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forgwater · 2 years

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The NRC students should be bringing you offerings for your service in keeping Rook away from them

(I need a shorter title) part 3 part 2 part 1 part 4 part 5 Valentine's Day (but it's August) Valentine’s Day (and it is Valentine’s Day!)

gender neutral reader

warnings: this is not that serious, crack

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romantic

The wind is blowing softly against your skin. The sky is clear, as are your intentions of coaxing your dear, sweet boyfriend out of his hiding.

And as you press the record button on your phone, you begin:

"Day 3 of convincing my boyfriend to come out of the foliage." a small smile graces your features as you fidget slightly with your bracelet.

What ever shall you do today, that will make your plan succeed?

A sigh leaves your lips as you lower your head slightly-

WHOOSH

An arrow flies past you, entering the trunk of the tree next to you. A piece of paper attached to it.

You take hold of the fragile piece and begin reading it. 'What is it that saddens you so, mon ange?' Awww, how considerate! You only looked half sad for a slip second and he's already noticed! What a doting boyfriend!

You smile softly and address the underbrush:

"I don't really know what to do today to grab your attention away from... your extracurricular activities." you admit.

And just as you finish your sentence, your dear hunter is next to you, bringing you into a hug, then speaking:

"You don't have to do anything, mon amour." he winks. "I already have my eyes on you at all times."

Don't you have the best boyfriend in the world? It would seem you have succeeded in your plans, even though you didn't really plan anything.

platonic (great arch-nemesis)

The phone from Crowley is long gone. Yuu has finally thrown it away... into a crowd of students... while screaming 'YEET!'. Nevertheless the NRC students were very confused... especially the one that got hit with the phone... he had to go to the nurse's office. Somehow Yuu didn't get sued.

Now the prefect has a new second-hand phone, curtesy of Leona for keeping Rook as far away from him as possible. A good deal on both sides.

After setting their new phone in a safe place for recording, the prefect begins their speech:

"Day 3 of trying to hunt the school hunter." the prefect pauses for a moment. "They really just let anybody into this school, huh?"

Silent footsteps approach, but Yuu is fast enough, as they turn around to see their mortal enemy: Rook Hunt.

The man in question jerks back for a moment, eyes slightly wide, before his usual expression returns and he grins... as he brings his bow and arrow ready to fire.

'Point-blanc range, huh.' the prefect thinks. They quickly bring one of their knifes out and aim it at the hunters head.

With eyes narrowed, both of them get ready to launch their attacks when-

"Can you do this somewhere else?!" comes and annoyed growl from NRC's own lion-man.

"Oh?" Rook muses, before putting all of his attention on him. "Roi de lion! What a nice surprise!" and with that the hunter starts heading towards him, the prefect long forgotten.

"Fuck." is all Leona can say as he makes a quick beeline for wherever the hell he can. All the while Rook is following his every step.

"Hey!" the prefect protests as they, too start following the two. "We aren't finished here, Hunt!" but the hunter only glances at them, before returning his sights on a nice would-be coat.

But not before sending Yuu a triumphant smirk.

And the prefect stops dead in their tracks: "I'm coming for you! You blond bastard!" a faint "Hurry up!" could be heard from the distance, no doubt the elusive would-be coat... maybe Rook should consider a rug. No! A bed throw!

And as the prefect turns to leave they mutter in the hunters direction one last time: "I'll put your hat on a spike, I swear I will!"

bonus

Yuu and you are sitting outside of the Ramshackle. The two of you decided to have a nice, relaxing few hours drinking tea and eating some appetizers at the iron table with matching chairs in the yard.

The rust covering them has been cleaned off... for the most part.

As you glance around all you can think of is that Crowley really should've let Yuu buy those goats. They would've eaten all the overgrown grass in no time! What a cheapskate of a crow, that headmage is!

As you glance at the prefect you both nod in agreement. You should unite forces and hunt down the headmage. He deserves it.

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an: lore?👀

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Masterlist

if you want to be tagged, you need only ask, also please specify what characters you are interested in reading about or if you want to be tagged in all works

taglist: @sras-is-doing-something @bucketofforks @daydreamingtv @tendous-socks

@oreochococheesecake @lycorizzz

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cruelfeline · 11 months

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Ugh, that post about Susurrus vs First Athian Tanta. I could see there being at least some canonical evidence that both of the lonely wars he's waged have affected him, if only in how needy he can be when it comes to attention and how he persists in friendly behaviour with Frey post-game, despite them ostensibly being enemies— he's finally gotten the closest thing he's ever had to an ally, someone who talks with him, engages with him, who kept him around and bound them together instead of discarding him, and I'm not sure if he's capable of truly giving that up now that he has it (which probably also makes him angry and resentful, as it's just another tether [but one that he thrives under]).

(Something maybe fun, but before the dlc dropped, I had been nursing a concept for a fic where Susurrus didn't actually realise at first that he was waging a *second* attack against Athia after being put back together, due to not knowing how much time had passed, with him also thinking that the first Tanta was still out there and a threat to him [until he was confronted by the 'new' Tantas we know and love and worked out what was up]. Doesn't really work now that we know the demon-weapon resuscitation process, but it was a fun ball of angst to play with haha)

Oh, I can certainly see the validity of that interpretation. Susurrus seems, despite all the negativity surrounding them, very much unable to treat Frey solely as an enemy. He seems unable to just... stop talking to her. As if having mundane conversations is something that he either needs or enjoys or both. So yeah: chances are, he feels legitimate loneliness and just doesn't want to be by himself. And if the only conversation partner is his student/bestie/mortal enemy, the so be it.

Y'know, that's something I constantly have to remind myself of, when thinking of Cuff. My instinct to his situation is "sir, just fuck off into the mountains and live your life; just leave and be done with it." Every time I think that, I realize that it's very possible that living life as a hermit, without anyone else, may just not be a thing that Susurrus is able to do. It's something I would be all too happy to do - and something I very much do when I'm off work - but that sort of solitude doesn't work for the majority of people. And I forget that a lot.

It's easier for me to remember when I think of him as birds.

Ah, goodness, what a harrowing concept! Just waking back up and not realizing so much time had passed. As you say, it doesn't really work with the DLC, but it's so compelling. Maybe in an AU? Oof, it's just so angsty!

#forspoken spoilers #itwt spoilers

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bitterdrops · 1 year

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The idea of "combat magic" has always been weird and fraught. With mastery of materialization or material manipulation magic on a microscopic level, disabling your opponent is as simple as blocking a single blood vessel on your opponent's brain. Hence, "combat magic" becomes something of an overtly fancy way to describe "hundreds of different ways to give your opponents a stroke". In the pureblood circles, these kinds of absolutely devastating magic are being surprisingly effectively suppressed by way of folklore and traditions and taboos. "The kind of magic that gives your enemies mortal injuries will use up a part of your soul," the like. I mean, you know, I guess in a philosophical way that's true? But anyway.

But in the College, full of brash, hot-blooded young witches, scant in the ways of tradition, most of them only fully applying themselves to learning magic for the first time, and seemingly always committed to being dangerous and being dumbasses, those kinds of crass magic seem to be reinvented time and again, always being referred to using crass names like "Murderkill Spell" or "Murderkill Spell rev. 2 final". As if a proof of the universe's endless, inexplicable love for witches, stories of these spells being pulled off always happen within the confines of the College, with the worst case scenario being a septuple overtime for nurse witches working on the afflicted, and life sentence and lifelong trauma for the afflict-er. There's a question on whether there are cases of these awful spells being directed towards regular people, outside of the College, out in the world, that have gone unreported because of the difficulty of reporting that while also being a dead body, but with calls of witch burning dying down more and more with passing centuries, and also large acceptance of witches mostly living in their own "world", while the odd ones who end up living among the regular people are so much eccentric that they're not deemed to be worth interacting with, feels like it's safe to take the positive answer to that question.

Having said that, there was still a problem of young witches, full of energy, breaking out into absurdly dangerous catfights with each other. And so, a rogue professor established "Dueling Rules", a set of fighting guidance that would hopefully left the nurses with less of a backbreaking work afterwards. In effect, it limits the kinds of magic that can be cast to blunt trauma and/or skin-deep damage. Despite being met with scorn from other established academics, mostly going, "I would simply not magic someone to death in anger," the Rules are proven to be popular and happily adopted within the College. Calls to create a Duel Club of sorts die down after consideration that a club with 80% of the student body as members won't be much of a club. There are no classes where Dueling magic is taught, because it's quickly found that even within the confines of the Rules, the students are still way more innovative than the professors.

If the establishment of Dueling Rules is the death knell for mortal combat magic, the advent of nanomachines and immortality would be the mercy killing blow. The interaction of these spells with the nanomachines leaves the offender committing "fate that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemies" twofold. Firstly, of course, is the damage itself. But secondly, the way that the nanomachines put the victim back together produces curious results. With the old ways, with the nurse witches and the like, after emergency surgery and rehabilitation, the sufferer would recover to mostly normal, with glitches in personalities and tendencies and magic that sometimes doesn't even leave the wide confidence area of "witches being eccentrics like usual". Meanwhile, the nanomachines produce a "refreshed" version of the afflicted. Something of a best version of themselves. Obviously still the same person, but also at the same time everything good that they can ever be. The punishment for the offender, which has been adjusted to community service for literal eternity, is just insult on top of injury.

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draftingteacups · 2 years

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Here's a funny idea. Because as amusing as Swanna's rain of terror is, we need someone to counterbalance them. And the only Pokémon I can think of, is Croagunk(blame Brock's Croagunk being my favorite of the Sinnoh Pokémon cast).

Just, one day this funky frog appeared, and just, never left. They stop fights from happening via a (very) low powered Poison Jab that does just enough to make someone collaspe and be unable to move for a couple minutes, 10 at most(and when they stay like that after 5 minutes they rush them to the Nurse's Office), and just drags them away. And just, everyone has come to regard them as an unofficial disciplinary Pokémon. No one is really hurt, and really after the first couple of times, if someone does try to start something with Croagunk around, it'd be like someone deliberately antagonizing Swanna. Your an idiot, so you get what you deserve.

Speaking of Swanna, those two are mortal enemies. Croagunk prefers things to be chill. Swanna is the exact opposite. Croagunk has Dry Skin for their ability, ensuring none of Swanna's Water Type attacks work against them but instead heal them, and apparently they somehow found a way to use Thunder Punch(in Legends they can learn it naturally so maybe their from a family of Croagunk that just decided the best way to fend off Flying Types was to ensure they don't forget how to naturally use this move) and can fend them off.

Swanna is a Flying Type with Flying Type moves and will use and abuse their ability to fly to stay out of Croagunk's reach, and they are a tricky bastard who can and will set it up so that the environment inconveniences Croagunk immensely.

Really the only time they worked together was Chapter 3 and 4, and even then they were constantly glaring at eachother and whenever stuff calmed down they went right back to going after eachother whenever they see one another.

Oooh, I loved Brock's Croagunk whenever it showed up. Croagunk managed to destroy one of Dialga's Draco Meteors with a Poison Jab, so that's honestly pretty powerful adsfkla;sd

I love that Croagunk would be the chill one, just watching over everyone and stopping idiots that wanna do stupid crap by unleashing a mild Poison Jab. I can see some of the other students liking Croagunk for helping on minimizing stupid things from happening like Riddle and Vil.

Swanna and Croagunk rivalry 👀👀👀 never thought I'd see the day.

Episode 3 and 4 were the times when they got along because they both disliked whatever was going on at the school for different reasons. Croagunk likes Soni because she at least tries to stop the Braincell Trio from causing too much crap, or more like, the whole school laksdfljkas

I can also see the two of them banding together when it comes to Crowley as well if he ever came to Ramshackle. They both dislike him for various reasons, incompetence for Croagunk and sheer dislike/tried-to-get-rid-of-me vibes for Swanna.

#ask #untitled swanna game #swanna #croagunk #soni monet #pokemon trainer oc #twisted wonderland x pokemon #pokemon au

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soupbabe · 3 years

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Shun Kaidou x Male! Reader HCs

Best boy best boy best boy!!! also may or may not sneak some Transguy!Kaidou in this too, hope that y'all don't mind!

Poor boy saw you for the first time and automatically thought you were the prettiest boy he ever saw, so when you introduced yourself to him he stammered like a fool for 2 minutes, then went on with the dramatic 'Jet Black Wings' introduction

You had to discreetly ask other students if you were allowed to play along with his hero delusion or if you had to break it to him that the Dark Reunion doesn't exist

You went a long with it just a tad, you couldn't fully shut him down because of the sad and discouraged look on his face when people made fun of him for it

I can imagine once Kaidou starts developing feelings for you, he was on edge and harsher (?) because in his mind you suddenly became an undercover villain the Dark Reunion sent to befriend him and then get rid of

Even though the reality of it was that he just never dealt with a genuine crush before and it scares him

Queue Saiki stepping in to set things straight because it did hurt you a bit to see Kaidou go on and claim that you're some evil enchanter dude out to get him and he started distancing himself away from you. Don't be mistaken, Kaidou definitely felt the effects of his own actions too. He apologized so many times once Saiki had to get involved because it weirded him out to see his friend classmate get so down because of a guy

Also Saiki was the one to clarify to Kaidou that what he was experiencing was a crush, unintentionally starting too many plans on how Kaidou will win you over and you'll become his boyfriend

Project "Make Y/N my super amazing and cute and handsome boyfriend" is a go!

