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ladyyatexel · 3 years

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I Went On A Manga Binge

So you don't have to

For those of you who have wisely avoided the shreds of it I've left around the blog thus-far, I had some weird notion to go re-experience Yu-Gi-Oh uuuuuh a week ago? We'll go with that. Time is meaningless.

I'd been able to read a good portion of the early manga at the end of highschool, and somewhere in my stacks and stacks of paper is fanart from this dark time, so you know I cared. I also still own a Dark Magician action figure somehow, so. I'd also watched a large portion of the anime with my brother because it had been laced with some kind of crack and we couldn't look away? I remember when we both were just like shit, wait, don't change the channel, I can't stop looking at it. And the next thing we knew we were waiting for new episodes and I was doing research on the Japanese original because I was that kid.

Anyway, unnecessary backstory out of the way, here are some... let's call them Observations and Consequences of having read somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 chapters (and growing) of a manga primarily hinged on card games from a spectrum of sources ranging from boringly lawful to sketchy as fuck.

Surprise actual character that develops in typical shounen fashion being Jounouchi. My limited experiences with the 4Kids dub and only early manga had not painted him in a particularly good light. I don't know if episodes were being aired out of order or if I had just missed the ones that established that he was making shit up as he was going along, but Wow I liked him a lot more going through the manga than I ever did watching the (dubbed, heavily edited and censored and thrown into a slurry machine) anime. I'd managed to come out with the impression that he was just as reasonably experienced with the game as Yugi back in the day. Wild.

I'm now reading every single comic-style post on Tumblr backwards.

Striking inverse to first point, wow, I don't like Seto Kaiba. Though he gets points for his general philosophy of the future, and the line I read in my sketchy online combo of scans and scanlations in which he said, "If God is in your way, you run him down," was Metal As Fuck. I somewhat shame-facedly admit to enjoying him a lot more as an Abridged Series character. (I watched Abridged as it came out back in the day! The experience of watching the anime with my brother had been so fresh that I got all the in jokes about the way things were edited and dubbed, it was great. Series remains influential part of my life to this day, which is hella weird.)

I almost understand how Duel Monsters works now. I don't want this.

That said, wow a lot of the decisions made in the anime made everything a lot more ridiculous than the admittedly already ridiculous original. I got the distinct feeling in the manga that the Duelist Kingdom stuff we were seeing was designed to be used and exploited in ways that don't make sense in an actual cardgame just played on a table like a normal person and this was part of testing everyone to think higher, differently. Maybe this is obvious to everyone already, I don't know. I had always liked that it was very, 'Not so fast, I'm going to blow up the moon to change the tides,' but I'm not really sure the anime gave enough explanation that this was an extra layer added to things for that event? You can see people actively getting used to it in the books, and people who aren't considering the real or 3D nature of it getting owned, but my memory of anime version is everyone just like, 'oh, shucks, fuck me, I forgot to consider the phase of the moon before i played this card, can't believe I forgot.' No one calls Yugi on any of this stuff because it's valid play in that situation. Plus Yami Yugi had mad trickster energy in the beginning and it suited him to think of ways to do things inside these little simulation boxes the way it suited him to set perverts on fire. I imagine the real card game trying to emulate this element as something that would be to its detriment, but I neither know nor particular care haha

Ryou Bakura.

Really, though. I think he became kind of casualty of 'wow, we have a lot of characters who really aren't able to do anything in this story anymore,' despite the fact that his whole inner life could have been as interesting as Yugi's. I always like thinking about the possibilities of stories in which main character falls into magical world and is given magical item and told they're the hero and then they find out they've been the bad guy the whole time. The first several volumes of manga were about the quiet weirdo kid that no one talked to who was always blacking out and turning into a fucked up version of himsef because he was so attached to his ancient Egyptian jewelry, so like, Bakura could have much the same shit going on. I want to know what's happening with him so much. He clearly doesn't love being possessed, but he's also so drawn to the ring. Despite it having stabbed him at least twice and him knowing it's a danger to him and his friends, he keeps being pulled back into it. You see so much more of him being like, 'Oooh, a creepy thing, I love that! :D' in the manga than ever in the anime, which I'm all about. Also more blood. I'm very about that as well. Though my memory of the anime also made it look very much like normal regular daily Bakura was just a weird facade in places before he ever would have been. I think that was it trying to compensate for what people didn't see from the Toei anime, but okay whatever, that I love everything about this guy is not news, I don't need to talk about Bakura excessively here, I'm pretty sure that's gonna show up on my blog by itself

On a related note though, damn, more of these people need to talk to each other. Can we have some existential crisis support clubs or something. Can we get like some apologies or something? "I respect you as a duelist." "Cool, but you literally built a tower designed to specifically assassinate me and my friends? You were supposed to get Better after I retaliated by putting you in a coma, but you kinda didn't." "Why would the coma have made it better" "I just told you it didn't" ---- "Sorry I went along with the plan of your evil parasite stabbing you, misled you, and then also jumped in and took up some real estate in your head too." "I understand, I also have an evil thing inside me that does things while I'm blacked out." "...no, I was conscious for all of that." "Oh." "..." "..." "..." "Do you like Ouija Boards?" "sure okay" ETC. Like damn we are reading shounen manga because no one is talking extensively about their feelings here and I'm tapping my foot angrily.

Holy shit there are so many mythologies happening at once. The ancient family guarding the Egyptian Pharaoh has a surname that's a Mesopotamian goddess. None of the god cards make any Egyptian sense except Ra, and just like. Baaarrrrely. Somewhere either Evil Ring Bakura or Mar/lik makes a reference to cremation and spirits being taken to heaven with smoke which several things, but definitely not Ancient Egyptian. Marik/Malik meanwhile is clearly trying to head Arabic, along with Rishid, but then, hey, our sister is just Isis. Goddess McGoddess. Sometimes they're the same goddess! Her name could be Isis Isis or Ishtar Ishtar. Meanwhile, all the obviously 'occult because Christians think it is freaky' stuff. ~ancient egyptian pentagrams~~~This isn't a complaint, I guess so much as a 'Wow, I can kind of see the cultural spot the author was coming from and where he was aiming' kind of thing.

Wonder where things would have gone if the card games had not been latched onto the way they were.

Managed to forget how gross the pre-cardgames stuff was on the sexual harassment front. I'm glad there was a sort of explanation of everyone drifting away from being dick heads and that that decision was made. It got way more comfortable to read after no one was bringing Yugi p*rn on VHS.

Yugi looks better with a nose, glad we got that upgrade.

Interesting to watch the series style shift as it goes away from being horror to being over the top cardgames and friendship (with blood!). The first picture of Mokuba is fucking Jarring. Also noticed that the nicer a character is, the less their teeth are defined.

Glad manga did not go as completely off the fucking the rails about Marik's face. I never got as far as seeing him back in the day because college occurred, but I remember seeing pictures and stuff and being like, "what in the Fuck happened to that dude, I think the house style has collapsed in on itself"

Things the author Really Likes: motorcycles, belts, SHOES, holy shit the shoes. These are some of the most lovingly rendered sneakers I've ever seen. All the detail on his characters goes straight to their feet and then it's stretched upward until it forms stiff peaks. Gently fold in 3000 years of trauma and bake face down in a crumb coat of scattered mythology. Remove when you roll two zeros.

Where the fuck am I going to put the extremely large omnibus volumes of this comic I purchased in order to balance out how much I would be reading for free on the internet. I should have grasped that a three in one edition would be Thick and yet somehow I was still :O when it arrived. Have I strategically purchased volumes that contain my favorite parts, maybe, what's it to you will i eventually get the whole thing because incomplete book series gnaw on my soul? yes

Wish the transition from "I've murdered several people in delightfully karmic ways" to "all you need is friendship in your heart and cards in your hand" Yami Yugi/Pharaoh had been discussed more/transitioned better. Buddy, where did you get this approved for television high horse? Please go back to strangling people with yo-yos or at least tell me why you stopped.

I still can't tell anything that looks like a big robotic monster apart from any other big robotic monster. My dude, I can't tell cars apart, all these monsters look the same.

Yami Yugi fascinated me way more in highschool? Maybe because it was still super early and the anime was like 'we need to torture you about his origins WeEkLy. Now I'm just like 'wait hold on, can we go back to Bakura and Marik for a minute, there's some extreme unpacking to do here?' Those two are paying so much more in baggage fees here my guy wow

Violently uninterested in any of the spinoff media

#yugioh #yu gi oh #ygo #there you go i can't imagine any other way you would decide was necessary to tag this #perhaps now that i have thrown this up i can #something #i don't know how i was going to finish that sentence #shut up lady

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chidoroki · 3 years

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TPN - Krone one-shot

Ah, another extra chapter. Shirai and Demizu are so good to us. Anyways, I was quite surprised learning more about Krone's time training at the sister academy. From what little we saw from her and Isabella's flashbacks in early chapters and season 1, we know how competitive and serious the girls are at the facility, given the extreme nature of everyone's current situation. All the girls are quite literally fighting for their own lives here, so once Cecile was introduced, I was pleasantly surprised. (this is our first time meeting her right?)

We soon learn that both were from the same GF house and as any natural older sibling would do, she steps in to help Krone avoid getting scolded by finding her missing embroidery. She then makes it plainly clear that it is best not to show any sort of weakness while at the facility. Everyone there is prove themselves worthy of becoming a sister or mother, and if they don't fulfill those qualifications, they'll be killed.

Having a close friend in such a terrible place provides Krone with minimal comfort, as Grandma Sarah (that's her name, correct?) reveals how slim their chances are at surviving. Only one girl will survive? That's rough.. and wasteful I feel like? I know there's only four premium farms with about 5(?) houses each, so mom and sister positions are very limited, but wow. Fighting off the other girls might not be much of a challenge emotionally, but to compete against your own sibling? Well, that's different. Fortunately for Krone, Cecile has other intentions. (can i say that at this point i already love this girl?)

A hopeful idea, of course, but Krone brings up the chip they each have implanted in their hearts. You leave the facility? Dead. You somehow break the chip? The higher-ups get notified and you're as good as dead anyway. Cecile mentions how the pocket watch Grandma has doubles as a sort of gadget that could disable their chips, so all that has to be done is steal it and use it for themselves. Cecile's wealth of knowledge doesn't stop there, as she then shows Krone a map of the entire headquarters that was secretly put together by former trainees that once thought of escaping. At first, I found this a little hard to believe. One, that such an embroidery was passed down so often between other girls over an unknown amount of time and someone like Grandma never found it. Two, that there were so many girls who were willing to help each other out like this.. but then I remembered ch170 and how eager and willing the ladies were to join together under Isabella's command, so I believe it.

As their plan is set in motion, we see familiar events take place, such as the girls physically fighting with each other (because being buff is somehow a prerequisite to look after children? you know, just in case they try to escape and you need to break some legs). I re-watched Krone's flashbacks in ep8 just to see if any of the girls there could possibly be identified as Cecile, but it didn't work out well since that scene is all monochrome anyway, so no luck trying to spot her blonde hair, blue eyes or even her ID number. Seeing them work together though is great.

Honestly, I never really got attached to Krone upon my first watch of the series. Yeah her movements are very animated and fun to watch when she speaks, she's absolutely terrifying when it comes to playing tag, but she never had one of those moments where I was like “okay, I like this character now.” That, and she gets killed off so her screen-time was really limited. Having her plot against the kids was another reason I kinda pushed her aside too, but I'm still thankful she gave them the WM pen (because who knows where they would all be without it). Seeing her and Cecile just act like normal kids and talk about their dreams though, that did it for me. They're both precious!

Anyways, after Grandma forced them to watch some other girl die after a failed escape attempt, due to her heart chip, our girls proceed with their plan, as they make stealing Grandma's watch top priority, lest they end up like the poor girl who just lost her life. Krone manages to successfully claim the watch at the perfect opportunity.. only to be completed fooled.

Not only by the watch, which ends up being just a normal tracker, but by Cecile herself. Needless to say, that I also felt betrayed by this girl because damn it! How could you?! I swear, I just started to like this chick!

I had my doubts before. I knew it was too good to be true that even if these two girls had history together, that it meant absolutely nothing in a harsh environment like this, and Cecile takes great pride in reminding us of that.

It's because of this betrayal that we finally see the Krone we became so familiar with upon her transfer back to GF. Can't really blame her though. To find out that the only person you could trust suddenly turned on you for their own personal gain? Yeah, that's painful. No wonder she had to harden her heart.

I once thought of Krone's plan of taking down Isabella was foolish, (because that woman is an absolute queen and you need all the luck in the world if you wanted to accomplish that) but she had the utmost confidence she could pull it off because she has done it before to her once best friend. With survival as her main goal, Krone wastes no time in selling out Cecile as the mastermind to their escape plan.

Fantastic. She's learning how to take out her competition, thus granting her better chances at becoming a sister or mom. Good for her right? Sure, but also, wrong! TPN then decides to do what it does best: get me emotional, because poor Cecile did all of that just to help Krone survive! She saw how unguarded and scared Krone was upon joining the sister academy. She then vowed, as her older sibling, to protect and prepare her for the cruel reality of this world by teaching her how to be ruthless and survive. (though i'm sure there could've been easier way to accomplish this? like i know only one chick was gonna survive from their class but holy hell, did you have to go through such extremes?)

As if the newest member of the self-sacrifice club didn't upset me enough, they decide to give us this sky scene that is only gonna hit my feels harder whenever I decide to watch episode 8 back again..

Aahh.. I love all these extra chapters we've been getting, truly, but must they always make me feel bad for these characters? These girls deserved so much better! I'm sad. I think Cecile is great. Her methods are a bit extreme but her heart was in the right place.. and now they're both in a better place, ha.

(we're getting an extra chapter for isabella sometime in the future as well and if it's gonna be another sad backstory, then i'm so not ready for it.. i already know i'm gonna cry. i love that woman.)

#the promised neverland #tpn manga #tpn krone #tpn cecile #sister krone #cecile #chidoroki used chatter

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bokunoheroanalysisforthefuture · 3 years

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And the aftermath of the first battle. Featuring more OFA talk!

[No. 34 - Victory or Defeat]

The cover art for this chapter is actually pretty gorgeous. Like, wow, that HAIR. It looks so damn soft I can’t even.

Getting into the chapter itself, we get just shy of a page of flashback to Shinsou’s middle school. Several students are talking about how cool Shinsou’s quirk is, how they’ve never heard of a quirk like it, how jealous they are. One student comments on how he could make all kinds of trouble with it, while another adds on that it’d be without getting his hands dirty. She then asks Shinsou not to go around controlling them.

Past Shinsou just laughs it off and notes how everyone says that, with his internal narrative thinking about how he’d also expect bad things from someone with his ability. That person would probably turn into a criminal - a villain, even. So he’s used to everyone implying that about him. That’s just how the world works.

Back in the present, we see Shinsou gritting his teeth, while Izuku is standing over him, a bit bloody and beaten, but still victorious. Present Mic again confirms Izuku is going to the second round. Up in the stands, Kaminari nudges Katsuki’s shoulder with his own, noting how Izuku had also gotten him with that shoulder toss. Katsuki looks a bit put out, I guess? Or just distracted. He calls Kaminari dunce face, which gets a fantastic face out of Kaminari.

Artwork.

There’s a bit here about Izuku using a baiting tactic that I’m not sure whether is from Katsuki or Aizawa, since Aizawa’s thought process continues in the next panel. In either case, I am certain it’s Aizawa noting how Izuku was concentrating his quirk in just his finger, like the strength test and the throw in battle training. Izuku’s been learning from those experiences - or rather, said experiences have forced him to adapt.

As Shinsou and Izuku bow (or at least Izuku does), Present Mic comments on how the event is off to an uneventful start, before encouraging the crowds to put their hands together for their fierce competitors. As the crowds do so, Izuku is thinking about Shinsou’s words, being ‘naturally blessed’ and ‘getting to follow his dreams.’ Eventually, Izuku asks why Shinsou wants to be a hero. Shinsou turns away to start leaving the platform while replying that ‘we don’t get to choose the things we naturally admire.’

Izuku vibes deeply with this, thinking about how those feelings are just like how Izuku was before he got One For All. But as he is now, what does he say to that?

Shinsou gets his own surprise, however, when his classmates start shouting their praises from the stands above the entryway. One says how awesome Shinsou had been out there, another on how he’d had them on the edge of their seats, a third on Shinsou being the shining star of the general studies guys, and a fourth on how he’d done just as well as the guy who’d gotten third in the obstacle course (Katsuki). Shinsou looks like he has no idea how to process this. And if that’s not enough, the heroes in the crowds are also talking about him and his quirk with no small amount of admiration.

...oh man, wait, do I spy Miss Joke there with the crowds?

Why, yes it is! I don’t know if her character was fully planned or background developed at this point, but I suppose Hori must have elevated hr to more than a one-off appearance at some point. Perhaps liked her relatively simple design?

But yeah, we shift back to Shinsou and the other gen ed students as the latter point it out, and repeat how awesome he is. Shinsou says nothing for a moment, hesitating at the entrance, before speaking to Izuku. UA will consider transfers to the hero course depending on the results here. Remember that. Maybe he failed here, but he’s not giving up. He’ll show UA he’s got what it takes to make the hero course, and he’ll become a greater hero than all of the other students.

Izuku accepts this driven challenge, only to get caught in Shinsou’s quirk again. Izuku’s confused, because the match is already over. Shinsou comments on how people who respond to him tend to stiffen up like that, and how it’d be easy to mess everything up for Izuku just now. But instead he just demands a promise as he lets Izuku loose from his quirk - don’t lose in a sorry way out there. Izuku agrees again, only to again be temporarily caught in Shinsou’s quirk.

Also, it's a teeny thing here, but I know there's been people (not necessarily in here, but in general) who've questioned how shinsou's quirk works, and from here in the sports festival, what I can at least determine is this:

-his quirk can affect multiple people at once

-people don't remember what they were doing under the quirk's effect (barring Izuku for Reasons)

-his quirk takes effect when he chooses after someone responds verbally to him (sign language or writing don't work)

-it can be a statement or question someone responds to!

-general non-word noises, or non-directed sounds (ie izuku's growls of exertion) don't work as targets for shinsou's quirk

Anywho, with that, we transfer over to Recovery Girl’s temporary office, where Izuku is getting himself healed up while Toshinori hovers nearby nervously. Izuku admits that he couldn’t smile at all, and Toshinori considers that and figures this must have been a tough battle for him, given what Shinsou was saying. Izuku replies that that doesn’t make it okay for him to lose; when you’re aiming for the top, that’s just how it is, right?

Recovery Girl is not impressed with the ‘life lessons’ Toshinori is passing on to Izuku, spinning around to wallop Toshinori on his non-injury side. Toshinori tries to reply that it’s all necessary, only to be interrupted by said wallop and yelp in pain. While Toshinori is nursing his poor abused ribs, Izuku brings up the vision he had.

He saw eight or nine shadows - not sure on that - when his mind was lulled from the brainwashing, the vision appeared and snapped him out of it. In that instant, he was just barely able to move his fingertip. One of them had Toshinori’s hairstyle… so could it have been the souls of the people who have inherited One For All?

Now, a few things I have to say to this:

First off, holy SHIT did Izuku already pretty much hit the nail on the head for what’s happening here. We obviously don’t really get more about this for, what, a hundred and fifty or so chapters? I dunno when the JTA is in the manga exactly, so I’m probably off, but even before then, there’s only a few hints here and there about the whole ‘ghost’ thing happening - and yet, Izuku already is kinda sus of what’s happening after just one vision.

Secondly, while it’s way more likely that it’s Izuku being scared and confused that has him questioning the number of shadows he saw there, I also really love how it’s a perfect set-up for something Fishy if Hori so wants, while also allowing an out if he doesn’t want. It’s like, does the number mean something, or is it just a scared schoolkid struggling to remember details he only glimpsed for a moment?

In any case, we move on to Toshinori’s response to this strange vision. Mostly in that he finds it kinda scary. Izuku is confused, because he was sure Toshinori would know. Toshinori admits that he did see them once when he was young, and that it’s a clear sign Izuku is getting used to One For All.

