fire.”

The bridge crew hurried into action as battle alarms rang out. Targeting coordinates were overlapped each of the ships and fed directly down to the gunnery crews. A verification sign popped on to the screen showing each gunnery deck was ready and Akonus was just about to give the order when his sensor officer spoke again.

“Vessels are not showing any power readings and appear to be heavily damaged.”

“Gunnery teams hold fire.” Akonus commanded and approached the sensor station.

“Show me.”

Rapidly striking several keys the tactical display switched to a live video feed attached to the exterior of their ship. As the cameras slowly magnified and brought into resolution the supposed enemy vessels, Akonus found that his sensor officer’s assessment had not been wrong.

The battered husks of four human merchant ships hung silently in the space before his fleet. He could tell as much as one of them had its loading doors blown open spilling out several dozen cargo containers that circled the vessels like moons.

“Weapons signatures?” Akonus asked as he continued observing the derelict hulks. The sensor officer shook their head. “The whole area is awash in conflicting energy patterns.” They replied.

“War Master.”

Akonus turned to see his communications officer now calling for his attention. “We are receiving multiple signals coming from within the system.”

“Let me hear them.”

The officer looked strangely uncomfortable for a moment before complying with the order and playing the signals for the bridge crew to hear.

“Is anyone out there!? This is the freighter Ambient Wave requesting-“

“Seal the blast doors! Don’t let them i-“

“Our father, who art in heaven, hollowed be thy-“

“The colony is lost, I repeat, the colony is lost! We got out but they’re right behind-“

“Please. I don’t want to die. Please save me. Please-“

A chaotic chorus of transmissions flooded the bridge. Countless signals from seemingly a hundred different sources all sharing one common trait Akonus was keen to pick out.

Fear.

“The civilian communication networks are being flooded with these signals across the entire system.” The communications officer confirmed.

Akonus took in the faces of his bridge crew a mixture of joy, confusion, and concern as they listened to the sound of their enemy in such despair. They may be enjoying this new development, but it provided nothing from which Akonus could work with to find out what exactly was happening in the Bental system.

“Filter channels to military encrypted only.” Akonus ordered.

Hurrying themselves the communications team went to work. Nearly ten minutes had passed when they gave him results.

“We are detecting only three military channels in system, but..”

“But what?” Akonus asked. His communication officer looked puzzled and compiled his thoughts before continuing.

“The military signals we are detecting are not being broadcast over encrypted channels.”

Akonus was surprised by this. He knew the human military to be well trained and a formidable foe that would always follow military doctrine and procedures. To have their ships communicating on unencrypted frequencies was a mistake of such magnitude that he could not believe it to be a simple mistake.

“Patch into the transmissions and play them.”

As the transmission was acquired the bridge was greeted to the roar of human weapons fire playing over the loud speakers. Several of the crew covered their ears from the pain while others reached for their side arms instinctively.

Akonus listed to the short controlled bursts of the weapon. The noise it made was overwhelming but if he concentrated he could hear something else just beneath it.

“Computer, reduce weapon fire audio by fifty percent.”

At this command the volume of the weapon fire was drastically reduced and Akonus now clearly heard what it had been covering up.

Animal like screeches high pitch in nature played out; the volume rising and lowering with each burst of weapons fire as the war master pictured the animal being torn asunder by the concentrated weapons fire. Whatever was going on at the origin of that signal it was no doubt an intense battle for survival.

“Commander Harrington, do you read me?!” A human voice cut in over the gunfire.

“This is Harrington,” a second human voice responded, “did the civilians make it to the jump point?”

“Negative!”

The crew of the Carrion listened intently as another burst of gunfire played out followed by several more animal screeches and human screams.

“They were waiting for us at the edge of the system!” The first voice shouted into their transceiver. “They picked us off one by one; they knew we were coming!”

“Acknowledged.” Harrington replied. “Are you able to return to us?”

“We have been boarded!” More human screams could be heard and the level of gunfire was steadily decreasing. “We’ve lost engineering, the gun decks, and the hangar bays.”

“Hold fast, we are coming to you now.” Harrington replied, but the first human cut him off.

“You’ll never make it in time!”

What sounded like blast doors hammering shut pounded in the background. Loud pounding noises could then be heard and Aknous imagined that whatever the human had been firing at was now actively trying to claw their way in and finish the remaining humans off.

“We can still save you!” Harrington shouted. “Just stay alive sailor, we will rescue you!”

“I won’t become one of those things.” The original voice stammered as the pounding in the background increased. “I won’t let them change me into one of those monsters.”

The Carrion bridge crew looked at each other at this. Humans were well known to fetishize making last stands in some vague sense of gaining more honor in their death then those that remained; but this human sounded terrified.

Ripping metal could now be heard as the animal screechings resumed and Aknous imagined the blast door being torn open by some unknown enemy.

Several beeping sounds played which were no doubt console keys being entered. “I’ve initiated core overload, it’s been an honor captain.”

“Damnit man!” Harrington shouted, but he could no longer be heard as the first human firing again as the animal screeching came closer and closer. The transmission went dead as the weapon clicked empty and the human began begging for their mother.

An unnerving silence descended on the bridge. No one spoke as all eyes turned to their war master for orders.

“What is your command?” one of them asked as Akonus stroked his chins in thought.

“Hold position and begin intelligence gathering across civilian and military channels.”

“But sir,” one of his subordinates spoke up, “our orders were to press forward and make for the human core worlds; if we delay-“

Aknous silenced them with a cold glance and they retreated several steps.

“We had planned to enter this system and wipe out what little human resistance stood in our path.” Aknous spoke, loud enough for the rest of the bridge crew to hear. “Instead we find the system under siege by an unknown enemy force capable of not only out maneuvering humans, but also able to inspire a deep paralyzing fear in their very core.”

Aknous returned to his command throne and looked back at the tactical display.

“I will not rush blindly into such a maelstrom until I know what we are up against.” ---------------------------- “Readings show the Quoan fleet is holding position at the edge of the system.” Janet called out after taking in the latest readings from the sensor posts. “I can’t believe that actually worked.”

Jim smiled and nodded to a bridge officer standing to the side. “I would thank Mr. Walter’s performance skills for truly selling the direness of the situation.”

Mr. Walter bowed slightly in recognition in a mocking gesture of a theater performer before returning to his duties.

“How long do you think they’ll delay their advance?”

Jim pondered the latest readings. ‘I imagine right now they are filtering through all of the transmissions trying to figure out just what the hell is happening and that will take them a few days.”

He pointed to several marked locations scattered throughout the system. “After that we will detonate the remaining transport ships. The bang should be large enough to be detected by their scanners and they’ll send some ships to investigate.”

Janet looked at the charts and then back to her captain. “I am still astounded that they are falling for these theatrics.”

“All warfare is deception.” Jim said profoundly. “They came expecting to face a meager defense force but instead now think they just wandered into the middle of a warzone with an unknown enemy.”

"That's why you requested the merchant ships and has us scuttle them." Janet said as the thought suddenly made sense. Jim nodded as if his most promising student had finally solved his problem. "Nothing is more convincing then physical, visible proof."

“They will not risk moving against the rest of the core worlds while they believe there is a powerful armada lurking at their rear just waiting to strike them once they are finished with us.”

Janet couldn’t help but acknowledge her captain’s interpretation of his orders. He had not fired a single shot and yet he had indeed delayed the Quoan fleet for days, possibly weeks even. Since the Quoan had little knowledge of human entertainment sources they probably wouldn’t even realize most of the effects and sounds used were taken straight from movies and entertainment games while the vocal audio was from active personnel that could be vocally matched to their current military id’s.

In just a few days Captain Jim Harrington had delayed a war by manufacturing a fake one.

#HUMANS ARE WEIRD #humans are insane #humans are space orcs #humans are space oddities #scifi #story #writing #original writing #writer

[mod-kyoko]

Hey mod kirumi how's this for an Agnst prompt. How about Miu and her S/O having their first fight and it's an intense one where they had to seperate themselves from each other to prevent it from escalating further and they both hate it but refuse to be the one to apologize.

miu iruma and s/o having their first fight

info: established relationship, miu moment, gn!reader, angst, slight make up at the end

type: hc format, non-despair au

a/n: ty for the asks, I sort of have them make up at the end but not really, couple problems y'know

⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡

okay listen, miu is always driven on feelings

whenever she gets in a shitty mood she doesn't hold back on her anger

however, she usually holds back on you... and blows up on someone else instead

this particular day though... she exploded

you were sitting in her workshop, kicking your feet as you were sat on one of the tables, watching miu weld metal together

"what are you even making, miu?" you asked her

she lifts up the welding mask and grinned at you

"just the most fucking awesome thing ever! our own robot butler!"

"ah...? another robot? don't we have kiibo, though?"

"kiibo is cool 'n all... but he's premade... I want to make something myself... besides, that bitchboy won't let me add certain functions..."

you decided not to question on what these 'certain functions' were

"i've been working on this damn thing for months! you would've thought a genius girl like me could cook shit like this up in no time... but these parts are more expensive than my left tit!"

"a-ah... i'm sure they are..."

miu goes back to welding and you just watched her for a little while, she seems pretty absorbed in this robot she's making...

in fact, for the last few months she hasn't been as active in spending time with you properly, unless it's like now where you're watching her work on this damn thing

you sighed, reaching for your drink that was next to you

of course you knocked it over

you couldn't even react, miu couldn't react either but the contents of your drink spills out onto the prototype of the robot and into its open chest cavity

all of the wires and other electrics were now covered in soda...

both miu and you stared dumbfounded, your eyes were wide and you brought your hand to your mouth

"m-miu.. I'm.. I'm so-"

"are you fucking for real right now?!" miu shouted at you, her face was red... with anger this time. you could hear her gloves stretching as she tightens her hands into fists

"are you slow or just plain stupid?! why the fuck do you have a drink near electronics anyway?!"

"I.. I said I'm sorry-"

"sorry doesn't fucking make up all the blood, sweat, cum and tears that went into making this shit! i spent months of my precious sweet time in doing something useful and you fuck it up!"

you usually can handle your girlfriend's outbursts... she usually doesn't mean what she says to you but this time, something snapped

you went as red as her whilst you yelled back

"well maybe this is good! all you've been doing is working on this... stupid project and not spending time with me.. for months!"

"are you fucking high or something?" miu spat at you, it's bad because she isn't even backing down... "this is my life's work! all you've been doing is being a pain in my ass!"

your eyes widened, frowning and... miu frowned too upon realising what she had said

she shakes her head and gives a dismissive wave towards you, turning her back from you to look at the mess you caused

with tears in your eyes, you left her lab and went to your dorm... you trashed the place in anger

was that what she thought of you? just a thorn in her side?

you were sorry that you ruined her project... but you weren't sorry that you wanted her to spend time with you more...

miu wasn't feeling particular proud of herself either, which is shocking, she never feels remorse in what she says

but with you... it's different

you ruined her damn project! the materials aren't cheap and easy to come by!

but... she had been neglecting you, so caught up in her passion that she didn't consider your feelings

she's miu fucking iruma! she doesn't apologise for shit!

you avoided each other for the next week or so, not even making eye contact during class or passing each other in the hallway

you both hated it, you both really missed each other

you missed miu's rambles about her inventions

miu missed your body in her arms, your sweet words

you were one of the few people who didn't underestimate her and make her feel annoying

even if she could invent an exact replica of you, how you feel or even some ai copy of you

none of it could ever replace you

kaede and shuichi tried to help you two out seperately

kaede mainly talked to you and gave you some advice on how you could fix things

shuichi tried to talk to miu in the same way but...

it didn't go so well (poor boy)

after a long few hours of thinking, you got up, grew some balls and went to miu's dorm sometime at 10pm

you knocked on the door and she answered, looking shocked to see you, but her expression went to one of seriousness

after all you did mess up her project...