It starts off with daily compliments, that usually has him hyping himself up with his Hero persona, then him absolutely losing his cool once he actually sees you

"Hey Y/N! You look handsome today!" Oh my god did his voice just crack. "Oh thanks, but are you sick or something? Your face is red."

Okay okay Plan A isn't going that well,,, onto Plan B: Impress him!

This meant that you were constantly being "saved" by The Jet Black Wings, even though the saving was just preventing you from going through minor inconveniences

I swear to God it's like a 6th sense this simp had. Hands are full and the door almost closed on you? Boom, here's Kaidou to save the day! Almost tripped on some litter on the ground on your way to school? Kaidou literally yelled + kicked at it and claimed that it was a trap planted by the Dark Reunion since they knew that you were close to him

You aren't that dumb, you had that suspicion that he had a crush on you so you decided to talk to him privately about it via a study session at your house

So when it was time to address his recent behavior, his brain hit the panic button because this wasn't supposed to happen. You weren't supposed to catch on this early. He waved his hands around, frantically apologizing if he made you uncomfortable and if you wanted to stay friends that's 100% okay with him a-

You had to shut him up with a lil kiss on the cheek and told him that you want him to be your boyfriend too.

Nice going Y/N, not even a minute into your new relationship and you're already sure you killed your bf

He got so red faced he passed out-

Considering how he reacted to a little kiss, y'all don't do pda at all unless you want to fluster him

Which doesn't take much, hold his hand on the way to school and he goes "Y/N!!SJSNSKKSBZJSNSHAJ" "Shun, how were you able to even pronounce that?" "It's one of the many secret abilities the Jet Black Wings has yet to show you, darling Y/N!"

You're his sidekick now, even if you don't fully commit to the hero bit. He'll ask you for back up when he's faced with a great foe

You better back him up. Mostly to be a good boyfriend. Secondly, if he's trying to stand up to someone bigger than him (which to be fair. Is literally everyone) there's a good chance you need to be on standby just in case we need a trip to the nurse's office

He likes to call you his Second in Command or he shows you hero name ideas for you in his notebook

He has a separate notebook for your Relationship btw and it's very cute

When you both hang out at Shun's house, it has to be under the excuse of it being for studying just because he hasn't come out as gay yet to his mom yet. He has a feeling that his mom would be okay with it. Like she accepted that her son was trans, but it still makes him nervous

Mama Kaidou already knows and doesn't mind you dating her son. His grades actually have gone up since the relationship started so she's happy and will mind her own business

Y'all actually do study in this at home sessions and it's actually kind of cute. Celebratory kisses when he does well in reviews and at the end y'all cuddle while he gets to ramble about his plans on defeating the Dark Reunion

Dating Shun also involves making sure he's doing okay and he's not pushing himself too hard despite him being a kick ass "superhero"

This mostly comes in when he gets dysphoric and wears his binder for too long

"Shun, it's necessary for you to take breaks. Wearing your binder for longer than you should will mess up your transition in the future." "But I'm okay! You forget I'm not a mere mortal I can handl-" "I'll let you wear my sweaters." "*👀* Okay!"

Days like those are just the both of you cuddling, him wearing your sweater/hoodie, and you giving Shun little remarks to make him feel better

His favorite is when you call him "my hero" or simply "handsome man"

Please run your fingers through his hair it makes him so happy

If you don't wanna wear his hoodies or if you can't, he'll gladly lend you his various rings and necklaces

"This ring was blessed by the gods for ultimate protection against enemies! I think it's the best for you to wear this when I'm not around to protect you."

It was one of those glow in the dark rings you get at arcades, but you couldn't break the proud smile on his face.

Also likes to gift you crystals too! It doesn't matter if they end up not being 100% real, you still put them proudly on your desk and Shun gets so overjoyed when he finds out they aren't just casted aside

He's so happy with you, he finally has someone who loves him and doesn't judge him on his hero complex and doesn't mind the awkward guy behind it too. He gives you many kisses when he is reminded of that and constantly reminds you how lucky he is to have you as his boyfriend <3

#disastrous life of saiki k #shun kaidou #kaidou headcanons #kaidou shun #disastrous life of saiki k x reader #shun kaidou x reader #kaidou shun x reader #x male reader #x reader

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astormyjet · 3 years

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Winter of 2018 - Summer of 2021 TIME FILES WHEN YOU’RE IN YOUR 20s!!!!

OH BOY. It’s been three years (or more) since I updated this. “Time is a weird soup!” to quote a fave. I guess I quit tumblr around the time there was a purge of content and creators and a smack down on a lot of the fandom communities. Tumblr has always been something of a crapshow though so I’ve been more productive with my time than I was in some ways, but I’ve also found other ways to waste my time. *cough twitter/netflix/youtube/MTGArena cough*.

General Life Achievements since 2018 -JLPT N3 GET in 2019! -Blackbelt GET in 2018! -TESOL 120 Hour and BE 50 Hour Cert from online provider GET in 2021 -STUDENT LOAN BANISHED (Thank you grandparents) -Survived Apartment flooding in early 2020. -Mystery anxiety related illness and chronic pain in my left leg from early 2020 - Present. -A mythical 6th and 7th year on the JET Programme. -Started posting on Instagram a lot more about my wanderings around Matsuyama/Uwajima. Mainly old buildings and stray cats. @astormyknight -Surviving so far in Japan with old rona-chan.

2018 was rough. I was given an additional school in the first semester (March to July) as we had someone find a better job. I enjoyed it, but it was a bit of a rough go especially when I was transferred that August after three fantastic years at Tsubaki JHS and ES and only a semester there. I legit went through the five stages of grief - which I think is another reason I stopped blogging. I was given my current base school along with four other schools. Going from 2(3) to 5 schools was a bit of an adjustment. I still feel a bit spread out.

That said, I keep running into teachers and students who were at the Tsubaki’s. The teachers shuffle around every April, so it's always a lottery with which new faces are going to be old friends (or enemies…). A couple of kids moved and transferred into my current schools from Tsubaki too. So I have one kid I can say I've been teaching for 6 out of the 7 years I've been here!

One of the kids who was in JHS 3rd grade when I first got here (in 2015!) hangs out around one of my favorite cafes, so I got chatting with him recently. He's in his second year of nursing school - his class nearly broke me in the first year, it was really a trial by fire with those kids. I was 22 then, and he’s 20 now, so it was interesting chatting to him about that first year of teaching. His younger sister was one of my favorite students too, she was in the group of kids that graduated in the March of 2018, the year group that went through Tsubaki JHS with me - they’re newly minted University students now!

This Thursday morning when I was cycling in to work, a kid who was 2nd year JHS when I left (so 2nd or 3rd year JHS now) pulled up with their Mum in a van and got their mamachari out of the back to bike to school. The franticness of it all was hilarious. Their Mum legit sat on the horn until I pulled over. I was so happy to run into this kid, even at social distance and both of us late to work/school - because we both remembered each other and as they were going around the corners they were yelling each time they turned and humming the old elementary school directions chant and pelting me with questions about what I’ve been up to.

I've had so many students and schools now, that everything is kind of running into a blur. I remember flashes of kids faces and voices, random memories of in class or out of class shenanigans out of the blue. Also, I now, more than ever, have issues remembering kids' names, but I still know their faces (even with their masks), whose homeroom class they were in, who their friends were and which club they were in. I get random flashbacks to past conversations with them when I see them on the street or we run into each other. I feel bad because the first thing former students ask is ‘Do you remember my name?’ and I always have to be like, ‘Honestly, no, but I remember you did this on x day, x month in x classroom’.

Socially in 2018 -2019 - a few of our friends went home and things shook up a little. Our DnD group changed a bit - one of our players stepped into the role forever DM (THANK YOU RALPH). From memory the newbies were great - some of them just went home at the start of last month and it’s weird not seeing them around (JESS DO YOUR BEST!). I think we only have one or two people left from that rotation. There’s no 6th year ALTs, and only two 5th years.

Aug 2018 - Aug 2019 was the year of Hiura - my mountain school. Dang man, they were so cool. The students of the JHS and the ES combined barely hit 30, so each class was between 3-10 students depending on the grade. It was easier to get to know the kids, their abilities and their goals than it has been for me at other schools. I miss it so bad, being in nature once a week did my country-kid heart so good! The bugs! The frogs! The river! The mountain! The monkeys! The lizards! The dilapidated houses and hidden shrines!!!! The random crabs in the English room...I forgot that there was such a thing as freshwater crabs, and being right next to a river, the invasion wasn’t as out of place as I first thought...

The area is so picturesque and calming. Every week up there was a small adventure (after getting over my motion sickness from the bus ride up). The kids were constantly pranking either myself or the main English teacher. There was always some new weird bug or lizard in a tank to be educated about. There were chickens on the way to the JHS that used to escape from their cardboard box prisons to run riot on the gardens. There were old people to freak out with my youth and foreignness! The kids also got to do a lot of extra classes, sumiyakai (making charcoal the traditional way), planting and maintaining rice paddies, setting up vegetable gardens, raising fireflies, conserving a special breed of fire lily (only found in this particular mountain valley) and another rare flower, wilderness training ect.

I wish I could have stayed there a lot longer but SOMEONE (read...the BoE) decided that schools had to be shuffled again(thank goodness the dude who has it now was able to keep it from the 2021 shuffle, he's the best fit for the school). I had so many good memories from there, I wish I had been more consistent in writing it down. I do have a bunch of photos and videos from there though, so that's nice. The only thing I don’t miss is the bus trip up and down - not only was it motion sickness, there was a healthy dose of fear each ride as the driver brought us perilously close to the edge of the mountain drop…

2019 - 2020 was interesting. With the school I got given instead of the Hirua’s I was roped into more demonstration lessons which was a lot of pressure because I was also involved quite heavily with the JHS observation and training lessons too. They were somewhat rewarding, the third graders are now super smart 5th graders, but the teachers who need to embrace the new curriculum and ways of teaching really haven’t taken on anything from the lessons....

Outside of work as well, I was given the chance, thanks to an ALT buddy of mine, to join in with the local festival. It's been one of the biggest highlights of my time here, and I am gutted it’s been cancelled for the last two years, but I understand the reason…. I was able to travel to Okinawa too during that summer for an international Karate seminar with the Dojo I train with. I met the head of the style I currently practice and a bunch of people from around the world. I also got to see Shuri castle before it burned down. So that was a stroke of luck. One of the places I want to go when/if we get out of this pandemic is Okinawa. I want to see more of those Islands so bad. Just before the whole pandemic thing too - I managed to see the Rugby World Cup, a Canada vs NZ match, I even ran into Tana Umanga in Oita city!!!

2019 - 2020 was supposed to be my last year on JET, so I was frantically Job hunting. I went to the Career Fair in Osaka in early Feb/Late January 2020. I applied and got interviewed for a position in Sendai in early Jan 2020. In the end though - the Rona hit. We started hearing whispers of it around the end of 2019, then the cruise boats happened, and then Japan refused to cancel the Olympics...every holiday season there is a new wave of infections, my nurse friends in Tokyo are struggling....my teacher friends in more populous areas of Japan are struggling…

JET couldn't get new ALTs for 2020-2021, I took the extra year when it was eventually offered, as the one job I had managed to get a serious offer for was hesitating because with the rona setting in, things were uncertain. There was a lot of time spent adjusting to the new rules surrounding what we could do in class with the kids as well as textbook change. Schools shut on and off during the spring months.

I also got a reminder of my mortality mid May with an unrelated illness which is still smacking me around a bit - stress/age, it does things to the human body it has no right to. It's only been in the last three months I’ve been able to exercise like I used to, I’ve put on a bunch of weight I can't shrug off (one part medication, another part diet) My relationship with food needs to change, and I really need a kitchen that allows me for more than one pan meals. I also need to figure out what to do with a left leg that is in constant pain from the knee down and a heart that misses beats when stressed out (mentally and physically…).

My apartment also got flooded by the guy upstairs at one point, I spent most of late February/early March living in a hotel while my walls and floor got redone - I think this was one of the things that really stressed me out and kicked my anxiety right up a notch, it was right when things were getting REALLY bad with rona-chan in Hokkaido and schools were shutting down here as it was filtering into the prefecture and so Japan closed schools for the first time…

Classes in covid times have been weird. We’ve been wearing facemasks full time since the early stages of the pandemic (March 2020) - so I admit that I get a bit pissed off seeing both Americans and New Zealanders back home bitching about just having to start wearing them full time in public. I have asthma and have been suffering with the things on during the 30*C plus with high 90s humidity summers. Teachers were offered vaccines late July 2021, just days before the Olympics were open - and I finished my two shots in the middle of August. But the overall distribution and take up of the jab has been slow. As mentioned above, we can't play a lot of the games we used to play with kids in classes anymore, and a lot of the activities outlined in the textbook curriculum need to be adjusted too, so we’ve had to be creative. We use hand sanitizer a lot more too. One of the things I miss the most though, is eating lunch with the kids.