At Izuku’s visible confusion, Toshinori continues - the shadows are traces of the quirk’s past bearers. But whatever they are, they can’t directly interfere or influence Izuku. Nor can Izuku affect them. In other words, that vision wasn’t what undid the brainwashing. Rather, it was Izuku’s protagonist powers strong will that allowed him to see those faces - and as far as Shinsou’s brainwashing, Izuku overcame it! Just for an instant! He managed to move that fingertip all on his own.

Izuku isn’t convinced, but Toshinori chastises him, telling him not to dwell on it, and shouldn’t he be worrying about his next opponent instead? Izuku agrees, and thanks both him and Recovery Girl before heading out. Only once Izuku is gone does Recovery Girl note that Toshinori’s shadow had been there too. Toshinori replies how that’s not a bad thing.

My take on this whole scene?

But yeah, it definitely is interesting how early Hori outright told us what was happening with One For All, only for it to be dismissed by Toshinori and a good chunk of the audience. I mean, I don’t know if Hori was planning everything with the vestiges and the other quirks at this point, but he sure laid the groundwork here, and I kind of love it.

Anywho, moving on from that, we shift over to Shouto making his way towards the arena for his own fight, only to run into the last person he wants to see - Endeavor. Shouto tells Endeavor to get out of his way, but Endeavor ignores him, instead calling Shouto a disgrace to him. He harps on about how Shouto could have crushed the obstacle course and the cavalry battle if he’d used his left side. Shouto says nothing as he marches himself past his father.

Endeavor tells Shouto to grow up, and stop rebelling like some petulant child. His duty is to surpass All Might. He’s different from his siblings - Endeavor’s greatest creation! Shouto asks if that’s all Endeavor has to say, then states how he’ll win this with his mom’s power alone. He’ll never use Endeavor’s power in battle. Endeavor states how that might be good enough while he’s a schoolkid, but he’ll reach his limit soon enough.

Shouto is… not in a good headspace. As we’ll see momentarily.

Izuku joins Ochako and Tenya in the stands while Present Mic starts to announce the participants of the next match. Sero Hanta, the cream of the crop, and yet somehow still as plain as they come! Versus Todoroki Shouto, the best of the best, strongest of the strong!

The match starts as Sero finishes stretching himself out, stating how he doesn’t really feel much like winning. His arms then snap forward, the tape rushing out to wrap around Shouto. Sero tugs back, yoinking Shouto into position to be swung out of the arena. Present Mic hypes up the surprise attack maneuver, and how it’s probably the best strategy for him, overall complementing how Sero’s giving it his all. Shouto, still somewhat mad-eyed, apologizes, and then-

...yikes. How Sero (or any audience members in the way) didn’t die here is a show of Shouto’s astounding control here, even if it doesn’t seem like it. The entire stadium is dead silent as Sero calls the move a bit overkill. Midnight, half-frozen as well, tentatively asks Sero if he can move. Sero asks if she’s kidding, before the frostbite starts getting to him and he starts biting back pained hisses. Midnight announces Sero’s loss, and the crowds are… pretty sympathetic, calling out good tries to him.

Shouto steps forward to start defrosting Sero, apologizing for overdoing it, stating that he’d just been annoyed. Up in the stands, Izuku watches on, with his future narration noting that, lost amid the cheers that arose from the audience, he saw Shouto defrost his own frozen self with his left hand. And to Izuku… something about Shouto seemed really sad.

Shouto is announced to be moving on to the second round, and the chapter closes.

Holy shit. This chapter is actually really something, and not just because of One For All. But still, it really is fascinating to see what groundwork laid early on in the series ended up being used way down the line by Hori as he got more comfortable with the direction he wanted his story to go in.

Anywho, see you next time for the last chapter of volume four! Which means the next bonus material post is upcoming. And I can just say there’s some interesting stuff in that as well…

#chapter 34 #sports festival arc #readthrough #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #midoriya izuku #shinsou hitoshi #recovery girl #yagi toshinori #todoroki shouto #todoroki enji #Sero Hanta #izuku: so i think our quirk is haunted #toshinori: nah you're just the main character #izuku: bet #(150 chapters later)#izuku: quirk's haunted bitch!#toshinori: :|

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pluviophile-bookworm · 3 years

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HSMTMTS 2x9: so dreaded, so exciting, 'Sword!' (yeah, I went there, I've been thinking about this scene - you know the one - since yesterday for some reason)

After two computer malfunctions and a very tough, very sleepless night, here I am with a third attempt to write this post. The universe is against me today. Is Mercury in retrograde or something? Ugh, I just want to get this over with already. And I haven't even managed to see half the episode yet. You better like this cursed post because it's taken me two hours at this point, and will probably take another to finish - and that is if nothing goes wrong this time. Please bear with me. This is my reaction to HSMTMTS 2x9, take 3. Let's hope and pray it's the last one.

I'm normally [unpopular opinion alert] a very spoiler-positive person (it's the combination of anxiety and ADHD and a bunch of other stuff, I suppose), but for this one I've been refraining from looking at the tag all morning, so by now I'm simply bursting with impatience. But before we dive in, I need to get some stuff off my chest.

Some pre-watch thoughts and feelings (let's see how well they will have aged by the end of the episode):

Seriously, what is with whoever writes this show? I know it's impossible, but I feel like they've been toying with my emotions specifically all season. Like:

Ah, so you were a Rini shipper last season? Great, now we'll make them obnoxious and borderline toxic to the point where you actually want them to break up, but then their old chemistry will be back just for the breakup scene so that you can cry your eyes out over the one couple you couldn't stand - even though you can't seem to relate to a single song from Sour, we'll make you feel like you do for a hot second. At least it will remind you that you loved Ricky.

So you say Redlyn own your heart and soul? Great, we'll make you dread something going wrong with them for a week straight, and mess up your sleep schedule beyond repair over it. You're welcome!

We heard you said Rodfini give you life? Perfect, how about a big Seblos fight? And would you like a side of questioning your choice to stan Carlos with that? Because what is life without a little anxiety, a bit of doubt of your ability to read people, and a pinch of existential dread, right?

Ah, so you claimed not to ship Portwell romantically, is that right? Brilliant, we'll make you ship them and then we'll use that to torture you, too.

You've been excited about ABF and Asher Angel guest-starring ever since they were announced? Magnificent! We'll make you hate ABF's character to the point where you can't even look at him, and we'll make you call him names you thought yourself incapable of uttering. And as for Asher, you'll be left waiting for him until the last third of the season, and then you'll dread the possibility of hating his character, too. Do you love us yet?

Oof! Right then, I've got that out of my system. Time to dive in.

Miss Jenn playing around with the backgrounds is, like, 90% of the people who had online school this year, and honestly, I love that for her.

Wait, why is Nini first on this call? Are they going through with the Rose thing? Cos like, the song is nice and all (and, might I add, much more to my taste than nearly all of Sour, don't @ me), but if they use it, it will get them disqualified. They’ve been told that! Gosh, please let me be wrong about this.

We get it, Carlito, rich and fancy and over-the-top is kind of your thing, but have you stopped for a second to think about how others will feel about this? Especially Seb, whom you claim to care about. Seriously, though, I love Carlos and would not hesitate to die for him, but I’m getting the feeling that, unlike my other favourite (you know the one), he wouldn’t do the same for me. Oh well, he’ll figure it out. He’s just a kid. Give him time.

Wait, Milky White? Is that an Into the Woods reference I smell? Cool! If I had a cow, I’d totally name her Milky White (or Gertrude, but don’t ask me why). I just hope they don’t have to, like, take her to the market and exchange her for magic beans, if you catch my drift.

Ahhhhh, Caswell cousins content! We love to see it!

‘You guys are watching, like, old old movies’ WTH, Nini (or is it Nina)? Scary Movie is literally younger than me. But what do you know about it, you 21st-century baby! Ugh, I don’t know why I’m being so hostile today... must be the lack of sleep. Hope it doesn’t influence my reactions to the episode so dramatically as to make me forget how much I love this series. Because I do.

Yay! Big Red is here! I can finally smile. And did Ash just say they’re soulmates? Because yes they are! Ahhh my heart is going to explode.

‘Nini, have you heard from [Ricky]?’ Yikes, awkward... but of course, Big Red can be counted on to save the day here, too.

Ok, so that was a cool cold open. Time for some nice in-person scenes, though. I did not spend all of three semesters doing online school just to have the characters of my favourite series do the same.

Wow, Gina is really embracing that French accent thing! And I really don’t want to think about, erm, ‘Napoleon over here’ right now, but I really think the fact that she’s doing it better than him will be another piece of evidence towards my theory of fake-French!Antoine... ugh, I said his name. Oh well. Back to Gina. Too bad the French thing didn’t work out for her.

Ahhhh, Portwell with Ash in the background! And Ash is going to paint EJ’s nails! I feel like he’s going to end up loving that, despite what he says right now. But seriously, I just love how comfortable these two are with each other. Can you blame me now for shipping them as friends? Well, I mean, it’s obvious they will be more than friends, and somehow, despite the amatonormativity of it all, I’m here for it.

Wait, was that Asher? That was Asher, I’m 100% sure of it. And Gina said ‘a sign’ and then looked at him, even from the back... what am I supposed to think and feel here? I’m confused. Moving on.

Ahh, poor Ricky being a burrito... good thing that breakup scene last time reminded me that I love him, because the entirety of the season before that was very good at making me forget that.

Wait, did she say ‘the Bean’? As in, that Bean? The infamous Bean? LOL.

‘So the only time you two talk to each other is to gossip about me’ Boy, did I feel that. I once got my hands on my dad’s mobile and I... kind of went through his texts with mum. Yep, all about me and my brother. At this point I feel like they’re only together because of us. But this is getting too personal. I’m here about the episode, not to rant about my family. Moving on.

Yikes, looks like Nini’s got writer’s block all over again. Am I supposed to feel sorry for her? Because I kind of don’t. I mean, no hate towards her, none at all, but that entire scene just felt awkward and unnecessary. And not just because it’s her first time going live. That I can understand. What I don’t understand is why the writers can’t seem to do anything creative and interesting with Nini. Olivia is being wasted there. Idk, that’s just how I feel. Again, no hate.

Ahhhhh it’s Asher! And well, he’s not Jonah, but I kind of really like him as Jack. I wonder if that will last.

So is it just me, or is anyone else not quite sure how to feel about Ricky’s mum? I mean, their interactions seem kind of awkward and strained, but that’s how it’s supposed to be given their recent history, and yet something just doesn’t sit quite right with me.

‘You there, Muse? It’s me, Nini!’ Ah, so it’s Nini again? I didn’t get the memo. Gosh, this episode is kind of really underwhelming. The most exciting thing so far (but not nearly as exciting in practice as it was in theory) – Asher and Sofia’s on-screen reunion. The second most exciting thing? The thought of Ash painting EJ’s nails. Everything else? Kind of ‘whatever’. Is this what I tossed and turned about all night? Totally not worth it. This episode better get, like, 300% better right this instant. It’s just not worth all the frustration and excitement and dread so far.

Looks like my prayers from just now have been heard! That improv scene was hilarious! Guess it was lucky that Miss Jenn had them do improv before this moment. But I need to know more of Jack’s backstory now.

Ok, so that was awkward! So Kourtney is talking to Howie again, I guess. And I guess I know now what Carlos did that was all public and no subtle. Still, what’s wrong with posting photos from your holiday? Guess I don’t exactly know yet what Carlos did to piss the others off so much.

Great, now I’m tempted to google butterfly faces. Good thing I’m not eating anymore. *** Ughhhhh this was a mistake! Please don’t ever look a butterfly in the face if you want to stay sane. Don’t be like me.

Ahhh the Duke sweater! ‘Is that your boyfriend’s?’ Well, not quite yet, it’s not... *screams in Portwell*

Oh, now we’re talking! But seriously, Ricky? The ‘my friends think’ card? Why don’t you just say ‘I think’? It’s clearly something you’ve thought about a lot. I feel like I’m going to love this scene or cry over it or both.

Ooh, therapy. It’s not just... basically the entire fandom... who says it now. Please tell me that means Ricky will be going to therapy at some point. Says the girl who is currently firmly refusing to go to therapy in favour of hyperfixating on HSMTMTS and getting back into the good old practice of having imaginary friends... yeah, I’m one to talk.

My, my, my! Seb has really had it now. I mean, it was about time, but... not quite like this. My heart is starting to do some weird stuff, I can feel it. I might need to lie down.

Ok, so as much as I envy North High for getting to see so many shows on BWay – basically living out my dream – stalking East High on Instagram and being shady about them taking a well-deserved break... just goes beyond all limits. I mean, if you’re so into Broadway shows, you should know as well as I do what happened the last time a certain founding father did not take a break. Maybe you’re the ones in need of a break here.

Nini on the call with the Caswell cousins, though... ‘I’m obsessed with both of you’ – first relatable thing she’s said or done all season. And EJ playing with old toys is pure gold.

Oh, so Jack’s dad is a pilot. Makes sense, I guess. I’m kind of intrigued by this guy. Just as long as he doesn’t try to come between Portwell before they’ve had the chance to happen, you know...

Ashlyn might need to stop swooning over Nini’s songwriting or Big Red might get jealous... I mean, I would not have pinned him as the jealous type before 2x7, but ever since then... I guess insecure + dating a girl like Ash = the jealous type. And although that looks good on him, I’d bet anything it doesn’t feel particularly pleasant on his side. So... wait, why am I talking about Big Red? He hasn’t even got anything to do with the scene at hand. But then again, there’s been so little Big Red content in this episode that I seem to be trying to make up for it. Still. Stay focused.

Ooh, so Big Red did edit that video! Is there anything my boy can’t do? Ok, now I feel like he’s even more criminally underappreciated than he was before. But let’s look at the video. I’m curious to see the whole thing because that sneak peek from yesterday simply hasn’t been enough.

That was... really, really cool! I love how they took the ‘when they go low, we go high’ line from last time and run with it. Now if only they were putting as much effort into BATB... North High wouldn’t know what hit them.

Hmmmm... I guess Gina and Jack could be what I originally wanted Portwell to be... really cool friends. Unless it’s one of those ‘airport magic’ things. Oh well. It probably is. Was that all we’re seeing of Asher here? I did not wait 2/3 of the season for this. Though it was nice.

Ooh, Ricky’s solo song... why is there more Rini chemistry in this song than there was in all the season? Not counting the breakup scene, of course. Also, I feel like it’s just as much about him and his mum as it is about Nini. Some say music is the best therapy. I think they might be right. And no, I’m not crying. You are.

The granola bar, though... this episode might have been very underwhelming in the first half, but... it delivered in the Portwell front, and the music was *chef’s kiss*, so I’m willing to let it slide that the advertised Seblos ‘big fight’ was not touched upon nearly enough. Maybe next week...

Ok, now that we’re done watching the episode, let’s see how my feelings from the beginning have aged:

The Rini breakup: apparently, along with reminding me that I love Ricky, it has rendered me unable to look at Nini. What’s up with that? If this is some sort of tactic along the lines of ‘Olivia might be leaving the show so we’re making you hate her character so that you won’t miss her’, it’s not really working. Because I don’t want to hate Nini. Believe me, I don’t.

Redlyn: ok, so there’s nothing wrong with them whatsoever - we even got a ‘soulmates’, which I loved - but first they’re being swept under the rug, and then the antis come at us with that ‘their relationship is underdeveloped’ nonsense. Individually, though, I liked them in this episode (even if there was a significant shortage of Big Red), and Ashlyn collaborating with Nini again was cool, but... what I really wanted to see was her painting EJ’s nails. Did she even get the chance to actually do it? Maybe next week.

Seblos: I’m still failing to understand exactly what Seb thinks Carlos did wrong (please enlighten me if you did catch that, I’m kind of slow), but he (Seb) does have reasons to be mad at him (Carlos)... and at other people, too. Still, if you want to have a fight between two people in a relationship, you could do much better than whatever this episode was. Maybe next week. I notice I’m saying that a lot. Guess I’m putting a lot of hopes on 2x10. I just pray it doesn’t disappoint.

Portwell: boy, am I happy that my frustration on this front did not age well! What I mean is, apparently they’ve decided to bless us, not torture us for once. Even a rather disappointing episode like this one had to have some sort of silver lining. And Portwell is it.

Asher as Jack: well, luckily I didn’t hate him, but... it’s kind of the opposite problem. I loved him and now they’re taking him away from me. Guess I just can’t win here. Oh well. At least he didn’t have the screen time to get in between Portwell...

All in all: 2x10, my hopes and prayers are with you!

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tempo-takoyaki · 4 years

Note

Hi, do you think you have any TPN fanfic you'd recommend? I don't mind any ships or gen fics. I'm just trying to find interesting/good fanfics to read but I couldn't find any fic recs yet in this fandom. I like your fics, so I just thought I might like your recommendations. By the way, thank you for writing the Can You Hear the Sea fic and Giver fic (those two are my favorites!)

Wow thanks ! (^^)/ I’m honoured to be trusted enough to give fic recommandations ! I mostly choose my authors currently, so I will do something similar here.

@piperemerald : (Piper_Emerald on Ao3), Mostly Norray. One of my favorite authors in the fandom! She planifies everything in her fics, which means you are guaranteed to have a good and smooth reading, I once got so caught up in one of her works that I missed my subway station. Incredible writing, but most importantly very good characterization, all her characters feel human and real (which is something I appreciate a lot). I would love to just recommend all of her fics right on the stop but it would be too long, so I’ll simply select a few ones.

Falling For Your Voice (Norman/Ray, rated M, Emma/Violet and Yuugo/Lucas as backgrounds ships) : Modern Life AU where Norman is a renowned singer and Ray a famous but anonymous writer, the both falling in love with each other through the words in their works. What I said about the author is still the same, incredible writing style, amazing characterization, at the same time funyt, tender, and kind of heartbreaking too. It was the first fic I read from her and I have no regrets. 11 chapters of pure bliss. I want to also precise that, while rated M, there’s no explicit sex scenes despite having mentions of it. And all characters are aged-up of course.

An Hour To Midnight (Norman/Ray, rated T) : Coffee Shop AU. I... Don't really have nothing more to say to describe the work. I want to spoil as less as possible because there’s a ton of little details that I love in this one-shot. It’s a coffee shop au, but a really good one. One of my favorite work by the author. If I only have to say one thing to recommend it: Ray is dislexic and I live for that.

Now, I will stop there for Piper_Emerald, but I could also recommend Language Barrier and Pomegrenate Seed as well as Cursed and In The Next Mile too. All Norray. And all amazings. But this time I prefer to let you check by yourself.

Now then , to our next author: @justanotherbnhalover (hi) (7FlyingPancakes7 on Ao3), like previously, mostly Norray. No, I don’t have a bias because we get along, I sincerely love her fics a lot. It depends on the fic more this time, but I particularly adores the AUs she makes and the universes she creates around it, they are not just good fics, but good stories too. Her writing style is amazing, able to capture every little thought of her characters like she is putting us in their heads (not excluding intrusive thoughts too). The writing style is what captivates me a lot too, she just creates sentences that makes you shiver.

To Die For (Norman/Ray, rated M for… explicit reasons) : What can you do when a serial killer falls in love with you? THIS FIC. THIS FIC. I have a personal history with fanfics depicting unhealthy relationships, and THIS FIC is awesome. Not only its a clear example of how far the author can go with writing intrusive thoughts, but also a great thriller. Will Ray discover that Norman is the killer? Or will Norman manage to fool the person he loves for his whole life? WHO KNOWS. The fic isn’t finished yet, but I would recommend you to read it anyway.

This Song Is For You (Norman/Ray, rated T) : Mermaid AU where Mermaid Norman gets charmed by Ray’s singing. A very interesting take on a Mermaid AU ! But it’s not just the context, the story itself is good. Unlike other fics, it’s not as mystery centered as others, but the Mermaid universe is enough to get completely into it. Not only that, but again, a very good writing, and as funny as always too... I love Mermaid stories so be prepared yourself to be given more.

Now, I could’ve recommended other fics, but TSIFY is the only finished Mermaid fic (hence why I recommended it) and I wanted to propose something else besides Smile (While You Can), though I still recommend it too.