"the fuck you want...?"

harsh words... you couldn't bring yourself to say sorry for what happened, or even bring it up at all

you just stepped forward and hugged her, hard as possible

she squirmed in your arms for a moment and her face went red

however, she relaxed in your arms and even hugged you back as tender as miu can be

neither of you actually said a word to each that night, but you both felt the same feeling between you

you both laid in silence on miu's bed, curling into one another. it was probably the quietest miu had been in her entire life

there was a lot to talk about but for now, you just wanted to be able to look and touch her again

⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡⟡♡

-Mod Kirumi

#mod kirumi #danganronpa #danganronpa headcanons #danganronpa imagines #danganronpa x reader #miu iruma #miu x reader #v3 killing harmony #danganronpa v3

[anarchywoofwoof]

As you learn a new skill or your brain intakes further information, a complex dance of chemicals, cells, and physiological reactions begins.

An insulating layer forms around each nerve cell in the brain and spinal cord called Myelin. As you learn or begin to understand information, the myelination process reinforces new neural pathways. Myelin forms a thick sheath of protein and fat that acts in the way that an insulator around an electrical cable would, strengthening and speeding electrical signaling in the nerve pathways that connect one neuron to the next.

In addition to the formation of myelin, novel experiences cause a rush of Dopamine, a neurotransmitter, in the brain’s ventral tegmental area. From there, it’s released into the prefrontal cortex. Dopamine is the chemical that mediates pleasure and, thus, is often referred to as the “pleasure chemical,” but this is a misnomer, and the assertion is flawed; dopamine doesn’t actually produce pleasure. It does, however, reinforce feelings of pleasure by connecting sensations of pleasure to certain behaviors. 

It is, nonetheless, an indisputable fact that a wealth of dopamine has been expended, afforded, and consumed in this journey. And it is no less accurate that the nerve cells within my mind are as well reinforced as the most secure of bank vaults. They remain securely guarded, cased in myelin as they travel through vast regions of what some might call superfluous space, occupied by names and dates and facts and figures stored away haphazardly like dusty manila folders, crammed into overflowing taupe squares, stacked thrice tall and teetering ominously.

This, of course, a parable to the chaos that rests somewhere between the frames of my eyeglasses and my central nervous system.

But standing – and note, I do mean standing, as nary a Midwestern gale or fascist shoulder could upend me – here on the far side of a disaster twice removed, I can make a declaration of sorts:

“To be optimistic in such exceptionally pessimistic times is a unique, beautiful, and rewarding insanity.”

Do not mistake this for placidity or stubborn positivity in the face of a wholly negative reality. It is accurate and valid that you will find yourself in moments that do not warrant a positive perspective. In these moments, the key is empathy, care, validation, love, support, and rebuilding when the time is right. There is a warranted time to despair.

Despair; “to be overcome by a sense of futility or defeat.”

Despair naturally destroys courage and stops all effort, yes, but what lies underneath could very well be a kind of courage and intense activity founded upon the sense that there is nothing worse to be feared. Quoting George Eliot, “What we call our despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope.” To be greeted with these feelings in our darkest times, when the understanding that there is no recourse of action left but to endure, is to be wrapped in the embrace of a love whose absence was largely unrecognized.

Thus, I look to hope, eager and famished, seeking respite. And in my quest for hope, I find all I need and more. When I turn to myself and take inventory of the tools I have at my disposal and the control I have over my own destiny, I am at peace. The choices are not easy; the road is not paved in gold, but what road is? And so I forge ahead in the name of those too tired to carry on, knowing the tacit agreement must be fulfilled, that we must do it for ourselves & thus, each other.

#text #bork bork thoughts

[itsbenedict]

Bullet Proof: Postmortem

Waaaay back in the day, when I was 19 and I'd just discovered Dangan Ronpa (back when we put the space in the title, because all we had was the Orenronen LP and we called Ultimates "Super High-School Levels"), I decided to do my own. That was the heyday of forum adventures on the MSPA Forums, and there were no standards. I didn't know how to draw, but I decided to learn. I wanted to make a thing!

I got a good ways into it, honestly! It went through a few format changes, skipping over a couple cases in the middle in an abridged format on Tumblr, but I'd finally found my groove for the fourth case, playable from the perspective of the murderer. It was going well!

Then the MSPA Forums got hacked and the admins didn't keep any backups and everything was lost.

So that sucked! And once it became clear they were never going to recover the forums due to a mix of security incompetence and not giving a shit, I didn't really have a choice but to try and reboot it. I'd lost all the text, apart from a few garbled pages from a corrupted archive snapshot.

But... I've got way too much else I want to do at this point, and it's not looking too likely I'm going to have the time to come back to it. So if you want to know everything about what happened and where it was going...

You've clicked the readmore. So you do want to know all that. Here goes! Activate theme music.

You remember how it opened, right? It was a forum adventure, and at the time, I asked the readers to select an SHSL talent and gender as the protagonist entered the American branch of Hope's Peak Academy.

That was diegetic. "Alice Bayko" was an SHSL Impostor, or- I actually kinda waffled on having her not technically be SHSL anything, as she infiltrated the school with a false identity. She has, however, forgotten this, and her original identity and mission, leaving her with nothing but the mask. I believe there was a scene planned, or maybe a scene that did happen, I forget- where Alice would be called upon to demonstrate some sort of stage magic trick... and completely not know how to do any of that.

But what was she up to?

Well, that's a good question, with a complicated answer. Let's start pulling back the layers, here.

Seventeen students, and of the seventeen... somewhere between six and nine of them could be considered secret masterminds. Hilariously, I seem to have ordered this old banner issue in order of who's the most technically the ultimate mastermind, which was very cheeky of me. Would've been fun if someone ever caught that.

Let's start with...

Mastermind Level 1: Disguise

This creepy kid, SHSL Prodigy Billy Bookerton, was supposed to be the original secret mastermind in charge of the school. As came up in the adventure proper, this iteration of Hope's Peak was intended to be a safehouse from the ongoing despair apocalypse pictured in the Danganronpa canon. The son of the headmaster, he would control their Monokuma puppet and be in charge of faking to the outside world that this Monokuma-themed airship was in fact a murder-happy despair cult (like everywhere else on Earth somehow.)

This was not supposed to be a secret to the student body. And this 27-year-old man was not supposed to wake up in the body of a malnourished child and pose as a student. After events occurred, he found himself like this, with a note in his own handwriting instructing him to lay low and play this role.

What events occurred?

Mastermind Level 2: Blackmail

Also explained in the adventure proper, since these two were culprit and victim of the playable case 4: Gwendolyn and Ursula Schultheiss, SHSL Sysadmin and SHSL Retro Gamer nothing at all. Gwen was admitted to Hope's Peak on the basis of an actual talent, and pretty quickly gained control of their computer systems, sneaking Ursula in under the guise of Sakura Aran, and learning about the plan to escape Ultimate Despair by disguising the school and taking to the sky.

She thought that plan was really stupid.

Specifically, she thought Ultimate Despair was a flash in the pan, and it was ridiculous to think that some student riots all the way in Japan posed some sort of apocalyptic threat. (In her defense, this is a reasonable thing to think! It is ridiculous! Danganronpa's worldbuilding is fucking nonsense! But unfortunately for her, we're rolling with it.)

So she and Ursula hatched a plan to get rich. Hope's Peak is full of the progeny of the super-rich, like the Bright conglomerate. Obviously people like this would have loads of incriminating secrets, with which they could be blackmailed, and by which they would deserve to be blackmailed because screw those nepo babies. The plan was to run a Deception Game, not a Killing Game- they'd steal Billy's remote-control scary apocalypse terrorist, and pit everyone against each other in a contest to uncover each other's darkest secrets.

Once they had the dirt, they'd pretend to lose control and land the ship somewhere safe and sound, and Hope's Peak could deal with the scandal of the Monokuma hijacking and the consequences of their bonkers overreaction to some airhead fashionista's trendy protest.

If you recall, their plan went like this:

Each of them assumed that the other had somehow betrayed them and hijacked the school's systems on their own- Ursula retained control of the damaged Monokuma puppet, and Gwen retreated to her secret closet base to try and wrest control of the systems back from whatever super-hacker Ursula found to compromise her control. It took Gwen a few chapters (and accidentally murdering her sister) to realize that there was a...

Mastermind Level 3: Reality TV

It all started with SHSL Heir Henry Bright, heir to the Bright Conglomerate and active vice director of the company. Specifically, he directed vice. The Bright Conglomerate, in his opinion, did things too by-the-book, and were passing up big opportunities for growth in the organized crime sector. He was fostering connections with the Hit Deck (which led to the altercation that led to his and Dominique Martine's deaths in case 2), and...

Unlike Gwen, he didn't think the emergence of Ultimate Despair was nonsense. No, it was a growth opportunity. His plan was to invite a film crew to the airship and broadcast an exciting (fake) killing game to pander to this emerging despair-based market! With illicit funds provided by his contact in the Hit Deck (in exchange for his help securing a place on the ark for the Hit Deck's boss and trusted confidantes, posing as students), he assembled a team. Bribed some students, located an SHSL Doctor and some effects artists for realistic murder effects, did some networking, and...

...well, word gets around. The team he put together had bigger ambitions. A creative vision. One that had no room for executive meddling. They cut him out of the production team and forced him into the cast.

(I'm honestly not sure if this layer of convolution was necessary- I was on the fence about cutting him from the cast. The show's team might've found out about the school just because Gwen and Sakura screwed up the school's stealth measures. He's gotta kind of be there to explain the Hit Deck's presence, though, since aside from Dom none of them were actual Ultimates.)

Realer Reality TV

Before I reveal the members of the final mastermind tier, let's go over how they did this.

I never ended up using this portrait, but this is Davi Rossi, SHSL Doctor, though he prefers "Ultimate Necromancer". He's a graduate of the original Hope's Peak in Japan, and his technology is the cornerstone of the whole setup here- underneath the school, in the restricted areas in the body of the ship, he has a whole secret lab with vats of glowy chemicals and fancy futuristic surgical tools.

He can bring back the dead.

Well, sort of. He can do all sorts of repairs on ordinary tissues- lose a limb, get a vital organ mashed up, bleed out, he can fix that. He can make alterations to the body, too- such as surgically reverting someone's apparent age, or implanting remote-control death chips, or strategically weakening someone's skull.

He can even fix a certain degree of brain damage- the kind of stuff that might occur if you suffer blunt force trauma or total deoxygenation, where the brain is still mostly intact.

As a result, most victims are recoverable. When someone dies, he can bring them back again and again. However: he can't fully reconstitute the brain, and he has a number of limitations when it comes to working with it:

If the brain is completely torn apart or otherwise destroyed, he cannot revive the victim.

He can't directly mind-control anyone, nor can he insert false memories.

He can delete and rearrange memories, but not read minds, and memory deletion is episodic- he can't mess with specific facts, only spans of time.

I think I... also made an exception so he could delete specific people? Which is clunky and doesn't really make sense in hindsight.

There's still a lot you can do by cutting up and rearranging the filmstrip of someone's memory- but except in one specific case, he only ever really used it to delete the last loop.

In case it wasn't obvious, this isn't the first killing game. This show has multiple seasons. It's been going a while- and while injuries that destroy the brain are rare, they're not nonexistent, and so there's quite a few students who died before the story began. There used to be a lot more students! That's why all the dorm rooms have bunkbeds!

And there's also unfortunately the one who received a fatal injury in this loop by blowing himself up with an improvised explosive device. Sorry, Mill!