Socially from summer 2020 - now 2021 we played a lot of DnD and board games, both online and in person when we could. There were no new ALTs again for the 2021-2022 JET year, and those of us who were in 6th year were offered a 7th. Four out of six of us took it. As a whole we’re down from a peak of 38 ALTs for Junior High and Elementary school to 22 for now. We hopefully will get a new person at the end of September, and 4 more in November. Which will bring us to 27. This has led to ANOTHER round of school shuffles.

Summer vacation has been weird the last two years. With rona-chan, we haven’t really been able to travel. All the summer festivals (all the Autumn and Winter ones too!) have been cancelled, so the changing of seasons just feels, wrong. I dunno. There is so much we all miss from pre-rona-chan, and so much that doesn’t happen that makes this just feel like one long long unending year of sadness, coldness, raininess, unbearable heat and repeat. I’m tired. Time is going so fast, but so.dang.slow.

I lost my favorite school (AGAIN GDI!!!) and gained the school I taught a semester at in 2019....I had my first day there on Wednesday. Schools actually started back on September 1st so there was some drama as the BoE didn’t communicate fast enough about our school changes. We legit got told on the 27th of August (on a Friday) our schools were changing effective September 1st, but somehow some of our schools found out on the Monday 30th August. In July we were told we would be changing schools at the end of September, so.a lot of ALTs and schools were left short changed, not having opportunities to say goodbye to co-workers or students/having their planning for the semester more or less thrown out the window too. I love my job. I really dislike the way the BoE treats us, the Japanese assistant language teachers and our schools.

The new school I have is used to having an ALT there twice a week, who plans all the lessons and executes them. I’m at three elementary schools. I'm only at each once a week, I want to plan, but being that I miss an entire lesson in between visits, it's going to be difficult to do so. Not impossible, but being that I'm already doing it for two other schools, who are at two different places in the textbook ah…….. From what I have talked to my new supervisor about though, it sounds like the teachers have taken on more of the lesson planning and I'll be able to contribute ideas when I'm there. I just want to and wish I could do more without being confused all the time. (This is all usually done in my second language too, not in English so extra levels of confusion and miscommunication abound).

I feel like this at my JHS too a lot of the time. I want to contribute more, but even with constant communication with my main in school supervisor (who is a badass and pretty much on the same page about everything with me) I still feel about as useful as tits on a bull. Especially now that classes have been cancelled and or shortened, there's less time to do stuff. Any game or activity I plan is usually cut in favor of making up time in the textbook. When I'm in class, I'm back to being a tape recorder, the fun police and general nuisance.　

Also in the last week...my two of my schools were shut due to students testing positive for the rona. This is the second time my schools have had a scare in the last 8 months. And by shut, I mean the students were all at home, but the teachers all had to come into the office. Because why not I guess….. I mean, the cases increasing is really not unexpected with the amount of people who were travelling over obon and the increase of cases due to the Olympics/Japan being slow on vaccinating/delta being the dominant strain/Japan's leaders doing relatively little except asking shops and restaurants to limit people coming in at one time and closing before 8pm. I know my schools weren't the only one shut either - but still High Schools were having their sports days this week. I kept on seeing groups of kids hanging in the park after, so that was a little bit nerve wracking.

It's just frustrating - we’ve been on half days to “minimize the risk of infection” for kids and teachers, as if only being at school from 8am through to 1pm is going to reduce the risk. My schools have only just started testing out Microsoft teams and Zoom lesson equipment. Thankfully our school’s run in this time was contained real quick, the family was super good about informing us when they got their results back, and the fact they needed to be tested. The homeroom teacher and the students from the same class were the only ones tested, and they all came back clear, which was nice. But the information came back so SLOW.

I’m a little irritated because I found out on Wednesday night what was going on, and even if I am vaccinated, I am super worried that I will end up being the covid monkey due to being at different schools three days out of five. I think other than being worried that I will catch it myself and get real sick, my biggest fear is that I will be protected from bad symptoms from the vaccine, but still be able to pass it onto some of my more vulnerable friends and students. The whole thing is a mess.

Other than Covid and BoE drama, life is good. I’ve had a couple of other big changes - both fantastic and not so great, but yeah. I have my health (and health insurance!) for now. I have a job, for now. I have a sense of existential dread for the next 12 months, but we’ll see where we end up. Life post JET is going to be way less cushy and I am TERRIFIED. I mean, I have a BA in Eng/Ling and no idea what to do with it…..because I am NOT suited for academia.

TLDR: Love my job. Don’t like the system. What is life? Future scary.

#life on JET #blog post #life in Japan #jet programme #jet program

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booksbookssomemoviesandbooks · 3 years

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Book Recs

Hello! so for my first post, I'll recommend some books, so y'all can have a closer look at some fandoms I'll post about! enjoy!!

Harry Potter By J.K. Rowling is definitely an interesting, well-written series! there are 7 books however, and the books get bigger as the series progresses. It's sometimes difficult to know the exact order, so I'll list it below:

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Although the movies are great, they don't include all the amazing details, as with all movies. A short summary:

Harry Potter, a young boy who’s being constantly abused by his uncle Vernon and aunt Petunia, gets a peculiar letter from the magical school of Hogwarts, where he spends most of his time, becoming his home.

Quotes:

“To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." ― Albus Dumbledore

“You’re just as sane as I am" - Luna Lovegood

“Mischief managed" - Fred and George Weasley

It is Important to know that j*r is a huge transphobe, along with other things, and is currently being erased by the fandom itself.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, along with the other series by Rick Riordan, is a definite must-read. With each book, you can really notice the character developments and a lot more! There is loads of representation in this one, with lgbtqia+ characters, black characters, Muslim characters and more. It's very action-packed and addicting, sucking you into the magnificent world of Half-Bloods and Demigods within the first page. The first series consists of 5 books, in the following order:

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters

Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse

Percy Jackson and the Battle of The Labyrinth

Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian

THE MOVIES ARE TRASH SO I DEFINITELY DO NOT RECOMMEND WATCHING THEM BEFORE READING THE BOOKS!!! There were many changes and the movies aren't nearly as good as the books. A short summary:

Percy Jackson, a 12 year-old who lives with his mother, Sally, and step-father, Gabe, attends the private boarding school Yancy Academy. While on a school trip, his teacher, Mrs. Dodds, turns into a fury and attacks him. This, in turn, triggers a series of other problems and adventures.

Quotes:

“If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.” - Percy Jackson

“With great power, comes great need to nap. Wake me up later." - Nico Di Angelo

“Even strength has to bow down to wisdom sometimes." - Annabeth Chase

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is one of my most recommended series! With everything it deals with, from the Capitol to the districts to the champions, the books are amazing!

Order:

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

Starring the movies is the amazing Jennifer Lawrence, but with all books, the movies have slight differences, although I definitely recommend watching them when you're done with the books.

A Short Summary:

In what was once North America, the Capitol of Panem maintains its hold on its 12 districts by forcing them each to select a boy and a girl, called Tributes, to compete in a nationally televised event called the Hunger Games. Every citizen must watch as the youths fight to the death until only one remains. District 12 Tribute Katniss Everdeen has little to rely on, other than her hunting skills and sharp instincts, in an arena where she must weigh survival against love.

(FILM SYNOPSIS)

Quotes:

"May the odds be ever in your favor." - Effie Trinket

"Fire is catching, and if we burn, you burn with us!" - Katniss Everdeen

“Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.” - President Snow

Divergent is another book with a huge fandom, and rightfully so. This book is amazing, and you honestly can't live without having read it!

Order:

Divergent

Insurgent

Allegiant

Surprisingly, I haven't watched the movies yet, but I hear that they aren’t that bad, so you should give them a go!

Summary:

In a world run by fictional classes known as factions, children who reach the age of 16 begin to choose which factions they wish to call home for the rest of their lives. Each faction comes with its own ups and downs, so it's definitely a hard choice, especially for someone as unique as Beatrice.

Quotes:

“Becoming fearless isn't the point. That's impossible. It's learning how to control your fear, and how to be free from it“ - Four

“We believe in ordinary acts of bravery, in the courage that drives one person to stand up for another.” - Dauntless Motto

"We are not the same. But we are, somehow, one." - Tris

You might have heard of this series, and it's really addictive, trust me! The Mortal Instruments is one of the most astonishing books I've ever read, and it's most definitely my go-to when recommending a book series!

Order:

City of Bones

City of Ashes

City of Glass

City of Fallen Angels

City of Lost Souls

City of Heavenly Fire

Again, (I know this is rather disappointing) I haven't watched the movies, but do check them out!

Summary:

Clary Fray's search for her missing mother leads her into an alternate New York called Downworld, filled with mysterious faeries, hard-partying warlocks, not-what-they-seem vampires, an army of werewolves, and the demons who want to destroy it all.

via: https://shadowhunters.com/shadowhunters-novels/the-mortal-instruments/#:~:text=Clary%20Fray's%20search%20for%20her,want%20to%20destroy%20it%20all.

Quotes:

“Heroes aren't always the ones who win. They're the ones who lose, sometimes. But they keep fighting, they keep coming back. They don't give up. That's what makes them heroes.” - Clary Fairchild

“If I cannot move Heaven, I will raise Hell.” - Sebastion Morgenstern

“The descent into Hell is easy.” - Motto of the Nephilim

Gay. What more needs to be said?

SADLY, there isn't a movie yet, but I think they're working on one, or sure though

Summary:

Set in a world in which a female Democrat from Texas wins the presidency in 2016, Red, White & Royal Blue chronicles the illicit romance between the president's son, Georgetown senior Alex Claremont-Diaz (Dad is a Mexican-American senator), and Prince Henry of Wales, his childhood nemesis.

Via: https://www.wsj.com/articles/red-white-royal-blue-book-summer-beach-read-11565285001#:~:text=Set%20in%20a%20world%20in,of%20Wales%2C%20his%20childhood%20nemesis.

Also, classic enemies-friends-lovers arc and honestly it's amazing

Quotes:

“As your mother, I can appreciate that maybe this isn’t your fault, but as the president, all I want is to have the CIA fake your death and ride the dead-kid sympathy into a second term.” - Ellen Claremont

" 'that’s because you can’t hear all the menacing gobbling.' 'Yes, famously the most sinister of all animal sounds, the gobble.' " - Harry and Alex

"History, huh? Bet we could make some." - Alex

I’m sure you've heard at least a little bit about this book. While not nearly as famous as ones mentioned above, it's still just as good, of not better. I'd say this book is one of my favorites, to be honest. It speaks about a lot of topics people usually find disturbing, and it makes me so happy that it's there, it's written, it's amazing. PTSD, coming out issues, abusive relationships and more, this book is truly awesome.

TRIGGER WARNING

Summary:

A young boy named Charlie usually dissociates, and pushes other people away. He’s afraid of beginning high school, until he meets two other students who show him how bizarre and amazing the world is.

Quotes:

“And in that moment, I swear we were infinite” - Charlie

“We accept the love we think we deserve” - Mr. Anderson

“You can't just sit there and put everybody's lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love" - Sam

This book is honestly pro-feminist and I think that's much more than enough

Summary:

Kaur explores the true impact of sexual abuse and harassment, as well as the difficulties of immigrating, being a female, and depression.

It's also a poem

TRIGGER WARNING

Quotes:

“what is stronger

than the human heart

which shatters over and over

and still lives”

“you do not just wake up and become the butterfly

- growth is a process”

“on the last day of love

my heart cracked inside my body"

This book isn't very well-known, which really sucks because I really love how it speaks about the consequences of WWII from the German point of view. And about the Germans who did not believe in Hitler's ways. It's also based on a real story, and it's so cool

Summary:

A nurse working in a nursing home meets a peculiar old lady who decides to tell her her story when she meets the nurse's younger son, Karl, who reminded her of her brother. Lizzie (the old lady) speaks about life in Dresden before the war, and even after it. She also tells them the story about the strange, magnificent elephant in her garden.

Quotes:

“That was the only way of keeping our hopes alive, by looking beyond all we were seeing around us, and the shadow of disaster that hung over us.” -

“I think I have always had a strong sense of justice, of fair play, of what is right and what is wrong.” -

“Our home should be an oasis of peace and harmony for us in a troubled world.” - Lizzie (Quoting Papi)

10.

This book is pro-blm and it's ahead of its time (by like 2 years but still).

Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. via: https://socialjusticebooks.org/the-hate-u-give/#:~:text=Sixteen%2Dyear%2Dold%20Starr%20Carter,hands%20of%20a%20police%20officer.

Quotes:

“Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.” - Lisa

“Daddy once told me there’s a rage passed down to every black man from his ancestors, born the moment they couldn’t stop the slave masters from hurting their families. Daddy also said there’s nothing more dangerous than when that rage is activated.” - Starr

“Everybody wants to talk about how Khalil died,” I say. “But this isn’t about how Khalil died. It’s about the fact that he lived. His life mattered. Khalil lived!” I look at the cops again. “You hear me? Khalil lived!” - Starr

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pale-horse-writing · 4 years

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pale-horse-writing writeblr intro!