Another author (and finally not Norray, at least I’ll choose some that are not Norray) @amaikana ! (hi) (amaitori on Ao3 for non explicit works). Very productive author ! ... Does not finish their multi-chapters fic a lot though. (Think of them as this book entirely made of first chapters). But every single one-shots are a ray of light in the darkness (mostly because some of them are very funny). Is mostly focused on slice of life short stories, so it’s also nice to take a break from all those angsty fics! I would categorize her as the “feel good” author. There’s some angsty stuff, but the majority of the works are mostly fluff.

Blue Eyes (Gen, rated G, some Rayemma on te side but nothing more) : Cute stories about Ray and his new adopted brother Norman. A serie of cute one-shots with Norman being 6 years old and Ray 10. Like I said, very good to feel good, it’s adorable, it’s funny, and it’s about kids.

Chance Among the Stars (Norman/Emma, rated T, Ray and Norman are biological brothers) Fate/Stay Night Heaven’s Feel AU. It’s more than just because I am a Fate fan, but this fic is genuinely one of her best works. It’s filled with emotions and magical lores and it’s cool as hell. Also, I like angst.

And that’s it because those are mostly really short one-shots or series of one-shots so... it’s better to see for yourself ! :D (Also lots of OT3 to my joy).

Now, we will go into the territory of fics that I read without checking the author’s other works a lot. It’s not that I dislike the author’s other works, let’s just stay I mostly remember the fic (and only started to do it by author recently too).

I got a ticket to another world (Norman/Ray, rated T, written by heismysoulmate) : Norman adopts a very strange cat. A cool fantastic one-shot and a cool short story overall. The characters are interesting, and the relationship development is good.

pushing youth to the limits (Norman/Emma/Ray, not rated but definitely M, written by sugacookies_with_tae) : A cleptomaniac, a murderess and a depressive on a road trip. It’s what I’ll say to summarize the plot, because if you’re like me, you’ll think “wow, it’s either really good or really bad, I’m going to read it”. Spoiler: it’s good, it’s good in the type “who cares?”. I don’t know how to describe it, it’s just a bunch of fucked up kids trying to live and it’s somehow interesting? Wow. (Also, if its plot comes from a K-pop music video. I watched it, and uh... actually don’ t. It’s not that the music is bad or the clip is bad, it’s just that you might try to compare it to the fic, and I honestly prefer to just enjoy the story.)

love me like you do (Ray/Emma, rated T, written by isshun) : Actors AU. I don’t know what else I have to say to describe it, it’s just good. The author alternates between the actors living their life and what people say on the internet with very realistic tweets. It’s super cute and very nice, and slow-burn too. A very good one-shot overall.

Deep Blue (Norman/Ray (YES AGAIN), rated T, written by NanamiChiLovesYou) : Mermaid AU, Little Mermaid AU, Ray, a mermaid, transforms himself into a human in order to find a way to protect his family who still lives under the sea. This fic has awaken a lot of us to Mermaids, and for good reasons. It’s very good. The whole transformation thing is perfectly executed, all characters are intersting... And it’s unifinshed (*goes sobbing in a corner*). But it doesn’t matter, because it’s just awesome ! Unlike with TSIFY, the universe is less developed in order to focus more on the characters and their interactions, which definitely gives another vibe.

Here are all my recommandations ! (^^)/ I hope you will find your happiness in all of those ! (There’s a ton of others but I can’t remember, I also avoided talking about smut here, but if you want smut fic recommandations you can ask me)

There’s a reason why there’s so many Norray fics despite me not particularly being a big Norray shipper but I won’t write them down here, if you are curious, don’t hesitate to ask me about why those specific preferences.

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hydra-collector · 4 years

Text

Let Me Go: Chapter 4

AO3

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8

Pairings: Intrulogical

Characters: Logan Sanders, Remus Sanders

TW: suicide mention, cursing, depression, killing

Words: 1450

Summary: Fluffy + angsty chapter with a much-needed discussion.

“That was my sheep!”

“Finders keepers.”

“You didn’t keep it, you killed it!”

Both were laughing, despite the tragedy of Remus’s dead sheep meat. They’d managed to get Logan interested in Minecraft, and now they played it any chance they could together. They’d built a shared house by a lake, possible dreams for their future, though neither of them would say it.

“Wait, Logan, I was mining-”

Logan was kissing Remus’s cheek as he stole the diamonds his partner had discovered, keeping him distracted enough.

“Lo, my diamonds-”

Remus was crushed while trying to keep upright as they desperately attempted to reclaim what was rightfully theirs. Logan toppled over on them, crossed over their chest and face to face with them. Remus was awkwardly laying down on the couch with their legs bent and feet holding on to the cushion, hoping not to fall.

“We’re dating and this is awkward.”

“Not if I kiss you, Re.”

Logan smiled and pressed his lips to his partner’s, practically feeling them melt from the affection. They wrapped their arms around him, holding him close and tight. Logan dropped his controller and dug his hands into Remus’s hair, soft and fluffy. They broke from the kiss and Remus nuzzled their head into Logan’s shoulder, who dug his head in their hair.

“You’re hair looks so fluffy for it to be so oily,” Logan said, muffled.

“It’s my specialty.”

Remus kissed Logan, but this time with the limit of how far their head would turn. It ended up being placed on his jaw, which soon became his nose as he turned his head, surprised. Logan rolled over, giving Remus a chance to sit up a little more and him to look in their eyes. He leaned up to kiss them back on the nose, which they scrunched at.

“You’re adorable.”

“I’m the trash enby.”

“Logan’s trash enby, remember? That means I get to call you adorable.”

“Lo-Lo’s trash enby.”

“I don’t care for silly nicknames, Remus.”

“Yes you do, you’re blushing.”

“I’ve been blushing this whole time!”

“See, you’re blushing more!”

Remus gave him another small kiss on the nose.

“You’re blushing more now.”

“Remus-”

“You’re so fucking cute when you’re flustered, Lo-Lo.”

Logan’s cheeks somehow went redder, seemingly prompting Remus to kiss them.

“How many times will you kiss me before I’m free?”

“Until I can’t kiss you anymore.”

Remus began to live up to that promise, changing position so they and Logan were both lying on the couch. They kissed his cheek quickly a few times before giving him a longer kiss on the lips.

They laid, faces so close, bodies sharing warmth.

“Yknow, the only reason I brush my teeth is for you.”

“I feel so loved, Remus. My partner is doing basic actions for a human just for me.”

Remus’s face fell.

“Lo, I think we need to talk about that. Basic human actions. Taking care of yourself.”

“Remus, it’s fine, I’m going to be fine now.”

They brought their hand up to his cheek, cupping it softly.

“We both know that’s not how it works.”

Logan didn’t have any other response than taking Remus’s hand and rubbing it, avoiding looking at their face.

“Lo, what can I do to help you?”

“I don’t want to be your burden,” he replied softly.

“You won’t be. And if you ever are, I’ll tell you ‘this is affecting my own mental health.’ We’ll work it out. But now, I can help you, so I want to. I just need to know how.”

“You… being there for me is really helpful. I can forget for a little while and it brings me further from… the edge.”

“Why that day? Why did you decide to...”

“I guess it just stopped being life. When Virgil asked me why my leg was bleeding, I should’ve been scared. But I didn’t care. About anything. About my life.”

“Is now appropriate to give you a hug?”

“I could use one.”

It didn’t take much effort to move into a hugging position, and once they were there neither ever wanted to let go.

“What does it feel like? What drives you to that. Depression.”

“It feels like… well, I’ve seen it described a lot like a black dog, following you. I disagree. To me it’s like… these dark chains that tug at every inch of your being, exhausting you every day. Your arms, your legs, your mind, but most of all your heart. There’s just that neverending weight that you can revel in sometimes, even, but it’s crawling emptiness like a parasite just dragging you along. You begin to feel like you’re not even you, just a vessel for these black chains. And when it gets too much, death seems just as empty as you already are.”

Logan was surprised to hear a sob from Remus, and leaned back to see their face. He wiped away their tears but they shook their head.

“How do you live with that?”

“You don’t. It isn’t living.”

“How could my presence help with that at all?”

“Well, it does and it doesn’t. When you’re around, none of the weight is gone, the chains are still there, but I feel like you’re there, holding some up for me. That’s why it’s so easy to feel like I'm a burden. I feel like you’re sacrificing yourself to hold me up. I’ve managed this way for, what, four years already? Why should you-”

“Logan, you’ve felt this way for four years?”

“Oh. Yeah.”

“When I first met you, you felt like this? I’m so sorry I wasn’t there. You should’ve told me.”

“...I was scared. But you did know, at least a little bit, right?”

“I guess. You had some obvious depressive episodes, but I didn’t know you actually wanted to- I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Should I kiss you?”

Logan sighed, closing his eyes as he did so.

“You really should.”

They did so, Logan’s eyes still shut. He held on to their hand, just glad to feel them there. When it was over, Remus kissed his cheek and set their head on his shoulder for him to lean against. They were nearly going to fall asleep like that when they were interrupted by Logan’s mother.

“Logan! Remus! It’s eight already, Remus has to go home!”

“Fuck.”

They gazed, eyes just opened, at Logan’s half conscious face. They decided to cup his cheeks and kiss him awake.

“Hmm?”

“Your mother.”

“I bet we could fit in one more kiss, Re.”

“Hm. You complain about me calling you Lo-Lo but-”

They were interrupted by Logan’s lips meeting theirs for a moment.

“Shh. We don’t mention that.”

They both started chuckling softly, ignoring the second “Logan!” for a moment.

“It is time for you to go, though.”

Logan attempted to sit up, but found it more difficult than predicted.

“Oh. Right.”

“C’mon, I’ll help you.”

Remus helping him turned out to be carrying him bridal style and gently spinning around a few times before setting him in his wheelchair.

“Wow, you’re gonna spin me around when I have a medical balance issue?”

“You’ll be fine.”

Logan glanced at the abandoned controllers on the couch and Minecraft waiting for them to return.

“I take full responsibility for not playing Minecraft.”

“I’m not arguing. You stole my diamonds anyway, it was a lost cause.”

Remus and Logan found their way down the stairs somehow to be greeted by Logan’s mom.

“It’s 8:12 already! I’m not angry with you, but Remus has to get home. They live too far away for me to drive them back later than 8:30 or so. I’ll go get the keys, Remus, please get ready to leave.”

“Quick, before she comes back.”

Logan’s mother would approve of him dating Remus, but he still wasn’t out to her as asexual, so she’d likely be worried they would fuck or something. No more hanging out alone. Anyway, Remus considered it to be fun, having a secret relationship.

Remus leaned down and Logan kissed them sweetly and desperately. He needed it after talking about such heavy topics.

“We should have a sleepover at my house this weekend. We could kiss all night, Lo.”

“What if your parents found out?”

“All the more interesting.”

“Re-”

“Well, are you ready to go?”

Logan’s mom had become a bit of a second mother to Remus, whose parents were as LGBTphobic as they come. They couldn’t dream of coming out to them, so Logan’s family was what they had.

Logan felt bad for being so selfish, but it meant he had an excuse to hang out with Remus more often.

Logan blew them a kiss as they waved goodbye.

#sanders sides #sanders side fic #logan sanders #remus sanders #intrulogical #ts logan #ts remus #tw suicide mention #tw cursing #kissing #tw homophobia #tw transphobia #grays fics #let me go

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blankdblank · 4 years

Text

Hobbit Soulmate Pt 23

Near daily in trips to meet with Jennifer at her home gym you helped to tone her up a bit more like a fighter in time for filming kept you busy. And you breezed right through the maze of sets and pair of films filling up nearly a month and a half to complete your roles while the other actors finalized the rest of the film.

Maid in Manhattan was a lovely couple of weeks, and for the shadowing of Natasha on a few scenes you at least got to meet Ralph, who was thrilled to have your paths cross on set after having heard about you being a fan of his through your father. “Hello, you must be Jaqi.” With brows lifted mid sip of your absurd latte that one of the assistants got for Natasha in a variety of four choices she usually ordered she passed onto you the voice on your right turned your head to the familiar actor.

Lowering the cup after swallowing and licking the adorable shudder from you had Ralph smiling wider followed by a wide smile from you, “Yes, Jaqi, that’s me.” Nervously you took another sip only to make him chuckle at your clear distaste of the drink you had been given. “Nice to meet you, Mr, Ralph.”

“Just Ralph is fine. Your father told me about you, that you are a fan and you’ve seen a lot of my work. I believe he said you saw Wuthering Heights five times in theater.” Again he smiled seeing you taking another sip trying to hold back your reaction to that.

“In my defense we are from a one horse town and we only get three films a season in our old theater house.”

Pointing at the drink he said, “You don’t have to drink that if you don’t like it you know.”

“No, well, you see they got it for Natasha and her and Jennifer took two of them and they said I could choose from the two but the other has almond milk. Plus it’s $6,” His brows lifted again as you took another sip and added, “$6 could feed me three weeks when I went to Julliard.”

“Oh,” it clicked in his head the full reason why you were drinking the drink you clearly didn’t want or ask for. “In that case, at least let me have a sandwich or something with some substance ordered for you because the coffee in that will hit you hard.”

Smacking your tongue you said, “Only thing hitting me is an odd aftertaste of garlic. Wow.” Making him chuckle again. “Sorry, having fun? I saw you have such a sweet dog to work with.”

“Yes,” he chuckled out, “Yes, it is fun today, I get to do the park scenes. Changing from one suit to another and back again. What are you up to?”

“I get to watch Natasha and Amy do some exercises and then I get to change and take notes while Natasha is meant to show up at the hotel.”

He turned his head hearing his name being called and in looking back to you he said, “Sandwich, on the way, promise.” He said and you nodded after taking another sip of the drink that would keep you up all day only to make you crash hard to sleep once you got back to your apartment after eating out with your dad.

A good impression was formed by all between stolen chances to play with the dog Ralph would be pretending was his in the film only luring some more attention to you for the already friendly rest of the cast bringing a few to try and include you a bit more. While Natasha claimed a near daily lunch slot with you to keep getting to know you better than just the young woman she had helped pick out a sweater once then helped into a few new jobs.

Two Weeks Notice was brief just under a week, and limited to random costume changes behind a desk and crossing through the office. Somehow always ending up on the table near to the lead cast on lunches and breaks, who after one had noticed your eyes in passing had taken a chance on asking you a few questions when the got the chance to get to know you better. Realizing that a few of them were also working on Maid in Manhattan as well deepening your conversations on that project too. Each a bit puzzled on why you had been keeping to yourself even with a wedding scene you were added to filling an extra bridesmaid slot.

Weekly reminding Richard that you would be tuning in to his latest, Sparkhouse, that was to be airing soon on BBC, a fact that Ralph on your final days took mental note of after your having shared who was in it to build up your anticipation for the nod to the classic Wuthering Heights he promised to keep a look out for as well.

For Enough, while Jennifer delved deeper into her own character bringing it to life you continued to help her train to keep up her figure until the filming had ended and England came calling. Your role was much smaller than your father had expected, but at least you had some lines and had the chance to build some semblance of a character for the little bit you were there. While trying to aid your new friend through her lead role in this slightly disturbing thriller testing her limits.

Right on the back end of his play while your father flew with you, smirking at the way you managed to sneak back to Richard’s place in time to change and hurry off to catch one of the final dates to his play. You sat all the way in the back for it in some of the last available seats and waited outside for when it was over leaning against his car. Out of his downward gazing stroll he snapped seeing the body leaning against his hood, ready to yell out of all his pent up frustrations that instantly melted away in seeing you. “Hey Richy Rich,” squeaking giddily in his lifting you into a tight hug your giggles erupted in his content hum and burial of his face in the side of your neck. “Oh I missed these arms.”

Warmly his lips found yours and chuckling through your muffled giggles he held you on the few steps to the door of his car he pressed you against then hummed in breaking the kiss to hold his forehead to yours, “I love you, Dearest. More than words, and you’re here now.” Pulling back he asked, “How long are you here? Joe too?”

“Well, The Fellowship premiers in New Zealand in December, London right after, I have been ordered to be at both, as have you and Dad, so, through to December. Might make a Christmas of it. Just in time for your show to air, which we are having a party for.” Spreading a grin across his face ending in his next fiery kiss. “And yes, Joe too.”

In a grumble he replied breaking the kiss, “We can be quiet then,” Making you giggle again in his next kiss and tight hug before driving you home to greet Joe warmly as well.

“So, let me see the stack,” he chuckled out talking about your scripts you giggled and brought out of your bags to set the scripts you had been given on the table explaining each he loved hearing about. Knowing fully you would be sneaking his own stack to hear about while cuddled up in bed excited to see what he had chosen. “No tv offers yet?”

“No, not exactly, though I did hear from a friend that the guys in one agency scouting for some shows had talked about me, hearing that I was good to work with and I had a spot on About a Boy. A second film with Hugh Grant.”

“Have you met him yet?” Richard asked.

“No, he’d already flown back here, but I did get to meet Sandra Bullock. She’s nice.”

Richard, “That’s good. If it helps even my agent has heard some whispers about you, building interest even out here. He knows we’re together so he said he’d make sure you know if there was anything serious.”

“I don’t think I can afford him, I won’t be paid-,”

He shook his head, “Not like that. As a friend, his idea is that if you have friends then I have friends. Possibly do some couply things.”

Joe chuckled, “No doubt you will be paired up soon enough on film after you were photographed at that film premier. It made the papers and it has been added to the wall.”

Richard looked at you, “There is a wall?”

In a giggle from you he replied, “Back in Texas they have been chronicling Jaqi’s career. There is a wall and books for the articles and magazines.”

Richard’s smile split wider, “Well I am flattered to have made the wall.”

Joe, “No doubt your family has a wall of their own.”

Again Richard chuckled, “Mum has a trunk for my things. Tends to keep my things from school up on display to keep me from being embarrassed. I have a piddly award from grammar school on a poem I wrote and read in an assembly and she has the picture and statuette up I tend to try to scoot behind one of Chris’ spelling awards. You can barely tell what the statuette is for but all the same Mum ensures the little bird is in full view.”

Joe, “The little ones are the best. Pumpkin won seven spelling bees in a row, adorable little sheep statues,” making you both chuckle, “Got all the way up to the bronze bull from the state wide championship. Even won a challenge for crosswords in her last year in high school, oddest little jenga block looking statue, still, on the wall.”

Richard, “So, is your home just empty, back in Texas?”

“Oh, no, it’s all connected, a big house for my brother with the most kids, and the other three have homes on the land and ours is the mother in law cottage attached to the big house. Everyone back home is making sure that when we need it we have a have a home to come back to. So if you two ever find your way back near Texas I think you’d like it.”

Richard glanced between you two asking, “Do you miss it? I know you’ve been home recently, I don’t think Jaqi’s been home in a while.”

“A lot of my spot in Daredevil is shot in Texas actually, so I can visit family then. Show them pictures of Misty for when filming is done and she gets flown out. Darkness Falls is all over, Maine, Vegas, Australia. Everywhere.”

Richard hummed out, “That one’s a horror film?”

You nodded, “Yes, but I am a fleeing nurse from what I can tell, they have one of the cast from Buffy to head it.”

Joe, “Well it certainly sounds good. I can’t wait to see it.”

Richard chuckled, “I may have to wait until it is out, then I can watch it from behind a couch cushion.”

With a giggle you replied, “Who knows if screaming nurses get invited to the premier, doubtful.”

Joe, “Be a shame not to invite you.”

Finally Hugh got to run into the woman who Natasha had recommended for the job. One of the women mingling through the final stretch of the filming. Complete with a blond bob wig you melded into Susan, the single mom who he dated the longest on film. It was only a couple weeks but the curious actor clearly saw what he had been told about his last minute love interest number four. One who following Natasha’s comments was abundantly charming, granted a little star struck at first but no less lovely to work with. Though stunningly young, nearly half his age easing the decision of noticing there was nothing romantic about your scenes past a possible hand holding scene easing a bubbling friendship between the pair of you leading to his own interest in seeing the BBC show that you had been anticipating yet to be promoted yet. Even more so once he found out the real reason you were so thrilled for it to air making you even more adorable in his eyes at being so proud of your mate’s arguably largest role to date.