(There's actually only a few people physically present running the show, since the show's been running for years now and they found that they really didn't need more than a skeleton crew to run it- Davi and some student plants, along with Monokuma drones and countless hidden cameras, are all that's necessary for production on the ground. There's no adult film crew present on the ship.)

(♪ Kids with guns. Kids with guns. Taking over. But they won't be long. ♪)

Davi is also responsible for rigging up the masterminds with the mental control rigs for the two Monokumas- and has a third Monokuma of his own, who was going to show up to treat Martha's injury during case 4, I think in literally the very next update planned before the forums exploded.

So who are the people in control of these Monokuma knockoffs?

Mastermind Level 5: Case 5

All that I just mentioned about Davi? You learn about this in the fifth case, after case 4 in which you play as either Sakura or Gwen after killing their sister and trying to avoid getting caught in the trial. You can't win case 4, but you can successfully stall and bullshit long enough for the trial to be interrupted by a sudden explosion before you can be executed.

Prior to case 4, Billy has disappeared into a secret passage, trying to track down the mastermind. Likewise, Flopsy-Turvy, Alice's rabbit, has also disappeared into a secret passage. Billy remains missing during case 4's trial.

After the explosion, the Monokumas call off the trial and lead the whole class to Davi's secret lab, which is the site of a set of murders.

Davi has been murdered via various small lacerations all over his body, including a slit throat.

Billy has been blown to bits by an explosion.

If Gwen or Sakura was executed during the trial, their corpse is found on a table in the lab.

Flopsy-Turvy, who was a robot all along, has been reduced to mechanical smithereens.

Violette, not dead anymore, but unable to speak aloud due to an incompletely healed throat injury

Some completely unfamiliar redhead kid, who doesn't know jack about anything and doesn't know how he got here.

The two survivors of this scene are naked save for some towels they found, and appear to have been spilled out from a couple of big glowy specimen tanks which were broken in the explosion that killed Billy and Flopsy. More on them later.

The subsequent investigation reveals all that stuff I just told you about Davi, blowing the setup wide open. In the course of that investigation, two of the masterminds find themselves confessing their involvement. After all- Davi's dead. There's no way they can run another season without someone to bring people back to life!

One in particular confesses before the other one- she doesn't care anymore, and she's happy to watch her co-conspirator squirm to try to avoid revealing his evil machinations to the people he desperately wants to think he's cool.

Lilakali Bhallu and Raymond Rizzini are my favorites. They suck so much. They hate each other quite a lot, and have gotten together and broken up like three different times. Their collective theme song is No Children by The Mountain Goats. They're like 25 at this point, stuck in the bodies of the teenagers they were when the show started filming and they fully agreed to be part of the production.

Why? Well, Lilakali hates everyone and enjoys seeing them turn on each other like rabid wolves repeatedly- and Raymond craves acceptance and is using his memory privileges and surveillance abilities to try over and over again to be Popular In High School (to no avail.) They're both pretty pathetic people.

Notably, they are both real students who're supposed to be here. I don't remember if I ever had Lilakali make any predictions, and she'll insist she's just making shit up, but I was gonna have her predictions all come true, because the Fortune Teller thing is a real talent. And Raymond really can make a pretty mean burger. (Cheekily, that old Tumblr post was supposed to have taken place in a previous season- you might notice Gwen in the background, who in this iteration was never convinced to leave her room for meals, instead sneaking out at night to raid the cafeteria.)

Lilakali also has an Edgy Backstory- she grew up in the circus, apprenticed under her grandmother, who refused to let her socialize with kids her age. She was supposed to learn the family divining techniques, not dance around like some harlot with a pack of urchins! Her grandma taught her to hate the world, and herself, and accidentally also her grandmother. One day, in a moment of perfect nihilist clarity, she took a Sixlizard cigarette lighter out of the trash, wandered amongst the tents, and burned down the entire circus, killing her grandma in the process. She looks back on that moment fondly as the happiest she's ever been.

Anyway. Those two are my favorites, but they're not the ultimate masterminds. In fact... they're quite sure there's supposed to be a third mastermind, and they suspect this third mastermind of having erased their memories of them and killing Davi. They can tell their memories were edited- they're fully aware of how the tech works and what the signs are, and they can tell there's big ugly gaps and gashes in their recollection of the past. Someone was missing, and Davi was being all cagey and weird about it. And last loop...

Well, what happened last loop is the direct cause of case 5. And at the end of the investigation... the two Monokumas go dead, and one giant Monokuma shows up, furious that Davi is dead and forcing the students to go to trial one more time. This will be the final execution- catching Davi's murderer.

Mastermind Level 6: Sailing No More

It doesn't take long into trial 5 for the identity of this giant Monokuma to be revealed- it's a mechsuit with a living person in it, not a robot, and he unmasks himself during the trial without too much objection once people start questioning... that confused redhead kid who they found at the crime scene. That character introduces himself as... the Super High-School Level Pilot, Nolan Cubbins.

Wait. What?

Didn't that guy die?

Well, you see--

--oh, shit, I forgot Tumblr has an image limit of 30 images per post. Uh, gonna have to break this up into two posts. Continue reading here!

#bullet proof #bullet proof spoilers. like all of them

[blueteller]

TCF Summary Arc by Arc (Part 6/8)

Every TCF story arc in a nutshell

Volume 6: chapters 500-599

[< Previous] [Index] [Next >]

(Due to convoluted nature of the following segment, let me introduce you to a temporarily different summary format:)

Welcome, to the 4-Way-Battle Event! [Contestants:] Team 1 – Cale Henituse & Choi Han, conducting revolution with Princess Jopis! Team 2 – Bud Illis & the Elves, rescuing the survivors of the 1,001 mercenary squad! Team 3 – Clopeh Sekka and Witira, protecting the World Tree from intruders! Team 4 – Alberu Crossman and Taylor Stan, defending the North-Western Territory of the Roan Kingdom from invading forces!

[Supporting Roles:] Team 1 – joined by Raon, Mary, Tasha, On, Hong and the Molan Assassin Squad! Team 2 – joined by Rosalyn and the Sun Twins! Team 3 – joined by Archie and Paseton! Team 4 – joined by Lock and the Tiger Tribe!

[Schedule:] Team 1, Versus; Queen Elisneh the First! Team 2, Versus; "Mysterious Endable Forces"! Team 3, Versus; Dorph and the Lion Tribe! Team 4, Versus; the White Star! (All taking place at the same time!)

Round 1: Battle at the Molden Kingdom! Team 1 wins! (Elisneh, your illusion power sucks… Cale's "greatest fear" is waking up in Korea and eating ramen??? Wait Pendrick, bad idea, no don't give Cale that stick-!) Team 1 retreats to support Team 2! *Cale coughs blood and/or faints counter: 19* *World Tree Branch & Fake World Tree have been added to the Inventory*

Round 2: Battle at the Gate to the Demon World! Team 2 gets away safely! (What's up with that thirsty Vampire…? Cale, are you SURE you wanna be allies with that weirdo??) Teams 1 & 2 retreat to support Team 4!

Round 3: Battle at the Lake of Despair! Team 3 wins without issues! (Witira, my Queen, you're so cool 🤩 Lol Dorph you loser, get dunked on)

Round 4: Battle at the Stan Territory! Team 4 persists! The enemy retreats upon the arrival or reinforcements! (Gasp! Crown Prince Alberu is revealed to be a Highest Grade Magic Swordsman!? His popularity skyrockets!!!) Team 1 arrives to save the day!

(Now back to regular summary format!)

Conspiracy Theorist White Star Strikes Again! White Star: *holding Alberu up by the neck, about to dramatically reveal his Dark Elf form to everyone* *The Cavalry Arrives!* Cale: Let him go. White Star: *actually does* Cale: …wow you actually did?? White Star: Of course. Your dragon would have stabbed me in the back otherwise Raon: Huh, how did he know? Cale: You don't even look pissed off? White Star: I took some time to think about it. It all makes sense now Cale: (…why do I have a bad feeling-?) White Star: Obviously, you're my Destined Rival, the Chosen One of a God Cale: … Cale: (WTF???) White Star: At last, a worthy opponent. Our final battle shall be legendary! Cale: (Oh HELL no!!! Is he trying to destroy my slacker life dream?!) Cale: You're just saying that to confuse my allies and run away!! White Star: That's right Cale: Wait what White Star: *disappears* Cale: (Well f***) Also Cale: *accidentally radiates charisma* The Soldiers: Gasp! Our Commander HAS been chosen by the Gods! Alberu: (…I should probably stop him, but honestly I'm too tired for this s***)

To the Endable Kingdom! Cage: Hey Cale, the God of Death wants to make you his Saint. Whaddya think? Cale: …That motherf***ing God of Death!!! (Does HE want to ruin my dream, too?!) THE ANSWER IS NO! Cage: Cheers! *pulls out wine glasses* Cale: Your highness, PLEASE stop those ridiculous rumors about me Alberu: … Cale: It's too late, isn't it Duke Fredo: *shows up in a crow form* 'Sup everyone, 'tis I, your friendly neighborhood Vampire. Give me some of your blood pls Cale: No. Duke Fredo: Shame. Be my son then Cale: Wait what Duke Fredo: I have an artifact that stores the appearance of my younger self. I use it to pretend that I have a son Cale: So…? Duke Fredo: So I can give it to you to infiltrate the White Star's secret kingdom Cale: Wait, so I get to play a spoiled brat?? *excited* Duke Fredo: No, no. My son persona is very polite and well-behaved. Also, he's the White Star's favorite nephew Cale: … Cale: *rants* HYUNG, CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS S***!? Alberu: *dying from laughter*

Naru Time! Cale: *Naru mode on* Naru!Cale: *looks gloomy and depressed* Endable Citizens: Poor Young Master Naru! He must be so heartbroken about his father being in a coma! Naru!Cale: (…I can't f***ing believe this) Naru!Cale: …That evil Cale Henituse, I will never forgive him! White Star: There there, my dear nephew, cheer up *pats him on the head* Naru!Cale: (This bastard, using the hand that already I RIPPED OFF OF HIM…!) Naru!Cale: *looks even more depressed* Solena & Melundo: (Wow, this human is amazing at this!) White Star: Naru, let us hug before I go Naru!Cale: (…should I kill him?) The Ancient Powers: CALE, NO, YOU'LL DIE Naru!Cale: (Goddammit.) *White Star and Cale hug, traumatizing Cale for life* Choi Han & Raon: *watch everything hidden in a closet* Raon: Poor Human! He's so great at acting! Choi Han: *emotional* Cale-nim… you truly are strong… Duke Fredo: *snickers inwardly while playing dead* Naru!Cale: *dying on the inside*

Cale Henituse Orders a Hit on Cale Henituse Fredo: The White Star has a device that can turn him into a member of the Demonic Race and every citizen of this kingdom is cursed so that they can't destroy it. Cale: I see, THAT'S why you needed me Fredo: Correct. You also need to attend the Nobles' grand assembly in my place Cale: So I can do whatever I want? Fredo: Sure thing son. Have fun Cale: Thanks, father! *munches on cookies from the White Star* Raon: Oh wow these are tasty! Cale: (I know, right?) Choi Han: So, are we going to loot them? Cale: *confused* No? Why would you think that?? Choi Han & Raon: (…Don't we always do that??) Choi Han: Then what are you going to do, Cale-nim? Cale: I'm going have them go to war against Cale Henituse. Choi Han: I see- wait what Endable Nobles: *at the assembly* (Hmph, what can a weak little kid like him do…?) Naru!Cale: LET'S GO KILL CALE HENITUSE White Star & Gersey: ??? White Star & Gersey: *actually want to do their demonic stuff in the background* Wait, that's- Endable Nobles: (A chance for a promotion!!!) Endable Nobles: YES, YOUNG MASTER NARU, LET'S GO KILL CALE HENITUSE White Star & Gersey: (…well s***) Naru!Cale: *radiating naive confidence* Uncle, please let me lead our warriors to victory! White Star: *pressured* …I shall think this matter over Naru!Cale: *drops info on Cale Henituse's "biggest weakness" into Count Mock's lap* Count Mock: Look at this my Liege! With this, we can totally defeat Cale Henituse! White Star: …seems legit. Go ahead then

Chilling in Endable Fredo: You've seen the streets, right? You know we're simply people like the rest of the world? Cale: Yes, I get it. You just want to have a place for dark attribute races to live in peace, so you want to be the King of this place Fredo: That's right. So, to show my good will, I saved 500 of the mercenaries you sent to spy on the Gate to the Demon World Cale: But you won't release them just yet, right? Fredo: Correct, I want to have the high ground of course Cale: *Uno Reverse Card* But now you need me to complete your plans, so I have the high ground Fredo: …well played, son Choi Han: Cale-nim, we found Fredo's secret notes on the White Star… But why is his name "Cale Barrow"? Why was he cursed on the same date as our birthday?? And why does his face look like Kim Rok Soo??? Cale: (WTF???) Cale: …you know, whatever that means, I don't even care. Alberu: *shows up in his Dark Elf form* Alberu: Hello. My name is Bob. Cale: Hi Hyung, 'sup? Alberu: …did you get fatter?? Cale: I guess so. Hey, White Star's cookies are better than yours. Alberu: *legit upset* I-is that so…?