ABOUT ME

Hi! I’m pale-horse-writing, also known in various corners of the internet as Kien or Tent. I am an agender (he/him, they/them) American college student studying nursing and currently, an aspiring author! I am also neurodivergent (so apologies for my erratic update schedules). I write primarily in the horror and superhero genres with occasional dips outside those.

ABOUT WRITING/WIPS

As mentioned, my favorite genres are horror and superheroes- I’ve combined them relatively rarely, though. With horror, I like to focus on small towns and more primal fears (disease, predators, mortality, etc), typically with a body horror angle. My superhero stories are (usually) thematically lighter, often with emphasis on younger heroes struggling to find their place. I also write almost exclusively queer/LGBT+ content, but that’s just a personal quirk.

In general, I write short stories over long pieces. I will often write pieces with reoccurring characters though (whether protagonists or just in the background).

I currently have two WIPs that I will likely be posting about later- one an unnamed horror short that the moodboard above is for and the other a family drama/fantasy/horror piece named “Helter, 2008″.

ABOUT TAGS

I’ll try to tag anything writing related as #writeblr or #writing. WIP-specific content will be tagged under #WIP or the name of the work (so right now, #Helter2008 and then whatever I end up naming my other piece).

GENERAL/FUN FACTS

- I am agender, aromantic and pansexual!

- I’ve been writing since middle school, but I haven’t really posted a lot online due to my own insecurities. I want to move past that, so I’m trying this!

- I am autistic and I often incorporate overtly autistic or autistic-coded protagonists as a result. I feel like our current representation isn’t really reflective of the realities of being autistic, typically because it’s written by NT authors without consulting us directly.

- My favorite tropes in writing include: hurt/comfort, found family, enemies to friends/enemies to lovers, bittersweet endings, pining, and that big dramatic moment where someone who’s been hiding a secret reveals it, often with negative effects.

- I made this post in part because of @thewalkingnerdx . I really appreciate their advice about not letting the type of fiction you write (or its length) stop you from posting. Also, their moodboards are beautiful!

---

I hope to get involved and see what happens!

#writeblr #writeblr intro #writeblr introductions #pale horse writing #lgbt #horror #wip #my wip #writing

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problemic-characters · 5 years

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Harry Potter: Percy Weasley

Percy Weasley is my favorite Harry Potter character. He’s intriguing, his plot is compelling, and really, he deserves more attention.

NOTE: This post is not in any way intended to disparage the rest of the Weasley family. I think that all of them are great people, yes, even Ron.

A lot of people, when looking for redemption arcs in Harry Potter, like to point to Severus Snape and Draco Malfoy. But why does almost no one look at Percy Weasley? There are legitimately more fanfictions, headcanons, and so forth about how Voldemort is secretly a great dude who just wants to help the Wizarding World than there are about Percy Weasley. Can we just... talk about him for a minute?

Percy Weasley grows up in a very much Gryffiindor family, “it doesn’t matter how much money we have as long as we have love” type of home. But Percy Weasley is ambitious. He’s not particularly brave. Any House would fit him better than Gryffindor. He’s ambitious, studious, hard-working, but not brave. And growing up in this Gryffindor household, his best attributes, the things he wants to be, are being constantly put down by his family. Certainly none of the other Weasleys value ambition, a consummate Slytherin trait. Arthur Weasley is content with his low-paying position at the Ministry. Percy Weasley is constantly teased and mocked for studying, for wanting to get somewhere in life. His family’s values are not Percy Weasley’s values and it shows. Fred and George Weasley continually mock him for being a Prefect and striving for academic achievement. While Molly Weasley doesn’t do anything to encourage this, she’s not discouraging it very effectively, either.

So Percy Weasley goes to Hogwarts, and it is a fantasy to him. His parents and older brothers have told him stories and built up its image until Hogwarts isn’t just a place, it’s a dream. So Percy Weasley goes, and he puts the Sorting Hat on his head. And the Sorting Hat says to him, Slytherin. Or, Ravenclaw. Or, Hufflepuff.

And Percy Weasley thinks back to the Sorting Hat, Please, no. Gryffindor, Gryffindor, what will make you give me Gryffindor?

And in response, the Sorting Hat tells him, Are you sure? Gryffindor will not bring you happiness. Gryffindor will not advance your dreams. Gryffindor will not encourage your search for knowledge.

Yes, Percy Weasley thinks.

“Gryffindor!” it yells, and Percy Weasley joins the red-and-gold-clad table amidst cheers.

But his year-mates laugh when Percy Weasley asks them to go to the library with him and mock him for writing out essays three days in advance. When he gets an O on a paper, people look down at him and ask why he invested so much time into a random assignment.

Maybe Oliver Wood is his mortal enemy, obsessed with Quidditch and constantly ignoring homework in favor of flipping through Quidditch magazines. Maybe he ignores Percy Weasley, the quiet studious bookworm hiding in the corner, and in return, he ignores Oliver Wood, the bright laughing kid constantly pestering the Quidditch team. Maybe the duo becomes friends, bonding when Oliver spends hours reading books on Quidditch strategies. But in the end, it doesn’t matter.

In his fifth year, Percy Weasley makes Prefect. Some part of him expects his family to be proud, and his mother is. But the twins mock him about it, and the rest of his family simply don’t care. And seeing his mother chastise the twins, Percy Weasley wonders if his mother only cares about his achievements in that they can be used to pressure his (better, the vicious, nasty part of him whispers) siblings.

When Bill and Charlie made Prefect, he thinks with a touch (more than) of bitterness, the rest of the family cared. But I’m not the brave Gryffindor, I’m just good old studious Percy, and therefore it’s expected.

He starts dating Penelope Clearwater, and the rest of the year passes by in a blur of prefect duties and watching out for Ron Weasley.

Percy Weasley’s sixth year starts with a clandestine kiss in a secluded corner from Penelope Clearwater but quickly devolves. His younger sister, Ginny Weasley, is deteriorating, and his other siblings are doing nothing. So he offers her a Pepper-Up Potion, stays up late nights to assist her with homework, and reassuring her that Ron Weasley won’t get expelled. He thinks about taking her to Madam Pomfrey more than once, but Ginny Weasley insists that she’s fine and Percy Weasley does nothing.

He’s on the brink of just reporting her to the school nurse anyway when suddenly Penelope Clearwater is petrified, and his days devolve into a frantic mass of fear and chaos.

Suddenly, his little sister is taken (dead, his mind supplies), and Percy Weasley is writing a letter to his parents. telling them that the youngest Weasley has been taken by the Heir of Slytherin. And then, just as suddenly, Harry Potter rescues her and rescues Ginny Weasley from the Chamber of Secrets; Percy Weasley is left reeling in the wake.

The seventh year, there’s a mass murderer on the loose, and Percy Weasley is paranoid. His parents asked him to watch out for both Ron Weasley and Harry Potter because really, a Prefect and the eldest Weasley remaining at Hogwarts? They ask him to keep an eye on the two. And, well, maybe they don’t outright ask him to watch Ron Weasley, but it’s implied, isn’t it? His younger brother is close to the Boy-Who-Lived and therefore a target. Percy Weasley is certain his parents know this and assumed he knew it as well. After all, Sirius Black didn’t discriminate between the Potters, Peter Pettigrew, and the innocent Muggle bystanders, did he?

When he makes his rounds of the Great Hall after Sirius Black tries to break in, he doubles back a few times to subtly check on his siblings. All of them, even the twins. Percy Weasley is terrified, and he hopes to Merlin that Sirius Black is caught soon. Normally, he hates the Dementors with a burning passion, but tonight, he’s grateful for their presence.

He decides that he needs to put more effort into ensuring Harry Potter and Ron Weasley’s safety. Harry Potter, he follows around obviously, trying to discourage Sirius Black from attacking when an older, well-trained student is in the vicinity. For his brother, he focuses on keeping a subtle eye on him, and ensuring that Ron Weasley isn’t following Harry Potter around. For all that Percy Weasley likes the Boy-Who-Lived, he knows that Harry Potter is a magnet for trouble and danger. He tries to watch them, he really does, but then Sirius Black breaks into Gryffindor Tower, almost killing Ron Weasley, and all Percy can think is, I failed.

When the news comes that Sirius Black is caught, Percy Weasley breathes easier. They’re safe. He feels this for all of two hours, right up until Sirius Black escapes. Harry Potter is raving about the mass murderer’s innocence, the innocence of the man who killed his parents, and Percy Weasley wonders a tiny bit about the boy’s stability. But not for too long.

After graduating from Hogwarts, Percy Weasley has his dream job. He’s overjoyed. Not only that, he’s working under Bartemius Crouch. For Merlin’s sake, the man is a legend! So Percy Weasley ignores it when Crouch calls him “Weatherby,” and the sneers of other Ministry workers who look down and say, “Just like your father.” He knows it’s not a compliment, and a tiny part of him burns with anger at his father. But it’s not very large, and he ignores it.

At the Quidditch World Cup, everything goes wrong so quickly. Percy Weasley stands back to back with his father and fires off Stunners towards the mob. He gets a bloody nose for his trouble, but in the end, his family is safe, and that’s all that matters.

As the year progresses, he slowly finds that he’s taking on more and more responsibilities for his boss. But this is a good thing! It just means that his idol trusts Percy Weasley more and more. And then Percy Weasley is judging at the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament, and all he can think is this: Merlin, Ron? So he runs down to the lake and drags his younger brother to safety. And he knows it’s foolish and stupid, but he thinks, just to himself, that if Ron Weasley had stayed away from Harry Potter, this never would have happened. And it’s true, isn’t it?

But everything is going fine for him, right up until Harry Potter finds Bartemius Crouch wandering the Forbidden Forest in a daze. And then all of Percy Weasley’s dreams are spiraling down a drain, disappearing into the fog. Sometimes, he can barely breathe, barely think, and he’s been demoted so many times that he might never even reach up to his father’s rank at the Ministry.

The Boy-Who-Lived stumbles away from the Portkey holding the corpse of Cedric Diggory. Percy Weasley doesn’t know what to think, what to believe, but then Cornelius Fudge is right there, telling him that Harry Potter is insane. And, well, Percy Weasley doesn’t want to believe it, but there are tiny little things that have been adding up over the years. And Cornelius Fudge is the Minister. Shouldn’t he be right, then? So Percy Weasley believes the Minister for Magic.

In the wake of the debacle, he gets a promotion. He exhales, letting out a breath he didn’t even realize he was holding. It’s fine. He can still accomplish his dream. So he returns home, ready to tell his family the joyous news. But when he does, they don’t care. And then his father tells him that it’s all a trick, that Percy Weasley could never achieve something like this on his own merits, no, the Minister is manipulating him.

His throat tightens, and suddenly, he can’t breathe again. Percy Weasley screams at his father instead and storms out of the house. If his father doesn’t think that he could accomplish this on his own merits, then his father is a fool. And Dumbledore is going down, because that’s what the Minister said, and if the Minister is wrong, then his father is right and Percy Weasley didn’t get anywhere because of him, no it’s all because of his father, everything for the Ministry, for his dream, comes back to Arthur Weasley-

When Percy Weasley finds out that his youngest brother is consorting with Harry Potter, he writes Ron Weasley a cautionary letter. Because family is still family, and he doesn’t want his siblings to be hurt. And perhaps no one truly knows what went down in Harry Potter’s first year, not besides Harry Potter himself and Albus Dumbledore, but what they do know is that Harry Potter was involved in an incident with Quirinius Quirrell, and then Quirinius Quirrell was dead. And in his second year, Harry Potter made his way to the Chamber of Secrets, where Percy Weasley’s sister almost died and his younger brother was trapped in a rockfall with an amnesiac idiot. In his third year, Ron Weasley was kidnapped by Sirius Black because he was standing next to Harry Potter and had his leg broken. And then a werewolf attacked him (not that Percy Weasley blames poor Professor Lupin, it’s not as if he could control it, but he would hope that at least Dumbledore would have had better containment measures than simply releasing a werewolf into the Forbidden Forest each full moon) and Ron Weasley could have died or been inflicted with lycanthropy. Then, in the fourth year, Percy Weasley’s brother was pulled into the Black Lake and attacked by the merpeople because he was Harry Potter’s friend. And then Harry Potter disappeared with Cedric Diggory and Cedric Diggory came back dead. So, no, Percy Weasley does not want Ron Weasley associating with the Boy-Who-Lived, because their continued association will get him killed. He writes a letter. It goes unanswered.

Down in the depths of the Ministry of Magic, Percy Weasley can’t deny the fact that Voldemort is back. But if Voldemort is back, then his father was right. And if his father was right, then Percy is useless. His entire career amounts to being manipulated by a man who couldn’t remember Percy’s name and then as a convenient pathway to try to spy on his family.