Through which those feelers Richard’s agent had passed on about shows that could be interested in hiring you. However once you got there the first involved close to full nudity which had you politely turning down the roles. Refusing to be limited to showing all of yourself since you had shown some skin in Chicago which had Velma singing about boozing and being casual in sleeping around. That wasn’t the route you wanted to go down in the start of your career, sure to be a plummet after being in something so tremendous as Lord of the Rings. The others a couple period pieces that you were given scripts to look over while they finished the details to start filming that would take a few months at least.

“We don’t have to do this,” again Richard half heartedly whined while loving the fuss of having you all in his parent’s home in their living room for the mini premier party for Sparkhouse. Right in front of you sunken down into the lounger end of their couch with feet up on the foot rest smiling at your arms and legs draped around him.

Chris laughed curling around his girlfriend who was holding their bowl of popcorn while Margaret came back into the room passing him a bowl of chips while she kept her own to pass to her husband who had their fish and dips, “Oh psh, now all the girls are tuning in as well and I won’t be the only one who shows up to book club not knowing how my baby boy did on BBC.” Luring out a proud smirk making your dad chuckle to himself smiling after glancing your way on his left nipping at your lip in excitement.

A gasp came a few minutes in from you seeing his entrance into the show, “Those curls,” Richard chuckled hanging his head a moment only to look up again at your peck on his cheek. Silence for his parts came with hushed comments while others spoke, mainly the female lead character you all loathed right off for how she treated your lovable Richy. From being shunned to the squeak inducing sausage nibbling door answering scene had Richard absolutely loving that you were here to be with him through this.

So long he’d seen the work you were linked to, so glamorous and assured to success even in your extra roles. Beamingly proud of your success and wishing for so much more in the years ahead, yet while he still felt to have no leverage at all having you here so proud and confident he was gaining momentum himself to greater things he’d dreamed of. Always being his reminder to be positive and have hope seeing fully the reasons why he had chosen each role and his own take on them you assured him he had lived up to the plans set down for them in his researching bouts.

All the way through his makeover and the adorably sheepish wedding registry scene down to his jealousy you cuddled around him more stealing more kisses on his cheek while his hands smoothed across your legs still looped across his lap and tangling in the fingers on the arms draped across his chest. Post hard fight scene you all praised the lovable giant who was throwing his weight around and shared how his on screen nemesis for his terrible wife’s attention hadn’t expected him to be able to just pick him up and slam him around by his usual demeanor. Said nemesis dies in the end and scoffing slightly at poor John Standring’s fate for a loveless marriage to a terrible selfish woman living off conning others you all had a bittersweet opinion of wishing better for him while praising your blushing cuddle buddy hiding behind a pillow still in your hold. That even your dad complimented on his great choice of a role, stunning him by sharing that he’d seen more of his guest roles on tv he had also seen with less chance to thrive.

Off the ground as a blanket of snow had begun to fall you were back on a plane to New Zealand. Nearly all day the flight went smoothly and between your father and Richard you remained giggling and surprisingly calm for the momentous premier. Again you were back, not for long, but just as anxious the rest of the cast was jittery to see what Peter and the team had finalized for theaters. It would be shorter than planned, with an expected extended cut released later on you all couldn’t wait to see, but for now this would be enough, for you and the thousands lined up to greet you all.

Once landed you three joined the rest of the cast back at the studio where Peter would be waiting for you all to speak to you all about what would be happening. For a greeting music and pictures were captured of you all varying from bubbly and ready to the groggiest Andy who had just gotten off his third flight this week. Though all that faded once the speech was through and Peter was done thanking you all for your patience and diligence to making this first installment so magical. Brunch followed after through a reel of footage he had put together of you all comprised of candid shots and images of you being helped into costumes or led between scenes on what to do. Stuck in the limbo of time until you would have to leave to get ready at your table with the Fellowship the suggestion was made, “We should get a tattoo.”

Around the table eight of the nine including Ian were all in with the exception of John, who said, “Now, I have made it this long in my life without a tattoo, and I am not caving into peer pressure now. Besides, after all that glue and course materials I doubt my skin could tolerate much more irritation between now and the next round of filming.” That seemed to deflate the mood until he reached over to pat your shoulder, “If anyone should be getting this tattoo it should be Gimli herself.” Grinning awkwardly at his offer the men smiled wider at his offer only to glance at your father with you as if to ask permission.

Joe, “Not anything massive I hope.”

Ian, “What about ‘nine’ for the Fellowship.”

Elijah, “The number?”

Dominic, “Doesn’t seem very special, just a nine.”

“Quenya, possibly?” You mentioned and that had the group looking at you, “The Elvish script, get the word ‘nine’ in it.”

Ian nodded, “Now that is sensible. Could be very discrete as well, and very beautiful, I believe the door at Moria was in Quenya script, very elegant.”

The plan was made and before anyone could chicken out a relative of a crew member with a tattoo parlor was called up to expect your group heading over. A quick stop to consult your books for the proper word had the men in agreement for the simple design. Exhaling softly you watched the artist copy up nine tracing slips of the word to add to each person and Sean broke the ice, “I’ll go first, because I am not going last.” Lifting his pant leg he said, “I think on my ankle would be fine.” Some shaving and a climb onto the table he was watched through the application and tattooing process and smiled as his little girl got a temporary copy of his tattoo on her ankle as well from the artist’s assistant at her curious question to get one too.

Billy as well went for his ankle, followed by Dominic, Viggo and Ian on their upper arms. Sean had the group chuckling and jeering at removing his shirt to get the back of his shoulder tattooed. Orlando chose his wrist seeing that you were still muddled on where to get it watching the others admiring their little wrap coated tattoos, save for Sean who couldn’t see his without a mirror.

Richard lowly said, “You could try your hip,” glancing up at him he said, “Just a simple cover with your waistband.”

Your father nodded, “I like that idea, nice and small all to yourself out of sight from cameras.”

Elijah next to you said, “How bout this, you get it on your hip I’ll do the same.” With a nod hoping to build your confidence he said, “Nice and subtle.”

With a nod you said, “Okay.”

Pulling out his wallet your father found a little slip of paper he’d used to trace the design on the center of the front of your helmet. Peter had tagged along and wanting to join in on the fun had convinced your father he should join in too.

Once Orlando was done you were next and flashed a grin to the artist who asked you, “Decided, Deary?”

You nodded and said, “On my hip,” brushing up your shirt on the right side under your navel in the dip by your pelvic bone with your waist band brushed down he nodded adding the design to your skin peeling back the wet transfer paper ensuring it wasn’t disturbed as you laid back on the table you hopped up onto. Keeping hold of your hand Orlando smirked through the picture captured of the moment muttering things threatening to make you giggle hinting after your months of wooing him on set that you’d get tattoos before sailing off to the Undying Lands. Chuckling himself Richard watched, patting your leg opposite the artist at work as the ink settled the well deserved marker into your skin soon coated with a pinch of goop and a corner of a clear wrap taped to stay in place.

Elijah was next saying, “Same spot,” flashing you a grin as Richard looped you in his arms kissing your forehead as John praised your choice and saying you handled the task in stride.

Peter came next and in his waiting your father had spoken to the assistant who had copied the sketch for him onto transfer paper he passed to the artist who nodded and smirked seeing the design coming up next. Peter was another to ink his upper arm and around the next sketch the others mingled seeing what was up next. Sitting on the table when it was his turn your father grinned saying, “Here, under my elbow.” Allowing the artist to line up the almost arrow head shaped emblem with what looked to be a Dwarf styled flower in the center of it above ‘Gimli’ in the proper font with your double sided axes for the I’s. The placement granting ample size to do the image justice and keep it close. Right in the spot where he nestled you each night as a baby and little girl sharing several tales, including Tolkien with you. It was larger than the other tattoos, closer to a Reeses Cup package, but if he had felt the urge he’d go for a full back piece to honor his time with you here.

“Dad,” you said moving closer to lean on his side stroking his free arm while he got the design inked into his arm, with purple added into the black outline of the flower over the golden name and axes. Everyone had to admire the design, including John, who mentally decided if he ever would get one for the role he would probably get that helmet emblem later on. Just below his elbow was coated in goop and wrap and once paid fully it was just close enough to head to your house to change for the big premier.

Mainly in suits the guys had an easier time. While digging into your shoe supply you pulled out tall black heels with thin strips coating the tops to go under your off the shoulder tan dress with a thin layer of black sheer material coated in embroidered black leaves with a chunky black rectangular tiled belt for your hips to under your bust. Perhaps a bit extravagant for your next to invisible role. However Peter asked you to dress up close to how you did for the Tony’s as there would be ample big names in the film world coming who would wish to speak to whomever he put in their path surely aiding you onto more projects when you surely won them over.

For miles the red carpet stretched and was lined with ample people in costume. Between your father and Richard you smiled for pictures watching while the main cast arrived and mingled with the fans waiting. Though once Peter had finished his posing he smiled moving over to you guiding the first of your people to meet your way, each of whom smirked in hearing who you had spent the most time portraying leaving them eager to see the final product for themselves. John was the first to join you in what would be the large ensemble photo.

Inside you went and near to the middle you were settled smiling all the way through the film after the couple speeches to open the event. From the Shire, where through the fireworks your face was spotted stirring up whispers of ‘Gimli’ upon seeing you front and center without a disguise, to Arwen’s entrance your fingers rose to your lips signaling Richard to take your hand folding his around it kissing your cheek as you remembered just what you had faced with your father’s being hurt and flown out through filming this chase. Every scene and in between all the way to Moria where even up to losing Gandalf you had to adore how your movement had shown through to the final edit. Lowly at your squeezing his hand and leaning into his side your father chuckled seeing himself. Bitter sweetly it came to an end though with Sam and Frodo off alone while the Three Hunters were off to save Merry and Pippen.

The break was brief soaking in the lavish celebration of the beginning to the epic trilogy still in the making. Parties and dinners filled the next two days and sore cheeked you napped through your flight back to England where more would be waiting for you. Already pictures of your place among the cast had made papers here leading to more whispers only added by your next dress, a bright yellow looser skirted gown with a fake diamond belt that matched the accent to the deep neckline feeding up to the strap holding the corseted top that hugged you to perfection. Another silver pair of shoes were found, this time heeled boots covering to your ankles and glittery to go with the white shimmery clutch you had found at a second hand shop no less fancy for it.

Peter had hoped for the image to be enough, and lit up in flashes in your brilliantly yellow dress with perfected curls brushed over one shoulder you screamed starlet of old, just right. He was up to something and by the way he seemed to speak about and with you to the heads sent from the production companies there was no doubt about it. Although as you were just a couple weeks from turning 22 it was hard for them to see you as anything more than a supporting actress for all you could tell just making Peter seem like he was ready to double down on his pressing. Mention of your roles from Richard however had them looking you over hearing the ties to more roles funded by their companies or those of friends. Just a mention of the amount of roles seemed to stir some curiosity at least Peter let fester in them luring stares your way and bringing more of the cast to murmur that they had caught onto a plot as well.

Twenty two as 2002 kicked off and stopping in New York you switched a few things in your bag and was off to catch the train to guide you up towards the bus that would take you across the border to Canada. The papers weren’t hard to settle, though the travel was tight. You couldn’t fly direct as the date had you landing no matter which airline you took before midnight leaving you to the extra stops. Yet huffing in a plop onto your bus seat the finish line was in sight and adding your headphones to distract yourself with some travel tunes on your walkman you readied to block out the world around you and calm down before finding your way to the hotel you were booked at. Already you missed Richard and while your father had headed to Texas for your aunt’s labor to send word on your new cousin whenever they decided to arrive you were traveling alone again.

Ample jobs while a good thing also grew to be a lonely one. Meaning more time apart for now until you could be more choosy on which role and location it could send you to. The only glimmer being that for how small your roles were it wouldn’t be time apart for long. Suddenly a slap on your arm had your eyes open and turn to the little boy with one of those goop hands on a strand of goop he was playing with. Peeling it off to his wide eyed stare covering his mouth you passed it back grinning at him then turned back to the window in his grinning rush away to keep playing. Another border crossing agency had stamped your passport and with a grin you readied to head to buy a ticket for another bus letting out by your hotel.

A bit remote the city the hotel was in happened to be at the opposite end of a long stretch of road looking to head into the hills stretching of forever in your view of it. Shouldering your bag ignoring the line of three taxis charging absurd amounts only to turn seeing a car pull up and the driver pop out looking at the picture he was given before heading over to you taking hold of your bag. “Apologies Miss Pear, there was a moose.”

You nodded and smirked following him to the back he opened then closed for you before adding your duffel bag to the trunk. Two weeks you would be here, most of the final week merely to wait until your flight to Maine would leave finding you in another hotel. The cabin like hotel you were let out at was more stunning and cozy inside than out. Almost eager to ensure your comfort the staff had you settled with ease into your little apartment like room.

Heavily you exhaled sitting down on the end of your bed only to roll your eyes at the clench of your stomach craving something more filling than the dollar bag of animal crackers you got from a vending machine at the border while the bus was being confirmed permission to cross. Hanging your head back you grumbled remembering the funds you had deposited from your porn man stash wouldn’t be fully available till morning in your bank account. An out of place knock at your door however had your eyes open and head lift to look at the door. Once on your feet you took a step at the triple knock following that tapped somewhat playfully.

A peek through the peep hole had you grinning and opening it to find Ian and Hugh there, both who hugged you tightly, with Ian saying, “There you are. I know you are hungry we are out to lunch and you are coming with us.”

Hugh said, “Just fly in?”

“Bus got in a bit ago.”

Hugh, “That a price issue?”

“No, timing, none of the flights fit in my visa timeline. I like the bus anyways. Only got slapped the once by little kid with one of those slime hand things. Good time, all around.”

The pair grinned at you stepping out with room key in hand you pocketed to join them. Nodding his head Hugh said, “Got a car outside.” Settling his hand on your upper back guiding you through the mildly busy street to the waiting car taking you to meet the main cast.

And by dinner you had found out your first tasks in your call sheet not growing more complex than filling an empty seat or few inches of screen time. Geeking out fully in your mini glimpse into the X-Men world, especially the jail cell for Magneto Ian gave you a full tour to before it was being disassembled followed by a stolen full tour of the school sets to get all the details the film wouldn’t show. No less bubbly for what little work you got to do on the film, however you made a tiny mark and enjoyed your free days before your flight to Maine.

Pt 24

All –

@himoverflowers, @theincaprincess, @aspiringtranslator, @sweeticedtea, @thegreyberet, @patanghill17, @jesgisborne, @curvestrology, @alishlieb, @jogregor, @armitageadoration, @fizzyxcustard, @here2have-fun, @lilith15000, @marvels-ghost, @catthefearless, @imjusthereforthereads, @c-s-stars, @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore, @mariannetora, @shes-a-killer-kween, @ggbbhehe4455

X all Rich. A - @abiwim, @deepestfirefun, @thestorybookmistress

Hobbit – Soulmate - @evyiione, @deepestfirefun, @rhaenaatargaryen, @anastasialovers

#Richard Armitage x Reader OC #lotr #filming #Meeting New People #Famous Friends #Premiers

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pilferingapples · 4 years

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Shoelace Fandom!!! Shoelace Fandom!!! Aaa okay, Nerval or Borel? Or if you want, Feuilly for Les Mis? :D

He Just oh wow Many Lots , thank you for the distraction!

Borel:

First impression: I’m certain it was just reading someone mention on a post that he was something of an inspiration for Bahorel’s character. I thought “ oh, I love Bahorel, that’s so funny , I should look into that.”

Impression now- WELL GEE HE SURE AS HECK WAS I FRIGGING GUESS , who gave this fictional character a gateway into existing in real life?? how was this an actual person?? ..also, following on that: how did this apparently somehow For Real Actual Person who was, by the account of pretty much everyone who even saw him across a crowded theater just once, one of the loudest, most noticeable, most standout people in a movement full of incredibly noticeable people managed to just do a History Fade?? if it weren’t a few minor historical artifacts I’d be half convinced he was a persona the Young Romantics made up as a symbol and group pseudonym for their most controversial work!

Favorite moment: ...the guy is nothing but Alarming Stories By Friends but I think him demolition-ing his own construction project because someone wanted it to look Neoclassical is surely one of the best, even if it is apocryphal (and I don’t know that it is even!! we all know he would! )

Idea for a story: ...what could I even make up about him as a person/character that people don’t already say he actually diduh Sentaii AU? Sentai AU. The Jeunes France as a whole are so prime for it , anyway- they even color coded themselves! how often are historical groups that convenient for us, really XD

Unpopular opinion: definitely not uncommon in our tiny cenacle , but I think his role in the Romanticist /weirdo artist community is still underestimated--extremely so, even. but if I get into that more, this will get WAY too long for a three character ask game..!XD

Favorite relationship: ...dang it I really want to know more about him and Gerard , they seem to have been incredibly close for a while in a very particular way (and no I do not mean just ‘ probably they were sleeping together’ , that’s almost a given in this group, but they seem to have had a particular...I don’t know, Understanding Of Mutual Strangeness? , that really stands out between two people who were, yes,both notably Unusual but in very different ways)

Favorite headcanon- I appreciate how we all seem to have accepted that Petrus Borel Never Dies, he will Forever Appear Bearing Illegal Literature In Times of Social Disorder. It’s What He’d Want.

Nerval

First impression- this one I actually heard about outside of LM fandom first...as “ the guy with the lobster” . Well.

Impression now-- oh geez I’m super emotional about him, BUT: I think he’s been unfairly treated by even a lot of his post-death fans in being reduced to a Tragic Figure? Reading his own actual work, and even his personal letters, he’s strikingly funny, self-aware, and aggressively engaged with the world in a way I often find missing from writers considered to be more “ realistic” . I admire the hell out of how he managed to write out so much of his own vision of the world and stay so curious and involved in life while dealing with severe untreatable mental health issues and the nightmareverse that was the first-half-of-19C France.

Favorite moment- LET’S GO TO OLYMPUS , it’s just one God Mountain, how far can it be??

Idea for a story- ..listen if I could work out how I want a Magnus Archives AU to resolve--- ! but I can’t! but I keep thinking about it!!

Unpopular opinion- I really do not like the way he gets talked about as a Helpless Tragic Figure? He managed to have a full, independent life, travel, write, work with some of the most famous people of his day, and was a central figure in his own community,while dealing not only with the problem of his mental illness but the really terrifying situation of how people in the 19th century treated people with mental illness. I get exhausted dealing with ableism now, he was out there looking people in the eye who knew he’d been institutionalized and were openly surprised he was out again and he was still demanding respect. Badass.

Favorite relationship- see above, but I also want to know more about his relationship with his mother’s family, especially his aunt?

Favorite headcanon- He Just Turned Into a Bird And Flew Away, Okay

Feuilly:

First impression

“ ...why is he so hung up on Poland? Is he Okay?” (listen, I was 21, I am a USAn, my knowledge of international history was Not Super)

Impression now

We should cut all Gillenormand’s big speeches and give the pagetime to Feuilly to talk about International Affairs. No but seriously, he’s come to have such a distinct personality to me through his Symbolism and his tiny moments in the barricade sequence ! I love him, he deserves More Time-- and yet I realize if Hugo actually put More Time into writing a specific worker that would probably have been Not Great, so...good job knowing your limits on this maybe, Hugo??(also I remain baffled that an Orphan With A Mysterious Past in a sprawling 19C novel never has that past examined even a little , he’s just an orphan! we don’t know why! we never learn anything about his family! it’s practically daring.)

Favorite moment

His sense of betrayal at the barricade! It’s such an idealistic moment--even after 1830, he really expected the high-profile republican leadership to come through for them!-- and I really appreciate that at least one of the fighters there gets to be angry that they’ve been left out to dry (they were! they really were!) instead of needing to be Better Than That.

Idea for a story

..if I were going to try to write fic, I would probably try to write the series where Feuilly has Various Roommates, with Hilarious Results :D I’d also love more research-powered fic about him in his life outside the Amis group? the One Guy in the atelier (who’s not the boss/shop owner) is a really interesting hook!