Attack on the Black Castle Count Mock: *points at the castle inhabited by a bunch of Dragons* See this enemy base? There are only weak people there! Let's conquer it!! Endable Forces: *immediatelly all get captured*

First Contact with the Sealed God Cotton: *leads Cale and co. to a secret shelter* Ok, so here are the mercenaries, all safe and sound Cale: Great, time to infiltrate the Temple of the Demonic God Cale's Group: *sees the statue of unmasked White Star* Wow this statue sure is ugly, I wonder who this is Cale: … Cale: (…Well, at least I never made an expression like that) Cotton: …well s***. Gersey spotted us!!! Eruhaben: I'll slow them down Cale: *enters into a room with 8 monster statues* Cale: WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL (Why are there unranked monsters from Korea here as statues?!?!) [Mysterious Black Hand Appears] White Star & Gersey: WAIT, NO! Cale's Group: Wait, why are they-? Cale: *gets captured by the Black Hand* *One Continent Away* Cage: F***!!!! Young Master Cale's Vow of Death was cut!!! Everybody: …Is Cale DEAD!?!? *panic* *Meanwhile:* Cale: The hell is this…? Sealed God: Hello. I am pure evil incarnate. Wanna become a member of the Demonic Race? Cale: How about NO?! I want to be a slacker, you crazy bastard! Sealed God: What a funny joke. Cale: Actually, I'm not joking- Sealed God: Anyway, I will MAKE you want me. *dumps him into a test* Cale: What kind of-?! Cale: *wakes up as 20-year-old Kim Rok Soo*

Genre Change: Welcome, to Monster Apocalypse! Park Jin Tae: *beats KRS up* Hey Kim Rok Soo, admit that I'm the king of this place already! KRS!Cale: Oh yeah, this was the time when Park Jin Tae was the king of the shelter… PJT: (…he finally admitted it???) PJT: …I guess we're done for today, then? KRS!Cale: (Ok, so this is right before the monster flood that kills everyone in the shelter. Is this real or an illusion…?) Sealed God: I'm always watching you, waiting for you to give in~ KRS!Cale: *ignores yet another god simping after him* (It feels real, so I'm going to act like it. Let's flip this whole thing over) KRS!Cale: Ok, I got an announcement everybody. I awakened my ability PJT: (He's an ability user now??) What kind of ability…? KRS!Cale: Foresight. And we're all going to die tomorrow Everybody: (WTF???) PJT: You got any proof? KRS!Cale: You would have saved my life and fought to the end to protect this place despite projecting yourself as an irredeemable a**hole. Also, you're a multiple ability user. PJT: !!! PJT: …I suppose you're telling the truth then… We're all going to die? KRS!Cale: It's okay, I got a plan- Choi Han: *suddenly shows up* KRS!Cale: (Choi Han???) The Koreans: Who is this?? Choi Han: *smiling* I'm someone who came to pay for his meals (Me and the whole fandom: *cries*) KRS!Cale: How… how are you here?? Choi Han: You're imprisoned in a black orb right now. This isn't time travel btw, this is probably just a different universe. I made a deal with the God of Death to cut off some of my lifespan to help you. Only the part where I outlive Raon, tho KRS!Cale: Are you crazy?! Choi Han: I didn't want to be left alone. (Me: Seriously, I am crying right now) KRS!Cale: …I am sorry. And thank you. Really, thank you very much. (Me: *ugly sobbing*)

Time Travel Fix-It, Korean Style! Koreans: *deliver KRS's "foresight" message to nearby shelters* KRS!Cale: *makes detailed plans on how to effectively use everybody's abilities to surive* Choi Han: *slays the monsters true Protagonist Style* The Koreans: *shocked* …H-huh? KRS!Cale: Ok so the Grade 1 monsters are the biggest problem, but there will be only 7 of them PJT: "ONLY" seven??? (This bastard is crazy…) KRS!Cale: We can do it. Oh, and let's call those two people currently hiding one building over The Koreans: Huh?? Kim Min Ah & Bae Puh Rum: What's going o-? KRS!Cale: I'm going to teach you how to fight monsters properly now. KMA & BPR: Huh??? Cale: *fights like a boss despite his emaciated body and less-than-half powered Ancient Powers* PJT: (I don't care what other abilities there are… this foresight ability's the scariest thing I've ever seen in my life…) *Cale coughs blood and/or faints counter: 20*

Enter Tigeru KRS!Cale: (I remember hearing that some of the Grade 1 monsters can talk… perhaps I can negotiate with them?) Dark Tiger: Hello. My name is Alberu Crossman Everybody: (WTF???) The Koreans: …Is Kim Rok Soo a monster-charming fairy tale princess or something??? KRS!Cale: …ok, how is this possible?? Dark Tiger!Alberu: I made a deal with the Sun God to help you just like Choi Han- KRS!Cale & Choi Han: You sacrificed your lifespan too?! That motherf***ing God of Death!!! Tiger!Alberu: No, I- wait, you sacrificed your lifespan?! Choi Han: … Tiger!Alberu: We WILL talk about this later, Instructor-him. But for now, Cale please explain what's going on. KRS!Cale: … KRS!Cale: …Are the children doing well? Tiger!Alberu: *sigh* (I knew he'd ask that first) Yes, the children are well KRS!Cale: Are they eating well? Tiger!Alberu: Yes, they are eating well KRS!Cale: I see. I'm a transmigrator. Tiger!Alberu: Huh? KRS!Cale: I possessed Cale Henituse's body two years ago Tiger!Alberu: Huh?? KRS!Cale: My real name is Kim Rok Soo and I was 36 when I transmigrated Tiger!Alberu: HUH??? KRS!Cale: Also Choi Han's my friend's uncle/paternal cousin once removed. He's actually super old Choi Han: *nonchalantly* That's right, I dimension traveled at 17 and I'm actually older than your grandfather Tiger!Alberu: …You motherf***ing bastards Tiger!Alberu: … Tiger!Alberu: I'm still the Hyung tho.

Enter Choi Jung Soo & Lee Soo Hyuk KRS!Cale: Ok, the first unranked monster is going to appear soon, so we're going to Seomyeon, Busan. Lee Soo Hyuk will be there, too. PJT: *realizes that Lee Soo Hyuk is going to be furious at him for beating up KRS* (…well s***) KRS!Cale: On the way, let's help some other shelters. We'll be picking up more allies from other places The Koreans: …Huh? KRS!Cale: Also I made allies out of 2 more talking Grade 1 monsters off-screen The Koreans: Huh?? KRS!Cale: Also we're launching a counteroffensive against the monsters nearby as they're waiting for their turn The Koreans: *who went from hiding in fear from the monsters to fighting them within the span of 24 hours* …HUH??? KRS!Cale: *using Alberu as a steed* Hyung, please roar Tiger!Alberu: …You son of a b**** Tiger!Alberu: *roars* Joo Ho-Shik: *sees KRS!Cale* (…I can make a religion out of this) Joo Ho-Shik: I HAVE FAITH! *uses Faith Power to make everyone stronger* Choi Han & Tiger!Alberu: *snickering* (Why hello Clopeh 2.0) KRS!Cale: (IGNORE.) Tiger!Alberu: …hey, isn't that Choi Jung Soo? He looks just like you described him Choi Jung Soo: …wut's goin' on?? KRS!Cale: *beams at him happily* We're taking your group with us. Btw, Choi Han will be teaching you sword arts CJS: *is confusion* KRS!Cale: *arrives at central shelter in Seomyeon* Tell Lee Soo Hyuk that if he won't show up right now I'm going home Messenger: *panicking* Sir, some people are looking for you! Do you know someone named "Kim Rok Soo"? Lee Soo Hyuk: …Kim Rok Soo? That punk? Messenger: He says that if you won't show up he's going home! LSH: That does sound like Kim Rok Soo... LSH: *shows up* Hey you! …Have you been eating properly? You look terrible KRS!Cale: Not as terrible as you LSH: ...It really IS Kim Rok Soo! LSH: *hugs him* LSH: It's been too long. …Thank you for surviving, Kim Rok Soo (Me: 😭😭😭) KRS!Cale: Why don't you move away? LSH: *even happier* Wow, you haven't changed! (Me: I am slayed. I'm dead. A ghost is writing the rest of this summary…) KRS!Cale: Anyway, this is Alberu Crossman-Hyung- LSH: "Hyung"? How old are you? Tiger!Alberu: Me? I'm 25- LSH: I'm older then. I'M the Hyung. *smug* *Cale coughs blood and/or faints counter: 21*

Gearing Up for the Final Boss KRS!Cale: Ok let's get everybody here, I don't want to say this more than once Shelter Leaders: *show up* So, who's this punk who claims to know the future? What a waste of our time, hurry up! KRS!Cale: *starts reciting exact numbers of survivors at each of their shelters* Shelter Leaders: (…WTF.) KRS!Cale: So a monster stronger than anything we've ever seen before is going to show up. With my plan, we're going to achieve an overwhelming victory. If you don't wanna join and learn how to defeat those, your loss. *mike-drop* Shelter Leaders: (…well f***. Looks like we all gotta fight that thing) KRS!Cale: Ok, so the monster will show up at the shore and go through a subway. It can split in two and use electricity and sonic blasts. Also it's skin is nearly impenetrable LSH: Sounds great. Excuse me for a moment, I gotta go educate someone. *beats PJT to a pulp* CJS: *learning swords arts from Choi Han* (Something is clearly up… this guy has my family name and uses similar techniques… who the heck is he???) *Back in the Roan Kingdom:* On, Hong and Raon: So how is our Human doing? Alberu: *sweating* Alberu: He's… doing great. *thinks of all the blood and monster fighting going on in Korea* (Cale you bastard, how am I supposed to "keep it positive"?!) The Sun Twins: We found a lead about something that could help us against the Sealed God! "Only someone who's overcome the curse of the sun will be able to bring out the memories buried underneath this boulder"… Alberu: *remembers the boulder with the Crossman family curse on it* Ok, let's see.. Alberu: *puts some blood on it* *AI spear appears* Taerang: Hello sir, I will be your best weapon against unranked monsters Alberu: Well, well, would you look at this… *Unbreakable Spear Taerang has been added to the Inventory* *Meanwhile, in Korea:* KRS!Cale: So we all trained up and made a plan. Everybody ready? LSH: Yup! PJT: *having survived LSH's "educational" sessions* …y-yup, sure… JHS: *whispers* I have faith…! KRS!Cale: Ok, everybody to their positions [A Wild Electric Eel Appeared!] The Koreans: *stare at the Godzilla-sized monster* (…Well f***.)