So Percy Weasley runs, and runs, and runs, and doesn’t go back to the Burrow. Not until Christmas, when the new Minister for Magic drags him there. And upon arrival, he knows that Rufus Scrimgeour only wanted to go to talk to Harry Potter. Percy Weasley is a tool, a way for the Ministry to try to reach Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix. That’s the only reason anyone keeps him around anymore, as a stepping stone to get somewhere else, to someone more important.

He’s standing uncomfortably inside the Burrow, watching his family like strangers. Molly Weasley embraces him, but, well, his mother has always been the most accepting of his dreams out of all his family. Even if he still wonders if it was for the standard that she could hold his siblings up to. But either way, the rest of his family are staring at him, and then Percy Weasley is being driven out of his former home with mashed parsnips. Outside the house, he stares at his polished black shoes and waits for the Minister to come out.

The Minister is unhappy, and Percy Weasley knows that his negotiations with the Boy-Who-Lived did not go well. Some part of him is viciously happy at this, but the rest is worried because while he might only be a tool, Percy Weasley is still a higher-up of the Ministry and very much aware of the situation. The war is turning in the Death Eaters’ favor, or it always was, and it doesn’t matter because if the Ministry can’t regain the public’s favor, the Death Eaters can start swaying it to their sides. So he returns to the Ministry with piles of paperwork and a wand holster up his sleeve.

He attends Dumbledore’s funeral. Even if he didn’t approve of many of Dumbledore’s actions, he was still a great man. Percy Weasley can recognize that now, at least. None of his family approaches him. The feeling is mutual, and he ignores them as well.

The Ministry is overthrown, and everyone knows it. Perhaps Percy Weasley keeps his head tucked low and recites the pureblood lines, this sham of a government. Perhaps he forges Muggleborn paperwork that proclaims them to be halfbloods. Perhaps he smuggles Muggleborns and their families out of the country. Perhaps he throws himself into work for the Death Eaters, secretly sabotaging them the entire time.

In the end, it doesn’t matter. Instead, what matters is that he makes his way to Aberforth Dumbledore and joins the Battle of Hogwarts. Percy Weasley joins the Order of Phoenix and fights side by side with his siblings. When he makes a joke, Fred Weasley laughs, and he wonders if maybe the twins aren’t so bad after all- his younger brother is dead, and Percy Weasley can’t help but wonder if there was something he could have done. If he had seen the explosion faster and pushed Fred Weasley out of the way. If he hadn’t distracted his brother with the stupid joke. If he had traded his own life for Fred Weasley’s, because, well, Fred Weasley is loved. George Weasley needs his twin. They have a joke shop. Countless people would be (are) devastated if (because) Fred Weasley died (dies). And Percy Weasley is not.

After the battle, he returns to the Ministry. He rejoins under Kingsley Shacklebolt’s administration in the Department of Magical Transportation. But, well, Percy Weasley will always wonder if he could have saved his brother.

Fin

This turned into more of a character study than a list of reasons. Percy is my favorite character because he betrays his family. In the series, he had this extremely compelling storyline and background that was never fully explored. And not enough fanfiction writers explored that either, so I wrote this about why he is honestly one of the most interesting characters in Harry Potter.

#percy weasley #oliver wood #character study #harry potter #arthur weasley #molly weasley #ron weasley #ginny weasley #fred weasley #george weasley

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noonaficcorner · 5 years

Text

Rose-Colored Boy | Part One

Paring: Mark Tuan | Reader

Genre/Rating: Friends to Lovers | Fluff, Smut (later on), Slight Angst

Warning: Language

Summary: What happens when you get to meet one of your online friends in real life? Will the friendship hold up when you realize that everything is not as simple in the game? When the computer screens aren’t in the way, hopefully your walls don’t come between you and something great.

Part One // Part Two // Part Three

A/N: This is my first kpop fic so please be kind. I couldn’t get the urge out of my head to write, so here is part 1. I don’t know how many parts this is going to be, but enjoy!

“I swear to god, if you don’t get this asshole off my six I’m going to die and make sure I’m reincarnated as the worst ingrown nail on your big toe! Kill him!” Your voice carried so loud, you were sure that your neighbors assumed someone was really committing a murder. It wasn’t that you were normally a violent person, but the way that the game caused you to lose all sense of your surroundings and common sense, possession was the only semi-logical explanation for that kind of behavior. Your fingers started to ache from the intense banging on the keyboard and quick back and forth of the mouse beneath your palm, but you couldn’t stop. The rest of your team was in your ear, yelling out curses for help, and you were right there with them.

“Sinderella, reload! Reload!” FlyingRooster93 screamed in your ear, but it was too late. Just as you were taking his advice, a headshot took you out of the game.

“Fuck!” Your head fell to the desk and you wanted to beat something up or wallow, but a ding from the computer brought you back. It was a request for a private chat. Not really wanting to talk to anyone, you saw it was FlyingRooster93 and a small smile touched your lips before accepting.

FlyingRooster93: Sorry for telling you too late >_<

Sinderella: It’s okay. I should have gotten off hours ago. I start my new shift at work tomorrow.

FlyingRooster93: That’s right! Washing the asses of old people or something.

Sinderella: Not exactly, dumbass. I’m moving to the day shift and it happens to be on the elderly floor.

FlyingRooster93: Does that mean you’re not going to washing some old dude’s balls?

Sinderella: You just wish someone would wash your balls.

FlyingRooster93: You’re right, I do. I’m exhausted, too much effort. And you still didn’t say no, so I’ll take that as a yes lol.

Sinderella: Whatever! What are you still doing on anyway, didn’t you say you were going on some big trip or something in the morning.

FlyingRooster93: Crap… you’re right. It’s been so long since I’ve been on, I lost track. Thanks, Sin.

Sinderella: No worries. It will be another 83 long years before I see you again anyway.

FlyingRooster93: Dramatic much? Want me to draw you like a French girl, so you could then leave me to die in some ocean?

Sinderella: Maybe, but I need a sugar daddy to give me a big diamond first. Gotta pay for your funeral somehow.

FlyingRooster93: Should have known you only cared about wallet size.

Sinderella: Fuck yeah I do! Have to pay these student loans off somehow. But for real, will I see you sometime this decade or wait forever and a year again?

FlyingRooster93: Or I could text you as you hit on the grandpas….

Sinderella: …

FlyingRooster93: What? Want to hit on the grandmas instead?

Sinderella: In order for me to text, I would need your number or am I doing this telepathically?

FlyingRooster93: If you did, that would fucking awesome for one, but yeah, I mean, we’ve been on the same squad for 2 years now and we talk all the time. This is what friends do, right?

Sinderella: Friends…

FlyingRooster93: Are we mortal enemies or something? Sin, it’s no big deal. Here, 116-201-4947. I gotta go pack. Text me, okay? Don’t be freaked.

Sinderella: So bossy. Fine. You text me first. 868-112-2586.

Sinderella signs out.

The last thing you expected was to exchange numbers with someone you’ve been gaming with for the last 2 years. You didn’t know each other’s names, just handles, but for some reason, this made you nervous and excited. You both knew certain aspects of each other’s lives. Like age and the base of your professions, but that was it. You knew he was a “he” because his voice was one of the only ones you could pick out while playing. You didn’t want to admit, but it was a really nice one and somehow eased your game rage. But texting? What did that mean? Was this going to lead to phone calls? Video chatting? You turned around and looked into your mirror to see your makeup-less face and messy bun. Shuddering at the thought, you left your desk and jumped into your bed. Just then, your phone flashed with an incoming text. Why was your heart about to punch through your chest cavity? Calm the fuck down, it was probably just spam. Holding the phone face down in your palm, you slowly turned it over.

116-201-4947: Are you going to save me as FlyingRooster93 or should I give you my name as well?

Asshole. You laughed and your fingers flew across the screen.

Sin: I mean, a name would be nice, but I could also save it as pushy bird.

Mark: I am not pushy. But, it’s Mark. Should I keep calling you Sin?

Sin: I mean you can. But, it’s y/n. Mark… I was expecting something more manly.

Mark: It’s very manly. Anyway, go to bed, you have to catch a rich grandpa in a few hours. Night, y/n.

Sin: And you have to… go away for a million years. Night, bossy Mark.

Mark: ;-)

Tossing your phone to the side, a smile was on your lips as you laid back down. Your online friend was becoming less abstract and more real and it didn’t feel so bad. Even though you joked, you really hoped he didn’t ghost you like usual now that a window had opened between the two of you.

What you didn’t expect was for that window to stay wide open. Mark would text you almost every day. It wasn’t fully deep conversations. He would send you the occasional joke or something that crossed his mind. You would reply with a meme or snarky comeback. Your gif wars were insane, but made you laugh on days that were really rough either with work or at home.

There were things that were still a mystery. The fear of having voice or facetime was never tested because all you both did was text, but some truths were told. The 93 in his username was for his birth year. All the traveling he seemed to do was for work, even though he never said exactly what his job was. You found out that he had 3 siblings, but he was living away from his family due to work. He lived with his friends and he loved meat. Both of you talked about your favorite BBQ spots and some even overlapped. You found yourselves arguing when it came to which bubble tea places were the best. You even divulged some things about yourself. Like how you just moved out from home and living alone for the first time. How you really enjoyed becoming a nurse and hoped to move up in the hospital. Little facts were exchanged and you found the awkwardness melted away. It was nice to know more about a guy beyond how quick he was on the reload. Weeks turned into months, and before you knew it, two months had passed. However, when your phone rang one night, the shock at Mark’s name across the screen had you stuck.

“Hello?” You didn’t mean for it to come out as a whisper even though you were alone, but the surprise at the call itself had you on edge.

“Is that how you always answer the phone? As if you just did something wrong?” His laugh came in deep and hearty. You could tell he was smiling even if you didn’t know what that smile looked like.

“Well, when strange men call me after midnight, I’m not sure if I should answer.”

“Yeah, about that. Sorry. I just needed to talk and my hands were too heavy to type.”

“Likely excuse. Told you to stop rubbing it out so often, you’ll get weak bones and go blind.” Laying back against your pillows, comfort easing in as you listened to his laugh again.

“If I go blind, you have to take care of me before I get a dog.”

“Are you saying I’m dog-ish?! Wait, what’s that noise?” You heard some muffling voice through the speaker. It sounded like an announcement of some sort.

“I didn’t say anything. Anyway, I’m at the airport heading home. Finally, right? I start to board in about 40 mins and wanted to kill some time and…”

“And what? Bother my beauty sleep?”

“That was terrible of me; you need all the beauty sleep in the world.”

“Hey! I’ll have you know, I’m gorgeous even on minimal sleep.”

“Prove it. Want to meet up tomorrow?”

The phone slipped from your fingers as if it morphed into water. Meet. Up? Like face-to-face? Human-to-human? Was he serious?!

“Yes, I’m serious. y/n? Pick up the phone.” His laughter came through again. Shit, he knew that you dropped the phone and you must have spoken those last words aloud.

“Are you back, y/n? I’m coming home and I want to hang out with you and not through a screen. I know it’s shitty of me to spring this request on you this late, but you’ve really become one of my closest friends in just a matter of weeks and it’s just natural to want to meet, right? Or maybe I’m way off base and you don’t. Fuck, didn’t think about you…”

“Mark.” You said over his rambling,but he just kept on.

“I mean we text every day and I thought we could just watch something or go eat something…”

“MARK!” You yelled, and finally he shut up.

“Thank God. I didn’t think you would shut up. Do you want an answer to the question or would you like to continue with your monologue? I can get you a skull if you want to get deeper, hamlet.”

“Yes…”

“Yes you want a skull or you want an answer?”

“Answer damn it!”

“Yes. I’ll meet up with you.” You breathed out. You tried not to laugh at his eagerness, but the realization of what you just agreed to started to dawn.

“Okay… awesome.” He breathed out and you could tell the smile was back on his lips. Lips that you were about to be able to know what looked like. Shit.

“I promise I’m not some psycho killer, but would it be okay if we met up at my apartment? It’s just…”

“Sure. I’m off tomorrow so I can just, go there?” You interrupted. You didn’t want to sound so eager yourself, but you were trying to beat back the worries that started to build up in your chest like a bad case of indigestion. You wanted to meet him, he’s basically been your friend for two years, why would this be hard?

The sound of the announcements came through the speaker again. “Crap, that’s me. I have to board. I’ll text you my address and a time that works. See you tomorrow y/n.” Before you could even say bye, the line went dead. As you sat on your bed staring at the phone as if it would bite you, Mark’s text came through with his address and apartment number.

Holy shit! You were really going to meet FlyingRooster93 in person.