Unpopular opinion

..I don’t think of him as a redhead, still :P --Is it still Relatively Unpopular to think that Feuilly is popular? I don’t think he’s an isolated person outside of Les Amis at all; he’s a community-minded guy who cares warmly about other people and seems like he’s especially concerned with the situation for immigrants, there are surely more invitations and requests for his company than he can ever answer on his schedule.

Favorite relationship

--with Enjolras, both for what (tragically little ) we see of it, and for the sheer Symbolism XD

Favorite headcanonPractically everything about Feuilly’s life is headcanon!XD-but probably my favorite is that he’s an oblivious Neighborhood Dreamboat with a dozen people swooning over him. He doesn’t mind! He doesn’t notice! He thinks it’s just great how everyone in his apartment is happy to talk about international justice!

#...well that took a while #but it's a lot of asks !#thank you!#long post #four people and a shoelace #aflamethatneverdies #answereds

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makeste · 5 years

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BnHA Bonus Diversion: Horikoshi’s Sketches

of all the things I could have spent time writing a post about on my morning off, it ended up being this. but in my defense, Horikoshi’s sketches are actually amazing and this was kind of overdue.

so! as you may know, Horikoshi Kouhei frequently gets bored and doodle-y and is then kind enough to share the resulting drawings with us. sketchy boi. but not sketchy like that. though he did invent Mineta so maybe a little.

anyway, because he’s so disgustingly talented, these pictures are usually amazing. and there are a lot of them. when I finally got around to doing this post, I ran a search for “Horikoshi sketches” and it turned out there was a whole wiki page dedicated just to them (god bless whoever is running the BnHA wiki, they do such a good job). and, well...

two hundred and eighty-eight. you may recognize this as being nearly fifty more than the current number of chapters. this would mean he’s releasing at least one sketch a week and has been doing so for the past five years! fortunately (for me, who has to do a recap of all these), this number is slightly misleading, as this page apparently includes some of the character sketches he did for the volume omakes. so I don’t have to go through 300 sketches omfg. but still, there are a lot! so I’ll just go through them and post my favorites and see how many we can get through in this post I guess.

these are all in alphabetical order according to their file names on the wiki, and like I said, I’m not doing all of them, just the ones that catch my eye the most. which is still a ton of them. honestly we’re about to find out whether tumblr text posts have image limits. (ETA: the limit does not exist!)

right off the bat we are getting off to a great start! love me the ladies of class 1-A. these girls are all so, so valid. I love how Deku is there too and his hair is transforming into a tree or something.

this is a sketch from chapter 10. this cat I guess just came up to them and they were like “...” and the cat was like “...” and long story short they’ve been like this now for a whole hour. meanwhile Aizawa is wondering where his cat has gone.

why are they dressed like it’s world war I. ??

holy fuck this cat. did it eat the other cat. anyway do you guys think Momo and Todoroki were walking to school together because that’s some cute shit omg. we know there is a cat that hangs out around Shouto’s house, so he’s probably good at playing with stray cats, and they probably really like him because he is calm and kind.

holy shit.

oh my god I need Tsuyu’s siblings to come visit the dorms at U.A. and play with Eri!! now.

posting this one because it’s cute, but also because it notably has nothing at all to do with the actual chapter 120. but that’s okay.

what, and I mean this sincerely, the fuck.

are they making chocolate?? you know, canonically we haven’t actually had a Valentine’s Day yet in the series, and now I’m really hoping we get a little mini plot. things that would happen:

every single girl makes chocolate for Todoroki and he just accepts it very politely and obliviously.

they actually make enough chocolate for everyone (except Mineta. and honestly they would have, except they know how that’s gonna go down, and no. Tsuyu really would have made you some pity chocolate dawg, but you brought this on yourself). but don’t end up giving it to everyone. specifically several of them thought better about giving some to Bakugou after seeing him react to the first unlucky person to give him some (y’all know that song I THREW IT ON THE GROUND by the Lonely Island? I’m sure you can understand my meaning here). and also Jirou gets way too flustered about giving some to Kaminari and chickens out. she gives it to Momo instead. hmmMMMM.

Satou also makes chocolate for everyone, EVEN BAKUGOU, and it’s delicious. no one is throwing his chocolate on the ground.

Aoyama makes chocolate for Deku because!! ☆ ☆ WE ARE FRIENDS, MON AMI ☆ ☆ ☆ oui oui baguette.

I love everything about this, but especially Ochako’s face. she’s just like. sincerely trying to figure out exactly where she went wrong.

excuse the fuck out of me but DID HORIKOSHI SERIOUSLY HINT AT THE FUCKING A-BAND A WHOLE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY CHAPTERS BEFORE IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. omfg. “what a cute AU!” “yes... AU,” Horikoshi agrees, nodding to himself. although after giving it some thought, he made the wise decision to switch Kaminari and Bakugou’s instruments. because we all know Bakugou was born to play the drums.

NO!!! VIDEO GAMES!!! IN CLASS!!!!!!!! [does a fucking aerial while emitting furious little huffs and bitchslapping Kirishima in the face]

I can’t figure out what’s going on in this picture. it appears to be baseball, except that Bakugou doesn’t have a bat. which I guess is the joke?? because his quirk is so strong he doesn’t need the fucking bat? except that I feel like that would result in either a broken arm or a blown-up baseball. idk this would make more sense with him as the pitcher.

“we really do love this AU, Horikoshi-sensei.” “yes... AU.”

this time it’s Shouji on the drums. I get that we all want to see Bakugou shred guitar, but it feels like he was just postponing the inevitable.

a full 85 chapters before he actually did this in the manga. god he really does enjoy foreshadowing with these things. I need to start paying more attention to these.

I have no words.

actually I do have words, and they are, “is that a fucking toothbrush.”

also is it just me or does he look, like, really swole in this pic. like, this is what the scarf has been hiding the whole time?? here we all thought he was a beanpole who subsisted off of energy bars and plain rice, but like. nope.

:) showing that there’s no hard feelings about the whole shooting-you-in-the-fucking-face thing. All Might is squeezing his hand awfully tightly, though.

all of them are so good-looking when they’re not trying. and then they open their mouths.

I am pained that there hasn’t at least been a karaoke chapter in one of the light novels yet, guys. pained. I NEED THIS.

holy fuck Todoroki. what are you, a mermaid?? I feel like this is a result of a prank gone wrong. like the other guys were sick of the girls always pining after him, and so they tried rubbing a balloon on his head in an effort to make him look ridiculous, only IT BACKFIRED COMPLETELY. shit.

fuck me I love this. of course Kami blowdries his hair and puts a ridiculous amount of effort into achieving the same kind of boyishly tousled look Todoroki is JUST NATURALLY BORN WITH. some things in life just aren’t fair. also lmao Deku.

oh my god. how are they all so cute. this was from episode 12 btw. you’re welcome for saving your life All Might.

I don’t have the slightest idea wtf is going on here but omg.

this was for episode 16 of the anime, a.k.a. the obstacle course episode of the Sports Festival arc in season 2. I can’t read what they’re saying, but I’ll tell you what, I know Bakugou is being a rude little shit and I’m here for it.

SHINSOUUUUUU. this was for episode 20. his one and only appearance in the anime so far. he knows he’s here for a good time not a long time.

lmao. my headcanon is that Monoma actually ended up losing after this, but somehow still managed to be smug about it.

lmaoooo. Kacchan refusing to even acknowledge that this is a thing that is happening for some reason.

HAWKS DID YOU REALLY KILL THIS MAN. COME ON OUT HERE I JUST WANT TO TALK.

I feel like taming Deku’s hair is arguably even more of a feat than taming Bakugou’s. meanwhile Iida looks 90% the same. and Todoroki is. well. just goes to show that this look is not for just anyone.

I have never in my life seen Katsuki so full on just done with life. like he is so fucking over this shit. he’s just rolled over and accepted it. I have never seen Bakugou fucking Katsuki just sigh and be all, “you know what, this might as well happen.” not until this moment. wow.

you guys I’m crying.

is it just me or do the little matroyshka dolls actually look like little nun Jeanists. though the hair swoosh is going the wrong way. Monomas, maybe.

HOLY SHIT I LOVE THIS? my god, how useful would Shouji’s quirk be for this sort of thing. and Shouto looks so surprised (on like, a Todoroki scale) to have actually caught something. oh my god. so fucking cute. c’mere you. someone needs a hair ruffle.

I feel like this is how Tokoyami would want to be remembered. yes I know he’s not dead.

oh my god. so I’ve seen this one floating around on tumblr, but like. ffff. it’s my favorite ever. they are. so. fucking. cute. both looking up to All Might. and then the contrast between their innocent happy faces and their shocked and worried expressions watching All Might at Kamino. god it fucking destroys me. all four of these kids need hugs goddammit. the older ones because they’re heartbroken, and the little bubbas just because they’re so stinkin’ cute omfg.

I LOVE HER AND I’M NOT SORRY. please Horikoshi give me more Bakufam in this upcoming arc. who do I have to bribe or threaten.

STRANGER DANGER omg. Toga no. that’s not nice.

Horikoshi what did my heart ever do to you for you to treat it like this.

villain Iida from episode 7 holy fuck I’m dying.

here come the New Year’s sketches! I’ve been looking forward to these. Kacchan photo strategy: never look directly at the camera.

I wonder which animal year 2016 was. rooster, probably.

fucking look at Todoroki fucking Shouto stuffing his face yet again. can you stop chewing for one fucking second. we’re trying to take a picture you slob.

the year is 2018. Horikoshi Kouhei attempts to draw a dog, because it’s the year of the fucking dog. it does not go well. panicked, he takes the All Might he’s already started drawing, and for some reason attempts to turn it into another dog. it goes even worse. now he’s really starting to sweat. “oh shit,” he whispers, drawing Deku upside-down in his unrest. “oh fuck.” finally he just draws Bakugou shouting the words HAPPY NEW YEAR in giant letters across the screen, hoping that’ll be enough to distract everyone from all the rest of it. it is not.

oh my god. thank you so much to everyone who went to SDCC and made him so happy. this is the purest thing I’ve ever seen. also loving Bakugou tolerating the shit out of All Might leaning on him omg. I’m so fucking weak for this as always.

this is Horikoshi’s most recent sketch! lookit, he’s so happy with the toy him omg. it actually is really badass.

league of dorks. I love Toga’s face. and how Horikoshi clearly put more effort into drawing Tomura’s Face Hand than the entire rest of the picture.

I don’t understand a single element of this. wow. also this is twice now that Horikoshi has drawn the fucking Predator in these sketches. just pointing that out. of all the films to make multiple references to. what’s going on here. and is Mineta playing the fucking little sister in Totoro. am I losing my fucking mind.

this was for the season 3 premiere. I love how Bakugou and Deku are wrestling for control of the screen. but he knows better than to touch Mineta I guess.

Iida and Ochako are the only two reacting appropriately here. Bakugou just looks concerned. to be fair I guess that’s appropriate too. but Deku is all “fuck YEAH All Might you go ahead and SMASH YOUR FACE RIGHT THROUGH THAT MONITOR” and I feel like his blanket approval of all his mentor’s actions has finally gone too far.

this just goes to show you that even a very simple sketch concept can pay off dividends if you play your cards right. good job Horikoshi.

he could run faster if he just pulled his fucking pants up. does anyone have any brain cells to spare for my son here. please he needs them. I don’t know what he thinks a belt is actually for...?

hello this is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen and also is Kirishima doing the kage bunshin pose from Naruto or.

sob Aizawa I’m dead. I fucking love how Mineta is like HE’S CLEARLY FINE IT WAS A FLOP as though Kirishima is not literally covered in fucking grape balls. something else I also love is that Katsuki is number 10 and Deku is number 11. even in a soccer match he can’t stand to be lower then his rival sob. also Ochako is straight up about to rip off Mina’s head jesus christ girl run.

there aren’t even words for how much I ship this. just emotions. omg.

this is one of those pictures that keeps getting more wtf the longer you stare at it. naturally your eyes are drawn to Todoroki’s reindeer antlers first. by contrast, Ochako looks relatively normal, even with the odd pose. but then you notice Deku’s Christmas tree hair. from there your eyes are drawn down to his strange lack of a shirt. and then, finally, you spot him. Tokoyami. you wonder if the mangaka has finally gone too far. you’re still not sure.

for once it’s not Todoroki who’s leaping into action with his mouth full. never one to back down from a challenge, Bakugou has picked the absolute least practical food to consume whilst in the middle of battling. I can barely eat spaghetti without making a mess when I’m not throwing down. I’m not sure what a good food to eat while throwing down would be, but maybe something more portable, like a calzone.

I feel drawn to him the same way one might be drawn to a stray cat, even though you’re pretty sure the cat is really wary of people and will probably try to claw or bite you if you get too close. I would like to pat him on the head, but he might try to blow me up. eh, worth it.

look at the Baku Protection Squad trying to do some fucking Abbey Road thing. damn you can really see how short Tokoyami is in this. also Bakugou buys pants that are at least three sizes too big I s2g.

and that’s it! anyways, this was fun as heck. I’ve bookmarked Horikoshi’s Twitter now so I can keep up with the new sketches as they’re released. this is fucking great, and a whole new bonus to being caught up with the manga that I haven’t been appreciating until now. fucking love it.

#bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #class 1-a #horikoshi kouhei #horikoshi sketches #makeste reads bnha #sorry if I accidentally skipped anyone's favorite #they're all so good honestly #I tell you what you can never unsee the tokoyami christmas turkey thing though and that's going to keep me up at night

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2k18leo · 4 years

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((This may get lost in all the finale talk but I wanted it finished in time for Leo Day, so without further ado, here is Rogue’s personality sheet))

Name: Rogue

Age: 16 (November 5th)

- Leo 16, Donnie 16, Mikey 15, Raph 17, April 17

Gender: Female

Species: Australian Water Dragon

List the most important things about your character.

- Was an actual lizard before her mutation

- Was shipped from Australia to be a pet of a gothic teenage girl

- Did not retain an Australian accent because she was too young to learn one when she was shipped from Australia

- Gets called multiple creative nicknames from Leo, including but not limited to:

-- Ro

-- Rogue-y babey

-- (to the tune of Row Row Your Boat) Ro-Ro-Rogue-y baby

-- Stripes (they both call each other this)

-- Tails

-- Hot Fry ( ??? don’t know where he thought of this)

-- Spade (because of the shape of the mark on her back, which resembles a spade)

-- Reggae ( ?? )

-- Babey Spade

-- Moulin Rogue (to which she always laughs and responds, “it’s Rouge, dumbass!”)

- She loves to paint and be artsy with Mikey

- Will patiently listen while Donnie explains the technicalities of his latest inventions, and is also eager to be a test subject for some of his newer creations

- Absolutely loves to pull pranks with Leo and will sometimes sneak out with him on the shellhogs to race around the city

- Lives with April because “living with all guys is just a little too much sometimes” (but will crash with Leo if she is over there too late) and helps take care of Mayhem when April is at school/work

- She will sometimes instigate the Disaster Twins and their tomfoolery because she finds it so amusing

- She is actually not much of a fighter (but is well aware how to weaponize her tail and claws) but Raph has offered to help train her in their downtime

Physical Details

- Slim waist

- Thick thighs

- Short torso with long legs

Height: 5’6” (with Leo 5’11”, Donnie 5’11”, Mikey 5’6”, Raph 6’4”, April 5’5”)

Weight: ~ 130lbs

Skin: All scales

- Creamy pale green in color over the majority of her body

- Has “glove” markings on forearms and shins

Hair: None

Eyes: Blue eyes, long eyelashes

Other defining features/extra anatomy:

- Long tail with 17 stripes

- Has horizontal stripes from her eyes to the back of her head

- Three fingers/toes on limbs

- Has a heart-shaped marking in middle of torso on ventral side

- Has a spade-shaped marking in middle of torso on dorsal side

Habits:

- Constantly laughing with Leo

- Picking at her scales

- Will tap her claws or tail if she is jittery

- Will subconsciously quote movies if it seems appropriate for the situation even if no one around her knows where the quote comes from

- Will flick her tail if irritated

- When she gets nervous, her tail will suddenly curl around an object close to her for support (more often than not this object is Leo and he thinks it’s precious)

- When she’s being flirty, the tip of her tail will caress under his chin *enter heart-eyes Leo*

- Her tail moves in the night, accidentally knocking stuff over while she sleeps

- Often has sarcastic quips escape her mouth

Gestures/Mannerisms: She likes to sweep her tail around to help her hips sway back and forth

Voice: I am still figuring out a voice actor that I feel would fit her well. I’ve thought about Elizabeth Gillies, Liana Liberato, Sabrina Carpenter, Peyton List, etc. If you have any suggestions, I’m always open to options ! :)

Style: Athletic but casual (a cropped sleeveless hoodie with a choker, and a bandana wrapped around her arm)

-Personality-

Loves/Favorites:

- Food (will eat anything as she is omnivorous)

- Sunny days (loves to bask in the sun)

- Keeping her nails long and sharp

- Music (almost any kind. She can dance to pop, rap along to hip-hop, belt out to the Hamilton soundtrack (where Donnie will join in sometimes), dance to country music while breaking out in a southern accent, and sway lovingly to some nice jazz)

- Spooky stuff (Horror movies, Halloween, ghost stories, etc.)

- Movies! (Disney, Action, Horror, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Mystery)

- Watching/playing basketball (has somehow managed the ability to dribble with her tail)

- Playing Baseball (is not a bad short-stop)

- Swimming (she’s pretty fast underwater with the help of her long strong tail)

- Playing games (be it video games, card games, board games, etc.)

- Creating art (she loves to draw and paint, and also has a subtle love for photography)

- She has a huge ole’ crush on Leo <3

Hates:

- Cold weather (unless it’s snowing)

- Cloudy days (she loves the sun, duh)

- Rom-coms (too cheesy for her taste)

- Bad grammar (her previous owner (while Rogue was not fond of her) went to a college-prep school and she often overheard her speak with proper grammar)

- Burnt popcorn (a trAGEDY)

- A bad sense of humor (she’s thankful that pretty much all the turtles are able to laugh and not take anything super seriously because she often has some sarcastic quips that escape her mouth)

Hobbies: She draws, watches movies, will pick up a book occasionally

Talents/Skills:

- Dribbling a basketball with her tail

- Drawing/painting

- Memorizing movie quotes

Fears/Nightmares: Waking up one day back as a regular lizard

Best Quality: Sense of humor

Greatest Flaw:

- Not great at communication (gets cranky when she doesn’t have her alone time but is not good at expressing that)

- Sometimes gets jealous that she’s the “odd man out” and it wouldn’t matter if she wasn’t there because the boys already have April, but loves April all the same

- Perfectionist (likes things done a certain way) but only sometimes

Character Strengths:

- Playful

- Patient

- Good-natured

- A good sense of humor

- Laid back for most things

- A rationalist (very practical)

And the coinciding weaknesses: She’s not the best at opening up to anyone

What she wants and doesn’t want

- She wants to move towards having an actual family. Perhaps getting some training under her belt to know how to fight.

- She wants to stay away from her previous owner (and the snake that Evie always picked on her with, Calamity)

How does the character picture herself? Rogue: Oh gosh, what did everyone else say? This is kinda weird. Erm, I guess I’m a great swimmer. I like to laugh a lot so the boys never fail to make me. I’m not a neat freak, but not a crazy slob either? I like to think I’m fun to be around.

How do others see her?

- Leo: She’s beautiful, funny, short, has a great laugh, is always down to part-aaay. She laughs at my jokes! My jokes! You know that’s a quality girl!

- Donnie: Yeah, she’s… perfect for Leo, I guess. The two of them can get a bit riled up at times but she has a good heart. Plus, it keeps him busy and not a distraction for me when I’m trying to get work done.

- Mikey: Omigosh, I love her! She’s an awesome artist! She painted this piece on my shell right here, can you see it? Right here. Yeah, she’s great. Not a perfect chef, but I introduced Kondescending Kitchen to her and I think I’ve got her hooked.

- Raph: Shorty? She’s the best! She knows just when to bring Leo back down to Earth. Is always down for any athletic event. *whispers* she throws a mean spiral on Lace Face. I’ve been training with her a few nights a week, y’know to get her strength up. But it’ll be awhile before we take her on any type of mission.