End Volume 6.

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#tcf #trash of the count's family #lcf #lout of the count’s family #summary #story arc #tcf funny summary series #tcf humor #tcf hilarious moments #tcf volume 6

[microwaved-spoons]

delusional - il dottore

This spawned from the dusty writing desk in the far corner of my brain. Be warned. Inspired by this playlist :  “ pov. escaping dottore's lab; a yandere/obsessive playlist”

Mentions of: Il Dottore (and clones), implied imprisonment, escape, allusion to nonconsensual human experimentation, meat lockers, general uncomfortable vibe, use of pet name ‘doll’, (not intentional but could be perceived) yandere undertones

Additional note(s): Lazy formatting. Gotta get used to uploading on this hellsite again. Also I have no real reason for this title, just thought it was a good pun because see, the Fatui manufacture these fake visions which are called delusions, and the definition of delusion is ‘a state of being misled’, which this protagonist is. See, see it’s funny, right? Right? (: and yes, this was purposefully written in vague first tense, because I thought it fit the flow better. Not beta read this was a youtube comment

-

'...Why were they doing this again?'

Their delicate feet burned as they ran barefoot through the cold labyrinth of Zapolyarny Palace.

'They'd only be caught once more.'

With each twist and turn of the halls, things began to look more and more the same, dizzying to their already swaying mind. Despite this, their steps never faltered, nimbly dashing down a steep flight of stairs. All their mind knew was fear-- fear of being caught, of what they risked returning to, and of what dangers might lurk beyond the familiar ones they currently denounced.

They slunk past heavy doors set ajar before realising; things were unnaturally still around them.

'Where were the soldiers? Was no one coming for them? Was this finally it?'

A deep chuckle echoed through the chamber. Now standing in the very center of the room, they stiffened and glanced frantically around. Upon catching a hint of movement behind a pillar, they took off again, chest slowly growing heavy from the despair trickling in.

That voice. They hated how it had such a hold over them. The particular timber of it was infused in their memory, woven through their shaking bones.

Now nearly at the other end of the room, another mocking laugh came from a pillar just to their right. A raspy, shrill squeak forced itself from their lungs, and on instinct they lunged toward a large vase on display. Through sheer panic alone they managed to shove it towards that same pillar, before quickly darting towards the set of doors. Wrenching them apart, they took only a brief moment to glance back, and their eyes met his. They shrieked again and shoved the doors closed, trapping him in with the bar. The doctor let out a growl, an inhuman sound escalating to an enraged yell. One body pushing against the doors then became two, as another doctor mirrored the actions of the first. Both clones were trapped in that room, but more were sure to appear, so they set their sights on heading to lower and lower floors, certain they were expected to try and find the main entrance.

-

'This is utterly dreadful.'

The kitchens were stale, the scent of fine foods washed out with the dreary atmosphere. With four workers stationed around the area, they ducked behind a cluster of barrels, searching for any sort of opening to freedom. Without windows, it was not an easy feat, but their eyes caught a pale glow emanating beyond the door but a few steps away.

'Surely this was it! They'd finally be saved from this life, freed from this torturous existence. Whatever came next, they'd face with open arms. It was their life to choose.'

They slipped through the door, shutting it delicately behind them. A beat of silence passed, and when no outrage was heard from the kitchen, they let out a breath into the chilled air. This cold was unmistakable, even for someone as isolated as they'd been. The ice against their feet burned, but it was nothing compared to the emotion they felt as they turned to look out into the new environment.

Icy it may have been, but this was no open land.

As they gazed ahead, they found all that they could see were rows of red tinted, hanging slabs of ice. These hooked sculptures had them retching, covering their mouth and pressing their back against the door. The meat locker reeked of death, of misery and of failure. All the hopelessness they'd battled till this moment came crashing down around them as their legs gave out. Boneless, they slumped on the slippery ground, feeling the sheer cold envelop them. As their brain succumbed to the exhaustion, they smiled, knowing that even this was an escape. This ending was of their own creation; they'd taken their life back.

Minutes later, controlled footsteps approached the locker, as a kitchen maid pushed open the heavy wood. Pointed shoes approached the small, slouched figure, gently scooping it up with steady hands.

Il Dottore smiled down at their peaceful face, brushing stray snowflakes from their lashes. "Now then, doll, let us observe the effects of the regenerative serum, shall we?"

-

-

Alright, I haven't written anything of substance for the past several years, so I hope this at least comes across as legible. I started off vaguely reinterpreting the audio cues as I went, writing without any real direction and then it just sort of spiralled from there. The ending sort of reminds me of a fairytale I grew up with: the little match girl. A rather vague reference, but writing in a Snezhnayan setting had me reflecting on my own Russian-Ukrainian heritage and therefore my upbringing(note: uh, yeah, we're doing greattt), so that's my reasoning for the unhinged direction it went.

#[six's storybook].txt #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact x gn reader #dottore x gender neutral reader #dottore x reader #dottore #my brain hurts #this was like phys ed but for my brain and fingers #no i don't know why it's like this #first fic #out of retirement #yandere #yandere x reader #not beta read

[capucapo]

Brothers' Battle part 1/4

[ continued from here, directly copied from Discord w minor editing for typos and formatting. yes, we played out an entire Duel. it's going to be a little bit of a read but I'm really, REALLY proud of this group effort to rewrite the VR World arc and there's so much good Character behind the card games.

Seto Kaiba @blueeyesking, me as Noa, Mokuba, and the Yugis. Wyatt @seashaper, Hika @nameless-brand, and Pyre @redeyesandchilifries coming in later

Names with my posts don't always line up bc sometimes I just switch POVs too many times in one reply, but will be color blocked with purple for the Yugis, magenta for Mokuba, and black italic (like this!) for Noa ]

Seto Kaiba

Seto's grin immediately falls away, replaced with a slightly agape shock. Concern tugs at the muscles in his face, twitching into another barely-recognizable microexpression- but Mokuba should be able to read Seto's face like a book, and that book reads,

"MOKUBA!"

He's alive! He's not hurt, and doesn't seem to be at all restrained… but his clothes are very… muted. Maybe it's just the virtual world's expression of him.

Mokuba

Mokuba's reaction hardly looks relieved to see the eldest Kaiba. The Imposter. His brows knit tight, his jaw set.

[ High above, an alarm rings out through Noa's control room. The largest, central screen changes perspective, zooming in on a young man with dark, braided hair. If he had veins, his blood would have turned to ice inside them.

No. No no no.

Why was Mokuba putting himself in danger? ]

On the street below, Mokuba takes a defiant step towards the imposter.

"gee, and I thought losers were supposed to give up and die," Mokuba's tone is venomous.*

yugi!

Yugi feels his heart sink as he utters the teenager's name in concern. His Other Self balls a fist, swallows the lump that forms in his throat as he spares a glace toward Kaiba.

The world seems to stand still.

Seto Kaiba

Seto's heart sinks, too, but it was already so deep it didn't have far to fall.

He… he couldn't be serious. He couldn't have said that, right? This must be another nightmare, only shared. Surely. Seto stops directing his Blue-Eyes, and it begins biting and slashing and firing beams at the insects on its own.

"That was what Gouzaburo believed."

Mokuba

Mokuba's glare doesn't falter.

"so then how many times do you have to lose before you listen???? just leave me and my Big Brother ALONE already!!!"

[ As he snaps at this Imposter, his so called Brother appears. A young man somewhere between the brothers in age, with an uncanny likeness to the elder. He wears a pleasant smile, but his eyes are cold and sharp as an icicle. He places a hand upon Mokuba's shoulder, and the way that the younger boy leans familiarly into the touch turns both Yugi's stomachs in unison. ]

"mokuba--" Yugi starts to step forward, only to be blocked by his Other's arm. Not yet, he feels inside his heart.

Seto Kaiba

"Your big brother… I don't even know who this clown is."

Seto covers his despair in biting wit, crossing his arms and straightening into a properly haughty posture. His eyes catch Noa's, and narrow.

"Whoever this kid is, he's not your brother, Mokuba. I am. And I'll do whatever it takes to bring you back."

Mokuba

The look on Mokuba's face is heartbreaking enough for Yugi. He gives a concerned look in Kaiba's direction.

["Give it up, Seto," Noa finally speaks, his gentle, song-songly voice uncomfortably calm. "Mokuba remembers the way that you hurt him, you hit him and then set your monsters lose upon him-- Isn't that right my Baby Brother?"]

"that's right. I'm not going ANYWHERE with you!!! my REAL brother and I are going to take Kaiba Corp back and remind the world what WINNING looks like!!"

Mokuba raises his left arm, a DuelDisk materializing in a wave of glowing cyan pixels. Noa's hand tenses on his shoulder.

["Mokuba. This isn't safe, you need to let me--" ]

"no. no, he HURT me. I need to do this, Big Brother. I've been waiting my whole LIFE to do this." Mokuba's words drip with poisonous resentment.

Seto Kaiba

Seto's eyes don't widen. Of course. This person has poisoned Mokuba against him with yet more realistic bending of the truth. Just like in his own nightmare, something terrible was done to Mokuba by some program wearing his face…

However, he wasn't expecting Mokuba to try and Duel him. Seto glances at the Yugis, then steps forward, removing the cards inside his DuelDisk and shuffling them. The Blue-Eyes nearby dematerializes as it is removed from the field.

"If that's what you want, Mokuba… I accept your challenge."

He looks to the stranger.

"The only danger here is the delusion you have, about taking my brother and the company I sacrificed my life for. We have suffered enough of Gouzaburo's lingering grudges!"

Seto flares a hand out dramatically, causing his coat to flap and emphasize the motion.

Mokuba

"WHAT brother??" Mokuba snaps. "'cuz MY only brother is Noa, and you stole that company from US. and once I beat you at your precious favorite game, I'm taking back what's ours," Mokuba snaps at the Imposter.

Yugi looks nervous, chewing on his bottom lip as he anxiously watches this confrontation between brothers. When Seto accepts the challenge, he gasps, takes a step toward the taller man again.

"kaiba, i don't have a good feeling about this--"

"shut UP, yugi. enough of your stupid friendship speeches, this is a family conversation!" Mokuba snaps. Then he turns to look up at the young man beside him, his expression and tone softening as he does. "you can do something about that, right Big Brother?"

[ Noa gives a dark grin in response, his cold, blue eyes locking onto the object of his animosity. "Of course I can, my Baby Brother. How about we take this battle somewhere just a bit more.. fitting," Noa hums.

Slowly he raises one hand in a grand gesture, and as he does, the streets of Domino City seem to crumble and fall away. The ground around their feet begins to rise high, high up into the blue sky, until the parties finds themselves on three separate rooftops. The brothers standing opposite each other on a long walkway, the Yugis and Noa occupying two smaller, round turrets, separated from the main platform by an endless chasm. ]

Yugi's heart skips a beat. His Other Self feels his stomach drop.

The details are different, but they recognize this playing field. The parapets at either end of the rooftop.

They both already know these stakes before Noa has to explain.

Seto Kaiba

Seto's heart pounds in his chest, the alarm he feels impossible to hide. His stance widens to steady himself as the terrain changes- into an all too familiar arrangement. They… they can't be serious. This is where Yugi learned their family's harshest lesson: to lose is to die. But he talked Seto off of the edge by conceding to his unfair ultimatum.

Seto's heart pounds in his ears.