#got7 #mark tuan #got7 mark #got7 fic #got7 imagine #mark tuan imagine #mark tuan fic #got7 fluff #got7 smut #friends to lovers #got7 mark tuan #got7 fanfic #got7 scenario #mark tuan fanfic #mark tuan scenario #mark tuan smut #mark tuan fluff #got7 x reader #mark tuan x reader

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itsmyusualphannie · 4 years

Text

something wrong in the village

Chapter 5/5: deuteronomy Beta: @candanandphilnot Rating: T Warnings: Read on ao3

Summary: Fiona Lester has a secret. Dan Howell thinks they hate each other. Dan meets an online friend and comes to realize something important about himself while juggling a changing relationship with his parents, friends, and Fiona.

~~~ previous chapter ~~~ first chapter ~~~

The next morning was a blur of drawing half-heartedly instead of paying attention, the mind-numbing droning of teachers, and a sidestepping game of avoidance with anyone who wanted to talk to Dan. He kept his head buried in his phone, which wasn’t hard since he and Phil were texting almost nonstop. He heard the whispers drifting around the entire school on the subject of the newly-decorated bathroom, but he didn’t go inside. He just waited.

He didn’t have to wait too long.

“Daniel Howell,” said a pleasant, yet stern, voice from the other side of Dan’s locker. The bustle of students moving to their next class was an indistinguishable racket around them.

Dan finished typing his message and sent it before slowly closing the door to his locker. It did not slam. “Yes?” he asked back, just as pleasant, but the principal did not look amused.

A finger quirked at him. “Come with me,” Dr Pentland said. She turned without waiting for a reply. He followed, slipping his phone into his pocket.

A minute later found him sitting slack-limbed in Dr Pentland’s office a few hallways away from his locker. He watched with disinterest as she settled into her cushioned chair. The one beneath him was hard, cold wood, no doubt intended to make the person sitting on it as uncomfortable as possible.

“Now,” said Dr Pentland, folding her hands in front of her on her desk and fixing Dan with a cool stare, “I’ve talked to a few people already about the vandalism that occurred in one of the restrooms on the far side of the school. I’m sure you’ve already heard about it.”

Dan blinked slowly at her and did not answer, but she was nonplussed. “I know that you’re...quite the artist, so even if you’re not the vandal, I’m sure you might know someone who was interested in this particular section of creative arts. I wouldn’t want you to get into trouble for something that another person committed, of course, and I know you wouldn’t want another mark on your record.”

“So you want me to tell you who spray-painted a full wall of colours that happen to resemble a trans flag?” asked Dan.

Her gaze was clear. “I’d like for you to tell me who caused the markings that the trans flag was painted over. I’m only one person, you see, and as much as I love going into rank teenager bathrooms, I don’t have the time. Therefore, I don’t see the chaos until something big brings enough attention to it. I might not have known what was there now, but I’ve heard enough from other students that I’ve been talking to this morning.”

Dan considered this for a long moment, but he finally shrugged. “I don’t know. Looks cool now, though,” as if he had not been more than a casual observer, “is it going to be taken down?” He tucked his fingers, stained with pink, blue, and white paint, beneath his legs. They felt heavy with the weight of the memory of working for over two hours on the wall art while the school settled quiet around him.

Dr Pentland finally smiled, the small expression breaking the stern set of her stare. “Unfortunately, I don’t think we have the funds for a bucket of paint to cover that up. We’ll have to leave it up for now, but I’ll certainly get right on that.”

Although Dan refused to like her, he could feel respect stirring somewhere deep in his chest. He couldn’t show it, though, so he just shrugged and picked at a loose thread on the side of his jeans. “Cool. Is that all?”

She regarded him for another long moment, cool blue gaze searching him, before she finally nodded, apparently satisfied with what she found. “We’re done,” she confirmed, but then she pointed a long, manicured nail at him, eyes narrowed. “Now listen, if I have to call you in here one more time this semester, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble. Not suspension trouble. Worse than that, understand?”

For the first time in a while, Dan met her gaze without looking away. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” he said, and he was surprised to find that he meant it.

~~~

Dan met Fiona’s level stare in the hall with an unblinking one of his own and then he continued on, heading out of school and toward home. He didn’t look back, but something had sunk its fierce claws into his mind and it wouldn’t let go. Fiona’s sharp cheekbones, casual tilt of the head, wispy hair against a pale neck, wouldn’t escape him.

~~~

hey phil i told you about this person at school who i pissed off right? and then came out to my dad kind of i think and all that other shit that happened and then i graffiti-ed all over the wall of the school bathroom?

Graffiti-ed sounds gross. but yeah.

i think i need to apologize to the person i upset. even if i didn’t do it on purpose

Dan…

i’ll let you know how it goes. wish me luck lol

I don’t think you’ll need it.

~~~

The next day, a headache had settled deep into Dan’s mind, twining around his thoughts like a virus and pulsing in time with his heartbeat as he got dressed for school. He could only offer his mum a half-hearted wave as he left.

The first part of the morning was a headache-induced blur, but Dan stole by the nurse’s office to get pain medicine, so by the time he made it to his second class of the day, he felt a little more alert, albeit tired for no reason that he could garner. He was already slumped in his seat, pulling a sketchbook from his backpack, before he remembered that he was in English class.

He jumped, almost involuntarily, as he craned to glance over his shoulder, but no Fiona was present. The seat behind him was conspicuously empty. His chest bubbled, impatient to apologize in hopes to calm his nerves, but class wasn’t the right time to do it, anyway.

Dan closed his eyes and pulled in a slow breath. It didn’t really help. Other students bustled around him, finding their seats and chattering with classmates. Their teacher wasn’t there yet, so Dan opened his sketchbook and the sharpest of his various dull pencils and began sketching. His hands trembled minutely, either from the dull thud of the headache behind his eyes or from the nerves twisting his stomach, but he forced himself to tightly grip the pencil and drag it in quick flicks over the paper. The lazy form of a figure sprawled across a car hood formed over the rough sheet. There was nothing in it, the outline emotionless and flat, but it was something that Dan could focus on to help pass the time.

The eyes of this figure looked tired, though, and Dan could empathize with that. He filled them in, the grey of the pencil graphite etching a weary stare, and scribbled lazy eyelashes. The students around him quieted as everyone settled into their seats, but there was still a hum of chatter. Dan was curling his fingers over the slope of the figure’s neck when the door to the classroom thudded, and despite his effort to maintain his concentration, he looked up.

Their English instructor came inside, head tilted jauntily as she headed toward the front of the room. That wasn’t unusual of itself, but Dan’s gaze caught on the tall figure just behind her, head ducked and hands clasped behind a slumped back. Fiona.

“Good morning,” announced the teacher once she reached her desk, and as usual, her eyes narrowed at Dan. He defiantly dropped his pencil and ignored its skittering across his sketchbook. No one said “good morning” back, but their instructor was used to it. She did something different this morning, though. Dan watched as she stood wide-stanced in front of her desk, instead of behind it, and propped her hands on her hips. She surveyed the room with a quirked eyebrow and an unamused slant to her lips.

“Listen up,” she barked, and the room fell abruptly silent, the gaze of over two dozen teenagers affixed to her. She harrumphed. “Lester here has something to say to the class,” and yes, Fiona was stepping up next to their teacher, still staring down at the floor like the unending gaze could burn through it. “We’ve talked to the principal and a few other teachers this morning, so you might hear the same thing if you have another class with Lester. But if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it. This isn’t about you.”

Dan’s hand moved quietly to scoop up his pencil and he curled his fingers around it, letting the smooth edges dig into his palm. He couldn’t tear his gaze from the front of the room, and neither could any other students, apparently.

Fiona heaved in a slow, shuddering breath, finally looking up to survey the room beneath pale eyelashes, and Dan could see it from where he was near the back. He could feel the air in his own lungs catching in sympathy. The past few days of seeing Fiona in the halls, the confidence in every one of Fiona’s movements, crept in on him and he could only taste anxiety, the same nerves bubbling in his stomach making its way outwards. He wasn’t the one up there, but it felt like he was. The cold, metal edge of the pencil eraser bit into his fingertip.

Fiona took another breath. One more. Shoulders squared and jaw clenched. A warm blue gaze travelled the room. “Hi,” Fiona said. Lips quirked in a little smile. “I’m sure most of you know me, even if you haven’t talked to me, but I haven’t been completely honest with anyone here at school. So let me reintroduce myself.”

Dan’s breath slipped from his lips at the same moment the last words left Fiona’s.

“I wasn’t born male, but I am. I go by ‘he/him’ pronouns. My name is Phil Lester.”

For the second time in the years that they had known each other, Dan saw a genuine smile break loose on his self-proclaimed mortal enemy’s face. It flashed clear white teeth, etched wrinkles around bright eyes, and forced Dan to blink rapidly to keep it from blinding him. He couldn’t look away.

“Alright,” said their teacher, standing and clapping her hands as it was evident that nothing else was going to be said. “Thank you, Phil.”

Someone clapped for a moment in the corner before quieting abruptly, but the tension was broken. A few people began talking to each other under their breath, the usual in this class, but Dan’s lips were sealed as he watched Phil stuff his hands into his pockets and head toward the back of the room, offering a loose smile to everyone he passed. Only a few looked away from him, and Dan could overhear one girl whisper something to him, apparently an encouragement, as Phil’s lips stretched wider. He nodded at her and continued on, passing Dan and sliding into his seat with a flourish.

Dan slumped over his desk a little more, rolling his pencil between his fingers in a facsimile of interest for the lazy sketch before him, but his attention strained to the seat behind him, where Phil was loudly rearranging something. He could feel the back of his neck burning from their mutual proximity and only hoped that it wasn’t obvious. The nerves churning his stomach had settled for half a moment when Phil had swept past him, but now they were alive in earnest, battling against his ribs with a ferocity that had him pressing a hand to his chest.

And then Dan’s desk jolted. He heard a chuckle behind him and another, more careful kick, thumped against the leg of his chair. The vibrations burned into his thighs and back, somehow fighting back against the anxiety in his chest. The warmth in his neck travelled to his cheeks and he knew his face was burning as he ducked his head.

He couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his lips, though.

Dan chewed on autopilot, but he didn’t taste the food he was eating. It was something tasteless and grey, shovelled thoughtlessly into his mouth and half-heartedly chewed. His gaze was fixed to the double doors on the far side of the cafeteria. The controlled chaos of a hundred students consuming lunch was a babbling stream in the background of his thoughts. Dan had left English class just as it ended, but he’d been to slow to catch Phil on the way to his next class, so he’d had to head to lunch. He’d caught one last glimpse of dark, quiffed hair and a laughing grin as Phil had vanished around the corner of the hallway while talking to someone else from their class.

“Hey, Danny boy!” A tray clattered to the table beside Dan, and he almost jumped, yanked heartily from his thoughts. He settled for frowning at the invader. It was Sam.

The other boy clapped him on the back and began digging into his meal with gusto. He talked around the bites he crammed into his mouth. “How’s it going? Didn’t see you much yesterday. Did you see that shit in the bathroom?”

Dan shuffled a few feet further from Sam down the bench. Any distance was better than nothing with him. He rolled his shoulders, trying and failing to discard the crawling feeling that came with the slap on his back. He didn’t reply, instead scooping up a limp vegetable and biting into it.

Sam wasn’t deterred. “...and then Johnathan said he’d ask around and help figure out who did it. It’s weird, y’know?”

“Sure,” said Dan absently. He was watching the open doors again. He didn’t know why he was - Phil wouldn’t be out of class for another ten minutes, at least - but every time someone dark-haired or tall or in any way resembling Phil walked through the door, his attention was yanked toward them without any conscious decision of his own.

“Oi lads!” another familiar voice interrupted Sam’s chatter. Two boys dropped onto the bench across from Dan and another slid in beside him. They dropped their trays to the table and dug in, beginning a conversation with Sam like they had been here this entire time. Dan sighed and sank over his meal, which was suddenly even less appetizing than it had been earlier. He kept a distracted eye on the doors while he pondered the fastest way to exit this trap.

He was given an opportunity only a second later, but he almost regretted wishing for it. One of the guys was in his English class too, usually tucked in the corner and obnoxiously ignoring their teacher with a bobbing head to the earphones he constantly had tucked in his ears. Dan knew his name with the vague knowledge of an acquaintance, but it wasn’t something he could bring to the forefront of his memory at this exact moment. When he started talking, though, Dan’s attention was snagged.

“Nah, Johnathan’ll be here later. But hey, did you guys hear about what happened in English class earlier? And another class, apparently.” He laughed uproariously, gesturing with his fork. A few mashed bits of carrot flew across the table and Dan watched them land on the top of Sam’s head as he bent to take another bite of his food. “Phil, eh?”

Dan’s hand tightened so suddenly around his plastic spoon that it creaked ominously in his hand. His mind reeled between both his classmate and the phone in his pocket, and he realized that he hadn’t talked to his Phil since early that morning before his first class.

One of the other guys snorted, taking a bite out of his sandwich and talking around it. “Yeah, I think we found the person who did the shit in the bathroom? Fiona thinks she’s so cool, eh?”

More laughs of agreement. More loud chewing.

Dan’s stomach roiled and he pressed a hand against it, glaring down at his tray of bland cafeteria food with a look that he wished he could dare to lift and direct at the thoughtless group of chattering boys around him. He wondered if he would be doing the same thing if he hadn’t gone through what he had the past few weeks. Maybe if he hadn’t known Phil for years, or hadn’t met Phil’s older brother Martyn, or had never signed up for a stupid location-based friend website. He was different than he had been a month ago though, and Dan hadn’t felt it happening, but a feeling clawing its way out of his chest told him that he couldn’t just listen to what was happening and do nothing about it. There wasn’t much that he could do, but there was something. That feeling scrabbled its way to his heart and clamped warm hands around the beating pulse of his life. The nerves settled abruptly in his stomach and his head felt clearer than it had in a very long time, the headache from that morning dissipated.