- April: Oh, that’s my girl! Rogue is hilarious, and definitely great with Mayhem. She lives with me at my place, which isn’t bad. She isn’t a slob, so that’s great.

- Splinter: Is that the one with the tail?

Five adjectives that she would use to describe herself. Rogue: Oh, I guess… hmm… funny? Reasonable, happy, laid back, aaaand… artsy?

Five adjectives others would use to describe her.

- Leo: I’ll say it again. Beautiful, cute, funny, short, hilarious, pretty, smart, smokin’, (no, no, Leo, you’re only supposed to do 5. You’re good) … but I can keep going. (nah, I think we got it, thanks!)

- Donnie: Let’s see… Intelligent, humorous, independent yet social, and likeable

- Mikey: She’s tons of fun! Super friendly, a crazy good artist, awesome gamer, and very responsible when need be.

- Raph: The girl’s tough, athletic, smart, a jokester, and pretty trustworthy.

- April: She’s so funny, we laugh all the time. And we have inside jokes and secrets that I trust her with. Super sweet, but she also has a daring side that hypes me up. Aaand, she’s considerate. A good roommate and friend.

- Splinter: When did Blue get a girlfriend?

Most valued possession: Rogue: Oh, uh… probably the bandana that I have wrapped around my arm here. The boys gave it to me as sort of a family token. I didn’t like the look of it on my face since it hid my stripes but I always like to know where it is even if it’s not on me.

Darkest secret and/or treasured memory: Rogue: Wow, you guys ask a lot of questions. Ummm, I guess I shoplifted this hoodie. That’s not the worst thing in the world, but I’m not sure. Not many people know but I don’t think it’s a huge deal. A treasured memory I guess is when I met the boys for the first time. Also the day I escaped Evie.

Most proud accomplishment and or greatest failure: Rogue: I mean, I’m pretty proud of all the art I make. I guess the best thing I ever accomplished was escaping Evie, my previous owner. Everything kinda went uphill from there.

Current motivation: Rogue: Motivation for what exactly? To keep living? I guess my family. The turtles and April have really opened my eyes to what a happy life could actually be. It’s great. Everyday is an adventure with them and they make me feel so loved.

How does she view the future and/or the past? Rogue: I guess I regret not escaping Evie’s place sooner. That was just not a great time for me. But, hey, it’s all better now. I’m happier than I’ve ever been.

What is her philosophy on life and death? Rogue: Well, back before the mutation, when I was still at Evie’s place, I was just a lizard that didn’t really care one way or the other. Evie would constantly shove her other pet, a snake she named Calamity, super close to my cage. Us Aussie Water Dragons are common prey for snakes so it scared the shit out of me. It happened so much that it got to the point where I would just think ‘whatever. If the snake is going to eat me, go ahead. This isn’t a life to live anyway, being in this cage.’ It sucked and the best day of my life was when I escaped. Now I spend everyday with a smile on my face. I want to live life to the fullest! And the turtles really make that feeling come true.

What kind of energy level do they usually have? Rogue: I’m normally pretty calm and chill but I have been known to get riled up with Leo. Mikey and his bubbly side also hype me up sometimes.

How does she show and/or handle: love, affection, grief, pain, anger, sadness, conflict, change, loss? Rogue: I was conflicted with how to feel when the turtles first invited me to their home. Up until then all I had known were dead crickets and a glass box on all sides of me. So, it was definitely weird for me. I mean, Calamity didn’t like me so all I got were stupid threats from her. But loving the turtles came so easy to me. And ever since I met them I had felt a different feeling towards Leo, but the sensation was so foreign to me that I didn’t really understand. I liked him, all of them, but it was just a feeling of wanting to be around him more.

Does she have a temper? Rogue: I think I’m self-aware enough to admit that I have a small temper and I handle it with major passive aggression. I’m not great at confrontation and I’m used to letting things that really get to me sit inside. It’s not the healthiest practice, but…

How does she respond to the surrounding world, the ‘unfamiliar,’ and other people in general? Rogue: You mean everything outside my cage? It’s fantastic! I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to taste the fresh air when I first escaped. The only type of “friendship” I had was with a tarantula in Evie’s room. He and I weren’t close but I preferred him to Calamity anyday. So coming out into the world and seeing the turtles, I was super nervous. Everything was unfamiliar to me.

Polite or rude? Rogue: I like to think I’m polite? I mean, I was never really taught any manners from Evie.

Stingy or generous? Rogue: Umm… both? Neither? I don’t have much to share or hoard.

What kind of ‘public’ face does she display? Rogue: The turtles know I’m not crazy about Evie, so they accept that I don’t always want to talk about her. I’m pretty much an open book, though.

Leader or a follower? Rogue: Both? Neither? I have the reasoning to be a leader in some cases, but I will always do what Raph says if he’s giving orders… even though I don’t go on missions with them. He and April are the oldest and definitely know more about the world than I do. As far as I’m concerned, he’s the leader and I respect him too much to argue about that.

More happy by themselves or in a group? Rogue: I spent years alone in a cage. I love being around people. We don’t even have to be doing anything, but their presence makes me feel a bit safer.

Does he/she have any addictions/dependencies/fixations/fetishes/ or other strange behavior? Rogue: Is popcorn an addiction?

What is her sexual preference/experience/values? Rogue: I like Leo.

-History/Background- Rogue: I feel like I’ve talked enough for one day. I’ll let Taylor finish this off.

Setting: Present day in Rise universe

Occupation: Nah, she’s a mutant lizard, although she sometimes wishes she could help pay rent for April’s apartment because she spends so much time there. April doesn’t mind it since she’s already used to the boys raiding her fridge, but a job under Señor Hueso was mentioned at one point (and might possibly play a role in the future)

Educational background/other learning experiences: Her previous owner has good grammar, but she did not develop the ability to speak until after mutation

Intelligence Level: As smart as a pet of a prep-school kid can be. She also has learned plenty from the turtles and April.

Short Term Goals: Probably finishing a book or a video game.

Long Term Goals:

- Finding the perfect weapon for herself.

- Keeping the family she was so lucky to find

Family:

- Has no idea about her biological parents since she was shipped out so early in life. Doesn’t really bother her that much, though.

- Previous owner: Name is Evangelique (Evie) Flint, who named Rogue and took care of her fine, meaning she was fed adequately. However, Evie favored the other pets that she owned (her snakes and scorpions) and would sometimes get the snakes close to Rogue in order to freak her out (Australian Water Dragons are often prey for snakes). When Evie was moving houses with her family, Rogue was able to escape. She never looks back.

Friends:

- Leo: She and Leo are super close and became fast friends. He flirted with her for months before she actually caught on. Rogue always thought he was cute but was pretty clueless when it came to romance. April filled her in and helped them get together (the best wingman). He is always able to make her laugh and it’s not difficult for her to reciprocate. He enjoys playing with her tail. They’re young and in love but still best friends. The others refer to them together as “The Stripes.” He doesn’t really get seriously jealous because he trusts her with his brothers. He adores her laugh and the heart-shaped mark on her chest.

- Donnie: They’re cool friends. She looks up to him as if he is older than her because of how smart he is. He’s more calm with her than he is with the boys because he’s seen her rational side. She’ll stay out of his way when he’s busy, but won’t decline being a helpful assistant or test subject for an experiment.

- Mikey: She thought he was super funny, like Leo. He was fascinated by her splotches and patterns, and was overjoyed that she liked art as well. One of their first times bonding together was over video games.

- Raph: He approached her first when they first encountered her, mainly as a way to shield his brothers if she was a threat. She likes to play some type of sporty game with him even though she is not nearly as in-shape as the rest of them. It was his idea for her to start sparring. He appreciates how tough and level-headed she is. He thinks she’s a good fit for Leo.

- April: Rogue was fairly relieved to make friends with a girl. April loved her look and thought the choker and hoodie was awesome. She lets Rogue sleep on her couch whenever she pleases, and she thinks it’s great that Mayhem likes her.

- Splinter: They’re not close. She’s met him a couple times and only because she felt it weird that the rat had yet to introduce himself. It’s sort of a mutual respect that they have.

Backstory:

- Born in Australia and shipped to Poughkeepsie, where Evie lived. She was lonely and constantly tormented by her owner and the snake, Calamity, who lived just a single frame of glass away next to her cage.

- After years of living in Poughkeepsie, Evie’s family decided to move to Detroit because of her mother’s business demands.

- Early on in the move, Rogue was able to escape and out of the vehicle and off the Mid-Hudson Bridge into the Hudson River. The river carried her down to Manhattan where she consumed an Ooze-quito and became mutated.

- I’m still figuring out a story on how she met the turtles and the events leading up to the present because she’s currently been with them for nearly half a year (I’ll probably write some drabbles on it in the near future, so stay tuned)

-Combat-

Physical Strength:

- Her tail is the strongest part of her body

- She has enough strength to workout with the boys, but cannot do any of the heavy weights that they can.

Coordination/Reflexes: Not bad reflexes. She’s not clumsy, but her tail has been known to knock things over in an environment she is unfamiliar with.

Fighting Style: Is typically prone to striking with her claws and/or tail

Unusual Abilities/Powers: Nothing mystical about her besides the mutation

Weapons/Other Gear: Has yet to find a weapon that works for her

((couple things, Tumblr completely messed with the format of this but oh well, yes I referenced Leo’s pose from the episode Newsworthy, but I just adore his pose so much that I was super excited to draw it, they may or may not be holding hands, that’s up to your interpretation :D, but yeah. this personality ref sheet was super long but I really wanted to milk this character because I hope she sticks with me for a long time. If you read the whole thing, thank you so much, I appreciate you more than you realize :) ))

#tmnt #tmnt leo #happy Leo day #Leo day #ninja turtles #teenage mutant ninja turtles #rise of the tmnt #Rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #rottmnt #rottmnt rogue #tmnt rogue #my oc #my character #rogue #rogue x leo #tmnt leonardo

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hphm-etched-engraved-everlasting · 4 years

Text

4. Em

Author’s Note/Table of Contents

For a kid who had grown up almost like an only child in the family, I should have been able to go through a day without any problems at all. However, I realized that there were much worse things that could happen to even the most unwary, and to come away with a bleeding nose at the end of the day was just the cherry on top to the worst first day of school in history.

First off, breakfast was sheer chaos. I barely got my food on the plate when it was upended by none other than Peeves the Poltergeist, who kept whizzing around over my head while I tried to grab more food to eat in peace. Then I somehow ended up causing an explosion in the middle of Charms Class while we were supposed to be learning Lumos, the wand-lighting charm. I had no friends to eat with at lunch time, and to top it all off, Eunice Ahn from Slytherin jinxed my broom before my first flying class of the year, resulting in my broom giving me more than just one painful bash in the face. Eventually the hard wood slapped me so hard in the nose that blood began to trickle out at the end of class, turning into a downpour by the time I reached the Great Hall again for dinner.

Luckily, I didn't have to wait long for company at the Hufflepuff table this time.

"Wotcher--whoa, you alright?" Tonks asked as she approached the table, running towards me the minute she saw me plugging my nose with the sleeves of my robes. "What happened?"

"Jinxed broom," I responded thickly through the blood. "Eunice Ahn jinxed it before class, so it kept hitting me in the face when I tried to summon it. It eventually got me hard on the nose."

Seconds later, the girl with the silver hair--Chiara--rushed over and pulled out her wand.

"No worries, I can help you get it fixed," she said, gently removing the sleeve and pointing her wand at my nose. "Episkey!"

For a moment, I felt something really cold, then something really hot, over my nose, and I winced at the pain. When it was all done, though, it felt better. I gingerly touched it, shocked at how quickly it mended. "Wow. Thank you, Chiara."

"No problem. I'm working to become a Healer when I graduate, so I'd like to get as much practice in while I can here," Chiara explained with a smile, sitting down beside me.

"At least you got it better than me," Tonks said with a laugh. "I'm dead clumsy, so I get banged up so easily in Flying Class even without a jinxed broom. I got more bruises and nosebleeds than I could count. Things'll get better, Em--you'll see!"

It was hard to find that peaceful moment after such a heck of a day, but I had to believe that Tonks was right. I nodded solemnly as I took a bite out of the first sandwich I got, chewing slowly as the taste of chicken and mayonnaise spread over my tongue like glue, sticking fast to my teeth. Nothing like the taste of home to put me at slight ease.

Eventually, as I finished my fill, Clara burst in the Great Hall, and ran right to where I was sitting, completely disregarding the tuts of a few students glaring at her in disapproval.

"I heard you got a nosebleed in flying class, Em," she said, sitting beside me. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, rubbing my nose slightly. "Yeah. Chiara managed to mend it just fine, so don't worry."

"Alright." Clara nodded as she took a sandwich from the Hufflepuff table and began to munch on it with me. "If you don't mind, I would like to take you to see Ben. I just found him in the Artefact Room just now...and he's not in a good position right now."

That does not sound good. I've heard stories of Ben Copper--the scared Muggle-born Gryffindor who would only accept a challenge with so little confidence and a face that said scared tot. Though he helped my sister with the first curse at the school--the curse where ice flooded the school--he was still frightened by everything out of the ordinary. At least, until he went to the buried vault with my sister and shut everyone out after.

"Ah." I nodded thoughtfully again and watched as Clara stuffed the sandwich in her mouth. "Well, I would still like to meet him, if that's okay."

"I was the one who asked you if it was fine. If you say it is, then let's go," Clara eventually said as she drained a goblet of pumpkin juice.

The two of us said goodbye to Tonks and Chiara, and we slowly walked out of the Great Hall to a dark room Clara said was the Artefact Room. The minute we entered, I automatically plugged my nose, a strange sensation arising within me threatening me to puke out what little dinner I ate. I've never been in a sewer before, but if I had, it would smell just like this--a strong stench of mothballs and unwashed feet and mouldy cheese thrown into the mix. Standing in the middle of said room, surprisingly not affected by the stink, was a Gryffindor boy about Clara's age, with blonde hair and a long face, holding a slightly deformed skull in one hand and contemplating over it as if it were an interesting specimen.

"That's Ben?" I whispered to my sister. "He does not sound like the boy you described him as."

"That's because he isn't," Clara whispered back. "He's changed since the last Vault."

She stepped up to him now and looked at him quizzically. "Ben. What are you doing?"

"What do you think I can get for this skull in Knockturn Alley?" he said in a calm voice.

Instantly, Clara’s eyebrows furrowed in suspicion, and I glanced over at Ben again. Somehow he didn’t seem to notice her skeptical glance. The tension in the air was starting to thicken the longer I looked at them.

"That's what you wanted to ask me?"

"Yes. What could I get, if I were to make a trade?"

"Why would you want to trade a skull?"

"Hmm, so you're no help. Perhaps I should ask Jae Kim instead."

"That skull isn't even yours! You can't just take it!"

"Sure I can--unless you plan to stop me?"

"Of course I would! Stealing artefacts that aren't yours to trade in a place that normally scares you out of your wits--Ben, have you gone mad?"

"Au contraire, Clara, it's rare that I think so clearly."

I looked from Clara to Ben, almost as if they were in a tennis match, my sleeve still plugged to my nose to block out the smell. I know I've only heard about Ben through her stories, but this was not the Ben she told me he was. It was almost as if he'd stripped away the one emotion that made everyone human and became...less human. I couldn't tell whether he was really saying this to blow Clara off and bluff his newfound confidence, or whether he was genuinely feeling that way. Either way, I wasn't sure I'd want to be his friend if I had the option.

"Ben, what's happened to you?" Clara demanded. "You weren't at the Welcome Feast--I would have introduced you to my sister if you were there--"

"What does it matter? She's here now, isn't she, and in a different house, too." Ben took one look at me and stared, long and hard, at the yellow badger crest on my robes--completely different from the scarlet lion one on his, and Clara's, robes. "I guess I shouldn't have kept my expectations high for the baby Lin."

"That's really rude, Ben. Little Em had been looking forward to meeting you--"

"Yeah, okay. Hello. I'm Ben. In Gryffindor. Like Clara." His voice hinted at the annoyance and impatience that I wasn't used to hearing in my entire life--even after my parents fought for countless days over Jacob. "Well, what did you expect me to say, Clara? I wouldn't even have wanted to see her even if I was at the Welcome Feast. That stuff's for kids."

"We are kids, Ben!" Clara protested, folding her arms.

"Really. After all the horrors we've seen? Perhaps you and your sister are. But I'm not." Ben shook his head in disdain at me and turned back to my sister. "I told you when we last talked at the Hog's Head Inn that I was vowing to make myself a new person."

So it was mentioned after all between the two of them--and at least I knew that Clara was not kidding me. Something seemed to have punctured between the both of them, and I stepped back, sitting down on the ground cross-legged, with my sleeves still over my nose, while Clara and Ben continued their argument.

"You can't just make yourself an adult over the summer, though!" Clara said.

"Yeah, I knew that. But I've made myself stronger. After this summer, I'm like a new Ben."

I had to agree with Clara there. Resolve wouldn't come in just the snap of the fingers. It would take a long process to change someone--even if the trigger to do so seemed instantaneous. My eyes darted once more between Clara and Ben, my heart pounding in my chest as if someone was deliberately hammering it to something so fine, so fragile.

"Well, I don't like 'new Ben' so far," Clara decided.

"That's too bad!"

"You're being really rude! You don't even care about my sister!"

"Well, it's better than being timid and scared all the time, I'll tell you that much."

"And what exactly did you do to become...this person you are now?" I asked finally, my voice muffled through my sleeves.

Ben eventually turned to me and raised an eyebrow. "You really want to know? I'll tell you both, then."

And so he did. Clara kept insisting that she wrote notes to him, even sent them with her owl Wagner, but he constantly brushed that aside. He only told us how he had tested the speed limits of his broom, spent time in Borgin and Burkes, and left this Sickleworth character alone to fend for himself. For some reason, that seemed to really set Clara off, and she looked like she was about to scream.

"Ben, I have no idea what to say," Clara finally said. "Your confidence is almost..."

"Dangerous?" Ben finished expectantly.

"Yes!" we both exclaimed.

"It wasn't so long ago that reading a book about wild Nifflers was your idea of bravery," Clara added, scratching her head.

"Oh, I remember that day with you and Charlie in the library," Ben said. "You were talking about dragons. He thought it would scare me. It's not his fault, though--people treat you differently when they assume you're afraid. Treat you like you're made of glass, instinctively want to protect you..."

"What's wrong with letting your friends protect you?" I inquired quietly, not daring to speak up in case I made things worse. "Or protecting your friends, for that matter?"

"Nothing! That's my point. I want to be the protector now," Ben answered. "And as far as making assumptions go...I don't want anyone to assume anything about me anymore."

"There's little chance of that," Clara piped up, shaking her head. "Even I can't seem to figure you out right now."

"What Rakepick did to us in that Cursed Vault...that kind of cruelty and betrayal by an adult we both trusted...it was like nothing I've ever experienced. And you've been changed by it too, Clara, whether you realize it or not."

Changed, my sister? Of course she'd know. I could tell she's changed after she got home for the summer--always shutting herself in her room, resorting to writing and playing music to retain her sanity without losing her mind. I heard her screaming in her sleep. I was just surprised she still managed to keep it together at all.

"But honestly? I think I may have changed for the better," Ben continued. "And if you really want to help someone, focus on someone who's changed for the worse."

"What? Who's changed for the worse?"

"See for yourself. She's likely trying to shred training dummies at the Training Grounds right now..."