"He's lying to you, Mokuba!" his tone is slightly more desperate. "You and I stole the company from Gouzaburo- and this boy has never been in our lives! I promised you we would- we would make theme parks, and entertain and support kids everywhere, so that they didn't have to suffer like we did!"

Regardless of his attempts at reasoning with Mokuba, Seto readies his Duel Disk.

Mokuba

Mokuba's never been here before. He's never seen this arena, never before heard the chilling ultimatum. But he doesn't need to. He already knows everything he needs to, as decided by Big Brother Noa.

"you're the one who's lying!! you really think anyone believes that?? YOU ?? caring about anyone but yourself???" Mokuba snaps as he draws his first five cards. "you threw away everything that made KaibaCorp what it was just to humiliate and MOCK our father's legacy!!! I'm going first!!"

[ "Let me remind you of the rules here, Seto," Noa purrs from the sidelines, his voice as deceptively gentle as ever. "You'll each take a step backwards for every 100 points of damage that you take. When your lifepoints run out, so does the rootftop you stand upon. Of course, these monsters aren't some cheap trick of light, like you're used to. The force of your attacks may be enough to bring this Duel to a conclusion before they even hit zero." ]

Mokuba stands confidently, a violent storm in his eyes as he finally looks down at the cards he's drawn. He can't help but smirk-- it's a perfect opening hand.

He sets the board wirh two face down cards, one monster, one a spell or trap, and ends his turn.

Seto Kaiba

The glare Seto levels at Noa may as well have the same level of threat as a gun barrel. But after a moment, he's more focused on the game at hand, brutal stakes clawing at his back.

In his first hand are Cyber Jar, Spirit Ryu, Burst Breath, Shrink, and Ring of Defense. He sets one and plays the monster in Defense Mode.

"The Kaiba Corporation, as a military entity, was a monstrous tool of destruction that gave the highest bidder the necessary firepower to massacre anyone in their way. Is that a legacy to be proud of, Mokuba? Or was it always our dream to save the world by making it a better place? To pursue our passion for children's card games? Open your eyes! Our adoptive father beat me every day, to teach me this world is cruel and unforgiving to the weak, and the world of business is worse. But we outplayed him at his own game, and with him gone, KaibaCorp has been flourishing as an entertainment technology company. You can't tell me you'd be happier facilitating the death of millions for money, just because it was what some old fool wanted you to do with his resources!"

Mokuba

[ Noa's own blue eyes meet Seto's threatening glare, but the smile on his lips shows only amusement as the fight begins in earnest ]

Mokuba draws a card to begin his turn. Effect Veiler.

"Kaiba Corporation was the epitome of power and strength. do you even hear yourself???? when the next great war starts, how many people are you going to save with children's card games???" Mokuba argues spitefully.

He takes only a second to look over the cards in his hand. His opening draw was good-- improbably so. Controlled as all things in this domain by Noa's divine will. That would be the only help offered to the youngest Kaiba, justified, in Noa's opinion, by the teenager's lack of experience as a Duelist. Not that he needed to justify something that no one, not even Mokuba, would know.

Mokuba plays Mystical Space Typhoon, targeting Seto's only set card for destruction. He then flips face up the monster he'd set on his first turn, revealing a weak and harmless Red Eyes Baby Dragon, now standing in attack mode. Plays another spell from his hand, Red Eyes Insight, sending one monster from his deck straight to the graveyard in order to add another spell to his hand. It isn't time for that yet, though. Instead, he activates his set trap card, allowing him to bring the Red Eys Archfiend of Lightning he'd sent to the graveyard immediately to the field. In exchange for his turn's normal summon, he activates the archfiend's effect, destroying the weak monster Seto had chosen to defend himself.

"you didn't outplay anyone. you cheated, and you stole away my Big Brother's rightful place at the head of our company!!!! don't act like you're above us, seto. how many deaths have YOU caused in your selfish rise to power, anyway??? what makes you any DIFFERENT ?? just because you like playing stupid little games for stupid little kids? it's time to grow UP already," he snaps, before ordering his baby dragon to attack directly.

Seto Kaiba

Seto's set card turned out to be the trap card Burst Breath! It disintegrates as Seto discards it, cussing quietly to himself. He knows Mokuba, having Red Eyes Baby Dragon on the field, will want it attacked so that it can activate its effect. He doesn't know all of Mokuba's deck, though, and the archfiend catches Seto off-guard, obliterating his Spirit Ryu and leaving him open to the Baby Dragon's direct attack. Its fireball pushes him back the required twelve steps, closer and closer to the edge…

"But we did outplay him, Mokuba! My plan hinged on you- I believed in you to make it work! This guy didn't exist-- we were Gouzaburo's only sons! He's using you!"

The taller brother calls over to Mokuba, even as he draws and glances at his remaining options. His drawn card is Pot of Greed-excellent. He casts Pot of Greed and draws his two cards, fishing for options to take out Mokuba's monsters without hurting him too badly. Even if he can deck his brother out without pushing him to the edge, will this bloodthirsty "Noa" still enforce the loss penalty…?

Vorse Raider, Heavy Storm, Thunder Dragon. Not terrible… Seto discards Thunder Dragon in order to draw his other two copies from his deck. Unfortunately, they both take one tribute to summon, themselves…

He summons the Vorse Raider in Attack Position. Then, he casts Heavy Storm, destroying Mokuba's trap card- and finally casts Shrink, targeting Mokuba's Archfiend, then begins his Battle Phase so that his Vorse Raider can attack the weakened Archfiend.

"My passion for card games isn't unique, no. But given our past, and my treatment by our adoptive father, I know how people shouldn't be treated. KaibaCorp under him would certainly have encouraged the next great war to have started already, in order to secure their bottom-line! Those resources could be better spent making people happy!"

Mokuba

Mokuba seems completely unfazed as he watches Seto move backwards, closer to the edge of the rooftop. He does spare a glance in Noa's direction, seeking quick and silent validation that he's making his Big Brother proud with that opening combo.

"you think you know everything, don't you seto??? well news flash, WE were LUCKY to get to call ourselves Gouzaburo's sons!!!!!!! and you were ungrateful for that!!! but my Big Brother Noa was Gouzaburo's only REAL son, and he was kind enough to treat me like his own brother anyway!!!!! what did YOU do??? you hit me and you pushed me away!!! you tortured me when I lost to yugi!!!!! Noa would NEVER hurt me like that!!"

Mokuba frows as his continuous trap is destroyed more quickly than expected. Somewhere there's another one of those in his deck, but he's more disappointed that his lack of any monsters in his graveyard prevent him from activating the card's second effect on destruction. Before he can be too sad by that, though, his archfiend shrinks before his eyes, its attack halving as well.

The attack that destroys his archfiend makes the teenager hiss in pain. He's not a Duelist, he's not used to even the force of solid vision. Let alone these virtual monsters with their very real pain. But he takes his required six and a half steps back with a smirk on his face."

"how would YOU know how people should be treated??? you treat everyone on earth like they're below you. tell me again, seto!! how did you get those precious blue eyes cards again???"

He draws his card for his next turn, and his smirk falters. Brows knit as his lips press into a thin line. Enemy Controller. It's not a bad pull. But he recognizes this card, and not from setting up his deck or practice plays. It's one of his opponent's. He sets it face down immediately.

He eyes the field a moment, then delares his battle phase without summoning another monster. Instead, he orders his Baby Dragon to attack the much stronger Vorse Raider without hesitation. The tiny dragon is, expectedly, destroyed immediately, and Mokuba grits his teeth, takes his 7 steps back. But his grin returns-- in fact he's almost giddy.

As the Baby goes to the graveyard, it's replaced by another, stronger dragon. And with Mokuba's battle phase still active, he orders the Red Eyes Black Dragon to attack, destroying Seto's vorse raider and 500 of his life points

"you know, Seto!!!!! if I reallyyyyy begged him to, my Big Brother might let you live!!! you'd have to give up Kaiba Corp though, oh, and your body too…. but you could live forever here in this world instead!! you just have to give up now….. last chance! I end my turn."

#ooc #ic action #[ not visible ic ] #rp #noa's arc #drabbles #I forget what tags I used when I posted the prologue on Yugi's blog xjsjsjwjwj #anyway #aside from opening hands and first draw bc of misunderstanding we did actually play this duel using notes and random bumber generators #which was REALLY fun #but the characterizations and this adaptation of the vr world arc have been REALLY fun #and I hope my mutuals can enjoy this text format Yugioh Filler Episode too #please please please like if you read I want to gage engagement here bc I might like to share rps in the future #this one goes a little long but I promise it's really fun and there's going to be much much more than just dueling #blueeyesking #seashaper #nameless brand #redeyesandchilifries

[tybaltsjuliet]

Recast your choice of King Arthur media?

i couldn't decide which one i wanted to do more, so you get two!

quest for camelot, again, ideally in a cool live-action remake format which i get to be in charge of writing the script for, because my nostalgia wants this story to be so good so bad:

kayley: jessie mei li. she can keep their piercings if she wants because that would look dope as all hell. AND WE'LL GET THEM IN SOME PROPER ARMOR.

garrett: kristen stewart. can you not just hear her delivering all his delightfully mean and weary lines. can you not just see the pain on her face when kayley leaves for camelot. fuck. i'm emotional now.

ruber: JASON ISAACS. he was MADE for this role. maybe we can even write him a better villain song, as a treat. i think jason isaacs has earned a villain song at this point in his career.

...and camelot, cast with the stage in mind, but will also GLADLY accept this as a film adaptation, too (so i can access it, whenever i want):

arthur: RHYS IFANS. PLEASE. GOD'S PERFECT CAMELOT ARTHUR FOR THIS CENTURY. i need this. i need this for my health. i need this to live.

guenevere: sierra boggess. i'm gonna be real honest here. camelot guenevere annoys me. considerably. but i will do it. i will do it for sierra.

...no. actually. no. if i wanted to really embarrass myself, and properly convey the agony it would give me to be attracted to a camelot guenevere, there's only one option. the nightmare i live with every day. she even sings.

taylor swift.

yeah. that's got me in the right mindset of adoration and despair.

lancelot: josh young. what can i say. tennyson's description of lancelot's coal-black curls in "the lady of shalott" was very formative on me. plus he's got a TERRIFIC lock on despair, c.f. his judas.

mordred: mike faist. might as well do that to myself, if i'm making rhys ifans arthur and josh young lancelot. just like that story about maria theresa getting her teeth pulled while giving birth.

nimue: katrina lenk. i would also be hypnotized by her voice and happily follow her to an enchanted cave. she caught me slipping.

i generally defer to @venusofsuburbia for hot old men who know magic but i'd be extremely into seeing robert carlyle as merlin. it's the once upon a time brainrot. i will also take this opportunity to shoehorn in sarah brightman as morgan le fay, if we're including her in this production.

#i have sangria in me now so this might be a little less coherent and more excitable than previous #i went through seven stages of grief over that guenevere relevation. #;answer games.

[msviolacea]

Today the internet apparently wants me to see several different posts about not using Google Docs, which is something I've been considering for a while, but I still haven't figured out a good system to replace it. So, looking for recommendations that would hopefully include:

The ability to easily edit a document across different devices without downloading and re-uploading a file every time.

The ability to share documents with someone else to read and/or collaborate.

Creates text that is somewhat easy to copy and paste into other places without having to deal with weird website formatting, etc.

Something useable in Windows. Android is a secondary want, but I cannot do significant writing on a mobile device so anything that's Android and/or iOS exclusive is out.

Doesn't require buying a whole new device. Maybe someday, but not right now, especially not with tax season upon us.

Price isn't an issue - we've gotten into this internet privacy mess by assuming everything should be free and open forever, and while that's a great ideal, it's not our current reality, so I'd certainly be happy to pay for something that has the right features.