“He,” said Dan, too quiet to be heard over the chatter around him, and he heaved a breath and tried again. “He,” he said, louder, and all four boys at the table looked at him. A piece of lettuce hung unattractively between Sam’s lips.

“What?” said one of them after a moment.

Dan set his spoon on top of the half-eaten food. “His name is Phil,” he said, and despite his sudden rush of courage, he felt his hands shaking. He folded his fingers around the sides of the tray to hide the trembling. “And you might not get that, but it’s not that hard. He’s a fucking guy and you need to respect that.”

They gaped at him, every one stunned into silence. Dan climbed out of his seat, picking up his tray and clutching it to his chest.

“Also,” he added, something like glee bubbling inside him, “I was the one who painted the flag in the bathroom.” He waited a moment longer, absorbing their dumbfounded expressions, and then he laughed quietly to himself and left the lunch room.

~~~

It only took him a few minutes to make his way to the bathroom that he had illegally decorated. The bell rung as he headed out of the lunch room, so the halls were crowded and he had to manoeuvre his way around the rush. He didn’t think he would ever again talk to those guys that he had once called friends. They didn’t do anything for him, and he clearly had done nothing for them.

He texted as he walked, pulling out his phone and texting the person he had messaged more than anyone else in his life over the past month. He didn’t get any immediate replies, but he didn’t expect anything right away, in any case.

you’re not going to believe what happened so that person i fucked up with came out in class today and he has the same name as you what are the odds lol

He almost ran over a girl leaving the bathroom, but she just raised an unimpressed eyebrow and held the door open for him to slip past.

“Thanks,” he said, glancing back at her, and that’s right when he ran over someone else.

Well, he ran into someone else. He hit them solidly and bounced back, arms flailing for balance. Something in his backpack crunched ominously when he landed against the wall only a foot behind him.

The door shut beside him, the girl who’d held it open vanishing into the crowd outside the bathroom. Dan winced and straightened up, rubbing the elbow he’d banged against the wall alongside his backpack. “Sorry - ” he started, but then he saw who he’d run into.

It was Phil, formerly Fiona, formerly Dan’s self-declared enemy. He stood with an amused tilt to his lips, watching Dan with his hands stuffed into his pockets. Everything that Dan had ever known about him was the same, but it was somehow so different. That posture Dan had noticed before was just a new confidence that Phil hadn’t owned before.

Light from the small window in the corner fell across the back of Phil’s head, his shoulders, and illuminated a wide square of the wall behind him. It reflected the tall blue, pink, and white colours from the wall to cast Phil in a halo of bright colours. A perfect rectangle of the three colours was splashed across his cheek.

Dan couldn’t look away from the reflected light, or maybe it was the arch of Phil’s cheekbone that held him captive. “Hi,” he finally said dumbly.

Phil hadn’t moved this entire time. He cocked his head, shifting his weight to the other foot. “Hey,” he said.

“I’m.” Dan took a shuddering breath, and he remembered the past few days, and the phone in his back pocket, and the way his dad had talked to him. He opened his mouth, but nothing escaped for a moment, but when Phil’s open expression began to slide away, he forced himself to speak.

“I wanted to - I want to,” he corrected himself hastily, “apologize to you.”

Phil’s eyebrows arched high on his forehead. “For what?”

“For, uh,” said Dan, but all of the words he had tried to memorize, the half-planned speech he had arranged, flew away in the presence of the one person who Dan still wasn’t sure how to feel about. He scrounged for something to say, but had to take a deep breath, shake away the cobwebs threading his thoughts, and start again.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “about being a prat the past four years. I know it was both of us, but I had a part in it, and it never should have gone on as long as it did. I’m sorry for punching you in class. Sorry for, uh...throwing eggs at you that one time.”

Phil snorted a little laugh them, and although he wasn’t smiling, Dan took that as an encouragement to continue.

“I’m sorry I got you into trouble as much as I did. I was young and stupid when it started, and I’m probably still young and stupid, but I don’t want you to think I hate you or anything. I...don’t think I actually ever did.” Dan heaved a deep breath and finally let his gaze fall to the floor, free from Phil’s unending stare. The linoleum was scratted and pitted with scars, stained suspiciously every few feet. By some miracle, the bathroom was empty but for the two of them, but Dan had no doubt that someone else would be ducking inside the bathroom any moment now.

“Is that all?” Phil finally said, and Dan’s head snapped back up.

“I - ”

Phil laughed, lifting a hand to rub at the back of his neck. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way. I just...I should apologize too. It wasn’t just you. We were both involved and you didn’t force me to fight back.”

Dan couldn’t tear his gaze from the jut of Phil’s collarbone peering over the edge of his shirt. “Oh,” slipped out, but he pulled in a quick breath and added, “It...that wasn’t only because you just came out, though. I was already planning it before you said that.”

Smile wrinkles etched their way around Phil’s eyes, almost familiar with how often Dan was seeing them now. “Yeah,” Phil said. “I know.”

Dan just blinked at him.

“I should...probably apologize for something, too,” Phil added. “I mean, I didn’t know for sure until yesterday, when this was revealed.” He gestured over his shoulder, at the colours and pride sprawled across the wall for all to see.

“Oh,” said Dan, but he still had no idea what Phil meant, and it was clearly evident because Phil laughed quietly.

“I’ll show you,” he said, and reached for his pocket. Long fingers reemerged with a slender phone, which Phil unlocked swiftly and tapped at for a few moments, and then stopped and looked back up at Dan.

An instant later, Dan’s phone buzzed in his back pocket. He didn’t move right away, but at a tilt of Phil’s head, he reached back to pull it out. His heartbeat thudded in his ears as he swiped at it and revealed a new message from his contact “phil the fellow nerd.”

Dan Howell, you’re kind of an idiot.

Their gazes met, understanding sparking in one and warmth in the other. It all made sense now. It couldn’t feel more right.

“Oh,” said Dan, and he felt a smile breaking across his face. It almost hurt, the sheer surprise and joy making itself known in his expression, but it was matched by Phil’s answering grin.

“So,” said Phil. He moved for the first time since Dan had almost run him over, taking a few steps to stand just in front of him. Dan could feel the warmth of his body crawling across the distance between them.

“Friends?”

~~~ previous chapter ~~~ first chapter ~~~

#phan #phanfic #phanfiction #phanfic au #high school #trans phil #misunderstandings

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nijicx · 5 years

Text

BNHA OC- Shimisuke

Name:

Shimisuke ['Shimi' for short]Age: 17 (one year older than everyone else in first year)

Nationality

Japanese

Hero Name:

Pustule

Quirk:

Pustule [Gross-out Warning]

Quirk Characteristics:

Shimi has a particularly destructive quirk. Upon contact is made with the flat of his palm, tiny, almost microscopic barbs release a bio-toxin which immediately causes bouquets of pustules and boils to form. An even more intense effect can be had by scratching someones skin with his fingernails, which produce the toxin beneath the fingernails as a way to defend from would-be predators.

Lastly, he has two glands at the back of his mouth where his wisdom teeth should be. These have a hyper concentration of the toxin, and by coating things in the secretion from this gland, he can cause boils and pustules so large and severe, that he can command them to explode from a distance away.

Quirk Limitations:

Overuse sometimes causes him to have break-outs, which to him is the worst of any quirk limitation ever. He would much rather just get headaches or throw up like most people. He often wears masks to school after over usage. Other annoying side effects is when overused he can develop hives or rashes or his gums might swell.

While the toxins from the glands at the back of his mouth are incredibly useful for dealing painful damage to an enemy, he cannot shoot them from the glands. Instead, he coats something in it by putting it in his mouth and then launching it at them. The way he has devised for this to work is by chewing sour jawbreakers. The sourness stimulates the glands as it also triggers salivation, and then he places it into a sling mounted on his glove and shoots it at the opponent. There is a strap both between his thumb and fore-finger, as well as one on the back of his hand. While he is quite a good shot, a moving target at long range would be very difficult to hit.

Secondly, because his quirk can be very dangerous and destructive, he must be very careful when using it. When the large pustules or boils explode, infection can set in incredibly quickly for the opponent, and if they are attacked and get away, the opponent must seek medical attention shortly afterwards or possibly be left with a very painful flesh wound and dangerous infection of the tissues.

Background:

Shimi, like most young boys, dreamed of being a hero until he was around 11 years old. Before then he was a little shit. (Again, like most young boys) he gave teachers trouble, was rowdy, and was the class clown. He could be disruptive but was overall just a harmless, albeit, annoying little brat.

With a gentle tap his quirk can cause small breakouts on people and so his favorite gag was bopping one of them on the forehead during school picture day.

While messing around with his friends one day he got a brilliant idea to spitball a girl he had a crush on in class.

Nana was seen by the nurse and it wasn't serious, but it left her with a scar on her face for life.

Shimi was sent to a quirk doctor straight from the school and it was discovered that he had physically matured into the glands as they hadn't been present when his quirk manifested around 4.

He wasn't punished for the harm he caused as it was proven he had no idea he thought he would hurt her but he did get detention for the spitball in general. During his time in detention he became aware of how grave it would have been if she'd been hit in the eye. She likely would have lost her sight in it immediately. It left him feeling like he got off very easy for something that could have affected someones whole life.

After this is became rather introverted. Always fearful that his body would somehow mature and develop another new dangerous ability and hurt someone. He became distanced from his friends and instead, made relationships with people online, as he didn't have to make contact with them at all to be friends.

This led to him spending late nights online playing games with others to supplement the lack of human interaction during the day. It led to him getting the reputation of a lazy, sort of delinquent later in middle school. It also didn't help that rumors were spread and twisted that he had been bullying a quirkless girl, something that really didn't sit right with the other kids. It was in his second year of middle school that he was finally put back into a class with Nana.

He made up his mind that he needed to apologize to her better, since the first one he made was in the presence of both of their sets of parents and didn't feel like he got to say the things he wanted to say.

Approaching her wasn't difficult though, she had always been quiet and removed from most circles. She was quirkless and while she had friends she never really did anything with them. After explaining everything to her she told him that she never held it against them. Because of the two's lonely nature and being the last to be picked for everything in class due to how much he stood out as a delinquent, and how little Nana stood out at all. They worked together often and gradually became best friends.

Trouble with them didn't start until the end of middle school when they were studying and applying for the exams at the highschools of their choice. The trouble came when going through his paperwork she didn't see any applications for any of the known hero schools at all.

She shoved them in his face and asked what exactly he was doing in what probably was the most show of force he'd ever seen her exude. He told her that his quirk was dangerous, and that he couldn't know what its capable of. It being best to subdue it and try and live a normal life. Understandably confused by the sudden frustration from her he asked her if he was wrong somehow.

"I've never resented you for this until just now"

She stormed out, and this caused an almost month-long rift between then, Nana refusing to see or study with him at all. Eventually Shimi asked her to explain, since he didn't want to go off to highschool without knowing what he did wrong. Nanako relenting and explaining to him, that she didn't resent him for it, not because it was an accident, but because someday the same power that hurt her would be used to do something , which in-turn, would give her a reason not to be so self-conscious about it. She was a quirkless civilian and in her mind, could only be saved or hurt by others powers. And if it was a Hero who scarred her, the anger she felt about being born quirkless at all would disappear. Her outlook alarmed Shimi but she refused to be swayed.

They reconciled that neither could change the others beliefs but it didn't stop Nana's subtle guilt-trips which gradually got more and more out-there as time went on. The act of trying to motivate Shimi to do something with his power by showing him how cool he could look, actually helping her to come out of her shell a bit and become more confident. Often striking All-Might-esque poses while standing on benches and saying "THIS COULD BE YOU YOUNG-SHIMI"

This continued into their first year of highschool. They both got in, and since Shimi didn't have any particular motivations for his future, he decided to go to the school Nana was choosing. Not having her in his class though also meant less motivation to come to school again.

Shimi would often show up late to class with coffee and his headphones in, and was sometimes absent all together. His grades suffered and his teachers were all at a loss as to what to do with him as no amount of afterschool chores or detentions seemed to have any effect on him.

Close to the end of their first year of highschool, while Nana and him were walking home. She asked him again if this is how he's gunna live forever. Telling him that just having the choice already made his life so full of opportunities that she'll never even realize. And yet he wanted to live just like her instead. She asked him again, why he thought his quirk couldn't be useful, to which Shimi replied: "Because my quirk can really, really hurt people." To which Nana replied, "Yeah, and some people do it on purpose." Shimi applied for U.A. a week later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He was accepted but would be far too behind to enter second year, even if he spent all summer trying to catch up. Instead, he was allowed to join first years and start from the ground up. Therefore, he is a year older than the rest of the other students and was the butt of a lot of jokes in the beginning. Him and Gangan quickly became friends after their first match-ups and often team up when fighting against the kids in the International Exchange course.