#here's chapter 4 #technically it's still chapter 1 in the game #we're going to split this a lot so #bear with me #hphm #hogwarts mystery #hphm ben copper #hphm clara lin #hphm em lin #cursed vaults #year 6 spoilers #hphm spoilers #etched engraved everlasting

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surejo · 4 years

Text

( victoria pedretti, cis woman ) hey ! have you seen JOSEPHINE “JO” CORMAC around ? SHE works at the HOT COCOA STAND at big bear resort, but they must be off their shift by now. well, if you do see them can you let me know ? they’re 24 years old & they’ve been working here for TWO YEARS. they tend to be +OPTIMISTIC & +EMPATHETIC, but can also be -IMPRACTICAL & -PASSIVE. the other employees have labeled them THE IDEALIST. thanks a lot ! ( the few nights the stars can be seen, books worn down by dog-ears and marks left throughout the years, the first crisp breeze of autumn, the duality… of t.s. eliot )

OK. a few notes before i get started:

1) i hope everyone loves how i literally j copied my ivan stuff. url format? ‘sure jan’ lives on. theme? too lazy to find a different one that’s easy to work with. luv that for me. 2) speaking of this theme i forget if i addressed this on ivan’s blog but tabbed bullets don’t appear tabbed.... so if anything seems like it doesn’t make total sense.... it is supposed to be tabbed™. 3) get ready for drama!!!!! you may ask yourself “but the app looks so tame! there will be no drama!” but you are wrong........ because she loves cats. the t.s. eliot book......... the musical........ even the movie.

ok jo,, is also a resurrected character,,, hence how i already kno,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, that she loves cats. anyway ! let’s begin ! (listen,,,, the intro format will at least be a little different from ivan’s ok im evolving)

QUICK FACTS:

full name: josephine “jo” rose cormac

date of birth: march 6, 1995

*does not perfectly reflect the below big three zodiac chart because that’s too much math

zodiac big three: pisces sun, gemini moon, cancer rising

gender & pronouns: cis woman & she/her

sexual orientation: bisexual ( preference for women bc we luv that for her but we also luv leaving things open to chemistry )

education: bachelor in english - literature that she is doing nothing with

enneagram: 2w1

mbti: infp

various inspirations: eleanor crain ( the haunting of hill house ), dolores price *as a child and towards the end of the book ( she’s come undone ), fox 8 ( fox 8: a story ), “why try to change me now?” - fiona apple (cover), “be still” - the killers

BACKGROUND INFO:

triggers: verbal/mental/emotional abuse/gaslighting, very slight implication of spousal abuse, brief mention of car accident/death & drowning

( ivan and jo’s breakout pop-punk single: “fuck happy backstories!” stream it on spotify ! )

jo......... was born into the wrong family, let’s get that out of the way.

it was pretty clear she was a ploy to save the marriage of her parents ( who have names: lucy and benjamin, luv that for them ). it didn’t seem like they’d ever picked up a parenting book, gone to a parenting class, rly prepped for being a parent at all...... in their entire lives.

that being said, her mom was actually decent at parenting. her major flaw, though? ok, so you know how kids usually have that one bedtime story that they love and want it to be read to them over and over? well lucy complied ! but y’all wanna know what that book was ?

t.s. eliot’s “old possum’s book of practical cats” whfeiuldjkn

anyway ! when jo was seven, after many failed attempts and simple threats, her mom was finally divorcing benjamin for realz. due to his volatile nature, it was becoming very clear that she was the more fit parent and she almost got sole custody ( the only reason benjamin was motivated for it in the first place was the power so?? )! how exciting!

but the keyword is ‘almost’!

alexa, play ‘my heart will go on’ but the off-tune flute version

just as the proceedings were going through, jo’s mother was hit by a drunk driver on new year’s eve. the car skidded onto some ice, minimal damage done... then the ice broke.

jo and benjamin both devolved after that. jo withdrew more into herself and pretty much coped by..... just reading old possum’s a LOT (hate that for her). all mopey, benjamin became much less outwardly violent. the keyword is ‘outwardly.’

ya, instead of j bein like “i will just chill” he was like “i will just make my rage more subtle because in this house, we love intimidation, manipulation, hostility, the blame game, and gaslighting! uwu” managed to convince jo that her mother’s death was somehow her fault, that he was the only person she could trust, that she will never be able to live without someone else, etc., etc.

a few years in and a cycle of many impromptu sleepovers began. luv that for her. hate that for her, but luv that for her.

there is a lot i cld talk abt here, but it all seems like it cld j be tl;dr’d as: “basically became the surrogate daughter of a bunch of other people”

as for things that r not tragique™, jo was v much a drifter when it came to friends. managed to make a fair amount bc she does not seem like she will put a tadpole in ur hand like ivan. also j a people-pleaser but that’s starting to get into her personality which is another section.

did go to college. luv that for her. has NO CLUE what she’s going to do with her degree, but she can make some really sick niche william faulkner jokes.

began seasonally working at big bear during the winter break of her last year in college because bitch needed some money!! wound up loving it and was like “i think,,,, i will continue to do this,,,, the people here,,,, r cul,,,,”

still visits benjamin every once in a while. not a way to say that uwu you should forgive ur abusive parent(s) uwu rather that jo.... still has slight belief in him. just to end on something emo.

THE REST IS HISTORY!!!!

TL;DR:

started life out as a saddie, not a baddie. still not a baddie, but no longer as much of a saddie. loves “cats” and there is no irony to that statement. can make good niche literary jokes, but that’s about it.

PERSONALITY/MISCELLANEOUS INFO:

a child. a literal child. a child to the point that she should have supervision when she goes on grocery trips because she falls for marketing ploys so easily. can’t believe she hasn’t fallen into a pyramid scheme yet.

an absolute dumbass. again, can make some great niche william faulkner jokes, but ask her the order of the planets? “...well mars is somewhere in there.”

unironically LOVES cats - both the musical and movie. thinks jennifer hudson’s grizabella is the best. will start sharing random facts about it or old possum’s book of practical cats if she runs out of things to talk about but feels pressured to keep talking. was broken when she first read a different t.s. eliot poem and realized he was actually super dark. the only thing that got her through it was a comparison to batman :\ bruce wayne is old possum’s, batman is everything else.

to take a brief break from fun personality facts, v down on herself bc benjamin’s words rly!! stuck with her!! convinced she is an absolute idiot and does not trust her own memory. v indecisive bc of this and always longs for someone to help her figure things out. tries to distance herself from memories of her mother because, again, benjamin got to her. her love of cats doesn’t help that, but... can you believe that’s her coping mechanism? makes up for it by giving all of her love 2 everyone else!! we love tragedy!! and needing to go to therapy!!

secretly knows her love of cats is weird and dumb. a part of her knows why it’s considered one of the worst musicals ever. but LISTEN. we luv rly weird coping mechanisms!

big dreamer. will develop the most impractical goals. she usually knows they are impractical, but still..... uwu

has decided everyone is good until proven bad! except for,,,, like,,, murderers and rapists,,,,

is #StraightEdge for the most part,,,, literally has a drink maybe three times per year

says “like” a whole lot for someone who majored in english with a concentration in literature and should therefore be more eloquent.

i am not great at these sections!! feel free 2 j refer to her zodiac, personality tests, and character influences!!

literally fox 8. i put the others there bc she’s similar but wow,,,, if u read fox 8 (it’s a short story i recommend it i luv george saunders u can find a pdf online),,,, she is fox 8.

here u go here is a sample that doesnt need context: "Fox 4 woslike: No ofense, Fox 8? Your ideas are not super praktikal. Dreem, dreem, dreem, said Fox 11. Fox 41 woslike: Fox 8, does this honestly never get old for you?"

OH ALSO. she has a slet. a cat,,,,, named asparagus,,,, whom she calls “gus”,,,,, and y’all know WHY.

recent development: has downloaded tor so she can get on the dark web. why? because she thinks there will be more funny animal videos on there. is shockingly good at navigating it.

CONNECTION IDEAS:

close friends bc we luv that –– roman (nuanced), aylie (nuanced), hazel (nuanced), cleo (nuanced), vic (nuanced), marco (nuanced)

childhood friends whom she possibly had impromptu sleepovers with bc that is v soft and,,,,, y’all i left the city blank for a reason. –– hazel, marco,

on that note, the person who was like “wait,,,,,,, u know that book was turned into a musical right,,,,,, like,,,,, a musical literally everyone knows” and shook jo’s world

good influence / bad influence –– cleo, vic,

~*confidant*~

roommate

exes –– ian,

reciprocated pining

unreciprocated pining

someone..... who has accepted..... that she likes cats.... in a way that is not ironic. will see the movie with her. –– aylie,

an enemy,,,,,, aka this person was like “cats is literally the worst thing in the entire world” and now they r on jo’s very short hit list –– riley

idk!!! im also obvs up for brainstorming!!! luv that!!!

** descriptive connections page is here ( only people who i’m messaging are on it, but i ?? would love to plot w everyone ?? so don’t make the short list make u think i’m trying 2 limit it 2 these ppl auhfoeidla )

LIKE THIS OR HMU TO PLOT !

#bigbearintro #y'all my intro style evolved!#there's a tl;dr beneath the bg info bc i!! rambled!!#i feel like i went back and forth b/t proper grammar/punctuation and.... not.... caring.#also i am. dumb 2night. it j took me a hot while to figure out how to spell punctuation and it still doesnt look right the english language #is so weird????#we post this before we have many followers we die like men.

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somevirtualnolife · 5 years

Text

I Like Him, I Like Him Not

2387 Words

Rating: T Series: Ikemen Sengoku Pairing: Nobunaga x MC Summary: Makoto knows that what she and Nobunaga have is nothing more than a simple game and quite frankly, she wants to keep it that way. Why in the world would she want to get further involved with someone as arrogant, callous, and conceited as him? No thank you.And yet... for some reason, she always finds herself always spending more time than expected with him.

Author’s Note: I've been addicted to this game for the past 6 months, and so I finally couldn't wait any longer and wanted to write a fic for it! Nobunaga was my second playthrough and I am a big sucker for "I hate him until I fall in love with him" story lines.Although there are mentions to events in the game, this little one shot doesn't follow the plot to a tee. It's just it's own little thing in a universe where the story moves a little slower.Apologies in advance for any typos or if I still haven't gotten a proper grasp of Nobunaga's character yet! I'm still getting a feel for writing him.Happy reading!

***

Ugh, she did it again.

This was the second time Makoto had fallen asleep in Nobunaga’s quarters then and woken up, curled up on a futon next to him. Was this Stockholm Syndrome? It had to be, right?

The first time was to thank him for saving her. It turned into quite the night that ended with them playing another round of Go and him claiming her lap. In the end, she too ended up falling asleep, but instead of waking her to go back to her room, he took her to his futon. Nobunaga was a man of his word; she’d give him that. He never tried anything while she was asleep. Though quite frankly she still felt it was a pretty low bar to respect a woman’s boundaries, Sengoku era or not.

Last night… now what happened last night?

She had gotten annoyed by a comment he had made during dinner and went to chew him out. That ‘chewing out’ turned into more of a discussion. And before she knew it, those few minutes she intended to talk to him turned into an hour. And then that hour turned into several more. So in that case… she must’ve fallen asleep mid-conversation. He may have been the ruthless Devil King of the 6th Heaven, but he was also an excellent conversationalist and listener. His thoughts and philosophies were thought provoking and in turn, he’d also listen to her speak about her own convictions, her life back in the 21st century, and really anything else that came to mind; no interruptions. It was one of his nicer qualities.

Only one of his few. That’s what she’d continuously remind herself. She felt like she had to remind herself that no matter how good a conversationalist he was, how handsome he was, how, ahem, good he made her feel after a game of go, she was not falling for the warlord. He was so pushy, arrogant, and cold. Not to mention being the most feared warlord in Japanese history. He was the equivalent of a modern-day bad boy, and that was totally not Makoto’s type.

Makoto took a deep breath and looked over her shoulder. Nobunaga’s eyes were still closed, and he seemed to be breathing slowly. Still asleep. If she was quiet enough, she could go back to her room and no one would be none the wiser. She carefully sat up and attempted to inch her way to the end of the futon, just about to pull off the covers.

“Mmm, not yet,”

Nobunaga placed his hand on hers, pulling her back down beside him. His other arm then wrapped around her waist, careful not to tread any higher, for it seems was still awake enough to know which parts of her were ‘conquered’ territory. “It’s still early,”

“Which is exactly why I should be going. I don’t need someone waltzing in and getting the wrong impression. Again,”

“And what impression is that?”

“That we’re… you know,” she felt a rush of heat flash across her cheeks. “Involved in certain ways,”

“Are we not?” his breath was warm on her ear, and before she knew it, she felt his teeth lightly graze and then nip at the tip of her earlobe. A wave of tingling pleasure shot down all the way to the tip of her toes. At the same time, his arm that was around her waist, slipped underneath her kimono and caressed the length of her thigh.

Makoto bit down on her lower lip, managing to supress a gasp. Ugh, he was good. But she wasn’t going to let him get to her so easily. She knew her limits, and she also knew that when she said no, it was no with him.

“Alrighty, I think that’s enough,” She quickly squirmed out of his arms and sat up, crossing her arms with a flushed, but irritated expression on her face (or perhaps hot and bothered was a better way to describe it).

“We are not. Exactly,” she continued, a firmness in her tone. “Look, it’s all well and good for you. You’re one of the most powerful men in Japan. You know what, scratch that; you’re a man, period. No one cares who you’re in bed with. Meanwhile I have to deal with all the maids gossiping about me and the men calling me ‘Nobunaga’s Woman’,”

“You say that with disdain now, but you hardly seem fussed about it every night I’ve claimed you,”

“Okay firstly, please don’t say ‘claimed’. Secondly… that- is- well you-”

Look, there was no denying that when lips and hands explored her, it felt great. She mind as well just admit that now. After all, there is nothing wrong with a little ‘friends with benefits’ situation (or in this case, perhaps ‘warlords with benefits’), but that’s not what they were doing. Not really. To him, this was all a game; something that he had yet to conquer and once he was done, he would probably move on. And for her, this was her way of trying to get back home. And there were worst ways she could be spending her time here.

Regardless there was no way that they would become anything more than that. And she was fine with that. She wanted it to be that way.

“I just want to be Miyahara Makoto. You know, a person rather than someone’s property,”

“Ah, so it’s pride,” he stated matter-of-factly. “Very well, Miyahara Makoto. If that is what is bothering you so, sneak back to your quarters. Because for whatever reason, that is somehow less suspicious,”

“It isn’t if I don’t get caught,” she retorted.

“Which you have a pretty poor track record of thus far,”

Just then there was a knock on the door and Makoto froze in place. No! No-no-no-no-no! Was he also some sort of wizard? Did he have the ability to just summon people when she was in the worst looking situations?

She groaned and buried her face into her hands, frustrated. Great. Just great.

Makoto then heard Nobunaga sigh and she looked up. His expression unreadable as usual, but if she were to harbour a guess, it would be annoyed. He then nudged his head over in the direction of a folding screen. Oh! Why didn’t she notice that earlier? Quickly, she hopped up from the futon and ducked behind it, trying to keep as quiet as and as still as possible.

The door slid open.

“Lord Nobunaga! I’m sorry to bother you so early in the morning,” a voice said.

“It’s fine. What’s the trouble?” she heard Nobunaga respond.

“No trouble, but we have received the latest works for the palace. We thought that you may want to look over them first before we put them up for display,”

“Very well. You may place them over there,”

Makoto could hear the sound of people entering the room, most likely carrying things as she heard the soft thuds of objects being placed against the wall and floor. After a few minutes, the sounds of movement ended and there was a bit of idle chit-chat before there she heard the door being slid closed again.

“They’ve left,” Nobunaga said casually, and she carefully poked her head out from behind the screen. It was then that she noticed that the room was now filled with various pieces of art. Large screens and paintings in gold leaf that depicted western ships, delicate yamato-e painted on delicate rice paper. That’s what they meant by ‘work’. Artwork!

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” she repeated as she inched herself closer to them.

“I thought you were leaving,” Nobunaga crossed his arms, a bemused smile on his face.

“I am! I just…wow.”

Makoto’s eyes lit up. It was amazing to know that some of these works of art would last for over 500 years. And here she was, seeing them in their original state. No textbook, no glass separating them, or waiting in lines at a museum. Most people could only dream of being able to do experience this. She had to admit this was one of the benefits of being in Azuchi among some of the most powerful men of this time.

“Ah that’s right. You studied the arts back in your time, didn’t you?”

“Well, technically my major was in Fashion and Textile Design, but I did take several electives in drawing and painting even though my parents insisted that I take classes in business because they said that it would be more practical, but honestly I took one accounting course and I swear it was the most boring-”

Nobunaga’s expression went blank. She was losing him.

“Ahem, yes. I studied the arts. You’re required when you’re designing clothing,” she turned away.

Her eyes then landed on one final piece. It was a painting of what looked to be an older man, sitting down in a green haori and hakama with a white kimono. His hair was shaved in the middle of his head, with the rest tied in a topknot. His expression was… well he didn’t have much of one.

“Who’s this?” she asked, pointing at the painting. She couldn’t recall anyone who looked like him in the castle. Perhaps it was the artist that did these works? A relative? There was something oddly familiar about it.

Nobunaga walked over to Makoto and looked down at the painting.

“Oh, that must be the portrait that was commissioned,”

A portrait? “Wait, this is you?”

“Mm,”

Makoto was… well, she was speechless, to say the least. It hit her that she had seen the painting once before in her old history books from back in high school. No wonder she didn’t recognize any of the warlords when she first met them. They looked nothing like their portraits! This was the equivalent to photoshopping your profile picture, but in like, the opposite way that most people intended.

“So, you feel that this is an accurate depiction of you?” she finally asked.

“It’s not something that I’m particularly concerned about. I get them done because I have to,” his tone was indifferent. “There have been a number of portraits of me made, each one different from the next,”

Makoto chewed the inside of her cheek. Yes, it was now coming back to her now.

“You disagree,”

“No. It’s just… not what I would have gone with. Personally,”

“Oh?”

She fidgeted with her hands, looking as though she were about to burst. Finally, she couldn’t help it, and grabbed her bag, pulling out her sketchbook and grabbed a small brush and an inkwell from Nobunaga’s table. She felt a little bad critiquing this artist’s work, but there was just no way that was Nobunaga, even if this was the style used during this time. Maybe she could do her own little spin on it. Ugh, her art history teacher would kill her for wanting to change such an iconic painting. But she couldn’t help it.

“Let’s see… first of all, the linework doesn’t really convey ‘Devil King of the 6th Heaven’ to me,” Even resting or sitting, there was always this aura of intensity around him. Therefore, brush strokes used should convey as such. They should be more dynamic, more freeform. The brush moved across the page with both speed and precision.

“And your face isn’t that round,” he had sharper features, that gave him a stern and devilish look at the same time. “Not to mention your hairstyle,”

“I believe I had a topknot when the artist first came to visit,”

“Well you don’t now, so we’ll just fix that. Plus your hairline doesn’t go that far back,”

She dipped the brush in the inkwell again started to add a little more detail to sketch. She was concentrated now, muttering a few comments to herself, but not really expecting an answer in return. It was always how she worked on her designs, whether there was someone around or not.

“And then of course, there are your eyes,” she continued. They were the three Cs; Carnelian, cold, and calculating. She’d gotten used to them at this point. She had asked them once why they were always so cold and he couldn’t answer, so she just sort of left it at that. It was a dumb question anyway, if she thought about it.

“I see,” he said.

She didn’t know when it had happened, but Nobunaga had sat down very closely beside her, his face looking over her shoulder at the sketch. And that’s when she noticed his eyes.

They were different. They held some emotion in them. Interest perhaps. But not the type of interest where she was something new and unknown, or someone to conquer. More like… he was enjoying just watching her sketch.

Something fluttered inside her chest.

She then quickly put the brush back down and stood up. What was she doing? She just said that she wanted as little as possible to do with him, and now here she was sketching an entire portrait after spending the night with him.

“I should really get back to my room,” she tucked a strand of her curly brown hair behind her ear. “The later it gets the more people will be in the hallways, and-”

“You don’t want to give them the wrong idea, I know” he responded, a surprisingly playful tone in his voice. “It’s a shame. I quite enjoyed watching you work. Until our next game, Miyahara Makoto. Unless of course, you wish to come back again of your own volition,”

“I assure you that I will not, Oda Nobunaga,” she responded, though her tone was far less amused, but she still bowed. “Good day to you,”

Once she left his quarters, instead of darting off back to her room, she laid her back against the wall and clutched her sketchbook tightly against her chest. Her heart was beating loudly.

He said he liked watching her work.

Why did she just sketch a picture of the man that she was determined to hate? Why did she spend the night with him just talking? Why did she want him to keep looking at her like that? His eyes… she wanted to see that look again.

Miyahara Makoto… not Nobunaga’s woman.

But maybe she wanted to be.