Like, I love Scrivener, but I can't open those files in anything but Scrivener. And I've gotten used to the convenience of going "hey I have an idea, let me open the document on my laptop during a work break and add a few sentences to it" - I'd rather not give that up unless I have to.

So yeah. Google is convenient, but increasingly evil. What else is there that will do at least half of what they can do? Because if I'm ever limited again to "you can only write when your desktop is on and you can access a very specific program" and/or "you have to write thousands of words on a tiny screen on a swipe keyboard," I despair for my future writing output.

#jaime rambles #i'm sure there are vaguely decent alternatives #but searches mostly bring me to sites of apps trying to advertise themselves #and i want some other recommendation than that

[shepardsherd]

I'm Gonna Love Me Again

So, I'm writing short story format to try and get ready for creative writing competitions, and I managed to write this. its about an autistic girl named Rose

I’m Gonna Love Me Again Rose

Staring down at the pages of my own handwriting, I realise that it is hard to read. I can’t remember what I wrote myself. These old diaries are from my dark days; from days I want to forget. My school days. It is hard to put you back in those shoes when you hardly fit in there in the first place - you want to expand beyond the lines of what’s good to make yourself comfortable and embrace your differences, no matter how much people may push and pull to keep you in line, to mould you into what they want you to be.

I remember those days of trying to fit in, of trying to be what they wanted me to be, but I still was never good enough… I was still me.

Staring at these papers, feeling the ink and the scrawls of what I used to say, what I used to be…is not me anymore. Its not someone who loves themselves - its someone who has turned to darkness to cope, to crave something, to feel despair and not look back as they plunge into madness and continue to drown in sorrows. Its someone who wishes that things were different back then, that someone, anyone would love me for who I am, or was, at the time.

I did some things I regret, I was a kid. I was a neurodivergent kid in a world that shames differences. I would run and cry and push away those who made fun of me, who blamed me for being the way I was, that I was faking my conditions for attention. But they never picked on other kids like me because they were seen as “authentic”, not faking.

I had dreams. Like any other kid. I wanted to write, to sing, to soar and be better than what these people were making me out to be. But they would crush my dreams, telling me that I would never be loved and would never be successful.

Time went on, I lived in my own fantasy worlds to cope - wrote mountains upon mountains of words whilst failing every exam I ever took because I don’t do well with exams, so I’d always fail. I was the failure back then. As time went on, I stopped attending school to save my life from school bullies. The Rose that wilted, they used to call me. The fragile flower. I dedicated my time to writing, constantly improving, constantly making worlds. I loved every second of it.

But when the pandemic hit, the words just dried up, as I wrote to cope and wrote to keep my sanity, watching shows and looking for inspiration in books I could read on my Kindle or from my shelf. There was this whole spiral of “What if I’m not good enough?”. Again, this. Again the thoughts, the spiralling depression… A cycle I had to break free from.

Looking at all these…memories…I realise that that is what they are - memories. Old things that I can remember but aren’t necessarily important to today, I should make myself happy, take care of myself. Know that I am loved by my family and pets and look for friends where I can find them.

I know that I can achieve what I want, if I work hard and put my mind to it. I could climb mountains, soar free like an eagle, if only I spread my wings and fly. My mother and my family support me, so that’s all I need. I need to build myself up, go where I wanna go. Be who I want to be. Do what I want to do. Nothing is stopping me.

To live, to laugh, to love. That is the point of life. Finding your way in life is just a part of the adventure and my adventure isn’t over yet; for it has only just begun. There are things you have to learn about yourself in order to love yourself and every Rose has its thorn.

I shut the notepads, resisting the urge to tear them all apart. These words that I can barely read are not important to me anymore - they’ve taught me one thing: To love myself, to embrace what I am, to do what I love and keep my head held high. I stuff the notepads back under my bed where I found them, knowing one day I should chuck them all away, but today is not that day.

I look to my desk where all my writing equipment is waiting for me - my laptop, my pads of paper, my pens. My notebooks. All of this is at my disposal - my dreams are within reach. I can write and share my stories and bring love to them, to everyone as long as I strive to be the best I can be - to have people who want to share in this world with me. I have always had this power inside of me, some days its stronger than others and some days I’m driven insane by simply trying to find the words to say.

I wouldn’t give this up for the world. I love my life, I love my family, my pets, my writing abilities, my books, reading… there’s so much that goes into a passion that you’re never really alone in walking down this path you’ve chosen for yourself. Just don’t give up, give yourself a chance and keep working on it, whilst taking time for yourself to love what you do - to do what you want to do and pace yourself.

And you know what? I’m gonna love me again.

That’s the most important thing. To love me again, is to love who I am, no matter what others make me out to be. There is only one of me and I’m perfect the way I am; perfectly me. Perfectly sane. Perfectly insane on the other hand. Creatively balanced. Creatively me. Free. Forever me. A Rose by any other name.

#short story practise

[malexthesecond]

i finally figured out what attack on titan does right

i've been re-watching the show recently and for the longest time I could tell it was good, but could never tell what it was. but a re-watch really opened my eyes starting off, the foreshadowing oh my god the foreshadowing. ALL OF THE AOT SPOILERS AHEAD don't continue if you don't want the anime spoiled (i wont spoil the manga, since I'm primarily discussing the show here, but some of my points will apply to both since the manga is equally amazing). There are so many fucking examples of subtle and not-so-subtle foreshadowing it's insane. Here's a few - The camera pans to Reiner and Bertolt a number of times when other characters are discussing the armoured and colossal titans -Armin figures out that the female titan wants Eren, while not specifically mentioning it until several episodes later. This leads to him yelling about how she killed "that suicidal maniac" when she did not, which causes her to pause, further foreshadowing that she wants Eren. -Reiner carves a message into the female titan's hand when he is "captured". pointed out later but still cool - Reiner takes a specific interest in eren's location in the scouting formation. also pointed out later but still awesome - you can SEE Reiner and Bertolt going to bite their hand as the tower at utgard castle begins to fall before ymir saves them - Reiner and Bertolt are in awe at the beast titan, multiple episodes before they are revealed to be titans themselves There's so much more, but I could go on all day if I talked about them all. Foreshadowing is a fucking great technique, especially in shows, as it allows you to rewatch them and gives the plot such a suspenseful feeling, and attack on titan uses it extraordinarily well Another reason aot is so great is due to the way it treats combat and mortality. Death is such a prevalent theme in the show that you feel that all characters are mortal, even seemingly invincible characters like miche and erwin have such fucking horrendous and emotive deaths that it gives the feeling of uncertainty and suspense throughout the entire show. miche's stands out to me in particular due to the absolutely harrowing screams he emits being torn apart by titans and his fear in the face of the beast titan. He's determined to succeed, but in the end determination means nothing, which is typical in other places in attack on titan like in Eren's entire character, where he is determined, but not actually all that skilled until later on. Attack on titan treats combat better than any piece of media I've ever seen. Sure, combat can be badass and cool and in attack on titan, it sure as shit is. You don't have to look much further than Levi's fight with the beast titan or Eren fighting Annie in titan form to figure that out. But it also treats it differently to other shows. Victories are almost always pyrrhic or there is an absolutely disastrous defeat. Most of the time, during battle, a named character is injured or outright killed and the effects of that on the characters are shown. Armin's guilt for being revived over Erwin, Eren's guilt because so many people died to save him at the start of season 3 and Levi's obvious despair upon seeing his whole squad wiped out are prime examples. But where how it portrays combat really shines is in the soundtrack. AOT has a brilliant soundtrack for intense battles, tracks like xl-tt, You see big girl and ashes on the fire are amazing and really add to the scenes they're used in. But attack on titan occasionally switches what music should be where, with tragic scenes like Levi finding Levi Squad dead having ətˈæk 0N tάɪtn play in the background, an intense orchestral track, and Vogel Im Kafig, another more intense track at its end playing when Eren is inside a titan's stomach. It highlights desperation but also the tragic nature of combat, where it must continue despite a character's emotions. anyway im done being a nerd bye

#attack on titan #aot #shingeki no kyojin

[fategoflatass]

me reading no.6 novel • part two

not me changing the format because i got tired of having to edit screenshots 🫣 anywayyyy

this baby contains spoilers for the second volume, so if you haven't read it then go do so wth

"If it was something I could get by without knowing," Shion interrupted, "I wouldn't want to know about it. But I do want to know. To me, this is something I need to know. I want to know, and that's why―ach―" He bit his tongue.

"Geez, does clumsiness come naturally to you too? I never get tired of looking at you. ―You alright?"

the way my dude literally bit his tongue out of desperation, you just know how in despair he is and honestly? it's funny and pretty cute ngl

"So?"

Nezumi knelt down, and peered into Shion's face. The light in his eyes, which had the sheen of finely-woven cloth, had subsided to a gentle glow.

"What do you want to know?"

"You―" Shion answered. "I want to know about you."

"Then I'll tell you something. Put your hand here." Shion did as he was told, and placed his hand on Nezumi's chest.

"What do you feel? [···] My heart was beating, and it was warm. Right? [···] I'm alive, and I'm right here in front of you. That's all you need to know. [···] What you want is information, [···] That's why you can't understand the living people that are standing right in front of you."

"You're big on sarcasm, and love to make fun of people. You don't like fish, and you're a restless sleeper. [···] You have an enormous amount of knowledge, and a wide range of it too― but none of it is systematic. Sometimes you're fickle and over-sensitive, but other times you're lazy and careless about the details. You adore piping-hot soup, and you get really grumpy when it doesn't have the right amount of salt. And last night, you kicked me three times in your sleep. [···] Since coming here, this is what I've learned about you. They're not numbers. I would never substitute you for numbers. That's not what I want to do."

my man's here trying to not get any of them attached to the other just in case, and the other there like "watch me not giving a fuck while i mention a list of all your quirks and aptitudes because i'm that into you".

"The more you know, the more emotionally attached you'll get. Then we can't be strangers anymore. And that'll be trouble for you. [···] When we become enemies, you won't be able to kill me." There was a hint of a laugh in his voice.

and its counterpart 👀

"Me, or No.6 ― which one do you choose? [···] You love No. 6, and I hate it. That's why― one day, we're going to be enemies."

It was a murmur. A murmur that stabbed at his heart.

"I have a feeling that we will," Nezumi said quietly.

A darkness hung over the statement, and its weighty reality sank deeper into Shion. It was Nezumi's honest answer.

the change from chapter one to chapter five is quite big. where he was rough and even laughed when saying it, he's now bitter about something he's already taking for granted. he does not want it to happen, but he knows it eventually will. or so he thinks. nez is a mess, he needs a hug.

"Shion." The door opened, and Nezumi's voice called him. A pair of work gloves were tossed his way.

"You'll crack a nail if you use your bare hands." The door closed before Shion could say thanks, and silence settled over the room again. This casual act of kindness, or those cold, dispassionate words from a few minutes ago― which one was he to believe?

i just like it when nez's duality is shown or touched upon. the way he can be cold, sharp, distant, and then become someone emphatic, sweet, warm— no wonder shion's confused, man. he has his shield on 24/7, so when it melts even just a little bit and shows nez's true self and feelings it's quite the experience. he grew to have many faces, but his "real one" is reserved exclusively for these moments aND I'M SO FUCKING DONE WITH THEM.

context: shion said he wants to keep on living in west block, nez doesn't believe him.

"It might be arrogant― but I'm not lying. Regardless of what kind of place is, I still want to continue living here."

"If you're not lying, and if you're not trying to impress me with a model answer, what lead you to make that decision?"