Nana sends him a text before every big match that says "don't miss! (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧" To which Shimi always responds "When in your life, have you ever known me to miss."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Funfacts:

-Him and Winston are mortal enemies, Him and Gangan are rivals to most of my main U.A. children.

-He is a very good strategist likely because he's constantly playing strategy video-games. He is the one on his team who usually comes up with the plan of attack.

-He is a member of the same guild that Eite is in their online MMO, but neither know that the two spend all night playing with eachother.

-Because he is a year older than everyone in first year, people, to his dismay, trust him with a lot of things, and due to his dead-pan, rather removed expression, he can sometimes tease them by feeding them false information and then when they go "really" he'll be like "no." -_-

-Shimi means “blotch” in Japanese

#bnha #bnha oc #mha #mha oc #boku no #boku no hero oc #my hero academia #oc #fan character #art #anime #digital art #comic #sketch #hero oc #hero

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kass-of-triumph-blog · 5 years

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Wanted Connections

(Note: I wrote these a little differently than I normally do because I like making my life more complicated than I need to, I guess. Obviously these are all very general and if you like a connection, but there is a part of the description that doesn’t ring true, we can discuss it and tailor fit it for your character.)

I Know What You Did Last Summer: You’ve noticed that there is something “off” about Kassandra. You might not realize what that is exactly or you could have noticed the flash of a look on her face as she pried information from someone’s lips. You know something is wrong and you are determined to get to the bottom of it, whether she tells you or not.

Kass knows that you are snooping around into something they have no business in and will do anything possible to get them off of her scent. (2/4)

Face/Off: You saw the darkness inside of Kassandra, whether through personal experience or just being in the right place at the right time. You might be accepting of her odd bloodlust, incredibly creeped out, or you just don’t care. Either way, you know and Kassandra knows that you know.

Depending on their reaction, this is either Kass’ best friend or greatest enemy. Anyone who knows who she truly is is technically a loose end in her mind and if she doesn’t already fully trust you, then she will make it known that she won’t let this secret be revealed to anyone. (1/1)[Friend] (1/1)[Enemy]

Dirty Dancing: You know she’s attractive. She knows you’re attractive. Might as well have sex.

Relationships aren’t Kass’ forte and when possible, she will forgo them for fun and mindless sex. Whether it simply be friends with benefits or just a random one night stand, she will take any opportunity that is tossed her direction.

Mortal Kombat: You’re something of a regular for her. For one reason or another you always end up at her doorstep nursing yet another injury for her to heal up. You might sense that she is annoyed with you for always bothering her, but that never stops her from making sure you are in one piece when it’s time for you to leave.

Kass is never really surprised when they knock at her door at any odd hour, but she is irritated that they keep getting injured so consistently. She feels that she really needs to instill in them that they need to be more careful, if only so she could get a couple of hours of uninterrupted sleep at night. (0/1)

Masters of the Universe: You appreciate that Kassandra is neutral in this conflict, but you really wish she was on your side. You may have heard of the more personal work that she did with Harvey, or maybe you just recognize her for the gifted physician that she is.

Kass doesn’t care about sides. A part of her feels stifled by not having the constant stream of people for her to work on like when she was Olympus and she does yearn for that kind of normalcy within the two group gangs. But she also values her freedom too much to give into any one group. She’ll hear them out, but plans to keep her options open.

Road House: You get having parents who are kinda the worst. You may have had a worse situation than Kassandra and think she's making a big deal out of nothing, or you might have had similarly overbearing parents and relate. Either way, there's at least a bit of understanding between the two.

(Unlike the other ones, Kass' opinion is very dependent on the person's history. We can discuss this more if you wish to take this connection)

Point Break: You met her when Kassandra was a fresh faced medical student hopping off the plane from Los Angeles. You helped her settle in and have struck a close friendship ever since. A lot has changed since their first meeting, but you are trying to maintain this friendship.

Kass genuinely likes them and that’s more than most people can say. She swears that she didn’t need help getting used to the lifestyle in New York, that she was always meant to be there, but they know that she needed help getting on the right subway and what places to avoid if you’re not a fan of food poisoning. (1/1)

The Room: You knew that she didn’t want anything serious, but that didn’t stop you from developing a crush anyway. You’re not sure what Kassandra would do if you were to tell her how you feel and you get the sense it might be best if you kept it a secret, despite how much you want to tell her.

Depending on the individual, Kass might get a sense of this person’s crush or be completely oblivious of it. If she’s aware of it, she will most likely try to use it to her advantage, otherwise, she just appreciates that someone is willing to do what she might want. (0/1)

Plan 9 From Outer Space: You’re smart. Maybe not as smart as Kassandra says she is, but definitely more clever than she may think you are. You’ve met or heard of people like her before; those who are high on their own superior intellect. Kassandra is just another smart kid who was given an inflated sense of ego.

They’re okay. Kass doesn’t care for them personally, but she can’t deny that they are smart, maybe even smart enough to see through her carefully planned schemes. Overall, she doesn’t think much of them, but that doesn’t stop her from ensuring that they aren’t on her tail before planning her next moves. (0/1)

Troll 2: You share her love for “so bad it’s good” movies and you’ve been friends ever since.

This relationship has always been easy for Kass and she tends to use it as a distraction from whatever she is dealing with. Whether it be watching the movie together with a bowl of popcorn or spending an unfortunate amount of time discussing and quoting it, it is guaranteed to be a fun time for both of them.

#ꕥ the mask ꕥ #olym: task

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sparda3g · 5 years

Text

Kimetsu no Yaiba Chapter 155 Review

youtube

A long time ago, I wanted to see Akaza get annihilated by Tanjiro or anyone else. After the last two chapters, I want him to die for his sake; to end his sad, lonely life. What I’m saying is I feel sympathetic towards him. He may be Demon today, but his past misery lives on. This chapter was not only tragically depressing, but also added much depth to the character and the showdown.

This chapter focus entirely on the backstory and thankfully so. The sudden death between Akaza and Giyu can wait for this would add more weight to it. It could have remain as a simple good versus evil context, but there’s more to earn than simply job well done. Hakuji lost his father, but a second life was granted with a new home. The narrative doesn’t break apart from past and present, so you can grasp the full scope of the downfall. A downfall that you wish it never happened.

Hakuji was so dedicated in taking care of Koyuki, Keizo’s daughter. The amount of time and work is brutal, but he was the best boy to fill in the role. He nursed his father and never thought about having fun. It is work, work, and more work. It is nice of him to take care of someone, yet it’s also sad at a young age, he has no sense of play or freedom. Koyuki insisted for him to go and enjoy the firework in which he replied that he will go with her. He’s unaware of his words since it felt rather romantic, hence her sobbing and him feeling bad when she cries. This easily won me over on the pairing. It was charming and sweet.

There’s an explanation behind Keizo’s dojo and why couldn’t he get any student. It was owned by an old man, who didn’t have an heir at the time. He was saved by Keizo from bandits and because he was impressed with Soryu style display, he decided to honor him the land and the dojo. The main issue is Keizo was a random fellow that practically came at a right time and a dojo nearby didn’t like it at all. He was harassed and because of it, he couldn’t get anyone. It’s like the real world; accusations and hate can damage an innocent’s reputation. This did upset me, but nothing in compare later on.

Even with the hate, Hakuji was saved by training and nursing. All the hard work begins to pay off with Koyuki now able to live normally. His life was beginning to turn around when he was honored to be Keizo’s successor to the dojo. The real surprise and more importantly, Koyuki has fallen in love with him. I had a feeling that they were lovers, but I’ll be lying if I didn’t find it adorable. Watching those two making eye contact with shyness felt heartwarming. This was the second light his father told him about. Everything was earned and so shall he accept it. The family smiles and life was going to be wonderful.

Now here comes the fall.

Life was turning around for Hakuji. He paid one last respect to his father’s grave before the wedding. Once he arrived, the light begins to blink. I was aching when he was beginning to panic. The news diminished the light that brightened over him; Keizo and Koyuki were killed by poison. It was their neighbor dojo that set them up; all because they weren’t man enough to challenge. Pathetic piece of craps. This did surprise me because I was expecting a demon to kill Hakuji’s loved ones; instead, it was sorry for excuse human. This is just tragic and it got me furious.

This does give off a real-life scenario, where your worst enemy can come from anywhere. The mere fact Hakuji had a chance to live happiness is what upsets me. To top it off, there’s a flashback scene, where he and Koyuki watch the fireworks together. It was him that gave her hope and happiness, even from that speech. She cherished it so dearly and he was good enough to be the successor. She proposed to get married and he agreed to get stronger to protect her. It’s worth mentioning his kanji character “Haku” reminisce to “Koma” in Komainu protecting a shrine. It’s as if he was here to protect, but failed nonetheless.

This series can be pretty violent with its brutal display; probably around the similar area as Attack on Titan. That said I was bone-chilled from Hakuji’s revenge. Keep in mind, this was before he became a demon, so it’s even worse to learn how 67 members of the murderous dojo were killed by fist alone. Heads were flying, bones stick out in broken pieces, and so on; it’s seriously brutal. Sure, they deserved it no doubt, but my God. The maid was traumatized for life and no one could believe the story. I’ll say.

Speaking of brutality, Muzan arrived to find bloody mess Hakuji. Hakuji tried to punch him, but he was way too fast; fast enough to get punctured through the face. I know Mortal Kombat 11 is out, but this is no way to pay a tribute. Joking aside, this was saddening because by this point, he didn’t even care about his life. He didn’t care if Muzan turns him into a demon. He didn’t care about anything. The man had no hope to live, so becoming a demon gave him a purpose. It’s his atonement for his human’s life: forgetting he once was. The last panel is pure tragic. He didn’t deserve any of it. Life sucks and then, you die.

This was a really moving chapter. I always enjoyed the backstories from this series, but this one is one of my favorite. The love story was charming, gentle, and tragic. The narration was heartwarming and depressing. I felt the weight of Akaza’s despair. It could have been avoided if humanity was any kinder towards Hakuji; it wasn’t meant to be. The ongoing battle is no longer about receiving a happy ending, rather receiving a closure. Maybe Akaza will fade away with Koyuki taking him away, but only time will tell. One way or another, it’s time to put an end to his misery.

#kimetsu no yaiba #demon slayer #chapter 155 #review #spoilers

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annabethfuckingchase · 5 years

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26: what are the most underrated books?

Good fucking question, anon, let’s start

Covenant Series by Jennifer L. ArmentroutThis is definitely my favorite on this list, it’s like Percy Jackson meets Vampire Academy (which is also on this list). The link will take you to the Goodreads for the first book but there is a novella prequel and a novella after the third one, both are kind of important.The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals–well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she’s crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn’t her biggest problem–staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is.If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

The Testing Trilogy by Joelle CharbonneauAnother great one with no fandom, please read it and come talk to me about it, I have a lot of feelings and nowhere to put them.Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one and the same? The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career. Cia Vale is honoured to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies–trust no one. But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every gruelling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny HanI know it’s gotten a lot more attention since the movie came out but I still feel like it deserves to be on here because a lot of people still don’t know it was a book.To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister’s ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.

Vampire Academy by Richelle MeadI’ve loved these books since like middle school and it has a fandom but it’s still pretty small.Only a true best friend can protect you from your immortal enemies … Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with a rare gift for harnessing the earth’s magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest vampires - the ones who never die. The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa’s best friend, makes her a dhampir. Rose is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making Lissa one of them.After two years of freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir’s Academy, a school for vampire royalty and their guardians-to-be, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. But inside the iron gates, life is even more fraught with danger … and the Strigoi are always close by.Rose and Lissa must navigate their dangerous world, confront the temptations of forbidden love, and never once let their guard down, lest the evil undead make Lissa one of them forever …

Bloodlines by Richelle MeadThis is a spin off of Vampire Academy and I definitely like this series more than the first one (mostly because Adrian) but it also has a very small fandom.I wasn’t free of my past, not yet.Sydney’s blood is special. That’s because she’s an alchemist - one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. But the last encounter Sydney had with vampires got her in deep trouble with the other alchemists. And now with her allegiences in question, her future is on the line.When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she’s still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill’s guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the unlikeliest of places: a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one.The Moroi court believe Jill and Sydney will be safe at Amberwood Prep, but threats, distractions, and forbidden romance lurk both outside - and within - the school grounds. Now that they’re in hiding, the drama is only just beginning.

The Nightworld Series by LJ SmithThis series has been one of my favorites since middle school, which is exactly how long I’ve been waiting for the last one to come out. There are nine books, you will likely find them in 3-in-1 books so each physical copy has three of them in it. It has pretty much no fandom and I’d love it if someone could please come talk to me about Ash Redfern.Vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters – they live among us without our knowledge. Night World is their secret society, a secret society with very strict rules. And falling in love breaks all the laws of the Night World.

Everything, Everything by Nicola YoonAnother one that got a movie so it’s a little more popular now but I still don’t see much of a fandom here on Tumblr. I rarely like stand alone books but this is a definite exception. The book is way better than the movie by the way, as it always is. Btw I’m totally in love with Olly.My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.

Thank you so much for asking, this was a really fun question!

#ask #anon

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