#ikemen sengoku #ikesen nobunaga #oda nobunaga #nobunaga x mc #ikemen sengoku: fanfic

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pelikinesis · 4 years

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just rewatched Trigun for the first time in probably 10 years or so?

Trigun is often extremely compelling, except when its writing becomes very bad, and by bad I mean dissatisfying in terms of internal logic.

production-wise, i get the sense that they blew the majority of the animation budget on the first two or so episodes, because they’re absolutely gorgeous, but in many of the later episodes they take a lot of shortcuts to the point where some scenes are basically slideshows.

writing-wise, there’s a number of really key moments that are intended to be emotional, but they’re so intent on discussing THEMES and making ON-BRAND CALLBACKS that characters start spouting dialogue in moments that are absolutely unfitting for the situations that were set-up, and a lot of the social issues in the later episodes is due to the fact that absolutely none of the main characters ever explain to anyone else, “Okay so there’s this guy named Knives, and he’s totally the reason why bad things happen around Vash”

and i’m not saying everything would be resolved because they’d be automatically believed, but everything Meryl and Vash say in lieu of that rightfully serve only to infuriate all the scared, misguided people precisely because they’re desperately asking for an explanation and instead they’re told some sanctimonious bullshit about how killing is bad, or so it sounds because it has not been explained to them that Vash is not who they think he is.

in hindsight, i mostly stuck around with this rewatch because of how good the first two episodes were, and the richness of the premise they promised. the idea of a pacifistic but extremely skilled gunman with a legendary reputation who is actually a dork IS interesting, especially when combined with the supporting cast.

If someone pitched to me an RPG campaign idea set in some sci-fi wild west world where we’d be playing as insurance claims agents sent to make contact with an outlaw so fearsome he’s on the verge of being classified as a natural disaster or act of God, i’d tell them to sign me the fuck up. out of all the backgrounds for a supporting cast in this type of setting, that’s a very fresh one.

the way that all the drama in Vash’s backstory which took place aboard giant spaceships intended to colonize other planets effectively turns his past into that planet’s own Creation story in a way, and how this somewhat subtly casts himself and Knives as angels or demigods is actually way cooler to me now than i ever registered the first time I watched Trigun.

but i just don’t find that the whole Vash-Jesus-Job analogue exactly resonates. There’s no tension because Knives and the Gung-ho Guns are effectively all-powerful, and if they’d been even slightly more competent they’d have succeeded in their goals. But it’s also left completely unexplained why the most loyal of the Gung-ho Guns are loyal to the point of death to Knives, and at this point I’m actually just talking about Legato because the rest of them barely exist. but Legato, wow, what a hot mess of a plot device masquerading as a character.

early on a question is raised: does Vash manage to get out of life-or-death scrapes with zero fatalities (though lots of property damage) due to dumb luck, or because he’s just that good? But the thing is, it’s never truly answered. Legato, in particular, is central to the least satisfying parts of the story. His powers are the most overtly supernatural and staggering in scope. It’s never explained why he has so little regard not only for the lives of other humans, but for his own life, allowing himself to be a total pawn to Knives despite probably being the most powerful character in the setting. Legato’s arc could have been used to help definitively answer the prior question, but it’s resolved in a different way that i’d call a swerve, but ultimately not a good swerve.

there are certain things i don’t mind not being explained, so long as the lack of information doesn’t turn into plot holes. So for example, i don’t really need to know what the Plants are. They’re humanoid and seemingly-sentient, and somehow provide all the resources humans need to survive on a desert planet. That’s fine. Not knowing how they work is fine. That mystery does not distract from the narrative’s comprehensibility.

But the show is very blatantly one wherein the fate of all humanity always falls on Vash’s shoulders, which is a bit too egoistic a story for my tastes--yet this wouldn’t be a problem if it were done well. i don’t think it is, though, not in its totality anyways.

Legato isn’t the only problem, he just happens to be the biggest problem. Legato isn’t so much a character as he is a plot device, a deus ex machina--not one that *resolves* the problems caused by the plot, but rather *creates* the problem that the plot requires so that the story arrives at the resolution the author wants.

Legato was the *facade* of an interesting character--an immensely powerful psychic with no regard for human life who also enjoyed eating sweets in his spare time. He can mind control hundreds if not thousands of people at once. Cool. Why can he do that, and what does he want? The answers to those two questions respectively are, (1) because shut up, that’s why, and (2) because he wants everything Knives wants because of reasons.

and that second part is infuriating, because in failing to address this, the writers miss an opportunity for exposition that would enrich not only Legato but also Knives as characters, at the same time. *how* did Knives convince Legato and also the saxophone guy to do his bidding loyally until death? Why is it that Legato is absolutely devoted to Knives, whereas Saxophone Guy shows some bitterness as they meet their ends to fulfill Knives’ plan? How has Knives secured their loyalty despite hating humans so much? See, those would have made for interesting moments, if they weren’t absolutely shunted off to the side in favor of varied scenes of Vash coughing up blood as he spouts his beliefs in a way that’s usually out-of-context for his audience.

Now, in other fighting superpower anime, i would normally expect a character such as Legato to be defeated once the protagonist figures out a weakness or limitation in his psychic powers and adopts a strategy to target that vulnerability. In a good fighting superpower anime, i might expect that a powerful psychic might have some vulnerability based on a psychological issue or two. that’s intuitive, and would not only be satisfying for the protagonist’s development to figure all that out, it would simultaneously provide an opportunity for deeper characterization of said psychic villain.

the swerve that instead Vash wins by losing, that is, by finally being forced into a situation where he has to (temporarily) violate his own moral code and shooting Legato dead was somewhat dramatic but only because of the buildup. Actually, one thing I unreservedly applaud Trigun about is the restraint they demonstrated in having Vash not even fire a gun for like the first five or six episodes which, in a 26~ episode show is quite an investment. It also spent even more time building up like 24-25 episodes of Vash not killing anyone, and then suddenly he did. But that’s the only reason it was remotely dramatic. Legato was an enigma and and obstacle but ended up being an empty contrivance, which was disappointing.

in many early episodes, it was very clearly laid out what the villain and guest protagonists’ motives were and why they had them. the writer(s) clearly knew how to do that even within the span of a single mostly self-contained episode. and that makes the bundles of unanswered questions that Legato’s role in the story and also his existence altogether raise that much more grating on my suspension of disbelief.

As soon as Legato’s whole dilemma was resolved, i couldn’t really engage with the story anymore, save to watch the last few episodes for the sake of doing so, and also out of curiosity for where the writers were going with everything. but i was no longer invested in the characters, because at some point they started saying and doing things in a manner meant to tie a bow on the themes the writers had been harping on the whole series, but not in a way that demonstrated any internal consistency or believability as far as the characters themselves.

Vash and Meryl never tell anyone who Knives is because the writers need Vash to forever be a falsely-accused and persecuted Christ analogue. it’s so freaking transparent, and that’s one of a number of similarly unsatisfying elements to Trigun, and it’s a darned shame. because so much of the show is interesting and promising, but it doesn’t really have the follow-through. idk maybe the manga explains everything.

Finally, there’s no good reason why Knives didn’t just kill Meryl and Milly after Legato died. I’m not saying this because I wanted their characters dead or anything. I’m saying it because if Knives’ whole motivation is to hurt Vash, and if Knives thinks of humans like cockroaches, then why wouldn’t he kill Meryl and Milly not long after Vash breaks his own code against killing just to save them? Why not drive that final nail in the coffin just to spite Vash?

All we know about Knives is that he’s Vash, but evil, he wants to wipe out humanity because he thinks they are inferior to them, and he wants to break Vash emotionally. Everything he does is motivated by spite towards Vash, and misanthropy, so killing Meryl and Milly while Vash is sulking over the abstract notion of taking a human life due to killing Legato would be the final insult to injury and would be 100% consistent with everything we know about Knives.

And this is why I couldn’t stay engaged with Trigun. Vash only adheres to his beliefs because the villains don’t do everything that’s within their power to break him. I’m not saying I wanted a grimdark downer ending. I’m saying that the only reason Trigun doesn’t have one is because the writers wanted a good ending, which clashed with everything they set up. Vash’s reaffirmation of his beliefs simply isn’t earned, not in my book, because the only reason they remain intact is because of either laziness or neglect on the part of Knives or the writers.

#Trigun

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walkerduchess · 5 years

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Dancing with Danger - Colt x MC (1/2)

Notes: So, this is my first Ride or Die fanfiction, I just couldn’t get it off my mind after the last chapter. It’s basically what happens after Colt appears to take MC (Bella) to prom. The beginning contains the same dialogues from the last scene of chapter 13. This part is not as angsty as the second one will be (spoilers lol). If you read, I would really like to know what you think! And hopefully I’ll be able to post the second part before chapter 14 arrives!

I do not own these characters, they belong to Pixelberry.

Word Count: 2536

Dancing with Danger Part 1 of 2

Bella has completely lost the motivation for prom. She’s still in Riya’s bed, wearing the same hoodie she has been wearing for the past week, scrolling absentmindedly on her phone while her friend gets ready for the party. To be fair, she’s lost the motivation for everything in the past weeks. It feels as if she’s set her life to automatic mode.

Riya asks her something about the eyeshadow she’s just applied on, but Bella doesn’t really mind that she didn’t pay attention to the whole of it. She quickly scans her friend’s face and doesn’t really need to analyse it too much to tell she looks beautiful as always.

“You look great, Riya, just like you always do.” Despite her effort to sound supportive, her voice comes out flat.

Riya doesn’t seem to notice. “But I don’t wanna look just like I always do! It’s prom!”

Her friend is right. It is prom. They say it’s an unique life experience. She decides she’ll bring her mind into it, it can be a good thing after all. Maybe she can forget everything for one night.

“In that case…” Bella allows herself to smile a little. “I’d add a little more eyeliner.”

Riya seems satisfied with her response, which gives the eighteen year old a little bit of relief.

“What about you? Are you gonna try a new look? Or a new hairstyle?” Her friend turns to her yet again.

If she’s going to prom she guesses she should look the part. But… she hasn’t really thought about looking pretty in quite some time.

“I… don’t exactly have someone to impress tonight.” She confesses, turning her eyes down once again to stare at her phone.

Riya reaches forward, snatching the phone from the girl’s hands. Before she can protest, the dark haired gives her an impatient look. “Enough moping! I know you’ve had a tough couple of months, but we have to make the most of the time we still have together!” Her features soften a little before she continues. “I know tonight isn’t going to be exactly what we thought… but as Dare would say, we aren’t done with this part of our lives yet.” Her voice gets louder now, and she grins. “Now, are you with me or are you with me?”

“Okay, okay! I’m with you!” It’s not as if she can answer otherwise after this motivational speech. Bella notices that she has a genuine smile on her face. Even in her darkest moments her best friend can make her feel better, and it somehow brings her comfort.

“Good. Now, I’m gonna go put on my fabulous dress, and I want you to text whoever it is that you’ve been daydreaming about all night.”

“I haven’t--”

Riya rolls her eyes at her attempt protest. “You have. And you’re only going to get more distracted until you do something about it.” She tosses the phone back at her friend. “So, text them hi, then get your ass in your dress!”

As Riya disappears into the bathroom, Bella sits back on the pillows, closing her eyes. She’s not sure she would call what’s been on her mind the whole day daydreaming. She’s been nothing but worried, really. Kaneko is dead, and the rest of the crew is gone. She thought she would have heard from Logan by now, but he never replied to any of her texts after that dreadful night.

After spending so much of her time with the crew, in the few months she had been with them, Bella’s obviously worried about all of them - Mona, Toby, Ximena, Logan, Colt. But she can’t deny to herself that these last two occupied her mind most of the time.

She truly cares for Logan, and she knows he cares for her too. She wonders what would it be like if she had listened to him since the beginning and just left… Maybe she would be at home, with her father, both of them happy and without a single worry. Now, she’s in the middle of this mess and she can’t to a thing about it.

However, Colt… with Colt it’s different. He’s had options, and through it all he seems to have made all the wrong choices. He drove her mad with the same intensity as he pulled her in. Time and time again something about him - his actions, his words, his gazes, his touches - told her he could be so much more than his father ever was… only for him to go and crush it all by going way past the limits.

Her thoughts are interrupted by the doorbell ringing, followed by Riya’s voice. “Bella, can you get that?”

“On it!” Bella answers, rising from the bed and rushing downstairs.

When she opens the door, she inhales sharply at the sight in front of her.

“Colt! What’re you doing here?” He is wearing a formal black suit that makes him even more attractive than usual.

“What does it look like?” He smirks. “I’m here to take you to prom.”

“I… What?” She doesn’t know what to feel but to be aghast at this situation. Did he really have the courage to stand in front of her, looking like this, as if nothing had happened? As if he hadn’t sworn revenge on the very people who want him dead and then left her out in some street with no more words?

In truth, she is angry with him, but with herself too, because after everything he’s done, she still feels that, now standing close to him again, that magnetic pull his eyes have on her, one that makes her want to simply let go and drown in the deep unknown ocean that is Colt Kaneko, however dark it gets the further she goes. Tears start forming in her eyes, a mixture of anger and relief upon seeing he is alive and well.

Despite her efforts not to show it, Colt notices and steps inside the house, even closer to her, bringing one of his hands to her face. “Hey, everything’s okay.” His voice is low and unusually soothing.

He pulls her into a hug and she is unable to turn it down, burying her face in his chest and letting some of the tears flow instead.

“Bella? Who was that?” Riya’s voice startles her, and she quickly pulls away from Colt, drying her tears with the sleeve of her hoodie.

Bella has to make quite an effort, but she manages to convince her friend that everything is fine after the due introductions. She spends the next half an hour giving short answers to all of Riya’s questions about the boy waiting in the living room while she does her makeup. It pains her having to hide so much from her best friend, but she accepts it’s better than to put Riya in danger by telling her everything.

“I don’t intend to brag, but you look marvelous!” The dark haired girl finishes helping Bella to adjust her dress. “Colt won’t be able to get his eyes away from you!”

Bella manages a small grateful smile. She hides it well, but inside she is extremely anxious. So, Colt is taking her to prom… and then what? Are they going to pretend things are normal? There’s so much she wants to ask, so much she wants to say to him, but he caught her so unprepared she doesn’t know where or how to begin.

“Are you sure you’re okay with me going to prom with Colt? We agreed to go together.” Bella searches her friend’s eyes to make sure she means it.

Riya makes her serious face. “Do you want to go with him?”

“... Yeah.” Of course she’s thought about telling Colt to leave, but she wouldn’t be true to herself if she did. Besides, maybe tonight is all they’ve got. Her hands tremble a little at the thought. She was worried about him in the past weeks, but now that he’s here… she is scared. Scared that this is it, that this is goodbye, scared that she won’t be able to help him or stop him - just like she wasn’t before.

“Then that’s it.” Riya’s voice is determined and she gives her friend a reassuring smile. “I’m one hundred percent okay. Now go, your dreamy bad boy and his ride are waiting.”

“How about you? You can go with us!”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ve already texted Dare, he’s coming to pick me up.”

“Really, Dare?” Bella narrows her eyes at her friend, yet she can’t help a grin from spreading across her face.

“Quit it.” Riya rolls her eyes. “We’ll talk after prom.”

“Fine.” Bella gives her friend a quick hug before rushing out of the room. “Thank you so much, I love you!”

“Love you too!” The dark haired yells to Bella, who’s already halfway down the stairs.

Colt is sitting in a couch and gets up at the moment he spots her. She notices as he sucks in a breath and his mouth opens a little at the sight of her. However, he is fast to change his face into a side smirk, his eyebrows shot up. “Wow.”

She curses herself for the heat she feels growing on her cheeks and parades to the front door in silence. Colt follows suit, observing her in silence as well.

As she gets out, she spots his car parked in front of the house and decides to break the silence. “You ditched the bike?”

“Never.” He sounds almost offended. “But I couldn’t take a girl to prom on it, could I?” He adds, opening the passenger door for her.

“Still the big planner, I see.” She offers him a shy smile while getting in.

Once they get in the car and he starts the engine, Bella decides it’s time to start getting her answers. “So… Where have you been in the past weeks?”

“Not far. Phoenix. Vegas. Just making some money, you know.”

It irritates her that he’s being awfully vague about it all. “And why did you come back?” She doesn’t look at him as she asks, bracing herself mentally. She knows his plans of revenge, he hasn’t hidden it from her. Bot deep down she hopes he is back for another reason… she hopes the reason is her.

His gaze turns to her for a moment, before he looks ahead again and replies. “I came back for one night. To take you to prom.”

It’s a bittersweet answer. He is here for her, but not in the way she wants it - not to stay. But it has always been like that with him, hasn’t it? If she wants him, he’ll let her have him, but only if she takes him for all he is. The ever stubborn, unbending, and boundless Colt Kaneko.

It’s a short ride from Riya’s place to school, and soon they’re parked. Colt takes her hand when they’re out of the car and she enjoys how her hand fits into his. Since tonight is all they have, she came to the resolve she’ll have a happy night, then.

As they enter the school gym, Colt brings his mouth closer to her ear and speaks in a low tone. “I didn’t go to my prom.”

“You don’t really strike me as a prom kind of guy.” She replies, smiling at him, and he chuckles. Apparently, he is really making an effort for her, and it warms her heart.

They stand in line to take pictures and then wander around, appreciating how beautiful the gymnasium is, gleaming despite the dim lights. Every minute more people arrive, and they can see more and more drinks occupying hands.

There’s a band in the corner playing some pop music, but they don’t pay attention to it, listening to each other instead, sharing stories and experiences about school. It is natural for them to remain in lighter topics; besides, Bella can learn more about the time Colt stayed from his father and his criminal life. He is smart and talking to him is easy.

By the time the band begins playing a slow ballad, Colt offers her his hand with a smirk on, and she laughs and takes it, letting him pull her so her body is almost touching his.

“I never thought you danced.” She glances defiantly at him.

“Only with a good partner.” He winks at her, bringing his hands to her waist.

She wraps her arms around his neck and allows herself to follow his lead. They swing along the rhythm and as they’re at it, Bella takes the time to study every detail of his face, memorizing it. She takes in his scent and his minty soap and leather smell almost makes her dizzy.

All too soon, the music ends, but they remain glued to each other. Her eyes contemplate his, searching for something, anything he isn’t saying out loud. He bends his head down and captures her lips with his. She kisses back, completely lost in the moment.

Another song begins to play as they step out of the dancefloor, smiling. Bella does look radiant, yet she refuses to think too much about it, for she knows inside there’s doubt and fear and anger.

Colt touches her elbow. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

He strides towards the hallway to the side of the gym before she can say anything. She furrows her brows, deciding whether or not Colt had a weird look when he left. Maybe she’s over analyzing it.

After a while, she feels a hand on her shoulder, making her turn around. She expects to see Colt, but it’s Riya who’s in front of her. “I finally found you!” She exclaims. “Where is Colt?”

“He went to the bathroom, but it’s been a while.” Bella replies, looking around for Colt.

Riya notices the worry in her friend’s face. “Stay here, I’ll go ask Dare to go see if he’s okay.”

Bella just nods.

A few minutes pass and Riya approaches again, this time with Dare beside her.

“Hey Bella!” Dare gives her a quick hug, but then looks worriedly down at her. “I’m sorry, your date isn’t in the bathroom or anywhere around here.”

“What?” Is all she can say, feeling her knees grow weak. She looks at Riya. “Do you think he left?”

“Why would he leave without letting you know?” Dare cuts in.

Is this how the night ends then? Not even a goodbye? Her mind spins around and around. After everything, is he really capable of disappearing on her? If she’s being honest with herself, she can’t really tell anymore what Colt is or isn’t capable of.

Riya puts a comforting hand on her arm and is about to say something, but is interrupted by a loud bang coming from outside, quickly followed by another one. Everyone stops whatever they’re doing and look around, voices rising up.

“I’m pretty sure those were gunshots.” Dare says.

They were. Bella went with her dad to a couple of his shooting practices, and those noises were definitely from a gun being fired. Her blood grows cold and she can only think about one thing. “Colt”, she whispers, out of breath.

#colt x mc #choices fanfiction #ride or die #choices rod #rod fanfic #colt kaneko

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