"I'm drawn to you. A lot. That's why I want to stay here. I want to see what you see, eat what you eat, and breathe the same air as you. I want to hold in these hands what I would never have been able to get in No. 6."

this shit is so fricking cute i might just fricking die! ✌️✨ this scene hits me every time, i just love the pining and everything that surrounds it. how shion is honest, direct, and is always up to shower nez with love and affection, and nez is more to himself, doesn't say it explicitly just yet, and decides to show him his feelings through actions rather than words. trust me, he would never be this patient with someone unless he felt things for them.

but then this shit is followed by

"Your language ability is worse than a chimpanzee."

and i wanna throw nez out of the window, you know what i mean? i know being a tease is part of his nature but it's not 👏 the right 👏 moment so shut the fuck up and listen.

"Don't use words like 'drawn to' so easily. It's a very weighty, important word. You're only supposed to use it for a special, irreplaceable person in your life."

"Then how am I supposed to say it? Do I say I love you?"

SAY IT BITCH, SAY IT.

"You're just fascinated by new and unusual things. [···] That's it. You're just excited about the exotic animal you've discovered. Can't you even tell the difference? [···] Let me tell you something, Shion: words aren't things that you can toss around casually. You can't let yourself be forced to say something, and just put up with it. But you don't know that. So that's why I'm not going to trust you."

at this rate, i don't even know if this is nez genuinely thinking that shion messed up and that he's not in love with him, or if he thinks he might be real about it, but he prefers pretending he doesn't think like that, kind of like gaslighting him(?), so again no one gets attached here. again, they are supposed to become enemies in a near future, and you cannot kill someone you fell for.

Nezumi's hand suddenly extended toward him. His palm touched Shion's cheek.

"Did that hurt?" he asked gently.

"Quite a bit."

"―I don't have any grudge against you. And I don't hate you, either."

"I know..." Shion answered quietly.

the way he knows he was kind of an asshole and is trying to make him feel better, get me out of here because i might cry.

and there's also this scene which i think is pretty cool

"We can dye your hair, if it'll make you feel better at all," Nezumi said. "Black, brown, green― whatever colour you wish. What do you wanna do?"

"I'll keep my hair like this. White hair isn't so bad. I figure it's better than being completely bald."

it's just shion accepting and embracing his new looks that makes me want to runaway and throw myself to a field filled with lillies.

we also have some cutsie scenes such as this one

Shion sat down in front of the heater. His white hair, leaning more on transparent, was tinged red with the colours of the flame. His youthful hair had lost its colour, but still retained its shine. It's beautiful, Nezumi thought.

Shion's head of hair glimmered as it reflected the light of the things around it, and Nezumi extended his fingertips to touch it. His hair felt slightly coarse, but ran through Nezumi's fingers easily. It felt like ordinary hair, no more, no less.

with nez might being a tad of a simp, but not as much as his fellow companion because holy shit shion simps hard.

we also have some convos like this one

"That face came into my dreams for quite a while after that day, you know."

"Did I look that great?"

"You were grinning. You had this look on your face like you were having the time of your life. Every time I dreamt about it I had nightmares."

i could read about these dudes being bros as they could be romantically involved and i wouldn't give a damn, they just have a lot of chemistry and i love them for that.

we later on get introduced to the king, the legend, inukashi. my dude, when he sees what kind of menace shion is, gets so confused bc how and why the hell is nez dealing with this bitch like ???

He ran a finger lightly over the map. It was a casual gesture, but one of understated elegance. It was a movement calculated and honed to perfection, fully aware of watching eyes.

"Sometimes your gestures are really captivating. I couldn't help but stare."

Inukashi looked up at them, his gaze alternating between Nezumi and Shion's face.

"Nezumi, this guy really is naturally oblivious. How do you put up with him?"

"I manage somehow."

inukashi will proceed to tease on nez due to him finding out he does hold feelings for the dude he "somehow manages" to deal with

they then proceed to go to this place karan indicated them on a note where they meet rikiga. long story short, he and nez start dissing each other. at one point, the older one aludes to nez possibly offering certain services in the past which makes shion furious and gets violent for the first time in his life. nez gets to control him, the other eventually calms down and starts crying.

"Shion― come on, don't cry. Why would you... ―I can't believe you're crying," Nezumi said exasperatedly.

"He insulted you. He said horrible things― lumped you in with the filthy officials of No. 6. But you say it's no big deal. You weren't even angry about it... and that made me feel even more helpless and angry― so angry... I don't even know what to do anymore..."

i just put this in here because i like it when it's shown how important they are to each other. that's pretty much it, let's move on.

at this point, we're already at chapter four. this one is focused on karan and, eventually, safu. i really like this one due to the fact that we get to see everything from different character's points of view, such as karan noticing her son longing for this mysterious person.

Nezumi. Hadn't Shion murmured that word more than once? While he was drinking cocoa; while he gazed at the trees swaying in the wind; while he looked up at the evening sky, he had murmured that word.

"It's someone's name, isn't it?" She had thought so because of the tender way her son said the word. Nostalgically, lovingly, at times strained― it even carried a tone of longing. [···] "Did you get your heart broken by that person?"

"No, it's not like that. You've got it all wrong."

It was then that Shion would become unusually agitated, blush crimson, and do things like drop his spoon.

or safu expressing her feelings for him

"You know, I always thought I was alone. I thought I had to carry this burden all by myself... but you were right there with me. You had a place in your heart for Shion too― thank you."

"I... I love him," Safu said, her voice trembling. "From the bottom of my heart, I've always, always, loved only him.

[···]

"Who's by his side right now?"

"Is it Nezumi, I wonder? That's the only person I can imagine."

"I wonder if he's a very important person to Shion?" Safu asked.

"I think so. Maybe even as much as you and I are to him."

[···]

"This has nothing to do with how Shion feels. [···] I'm doing this because I want to. I'm being selfish, I know. But I can't just sit and wait for Shion in this state. I want to see him so badly. [···] I can't be strong like you. I can't keep waiting out of faith. I don't want to regret anything. If― if by some chance, he ends up never coming back... I'm going to be the one to suffer for my whole life. I don't want that. I don't want to lose him."

[···]

He was a strange person. He'll probably leave, throwing away without a second thought everything we've clung onto, everything that we've been taught to prize most importantly.

Her premonition had just come true. There was nothing to be surprised about. But she wanted to know why. She wanted to know the meaning behind the eyes Shion made ever so often.

What are you looking at? Who are you looking for?

Don't let your eyes wander so far away. Look at me. I'm right in front of you.

[···]

But Shion for the most part, had not even been looking at Safu. His soul had been captured by something else. [···] For the first time, she had seen this calm and serene boy of few words being ruffled right before her eyes.

i personally feel so bad for safu. i've been in her same situation —liking someone who doesn't like you back, even being into someone else—, and i know just how horrendous it feels like. i get she's not the most fleshed out person when it comes to romance, but i don't think that's a bad thing. she's just inexperienced, just like shion is also a tad awkward with his words.

next chapter comes and a new argument arises between our fellow dudes. this time, is about shion wanting to go back to no.6 with a serum made out of his blood. again, nez is against it because he wants the city to just disappear and, if shion were to help them, they would become enemies.

Nezumi moved his fingers from Shion's shoulder to his throat. Through the leather of his gloves, Shion could feel the sensation of five fingers at his neck. They tightened their grip slowly.

"Aren't you gonna resist?"

"No. It wouldn't be any use. You'd agree,"

"Don't you care about your life? Or are you thinking that I'd never kill you?"

"Yeah."

this, of course, upsets nez since he would kill him when they become enemies no, you would never do it. stop lying.

they then proceed to discuss nez's past and why does he hate the city so much, past that remains unknown for the time being. then nez proceeds to have the "we will eventually become enemies" which i already shown. this time, he seems to be sad, upset about it. shion tries to convince him they don't need to choose between them or the city, that they can do both, to which nez laughs.

"You're looking for a way to avoid getting hurt. Say if you do get rid of the walls: you won't get any kind of heaven. It'll be hell. Tumult, disorder, fighting, looting― you don't know how much these people have been oppressed until now. You don't know how many people have been sacrificed so that city can be where it is. You don't know, and that's why you can spin fairy tales like that. Shion, it can't be done. It's not like mixing paint, you can't mingle them together and make them one. Either one will have to destroy the other, that's the only solution. That's what fate has set out. Love and hatred, friends and enemies, those within and those outside the wall― and you and I. They can never be as one, and neither can we."

"You don't know until you try. For one thing, I know I wouldn't become your enemy. Ever. No matter what happens, even if I'm killed, I would be on your side."

He believed that human souls, when faced with a dilemma, would ultimately choose peace over war, songs and scriptures over weapons, and love over hatred. It wasn't a fantasy. It was hope. I still haven't abandoned hope. I want to find a road that you can't see, and point it out for you.

"An idealistic armchair theorist like you should just sit here all day long. Ignore the world outside, and mull over this and that all inside your head. Don't talk to me anymore. Don't make me any angrier than this."

but well, they cannot be upset with each other for long. one of inukashi's dogs appear on scene and starts licking on shion's wound which i didn't get to talk about: it was made when nez was trying to prove a point by putting a knife up shion's throat and saying "i could kill you right now yk" and shion being like "no, you couldn't". just, you know, remembering the good old days.

"You're licking my wound for me? You're a nice boy."

"Dumbass, he only licked it because he smelled blood."

"I don't think so. He did it because he was concerned about me. But whatever the reason, he's certainly nicer than you," Shion said wryly.

"Don't compare me with a mutt," Nezumi said sullenly. He looked genuinely disgruntled. The way he stuck his lip out brought back a fleeting image of his face four years ago. It somehow made Shion want to laugh, and for some reason, made him feel nostalgic.

"What?" Nezumi said. "What're you grinning about?"

"Nothing," Shion said mildly. "Just noticing you've still got a childish part left in you. It made me kind of happy."

later in the day, one of nez's rats returns with karan's memo. this one notifies them of safu's being taken away by the security bureau. he reads this and asks himself if he should tell shion, or if he should keep it to himself, knowing that he would immediately go after her and possibly die.

But if Shion died, something within him would change greatly. He didn't want to see Shion die. He would probably suffer. Not Shion, but he― Nezumi― would suffer.

You've gotta be kidding me. I've had enough of this already.

He didn't want to lose him. He didn't want to experience the remorse of having been the one that lived.

I don't want to lose him? I would suffer?

He was clicking his tongue in frustration.

So this was what he had come to. He almost felt like curling up on the ground.

He had rescued Shion from the hands of the Security Bureau to return the debt that he owed him. That was it. He never wished to be attached to him.

He was used to loss, he was used to suffering. Wasn't he? Even if Shion did die, perhaps he wouldn't moan in agony over his gaping loss. Even if he did, perhaps it would only be for a short while.

He would go back to his normal life.

The room looked barren and dark, and larger than usual. Its coldness, darkness and vacant space seeped into his bones.

That was what being attached to someone meant. He would no longer be able to live alone anymore. It was one of many artfully-set traps that lurked at every corner of his life. And to this one, he had fallen victim.

Have I still got a chance? Shion, will I still be able to live without you? After some amount of suffering, would I be able to detach myself from the trap you've become?

Would I be able to sever you?

i think this is what hurt me the most in this volume. here is where there's no doubt about nez having feelings for him. to someone who's so used to being alone, to not getting attached to anyone and never trust, to watching people die... he can't do it, he just can't do it. shion has now become part of his daily life, and he hates himself for that. he allowed himself to be weak, to be vulnerable, and now he can't let the other go. he can't give him up that easily.

#mai.txt #long post #like really /really/ long #no. 6 #no. 6 spoilers #not me writing this entire thing more 2+ hours or so #or maybe 1½ which is less but it's still crazy af #istg if no one read this shit i'll cry